Falcon NewsTheMONROE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL |1629 PERRINEVILLE ROAD| MONROE TWP, NEW JERSEY 08831 | VOL. XII ISSUE IV | May 6, 2011

What’s InsIdethIs Issue

entertaInment........ 14-15

Op-ed.........................16-17

specIal neWs............18-19

spOrts.............................20

schOOl neWs............... 2-5

neWs...............................6-9

prOm specIal...............10-11

Features.......................12-13

The Monroe Falcon Staff salutes all

American soldiers

by STEPHANIE WOStaff Writer/Layout

Every year, many Monroe Town-ship students, teachers, parents, and politicians attend the Yom HaS-hoah, or Holocaust remembrance observance at the Marasco Center. The Henry Ricklis Holocaust Me-morial Committee organized the observance which was held on May 1st this year. Each year, the com-mittee chooses a theme for the ob-servance; this year’s theme is hon-oring the educators of tolerance.

YORTZITE CANDLES:

Photo/ Dana Speizer

Photo/ Sol Lurie

Photo/ Dana Speizer

We must never forgetT h e a n n u a l Y o m H a S h o a h observance honors the memory of Holocaust victims and survivors

Yom Hashoah is a Jewish holi-day honoring the memory of Ho-locaust victims and survivors. The yearly observance serves to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive while nurturing the impor-tance of tolerance. The attendees and organizers for the ceremony hold this idea close to their hearts. “I feel honored to be a part of their [Survivors’] lives. I want to give back to them some of what they lost. This program that I direct for them allows me to do that, and it nourishes my soul,” says Chair of the Ricklis Yom HaShoah Obser-

vance, Nina Wolff. “I want them to understand how honored I am to know them and for them to call me friend. I want them to know that there are people in the world who feel their losses and cele-brate the lives they have made for themselves, despite overwhelm-ing odds. I am one of those people and the Memorial Observance is my way of doing all of that.” The program is ceremo-nial, complete with a proces-sion and menorah lighting. “Our program begins with a

Drum Cadence and Processional, where students accompany Sur-vivors as they walk down the aisles holding Memorial Candles. The drum sounds like a heart-beat and it calls us to remember those who perished,” says Wolff. Attendees included Mayor Richard Pucci, Superintendent Dr. Hamilton, and several Mon-roe Township board members. “I’ve been coming here every year for 24 years and it’s very important that we have these follow ups on an annual basis and this program has grown extremely well under

the Henry Ricklis committee. This is the first time that they directly honored holocaust educators. We have many programs through the Ricklis committee in our library and it’s in our school curriculum too. Like one of the speakers said, there are aspects of the curriculum that is all book knowledge, but an event like this makes it very per-sonal,” says Mayor Richard Pucci. A short video, “The people of Ricklis,” by former board of edu-cation member Amy Antelis was shown at the ceremony, followed by a choral performance from Tem-ple Beth Shalom in Manalapan. Two of the Henry Ricklis Foun-dation Holocaust essay contest winners had the honor of read-ing their essays at the ceremony following brief greetings from Mayor Richard Pucci, Dr. Ham-ilton, and Mr. Kaufman, Presi-dent of the Board of Education. “It’s an honor that I was chosen to read my essay out of the hun-dred of essays that were submit-ted. I’m glad the honesty of my essay was taken well. I’m glad to be recognized by such impor-tant people, and I think read-ing my essay will be worth it,” says sophomore Josh Mason. Freshmen participate in the Ricklis Essay Contest after learning about the Holocaust in their history class and hearing Holocaust survivors speak at an assembly. The expe-rience has enlightened many stu-dents to the necessity of tolerance. “Although many students will write an essay about why a Holo-caust could (or could not) happen

here, or what they would have done had they been alive during the Ho-locaust,” says Rhonda Rothschild, Chairperson of the Speakers Bu-reau in the Henry Ricklis Foun-dation, “I have noticed that, after hearing the tales of Holocaust sur-vivors and Hidden Children, many of the students are now viewing the experiences that they hear from these speakers as a lesson to love and respect all people regard-less of race, religion or orientation. They are taking the stories that they hear from people who were victimized because of their religion and showing a greater understand-ing of acceptance for everyone.” After the students read their es-says, Holocaust survivor Judith Sherman read a moving poem, “Say the Name,” shortly before

the memorable Menorah Light-ing Ceremony commences. “The candles on one Menorah are lit by Survivors in honor of people who perished in various con-centration camps and ghettoes. The Second Menorah is lit by the children of Survivors in honor of their parents and also in honor of a Holocaust educator,” says Wolff. Two Holocaust educators from East Brunswick High School wrapped up the eventful obser-vance with speeches that sig-nified the importance of Holo-caust and tolerance education. “It’s a wonderful thing. Yom HaS-hoah ensures that the Holocaust will never be forgotten and the memory of those that perished will live on forever. We must never for-get,” says sophomore Zach Levine.

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RAISING AWARENESS FOR MENTAL HEALTH: May is National Mental Health Awarness Month, which began in 1949 to “raise awareness of mental health conditions and mental wellness for all.” Visit www.nmha.org for more information.

NEVER FORGET: A memorial grave pays tribute to the millions of men, women, and children who fell victim to the Nazi’s cruelty in the Holocaust. Mourners lay rocks above it as a sign of respect and that their lives will never be forgotten.

MENORAH LIGHTING: A Holocaust survivor and a family of a Holocaust victim help light the sixth menorah during the Yom HaShoah observance on Sunday May 1st 2011. The Menorah Lighting Ceremony served as a solemn rememberance of the ones that fell victim to the Holocaust.

YORTZITE CANDLES: Attendees at the observance light yourtzite candles. These candles honor the lives of the six million the Jewish people the Nazi’s murdered during the Holocaust.

School NewSPage 2 May 6, 2011

The MoNroe FalcoN STaFFEditor-in-chiEf

Julie Kelly

ExEcutivE EditorJared Hussey

sEction EditorssaKina Hussain

Jaclyn Vogel

Brittany HastaBa

Layout Editorangela Wo

Layout dEsignBetHany cHan

JeeVan nagpal

danielle ostrager

stepHanie Wo

PhotograPhErsamantHa KolaVitcH

WinnErs of thE coLumbia schoLastic PrEss association 2009 & 2008 goLd mEdaList cErtificatE

2007 bronzE mEdaList cErtificatE

graPhicsstepHanie lorenzo

artistsdaVid morris

James stocHel

staff WritErsaidan Barclay

Brian Bautista

andreW dinicolo

tHeresa gonzalez

mattHeW gordon

stepHen Kenney

Katerina martinez

KatHryn oliVa

Jeremy rotH

lindsey zyBricK

by BRITTANY HASTABASection Editor

Students from different high schools across New Jersey dili-gently prepared for the 2011 YMCA New Jersey Youth and Government (YAG) Conference during the weekend of April 8-10 at the his-toric State House in Trenton, NJ. Delegations prepared for the conference by holding meetings, researching, writing and editing legislative bills about issues of real concern, and attending the Pre-Legislation Session on March 20. Throughout the weekend, stu-dents openly discussed and de-bated current topics of impor-tance that echo their views of prospective changes to the state’s government. They presented and defended their bills in Committe, Senate and Assembly Sessions. Some bills written by students are adopted and passed into “real” laws in the State of New Jersey. As a hands-on program, del-egates gained leadership skills and self-confidence in their in-dividual abilities. Students have the chance to experience and ap-preciate the process, dedication and effort put into passing laws in government. Most of all, the youth are taught how to become active citizens in a democracy. Lori Grifa, Commissioner of Community Affairs, talked about how she had a “big mouth and a bad attitude” and had “a great passion to serve people” at the opening session. She gave del-egates advice about life in general and how to live it to the fullest. Grifa says, “One, follow your passions or dreams and it is okay if you change your mind about them. Two, get the best education you can afford because there is no substitute for being smart and having knowledge. Three, don’t shave corners. Leave college with

MTHS students pass legislation in government Diverse delegates debate and defend their views

as much experience as you can. Four, take care of yourself, be care-ful and resist temptation. Five, be kind when you can. There’s never a wrong time to do the right thing.” YAG is a significantly rewarding and unique opportunity that al-lows students to meet new people and build lasting friendships. Dis-covering new ways of thinking about ideas and talking to those who share similar opinions is one of the best parts about the program. Many first year students began the weekend shy and nervous, but they went home a whole new, confident person with great ideas. Sophomore Kelsey Genuino says, “YAG is a truly great experience. I think I can speak for everyone when I say it really boosts self con-fidence and our ability to publicly voice our opinions. I made tons of new friends and saw old ones from last year. My bill even got signed into law and won outstanding leg-islation, and Monroe also won pre-mier delegation. You know how it is. We really had a great time.” When asked his biggest suc-cess as a student in YAG, NJ

by LEAUNDRA LANEStaff Writer

Spanish Honors Society mem-bers, students and runners on the boys distance team showed their support and enjoyed them-selves during the SHS 5k run/ walk event located in Thomp-son Park to support the Save the Children Foundation on April 9. The Save the Children Foundation is a popular foundation that pro-vides necessities to homeless and impoverished children, or children affected by natural disasters all over the world. Since the 30s, this foundation has helped disaster vic-tims from events such as the Haiti earthquake and Hurricane Ka-trina. The Save the Children Foun-dation has also sends lunches to impoverished children in America. At 10 o’clock sharp, distance run-ners, walkers and volunteers lined up at the starting line, then pro-ceeded across it at the sound of Ms. Basille’s “GO!” Quickly, the par-ticipants descended onto the path to enjoy comfortable 50 degree weather and encountered muddy earth that did not slow them down. Freshman Kealy Walters says, “It was a good run for a good cause.” The route began by the soft-ball fields in Thompson Park, continued around Gravel Road and ended a few yards from the starting line. In order for the course to total a distance of 5k, each member was required to complete the course twice. Senior Ariel Omineu says, “It was a very challenging, yet successful course. I’m very glad that I contrib-

YAG State Director Mike Gal-lagher says, “Speaking. Every time I spoke, even if for a short period of time, I felt proud. I was always incredibly nervous about public speaking to the point that my hands would shake (and it still happens to this day!) How-ever I felt incredibly happy when I would finish my turn to speak because I had, even if for a second, overcome my fear of speaking.” Additionally, the YAG community helped sponser a charity called Op-eration Military Kids (OMK). The charity offers youth programs and support services to military chil-dren to help generate awareness of the issues that a military youth faces when a parent is deployed. Delegates were asked to bring items such as coloring books, crayons and small toys for the “Hero Pack” initiative in order to support military families who serve and sacrifice for our coun-try every day. In addition, each delegate wrote a postcard with a personal message to a child who is receiving the package.

S p a n i s h H o n o r s S o c i e t y 5 k R u n / W a l kuted my time to saving the children.” Throughout the five kilometers, Sophomore “DJ Dema” DeMarco blasted sweet beats that kept the runners and walkers pumped and able to complete the distance with positive vibes. DeMarco says, “I am happy to come out to support such a great cause.” After the walk, participants cooled down and replenished themselves with cool water and delicious snacks. Awards were also given to the fastest male and female participants. Language Arts Teacher and running icon, Mr. Jo-seph Rooney, won fastest male to complete the course, winning a “very large basket of chocolate.” Junior Regina Caruso received a gift card to Starbucks Coffee. Regina Caruso says, “It felt great…it’s a great cause and made you run harder.” These winners demonstrate that donating your time for a great cause results in positive rewards. Mr. Rooney showed his impres-sive skill with words by present-ing a “Save the Children” rap that pleased his audience and set the right mood for departure. Afterwards, as the attendees be-gan to leave, students danced for the success of the walk, to save the children and celebrate their time together to make a difference. SHS supervisor and Language Arts teacher Ms. Beth Wolk says, “Everything went so well.” She explained that she was a lit-tle concerned about the outcome of the walk because it was the first walk hosted by SHS. Luck-ily, the walk was a great success.

Students walk for children in need

IN IT TO WIN IT: Students Saranya Ganapathy and Kelsey Genuino discuss how to enhance their bills for presentation in Committee sessions.

Photo/ Brittany Hastaba

Photo/ Leaundra Lane

WALKING ON SUNSHINE: SHS members and supporters walk the 5k course hosted by SHS to earn money for Save the Children Foundation in Thompson Park.

by KATERINA MARTINEZStaff Writer

School charity fundraisers help the community one step at a time. The Ex-Animo club is the newest and most original club here at MTHS. It was created to help students contribute to community through service. This increases the amount of students to take part in the community and it will give stu-dents more choices on commu-nity clubs. For example, clubs that concern the environment are also community related clubs. Biology teachers and advisors Ms. Tina Lambiase and Mr. Edgar

A community service for all

Esteves organize these events. Al-though Ms. Lambiase is the original founder, Anupali Bewtra suggested the idea for a club like Ex-Animo. The main purpose of this club is to help raise money for chari-table purposes. This year, they decided to focus on children. Ms. Lambiase has always had a soft spot for children, and those with disabilities and terminal illnesses are important to her. Ms. Lambiase says, “The fund-raiser this year was a great suc-cess and I am very proud of the work and commitment the students put in the club.” For two and a half weeks, stu-dents carted cans throughout Monroe and the high school, rais-ing $3,264.53. With the help of The Angel Wish Inc., who is as-

sociated with Robert Wood John-son Hospital, they were able to succeed in raising enough money. They used the funds to spon-ser a shopping spree for children of all ages at Barnes and Noble. Sophomore Michelle Cho says, “It’s a club that works for people in need, and I think this club not only helps people’s lives, but gives people a true sense of happiness.” After buying the children books, there was money left over. Ex-Animo is discussing with RWJ Hospital how to spend the rest of the money wisely. Although it has been a success-ful year, there will be changes next year. E-Animo plans to focus on two major fundrais-ers in order to expand the club.

Photo/ Tina Lambiase

School NewS Page 3May 6, 2011

by KATERINA MARTINEZStaff Writer

The spring season opened with an in-credible amount of performances at the high school’s cafeteria on March 24. Monroe Township High School’s fourth Coffee House was a success due to the ex-cellent enthusiasm of the audience. By 6:30 P.M., the cafeteria was filled, and every table was bursting with excite-ment. Senior managers Jessica Sabanos and Olivia Restivo were very eager to get this Coffee House off to a great start. The cafeteria was decorated to cre-ate a welcoming vibe for newcomers and artists. Most parents sat front row and the rest of the audience were stu-dents who are used to this kind of scene. The stage was set for 25 performances, and 52 artists and musicians to take over the mic. Daughtry’s “September”, played by Nick Monforte and sang by Sayan Roy-choudhury, was the first act. They guided the audience smoothly into the night with their euphonious song. Regular performer sophomore Sa-mantha Widmer sang with a voice that blew the audience away. With ju-nior Vicki Tow on the piano, Widmer sang Sara Bareilles’ “King of Anything”. Widmer says, “This is the second time I did the Coffee House and I really en-joyed the experience. It’s a lot of fun to perform in a laid back environment.” Instead of singing the scheduled “Crazier” by Taylor Swift, freshman Taylor Paulikas sang “White Horse”, with freshman Jesse Pedersen on the guitar. They pulled it off with a great round of applause at the end. Some popular songs such as Katy Perry’s “Firework” and “California Girls” or Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” and “Born This Way” were performed as acoustic versions. It was

a different kind of rhythm, but those were the songs that were talked about the most. “Firework”, sung by freshmen Brianna Brice, with Krissy Lassiter on guitar, was an amaz-ing performance. The way she sang was very heartfelt, and her voice fit the song well. Most of the performers were students of all ages, but there was one solo artist that showed that even teachers can take the stage. Language Arts teacher Mr. Joseph Rooney rapped his own work of art. He called it “A Call From Old School Hip Hop to Modern Day Rap”. He showed what musical talent and humor can really do. Sophomore Camille Suarez says, “Mr. Rooney’s raps are always good and well put-together. This Coffee House was so much fun, and I’m so glad our school has this event.” The Coffee House was not only domi-nated by female performances, but handfuls of male artists and musicians. Sophomores Zach Levine and Tommy Allen on guitar performed Good Old War’s “My Own Sinking Ship”. The song itself has a lot of meaning to it on its own, but with Levine’s voice and Al-len’s help, the act was unforgettable. Levine says, “I had a lot of fun doing it. It was nice seeing all my friends per-form, and I can’t wait for the next one.” All the performances kept the audience entertained. Not only did the MTHS cus-todial staff help out, but also parent help-ers took part in order to make this Cof-fee House a success. Parent helpers sold snacks and kept the tables organized. Sophomore Michelle Cho says, “Although I had a lot of work to do, I didn’t want the night to end. I love being in the kind of environment where I can just relax and have a good time.” By the end of the night, the audience was still pumped. Everyone appreciated the musical talent, as well as Sabanos and Restivo for making this event happen.

Talent and a cup of coffee

Photo/Boris Hladek

TALK OF THE SCHOOL: Kayla Eisenberg, Rishi Sharma, Jay Skully, and Raleigh Kane, performed original song, “Lets Make a Movie” written by Mr. William Kelly.

And the award goes to…everyoneMTHS Teacher of the Year makes it a priority to give back to students and colleagues

by SAKINA HUSSAINSection Editor

Monroe Township High School’s Teacher of the Year, Spanish teach-er Mr. John Allen, was announced to the school on Wednesday, April 13. According to Vice Principal and Head of the committee, Mr. James Cernan-sky, the selection of the Teacher of the Year is a month-long process, beginning with a committee meeting in mid-March. The committee consists of one teach-er from each department of the school. After the meeting, students, teach-ers and community members are giv-en four days to nominate a teacher or “educational services professional”. The criteria for Teacher of the Year spans pro-fessional qualities to interactions and connec-tions with students and other staff members. After teachers have been nominated, the committee reconvenes and the nominees are narrowed down. This year, it was narrowed down to 13 finalists. Then, the committee votes and finally selects the Teacher of the Year. Those who have had Mr. Allen as a teacher or have seen him teach or inter-act with his students would not be sur-prised to find that he won this award. Mr. Allen’s most outstanding qual-ity that sets him apart from other teach-ers is his talent for giving so much to his current and former students. He said, “Each student is important to me, and motivating students to achieve their full potential is definitely a top priority.” Mr. Allen connects so well with his students because, “I try my best to get to know students: what motivates them, what are their goals and aspirations, what are their interests.” However, he refuses to take sole credit for his achievements “I enjoy seeing how “ex” students are progressing. Mrs. LoBello always allows me to stop by her class, giv-

ing me the time to say hello, or to sit in on a presentation that a student I had in past years is making in her class. In addition, Mrs. Beagan has been very kind in allow-ing me to sit in with her students to men-tor or help with their school work,” he said. This is not the only area that Mr. Allen in-sists on giving credit to his colleagues. The requirements for Teacher of the Year are incredibly demanding and seem to be dif-ficult to fulfill. When asked how he is able to pull it off, he said, “My standard answer is “Everyone needs a Basile”. When Ms. Basile and I worked together, we split up duties and made teaching look easy, which it is not…I enjoy sharing ideas for lessons with my colleagues in my department. Re-cently, Ms. Tervo and I shared ideas, which I promptly incorporated in a lesson, [and] Miss Kudrak and Mrs. Armstrong read many of the essays my students write.” When seeing a teacher who does his job so well, it is natural to wonder if this was his plan all along. “Teaching was always my priority,” he said. This is evident in his college degrees, which he said consists of “two teaching certifications” for Span-ish and History, and two business degrees. In order to properly convey his love for teaching, Mr. Allen shared an anecdote about two of his students. “Recently, a stu-dent of mine, Hally Sablosky, was asked by Kuldeep Yadav what she was going to major in next year in college, and her response was “Everything, and minor in Spanish.” And both he and I thought that was a great an-swer. That brief exchange between the two students sums up...why I wanted to teach and what I hope to hear from students.” Although he insisted that this success was not something he achieved on his own, it cannot be denied that the real reason Mr. Al-len received the Teacher of the Year Award has to do with his ability to teach and get along with his students extraordinarily well.

Photo/Sakina Hussain

by BRITTANY HASTABASection Editor

A rehearsal lasting three months and a sleepless Hell Week pay off as the Dra-ma club presented “Thoroughly Mod-ern Millie”, evoking fits of laughter and touching the hearts of the audience. Senior Kayla Eisenberg plays Millie Dill-mount, a young naïve woman who moves to New York City and finds herself in the hub of wild adventures during the flapper era of the 1920s. While meeting a pletho-ra of fascinating characters that muddle her life, she has her mind set on marry-ing a rich man for money, rather than love. The chemistry between the two lead roles, the hysterical Asian henchmen (senior Kyle Suarez and Junior Jonathan Kim) of the house mother, Mrs. Meers (sophomore Camille Suarez), and the excellently cho-reographed dance numbers contributed sig-nificantly to the success of this production. Sophomore Camille Rabe says, “The musical

this year was definitely one of the best. The amount of talent on the stage was indescrib-able. The leads, especially Eisenberg and Ra-leigh Kane just had a chemistry that was easi-ly believable from an audience point of view.” Aside from many sleepless nights, the dedicated cast and crew diligently pre-pared to accomplish a wonderful perfor-mance. From 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., students continuously sang, danced, memorized and practiced their lines every day during Hell Week, while squeezing in the little time they had left for homework and a social life. The last show on Sunday, April 17 was filled with emotions. Seniors were crying because this was their last production, and they realized that they would be leaving all the friends they made during the months of preparation for the show. Everyone else was teary-eyed as well because they all bonded with each other like a true family. Sophomore Danica Calusin says, “Be-ing the last MTHS show on this stage, the footlights club worked to make

“Thoroughly Modern Millie” memora-ble. It was definitely a production no one would want to forget. It felt great being a part of such an amazing drama family.” As the last show performed in the Marasco auditorium, their hard work

“Thoroughly Modern Millie”, a character to rememberand dedication surely paid off as this musical is definitely noteworthy. The audience walked away from the play with Mrs. Meers’s unforget-table remark, “Sad to be all alone in the world” echoing in their heads.

Photo/ Shaun College

FALLING IN LOVE: Sophomore Zach Levine (Trevor Graydon) and Freshman Brianna Brice (Miss Dorothy Brown) passionately sing “I’m Falling in Love with Someone.”

School NewSPage 4 May 6, 2011

by MATT GORDON Staff Writer

Next year, MTHS students will have to pay to participate in most after school activities, including clubs and sports. This was implemented to reduce the cost of these many activities and also cre-ate some revenue for the Board of Educa-tion. This not only affects the students of MTHS, but all students in the district. The cost to participate in a club is pro-posed at $25 and $100 for a sport, which will result in projected revenue of $181,875. Several towns in Middlesex County have already implemented this propos-al, including Marlboro. Other schools in Central Jersey considering the pay-to-participate idea are Edison, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, and Sayreville. This proposal clearly reflects the press-ing school budget and lack of funds for necessities from paper and pencils to staff and programs. Superintendent Dr. Ken-neth Hamilton said, “We are implement-ing this proposal in order to maintain cer-

P a y - t o - P a r t i c i p a t e ?tain programs and not have to cut any.” However, many students do not agree with the fees, and believe the funds should not be used to pay for other necessities. Freshman Teji Gill says, “Pay-to-Participate should not pay for all of these materials and students should buy their own. It is just not the right way to handle the problem.” Another important issue arises while dis-cussing the pay-to-participate proposal: the amount parents and students will have to pay to participate in after school activities. Students who participate in many sports and clubs and cannot afford all of the as-sociated costs may be forced to choose between the ones that are important to them. This could lead to fewer top athletes or members participating in sports and clubs, and weaken our ability to compete against schools without pay-to-participate. Dr. Hamilton says, “I don’t think this is go-ing to happen, but we did think about it. We are going to have a reduced price program for anyone that already receives a reduced or free lunch, so this should not be a problem.”

Photo/ Roy DeBoer

by AIDAN BARCLAY and KATHRYN OLIVA

Staff Writers The National Italian Honors Society set up an informational presentation celebrat-ing the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy in the Marasco lobby on March 17. Members of the club diligently worked on the project for three weeks. The in-formational posters were presented on a large felt board for all to see and enjoy. The posters were about important events and leaders of the Revolution, such as Giuseppe Garibaldi and Count Camillodi Cavour. There were also general timelines of the era. Italian Reunification was a period during the 19th century that lead to the formation of the single Italian nation that we know today.

Celebrating Italian Unity

Garibaldi was an important military leader and political figure of the unification. His military campaigns reclaimed much of Italy. Cavour was a skilled politician who advised the King of Sardinia, and gath-ered supporters for Italian Unification. All Italian students were asked to at-tend the event. World History class-es were also invited because many classes were covering similar material. Ms. Rosemarie Benjamin was one of the teachers attending to the event, saying about the presentation, “If you look at it, you can see a lot of work went into this.” Italian reunification is the culture as-pect of the high school’s Italian program. Students seemed to enjoy the pre-sentation. Freshmen Joseph Purcell says, “It was interesting, lots of facts.”

CELEBRATING UNIFICTATION: In celebration of the unification of Italy, the National Italian Honor Society set up a presentation for Italian and World History students to learn more about the event.

Photo/ Kathryn Oliva

Photo/ Jaclyn Vogel

FEE FOR FOOTBALL: The new pay-to-participate system will make students pay a fee to play a sport or participate in a club. Sports, such as football, will cost students up to $100 to play.

Seniors compete to be crowned Mr. Monroe

MR.MONROE: Gurpal Sran, with his escort Keri Anacker, is crowned Mr. Monroe for the 2010-2011 school year.

by JACLYN VOGELSection Editor

Seven seniors competed for the ti-tle of Mr. Monroe for the 2010-2011 school year on March 25. The evening began with each senior dancing to “Fire Burning on the Dance Floor”, which made the crowd anxious for more excitement. Their lively en-tertainment and skilled choreography had the audience constantly cheering. As the seniors shuffled off the stage, hosts Olivia Restivo and Jessica Sabanos intro-duced the competition by announcing each senior with their accompanied escort. The first part of the night was formal wear. Each senior walked out with their “date” and showed off their top notch clothing. The boys wore perfectly fitted suits and the girls wore elegant dresses to match their partners. Sophomore Daniela Sardella says, “I thought formal wear was one of the most important aspects of the evening because it truly represented who each person was and their own unique style of clothing.” Next up was beach wear. Seniors donned bathing suits and pretended like they were on a beach. The girls came out with towels, sunscreen and beach balls to create a beach setting for the crowd. For hilarity, the boys switched with the girls and wore beach hats, swimmies and one piece bathing suits, which was a real crowd pleaser. The seniors on stage seemed to enjoy this part of the night the

And the winner is...most as well, and had a lot of fun with it. Shortly after beach wear, the seniors were ready to express their special talents to the audience. The top crowd favorite of the night was senior Francis SanAndres, sing-ing and playing his own original version of “Friday” by Rebecca Black on his ukulele. “My favorite part of the night was the talent acts. They were very entertaining and enjoyable to watch. I’m always sur-prised with what the seniors come up with,” says sophomore Danielle Guzzo. After the talent portion of the evening had ended, it was time for the audience to vote for their favorite four seniors to stay in the competition. Francis SanAndres, Chris San-tiago, Gurpal Sran, and Rishi Sharma were the four finalists to compete for the crown. The last part of the show was the question and answer segment. The four finalists were asked questions by judges Mr. Christian Jessop, Mr. Robert Byrnes, Ms. Christina Basile, and Ms. Michelle Ballard to see who would be crowned the title of Mr. Monroe. After each senior answered a question by each judge, the crowd voted for their de-sired choice for the win. As Sabanos and Restivo announced each finalist one by one, the crowd cheered the most for se-nior Sran, who was later crowned Mr. Monroe for the 2010-2011 school year. Sran says, “I really just felt lucky to win, not only because I won, but because I was really surrounded by a great group of friends. It was like the cherry on top of a great four years at Monroe and I couldn’t have had more fun!”

Photo/ Lauren Strenkowski

SHOWING OFF SWIMWEAR: Kevin Kimbo and his escort show off their moves in the swimwear portion of the Mr. Monroe competition.

School NewSmay 6, 2011 page 5

Police v. teachers: game of the century?

by JULIE KELLYEditor-in-Chief

Within a four year period, all Jamesburg students may be completely removed from the Monroe Township High School dis-trict. The concept, although hard to be-lieve, is a consequence the towns are facing as a result of the district tuition rate issues. Superintendent of schools, Dr. Kenneth Hamilton, explains the basics of the reloca-tion of Jamesburg students to set the record straight. He explains that the problem arose because of money disparities in the tuition rate. What caused the need for the re-location of Jamesburg students, and what should students know? “The district establishes a tuition rate that’s actually generated by a state pro-gram and the rate that the system gener-ates for Jamesburg students to pay Monroe was about $18,000,” he says. The problem, however, is that “Jamesburg is unable to

pay that rate… because the interest is now due for the opening of the new high school. They’re not able to add that additional $600,000 within their cap, ...the maximum amount that the budget can increase by. “One of the things Jamesburg could elect to do is reduce their budget to accommodate the $600,000, but because they’re such a small district, in order for them to do that they would have to significantly cut other programs, which obviously wouldn’t be fair to the other kids there. So Jamesburg has to now find another place for their kids to be educated where they can afford the tuition. “The way it will probably play out in the end is, if we break the relationship, it will be over the course of several years. The students that are currently in Monroe will continue to finish their high school ex-perience here in Monroe. The current 8th grade students, who will be ninth grade students here next year, will also be able to finish their experience here in Monroe.

The change that will take place will affect the current 7th grade students when they are ready to enter high school. A new send-receive relationship will be developed, and those students will go someplace else.”What are the specifications of the problem? “It was initiated by Jamesburg, Monroe did not bring this issue up. We have reached a compromise for the upcoming school year and we’ve established a medium ground for paying the tuition for the 2011-12 year. “I know in the Jamesburg community, the parents I heard from are not happy about it. They don’t like the idea of their children attending a school that could be as much as 40-45 minutes away, which is under-standable. There are also social implica-tions for high school students to not be in some proximity to their peers and friends. “For Monroe residents, there is a financial impact because obviously, when the James-burg students leave us, the money that the district was receiving for tuition now has to be made up in some other way. We will have to begin to think about how to augment our revenue so that there’s no shortfall as a result of the tuition not coming in. It will take about four years for that to happen.”How have the reactions to this is-sue been at board meetings? “We’re working on an agreement now that would sever the relationship. The rea-son that agreement needs to be in place is because the court order that was issued in 1979 mandated this relationship and, in order to sever that relationship, all par-ties have to agree that its not longer vi-able. Those are the discussions that are currently happening at the board level. “What I’m hearing from the Jamesburg resi-dents is that they want to try whatever they can to reverse that decision… It’s been very collaborative, very cordial, very respectful.”The reduction of Jamesburg students from the high school will ultimately af-fect class sizes. How many students at the high school now are from Jamesburg, and what will the impacts of the relocation be?

“Right now, we have about 205 stu-dents. There’s a perception that once Jamesburg leaves, we’ll have to reduce teachers because we’ll have fewer kids, but that naturally won’t happen because the kids are dispersed throughout class-rooms. I don’t think that, in terms of class size, it’s going to be that significant. “Once all the students are gone over the course of four years, that will obviously reduce our total population, but we must also antic-ipate that the enrollment in the high school will increase just because the demograph-ics in the community are changing as well.”Do you believe, in your own opinion, that this is a fair compromise we are making? “It’s a fair compromise from a financial standpoint. However, I don’t think it’s good for the Jamesburg students to leave Monroe. Honestly, I think the social implications, and what the high school experience is supposed to be for kids, is going to be significantly compromised. But financially, I think the compromise is a fair one. However, I don’t think the financial compromise should take precedence over what’s best for students.”Is there anything else you would like to add to help the students at Mon-roe understand the effects of this? “I just really want people to understand… it really isn’t a [hostile relationship], not at all. It’s a business decision at the end of the day, but I really want to see the students stay here. I think it’s good for them; I think it’s good for Monroe. I think the diversity that’s represented by the Jamesburg stu-dent population is good for our kids, and I believe they get a good education here.” Junior Sakina Hussain is personally af-fected with a sister in 2nd grade in the Jamesburg school district. She says, “It kind of stinks because Monroe was so close and convenient and I’m guessing wherever my sister has to go, it’s going to be really far and really inconvenient. My mom was also really concerned about hav-ing to send her child so far away to school.”

by AIDAN BARCLAY and JULIE KELLY

Staff Writer and Editor-in-Chief

Families and friends alike poured into the high school gym to cheer on their favor-ite teacher or cop in the highly anticipated Teacher v. Police Basketball game. Fill-ing the atmosphere with excitement and anxious fans, the basketball game, which took place on Saturday, March 19, gener-ated high spirits while also raising money. Other than providing some good old-fashioned family fun, money was raised for the Monroe Education Foundation. The idea for the event came about in No-vember 2010 during a brainstorming ses-sion for the MEF, which holds several other fundraisers throughout the year. Amy Antelis, a member of the com-mittee, says, “A few ideas were kicked around (comedy night, casino night, etc.). Someone mentioned a charity basketball game and I suggested police v. teachers.” President of the MEF, Mr. Ira Tes-sler, says, “We wanted to have a fund-raiser that would interest teachers, kids and members of the community.” Ms. Antelis also works for the Monroe Township Police Department, so she con-tacted Chief John J. Kraivec and Detec-tive Keith Saloom. Both officers thought it was great idea and plans were made. Saloom is also the president of the lo-cal police union, the Police Benevolent Association or PBA. His union also re-ceived funds from the basketball game. The police began getting prepared

early for the game by practicing dai-ly, even reserving time at the Recre-ation Center prior to the big game. The basketball game, which began at 7 o’clock sharp, brought lots of energy to the gymnasium. Complete with refreshments, a 50/50, raffles after every quarter, and a half-time cheerleading show, fans were given the whole experience at the game. All the while, community members of all ages sat cheering in the bleachers. The teacher’s fan side erupted with student’s screams for their current or past teach-ers, making the game even more thrilling. With a lead ahead of the officers the entire game, the teachers did not dis-appoint and came out on top, ending the game with a confident 61-37 lead. Superintendent of schools, Dr. Kenneth Hamilton, says, “I loved it, I thought it was a big success. I love to see the community come out the way they did. I was very proud of the teachers and pleasantly surprised… I think it was a very worthwhile endeavor.” Dr. Brian Latwis, who played in the game and contributed greatly to the teacher’s suc-cess, says, “The gym was packed...and see-ing this was a fundraiser, I felt there was a strong showing of support. I thought it was appealing to all ages… I loved playing in the game and I thought it served a great pur-pose which in my opinion is a “win-win”.” Regardless of the winner, Antelis en-sures that the “game is all about commu-nity and education, so everyone’s a winner!” Tessler says, “Most of the money raised by the MEF goes to the teacher grant pro-gram we have each spring. Teachers from

all schools can apply for a grant for up to $2,000. We hope to raise a lot of money and for everyone to have a great time doing it! We also hope to inform the public about the MEF and to attract more members.” Tessler hopes that this year will mark the start of a tradition in the Monroe community, and to continue the effort to raise funds and awareness. He says, “the event was a great success. Everyone seemed to have a great

time for a good cause. We would love to do this again next spring… We raised a little over $3,600. The event also, I hope, made peo-ple more aware/informed about the MEF.” The Monroe Education Foundation will continue to raise funds for the school district with the annual Golf Outing at Forsgate on July 12 and other events, while providing updates on their web-site www.monroeedfoundation.org

GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME: Monroe teachers work together to rack up the points for their team; the teachers bested the police officers in the fundraiser basketball game on March 19.

Photo/ Alex Obando

F i l i n g f o r d i v o r c e ? Jamesburg planning to send students to another district

FINDING A NEW HOME: After attending the GMB Middle School, Jamesburg students will no longer at-tend Monroe Township High School. New districts are being found for Jamesburg residents; the relocation will affect students currently in seventh grade and below.

Photo/Dana Speizer

NEWS May 6, 2011 PagE 6

A u t i s m A w a r e n e s s M o n t hby LINDSEY ZYBRICK

Staff Writer

Teachers and students wore blue in support during April for Autism Awareness Month. The Autism Society has been celebrating Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s to spread the necessary awareness of autism. Autism is a developmen-tal disability that usually appears dur-ing the first three years of childhood. The disabil-ity affects the way a person can communi-cate and inter-act with oth-ers, and can affect people diagnosed in various degrees. There is no single known cause for autism. The Monroe Township school district held several activities and events during Autism Awareness Month. Pins were avail-able throughout the month at each of the schools for a donation benefiting Autism NJ. “It is important to raise autism awareness because the earlier an autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed, the earlier the inter-

ventions can be implemented for the child. Many interventions and therapies are high-ly successful if implemented early. Entire families benefit from increased knowledge of the disorder and can connect to resources in the community and state,” says Super-visor of Special Education Marie Pepe. Students at the elementary schools also

participated in raising aware-ness through the “Blow Bubbles 4 Autism” at 10:00 on April 15, 2011. Registered with the United Way, the schools participated in the Guinness World Record. During the April 13 Board of Edu-cation meeting,

there was a special “Showcase for Student Success” presentation. The showcase’s pur-pose was to highlight some of the programs offered in the Monroe Township school district that incorporate special education students, general education students and the community together. The showcase includeed students of different age lev-els, reading and speaking on the subject. “The events planned will educate the

community on the many resources and programs Monroe Township Schools provide for our children, as well as the fact that we are committed to mak-ing our children successful in school, at

home and in the community,” says Pepe. Autism Awareness Month is important for emphasizing the growing need for awareness of autism not only in schools, but also in communities around the nation.

“It is important to raiseautism awareness because the

earlier an autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed, the

earlier the interventions can be implemented for the child”

AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH: During the month of April, pins like the one pictured above can be seen worn by people to show their support for Autism Awareness.

Photo/Lindsey Zybrick

by THERESA GONZALEZ Staff Writer

Alcohol is a serious addictive drug, and the dangers caused by it were brought to light during the month of April. The focus of this year’s alcohol aware-ness month was underage drinking. Underage drinking may be viewed as harmless by those consuming it, but it has harmful, long-term effects. These consequences can be life-shattering and change the course of an individual’s life. Alcohol is a sedative, meaning that it is a substance that has a depres-sant effect on functions of the body. Some of the short-term effects of alcohol are slowing down the body by putting one in a state of relaxation for a period of time. Alcohol also decreases good judg-ment and reaction times. Vision and slurring of speech are also effects be-cause alcohol alters the body’s senses. The high that youths experience as an escape from reality can have permanent psychological and physical damages. Sophomore Erika Fidacaro says, “I think the main reason that people drink is to experi-ence the short-term ‘high’ that allows teens to get away from stresses in everyday life.” However, the consequences of this dangerous activity can be as seri-ous as motor vehicle crashes, alco-hol poisoning, violence, and addiction. All of the long-term effects are life-threatening and can alter lives. Alcohol is the number one drug used amongst the youth of America. This is because alcohol is easily obtained and often overlooked as being illegal when, in reality, alcohol is illegal unless it is consumed by a person age 21 or older. The facts concerning the ages and ef-fects of alcohol use are astonishing when thinking that the lives of those un-der this addiction are forever changed. Three million children ages 14 to 17 are regular drinkers who already have confirmed alcohol abuse problems. Junior Bree Waksmunksi says, “It’s really scary to think that young teenagers drink on a regular basis. Most of the teenag-ers that drink probably don’t consider the consequences of developing alcoholism.” Forty percent of children who be-

A short term fix with long term consequencesO b s e r v i n g A l c o h o l A w a r e n e s s M o n t h i n A p r i l

gin drinking before age 15 will become alcoholics at some point in their life. Ms. Doreen Mullarney, Student As-sistance Coordinator, says, “I believe teens turn to alcohol because it seems to be socially acceptable to do so.” Teenagers often turn to alcohol as an out and a form of relaxation. It can be consid-ered a source of fun for teenagers at par-ties, or when spending time with friends. Often, when teens drink, they do not consider the future; they are living within the moment and essentially being selfish. Not once do they consider the conse-quences of alcoholism developing, car ac-cidents occurring, or violence breaking out. However, accidents are bound to hap-pen when the senses are highly impaired. The effects of alcohol abuse can be life-changing. Drinkers can cause themselves and others harm, and have to live the rest of their lives, knowing the wrong that they did. Before picking up an alcoholic bev-erage, teens should ponder that, for one night filled with mistakes, is it worth it?

Photo/Theresa Gonzalez

A SHORT TERM FIX: Teenagers often turn to hard liquor, such as vodka, which allows them to escape reality for a short time.

Photo/Samantha Kolavitch

MR. GOODALL ADRESSES JUNIORS: With the impending changes that the budget will bring, the Principal confers with students about plans for the future.

by AIDAN BARCLAY and JEREMY ROTH

Staff Writers

Last year’s budget election caused many concerns in the Monroe com-munity, and this year’s election is shaping up to be no different. The residents of Monroe voted against the budget on April 27. There was a siz-able disapproval of the budget, with an 1,125 discrepancy between yes and no votes. Out of the 29,633 registered voters in the township, only 5,649 cast their ballot., roughly 19 percent of registered voters. The budget will now be sent to the town council to be looked over. Over $2 mil-lion is intended to be cut in the prelimi-nary reductions. The area set to take the biggest cut is staffing, with its reduction leading to nearly half of the budget re-duction’s total worth. Janitorial staff-ing may also face a depletion of members. Programs that are rumored to face the chopping block include Saturday Acad-emy, middle school sports, and new sci-ence programs. Other areas taking sig-nificant hits are the funds for textbooks,

Budget voted down, future remains unclearas well as new supplies and materials. Other aspects of our school that are not mandated by the state may also be in dan-ger. These include a variety of cuts to courtesy and late run bussing, sports field lightning and sports themselves. The di-verse amount of courses available are also not mandated by the state, as well as moderate class sizes and advance place-ment, which may be affected by the cuts. Other use of the school may also be in dan-ger. These include adult education programs and the availability of the school to the public. When asked for her opinion on the bud-get vote, Language Arts teacher Adele Fennessy says, “How sad. How sad that it didn’t pass, because it affects all of us.” Mill Lake kindergarten teacher Ms. Kravet says, “Individual attention may be taken away from the students who need them.” Also on the ballot alongside the budget was the question of full day kindergarten. This was voted down by a landslide, with a final tally of 3,606 no votes to 1,802 yes votes. With many important decisions yet to be made, the future remains un-clear for Monroe Public Schools.

News Page 7May 6, 2011

by LEAUNDRA LANEStaff Writer

Researchers discovered gene therapy takes them one step clos-er to finding a cure for the wide-spread deadly Autoimmune De-ficiency Syndrome (AIDS) virus. AIDS patients acquire this vi-rus through progressed stages of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The virus attacks special immune protectors called T-cells. These cells enter a receptor called C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) that are able to fight off HIV. Many people do not have copies of the CCR5 gene, par-ticularly people of African, Asian and South American decent. Doctors have improved the con-dition of a few AIDS patients by injecting blood from donors with the CCR5 gene, making them immune to HIV, into the system of the infected patient. Unfortunately, there is limited donor blood available to patients. Currently, researchers are adopting the concept of trans-planting to modify patient cells in order to cure them. Sangamo BioSciences Inc., a Cali-fornia biotechnology company, cre-ated a treatment that can remove DNA in specific locations in order to permanently eliminate any gene. Dr. Jacob Lelezari, director of Quest Clinical Research of San Francisco, led the first test along with the University of Califor-nia and Los Angeles. He came to the conclusion that this new technique may be “too risky.” There is a possibility that re-engineering the cells of patients may cause unstable conditions for them due to viral cell muta-tions that adapt to modified cells.

H o p e f o r A I D S c u r eG e n e t h e r a p y b r i n g sr e s e a r c h e r s o n e s t e p c l o s e r

Art/ Stephanie Wo

POSSIBLE AIDS CURE: Sangamo BioSciences Inc. developed a machine that is able to eliminate certain genes in DNA; which is being used to help find a cure.

by ANDREW DINICOLA Staff Writer

The official ruling previously made by the FDA that food color-ing causes hyperactivity in chil-dren is false. However, the FDA is considering reviewing evidence that food coloring can affect be-havior, and whether it should be included on warning labels. However, there are two sides to this story. Parents argue that food coloring does play a huge role in children’s behaviors, but scien-tists believe diet is not a factor. Food coloring has been regarded as harmful mainly by parents who see a difference in their child’s behavior. Mother Lisa Montalvo says, “I notice a huge difference when my kids eat or drink things with bright food coloring, like Minute-Maid lemonade and cer-tain cereals. As soon as I took those foods out from their diet, the behavior problems stopped.” On the other hand, the Gro-cery Manufacturers Association says that all of the food dyes in most foods have been reviewed by different health safety com-

W h a t y o u a r e i s w h a t y o u e a tE v i d e n c e s u g g e s t s f o o d c o l o r i n g p l a y s a f a c t o r i n b e h a v i o r

panies and labeled as safe. In fact, since 1931, blue No. 1, yellow No. 5 and red No. 3 were all approved by the FDA, and are now made from petro-leum which is a derivative of coal tar and petrochemicals. One study conducted by a panel of scientists gave children foods spiked with certain artificial dyes, and the result was that the chil-dren became slightly more hyper. At the University of Southamp-ton, scientists concluded and told the FDA that artificial col-oring mixed with sodium ben-zoate increased hyperactivity in three-, eight- and nine-year-olds. In the 70’s, the Feingold diet was created to eliminate artifi-cial dyes and reduce hyperactiv-ity in children. Americans now consume five times the amount of food coloring and preserva-tives than in the 50’s, and with the increase comes greater risk of health problems. Although there might be a slight increase of hy-peractivity in children, it has been proven that the dyes will never cause children to develop ADHD. Research for pediatric behav-

Photo/ FlickrTHE FOOD COLORING AFTER EFFECTS: Some studies conducted by scientists show that food coloring can cause hyperactivity in children of certain ages.

by AIDAN BARCLAYStaff Writer

America’s new healthcare poli-cy will lead to major changes in many US citizens’ jobs and lives. President Obama was the driv-ing force behind the bill, and it was one of his most im-portant election promises. The bill will cost $940 billion over 10 years, but will cut the nation’s debt by over $143 billion. It will pro-vide insurance to over 32 million currently uninsured Americans. One of the most important man-dates that will come into effect is that private business owners who have more than 50 employees must provide and pay for health insur-ance. If they do not, then employers will face a $2,000 fine per worker. Income to finance the bill will be gathered from multiple sources. Primarily, families mak-ing over $250,000 (or individu-als making $200,000) will pay an investment income tax of 3.8 percent. Insurance companies will also pay a 40 percent tax on high-end insurance plans. A 10 percent tax on tanning will also

be excised as a form of revenue. Reforms for all insurance compa-nies are also coming. Six months after the bill goes into effect, com-panies can no longer deny cover-age to children with a preexisting condition, and by 2014, nobody can be denied insurance due to a preexisting condition. Chil-dren will also be permitted to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until they are 26 years old. Abortion will not be covered under the new health care. However, a private fund may be set up in order to pay for it. Illegal immigrants will be unable to attain health insurance, even if they pay with their own money. A mandate will also be placed into effect starting in 2014. It will require all United States citizens to purchase some form of insurance. If they refuse, there will be a $695 annual fine. How-ever, some exceptions will be made for low-income individuals. The new plan has faced obstacles and controversey since its incep-tion, but provides hope and relief to many individuals and families who were previously uninsured.

Healthcare changes will affect all

iors would be very expensive if conducted, and there is little mo-tive for manufacturers to research themselves because the patents on food dyes expired long ago. The FDA still has to review all of the evidence in front of them for the

decision to be made, but the most logical way to solve thisproblem is by including warning labels on food that contains food coloring. Even though it is not scientifi-cally proven that there is a link between behavior and diet, labels

will most likely be put on foods with food coloring, warning that they may make a child hyperac-tive . Parents can then make in-formed decisions about what foods to feed their children, and monitor their diet more carefully.

Sophomore Haritha Reddy, Ad-vanced Placement Biology stu-dent, says, “Such alterations can cause harmful mutations since they are taking out the sur-

rounding cells. I believe this could have more harmful than [positive] effects on the body.” However, a study consisting of six men who received varied amounts of modified cells found that five of the men obtained a substantial amount of new T-cells resistant to HIV. In addition, two men in San Francisco have already taken

the treatment, which successfully improved their condition. Accord-ing to ABC News, “Gene therapy raises hope for a future AIDS cure”. AIDS drugs cost approxi-

mately $25,000 a year. For di-agnosed patients, a cost-effec-tive cure would be expedient. Gene therapy gives hope to AIDS patients that the killer of millions will soon meet its match, but the thought of failure is still present. Only time, testing and fur-ther research will hopefully end the fight for survival of many.

OBAMA’S PLAN: With the House’s support, Obama hopes to provide health care to all Americans.

Photo/Flickr

Newspage 8 may 6, 2011

by JEEVAN NAGPALStaff Writer/Layout

Deutsche Telekom agreed to sell T-Mobile USA to AT&T for $39 billion and will acquire an eight percent stake in AT&T and gain a seat on the board of directors. Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading combined tele-communications companies with approximately 129 mil-lion mobile customers, avail-able in over 50 countries. T-Mobile is a wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom in the U.S. The acquisition of T-Mobile is likely to face constant scrutiny in Washington D.C. because of the effect it will have on competition and consumers. The deal needs to be mandated by both the Jus-tice Department and the Federal Communications Commission. With this transaction, there will only be three major cell phone companies left in the na-tion: AT&T, Verizon and the much smaller Sprint Nextel. AT&T bought T-Mobile USA to regulate two problems. The first issue is that AT&T does not have enough wireless spec-trums to sustain the stimulating growth over the past few years, and believes the government will not open more spectrums for mobile broadband use in the next few years. With the acquisition of T-Mobile, AT&T will have more broadband use because T-Mo-bile uses the most Global Sys-tem for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology after AT&T.

AT&T acquires T-Mobile for $39 billion

by JEREMY ROTH and STEPHEN KENNEY

Staff Writers

As reality sets in, many fans are coming to the conclusion that there might not be a football league this upcoming season. On March 5, the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement expired. This agreement makes players legally part of the NFL. The expi-ration of the agreement prevents players and organizations from practicing and being involved in post-season roster movements. The National Football League Players Association decertified as a union, and is no longer tak-ing part in collective bargaining between the league and players. Now that both the NFL and the NFLPA are not under agree-ment, players are allowed to file antitrust lawsuits against the league to help halt the lockout.Although there have been many attempts to prevent a year with-out football, all decisions now rest in the hands of the court. In order to prevent a lock-out, the NFL and the NFLPA must compromise on several is-sues. The two sides must decide how to split $9 billion in an-nual revenues, and resolve the many difficulties circulating the new idea of an 18 game season. An 18 game season brings back the issues regarding concussions and other serious injuries that were recurring in past seasons. Although this idea of an extended season was talked about at length toward the end of last season, money is always more important. Executive Director of the NFLPA DeMaurice Smith stated that the latest deal offered to the players would reduce their share of rev-enue from 59 percent to 41 per-cent, and teams would have to take $1 billion off the estimated $8 billion the league generates. The $1 billion reflects what is invested in special NFL events, such as overseas games, the NFL Combine, Thursday Night Football on NFL Net-work, and generating NFL.com. NFLPA President Kevin Mawae told players to save 25 percent of their past season salary in prepara-tion for a lockout. Players could either save all their money, spend

it like the millionaires they are and be left broke during a lockout, or use the spare time to pursue other money-making strategies. Cinncinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco is using the extra time to take part in his childhood dream of becoming a professional soccer player. This past week, Ochocinco participated in a four day tryout for the MLS team Sport-ing Kansas City. If there is indeed a lockout, Ochocinco will be one of the smart ones in the NFL. Other money issues forced NFL commissioner Roger Goodell into reducing his salary to $1 until the lockout issue is resolved. Look-ing at all the issues circulating the lockout, nothing is going to be resolved without money. An NFL lockout not only prevents activity on the field, but off as well. Organizations cannot invest mon-ey in the free agent market, and all trading is shut down for the time being. The only offseason event that is still going on is the NFL Draft and all events revolving around it. The NFL Draft is the highlight of every young football player’s ca-reer. Every year, the projected top picks in the draft are invited to the event in New York City. This sea-son, the players invited were ad-vised not to attend the draft with the threat of a lockout. Now, due to the league’s issues, young players may be stripped of one of the most exciting moments of their lives. Not only are the players highly affected, but fans as well. Foot-ball is one of the most widely followed sports in the United States, and a whole year with-out it would just crush fans. Sophomore Danny Marsh says, “It would be a shame to see a sport that has so many fans around the country shut down over money disputes when they’re mak-ing millions of dollars a year.” Back in late March, a mini pro-test consisting of about a dozen fans took place outside of Qwest Field, the home of the Seattle Seahawks. A die-hard Cleve-land Browns fan sued the NFL and its teams, claiming they vio-lated his contract to buy tickets through his personal seat license. Football is one of the most fol-lowed sports in America, and it would be very upsetting to go through a whole season without it.

NFL: No Football League?

Photo/ AP ImagesFLAG ON THE PLAY: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Associa-tion Executive Director DeMaurice Smith sit side by side, disappointed. Both sides must agree on a Collective Bargaining Agreement before the season begins.

W e g o t h i m

Photo/ AP Images

DING-DONG, OSAMA’S DEAD: This September marks the 10 year anniversary of the attacks on September 11. The man responsible for those attacks was Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed by American forces on May 1.

by JARED HUSSEY Executive Editor

At approximately 11:35 EST on Sunday Night, President Ba-rack Obama interrupted late night programming for an im-portant announcement. With confidence and pride, Obama an-nounced that the terrorist leader responsible for the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden, was dead. Primetime cable television was cut short with nearly every news station covering the event. Ju-bilance spread throughout the nation, especially amongst hose who were affected by the terrible attacks in 2001. The CIA had been tracking bin Laden for nearly 10 years, with lit-tle hope of actually finding him. It seemed the leader of Al Qaeda had disappeared until mid-April, when the United States government re-ceived intel that bi Laden was hid-ing out in a mansion in Pakistan. It became more evident that it was his location when the CIA realized that the mansion was the only one in the area without Internet and cable connections. Obama then ordered the military to take down America’s num-ber one enemy once and for all. The operation was simple- storm the house and spare civilian casu-alties. Most importantly, however, the US forces had to locate bin Laden and take him, dead or alive. No American soldiers were harmed in the firefight, but 23

After a decade, Osama Bin Laden is finally deadhigh-ranking Al Qaeda members were killed, including bin Laden. He was wounded several times, with the fatal wound being a shot to the left eye. Although it was ap-parent that he was dead, the CIA still had to confirm his identity. Using bin Laden’s dead sister’s DNA to compare with the as-sumed bin Laden’s DNA, a match was found in the genes of the two, proving the man that was killed in Pakistan was in fact bin Laden. Americans gathered around Ground Zero, the center of the 9/11 attacks, and began to sing their pride. Also, many people joined in

waving American flags and sing-ing patriotic songs outside of the White House, thanking Presi-dent Obama for finally taking out the most hated man in America. Obama assured the nation that the United States would not stop fighting for justice. He also reit-erated the fact that the terrorist organizations that threatened the US, such as Al Qaeda, are in no way affiliated with the Islamic religion. Ending his speech, Obama cited familiar words to Ameri-cans, stating we are “one na-tion, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

AT&T states that the combi-nation of AT&T and T-Mobile “provides fast, efficient and cer-tain solution to impending spec-trum exhaust challenges fac-ing AT&T and T-Mobile USA in key markets due to explosive demand for mobile broadband.” The second problem with AT&T deals with their infrastructure. AT&T cannot build cell phone towers quickly, and the approval process proves to be a major obsta-cle to the company and its efforts to boost its network reliability. With the GSM technology that T-mobile also utilizes, AT&T can im-mediately boost its own network. Along with AT&T, T-Mo-bile customers will ben-efit from the acquisition. For T-Mobile subscribers, there will be a larger choice of phones. If this deal closes, then T-Mobile us-ers will be able to upgrade to the iPhone and other AT&T phones. Both AT&T and T-Mobile will also improve in network coverage. Integrating the two networks will increase perfor-mance in some areas because there are more towers available.

Though there are many ben-efits to this transaction, there are also multiple drawbacks. T-Mobile and AT&T custom-ers will have fewer pricing plans from which to choose. T-Mobile has offered some of the lowest rates in the country, and AT&T has different offerings. Some of these plans might disappear, lead-ing to higher prices for both net-works if the transaction passes. Although AT&T is honoring existing contracts, T-Mobile cus-tomers may have to pay higher rates once those contracts expire. There will also be no more un-limited data plans. T-Mobile still provides unlimited data for smart-phones, while AT&T stopped. If the deal closes, then current subscribers would be grandfa-thered in, but AT&T would not offer the plan to new customers. The acquisition of T-Mobile is not set to close for another year and, for now, T-Mobile will re-main as an independent competi-tor to AT&T. T-Mobile contin-ues to say that customers will see no change in their service and will not be billed by AT&T.

Photo/ AP Images

newsmay 6, 2011 page 9

by JEREMY ROTHStaff Writer

Facebook should be a safe place to express complaints about a co-worker or a manager, yet companies look over their employee’s accounts and use their posts against them. If employees post a negative sta-tus about their company, there is a conflict as to whether or not they should be punished for it. Firing employees for expressing their opinions on Facebook could violate their freedom of speech and lead to even bigger problems. Last year, a lawsuit was filed by the National Labor Relations Board against the American Medical Re-sponse of Connecticut Inc. The Connecticut ambulance company fired an employee for criticizing her boss in a Facebook status. The lawsuit argued that the employee’s negative comments were protect-ed speech under federal labor laws. On February 17, the government sent another lawsuit to the am-bulance company, forcing them to revise their employee blogging and Internet policy. The policies violated employee’s legal protec-tions to discuss wages, hours and work conditions with co-workers. In 2009, Dan Leone, a Philadel-phia Eagles stadium operator, was fired days after he made a Face-book status regarding the team trading safety Brian Dawkins. The post said, “[expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Den-ver ... Dam Eagles R Retarded!!” Al-though Leone deleted the comment shortly after, he still paid the price. Another situation included a juror from the United Kingdom who disclosed sensitive case ma-terial on her Facebook profile. The post stated, “I don’t know which way to go, so I’m holding a poll.” She was fired because she asked her Facebook friends opinions on the current case. Now there are federal laws protecting all employees who want to discuss working condi-tions, including on social net-working sites. Companies must be careful with how they deal with similar issues in the future.

Firing for Facebook Should employees be punished for a Facebook status?

When asked his opinion on em-ployees being involved in social networking sites, Superintendant Dr. Kenneth Hamilton says, “I am okay with employees having Face-book accounts. FB is a great tool for communicating, if used appropri-ately. I do think the content should be generic enough for everyone to see. Anything that is too personal or private should be excluded.” According to a study performed by the Internet security firm Proofpoint, of companies con-taining 1,000 employees or more, 17 percent have reported issues regarding employees and social networking sites. About eight per-cent of those companies have fired an employee for these reasons. Other statistics showed that 15 percent fired someone for multi-media sharing, 13 percent inves-tigated an exposure event involv-ing mobile or Web-based short message services, and 17 percent disciplined an employee for blog or messaging board policies. When asked about the Mon-roe Township School District’s policy for the tolerance of social networking sites, Dr. Hamilton states, “ The district does not have policy per se that governs social network sites, but there are poli-cies in place that speak to teacher/staff conduct, which could apply should something inappropri-ate be brought to my attention.” There are all kinds of rules in school districts regarding student-teacher communication outside of school. Teachers are supposed to keep their social networking ac-counts private and “student-proof”. High School Principal Robert Goodall says that “Facebook is more user-friendly than MySpace was. It provides instantaneous communication and it is good for drawing business. After a stu-dent graduates, it is appropriate for students and teachers to con-nect over social networking sites.” Although some companies or schools may not care for their employees social networking profiles, always think twice be-fore you criticize your job in a public place or on a website.

by ANDREW DINICOLAStaff Writer

Netflix has undoubtedly be-come one of the largest names in movie renting history. In ad-dition, Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites. Warner Brothers took the advantages of both by using Fa-cebook as a movie renting site. Warner Brothers created an app to allow Facebook users to watch “The Dark Knight” for 30 Face-book credits, the equivalent of three dollars. Viewers could watch the movie for 48 hours before it expired. Even if users were to log out, they could simply resume the movie through their profile. Facebook made it clear that they will not only use their credit system for games like Farmville, but almost every other service they offer. “Facebook came up with a smart idea, renting movies. Since it’s such a broad site, there is a guar-antee that most of the people us-ing the site are movie lovers. It’s

Threat to movie companies

by JEREMY ROTHStaff Writer

Following break, students from New York and New Jersey schools retuned to schools not with text-books, but with an Apple iPad. More and more schools across the nation are beginning to integrate iPads into their curriculum. The device includes many programs that regular school computers cannot provide, such as interactive math problems or individual jeop-ardy games for review. Addition-ally, they are extremely mobile. The iPad also provides an easier way to complete and hand in homework. Moreover, teach-ers can keep more organized digital portfolios for students. Overall, the iPad provides many complex tools and ap-plications that may benefit stu-dents greatly, but also puts a huge dent in districts’ wallets. Christopher Ruotolo, Network Technician for the Middletown Board of Education, says, “Depend-ing on the amount of media a pub-lisher decides to invest in an elec-tronic version of their textbooks, the benefits might be substantial due to possibly having video, audio, and possibly even ‘teacher notes’ in one location. This would hopefully contribute to the students’ overall desire to learn, and use these new forms of textbooks as a proven version of information, versus go-ing out to user-contributed sites (aka Wikis) where information is unproven and subject to opinion.” However, Ruotolo adds that “there is a limit that the de-vice can handle.” He also stat-ed that there are “limitations on management capabilities.” In order for an iPad to update, it must be connected to a computer. It must be a local device, which raises the risk of wiping out custom data. Ruotolo says, “The fact that you can’t have multiple ‘separate’ iden-tities on an Apple device is crush-ing to an educational environment

where devices are shared, unless they are using external web based applications and storage such as Google Apps, or Microsoft.edu.” Some school districts believe iP-ads are “too complex” for non-high school students, but parents of stu-dents at South Mountain Elemen-tary in Milburn, New Jersey believe otherwise. The Parent-Teacher-Organization purchased two iPads for students to study interactive world maps and read children’s books like “Winnie the Pooh”. The Virginia Department of Education has replaced history and advanced placement biol-ogy textbooks in 11 schools with the iPad. Also, in six middle schools in four major California cities, teachers are beginning to teach iPad-only Algebra classes. As schools begin to enroll stu-dents in technology-centered classes, districts are hurting them-selves more than helping. Even-

Goodbye textbooks, hello iPadstually, all the money a district spends will catch up to them. Each iPad costs around $750, so for a school containing al-most 1000 students, a school dis-trict could spend up to $750,000. New York City public schools have already purchased over 2,000 iPads, costing them about $1.3 million. Roselyn High School in Long Island, New York handed out 47 iPads to staff and students in their effort to go paperless. Ruotolo continues to say how technology in the classroom is a “grey area” and there is a little proof that it has enhanced edu-cation. It is not worth spending over a million dollars on a risk. Textbooks are more cost-ef-ficient, considering how few schools have technology in each classroom. Students forget login codes, Internet connection is of-ten lost, and most students, espe-cially in high school, are too irre-sponsible to handle a $750 device. As it is, students end up ripping pages out of textbooks, drawing in them and some get lost. iPads are much more fragile than text-books, and less than 50 percent of students in high school have the ability to keep a high-tech device in perfect condition for 10 months. The weight of textbooks is obvi-ously not a big a problem as they have been around forever. If it were that serious of an issue, it would have been solved by now. iPads may provide technologi-cal advancements that are very beneficial to the classroom, but students are just not ready for it. Classrooms should continue to stick to their normal curriculum and hold off on the technology. Ruotolo concludes, “If you look at history, computers have been around in classrooms for perhaps 15 years. Education, however, has been around for much longer without technology and has done just fine.” With the popularity of “go-ing green”, iPads may soon replace books forever.

just an easier way to rent them,” says sophomore Matt Gimbut. As of right now, Facebook does not pose a very dangerous threat to other movie rental services, but they are making a statement. On March 8, Netflix’s shares dropped five percent. On a long-term basis, this shows that Face-book has the potential to become a movie distributor, if they wanted. Sophomore Ryan Nufrio says, “Fa-cebook is such a big company that they can run any application and be successful with it just because of their followers. I think that since a lot of people use the site, it will be a popular way to rent movies.” As of January 2011, Facebook has approximately 600 million users worldwide. According to Social Media Today, 41.6 per-cent of the total population in America has a Facebook account. Since DVD rental services are slowly dying out, becoming a part of digital distribution is a wise choice for Facebook. Blockbuster is a perfect example, which used to be a thriving movie company, and

slowly lost investors and buyers with the rise of online movie rentals. Warner Brothers only has one movie available through Face-book, but if it proves to be suc-cessful, Warner Brothers say that they are definitely interested in testing more movies. If Facebook was to pursue this movie rent-ing service, then they could pos-sibly become a strong force in the movie streaming business.

Warner Brothers set up business through Facebook

Photo/ AP Images

Photo/ AP Images

MOVIES THROUGH FACEBOOK: The Dark Knight is available to stream through Facebook for a new test with Warner Brothers

KIDS BECOMING ONE WITH IP-ADS: A nine-year- old boy stands outside an Apple store before the release of the iPad. Little does he know, this high-tech device may soon take over his education.

Photo/ AP Images

WHO IS LOOKING AT YOUR FACEBOOK?: The Facebook accounts of students and employees are watched over by their administrators.

Prom SPecialPage 10 Page 11

by SAKINA HUSSAIN Section Editor

After months and months of waiting, spring has finally arrived and that means that prepa-ration for prom has begun. Set to take place on May 13, preparation for the junior prom is begin-ning amongst almost all already stressed juniors. What juniors need to realize is that it is just prom. This dance that lasts just one night is not go-ing to be “the best night of your life” or “the best night ever.” In all honesty, it will not even be the best night of your high school career. For a lot of people, it might not be a good night at all. Prom is good for one thing, a thing that all high school students should be fed up with by now - drama. Already, while trying to find some-body to go with, and people to sit, juniors are experiencing a lot of drama and hurt feelings. Preparation for prom consists of thoughts like, “Well, if I go with him, then so-and-so might be jeal-ous, or might get mad. But if I say no, he might take it the wrong way…and I won’t have a date!” Or thoughts like, “Well, so-and-so are the only people with room at their table, but I don’t really like them.” There are also thoughts like, “This dress makes me look fat!” Boo-hoo. “Junior prom is supposed to be fun, but so far it’s been nothing but stress…and there’s always some drama. I thought my girlfriend would han-dle it, but it looks like I have to take care of ev-erything,” says disgruntled junior Jared Hussey. Not to mention the amount of money that goes into attending prom. The tickets for junior prom are $70 and the costs of girls’ dresses go up to hundreds of dol-lars. Then there’s the cost of the shoes, hair, nails, and make-up. I’m going to assume that in terms of physical preparation guys have it easier, but you never know. Also, this is not even senior prom. It is only junior year; prom will come again next year. Why add one more thing to stress about by wanting to make this the best night ever, when you will get another chance next year?

Dresses and drama and disasters, oh my!T h e r e i s n o p l a c e l i k e p r o m

“All the preparation that leads up to that one big night is worth it, but it’s just too much stress and drama…and after the night is over, it just feels like ‘Now what?’” says senior Julie Kelly. As Hussey pointed out, prom is supposed to be fun. If you are planning to go to prom just to have fun as opposed to making it the most amaz-ing night in the history of forever, then I applaud you and wish you good luck in accomplishing this feat. It is going to be difficult, though. Ac-

by THERESA GONZALEZ Staff Writer

Junior Prom is one day that creates memories forev-er. The importance of this day is why girls stress out over getting the perfect dress. While searching for this dress, style, color and details are the key factors. For the 2011 prom season, many styles of dresses from the past were featured, as well as several new trends of styles. Mermaid dresses became very popular due to the hour glass shape they create, while at the same time, allowing for diversity. This style is fitted throughout the bodice and falls as a ball gown would at the bottom. Junior Bree Waksmunski says, “I got a mermaid styled dress because it was different than many other dresses I tried and I really liked the fit of it.” Ball gowns are always popular around prom time, they are classic and elegant. The tightness in the bust is counteracted by the fullness of the bottom. This style of a gown has existed for a long time and con-stantly reforms itself to fit in with modern society. Slender fitted prom dresses have become pop-ular in the past few years because they show shape and curves better than a ball gown can. Fitted dresses can also be embellished and made original when slits and different alternations are made to them. Mini dresses have been featured in small doses in many prom collections. They are different than the usual floor length dresses, which draws attention to them. These short dresses are usually made like ball gowns, being fitted at the top and flowing out into fullness at the bottom. The major difference lies in the length. The flirtiness and fun of a short dress is eye catching to many prom dress shoppers.

P r o m d r e s s e s g a l o r e A new 2011 style are hi-lo dresses. These dresses have a short hem line in the front and have a long train in the back. Since these dresses are so different and everyone wants to stand out at prom, they have become popular very quickly amongst shoppers. Another important aspect of choosing the best pos-sible prom dress is color. The color of a prom dress often reflects one’s personality and taste in clothing. The look one is trying to portray alters what color would work best. Light and bright colors draw at-tention and are flirty and fun. Darker colors are also eye catching and can help to accentuate ones figure. Lastly, prints and multi colored dresses are bold and make a statement. These dresses can also be elegant if they are worn properly. Sophomore Ally Sullivan says, “I chose a print-ed dress because the pattern stood out to me and it was so different than an ordinary dress.” Details can make or break a dress. Often-times, the accessories on prom dresses are what make them so original and dazzling. This year, as in years past, over-the-shoulder flowers, sequins, rhinestones, and open-backed dresses were featured. One shoulder dresses with flowers on them show originality in a classy way. Sequins and rhinestones help to embellish the dress, es-pecially when they are used on the waist and bust lines as well as the backs of dresses. Open backed dresses are seen as fun and flirty while giving a prom dress an extra punch. The proper style of a prom dress differentiates based upon what one wants. The memories of prom and of finding the perfect dress are ones that wont fade.

Everyone can be a princess for one nightby JEEVAN NAGPAL

Staff Writer/Layout

With prom just around the corner, girls are trying to find the perfect dress. Girls from families with financial problems understand that their families may not be able to purchase one after paying all the bills. Cinderella’s Closet is a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides new and gently used prom dresses and accessories to girls that cannot afford to go to prom. “We try to help anyone with a need for a formal gown for events like prom, cotillions, white and black balls, military balls, etc.,” says Katherine Adams, Cinderella Closet’s representative. Cinderella’s Closet was founded by two resident teens in Monmouth County, Katie Adams of Rumson and Stephanie Tomasetta of Freehold, and has been around for four years. The mission of Cinderella’s Closet involves “promoting self-esteem among young adults by providing less fortunate high school students in our community the opportunity to attend their prom in style.” At the annual Cinderella’s Closet Prom Boutique, students from local high schools with financial hardships are encouraged to attend and shop for their prom attire. Upon arriving, each girl receives a personal shopper to aid them in selecting their prom dress and matching accessories to make their dream a reality. This organization also provides girls with an unforgettable experience. “From the moment our Princesses walk through our doors, they are greeted with respect, kindness and care from each and every one of our volunteers. We also strive to promote self-esteem and confidence in these young people while surrounding them with good role models. They will feel cherished and will be encouraged to dress properly so that they will

C i n d e r e l l a ’ s C l o s e t c a n m a k e i t h a p p e n

Mill ions of styles but just one for youcording to my observations, if you want to go to prom, you will have to deal with the drama. If you do not mind the drama, and are equipped to dealing with it, then go all out and have the “best night ever” that your heart so desperately desires. Just bear in mind that you also have senior prom and graduation and your wedding and a whole host of other amazing events coming up in your life, and that this will probably end up being just another night with just another guy/girl…it is no big deal.

celebrate not only a great prom day but also their beauty and poise as well. By the end of their time at the Prom Boutique, they will not only leave with a beautiful outfit, but also with a renewed confidence in themselves,” according to Cinderella’s Closet. Just before the Prom Boutique takes place, Cinderella’s Closet raises money through a prom fashion show to set up the boutique. The Fashion Showcase is a fashion show where models from local high schools wear dresses donated by stores in the county. Along with the Fashion Showcase, there is also a Project Runway Challenge. In this event, local high school students design dresses and model them on the runway for the audience and judges to vote on. All proceeds and donations from this event benefit Cinderella’s Closet Prom Boutique. This organization has many sponsors each year to help this event be successful. OPI, Panera Bread, “Seventeen” magazine, the New York Giants, the New York Jets and “Vogue” are just some of the sponsors. This year, Cinderella’s Closet supported over 200 girls with a beautiful dress to wear to their special night. Cinderella’s Closet has helped hundreds of students in need and, as of right now, they have over 1,200 dresses in their inventory. This cause obtained most of the dresses over the years from donations. “It is a really great cause. My mom wants to donate our dresses there. I know that I am not going to wear it again, so I’m happy to donate to girls who need them,” says senior Julie Kelly. Cinderella’s Closet will continue to accept donations. They are in need of dresses sizes 12 and up, but they will accept dresses of any size. The dress must not be older than two years. They are also asking for makeup, accesories, and shoes. Cinderella’s Closet is not looking bridesmaid dresses. To donate for next year, girls can get the informatuon for shipping the dress on www.cinderellasclosetmc.org.

STYLE, COLOR, AND DETAILS: Prom dress shopping can be a stressful time for everyone striving for perfection, but in the end it is always worth the stress.

Photos/ AP Images

CINDERELLA’S CLOSET: Girls whose families are facing financial hardships are invited to attend Cinderella’s Closet, where they are provided with gently used prom dresses and matching ac-cessories to attend their prom.

Photo/ Flickr

PROM PRESSURE: The weight of prom is enough to crush and maim the students of MTHS.

Photo/ David Morris

P r o m : a m a l e ’ s p e r s p e c t i v eby JARED HUSSEY

Executive Editor

To girls, prom is a big deal. Whether it is junior prom or senior prom, the same preparation and stress controls girls for months prior to the event. For boys, it is different. They just follow their lesser half’s lead, and hope they do not do anything to upset their date. As a junior male at Monroe Township High School, I have realized the vast differences between males and females in the few months leading up to prom. Surprisingly enough, girls are actually more desperate for dates than the boys, mostly because boys care less. Prom is not important to boys, even if they do go with someone they are dating. To boys, prom is just another party. Even if a boy is looking forward to prom night, he still has to deal with the stress and im-mense preparation that goes along with prom every year, and the stress is mostly caused by the female.

While she nags and controls everything that is go-ing on, he has to pretend to be interested and just hope he is not harmed by the girl’s tornado of emotions that sud-denly blindsides him. For any boys who needs help dealing with the compli-cated infrastructure of the female mind, I offer some tips: When your date asks you if she looks fat in her dress, SAY NO. Never, ever, under any circumstances what-soever, ever, ever say yes. If you say yes, she will most likely turn into a fire-breathing dragon and eat you. At

least you would not have to worry about a tux then… If and when your date starts talking about prom

tables and where you are sitting, even if you d i s a g r e e with the a r r a n g e -ments, just shut your m o u t h and nod your head. Also, do not stray from look-

ing her in the eyes. She wants to be heard and un-derstood. So, even though what she is saying is so

T h e r e a l i t y b e h i n d t h e h o r r o r s o f p r o m

“If you say yes, she will most likely turn into a

fire-breathing dragon and eat you.”

dumb and you have better things to do, just keep smiling and pretend to be enjoying her company. Most importantly, make sure your date has a good time. If she does not have fun, then chanc-es are she will make it her duty to make the rest of your life a nightmare. Dance and act like an idiot if you have to. It might just seem like a party, but you are really fighting for your life. Prom is for the girls, and it is only fair that they get what they want. They all go through the same stress and preparations, and, unfortunately, most of the stress is put on the shoulders of the boy. All the stress is usually worth it, though. In the end, prom actually turns out to be quite a good time. However, if it starts to get hot on the dance floor, do not think it is your sick dance skills. It is probably your date’s head exploding due to stress, and you bet-ter have your sword and shield to fight that dragon.

FeaturesPage 12 May 6 , 2011

by STEPHANIE WOStaff Writer/Layout

A descendent from the cake, the cupcake is a tasty confectionary bombshell of moist delectable cake and sweet, creamy frosting. These scrumptious treats are suitable for many occasions from school functions and birthdays, to wed-dings and posh Hollywood parties.

C u p c a k e s : c h o c o l a t e , r e d v e l v e t a n d v a n i l l a , o h m y !P e o p l e ’ s m o u t h s a r e w a t e r i n g f o r t h e s e i n c r e a s i n g l y p o p u l a r t r e a t s

Becoming ever more popular, bakers are finding innovative ways to mix up flavors and designs of cupcakes. The never-ending pos-sibilities of combinations keep the trend alive, while their mod-est size is perfect for sampling and less committal than a full cake. Popular shows centered on cup-cakes, such as “DC Cupcakes” on TLC and “Cupcake Wars” on Food

Network, have given rise to their popularity and constant demand. “DC Cupcakes” is centered on Georgetown Cupcake, a stylish shop for ultra-tasty designer cup-cakes. Sisters Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne founded Georgetown cupcakes in Febru-ary 2008. Since then, their shop has become the epitome of deli-cious, designer cupcakes, expos-

by JULIE KELLY Editor-in-Chief

With mouth-watering cake fill-ings, unbelievable designs, sweet sugary fondant, and pounds of icing, TLC’s hit “Cake Boss” does not disappoint viewers. Monday nights at nine o’clock, millions of Americans tune in to TLC to watch their guilty plea-sure, “Cake Boss”, as Buddy Va-lastro runs his famous bakery, Carlo’s Bake Shop. They witness the drama unfold as the dedicat-ed employees work endlessly to create perfection in their bakery. The show, which is in its fourth season, provides be-hind-the-scenes footage of the real action that happens in the Hoboken, New Jersey bakery. Infinite amounts of cookies, pastries, pies, cupcakes, and incredible cakes flash on the screen, immediately pulling in anyone who loves a sweet treat. Consultations with custom-ers requesting unimaginable designs of cakes, the actual cre-ation of the cakes, production of pastries and goods and the delivery of cakes to ecstatic cus-tomers are aired to viewers to give an inside look at the process. Audiences have learned to never doubt the abilities of Buddy and his crew. Witnessing the creation of cakes varying from a toilet bowl to a snow globe for a man propos-ing to his wife, viewers are left wondering if there is any cake that cannot be conquered by Carlo’s.

L o v e a t f i r s t s i g h t a n d b i t e !V e n t u r i n g t o C a r l o ’ s B a k e r y f o r t h e e x p e r i e n c e a n d t h e t a s t e

The reality show is more than just a show about cakes. View-ers are also kept up-to-date with the lives of the Valastro family. So far this season, they have seen the birth of Buddy’s third child and watched as the family dealt with the pregnancy, Buddy’s surgery and other memorable moments. Not only can fans keep up with the show, but the bakery is open for business and cus-tomers weekly! About an hour away from Monroe, the trip is definitely one worth making. Carlo’s Bakery is located on Washington Street in the heart of Hoboken. Once there, custom-ers are led into the line by em-ployees maintaining line control. On a sunny, but cold Saturday afternoon in March, the wait for the bakery was about two hours. During the wait, visitors are able to take pictures in front of the famous bakery and look at the surrounding streets of Hoboken. Once inside the bakery, the scene becomes overwhelming. People shouting orders and call-ing numbers is common, while the appealing arrangement of an unimaginable amount of pastries and cakes distracts eyes. The wait inside the actual bakery is relatively short; customers are provided with just enough time to look around at the shelves of goods and decide what they want. Although Buddy was not down-stairs on this lovely afternoon, Mary (Buddy’s famous sister) was there and taking charge like usual.

ing their versatility to visitors and viewers of their television show. Georgetown Cupcake carries “everyday flavors” from chocolate cubed, which is “a Valrhona choc-olate cupcake with a thin layer of rich Callebaut chocolate ganache icing topped with French choco-late sprinkles”, to daily flavor spe-cials such as pumpkin spice and key lime, according to its website georgetowncupcake.com. The sis-ters’ original design and scrump-tious flavors sheds light on the sen-sational possibilities of cupcakes. Besides “DC Cupcakes”, “Cup-cake Wars” also sheds light on the versatility of cupcakes while entertaining viewers with a twist of competition. Self-proclaimed experts on cupcakes compete to impress judges with their abilities to win a prize and have their baking talents recognized. Bakers are eliminated after each of the three rounds following de-liberation by three judges. The first round is judged on taste alone with a special theme and twist ingredient, such as basil or cham-pagne. During the second round, the bakers are required to create three different cupcakes that are based on taste and presentation. For the third round, the two re-maining bakers and their sous chefs must create a 1000 cupcake display of their cupcakes for a

Hollywood bash. The winning baker receives $10,000 and the opportunity to serve their cup-cakes to Hollywood partygoers. Bakers are given a time limit, testing their ability to improvise and still create delicious cup-cakes with outstanding presen-tations, providing yet another way to appreciate the never-ending possibilities of cupcakes. Out of the limelight, many stu-dents enjoy cupcakes as a sweet treat for many reasons. “They’re cute and small and they taste good,” says sophomore Danica Calusin. New ideas and design tricks are bringing more and more eye-catching cupcakes into bakeries and shops alike. Classic flavors are perfected and transformed into flavor hybrids, such as George-town Cupcake’s chocolate salted caramel and blueberry cheesecake. “I think people are getting sick of the traditional cake and cupcake. The new creative designs and fla-vor combos are making them so popular because people like new exciting cupcakes, and they are small so you can try many flavors” says sophomore Louise LoBello. New flavor combinations and design tricks are surfacing daily and finding their way onto bak-ery shelves. The cupcake revolu-tion has its followers’ mouths watering for its next innovation.

She was even signing autographs (I, of course, got one!). For those standing in line, there was also the opportunity to get a glimpse of fa-mous baker Mauro as he drove by the bakery and waved to the crowd. The employees dealt with the rush and crowd extremely well, ensuring that customers got the types of desserts they wanted. They gave visitors time to think about their selections and let them change their minds a few times. Although, the size of the bakery was on the small side, the overall atmo-sphere in the bakery was energetic. Many probably assume that the prices are ridiculous for the bak-ery. However, during my visit, we were able to get an average-sized birthday cake for $21 and enough pastries for four teenage girls for $40. We were surprised with the reasonable price, con-sidering the quality of the goods. The chocolate fudge in the cake was to die for, while the cake was moist, fresh and cooked to perfection. I definitely recom-mend the cannolis and cream puffs for visitors; the crème inside both of these was simply delec-table. Of course, you can never go wrong with cupcakes either! Visiting the bakery was a worth-while experience. Just seeing the actual place where Buddy makes his incredibly famous cakes, airs his nationally popular televi-sion show, and creates food that truly is “Love at first bite”, as their slogan suggests, made the afternoon an unforgettable one.

GEORGETOWN CUPCAKES: A display case at Georgetown Cupcakes, Washington DC features popular flavors Chocolate Squared, which is a Valrhona chocolate cupcake with a whipped Callebaut chocolate frosting topped with a fondant flower, and a classic red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting.

Photo/Flickr

CRAZY FOR CAKE: Dozens of pastries and cakes line the shelves of Carlo’s Bakery. The choices are endless for customers as they are treated to delicious treats after waiting in the usual long line; it’s definitely worth the wait!

CUPCAKE CREATIONS: Carlo’s Bakery cupcakes are one of a kind; the sweet icing decorated as a chick piled on the moist cake underneath is not only delicious but also encour-ages customers to think spring!

Photo/Meredith Obando

Photo/Julie Kelly

May 6, 2011 Page 13Features

by JEREMY ROTHStaff Writer

Chief Executive of Apple, Steven Jobs, introduced the highly advanced iPad 2 on Wednesday, March 2. The much faster, lighter and thinner device became avail-able to the public on Friday, March 11. The new iPad includes front and rear cameras for video chatting. Internet on the device is supposed to be twice as fast, and the graphics are nine times bet-ter than the original iPad. The iPad 2 also has an astonishing battery life of 10 hours. In addition to the technological features, the iPad 2 will be available in either white or black, along with multi-colored cases. The iPad 2 provides many more beneficial accessories than the original iPad, yet one factor that has not changed is the price. The iPad 2 is priced from $488-$829 and sold in about two dozen other countries. Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at the San-ford C. Bernstein research unit, says,

Fairly priced iPad 2 intrigues nationNew iPad provides more advancements for a small price

“There have been nearly a hundred com-petitive tablets that have been introduced since the iPad, but it seems that no one has eclipsed or even matched Apple on pricing.” The outstanding low price puts the Apple iPad 2 above all of its competition. The Mo-torola Zoom costs around $800 with several less advancements compared to the iPad. The Samsung Galaxy Tab costs up to $500 with only a seven inch screen. The iPad costs around the same with a 10 inch screen and more accessories beneficial to its users. Jobs comments, “Most of these tablets are not even catching up to our first iPad.” The research firm eMarketer projects Apple to sell an estimated 34 million iPads in 2011, tripling the expected amount from its rivals. The original iPad sold about 15 million copies in 2010 for a sum of about $9.5 billion, and the iPad 2 is expected to only put more money in Apple’s pockets. Not only will Apple benefit greatly from the iPad 2, but all of its users are sure to enjoy its new advancements.

Photo/ AP Images

JOBS INTRODUCES NEW CREATION: CEO of Apple, Steven Jobs, introduces the iPad 2 in an Apple event in San Francisco on Wednesday March 2.

by THERESA GONZALEZ Staff Writer

Fashion has continued to revamp itself over the past few years in part by looking to the past to recreate old styles into modern trends. Spring 2011 introduced new catchy styles in bright colors. These styles in-clude various sophisticated, yet taste-ful materials and modern details. The key styles that the collection fea-tures include ‘70s glamour, biker clothing, punk fashion, and ‘60s ladylike fashions. Sophomore Ally Sullivan says, “Punk fashion has already started to spread and I look forward to seeing it in the Spring collections of clothing.” The ‘70s glamour looks includes flowing dresses as well as high-waist pants. Incorpo-rated within these looks is shimmer and glit-ter to make them modern and user friendly. Biker clothing obviously includes large belt buckles, leather and studs on clothing. Punk fashion has most of the same as-pects as biker clothing and is also ex-tremely edgy. It consists of many studs, sequins and bold colors. Sophomore Erika Fidacaro says, “I think a lot of high school students will like the studs, sequins, and bold colors in punk fashion.” The ‘60s ladylike fashions contain tight, hip-hugging dresses that illuminate the hour glass silhouette. Full skirts were also revamped in shorter forms than be-fore. Many new prints and summer fab-rics were also featured in these collections. Several new clothing trends, pieces and ma-terials were seen in these various collections. Of these trends, there are sheer maxi dresses, bell bottomed pants, wide legged pants, edgy Capri pants, tail hems, stripes, jumpsuits, and crop tops. Maxi dresses are seen in stores across America as long dresses, but of light materi-als and fun prints to help boost popularity. Bell bottoms and wide legged pants are

Spring into fashionseen as they have been in previous years. This style will counteract the skinny jean movement, but not fully take it over. Sophomore Maria Ortega says, “I do not know how the wide legged pants will go over with high school students be-cause skinny jeans are an every day style.” Loose capris that have many accesso-ries, such as zippers and studs, are fea-tured in biker and punk collections. Tail hems have begun to become popu-lar due to their different, yet catchy style. Dresses now have longer backs than fronts, which is different and interesting. In some cases, this change is not so drastic, but will still be a noticeable fashion statement. Striped shirts have always been popular in the spring and summer because they are so versatile and can be made in many com-plementary colors that are spring friendly. Jumpsuits in the form of rompers have be-come more prominent this year than last. Jumpsuits were very popular in the past and have been restyled and seen in many common stores such as department and chain stores like JCPenny’s and Forever 21. Rompers can be made in many differ-ent styles and in several materials. They are quick and easy to wear on a spring day. Crop tops have already been seen in the winter and have been very popular amongst teens. These tops are short in the front mainly, but can be short all around as well. They are made in various colors and have fun designs that attract the eyes of teens. Sophomore Ally Sullivan says, “I think over the summer a lot of peo-ple will begin to wear crop tops be-cause they are easy and fun to wear.” All of these styles have arrived and will quickly become popular because of their appeal to the younger and older crowds. Fashion is always reforming it-self and will continue to evolve and change as the summer collection comes out.

FASHION STATEMENTS: Tight, hip-hugging and striped dresses are modelled at designer Lacoste’s Spring 2011 fashion show.

Photo/ AP Images

Photo/ AP Images - AlleRechte

ONE MORE FOR THE BOOKS: Slated for release in 2012, McLaren’s new street legal MP4-12c aims to be the cheapest of all cars released in the past and the most revolutionary in terms of building a more efficient carbon fiber chassis.

by BRIAN BAUTISTAStaff Writer

McLaren has been known for releasing ex-tremely fast and rare cars in the past, such as the powerful McLaren F1 and the Mercedes F1 McLaren. However, these cars are pow-erful to the extent that they are not consid-ered street legal. McLaren plans to change that by releasing the new MP4-12c in 2012. To start this new business endeavor, McLar-en has planned to produce 1,000 of the MP4-12cs this year and double their production in 2012. This would make the new car more ac-cessible, but still keep some of its exclusivity. Adding to its increased accessibility is the new, lower price the MP4-12c will be available at. Going for only $231,400, this new price is only half as much as any other McLaren before released, it is the cheap-est car yet that possesses a carbon chassis. Carbon fiber is not easy to produce. In fact,

M c L a r e n g o e s s t r e e t l e g a lN e w M P 4 - 1 2 c s c h e d u l e d f o r r e l e a s e i n 2 0 1 2

it is difficult to the point that many car man-ufacturers will not produce cars with car-bon fiber parts. McLaren, however, wants to make a breakthrough in this field. They have already implemented a carbon fiber chassis in previous models they have made. The McLaren racing team has had many ideas as to how improvements would be made, but had nothing to apply the improvements to. The overall structure of the new 12c is the result of modern carbon innovations and is undoubtedly a step up from its predecessors.

Of course, the 12c will possess some of the power that McLaren cars have been made famous for. The 12c has 592 horsepower and is capable of going from 0-120 in 9 seconds.

Now that they have a car that they can re-lease alongside legends such as the Lambo-rghini Murcielago, McLaren hopes to be a worthy contender in the street-legal supercar industry. With the new revolutionary MP4-12c on its way in 2012, they may very well be.

EntErtainmEntPagE 14 may 6, 2011

“Gettin’ down on Friday”

Photo/ Youtube

‘FRIDAY’ GOES VIRAL: Rebecca Black’s parents paid Ark Music Factory $4,000 to produce the song and amateur music video.

by BRITTANY HASTABASection Editor

Rebecca Black’s single, “Friday,” may be the worst pop song of all time. Whether it is the mindless bridge of “tomorrow is Saturday and Sunday comes afterwards” or the robotic vocals, it has quickly made her a viral sensation overnight. It is debatable whether “Friday” is a humorous parody of sugar-coated teen pop, or a truly appalling production of the music industry. Describing the California girl’s anticipation for the imminent weekend, the song garnered considerable popularity ever since its release in February. The 13-year-old amateur’s mu-sic video on YouTube racked up millions of views within days, currently with over 121 million views. In addition to the YouTube success, the song is slowly climb-ing iTunes’s popularity charts. Black’s name is a constant Twitter trend, and she has al-ready amassed more You-Tube views than Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” music video. However, her fame is sup-ported by mostly negative com-ments of criticism. Her heav-ily monotonous, auto-tuned vocals are incessantly mocked. Rolling Stone magazine condemned the song’s “sub par production values, grating hooks and extraor-

dinarily stupid lyrics.” Her inane lyrics face meticulous scrutiny. The song follows the teen-ager as she wakes up, eats ce-real for breakfast, and struggles to decide whether to take the front or back seat in her friends’ (who all are illegal to drive) car. Black’s stardom is not credited to her own making alone. Ark Mu-sic Factory is a Hollywood compa-ny that charges wealthy parents a fee in return for the opportunity to turn their children into stars. The Los Angeles-based record com-pany writes and produces person-alized songs for teens. They also create low-budget music videos. The company’s mission is to “make it possible for an emerg-ing artist to be discovered, de-fined and delivered, to advance in their career and be successful.” Although Black suffers from harsh critics and hurtful comments, they are in turn feeding her views and profit, and catapulting this teen performer into a global sensation. Black has already appeared on “Good Morning America” where she defended her tal-ents and mentioned how she would love to work with teen idol Justin Bieber someday. Despite being the target of ridi-cule for her awful track and vid-eo, Black continues to receive prominent recognition daily.

by DAVID MORRISStaff Writer/Artist

“Sucker Punch” is what you’d get if you put “Inception”, “Shut-ter Island”, and every video game ever made inside of a blender. The resulting concoction is a fatten-ing smoothie that is good while it lasted, but kind of sickening afterwards. “Sucker Punch” man-ages to have the sweet flavor of the movies that inspired it, yet does not pull off what made “Incep-tion” or “Shutter Island” so good. “Sucker Punch” is a Zack Sny-der film, so you should also ex-pect loads of slo-mo, artsy fartsy visuals, and tons of music perme-ated throughout the flick. As usu-al, the movie is visually stun-ning, a token of Snyder’s films. Despite the overabundance of songs, which really makes it feel like a two hour music video, the soundtrack is pretty nice, fea-turing covers of Jefferson Air-plane’s “White Rabbit” and The Pixies’ “Where is my mind?”. Emily Browning stars as the beautiful and ultra blonde Baby-doll, a girl sent to an insane asylum after accidentally killing her sister in retaliation toward her piggish step-father. Unable to face her

Samurai, robots and dragons, oh my!

Photo/AP Images

dire fate, Babydoll retreats into different layers of imagination, which is why “Inception” seems a tad similar. Babydoll would actually garner sympathy if she had more speaking lines, but the film makes her, and every other character, feel cold and clinical. Jena Malone gives a good perfor-mance as Rocket, one of the five confined main characters, and Abbie Cornish is suitable as the intentionally frosty Sweet Pea. The other two main cast mem-bers are Jamie Chung and Vanessa Hudgens, portraying Amber and Blondie respectively, but they are not given much to do. Hudgens tries to shed her Disney image, but she does not really do any-thing besides attempt to look sexy. Scott Glenn is fantastic as The Wise Man, for the three total scenes that he is in. Speaking of underutilizing actors, Jon Hamm offers what could be summed up as a cameo appearance toward the end. For any ladies want-ing to see a lot of Hamm ac-tion, this is not the film for you. What the film relies on, as is typical in standard Snyder fash-ion, are the action scenes. Hav-ing the action scenes take place in Babydoll’s mind removes all of the

tension and makes the movie feel disconnected. The action scenes are also ridiculously video game-like, spanning many different worlds from a feudal temple, to a World War I setting, to a “Lord of the Rings” type world, and finally a trip on a futuristic train. Despite the action scenes not actually oc-curring in the film’s real world, they are still stunning and interest-ing to watch. The enemies in each fantasy scene are also super neat. At the conclusion of the film, they try to throw in some last-minute message about using your imagination, but this conflicts with the actual end of the movie, causing a muddled, confused mess. In the end, this is a Snyder film through and through. This means it is doomed to suffer from mediocrity and probably will not be remembered in years to come. But for now, it is still en-tertaining while it is relevant. If you are bored and want to see an entertaining, stylish, but ultimate-ly mediocre flick, “Sucker Punch” is for you. If you are not so easily amused by girls running around with swords and guns, fighting all different types of villains, you might want to skip this one. Just ask your inner teenage boy first.

THE “PUNCH” CREW: The leading ladies of “Sucker Punch”, Carla Gugino, Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish, Emily Browning, Jamie Chung and Vanessa Hudgens.

by BRITTANY HASTABASection Editor

Bringing back memories to older viewers who grew up dur-ing the 90s, TeenNick will start re-airing some of their signa-ture 90s shows, starting this fall. The teen network embraced this idea after seeing a significant in-terest in Nickelodeon’s early pro-gramming on social media outlets. Millions of fans devoted to Nickel-odeon’s classic shows from the 90s follow several Facebook fan pages.“At the time, we were completely devoted to that audience of ages 9, 10 and 11,” says Keith Dawk-ins, senior vice president and general manager of TeenNick. “It was ground-breaking and for the young viewers, a power-ful and pivotal time in their lives. Those kids, who are now 22, 23,

N i c k e l o d e o n b r i n g s b a c k 9 0 ’ s s h o w sThe network plans to resurrect some nostalgic favorites

and 24, want to bring that back.”A two-hour programming block from midnight to 2 A.M. on weeknights will be allot-ted for these retro favorites.“Putting the Nickelodeon 90s shows back on the air will bring great nostalgia back to viewers., Unfortunately, I think the time slot for the shows are pointless because no one is going to be up watch-ing the shows that late at night,” says sophomore Sage Atwater. Shows that will be aired during the timeslot dubbed “The 90s Are All That” include the favorite animat-ed series, “Rugrats” and the enter-taining sitcom, “Keenan and Kel.” Live-action and sketch come-dy-variety shows are also part of the selection, specifically “All That” and “The Amanda Show.” “Clarissa Explains It All” starred Melissa Joan Hart, who plays a

teen girl dealing with preadoles-cent issues such as boys, school, and an annoying little brother. Gina Hastaba says, “I used to love “Clarissa Explains It All” and I was so upset when series ended.” “The Adventures of Pete & Pete” will also re-air. The show cen-ters around two brothers and their humorous interactions with their family, friends and enemies. “Salute Your Shorts” is set to re-air as well, which focuses on teenagers and the problems that arise at a summer camp. If the fall is too long of a wait, Netflix offers all seasons of these retro shows to rent. Sophomore Jessica Guo says, “I’m really excited to see some of my fa-vorite shows that I used to watch as a kid. They bring back many un-forgettable childhood memories.”

Photo/ Flickr

90S FLASHBACK: “Rugrats”, a series that follows eight babies through their day-to-day life adventures, is among the retro shows returning this fall.

Rebecca Black buys her way to fame

“ P u n c h ” p a c k s a n e n t e r t a i n i n g , b u t d u m b p u n c h

EntErtainmEnt PagE 15may 6 , 2011

by JARED HUSSEYExecutive Editor

When “Scream 4” came out on April 15, people were expecting the usual cliché horror film with a few twists here and there. Well, that is exactly what they got, but plus one more thing- a well-made, plot-driven movie with believable characters and an actual storyline. Unlike the second and third sequels, “Scream 4” is not just an eyesore for viewers. Director Wes Craven may have actually outdone himself with this one. Much like the original “Scream”, the latest Craven-feature has a unique mix of spoofing other horror movies while still keeping the “scare-factor” involved works wonderfully. The audience is practically on the edge of their seats the whole time, just waiting for the next Ghostface murder. Along with former cast members Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette, the fourth installment of the “Scream” franchise brings several new actors and actresses to the mix. Hayden Panetierre (“Heroes”) and Rory Culkin (“Signs”) play two of the teenage victims, and Anthony Anderson (“Kangaroo Jack”) and Adam Brody (“The O.C.”) are spot on as two bumbling cops who cannot seem to catch the murderer. Casting was done extremely well, and all characters are portrayed with near perfection, but perhaps the best acting job was done by young Nickelodeon star Emma Roberts. She steals the show at the end of the film as her character goes through a shocking transformation. Roberts plays the younger cousin of Sydney (Campbell), and is almost perfect as the innocent girl with a dark side. When asked about Roberts’ performance in “Scream 4”, Ryan Hussey simply said, “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to

by DAVID MORRISStaff Writer/Artist

The original “Scream” was a fun slasher flick/comedy that was extremely self-aware and played off of the clichés and tropes that were abundant in horror films. “Scream” crafted certain rules that broke the fourth wall, but still remained in its own psychopathic-infested world. This style made it pretty unique. Mainstream audiences had never seen a horror movie quite like it. Naturally, a hit movie led

watch ‘Unfabulous’ again.” The movie takes place 10 years after Sydney first left her old town. She went on to become a successful author and is returning to Woodsboro for a book signing when, right on cue, the Ghostface killer begins his work again. While the police attempt to unravel the murders, Sydney reconnects with her old friends Dewey (Arquette) and Gale (Cox), and also becomes closer with her cousin Jill (Roberts) and some of Jill’s high school friends.

to a sequel, “Scream 2”, which discussed the clichés of being a sequel. After a third movie and countless years, the 4th has finally been released. Wit this entry, a series that was once renowned for being witty and fresh for mocking on the stale horror genre has itself become stale and moldy. “Scream 4”, or advertised as “Scre4m” (because combining words and numbers in titles is popular now) follows Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), a “Scream” survivor, as she returns to Woodsboro, the scene of the Ghostface murders, in order to promote her new book. As you can

Photo/ AP Images

L a t e s t “ S c r e a m ” s e q u e l h i t s t h e a t e r s

YOUNG BLOOD: “Scream” newcomers Emma Roberts, left, and Hayden Panetierre, right, pose at the premiere of “Scream 4”. The two take on the roles of the innocent teenagers, much like Neve Campbell in the first few “Scream” films.

As the body count rises, so do people’s suspicions of who the actual murderer is, and not until the final minutes is it apparent that the thrilling “Scream 4” is a movie that truly keeps you guessing until the very end. Expect many twists and turns and gruesome murders. Expect a lot of dead bodies and many pop-out scenes, and maybe even a few nightmares. Most of all, however, expect a movie that does not fail to keep your attention, and expect to be very pleased with the overall outcome of Sydney Prescott’s tragic adventures through the town of Woodsboro.

guess, things go disastrously wrong. Courtney Cox and David Arquette also return as the “old” veterans, the ones who have faced Ghostface several times before. The new blood includes Hayden Panettiere, Marielle Jaffe, Rory Culkin, Erik Knudsen and Emma Roberts, who portrays Sidney’s cousin. It’s pretty cool seeing all of the “Scream” veterans on screen again and the fresh cast is serviceable, even though none of them particularly stand out. Also, what better way for Roberts to shed her Nickelodeon image by starring in a “Scream” film? The movie granted me high hopes with a hilarious and clever introduction, but after that sequence, it falls flat and follows the same exact formula of every other “Scream” flick, never changing it up or taking any risks. In fact, one of the first few lines of the movie calls out the “Saw” series, lambasting its clichéd shock value. It would’ve been awesome to see a “Scream” movie criticizing the modern day horror genre, bashing certain movies like “Paranormal Activity” or any sub-par remake. Sadly, after the

“Saw” line, they don’t do anything with that idea. What could’ve been. The movie does have a few plot points and lines regarding remakes, but they lack bite. “Scre4m” prides itself on being super duper original, but doesn’t offer anything new or refreshing, which in turn, makes you wonder why they even bothered to make another sequel. The movie also builds up to a disgustingly disappointing, anti-climactic ending, one that is incredibly predictable, and doesn’t really make sense if you think about it too long. However, who’s going to spend their day solemnly thinking about a “Scream” ending? “Scre4m” isn’t a bad film by any means. It’s actually relieving to see a sequel instead of an awful, uncalled-for remake. If you’re a “Scream” aficionado, then you should definitely check it out. Still, in the end, “Scre4m” is like a stale Marshmallow Peep. It could’ve been tasty back in the day, but it’s become weathered with ripe, old age. Let’s hope they don’t make a “Scream 5 & 6”. They’re going to run out of clichés to lampoon sometime soon.

by SAMANTHA KOLAVITCHPhotographer/Staff Writer

After receiving such positive reactions from the first 10 episodes of the new ABC Family series, “Pretty Little Liars,” the first season returned with another 12 episodes on January 3. The season finally came to a close on March 21. The thrilling show is based on the eight novel series by Sara Shepard. After seeing the uproar for the television series, Shepard decided to write an additional four novels continuing the story. The first of this addition, “Twisted,” will be released in July. In the books, the four main characters, Spencer (Troian Bellisario), Hanna (Ashley Benson), Aria (Lucy Hale), and Emily (Shay Mitchell), are mourning the loss of their best friend, Ali (Sasha Peiterce), who mysteriously disappeared three years ago. The girls suddenly start receiving anonymous text messages from someone who calls themself “A” and threatens to

reveal their most private secrets, secrets they believed only Ali knew. While the television series is not an exact copy of the novels and takes the story in very different directions, it still creates the same amount of suspense and has a similar spooky feel. From the eerie opening theme, “Secret” by The Pierces, to the sneak peeks at the end of each episode that show an unknown figure assumed to be “A”, each episode keeps audiences at the edge of their seats. Man scenes even have a feeling similar to a horror movie, with great mystery and suspense that leaves viewers shocked at every news event. The highly anticipated winter premiere picked up right where the series ended in early fall. Fans eagerly waited to see the gripping continuation of the twisted story, as well as the individual relationships in the show, develop. All of the actors have great chemistry that helps make the story come to life. They wonderfully portray the controversies of high

school life that the characters face along with the main plot of the story. “The show is so great because there’s so much more going on than just the main story. Each character has their own secrets and you have to wait each week to find out something new,” says sophomore Nikki Feretich. Darker and more mysterious than many of the shows on ABC Family for teenagers, “Pretty Little Liars” is almost an exact opposite of shows like “Glee” and “Greek,” which are just as popular. In the age of vampires and werewolves, teens today react more enthusiastically to dark stories with mysterious plots. Sophomore Kelsey Genuino says, “’Pretty Little Liars’ has become one of my favorite shows. I watch it every week just to see how the story progresses and how the mystery unfolds. But I also just think Toby Cavanaugh is really attractive.” This exhilarating series will continue with a second season premiering on June 14, full of just as many twists and turns as the first.

“ P r e t t y L i t t l e L i a r s ” w i t h d a r k s e c r e t sA B C F a m i l y s e r i e s b a s e d o n b e s t - s e l l i n g n o v e l s g a i n s p o p u l a r i t y

FOUR PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: The stars of the hit ABC show, Lucy Hale, Ashley Benson, Shay Mitchell, and Troian Bellisario pose on the groun,d trying to “bury their secrets.”

Art/ April Mariano

Photo/Flickr

W h a t ’ s y o u r f a v o r i t e s c a r y m o v i e ?Ghostface returns yet again for a 4th stabathon

Op-Edmay 6, 2011 pagE 16

The Falcon NewsEditor-in-ChiEf

Julie Kelly

Editorial PoliCy

thE MonroE falCon is a nEws-PaPEr dEdiCatEd to aCCuratE,

EthiCal, and rEsPonsiblEhigh sChool journalisM.

advisorDana Speizer

Dana.Speizer@MOnrOe.K12.nJ.uS

ExECutivE Editor

JareD HuSSey

ExECutivE Editor-layout angela WO

by JARED HUSSEYExecutive Editor

The past few months have been chaotic for popular “Two and a Half Men” star Charlie Sheen. A re-straining order has forbidden him to come in contact with his chil-dren, and he has been accused of a range of things, from possession of fire arms to his addiction to drugs. Although his latest actions have been questionable at best, and he has admitted on several occasions of “smoking seven-pound rocks that would kill a normal man”, he is a sensation for the media, and I say we should cut the guy some slack. Sheen has always been a partier. He drinks, smokes and does just about everything your mother tells you not to do when you are a kid. His “rockstar” life is not the cause of his recent popularity, though, and his media attention should be no excuse for him to slow down and stop what he loves doing. Police and the media have failed to break Sheen, as all of his drug tests have come back negative, and no harmful weapons were found inside Sheen’s home in Los Angeles. He was accused of be-ing violent by his ex-wife, Denise Richards, but there have been no known violent incidents involv-ing the actor, and the restraining

‘Winner winner, chicken dinner’S h e e n t a k e s h i t s f r o m m e d i a w i t h o u t b a c k i n g d o w n

by DAVID MORRIS and SAKINA HUSSAIN

Staff Writer/Artist and Section Editor

The online revolution has had a severe impact on everything, including television, the film in-dustry, music, video games, print journalism and even bookstores. The latest casualty is Borders Bookstores, which, on February 16, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. However, the chain is not yet dead; 200 underperforming stores out of the 642 in America will close down. One of the nails in Borders’ cof-fin was the fact that, with the exception of on-line preorders, they did not really adapt to suit the new technologically advanced environment. Unlike Borders, Barnes & Noble evolved by re-leasing the Nook, which enabled them to stay current and earn cash. In the end, Borders’ fate was unavoidable, a cherished relic that is now considered obsolete in a fast-paced, hi-tech world.

DAVID: As an avid reader and frequent-er of Borders, I’m upset about this news, but not necessar-ily shocked. The stores always seemed to be constantly empty, and the advent of such technol-ogy as the Kindle and Nook al-low people to read without the pesky chore of driving to the store. The Borders located at the Free-hold Mall is one of the many stores

TAKE A GOOD LOOK: Say goodbye to Freehold Mall’s prided Borders; it will be gone very soon.

THE WINNING RECIPE: The “Warlock” has been traveling the country on a speaking tour. He claims the only way to k now the real story is to hear what he has to say. When asked if he was bipolar, Sheen responded, “No… I’m bi-winning.”

Borders devastated by bankruptcy

order has been lifted by Richards to allow him to see his children. We’ve seen this all before. Be-tween Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan and David Hasselhoff, the media managed to bring them-selves into the celebrities’ pri-vate lives and break them down to the near point of insanity. The media, however, has not been able to bring Charlie Sheen down. Do you know why? A simple an-swer- He has always been crazy.

that met an untimely demise. The Freehold Borders is the bookstore that I visited the most, simply be-cause of the humongous and di-verse selection of books that they offered. It seemed to me like this was one of the few locations that contained such a wide variety of rare books that were not sold in your average Barnes & Noble. The Freehold Borders also boast-ed two floors, which contained a treasure trove of books, DVD sec-tion, CD section and a coffee shop.

This Borders was obviously costly for the Freehold Mall and it is a shame to see such a fancy, intricate store go to waste. This incident worries me about Barnes & Noble’s future. Hopefully,

this powerful chain will not suc-cumb to the same fate as Borders. After all, there is nothing like hold-ing the book in your hand, turning the page and feeling the paper. If this event taught us anything, it’s that bookstores are no longer safe. The power of the Internet has drastically changed everything about our lives, both positively and negatively. A world devoid of any bookstores is a perfect exam-ple of technology crossing the line.

SAKINA: I cannot even begin to describe how upset I was upon hearing about Borders filing for bank-ruptcy. My mind went instantly to blame Barnes & Noble for stealing all of Borders’ busi-ness, which, of course, is incred-ibly irrational and not at all sen-

sible, but I could not really help it. As a resident of Monroe Town-ship, I always visited the Borders located in Freehold Mall, which, by the way, is right across the street from the local Barnes & Noble. I absolutely loved the homey and comfortable feel of Borders, with the coffee shop on the second floor and the chairs everywhere, allow-ing visitors to just sit and read. The place was incredibly enjoyable. However, this atmosphere is probably one of the main con-tributors to Borders’ bankruptcy problem. The comfort allowed people to just sit and read at the store and not actually buy any books. Not to mention that not all of the stores were as accommo-dating as the Borders in Freehold. Also, as my co-writer men-tioned, Borders neglected to keep up with the new technology that has developed with literature. Al-though there are still the few se-lect people, such as myself, who

prefer paper to technology, most of the rapidly evolving world sees it differently. They all just have to keep up with the latest inventions. The actual appeal of the Nook and Kindle have absolutely nothing to do with the so-called “conve-nience” they provide to reading, but more to do with the fact that their users can also surf the Internet. This appeal gives parents the false hope that if they buy the Nook for their child, then maybe he/she will start reading. What these wonder-fully ignorant people fail to see is that their children will most likely never use the Nook to actually read when they can use it to go on the Internet. It is a no-brainer, really. The Internet is available to us everywhere; we can go on our lap-tops, iPads, cell phones, and now our E-readers. The Internet is great, of course; it’s fast and incred-ibly accommodating. However, as many wise people before me have pointed out, too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.

“After all, there is nothing like holding the

book in your hand, turning the page and

feeling the paper”

Since he was born in 1965, he has dealt with the stress of fame, and he wreaked much havoc be-fore being put in the backseat of his fair share of police cars. Sheen knows the one thing he can-not do is succumb to the pressure and make the media happy. So far, he has had a response to all of the curveballs that have been thrown at him, and that is why he is winning. When asked why he was con-tinuing his fight against CBS and

all the other “trolls”, Sheen stat-ed, “Because I have tiger blood.” Also, when questioned on his drug use, Sheen went on to say, “I am on a drug. It is called Char-lie Sheen. If you take it you will die and your children will cry over your dead, exploded corpse.” Sheen’s statement personi-fies the type of person he is. He was on one of TV’s funniest shows for a reason, and the me-dia is playing into his hand by covering all of his crazy antics. His recent popularity even sparked Sheen’s speaking tour across the country, called the Violent Tor-pedo Truth tour. The venues at Chicago and Detroit sold out in a record 18 minutes, giving Sheen even more of the everlasting im-pression of winning, even though he was booed off stage in Detroit. Sheen may be living in glory now, but the stress always catches up to the celebrity, and he will eventu-ally break. The only way to stop the madness is for the media to blacklist Charlie, by either not covering him or just by not report-ing the aspects of his private life. If this continues, the outcome can be tragic and potentially deadly. Sheen’s supposed violence can re-emerge and he may harm others or even himself, and you do not want his tiger blood all over the carpet.

Photo/ David Morris

Photo/ Wikimedia

Rutgers’ annual Rutgersfest ended in tragedy involving two non- fatal shootings, five inju-ries and 11 arrests. New Bruns-wick police have had enough. Every year, its seems New Bruns-wick police department dreads having to patrol Rutgers’ Rut-gersfest. However, who could blame them when crowds of drunken high school and college students congest the streets, pol-luting every which way. Police Director Pete Mangarella calls it “the worst thing of the year for the city of New Brunswick”. For many years the residents thought their complaints were falling on deaf ears. Now they are finally getting what they want, the announcement of the discontinuation of Rutgersfest. With continuous years of vio-lence, New Brunswick police say the event was becoming too much to handle. This year, Rutgers even raised money to hire extra police of-ficers and sent Rutgers campus pa-trol officers to help out in the event too, but it still was not enough. The real victims in this whole ordeal are really the Rutgers stu-dents, none of who were arrested, shot or injured during this year’s event, mainly because they know how much of a privilege it is to have. “Many individuals and groups not affiliated with Rutgers, learned about Rutgersfest through various social media channels be-yond the university’s control.” said Rutgers President Richard L. Mc-Cormick in a newsletter announc-ing the canceling of Rutgerfest. The non-Rutgers students are re-ally the ones to blame. They come to the event uninvited, throw their trash around the streets, then roam the streets, drunk and dis-oriented, looking for fights. Look-ing at New Brunswick’s already not-so-good reputation, throw-ing drunken ignorant teens in the mix does not help any. President McCormick feels the only way to stop the violence is to cancel the event for good saying “The safety of our university community, and that of our neighbors, is para-mount, and we cannot risk further danger or the possible loss of life.” Many students are upset and angered at the decision to cancel the school tradition. Regardless whether the decision was right or not, one thing is sure. Until they start monitoring the types of peo-ple allowed at these events, vio-lence and chaos will surly ensue.

-Stephen Kenney

Letter to the Editor

Op-Ed pagE 17May 6 , 2011

by SAKINA HUSSAIN Section Editor

A first grade teacher in Paterson, New Jersey was sent on paid ad-ministrative leave by her school district on Thursday, March 31, after allegedly posting comments on her Facebook page about feel-ing like a “warden for future crimi-nals” in reference to her students. The teacher, who Northjersey.com said was named Jennifer Schmid O’Brien, was suspend-ed from her current position at the school after several par-ents had pulled their children out of her class and complained about her derogatory comment. According to the Associated Press, the Board of Education President, Theodore Best, said, “You can’t simply fire someone for what they have on a Facebook page, but if that spills over and affects the class-room, then you can take action.” Apparently, the “action” that Best was referring to is limited to

Irresponsible teachers looking over criminal students?A teacher in Paterson, NJ complains about her students to the public through Facebook

paid suspension, which is not even a punishment. Getting paid to stay at home, safely away from her “future criminal” students is the consequence O’Brien is facing for publicly and openly offending her students and their parents. Nj.com reported that parents who picked up their children from school after hearing about the comment said that they were “dumbfounded, angered and dis-heartened.” The parents are com-pletely justified in feeling so as the comment made was not only in-sulting to the children, but it was also an insult to the parents and the way they raise their children. Honestly, I believe Kenneth Clayton of the National Associa-tion for the Advancement of Color People’s Paterson branch said it best. “First I thought it was a joke, I couldn’t believe any adult would act that stupid, would have a per-ception of our children that’s so demeaning and negative,” he said. Clayton’s comment was particu-

larly spot on in its implication that O’Brien clearly has very lim-ited common sense, understand-ing, insight, and intelligence. First of all, she is a teacher to first graders. I guess that it is safe to assume that her students were immature enough to drive their incredibly judgmental teacher to compare them to criminals. However, what astounds me about this comment is that her students are only six to seven years old. It does not matter how immature, disobedient, crazy, or criminal-resembling these chil-dren are, as not having reached the second-grade yet, the kids re-serve the right to be a little crazy. Now, of course everyone is en-titled to their own opinion, in-cluding teachers. I completely understand the need to vent after spending all day watching over such young and spirited children. However, being an adult comes with some responsibility, which is where O’Brien and I differ. Clearly, O’Brien neglects respon-sibility and feels that she can say whatever she wants wherever she wants, regardless of the fact that she has a job to keep, and publicly displaying your displeasure with your students might quite not be the best thing to say on Face-book. Call me crazy, but I believe in exercising a bit of caution when declaring such extreme opin-ions about a bunch of children. Nancy Oxfeld, O’Brien’s lawyer, said, “My feeling is that if you’re concerned about children, you’re concerned about what goes on in the classroom, not about po-licing your employee’s private comments to others.” It seems as though O’Brien has got the best and the brightest defending her in this case. Oxfeld’s comment was purely brilliant because, of course, the “employee’s private com-ments” about her students is in no way an indication of what might be going on in the classroom, right? That would just be absurd.

Photo/Google Streetview

CLASSY EDUCATION: Here is School No. 21 in Paterson, NJ, where the teachers are just as immature as and possibly even more lacking in intelligence than the students.

by DANIELLE OSTRAGERStaff Writer/ Layout

Unmarried pastors are encoun-tering discrimination while searching for new jobs within the field. Churches, preferring not only married men, but white mar-ried men with children, are turn-ing away single men and women despite experience and education. When hiring a pastor, churches take into account the marital sta-tus of the applicant. It is an as-pect of a pastor’s life that should not make a difference, yet it does. Church members argue that single men might encounter problems when counseling married cou-ples, having never had the expe-rience, or fear they may flirt with younger members or are even gay. Mark Almlie, an Evangelical pas-tor, encountered this bias when his workplace downsized and had to lay him off. Unfortunately, during his search for a new job, he found that his years of experi-ence and educational background were overshadowed by being

single. Almlie says one church he encountered advertised that they were seeking “a family man whose family will be involved in the ministry life of the church.” Other single pastors have seen the same prejudices when looking for work. Amy Mark, an Evangeli-cal pastor, is searching the market for a job. As a single woman, she has been unable to find work as a pastor and, instead, is working in craft stores. Mark and Almlie are not alone in this struggle; only about one in 20 pastors are single. Marital status is one bias that has not been addressed. Whether a pastor is married or not does not affect their competency. Their education and experience does not change simply because they are married. A wife or husband does not change their morals or religious viewpoint. This should not be a concern for a church when seeking a new pastor. Sophomore Alyssa Bauer says, “I don’t see how it matters if a pastor is married or not. Who cares? We should be look-

MARRIED FOR THE CHURCH: Unmarried pastors meet a bias when seeking employment in Evangelical Churches across the country. These churches prefer married pastors, preferably with children.

Photo/geograph.org

Unmarried pastors meet discriminationing at their personality, educa-tion and religious viewpoint.” Whether or not a pastor is mar-ried or not does not impact their ability to follow out the respon-sibilities of their job, and should not be a factor in the hiring pro-cess. Marital status doesn’t play a role in applications for other activities, and should not within the church community. Junior Alexis Farganis says, “I’m single. Obviously, I’m 16 so I’m not married—but I also don’t have a boyfriend. Does that make me a worse person? I don’t see how being married makes a person more qualified at all. It doesn’t change the education they achieved or their morals.” Discrimination in any form is diffi-cult to prevent. Legislation can be written up, but that doesn’t mean it will be enforced—and how would legislation be worded to prevent discrimination against marital sta-tus? It’s a nearly impossible feat as far as the law is concerned. So, that leaves it up to people and society. Single pastors are going to need

to work harder than those who are married to prove that they are just as qualified. It is unfair, but as with

any prejudice, it takes time to over-come. It is up to the people to make the public aware and concerned.

S i n g l e p a s t o r s a r e u n a b l e t o f i n d w o r k

by DAVID MORRISStaff Writer/Artist

Libya is currently suffering from inner turmoil and a mas-sive civil war brought about to decide the future of the country. We’ve already seen one success story this year: Mubarek stepping down from his seat as president of Egypt. However, Libya isn’t quite so lucky. One man has pre-vented the people from gaining their freedom: Muammar Gaddafi. Instead of fleeing like Mubarek, Gaddafi fought back against the rebels, utilizing whatever sol-diers still remain loyal to him. He has proven that he is enor-mously stubborn and would rather die a martyr than give up. He is single-handedly holding back the progression of Libya. On September 1, 1969, Gaddafi overthrew then leader King Idris and assumed office on March 2, 1979. Since then, his rule has been an iron-fisted one, full of censor-ship and corruption. His 42 year stint reached a boiling point on Feb. 15, 2011, when dissatisfied

Gaddaf i ’ s g iant gaf feLibya’s loony leader loses loyalty

rebels began a peaceful protest against him, hoping to dispose of him and gain democracy in the process. Gaddafi took the vio-lent approach and the situation escalated into a full-blown war. Gaddafi has also issued several insane retorts, claiming that all of the rebels are on drugs and that anyone that doesn’t love him de-serves to die. Gaddafi has been de-ploying troops to deal with protes-tors, attacking everyone, including children and medics. Some protes-tors have even been subject to the horrors of torture. Journalists re-porting form Libya have also found themselves trapped in the country due to Gaddafi’s schemes. He even went to the great lengths of hir-ing mercenaries not affiliated with the country to help protect him. Since the outbreak of the war, tons of casualties have been claimed. After all of these events, it’s clear that Libya’s people are dealing with a mentally unstable ruler. It’s time for Libya to gain a democracy and a new leader who will direct them toward a better future, one who has a more aesthetically pleasing face.

THUMBS UP: Muammar Gaddafi, leader of Libya, giving an A-Ok.

Photo/ AP Images

Special NewS page 18may 6, 2011

by JULIE KELLYEditor-in-Chief

Imagine working with top artists around the globe, picture planning yourself a world tour after graduating college, en-vision hearing your own lyrics on the radio, visualize all of your life goals be-coming a reality. For 19-year-old TCNJ student, Jason Goldman, this is his life. The difficulty of making it big in the mu-sic industry is obvious; however, Goldman seems to be that one person in a million who can prove this theory incorrect when hard work is coupled with pure talent. After five Grammy wins, over 100 songs in the top 100, a number one song for 30 straight weeks, Goldman seems to know what he is doing. As a writer and musi-cian, he is just getting started. Goldman explains, in an exclusive interview for The Falcons News, his journey on the path-way to success in the music business. How did you get start-ed in the music business? “[I] started writing poems and then my poems turned into songs. I sent my lyrics to A&R’s [Artists and Repertoire] at re-cord labels all around the globe. Some of A&R’s called back and they liked my lyrics. I began ghostwriting for other artists (writ-ing songs for other artists without taking credit). It started with a few verses and I ended up writing over 600 songs in a year. People now contact me for lyrics and there is a bit of a waiting list for my services.”Many people realize how hard it is to make it big in the music industry, so how were you able to get so far? Was it a long process? “It’s definitely been a long process, but I believe that music has given me a desire and dedication that I’ve never had before… So many people have told me I can’t succeed or that my writing wasn’t good, but look at where I am now. I’m not doing this for mon-ey or fame or the perks. I’m doing this ‘cause it’s what I love and I love my fans. Every sec-ond that I have put into my music is worth it because when I step back and look at what I’ve done, I can say I gave it all 150% and I’m proud of the man that I have become.”What is it like working with celebrities that people dream of meeting one day? How has the overall experience impacted your life? “It’s insane, surreal, crazy, heart-stopping. Working with the recording artists and music industry giants that I have been able to work with has been absolutely amazing.

F a m e n o t s o f a r a w a y

Age is no factor; Jason’s accomplishments at only 19:

Written 500+ songs for other artists•Recorded over 150 songs of his own•#1 song on 16 charts in the USA •Eleven #1 hits •#1 for 30 straight weeks•50+ top 10 hits•100+ top 100 hits•#1 hit in 36 countries on 6 continents•Songs written have over 70 Award nomina-•

tions, including 5 Grammy wins

Photo/Debbie KellySMILING SUPERSTAR: Editor in Chief, Julie Kelly, poses for a shot with recording artist and songwriter, Jason Goldman. At 19, Goldman’s accomplishments in the music industry are beyond impressive especially since he is just getting started.

For these people to know who I am just leaves me speechless. It’s incomprehensible to me that these artists want me to write for them. It shows that what I’m doing isn’t going unnoticed, and the fact that I get to spend time with these artists is something that I can never put into words. There is nothing like writing a song and then hear-ing it on the radio. Seeing people sing along to or dance with my lyrics and beats is the single greatest feeling I have ever gotten in my life. It’s been a crazy ride for me.”What is your future plan regarding music? “I’m definitely going to finish college (His-tory/secondary education major). While in college, I’ll continue writing, recording, doing some shows, and handling the pa-perwork aspect of my music…[I’m] work-ing on a debut album right now (9 songs recorded)[and] just started a label titled JG3. JG3 is fully owned and operated by me and it allows me to find talent, write and produce music. It’s a great opportunity for me to help their careers blossom and Alexi Blue is our first signee to the label…look for that coming within the next few months. “It’s crazy for me to look back at these ac-complishments. I remember when my first song charted and I heard my first track on the radio and how excited I was… I definite-ly feel like I’m at the top of my game. Per-sonally, I want Jason Goldman to be known in comparison with Kobe Bryant and Derek Jeter and Tom Brady. I wanna be known as the best songwriter ever… I know that 2010 was incredibly successful… Obviously not every song I write or record will be a hit and I know that. It’s a way of life. But, as long as I’m having fun and loving what I’m doing, then I will definitely still be in the industry. “As clichéd as it may sound, anything is possible. Never ever listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t. When they do, it should just serve as motivation to prove that person wrong. At the end of the day, you need to look in the mirror and be hap-py with yourself. I believe my lyrics speak volumes because I talk about real life. I talk about my life. I share everything I have with my fans and I’m forever grateful for the op-portunity that I have been blessed with.” To hear more from Goldman, check out his new music coming soon at www.you-tube.com/goldman824. Look for the Jason Goldman Music Facebook page or add Ja-son Goldman as a friend. Goldman says, “Feel free to send me a message asking anything or critiquing any of my music… I love the good, the bad and the indifferent. All e-mails will get read by me personally.”

by JACLYN VOGELSection Editor

Ordinary people around the world are photo-graphing their plates of eggs and bowls of ce-real to help give breakfast to children in need. At shareyourbreakfast.com, users can upload breakfast photos. For every picture uploaded, the Kellogg’s Company will do-nate breakfast to children who do not have any on a daily basis. This event is a part of a national advertising campaign called Share Your Breakfast for Kellogg’s, and will support National Breakfast Day as well. Sophomore Chelsea Richards says, “I think it’s a great idea and a kind gesture for everyone around the country to upload pic-tures for the sake of other people in need.” For the 2011-2012 school year, Kellogg’s goal is to donate and serve a million break-fasts to children who have not had the op-portunity to have a fortunate breakfast themselves. With the help from an orga-nization called Action for Healthy Kids,

Kellogg’s will rise to the challenge of pro-viding necessary food to kids worldwide. Sophomore Aj Tesorio says, “Kel-logg’s is doing an amazing thing by thinking of others who don’t have as many advantages as some others do.” The Kellogg’s Company wishes to do-nate up to $200,000 toward their efforts, with the promotion running through the month of July. Schools where 50 percent of the students are eligible for free lunch will obtain the breakfasts. Networking sites, such as Twitter and Fa-cebook, are also available to post pictures onto, with the description of the break-fast and using the tag #ShareUrBreakfast. Digital ads for the campaign will run across Google and websites such as AOL.com and Weather.com, with help from Biggs-Gilmore Communications. Sophomore Daniela Sardella says, “I recently heard Kellogg’s debuted their ad called “Big Breakfast” on the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS

Morning News. I think it’s such a good idea for their company to go above and beyond for such an important cause.” On March 8, Kellogg’s also held an event in Grand Central Terminal in New York City, where they provided a free breakfast of ce-real, breakfast bars, and fruit and beverages.

E v e r y p i c t u r e c o u n t s

The hostess of this event, Melissa Joan Hart, was joined by Kellogg’s characters Tony the Tiger and Snack, Crackle, and Pop to promote and share breakfast to city goers. Junior Ben Park says, “I hope this cam-paign succeeds in the long run because it’s a great event for children everywhere.”

BREAKFAST AROUND THE WORLD: People take pictures of their breakfast cereal to provide breakfast for children that go without.

Photo/AP Images

T C N J s t u d e n t m a k e s i t b i g a s a m u s i c i a n

I n d i v i d u a l s t a k e p h o t o s o f b r e a k f a s t t o p r o v i d e m e a l s f o r c h i l d r e n

Special NewSpage 19 may 6, 2011

M a s c o t M a d n e s sT h e s p o r t s w o r l d ’ s m o s t r i d i c u l o u s m a s c o t s

Photo/ AP Images

by MATT GORDONStaff Writer

Mascots, you’ve got to love them. They dance on the field, participate in wacky contests and even dunk from half court on a trampoline. Yet some mascots make absolutely no sense and are just plain ridiculous. What does a poorly made tree costume have to do with a prestigious school like Stanford, and why does a huge orange ball make a good mascot (no offense Syracuse fans)? Looking at various professional and college sports teams, here are the 10 worst mascots:

10. Stuff the Magic DragonJust looking at this mascot makes me want to laugh out loud. It is a green-yellow dragon that looks like Barney and a character from Dragon Tales combined. Yes, this character may appeal to small chil-dren, but I can’t see it dunking or even entertaining at an Orlando Magic game.

9. Sammy the SlugThe beloved mascot of the University of California- Santa Cruz is ut-terly revolting and has beady, red eyes sticking out of the top of its head. The only way this mascot stays out of the top spot is that it is so outrageous that it is quite interesting at the same time.

8. Otto the OrangeThis Syracuse mascot became official in 1995, and since then, it has been involved in much controversy. Many people think this mascot makes no sense other than that the school colors are orange and blue. This mascot has large eyes and that’s pretty much it. A large orange ball with huge eyes…So creative.

7. Brutus the BuckeyeThe Ohio State mascot is a nut. Literally. Look up “Buckeye” on the internet and you will find out that it is a type of nut that comes from a tree in the state of Ohio and is actually the state tree. But seriously, why would you have such a prestigious athletic and academic school have a mascot that is a nut. The only way this mascot makes sense is that a nickname for people from Ohio is “Buckeye”.

6. Bear the BearDoes anyone else see something wrong with his name? The people who came up with this mascot must have been extremely creative. Not only is his name unoriginal, the infamous Jazz mascot looks like a Yeti crossed with a wooly mammoth. His face smirks an evil grin and his dark eyes make him utterly horrifying. I would not want to see him in my window at night.

5. Hip Hop the RabbitThis creepy, smiling Easter bunny knockoff literally “raps” to fans. Yes, it is a rapping bunny. Of all of the horrible ideas for mascots, this has to be one of the worst and most unbelievable. I’m not really sure what a bunny has to do with Philadelphia or the 76ers. If 76ers fans were disappointed before, they should be even more disappointed now.

4. Scottsdale Community College’s Fighting ArtichokeAnyone who has ever gotten into a fight with an artichoke, please say I. I’ve never gotten into a fight with an artichoke and I’m pretty sure no one else in the world ever has (unless you are a frustrated farmer), so why would you come up with a mascot like this.

3. Delta State’s Fighting OkraRepetitive anyone? First of all, I have no idea what okra is and have never eaten it and apparently, it looks like a green banana but is actu-ally a vegetable. Anyway, this is just slightly more outrageous than the fighting artichoke sine artichokes are found in local supermarkets and okras are only found on the black market.

2. Youppi! Yes, there is an exclamation point in his name which also means “Hoo-ray!” in English. This over-sized Muppet mascot of the Montreal Ca-nadians is an orange ball of crazy (much like the formerly mentioned Syracuse orange).He was dumped by the Expos when they moved to Washington and apparently was pretty easy to pass along. I wonder why…

1. Stanford TreeFinally our searching comes to an end with the worst mascot of all time, the Stanford Tree. Although the official nickname of the pres-tigious school is the “Cardinal” (referring to the color, not the bird), someone came up with the bright idea of a tree. This outrageous mas-cot looks like it was put together by a five- year old and you can see the person’s legs at the bottom. Since when did trees have legs? Clear-ly this mascot tops the list of the worst mascots of all time.

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Photo/ NBC Sports

Photo/ Flickr

Photo/ USCS.edu

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SportSpage 20 May 6, 2011

by LINDSEY ZYBRICKStaff Writer

The competiton cheerleaders packed their uniforms and flew down to Universal Studios in Or-lando, Florida to compete in the Universal Sprit National Cham-pionship on March 26 and 27. Starting in June with tryouts, the 2010-2011 competition cheerlead-ing team worked hard through-out the whole season, participat-ing in UCA cheerleading camps and practices during the summer. “During the summer, we have to work hard to become prepared for the season. We have sum-mer practices, but they are not structured like other sports are. We workout, but we also put stunt groups together, bond as a team, prepare for camp, and ulti-mately prepare for the competi-tion season that starts in Novem-ber,” says junior Alexa Fucito. Starting in November, the compe-tition season begins and runs until the end of March, concluding at nationals. The team competed in about 10 competitions locally and

Competition Cheerleading Nationalsplaced in the top three teams at each one. The biggest competition of the season is nationals in Universal. “Going into nationals, we felt confident. We knew there was nothing in our routine that we hadn’t hit consistently at prac-tice. We were all mostly just very excited and anxious to compete on the national level,” says Fucito. During the first day of competition, a stunt fell and another one did not perform to its fullest ability due to a mishap with the beginning of the music during the performance. “I think we did really well, but we made mistakes that set us back in the standings,” says se-nior Jessica Baum. The team was in fifth place after first day standings were posted. However, the girls were deter-mined and motivated to hit the routine one last time and end the season on a good note. “With all the clapping, cheering, and adrenaline, you would think their energy was infectious. You couldn’t help but feel excited for them. It showed in everyone as their energy spread from them to their audience to their

score sheets. You couldn’t change the way they made you feel, they were absolutely unforgettable,” says volunteer Coach Tara Lange. The energy backstage and before the performance paid off because the team performed the best rou-tine they had performed all season. “It made me feel good inside and I love it, and it’s definitely how I wanted to end my season this year. To hit the routine one last time as a team is the best feel-ing in the world and, no matter how we placed, I think we were all happy with the performance,” says junior Courtney Coughlin. Even with the flawless routine, the team still placed fifth behind teams from Florida, Illinois and other states across the nation. “Despite our final placing, Coach Butler and I are extremely proud of the team’s performance on Sunday. The girls were true to themselves; they went on the mat and just had fun. It was hands down, the best performance of the year and a perfect way to wrap-up our nine month season,” says head coach Ms. McGrath. The team was also awarded the Cheer for a Cause award, given to the team that showed the most support for a cause chosen by the company in charge of the competition. This year, the cause was autism awareness. The girls wore blue bows and wrote “Au-tism Speaks” on the flyer’s legs. “Receiving the Autism Speaks award is an incredible honor. It shows another side of the MTHS competition cheerleaders that is often overlooked: that they are equally committed to the com-munity as they are to winning local competitions and National championships,” says McGrath. The trip was unforgettable. “I en-joyed every moment I was down there, knowing this was my last year of cheerleading for MTHS. This year was the best year of my life, and I will never forget it. The team became a family this year,” says senior Karissa Ludden.

by JARED HUSSEYExecutive Editor

The advent of spring also brings the start of the boys’ lacrosse season. More specifically, it brings all Monroe lacrosse play-ers together for rigorous work-outs and meticulous preparation for the season that lies ahead. The team lost in the first round of the GMCs last year, and they hope to rebound and advance further this season. Varsity mid-fielder Josh Polefka says, “It was tough getting blown out like that, but we’ve gained a lot of depth and I think we can make a run.” Varsity goalie Ehab Darwish says, “I haven’t been playing that long, but the coaches do a re-ally good job of preparing us and making us better. I’ve seen a lot improvement in my play since I first started.” Many players on the team only started playing over the past few years, but it is hard to notice considering their skills. Along with returning juniors and seniors, many freshmen and sophomores have joined the team. Freshman Marc Galluccio says, “I decided to play because a lot

L a x i s b a c k

of my friends are also playing, and I’m glad I decided to join up.” Led by captains Bobby Ga-ravente, Michael Toto, Pat Ca-paghna, and John Albecker, the team is playing almost every day after school, whether it is just practice or an actual game. The season kicked off with an away game at Saint Joseph’s High School on April 2, where the Falcons suffered what could be their worst loss of the season. Through two halves of play, Saint Joe’s lacrosse team disman-tled the Falcons, winning 16-1. The Falcons rebounded from their loss, however, when they obliterated North Brunswick at the following game. After the win, Polefka said, “It was a good effort by the whole team. We all worked well to get this win.” The team then went on to de-feat Edison, Lacey Township, and Old Bridge. The Falcons more than doubled all the op-posing teams’ scores, and the convincing wins proved Mon-roe Lacrosse is for real this year. Now with a record of 8-4, the Falcons are heading into the end of the season with the utmost pride.

JUST ANOTHER DAY: The boys’ lacrosse team is very serious about their practices. Barring outsides conditions, the team rarely skips a day of practice, as they are out there almost every day on the turf perfecting their skills.

by LEAUNDRA LANEStaff Writer

The boys’ and girls’ track and field team begins a new sea-son of school records, com-petition and positive energy. Due to impressive records from the boys’ track during last sea-son, the boys have moved up to compete in Division IV. Previously, in Division III, the boys’ track team competed against schools where they were able to win by many points and set records. Now in Division IV, they will have to work harder, improve their times and come together as a team in order to de-feat the new group of schools. Senior hurdler Charles Na-politano says, “It’s pretty excit-ing because we’re going to be racing against the best in the state like…Old Bridge. I’m look-ing forward to running against them and training harder with the team to improve ourselves.” The girls continue to com-pete in Division III with high

MTHS track teams step it upH a r d w o r k p a y s o f f

expectations and lots of in-spiration from the boys. More girls are now training to compete in field events in order to gain more points during meets. Se-nior distance runner Katie Dennis says, “From what I can see, girls are stepping up. We’re getting more into field events than in the past years. I notice a lot of sophomores on the team are working hard so the team is in good hands in the future.” Differences in the divisions re-quire that boys’ and girls’ meets be held at different locations. The separation upsets many mem-

bers, but the boys and girls teams continue to stay strong and work hard together during practices. Sophomore distance runner Josh Mason says, “After moving up a di-vision, the practices have definitely gotten more aggressive, and I really feel like I’ve been pushing it to the limit, day after day. I know I’ve seen a lot of improvement this year.” The track team looks forward to a successful season of ac-complishments and athleticism. Freshman distance runner An-chalee Pagsanjan says, “We are making things happen.”

GOING THE DISTANCE: Senior Katie Dennis makes her move in the GMC 4x800 relay on April 2, 2011.

Photo/Leaundra Lane

Photo/Sinead McGrath

GETTING READY: The MTHS competition team poses for a picture backstage before their Sunday performance at US Sprit Nationals in Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida on March 27, 2011.

by KATHRYN OLIVAStaff Writer

The Lady Falcons soared into a new season with high hopes of success. This year, the varsity team is led by senior captain Teuta Cosaj, Sam Capers, Ali Deitche, and Sarah Hale. Other seniors on the var-sity team this year include Sarah Saieva, Geralyn Troncone, Nicole Russo, Julie Kelly, and Grace Lee. Along with the seniors come younger players who are stepping it up on the varsity team this year. Younger players such as sopho-mores Amanda Salvadore and Danielle Tomminelli have moved up to varsity to replace some of the seniors that graduated last year. “I have a very positive outlook for our upcoming season. Having lost 12 very talented seniors last year, we have a lot of young tal-ent stepping it up this year. Our seniors are all very strong leaders who have been with our program for the past four years. They know what is expected from them and have done a great job of holding our younger girls to these expectations as well,” says varsity coach Pepe. This year, the team hopes to im-prove from the year before. Last year, the varsity team finished their season with a record of 17

The Lady Falcons are back againwins and 4 losses. This season, the team hopes to build on their new players and grow as a team. “As with each year, I simply hope that our team improves with the season. I want to see growth and development ev-ery day,” says coach Pepe. In their season opener, the team played at home against South Plainfield. Monroe beat South Plainfield with a final score of 16-2.

START TO THE NEW SEASON: Sophmore Amanda Salvador played varsity in their game against Allentown on April 2, 2011.

Photo/Roy DeBoer

Boys’ lacrosse kicks off

Photo/Roy DeBoer