JOURNALTHE WESTON HIGH SCHOOL

115 School Road, Weston, CT 06883 December 2012 • Year XII, Issue III

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WESTPORT, CT 06880

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WHS Mock Trial team sees great success

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Changes to Common App

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A review of the Trojan’s his-toric football season

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Life after the apocolypse

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Picture a tranquil village with a happy excess of open clearing, and a population of simple folk: farmers, art-ists, and actors. This was in fact Weston Connecti-cut, only thirty years ago. I don’t need to describe the town’s current condition, but it hardly constitutes itself as a land of farmers--the town has changed, and more specifically, so has this high school. Some of Weston High School’s very own teach-ers, Mr. Sal LaRusso and Ms. Doris Fiotakis clearly remember the differences between the Weston High School of today and the “bombdiggity” Weston High School of the 1980s.

For instance, all of the art classes, instead of hav-ing large open classrooms,

would be taught in small, cramped rooms where the guidance wing now is. Ms. Fiotakis, English de-partment head and drama

teacher remarked that “the dark room was a closet.”

Walk some more, and one might notice that in part of where the library is now, there was a tech wing, where students learned to type on typewriters--de-

vices that now can only be found in the prop room of the theatre department. Not surprisingly, that is not the only difference in tech-

nology found within the school walls. The first copy machine arrived sometime in the mid 80s, and before that, mimeograph ma-chines, which worked by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper, were commonly

used. When Mr. Waleden-zik, a math teacher, and Mr. Clark, an engineering teacher used their own per-sonal money to set up the school’s first computer lab where the language wing now is and equip it with Computer Aided Design programs, it was the begin-ning of a very tech-oriented future. According to Mr. Larusso, who began teach-ing at the school in 1981, several of the students from that era went on to become architects, and this is cer-tainly reflective of the ef-fectiveness of the new tech-nological improvements.

On with the physical differences, in place of the writing lab in the D wing and the social stud-ies resource room were the two school cafeterias, and, interestingly enough, the division of these lunch

Blast to the Past!The “Bodacious” Weston High School of Years AgoSteve Friedman ‘14Staff Writer

Oh, Baby!The Faculty Baby Boom of WHS

On the morning of De-cember 11th, the room was empty: ping pong paddles here and there, an unoccu-pied sofa in the corner, doors locked. What was once the scene of a bustling senior hang-out spot was a closed reminder of privileges once had. The senior lounge, opened last year as an up-perclassmen privilege, was closed. Ms. Wolak put it sim-ply: “students didn’t clean up after themselves. There was garbage left around again.”

The lounge has since been reopened, but it re-mains a hot topic of conver-sation in the high school.

“We started the year off with the senior lounge being a huge success. Students would flock to the lounge as soon as their lunch bells would ring.” Said school co-president Oli-ver Parker. Jonathan Manna, who had eaten and played foosball in the lounge prior to its closing, was one of those students. He understands why the lounge was closed.

“There was a garbage problem,” he explained. “I agree that it needed to be

The Future of the Senior Lounge

Continued on Page 4

Continued on Page 6

Exploring yearbooks in the College Career Center.Photograph by Sarah Gruen

As the sophomore class endures the trials of being a teenage parent through the Baby Project, quite a few Weston High School staff members have actually become par-ents for the first time dur-ing the last few months. While trying to teach teen-

agers all day and grading papers after hours, these parental newbies have taken on another vital role and are heroically work-ing two full-time jobs. For years before starting their own families, these staff members have been parents to the Weston High School student body, teaching us everything

Isabel Kerr ‘15Staff Writer

Maggie takes after English teacher dad Mr. Durand.Photograph courtesy of Mr. Durand

By Sarah Gruen and Emily Weyrauch

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Student and faculty share their thoughts

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JOURNALTHE WESTON HIGH SCHOOL

EDITORIAL BOARDSarah Gruen

Emily WeyrauchEditors-in-Chief

AROUND THE CAMPUSMichael KalmansAaron Pomerance

Section Editors

OUT & ABOUTElliott Eglash

Senior Section EditorEmily GoldbergSection Editor

SPORTS & ATHLETICSAndrew Parks

Micah ZirnSection Editors

OPINION&COMMENTARYOlivia Clark

Daniel MullerSection Editors

Liz LeporeKatie MitchellCopy Editors

Benson KaneMichael Sitver

Business Managers

Elaine HongMedia Manager

DECEMBER 2012 | EDITORIALS-IN-CHIEF 2

As high school stu-dents learning about his-tory, we are often forced to detach ourselves from the atrocities of the past. We cannot grieve each individual life lost be-cause of hate crimes, or each soldier killed in his-

tory’s numerous wars. We must push past and learn the facts, learn the historical context so that we can move forward. We see how the world has learned from its mis-takes, or not. We see the historical repercussions, we see the ripples, we see cause and effect. We see the world from an objec-tive point of view. We pass the history exam.

A lot of us haven’t lived. I know I haven’t. I haven’t been confronted with immediate death and I haven’t witnessed something traumatic. In school, I learn about im-portant people that have, I read books about char-acters that have. But I live in my little Weston bubble. On Friday, that bubble was popped.

A town much like ours only a few miles away experienced a hor-rific tragedy that will one day become part of histo-ry. Perhaps in the future it will be remembered as the catalyst for revolutionary new gun control laws or mental health initiatives.

But we must not now view this real life event objectively as his-tory. We cannot disre-spect the victims and their families in that way.

As a journalist, as a human, I know it is easy to become numb to the news. It is impossible to grieve each time life is unfair, and there is a responsibil-ity to carry on unfazed, fulfilling responsibilities, floating above the surface, gliding over the hate-filled atrocities that riddle

this heartless earth. You can try, but after a while there are no more tears.

This is different. Our neighbors, our community members, have had their lives forever changed and devastated. They sent their children to school only to return with a gap-ing hole in their families.

Be present. Sym-pathize. Feel. Cry. Do something. Do what you think can help. Take a political stand or take ac-tion to help Newtown vic-tims. Whatever it is, do it.

We are no longer spectators of history. We can no longer give excuses for apathy or detachment. It is no longer even a ques-tion. Something hap-pened right here and we need to react now.

Emily Weyrauch ‘13Editor-in-Chief

STAFF WRITERS Lucy Chestler

Steve FriedmanGabby Gonzalez

Grace GulinoIsabel Kerr

Anisha KhoslaCaroline Kren

Scarlett MachsonChloe MandellNatalie Quiles

Michaela TroianiBoni Wagmeister

ARTISTS &PHOTOGRAPHERS

Asra AliBobby Eddy

Lucy ChestlerJenna KlaassenTyler ThompsonLilly ScrimmagerStephanie Wengel

Tori Zaharoff

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimi-nation under any education program or activity receiving Federal finan-cial assistance...” 20 U.S.C. § 1681

Title IX of the Education Amend-ments of 1972 (Title IX) prohibits discrimination based on sex in educa-tional programs which receive federal financial assistance. Athletics are one component of Title IX. Other programs and activities which may be included are: course offerings and access, co-curricular activities, hiring, retention, benefits, and leave. Title IX also protects students and employees, both male and female, from unlawful sexual harass-ment in school programs and activities.

In compliance with Title IX, and in accordance with other federal and state laws, the Weston Public Schools

prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, marital status, age, dis-ability, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity in employment as well as in the provision of all services, programs, and activities. The Board of Education’s Policies and Regula-tions regarding non-discrimination can be found on the District’s website:

h t t p : / / w w w . w e s t o n p s .o r g / p a g e . c f m ? p = 2 7 7 5

The District’s Title IX Coordina-tors monitor compliance with this law and other federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination. The Title IX Coordinators investigate all complaints of discrimination and address all viola-tions. The Title IX Coordinators also facilitate any measures that may be

necessary to protect the complainant(s). Individuals with questions or con-

cerns about Title IX, other federal and state laws concerning discrimination, and/or those who wish to file a com-plaint of non-compliance, may contact the District’s Title IX Coordinator, or the building based Title IX Coordinators.

TITLE IX NOTICE

Matthew RisoliAndrew Jorge

Faculty Advisors

District CoordinatorLewis D. BreyDirector of Human Resources andInternal Coun-sel 24 School RoadWeston, CT 06883(203) 291-1412lewisbrey@westonps.org

Weston High School Coordinator

Daniel DoakAssistant Principal Weston High School115 School RoadWeston, CT 06883(203) 291-1643dandoak@we-stonps.org

Weston Inter-mediate School CoordinatorDoreen O’Leary

Assistant Principal Weston Intermedi-ate School95 School RoadWeston, CT 06883(203) 291-2702doreenoleary@westonps.org

Hurlbutt Elementary School CoordinatorKim KusAssistant PrincipalHurlbutt Elemen-tary School9 School Road

Weston, CT 06883(203) 291-1451 kimkus@westonps.org

Weston Middle School CoordinatorMichael BernardiAssistant PrincipalWeston Middle School135 School RoadWeston, CT 06883(203) 291-1451michaelbernardi@westonps.org

Alternatively, or in addition to the Title IX Coordinator(s), inquiries regarding Title IX may be directed to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the federal agency charged with enforcing compliance with Title IX:

Boston Office Office for Civil Rights

US Department of Education 5 Post Office Square, 8th Floor

Boston, MA 02109-3921

Our thoughts are with those affected by the Newtown, Connecticut shooting.See page 7 for student and faculty responses.

Sarah Gruen ‘13Editor-in-Chief

Exactly 24 hours be-fore the tragedy in New-town, I enjoyed a pity party for one when I got deferred from college. I bitched and moaned and wallowed and thought about how terrible my life was. I complained that the world wasn’t fair because I didn’t get into the university of my choice—that my life was over because I didn’t get what I wanted. People told me that they were sorry for my loss. And I was bitter—as many told me I was allowed to be—that I worked hard and did noth-ing wrong and the world didn’t treat me fairly.

And it feels so damn trivial. I don’t quite know how to express my emo-tions in a half page edito-

rial, or even vocalize them for that matter. I feel so in-credibly guilty for having thought of my life and my problems as so very im-portant. High school really messes with one’s mind and tricks one into thinking that they are the center of the universe. The focus is to get good grades and to be the president of clubs and to ace the SATs and to take ten AP classes. We panic when we get a C on a math test. We cry when we get a low score on the writ-ing section of the ACT. We obsessively check Power-school after each test. And at the climax of our high school experience, we wait so eagerly for a college decision, and waste time—precious time—thinking about what we could have done differently to avoid deferral or rejection. And life is too short for that.

Believe me, I am guilty of doing all of the above things. I overthink and overstress and take my academic successes and failures to heart. I hate that I spent so much time doing these little, inconse-quential things. This was time that twenty children were robbed of. This is time that a first grader will never get to have. This is time that a teacher, who

dedicated her life to mak-ing others’ dreams come true, no longer has to look forward to. This is time that the survivors will spend mourning the loss of their friends and broth-ers and sisters and parents.

I am still in shock that something like this could possibly happen so close to home. When one hears about the victims from the Aurora movie theater mas-sacre, or the Columbine shootings, we feel sorrow and pain for the families who suffered such tragic losses. We look from afar at these places where these surreal events occur and we thank our lucky stars that we are not “them.” This time, we’re not a plane ride away. We can’t look from the comfort of our homes and think about how we are separated from these people. This happened in Fairfield County, in our backyard. These students—these children—could be our siblings, our babysit-ting clients, our neighbors. Newtown is so similar to Weston; it is an idyllic town and its main attrac-tion is the school system. Everyone knows someone who knows someone; it’s impossible not to when we are a 25 minute drive away.

I look at my ten-year-

old brother, who has not experienced the many joys and pains and surprises of life, and can’t help but think of the children—younger than he—whose lives were cut so painfully short. I don’t want to have to tell him how school-children were senselessly killed. Especially since he so recently witnessed my “tragedy,” and must have thought that this is what the end of the world looks like.

I know how difficult it is to balance worrying about the future and liv-ing in the moment. I have s t rugg led—espec ia l ly in the past few days—to make sense of this whole situation. I have no simple answer for how to find that perfect balance between preparing for what is to come and living each day as if it is your last. All I do know is that right now, I, unlike so many oth-ers just miles away, have my life ahead of me. And I will have my share of screw-ups and mistakes and opportunities. Until December 14th, I pan-icked about these prob-lems of the future. I over-thought what is to come, and didn’t focus on what I should be doing today.

Life is short. Painfully so. Never take it for granted.

around the campus 3

Anisha Khosla ‘14Staff Writer

Given the success of the fall drama, The Crucible, students are already buzzing about the spring musical, Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate. Centered on a production of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the show zeroes in on an onstage (and offstage) dilemma between the show’s director, produc-

er, and star, Fred Graham, who plays Petruchio, and his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi, who plays Katherine. Add in the stunning Lois Lane, the actress playing Bianca, and we may just have a love triangle on our hands. Lois’ hooli-gan of a boyfriend, Bill,

who is playing Lucen-tio, is constantly miss-ing rehearsals due to his gambling habits. When Bill tells Lois that he signed a $10,000 check in Fred’s name, things take a turn for the worst. Two gangsters show up to collect the money, and Fred claims he had never signed the check. The gangsters swear they will return with a vengeance. The story’s plot thickens when Fred gives flowers

to Lilli that were meant for Lois. When Lilli finds out, she threatens to leave the production. Things be-come complicated when the gangsters return. Fred faces a major issue: if Lilli decides to quit the show, he will have to can-cel the production, and

subsequently will not be able to pay the $10,000.

Since its debut on Broadway in 1948, the show has been a big hit, winning numerous Tony Awards. “A show doesn't become a classic without a top-notch score. ‘Guys and Dolls’ had one. So does this: ‘Too Darn Hot’, ‘Another Openin', Another Show,’ ‘I'm Al-ways True to You in My Fashion,’ ‘So in Love’...the list just goes on and

on. There's not a stinker in the bunch. Cole Por-ter was kind of a ge-nius, and he had endless fun with this one,” said play director and Com-pany advisor Mr. Long.

Kiss Me, Kate was revived in 1951, 1999, and 2001, and many dif-

ferent versions and ap-proaches have been made since its original debut. “I have seen two excel-lent productions of Kiss me, Kate: the last Broad-way version several years ago and a production at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada. Each had a slightly differ-ent take on the material, and each was a lot of fun,” added Mr. Long.

“The show dazzles in every way and the music will have you dancing in your seat,” said senior Sarah Gruen, “The mu-sic from Kiss Me, Kate is amazing. Cole Por-ter is a musical theater legend and the songs he wrote for this play are classics. From the hilari-ous and catchy ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’ to the beautiful ‘So In Love,’ there is something for everyone. Also, this mu-sical has a huge ensem-ble and some big group dance scenes, which are sure to be fabulous.”

Senior Rachel Glas-berg affirmed that the spring musical will be a great highlight in her final year at WHS, “I for one cannot wait to once again be joined with all my friends in my last musical in high school, and also get the chance to get to know more of the fresh-men! The musical is a great chance to meet new people and have fun with your friends.”

Another Op’nin’, Another Show: “Kiss Me, Kate” Takes the Stage

The tension was high as Weston’s three Mock Trial teams entered the Waterbury courthouse on December 6th. Af-ter over two months of practice, the teams would be put to the test against other mock tri-al teams in the region.

For those who are unfamiliar with the club, mock trial is just as it sounds, a group of stu-dents who get together and act out the proceed-ings of a real world trial. Half of the students on a team act as attorneys, ad-hering to the rules simi-lar to those that real trial lawyers do. The other half of the students act as witnesses for the case, providing testimony that can prove a defendant’s guilt or innocence. There are two sides to each

team, the defense and the prosecution, or the plain-tiff in a civil case. The defense’s job is simple; they need to defend the

person who is being tried. The prosecution has the job of proving that the defendant is guilty of the crime, in such a way that

by the end of the trial, there is no doubt in the judge’s mind that the de-fendant is guilty. Both sides have three wit-

nesses each, and three lawyers. Each lawyer represents a single wit-ness, and has to perform a direct examination of that witness, in order to express to the court what the witness has to offer to the case. Then, an at-torney from the opposite team comes and cross-examines the witness, trying to discredit any-thing that they said on direct. The well-trained witnesses know how to hold their ground on cross-examinations, and argue back against the lawyer, helping them to maintain their credibility.

Weston has had a re-cord for being particu-larly good in this compe-tition. When it was first introduced three years ago, the 8th grade TAG team placed second in the State competition. The year after this, it was introduced and con-

tinued in the high school, allowing students from all grades to audition for a spot on the team. This year, so many students auditioned that three teams of twelve were made, an A, B and C team.

During Thursday’s competition, each of the teams competed twice. In order for a team to qual-ify for the next round, they had to win both of their trials. The A team and the B team won both of their trials, advancing on to the quarter finals, while the C team won its first round but not the second. Of the fifteen teams that competed, only four advanced, with two being from Weston. In February, the teams that qualified from the eight regional competi-tions will compete at our high school for the chance to move on to the semi-final competition.

Order in the Court! Mock Trial makes its mark

The Inspiring Story of Mr. Sel

Hubert

On November 29th, 2012, Holocaust survivor, air force veteran, and au-thor Mr. Sel Hubert came to Weston High School to talk to Ms. Jean Ben-nett’s upperclassman Fac-ing History course and some guests about his life.

Currently living in Rye, Connecticut, Hubert to speak to the class about “studying the lessons to be learned from the Holocaust ,” as opposed to lecturing on “facts, data, names and statistics of the Holocaust.”

Hubert, at the beginning of his presentation, told the class, “I will try to get you to understand what it was like to live through it, because

the best way to understand history is to see how the circumstances of a period affected one person’s life.”

Hubert began by ex-plaining his childhood in Cronheim, Germany, a small town with “500 inhabitants including cows and sheep”

The 80-something man explained tearfully that “Jews were subhuman, not to be trusted. They were to be erased from earth.”

But Hubert’s little town itself seemed unaf-fected by the Nazi influ-ence in the early 1930s. Hubert assumed they were isolated enough from the politically active cities to be safe. “Farmers couldn’t care less about politics. They just cared about the

Emily Weyrauch ‘13Editor in Chief

Michaela Troiani ‘15Staff Writer

The Company bulletin board displays audition materials.Photograph by Emily Weyrauch

Mr. Hubert shares his story.Photograph by Emily Weyrauch

The victorious young student lawyers celebrate their big win.Photograph courtesy of Kerry Brock.

Continued on Page 4

The Story of Sel Hubert (continued)DECEMBER 2012 | AROUND THE CAMPUS 4

areas led to a more segre-gated student body, accord-ing to Ms. Fiotakis. There was more of a Freaks and Geeks-esque social envi-ronment back then, with more bullying and less open friendship between the different grades, and the students in general were more cliquey, all in separate congregations of friends.

There were still more drastic differences that perhaps would have been smelled sooner that seen--the entire hallway between the C wing and the B wing, as well as the constantly-used courtyards were des-ignated smoking areas. Both teachers and students would smoke cigarettes inside the school there, which to students now is an almost comically for-eign idea. When smoking inside of the school was banned (although people were free to smoke out-side on school property), students had a “walk-out” rather than going to class. This is but one example of the more politically active student body (reflective of the general youth culture in the nation perhaps) in that

time--there was also a sit-in in the lobby when a beloved principle was dismissed.

Not only were physical differences present, but in fact, the classes and teach-ing styles differed from

those of today. Compared to the school’s current ex-tensive assortment of sci-ence classes, there were only basic fundamental sci-ence courses offered in the

1980s, which at extreme points even led to students leaving for other schools that were capable of offer-ing them more academi-cally. As opposed to the open, conversational nature

of many of the classrooms today, classes were run with a “sage on the stage” men-tality- that is, they more closely resembled a lec-ture hall, where the teacher

had a monologue for the entire period, and the stu-dents would sit, listen, and take notes. This authoritar-ian style of teaching is ex-plained by the fact that, gen-erally speaking, the teachers were fairly young and had relatively recently started their teaching careers, and so with less of an age dif-ference between the stu-dents, they needed to com-mand respect more harshly than teachers currently do.

Differences in teachers were accompanied by de-viations in students. Mr. LaRusso remembers that the students were “more singularly focused.” It is not uncommon in this era for a student to balance several extra-curricular activities, for example tak-ing saxophone lessons and also being a member of the football team. Students then would ordinarily commit to one activity, whether that be acting in all of the Compa-ny productions, being a part of the soccer team, or play-ing the violin. This is per-haps another cause of the previously mentioned seg-regation within the school.

Both Mr. Larusso and Ms. Fiotakis, when asked if they could choose be-

tween teaching at Weston High School in the 1980s and this current year, both

immediately favored the current year without a sec-ond thought. It seems that this school has made huge improvements over the

years, and one can only look forward to what will occur in upcoming years.

In another thirty years, the idea of Smart Boards may be laughed at, or one might be amazed at the lay-out of the school in 2012.

Weston High School in the 1980s (continued)

price of fodder for animals.”However, as his-

tory would tell, their no-tions of safety would not be long-lasting. “We were quite lulled into this false sense of security.”

One day, when Hubert and his older sister went to the solitary schoolhouse, they were confronted by classmates who yesterday had been best friends. That day, they were attackers, punching and kicking, in-sulting their Jewish class-mates. “Overnight, we be-came second-class citizens.”

Further, Hubert’s teacher (who had been a secret member of the Nazi party for many years) had instigated the violence, and taught all of the students (including the Jewish ones) anti-Semitic slogans. He paraded them in the main part of town and had them all recite the hateful words.

“Can you imagine,” be-gan Hubert, “what it feels like for a 10 year old Jew-ish boy to have to shout ‘Kill the Jews!’? I was scared. I was frightened.”

Soon, the little town of Cronheim was overcome by Nazi influence. “Ger-many was ruled by fear,” and Hubert’s parents sent him and his sister to a Jew-ish school in Nuremberg.

At this school, he thrived. He even played

Henry Kissinger in soccer.But Nuremberg was

“the heart of Nazidom” and Jews were not even allowed to sit on the park benches. Many Jews read the signals and start-ed to leave the country.

The palpable racism caused Hubert’s father to lose his job, after which Hubert and his sister were sent to a nearby town to gather with other Jewish children to keep each other company instead of school.

Things took another turn for the worse when Hubert’s family was sit-ting in the kitchen sipping coffee and a brick smashed through the windows, “then another and then another.”

Hubert, his parents, and his sister ran upstairs and hid in a closet. He described in vivid detail the feelings of apprehension as he waited to be captured by Nazi intrud-ers. “We were just waiting for them to come and get us. My mother was upset and I was in shambles as we heard horrible sounds as they came through the front door. We waited and waited but they never came upstairs.”

On the evening of No-vember 9th, 1938, there was a knock on the door and the mayor and chief of police marched in uninvited. They demanded to see Hubert’s father, who was in the side room praying. They told him that he was under arrest.

“He didn’t protest. He knew it was because he was a Jew, that’s all you needed. You could be arrested, killed, anything. That was the law.”

“Seeing my innocent father being arrested and led away like a common criminal was one of the low points in my life. It was a horrible, horrible moment.”

Soon, his mother in-formed Hubert and his sis-ter that they all Jews would have to evacuate the village in seven weeks. They spoke to an American consulate who informed them that there was nothing he could do: America’s immigra-tion policy prevented many German Jews from leaving.

“We felt abso-lutely isolated from the world,” Hubert said.

Then, five weeks after his father was arrested, a man appeared at the Hu-berts’ doorstep. Young Sel opened the door and “there stood a man I did not rec-ognize. It was my father.”

His father had been in a concentration camp, but never told his fam-ily how or why he left, or what happened there.

His family soon left Cronheim and received a letter from the Brit-ish saying that they could save one of the family’s children via Kindertrans-port, a program that saved 10,000 Jewish children during the Holocaust.

Although they wanted “to keep the family together at all costs, it was impossi-ble.” The Hubert family had to face an impossible ques-tion: “Which child would be saved and which would face an uncertain future?”

“There isn’t a parent I know that can make that decision,” said Hubert.

They ended up sending his sister because she was 16 and the maximum age for Kindertransport was 17. “It was a logical way to make an impossible decision.”

Hubert was eventually sent for by Kindertransport as well, and recalls his fi-nal moments with his fa-ther. “It was very difficult to say goodbye. The scene on that open platform with hundreds of parents saying goodbye and not know-ing if they will ever see their children again...the tears were just flowing.”

At this point in the dis-cussion, Hubert paused to remind the class, “Don’t ever underestimate the value of the wonderful freedom in this country. It is priceless.”

Hubert had multiple foster parents, all of whom were caring despite lan-guage barriers. His first fos-ter mother, a warm woman named Mrs. King with whom he lived for only weeks had Hubert listed as her son on her gravestone.

Hubert elaborated on this. “That’s the kind of

relationship I want you to have with people who help you. If you ever need help, I don’t be ashamed to ask for it. People will be glad to do it for you. Remember them. Keep in touch. Someday some-one will ask you for help.”

During his adolescence, Hubert wrote 25 Red Cross letters to his parents. He got one letter back from his rela-tives saying that his parents had gone on a trip. Years later, he got another let-ter from the Red Cross: “It said I’m sorry to inform you but your parents perished in Piaski concentration camp in Poland. It wasn’t a sur-prise. For the next fifteen years that’s all I knew.”

Hubert later found out that his parents were never in Piyaski. Instead, they were taken off of a train to Lithuania and shot in the woods along with the other passengers.

Hubert eventually served in the Air Force for more than a year and en-rolled at City College of New York, then raised a family with Hilda Simon.

When asked about specific events in his child-hood, Hubert sometimes found himself unable to an-swer. “You find your mind has a switch which is not always under your control.”

Hubert also spoke of an unusual decision with which he was faced twelve

years ago. He was asked via email to come with his sister to the official open-ing of a small museum of Jewish artifacts in his hometown of Cronheim, the very town that com-pletely turned on Hubert and his family in the 1930s.

At first, Hubert was hesitant. “But some-thing gnawed on me,” he continued, “and I be-gan to see an opportu-nity to create something positive out of nothing.”

He took the opportunity to fight hatred with forgive-ness. But first, Hubert want-ed to be sure the visit would include all he felt necessary. He waited until he got a let-ter from the mayor formally inviting him, giving him no constraints and allowing him to recite the Kaddish (the Jewish prayer for the dead). Then, Hubert went back to the land that perse-cuted him decades before.

At the ceremony, a German official formally asked Hubert for forgive-ness. Hubert’s attitude to-ward forgiveness is amaz-ingly optimistic, and he visibly roused and inspired the whole room during the course of his presentation.

“Perpetuating hatred is what got the world into trouble in the first place. What you can do to help is to stop the cycle. I think that’s what I did in Cronheim.”

Continued from Page 3

Continued from Page 1

An exerpt from the 1982 Heliotrope yearbook.Photograph by Emily Weyrauch Homecoming nominations in the 1980s.

Photograph by Emily Weyrauch

Senior Lounge (continued)closed, but maybe

not for so long.” Other students have been more angry and vocal about the closing of the lounge, de-fending their “right” to place to relax from the stresses of senior year.

Parker acknowl-edges that students didn’t heed warnings of the consequences of messes in the lounge.

“After a few warn-ings, the lounge had to be

closed for a little so stu-dents could learn what a privilege it really is and how they need to take care of it. The lounge was opened back up again but

the careless cleanliness became a problem again. It became so bad that cus-todians were becoming unhappy with the messes left behind. It was de-cided that the lounge had to be closed once again to get the message out.”

Despite student out-rage that their “right” was taken away, according to Wolak, the lounge is in fact a “senior privilege.” Ms. Conetta agrees that because students are giv-ing this privilege, they have the responsibility to

take care of the lounge. “I know there has been some mischief in there, but stu-dents really should not take the space for granted--they should respect the space.”

Student govern-ment head Ms. Sweezey agrees. “With privilege comes responsibility.”

Moreover, seniors had ample warning of the con-sequences of not cleaning up after themselves “The first time this happened, all senior officers were

called down. I asked them to come up with a plan to solve the issue. There was lack of follow through by this group.” Since the

first warning earlier this year, the administration has been lenient in its policy in efforts to keep the lounge open. Still, a lack of student initia-tive prevented progress.

Said Sweezey, “Ms. Wolak has met with Se-nior class officers and has been more than willing to purchase new furni-ture, develop new lounge policies and support the reopening of the space.”

Another issue facing those in favor of an open senior lounge is the mat-

ter of a gender gap. Parker recognizes the discrepancy in male to female ratio of the lounge. Still, the gar-bage issue takes priority.

“We were concerned about the gender situation, but as the food situation arose, our attention had to be focused on keeping the lounge. Now that we are to open it again, and hopefully with no more problems regarding mess-es, we will start to ana-lyze what can be done to

even out the gender ratio.”Parker also believes

that since the lounge is now open after a long break, more people will flock

to it as a hang-out spot.“It will become a more

relaxed area that people will go to when they have finished their lunches. I believe that as the number of these guys will visibly decrease, naturally more girls will feel welcomed if they had not before.”

As for the future of the lounge, Wolak main-tained that the lounge will remain open “if the senior leadership follows through and the seniors throw out their trash.”

Continued from Page 1

With the holiday sea-son approaching, many WHS students and staff feel a newfound sense

of camaraderie and generosity. The Board of Education has been busy at work, planning many events in celebra-tion of the seasonal fes-tivities. Over the past few weeks, Student Government has spon-sored a food drive. The goal of the food collec-tion is to provide non-perishable food items to those in need, and bring in some good-will and kindness back into the cold winter of December. Many fel-

low Trojans enjoyed the feeling of commu-nity. Sophomore Sam Silverstein agrees, "I'm really excited for the Food Drive! I like that everyone can come to-gether for a common

cause to help those less fortunate.” Weston High School also par-ticipated in "Operation Turkey" & "Operation Santa.” These projects help students and their families from Public School Number 55 in the Bronx. Students and staff gave over 100 turkeys and answered 25 letters from the chil-dren providing them with coats and toys. PS 55 is a pre-K to Grade 5 school that serves the

Bronx. Students who attend this school come from housing projects as well as homeless shelters. The care and concern for these fami-lies in need demonstrat-ed by our staff and stu-dents was inspirational. There was a spirit of joy amongst the school community. Although the holiday season is about generosity and service to those in need, it is also about bringing people together. This is why the Board of Edu-cation plans a special "X" period as a way for students to let loose a week before the long-awaited holiday recess. This "X" period is an activity period used as a way to have students and teachers come to-gether in celebration of the holiday season. There will be a varied selection of activities. From Irish step dancing to guitar playing, WHS students and staff are sure to feel the holiday spirit! Finally, Trojan staff has been planning a Staff Reindeer Break-fast. Our hard-working administration, main office, library, custo-dial, and security crew are hosting a break-fast for the WHS staff . This holiday tradition was cut short in years past and is now being brought back! It is nice to see the students as well as the staff getting involved in celebration of the holidays. WHS is in for an eventful month of December, full of festive activities as well as giving back to the community and those in need. Have a Happy holiday, Trojans!

DECEMBER 2012 | AROUND THE CAMPUS 5

Holly, Jolly TraditionsWHS students celebrate

the holidaysLiz Lepore ‘13Staff Writer

The scene of an empty senior lounge.Photograph by Sarah Gruen

Secret Snowmen sell for $1 by the cafeteria.Photograph by Emily Weyrauch

Seniors relax during a free period in the reopened Senior Lounge.Photograph by Emily Weyrauch

Hey there! Yes, you!Have any questions?

Comments? Reactions? Opinions?

Write a letter to the editors!Send submissions to

thewhseditors@gmail.com

DECEMBER 2012 | AROUND THE CAMPUS 6

It’s that time of year: the annual Film Festival is here! This year the WHS students are viewing Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Vertigo (1958). Students wonder how the film is chosen each

year, and it turns out many factors come into play as to why the English teachers chose each movie we watch.

English teacher Mr. Long said, “We consider a number of factors when making our selection for the Film Festival. We want the film to be a well-respected one, to have ar-tistic integrity; it should have some combination of innovative technical skill on the director's part and complex character devel-opment on the part of both

screenwriters and actors.” The idea behind the

film festival (one increas-ingly shared by college and graduate school Eng-lish programs) is that film can be "read" as a text, and we have to choose a "text" that holds up to this scrutiny.” The film festi-val helps students be able

to analyze movies the way they would for books, ex-cept with an addition of things such as background music, frame scenes, color contrasts, etc. Teachers try to choose films that por-tray many different things that students can observe.

English teacher Ms. Hollins said, “We try to include classic films from earlier time periods that we think students haven’t re-cently seen and we thought that Hitchcock has been so influential on many

other filmmakers now. He also cares so much about the composition of every scene and frame which will help the students talk about film literacy more.”

Each year the film var-ies in many ways to the one watched the previous year. “We like it to challenge the student body in some way:

in the best of all worlds, it's a film that most WHS stu-dents might not have seen before, but which many of them will be glad to have seen afterwards. We like to think about offering the students a film that will be different, in some way, from the other films they may have seen at past Film Festivals,” said Long.

Weston High School’s film festival is a great activ-ity in our school that chal-lenges our student body in a different kind of way.

The film fest is run similar to the way it was last year. “We're following Mr. Hor-ton's idea from last year--though we've made a few tweaks--which gives the senior classes the respon-sibility for leading the bulk of the discussion. In this way, the Festival becomes almost completely student-

driven,” said Mr. Long. It’s an interactive way for students to teach other students through film lit-eracy, which is not usually taught in class. It’s a great annual tradition, consider-ing how fun and unique it is while it still challeng-es students knowledge.

Students throughout WHS have positive re-actions to studying film literacy and the film fest movie picked this year. Malcolm McClintock, Ju-nior at WHS, said, “I loved

the movie that was chosen this year. I'm more or less a Hitchcock virgin; I've never seen any of his work despite the high praise I've heard throughout my life. He did not disappoint, his use of score and camera angles archetypal to the movies we see every day. But his work is original and

pure. I particularly fell in love with Madeline's char-acter, her twisted personal-ity and blissful ignorance captured me. I can't even begin to tell you how emo-tionally exhausting the end is though, really it caught me by surprise regardless of all the foreshadowing Hitchcock utilized. I didn't feel quite the same about Johnny, whom I felt was an average man in the 50's and therefore felt little at-tachment to. That doesn't mean I don't relate to him,

really I felt the joy and pain he did throughout, and his character stuck with me.”

Mr. Long agreed, and stated, “So far the film festival seems to be going well; students I've talked to even seem surprised that they like it as much as they do. Vertigo is a mas-terpiece, and I think that's

partly because it has this sort of hypnotic effect on the part of the audience that matches, to a degree, the protagonist's experience in the film. It doesn't move as fast as most contempo-rary movies. But students seem to be adjusting to the slower pace--and that's deliberate on Hitchcock's part.” All in all we can say the Film Festival has been a great success throughout the years, and has been a hit so far this year, too!

Vertigo: WHS puts its own spin on film analysisBoni Wagmeister ‘14Staff Writer

Students take notes on thirty-minute potions of the film and then discuss with other English classes for the rest of the hour-long period.Photographs by Sarah Gruen

Teachers with babies (continued)from their subject matter to important life lessons.

Mr. Durand, who teaches ninth and tenth grade English, as well as a creative writing elective, is raising his seven-month old daughter in the small Connecticut town he grew up in. Said Durand, “Being a parent is tough work, but it’s sweet work” and hopes little Maggie will have a natural and adventurous childhood as he did. With technol-ogy advancing constantly, one might wonder how a childhood will take form in the next few decades.

Ms. Skelton, the so-cial worker for the middle and high schools, hopes to offer up advice to her young daughter, Harper, about the importance of balance as her own daugh-ter will eventually enter school age. As Ms. Skel-ton balances motherhood

and work, she feel that “Being a parent is such an amazing and over-whelming responsibility”

and can’t wait to see her daughter grow up in an environment very differ-ent from the one she did. Ms. Skelton spent her up-bringing in Colorado and California, and raising Harper in Fairfield County will be a very different experience from her own.

Ms. Fernandes re-

turned from summer break with the rest of the staff, but with a different set of priorities. She ex-

plains that her son Tiago will have a “very differ-ent upbringing” than that of her and her husband’s, as neither are natives to the United States, but she hopes to instill the values of their humble begin-nings upon Tiago. Ms. Fernandes says that “It is not easy to leave your

baby under someone else’s care”, but has come to bal-ance her home and work life easily, and returned

to school in time for the new year when Tiago was just nine weeks old.

Guidance counselor Mrs. Schrizzo discussed her journey through par-enthood, explaining that every step along the way is a highly memorable and important one. Mrs. Schrizzo has greatly en-

joyed watching her son Luke grow and develop and states that “Mother-hood is an inexplicable

and amazing life chang-ing experience that makes you realize what is truly important.”. Although she loves being at home with Luke, Mrs. Schriz-zo missed Weston High School and is happy to be back. Being that she gives advice to students daily, she hopes that her

own son will put forth his best effort once enter-ing his own school years.

While those “blessed” with the as-signment of taking care of a mechanical baby for a weekend prob-ably are not feeling the joy of parenting, these members of the faculty and staff shed a mature and beautiful light on parenting that we as stu-dents might have trouble seeing at this point in our lives. But, by expe-riencing the challenge put forth by tenth grade health, we can see that while we are not ready for children now, be-coming a parent can be quite the life-changing experience, when one is old enough and ready. These new parents can be seen as noble and hard workers, balancing the adventure of parent-ing and the insanity of working in a high school.

Continued from Page 1

From left: Tiago Fernandes, Gabriel and Teagan Chappa, and Harper Skelton.Photographs contributed by Sra. Fernandes, Mr. Chappa, and Ms. Skelton

“

Remembering Newtown 7

Last Friday morning, our nephew, Daniel Barden, awoke early enough to say goodbye to his mother Jackie as she made her way out the door to her job as an elementary school teacher in Pawling, NY. He escorted his two older siblings, James and Natalie, to the bus stop up the street and re-turned home with Mark, his father. The bus to Sandy Hook Elementary School came later in the morning so they often got to spend a little extra time together. They warmed up from their walk by cuddling on the couch, ate breakfast and played a quick game of foosball. Mark took a few moments to sit at the piano with Daniel and teach him the notes to “Jingle Bells” before heading back up the street to that same bus stop. At Daniel’s insistence, he and his dad played tag as they raced up the hill to meet Mr. Wheeler’s bus. I imagine his thoughts during that ride were on the upcoming holidays

and the birthday party he’d be attending later that night at his aunt and uncle’s home across town, to celebrate the first birthday of his cousin Jane and to play with his cousin Michael, “the fourth Barden”. As Daniel and his classmates got off the bus in the chilly December sunshine they were thinking the thoughts of any seven-year-old, about the weekend and the weeks ahead. You already know how the rest of that morning played out.

The families who lost their precious children will never lose the horror of that day. The general public will also suffer increased anxiety since the media will need to up the ante on this story. Our culture cannot seem to satisfy itself with the gravity of an incomprehensible event anymore and so it must sell the story endlessly, breathlessly, until it moves on to the next narrative or natural disaster. In the days to come you will likely read accounts from people who knew the perpetrator in his previous life as a high school loner, each one hinting at possible motives for his act. It is also inevitable that evermore grisly forensic evidence will be made accessible to the public. I urge you to ignore it as best you can. A much better use of your time

is to focus on the people who really matter in this story—those children and the shattered families left in the wake of this event. The paragraph above was meant to convey a sense of the life behind a photo you might see of one of those children. There are nineteen other photos of children lost to us that day that come attached to equally touching and emotional stories. Put your thoughts with those children and on the joy they brought to their

families rather than on the despicable way they were wrenched apart from their loved ones. Or you might simply hug your own children as tightly as you can and tell them you love them because they’re here and you can. Either way, don’t let the final crime of this abomination be the triumph of one

sad, desperate person’s bid at notoriety.

To say that our collective hearts are broken would be a gross understatement. Finding the words to describe the sense of grief, horror and outrage at having such an innocent life snatched away is as futile as finding a meaning in the act itself. My wife and I have spoken about how awkward it

feels to be offered condolences when the Barden family is feeling this anguish more painfully and intimately than we are. That’s not to say we aren’t deeply appreciative of the love and support so many have expressed, both to us and to our loved ones. I am especially touched by the calls, texts, e-

mails and visits by you, my friends and colleagues at Weston. I suppose the only appropriate statement I can make is to simply say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart for all the care and concern so many of you have shown for our Daniel, our family and for me.

“

”

The Journal pays tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting

~Matthew Risoli, Weston English Teacher

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.”~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“You gain strength, courage and confi-dence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next

thing that comes along.'”~Eleanor Roosevelt

“There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human na-ture rise above itself,

in acts of bravery and heroism.”~Alexander Hamilton

“Alone we can do so little;together we

can do so much.”~Helen Keller

“Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul.

And sings the tuneWithout the words,and never stops at

all.” ~Emily Dickinson

“I've given my life to the principle and the ideal of memory, and

remembrance.”~Elie Wiesel

How could this happen? Why would anyone conscious-ly murder 20 innocent children in their classroom, a place of security and, often, protected from the “real” world?

These are questions so difficult to think about; it’s impossible to put them aside. Not only is the event so utterly disgusting and tragic, so raw, but the geographical proximity of the Newtown tragedy to Weston makes us all victims of this horrifying event. It touches us in a very substantial way. I am at a loss for words; how do we cope with this?

I am so sorry for everyone involved in this awful incident, the families of the victims and the people of Newtown. I cannot imagine what these people are feeling right now. I am devastated and shocked, angry and con-fused. No one will ever understand why this happened, there is no answer, no soothing—and that’s the worst part.

Remembering Newtown 8

In 1995, a twenty seven year old man detonated a bomb that destroyed a federal building in Oklahoma City one spring morning. One hundred and sixty eight people lost their lives that day including nineteen children under the age of six who attended the first floor daycare center. That was the same year that many of our seniors were born. I remember sitting with my daughter Olivia in my lap and kissing her downy head as I sought comfort from her. I was numb because I couldn’t fathom how anyone could deliberately kill innocent children.

As the events of this past Friday unfolded, I remembered that beautiful April day and felt that same anguish. How could those sweet, beautiful children be taken from their parents by such a heinous act? I can’t stop thinking of all that they will miss and the emptiness that their parents, siblings, and relatives will feel. There are the momentous events such as first communions, bar mitzvahs and gradua-tions. And then there are the everyday things that we all take for granted and that leave an ache in the hearts of those who are left behind to cope. There is no little hand to hold when crossing a parking lot, no need to find the teddy bear so he will go to sleep, no velvet dress to pick out for the holidays and no reason to run to soccer practice. There is no one to play with after school and there are no little arms who will wrap you in a hug. I can’t imagine how this will affect the loved ones in the days, weeks, and years to come.

My heart also aches for all of our students. We adults remember a different time. Yet, over the course of your short lives, you have witnessed bombings, ter-rorist acts, and shootings in schools, universities, and movie theaters. You have practiced lock down drills and evacuations until they are routine. And now, you can’t help but ask, “If it can happen in a town like Newtown, will it happen in Weston?”

My response to you is simple. We care for you and will do everything to keep you safe. As principal, I take this responsibility very seriously. I read something once that resonated with me and I would ask us to think about it as it pertains to how we choose to live our lives. Someone wrote, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. People will never forget how you made them feel.” Please remember that we are a family here at Weston High School. I ask you to be kind to and take care of one another.

“

”

~Lisa Wolak

Over the past few days, I have been in a state of complete disbelief. I cannot comprehend the events that have taken place in a town only a few miles away from our own, but more than that I cannot begin to imagine what those families who have lost their children are going through. Los-ing a child so young, so innocent, is something that no parent, no sibling, no family, ever deserves to experience. In my mind I have replayed and replayed what those kids must have experienced, the teachers who tried their best to protect those children, those heroes, those victims. It is hor-rifying the destruction one person can cause, and it terrifies me that there are people in this world that could go through with actions like we experienced just a few days ago. Without a doubt this incident will never be forgotten, and those who lost their lives deserve to be remembered for their bravery, for their innocence, and for their selflessness. ~Olivia Clark

The tragic shooting that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School was emotionally challenging to respond to when we, as WHS students, heard the news Friday morning. It seemed of something out of a nightmare, some-thing that could never happen in the comfort of reality. But this wasn’t any dream. I was extremely frightened, saddened, and angered when the news struck the public. I couldn’t stop think-ing, “how could someone do such an awful thing? And to children nonethe-less?” This tragic event really makes you come to realize that you really can’t control every aspect of life, but we can strive to make every moment memorable. ~Michael Kalmans

I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that this happened here, where I live, so close to where I work. My heart goes out to my friends and neighbors who have lost people they loved and cared about; it’s a senseless, horrible tragedy. There’s another side to all this, though, and that’s the good that comes out of seeing a community come together, people connect-ing in ways they might not have otherwise, and the hope that humanity can step up and perhaps reprioritize what’s truly important. We’re clearly capable of causing tremen-dous pain, but we’re equally capable of making wonderful things happen. It all comes down to where and how we choose to devote our time and energy. Far better that this never happened... but it did, so now it’s up to all of us to solve the underlying problems, whatever they may be.

~Stacey Greenberg I am in such shock and disbelief about this tragic event and cannot even begin to understand how

it could happen. When I heard that among the victims were twenty first graders who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, I automatically thought about the big group of first grade girls that I work with over the summer and have become so close with. It is incomprehensible to me how somebody could harm people like my campers, who are so tiny, innocent, adorable, and full of joy. It’s scary to see that something this horrible and unexpected could actually happen, and in Fairfield County nonetheless. It’s now time for us to come together as a community, like we have in other times of tragedy, and prove that terrible people and events can’t overpower the good in our world. ~Emily Goldberg

What occurred on Friday is unfathomable and there are no words to explain it. I don't know what makes an individual so sick that they would commit such an unspeakable act of violence. However, I do know that there are things we need to pay attention to. If not now, when?

We need to pay atten-tion to the crisis of how we care for the mentally ill in this country.

We need to honor the lives of those innocent children and the brave adults who died on Friday by putting an end to the culture of violence and easy access to guns in this country, especial-ly assault weapons.

We need to examine who we are as a nation and what we stand for.

Most of all, we need to be kind to one another and take care of one another. We need to cre-ate a safe harbor for our children and rise to the ideals upon which this country was founded.

~Jean Bennett

A tragedy, like this shooting that ravaged Sandy Hook Elementary School on the 14th of this month, is even more heart-wrenching the closer it is to home. Suffice it to say that this event, only 15 miles away from the safety of our town, creates an entirely different perspec-tive for us. Some people knew a victim, and many knew a person or family who were affected; for us, it is not a topic for legal scrutiny or an object of somewhat de-tached heartache, but a source of sorrow and a respon-sibility to help the community of Sandy Hook recover from this tragedy. ~Micah Zirn

On my way home last Friday, I drove behind a school bus. I saw some kids get off and get taken up into their parents' arms. Some children, and some parents, will never be able to experience that simple joy again. This is a travesty. We have a responsibility to parents and children everywhere to ensure this never happens again, and our country has a responsibility to ensure that its citizens remain safe. Take a second to write a letter to your congressman. Take a moment to talk to your parents and tell them how lucky you are that you can still hug them. Take some time to ponder mortality. Do something, but always keep Newtown in your mind.

~Elliott Eglash

Though I am struck with horror at the way these brave people spent their last minutes on earth, I feel a particular pride in our profession when I hear about the way the best in these educators instinctively emerged in the face of what must have been sheer terror. But the children were involved in a noble pursuit, as well, however cheerfully unaware they may have been of the larger purpose of what they spent their days doing. That any school, a site of learning and exploration and growth, should be attacked—however randomly—is part of what hurts the soul. It is my fervent hope that we gather around our sister community of Newtown and help provide what solace we can in their time of unutterable loss; it is also my hope that we begin to examine what we can do as a society to reduce the risks of another mind-numbing day like this one.

~Damian LongThere are no words to describe what happened on December 14th in Newtown, Connecticut. As we learned more and more details throughout the

day, I was dumbfounded that anyone could conceive doing such a treacherous act. The news came in as snippets, from “There has been a shooting in Newtown” to “Twenty-seven are confirmed dead in second-worst school shooting in U.S. history.” With each update, the events that had trans-pired became harder and harder for me or anyone else to believe. That day will not only be remembered as just another shooting, but as a day when everyone across the country, regardless of background, political views, or religion, was affected by a heinous act. May the victims rest in peace and the families find solace in friends and loved-ones. ~Andrew Parks

This time was different. Elementary school children were ruthlessly murdered. Teachers died protecting their students. But for me, this is not what made the tragedy different. What made this one unique is the proximity to home. We live 16 miles from Newtown, and all of us who have played a sport at one time or another have been there. In the wake of this tragedy, we feel much more connected to everyone, knowing that the community is stronger than ever in an effort to demonstrate that we can-not be broken.

This tragedy also leaves more questions than answers, all centered around, “How are we supposed to move forward?” Does this tragedy lead to a long-sought ban on assault weapons and regulations on gun ownership? Do mental health diseases move to the forefront of research and funding so tragedies like this can be avoided in the future? How do we all heal? How can we ensure that our families and friends are safe and will always be safe? While we may not understand why this tragedy occurred, we will still be there for the Sandy Hook community, of-fering any support it needs.

~Daniel Muller

In the face of indescribable violence, in the face of unconscionable evil, you’ve looked out for each other, and you’ve cared for one another, and you’ve loved one another. This is how Newtown will be remembered.

~President Barack Obama

The sadness is palpable. The sense of loss is overwhelming. The tragedy of this past Friday is felt by every one of us, in different ways and from different angles. As teach-ers, we are all too often reminded of the need to maintain the distance of a professional student/teacher relationship. And as a teacher, the words of Sandy Hook’s first grade teacher, Kaitlin Roig, spoken to her little ones as they hid in a bathroom, struck a par-ticularly sensitive piece of my soul as she explained after surviving this horrific event, “I told them I loved them. I did not want gunshots to be the last thing they heard.” I believe that as teachers, all too often, we do not let our students know just how much we care about them and how much we learn from them. I will take every opportunity, for the remainder of my teaching career, to do all I can to ensure that my students know how much I treasure the relationships I have with each and every one of them.

~Sal LaRusso~Aaron Pomerance

Allison N. Wyatt7/03/06, female

Anne Marie Murphy07/25/60, female

Avielle Richman10/17/06, female

Benjamin Wheeler9/12/06, male

Caroline Previdi9/07/06, female

Emilie Parker5/12/06, female

Grace McDonnell12/04/05, female

Jack Pinto5/06/06, male

Jessica Rekos5/10/06, female

Lauren Rousseau6/1982, female

Mary Sherlach2/11/56, female

Noah Pozner11/20/06, maleVictoria Soto

11/04/85, female

Olivia Engel, 7/18/06, female

Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 04/04/06, female

Catherine V. Hubbard, 6/08/06, female

Charlotte Bacon, 2/22/06, female Chase Kowalski,

10/31/05, male

Daniel Barden, 9/25/05, male

Dawn Hochsprung, 06/28/65, female

Dylan Hockley, 3/8/06, male

Olivia Engel, 7/18/06, female

James Mattioli , 3/22/06, male

Jesse Lewis, 6/30/06, male

Josephine Gay, 12/11/05, femaleMadeleine F. Hsu,

7/10/06, female

Rachel Davino, 7/17/83, female Image by

Chris PettyBarrett Fitzgerald

Remembering Newtown 9

Out and About 11

Recently, The Com-mon Application, a widely known method many teen-agers around the world use to apply to college, has announced major changes regarding their applica-tion. The format of one of

the most important parts of the application has changed dramatically with the re-moval of the ‘Topic of Your Choice’ prompt. This switch was made official at the National Association for College Admissions Counselors in early Octo-ber when Common App representatives announced that beginning August 1, 2013, students will no lon-ger have the option to write about a topic of their choice.

“Instead, there will be four or five topics that may change from year to year,” reported the New York Times, “[the] new Common App will also be a stickler for essay lengths. The 250-word minimum will be enforced. Students who exceed the 500-word maximum will face an error message.”

While some, such as Rob Killion, executive di-rector of the Common App, are “excited about doing this,” others, including ju-niors here at Weston High

School, are disappointed about the changes they will have to face next year while applying to colleges.

“It’ll reduce the va-riety of topics of essays that colleges receive. It’ll also make the essay it-self more challenging be-cause you can’t just write about anything anymore,” said junior Natalie Oakes.

Junior Charlotte Har-ris agreed with this, add-ing that while applying to colleges students “can’t speak through their grades, but they can speak through their essays. Being granted the ability to write some-thing personal and of inter-est, as well as importance, to you is a part of the entire experience and process. A lack of selection of op-tions to express themselves through is disappointing.”

Junior Joy Essaghof stayed consistent with this idea, adding, “We should be able to have the topic of choice because it allows us to write about something personal and enables us to show how we are dif-ferent from one another. This prompt allows us as individuals to stand out.”

While Killon insists, “We need to do this,” he also acknowledges that “it’s change, and the first year of change is hard.” A preview of the new appli-cation format is rumored to be released in March 2013.

Gabby Gonzalez ‘14 Contributing Writer

Apocalypse Now

I have never read the book Life of Pi, so I’m in no position to make a comparison between the novel and the movie I saw in theaters the other night. However, I know what the next book I check out of the library will be. I’m anxious to see if anything the author Yann Martel wrote could possibly compare to the spectacular visuals I saw on the big screen. There’s no contest: as engaging as the story might be, what makes Life of Pi truly mem-orable is the special effects.

I can only compare the visual effects in Life of Pi to Avatar, the 2010 James Cameron film. And keep in mind that Life of Pi only had a budget of $120 mil-lion while Avatar was able to use $237 million. The former, though, is just as visually astounding as the latter, if not more so. The film just looks amazing. There’s simply no other word for it. Life of Pi may not take place light-years away, but it wouldn’t be hard to convince me that I was on another planet. The shots of underwater life are indescribable, full of some of the most fascinating and bizarre sea creatures ever to grace the big screen. And that’s just the begin-ning of the creative im-ages Life of Pi has to offer.

However, unlike Ava-tar, which tried to make Pandora seem like it could be a real planet, Life of Pi strives to do the exact op-

posite. A majority of the film felt incredibly surreal, like I was in a dream; of course, that was the point. The colors and images told Pi’s story just as effective-ly as any dialogue could.

Of course, I can’t talk about the visuals without mentioning the tiger. Rich-ard Parker, the tiger who is also shipwrecked with Pi, was aesthetically impres-sive. The effort that the creators put into making him look like a real ani-

mal was outstanding. There was not a single moment when I was aware that he was a computer gener-ated image, which was a refreshing change from the poorly-constructed CGI creatures prevalent in some other recent films.

The story itself was compelling, as well: Pi’s struggle to stay alive for 227 days at sea was grip-ping, and had the whole

audience at the edge of their seats. Suraj Sharma plays the 16-year-old Pi, and his performance is spectacular. There was little dialogue, since most of the story focuses on Pi’s struggles while stranded at sea, but Sharma still man-aged to show the turmoil he was going through, as well as his determination to stay alive. One such example was the scene in which the vegetarian Pi kills a fish for sustenance.

The anguish that Sharma displayed was so strong, I felt as if that dead fish had been part of my family.

The film also has strong religious undertones. This would make sense, as noth-ing could possibly test a person’s faith more than the circumstances Pi had to go through in the film. Howev-er, this did become slightly irritating by the end of the movie. I became more than a

little uncomfortable when the film asked me to choose be-tween believing in God and believing in all of the fantas-tic things that Pi sees during his journey. There is prob-ably some middle ground there, after all. I understood that Pi was a religious per-son and I still thought that this was an interesting di-mension to his character. I just wasn’t prepared for the film to make what felt like such a religious moral out of Pi’s incredible journey.

To be honest, it really caught me off guard, and distracted me from the rest of the film.

If you want to see an imaginative film with great visuals, an engaging plot-line, and some superb acting, Life of Pi won’t disappoint. Don’t let that PG rating fool you; there’s nothing childish about this fascinat-ing story of survival, trust, and determination. It’s definitely worth a viewing.

Controversial changes to the Common AppPhoto courtesy of theivycoach.com

The End of “Topic of Your Choice”

Making some uncommon changes Tigers and

Tribulations

Pi Patel and Richard Parker face off.Photos courtesy of lifeofpimovie.com

Scarlett Machson ‘16Staff Writer

Life of Pi

As December 21st looms closer, Weston High School students and popular cul-ture alike are frantically discussing the end of the world. The Mesoameri-can Long Count calendar, a non-repeating calendar used by many Pre-Colum-bian Mesoamerican cul-tures, most famously the Mayans, has been predicted to end on this date. While nothing in Mayan culture warns against an apoca-lypse, and it is not known

why the calendar ends when it does, modern inter-pretations believe, but do not confirm, that this date could mark the beginning of a new era, or the cata-strophic end of the world.

Most WHS stu-dents are in agreement that there is nothing to worry about when it comes to the ending of the Mesoameri-can Long Count calendar. “I feel like throughout his-tory there have been re-ligious or popular beliefs that the world will end at this time or that time, but

Emily Goldberg ‘13Section Editor

Continued on page 12

When one thinks of “affirmative action,” the words discrimination, prejudice, oppression, and inequality often come to mind. Created in the 1960s, the goal of affirma-tive action was to give the discriminated the opportu-nity to obtain jobs. Though good in intent, many now question whether affirma-tive action has crossed the line, as some say it hinders those not racially diverse.

Affirmative action

was a saving grace, an outreached hand to those personally affected by rac-ism, when President John F. Kennedy issued execu-tive order 10925 on March 6th, 1961. The order creat-ed the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity and also commanded that projects using federal funds were to make certain that hiring and employment opportunities were void of racial bias. The U.S. gov-ernment continued working towards equality when in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson instated the Civil Rights Act, which prohib-

ited bias regarding race, religion, or natural origin.

The benefits of affir-mative action cannot be denied: there are countless cases of underprivileged students being given a shot at Ivy League schools in order to make a name for themselves. Still, the ques-tion of whether or not ad-vantages given to minorities are fair is still being raised today. The resurrection of this 50-plus year argument regarding university ad-missions began on October 10th, 2012, when the case of Fischer v. University of Texas at Austin was taken

to the Supreme Court. Abigail Fisher claimed

that while unqualified stu-dents of color were ad-mitted to the University of Texas in 2008, she was denied due to her race. The university is adamant that Fisher would have been de-nied admission regardless of her race, but the case brought about the possibil-ity of limitations of the role affirmative action would have regarding admissions decisions. The university stresses that the program is a necessity to encourage

Natalie Quiles ‘14Contributing Writer

The Effect of Affirmative Action on the Student Body

Continued on page 12

DECEMBER 2012 | OUT AND ABOUT 12

no one has been right so far,” said junior Sophie Ren-aud, “What makes the Mayans so special?” Freshman Rachel Garner opined “I believe that the Mayans just got lazy and stopped writing the calendar.”

Student skeptics think that most of the fear built up around December 21st comes from individuals be-ing dramatic. “There’s a part in everyone that may worry about it, but some people get really crazy about it,” said Renaud. Garner agreed, say-ing “I feel that most people are talking about it to make a big deal be funny. When-

ever someone brings it up to me, I know they don’t really believe it’s going to happen.”

Others blame popu-lar culture, like the block-buster sci-fi film 2012, for the excitement. “People be-

lieve it because the media hypes these kind of things up and scares people to get good ratings I guess,” said senior Brandon Abrams.

In fact, the media has convinced some WHS stu-dents that the Mayans could have been on to something. Junior Benson Kane be-lieves, due to “popular per-ception,” that the end of the world will come by “solar flare.” “It actually could happen. Not enough to kill everybody but enough to actually completely de-stroy the power grid of the northern USA,” said Kane.

Renaud thinks that a

new era on Earth is the next likely option after nothing happening at all. “Maybe the Mayans meant for it to be sort of like the split be-tween BC and AD on our calendar,” she proposed.

Apocalypse (Continued)

Was the Mayan apocalypse prediction accurate?Photo courtesy of postnoon.com

Affirmative Action (Continued)

Global Warming

Anything Twilight

Sandy Hurri-cation

2012

12/21/12

The Hobbit

Holiday Vacation

2013

Continued from page 7

the admissions of a diverse student body, which the Supreme Court had endorsed because diversity promotes cre-ative group problem solv-ing with so many minds working towards a com-mon goal, and opens stu-dents of different culture’s to different ways of life.

In 2008, Mark Sher-man surveyed a univer-sity’s freshman class of 6,600 students, out of which, about 26% were African American or His-panic. Of these 1,713 stu-dents, 216 (about 12%) were admitted under an af-firmative action program. This means that out of the entire freshman class, only 4% were admitted under a race-conscious decision.

The importance in valuing diversity during the admissions process was heavily debated by the Supreme Court, and at this point, it seems that the court has a few options. The Court can disregard Fisher’s claim as not being a substantial reason to sue, which would sustain Texas’ program as constitutional. Conversely, if the court decides to accept Fisher’s claim, Fisher will gain no more from the university than an $100 application

fee, but the practice of affir-mative action could be al-tered for future applicants.

On the subject, junior Gillian Ryder stated that, “In a perfect world, affir-mative action would not be necessary.” Junior Mer-edith Gosnell does not see the role that affirmative ac-tion plays as one that would hinder her acceptance pos-sibilities. “...I don’t re-ally feel threatened by Af-firmative Action because I like to believe colleges are mainly looking at my grades...however it would be naive to say there isn’t racism and discrimina-tion still today, and I do to some extent understand the necessity of this process.”

The Supreme Court is set to release their decision sometime late spring. Until then, members of the Court must come to an agreement by balancing the imperfec-tions of affirmative action with its many benefits. For Weston students, it is important to note that col-lege admissions offices put a value on standardized testing, grades, essays and activities. While diversity matters, “most schools want students who are go-ing to succeed there. To admit someone who isn’t likely to be successful is not good for anybody.”

Continued from page 7

As soon as Thanks-giving came to an end, many immediately went into holiday-mode and diverted their attention to preparing for the holi-day season. For some, the best part about this time of year is the food, the va-cation time, or, for many, the gifts. But few realize that around the holidays, television can be just as wonderful as any pres-ent. From the “Peanuts” special to “Home Alone: The Holiday Heist,” there are plenty of upcoming programs to watch that can entertain people of all ages and interests.

Perhaps one of the better-known spreads of holiday programs is ABC’s “25 Days of Christmas,” when a dif-ferent holiday special, new or old, is aired each night of December. “25 Days” has been an annual

TV tradition since 1996, and features classics like “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” along with all of the “The Santa Clause”

movies. Recently, favor-ites like the “Harry Pot-ter” movies and “Beauty and the Beast” have been incorporated in, but do not take away from the holi-day spirit its meant to pro-vide. As suggested by the

title, this programming starts on December 1st and lasts until Christmas Day.

If classic holiday films and specials are

not for you, regular TV shows like “The Office” air holiday-themed epi-sodes to get viewers into the spirit. “Along with the ‘25 Days’ programs, I’ve always liked the SNL holiday episodes,” says

a Weston High School senior, “They’re funny and are one of my favor-ite parts of the holiday season.” After talking to a few other students around WHS, a majority actually said they enjoy the holiday episodes that modern, regularly aired TV shows feature over older movies and specials.

New Year’s is also a major part of the holi-day season, and over the years, many have been tuning into the various New Year’s Eve count-downs that are shown on a variety of news stations. “ABC’s New Year’s Rock-in’ Eve” has been the most popular special on New Year’s Eve for the past few years, followed by the NBC and FOX hosted programs. But no matter what station you choose to countdown to the New Year with, you’ll undoubt-edly get to see the famous luminescent ball in Times Square drop when the clock strikes midnight.

Holiday TV SpecialsGrace Gulino ‘13Contributing Writer

Santa Claus plays with a reindeer in this ABC Family promotion.Photo courtesy of theview.abc.go.com

When Skyfall came out in theaters, I thought that it would be easy to get seats. I was quickly proved incorrect! When I went to the theater, one week after it came out, the line went into the parking lot. After waiting in line and trying (to no avail) to get tickets, I settled for a different movie and went back the next day.

When I got to the the-ater, I was surprised to see so many young kids in the audience. The first James Bond movies came out in theaters in the 1960’s, so many parents of WHS students are familiar with the older movies; how-ever, when asked, many high school students said they never saw the James Bond movies. I assumed was that kids were no longer interested in the

classic movies. That as-sumption was proved wrong in the theater. Sit-ting in front of me were 14 kids excited to watch the movie. Although there were some seats open, the theater was packed.

When the movie started, the theater went quiet and the phenomenal film began. One thing I realized when watch-ing the film was that no one made any references to the other James Bond movies. My theory is that this is probably because there have been seven different “James Bonds:” Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dal-ton, and David Niven.

None the less, the movie was fantastic! Daniel Craig did a great job yet again portray-ing British secret ser-vice agent James Bond.

The premise of Skyfall is Bond investigating an attack on MI6 (Military Intelligence Section 6), which is part of the Se-cret Intelligence Service. They find that the attack is part of a plan made by former MI6 operative Raoul Silva (played by Javier Bardem) to hu-miliate M (played by Judi Dench). Other than Bond himself, Raoul was the life of the movie. He was one of the most humorous actors. He made this ac-tion movie comical. But of course, what is a movie without a “Bond Girl?” This time, the “Bond girl” was Sévérine, played by Bérénice Mar-lohe. She was very good at playing hard-to-get and then falling for James. I won’t tell you the end of the movie, but I will say that this on-the-edge-of-your-seat film had a very unexpected conclusion.

The only thing that was disappointing was the minimal amount of gadgets. In all the James Bond movies, until now, Bond always had cool tools, like the underwater jet pack in Thunderball, a machine that allowed Bond to swim quickly that came with two ex-plosive-tipped spear guns and a frontal head light. In Skyfall the only gad-get Bond had was the As-ton Martin DB5 (also in “Goldfinger”), which had machine guns behind the headlights. The nominal gadgets were disappoint-ing, but maybe the direc-tor, Sam Mendes wanted to show his audiences that Bond is less dependent on the gadgets than his sharp wit physical abilities.

Overall, this is one of the best movies that has come in theaters all year, and I advise you to see it.

Caroline Kren ‘16Contributing Writer

Falling for Skyfall

IN OUT

Sports and Athletics 13

Micah Zirn ‘15Section Editor

The Weston defense puts pressure on Berlin Photograph by Lucy Chestler

Sporting in a Winter Wonderland

Lucy Chestler ‘16Staff Writer

Weston High’s fall sports season almost always comes to an end towards the middle of November. Of course, football created a rare exception this year on account of its tremen-dous success and the long break between its games. The boys’ and girls’ soc-cer seasons were cut short towards the start of the State tournament halfway through the month. Cross Country and Swimming tournaments and events wrap up early, and Field Hockey had a disappoint-ing regular season that stopped any playoff hopes cold in its tracks. In the past, there has been a lull between the fall and win-ter athletic seasons, where anticipation for new High School team’s can build up. Although the Trojans have made an impressive push towards the football State title, impinging on what has normally been a break from school athletics,

there is still a sense of pent-up excitement for the start of the new sports seasons.

The winter months usher in the beginning for Ski-ing, Boys’ Swimming and Wrestling, Indoor Track, and a fan-favorite, Varsity Basketball. Students, weary from watching the same fall teams week after week, are eagerly anticipating a new experience in the stands. There is always a mass of fans at the start of the sea-son– an unbelievable crowd piling into the gym for the first home basketball game. On December 17th, the boys’ basketball team will take on New Fairfield for their home-opener, while the girls’ team matches up against Notre Dame on the 8th. Naturally, teams will lose some of their specta-tors as the season progress-es, of course to a lesser de-gree, or even not at all, if the team puts up impressive wins, competes in close games, or has promise in the post-season. This year, the two basketball teams are hoping to do just that.

Furthermore, fans are

always attracted to rivalry games; students that would miss a match up against Joel Barlow are few and far between. Of course, the winter sports season opens the door to many of these grudge matches, potential white-outs or black-outs where school spirit reaches its pinnacle. Both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams compete with Barlow late in the season, the realm of must-win games that can make or break a season. On February 5th, girls’ varsity will play an away game and the boys will take them on at home the same night. Boys’ swimming has sev-eral home meets beginning on the 27th of December and ending early in Febru-ary. Wrestling competes at home three times in De-cember, on the 12th, 19th, and 27th, another home meet in January, and again to end the regular season against Joel Barlow and Immaculate February 6th. The Indoor Track team travels to meets primar-ily at Wesleyan, but also at Yale and Hillhouse.

Weston Football: A Historic Season

The Trojans had the best finish in the programs’ history despite the loss.Photograph by Lucy Chestler

The Trojans fantastic football season came to an end Sunday evening as they lost to the number two Berlin Redcoats in the State Class M semi-finals on Sunday December 2nd at Bunnel High School in

Stratford. The final score was 21-7. For the Weston Trojans it was their first playoff appearance since 1989 and their first-ever state tournament victory in the quarterfinals. The

Trojans had to play El-lington high School to get to the semi-finals. Weston beat Ellington 29-22. While Berlin had to play Bullard-Haven Tech to get into the semi-finals. Their game wasn’t as close as the Weston game. The red-coats won 41-14.

The Redcoats started off the game determined to

win with a 38 yard catch for a touchdown, and the extra point was good with about 11 minutes left in the first quarter to lead the Trojans 7-0. Then, the Redcoats came out strong again in the second quarter

with a touchdown and ex-tra point to make it 14-0 at the half. The Trojans never gave up and came out of the locker room after half-time ready to go. Senior Zach Cannon took the kickoff to the Weston 45, giving the Trojans their best starting field position of the game. On a third-and-one, senior quarterback Tyler Has-sett (8-for-14, 141 yards) threw a bullet to Cannon who ran 33-yards down the sideline setting the Trojans up with a first-and-goal from the Berlin 10 yard line. Senior Justin Schaf-fer went six yards on a first down and Hassett took the ball into the end zone for a touchdown to cut the lead in half. Unfortunately, with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the Redcoats scored another touchdown and made the extra point, which led to them leading 21-7, which ultimately was the final score of the game.

Although Weston lost, they came away with high spirits, particularly about the future of Weston Tro-jan Football. The season overall was a step in the right direction for the Weston Football pro-

gram and the talent will continue to be there as the years progress. Accord-ing to Freshman Thomas Krumwiede “with the way coach Lato pushes the football team with lift-ing and conditioning we

are able to compete with teams that out size us and with the youth football programs getting kids to be around the game for longer they will bring a lot of talent to the team.” This mind set for the future of Weston Football Coach Lato agrees with,” "This isn't the finish line," he told Andrew Frosceno from the CT Post. "We want to get here every year. It's always toughest the first time you do something and now we've done this and got this far. The underclass-men gained experience and got to see what it's like to play in playoff games. I'm really proud of what this team has done for Weston football."

Many of the Weston High School Football team of 2012 made the all- SWC teams. The All-SWC teams

are teams with people that are chosen from all of the schools in the division. On the first team five play-ers from Weston made it - Tyler Hasset, Justin Schaffer, Austin Gomar, Jack Hamilton, and Erik Dammen-brower. On the second team there are also

five players from Weston - Aaron Pomerance, James Brasco, Thomas McGlone, Zack Cannon, and Samuel Panton. Peter Lummis got the Honorable Mention. Congratulations to all the athletes from Weston High School who got this presti-gious award.

The Trojans have high expectations for next season despite the loss of several seniorsPhotograph by Lucy Chestler

Fall Sports RecapAndrew Parks ‘13Section Editor

The beginning of win-ter sports practices and games finally signals the end to fall sports and a season that was pushed back due to the unfore-seen obstacle in the form of Hurricane Sandy. De-spite the intermission that Sandy provided, athletes stayed on top of their game and kept on practicing. Through-out the season, every team had moments to be proud of, and Weston athletics continues to be one of the best ath-letic schools in the state.

Coach Berkowitz at-tributes the general suc-cess of the teams “to the progression of the pro-grams.” He says that over the years he has seen a lot of hard working go-ing into practices and games, and as a result of this hard work, teams have started to develop and come out on top.

The girls’ field hockey team came in with high

hopes, but unfortunately the season did not turn out as planned. Senior Sarah Levin said that “even though the season

was a disappointment, everyone still really en-joyed playing and ev-eryone remainepositive throughout the season.” The team finished 1-9-1 (w-l-t), with their season highlight coming in the first game of the season, when they beat Masuk.

Girls soccer also had a good year, lead by senior captains Grace Mattison,

Sydney Allon, and Mor-gan Moubayed. The team finished the season with a very promising 9-4-2 (w-l-t) record, and took

that momentum into the state and SWC playoffs. Unfortunately, the team lost to Masuk in the first round of the SWC tourna-ment and got unlucky by having to play Northwest Catholic High School in the second round of the State tournament. For

Cross Country wins the Class M State Championship. Photo courtesy of Will Glaser.

Continued on page 14

DECEMBER 2012| SPORTS AND ATHLETICS 14

Captain Sydney Allon, the highlights of the sea son were tying Newtown at home and making it past the first round of states. On these high-lights, Allon said that these accomplishments really highlight the team’s ability to “pull together to come up big”, especially because the team came back from being down 1-0 against Newtown.

The boys soccer team also had a good season, although many on the team would say that this year’s squad a lot more potential. Coach Fitzsim-mons constantly men-tioned throughout the sea-son that he thought that this year’s team was the best team skill-wise that he’s had since coming to Weston. Rising Cap-tain, sophomore Frankie Lugossy, said that the team highlight was prob-ably “tying Newtown, it

just showed that we can always give one of the best teams in the SWC a game. It brought us to-gether as a team and gave us momentum further into the season. ”Unfor-tunately, the team pulled together too late, finish-ing the season with a 5-5-4 (w-l-t) and barely missing entrance into the SWC tournament. In the state tournament, the boys fought back against eighth-seeded Ellington, but fell short losing 3-2.

The boys Cross Coun-try track team finished with a 13-1 (w-l) record, and finished 3rd in the SWC competition and finished 1st in the state tournament. The boys also won the Patriot Di-vision Title. The girls Cross Country team fin-ished their season 6-9.

The volleyball team had a fantastic season, going far in both the SWC and state tourna-

ments. The team was lead by senior captain Savan-nah Carpenter, who was named to the All-State team. According to Cap-tain Sydney Weiss, the highlight of the season was “making it to the SWC finals because we [they] were the first team in Weston history” to make it that far. Varsity finished the regular sea-son with a 14-2 record, and were runner-ups in the SWC tournament and made it to the semi-finals in the state tournament.

The girls swim team had a very exciting sea-son. Besides coming in second in the state tourna-ment and placing fourth in the SWC competition, the girls were also tweet-ed at by swimming sensa-tion Michael Phelps. The team’s final record was an undefeated 11-0-1 (w-l-t).

Undoubtedly, mostly everyone in the school knows how the football

team did this season. Be-sides finishing with an 8-2 (w-l) record, the team had a very exciting season, the regular season high-light coming in the form of a big Thanksgiving day win over rivals Joel Barlow, 21-14. Senior Aaron Pomerance, who

was on varsity for three seasons, attributed the team’s success to “hard work since January and good team camaraderie.”

The cheer team was at every football game to support the team, and their competitive sea-son begins in the winter.

Overall, the fall was a very exciting season. It was highlighted by mem-orable moments, awards, trophies, never forgetting the core values that make all Weston teams so suc-cessful: sportsmanship and a desire to be the best.

The girls’ swim team made a splash in their fall season.Photo courtesy of Lauren Solinsky.

Continued from page 13

CONGRATULATIONS, COACH LATO, ON

WINNING MSG VARSITY’S COACH OF THE YEAR!

Fall Sports (continued)

opinion and commentary 15

November 21, 2012 came and went with the news that Israel and Gaza had reached a ceasefire agreement. The international diplomatic community exhaled a sigh of relief. This strife was just another chapter in the nev-er-ending abyss that is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This constant warfare be-gan back in 1948 when Isra-el, the official Jewish state, established its indepen-dence. This plot of land, bor-dered by the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and other Middle Eastern nations, about the size of New Jersey, had previously been known as Palestine. Thus the conflict has ensued. In response to this most recent outburst of rockets, bus bombings, and terrorist attacks by the Pal-estinians, Israel launched a series of precision airstrikes into Gaza, killing Hamas leader Ahmed al-Ja’abari among others.

This offensive move by Israel was in direct re-sponse to the increased rocket attacks by Hamas (which has a stronghold in the Palestinian terri-tory of Gaza) into South-

ern Israel. These attacks by Hamas over the recent months have been numer-ous and dangerous, “[mak-ing] normal life impossible for over one million Israe-lis,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement to CNN.

The conflict has resulted in a media outburst, espe-cially here in the United States and in the interna-

tional Islamic community. Whether it is reported in newscasts, Internet blogs, or Facebook, everyone seems to have an opinion on this issue. Here is mine. As a Jewish American, I stand by Israel and its beliefs and actions in defending its people and their right to live in peace. Israel has the right to defend itself against an enemy that

does not recognize Israel’s right to exist. Israel recog-nizes a two state solution; the right to a Palestinian au-tonomous state that coexists alongside a peaceful Israel. In the news, there are re-ports that many Gazan civil-ians have suffered, whether losing their homes, or their lives, due to Israeli attacks. This is an unfortunate real-ity; despite Israel’s attempt

to prevent civilian casual-ties, Hamas hides among families, schools, hospitals, and mosques in neighbor-hoods across the densely packed area of Gaza, thus causing these tragic civil-ian deaths. In order to pre-serve national security, as well as peace throughout Israel, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has no choice but to attack the Hamas

strongholds. Moving for-ward, this conflict has led to the IDF calling up 75,000 reserves back into service. The conflict has the poten-tial to escalate even further, drawing in many major countries on either side. If this should continue, then it could result in enormous military consequences that could lead to international warfare.

Thanks to the help of Egyptian President Mo-hamed Morsi and United States Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, there has been a temporary ceasefire. This ceasefire demonstrates the lasting impact of one of the most significant histori-cal steps towards peace in the Middle East—the Camp David Accord and Peace Agreement between Israel and Egypt.

The international com-munity needs a permanent diplomatic solution in or-der to end the fighting in the Middle East. This will require a two state solu-tion between Israel and Palestine—something that will be extremely difficult to negotiate but necessary in order to restore long-lasting peace and allow both the Palestinians and Israelis to prosper.

Aaron Pomerance ‘13Section Editor

Israel-Gaza Ceasefire Agreement ReachedInternational Community Breathes a Sigh of Relief

The Mayans did not have very high expecta-tions for us. I mean, they didn’t even think we’d make it past this year. By the time this edition of the WHS Journal comes out, we still won’t even know whether we’ll make it through December 21, 2012.

Should we make it, however, 2013 is going to be a year of staggering im-portance, as the future of not only our senior class but also our world will be decided.

In 2013, this year’s se-nior class will begin walking on the next path to success when everyone in it gradu-ates and starts a new phase of life. Some will go to college and some will begin work-ing. Whatever we choose, we know that we are build-ing a foundation upon which we will grow, that the future looks a little more certain. The paths may change, but at least the start is there. One of us may discover that he or she is in love with lit-erature and had previously been focused on science. Another person might take a gap year and go abroad,

which has the potential to change his or her outlook on life forever. Whatever may happen, we all push off with a little more certainty into the next phase of our lives.

The upcoming year will see some controversial top-ics brought to the forefront of everyday life. Although issues such as abortion and the economy are an omni-present worry in the minds of the general public, the one issue that will capti-vate the nation is gay mar-riage. The Supreme Court recently decided that it will hear cases regarding gay marriage, specifically the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Proposition 8, both of which define mar-riage as specifically between a man and a woman. The country will finally have an answer regarding the ability to define marriage through the Constitution. Although I can’t imagine a way that the Constitution could pro-hibit it, the idea of four justices possibly automati-cally ruling against it scares me, as the arguments for it will almost seem irrelevant.

I, as the always-opti-mistic person that I am, truly believe that this new Con-gress could set the stage for

incredible bipartisan work in the coming two years. We have already seen the hints of compromise from the Republican Party, pledg-ing to raise taxes on the up-per class and end the Bush-era tax cuts. Hopefully, the Democrats can also placate the Republicans by compro-mising on some issues, but in order to avoid the fiscal cliff more cuts will have to be made as well. Hopefully the new Congress will be able to work together in order to set our country in the right direction; although Obama has a high job approval and favorability rating, Congress has an approval rating that some polls say is lower than the approval rating of Com-munism and many people also say that America is heading in the wrong direc-tion. We need strong lead-ership from a President that was just elected to a second term and a strong Congress that will work not for the party, but for the citizens.

Global conflict is heat-ing up, and 2013 may show the culmination of certain events. The Israeli-Pales-tinian conflict has reached new heights with the recent violence, and, in conjunc-tion with Palestine’s recent

recognition in the United Nations as a permanent ob-server, may start drawing to a close. Hopefully, the two-state solution can finally be agreed upon and the two na-tions can start evolving rap-idly away from the violence. Iran’s nuclear capabilities may also prove too much. That will be solved this year, whether through violence or through cooperation with involved nations such as Is-rael and the United States.

Will Egypt go through another revolution because of recent issues with newly elected President Mohamed Morsi giving himself ulti-mate power? Will Russia and China allow interven-tion in the Syria conflict? Will the new member of the Royal Family of the United Kingdom be a boy or a girl? Will Justin Beiber fall from fame? Will the United States end up on the right track? All of these questions will be answered this upcom-ing year, and while some are of trivial importance, all will affect significant portions of the population. 2013 is sure to be a year unlike any other, and one that could settle issues of global importance that have been so long in the making.

After the World Ends

Palestinians celebrate the cease-fire agreement.Photograph courtesy of cbsnews.com

The Oscars

One movie that, in my opinion, should be nomi-nated for Best Picture is Ben Affleck’s Argo. This movie – a dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Ca-nadian secret operation to help six fugitive Ameri-can diplomats out of revo-lutionary Iran – should absolutely gain an Acad-emy Award nomination.

The movie, which is directed by and stars Ben Affleck, is already gaining Oscar buzz, which, in my opinion, is completely justified. Affleck’s directing is incredible, while his acting is to be com-mended as well. He manages to give the performance of a life-time, but at the same time does not over-shadow the other stars such as Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and John Goodman. In ad-dition, Argo’s story keeps the audience members in-

terested for the full 120 minutes, rather than bor-ing them halfway through. Sophomore Caroline Braden agrees that Argo should be nominated for Best Picture because she “loved the story…It was really interesting”. A win-ning director, acting, and story all make the film an Oscar-worthy pick.

Another movie that is also garnering Oscar buzz is Steven Spiel-berg’s Lincoln. Featur-

ing Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Robert Todd Lincoln, the

acting is, again, phe-nomenal. Day-Lewis’ turn as Lincoln is abso-lutely amazing, and the other supporting actors

such as Gordon-Levitt, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones (also gain-ing Oscar buzz for his

role) are brilliant actors as well. Coupled with

Spielberg’s di-recting, Lincoln has all the mak-ings of an Os-car-worthy film.

Photo from www.oscars.org.

Daniel Muller ‘13Section Editor

Chloe Mandell ‘15Staff Writer

DECEMBER 2012 | OPINION AND COMMENTARY 16

‘Tis The SeasonWHS students talk about the best

parts of holiday time

No matter our religion, we all look forward to winter break, to the holiday sea-son, and the inevitable joy and cheer it brings with it. But what is the best part of the holidays? Is it the massive increase in baked, sugary, food that suddenly becomes avail-able for consumption? Is it the decorations the cover the streets and houses – the menorahs and Christmas lights? What about the Christmas carols that take over the radio? Is it fam-ily members coming home, and presents? WHS junior Meredith Gosnell exclaims that her favorite part of the holidays is “Putting up the Christmas decorations and lights and seeing all the festivity.” Another junior, Gabby Gonzalez, says that she loves “getting to pick a Christmas tree,” and Anisha Khosla states definitively that her holiday favorite is “pumpkin pie.” Senior Daniel Muller says, “As with any Jewish holiday the food is amazing. The latkes always taste incred-ible made from scratch and

the applesauce hits the spot. The festivities, like playing dreidel, as well as the gifts, bring my entire family to-gether, especially when we set aside time each night of

Hannukah for family time.” Michael Kalmans agrees, and declares “the candle blessings” his favorite part. Sophomore Emily Olin says her favorite aspect of the holidays is that “every-one is always so happy and excited.” I think, more than anything, that the tradition and nostalgia that surround these winter holidays is the thing that makes us love them so. Whatever holiday we celebrate, we all love to come together with our

families and take part in the activities and celebra-tions that have stayed the same through generations – it almost feels like a part of the year devoted to step-

ping back in time and slow-ing down. There’s simply no way to escape the magic of being a little kid again, no matter how mature we think ourselves during the rest of the year. There’s always a sense of anticipa-tion, wonder, and enchant-ment when December rolls around that we never out-grow, made all the better by the expectation of a glis-tening coat of snow on the ground. It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Olivia Clark ‘13Section Editor

Since Israel withdrew its troops from the Gaza strip in 2007, an average of three and a half rockets have been fired into the Jewish state daily. Yet the reports of these persistent attacks that threaten the lives of innocent Israe-lis never seem to grace the cover of any of our newspapers, or make the top headlines of the news. Only when Israel fires rockets, in which they warn Palestinian civilians of its location and time, do we hear about an-other heated conflict be-tween Israel and Hamas.

People may argue the Israelis are to blame for the mass murder of inno-cent Palestinian people, for the missiles fired by Israel often hit the schools and homes of Palestinians. However, these places are almost always the site of Hamas’s stored weaponry, strategically placed in ar-eas with many civilians. This is done to make the bombing of their arms seem worse on the part of Israel. But this is never

the information conveyed to the public about the seemingly endless con-flict. In addition, Israel sends multiple warnings, including phone calls, text messages and leaflets to Palestinian citizens of where and when the mis-siles are going to strike. This is done to minimize the harm done to Pales-tinian civilians, a tactic used by almost no other armies. In addition, Hamas often disseminates false information to the public regarding the ef-fects of Israel’s attacks. A good example is a recent video from one of Isra-el’s attacks. In the video a Palestinian civilian, filmed by a news crew, appeared to be wounded as a result of a missile attack. However, the wounded individual was found walking around in perfect health a few short minutes later. What some would describe as a “miraculous recovery” was truthfully an inju-ry that never occurred.

Despite Palestine’s false portrayal of Israe-li attacks and strategic placement of the arms in highly populated areas,

people still believe Israel to be overly aggressive in their attacks against Hamas and the citizens of the Gaza Strip. But the missiles fired were and al-ways have been an act of defense towards the om-nipresent threat of Hamas occupancy in Gaza. Thus Israel’s most recent plan was entitled “Operation Pillar of Defense” and the Israeli army is the “Israeli Defense force”. If Hamas did not pose a threat to the safety of Israel and the citizens within it, Is-rael would have no reason to continue its compul-sory military service nor would it have any threat to its every day existence.

To put this deceptive-ly complex conflict into its simplest form, Israel wants peace while Hamas won’t stop until the Jewish state of Israel and the Jew-ish people are no longer in existence. States Golda Meir, former prime min-ister of Israel “Peace will come with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.”

As of now a cease fire has been reach-es and we can only hope it stays that way.

Media bias crucial in Israel-Palestine conflict

Conflict Captures Media Attention

Daniel Muller ‘13Section Editor

Weston students get festive in holiday sweaters.Photograph by Charlotte Wesley.