Issue 4 Volume 31 June 2012 MORRIS KNOLLS STUDENT NEWSPAPER Student Production a Success MK Students Slam Original Poetry Laura French Staff Writer Thursday, April 26 2012 the Morris Knolls auditorium was filled with nervousness and anxiety as thirteen students practiced po- ems that they put hard work, time, and effort into. As seats within the auditorium started to fill and the contestants’ stomachs filled with anxious butterflies, Brooke Boun- arou played the opening melody on the piano. The judges Ms. Pe- zak, Mr. Hearon, Mrs. Peterson, Ms. Ward, Mr. Philips, Ms. Mandel and Mr. Curtis all took their seats up front and waited patiently for the first contestant. Mr. Terzis, Lit Society advisor, started the show with “Good Evening and Welcome to the Morris Knoll’s Poetry Slam.” He introduced Mr. Weber, Mor- ris Knolls Lit teacher who did not compete but performed a poem to start the night’s festivities. Antonio Zuzuro was the first contestant to perform fol- lowed by Dan Wessels, Adam En- gleson, Heather Lavalle, Cristian Caporallini, Leslie Pyo, JP Vanier, Stanley Mikuta, Amit Gupta, Theo Lowery, Arianna Garcia, Chase Weinstein, and Sarah Kersey. Last year’s winner Cindy Ji performed followed by a surprise performance from former MK student Conor McCloskey. McCloskey explained his appearance saying, “Normally I would avoid Morris Knolls at all costs. But I think it’s important, as a poet, to reach out to as many people as possible because I was once the kid in the audience who was inspired to write by another person.” As the night came to a close, Mr. Terzis took the stage to announce the winners. The results were as follows: a tie for third between Theo Lowery and Sarah Kersey, in second place was Chase Weinstein and in first place, Arianna Garcia who said, “It was a very fulfilling experi- ence, I am proud of myself for having the courage to put my thoughts and feelings out there to strangers. That goes for everyone else who performed as well. They were all so great, it is not easy to go up there and share your poems like that, Kudos to them.” When asked about her inspiration for writing she answered, “I got my inspiration for the poem original- ly from my AP Lang class. We did a practice prompt at the begin- ning of the year ‘The only thing to fear is fear itself,’ (FDR) and I got home that day really thinking about the prompt. With the things I was dealing with at the time I just started writing and it felt re- ally good to get it out afterward.” The audience also seemed very thrilled with the show that took place that night. Ms. Pezak was happy to talk about the per- formances and said, “I am so as- tonished by the talent that these kids portray. Knowing that these poems are written by high school students amazes me. I was chuck- ling, crying and really feeling the emotion within the poems. I had to miss one Poetry Slam last year and I hope I never have to again because I very much enjoy it.” Overall the performance was a success. Students really en- joy the show and look forward to next year’s Poetry Slam. Their only hope is that it will be as good as this year’s performance. Christina Diabo Staff Writer Christian Caporallini performs his role with enthusiasm in “Su- perman Underpants” -Photo by Ms. Maier This year’s student pro- duction of Superman Underpants and Richard Cory, directed by se- niors Cindy Ji and Theo Lowrey, whipped viewers between two con- trasting moods, leaving them with their jaws dragging on the ground. Performed in the MK audi- torium on Friday May 4th and Sat- urday May 5th, the show engaged audiences. Chairs were set around the stage and the main curtains Suddenly, like Superman himself, the play’s youngest hero Billy (senior Christian Caporallini) bursts into the Laundromat to save the day. Aged only five, Billy has not only an overactive imagination, a short attention span, and incredibly loud voice, but an optimistic outlook on life, which is just what Jack needs to resolve his internal conflict. With the help of his bubbly, carefree sister Brianna (senior Sarah Panayiotou), he soothes the minds of both the ner- vous Jack and his nostalgic mother as they decide the ultimate fate of the most precious items of clothing. The silly atmosphere of the play was topped off by the short but significant presence of the orange sweater-clad “hipster” (senior Patrick Kosmowski) who just wanted to update his blog, and a special appearance by litera- ture teacher Mr. Terzis, who played the father to Billy and Brianna. By the end of Superman Underpants and the enthusiastic applause that followed it, the audi- ence was left comfortable and hap- py; too comfortable and too happy, perhaps, to be prepared for the dark story that would come next. “Whenever Richard Cory went down town, we people on the pavement look at him. He was a gentleman from sole to crown, clean favored, and imperially slim.” This is how the next part of the show, Richard Cory, began – the same way as the poem by Edwin Arling- ton Robinson which it is based on. A shadowy semi-circle of still peo- ple surround a desk where Richard Cory himself (Thomas Schreck) sits, reciting lines from the poem one by one in a chant-like fashion, causing an eerie feeling of discom- fort and suspense. Finally the poem ends, and suddenly everything goes black. Then, “pop!” – the sound of a gun. By this point, every joyful thought of underpants and hipsters had probably already left the audi- ence’s mind. As dark and depressing as the story of Richard Cory is, the performance of the play’s cast and band was anything but dreary. Schreck captured perfectly the grim, melancholy disposition of Cory and performed his lines and songs with expertise. In addition, actresses Kaitlyn Gaffney and Krys- ten Wagner, who played Cory’s wife, Gwen, and daughter, Mary, respectively, portrayed the mostly silent frustration of the factory owner’s neglected family. The show’s acting and voice talents were not restricted to the portrayals of the main character and his family. Also involved in the story are Richard’s disgruntled em- ployees, his eager to please house maid Margaret, and his secret mis- tress from the jazz club he visits every night, Julia Tyler. Portrayed by Tori Prasad, Julia is a romantic who has no (cont. p. 6) were closed, creating an intimate space with only the props, actors, and viewers in close proximity. With this set up, no one had trouble hearing characters’ conversations, watching dramatic scenes unfold, and feeling like they were part of the show. It wasn’t just the stage set up that made the play incredible. The skilled actors, speedy stage crew, talented band, charismatic directors, and affectionately named “stage moms” all contributed to the success of the show. The first play performed, Superman Underpants, had half the cast size of Richard Cory and lasted less than half the time as well, but was equally entertaining and displayed the same amount of ability and dedication. The fact that the play itself was written by student director Cindy Ji makes its quality even more impressive. The main plot begins when the play’s central character, Jack, played by junior Jon-Luc Bour- get, a soon to be middle-schooler with hunching shoulders, shaking hands, and a cracking voice arrives at a Laundromat with his mother, played by junior Sarah Silverman. The conflict comes when Jack, af- ter going through his dirty clothes, struggles to decide whether it’s ap- propriate to still wear his beloved Superman Underpants as a middle school student. Table of Contents UPCOMING EVENTS June 15 Final Exams 1 & 2 18 Final Exams 5 & 6 19 Final Exams 3 & 4 20 Final Exams 7 & 8 21 Final Exam Make-ups Graduation Rehearsal 9AM Senior Picnic 11 AM Graduation 4 PM Project Graduation 9 PM
Transcript
Issue 4 Volume 31 June 2012 MORRIS KNOLLS STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Student Production a Success
MK Students Slam Original Poetry
Laura FrenchStaff Writer
Thursday, April 26 2012 the Morris Knolls auditorium was filled with nervousness and anxiety as thirteen students practiced po-ems that they put hard work, time, and effort into. As seats within the auditorium started to fill and the contestants’ stomachs filled with anxious butterflies, Brooke Boun-arou played the opening melody on the piano. The judges Ms. Pe-zak, Mr. Hearon, Mrs. Peterson, Ms. Ward, Mr. Philips, Ms. Mandel and Mr. Curtis all took their seats
up front and waited patiently for the first contestant. Mr. Terzis, Lit Society advisor, started the show with “Good Evening and Welcome to the Morris Knoll’s Poetry Slam.” He introduced Mr. Weber, Mor-ris Knolls Lit teacher who did not compete but performed a poem to start the night’s festivities. Antonio Zuzuro was the first contestant to perform fol-lowed by Dan Wessels, Adam En-gleson, Heather Lavalle, Cristian Caporallini, Leslie Pyo, JP Vanier, Stanley Mikuta, Amit Gupta, Theo Lowery, Arianna Garcia, Chase Weinstein, and Sarah Kersey. Last year’s winner Cindy Ji performed
followed by a surprise performance from former MK student Conor McCloskey. McCloskey explained his appearance saying, “Normally I would avoid Morris Knolls at all costs. But I think it’s important, as a poet, to reach out to as many people as possible because I was once the kid in the audience who was inspired to write by another person.” As the night came to a close, Mr. Terzis took the stage to announce the winners. The results were as follows: a tie for third between Theo Lowery and Sarah Kersey, in second place was Chase Weinstein and in first place, Arianna Garcia who said, “It was a very fulfilling experi-ence, I am proud of myself for having the courage to put my thoughts and feelings out there to strangers. That goes for everyone else who performed as well. They were all so great, it is not easy to go up there and share your poems like that, Kudos to them.” When asked about her inspiration for writing she answered, “I got my
inspiration for the poem original-ly from my AP Lang class. We did a practice prompt at the begin-ning of the year ‘The only thing to fear is fear itself,’ (FDR) and I got home that day really thinking about the prompt. With the things I was dealing with at the time I just started writing and it felt re-ally good to get it out afterward.” The audience also seemed very thrilled with the show that took place that night. Ms. Pezak was happy to talk about the per-formances and said, “I am so as-tonished by the talent that these kids portray. Knowing that these poems are written by high school students amazes me. I was chuck-ling, crying and really feeling the emotion within the poems. I had to miss one Poetry Slam last year and I hope I never have to again because I very much enjoy it.” Overall the performance was a success. Students really en-joy the show and look forward to next year’s Poetry Slam. Their only hope is that it will be as good as this year’s performance.
Christina DiaboStaff Writer
Christian Caporallini performs his role with enthusiasm in “Su-perman Underpants” -Photo by Ms. Maier
This year’s student pro-duction of Superman Underpants and Richard Cory, directed by se-niors Cindy Ji and Theo Lowrey, whipped viewers between two con-trasting moods, leaving them with their jaws dragging on the ground. Performed in the MK audi-torium on Friday May 4th and Sat-urday May 5th, the show engaged audiences. Chairs were set around the stage and the main curtains
Suddenly, like Superman himself, the play’s youngest hero Billy (senior Christian Caporallini) bursts into the Laundromat to save the day. Aged only five, Billy has not only an overactive imagination, a short attention span, and incredibly loud voice, but an optimistic outlook on life, which is just what Jack needs to resolve his internal conflict. With the help of his bubbly, carefree sister Brianna (senior Sarah Panayiotou), he soothes the minds of both the ner-vous Jack and his nostalgic mother as they decide the ultimate fate of the most precious items of clothing. The silly atmosphere of the play was topped off by the short but significant presence of the orange sweater-clad “hipster” (senior Patrick Kosmowski) who just wanted to update his blog, and a special appearance by litera-ture teacher Mr. Terzis, who played the father to Billy and Brianna. By the end of Superman Underpants and the enthusiastic applause that followed it, the audi-ence was left comfortable and hap-py; too comfortable and too happy, perhaps, to be prepared for the dark story that would come next. “Whenever Richard Cory went down town, we people on the pavement look at him. He was a gentleman from sole to crown, clean favored, and imperially slim.” This is how the next part of the show, Richard Cory, began – the same way as the poem by Edwin Arling-
ton Robinson which it is based on. A shadowy semi-circle of still peo-ple surround a desk where Richard Cory himself (Thomas Schreck) sits, reciting lines from the poem one by one in a chant-like fashion, causing an eerie feeling of discom-fort and suspense. Finally the poem ends, and suddenly everything goes black. Then, “pop!” – the sound of a gun. By this point, every joyful thought of underpants and hipsters had probably already left the audi-ence’s mind. As dark and depressing as the story of Richard Cory is, the performance of the play’s cast and band was anything but dreary. Schreck captured perfectly the grim, melancholy disposition of Cory and performed his lines and songs with expertise. In addition, actresses Kaitlyn Gaffney and Krys-ten Wagner, who played Cory’s wife, Gwen, and daughter, Mary, respectively, portrayed the mostly silent frustration of the factory owner’s neglected family. The show’s acting and voice talents were not restricted to the portrayals of the main character and his family. Also involved in the story are Richard’s disgruntled em-ployees, his eager to please house maid Margaret, and his secret mis-tress from the jazz club he visits every night, Julia Tyler. Portrayed by Tori Prasad, Julia is a romantic who has no (cont. p. 6)
were closed, creating an intimate space with only the props, actors, and viewers in close proximity. With this set up, no one had trouble hearing characters’ conversations, watching dramatic scenes unfold, and feeling like they were part of the show. It wasn’t just the stage set up that made the play incredible. The skilled actors, speedy stage crew, talented band, charismatic directors, and affectionately named “stage moms” all contributed to the success of the show. The first play performed, Superman Underpants, had half the cast size of Richard Cory and lasted less than half the time as well, but was equally entertaining and displayed the same amount of ability and dedication. The fact that the play itself was written by student director Cindy Ji makes its quality even more impressive. The main plot begins when the play’s central character, Jack, played by junior Jon-Luc Bour-get, a soon to be middle-schooler with hunching shoulders, shaking hands, and a cracking voice arrives at a Laundromat with his mother, played by junior Sarah Silverman. The conflict comes when Jack, af-ter going through his dirty clothes, struggles to decide whether it’s ap-propriate to still wear his beloved Superman Underpants as a middle school student.
Table of Contents UPCOMING EVENTSJune15 Final Exams 1 & 218 Final Exams 5 & 619 Final Exams 3 & 420 Final Exams 7 & 821 Final Exam Make-ups Graduation Rehearsal 9AM Senior Picnic 11 AM Graduation 4 PM Project Graduation 9 PM
“What is your favorite Morris Knolls memory?”
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KNOLLS NEWSPage 2
MK Ladies Strut Prom StyleLeann O’Connor & Jennifer MeleStaff Writers
On May 18th Morris Knolls hosted the Junior Prom at the Sky-lands in Randolph, and on June 1st, seniors arrived to the East H a - nover Marriott in
style for their prom celebra-tion. Before the main
e v e n t , many stu-dents in b o t h classes, m i -
grated to the ever popular W h i t e
Meadow Lake in Rockaway, which pro-vides the perfect backdrop for prom pic-tures. This year, as every, Prom was a stylish event. Every year girls look forward to buying the perfect prom dress, and 2012 with its array of unique dresses was no exception. The style this year was predominantly long, although some ladies strayed from the norm and went with shorter styles; strapless and one shoulder ensembles were popular this year regardless of length. Junior Marisa Rosano (left) can be seen don-ing the trendy one-shoulder style gown. Several girls also showed off their backs with the season’s intricate open back dresses. Sequins and sparkles were a trendy touch this year too. Most attend-eess went with classic, straight-fitting dresses. Hair, the crowning jewel of the outfit, was also noticable this year.
Low buns and curls were very popular; Headband braids and side braids made simple hairstyles more glamorous. Most girls seemed to put the burden of hair-styling in someone else’s hands by turning to professional stylists for their do’s. The overall idea seemed to be to choose a hair style that fit the dress. Open backed dresses were often paired with hair up or off to the side as can be seen on Jennifer Mele (right). Accessories always complete the outfit, and this year’s jewelry chocies were, for the most part, classic- many girls chose to stick to diamond inspired earrings and necklaces. T h e finishing touch to ever girl’s prom look is her makeup. This year, many girls chose neutral colors with light mas-cara and eyeliner. Many look forward to prom so they can show off their per-sonal style, and it definitely showed this year at both Junior and Senior Prom.
Director’s CutCindy JiStaff Writer
Juniors wear the latest styles of the season at prom. -Photos by Leanne O’Connor
With any form of art, the process often means much more to the artist than the final product. In the words of origamist Chris Palmer, whose origami designs are meant to move and change with light, “You try to strive for the fi-nal thing [to be] good, but you’re also very well aware of how beauti-ful the process is…People in a gal-lery…they’re missing 2/3 of what’s special about what that object was and how it got made.” Anyone who saw the student production can appreciate the talent and note areas for improvement, but no amount of analyzing and interpre-tation can show— That the actors wrote the show as much as Theo or I did, that after days upon days of running the same scenes over and over un-til every line and character had the appropriate subtlety, the actors had developed their characters in ways that were never even suggest-ed in the script, and so became the characters. That Mrs. was written as an archetypical “mother” but became a paranoid, deluded par-ent valiantly trying to love her chil-
dren and Julia transformed from the “backdrop mistress” to an in-telligent young woman with com-plexities and conflicted emotions too real to have been restricted to the written word. And after the goofy, British persona didn’t work out for Margaret, she became a gentle, yet enthusiastic confidante for the Cory family without losing her touch of humor. That it’s incredible how the crew designed washing machines with downtown painted on the back and how they came together with the actors to make the show a show. That it’s equally incredible how underappreciated they always are. That I had the privilege to listen to my writing style in real-time—to share humor with the cast when “I’ve had twenty years of ‘but’s” didn’t work out and share joy when Richard Cory suddenly smiles in the middle of his argu-ment with Gwen because it’s his favorite scene, the tension is bril-liant, and the script worked out wonderfully. That having the flex-ibility to change the script allowed us to create a production we could all be proud of. That nothing should be created alone.
“Winning 12 varsity let-ters.” - TCNJ
Kristen Randolph
“The Renaissance Faire.” - SUNY Mari-time
Reece Reed
“The tornado drill.” - Rutgers Buisness School
Riley Kertesz
“Going to all the sport-ing events.” - County College of Morris
Megan Clark
Superman Underpants(bottom) and Richard Cory (top) -Photo by Ms. Maier
“Getting to drive senior year.” - Rutgers
Becky Tung
“What is your favorite Morris Knolls memory?”
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SPORTS Page 3
College Athlete Corner -by Patric Paragian and Andrew Wisneski
MK Quadrathalon
Andrew ConsalesStaff Writer
On May 17th the Senior Boys Lacrosse Players participat-ed in the last home game of their high School careers; however this game had greater implica-tions than just sentimental value for the five seniors. The team fin-ished 8-0 at home for the first time in school history. The Gold-en Eagle’s finished 10-8 overall tying the record for most wins in an MK season. Aside from all of the ac-colades it is important to remem-ber and honor the seniors for four years of hard work, sacrifice, and leadership. Before the final game, Senior captain and goalie Tim Zangara described the end to his lax career at Knolls saying, “ its hard to comprehend the fact that in a week or two my career as a high school lacrosse player will be over.” Tim Zangara will be go-ing on next year to play goalie for
Farleigh Dickin-son University and even though everyone wishes him the best, the 3 year varsity starter will be greatly missed. C o a c h Grilo always warns his play-ers saying, “Be-
Above, Jared Huston faces off during West Orange game earlier this season -Photo by Allie Campbell
Jasmine DostankoStaff Writer
2012 Boys Lacrosse team ties
all time MK Record
fore you know it it’ll be over and you won’t be able to get it back so go hard”. It’s fair to say these five seniors have put in the time and reaped the benefits as the Gold-en Eagles strung together what was an amazing season, includ-ing highlights like a 3- 0 start, a high county seed, and an upset victory over rivals Randolph and Roxbury. At the State Playoffs Knolls had a tough loss against Cherokee 11 to 8, but that doesn’t erase the accomplishments of the players this year or the great ca-reers of the seniors over the past four years.
On May, 22 from 9 am to 2pm, students from schools around the district came together at MK to perform in the annual Quadrathlon, which consists of a series of events from the mile run to the softball throw. During the course of the day, elite athletes of the sending schools compete. The sixth grade girls began the day’s events followed by the sixth grade boys. Grades six through eight were rep-resented. Themile-runwasthefirsteventon the track and for this race only the boys and girls competed at the same time. Angie Ryerson, a seventh grader came in firstwithatimeof5:55.Thesecondeventthat took place was a sit-ups competition which took place while the softball throw wasbeginningatthefarsideofthefield.When the last people were being count-ed for the sit-ups and the last ball was marked, blocks were placed on the track inpreparationfortheshuttlerun.Thefi-
nal event of the day was the 100 meter dash. The performance by these younger athletes throughout the day showed what Morris Knolls athletics has to look for-ward to as these students will soon be en-tering high school and hopefully compet-ing for Knolls. During the course of the day middle school students competed, but they also learned from the High School Captain’s club who taught them about the importance of hydration and how to avoid injury. The people behind the curtains- coaches, mentors, parents, nurses, train-ers- make a big impact on the athletes that compete in these games. Morris Knolls nurses stood on the side line waiting for anyone in need of assistance, and the se-nior athletes that were chosen to partici-pate took down times and numbers of the competitors; some even ran side by side withthemilersastheyfinishedtheirlastlap. When everything was packed and ready to go, the participants mingled and ate food provided at the concession stand. Overall, it was an enjoyable event for all who were a part of it.
“Coming in late for HSPA week senior year.” - University of Maryland, Baltimore County
“The winter.” - William Patterson University
Rachel Lum Kiefer Lobb
“Pole vaulting with my best friends, track, and senior year overall.” - Universtiy of Penn-sylvania
Monica Wojciechowski
“Performing on the MK stage.” - Drexel Uni-versity
Jeremy Berkin
“Drinking water out of the Mennen Cup.” - CCM
Connor Manning
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SENIOR ART SHOWPage 4
Kelley
Buhler
Kim
Hastings
Courtney
Hollenberg
Alexis
Seijas
Emily
Kovach
Kat
McGlynn
Arielle
Testa
Christina
Giuliano
Emma
Ghezzi
Ali
Faccenda
Lauren
Carozza
Stefanie
Fischer
Abigail
Schaeffer
Bianca
Cabrera
Jamie
VanGelder
SENIOR ART SHOW Page 5
Rachel
Bennett
Daniel
Dawson
Riley
Kertesz
Sanae
Myawaki
Vanessa
Marquez
Gabby
Sullivan
Katie
Farrely
B ecky
Alexander
Danielle
Agostini
Alicia
Pfaff
Cindy
Ji
Carrie
Mazzarone
Christian
Sabogal
Becky
Longfellow
MK 2012 Senior Studio
Art Show -Photos by Mrs. Thalman
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The first season of Young Justice, the exciting DC Nation show during Saturday morning cartoons, has given nothing but unexpected entertaining and a re-freshingly complex plot for a sim-ple thirty-minute show. During the promotion of the show the creator, Greg Weisman, revealed the theme of the past season to be ‘secrets and lies’ – which he did not fall short on delivering. For a kid’s show – which could easily be enjoyed by adults – it proved to have its occasional dark and dire moments among the child-ish cheeriness. It features well known sidekicks such as Robin, Kid Flash, Speedy, and Superboy, as well as introducing lesser known names as Miss Martian, Arrowet-te, and Zatanna – creating their own team to first separate from their mentors’ influences. Acting as a stealth force for the Justice League, they operate under their own orders within a mission. It
gives a touch of individualism to the usually obedient apprentices of the big names of heroes. Some things may bother the avid comic reader. There are a series of identity mix ups between the canon and the show. For ex-ample, the Robin in the show is the first and most well known character for the part – Dick Grayson – while in the comics it is the third Robin, Tim Drake, who creates Young Justice as his own team similarly to how his role model, Dick, created Teen Titans. The show’s Flash protégé is Wally West/Kid Flash, while in canon it is Bart Allen/Impulse who takes to the paneled pages. They com-pletely remade Arrowette, who, in the comics, is known as Cissie King-Jones, yet in the show is Ar-temis: daughter-of-rogue-assas-sins-turned-hero. Relatively minor problems cause a few interesting questions to be poised. While Arrowette is blonde, in the show it is explained that her mother is Asian - how, ex-actly, do genetics work there? If Martian Manhunter was supposed
Sat. Morning Gets a RushAbigail SchaeferStaff Writer
to be the last Martian alive from Mars, how does Miss Martian come to exist? What is it with Robin’s sudden interest in prefixes? Why is the show called Young Justice, if the team has never called them-selves such within the show? Villains prove to be well written, and their plots challenging for the team, though there are a few missteps. While Joker does give a good representation of crazy, he is certainly not the famous Mark Ha-mill version that has become the im-age of Joker since Batman: The Ani-mated Series has come and gone in the nineties. There are basic morals learned through episodes and de-feating the villains presented in the show: accept others for their faults, work together towards a common goal, and value friends. All in all, the show is a surprising and needed change from the cartoons that have tak-en over. From the ridiculousness of Adventure Time or Regular Show, it attracts those seeking more intense action and plot, and certainly doesn’t slack on deliv-ery.
StudentProduction (cont.)
Knolls Goes Dodge Ball
knowledge of Richard’s true iden-tity as a cruel corporate boss and unloving husband, creating a tense dramatic irony. Margaret (senior Leslie Pyo), a spark of sunshine in the rain-cloud atmosphere of the Cory house, aids the family not only with housework, but with their per-sonal struggles as well. Both Prasad and Pyo had no problems bringing their characters to life. The other half of the Cory cast may seem like minor charac-ters, but each of Richard’s employ-ees had unique stories and traits that gave them a special place in the story. In addition, they were played by skilled actors who ac-centuate these traits in order to stand out and impress the audi-ence. Liana (Rachel Lum) strug-gles to balance her lousy job situa-tion with her hopes for the future. Patricia (portrayed on different nights by Hazal Arikan and Mary Kate Feola) tugged at the audi-ence’s heartstrings with anecdotes about her seriously ill young son. Daisy, (Simone Sharp) naïve and easily impressed, chimed into con-versations with her amusingly high voice. Alexander (Matthew Pellet-tiere) charmed with a skillfully por-trayed foreign accent and Stephen (Antonio Zuzuro) intimidated with a booming angry voice that left lit-tle doubt he was the least patient of Cory’s mistreated employees. Lastly, Seth (Jordan Beffert) the calculating ringleader of the group drew laughs with clever literature references and less than successful attempts to woo Julia Tyler. Overall, the performance talent of all the actors, the stage band (Tiffany Yu, Alicia Pfaff, Jus-tin Vetrero, and Kyle Smith), and the seamless stage crew (Saman-tha DiFalco, Jonathan Fortunato, Megan Gillen, Katie Marak, Mary Nguyen, Ben Olex, and Victoria Quennessen) made for an impres-sive performance of an enjoyable though darkly themed musical. With eighteen talented ac-tors, two student directors, and two very different plays, MK students put on one dazzling show.
Zachary FridStaff Writer
Dodgeball is one of amer-ica’s pastimes, and to celebrate, SGA held its first annual MK dodge-ball tournamnent on April 20th. It proved to be an exciting event. Many students who partici-pated and watched the tournament explained their enthusiasm for and enjoymet of the event. Senior Trev-or Tironi. a participant, said, “The atmospohere was great with all the fans, teamwork, and balls flying through the air. It was a tough go. We didn’t lose at all until the final rounds, but then we fell apart.” The tournament kept MK students entertained for a night and gave students the opportunity to share a sense of teamwork and camaraderie. For those who don’t play sports over the course of the year, the dodgeball tournament
was a good way to channel their athletic anxiety. For those who do play sports it was an opportunity to play with friends who they are not teammates with. Some students even expressed their concerns going into the tournament. Senior Amanda Poris com-mented that, “It was very scary, but also exiciting, be-cause I was anxious to try it out.” The tournament’s winning team was made up of teammates, Alec Badalamenti, Alyssa Brindle, Kristen Randolph, Vincent Sacco, David D’Achille, Andy Plucinsky, and Kevin Luo. Students were not the only participants in the tournament. There were a hand full of brave teachers that dared to take on them. Audience member and senior, Al-
lison Kolacy said, “It was funny to see everyone take it really seriously. It was supposed to be fun, but they took it to the next level. It was also nice to see teachers break out their athleticism.” The first annual MK dodge-ball tournament was successful, yielding a good level of participation and great reactions.
Dodgeball Tournament WinnersPhoto coutesy of Kevin Luo
“Going to the hockey games.” - Robert Mor-ris University
Andrew Wisnewski
“Hanging out in the school store.” - Penn State
Caitlin Garrity
“The wonderful edu-cation and sense of community of Morris Knolls High School and its students.” - CCM
Arielle Testa
“Freshman gym class.” - CCM
Sarah Kersey
“Senior prom.” - Uni-versity of North Car-olina, Wilmington
Dan Dawson
OPINION/EDITORIAL Page 7
With almost twenty-thou-sand locations in 58 countries, one thing is clear to coffee con-noisseurs globally: Starbucks is a monster. It seems, though, that the now infamous vibes connected to the franchise—the simultaneously mainstream and pseudo-hipster hangout with free wifi and neutral tones to match—are beginning to lose their public appeal. Three loca-tions small but feeding the caffeine addictions of an increasingly large band of Denville regulars, Smart-world Coffee seems to be giving neighboring Starbucks a run for its money. The close proximity of the competitors makes comparison easy. The first step into Smartworld, however, makes its distinguishing quality unmistakable: personal-ity. No longer does the first time customer fear being scoffed at by baristas expecting orders in a dif-ferent language, or artsy customers scowling at his simple order— “A small coffee, please.” “A tall blonde roast? Bold roast? Columbian?” “Um. I suppose the first?”No, the request for a small coffee is sufficient, and, in fact, it is always greeted with a smile. Smartworld’s menu spreads much further than just coffee, featuring smoothies, teas, coffee drinks, soups, sandwiches, salads, pastries, and changing seasonal op-tions. With a corner location allow-ing for floor to ceiling windows fac-ing out toward the center of town,
Lauren GuiltinanStaff Writer
every of these delicious offerings can be enjoyed in a laidback and welcoming environment. Take it from someone who may have tried almost every drink on the exten-sive menu: you can pretty much get anything and fall in love with it. Who Smartworld is makes it alive. With entirely sustainable cups, napkins, and utensils, the small chain is making as little im-pact on the environment as pos-sible while making as big an im-pact on the preservation of private coffee growers over monopolies by selling only fair-trade and organic products. Both vegan and allergen free options make even restricted dieters comfortable, while at the same time broadening its customer appeal and giving Denville a local coffee shop it can be both proud of and at home at. Every day on my way to school, I stop at Smartworld coffee for a large Chai tea—no milk—and Almond Cranberry granola. Ev-ery day, my order is made for me before I even reach the counter, and on days when I hastily tell the barista what I’d like in place of the tea (the granola is irreplaceable), I can expect a light-hearted look of surprise. Every day, the same man sits in the third table from the door by the window, drinking coffee and typing on his laptop, and I hold the door for the same small busi-nesswoman on my way out. Some days—at a seemingly increasing rate—someone new walks in; more often than not, they become part of the every day routine, feeding their caffeine addiction along with their neighbors in a coffee shop like Den-ville has never seen.
The Smart-erChoice for your
Cup o’ Joe
The Avengers Dominate ScreensJennifer JohnsonStaff Writer
thE Quill, issUe 4,vol.29 JUne, 2012. PUblisHeD foUr tiMes Per scHool year by scHool PUb-lications coMPany, 1520 ,asHington ave. nePtUne, nJ 07753. tHis PUblication May not be reProDUceD in wHole or in Part witHoUt tHe exPress written consent of tHe eDitors. all PHotograPHs, graPHics, anD articles are ProPerty of The Quill Unless otHerwise noteD. The Quill aPologizes for tyPograPHical errors aPPearing anywHere witHin. tHe oPinions anD iDeas exPresseD tHroUgHoUt tHis PUblication Do not necessarily reflect tHose of tHe eDitors, tHe staff, or tHe scHool. anyone wisHing to sUbMit articles or letters to tHe eDitor May electronically Mail sUcH Material to [email protected]. all sUbMissions MUst be signeD, tHoUgH tHey May be PUblisHeD anonyMoUsly at tHe writer’s reqUest.
Art & PhotogrAPhyAllie CampbellDaniel DawsonKimberly HastingsKevin LuoMrs. Thalman
The Quill would like to apologize for the following errors in ISSUE 3, VOL. 29Quotation by Mr. Geary in “Lickity Splits: Knolls Success” was inaccurately reported, “Media’s Effect on Body Image” was written by Abigail Schaefer
Comic Cornerby, Kimberly Hastings
You’ve seen them before, each in their own films combat-ing a variety of common super vil-lains. You may have even read their comics, but what happens when you bring them all together? The Avengers. A movie which features heroes like Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, Captain America, Hulk and Hawkeye, and gives viewers the ride of the century. The new movie hit theaters on April 25 and dominated the box office. It had people out of their chairs cheering. This ensemble su-perhero movie is exciting to watch and makes viewers feel like they are actually there, participating in the action. The film is composed of a group of characters who must come together, put aside their egos, and save the world. Although a very simple concept, the astonishing special effects, humor, writing, and great cast of characters make this film a hot action-packed hit. The most important factor that sets this movie apart from the rest is its cast of great actors such as Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson who play exciting roles, a departure from some of their typical serious previous hits. Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, is a character from the ‘50s living in the modern world of 2012. The scenario plays itself out hilariously
throughout the film. The main char-acter, Iron Man, ( Robert Downey Jr.) cracks jokes and uses sarcasm to portray his sly and cruel charac-ter. Thor, played by Chris Hems-worth, is not seen as much as the rest of the cast members, but does a good job. Mark Ruffalo, new to the group, plays Bruce Banner, The Hulk. He is a memorable charac-ter, but does not match the perfor-mance by Iron man. The brilliant writing in The Avengers has the audiences laugh-ing throughout. Writer/direc-tor, Joss Whedon brilliantly put together a captivating script that balances action, plot and comedy. Even those who are easily bored by action movies, are kept entertained by hysterical one-liners that pro-voke laughing out loud. The film’s special effects are an additionally awesome and eye-catching aspect of the whole movie experience. For the ultimate Avengers experience, 3D is the way to go. It maximizes all of the film’s standout features. This is the first of many superhero movies that left me wanting more as it concluded. Avengers is easy to be captivated by because the characters make viewers want to fight with them to save the world. The excellent cast, the hilarious and witty dialogue, and the spectacular special effects, make viewers hopeful for a sequel sometime in the future. Introduction by Emily Kovach
FUN & GAMESPage 8
Libra September 23rd – October 22nd
At the beginning of the summer every-thing is going to be moving kind of fast. It is okay though, you will keep up just fine. Keep your friends close; you may want to do a lot of talking sometime soon. Try not
to obsess over the little things. Take the time to relax and look at the good things
instead.
Tarsus April 21st – May 21st
Your ability to function productively will be good this summer. Do not
worry about your financial situation you will be well off this season. You
work well with others, just make sure to convey your ideas clearly so others will understand your thoughts too. Be
sure that you take care of yourself, and push away any negative energy
that may arise.
Sagittarius November 22nd –December 20th
This summer if you have work to do, its best to get it done at the beginning of the season as you will
be your most creative then. You should have
some nice long talks with family members. Try not to be flashy this summer,
if you are you may be attracting attention, but most likely not the posi-
tive kind.
Gemini May 22th – June 20th
The beginning of this summer may be a stress-ful time for you. Do not worry about the prob-lems you are having, everything will work out. Do not let yourself become too impatient with
everything around you. You will eventually find time to work on the things you have always
wanted. Do not spend your time worrying this summer, spend it doing.
Leo July 21st-August 22nd
In the beginning of the summer you may be dwelling on old feelings about
a situation but soon those feelings will disappear. You will have plentiful financial resources this summer, but still do not spend too much at once. Take time to relax, try not to run all over the place this month trying to
please everyone. Take some time to be alone and relax.
Scorpio October 23rd – November 21st
For the summer your relationships with friends, family, etc. will be impor-
tant. You will find comfort in having them around. When making decisions about your future your past may be
an acting force on you. Do not let it be, but also try not to make decisions too
fast. Towards the end of the summer it is vital that you relax and do some-
thing fun.
Capricorn December 21st –January 20th
For you the best thing to do this summer is to not limit your activities but also be sure to get lots of rest. You will eventually need the rest and relaxation this month. You should also try to keep track of your money, spending is not such a good idea
this summer. You will need time to work on the things you want and need this month.
Aquarius January 21st – February 18th
This is a good summer to find new things to take care of; any kind of responsibility
you might be taking on this month will end successfully. Any problems you have been having will dwindle and you will be free to explore. As new information comes in you are afraid you will not be able to keep up. Do not stress about this though, things will
work themselves out.
Cancer June 21st –July 20th
This summer will start with you try-ing to focus on the upcoming issues of next year or the summer itself. Soon those concerns will dissolve and you will be back to your kind
loving self. At the end of the summer you have to firmly support your de-cisions, and keep your cool if things
do not go as planned.
Virgo August 23rd – September 22nd
This summer you are going to do a bit of cleaning, not in your room but in regard to your future. You will start to develop new hopes and dreams. It will be good for you to take charge of a group activity this month. You will enjoy the position. As the summer goes on you may learn new
information, which will not be very welcome. Try to talk it about it, this will make it easier. You are also in the mood for a bit of transformation this month, but do not try too
hard, it will happen naturally.
Pieces February 18th – March 20th
Summer may be a bit of a rollercoaster ride for you
especially at the beginning; try to make those you care about happy and you will be fine. You are in store
for some kind of treat this month, but you have to be
looking for it to see it. Make sure not to spend too much money, and also do not let
anything interfere with your work or responsibili-
ties.
Aeries March 21st – April 20th
For summer you may start out a little rough, do not worry though, your problems
will soon fade. During the summer you should try to communicate clearly so that everyone will understand what is going on with you. Towards the end of the summer
you will be looking to get rid of the old and bring in the new. Unfortunately, financially
you may not be in the best position, so stick to what you have already started and activities you can enjoy without spending.
Summer Horoscopes By:CristinaRauco
Optical Illusions
One face? Two faces? Or three?
Fun & Games
Do you see the black dots above?
Images coutesty of http://eyetricls.com/0201.htmGames page layout by Patric Paragian
ACROSS DOWN1. Competition between countries of the world 2. June to September5. Where many seniors this year are 3. Awards for seniors in the yearbook going next year 4. Commonly used during the 7. Party for seniors after graduation summer; most notably on July 4 6.Certificatesignifyinggraduation from high school 8. Place people go to relax; LBI and Seaside Heights are examples of these.
