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BRIEFS 7 NEWS November 2010 www.thewestwordonline.com Brittani Austin Staff Writer A Veterans Day assembly was held on November 12 and was hosted by History Depart- ment Head Dr. Forbes. Roughly 30 United States veterans at- tended and were honored at the assembly. Presentations, speech- es, poems, essays, videos, and Powerpoint presentations by the winners of the “Why We Should Honor Veterans” contest were displayed. Freshmen Nicole Behunick and Jahanara Uddin, sophomore Marco Socci, juniors Andrew Oakes, Kiara Hichez, Spencer Ev- ans, and Drew Lang, and senior Michelle Greenman were all win- ners of the contest. After the stu- dents presented their tributes, they each received an award for their entries. One honored veteran was Margo Dinicaro. He received an award and a half dollar of the Stat- ue of Liberty. Westhill security guards Mr. Lane and Mr. Wright were also veterans who were honored at the assembly. Mr. Lane entered the military because he wanted to protect his family and serve the community. Mr. Wright joined the army because he believed he would set a better example for his family. He ended up serving for nine years. The assembly highlighted dif- ferent sacrifices veterans make to serve our country and make it a better place. “The assembly was very im- portant for two main reasons. First, it helped show respect for those who served our country. Second, it gave students the opportunity to see living veterans and gain ap- preciation for what they did,” Dr. Forbes said. “It was great to see smiles on the veterans’ faces. It was a lovely event, and I enjoyed it and the rest of the presentations,” junior Kiara Hichez said. An honorable salute Students participate in Veterans Day assembly STANDING TALL Veterans saluted the flag while junior Mike Din- nan played Taps on his trumpet at the Veterans Day assembly on November 12. Ariel Shaulson / Photo Editor On November 7, the March- ing Band competed in the New England Championship in Al- lentown, Pennsylvania. The team placed sixth out of twenty-two teams. The Marching Band won an award for the best percussion. In total, two trophies were taken home. “As a freshman, it was a great first season,” Charlie Ira said. “We came in first in every competition but the last one [in which] we placed sixth. Last year the band placed last in the same competition. This year we had an incredible improvement.” The Marching Band has placed first in four competitions this season and is the reigning Connecticut champion. The band also took the New England title last month. Marching Band earns sixth place in regional championship Outward Bound leaders to meet with potential adventurers Outward Bound will be awarding full scholarships for sophomores to attend a 16-day backpacking, canoeing, and lead- ership expedition this summer from June 25 to July 10. Outward Bound is a non- profit organization that serves 70,000 students and teachers an- nually. It seeks to provide people of all ages and backgrounds an active outdoor learning experi- ence that inspires character de- velopment, self-discovery and service both in and out of the classroom, according to out- wardbound.org. An information session will take place in the Stamford Gov- ernment Center cafeteria on No- vember 29 at 6:30 p.m. Repre- sentatives from Outward Bound along with student alumni will be answering questions and distrib- uting applications. A letter from the Mayor’s office was sent to each sophomore’s home. Contact Jessica Fogg for questions at jes- [email protected]. Briefs compiled by Skyler Ross, Christina Peltrop, and Annie Cohen / News Editors and Associate Editor Bradley Darling News Reporter On November 1, colorfully decorated boxes popped up in many classrooms throughout the school, accompanied by posters and announcements of the begin- ning of the annual Interact Thanks- giving Food Drive. This year, the drive was a collaborative effort of many differnt clubs. Interact, JROTC, the Young Men’s Coun- cil, Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), and Habitat for Humanity all participated. Preparation for the drive began as early as October, when students in one of the Special Education classes decorated donation boxes with Interact members. Request forms were then distributed to teachers asking if they would like to participate and if they would be willing to put a box in their class- room. A list of suggested foods was placed inside each box. The list included items such as pasta, assorted canned vegetables, juices, and other canned foods. The boxes steadily filled up with nonperishable food items un- til pickup on November 19. Some teachers offered extra credit to stu- dents if they donated food. Ms. Packo, who teaches an In- troduction to Foods class, had the students in her classes bake pump- kin bread for the drive. The donated food was deliv- ered to the Lower Fairfield Coun- ty Food Bank, where it was then distributed to needy families in Stamford. “The Thanksgiving Food Drive is an important activity to Interact. We feel it is necessary to give back to the community and help the less fortunate,” Interact President senior Michelle Eydel- man said. The food drive is one of In- teract’s many community service initiatives. Interact also sponsors two Red Cross blood drives, vol- unteers at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center, and is cur- rently hosting a “50/50” raffle in which half the money raised goes to the winner and the other half is donated to St. Luke’s LifeWorks, a nonprofit organization that helps the homeless in Lower Fairfield County. Clubs collaborate to help the hungry CAN COLLECTION This month, Interact worked with other clubs to collect food to donate to the Lower Fairfield County Food Bank. Jackie Schechter / Editor-in-Chief Check out www.thewestwordon- line.com to view the winners’ presentations.
