The Cychronicle, Friday, June 6, 2014 (Vol. 7 Issue 3)

8/12/2019 The Cychronicle, Friday, June 6, 2014 (Vol. 7 Issue 3)

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Vol. 7 Issue 3 Friday, June 6, 2014

By Cristalle Kao-Johnson

Have you ever looked at something and

wondered how it worked? Engineers do;in fact their livelihood is primarily makingthings work. This is exactly what studentsin Mr. Cavenders technology educationclasses do. Students build anything fromscale model bridges to robots to hover-crafts. The chief engineer is none otherthan Mr. Cavender himself. While his stu-dents studiously worked away, I took thechance to ask him a few questions abouthis classes.

Q: In what direction do you hope the

class will go? (The future of the class).A: I want the class to focus a lot on engi-neering and problem solving. The classeswill be activity based, which will be veryenjoyable for the students while being ex-tremely educational. I would also like tosee both genders enter the class becausethe classes are not made just for males.

The classes will consist of everything fromhands on building with materials to pro-gramming robots.

Q: Why did you decide to teach technol-ogy?

A: I loved it in high school; I loved it inmiddle school. I loved teaching in college,

and I love technology so I just went with it.Q: What are your expectations for your

students?A: I want my students to strive for their

best ideas. A lot of engineering is design-

ing, building and redesigning. I want mystudents to take their time to build proj-ects they are proud of. The biggest thingis I want everyone to have fun while in myclass.

The Tech Savvy Teacher

Mr. Cavender instructs a class on building a hovercraft

C.KAO JOHNSON

A hovercraft made by Mr. Cavenders student.

By Vanessa Teamoh

As the scho ol year come s to a clos e,seniors are filled with excitement and abit of apprehension as realization hitsus and we realize that a new chapter ofour lives is about to begin. Finally leav-ing the place you have spent four yearsis bittersweet, and not knowing whatawaits us on the outside is nerve-wrack-ing. Whether you are going to college orjoini ng the workforce, it can be hard to

transition into something new. Here area few tidbits to keep in mind fo r life afterhigh school.

College Bound Students:It is alright to be unsure about what

you want to do (sch ool coun selo rs saythat seventy five percent of studentschange their majors after they enter col-lege). Brainstorm the activities or sub-jects that intere st you and pick the onethat stands out to you the most. If you

have trouble narrowing it down to one,consider pursuing a double major. Butremember that there will be more workon your shoulders. Make sure you canhandle everything you decide to do. Col-lege is not just about pursuing a degreeto one day get a high paying job it isalso a place where you learn more a boutyou rsel f and the worl d. You coul d dis-cover you have a knack for somethingyou never eve n imagi ned you w ere goo d

at.Alth ough many of you already know

where youre goi ng, if choosing a collegehas not been an easy task for you, con-sider the following: What learning envi-ronment is best for you? Do you want tostay close to home or live far away? Areyou inte rest ed in bei ng around peop lewho are more l ike you or woul d you en-joy bei ng amongs t a div erse gro up ofpeople? Whatever college you decide

to go to, make sure you are choosing itfor the right reasons. The institute youchoose should be right for you. Do notattend a college just because your par-ents did or your best friend is goingthere. Also, make sure to stick it out.Do not leave school because it is harderthan you imagined it would be. The firstsemester can be difficult and intimidat-ing for many people. Give yourself timeto adjust to your new surroundings be-

fore deciding that college is not for you.Manage your time well and stay

healthy! Do not become so involved incampus activities that you have no timefor school work. Also, even though it canbe difficult, try to get plenty of sleep andeat as well as you can. Be sure to try andfit in some time to exercise as well. Itseasier to stay focused and do great onexams if your body feels as healthy asyour mi nd.

Work Bound Stud ents:There are plenty of jobs for people

wit hou t deg ree s. The mil ita ry for ex-ample is a great option. There are alsotraining programs for jobs in the retailand hospitality industry, computing,book-keeping and payroll, and sales.

When loo kin g for work, fin d some -thing youll enjoy. Going to work will beeasier if you are doing something thatmakes you happy.

Making money might be easy, butkeeping money can be hard. Get in thehabit of creating a budget a nd stick to it.Figure out your expenses for the monthso you know where your money has togo.

Have a good work ethic and be willingto do what is asked of you. Bosses take aliking to someone who is a hard worker,shows up on time, and gets work doneefficiently.

Life after High School: Make Wise Choices


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Page 2 Friday, June 6, 2014Cychronicle

By Cristalle Kao-Johnson and Marina RancourtCommunication has changed through-

out the ages. Newspapers used to be thenorm and were the best way to communi-

cate the news and the events of daily life.Now, everything is conveyed through textsand IMs. With all of the new technology onthe market, along with social sites and me-dia, individuals may think, are teenagershaving a hard time communicating face toface; or even writing meaningful messagesonline? As we are both avid bloggers onthe free blog website wordpress.com, weare well exposed to different types of blogs.Those who follow us and like our poststend to be of a more mature audience, andtheir blogs range from articles to poetry,personal anecdotes, pictures, food blogsand the distribution of products for sale;like e-bay, but more blog-user friendly.

Bloggers like us, who dont have a set typeof blog or agenda, have blogs that tend tolean towards the casual side of self-expres-sion. We use humorous terms that appeal

to our audience while making our pointclear to see. Blog sites such as wordpress.com, allow bloggers to have a more diverseaudience with features that allow the blog-ger to post simultaneously to Facebook orTwitter.

Blogging is a way to express how wetruly feel, without talking face to face. Thestyle in which the blogger expresses his orherself shows the depth of their feelings,their emotions and their personality. All ofthese traits are shown through the wordsthat the bloggers use. For example, here isan entry by Cristalles blog, The Corner, onwordpress.com. Words have the powerto influence. Words have to power to give

life; and to take life away. Songs stay in theheads of those who listen much more thanwords spoken softly. Notes played portraysadness, grief, pain, loneliness, love, all

without a s ingle word said. The music ineveryone reflects upon the struggles andpain that they themselves have experi-enced. The song in a heart rivals that of themost beautiful song ever sung in the his-tory of music. The notes of the past makethe future. Sing the song in your heart, andsing it proudly, for that is who you are. Raw,untamed at your core.

Self-expression can also take the form ofpoetry. Marinas blog, A Dash of Athazago-raphobia (which is the fear of being forgot-ten), is a good example. One of her entriesis called Musings of a Phoenix whichreads as follows Long have I bathed myselfin darkness- drenched my body and mind

in shadow-All in the hopes of coaxing outthe fire inside my heart and soul. The am-ber and crimson feathers that burn togeth-er in tall flames. Heat of a passion, I knew

not I had, pulsating through my veins.Perhaps the darkness is merely the ashesof this lovely fire, the remnants of my sinsfuneral pyre. And my body is only coveredin the black and gray soot. To remind methat inside, I am pure and lovely anddareI say itgolden.

It is also extremely important to remem-ber the golden rule about blogging, andsocial media in general: never post yourpersonal information on your page or blog!Your age, birth date, addresses and phonenumbers are not suitable things to letstrangers know. You can follow Cristalle atYoungJournalist1331 and Marina at A Dashof Athazagoraphobia on wordpress.com.

Writing Our Lives, Sharing Through Blogs

By Darien FoleyOnce a year, students are selected from

different school ceramic classes to com-pete in the annual Feats of Clay competi-tion. This year, nine students in Mr. Soviesceramics classes were selected to representWatertown High School in the competi-tion.

Seniors Kathryn Harrienger, MirandaGilbert, Ethan Gary, Remi Britt, Ron Finn,Darien Foley, and Braxton Woosley partici-pated in the competition. They were alsoaccompanied by fellow team members,Torrin Mosley and Ashley Sanchez, fromthe junior class. Each student was placedinto smaller teams and was spread outamong six different events based on theone they would like to participate in.

The first event that took place was thecylinder stack. Miranda Gilbert, DarienFoley, Remi Britt and Kathryn Harriengerwere the membe rs of the team. In thisevent each team member took turns mak-

ing cylinders of varying sizes on the wheeland then stacked them on top of one

another in order from largest to small-est. The goal of this event was to makethe stack as high as possible in the timelimit of ten minutes. Watertown was ableto reach 32 inches and placed 5th in thisevent.

The second event was mug making;Darien Foley, Braxton Woosley, RemiBritt and Miranda Gilbert participatedin this event. The goal of this event wasto make as many mugs on the wheel aspossible, which included handles, in tenminutes. This team of four managed tomake sixteen complete mugs that met thestandards of the judges. Watertown alsoplaced 5th in this event and was tied with4 other schools.

The rest of the events followed withKathryn, Miranda, Ethan and Torrin onthe No Hands event and they placed 7th.Next was the mug toss. In this, students

on the team threw the mugs made earlierin the competition into a bucket in order

to gain extra points. Ashley Sanchez, Tor-rin Mosley, Ron Finn, and Braxton Woosleyplaced 3rd in this event. The blindfoldedevent was next where Kathryn Harriengerhad to make the tallest cylinder she couldwhile blind folded on the wheel. Kathrynscylinder was 13 inches tall and she placed6th. Then last was the coil pot challenge.In this event every team member partici-pated in trying to make the tallest coil potpossible. Watertowns coil pot placed 5thin the event; higher than the one made bylast years team members.

In an interview with Ceramic teacherand Watertowns coach for the competi-tion, Mr. Sovie, I asked the following ques-tions:

Darien: Where was the competitionheld?

Sovie: Onondaga Community CollegeD: How many schools participated in

Feats of Clay this year?S: Twenty-four total

D: What are the names of some of thoseschools?

S: East Syracuse (ESM), FayettevilleManlius and Liverpool.

D: How many years has Watertown par-ticipated in the competition?

S: More than fifteen years.D: Have you seen improvement in stu-

dents artistic abilities over the years thatyouve competed?

S: Yes.D: What are your hopes for the students

returning to the competition next year?S: Take the experience from this years

competition to help them be competitive.Overall Watertown High Placed 5th out

of twenty-four schools. Hopefully teammembers Torrin Mosley and Ashley San-chez will be returning to the competitionnext year. Congratulations to Mr. Sovie andhis team, Keep Calm and Clay On.

Feats of Clay 2014: WHS Artists Compete


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by Marina RancourtHelping others is the key to enriching

our community, and- in the long run- ourworld. Watertown High School studentsarent strangers to this notion and this ar-ticles goal is to display the wonders of vol-unteering and community service in ourschool.

For example, our high school boasts awonderful Interact Club with Social Stud-ies teacher, Mrs. Webb-Bennett as theadvisor. The club is split into two sectors,a Leadership Program and a fundraisingprogram. The program takes five infor-mative trips. The first, the CooperativeExtension trip, discusses the economicbenefits of businesses. The other four tripsare spread throughout Jefferson County(Murcrest Farms, the local YMCA, Samari-tan Medical Center, and Fort Drum) to wit-ness both profitable and not-for profit localbusinesses, as well as discuss the benefitsof these institutions to the community.

As Mrs. Webb-Bennett informed me inan interview, fundraising in the club con-sists of raising money for several reasons.The money accumulated is separated intovarious charitable funds, such as Meals onWheels of Northern New York. Fundingfor a water kit produced by Chapin Water-matics (a method to create clean water inimpoverished countries) is also produced.The final Interact campaign, called Miles 4Malala, invites all WHS students to partici-pate; students make donations to the Ma-lala Fund and then walk four miles togetheraround the WHS track.

Mrs. Webb-Bennett spoke highly ofthe young who inspired this fund. Ma-

lala is female activist that was attacked forher support of education and womensrights in areas controlled by the Tali-ban and similar forces. Malalas mov-ing story about fighting to promote thewelfare of other s, even at ones owndetriment, motivated many people toshow their support through donations.The Interact club has also hosted a coindrive, as well as two badminton tourna-ments. The clubs aid has even extended toother areas of volunteering. The students

have worked with the Red Cross to orga-nize two blood drives at WHS, where otherstudents donate blood for various causes.I attended the last blood drive myself andwas happy to donate some of my blood.Non-school related community service isalso common here in Watertown. My ownexperience, with a small number of my fel-low students, involved my churchs YouthGroup. We traveled to NYC where we pro-vided food, clothing, toys, and companion-ship to those who were less fortunate. We

also learned about the homelessness andhunger in NYC and the surrounding areas.Science teacher Jennifer Akins also has

experience with volunteering outside of

school. She was kind enough to answer afew of my questions.

Q: Describe your (and your daughters)experiences volunteering/participating incommunity service.

A: Three years ago in October I foundout that my nine year old niece had beendiagnosed with Leukemia. She lived twen-ty minutes from the best hospital in theworld: Philadelphia Childrens Hospital.My daughter Gabby only knew her cousinas someone who was healthy and active.I told her that Emily was sick and that shehad cancer, but we were always optimistic.I knew she would lose her hair and that shewould feel tired and weak. I also knew thatsurvivor percent for childhood Leukemiawas above 85%. I never thought she wouldlose her battle. I also had no idea that theside effects of the treatment would be soawful. She had sores in her mouth and noappetite, malnourishment was a concern.The pain and exhaustion were bad enoughbut the isolation during her bone marrowtransplant was the toughest. Imagine being

confined to one room or one hallway forweeks This is why I wanted to raise mon-ey; I want a cure. On top of all of that aw-ful struggle and pain, a year and a half laterEmily passed away. She just turned 11 oneweek before her death. That is the hardestthing I have ever had to live through.

Even before Emilys death the family par-ticipated in St. Baldrics. After she passedall the boys in my family shaved their headsand raised money. The proceeds from thisevent raise money for Childhood Cancer

research. A few of my female family mem-bers shaved their heads in her honor aswell. My daughter Gabby was in tears be-cause I wouldnt let her shave her head atthe age of 7. I didnt know if she really un-derstood the consequences and she hadntraised any money. I told her that if she stillwanted to next year she should raise mon-ey and she could do it. She raised just over$800 and shaved her head on March 30th.

I learned about the St. Jude marathonlong before Emily was sick and it was some-

thing I wanted to do but made excuses for;my kids are young, I dont have the moneyto travel, I cant find time to train, etc. AfterEmily passed I made it a priority and signed

up for the race.Q: In your honest opinion, are volun-

teering and community service valuableassets for high school students; if so, do youbelieve that high school students should beproactive about helping their community?

A: Volunteering has many benefits. Itobviously benefits those you are helpingand it looks great on scholarship, college,or work applications, but the best partabout volunteering is how it makes youfeel. It is the best feeling in the world to seta goal and accomplish it and to help some-

one in need. It was really awesome to seehow it impacted my 8 year old when sheaccomplished her goal and knew that shemade a difference. She was beaming andkept saying how awesome she felt.

Q: From the work that you have done sofar or know of others doing, what sort ofvolunteering would you recommend forhigh school students? Fundraising pro-grams? Serving food to those who are lessfortunate? Organizing drives for food/clothing/other necessities?

A: When I am passionate about some-thing I put my whole heart and soul into it, Ienjoy volunteering my time and when I amdone I am completely happy about every-thing Ive accomplished. Pick somethingyou love and it wont be work at all. If youare into sports, volunteer to be a coach. Ifyou like music, volunteer to teach music orhelp with a play/musical. If you like chil-dren, volunteer at a school or in a church.Also, gear your volunteering towards acareer; if you want to work with animals,volunteer at the SPCA or at ThompsonPark Zoo. If you want to work in the medi-cal field, volunteer at a hospital or nursinghome. It can be complicated or very sim-ple, there is always a need in any area, pickone or two that you believe in and go for it.

I wholeheartedly agree with Mrs. Akinssentiments; volunteering not only helpsthose you are working for, but yourself, too.The genuine happiness and gratitude in thefaces of people you help, as well as the cama-raderie found in working with fellow volun-teers, are what makes volunteering so great.

Volunteering: Profits Dont Have To Be FinancialFriday, June 6, 2014 Page 3Cychronicle


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By: Brittany KalerMay 17th was the most magical night;

we were singing and dancing and falling inlove. I thought to myself, This is the night;this is the youngest well ever be again.

And in that perfect moment, I realized Iloved this school and for that one night, thelast four years of our lives had no effect onwhat happened. It was the last night thatwe were all together and for one moment,nothing mattered.

Prom seems like a reward for every se-nior who has endured ten treacherousmonths of school. Fortunately for me, I hadthe opportunity last year to attend prom,so this year, as a senior, I had high hopes forexperiencing a perfect night.

Lets be honest, Ive spent the better part

of 2014 (and some of 2013) searching for theperfect dress and what happened when Ifound the perfect one? I lit up the entire room.Prom is a big deal and when I laid eyes on mydress it was the only one I wanted. Ironically,it wouldnt be prom without something goingwrong. Last year my dress came in the wrongcolor and I ended up having to order a newdress. This year my dress came and unfortu-nately I did not feel my best in it so the searchfor a new dress began. A local store helped meto find a beautiful dress and everything finallybegan to fall into place; I no longer had tears offrustration but instead tears of joy. Prom wasonly twenty eight days away.

Promposals seemed to be the thing of theyear and I was determined to either be the

Promposalee or the Promposaler. Much to

my surprise, I ended up being the Prompo-salee. While working on the yearbook oneday I was directed by my teacher, Mrs.Sprague, to look at page 216 so she could getmy advice. As I opened the page in big let-ters it read, Britt, will you go to Prom withme? Dom And the rest is history...

This years prom theme was Alice inWonderland and if trying to figure out din-

ner reservations, limo rentals and what Idbe doing after wasnt enough, I also was onthe Prom committee. Everything was fall-ing into place for Prom on a personal notebut our committee was still working hardon making our night the best it could pos-sibly be. The crowns were being ordered,dresses were being altered and everythingwas coming together. But for some reasonthe excitement of Prom hadnt hit me yet.

The day had finally come and the excite-ment of prom finally hit me. After getting my

hair and makeup done, the rest of my daywas perfectly planned. My evening startedby taking pictures at BrookSide Cemeteryand then later, we headed to Sackets to take

pictures. After our pictures had been takenwe ate at Good Fellas where I had the greatexperience of trying calamari. Much to mypicky surprise, I loved it! I was having a fan-tastic time with a group of great friends.

The night was finally starting as we ar-rived at the Bruce M. Wright MemorialConference Center. As we approached theroom, Alice in Wonderland came to life

as we fell down the rabbit hole surround-ed by an array of bright colors. Our promking and queen were announced later inthe night: Alex Wolsifer was queen and Jor-dan Salyers was king. As the night contin-ued our class was surprised with a specialguest, Joliese Haynes who has been fight-ing a hard battle for over a year: she was thetrue queen of the night.

Its true that one night can bring us alltogether. Friendships were renewed, rela-tionships grew stronger, and everyone had

a magical night. Even more exciting wasthe idea that when the night was over, wewere simply beginning the rest of our se-nior year and of our lives.

A Prom ScrapbookA Surprise Promposal

CONNIE KALER

First Stop A Completed Hair Appointment.

ASHLEY KALER

Safely Pinning a boutonniere.

Brittany Kaler and her prom date, Dominic Uliano

By Andrew DavisSeriously! If you arent part of a club,

consider joining one next year. Thereare tons of extra-curricular activities tochoose from. Whether youre an avidreader, have a passion for fashion, or even

fervor for writing the Cychronicle your-self, there are plenty of options out therefor you. Maybe youre looking to make adifference through Interact Club, Gay-

Straight Alliance, Friends for Change oreven through Diversity Club. Or perhapsyoure interested in academics; the WhizQuiz Team is always looking for moremembers. You might even enjoy graphicdesign, or editing photos; join the Year-

book staff! There are so many optionsavailable to you, so try a few out at thebeginning of next year. Want to debateabout it? Join debate club!

Join a club, Enjoy High School


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By Abby WellsI have lived in Watertown my whole life.

I recently made a trip to New York Cityand it was an amazing experience to saythe least. Culture and diversity are twowords that come to mind when I think ofNew York City. When walking down thestreet you see so many different people,its far different than Watertown.

Hearing all the different languages andseeing all the hustle and bustle of the cityis a thrill. While touring Chinatown andLittle Italy it is almost like you have madethe trip to China and Italy themselves.It makes you think about the first immi-grants who made their voyage to the Unit-ed States. What did they think? What didthey experience? I also marvel at the ideathat so many cultures live in harmony insuch a small part of the world. It seemslike a small step toward world peace.Little Italy and Chinatown are containedwith in each othe r and when you walk

down the strip of Chinatown and turn offonto Little Italy, its wonderful to see theworld change around you.

You dont need to travel to Little I taly

and Chinatown to experience culture anddiversity. The 9/11 Memorial attracts ma-ny different people. Its amazing to thinkthat one even would affect so many peo-ple not just in the United States, but fromall over the world, as well.

The most moving thing by far was theintense emotion that surrounded the 9/11Memorial. So many people came to seeit when I visited. Many people, not justAmericans, were crying and were affectedby just seeing the victims names etchedinto the memorial.

It is refreshing to go somewhere whereculture is in an abundance and diversityis everywhere you turn. After visiting thecity I cant wait to go back and be amazedall over again. New York City if defiantlyone place to put on your bucket list.

City of Adventure

By: Brittany KalerStudents are sometimes told that

if our dreams dont scare us then theyarent big enough. When you are an un-derclassman, the only things you dreamare simple things: getting asked to promor even passing that AP Bio test youstudied all night for. Regardless of yourdreams, the only way to chase them isthrough bravery.

My dream has always been to pack up

everything and move to New York City.This means living in a city that I haveonly visited two times and in which Iknow only three people. My dream isbig enough, but I must admit I am ter-rified.

Bravery: the quality that allows some-one to do things that are dangerous orfrightening. Bravery isnt saved just forknights in shining armor or perform-

ing in the talent show but instead, rais-ing your hand in math class because foronce, you might know the answer. Itstrying out for cheerleading despite nev-er having done a kart wheel and its eat-ing lunch alone because youre worthmore than the toxic friendships thatsurround you in high school. Fall in loveand get your heart broken, learn frenchand fail miserably. Laugh, cry, scream,dance, give and dream. And start all over

again, even if you fail the first time ormaybe the second. These acts of braverydo not have to move mountains; they donot have to require much effort. We canstart small, step by step, and momentby moment. I believe in ordinary acts ofbravery every day.

When I wa s ju st enter ing high scho ol,my IT was surviving freshman year andit seems like with a blink of an eye, I

wen t fro m an introv ert ed ninth graderto a senior approaching her last few daysin high school who is no longer afraidto speak up. And if you were to tell myteenage midnight self this, I would havedone it a whole lot sooner.

Editors Corner

Brittany Kaler in New York City

Brittany and her mom with Brittanys

acceptance letter

Watertown High School Students in New York City

by Marina RancourtIn this modern era of texting, many

young adults have lost the ability to ex-press themselves in other forms of writ-ing; letters, emails, notes. To me, thisforebodes a dark future for our genera-tion. Writing has been such an integralpart of society for years and a life without

it would be bleak.In fact, life without writing would

devastate me. One of my most prizedpossessions is a letter given to me by my

late grandfather. His words, slanted inspidery cursive, have helped me stitchthe wound in my heart that arose withhis passing. I wish more people- espe-cially those in my generation- couldhave even a hint of something like this.Words have h elped me so mu ch ove r theyears and I hop e that others can share

my deep affection for the power of thewrit ten wo rd.As ridiculous as it may sound to you,

the words we use everyday can have a

profound effect on anything and every-thing. Whether words are spoken or writ-ten- sparingly, superfluously, or not atall- their effect is always noticeable, be it inthe laughter of others, the turned back of aformer friend, or in a smile.

For hundreds of years, mankind hasbrandished a mighty weapon; that weap-

on, of course, is the all-powerful word. Ca-pable of both defense and offense, wordsare one part therapeutic and one part caus-tic. The words; Im sorry, can heal a heart,

just as assuredly as the phrase; Fire atwill, can stop it from beating. It is throughthe power of words that Rome was builtand great wars were ended.

Words are the tools we use to shapeand share earths most plentiful resource-thought. I encourage you all to be a part ofthe wondrous world of words. Write your

thoughts and feelings. Speak your beliefsand dreams. Remember to be careful withthe words you choose though because theycan alter your life irrevocably.

Potent Prose: Think Before You Speak

Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 5Cychronicle


6/8


By Jacob KhanHere we go again. The excitement is

building as the 2016 presidential elec-tions draw closer. The next two years

may host the most excitement of all.This is the time when the guessing, an-ticipation and ultimately disappoint-ment begin to set in. That leaves us withone question; whos running in 2016?Lets rate their chances of running on ascale of 1 to 10, one being no chance atall and ten being without doubt theyregoing to run.

Democratic Party (possible) candi-dates are:

Hillary Clinton. There has been a lot

of speculation on whether or not HillaryClinton is going to announce her candi-dacy for president in 2016. Some say if

Hillary Clinton runs for office she wouldbasically be given the presidency due toher experience in the White House as afirst lady and as Secretary of State dur-

ing the first term of the Obama admin-istration. I would give Hillary Clinton a9 out of 10 chance that she will run foroffice in 2016.

Joe Biden. Currently, he is the vicePresident for president Obama but doeshe have his sights set on the oval office?Maybe he does. Maybe he doesnt. All Iknow is Joe Biden as president would beabsolutely fantastic if you like to laughand arent embarrassed by the seem-ing lack of restraint Biden exhibits when

he opens his mouth. I would rate JoeBidens chances of running 7 out of 10.

And rew Cuo mo. Cur ren tly he is the

governor of New York State but maybeAlbany is too s mall f or Cuo mo. He migh tbe seeking more of a challenge and withthat in mind; he may decide to target the

Whit e Hous e. May be his gun control wil lhave more success there, only time willtell. Governor Cuomos chances of run-ning are most likely 6 out of 10.

Republican Party (possible) candi-dates are:

Jane Brewer. Currently the governor ofArizon a. Brewer has sti rred up some talkof a possible White House run in recentmonths. We all know if Jane Brewer takesthe White House, we will FINALLY havea safe border with Mexico. The problem

is there may be a slight increase in dis-crimination. I would give Brewer 5 out of10 for participating in the 2016 election.

Jeb Bush. Oh yes, another Bush! I real-ly dont see any benefit to having anoth-er Bush in the White House. The chanc-es of him running are 7 out of 10 thanks

to the former President Bushes who arepressuring him to run. Lets hope he lis-tens to his mother and declines.

Rand Paul. He has generated somespeculation about running for the presi-dency ever since his father Ron Pauldeclared that he wasnt going to par-ticipate in another presidential elec-tion or any election for office after heran against Mitt Romney and BarackObama in 2012. Rand Paul may make agood President but first he might want

to tackle the immaturity on full displaywit hin his own par ty. Cha nces of run -ning for president are 8 out of 10.

2016 Fever Strikes the United States

Andrew DavisIm a coder. Or at least, I can identify as

one. Im no professional, by any means,

but Ive started my journey learning thewonderful world of web design. Web code,like any language in the real world, is a lan-guage. In the field of computer science,code is typically an algorithm which rep-resents specific elements or lines of text todetermine specific aspects of a web page.This establishes an elements dimensions,color, placement, etc that type of thing.

In order to accomplish this, a computerneeds to have several components work-ing together to actually create something

palpable. Components like HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) and CSS (Cascad-ing Style Sheets) are two languages thatwork seamlessly together to establish webdesign. HTML is written in the form of el-ements, which is established through theuse of brackets, like for example.This allows a computer to know what isbeing established in the language. Next

comes the CSS. Imagine HTML as the skel-

eton of a web page, and CSS are the physi-cal features that define it. CSS is writtenwith braces, to establish certain propertiesof an element, like height for example. Sowith t hat image tag, you would have img{ height:50%;}. Now that image elementis told to take up half the page, no matterwhat size the page is.

Pretty neat, right? Its like any actual real

world language, its enjoyable to learn and

typically a hobby for some people. But it canbe more than that. If you go into the com-puter science field (and even if you dont),or even if you end up managing a businesslets say, its incredibly beneficial to be ableto talk, to understand and to have discussionwith the programmers that are developingyour web page for you. And lets say perhaps,you would like to be able to develop and

launch your own products without the needto be dependent on other groups of people.If youre the founder of your own startup its

very useful to be able to test and modify yourown products without having to pay otherpeople first. Theres no point is spendingmoney on something you can do for free.

Coding has been an invaluable experi-ence for me, and even though I may notgo into computer science, its a field I loveand enjoy in my free time. So why not learnhow to code? There are tons of languages tolearn, even if youre not interested in webdesign. Maybe youre interested in makingvideo games with a language like JavaScript

or C++. If youd like to learn how to code, Irecommend you do your own research, buta valuable source I found was at codecad-emy.com, where they provide free tutorialsand literally hours of lessons to help you.No matter your path, I highly recommendyou learn some type of code, because in aworld thats constantly changing why notbe at the top of your game?

Learn a new language: Coding Directs Your Computer


7/8

by Ye-rin Kang and Andrew Davis

Chelsea Bedard plans to attend Jef-ferson Community College for two yearsto fulfill her basic credits. She is not sure

about her intended major but is consid-ering journalism as she enjoys writingand voicing her opinion.

Darien Foley will be taking a gap yearin order to accumulate funds for her col-lege education. She plans to enroll at Jef-ferson Community College for two yearsand transfer to SUNY (State University ofNew York) Oswego in Oswego, New Yorkfor photojournalism.

Sadie Haddad is to attend Fisher Col-lege in Boston, Massachusetts where shewil l be studying fash ion managem entand marketing. Although she loves jour-

nalism, her college does not offer anyprograms for that major.

Livia Harrienger has committed toplaying both lacrosse and soccer for Bre-

vard College in Brevard, North Carolina.She will be studying international busi-ness, and has enjoyed journalism as dis-cussions in class can sometimes pertainto her intended major.

Brittaey Kaler is waiting to hear backfrom her dream school, Laboratory Insti-tute of Merchandising, in New York City,New York. She plans to major in adver-tising, marketing, and communicationswith an affi liatio n to journalism.

Ye-rin K ang will be a Liberal Arts ma-jor with a conc entrat ion in Soci al andBehavioral Sciences at Soka University

of America in Aliso Viejo, California. Sheplans to enter medical school after ob-taining her bachelors degree and spe-cialize in obstetrics and gynecology.

Rachel Smith has submitted her de-posit at SUNY Oswego for broadcastingand mass communications in Oswego,New York. She will also be minoring inbusiness administration so that she mayone day be a small business owner. Rachelthanks Watertowns journalism programfor helping her realize her dream major.

Vanessa Teamo h will be pursuing mu-sical theater at either Syracuse Univer-sity or SUNY Oswego after fulfilling her

basic requirements at Jefferson Commu-nity College. Although she has consid-ered journalism as a possible career, herultimate goal is to become an actress.

Abigai l Wells wants to study publ icrelations after attending Jefferson Com-munity College, but has yet decide ona university. She plans to put her bach-

elors degree to use in the pop music in-dustry. Abigail is grateful to Watertownsjournalism program, as it has assisted increating her future path.

Caleb Whiting would like to work inthe rap music industry with knowledge inbusiness marketing. He is unsure abouthis final college but will be studying atJefferson Community College this Au-gust. Though journalism has not pushedhim towards his goal, he has enjoyed th e

class at Watertown High.

Congratulations and good luck to all ofour seniors!

Senior Journalists And Their Future PlansChelsea Bedard Darien Foley Sadie Haddad Livia Harrienger Brittany Kaler Ye-rin Kang Rachel Smith Vanessa Teamoh Abigail Wells Caleb Whiting

By Sadie HaddadLooking back: The day everyone became

Boston StrongThe annual Boston Marathon startedin 1897 in eastern Massachusetts, mak-ing it the oldest marathon in the world.Inspired by the 1896 Summer Olympics,the people of the cities of the GreaterBoston Area wanted to create an excit-ing challenge for all people in the worldto come and participate in. Starting with18 participants, The Boston Marathon

has grown rapidly and now includesmore than 30,000 runners every year. It

is one of the most thrilling events of theyear whether youre following it on televi-sion, speculating on the side of the streetsthroughout Massachusetts, or runningin it, of course. This 26.2 mile journeyhas made history, ranking as one of theworlds best known and loved road races.

Unfortunately, in 2013 the race endedtragically. When two explosive devices

were detonated at the finish line by broth-ers Tamerlan and Dzhokar Tsarnev, the

whole nation watched as the race came toa horrific end. More than 260 people wereleft wounded and three people lost theirlives at what was meant to be one of themost remarkable events of the year.

In spite of leaving the world in shock,it only showed that Boston itself was un-defeatable coming back a year later tocontinue the tradition of the 26.2 journey.This year was a victory for everyone who

ran in the marathon. On the womensside, Kenya native Rita Jeptoo kept the ti-

tle she won a year ago as she swept acrossthe finish line. Also, United States citi-zen, Meb Kelflezighi was the first Ameri-can man to win the marathon since 1983.Meb wore the names of the people wholost their lives on his race bib in honor ofthem. Not only did he show his pride inwinning for America, he also showed hislove and remembrance for the victims ofthe bombing.

Boston Strong: The Tradition Endures

Friday, June 6, 2014 Page 7Cychronicle


8/8


By Emily Leopard-DavisWatertown High School welcomed a fa-

miliar face to a new position this year. Mrs.Leslie Atkinson returned to WHS as princi-

pal after three years as vice principal. Beforethis, she herself was a student at WatertownHigh, graduating in the class of 1978. Afterhigh school she earned a bachelors degreefrom St. Lawrence University and a mastersdegree from Newhouse School at SyracuseUniversity. Mrs. Atkinson taught English atWHS for ten years and eventually returnedto her alma mater, St. Lawrence, where sheearned an advanced degree in educationadministration. I was able to sit down withher to discuss her first year as principal.

ELD: What do you think youve accom-plished this school year?

Mrs. A: The biggest thing Ive accom-plished is just settling into my role as prin-cipal of Watertown High School. I was theassistant principal for three years but its atotally different set of responsibilities thatcome with this new title.

ELD: What would you like to accomplishnext school year?

Mrs. A: Well, student achievement is

always priority one. Id love to have everystudent pass every class and graduate ontime. Obviously, thats the goal in the eyesof any high school principalstriving for

better and better achievement.ELD: Do you think the behavior of the

student body has improved compared toprevious years?

Mrs. A: I think were making strides.Members of our school community tell methe climate feels better. I can also tell youthat during the first half of this academicyear, we had 40% fewer discipline referralsthan we had during the same time periodthe year before. Hopefully, were headed inthe right direction.

ELD: What was the most challengingabout your first year?

Mrs. A: The past several years have beenchallenging for everyone in education. Wevehad a seemingly endless supply of new initia-tivesinitiatives like the Common Core, thenew teacher evaluation system, the Dignityfor All Students Act and a variety of bullyingprevention programs, so staying ahead of thetide has been difficult. At the same time, dis-tricts across the state are struggling to main-

tain viable student programs, both academicand extracurricular, with fewer resources.Obviously thats not easy to do.

ELD: What is your overall goal as a prin-cipal? Has it changed from the beginningof the year?

Mrs. A: I dont think my goal has

changed at all. My goal was to boost stu-dent achievement while maintaining thesafety and well-being of all our studentsand staff. Its that simple. If we can accom-plish that, weve succeeded in making Wa-tertown High School a great place to learnand grow.

An Interview with Mrs. Atkinson

Mrs. Atkinson speaks with Emily Leopard-Davis

By: Erin Pacifici

As yet another successful school yearcomes to a close, the Watertown CitySchool District reflects on its positivechanges and accomplishments and is ac-tively working to make the next school yeareven better. I recently had the pleasure ofmeeting with Superintendent of Schools,

Mr. Terry Fralick to discuss all that ourdistrict has accomplished and to discoverwhat is in store for the 2014-2015 schoolyear.

At the start of this school year, anti-bullying programs were implementedwithin the school district. These programswere used to expose students to the dan-gerous effects of bullying and how thesestudents can take a stand to make a dif-ference, within not only their educationalcommunity, but outside of school as well.

Mr. Fralick revealed that the amount ofbehavioral issues in all schools within thedistrict have decreased as a result of theseprograms. It has also been noted that themorale of both students and staff has re-mained high despite the dreary winter andnumerous snow days. Overall, the districthas seemingly been in high spirits as a re-sult of positive behavioral implementa-tions and welcomed time off.

As for the future of our district, thingsare looking up. The budget for the com-

ing school year is slightly greater than thatof the present school year, so schools willnot see any decline in staff or opportunity.Mr. Fralick explained that in order to be

economical, if a staff member retires andthe district feels as though it can functionwitho ut this posit ion, the positi on willnot be filled. The district is also lookingto be more cost efficient with its utilitiesthrough the use of eco-friendly productsand reductions in unnecessary work bythe maintenance staff. With a declined

enrollment rate, class sizes are likely tostay at a reasonable size, especially atthe elementary levels. Elective classes atthe high school will not be limited for thenext school year either. This will help tocontinually enrich the knowledge of thestudent body as they are exposed to realworld information. With a slightly largerbudget for the upcoming year, the districtwill be able to make necessary improve-ments to roofs at Case Middle Schooland Sherman Elementary School and the

boiler system at Watertown High School.Security fixes will also take place withinthe schools to make for an even safer andmore and comfortable learning environ-ment.

Although conditions will be seeminglybetter for the next school year, these con-ditions will not be permanent. It is antici-pated that the budget will be smaller for the2015-2016 school year due to decreasedfunding, and that is where the district ismost likely to see change. These changes

may include staff cuts and elective pro-gram cuts. Despite what is to come in lateryears, the upcoming school year is some-thing to look forward to.

A Look Ahead into 2014-2015By Livia Harrienger

As an early graduate of Watertown HighSchool, I am frequently asked the questionof why acceleration? Throughout myinteresting high school career, situationsarose that would make me want to leaveor, desperately make me want to stay and

continue. It hasnt been an easy decision.The thought of leaving high school andentering the real world truly frightenedme. As I matured, I began to understandthat maybe I wasnt cut out for high schoolanymore. I wanted a challenge, I wanted toexpand my horizons and broaden my edu-cation and views on life.

Individuals have to remember that thischoice is not for everyone. The pros andcons of leaving school need to be evaluat-ed. The rushing memories of the cons run

through my mind; just as water tumblesdown a waterfall. What will happen whenI leave? Am I ready for the independencethat I have been striving for my entire life?I am aware of the challenge but will I beready for that challenge? Can I handle be-ing separated from my family? Do I havethe necessary time management skills? Myjourney was not easy and Im not going totell you that if you decide to graduate early,it is going to be simple.

One difficult thing that I had to go

through was missing out on a year of sports.Some may say its only sports, Liv!, butwhat these individuals did not realize isthat sports, for me, kept me in school and

were going to pay for my education in thefuture. The competition was on and it wastime to focus even more on what I had to doto succeed.

With my hard work and dedication, Ihave received just about a full scholar-ship to play both soccer and lacrosse at

the NCAA division II collegiate level atBrevard College in North Carolina. In mycase, sports werent all that had to be com-pleted. To achieve my goal, academically,summer school and stacking my classesthroughout tenth grade was the only op-tion. This schooling was one of the bestthings I could have done. To graduate ear-ly, one must have that focus and determi-nation.

What I looked forward to, were thePros of advancing. Leaving the every-

day high school drama was just one of themany. Bullying and harassment in school,despite any classes or seminars, are ram-pant, no matter the individual, and for me,I was no different. As I enter college, I willhopefully not have to worry about this dueto the diverse community and friendly en-vironment. Although the challenge couldbe a con, it is also a positive that makes aperson prepared for the future.

Graduating early is not something thatcan be taken lightly by any means. I finally

came to the conclusion that the waterfall ofpros and cons that I was so apprehensiveabout was the waterfall that was going tomake me succeed.

Graduating Early

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The Cychronicle, Friday, June 6, 2014 (Vol. 7 Issue 3)

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