October 2011 - Rye High School

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6ProfilesStudent Spotlight:Cameron KinkerStudent Spotlight:Tori VirtueBy Kirsten ColwellAt an academically inclined schoollike Rye High, there is no shortage ofexcellent students. Senior CameronKinker, however, has undoubtedlymade his mark. In throwing his fullweight behind a number of extracurriculars,Cameron has proved himselfexceptional in more than one respect.Cameron’s efforts as president of theGay and Straight Alliance have beenenormously successful. Havinglaunched the “Stop Hate” campaign,Cameron hopes that this undertakingwill foster acceptance and unity.“My job as president,” says Cameron,“is to make sure that peopleknow that the club exists. We hopeto give people who may feel insecure,a place where they can feelsafe.” Having created this safe havenfor students of all sexual orientations,Cameron plays an essentialrole at the heart of the school community.Cameron’s leadership skills areequally evident in his role as theParson Street Player’s treasurer. Hehas been involved with PSP since hisfreshman year debut in Les Misreables.Cameron remembers histime with PSP as an “amazing experience,”ultimately teaching him“how hard work can really pay off.“[PSP] has made me a much moreaccepting person,” admits Cameron,“it has shaped me immensely overthese four years.” Fellow classmateGwedolyn Weigold comments,“Cameron is an extraordinarily dedicatedmember of Parson Street Players.His ability to merge leadershipin the GSA with drama activities isincredible." Stemming from his leadershipin GSA, Cameron brings to PSP aunique perspective.Clearly, Cameron has found balancebetween his school work and extracurriculars.“I’ve worked with Cameronat Coveleigh for three summers now.He works extremely hard and is a greatfriend,” says senior Kelly Bonaventura.A multitalented individual whoalways puts forth his best effort, CameronKinker is without a doubt a majorasset to this year’s senior class. GSenior Cameron Kinker is an activeleader and a talented actor.By Courtney ColwellSenior Tori Virtue can often be seenin the hallway with a huge smile on herface. She’s friendly, approachable, andhighly energetic. As fellow seniorSascha Oswald says, “Tori is so positiveand is a great friend. ” Consideringhow busy her schedule is, Tori’s highspirits are more than impressive.A three-season athlete, Virtue is onthe varsity field hockey, track, andlacrosse teams. In track, she holdsschool records in the 4x200 meterrelay, the distance medley, andhigh jump. This past year, Toriearned all section honorable mentionin field hockey and all leaguein lacrosse-- accomplishmentswhich made her an obvious choicefor captain of both teams. Toriworks hard as an athlete, but leadershipcomes to her naturally.Field hockey coach Emily Fitzgeraldcomments “Tori constantlyaccepts challenges and takes risks;She has no fears”Despite the enormous timecommitment of three varsitysports, Tori is an excellent student.Always upbeat, she comments, “Iwould need a break from workafter school regardless, and havingpractice before I do homework iskind of nice.”Between sports and her schoolwork,its hard to imagine that Torihas time to do anything else.Though Tori is involved in manyclubs, her main focus is InvisibleChildren, which she foundedalong with fellow senior OliviaSinger. Seeking to end conflict inUganda, Invisible Children, ledby president Tori Virtue, has undoubtedlymade its mark on the school community.These extraordinary accomplishmentsdon’t go unnoticed. Very recently,Tori was selected as a Con EdisonScholar-Athlete of the Week. The ConEdison award recognizes well-roundedindividuals: student-athletes who excelboth on the field and in the classroom.GSenior Tori Virtue is a star in school andon the field hockey field.Teacher Spotlight: Mr. ValinotiBy Grace LeishmanIt is always difficult to decide uponone teacher to interview when we aresurrounded by such a fantastic staff.This month, however, when one teacher’sname came up, there was unanimousagreement. Entering into his twentiethyear of teaching and his tenth yearhere at Rye High School, Mr. Valinoti isa dynamic educator.Young Dominic Valinoti started outat St. Raymond High School, an allboys’ Catholic school in the Bronx. Hedescribed himself as a “nerd,” earningthe title of valedictorian and showing astrong interest in the field of mathematics.He was accepted into ManhattanCollege and studied engineering thereuntil the summer of his junior year whenhe took on an internship for MetroNorth and absolutely “hated it.”In search of a new potential profession,Mr. Valinoti continued his studiesat Manhattan, going on to the school’sgraduate program. Once he began teachingat the college’s summer school, heknew he’d found his calling. So he pursuedhis Masters at Lehman Collegeand, once certified, jumped right into“doing what he loves to do.”But Mr. Valinoti is much more than awell-qualified math teacher. Dr. Zungraved about him commenting, “He hasthe best subtle sense of humor of anybodythat I know.”Perhaps, if you’ve walked by hisclassroom, you’ve heard Val, as manylike to call him, shout, “Why are youtalking?” or “You’re gunna fail.” Theseare tidbits of the sense of humor that cancatch unfamiliar students off guard. But,this humor is one reason Val is so popularwith his students. Senior AxelHufford commented, “He’s always in agreat mood, which keeps the class excitedand attentive.”Of course, Mr. Valinoti isn’t all funand games. AP Calc BC student MaddyJunkins insisted, “He balances claritywith efficiency, so we can speedthrough a unit without anyone gettinglost or confused along the way.” Fellowclassmate Ben ‘Loeb’ Meyers agreedsaying, “He makes sure every single kidin the class understands before hemoves on.”Nerd, valedictorian, comedian, teacherextraordinaire, or however else you’dlike to describe him, Mr. Valinoti is akey member of Rye’s staff. He has andwill continue to inspire and excite mathstudents for countless years to come.Mr. Tuttle concluded, “He’s a great guy,both in the classroom and on the golfcourse.” GAlthough Mr. Valinoti’s x-period is always busy, he manages to help everyone,like senior Chris Faries (above), who had calculus questions.
Sports7Once a Garnet,A Strong Team,Always a GarnetFor Rye alumni, the Rye-Harrisongame remains a cherished traditionBy Rebecca JordanThe Rye Garnets and Harrison Huskiesrivalry has been going to for 82years. During that time, traditions havedeveloped, memories have been made,and every person that was a part of theRye team has kept a piece ofthe Garnets in their hearts.The annual game bringsexcitement not only to theplayers, but also to the alumni,whose calendars aremarked in anticipation. Onealum recalls the big game 27years ago was “not too differentfrom today, exciting, withthe intensity level prettyhigh.”Whether a player is gettingpumped up for their first Garnetsvs. Huskies game orcoming to watch from thestands as an alumni fan, beingpart of the Garnets and beingpart of this game, forms aconnection between thesepeople that is obvious in theexcitement all around us.For freshman TimDeGraw, “being part of somethingas old as Rye vs. Harrison”means a lot. Anotheryoung player, Andrew Livingstonhumbly stated that “It’san honor, especially being afreshman, to be part of thisteam.” Livingston was thequarterback during this year’svictory against Harrison.Garnet alumni also get psyched forthe Harrison game. Chris Duffy, class of1984, looks at the game as “a friendlyreunion” and a chance to “reconnectwith people he hasn’t seen in a while.”Duffy, who played fullback and linebackeras number 32 for the Garnets,has noticed a few changes in the excitingevent. When he played, the Harrisongame was always the last of theseason. “It was like how you look forwardto the last day of school. If youbeat Harrison, it was the ultimate goal.”Duffy has a great memory of beatingHarrison as a senior, ending the Huskies’eight-year winning streak.He notices that now after a game,everybody goes into the brook, whenyears ago it was just the coaches andplayers. There aren’t “as many mohawksand shaved heads before games,”Chris Duffy was a starting fullback andlinebacker for the 1984 Garnets.either. Also, the administration now“frowns on the chant ‘hang the huskies,’which was popular then.”Another thing he likes is “how allthe Garnets, not just the football teamget wound up when they play Harrison.”The other Rye Teams value their chanceto go against the Huskies, as well.Chris Duffy is a great example of theenduring spirit of the Rye-Harrisongame. “The older I get, it’s more aboutgoing to have a good time, not competing.That said, an exciting game andvictory for Rye can’t hurt!” GBoth On and Offthe Soccer FieldThe Boys Varsity Soccer SeasonBy Michael GarofaloAfter a grueling preseason starting inAugust, the boys varsity soccer team hasreached the pivotal point of its season- theplayoffs. Before the season started, therewere many questions about how the teamwould fare this year and whether therewould be a drop off in the level of playafter losing last year’s talented group. Butthe team disproved any doubts, and concludedthe regular season with 12 wins, 3losses, and 1 tie. The team is peaking atthe right time and finished strong despite achallenging schedule packed with difficultopponents such as Port Chester, Yonkersand Mamaroneck.The boy’s success can be traced tomore than raw talent. Coach Jared Smallruns demanding practices. The first weekof tryouts the players were asked to arriveat 6:30 am. Practices were difficult, yetenjoyable.Once the team was selected, the boysimmediately began to bond, especiallyafter traveling to Boston to competeagainst tough New England competition,as well as enjoy the city’s fine sightseeingand culinary delights. Coach Small playedtour guide in the city where he went tocollege. The bus ride was filled with loudteam dinners and mandatory charityevents throughout the season. Such charityevents included teams volunteering at theWestchester Triathlon. The boys alsospent this past Saturday from 8 AM- 6 PMrefereeing games for the Rye Youth SoccerLeague.Rye had key victories over HoraceGreeley, Mamaroneck, and the previouslyundefeated Yonkers team. The team onlylost to Port Chester twice and Byram Hillsonce.The team has displayed a thrilling styleof play, mainly due to Senior MatheusGomes. Matheus grew up in the city ofPocos de Caldas in Brazil. When askedwhat his soccer aspirations were for afterRye High School, Matheus said, “I wouldlove to play professionally in Europe, becauseever since I was a little kid, Idreamed of playing for a living. I realizethat I have to work very hard to accomplishmy tough goals”. Matheus promisesthat if Rye plays Port Chester again thegame will go in Rye’s favor, because hebelieves that everyone is now playingtheir best soccer of the season, saying “Wehave figured out how to find holes inteams’ defenses.”Another player who has carried theoffensive load for the boys team is SeniorTennis SuccessBy Molly JordanSeniors and doubles partners Jessica Jahnkeand Claire Pfister were dubbed “The Terminators”by Coach Campbell.After winning a tightmatch against Byram-Hills, girls varsity tennisplaced first in their league.This victory allowed theteam to send eight girls toconferences, includingdoubles teams: ClairePfister & Jessica Jahnke,Molly Jordan & OliviaSinger, Emma Jennings &Paola Peraza, and twosingles players: Ali Simsand Casey Berger. Claire,Jessica, and Ali all made itto the semi-finals in conferences,sending them onto sectionals. GSenior Matheus Gomes dribbles the ball as Coaches Jared Small andJudd Rothstein, as well as the rest of the team, look on.music and random dance-offs. Additionally,a side trip to the beach allowed forsome pleasant cross-training. There wasnever a dull moment on that trip!The fun spirit fostered during preseasoncarried over to the regular season.Coach Small put his boys varsity playerson the spot by giving them each a secondpink breast cancer awareness jersey andinstructing them to give the jersey tosomeone “special”. Most players on theboys varsity team chose to give their extrajersey to a member of the girls team, leavingmany moms disappointed, except forMrs. Reed.The team bond only grew stronger withKamal Logue. Kamal had considered notplaying soccer this year and but now admitsthat “I couldn’t even imagine notplaying this year because of all the greattimes I have had so far. I would’ve criedeveryday if I hadn’t played and I am sohappy with my decision”.When questioned why the team gotalong so well this year Kamal responded,“We have spent so much time togetherthrough outside events and volunteer workthat we all know each other very well andsupport what each other on the field. Ourteam was expected to have its best year,but ended up doing very well, which hasraised our spirits.” G
Page 1 and 2: GARNET & BLACKTHE NEWSPAPER OF RYE
Page 4 and 5: 4Goodbye Charlie,Arts & Entertainme
Page 8: 8SportsGarnet Fall SportsWhile the

October 2011 - Rye High School

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