New Fashion Section - Greenwich Public Schools

February 2010 — THE BEAK — 1 

VOLUME XLI, NUMBER 1 GREENWICH HIGH SCHOOL, GREENWICH, CT 06830 NOVEMBER 2010 

What 

Actually 

The Problem With School 

by Christian Fazio 

Executive Editor 

Page 

12 

Happened? 

As the years progress, concern 

with regard to the efficacy of the 

public school system in the United 

States has grown at an alarming 

rate. Locally, we are currently debating 

how to improve the Greenwich 

Public Schools system in the 

face of declining CAPT, SAT, and 

AP scores—but the truth is that 

this issue is a nationwide one that 

exists in far greater magnitude in 

other parts of the country, especially 

in inner-city schools and 

schools in less financially stable 

districts. 

According to the Foundation 

for Educational Choice (Free to 

Choose: A Personal Choice), from 

1971 until 1978, ―total professional 

staff in all U.S. public schools went 

up eight percent, cost per pupil 

went up 58 percent (11 percent after 

correction for inflation). Input 

clearly went up.‖ 

However, ―the number of stu- 

Page 

10 

The Way I See It... 

The 

Jones Beach 

Experience 

dents went down four percent, 

the number of schools went down 

four percent... [additionally,] 

quality of schooling went down 

even more drastically. That is 

certainly the story told by declining 

grades recorded on standardized 

examinations. Output 

clearly went down.‖ 

Since then, the issues that 

need to be addressed have only 

multiplied. Such problems include: 

lower standardized test 

scores; low graduation rates; the 

merit of teachers (and how to 

gauge and reward this merit); the 

absence of student and/or teacher 

enthusiasm for the city– or statewide 

curricula being taught at the 

public school; and countless social 

issues such as vandalism, 

gang violence, and high truancy 

rates. 

There is no doubt that education 

is one of the most important 

entitlements offered in the United 

States. 

(Continued on page 4) 

New Fashion Section 

Page 

8 

Pages 

7 & 8 

Page 

5

2 — THE BEAK — November 2010 — EDITORIALS — 

2 — THE The BEAK Beak — February October 2010 

The Greenwich High School Newspaper 

Greenwich High School 

10 Hillside Road 

Greenwich, CT 06830 

(Phone) 203-625-8053 (Fax) 203-863-8823 

E-mail: ghsbeak@gmail.com 

2010-2011 EDITORIAL 

STAFF 

Arman Rye and 

Jordana Cepelewicz 

Co-Editors-in-Chief 

Christian Fazio 

Jen Hilibrand 

Lauren Daccache 

Executive Editors 

Nick Debaney 

Christina Moazed 

News Editors 

Jamie Denton 

Julia Gharimani 

Opinions Editors 

Brad Kim 

Tess Vorselen 

Features Editors 

Anna Sweeney 

Entertainment Editors 

David Berdoff 

Sports Editor 

Dwight Wall 

Faculty Advisor 

The Beak is published by the students 

of Greenwich High School and is distributed, 

free of charge, to members of the high school 

community. The Beak is part of the high school’s 

communication program, and it also serves as a 

medium for the expression and exchange of 

responsible opinions. While recognizing the 

United States Constitution’s guarantee of a free 

press, The Beak also acknowledges its role as a 

school newspaper. Consequently, The Beak does 

not publish material which it deems will disrupt 

the educational process, nor does The Beak 

coerce a particular point of view, or violate the 

right to disagree with a particular point of view. 

In addition, The Beak will not publish material 

that is obscene, profane, libelous, or slanderous. 

The Beak reserves the right to edit or to refuse to 

publish material that advocates unlawful activity, 

that unfairly criticizes or demeans any individual 

or group, or that encourages action that 

endangers the health and safety of the 

Greenwich High School community. Editorials 

are the opinions of The Beak editorial board. 

Signed commentaries and columns are the views 

of the writers. The Beak welcomes letters from its 

readers. Upon request, a writer’s name will be 

withheld. The Beak accepts appropriate and 

responsible paid advertising as a means of 

defraying publication costs, but it does not 

endorse or guarantee any product, services, 

businesses, or organizations mentioned or 

described in any advertisement. 

Do you have something to 

say? 

Send us an 

email: 

ghsbeak@gmail.com 

We read everything! 

And publish some of it! 

by Arman Rye 

Editor-in-Chief 

Senioritis, a term coined by both 

students and administrators, is something 

that most students look forward 

to and their teachers dread. Why does it 

exist? Have students just had enough 

and can no longer force themselves to 

pay attention since it ‗doesn‘t matter‘. 

Does simply knowing the college one 

is going to attend alter seniors‘ ethics 

and their capability for hard work? 

The root of senioritis leads to a 

larger and more important question. 

Once the pressures to succeed are taken 

away, will students simply not care? 

The answer most of the time is unfortunately 

yes. 

The indisputable goal for students 

in high school is to get into a good college. 

This is the rhetoric that fills every 

young student‘s mind, fueled by parents, 

guidance counselors, even some 

teachers. During the application process, 

colleges will say that admissions 

are a very holistic process. In reality, 

colleges know that students who do not 

have the required grades and test scores 

probably will not be admitted. 

With an application, colleges receive 

a transcript that shows every 

grade received in high school. I saw my 

transcript for the first time a few days 

ago, and it‘s kind of scary. Every single 

grade I have ever received is staring 

right at me, all on an 8x11 piece of 

printer paper. 

The pressure to have this transcript 

by Jordana Cepelewicz 

Editor-in-Chief 

Our world has shifted toward an 

ever-increasing emphasis on figures 

and statistics—and students are most 

certainly no exception. As they prepare 

to apply to college, high schoolers 

become even more aware of this 

fact, and often make conscious decisions 

based solely on improving the 

numbers that have come to represent 

them in the competitive selection 

process. One such piece of data is 

the grade point average (GPA), that 

ambiguous calculation that has, unfortunately, 

come to govern both the 

quantity and quality of courses chosen 

by students. 

In other words, it has become 

quite common—alarmingly so—to 

play the ―GPA game.‖ 

In my opinion, ―playing the system‖ 

has become especially prevalent 

as the direct result of the use of the 

weighted GPA at Greenwich High 

School. Escalating pressure exists to 

enroll in A.P. or honors classes in 

order to boost one‘s GPA, leaving 

elective and non-honors courses in 

the dust of this furious stampede toward 

attaining that perfect 5.0. 

Many students decide to take 

comparatively ―easier‖ A.P. or honors 

classes (when given the choice); 

some even wait to fulfill their required 

art/elective credits (which are 

often not offered at an honors level) 

for the second semester of their senior 

year so that the GPA that colleges 

see is more inflated. Others still opt 

for more opens rather than enrolling 

in a sixth or seventh class. 

This situation completely defeats 

the purpose of the high school experi- 

Changing The System 

show A‘s and B‘s is what is wrong 

with our education system. Tests, projects, 

homework, presentations — everything 

is reduced to a numerical score. 

These scores are then compiled into 

one final grade. That grade is then 

transformed into an average which 

combines with other averages. The 

final result is a grade point average, 

known as a GPA. 

If a student‘s main goal is to get 

into college, and in order to get into a 

good college good grades are a necessity, 

it‘s easy to see where the insurmountable 

pressure comes from. Students 

have become so preoccupied with 

getting a B+ or an A- that the real reason 

we are in high school goes right out 

the window. The reason we are here is 

to learn. 

Learning is not cramming for a test 

the night before in order to remember 

information for a one hour test. Learning 

is a much more holistic process. 

Learning is about making mistakes, 

trying hard, asking questions, and actually 

trying to master the material. This 

is not achieved through our current 

system because students are not focused 

on long term skills. 

As a junior, I was preoccupied 

with learning ―what‘s going to be on 

the test.‖ Now I almost cringe when a 

student asks that question. What‘s 

wrong with learning something for the 

sake of learning it? When did intellectual 

curiosity go out the window? Why 

is everything we do in school purely in 

order to get a good grade? This attitude 

Not Just A Number 

ence. Now is the time for us to explore 

our interests, to dabble in what 

fascinates us—not in what we think 

will impress the universities to which 

we wish to apply. 

If photography or a second language 

catches your eye, for example, 

then why not go for it? 

Simply put, the reason is that 

other students, often the competition 

for a spot in a college‘s freshman 

class, may be taking an A.P. or honors 

class (or perhaps nothing at all 

during those extra blocks) and would, 

therefore, have a higher GPA than 

those who pursue an interest or follow 

their curiosity. Would you be 

willing to risk a few digits—and, in 

your mind, perhaps an acceptance to 

your top choice—for the pursuit of 

that single passion? This choice requires 

a difficult decision, and many 

students, regrettably, make the wrong 

one. 

I would argue that colleges are 

partly at fault because they constantly 

emphasize the GPA. But since GHS 

cannot change how the universities 

make their decisions, GHS has to 

responsible for implementing the fundamental 

changes necessary to improve 

the situation at hand. 

This is why I think it is absolutely 

imperative that we unweight 

the GPA system at GHS in favor of a 

4.0-scale, as opposed to our current 

weighted 5.0-scale. Such action 

would effectively eliminate the endless 

debate over what class looks better 

on a resumé or raises a GPA. The 

opportunities for students, which are 

nearly boundless at GHS, would 

widen even further in scope. After 

all, a student is not merely a number, 

and he or she should take advantage 

has to change. 

Chances are ten years after we 

graduate most of us are not going to be 

able to solve a projectile motion problem 

or be able to discuss the biological components 

of the brain. However, we 

should have learned how to learn, and we 

should have a desire to learn. Without 

these skills, we will not be productive 

members of society. Our culture has 

transformed doing extra work in order to 

learn something new into something 

weird and strange. Asking a question 

about something just because we are curious 

is considered abnormal. 

Test scores should not be the ‗be all 

end all‘ of a student‘s academic performance. 

Students should want to ask questions 

and engage in projects that are legitimately 

challenging. Student who try 

hard and do good jobs should get a good 

grade. It‘s as simple as that. If the insane 

amount of pressure is taken away perhaps 

students will become more interested 

with the task at hand, furthering 

their education. If classrooms are redesigned 

from kindergarten through twelfth 

grade to promote learning instead of getting 

a good grade, maybe then this country‘s 

students might be able to accomplish 

something. 

This type of change is not going to 

be an easy feat; quite frankly I‘m not 

even sure where to begin. However, the 

way things are set up right now is not 

helping the students of this country to be 

smart and productive members of society. 

of these four years to investigate, to 

experiment, to discover. 

Proponents of the weighted system 

argue that it is important to reward students 

taking more challenging and demanding 

courses. While this may be 

true on its face, however, it ultimately 

only harms such students by limiting 

what he or she can potentially achieve. 

By creating these black-and-white parameters, 

students‘ abilities to be flexible 

and creative with their schedules is 

reduced significantly. 

Why not expand those horizons? 

Having an unweighted GPA would 

simplify the admissions process (by 

fostering uniformity and enabling admissions 

officers to bypass the necessity 

of converting GPA‘s for comparative 

purposes). More importantly, it 

would also simplify the decisions students 

make concerning classes. What 

appears ―favorable‖ on a resumé would 

no longer be an issue; students can 

choose to pursue what interests them 

without fear of repercussions. 

As such, it is far more critical to 

focus on encouraging a diversity of 

classes, rather than artificially increasing 

a hollow number. These four years 

should be used as fully as possible. 

Most colleges require that students 

declare a major by the end of their 

sophomore year; until then, they are 

meant to hone in on what intrigues 

them. There is no better time to do this 

than high school, especially at GHS, 

which offers so much more than other 

public schools. The best process with 

which to achieve this is by unweighting 

the GPA, releasing students from the 

pressure to inflate their grades and creating 

an environment that emphasizes 

the importance of receiving a quality 

education rather than a perfect average.

y Heather Desino 

Special Correspondent 

Most already know by now 

that 33 Riversville Road (Glenville 

School) has undergone some major 

changes. 

Glenville School has transformed 

from what some would have 

called ―retro,‖ into a modern and 

efficient school. 

In the pre-renovation Glenville 

School, the majority of the 

classrooms lacked windows or doors, 

making most classrooms very dim. 

by Nicholas Debany 

News Editor 

After years of debating (yes, 

no, yes, yes, no, yes, no, yes) the 

Greenwich Board of Education is 

finally able to move 

the high school auditorium 

project into 

its next phase: finding 

the money for 

the $29 million project. 

The final 

phase before cons 

t r u c t i o n w a s 

reached after the 

Planning and Zoning 

Board of Appeals 

voted five to zero in 

favor of the auditorium‘s 

construction. 

Accor ding 

to Greenwich High 

School Headmaster 

Chris Winters, who 

spoke at the following 

day‘s student 

government meeting, 

―It was the student 

representatives 

who got it approved.‖ 

Corey Bloes and Dan Silkman 

(head of student government and 

senior class president respectively) 

represented the student 

body at the Zoning Board. ―When 

[Corey and Dan] started speaking, the 

entire demeanor of the board members 

changed,‖ Mr. Winters said. 

Andrew Desino, a member 

of the first graduating class of the 

new school, recalls: ―There was no 

sunlight or fresh air because we 

didn‘t have windows. Also, it was 

sometimes hard to focus in class 

because a bunch of classes were in 

one large room.‖ 

The total re-building time 

was estimated to be about 18 

months; however, due to unforeseen 

delays, the full process was drawn 

out. 

The brand new school is 

now complete with many appealing 

— NEWS — 

The New Glenville School 

The main concerns regarding 

the new facility were insufficient 

parking, limits on community 

access to the facility, and safety 

risks under a new traffic plan. 

The planned auditorium 

will be 56 feet tall, higher than the 

40-foot limit allowed under the 

area's zoning rules (thus the need 

for the zoning board‘s thumbs up). 

The new building would also have 

an overall floor-area of 450,000 

square feet, up from the original 

413,000 square feet. 

Parents, students, and 

amenities, including multiple garden 

courtyards, a high-tech library, 

a more efficient lunchroom, and 

spacious, more illuminated classrooms 

to foster improved learning 

for students. 

The school was unveiled in 

the fall of last year by Principal 

Marc D‘Amico. The new Glenville 

School is definitely a healthier environment 

for all of its students. New 

playgrounds were installed along 

with the completion of the school. 

They are all certified safe 

for children and provide friendly 

Auditorium Update! 

teachers at Greenwich High School 

have been complaining about the 

current auditorium‘s limited space 

and poor acoustics for years. 

Brad Kim, a sophomore at 

Greenwich High School stated, 

Proposed plan for the new auditorium (music wing pictured in pink). 

―The acoustics are horrible; if you 

are sitting in the back, it‘s almost 

impossible to hear what is going 

on.‖ 

Other students also have 

experienced inconveniences when 

in the auditorium. 

―The volume of sound is 

very inconsistent in the audito- 

November February 2010— 2010 — THE THE BEAK BEAK — 3 3 

activities to keep them physically and 

mentally stimulated during the school 

day. Moreover, the school was completed 

using new and reliable building 

materials. 

One satisfied parent wrote in 

April of last year, ―I have two children 

at Glenville School and I am 

very pleased. The staff is inspiring 

and talented. The building is brand 

new and looks like a private school. 

You will not regret sending your children 

to Glenville.‖ 

rium,‖ says Christian Fazio, another 

member of the sophomore class. 

―Although the auditorium 

looks fairly large, it does not accommodate 

the vast percentage of the 

student body,‖ says Christina 

Moazed. 

Now after five 

years of endless debating, 

the measure 

to renovate the 

Greenwich High 

School auditorium is 

about to climb its 

last hill (mountain 

may be more appropriate). 

Securing funding 

will either make the 

new $29 million 

auditorium a reality 

or it will prolong the 

debate further. 

The Board of 

Education currently 

spends roughly $30 

million a year for 

Greenwich High 

School as a whole, 

and $124,000,000 a 

year for the entire 

—www.greenwichschools.org 

district. 

—www.greenwichschools.org 

The capital budget, which 

the Greenwich High School auditorium 

would be added to, currently 

stands at $170 million; this would 

become $200 million if the Town of 

Greenwich decides Greenwich High 

school needs the new auditorium.

4 — THE THE BEAK BEAK — — February November 2010 2010 

(Continued from page 1) 

President Obama has delivered several 

speeches that address how critical 

a good education is to the individual 

and the nation as a whole. 

The purpose 

of education 

is to prepare 

students 

for their entrance 

into the 

job market, as 

well as to inspire 

creativity 

and a desire to 

learn that will 

propel them 

forward toward 

a better, more 

innovative future. 

All 

United States 

citizens, as 

stated in the 

Declaration of 

Independence, 

are endowed 

with the inalienable 

rights 

of ―life, liberty, 

and the pursuit of happiness.‖ A 

quality public education provided by 

state governments and supported by 

the federal government is, in my 

opinion, one of these inalienable 

rights. 

The question at hand is—how do 

we proceed in trying to solve this 

problem, which only seems to 

proliferate as time marches on? 

I propose instituting a school 

voucher program in the United 

States. A school voucher is, in 

the most basic terms, a system 

under which tax dollars are used 

to fund private schools. School 

vouchers—a controversial form 

of governmental subsidy—would 

enable parents to choose the 

school in which they wish to enroll 

their children. This freedom 

of opportunity could potentially 

improve the public school system 

for several reasons. First, the 

program would foster competition 

between public and private 

schools, which for funding issues 

would most likely result in the 

provision of a higher quality education. 

We have seen how this 

sense of competition functions in 

the free market, improving overall 

efficiency and condition. 

Why not, then, apply it to our 

schools, too? 

With the increasing role that 

state and federal governments 

play in the public schools system, 

trends show that a certain level of 

uniformity occurs in the subjects 

offered and the manner in which 

they are taught. This monotonous, 

structured, and frankly uninteresting 

method provides a 

very limited choice. 

The voucher system, however, 

would enable the expansion 

of such a choice, enabling students 

and their parents to choose a 

school that benefits them in terms of 

quality, scope, and finance. 

A study conducted in 2002 and 

published by the Research and Library 

Service Division (Legislative 

The Problem With School (cont.) 

Council Secretariat) performed extensive 

research on how the 

voucher system functioned in Chile, 

Colombia, England, Australia, 

China, and finally the United States. 

The general findings showed that 

accessibility to private schools, test 

scores, parental choice and involvement 

in education, and school development/programs 

all increased. 

Disadvantages, on the other hand, 

were high administration cost and 

concentration of benefits in the 

middle and upper class populations. 

In my opinion, the pros of the 

voucher system far outweigh the 

cons. 

Moreover, this solution to the 

problem with our public schools is 

not merely hypothetical. The answer 

can very well become a real- 

— OPINIONS — 

ity, as not only have other countries 

and individual states within the U.S. 

exemplified success with the 

voucher system, but plans to extend 

the sphere of influence of the program 

are underway. 

Funding, for example, would 

come from part of the $100 billion 

of government expenditures used 

currently on elementary and secondary 

schooling. Nonprofit organizations 

and special interest groups 

seeking profit under the voucher 

system would play a role in establishing 

the new school networks as 

Horace Mann, a leader in the movement that founded public education. 

well, and while on a short-term 

scale the expenses to fund such a 

system may seem high, estimates 

show that on a long-term basis the 

voucher system would actually be 

more cost-effective. 

Besides, the reforms that would 

come with the system would be well 

worth it. Eventually, if the U.S. were 

to follow in the footsteps of the other 

nations who have tested the waters 

with the voucher program, several 

changes would 

occur. Those 

schools that are 

of the highest 

caliber would 

rise above 

those less 

qualified. 

More effective 

teachers would 

be employed 

for higher 

wages at these 

more successful 

schools. 

The result 

would be a 

higher, more 

comprehensive 

level of education. 

Opponents 

—http://info.detnews.com have, however, 

continued to 

show hostility toward the program. 

The National Education Association 

and the American Federation of 

Teachers, for example, asserted that ― 

vouchers would destroy the public 

schooling system, which… has been 

the foundation and cornerstone of our 

democracy.‖ While these organizations 

are correct about the importance 

of education, their claims that the 

implementation of a voucher system 

would erode this democracy 

could not be more wrong. In 

fact, following the same line of 

reasoning, is it not logical to infer 

that the voucher system would 

more aptly support our democratic 

values? After all, wide 

availability of schooling is one of 

the ―cornerstones‖ cherished by 

our Republic; this has been the 

case since its instant stages during 

the colonial time period. 

Improving our schools 

—http://www.franklin.ma.us 

should be on the agenda of any 

politician or teacher; although 

these proposals of greater scholastic 

freedom of choice so beneficial 

to the consumer and for the 

betterment of society, have often 

faced ridicule from certain leaders 

of teachers unions, in fear of 

losing the jobs of less productive 

teachers. Why should we use the 

funds of the taxpayer to support 

inefficient teachers, when it could 

have been used to stimulate other 

private sector industries and create 

jobs there? 

Whether one wants to improve 

living standards of the 

poor, foster the development of a 

more competent and specialized 

economy, or allow for greater 

opportunities of all individuals, 

the need for a voucher system is 

definite. Why should someone 

else choose what, where, and 

from whom you are taught? Isn‘t 

the government supposed to protect 

one‘s right to life, liberty, and the 

pursuit of happiness; so why would 

they decide where your life will take 

you and what you learn at school? 

Shouldn‘t we be free to choose?

Jen Hilibrand 


I am not a Tea Partier. I am a 

Libertarian. Unfortunately, the best 

the Libertarians have to offer is Ron 

Paul. So what does the new 

mouthpiece for limited government, 

the Tea Party, mean 

for Libertarians? Well, I generally 

tend not to associate 

myself with radical extremists, 

but they have some 

good points. 

I generally agree with 

the main theme of the Tea 

Party: limited government. 

Although presented as a protest 

movement against the 

status quo, the core of the 

Tea Party platform is limited 

government. Any group that 

advocates limited government, 

or at least brings negative 

attention to the bureaucratically 

immense monster 

of a government currently 

operating the U.S., is a friend 

to Libertarians. Not only 

that, but the Tea Party has 

also pushed the Republican 

Party closer to the ideals of limited 

government, and it may be a catalyst 

for bringing the Republican Party 

back to power shortly after having 

been widely rejected. The Tea Party 

has much to offer the long-suffering 

Libertarian. 

by Christina Moazed 


In President Barack Obama‘s 

speech on September 1, 2010, he announced 

that military troops will 

leave Iraq and enter Afghanistan. He 

also said that he wants to restore the 

United States‘ economy, and he 

hopes for reconciliation between 

America and Iraq‘s government. 

Despite touching upon these general 

themes, the speech really was 

neither informative nor clearly explained. 

President Obama stated that 

the U.S. government has spent more 

than a trillion dollars on the Iraqi war 

over seven years, and that we need to 

spend more money on domestic policies. 

He claimed that we need to let 

A Libertarian View Of The Tea Party 

Let‘s not overlook their numerous 

shortcomings. The Tea Party is 

essentially a negative party, in the 

sense that it is against a lot and not 

exactly in favor of much. Tea Partiers 

have made it clear what they 

would not do with power, but what 

would they do? 

To become a competitive, enticing 

party, the Tea Party must be 

able to define some affirmative 

agenda. The Tea Party is also an 

incredibly de-centralized move- 

ment. 

Frequently the policies of a 

party can be understood by looking 

at its dominant leader. The policies 

of the Democratic Party originate 

with President Obama, while Presi- 

dent Bush defined Republican policies 

during the previous administration. 

The Tea Party, however, does 

not have a leader to embody its 

principles. 

There is another drawback for 

those Libertarians that associate 

Obama’s Speech On Iraq: A Commentary 

the Iraqis work out their own issues, 

while solely ―advising and assisting‖ 

Iraq officials as a ―friend and a 

partner‖. 

In contrast, he explained that 

troops need to be sent to Afghanistan 

in order to resolve global con- 

flicts. President Obama also announced 

that we are preparing 

many resources and troops to be 

sent to Afghanistan, after saying 

that we need to limit our attention 

on foreign affairs and focus on the 

problems at home. Clearly, his 

speech constantly contradicted 

many of the main points he supported. 

President Obama only explained 

the benefits that America 

— OPINIONS — November 2010 — THE BEAK — 5 

— http://www.queerty.com 

—http://americanglob.com 

will gain if we pull out of Iraq now, 

while failing to explain the beneficial 

reasons for the rest of the 

world. President Obama said that 

the trillion dollars spent on the war 

is a major reason to pull out. He 

said that we need to focus on restoring 

the economy domestically, in 

order to fix the high unemployment 

rate. 

Although I believe that the trillions 

of dollars he spent on stimulus 

programs have negatively hurt the 

economy, I think that if we do not 

resolve the Middle East issue in 

both Iraq and 

surrounding 

countries, the 

world will be 

in danger. 

P r e s i - 

dent Obama 

also presentedhimself 

very differently 

than 

he did in the 

p a s t . 

Throughout 

the whole 

speech, he 

had the same 

monotonous 

tone and his 

stature was 

as still as a 

rock. He 

clasped his 

hands together 

throughout the entire speech, 

and his face was frozen in the same 

position. 

The President Obama to whom 


themselves with the right. The Tea 

Party may lure just enough Republicans 

to upset traditional Republicans 

in the primary, but not enough to beat 

the Democrats. For example, Christine 

O‘Donnell‘s victory in Delaware 

changed what would have 

been an almost assured Republican 

senate seat into an 

almost assured Democratic 

senate seat. 

And let‘s not forget the 

biggest drawback to the Tea 

Party: it is extreme. The Tea 

Party has a reputation for 

consisting of right-wing nuts 

who participate in aggressive 

and harsh protests. They 

have adopted a posture of 

victimization, asserting that 

they have been tyrannized by 

a Washington elite. Because 

of the Tea Party‘s populist 

thread, it is difficult to envision 

it constructively participating 

in government. 

The patient Libertarians 

will find the Tea Party hard 

to evaluate. Although it embodies 

many of the core principles 

of Libertarianism, the 

Tea Party may do more harm than 

good to proponents of limited government. 

We will only truly know 

more about the Tea Party and its influence 

on November 2 as it matures 

and takes on a more tangible form. 

most Americans are accustomed is 

charismatic, lively, and inspiring. I 

feel as though the difference in his 

presence is due to his discomfort in 

such a difficult situation. President 

Obama wanted to use his speech to 

regain the trust of our country and 

show his command over the military. 

His central mission is to help resolve 

the current economic problems in the 

U.S.. while blaming the attention on 

Iraq as a distraction. But the advent 

of a new mission in Afghanistan requires 

more planning and draws attention 

away from domestic affairs. 

P r e s i d e n t 

Obama t hus 

failed to cogently 

justify the necessity 

of withdrawing 

from Iraq and 

entering Afghanistan.Although 

he mentioned 

that we 

have met our 

―responsibilities‖ 

in Iraq and that it 

is ―time to turn 

the page,‖ he 

spent a majority 

of the speech 

honoring the 

troops instead of 

explaining the 

reasons for his 

actions. Consequently,Americans 

have been 

left confused and unaware of the decisions 

that our country will make. 

— http://www.armywell-being.org


Cell Phone Radiation 

by Christina Moazed 


When one holds a cell phone 

against his or her ear, harmful radiation 

is able to enter the brain tissue. 

These signals—energy released in the 

form of radio waves—are a form of 

electromagnetic radiation that can be 

absorbed by human tissue. 

Since 1994, the number of people 

who use cell phones has skyrocketed 

from 16 million to 200 million. 

Furthermore, as HowStuffWorks.com 

contends, there exist over 650 million 

retired phones (as well as many 

chargers and accessories) that end up 

in landfills. 

All of these electronics contain 

toxic materials that possibly leak 

onto the earth and into streams. Research 

and tests prove that these 

chemicals have been found in water 

and food sources. The rapid increase 

in cell phone use will continue, as 

will the possible health risks. 

According to How Stuff Works, 

cell phone radiation can cause cancer, 

brain tumors, Alzheimer‘s, Parkinson‘s, 

fatigue, and headaches. It has 

also been shown that even a twominute 

cell phone conversation can 

change the natural electrical activity 

of the brain for up to an hour afterwards. 

Radiation has been proven to 

lower the amount of anti-oxidants in 

the body. Studies also show that the 

sperm count of men who wear their 

phones on a belt strap could drop by 

as much as 30 percent. 

The U.S. General Accounting 

Office, a congressional organization 

that audits federal programs, stated in 

a recent report that ―At high levels, 

radio-frequency energy can rapidly 

heat biological tissue and cause damage 

such as burns.‖ Consequently, all 

by Nicholas Debany 


Although Greenwich High 

School regularly emphasizes the importance 

of good nutrition, the food 

offerings at the ―Cardinal Café,‖ contradict 

this ever-present message. 

Starting with the daily breakfast 

menu, the café‘s food choices are less 

than stellar in terms of ―health.‖ The 

café offers four choices: pancakes 

(plain and chocolate), egg and cheese 

sandwiches (bacon or sausage is extra), 

cereal and milk, and bagels. 

All of the above options (except 

the cereal, depending on the brand) 

are high in carbohydrates, sugar 

(especially in the case of the chocolate 

pancake, one of the most popular 

choices), and calories. The café even 

requires students to purchase two 

boxes of cereal if they decide to eat a 

marginally healthier breakfast. 

Not only are the above options 

loaded with calories, which can contribute 

to obesity, but the sugar content 

of the food also hinders the students‘ 

ability to concentrate in class, 

which can adversely affect grades. 

While a ―Cardinal Breakfast‖ 

cell phone companies have to comply 

with F.C.C. standards in order 

to be sold in the United States. Each 

is tested in terms of specific absorption 

rate (SAR), which calculates 

how much radio-frequency energy 

is absorbed by the human body. The 

standard rule for the US is that a 

phone must not exceed an SAR 

level of 1.6 watts per kilogram. 

The CNET has recently reported 

high radiation levels in many 

different types of cell phones. The 

Motorola V195 model has the highest 

SAR level of 1.60 watts per 

kilogram, followed by the Motorola 

Zine ZN5, which has an SAR level 

of 1.59 watts per kilogram. The 

popular Blackberry Curve is fifth 

on the highest radiation cell phone 

list, with an SAR level of 1.54 watts 

per kilogram, in addition to the 

trendy Blackberry Bold which 

ranks eleventh on the radiation list; 

its SAR level is 1.51 watts per kilogram. 

Some tips to avoid these health 

problems include using the speakerphone 

or headphone feature in order 

to avoid holding a cell phone 

against the head. You can also purchase 

a phone with a low Specific 

Absorption Rate; the SAR value is 

always listed in the instruction manual. 

Do not use the phone in elevators, 

in vehicles, or when good reception 

is unavailable, since this 

requires the phone to work harder 

to establish a connection. Additionally, 

try to avoid wearing a phone in 

a pocket or belt strap, as the tissue 

in the lower body absorbs radiation 

much faster than the tissue in the 

head. Lastly, you can limit your 

calls altogether, communicate 

through email, or even wait to talk 

in person! 

by Chloe Potsklan 


After a summer spent freely— 

whether traveling, working, or simply 

relaxing—we have returned to 

school for the new year, and now 

after almost two months of school, 

it‘s certainly 

back to routine. 

Of course, 

some changes 

have occurred; 

one can now 

find freshly 

waxed floors, 

no carpets in 

the houses, a 

garden where 

stairs once 

were, and hundreds 

of new 

faces. So overall, student life has 

more or less settled down. 

The beginning of the school 

year is often attached to goals, 

pseudo-New Year‘s resolutions for 

students to keep in mind. In fact, I 

think the objectives set in September 

and October are even more important 

than those made in January 

because they remain relevant for the 

entire year. Students are faced with 

issues related to school—trying 

harder in class, participating in 

more clubs, meeting new people, 

volunteering, practicing a sport with 

more enthusiasm, or studying 

more—on a daily basis. 

While I think that these aspirations 

are important, they are also 

not very original. I have developed 

a genuine, newfound curiosity concerning 

other people‘s goals, and as 

a result, I started asking my peers. 

Most answered with the list of generic 

aims previously addressed, 

but what stood out to me was the 

Cardinal Café Hypocrisy 

every day might not be the healthiest 

option in the world, the array of 

lunch choices is where the 

―Cardinal Café‖ fails spectacularly. 

During a normal lunch block, a student 

can expect the following: a 

microwaved sloppy Joe on a bun 

(which is at 

least whole 

wheat), mic 

r o wa v e d 

Dominoes‘ 

Pizza, mic 

r o wa v e d 

pizza bagels,microw 

a v e d 

French toast 

with syrup, 

microwaved 

French fries, pasta (not microwaved), 

and salad (probably not 

mircowaved). 

It‘s discouraging—after all the 

hours students have been sitting in 

wellness class listening to how important 

it is to eat healthy—to walk 

into the café expecting a selection 

of healthy eats. But instead of seeing 

stir-fry, sushi, green beans, and 

salad that doesn‘t taste like card- 

— OPINIONS — 

New School Year Goals 

board, student get to enjoy lots of 

calories, sugar, and carbohydrates. 

The issue is not that kids 

wouldn‘t buy new, healthier food 

choices. The café could easily provide 

the current menu and make it 

healthier. Instead of getting our 

food out of 

a box and 

microwaving 

it, the 

café could 

just cook it 

in its own 

kitchens… 

right? 

B u t 

g e t t i n g 

h e a l t h i e r 

foods for 

the school is, pardon the cliché, easier 

said then done. The fact of the 

matter is that the processed food 

our schools provide is cheaper to 

buy than buying fresh ingredients at 

local food stores (and the students 

consume a lot of food). 

Buying fresh and local would 

pose another problem besides 

costs—one that affects the entire 

Greenwich Public School system. 

—http://www.nflfootballstadiums.com 

response that warned to ―avoid conformity.‖ 

This reply piqued my interest. 

Avoid conformity—an intriguing 

thought. What I‘ve known about 

conformity has been, for the most 

part, limited to what‘s mentioned in 

English class—labeling a character as 

a conformist, discussing 

it as if it 

were slightly worse 

than death (a special 

thanks to Ray 

Bradbury‘s Fahrenheit 

451)… But 

how should we 

―avoid conformity‖ 

when it is so easy 

to succumb to it? 

In high school 

especially, there 

seems to be such a 

thin line dividing ―being an individual‖ 

and ―being weird.‖ At a time in 

our lives when reputation and a sense 

of belonging among friends are crucial, 

being considered ―different‖ 

hardly carries a positive connotation. 

In a setting like that, how can you not 

feel imposed to simply conform and 

fit in? 

It is certainly easier to just obscurely 

swim with the current. 

That‘s why I think avoiding conformity 

is such a great goal. It‘s not 

as straightforward as trying to get an 

A or studying more; instead, it requires 

a great deal of thought and 

hard work to achieve. 

In my opinion, you should not be 

afraid to—as cliché as it sounds—be 

yourself. Do what makes you happy: 

swim against the current, or with it, if 

that‘s what defines you. As long as 

you ultimately feel that you‘ve succeeded 

with at least one aspect of 

your goal, it‘s worth it. 

—http:://www.themomcrowd.com 

In order to cut costs, the Town of 

Greenwich feeds the middle and elementary 

schools largely with leftovers 

from the high school. The food 

service would have to abandon this 

practice, since fresh/unfrozen food 

wouldn‘t last long enough in order to 

be delivered to other schools besides 

GHS. 

But without a doubt the biggest 

hurdle in providing Greenwich High 

School with fresh, un-processed 

foods is the monumental cost of 

training our lunch servers to prepare 

the meals. Even after they are 

trained, the Town of Greenwich 

would still be left with the necessity 

of paying higher salaries, since more 

work would be required for food 

preparation. 

It wouldn‘t be wrong to say that 

it may take a while before fresh foods 

can be served at GHS, but even a 

step, no matter how big or small, in 

the right direction would be helpful. 

According to CBS, ―the quality 

of lunch foods served at public 

schools is below that of food served 

at more McDonalds or Burger King.‖ 

I‘ll leave you with that quote 

as food for thought.

— FASHION — 

Dear Readers, 

November February 2010 2010 — — THE THE BEAK BEAK — 7 

7 

Excitement can‘t even begin to cover what we feel about starting this new section. 

Before this issue, the idea of including anything style related in The Beak was nothing more 

than speculation, a hopeful suggestion here or there that never truly materialized. But not anymore. 

While we may not be able to give you the dozens of style-filled glossy pages that Anna 

Wintour and Roberta Myers do, we can provide you with something that they can‘t: fashion 

through the eyes of Greenwich High School. More often than not, in our student-driven environment, 

backpacks and flats prevail, leaving our five-inch pumps and sequined dresses cold 

and unworn in the corners of our closets. Here at Beak Chic, we‘ve chosen to view the triumph 

of comfort and practicality as a blessing. As the school year progresses, some of this 

season‘s best fall trends start to pop up in our mass of students. Whether it‘s through the Alexander 

Wang-esque knee high boots on their feet, or the Navajo inspired sweaters that keep 

them warm, the students of GHS have a way of turning the trends on the runway into wearable 

staples. 

While there are those of you who find fashion blasé, there‘s no denying that it extends 

far beyond the confines of retail stores and boutiques. Why do we continue to muse on the 

subject? Fashion is more than just the shoes you wear. It is the way you carry yourself in 

them, whether they‘re from Target or Christian Louboutin. This is the message we plan to 

share in the Beak Chic. Enjoy. 

Lauren & Anna 

All photos by Lauren Daccache


By Lauren Daccache 


THE PANT A trend first 

made famous by rapper MC Hammer, 

the harem pant is experiencing a sort 

of reawakening in the fashion world, 

gracing the legs of celebrities and 

street fashionistas alike. Although 

slightly daunting for those of us accustomed 

to ―the tighter, the better‖ 

approach (think jeggings: two of the 

most form-fitting styles of legwear… 

combined), these billowing 

pants are a breath of fresh air. Literally. 

From the fitted waist, they flow 

down the leg in plentiful folds of fabric, 

unexpectedly tapering into a slim 

pant at the ankle. 

Caviar cotton pants , 

SPLENDID, 

$78 

visit nordstrom.com 

HOW TO So while this 

piece may appear somewhat complicated, 

its‘ intricacy is what 

makes it so wonderful. The bold 

silhouette demands a much more 

casual approach to accessories 

(hint: keep the funky jewelry to a 

minimum), allowing a more forward 

and focused look. If I have yet 

to convince you, just take a look at 

fashion icon Sienna Miller. The 

actress screams laid back elegance, 

pairing her harems with a sleek 

blazer (another note-worthy trend), 

and cut-out heeled sandals. If walking 

back and forth through the glass 

corridor in heels doesn‘t sound appealing 

to you (even wedges tend to 

result in blisters…) opt instead for a 

pair of simple flats or sandals. 

Wool-blend cropped pants, 

THEORY, 

$110, 

visit bloomindales.com 

White cotton pants, 

PINKO, 

$98, 

visit yoox.com 

Taupe knit 

pants, 

$10 

Geometric pattern pants, 

DEEPSTYLE, 

$36 

visit yesstyle.com 

Black silk pants, 

SUNNER, 

$92 

visit salestalker.com 

— FASHION — 

STYLE UPDATE: …Parachute pants? 

Designer Spotlight: 

Elizabeth and James 

By Lauren Daccache 


While I usually tend to 

avoid celebrity-designed lines, 

Elizabeth and James is one that I‘m 

more than happy to make an exception 

for. Founded by Mary-Kate 

and Ashley Olsen 2007, E&J 

(named after the pair‘s siblings), 

redefined the 

concept of cont 

e m p o r a r y 

womens wear. 

T h e b r a n d 

beautifully marries 

the masculine 

and feminine 

aesthetics 

of clothing 

(Think loose 

from blue gingham to a beautiful ballet 

pink, this E&J shirt is sure to become 

an essential classic. 

Perhaps the most agreeable 

aspect of E&J‘s most recent collection 

is the ability to layer piece upon 

piece. As we transition into mid- 

October, it‘s only practical that layering 

becomes something all ―chic‖ 

Greenwich High schoolers take part 

in. This time of 

the year brings 

the most unexpected 

weather. 

While your 

morning may 

start off with a 

chilly walk 

through the 

glass corridor, 

by the afternoon 

you could be 

just as comfortable 

in a t-shirt 

and sandals. To confront fall‘s finicky 

weather, Elizabeth and James 

have turned to layering as a simple 

solution. Throwing cardigans under 

moto jackets, layering scarves over 

chunky knit sweaters---every piece 

from their fall collection radiates 

both falling leaves and warm breezes. 

Check out the latest items (and if 

you‘re lucky, you can catch a few on 

sale) on shopbop.com. 

And while the brand may not 

be exactly wallet-friendly, for high 

school and college students alike, it is 

well worth the investment. 

yet structured 

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, dressed in 

blazers, and some of their Elizabeth and James creations. 

gauze boyfriend 

button downs), yet still manages to 

maintain a constant ‗cool-girl‘ look. 

Personally, I lean towards 

their more winter-geared pieces; 

shearling jackets, chunky woolen 

ponchos, infinity scarves… But it 

would be a crime to ignore the coveted 

boyfriend shirts. A fashion staple 

that belongs in every stylelover‘s 

closet, the ‗Cohen shirt‘ is 

comprised of the perfect blend of 

luxurious summer fabrics, impeccable 

stitching, and rows of little 

white buttons. Varying from lightweight 

gauzes to bolder-cut chambrays, 

and coming in every color

y Christina Lamoureux 


After several outstanding 

shows last year, including Pippin, 

Shakespeare‘s The Winter’s Tale, and 

the classic Beauty and the Beast, the 

award-winning GHS Theater Department 

is back and better than ever. 

The department 

is already 

hard at 

work planning 

the productions 

for 

2 0 1 1 . 

It was 

recently announced 

that 

the On Stage! 

classes will 

be performing 

the musical 

Bye Bye 

Birdie. The 

spring musical 

is unk 

n o w n a t t h i s t i m e . 

The year‘s first production is 

the annual Shakespeare play, which 

has been in the works since last year 

and is nearing performance time. 

This year‘s spectacle is Twelfth 

Night, a classic Shakespearean comedy. 

I interviewed Sam Prose, who 

portrays one of the main characters in 

Twelfth Night, to find out more… 

Beak: First off, can you fill us in on 

by Henry Stone and Christian Fazio 

Staff Writer and Executive Editor 

Mafia 2: Due to the great 

success Grand Theft Auto’s openworld, 

do-anything-any-time style, 

many games have attempted to include 

some sandbox elements into 

their games to make 

a more attractive 

product. The Godfather 

2, Crackdown 

2, Just Cause 2, and 

Red Faction: Guerilla 

all serve as examples 

of ―GTA 

clones‖, games that 

have tried to apply 

open-world elements 

to get a share of 

GTA‘s success. 

However, in 

recent years, no 

other company has 

mastered it except 

for Rockstar Studios. 

Made by 2k 

Games (maker and 

co-maker of Bioshock and Borderlands), 

Mafia 2 is an excellent sandbox 

game set in a world with a believable 

1950‘s feel. White wall tires, 

tobacco ads, and Frank Sinatra all 

help to make Empire City (the 

game‘s setting based off of New 

York City) feel original and yet historically 

accurate. 

But that‘s just a small part of 

what makes Mafia 2 great. The game 

has a variety of guns from the time 

A Review Of Twelfth Night 

Twelfth Night? 

Sam: Twelfth Night is one of the 

famous Shakespearean comedies. 

The premise is that a set of twins 

shows up separately on the shore of 

a land they‘ve never been to before, 

called Illyria, and neither knows if 

the other is alive- the main character, 

Viola, 

thinks her 

twin Sebast 

i a n 

d r o w n e d . 

So she 

dresses up 

as a male 

and goes to 

work for 

the duke of 

the land, 

D u k e 

Orsino, under 

the 

name Cesario.However, 

she ends up falling in love 

with the duke, who is in love with 

Countess Olivia, who is in love 

with ―Cesario.‖ There are many 

subplots involving love triangles, 

cross-dressing, and impersonation, 

and, yes, at times it can get confusing. 

But it‘s a lot of fun to perform 

and watch. 

—http://wwwcharlotteshakespeare.com 

Beak: Tell us about your character, 

Sir Toby Belch. 

Sam: My character is Sir Toby 

Belch, who is Olivia‘s uncle and 

one of the royal characters in 

Illyria. He‘s always drunk, and for 

most of the play, he bumbles 

around, and he often serves as 

comic relief. He also plays tricks on 

the servant, Malvolio, who is generally 

uptight 

and pompous. 

A lot 

of the play 

involves a 

subplot between 

the 

two- Sir 

Toby and 

several other 

household 

characters 

convince 

Malvolio that 

Olivia is in 

love with 

him by forging 

a love 

letter from 

her. He completely 

falls for it because he‘s always 

though Olivia wanted to 

marry him, and it has some pretty 

entertaining results. 

Beak: Who would you say this play 

appeals to? 

Sam: I would honestly say Twelfth 

Night appeals to everybody. It‘s not 

serious all the time, and even if it 

Video Game Reviews 

period including: Tommy guns, 

revolvers, MP40s, and more—all of 

them acting and feeling realistic. 

Driving is now more realistic, as 

well. If you speed and crash, you 

will incur damage; not only to your 

car, but the main character may be 

injured too. 

The impressive 

visuals help 

to bring all these 

factors together 

to form a believableenvironment 

in which 

the game takes 

place. In addition, 

the storyli 

n e— wit h ou t 

giving much 

away—will remind 

many of 

movies like The 

Godfather and 

Goodfellas, and 

will make any 

mobster-movie 

fan feel welcomed. 

It would be a perfect game 

if it weren‘t for a small lack of maneuverability 

in cars. However, veterans 

of GTA should find themselves 

right at home with this game. 

—http://www.videogamesoffers.com 

— ENTERTAINMENT — November 2010 — THE BEAK — 9 

Halo: Reach: Riding off the coattails 

of one of the best selling 

games of all time Halo 3, Halo: 

Reach has quite a reputation to live 

up to. Although many may question 

what a new entry in a groundbreaking 

series such as Halo can offer 

after three games, Bungie Studios 

has managed to pull off the feat 

with relative success. 

The last game, released in 

September 2008, largely pulled and 

depended on the nearly perfect 

gameplay mechanics. This facet of 

t h e 

g a m e 

m a n - 

aged to 

m a s k 

some of 

the subt 

l e 

flaws— 

such as 

t ex t u r - 

ing and 

meshing 

is s u es , 

and nottoo-stunning 

graphics. 

This time around, Bungie has 

worked out some of these problems, 

and the graphics are some of the 

best out of all games on the Xbox 

360. They pale, however, in comparison 

to powerhouses on the PS3 

or PC, such as Uncharted 2 or even 

the undefeated graphical 800-pound 

gorilla Crysis, released in 2007. 

Nevertheless, as for the 

gameplay, the equilibrium achieved 

in the previous games has been disrupted. 

The newer line of Spartans 


you don‘t entirely understand what‘s 

going on while watching it, it‘s always 

still funny and entertaining. 

Throughout the whole play there‘s a 

lot going on, so the audience will 

never get bored. It‘s a good play for 

high school students and senior citizens 

alike- everyone can enjoy it. 

Beak: What 

can we discover 

from 

this production? 

Sam: Great 

things! So far 

everything 

came together 

well for the 

shows in October, 

and the 

cast and crew 

were really 

excited about 

the performances. 

And 

when the theater 

department gets excited, it means 

that we have high hopes for a show, 

and who knows- it might have been 

one of the best productions we‘ve 

ever had. 

Watch for information about the 

GHS Theater‘s season on its web site 

http://www.greenwichschools.org/ 

page.cfm?p=136 

—http://www.thepochtimes.com 

that you fight as—Spartan-IIIs—have 

acquired additional abilities and technologies 

not available to Master 

Chief—a Spartan-II—as they were 

―made‖ after. With these new supersoldiers, 

abilities such as use of jetpacks, 

sprinting, and armor locking 

make Halo: Reach not feel original. 

While the pacing may be different, 

a variety of new features help 

to make 

this game 

f u l l y 

f l e s h e d 

o u t . 

F o r g e 

World, a 

ma s s i v e 

s a ndb ox 

in which 

the player 

can create 

levels, a 

—http://www.geeksandsports.com 

h i g h l y 

d et a il e d 

system of character customization, 

and addition of new multiplayer 

modes make Halo: Reach feel different 

and yet the missing piece of the 

Halo franchise. 

With a storyline that feels 

darker and more emotional, a revamped 

graphics system, and a new 

level of immersion through customization, 

although Halo: Reach may 

not be a contender for the greatest 

game of all time, it should be welcomed 

by any fan of Halo or First 

Person Shooters.


by Anna Sweeney 

Alissa Tilly 

Entertainment Editors 

We pulled into the parking 

lot at Jones Beach theatre in Wantagh, 

NY, to the familiar sight of traditional 

Phish fans with their solitary 

finger raised in search of an extra 

ticket. The number of them grew rapidly 

the more we searched for a vacant 

space. 

The indefinable 

amount 

of people let 

us know that 

this was no 

doubt going 

to be one for 

the history 

books in all 

of the performances 

of Phish. 

Eventually we found a space 

and made our way to Shakedown 

Street, where we met up with our 

local hippies. We strolled up and 

down, enjoyed the colorful stands 

and observed the 

vibrant a nd 

lively people. 

We made it into 

the venue and 

sat eagerly in 

our seats waiting 

for the incredible 

performance to 

begin. 

T h e 

band seems to be 

getting rid of 

most of the leftovers 

of their post-retirement rust, 

and they played flawlessly during 

their last show of the summer tour. 

Of course, there were some mistakes 

here and there, but they quickly got 

their act together and never took 

away the liveliness and passion that 

they were pouring into their performance. 

Mike Gordon is in the middle 

by Annie Manacher 

Staff Writer 

As many ―Gleeks‖ would 

note, it seems as though the drama 

and excitement in the season finale of 

Fox‘s hit show, ―Glee‖, has been all 

wrapped up and resolved in a neat 

little package. There were two main 

questions I 

was dying to 

a n s w e r : 

Would Glee 

club be canceled 

if they 

didn‘t place 

at Regionals? 

And what 

was going to 

happen to 

Quinn and 

Puck‘s baby? 

( S p o i l e r 

alert: if you don’t want to know, stop 

here!) 

The season finale of ―Glee‖ 

answered all of my questions. Quinn 

and Puck‘s baby girl is off to her new 

Jones Beach 8/18 Phish Review 

of his career peak, and his confident, 

perfect playing is one of the 

many reasons to get keyed up for 

the musical future of the group. 

It‘s clear that Fishman still 

has the swagger of his preretirement 

days, and that Page is the 

rock he always has been known to 

be. Trey Anastasio seemed to lose 

some swiftness since the return last 

year, but the evidence presented 

over the two 

nights at 

Jones was 

temporary, 

and he was 

a u t o ma t i - 

cally off the 

d i s a b l e d 

list. 

-http://www.newsweek.com 

The traveling 

circus that has consistently followed 

the band from show to show 

and the scene they generate is essential 

to the experience of the 

show. The passionate audience goes 

the extra mile for the band that has 

constantly jointed them over the 

course of their 

time together. 

8 / 1 8 

Jones Beach 

started off with 

a fiery ―Down 

With Disease,‖ 

Anastasio perfecting 

the 

solo. The opening 

stanza in- 

c l u d e d 

―Sample In a 

Jar,‖ ―Guelah 

Papyrus,‖ and ―Poor Heart,‖ and it 

seemed like it came right from the 

Summer of ‗94 playbook. They 

were all flawlessly executed. 

―Ocelot‖ will always mature 

nicely, and its jam took the responsibility 

of the first set slow 

hymn well. The mid set ―Chalkdust 

Torture‖ was a surprise because of 

-http://www.livemusicblog.com 

mother, Shelby Corcoran, who just 

so happens to be Rachel Berry‘s 

biological mother. Earlier in the 

season, Ms. Corcoran, who is also 

the director of New Directions‘ rival 

Glee Club, Vocal Adrenaline, 

realized she was ready to be a parent. 

More drama resolved in the 

season finale? 

Glee club has 

been offered 

another year at 

M c K i n l e y 

High, despite 

Principal Figgin‘s 

threat to 

cancel it if they 

didn‘t place at 

Regionals. Season 

one of this 

highly successful 

show was 

just that – 

highly successful. ―Glee‖ left nothing 

to be desired; there was singing 

and dancing, plenty of romance, 

and even some athletics. 

-http://www.bp.blogspot.com 

— ENTERTAINMENT — 

its usual closer/opener role. It 

served as an addition to the 

―Bathtub Gin‖ that followed. The 

jam that ensued basically launched 

and gradually built, and the rust was 

impossible to see. ― T u b e ‖ 

followed, and was a little tight and 

cut short. ―Destiny Unbound‖ was 

funky, yet 

flawed mise 

r a b l y . 

―Joy‖ let 

the air out 

of the balloon, 

and 

could only 

b e r e - 

d e e m e d 

with the 

p o p u l a r 

―Run Like 

An Antelope.‖ 

Following the first set, during 

the break, Phish fans were 

shocked by the man who hallucinated 

he was swimming, and 

jumped 25 feet off of the balcony. 

H o wev er , 

this traumatic 

event 

did not alter 

the flawless 

p e r f o r m - 

ance of the 

second and 

final set. 

The 

final set 

o p e n e d 

w i t h 

―Axilla Pt. 

1,‖ a successfulvehicle 

for reenergizing 

the crowd. 

― T i mb er ‖ 

was harsh, 

with a release 

jam and tension that wasn‘t 

parallel. ―Light‖ helped the band 

For All You Gleeks... 

Another positive aspect of 

―Glee‖ is the music. Each week, 

―Glee‖ picks phenomenal songs to 

cover, making for a constant stream 

of popular iTunes releases. One of 

t h e i r 

m o s t 

w e l l 

k n o w n 

c o v er s 

i s 

―Don‘t 

S t o p 

B e - 

lievin‖ 

b y 

J o u r - 

n e y . 

T h e 

s h o w 

covered 

this song in one of their earliest episodes, 

and it rose to Number 5 in 

the US Hot 100. Without fail, 

―Glee‖ keeps viewers eagerly coming 

back for more every week. 

So what‘s left for Season 2 of 

―Glee‖? Plenty! According to the 

redeem themselves, and it was fascinating 

how it segued smoothly into 

―46 Days.‖ ―My Soul‖ smoothly transitioned 

into ―My Friend, My 

Friend,‖ and the thunderous roars and 

cheers from the crowd reflected the 

band‘s sound performance. Back to 

back monsters were next, ―Harry 

Hood,‖ and 

―T weezer‖. 

―The Horse‖ 

and ―Silent in 

the Morning‖ 

was a memorableinclusion 

in the 

second set. 

Finally, the 

―You Enjoy 

-http://www.metallurgies.com Myself‖ that 

e v e r y o n e 

sensed dropped in excellently. 

The exciting encores that the 

band played at Deer Creek and Alpine 

Valley didn‘t exactly compare to 

the Jones Beach encore of ―Suzy 

Greenberg‖ and ―Tweezer Reprise.‖ 

That encore 

is about 

as generic as 

they can get. 

Phish recentlyannounced 

their 

fall tour 

dates, and 

they‘re kicking 

it off with 

the Austin 

City Limits 

Music Festival 

in October. 

They 

will then play 

in Colorado, 

North Caro- 

lina, and the 

end on the 

East Coast. 

Patience is a virtue. 

-http://www.jambase.com 

show‘s official site, there will be new 

characters and guest stars left and 

right, including John Stamos 

and Charice Pempengco (playing a 

Filip ino 

f o r e i g n 

exchange 

stu dent, 

with a 

v o i c e 

loved by 

all except 

Rachel). 

W h a t 

else can 

we expect 

from 

-http://www.multichannel.com the new 

s ea s o n ? 

Look for 

a surprising union between Will 

Schuester and Sue Sylvester. 

To find out what happens in 

―Glee‖, tune in to Fox 5 on Tuesdays 

at 8:00PM .

y Lizzy Trotta 


―I used to rule the world… 

Now I… sweep the streets I used to 

own.‖ These lyrics in ―Viva La 

Vida” by Coldplay summarize our 

transition from being the rulers of the 

middle school to lowly freshman. 

I‘m not sure any of us expected 

Greenwich High School, with 

its bigger classes, harder material, 

and better sports teams, to be so different 

from our middle schools. Everything 

seems to be bigger and better. 

The excitement and enthusiasm 

was clearly visible on our faces 

as we entered our new home of the 

next four years. 

The freshman class poured 

into the glass corridor on August 30, 

and we began our first day of orientation. 

A tinge of apprehensive clung to 

the air as we tried to adjust ourselves 

to this new environment as seamlessly 

as possible and recall all the 

advice we had received from others 

who attended GHS. 

But what we soon found out 

was that GHS was not at all like 

Mean Girls. We discovered that high 

school teachers aren‘t so quirky 

(well, most of them anyway) and that 

high school is pretty fantastic! On 

A Freshman’s Perspective 

that day in August, the class of 

2014 found its home. 

In the Student Center, we 

were welcomed by numerous clubs 

searching for unsuspecting freshman 

to join their ranks. It was here 

that we noticed that there was literally 

a 

club for 

e v e r y 

conceiva 

b l e 

hobby or 

interest. 

We were 

able to 

find people 

with 

interests 

s i m i l a r 

to our 

own, and 

c r e a t e 

n e w 

fr iend - 

s h i p s 

with our future ―club-mates‖. 

Whether it was Peace Club, The 

Beak, or Barbershop Appreciation, 

everyone was able to find a niche 

which catered to their interests. 

We were beginning to feel 

more and more comfortable by the 

minute, as we discovered new peo- 

ple and exciting new club activities 

to occupy our time. 

The next day, the first 

official day of school, was a little 

bit different. When 2,000 additional 

students come to school, the hallways 

seem to shrink, and the studentcenterbecame 

as 

busy as a 

s m a l l 

city! But 

t h e 

freshman 

c l a s s 

survived, 

a n d 

many of 

us enjoyed 

the 

rush we 

got from 

b e i n g 

swept up 

in a tidal 

wave of people. 

This day we also were 

made aware that the science wing is 

exceptionally far from the Student 

Center and the majority of our 

classes, and that art and theater 

wings are hidden in obscure corners 

of the school. 


But with the help of our 

handy-dandy maps, which we received 

on orientation day, we were 

able to find these wings too— 

although, in this case, a GPS might 

have been more useful. We also immediately 

became conscious of how 

sore our backs were about to become 

as we were inundated with textbooks 

and ―back to school‖ shopping lists. 

At the end of our school day, 

many of us discovered that our high 

school sports teams are intense, and 

we quickly became conscious that 

talking is ―rewarded‖ with extra laps 

around the field. 

But we also quickly learned 

the true rewards of our team sports: 

the tight bonds formed in those extra 

laps, and the new friendships are 

made in the ridiculous amounts of 

sprints that we run. And during these 

beginning weeks of school, players 

started to become teammates. 

Greenwich High School is 

very different from our middle 

schools! But I believe that the freshman 

Class of 2014 is not only ready 

for that change, but will embrace it. 

Soon it will be our time to 

look back, when it‘s our senior year, 

and see how far we‘ve come and how 

much we‘ve changed because of our 

years at Greenwich High School. 

Café Health Tips (and other assorted nuggets of wisdom) 

by Maddie Johnson and Brad Kim 


and Features Editor 

Hey Cardinals! Here we are 

and we have some advice for you! 

Do you ever find yourself in the 

Greenwich High Café and are so hungry, 

but you want something healthy 

instead of those ever tempting cookies 

and muffins? Well, we have a list 

ways to stay healthy at Greenwich 

High! 

First, Maddie has some practical 

eating suggestions. 

1. Trying to decide what to have for 

lunch? Try the salad bar instead of 

pizza. It‘s just as tasty, less fattening, 

and it‘ll give you more energy! 

[Make sure that you stay away from 

those fatty dressings! Try Italian!] 

2. In the mood for chips? Try the all 

natural terra chips. They have much 

less salt, and fat! 

3. Craving a sugary snack? Go for 

the fat free Welch‘s fruit snacks instead 

of that 350-calorie cookie! 

4. Deciding what to drink with your 

meal? Try water, or even a natural 

apple juice instead of those sugary 

Switch drinks. 

5. Caught in the sandwich line? Try 

a turkey or roast beef sandwich instead 

of the ham and cheese. Turkey 

or roast beef have much less salt, and 

they are lower in calories! 

I hope this helps, and I hope you stay 

healthy! 

Now Brad, has his own set of helpful 

tips and tricks that make life a 

little better: 

1. If you need to know anything 

about anything, use Wolfram Alpha. 

Just search in ―Sulfur 

hexafluoride‖ or ―Darth Vader‖ or 

―Galapagos Islands‖ and now you 

know everything you could want on 

that. 

2. If you need to hold your own in a 

conversation during which you 

know nothing about the subject 

matter, most of the time you get by 

just by re-phrasing/affirming what 

they said. ―Yeah, the recent legislation 

passed is really going to hurt 

small business this quarter‖. Saying 

something like that is a perfectly 

acceptable addition to the conversation, 

and actually having any concrete 

information is unnecessary if 

— FEATURES — November 2010 — THE BEAK — 11 

—http://images.meredith.com 

A freshman confused about his new high school setting 

Tips that are almost as important these. 

you speak second. (From Burn Notice 

spy tips) 

3.If you need to win at tic-tac-toe, 

go first and place X in any of the 

corners. Keep putting your X in the 

corners, blocking as necessary, until 

you have two open paths to victory. 

Then your opponent can only block 

one. 

4. If you‘re ever accused of anything, 

don‘t talk to the police. 

—www.sculpturegallery.com 

Things you say to the police cannot 

be used in favor of the defendant in 

court. It‘s called hear say. Read 

Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2) 

(a), if you want to look it up 

(Unfortunately, this is not something 

you can look up in Wolfram 

Alpha). 

5. If you need to stay up really late, 

eat complex carbohydrates (wheat 

bread) and protein. Eating sugar 

will result in a crash, and caffeine can 

lead to the jitters or unpleasant insomnia. 

6. Do not pay $70+ for textbooks that 

you lose. Buy one online, and bring it 

in. They are significantly less expensive 

than the publisher‘s replacement 

charges. 

7. Do not spend money buying bottled 

water in school. Walk to either 

the Bella water fountains or the Student 

Center fountains. They exist for 

drinking. 

8. If the hallways are heavily trafficked, 

and you need to get somewhere 

fast, DO NOT WALK SUPER 

FAST. Walk medium fast and pretend 

to be focused on your iPod or a 

book (Do not actually lose 100% focus 

or you risk a collision). People 

will get out of your way if they are 

self aware. 

9. Build your own computer. If you 

can get over the mental image of that 

being incredibly difficult, it‘s incredibly 

easy and costs hundreds of dollars 

less. It also makes you seem 

much more intelligent. 

10. Restaurants will try to skimp out 

on soda by adding a lot of ice. If you 

don‘t mind annoying the waiters or 

seeming sketchy, specify that you 

want no ice so they fill up the cup 

entirely and then later, say that you 

want ice added. 

These are just a few nuggets 

that I have picked up on in life. I 

hope this helps you, one day.


by Bradford Kim 

Features Editor 

Inception, directed by Christopher 

Nolan, was no doubt the biggest 

movie of the summer. It was quite 

possibly the biggest movie of the 

year. Aside from being visually stunning 

and getting overall fantastic reviews, 

Inception has mind boggling 

themes and ideas that left us bewildered. 

However, even though it is a 

fantastic movie and it blew our 

minds, many were left very confused 

in the machinations of dream rules 

and who exactly does what. Have no 

fear, soon all of the twisted details 

and confusing elements will be explored. 

It should go without saying 

that this article is a massive spoiler. 

SPOILER WARNING!!! If you 

have not seen the movie Inception, be 

highly advised to bypass this article 

and, instead, immediately go see that 

movie. To you that are still reading, 

it's time to go deeper. 

It's important to explain the 

rules of the dream and the various 

dreamers. Starting with Cobb 

(Leonardo DiCaprio) is the extractor 

and leader of the team. The simplest 

label for him is a con-man. Beneath 

all of the dreaming mechanics, 

Cobb is out to steal things and 

deceive his victims. 

Ariadne (Ellen Page) is 

the architect. This is just like a 

real world architect, but instead 

they design various dream levels. 

Each dream level is designed 

by the architect, but the 

actual events are housed in a 

mind of the dreamer. 

Arthur (Joseph Gordon 

Levitt) doesn't have a particular 

job label, but he serves as 

Ariadne's guide and as a point 

man to direct one of the dream 

levels. 

Eames (Tom Hardy) is the 

forger. In real life he forges documents 

and gets references on people. 

In the dream world, he can imitate 

actual people and change his appearance 

entirely. 

Yusuf (Dileep Rao) is the 

chemist that designs the special sedative 

which holds together multiple 

dream layers and resists everything 

but the sensation of falling. 

The madness really starts 

happening on the plane ride. Each 

layer of the dream has an objective, 

and a dreamer. All of them are designed 

by Ariadne and housed by the 

dreamer. 

The first layer was the rainy 

city. This was housed by Yosef the 

chemist. The easiest way to know 

this is that when they went to the next 

layer, Yosef was the only one who 

stayed awake to drive the van. The 

first layer of Fischer's mind isn't as 

susceptible to their ploys, so the objective 

is just to plant the simple implications 

of the idea into his head. 

Unexpectedly, Fischer's was 

subconscious equipped to defend itself 

(this is why there were soldiers 

shooting at the dream team). In addition 

to this peril, the dream team can 

bring their own subconsciouses into 

the dream and clash with the target's 

We Need To Go Deeper... 

subconscious. Cobb brings his own 

personal demons into the dream. In 

this case, it takes the form of a random 

train barreling down the street. 

On the rainy street level, 

they get the combination to 

Fischer's subconscious safe, but 

Saito gets shot and starts dying. 

With a sedative so strong, dying in 

this dream wouldn't cause him to 

wake up, but to drift into limbo, a 

shared dream state of empty subconscious 

that can last forever. 

They take him to the next level 

where the pain is less intense but 

the danger is no less real. 

The next level is the hotel. 

Arthur in this case is the dreamer. 

Again, he's the one who stays behind 

to fight back security when 

everyone goes to sleep. 

On the hotel level, the 

dream team tricks Fischer into 

thinking that his godfather is working 

against him. At the same time 

the dream team implies that his father 

is trying to taunt him by not 

allowing him to make his own destiny. 

The beefy security is still 

hunting the dream team, but Cobb 

convinces Fischer to go against his 

own subconscious army and go into 

the third layer. Cobb is dragging his 

own troubled subconscious into the 

dream more and more though, as 

we see his kids in the hotel scene. 

The snow fortress layer is 

dreamed by Eames. By this time 

though, the kicks are approaching 

their time. Up on the first layer, 

Yusef is still driving the van and 

he's approaching the bridge to kick 

the rest of the dream team. This is 

why they need to use fast shortcuts 

in order to complete the job. 

Security on the snow level 

is intense, but the real problem is 

Cobb‘s subconscious. Cobb's subconscious 

invades to sabotage the 

mission in the form of his Mal projection. 

The imaginary Mal assassinates 

Fischer before the dream team 

can fully implant the seeds of the 

idea in his head. Saito also dies finally 

from his injury on the rainy 

level. This is where things get incredibly 

complicated. 

Limbo is a shared state of 

floating subconscious. No one is the 

dreamer. As Arthur describes, the 

only thing you find is the remnants 

of the subconscious of the only person 

who has been there before, 

meaning Cobb. 

When Fischer is shot on the 

— FEATURES — 

What’s your totem? 

snow level, he slips into limbo. Escaping 

limbo is as simple as getting 

killed, but the trick is to realize 

you're in limbo. Limbo is your own, 

deconstructed subconscious and it 

blurs the line between reality and 

the dream world. 

This is why when Cobb 

and Mal slipped into incredibly 

deep dream layers, Cobb had to 

perform inception for the first time. 

This was the explanation behind the 

safe and the doll house with the 

spinning top. Mal had chosen to 

forget the fact that it was a dream. 

Cobb infiltrated the manifestation 

of her subconscious, which was the 

safe inside the doll house, and 

planted the idea that her reality 

wasn't real. Then Mal accepted that 

it was a dream and killed herself to 

wake up, but not before she spent 

50+ years down there in the dream 

world. That doubt in reality soon 

came to define her and caused her 

to commit suicide in reality. 

Fischer gets killed, and 

drops deep down into the dream 

world. The Mal that is there is 

Cobb's projection of Mal. He's built 

an entire prison of memories and 

regrets that creates an almost fully 

-www.images2.fanpop.com 

realized version of her in his 

dreams. 

The problem arises when 

we consider Saito. The only way to 

get to limbo is to die on any level 

except for limbo. Cobb and Ariadne 

didn't die on the snow level, which 

suggests that the crumbling beach 

level is not actually limbo, but 

something that Cobb has misrepresented 

or misinterpreted as limbo 

and he drags all his memories from 

limbo into this level. Fischer wasn't 

shot dead, but fell unconscious and 

into another dream level where 

Cobb and Ariadne followed him. 

By this logic, it's also possible 

that Fischer didn't die on the 

snow level, and Cobb planned out 

the beach level from the beginning 

to make peace with his wife, create 

a projection of Fischer to convince 

Ariadne to kick herself up to the 

snow level as the dream collapses, 

and then kills himself to go to the 

real limbo to rescue Saito. 

There are two issues. If the 

crumbling city is really limbo, how 

do they know they are in limbo immediately 

and then, how does Cobb 

end up at Saito's fortress and why 

doesn't he know that he's in limbo 

anymore? There are two theories, 

the one previously mentioned, or 

that there are separate visions of 

limbo for everyone's subconscious 

and Cobb has already once escaped 

his own version of limbo which is 

why he knows immediately that he is 

dreaming. Then he helps Ariadne and 

Fischer escape and then goes to 

Saito's limbo where he has to realize 

it and escape all over again. But this 

doesn't explain how he gets from the 

crumbling city to Saito's fortress. Personally, 

I agree with the first theory 

and the movie just fails to explain it. 

This part is up to everyone's interpretation 

however. 

However, Cobb ends up at 

Saito's fortress, he has to figure out 

he's in limbo and then kill Saito and 

himself in order to escape. He realizes 

he's in limbo in a conversation 

with Saito that uses familiar quotes 

and reminds Cobb of his mission. We 

then see him reaching for the gun and 

presumably he shoots Saito and himself 

to wake up back on the plane 

LA. 

The rest of the team was 

kicked throughout all the dream levels 

in sync. The upper layer kick 

needs a kick on the lower layer as 

well, which is why Ariadne had to 

jump of the building even though that 

was the lowest layer she went 

into. The van slammed into the 

water just as Arthur blasted the 

elevator up the shaft and Eames 

destroyed the fortress. Presumably, 

this was also when the plane 

was descending which stimulated 

inner ear feeling. 

The ending is something 

else entirely. We're not really 

meant to know whether or not 

the spinning top ever falls over. 

But the ending also tells us 

something about the character 

development of the movie. 

Inception is a beautiful movie 

because it's not actually about a 

bunch of dream hackers running 

around stealing secrets. Great movies 

and books aren't actually plot driven; 

the characters are what make them 

interesting. Mal cuts deep into Cobb 

near the end when she implies that 

she was right the whole time, and the 

faceless corporations chasing Cobb 

might just be more projections. She 

asks him to stop considering what he 

―knows‖ and look at what he 

―believes‖. 

In a crucial beginning scene, 

Cobb is sitting at a table, gun in hand, 

spinning his totem. This is someone 

who's perception of reality is so 

blurred that he's ready to blow his 

brains out in order to ―wake himself 

up‖ if the top doesn't stop spinning. 

At the end though, he spins the top 

and then forgets about it instantly to 

go see his kids. He's finally accepted 

that reality is a relative thing, and he's 

sticking with whatever perception of 

reality that makes him happy. 

The mystery behind ending 

reveals that Inception isn't about the 

metaphysics of dream worlds, but 

accepting one truth: You'll never 

know whether or not your reality is 

real or just a dream, but you can still 

take whatever you believe to be the 

truth and find happiness.

y Julia Ghahramani 

Opinions Editor 

Why is the transition from a 

summer sleep schedule to a school 

year so difficult for teens? This question 

has been posed by researchers, 

educators, and parents, all looking for 

solutions through which sleep deprived 

adolescents can 

switch their unhealthy sleeping 

patterns in favor for ones 

that are more beneficial. 

According to the 

University of Michigan, students 

need between nine and 

12 hours of sleep a night. 

This number may sound 

hopelessly high. With early 

wake-up times, kids would 

need to go to sleep at impossibly 

premature times to get 

this amount of sleep. But, if 

one wants to wake up easily 

and not be tired during the 

day, this goal is feasible and 

sensible. 

Teens have trouble 

sleeping in the first place 

because of both biological 

and external reasons. 

Kidshealth.org mentions 

the resetting of the 

body‘s circadian rhythm, 

which makes teens‘ brains 

produce melatonin later at 

night than kids‘ and adults‘, 

making it harder for teens to fall 

asleep. 

In addition to changes in the 

body clock, watching excessive 

amounts of television or playing a 

disproportionate amount of video 

games can affect sleeping patterns. 

Research shows that watching 

TV and the persistent presence 

of other media in a teen‘s bedroom 

are directly associated with worse 

sleep. 

Other reasons teens may 

not be getting enough sleep include 

stress motivated insomnia, an uncomfortable 

sleeping environment, 

physical discomfort, or emotional 

problems. 

So why is it important to 

get enough sleep, anyways? Dr. 

Kyla Wahlstrom of the University 

of Minnesota confirmed that sacrificing 

sleep for schoolwork or even 

during the summer to stay up late 

results in higher levels of depression 

and stress for students. 

Inconsistent bed times can 

This baby does less work and gets more sleep than you do 

lead to what ABC News reporter 

Leezel Tanglao terms ―homemade 

jet lag,‖ in which staying up just 

―three hours later on weekends is 

November February 2010 2010 — THE — THE BEAK BEAK — — 13 

13 

the equivalent to flying across three 

time zones.‖ 

Good Morning America 

medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard 

shared a study which shows that insufficient 

sleep can result in lower 

math and literacy scores. In fact, getting 

a good night‘s sleep may be ―the 

single most powerful predictor of a 

child‘s academic performance 

in school.‖ 

There is no reason to 

worry, however. There are 

solutions to sleep deprivation, 

most of which are common 

and simple. 

Avoiding caffeine 

before bed, removing technology 

from the bedroom, 

and exercising consistently 

earlier in the day can help 

with creating healthy sleep 

patterns. 

Physical activity and 

exposure to fresh air also 

help. A University of Michigan 

study even showed that 

light helps signal the brain 

into the right sleep-wake 

cycle. 

Quiet, simple activities 

before bed time will lull 

the mind to sleep. Creating a 

routine of these leisure, not 

academic or work, activities 

can also help get the body 

into the habit of healthy 

sleep. 

It is important and possible 

to get the right amount of sleep, as 

long as one creates and maintains 

these habits. 

Class Sizes: Do They Matter? What’s Best? 

by Julia Ghahramani 

Opinions Editor 

Many factors combine in an 

evaluation of a school‘s effectiveness. 

The most important of 

these aspects may be class size. 

The amount of children 

in a classroom can influence the 

power of the teacher, the efficacy 

of the class, the amount of 

attention each student receives, 

and the speed at which lessons 

are taught. 

The National Education Association 

affirms that the optimal 

classroom size is 15 students. 

However, few classrooms 

meet this suggestion. Supposed 

recent budget cuts in particular 

are said to not allow for enough 

teachers to make classes of this 

size. 

Greatschools.org finds 

that gains in achievement generally 

occur when class size is 

reduced to less than 20 students 

Gains that are associated 

with small classes are 

greater for those in early grades but 

continue into the upper grades. Gains 

are stronger for minority students, as 

well as economically disadvantaged 

ones. Students in smaller classes are 

even more likely to stay in school, 

says Greatschools.org. 

In recent years, as similar 

studies have affirmed again and 

again the benefits of small class 

sizes, the federal and state govern- 

ments have jumped to the cause, as 

long as it fits their budgets. 

Greatschools.org claims that currently 

well over half the states have 

class size reduction programs for 

their public schools. 

Some communities 


Catch The ―Habit Of Healthy Sleep‖ 

have imposed limits to battle ever 

increasing class sizes. But this isn‘t 

always an ideal situation. Accord- 

This clearly does not expect the optimal number of students 

—http://www.thefoxes.ws 

—http://www.lander.edu 

ing to the Tampa Tribune, parts of 

Florida must now restrict class size 

in order to dodge state fines due to 

new laws that have just been put 

into effect. This means hiring new 

teachers and building more classrooms, 

all resulting in higher taxes 

for the Florida taxpayer. 

There are other downsides 

to restricting class size. Some 

are concerned that students may 

be turned away due to class size 

limits. If schools are declared 

full, the district may even have 

to move students to other 

schools. 

Hiring new teachers 

brings inexperienced educators 

to classrooms as well. This 

raises an important question: 

Are veteran teachers teaching 

larger classes more effective 

than new ones teaching smaller 

classes? The debate is yet to be 

resolved. 

Serious overcrowding 

issues also force schools to use 

other needed facilities to accommodate 

for the need for 

more classrooms. Inadequate 

facilities lead to inadequate 

classes. 

Smaller classes are popular 

with educators, students, politicians, 

and parents alike. Reducing 

class size allows for more 

time to devote to instruction and less 

to class management. 

Studies have shown that 

smaller classes result in fewer discipline 

problems and an improvement 

in teacher retention and morale. But 

the overall benefit to the school is 

questionable.


by Maddie Johnson 


Some people wonder 

why going green has to be 

such a big thing. Lately, it has 

become somewhat of a revolution; 

everything from your 

toilet to the pen you write with 

seems to gloat about its eco 

friendly production and future. 

But why should you 

care? Why should you put 

solar panels on your roof and 

only use recycled wood to 

build your new porch? 

The answers depend 

upon your motive; do you 

want to be the generation to 

help move this world in a direction 

of change? Or, would 

you rather be the generation 

that once again sits back and 

watches our resources disappear 

before our eyes? 

I‘m not really worried 

about what your motive is. 

The point is…why not help? 

With so many little things to 

do, why not do just do one or 

two of them a day? 

To help you out, with 

every issue of this year‘s Beak, a list 

of some tips to go green will be published, 

and with every list, hopefully 

Greenwich High School can take a 

step in the direction of a greener 

future. 

1. Use cast iron pans instead of 

nonstick. 

2. Wash your fruits and vegetables 

in a pan of water instead of running 

Green Tips 

Go green! 

water from the tap. 

3. To avoid chemicals leeching into 

food, go easy on processed, canned 

or fast foods and never microwave 

—http://www.projectgreenearth.net 

plastic. 

4. Leave your shoes at the door. 

This cuts down on dust-bound pollutants 

in the home. 

5. Eat low-mercury fish like tilapia 

and pollock, rather than highmercury 

(and endangered) choices 

like Tuna & Swordfish. 

6. Run your washer, dryer, 

and dishwasher only when 

they are full. You can save up 

to 1,000 gallons a month. 

7. When shopping, look out 

for the words ―postconsumer‖ 

or ―recycled.‖ Over 4,500 recycled-content 

products are 

available, including simple 

things like paper towels, 

printer paper, note pads, packing 

boxes, trash bags, and 

much more. The postconsumer 

content can vary from 

smaller percentages all the 

way to 100, so look out for 

labels indicating the highest 

percentage! 

8. Recycle! By recycling products 

like aluminum cans, 

newspapers, and glass jars, 

you can save landfill space 

and energy, conserve natural 

resources, and reduce pollution. 

Recycling just one ton of 

paper saves 17 mature trees, 3 

cubic yards of landfill space, 

7,000 gallons of water, 2 barrels 

of oil, and 4,100 kilowatt-hours 

of electricity. That much electricity is 

enough to power an average American 

house for 5 months! 

GHS Band Marching To A New Drummer 

by Jackie Bein 


This year, the GHS Marching 

Band is invigorated, excited, and 

keyed up for an amazing season with 

new music, new uniforms, and new 

energy all inspired by Steven Fasoli, 

who has returned to GHS after directing 

the marching band a few years 

ago. 

Mr. Fasoli instructed the 

Marching Band at GHS during the 

2007-2008 school year while simultaneously 

building up the band program 

at the University of New Haven, 

teaching full time in Norwalk, 

and raising four children at home. 

So in September 2008 he left GHS 

with great reluctance. 

When he decided to the turn 

the position over to another director 

who was willing to work at the University 

full-time, it just so happened 

that George Beratis was leaving 

GHS, and Mr. Fasoli refers to his 

return as ―an easy decision.‖ 

Mr. Fasoli has set many 

goals to recharge the marching 

band, and all of them revolve 

around one aim that every member 

shares: ―When the Marching Band 

enters the stadium, we want everyone 

to know it!‖ 

Mr. Fasoli wants to update 

the band‘s image, especially the 

repertoire and half time show. He 

would also like to see the band grow 

in numbers. 

At most high schools, participation 

in the Marching Band is man- 

datory; but at GHS, participation is 

completely voluntary, which is one 

of the band‘s inspiring qualities. 

―At GHS, all of the Marching Band 

students are volunteers and simply 

participate for the love of playing. 

There is no better group to work 

with than a group that is there because 

they love it!‖ Mr. Fasoli says. 

However, Mr. Fasoli explained 

that although this is one of 

the band‘s greatest attributes, it is 

also one of the more challenging 

aspects of the program. Marching 

band does not get enough exposure 

in middle school, which makes it 


With pride! 

difficult to recruit members. Already, 

that has changed. Mr. Fasoli 

has altered the entire atmosphere of 

GHS marching band to become a 

program that new members join all 

the time and where all members 

stand with their eyes ―with pride!!‖ 

as declared at the end of each rehearsal. 

All the members of Marching 

Band are happy with the 

—http://greenwichhighschoolband.org/ 

The GHS Marching Band parades proudly down the Avenue. 

changes that are occurring. Mr. 

Fasoli is serious, but also energetic 

and fair, and it‘s evident that he 

loves what he does and passes the 

enthusiasm along to his students, 

which is displayed by the lively 

mood throughout the band room 

every Tuesday evening. 

―It‘s a great way to meet people 

and the music we play is really 

fun,‖ says sophomore trumpet player 

Maya Fakundiny. 

Another aspect that makes 

the Marching Band so successful is 

the student leadership. Senior John 

Cofer, drum major, and junior Will 

Sadock, assistant drum major, conduct 

the band both on and off the 

field, taking on the program as a 

large commitment. 

"The Marching Band is the 

embodiment of Greenwich High 

School's school spirit,‖ says Cofer. 

―All the members are just so into 

playing the music and entertaining 

the crowds, it's amazing. This year 

we are really looking to improve the 

band, from updating our musical 

repertoire to adding in an actual 

field show." 

Brass captains Maddie Abbott 

and Dan Silkman, woodwind 

captains Brian King and Ben 

Weissler, and percussion captains 

Grant Lowe and Palmer Foote are 

responsible for their sections. The 

upperclassmen leadership is a role 

model for the freshmen and new 

members, helping them feel connected. 

The Marching Band‘s new 

image made its debut on September 

24 at the first home football game. 

―I want the band to look 

great, sound great and settle for nothing 

less,‖ Mr. Fasoli says.

y Neeki Parsa 


Preparation for winter sports 

begin during the fall and it can go in 

many different directions, depending 

on the specific sport. The coaches, 

however, usually have one ideal 

method of pre-season training in 

mind. Nine major winter sports are 

active at GHS, and each has unique 

expectations. These sports include 

basketball, bowling, fencing, gymnastics, 

ice hockey, indoor track, skiing, 

boys swimming, and wrestling. 

If you are interested in trying for any 

of these sports, read on. 

Boys and girls basketball is a 

popular sport. To stand out to the 

coaches, you have to have athletic 

ability in addition to being vocal. 

Running and leg strength is a major 

aspect of the sport; you must be able 

to sprint across the court at a fast 

speed while keeping ball control and 

handling it well. In addition, you 

must have the capability to make 

most of your shots. Naturally, you 

have to have a basic knowledge of 

the rules; if a coach catches you 

breaking a trivial rule of the game, he 

may begin to doubt your potential as 

a player. To prepare, it is recommended 

to work on leg strength, and 

ball skills as well as shooting baskets 

and defense. If you are particularly 

good at one of these points, practice 

that too. A common mistake that is 

made for pre-season training is when 

you ignore what you already are good 

at. Work on everything to some extent, 

and you will be prepared for this 

sport. 

Bowling is a game of precision 

and technique in addition to being 

amusing and enjoyable. To prepare 

for such a sport, practice makes perfect. 

You must use repetition, and 

by David Berdoff 

Sports Editor 

On November 27, 2009, the 

world learned that a man cheated 

on his wife. That, if anything, is all 

that should have been said about 

the issue. Instead, the media took 

the life of one of the most accomplished 

golfers in history, Tiger 

Woods, and flipped it upside down. 

Yes, Tiger Woods is a role 

model to countless young athletes. 

However, the media frenzy that 

took place when news came out 

that he cheated on his wife was 

horrific and invasive. 

This is not to say that Tiger is 

not at fault here. He should have 

been faithful to his wife, and he has 

no excuse for his actions. However, 

for the media to ambush him and 

his family with paparazzi, questions 

and front-page photos reading, 

―YES, HE CHEATED‖, is inexcusable. 

Not only was this an invasion 

of Tiger’s privacy, but it 

added to the stress of the situation 

he was in. 

Even after he asked to be left 

alone, the media kept bombarding 

Winter Sports Heat Up 

learn from your mistakes. You must 

pay attention to your footing, aim, 

and the location in which you release 

your grip. If one technique 

isn't quite right for you, repeat different 

types and take advice from 

your peers. Bowling is a competitive 

sport. If you find that it helps 

when you are put up against someone, 

you should use games with 

other people of your level as a form 

of your practice. You should find 

different weaknesses of yours, and 

work on it; it takes a small amount 

of time put aside for 

you to improve on 

something. Use your 

practice time wisely. If 

you know your 

strengths and weaknesses, 

and are prepared 

to perfect your 

technique, you are 

bound to success in 

bowling. 

Fencing is a unique sport, and 

is new to a lot of the students that 

attend GHS. Many fresh faces show 

up to fencing with a desire to learn 

about this exceptional sport. To begin 

with, you should get to know 

the rules of the sport, acquiring a 

head start from those who come in 

ignorant to anything that has to do 

with fencing. If you already know 

the sport, you should recover your 

old gear and begin to practice. You 

should be able to meet the strength 

requirements; it would be ideal to 

be light on your feet. Strengthen 

your thighs with squatting exercises, 

and your legs with other jogging 

and endurance activities. In 

order to be ready for fencing, you 

have to know the sport, and you 

must be physically able to follow 

through with the requirements. 

him and his family with questions 

of what occurred. The life of an 

athlete outside the sport is important. 

Yet in this case, the story 

was too personal, and the media 

was far too heavily involved in 

the ―scandal‖. 

Tiger’s return to golf has not 

been a graceful one. He has not 

won a tournament all year, and 

he shot his worst finish in his career, 

shooting 18 over at his own 

tournament in Firestone, Ohio. 

Since then, Tiger’s game 

has been on the rise. Tiger’s highlights 

on Sports Center no longer 

consist of missed 5 foot putts that 

the old Tiger could make in his 

sleep. Instead, they are of him 

sinking those putts, or putting a 

ball within 3 feet from the hole 

from 180 yards away. 

Recently, Tiger was selected 

by the United States captain, 

Corey Pavin, to the US 

Rider Cup team (the Rider Cup is 

a tournament held every 2 years 

in which a team from Europe 

plays a team from the US in a golf 

tournament) as a result of his 

slow ascent to his old form. 

— SPORTS — 

Gymnastics is a very intricate 

and requires grace, flexibility, and 

strength. You must have a lot of 

time to properly prepare yourself 

for tryouts. If you have not been on 

a team before, there is a lot to learn. 

You must gradually increase your 

arm and leg strength, and flexibility. 

You should begin with your 

limit; if you can do 20 sit ups, for 

example, you should do 20, and 

over time, slowly add sit ups, and 

you will end up being able to a significant 

number more. For this 

sport, you must be willing 

to push yourself. 

Ice hockey, like 

many of the other 

sports, has multiple required 

capabilities. Of 

course, you must be 

able to ice skate. You 

must practice endur- 

—ebr.lib.la.us 

ance, and you must 

work on speed, shots, and your capability, 

to best opponents. As it is 

for the other tryouts, what is commonly 

looked for is potential. If you 

can skate, and your endurance is 

acceptable, the coaches can potentially 

mold you into the ideal 

player. 

Indoor track is a way to fill up 

your winter with training. To be 

able to keep up with the others, it is 

recommended to run before the season 

starts. A good way to gradually 

get into the routine of running is to 

start off with a slow mile, and push 

yourself as you increase your time. 

If you are not doing anything over 

the course of the winter, but need to 

stay in shape come spring time, Indoor 

Track is ideal. 

Believe it or not, GHS has a 

skiing team. This is a pleasant surprise 

to a lot of newcomers. A com- 

The Eye Of The Tiger 

Throughout his struggles on 

this year’s tour, sports analysts 

have been calling his mediocrity a 

result of what is going in Tiger’s 

head. Even Tiger has admitted 

that his game has been affected 

by what has happened over the 

past year. Bobby Jones, a famous 

golfer, once said, ―Golf is a game 

played on a five inch course – the 

distance between your ears.‖ 

Truer words have never been 

spoken. Before the name Tiger 

Woods became associated with 

cheating and lying, Tiger was notorious 

for his unmatched focus 

and unorthodox intensity in a 

game where silence is a rule. Two 

years ago, in the 2008 US Open, 

Tiger won in miraculous fashion, 

sinking a 10 foot putt on his 72 nd 

hole, to force an 18 hole playoff 

with Rocco Mediate. The next 

day, Tiger won the playoff convincingly, 

to capture his 14 th major 

championship. 

What is truly miraculous 

about this victory is that he did it 

all with a stress fracture in his 

knee and a torn ACL. The fact 

that he not only managed to walk 

November February 2010 2010 — THE — THE BEAK BEAK — — 15 15 

mon, but erroneous assumption people 

make is that without winter, you 

cannot prepare for skiing. Skiing requires 

balance, technique and leg 

strength. You must do leg exercises, 

and squatting drills for your thighs 

and calves. You can also perfect your 

balance and technique at home with 

substitutes. You can practice with 

technique by refreshing your memory 

from last winter, and recalling your 

old positions and methods. Skiing 

can be prepared for, and it is ideal to 

practice and strengthen the necessary 

muscles. 

Basically, the coach's advice for 

the male swimmers is to swim. As it 

is, the practice can be frequent and 

intense, and you can't go into the season 

being out of shape and out of 

practice. You must refine the muscles 

you usually use for swimming, and 

most of all: get in the water. It is 

never too cold for a swim; that‘s 

what the indoors is for. Don't hesitate 

to practice swimming, any chance 

you get, go for a dip. Once again; 

practice makes perfect. 

Wrestling has clear cut requirements, 

and is a very rough sport. You 

must be physically fit to a certain 

extent. Try doing push-ups, sit-ups, 

and other general endurance exercises. 

Do them regularly, and prepare 

to do them as a requirement as a part 

of the team. You can also learn methods, 

and typical ways to succeed in a 

wrestling match. 

Lastly, if you don't make a team, 

what coaches cannot stress enough, is 

that you should not give up. Inquire 

about how you can improve and 

make it next time. Do not be discouraged; 

you can do other extracurricular 

activities, and sports outside of 

school! Good luck to good sports, 

and do your best! 

the entire competition, and then an 

extra 18 holes, and still won, is almost 

inhuman. This has not 

been an easy year for Tiger. Some 

have said that he lost his intensity. 

To say that without considering 

what he has gone through is doing 

him and the world of sports an injustice. 

Tiger’s intensity is still 

there. No doubt he will once again 

dominate the golf world. It’s only a 

matter of time. 

—http://4.bp.blogspot.com/

New Fashion Section - Greenwich Public Schools

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