Vol. XXIX · Issue VII

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage -

PAIDBoston, MA

Permit No. 54523

Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper · Newton, MA · Established 1984 · March 20, 2013

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

GymnasticsMIAA withdraws sponsor-ship of boys gymnastics as an o!cial sport

page 29Cheating!e Roar examines academ-ic dishonesty at a local and national level

page 16AP Biology Students and faculty discuss the nature of the AP Biology curriculum

page 3

Cold, numb "ngers curled around a cigarette and a wisp of smoke escap-ing with each breath, freshman Gabe Lazare stood next to a faded wooden pole by the South tennis courts, as he does three or four times each school day.

“I started smoking because everyone in my family smokes. Most of my friends smoke,” he said. “[I knew] I would start smoking cigarettes at some point in time, so might as well.”

In order to provide funds for various services and renovations around the city, Newton residents voted to pass an $11.4 million over-ride package in a special election last Tuesday, Mar. 12.

!e override consisted of three questions by referendum: !e "rst was a general tax increase in order to fund education budgets and public safety measures, and the second and third were debt exclusions totaling around $3 million to renovate Angier Elemen-tary School and Cabot Elementary School, respectively.

With the passing of the over-ride, property taxes will increase by $343 on average for each Newton resident.

According to drama teacher Arika Nabutovsky, this increase allowed South to avoid cuts and provide necessary resources to students, especially in terms of electives. “Cuts in the faculty here would have been appalling,” she said. “Every single student would experience not being able to take the class that they wanted to take, not because they couldn’t "t it into [their] schedule, but because it wouldn’t be running.”

Loreta Lamberti, principal of Angier, said that the override was necessary in order to keep schools like Angier and Cabot up to the infographic by Ravi Panse

Override passed to fund education, public servicesD!"#$ L# % J!&'( W)

News Reporter, Managing Editorstandard of the other elementary schools across the city.

“[!e schools] have become unsafe. !e heating systems don’t work, and the classrooms aren’t large enough,” she said. “!e people of Newton cannot ignore the state of the buildings.”

Student response to di#erent portions of the override has been mixed.

Sophomore Aleks Marceau, who went to Angier and whose sister currently attends the school, said that he regarded the proposed renovation with ambivalence.

“It’s great for Waban. It’s great for the city to have a great new elementary school, but I think education should come "rst, before the building,” he said.

Sophomore Jasper Primack, said, however, that the tax increase will provide much-needed funds to the school system in the most e$cient manner.

“It’s a very elegant solution,” he said. “Between putting fees on memberships in clubs and in-creased taxes, I think that I would personally prefer increased taxes.”

Nabutovsky said that ulti-mately, students played a large role in passing the override.

“!is was just such a great example of people taking action and making something happen,” she said. “Students talked to parents, and the parents voted. Students made a di#erence here.”

Two days before beginning high school, sophomore Max Sternburg, Lazare’s friend, got into a "ght with his father. He said he felt stressed, upset and angry. !en a friend o#ered him an escape from these emotions: a cigarette.

“[My friend] said, ‘Try this. It will help calm you down,’” Sternburg said. “!at was my weak point, and I gave in. You try one. You want another.”

By the beginning of his freshman year, Sternburg was addicted to cigarettes. He needed smoking breaks during the school day, but since smoking is illegal on the school campus, he started smoking by the tennis courts across the street from

South.Lazare and Sternburg are two of the

approximately 15 students who frequent the pole during a typical school day.

In addition to serving as a place for students to smoke during the day, the pole has become a place of social acceptance in an environment that is o%en hostile to smokers, according to those who spend time there.

Sophomore Elyse* said that she and her friends who congregate at the pole share a sense of community. “It’s cool because everyone there is friends, and everyone knows each other,” Elyse said. “It’s a relaxing and peaceful place. People

aren’t there just to smoke. It’s also a friend group.”

Sophomore Alex* agreed and said he and his friends have come to care about the area surrounding the pole because it is a meeting point for them to spend time together while smoking.

“[One of our friends] put a bucket out there for us to put our [cigarette] butts in. It’s our little space, so we don’t want to make it dirty. People clean up,” Alex said. “!ere are people who change that bin because otherwise it gets gross. We want to take care of our [space].”

S*'++', F-#'$+!.$ % C!-+, M'#('+

Features Reporter, Features Editor

Student smokers bond over shared habit despite public disapproval

NEWS 3 FEATURES 8 EDITORIALS 14 CENTERFOLD 16 OPINIONS 21 COMMUNITY 25 SPORTS 28

SMOKING, 9

ads2 march 20, 2013

can give,” she said. “I feel like [the teachers] would know what’s best, knowing what this class has done to students in terms of stress.”

AP Biology teacher Jordan Kraus disagreed and said that the College Board’s recent alterations to the AP curriculum

make her class more manageable for students who have not previously studied biology. “[! e new AP Biology curricu-lum] is much simpler and much [more] toned down from what the previous version of AP was in terms of both the breadth and depth of information that they expect students to learn,” she said.

Gagnon said that while the AP Biology curriculum changed for the 2014 AP exam onward and is narrower in breadth, it requires more critical thinking and analysis. “! ere’s

more signi" cant thinking on the higher level, such as lab design and inquiry skills,” he said, “which is pretty

tricky to do if you don’t understand some of the foundational knowledge of biology.”

Kraus also said that students have gen-erally done well AP Biology without having

taken an introductory course, citing high AP scores and end of year grades. “If they in fact weren’t able to master all of the material in a single year, they would not be getting these kinds of results,” she said. “We got these kinds of results with students who were move-ups from curriculum I. If it’s not broken, if most kids are succeeding, if most of the kids are getting 4s and 5s [on AP exams] and most kids are walk-ing away enthusiastic about science, why

would you change it?”According to 2012 AP test results, the

mean score for South students on the AP Biology exam was 4.54, with only 9 students

receiving 1s or 2s.Vice Principal Mary Scott said that despite

solid performance on AP tests, combating student stress is one of the most important goals of postponing

AP Biology until senior year. “It is all about balance,” she said. “We need our kids to

be hardworking and motivated, but at the same time, I know that a number of our students don’t get enough hours of sleep

a night.”“It is a mistake to look at AP scores as the end-all

be-all,” Gagnon agreed. “As a science department and a school, we have the responsibility to make sure that we are putting students in a position where they can thrive, not just survive.”

Kraus said, however, that her AP Biology class is already structured to minimize student stress.

“We have a system in place in my class now where I guarantee that no student is asked to spend more than 15

minutes a night on homework,” she said. “! ere’s e# ectively no [traditional] homework.”

Sophomore Sumit Hariawala agreed that he and other students who wish to pursue science in the future will be particularly a# ected by the change in the curriculum. He

said that teachers should trust students to evaluate themselves and decide whether they think they can succeed in a class. “If the student thinks that with the work, they can keep up with

the class, there should be no reason that they shouldn’t have the right to take the class,” he said.

Gagnon said he appreciates thoughtful comments from students like Hariawala about curricular modi" cations and that he ultimately aims to prioritize student learning.

“I’m happy that the student body is concerned about this,” he said. “At the same time, I’m not the least bit threat-

ened by students’ inquisitiveness about this because I know that we are coming at it for the right reasons.”

South Spots

Youth Summit II

Mayor Setti Warren will host the second Youth Summit on Wednes-day, Mar. 20 at Brown Middle School from 6-9 p.m. ! e event will bring together teens, parents and commu-nity members, who will discuss the solutions to the teen issues that were discussed in the " rst Youth Summit.

Faculty Talent Show

Sta# members will hold a talent show in Sea-sholes Auditorium on Saturday, Mar. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Ticket sale proceeds will bene" t the Faculty Scholarship Funds for student trips and students in need.

Game Show Night

! e Habitat for Human-ity Club will host Game Show Night on ! urs-day, Mar. 28 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria. Students and faculty will com-pete in rounds of “Fam-ily Feud,” “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” and “Are You Smarter ! an a Fresh-man?” in order to raise money for the Habitat organization.

South Spots

march 20, 2013news 3page

volume 29 issue 7

SouthSpots

compiled by Roar editors In an e# ort to better prepare and improve the learning experiences of students taking AP Biology, the science department will no longer o# er the class as a " rst year course

starting this fall. Despite protest from students who feel that this policy will hinder their abilities to appropriately challenge themselves, science department head Gerard Gagnon said that the change will help students retain skills and com-plex concepts in the long term. “[AP Biology] is challenging because you’re kind of serving two masters,” Gagnon said. “One is to develop a foundational knowledge of biology, and two is to provide students with the experience that’s akin to a freshman college biology course.”

Although sophomore Sophie Menashi said she was initially disappointed she would not be able to enroll in AP Bi-ology next year, she recognizes the need for an introductory class. “If you don’t have the full foundation, you’re not going to the get the full experience of AP Biology because it seems more like a conceptual class that deals less with the basics and more with advanced concepts,” she said.

According to Gagnon, students will have three “path-ways to AP Biology” under the new plan: taking an introduc-tory biology course at either the Curriculum I or Honors level before taking AP Biology as a senior elective, taking a placement test to gain admission to the AP class or taking an introductory biology course over summer vacation.

Junior year Curriculum I and Honors biology courses will have altered curricula in order to prevent redundancy for students who go on to take AP Biology. “We’re being mindful of the content we want to cover … which requires a shi$ in curriculum,” he said. “If Honors biology became ‘AP light,’ that would be problematic.”

Despite the multiple pathways for entry into the class, students have raised concerns that with AP Biology as a senior science elective, they may face scheduling con% icts with other classes or increased stress.

“! ere are students who want to take a lot of science courses senior year,” said senior Scott Cohen, who took AP Biology last year as a junior and is currently enrolled in neurobiology. “But with neuro, two AP Physics classes [and] AP Chemistry, if you want to throw AP Biology on top of that, it’s just not going to work.”

According to sophomore Zoe Beutel, the change in the curriculum will inhibit students like her from properly challenging themselves.

“It’s frustrating because biology is something I’m actually interested in, and I’d rather be chal-lenged in a class than be bored in it,” she said. “If people want to learn and take harder classes, it should be a " rst priority to provide that.”

Sophomore Julia Churchill said, however, that she appreciates the science department’s ef-forts to reduce student stress by restricting juniors’ ability to enroll in AP Biology.

“Everyone knows how much stress junior year

can give,” she said. “I feel like [the teachers] would know what’s best, knowing what this class has done to students in terms of stress.”

AP Biology teacher Jordan Kraus disagreed and said that the College Board’s recent alterations to the AP curriculum

make her class more manageable for students who have not previously studied biology. “[! e new AP Biology curricu-lum] is much simpler and much [more] toned down from what the previous version of AP was in terms of both the breadth and depth of information that they expect students to learn,” she said.

Gagnon said that while the AP Biology curriculum changed for the 2014 AP exam onward and is narrower in breadth, it requires more critical thinking and analysis. “! ere’s

more signi" cant thinking on the higher level, such as lab design and inquiry skills,” he said, “which is pretty

tricky to do if you don’t understand some of the foundational knowledge of biology.”

erally done well AP Biology without having taken an introductory course, citing high AP

scores and end of year grades. “If they in fact

would you change it?”

mean score for South students on the AP Biology exam was 4.54, with only 9 students

receiving 1s or 2s.Vice Principal Mary Scott said that despite

solid performance on AP tests, combating student stress is one of the most important goals of postponing

AP Biology until senior year. “It is all about balance,” she said. “We need our kids to

be hardworking and motivated, but at the same time, I know that a number of our students don’t get enough hours of sleep

a night.”“It is a mistake to look at AP scores as the end-all

be-all,” Gagnon agreed. “As a science department and a school, we have the responsibility to make sure that we are putting students in a position where they can thrive, not just survive.”

Kraus said, however, that her AP Biology class is already structured to minimize student stress.

“We have a system in place in my class now where I guarantee that no student is asked to spend more than 15

minutes a night on homework,” she said. “! ere’s e# ectively no [traditional] homework.”

Sophomore Sumit Hariawala agreed that he and other students who wish to pursue science in the future will be particularly a# ected by the change in the curriculum. He

said that teachers should trust students to evaluate themselves and decide whether they think they can succeed in a class. “If the student thinks that with the work, they can keep up with

the class, there should be no reason that they shouldn’t have the right to take the class,” he said.

Gagnon said he appreciates thoughtful comments from students like Hariawala about curricular modi" cations and that he ultimately aims to prioritize student learning.

“I’m happy that the student body is concerned about this,” he said. “At the same time, I’m not the least bit threat-

Spotsn an e# ort to better prepare and improve Spotsn an e# ort to better prepare and improve Spotsthe learning experiences of students taking Spotsthe learning experiences of students taking SpotsAP Biology, the science department will no longer o# er the class as a " rst year course

starting this fall. Despite protest from students who feel that this policy will hinder their abilities to appropriately challenge themselves, science department head Gerard Gagnon said that the change will help students retain skills and com-plex concepts in the long term. “[AP Biology] is challenging because you’re kind of serving two masters,” Gagnon said. “One is to develop a foundational knowledge of biology, and two is to provide students with the experience that’s akin to a freshman college biology course.”

Although sophomore Sophie Menashi said she was initially disappointed she would not be able to enroll in AP Bi-ology next year, she recognizes the need for an introductory class. “If you don’t have the full foundation, you’re not going to the get the full experience of AP Biology because it seems more like a conceptual class that deals less with the basics and more with advanced concepts,” she said.

According to Gagnon, students will have three “path-ways to AP Biology” under the new plan: taking an introduc-tory biology course at either the Curriculum I or Honors level before taking AP Biology as a senior elective, taking a placement test to gain admission to the AP class or taking an introductory biology course over summer vacation.

Junior year Curriculum I and Honors biology courses will have altered curricula in order to prevent redundancy for students who go on to take AP Biology. “We’re being mindful of the content we want to cover … which requires a shi$ in curriculum,” he said. “If Honors biology became ‘AP light,’ that would be problematic.”

Despite the multiple pathways for entry into the class, students have raised concerns that with AP Biology as a senior science elective, they may face scheduling con% icts with other classes

“! ere are students who want to take a lot of science courses senior year,” said senior Scott Cohen, who took AP Biology last year as a junior and is currently enrolled in neurobiology. “But with neuro, two AP Physics classes [and] AP Chemistry, if you want to throw AP Biology on top of that, it’s just not going to work.”

According to sophomore Zoe Beutel, the change in the curriculum will inhibit students like her from properly challenging themselves.

“It’s frustrating because biology is something I’m actually interested in, and I’d rather be chal-lenged in a class than be bored in it,” she said. “If people want to learn and take harder classes, it should be a " rst priority to provide that.”

Sophomore Julia Churchill said, however, that she appreciates the science department’s ef-forts to reduce student stress by restricting juniors’

First

AP Biology should be a _____ year course.

Agreed DisagreedAn extra year of introductory biology would

have made the course more manageable.

Agreed

60% 40%

The Evolution of BiologyControversy over the placement of AP Biology has reached a breaking point

AP Biology stresses me out more than other Honors courses do.

65% 35% Second

70% 30% Disagreed

SouthSpots

B! H!"##$% C&'( )#* J)+$, W"

infographic by Hyunnew Choi and James Wu

! e Roar surveyed 100

students on Mar. 5

news4 march 20, 2013

! e Newton Cultural Center will also host a Latin American festival on Mar. 23 and a Russian festival on Apr. 19, 20 and 21. ! e Latin Ameri-can festival will feature music, dance, food and art from countries including Argentina, Brazil, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia and others. ! e second annual Russian festival will display works of Russian artists and will include " lm discussions and food from Café St. Petersburg and Inna’s Kitchen. Both events will take place on 225 Nevada St., Newtonville.

photos by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

photos courtesy of Melinda Gordon

CULTURAL CROSSOVER

! e Newton Cultural Center held a Francophone festival on Mar. 2 and a Chinese festival on Mar. 9 to celebrate

cultural diversity in the community

The Water Café5march 20, 2013 news

Following the installation of bistro tables in the auditorium lobby, the Bake Sale Club protested the “homework and water only” policy set by the administration by running a cafe that served only

water on Feb. 25 and 26.Although the tables were installed in late February

as the result of a South Senate bill, the administration has not yet li! ed its ban on eating in the lobby, which prompted students to organize and take part in the protest.

" e Senate dra! ed a # ve-part proposal with the purpose of removing the ban. One of the # ve parts, the installation of tables, has already been executed. According to Senate President and junior Jack Lovett, the rest will soon follow. “Right now, the proposal is all in writing and sent to the administra-tion,” Lovett said. “If people are using the tables and [the administration is] are convinced people will clean up, ... I think that process will go pretty quickly.”

Some students, however, said that they saw the tables as a jab from administrators rather than as a mark of progress. Bake Sale Club president and senior Nicholas Reed, who helped organize the protest, said that though he is pleased with the comfort provided by the tables, he is unhappy that the restrictions still apply.

“You still aren’t allowed to eat there, which seems ridiculous to me. " at [administrators] would have these tables installed and then not allow [students] to eat there ... is almost taunting,” Reed said.

Senior Christopher Connell agreed with Reed but said he is not surprised about the situation. “It seems pretty

ridiculous but at the same time seems pretty typical,” he said.Vice Principal Mary Scott said that in order to li! the

ban, the administration would need to # nd a way to keep the area clean.

“We need to be assured that students will clean up a! erwards,” she said. “Once we do that, we’re open to having [the tables] open for food if the students can take care of it.”

In order to demonstrate that students could be respon-sible, Reed and senior Yoonchan Choi, another president of Bake Sale Club, organized two days of protest through the

establishment of " e Water Café.Reed said that " e Water Café

was a respectful, rather than hostile protest instituted to get students to sign a petition to allow students to eat in the lobby on the condition that they clean up a! er themselves.

“Many students do like to eat out there, and they want to be able to eat out there, but o! en the response [to the ban] is just to be disrespectful to the campus aides and disrespect-

ful to the rules and eat out there instead. And that creates a cycle where nothing is going to get done because they are not going to let us eat out there if people do it disrespectfully,” Reed said. “So we said we need to have an organized kind of gathering, not necessarily a protest, and we were going to serve just water.”

Choi said that demonstrating the ability to maintain order in the lobby was crucial to the event’s success.

“Part of the mission statement of " e Water Café was that people involved with " e Water Café, like myself, would take responsibility for the space and make sure that it is clean,” he said.

Choi and Reed made sure the event followed school policies, for it would lose its weight as a legitimate demon-stration if it were not, according to Reed.

“We wanted to get the administration’s notice in a respectful way. We wanted to let them know that we could organize the students to achieve a reasonable goal without doing something that was breaking the law or being disre-spectful,” Reed said.

As a result of the protests, the administration allowed students to eat in the lobby for those two days.

Scott said the driving factor behind the administra-tion’s decision was " e Water Café’s taking responsibility for the area’s cleanliness. “" ey promised to clean up, so we allowed it on a pilot basis,” she said.

" is demonstration of initiative made the event a success, according to Reed. “We de# nitely showed the administration that the students could act in accordance with the law,” he said.

As a result of the success of the protests, Reed said he and the others involved with the event are talking with the administration to see if they can maintain " e Water Café. " e goal is to establish three blocks a week during which, under the supervision of " e Water Café, the auditorium lobby would be open to eating.

Choi said he is hopeful that " e Water Café will act as a moderator for school policy. “We hope ... to reach a collective agreement where everyone is satis# ed with the administration and the student body,” he said.

B! N"#$"%&'( B)(#'* "%+ C"*#'* H),'

photos by Yu-Ching Chang

Students participate in the protest planned by members of the Bake Sale Club. ! e organizers served various types of water to students during lunch on Feb. 25 and 26.

Students arrange a tongue-in-

cheek gathering to protest the ban

on food in the front lobby

We wanted to let [the admin-istration] know that we could

organize the students to achieve a reasonable goal.- Nicholas Reed, Class of 2013

CULTURAL CROSSOVER

news6 march 20, 2013

To give students more access to computers outside of class, South Senate collaborated with school librarians last month to organize a system in which stu-dents can check out laptops to use in library classrooms.

“We wanted students to have more access to computers,” Senate Vice President and senior Nicholas Hurney said. “If we already have these laptops carts, why don’t we allow students to use them when they’re not being used by a class?”

In addition to signing a user agreement stating that they will respect the laptops and put them away a! er completing work, students can only use the laptops in the library classrooms.

According to librarian Ethel Downey, this requirement has been issued to ensure

the security of the computers as well as to encourage students to use the laptops only for school-related work.

“" e laptops are there just for school use, and if they are kept in the classroom, students get a better sense that they’re there to use them for school,” she said. “We know the iPads are used to check your email, watch some videos or play some games, but we do not want the laptops to be used that way.”

Downey said that she has seen an increase in students’ academic productivity a! er introducing the system.

“" e students who like to have a quiet place to work have discovered the laptops,” she said. “" ey can sign them out, and they know they can have a computer to do their research in a quiet space. At the same time we have our quiet study area, but it’s not always the quietest.”

Student response toward the new policy has been mostly positive.

Junior Patrick Torres said that access to computers and printing is integral to productivity in the library.

“I think [the new system] is great be-cause more people will be able to do work, which is a really big part of our school,” he said.

“I basically need to type or go online for [all of my homework], but when I see that there are not any computers available, I usually leave,” Hurney agreed. “[" is system] will help my productivity.”

Junior Dan Ehrlich said that though “providing students with more resources is always a good thing,” he does not think the laptops will signi# cantly help student productivity.

He said that the availability of more textbooks would be more helpful to students than access to laptops.

“When students go to the library, and they need to study for something or want to

do some homework, they depend on a giant textbook, and they obviously don’t want to carry that,” he said. “" e library only has one textbook for [each subject], and that’s somewhat di$ cult when there are 50 people in the library, and everybody needs the same textbook because there’s a test next block.”

According to Bolstad, as the librarians continue to improve the library, they will continue to o% er the use of school laptops in library classrooms and encourage students to take initiative in initiating changes they would like to see.

“We saw the issue; [South Senate] came up with the solution that we weren’t seeing as clearly as they were,” Bolstad said. “We’ve done a lot of change in the last two years. We’ve rearranged the library, we restructured where things are and we’ve opened it up, so coming o% of so much change for this library, [laptop availability] will help to continue along that way.”

J!"#$ O"$%&'Sr. News Editor

Tech It OutSouth librarians have made laptops available for students to check out during school hours

photo by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

! e Roar asks: What does South want to know about history teacher Faye Cassell?! e Roar

AskFrom freshman Kate Brandel: What kind of student were you in high school?

graphic by Joe Joseph

FC: I was the straight-A, president-of-ev-erything kind of student.

! e Roar asks: What does South want to know about history teacher Faye Cassell?! e Roar asks: What does South want to know about history teacher Faye Cassell?! e Roar! e Roar! e Roar! e Roar asks: What does South want to know about history teacher Faye Cassell?! e Roar asks: What does South want to know about history teacher Faye Cassell?! e Roar

The History TeacherThe History TeacherThe History TeacherThe History Teacher

FC: I really want to go to Machu Picchu and Tibet.

FC: Eleanor Roosevelt. She was one of the ( rst female leaders I learned about.

FC: Patrick Stewart. I am a huge “Star Trek” fan.

From sophomore Nikki Caminetsky: If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

From junior Emma Sander: Who was your role model when you were little?

From senior Rachel Hurwitz: Who is your celebrity crush?

AskAskAskAskAsk

march 20, 2013 7news

Newton’s Board of Aldermen recently accepted a proposal to design and build a new 340,000 square foot shopping center at the site of the former Omni Foods on Route 9.

New England Development, a real estate development company, will transform the site into Chestnut Hill Square, a complex of stores expected to open this fall.

Chestnut Hill Square will include We-gmans supermarket, Equinox Fitness Club, Anthropologie and various medical o!ces and restaurants.

Vice President of Newton’s Board of Aldermen Cheryl Lappin said that the con-struction received positive feedback from the Board, although members were unsure of what speci"cally would be built. “Initially I think everybody was happy that something would be developed there,” she said. “#e question of what it would be would take a long time to discuss.”

Junior Bailey Mitchell voiced concern over the e!ciency of the new location and its e$ect on the stores already there.

“Personally, I don’t see much actually bene"ting. #ere are shops around there that will de"nitely go out of business because [#e Square] is literally built right in front of three other shops,” he said. “If I owned one of those, I wouldn’t be happy about this new construction.”

Members of the Board, however, viewed the close proximity of other com-mercial businesses in the area as a bene"t to the industry of the future stores rather than a concern. #ese businesses include the Chestnut Hill Mall as well as another new shopping complex labeled “#e Street,” which is being constructed further down Route 9.

“Sometimes the businesses do better when there are a lot of them around,” Lap-

pin said. Freshman Anna Kim agreed that the

building project will have a positive impact on the area businesses. “It will be better for the economy of that area because they will get a lot more business than they do right now,” Kim said.

Lappin said that the major concern the Board had was the tra!c that this construc-tion would cause around the already busy area.

According to Lappin, the state required an investment of $15 million for the recon-

struction of Route 9 to accommodate the cars that would be traveling around the stores.

“#ere will be some tra!c lights on Hammond Pond Parkway, and there will

be added lanes so you can go across from Chestnut Hill Mall to Chestnut Hill Square,” she said.

Mitchell said that the construction

is already a$ecting tra!c. “I live right near the area; we drive past the construction all the time,” he said. “It’s de"nitely done some really bad things to tra!c with all of the new refurbishing they have [had] to do. I

can see a lot of problems arising from this. It’s de"nitely going to make my morning commute a lot more di!cult.”

Senior Elena Byun said that the new stores would provide students in Newton with a closer location to shop and social-ize, given the recent closing of the Atrium mall.“It’s de"nitely within walking distance from South. People used to go to Atrium,” she said. “But [now] it would de"nitely make people go nearby instead of far away to Natick.”

#e shopping center is expected to open this September, and the second phase of construction involving the building of residential condos will follow later.

photo illustration by Julia Hurwit and Joe Joseph

!e building site of the Chestnut Hill Square shopping center lies covered in snow. Its construction has raised concerns over possible tra"c increase and competition among stores.

S!"#! K$%&'(")*!News Reporter

Members of the South community react to the planned addition of a new shopping center on Route 9

squarefootage

the

square

for a studentperspective, turn to page 22

+e new shopping center is located 1.3 miles away from South and directly across from the Chestnut Hill Mall. Shops slated to open this fall range from retail stores to restaurants.

infographic by Joe Joseph

In a race against the clock, something’s got to give. For freshman Lisa Ramin, that

thing is breakfast. “I try to eat breakfast every

morning,” she said, “but quite hon-estly, I just don’t have the time.”

While Ramin said her breakfast habits a!ect her ability to concentrate in school, getting up before her normal 6:00 a.m. to save time to eat is not a preferable option.

Although a Roar survey found that 72 percent of South students eat breakfast daily, the 28 percent who do not said that skip-ping breakfast can be detrimental to both academic performance and physical well-being.

Sophomore Tara Lanahan said that she and her sister Jessica experience di"culties similar to Ramin’s.

“Between waking up at around 6:00 a.m. and catching the bus at 6:58, there’s already little time for eating breakfast, never mind factoring in the time it takes to get ready for school,” she said.

School nurse Lesley Clark said that eating in the morning must be a priority. “If you don’t put gas in a car, it’s not going to go,” Clark said. “If you don’t put food in your body, you can’t go either.”

#e e!ects of skipping break-fast can continue throughout the school day, according to school nurse Gail Kramer.

“A day does not go by when [the nurses] don’t see someone that has skipped a meal or is coming in with a headache or dizziness,” Kramer said. “When [we] talk to them, then we $nd out they skipped a meal, and it’s usually breakfast, and they haven’t had anything to eat or drink.”

Family and Consumer Science teacher Jonathan Orren agreed that the body requires nourishment at regular intervals, meaning that students should not eat breakfast only on some days. “When you $rst wake up, you don’t always feel hungry,” Orren said. “[But] if you start eating breakfast, your body will get used to eating food during the day, and you will

start waking up feeling hungry.”#e speci$c food students

consume for breakfast is equally as important as the fact that they eat, according to Kramer. “You can have a quick breakfast on the go that’s not from Dunkin’ Donuts,” Kramer said.

Sophomore Jasper Primack said that he makes a concerted ef-fort to eat a healthy breakfast each morning to start his day o! on a positive note.

“I usually spend half an hour on [breakfast], and I feel like it re-ally helps because instead of rush-ing through the $rst part of my day, I start it out relaxed,” he said. “I de$nitely feel that that helps my learning as well.”

march 20, 2013features 8page

volume 29 issue 7

Students who skip breakfast to save time struggle to stay healthy and focused during schoolgraphic by Kylie Walters and Caroline Zola

B! F"#$% B&'()"* "*+ F&,# K-.&'/"00&'

!e Roar surveyed 167 people about their breakfast eating habits

90% 93%

72% 44%

South students who think that breakfast is the most

important mealAmericans who think that breakfast is the

most important meal *

South studentswho eat break-fast every day

breakfastbreakdown

Americans who eat breakfast every day *

* Statistics from the USDAinfographic

by Joe Joseph

march 20, 2013 9features

B! S"#$$#! F%&#'$()' ()' C(%$! M#&*#$

SMOKING, from 1

photo illustration by Kylie Walters

Freshman Tommy* said the community at the pole accepted him right away.

“Once you start coming here, you start to get to know a lot of people. It’s like a brotherhood,” he said.

Elyse said that the pole is the place she feels most comfortable in the vicinity of South.

“It’s kind of like a home,” she said. “It’s de!nitely the best place around the school.”

Although the pole is a comfort-able hangout place for many, several students said that they feel animosity from the neighboring South community.

Lazare said that stig-matization is unavoidable for smokers.

“People come out here to deal with their problems that they usually can’t deal with in school. It’s an escape,” he said. “If kids are judging, that doesn’t help with that escape. We’re pretty used to it, though.”

Sternburg recalled a time of intense judgment that he said continues to resonate.

“Last year, I was smok-ing [at the pole] by myself, and a mom was driving by,” he said. “She stopped [the car], looked at me and said, ‘Put down the fucking cigarette.’ She shook her head at me, said ‘Shame on you’ and then drove away. "at one stuck with me a little bit. [She] doesn’t know me or my situation.”

Elyse said she is o#en made to feel ostracized because of her addiction to cigarettes.

“Just because we smoke cigarettes, that doesn’t make us bad people. It doesn’t make us any dif-ferent from anyone else,” she said. “People look at it like we’re some-thing horrible. Yes, there are people who are horrible who smoke, but there are horrible people who don’t smoke. You can’t judge people just

based o$ of that.”Alex said that this criticism

extends beyond the South com-munity.

“[Judgment] happens every-where you go smoking a cigarette. [But] they don’t know our lives. ["ey] shouldn’t judge our lives,” he said.

Prevention/Intervention Counselor Rich Catrambone said he !nds it troubling that students smoke cigarettes just a few steps beyond South’s campus.

“I’m frustrated that [the tobacco usage] is so blatant, that the community has to see that,”

Catrambone said. “We have parents out there from the community playing tennis during the day, and we have kids who are smoking. It’s embarrassing.”

Sternburg said he deals with attacks on his choices by staying away from individuals with nega-tive attitudes.

“I usually try to avoid people who have that much of a problem with [my smoking] because it’s not worth my time. It’s frustrating,” he said.

According to Lazare, smok-ing is a coping mechanism for him and others like him.

“Most of the kids who come out here have trouble at home or trouble at school. "ey come out here and have a cigarette, and then their [stress] is gone, just like that, or at least dumbed down a bit,” he said. “It also helps me deal with my anger issues and depression. I am

Students who smoke cigarettes have found a sense of community near campus despite

animosity from peers and observers

GABE LAZAREMost of the kids who come out

here have trouble at home or trou-ble at school. "ey come out here

and have a cigarette, and then their [stress] is gone, just like that, or at

least dumbed down a bit.

very, very, very angry when I can’t [smoke].”

"ough they say smoking helps them deal with life chal-lenges, those who smoke at the pole acknowledged that their habit is dangerous.

“I in no way approve of smoking. People who don’t smoke: Don’t start. It’s not a good thing. I was always against cigarettes and smoking when I didn’t smoke,” Sternburg said. “Because [before you smoke], you don’t understand. "at time comes, and you !nally try one, and you get that feeling. It’s addicting.”

Elyse said though she is aware of the risks of smoking, she does not see herself quitting in

the near future. “I’m addicted, so

I have to [smoke]. I’ll quit when I need to quit, like if it were a [medical problem], but I don’t see that happening any time soon,” she said.

According to Sternburg, other people’s attempts to pressure him into quitting are ine$ective.

“I want to quit eventually, when I’m ready to quit. Whenever someone tells you to quit, that you have to quit, that’s not the time. You quit when you’re ready to quit, not when someone tells you,” he said. “Health [issues] ... could be a force quit that you do have to deal with. [Otherwise], you have to decide it on your own.”

Catrambone said he and other school administrators do what they can to stop kids from smoking, but that they can only help to a limited extent.

“I don’t know how to prevent kids from making bad choices, whether that be drugs or tobacco. All that we can do is try to o$er them support, interventions,” he said. “I’m frustrated that we aren’t more e$ective.”

* Names changed to protect students’ identities

features10 march 20, 2013

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Looking forward to the future

“One problem with gazing too fre-quently into the past is that we may turn around to .nd the future has run out on us.” – Michael Cibenko

As I re/ect upon some of my past columns, I .nd that it’s easiest to point out their /aws. Did I actually spend a whole column discussing the importance of stu0ed animals? It’s no secret that I made some mistakes.

Looking back into the past, it’s easy to pick out the disasters, slip-ups, mistakes and embarrassments because unfortunate-ly, those are the moments that dominate our memories and leave indelible marks.

Of course, you don’t need me to tell you that a mistake will make you a stronger and better-adjusted person in the future. I’m also sure you don’t want to hear all of that bittersweet, sappy, this-is-my-last-column-ever-and-I’m-sad drama (although I cannot tell a lie: I am sad!).

Instead, this issue, I urge you not to dwell for too long on the past, no matter how wonderful or awful it was. I’ve written about the past and its signi.cance in a couple of my columns. Don’t drown in the past and let the present become history, I wrote. Remember all of the wonderful gi1s you received as a young child and pay it forward, I said.

Today, however, I’m saying some-thing di0erent: Use the past but don’t abuse it. While it is true that former experiences can be some of the most valu-able tools for shaping the future, we must never forget that every day brings a new challenge, thrill, celebration and obstacle into our lives for which we may never be prepared. What happened yesterday or last week could be key experiences to remem-ber and learn from, but we can’t rely on them to be our survival kits.

Writing a column for !e Roar has not been perfect. I’ve rushed to .nish paragraphs, I’ve been late for deadlines and we’ve had a couple of minor printing issues.

On the other hand, of course, I’ve also had the time of my life expressing whatever I feel passionate about (i.e., quotations!). 2ere’s no doubt that I will use my Roar experience to aid me both in college and in the real world.

I also know, however, that tomor-row and every subsequent day will present events that are entirely unique. 2is is not to say that we can’t use history to make predictions. But as Cibenko expressed so beautifully, if we lean too much on what has already happened, we may miss the start of something new (High School Mu-sical, anyone?).

I’ve collected quotations over the years that I strongly believe can eloquently say what I o1en can’t. Nevertheless, if I depend too strongly on words someone else has already said, I’ll lose the chance to create my own.

So here’s one .nal piece of advice from the Quotation Collector: Enjoy, rel-ish, share, yell, whisper, ponder, contra-dict, question, apply and forever appreci-ate brilliant quotations and memories. Just don’t get stuck in the past. 2e future, no doubt, will be sweet. As I o1en say, peace out, girl scout.

Walking through the halls one a1ernoon, Goodwin housemaster Charles Myette said he was surprised when he spotted a student draped in a curtain. 2e wardrobe decision, Myette said, was inap-propriate.

“I went up to him and I said, ‘We need to talk.’ I told the student, ‘It is creative. It is funny. But getting down the hallways, it is a hazard. Going into classrooms, the focus is going to be your curtain and not the class at hand,’” Myette said. “‘It interrupts the student’s educa-tional process.’”

Despite concerns from both students and faculty, South does not have a dress code, although administrators do expect the students to act responsibly when dressing for school.

2e Students’ Rights and Respon-sibilities Handbook states: “Although Newton Public Schools has no dress code per se, it is the responsibility of the students to dress appropriately for the school learning environment. Clothing should not be disruptive of the education process and should not pose a danger to the student or others.”

While South has no o3cial dress code, many students and teachers said that they believe students should be held to a professional standard of attire, while still maintaining the ability to use clothing as a form of self-expression.

Junior Alekhya Chaparala said that clothing at South is representative of the variety inherent in the student body. “We basically see the entire spectrum of cloth-ing,” Chaparala said. “You see kids that dress in things that are inappropriate, in my opinion, and you also see kids who wear the shirt and tie and blazer to school which is .ne...Which is kind of re/ective of Newton South. 2e thing is, we are a pretty diverse school not only in terms of ethnicity but also in opinions and view-points.”

According to Chaparala, however, anything that is racially o0ensive or that exposes too much of one’s body is inap-propriate for an educational environment. “I would say anything that doesn’t really cover your whole body would be inap-propriate and anything that has something

o0ensive on it,” Chaparala said. “Like something derogatory, something racist or sexist or something ... if you had a shirt that was making fun of the Holocaust, that wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Sophomore Jae Lee agreed that though freedom of expression via fash-ion is essential, it is important for certain guidelines to be in place. “I think anything is appropriate while it is not provocative or [is] anything that is related to drugs or alcohol,” Lee said.

In order to prevent students from wearing disruptive clothing that may di-vert or o0end others, many schools across the country and around the world use a policy of mandatory uniforms, a standard-ized wardrobe for all students.

Consumer Science and Wellness

teacher Lisa Petrizzi said she believes a uniform would bene.t South students because uniform clothing would alleviate the pressure of having to come up with an out.t every morning. “[Uniforms] would just make everything so much easier in the morning,” Petrizzi said. “Nobody has to waste time because you know what you have to wear and you wear it.”

Lee added that school uniforms would be bene.cial to the South commu-nity because they strengthen the identity of school communities. “[Uniforms] promote a bit of a unity. A sense of com-munity,” he said. “2e uniform shows ‘You are this school.’”

Although uniforms can bring students together, Myette said that South does not need a uniform policy in order for students to feel like they .t it in.

“[Uniforms] are a way of identify-ing with the school. I think that Newton South’s students are able to have their own styles and still feel like they belong,” he said.

Although Chaparala said that cer-

Many South students and faculty members believe that students need to !nd a better balance between individual fashion freedom and appropriate attire

M"#" F$%$&, M'(#)" C#*&#"(' + J#,, O,#-$&Features Reporters

SENSE & Stylephotos by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

Newton South’s students are able to have their

own styles and still feel like they belong.

- Charles Myette, Goldrick Housemaster

tain elements of clothing are not appro-priate for school, she does not condone a uniform policy because of her belief that fashion is linked to identity.

“Clothes are a good form of self-expression and that is one reason, one argument for not having a dress code,” Chaparala said. “You can really express yourself and you have a little more control over how you are viewed and your comfort level.”

English teacher Jeremiah Hill agreed that clothing can be an essential vessel of freedom of speech for students. “You could argue that wearing what you want is a necessary mode of self-expression,” he said.

Lee also argued that no singular dress code would be able to satisfy the

entire student population.“It won’t make everyone happy,

and it won’t make everyone not bullied. I don’t think [having a] uniform is the solution,” he said. “I think it is a com-plicated thing for a school to make a uniform that accommodates everyone’s needs, and that is one /aw in establish-ing uniforms.”

2e best solution, Lee said, would be for the faculty to enforce the expec-tation that students dress appropriately.

“I think the most uncontroversial thing would be to get a restriction on

provocative clothing or [clothing] that promotes or advertises things like illicit or drugs and such,” he said. “2e job of a school is to provide a better learning envi-ronment ... I think the school has the right to restrict clothing.”

According to Petrizzi, the best way to combat a problem of students wearing inappropriate clothing would be for teach-ers to enforce the expectations of appro-priate attire equally.

“It is important that the teachers are on the same .eld, equally following through on whatever the rules are, because otherwise, the rules are avoided or ignored unless everyone follows through on the punishments,” Petrizzi said.

According to Myette, the expecta-tions for student attire are appropriately .tted South’s community, and he does not see a policy change in the near future. “I don’t see people wearing things with o0ensive language. [Students are] pretty self-aware,” he said. “I do think [the cur-rent system] works for the school.”

march 20, 2013 11features

EDITOR’S NOTE: Every

issue, !e Roar publishes a dif-

ferent anonymous student’s perspective

on relationships. !e views expressed in the “Relationships Column” do not re"ect the o#cial views of !e Lion’s Roar, nor are they intended as a guide or source of advice for others.

Do me a favor: whenever you have the chance and the courage, please de"ne your relationship with your signi"cant other. Nowadays, de"ning a relationship poses di#culties because there are just so many categories: Are you dating or are you just hooking up? Friends or something more? !e “it’s complicated” designation is particularly tricky because, well, it really does make things complicated.

I ran into the problem of not de"n-ing my relationship soon enough when I introduced my signi"cant other — let’s call him John — to my friends. John does not attend South, but we have known each other for a while through our shared extracurricular activities.

One Saturday night, I received a text from my friend inviting me to her house. Because I already had plans with John that night, I replied by requesting to bring a friend along. !en I realized that John would soon be meeting my group of friends for the "rst time.

John came over; we drove to the party, and right before we walked in, the question arose: How do I introduce John to my friends? One minor freak out and a few deep breaths later, I decided to intro-duce him as my friend.

All was well until someone at the party asked if John was my boyfriend. Needless to say, I panicked and su$ered a slight aneurysm before choking out, “Um, he’s a good friend …”

For the remainder of the night, John and I didn’t talk much. When the party began to wind down, John took me outside and said he needed to talk to me. He proceeded to tell me that he didn’t have feelings for me. In fact, he was crushing on someone else.

John later unfriended me on Face-book, but I tried to not get upset. Haters gon’ hate, right? My evening with John prompted me to consider the nature of de"ning relationships. In the past, labels were plain and simple. For our generation, the vast number of alternatives to “just dating” make it easy to avoid de"ning a relationship.

For example, I frequently hear that two people are “just hooking up.” !is characterization makes a relationship seem casual. It’s also a source of pitfalls if a couple fails to de"ne what “just hooking up” actually means. Partners might be see-ing other people. Alternatively, they might be hooking up exclusively but resistant to adopting a label.

But fret not; communication can solve the de"nition problem, even if it’s the friends with bene"ts sort of communica-tion that doesn’t involve much talking. Communication need not be a series of analytical discussions having to do with the nature of a couple’s attraction to one another, but if both parties are excessively timid, the relationship goes nowhere.

Relationships: De"ning the Relationship

Some students are concerned about potential perils of dating services like Tinder while others venture into online relationships. photo by Kylie Walters

A Close Match Students experiment

with the dating application Tinder, which pairs users

based on appear-ance and geograph-

ic proximity

Only a lucky few ever get the chance to converse with sophomore Hannah Lass, at least on Tinder. “I don’t

actually start conversations ... If someone starts one with me, I’ll talk with them or my friends will take my phone and talk to them,” she said.

Lass is one of several students using Tinder, a new mobile dating application popular among teenagers.

Tinder allows users to chat with strangers in the nearby area based on simi-larities in their Facebook accounts.

A user records his or her gender, location and sexual orientation and can then swipe through other users’ pro"le pictures.

Tapping a green heart under a pro"le picture means that the user is interested and pressing a red “x” means he or she is not.

If a user “likes” an individual who has also liked him or her back, the ap-plication brings the pair into a private chat room.

Many students, including Lass, remain wary of meeting people through online dating services, but some said there is little to fear in Tinder’s Internet chat rooms.

Junior Mel Gundersheim said she uses Tinder for entertainment rather than meeting potential partners.

“Me and my friends, we don’t use it to meet up with boys,” she said. “We just use it as a joke, and we don’t take it seri-ously.”

Lass agreed that she would not use Tinder to initiate a romantic relationship.

“[Tinder is] solely based on looks. !at’s the point of it,” Lass said. “It only starts a conversation based on if you both think the other one is attractive. !at’s not what a relationship should be.”

According to Gundersheim, Tinder is not an ideal network for forming rela-

tionships because it allows users to hide the truth.

“When you’re on [any social media website], even on Facebook, … people can do anything online and change their identity or change anything about [them-selves]” Gundersheim said.

Falsehoods are easily incorporated into Tinder pro"les, Lass agreed.

“Your age can be a lie. Your pictures can be a lie,” she said. “Everything can be fake if you want it to be.”

Because of this potential for fraud, junior Jason Meng checks his matches’ Facebook accounts before chatting.

“You don’t want to give away too much information,” Meng said. “You always want to be cautious, and it’s always good to have mutual friends with the per-son you’re chatting with.”

[Tinder] only starts a conversation based on if you both think the other one is attractive. !at’s not what a

relationship should be.- Hannah Lass, Class of 2015

Although Tinder provides the op-portunity to check matches’ Facebook accounts, Gundersheim said that because matches are both anonymous and between individuals living in close proximity, she is reluctant to chat on Tinder.

“You don’t really know who you’re dealing with. It probably won’t be danger-ous, but it easily could be,” Gundersheim said. “It’s weird you don’t know who you’re talking to and what they’re interested in doing.”

Sophomore Ana Lopez disagreed, however, and said that sites like Tinder o$er practical ways to meet people.

“[People] think everyone is either a pedophile or a loser [on the Internet], which is pretty untrue,” Lopez said.

Lopez said she knows that dating sites can result in success stories, as she and her boyfriend of two years met online.

“!e bene"t [of online dating sites is] that you get to know a person deeply. I got to know my boyfriend in a di$erent perspective,” Lopez said. “If I had met him in person, I would have got to know him

A""#$ L%&'() * P(+#&( S#,,#-%#

Features Reporter, Features Editor

on the outside but not so much on the in-side. I now know what he likes, and we’ve had more deep conversations, since there was no physical connection.”

Junior Sanyi Voros, who has found two relationships through the Internet, said that the concept of online dating intrigues him.

“It’s just about curiosity, and it’s interesting to see how far the relationship will go,” he said. “But regardless of whether or not it works, I make sure that I always know who I am talking to.”

Chatting online has come with con-sequences for Voros, however. “I was talk-ing to a woman who said she was 17, and I looked on her Facebook page, and it said she was 32,” he said. “!at really freaked me out because it put me in a horrible position. I blocked her immediately on

Facebook and never talked to her again.”

Regardless, Voros said he uses Tinder and simi-

lar sites to expand his pool of potential friends and partners.

“It’s a good way to meet people all around, not just in school, [but also] people out of the country or out of state,” he said.

Lopez agreed that services like Tinder give her more opportunity to meet new people.

“!ere’s more of a variety of people on the Internet,” she said. “You can meet people just as friends and you can meet people that are a lot like you and that you’re going to enjoy.”

Tinder is best approached with light-hearted expectations, according to Meng.

“[People on Tinder] might just seem like they’re all looking for a relationship or something, but most people are on there just for fun, just to chat with random people,” he said. “I’m there for fun.”

Voros said that although he seeks fun engagements with new people through services like Tinder, safety must be his top priority. “When it comes down to it, you really want to make sure they are who they say they are.”

!e Roar follows four seniors with di!erent interests as they navigate their way through the college process over the course of the school year and will reveal their identities and "nal college decisions in June

G reg* has decided to end his college process and study next year as a postgraduate at Tabor Academy

in Marion, Mass. According to Greg, a postgraduate year is the sensible choice. “[Doing a postgraduate year] is the best !t for me !nancially, academically and especially athletically,” Greg said. “From there, I’ll look into applying to schools for the following year.”

A postgraduate year is a !"h, in-tense year of high school o#ered by some prep schools to allow students to mature academically, compete in athletics and prepare for standardized testing.

“A college doesn’t see a person who does a post graduate year and go, ‘Oh, well, they were held back or repeated.’ $ey actually like people who have done postgraduate years because they can be more mature,” he said.

Admission to a postgraduate pro-gram is also highly competitive, Greg said. Only four students were admitted to the postgraduate program at Tabor Academy this year.

Greg’s decision to apply to a post-graduate program and suspend his college process was in part prompted by an ac-ceptance to Boston University that did not include !nancial aid.

“Because getting recruited to BU and getting in but not getting enough aid, I felt that I didn’t have enough time to make a good decision on where I wanted to go to college and make sure I found one that would !t me both athletically and academically,” Greg said.

Tyler* was accepted early action to University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Vermont

and University of New Hampshire and is awaiting decisions from Brown University, College of William and Mary, University of Michigan and University of Virginia.

A"er recently spending a night at UMass during an open house weekend, Tyler said that UMass may be his top choice. “I went and stayed at UMass, ... and I think I’m leaning toward UMass out of all the schools I applied to,” Tyler said.

Tyler said that the overall culture of the school and the people he met made UMass his new favorite university. “We hung out. We went to a party. We went to an improv show. It was just a good time,” Tyler said. “$e kids I was hanging out with were very laid back, down to earth, but at the same time knew how to have a good time ... $at really boosted UMass in my eyes.”

$e weekend Tyler visited was during Blarney Blowout, an early celebra-tion of St. Patricks Day, which Tyler said revealed the social scene at UMass. “It was insane,” Jake said.

For now, however, Tyler is con-tinuing to keep his options open and is hesitant to make any !rm decisions. “It’s still stressful because there are a couple of other schools that if I hear back from [in the a%rmative], they change my perspective ... Brown, WIlliam and Mary, University of Michigan and UVA are the four schools that if I hear back from are possibilities instead of UMass,” Tyler said.

Heather* recently completed all 11 of her auditions for theater programs and is starting to hear

back from the colleges and universities to which she applied.

Heather spent a weekend in New York City attending Uni!ed auditions, a collection of auditions hosted by schools with top theater programs from around the country. $e Uni!ed audition was, according to Heather, both rigorous and rewarding. “I guess it’s kind of sensory overload because my !rst audition, I got there in the morning, and it’s literally a cabana-themed audition hallway, and it’s speci!cally designed just for auditions,” Heather said. “It was weird because I was waiting to get into one studio and right next to me they were auditioning for a new Broadway play, ... so it was very real at that point because you were surrounded by so much talent that you’d only really heard about but you’d never seen in action.”

Besides the stress, Heather said that she found the time commitment of audi-tions to be di%cult. “It was very hard bal-ancing school work with this because all that travel and the huge adrenaline rushes were exhausting,” Heather said. “$is is by far the most stressful part.”

Heather is beginning to receive ad-mission decisions and continuing to wait to hear from schools. Heather recently heard she was not accepted to the BFA act-ing program at Ithaca College but was ac-cepted to Emerson College’s BA program in theater studies with an acting focus. She is awaiting 12 more admissions decisions.

COMMONAPPLICATIONTHE

graphics by David Gorelik

B! C"#$%&'( Z$%"

Emmy* has begun to receive admis-sions decisions from the Canadian universities to which she applied

and is waiting to hear from American schools.

Emmy was recently accepted to Mc-Gill University and McMaster University in Canada. “[McMaster and McGill] are two schools that are sort of in the middle of my list, so I’m no longer worried about not getting into a school that I want to go to, ... which is a relief,” Emmy said.

She is continuing to wait to hear about the status of her applications to Northeastern University and University of Massachusetts Amherst. She was waitlisted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technol-ogy.

$e di#erences in the timing of college decision releases are proving to be stressful, Emmy said. “McMaster actually wants a decision by Apr. 1, which might be a problem because ... I haven’t heard back from !ve other schools,” Emmy said.

Emmy said she will begin calling American schools, requesting to know her application status so she can respond to the Canadian schools on time.

Emmy said she is now strongly considering a Canadian school over an American school because of their rankings and proximity to her family.

“I need to visit both of them [the schools Heather was accepted to] again ... knowing I got into them and knowing I need to make a decision, ... [but] it’s very likely that I’ll be going to Canada next year.”

features12 march 20, 2013

Every issue, !e Roar randomly selects a student and explores what makes him or her unique

Emely Miniño Soto is ...march 20, 2013 13news

The Perfect FitEmely Miniño Soto’s Quinceañera is just

one of the many transformations in her life

At her Quinceañera this May, freshman Emely Miniño Soto will sit quietly, dressed in a bright, pu!y ball gown as her father changes her "at

shoes to high heels. Emely’s mother, Mercedes Soto, said this ritual is just one aspect of a larger celebration indicat-ing a rite of passage in Emely’s life. “[#e shoe ceremony] shows, like, now you become more responsible because you became a big girl,” Soto said. “For us [the Quincea-ñera is] like a big thing we do, like a big dance and a big dress and everything, so I’m very excited ... It’s a time when ... you become responsible to be grown up.”

According to Emely, the Quinceañera, a Latin American celebration of a young woman’s $%eenth birth-day, will consist of a religious service, various traditional rituals and a party with roughly 250 friends and family members. “I’m going to be nervous because there are going to be a lot of people there and excited at the same time,” Emely said. “I’ll remember it forever.”

Emely’s Quinceañera is just another addition to the number of transformations she has undergone in her life. According to her friends and family, Emely was originally deterred by a language barrier and her own shy nature and has worked over the years to make a home for herself in America and to become more outgoing, all the while maintaining a deep connection to her Dominican roots.

Emely and her family moved to Boston in 2007, and a%er starting fourth grade there, Emely moved to Newton halfway through the year. #e transition, Emely said, was di&cult. “[Moving to the United States] was hard because I didn’t know English,” she said.

According to Soto, the transition was so challenging for Emely that Soto wanted to move the family back to the Dominican Republic and only decided to stay when she saw Emely’s personality transform. “I saw the way she was so shy in the school, and it was so di&cult for her, so I decided if she doesn’t do any good job, I will maybe go back,” Soto said. “I stopped that when I see the way she’s been doing … I have to say that God bless her because she’s being doing so great and she stopped being shy.”

Emely agreed that she has not always been as courageous and her timidity has held her back in the past. “I was really shy [when I $rst moved here]. I didn’t like friends,” Emely said. “I never really talked a lot.” As she grew older, however, she began to open up more. “I don’t know [what happened],” Emely said. “I got loud.”

Despite her transition into American culture, Emely

remains attached to her own cultural roots through her community in Boston. “When I go to Boston, … I feel better because I can talk in Spanish all I want to because [in Newton] not many families speak Span-ish, ... but in Boston I can really express myself.

Freshman Abigail Dumo, one of Emely’s close friends, said that she initially became friends with Emely because they both have connections to their native cultures as part of immigrant families. “It was cool because we both came from di!erent places, so we kind of bonded over that,” Dumo said. “I told her that, and we just became friends instantly.”

One of the $rst instances of Emely’s branching out was directly related to her culture: a dance performance at her el-ementary school. Soto said that watching her daughter perform was a special moment for her. “She looked like she some kind of dancer from our country ... She was talking about how di!erent she is, how she likes it to be that way, ... and I think that was great,” she said.

Dumo said Emely’s unique personality is what she admires about her. “She’s di!erent,” she said. “I like her better because she’s not like other people.”

Emely’s art teacher Je! Wixon agreed that Emely is not afraid to be di!erent. “[She was working on an art project, and] she bent the wire, and I said, ‘No, you can’t do that,’ and she said, ‘Yes, I can,’” he said. “She did a re-ally good job on [that project]. In fact, when she $nished it late, I took someone else’s down and put hers in the showcase because I was so proud of her … It’s really dif-ferent from the others.”

According to Emely, her developing interest in art has been another one of the changed aspects of her personality, and art has become a means of self expression and an outlet for emotion when words fail her. “When I $rst tried art, I didn’t think I’d like it, and then I ended up liking it more than I thought I would,” she said. “I can

express myself [when] I can just, you know, draw it out. I can just put it down,

the feelings I have, and get artwork out of it.”Moving forward, Emely said she will continue to

leave her shyness behind her and look toward the future. “I’m going to try to do things I’ve never tried ... because maybe i’ll like the things I experiment with,” Emely said.

Ultimately, Soto said she is extremely grateful for and inspired by the way Emely has changed over the years. “When I see her — the way that she’s growing; the way that she’s been so smart — I say to myself, ‘Wow, it really was a good thing to stay here’ because I see the way she’s doing,” she said. “I say every single day in the morning when I wake up, ‘#ank God for my daughters’ because they’re really great ... When I see them, especially Emely, that gives myself [the strength] to say, ‘I have to do it. I’m going to be good. I’m going to keep working hard and get her where she’s supposed to get.’”

B! C"#$%&'( Z$%" "') J$( J$*(+,

photo by Dylan Blockgraphics by Joe Joseph

Editorial Policy!e Lion’s Roar, founded in 1984, is the student newspaper of Newton South High School, acting as a

public forum for student views and attitudes.!e Lion’s Roar’s right to freedom of expression is protected by the Massachusetts Student Free Expres-

sion Law (Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 71, Section 82). All content decisions are made by student editors, and the content of !e Lion’s Roar in no way re!ects the o"cial policy of Newton South, its faculty, or its administration.

Editorials are the o"cial opinion of !e Lion’s Roar, while opinions and letters are the personal view-points of the writers and do not necessarily re!ect the opinion of !e Lion’s Roar. !e Lion’s Roar reserves the right to edit all submitted content, to reject advertising copy for resubmission of new copy that is deemed ac-ceptable by student editors, and to make decisions regarding the submission of letters to the editors, which are welcomed.

!e Lion’s Roar is printed by Seacoast Newspapers and published every four weeks by Newton South Students. All of our funding comes from advertisers.

In-school distribution of !e Lion’s Roar is free, but each copy of the paper shall cost one dollar for each copy more than ten (10) that is taken by any individual or by many individuals on behalf of a single individual. Violation of this policy shall constitute the#.

Funds from Override headed North for renovation

by Joe Joseph

All the news that’s "t to print ...and then some!

Quality public education that e$ectively prepares students for the real world is an important value and one on which the New-ton community prides itself.

%e tax override passed last Tuesday will not only improve physical conditions in elementary schools, but also ensure that class sizes and teacher-student ratios do not skyrocket.

In a recent editorial board discussion among Roar sta$ members, all 13 editors pres-ent supported the passing of the override.

Physical conditions aside, in 2012, 94.4 percent of classes at Angier had 20-24 students, ac-cording to the 2012 Annual Class Size Report compiled by Super-intendent David Fleishman and

Deputy Superintendent Sandra Guryan. %e override money will help ensure that this number remains constant.

Although !e Roar com-mends the monetary support

Newton public services will receive as a result of the passing of the override, it recognizes that not all voters agreed. According to the Newton Patch, questions 1 and 2 of the override passed with 54 percent “yes” votes and Ques-

Override provides necessary funds in order to maintain Newton’s educational system

Members of the South community were shocked to see a mysterious plume of white smoke hovering above South’s campus last Wednesday.

A#er further investigation, administrators determined that the cause of the strange phenomenon was a chemistry experiment gone wrong. “It’s so weird because this has never happened before at South,” junior Meg Nee-Sium said. “All I did was let the experiment reach the boiling point and then this happened.”

Although the issue was resolved once &re trucks ar-rived, a larger problem emerged when students and faculty misinterpreted the smoke in di$erent ways. “For a second, I thought we were having a sixth snow day,” Superintendent Shiv Erring said. Most community members, however, saw it as a sign of the conclusion of the papal conclave.

“Usually there’s black smoke spewing out of the gen-erator next to the band room anyway, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise,” junior Benedict Francis said. “But then I made the connection, and I was overcome with emotion.”

Senior Popie Forman expressed a similar sentiment. “I was freaking out,” she said. “I’ve never been more excited about anything in my entire life — and I’m Jewish.”

Following the approval of an $11.4 million override in Newton, members of the Newton North community have signed a petition asking Mayor Setti Warren to divert all funds gained from the override toward renovating North. “Our school is in great need of new resources,” North senior Rich Goldwater said. “%e air is polluted with the gold dust that’s been peeling o$ of the walls, and our olympic-size pool simply isn’t big enough to &t both the North and South swim teams.”

Freshman Bill N. Monet agreed that North is in dire need of renovation. “Personally, I think we should tear down the current building,” he said. “Brick buildings are so two years ago — I say we just replace the whole thing with a !oating castle in the sky.”

When asked for comment, students from Angier and Cabot elementary expressed concern over the possibility that the funds would not be used to improve the quality of their schools. “I *cough* don’t think that sending money to North would *cough* be using *cough* the money asbestos pos-sible,” Angier &#h grader Asthma Agarwal said.

In response to these concerns, North’s Deputy As-sistant Head Treasurer of the Royal Funds Andrew Rocke-feller-Carnegie, III issued a statement revealing the primary motives behind the creation of the petition. “Well it’s true that they might need a few patches here and there, but in the end we have a reputation to uphold,” he wrote. “Plus, these 50 jewel-encrusted statues of tigers aren’t just going to pay for themselves.”

Smoke plume causes masshysteria over papal conclave

march 20, 2013 14page

volume 29 issue 7

School community must join together, work to combat culture of academic dishonesty

Several weeks ago, a cheat-ing scandal in a senior elective science course, Honors neurobi-ology, sparked controversy within the South community. Many Honors neurobiology students, when presented with the oppor-tunity to cheat via the Internet during a test, seized it.

But neurobiology, despite its advanced curriculum, is not a cutthroat environment: Students are allowed to retake and post-pone tests if necessary.

Yet despite all logical and ethical reasoning, students looked up answers, revealing that given the opportunity, even a high achieving honors student in a noncompetitive environment may cheat.

During an editorial board discussion, almost all Roar sta$ members agreed that South is

generally an honest place, cit-ing the fact that many classes require students to turn in papers through Turnitin, a plagiarism prevention service.

Nevertheless, editorial board members agreed there is signi&cant pressure at South to attain grades to impress uni-versities rather than learn the material, a mentality that leads to cheating despite students’ under-standing that cheating is morally wrong.

Although !e Roar acknowledges that eradicat-ing cheating at South is not a realistic possibility, it maintains that students and teachers can work together to reduce cases of academic dishonesty.

First, !e Roar encourages teachers to talk openly with their students about academic honesty,

attempting to teach why cheating will not prove bene&cial in the long run.

!e Roar also believes that disinterest in a course can corre-late with academic dishonesty; to the best of their abilities, students should select classes about which they are passionate.

In addition, teachers should inspire in students a de-sire to learn, not a need to attain a good grade.

!e Roar requests that teachers give students adequate time to prepare for tests and large assignments, so South’s stressed student body will be less prone to cheating.

Communication and un-derstanding from both teachers and students can induce a real uptick in academic honesty at South.

tion 3 passed with 55 percent “yes” votes. Several Roar editors pointed out that since the money would go to lower schools, parents and senior citizens who do not have children or relatives in elementary schools might not wish to pay higher taxes.

!e Roar understands these concerns but rejects logic that does not put education at the forefront. Part of what makes Newton, Newton is its high-qual-ity educational system, which comes from residents’ taxes.

Producing contributing members of the Newton com-munity begins with elementary school students, who will now avoid the pitfalls of oversized classes and schools in poor physi-cal condition

Part of what makes Newton, Newton is its

high-quality educational system.

Four years ago, journalism for me was nothing more than an occasional glance at the Sunday paper. It was an art reserved for bold reporters with pencils stuck in their disheveled hair and notepads tucked into their back pockets; all I knew about what it meant to be a journalist told me that I would never be an acceptable candidate for the job.

For one, I was shy. I avoided taking charge and speaking to others, and I con-stantly stumbled over my words. So how did I come to be here today? !e answer is through a combination of sibling rivalry and serendipity.

My older sister Anjali worked on Denebola, another South publication, dur-ing her tenure back in the Stone Age (i.e. 2004-2008).

Compelled by my desire to meet her standard and then "nally dragged in by (the one and only) James Wu, I decided I would join !e Lion’s Roar a month into freshman year. As I gingerly made my way inside of the Roar room the "rst time I at-tended a sta# meeting, I repeated the plan over and over in my head: Just stay for one meeting and see how it goes. Hopefully no one will see you and you can get out of here

J!" J!#"$%Editor-in-Chief

quickly.So yes, Roar, I’ll admit it: I used you

in an attempt to live up to Anjali’s legacy. And in the beginning, I didn’t exactly use you e#ectively.

My "rst assignment was an inter-view with the sophomore class president for a Q&A blurb. Simple in theory: I had questions, and she had answers.

During the two-minute in-terview, my hands shook almost as much as my voice, and at the next sta# meeting I asked a question I regret to this day: “So when you’re interview-ing someone, do you have to write down exactly what they say or can you just paraphrase?”

!ere was no reason I should have kept going.

I could have given up, decided jour-nalism was not for me like I had known all along and moved on to the next activity on the list. But I didn’t, partly because I still needed to keep up with my older sister but mostly because with every interview I con-

ducted, article I wrote and page I designed, I realized that I was becoming more and more attached to journalism.

My point here is that some things in life are inherited. I will never naturally have curly blonde hair or an adequate sense of hand-eye coordination.

Yet my experience with journalism has taught me that it’s not always the in-

nate qualities that matter when pas-sion is involved.

For ex-ample, based on the archetypal Bollywood "lm star, one would assume that all Indian males are born with the ability to thrust their hips to a bhangra beat.

Turns out that in addition to a lack of hand-eye coordination, I also managed to inherit the equivalent shortcoming in my feet, meaning dance moves don’t exactly come easily to me.

For this reason, I was originally skeptical when one of my friends asked me to join an Indian dance group a few weeks

ago. But keeping in mind my experience

with journalism, I decided to just go for it. Along the way I’ve come to realize that our dance is less about skill than it is about the communal and cultural aspect of Indian music and dance. !e "nal result? Well I guess you’ll just have to come to Asian Night on April 5 or Tertulia on April 11 to "nd out (shameless plug).

If you had told me in ninth grade that I would become editor-in-chief of a school newspaper, I would have burst out laughing. I would have told you that I wasn’t born with the qualities of a good journalist. I would have told you I was simply incapable.

I don’t meet the stereotypical criteria for a journalist; I don’t wear a fedora, and I don’t tuck pens into my back pockets (although I do have disheveled hair, ac-cording to my mother).

What I’ve discovered is that journal-ism, like almost all other pursuits in life, is about growth even in the face of what appears to be a lost cause.

To everyone who has accompanied me on this journey, especially my fellow editors, I sincerely thank you for helping me realize that success comes when one draws courage not only from innate quali-ties, but also from true passion.

Andreas Betancourt Ravi Panse James Wu

Section Editors

The Lion’s Roar!e Lion’s Roar - 140 Brandeis Road Newton, MA 02459

srsta"@thelionsroar.com

Editors-in-Chief

Managing EditorsJenny Friedland Joe Joseph

News Opinions

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Hyunnew ChoiJulie Olesky

CenterfoldDipal Nagda Dina Busaba

Sophie Forman

Kylie WaltersCaroline Zola

Carly MeiselParisa Siddiqui

Emily Ho Yonatan GazitTony Yao

Newton South High School’s Student Newspaper

Volume 29

Faculty AdvisersAshley Elpern

Brian BaronPaul Estin

!omas Murphy

David GorelikAidan Rose

Photo ManagersDylan Block

Jordan Cohen-Kaplan

Business ManagersJordi Batler

RJ HayesSam Heesch

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Arts ReviewMarissa Vertes

Copy EditorsJenny MorrisEmma Race

Distribution ManagersLaura Kessel

Charlotte LevineElena Ramos

march 20, 2013 15desk

If you had told me in ninth grade that I would become editor-in-chief of a school newspaper, I would have burst out

laughing.

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Editor highlights importance of passion over inherited qualities

Join !e Roar! Monday J Block * Room 1201

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Monday J BlockRoom 1201

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B en* was drawing a blank. !e answer just wasn’t coming to him, and his grade depended on this test. Ben

realized that he might be able to "nd the answer by extrapolating from other test questions. !en again, he could also "nd it by looking le#, right or down at his phone. He made a choice.

“I looked over to the person to my le#, looked at the answer and wrote it down, and then I compared that answer to [that of] the person to my right to make sure it [was] correct,” Ben said.

Ben is not the only student at South who said he feels fueled to cheat on tests and essays by the pressure to succeed in academics. “If you have a friend who’s always getting A’s, you want to keep up with them,” junior Emily Kaufman said. “Kids feel a lot of pressure to do whatever it takes to get that grade that their friends are getting.”

Ben said that when students resort to methods like his, there is no question that they are cheating. “On a homework, you can probably "nd [the answer] online, and that’s not really cheating. On a test, it’s blatant cheating,” Ben said. “!e di$erence is one is just blatant cheating and the other one could be a little bit controversial.”

Yet a Roar survey found that this knowledge does not consistently deter students from cheating on tests or large

assignments. Nationally, the United States has seen a

rise in cheating in recent decades. According to the Educational Testing Service, in the 1940s, about 20 percent of college students admitted to having cheated in high school. Today, between 75 and 98 percent of college students surveyed each year said they cheated in high school.

Across the nation, media sources have reported on the some of the speci"c incidents of cheating that yield these statistcs. In May 2012, around 125 Harvard College students were accused of cheating on a take-home "nal examination for a government class, Introduction to Congress. On Feb. 1, 2013, Harvard College forced “somewhat more than half ” of the students to withdraw from the Ivy League school.

A month a#er the Harvard scandal, over 50 students from Stuyvesant High School in New York City were accused of cheating during their "nal examinations, using notes and texting on their phones to "nd answers.As a result, over 66 students faced possible suspension from the high school.

South is not as distanced from these events as Newton community members would like to think, according to English teacher Alexander Kaplan. “I’d be surprised if there were adults who said we don’t have a cheating problem at this school,” he said.

In fact, on a recent test administered in South’s neurobiology class, students were allowed to take their tests in various places around the school, including the library and computer lab. Some students took advantage of the situation by looking up answers to test questions online.

Senior Karen Wang agreed that South’s cheating problem is hardly unique. “People who go to less challenging schools and take less challenging courses cheat,” she said. “People who go to Harvard cheat.”

South’s stressful environment leads to increased cheating in advanced courses, however, senior Joey Pincus said. “A lot of kids cheat in harder classes because more is expected of them,” he said. “!ey want to get better grades in better classes or they will just get dropped down to lower ones.”

Others, like Kaufman, disagreed. She said that personal expectations and goals prevent students in upper level classes from cheating. “I think that students who want to take a higher level course won’t cheat because they’re expecting the workload” she said. “But with lower-level courses, if students aren’t interested in the topic, they could be more likely to cheat.”

According to Kaplan, students’ perspectives, rather than their curriculum levels, determine their decisions. “I know that in environments where students feel like they

don’t know the material at all or that school is some sort of game that is rigged against them, they’re just as likely to cheat,” he said. “I can’t tell you that it happens more o#en on one [curriculum] level than the other. Everybody feels pressure in di$erent situations and deals with them in di$erent ways.”

Pincus agreed that students’ actions are based on their personal judgements. “I mean the kids who cheat, that’s their choice,” he said. “I don’t know how to stop the rest of the kids if one kid cheats.”

Kaplan, who teaches freshman English and the senior AP English Language and Composition elective, said that student cheating has resulted from academic pressure.

“In times when you attach high consequences and high pressure to young people, who are just really learning how to apply their ideas of right and wrong to the actual world, you get a lot of people who think that they can bend rules,” he said.

South parent Hillary Spector said that in addition to academic pressure, students face a signi"cant amount of peer pressure. !erefore, the expectation to achieve at a high standard and compete against peers can take a toll.

“Because [South] is such a competitive place and there is a lot of pressure to perform and get into top colleges, I’m sure there is some measure of cheating that occurs,” Spector said.

B! D"#$% N$&'$ $(' A($)*$)"!$ V$)"%!+,$!e Roar investigates the e!ects of South’s competitive atmosphere on students’ decisions to cheat on schoolwork

photo illustration by Jordan Cohen-Kaplan and Ravi Panse

*Name has been changed to protect student’s identity.

CHEAT SHEET!e Roar surveyed 170 students on Mar. 5 regarding

their opinions about academic honesty at South

51%of students have cheated on a test

6%of them were caught

9%of them reported the incident

84%of students have witnessed cheating

infographic by James Wu

Again, this pressure-cooker mentality appears to exist beyond South’s bubble; in a New York Times article from Sept. 25, 2012, one of the Stuyvesant students accused of cheating was quoted as saying, “No one wants to fail a test. You could study for two hours and get an 80, or you could take a risk and get a 90.”

To e$ectively combat this line of thinking, punishing students is not enough, Kaplan said. “We should have an active conversation about what it means to be honorable,” he said. “!e thing is there are people who get turned by the pressure who wouldn’t [cheat] under other circumstances, and those are the people whom a discussion about honor would be designed to help.”

Ben said that a discussion about academic honesty would not a$ect his behavior. “It’s almost a social norm, so people don’t really view it as morally wrong,” he said. “I acknowledge the fact that I didn’t do [the work]. I don’t feel guilty about it though.”

Even when the moral argument fails, Kaufman said that simple logic can do the job. “I’ve de"nitely felt compelled to cheat, but I’m going to need to learn this in life, and I’m going to need to know this for the "nal,” she said. “It will help me for the "nal.”

centerfold18 march 20, 2013

June, 2012

2010-2011

Twelve Stuyvesant High School students, as well as possibly 54 more, faced suspension a!er having cheated on New York’s city-wide Regents examinations in June, 2012. Later that month, a Stuyvesant student’s phone was con"scated. Authorities found pictures of English, Physics and Spanish Regent exams that he allegedly distributed to his class-mates.

Up to "ve Great Neck North High School students were accused of taking SAT and ACT exams for other local students in exchange for money by creating fake identi"cation cards. One SAT stand-in claimed that he earned SAT scores between 2170 and 2220 and ACT scores of up to 33 for at least 15 people. As of Dec. 2011, 20 students in the Long Island area have been arrested.

New York

New York

March, 2007#irty-four graduate students at Duke business school were accused of cheat-ing on a take-home "nal examination in March 2007. Students were caught col-laborating on the test, breaking the school’s

honor code. Four of the students were forced to leave the uni-versity and 15 students were

suspended for a year.North Carolina

2006-2007Sixty-one Florida State University athletes were accused of cheating on an online test and vari-ous academic papers. Two athletic department academic assistance employees allegedly helped the student athletes pass the tests and typed the essays for them. #e two employees resigned from the univ ersity, and Florida State was forced to forfeit victories and individual titles that the athletes won in the 2006-2007 season.

Florida

B! D"#$% N$&'$

(e Roar investigates cheating scan-dals at institutions across the country

May, 2012Approximately 125 Harvard students were suspected of cheating on a take-home "nal examination for the “Introduction to Government” course in May, 2012. #e students were accused of collaborating and copying each other’s re-sponses to the test. On Feb. 1, 2013, Harvard College forced “somewhat more than half ” of the students who were accused of cheating to withdraw.

Ma!achuse"s

march 20, 2013 19centerfold

In one of my classes last year, I cheated on the majority of my tests. I asked kids to tell me the open response questions in advance. I wrote notes down on my arms and wore long sleeves. I printed small charts and folded them into my pockets. My !nal grade in the class was an A-.

I still labored over notes and feverishly reviewed PowerPoints on the nights be-fore a test. So why was I completely okay with being dishonest when I already knew the necessary material?

Two reasons: "e exams were always unreasonably di#cult, and the majority of kids in my class cheated just as much as I did, including someone who went so far as to take the textbook out during a test. "e fact that cheating was so deeply ingrained in the culture of that course was the root of the problem.

South is obviously a very academically competitive school. Most kids care about what college they will attend. It also follows that they care about their GPA and standardized test scores. College admissions o#cers probably look at grades as indicators of a student’s progress in school and how much he or she is learning. Ideally, that is what grades should reveal, but in reality, how well someone does in school and what letters show up on his or her report card are o$en independent of each other.

Consequently, many kids who are stressed by competition and the prospect of perceived failure choose to sacri!ce their education for numbers that colleges will see. Some even decide to push the boundaries to places that are not part of school, such as the SAT. While students’ motives are undoubtedly immoral, the logic behind them is also understandable. Every student at South is a victim of a college process that indirectly and unintentionally promotes cheating by emphasizing grades more than it does learning.

Academic dishonesty cannot possibly end until this fatal %aw is !xed. I believe that the school’s job is to teach us, and that our job as students is to learn the in-formation and concepts in our classes. In most cases, cheating disrupts this %ow of knowledge from teacher to student, hurting the integrity of school and as a result, should be avoided. But last year, when I felt certain that knowing the information we were going to be tested on was actually not enough to do well on the test, did cheating become more acceptable?

"inking back, I sometimes wonder whether I should have acted di&erently if I were back in that class and could redo anything.

"e answer is always a resounding no.I would not change anything because I feel no remorse. I am completely sure

that I tried my very best in that class and that ultimately, my dishonesty did not compromise the amount of material I learned. But when confronted with tests that the teacher admitted were designed to make the class do poorly, I, like many oth-ers, took matters into my own hands. A$er all, I did my job as a student by learning what I was supposed to learn, and I wanted to make sure my grades re%ected that e&ort.

An anonymous student provides a perspective about what pushes students to cheat at South

When I was younger, I wanted to be Miley Cyrus.

Miley was my idol. She had long hair, a killer smile, and was beautiful and thin. Miley represented every trait that I did not see in myself.

!e summer before 8th grade, I obsessed over becom-ing like Miley. I lost a lot of weight, eating only small salads for meals. I was angry with my family, and no matter how my relatives tried to help, I shut them out. Despite these changes, I still stared at myself in the mirror and hated what I saw.

Later that summer I went o" to sleepaway camp. A girl in my bunk was su"ering with anorexia. We were both insecure about our bodies. Befriending her, I realized that I did not want to be her; I did not want to be disgusted with my own re#ec-tion.

I began to eat again, but I started exercising more and maintained a healthy weight. Now, at 17 years old, I am con-$dent with my body and happy with the way I am.

In Hollywood, the concept of a positive body image has been revived through multiple stars, most notably, Australian actress

Rebel Wilson. !rough her breakout role

in the comedy “Pitch Perfect” and her upcoming sitcom “Super Fun Night,” Wilson shows that being overweight should not hinder your con$dence or career.

“Pitch Perfect” premiered on Sept. 28, 2012 and rocketed to the top of box o%ces. Although the movie primarily focused on the rise of a college a capella group, Rebel Wilson’s character, Fat Amy, shines through among the rest.

Fat Amy, also known as Fat Patricia, is a sassy, curvy college girl with a killer sense of humor.

!e unique aspect of Amy’s character is that she is unfazed

rable lines of the entire movie occurs when Amy responds to an inquiring a capella captain on why she calls herself Fat Amy. Amy responds, “Yeah, so twig bitches like you don’t do it behind my back.”

!rough Fat Amy, Rebel Wilson shows girls that you do not have to be extremely thin to be con$dent.

In fact, Wilson is so con$-dent about her body that almost every joke that Fat Amy utters is about her physicality. Phrases like “I’m surprised they let my sexy fat ass in here” are not uncom-mon. Wilson embraces the idea of loving yourself just the way you are.

vision superstar, Conan O’Brien. Set to premiere during the

2013 season, the new sitcom, “Super Fun Night,” is, according to Wilson, a “funcomfortable” new show. !e basic premise of the show is that three nerdy best friends make it their life mission to have a super fun night every Friday night, and chaos always seems to ensue.

Although not much has been released about the upcom-ing show, it is something to look out for.

Recently, Wilson has taken on a new $tness routine and it has proven to be a struggle.

In a recent interview with Reuters, Wilson revealed her

RebelBreakout starlet Rebel Wilson

proves curvy is cool

Arts Review

M!"#$$! V%"&%$Sr. Arts Review Editor

Photo courtesy of public domain

Rebel Wilson poses for W Magazine’s “Best Performance” nominee shoot. Wilson was nominated for her performance as Fat Amy in the comedy Pitch Perfect.

'rough Fat Amy, Rebel Wilson shows girls that you do not have to be extremely thin to be con(dent.

Wilson’s fantastic de-meanor in Pitch Perfect led to $ve nominations for acting awards, including MTV’s Best Female Performance and Best Breakthrough Performance. She continues to inspire girls around the country with her con$dence.

But Rebel Wilson’s career has just begun, and the heavyset comedian has written and co-produced a new sitcom with tele-

struggles, “I try to be healthy. I train three days a week with a trainer. But I do like to eat, clearly. And I do eat dessert every day. If I cut that out, yes, I would lose weight.”

But Wilson is not losing weight for her show; she has admitted that she is doing this for her own health, and has set up a routine of walking daily.

Losing weight for health

purposes and not for body image is a huge step for a Hollywood starlet, and Wilson could very well be the beginning of a new body image campaign for stars.

Wilson reassures her fans that her infamous fat jokes will not cease, and we can look forward to them in “Super Fun Night,” coming this fall.

!e idea of a positive body image has been reinvigorated, and through actresses like Rebel Wilson, it will continue to grow and thrive in the upcoming years.

I am hopeful for a future in which girls stop looking in the mirror and wishing that they are someone else.

!rough strong women

by her clear weight di"erence from the rest of the group. In an interview with Reuters about the movie, Wilson said, “I’m not a size two, so of course I’m going to use that physicality to my ad-vantage.” And, in fact, she does. It was later revealed that Wilson wrote the majority of her lines for “Pitch Perfect,” most of which poke fun at herself.

One of the most memo-

like Rebel Wilson, this dream could become a reality in the near future.

In the words of Fat Amy, “Even though some of you are pretty thin, you all have fat hearts, and that’s what matters.”

Regardless of what you look like, love yourself and the skin you’re in, because being someone or something that you’re not is overrated.

arts review20 march 20, 2013

with a cause

graphic by Sophie Galowitz

march 20, 2013opinions 21page

volume 29 issue 7

Perspectives: Public displays of a!ection

T"# H"$%Opinions Contributor

D&'() B'"*+ , D-)( B./(0(Photo Manager, Sr. Opinions Editor

When I walk through the hallways, I see a variety of emotions on peoples’ faces: tired, sad, bored, ecstatic.

Sometimes the duration of couples’ intimate embraces becomes excessive, but a positive expression is a rare and valuable sight at our school.

Public displays of a!ection (PDA) is really just a couple throwing their mutual a!ection in your face.

Why act repulsed? Everyone has the option to not acknowledge couples passing by with hands held.

If kisses and cuddling amplify the participants’ happiness, who am I to chas-tise them for engaging in PDA?

Frankly, PDA can be somewhat entertaining. Ironically, PDA’s entertain-ment value is derived from the discomfort viewers experience.

I feel a strange sort of rush when I inevitably make a wrong turn and "nd myself face-to-face with a couple inter-locked in lusty embrace.

PDA can lead viewers to invest themselves in a relationship through observation, and those who engage in PDA can consciously capitalize on the voyeuristic tendencies of South students who aimlessly wander the halls.

A#er watching a couple engage in PDA, classmates can not only sympathize with the PDA participants when they split up, but also em-pathize, feeling the sadness of their breaking up with them.

Whether one chooses to ignore a couple’s PDA or not, PDA gives

observers the option to better understand a couple’s relationship status if they so choose. Couples can use PDA to symbol-ize the stability of their relationship, a positive trait they may want to showcase, particularly if their classmates are inclined to think otherwise.

$e general public unfairly regards PDA as uncomfortable and undesirable. But I do not believe that PDA is especially inappropriate.

Yes, in a school setting, people should not make out without regard for other peoples’ opinions, but low-key PDA is harmless and can positively a!ect more than just the participants.

Some may consider PDA to be an eyesore, but averting one’s eyes is an easy solution for those who take issue with couples’ behavior. It would be cruel to deny the couple such a simple pleasure.

Moreover, studying alongside happy students makes me feel happy too. Excited, post-PDA faces create a chain reaction as their owners go from class to class.

As a generator of happiness, PDA can contribute to a less bored, sad and tired hallway environment, and for that, we should embrace it.

Between packs of friends attempting to "t a 10-minute conversation into two and groups of freshmen walking at a gla-cial pace, the hallways of South are hardly enjoyable.

$e worst aspect of the hallways is undoubtedly the couples, though. We don’t mind people who want to demonstrate their a!ection for one another. In the right context and in moderation, a!ection is great.

We’ve found that not everyone believes in restraint. Everywhere we go, in every corner in every part of the school, we see the same couples unable to keep their hands o! of each other.

Every day, we "ght the urge to shout, “Get a room!”

One of us is single, and the other is in a relationship, but we both agree that watching other people make out at 8:30 a.m. isn’t the most pleasant sight.

PDA comes in di!erent levels of severity. $ere’s the simple hand hold: ac-ceptable. A quick peck on the lips or a hug: bearable.

And then there’s the full-out, hands-on, tongue-in-mouth make out ses-sion: unacceptable.

Does kissing in the middle of the hallways really make sense? $ere are other times, places and ways to show a!ec-tion for one’s signi"cant other.

$e hallways are always full, and there are so many people around that someone always bumps into the couple with their lips locked.

As we mentioned, holding hands is usually an acceptable form of PDA. $ere are times when holding hands does get in the way of the average student, however, such as when those holding hands are climbing up the stairs.

$ese couples walk side by side, forming a barrier that stops the %ow of tra&c. Walking down the stairs feels like a game of red rover.

PDAs are undoubtedly awkward. We feel as though we are thrust into in a situation where we have to work to ignore couples.

If, by chance, our eyes wander, the kissing couple feels uncomfortable, and we do too. Why should we be forced to look at the %oor in our own school hallway?

Moreover, how do the members of a relationship ever arrive on time to class? And if they arrive late, can’t the PDA wait?

Beyond the time constraint, and this could just be our cynical sides talking,

we don’t believe any two people can love each other so much that need to con-

stantly display their a!ection.School starts at 7:40 a.m. We

barely have the patience for anyone so early in the day, so we are shocked

that two people in a relationship can tolerate each other at that hour, much less kiss each other.

At the very least, we ask that if couples engage in PDA at school,

they do so some-where semi-private.

Who said that displays of

a!ection have to be so public?

Entertaining Inappropriate

J!" J!#"$%Editor-in-Chief

A couple of years ago, my family had a monthly tradition of going out for Vietnamese food.

We always ate at the same place: Le’s, a small, patio-style restaurant on the !rst "oor of the Atrium mall with a gurgling tank full of vibrant !sh and plastic water-lilies. Every time we went, I would order Bo Luc Lac, a garlic-"avored beef dish served with fresh steamed rice.

I’m not exactly sure when or why, but at some point my family stopped going to Le’s. We found a new place, Lam’s, on Washington Street. For a while this large, closed-roof establish-ment across town satis!ed my craving for Bo Luc Lac.

Somewhere within the past couple of years, my family and I simply stopped going out for Vietnamese altogether. #e tradi-tion died out.

Upon hearing news of the Atrium Mall’s closing and its replacement by a new shopping complex, I was curious to see what had ended up happening to Le’s. I checked online, and unsur-prisingly, Le’s had shut down and relocated this August.

I had a sudden craving for Vietnamese, so I checked Yelp to !gure out during what hours Lam’s was open on Saturdays. Instead, I found this message in the comment section:

“Lam’s is gone !!!!!!! #e landlord raised their rent and wanted a 10 year lease. No plans to relocate.” — Kathy S.

So that was that. No more Le’s and no more Lam’s. My search for Vietnamese food proved to me that if there’s one

Freshman builds case for new honor code at South“A cadet will not

lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”

#ese words are instantly recognizable to any cadet who has ever attended the Virginia Mili-tary Academy.

Although the major-ity of schools with honor codes are colleges, the number of these codes in high schools has been recently increasing.

Honor codes can vary from school to school. Some honor codes not only state that those who break them by cheating will be punished, but also that those who do not report others’ cheating behavior will be punished as well.

#ese punishments can range from simply fail-ing an assignment or class to expulsion.

#ese codes gener-ally work well. Mississippi State University adopted an honor code in 2007, and began tracking statistics on cheating instances. Ac-cording to these statistics, the number of students who reported instances of cheating has risen from 155 in 2008 to 334 in 2012. It is likely that this jump in students reporting others’ cheating has increased due to the advent of the honor code; the administration does nothing more than simply encourage students to adhere to the newly instituted code.

Could such a code work at Newton South?

&e nature of American consumerism is to constantly change

thing so predictable

about con-sumerism, it’s that it is !ckle by nature.

Much like the boom and bust cycles that have de!ned eco-nomic history, the mindset of the American consumer is prone to constant change, as exhibited by my family’s eventual detachment from Le’s and Lam’s.

#e closing of one shop-ping complex to give way to an-other one shouldn’t be alarming to anyone. Yet on a recent Friday night, when I went to dinner at #e Cheesecake Factory — one of the last remaining !xtures of the old Atrium — with some friends, I was shocked to !nd nothing short of a ghost town.

Store fronts were barren and dark and the parking lot was practi-cally empty.

#is empty building was the place I had come just a couple years back to buy the Harry Potter books at Borders and eat Margherita pizza at Ber-tucci’s. One by one, each of these stores, regardless of whether they were large chain franchises or small businesses, succumbed just like Le’s and Lam’s.

When the old Atrium Mall existed, I didn’t necessarily have any sort of emotional connection with it. But the vacant, almost

eerie atmosphere that Friday night reminded me of

just how quickly things can

change.With that said, I

am still excited for the new shopping complexes

that will replace those that have come and gone — I love a new opportunity to eat and shop as much as the next person.

But I can’t help thinking about the brand-new, luxury Showcase Cinema opening next to the AMC I’ve gone to for the past eight years, or about the new Pinkberry drawing custom-ers who usually would go to the Angora Ice right down the street.

I think about leaving for college next year and coming back home to visit only to !nd that I don’t recognize what’s le$.

No, change isn’t necessar-ily a bad thing. Trends come and go, as do storefronts. #is lack of longevity, however, isn’t exactly comforting.

So what, if anything, can we do about this?

#e answer is nothing, honestly. It’s just important to be aware that change is natural, even in the arti!cial world of consum-erism, and that at the end of the day, I still really want some Bo Luc Lac — I’ll just have to !nd it somewhere else.

Although it may reduce cases of plagiarism and other forms of cheat-ing in our school, an honor code may have a negative e%ect on students’ morale. Students reporting people

they don’t know would not be a big deal. But if someone catches his or her friend cheating, could that bring a whole new slew of other issues?

Rate of Change

C%'()"# Z!*Opinons Contributor

Not reporting the transgression could result in severe consequences, but reporting it could ruin a friendship. Being in high school is not only an edu-cational experience, but a

social one as well. Forcing students to pick between the two is not fair.

Honor codes are founded on the belief that students are mature

enough to police them-selves. If students are leaving their high schools thinking it is OK to "out rules, they will be in for a rude awakening when they reach college, where consequences of plagiarism and cheating are more seri-ous. Violations of an honor code in high school and in college are usually imprint-ed on students’ permanent records, and students can be expelled.

Another problem is the de!nition of plagia-rism, which has changed with the growth of the Internet.

Many students have used Wikipedia and Sparknotes to help them !nish essays and home-work assignments. Stu-dents need to understand

opinions22 march 20, 2013

Students need to under-stand that “borrowing”

ideas from the Internet is considered plagiarism.- Charles Zhou, Class of 2016

that “borrowing” ideas from the Internet is consid-ered plagiarism.

In my opinion, the best course of action would be to change South’s stance on plagiarism. Instead of expulsion, suspension or a failing grade as the punishment for plagiarism, students caught cheating should sit through further lessons about plagiarism so they don’t make the same mistake twice.

At !rst glance, pla-giarism still may not seem to be a problem, but many students manage to do it, usually without teachers !nding out. Students must learn that they cannot plagiarize before they reach college, where plagiarizing has more serious conse-quences.

march 20, 2013 23opinions

V!"#$%&' P#(#)$*Opinions Contributor

I could no longer live my life relying on luck to get me by; I had to go a!er what I wanted.

"is realization destroyed my belief in luck by giving me a glimpse into the real world and its consequences.

I now know that I must be the one to earn good grades and mend the friend-ships that I want to maintain.

I asked my friends about their thoughts on luck and received mixed answers. Some said that they abso-lutely believe that luck, like karma, can cause situ-ations to go one way or another. Others said that luck is no more than another name for coincidence.

I searched psychology forums and online articles as well. Apparently, most people do believe in luck; corporations have even commercialized luck for capital gain. Companies sell products like “good luck” charms, but I know that a person can’t buy luck.

So why do people feel compelled to believe in a force that seems so arbitrary?

What is luck? “A force that brings good fortune or adversity,” if you look it up. What type of a force is it? Is it a super-natural force? A person? God? I imagine luck as a man-made idea, a superstition, and I live with the idea that luck isn’t real.

I used to believe in luck. I would text my friend “good luck!” before a soccer game, wish for luck before my dance com-petitions and pray for luck when it came to school and friends. "is year my views drastically changed.

Socially and academically, I had no trouble in middle school. Entering high school, I believed my experience would be the same. I fell into my usual routine of slacking and relying on luck and common sense to bring me accomplishments as soon as the school year started.

I hoped that I could “Sparknote” an entire chapter of a book one night and be able to talk about the chapter in class while making sense, and I trusted that my math teacher wouldn’t check homework the next day.

Although I didn’t have many classes with my friends, I found myself assuming that our relationships wouldn’t change.A!er receiving a few bad grades and los-ing some old friendships, I realized that I was the problem.

Every morning, the sun rises. We tend to take sunlight for granted, believing we have no control over sunlight and that it does little more than warm and illuminate the earth. But the sun is so much more than a heat lamp.

If we treat sunlight as a natural resource to be harnessed, we can maximize the advantages we get from it.

Daylight-savings time is the #rst step. We set our clocks back an hour in the fall and forward an hour in the spring to better correspond with the sunrise and sunset.

"e objective is to ensure that the limited number of sunlit

hours align with the times people are awake.

With more waking hours in the sun, people can reduce their energy consumption and go about their daily activities with full visibility.

Schools should go a step further than simply abiding by daylight-saving time. Classes should start an hour later in the winter than they do in the spring and fall, taking into account the reduced hours of sunlight and later sunrise. If implemented, this system of changing school times with the seasons would positively impact students’ moods as well as their academic performances.

With the current system, school always starts at 7:40 a.m. In the winter, the sun sometimes doesn’t rise until 7:20. Many

students wake up before sunrise and prepare for school in the dark.

Waking up early is always di$cult, but it’s even more of a struggle in the dark, since dark-ness is a cue to our brains that it’s nighttime and we should be asleep.

Sunlight, on the other hand, signals the brain to wake up and helps us feel alert and energetic. "is psychological e%ect shows that if school always started at a time that would en-sure that students could wake up a!er sunrise, we would be able to wake up more easily, arrive to school more prepared and have more energy during class.

In the winter, starting school well a!er sunrise would allow more classes to rely on

natural lighting, which is less jarring than light provided by &uorescent bulbs.

"e Heschong Mahone Group, hired by the California Energy Commission, researched the e%ects of daylight on student performance in 2003.

Studying over 2,000 students and analyzing vari-ables — school districts, racial backgrounds and curricula — researchers found that elemen-tary students with more exposure to daylight during the school day learned and progressed 20

percent faster than students at schools fully dependent on arti#-cial light.

School scheduling should allow for students to bene#t from natural light during every class, not just those classes that fall later in the school day.

Since sunlight is so valu-able for learning, and since it’s much more restricted during the winter than during the spring and fall, administrators ought to carefully consider how we can best reap the bene#ts of limited daylight hours.

A"%!) N!+,'$$Opinions Contributor

Kent Sepkowitz, a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, wrote an article for the New York Times about doctors’ conscientiousness when it comes to luck.

In the passage, he mentioned that

because of supersti-tion, his build-

ing has no 13th &oor. Italians, however, believe that 13 is a

lucky number, so a superstitious Italian patient

may be very disappointed

with Dr. Sepkow-itz’s o$ce for their

lack of this &oor.

Other people believe in luck because they want to believe that their misfortunes come from an outside source

graphic by Maggie Zhang

Hard work, not luck, yields accomplishments

Schools should adjust their schedules to adapt to the seasons as well as the changing time of sunrise

graphic by David Gorelik and Dina Busaba

and not from their own faults.Arnold Palmer, a famous golfer,

once said, “I #nd that the more I practice, the luckier I am.” What Palmer really meant is that success comes from practice rather than luck.

Students can learn from Palmer

and realize that hard work brings about success. Palmer implies that his wins have nothing to do with being lucky; it’s prac-ticing that makes him skilled.

In the context of my successes and my failures, I think about Palmer’s words. I consider what I can do to be better, to improve myself in the future. And maybe I’m #nding all these reasons to not believe in luck because I simply don’t want to believe; luck gives false hope.

Luck suggests that even if people are good and generous and do everything they are supposed to, circumstances may not go their way. "ey will still experience mis-fortunes. I’m not denying that claim; there de#nitely is unfairness in the world. But I take a more optimistic view on fortune and achievements.

I have no desire to accept luck’s exis-tence because I want to think that success is a result of hard work, not some outside force. Failures are learning experiences to set goals for the future.

I want to feel that if I studied hard for a test, I’m the one that earned the grade. It’s not luck, but I that accom-plished my goal.

J!"# R!$%&'(%)"*S'"%!+ %,,-., !&/ 0.

SAD, or just sad?

Fluctuating temperatures, resurging allergens, growing excitement for summer and slumping seniors — we recognize the changing of the seasons via both physical and super1cial signs.

As time passes, the seasons prog-ress cyclically ad in1nitum in a pattern that marks time’s passage in our lives. 2e future, which, for most, probably contains a much awaited tertiary education, is o3en riddled with stress, uncertainty and mel-ancholy. 2is melancholy, almost entirely present throughout teenagers’ existence — manifesting itself in the urgency of assign-ments, the pressures of friends and social interaction or the space in between — is one that a4ects the student body in terms of productivity and e5ciency.

2ough this melancholy de1nitely a4ects some students more than others, the issue is not one of demographics, of who is more prone to getting Seasonal A4ective Disorder (SAD), but the time of year SAD is most likely to be present.

SAD is a mood disorder in which someone who may have a relatively nor-mal emotional state for the majority of the year falls into a state of intensi1ed depres-sion during certain seasons. It is generally thought to be in part due to changing exposure to direct sunlight and the e4ect that has on the body and disposition.

2e Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) de1nes SAD as not its own unique mental disorder but “a speci1er of major depres-sion.” 2ough at times I disagree with the DSM, their description of relatively non-taboo subjects is o3en accurate.

Originally a disease riddled with the scent of wives’ tales, SAD is now recog-nized as an o5cial and rather common disorder since the skepticism toward it decreased. Caused by the intensities of the seasons e4ecting the human body and brain, those who live closer to the equator are less likely to develop SAD.

With around nine percent of the Massachusetts population a4ected by the disorder (compared with 1.4 percent in Florida), and keeping in mind that teenagers are prone to hormonal surges and emotional fragility, I wonder what our school can do to combat SAD in teenagers.

I do not believe that it is the re-sponsibility of the school to be diagnosing students and putting them on a regimen to rid their SAD. I do not think it is the responsibility of the sta4 to set up photo-therapy stations (a type of therapy used to help people with intensive SAD) around the school, nor do I think it has a place in the budget. A general education on mental illness would be useful, and is important.

2e fact of the matter is that stu-dents have many issues in their lives with which they must deal, issues that going to school doesn’t solve. And whether it’s something as mild and temporary as Seasonal A4ective Disorder or something as daunting as schizophrenia, the more the school educates people on the subject, the closer students will be to taking steps to help themselves.

I truly think that our educational system should be used to teach students how to help themselves.

My mom took me shopping during math so I have to do a make up test. #newtonproblems

I vacationed in Italy and there wasn’t any fro-yo.#newtonproblems

I missed the basketball game because of Newtones practice.#newtonproblems

My dad yelled at me when he saw me throwing out pennies.#newtonproblems

0\�+HLQW]HOPDQ�LV�XQGHU�ðYH�SDJHV�#newtonproblems

I had to delete an Instagram photo because it got no likes.#newtonproblems

As innocent and naive children, we are oblivious and unaware of our expira-tion date. Not the kind of expiration date on which we die, but the kind of expira-tion date where we go from being every-one’s favorite to yesterday’s news. 2at kind of expiration date has passed for the Madonna, Shirley Temple and now us.

As teenagers, we are the forgotten and neglected middle child. We are the awkward phase between childhood and adulthood. We are the uncouth transition, the misunderstood species whose actions are dismissed, opinions are insigni1-cant and clothing is criticized.

Since birth, our parents and the society around us have given us warn-ings.

Phrases such as “Don’t get older, it’s a trap” or “Don’t be like those teen-agers. All they do is go out, drink and do drugs” did nothing to prepare us for this stage. Stereotypical remarks such as these only made the process of becom-ing a young adult seem even more di5cult and undesirable.

When teenagers try to convey opinions to adults, the underlying as-sumption is that nothing teens say has any credibility.

Many adults think teenagers lack the personal experience and the wisdom to articulate well thought-out views and beliefs.

While teenagers are relatively young, and have had less time to develop, age does not necessarily imply maturity. Some teens act like mature adults; some adults act like children.

Many adults believe that teenagers are a terrible in6uence on younger chil-dren, and lose their respect for the gen-erations below them. At the unfortunate

period in between childhood and adult-hood, some of us seek attention and there is no such thing as bad publicity, right?

2ere is no reason to generalize the actions of these few with all young adults.

While studies have shown that the teenage brain is not quite as developed as the adult, leading to poorer decision-mak-ing ability, teenagers are not “problematic” to society.

On the contrary, we as teenagers are in a unique position to make it better.

According to Startups, a United Kingdom-based business blog, the un-

der-25 age group is the fastest growing in terms of entrepreneurial leaders — 15 percent increase compared to a 6 percent increase in older age groups.

Despite their relative inexperience, teenagers started nearly 10 percent of all new companies in 2011, from tech start-ups to construction, hairdressing and leisure companies.

Some of the brightest and most innovative ideas of the 21st century were contrived by teenagers and young undergraduates.

Teenagers have a strong desire to be their own bosses and do work they 1nd meaningful. While these tendencies can put them at odds with adults, they also drive them to take risks and innovate.

Many adults have long since forgotten their awkward adolescent years and cannot sympathize with teenagers on the amount of pressure they have to endure socially and academically.

When young adults express opinions adults 1nd palatable, the two get along 1ne. But if an adult disagrees, the elder can play the age card and accuse the younger of im-maturity.

2roughout the process of becoming an adult, the period in which

one is a teenager is the time when we test the waters between the shallow end and deep side of the pool. In doing so, we inevitably make a few mistakes.

2ese regrets should not be held against the young adult, however, but instead used to encourage them to learn.

A teenager’s opinions are crucial to our society.

2ey o4er a new perspective that can add value to any conversation, and they are rarely afraid to question others’ statements.

V!"!#$ L!Opinions Contributor

The T eenage Disconnec tAdults tend to trivialize young adults’ opinions and contributions to society

graphic by Hadas Rosen

opinions24 march 20, 2013

march 20, 2013 25page

volume 29 issue 7

Dance Fever ballroom dance studio strives to !nd the balance between competition and community

E"#$% H&Sr. Community Editor

It’s 7:30 p.m. on a !ursday night, and at the back of an o"ce park, dozens of couples are gliding across the hardwood dance #oors at Dance Fever ballroom dance studio.

Since its foundation in 2003 as a studio with a single ballroom, Dance Fever has grown to cater to the full spectrum of dancers, ranging from those with years of intense practice to those more interested in the communal aspect of the sport.

Studio owners and former Lithuanian dance champions Emil and Ruta Loukhnikov originally owned a studio in Israel. When they moved to Newton, they started small, with only one student under their direction.

A$er the Loukhnikovs’ single-ballroom studio in Needham expanded to three ballrooms, the studio moved in 2007 to its current location on Wells Ave. in Newton.

Since then, Dance Fever has expanded to %ve ballrooms, where 20 teachers instruct over 400 students from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

With all this time, dancers prepare for an array of competitions. Local college dance teams host annual tournaments at Boston University, Harvard, MIT, Tu$s and Brandeis.

On top of collegiate competitions, dancers enter competitions sanctioned by the National Dance Council of America, where they are sepa-rated according to age and skill level.

Dance Fever instructors understand the de-mands of competition well because they themselves compete, which adds to the educational experience, senior Rebecca Shpektor said. “!e teachers always switch because they are also competitive dancers so they travel a lot, but they each have their own unique technique so it’s really fun getting taught routines,” she said.

“My %rst ever coach scared me with the saying, ‘!ere’s a competition somewhere every weekend.’ Now I think that’s complete baloney. No one wants to compete every weekend,” Je& Plotkin, a Dance Fever instructor who began dancing at the studio at the age of 15, said. “!ere was a study done where ballroom dancers were examined just in regular practice setting and in competition setting, and the stress levels tripled to dangerous levels [in competition].”

!e community at Dance Fever counteracts the pressure of competitions, according to South sophomore and longtime dancer Natalie Shammay.

“When friends from the studio compete

against each other, their goal may try to beat their friends, but I think that the outcome of the results doesn’t a&ect the friendships,” she said.

Dance Fever also plays home to dancers who abstain from competition. “Our goal is, of course, to have a competitive level, but you have a lot of kids who doesn’t feel like competing too much,” dance instructor and studio manager Tomas Va-sicek said. “If they compete, we are happy, but you know, our idea is to teach the dance, not to have them all compete.”

Maria Lavshytas, who has been an instructor and desk manager at Dance Fever for the past three years, said the studio accommodates students at various levels of competition.

If they compete, we are happy, but, you know, our idea is to teach the dance, not to have [our students] all compete.- Tomas Vasicek, studio manager

Every issue, !e Roar features an organization in Newton that makes a di&erence in the community

Catching Dance Fever

Catching Dance Fever

photos courtesy of Dance Fever

community

“Some of [the kids] would like to be professional dancers, and they start from the beginning, from when they are really younger ages from three to four years old, and they raise up in our studio,” Lavshytas said. “We help them be professional if they want to be profes-sional. If they only [want to dance] for fun, we help them have fun in our studio and to be able to be in a good mood and a good body condi-tion.”

Social nights at the dance studio con-tribute to a communal atmosphere, senior and former Dance Fever student Jason Sydorchenko said.

!e studio hosts a Standard Practice time on Sunday nights and a Latin Practice time on !ursday nights.

“Sunday night rounds were my favorite night in the studio because it was just a chance to dance to the music in front of your friends and teachers without any stressful criticism,” Sydorchenko said.

!e Loukhnikovs are looking to spread their methodology of intense instruction combined with community atmosphere beyond their Newton studio.

A few years ago, they opened a second location in Marblehead.

“!ere are people coming in from all over the place. We’ve had people coming in from New Hampshire to take lessons, and why bother driving so far when you can go to a closer location?” Plotkin said. “We have some of our sta& go to our other location and work there full time, so you get the same exact experience.”

For Plotkin, the mission of spreading the Dance Fever experience is personal. “!is place is like my home. I have the same exact hopes and dreams for my home as I do for this place,” he said. “I want it to live long and prosper.”

Every issue, !e Roar asks members of the Newton community to expand upon a one-word promptONE WORD, ONE COMMUNITY 25

TI:ME

K!"#$ H%&'"%(-R)!*South Parent

Time is like the earth’s water sup-ply; it constantly changes form but never disappears. Once a moment passes, we internalize it and carry it mysteriously within us. Some experiences will never climb from our souls to our brains to our lips, yet those moments shape us in some inexplicable way: a friend’s knowing smile, the smell of a camp "re, the taste of a Tango Mango burrito.

Other moments stand out like neon signs: a birthday celebration, the "rst day of kindergarten, the horror of 9/11, a bat mitzvah or con"rmation, learning to ride a bike or drive a car, experiencing the power of a beloved book, catching a pass at a football game, performing on the South Stage, the hug of a grandpa, the annual South powderpu# game, the historic elec-tion of Barack Obama.

!e seniors’ upcoming graduation will hopefully be a moment etched in their hearts. As the parent of a current senior, I wish time would stop. But like waves in the ocean, time proceeds minute by min-ute, day by day, year by year, and all we can do is pause, acknowledge and savor the meaning of this moment. We remember our children’s birth, their "rst words, their "rst steps, their "rst days of school, their "rst teeth falling out. For the past 18 years, the current seniors have tugged at their parents’ heartstrings. !e days marched on; some were slow and some $ew by. !ey played, learned, laughed, cried and worked hard, growing and changing inside and out and changing their parents along the way.

As students move through high school and into the next phase of their lives, they should take time — make time — to re$ect and evaluate whether they are spending their time wisely and becoming the people they want to be. Time is a bless-ing. Enjoy it and use it well.

Time is big. !e entire universe, its history, its future and perhaps all of its possibilities "t within time. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a little more of it in the day? How is it that time can be so perva-sive, yet feel so scarce?

Even in science, all measurements of time are based on other measurements of time, with no real foundation to explain the nature of time itself.

With the modern discovery of rela-tivity, we know that objects can experience time di#erently depending on their rela-tive speed, or position with gravity.

When astronauts or satellites hurtle around Earth or through space in a loose grasp of gravity, their clocks must be slightly adjusted to synchronize with those back on Earth. Even to those of us who are de"nitively Earth-bound, time seems to slow and quicken depending on our activity.

So is time just a made-up concept to put cause and e#ect in some intelligible order?

In everyday language, time seems like a real, physical resource. We make it, give it, lose it or run out of it, but we know that it is intangible. It’s much like another very abstract word: life.

!eoretically, we would have all the time we could want if we could live forever.

!is line of thinking seems to con-tribute to the recent fascination with vam-pires not solely as hungry monsters, but as characters with the enviable dilemma of how to deal with eternal life and eternal time. We mortals feel comforted knowing that dilemma might not be so easy.

It is worth spending some time thinking about our personal relationships with time, since those thoughts can change how we live. Even when it seems like we’re wasting time, we might just be saving it.

Time. A constant. Rotation gives us the day, which we variously reckon as 24 hours, 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. A physicist would ponder time’s $uidity, but he would still arrange family dinner for 6:00 p.m. We each have the same time each day. So why does time lie heavy on the hands of some while others claim to have no time?

No time? A lie. Or a shorthand in-tended to mean that one has other priori-ties, other deadlines, other people to see. Is time money? No. Time is opportunity. !e opportunity to act. Or not to act. Action is money. Can you waste time? No. Time will pass at its inexorable rate. You can only waste opportunity.

Can you give someone your time? No. Another person has the exact same amount as you. What you can give is at-tention, companionship. Time coordinates action. Dinner time. Game time. Meeting time. Time is a tool. Use it; don’t let the tool use you.

People who have been around a long time may say time has sped up. Contact has sped up. Action, particularly interac-tion, has sped up. Is this speeding up good or bad? Up to you. You are taking the action. You must value your particular ac-tion more than other potential actions, but never underestimate the value of the quiet actions. Re$ection, observation, creation of mental space for the brain to pop out its creations and not simply react to stimuli.

Does time even exist, or is it totally a derivative of action? !e action of plan-etary bodies in relative motion, of gears and weights in a mechanical clock, of sand in an hourglass, of rowers in racing shells striving against each other. Philosophers and physicists debate it. Newton vs. Leib-niz and Kant. Look it up! (You are reading a Librarian’s ramblings!). But not now. Time’s Up.

Technically, time is the dimension in which events can be ordered from the past through the present and into the future. However, as a sen13r (senier? !at works, right?), I tend to ignore a good chunk of what’s happening in the present, instead focusing on the past and future.

!e past provides endless fodder to entertain the mind.

When I graduated elementary school, for example, I was convinced that I would eventually compete in an Olympic aerial skiing event.

Little did I know that my extreme teenage laziness (and lack of Olympic-level freestyle aerial training) would soon crush that dream.

!ough amusing, thinking back to the worry-free years when I dreamed big is pretty depressing.

With graduation quickly approach-ing, it’s time for us seniors to be realistic in making the hard decisions that will determine our paths for the future.

It’s terrifying to think that at this time next year, we’ll be miles away from the teachers and students who have shaped the past four years of our lives.

Although I constantly complain about high school, having gone so far as to compare it to jail a few too many times, I honestly do appreciate everything I’ve learned during my time here.

I am nowhere near adulthood, so I "nd it scary to contemplate how much I’ve changed in the last four years. And it’s scarier yet when I consider that the next four years of my life will change me once more.

I don’t want to cling to the past, but I do want to hold on to the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

And from what I’ve learned along the way, I have a piece of advice about time: Don’t waste it.

C!+,%' C%-!++&./!'Science Teacher

P#/, M0N&,"$Newton Free Library Director

L$*/! B!'1&)Class of 2013

community26 march 20, 2013

S O M H W A R M E R H U G D B V U C K S S A R G IK S H O W E R S K U G Q J K P N W H S K H Q E A YC N B M G I X T R V C Y D I T B P N L H H W Y W II K E V A T S L E J H V V V R Q D L L L O K B X YR C C E V L C E F Q X S M A G R R F A E U D L A UT S U S R T J L X M G S S G Y F Q L B A T T L W RA W P V I G W Z V B E T Y U Y B J V E V S P M Z PP I U P R N O A A B Q O Y P N A I L S E I X O J XT N V I E G N R Z Z Q P V W K R O W A S D Z V Z XN D L X V P S E C P V C E C E B L K B F E F V R NI G J F O V I C T C U G C H J E S O X V U L V H AA W M P L A L R E T S A E X P C L S F P D T S J KS L C O C G O V T T S E E R T U L Z O T L E N W AO K M T Y R Z R Y C W D C Y B E T Q N I D D O B Q

Word Search

Columns, rows and squaresEach take a digit, fallingBetween one and nine.

bad haiku by Tony Vashevko & Rob Hass

5 4 2 2 8

4 3 7 5 4

4 9 1 7 6 36 2

3 6 91 7

7 4 3

1) Barbecue 2) Baseball 3) Clover 4) Easter 5) Grass 6) Green 7) Leaves 8) Outside 9) Play 10) Saint Patrick 11) Showers

12) Sun 13) Tennis 14) Trees 15) Warmer

ACROSS:1. Bergoglio, for ex-ample8. Chess rating sys-tem9. Luxurious12. “!e” in Caracas13. Bipedal primate14. Peru’s capital16. Second word of “!e Raven”17. Rightmost box score statistics in baseball19. Fiery felonies

Embarrassing Roar Sta! Photo of the Month:

EASY:6 7 1 2 4

3 2 19 4 7 3 66 7 2 8 5

2 3 8 1 42 9 6 1 7

5 4 86 8 4 1 2

CHALLENGING:

ROSSWORD Crossword by Jason Chari

22. Pre"x; precedes formal, circle or colon24. Super; “Above” in Berlin26. Vessel puller & har-bor helper28. Dormitory bigwig (abbrev.)29. Pressing; requiring immediate action30. A&W competitor31. Holds in high re-gard

DOWN:1. Bananagrams starter2. Skateboarding trick3. Terse declination4. Nuptial words5. Longest human bones6. Goes crazy (two wds.)7. Williams of Red Sox Fame10. Card game, or bar and grill11. !e shortest Chi-nese dynasty13. South gospel choir15. Male title (abbrev.)18. ____ Belt (constel-lation)20. Note well (abbrev.)21. Result of blood coagulation22. Parisian preposi-tion23. “Which came "rst?” choice25. Precursor of riches, sometimes26. Egyptian king, 14th century B.C.E.27. “Rethink possible” service provider30. Windows disap-pointment (abbrev.)

puzzles courtesy of sudokuo!heday.com

Spring is in the air (well, technically)! Find these fresh phrases associated with the new season.

march 20, 2013 27fun page

2 3 4 4 5 6 7

8

9 11 12

13

10

15

17

18 19 20

21 22 23

25

26 27

24

16

Want the solution to this puzzle? Visit thelionsroar.com/crosswords!

Forman, pre-Photoshop.

march 20, 2013sports 28page

volume 29 issue 7

Senior Kayla Burton was in awe when she spotted a McDonald’s All-Amer-ican (MAA) basketball player at an

Amateur Athletic Union basketball tourna-ment two years ago. “She was decked out in high top fashion and in McDonald’s All-American gear,” Kayla said. “I was such a groupie and wanted to take a picture [with her] and everything.”

Kayla’s dream of one day reaching that player’s level came true when girls basketball Coach Sam Doner nominated her as an MAA player this January.

Although Kayla did not end up being selected as one of the 24 players on the MAA All Star team, her nomination as one of the three female players from Massa-chusetts and just 814 total players in the country is a testament to her growth as an athlete and a leader.

According to Doner, players are nominated for the award by their coaches based on a range of qualities. “You have to nominate a player as a high school coach, and they looked at who she is, at her stats, where she is going, and all that stu!,” Doner said.“A lot of things go into being [nominated]. We look obviously at the

characteristics, the attitude and leadership, … the basic basketball skills, the funda-mentals, the knowledge of the game, as well as the whole package on the court and o! the court.”

Kayla said although she was not one of the select few chosen to be an All-American, being nominated as one of the top athletes in the nation is an incredible achievement.

“Just seeing that it is possible to be in [that] position, being able to be near that position really is just mind-boggling and cool, so I’m excited,” she said.

According to sophomore and team-mate Roni Tamir, Kayla’s skill for basketball extends beyond just a technical mastery. “Kayla is a great player but she’s also a great leader. She has really worked on her leader-ship and we have seen it in the past two years that I have been playing at South,” she said. “You can tell that she’s really trying hard to be a good leader for us and that’s a big part of the reason why we win when we win.”

Freshman Emily Chang said she looks up to Kayla as a role model. “On the court her decision making is great, her

shot is amazing, her dribbling skills are fantastic and the way she sees the game is so unbelievably great,” she said. “I think she de"nitely deserves this nomination because she’s overall a great player and she de"nitely knows what she’s doing when she is out there on the court.”

According to Chang, Kayla’s leader-ship style involves constantly challenging her teammates to improve. “When we play hard and when she plays hard everyone gets better, everyone raises a level of com-petition … [everyone] develops quicker and it’s de"nitely really helpful through-out the season,” Chang said. “Everyone is improving their skills and their aggression. I think that is really good for our team to have individual skill as well as good teamwork.”

Because of Kayla’s excellent leader-ship in basketball, Tamir said her nomina-tion was expected by many of her team-mates. “I wasn’t really surprised because she is a very, very good player, but I was really happy for her,” she said.

Junior and teammate Shaylah Kelly agreed that Kayla’s superb athleticism and determination throughout her basketball

career are what made her eligible for a spot on the All-American squad. “She deserves to be rewarded for all her hard work,” she said.

In addition to her nomination for the prestigious basketball award, Kayla was recruited earlier this year to play basketball at Lehigh University, a Divison I school.

According to Kayla, she was initially surprised to have made it to the level where she could be nominated. “I had con"dence but I didn’t think that I was good enough to really play Division I and my dad and my coach said, ‘Just keep working, just keep working’, and I had to believe myself at one point.”

Kayla added that she has grown signi"cantly since her early years play-ing basketball at South. “I look back on some tapes of me playing basketball in my freshman year and now, and it is really cool to see the di!erence in how I’ve grown and changed,” she said. “I think back to my freshman year and I was immature compared to where I am now. I have been able to see through the past four years and hopefully I can really take that to Lehigh next year.”

Making it

photo courtesy of Kayla Burton

Senior Kayla Burton (le!) scores her 1,000th point in a gameagainst Taunton High School. A!er leading the Lions through a 14-7 season, Burton will play for Lehigh University next year.

Senior Kayla Burton was nominated to be a McDonald’s All-American basketball player,

following in the footsteps of her sister

B! L"##"$ F"%$&'%

march 20, 2013 29sports

Y!"#$#" G#%&$ ' T!"( Y#!Sr. Sports Editors

photos courtesy of Will Zhang

!e Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) will no longer sponsor boys gymnastics, the association’s board of directors announced on Jan. 31. As a result, South will not have a boys gymnastics team next year.

Despite the formal announcement, members of South’s team have decided to "ght the MIAA’s decision.

Junior Khashayar Dashti said he struggles to think of a senior year without gymnastics. “

Since I was a freshman, I was on the team, and we’ve been working step by step to get our guys to a level to actually get South the state title, which actually hasn’t happened for a lot of years,” he said. “Next year would have been our shot.”

!e MIAA previously stated that it initially considered ceasing sponsorship of boys gymnastics earlier this year, when the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) decided to stop writ-ing rules for the sport. “Given that only seven of our 370+ schools sponsor boys’ gymnastics, and there will be no set of spe-ci"c high school rules for this sport, a#er the upcoming winter season, the Board may consider eliminating recognition of this sport,” the MIAA announced.

South boys gymnastics coach Tom Steeves said he does not believe that having only seven schools participate in boys gymnastics justi"es the withdrawal

of MIAA sponsorship. “[Participation] is down, but it’s been solid for the past 20 years, a solid seven [schools], and there’s a prospect of more teams coming in,” he said. “If there was a concern now, why wasn’t there a concern 20 years ago when we were also seven teams?”

Steeves said he rejects the thought process behind the MIAA’s decision. “Only Illinois and New York and Massachusetts still have boys teams,” he said.“So it makes sense for [the NFHS] to not upgrade their rules book, but when they announced that to all of the state associations, the MIAA took that as a denouncement of boys gym-nastics, which isn’t the way it is.”

High school sports associations in Illinois and New York continue to sponsor boys gymnastics. MIAA representatives told !e Roar they were unavailable for comment on why they made a decision dif-ferent from other states’.

Sophomore Miles Welbourn said he believes the MIAA has not been completely transparent about its reasoning. “We all think there’s some sort of ulterior motive, probably not to do with the budget, since we all pay a $300 user fee,” he said. “!ere has been a lot of speculation between all of us, but right now we’re in the dark.”

Steeves agreed with Welbourn that the MIAA has not publicized the content of its internal communications. “I think there’s some kind of hidden agenda,” he said. “I think someone has something against boys gymnastics.”

!e MIAA’s ruling came as a surprise

to South’s team, Welbourn said. “I came in one practice, and suddenly there were huge cameras everywhere, and surprisingly this was the "rst time I heard about it,” he said. “!ey were asking my coach … and a few of the captains about what they thought about the MIAA dropping mens gym-nastics. So it sort of crept up on us really quickly.”

Welbourn said he looks at the MIAA di$erently now. “Well it certainly dropped them a little bit lower in my eyes, and a#er that day where all the cameras were in, I sort of thought of them a little bit as the enemy,” he said. “I know that sounds a little bit extreme, but they went from an organi-zation to ... just some sort of antagonist.”

Dashti agreed with Welbourn that the MIAA’s decision regarding boys gym-nastics impacts the association’s reputa-tion on the whole. “[!e decision] re%ects pretty low on the MIAA. I mean the whole reason for such a thing is for young people to engage in physical activity and to lead a healthy lifestyle, and I think withdrawing the sport, it re%ects pretty badly.”

Carlos Morales, ‘11 graduate, said the withdrawal of MIAA support from the South varsity boys gymnastics team he helped create is hurtful. “All of my former teammates and my new teammates from Newton South gymnastics are guys who have worked really hard,” he said. “I want to be able to go see them at practice a little bit. !ey deserve a right to keep competing at the level that they’re competing, and on the whole, the MIAA should reconsider

what it’s doing.”South’s team has chosen to take a

stand in an attempt to get the MIAA to reconsider. Boys gymnasts have created a Facebook page entitled “Save Massachu-setts Boys Gymnastics” and written an online petition to the MIAA at Change.org. Current and former high school gymnasts, along with concerned parents, have sent letters to the MIAA.

!e MIAA has not shown the re-sponse gymnasts are looking for, however, according to Welbourn. “As far as we can tell, they haven’t had any response, which is kind of disheartening,” he said.

In Dashti’s opinion, the options for his teammates next year do not live up to current opportunities.

“Some of us will have to join girls teams or compete at the club level, but knowing there’s not a varsity gymnastics sports team, there’s not going to be that commitment,” he said. “You know you’re not required to show up at a club practice, but you are required to show up if they have a team practice.”

Steeves said that if the MIAA refuses to reverse its decision, the future looks bleak for boys gymnastics. “If, in fact, the MIAA is permanently backing away from boys high school gymnastics, then it’s up to the schools to try and either see if they want to support a varsity program independently of the MIAA or provide it as a club sport,” he said. “If they do that, depending on how it’s funded, it’ll probably die.”

)e MIAA has decided to stop

sponsoring boys gymnas-tics next year

sports30 march 20, 2013

South baseball starts new preseason regimenD!""#$ T"#%#$&'(()

* D!+), K)%Sports Reporters

Achieving a perfect record against Newton North has been a dream for generations of South athletes, according to South baseball coach Ron Jordan.

“As far as I have been told by people around the school, [going undefeated against North] may have never hap-pened here in any sport,” Jordan said.

Frequent and intense prac-tices will aid the baseball team in accomplishing this feat, Jordan said.

Aiming for an undefeated season, Jordan decided to move uno!cial preseason practices from Catz, a sports performance center in Needham, to South this year.

“"is year, we have ... workouts at South, which [is] more accessible to the kids, and as a result, more kids are com-ing,” baseball captain and senior Justin Moy said.

"ese practices are entirely voluntary because, accord-ing to Jordan, “due to MIAA rules, we cannot practice until Mar. 18.”

Sophomore Leo Orlando has attended

several optional practices. “We practice sit ups, jump ropes and squats during these practices,” he said.

Preseason practices are more organized than those in

past years, according to baseball captain and senior Jesse Feld-stein.

Feldstein said that coaches are tracking players’ o#season work ethic in

order to push them harder. “Progress is being recorded and publicized, so players are being held accountable if they are not improving or preparing for the spring season,” Feldstein said.

graphic by Alex Cohen

The boys basketball team improved from last year’s 2-18 record to $nish with a strong showing this season. Despite players’ best

e#orts, the team started o# the season with a losing streak, $nding themselves with a

0-6 record a third of the way through the regular season.

"is did not stop the team from quali-fying for the Massachusetts playo#s, a $rst for all players on the team. During the Lions’ $rst playo# game against West Roxbury High School, South’s passionate fans packed the bleachers and spurred their team on

to a 56-54 win.During the following game against

Mans$eld High School, South’s players could not recover from Mans$eld’s early

17-2 lead, bringing their season to an end on a 72-56 loss.

"e team hopes to keep the momentum going for next year’s season.

“"ose who take advantage of having early practices will get better and stronger for the season.”

According to Jordan, pre-season practices are crucial for success in the season.

“"e question is how players will accept their roles and buy into the team concept. We have some strong-minded kids who need to accept that things are done my way and not their summer team’s way,”

Jordan said. "is year, with more

baseball players getting a head start on their season, a run to the playo#s is not out of reach, baseball captain and junior Eric Manditch said.

“You get out what you put in, so since a lot of guys

have been working hard, I think we can expect to contend for the

Dual County title and make the playo#s once again,” Manditch said.

Jordan said he is keeping his eyes on the prize: beating North.

“Let us watch as these play-ers, who have attended these ex-tra practices, help the team beat

North, make Newton South history

and bring the team

rightfully back to glory in the playo#s,”

Jordan said.

With the $nal seconds ticking down, a player from Franklin stole the ball from Kayla Burton on March 5th, ending

South’s magical run for the state champi-onship as well as an unforgettable sea-son. Although the score was 54-53 Franklin at the buzzer, the $nal tally did not tell the whole story. South came back from a 10 point de$cit to tie the score late in the fourth quarter. South coaches and players made the necessary adjustments as South made its way back into the game. "e team knocked down three pointers, one a%er another. Junior Shaylah Kel-ly’s clutch three tied the game at 52. "e Lady Lions closed out their season on a high note. As the team prepares for the coming year, coaches and players say they are determined not to stop until they come out on top.

Girls

13-10

photo courtesy of public domain

Boys

10-12

Recently, however, Jenks decided she wanted to reduce stress and the feeling of high-stakes competition and moved from a club gymnastics team to South’s gym-nastics team. “I switched because I heard it was more fun and relaxing than club sports,” Jenks said.

According to Mallat, this year Jenks has valued not just the sport but also her new team at South. “For Sally, it is now more about the team than the actual sport itself,” she said.

According to sophomore Camila Hernandez, Jenks has since become one of the leading members of South’s team, and a role model for her teammates. “She’s a huge part of the team, a great gymnast with really clean skills, and we look up to her.”

Girls gymnastics coach Greg Beau-pre said Jenks’ contributions reach beyond her technical ability. “Sally has trained many years and trains usually 30 or more hours a week,” Beaupre said. “She is a great gymnast to have with a great personality type. She is also upbeat, fun and has good humor.”

As the gymnastics team pushed toward states, Jenks’ own e!ort and hard work pushed her peers to improve, accord-ing to Hernandez. “Sally motivates us to work harder because of her work ethic,”

B"#$%&$ D'((&$S)*"+, C*-'.$/,+

All you need to know about March Mad-ness: from brack-ets to baskets

Sixty-four teams. 0e best of the best colleges move on to the sweet sixteen, then the elite eight, then the 1nal four and eventually to the NCAA championship game. Anything can happen. 0e sky is the limit. Last year, two di!erent 12eenth seeds upset second seeds in the 1rst round. Lehigh fans are still talking smack to the Duke faithful.

College basketball is unlike the NBA in that it has no dream teams of profes-sional players. 0ere are no Miami Heats in the NCAA, although Kentucky regularly produces a powerhouse team. Just like the Alabama Crimson Tide in college football, Kentucky has been dominating the college circuit in recent years. 0is year, how-ever, Kentucky’s youthfulness has become problematic and injuries have derailed any chances for them to win the “big dance”. Without Kentucky in the picture and many other top schools struggling, this year’s March Madness Tournament will be even more entertaining, as any team can come out on top.

One of the biggest di!erences be-tween professional and college basketball is the prominence of defense in college hoops. In the NBA, 90-100 point games are the norm, whereas college scores tend to be lower because players spend more time focusing on defense. Scores in the 50s and 60s are nothing strange.

NBA players receive fat paychecks at the end of each season, while college play-ers receive no monetary compensation. Despite not getting paid, college players must perform at a high level if they hope to make it to the NBA. With their futures on the line, college players consistently give it their all on the court. And that’s what makes this month so exciting.

0e crucial March Madness games bring college students together as their school teams make runs in the tourna-ment. Students are not afraid to show their school spirit; in the next few weeks, these schools will be in a basketball frenzy. Stu-dents will be camping out nights before in order to purchase the best seats at games.

Students are not the only ones that will be watching the games live, as parents, alumni and devoted fans will be 3ying around the country to support their teams. 0e best thing about the tournament for the rest of us? Filling out brackets with friends and family. Basketball fan or not, elementary school student or elderly, anyone can 1ll out a bracket. Even the president of the United States takes time out of his busy schedule to map out a win-ning bracket.

Some of my friends feel su4ciently con1dent to put money on the table, hop-ing their brackets are perfect. Nothing could be better than picking underdogs, watching daily games with friends and maybe even winning some money.

March Madness brightens this otherwise dreary month. It can write Cin-derella stories and realize . College players are pushing hard and without a paycheck to show for their e!orts at the end of the day. 0e tournament began yesterday, and I suggest that you turn o! the reality TV and watch some basketball. Let the mad-ness begin!

march 20, 2013 31sports

For the 1rst time ever, the girls gym-nastics team competed in the state championship gymnastics meet

on Feb. 27, following an undefeated 12-0 season led in part by freshman gymnast Sally Jenks.

Jenks’ career as a gymnast began at age two. “People would see her on the playground and say, ‘Boy, that child has so much energy,’” according to Jenks’ mother, Julie Mallat.

Jenks agreed that she joined gym-nastics due to the fact she was a very energetic toddler. “When is was about two years old I had too much energy, so my parents signed me up for gymnastics classes.”

A2er two years of taking gymnastics classes, Jenks was placed in an accelerated class. “0at’s when I realized she was really good,” Mallat said.“I remember thinking that 90-minute classes are too much for a four-year-old, but that’s when she started becoming more competitive.”

Mallat added that gymnastics has a!ected her daughter positively. “She has practice about four days a week, and each of those are usually a couple of hours long,” she said. “Since it takes up so much of her time she has developed really good study habits, and has become highly dis-ciplined.”

she said.Over the course of this year’s season,

Jenks and her fellow teammates swept past team a2er team undefeated in the Dual County League as well as in the Merri-mack Valley League and 1nished with a 12-0 record.

Jenks said the Newton South team did better at states than she and other teams expected. “I don’t think we were expecting to do that well because we were seeded for, like, sixth place, and we came in fourth.”

In Beaupre’s opinion, Jenks adds to a talented team. “0is year already had strong talent, and then we got Sally Jenks who is the best gymnast South has ever seen,” he said.

Based on her performance at states and throughout their undefeated season, Jenks’ future in gymnastics is bright, Beaupre said.

“Sally would de1nitely be an NCAA recruit. She is really focused on going to a Division I college for gymnastics.”

For the moment, however, Jenks is looking forward to her sophomore season at South.

“Next year is going to be a really big year because we’re only losing one senior and there are going to be a couple of gym-nasts coming on,” she said.

Reaching new heights

“Next year is going to be a really big year because we’re only losing one senior and there are going to be a couple of gymnasts coming on.”

- Sally Jenks, Class of 2016

!is season, South’s girls gymnastics team gained

a new member, freshman Sally Jenks, who helped

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