spartan - New Hartford Central Schools

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s p a r t a n e x p r e s s i o n s • N e w h a r t f o r d s e n i o r h i g h s c h o o l • n e w h a r t f o r d , n y

SPARTANNews

Model UN travels to NYC

Pages 5-7

Sports

Kesterton will play for Duke

Page 22

Feature

4 Spartans selected for

Boys State

Pages 29-30

Opinion

Is fan-fiction for real?

Pages 10-11

Dr. Spring in Spain studying intensive Spanish a few summers ago.

E x p r e s s i o n s

50 cents

Dr. Spring Leaves Her Heart in New HartfordAs principal departs for Cohoes, she reminisces about her years in the districtBy Giovanna DeFazio

For ten years now, Dr. Spring has taken on the role as principal at the New Hartford High School. At the start of April, she will begin a new journey and depart for the Cohoes City School District near

Albany where she will accept her role as superintendent.

It is more than evident that she has made a

lasting impact at the high school. Senior Jessica Rust stated, “It is so fantastic that Dr. Spring has received such a great job opportunity and she will be very

missed!” Mr. Hunt will be filling in after Dr. Spring

departs and in mid-May Mr. Condro will accept the role as principal for the remainder of the school year.

Dr. Spring confirmed that Mr. Condro will make a fantastic principal here at the high school because he is very experienced and close with the community.

This is a very important step for Dr. Spring and she is excited for the opportunity, but she is also extremely sad to leave New Hartford behind.

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News

“I am looking forward to leading a school and being a superintendent. I’m going to miss the people here, the great teachers, parents, and students. New Hartford is such an amazing community,” she said.

Even though students were just notified recently, Dr. Spring admitted that she has been preparing for the job for awhile now and the timing seemed to be

just right. “After ten years it’s good to do something

different,” Dr. Spring explained.

Being a superintendent is quite extensive and is a job that requires full responsibility, but she is more than willing to take on that role. She asserts herself as the leader of the district and hopes that she is able to make

a difference at Cohoes to increase student achievement.

Dr. Spring’s son, Ian commented by saying, “I

think she will do really well. It’s a new, fresh setting so I’m sure it will be an invigorating experience!”

As happy as the students and teachers at New Hartford are for

Dr. Spring and her exciting new opportunity, they are also terribly sad to see her go.

Psychology teacher Mrs. Halpin stated, “What I respect about Dr. Spring (and therefore, will miss) is her compassion for students

and her respect for teacher professionalism. I am very excited for the opportunity that Dr. Spring will have in Cohoes. It is a position that she has prepared for and that will utilize her knowledge

about education and her vision for excellence.”“It was a very hard decision because New

Hartford is my home. I went to E.R. Hughes

Elementary. I have raised my three boys here and I’ve been not only a principal, but a mom as well. I just recently finished receiving my doctorate and Ian

is graduating this year, so I felt that, career-wise, I am ready to make this transition.”

Dr. Spring was very honest in saying, “sometimes I just cry. It’s sad because I have such a history here.”

The impact that she made at New Hartford will always be remembered and all that

we have been through together as a school. Dr. Spring’s son Ian added, “I’m proud of her. She’s really

worked hard for this. No one can take away the foundation that she has set at New Hartford.”

Jessie agrees that “working as a superintendent is an exceptional opportunity and challenge that can’t be passed up.”

Superintendent Nole expressed his sentiments in his letter

announcing Dr. Spring’s departure. He stated, “Please join me in congratulating Dr. Spring and wishing her success in the

new position and future endeavors.” The entire

New Hartford community wishes her well and thanks her for all that she has done for the

community.Dr. Spring ended by stating, “I am very

grateful for the opportunity to have served as the principal of New Hartford and I am happy under my

leadership to have increased student achievement. I wish everyone great

success and happiness and to please

keep in touch!”

“What I respect about Dr. Spring (and therefore, will miss) is her

compassion for students and her respect for teacher professionalism.”

-Mrs. Halpin

Dr. Spring with sons after receiving doctoral degree.

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BBC Suspends Top Gear HostBy Ryan Faro

BBC suspends Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson who is now under investigation. Sources came out and told the fans that Clarkson was

suspended for punching a crew member, after fans found out about Clarkson’s incident, they feel that he should be removed from the show but their are still fans who want him left on the show and just give him one more chance because Top Gear will not be the same without him.

Clarkson himself even went on the web and stated his apologies and is deeply sorry for what he has done. The problem with Clarkson is, the people are sure of why he was suspended but according to CNN, it was because of a pending investigation that has not been figured out yet.

This hasn’t been Clarkson’s first issue of the show within the past year. Just last May he had asked for forgiveness by fans and many people who worked on the set for using a racist remark on the taped television show.

Clarkson was threatened by BBC that he will be removed from the show if any incident like this happens again. Clarkson was truly sorry for what he said during a nursery rhyme and would still like to stay with the show only if BBC and his fans will forgive him.

As a local fan of the show, George Boufford was somewhat disappointed on the news of Jeremy Clarkson. “Clarkson is the best fit for the

show and no one can fill in and make the show better than him” Boufford said. Also George responded with “I don’t agree with everything he has done over the years, but no one is right for that spot but Clarkson”.

Even last year the hit show Top Gear with BBC received a complaint by the country of Argentina over a license plate that was used during the show. The plate should have never been used during the filming unless it was given permission to do so. When the plate was used during the show, Clarkson and his crew picked up their belongings and left the country.

Clarkson had understood that the he should have asked about the license plate but by now it was too late. Top Gear and its fans will have to wait and see if Jeremy Clarkson will be reinstated and brought back to the hit show. Clarkson as of now is still under investigation but will most likely end up being reinstated for the fans but will be watched very closely.

Jeremy Clarkson on the left and Alan Partridge on the right.

NEWS

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NEWSWinter GuardBy Christine Cornnell

Do you like to do a sport for fun that doesn’t depend on what the weather is like?

Winter Guard comes from military or veterans ceremonies and other organizations. It is an indoor activity that is usually performed in a gym

or in an indoor arena. Winter guard is performed in judged competitions.

Abi Weaver is a member of Winter Guard. She said, “There are eleven girls and one boy in Varsity Winter Guard this season. Winter Guard

activities are spinning rifles, blades, flags and sabers. Winter Guard practices Tuesdays through Thursdays from 6:30 to 9:30 and go to

Saturdays shows. Winter Guard practices at different schools gyms but mainly Perry Junior High School.”

Abi likes Winter Guard. “It is a fun activity and they act like a family”, she said. Abi become interested in doing Winter Guard because her

older sister did it and then Abi started doing it”.

Some people have liked the activity so much that they continue with it into young adulthood. Mrs Gerling, a teacher aide, explained how her

son Nick is still involved. “Nick had been in marching band and guard for 18 years and now he is an instructor”, she said. She also said that

Winter Guard “is a good physical activity and it teaches students to work together and to be team players”.

Madison Mojave likes Winter Guard because she likes the team aspect and everyone has to be there. Madison’s favorite competition was

Union Endicott because she had a good show and she got her toss that she has been working on. A toss is when someone throws a flag or rifle

and it is caught. Madison has been in Winter Guard for 4 years.

Riley Cady likes Winter Guard because it’s fun acting like being a family with students and instructors. Everyone just has fun with it. Riley

doesn’t have a favorite competition but says all of them are good. Riley has been in Winter Guard for 2 years since tenth Grade.

New Hartford Central school clubs website photo.New Hartford Central school clubs website photo.

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Down Time

Senior members of our Model UN did not just

debate, and sit in committee while they were at

the National High School Model UN

Conference. They were able to find time to enjoy

some of what NYC has to offer. They visited:

I. Central Park

II. Rockefeller Center

III. World Trade Center Memorial

IV. St. Patrick’s Cathedral

V. Time Square

VI. SoHo: Washington Square Park

VII. Chinatown

VIII. The Actual United Nations Building

NEWSModel UN Represents Jamaica at the NHSMUN ConferenceBy: Alyssa Daley

Mr. Snizek and Mrs. Brown

chaperoned the High School Model Un trip to NYC March 4th through the 7th.

Not all members of NH High School

model UN were admitted to attend the NHSMUN or the National High School Model UN Conference.

To be allowed to go you had to be a

Senior and a part of Model UN for two to three years. Being an active participant and coming to meetings was also a

requirement.“The new requirements are to ensure

that people are serious about Model UN

and the Club before they go to a conference as large as this”, Lauren

Devlin a senior who went on the trip explains.

Even though there all these “have-to-do’s” in order to be a part of the

NHSMUN, students and teachers immensely enjoy the club.

Mr. Snizek, the high school’s advisor

of the club had this to say as to why he enjoys being a part of Model UN, “I enjoy watching the students prepare the

research and debate the topics at the conferences. I believe in the process of the International Community working together to solve the problems on a global

scale.”It is a lot of extra time put into the

Model UN club to be able to get to the

point of going to the NHSMUN as seniors: Lauren Devlin, Suveer Desai, Simrit Singh, Roma Amernath, Andrew

Sandock, Ian Wallace, Timothy Becker, and others got to go.

At the conference which included around 4,000 high school students New

Hartford represented Jamaica. “It their last conference of their high

school careers and NHSMUN is the

Arch in Washington Square ParkPhoto Provided By: Lauren Devlin

culmination of years of hard work and dedication to the club. It is humbling

to see 4,000 high school students from around the world

assemble and debate topics that are happening in the

world today,” spoke Mr. Snizek of the conference.

The daily

routine of students

who went on the NYC trip ran a little like the following: 1. Get up and have

breakfast 2. Have a little free time 3. Have lunch 4. Go to

Committee for a couple hours. All Seniors as a whole

represented Jamaica and their views on the issues that the Model UN was

presented with, but

each senior was a part of their own committee with representatives from all the other

schools who were invited. For example one may have been

involved in a more national security oriented committee

while another more about health. The issues that this year’s

NHSMUN were faced with were the situation in the Central African

Republic and the affairs in Myanmar.United Nations Building, NYC

Photo Provided By: http://travel-tips.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/

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Mr. Snizek says, “This is my eighteenth year as the advisor of the eighteenth trip to NYC and I can say that the Conference has not changed too

much. The staff has it down to a science” Besides working to solve these problems there are other interesting

avenues to explore. One of the most interesting experience for students who go on the

Model UN trip to NYC is that they actually get to visit the Mission/Embassy of the country they represent so this year they met with the Jamaican Deputy

Ambassador. Lauren Devlin actually explained that the trip for her was made by this

opportunity. “It was a really fun experience, not just exploring the city, but also finally

getting my eyes opened to all the different aspects of the UN. We even got to meet the actual Jamaican consulate. It helped to get a better understanding of Jamaica’s

policies to better represent them in our committees.” Mr. Snizek defines the

opportunity as, “a debrief by the Deputy Ambassador on that particular country’s policies and diplomatic approach toward

the entire international community. Besides going to see the Deputy of Jamaica Senior Members of NH High School Model UN got to go to the actual

UN building and have a tour.Picture Provided By: http://www.inhabitat.com

They were able to visit Central Park.Picture Provided By: http://nycphoto.smugmug.com

Rockefellar Center was another stop that they made in their free time.Picture Provided By: http://www.tishmanspeyer.com

The World Trade Center Memorial, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Time Square were also visited.

Picture Provided By: http://www.gannett-cdn.com/

SOHO Washington Square Park was another area that students were able to see in the Big Apple.Picture Provided By: http://

newyork.seriouseats.com/

Chinatown with its culture and language brought international to a whole new level for Model UN members.

Picture Provided By: http://www.partir-a-new-york.com/

Lauren Devlin said that her favorite part of exploring the city was getting to see all the aspects of such a diverse area and being able to be exposed to all the

different languages that are spoken there. Overall everyone who want on the trip said it was definitely worthwhile.

“The magnitude of the conference and the opportunity to work with kids from all over the world to discuss

issues that we’re really passionate about and find solutions for them”, reminisced Lauren about the trip. So if you have ever debated

whether or not you would enjoy being a part of Model UN ask any senior member and I am sure that they will tell you that it

is worth all the work that you must put in.

NEWS

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Central Park, NYCCentral Park was one destination that the senior delegates of Model UN were able to visit while they were not in Committee

Time Square, NYCTime Square was another site that students were able to visit on the Model UN Trip

Picture Provided By: Lauren Devlin

Picture Provided By: Lauren Devlin

Model UN NHSMUN

ConferencePicture Provided By: Lauren Devlin

Rockwell’s Golden Rule Mosaic at the UN Building in NYCTime Square was another site that students were able to visit on the Model UN Trip

Freedom Tower, NYCCentral Park was one destination that the senior delegates of Model UN were able to visit while they were not in Committee

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NEWS

The Addams Family Show

By: Jehnnia Liver

Last week New Hartford High School thrilled the region of Utica and area. The New Hartford students performed The Addams Family musical,based on a Broadway Version.

The musical impressed the public and the students. It was the first time that New Hartford realized a musical of such dimension. The musical portrayed Wednesday's engagement

and the Addams Family’s past. The choice of the theme was made based in the current

group of New Hartford students and it tried to fit the students

personalities. “I think that this show is a good reflection of the humor

that the current students have, “explained Mr. Matthew Romanow, the musical’s director.

He also added that “this is the first time The Addams Family has been produced in our local area. It is a really special show. I think it will be fun for the audience to see.”

Regarding about how he balances the direction of the musical and the job as a teacher he said , “The hardest part of directing the musicals is that it is a full-time job. My students

have always been my first priority and trying to fit in all of the extra musical business has been challenging.”

Besides of being a challenge for the director,the musical also required effort from students.

Olivia Danis,a senior student, performed as an ancestor in the musical and it was a big challenge for her to dance and

sing at the same time during the musical. “This is the first time that I am in the show. I used to help

backstage. We have been working on the musical since

December, ” Olivia said.When I asked her,how she scheduled the musical with her

busy senior year she said, “ It is not hard because our directors

are understanding. I am really excited for the musical and the story that it portrays.”

The ancestors and the leads wore costumes made in Ohio and also wore a special make up,which they learned

how to do during a workshop. They had been practicing since December and the performance was great.

Nicole Krumbach said, “It was my third musical and this

one is challenging because we have to dance and sing at the same time.”

The opposite happened to senior Brady Collea.

“It is my first musical. My friends told me that I should be part of MASQUE, so I decided to try. I was so apprehensive about the audition that I missed the day. The next day I had to talked to the director and thus I could

schedule a new audition.” Brady explained.MASQUE performed for 4 days and some of the show

nights were sold out. Some people had to come earlier and

wait in line to try to get tickets for the show. The performance was great and most of the public left

the show wanting to go back. Certainly it was one of the best

musicals that New Hartford presented.

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NEWSOverconsumption in AmericaBy Madeline McIntosh

“The world has used a third of earth’s natural resources in the past thirty years,” the Guardian states.

To be alive means to consume. In addition to getting basic needs met such as water to drink, air to breath, and food to eat; humans are going above and beyond meeting their basic needs. Seventeen percent of the world uses eighty percent of the world’s resources. In the developed world people are overconsuming tons of Earth’s natural resources. According to worldcentric.org: cars, houses, appliances, computers, furniture, books, travel, and entertainment are all taking a huge toll on Earth.

Overconsumption or living a “comfortable” life comes with consequences. Everything that humans are consuming comes from some part of the earth.

Resources are limited. Forests continue to be cut down. At the rate trees are being taken down there will not be enough time

for new ones to grow. Seas are overfished. It is estimated that someday we will have emptied out all of the fish in the ocean. Ecosystems are collapsing and species are becoming extinct at an alarming rate.

When Ryan Murray an A.P. Environmental science student was asked when he believed people will start to care about the

amount of overconsumption and its effects on the environment he said, “Probably when it is too late. People will say that we could have changed that a lot earlier.”.

To decrease the negative effects that overconsumption has on the environment Ryan says that we can focus on limiting our wants. “Recycling is a simple thing to do to help decrease the negative effects of overconsumption..”

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OPINION

Is Fan Fiction “Real” Fiction?

By Zhane’ McKnightFan fiction is becoming a

new, popular trend online, and even in traditional book

publishing.Fan fiction is defined as

“fiction about characters or

settings from an original work of fiction, created by fans of that work rather than by its creator,” according to

Wikipedia. Fan fiction can include anything from books, to television shows, to video

games, plays, or music artists. For example, a Twilight fan fiction, may have the same

characters and setting, but the conflict, beginning and ending, and maybe even the character pairings are all different.

Almost all fan fiction is read online at

FanFiction.net, ArchiveOfOurOwn.org, WattPad.com. and LiveJournal.com, though there are many other sites where

specific genres, topics and books can be read.

The fan fiction community is growing.

There are over 3 million registered users on FanFiction.net, with over 6 million registered titles (Source: ffnresearch.blogspot.com). 78 percent of

the members are female, with an age range of 13 to 17 years old, though I have known older and younger members.

However the underground, online trend, has now taken to mainstream publication.

A recent example is E.L. James’s

novel, Fifty Shades of Grey, which originally was published online on FanFiction.net as a Twilight fan fiction called Master of the

Universe under the member name, “Snowqueen’s Icedragon.” When it was published as Fifty Shades, the characters Bella Swan and Edward Cullen from

Twilight became Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey.

And this was only the beginning.

After, a fan fiction published on WattPad.com

about the popular boyband One

Direction, received over a billion hits

before the author, Anna

Todd (or “Imaginator1D”), had it published in print. Todd changed the

names of the One Direction members and made them college friends instead of bandmates.

Speaking of music, many artists, and more specifically, bands, have had many works published about them. Bands such

as Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, My Chemical Romance, and yes, One Direction, all have AU (Alternative Universe) fics written. Most of these band

works, or “bandoms,” a play on the word “fandom,” are published less on FanFiction.net, and published more on

ArchiveOfOurOwn.org and LiveJournal.com.

I tend to read more bandom stories

than anything else. My favorite story is The Dove Keeper, a My Chemical Romance fic on Live Journal, featuring band members Gerard Way and Frank Iero. In this fic,

Gerard is an old, 47 year old gay artist,

who takes on Frank, a 17 year old high school boy, with no desire to grow up, as a student, and teaches him about art and non-conformity. The two soon fall in love,

and the story explores several themes of freedom in art and music, non-conformity, society, peer pressure, and preconceived

notions. “But is there freedom in love?” is the

question Emily Jane Ray (Evelyn Deshane)

asks. A reminder that this is all purely fiction, and all for the sake of creativity. The Dove Keeper was then published and was available in print for a short time

before only being available for the Kindle on Amazon.com, along with its counterparts, The Epilogue and The Rainbow.

But all of this raises an important question: Is fan fiction considered real fiction? Should these internet works

allowed to break the social norm of traditional publishing?

Alyssa Weibel, a sophomore at the high school, when asked her opinion, said,

“I think so. The authors of fan fiction have real skills that can be considered real writing skills that help further their writing

careers.”The Pacific Standard, who wrote a whole

article on fan fiction entitled “Fan Fiction:

The Next Great Literature?” said, “But is fic any good? Mostly not, as even its fiercest partisans will admit. A random dip into FanFiction.net will almost certainly

yield something terrible.” Absolutely. Most fans of Harry Potter fics will fiercely agree that My Immortal, an infamous story, was

one of the worse fan fictions ever written, in terms of grammar and spelling, and lack of plot.

However, even the bad fics are still fiction. The authors were daring and took many creative liberties and licenses, and made something. Whether it was amazing or

horrible is all up to the readers. I’ve been

Logo for FanFiction.net. Photo provided by

FanFiction.net.

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OPINIONreading fan fiction for years, and yes,

while some of them are really bad, a lot of them are also really good.

The Pacific Standard interviewed

Anne Jamison, an English professor at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and a writer of fan fiction personally. Jamison,

who teaches fan fiction in her classes, likes to explore, “the ways fanfiction blurs a whole range of lines we (mistakenly)

believe to be stable: between reading and writing, consuming and creating, genres and genders, authors and critics, derivative and transformative works.”

I love it too. I love seeing the characters I read about originally in books become something different; whether in

their attitudes, pairings, personalities, or even gender. If you can imagine it, it can happen, or has most likely already

happened.As a personal fan fiction writer and

reader, having to write an original novel is hard. Now try and write a fan fiction.

Don’t think just because the characters and plot were already created by professionals, that the work is half-done.

No, you now have to create a plot, Alternative Universe, conflict, and beginning and ending for the characters.

And the characters themselves! Now you have to make them come alive; give them personalities and problems and quirks.

Anne Jamison in the Pacific Standard

referenced Jonathan Lethem, a novelist, who said, “When someone tells a fanfiction writer that they’re ‘not a real

writer,’ I say to that person, ‘You don’t have the slightest idea of what it means to write a scene and a character in the

English language, with images and words chock full of received meaning.’”

Then, the authors have to keep their audiences engaged, and even deal with

severe hate comments from others. It’s a

tough business. I’ve seen, heard, and experienced hours and hours of work gone into fan fiction. This business runs into risks as well: hate from others,

plagiarism and stealing (since the works are rarely protected from others, and when something is stolen, there is nothing really

done about it), and hate from the original authors even. And they don’t even get paid for this, unless they decide to publish it in

print! So, why bother?Because it’s rewarding. Having other

readers be subscribed to your stories, write the most wonderful comments

to you, and even the more artistic ones creating fan art for your ideas is the most greatest feeling ever. I don’t

care if my works ever make the shelves of Barnes & Noble; this tiny online community which is steadily

growing, is all the support I need. So yes. Absolutely, 100 percent,

yes, is fan fiction real fiction. It deserves all the recognition it gets,

and I’m glad it’s getting it, even the bad recognition. It just makes someone even more curious to check

it out. And if an internet work gets published, does end up on the shelves of Barnes & Noble, and lands a movie deal

(ahem, Fifty Shades of Grey), then seriously, that is so amazing and inspiring. And if you think fan fiction is worthless, it’s easy to just not read it.

(***NOTE*** Please read with caution. Many fan fiction works have strong themes of

language, violence, and sexual themes. There are rating guidelines on every website mentioned to help find a story appropriate for you).

Photo provided by People.com.

Art made for The Dove Keeper by Evelyn Deshane.

Photo provided by LiveJournal.com.

Book Cover for The Dove Keeper. Photo

provided by Lulu.com

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Coffee or Tea?By Sophia Ricco

Hot, caffeinated beverages power our

world. Everyone needs their morning cup as a way to start their day. That first sip bringing a smile to your face, letting you know that you can make it through

another day.Which hot beverage do you pour into

your cup? Coffee or tea? The battle of the

hot beverages has been going on for many years. The history of coffee going back to the 10th century, and legend has it in 2737 B.C., tea was first

brewed. Many people are fans of both drinks and have their reasons for taking a particular liking to each one.

“I like both to be honest,” expressed senior Morgan Whitney. “I also love hot chocolate.”

Any given day over half the population of the United States will be drinking tea and over half the population over the age of 18 will be drinking coffee.

(Source: www.teausa.com and www.e-importz.com). This represents over 150 million people drinking tea, coffee, or both.

“Tea for sure. I’ve always drunk it with the grandma since I

was young, so it’s an acquired love,” reminisced senior Cassidy Ruhmel. “I used to put Hershey kisses on a spoon and dip it into the tea to melt the chocolate.”

Memories can play a part in the

choice of preferred hot beverage. Drinking a cup of your favorite Earl Grey at your favorite cafe next to your favorite window

can bring back fond memories of before. Even the smell of coffee and tea can put a smile on your face as you recall the past with

rosy retrospection. When asked her favorite tea, Cassidy revealed, “English breakfast tea.” She jokingly says, “I like my tea to be strong, just

like my men.”In the U.S., the average consumption of coffee is 3.2 cups a day and in all 400 million

cups of coffee, making the U.S. the top consumer of coffee in the world. With 65% of coffee being consumed during breakfast hours. (Source: www.e-importz.com).

“I like coffee. I cannot find the right tea to drink,” expressed senior BellaDonna Sins. “I usually take flavored creamer, like caramel macchiato, in my coffee. I want there to be flavor, but I don’t want it to take away the true taste of coffee.”

However, some people take no liking to either drink.“Neither. I hate tea and coffee is alright, but I’m not a huge

drinker of it,” stated senior Brynn Stopczynski. “I’ll only drink

coffee in social events, when everyone else is. I do like hot chocolate though.”

The ConsensusCoffee and tea are both popular beverages that people tend

to gravitate to and consume on a daily basis. In the battle of coffee vs. tea, they are both fair opponents for each other and both will continued to be loved for years to come. Tea is my daily drink that I have a deep love for and I will always chose tea over

coffee. Coffee is far too bitter unless you add mounds of cream and

sugar, while tea is simply delicious. Also there are so many flavors

to choose from. If you’re feeling something dark and strong opt for a breakfast tea, something fruity then there are many fruit teas to choose from, something calming then a chamomile will hit the

spot, or something invigorating go for green tea. With so many options, what’s not to love? Tea is far superior in my opinion. However, I will enjoy a cup of coffee with friends on occasion.

What is clear is that hot beverages will to make their way

into everyone's life in some way.

OPINION

simplyveganliving.com

secretzengarden.com

The Nerd Bar. A popular destination

for New Hartford High School

students to fill up on coffee and tea.

Photo taken by Sophia Ricco

http://www.teausa.com/

http://www.teausa.com/

http://www.e-importz.com/

http://www.e-importz.com/

http://www.e-importz.com

http://www.e-importz.com

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TO THE POINT POLITICS

What’s the Big Deal with Hillary Clinton’s Email?By Sophia Ricco

“[I]t’s very important for Secretary

Clinton to turn over her personal servers to a neutral third party,” Speaker John Boehner said to Politico, concerning the scandal sweeping Washington, D.C..

So what exactly is this scandal that has everyone talking and even had a Saturday Night Live skit made about it?

It all started when it was revealed that Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State, used a personal email while at the State

Department and stored her communications on a server outside of the State Department. This concerned many people who asked the simple question: why use a personal email for work related business?

“Don’t use your private emails,” simply stated Sen. Rand Paul as a piece of advice for whoever wins the presidency in 2016.

Seems like worthy advice;

when at work, use your work email and

save your personal email for

your personal affairs.

Yet, Clinton arranged to use only her personal email for all of her official communications. Also, she decided to use her own email server equipment, rather than a commercial Internet service provider,

so that the records of her email account would reside solely within her personal control at home.

“[T]here’s a certain arrogance and hypocrisy that’s going to be difficult for her to overcome. … I think you have to obey the law. I obey a lot of laws I don’t agree with,” Paul said.

However, it should be known that what she did was not

completely illegal. When Obama administration

officials came into office in 2009, the Federal Records

Act certainly allowed room for the occasional use of a personal

email account for official business

when necessary.

But when a personal email was used the Federal Records Act’s documentation and preservation requirements still called upon that official to forward any such

email into the State Department’s official records system. This was a way for the Federal Records Act to make sure that the

officials were conducting legal business. Clinton did not forward her emails to

the State Department’s official records system and that’s where she went wrong.

“That’s the fairest way to make sure that we have all the documents that belong to the public and, ultimately,

all the facts,” Boehner said about Clinton needing to release control to a third party to sweep her personal server.

At the moment, Clinton has since turned over tens of thousands of pages of emails to the State

Department, but has also indicated that she deleted any emails she deemed private. This once again raises eyebrows that she chose the emails that were sent to the State Department and

deleted other emails.“I think she assumed that what was supposed to be public

would be public and what was her own personal stuff wasn’t

Rand Paul in Austin, Texas. politico.com

Hillary Clinton politico.com

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 14


TO THE POINT POLITICSgoing to be public, and I

think she might have been too focused on the latter part of that,” said Sen. Claire

McCaskill during a discussion on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

McCaskill also stated that

she herself would never want the public to read her personal emails to her children. Many

people can agree that personal emails contain information that people would not want to be broadcasted to the public.

“People in Missouri aren’t talking to me about her emails,” McCaskill said. “They’re talking to me about why it is that they

can’t afford to retire.”Valid point.“It’s completely sexist,” senior Julia D’Ambrosio, an avid

Hillary Clinton supporter, voiced. “Plenty of male politicians have done the exact same thing but no one is pointing fingers at them. The media, who is mostly controlled by Republicans, are trying to frame her negatively as a way to ruin her campaign

for President.”This is true; Jeb Bush, former Republican Governor of

Florida, used a private email while in office. Then when he

turned over his emails to go in state archives, he chose which

emails were sent, as others were deemed private. (Source: opposingviews.com) Ultimately, when Clinton began working as the Secretary of the State she should have made the divide

between her work email and her personal email. That would have avoided this whole mess and she would not be pushed to reveal all of her emails, even private ones, to the public.

However, I believe the attention the scandal is receiving is not completely justified. Although it may cause people to question why Clinton did this, it should not cause people to say

that Clinton shouldn’t be President; that’s too far.This scandal also has terrible timing since it is just weeks

before the expected announcement of her 2016 campaign which was planned to launch in April. Now, Clinton may have

to push off or rethink her campaign with the scandal taking up her whole world.

However, I still have hope that Clinton will win the 2016 presidential election.

“I know this won’t ruin her

campaign. Hillary Clinton will be President,” Julia D’Ambrosio said confidently.

(Interviews of Senators provided by politico.com)

usa.greekreporter.com

i-iba.com

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 15


OPINIONMusic ShamingBy Kayleigh Nicotera

Getting ready to party? Going to the beach or you’re just so pumped up you just want to have some fun? Music has different ways of expressing someones emotions. A lot of us might think we’re expressing our opinion on music, but instead we never thought that we might be hurting people with our statements .

According to Dominique Etzel, a reporter for a college newspaper, there is no reason for people to judge others on what they feel is passionate in music.

“It is absurd that we should ever feel guilty about something that simply makes us happy.”

People just don’t understand what judging does to others or how it makes them feel. Most of us just don’t care if we make fun of someone because its really lame or not popular and something we listen to. Everyone has different tastes and should be able to express how it makes them feel instead of being criticized on what they enjoy.

A lot of people would agree to this statement of Music Shaming, for example a New Hartford student, Lauryn Messa is a person who likes to

listen to a majority of music like hip hop, rap, but deep down she really enjoys older music like back in the 80s. The 80s music is something she generally grew up listening to around her house with her parents singing and dancing and it brought her joy. But the more wretched part is that she’s a little embarrassed on sharing her type of music because a lot of people are more interested in the more of something repetitive in beats and what they’re talking about in the music. But what really stuck out to me was when she said, “I would be really upset if people judged me on what I listened to because people shouldn’t judge someone on something that makes them so happy, calm or maybe peaceful. It’s something that they truly love.”

I have to say I do agree with her a hundred percent. Music is a big part of people, some may not realize it but a lot of people relate to music or to help get anger, frustration or sadness out and they have music that creates a whole different part of them. Being shamed about it makes them

feel so ashamed of themselves that they can’t even share with their friends.

Tessa Dempsey, a New Hartford student, thinks the idea of music shaming is also ludicrous and it should be stopped.

She loves listening to music all the time, doesn’t matter what her mood is she always has tunes to cheer her up. The things she listens to is something similar that her friends like listening to. Growing up listening to Hip hop and pop since she was a young girl, from her house to the car everywhere she went, she had something she loved playing on the radio.

“I would feel really sad and some kind of anger if someone judged me for something I like,” said Tessa.

My opinion with this remains the same, I know how she feels if someone criticized something that’s important to me I would be torn because it’s what keeps me sane through tough and good times.

With the information given from these two girls from New Hartford, people need to speak up for others who are being judged for their music and tell the criticizers how it makes you feel. You could give your opinion on music just don’t be as harsh about it and tell them that you respect what they have a passionate feel for, it’s just something you wouldn’t listen

too personally. Photo taken by Kayleigh Nicotera of

Lauryn Messa showing her

concentration with music. Photo taken by Kayleigh

Nicotera of Dakota Nelson and

his love for music.

Photo taken by Kayleigh Nicotera of

Tessa Dempsey enjoying her music.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 16


ADVICE

Let’s talk: PromBy: Kayleigh Nicotera

Walking in the halls of the school, the noise of people talking,

laughing, or even crying. Have you ever been so curious on what they were talking about, or the reason for their actions towards other people?

Well now a days people have been talking about the upcoming

prom. Everyones excited as much as I am for a very fun night among all of our classmates. Which color should I get or should I get strapless or not? OMG I don’t have a date yet what do I do?

These are the question that I hear buzzing around every now and then.

What I don’t understand is that why do you have to have a

date to go with you? Why not just go with a group of friends so it’s not awkward and/or you’re not obligated to stay around that specific person the whole night? Have fun at events like these with your friends because it’s coming to an end soon.

Some reasons why people might want to go to Prom is maybe this is their first time going to prom, and feel more comfortable going with someone.

A girl from New Hartford, Jasmina Bosnic, gave her comment on prom, even though she might not go. She thinks that

people are expected to go with a date because it’s more of a formal dance, and seeing that it’s the juniors first year it’s what people usually do the first time.

But she stated that, “I wouldn’t mind going alone because you should spend more time with friends and still be able to dance

with whoever you want.” She noticed that she wasn’t really close

enough with any of the guys in the school

and she would feel like it would be awkward. One suggestion that Jasmina would give is if you’re going to go to Prom with someone, it shouldn’t be a random guy, it should be with someone that you feel most comfortable with.

Prom is about being with people you know and have fun together. It wouldn’t be a great memory to look back on in the future if you go with a mysterious guy and they don’t even talk to

you the entire night. I asked her what she thought about the whole “what dress do I wear and will people like it?”

Everyone wants to look their best and most girls are worried about what other people think. But in all honesty they should only get a dress they like themselves and feel comfortable in and not what other people want you to wear including your date. It’s your

night and be you! I agree with Jasmina 100 percent, when you look back on your years as a junior and look at prom pictures you want to be able to have memories, not to say, “oh look there’s that

random guy I barely knew.” Create memories with your friends to remember for the rest of

your life.

But, from another perspective, Shelby Caporale, a junior, has shared what she thought about prom. She thinks that it would be nice having a date at prom for taking pictures and nice to have someone there to dance with and not be alone.

“I mean I would but I wouldn’t mind going alone at the same time. If I didn’t have one I would just go with my friends but It would be awkward because all of my friends would have dates and

I would miss out.” She explains that if you do go with a date she feels like they

would control what you do and wouldn’t be able to do what you

want. But if it were your guy friend you’d still go around and talk with other people in the grade.

Prom to Shelby is the day that you get all dressed up, do your makeup, do your hair, pictures and having a great time. When

coming down to picking a dress, you need to choose what you want to wear and not care what other think. It’s your night to express who you are!!

Another high school student, Lauryn Messa, is someone who is excited for prom and can’t wait. She feels like having a date is kind of expected because you just see in movies and from family

or friends who went in the past just expect you to you to do the same and have a date.

“I feel I would mind at first but then you realize it’s better to go alone so I don’t have to stress about the date,” proclaims

Lauryn.Prom to Lauryn is a special day to her and states that every

girl in the high school to just have a day of getting all pretty and

showing everyone how pretty they actually are. Most of the girls in high school dream of this day ever since they were little.

When Lauryn talks about dresses she says that people should

get a dress that actually fits their personality. Getting something they would like and wear, getting a dress that you don’t like and don’t feel comfortable in it will be upset the rest of the night and won’t have a good time.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 17


Spartan Expressions is the New Hartford High School

student newspaper. The NHHS journalism classes, as well as members of the Spartan Expressions club, produce the paper.

Materials found to be published in the paper are the efforts of

students who contribute and are not intended to represent the

opinion of any school official or member of the New Hartford Central School Board of Education. Reviews or

references to businesses, services, products or media do not

represent an endorsement by the Board of Education. The copyright laws of the United States of America protect all

materials published in Spartan Expressions.

Any student may contribute to Spartan Expressions

Articles and creative writing for consideration of publication must meet the following guidelines:CONTENT:

• No slanderous or libelous material will be tolerated.

• All reference to sex will be vague, scientific and will not use slang or be otherwise offensive.

• There will be no excess of violence or morbidity.• No promotion of the use of drugs, alcohol, or recreational sex.

• No interference with the educational process.

• Content shall be factual and unbiased and shall not be derogatory toward an person on group.SUBMISSION:

• All articles and creative writing must be typed and edited.

• Please email submissions to [email protected] at least a week before publication.

• See Mrs. Clive in Room 251 if you have questions or need assistance.

Anthony Murad By: Christine Cornell

Anthony writes reviews for Spartan Expressions. In the afternoons Anthony goes to Utica College.

Anthony’s favorite things to eat are fried foods but not many people know he does not like pizza. His favorite drink is root beer. Anthony’s favorite place to eat is Creekside. He also likes to eat at many other places too. He listens to pop music, but his

favorite is Italian Music.

George BouffordBy: Brady Collea

George Boufford is a senior this year and will be contributing a number of sports articles to this year’s

newspaper. He is taking journalism this year in the hopes of improving his writing skills. He hopes to provide the best news possible to readers of the paper.

His musical tastes include Kanye West, Childish Gambino,

and the Strokes. He plans to attend Seton Hall next year and study political

science.

MEET THE STAFF

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 18


SPORTS

Bills gain new RB and QBWill they make it to the playoffs?By Alyssa Weibel

With the addition of old New York Jets coach, Rex Ryan, a

new running back, along with a new quarterback, the Buffalo Bills will be a force to be reckoned with next season.

Ryan proved his devotion to his new team by coloring in his Jets themed tattoo with the colors of the Bills (red and blue). He

also got a new truck detailed blue with the Bills logo along the side. Bills fans are looking forward to what Ryan will bring to the table. He definitely began the conversations with his most recent decision.

During the first week of March, the Bills traded linebacker Kiko Alonso for the Philadelphia Eagles’ running back, LeSean McCoy. The news shocked both Eagles and Bills fans. Alonso was a

strong player for the Bills, but was unable to play during the 2014-2015 season due to an ACL tear during training.

Alonso had a combined total of 159 tackles during the 2013 season. So why did the Bills trade a strong player that fans loved?

Some Eagles fans were shocked to learn the news and some Bills fans gained optimism for the 2015-2016 season. McCoy is said to be a strong part of the Eagles team, who finished with a 10-6

season, according to the Philadelphia Eagles’ official website. “Very interesting,” Bills fan Mark Weibel says. “This shows

they still want to focus on running.”

Bills fans are butting heads as to if this was a smart decision by the Bills to let go such a strong player.

“Time will tell, but Kiko was coming off of a bad injury,” Weibel says.

McCoy is wasting no time in making Buffalo his new home. “It feels good to be here, it feels good to be appreciated,”

McCoy said at the introductory conference the evening of March

10. “Since I heard about the trade, the Bills’ organization has been great, excellent, accepting me and my family with open arms, embracing us.”

An outside source told ESPN reporter Josina Anderson that McCoy was not thrilled with the deal at first.

“We talked about it and my first reaction was definitely I was disappointed just because I didn’t know what was going on,”

McCoy said. “I’ve been in Philadelphia my whole life, for six years.”

Both teams gained great players, but the big question is: which

team will benefit more from this trade?“I believe the Bills will benefit more from this trade,”

sophomore Easton May said. “Now they have a Pro Bowl running

back that can help the Bills this year.”Big changes are coming for the Bills because not only did they

obtain McCoy, they traded for Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback

Matt Cassel.Cassel did not play much in the 2014-2015 season because the

Vikings played quarterback Teddy Bridgewater for almost the whole season.

The Bills will send two undisclosed draft choices to Minnesota, while the Vikings will send an undisclosed draft choice to the Bills with Cassel, ESPN’s Mike Rodak reports.

Cassel will be competing with Bills quarterback, EJ Manuel, who was benched only a few games in last season.

“ I don’t think he brings any new skills that the Bills don’t

already have with Manuel,” Vikings fan Wayne Southworth said. “The Bills are a little fragmented right now, new coach, new running back, new wide receiver (also from the Vikings). Matt will bring 11 years of experience with him. Good for team morale I

feel.”

McCoy holding his official Bills jersey.

Source: ESPN

continued on next page

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 19


The Bills originally had the sights set on now Browns quarterback, Josh McCown, last month.

Cassel has played in the NFL for many

years, playing for teams like the New England Patriots.

“I think Cassel is a little timid in the

pocket”, Southworth said. “He only played three games last year because of a broken foot. He’s slightly prone to injury.”

Cassel backed up Tom Brady for three seasons until 2008, when Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week One and Cassel replaced him.

Cassel went 10-5 as the Patriots' starter in 2008, setting career highs in passing yards (3,693) and completion percentage (63.4

percent). The Patriots assigned Cassel the franchise

tag after the season before trading him to the

Kansas City Chiefs, according to ESPN.Does Cassel have a chance at helping this team?“If he doesn’t get the starting job as QB,” Southworth said,

“he is still an experienced player and will mentor other players

from the sidelines.”

Undoubtedly, the Bills are heavily adjusting their team. Who knows, these changes could make the Bills become one of the teams in the playoffs this year.

Time will tell, but many sports fans are excited to see what

Ryan and the Bills can do for the upcoming 2015-2016 season.

Matt Cassel (right) standing with Bills general manager, Doug Whaley (left), at Cassel’s press conference.

Source: Democrat and Chronicle

continued from previous page

Buffalo Bills

“The Bills are a little fragmented right now, new coach, new running back, new wide receiver (also from the Vikings). Matt will bring 11

years of experience with him. Good for team morale I feel.”

---Wayne Southworth

SPORTS

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 20


SPORTS

MVP Ladder: MarchRussell Westbrook leads the packBy George Boufford

In the NBA, only a select number of players are able to win the MVP trophy and all the honors that come with it. This season there has been a tight race for MVP and so far it seems as though Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City thunder will come out on top. Followed losely by Stephen Curry of the Golden Sate Warriors, and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, it seems to be Westbrook’s trophy to lose.

1.Russell Westbroook - I give Westbrook the top spot because of how strong he’s played in March. He put together the greatest 5 game span in NBA history this month and became the only player aside from Michael Jordan in 1989 to have 4 consecutive triple doubles.

2. Curry-Curry this season has averaged nearly 24 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. He has been a consistent threat this season and is a big reason as to why his Golden state Warriors are 1st in the western conference as well as the owners of the best record in the league with over 50 wins.

3.LeBron James- LeBron gets this spot because of the influence he’s had on the Cavaliers this season. James has led his Cavaliers to the 2 spot in the eastern conference despite a slow start. His 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists have been crucial to the turning of the Cavaliers this season as they make a push to win an NBA title this postseason.

4.James Harden- James Harden has stepped up hugely in the absence of superstar center Dwight Howard. Harden is averaging 27 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists for the 43-20 Houston Rockets which has put them in 3rd in the extremely strong western conference.

5. Anthony Davis- Davis has been averaging 25 points per games, with 10 rebounds and close to 3 blocks. Davis is not higher up on this list because His New Orleans Pelicans have to fight for a playoff spot, showing that unlike the others on the list he hasn’t had a major impact on his respective team.

Russell Westbrook

Stephen Curry

James Harden

LeBron James

Anthony DavisAll Photos Courtesy of google images

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 21


SportsThe Dark Knight RisesBy Ryan Faro

Matt Harvey, also known as the Dark Knight, will rise once again in the 2014-2015 MLB (Major League Baseball) season since his season ending injury two years ago. Harvey who was named the starter to the MLB All-Star game back in 2013 and was one of the

leagues top 5 pitchers that season, was thrilled to be back on the mound for the New York Mets. Harvey in the number 33 uniform pitched his first game in spring training after his Tommy John

Surgery against the Detroit Tigers.

Harvey struck out three batters and was clocked at 97, 98, and

99 miles per hour. He is one of the Mets top pitchers in the rotation but was not named the Opening Day starter against the Washington Nationals. Harvey has been mowing batters down in spring training and is looking like a new and improved Matt Harvey. Harvey also

faced the Boston Red Sox starting lineup which consisted of David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, and many more great hitters.

Harvey was asked by many reporters down in Florida about how he feels everything is going so far. Harvey came back by saying

“It’s a tough day for all of us.”“The big thing was getting my work done and really focusing on that.”

Harvey is looking to try to make to the playoffs with the Mets

for the first time in his MLB career. Harvey who has an overall 2.39 ERA (Earned runs allowed) along with 261 total career strikeouts, can’t wait to throw that first pitch for the Mets on opening day

against the Washington Nationals on April 4, 2015. Harvey is a guy who has many weapons with his 97 mph fastball or his ridiculous 91 mph slider and can make hitters have a hard time facing him.

Matt Harvey was asked if he’s ready to play a big role for the Mets as the new ace at spring training in Port St. Lucie. Harvey came back and said “I’m ready to put the whole staff on my

shoulders.” “I do everything I can to win and lead by example on the field” Harvey stated.

Many people may think Matt Harvey is overrated or the Mets are the worst team in the MLB and the Mets can’t make the playoffs just because of one pitcher. Well when the Mets won the World

Series in 1969 and made the World Series but lost in 1973, the Mets were led by Tom Seaver, probably one of the best pitchers in MLB

history. Seaver also had other pitchers behind him like Nolan Ryan, who was just starting out his career, Tug McGraw, the father of country singer Tim McGraw, and the left hander Jerry Koosman, who won the last game of the 1969 World Series against the

Baltimore Orioles.Yes its true that Harvey can lead his team to a playoff and

possibly a World Series but Harvey is very fortunate to have pitchers

behind him like Zack Wheeler, who is out for the 2014-2015 season because of Tommy John as well, Jacob deGrom, who was the 2013-2014 rookie of the year, and the two veterans Dillion Gee and

Jonathon Niese. The Mets will be looking to try to make the 2014-2015 MLB

season quite interesting with their outstanding pitching staff and new group of hitters. The Mets will need to focus on staying healthy

and competing to fullest to make the post-season.

Mets Manager in ’69 Gil Hodges on the left along with Jerry Koosman, Tom Seaver in the middle, and Nolan Ryan on the right.

Matt Harvey on left, Jacob deGrom in the middle, Zack Wheeler on the right.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 22


Batter UpZack Kesterson Goes Division OneBy:Camryn Carstensen

“This year we have a great team, good senior leaders and a lot of young talent, but it’s what we do with the talent that will help us

be successful throughout the season,” said Zack Kesterson about this year’s Varsity baseball team. After Zack tore his UCL he underwent Tommy John surgery replacing the torn ligament in his arm

with a ligament in his calf; leaving many

questions remaining about his upcoming season and recovery time. “Staying focused and staying positive really helped me

not get lazy throughout my rehabilitation; it was a huge perspective switch really rededicated me to my love for baseball,” said star athlete Zack Kesterson.

Zack will be able to pitch half way through the season; New Hartford’s boy first game is April 4th at Proctor at 4pm.

“I’m so grateful to play at New Hartford. The facilities and athletic ability are amazing here much better than past places I’ve played; I also love having my previous coach, Coach Green here. He’ll bring a lot of good things to this team,” said Zack Kesterson. Coach Green is the previous coach at Notre Dame where Zack used to attend school, and there has only been positive feedback regarding the new coach. He is very experienced and players feel like he is leading the team in a good direction.

High school Varsity baseball is not the only thing Zack’s excited about he’s looking forward to his Division One career in college at Duke.

“At Duke I'm still undecided about what I am studying; however I hope to continue my baseball career as far as possible but more importantly to leave Duke with a good degree with hopes to get a good job,” soon to be Division one player Zack Kesterson said.

Zack is not the only one excited about his future, as his friends

and teammates Justin Lefave and Peter Cougan are very happy about his future baseball career.

“He’s gonna kill it,” says Justin Lefave, “With his arm healed and his love for the game the potential is unstoppable,” said Peter Cougan regarding Zack Kesterson's future after Duke

“Many players look up to him, especially with his skill level. He has such a strong work ethic, he’s so determined, always so positive,” said teammates Lefave and Cougan.

“Zack is energetic, funny, confident, gifted, hardworking, and optimistic,” said Lefave and Cougan describing Zack.

The boys each share their favorite memory of Zack. “I’d have to say when Zack rolled Brad into a ball, it’s a team inside joke,”

laughed Peter Cougan.“About a year ago, I and some upperclassmen saw Zack throw

for the first time in pre-season and we were all just stunned by his

level of skill,” said Justin Lefave.

Sports

Zack Kesterson announces his commitment for

Duke for future seasons

Pictures of Zack Kesterson pitching at

his home game at New Hartford Field.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 23


SPORTS

Student athlete profile: Trent ReardonThrowing captain plans to make waves in high school track this seasonBy George Boufford

Trent Reardon is a senior here at New Hartford High school and he is also a member of the varsity track team. Trent participates in the throwing events, meaning shot put and discus, he is one of the few seniors on the throwing team and plans on working hard this season to help guarantee success for himself and his teammates.

“Charismatic teammates and encouraging coaches have helped me succeed by pushing me to improve in order to help contribute to the team,” said Trent.

Trent will likely be named throwing captain this year, a goal of his since he first joined the team. If named captain, Trent will surely lead by example and will guide the younger kids on the team by filling the position of a role model.

Trent has been on varsity track ever since freshman year, and this year will be his biggest challenge yet as he faces the challenge of leading the large number of young teammates he will have this year.

“We have a great group of guys, all of whom will compete hard and make this season one of the best yet” said Trent when asked about how he thinks the team will fare during the season, he wishes to improve his distances and throw the shotput over 40 feet whilst throwing the discus over 110 feet.

Trent hopes that in his senior season he can make an impact on the team this year and help the underclassmen to have the same winning mentality as he does.

Next year Trent will be going to Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He will be majoring in psychology and has plans to become a psychiatrist later on. Trent credits his teammates for always pushing him on to do better in track and in part helping him to gain the mentality that he has today which helped him come to his goal to be a psychiatrist. Though Trent won’t be doing track in college next year, it has been a part of his life every spring for four years now and has come to be a part of what made him into the person he is today.

Temple University Logo

Photos from Google images

Joe Kovacs of the USA Track team

competing in shot put

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 24


Feature

College BoundChoosing, waiting, then choosing againBy Brady Collea

“I’m just excited to go to a new place and study new things and meet new people.” Of course senior Katie Mercurio is talking about going to college. That’s just about all that any seniors are talking about this time of year as the letters of

acceptance or rejection come in the mail.Despite this excitement, the process of applying to and

choosing a place to spend the next two to four years of life is

incredibly stressful. Katie stated, “It’s pretty stressful since it’s the first time most

of us have not known where we will be living next year and until

we get application decisions it feels like it’s not in our control.”Erin Hernon, another senior, shared a similar sentiment

when she said “It is pretty stressful, but if you manage your time it’s really doable. It’s probably more nerve-wracking than

anything.”A multitude of factors such as proximity to home, school

size, academic programs, the surrounding environment, and

especially cost, affect the decisions being made before the May 1st deadline.

One of the main criticisms of American post-secondary

education is the cost. According to CollegeData, the average cost of attendance at a private university is $46,272, and even public universities average around $23,410 per year. These costs are arguably the biggest issues that face prospective students.

“I think cost too often prevents people from attending the schools they actually want to go to,” said senior Lauren Van Wagoner, who continued on to say “the fact that money weighs

so heavily on our decisions can also make us value our education more.”

Guidance counselor Mr. Lutz offered a different perspective

on the college application process, discussing some of the available resources to students in New Hartford. “We encourage students to use Naviance often and early,” he said regarding the site where students can look up colleges, research careers, and

even see which careers may match their personality type best. Lutz continued by saying that Naviance offers “a slew of information at your fingertips.”

A number of scholarships can be found on Naviance as well, providing precious opportunities for more financial aid. However, Lutz did state that the biggest source of financial aid for students is their eventual college.

Seniors send in their applications from the time the Common Application becomes available in August up until deadlines for submissions that usually fall at the beginning to

middle of January. This allows for plenty of time to visit schools and gather information about where to apply. Making the final decision though, can be very tough. Erin faces an intriguing

situation because one of her top schools is also where her older sister goes. Anyone with an older sibling can likely feel for her situation. “I’m super hesitant about going to the same school as her, but I love UVA so it's tough.”

Unfortunately, many application decisions from colleges do not come until March, or even as late as mid-April. This waiting period is perhaps the hardest part of the process, as students’

futures sit on desks across the nation. “Waiting is the worst, definitely,” Van Wagoner expressed.

When asked which is the worst out of applying, waiting, or

deciding, both Lauren and Katie resoundingly declared waiting the worst part. Katie commented, “I had all of my applications done by mid-November and still haven’t heard back from most of my schools.”

Some colleges offer binding Early Decisions if a student is dead set on that school. They can be committed to that school before most students even submit their applications for regular

decision. This is an ideal way for some students to get into their dream school.

Another way for students to get admissions decisions earlier

is to apply to schools that offer “rolling admissions.” This means that the college reviews and sends out decisions to applications as they receive them, usually within two to three weeks. The downfall of a rolling school is that it is a “first come, first serve”

mentality. A student with better credentials than an accepted student may be shut out of a rolling admission school because they waited too long to submit their application.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 25


Applying to a school that offers Early Action might be the most convenient for students hoping to hear back from colleges earlier. The premise of these schools is very simple; applicants get decisions by the time when regular decision

applications are being sent in. Unlike rolling admission schools, these Early Action schools have the same decision deadline for early action applicants and regular decision ones. An applicant

can hear back in January, but still does not have to make a decision until May. Early Action offers the punctuality of Early Decision, but without the commitment.

Although Lauren admitted “that would be really nice to be them right now,” when discussing students who apply early, she did mention a distinct advantage that regular

decision offers. “You’re able to see all of the financial packages and maybe even pit one school against another to try and get more money. Also, it’s obviously great if you don’t have your heart set on only one school.”

The process of applying, waiting, and deciding can be daunting to students. It seems like their futures lie in the hands of admissions departments. However, Erin voiced that “It

doesn’t help to get too stressed about it [the process] because people have done it before you and survived and people will do it after you and survive.”

Feature

“Only apply to schools you could actually see yourself going to and focus on finding the right school for you, not your parents or friends. You’re the one that’s going to live there for the next four years, not them.”

Katie Mercurio

“Enter into the process with an open mind, visit as many schools as you can, and get excited about your future and your education.”

“I find what helps is to write down all the deadlines in some sort of chart or list, especially if you’re applying to a lot of schools. Also, use the teachers to your advantage; ask them to proofread your essays and communicate with them about the process.”

Erin Hernon

Lauren Van Wagoner

Each of these seniors offered their advice to students applying in the future.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 26


Type to enter text

By: Camryn Carstensen

Rocking out all the way to Syracuse and Albany, New Hartford's own students Adam Manion and Alex Verbickas perform in the experienced and proficient band Glen Street.

“Will Gordon, our drummer, is the reason we have so many gigs. He’s as professional as possible and makes tons of friends at the gigs we play. We always make it our best show,” said Glen Street member Adam Manion.

“There’s such few time for us to grow more realistically and our location is not a strength for us; it’d be much easier if we were located in a city,” said Adam Manion regarding where he sees the band in 5

years. However, this band has grown so much They went from very local

small populated gigs to opening for national bands and are in the

process for so much more right now. “ It’s funny to say this band started here at Band Aid right in New

Hartford’s auditorium. If it wasn’t for Max Pfisterer a graduate from New Hartford in 2013 who helped us record our first album, I don’t

know where we would be right now,”said senior Adam Manion. “Alex and I have been playing guitar since second grade, so we

know each other very well and ultimately we all have the same goal; we

all know each others schedules too and take advantage of the time we have over the weekends”, said Adam Manion and Alex Verbickas.

“But with everyone going away for college I may join another band,

however we’re uploading as many videos on youtube with the hope of sticking together somehow,” said guitarist Adam Manion

“Being in a band has really brought me out of my comfort zone, and the friendships and bonds we made in the band are unbreakable

there are so many positive things that have come from being in a band,” said guitarist Alex Verbickas.

New Hartford science teacher and mother of drummer Will

Gordon, Mrs. Gordon, seems to agrees with Alex in all the positive aspects of the band. “It’s a collaboration of a group of boys from different schools and different backgrounds who can all come together

for their love of music.”“Personally I have always had a love for music; my husband played

the drums and Will has been playing since he was 3,” continues Mrs. Gordon .

Feature

“I 150% support my son and the boys in the band. They work so hard and even with work, school, and sports they talk everyday and coordinate their schedules well; when they are together they’re either playing or writing music together.

Their time never goes to waste,” said Mrs. Gordon.“Many people are fans of this band, especially in this

town. I hear such great feedback, especially about Adam and

Alex and their talent,” said Mrs.Gordon.

Photo submitted by Glen Street

Photo submitted by Glen Street

Glen Street performs alternative rock,

however they do cover originals. Their

number one song is Blue; their best show

was at the Westscott theater, their shows

coming up are in April. April 10th is an

acoustic show from 10-12pm at Bis

barbecue and bar, and April 17th is at

the UC relay for life at 6pm.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 27


PROFILE

Undiscovered TalentMichaela Scarafile talks about her love for artBy Giovanna DeFazio

Pencils, paint, pastels, charcoal, just a few of the tools an artist

needs to create a masterpiece. Art is all around us and plays an essential part in Junior Michaela Scarafile’s life.

Ever since she was little, she has always been interested in drawing. “By the age of eight, I came to the realization that I had a special

talent,” Michaela said.It’s obvious that the junior at New Hartford High School is very

talented and puts her all into everything she creates.

“It was my grandma that truly inspired me to pursue art. She was always painting and loved to draw with me when I was younger,” Michaela said.

Michaela’s brother, Charles added, “ever since she was young, she always loved to draw and work on crafts. She’s extremely creative and

even made a sign that hangs outside of our camp out of twigs and glue.”

“It’s what I do. It’s a passion that I

hope to pursue for the rest of my

life.”

-Michaela Scarafile

To the left is a free-hand drawing provided by Michaela

and up above is a crushed can also submitted by

Michaela.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 28


PROFILE

Michaela said she works really hard on whatever art project comes her way because she loves everything about it.

“I especially love to draw graffiti because it’s

everywhere around us and it allows me to express myself,” she said.

Gabrielle Johnson, a friend of Michaela’s said, “I

love how hard-working and driven she is. It truly inspires me. She puts everything she’s got into her artwork and is truly dedicated!”

Her artistic ability hasn’t gone unnoticed though. She has received art awards from the school and she has showcased her work in art shows.

Michaela added, “I displayed some of my art at a

local arts and crafts store in Old Forge up near my camp.”

Michaela loves everything about drawing and hopes to pursue it in the future. In college, she plans to minor in art so she can still

do what she loves. Her brother added, “I think she should minor in it in college.

It’s hard to have a career in art, but with the talent she has, she should definitely continue it in her future.”

“Michaela gives one hundred and ten percent in everything she does. She always tries her best and always has a smile on her face,” Gabrielle added. She describes her friend as an inspiring

individual that acts as a role-model to younger artists looking to pursue art.

Michaela’s most recent piece. She plans to only fill in the splattered paint on the bottles.

“She makes us so proud, she really

does. She is a very talented young

girl with a bright future ahead of

her.”

-Michaela’s mom

Michaela painted what was in her pocket.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 29


PROFILENew Hartford Students Heading

To Boys StateBy: Gus Pfisterer

Right! Left! Right, Left, Right! 10 Hut! Drop and give me

fifty! This training will make or break you. This is where little boys

become men. This is Boys State. Cooper Deck, Ryan Faro, Nolan

Durr, and Kyle Kuty will be the men attending.

Boys State is a week long camp for high school boys from

all different counties in the New York State. The point of the camp

is to teach the boys about leadership, responsibility, government, the

marines, and what it takes to become a proper United States

citizen.

“I heard about it from my uncle who

is in the American Legion, and also

my mom helped inform me of it.”

New Hartford junior Ryan Faro said.

“Someday I hope to perhaps join the

military so this is going to be a really

cool experience for me. I am also very

excited to meet new people from

across the

state.”

It’s a great opportunity. I am

so excited to be apart of the camp this

summer,” New Hartford junior Kyle

Kuty said. “When I found out the

requirements I thought I would give it a

shot. It looks awesome on a college

application, and it will only make me

better as a person.”

“Only males who have

successfully completed their junior year of high school and who

have at least one more semester remaining are considered. Only

those who illustrate leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty, and

service in their schools and community are considered. Merit and

ability are the basis for evaluation

during the actual citizens selection

process.”

“I was really nervous

throughout my interview. When I

first heard about boys state I knew it

was something I really wanted to

do.” Nolan Durr, New Hartford

Junior, mentioned. “This camp will

help me learn about the

government, and also great

leadership tools that can only help me throughout my life.”

The selection process is what makes all the difference for

the candidate. Merit and ability are the basis for evaluation during

the actual citizens selection process. If a person is lucky enough to

be selected, a representative from the American Legion comes to

the school to conduct an interview. Questions like “Are you a proud

citizen of the United States?” and “Do you have the pledge of

allegiance memorized?” Are asked during these interviews along

with others to get to know

the candidate.

“I was extremely

nervous going into my

interview. Ever since I

heard about it I knew it

was a place for me,” New

Hartford junior Cooper

Deck said. “I value

leadership. I think it is

what makes me different

from most kids my age. I

have been a captain of

numerous teams, and I just

like to be the leader.” Cooper said smiling.

Ryan Faro School Picture

Kyle Kuty School Picture

Cooper Deck’s School picture

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 30


PROFILE “I think when colleges saw it on my

application it was a difference maker

for being taken off the waiting list at

Boston College, and actually being

accepted,” Mark Chanatry, New

Hartford grad, and Boston College

freshman stated. “It really does make a

difference. Plus it taught me so many

things that I apply to everyday life. It

couldn’t have been a better

experience.”

Photo Submitted by Mark Chanatry

Boys state takes place at Morrisville College from

the dates June 26, 2015 to July 2, 2015. As the week goes

on young boys in high school will be changed into men

with fine tuned skills that will only help to become

successful.

http://blog.collegegreenlight.com/blog/get-to-know-morrisville-state-college/

http://www.legion.org/boysnation/stateabout







M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 31


TRAVELTips for a traveler

Jehnnia Liver

When I came to the United States,I had many expectations and at the same time I did not know what to expect. It was a mix

of feelings almost the whole time. After some months living in the United States I did not like it at all and I could not understand the reason. It was a beautiful country?Yep. Were I

learning the language? Yep. Were I living a new culture?Oh not really.

I changed of country,language,food,school,habits and at the same time I was not enjoying this new culture.I mean,I did not

adapt to all the new things around me. Travels or trips change your mind,if you let them. You can

go to China and live there for one year,China has a different

culture,it would be a big changed but after one year you could go back home and still being the same person,if you do not open your mind to new things. So where go some tips,does not matter

where you go,if you apply this tips,you will make your trips,vacations the best thing in you life.

Be open to new things -Does not matter how many time

you spend in place,you always should try new things.I did not like the american food in the beginning,I could not eat peanut

butter. So I looked for a restaurant in the area that could offer me a meal as a brazilian one. I found and I realized that I could not afford it for a long time. I did not have choice,but eat the

american food. I tried and tried until I start to like it.What I most see is when people go travel they always go to a restaurant familiar(included me)few people try the local food. You can find out another things that you like,being open for trying them.

Be positive - Wherever you go,something always can go

wrong,you can not control or change it but you can control your reaction. I would say that my exchange was not as I expected. I

saw that was hard to make friends,since people here grew up together and they have their own group. I had many negative thoughts about my american life.I wasted a long time complaining. When I became more positive everything got better

and better,suddenly I just forgot the negative parts,if they really existed they do not matter anymore,since when you start being positive,everything around you gets better.

Do not judge - When I went to Chile I felt that people there were really close-minded. Chile was one of the greatest

places I'd been but I was disappointed about their point of view. Some years later an exchange student from Chile,which became one of my best friends.Then I took the risk and told her about

my thoughts about her country.First,she laughed,after she explained to me that people were like this because of the government,culture or traditions,people in determined countries

can be really different,often we judge them,but always try to understand their point of view.

Try to learn the language - Does not matter how long

you stay or where,you always can learn a new word. You can spend vacations even in your own country and learn new words

or a new accent. When I arrived in America,I did not speak English at all,but I always tried to learn,I wrote down the new words I learned since I`ve been here. Do not be afraid to do it.

Learn something from the bad experiences- Bad

experiences are part of the life,even trips. You will have bad experiences,to learn how to enjoy the good ones. The most important is that you learn something from them. Some trips go

wrong,some you do not plan really well,but that is okay. I learned a lot of things during my trip,I learned many things in America,but it makes me value my good moments and it also

makes me more prepared for new experiences.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 32


FeatureThe Dynamic Duo Teams Up To Make Blockbuster Hit By Gus Pfisterer

Gut busting. Eye watering. Knee slapping. Highly entertaining. Just a few

of the emotions the amused audience will experience as they

watch the new blockbuster Hollywood film, Get Hard.

“I look forward to laughing so hard I cry,” New Hartford junior Dominick Pfisterer said. “I haven’t seen a really funny movie in a long time, I’m due for a good laugh.”

Get Hard is the new blockbuster hit featuring the highly

talented Will Farrell, and Kevin Hart. The film depicts businessman James King (Will Ferrell) as he is wrongfully convicted of tax evasion. He hires his black friend Darnell Lewis (Kevin Hart), who

he incorrectly thinks has served time in jail, to teach him how to survive his upcoming 10-year prison sentence.

“The producers couldn’t have picked two better people for this

movie” New Hartford Junior Morgan Calabrese said. “These actors are going to compliment each other so well. Both men are hilarious, and I feel working together there is no way the movie won’t be

amazing.”

Will Ferrell first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show

Saturday Night Live and has subsequently starred in the comedy films: Old School, Anchorman, Elf,

The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro, Step Brothers, The Other Guys, Anchorman 2: The Legend

Continues, and The Lego Movie.

New Hartford Junior George

Fanelli said “Both of these actors are so talented. They make me laugh

incredibly hard, but now that they’re together it’s going to make for an unbelievably funny movie.”

Kevin Hart began his career by winning several amateur comedy competitions at clubs throughout New England,

culminating in his first real break in 2000 when he was cast by Judd Apatow for a recurring role on the TV series Undeclared. The

series lasted only one season, but he soon landed other roles in movies like Scary Movie 3,

Grudge Match, Ride Along, and Little Fockers. Actor Kevin Hart mentioned

in Collider.com ; “ For me, it was definitely dope because this is me stepping out of my comfort zone. Coming here and working with

Will and Will’s team and you know, his production company, along with the studio is me being excited to work with Will, but I will say, the way that they approach their workday is dope to me, because we

all care.”Actor Will Ferrell said on his interview in collider.com “it’s kind

of the same process, you know, it’s new for us to work with Kevin

and vice versa. Kevin just had great ideas about how he wanted to play certain things and especially from the black

perspective and how that should be, you know, things

we want to say, things we don’t want to say, and

then we, you know, we met before shooting and went through all of the

scenes.” This will be

the first time Will

Ferrell and Kevin Hart will team up in a movie. The

highly anticipated movie hits theaters on March 19th.

http://www.comingsoon.net/movie/get-hard-2015#/

http://www.imdb.com/name/

en.wikipedia.org

sciencedaily.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorman:_The_Legend_of_Ron_Burgundy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorman:_The_Legend_of_Ron_Burgundy

http://www.comingsoon.net/movie/get-hard-2015#

http://www.comingsoon.net/movie/get-hard-2015#

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002071/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002071/

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 33


MUSIC NOTES

Copyrighted FeelingsEverything in music is liable to lawsuitBy Brady Collea

Any performing musician is lying if they say

that they do not have musical influences. The songs they choose to sing might tend to be from a specific artist more than others, or songs they write might exude the same kind of feel as people who

influence them. Famous musicians often credit their musical influences for where they got a successful sound or song. Unfortunately, creativity

and expression are being constricted and threatened by copyright lawsuits.

Both Robin Thicke’s 2013 hit

“Blurred Lines” with Pharrell Williams and “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith have been sued recently by artists claiming that Thicke and Smith ripped off their sound. The accusers are Marvin Gaye

and Tom Petty, respectively. The lawsuits, especially the suit

filed by Gaye, are baseless. When you look at the

actual composition of “Blurred Lines” against Gaye’s “Got to Give it Up,” it is incredibly clear that the two are very different. The instrumentation sounds the same, but the musical mode,

beats, and the overall use of those instruments like the cowbell and electric piano vary greatly between the songs.

The main claim being made by the Gaye camp is that “Blurred Lines” stole the late 70s feel that “Got to Give it

Up” inspired. I ask you to read that again; Gaye’s people are admitting that very little musical similarity exists between the two songs, but are claiming that they give listeners the same feel.

Since Gaye’s song came first, that means he gets to sue Thicke.If artists are going to be sued for copying the general sound

of one another, all pop artists might as well sue each other for

playing major chord progressions (albeit this is essentially what Sam Smith has been sued for). Rap artists could sue each other for using the same number of syllables per measure or other ridiculous, minute aspects of the songs. What discerns a copycat

song from an homage to a past artist?It is a well known joke among musicians that if you can play

4 chords and own a capo, you can play virtually every song ever

written. There are thousands of songs using the same chords, even the same progression of those chords. Why aren’t all of those artists suing each other? The answer is that they choose to respect inspiration instead of stifling it.

A ruling has come down in the lawsuit which orders that Thicke pay $7.3 million to Gaye for the alleged

copyright infringement. I was previously unaware

that feelings could be copyrighted.

Pharrell was quoted by Time magazine

saying, “The verdict handicaps any creator out there who is making something that might be

inspired by something else.” Williams continued on to say “This applies to fashion, music, design… anything. If we lose our freedom to be inspired

we’re going to look up one day and the entertainment industry as we know it will be frozen in litigation. This is about protecting the

intellectual rights of people who have ideas.”

I understand the statement “It’s a

business” that is so often used in sports or entertainment, but these suits are abhorrent. I

personally write songs and I draw a lot of inspiration from Passenger and the fingerpicking

style of guitar which he plays. If I was to sell a song on iTunes,

this ruling tells me that I could easily be sued for all I own.The music industry spans from obscure local groups and

songwriters all the way to global superstars. The fact that there are such litigious people out there, artists themselves, who are

more concerned about making money they don’t need through lawsuits is repulsive. Artists who likely found the inspiration to pursue music because of these artists from decades past are now

being sued by them, and that seems quite wrong.

billboard.com

vulture.com

For those who know music theory, compare the lines for yourself. For those unfamiliar, just look at how different the lines appear to the naked eye.

joebennett.net

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 34


FEATURECelebrating Saint Patrick’s DayA changing of traditionBy Madeline McIntosh

In like a lion, out like a lamb. March is an eventful month. March madness, the changing of seasons, and Saint Patrick’s Day all come with an abundance of excitement.

The celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day originated in 1737 in America. It started in Boston by Irish Americans as a religious service followed by a feast. Since then, Saint Patrick’s Day has changed, becoming more about drinking, wearing green, and parades.

Although many Irish American families still have a traditional Irish meal on Saint Patrick’s Day, typically consisting of corned beef and cabbage. A senior Elizabeth Williams said, “After going to the parade we have a big family dinner.”.

“The Saint Patrick’s Day parade is a lot of fun, the floats are cool and the amount of community participation is awesome.” Elizabeth stated.

According to The Great American Irish Festival in Utica, the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the biggest Saint Patrick’s

Parades in the state of New York. The Utica parade originated from a small group of Irishmen led by Johnnie Oakes marching around Varick Street and has considerably grown in size since its start in 1977.

No matter what festivities people participate in, Saint Patrick’s Day is guaranteed to be a fun day for all.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 35


ST PATRICKSFEATURE

By Christine Cornnell

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 36


FEATUREWater Park Fun In The SummertimeWater Safari

By Anthony Murad

Black River is my favorite ride at Water Safari. You go in a double tube, in a dark tunnel and it goes very fast!

I also like the Curse Of the Silverback. It goes fast and when you come out you go in circles.

I also like the Raging Rapids. This ride you climb up a mountain and go fast over bumps and through the turns.

This year I want to try the Rondaxe Run. It is a double tube on a big side. I think it would be fun.

Mr. Byrd, a substitute teacher at New Hartford, said, “The Shadow is my favorite. It’s really big and goes fast. I like the Rondaxe Run too.”

Giovanna De Fazio, a senior at New Hartford, used to go to water safari twice a year. Her favorite ride is the Curse Of The Silverback. “It goes really fast. I like the drop!” she

said.

“It goes really fast.

I like the drop!”--Giovanna DeFazio

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 37


March 20th

Midnight travels closer nearCloser, closer to you my dearNot retreating, but advancing Like the gypsies’ haunted dancingA solid wall of black dissolving all lightIt is why this warning I write

Forever it feels as though we’ll fallRunning, walking, till we crawlNo matter where you run they’ll followSometimes the truth is hard to swallowThe light of the moon is veiled by a cloudThe fight for survival only has one round

Midnight can change on a dimeLike Cinderella you’ve run out of timeLosing your glass slipper is not a worryIt’s the big things that lunge instead of scurryNo fairy god mother, no magic, no miceYou’re on your own, your risk, your life

Make the most out of what you’ve been givenYou have a second chance to be reborn, to be risen You’re too young they say, but I knowYour heart is full no longer hollowThe path untaken you choose to takeA most beautiful life you shall make

So Midnight come and Midnight goIf you don’t stay forever please make it soFor Darkness can turn into LightBut then again there as an Alaskan nightNo sun, no moon, no stars, no heartIt is up to you to stand apart

What you run from will always catch up so it is better to face it

head on than to be caught unawares

Issue No. Two www.newhartfordschools.org

http://charterforcompassion.org

https://farm8.staticflickr.com http://www.tlc-systems.com

MidnightWritten By: Alyssa Daley

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http://www.newhartfordschools.org

http://www.newhartfordschools.org

http://charterforcompassion.org/

http://charterforcompassion.org/

http://www.tlc-systems.com/




http://www.dreamstime.com

http://www.dreamstime.com

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edgarallan125555.html?src=t_midnight








http://s174.photobucket.com/

http://s174.photobucket.com/

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 38


CREATIVE WRITINGBalance: Part Two

By Zhane’ McKnightIn the morning, my mother came to rouse me and get ready for

the funeral. She seemed unsurprised that I was already awake, but did not comment on it.

“How are you doing?” I asked gently. Mother sniffled slightly

and looked a bit shaky, but said she was doing alright.“And you?” she asked me. “You were closer to Helena than

anyone.”

I cringed at that. Though I was going to her funeral, I did not want to think about my dead grandmother. The fact that she was gone, frightened me to no end. It suddenly made me doubt all of my decisions to leave my family behind.

“I will be fine,” I said evenly. Mother nodded at me and left me to get ready.

It was then that I discovered I had no suit.

I searched through my suitcase and my barren closet, but all I had were dress pants. No shirt, no suit jacket, no tie. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. I ran to my parent’s room and

knocked on the door. “What?” My father asked, slightly bewildered as I stood in

front of him, panting, only swathed in black dress pants. “What’s wrong?”

“I need… a suit…” I managed to gasp. Do you have an old one?”

He studied my face for a few moments before inviting me in.

He rummaged through his closet, throwing me curious glances as he did so.

“What?” I said.

Father startled a little out of his trance. “Nothing… I just guess where you were… you wouldn’t need a suit.”

My face flushed a little. All of us were still skirting around the issue of “my time away,” as they called it. And he was right; there

was absolutely no need for a suit in the woods. I was surprised I still had dress pants even.

“Um, yeah…” I said awkwardly. “I think grandmother gave it

away or something. She got rid of a lot of my old stuff… that I didn’t need.” With that, father handed me the clothing and shooed me out of the room.

***I shifted uncomfortably in my suit. It was a tad bit bigger than

I, and my shoes pinched my feet. The funeral was very quiet. A lot of distant family and friends

were there, and though they spoke very little to me, I could feel

their judging and hateful stares bore into my back. I already wasn’t a part of them since I didn’t even have my own suit. But now they were just confirming the fact.

Why did you come back? Their eyes asked. Why are you here? And

suddenly, I had a vision of back at camp, when I had told my group that I was leaving, and their eyes had the same cold, unforgiving look. They were the same, I realized.

I gasped at the sudden realization. The people around me looked at me funny, but I didn’t care. How were they the same, judgemental society that I had tried to leave behind?

I didn’t want to believe it. But it was true. My group was a smaller, more secret society. They tried to pretend they were different, and maybe they really did try, but in the end, I saw no difference between society and my group of misfits.

“What’s the matter?” my mother hissed at me. I couldn’t respond.

I stumbled over to where grandmother’s body laid in her coffin.

I looked at her calm, peaceful face. She still looked youthful almost, like she shouldn’t be dead. I clutched the edge of the coffin, my knuckles turning white.

“What do I do, Helena?” I whispered. “What do I do?”She, of course, gave no answer. I grunted a little in frustration. I felt a large hand clap down on my back, and I flinched. “Stop

it, whatever you’re doing,” my father growled low in my ear.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I said breathlessly. “I don’t know about anything anymore.”

“Get out,” my father snapped, causing people to look up.

“You’re making a fool of yourself. Get out and get a hold of yourself.”

Gladly, I said in my mind. This place was suddenly too stifling. I

ran out of the church and all the way back home. The burn in my muscles felt good. When I returned home, I stripped out of the offending suit and back into a shirt and jeans. I paced around the room.

I couldn’t stay in this house any longer. And I sadly realized that I could no longer return to my group. Both were too offending. Where would I go?

My eyes suddenly landed on a poster that had remained tacked up in my room. It was a drawing of the Statue of Liberty. A New York State of Mind, the caption read. My chest bloomed with hope.

I had always wanted to visit New York City. I had been fascinated with the old and the new; the old stores in Brooklyn versus the new skyscrapers in Manhattan.

Balance, I thought and smiled. What I needed was balance. I

could still be a part of society, but remain true to myself. I could live

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 39


CREATIVE WRITINGfascinated with the old and the new; the old stores in Brooklyn versus

the new skyscrapers in Manhattan.Balance, I thought and smiled. What I needed was balance. I could still

be a part of society, but remain true to myself. I could live in Queens or Brooklyn, but still visit Manhattan. Yes, my plan was sounding better by the minute.

The grin remained on my face as I packed, and shoved my meager savings into my pocket. I wasn’t horribly upset about it, poverty would do me good, and I was used to bad living conditions.

Before I left, I wrote my family a note saying, I’ve gone again, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. Don’t look for me. Take care. I then wrote a similar note to my old group and left it next to the other one. My group would receive the note, somehow. They always did.

I carefully untacked the New York poster and folded it before packing it into my suitcase.

I took a deep breath, looked around my childhood room one last time, and closed the door.

Balance, I said to myself. Balance.

Photo provided by Google Images.

M a r c h 2 6 , 2 0 1 5! ! 40


PUZZLE PAGE

You’ll Ace these puzzles!Check out the puzzle page!By Alyssa Weibel

PENCIL

BINDER

HIGHLIGHTER

TEACHER

NOTEBOOK

TEXTBOOK

CHALK

COMPUTER

SCHOOL

GRADES

PEN

TAPE

SCISSORS

Puzzle credit to Bonnie MalcomTaken from about.puzzles.com (right)

WHICH CAME FIRST?

Can you figure out which band

formed first, second, and third?

1. Nirvana was formed.

2. The Rolling Stones were formed.

3. Red Hot Chili Peppers were

formed.

ANSWERS: 2 (1962), 3 (1983), 1 (1987)

Credit to Clip Art Best

Documents

spartan - New Hartford Central Schools