The JagRoar: June 2014 Edition

THE JAGROAR! NOVEMBER 1, 2012

ROAR The Jag -

NOVEMBER 2, 2012

ROAR The Jag

JUNE 3, 2014

WHS FUNDRAISERS’ SUCCESS

This Edition:

Cookie Calamity: Should students be able to control the amount of cookies they purchase? Page 2

Opinion: Too much homework causes stressed students, Page 4

Windham Wind-up: Robotics team represents town at World Championship, Page 5

Study Tips: How to stay focused while studying for finals, Page 7

WHS Drug Policy: How it impacts athletes, Page 10

Summer Safety Tips: How to stay safe during the summer months, Page 15

JCA: All about the Jaguar Community Alliance Club, Page 18

JagSAT: WHS JagSAT team’s successful launch, Page 19

Pantene Beauty Lengths and Buzz for Bucks: Page 14

Photo by Taylor Mendes

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

! PAGE 2

Dear WHS, It’s finally the end of the year! With spring sports finishing up and the weather getting hotter, the WHS community is gearing up for the last day of school. Soon the class of 2014 will be saying their goodbyes as WHS welcomes the incoming freshman and the current juniors will begin their descent into their senior year! It’s crazy how time goes by so quickly. On behalf of the entire JagRoar staff, I’d like to thank all of our faithful readers and everyone who has given us input on our monthly editions. We appreciate it very much and work to make our newspaper the best it can possibly be. I’ve enjoyed being a part of the JagRoar staff and look forward to hearing about it in years to come after I graduate later this month. Congrats to all the WHS students and clubs for their achievements throughout the year! Go WHS!

- Ariana Mandra, Editor-in-Chief

Jag OpinionEditorial: Summer’s coming

Photo by Taylor MendesAriana Mandra

The Cookie CalamityBy Kenneth DastousJagRoar Staff WINDHAM - Windham High

School has always been a health conscious school, especially after eliminating the previous lunch program run by the Abbey Group. With the changing of lunch programs, the sugary drinks such as Gatorade and the regular full-fat chips were taken away as well, but one thing remained, cookies. These cookies have been sold close to the beginning of Windham High Schools start, but remained because the profit being made was too good to give up.

“Obesity is not a problem at

Windham High, especially compared to other high schools in the area,” says Windham senior Christopher Lisowski.

“Even though the school is not suffering from widespread obesity, the school is going against everything they stand for by selling these fat filled, unhealthy cookies,” tells Windham Senior Alyssa Duke.

In the previous year, the school tried to sell low-fat cookies instead of the normal, and the profits were just not good enough, so the profits once again took priority and full-fat cookies are currently being sold.

The head of the school’s cookie sales, Christine Simmons, tells that “the cookie sales are regulated by

the government and only allows the school to sell one cookie at a time, and it is up to the students to have self control and not purchase too many of the cookies.”

The school should not leave it up to students to control how many cookies they should buy, because the cookies are so cheap that one student could purchase a large amount for low costs, which could cause the student to greatly go over their daily calorie threshold. This threshold is a certain number of calories a person needs. It is when this number is surpassed that the body begins to store these calories as fat, which over time leads to obesity.

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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What Are You Most Excited for This Summer?

OPINION

JagRoar Staff

Ariana MandraEditor in Chief

Jillian DiPersioNews Editor

Sophie SamuelsFeatures Editor

Casey BrennanOpinion Editor

Ashley DomogalaActivities Editor

Katey VestaPR Manager

Taylor MendesPhotographer

Kelsey FedericoSports Editor

Erin PrebleReporter

Casey ErginReporter

Ms. Katherine LanzerStaff Advisor

“Spending some time relaxing with friends and family.” - Marissa Abyazi, Sophomore

“Days off, the beach, and vacationing.” - Maddie Caiado, Sophomore

“College.” - Joey Zannoni, Senior

“Working at my summer job.” - Justin Missert, Sophomore

“Sleeping in and staying up really late.” - Rebecca Lisowski, Sophomore

“My new pool!” - Mr. Latvis

“Soccer starting up again.” - Taylor Blanchard, Sophomore

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014OPINION

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Homework Overload

By Samuel KauhlJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H.- Homework not only gives students a tremendous amount of stress but it also doesn’t serve as much of a benefit as many teachers believe it to. Students are given an unreasonable amount of homework every night and most are only doing it for the points instead of getting any educational value from it. The amount of homework being given to students is well over what it should be and the stress associated with it negatively impacts students’ performances in school.Senior Ben Bursell says, “Teachers give out too much homework. [The] majority of the time homework is just busy work and has little to no value.” Many students will agree that teachers give out an unreasonable amount of homework. However, some will argue that it is fair and should not be changed. Bryan Deranian, a senior says that “the homework workload within this school is more than other schools due to the school’s intense curriculum but the load is completely manageable.” It really all depends on the classes you take and the amount of homework you are willing to do every night. Taking many honors and AP level classes will of course lead to more homework and harder homework. Even the students that are not willing to take these rigorous classes will still find that the amount of homework they get is unreasonable and not entirely worth their time. When asked how he feels on this issue, Ben Bursell believes that, “students put too much pressure on themselves with honors and AP courses.” He adds that “students end up looking like zombies as they become slaves to their assignments.” Not only is the amount of homework too much but also most of the time the homework doesn’t even benefit learning. Students are just completing their

homework to get the points rather than actually learning the material to better prepare themselves for class the next day. Many students agree with this idea and even Ms. Christine Simmons, the business teacher, said that there should be a good balance between classwork and schoolwork. She explains that if there is too much work, then students will have to learn all the material on their own and that is not advantageous to their learning. Clearly the amount of homework assigned to students is way more than it should be. Teachers need to realize that students can’t be expected to be working all day at school and then at home. This homework epidemic seems to be a fairly new ordeal that didn’t seem to have been a problem a decade or two ago.

Too much homework at home is causing students to not learn as much as they would in school

Photo Courtesy of Isiblog.blogspot.com

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to [email protected].

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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Jag NewsWindham Wind-Up Does It Again!

WHS Team Represents Town at World ChampionshipBy Jillian DiPersioJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H.-The Windham High School For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Team, Windham Wind-up Team 3467, astounded the community once more as they attended the World Championship in St. Louis April 23-26, 2014. The team has only been around for four years yet has attended the World Championship three times, a spectacular feat for such a young team. There were four divisions of teams at the Championship, the Windham High team competing in what is called the Archimedes Division. “We were picked by the fifth seated alliance to play in eliminations,” says Mr. Scott Kukshtel, the team’s lead mentor. Windham Windup was picked as the fourth robot in the alliance. As in eliminations only three robots can be in play at a time, “the fourth robot was there as back-up or a possible strategic substitution or to have a fourth drive coach to sort of help with strategy,” continued Kukshtel. Though the Windham robot was never played, their team contributed to strategy sessions, helping their alliance win their division. “We were one of four alliances that went to play on the ultimate championship field, which is the Einstein Field…we ended up getting defeated on Einstein by the alliance

that ultimately won the championship,” explains Kukshtel. There is no official or accurate ranking system, but out of approximately a hundred teams, the Windham Windup placed in the top 32 having been picked to play in eliminations. “It’s very inspirational for the kids to be there and compete with the best of the best and to meet people from all over the world, so I felt that we were lucky to be able to go,” says Kukshtel. The competition is an international Championship, with teams hailing from all over the world. “It’s big, that how I can put it, it’s big,” says Nolan Hansen, WHS senior and a founding member of the team. He says there were a “lot of people from everywhere…I’ve met people from Canada, Australia, England, Turkey, Israel, all over.”(Continued on page 5)

Photo  courtesy  of  Anne  BrowneWindham  Windup  Robotics  Team  

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Windham Wind-Up (Cont.)GENERAL NEWS

(Continued from page 4) Gregory Samsel, another WHS senior, has been on the team for three years and says that one of his favorite parts of the competition was meeting these people from all around the world. He says he’s learned about how robotics is “different in other parts of the country, how we can order parts in a day and they can’t. They have to wait weeks. They really don’t have that opportunity.” For the seniors, leaving Robotics is a bittersweet experience. Of course, some aren’t leaving at all: Hansen is hoping to

come back next year as a mentor. He says before robotics “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but going into robotics, it really made me figure out what I wanted to do with my life.” Next year he will be attending UMass Lowell to study engineering. Likewise, Samsel will be attending the Wentworth Institute of Technology for engineering. “[Robotics] has really sparked an interest in mechanical engineering,” Samsel says. The team also took part in a two-day competition over Memorial Day weekend called

Battlecry at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. “This has been considered for a number of years the unofficial New England championship,” explains Kukshtel. If you want the chance to see the team in action, they will be doing a series of programs on Thursdays at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, NH. “We’ll be doing a little entertaining show and we’ll have the robots there and people can come and drive them and talk to the students, see what it’s all about.” You can see the team’s presentation on June 8, 15, and 22.

Mock Car Accident Shakes WHSBy Taylor MendesJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H. -On May 16th, the Friday before prom, the school set up a demonstration about a car crash. The administration taught juniors and seniors that it is important to be safe on the roads and to be careful with choices they need to make. The scene started with a girl, Nicole Lawrence, who drove her friend, Clairee Putnam, on prom night while intoxicated. While on the roads, they got into an accident. Another car showed up with Tim Raymond, Bethany Fennessey, Taia Tieland, and Troy Peters who saw the accident on the road. These people were not involved in the crash, but distraught at the sight of the accident and the death of a close friend. First responders, such as police officers and EMTs, came just like they would in a real situation. Everyone was speechless in the crowd as the officers investigated the scene. James Jensen, a senior, gives his opinion about the demonstration, “It felt so real when they amplified the emergency dialog of the first responders. It made a lasting impression." Teachers also had a large reaction to this, including Mrs. O’Connell who says, “I thought the presentation was well done. For me personality, I lost a friend in high

school because of drunk driving and this kind of story relates to me. I felt that everyone had an affect on this." After the presentation, everyone all went inside the auditorium to see a speaker named Matt Clarke, who shared his story of making the biggest mistake of his life. When he was younger, Clarke drove while intoxicated, which had larger repercussions than he could have imagined as a high school student, having killed his best friend. He said, “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about it.” The purpose of the demonstration was to explain to the seniors having their last night of fun together as a whole and how they need to be careful with what they choose, even if it is the last few weeks of school. They plan on doing this skit every two years to teach many people that are planning to enjoy their last few weeks before graduation about the dangers alcohol presents.

Photo  by  Taylor  Mendes

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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Final Exam ScheduleGENERAL NEWS

By Casey Brennan JagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H. – Having the motivation to study for your finals can be really hard when the weather’s nice and it seems like there are a million better things to do instead. But if you just focus, it will pay off! Here are some tips to stay focused and keep your grades up!

1. Turn off your phone, iPad, television, and laptop if possible. The best way to study is with a book, paper, and pen. Electronics have too many distractions to get you off topic and can wreck your focus. 2. Take breaks…but small ones. Taking breaks while studying does help, but don’t get carried away with them. Taking too many breaks or too long of a

break isn’t helping anyone! Study for 45 minutes and then take a 5-10 minute break. But during your break, don’t start playing a video game or go to the store. Just relax, eat an apple or another healthy snack and chill out. 3. Find your best way to study. Everyone’s different. Figure out what’s your best way of retaining the information. 4. Get a good night’s sleep before the tests. Believe it or not, even if you studied more than you needed to, but then didn’t get enough sleep, it can completely throw your brain off balance and

cause you to not get a good grade.

If you keep yourself in a quiet, calm space without any distractions, you will be successful! Just keep going and remember, it’s almost over!!

Study Tips: How to Stay Focused

Photo  courtesy  of  www.hercampus.com

Time Mon, June 16 Tues, June 17 Wed, June 18 Thurs, June 19 Fri, June 20

8:00 am-10:30 am 1A 2A 3A 4A

Makeups10:45 am-12:15 pm 1B 2B 3B 4B

Makeups

Courtesy  of  Ashley  DomogalaJagRoar  Staff

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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Looking for a Summer Job?By Casey BrennanJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H. – Summer is finally around the corner and for many teenagers, that means finding a summer job! Here are some tips to help you find a summer job:

1. Think about summer outdoor jobs that need seasonal workers. Finding a job that is outside, like at amusement parks, country clubs, summer camps, and other summer

activity places is a great way to get a seasonal job for the summer months. 2. Get out. Don’t just look up jobs on your computer, actually go to the places and ask for an application. This way they see you want the job and might even ask if you will stay for an interview. 3. Dress to Impress. It might be cheesy but its true, depending on the job you’re applying for. If you are applying for a camp counselor job, you should be dressing to the

camp’s standards, not a job on Wall Street. Just use your common sense. 4. Think realistically. Your jobs as a teenager aren’t going to be glamorous. If you have no experience, Market Basket and Shaw’s are always taking applications.

Overall, just get out there and you’ll eventually get a job- it might not be the best job in the world, but it’s money.

GENERAL NEWS

WHS New Final Exam PolicyBy Vittoria CipolloneJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H. – The new final exam policy is leaving many seniors disappointed at the close of their final year.

After four years of working hard and cramming for countless tests, the WHS Senior class is faced with a slew of finals, right before graduation. Even seniors who take AP tests at the beginning of May are required to take a final if they do not meet the new policy of having an A every quarter.

In past years, seniors needed a A- average, 90 or better, to be excused out of taking their finals for their year long classes, but now things have changed. Almost all seniors are expected to take finals. Seniors Michaela Hatem and Lexi Aleksa see this as unfair because the old retake policy was much more forgiving towards the trend of what is labelled as “senioritis.”

Hatem stated, “If this policy was introduced at the beginning of the year, it probably would have pushed many seniors to reach for an A every quarter.”

Aleksa expanded on that idea, “A lot of seniors I know received an 89 as a quarter grade, but did not worry about it because their average was still over a 90. Now, the seniors are being penalized for something that they were unaware of.” The fact of the matter is that the final policy was changed without the knowledge of any of the seniors, and now they feel that they are suffering.

Final exams in AP classes have also been changed as of recent, requiring students who have prepared all year for the AP test to then take a final exam on top of it. Hatem said that it puts too much stress on the student, seeing as they spent so much time reviewing and studying for the AP exam, to make them take a second one.

In the past, there was an option between taking a final exam and completing a final project relating to the topic of your Advanced Placement class. This enabled teachers to offer a fun and creative option, which still engaged their students because it was based on the topics that they wanted to study in more depth.

Bethany Bernasconi, the AP Biology teacher at WHS, stated, “Final projects work much better for some classes than final exams, because it allows the student to explore a subject matter that they are passionate about, and then continue to research on their own.”

The old finals policy pushed seniors to excel throughout the school year with the sight of exempted finals in the future. The new policy, now effective, is viewed by many seniors as too strenuous as the year comes to a close.

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DECA Competes at International LevelGENERAL NEWS

By Jillian DiPersioJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H. –Have you ever wondered what it would be like to come up with a marketing plan, and perhaps pitch an idea for a completely new product? Students at Windham High School have done this and much more. The WHS Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) team travelled to Atlanta, Georgia from May 3 to 6 for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), competing against world-class teams and testing their business and marketing abilities. DECA gives students the unique opportunity to try their hand at a career in business, running a Student-Based Enterprise (SBE). The program ties into Ms. Christine Simmons’ Business class, allowing students the chance to run the school store, the concession stand, and the Otis Spunkmeyer cookie stand. Using the skills they learn in class the students go to conferences to compete against other business students. The team brings out the businessman or businesswoman in each of the students. “Some of

them definitely are entrepreneurs, [they] have those characteristics of an entrepreneur,” says Simmons. In the fall of 2013 the team attended their first conference of the school year at Southern New Hampshire University. After the conference the team started preparing for the February state competition at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, which hosts teams from all around the state. Students compete in different business events “such as hospitality/tourism, sports and entertainment marketing, quick service, we had auto service…hotel management, or you have a choice of playing the stock market game,” explains Simmons. Students can also compete by writing an entrepreneurial paper that presents the concept of a business product or service. They then go forward to present the paper to a panel of judges. The WHS team was one of the top three teams at the state level and was therefore able to move onto the ICDC. 16,000 students from all around the world attended the conference. There were “students from around the United States and other places like Guam,

Canada, and China,” says Jessica Farr, a senior at WHS who has been on the team for three years. Students get the chance to meet people from all around the world, and “during the opening ceremony at the beginning of the trip each student gets five pins from their state and you walk around and find people and trade

pins with them,” Farr

explains. Students at ICDC can compete in all different ways. WHS juniors Kellin Bail and Chris Murphy competed in Business Law and Ethics Decision making. “On the first day you take a written test. On the second day you do a role-play in front of a judge. Basically, you and your partner are given a situation and you work together to think of a solution to present to your judge,” says Bail. For the less competitive type, students can also take part in the Leadership Academy, which is a two-day team building conference consisting of around 700 participants. The students are then broken into small teams. Jessica Farr, who took part in the Academy, says it was her favorite part of ICDC. “I have met so many people from around the country and have stayed friends with them throughout the two years that I have done the leadership academy,” states Farr. Some of the DECA events included a trip to the Georgia Aquarium, a dance, an Atlanta Braves game, and a trip to Six Flags. “The people in charge of DECA know the perfect median between letting the kids have a good time and still maintaining a competitive atmosphere,” says Bail. The conference proved to be an invaluable experience for the students, especially those considering careers in business. Farr plans on double majoring in communications and marketing as a result of the skills she has learned through DECA. Likewise Bail explains that he plans on pursuing a career in business. “DECA has greatly impacted my decision because it has brought to light all the opportunities that are presented through business,” Bail articulates. Photo  courtesy  of  Christine  Simmons

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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Drug Policy Brings Big ConsequencesGENERAL NEWS

By Cassandra SalafiaJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H. – Every high school experiences the rumor and controversy that revolve around drug use. Consumption and possession can result in severe consequences, but how do those consequences vary for athletes? Windham High School is no stranger to students who use drugs like marijuana and tobacco. Every once in a while, news surfaces about a student or an athlete who broke the school policy against drug use, and people start to wonder how the school will deal with the situation. Bob Dawson, the WHS Assistance Principal, states that there are three levels to the school’s drug policy. The violations consist of drug consumption in school, drug possession in school, and drug use outside of school. While drug use outside of school usually ends in a phone call home for the typical student, it becomes an entirely different situation for the athletes. For a first offense, athletes receive a two-week suspension from athletics. Also, “they must do a restorative justice piece, which is acknowledging that their actions impacted others,” says Bill Raycraft, the school’s Athletics Director. In addition, athletes complete an online drug and alcohol course and community service before they are reviewed for eligibility to be on the team again. However, Raycraft added that a second offense results in a 365-day

suspension from athletics, which can result in athletes missing tryouts for the upcoming year. These tryouts cannot be made up. The drug policy is extremely strict at the high school. Students are technically prohibited from carrying something as accessible as Tylenol with them during the day, which Dawson points out. Of course, some high school students are 18 years old, which means that they can legally use tobacco. Dawson explains that students can freely choose to use tobacco products off of school property if they are of legal age.Raycraft adds that athletes of legal age could choose to use tobacco products as well without receiving any consequences. Tobacco products are not prohibited in the contract that they sign in the beginning of the year.

WHS junior, Alexa Monfette thinks that the exception to the drug policy does not make sense for athletes. Via text message, she compares it with the current situation in Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball is trying to discourage and eventually ban the use of tobacco products by its players. Tobacco affects their health ands sets a bad example for children. If tobacco is a problem for professional athletes, then maybe the policy needs to be reconsidered for student athletes. However, right now the school is more focused on the long-term effects of drugs on the students. “What I can do is try to help that student figure out what the purpose of [having drugs] was, how risky that was, and how can I help that student to make a better decision in the future,” says Dawson.

How Does It Vary for Student Athletes?

Photo  by  Jillian  DiPersioWHS  football  7ield

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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Elk Teens of the MonthGENERAL NEWS

By Jillian DiPersioJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H. – Four WHS seniors have been chosen as Teenagers of the Month by the Derry-Salem Elks, Lodge #2226. Each month WHS nominates high-achieving members of the senior class to be recognized. Alexander Fitzgerald is a mathematically and scientifically-oriented student who is also captain of the WHS cross-country and swimming teams. He has attended both the ACS Hillingdon International School in Uxbridge, Greater London, United Kingdom as well as Windham High School. He has been awarded the Brandeis Book Award, the American Mathematics Competition Certificate of Distinction, the Swim Team Coach’s Award, was Junior Runner-up and Senior High Scorer in the Tri-State Math League, and is a member of Mu Alpha Theta, the National Honor Society, and the Spanish Honor Society. He is also an Eagle Scout. He volunteers at the Nesmith Library, Shepherd’s Pantry, Inc., as well as at Windham High School. In the fall he will be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Olivia Bono is likewise a high-achieving student, though she specializes in activities that exercise the right side of the brain. She is the co-president of Windham High School’s Friends of Rachel club, a member of the National Honor Society, and a part of the French Honor Society. She is also a clarinetist, participating in the WHS Honors Wind Ensemble, the Dino Anagnost Youth Symphony Orchestra and New Hampshire Youth Wind Ensemble, and was in the pit orchestra for the WHS

productions of Cinderella and Little Shop of Horrors. This year she participated in music festivals outside of WHS, including the All New England Band Festival and the American High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. She received the Dartmouth Book Award as well as a WHS Renaissance Award. Olivia volunteers at the Salem Boys and Girls Club and runs sectionals with clarinetists at Windham Middle School. Next year she will be attending Boston College. Emily Matsco is an active member of the Windham community, using her talents to help others. She has participated in the WHS Varsity Swim team and has also been on the RAYS swim team since 2006. She helps with fundraisers and newsletters for the team and also is a lifeguard at a local country club and at the Granite State Kid’s Triathlon. She also teaches swim lessons. Emily participates in the Women in Science Club and the Student Athletic Leadership team, along with the National Honor Society and Math Honor Society. Through the Math Honor Society she is an online tutor through the organization “Study Buddy.” Beyond her athletic and academic achievements, Emily has been a Girl Scout since 2002 and works with her troop to mentor younger girls. Emily will be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Timothy Raymond, a musician, member of the WHS Varsity Volleyball and Gymnastics teams among other groups, will be attending the University of Maryland next year to study Mechanical Engineering. Timothy

is a member of National Honor Society, National Society of High School Scholars, New Hampshire Scholars, was awarded the Boston College Book Award, a WHS Renaissance Award, and was nominated for the US Youth Senate Committee. He was class president his freshman through junior years, is currently a student council senior class officer, president of the WHS band Council, and performed with the American High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. He works at Gym-Ken Gymnastics, Inc. and is a referee for the New Hampshire Flag Football League. He is captain and co-founder of the WHS Student Athletic Leadership Team (S.A.L.T.) and a member of the JagSAT II physics club. He has been a WHS ambassador student to the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association as well. He has also been involved in community service, acting as an altar server at St. Matthew’s Parish, a member of the Jaguar Community Alliance, as well as participating in the S.T.Y.L.E.S & Smiles Fashion Show at WHS and the Special Olympics Penguin Plunge.

Photo  by  Jillian  DiPersioAlex, Timothy, Olivia, and Emily

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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Senior Spotlight: Final MessagesGENERAL NEWS

David CrichtonWhat are your plans for next year? Head off to college working on a degree in criminal justice while also playing football.

What extracurricular activities did you do at WHS? Football, wrestling, basketball, baseball, student council

Your message to the WHS community? I wish the class of 2014 good luck in their future endeavors and also to the rest of WHS students. I hope they will continue the tradition of excellence laid forth by the students before you. To all the faculty, I thank you for everything you have done for me throughout my four years.

Your advice for incoming !eshmen?Work as hard as you can to do as well as you can, your freshman year will open door for you and for the years to follow. GPA matters!

Chris Gallo What are your plans for next year? Colby Sawyer College

What extracurricular activities did you do at WHS? Varsity Swim Team

Your message to the WHS community? Thanks!

Your advice for incoming !eshmen?Do your homework, choose your battles wisely and don’t let the small things distract your from doing your highest potential.

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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Senior SpotlightGENERAL NEWS

Kristen Demers

Your message to the WHS community?As my time is coming to a close here I would like to thank all my teachers for supporting me and helping me though everything. I would also like

to give a big thank you to my mom and dad for putting up with me and not giving up, you both always had faith in me. Even though it was rare you would see me at home

due to work school and all the countless hours I have spent at Salem High practicing or doing an event, you still managed to find a way to wish me luck and remember every little event I had coming up or something due. Also a big thank you to Chief Master Sargent Puzzo, who made me the leader I am today. Chief you always make me laugh no matter how tired or grumpy I may have been. You were always there to help me succeed in the program and supported me even when I thought I couldn't do it. The amount of journeys I have travelled with you and all the cadets are endless and unforgettable. Thank you for making my high school years some of the greatest years of my life with so many unforgettable memories. Also I can't thank enough all the support I have from some of the wonderful students that will still be here next year. I hope you all still will proceed with the JROTC program and excel like I have. Especially, thank you too, Erinne Curtin so much for every thing you have done and just being awesome and making my commanding experience amazing!!

Taia TielandWhat are your plans for next year?

I plan on going to college for six years.

What extracurricular activities did you do at WHS?

Soccer, tennis, National Honor Society, Science Olympiad, JagSAT, and mainly theater.

Your message to the Windham community? Thanks for 12 great years!

Your advice for incoming !eshmen?Don’t stress out too much, but work hard.

Photos  by  Taylor  Mendes

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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Strawberry FestivalGENERAL NEWS

By Katey VestaJagRoar Staff WINDHAM, N.H. - The 31st annual Strawberry Festival and Book Fair took place a few weeks ago on Saturday, May 31st. The festival has been a pivotal fundraiser for the library for years, and this year was no exception. Hundreds of people showed up, many were Windham residents but some came from other towns just to experience the fun. Besides the usual face painting and bouncy castles, the Windham Windup robotics team was showing off their award-winning robot. Local karate and dance teams also had performances in the auditorium, and a few local bands performed outside the front entrance.

Many WHS students were there not only to have fun, but also to volunteer. The festival is possible only because of all the volunteers, and this year many students helped it to be possible. A huge thanks to those who helped this annual Windham event to be possible!

Photo courtesy of windham.patch.com

Buzz for Bucks and Pantene Beautiful LengthsBy Casey ErginJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H. - On May 28th the 5th annual Buzz for Bucks and Pantene Beautiful Lengths event at Windham High School. All the money raised by participants will be put towards foundations and charities that support cancer awareness, and Windham High certainly unified for this goal. Joe Mancinelli, one of the teachers whose advisory was responsible for coordinating the event, reports they raised somewhere around $1000 dollars, a huge deal. The students in his advisory, as well as those in Mr. Jack Byrne’s, were the frontrunners and organizers of this year’s event. Byrne, who has been involved in the event since it first began, says that, “Adding Mr. Mancinelli and his advisory to the event planning really helped us get a fresh set of eyes on what works and what can

be improved.” Both leaders, however, were very pleased with the student’s enthusiasm in organizing, hosting, and participating in the event.

Mancinelli commented, “I wish we had had some more girls participating in the Pantene event. They don’t seem to want to give up their hair as easily as the guys. But any time you can bring the school together like that… to see students taking pictures with Blade [the Bruin’s mascot] and dancing on the floor during the Cha Cha slide… That was fun, that’s what you’re trying to get. Bring some school spirit, and some awareness of these diseases that are affecting people and rallying around a cause is a nice thing.” The event was inspired by the Boston Bruins’ Cuts for a Cause event. The Bruins official website reports that this is their seventh year participating in a event like the one hosted by WHS. Byrne remarked, “Events like this also help remind the students of WHS about how fortunate we are. We have so many great kids here who are learning life lessons, and the lessons of leadership and sacrifice that can be learned from this event are incredibly valuable.”

Photos  by  Taylor  Mendes  

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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Jag Features

By Ariana MandraJagRoar StaffWINDHAM, N.H. – With the last day of school fast approaching, the thoughts of summer will soon become a reality. Although summer can be fun, it also comes with new dangers and risks. Heat overexposure is common during the summer and can be extremely dangerous.

Some signs of heat overexposure (also known as heat exhaustion) are heavy sweating, pale skin, muscle cramps, fatigue, confusion, nausea and/or

headaches. If someone is exhibiting these symptoms, get him or her into a cool environment, have them drink small sips of water, and use a fan on him or her if possible.

If heat exhaustion is not treated, it could lead to heatstroke, which is more serious. A factor in heat exhaustion is dehydration, which can be easily prevented by keeping hydrated through the summer.

While the summer months are a lot of fun, caution must be taken in order to be safe.

Here are a few more tips in order to stay safe during the summer months:

• Drink lots of water

• Remember to re-apply sunscreen (and use it in the first place!)

• Use bug spray

• Watch out for ticks

• Always swim with a buddy

• Beware of poison ivy

Summer Safety TipsSummer can be fun, but these unfortunate events can ruin it! Make sure to

consider these tips this summer vacation.

Photo  courtesy  of  centralaustralianbushwalkers.wordpress.com  

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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By: Katey VestaJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H.- On Wednesday, May 21st, the Windham High School band put on an amazing show only a few weeks after performing at Carnegie Hall. “It’s a much different stage,” says Alex Jonson, a sophomore who plays trumpet in the band. “You get up there and you can try to describe it but you really can’t. It’s actually amazing.” All of the band students who went on the trip seemed to share this sentiment, and while the acoustics in the WHS auditorium may not hold a candle to the sound at Carnegie Hall, that certainly didn’t discourage them from giving it their all at the concert. Everyone has high hopes for the band’s future. Band director Mr. Jared Cassedy possibly has the highest, saying, “I am confident that there are many other amazing opportunities ahead for the WHS Band Program. It's definitely hard to top playing at Carnegie Hall, one of the world's most prestigious and elite performance venues, but there are other opportunities

out there that I would love to see the students in our program experience.” The band already has another opportunity available for them: a music festival in Indianapolis called The Music for All National Concert Band and Orchestra Invitational Music Festival. Similar to Carnegie Hall, this festival is extremely selective and WHS has been given an invitation to apply. The band has been very successful, and it is well known that the source of its success is the students. “These students are not only dedicated and talented young individuals, but even more so positive and hard working young men and women who have truly made the band program here at Windham High School come to life,” says Cassedy. Band Council President Tim Raymond also recognizes the band’s success, saying, “It’s been awesome seeing where we’ve started and where we’ve come, [and] this year has been a real testament to the work we’ve put into it.”

Trombone player, sophomore Peter Caron, when asked about the band and its success, simply said, “Honestly, we just rock out loud all together.”

Photo courtesy of Katey Vesta

WHS Band: Conquering Carnegie and Beyond

FEATURES

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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By Kelsey FedericoJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H.- Overall, Windham High School athletics had a fantastic spring season! Our boys’ baseball team finished their regular season with a 9-8 record with a memorable 11-0 win over Hanover. Boys’ lacrosse pulled through with a 5-11 record for their regular season. After bumping up a division this year, girls lacrosse has proved that jump to be worth it as they finish their regular season with a 13-2 record, maintaining their first place lead going into playoffs. The only two losses they faced were against two Division I teams. Girls’ softball remains tied for third

place currently with Souhegan with a 12-4 record. They finished their regular season with a close 5-2 loss with Pembroke, but we are excited to see what they will do in the playoffs! Last year, the boys’ volleyball team faced off with Salem High School in the Division I volleyball championship and unfortunately lost. The boys’ volleyball team maintains second place in the regular season and maybe we will see them match up against Salem again this year. For the second year in a row, Windham girls’ tennis has defeated Manchester West as they hold onto their record of 1-13, and the boys finish their tennis season with a 5-9 record. Another great season for the Jags!

Jag Sports

Regular Season Comes to a Close

Photo by @WHSjaguars2014 graduating seniors Shellie Joseph, Delanie Kneeland, Tori Cipollone, Melissa Cino,

Alison Bench, and Bethany Fennessey from the varsity girls’ lacrosse team receive flowers for their senior game.

Our 2014 spring sports teams finish up as the regular seasons come to an end

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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Club of the Month: JCAJag Activities

Bringing the Jaguar Community Together

By: Ashley DomogalaJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H. - The Jaguar Community Alliance (JCA) is a huge part of this school. The club’s goal is “to bring together the diversity of Windham High School by creating opportunities for students with and without disabilities to form friendships and become positively involved in the school as well as the Windham community,” according to club advisor Mr. Welch. He adds that the club also brings attention to “creating a culture of acceptance as well as school spirit.”

The club does this through fun students vs. staff sports games, in which the staff has

always won. “These events epitomize the goal of the JCA,” club president Caitlin Pierson says. She added, “As competitive as games get, smiles are shared among friends, both old and new, and among students and staff.” The club organizes at least three of these events a year. They have played basketball, flag football, table tennis, and softball.

The final chance for students to beat the staff is on June 11 in the 4th Annual Staff v. Students Softball Game. Mark your calendars for an intense competition. Seniors will be recognized and there will be a special thank-you to Caitlin Pierson, the second club president since the JCA was founded four years ago.

The club also hosts themed dress

days, among which are 80’s day and ugly holiday sweater day. On that note, pull out your hula skirts, leis, and vacation shirts. The last theme day is Hawaiian Luau & BBQ Day, which we will be celebrating on June 11.

You may also see the emails for the video game and movie nights, held once a month. Students can hang out with friends, relax, and watch some great movies or play some awesome video games while eating delicious snacks. Be sure to check one out next year!

The JCA has been very successful in creating a sense of belonging to students at WHS. It provides many opportunities to have fun and make new friends.

(Continued on page 18)

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JagSAT-2 LaunchedACTIVITIES

Another Successful MissionBy: Ariana MandraJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM, N.H. - During April vacation, the Windham jagSAT team successfully launched jagSAT-2, which reached a maximum altitude of 98,000 feet above Earth. The high altitude balloon was launched from West Stockbridge, MA and landed in Fitchburg, MA. According to Mr. Kaplo, jagSAT-2 included two radios, antennas, GPS, cameras, sensors and a computer in order to track its location during the two hour flight.

The team had been working all year in order to complete this great task. Seniors Jacob Mathews, Max Del Rio, and Jessica Thibeault were a few of the many members of the team that worked together, with the supervision of Mr. Kaplo, in order to successfully launch jagSAT-2.

The club plans to launch two more missions this year.

Photo courtesy of Mr. KaplanPictures taken from jagSAT-2

Make sure to check out our special Graduation Edition

in June, coming out in the Windham Independent!

Have a Fun Summer Vacation!

Photo courtesy of youtube.com

(Continued from page 17) If any of this sounds interesting to you, think about joining the JCA next year. It is all about making new friends and having fun in the WHS community. There are meetings every other Tuesday, and everyone is welcome, even if you don’t sign up. Caitlin herself joined because she could not figure out how to get involved. JCA is the perfect way to become a positive part of the WHS community.

“I hope the members will continue to branch out with new ideas to get the WHS community involved and encourage participation by every student and faculty member,” said Caitlin Pierson. The club’s vision of a tight-knit and accepting WHS community is certainly a worthy goal.

JCA, cont.

Students vs. Staff4th Annual

Softball GameWednesday, June 11

@JagRoar Staff

THE JAGROAR JUNE 3, 2014

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ACTIVITIES

The French Honors Society has gained five new members from the French III class during the induction ceremony. This year, they have tutored students and assembled flashcards and visual aids for those who need help with verb conjugations and sentence structures. Don’t be afraid to check out their Moodle page (“All Things French”) while you’re studying for your French final!

Friends of Rachel has had a successful year. Their biggest promotion has been their “Start a Chain Reaction” project. Students who have been caught performing a good deed are given two purple bracelets; one for themselves and another for the next kind person. The goal of this program is to start a chain reaction of kindness in the school. Hopefully, a large portion of WHS population will have received a bracelet by the end of the year.

The Yearbook Club has had its most successful year in sales yet! It is excited to announce that almost 100% of books have been bought. Only a few remain, so buy yours now! No more will be printed, so you are out of luck once they’re sold out. Seniors will have their yearbook distributed first, followed by the rest of the school. The club plans to distribute yearbooks during the first week of June.

The WHS Archery Team has had a successful season. Members competed in state and regional tournaments. Captain Marissa Yost and team member Cassie Haley even made it to the World Archery Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. Congratulations! The team hopes to expand even more next year and continue improving their scores.

French Honors Society

What Have These Clubs Been Doing?

Yearbook ClubFriends of Rachel

Archery Team

By: Ashley Domogala

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

26pm- Top Ten Dinner

3 4Yearbook Distribution6:30pm - Blue and Gold Awards Night

5 6Last Day of Senior Finals

9Senior Sign Out

106pm- Athletic Champ’s Dinner

115:30pm- Spring Sports Awards6:30pm- Blue and Gold Banquet Dinner

12Hawaiian Luau & BBQ Dress Up Day4th Annual Staff vs. Students Softball Game

136pm- Graduation11pm- Last Night

161A and 1B Finals

172A and 2B Finals

183A and 3B Finals

194A and 4B Finals

20LAST DAYFinals Makeups

JUNE 2014