e White House Marauder on the Move Who will win the election?

The new sheriff in town
By Katrina Fahy
Mirror Staff
Editor’s note: On July 1st, Jacob A.
Santamaria, Jr. replaced Alan Winrow
as principal of Dedham High School.
The Mirror recently caught up with the
new skipper for a little Q&A session.
Can you tell us a bit about your educational
background?
I went to Catholic Memorial High
School, then to Boston State College
for my undergraduate degree. I received
my master’s degree at Bridgewater
State College, and I received my principal’s
certificate at Boston College.
How long have you worked in Dedham?
I worked as a physical education and
health/biology teacher at the Dedham
Junior High School from 1977 to 1985.
I was the varsity boys soccer, tennis and
lacrosse coach. In 1985, I became the
Director of Athletics of the High School
for thirteen years, and became Assistant
Principal in 1997.
How have your experiences as principal
been so far?
They’ve been fantastic. I took over on
July 1st, so my summer was very busy.
I don’t feel very different; there haven’t
been any drastic changes or discipline
issues. It’s been a smooth transition
thanks to Mrs. Roche, who guided me
through it.
What’s your favorite part of being
principal?
I like being able to be involved with recommending
new staff members as a final
decision member. I also like dealing
with many issues on a daily basis; every
day is different.
Do you have any ideas to improve
our school?
I would like more student and staff input
on certain issues. I want kids to take pride
in our school, their academics, and athletics.
I hope my leadership will rub off
on students. The advisory program will
start soon, which will give students and
staff the opportunity to give their ideas
on things. I would also like to review the
daily schedule in the future.
Are there any pressing issues at DHS
that need to be addressed?
I want students to be held accountable
and to act more responsibly. I would like
to continually improve and have a positive
school culture. We should strive to
provide the safest place for students and
staff. We need to figure out how to move
forward despite budget restraints.
Do you have any advice for seniors going
to college? Do you have any tips to
help them succede?
They need to be organized. Get everything
done early and use the advice your
guidance counselors and teachers give
you. Try not to get too overwhelmed, it’s
an exciting process, so enjoy the process.
Be happy with the schools you’re applying
to, and go to a school you like. Most
importantly, do your best academically
until the last day; finish strongly.
Is there anything else you would like us
to know?
Students can come and talk to me anytime
with concerns or questions. My role
is different, but my personality is not.
Seniors salted
By the Class of 2009
Dedham High seniors have
lost a rite of passage – literally. For
the past couple of years, the lower Awing
has been reserved for the senior
class. As it should be. The A-wing is
prime locker space due to its central
location in the school. It is also the
only wing large enough to fi t an entire
class. And that’s a good thing if
you want to keep a class united for its
last year together.
It was assumed at the end
of last year that this year’s seniors
would inherit the A-wing. But at the
end of August, when schedules were
mailed home, every member of the
senior class was given a slap in the
face. Not only did we not get the
A-wing, we were spread over three
wings. A majority of the class has
even been sentenced to the E-wing,
which hasn’t been used in years.
One less privilege is an aggravating
thing for students who are
celebrating their fi nal year of public
education. In a school that gives almost
no senior privileges, every one
counts. Soon we will lose our only
privilege (eating outside) when the
cold weather arrives. So from now
until springtime, the class of 2009
will have no advantages over the rest
the student body. No senior lounge.
No eating outside. No A-wing.
Perhaps the most irritating
thing is who did get-wing: the freshman.
These rookies are the least entitled.
Doesn’t seniority mean a thing
around here?
Not only are they unqualifi
ed, but they are fairly inexperienced
in hallway traffi c. Their lack of understanding
of the unwritten rules, including
“Use Two Doors”, “Stay To The
Right”, and just plain “Walk” causes
an obstacle to all students who are eager
to get to class on time.
Most seniors are upset because
our separation of lockers does
not allow us to grow together as a class
this last year of high school. Our class
in particular has never had the chance
to retain one single wing all together.
We’ve been split up into at least two
different wings all throughout high
school.
Unfortunately, the seniors
have lost this battle. It appears we’re
destined to be spread over three wings.
Juniors can only hope that the administration
will see our point of view and
grant them the A-wing next year.
Advice: Don’t hold your
breath.
The Dedham Mirror • Tuesday, October 7, 2008
6 Feature/Opinion
Grubbing with Joe
By Joe Mahoney
Pizzadoro’s or Riverside?
Which is better, and why? What sets
these two pizza shops apart from
one another? Both are very popular
amongst the people of Dedham. But in
a head-to-head match-up, who comes
out on top?
Both shops make pizza,
subs, calzones, pasta, dinner plates,
and all the side orders. However, they
are on two completely different levels.
The quality of the food is no where
near the same, and they have their own
distinct tastes.
Pizzadoro’s, a fairly new
restaurant to Dedham, having only
been around for a few years, has had
some serious success. Located in East
Dedham, it has grown to be known
as one of the favorite pizza shops in
town.
The fi rst item I sampled
from Pizzadoro’s was the pizza, which
Meet Nelson Rivera
By Sarah Mosca
Mirror Staff
Editor’s note: Nelson Rivera was
recently hired to work alongside
John Murray as the newest DHS
Vice Principal. He will be interacting
mostly with grade 11 and
12 students.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a town called Hamden
in Connecticut.
Can you tell us a bit about your
educational background?
I got my bachelor’s degree at
Southern Connecticut State
University. I then attended Sacred
Heart, where I earned a
master’s degree. I am currently
at Boston University writing
my dissertation.
How long were you a teacher?
Eight years.
Where did you teach?
I taught for two years at Holliston
High School as a social
studies teacher. Before Holliston,
I taught at a high school in
North Haven, Connecticut.
What distinguishes Dedham
from other high schools that
you have worked at?
I don’t know if I can really say
there are any differences. Kids
are kids wherever you go, and
it’s always enjoyable to me to
interact with them no matter
what school I’m at. Also, the
staff here is just as dedicated
toward improving young minds
as any other school I’ve worked
for.
A column dedicated to evaluating local food establishments
has a very interesting taste. It seems
to combine Italian and Greek fl avors.
Unlike most pizza places in Dedham,
Pizzadoro’s does not have that distinct
style and taste of Greek pizza. Although
I wouldn’t quite say that it has an Italian
taste, it’s somewhere in the middle, but
still very good.
Their specialty pizzas are
also very tasty. My personal favorite
is the buffalo chicken pizza. It contains
just the right amount of buffalo sauce,
mozzarella cheese, and chicken.
The calzones, too, are worth
a try. I wouldn’t say they’re excellent,
but they are just as good as anywhere
else in town.
My personal favorite item on
the menu at Pizzadoro’s is the chicken
parm sub. No other restaurant in the area
can compete with its exquisiteness.
Riverside, located across
town in Riverdale, has been around for
quite some time. And though it’s a local
favorite, there are very few items on
their menu that I am impressed with.
For example, their pizza is
mediocre. It has that familiar and plain
Greek style and taste. The cheese isn’t
very good, and the sauce has no zest.
The quality of their sand-
Do you have any ideas to improve
the atmosphere here at
DHS?
We have recently come up with
the idea of the Advisory Program.
The program is going to consist
of a group of about ten people
(of all different grades) that will
be assigned to a certain teacher
where they can talk about things
going on in the school and their
views on certain events. I think it
will make our school a little more
personable by creating a way for
teachers and students to build an
“outside of the classroom” relationship
where concerns can be
addressed.
What’s your favorite thing about
DHS, so far?
Interacting with the kids is defi -
wiches is also rather poor. Some were
so bad I couldn’t even fi nish them. I
recommend staying away from their
steak and cheese. If anything, go with
a classic Greek sub. It’s a satisfying
sandwich, basically consisting of all
the items found in a Greek salad.
Riverside has built up a
reputation on having the greatest buffalo
chicken calzone. However, there
is nothing out of the ordinary about
it. Don’t get me wrong – it’s good,
but only good, nothing spectacular.
I would highly recommend trying a
buffalo chicken calzone from Pizzadoro’s,
and then decide for yourself
if Riverside’s is really as good as you
think.
Although the food may not
be so great, the service almost makes
up for it. They are very polite and always
on time with your order.
After months of conducting
research for this review, I have come
to the conclusion that Pizzadoro’s is
the better restaurant. They seem to put
more time and effort into the quality of
their food.
Riverside: two out of fi ve stars
Pizzadoro’s: three and a half
New veep Nelson Rivera sits behind his desk in the newly
constructed Vice Principal offi ces.
nitely my favorite thing. Things
like seeing kids in the hall and
talking to them. The fi rst day of
school was probably the best
day because it was interesting
to see everyone intermingling
after the summer. I also enjoyed
meeting everybody.
Do you have any hobbies that
keep you occupied in your
spare time?
Between school and work, I really
don’t really have a lot of
free time. I do have two puppies,
however, that I enjoy taking
care of during what leisure
time I have.
Lastly, who is your favorite
band?
Weezer.