Election Season

Class Council bulletin board for the underclassmen. (Photo/Rose McDermott-Pinch)

By: Rose McDermott-Pinch

In April the students who participate in the class council gave speeches to their class for the election to the Executive Board. Then the students in their grade voted to decide who will lead their class for 2014-2015.

The positions are: President, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. The freshmen do not have an E-Board because they have not had the opportunity to see how class council works or to vote yet.

The current sophomore E-Board members are Delenn Martin (President), Hunter Wain (VP), Julianne Braza (secretary), and Shelly Sheehan (treasurer).

“Class council is a fun afterschool activity and it’s fun to have a say in your class even if you aren’t an officer,” said sophomore Kylie Levine.

The current junior officers are Ben Wagner (President), Julia Paine (VP), Rose McDermott-Pinch (secretary), and Chelsey Sabilla (treasurer).

Paine said, “These elections make me happy yet nervous at the same time. I’m not really sure what the outcome will be but I’m excited for next year.”

The E-Board members from the current senior class are Carlee Russell (President), Amanda Alfani (VP), Olivia Mayer (secretary), and Tim Cao (treasurer).

“ I’ve been lucky enough to serve as class treasurer practically my whole high school careerand it has been a gratifying experience to spend time with such amazing people [our advisors, our members, the board]. Choosing to be involved in class council has made my high school experience worthwhile. And it will be one of the things that I miss the most,” said Cao.

On May 2 in advisory, students were given a ballot with the names of candidates and voted for one person for each position.

The officers for next year are as follows: sophomores Noah Saulnier, Jessie So, Kyla Mucciarone , and Joetta Nuahn, juniors Julianne Braza, Sarah Nasah, Matt Fierstein, Kevin Sachew, and seniors Ross Killion, Hannah Root, Sasha Nieves, and Chelsey Sabilla.

Senior Jon Barbosa said, “The election process should go very smoothly. Applicants get the chance to speak about their goals and hopefully the other students will listen to them.”

Any student is allowed to run for a position as long as they fill out a nomination paper and have it signed by the class council and student council advisors.

“This year’s class council elections are ridiculous. Students are running for positions with no prior experience. They only want to run so it will look good on college applications, whereas the students who have been there since freshman year are in it for the good of the class,” said junior Kayla Alvarez.

However, not all members of the class feel the same way. “I like class council and I’m glad to welcome new people as long as they are willing to do their job,” said junior Sarah Williams.

Senior Week 2014

Tozier-Cassidy Field, the site of the Class of 2014’s graduation ceremony. (Photo/Cameron Merritt)

By: Dan Batista

As the AHS seniors prepare for their last week of high school, they still have their senior week events to look forward to. Senior week runs from June 2-6, the day of their graduation.

The senior events include a trip to Seekonk Grand Prix, Spirit of Boston Boat Cruise, a Senior Reception at Demetri’s, and finally a Senior Breakfast at the Highland Country Club.

The trip to Seekonk Grand Prix will be on Monday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Seniors will compete against class advisors Mrs. Darby Sawyer and Mrs. Carla Hodges in a game of mini golf and go-cart racing, or try to bump them off their boats in bumper boats. Each student will be able to play one game of mini golf, go on three rides of their choice, and receive 12 tokens to the arcade. If a student wishes to play more games they may simply purchase more coins.

The Spirit of Boston Cruise will be on Wednesday, June 4 from 4:30 to 11:30 p.m. On this cruise, seniors will board the Spirit of Boston for a night of dancing, eating, and fun with their classmates out on Boston Harbor. Buses will transport the seniors to Boston and back, departing from the AHS parking lot. This cruise will be a semiformal event and shoes must be worn at all times. For this event seniors must be in the parking lot no later than 4:30 p.m.

The senior reception at Demetri’s in Foxboro will be held on Thursday, June 5. The seniors and their parents will hear the class essayist, Max Lancaster, give his final remarks to the Class of 2014 and watch the senior highlight video while enjoying a fun night of eating and dancing.

The seniors will gather on the morning of their Graduation day, June 6, for a class breakfast at Highland Country Club near AHS. They will enjoy a traditional breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausage, and fresh fruit. They will also hear some final words from their class advisors and a guest speaker.

Please feel free to join the Class of 2014 at their graduation ceremony at Tozier-Cassidy on Friday, June 6, 2014 at 6 p.m.

The Truth Behind The Mask

The unicorn in its natural habitat. (Photo/Matthew Bray)

By: Matthew Bray

Ever woken up and realized that happiness is not part of life? An even better question asked by the product description of the Accoutrements unicorn head mask is “Are you a secret unicorn?”

In late March of this year, I woke up and realized that I wanted to transform into a unicorn. I visited Amazon.com to look for something and came across the unicorn mask.

The product description said, “We’ve found that many people, especially our customers, are secretly unicorns in their hearts. This mask lets you be the unicorn you know you are!”

After reading that, I instantly ordered the unicorn mask and never regretted the decision.

At the time, buying the magical unicorn mask from Accoutrements was probably the greatest decision I ever made.

As soon as I put the mask on, I could instantly feel the majesticism flow through my entire body. It was a tough transformation at first because I have never experienced being a unicorn before, but after some time I grew used to it. I became one with the unicorn.

I knew I had to show it off somehow. My friend, who had a horse mask, and I went to the mall and we were instantly swarmed by people taking pictures with us. The fun didn’t last long though. As soon as the mall security officer saw us he said, “Don’t move!” and began walking towards us.

We knew we had to leave, so as soon as we could, we turned on our 100 horsepower engines and galloped off into the distance until we were out of sight. We then had to remove the masks so we wouldn’t be caught again and it was at that point that we realized these masks weren’t safe.

It was then that I also realized that I didn’t fit in this world as a unicorn. I took off the mask forever and am now walking this Earth on two legs, just like you.

TYREE’S TELLING: Wattpad

By: Tyree Cooper

Wattpad is a website for those who have a passion for reading and writing. It’s also available as an app and can be used on any device. For me, I knew I’d be making an account right away after finding the website.

Based in Toronto, Canada with 25 million Wattpadders around the world and more than 40 million uploaded stories, Wattpad has definitely become a popular and productive community that creates, shares and discusses stories.

Wattpad allows users to create their own stories to share with others around the world or to read what others have created. To upload a story, choose what category the story may fit in, along with a rating and a language. Works can be either private or public, and other things can be added later, such as photos, tags, links, or videos.

The author of the story can be contacted easily through the website itself, and the author can also receive feedback. Also, if a particular story is being read and enjoyed but is still a work in progress, the reader will be notified the instant the author adds to the story.

Wattpad has a huge selection of genres. This makes things much easier when it comes to browsing. There’s also a list of recommended stories and authors, and a list of new stories, popular stories and some the user might like.

Even better is that all the stories are free and can be read whenever and wherever, offline or online. Users can have their own library and write or read on the go.

Beth Clifton: 2014 AHS Salutatorian

The AHS Class of 2014 salutatorian, Beth Clifton. (Courtesy of Beth Clifton)

By: Giovanni Carcamo

The salutatorian for AHS was announced on May 15 during Awards Night. This year the crown was placed on Beth Clifton, second in the class with a GPA of 102.18.  She talks about her goals and how she prepared for the title.

Question: How did you feel when your name was called at Awards Night?

Answer: Mostly excited but also a little nervous about having to give a speech! I also felt accomplished, like four years of hard work had paid off.

Q: What kind of sacrifices have you made to achieve this goal?

A:  I’ve had to sacrifice a lot of free time. I know there have been times where my friends would be going out and I couldn’t because I had work to finish. I’ve also sacrificed a lot of sleep. Many nights I’d be up working even to 2 or 3 in the morning.

Q: How do you handle the stress of schoolwork?

A: My way of handling stress is by avoiding it. I try to get my work done on time so I don’t have to worry about turning in assignments late or not having enough time to finish. Any other stress I release through sports. For four years sports has been my release from academics, allowing me to get my mind away from school, even if just for a little while.

Q: What is your routine to balance all your extra-curricular activities?

A: I prioritize assignments, doing the hardest, most important or most urgent things first.

Q: What are your extra-curricular activities?

A: Soccer, basketball and spring track & field (captain for all three), coordinator for Project Unite, Youth Commissioner for the Attleboro Recreation Department; math tutor

Q: Was this a goal you had in mind when you began high school?

A: I honestly never thought about this until the end of sophomore year when my guidance counselor told me I was number two. Since then it’s always kind of been in the back of my mind to keep that rank, but it wasn’t a conscious goal.

Q: Do you feel that there is a certain way students can go to achieve this goal?

A:  I think because everyone is different, there’s no one strict way to become salutatorian. But if someone were asking me for advice, I’d tell them that hard work is what got me here, but I would also like to stress that while it’s an honor to be salutatorian, you shouldn’t work hard in school just for the rank, you should work hard because you’re passionate about learning. I think that is also a big reason I achieved this — because I wasn’t learning just to learn or just for the grade, I was learning because I wanted to.

Q: How did your family help you achieve this title?

A: My family has been so helpful that I cannot fit every way they’ve helped, but most impactful to me has been the little things they’ve done: my parents and brother setting an example of achievement, my mom and dad making me little snacks while I’m working or staying up late to help me with assignments, my brother giving me advice (especially since he recently took many of the classes that I took) or making me a root beer float at midnight when I’m still doing homework. Their support has been constant and unwavering for the past four years and I cannot speak enough about what they’ve done for me.

Q: Do you see yourself as a role model?

A: You know I never really saw myself as a role model until this year when I started to help out with the sixth grade girls’ basketball team. And just by virtue of being older than them, these girls looked up to me — literally too (sorry I had to make that cheesy joke). And I don’t know that I necessarily saw myself as a role model, but I knew I had to do my best to be a good one because I was setting an example for those girls.

Q: Who is your role model?

A:  This is cheesy, but my mom, when she was in high school was good at science and math so her guidance counselor basically told her she should become a nurse and that she wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything else. Instead she went to UC Berkeley, then Yale for grad school, and now she’s a published scientist. She’s shown me that I can succeed like she did no matter what anyone tells you.

Q: Do you plan to be the top in your college?

A:  Of course I’d love to do well in college, but I also look forward to it as an amazing experience where I can learn from the best of the best. There’s this quote that I have hanging on the wall in my room: “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” Not only do I think it’d be hard to find such a room, I never want to because I think the best way to learn is from your peers.

Q: Was there a point where you felt that you wouldn’t be able to make the goal?

A:  There were definitely moments when I thought I wouldn’t become salutatorian, but that didn’t really faze me because it was never really a goal, just a byproduct of my hard work, so if I did get it that’d be cool, but if I didn’t it wouldn’t change all that I had done over the four years.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A: In ten years, hopefully I’ll be an engineer, have done some world travel, and maybe be starting a family.

Q: What is your career goal?

A:  I’ll be studying engineering at Brown, and I hope to focus on aeronautical engineering. So ideally, I’ll work as an engineer designing planes, possibly for the military or even commercially.

OPINION: “Freedom of Sterling”

American flag (Photo/Samantha Tingue)

By: Samantha Tingue

The shoe fits according to the tapes released about Los Angeles Clippers NBA owner Donald Sterling.

Many have reacted to Sterling’s racist remarks both strongly and negatively through Twitter, Facebook, and popular blogs. Stars like Snopp Dogg and Basketball legend Magic Johnson and Charles Barkely, have expressed their disgust at Sterling’s racist remarks, which include him saying, “Don’t bring [Black people] to my games” and “Why are you taking pictures with minorities?”

Despite the controversy, what happened to the idea of freedom of speech, the “right to express an opinion without censorship or restraint”? Sterling is entitled to his opinion – whether or not it is ignorant and blunt. In fact, citizens and civilians are entitled to their own opinions and the right to freely express them, but at what point should society consider a line that absolutely can not be crossed when it comes to “freedom of speech?”

Racism is no laughing matter and there are those who would say that Sterling clearly crossed that line with his racist comments to his girlfriend. Socially, Sterling was wrong to state the things he did. Politically and by law, he has the right to say such remarks because they are indeed his opinion.

As an African-American, I take offense to Sterling’s comments. No one ever believes that they are racist, but as humans we unconsciously may have a particular bias toward a specific group, person, culture, or even race.

Racism is a continuing problem in our world, and Sterling’s remarks are not the first example of that. All Americans, including Sterling, have the freedom of speech, but it is up to society to decide on ways of regulating what others say. Members of society should be careful of their actions and speech. Even though personal opinions, beliefs, and views may differ from others, it is not right to insult or offend anyone.

Attleboro’s Geoff Cameron World Cup Bound

Cameron as a freshman on the 2000 AHS Boys’ Soccer Team. (AHS File Photo)

By: Cameron Merritt

On May 22, United States Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) coach Jürgen Klinsmann announced his final 23-man roster for this June’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Among the players chosen by the U.S. boss was Attleboro native Geoff Cameron, who plays as a defender for the English Premier League’s Stoke City Football Club.

“So blessed [and] truly honored to be able to represent [the U.S.] in the World Cup!” said Cameron via Twitter, thanking fans for all their “love [and] support.”

“As an Attleboro soccer player, I feel a lot of pride that someone is representing our country at the highest international [soccer] level and that’s something to be proud of, especially knowing I’ve played in same programs and clubs [AHS and Bayside FC] as he did,” said senior Eoin Grimes, who played as a defender for the Boys’ Varsity Team.

Cameron was born and raised in Attleboro, going through the ranks of youth soccer and playing for Rhode Island based club Bayside FC. He attended AHS from 2000-2002 and played midfield for the varsity soccer team, scoring seven goals and having 13 assists as a freshman, and nine goals and 17 assists as a sophomore. He transferred to Providence Country Day for his junior and senior years.

He played college soccer for the University of West Virginia and the University of Rhode Island before being drafted by the Houston Dynamo in the third round (42nd overall) of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. With the Dynamo, Cameron began to make a name for himself in both midfield and on defense, playing an important role in his team’s two MLS Eastern Conference championships in 2011 and 2012. He scored 11 goals in his 116 appearances for La Naranja before signing with English club Stoke City in the summer of 2012.

Since joining the Potters, Cameron has been a regular starter at the center back position. This season, Stoke finished in ninth place on the 20 club Premier League table, with Cameron playing all 37 matches and scoring a goal in a 4-1 win over Aston Villa this March. As one of the best defenders on the team, he’s become popular among fans, participating in Stoke-area charities and is featured prominently in the ad campaign for the club’s 2014/15 kit (uniform).

He first began training with the national team in 2009, but injuries prevented him from having a chance to join the team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Since then, he has worked his way into the Yanks starting XI as a regular, particularly under Klinsmann’s leadership, the former West German/German star who was named head coach of his adopted country’s team in 2011.

The 28-year old Cameron and the USMNT are currently holding a training camp in Calif. to prepare for the World Cup. They will play three friendlies on May 27 against Azerbaijan, which they won 2-0, on June 1 against Turkey, and on June 7 against Nigeria, before heading off to Brazil. There, the Americans will compete in Group G, nicknamed the “Group of Death” for its level of difficulty, where they’ll have to face off against European powerhouses Germany and Portugal as well as perennial African leaders Ghana.

“It’s always great when someone from the area can elevate their game to the highest level. There’s talent all over the country and this area is no different,” said Ryan Lanigan, editor-in-chief of Hockomock Sports, who recognized Cameron for taking a “relatively normal” path to soccer greatness, continuing his success from the MLS in England, and earned his spot on the national team.

“I think that it shows that if you’re good enough it doesn’t matter where in the country you’re from, you’ll find success,” added Lanigan.

“A lot of [soccer] players in the area look up to him and a lot of players have met him and are close friends with Geoff, so he’s making a lot of people proud,” said Grimes, adding it brings positive attention to the programs he was involved with.

The World Cup begins on June 12, but the U.S. will start the tournament June 16 when they take on Ghana, who eliminated the Americans in the 2010 Round of 16 with a 2-1 win.

LOST IN THE MIND OF GIOVANNI: Bilingual

By: Giovanni Carcamo

After traveling to Puerto Rico, Chile and Europe I have concluded how very important it is for Americans to know another language. Unfortunately for me, I am not bilingual, but wish I could at least have a simple conversation in Spanish.

There are many benefits to knowing another language. Besides understanding directions or ordering at a restaurant, it just helps to have a peaceful conversation with locals and help represent your country.

Any traveler interrupting or already able to speak the country’s language receives respect from the residents in that country, because they appreciate the effort. There are new ways to become bilingual today; people no longer need a school teacher or to take a simple high school course.

In today’s world many people can buy Rosetta Stone language tapes, which have lessons to help people learn a new language, they can watch music videos or television shows, even YouTube videos have language teaching classes. All contain language skills; it’s just a matter of simply listening and repeating.

The first language that could be attempted is Spanish; it can expand to many languages since it is based on Latin. Even in Italy or Portugal, speaking Spanish helps with communication. Another goal or purpose to learning another language is that it makes it simpler to learn a third language and so on.

So for inspired travelers, who may only know English, know that people in other countries do speak and/or understand English. To make it easier and better for yourself—try to put some effort into learning another language, teach others around you the language. This could lead to a world with fewer boundaries.

WORDS FROM RACHEL: We’re All Monkeys

By: Rachel Oliveira

On April 27 during the soccer match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF, Barcelona’s Brazilian defender Dani Alves was taking a corner shot during Barça’s 3-2 win, when a banana was thrown at his feet. Maintaining his pride, Alves picked up the banana, peeled it, took a bite and went on with his game.

Alves should be recognized for his self-controlled state of mind for responding in such a calm way to a racist taunt, but his brilliance comes from the plan behind it all.

Previously, Alves and his teammate for club and country, Neymar, agreed that if an incident like this were to occur again, they would have a plan, a plan that would make a global statement.

This is why minutes after the soccer match, Neymar, the Brazilan International and FC Barcelona forward, posted an Instagram picture that caught global attention.

It was an amusing image of him on Instagram with a cheeky smile and a banana, side by side with his adorable toddler son. Under the picture was the hash tag #SomosTodosMacacos, which means “we are all monkeys” in Portuguese to show his fellow teammate support.

Inspired by Neymar, over 100,000 people have used the hash tag, celebrities and even ordinary people alike striking humorous poses with a banana in hand. The majority came from Brazilians supporting their team.

It’s disappointing that it takes an event like this to grab everyone’s attention for an issue that has been around for a while, though it was brilliant for the players to take an event like this and make a statement proving everyone is the same in the world.

Spread the word and help put an end to racism in sports and in the entire world.

We are all monkeys.

One Acts 2014

Samantha Tingue reviewing her lines. (Photo/Angela Porazzo)

By: Angela Porrazzo

The AHS Drama Club held their annual spring “One Acts” on May 17. Supervised by physics teacher and drama coach Mr. Peter Tarsi, and seniors Mike Pratt, Scott Friedlander, Mackenzie Brennan, Kait Hull, Taylor McLean, Kaitlyn Jumpe, Alyssa Germain and Angelia Sprague, the short plays took on a life of their own.

“One Acts is a whole bunch of mini plays run by seniors who have previously participated in drama,” said Mamanding Nasso, who was an actress in the play directed by Friedlander entitled “That’s Not How I Remember It.”

The idea for this unique type of production was brought to AHS in May 1997 by Tarsi. “The year before I officially became the AHS Drama Coach, some students came to me wanting to do one more event in the spring. Because I wasn’t yet the Drama Coach, I suggested they direct short plays themselves and I’d just be the supervising adult instead of a director. It was an event my high school did, and it was a success there and became one here.”

The requirements to become a director are: students must be seniors; have to have been in six or more shows over their AHS career not including musicals; they have to have earned a varsity letter in drama; and, last but not least, they have to have participated in One Acts before.

“Members of the cast are expected to show up ready to rehearse and perform, treat each other and the script with respect, and perform to the best of their abilities,” said Tarsi, adding, “People don’t always realize how much work it is. I expect students to have fun, but also be willing to put in all that work.”

Every person has a different reason as to why they enjoy the activities they do. “I enjoy doing this because I love drama and I’ve wanted to direct since freshman year when I saw those seniors doing it,” said senior director Kaitlyn Jumpe.

Nasso said, “I want to experience everything high school has to offer, and this is just one more thing I can cross off the list before I leave.”

Senior Samantha Tingue, who is experiencing the drama club for her first time, said, “It’s stressful because there are different perspectives coming from every direction, and memorizing lines is a difficult task. I’m excited for people to see the final product though, but I’m also very nervous to get up on stage in front of people.”

The audience members came and went all day long. Jumpe said, “There’s not as much of an audience as the regular plays we perform. It’s more of a way for the drama club to say goodbye to the seniors.”

 

Memebers of the 2013-14 AHS Drama Club. (Photo/Cameron Merritt)

SCHEDULE

Moring session:

• 9:00 a.m. – “Post-Its (Notes on a Marriage)” directed by Taylor McLean
• 9:30 a.m. – “War Letters” directed by Angelia Sprague
• 10:15 a.m. – “Rise and Shine” directed by Mackenzie Brennan
• 11:00 a.m. – “I Dream Before I Take the Stand” directed by Kait Hull

Afternoon session:

• 12:30 p.m. – “Jack vs. Jill” directed by Kaitlyn Jumpe
• 1:15 p.m. – “That’s Not How I Remember It” directed by Scott Friedlander
• 2:00 p.m. – “Apocalypse or Bust” directed by Mike Pratt
• 2:45 p.m. – “The Future Is in Your Tiny Hands” directed by Alyssa Germaine