Informer December 2012 Issue - Woodlynde School
Informer December 2012 Issue - Woodlynde School
Informer December 2012 Issue - Woodlynde School
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Buddy<br />
Halloween<br />
Parade<br />
Coverage ...<br />
Page 7<br />
For photos, videos, and news,<br />
check out: woodlynde.org/informer<br />
Get all the latest updates: Like<br />
“<strong>Woodlynde</strong> <strong>Informer</strong>” on Facebook.<br />
Over 1,600<br />
cans are<br />
collected for<br />
the needy ...<br />
Page 2<br />
<strong>Woodlynde</strong> <strong>School</strong>’s Award-Winning Student Newspaper<br />
<strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong><br />
<strong>Issue</strong> 3<br />
Photo by<br />
Maya<br />
Holloway,<br />
Photographer<br />
<strong>School</strong> Uniform Will<br />
Only Have Three Colors<br />
By Patrick Torphy<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
<strong>Woodlynde</strong>’s rainbow-selection of polo uniforms will soon be a<br />
thing of the past.<br />
This year already, the online palette available for purchase<br />
has been reduced from twenty colors to six. By next year, only<br />
three colors will be offered: Blue, white, and terra cotta.<br />
While these colors will be the only ones sold on Lands End,<br />
students can still wear their previously bought polos that are any<br />
color.<br />
“We're taking a very sensible approach that recognizes people<br />
have spent money and made an investment in uniforms ... we<br />
don't want people to feel like they've wasted money,” said Head of<br />
<strong>School</strong> Dr. Fulco.<br />
Alumni Spotlight: Jerome Bailey<br />
Rising Star Has Come a<br />
Long Way Since 9th Grade<br />
By Nick Brayton<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Alum Jerome Bailey<br />
credits his parents and<br />
<strong>Woodlynde</strong> for making him<br />
the success he is today.<br />
See COLORS on page 7<br />
The Great<br />
Schemer<br />
Jafar (played by David<br />
Uhlmann), whips up a<br />
potion in Aladdin.<br />
More Middle<br />
<strong>School</strong> play<br />
photos —<br />
and a<br />
story —<br />
are on<br />
page 6.<br />
When Jerome Bailey opened <strong>Woodlynde</strong>’s front doors for the first<br />
time as a freshman, he was miserable.<br />
"I despised <strong>Woodlynde</strong> when I first started. I did not want to be<br />
there!" said Jerome, who graduated in 2009.<br />
While he initially hated the school, by the time he graduated, he loved<br />
<strong>Woodlynde</strong> — and learning. He achieved honors classes and became co-<br />
Editor in Chief of The <strong>Informer</strong>.<br />
After his prosperous high school career,<br />
he went on to many successes in college<br />
and recently was accepted into the elite<br />
program, Teach for America.<br />
But achieving that success wasn’t easy.<br />
Before attending <strong>Woodlynde</strong>, Jerome<br />
applied to six high schools, including Chestnut<br />
Hill Academy. However, the only school<br />
to accept Jerome was <strong>Woodlynde</strong>, and his<br />
parents were dead set on enrolling him.<br />
"... Throughout Middle <strong>School</strong>, I was<br />
tested by a psychologist and documented<br />
with auditory processing [disability]. Essentially,<br />
the learning disability just means<br />
I sometimes needed extra time to process<br />
information. I also would have trouble fol-<br />
See TEACH on Page 5<br />
<strong>Informer</strong> Special Report:<br />
Concussions: A Dangerous Risk<br />
Finally Being Taken Seriously<br />
Students used to be told to<br />
shake it off. Now, they undergo<br />
testing and may have to<br />
stay home. Failure to do so<br />
could result in brain damage.<br />
By Patrick Torphy<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
Even after being repeatedly crushed under<br />
a moon bounce in a freak accident,<br />
Hunter Register never thought he’d have to<br />
miss a month of school.<br />
“When I was driving [afterward], I felt a<br />
little woozy ... I went to the doctor three days<br />
later because my nausea and headaches<br />
weren't going away,” he said.<br />
The doctor checked Hunter’s balance and<br />
made him recite words and numbers, even a<br />
poem, until it was determined that the senior<br />
had a serious concussion, his third in only 14<br />
months. Hunter was told he couldn’t go to<br />
school, use his phone, watch television, or<br />
expose his eyes to any sort of harsh light for<br />
two weeks.<br />
Two weeks turned into the whole month<br />
of October being quarantined in his house.<br />
The doctor warned that if Hunter were to<br />
return to school, he could suffer permanent<br />
brain damage.<br />
While nothing about Hunter’s situation<br />
may seem fortunate, he is lucky to grow up in<br />
an age where head injuries are taken seri-<br />
ously. It’s a controversial topic, particularly<br />
in sports, especially following the recent<br />
tragedy of a Kansas City Chiefs football<br />
player who committed a murder-suicide.<br />
Jovan Belcher is the fourth NFL player<br />
this year to die from a self-inflicted gunshot,<br />
calling into question why this disturbing<br />
trend is occurring. Some experts say the<br />
answer is easy: Concussions.<br />
Two years ago, Chicago Bears player<br />
Dave Duerson killed himself after suffering<br />
from what he believed to be a “postconcussive<br />
disease” that led to severe depression.<br />
After a full<br />
brain examination,<br />
Duerson was found to<br />
have a degenerative<br />
brain disease, most<br />
likely due to repeated<br />
head-trauma from<br />
playing football.<br />
Photo by Mattie<br />
Sweet<br />
Senior Hunter<br />
Register had to<br />
stay home for a<br />
month due to a<br />
concussion.<br />
Here’s the Plan...<br />
But professional<br />
athletes aren’t the<br />
only ones who should<br />
be concerned. An estimated<br />
140,000 high<br />
school athletes in the<br />
United States suffer a<br />
concussion each year,<br />
according to the National<br />
High <strong>School</strong><br />
Sports Injury Surveillance System.<br />
A study included in the American Journal<br />
of Sports Medicine reports that number<br />
rising at a staggering annual rate of 15 per-<br />
See CONCUSSIONS on page 4<br />
Photo by Mattie Sweet, Media Editor<br />
The Girls’ Varsity Basketball team gets some last-minute instructions from<br />
Coach Robison during a recent game against Delaware Valley Friends <strong>School</strong>.<br />
Additional coverage and photos are on page 12.
Page 2 The <strong>Informer</strong><br />
<strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Upper <strong>School</strong> Play: Footloose<br />
Cast Is Set to Star in Upcoming Musical<br />
By Christa Deckman<br />
Staff Writer<br />
This year’s Upper <strong>School</strong> musical has many people<br />
excited, including seniors Haley Van Schaick and<br />
Evan Guinessy, who are the two leads in the production<br />
of Footloose.<br />
Haley is playing the part<br />
of Ariel, and Evan is playing<br />
the part of Ren, a teenager<br />
who is an avid dancer and<br />
fights against his new town’s<br />
no-dancing law.<br />
When asked how he felt<br />
about being a lead, Evan<br />
said, "Awesome, because this<br />
is the first time I [will be] a<br />
lead in a <strong>Woodlynde</strong> production."<br />
When asked what they<br />
were most worried about,<br />
Haley said, "Not crying after<br />
it is all over.”<br />
Evan said, "Probably making<br />
sure I don’t mess up any<br />
of the dance moves and falling<br />
on my face."<br />
Footloo se pre mie res<br />
March 7.<br />
Dr. Simmons, the Director<br />
of the musical, is delighted<br />
with the cast. “I’m really<br />
excited about the selections. All of them have<br />
great voices and a lot of enthusiasm for the production.”<br />
He added, “Although I haven’t worked with<br />
them individually, they all seem ready to start<br />
working in January when we start full cast rehearsals.”<br />
Photo by Maya Holloway, Photographer<br />
Principle members of the Footloose cast include: (from left to right) junior Kaelin<br />
Wilcher, and seniors Evan Guinessy, Haley Van Schaick, and Hunter<br />
Register.<br />
Footloose Cast List<br />
Ariel - Haley Van Schaick<br />
Urleen - Samantha Goodman<br />
Wendy Joe - Lauren Robinson<br />
Rusty - Noorie Weinberg<br />
Vi – Megan Doll<br />
Ethel - Megan Flynn<br />
Cowgirl Bobbie - Kim Alphonso<br />
(Taylor Sforza)<br />
Ren - Evan Guinessy<br />
Willard - Kaelin Wilcher<br />
Rev. Moore - Tristan Bosna<br />
Chuck Cranston - Hunter Register<br />
Jeter - Jack Stinson<br />
Bickle - Josh Cameron<br />
Garvin - Alec Kravitt<br />
Lyle - Joel Cureton<br />
Travis - Dan Fink<br />
Betty Blast - Mattie Sweet<br />
Coach Dunbar - Ryan Mullen<br />
Eleanor Dunbar - Ryleigh Grady<br />
Principal Clark - Christa Deckman<br />
Cop - Liz Carney<br />
Lulu Warnicker - Taylor Sforza<br />
Wes Warnicker - Oleg Kariouk<br />
High school/ townspeople—Caroline<br />
Stefan, Hannah Lipschutz, Sheila<br />
Sullivan, Morgan Caba, Christian Acosta,<br />
Gaylen Martin, Upper <strong>School</strong> choir.<br />
<strong>School</strong> Collects Over 1,600 Cans for the Needy<br />
By Alex Roberts<br />
Staff Writer<br />
For two weeks in November, the <strong>Woodlynde</strong> community was<br />
challenged to bring in cans for a food drive to help people in need.<br />
"We made a very ambitious goal of 1,000 food items. I didn't<br />
think it was unreachable, but I didn't think it would be easy, either,"<br />
said Senior Class President Patrick Torphy.<br />
English teacher Mr. Koch came up with the idea and ran it by<br />
Student Council a few weeks prior to the food drive. The cans were<br />
going to be sent to Manna on Main Street food pantry and the<br />
Berwyn Baptist Church.<br />
Student Council organized the event, and not only did they reach<br />
their goal of 1,000 cans, they surpassed it by collecting over 1,600<br />
food items. “You could tell that they were very grateful for our donations<br />
because they were surprised by the sheer volume of food we<br />
brought. They kept saying 'There's still more?'" Patrick said.<br />
Teachers and Student Council are very proud of the school’s accomplishment.<br />
"There are few times when students can reveal to the outside<br />
[the] quality of the <strong>Woodlynde</strong> student; this was one of those times,<br />
and it was a great success,” Mr. Koch said.<br />
Patrick joked, "If we didn't reach our goal, I was going to take a<br />
trip to Costco and finish the job myself!"<br />
~ Staff Writer Michael McGroary contributed to this article.<br />
Photo by Mrs. Russell, Art teacher<br />
Seniors Kasia Fussey (left), Ryan Mullen (right), learning specialist Ms. McMurrer<br />
(center) and others count and sort over 1,600 cans for the <strong>Woodlynde</strong> Food Drive.<br />
Photo by Patrick Torphy, Editor-in-Chief<br />
Seniors Steven Earhart and Christian Acosta help lift<br />
boxes of food donations at the Berwyn Baptist Church.<br />
Photo by Mrs. Russell, Art teacher<br />
Freshman Seth Lapensohn uses the hand truck<br />
as Student Council counts and sorts the cans.<br />
Photo by Patrick Torphy, Editor-in-Chief<br />
Junior Kaelin Wilcher depositing donations at<br />
Manna on Main Street.
<strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong><br />
The <strong>Informer</strong> Page 3<br />
Student Spotlight: Brandon Anderson<br />
Senior Is Training to Become a Police Officer<br />
By Alex Roberts<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Senior Brandon Anderson will learn how to properly perform<br />
a car stop, raid a house, shoot a gun, and many other police<br />
skills in the two-year program for aspiring police officers that he<br />
is taking.<br />
Surprisingly, he also will learn how to iron a shirt.<br />
“We will never have an excuse coming in with a wrinkled<br />
shirt,” Brandon joked.<br />
You don’t hear of <strong>Woodlynde</strong> students becoming police officers,<br />
but Brandon is a different story. Brandon has wanted to be<br />
a cop since eighth grade. "I want to protect my city," he said of<br />
Philadelphia.<br />
Over the summer, he participated in a week-long, overnight<br />
program called the State Police Youth Camp. "I felt accomplished<br />
because I completed what many other people quit, and it<br />
was the first time I was far away from home."<br />
Brandon entered the youth camp to prepare him for The<br />
Philadelphia Police Explorers, a two-year program for aspiring<br />
police officers ages 14 to 20 that takes place every Saturday,<br />
from 9 to 5 p.m. Brandon is learning everything there is to know<br />
about becoming a police officer.<br />
"I was ecstatic and felt motivated to be accepted into this<br />
program because now I know I'm going to be doing this in my<br />
future."<br />
Brandon has a drill sergeant who occasionally yells in his<br />
face, which he doesn’t mind.<br />
"I wasn't discouraged. I just thought what they were doing<br />
was just going to help me be better," Brandon said.<br />
Right now, Brandon is learning about rules that the police<br />
follow. He also has an intense workout. “I’m dead by the end of<br />
it,” Brandon said.<br />
To prepare for this experience, Brandon runs every other<br />
day and also has worked out with Athletic Trainer Ms. Gallagher.<br />
After high school, Brandon plans to attend Philadelphia<br />
Community College. Once he graduates in 2015 from The Philadelphia<br />
Police Explorers, he hopes to move on to the Police<br />
Academy and become a Philadelphia police officer. After being<br />
on the force for a few years, Brandon wants to apply to the K-9<br />
unit.<br />
Teachers and students are very impressed by Brandon’s<br />
accomplishments.<br />
“I’m so proud of Brandon for working so hard to pursue his<br />
dream ... I know Brandon will make an excellent police officer<br />
because of his strong character, values, and personality. I can’t<br />
wait to see him pull someone over!” Learning Specialist Ms.<br />
McMurrer said.<br />
Photo by Mattie Sweet, Media Editor<br />
Senior Brandon Anderson has wanted<br />
to be a police officer since eighth grade.<br />
Felled by a Hurricane, Beloved Tree Is No More<br />
By Christa Deckman<br />
Staff Writer<br />
When junior Patrick Nucci used to go out with his friends for<br />
recess during Lower <strong>School</strong>, they would always use the big tree in<br />
the front of the school as a goal post for their football and soccer<br />
games. They would also run around it while playing freeze tag, using<br />
the tree as a barrier.<br />
Now that they’re in Upper <strong>School</strong>, that tree was a constant reminder<br />
of their Lower <strong>School</strong> experiences.<br />
Then one night in late October, Hurricane Sandy uprooted the<br />
tree.<br />
“When I saw the tree fell on the way to school on my bus, I was so<br />
devastated,” Patrick said. “I said to myself ‘Oh, my God, that tree<br />
fell. I had so many memories from it, and it just fell. Oh my God!’"<br />
Returning to school and seeing the fallen tree was upsetting for a<br />
lot of people, like junior Luke Alonso. "I was really disappointed to<br />
see that the tree I knew for almost eleven years was knocked over."<br />
"When I was a kid, my friends and I used to play freeze tag, and<br />
no matter what, that tree was always the barrier that saved me from<br />
being frozen in the game.”<br />
Students remember hanging with their friends and playing<br />
games around the tree.<br />
Senior Hannah Lipschutz said, “I remember playing with<br />
friends, running around the tree, [and] leaning against it to catch<br />
my breath. Driving up to school in the morning, that tree would be<br />
the first thing I would see.”<br />
She added, “When I first saw it after the storm, I wanted to cry.<br />
It felt like that tree was my childhood at <strong>Woodlynde</strong>, and as I am<br />
graduating and getting ready to leave this school, it feels tragic.”<br />
Photo by Breana Daniel-Schnobrich, Photographer<br />
(From Left to Right) Juniors Ziere Jones, Patrick Nucci and Luke Alonso mourn the loss of<br />
the once great tree. Sophomore Eliza Griffin (bottom) stands amidst the carnage.<br />
Chess Champ!<br />
Corrections<br />
In the October issue of<br />
The <strong>Informer</strong>, sophomore<br />
Lesley Vizak's record for<br />
the <strong>2012</strong> tennis season was<br />
incorrectly listed. It was 3-6.<br />
In addition, the captains<br />
of the tennis team were incorrectly<br />
named. The captains<br />
were seniors Maisey<br />
Thompson and Kate<br />
Dokas.<br />
Ceramic Bowl Project Will<br />
Raise Funds for Needy<br />
Photo by Mattie Sweet, Media Editor<br />
Fourth grader Adam Serota holds<br />
up the two trophies he won in a<br />
recent chess tournament.<br />
Sixth grader Sam Close<br />
with the ceramic bowls<br />
she made.<br />
Ceramic bowl photos by Mattie Sweet, Media Editor<br />
Holding their bowls are (back row, from left to right) Art teacher Mrs. Russell,<br />
Wayne Ireland, Mickey McGowan, Admissions Assistant Ms. Leaman, Greg<br />
Goodman, Kristin Flynn, Sam Close, Evan Guinessy, Ellen Stickney, Kindergarten<br />
teacher Mrs. Crawford, (front row, from left to right) Travis Buckley,<br />
Andy Hicks, Andrew Gordon, and Declan McDonnell.
The <strong>Informer</strong><br />
Page 4 <strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Stage Crew<br />
Underappreciated, Yet Incredibly Hard Working<br />
Production Director Norma Rizzo (left) puts together a<br />
set piece with junior Emily Bank.<br />
Freshman Michael McGroary (left) offers guidance as<br />
sophomore Oleg Kariouk sprays glitter.<br />
By Trevor Bowes and<br />
Isabel Tirado-Barrett<br />
Staff Writers<br />
The backstage was swamped with scissors,<br />
glue guns, Scotch tape, cardboard boxes and<br />
large cans of glitter. Students were sprawled<br />
out across the floor working contently on their<br />
creations.<br />
The Middle <strong>School</strong> play this year, Aladdin,<br />
was a high quality performance, but it took the<br />
help of every person involved to make it that<br />
way, including the stage crew. These 15 student<br />
volunteers worked countless hours after<br />
school and on weekends.<br />
Despite that, some feel as if the stage crew<br />
is perhaps the most underappreciated part of a<br />
play production.<br />
The Middle <strong>School</strong> play this year received a<br />
higher budget than ever before, and with that<br />
they had a larger stage crew production. Grand<br />
plans were made this time, and with the help<br />
of devoted student volunteers, they were able<br />
to get their jobs done and make last-minute<br />
fixes before the premiere of the play.<br />
"We set our sights high, which was great,<br />
but it was more work than any production I've<br />
ever done," said Stage Crew Head Mr. Kupersmith,<br />
who has been associated with <strong>Woodlynde</strong><br />
plays for the past seven years.<br />
The largest projects were the camels and<br />
the elephant for the Prince Ali scene that doubled<br />
as a magic carpet.<br />
"Building the elephant and the camel was<br />
hard work, but actually maneuvering it and<br />
getting people off the top of the elephant without<br />
being seen was the hardest part,” said<br />
sophomore Norma Rizzo, who was the Production<br />
Director on the stage crew and put in<br />
over 100 hours attending rehearsals and tech<br />
sessions.<br />
Norma helped produce “one of the most<br />
magical shows <strong>Woodlynde</strong> has ever seen,” the<br />
Play Director said.<br />
However, while the elephant and camel<br />
were the largest projects, they were not necessarily<br />
the hardest ones. The toughest projects<br />
for the stage crew required a lot of work on<br />
dull tasks to make props for the show, such as<br />
a sarcophagus and other background pieces.<br />
This play, Mr. Kupersmith said, was “more<br />
technically involved.”<br />
“There’s always been a lot of costumes, but<br />
the construction of set pieces [were] a lot more<br />
involved; [freshman] Jack Perme’s father<br />
built us a lot of heavy duty rolling platforms.”<br />
The stage crew’s work for the play was as<br />
essential to the production as the actors were.<br />
They worked through many of the hardships<br />
and learning processes that came with the<br />
larger-than-ever production, and the end product<br />
was a success.<br />
Freshmen Brad White (left) and Jack Perme<br />
hard at work, but having fun.<br />
Photos by Christa Deckman, Photographer<br />
Concussions Are a Major Concern<br />
CONCUSSIONS from page 1<br />
cent. While the population of student athletes susceptible<br />
to such injuries could be growing, it is also likely that<br />
more are just being reported.<br />
The sports culture of handling head injuries has<br />
changed, and Athletic Trainer Ms. Gallagher, who<br />
graduated from <strong>Woodlynde</strong> in 1999, sees the contrast<br />
first-hand.<br />
“Growing up, it was one of those things of, if you hit<br />
your head ... it was just shake it off and get back in<br />
there. I had my fair share of concussions, I'm sure of it,<br />
they just were never classified as concussions,” she said.<br />
Even when she was diagnosed with a concussion, Ms.<br />
Gallagher neglected to take the proper precautions.<br />
“At that point it was, ‘We still need you to be in class,<br />
we still need you to be at football, we still need you to do<br />
this, we still need you to do that.’” Had she rested her<br />
brain immediately after the trauma, she insists, “[my<br />
symptoms] would not have lingered as long as [they]<br />
had.”<br />
“I should have spoken up more, I should have followed<br />
up with a neurologist, I should have followed up<br />
with the doctor again when things weren’t going away.<br />
But I figured, ‘Oh, they’ll go away eventually,’” said Ms.<br />
Gallagher, who still suffers from symptoms such as light<br />
sensitivity.<br />
An estimated 140,000 high school<br />
athletes in the United States<br />
suffer a concussion each year.<br />
Now, she administers neurocognitive tests to all<br />
<strong>Woodlynde</strong> student athletes.<br />
The assessment, titled “ImPACT” (Immediate Post-<br />
Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), lasts 20<br />
minutes and measures verbal memory, visual memory,<br />
processing speed, and reaction time. It is typically used<br />
in professional sports.<br />
All student athletes at <strong>Woodlynde</strong> must take it in the<br />
beginning of their sports season. If an athlete suffers<br />
head trauma, they can then be tested again to see if<br />
their baseline measurements vary from the current<br />
ones. A variation would indicate a concussion.<br />
<strong>Woodlynde</strong>’s purchase of this assessment follows<br />
new state laws enacted by the Safety in Youth Sports<br />
Act to help curb concussions. This piece of legislation<br />
requires coaches to complete a concussion management<br />
certification training course every year.<br />
Those coaches are also required to remove students<br />
from an athletic activity if they are exhibiting signs of<br />
a concussion. Penalties for coaches who violate the<br />
requirements can be as harsh as permanent suspension<br />
from coaching.<br />
5 CONCUSSIONS ALREADY<br />
At least five <strong>Woodlynde</strong> students already have suffered<br />
from concussions this<br />
school year, but <strong>School</strong><br />
Nurse Trigone doubts that<br />
all students report their injuries.<br />
“I always get concerned ...<br />
with kids who don’t report<br />
that they’ve injured themselves,<br />
because they know<br />
that if they have one more<br />
concussion, one more injury,<br />
that they’ll be out. There is<br />
that fear in kids to not report,”<br />
she said.<br />
She went on to say,<br />
“There’s pressure from the<br />
school, there’s pressure from<br />
peers, there’s pressure from<br />
society [to perform well] ...<br />
Photo by Mattie Sweet<br />
Athletic Trainer Ms.<br />
Gallagher doesn’t want<br />
students who have a<br />
concussion to suffer like<br />
she has.<br />
but there’s also pressure that student athletes also put<br />
on themselves, because they want to be successful. I<br />
think we need to take a step back [and] know why<br />
[reporting a concussion is] so important.”<br />
Nurse Trigone acknowledges that <strong>Woodlynde</strong> is<br />
ahead of the curve. “I think people here are really on<br />
top of this,” she stated.<br />
One of the most important factors in preventing<br />
concussions from going unreported is education.<br />
Nurse Trigone points to an October 2011 article in<br />
the journal Clinical Pediatrics that suggests student<br />
athletes educated about the dangers of unreported<br />
head injuries are significantly more likely to tell their<br />
coach if they suffer one. It also suggests that more<br />
than half of all student-athlete concussions remain<br />
unreported.<br />
At <strong>Woodlynde</strong>, the topic of concussions is covered<br />
in all Health classes, but not in Physical Education.<br />
Physical Education Department Head Mr. Shank<br />
says, “It’s not going ignored; we’re very aware that<br />
we need to get the word out. But based on this<br />
[interview] I think I’ll do something in P.E. class.”<br />
After taking the ImPACT test on Dec. 5, Hunter<br />
was cleared for Physical Education class, but still<br />
can’t play basketball. While he may view this as a<br />
nuisance, it’s personal for Ms. Gallagher.<br />
“From my own personal experience having a major<br />
concussion, if someone makes a comment about<br />
their head hurting, I don’t take it lightly. As I say to<br />
the kids’ parents and them: I don’t want them to suffer<br />
like I had to suffer for so long.”<br />
Concussion Effects<br />
Long-term consequences for<br />
multiple concussions:<br />
Post-concussion syndrome -- Can cause<br />
headaches, difficulty concentrating, and<br />
irritability.<br />
Mild cognitive impairments -- Can lead to<br />
dementia.<br />
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy -- Can<br />
cause prolonged aggression, confusion,<br />
depression, memory loss, and dementia.<br />
~ Information from the Sports<br />
Concussion Institute
<strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong><br />
The <strong>Informer</strong> Page 5<br />
Fire When Ready: Students Embark on Paintball Trip<br />
By Alec Kravitt<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Junior Patrick Nucci has been looking forward to <strong>Woodlynde</strong>’s second annual<br />
paintball trip all year, because he likes shooting people with balls of colorful paint.<br />
Patrick was one of 21 Upper <strong>School</strong>ers who went to Poco Loco Paintball on Nov.<br />
18th to shoot at each other. About seven to ten games were played, and as always,<br />
the trip was a blast.<br />
Patrick said he had a lot of fun shooting Head of Upper <strong>School</strong> Mrs.<br />
Dougherty and History teacher Mr. Smith, who chaperoned the trip.<br />
Student Council co-advisor Mrs. Russell said that her favorite part was running<br />
and jumping into "bunkers", which were essentially platforms and barrels.<br />
Getting hit with a paintball is like receiving a needle. At first it hurts a lot, but<br />
then it goes away after a while. That is, unless you’re Mrs. Russell.<br />
"I have a bruise on my leg because [senior] Ryan Mullen hit me [there], and<br />
[junior] Emily Bank hit me in the shoulder," she said.<br />
Just because the trip is over doesn’t mean the war is. Freshman Rich Sposato<br />
left the trip wanting revenge on senior Christian Acosta, because Christian shot<br />
him so many times.<br />
Christian replied, “He is in for a haircut in his sleep.”<br />
However, Christian admitted he’s a little scared and will always be watching<br />
his back. He is always ready for the challenge if they ever play paintball together<br />
again.<br />
Patrick, in the meantime, said that he wants revenge on sophomore Tristan<br />
Bosna. “Tristan shot me in the hand. He destroyed me!”<br />
Photo by Tianna Buck, Photographer<br />
Junior Patrick Daniel-Schnobrich (left) and sophomore Tristan Bosna are<br />
ready for action.<br />
High Honors<br />
Students recently were inducted into the National Honor<br />
Society (for Upper <strong>School</strong>) and Mondrian (for Middle <strong>School</strong>).<br />
Photos by Julia Wolfe and Ben Weisman, Photographers<br />
(Left Photo): New National Honor Society members are: (from<br />
left to right) Seniors Steven Earhart, Christian Acosta, Jeremy<br />
Cooper and Haley Van Schaick.<br />
(Bottom Photo): New Mondrian members present their<br />
certificates following the induction ceremony.<br />
Alum Is Accepted into Teach for America<br />
TEACH from Page 1<br />
lowing multiple-step directions," Jerome said.<br />
Most schools said they did not have sufficient resources<br />
to help him with his learning difference. Even<br />
though <strong>Woodlynde</strong> had the capabilities to aid him academically,<br />
Jerome did not want to be there.<br />
"The first year was not enjoyable … I truly thought it<br />
was going to be a bad four years.”<br />
Jerome had a 50-minute ride to <strong>Woodlynde</strong>; he generally<br />
disliked learning; and it was a rough transition<br />
from knowing everyone at his old school — which ended<br />
at eighth grade — to knowing no one.<br />
“From the beginning, I could tell Jerome had a great<br />
deal of potential as a student, but he wasn’t always enthusiastic<br />
about learning,” said College Guidance Counselor<br />
Mrs. Tabun, who was Jerome’s French teacher<br />
freshman year.<br />
Then, in his sophomore year, everything changed<br />
immensely when he made friends with classmates Dimming<br />
Jones and Ben Grant. After that, Jerome began<br />
to like <strong>Woodlynde</strong>.<br />
And when Jerome found out that he did not get into<br />
honors level classes in his sophomore year, he began to<br />
put in more effort to drastically improve his work. With<br />
better grades and the encouragement of English teacher<br />
Mrs. Byrne, he was moved into honors classes in his<br />
junior year.<br />
Teachers continued to encourage him and would provide<br />
support whenever he had difficulties. With this support,<br />
he would always strive to do the best work he pos-<br />
sibly could.<br />
"At <strong>Woodlynde</strong>, I learned to 'Go the Extra Mile,'<br />
and not settle. I honestly still believe this mission, and<br />
[I] strive to go further and further every day of my<br />
life."<br />
In a true show of his determination, Jerome and his<br />
friend Ben wanted a journalism class, so they worked<br />
to have one formed as an elective. They then became<br />
co-Editors in Chief of The <strong>Informer</strong>, revitalizing the<br />
paper and launching it to new heights of quality.<br />
"At <strong>Woodlynde</strong>, I learned to 'Go<br />
the Extra Mile,' and not settle ...<br />
[I] strive to go further and<br />
further every day of my life."<br />
~ Jerome Bailey, Class of 2009<br />
After his <strong>Woodlynde</strong> career, he used this determination<br />
to achieve even greater goals. He was accepted<br />
into the Institute for Responsible Citizenship, a national<br />
program that finds African-American male college<br />
students internships and helps teach them leadership<br />
skills.<br />
He met many important figures, such as former<br />
Secretary of State Colin Powell, Congressman John<br />
Lewis, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.<br />
“As a history major who loves African American<br />
history, meeting Civil Rights Activist John Lewis is<br />
something I will never forget!” Jerome said.<br />
One of his most recent achievements was being<br />
accepted into the prestigious Teach for America, an<br />
incredibly competitive program that trains talented<br />
college graduates to become teachers in low income<br />
areas.<br />
The program is so competitive that, in 2009, less<br />
than 10 percent of the 46,359 applicants were accepted.<br />
"I desire to teach in low income areas because I<br />
want to make a change. Only two percent of teachers<br />
nationwide are African American males and I want to<br />
help change that woeful statistic!” Jerome said.<br />
The day he found out he was accepted, "I was overjoyed!<br />
I was speechless! The first thing I did [was]<br />
thank God, and then called my parents!", whom he<br />
credits for helping him get this far.<br />
Jerome will be teaching at a school in South Louisiana.<br />
He is eagerly awaiting the start of his official<br />
career as an educator on the first week of August.<br />
"I want to inspire children who may see no value in<br />
education. I am determined to make a change."<br />
Mrs. Tabun said she is confident that Jerome will<br />
make an “outstanding” teacher.<br />
“Jerome has achieved a great deal by actively seeking<br />
opportunities such as Teach for America, and committing<br />
fully to everything that he does. He is an outstanding<br />
example of what is possible when preparation<br />
and opportunity meet.”
Page 6 The <strong>Informer</strong><br />
<strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Middle <strong>School</strong> Play: Aladdin<br />
Production Was Like No Other in MS History<br />
By Isabel Tirado-Barrett<br />
Staff Writer<br />
The musical Aladdin, with 62 actors and a larger<br />
budget, was like no other performed in Middle <strong>School</strong><br />
history.<br />
“I put in more hours in this show than I’ve ever done<br />
since I’ve been here,” said Mr. Kupersmith, the Tech<br />
Crew Director.<br />
When asked what was unique or different about this<br />
play, he said, “We had a larger budget, which meant we<br />
could get more spectacular — as in, more spectacle. And<br />
a lot of glitter … lots and lots of glitter. I had nightmares<br />
of it.”<br />
In addition to the 62 actors, there was one Production<br />
Director (sophomore Norma Rizzo), and five Student<br />
Directors (seniors Tianna Buck, Haley Van<br />
Schaick, and Evan Guinessy, and juniors Emily<br />
Bank and Kaelin Wilcher). The lighting, painting<br />
and construction credits go to the 13 participants in<br />
the Tech Crew.<br />
The actors, tech crew, directors, supporting directors,<br />
costume crew and choreographers worked hard<br />
each afternoon and, as the play neared its final due<br />
date, stayed after school until as late as 9:00 p.m.<br />
Official preparation for the play began in early September.<br />
As the play neared its final production in November,<br />
mostly everyone came in on Saturdays to practice.<br />
The play was an hour and 37 minutes of dancing,<br />
singing and exciting performances. The lights, timing<br />
and acting were wonderfully produced.<br />
“In the end, well done,” said sophomore Alec<br />
Kravitt. “I especially liked the costume designs. I<br />
liked the part where Jasmine and Aladdin were floating<br />
in the air. I liked the Magic Carpet ride, along<br />
with Jafar’s lair. It was overall well done.”<br />
Freshman Michael McGroary, a member of the<br />
Tech Crew, reported, “Pretty well done. Really good<br />
for a dress rehearsal!”<br />
Sixth grader Skylar Reiner, who played one of<br />
the guardsmen, added, “It was awesome! I loved it. It<br />
was good because we worked really hard at it and it<br />
turned out well ...”<br />
“I liked it because of the technology and props,”<br />
freshman Liz Carney said. “The props especially<br />
were really great.”<br />
Photos by Breana Daniel-Schnobrich and<br />
Maya Holloway, Photographers<br />
Aladdin<br />
(Graham<br />
Dileo) and<br />
Genie (Josh<br />
Cameron)<br />
perform<br />
during one of<br />
their songs.<br />
Impressive props such as the elephant were built by<br />
the stage crew.<br />
Princess<br />
Jasmine<br />
was played<br />
by Erin<br />
McKie.<br />
Performing in Aladdin are (from left to right): Sophie<br />
Fastuca, Kristin Flynn, Sam Close, Jenna Goodman,<br />
and Derek Smith.<br />
Martin Luther King Jr. Mural Project:<br />
Students Are Keeping the Dream Alive<br />
By Julia Wolfe<br />
Staff Photographer<br />
"I might shed a couple of tears," senior Hannah Lipschutz<br />
said about this year’s Martin Luther King Jr.<br />
mural project.<br />
This is Hannah’s last year working on and presenting<br />
<strong>Woodlynde</strong>’s mural at a press conference at Girard<br />
College in Philadelphia on Jan. 9th.<br />
She has been going on the Martin Luther King Jr.<br />
mural trip since she was in fifth grade, which makes this<br />
her eighth year. Hannah has seen the program grow<br />
tremendously.<br />
"I like it and it is a creative way to support something<br />
that I believe in, and to support what Martin Luther<br />
King Jr. also believed in, and to remember all of<br />
what he did," Hannah said.<br />
The program, according to Art teacher Mrs. Russell,<br />
“is designed for students to keep Martin Luther King<br />
Jr’s. legacy alive through the arts.”<br />
Hannah declares that this year's mural looks<br />
“amazing.”<br />
"It is really text-based, and very visual and abstract<br />
with ... color.”<br />
This year, twelve students worked on the mural,<br />
some of whom returned from previous years and others<br />
who volunteered for the first time.<br />
Professional artist, James Burns, who has made<br />
many murals all over Philadelphia, helped the students<br />
produce their mural. The theme of this year’s painting<br />
is, “I Have A Dream Speech,” Mrs. Russell said.<br />
Freshman Jenna Pavucek, who has an interest in<br />
art, said she was looking forward to working on the<br />
mural for the first time and presenting it at the press<br />
conference.<br />
"I am excited because I want to learn more about<br />
Martin Luther King Jr. I'm excited to draw and paint<br />
and meet new friends," Jenna said.<br />
Seniors Evan Guinessy and Maisey Thompson<br />
focus on the mural project, which is designed to keep<br />
Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy alive.<br />
Professional artist James Burns gives senior<br />
Hannah Lipschutz some pointers, as eighth<br />
grader Xavier Carroll works on the mural.<br />
Photo by Mr. Gelman,<br />
Journalism teacher<br />
Members of the MLK Mural<br />
Project proudly displaying<br />
the banner are (back row,<br />
from left): Mrs. Russell,<br />
Olivia Calabro,<br />
Chris Lumsden, Cassia<br />
Enright, Evan Guinessy,<br />
Kaelin<br />
Wilcher, Hannah<br />
Lipschutz, Andrei<br />
Benoliel, Polly Post,<br />
(front row, from left)<br />
Xavier Carroll, Jenna<br />
Pavucek, Amanda<br />
Cappelli, and Kate<br />
Dokas. Not pictured are:<br />
Noorie Weinberg, Norma<br />
Rizzo, Christa Deckman,<br />
and Tim Carr.<br />
MLK Mural Photos by<br />
Mrs. Russell, Art teacher<br />
Seventh grader Andrei Benoliel works<br />
intently on the mural.
The <strong>Informer</strong><br />
<strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong> Page 7<br />
Student / Faculty Kickball Game<br />
The juniors were the top student team in the kickball tournament,<br />
which was played by students in 8th to 12th grade. The<br />
eleventh grade then lost to the faculty / administration team.<br />
Photos by<br />
Julia Wolfe,<br />
Photographer<br />
Sophomore<br />
Lesley Vizak,<br />
junior Megan<br />
Doll, and senior<br />
Morgan Caba<br />
hold up a sincere<br />
sign.<br />
The seniors show off their team spirit<br />
Sophomore Breana Daniel-Schnobrich<br />
shows some support for her big brother,<br />
Patrick (11th grade).<br />
Junior Jordan Booth gives the teachers<br />
a run for their money.<br />
Math Teacher Mr. Sweeney proudly roots for his team while<br />
sophomore Megan Flynn says otherwise.<br />
<strong>School</strong> Uniform Colors<br />
Are Being Phased Out<br />
COLORS from Page 1<br />
Eventually, the whole student body will only be wearing those<br />
three colors. “It could be three or four years that it will become recognizable<br />
on campus that the color palette has been changed and<br />
streamlined,” Dr. Fulco explained.<br />
In addition to tightening the color selection, Lower <strong>School</strong> students<br />
will have to all wear <strong>Woodlynde</strong> polos, as opposed to the current<br />
option that allows them to wear <strong>Woodlynde</strong> T-shirts.<br />
These decisions were made with the intent of streamlining <strong>Woodlynde</strong>’s<br />
uniform and making it more synonymous with the school’s<br />
color scheme.<br />
But that rationalization isn’t enough for freshman Michael<br />
McGroary, who opposes the changes. “I really like the bright colors<br />
... I just think that they should keep them.”<br />
Photo by Breana Daniel-Schnobrich, Photographer<br />
Sporting some of the <strong>Woodlynde</strong> colors that will no longer be available for sale are<br />
sophomores Baird Register, Joel Cureton and Samantha Goodman, and senior<br />
Jeremy Cooper.<br />
Halloween Buddy Parade<br />
Photos by Patrick Torphy,<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
Senior Christen McCreavy walking with her buddy,<br />
third-grader Julia Campbell.<br />
Enjoying the festivities were (from<br />
left) sixth grader Annie Bryant, fifth<br />
grader Chris Civitella (hockey outfit),<br />
and third grader Travis Buckley.<br />
Kindergartner Kyle Purdy (center) races senior Alex Hertel<br />
(left) and eighth grader Austin Levant (right).y
Page 8 <strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong><br />
OPINION<br />
The <strong>Informer</strong><br />
<strong>Woodlynde</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
445 Upper Gulph Road<br />
Strafford, PA 19087<br />
The <strong>Informer</strong> welcomes feedback<br />
and letters to the editor.<br />
Please send to:<br />
<strong>Informer</strong>@woodlynde.org<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
Patrick Torphy<br />
Media Editor<br />
Mattie Sweet<br />
Layout Editor<br />
Jeremy Cooper<br />
Opinion &<br />
Magazine Editor<br />
Cassia Enright<br />
Staff Writers<br />
Alex Roberts<br />
Hannah Lipschutz<br />
Trevor Bowes<br />
Nick Brayton<br />
Joel Cureton<br />
Nick Spino<br />
Nick Scaramuzza<br />
Christa Deckman<br />
Samantha Goodman<br />
Elizabeth Carney<br />
Victoria Hartzell<br />
Alec Kravitt<br />
Matt Savitz<br />
Giana Campbell<br />
Ryan Harvie<br />
Isabel Tirado-Barrett<br />
Chris Lumsden<br />
Photographers<br />
Ben Weisman<br />
Breana Daniel-Schnobrich<br />
Andrew Rosenberg<br />
Julia Wolfe<br />
Tianna Buck<br />
Maya Holloway<br />
Videographers<br />
Kelan Reilly<br />
Jordan Gregson<br />
Michael McGroary<br />
Graphic Artists<br />
Chris Maguire<br />
Megan Flynn<br />
Chief Enforcers<br />
Brandon Anderson<br />
Christian Acosta<br />
Faculty Adviser<br />
Mr. Gelman<br />
Adviser-at-Large<br />
Mrs. Byrne<br />
Circulation /<br />
Editing Adviser<br />
Ms. DeLiberty<br />
Backpack Relocation<br />
Controversy Heats Up<br />
Teacher has been moving bookbags for<br />
safety reasons, but his methods have<br />
drawn students’ ire.<br />
If you left your backpack in a place that has been determined<br />
“unsafe” or “a hazard”, you may have some trouble finding it.<br />
Chances are, Mr. Kupersmith tucked it away in some hidden<br />
section of the hallway.<br />
The English teacher is doing this because backpacks are clogging<br />
the halls and causing a headache for faculty and students<br />
alike.<br />
Commentary<br />
Cassia Enright<br />
Opinion Editor<br />
Photo by Mattie Sweet<br />
Cassia shows how students’<br />
bookbags have been placed<br />
between the lockers.<br />
Contributing to this problem<br />
is the extremely inconvenient<br />
location of the seniors’ lockers<br />
in the athletic hall, which<br />
causes them to dump their<br />
backpacks on the floor in the<br />
Upper <strong>School</strong> hallway.<br />
"We have kids in wheelchairs<br />
and kids on crutches,<br />
[so] it’s a real safety issue,”<br />
Mr. Kupersmith said. “[There<br />
are] book bags in the hall<br />
when [the students] have to go<br />
outside or to lunch, or even a<br />
fire drill.”<br />
Therefore, Mr. Kupersmith<br />
has implemented an unofficial<br />
policy in an attempt to reach a<br />
resolution — but it’s not working.<br />
As it turns out, hiding, tossing,<br />
and shoving backpacks<br />
has had some negative consequences.<br />
And this plan seems<br />
to be anything but safe for students’ property.<br />
“My computer battery now falls out just about every time I<br />
touch it from being slammed in between lockers. It is really difficult<br />
to charge my laptop,” complained junior Gaylen Martin.<br />
When it comes to clearing the halls of backpacks, Mr. Kupersmith<br />
said: "Sometimes the only way to get it out of the way is a<br />
swinging motion [because it’s so heavy]. Or if the bags are on the<br />
floor, [I] pile them on top of one another."<br />
Not only are electronics being damaged but this less-thanideal<br />
solution is disrupting education, including mine.<br />
So students, as of right now, the only place where your backpack<br />
is sure to be safe is in — or on top of — your locker. So this<br />
wouldn’t really be an issue if everyone did that.<br />
Also beware that Mr. Kupersmith is patrolling more than just<br />
the halls. He has also taken over the area by the Upper <strong>School</strong><br />
printer, which originally wasn’t supposed to accommodate any<br />
bags, but Mr. Kupersmith decided to allow three.<br />
However, I didn’t know that.<br />
Just when book bags were starting to disappear, I left mine<br />
on a desk next to the Upper <strong>School</strong> printer right before first period.<br />
One minute it was there, and the next it was gone.<br />
With my notebook and writing tools MIA, I was left with no<br />
choice but to sit in Mr. Kupersmith’s class without the ability to<br />
participate. Can you imagine how I felt when I figured out that<br />
the teacher who hid my bag was the one whose class I was in at<br />
that very moment?<br />
What’s the Word?<br />
If you could get any present, what would you want?<br />
Compiled by Hannah Lipschutz and Julia Wolfe, <strong>Informer</strong> staff<br />
A Very <strong>Woodlynde</strong> Holiday<br />
Awkward...<br />
There are others who have faced negative consequences, too.<br />
Sophomore Lesley Vizak has had her classes seriously disrupted<br />
on a regular basis. “Either I am looking everywhere for my backpack,<br />
which makes me late to class, or kids from [other] classes and<br />
grades are coming into our class asking if anyone has seen theirs.”<br />
The last thing a college-preparatory school for students with<br />
learning disabilities needs is more distractions. Considering no one<br />
really seems to be adapting well to the new policy and it is causing<br />
much more of an issue than it is helping, there has to be a better<br />
solution.<br />
Luckily, Mr. Kupersmith is willing to make some changes. In<br />
fact, when it was suggested that maybe a more traditional, less cruel<br />
and unusual action be put in place by an administrator, like a detention,<br />
he had this to say: "A balance needs to be reached. My goal is<br />
safety, not a punishment."<br />
When I interviewed him for this column, Mr. Kupersmith said he<br />
would begin handling the backpacks with more care and will try to<br />
put them as close to their original location as possible.<br />
Mr. Kupersmith also has some suggestions, including the creation<br />
of a drop-off area where students can quickly set down their<br />
belongings before assembly or between classes.<br />
I think there should also be some locker relocations: move seniors<br />
back to the high school wing so their lockers are closer, and group<br />
the Middle <strong>School</strong> together in the athletic hallway.<br />
At this point, it seems as though having these ideas come to fruition<br />
is up to the administration, which is arguably where it should<br />
have started in the first place.<br />
“I would want a<br />
room full of chicken<br />
nuggets with One<br />
Direction in the<br />
middle, because that<br />
would be awesome.”<br />
~ Megan Doll, junior<br />
“I would want sharks<br />
with lasers on their<br />
heads, because that<br />
would be the coolest<br />
thing ever.”<br />
~ Hunter Register,<br />
senior<br />
“I want a magical<br />
mechanical<br />
unicorn that I<br />
could ride across<br />
a rainbow with.”<br />
~ Luke Alonso,<br />
junior<br />
“I would want a private<br />
jet so I could go<br />
anywhere in the<br />
world A at any time.”<br />
~ Eliza Griffin,<br />
sophomore<br />
“Diapers, because<br />
I’m a big boy now.”<br />
~ Luke DeLeo,<br />
freshman<br />
“[Censored]”<br />
~ Mr. Alonso,<br />
Technology<br />
Department
<strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong><br />
MAGAZINE<br />
Horrible-Scopes<br />
Editor’s note: Warning, this article could contain mature<br />
content and may not be suitable for young children.<br />
ARIES- The extreme weather we’ve been having isn’t going to take the holidays off. There is a 50 percent<br />
chance of snow and a 99 percent chance that Jack Frost is going to do more than nip at your nose.<br />
TAURUS- Your parents are going to buy you a pair of really expensive white gold hoops, but you’ll have<br />
to pretend like you don’t even like them because two years ago, Regina George told you that hoop earrings<br />
were “her thing”.<br />
GEMINI- Don’t fret about your size this holiday season. What you lack in height will be made up for in<br />
your high productivity and performance when you are sold into the elf slave-trade industry.<br />
CANCER- Your family will excommunicate you because you made the thrifty and disgusting choice to<br />
bring the leftover desserts from Thanksgiving to Hanukkah.<br />
LEO- You’ll be assigned an eight-page research paper on Kwanzaa, though not even the Internet claims<br />
to know exactly what it is. Good luck finding a single source.<br />
VIRGO- You’ll have to live with the stigma of being THE WORST gift giver in your family when you<br />
choose the last-minute present of magazine subscriptions. Because of a typo, Grandma will receive<br />
Tiger Beat and your One Direction-loving cousin will get Readers Digest.<br />
LIBRA- Make sure you stay on your toes; a man scruffy in red is making sure he knows when you are<br />
sleeping, knows when you are awake, and knows if you have been bad or good. So you better watch your<br />
step for goodness sake. Just kidding! He is actually going to rob you.<br />
SCORPIO- Frosty the Snowman is going to come to life and insult you on your lack of skill in snowball<br />
rolling.<br />
SAGITTARIUS – Because you were too lazy to make plans for bringing in the New Year, you’ll have to<br />
learn the hard way when you’re forced to watch the less-than-tolerable movie New Year’s Eve.<br />
CAPRICORN– You are going to lose the baby Jesus from the coffee table-sized nativity scene. Be ready<br />
to face backlash from your EXTREMELY religious grandmother. As it turns out, a baby carrot is not<br />
only an extremely obvious substitute, but extremely offensive.<br />
AQUARIUS- Reindeer are going on strike, and in this economy you can’t pass up a job. Strap on those<br />
antlers and take one for the team.<br />
PISCES– It turns out the substance you used to make those derides is in fact not clay ... I’ll spare you<br />
the details. Ew.<br />
Music Review:<br />
Battle Born Doesn’t Quite Meet Expectations<br />
Phillip Phillips Has a Few High Points<br />
The Killers Review<br />
As a Killers fanatic, I anticipated only the<br />
best from their new album Battle Born, released<br />
on Sept. 18th.<br />
Their older albums, Sam’s Town, Day and<br />
Age and Hot Fuss, have a special place on my<br />
iPod, and I was<br />
ecstatic to add<br />
Battle Born to<br />
my sacred collection<br />
of their<br />
work.<br />
Frontman Brandon Flowers has a voice<br />
you just can’t miss. It’s the kind of voice that<br />
when you hear it, you automatically know<br />
you’re listening to The Killers. The band as a<br />
whole has been on a roll with their music so<br />
far and I had such high expectations for their<br />
new album.<br />
When I finally<br />
gave the album<br />
a listen,<br />
shockingly, my<br />
heart sank. I was<br />
surprised to find<br />
that they weren’t<br />
as amazing as<br />
they used to be.<br />
Cassia Enright<br />
Magazine Editor<br />
Samantha<br />
Goodman<br />
Music Critic<br />
Their past<br />
songs were as<br />
original as it got,<br />
and I feel as though the tracks in Battle Born<br />
are a little too reminiscent of their previous<br />
hits. The single off of the album, Runaways, is<br />
decent if you aren’t familiar with the band.<br />
For me, though, it just doesn’t cut it.<br />
I would rate this album three out of five<br />
stars.<br />
To be fair, though, I still give them an A for<br />
effort. After all, it’s almost impossible to top<br />
their legendary older music.<br />
All in all, their new album isn’t my cup of<br />
tea. Maybe it’s because I’ve already drank it.<br />
Phillip Phillips Review<br />
Phillip Phillips, crowned as the winner<br />
of American Idol season 11, released<br />
his album charmingly titled, The World<br />
From the Side of the Moon in mid-<br />
November via Interscope Records.<br />
Phillips, being the singer-songwriter<br />
that he is, wrote the majority of songs on<br />
the album with the help of Gregg Wattenberg.<br />
The single off the album, titled Home,<br />
reached number one on the iTunes Pop<br />
chart, and remained in the iTunes Top 5<br />
for eight weeks before it hit double platinum.<br />
Although it sounds highly similar to<br />
basically any song by Mumford and Sons,<br />
Home's lyrics are inspiring, and there is<br />
no doubt that they speak to me.<br />
For example, the line "Settle down, it'll<br />
all be clear; pay<br />
no attention to<br />
the demons;<br />
they fill you<br />
with fear," puts<br />
me in a peaceful<br />
and positive<br />
state of mind.<br />
This would<br />
make an amazing<br />
poem, but<br />
the melody that goes along with it is<br />
nothing to go crazy about.<br />
Although most of the other songs on<br />
the album have the same mellow folk<br />
sound, the track Can't Go Wrong has a<br />
nice, catchy country anthem-like sound to<br />
it. It gives the album just a little bit more<br />
of a variety.<br />
Overall, this record has its high points,<br />
but it's nothing too special. The World<br />
From the Side of the Moon, like its title,<br />
won't be remembered for long.<br />
Director: Sam Mendes<br />
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier<br />
Bardem, Ralph Fiennes<br />
Page 9<br />
Movie Review:<br />
Skyfall Hits All<br />
the Right Notes<br />
Synopsis: An attack on MI6 pits James Bond<br />
(Craig) against Silva (Bardem), a cyber-terrorist<br />
with a furious vendetta against M (Dench).<br />
Review: The James Bond series is now fifty years<br />
old, and Skyfall is the<br />
Jeremy perfect anniversary present.<br />
It hits all the right<br />
Cooper<br />
Layout notes that one could<br />
Editor want out of a Bond film<br />
— and then some.<br />
After the misstep of Quantum of Solace following<br />
the series high point of Casino Royale, it’s a<br />
huge treat to see the series get back on track.<br />
This is arguably the most well-made Bond film to<br />
date, with gorgeous cinematography, meticulous<br />
direction and stunning action sequences, especially<br />
at the beginning and end.<br />
Daniel Craig continues to excel as James<br />
Bond, further solidifying the argument that he<br />
may well be the best in the role. This time, the<br />
character is not at 100 percent, which allows<br />
Craig to show Bond at his most vulnerable and<br />
determined. Javier Bardem is a great villain. His<br />
character more or less serves as the antithesis to<br />
Bond and it’s another credit to Craig’s performance<br />
that he prevents Bardem from completely<br />
stealing the show.<br />
Skyfall follows the current trend in the series<br />
of being darker and more realistic. However, it<br />
also works as a throwback to the older films, with<br />
the reintroduction of characters such as Q and a<br />
certain car which will delight fans of the classics.<br />
Skyfall also rivals<br />
Casino Royale as the<br />
most emotional film in<br />
the series. This is<br />
largely due to the<br />
character development<br />
of Bond and M.<br />
In addition, the ending<br />
marks a huge<br />
change in the status<br />
quo, showing a brave<br />
decision on the<br />
filmmakers’ part.<br />
Consensus: Skyfall<br />
successfully continues<br />
the trend of a darker, more character-driven<br />
Bond film while also serving as a celebration of<br />
the classics. It’s one of the best in the series to<br />
date and quite possibly the best action film of the<br />
year.<br />
Verdict: 9.3 out of 10<br />
Lincoln Succeeds<br />
Director: Steven Spielberg<br />
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy<br />
Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David<br />
Strathairn<br />
Synopsis: When people think of great U.S. presidents,<br />
they think of Abraham Lincoln. The film<br />
covers the last four months in the life of the<br />
Great Emancipator, played by Daniel Day-Lewis,<br />
as he attempts to end the Civil War and pass the<br />
Thirteenth Amendment, which will rectify slavery.<br />
Consensus: Led by another<br />
staggering performance<br />
from Day-Lewis,<br />
an excellent script, and<br />
one of the best casts of<br />
the year, Lincoln succeeds<br />
where many recent<br />
biopics have failed in<br />
crafting a layered, engaging<br />
and moving portrait<br />
of its iconic subject.<br />
Verdict: 9 out of 10
The <strong>Informer</strong><br />
Page 10 <strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Guest Column:<br />
College Is A Combination of Freedom and Heavy Workload<br />
After graduating last June, I moved on to Kalamazoo<br />
College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I knew that the transition<br />
from high school to college would be one of the most<br />
difficult in my life,<br />
Katie Schmitz<br />
Alum and former<br />
co-Editor-in-Chief<br />
and there were so<br />
many things I was<br />
worried about.<br />
Would I be able to<br />
handle the workload?<br />
Would I make<br />
friends? Has <strong>Woodlynde</strong> prepared me?<br />
At college, I have never been so free and so busy at<br />
the same time. There is always something to do, there is<br />
always something that I should be doing, and then there<br />
is always the option to sit around and do nothing.<br />
In high school, it was always decided for me: never do<br />
nothing, always do what you should be doing.<br />
Now, it’s incredibly refreshing and liberating for me<br />
to choose how to manage my time. If I don’t want to do<br />
my history assignment at a certain point in time, I<br />
don’t have to, and nobody is going to sit me in front of a<br />
laptop and force me to type.<br />
Another big difference between high school and<br />
college is the importance of the syllabus. Throughout<br />
my years in high school, every syllabus I ever received<br />
got a nice comfy home in the very back of my binder,<br />
never to be looked at again after the first day of school.<br />
In college, I have probably consulted at least one<br />
syllabus every day. All of the work due is listed on the<br />
syllabus, and important details about certain assignments<br />
are often included. In one of my courses, we had<br />
a lot of days off because the professor often traveled.<br />
He never warned us when these days off were coming,<br />
and the only way to know was to consult the syllabus.<br />
I’ve found that, for my own sanity, it is very important<br />
to balance the social and educational aspects<br />
of college. I had so much fun during my first trimester,<br />
and I think the fact that I was enjoying myself ultimately<br />
benefitted the quality of my work.<br />
Before I graduated from <strong>Woodlynde</strong>, many people<br />
took it upon themselves to tell me how hard college<br />
was going to be. During my senior year, something I<br />
heard a lot was, “You think this is hard? Wait until<br />
you get to college!”<br />
Yes, the work in college is harder. But just take it<br />
one assignment at a time, and you’ll be able to get it<br />
done. Make your own assessments, do your work, have<br />
fun, and don’t let anyone scare you into thinking you<br />
can’t handle it.<br />
Katie Schmitz is a freshman at Kalamazoo College.<br />
New Student Spotlight on: Maya Holloway<br />
Freshman Has Encountered Phillies and a Giant Snake<br />
Maya Holloway is a new freshman who started at<br />
<strong>Woodlynde</strong> in the beginning of November. Staff Writer<br />
Liz Carney sat down with Maya to talk about what it’s<br />
been like so far.<br />
How has your experience at <strong>Woodlynde</strong> been so<br />
far?<br />
“It's been good. The teachers have been really supportive<br />
and the students are really nice. A couple of freshmen<br />
showed me how the school works and they never let me<br />
feel alone.”<br />
What school did you attend before you came here?<br />
William Penn Charter <strong>School</strong> / Cyber <strong>School</strong> — she<br />
switched in the middle of last year.<br />
How did you feel starting at <strong>Woodlynde</strong> in the<br />
middle of the year?<br />
“At first it was nerve-wracking and it still is, but slowly<br />
I'm starting to adjust.”<br />
Are you going to play a sport at <strong>Woodlynde</strong>?<br />
“I’m going to play basketball because I’ve been playing<br />
ever since I was a kid. It’s been a very nice experience<br />
playing with all the girls and getting to know them more<br />
and also getting better as a team.”<br />
Have you taken any interesting vacations?<br />
“I went to Puerto Rico and I went zip-lining. It was fun<br />
but very nerve-wracking because it was so high up.<br />
Also, while I was in Puerto Rico, I saw a chameleon<br />
and a large snake. It was very scary and I screamed<br />
when I saw it. It was skinny and almost as tall as me.<br />
Photo by Julia Wolfe, Photographer<br />
It was hanging in a tree. I [also] saw a cool volcano<br />
and went hiking on it.”<br />
What is something cool that’s happened to you?<br />
“My family and I were down in Florida and we went to<br />
the baseball field where the Phillies were playing the<br />
Marlins and we got there early enough and got to<br />
meet a lot of Phillies players and get autographs from<br />
them, like Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase<br />
Utley and Carlos Ruiz.”<br />
What do you like to do for fun?<br />
“I like to play sports (field hockey, basketball, softball,<br />
and lacrosse), paint abstract, [and] listen to all different<br />
kinds of music, like pop. And I like photography<br />
and taking pictures."<br />
Ninth Grade Learning Specialist Mrs. Wilson<br />
says:<br />
“She’s very responsible, hardworking, conscientious,<br />
and friendly, and a terrific addition to our<br />
school.<br />
I think it’s very hard to start in the middle of the<br />
year, but Maya has done a great job with catching up<br />
with everything. I’m also very proud of the ninth<br />
grade, especially the girls, for how well they’ve welcomed<br />
Maya, helped her feel a part of <strong>Woodlynde</strong>, and<br />
befriended her.”<br />
Matt’s Top 5 List<br />
Things that Annoy Me<br />
1) MR. KOCH’S 6TH SENSE<br />
When you’re walking in the hallway with your phone out, and English teacher<br />
Mr. Koch accuses you of being on your phone<br />
Matt Savitz<br />
Staff Writer<br />
and then takes it. Even if he is behind you<br />
and you’re trying extremely hard to not make<br />
it noticeable and he doesn’t know you’re on it,<br />
he somehow magically knows and says,<br />
“Gimme it.”<br />
2) LOCKED BATHROOM STALLS<br />
When you walk into the bathroom and someone was in a stall, locked it, and<br />
then came out underneath it. Then when you need to use the stall, it’s locked<br />
and you have to get all dirty by sliding across the filthy bathroom floor.<br />
3) COMPUTER PROBLEMS<br />
When the school computers have problems … For example, the keyboard falls<br />
out, the battery life is terrible, and it’s too slow. And some school-relevant websites<br />
are blocked (like YouTube).<br />
4) FIGHTING OVER LUNCH SEATS<br />
When students fight over seats at lunch, it is very frustrating. They argue over<br />
and over, threatening each other. Though sometimes it’s funny and actually<br />
makes me laugh from what they say and do to each other just to get a seat. I’ll<br />
admit, if anyone took my seat (which they don’t), I would be angry. But these<br />
guys pull each other out of the seat, tickle, lightly punch/kick, and slide the person’s<br />
backpack across the floor so they have to get up and get it.<br />
5) ROLLEY BACKPACKS<br />
Rolley backpacks are ridiculous. They get in the way of everything and everyone<br />
in the hallway. For example, sophomore Joel Cureton has his bookbag about<br />
three feet behind him when he walks around school. Some people trip and others<br />
step on it, either by accident or on purpose because they are angry from the<br />
bag getting in the way. He should really invest in a backpack that goes on his<br />
BACK — and so should everyone else, unless they need to have one due to back<br />
problems, etc.<br />
Video Game Review:<br />
Halo 4 Is “Obliteratingly Fun”<br />
The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived: the release of<br />
Halo 4.<br />
The Halo series continues with John (also known as Master Chief) awakening<br />
an old evil on a new planet called Requiem. Halo 4 is made by 343 Industries,<br />
which has done a phenomenal job with the game. The graphics for the campaign<br />
Patrick Nucci<br />
Video Game<br />
Critic<br />
(the storyline) and for the multiplayer (against<br />
others online) are amazing. The cut scenes are<br />
unbelievably realistic and the gameplay is<br />
astonishing.<br />
Spartan Ops, the new game type with a story<br />
behind it, is an amazing idea that 343 Industries<br />
came out with.<br />
The game was one of the best in the Halo series I have ever played.<br />
The story of Halo 4 is obliteratingly fun. You're on a forerunner planet, and you<br />
accidentally awaken an ancient evil. Who wouldn’t love that? There are new enemies<br />
called the Prometheans that are two feet higher than the Master Chief and<br />
really hard to kill.<br />
The main types of Prometheans are<br />
crawlers and knights. Crawlers are<br />
dog-like enemies that can climb walls.<br />
Knights are nine-foot creatures that<br />
can disappear and reappear in a new<br />
spot. They can snipe, and use assault<br />
rifles and pistols.<br />
The multiplayer for Halo is so<br />
much fun. The new gametype is called<br />
flood (which is another alien species<br />
that is very hard to kill and can destroy<br />
a whole species in 24 hours or<br />
less). When you get killed, you turn<br />
into the flood.<br />
Overall, Halo 4 is an amazing<br />
game. I would rate this game a 9.5.<br />
This is not the best Halo game, but it<br />
is way better than Halo: Reach or Halo<br />
3: ODST.
<strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong> The <strong>Informer</strong><br />
Page 11<br />
Boys’ Varsity Basketball Report:<br />
Jokes and Strong Chemistry Will Lead to Success<br />
A slew of new players injects<br />
additional life into the team.<br />
By Ryan Harvie<br />
Staff Writer<br />
With all the jokers and personalities on the Boys’<br />
Varsity Basketball team, the players will probably have<br />
great chemistry and a successful season.<br />
A bunch of new players have a great deal to bring to<br />
the team with their shooting skills and good conditioning.<br />
Incoming freshman Luke DeLeo is a very confident<br />
player and will most likely be the starting point guard<br />
for the team. His quick speed, strong shooting, and “do<br />
anything to win” attitude make him a well-rounded player<br />
and teammate.<br />
Another one of the new players is sophomore Dan<br />
Cervone, who is the first one to admit he has the mouth<br />
of a superstar, but is still working on his skills.<br />
All kidding aside, Dan will give a strong inside<br />
presence and will help grab many rebounds for the<br />
team this year. He is currently working on his shooting<br />
and will hopefully be able to get his jump shot working<br />
for the season.<br />
Almost half of the team is filled with new and interesting<br />
players, and hopefully they will be able to learn<br />
more and become a strong team.<br />
Alum Dimming Jones (class of 2009) returns as<br />
the Assistant Coach, and his hard-working attitude<br />
makes him a good leader. He and senior Brandon<br />
Anderson joke around and argue constantly, with<br />
Dimming joking about how Brandon is bad at basketball<br />
and then Brandon claiming he is a lot better than<br />
Dimming. Their humorous interactions make everyone<br />
laugh.<br />
The Varsity team had its first game Dec. 4th<br />
against Renaissance Academy, which they lost, 42-22,<br />
but everyone gave an immense effort and there were<br />
numerous great plays.<br />
Sophomore Tristan Bosna, who is no longer on<br />
the team, managed to get three steals, which helped<br />
lead to fast-break baskets.<br />
In addition, Brandon put up six points and a bunch<br />
of rebounds. Forward Ryan Harvie added six points.<br />
Both of these players were very good at running<br />
the team's offense by monitoring the ball and making<br />
sure that it got to the right players at the precise time.<br />
The JV team also had its first game against Delaware<br />
Valley Friends <strong>School</strong>, which they came away<br />
with an impressive win.<br />
Dan played power forward and scored several<br />
points. Sophomore Nick Spino also helped the team<br />
with his hustle.<br />
The varsity team this year might not have the best<br />
record in the league, but they will definitely have the<br />
best time. It has a great bunch of players who add a<br />
lot of different skills to the team, which will probably<br />
get much better throughout the season.<br />
Staff Writer Chris Lumsden contributed to this report.<br />
Athlete Spotlight: Dan Cervone<br />
Sophomore Loves Blocking Shots<br />
<strong>Informer</strong> Staff Writer Nick Scaramuzza sat down with new sophomore Dan Cervone<br />
to talk about his first season playing basketball for <strong>Woodlynde</strong>.<br />
When did you start playing basketball?<br />
"Third grade."<br />
What is your favorite position to play in basketball?<br />
"Forward or center."<br />
Did you play for any other basketball teams before you came to <strong>Woodlynde</strong>?<br />
"I played for Haverford High <strong>School</strong>."<br />
What would you tell someone who never played basketball and is just<br />
starting?<br />
"That it is a lot of fun, and don't feel discouraged when you first start, you'll get better<br />
with practice."<br />
What is one of your favorite memories in basketball?<br />
"The championship game for our rec team. It had to be my favorite memory because<br />
it was me and a bunch of my friends messing around in a game."<br />
"Describe a cool moment in basketball that happened to you?<br />
"Blocking the ball as someone is about to take a shot. You feel so good aft<br />
er you deny his shot."<br />
Have you ever done a 360-degree dunk in a basketball game?<br />
"All the time, because I'm just too<br />
good!"<br />
Have you ever gotten hurt in a<br />
basketball game?<br />
"Yes, I broke an ankle. I was posted<br />
up on some kid. He went to go one way,<br />
and went the other, and I twisted my<br />
ankle and heard a crack ...<br />
“I was out for the rest of the season on<br />
crutches, and was forced to go to the<br />
games, even if I couldn't play. I honestly<br />
hated going to the games knowing I couldn't<br />
play."<br />
Have you ever met a professional basketball<br />
player, and what was it like?<br />
"Yes, Allen Iverson when he was still a<br />
Sixer. He seemed nicer than what people<br />
made him out to be. I only got to meet<br />
him because they had a little meet ‘n greet<br />
before the game started. We didn't really<br />
talk a lot, though."<br />
What's your favorite sport and why?<br />
"Baseball ... I have been playing it since I<br />
could walk, and I’d have to say it's my best<br />
sport, too."<br />
What his teammate says:<br />
"Dan is a pretty good player, a good defender<br />
in general," said junior Jordan<br />
Booth.<br />
Photos by<br />
Andrew Rosenberg,<br />
Ben Weisman,<br />
and<br />
Christa Deckman,<br />
<strong>Informer</strong> Staff<br />
(Top Photo): Freshman Luke DeLeo<br />
runs the offense.<br />
(Left Photo): Sophomore Dan<br />
DeLuca lines up a free throw.<br />
Junior<br />
Jordan<br />
Booth<br />
intensely<br />
concentrates<br />
on<br />
his upcoming<br />
shot.<br />
How much do you think he'll<br />
contribute to the team and why?<br />
"I think he will do a lot because defense<br />
is more important than offense and Dan's<br />
good at it.”<br />
Photo by<br />
Breana<br />
Daniel-<br />
Schnobrich,<br />
Photographer<br />
Sophomore Tristan Bosna goes up strong for a layup.
Page 12<br />
Sports Monthly<br />
<strong>December</strong> 19, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Girls’ Varsity Basketball Report:<br />
Team Moves on without Their Former All-Star<br />
The players and coach are<br />
optimistic they can be successful,<br />
and have a balanced scoring attack.<br />
By Nick Spino<br />
Staff Writer<br />
The Girls' Varsity Basketball team knows that without<br />
all-star Sarah Engman, it'll be a much different<br />
atmosphere on the court. They will have a different skill<br />
set this season and, due to Sarah’s graduation, will have<br />
to fill the void in the middle.<br />
"Sarah is going to be a tough loss to overcome; however,<br />
I believe we can be successful," Coach Robison<br />
stated. "I think that by the end of the year, all of our<br />
scoring will be well divided among the team versus just<br />
one player making all of the baskets."<br />
After playing their first two games, it has been a<br />
struggle for the team, which has started with an 0-2<br />
record. Starting point guard Michaela Trusk has<br />
been their dominant scorer, dropping 18 points in the<br />
first game, which is just shy of matching a career high<br />
she set in Middle <strong>School</strong>.<br />
“Gaylen [Martin] and Michaela have been working<br />
great together on offense,” senior Tianna Buck<br />
said. “Also, Maya [Holloway] has been playing aggressively<br />
down low and she has been getting the ball.<br />
She has been a great addition to the team.”<br />
Mr. Robison, who coached the Girls’ Varsity Volleyball<br />
team in the fall, is looking forward to what he<br />
hopes is a productive season. "I am excited to be working<br />
with the Upper <strong>School</strong> girls again," he said.<br />
"Volleyball was a great experience this past fall. I am<br />
excited for the basketball season and the new ninth<br />
grade talent that will be joining the team this year."<br />
Freshmen who will be playing this year include<br />
Maya, Kyra Weaver, Jenna Pavucek, and Mary<br />
Pawlicki.<br />
"I expect seniors Alex Roberts and Tianna Buck<br />
to be stand-out leaders for this team," Coach Robison<br />
said. In addition to Alex and Tianna, returning players<br />
include Cassia Enright, Amanda Cappelli,<br />
Emily Bank, and Christa Deckman.<br />
"I think the team will do well this year, even<br />
though we lost Sarah. We gained a lot of new people,"<br />
Christa said. "Things will be different this year because<br />
we won't be relying on just one person to make<br />
all of our shots. We are going to have to work extra<br />
hard and develop new strategies in order to win.”<br />
Athlete Spotlight: Michaela Trusk<br />
Point Guard Has a<br />
Blast Playing Ball<br />
Sophomore Michaela Trusk has been playing basketball since fourth grade,<br />
and is the starting point guard for the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team. Staff<br />
Writer Ryan Harvie sat down with her to ask about the current season and<br />
her basketball career.<br />
Guard Gaylen<br />
Martin blows by<br />
a Delaware<br />
Valley defender.<br />
How well do you think the team will do this year?<br />
“Since we have a lot of new girls, I think we will do very well, and as we see<br />
how we all play together, I think we will progress throughout the season. I<br />
think it's going to be a great season!”<br />
Why do you enjoy playing basketball?<br />
“It’s just something I enjoy doing, and I just forget everything else and focus<br />
on playing the game.”<br />
Is basketball your favorite sport?<br />
“Yes, because I just have a blast playing it.”<br />
What was your highest scoring game? How many points?<br />
“In sixth or seventh grade at <strong>Woodlynde</strong>, our Middle <strong>School</strong> Girls’ team<br />
scored 32 points and I had 19 of those points.”<br />
Are you upset that Mr. Purdy is not coaching the Girls’ team this<br />
year?<br />
“I was a little upset when I found out he wasn't, but our new coach, Mr.<br />
Robison, is a lot of fun and he is a great coach.”<br />
What’s your favorite move to do in a game?<br />
“The back door, because you just fake the person out and get an easy layup.”<br />
Photos by<br />
Mattie Sweet,<br />
Media Editor<br />
What’s something exciting that happened to you in a game?<br />
“When my CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) team won the championship.”<br />
What’s a funny thing that happened to you in a game?<br />
“The funniest thing that has ever happened in a game was when the other<br />
team we played started speaking<br />
Spanish, so that we<br />
wouldn't know what they<br />
were saying. It made us<br />
laugh a lot, but we had to get<br />
serious and play the game.”<br />
When asked what it’s like<br />
playing with Michaela,<br />
senior Alex Roberts<br />
said:<br />
“She’s really fun to play<br />
with, because she’s a<br />
very good team<br />
player and gets<br />
everyone involved<br />
on the<br />
team.”<br />
Senior Alex Roberts looks<br />
to pass to a teammate.<br />
Senior Tianna<br />
Buck fires up<br />
a jumper<br />
during game<br />
action.<br />
Photo<br />
by Maya<br />
Holloway,<br />
Photographer<br />
Photo by<br />
Junior<br />
Emily Bank<br />
gets<br />
comfortable<br />
while icing<br />
her ankle.