Green Horn

January 17, 2011 Volume 31, Edition 3

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

802
Times
Ten
By Holly Hooke

I
t’s back. The new, improved 802 Music venue has
returned. And it’s ready to serve local music fans
with live shows representing all music genres.
802 Music is now located under the Verizon
store at the corner of Main Street and Park Street in
Springfield, just a short distance south from its previous
location on Main Street.
“Our new location has all the good stuff from
the first place,” said owner Dave Hinckley. “Take all of
the plusses and multiply them by ten. That’s the new
802.”
802 will continue to showcase local and
regional bands by creating a place for live shows with
plenty of people packed in for a good time. Shows are
typically held on Friday and Saturday nights. “We’ve The Wu-Tang dodgeball team won the First Annual Le Dodgeball a la Tour Eiffel
only been open several times in the new space. But busi-
Tournament hosted by the Springfield High School French Club. Wu-Tang, from
ness is doing great,” said Hinckley. “We’ll be opening
more often for sure.” left, is Jordan Clapperton, Derek Otis, John Errair, Cody Filkins, Nick Koch,
“802 is just a great place to hang out and Joe Ankuda, and Jeremy Currie. The French Club raised $400 for their trip to
listen to music,” said Springfield High School junior France in April. Eight teams participated in the event.
Dylan Patrie. “It’s great to just have a place to go and
See 802 page 20

What’s Inside: SMART Boards are Now

Electronic
Scholastic On Board By Liza Fontaine

T
Dishonesty, hey’re clearly smart. They’re even labeled smart.
If they aren't smart and they're at Springfield
p. 8 High School, they are collecting dust. Most SHS
teachers don’t even acknowledge them if they aren’t
Kanye West is smart. And, of course, they aren’t students. They’re
SMART Boards.
the best,
Technology these days. What would educa-
p. 16 tors do without it? The SMART Boards seen at SHS have
more capabilities than white boards or chalkboards. For
example, math teachers have the ability to demonstrate
calculations with an enlarged calculator, while social
studies teachers have the ability to draw on the SMART
Boys Lose to Board with a map projected on its surface. Additionally,
Hartford, teachers can connect to the internet through the SMART
p. 17 Math teacher John Dean uses his board in order to show educational videos.
SMART Boards are slowly making the white
SMART Board each day.
See Smart Boards page 23
Green Horn Interview By Laurel Porter

.
Jenn Wasyliko
Discusses
Library Changes
J
ennifer Wasyliko is the new Springfield High of people from different
School Librarian. After graduating from Rutgers walks of life went through
University with a Master’s degree in Library and the library science pro-
Information Services, Wasyliko moved from Maple- gram. It appealed to a
wood, New Jersey, to Vermont. Her family includes wide variety of people,
her husband Rich, and their two children, Corynn (9) but what we all had in
and Alex (6). The Green Horn spoke to Wasyliko about common was our love for
her new job and the changes she hopes to make to the reading and the desire to
SHS Llibrary.
put people in touch with information. big change I’ve made is simply bringing the fiction out
into an area that’s more central to where the students
Why did you come to Springfield?
Have you added any books to the Springfield High are and putting the reference section where the fiction
It felt like a great opportunity. My husband and I had
School library yet? was. The fiction section is a little roomier, and it gives
always talked about moving away from the busy New
I haven't made many acquisitions yet, but I hope to us a chance to display what we have in our fiction and
York City corridor, and this job was a way to do this.
shortly. I have spent a lot of time analyzing the needs in short story collections. It also gives me better access to
I was also very inspired by those with whom I inter-
our collection and gathering feedback from faculty and the reference materials, which will let me help students
viewed. I had a really good feeling about Springfield
students. I’ve brought in some materials from home, and and teachers find information more readily. I have also
High School.
we’re working hard to display what we have. been working closely with many faculty and students on
using our online research databases, such as Vermont
What led you to be a librarian?
What would you like to change about the Springfield Online, on the library webpage.
I had held a few jobs, and I was at home with my children
High School Library?
for a few years. The whole time I was home with my
The biggest thing I would like to change is the percep- Do you think libraries are becoming obsolete?
children I was volunteering at their school libraries. I
tion. I hope that, over time, the library will be considered I think that some people, because they have a traditional
also worked at a speaker’s bureau as an accountant for
to be a first stop, a go-to place for information and view of librarians, think that the profession, in and of
a while, which reminded me I didn't want to return to
resources. I don’t want it to be perceived as just a place itself, is becoming obsolete, and that librarians are no
business. I entered the Rutgers’ librarianship program,
for books. I want it to be a hub for the school. I’ve been longer necessary. In fact, I hold the opposite view. With
and I was fortunate enough to be asked if I would be-
speaking with Lisa Murray in the art department about the overload of information we have in today’s world,
come a substitute reference librarian at the Maplewood
hopefully creating some exhibition space in the library it’s now more important than ever to have professionals
Public Library. That was my latest job.
for local artists from the high school. who can help evaluate the best sources of information.
I’m also looking forward to expanding into the e-book
How did your experience at Rutgers University
What have you changed so far? world with our collection, and hopefully gaining access
change your view of librarianship?
When I first came, I noticed that the library had a decent to Listen Up Vermont [an online source for audiobooks]
When I first went to Rutgers to pursue librarianship,
reference section, but it felt under-utilized in the center and possibly adding some other sources like that to our
I had a very different view of the profession. What I
of the library, which was also very brightly lit. One collection.
learned in the program was primarily that libraries are
not just about books anymore. They’re constantly evolv-
ing and changing. They’re information centers. A lot

GREEN HORN STAFF

S am Benton......................... Layout Editor
K elsey Christensen............... C0-Editor
M aria Stern.......................... Co-Editor
L aurel Porter....................... Photo Editor/Co-Editor
C ourtney Downing.............. Sports Editor
----------------REPORTERS---------------
Nikka Bactad,Tabitha Celani, Justin Derosier, Alexis Esposito,
Liza Fontaine, Lauren Fountain, Sarah Gray, Jessie Haskell, Chelsea
Howland, Holly Hooke, Alexandra Johnstone, Vicki Kopidakis, Alexis
L0cke, Angelina Mei, Andrew Naccarato, Cooper Naess, Jill Rushton,
Jennifer Stein, Olivia Thayer, Sarah Vredenburgh, and
Michael Whittemore
Sun warms the first snow at Springfield High School.

pg  G r e e n H o r n

Youth Activism in Springfield
Flourishing or Declining?
California voters in action. Dave Slivka encourages political engagement by
teaching current events in his classes. Keily Schuck thinks students would be
more involved in politics if they weren't cynical about the scruples of some
politicians.
W
hile the recent drop in the youth vote seems
to suggest the need for a funeral march for
youth activism in politics, high school indif-
ference to public affairs has always existed. Whether
students are cynical about politics, intimidated by
politics, or bored with politics, youth activism has
always been low.
According to the Washington Post, turn-out
among 18-29 year old voters during the midterm elec-
tions declined 18%. It’s difficult to be sure if this drop
was the result of general disinterest in this round of
politics after the dramatic surge of youth voting in 2008,
which was fueled by Barack Obama's candidacy.
“Interest in midterms is always slightly
lower,” said Springfield High School Principal Bob
Thibault. “But with the Tea Party drama, I think it’s a
G r e e n H o r
By Kelsey Christensen
little higher than normal.” In the midterm elections, the
Republicans gained 64 seats in the House of Representa-
tives. The majority of these seats were won by members
of the Tea Party.
Senior Forest Jade, however, thinks that the
GOP gains may intensify political involvement. “Interest
has gone up since 2008,” he said. “But I’d like to see it
continue even more.” Jade feels that Obama sparked
interest by talking to young people directly, exempli-
fied by his appearance on college campuses during the
2008 campaign and his recent educational speeches to
American youth.
Others are more bleak about the lowered per-
centage of youth voters. “Obama was such a charismatic
candidate,” said Springfield School Board Vice-Chair
Jeanice Garfield, as she reflected on the 2008 turnout.
n pg
News
“He has lost some of his ‘get up and get out there’ en-
thusiasm. Hopefully that will be rekindled in the next
year or so.”
A 2008 SHS graduate who now volunteers
at the local Democratic Party Headquarters, Lauren
Drasler acknowledges this downturn among youth
voters. “I remember people being a lot more excited
about the 2008 elections,” she said. “I feel that this time
around people were far less excited, and were more or
less exasperated at the thought of having to go out and
vote.” Drasler is upset about the number of Americans
who are not even registered to vote. According to the
US Census Bureau, roughly 29% of American citizens
older than 18 are not registered to vote.
Most students are not impressed with teen
voting patterns. “A lot of kids in our school are 18 and
don’t vote,” said SHS senior Laurel Porter, who finds
it detrimental that students may wait until they’re 18 to
be involved in politics. “You have to figure out how the
government works and what your opinions are before
you vote. This [high school] is the time to do that.”
SHS senior Maria Stern has her own spin on
the situation. “Students don’t think politics applies to
them,” she said. “But when they leave high school and
go into the real world, they’re going to be thrown into
it [the real world] and they need some guidance now.”
Windsor County senator Richard McCor-
mack argues that everyone is political, whether they
realize it or not. “No one has the option of not being
political,” he said in an e-mail. “The choice is between
being actively political or passively political, knowl-
edgeably political or ignorantly political, assertively
political or receptively political. But we are all political,
whether we wish to be or not.”
McCormack feels that receiving government
aid, being publicly educated, and working for pay are
inherently political activities. He feels that students must
become active. Otherwise, laws that they disagree with
will be imposed on them by others.
Efforts--including mock elections, debates,
and posters--have been made at SHS to increase student
involvement in public affairs.
Additionally, Garfield comes to SHS to
register voters. “In addition to registering students, I
have also created a one-page blurb on ‘Now that you
are a registered voter’ to give newly-registered people
information on the expectations of a registered voter,”
Garfield said.
To educate and involve students in the po-
litical process, social studies teacher Jeff Lavin invited
Vermont gubernatorial candidates to speak at SHS last
year. Previously, Lavin scheduled Vermont Governor
Howard Dean to speak at the high school. “Last year,
they brought in politicians,” said SHS senior Max Blake.
“That helped encourage activism.”
Many SHS students credit their varying
levels of political activism to Dave Slivka’s freshman
civics class. “Last year, Mr. Slivka would tell us to
See Activism page 22

News
Director Rebecca Skrypeck predicted
The Crucible would go well. Alanna
Parker figured that crunch time would
be difficult for the cast.
T
he Springfield High School Drama Club per-
formed Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, a story
of the Salem Witch Trials, on December 3rd
and 4th and 7:00 pm and December 5th at 2:00 pm at
the Springfield Community Players Theater on South
Street in Springfield.
This classic, however, wasn’t the Drama
Club’s first choice for the fall production. “I had actually
chosen one-acts by Christopher Durang to do this year,”
said SHS drama teacher Rebecca Skrypeck before the
Now You See It...
Magic Man Performs at SHS
By Jessie Haskell
Dylan Tenney performed in early Novem-
ber in the Kevin Sheehan Theatre at Springfield High
School. He tantalized the crowd with card tricks and
capped his performance with a disappearing act.
Tenney sold t-shirts and encouraged audi-
ence members to be fans of his facebook page. SHS
sophomore Kirby Goodrich, in fact, became fan number
300. The SHS senior class hosted the this night of il-
lusions and raised $600.00 in the process. The seniors
intend to invite Tenney back in the spring for another
fundraiser. Some of Tenney’s tricks include his disap-
Dylan Tenney is a magician extraordinaire
and a senior at Stevens High School in Claremont,
New Hampshire. When he was 11 years old, Tenney
saw famous illusionist David Copperfield in Las Vegas.
pg  G
The Crucible
A Puritan Trial for Drama
By Vicki Kopidakis
production. “The consensus [among students] was that
we change to do The Crucible.”
She added, “It was an overall better deci-
sion.”
Following the decision on the production,
auditions commenced. Students were given dialogues
from the play and were responsible for finding the
necessary amount of actors to perform the dialogue, a
process referred to in theater as a cold reading.
“Cold readings are just one component,” said
SHS senior drama club member Kelsey Christensen,
who was cast as Elizabeth Proctor. “Commitment, per-
formance resume, diligence about memorizing lines, and
leadership in the drama club are other components.”
Once the cast was chosen, the Drama Club
began rehearsals. This year, however, the club took a
new approach with their preparation. Unlike previous
years, when they would rehearse the whole show, the
Drama Club worked to perfect each scene. “We’ve been
focusing on certain acts, blocking, and running lines,”
said stage manager Amanda Porter during rehearsal
time.
“It’s a slow process,” added Christensen.
“But as a result, I think it’ll be a really well-acted
show.”
After Thanksgiving break, the Drama Club
began tech week in which they practiced daily for hours
on end. “We run the whole show,” explained Alanna
Parker, assistant to the director. “It’s crunch time.”
The club’s hard work and diligence in re-
hearsals was also needed to overcome various challenges
He was hooked. Ever since, Tenney has practiced and
perfected his skills at illusion. His first tricks were card
tricks and disappearing acts. And though his father died
when Tenney was young, he insists this tragedy did not
prevent him from performing magic.
Criss Angel, another magician, and David
Copperfield, have both inspired Tenney to pursue his
dream to “do the impossible." His mother, who he
descirbes as "awesome,” helps him with his tricks, sets
up shows, and encourages him to work on his skills.
pearing act, which involves a portal on stage. His jaw-
dropping card tricks are part of his repertoire. But the
See Dyllusionist page 21
r e e
including lack of money. Because of the low budget,
the Drama Club could not afford had trouble paying
for costumes, set pieces, heat for the theater, posters,
playbooks, and other items. As a result, the cast used a
simple set comprised of benches, beds, and tables and
received help with costuming from SHS photography
teacher Catherine Moore and Fort #4, located in Charles-
town, New Hampshire.
“We are trying to get as close to the late
1600’s period costumes as we can,” said Skrypeck be-
fore the performance. “Mrs. Moore has been amazing
using the colonial period dresses we have in the costume
closet.”
The club members also cut parts and redi-
rected scenes. “We decided to make Abigail simply
a lustful teenager in an attempt to make the play less
vulgar,” said Parker. In addition, the members deleted
scenes and lines and either eliminated characters or
consolidated parts.
“There are many characters who stay on
stage and don’t do anything,” said Skrypeck during
November. “I have had the challenge of trying to get
characters off the stage so actors are not sitting around
just watching other characters talk for 20 minutes at a
time.”
Despite obstacles, the Drama Club was op-
timistic about The Crucible. “No matter how panicked
we are,” said Porter, “it always comes together.”
“I predict, like always, the students are go-
ing to come together and put on a pretty great show,”
Skrypeck concluded.
Dylan Tenney, the illusionist.
n H o r n
 News
CFGs
Dialogue and
Sharing
By Nikka Bactad

C
ritical Friends Groups (CFGs) aren’t what one
would expect them to be. This acronym doesn’t
denote gossipy cliques established at Springfield
High School. And these are not part of a new reality
show. CFGs allow teachers in a school to join in small
groups to discuss educational strategy, triumphs, and
setbacks. All SHS educators--except for administra-
tors and paraprofessionals--are required to participate
in these meetings.

“In order for teachers to feel safe to speak
openly," SHS Principal Bob Thibault said,
"administrators do not attend CFG meet-
I Can See Clearly Now
ings.” Thibault and other administrators have their own
Throughout the year, SHS freshmen and seniors will undergo mandatory Critical Friends Group.
vision checks, assisted by school nurse Sierra Kent. Seniors are required to have CFGs, which meet once a month, allow par-
their vision checked in order to graduate. The tests may determine if ticipants to receive critical, positive feedback from their
co-workers, hence the name Critical Friends Groups.
students should wear glasses or contacts.
These gatherings also allow teachers to talk with each
other, conversations difficult to achieve during most

Working 1 to 8
busy school days.
“It gives you connections with the teachers
you don’t get to see during the day,” CFG group leader
and science team leader Belinda Hathorn said. “Plus, it

Parent-Teacher Conference
opens up dialogue between the teachers.”
Teachers have an option to bring work to
meetings and share teaching experiences with each
other. Each group consists of 8-10 teachers from varied

Schedule That Liberates

subjects. Protocols exist for each meeting, which allow
for a discreet, civilized tone to the groups.
A small group of teachers participated in
CFG meetings last year, but all staff are required to be
By Olivia Thayer involved this year.
“There are two reasons why SHS has become

F
or students at Springfield High School, Thursday, involved with the Critical Friends Group,” Thibault
November 11th, was a gift: no early wake-up calls said. “One is because we are required to and two
and no classes. However, SHS teachers still went
to school. From 1:00-8:00 pm, teachers met in small
See CFG page 21
groups to work on midterm exams, then conferred with
parents in the SHS cafeteria and gym.
“The team leaders felt that we needed to
increase our contact with parents,” said SHS Principal
Bob Thibault. “And since all the other schools in the
district do parent conferences, we thought we would
give it a try.”
Parent-teacher conferences have not been
offered for many years at SHS, though the high school
staff hosts an open house for parents in the autumn. In
what will perhaps become a tradition, teachers were
Jim Chlebak was pleased with the
available, on November 11th, from late afternoon to November parent-teacher conferences.
early evening, which allowed working parents the op-
portunity to visit with teachers. Chlebak. Chlebak has two children--Nick, a senior, and
“The main thing is that it provides a chance Erin, a sophomore--who attend the high school. Belinda Hathorn feels Critical Friends
to meet with any parent who has a concern, without As an added incentive, parents were allowed Groups encourage faculty dialogue and
the hassle of trying to schedule something closer to the connections.
school day,” said SHS music director and teacher Jim See Conferences page 21

G r e e n H o r n pg 
News
Miller Art Center Interns Honored for
A History of Springfield Disasters
I
n late October, the Springfield Art and Historical
Society Interns from the Miller Art Center were
honored for excellence in educational outreach
during a ceremony at the Bennington Museum of
History during the annual League of Local Historical
Societies meeting.
Riverside Middle School social studies
teacher John Swanson nominated the group of interns
for excellence in completing their exhibit Springfield
Survives: A History of Springfield Disasters.
“I nominated them because they deserved
it,” said Swanson.
Essex, Windham, and Cavendish interns also
received awards of merit. In an email from ceremony
organizers, the League of Local Historical Societies
stated the rationale behind the award: “We were im-
pressed with the new intern’s testimonies.”
The Springfield Survives: A History of
Springfield Disasters exhibit, displayed at the Miller Art
Center from August to October, was the main impetus
for the honor accorded these young historicans. But
interns also described their experiences working on the
exhibit. Most of them stressed how family-oriented the
program was and how much they learned about their
town. Such testimony convinced the League of Local
Historians to honor the Miller Art Center interns.
“I wrote about becoming an intern and how
awesome the people I work with are,” said SHS sopho-
Chelsea Carleton in blood-drop
costume. Kelly O'Connor has her
blood drawn.
pg  G
By Jenn Stein
more Courtney Page. “We
have so much fun. We’re
like a big family.”
“Putting up
an exhibit really showed
me how much we have
to offer the community,”
said SHS freshman Abby
Garaffa, who became an
intern in January 2010.
“I’m so glad that I had
the chance to become this
close to such spectacular
people.”
Besides Page
and Garaffa, SHS fresh-
man Julia Stein, and SHS
sophomores Jenn Stein
and Larry Bolduc attend-
ed the awards ceremony
in Bennington. They also
participated in a walking Teresa Janiszyn, Abby Garaffa, Larry Bolduc, Courtney Page,
tour of Bennington and Jenn Stein, Julia Stein, and John Swanson were honored for
took part in a workshop their exemplary work in educational outreach.
about small-scale pub-
lishing.
Accompanied by intern coordinators John See Interns page 21
Swanson and Teresa Janiszyn (and her baby intern,
45 Units of Blood Raised
By Jenn Stein
B
lood, needles, and students. The Human Ser- dressed up in unusual garb to make people aware of the
vices classroom on Tuesday, November 26th, drive and its new location. Junior Chelsea Carleton, in
looked as if the room had been transformed fact, wore the American Red Cross blood-drop cos-
into a hospital. By the end of the day, the Red Cross tume.
raised 45 units of blood from 64 people, which satisfied Carleton enjoyed herself as she went from
blood drive organizers that they had reached goals they classroom to classroom and encouraged people to be in-
set beforehand. volved with the blood drive. “It [the costume] advertises
Last April, students and staff donated 43 the blood drive,” said Carleton, during her one-person
pints of blood. “ Our goal [this year] is 56 [donors],” ad campaign. “It’s very hot and hard to do, but fun. It
Red Cross Worker Erin Macakl said before the blood was worth it.”
drive. “But we’ll see what happens.” Students seemed eager to par-
To donate blood, students filled the waiting ticpate in the blood drive. Junior Kristin Cook, who
area and the Human Services class in the River Valley had turned 17 the day before and thus fulfilled the age
Technical Center. American Red Cross workers and requirement, said, “This is my first year giving blood.
student volunteers encouraged students of Springfield Hopefully I will [give blood] again, if I don’t faint of
High School and the River Valley Technology Center course.”
students to participate in the blood drive. Though this Thirty-five other students donated for the
year was the fourth blood drive held at the school, it first time also.
was the first such event held in the tech center instead Red Cross worker Nick Mellish said he takes
of the SHS Kevin Sheehan Theatre. The blood drive blood every day. “There’s always a demand for blood.
was re-located because a Cuban band was performing We need to need it every day,” said Mellish. “We need
in the theatre on the 26th. 500 pints of blood a day to service hospitals.” Accord-
To focus attention on the blood drive, vol-
unteers from the Human Services class hung flyers and See Blood page 21
r e e n H o r n
 News
Athletes As
Leaders
By Liza Fontaine

E
d Gerety, writer of Combinations: Opening the
Door to Student Leadership, asked student-ath-
letes to imagine it was the last hour of their life.
All student-athletes were then given a piece of paper and
a pen to write the last letter of their life to the person of
their choice telling them how much they loved them.

The tears in the eyes of some of the stu-
dent-athletes seemed familiar to Ed Gerety
considering the numerous conferences he
had attended in the United States. Tears or no tears, this Gimme Shelter
imaginative activity was a favorite among the 270 Ver- Ben Chevalier, John Wyatt, and Tyler Purcell design a portable emergency
mont student-athletes who attended the 2010 Vermont shelter for the TASC competition.

TASC Competition
State Athletic Leadership Conference at the Sheraton
Hotel in Burlington, Vermont, in mid-November.
Springfield High School students Jenna Paul,
Jake Sargent, Tom Kendall, Kirk Perham, and Liza

Students Design Shelters

Fontaine participated in this 2-day conference. They
were among the 270 student-athletes randomly chosen
for the event and they were accompanied by advisors--
coaches and athletic directors--from each school. During
the conference, student-athletes listened to speeches and
participated in learning activities, including one that By Sarah Gray
asked participants to stand and dance to music being

A
played.
s students and faculty at Springfield High ing competition for high school students around New
“Leaders must be comfortable being uncom-
School and the River Valley Technical Center Hampshire and Vermont,” RVTC Engineering and
fortable,” said speaker Brian Cain, as he explained the
(RVTC) discussed their holiday plans in late Manufacturing teacher Christopher Gray said.
music and dance activity.
November and early December, RVTC students in RVTC students were unable to place in the
Along with the dancing and speeches, stu-
Christopher Gray’s Level 2 Engineering class discussed top three places in any of the areas of the competition.
dent-athletes became acquainted with other high school
safety structures that could be used to rescue people Although they did not win, the students believed they
students who shared their interests.
around the world from natural disasters. Their conver- worked hard on their project and were proud of their
“It was cool seeing players from teams we
sation was stimulated by the Technology And Society design.
play,” said junior Jenna Paul. “And everyone played
Connection (TASC) Competition.
sports, so it was fun.”
Conference participants also visited Saint
“It [TASC] is an annual design and engineer- See TASC page 22
Michaels College in Winooski. The student-athletes
and their advisors took six buses to the Saint Michaels’
3-court gym and six racquetball courts, where they
participated in pick-up basketball and soccer games in
Books, Books, Books
See Leaders page 23 Some library books had gone missing.
Checked out. Not checked back in.
These missing books represented a
mystery to SHS Librarian Jen
Wasyliko. Wasyliko, though, deveoped
a plan to bring these books home. If
a student returned a previously-lost
book, that student was entered in a
drawing for a $10 iTunes Card or a
Black River Bookstore certificate. To
improve the plan, all students who had
checked out a book during the year
Tom Kendall, Liza Fontaine, Kirk were included in the raffle.
Perham, Jenna Paul, and Jake Sargent
attended the Vermont State
Athletic Leadership Conference.

G r e e n H o r n pg 
Feature
Devices of Deception
Electronic Scholastic Dishonesty
By Tabitha Celani

A
s the digital age roars on, more and more
credible information sites appear online.
However, due to this proliferation of internet
knowledge, many United States students find it easier
to cheat today.
Cheating is not a new phenomenon. School
children have been writing on their hands or copying
the work of others for years. But with the Internet and
the invention of various electronic gadgets, cheating--or
in this day and age, electronic scholastic dishonesty--is
easier.
Electronic scholastic dishonesty is readily
available in more than one form. With computers,
students can efficiently and quickly copy and paste the
words of others--called plagiarism--into their writing.
It is even easier for students to purchase pre-written
essays. Additionally, cell phones allow texts or photos
of test answers to circulate among students.
Surprisingly, some high school students do
not think that taking credit for the words or ideas of
another is a serious issue. But plagiarism is a grave
offense, even though, with the myriad of online pur-
chasable essays, many students believe counterfeiting
an essay is no big deal.
Others think that such dishonesty is not
particularly prevalent. SHS junior Chris Petelle thinks
that cheating is not as widespread an issue as it is made
out to be. “I think teachers blow it out of proportion a
little bit,” Petelle said.
“I feel like students would rather write out Some students suft the wild waters of electronic scholastic dishonesty.
of a textbook on a piece of paper and keep it in their
ogy does, in fact, make cheating on exams much easier.
pocket than use the Internet for sources,” added Petelle. be wrong, or have a different view in their literature
“Students use their cell phones to text each other the
He believes that if students cheat, such misbehavior is analysis, than to cheat or plagiarize,” said Coleman.
answers [to tests],” she said.
the result of laziness, rather than due to the difficulty “They [students] might look up the meaning
of the homework. “Kids have notepads on their phones," of a text on the Internet and then they can’t avoid copy-
Keenan added, "which they use to keep track of what
As far as punishment goes, Petelle thinks that ing the ideas down instead of thinking for themselves,”
will be on the tests.”
the consequences for cheating are fair. And Petelle is she said. Coleman believes that students may use the
In addition to individual opinions about
clear about one thing. “Plagiarism is still stealing,” he thoughts of others because they often lack confidence
said. cheating, national studies show cheating to be wide- in their ability to evaluate and analyze literature.
spread. The recently published results of a two-year
Junior Marissa Keenan claims that technol- In her teaching career, Coleman is aware of
survey of 5,275 high only two instances of plagiarism in her classes. In these
school athletes by the situations, she took action and followed the school’s
Consequences for cheating according to the Los Angeles-based Jo- disciplinary protocol. However, Coleman said she has
SHS Student Handbook sephson Institute reveals a strategy to minimize plagiarism. “One way I avoid
that students who take this [cheating] is I have students write in class,” said
part in school sport pro- Coleman. “I have found many of my students do their
Ist Offense. Failure for assignment. grams are more likely best writing spontaneously in class with a pencil and
Parents notified. to cheat. Two-thirds of paper.”
the athletes surveyed Although many students choose not to cheat,
admitted to have cheated the temptation to use technology to make homework
2nd Offense. Failure for term. on an exam at least one easier looms large. This is why a few students may
Parents notified. time in the year prior to be drawn into the troublesome vortex of plagiarism.
the survey. Plagiarism may seem like it takes little effort, but the
Springfield possible repercussions of being caught at plagiarism may
3rd Offense. Failure for the entire class. High School English be more stressful and punishing than the work itself.
Student appears in front of principal to determine teacher Joanna Coleman In the end, cheating is not worth the conse-
states that she has not quences. So close out that web page and sit down at your
greater consequences, including the possibility of encountered the issue desk. Your mind is far more expansive than the Internet
suspension. of plagiarism yet this could ever be. The phrases and words you produce are
school year. “I would worth more than the work of an anonymous writer.
rather have my students
pg  G r e e n H o r n
 Features
Movember Links Manliness and the
Fight Against Prostate Cancer
By Andrew Bladyka

A
mustache is the epitome of a man. It is a man’s
soul displayed for all to admire and melt over.
As long as it is lush the mustache may represent
an important icon of true manliness. However, a thin
mustache that looks like a Sharpie had its way with
one’s upper lip is not manly. A true manly mustache is
one that growls at people who threaten its manliness. A
true manly mustache hunkers down belligerently in the
area between the nose and the upper lip.
Recently, November--termed No-Shave
November or Movember (Mustache November)--has
been set aside to promote the growth of this icon of
manliness. And sporting a mustache, in this case, is part
of a worthy cause. Growing a mustache in November,
with is subsequent fundraising, has become a symbol
of opposition to prostate cancer, a disease that mainly
afflicts males. Movember members donated this sum to
While Movember may generate some humor
about the growth of facile hair, prostate cancer is a seri-
ous health concern. According to www.cancer.org, one
in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer over
the course of their lives. The 5-year survival rate of men
who are diagnosed with prostate cancer is almost 100%.
Forest Jade grew a beard during The 10-year survival rate is 91%. The 15-year survival
No-Shave November. rate is 76%.
Movember is actually the name of a pros-
tate cancer research company located in Melbourne,
Australia. And the idea to grow facial hair through the
month of November began as a good-humored activity
by members of Movember, though it has evolved into a
serious movement.
The founders of Movember call themselves
the Mo Bros. The Mo Bros even created Mo Sistas, a
branch of Movember for women who share the goal of
annihilating prostate cancer with their Mo Bros. In 2004,
432 Mo Bros raised $55,000 to fight prostate cancer.
But in 2009, 255,755 digitally-registered Mo Bros and
Mo Sistas in the United States, the United Kingdom,
Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, the
Netherlands, and Finland raised more than $42 million
to combat prostate cancer.
the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Lance Armstrong’s
Livestrong Foundation. Livestrong then divided the
money among three companies: Fertile Hope, My
Planet, and the Continuing Nursing Education program
on Young Adult Cancer Survivorship.
According to the official No-Shave No-
See No-Shave page 23

Steampunk
It's All About the Goggles
By Andrew Bladyka

H
ave you ever wanted to be your own hero?
Steampunk lets you do just that.
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction.
It’s the Victorian era reinvented with modern era tech-
nology. Electricity, zeppelins, and intricate gear designs
are all part of the steampunk culture.
Steampunk entered pop culture with the
60s television show, The Wild Wild West. The film
version of this series, starring Will Smith and Kevin
Kline, made it to theatres in 1999. The Wild Wild West
portrayed the American West with a multitude of tech-
nologically-intriguing gadgets: sleeve guns, knives in
collars, exploding billiard balls, and stagecoach seats
that ejected unwanted passengers.
Above all else, goggles are at the center
of steampunk couture. In fact, they are a staple of this
science fiction genre. If one lacks a set of goggles then
one will just look like any Victorian fanboy or fangirl.
Goggles can range from a ratty pair of old
welder’s goggles to a standard set of dark green glass
lenses or a pair of brass-embroidered leather goggles
eyecups with a complex series of clockwork intricacies,
including cogs and faces of clocks.
Most delightfully, steampunk goggles can be
whatever a fan wants them to be. They can be an x-ray
scanner, an infrared signal receiver, or, what my goggles
are, just Dr. Samson’s Goggles of Perpetual Amazement,
Mark III. Their function? Still to be determined. But
when I think of what purpose they will serve, it will be
rather awesome. For now, at least, they offer perpetual
amazement.
The actual outfit of the steampunk inventor-
to-be is a vital part of the equation. Women can opt to
don an elaborate and beautiful ball gown or maybe dress
as Amelia Earhart and fashion themselves with leather
jackets and aviator goggles. Men in steampunk often
choose a beautiful vest of any color over a rather simple
dress shirt. The Victorian age was filled with pocket
watches and intriguing hats, which are also part of the
steampunk attire. And for the steampunk-inclined, a top Wild Wild West comrades James West
hat--as always--suggests wealth and power.
Considering the fashion options associated and Artemus Gordon paved the way for
with this genre, it's clear that anyone can have fun with steampunkers.
steampunk, which is why it’s so popular right now.

G r e e n H o r n pg 
Feature
Teachers and Students
Facebook Friends or Facebook Foes?
A
fter a long day, like all others, you check
Facebook. On this day, however, something
catches your eye. Under “People You May
Know” is the name of a Springfield High School teacher.
You know their face, you see them everyday, and you
might even have a friendly relationship with them. So
here’s the question: do you “add as a friend” or do you
“ignore?" This question looms large in schools as the
popularity and significance of the site increases.
“It’s inappropriate for teachers and stupid
for students,” said senior Alexis Esposito when she
considered adding a student or teacher on the popular
social networking site.
Many students and teachers agree that
Facebook friendships between students and teachers
violate professional boundaries. “We need to separate
our personal and professional lives,” said SHS science
teacher Bindy Hathorn. “I don’t want to know what my
students are doing outside of school anyway.”
Teachers would find out plenty about their
students through a cyber friendship. With Facebook be-
ing a portal through which students share their thoughts,
passions, activities, photos, and even location, it can be
a source of trouble.
“Students post pictures of drinking and dumb
things,” said Esposito. “Teachers can easily hand it over
to administration.”
Hathorn agrees. “I feel like I’d have to
police,” she said, “and I don’t want to.”
Yet students aren’t the only ones at risk of
sharing inappropriate things. Teachers also run this risk.
“I don’t post anything too flashy on my Facebook,”
said SHS English teacher Jennifer Dodge. “But I can’t
control what my friends do.”
Springfield High School students and staff
are not alone in their anxiety about Facebook. A recent
story on msnbc.com reported that Lee County, a Florida
school district, requested that teachers avoid Facebook
friendships with students, a request stimulated by a
Pennsylvania teacher’s suspension. After pictures of
her bachelorette party surfaced on Facebook and landed
in the hands of students, the teacher was suspended.
Though this penalty was rescinded, this case represents
the difficulties that could result from student/teacher
Facebook friendships.
SHS math teacher, Gigi Guy shares her pro-
file with students yet is aware of a fine line that dictates
student-teacher relationships. “I don’t ever post inap-
propriate things,” said Guy. “Students shouldn’t know
that kind of thing.” Most students, however, don’t share
this mindset leaving some unsavory items for teachers
to discover. “I don’t spy,” said Guy, “but as a teacher,
if I find something, I am a mandatory reporter.”
Despite the risk of sharing too much, Face-
book has become a universal outlet for expression.
Some students and teachers find that Facebook friend-
ship allows a convenient avenue of communication.
“I don’t see a problem with it,” said senior
pg 10
By Victoria Kopidakis
Jordan Clapperton believes it's
awkward to be Facebook friends with
teachers. Gigi Guy has a personal
Facebook and a teacher Facebook to
separate her private life from her job.
Joe Ankuda thinks that having
teachers as Facebook friends makes
communication easy.
Joe Ankuda about teacher-student Facebook friendships.
“Kids are on Facebook all the time so it’s so easy to
communicate.”
Sophomore Richie Thomas is also positive
about the website's potential. “Facebook is a good
way to get in touch,” he said. “It can really strengthen
student/teacher relationships.”
Despite worries, teachers have discovered
a way to tune into this popular communication method
while separating their personal life from their profes-
sional identity.
“I have two Facebooks,” said Guy, “one
teacher page and one personal page. I should de-friend
students. I just haven’t moved students to the teacher
page yet.”
Just this year, SHS Principal Bob Thibault
advised all teachers to adopt Guy’s method. “There
are too many boundaries that can be blurred,” said
Thibault about student-teacher Facebook friendships. “I
advised teachers to have a personal page and a profes-
sional page.” Thibault added a section in the Teacher
Handbook urging teachers to follow this strategy. This
was also discussed at a faculty meeting at the start of
the 2010-2011 school year.
“After the meeting,” said Dodge, “I switched
students to my teacher Facebook. Once they graduate
I’ll switch them back to my personal page.”
Some students find this a sensible and ap-
propriate approach to Facebook communication.
“When teachers can separate their profes-
G r e e
sional and personal lives,” said Esposito, “then it’s a
good way to communicate.”
Teachers use their professional page to post
homework updates and online links for class. They also
are able to communicate with students who are out sick.
“Many students don’t use email,” said Dodge, “so I’ve
found Facebook incredibly helpful.”
Other students agree. “Not many students
email or call teachers,” said junior Kirk Perham, “so
Facebok gives teachers the opportunity to talk to stu-
dents where they are.”
Another method of avoiding problems with
Facebook involves adding students after graduation, a
strategy that Hathorn follows. “Once students gradu-
ate and they’re no longer here,” said Hathorn, “they’re
adults so I add them.”
Still, as the popularity of Facebook continues
to grow, it is not always easy to distinguish boundaries.
“It’s a slippery slope,” said Guy, as she reflects on Face-
book etiquette. Yet most teachers and students agree
that the safest bet to avoid controversy is to separate
personal and professional lives.
“Teachers can be on Facebook but they
should only invite their friends,” concluded senior
Jordan Clapperton. “They’re [teachers] cool and all,
but it’s a little awkward to be their Facebook friend.”
n H o r n
 Features
Campus Connection
Cool and Convenient
By Jessie Haskell

T
he Campus Connection, located in the River
Valley Technical Center (RVTC) Atrium, is con-
sidered a cool place for Springfield High School
students to grab a snack and hang out.
Couches in the atrium and inexpensive food
in the store persuade students to visit and satisfy their
munchies.
"The school store is a great place to hang out
with my friends," said freshman Lindsay Fairbrother.
"Even when I don't have money with me, I still find
myself down there."
Sophomore Archie Farmer, a regular cus-
tomer at the Campus Connection, buys Hot Pockets and
an Arizona Iced Tea to start off his day.
Arizona Iced Tea, a favorite drink among
SHS students, comes in different flavors at the Campus
Connection. Each day, junior Morgan Johnson is drawn
to the Campus Connection for a fruit punch or grape
Arizona after her lunch period. "Sometimes I go just to
hang out, "said Johnson." But if I have money, I almost
always get an Arizona."
However, first lunch students have a disad-
vantage regarding the school store. The store opens once
between 8:15-9:15 am, and from 11:50-12:30 pm, during
second lunch. With this schedule, first lunch students
have no opportunity to purchase snacks, beverages, or
supplies at the store. "It's not open during my lunch,
and it's annoying," said freshman Heather Sandborn.
"I would definitely go if I had the chance."
Additionally, the store is not open on
Wednesdays. Some students--like freshmen Skyler
Munson and Makayla Smith--agree that the store should
be open every day.
Some teachers, in fact, find the store to be
more of a nuisance, since students may arrive late to
their class or bring food and drink with them to the
classroom.
SHS health teacher and phys ed instructor
Ruth Haskell views the store in a different manner.
"I've had no conflicts with it [the store]," said Haskell.
"I think it's great that the students learn to run a small
business by themselves. The students who run the store If the many-windowed exterior of the
order and stock everything in it. It's a good experience Campus Connection doesn't grab you,
for them. It teaches them to be more responsible and
its well-stocked interior will.
gets them ready for life beyond high school."
Convenience seems to be the name of the
game for the majority of students when it comes to
the Campus Connection. This establishment has many
See Connection page 20

Homework
Too Much or Just Enough?
By Justin Derosier

Sean Sullivan assigns 20 minutes to
1/2 hour of homework each night in
Algebra II.
A
t Springfield High School, students worry
about too much homework. They may leave
school with backpacks full of objects ranging
from 400-page hardcover textbooks to loose homework
papers.
But this attitude toward homework may not
be consistent for all learners. For many students, any
homework is too much homework. In fact, parents,
teachers, and youngsters express varied opinions about
whether or not students at SHS are assigned too much
homework.
“I feel that the homework is a fairly reason-
able amount per night,” said senior Caleb Watkins, who
endures seven classes a day in the SHS 8-period day.
Yet, with eight periods of classes in the cur-
rent SHS schedule (which allows most students to enroll
in only one study hall) some learners feel overwhelmed
by homework. The average amount of time spent on
each subject per night is twenty minutes, according to
national statistics.
“Homework assignments are traditionally
simple exercises, to be done overnight,” said SHS math
teacher Sean Sullivan. “And for my Algebra II class,
it should take between 20 minutes and half an hour.”
In 2002 the National Center for Education Statistics
surveyed sophomores about required homework time
and found that 37% of their sample group spent more
than ten hours on homework per week.
According to some teachers at SHS, how-
ever, many students believe ten hours of homework
would be too much. But homework provides more learn-
ing outside of the classroom setting, allows students to
study material that they have learned, and encourages
better acquaintance with concepts or ideas presented
during lessons.
Another factor to consider with homework
involves the amount of time students have to do their
homework, especially when they are involved in sports
or extracurricular activities. “I think that students should
spend as much time as necessary to complete a home-
work assignment,” says SHS science teacher Bindy
Hathorn. Hathorn also believes that freshmen should
have 30 minutes, sophomores should have 40 minutes,
juniors should have 50 minutes, and seniors should have
60 minutes of homework per night.
SHS Principal Bob Thibault believes stu-
See Homework page 21

G r e e n H o r n pg 11
Feature
A Bright
Horizon for
Springfield
By Kelsey Christensen
S
pringfield residents may drive by the abandoned
former Fellows Gear Shaper building and feel
frustration about the sad state of Springfield.
Once a prosperous leader in machine tool manufactur-
ing, Springfield – symbolized by the empty hulk of the
Gear Shaper building – now appears to be a southern
Vermont ghost town.
However, critics of the empty Springfield
buildings can now rejoice. The Fellows building, which
Precision Valley Development Cooperation bought in
the 70s when Fellows relocated to the North Springfield
plant, will soon house a community health center, among
other enterprises. “Everybody drives by big empty
buildings everyday and thinks nothing is happening,”
said Bob Flint, the president of the Springfield Regional
Development Corporation (SRDC). “Something is hap-
pening. It’s a multi-million dollar project that is going
to revitalize one of the most important buildings in our
town.”
The Miller Art Center is one of the
community's strengths.
pg 12
The Black River rushes toward downtown Springfield. The town, rich in history,
may have an equally-rich future with renovation projects underway.
The SRDC has spearheaded this effort. the second-largest runway in the state, The Edgar May
After demolition of parts of the historic building, Health and Recreational Center, the success of athletics
100,000 square feet will remain for reconstruction. and co-curricular activities at the high school, and the
Approximately 30,000 feet of the space will occupy a recent passage of the elementary schools bond.
primary health clinic, consolidating primary practices “We have a lot of interesting pieces that we
around the community, and a walk-in clinic to alleviate have to reassemble into a cohesive puzzle,” Flint said.
the demand of the emergency room. The project will “We’re not going to be any one thing. It took folks a
cost about 10 million dollars. Vermont Senator Bernie
Sanders helped to acquire $2.5 million for the renovation
project, which is covered in a $12.5 billion dollar grant
under the Affordable Care Act. The Fellows building
will also hold a pharmacy and a Great Hall. The Great
Hall, which will be a point of entry adjacent to a future
parking garages, will host community events such as
farmers' markets and concerts. The Fellows building
will also offer a restaurant. By winter, the building will
have new windows. Concrete, in fact, has already been
poured in former office spaces.
This effort is only the beginning of the re-
vitalization of the community, according to Flint. The
Springfield movie theater will be reopened next year,
and SRDC will revitalize and find occupants for J&L
Plants 1 and 2. Like the Fellows property, the J&L plants
currently represent brown fields, or polluted proper-
ties.
“We are excited that we can shift our thinking
from ‘What do we do with these buildings?’ to ‘What do
we want to put in these buildings? What do we want our
community to be? What are our opportunities?’” Flint
said. “And, the opportunities are in front of us. Things
suddenly get interesting and exciting.”
For Flint, these efforts at restoration exem-
plify Springfield’s spirit. “I think we’re blessed with a
lot of things in the positive column,” Flint said. “We’re
resilient. This town has been through an incredible
amount, and yet if there are town initiatives that people The Great Hall will serve as entrance
believe in, they’ll find a way to make it happen. Spring-
to the Fellows building and a gathering
field cares and Springfield is resilient.”
Flint acknowledges the strengths of the place in the community.
town to include DSL penetration from VTel, the Stel-
lafane star convention, the invention of the paperclip,
G r e e n H o r n
The Fellows Gear Shaper building, currently undergoing demolition, serves as a legacy of Springfield's prosperous history.
Downtown Springfield viewed from the
Miller Art Center on Elm Hill.
G r e e n H o r
while to come to that conclusion. We’re going to be a
lot of different things.”
Flint feels the challenge in the reinvention
of Springfield involves demographics. Springfield has a
median resident age of 40 years old, versus the Vermont
median of 37. Also, the average income of a Springfield
Household is $144,619 versus the Vermont average of
$214,700, according to citydata.com.
As Flint suggests, one way to relieve the
challenge of an older professional population would
involve Springfield youth returning to town after col-
lege. “The Chamber of Commerce thing to say is, ‘Go
to college. Have fun. Get your education. And come
back,’” said Flint. “Come back with ideas.” For ex- Springfield Regional Development
ample, Springfield will need ideas regarding what should
occupy the Park Street building, the J&L plants, and the President Bob Flint stands in a possible
remainder of the Fellows property. restaurant location.
“The common thread in Springfield’s history
is ingenuity,” said Flint. “How do we make this place
the next chapter of ingenuity?”
Flint feels there is skepticism among Spring-
field residents regarding these projects. “I think there’s
understandable negativity. But if you give people a
reason to believe, it’s amazing how quickly that turns,”
he concluded. “As people start to see visible stuff, there’s
an understandable pessimism about Springfield. [People
think] why would someone come to Springfield? Why
would someone invest money in this town? That would
never happen.’ The reality is that it’s happened, past
tense, and it’s happening now.”
n pg 13
Columns
I
t’s not so uncommon in the English language for
words to feature silent letters that aren't detectable
when pronounced aloud. But, especially in Vermont,
we seem to have invented the evil twin of this tendency:
invisible but pronounced letters.
The reigning manifestation of this ridiculous
blunder lies in the word idea. On paper, the word ap-
pears to be pronounced EYE-DEE-YAH. However, it’s
It's A Fact...
I Like to Know
Everything
By Alexis Esposito
I
t’s not that I like to gossip, or I try to gossip, or that
I listen to gossip. But I just can’t help it. I’m inter-
ested in what people are doing. I like to know who’s
dating who, the scandals, and the dramas. I personally
hate having any type of drama around me or involving
me. But I like other people’s drama. I like to live my
life like I’m watching a reality show.
I’m an observer. I watch people. But I don’t
like to interact. Weird, right? Most people would think
I like to be social and flamboyant but I’d rather sit and
observe. My thoughts may not be the kindest when I’m
watching people dance at prom or sing at open micro-
phone, but isn’t that what people-watchers do? Watch
and critique? That’s what I do, at least.
I’m not in the business of starting rumors
or spreading them. I like to know about people, but I
pg 14
Colloquial Critique
Invisible Letters
By Kelsey Christensen
apparently acceptable to drop an invisible r sound into
the word, making it EYE-DEE-YER.
Why, Vermonters? What is it about the word
idea that begs for an additional consonant? What was
poorly conveyed to you in your formative years so that
it feels at all reflexive? Will you recognize the absurdity
if you read this?
If you were using the word via, as in “We
communicated via e-mail,” you would not say viar. Nor
when discussing tortilla, as in “We make our tortillas
from scratch,” would you say tortillar.
Certainly there’s little room to criticize
accents. No one would jeer at Brits who seem to say
both instead of bath, or Southerners who seem to say
pin instead of pen. But Vermonters’ perception of this
word is a linguistic pandemic.
The folks of Vermont Vaudeville, based in
Hardwick, VT, had some fun with this local language
insanity last fall. In October, the troupe delivered a skit
in which they instructed out-of-staters about Vermont
vernacular. They had written idea on poster board, and
asked the audience to read it aloud. After everyone read
idea, they corrected the bulk of the audience by saying
that they should have said idear instead. The vaudevil-
lians, however, did not predict the high number of people
have a ‘He Said, She Said’
rule. Once it goes past
three ‘He Said, She Saids’ then it’s a rumor. Example:
“Guy A heard it from Girl B who heard it from Girl C
who heard it from Guy D who heard it from Clarence
who told me that…” No. That statement is false. It has
now gone through a vicious game of telephone that has
completely flipped the truth upside down. If anyone ever
goes past three “He Said, She Saids” with you, shut them
down. Or at least just don’t believe it.
Did you know eavesdropping is a criminal
offense? In that case, I have a few life sentences to
serve. Again, it’s not that I want to eavesdrop. But how
does one not eavesdrop? I mean, if someone’s talking
right behind me--loudly--I won’t try to drown them out,
especially if they’re talking about something interesting.
G r e e
who naturally pronounced idea incorrectly.
This leaves me confused about the state
of this word. Are New Englanders truly unable to say
idea when prompted? My Vermont accent may mangle
the word little into liddle, or mountain into mou’n. It
may even render me unable to pronounce the name of
my home state – Vermon’ is my natural pronunciation.
This isn’t particularly odd, however. It’s standard order
for accents to cause people to run over letters, combine
words, or change the roundness of a vowel. But idear
does not fall into any of these categories. In order to
fashion idear, someone had to make up an r.
Idear may be the most appallingly back-
woods manifestation of this quirk, but it has grotesque
linguistic companions. People often say escape like
excape. And then they stumble over it when you try to
correct them. People often add a t to across. Or they in-
vent b in the word supposedly, making it supposably.
If anyone believes that idear is one of two
correct ways to pronounce idea – like either can be
EYE-ther or EA-ther, or tomato can be to-MAH-to or to-
MAY-to – stop believing it. There’s nothing exhilarating
or playful about this characteristic of language. It’s just
annoying. I have no idear how one, in good conscience,
can utter such crimes against proper pronunciation.
Now, I hope you’re not judging me. You know you do
this too. Even if you don’t want to,
Example: someone’s crying in the hallway,
and you want to know what’s up, but you don’t want
to ask him or her because clearly they’re upset. So you
ask around. But what do you do when the reason is one
you don’t want to hear? It isn’t juicy enough, or worst
of all, it’s about you. You made someone cry and you
have no idea how you did it. So, you ask around some
more. But why don’t we go straight to the source? I think
most of us are afraid, even phobic, about confrontation.
,And if we confront people, it’s online.
See Fact page 20
n H o r n
 Music
Speak Now
(Taylor Swift; 2010)
By Samuel L. Benton

W
here did I leave off last edition? Oh yes.
Taylor Swift is the teen idol to listen to.
She--wait, let me back up a bit, so I don't
confuse you.
When country star Taylor Swift was just 11
years old she went to Nashville with a demo tape featur-
ing her singing karaoke songs. No one was interested.
Flash forward a few years. Scott Borchetta noticed her
performing at the Bluebird Café in Nashville, and hired
her to his newly-formed record label, Big Machine Re-
cords. In 2006 Taylor released her self-titled first album,
well-received by casual listeners and critics alike. She
was 17 at the time.
That is a very shortened and condensed form
of the story. But when I look back at that paragraph I
can’t imagine I’m the only one who thinks that is incred-
ible. I mean, she wrote most of the songs for her first
album when she was a freshman in high school. The
fact that all of her songs are based on real events that
happened to her only make them more impressive. “Tim
McGraw,” the lead single from Taylor Swift, is about a
senior boyfriend who went away to college, eventually
ending the relationship. She wrote that song in math
class. I was doodling in my notebook during 9th grade
And that’s just the beginning. In 2008,
Swift released Fearless. Her debut was big. Fearless
was huge. It moved into the top ten of music charts
around the world, reaching number one in New Zealand,
Canada, and the U.S. The lead single from the album,
“Love Story,” still shows up on radio, as does “You
Belong to Me.” In the two years following her debut,
Swift's song-writing had improved and included fairy
tale lyrics, Cinderella-style, full of prince charmings and
happy endings. Critics liked Taylor Swift. They loved
Fearless.
Now it’s 2010--two more years and another
album--and Taylor Swift has released Speak Now. And
it’s brilliant. The fairy tales aren’t gone. They have
matured, like Taylor Swift, who by the time this review
is published will have been 21 for a month or so. Happy
endings and hope are still everywhere--see “Mine,”
“Speak Now,” and “Enchanted"--but something else has
entered. The edge. Not the guitarist, but Taylor Swift’s
edge. Taylor’s looking back at relationships, including
those with famous ex-boyfriends, though she will not
confirm or deny that point.
Even without confirmation, it’s pretty obvi-
ous that the almost seven-minute-long song “Dear John”
with Swift chanting “Dear John/ I see it all now, it was
wrong/ don’t you think nineteen’s too young/ to be
played by your dark twisted games.” For years I have
looked at John Mayer with disgust. “Dear John” just
confirms my feelings. I’m pleased that Swift called him
out on his sickness. I feel terrible that he treated her so
poorly. I feel angry he treated her so poorly. And that’s
what makes this (and the other songs on the album)
great. They elicit all sorts of emotions.
Take “Mean," for example. The song is
about a reviewer, who bashed Taylor Swift no matter
what she did. This time she bashes back. And it’s hilari-
ous and empowering: “I can see you years from now
in a bar/ talking over a football game/ with that same
big loud opinion/ but nobody’s listening/ washed up
and ranting about the same old bitter things/ drunk and

See Swift page 20

math class. is about ex John Mayer. The claws are out on this one,

Column
Dreaming By the Panorama
Break the Mold
By Tabitha Celani

or not, there will always be some people with whom

you’ll fit quite snugly.
Artists and art students alike seem to have
adopted some rather unsatisfactory stereotypes, such
as being solemn and depressed (the brooding artist), or
attempting to live off the sales of their work and being
penniless and hungry (the starving artist). Yet another
negative cliché artists have to deal with has to do with
their assumed arrogance. Many people seem to perceive
artists as being full of themselves and believing that their
art is the best thing since the filbert brush.
Now, since this column is about art, I decided
to research and gather opinions from the one source
I knew would provide me with the most insightful
thoughts about these artistic clichés. The stereotypical artist?
This artistic source was SHS art teacher and

A
s unfortunate as the following statement may be,
it is almost impossible to avoid stereotypes in
this day and age. The way you dress, the style
of your hair--even your gender--can determine what
societal group you fit into. Whether you agree with it
painter Lisa Murray. She does not believe that any artist Murray stated that when she attended an
fits into the perceived stereotype. “I have seen so many art school, all of her peers were “perhaps a little more
different types of artists in my art college, my teaching unique.”
See Panaorama page 23
career, and in the community that no one stereotype fits
at all,” she said.

G r e e n H o r n pg 15
Review
My Beautiful Dark
Twisted Fantasy
(Kanye West; 2010)
By Samuel L. Benton
F
or the past decade, few artists have been a pow-
erhouse on the scale of Kanye West. first two albums remained, but now it was blended with
West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, where he
lived until he was four. When his parents--photojour-
nalist and former Black Panther Ray West and English
professor Donda West--divorced, he moved with his
mother to Chicago. He got As and Bs in high school,
and attended the American Academy of Art as well as
Chicago State University. He dropped out of Chicago
State to pursue his dreams of a musical career.
West had a few minor production jobs in the
late 90s, becoming a producer for Roc-a-Fella Records
in 2000, where he worked with numerous artists includ-
ing the man who would become his mentor as a rapper,
Jay-Z. West produced many of the tracks on Jay-Z’s
critically regarded The Blueprint, and would begin his
own rapping career on The Blueprint 2. During his time
as a producer, he would bring in demo tapes he recorded
in order to get his own record deal.
On October 23, 2002, West suffered a near-
fatal car crash, which shattered his jaw and forced him
to have his mouth wired shut to recover. During his
recovery, West wrote and recorded his first hit single
“Through the Wire” about the experience, which was
received well enough to ensure him a record deal.
The result of the record deal was The College
Dropout, released in 2004. Filled with samples (which
would become a trademark of West’s), numerous guests,
R&B influences, and popular singles, Dropout ignored
the then-dominant gangster-rap music, re-defining what
hip-hop could be and at the same time establishing West
as a musical force. The album revealed West to be a
very self-conscious and insecure man, and the album
reflected a tone of uncertain optimism about his future.
Dropout received numerous Grammys and, among other
awards, was voted the best album of 2004 by Rolling
Stone.
The following year West released Late
Registration, which blended the R&B feel of Dropout
with various other styles (jazz, blues, etc.) all with
grand orchestrations, courtesy of producer Jon Brion.
This time around West still retained his self-conscious
ways, only now that he had made it big the anxiety in
his optimism was gone, making Late Registration twice
as inspiring as Dropout. Registration featured higher
charting singles (“Gold Digger,” for example) and even
greater critical reaction, reaching number one on many
Best of the Year lists. It is usually rated among the top
five best albums of the decade.
In 2007, inspired by U2 and fellow rapper 50
Cent, West cast out his soulful sounds and replaced them
with synthesizers and electronics for Graduation. He
came back with not only a new sound, but also an ego
the size of the stack of money he made from Registra-
pg 16
tion (it’s a big stack). The inspiration bestowed by his
West’s perceptions of his life on top, both egocentric and
insecure. Critical praise followed Graduation, though
critical admiration was less than the overwhelming
positive response to his first two albums.
Then Donda West died. Mix that with Kanye
West's recent split with his fiancé, and his growing in-
securities as a star, and you have 808s and Heartbreak
(2008), a bleak minimalist album darker than a moonless
night. It’s an emotional earthquake, Kanye West’s most
personal album. Critics were neutral to Heartbreak (I
loved it, easy A) and it didn’t please the general populace
as much as his previous albums.
West received more attention at the 2009
MTV Music Video Awards than 808s and Heartbreak,
when he stormed the stage during Taylor Swift’s ac-
ceptance speech for the Best Female Video award
(“You Belong with Me”) and declared that Beyonce’s
video (“one of the best videos of all time”) was more
deserving of the honor. For the past year that was the
moment that defined West. Magazines and television
programs became were anti-Kanye force and bashed
him at every turn. These critical assaults forced him
to go into seclusion for a year. West used this time to
work on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, released
on last November.
Five of the songs from the album had
been released before the album came out. “Power,”
“Monster,” and “Runaway” were released as singles
(the single version of “Runaway” is about five minutes
shorter that the album version) while “So Appalled” and
“Devil in a New Dress” (my personal favorite, expanded
from two minute to five on the album) were released as
part of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Friday program, where
he releases a new song every Friday from August 20th
through January.
When one listens to these tracks separately,
they are impressive, but they don't allow much con-
nection to the overall sound of Fantasy. “Devil in a
New Dress,” for example, harkens back to the R&B of
Dropout, while “Power” sounds like something different
entirely.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy at
first reveals an album that sounds nothing like West’s
previous albums. It’s not the R&B of Dropout, the
grand orchestrations of Registration, the electro pop of
Graduation, or the primal minimalism of Heartbreak.
A second time through Fantasy, however, suggests a
combination of all of these styles. For Fantasy, West
is looking back at his life, what it was and what it is.
This perspective is reflected in the album’s sound.
“All of the Lights" is the best example of
this synthesis. Its lyrics tell a story: West returns from
G r e e
jail (fictious events, mind you) for slapping his girl only
to find that a new Kanye West has taken his place (he
is also astonished to find Michael Jackson dead in both
West’s lives) forcing the first West to take him to “the
ghetto university.” West goes through his life in terms
of lighting, with “cop lights, flash lights, spot lights,
strobe lights, street lights” bombarding him throughout
his existence.
“All of the Lights” is one of the most excit-
ing songs on the album, with eleven different vocalists
teaming to pay tribute to West’s journey through his
life. Notable artists here include Fergie, Alicia Keys,
John Legend, Rhianna, and Elton John, who displays
his keyboard skills and at one point performs a solo.
The beat of this song is crazy and bombastic enough to
make your head explode--along with your speakers and
your heart.
Other key tracks include personal favorites
like “Blame Game,” and “Devil in a New Dress,” both
about failing love, both emotional powerhouses. “Blame
Game” is driven by a piano riff--a trademark of West’s
--and features a spoken solo by Chris Rock, perform-
ing a conversation overheard on the phone between
West’s girlfriend (repeating “Yeezy taught me” like a
pull-string doll) and her lover, Chris Rock. Humor is
usually associated with Rock, but the song is too tragic,
and Rock’s solo (with the exception of “Imma shoot a
Bootlegger!”) stabs your heart.
“Monster,” a standout track on Fantasy, is
the only time when attention is taken from West (prob-
ably pleasing him) and directed to Nicki Minaj, who
demonstrates temendous wordplay during her rap, the
final of the three major raps on the song (the other two
belong to West and Jay-Z) . She rhymes “Willy Wonka/
Tonka/ Sri Lanka/ and conquer” at the outset of her
song, and boasts about her wealth “50k for a verse, no
album out/ yet my money’s so tall that my Barbie gotta
climb it.” Her rap is one of the most pleasing points
of Fantasy, and it is made more appealing because it is
free of heartbreak and broken romance.
The most heartwrenching songs on Fantasy
involve the ones where West's insecurity reaches its
peak. This is especially true of the lead single “Run-
away,” a nine-minute tune, where West toasts “the
douchebags, the ___holes, and the scumbags,” including
himself in the mix. “I always find something wrong…
I’m so gifted to find what I don’t like the most,” he
chants, wrapping up every chorus with “baby I got a
See Fantasy page 21
n H o r n
 Sports
SHS Boys Basketball Begins Bouncing
Into the 2010 Season
By Liza Fontaine

Cosmos Michael Pianka easily
outjumps a leaping Hurricane.
T
hird quarter, 14 points down. Give up? No. Battle
back? You bet.
In early December, the Cosmos hosted the
Hartford Hurricanes in Dressel Gymnasium. Trailing all
four quarters, the Cosmos’ suffered an opening-game
loss though they displayed intensity, heart, and desire,
and threw a bad scare into the Hurricanes before losing
55-51.
Back in November, while boys football,
soccer players, and cross-country runners could relax
and enjoy a little free time for homework and friends,
the 2010 boys basketball players began to work on
their skills and teamwork, traits clearly portrayed in the
Hartford game.
SHS boys varsity basketball coach Pete Peck,
returning for his sixth season, along with assistant Bob
Crawford, who had previously coached at Mill River,
Bellows Falls, and Green Mountain, directed the boys
through their pre-season drills.
Over the summer, freshmen, sophomore,
junior, and senior boys, willing to give up time to get
the ball bouncing for the 2010-2011 season, participated
in summer basketball open gyms and scrimmages. The
open gyms that Peck encouraged consisted of unorga-
nized drills and scrimmaging in accordance with VPA
(Vermont Principal Association) rules. This summer
basketball allowed the athletes to make an easier transi-
tion to the regular season.
“The summer league started to get us men-
tally ready,” said junior Aaron Wallace. “Just getting a
ball in your hands and thinking about what you have to
do in regular season is good.”
Four captains graduated from last year's
team, which forced Peck and Crawford to add five play-
ers to the varsity squad. And sophomores JT Therrien
and Jordan Crowley were promoted to the varsity team
during the first week of practice in November.
“I have high hopes for the Cosmos,” said
Peck as the season got underway. “We certainly have
some good returning players and some new guys who
are going to step into some roles for us.”
Along with the addition of the two sopho-
mores, juniors Jake Patoine and James Stillings also
joined the 2010 varsity team. Patoine returned to bas-
ketball after a one-year absence and Stillings decided
to play the sport for the first time in high school.
“I just got bored with basketball,” said Pa-
toine as he explained his absence from basketball, “but
I decided to give it another try.”
Because last year's captains were graduating,
three new captains--junior Kirk Perham, and seniors
Derek Otis and Ethan McAllister--were chosen by their
teammates at the end of the 2009-2010 season.
The boys faced a basketball season that has
been trimmed by a month, a new plan for all Vermont
basketball. Unlike past years, when the season started
See Basketball page 20

The Bowling Club

An Antidote to
Winter Tedium
By Angelina Mei

W
hile the winter may represent a stretch of now are all really good
cold, dull, and listless afternoons to some, the and we don’t mind giving
Springfield Bowling Club offers an excellent pointers to help people
way to put the kibosh on the winter doldrums. improve.”
The Springfield Bowling Club is open to The club is su-
Springfield High School and River Valley Technical pervised by RVTC teacher Nationally-ranked bowler Amanda Farnsworth has the
Center (RVTC) students. The team began practices on and bowling enthusiast bowling alley to herself on a winter afternoon. The
December 9th at the Springfield Bowling Alley. All Casey Spindler. “It’s no Springfield Bowling Club fills the place on Thursdays.
practices, scheduled for Thursdays, cost $5.00 per ses- different than my job, “
sion. said Spindler. “I get to be
Members of the Springfield Bowling Club around the kids and have fun while instructing.” There are also some health benefits that
exemplify eternal vigilance as they seek individuals to Spindler has been supervising the club accompany bowling, according to Spindler. ”It’s great
join the sport. “It [the club] is a fun time even if you’re since the late 90s to help kids find a good option for exercise,” he said. “You get some strengthening in your
not very good at bowling,” said bowler Tim Robinson. wintertime boredom. “You get to be with friends in a
“Bowling in general is fun and the kids that do it right fun atmosphere,” he said. See Bowling page 21

G r e e n H o r n pg 17
Sports
Taping and Coping
Life After Howland
By Holly Hooke

Joe Brown points out the academic
dimensions of phys ed homework.
I
f you’re unfortunate enough to get hurt during one
of the three sport seasons at Springfield High School
this year, you’ll notice that no SHS athletic trainer
waits on the sidelines to help you.
But JV field hockey coach and varsity field
hockey assistant Ruth Haskell is one of those who has
stepped up to help out with athletic injuries. Along with
coaching the girls and teaching phys ed, Haskell tapes

Heavy
injuries and responds to athletes' aliments. “I just spend
a few more minutes of my time making sure everyones'
injuries are dealt with,” said Haskell.

Lifting in
The athletic trainer position--previously
filled by Matt Howland--was cut out of the budget last
spring. As a result, some student-athletes feel the effects
Ruth Haskell has been assisting with
of having no trainer. “I get injured a lot and I’m used to
injuries that previously were handled

Phys Ed?
having a trainer,” said senior football player Max Blake.
“If we had an athletic trainer, I could rehab injuries and
be more prepared for games.”
Other athletes, however, do not miss the
trainer. “I felt when we had a trainer certain sports were
focused on more than others,” said senior cross-country
By Lauren Fountain runner Jeff Sherwood. “I think most sports are dealing
with their injuries the same as when we had a trainer.”
by the athletic trainer.
trainer. Coaches can be seen wrapping ankles, fixing
blisters, and evaluating minor injuries.
“We’ve been dealing without out an athletic
trainer for years before Matt came,” said science teacher
Bindy Hathorn. “We can cope with it again.”

W
ith all the innovations at Springfield High With a lack of an athletic trainer to service
School this year, one change many students their athletes, coaches are picking up the duties of a

Winter Soccer Offers

never expected was homework in physical
education classes. As part of a campaign to improve
student learning at SHS, reading and writing practice
has been urged for every class. With this goal recently

Touches and Training

established, physical education students complete word
definitions as a required homework assignment that is
due each Friday.
“Physical education, like every other sub-
ject at the high school, is increasing opportunities for
students to practice and help strengthen their skills By Cooper Naess
and knowledge in reading and writing,” said first-year

physical education teacher Joe Brown.
For the vocabulary assignment, students
receive a list of different vocabulary words and are asked
to define five words like biceps, deltoids, or triceps each
week. The words that students define might be body
parts, muscles, or different exercise terms. Definitions
are due during the scheduled phys ed class on Friday.
Some students seem angry about the ad-
ditional homework for a class viewed previously as a
time for fun and physical exercise. “I think it's stupid,”
said senior Tanya Bailey. “Because to get exercise you
don’t need to learn these terms. But it might help us get
test scores up so, in some ways, it can be good.”
And gym teachers agree that it is necessary
to implement homework throughout all teaching areas at
SHS to assist in improving students' reading and writing
skills.
“The physical education teachers thought
of the idea and we, as a school, thought it would be a
great change,” said SHS Principal Bob Thibault. “There
is no reason why all classes can't have reading and writ-
ing."
Tom Kendall plays winter indoor
soccer to improve his skills and to
meet people.
D
uring the winter months some Springfield High
School teens participate in a winter sport like
basketball, winter track, ice hockey, snow-
boarding, or skiing. Other students play indoor soccer
in the winter. Many students who participate in the fall
soccer season play soccer during the winter to improve
their skills and to get ready for the following season.
Colin Brady and Devin Brady both play for
Lightning Soccer Club in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Colin Brady also plays for Not Nick FC at Grantham
Indoor. “I like to play indoor soccer because it’s fun and
it’s a good way to stay fit during the winter months,”
said Colin.
Devin Brady, who also plays at Grantham,
plays for Fire Storm FC. Devin plays indoor soccer
for different reasons. “It is a good way to get touches
[dribbling] in the off-season,” Devin said. “ It is also a
good way to get to play with different kids.”
Brothers Tom Kendall and Peter Kendall also
play indoor soccer at Grantham. Peter plays for Santos
See Soccer page 23

pg 18 G r e e n H o r n

Granola Girls
Move That Body!
By Alexis Locke & Maria Stern
W
ith the winter months upon us, it is common
for snowbound humans to slip into hiberna-
tion mode and snuggle up on the couch ac-
companied by a laptop or TV, perhaps with hot cocoa,
and watch a classic movie. Even though this vision may
be lovely, don't sacrifice health for hibernation.
Your immune system is like a giant highway.
It is a network of channels and nodes that deliver im-
mune cells and remove pathogens via a clear liquid fluid
known as lymphatic fluid. In order to keep your system
free from blockages, which can foster colds or illnesses,
one word of advice: MOVE.
"If your muscles are tight, the lymph nodes
in our body accumulate waste and decrease our ability
to fight an illness," stated Katy Bowman, a biomechani-
cal scientist and director of the Restorative Exercise
in Ventura, California, in the magazine Whole Living.
According to the article, simple things such as stretching
and walking stimulate the flow of lymph nodes and thus
strengthen one's immune system.
The second worry about hibernation mode
Blake, Wheeler in North-South Game
122 Points Scored in Contest
Billy Wheeler played both ways for the 2010 South team,
while Max Blake played defense.
A
lthough the Friday Night Lights on Brown the South team trailing 4-6 in the series.
Field went out at the end of October for most “The game itself was exciting and pretty fun
Springfield High School senior football players, despite how cold it was,” said Blake. “I hope in the fu-
G r e e n H o r
involves the amount of screen time an individual gets
during the day. Increased use of smart phones, comput-
ers, e-book readers, ipods, and other electronic devices
can contribute to one's poor health. A recent study from
the archives of ophthalmology in the November issue
of Whole Living shows that nearsightedness, or trouble
seeing objects at a distance, which rose by 66 percent
over a 30-year period, may result from all of the more
frequent “near work” people are doing.
Along with nearsightedness, risks of cata-
racts and glaucoma have become more worrisome in
the technology age. So here is what the Granola Girls
urge during the winter months: instead of sitting down
and watching some junk television show or staring at
your iPhone for hours looking up the new hottest gossip
on FaceBook, hit the gym.
Forty-five minutes of any type of aerobic
activity will guarantee a healthy winter and protect one’s
eyes from the bright screens of technological gadgets.
By choosing to move, you will be fit and you won’t have
to worry about glasses or depression. And an additional
By Jill Rushton
two Cosmos seniors had
one more game to play
before they unsnapped
their high school football
helmets. Seniors Billy
Wheeler and Max Blake
were selected to play for
the South team in the
10th annual North-South
AllStar Classic football
game.
The game was
played in late November
at Castleton State Col-
lege, which was also the
site for the state cham-
pionships the weekend
before. The North team
beat the South 74-48 in
an entertaining contest
that set a record for most
points scored in a North-
South game. This win left
n pg
Health
A scene best avoided.
bonus: being active will increase the endorphins that
keep you feeling good about yourself.
So do your body a favor this winter (consider it a
post-holiday gift from, and to, yourself) and MOVE.
This is the type of winter treat that never gets old.
ture they allow the defense to be more aggressive. Right
now the defense is not allowed to blitz or stunt.”
During their freshman year, Wheeler and
Blake set goals to be chosen for the AllStar game. Beside
their joy at being selected to play alongside the best
seniors in the region, the game also allowed Wheeler
and Blake, and the senior stars of other teams, to be
scouted by college coaches.
As part of the selection process for the North-
South Game, coaches submitted names of outstanding
seniors. At the end of the regular season, Vermont
coaches from throughout the state selected the North-
South rosters based on the regular-season performance
of seniors who had been nominated.
“I got a letter from Mike Stone [the South
team head coach],” said Blake. “I had a feeling I would
make it, so I wasn’t too shocked when I found out. After
playing with a group of guys who care about football as
much as I do, I felt very honored to be a part of such a
team.”
Division I state championship Hartford head
coach Mike Stone led the South team, while Colchester
coach Tom Perry coached the North. Fifty of the best
See All-Stars page 20
19
All-Stars from page 19
players in the region were selected for the South team
including players from Windsor, Otter Valley, and Bel-
lows Falls.
“I was very honored to be nominated for the
[South] team,” said Wheeler. “It’s the top 88 players that
are selected in Vermont, so it was a pretty big deal.”
Starting November 14th, the South team
practiced on Springfield’s Brown Field to prepare for
the game. Practices were held at Brown Field because
it was the central location for the Southern players. For
two practices, the boys traveled to Rutland to practice
at Castleton to get used to the turf field.
Before the seniors leave high school football
forever, Wheeler and Blake hope to be selected for one
last game—the 58th Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl, which
is played between senior all-star teams from Vermont
and New Hampshire. This game raises money for Shrine
Hospitals and Shrine burn units across the region. The
game will be held in early August 2011. But for now,
both seniors can enjoy their memories of winning the
2009 state championship and playing with a group of
boys who shared the same thing: a love for football.
“I know that I’ll always love the game even
if I’m not playing anymore,”said Blake. “I’ll miss SHS
football. I’ll miss winning States, all the rivalries, and
the big games. I’m just going to miss that atmosphere of
putting on a green jersey, playing in front of my whole
town. Just having fun with a group of guys that become
your brothers.”
“I’m going to miss the Friday Night Lights
and playing for my town,” added Wheeler. “I’m going
to miss all the kids that I played with over the years and
all the kids that have played before me.”
Basketball from page 17
prior to Thanksgiving, Vermont high school basketball
teams began their first day of practice in late November,
a starting time dictated by the absence of many players
during Thanksgiving break.
“There was a late start for all high school
sports [fall, winter, and spring] but the season itself isn’t
shorter,” said SHS Athletic Director Nicole Therrien.
“Just preseason is shorter.”
Due to the late preseason, there was less time
to begin conditioning for the 32-minute games played
during the regular season. Many think the running during
basketball games is more fast-paced than the distance
running involved with fall sports. Consequently, in a
shortened preseason, the boys were forced to work on
plays and sprinting ability had to fall into place after-
wards.
“It was hard because we had to combine
conditioning and working at our plays in a short period
of time,” said Otis.
In early December, the Cosmos' condition-
ing, knowledge of plays, and teamwork were tested in
a scrimmage against Twin Valley. The Cosmos played
the Panthers for six quarters and, though each quarter
was reset, the Cosmos clearly outscored the Panthers.
“It [the Twin Valley scrimmage] helped us
learn how our plays were going to go,” said Otis. “And
we realized we had to play harder.”
The SHS boys basketball team faces a 20-
game season. Playoffs will take place in early March.
“The MVL [Marble Valley League] is always
tough and we have a tough non-league schedule, so it’s
going to be a battle,” said Peck. “But we will make a
good showing each night.”
pg 20
Fact from page 14
Online, the heart of gossip beats endlessly
against the facebook statuses and walls of teenage girls
fighting with their boyfriends. Statuses can imply so
much, but actually say so little. Example: “Alexis Rose
Esposito is soooooo over it!” So over what? What am I
over? Over the ground? Over school? Over my relation-
ship (which is complete fiction)? Over everything? So
vague, but so descriptive. And thus the gossip begins.
From the status (which is also fiction) comes questions
to others like “What is so over?” and answers like “Oh,
I heard her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend
(again, fiction).”
I don’t think that gossip will be our downfall.
But it certainly isn’t helping anyone move forward. The
celebrity gossip magazines and the celebrity gossip TV
news programs encourage gossip among high school
students. Personally, I think it’s our instincts that cause
us to listen to what other people are saying. It’s not so
much gossip that fascinates us as our interest in others.
Gossip is fine, perhaps needed, in moderation. But when
it turns to rumors, it gets ugly and destructive.
Stay fly.
802 from page 1
be with friends.”
The new space for 802 Music allows a
unique area for one to escape to. Many customers are
pleased with the new location. The new space includes
a separate tech room, a merchandise counter away from
the bands, and a separate door which only bands have
access to in order to move their equipment in or out.
“I think their new location mimics their old
location, just without the kinks,” said Patrie. “Plus the
new 802 is literally underground. It feels like you’re
in a different place.”
“The new 802 has a more club feel than the
old space,” added SHS student Curtis Ficklin. “I think
it attracts more teenagers who actually want to go and
enjoy the type of music they like, that’s not played in
actual clubs.”
However, there’s more than just physical
changes with the new 802. Some would say there’s a
whole new vibe. “There’s more personal interaction
between the band performing and the audience,” said
Ficklin. “The crowd involvement has increased and it
makes the whole place more energized.”
Along with the regular music heard at 802,
like punk, screamo, and hardcore, 802 is branching out
and trying to do more. In addition to new music, 802
will also be opening its doors to more than just music.
Other events would take place on an off-night during
the week like a Tuesday evening.
“We’re trying to get a comedy night going or
even speed dating,” said Hinckley. “Our goal is to please
everyone and just get fun stuff in here that everyone will
like.”
In the future, 802 plans to grow and continue
to meet the demands of customers, especially consider-
ing its special situation as one of the last music venues
left in southeastern Vermont. 802 Music eventually
hopes to have a live-sound recording system, which
would be the only one in New England.
And there is more. “We have plans to expand
the space so it would be able to fit 200 people,” added
Hinckley.
“We’re planning to have a huge New
Year’s Eve event with bands and even a ball-dropping
ceremony,” Hinckley said in late autumn. “We have
basically everything but opera. 802 is for everyone.”
G r e e
Swift from page 15
grumbling on about how I can’t sing/ but all you are is
mean.” Through the song she rises above the reviewer’s
words. Then she offers some of her own. Liar, pathetic,
and alone are some of them.
Which brings me back to my earlier (last
edition) statements that Taylor Swift is a better role
model for teenagers than Justin Bieber. Taylor---
“...Imma let you finish, but Kanye
West has the best hip hop album of all
time. The best hip hop album of all
time. See page 16...”
---Thanks, Mr. West. Eh-hem, Taylor Swift
sings about things that happened to her. Real things,
human things, that teenagers, or anyone else for that
matter, can connect with. In “Mine” she sings about her
tendency to run from relationships (only the song has
a happy ending, which is also a very important model.
They’re real, kids).“Speaks Now” is based on a friend
of hers, who found out her high school sweetheart was
engaged to some horrible woman. “Back to December”
is about a past boyfriend (yes, it could be and likely is
the werewolf) and how Taylor wishes she had treated
him better. Find me a Bieber song that you can really
connect to--“baby, baby, baby, oh,” just won’t cut it.
While Swift's lyrics are tremendously
accessible, even the best lyrics falter if they are not
complemented by great music. The lyrics on Speak
Now do not falter. Each song is lively if it needs to be,
slow if it needs to be, raw if it needs to be, powerful if
it--well, you get the point. These words are backed by
solid guitar riffs, nice simple--but potent--drum tracks,
and even a few guitar solos. Sounds more like rock 'n
roll, doesn’t it?
I asked myself the same question the first
time I listened to the album. Indeed, I was so convinced
of the rock 'n roll heart of Taylor Swift that I listed Speak
Now as rock 'n roll in my iTunes. I have since changed
the album back to country after reviewing tracks from
American Saturday Night, by another favorite country
artist of mine, Brad Paisley. Then I listened to some
modern rock tracks. It occurred to me that as music
evolves, rock is becoming more and more alternative,
so much so that it is hard to find a real rock 'n roll record
these days. On the other hand, country is starting to
resemble rock. Though she is still country, Taylor Swift
reflects this musical evolution.
In the end, Speak Now is nothing but a force
for good: good lyrics, good music, good messages, good
critic-bashing. It’s a triumph of modern music. And
just remember that Taylor Swift is only 21. She has
years of greatness ahead of her. And I will love every
moment of it, as will countless others, looking towards
Taylor for advice as they grow older with her.
Footprints from page 24
Aunt Chris’ words fill you with gladness.
Her hugs are warm and loving. Her eyes are happy and
fun. Aunt Chris is an amazing woman. She is the living
definition of the phrase family-oriented. I love her for
that.
Connection from page 11
things to offer. From food to school supplies there may
be something for everyone.
"I really like it," said freshman Sara Locke.
"It's nice because if you forget something at home, you
can almost always find it there."
n H o r n
Conferences from page 5
to obtain their student’s first quarter report cards during
conferences instead of waiting for grades to arrive by
mail.
“The format comes from one of my old
schools, Leland and Gray, and allows for private con-
versations but easy accessibility for parents,” Thibault
said. “With all staff in one room, parents can always
see who has the long line and pick the next teacher to
talk to, accordingly.”
Many teachers at SHS supported Thibault
and the administration with their plans for a new version
of parent-teacher conferences.
“The team leaders are committed to doing
another one [parent-teacher conference] in March and
evaluating the event and format in the spring for consid-
eration for next year,” said Thibault. “One veteran staff
member suggested we do them every quarter because
she liked it so much.”
While the turnout of the conferences wasn’t
as high as hoped, only about 15% of parents attended,
Thibault says that the originality of the setup, lack of
conferences in the past, and short notice for parents was
to blame. However, he is encouraged by the optimistic
reactions he has received. He heard many positive
responses from both parents and staff.
“I think things went very well. I was glad to
be able to meet parents and my wife was very happy to
get to meet with teachers,” concluded Chlebak. “It was
a great initiative and I hope we repeat it.”
Interns from page 6
James Janiszyn) and MAC workers Maureen Bolduc and
Ken Stringham, the group had lunch together, then split
up to attend different workshops. Interns Sarah Gray and
Maria Stern did not attend this awards ceremony.
After a long rainy day of conferences,
participants explored the Bennington Museum. Interns
received an inside look at the way other exhibits are
displayed, and they reflected on how they could use this
information as they create their next exhibit, a display
that will celebrate 250 years of Springfield history. The
Springfield interns browsed the Grandma Moses Gal-
lery, the Battle of Bennington display, and other historic
items. They also took in a statewide exhibit, State of
Craft.
“It was useful to see how many artifacts they
can display in such a minimal amount of space,” Larry
Bolduc said, “but still make it clear and concise.”
The Springfield Art and Historical Society
received much publicity and merit for their 2010 sum-
mer exhibit on disasters. Visitors to the Miller Art Center
exhibits have agreed that these interns and their advisors
deserve credit for a job well done.
CFG from page 5
because it’s a good thing to do. It improves teaching,
so we would have done something similar to Critical
Friends regardless.”
Critical Friends Groups are part of a strategy
to improve teaching and learning at SHS. Improvement
in these areas has become a priority of the school be-
cause of a high dropout rate among Springfield students
and disappointing scores on the NECAP tests in English,
math, and science, which are taken by SHS juniors. The
process of Corrective Action--mandated by the Vermont
Department of Education--includes strategies like CFGs,
which open lines of communication between educators
at the high school.
G r e e n H o r
Fantasy from page 16
plan/ run away as fast as you can.” His insecuirty terri-
fies him, and he deepens the mood with a cold piano and
dark synthesizers. The song runs on a little longer than
it needs to (the last few minutes include West singing a
blues rendition of the song through a vocoder) a com-
mon trend of the songs on Fantasy. But the unnecessary
length suggests imperfection, the point West is trying to
get across, so it works.
West proves his imperfection in all of the
songs. He reveals his life as a dark twisted fantasy, at
times lashing out at those who have critized him in the
past. Saturday Night Live is identified, for example,
and that great comic institution has since learned repect
after West's most recent appearance on the show where
he performed “Runaway” and “Power.”
Fantasy slow down its rampaging blend of
imperfection, insecuiry, and self-consiousness on one
track, “So Appalled,” which at first doesn’t appear to fit
the album. But the song is not only another example of
imperfection (this is a good thing in the case of Fantasy)
but also a summary of West’s lifestyle. Both West and
Jay-Z decribe their world-dominating lifestyle – five star
dishes, exotic fishes, champagne wishes – as “*bleep-
ing* ridiculous.”
Simple words of praise cannot do justice
to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, an A+ record
if there ever was one. It’s an album of “twisted fic-
tion, sick addiction,” as Minaj says in a British accent,
opening the album, and it is even more personal than
2008’s 808s and Heartbreak, which displayed West’s
life and uncertainties with infinite exellence. Fantasy
is perfect in its imperfections, a masterwork of both hip-
hop specifically and music generally. West redefined
hip-hop in 2004 and with Fantasy he is re-redefining
it. I have heard many of the great albums of 2010, and
this is easily the best of the year. Personally, I would
call it the best hip-hop album of all time, a title I would
previously have given to either Late Registration or
M.I.A.’s Kala (2007).
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fanstasy is a
thrill ride, a workout, a heartwrencher, an inspiration as
it joyously rolls through 13 tracks of greatness, leaving
one worn-out and satsified. “Is hip-hop just a euphe-
mism for religion?” West ponders in “Gorgeous.” If
that's the case, then I am a devoted member. And Kanye
West is my spiritual leader.
Dyllusionist from page 4
real fun in his act begins when the hypnosis starts and
he sends people into a deep, entertaining slumber.
Like all great magicians, Tenney reveals no
secrets. And he enjoys doing shows for new audiences.
“I can’t get an honest reaction from myself anymore
because I know how everything works,” said Tenney.
“I’ve done them [tricks] so many times.”
Tenney hopes to study marketing at the
University of New Hampshire, so he can promote his
career as an illusionist. “I want to do something I like,"
he concluded,"and get paid for it.”
Blood from page 6
ing to the Red Cross website, 38,000 blood donations
are needed in the United States each day.
One pint of blood has the potential to save
three people. The American Red Cross supplies about
40 percent of America’s blood supply, according to their
websit. For the autumn blood drive in the tech center,
many students--even if unaware of these statistics--
happily assisted with registration or willingly donated
blood.
n pg
Homework from page 11
dents should have homework, and its length should
be estimated by multiplying a student’s grade by ten.
Thus, seniors should have 120 minutes of homework
per night, juniors should have 110 minutes, sophomores
should have 100 minutes, and freshmen should have 90
minutes per night.
“I have had a dozen conversation with
parents about homework that ranges from freshmen to
seniors,” said Thibault. “and the amount of time their
students spend on homework.”
Some parents worry about too much home-
work. “I feel that my daughter can’t have a life outside
of school.” SHS parent Tammy Fountain said. “She
spends five to six hours per night on homework, which
makes it hard for students to find a balance between
their social life and school.”
According to an article on Helium.com en-
titled “Can Students be Hurt by too Much Homework?"
students who spend a great deal of time on homework
may suffer from burn-out and may, therefore, rebel
against homework. Students with too much homework
may also begin to resent their school and their parents.
Such students may also feel anxious and may be unable
to sleep, which could, in turn, affect their success with
homework assignments and academic achievement.
An 8-period schedule may contribut to more
homework, however. “I believe that more homework
is being assigned because of the 8-period days,” said
Thibault. “Teachers have to give more homework to
make up for the time difference in class.”
“I think students are being assigned more
homework because teachers are feeling the crunch of
getting through their grade expectations in their content
areas,” added Hathorn.
Too much homework can be devastating for
students. In fact, because of worries about too much
homework in the 8-period day, a 4-period block schedule
will be instituted at SHS next year. However, even with
less periods and less classes, the question still stands:
do high school teachers assign too much homework?
Maybe the only sensible answer to this question will
be found in student opinions.
Bowling from page 17
arms. The balls weigh 16 pounds, you know”
In previous years, the bowling club has only
competed against one club, Brattleboro. However, Hart-
ford and Leland and Gray will roll strings against the
Springfield bowlers this year. With the added competi-
tion, teams will compete in various matches. A tourna-
ment will decide who will win the bowling trophy.
“We only bowled against Brattleboro two
times last year,” said Spindler. “ This year we’re hoping
to win the trophy.”
“I like the environment and the people,” said
senior Amanda Farnsworth, as she commented on the
positive qualities of the sport of bowling. Farnsworth
is a nationally-ranked bowler. She won states and the
Pepsi tournament and for the last two years competed
in the national championship for bowling in Indiana.
“I like being able to work on getting the
exact same thing,” said Farnsworth, who is not able to
join the Springfield Bowling Club because of her own
rigorous work and training schedule. “The hardest thing
in bowling is being consistent.”
Robinson agrees with Farnsworth.” My av-
erage right now is 183 and I’d like to just keep getting
better," he said. "Hopefully, I can be over 200 by the
end of next year.”
21
Activism from page 3
be involved [in civics] when we’re old enough,” said
sophomore Alissa Cooper.
Slivka’s civics curriculum focuses on current
events and the operation of American government. “I use
current events as a way to get kids interested in politics,”
said Slivka. “We talk about Obama, the elections in the
House, and the effect that it might have on the direction
the country takes.”
Lavin uses this strategy in his classes. “I
cover current events, so students see how things going
on affect them, so that they’ll have a stake in it,” he
said. “That can lead to activism, but it doesn’t always
work.”
Stern is a fan of this method of encouraging
activism. “Slivka’s class is really helpful,” said Stern.
“It shows students a big part of what might elude them
in the news.” Stern asserts that students are more likely
to flip past the news and go directly to more accessible
entertainment channels, like MTV. This makes a current
events curriculum all the more necessary.
However, when class is dismissed, some
students may forget about political involvement. “I don’t
have civics anymore,” said senior Kristen Rousse about
her disenfranchisement with politics. “So, I don’t really
have to concern myself with it.”
Many students blame their detachment from
politics on a lack of scruples among some public lead-
ers.
“I feel that politicians lie,” said Cooper.
“They say they’ll do one thing and then they do another.”
Cooper does not feel currently involved, but claims
that she will become involved later in life, because, as
TASC from page 7
“We may not have been the best,” RVTC
Engineering student and SHS senior Ben Chevalier said.
“But we definitely weren’t the worst.”
This year, the students were challenged to
design and build an easily portable emergency shelter
that could be used anywhere around the world to protect
victims of natural disasters. Students were required to
build a structure that was lightweight, one that could be
easily packed and shipped around the world.
The TASC Competition took place in early
December at Patrick Gym on the UVM campus in
Burlington, Vermont. Approximately 30 to 40 schools
competed and the best designs were reviewed by the
College of Engineering and the University of Vermont.
The college’s top design choices were submitted to
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
which is an agency that assists people during natural
disasters.
To prepare for the competition, students
created seven mock-up, small-scale shelters that incor-
porated different designs and ideas from each student.
From there, students presented and discussed each of
their mock-up shelters and ideas, and produced a final
design.
“Their [the students] mock-ups have a lot of
good design qualities,” Gray said before the competition.
“If they are able to take their mock-ups and convert
them into a prototype they should do very well in the
competition.”
The RVTC students’ final design incorpo-
rated the best qualities of three to four mock-ups. It
included a half-cylinder shaped structure, with supports
that were made of flexible Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
tubing. The structure’s bottom included a Mylar space
pg 22
she asserts, one has to watch out for politicians pass-
ing unfavorable bills that can worsen one’s situation,
particularly with the economy in a recession.
Freshman Keily Schuck echoes this cyni-
cism. “I feel like they [politicians] use a lot of dirty tricks
to get their votes,” she said. Schuck said she would be
more involved in politics if she felt politicians played
fair.
Many young people link their political
engagement to their parents’ habits. Garfield spoke to
this issue. “Lack of parental interest and involvement
plays a huge difference in how a student contributes to
politics,” she said. “Many adults in Springfield haven't
shown interest in politics. We have a good-sized base of
citizens, but many aren't registered and don't choose to
be registered. Their kids have the same disinterest.”
Many SHS students reflect this point of view.
Junior Rebecca Cole observed this phenomenon in her
own life. “I think the reason I don’t pay attention is my
parents aren’t politically active,” said Cole.
Sophomore Erika Christman's lack of in-
volvement also springs from her parents. “My parents
understand politics,” she said. “It just stresses them out,
so I don’t want to involve myself.”
Parents’ influence on political activism is a
two-way street, however. Jade, who voted in the 2010
midterm elections, acknowledges his parents for their
inspiration and encouragement. “My parents pestered
me [to vote],” he said. “They got me to the point where I
almost didn’t want to vote.” He says that they’ve always
supported him regarding politics.
Stern’s family also affected her involvement.
blanket lining that is puncture-resistant, a well-insulated
base, and a tarp roof. The students also used wooden
planks as a foundation at the bottom of the structure.
The final structure was designed to fold up like an ac-
cordion to make it easily portable and compactable.
“We all came up with our own ideas, and
then we all voted on the best features of each mock-up
to incorporate into our final design,” Chevalier said.
“One of my contributions to the design was the idea to
use the space blanket.”
“As we go along we are continuously coming
up with new ideas,” RVTC Engineering student and Fall
Mountain senior Will Tuksta said before the competi-
tion. “I think it [our design] will do pretty well.”
For the competition, the students’ design had
to be at least two meters high and large enough for two
6-foot people to lie down in. Students were required
to incorporate their design into a half-size model. This
half-size model was put through a series of tests such as
functionality and wind resistance in the competition to
demonstrate how well the full-size model would work
in a natural disaster.
Before the competition, the students ex-
pressed the assets and liabilities found in their design.
“The cost of building the structure is rela-
tively cheap,” Chevalier said. “It also has a large interior
volume.”
“I think it’s pretty quick to set up, which is
good,” Level 2 Engineering student and SHS senior
Tyler Purcell said.
Some areas of concern for the students in
their design involved the sturdiness of the structure
and its aerodynamic qualities. They feared that their
model would not perform well in the wind test at the
G r e e
“My parents talk to me about politics,” she said. Also,
Stern’s family includes an ex-candidate for the Vermont
legislature and a World War II veteran. “The pride re-
garding someone fighting for your rights and democracy
has contributed to my involvement with politics,” she
said.
Because of this postive effect of family on
youth voting patterns, Porter encouraged parents to talk
to their kids. “Parents can talk to their kids about who
they’re voting for and why,” she said. “My mom and I
watched presidential debates together, and that’s how I
became involved.”
Some feel that voting--and turning 18--are
not celebrated enough in American culture, which
contributes to a lack of interest in national politics.
“The fact that our community does not go very far in
celebrating our children, birth to 18 years, doesn't help,”
said Garfield.
Thibault also spoke to this issue. “I’d like to
see voter registration as a school-wide ceremony,” he
said. Thibault feels turning 18 and registering to vote
should be treated as a celebratory rite of passage.
Though there are many theories surrounding
lack of youth activism, some argue activism isn’t even
sufficient. Charles Gregory, local Democratic party
member, doesn't necessarily promote youth activism.
“I can't say that encouraging political activism is a good
thing,” he said. “After all, the wrong people-- e.g., Hit-
ler, Stalin, Sarah Palin-- are often better at encouraging
activism than the right people are. What I really aim for
is political awareness, which is much harder, because it
involves thinking rather than feeling.”
competition.
“Our model is designed more for warmer
climates, so it may depend on where you are in the
world,” Chevalier said. “I wouldn’t say it could survive
a hurricane but if you had it and were lost in a desert,
you could survive for a while.”
Before the competition, students had hopes
of showing well in Burlington. Whatever the outcome,
they felt the competition also gave them experience
with some real-life problem solving tasks in the field
of engineering.
“I want to get into mechanical engineering,
which involves building things,” RVTC Engineering
student John Wyatt said. “Right now we are build-
ing things, so it definitely helps me prepare for the
future.”
“They [students] will definitely be competi-
tive,” Gray said before the competition. “Even if they
don’t win, the design experience that they gain can be
applied to lots of other projects throughout their engi-
neering careers.”
Visit past editions
of the Green
Horn at www.
ssdvt.org
n H o r n
Smart Boards from page 1
boards and chalkboards obsolete at SHS. Even educators
uncomfortable with technology figure SMART Boards
represent progress in the classroom if these devices
engage students. A SMART Board runs about $1000,
which is added to the cost of a projector at $400-600.
Some feel this is a small price to pay since many stu-
dents feel that SMART Boards create a stronger, more
inviting, learning environment in the classroom.
“I definitely think that SMART Boards ex-
pand our range of learning,” said junior Richie Thomas,
“and they‘re definitely a good investment for math
classes.”
More SMART Boards are being added to
SHS classrooms. Though money is always a problem for
American public schools, SHS Principal Bob Thibault
supports such intelligent use of technology for classroom
instruction.
“I think that this year's budget has some
more SMART Boards in it.” said Thibault. “We need
to find ways to save money but also keep our students
competitive with bigger schools.”
Besides inspiring greater student engagement
in the learning process, SMART Boards save time and
space in classes. For example, overhead projectors
are still used to show an image on a large screen. But
creating--or writing on--an overhead transparency can
Panorama from page 15
“My best art students also do not fit into any
kind of grouping," Murray added, "unless you also want
to call them unique.”
Murray mentioned that her 31 years of expe-
rience founding and working in the Beyond the Unicorn
craft fair has shown her that artists are different from
one another. Murray juried the fair herself, and tried to
include different art forms, including jewelry-making,
pottery, or photography.
“Through the years I have met some amazing
artists and invited some to come here and work with
our arts academy students,” said Murray. “Some are
kind of more fine or visual artists, and some are more
craftspeople.”
Whether a painter, musician, illustrator or
photographer, an artist, and others like himself, will
be viewed as eccentric or alternative, but ultimately
one-of-a-kind. Not only artists, but all human beings,
could be compared to snowflakes. From a distance, they
have a collective similarity. However, when inspected
up close, each has its own pattern, with incomparable
characteristics that define its form and substance and
separate it from all others.
If you were to examine yourself closely, you
would find both imperfections and perfections. Nev-
ertheless, if you look hard enough, chances are you’ll
discover the perfectly-flawed and wonderful artist that
rests somewhere deep within, waiting to perform.
Soccer from page 18
FC and Tom plays for the Springfield Soccer Club. Tom
plays indoor soccer for different reasons. “I play to
keep my touches up and to gain skill in the off-season,”
Kendall said, “I also enjoy the opportunity to meet new
people from around the state who play soccer.”
An all-freshman indoor team called the
G r e e n H o r
be time-consuming, space-consuming, and paper-con-
suming. The process can consist of copying the chosen
document on a clear sheet and using a copy machine to
translate the document onto an overhead transparency
that will be utlized with a special machine situated in
the center of the classroom. Additionally, during a les-
son that involves an overhead projector, a teacher may
have to struggle through students and backpacks to pull
down the projector screen. Then they would need to get
back to the projector to write on the paper sliding up
and down the overhead machine, a process which could
smudge the hand of the writer.
With SMART Boards, however, teachers can
teach at the front of the classroom on the board with a
projector mounted from the ceiling, a technology-based
process that could save time and encourage focus. However, some students feel the cost isn’t
“My students can follow what I’m doing on
the board, whether I’m writing a procedure or using the
calculator,” said math teacher John Dean, “rather than
me walking around the room to help each student.”
Teachers who don’t use SMART Boards,
explain their lack of use in terms of the time needed to
learn the new technology. However, other educators
have gotten around this challenge.
“I learned mostly from Mr. Jardina [Angelo,
social studies team leader]," said Dean. "But the more I
Leaders from page 7
the gym, as well as juggling activities on the racquetball
courts.
Throughout the conference the five SHS stu-
dents were encouraged to step out of their shell. During
their two days at the Sheraton, they gained lessons to
bring back to the high school. “I learned that it’s always
team over me,” said junior Kirk Perham, “not me over
team.”
With participants staying in one huge hotel
in a small city and only one advisor per five student-
athletes, some coaches worried about the relaxed atmo-
sphere of the conference. Yet this openness made the
experience better. “I thought it was just enough freedom
to be safe on your own,” said SHS Advisor Cathy Paul,
“but enough supervision for things to go smoothly.”
The speakers throughout the conference
engaged the students in hands-on activities which trans-
formed the Sheraton with positive lessons of lessons
and leadership. “My favorite speaker was definitely Ed
[Gerety],” said Perham.” He was great at getting his
message out and he told us stories that would relate to
us teenagers.”
Students and adults who participated in the
conference intended to use these leadership activities
to make Cosmos sports and the high school community
better. “I know now that my team needs to bond before
the season starts,” said Jenna Paul. “And [we must]
become closer as a team to do better.”
Pumas also plays in Rutland, and the girls SHS soccer
team plays at Grantham. Junior Jenna Paul plays for the
SHS girls soccer indoor team. “It keeps me in shape for
soccer season," Paul said. "And it improves my touches
a lot.”
Indoor soccer is different from regular soc-
cer. It is played on a smaller court and games can take
n pg
use it, the more I learn."
In fact, SMART Boards have extra features
and software that can be purchased to suit any subject
being taught. The Internet can also enhance teachers'
use of this technology.
“When I had my knee operated on, I actually
Skyped [an online source of web chat] with one of my
classes and taught a lesson from home on the SMART
Board,” said Jardina.
Although some teachers are not comfortable
with SMART Boards, some educators feel an adjustment
needs to be made for the sake of learning. “There was
a time when students used slate in classrooms,” said
Thibault. “You just have to be ready to embrace new
tools.”
worth the investment and the money could be used for
other things. “I don’t think that they do anything that a
chalkboard can’t,” said junior Lauren Fish.
Despite Fish’s opinion--which is shared by
other students and some staff--the use of technology in
public schools is growing. And SHS educators plan to
move SHS classrooms into the future.
“I don’t even have chalk,” concluded Jar-
dina.
No-Shave from page 9
vember website, five rules exist for those who want
to participate in Movember. Oddly similar to the 1999
blockbuster Fight Club, the first rule states a participant
must not shave in November while the second rule re-
peats the first dictum. The third official rule states that
if an individual shaves they are out. The fourth rule does
not allow trimming or waxing. The fifth rule states one's
no-shave habit can go as long as one desires. That’s right.
According to organizers, every month can be No-Shave
November. A person may end up resembling a hobo in
the process, but such facial hair would be worth it.
No-Shave November and Movember have
some slight differences. Movember includes mustaches
only and shaving of the cheek and neck region is al-
lowed. No-Shave November tolerates no shaving of
any area of the face. Movember is also an organization
and raises money for prostate cancer research while
No-Shave November simply raises awareness.
Movember and No-Shave November are
very similar. If one wants a reason to participate in this
fall sport, just look in a mirror and imagine a lush and
exquisite beard. Then imagine winning at everything
one has ever attempted, like beating prostate cancer.
Participating in Movember and No-Shave November
will let a person do that.
place on either a hard surface, like a basketball court, or
on artificial turf. With indoor soccer, six players make
up a team. Offsides do not exist with indoor soccer,
the ball can be played off walls, and the ball used may
be smaller than regulation. The indoor season for most
teams usually starts in late November or early Janu-
ary.
23
 By Justin Derosier
SHS Speaks Out
W
ith the variety of students and staff at Springfield High School and the diverse foods consumed during winter break, it's nice to remember what excited taste
buds during the holiday. To recall culinary pleasures, the Green Horn asked students and staff: What was your favorite holiday food and why?

Nurse Wendy Reeves Senior Shan Xu Freshman Alex Rumrill

The holiday cookies because they were buttery, Chinese purple taro cake because it was sweet but not Turkey, because I just really liked it.
chocolatey, and delicious. too sweet.

Junior Coral LaMontange Sophomore J.T. Therrien Junior Zaire Mann

Pumpkin pie because I got whipped cream and vanilla Turkey because it made me sleepy. Baked macaroni and cheese because it was more than
ice cream. Whipped cream was amazing. good. It was great.

Footprints in the Sand

Who Made the Cheesecake?
By Courtney Downing

five sisters. Her father, my great grandfather, was the
pastor of the church I’ve grown up with, Calvary Baptist
Church, in Springfield, Vermont.
She is currently working for the Department
of Corrections, leading therapy groups and helping those
in need. Aunt Chris’ background in criminal justice and
working to support all of them, and at the same time
being an amazing mother, is inspiring.
My family has a birthday tradition. Every
year on our birthdays we all go around the table and say
something positive and encouraging about the person
having the birthday. Whenever it is Aunt Chris’ turn to

W
ho made the cheesecake?”
“I did…”
“Well, it’s disgusting!”
When you're three years old, speaking your mind
trumps using your manners any day. This was the first
Thanksgiving my dad and I celebrated family. Talk about
awkward. This incident is still discussed at almost every
family function we have.
My Aunt Chris is that aunt, the one you
always look forward to seeing. The one who you just
have to sit by at dinner. She’s the cool aunt. Chris was
born on Christmas Eve, in Maine, and grew up with her
police work, to me, is pretty neat.
Aside from her current corrections work,
Aunt Chris has traveled all over. She was recently liv-
ing in Albania, with my Uncle Gary, who is supporting
the war in Afghanistan, working for the United States
Department of Justice. She came home to Vermont to
welcome her new granddaughter, Natalie, into the world.
She has two daughters, Jillian and Jacqueline. Jill has
two boys, Xavier and Aiden, and Jac just had her first
child, Natalie.
Aunt Chris was a single mother for most of
the girls’ lives. The way she pulled off being a mother,
say something she shows that she means it. She makes
that person know how special they truly are. I know
whenever she says something on my birthday, I need
tissues nearby because she says the sweetest things.
Apart from her caring side, Aunt Chris loves
to have fun. I can’t begin to count the number of din-
ners that have ended with roll wars in the parking lot.
We stuff the rolls in purses, pockets, and even baby car
seats, and throw them at one another in the parking lot.
This tradition started with Aunt Chris.
See Footprints page 20

pg 24 G r e e n H o r n