finance classes get taste of Wall Street - My High School Journalism

Volume VII, Number 2 25 Cents
January, 2008
Provencher retires from
Tyngsboro High after 24 years
By Jane Freeman
Tyngsboro High School’s
receptionist, Patricia Provencher
retired in December 2007, after the
first semester. Ms. Provencher has
worked at Tyngsboro High for 24
years and chose to leave after first
semester so she can take the winter
off and adjust to not working.
“I’m going to miss the close
families, friends, and students I’ve
gotten to known over the years and
the people I’ve worked with,” said
Provencher. “ My grandchildren
are getting older and I don’t want
to work in the school that they are
attending.”
She says her favorite part
of working at the school is the
students’ and faculty’s school
spirit which will make
her miss working
here very much.
“ I h a v e
a couple of
v a c a t i o n
homes so I
might start
enjoying
them now that I won’t have to
work,” said Provencher when
asked what she will do after
retiring.
finance classes get taste of Wall Street
By Matt Wickens
One glance at his diverse
stock portfolio could lead
one to mistake him for an
affluent, sophisticated Wall
Street yuppie. 1,000 shares
of El Paso Pipeline Partners,
2,000 of Circuit City, 2,500
of Citigroup, among others.
Spreading the wealth is senior
Matt Costopoulos’ style.
Unfortunately he made the
grave mistake of latching onto
Exxon Mobil Corporation,
which lost him $3,000. An
additional $2,000 loss at
the hands of Constellation
Energy Group contributed
to his second place finish in
the Virtual Stock Exchange
(VSE).
VSE, an internet game
powered by MarketWatch,
originated at Tyngsboro High
in 2006. Former history teacher
Mr. Chad Minervini mentioned
the site to Mr. Pat Romano,
who was the finance teacher at
the time. Romano deemed it a
great idea, and introduced the
game to his class. The success
and passionate following of the
first game caused teacher Jeff
Ogden to incorporate it into his
“She’s a legend. Mrs.
Provencher knows more about
this school, the history, and the
people better than anyone else;
she is an incredible woman,” said
Assistant Principal
(photo by David Ziemlak)
Michael Flannagan.
On her last day of working
at THS on December 21, 2007 a
heartfelt Friday Focus video was
2007-2008 lesson plan.
“We were on the topic of
stocks and investments,” said
Mr. Romano, “and VSE really
fit the approach I wanted to take.
It’s free, which was important.
And it’s very oriented on risk
and reward, which is where
the competitiveness comes
from.”
S e n i o r S t e v e R i c e
participated in the inaugural
game last year. “It was very
competitive,” he said. “Almost
everywhere you went in the
school, you’d find someone
either talking about their
stocks or checking for updates
online.”
Mr. Romano’s primary
reason for introducing the game
was to promote an education
of the stock market.
“ A s i d e f r o m t h e
enjoyment, students get handson
experience with managing
money,” said Mr. Romano.
“They have to research trends
and form their own strategy,
and they see how and why the
prices change.”
Students begin by choosing
a nickname for themselves.
Each player is allowed
made in honor of her retirement.
Mr. Ciampa, Mr. Flanagan, and
Ms. Lewenczuk renacted a typical
day in the THS front office and
impersonated Ms. Lemire, Ms.
Miceli, and Ms. Provencher.
Several faculty members shared
their memories and joys of working
with her and wished her the best of
luck.
“I will miss her sense of
humor,” said close friend of
Provencher and THS faculty
member Ms. Anne Lemire. “The
school will definitely be a lot
quieter.”
M s . J a m i e P h i p p s , a
replacement for Ms. Provencher
was hired in the middle of
December 2007. After
teaching Ms. Phipps all
the ropes of the school,
Provencher said her final
goodbyes at the closing
bell of school on the last
Friday before winter
break. Although it was
the last time students
and faculty would hear
her voice and announcents over the
intercom, Provencher will always
be a legend around the halls at
THS.
$100,000 (pretend cash, of
course), with $200,000 of
buying power to invest among
real corporations. As the prices
of those real stocks move, so
does the students’ money.
The various strategies
employed by the students of
The Bridge
THS Band lights
up the holidays
By Michelle Cree
The Tyngsboro Instrumental
Music Department presented
their annual Holiday Concert on
Tuesday December 19, 2007 at
7:00pm in the Tyngsboro High
School Auditorium.
Several delightful holiday
classics were performed including
“Jingle Bells” and “Stars and
Stripes.”
“The band’s favorite song
for the concert was “Eighth
Candle” because of how dramatic
and intense it is,” said senior and
lead percussionist Sarah Shank.
With over 30 members in
the band, the concert was full
of holiday joy. Members of
the high school band played
holiday songs after the Tyngsboro
Middle School band began the
performance.
“It’s sad that I played my
last holiday concert but it’s also
a relief that I won’t be under all
the stress of practicing so many
holiday songs again,” said senior
band member Deana Salameh. “It
was especially emotional for all
of us seniors when we presented
Mr. Maaser with a gift at the end
Finance teacher Jeff Ogden looks over stocks with senior Tyler
Lorman. (photo by Jane Freeman)
Mr. Ogden’s Period 5B game
led to a range of results. Just
33 percent of the participants
finished the game with a net
gain.
Senior Mike Doherty won
making 30 transactions for a
net gain of $87,000. One of
of the concert.”
The band was heard during the
month of December in the hallways
of the high school. The students
performed holiday songs on the
second floor above the entrance
as students and staff entered the
building in the morning.
On Thursday, December 13,
2007 the band was scheduled
to perform holiday pieces at
Faneuil Hall in Boston, MA.
Due to an afternoon snowstorm
and unplanned early release day,
the trip was cancelled but not
rescheduled.
On Wednesday, December 19,
2007 Tyngsboro High’s National
Honor Society held a luncheon
for senior citizens where the
band performed various songs
from their holiday concert. Honor
society members served home
cooked meals and provided door
prizes for all of the guests.
“The best part of the holiday
season as a band member is
when we get to perform for the
senior citizens,” said Shank. “It
really brings a sense of unity and
pride.”
those 30 moves turned out to
be noteworthy: 88,000 shares
of Novastar Financial, a penny
stock, propelled him to the top
of the leader board.
English teacher Mr. James
Robson racked up 156 total
orders for a net gain of $5,494.
Sean Mellen limited himself to
just 8 dealings and lost close to
$13,000. The worst of Period
5B was Achint Patel, who lost
$18,805.
“I lost thousands of dollars,
so I’m not about to hand out
any advice,” said senior Chris
Joyce.
It has been common for
the teacher of the class to
participate in the game as well.
While Mr. Romano recalls
finishing in the top 10 last year,
Mr. Ogden placed 13th with a
net loss of $2,358.
Mr. Ogden plans to play
three games—two short games
of about 30 days (one of which
has just ended), and one long
game to end the school year.
The winner of each game
receives a prize. If the prize
is a comprehensive education
of the stock market, then
everybody is a winner.

Massachusetts Presidential Primary Moved Up to Feb. 5
By Michelle Cree
Massachusetts moved up
its presidential primary to Feb.
5, 2008, joining over 20 other
states on what is known as “Super
Tuesday.” Governor Deval Patrick
signed a bill on Nov. 26, 2007 to
move the state’s presidential primary
from it’s original date of March 4.
This switch will give Massachusetts
voters more importance in the
nominating process.
According to the Associated
press, supporters of the earlier
date said that moving the primary
will ensure that Massachusetts has
some say in a presidential race that
may be all but decided after Super
Tuesday.
With the date moved up, voters
have less time to learn about the
candidates and decide who to vote
for.
“Even though I’ll be 18 by the
primary, I probably still won’t know
for sure who to vote for,” said senior
By Kristen Kouloheras
In less than a year, some
Tyngsborough High students will
have the opportunity to change
the country; the power to make a
difference in how our nation is run.
Many of our current seniors and
juniors will have the right to vote
bestowed upon them.
Does anyone know what they
want? Does anyone understand the
platforms that candidates present?
Does anyone know who Christopher
Dodd, Dennis Kucinich, or Tom
Tancredo are?
It seems that the only people
students recognize are Hillary
Clinton, the woman who would
make Bill Clinton the First
Husband, Barrack Obama, the first
African American front runner,
and Mitt Romney, the polished
Massachusetts governor with
impeccable hair. But what can they
do for us? What do students want?
“I want a candidate to lower our
taxes. I think that they should have a
religious background, compassion
,and a stable relationship with
Check us out
www.THSbridge.com
Editor-In-Chief
Michelle Cree
Features Editor
Kyle McCormack
Sports Editor
James Sheehan
Photo Editor
David Ziemlak
Copy Editors
Kristen Kouloheras
Matt Wickens
Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton signs autographs at a
rally at Nashua South High School in Nashua, NH in November
2007. (photo by Michelle Cree)
Andrea Darcangelo. “I do know
who I definitely won’t vote for
though.”
According to a national poll
by Harvard University’s Institute
Students Voice
Opinions on
2008 presidential
campaign
their family,” commented junior
Colleen Leary.
Although Leary knows
what she wants, many students
do not. Existing presidential
platforms for the 2008 election
include abortion, drugs, crime,
education, environment, gun
control, the war in Iraq, health
care, and social security to name
a few.
“I try to look at the candidates
themselves. I don’t know a lot of
the policies, so I’m going to take
a look at their backgrounds,
where they came from, and how
they act as a person,” said senior
Lauren Peterson.
Voting is one privilege that
students will remember for the
rest of their lives. Once citizens
turn 18 years old, they have
the opportunity to voice their
opinions.
“Voting was a big deal to
me,” said THS media specialist
Ms. Kristine Nazzaro. “I was 18
and I voted for someone who
could get us out of Vietnam.”
Editors/Reporters
Tony D’Annolfo
Mike Doherty
Jane Freeman
Allison Gendron
Kayleigh Morrisey
Ian Tucke
Newspaper Advisor
Mr. Tom Varnum
Some material courtesy of American
Society of Newpaper Editors/KRT
Campus High School Newspaper Service.
of Politics, candidates Barack
Obama and Rudy Giuliani lead
the polls among 18-24 year-olds.
The top concerns by young adults
were found to be the war in Iraq,
By David Ziemlak
As winter reaches its peak at
least a few students at Tyngsboro
High School are excited. With the
cold weather comes fresh powder
on the slopes and the ski club is at
it once again.
The club, advised by teachers
Mr. Justin Maslanka and Ms. Kate
Capistron, has grown steadily over
the last few years.
Senior Patrick Ruane, excited
about his fourth year in the club
said, “I’d say we have almost
doubled the number of skiers since
I joined.”
With 48 participants the club
The Bridge
genocide in Darfur, and foreign
policy issues. The poll results
also revealed that fewer than 1/3
of teenagers approve of the way
President George W. Bush has run
our country.
While many high school
students aren’t old enough to
vote yet, a number of upperhouse
students will get the chance to
participate in the 2008 presidential
primary in February.
“ L u c k i l y I ’ l l t u r n 1 8
in January right before the
presidential primary,” said senior
Ryan Clement. “It will be nice
getting the chance to vote in an
important election shortly after
I become old enough to vote.”
I n t h e u p c o m i n g
e l e c t i o n , v o t e r s h a v e
t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o v o t e
for candidates who will bring
historical milestones to the
White House. In 2008, America
attracts people of all skill level and
experience.
“We have skiers, snowboarders
and then there are the ones who
just sit in the lodge and drink
hot cocoa,” added senior Amber
Stangroom.
Although the initiaition of
the co-curricular program didn’t
lessen the cost to the members,
the increase in members did. With
the cost of gas so high, running a
remote club tends to be expensive,
but splitting the cost among more
people lowers the individual
payment.
“It’s $100 for the winter
could have the chance to put the
first woman in office, Hillary
Clinton, or the first African
American, Barack Obama.
Although Americans can vote
in elections as early as age 18,
voter turnout has been weak among
young adults ages 18-24. Reasons
for the low level of participation
include not knowing how or
where to register to vote, thinking
your vote doesn’t count, and being
away from your hometown while
in college. With many 18-24 year
olds away at school, they need
to fill out an absentee ballot for
elections which many young adults
may not know where to get.
“I won’t be old enough to vote
until the end of August next year
which leaves me with alot more
time to decide on who I’ll vote for
in the presidential election,” said
senior Sarah Mills.
Ski Club Hits the Slopes
By Ian Tucke
In early December 2007,
student government members
and National Honor Society
officers were asked to be a part
of a conference that involved the
Superintendent search.
“I really liked it, I thought
it was nice we got to take part in
that,” said senior Treasurer Tom
Doyle.
The students were asked
to participate a week before
the meeting by principal Don
Ciampa. Most of the selected
students attended the meeting
with a representative from New
England School District Consultant
(NESDC), Ken Debenadictus. In
the past Debenadictus has been a
superintendent, principal, and a
classroom teacher.
The meeting consisted of
two topics that students voiced
their opinions on. They were
asked which qualities they think
a superintendent should have, and
what he or she should accomplish
right away as the superintendent.
The answers students shared
included being a kind person
and having a strong educational
background.
The meeting was very
activities fee, plus $109 for the
bus, and $103 for Mt. Wachusett,”
explained Ms. Capistron.
For the first time ever, the
club will be hitting the slopes eight
times on Tuesdays after school,
up from it’s original six times,
something many students have
been hoping for.
“It’s awesome that we get
more time at the mountain this
year, it goes by so quick,” said
senior Scott Record.
The ski club is ready for
another successful season and the
only one holding them back is
Mother Nature.
Selected Students Participate
In Superintendent Search
successful and students’ comments
were very precise and helpful.
Senior class secretary Hannah
Adams thought that the meeting
was great stating, “I thought it was
cool we got to be involved in the
decision process.”
There won’t be anymore
meetings involving the students.
The School Committee and Mr.
Ciampa felt it was necessary that
a portion of the student body was
involved in this search, seeing how
it effects the students as well as
everyone else.
Senior Nick Jacek,left, carries milk gallons to be delivered to families. NHS members, right, help load
trucks with food and gifts for the Adopt-a-Family participants. (photos by Tom Varnum)
2

The Sound-Off
Four years is almost over
By Kyle McCormack
Four years. It sounds so
simple when said, but the
last four years have come and
gone as fast as light itself. It
is hard to come to grips with
the fact that this period of our
lives is all but over. Granted
there are still a few months
left, with many good times
hopefully among them. Yet
it has occured to me that the
next phase of our lives is right
on the doorstep, and time isn’t
slowing down for anyone.
Four years ago we
w e r e a l l l i t t l e w i d e -
eyed freshman eager to
discover what many wonders
high school would bring us.
Then we learned. We learned
the ins and outs of high school
life like scientists trying to
cure an incurable disease,
striving for every last truth
and every last answer. Yet
time never stopped. It was
easy to say “I can’t wait to be
a sophomore.” Then it turned
By Michelle Cree
Tyngsboro High School
senior Brian Murphy has hit
the music scene with his band,
In Harm’s Way. With weekly
performances at different
venues and an appearance
on a local radio station,
Murphy is on his way to
stardom.
Murphy joined In
Harm’s Way in September
2007 after playing in a
previous band called
Overtone. In Harm’s Way
was formed in 1998 and is
based in the Greater Lowell
Area. The band consists
of five men from Dracut,
Lowell, and Tyngsboro with
ages ranging from 17 to
32.
“Our band’s music
is mostly metal and
progressive rock,” said
Murphy. “All the members
help out with writing all our
songs.”
On Thursday, January
3, 2008, Murphy and his
band hosted the radio show,
“The Stress Factor” on the
Lowell-based radio station
91.5 WUML from 6 to 9
p.m. Their songs “Guilt” and
“Three Wishes” air frequently
on the station.
In December of 2007, In
Harm’s Way was featured in
the “Steppin’ Out” section of
The Lowell Sun. With their own
page in the weekly newspaper
pullout, the band discussed
their music and upcoming
performances.
“This year and in 2009 we
plan on hitting up Canada, the
into “Man I just want to have
AB prep.” Always looking
into the future and never
appreciating the past. Many
people have told me that you
never fully appreciate what
you have until its gone. Only
now, when my four years are
almost up, have I started to
really understand what that
person meant.
Nearing the end, it is said
that one’s life flashes before
one’s eye’s. I think that is
what has happened with
me. In the past few weeks
more and more memories
have come back to me. I find
myself laughing in class at
the oddest times, much to the
horror of everyone around
me. Until recently, it was
easy to say that I couldn’t
wait for college, and for high
school to be over. Yet now I
am wondering what life will
be like when our four years
are over. High school is the
Photo by Kyle McCormack
only thing we know, and life
after is the unknown.
We joke that we live in a
bubble called Tyngsborough,
far outside the rest of the
world. It is unbelievable how
true that joke really is. In a
few short months our four
years will be in the past and
our precious bubble will
Murphy rocks the music charts
East Coast, and maybe California. Manchester, NH.
We were offered a couple “I thought I could handle
shows there,” said Murphy. playing my first show but it
Since the age of 13, Murphy took a few minutes to adjust,”
has been playing the guitar and said Murphy. “It freaks you out
loving every second of it. He when you see a big audience in
front of you but I
don’t get nervous
anymore when I
perform.”
O n e o f
Murphy shows off his guitar skills on stage (photo
courtesy of www.returntothepit.com)
Murphy’s favorite
venues to play
at is Good Time
E m p o r i u m i n
S o m e r v i l l e ,
M a s s a c h u s e t t s
because of the large
size of their concert
stadium. Among
the different songs
he can play on his
guitar, “Master
of Puppets” by
Metallica is his
favorite.
The band has
performed at various
venues including
T h e B r e w e r y
Exchange and The
Worthen in Lowell,
MA, and Mark’s
S h o w p l a c e i n
now owns 4 electric guitars and Bedford, NH.
one acoustic. After watching “Brian Murphy is an idol
videos of Steven Vai, a Grammy to me with his guitar skills,”
Award winning guitarist and said junior Don St. Hilaire.
listening to Slipknot guitarist I n t h e f u t u r e
Mick Thomson, Murphy was Murphy hopes to get a
inspired to play the guitar. record deal with his band and
His first guitar performance become a famous guitarist.
was at Band Aid in the THS For upcoming shows
auditorium in 2006. His and music by In Harm’s
first performance with In Way, check out http://
Harm’s Way was in November w w w . m y s p a c e . c o m /
2007 at Billy’s Tavern in inharmsway666.
The Bridge
be no more. The real world
is beckoning, and we have
no choice but to answer its
ominous tone.
Imparting wisdom is never
an easy thing to do. What I am
trying to get across to my
fellow seniors, and in fact all
the students at this school, is
simply this, do not take for
By Kyle McCormack
When the Red Sox won the
World Series, the first things they
got were championship hats.
To show your support for your
favorite team, you wear the team
hat. There are stores in the mall
dedicated to selling all different
kinds of hats. So why would
something so widely accepted
by the American population be
banned in schools across the
country including our own?
Among the clothing items
on our school’s
dress code are
“barely there”
c l o t h e s a n d
clothing with
obscenities or
other lewd things
on them. Also
on the banned
clothing list
are hats. Since
when is wearing
a hat the same as
wearing skimpy
pieces of cloth
that girls wear?
A hat covers
up part of your
body and (except for a select
few) doesn’t have any obscenities
printed on them. Also it is hard
to believe that a hat could disrupt
the school day in such a profound
way as to warrant a school wide
ban on it. Teachers even stand at
the door in the morning and tell
students to take off their hats.
There is the respect issue to
take into account. It’s a tradition
stemming way before our time
to take your hat off when you
walk into a public building, but
it just doesn’t work anymore.
It’s a tradition
stemming way before
our time to take your
hat off when you walk
into a public building,
but it just doesn’t work
anymore. Hats are more
socially acceptable
today then they were
back then.
granted how ever long you
have left in high school. You
may be a senior or you may
be a freshman, but this advice
rings true to everyone. Time
is something you will never
get back, yet it is so easy to
waste. Four years is all we
have. All you have. Make it
count.
Time to change
the hat rule
Hats are more socially acceptable
today then they were back then.
Everyone has a hat or two and
most people wear them all the
time. Some people are known
by the hat they wear at all times.
The hat is more a way to express
yourself now with teams and
logos. It used to be a way to get
the sun out of your eyes, but
now it is almost like a t-shirt.
Schools like Lowell High School
might be a different story, due to
students in gangs and wearing their
symbols on
their clothing,
but Tyngsboro
High School is
a small school
a n d g a n g s
aren’t a major
issue in day to
day activities.
The rule is
pointless and
o u t d a t e d .
T h e r e i s
nothing wrong
with hats, and
they shouldn’t
be banned in
our school.
In the school handbook
there is no rule about hats.
It states “Attire, costumes
and physical presence that is
lewd, exhibitory or in gross
poor taste will not be allowed
during school hours, on
school property or at school
functions.” This line about
acceptable dress does not say
anything about not being able
to wear hats in school. So, if
there is no written rule, then
why are we not able to wear
hats in school?

THE INSIDE C
Writers’ strike aggravates
By Matt Wickens
The forecast for primetime
television is looking
bleak as popular shows are
dropping like flies, due to a
strike by the Writers Guild
of America. Adoring fans,
suddenly irked and impatient,
search for sustenance during
this Hollywood famine. For the
time being, they would do well
to turn to game shows or reality
television.
The “late shows” were the
first to be affected, showing
reruns immediately after the
start of the strike.
Yahoo’s Gary Gentile
reported that the following
sitcoms have ended production
as a result of the strike: “Two
and a Half Men”, “Til Death”,
“Rules of Engagement”,
“The New Adventures of
Old Christine”, and “Back to
You”.
“Grey’s Anatomy”, a big
hit among Tyngsboro High
females, aired its final new
episode on January 10, 2008.
“Prison Break”, the most
popular show at Tyngsboro
High, declared the November
TV enthusiasts
“The Office” is one of many popular shows amongst THS students affected by
the writers strike. (photo courtesy of www.thebigbags.com)
12 episode its fall finale, and
the series resumed on January
14, 2008.
“Guys enjoy ‘Prison Break’
because it involves many of
most guys’ dreams—especially
breaking out of prison,” said
senior Chris Joyce.
“Family Guy” has halted
production and went on hiatus
after the final three episodes
aired in November, the last
of which aired November 25,
By Matt Wickens
according to Seth MacFarlane,
the show’s creator. “Family
Guy” is second most popular
show among males at Tyngsboro
High.
“It’s gonna be rough times
not seeing Peter Griffin [the
main character of “Family
Guy”] every Sunday night,”
said sophomore Nick Joyce.
“He’s hilarious.”
Echoing Joyce’s sentiments,
one quarter of males chose
The Bridge
Griffin as their favorite
character.
“House” fans now
have to resort to reruns
and DVDs since the
Fox medical drama
aired its final episode
on November 27.
“The show is really
interesting and Dr.
House is witty. Not to
mention there are some
good-looking doctors.
I’m not surprised
that a lot of people
like it,” said senior
Ryan Shelton. “I am
disappointed, though,
that there won’t be
new episodes for a
while.”
“Desperate Housewives”
was seen for the final time on
January 6, 2007.
“The Office”, the witty,
white-collar “mockumentary”
and third most popular show
for males at Tyngsboro High,
has no scripts remaining and
aired the final episode on
November 15.
Teacher Pat Romano, an
avid viewer of “The Office”,
hopes the strike ends soon so
the show can resume. “I just
hope they finish the season
eventually. I don’t want them to
leave it hanging in the middle
of the season,” said Romano.
If fans the show are hoping
for regional manager Michael
Scott to conjure up a business
plan to save Dunder Mifflin
from hiatus, they should
forget it—actor Steve Carell
supports the writers on this one.
According to an NPR.org article,
NBC is taking into consideration
airing reruns of the British
version of “The Office” in place
of the strike-affected American
comedy.
Some viewers can breathe
a sigh of relief, namely those
of “Oprah”, “South Park”, and
professional wrestling—all
of which do not use union
writers.
Game shows like “Are You
Smarter Than A 5 th Grader?”
and reality shows like “American
Idol” will continue to air because
they are unscripted. “The Price
Is Right” is currently taping
extra shows in preparation for a
leap to prime-time.

ONNECTION
As Gas prices rise students struggle to keep up
By Michelle Cree
Wi t h g a s p r i c e s
increasing each week,
people across the nation
are having to dish out
more money. Rising
prices of crude oil have
(courtesy of www.mctcampus.com)
led to the shock at the
pump.
“With the shocking
price of gas lately, I let my
tank go down to a quarter
before I fill it up,” said
senior Melanie
S t e f a n a k i s .
“Sometimes
I’ll only put
$10 dollars
worth of gas in
my car so I’ll
have money
left over for
the weekend.”
According
to a poll of 100
Ty n g s b o r o
H i g h
upperhouse
students, 38%
of them spend
$20-30 a week
on gas while
1 2 % s p e n d
over $30.
“Between
working four
days a week
and driving
to different
p l a c e s o n
the weekend, gas prices
can really affect my
budget,” said senior Ryan
Clement.
In Tyngsboro some
of the gas stations that
have been known to be
more affordable such as
Mobil on the Run and
Lukoil have even shocked
customers with prices.
“It’s ridiculous how
much gas costs these
days. It definitely makes
me think twice about how
far I’ll drive,” said junior
Steve Durkin.
In a poll found on
http://www.pollingreport.
com/energy.htm, 58% of
1,711 registered voters
nationwide said they cut
back significantly on
driving because of the
recent rice in gas prices.
Compared to the poll
taken at THS, only 9%
of the 100 upper house
students surveyed said
that the increase in gas
prices didn’t affect their
social life and how often
they drive.
Gas Saving Tips
1. Ease up on the pedals. Accelerating gently will save fuel.
2. Keep your car properly maintained and tuned. A poorly tuned
car can use more than 25% more gas.
3. Don’t warm your car up by letting it idle. The engine warms
up faster when driving than it does when idling, and idling wastes
about a quart of gas every 15 minutes.
4. Dig in your pockets and underneath seat cushions for loose
change. Every penny adds up.
5. Do all your errands in one trip.
6. Avoid driving during rush hour.
7. Maintain a steady speed on the highway. Avoid getting stuck
behind slow cars where you have to slow down to their pace and
then speed up to pass.
8. Carpool. The more the merrier!
9. Clean out your car. For every extra 100 pounds you carry
around in your car, you reduce your car’s gas mileage by up to 2%.
Ditch the golf clubs, garbage, and shopping bags.
10. Actually go inside Wendy’s and stop using the drive through
window. Idling in the drive through lane may waste more gas than
it costs for a small Frosty.
“The rising prices
of gas don’t affect me
that much,” said teacher
John Salmon. “It is a
lot of money to spend
though, but it’s not
going to stop be from
driving.”
When asked how
much of their own
money they pay with
for gas, 58% of students
said 100%. Over a
quarter of the students
said they don’t pay for
gas with any of their
own money.
“I try not to travel
too far when I drive that
way I can save money
on gas and spend it
on things I actually
enjoy,” said junior Amy
Shaugnessey.
Clougher graces the stage
By Kristen Kouloheras
After years of dreaming
big, senior Victoria
Clougher has finally made
it.
Out of nearly 100 kids
that auditioned, Clougher
was one of three high
school students to make
the final cut, cast as a “teen
caroler” in North Shore
Music Theatre’s version
of A Christmas Carol.
The show was written and
directed by John Kimbal,
who retires this year after
19 previous productions
of A Christmas Carol.
Kimbal’s version of the
popular Dickens novel
quickly became North
Shore’s most attended
show, selling out each
year.
Clougher first got her
foot in the door this past
summer. Along with juniors
Yanna Lantz and Richard
Lindenfelzer, she received
calls from North Shore to
participate in
their student
s u m m e r
p r o g r a m .
D e v o t i n g
five weeks of
her summer,
C l o u g h e r
s t a r r e d i n
“Thoroughly
M o d e r n
M i l l i e . ”
“It was really
cool because
everyone is
so talented,
a n d t h e
quality of the
shows are so
much higher
t h a n y o u
would expect
a n y w h e r e
else,” said Yanna Lantz.
After the show ended,
the director of Vocal Studies
at the theatre asked her if
she would be interested in
taking lessons with him.
(photo courtesy of Victoria Clougher)
“From there he asked me to
join the choir group there,
YPC, Youth Performance
Choir. It is a very well
renowned group of singers,
I was very excited to be
part of this group. After the
summer program, lessons,
and the choir, I asked
about the auditions for A
Christmas Carol and was
encouraged to try out by a
number of people at North
Shore,” said Clougher.
After arriving at North
Shore theatre, she was
grouped, got a number,
and waited her turn for the
first round: the dancing
audition.
“I knew that this was
my only chance to try to
achieve something that
earlier was just a dream. If
there was one part of the
audition that I was worried
about, it was the dance
auditions, and of course
that was the first cut,” she
recalled.
After making it through
the first round, Clougher
then sang “We Wish You
a Merry Christmas” and
proceeded to the final level:
reading lines. She read for
Martha Cratchit and told that
she would get a call within
a week. True to their word,
North Shore called her a
week later and told her that
they wanted her to be a teen
caroler.
Excited to have made the
show, Clougher quickly had
to meet with Ciampa, Ms.
Wadliegh, and her teachers
to let them know what was
going on for the next few
months and decide what
to do with her schooling.
She relied on her laptop for
assignments emailed to her
from teachers.
“I practice right now
everyday, 7 days a week.
The times change every
night, I have to call the
rehearsal hotline around
11:00 pm to get my
schedule for the next day.
Then I get up, pack my
car, and drive one hour
and fifteen minutes to
the theatre,” Clougher
The Bridge 5

By Kayleigh Morrisey
With most of the
tracks on Kate Nash’s
CD “Foundations”
beginning with a piano
solo, U.S. artists like
Vanessa Carlton and
Tori Amos come to
mind.
Already a famous
artist in the U.K.,
Nash now has her
eyes set on the U.S. At
just 20 years old, she
has already had her
album “Foundations”
ranked #2 and #1 on
the singles chart in
the UK.
She has a fresh,
unique sound, and is
“refreshingly homespun
and diverse”
according to New
Musical Express
(The Rolling Stone
of the London music
scene).
H e r s i n g l e s
“Foundations,” “Caroline’s
The Review Corner
Nash hits the US By
a Victim,” “Navy Taxi,”
and “Habanera,” along
with a few other songs will
Photo courtesy of Gomoxie.org
be released in the US by
Geffen Records in 2008.
Her music is full of life
and harsh reality. In all the
tracks she talks about life as
a teenager and the different
problems which
she encounters.
I w a s
especially fond
of the track,
“ H a b a n e r a , ”
which has a
captivating beat
and lyrics that
any teenager
could relate to.
Words like, “I’d
like to get more
sleep/ But my
mind just keeps
me up.” and “I
tried to talk to
you/ But you
were looking
through into the
next room,” can
be understood
by any teenager.
If you enjoy
piano and soulful lyrics,
you can check out Kate
Nash on iTunes now.
Junior Meaghan LaBrecque dances
her way to Los Angeles in May
By Allison Gendron
J u n i o r M e a g h a n
LaBrecque will dance her
way to Los Angeles in
May 2008 to participate
in the Choreographers’
C a r n i v a l B a l l .
As a loyal member of
5678 Dance Studio in
Dracut, MA, she received
a scholarship to go the Key
Club to be in the opening
number of the “Ball”.
Choreographers from all
over the world attend this
event to chose dancers for
shows, productions, and
other performances.
“This was my biggest
accomplishment so far,”
said LaBrecque.
To prepare for this event,
she must continue to practice
daily. She attends classes
for approximately 26 hours
a week and teaches younger
students for about 5 hours a
week. She does ballet, jazz,
lyrical, contemporary, tap
and modern.
“ S e e i n g M e a g h a n
perform at almost all of her
competitions, I think she
stands out of the crowd,”
said best friend Ashley
Donovan.
She explained that
the experience will be
difficult for Meaghan, but
her determination and love
for dance will make her
successful.
The Bridge
Ben Jelen is “gellin”
Alison Gendron
The new album, Ex-Sensitive,
by singer and songwriter Ben Jelen
is all about love. This album is not
about a single girl, but about the
Planet Earth and all of the people
and things on it. His music is much
like the music of James Blunt.
The songs on Jelen’s new
album are different from the songs
on his last album because of his
growth as a musician and as a
person.
“Not a single sample or
pre-recorded sound was used,
everything was organic,” said the
musician about his 13 track album.
Jelen’s most recent album
was influenced by humanitarian
causes. He uses the events such
as violence as a main focus in his
(photo courtesy of benjelen.com)
album in hopes of affecting people
both physically and emotionally.
He admitted, “I am incapable of
ignoring what’s going on around
me.”
Ben Jelen was born in Edinburgh,
Scotland 28 years ago. He is a singer,
songwriter, pianist, violinist, and
guitarist. His music has been featured
on television shows such as “One Tree
Hill,” “Smallville,” and “Las Vegas.”

Wrestling looks for
a breakout year
By James Sheehan
After last year’s 11-8-1 record
in the Commonwealth Athletic
Conference, Tyngsborough High’s
2007-2008 wrestling season looks
even brighter.
The wrestling team may only
have less than 20 wrestlers, much
fewer than any other Dual County
League (DCL) team, but Coach
James Tansey has a good feeling
about this year.
“It’s all about quality not
quantity,” said Tansey.
The team may be forfeiting
the 119 and 215 lbs. weight classes
but still expects to finish top four
in the DCL.
“That’s 12 points we forfeit
going into every match,” said
Tansey. They have other wrestlers
at the high weight classes who are
expected to challenge for state
championships who will carry the
team. Sophomore Derek Golner, a
defending state champion, wrestles
at 140 lbs.
Sophomore Matt Donohoe
is hoping to build upon his 06-07
campaign which resulted in over
50 victories. Senior Shane Niven
also is expected to be at the top of
his weight class (171 lbs.). “Niven
put his time in over the offseason,”
said Tansey.
Other wrestlers who could
be a surprise this year are seniors
James Xayachack at 135 lbs. and
senior Matt Demoura at 189 lbs.
Freshmen Peter Cricones
(103 lbs.), Charlie Emerson (125
lbs.), Jacob Emond (140 lbs.), Jeff
Storry (160 lbs.), Emily Lovell
(112 lbs.), and sophomore Zack
Foley (130 lbs.) are all expected to
have an impact on the team.
Freshman Dan LaBrecque drives his opponent to the mat during the
Big Red Wrestling tournament (photo by James Sheehan)
“I don’t want
any December
h e r o s a n d
Spring zero’s.”
- Coach Tansey
“It all changes, sometimes
people go higher sometimes they
go lower you just never know,”
said Tansey.
Senior Ian Tucke, juniors
Jeremy Lundgren and Matt Polak,
and freshmen Pat Ryan and
Dan LaBrecque are expected to
challenge for spots on the team.
The team has quite a few good
tournaments they’ll be competing
in. The Mt. Anthony tournament
in Vermont is the largest with 12-
14 teams.
As for conference matches,
Tansey expects the team to finish
in the top 4 or 5 of the
DCL, with Wayland and
Westford being the best
teams in the conference.
“Our kids like medals
and being on the podium,
so I think we will do
okay [in the DCL],” said
Tansey.
Tansey’s goal for the
team is to have everyone
improve as the season goes
along.
“I don’t want any
December hero’s and
Spring zero’s.”
The team’s first meet
was December 8 at Greater Lowell
against Walpole, Salem, and
Greater Lowell, followed by the
Big Red Wrestling Tournament
on December 15.
Spring sports
begin on March 17
Dodgeball tournament brings thrill to
THS as Doughboys take the win
By Tony D’Annolfo
At 12:30 pm on December
21st the students of Tyngsborough
High School filed into the gym for
the much anticipated dodgeball
tournament. The entrance fee
of $1 per student without
a co-curricular pass was
donated to Adopt-a-Family.
The tournament consisted
of 18 teams made up of
students from each grade,
including two teams made
up of faculty members.
Most of the tournament
was dominated by two senior
teams, the Rippa’s led by
Mike DePasquale and the
Fab Five led by Ross Kendall
and Colin Halloran. The two
teams methodically worked
their way through the
brackets destroying their
opponents, losing few
men along the way until
they met in the semifinals.
It was a battle of epic
proportions but something had to
give. In the end the Rippa’s came
out on top hitting Kelly McCann
to deliver the final blow.
“I was really surprised.
I thought The Fab Five was
t h e b e s t t e a m , ” s a i d
s e n i o r K e v i n D u C h a r m e .
On the other side of the bracket, the
Doughboy’s, led by sophomores
Dan Ubele and Ian Arabadjis,
made a lot of noise, knocking
out Every Child Left Behind led
The Bridge
by teacher Mike Mastrullo in
the first round. They continued
to make their way through
the bracket jumping on the
backs of Ubele and Arabadjis.
It then all came down to the final
match between the senior team
the Rippa’s and sophomore team
The Doughboys. The Doughboys
were playing out of their minds
and taking people out at will, when
senior Mike DePasquale stepped
up and made a game out of it. When
a throw was fired by Arabadjis
towards his feet, he quickly reacted
making an unbelievable shoestring
catch. After a spectacular game
DePasquale was finally defeated
leaving Sam Mellus and Ashley
Sanz to continue the fight. Mellus
was retired by Arabadjis so it
came down to three people. On
the Rippa’s side it was Ashley
Sanz and on the Doughboys
side it was Ubele and Arabadjis.
Fab Five players Colin Halloran, Quinn Worden, Mark Lane, and Kelly
McCann take on the competion (photo by Tony D’Annolfo)
The Doughboys were merciless,
firing ball after ball at Sanz who
struggled to stay alive, then after
she regained herself Ashley fired a
ball at Arabadjis, it was deflected
high up in the air and came down
in the hands of Ubele to end it
the tournament. It was done, the
Cinderella story of the tournament
was finished as The Doughboys
celebrated in victory
“I knew we could do it “ said
Arabadjis
THS swim and dive team battles the waves
By Kristen Kouloheras
Since basketball, hockey,
and wrestling bathe in the winter
sports spotlight, who knows
what is up with the swim team?
Just as every other sport, they
have entered the new super
league, the Dual County League.
“The DCL is arguably the
strongest swim league in the state.
They have a lot of talent. Both
Westford and Wayland ranked
top 25 nationally last year,”
stated swim coach Tom Wright.
This year, the team consists of 11
girls and 8 boys; it is outnumbered
by almost every team except for
Hopkington. Wright has them
in the pool 5 days a week for 2
hours each day. Their practices
are at the same “velocity” as last
year, but they now have more
sprint sets incorporated into them.
To begin their season with
a splash, they team attended a
relay carnival to get back into
the swing of things. Wright
mentioned that the event gave
experience to new swimmers.
“Its really intimidating to
suddenly join a team in your junior
year; the relay carnival showed
me how everything worked and
what to expect,” said junior Ryan
Gaudino, a first year swimmer.
Gaudino, taking his first dive a
few weeks into the season, joined
junior Zack Durand, who was the
only diver on the team last year.
THS swimmers Bri Lemoine, Lauren Peterson, Kate Klessens, Tori
Harkins, Kristin Lynch, and Cynthia Mitchell (photo By Lainnie Emond)
Other new swimmers include
f r e s h m a n C h e l s e a G i l l i s ,
and junior Stephanie Solla.
Standouts on the team this
year are senior Brianne Lemoine
and junior Steve Durkin.
“If times are the standard, Bri
has done excellent. She’s qualified
for states in 4 events. Although
Steve hasn’t qualified for anything
yet, he has done an outstanding
job, too,” stated the proud coach.
L e m o i n e a l s o b e l o n g s
to a swim team outside of
school called New Wave.
“Being in the DCL drives
you to do better,” she said, “The
competitors take everything
so seriously. They are some
of the best I’ve ever faced.”
Some coaches at Tyngsborough
High School believe that the sports
teams will eventually evolve
into the DCL. They believe that
after repeatedly playing the
best of the best, we will grow
to be on a level playing field.
“Well I haven’t thought about
that too much. I think its in the
students’ hands. There are other
small teams that are successful,
there is no reason that we
shouldn’t experience the same
success,” Wright summed up.
7

Boys basketball defeats
Weston for first Dual County
win in overtime thriller
By Mike Doherty
The Boys Basketball team
picked up it’s first victory of the
season and first since switching
to the Dual County League with a
thrilling 56-50 overtime win over
Weston on January 2.
Tyngsborough’s defense
was able to hold Weston to only
two garbage points in overtime
after securing a 6 point lead.
After senior captain Colin Halloran
missed on a drive to the basket
with 20.2 seconds left in the 4th
quarter, Weston looked primed
to take the lead, but senior guard
Mark Lane stole the ball, dove
to the ground to recover it, and
called a timeout with 3.5 seconds
remaining to keep the game tied
at 48. Halloran tried a desperation
three from well beyond the arc
but missed to force overtime.
“I knew we needed a big
play, he tried to crossover and
I was able to knock it away,”
said Lane. “It was awesome.”
The Tigers (1-2) led 37-24 at
halftime, but the Wildcats (2-3)
were able to close the gap in the
final two quarters.
“It went as planned,” said
coach Ed Carey. “I knew from the
start it would be a dogfight. We
scouted them twice and we knew
what they would try to do. The kids
played good defense.”
Halloran filled up the stat
sheet for Tyngsborough, with a
team-leading 19, including five
three pointers, six steals, four
rebounds, and two assists.
“It was intense,” said junior
forward Ryan Coene. “It was
important to get that first win out
Senior point guard Ross Kendall looks to dribble past a defender
while fellow captain Colin Halloran( 5) and Mark Lane(2 ) look on.
(photo by Mike Doherty)
“It was intense. It
was important to
get that first win
out of the way, for
the season and the
DCL (Dual County
League).”- Forward
Ryan Coene
of the way, for the season and the
DCL.”
Coene received his first start
of the season in place of an ailing
Lane. Halloran shifted to shooting
guard from his customary small
forward position, and senior
forward Mike Szablak moved
from power forward
to small forward to
accomodate Coene.
“Mark has been sick
and hadn’t been in the
gym since Friday, so we
were trying to give him
some rest,” said Carey.
“Coene has improved
quite a bit and we’re
going to depend on him
this season.”
Lane, came off the
bench for 10 points,
nine rebounds and four
steals, playing all of the
crucial minutes late in
the game.
Senior point guard
and captain Ross Kendall added 11
points, three rebounds and three
assists.
Halloran and Szablak each
scored three points in overtime,
while Lane scored two.
“I’m happy for the seniors to
get that first win under their belt,”
said Carey. “Hopefully we gain
some confidence from it.”
Join the boys basketball team on February 16
at 3:00 as they attempt to qualify for the state
tournament vs. Notre Dame of Lawrence
Sports teams get their first taste of
Dual County League competition
Tyngsborough High
School made its first
impression in the
DCL this fall.
By Jane Freeman and Allison Gendron
Tyngsborough High school
stepped up to the challenge for the
2007-2008 sports year, entering
the more competitive Dual County
League.
“I’m very pleased with how
my team played, we would have
liked to finish better than .500 (more
than half wins) but I think .500
is pretty respectable considering
the teams we played.” said Head
football coach, Mr. Mike Woodlock.
The football team finished their
season with a 5-6 record.
When asked who the new
football rival is, Senior Captain Jon
Mace said, “I love playing Westford
because so far we are 1-1 against
them, and they’re always fun to play,
plus its a neighboring town so there
The Bridge
Varsity field hockey battles Weston (photo courtesy of Nick Depasquale)
will be a big crowd on both sides of
the field”.
T h e c h e e r l e a d i n g t e a m
placed second in the Dual-County
Competition on November 1, making
a very good first impression in the
DCL.
“This year was the best team
we’ve ever had, and I’m really glad
we won second my senior year,” said
Senior Sam Mellus goes up for a catch against Boston Latin on
Homecoming night. (photo Courtesy of Nick Depasquale)
Athletes of the Issue
Freshman
Dan LaBrecque
Wrestling - Dan is
9-15 on the year and
has been steadily
improving according
to coach Tansey.
Junior
Ryan Coene
Basketball - Ryan has
contributed to the team
this year with storng
defense off the bench he
has also started 1 game.
senior cheerleader Colleen Griffin.
The girls soccer team finished
3-12-4, while qualifying for the state
tournament.
“We progressively got better, but
we aren’t used to this competition”,
said Head Coach Mr. Doug Clare.
The field hockey team also
qualified for the state tournament with
a 5-10-3 record. “This year more than
any year it was the seniors that led the
team though the season” said Head
coach Mrs. Beth Craig.
The boys soccer and golf teams
had more difficult seasons; the boys
soccer team finishing with a 1-12-5
and the golf team finishing with a
1-17 record.
“Well every match was a gutwrenching
battle and every team
brought their “A” game to play the
Tyngsboro Tigers Dream Team ‘ 07.
I’d have to say Weston was one of
our hardest challenges,” said Golf
Captain Robert Keohane.
Athletic Director, Mr. Scott
Moreau, is still pleased with the
decision. “I’m extremely happy, I’m
very optimistic about the future in
the DCL”.
During the winter season the
hockey team has had the most success
with 4 wins.
Sophomore
Greg Girtatos
Hockey- Greg scored
four goals against
Newton South.
Senior
Brianne Lemoine
Swimming- Bri has
qualified for state
tournament in 7
events four individual
and 3 relay events.
8