What’s Inside:

Green HornThe Award-Winning Student Publication of Springfield High School and the Tech Center

November 23, 2009 Volume 30, Edition 2

802 MusicHip and Happening Venue Spins Debate

By Holly Hooke

Loud music, tight spaces, and plenty of teens. Sounds like 802, the new music venue in downtown Springfield which is creating some

controversy among students at Springfield High School. Will 802 haters end up the breakers? 802 Music is a live music venue located at the junction of Valley Street and Main Street in Spring-field. “Bands and their fans come together to enjoy and express their passion towards music,” said 802 manager and former SHS graduate Danny McChesney. “It’s also a good place for everyone to hangout and be themselves without drugs or alcohol.” “It took lots of hard work, petitioning, and acquiring licenses to even get 802 up and running,” said founder and owner of 802 Music, Dave Hinckley. “It’s a lot harder than everyone thinks getting a place like this together. All the painting, cleaning, and booking bands every week is hard. Not to mention keeping up with advertisement and technology today to be known as a 21st century music venue. One of my favorite things is the name 802 Music. It’s a pun since 802 is the area code of Vermont and it sticks in everyone’s mind. It also represents Vermont and provides publicity.” 802 Music is one of the few music venues in southern Vermont. Amateur bands used to have a variety of places to play. Not anymore with the Underground in

See 802 page 22

Who ya gonna call? Horror novelist and gothic nonfiction writer Joe Citro spoke about his craft at SHS on October 16th. Citro began his career as a novelist, but

now compiles folk tales about the eccentric and the weird in Vermont.

Cosmos keep the Trophy,p. 14

Kanye's Broken Heart,P.13

Closure for Park Street

School, p. 7

The Main Street storefront of 802 Music, a music venue for local singers and bands, declares its positive, drug-free stance. Inset: The 802 sign.

pg nroeG Hner2

Green Horn Interview

Erika Anderson, Ryan Brady, John Forbes, Sarah Gray, Sam Hensel-Hunter, Jalessah Jackson, Angelo Jardina, Maria Stern,

and Olivia Thayer

GREEN HORN STAFFCo-EditorCo-EditorCo-EditorLayout EditorLayout EditorPhotography EditorSports EditorTech News Editor

A shley Richardson.....................O livia Johnson........................... J enny Bradley.......................... S amuel L. Benton....................K elsey Christensen....................L aurel Porter.............................C ourtney Downing...................Melissa Tarbell............................

----------------REPORTERS---------------

Springfield High School has added a literacy coach, Kevin Coen, to its professional staff. This posi-tion is funded by a grant. “Our school district

realized that we are not meeting the AYP [Adequate Yearly Progress] standards of the NCLB [No Child Left Behind] Act of 2001,” said Coen. “We are hoping that im-provement will help lower the dropout rate at Springfield High School.” Coen was hired from a grant based on the number of SHS students on free or reduced lunch. S tu-dents who will need extra help

will be identified using the MAP (Measure of Aca-demic Progress) test which took place in October. As a literacy coach, Coen will target about 30-35 students who struggle with reading and writing. There has never been a literacy coach at SHS. Therefore, Coen was forced to develop his own literacy curriculum. “Students come to me to develop skills to better read and understand the text,” said Coen. “These kids don’t have a strategy to read well and my job is to teach them those strategies. Students will be choosing their own books [with guidance] and hopefully realize that reading is not a nemesis.” Developing a literacy curriculum has been a challenge for Coen. “I had no guide to use from this school so I have been reading a lot to try to develop a well-balanced curriculum,” said Coen. “I will focus on the reading and writing. I have developed a model of challenges for writing. I will be teaching about six classes, in which we will be writing authentically. This means that they will write about something they really care about.” He added, “For example, a question could be, ‘what is something you wish SHS had?’ and then

Coen Fills Position as Literacy Coach By Erika Anderson

See Coen page 23

. Eliza Pennell QuestBridge

Scholarship Finalist

This autumn, Eliza Pennell and Jess Watkins learned they were finalists in the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship. This schol-

arship, which offers to cover complete college costs, is for low-income senior scholars. Last year, QuestBridge allowed 1000 students to attend college with financial aid and full scholarships. Founded in 1987, Quest-Bridge has been providing help to students for over 20 years. Recently, Green Horn talked with Pennell about the Questbridge application process.

Green Horn: How do you apply for the QuestBridge scholarship?Eliza Pennell: You apply online via Questbridge.org and submit 3 essays, a short answer, a section about finance, a section about transcript (online and sent) and a section on test scores. Then 12 days after the applica-tion, you send your high school rankings.

GH: How did you find QuestBridge?EP: They sent me mail. Luckily I got it early enough that I didn’t just throw it away. For that I am eternally grateful. I wish everyone knew about it. It is definitely not publicized enough.

GH: What are rankings and how do they work?EP: With rankings, you have to submit a list of colleges that you would like to go to in the QuestBridge umbrella (26). These colleges include Notre Dame, Yale, and Princeton. Then you rank the choices, 1 to 8, of where you would like to go. If you become a finalist, then QuestBridge will forward your application to these col-leges in the hopes that one of them will accept you.

GH: Can you go to any college on the list if you get into it?EP: No. If you get into, for example, school 1, 2, and 7, you must go to your top-ranked school. It is bind-

ing. That is why you need to pick your rankings very carefully.

GH: Would you have changed your rankings?EP: I would have kept my top two schools the same, but would have switched my third and fourth school and gotten rid of my fifth-ranked school.

GH: Are you happy that you found the QuestBridge National College Match scholarship?EP: I am very excited I found the scholarship. Quest-Bridge makes it possible for some kids to attend college who wouldn’t have been able to go. It really opens doors to people who haven’t had doors opened for them in the past. This is such a wonderful opportunity, and I am so lucky to be a finalist. It really shows that college isn’t just for men, or for the rich or white. Something really good is coming out of this scholarship. This is what college is for: to help people add good to the world.

By Erika Anderson

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News

Rosencrantz, Fortinbras, Hamlet, and Laertes en-gage in a talkback session with Springfield High School students after the matinee of Hamlet on

Wednesday, October 21. Nearly 40 SHS students viewed the Northern Stage Theatre's production of Hamlet at the

Briggs Opera House in White River Junction. The Vermont Telephone Company (VTel) donated the cost of the tick-ets and transportation, about $600.00, giving students a

chance to see Shakepeare's classic play.

AP Scholars at SHS

Last school year, Springfield High School was honored with the distinction of having two Ad-vanced Placement (AP) Scholars. One of these

scholars, Dan Kendall, graduated this past spring and now attends UVM on the Green and Gold scholarship. The other scholar, Brittany Adnams, who received this honor as a junior, is now a senior enrolled in more AP classes. AP Scholar is a title recognized by the Col-lege Board as someone who has scored a 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. Scores on the exams range from 1 to 5. Five (5) represents the highest possible score. Adnams took AP Stats her sophomore year and received a 4 on the exam. During junior year, she took U.S. History and English Language & Composition and received a 3 on both of those exams. Although students are not required to take AP classes in order to take the corresponding exam, the ten AP courses currently offered at SHS assist in preparing students for the exams. Angelo Jardina (U.S. History) and John Dean (Statistics),who taught Adnams, provide past exams for their students to study. Adnams found this to be helpful. When one takes an exam, it is useful to know ahead of

By Melissa Tarbell

Achievement Starts With a Challenge

See AP Scholars page 23

Brittany Adnams was honored as an AP Scholar for exemplary scores on AP exams including Statistics, U.S. History, and English Language and

Composition.

time how to approach the test. It is especially useful because the AP exams vary. “[There is] no certain, set way of studying because each exam is different,” Ad-nams said. "If you know the content well and you know how the test is set up it makes it easier to pace yourself during the exam which is only 40 minutes long." Advanced Placement is a copyrighted term. Every AP course has to be approved by the College Board. Jardina refers to this AP audit and the resulting class as a “course-in-a-box.” This is why some teachers don’t volunteer to teach an AP class. With Advanced Placement, everything must be taught A to Z. John Dean describes the process of creating an AP course. You’re “required to give them [the Col-lege Board] a syllabus” which they must approve. And you are “given a whole list of items [you’re] required to teach,” hence the A to Z part. Besides producing the courses, every AP teacher must be certified during a summer training course. Despite the tedious work involved with teach-ing AP, both Jardina and Dean enjoy the rigorous AP

pg nroeG Hner4

NewsShe is My School and I Am Her Spirit

Spirit Week Celebrated at SHSBy Olivia Thayer

Each fall Springfield High School students go above and beyond the normal to demonstrate their Cosmos pride. This week of green and

white outfits, class skits, pep rallies, and other school bonding fun is known as Spirit Week. The 2009 Spirit Week ran from Monday, October 26th, to Friday, Oc-tober 30th, culminating in the Homecoming Football Game against Bellows Falls. The SHS Student Council brainstormed during many of their autumn meetings to create new and fun ways to bring school spirit to SHS. “Despite its flaws, I’m proud of SHS,” said student council advisor Kevin Coen. “Good stuff happens here and we should be proud of it.” “[Spirit Week is] when the school has a ton of school spirit,” said sophomore Lauren Sanderson. “It’s the week when the school comes together and gets pumped for Homecoming.” Sanderson, a member of the student council, was part of the committee that focused on planning and coordinating Spirit Week. “I love Spirit Week,” said sophomore Lauren Fish. “My favorite day last year was Crazy Hair Day. My hair was pretty awesome.” Theme days are a favorite part of Spirit Week. On Monday of Spirit Week, students were invited to come to school in comfort on Pajama Day. Individual class pride emerged on Tuesday for Class Color Day. This year, the freshman class was assigned orange, sophomores were given yellow, juniors assigned red, and seniors were blue. On Wednesday, students showed a love for their sports on Sports Day. Even though the traditional theme days returned again this year, on Thursday, SHS was cast back in time with a new day, Throwback Thursday. This was a day of retro outfits and 70s music, a successful attempt to enliven the atmosphere at SHS. To conclude Spirit Week, Friday was Green and White Day. This day seemed to be a favorite among students. “There’s sort of a latent spirit around here when it comes to the school,” said Coen, “but it’s a surprise to see how many people show up wearing green and white.” Also returning this year was the tug-of-war between classes. “It’s a good time for the classes to come together and compete, but it’s not overly com-petitive,” said junior Jessie Haskell, who enjoys Spirit Week very much. “People that might not be involved in sports can participate.” This year some new activities were added to the week in hopes of inspiring more school spirit. Originally, the student council hoped to have each class be assigned a hallway they could decorate based around a season. Concerns about safety, however, prevented this idea, though a variation was added. “Each class was given a wall in the cafeteria,” said senior student council member Amanda Aberle. “Each class was also assigned a season and they had to decorate their wall with decorations from that season.” On Thursday night the football team rallied their spirits against long-time rival Bellows Falls at

a 7:00 pm bonfire and pep rally at Riverside Middle School. The annual Spirit Week-ending football game took place on Brown Memorial Field in Spring-field. The varsity football team faced off against rival Bellows Falls in the Homecoming Game. “This is the game that every senior has been waiting for since they started playing football,” said senior running back Bennet Chevalier. “Not only is it for The Trophy but it’s for the division. This is the game of our lives.” During halftime of the BF game, each class participated in another Spirit Week traditiion: class skits. This year the skits centered around movies. The Class of 2012 sold t-shirts and water bottles, and the track team held an auction at the game in order to increase pride even more.

“Between all of us we can get people inter-ested,” said Coen during the week. “All the little things we’re doing are the seedlings of pride.” Many members of the SHS community hope that Spirit Week can be even better in the future. Coen and some members of SHS visited Mohawk Regional High School, in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, where SHS Co-Principal Robert Thibault worked as an assis-tant principal, to observe that school's pride activities and get ideas for SHS. “We need to get kids interested and proud of where they come from,” said Coen. SHS English teacher Joanna Coleman said that when she attended SHS in the mid-90s, Spirit Week was a greater event. “When I went to SHS, everyone

See Spirit page 20

Pajama Day and Class Color Day caused some excitement during Spirit Week. But the real big deal was the tug-of-war, won by the juniors.

nroeG Hner pg 5

NewsHistory and Heritage

Miller Art Center Interns Full of WonderBy Sarah Gray

Jen Stein, Maria Stern, Courtney Page, Sara Gray, Julia Stein, and Oliva Thayer dress up in period costumes for lantern tours at the Miller Art Center.

The Miller Art Center is the proud home of the Springfield Art and Historical Society. Though the Springfield Art and Historical Society has

been around for many years, the intern program for the Springfield Art and Historical Society wasn’t introduced until 1997, when Riverside Middle School social stud-ies teacher and head intern coordinator John Swanson invited three teenagers to participate in researching Springfield history and history world-wide. “It [the intern program] creates a love of history and heritage," Swanson said. "And influences their [the interns] careers.” Though the original intern program ended in 2002, Swanson re-established the group with six new interns in 2006. Swanson agreed to be the head intern coordinator and brought back Emily Stringham, one of the first three original interns, to be an intern coordina-tor for a whole new group of interns. Stringham, who ended up majoring in history at college, gladly accepted the invitation. “I really enjoy the program from an intern’s perspective to an intern coordinator’s perspective,” Stringham said. “And I really enjoy working with the kids.” Sophomore Olivia Thayer was selected to be an intern for the Miller Art Center in the winter of 2007, when she was in 7th grade. “I was nervous because I realized if I got in it would be a really big opportunity,”

See Interns page 21

During these tough economic times, people work long hours many days a week to afford expenses and luxuries. Included in this group are high

school students. While for some the only worry at the end of a school day is homework, many Springfield High School students go directly to work the long hours their after-school jobs demand of them. However, for some students, including se-nior James Karkowski, the prospect of facing a job and schoolwork is unimaginable. “It’s impossible to even balance soccer and school,” he said in the autumn. “By the time I get home, I just want to go to sleep.” For others, however, such work is a necessity. “I need to work,” said junior Alexis Esposito. Esposito works three days a week at the neighborhood co-op. She added, “I need the money for my car, insurance, clothes and college.” Others agree. Juniors Justin Derosier, who works at Jake’s Market, and Des-mond Dana, who works at Okemo Mountain, are saving

for college and any personal necessities or expenses. After-school jobs are a common responsibil-ity for high school students. According to Family Jour-nal.com, 50 % of American teens work a maximum of 20 hours a week. This requirement, however, can have a negative impact on academic achievement. The dual responsibility of homework and jobs makes a balance of priorities difficult to master. Dana, who works 8-hour days each weekend at Okemo Mountain throughout the winter season, said, “You get home from work, you’re tired. You just want to go to sleep but you can’t. You have homework.” Springfield High School social studies teacher Dave Slivka believes, in order to maintain academic excellence, students with jobs must accept that grades come first in the struggle for balance. He reinforced this belief in his own family. “I didn’t let

By Vicki Kopidakis

School and Cash

See Balance page 22The new Industrial Arts class sculpture

advertises the River Valley Technical Center and its programs.

Students Walk the Line

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NewsUnderstanding Language and Culture

Shan Xu Teaches ChineseBy Erika Anderson

Springfield High School students and staff recently had an opportunity to learn a foreign language outside the traditional curriculum. SHS senior

Shan Xu, who moved to the U.S. in 2006 from China and located to Springfield two and a half years ago, is teach-ing Chinese after school to anyone who is interested. “I teach Chinese to Americans because I want more people to understand China,” said Xu. “I also want people to understand China and not be afraid [of another culture].” SHS senior Melissa Tarbell is one of these Chinese language students. “We meet every Tuesday after school for 30-45 minutes in Mr. [Angelo] Jardina’s room,” said Tarbell. “The first week we learned our names in Chinese and how to write our names. I’m really excited about it.” During lessons, students learn common greetings, the zodiac, and names, among other things. Xu is planning to incorporate culture into lessons by teaching learners about tea, painting, games, and other activities. Xu is very interested in having her students enjoy themselves. “Learning will be student-based and we will be using calligraphy eventually,” said Xu. Some difficulties that Xu is expecting to encounter in her lessons involve pronunciation. “In Chi-nese, there are four tones that are not easy to pronounce. These tones have different accents which make it [the language] difficult,” said Xu. “If you haven’t grown

up hearing the different ac-cents, it’s very hard to tell them apart. These are also difficult to form because you are using a different part of your mouth.” But Xu believes her students will be able to do it eventu-ally. S H S s o c i a l studies teacher Susan Fog is also taking Chinese language lessons. “Shan is such a good teacher. She is so patient and never gets flustered, is very relaxed, and has a knack for it,” said Fog. “She has a gift for keeping learning light and inspires you to want to try and shows that as long as you try, she appreciates your effort.” Fog’s goal is

Senior Shan Xu moved to the U.S. in 2006. She teaches Chinese after school for students and staff interested in

learning her native language.to write a note in Chinese. Tarbell also has a goal for her Chinese les-sons. “I’ve always been interested in foreign languages and would like to go to college for it,” said Tarbell. “I also want to travel, so knowing the basics of language would be good.”

Fog is excited about learning. “I have always been fascinated by Chinese culture,” said Fog. “It is one of the worlds’ most astounding, rich, and complex

See Shan Xu page 21

Joy Benson and Anne Katomski mix it up with the bowls as they prepared for the November 10th

Empty Bowl Dinner, which consisted of soup, pasta, bread, and beverage. This event included a silent auction, a des-sert bar offered by the student council,

and entertainment by the dance and music program. The chorus,

madrigals, concert band, and wind ensemble performed after the din-

ner. The bowls used during the evening were crafted under the direc-

tion of a visiting artist potter Susan Leader. The Okemo Mountain Com-munity Challenge Grant funded this clay project. Money raised from the Empty Bowl Dinner was donated to

the Familiy Center and the Miller Art Center.

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News

For over a century, Park Street School has held a special place in Springfield, Vermont. It has been a high school, an elementary school, administra-

tion offices, and most of all, a safe, wholesome place for kids to grow. But this educational landmark will close after this school year. “It’s emotional to see it close. I’ve had cousins graduate from here so it’s hard,” said Park Street School Guidance Clerk Ruth Rawson. During her 36 years at Park Street, Rawson has experienced countless changes that have transformed the school for the better. “There has been a lot of change here over the years," Rawson said, "but it’s all been good.” First Grade teacher Fran Schwarz has also experienced changes at Park Street. “I like it here," Schwarz said. "I love the old building. It wasn’t built for young kids. It was a high school. It’s just too bad they didn’t keep up with it.” For the past 20 years, Jenny Anderson has been the nurse at Park Street School and attended the school in fourth and fifth grade. Consequently, Anderson feels a strong attachment to Park Street School. “Your heart wants to keep it open," she said. "But you also want to

Finding ClosureThe End of Park Street School

By Jenny Bradley & Olivia Johnsonbe sensible for the kids' sake.” Besides the emotional regrets associated with the closing of Park Street School, school officials worry about other implications associated with this decision.When discussing the future of the Springfield School District without Park Street School, Superintendent Frank Perotti said, “We’re kind of at an in-between place. But we’ve promised the community that both schools [Union and Elm] will be equal.” Perotti insists that both Union Street School and Elm Hill School will have the same skill sets when it comes to teaching. As an administrator, Perotti wants to offer equality of instruction for students of diverse backgrounds. Like Perotti, the Springfield School Board is determined to avoid developing one of the remaining elementary schools into a superior school. “We’re wor-ried about an elite school forming,” said Perotti. By closing Park Street School, the Springfield School District will save at least $90,000 in fuel costs. But this doesn’t even compare to last year’s fuel costs when gas was $4.00 a gallon. It cost approximately $300,000 last year to heat the school. “As of right

now, we’re trying to save our budget,” said Perotti, who views closing Park Street as an important option in the budget-cutting process. But Park Street teachers are unsure where they will be teaching next year. “Every teacher filled out a request form for which school we want to go to,” explained Schwarz. “I put Union Street because Joan Nagel [former Park Street Principal] was originally the principal.” Schwartz, who has worked at Park Street for 23 years, is anxious to see how teachers and students will adjust to the new schools next year. With the closing of Park Street School, 4th grade teacher Alyson Bull emphasized Park Street’s history and its importance to the community. “I realized that the closing of Park Street School was a big deal in our community," said Bull. "And there was a need to find a way to celebrate the school's history.” With this in mind, Bull's 4th grade students inter-viewed alumni of Park Street and collected information about the changes that have occurred since they attended the school. “Once the research has been collected and

The 104-year old architecture of Park Street School--both inside and out--represents an iconic public building that will be closed at the end of this school year. Superintendent Frank Perotti is concerned that the two remaining elementary

schools allow equity in education for all students. First grade teacher Fran Schwarz loves Park Street School and is sorry that officials didn't keep it updated. Park Street School nurse Jenny Anderson, a position she has held for 20 years, feels

that her heart says to keep the school open but sensible decisions must be made for the sake of the kids.

See Closed page 20

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News The Votes are InFreshman Class Officers Elected

By Sarah Gray

The Springfield High School Class of 2013 recently held elections for their class officers and student council representatives. Lauren

Bolduc and her brother Larry Bolduc were elected by their peers as president and vice president of the 9th grade class. Joining them will be Seth Gammon as secretary and Courtney Page as treasurer. Along with these freshmen class officers, Shelby Reardon, Julie Bombria, and Jordan Crowley were chosen to join the student council. The freshmen class officers hope to improve and motivate the Class of 2013. “I want to make things better and try new things to bring our class closer to-gether,” president Lauren Bolduc said. Bolduc served on the Riverside Middle School Student Council for three years. She was elected president of her class during the 8th grade. “I hope to bring positive changes in the school and in my class,” vice president Larry Bolduc said. He served on the Riverside Middle School Student Council during 7th grade and was elected as secretary of the class during 8th grade. Seth Gammon shares similar hopes for his class. Gammon hopes to bring “anything and every-thing” to his position as secretary. His goal is to be social among his classmates and to get people involved. Gammon was part of student government in 6th and 7th grade but did not run for student office last year. He chose to run this year because, as he said, “I’ve always had an interest in politics so I figured, 'why not give it

See Office page 22

Clockwise: President Lauren Bolduc, vice president Larry Bolduc, treasurer Courtney Page, and secretary Seth Gammon will lead the Class of 2013 this year. These officers will try new things to bring the class closer together. They intend

to lead through their positive energy.

Vermont gubernatorial candi-date Deb Markowitz spoke to Springfield High School stu-

dents in Jeff Lavin's Contemporary Issues class on Tuesday, October 27th. Markowitz was the first woman elected as Secretary of the State of Vermont in 1998. During her SHS visit, Markowitz

talked about her agenda, her accom-plishments, and her position in state government. To end her classroom visit, Markowitz engaged in a ques-

tion and answer session with students. Lavin intends to offer each candidate

for the position of governor a chance to speak to his students.

nroeG Hner pg 9See H1N1 page 20

News

Freshman Archie Farmer thought the NWEA test was neither hard nor easy.

Last year, Springfield High School educators used the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) testing program, the Measures of Academic

Progress (MAP) test to chart student skills in reading, writing, and math. The Washington, Oregon-based testing strategy, created in 1974 to improve education in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, is now used throughout the United States. MAP testing is an adaptive test that NWEA developed in 1997 to help schools show the growth of their students each year. It’s different than many of the standardized tests that students take to measure a school’s progress since it measures students' individual progress. “The test is designed to give the benchmarks of each student and show the growth of students each year,” said SHS Co-Principal Larry Wight, “or the decay [of skills], in some cases.” It’s a new idea that helps schools target where individual students are struggling instead of where the average student is struggling. During the 2008-2009 school year, MAP tests were administered in Language Arts and Math. This year, science was added to the testing schedule. SHS freshmen were tested in science during the October NECAP testing window. Each freshman who took the test was given a score and the score was recorded for future reference. Previous scores will be used to assess future tests and will help teachers understand where their students are with their skills. The MAP test not only identifies what the student may or may not know, but also indicates what they are ready to learn. Freshman Archie Farmer thought the MAP

Educators Map

Students Progress

By Ryan Brady

The Vermont Music Educators Association’s (VMEA) Fall Dis-trict Band and Chorus auditions

were held on Friday, October 5th, at the Bellows Falls Middle School. Of 16 Springfield High School students who auditioned, 12 made the cut. Eight SHS musicians will participate in District Band. Four SHS singers will sing in the District Jazz Chorus, an outstanding achievement since the number of vocal-ists selected to the jazz chorus is usually small. SHS Alto Emily Mobus said each vocalist was only scored by one judge "so you really want to impress that one person." Mobus did just that since she achieved a perfect score for her audition effort. Although she "certainly didn't ex-pect to get a perfect score," Mobus found it "exciting." Mobus added, "They're really looking for the blend and how good you are technically." These expectations are different from band judges, who are looking for execution of rudiments and scales. Senior saxophonist Lindsay Turgeon, junior tubist Nicolas Chlebak, junior flautist Haruka Sato, junior clarinetist Elizabeth Austin, sophomore tubist

12 Musicians ChosenBy Maria Stern

H1N1Hygienic Prevention

By Justin Deroisier

To prevent the spread of H1N1, Springfield High School students have been instructed to follow proper hygienic procedures. To handle this poten-

tial health crisis, school officials have been in close con-tact with the Vermont Department of Health. The school is also getting help from the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. While the virus potential would not stay isolated in one part of the school, the virus can live on surfaces for only a short period of time. “Students should be concerned about the virus," said SHS Co-Principal Larry Wight. “But they should not be worried about it as long as they are wash-ing their hands, covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze, and not sharing water bottles with other students.” People from the age of six months to the age of 24 are at a high risk for the virus and should be

Curtis Ficklin, sophomore bass clarinetist Chelsea Carleton, ninth grade hornist Mariah Olmstead, and ninth grade flautist Amelia Thomas will perform in the band. In addition to Mobus, sophomore alto Alaina Orth, sophomore alto Carrie Mobus and sophomore soprano Erika Anderson will perform in the jazz chorus.

See Districts page 23

Bindy Hathorn sits at her desk with her hand sanitizer waiting for service in the

war against H1N1.

Hornist Mariah Olmstead sits between Tabitha Celani and Lucas Shelon. Olmstead was one of 8

students selected to play in the District Band.

See NWEA page 22

For Districts

pg nroeG Hner10

Columns Accepting AmbiguityBy Jess Watkins

By Kelsey Christensen

Examining Existence

It's almost a decade into the 21st century, and our world is ruled by technology. Everywhere you look, technology surrounds you. We see it at the grocery

store, strangers yapping away on their cell phones, or in your living room, a television blaring in the background. Anywhere you go, you can expect to see someone plugged into a music device, such as an iPod, with little white headphones clogging their ears. What about the electronic books? These are books that can be down-loaded onto a device, and you read the words as if you

were reading them on a computer screen; you no longer have the paper pages to turn, or the heavy weight of a book in your hands. And what about the most troubling addition to technology: the computer. This involves the common household computer, a gadget that provides easy access to saving documents or gives one an open ride on the internet. The internet. I almost want to shiver when I think of it, because although I do appreciate the op-portunities it brings, it's also dangerous. It has made it extremely easy for illegal industries such as the child sex market or child pornography. People find pictures of themselves that they would never want anyone to see on the internet. If you post anything on the internet, it will never disappear. Hackers can easily gain access to your personal information or infect your computer with a virus. And the most distracting thing for me: social networking sites. I am already a huge procrastinator. I will use anything to distract me. Once I even resorted to sorting my CD collection (more technology) to avoid writing a paper. Social networking sites provide easy cop-outs for procrastinators like me. But it's not just these household computers that are a problem. More powerful computers exist. There are computers that control information for cor-porations, computers with huge databases, computers with super-secret information for governments and

military institutions. These are powerful machines, and they scare me. They make it easier for governments to control and monitor citizens' acitivities. Couldn't the powerful people controlling these powerful machines lose control? Isn't it clear that a computer could be built that is so smart that it rules humankind? This concept is commonly portrayed in science fiction films, but is it re-ally such an unbelievable idea? Is it really such a far-out future? A future where the manufacturing of computers and robots spirals out of control, until eventually the automatons become superior to humanity. At the rate of our technological progress, anything is possible. And al-though there are benefits to this progress, such as making work easier, information more accessible, and crucial professions like health-care more responsive, there are serious consequences to technological progress. To me, a society filled with all-powerful mechanical drones, and humans obeying robot authority, is not such a vague and outlandish concept. And here is something frightening: aspects of our society are beginning to resemble futuristic, sci-ence fiction novels and movies. Popular novels and films illustrate consequences of technology, often in the form of corrupt governments that cleverly gain control of their citizens. In the United States, more laws are passed, which often result in less freedom for Americans. Is it

Is Technology Progress?

See Ambiguity page 21

This October, Middlebury College facilitated the third annual Quidditch World Cup. The odd competition is inspired by the Harry Potter se-

ries, the 7-part fantastic chronicle of boy-wizard Harry Potter, which has spawned many box-office juggernauts and even more screaming fan-children. The level at which this element of literature and film has made its way into our lives--and college sports--would astound any observer. This integration of fiction into our lives provokes us to consider the role of fantasy in our exis-tence. Why do we seek out fantasy worlds? Aren’t we interested enough in our own lives? It makes sense that since humans have made such an efficient science out of survival--acquiring food, shelter, and clothing--we would need something to fill the void of free time. But, our preoccupation with the fantastic is disturbing when we observe the level of our interest in the fantastic in our culture. For some of us, we are virtually living a

fantasy. Someone once mused to me that by engag-ing in artistic expression like film, music, literature, and other mediums of entertainment, we’re distracting ourselves from suffering. Yet, it would be much more productive and reasonable to live in the real world. We would avoid so much destruction in the world if we spent our time considering and examining the life we lead. However, people are comforted by literature and film. Literature analysis and even film analysis are such valued qualities in our culture, though the virtuosity of these abilities is in the eye of the beholder. If a culture says it’s important to interpret Shakespeare, understand the periodic table, and know the dates of the Battle of the Bulge, then the people of that culture will acquire that knowledge. But what is virtuous in knowledge is subjective. Any knowledge could be helpful if culture defines it in that manner. One can still survive without knowing the slope of a line in a graph or the subplot of

Distracting Ourselves From Suffering

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. What is even more peculiar is our fascina-tion with film and books that are not rooted in fantasy. Even visual art is usually a depiction of things seen in life, whether it involves people, landscapes, or abstract images inspired by real life. In this way, films, books, and plays are often chronicles of life. It’s odd that people enjoy watching or reading about activities that they could be doing. For example, popular television shows allow audiences a view of celebrities, so they’re watch-

See Manifesto page 20

nroeG Hner pg 11

ColumnWelcome To...

By Melissa Tarbell...the Loo?

There are three things every human being on the planet has in common: the basic necessities of life, eating, sleeping, and, well, relieving your-

self. Everyone loves to sleep and eat, but these things do not provide for interesting stories. Bathrooms, on the other hand, offer a vast horizon of opportunities to explore. First off, the most important phrase you will ever need to know in a foreign language is “Where is

the bathroom?” This is quite hilarious. Bathroom isn’t always the correct word, though. In some places, if you ask this, you might find yourself in a room without a toilet. You see, in some countries there is a separate room just for doing your business. Therefore, one must be sure to ask accurately where the toilet is located. That leads into the many words for bathroom. America is the only place where people won’t find it weird to use the word bathroom. Yes, indeed, other cultures will probably understand your intent if you persist in using bathroom. But people in foreign lands would probably find the word strange. Just as others would find bathroom strange, Americans find lingo from other cultures strange. Imag-ine if an Australian asked you where the dunny was. One word we probably recognize in America, however, is loo, a word for bathroom commonly used in Britain. As in the case of a phrase like the John, nobody really knows where some slang words come from. There are theories, however, as to how loo came about. There are two that seem most plausible to me. For those of you who know anything about European history, perhaps by watching the History

Channel or the Travel Channel, you probably know about a rather difficult time around the 17th century Europe. There was obviously no plumbing in this era, so people used to empty their waste out the window and onto the streets below. Before they emptied the bucket, though, they would yell gardy-loo so any unfortunate passerby could clear out to safety. There is another theory that seems valid as well. The British call the bathrooms a water closet, or WC for short. Waterloo is another word for water closet, so it is very likely that loo is just a shortened version of waterloo. But I can’t write a story about bathrooms without mentioning the boy versus girl factor. By this I mean the huge girls line and the short boys line for bathrooms often displayed outside public facilities. In connection to this, there’s nothing more revealing than watching the Disney movie Cars and seeing the traffic jam at the girls room and the male cars zooming in and out of the boys room. If you’ve never seen Cars, you are missing out. They got it exactly right.

See Welcome page 19

OpinionChilly Kitties.Look out your window on a winter morning. Trees

all dusted with white, cars buried in white, a whole landscape completely covered in a white,

wintery blanket. Except—making its way across the yard with one little paw at a time, a kitty emerges. It is the best kind of kitty: a snow kitty, a winter kitty. A chilly kitty. And he wants to come inside. Your eyes thank him. For weeks you’ve awakened to an empty landscape, a bleak vista of cold white, knife-edged icicles hanging from rooftops, dead, leafless branches poking into the grey sky. Now there is relief for your color-destitute eyes: a little animal-shaped fuzzball moving robotically, no, that’s not it, moving as though walking over a plate of glue, stiff paws stomping up and down. The animal is locked in a Sisyphusian conflict with the blanket of your yard. Somehow, thank the gods, he triumphs. But there’s no time for celebration. Freed from his Glue March, the winter kitty raises his snow-dusty paws to the door and slides them up and down repeatedly, claws extended. Scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch. What are you going to do? Leave him there to the mercy of the winter winds? Huddle tight to your sweater, brace yourself for the chill. Turn the knob. The door opens. This chilly kitty enters. You’ve spent the morning alone in this home

with no company. This soon-to-be unchilly kitty is just what you’ve waited for. Close the door. Pick up your saviour. The chilly kitty’s fur has fluffed out like a porcupine fluffing out its pins, only cuter, and fluffier, as a defense against the atmospheric hounds of winter. Its eyes are wide and questioning. They ask, “Is there any escape?” “Yes there is, Little Fluffy,” you promise. Holding Little Fluffy in your arms, you wonder the obvious thing to wonder: What would this cat look like in a bow? Would it look like a little present, wrapped in fur, with the very un-present-like ability to walk? You could put the bow on and find out for yourself. But why bother? The cat would be out of that bow in an instant. The bow would be lying on the ground in shreds while the kitty stalks off in search of an unsuspecting lap. The presents will be opened. The fuss will end. You can recline in your favorite armchair, watch-ing the kitty play with the bows and discarded wrapping paper. It stops playing and trots to your chair. It sits by the chair for a moment, and then it leaps into your lap. You think, “My feet are so cold ...” This furry wonder stands on your lap, your skin tightens in anticipation of his next act of mischief, but no mischief ensues: he just kicks off your knees and lands with a small thud on the floor. Then he falls. He

falls on to your feet. All of his warm, soft, caressing, insulating fur waves over your chilly feet. The chilly kitty has become a pair of slippers, with little ears springing out in saucy warmth. “This is how things should be,” you whis-per. Darkness falls and seeps into your home. Illumination is preserved by the dim amber glow of your standing lamps. You move to the kitchen, drowsy—a by-product of the New England winter evening—intend-ing to take care of the clean dishes. There are no clean dishes—just dishes speckled with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cookie crumbs: a battleground of holiday sustenance cheer. To have to scrape all this yourself. At your feet, the kitty’s eyes are wide. He is poised to leap up and devour these scraps.

By Samuel L. Benton & Ben Travert

See Kitties page 20

pg nroeG Hner12

HumorSurviving

By John Forbes

Apocalyptia

ColumnFinding Serendipity

It Matters NotBy Eliza Pennel

It matters not." That's what my friend Ellen would always say when one of our cabin mates had anything nega-

tive to say. It was her response to everything. It matters not. You messed up? You said something stupid? You had a bad day? It matters not. That was how I lived for three weeks as a modern dance major at Interlochen Arts Camp; I was carefree and excited with life. I got frustrated all the time, and I would constantly leave dance class feeling defeated, but it would only take a minute to extinguish my pessimistic thoughts. I only had to remember where I was: I was at Interlochen. I'd worked so hard to attend, auditioning and raising money, and I'd made it. I was surrounded by art---a fact that Interlochen's "Art Lives Here" slogan wouldn't have me forget. I was in the company of thousands of young artists, many of whom were more talented than I'd ever dreamed of being. I was in the same ranks as the world's future Josh Grobans and Jewels. Put simply, I was in a pretty spectacular place. How could I---or anyone---entertain a gloomy attitude in such circumstances? In addition to the elated feeling Interlochen's reality gave me, a few routines of camp life in particular made my time in Michigan magical. I lived in a cabin for three weeks. I didn't

think that situation would be very magical before I left Vermont, but it was perfect. Now, I can't imagine camp without cabins that remind me of The Parent Trap. Our bunks were the loudest, most obnoxious structures I've ever seen people asked to sleep in, and any snoring that happened was remarkably audible in the small, open space we shared. Sleep was difficult at times; ear plugs and Benadryl were essentials. There were usually hairs everywhere and always puddles on the bathroom floor. The toilets didn't always work. There wasn't much extra space for everyone's personal effects. But we all lived comfortably, I think, because we loved being there---and I know a lot of us loved each other, too, and every day in our cabin was another day to laugh together, to play Mafia and the Paper Game together, and to graffiti our walls together. Every inch of Cabin 28, and of all Interlochen cabins, was an inch of graffiti space. You couldn't look anywhere without seeing inspirational quotes scribbled on the walls, hand prints on the floor, and initials carved into shelves. The twelve of us certainly added to this beautiful mess. (I left a quote from The Princess Bride in an obscure area of the ceiling that I'm hoping is seen by future campers.) In movies, campers are always awakened by the sound of a trumpet. We were. At 6:40 am. (I never

even wake up for school that early.) We were hastened out of our beds and cabins when the trumpet started playing, and we went to morning line-up, which sup-posedly consisted of daily announcements for all High School Division (HSG) girls. (But I don't remember any of those announcements, and I'm not sure anyone was cognizant enough to genuinely listen to them. We had it better than the High School Boys, though: they did jumping jacks and push-ups at their line-up.) After line-up, every cabin in HSG completed (or...pretended

See Serendipity page 21

Last edition I talked about picking a suitable loca-tion to resist the Zombie Apocalypse. But the Zombie Apocalypse is a cataclysmic emergency

and it should be treated as such. That means to survive one needs proper supplies. Most of these supplies are normal emergency supplies: food, water, medical sup-plies, etc. But the Zombie Apocalypse calls for other, less conventional, provisions. Most notably, guns are a necessity when faced with hordes of zombies. If you don’t have a firearm in the Zombie Apocalypse you won’t last very long. It’s safer to acquire a firearm before the apocalypse starts, but it’s easier to get one after the undead have ravaged the countryside and all stores are abandoned, though this method cannot be guaranteed to work. Adequate firepower is equivalent to just as much as one can carry,

because the moment you run out of ammunition you run out of hope. Traditionally, zombie movies depict the shotgun as the weapon of choice during the Zombie Apocalypse. The shotgun is popular because it can fire a spread of projectiles rather than a single bullet. Unfortunately, these projectiles are not strong enough individually to pierce a zombie’s skull, which makes the shotgun impractical at long range. But this is tricky since zombies are dangerous up close. However, the large spread of shotgun pellets can be beneficial at me-dium range, since such explosions tend to push zombies backwards for a moment, leaving you time to run, or a moment to reload and fire again. Automatic weapons are also a bad choice for the Zombie Apocalypse because of ammunition wasted during firing. In addition to this, automatic weapons are much less accurate than other weapons. But more ac-curate automatic weapons are difficult to find, especially before the apocalypse starts, since the government tends to restrict access to more lethal weapons. On the other

hand, if you can manage to find a reliable automatic weapon, it will prove infinitely useful in disposing of the zombie masses. Pistols are a great choice in the Zombie Apocalypse because they weigh much less than other weapons. A 22-caliber pistol is the optimal sidearm for killing zombies since it has enough power to pierce the skull one time. Thereafter, it will bounce along the inner walls of the skull and scramble the zombie’s brains. Another advantage of the .22? The ammunition is lightweight which allows more ammunition to be carried without one becoming exhausted. Guns are not the only weapons you should use to handle the Zombie Apocalypse, since you will eventually run out of ammunition. Choosing a close-combat weapon is a bit more difficult than choosing a gun, though. The first rule in choosing this backup weapon is that it must be capable of destroying the zombie’s brain or otherwise disconnecting the head from

See Apocalyptia page 22

nroeG Hner pg 13

Reviews808s and Heartbreak

(Kanye West; 2008)By Samuel l. Benton

Kayne West used to annoy me to no end. I heard his sampling of songs and immediately despised him. How could you put Michael

Jackson’s “P.Y.T.” into “Good Life,” Kanye? Have you no respect? My angry attitude about Kanye West con-tinued for a while. But one day while I was playing Grand Theft Auto IV a song played over the in-game radio. This was a sweet song: solid beat, dark and moody synth, and lyrics that really were quite good. I wondered what it was and realized it was none other than Kanye West's “Flashing Lights.” Maybe I was wrong about Kanye. I found myself listening to this song constantly, but eventually my interest died down and the tune remained untouched in my iTunes. Over a year later my brother, Tom, walked into the room wielding Graduation, West’s 3rd album, released in 2007 and featuring “Flashing Lights.” So I popped it

in and played it. This wasn't too bad. Good even. One year later his music (particularly in I Wonder) seemed artistic, rather than annoying. His raps were great, not really deep, but much more satisfying than most of the music I hear these days. A couple of weeks later my brother called. “Hey I just listened to West’s heartbreak album," Tom said. " Great!” So I popped in the album, 808s and Heartbreak, and played it through. Welcome to heartbreak. This was nothing like the Kanye West I heard before. The album cover doesn’t even have Kanye’s usual bear. Dark tones flew from my speakers as the first track, “Say You Will,” played. Cold robotic bleeps were playing, tribal drums pounded, and synthesizers created a haunting sound that could only be heard coming from a dark occult practice. The practice was heartache. If “Say You Will" set the sound, then the second song, “Welcome to Heartache,” set the mood. The synth and tribal drums remained, but there was a much stronger beat, and West was singing (again emphasis on singing). He’s singing a was a perrsonalized “it’s lonely at the top” story ("My friend showed me pictures of his kids/ All I could show him was pictures of my cribs.”) Songs like this, expressing the alienation

he felt now that he was at the top of the music industry (“Amazing,” “Streetlights”) are spread throughout the album. “Street Lights” is a particularly emotional song, with lines like “So I hopped in the cab and I paid my fare/ See, I know my destination, but I’m just not there.”) Even more prominent on the album is his collection of songs depicting a failing love, spawned by his recent separation from his partner and fiancé. “Love Lockdown” is as autobiographical as it gets. His feel-ings towards his ex-fiance are planted in the lyrics and surrounded by a tribal ceremony to call down the rains. Such is the mood of all West's love songs (if you would like to call them that) on the album. “Heartless,” sounds just that: heartless. How can you pour your heart into something when it’s broken? “Paranoid” sounds like an 80s throwback, as if Phil Collins was in a horrible mood one day and sat down to record his mood on his drum machines. Except that West's music is actually good (sorry Phil). “RoboCop,” which creates images of Peter Weller in a robot suit blasting criminals (through the heart maybe?) and “Bad News” are also appealing. “See You in My Nightmare" sums up West's feeling towards love, locked in the words “I got a right to put

See Heartbreak page 23

The Hazards of LoveAn Opus to Die For

By Kelsey Christensen

Anyone who has heard the Decemberists knows they have a penchant for writing gothic tales about schlimazels from the 18th century.

Behind a half-folk, half-minstrel style of accordion, acoustic guitar, and upright bass, the Decemberists, led by Colin Meloy, are story tellers before they are musi-cians. It is only fitting, then, that their most recent album, The Hazards of Love is a 17-track rock opera.

The album tells the story of Margaret and William, two lovers who are expecting a child. As they’re running away, they become the prey of a mali-cious, possessive queen who raised William as a baby. In the end the lovers find that the only way to escape the clutches of the queen and other “hazards of love” is to commit suicide. The album begins with a prelude, in true musical style, and delivers the story through five in-

The band breaks its typical mold, experimenting with rock, rather than linger-ing in their comfort zone of quiet, mid-tempo, neo-folk.

stallments of a song called "The Hazards of Love" and other episodically-modeled ballads. One of the most incendiary songs on the album includes the "Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid." Stark introduces the character The Queen in this track, a queen who erupts in fiery anger when she discovers William is involved with Margaret, asking in each chorus: “This is how I am repaid?” Stark astounds the listener, reaching higher

octaves with unwavering strength when you’re sure she can sing no higher. Stark also lends the necessary anger and character to the song. Stark’s talent is not limited, however, to impassioned rock ballads, however. Stark also sings Margaret’s parts, in a very soft, high register, as ex-emplified in the love song "Isn’t It a Lovely Night?" in which Stark and Meloy show their pleasure with being together and expecting a child.

The band breaks its typical mold, experi-menting with rock, rather than lingering in their comfort zone of quiet, mid-tempo, neo-folk. After an operatic prelude in the beginning of most of the tracks, the De-cemberists masterfully deliver energetic, catchy guitar riffs. Melodies often appear twice in the album, and the Decemberists do not hesitate to include instrumental in-terludes within their track list of lyrical compositions. The Hazards of Love is an exciting addition to the Decemberists’ discography. It is only too bad that a gothic rock opera was not conceived earlier.

pg nroeG Hner14

Sports

Senior wide receiver Jon Esden holds The Trophy that is shared between Springfield and Bellows Falls. Esden scored a touchdown in the Cosmos' 19-18 victory over the Terriers

on October 30th. Top right: The Cosmos offense lines up on the ball during the closing minutes of the second half. Bottom right: Springfield players rest during a Bellows Falls injury. After the game the Cosmos were ranked third in Division III at 7-1. They

also defeated Bellows Falls, 31-21, on November 6th.

The Springfield High School football team, with two key players out for the season, lost only one league game this year. The Cosmos climbed the

Division III rankings during the season. Before their Homecoming Game against Bellows Falls, the Cosmos were ranked third in their division. “With our 53-0 win over Montpelier, we secured a playoff spot between number one and number three,” senior quarterback Brandon Boyle said. “With this ranking, our chances are pretty good in going far in the playoffs.” Going far in the playoffs adds more pressure to this team that has been recovering from injuries to key players. In a stretch of three games, the Cosmos blew out Montpelier, 53-0, Mount Abraham, 57-0, and Mill River, 46-0. “As the season has gone on, I’ve learned that the only way to win games is to play Cosmos football,” senior Colin Laplante said. “I know if we do this, we’ll be on top again.” But in order to play Cosmos football, the team had to get healthy. Although seniors Eli Gosselin

Football Team Gets HealthyBy Ashley Richardson

Cosmos Focus on the Present and Future

Springfield receiver Billy Wheeler, downed by a Belows Falls player

during the Trophy Game, began the season filling in for injured

quarterback Brandon Boyle.

and Shawn Keefe, key players on last year's undefeated team, were lost for the season, the rest of the team continued to rehab in order to come out strong for the playoffs. “I’m still trying to get back to my full abil-ity, where I left off last year. Due to my injuries, I’ve been set back,” Boyle said. “As a team, we’ve been working hard on moving forward and having no steps backwards.” Because of injuries, intensity may have been lacking for the Cosmos early in the season. But the team worked hard to improve in this area. “We’re working hardest on playing tougher and with more intensity,” Boyle said. “We’re strong in the fact that we’ve been playing together since 10th grade, but our weakest abil-ity is that we don’t bring any intensity to the game. We play back on our heels.” At the beginning of the season, many seniors were stuck on the sidelines with injuries. But as the year progressed, most players were back on the gridiron.

See Football page 19

nroeG Hner pg 15

Sports

With Pfenning, the Goal Was SafeBy Ryan Brady

This year the Springfield Cosmos boys soccer team was challenged to replace a senior class that led the team to an 11-2-1 regular season record last

year. One of the positions in particular that was filled to perfection was goalkeeper. Junior Jordan Pfenning filled this vacancy once occupied by all-state athlete Tyler Albee. Becoming the starting varsity goalie, however, was no easy task for Pfenning. Since last fall, Pfenning made great strides to earn the starting goalie position. Even though Pfenning had a spot almost guaranteed on the varsity roster, he worked hard to be-come a better player. “I did a lot of offseason workouts,” Pfenning said. “I worked with a goalie coach at MLS camp the week before tryouts, and I had been playing goalie all spring and summer for Springfield teams. One of the things that made a big difference was when Derek Osborne decided he was going to try out for goalie. “ At the end of the 2008-2009 school year Pfenning was having trouble academically and was in danger of being ineligible for the fall season. “Jordan was failing and instead of trying to make up work he

just kept missing school,” co-captain Angelo Jardina said. “We offered him help, but he always turned us down. It seemed like he wasn’t going to be able to play, so we decided to look for a new goalie.” The replacement the team found was Derek Osborne. “I started playing goalie over the summer when I found out there was a need for a goalie, because our planned goalie was run-ning into some trouble,” Os-borne said, “So I did some workouts during tryouts and off to the side with Corey Cenate [junior varsity soc-cer coach].” Throughout pre-

See Pfenning page 22

Wearing his Man of the Match medal, Jordan Pfenning acknowledges fan attention after protecting the goal

against U-32 in the penalty kick shootout.

Angelo Jardina, senior defender and co-captain, hugs James Karkowski after Karkowski banged home

the winning goal in the penalty kick shootout in the boys semifinal game against U-32. In the middle photo, Karkowski commences the kick that will spell doom for

the U-32 Raiders in the shootout. Above, co-captain John Kendall scored the Cosmos' lone goal during regulation,

which ended in a 1-1 deadlock. Senior midfielder and co-captain Ryan Brady moves upfield during the first half of the U-32 game. With their victory, the 14-2 boys squad went to States to play Missisquoi at Randolph on Satur-

day, November 7th, and copped their first title, 1-0.

pg nroeG Hner16

SportsRun, Cosmos, Run

Cross-Country Ends Season at ThetfordLike many other fall sports at Springfield High

School, the SHS Cross-Country team finished its season in October. The cross-country team

ran in their final race of the season on the afternoon of Halloween as they competed in the 2009 Vermont High School Cross-Country Championship Race at Thetford Academy in Thetford, Vermont. The Thetford event hosted over 950 runners in eight races: a Division I girls and boys race, a Division II girls and boys race, a Division III boys and girls race, and a girl and boys Challenge Race, a junior varsity race where all three divisions were combined. Over 190 girls ran in the first race of the day, the girls Challenge Race. The SHS Cross-Country team originally planned to have five of their girls run in this race, but only four girls competed because of illness. Sophomore Katelyn Daly placed 110th, the leading finisher for the Cosmos. Senior Krystal Bruce was next at 166th, and shortly behind her was senior Paulina Mei coming in at 171st with Sarah Gray at 177th. The last girls race of the day was the Division II varsity girls race. In this run, the SHS Cross-Country team had their varsity team of seven girls run against 93 other runners from 13 qualifying teams. Even though seven Cosmos started out in this race, only four finished. Two of the top four varsity girls, junior Alaina Paige and freshman Shelby Reardon, dropped out of the race because of physical problems. Senior Sarah Payton was unable to fin-

By Olivia Thayerish. Payton had been sol-idly in the top seven of the girls’ team even though she had experienced breathing problem during the season. “States was fun,” she said. “It’s always really fun. And since it was our last meet, the whole team was really pumped.” In the Thetford race on Halloween, soph-omore Marissa Keenan took over the top varsity spot finishing 35th overall. Freshman Courtney Paige and sophomore Lauren Fish took the next two places at 76th and 79th. Senior Anna Vogel, who usually finishes top in the lineup for the Cosmos, suffering with a cold, finished 88th. Immediately after her finish, Vogel was taken to the emergecy tent set up at Thetford. The problems that plagued the girls cross-country team caused them to be unranked as a team. Therefore, their results could not be used to compute the overall score of other teams. Involving 239 runners, the boys Challenge

Race was the largest race of the day. Junior Caleb Watkins placed 112th overall, followed by senior Rusty Schleimer in 120th place, junior Matt Aiello in 178th place, and senior Owen Ledvina in 220th place.

Field Hockey Beats U-32, See Cross Country page 20

Anthony Gaye, Dylan Batiest, Nick Chlebak, Danny Murray, and Matt Aiello enjoyed Thetford.

In Division II field hockey quarterfinals, the 7th-seeded 5-7-2 Springfield High School field hockey team played played the 2nd-seeded 12-1-1 U-32

Raiders on October 22nd. The Cosmos played giant-killer in this one, knocking off the Raiders 3-1. Just three minutes into the game, U-32 scored on a penalty corner. Senior Becca Trombly recalls feel-ing "helpless" at the Raiders' score. “I was really scared,” Trombly added. “It got my adrenaline going.” "I thought, 'oh geeze. This is how it’s going to be'," Springfield senior co-captain Kayla Perham said. “And I knew from that point on, something had to change. And then we scored.” The Cosmos responded at twelve minutes of the first period on a penalty corner of their own. Senior Meredith Ward passed the ball to Perham who swatted it to junior Maria Stern for the score. Sophomore Morgan Johnson chose an oppor-tune time to break into the varsity-scoring column five minutes later when she tucked the ball inside the post off a free-hit from junior Jessie Haskell. Field hockey

head coach Belinda Hathorn told Perham earlier in the season that she would score when the time was right. Sure enough, about ten minutes into the second half, Perham scored to move Springfield ahead, 3-1. In the waning moments of the game, the Cosmos had to fight off defensive corners. However, Haskell, senior Becca Trombly, senior Erin Graham, junior Elizabeth Austin, and junior goalkeeper Brittany Grant foiled Raider scoring attempts. Grant, in fact, racked up six saves in a tense game. Following this victory, the Cosmos lost 2-1 on October 27th to 3rd-seeded Windsor, a team they had defeated once during the regular season. Going into the Windsor game, Hathorn stessed unity and intensity. In the game that followed, defensive players, led by Trombly, Graham, and Lindsay Turgeon kept Windsor attackers away from the goal. Jessie Haskell scored the lone Cosmos' goal on a penalty corner. Despite a furious effort at the end of the contest, the Cosmos couldn't knot the score and ended their season at 6-8-2.

By Courtney Downing & Maria Stern

Senior co-captain Lindsay Turgeon provided strength in the backfield

during the playoffs.

Loses to Windsor

nroeG Hner pg 17

SportsClass of 2010 Dominates Once Again

By Olivia Thayer

In the same season that the Springfield High School football team won its first state championship in 60 years, another football first occurred at SHS. While

the first involved trophies and parades last autumn, this

other first included yellow flags and fundraising. Last year the first Powder Puff football game, a flag football game played by junior and se-nior girls, was played to raise money for the senior and junior classes. Last year the junior class beat the seniors, 13–7. T h e 2 0 0 9 Powder Puff football game took place in the evening on October 10th at the Brown Memorial Field. The temperature at game time may have been low, but the spirit of both teams was high. The seniors demonstrated their power with a 20–0 victory. Seniors Jalessah Jackson, Melissa Tarbell, and Lindsey Bolduc all scored touchdowns. Even though they lost, the junior

In green, from left, seniors Taylor Thomas, Melissa Tarbell, Elizabeth Maxfield, Jalessah Jackson, Lindsay

Bolduc, Amanda Aberle. In white, juniors Desmond Dana, Mariama Roldan, Alaina Page, Amanda Farnsworth.

Powder Puff Football

class put up a good fight, coming close to scoring many times during the game. “I think the game was a success,” said junior class co-advisor Kirsten Aiello. A significant amount

of money was raised to benefit both classes. The senior class received the proceeds from the concession stand and junior class received the money from ticket sales. “We [the junior class] need the money for prom and the senior class needs it for the senior class trip,” said Aiello. Senior class advisor Gigi Guy was pleased with the game. “I think it [the game] went well,” said Guy. “There are actually rules and specific field dimen-sions for the game. SHS Trainer Matt Howland was very helpful in getting the field and players ready.” Before the contest this year, the junior class hoped that they would continue the tradition of under-classmen triumph in Powder Puff Football. Junior Courtney Downing looked forward to participating in this year’s game. “It’s [the Powder Puff game] a fun way to raise money and bond with your classmates,” Downing said. “And we get to kick some senior butt.” The Class of 2011 held their first practice on September 20th and started to form their senior-crushing team immediately. “We all had to try each position and our coaches assessed what position we’d do best in,” said junior Maria Stern before the Powder Puff game. “We pinky-promised not to tell [our actual positions] but I hear the coaches were telling.” As much morale as the junior class had, the senior girls matched their spirit. The senior girls began practices for their successful team on September 26th,

See Powder Puff page 22

SpandexBy Courtny Downing

Necessary Fashion in Sports

Spandex serves as a stylish undergarment for athletes.See Spandex page 20

Spandex, or compression shorts, can be bought at any sporting goods store, such as Olympia Sports or Dicks Sporting Goods. These compression

shorts are used for a number of different reasons. Junior Brittany Grant uses her spandex for many reasons and in many situations. Grant plays field hockey and basketball. She wears spandex for both sports. “I like knowing that if my shorts rise up for any reason that I’m covered,” she said, “and no one will see anything.” Grant has been wearing spandex since her freshman year and, in fact, she uses spandex outside of sports. “If I wear athletic shorts or a dress or skirt then I’ll wear spandex under whatever I’m wearing," Grant said. "It just gives me that piece of mind." Spandex became more popular in 2005, when there was a sudden demand for the fabric in the fashion industry. Spandex is made from cotton/nylon

material that come in various sizes. Spandex can be as long as leggings or as short as boxers. Spandex fits tight to the body. Spandex garments can be purchased in either a 4” or 7” size, the distance from the inside top of the leg to where the material ends. Spandex comes in many prints. Colors found in stores include black, white, and green. The price of spandex varies from men to women. The cost for a pair of womens' spandex is $27.99, and the price for a pair of mens' spandex would be $29.99. (prices from Dicks Sporting Goods Online). Spandex can be worn under either shorts or pants, and can be used for both practice and competition. Spandex is used for reasons other than to give girls a piece of mind. Male athletes use spandex as well. Freshman Archie Farmer wears spandex because, as Farmer said, “after pulling my hamstrings two years

pg nroeG Hner18

Sports

Matt Howland

On the way to work, most people like to prepare themselves for the exhausting day that lies ahead. The longer one drives, the more one

thinks. Springfield High School Athletic Trainer Matt Howland drives over an hour to work each day from Rutland, Vermont, and thinks much about his career. Howland joined the Cosmos staff in the fall of 2004. “After receiving a phone call from Mike Hatt [SHS Athletic Director] I couldn’t wait to start,” said Howland. After five years at SHS, Howland says his favorite place at SHS is still the training room. After his grandfather suffered a stroke during Howland’s senior year of high school, Howland decided to become a certified trainer. “I visited him every day,” said Howland. “After watching the doctors and nurses work with him, and just watching the whole rehabilita-tion process, it made me want to become an athletic trainer.” Before his grandfather’s sickness, Howland prepared to be an Occupational Therapist. Earlier, he dreamed of becoming an astronaut. While growing up, Howland’s favorite ath-letes included Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan, and Barry Sanders. Presently, he admires Tom Brady,

Tim Tebow, and Teddy Bruschi. “Arguably they were some of the best ever," Howland said. "Today Tebow is the best athlete I have seen on a football field in a long time. Teddy Bruschi was such a tremendous competitor

See Howland page 21

By Courtney Downing

From Astronaut to Trainer

Matt Howland encourages strong work ethic, monitors training, and enjoys the

atmosphere of SHS.

It’s a tied game. Ten seconds left in overtime. You have the ball. It’s your shot, your call, your oppor-tunity to make something happen and be the hero

of the game. All the pep talks, running, practices comes down to this final moment. This scenario happened quite a lot at Spring-field High School sports games this autumn. Some Cosmos teams won the game. Some lost. But with two back-to-back boys state championship titles hanging in the cabinet and the boys soccer team adding to the honors, it’s clear that the team in green is a true threat and that success is nothing new in this title town. This fall, the Springfield boys football team didn't compile the perfect record they were hoping to continue from last year. But with their 52-28 victory over the Windsor Yellow Jackets last year to win the Division III title, this team showed it would not back down anytime soon. Springfield had not won a football championship in over 60 years until last November and they had their sights on another championship as the 2009 season got underway. The system worked well for the football team as they overcame early-season injunries to finish the regular season at 7-2. “It was definitely rewarding to see a program so troublesome stepping up and winning,” assistant varsity and head JV coach Luke Mitchell said. “It took a while for the group of players to work together, but they did it. They’re a good group of kids who deserved to win.” The Cosmos opened the season by scrim-maging teams during spring and summer. Throughout the year, coaches held lightweight training for the more motivated athletes and dedicated one day a week to practice during summer before two-a-day practices started in August. To prepare for games, football players performed agility drills, watched film, and ran offensive and defensive plays. Although they struggled with injuries, the boys managed to fill in the gaps and win. To start the season, Billy Wheeler scored the winning touchdown in a 6-0 overtime win against the Poultney Blue Devils. Starting quarterback Boyle re-injured his knee in the game and Wheeler stepped in for the next few games until Boyle returned. With an almost perfect record during the regular season, the boys soccer team showed why they would be the next to win a state championship. Captains John Kendall, Angelo Jardina, and Ryan Brady led the 12-2-0 squad. The boys prepared themselves by scrim-maging Division I teams and going to a team-building camp in the summer. The team had a devastating loss last season in the first round of playoffs. Although that could be reason enough to want the title this year, the real motivation behind the team was their fans. “It feels really good to hear fans cheering for you,” varsity defensive boys soccer player Joe Ankuda said during their fine season. “We all are a pretty close team and have a good attitude. That helps too.”

Motivation, Sweat, and GoldHow the Team in Green Rocks

By Jill Rushton

See Motivation page 23

Elements in Cosmos sports success: spirited fans gather to watch semi-final

boys soccer game against U-32 Raid-ers; Becca Trombly demonstrates extra practice and discipline; football players show teamwork against Bellows Falls.

nroeG Hner pg 19

SportsBittersweet Girls Soccer Season

A Woodstock Victory and a Woodstock LossBy Melissa Tarbell

For the five senior girls on the Springfield varsity soccer team, their last season ended at 6-9-0. After starting the season with a strong record

of 5-2-0, excitement dominated at practices and games. The first half of the season, in fact, had more wins than most entire seasons for the girls. Included in that first-half record was a win against Woodstock. The only game to be taken into overtime this season, the Cosmos finally broke the 2OT Jinx, as it was referred to in a newspaper article following the game. Although the game was taken into overtime, the Cosmos had finally beaten Woodstock after a long dry spell. The Springfield-Woodstock rivalry in girls soccer had always been a large event of the season. This game is what the team worked so hard for. Despite the many tough losses the girls have suffered against their rival, many can agree that it was always a good show. The Woodstock victory occurred in the fourth game of the season. The next three games would result in two wins against Fair Haven and Otter Valley and a loss against Division I Brattleboro. Unfortunately, after losses against two Di-vision I teams, the Cosmos seemed to hit a wall. The club suffered four losses in a row and its winning high seemed to wear off. But the next win, against Otter Valley, put the girls back in good spirits. Everyone was excited to play Hartford next, fully expecting the win that had been denied them the first time around. But the visiting Hartford Hurricanes seemed to have improved through-out the season and they robbed the Cosmos yet again of their win on Senior Night. If last year was characterized by double overtime battles, this year had a special quality all its own. Several games began well with no score by half

time. Just minutes into the second half, however, the opposing team seemed to slip past the Cosmos defense to score. On several occasions during the season, the girls would play a great game, but for some reason they just couldn’t pull through to tie or win. Senior captain Olivia Johnson had an explanation for this letdown. “We didn’t play as a team,” she said. Toward the end of the season, teamwork became the key point at practices. The coaches had noticed this lack of teamwork as well as the players. But no matter how much effort was put into fixing the problem, the lack of teamwork plagued the team all year. At the conclusion of the regular season, a three-way tie in the middle of the Division II pack existed between Springfield, Woodstock, and Vergennes. All clubs finished with a 6-8-0 record. Luckily, Springfield was paired up with Woodstock in the playoffs. The Woodstock coaches were not too thrilled about the match, but the Cosmos girls looked at it as chance for yet more revenge. The playdown game, scheduled for Wednes-day, October 28th, was rained out and re-scheduled for the following day. Unfortunately, the Cosmos were down by two with fewer than ten minutes to go. In a big com-motion in front of the Woodstock goal, Johnson put in a goal closing the score to 2-1. This was as close as the Cosmos could get as the Woodstock jinx continued. Regarding their losses against Woodstock, Johnson suggested that a curse may exist because Springfield never seems to catch a break when they play the Wasps. “We don’t seem to be the lucky team,” she said. It is unfortunate for the seniors who won’t

be returning next year. They won’t get their chance to have an even better record and beat Woodstock not just once, but twice in one season. However, there are five juniors to lead the girls soccer team next year. They have the potential to get the job done.

Junior sweeper Desmond Dana dribbles past an Otter Valley defender. Dana will be called on to lead the girls

soccer team next season.

“We knew the boys would be back," junior wide receiver Billy Wheeler said, "so we played for the injured players. We knew they wanted to be out there but couldn’t, so that helped push us even harder.” In order to prepare for the Bellows Falls rivalry game, the Cosmos worked hard on their offense and made their defense tougher. “We have to be tougher than they are," Boyle said before the game. "We can’t have any turnovers, and we have to keep the yellow flags off the field.” He added, "We want to throw a lot against them, so we’ve been working a lot on our offense. We’ve also been going over Bellows Falls’ plays for three weeks. We’re focusing on this game a lot, espe-cially since we might play them in the first game of the playoffs.” In late October, with the playoffs close at hand, memories of last year’s state championship came flooding back for the players. However, instead of be-ing distracted by the past, the Cosmos focused on the present. In fact, the coaches chose not to bring up last

Football from page 14year's perfect season and championship. “There is definitely more pressure because of last year's championship, but we just do what we do, and get things done that need to be done,” Wheeler said. “In order to deal with the pressure, we just don’t even think about it. It’s in our heads, but we put it behind us. This is a new year, and we’re missing a couple of key players, so we have to try even harder to repeat.” “Our team is finally healthy, and we’re all on the same page,” Laplante added. “Our ability to run and pass the ball successfully makes us more of a diverse team, and I’m working my hardest to make sure I can help my team win another state championship.”

Visit past editions of the Green Horn at shs.ssdvt.org.

Maybe the difference in the relative length of the boys and girls lines for bathroom service results because girls visit the bathroom in pairs, which makes the bathroom a social event for girls. They’ll go in pairs and talk between stalls. Once their business is done, they check their hair in the mirror, maybe examine their teeth and outfits, and criticize facial blemishes, all while continuing chit-chat about the latest gossip. Men, well there is no talking going on. There is a funny anecdote often posed that if a woman is in a stall without toilet paper, she will ask for some and several rolls will come flying under the door. A guy, however, will say nothing and contemplate his dilemma before ever asking for toilet paper from another man. Thus, some restaurants post newspapers above urinals to encourage conversation between men. Who knows why that’s necessary? Life will go on if men don’t talk to each other in the bathroom. When one considers the bathroom, clearly there is much to be unclogged in the plumbing of bathroom information.

Welcome from page 11

pg nroeG Hner20

The final race of the day was the Division II Varsity boys race. Seven boys from the SHS cross country team ran in this competition. Junior Terry Reidy finished about halfway through the 101 runners with his 51st place finish. Junior Ben Chavalier and senior Dan Murray kept the pressure on Reidy as they completed the course in 57th and 59th place respectively. Sophomore Zach Parent and senior Anthony Gay were the next two Cosmos' finishers in 75th and 80th place. The Cosmos standings were wrapped up with the 82nd place finish of junior Nick Chlebak and the 90th place finish of freshman Larry Bolduc. The strong race by the Cosmos boys brought their team score high enough to place 11th overall in team standings out of 15 qualifying teams. “The team didn’t seem up to par at this meet,” said sophomore Sarah Gray. “My time was about two minutes slower than the last time we ran at Thetford. But as a team I think we ran as best as we could.” Even though some runners agreed that this state meet was not the finest showing of Cosmos run-ning, the cross-country team performed well during the season. For example, in the biggest meet of the cross

country season, the Thetford Woods Trail Run, which was held in the rain on October 3rd, many SHS runners stood out in the crowd. Freshman Shelby Reardon placed 3rd in the 5th seed (because this is such a large race, the runners are divided into 5 seeds, or races, with the 5th seed having the slowest average time and the 1st seed having the fastest) girls race. The majority of the SHS girls ran in the 5th seed race but SHS was also represented in the 4th seed race by a few runners and in the 2nd seed race with Anna Vogell running solo for the Cosmos. Vogell placed 89th out of 157 runners. The SHS boys ran in the 5th and 4th seed races except for junior Terry Reidy who ran solo in his 3rd seed race. Reidy placed 27th out of 205 runners. Overall, in the Woods Trail Run, the girls team placed 45th out of 52 teams and the boys team placed 57th out of 60 teams. Even though this was not the best finish for the SHS runners, with teams compet-ing from as far away as Rhode Island, most agreed they had held their own against New England competition. As the 2009 cross-country season drew to a close on October 31st, some senior runners were sad to participate in their last high school cross-country meet.

Cross-Country from page 16

innoculated with the 2009 H1N1 vaccine. Individuals, though, cannot be diagnosed with H1N1 until they have been tested by a doctor. SHS science teacher and Team Leader Be-linda Hathorn believes that the strength of the virus is exaggerated. Infections worldwide are low compared to total population numbers. Hathorn described her efforts to stop infection. “I sanitize my hands often,” she said. “And when I let students use my pen and pencils and I always sanitize them afterwards.” Hathorn spoke as she sanitized a pencil a student had just returned to her. “Students should be taught at a very young age about proper hygienic procedures,” Hathorn added. Previously, SHS had one case of H1N1 di-agnosed last spring. But that single case was enough to cause worry in the school and town. “We are following the same protocols as we did last spring,” said Wight. Before school opened, officials met with hospital staff to ensure student safety. “If a student were sick we would get them out immediately and keep them away from other stu-dents,” said SHS Nurse Chris Simmons. “People need to understand their role about proper hygiene and wash their hands frequently.”

H1N1 from page 9

“States was fun," said Paulina Mei. "There were a lot of people. I'll miss the Thetford course a lot and the fries.” Senior Dan Murray enjoyed his first, and last, year of running SHS cross-country. Even though this was Murray’s first year running, he ended up in the third-seeded position for the boys. “The state meet and cros-country in general is tough,” he said. “You really have to push yourself past your ability and do what you think is your best.” “My last season on the cross-country team was definitely my best,” said senior runner Anthony Gay. “Between the coaches and the runners, it was also the best season for team-building and team-bonding. I’m really going to miss cross-country next year.” "The cross-country season was awesome this year," said senior Jess Watkins. "We had a really great team. Everyone always had a really positive attitude and were fun to be around." Assistant coach Roger McNamara (RVTC Guidance Counselor) was pleased with this season. “[This season] a special group of individuals have gained my upmost respect,” said McNamara. “I am already looking forward to [cross-country] next year, and summer camp.”

ago, my dad said that I should start wearing spandex. They help keep the heat in so your muscles stay safe.” In some sports, such as cheerleading, span-dex is required. Athletes wear what are called bloomers, also known as spandex. However, bloomers are more like undergarments. They are required to insure coverage throughout the time the cheerleaders are performing. The bloomers are there in case the skirt rises up, so the cheerleader will be covered. Some athletes feel they must wear spandex. However, some never wear spandex and can’t tolerate the fabric. “I don’t wear spandex because I’m a guy and guys shouldn’t wear spandex,” said sophomore Quinton Ambrose. “I’ve never worn them and I never will.” Varsity SHS field hockey coach Belinda Hathorn has a distinct view of spandex. “I played bas-ketball in college,” Hathorn said. “The only time we wore spandex was in field hockey, which was in high school. But I never wore them in basketball.” SHS Athletic Trainer Matt Howland believes in freedom of choice related to spandex. “[Spandex] should not be required,” he said. “If one wants to wear them then that’s fine. But they shouldn’t be required." Howland, in fact, only requires athletes to wear spandex if they need to be wrapped on the upper leg.

ing people live their lives. And, Couple Retreat, the #4 film at the box office during the autumn, was a romantic comedy. By defiition a romantic comedy is simply a chronicle of characters like you and me. Shouldn't it be more effective and satisfying to do the things we enjoy watching or reading about? Video games are even more grotesque in this way. Playing a video game, we virtually maneuver a character around a virtual world, often a world that resembles our world, another oddity. This is not to say I don’t enjoy watching people leading their lives on the screen. Watching films, discussing films, and analyz-ing films are chief elements of my free time. But I’m confused about my choice to observe and not live life. Maybe these entertainment options cut down on our ability to survive? We sit and watch and become obese. Maybe humans should be more fixated on sur-vival than entertainment? Maybe these distractions from suffering lead us toward greater suffering in the end?

Manifesto from page 10

participated in Spirit Week festivities,” said Coleman. “We would all stay late after school and work on our posters and skits until 9:00 at night. Spirit Week was a real competition then.” Sanderson is one who wishes that Spirit Week at SHS would be livelier. “Personally, I think school spirit is very important and people need to get more involved, ” said Sanderson. “ I wish our school could really get into it.” “I think Spirit Week is the most important week of the year and I’m sorry more people don’t take part,” said SHS social studies teacher Susan Fog before Spirit Week began. “So gosh darn it, dig out those pajamas and bond with your classmates.”

Spirit from page 4

Spandex from page 17

Closed from page 7and analyzed, students will create a multi-media museum exhibition to be displayed in the marble corridor at Park Street school,” Bull explained. The exhibit will be presented in the spring. Rawson has always felt comfortable and enjoyed coming to work. She will be sad to leave Park Street, but feels the transition will be easy. “It will be different but I think it will be fine because of the staff and of course the students,” Rawson said. “Park Street School is a very important building and has a rich history. Many people have great memories of their time there,” Bull said. She considers the closing of Park Street to be a difficult but necessary decision. Bull hopes this project will help the town accept the fate of Park Street School. “I will be sad to leave Park Street," she concluded. "But I think that this project will help us all find closure as we move forward into our future school homes.”

You set one plate at a time on the kitchen floor, a circle of desecrated circles. The kitty lowers his head to the plate. A small, baby tongue flips out, the great instrument of cleansing. It slides along plate after plate. Larger chunks of food provoke pleasing wet slopping sounds from a little kitty mouth. You’ve realized how to lower the national suicide rate, which inevitably grows every year during the holiday season. Drop a chilly kitty down the chimney of every home in America. Down every chimney in the world. Chilly kitties for everyone. That night, all through the house, not a crea-ture will stir, and you’ll be tucked into your bed—with a reformed chilly kitty exhuding heat for your lonely, chilly toes. Lonely, chilly toes once. But no more.

Kitties from page 11

nroeG Hner pg 21

Thayer said. “I was the youngest there as a 7th grader. The rest ranged from 8th graders to sophomores.” Junior Maria Stern also joined the intern program in the winter of 2007 when she was in 8th grade. The first project Stern was able to work on as an intern was researching Springfield’s role in World War II. This research project was displayed and presented to the public at the Miller Art Center. “I learned that we [the town of Springfield] were important in WWII,” Stern said. Freshman Larry Bolduc joined the Spring-field Art and Historical Society as an intern in September of 2008 when he was in 8th grade. “I’ve always had an interest in history,” Bolduc said. “I thought of this [the intern program] as a way to broaden my horizon.” Current SHS 9th graders Jenn Stein and Courtney Page, and sophomore Sarah Gray, joined the intern program in March of 2009 when Stein and Page were 8th graders and Gray was a freshman. Stein was especially excited for a chance to be an intern. “I thought it would be loads of fun,” Stein said. “It turned out better than my expectations.”

Former Springfield School District Para-Educator Teresa Matracia was invited by John Swanson to be an intern coordinator in 2008. Matracia, who recently received her certification to teach social studies, gladly accepted the offer. She believes that the intern program teaches kids about history while helping them academically. “It teaches kids research skills, public speak-ing skills, and writing skills,” Matracia said. The interns conducted lantern tours of the Miller Art Center in October. These tours gave the interns and the intern coordinators a chance to dress up in period clothing and tour groups of people around the Miller Art Center. During the tours, the interns and-coordinators narrated ghost stories that went with each room of the Center. This fundraiser earned $250 for the Springfield Art and Historical Society. The experience also taught interns more about the history of the town and the Miller Art Center. “Springfield used to be a hard-working town full of factories and people,” Stein said. “I wish I could have lived back then. That would have been so cool.”

The next project for the interns will involve the theme of Springfield disasters, including fires, floods, and other natural hazards that have hit the town. This project will be displayed next summer at the Miller Art Center. Projects like these help teach the interns the importance of Springfield, Vermont. “My view of Springfield before the internship was just that it was this poor, small, and old town,” Thayer said. “After the WWII project, and by being an intern in general, I’ve seen that Springfield used to be a very prominent town in New England," Thayer added. "It makes me wonder if Springfield could ever return to its former glory.” The intern coordinators also have benefited greatly from the multiple history lessons that come along with working at the Miller Art Center. “Me, not being native to Springfield, I get to learn about Springfield’s industrial history,” Matracia, a native of Indiana, said. “I understand what Springfield used to be like.”

Interns from page 5

to complete) their capers---which the rest of the world calls chores. Each cabin was given a daily score for being thorough and clean, and at the end of camp, the cabin with the highest total score was given a movie night (and our cabin won---it was well worth it). Just as I can't talk about camp without mentioning capers and line-up, I need to discuss some of my favorite places at Interlochen: the Craft Cabana, the Melody Freeze, and Bud's. The Craft Cabana was a lovely little cabin of craft-making, run by a master of crafts named Sue. Students were always there making hemp bracelets, earrings, and candles. My cabinmates and I went there several times in the evening; my favorite nights were those nights when Sue played nothing but Michael Buble. The Melody Freeze, known by all as simply The Mofro, was an Interlochen-run ice cream stand that sold soft serve for a dollar. I was there every night. I probably could not have survived without it. (And I often went twice. That was one of the greatest parts of dancing seven hours a day: I ate just about anything I wanted to and felt totally fine about it.) Cabin 28 went to Bud's twice in the three weeks we were there, but I wouldn't have minded going every day. Bud's restaurant was a fifteen-minute walk away, a walk well worth the cake batter ice cream and veggie delight sandwiches with Tobasco. It was a great chance for the bunch of us to talk and laugh together---finally---usually after days of barely seeing the musical theatre ladies, who constantly had late-night rehears-als. If camp life intrigues you at all, I'd advise you to look into Interlochen Arts Camp. I learned much about myself while I was there--and about dance, of course-- and met some of the most talented, kind, unforgettable people I'll ever meet. And had a wicked fun time. It was a place to make mistakes. Everything I did in class was a mistake, because nothing was ever perfect. Mistakes mattered not. It was a place for one to be pushed, further and further, and the air of improve-ment smelled great.

Serendipity from page 12possible that some day all of our freedoms and rights will be destroyed by the addition of new laws fostered by technological progress? Most troubling, perhaps, is the fact that so many people don't realize how much of a chokehold technology has on them. They are not aware of humani-ty's dependence on computers, iPods, cell phones, or the internet. People are oblivious to the dangers that tech-nology brings. They aren't aware of the consequences technological progress could have. Like many others, I don't want to lose my freedom. I don't want to be a slave to the computer. I don't want my government telling me what I can and can't do, or even worse, a robot giving me orders.

Ambiguity from page 10

cultures. Although so far away, it has had a remarkable effect on our culture and many other cultures as well.” Xu has shown empathy for her students who are embarking on this new cultural adventure. “I have faced many challenges in learning the English language,” said Xu. “If you stay positive you can ac-complish much. If you work hard, you get better and the harder you work, the better you get.” In fact, Fog feels she is in safe hands with Xu.“You can tell that she genuinely cares that people are getting it and enjoying themselves while learning,” said Fog. “That’s the mark of a good teacher and a kind person.” Fog feels that China's time as a world leader is coming. “I want to be able to understand and meet them on their ground,” said Fog. “And although it [the language] is hard to learn, it’s worth it.” Tarbell agrees. She feels that SHS students and staff should take advantage of this bridge to another culture. “Take any chance to learn another culture and language,” she concluded. “The more exposed you are, the better you become.”

Shan Xu from page 6

and class act.” According to Howland, two qualities are important for sports success. "Work ethic, work ethic, work ethic," said Howland. "You can’t preach that one enough.” Howland added, "The second quality is humility. No team sport is built around an individual.You could be the most athletic, most instinctive, player on the field. If you have an ego, you’ll never be a great athlete.” Being an athletic trainer involves working with people on a daily basis. “I have great relationships with all of the coaches,” said Howland. “I get along best with the coaches who understand the nature of athletics and understand that I am responsible for everybody.” Howland relates personally to athletes. “I have athletes who come in and talk,” said Howland. “They know I’m here to listen and help them out." Howland has been seeing more athletes this year and is now located in the boys physical education office. He has moved a second table into his office in the fitness room to accomodate these players. Depending on the sports season, Howland attends games that involve the most risk. "Most people say I only pay attention to the football team," Howland said. "That isn't true. If there is a girls soccer game and a football practice, I'll go to the soccer game. If there is a girls soccer game and a boys soccer game, I'll go to the boys soccer game because that produces a higher risk factor." Like most professionals, Howland must juggle work and family. Concerning his wife, Howland said, “She [Alicia] is a huge SHS supporter. She hasn’t missed a football game in two years. She also loves going to basketball, soccer, and softball games.” Howland wants to continue growing pro-fessionally. “I plan on getting my Masters Degree in Education," he said. "After SHS, I don’t know. I really enjoy it here. I don’t want to leave here anytime soon but unfortunately it looks like it’s shaping up to be a very tough budget year. I’m hoping for the best so we’ll see what next year brings.”

Howland from page 18

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Chester and Rampage in Ludlow recently closing. Many music fans are happy to have 802 so close in Springfield. “Having 802 in town is handy,” said sophomore Eibhilin Whittemore. “It gives us something to do.” However, success has often been, and con-tinues to be, a threat for 802. Opening weekend for the venue on August 8th and 9th proved that success was clearly within reach. 802 thrived with a sold-out show. People everywhere came to support and enjoy the live music. “Opening night was surprising,” said McChesney. “It was amazing and very successful. We had twelve bands each night and the place was completely filled both nights. Overall we served about 200 people in one weekend.” “802 Music welcomes all types of music,” added Hinckley. Usually screamo, hardcore, and acoustic projects are what one will typically hear at 802. Shows take place on Friday and Saturday nights. There are also open mic nights for anyone who wants to air talents." A variety of bands from all over play at 802. “It’s as easy as contacting our booking agents via our 800 number or through social networking systems like Myspace,” said McChesney. “Our Myspace is Myspace.com/802Musicspringfield. We are open and always looking for new bands.” 802 Music is making an impact on Spring-

field. Good or bad, it’s got people talking. “Everyone can have their own opinion about 802 but people should know 802 Music is a fun and safe space for people of all ages,” said Hinckley. However, some Springfield High School students formed an anti-802 Music group on Facebook. The group is called Stop 802 Music Now-Operation Hope. The group started as a joke. However, people who attend 802 did not take it lightly. “Of course we didn’t take this lightly,” said McChesney. “It makes our venue look bad.” “The group is not targeting individuals or their style of music, more towards their outlook on culture,” said SHS senior Zach Hall, who created the group. To the students who joined the anti-802 group, it’s not about the music to them. “I don’t like how some people who go there represent themselves,” said senior Eli Gosselin, a member of the anti-802 group. “Some walk around with anarchy logos. I don’t think that’s good.” “Most people that hate it have never even gone to 802,” said sophomore Victoria Blake, who often goes to 802. “A lot of people think the only people who go are skater-punks. There is actually a variety of people who go to 802 Music and you can’t stereotype them.” “I’m there every weekend,” added senior Jalessah Jackson as she spoke about stereotyping. “I

802 from page 1

the zombie’s body. The second rule is that it must be fast. It’s important to balance both of these rules and several of the factors above. For instance, a chainsaw is quite a lethal weapon, and it is, in fact, the most popular weapon in zombie fiction. But it’s a slow weapon because the weight of the chainsaw increases the amount of effort required to swing the chainsaw in rapid succession. The chainsaw is also very loud and it relies on a fuel source, which could lead to a perilous situation for you once the tank is empty. When you choose a weapon for the Zombie Apocalypse use your brain. If you don’t, you may not be needing it anymore.

Apocalyptia from page 12

a try?'” The freshmen class officers have not planned any fundraisers yet. The class earned money by sell-ing popcorn at the Springfield football games. During basketball season, the Class of 2013 officers hope to raise more money with a half-court basketball-shooting challenge.

Office from page 8

season and tryouts Osborne and Pfenning competed side-by-side for goal as they prepared for the season. As autumn drew near, it was clear that Pfenning had proved he was a better goalie and deserved the spot. “I worked hard, because I had competition,” Pfenning said. “But I not only had to work harder on the field, but off the field, in the classroom. My team-mates are the ones who pushed me to be a better goalie and a better student. And that’s why I’ve been able to play.” His hard offseason workouts allowed Pfen-ning to start in goal for the first game of the season. “The first game I didn’t really have too much to worry about because we dominated,” he said. “But the Twin Valley game was a good experience.” “It was a tough played game and it was the finals of a tournament," he added. "It gave me good experience for playing against a physical team and playing in a pressure situation.” Before the playoffs, Pfenning credited the defense with great support during the year. “I would have to say the thing that made the biggest difference is how well the defense has played,” he said. “They’re the reason I have six shutouts right now. They’ve made my job a lot easier.”

Pfenning from page 15but rain cancelled their practice plans. Coming off their win against the Class of 2008 last year, the seniors were positive they could keep up the winning tradition. Senior Melissa Tarbell was confident in the success of her class. “Last year as juniors we dominated so I think we can hold the title for our second year,” said Tarbell, before the game. The fact that football is traditionally thought of as a boys sport didn't bother the Powder Puff teams. “It’s just a game for fun,” said Stern. “I think when we first got out there, we thought we couldn’t even throw the football, but we’re actually pretty good.” Senior Powder Puffer Ashley Richardson agreed with that point of view before the contest. “It makes the game more fun because no one really expects anything from us,” said Richardson. “Our coaches get more into it than we do.” Junior class co-advisors Ruth Haskell and Kirsten Aiello shared similar opinions on this topic. “I don’t think they look at it like [football being played only by men],” said Aiello. “I think they look at it more as ‘This is going to be fun.’” Haskell agreed. She said, “I think it’s one way to show how much we support them [the SHS football team] by choosing their sport.” Guy also agreed with her colleagues and students before the game was played. “This is a flag football game. The kind you play in P.E. in middle school,” said Guy. “I think it’s a creative way to fund-raise.“

Powder Puff from page 17

wouldn’t classify myself in any categories.” 802 Music appears to be a hot topic in school. Many students in SHS go to 802 Music and many others are a part of the anti-group. What happened Friday night at the show or what was recently posted on Operation Hope is often the topic of discussion for students, with supporters and anti-802 individuals colliding. “It’s fine if whoever goes to 802 wants to express themselves, " said senior Bennett Chevalier, also a member of the anti-group. "But leave 802 at 802 and school at school.” “802 is the greatest thing that’s happened to this town. It gives kids a place to be,” said freshman Jeremy Moore. “The anti-802 group? Well, that’s just ignorant kids hating on something new and exciting.” Freedom of speech, choice, and one’s own opinion seem to be the real topics of discussion when it comes to 802 Music. “Our official stance is to go about these disagreements peacefully,” Hinckley said. “I don’t agree with how the opinions are being shown, but to each their own. People who go to 802 are great. They support and make the space fun. I encourage anyone to go to 802 Music.” Whether one agrees or disagrees with 802, it doesn’t seem like the storm created from 802 is blowing over anytime soon. “It’s like a loud clap of thunder," said Zach Hall, "that happens every Friday and Saturday night.”

NWEA from page 9

my sons work until they demonstrated responsibility,” Slivka said. Junior Justin Derosier, who completes schoolwork by spending an hour working after school before his shift, shares this opinion. When faced with a lot of homework, he suggests a formula for success: “I try my hardest," Derosier, "and maybe talk to my boss about re-arranging my hours.” Desmond Dana, however, finds this strategy difficult since she is unable to negotiate her hours. In an attempt to finish demanding coursework, she says, “I bring my homework to work. It’s the only way sometimes.” Balancing schoolwork and a job is a task that requires discipline, determination, and a sense of one's priorities. To walk this line successfully, students and teachers share the point of view that academics must come first. Working students use their free time to complete assignments and take necessary actions to maintain excellence. “School comes before work,” concluded Derosier. “Definitely.”

Balance from page 5

test was neither difficult nor easy. “The test wasn’t that hard or that easy," he said. "I didn’t mind taking it except I had to miss coming in on one of the days that I could have slept in during NECAPs.” The majority of each MAP test is not par-ticularly hard for any individual student. The questions on each test change based on the students' answers to previous questions. For example, if a student gets a question wrong, the next question is less difficult. On the other hand, if a student answers correctly, the dif-ficulty the difficulty of the questions increases.

nroeG Hner pg 23

classroom atmosphere. “They’re always analyzing what I say,” Dean says of his AP students. “They force me to be a better teacher.” Adnams is one of those students who brings a lot to the table. “Brittany catches onto material very quick,” Jardina said about his former student. Jardina thinks highly of John Dean, whose students tend to receive very good scores. “I do expect to get a 5 out of some of my students,” Dean said in reply to Jardina’s compliment. Aside from his first couple of years teaching AP Stats, during which time he was learning just like his students, Dean has gotten at least one 5 out of his students each year. There are ten AP courses offered at Spring-field, and by the end of her senior year, Brittany will have taken seven of them. These classes include two English classes, Statistics, Calculus, Biology, U.S. History, Art, Spanish and two online classes taken through Virtual High School, environmental science and English. SHS Guidance Counselor Kelly Ryan sug-gested that more AP courses could be added if SHS creates collaborative agreements with Green Mountain Union High School or Black River High School. This year, the four AP classes Adnams is tak-

AP Scholars from page 3 District jazz chorus is more selective than regular chorus and these students perform jazz pieces instead of classical music. For their audition, Springfield vocalists performed in front of four high school music teachers, one assigned to each voice part, from the District VI which runs from Brattleboro Union High School to Black River High School to Woodstock Union High School. Auditions were performed in a quartet with one person auditioning for each of the four voice parts: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. If a voice part was absent, the judge for that part accompanied the auditioning students. Soprano Erika Anderson had experience on her side. This was her fourth District Festival. She tried out, and was accepted, last year as a ninth grader. “It’s really fun,” she said of the audition experience. “You learn a lot, too.” Lindsay Turgeon was appointed to second chair alto saxophone. Five saxophonists are accepted. Like some of Turgeon's SHS music peers, she had expe-rience on her side. The District Concert will be Turgeon's fifth performance with the group. She participated dur-ing 7th and 8th grade, and from grades 10-12. Since she knew what to expect at the audition, Turgeon planned her practice regimen accordingly. "I prepared by practicing the song occa-sionally throughout the summer and practicing more intensely two weeks before the audition," she said. "For my entire audition, I played my scales, sight read, and worked on the piece for at least 15-20 minutes each day." The audition piece Turgeon performed was "Largo and Allegro" by G.F. Handel. Of the three tuba chairs, Springfield High School students will be filling two of them. Chlebak earned a spot as first-chair tuba. This is his third Dis-trict Band Festival and fourth overall appearance in the event. “As a sophomore, I made it in both band and chorus,” he said. “All band auditions or All-States, work in a similar fashion with three sections, which are your solo, scales, and sight reading,” Chlebak said. “To prepare for the solo I just practiced it, and maybe did a bit of background research as to when it was written and how the piece should be played.”

Districts from page 9

up a fight/ but not quite ‘cause you cut off my light/ But my sight is better tonight and I might/ see you in my nightmare, oh how did we get there/ ‘cause we were once a fairytale/ But this is farewell.” The only problem is the lyrics are sung by Lil Wayne (he just weasels himself into everything, doesn’t he?) when they would sound better and have more meaning if sung by Kanye West. The album ends with the one song about his greatest heartbreaker: the death of his mother. “Coldest Winter,” sounds like the coldest winter. Synthesizers paint the snowy sky, while more tribal drums play, each tap of the drums a snowflake falling on the frozen ground that is West’s heart as he sings “Goodbye my friend/ will I ever love again?” It’s the shortest track on the album, but also the most emotional and, of course, heartbreaking track on the album. Out of Kanye West’s pain comes not only a great Kanye West album, but a great pop (that’s right, not rap) album. Pop sensibilities abound, in West's lyr-ics--rapping is absent verse after verse; in West's beats (eat that, Timberlake); in West's structuring, an off-shoot of his U2-anthem-mimic routine on Graduation. For years to come when I will look in my dictionary under heartbreak, I will see the words “see: 808s and Heart-break.” It’s soulless pop with a heart, granted a broken one.

Heartbreak from page 13

Their teamwork and hardwork paid off when the boys took the Marble Valley League (MVL) title and beat Mississqoui 1-0 in the Division II state finals on Saturday, November 7th, in Randolph. The girls soccer team was also looking to grab a title this autumn after they finished the regular season with a 6-8 record. A few members of the team went away to soccer camps over the summer to get ready for the campaign. “I went to St. Michael’s soccer camp over the summer,” offensive girls varsity soccer player Liza Fontaine said. “It got me in really good shape and pre-season was a lot easier.” During pre-season, the girls trained by run-ning, performing ball skills exercises, and completing upper body strength-training to get in shape. This year's SHS cross-country team boasted 34 determined runners. The squad finished first or

Movtivation from page 18second overall in many regular-season meets. Although cross-country is an individual sport, the runners shared a close bond. “You would think it would be hard to be in such a mind-set sport,” sophomore runner Olivia Thayer said. “But our team is very close and that helps a lot.” Though few cross-country fans travel with the team, each athlete cheered their teammates on and made an effort to watch all races. To aid in team bonding, during Labor Day Weekend, the team spent time in Fryeburg, Maine, at the Gold Log Cabins. During their three-day stay in Maine, team members ran a total of 10-20 miles and grew closer through team activities. Although the Springfield field hockey team had to get used to both new coaches and new rules, they finished the autumn with a 5-7-2 record. The stickers started their season beating Bellows Falls 4-0. Most of their losses came in close games, while other contests

were dominant wins or finished as ties. Kayla Perham, Maria Stern, Sarah Trombly, and Jill Rushton put the balls in the goal, while two-year varsity goalie Brittany Grant kept them out. The girls also started their season with two-a-day practices and captains held running and optional practices weekly in the summer. The field hockey team upset U-32 in the quarter-finals, 3-1, but could not make it past Windsor in the semi-finals. Though each SHS sports team had differ-ent motivations and practice plans, the two things they shared was a love of the game and dedication. “What really motivates me is helping my team to win. If I don’t perform well then I do a disser-vice to the people who I feel are like brothers to me on the team,” defensive varsity football player Max Blake concluded. “I think hard work and playing well with each other are the biggest contributors to success on our teams. ”

ing inlcude Spanish, English Literature & Composition, Calculus, and Biology. Adnams doesn’t take AP because it looks good for colleges, however. In fact, the colleges to which she wants to apply will not accept her exam scores. Adnams simply enjoys being challenged. “I would much rather be in an AP class learning new things,” she said. “I learn best when I’m challenged.” Many high school students could probably agree with that. Procrastinators often claim that they produce more work, more consistently, when they are under pressure. However, there is no room for procras-tination in AP classes. Ryan commends Adnams or Kendall, or anyone who becomes an AP scholar. “It’s a big deal," he said. "To become an AP Scholar is hard to do.”

the students would brainstorm, and eventually write a proposal. This will hopefully get students thinking logically, and it can be applied to real-life circumstances. This is not like writing a response to Macbeth. This is real.” Coen is excited about his job as a literacy coach and feels that his classes will really help students. “The school’s mission statement expresses that your life is better the better you communicate,” said Coen. “In order to better communicate, you need to be able to read and write effectively. My class will empower students to achieve their goals while teaching them lessons that will apply later in life.” Kevin Coen is a familiar face at Springfield High School. Last year he was an American Literature, Sophomore English, and Senior English teacher. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono, majoring in secondary education with a concentration on English.

Coen from page 2

pg nroeG Hner24

SHS Speaks Out

Bursting the BubbleBy Jenny Bradley and Olivia Johnson

Dressing Up Unity

Last month was Spirit Week. One out of approxi-mately 38 weeks of the school year when you get to go all out and dress funky. Why not take

this opportunity? Let me guess, you’re one of those kids who is too insecure to dress up. You care way too much about people’s opinions of you. The truth hurts. As for us, we loved Spirit Week. We dressed up. Every day. Is it really that hard to wear pajamas to school? Throw on some sweatpants and call it a day. What’s more comfortable? Your jeans or sweatpants? If you prefer jeans, something is wrong with you. Or again, maybe you think someone will care or notice and pick on you. No one cares. Dress how you want. Just to be clear, though, try not to dress up

as a witch or some kind of medieval person. Because we will notice you and wonder what went through your head when you got dressed that morning. Anyways, back to Spirit Week. Why not take pride in our school? We know sometimes we might hate Springfield. We all complain about the small size and the boredom. But it’s home. Take pride in that. Green and White Day is pretty basic. Don't you own anything green or white? Everyone has white. Spirit Week is a time for our school to come together. It’s a time for us to be more than individuals. It’s a time for us to be a school. There’s no I in team. The same rule applies for school. We could all be geniuses on our own, but together we are so much more. Together we can do anything, accomplish anything. Together we can set the world on fire with change. We know this sounds way off topic, but what

we’re trying to say is that dressing up and participating in Spirit Week is a way for us to come together. Sporting events are another time to show your school spirit. But that doesn’t just mean the only time to show your school spirit. You can’t just attend the football games and call yourself school-spirited. You have to be proud of yourself in and out of SHS. Did you participate in your class skit? Or were you too scared to risk being embarrassed? Class skits should be fun. They should be a chance to come together as a class. Can you imagine how fun they would be if more than 10 people participated, and if we actually took the time to plan them? We’ve had our skits. And mainly they were thrown together last minute. But they were fun. So before your high school years are gone, and they will be gone faster than you think, take pride in your school and your classmates. Participate. Before it’s too late.

In late October, the Springfield School Board decided against a proposal to bring a School Resource Officer (SRO) into Springfield High School for disciplinary purposes. For this edition of the Green Horn, the SHS Speaks Out question was: What do you think of having a School Resource Officer at the high school?

Leanne Souksanh, Junior:“I don’t think it’s a good idea. Our school isn’t that out of hand. In big cities like Baltimore, it can help keep things under control. But I don’t think our school needs it.”

Kyrsti Parker, Sophomore:"It’s a good concept, but I don’t think they should carry a weapon of any sort. Students may need an authority

figure, but a weapon is overkill.”

Eliza Pennell, Senior:“It kind of makes me sick. I understand that some schools may require a resource officer because things are so out of control, but we don’t. That money should

be spent on education, not social justice.”

Mark Xu, Senior:“It’s not going to stop anything kids are doing right

now. It’s useless.”

Codi Lynch, Freshman:“It goes overboard. If the teachers were paying more attention to the little things, we wouldn’t have to take money out of other people’s pockets so we can have a

cop to babysit us.”

Samir Mann, Freshman:“I think it’s necessary. It’ll stop the little incidents that

are going around the school now.”

By Laurel Porter