Irondequoit High School June 2013 Vol. LXXXVII No. 4

Page

2 June 2013CCllaassss ooff 22001133 Rodequoit

Jaden RoyleMarie RozvoraThomas SaxbyAllen SayasoneErika Schneider

Alec SeidelSerena ShultzAtanas SimmsAshanti SmallJamie SmockKristi Snacki

Ian StaubZachary StengleinMaxwell Stephanie

Shannon StollJonathan Torres

Ryan UpsonJacob Verna

Daniel WarnerLeah WarnerYasmin Zahid

SUNY MorrisvilleSUNY MorrisvilleTanner Schmidt

Nazareth CollegeNazareth CollegeElizabeth Elkins

Christopher GallinaWegahta Ghebrezgabiher

Hannah LahmanEmma Schum

Madeline Sheffield

SUNY New PaltzSUNY New PaltzEdward Kralles

New York UniversityNew York UniversityRomel Williams

Mewbury CollegeMewbury CollegeAlexa Mummery

SUNY New PaltzSUNY New PaltzEdward Kralles

Niagara Community College Niagara Community College Sophonios Tikabo

Niagara UniversityNiagara UniversityMadison Cournoyer

Marcus Maddox

University of North Caro-University of North Caro-linalina

Benjamin Steiner

Northeastern UniversityNortheastern UniversityDevon Grozowski

Northern Virginia CCNorthern Virginia CCKaitlyn Cottrell

Ohio Wesleyan UniversityOhio Wesleyan UniversityJillian Gamble

Old Dominion UniversityOld Dominion UniversityTyrik Walker

SUNY OneontaSUNY OneontaCasey Chase

SUNY OswegoSUNY OswegoMorgan Atland

Paul Smith's CollegePaul Smith's CollegeStephanie Wearen

Pennsylvania State Uni-Pennsylvania State Uni-versityversity

Tyler Keefe

SUNY PlattsburghSUNY PlattsburghBenjamin Duchano

Taeko Kelly

University of PittsburghUniversity of PittsburghDerrick Kemp

SUNY PotsdamSUNY PotsdamDanielle McKayRyan Sullivan

Trevor Bradshaw

Rensselaer Polytechnical Insti-Rensselaer Polytechnical Insti-tute tute

Nolan Feola

REOCREOCTabitha Cole

Morgan Monroe

Robert Morris UniversityRobert Morris UniversityZachary Sampson

RITRITMary Cooke

Joseph CumboRoxanne Elahi

Desmond FrenchSarah Johnson

Madison LamendolaAli Mohamed

Katherine NettlesLucas Shadler

Nneka Southwell

RutgersRutgersKaila Roffman

St. Bonaventure UniversitySt. Bonaventure UniversityMichelina Battaglia

Julianna CarneyRiley Eike

Meghan RahillLauren Zazzara

St. Francis UniversitySt. Francis UniversityMiguel Rivera

St. John Fisher CollegeSt. John Fisher CollegeJacob ZarzyckiAlicia KesslerKelly McLaenDaniel Ruddy

St. Lawrence UniversitySt. Lawrence UniversityMargaret McKay

James Wilczewski

Syracuse UniversitySyracuse UniversityLiam McKee

University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoSheila Mulrooney

Tufts UniversityTufts UniversityDavid Stack

Xavier UniversityXavier UniversityMiani Cylear

York College of Pennsylva-York College of Pennsylva-niania

Mittan Craig

Army Army Andrew Schwind

Patrick OliveriRyan CookMarinesMarines

Zachary BrimacombHoward Revans

National GuardNational GuardMatthew Miller

Adrianny Rivera

EmploymentEmploymentAnthony Fargnoli

Lily FisherThomas KlemCainen LisenaNate Owens

Zariana TorresChristian ValenteJaelen Whitehead

Megan Wurzer

Undecided/UnknownUndecided/UnknownDylan Agnello

Khalif AndersonRobert BakerAndrew Bell

Carl-James BotticelliNorberto Burgado

Jarid CookJoshua CrichtonEnder Erimhan

Deja FrusterTerrence Glover

Jake KnappEric Loiacano

Freddy Morales VelazquezGabriela MuratoreAnthony Mykins

Kyle OakesShaneishka Rivera Ortiz

Benjamin Shur

Collin CollegeCollin CollegeJoshua Washington

SUNY CortlandSUNY CortlandEllen BeckwithKayla ErniseElijah Kenney

Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityGeorgia Tuttle

Cornell UniversityCornell University Joseph ConnollySarah Dzielski

Matthew HerbrandTiffany Tate

Culinary Institute of Amer-Culinary Institute of Amer-icaica

John Fisher

SUNY DelhiSUNY DelhiMan Lian

Duquesne UniversityDuquesne UniversityHannah Kogler

D'Youville CollegeD'Youville CollegeGabriella Rizzo

Samantha VanAcker

Elmira CollegeElmira CollegeBrandon Davis

SUNY ESFSUNY ESFAlexandra Szuba

Finger Lakes Finger Lakes Community CollegeCommunity College

Brittany BamannColby ClarkK'ausja Hunt

Alison LindseyEric Pinales

Michael PinalesColin Quinlan

Gannon UniversityGannon UniversityNicholas Erbland

SUNY FredoniaSUNY Fredonia Liza BeardsleyRobert LoCurto

Olivia RajcaJordyn LaneBrook Mellon

Genesee Community CollegeGenesee Community CollegeNicholas Rivas

SUNY GeneseoSUNY GeneseoAlison EspositoJacob FleischerJenny GiardinoJoanna HeathKasey RamseyAnny Shapiro

George Mason UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityMatthew Tucker

Hamilton CollegeHamilton CollegeZachary Hardmeyer

Hampton UniversityHampton UniversityNaomi Gerbino

University of HartfordUniversity of HartfordClaire LaDelia

Hartwick CollegeHartwick CollegeMichelle Powderly

Hobart and William Smith Hobart and William Smith CollegesCollegesSara Volo

Howard UniversityHoward UniversityDanielle Gamble

Ithaca CollegeIthaca College Juliana Bilodeau

Emily HarrisSamuel Lopez

Julia Rossi

Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityJackson Willis

SUNY AlbanySUNY AlbanyJacy Karpovage

Albright CollegeAlbright CollegeRaymond Shalvoy

Alfred StateAlfred StateJarina Marlin

Nicholas MooreAlexander Richardson

American UniversityAmerican UniversityGraham Burns

Baldwin Wallace UniversityBaldwin Wallace UniversityTyler Poquette

Bentley UniversityBentley University Sara BuckbeeAlana RussellLauren Ochs

SUNY BinghamtonSUNY BinghamtonCharles EckertLindsay O'Dell

Boston UniversityBoston UniversityZachary Muzdakis

Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green State UniversityMitchell Ford

SUNY BrockportSUNY BrockportEmily AndrusDillon Ballard

Samantha CondelloBriana Guagliardo

Ian MohrMarisa OrlandoDaniel PignatoAlexis SammlerCameron Shafer

Alexander ShoemakerSara TrojanczykKarissa Wojtas

Alexandra WhitingRachel Woltz

Buffalo StateBuffalo StateMareena D'Angelo

Da'nel DraytonDylan Scott

University at BuffaloUniversity at BuffaloSamuel Accorso

Stephany BelmontRyan Cribbin

Elinore DuguayAnthony Falvo

Joseph FrachioniHannah Glossner

Mark HaleckiGabrielle Hamilton

Alan PalermoRaymond Payne

Jacquelinne PecoraroJessica Ryan

Arianna SlotnickPatrick Suter

Christina ThompsonSandy Tran

University of CaliforniaUniversity of CaliforniaPhillip Dzielski

Cairn UniversityCairn UniversityLouise Wilkas

Canisius CollegeCanisius CollegeSamantha BianchiElizabeth ChodakVictoria ColasurdoCharles Cosentino

Taylor CrocettiCharles Jackson

Arranne Paige-Rispoli

Case Western Reserve Case Western Reserve UniversityUniversity

Elizabeth Caceci

SUNY CantonSUNY CantonAndrew BowesDalton Thomas

Clarkson UniversityClarkson UniversityAndres RivasBakari Smith

Colgate UniversityColgate UniversityJoel Roemer

Johnson and Wales University Johnson and Wales University Kevin Rivera

Khadijah Jackson

Kent State UniversityKent State UniversityRachel Lindsay

Le Moyne CollegeLe Moyne CollegeSamantha JohnsonBridget Odorczyk

Mansfield University of Mansfield University of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania

Kimberly CuddebackNicholas Vaccaro

Marist CollegeMarist CollegeGenevieve Hauck

Molly Poinan

Mass. College of Phar-Mass. College of Phar-macymacy

Ashley Halsey

MITMITHannah Zlotnick

Mercyhurst UniversityMercyhurst UniversityBenjamin Brooks

Peyton Myles

Michigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityAshley O'Brien

Mississippi State Univer-Mississippi State Univer-sitysity

Tommy LeRoy

Monroe Community Monroe Community CollegeCollege

William AndraszekJoseph BarrKyle BartlowDamien Bell

Melissa BertramJonathan Bishop

Jordan BlackVitaliy BoychuckCorey BragginsKacian Bundah

Annamarie BurkovichLucas Burkovich

Ryan ByrnesTeddisha Cameron-Smith

Kelsey CarrollVictoria Clark

Jacklyn CleavelandAustin Conley

Brandon ConrowAbigail Corbett

Elizabeth CrowderKazimiera Crowder

Sabrina DattiloPaul DiVincenzo

Remo DiVincenzoKevin Dougherty

Natalie ErbTimara FrusterJames GarbachJacob Georgia

Benjamin GiordanoKaley GoettingVincent GudiaTyler GurjanskiJulia Hitchcock

Shaquille KomsonkeoMatthew Kucmerowski

Jordan KushelBenjamin Labonoski

Kieth LeFloreKyle Lilly

Brent LipaniSerra Kenar

Noah MaddoxDarien Maharaj

Brianna Martinez-VegaMick Massaro

Shannon McCauleyTatyana MirandaPreston MonigleSamuel MontanaSheila MoonanJulianie Morales

Peter MorganKyle Napierala

Quyen NgoThien NguyenAdriana NievesWilliam PaganSara Padua

Mark ParadiseAustin PorrataDylan RawsonGlenn Rickard

Raymond Rivera Stephanie Rogers

Christina RosaAimee Rosado

Page

3Senior Edition RodequoitJune 2013

Teachers of the Month

October Mr. Kunz

NovemberMr. Rogers

December Mrs. McKee

February Ms. Bosco

March Mr. Guercio

April Mr. Reardon

May Mrs. Hanning

PresidentTBD

Vice PresidentTBD

SecretaryTBD

TreasurerTBD

HistorianTBD

Events CoordinatorTBD

NewsRebecca Walters

Carolann VerriolliOpinions

Stephanie DistaffenThea AriasLifestyles

Jessica HigginsArts

Allison MaierCopy EditorsAmanda ClarkDanielle Smith

President

Julia Magee

Vice President

Maddie Giarmartino

Secretary

Kristin Plukas

Treasurer

Elizabeth Hood

Class Government Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors

PresidentJoe Buttino

Vice PresidentCaitlyn Merkel

SecretaryMargaret Mayer

TreasurerTy'Sean Sizer

PresidentGina DiPaola

Vice PresidentDawn-Marie Sullivan

SecretaryBridget Deveney

TreasurerKim Caceci

Class SpeakerLia Capotorto

Fundraising CoordinatorMichael Belmont

PresidentCampbell German

Vice PresidentMichael Ford

SecretaryMargaret Kowalski

TreasurerGrace Kunkeli

Prom CoordinatorShannon PutnamLizzy Soufleris

PresidentReed SanchezVice PresidentMaggie Bacon

SecretaryAmy JosephTreasurer

Lemlem BarakiSenior Ball Coordinator

Becca Rand

Rodequoit Student CouncilNHS Tri-M

Photos Courtesy of Alex Brown

High school is one of the busiest, most exciting times of our lives. It is easy, then, to let the days slip by without notic-ing where they’ve gone or what they’ve meant. It seems like just yesterday we were freshmen wandering around the halls of IHS for the first time, lost in the sprawl of the school and looking up at the seniors thinking adulthood was a lifetime away. Well it wasn’t, and here we are, close to graduating and ready to go out into the world and discover who we are meant to become. Now, we are the seniors who the freshmen look up at and can’t imagine being, standing at the starting line of the rest of our lives. In a

Sports Editor

Za

ch H

ardm

ey

er

My name is Kaila Roffman. To some peo-ple, that name means a lot. It means memories and emotions and possibilities. To other peo-ple (and in fact probably most of the people reading this), it doesn't mean very much at all. To me, my name doesn't mean a lot; my name is simply another label. To be clear, I do know who I am. I know what I feel and think and how I’ll probably react to situations. However, for me, a name is something more than that. A name is an inexplicably significant summary of everything someone could possibly stand for. Someday my name will be what I was, what I am, and what I could be. It will be all my hopes and dreams and all my accomplish-ments and faults. Someday Kaila Roffman will mean me. I’m just not there yet. In fact to me, my name means just as much as what “cat” or “book” or “paper” can mean to any person; maybe you like that label, that specific broad title, and maybe it has some sort of as-sociation to something more particular. They all have minor affiliations that vary from per-son to person, but they truly only refer to some broad category of vague possibilities. Such is my name.

Even after all these years, I don't really know who Kaila Roffman is yet. I couldn't tell you if she's a happy or a sad person, if she's going to stick with her plan of engineering or if she's going to change her mind. Kaila Roff-

After many years posing as the il-lustrations editor for Rodequoit, I have been discovered and must be relocated. Before I was illustrations

IllustrationsEditor

I feel like time has been moving too fast. The entirety of my four years at IHS I was constantly looking forward, wishing for the day to end. I would wish for Friday, the next break, for summer. Now that graduation is loom-ing, however, I've begun to look back on all the time I was wishing away.

I can't conceive how much I’ve changed over the course of my high school career. I look at pictures from my freshman year and think to myself, "Is that me?" Sure, I have the same blue eyes, I'm still tall, and I still have the same smile, but now I wear it dif-ferently. I've matured so much these past couple years that I almost feel

editor, I was a famous intergalactic po-lice sketch artist. There were these two wanted mobsters and it was my job to draw their faces based on the descrip-tions from people who had witnessed their crimes. I knew there was a sketch artist before me, but what I didn’t know, until I put the pieces together, was that he had focused on the same two mobsters. Neither of us realized the trouble we were getting into. So, like my predecessor, I was put into the Witness Protection Program and then placed in Irondequoit High School, where I became the Illustrations Editor for Rodequoit. Now they have found me out, I must relocate again and step down as Illustrations Editor. Goodbye, but sleep well knowing that I’ll always be out there, just hidden by different aliases.

Your Illustrations Editor,

few short weeks we leave the comfort, routine and safety of this building be-hind forever and dive headfirst into the real world.

It seems clear that we owe it to the school and mostly to ourselves to reflect on what the last four years has really given us. When I entered IHS I was, like most of us, just a kid. I didn’t really un-derstand what high school was beyond four more years of teachers, classrooms, whiteboards and work. Yet it is far be-yond that; it is a time to struggle, then flourish; to lose and be hurt, only to be lifted up by friends; to be cruel, then learn how to be kind; to find out where you stand, what you believe, and who you want to be for the rest of your life. High school is where we go through the messy process of building ourselves up from clueless kids into adults; with a little help from our friends and a lot of help from our teachers, who taught us all so much more than what was in the syllabus. In these halls we got lost on the winding road that is growing up, over and over, but every time there was a classmate, a teacher, or a coach- some-one who put us back on track. I truly think we are all better students, better friends, better citizens, and better people for the four years we spent at IHS, and I am proud to have shared the high school experience with such a remarkable class of people.

Best of luck in all your endeavors,

man is not complete; that name is far from lived out, far too many goals unaccomplished, far too many events enacted. Until I get to a presumably far later place in life, I’m not in the best of positions to tell you who Kaila Roffman is to me. For now, it's still just a name.

That leaves me with very little left to share. I have an incomplete name, some goals to fill, some possible roads to take. Truly all I can share with you is what this time has taught me, what has brought me to where I am now, in this ever-developing state.

I can honestly say that I've heard some form of “high school will be the best years of your life” more times than I can count. I can also honestly say that that’s only true to some limited extent. It's hard. These four years have been far from a breeze, and sometimes the overbearing pressure of academics and expec-tations weighed so heavily on my shoulders that I felt like there'd be no light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it got to be so much that I thought graduation could not possibly come soon enough—if it'd ever come at all.

I can also say that without these times, I would never be who I am today. Without the bad, the good morphs into some shade-of-gray norm. Without these times, I wouldn't have had a chance to grow, a chance to realize what's important to me, a chance to learn just a tiny bit more about who I am. In fact, I cherish these bad times just as much as I idolize the good ones. I am determined, passionate, em-pathetic, needy, studious, lazy, energetic – and I'm honestly not sure that I'd know any of that if it weren't for these past four years.

Life is a cruel, wicked thing, even when it's brilliant and beautiful, for the brevity of it is irreversible. Someday, life will give my name a deeper meaning, but for now I'll make do with what I know. I know who I am now and who I want to be—with thanks to these long, fleeting four years. The day my aspira-tions become the definition of my name, Kaila Roffman, will unquestionably be the highlight of my life. Until then, I'll take my diploma and run. These four years were one small but nec-essary step towards Kaila Roffman’s comple-tion.

like a whole new person, like I went through a spiritual renaissance.

But it's not just me; as a class, we've transformed from silly chil-dren into mature young adults. Over the years, I've seen friendships tragi-cally shatter, but I've also seen new ones rise from the ashes. I've seen true friends become brothers and I've seen enemies shake hands. And I've also been privileged to witness, and blessed to be part of, the extraordi-nary resilience of our class. Justin Kuhn, Tyler Putnam, Keenan Green. We keep hold of our loved ones in our hearts, where they will stay for-ever.

We never gave up. We cried, we screamed, we fell to the ground, but at the end of the day, we picked each other up. And that is the one thing that I will miss most about IHS.

Henry Van Dyke once said, "Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity." Although it seems like life is going way too fast, I know that the wonderful memories I have will stay with me no matter how old I grow. I can honestly say that each and every one of you has changed my life in some way, and there is ab-solutely nobody I'd have rather gone through this with than all of you.

Well, IHS bears… It's been fun.

JuneMrs. Lamantia

News Editor

Nate Owens

Kaila Roffman

Photo Editor

Preston Monigle

PresidentTBD

Vice PresidentTBD

SecretaryTBD

TreasurerTBD

Tutoring CoordinatorTBD

Service CoordinatorTBD

life is a cruel, wicked thing, even when it is brilliant and beautiful...

"

"

...sleep well knowing that I'll always be out there...

"

"

In these halls we got lost in the winding road that is growing up

"

"

...each and ev-ery one of you has changed my life in some way.

"

"

RPage

4 ewsN odequoit

NEWS EDITORSNate Owens

Carolann Verrioli

OPINION EDITORThea Arias

Stephanie Distaffen

LIFESTYLES EDITORJessica Higgins

SPORTS EDITORZachary Hardmeyer

PHOTO EDITORAlex Brown

Kaila RoffmanAnna Rousse

ARTS EDITORSAllison Maier

ILLUSTRATIONS EDITORPreston Monigle

FRONT COVER DESIGNKaila Roffman

SENIOR LIST DESIGNPreston Monigle

COPY EDITORSAmanda ClarkDanielle Smith

STAFF WRITERSNolan FeolaKim Jebbett

CONTRIBUTORSMicheal Amato

ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERSJenna SmithFaith Torres

ADVISORJoseph Kunz

Editorial Policy

Rodequoit is written and produced by the students of Irondequoit High School and is the school’s offi-cial student-run paper. Rodequoit offers students the chance to devel-op writing, photographic, and other journalistic skills. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the editorial board. Signed editorials represent only the opinion of the author. Please address all correspondence to Rodequoit Editors, Irondequoit High School, 260 Cooper Road, Rochester, NY 14617. All letters must be signed. Rodequoit reserves the right to edit all submissions.Rodequoit strives to inform, entertain and provide a forum for diverse opinions. The purpose of Rodequoit may be summa-rized by the following objectives: 1. To serve the interest of Irondequoit High School’s students by providing thorough and bal-anced coverage of news and events; 2. To provide access to views and comments of the students, faculty, administration, and community; 3. To present well-researched and well-reasoned editorial comment.

Rodequoit is subject to state and federal laws. Rodequoit feels that the school benefits from the cover-age of issues relating to students. Rodequoit staff will make every effort to maintain high journalis-tic standards by adhering to the Code of Ethics and Principles set forth by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. The staff will examine newspaper content to avoid possible libel, obsceni-ty, or incitement as defined by state and national courts. By staying inside these guidelines, Rodequoit is confident that the administration will continue to uphold our right to cover all issues.

"I think I've had the best job in the high school. When you really love what you do, you never want to give it up. So be passionate, and the years will fl y by."

~Mrs. Russ

IHS says "farewell and thank you" to nine dedicated staff members

June 2013

Gender equality isn’t a well-rep-resented topic in today’s news, but there are people in our world that are trying to make a difference. Married couple, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, both journalists for the NY Times, wrote a book in 2009 called Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women World-wide. The cou-ple was inspired to write this book after visit-ing China and witnessing the brutal oppres-sion of women. From that point, Kristof and Wu-Dunn began to write about not only the oppression of women in China, but oppression all over the world. Their book was then turned into a documentary and a whole or-ganization was born. This organiza-tion has grown to include celebrities like America Ferrera, Meg Ryan, and Olivia Wilde who help with raising awareness and money. Their website, halftheskymovement.org, is a beacon of information and gives advice on how everyone can get involved, and that’s exactly what a group at Irond-equoit High School decided to do.

Brought together by what seemed to be a coincidence, English teach-er, Casey Nelan and Social Studies teacher, Alissa Georges, started a Half the Sky movement within IHS. “I fi rst learned about Half the Sky when Ms. Nelan teamed up with Mrs. Georges’ Anthropology class,” says

sophomore Natalie BeCoats. They began teaching about gender oppres-sion and possible solutions. “That’s when we came up with the idea of showing the documentary and raising money for the charities,” says Nelan. The documentary, Half the Sky, was shown in the IHS auditorium on Wednesday, May 8th and again on Friday, May 10th. Over the course of both nights, about 100 people showed up to watch the documentary.

Of the students involved, Nelan said that sopho-mores, Natalie BeCoats, Anna Ca-rini, Jackie Lisak, Mahalia Willis, and Tatijana Zitz were very infl uen-tial. “I wanted to get involved be-cause I liked know-ing that I could bring hope to little

girls and older women,” said Lisak. The fl yers hung around school, adver-tising Half the Sky, also told attendees to bring pillowcases to the documen-tary showing. Georges said that a lit-tle over 60 pillowcases were received to be made into dresses for little girls.

Over the course of three days, about $529 dollars was raised. Stu-dents sold wristbands, snacks, and drinks, but Nelan said “much of the money came from the community of West Irondequoit.” More money was raised at Arts Fest when Ms. Nelan and Mrs. Mohr had a “boxing match” in the auditorium where students could place “bets” on the teacher that they thought would win the match. Combining the money raised through concession sales with the money do-nated during Arts Fest, over $880 dol-lars was raised for Half the Sky.

By Amanda ClarkCopy Editor

IHS students raise money for women's

oppression

"'Only those who see the in-visible can do the impossible.' That quote is on my desk, and I aspire to do that every time I walk into my room."

~Mr. Reardon

"Parting is such sweet sorrow."~Mrs. Halloway

"Laughter is the best medi-cine!"

~Ms. T

"Strive for a future that will combine professional challenge, personal satis-faction and reward for ef-forts, LOTS of fun, and an internal purpose beyond the exterior. Such has been my privilege to experience in my many years at Irond-equoit High School. Adios, chicos!" ~Doctora Nancy Barnett

"When I fi rst moved to Rochester [from Syracuse] I hated being away from my family and my fi rst home. But, after working with the students and staff [at IHS], Rochester started feeling like home."

~Ms. Sacco

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself is 'I’m possible.'"

~Ms. Gilman

"IHS is my alma mater and also it has been my place of work for the past 23 years. I'm leaving the building, but it will be forever in my heart"

~Ms. McBride "I look forward to this new chap-ter in my life. Although retirement is bittersweet for me, I will miss IHS and all it has meant to me these 26 years"

~Ms. Dixon

While it is said that the pain of the past recedes with time, the last six months have not been suffi cient enough to desen-sitize the Newtown tragedy. For the fami-lies involved, the politicians connected to them, and the nation that has watched mournfully, the subject is still heartbreak-ing. Those favoring gun control also feel that too little has been done. With the Na-tional Rifl e Association (NRA) lobbying against gun control, large portions of the population stand divided on the issue, and with the lowest Congressional approval rating in history, it is clear that this is a complicated and emotional topic, and one that may not have a simple solution.

New York was the fi rst state to pass gun control laws after Sandy Hook, and many people hoped it would infl uence the rest of the nation to do the same. Within our community, the West Irondequoit Central School District Superintendent’s Leader-ship Initiative has taken action, sending a letter to President Obama detailing some suggestions about possible gun control measures as well as acknowledging the complexity of the issue. The board sup-ports increased punishment for illegal gun purchases and gun traffi cking, universal background checks for all transactions, and fi ngerprint or micro-chipping tech-nology to ensure that legally purchased guns are used safely. The group also recognizes that many diverse ideas with regards to gun control exist, and the let-ter states that “at least two members of [the] nine member group…are on either end of [the] spectrum and cannot fi nd it in their ethical beliefs to compromise.” The letter was signed by student representa-tives Kayla Robinson, Billy Freely, Gina DiPaola, Campbell German, Reed San-chez, Romel Williams, Anthony Falvo, Jacob Zarzycki, Jacob Fleischer, and Mr. Jeffrey Crane, Superintendent of Schools.

Some blame Congress for the lack of progress in gun control legislation. Popu-lation polls have shown that approxi-mately ninety percent of Americans favor

gun control, although these laws are not met with the same level of enthusiasm in Congress. According to Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the efforts of the NRA have brought up concerns in Con-gress about fi nancial support and upcom-ing re-elections; therefore some congress-men who personally favor gun control have been persuaded to vote against the proposed legislation. Another complica-tion of the issue is that the majority of the population supports gun control of some kind, and even those who support gun control cannot agree on what ac-tions should be taken. Some of the most endorsed ideas include more thorough background checks, a ban on assault and/or automatic weapons, and a limit on the number of bullets and cartridges that can be bought at once.

Those who oppose gun control in-clude those who the media has labeled as “responsible gun owners.” Common arguments against gun control include the purposes of self-defense and safety, hunt-ing, the preservation of basic liberties as defi ned in the Constitution, and protection from the government. On the other hand, many people feel that the recent trend of violence can be remedied by gun control legislation, and the arguments in favor of these laws include public safety, the reduction of suicides, and the unneces-sary nature of extremely deadly assault weapons. Still, the population remains divided. This issue is also one that some politicians feel strongly about. President Obama supports gun control legislation, and he brought the Newtown families before Congress to show them a fi rsthand experience of the aftermath of such acts of violence. Senator Murphy (CT) also is a strong advocate of gun control laws, as he feels a responsibility to the people of Newtown to pass the legislation. To the families of the victims, preventative measures against future acts of violence would bring comfort. Whatever the rea-sons for or against these laws, it is clear that gun usage has become a problem in America, and one that has sparked the in-terest of the nation.

IHS Leadership Initiative sends letter to President Obama

By Danielle SmithCopy Editor

"[I] wanted to get in-volved because I liked knowing that I could bring hope to little girls

and older women."

~Jackie Lisak

Page

5Rodequoit Opinions June 2013

By Kalia RoffmanPhoto Editor

The Bird's Word

Thumbs up for Mr. El-lis' legacy. You will be

missed by all.

Kudos to the gradu-ates of the class of

2013!

Props to the Art De-partment for an

amazing Art's Fest!

Thumbs down to all the seniors leaving us

this year!

Boo to life desicions!

Thumbs down to re-tirement!

It's not infrequent that I pass through these halls—the grand halls that make up IHS—and hear someone whispering, blurting, or practically shouting “I hate this place!” In fact, I truly can think of very few students who haven't at least implied such thoughts. High school is a stressful place. We have fads to keep up with, friends to maintain, expectations to achieve. Every day we go through we're trying to accomplish some-thing—be it a win for a team, an A on a test, or simply survival un-til graduation. Every moment we spend here, in these halls, we're working towards our own individ-ual goals. Be them shared or com-pletely personal, I can honestly say I believe we feel no greater pressure to achieve them than in these days; and how inconvenient a fate that we should face such

The best time of our life...now, when we're all still trying to really work out who we are.

I won't lie, I too have said I hate it here. I've felt the weight of due dates and the strain of expec-tation, and what better a place to blame it on than the halls in which I currently occupy. Indeed, much of these problems seem to sprout from the roots of our high school.

However, to say “I hate high school” is a misconception. Per-haps for the one in a million student it's true, but in the vast majority of cases, what's truly hap-pening is a placement of blame on the nearest candidate. As a senior in high school, this is some of the best times of our lives. It is for me, and I don't believe that I've had this roller coaster ride any easier than the rest of the student body. For all its faults and all its prob-lems, I don't think there's ever go-ing to be a period of my life that gave back so much as this.

For a lot of students, high school is the most challenging era they're ever going to face. These

challenges, all these bitter, spite-ful remembrances, are what breed the alleged hate they so proclaim. It's depressingly easy to simply re-member the bad times, and allow them to overshadow the good. As graduation creeps closer, some stu-dents buy into that as if their lives depend upon it.

When you re-ally look back, and sincerely think about all that's happened, the challenges of high school are unrivaled. The opportunities pro-vided are greater than many stu-dents could ever realize, and they certainly overshadow the despi-cable moments when weighted on a balanced scale. High school is the ultimate place of development. So much of what we learn about who we like, what we value, what we hope to achieve, and who we

want to become maintains roots in the beginnings of the high school career. Without high school, how many friends would you have? What hobbies and habits and tal-ents of yours would you really un-

derstand? Who would you be?

Without high school, each and every single student here would be a completely different per-son. The chal-lenges and failures and turmoil stands innumerable ;

but coupled with the vast accumu-lation of accomplishments, these are the challenges that build us into who we are and who we want to become. We need stress and strain and hard, impossible times to reach our true potential, and to develop into the greatest beings that we could ever hope to be.

Perhaps some penicillin?

By Thea AriasOpinions Editor

There is a certain sickness that is slowly infecting more and more upper-classmen as the year progresses. It’s deadly; it’s extremely conta-gious, and it produces symptoms that most people consider to be more disagreeable than the flu. If you have it, you should seek medical help as soon as possible, go home, get plenty of rest, and eat healthy food - but don’t rely on me, I’m not a physician.

This highly contagious epi-demic is called senioritis, and it is making its way insidiously through the student body. What are the

Last laugh legacyBy Stephanie DistaffenOpinions Editor

It seems that the older you get, the more you reflect. And while I may not be considered old, I have learned a thing or two about the classes here at IHS. Let’s start with the youngest group: the fresh-men. Every year seniors gradu-ate, leaving room for another class in the school. With high school comes more re-s p o n s i b i l i t y and with more r e s p o n s i b i l -ity comes more work. If you think you have a ton of homework freshmen year, just wait until you become a sophomore, junior, and then a senior. It seems that these “swag-monsters” are constantly trying to impress their upperclass-

men counterparts through what they wear, or what they say. While there is no arguing that they are making a statement, I’m just not sure as to what kind of statement they are making. It’s amazing what a little time and separation can do to someone’s perspec-

tive. Was I ever that young?Sophomores. This is there year

where confidence comes into play. Freshmen year we were all too scared to even attempt a con-

versation with a senior, but for some reason this year we are con-stantly trying to. We were always trying to sneak into the small café in hopes of appearing older and wiser (in hindsight I don’t think it worked all that well, to be hon-est). Perhaps we should have

stuck with trying to get away with tex-ting in class and taking s e l f - p o r -traits in the c o u r t y a r d .

Ah, ju-niors. First year as an upperclass-men and one year away from gradu-ation. This is by far

the toughest year and everything needs to get done. The deadline is getting closer and closer! What’s that? You didn’t go to class a third day in a row? That packet

was due a week ago?! You’re one point away from failing a class?! Why do you have seniori-tis when it’s only junior year? Juniors you have one more year, get your act together before you are granted SUPER senioritis.

Finally, our beloved seniors. The big men on campus. A few pet peeves, if you will. Although the small café is granted to the upperclassmen of IHS, the seniors have their sanctuary of “the com-mons” - the hang out place for se-niors to chat it up during free pe-riods. I guess the key word being “free” periods. And can someone please tell me what exactly is the point of the senior run? I mean, besides scaring the freshmen? Okay, so maybe it isn’t too bad and maybe I’ll be making the run along with everyone next year, but can we do just one, please?

It could be said that with age comes awareness. But it’s amaz-ing how a little reflection can breed identity. Pet peeves aside, I’m looking forward to seeing what awareness one more year will bring. Congrats, seniors!

Illustration by Danielle SmithIllustration by Danielle Smith

"Every moment we spend here, in these halls, we're working

towards our own indi-vidual goals."

Looking for a cure for senioritissymptoms, you ask? Well, there seems to be a general increase in

the level of apathy among students, especially towards projects. Also,

people are more likely to con-sider skipping classes towards the

end of the school year. “There are two weeks

l e f t , ” s a y s N a t e

O w e n s , a tired s e n i o r . “I just want to graduate and get this over w i t h . ” S e n i o r s often find t h e m -s e l v e s a s k i n g ,

“ D o e s it mat-t e r ? ” a n d

“Do these tests even count?” Un-fortunately, the answer that always

comes up is yes. Most seniors, af-ter they get accepted to the college of their dreams, feel as if their job as high school students is finished. However, what is often forgotten is that colleges usually accept stu-dents on the contingency that they keep their grades up – or else they may start college on academic pro-bation. Still, for seniors affected with this disease, life at IHS can get pretty rough. Frequent visits to Mr. Bianco’s office, freefall-ing grades, and trading class time for nap time can undermine a col-lege’s interest in a student. For the sake of your future, seniori-tis must be avoided at all costs.

You might think that this is a life-threatening sickness. In truth, it might be – but it’s up to you. Seniors should take charge of their educational career, even though it’s the end of the year. Why slack now when you have done so much in the past years; why put your reputation at stake?

Illustration by Preston MonigleIllustration by Preston Monigle

RodequoitLifestyles Page

6 June 2013

Tolkien vs. Rowling

By Michael AmatoContributor

As an avid reader and an F. Scott Fitzgerald fanatic, I was apprehen-sive about seeing The Great Gatsby reincarnated in Baz Luhrmann's film, which, judging by its costly budget, was created to appeal to a wide audi-ence. As I see it, The Great Gatsby is not a tale for the masses. In fact, I am one of a small fraction of people my age that enjoyed reading the novel for class. With this in mind, the logi-cal move would seemingly have been to appeal to the readers instead of to the younger, “modern” generation. This, however, was clearly not the approach taken, as evidenced by the flashy previews and rumors of mod-ern music being incorporated into the film. All things considered, it was without terribly high hopes that I gave Luhrmann's rendition a chance.

I can honestly say that—overall—I was pleasantly surprised with the suc-cess with which the movie captured Fitzgerald's work. Indeed, it was flashy. Incredibly so. Some have pro-claimed such to be a poor decision, but we cannot forget that the story takes place during the 1920's. Of all the eras of American history, there re-ally wasn't a flashier age than the 20's; the bold party scenes simply add to Luhrmann’s portrayal of Fitzgerald's

motif. The music, however, was extreme-

ly disappointing. Though some of it kept with the proper era, and even the modern music featured numer-ous jazz instruments, genres such as techno and rap have no place in a movie such as this. The soundtrack, clearly intended to appeal to the mod-ern masses, would surely have drawn in any who had not read the novel. Those who have read it, however, would understand that The Great Gatsby was as much a commentary on the times as it was a love story. The mod-ern music links the party scenes to the present, portray-ing what should be the 20's as eerily reminis-cent of 2013. The best I can say for the music is that it, per-haps, allows for a more relatable party scene for the con-temporary audience. Personally, with the understanding of how impressive the genre jazz can be, I think the music is the greatest flaw of the entire mov-

ie. Music more typical of the era that was supposed to be portrayed would have just as easily have set the proper tone; the mu- sic deviates from

the setting which is so crucial to the novel, and thus remains an awkward, frustrating disconnection for any who

By Kaila RoffmanPhoto Editor

The Great Gatsby

Watch her pounds drop to the ground

was hoping to see the 20's as Fitzger-ald so eloquently painted them.

There are many deviations from the novel—as is to be expected from any cinema rendition of a book. The most blaringly obvious deviation is the characterization of Nick Car-raway, played by Spiderman star Tobey Maguire. The movie portrays Nick as being in a state of mental instability, relating the tale through vocal relations to a doctor as well as through written remembrances. Nor-mally I would cringe at such daring deviations; however, I find this to be a rather clever way of allowing Car-raway to be the passive narrator that

he was in the novel. Overall, the casting of

the movie was done ex-tremely well. Leonardo DiCaprio was a wise choice for the extrava-gant Jay Gatsby, as his name is nearly as im-plicative of flashy gran-deur as that of Gatsby. Indeed, the entire crew did a splendid job of representing their re-spective characters.

The only other cri-tique I have to offer is

that of the characterization of Daisy Buchanan. When reading the novel, Daisy is blatantly portrayed as detest-able. Any sympathy invoked when

Many people have a favorite book that they have read over and over again to the point where the book’s pages have yellowed. Many readers claim their favorite genre to be fan-tasy fiction and have their own rea-sons as to why one author is the best. J.R.R. Tolkien, known for The Hob-bit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is a great early 20th century writer. Similarly, J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, has intro-duced millions of people to the fanta-sy genre. With that said, I believe that Tolkien is a better author simply for the history and setting of his books.

As a member of The Inklings, a writing group, Tolkien often dis-cussed his work with oth-er famous authors. It was during one of these m e e t -ings that middle e a r t h , t h e l a n d where To l k -i e n ’ s b o o k s are set, was born. In 1937, he published The Hobbit, which he wrote for his children. Due to the success of The Hobbit and pressure from his publisher to create sequals, Tolkien began writing the Lord of The Rings trilogy. After his death, more writ-ings about middle earth were discov-ered and published posthumously.

There is speculation as to the ori-gins of the ring itself. There are simi-larities between Tolkien’s trilogy and Wagner’s ring cycle, which has its roots in Norse mythology. Dr. Lynn Forest-Hill, a professor at the Uni-versity of Southampton, said in an interview,

“In 1785 a large ring was found by a Hampshire farmer that [was]

engraved with the Latin words "Se-nicianus live well in God." A tablet was [later] discovered at the site of a Roman mine known as Dwarf's Hill. On [the tablet], a Roman named Silvianus [wrote] that his ring had been stolen, and he [invoked] a curse against the [thief]. [Tolkien] was most likely researching the subject before he began work on The Hob-bit.”

Whether this actually influenced Tolkien or not, the fact remains that Tolkien created an entire world (with complete history) out of thin air.

Rowling, on the other hand, set her books in modern day Britain. While this made Harry Potter attractive to a wide range of people, it was a much less of a stretch for the imagination. On her website, she wrote, “I [was] simply [sitting] and [thinking], and

[Harry] became more and more real to

me.” Many people be-

lieve that Rowling got her i n s p i -r a t i o n f r o m T o l k -i e n ’ s

Lord of The Rings

t r i l o g y . For example,

Lord Voldemort is often compared

to Lord Sauron, as they are rarely called by their real names and both Voldemort’s horcruxes and Sauron’s ring create ‘dazed effects’ upon the wearer. Rowling asserts that these similarities are only “su-perficial.” “Tolkien created a whole new mythology, which I would nev-er claim to have done. On the other hand, I think I have better jokes,” she said.

Writers sometimes get their ideas from objects, other writers, or folk-lore. Although claiming that any one author is superior is an expression of opinion, the best fantasy fiction au-thor is clearly J.R.R. Tolkien.

In recent years, social networking sites have been used as tools for bullying and are often seen as having a negative impact on the lives of young adults. Although the Internet has its drawbacks, some people have been able to use it to develop innovative ideas and to share aspects of their day-to-day lives. Jenna Smith, a twenty-year-old from Barrie, Ontario, weighed 340 pounds at the age of sixteen. Eventually, she decided that she had had enough, and she planned to start losing weight. Through social networking sites such as Facebook and Tumblr, she gained support and motivation from people all over the world. Jenna has made a Facebook page called “Watch My Pounds Drop to the Ground,” and her supporters can comment on her pictures and even send her messages. She updates her followers with pictures and statuses about her daily workouts and even her favorite recipes. It provided a different outlook on social media, and it seemed to work for Jenna.

What made you decide that now is the right time to lose weight?

Why The Shire wins everytime

When I was in high school, I was al-ways made fun of for my weight. And I thought once I got out of high school, it would stop. But it even continued until I got into college. I couldn't even finish college because my weight was so depressing that school became too stressful. So I came home and lived with my parents again. A couple months after, my friend of 4 years was opening up her own personal trainer studio. I took one last look in the mir-ror, said goodbye to who I used to be, and didn't hesitate. I started right away with my trainer, Christina.Why did you decide to put your weight loss journey onto social networking sites, like Facebook, Tumblr?My blogs on Tumblr were already re-ally big hits. I knew I would have lots of support from everyone. And the more support I had, the farther I went.

Facebook inspiration, Jenna Smith, discusses her tranformation through social media

Has the Facebook page helped motivate you? My Facebook page has definitely helped motivate me! Whenever I feel like giving up, whenever I have a bad day, I post on there, and they always encourage me to keep going and keep moving!

What strategies are you using to lose weight?To lose weight, I am eating healthy with a very clean diet with low carbohydrates, and exercising six times per week. I love to run, I love to bike, even hike, and I love to lift weights at the gym. The more active I am, the more it motivates me to keep going. I look at pictures online, or fitness magazines, and it motivates me even more.

What is the most difficult task that you have had to overcome?This whole journey has been a diffi-cult task. Losing weight isn't easy, it is hard, but being overweight is hard too, so I chose losing weight as my hard. I live everyday like there's no tomorrow and just focus on the day at hand..I work hard, eat good, and then repeat. I just focus on myself and bettering my health. If I want a cupcake, I have a cupcake. Good food = good for your body. Bad food = good for the soul. As long as I treat and reward myself, I don't go over-board.

What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

When I was 340 lbs, I couldn't fit into airplane seats. I couldn't ride roller coasters because my waist was too big to fit into the seats. My jeans were a size 28, the largest any store would carry, and I felt ashamed of my body. I hated myself. Every new day, I am learning to love myself. I am almost at my goal weight, and I feel beautiful. I can fit into air-plane seats and roller coasters comfortably. And I wear skinny jeans!! Those are some of my biggest achievements!

Kaila Roffman discusses the latest film adaptation

Photo provided by Jenna Smith, used to show her transformation.

reading the novel is almost purely directed towards Gatsby, as he is the only (nearly) innocent, morally vi-able character. Daisy is money hun-gry, and money hungry alone. At the very most, she is a pitiable character, as her rash and stupid actions brought her tragically far from a fairytale end-ing with Gatsby. The movie version of The Great Gatsby is far too subtle in its revelations of the flaws in her nature. The way in which the flaws are presented make them seem neg-ligible, thus suggestive that the audi-ence should overlook them and feel bad for Daisy. The feelings the audi-ence hold for Daisy Buchanan are ex-tremely different coming away from the movie than after reading the nov-el. Her character is extremely flawed and not to be admired; however, these flaws are all but lost to someone who isn't explicitly looking for them.

With disregard to these deviations, the movie in fact kept remarkably well to the novel. From the little de-tails that any reader would forever recall, to entire lines straight from the book, the cinema made some valiant and successful attempts at appeasing Fitzgerald fans. Not only did it appeal to the readers of the novel, but it also holds great appeal to any unfamiliar with the great story. All in all, I ap-plaud Baz Lurhmann's daring and re-warding expenditure on the timeless Great Gatsby.

Illustration by Faith Torres

taking art. The artists can also offer advice to those students who may not be confident in going into the arts. Len Crellin says to all those consider-ing the career to “make sure that it’s really something in your heart that you believe in. You’ll have to draw every day. So practice. Experiment,” says Ianucci. Bill Wolff, who works predominantly in wood and caste metal sculpting, told anyone strug-gling with what career to pursue, “Be enthusiastic and travel. Go see what others do.”

In another center of the school, charity booths sell miscellaneous items to raise money for various causes. Half the Sky, which stands for women’s rights, raised $330 at Arts Fest. Combined with their earn-

ings from the events they had held previous to Arts Fest, they raised a total of $885. Charity

stands like the henna station and photo sales, the Senior Book Scholarship, the GSA Finger

Lakes Donor Recovery Network rose over $100 each. Other booths raised an undisclosed amount. “We like that the event can also be about thinking outside of ourselves,” says Ms. Ja-cobs, the organizer for Arts Fest.

Page

7Rodequoit The ArtsJune 2013

IHS takes on two plays for spring comedy

Arts Fest celebrates 25th anniversary

Arts Fest, an annual occasion giv-ing students a chance to express their inner creativity before final stress kicks in, is a day unique to Irond-equoit High School. Every year, the event brings something a little dif-ferent to the table. This year, even through the bad weather, Arts Fest continued on with music, food, sports, charity booths, and all types of artistic media. Along with the regular festivi-ties, Arts Fest also celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Len Crellin, a former art teacher at IHS and one of the founders of Arts Fest, explains, “Originally it was just a fun day in spring. It also shows the rest of the school what we [the art de-partment] do.” Alongside the many artistic endeavors, food usually not seen in school (freshly grilled ham-burgers and corn bread) makes an appearance and different sports are offered for those who are more athlet-ically inclined. A film festival is also held for student-produced shorts and

various charity and club booths are set up throughout the school.

The center for Arts Fests lies in the small café, where performances take place and most of the arts part of the day oc-curs. Mu-sical groups and slam poets alike take the stage as visit-ing artists work on projects and students receive body art, like face painting and henna. K a r l a Mueller, part of the stu-dent Arts Fest staff, says “Arts Fest lets students see just how many forms of art there actually are.”

One of the major opportunities Arts Fest offers to IHS students is a chance to sit down, talk, and work with adults who have gone into the

art world. Visiting artists give young people a chance to learn about the ex-

periences these artists have had while pursuing their careers. Justyn Iannucci, one of this

year’s visiting artists, says “It’s not every

day you get to talk to young people who know they want to go

into the

arts. It’s so reassur-ing to have someone tell you ‘Yes, this is right.’” They visit the classes in the days leading up to Arts Fest, but the actual event gives them a chance to talk to all students, not just those

Fe a t u r e d Artist

Claire LaDelia

Food, Festivities, and Flatted Fifths:The Rochester International Jazz Festival

Len ing treallyou everysayspredmetaglingenthuother

In chariitemcausfor wArts

afé, where nces

lace of

rt of

psoets

thevisit-work

cts and ceive body ace painting nna.

s ff, s Fest lets

while pursuing their careers. Justyn Iannucci, one of this

year’s visiting artists, says “It’s not every

day you get to talk to young people who know they want to go

into the

by Amanda ClarkCopy Editor

by Allison MaierArts Editor

By Kim JebbettStaff Writer

If you’re a big fan of great mu-sic and a good time, clear your calendar June 21st-29th, because the Rochester In-ternational Jazz Fest is coming. Each year, sev-eral jazz artists join together to make the Jazz Fest a special event. For twelve years, Roch-ester has been banding these different performances into a week-long extravaganza of great music.

Each year, the festival seems to get bigger and better. In the past they’ve had everyone from Norah Jones to Aretha Franklin to Dave Brubeck and the festi-val keeps adding more and more jazz greats. With popular artists like Pink Martini, Peter Framp-ton, David Byrne, and the al-ready sold out Willie Nelson, this year’s festival is sure to be a hit. And those are just the head-

liners; there are over 100 other artists who participate annually.

Those attendees of the Jazz Festival have an equally enjoy-able time as the artists. Abigail Morris, a student at IHS had the ability to go on vacation with

her family for a week over summer, but wanted to go to the Jazz Fest one more time before she went to

college. She chose the festival over going on vacation, and de-cided to stay home, because it was one of her favorite parts of the summer. “It allows people to see a different type of music they didn’t know before, and isn’t played often. It opens people up to a new experience,” says Mor-ris. Not only is the music amaz-ing, but the entire environment is really exciting. It’s a week of food, festivities, and flatted fifths. As IHS junior Michaela Borg said, “The whole festival is expressing culture through mu-sic. It’s a great opportunity to see

live music right here in Roches-ter. Also, the ribs are great!” The festival, a sure bet for a good time, is hosted in 12 different venues of downtown Rochester.

For the last several years, the IHS Jazz Band has participated in the festival. They have worked all year on different songs, and choose their favorites to perform at the Jazz Fest. For those who don’t enjoy going to formal con-certs during the school year, this is a great opportunity to go out and see the IHS Jazz Band per-form. The Rochester Internation-al Jazz Festival has a more ca-sual vibe than the average school performance, while also allow-ing the Jazz Band to feature their top songs. Be sure to catch the IHS Jazz Band when they perform on June 24th, at 4:30, on the Jazz street stage.

Not only is the Jazz Festival a great opportunity to see the Jazz Band perform, but it’s a

great time for everyone in-

volved in the band itself as the Jazz Band doesn’t normally get to perform in front of hundreds of people. At the festival, the Jazz Band performs in front of jazz enthusiasts, who can appreciate the work involved with playing music. Since IHS began per-forming at the festival, they have truly made the school proud. As Robb LoCurto said, “Not only do we get to play on the same stage as insanely talented musicians, but it’s our best opportunity to showcase the school and what we’ve been working for.”

Not only is the festival a great opportunity to enjoy a few days of music, it is an opportunity to support the Jazz Band on their

e n d e a v -ors. This is one of few weeks a year where the R o c h e s t e r community

gets to join together, to see a new experience, and channel a little of the 1920’s into its life.

From May 30th – June 2nd, Irond-equoit High School put out its spring comedy in a slightly different manner from the norm. The drama department put on two, shorter plays this spring instead of one, longer comedy. Trifles, by Susan Glaspell, is a murder mystery, while The Real Inspector Hound, by Tom Stoppard, is a more parodic take on the who-done-it genre. Trifles is a short, one act play that follows three men and two women trying to solve a murder.

While Trifles is more serious, The Real Inspector Hound has a comedic feel to it. Critics watch a dramatic per-formance of a murder mystery as they make witty comments back and forth to each other. None of the characters that are watching know that a murder has even occurred until halfway through the

play.“We were doing two college level

plays,” says director and English teacher Jason Rugg. “These plays are very different from what people might expect to see and it provided a different level of spirit and energy to the crew.” The cast, composed of those new to stage per-formance and those who have already been in sev-eral, all loved preparing their roles. When asked what she likes about performing, Grace D’Agostino, a junior, commented that she “enjoys entertaining people and mak-ing them laugh.” Similarly, Haleigh Temple commented on the experience: “Every-one was laughing {and it was great] to be able to participate in creating that kind of enjoyment.” A play within a play, a mad man on the loose, and a dead

body going unnoticed are all interesting additions that occurred within The Real Inspector Hound. “Being the dead body

was the weirdest experience,” says Ju-nior, Kim Jebbett about her part in this play. “It was slightly painful, but I got to have a really different perspective than

anyone else.”Even though the casts of both plays

practiced separately, they were still able to interact and have an exciting time while prepar-ing their roles. The cast, crew, and everyone involved in bringing these two plays to life had a wonder-ful time doing just that. Junior, Lydia Mar-chese, said “In today’s culture, murder myster-ies aren’t really that popular. It’s

nice to see one on a stage.” Maybe mur-der mysteries will make a comeback. Either way, IHS has had a great experi-ence performing them.

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Allis

on M

aier

“ It open people up to a new experience.”-Abigail Morris

“ It's [the Jazz Band's] best opporutnity to show-

case the school.”-Robb LoCurto

Illustration courtesy of Preston Monigle

The great philosopher, Plato once said: “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gai-ety to life and to everything.” This is Claire Ladelia. A senior at Irondequoit High School, Claire has been involved in mu-sic since a young child. Fresh-man year she was inspired by some great musicians and they are credited with inspiring her to continue her path in music.

With a full load of music, Claire is currently taking Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Cho-rale, as well as Jazz Choir. Mr. Beamish, the head of the mu-sic department here at Irond-equoit High School, believes that “Claire is an outstanding musician and is simply fantastic at everything she does.” Claire did not originally want to play the trombone, her current instru-ment of choice. In fact, the in-strument was originally picked for her. According to Claire, the teacher that picked the trom-bone for her stated that, “There aren’t many girl trombone play-

ers, so I think you should play the trombone.” Today, Claire is happy with the decision; es-pecially since the trombone has helped her further her musical career in playing guitar, as well as singing.

Claire has participated in many competitions such as Solo Fes-tival, All County and Area All-state. Outside of school, Claire is a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra, Brass Quintet, Trombone Choir, and Nazareth College Sym-phony Orchestra. Claire will be attending The Hartt School of Music at the University of Hart-ford to major in Trombone Per-formance.

“I believe I can make a dif-ference because music is impor-tant,” says Claire. “My goal is to make an impact on other people. I would also like to influence them to be more open to the art, and try more artistic things.” Undoubtedly, Claire will contin-ue to give “soul to the universe” with her musical ambitions. Ac-cording to Mr. Beamish, “Claire will succeed in Trombone Per-formance as well as life because she is hard working and willing to take risks.”

“ I believe I can make a difference because music

is important.”-Claire LaDelia

Page

8 RodequoitSports June 2013

Coaches' Clipboard:

By Nolan FeolaStaff Writer

IHS' varsity coaches reflect on the past year

Rick Giuffrida, Men’s Ice Hockey

This year we had a 13-6-2 overall record. We had Theo Cup, a defenseman, and goalie Vinny Guida make first team all-league and forward Jacy Karpovage was second team. We lost in the quar-ter finals to Hilton 4-3, where we came in as a #5 seed and Hilton was the #4. We had only three seniors this year, Ryan Byrnes, Guida, and Karpovage. The future looks very bright with many starters coming back next year and a solid upcom-ing current 7th and 8th grade class. Jacy Karpovage was our leading scorer and team M.V.P.

Tanner Dalton was awarded most improved player honors.

Katie Decker, Girl’s Basketball

The Varsity Girl’s Basketball team had a great season finish-ing with a record of 17-5 and winning a Sectional title for the first time in school history. We had three seniors, Miani Cylear, Lauren Ochs, and Danielle Gamble who all played a big part in our success this season. We also had several other play-ers recognized by the league starting with Sophomore Abby White who received 1st Team All County Award and honor-able mention AGR. Sophomore

Savannah Crocetti and Junior Jennifer Reininger both received

2nd Team All County Awards as well as 2nd Team AGR. The team had great chemis-try and worked very hard every single day in prac-tice. They were such a fun group to coach and the players are con-tinuing to improve in the offseason as we have high expec-tations for next year. Kylee K a n e a l e y and Mandy N a p i e r a l a have a c h a n c e to do big t h i n g s for us next year along with all the rest of the returning players. We are all looking forward to the challenge and will take it one game at a

time.

Emily Payne, Field Hockey

The Lady Eagles made a strong showing this past fall with a 5-10-2 record. Led by a group of six seniors, including Julianna Carney, Mary Cooke, Abby Cor-bett, Emily Harris, Julia Hitch-cock and Sam Johnson, the team

played hard and competitively the entire season. Three Irond-equoit players were rewarded with All-County honors: Emily Harris received 1st Team All-County and senior Abby Cor-bett and junior goalkeeper Alissa Leskovics both received 2nd Team All-County honors. In ad-

dition, seniors Julianna Carney, Abby Corbett, Emily Harris and

Julia Hitchcock were selected to play in the 2012 Exceptional Se-

nior Game at the conclusion of the season.

As we look forward to next season, a solid core of return-

ing players will make an impact next year. Juniors Ka-

trina Bruzda, Macken-zie Corbett, Alissa Les-kovics, Cortney Mykins and Emma Thieme,

sophomores Anna

D’Ambros io , Emma Fran-

kenberger and Sarah Greenly

and freshman Kyra Minchak will all be

returning to the Lady Eagles roster for the fall

of 2013. Leading the at-tack and scoring goals for

the Eagles next year will be Bruzda, Corbett, Mykins and

Thieme with support from mid-fielders Greenly and Minchak. The defense will be led by Les-kovics in goal with Franken-berger and D’Ambrosio holding down the defense. With the ad-dition of players coming up from junior varsity, the Lady Eagles look forward to a strong 2013

season.

Barry Prince, Men’s Tennis The boy’s tennis team enjoyed

another successful spring season. The final season record was 9-6. The team played into the team sectional Class A semi-finals

A look at one of the world's harshest obstacle courses

Lately, you may have heard talk of local “fun runs”; races that are meant to break the normalcy of your typi-cal 5k by adding something extra to the repetitiveness of running. Races such as the “Color Vibe 5k”, which throw in a splash of color and flavor that make getting out and racing seem like less of a chore turning it

into a more enjoyable experience. It’s a push to get this country off of the couch and onto the open roads, putting a good pair of athletic shoes to use. But what is the next step? Even with these new variations of local racing, there has to be more for those who truly want to prove them-selves. There has to be a next level, for those who want to prove they can do more than just run.

The answer is the Tough Mudder, an event that combines traditional running with overwhelming tests of strength, reflex, and courage. Developed by the British Special Forces, this grueling 12 mile course features over a dozen different obstacles that push the contestant’s bodies to the limit. For some, fears will be overcome, for others, goals will be met. Regardless of car-diovascular ability and muscular or mental strength, everyone that does the Tough Mudder goes into it deter-mined to complete the course, no matter what it takes. It won’t be easy: there are hazards such as the “mud mile”, a path of knee deep mud that stretches for hundreds of feet, and “electroshock therapy”, a gauntlet of electrically charged wires that will zap you for fifty straight yards. All these and many more will attempt to make even the toughest people cry as they complete the Tough Mudder. But through the pain there is perseverance. A bond and sense of unity develops on the course as fellow participants help each other through some of the harder obstacles. Not everyone in the Tough Mudder is “completely fit” and some struggle to complete every challenge. But the atmosphere

created by the event is one of cama-raderie and acceptance. No one is there to win the Tough Mudder; everyone goes for the challenge of getting it done.

The Tough Mudder has been around for several years. It raises money for the “wounded war-rior project”, which gives aid to sol-diers injured in combat. Some locals have already completed past Tough M u d d e r e v e n t s , and this year a group from our area w i l l b e

heading up to complete the Tough Mudder in Buffalo on July 27th and 28th. Intrigued by the idea, I too signed up for the event with my dad. It should make for some qual-ity father-son bonding time before I head off to college. There aren’t many things my father and I share a common interest in, but we both love proving ourselves in a challenge. Others that will be joining our local group of participants include ex-pro hockey star Rory Fitzpatrick, and some fellow IHS classmates.

It isn’t too late for any of you either. If you enjoy a challenge, and are looking for a change of pace to your summer of lounging around at the local beach, check out the Tough Mudder

website. Go to www.toughmud-der.com and check out the obstacle information links, or take the “Tough Mudder Test” to see if you have what it takes (trust me, the test is hilarious) to be a Tough Mudder. Although it may be out of some individuals price range, it could be a once in a life-time experience to undertake such a serious endeavor. Prove your inner

strength this summer, before you head off to begin the rest of your lives at college. Do

you have what it takes to be a Tough Mudder?“Developed by the

British Special Forces, this grueling 12 mile course

features over a dozen dif-ferent obstacles that push the contestant’s bodies to

the limit.”

“No one is there to win the Tough Mudder; everyone goes for the challenge of getting it

done.”

“They were such a fun group to coach and the players are continuing to improve in the offseason as we have high expecta-

tions for next year.”

where they eventually lost to #1 seed McQuaid in a match that fea-tured several close 3 set match-es. This marks the 8th time in

the last 10 years that Irondequoit has advanced to at least the sectional semi-finals. The team was comprised of 8 senior start-ers. Co-captains this year were seniors Jake Zarzycki and Joe Connolly who are 4th year varsi-ty players and who played the #1 and #2 singles positions. Devon Grozowski played #3 singles and Cam Vankerkhove #4 singles. First doubles were seniors Mark Halecki and Dave Stack. Second doubles for most of the season were also seniors, Matt Herbrand and Jake Fleischer. Rounding out the starting lineup were juniors Sean Dowd and Matt Comanzo who played some at 2nd and 3rd doubles. Dowd/Comanzo ended the season 13-0 and it is the first time in over 30 years of coach-ing that I can remember having a doubles team go undefeated. Also getting time in the starting lineup were Zach Hardmeyer and Renato Gimenez. I feel that sev-eral members of this squad are likely to receive all-county hon-ors. In addition to key juniors that started this season, there were some juniors on the varsity that got valuable experience, as well as a strong group of talented underclassmen on the JV, so the future for the team looks bright.

“This marks the 8th time in the last 10 years that Irondequoit has advanced to at least the sectional semi-

finals.”

“As we look forward to next season, a solid core of returning play-ers will make an impact

next year..”

“ The future looks very bright with many starters coming back next year and a solid upcoming current 7th and 8th grade class.”

Are You a Tough Mudder?