Joseph A. Foran High School May 2016 e Mane Street Mirror The Senior Edition: Pages 1-20 Senior Supplemental Graduation Save the Date: June 9th @ 5:15 Socialize with us: @manestmirror on Twitter @Manestreetmirror on Instagram Volume 3, Issue 6 Mark Duffy Editor As many of us prepare to leave high school and begin our college lives, we look at our resumes and wonder: what ex- actly did we do these past four years and why? Many students are involved in numerous clubs, out of school activities, and volunteer work, but do we actu- ally have a passion for student government and Key Club, or is high school simply becom- ing a resume building factory? It seems like every- where I go in the school build- ing, I hear students groan- ing about their extracurricular responsibilities – 15 minute weekly meetings are treated like the greatest inconvenience, and preparing for the spring concert is a chore that everyone seems to avoid. Colleges nowadays expect so much in terms of community involvement that students haphazardly sign up for any random club or orga- nization that they think will improve their odds in the col- lege admissions game, and as a result, they do not actually take the time to select clubs that match their interests and abilities. On numerous occa- sions, club advisors and club leaders have endorsed a club by saying “it looks good on your college recommendation,” hoping that will attract new members. So what if it “looks good” on your application? Students should be dedicat- ing themselves to activities they have true passion for, not organizations that have some misperceived elite reputation amongst college admissions officers. The college admissions process, therefore, is creat- ing nothing but mindless high school zombies. Extracurricular activi- ties are meant to be a source of fun and an outlet for stress, but in today’s fast-paced world, they almost seem like a job that students have to be dragged to against their will. The constant stress on students to build the best re- sume and out-extracurricular other applicants leaves us with nothing but stressed out, over- worked, passion-less students. “It’s not necessarily the student’s fault. The col - lege admissions process is to blame for this epidemic; they put tremendous amounts of stress on students to get in- volved in as many clubs and activities as humanly possible, and what we’re left with is a number of boys and girls who are spread way too thin,” said English teacher Mrs. Ramsey. It begs the question: can our clubs be run effectively if the people in charge do not truly have a vested interest in its operations? The answer, quite frankly, is no. Throughout the years, I have borne witness to the death of clubs, not only at our school but in every school in the area, because of a lack of commitment. When students are too bothered to attend meet- ings or volunteer just an ounce of their time for club projects, they simply cannot stay afloat. Clubs never live to fulfill their intended, original purpose, and it’s a shame for those who are truly dedicated to watch their club go down in flames. If everyone just spent the little free time they have dedicated to something they are actually interested in, rather than some- thing that is perceived to “look good,” clubs would run much more efficiently and smoothly. Once everyone finds their club niche, we can all be a little hap- pier and a little less miserable. A number of Foran students have noticed this trend and are rightfully frustrated. When it seems as though they are the only one dedicated to the club, they feel upset, disap- pointed and downright irritated. “Many students have this idea that if you join a re- cord-number of clubs then col- leges will be blown away, but if you are going to join a club you should try your hardest to participate and make personal contributions because it is not fair to the officers and club members who actually have a great interest in the club,” said senior Hannah Buckley. Resume Builder? Grade Grubber? Life-Long Learner? continued on page 2 Do students only join clubs so they can add them to their resume? Top of the Class: Valedictorian and Salutatorian Photos courtesy of Khadija Ashfaq Khadija Ashfaq Editor It’s official — the class of 2016 valedictorian is Joe Bartone and the salutatorian is Mark Duffy. Four years ago, when both Bartone and Duffy walked into Foran, ranking first and second in their class may not have been something they ini- tially thought about. Getting to the top does not come without hard work. Bartone said, “I re- member earlier this year and last year it got pretty intense.” For this year, Bartone took four AP courses, which were AP Lit- erature and Composition with Mrs. Ramsey, AP Calculus with Mr. Peters, AP Physics with Mr. Stern, and AP U.S. History with Mr. Cesare. He also takes Com- puter Science with Mr. Czar- necki and Engineering with Mr. Dillon. In addition to his vigor- ous workload, Bartone also par- ticipates in after school activi- ties that consist of both sports and clubs. Bartone is a member of Foran’s Science Olympiad team. The team competes in a national competition at the state Olympiad and also participates in Invitational Olympiads. The students on this team, along with Bartone, have to compete in a wide range of events re- lated to STEM topics, from cell biology to experimental design. Along with that, he also plays lacrosse for Foran as well as rec basketball. As far as the near fu- ture is concerned, Bartone is planning on attending Worces- ter Polytechnic Institute (WPI). He is also interested in becom- ing a robotics engineer. Duffy takes four AP classes along with Model UN and Physics. Taking one AP class can be a challenge on its own, but taking four is a whole other story. One of the four classes Duffy takes is AP Hu- man Geography with Mrs. Gil- man. Along with AP Human Geography, Duffy also takes Model UN, also taught by Mrs. Gilman. Mrs. Gilman has won- derful things to say about Duffy. “He is an excellent student. He is a great team player, a leader, and a strong student, too. Mark can help students get to a higher level as well.” Duffy also takes AP Calculus with Mr. Peters, AP Macroeconomics with Mr. Noyes and AP Literature and Language with Mrs. Ramsey. Along with a vigorous work load that stems from his sched- ule, Duffy participates in after school activities. For one, he is part of Natural Helpers, which is a national program dedicated to helping those in their school to ensure that everyone feels wel- comed and safe. Duffy has been part of the club for four years. He is also a current Natural Helper officer for the 2015 – 2016 school year and president of the National Honor Society. Outside of school, Mark also participates in violin and dance. “My senior year was not as intense as junior year but I had still had a considerable amount of work; my classes were not very homework-inten- sive but instead the course ma- terial was much more difficult than my junior year courses,” he said. Duffy is planning on attending Fordham University as a political science major in the universities honors pro- gram. He also aspires to be- come a political correspondent or political aide. Bartone and Duffy will be cen- ter stage at graduation, when they will give their commence- ment speeches.
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Joseph A. Foran High SchoolMay 2016
The Mane Street Mirror
The Senior Edition:Pages 1-20 Senior Supplemental
Graduation Save the Date:June 9th @ 5:15
Socialize with us:
@manestmirror on Twitter @Manestreetmirror on Instagram
Volume 3, Issue 6
Mark Duffy Editor As many of us prepare to leave high school and begin our college lives, we look at our resumes and wonder: what ex-actly did we do these past four years and why? Many students are involved in numerous clubs, out of school activities, and volunteer work, but do we actu-ally have a passion for student government and Key Club, or is high school simply becom-ing a resume building factory? It seems like every-where I go in the school build-ing, I hear students groan-ing about their extracurricular responsibilities – 15 minute weekly meetings are treated like the greatest inconvenience, and preparing for the spring concert is a chore that everyone seems to avoid.
Colleges nowadays
expect so much in terms of community involvement that students haphazardly sign up for any random club or orga-nization that they think will improve their odds in the col-lege admissions game, and as a result, they do not actually take the time to select clubs that match their interests and abilities.
On numerous occa-sions, club advisors and club leaders have endorsed a club by saying “it looks good on your college recommendation,” hoping that will attract new members. So what if it “looks good” on your application? Students should be dedicat-ing themselves to activities they have true passion for, not organizations that have some misperceived elite reputation amongst college admissions officers. The college admissions
process, therefore, is creat-ing nothing but mindless high school zombies.
Extracurricular activi-ties are meant to be a source of fun and an outlet for stress, but in today’s fast-paced world, they almost seem like a job that students have to be dragged to against their will. The constant stress on students to build the best re-sume and out-extracurricular other applicants leaves us with nothing but stressed out, over-worked, passion-less students. “It’s not necessarily the student’s fault. The col-lege admissions process is to blame for this epidemic; they put tremendous amounts of stress on students to get in-volved in as many clubs and activities as humanly possible, and what we’re left with is a number of boys and girls who
are spread way too thin,” said English teacher Mrs. Ramsey. It begs the question: can our clubs be run effectively if the people in charge do not truly have a vested interest in its operations? The answer, quite frankly, is no. Throughout the years, I have borne witness to the death of clubs, not only at our school but in every school in the area, because of a lack of commitment. When students are too bothered to attend meet-ings or volunteer just an ounce of their time for club projects, they simply cannot stay afloat. Clubs never live to fulfill their intended, original purpose, and it’s a shame for those who are truly dedicated to watch their club go down in flames. If everyone just spent the little free time they have dedicated to something they are actually interested in, rather than some-
thing that is perceived to “look good,” clubs would run much more efficiently and smoothly. Once everyone finds their club niche, we can all be a little hap-pier and a little less miserable. A number of Foran students have noticed this trend and are rightfully frustrated. When it seems as though they are the only one dedicated to the club, they feel upset, disap-pointed and downright irritated. “Many students have this idea that if you join a re-cord-number of clubs then col-leges will be blown away, but if you are going to join a club you should try your hardest to participate and make personal contributions because it is not fair to the officers and club members who actually have a great interest in the club,” said senior Hannah Buckley.
Resume Builder? Grade Grubber? Life-Long Learner?
continued on page 2
Do students only join clubs so they can add them to their resume?
Top of the Class: Valedictorian and Salutatorian
Photos courtesy of Khadija Ashfaq
Khadija Ashfaq Editor It’s official — the class of 2016 valedictorian is Joe Bartone and the salutatorian is Mark Duffy. Four years ago, when both Bartone and Duffy walked into Foran, ranking first and second in their class may not have been something they ini-tially thought about. Getting to the top does not come without hard work. Bartone said, “I re-member earlier this year and last year it got pretty intense.” For this year, Bartone took four AP courses, which were AP Lit-erature and Composition with Mrs. Ramsey, AP Calculus with Mr. Peters, AP Physics with Mr. Stern, and AP U.S. History with Mr. Cesare. He also takes Com-puter Science with Mr. Czar-necki and Engineering with Mr. Dillon. In addition to his vigor-ous workload, Bartone also par-ticipates in after school activi-ties that consist of both sports and clubs. Bartone is a member of Foran’s Science Olympiad
team. The team competes in a national competition at the state Olympiad and also participates in Invitational Olympiads. The students on this team, along with Bartone, have to compete in a wide range of events re-lated to STEM topics, from cell biology to experimental design. Along with that, he also plays lacrosse for Foran as well as rec basketball. As far as the near fu-ture is concerned, Bartone is planning on attending Worces-ter Polytechnic Institute (WPI). He is also interested in becom-ing a robotics engineer. Duffy takes four AP classes along with Model UN and Physics. Taking one AP class can be a challenge on its own, but taking four is a whole other story. One of the four classes Duffy takes is AP Hu-man Geography with Mrs. Gil-man. Along with AP Human Geography, Duffy also takes Model UN, also taught by Mrs. Gilman. Mrs. Gilman has won-derful things to say about Duffy. “He is an excellent student. He is a great team player, a leader,
and a strong student, too. Mark can help students get to a higher level as well.” Duffy also takes AP Calculus with Mr. Peters, AP Macroeconomics with Mr. Noyes and AP Literature and Language with Mrs. Ramsey. Along with a vigorous work load that stems from his sched-ule, Duffy participates in after school activities. For one, he is part of Natural Helpers, which is a national program dedicated to helping those in their school to
ensure that everyone feels wel-comed and safe. Duffy has been part of the club for four years. He is also a current Natural Helper officer for the 2015 – 2016 school year and president of the National Honor Society. Outside of school, Mark also participates in violin and dance. “My senior year was not as intense as junior year but I had still had a considerable amount of work; my classes were not very homework-inten-sive but instead the course ma-
terial was much more difficult than my junior year courses,” he said. Duffy is planning on attending Fordham University as a political science major in the universities honors pro-gram. He also aspires to be-come a political correspondent or political aide.Bartone and Duffy will be cen-ter stage at graduation, when they will give their commence-ment speeches.
Page 2 Senior Issue May 2016THE MIRROR FORAN HS
The Mane Street MirrorKatie Buckheit
Editor-in-ChiefFront Page Editor
Entertainment Editor
Mark DuffyEditorial Editor
Khadija AshfaqColumns Editor
Julia Astram
Sports Editor
Katherine RiordanNews Editor
Mrs. Farrell Advisor
SeniorsReilee Barron
Gavrielle FigueiredoEmily Harrison
Jess Lavallee Victor RosadoJulia SilvestriJulia Wargo
Madison Whitaker
JuniorJules Tuozzola
SophomoresShannon FlynnEva KnudsenShea Phelan
Meet the News Crew!
Joseph A. Foran High School is a partnership comprised of educators, parents, students and the community de-voted to helping students strive to become responsible, educated, and productive citizens who will thrive in a
changing world.
Joseph A. Foran High School Mission Statement
If a student is able, however, to properly manage their time and make meaning-ful contributions to a number of clubs, then it’s not to say that that is wrong. Having a lengthy resume with a variety of clubs and activities is healthy as long as equal participation and care is given to all of one’s commitments. Problems be-gin to arise when students are dishonest on college applica-tions and make themselves out to be superstars, when in reality, they have not attended a meeting in over a month. This piece comes after news was released that the elite Ivy League institutions would
be redesigning their admis-sions qualifications. No longer do these schools want to see students limitedly involved in 12 completely different clubs and organizations, but rather, they are hoping to see students personally dedicate great time and effort to a select number of activities. Students can breathe a sigh of relief as they come to realize that they no longer have to sign up for every club under the sun, only to realize that they are unable to keep up with all their responsibilities. As this news spreads, other institutions across America may follow suit, and quite possibly this resume-packing plague may come to an end.
Builder, Grubber, Learner Continued My Favorite Senior Memory Is...
My sophomore year state-qualifier soccer game when we came back in overtime.
Cedrick Lingane Hanxin LiuMarching down Main Street in Disney World with the march-ing band.
Ethan HannaMy sophomore year Homecoming dance.
Lindsay BroderickWalking into English Fresh-man year to see Bald-win doing a handstand.
Megan GossettWinning Homecoming Queen my senior year.
RJ BaladoThe senior year Foran vs. Law Football game.
TJ Stuart
When we had three fire drills in a row in one day.
Signing Day with Coach Walker, Mr. Vitelli, Mr. Berkowitz, and my family.
Joseph Lynn
May 2016 Senior Issue Page 3THE MIRROR FORAN HS
Julia Wargo
Staff Writer
Social media has made a significant spark, making a name for itself in the past century. It is used in just about every person’s life. Constantly keeping tabs on what your friends are doing, checking tweets or pictures, and sending quick selfies of your day or videos of something you found funny have become today’s norms. Almost every teenager in today’s world has the newest phone being sold on the market, or will be getting it eventually. These phones cost more than one month’s paycheck, and contribute to being one of the biggest problems in this world. Coming with the cell phone are millions of applications to download to keep you entertained or to keep in contact with friends. But sometimes you find that you don’t even need a reason to check on something online; it becomes a force of habit. Eventually, you find that your phone is “glued” to your hand. Senior Caitlin O’Halloran refutes any charges of negativity connected to social media use. “I think teens do spend a lot of time on their phones but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” she said. With the widespread use of social media, some young adults, and even middle school aged students, are more apt to voice their opinions on certain global or local issues. Junior Brianna Troia says regarding social media, “I think teenagers definitely spend
more time on their phones now than ever. It’s kind of a big issue because everything is handled over technology nowadays and nothing is ever face to face anymore.” Some teens just use social media to post what they do on a daily basis, in attempts to make others jealous or just to show what actually happens in their life. F o r m o s t individuals, social media has some effect that contributes in a certain way. Some say social media has turned the world into something worse than it used to be, and others can say that it could make life easier, on the basis of communication or even learning about world events. O’Halloran says tha t soc i a l med ia accounts keep her updated and connected with the world. Troia adds about her social life, “Technology and social media play a bigger role in society than I thought it did. For example, I use my phone for just about everything I do; it’s my only way of communication.” Adults nowadays believe that teenagers spend way too much time on their phone, and claim that, “you’re going to get bad eyesight if you keep staring at that small screen all day long.” Some of it is fairly true; some of it is an exaggeration. One of the most important things that the use of cellphones and social media teach is responsibility. Everyone in this world needs to be aware that whatever they choose to post online will be there forever; there is no way of taking it down, even if you hit the ‘delete’ button.
Things that you post that seemed to be deleted have a way of coming back. This could affect people later on in life, including college and job opportunities. Troia made her social media accounts because all of her friends had them. It is like a chain reaction: your friend does something and it seems cool so you follow, but you don’t know what you’re actually getting yourself into. Responsibility comes into play when deciding what to post on your social accounts. Pros of having these media outlets include self-marketing. For example, posting highlights from your sports game where you made a lot of points can help make you look good to college recruiters. On the contrary, social media can also contribute to degrading others, for example cyberbullying. Anything you say to someone might be misconstrued as mean or rude: it might even hurt someone’s feelings more than you know. Besides posting things on social media to voice your thoughts and get responses from friends, the cell phone itself poses great threats to people in their everyday lives. Things that can come about from being glued to your phone every single day include not focusing on the important things like learning and education. In many school systems, there is a ban on cell phone usage that forbids students using them during class. When they have free periods they are certainly allowed to use them. Teachers strongly enforce this rule.
The Effect of Social Media
Photo Courtesy of Gavrielle Figueiredo
percent, it’s all we can ask.” Mr. Berkowitz at-tended Southern Connecticut State University and received his master’s degree from Sa-cred Heart University. He says he had a great experience at Southern, which many seniors plan to attend next year. “College is an excit-ing four years. You grow so much, and really find yourself. No matter what your future holds, college, a trade school, joining the military or heading right into the workforce, this is a time to really figure out what will bring you satisfaction and happiness.” Mr. Berkowitz is op-timistic for the future as he watches seniors graduate. Un-derstanding the struggle to tran-sition into a new situation, he bestows upon us some advice. “I think that some-times people are negative about the future,” he said. “Life can be difficult and stressful, but learn-ing how to deal with adversity is an important lesson we try to teach here. Foran has high quality, hardworking students who care about others. We are graduating students who have much to be proud of. Many have achieved academically and dedicated themselves to their school and community. Foran students have extremely strong character, which will serve them well in the future. For graduates, next year is a new beginning which comes with exciting opportunities and challenges. Our seniors are ready for the future.”
Looking Forward: A Message For the Grads
Katie BuckheitEditor- In-Chief As the school year be-gins to wind down and seniors find their place at their respec-tive colleges and universities, Mr. Berkowitz shared his insight to a bright future. Three years ago, Mr. Berkowitz came to Foran, changing his former title of assistant principal at Bunnell High School to principal at Foran. “I was a social stud-ies teacher at Bunnell for nine years, then assistant principal for 11 years, until I came to Fo-ran, and I’ve been here for three years,” Mr. Berkowitz said. Obviously the change from one high school to another can involve a lot of adjustment. However, under Mr. Berkow-itz’s leadership, many new programs have been implement-ed which brought the student body closer together, increasing school spirit and what it means to be a lion. Mrs. Defonzo, Litera-ture Center teacher says, “He has successfully endeavored to infuse school spirit and morale by publically recognizing all facets of student life in both academics and extra-curriculars as well as the arts.”
Mr. Berkowitz feels Foran is a school for all stu-dents, not just the highest achieving. “Fo ran ’s a g r ea t school. It has so much to offer the students,” he said. “Take ad-vantage of all the opportunities. If you try your best and give 100
by Julia WargoStaff Writer
Albertus Magnus CollegeKayla GosselinAlexandra IvesLeandro Jorge
AmericanUniversity
Lindsay BroderickJubilee Witte
Becker CollegeDavid Leonard
BloomsburgUniversity ofPennsylvania
Caitlin O’Halloran
The BostonConservatory
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Cedar Crest CollegeEmma Gerstein
Central Connecticut State University
Jerry EdmondSamuel Worobel
Coastal CarolinaUniversity
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College of Saint BenedictKathryn Koppy
Columbia CollegeJanae Ambrose
Connecticut CollegeJuliet Levesque
Fiona Noyes
Curry CollegeEthan Korbel
Drexel UniversityJoe Samilenko
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UniversityReilee Barron
Madelyn FladerKathryn Gowisnock
Aaron HostetlerJessica LavalleeVictoria SavocaJulia Silvestri
Katelyn Stokes
Emerson CollegeKatya Furda
Wyatt Johnson
Endicott CollegeHannah Buckley
Fairfield University
Justin DickovickJulia Farrell
Gavrielle FigueiredoNico Muoio
Flagler CollegeAmanda Shaw
Fordham UniversityBrian BrownMark Duffy
GatewayCommunity College
Tyler CadrinSamantha CarusoCharles CornellShaun DeMarcoAllison Lasorso
John LeiperAndrew MaciejczykJames Mucciacciaro
Kevin O’ConnorAshley Patterson
Jacob RanillaAlex Rivera
Emily SalomoneHunter Stanford
George WashingtonUniversity
Dylan Minowa
Hofstra UniversityNicolas Vanchot
HousatonicCommunity College
Tori EdwardsScott JohnsonRyan Manning
Samantha Rajewski
Iona CollegeSamantha Bernardo
Erica HansonTaylor Oliver
Iowa StateUniversity
Patrick Grinder
Keene State CollegeKelly Hunt
Gabrielle Steinlauf
Lincoln Tech. InstituteGabe MartinezSerena Saulnier
Lyme AcademyCollege of Fine Arts
Julia PereiraLynchburg College
Casey Malik
Manhattan CollegeTJ Stuart
Marist CollegeAlexander Kurata
Baleigh Toon
MassachusettsCollege of Art and Design
Hao Tran
Middle Tennessee State UniversitySarah Moon
Mitchell CollegeMadison Whitaker
Mount HolyokeCollege
Emma Bromley
Mount Saint Mary CollegeKayleigh Paskiewicz
New York Film Academy John Galaburri
Online Trading AcademyMatthew Panettieri
Paul Mitchell School for Hair Dressing
Susan McCready
Pace UniversitySamantha BennettJonathan BrennanSamantha MitchellSydney Szalkiewicz
Providence CollegeMagdalena Greene
QuinnipiacUniversity
Zach CavenderDustin ConradJames CoonAbby Felner
Natalie HenryKatherine Riordan
Nicole Stefan
RensselaerPolytechnic Institute
Lindsey Carlson
Roger WilliamsUniversity
Bobby McGinnisConor Quinn
Sacred HeartUniversity
Brianna DuddingAlyssa GiacobbeMegan GossettOlivia HayesReed Keller
Erica OurfalianMadison Wong
Salve ReginaUniversity
Jennifer Blodgett
School of Visual ArtsJulia Ziemer
Shepherd University
Melanie Bachman
Southern ConnecticutState University
Tyler AugurBrittney Baker
RJ BaladoKatharine Buckheit
Emily CaicedoSteven Chan
Michelle CiolinoErin Dillman
Samantha EndersBryan FirmenderColin FirmenderMolly Flanagan
Stacy FosterMike HowellSam Kopatch
Kristine LaBanca
Senior Issue May 2016 FORAN HSTHE MIRROR
Class of 2016: life after foran
Page 4
JOSEPH J. MAGER JR.ATTORNEY AT LAW
MAGER AND MAGER87 RIVER STREET
MILFORD, CONNECTICUT 06460
TELEPHONE: (203) 874-6724FAX: (203) 878-3993
Serena LambiaseJenna Lang
Kevin LenhartHanxin LiuJoseph LynnJill Raucci
Sarah RaucciBrittany Reed
Brennah RogersMackenzie Vigent
Julia Wargo
Springfield CollegeLuke EdmondsonJordan Townsend
Temple UniversitySamantha
Giesman-Ginter
Towson UniversityBrittany Whitham
University ofAlabama
Michelle Hovey
University of ArizonaNoah Hubler
University of BridgeportJoseph DellaMonicaAlex Salahshurian
University of ConnecticutRoman Babadzhan
Sarah BarrettChristopher Flynn
Julia GaulLuke GibbsMax Gorlick
Kyle GreenspanEthan HannaJoel Kozek
Levin James LabriasPatrick LaPenna
Lyric McVoyDennis MemaPocholo Recto
University of MaineMaxwell Mauro
University of New England
Emmarose Diglio
University of NewHampshire
Brooke Gauthier
University of New HavenChristopher Conner
Andrew CorsiNoah Jorgensen
Richard RepetskyVictor Rosado
University of Rhode IslandScott Breault
Bailey Wheeler
Brian Wydra
University of San DiegoJulia Mahroos
University of TampaSarah Corris
University of VermontSabrina Morgan
Wentworth Institute
of TechnologyTyler LambiaseTyler Stevens
Western Connecticut State University
Nikki ChaneyDerik DeFeliceEmily Harrison
Natalia HartDaniel IzzoJulia Roth
Western NewEngland
Nicholas Dana
WorcesterPolytechnic Institute
Joseph Bartone
Yale UniversityCedrick Lingane
OTHER
Develop His CompanyBrandon Connor
MarinesDrew Rivera
Marion Military InstituteNathan Copus
MilitaryBenjamin Fitzgerald
NavyEthan Kanlong
Traveling Steven Boynton
Workforce- DieselTechnician
Jordan Donnelly
Workforce- FirefighterJacob Lambert
Workforce- Landscaping/Automotive TechBrandon Gosbin
** Names received from students at the time of press**
May 2016 Senior Issue FORAN HSTHE MIRROR Page 5
Khadija AshfaqEditor Everyone has heard of the term procrastination. It is the universal word used to describe the action of delay-ing or postponing something. That could range from any-thing involving school work to a person’s everyday life. Although it seems as if ev-eryone has fallen into a trap set to procrastinate, there are also others who constantly stay focused throughout their everyday lives to get things done in a timely fashion. I t may seem tha t those who procrastinate do so because they are simply lazy, but there is a little bit more to the story. For one, there have been studies that show procrastination is linked to different genetic factors among people. It has also been said that people procrastinate due to self – doubt and social media. The idea that people today seem to be biologically and socially engineered to put things off has also been added to the mix of different reasons why people choose to procrastinate. Timothy A. Pychyl, a procrastination researcher as well as a professor at Car-leton University, believes that procrastination usually stems from self - doubt. The reason for this is that students are always being pushed to learn more information on a daily basis. This may result in them not being confident in their abilities due to the large amount of work load placed
on them. Besides self – doubt, social media has also had an impact on how much a person procrastinates. Due to social media, many people get dis-tracted with their phones and all the access they have to dif-ferent platforms of social me-dia such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and any other plat-form as well. Hayley Byers, a member of the girls’ lacrosse team, said “Sometimes I feel like instead of doing home-work, my phone is more of a priority. I want to know more about what is going on in my friends’ lives instead.”
Along with social media, Dr. Piers Steel, author of The Procrastination Equa-tion, believes that today’s students are biologically and socially programmed to pro-crastinate. According to Steel, for those who are in their mid-20s, there pre – frontal cortex has still not been fully devel-oped. This fact may not seem relevant, but the pre – frontal cortex is the part of the brain that deals with will power, or according to Steel in a CNN interview, the pre – frontal cortex is the “home of the will power.” Although self – doubt and being socially and biologi-
cally engineered to put things off seem like the most obvious reasons, there are also other causes of procrastination. One of these causes is genetics. Many people may not think genetics has much to do with the fact that they pro-crastinate, but according to a study published in the journal Psychological Science sug-gests that genetics is a reason to why some might decide to put things off. Although it seems like everyone procrastinates or is inclined to do so, not everyone is created equally in the terms of their chances to procrastinate. The thing is that some individuals are signifi-cantly more inclined to pro-crastinate over others for the reasons that have already been presented before. Due to this, the researchers of the Univer-sity of Colorado decided to conduct an experiment that consisted of a large number of both identical twins as well as fraternal twins. According to a CNN article on the topic, the results of the experiment were that procrastination is indeed linked to genetics and procrastination also has a ge-netic overlap with impulsivity. T h e r e a r e m a n y causes for procrastination, but
there are also consequences for deciding to do things last minute. According to an arti-cle derived from the American Psychological Association, in Dr. Piers Steele 2007 meta-analysis, he concluded that procrastination had an overall negative effect on a student’s GPA, final exam scores and assignment scores. Besides having a negative effect on a person’s grades, procrastina-tion can prove to be harmful to a student’s mental health and well-being. This is true due to the extra added stress a student receives when they decided to push everything to the side resulting with them having to do it last minute with not enough time to do it all. Overall it is safe to say that procrastination has had a bad rap, but it isn’t al-ways that bad. There are two types of procrastinators; active procrastinators and passive procrastinators. Jin Nam Choi, a professor at Seoul National University, distinguished be-tween the two types of pro-crastinators. Someone who is a passive procrastinator is one to postpone tasks until the last minute because they are un-able to act in a timely fashion. An active procrastinator on the other hand is someone to
postpone a task on purpose because they prefer the time pressure. The key difference between these two types is that an active procrastinator is able to meet deadlines and achieve satisfactory out-comes.
For some people, at times it seems like they aren’t able to stop procrastinating. Speaking from personal ex-perience, it is most definitely difficult to break a habit like this one, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. Steele once again has an answer to our question; how can we beat procrastination? Ac-cording to an article written by Milana Knezevic from the Guardian, Steele suggests that individuals should get rid of all distractions and de-fine a specific place for work Natasha Mora, a sophomore swimmer, said “I have a spe-cific place to work and that helps to not procrastinate because when I’m there it puts me in work mode.”
He also recommends that people work with restric-tions. That’s like working for half an hour straight without any interruptions which Steele says will make a person more efficient.
All in all, procrasti-nation seems to be somewhat of an issue among, at the very least, schools all around the country. Have we lend our-selves to be worthy of the name procrastination nation? And is Foran a part of the mix? With the looks of it we might just be safe from this growing epidemic.
Procrastination Nation - Is Foran Part of the Mix
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Procrastination - the act of procrastinating; putting off or delay-ing or defering an action to a later time. Synonyms: cunctation, shillyshally
— Webster Dictionary
May 2016 Senior IssuePage 6 FORAN HSTHE MIRROR
Jules TuozzolaStaff Writer The class of 2016 is rapidly arriving at the finish line. It’s been a great run, but this race has finally come to an end and it is now time for se-niors to venture off into post-graduation life. After an entire year of rela-tives, peers, and guidance counselors abusing the famous line, “where are you going to college?” students have finally revealed the monumental de-cision. Now that everyone can finally put this question to rest, it’s time to pester our seniors with a new future based ques-tion, and ask, “Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?”Ten years prior to graduation, the class of 2016 seniors were innocent second graders with the only concern at the time being recess. Flash forward 10 years, and the concern is no longer when recess is, but rather in what direction life is headed.The year is 2026. Some may have established families, be working as a CEO of a major company, or pursuing their dream career. Who knows- someone sitting in your chem-istry class may end up becom-ing the next Steve Jobs. Julia Gaul said, “In 10 years I’d like to be a nurse anesthe-tist or possibly an anesthe-siologist. I hope to be living somewhere along the coast and get involved with Doctors
Without Borders or any other mission trip concerning ad-ministering medical care to the underprivileged.”Joey Dellamonica said, “In ten years I see myself gradu-ated from college and working in a hospital as a nurse. I will be moving out of my parents’ house and hopefully hanging out with the friends that I have now.” Sam Mitchell, “In ten years I see myself working as a mar-keting coordinator/director for a company in a big city like New York, while getting ready to start a family.”Lindsey Carlson, “I am cur-rently going to college for 5 years to get my bachelors in biochemistry and my Masters in business association. After, I want to go to medical school and study to become a pediat-ric oncologist.” Jake Lambert, “Ten years from now I see myself being a local firefighter in Milford, and married.” Mark Duffy said, “In ten years I plan to either be working as a political aide or a political correspondent for a news or magazine pub-lication. I hope to be living in either New York or Chicago in a small studio apartment with many cats.” Baleigh Toon, “In ten years I see myself working as a doctor in the military.” Emily Harrison, “In ten years I want to be working as a music professor at Western
or Berkeley school of music. I hope to be living in either Bos-ton or Brooklyn. I hope to be married by then.” Victor Rosado, “In ten years I imagine myself working for Homeland Security, and living in Washington D.C. I see my-self married with at least one child.” Katie Buckheit, “Ten years from now I imagine my-self wealthy and working full time in a fulfilling career while maintaining my musical aspi-rations by playing the bassoon in a symphony orchestra.” Reilee Barron, “In 10 years I see myself stationed in a career that involves work-ing with young children in a gratifying environment, before coming home to my own hus-band and three children in our dream house.” Magdalena Greene, “In 10 years from now I see myself having a successful job that I can comfortably live off of. I want to have a job that has something to do with research in sociology or criminal jus-tice.” CJ Conner, “In ten years I see myself as the owner of an engineering corporation after obtaining my degree in mechanical engineering. I see myself married and a father of two or three.” Juliet Levesque, “In ten years I will have just got-ten my PhD and paying off all of my student loans for speech language pathology.”
A Glimpse Into the Lives of Our Seniors in 2026
Julia Silvestri- leave my volleyball jersey to Sam PierpontJordan Townsend- leave my trash-talk-ing skills to Colby Stu-art (my son)Drew Rivera- leave my game to Nick DebiaseBobby McGinnis- leave my track spikes to Austin ClintonKatie Buckheit- leave the newspaper to Mrs. FarrellPatrick Grinder- leave my amazing job to Nick ZavagoliaJulia Wargo- leave my pens to Amanda Boyles and Britney LynchEmily Harrison- leave my music experience to all future music stu-dents
Senior Wills- The Things We Left Behind Conor Quinn- leave my procrastination to the next seniorsEthan Korbel- Ieave my school lunch to the freshmenNico Muoio- leave my spot on the bench to Malteo MentaKayla Gosselin- leave my smelly cleats to my brother RyanKevin O’Connor- leave my field house locker to a savageAlec Pierpont- leave my sarcastic sass to the underclassmenSteven Boynton- leave my sense of humor to Conor Lynch cause I’m that kidErica Ourfalian- leave my clean habits and determination to Kathleen Ourfalian
Luke Edmondson- leave my locker to my sisterRichard Reptsky- leave my food to Steven BellShaun DeMarco- leave my lacrosse stick to my brother to continue getting better at lacrosseKevin Lenhart- leave my excellent work ethic to underclass-menAlex Salahshurian- leave my guitars toAndrew Maciejczyk to carry on jammingHunter Stamford- leave my great hair to that one kidReed Keller- leave my golf skills to Chris Thomas to lead Fo-ran Golf to statesHannah Buckley- leave my announce-ments to whoever takes my placeSarah Corris- leave my marketing skills to Taylor Patten to win at DECA next yearJames Coon- leave my looks to Casey CoonSarah Barrett- leave my poles to Steph Lopez to set the next school recordVictor Rosado- leave my amazing charm to my brother, PeterMatthew Porter- leave my knowledge of technology to the Tech DepartmentLuke Edmondson- leave my locker to my sisterBryan Firmender- leave my everything to Tyler HeenanColin Firmender- leave the deuce to Mark WoottonBailey Wheeler- leave my chin strap to Mya Wheeler
Jess Lavallee
Max Gorlick- leave my boyish charm to Tyler HeenanNikki Chaney- leave my comedic genius to Alyssa FameliSam Bernado- leave my high quality top locker to my sisterBrianna Dudding- leave my school notes to my sisterBrandon Connor- leave my tardies to Natalie ConnorSteven Chan- leave my spot on the team to Conner LynchDrew Corsi- leave my cleats to Jack GreenspanKyle Greenspan - leave my spirit and aura to my brother
Scott Breault - leave my busy work to the class of 2019Tyler Lambiase - leave my binder to Mrs. FarrellNatalie Henry- leave my mental map of the school to Emma Cote so she doesn’t get lost anymoreSarah Raucci- leave my locker to who-ever gets it nextMackenzie Vigent- Ieave my profane language to Ms. T, so when the “S” gets to “R”, I’ll know how to handle itJordan Donnelly-leave my locker I’ve never used to Max BabadzhanLevin Labrias- leave my locker to Matt Urqcia Sydney Szalkiewicz- leave my old senior night locker candy to Spencer Szalkie-wiczMark Duffy- leave my ShopRite abilities to Marissa StotoJacob Lambert- leave my flow to Steve LynchKatelyn Stokes- leave my sassy atti-tude to my little sister Meghan Stokes Julia Mahroos- leave my double priv to Lily StifflerLindsey Carlson- leave my stuck locker to some poor incoming freshmanMaxwell Mauro- leave my goggles to Sean Morton Jess Lavallee- leave my gymnastics wipe-outs to the Foran gymnastics team and Grace Lavallee
May 2016 Senior Issue Page 7FORAN HSTHE MIRROR
Señora Sheppard- ¡ Muy buena suerte a todos! Keep studying other lan-guages and learning about other cultures. Travel. In the words of Nelson Man-dela,” If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” Also, remember to always be kind and respectful toward all, es-pecially those less fortunate. Make service to others a part of your life. ¡Hasta la vista!
Mrs. Brown- My very best wishes to you, some of my very fa-vorite people. Just consider three little choices as you move forward: 1) Make the conscious choice to sur-round yourself with people who are smarter than you, who love you and make you laugh, 2) The second time you make the same mistake, it’s not a mistake, it’s a choice, and 3) Make the sound financial choice to minimize your student debt. Go change the world -- it needs you!
Ms.Pangu-Get ready!!! Stay motivated and practice resiliency! You won’t get it right the first time, maybe even not the second, but keep trying!!! Take chances! This is your time to experience the world and make the most of it-you have no boundaries!! Good luck to all of you! boundaries!! Good luck to all of you!
Mrs. Sobel-Any person can begin achieving things they believed were beyond their dreams, simply through the elimination of two little words from their vocabu-lary; “I” and “can’t”. (David Baird) I wish you all the very best life has to offer you and always try to give back to your community in any way you can - even if you only have time for a smile!
Mrs. Smith-Best of luck to the class of 2016!
Mr. Czajkowski- Mr. Chi the art guy wants you to remember all those Art for Seniors projects, the Pop Shoe, the Warhol silk-screen, the papier mache, the op art, and all the rest of your creations. I pray that you will enjoy a blessed future for I was blessed to have you in my classes. In the words of John Lennon, “Life happens while you're doing other things.”
Mrs. GaNun- I want to congratulate the Class of 2016. To the many I taught I have enjoyed to get to know and teach you all. I hope you all enjoy health, love, and wealth in your future. One of my favorite quotes is “This thing called Life wills what is good, you can not fail because it can not fail.” Work hard to achieve your goals in life and remember to “stay active” so that you can live a long healthy life.
Mrs. Gilman-Best of luck to all of you. Remember each day to represent the best you have to offer to the world. There will be challenges and some days will be easier than others but make sure to take full advantage of every op-portunity, every chance and every new experience. You don’t want to look back with regret! We will miss you!
Mr. Tupka-Congratulations to the class of 2016! You are about to embark on an incredibly exciting era in your lives during which intellectual exploration will open new doors. Seek the challenges and opportunities that await you and always remember to leave anywhere you go a little better than how you found it. Good luck!
Mr. Rollins-Congratulations, to the Senior Class of 2016. I’m sure you think I’m writing this because I will miss all of you. I have to admit, there are a couple of you who I’ll have a hard time trying to forget. Actually, I just want to get my picture in the school newspaper. So let me wish you a fond farewell. I’m sure I’ll run into some of you when I go for my morning walks this summer. Try not to yell too loud out the window of your car as you drive by, there are a lot of senior citizens who sleep late in my neighborhood. So, good luck in college to those going. Hope you can afford the mortgage payments after you graduate. For those going directly into the workforce, the fun begins. Let me wrap this up by saying good luck and thank you for all the memories. Stay well and peace be with you.
Mrs. Skuches (Skoach)-One of my favorite athletes who overcame adversity on so many levels was Arthur Ashe. “From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life”. Don’t underestimate the power of giving back, donating your expertise, and giving of your time. It will enrich your lives so much, and you’ll be all the better for it. Best of luck to every-one in the Class of 2016, and especially to my swimmers & divers!
Mr. Czarnecki- Congratulations to the class of 2016! Best tip of advice I can provide. *SAVE YOUR MONEY! Pay CASH for things you NEED not stuff you want and open up a ROTH IRA ~ ASAP! *Growth, Growth & Income, International and Aggressive growth funds.Remember doing so now might just make you a multimillionaire! ~ Keep in contact.
Ms. Voss-As famed American lyricist, Gerry Goffin (1939-2014) said, “Don’t be afraid to write a bad song, because the next one may be great.” I know you are each capable of great things as you move forward--be they songs, or any other truths the world needs to be told. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Always be honest with yourself. Keep working until you get to that next great accomplishment. I will miss my Foran Choir graduates dearly!
Mrs. O’Keefe-Best wishes to the Class of 2016! I have enjoyed working with you, and I look forward to seeing how you make this world a better place. Take what you have learned here at Foran and continue to add to it as you continue on your journey!
Mrs. FarrellI can’t believe it was three years ago that Katie Buckheit walked in and wrote her first story. I always knew this day would come, and it’s hard to put into words how much you have done for this paper. Your faith, effort, and dedica-tion have not gone unnoticed. You will be impossible to replace. The senior editors Katherine and Mark, thank you for all of your time. I’m not sure how you balanced it all, but you did. Film class, I hope you learned to stick up for the Andrew Beckett’s of the world, to protect your fam-ily like Ofelia, to trust your instincts like Jeffries and to always make ‘em laugh like Cosmo Brown. Always film yourself in a low angle shot, you are more powerful than you realize and you can make a difference in the world. I appreciate your sense of hu-mor and willingness to work hard all the time, especially Jake. To creative writing, your story has just begun. Write with color! Don’t be afraid to erase and start over.
May 2016The Senior IssuePage 8 THE MIRROR FORAN HS
Mr. Peters - I won’t say “good luck.” Consider a quote that you will sometimes hear credited to Thomas Jef-ferson: “I’m a great be-liever in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” Hard work is the equalizer. You may have heard coaches use the phrase “Hard work beats tal-ent when talent doesn’t work hard.” I challenge you to set your stan-dards high and to take pride in a job well done. Only you can define success in your life.
Mrs. Svogun-It’s hard to believe we began our journey at Foran together and four years later you’ll gradu-ate a more mature, com-passionate, and driven individual than when you entered who is ready to face the world. I am blessed to have worked with so many of you and cannot wait to see what your future holds. Please come back to visit us!
Ms. Cassell-Congratulations and best of luck to all of the seniors graduating! I wish you the best of luck and am so thank-ful that I was able to get to know so many smart, kind, and posi-tive individuals during my first year of teach-ing. Always remember to find a little bit of good in every situation you encounter and to leave the world a little nicer than it was when you found it.
Ms. Ramsey-To my XC seniors, Erin Dillman and Baleigh Toon - Re-member, life is short. But running makes it seem longer! And to the rest of the Foran Class of 2016, “Do you dare to disturb the universe?” (T.S. Elliot). I hope you do! Best of luck to you all!
Mrs. Pellegrino-My wish for each of you is that you enjoy every day, that you seek out adventures, that you pursue your passions and use your talents, and that you never lose your sense of gratitude, curiosity, and wonder. You, Foran Class of 2016, are such a special, caring group of students. I know you will change the world for the better.
Mr. Williams-Live each day to maximize not only your own potential but those around you in order to truly lead a life of joy. Never pass up a con-versation with someone new or an experience that you can look back on with a smile. In the end it is all about 2 things: the relation-ships you have made and the experiences you were apart of. To life!
Mr. Berkowitz-“Health, happiness and success depend upon the fighting spir-it of each person. The big thing is not what happens to us in life, but what we do about what happens to us.” (George Allen)To the class of 2016, I wish all of you a long life full of happiness and meaning. Perse-vere, work hard, and never let someone tell you that you can’t fulfill your dreams.
Ms. Plude-Congratulations to everyone in the class of 2016 !! I remember having a lot of of you as young students from my days at Live Oaks.. It’s so wonderful see-ing you all grown up and ready for what the future will bringg. I would like to leave you all a meaningful quote from Oprah “How do you know when you’re doing something right? How do you know that? It feels so. What I know now is that feelings are really your GPS system for life. When you’re supposed to do some-thing or not supposed to do something, your emotional guidance system lets you know. The trick is to learn to check your ego at the door and start check-ing your gut instead.” Bottom line… Trust your GUT !
Ms Hudson-“Be Yourself. An original is always worth more than a copy.” -unknownCongratulations Class of 2016!
Mrs. Semple-I would like to leave you with a quote from Mary Schmich, Jour-nalist: “Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.” Congratulations to the class of ’16!
Mr. Cesare-“Good luck to each of you in your future endeavors. Always re-member that the trick in life is not getting what you want, it is wanting it after you get it. Find happiness in what you do.”
Mrs. Dooley-Good luck to the class of 2016! Let your brilliant minds ac-cept challenges and your courage help you face those challenges. Always remember to show compassion to those around you, and to enjoy everything life gives you! Con-gratulations!
Mrs. TumminsCongratulations class of 2016! You will be greatly missed!
Mrs. PalmerDear Class of 2016, you have my best wishes for a happy, positive, and produc-tive future!
May 2016 Senior Issue Page 9 FORAN HSTHE MIRROR
Savannah MaillouxGuest Writer Hello, future Foran alumni! As a current college student at the University of Utah, I am going to supplement the previous Foran alumni ar-ticles in the Mane Street Mirror with some of my own advice. Being open to new experiences and ideas is essen-tial. A growth mindset allows for an exploration into interests that are outside of your com-fort zone. Exploring different majors options, for example, is something that first-year students should strive to do. Taking a variety of classes to fulfill general education re-quirements will solidify what you would like to study. Em-bracing changes and different experiences will afford a better college experience overall. Getting involved in extracurricular activities is an opportunity to make new friends and do something you enjoy. Find your college’s niche, whether it’s sports, ser-vice work, or music, and attend any of the associated events. Meeting people with similar interests will enhance your en-joyment during the first year of college. If you’re taking a gap year, delve into the unknown by exploring new places in the community or taking a summer road trip with friends.
Network with profes-sors, other faculty members, and those in the local com-munity. Having a professor know your name, especially in a large lecture hall, is a step to obtaining a teaching assistant position or a letter of recom-mendation in your college ca-reer. Reaching out to faculty as well as people in the community could lead to research, intern-ship, and job opportunities. Navigating the path after high school can be dif-ficult. The excitement of mov-ing onto different activities can lead people to forget where they came from. Remember that Foran fostered a place where educational develop-ment and autonomy intersected with peers, teachers, and staff.
Savannah Mailloux at the Sun-dance Film Festival. Photo
courtesy unknown.
Going From High School to College
What’s Appening?Gavrielle FigueiredoStaff Writer
For some, studying can be the hardest task in the world. Having your cellphone easily accessible is also another factor that can add more distrac-tion. For those either still in high school or for seniors going off to college next year, some-times a helpful restraint on your cell phone can make studying a little more productive.
On occasion just put-ting your phone on airplane mode so no texts are received can be helpful, but it can be turned off with the click of a button. Here’s a new app that can be the lock on your phone for when you have to study the hardest. The app is called Self-Control to Focus and is avail-able in the ITunes App store. With the payment of a dollar
you can have yourself a much more efficient way of studying.
The way the app op-erates is it first gives you a randomly created 15 character password that isn’t easily re-membered. Then you have to go into your account settings of the social media app you want to disconnect from and change your original password to the one the app gave you. Then the user has to set a timer for how-ever long they want to study. At the moment the timer goes off, the app will show the user the password again to log back into their social media account. This makes it more difficult for the user to become distracted from studying. On top of using the app the user can also turn on airplane mode so that any incoming texts don’t create any more distraction.
This app doesn’t only have the use of being used to prevent distraction from study-ing, but it can also be used to keep from distraction from daily life. Anyone can admit to a cellphone becoming too distracting from friends and family, so sometimes it may be a good idea to just ‘tune out’ of the buzz of social media for a few hours. If the app is deleted and you forgot to change your original password back to what you had before the app’s pass-word, just re-download the app for free and reload the app’s password.
With the noise of classmates or even family mem-bers, studying can be challeng-ing all in itself, so why make it even more difficult with the distraction of your phone? This app is a great dollar of an investment that is sure to keep your grades up.
May 2016Senior IssuePage 10 FORAN HSTHE MIRROR
Senior year is a year of letting go, when motherhood be-comes a complicated mixture of pushing you forward and
holding you back. Everyday I cry a few tears as I get used to the idea of your moving on from our home, but at the same time, I am so excited for you to embrace this next phase of life. Have fun, work hard, and enjoy every single day. Be-
hind you are memories. Before you, all your dreams. Around you, all who love you. Within you, all you need.
Love Mom, Dad, Deneca.
Dylan MinowaOff to Keene! We are so proud of you, Gabby. You are so many things to so many folks. You touch lives in so many ways with your open heart and easy smile, lov-
ingly sharing your talents and time in your caring way. You are a blessing to us and to so many
others all over the world. As a wonderfulteacher of yours once described your continuing,
journey “Oh! The Places You Will Go. . . ”Lots of love always, Mom and Dad xox
GabbyReed,
We're proud of your ac-complishments and the per-son you've become. Here's to your exciting future at
SHU and all the happiness that comes with it.
Love,Mom, Dad & Rylie
Reed Keller
We are so proud of all your hard work and accomplishments that you have achieved so far, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for you. Good luck in college. Always be-lieve in yourself and let the world see the wonderful young man that you have become. We love you buddy! Thank you for being the best son anyone could ever ask for. God Bless
you always!Love, Mom, Dad, Kiersten, Lauren, Nana, Grandma and Pop
Pop xxoo
Christopher Conner Bobby,It is bittersweet that your graduation from high school
has arrived so quickly. The things that you have already done and accomplished over these few short years
have amazed us and words cannot express how very proud we are of such an amazing young man you have
become. Continue to be who you are and strive for greatness, embrace opportunities and always challenge yourself. Looking forward to witnessing you succeed in
life's journey.All Our Love, Mom, Dad & Hailey
Bobby McGinnis
We couldn't be prouder of you, Jessica Lavallee! You
will do amazing things! We love you soooo much. Mom, Dad, Ben, Jason, Grace, Samantha, and
Daniel xoxoxo
Jessica Lavallee
We couldn't be prouder! It has been a pleasure to watch you grow into a strong, confident, amazing, fun, loving, young man. Can't wait to watch you conquer the next chapter of
your life! Love, Mom, Dad and Sam
Jacob Lambert
We are so proud of your many accomplishments and of the man you have become. Your magnanimous heart and willingness to pitch in and help in any situation is
a tribute to our family. Seize all opportunities that open up before you and work hard. Do your homework. It matters. Live and enjoy life. We look forward to the next chapter. Congratulations! With love and pride
today and always. -- Mom, Dad, and Katie
Alexander KurataGood luck to our last
Lion. You had a terrific four years and we are very proud of you. Congratula-tions! Go fly like a Hawk!
Conor Quinn
Congratulations Christopher! From your first day of pre-school to your high school graduation you have always
made us so proud! We look forward to watching you begin the next chapter of your life. We wish you success and hap-
piness! Love you!
Mom, Dad, Shannon & Haley
Chris Flynn
Congratulations Aaron!!We are so proud of you.
Love, Dad, Kate & Azam
Aaron Hostetler
Jenna Lang
This is your time so fly away and chase all your dreams.Remember life is like a play,
You must act each scene with passionEmbracing and enjoying the part
If you should ever get lost along the wayLook to the stars
Take a deep breath and follow your heart.So Very Proud of You!!! Love, Mom
May 2016 Senior Issue Page 11THE MIRROR FORAN HS
Dear Michelle,Congratulations Michelle on your graduation from Foran High School. We wish you the best of luck at The Univer-sity of Alabama in the School of Nursing. I know you will make a great nurse. You are a very mature, smart young lady. You were always the fearless and determined child in the family. Love you, Mom, Keith, Melissa, Alyssa and
your twin Michael.
Michelle HoveyJulia,
Congratulations! We are so extremely proud of you and all of your accomplishments. You are a beautiful young woman and it has been a great joy watching you grow! We wish you success and hap-piness at college...and as you always do, keep up the hard work, we know you will always continue
to shine. We love you! Mom, Dad and Craig
Julia Wargo
Brittney, there are few words to describe how incredibly proud I am of you. I am so lucky to be your mom! I know you will do great at Southern. Keep that beautiful smile on
your face. I love you so much, Mom
Brittney Baker
Dear Julia,Congratulations!! It seems like yesterday you were just starting kindergar-ten. Time has truly flown by. You have always set high goals for yourself and strived to do your very best as a student and an athlete. We could not be more proud of you. We wish you the best of luck in college and we are
certain that you will succeed wherever life takes you.P.S. We will miss you!! Have fun and stay safe!
Love your greatest fans,Mom, Mike, Christopher and Max (Woof Woof)
Sam Kopatch
Julia Silvestri
"May all the dreams that lay be-fore you, bring nothing but happi-ness." Congratulations!, we are so
proud of you!Love Mom, Dad, Hailey & Truf-
fles.
Brianna DuddingCongratulations on an amazing four years, Lindsey. We are so proud of you!! Love, Mom, Dad
and Ben
Lindsey Carlson
Katherine Riordan you make us proud everyday! Congratulations to
you and the Class of 2016!Love,
Mom, Dad, Ryan and Lucy
Katherine Riordan
Joe, we are so proud of you! In the blink of an eye you went from a kindergartener to a high
school grad!Hard work and perseverance got you where you are today and will ensure you lots of success in college and beyond!
We love you so much!!! Mom, Dad, and Ryan xoxo
Joseph Bartone
Jake, I'm so proud of you. You have grown into a outstanding young man. It's such an honor to be your mom. I
love you very much! You did it!
Jake Ranilla
Luke, from first day of kindergarten to high school graduation...time has flown by. You've made us more proud than we ever imagined. Go
out there with confidence and always stay humble and kind. We love you, Dad, Mom, Dana & Ethan
Luke Edmonson
Page 12 Senior Edition May 2016THE MIRROR FORAN HS
You were adorable toddlers and you have grown to be fine, handsome young men. You have
brought so much adventure, happiness and joy into our lives. We are so proud of you both and we wish you many blessings and much success
in college and in the future.Love,
Mom, Dad, Kyle and Eric
TylerWe are so proud of you!! College will be a
tough journey, Go confidently in the direction of your dreams and live the life you imagine!
Love you, Mom & Dad
Congratulation Nicky! You were cool as a kid and still are today. We have always been proud of you
and all you've accomplished, whether it be your music, restoring your own car, or even direct-
ing an Oscar nominated film in the not so distant future. You know what it takes and we know you are capable of stepping up to the plate to accom-plish anything you set your mind to. Hofstra is at your front door and it’s time to let yourself shine.
Love Mom, Dad, Jacqui, and Michael
Leandro I have had the privilege of being your mother and mentor for the last eighteen years.
Although I am sad to say goodbye to my sweet little boy, I am extremely proud of the
young man you've become and all the accom-plishments you've achieve. Now as you move on to the next chapter of your life, remember we love you and will always be there when
you need us.Mommy and Monique
Colin and Bryan Firmender Leonardo Jorge
Tyler LambiaseNicolas Vanchot
Page 13Senior IssueMay 2016 THE MIRROR FORAN HS
Favorite App
Twitter 17.86%Instagram 22.14%Snapchat 42.86%VSCO 5.71%Soundcloud 11.43%
Senior Favorites
Favorite Grade9th 4.26%10th 9.31%11th 10%12th 76.43%
Favorite Netflix SeriesFuller House 11.90%Grey’s Anatomy 23.81%The Office 52.38%Friday Night Lights 7.94%House of Cards 3.97%
Favorite Places To Eat (Non-Chain Restaurant)Pop’s 61.48%Maxine’s 19.26%Greek Spot 19.26%
Favorite Ice Cream PlaceSundae House 57.25%Cone Zone 11.59%Scoopy Doo’s 23.01%Walnut Beach Creamery 8.15%
Favorite Milford Beach
Gulf Beach 50%Woodmont Beach 8.57%Anchor Beach 18.57%Walnut Beach 11.43%Silver Sands Beach 11.43%
Favorite Milford EventLobster Bake 2.92%Woodmont Day 9.49%Oyster Festival 75.91%Fairs on the Green 2.19%St. Mary’s Carnival 9.49%
Favorite Local Thing To Do
Walk at Eisenhower Park 5.84%Walk down Silver Sand’s Boardwalk 13.14%Walk through Downtown Milford 15.33%Hike at Sleeping Giant 21.89%Beach Day 43.8%
Julia WargoStaff Writer Senior year of high school means all the seniors will soon be departing from their home, and going their own ways. Some will not for-get about their friends, fami-lies and their favorite places back home. Many places in the small town of Milford can make certain people feel at home, or can just provide good memories and fun times, giving reasons to why they will miss them the most. The senior class listed the places that they will miss and these are the results… Steven Beers will miss Power Tech class be-cause it was always an inter-
esting and fun class. Scott Breault will miss Milford Landing be-cause it was where he worked and made a lot of money. Emma Bromley will miss the stage the most be-cause it was where she feels more at home there than any-where else. Samantha Caruso will miss Gulf Beach because it was where many memories were made with old and new friends. CJ Conner will miss Foran High School because of all the teachers he had and the friendships he made while be-ing here. Brandon Connor will miss the school’s plan-etarium because it was excit-
Samantha Enders will miss Downtown Milford because it is always exciting for each season or holiday. Molly Flanagan will miss Anchor Beach be-cause of all the night walks she did with her friends there. Max Gorlick will miss his basement, #seeyaat-maxs. Kayla Gosselin will miss the softball field because she will miss playing with her teammates. Patrick Grinder will miss Momo, a Japanese Cuisine restaurant, because Iowa is not known for their seafood. Emily Harrison will miss Gulf Beach because it’s where she and her friends
Class of 2016: Oh, The Places We Will Misshangout. Olivia Hayes will miss Downtown Milford. Dan Izzo will miss the soccer field and playing with all of his teammates be-cause it was where all of the games were played. Serena Lambiase will miss Mrs. Hudson’s room because she is her fa-vorite teacher. Tyler Lambiase will miss Mr. Peter’s and Mr. Stern’s rooms because they both are really fun. Kevin Lenhart will miss art class with Mr. Cza-jkowski. Cedrick Lingane will miss the soccer field be-cause that’s where wonder-ful times were spent for him.
ing. Nate Copus will miss the hallways at Foran because of the encourag-ing words, “Keep Moving,” and “Be Polite Stay to the Right.” Charles Cornell will miss the wrestling room because of his love for wres-tling. Andrew Corsi will miss the baseball locker room because of all the good mem-ories. Shaun DeMarco will miss Foran High the most because of the great time spent here. Brianna Dudding will miss the Sundae House because of the good ice cream there.
Page 14 Senior Issue May 2016THE MIRROR FORAN HS
Emily HarrisonStaff Writer Music: it’s a univer-sal language. It’s a form of art that brings people of all kinds together. It’s enjoyable, it’s fundamental, it’s helpful; mu-sic does wonders. It can even change lives. Whether music it or simply listening to it, music can help people in many ways. It’s calming, energizing, moti-vating, therapeutic. Foran Choir is some-thing that Sam Martinez, Fo-ran Choir’s president for the 2015-2016 season, says gives her a lot of joy. “I've been in the Fo-ran High School Concert Choir and Advanced Vocal Ensemble for 3 years,” she said. “I've also been part of the Saint Paul's Episcopal Choir for 2 years. “There aren't words to describe what my time in the Foran High School Choir has meant to me,” she continued. “I was accepted into a family that loved me unconditionally and I've learned so much about my-self and music throughout the years.” Foran Choir is one of the many music electives that Foran has to offer. The choir director,
Ms. Voss, makes sure each and every student is learning to their fullest potential, while also making the environment comfortable and fun to be in. Emma Bromley, a se-nior in Foran Concert Choir and in Advanced Vocal Ensemble, says, “There are so many dif-ferent kinds of people in choir. Aside from our social connec-tions, the one thing we all have in common is our love of music and singing. I think that’s what really unites us as a group.”
Martinez adds, “The unity of music has taught me that music is truly magical. It takes a variety of different peo-ple from unique backgrounds and brings them together as one to form beautiful art.” Martinez says music changed her life in the best of ways. “Music changed not only my life, but who I am,” she said. “It gave me an outlet for my creativity, and it gave me a family. It allows me to express
feelings and ideas that I can’t put into words. Through music, I became a true artist and have had the chance to share my love of music with the world.” Mar-tinez says she fully encourages anyone and everyone to join Foran Choir and Advanced Vo-cal Ensemble. Martinez has audi-tioned and gotten into the Con-necticut Music Educators Asso-ciation from freshman year up to now, and has also auditioned and gotten into the All State
Music Festival of CMEA start-ing sophomore year. Foran music director Ms. Voss also expresses her love for music. “In my mind, there is nothing like the community-building that happens when a choir sings as one. Scien-tific studies have shown evi-dence of the physical changes in members of a choir when they sing together--their heart rates actually regulate to one another, among other things. That’s remarkable to me, but not as compelling as the emo-tional and spiritual unity that is formed when you are of one mind and voice, communicat-ing a common message. It gives me hope even on the darkest of days.” When asked if she would encourage people to join Foran Choir, she says, “Absolutely--every chance I get!! How about you, person reading this article--we have a place for you in the Foran Choir! Come join us!” Foran Choir has also provided multiple traveling opportunities, including trips to Washington DC, New York City, Virginia and most recently to Orlando, Florida to perform in Walt Disney World.
Music: How Chords and Notes Can Change Lives
The Foran Choir traveled to Disney over the April Break Photo Courtesy of Sam Martinez
Reilee BarronStaff Writer A vast majority of successful people read, not just minimal reading as a pleasur-able hobby, but for research and the desire for more knowledge. Whether people read books, articles, essays, or magazines, successful people read because they want to learn.
If you ask any Eng-lish teacher in America, he or she will likely tell you that the average student does not read as much as the average student did in the 90’s or early 2000’s. Some people might argue that there has been an increase in reading because English classes have required reading, but there is a reason why one would rec-ognize the website Sparknotes or Shmoop; which is the same reason why teachers will pur-posely read the Sparknotes on a book to craft a test that only true readers will do well on. English teacher, Mrs. Ramsey shares her thoughts about 21st century learning, saying, “I think many students still value education for more than just getting the grade. However, it is easy to be trapped into focusing on just getting the grade and moving on with the course.”
So why do many stu-dents skip their required and in-dependent reading all together? The reason is simple: there is no
incentive to learn. Why would a student have to read these days? Students can do perfectly fine on a Hamlet test without read-ing a single line.
However, the lack of incentive to learn goes beyond just reading, and is primarily seen through students’ grades. The amount of A’s given out each year has increased in many schools, while SAT scores, which reward talented readers on certain sections, have de-creased. Students can achieve an A or B by maneuvering the system. With a system of teach-ing revolved entirely around tests or assessments, the only thing a student needs to do well is to practice rote memorization and the ability to regurgitate facts back onto a piece a paper the next day. One might argue that this way of gaining academic success as a student is not realis-tic because there are final exams that contain a much more broad selection of important curricular information. Although it is true that finals cover more content, students will prepare the same way, simply taking longer to do so. If an individual truly learns something, he or she should not have to study for hours on end to do well on a final. Without a doubt, students should find themselves needing to brush
up on certain academic areas to refresh their brain in order to do well on finals, but the amount of time spent studying has increased because students did not actually learn the con-tent they have been taught, they memorized it, transferred it to a quiz, test, or other demanding assignment, only to forget the information right after being as-sessed. We asked senior, Juliet Levesque to share her thoughts about 21st century learning. She said, “I believe that common core is the biggest detriment to the education system in the history of the United States of America. It has conditioned stu-dents to learn the test, which en-courages cramming and cheat-ing. There is a greater concern for getting good grades than for actually expanding knowledge and exercising the mind. The common core system, in my eyes, is attempting to standard-ize students, which is abso-lutely ridiculous. We should be encouraged to explore our ideas and take advantage of our personal strengths. Human be-ings cannot be standardized.” Junior year of high school is usually the most critical year of a student’s high school career. During this year, students will find themselves overwhelmed with the pressure to make good scores on the ACTs and the SATs, as well as the pressure
to do well in school, being the year colleges will look at when students apply their senior year. With this pressure, the minds of students race with the thoughts of what will happen if they do not do well. Students tend to think about everything in suc-cession; if you don’t do well on your SATs, what does that mean for college acceptances? If college acceptances are lim-ited, what happens to your education? If the education is lacking, what does that mean for a career? The education system during this time pushes students to their limit, changing attitudes and courses of action. With the pressure to do well, it is not uncommon for students to find themselves wrapped up in decisions that they would not normally make, including cheating and avoiding the as-signment overall, to avoid the
stress and the question of, “what happens if I fail?” Although students may find that they are com-pletely under pressure to do well, they also may find that the stress is enough to get them to not do any of their work at all. According to the Agency’s Stress in America Survey, “30 percent of teens reported feeling sad or depressed be-cause of stress and 31 percent felt overwhelmed. Another 36 percent said that stress makes them tired and 23 percent said they’ve skipped meals because of it.” With the pressure that the education system holds, students are not only mentally suffering, but physically suf-fering. Many students have sleepless nights, weak immune systems, and extreme exhaus-tion, all because of feeling like “beating the system”, in order to do well.
21st Century Learning Takes Over
May 2016 Senior Issue Page 15FORAN HSTHE MIRROR
Emily HarrisonStaff Writer Juniors: You’re in the home stretch! (Well, kind of.) Nevertheless, you’re almost done my friends. It’s said that junior year is the most stress-ful year of high school, and for some or most, that may be true. SATs, prom, college searching, there’s just so many things to focus on, and only one you. But summer is coming, and once September hits, it’s crunch time. Here are some tips for now and going into your senior year.On this coming year:
E n j o y y o u r h i g h school career, or what’s left of it. Take classes in all sorts of categories, don’t feel pressured to take the classes your friends are taking. Take classes that interest and benefit YOU.
When I started my senior year, my main focus was getting all my music classes under my belt. No, I didn’t take many APs, and most of my friends took more science and
history courses than art classes; but music is what interested me, regardless of who was taking it with me. And now, I’m on my way to college with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education major in front of me. This is YOUR year to take the classes that you want to take. Don’t let peer pressure and friends change your mind.On friends: I know I know, cliché, but friendships can (and most likely will) be altered, whether you know why or not. Dif-ferent interests and opposite future plans surprisingly will drive you away from some, but towards others. On planning: Going into your senior year, you feel the pressure of knowing exactly what you want to do, where you want to go, and how things will turn out. But the thing is, you may not have all the answers yet. Yes, you may have schools in mind, but that does not mean that that is
where you will go. Delve deeper into what the school offers. Do research, (LOTS of research), on the schools that you are interested in applying to. Some may have the programs you are looking for, but some may not. Be open to what it does offer, and look into what catches your eye. You may change your mind from your original interest. On inevitable senioritis:Let’s face it, senioritis is a real thing, and everyone experi-ences it. You will get lazy, and deadlines will be the least of your concerns at times. Senior privilege will be your best friend, and more times than one, you’ll find yourself starting an assignment at midnight. But believe me, it WILL catch up to you. Junioritis is very similar, but senioritis is worse because you’re aware that it’s your last year of high school. More often than not things get put off until the last minute and then you’re struggling to catch up.
A Quick Message to the Juniors
Shea Phelan Staff Writers A lot of schools around Milford have that one very spe-cial teacher in their school. At Foran High, that teacher is Mr. Palumbo. Palumbo has been a part of the Foran family for only 11 years: he joined in 2005 as a full time math teacher.
Pr ior to teaching in Milford, he was a student teacher at Eli Whitney in Wall-ingford, CT while also taking night classes at The University of New Haven. During all this, he had also been a math tutor on top of it all.
Before he got started in teaching, Mr. Palumbo at-tended Northeastern Univer-sity, majoring in mechanical engineering.
“In high school, I loved math and was good at it,” he said. “I wanted to go to school for it and major in education and become a teacher. But, I also really liked science. So senior year of high school, I changed my mind and decided
Mr. Palumbo during class. Pho-to courtesy of Sam Mitchell.
Mr. Palumbo teaching one of his classes. Photo courtesy of Sam Mitchell.
to major in mechanical engi-neering instead.”
After 30 years of being a mechanical engineer, Palum-bo’s company moved to Miami, Florida. That is when he real-ized that he had always wanted to be a teacher, and he went back to school. He attended the University of New Haven and obtained his master’s degree in education and also earned his teaching certificate.
Sam Mitchell, a se-nior and a three time back to back student of Palumbo’s, goes way back with him. “The thing I like most would have to be how he is always willing to help when you need it even when you don’t think you need it. I’ll really miss hearing the elephant story every year after I graduate this coming June.” Mitchell has been in classes with Palumbo since her freshmen year in 2012. She has had three classes with him including Algebra 2, Pre-calculus, and Calculus currently. Palumbo has been teaching these three classes for the past few years. Palumbo has taught underclassmen and upperclassmen students through
the years.Mr. Palumbo always
knew he wanted to teach in Milford. He lives in Milford and his daughter went to school here. He always knew Milford would be a place he would end up achieving a lifelong dream of becoming a teacher.
Ms. Casuccio, a math teacher, is brand new to the Foran family and really enjoys teaching here. Both Casuccio and Palumbo teach the op-posite subjects but both are familiar with the under and upperclassmen. She teaches Geometry and AMDM, a spe-cial math course for seniors, while Palumbo teaches the more advanced math courses for upperclassmen.
“Mr. Palumbo is a very happy go-lucky kind of guy. He is always willing to help in any way he can to make someone feel more comfortable. He is very friendly and I felt very welcomed by him when I first came here. He has a very posi-tive attitude and is a joking kind of guy to his students. He isn’t intimidating.”
Teacher Spotlight: Mr. PalumboGavrielle FigueiredoStaff Writer
For the seniors going off to college for the fall 2016 school year, class selection, roommate survey’s, and room décor are probably the top things on your mind, but what about thinking about how to fend off the notorious fresh-man 15? While you’re moving in with all of your belongings along with making new friends and meeting new teachers, fol-low these simple tips to avoid, or lessen, the weight gain of freshman year.
With dining halls and new friends to go out to eat with, it’s challenging to say no to the donuts, cake, and subs that are being offered. An oc-casional treat is fine because why not ‘treat yourself’, but to keep yourself in check here are a few foods that may be a good substitution for these tempting snacks.
Going to the café in the morning and grabbing a quick bagel with cream cheese may be fine once a week, but in the long run after eating that bagel every morning, the results may not be pretty. Instead of taking in these 70 grams of carbs on top of the fat you’re adding with the cream cheese, substitute it with a piece of toast with peanut butter and banana slices on top. This is a very fill-ing and low calorie breakfast that will keep your stomach and sweet tooth satisfied. If the omelets that are being made look a little too greasy due to the excessive oil spray used, ask for egg whites instead of full eggs, then add some spinach and
cheese and you have another filling, lower calorie alternative.
To keep you ful l throughout the day, buy some low calorie, healthy snacks to keep in your dorm for when you have the study munchies. Good snacks are grapes, fruit snacks, popcorn, celery, car-rots, or even 100 calorie packs of cheese crackers. In order to stay healthy but also have some leniency try and stay healthy during the week so that on the weekends you don’t feel bad af-ter eating out with friends.
Most colleges have a gym, and if not they have a sidewalk to run on. A simple workout schedule that’s easily manageable will be a lifesaver with relieving the stresses of studying and burning the calo-ries you’ve taken in throughout the day.
Running for 15 min-utes a day can help dramatically and to make it even easier take a friend or your roomie with you to exercise with.
Stay away from that cake, keep exercising, and have fun seniors. Stay golden and c’est la vie Foran.
Figs Food Fitness
May 2016Senior Edition Page 16 FORAN HSTHE MIRROR
Want to Avoid Boredom? Here’s Some Suggestions to Liven Up Your Summer
Madison WhitakerStaff Writer
Every summer, fami-lies go to fun places for vaca-tion. Whether it is to Florida or to the Bahamas, people make it memorable.
My family, for ex-ample, goes to Rhode Island (Misquamicut) every summer with my cousins. We spend ev-ery day at the beach and then we go out to eat and get ice cream. We started doing this every year since I was a year old and it gets better and better every time we go.
Junior Taylor Lee says her family heads south.
“Every summer, my family and I go to South Caro-lina,” Lee says. “We go to Myrtle Beach and we go shop-ping at the outlets. We also go see impersonators like Michael Jackson and Elvis. I like going there with my family because we always have a great time together and we make lots of fun memories.”
Some popular vaca-tion spots for the summer are: California, Florida (Disney), New York and New Hampshire.
Ms. Voss, who is the
choir teacher, says, “For about eleven years, my family went to Chatham in Cape Cod every year. We would always read on the beach, swim in the ocean, go kayaking and of course, the food is always delicious.”
If you are looking for a place to go hiking or do fun outdoor activities with your family this summer, but still don’t have an idea where to go, some places in Northern
California have the best hiking trails ever. You can go for long hikes or short hikes.
Mr. Peters says, “Ev-ery year, my family and I go to Old Orchard Beach in Southern Maine. While there, we visit the beach, Palace Play land, Gray Animal Preserve, and the water park Aquaboggen. It’s one of the cleanest and longest stretches of beach that is still within driving distance from
Milford. We work on our tans, collect sand dollars, and hunt for crabs within the rocks at low tide.”
S e n i o r B r a n d o n Morse goes camping every summer in Volintown, Con-necticut. “My family and I like to go on hikes, sit by the fire and play games with each other. We also go to the basketball court that the campground has and shoot some hoops.”
For some families who don’t have the time or money to go anywhere for summer break, here are some ideas that will allow you to get out of your house for a couple of days: go to Hammonasset Beach or go for a road trip to East Hampton, Connecticut to kayak and go hiking on the Salmon River. Another great place to go to for free is Silver Sands Beach where there are tons of fun ac-tivities to do such as: saltwater fishing and swimming in Long Island Sound.
When Dr. Golesky goes away on vacation for sum-mer break, she goes to Rhode Island to see her family.
“We always go to the beach that is right next to Tay-lor Swift’s house called East Beach, which is really cool,” Golesky says. “My kids really enjoy going because they like to play in the sand and get ice cream. It’s a lot of fun. I recom-mend it for anyone who wants to get out of Connecticut for the day.”
Summer is the best season to hang out with friends and get away for a little bit. Don’t waste the summer in your house.
Photo courtesy of Madison Whitaker
Katherine Riordan Editor
Hiking/Beaches/ParksSleeping Giant State Park - Hamden
Hammonasset Beach State Park - MadisonWickham Park - ManchesterThimble Islands - Branford
Rocky Neck State Park - East LymeGillette Castle State Park - East Haddam
Local Spots to Visit During Summer Vacation
ShoppingBlue Backs Square - West Hartford
Clinton CrossingWest Farms in Farmington
Danbury MallStamford Town Center
Amusement ParksQuassy - Middlebury,
Lake Compounce - BristolSix Flags New England - Agawam, MA
Museums Mystic Seaport Yale Art Gallery
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural HistoryThe Mark Twain House & Museum - Farmington
Florence Griswold Museum - Old Lyme
Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden, CT. Photo courtesy of flickr.com
Yale Art Gallery. Photo courtesy of Yale.Blue Backs Square. Photo courtesy of www.blue-backssare.com
May 2016 Senior Edition Page 17THE MIRROR FORAN HS
1. Irreplaceable-Beyonce
2. Umbrella-Rihanna feat. Jay-Z
3. The Sweet Escape -Gwen Stefani feat. Akon
4. Big Girls Don’t Cry
-Fergie
5. Buy U A Drank (Shaw-ty Snappin’) -
T-Pain feat. Yung Joc
1. Low - Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
2. Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
3. No One - Alicia Keys
4. Lollipop - Lil Wayne feat. Static Major
5. Apologize - Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
1. Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
2. Poker Face - Lady Gaga
3. Just Dance - Lady Gaga feat. Colby O’Donis
4. I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
5. Love Story - Taylor Swift
1. TiK ToK - Ke$ha
2. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
3. Hey, Soul Sister - Train
4.California Gurls - Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
5. OMG - Usher feat. will.i.am
1. Rolling In The Deep - Adele
2. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock
3. Firework - Katy Perry
4. E.T. - Katy Perry
feat. Kanye West
5. Give Me Everything - Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo,
1. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye
feat. Kimbra
2. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
3. We Are Young - fun. feat. Janelle Monae
4. Payphone - Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa
5. Lights - Ellie Gould-ing
1. Thrift ShopMacklemore and
Ryan Lewis Feat.Wanz2. Blurred Lines
Robin Thicke Feat. T.I.
and Pharrell3. Radioactive
Imagine Dragons4. Harlem Shake
Baauer5. Can’t Hold Us
1. HappyPharrell Williams
2. Dark HouseKaty Perry Feat. Juicy
J3. All Of MeJohn Legend
4. FancyIggy Azalea Feat.
Charli XCX
5. Counting StarsOneRepublic
1. Uptown Funk!Mark Ronson Fea-turing Bruno Mars2.Thinking Out
LoudEd Sheeran
3. See You AgainWiz Khalifa Featur-
ing Charlie Puth4. Trap Queen
Fetty Wap5. SugarMaroon 5
The Top Five Songs Of The DecadeClass of 2016: Third grade to today...
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2010 2011 2012
2013 2014 2015
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1. 7 Years
Lukas Graham
2. Stiches Shawn Mendes
3. Work Rihanna Ft. Drake
4. PillowTalkZayn
5. Sorry Justin Bieber
2016
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Senior Edition May 2016FORAN HSTHE MIRRORPage 18
Jules TuozzolaStaff Writer
The ambitious spirit and focused mindset of student-gymnast Brianna Lag-gis has led her to triumph both in the gym and the classroom. Sophomore, Brianna Laggis, is currently a 4th year level 10 gymnast at the Connecticut Gymnastics Academy, and has recently gained the title of an all-state champion. All of her success is undoubtedly earned with the endless hours of prac-tice, sleepless nights, intense dedication, and even physical pain. “I have loved the sport ever since I was a little girl,” says Laggis. Within her ceaseless hours of practice and diligent work lies the pas-sion and love for gymnastics she inherited at a young age. Gymnastics has tested her mental toughness, while also building it up. Laggis commu-nicates the lessons embedded within the sport, “Gymnas-tics has taught me how to be responsible, and manage my time. It has also taught me precision, courage and dedica-tion.” She continues saying, “Without the sport I don’t know where I would be.” Sacrificeandcom-mitment are concepts Lag-gishasdealtwithfirsthand.
Whether it’s choosing to complete homework after a 5 hour practice over sleep, or giving up valuable weekends toworkout,hermanysacrific-es compile to success. “During the week and most weekends, I don’t have a social life because I’m always at practice
or a competition. I feel like I miss out on a lot, but in the end I know that my commit-ment and dedication will pay off.” Nothing can defeat this all-state gymnast- not even the immense strain of a fractured back. Over the
past year, Laggis has been in a heap of pain while recover-ing from this injury. “Over the past year I have been dealing with a fractured back. I have an acupuncturist, physical therapist, massage therapist, and a masseuse who play a huge role on my road to
recovery.” The balance beam is not the only type of balancing Laggis is faced with. She ex-pressesthedifficultiesofbal-ancing both her role as a gym-nast and a student. “Balancing school and gymnastics is definitelyoneofthemostdif-ficultthingsIhaveeverdealtwith.” Laggis’ daily routine is full with that of homework and practice. “When I get home from school, I start my homework right away. I leave my house for practice at 4 and usually don’t get back till 10. I shower, eat, and spend the rest of my night completing homework.” Laggis puts forth tremendous motivation to ensure that her responsibilities arefulfilledwell. Laggis’ hardwork will never go to rest as she has her mind focused set on a very bright future. “I am going to continue working hard in school and aiming to make the honor roll each quarter.” As for gymnastics, Laggis says, “I’mjustfinishingoffthisseason to see how my back is feeling. Considering how much pain I am in, my doctor feels that the best decision is to quit, but I am playing it day by day.” Laggis is striving to receive a scholarship from one of the top Division 1 gymnas-tic schools in the country.
Brianna Laggis hits the beam. Photo courtesy of John Cheng.
Gymnast Brianna Laggis is Beaming with Success
Shea Phelan and Eva Knud-senStaff Writers Balancing schoolwork with a sport can be tough, but the majority of Foran High manages to do it. There are manybenefitstoplayingasportin high school. The personal traits one develops as a student athlete are teamwork, persever-ance, responsibility, physical endurance, commitment, time management, and personal and emotional health. It is expected for players to give practice and their games 100% effort. Now the real question is how do they manage to do it? Being a student ath-lete means one needs to know how to manage their time ef-ficiently.Thereisdefinitelynotime for dilly dallying. Players are required to be at all of their practices. If one practice is missed then they must sit out a game. Being a student athlete means one needs to know how tomanagetheirtimeefficiently.Mr. Bevino, gym teacher and football coach, says, “Student athletesdefinitelyknowhowtomanage their time better than regular students. I’ve noticed kids do better in school during their sport season than out of season because of time manage-
ment.” Since practice is every day of the week, with the excep-tion of Sundays, then student athletes are more in-shape. If they want to get a lot of use out of their bodies then they need to be more conscious about what goes into their bodies. It is crucial that players eat right and stay hydrated before practices and games. Not only is there a physical health benefit for these students, but there is also a mental one.
The reason why there isamentalhealthbenefitisbe-cause there is an increase in the amount of endorphins that are released during physical activ-ity. When these endorphins are released, a natural high occurs and the athlete feels good which increases emotional and mental wellness. These endorphins also help fight off depression and will reduce stress. When adrena-line is released due to physical activity, the flight or fight re-sponse kicks in, and when the studentathlete’sfightresponsekicks in, his/her performance is elevated. Therefore, student athletes tend to be less stressed than just regular students.
While maintaining a healthy diet as well as a healthy mind set, student athletes also need to maintain at least a 2.0
grade point average to con-tinue playing for their team(s). While tackling on all of these obstacles, it doesn’t stop there. These student athletes also need to complete all their work due for the next class. Depending on the classes they take, their work-load can really vary from either a view worksheets a night or to buckets of homework provided by their teachers.
On the other hand, people say that student ath-letes are more stressed out than regular students because of scheduling, academic, and physical pressure looming. Stu-dent athletes often report more stress than non-athletes. Student life can be stressful enough, but according to Athletic Insight’s study, student athletes reported higher than usual stress in sev-eral variables, including: hav-ing lots of responsibilities, not getting enough time for sleep, and having demanding extra-curricular activities. However, athletes do enjoy lower stress in some variables, like social isolation and satisfaction with their physical appearance.
Throughout the Mil-ford community, especially high schools, many teachers are also coaches for their school. Here at Foran, Mrs. Skuches is very familiar with student athletes
and how they manage all their time. “Being in Guidance, and being the mom of a student-athlete, Idefinitelyunderstandthe workload. However, I also believe that time management is a skill that some student athletes need to work on. Balancing homework and sports is all part of being a student athlete. ” Skuches continues to say, “For me as a coach, homework, proj-ects, etc. are not reasons to miss practice or meets. Again, that’s part of the balancing act of be-ing a student-athlete.” Skuches also adds how she doesn’t feel much sympathy for her student athletes because it is their choice to take on sports once they reach high school.
With the block sched-ule provided by the Milford Public School system, students are generally very aware of what amounts of work they need to do for the week sometimes even beyond the week. Long days consist of 80 minute periods for either periods 1, 3, 5, and 7 or periods 2, 4, 6, and 8. Many teachers provide calendars or a syllabus for their students so they can plan out what needs to be done. Most students tend to plan out their schedule based upon classes/tests and athletic responsibilities. Some sports practice later in the day which
could allow students time for extra help, or additional study time. While it may be harder with outdoor sports due to weather, many teachers and coaches believe that students need to able to balance since it is the athlete’s decision to play sports in high school.
Parker Callahan, a junior, is familiar to the work load due to taking two AP classes, AP Government and Politics as well as AP Human Geography. During the winter, Callahan manages boys’ wres-tling and in the spring partici-pates in lacrosse which she has been playing since freshman year along with many other of her friends. “I go practice then as soon as I get home I eat din-ner and then start my homework which lasts until at least 12:30 in the morning and then don’t end up going to sleep until about 1. Even though both of the things can be hard to balance, if it wasn’t for high school sports, my high school experience would be completely different then how it turned out to be.”
Though it can be dif-ficult tobea full time studentas well as a full time athlete, it’s not how you balance the work load rather it is how you prioritize your responsibilities.
The Juggling Act, Balancing Sports and School
May 2016 The Senior Issue FORAN HSTHE MIRROR Page 19
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FORAN STUDENTS
Victor RosadoStaff Writer
As our year as seniors con-cludes and we head off to col-lege, we all see that every little ounce of work that we put in during our four years in high school has paid off.
If you were an athlete and played any type of sport you always looked forward to having your skills take you beyond the confines of your lovely school.
I want to take a mo-ment and recognize several outstanding senior athletes that were able to do exactly that. They not only excelled in the four years at Foran High School, but will continue to excel as they move on into college division sports. The athletes are Thomas (TJ) Stu-art, Michael Howell, Jerry Edmond, Samantha Mitch-ell, Leandro Jorge, Nata-lia Hart, Jordan Townsend, Juliet Levesque and Luke Edmondson.
These eight athletes have shown exceptional skill in their sport and will be moving on to bigger and better things.
TJ Stuart will be at-tending Manhattan College in the Bronx, NY. He will be play-ing division 1 baseball and will be pitching for their team. He earned a hefty scholarship and is very excited to be attending
the university. He will begin conditioning in September 2016 and will begin playing in March of 2017.
When asked what in-spires him to play baseball he answered by saying, “It’s my love of the game. Baseball has been part of my life since I remember and to have an op-portunity to continue my dream at the next level is surreal”. His favorite part of the sport is “The fact that whether you’re pitch-ing or hitting all eyes are on you, the pressure is on. That’s why all athletes compete, it’s to be in the spotlight. Baseball, it’s like that every pitch. As a pitcher the tone every game stems from you and as a com-petitor I love that”.
Michael Howell will be attending Southern Connect-icut State University. He will be playing Division 2 football. Mike has been offered a roster spot on the team and based on his performance can earn a scholarship. He was recruited as a middle linebacker. However, they may convert him to a stand up defensive end.
When asked what in-spires him to play football, he says, “I aspire to chase my dream of college football as my senior year was taken away from me due to tearing my ACL early in the season. I love the
sport, the enjoyment and chal-lenges it brings to me.”
His favorite part of football is “looking up to see all the fans cheering, knowing that you’re the main focus and that everyone from your coaches to your family, to random fans, support you and believe in you.”
Jerry Edmond will be attending Central Connecti-cut State University. He will be play track and was recruited to run the 400 and 800 meter sprints. He received a $5,000 scholarship for his exceptional athletics. He will begin running in mid-October of 2016.
His favorite part of track, he said, is “crossing the finish line”.
Samantha Michell will be attending Pace Univer-sity in New York, NY. She will be playing soccer and will be the goalkeeper. Her report date is August 14th.
“It’s been my dream to play college soccer since I was little and I really didn’t want to end my soccer career at high school,” she said, “so I worked hard these past four years to be able to keep playing the game I love.”
Leandro Jorge will be attending Albertus Magnus College in New Haven. He will be playing division 3 soccer. He has multiple positions on
the field. Pre-season starts late July of 2016. “My love for the game makes me want to play in college,” he said.
His favorite part “is the relationships I make with my teammates and the feeling I get after a win or scoring a goal”.
Natalia Hart will be attending Western Connecticut State University to play softball. She will be playing outfield. When asked what inspires her to play softball, she said “Hon-estly, the tremendous amount of support I got through my family and the extensive amount of work I put into being able to go and play at the collegiate level.”
Her favorite part of softball is “the intensity of the game, every second and inch matters, that’s what makes it my favorite”.
Jordan Townsend will be attending Springfield College in Springfield MA. He will be playing basketball and division 3 football. His posi-tion for basketball is a shooting guard and his position for foot-ball is a defensive tackle/end. He will begin his conditioning for football in August of 2016 and start basketball condition-ing at the end of November.
“I’ve been doing it for so long and truly love both games and hope it could be my
profession,” he said. “I look forward to it and it brings out the competition in me”.
Jordan is looking to transfer to the UCONN division 1 football team after his first two years at Springfield.
Juliet Levesque will be attending Connecticut Col-lege in New London CT. She will start conditioning for vol-leyball August of this year. She will be playing middle blocker on the team.
“Volleyball has taught and continues to teach me men-tal discipline, and keeps me in good physical shape,” Juliet said. “It has also brought me some of the best friends I have ever made”. Her favorite part of the sport is that “It has taken me to places I wouldn’t have gone otherwise”.
Luke Edmondson will be attending Springfield College as well. He will be playing Division 3 football and will begin his conditioning in August.
“ I aspire to continue playing this sport so that I can prove to myself how success-ful I can be, and so that I can continue to have fun while stay-ing in shape,” Luke said. His favorite part of the sport is “the team aspect and the brother-like bonds that are created among the team.”
Prospective College Students, Sports Beyond High School
May 2016The Senior IssuePage 20 FORAN HS
Jonathan Law later this season. Many girls on the team have goals of their own as well as personal. Lily Stiffler, a junior, has been playing tennis since she was a freshman and hopes to become captain her senior year. During an interview when asked about what Stiffler looks to improve on for her team and herself, she said, “My personal goal is to play every point like it determines the set. I also want to improve on my serve too. But our team goal is to win more matches then the year before which we have ac-complished. We also just like to have fun while playing.” With the short season coming to an end, the girls hope to add more wins to the board and always aim to be great teammates on and off the court.
THE MIRROR
Shea PhelanStaff Writer The Girls’ Tennis Team of Foran High is swinging back into an improving season for head coach Mr. Noyes, also a history teacher, and assistant coach Mrs. Kaminski. Noyes is a very experienced coach having 15 years under his belt in the unique sport. Noyes is look-ing forward to possibly making states this year. During an inter-view when asked how his team has improved in previous years he said, “The girls are working very hard to make states. We have played really challenging meets but the girls played hard until the end. ” He also added that the girls have been play-ing some more difficult teams lately, so some losses here and there are not uncommon. The current captains on the team are Kate Stokes and Sam Giesman-Ginter, who have both been playing for four years on the Foran girls’ team and are both seniors. Dur-ing an interview with Giesman-Ginter, she was asked how long she has been participating in tennis, she said, “I’ve been playing all my four years here at Foran and I really love it. But
I actually started when I was in about fourth grade. I wanted to start playing because it looked really fun and I was told that anyone can pick it up.” She also added how she is excited to play in the Law game. The girls’ focus is more on improv-ing rather than how many wins they have this season. There are 18 girls on the team including the managers that help out. A typical practice consists of many fundamentals to being a tennis player. The girls work on a classic warm up, aerobics, practicing their swing, their sets, and then they have a constructive game to conclude the end of practice. The girls’ are currently 3-5 with wins against Lyman Hall 6-1, Bun-nell 4-3, and East Haven 5-2. The Lady Lions hope to have a win against cross town rival,
Girls’ Tennis Looking for Improvement This Season
Shannon FlynnStaff Writer These past couple weeks have sadly been the end of Foran’s outdoor track season. In general cross, country, indoor track, and the outdoor team this spring season have been excel-ling in their meets and in their achievements throughout the season. Asking any of the run-ners from this season, and they will tell you, track is not for the lazy or the unmotivated. To succeed in the highly competi-tive sport, time and hard work needs to be put in during any run whether it be in a practice or a race at a meet. Coaches this year were Mr. Raucci, Mr. Jambor, and Ms. Condon with captains Erin Dillman, Sarah Barrett, Cedrick Lingane, and Bobby McGinnis who all said earlier this year that they were look-ing forward to the season that is now coming to a close. The meets have been very entertain-ing all season for anyone lucky enough to catch a home meet. Track is unique for its variety of events testing the runner’s’ speed, endurance and talent. Events can vary from running the one hundred meter sprint, to hurdles, to even a select few Foran students who compete by pole vaulting. Runner, sopho-more Sarah Kummer is one versatile member of the team
who not only runs the regular one hundred meter sprint but also the one hundred with hur-dles, as if it wasn’t hard enough without them. When asked how she has such motivation to do such a challenging sport Kummer said, “The season has been really fun so far. I enjoy the meets because you get to compete against other people and yourself to improve your times” which is what drives her to push herself. Another one hundred meter sprinter, Meghan Dunn joined track for the first time this season and said, “The rela-tionships between teammates are what stand out the most to me. We were able to bond and work as a team to dedicate our-selves to doing our best” similar to Kummer. Although all the runners have the competitive drive to compete against other teams from different towns,
running has a very personal aspect to it. People run not only for their team but also for themselves. Whether it be for their health and fitness or as a good way to relieve stress, or just a way to spend time doing something fun with friends. This is true for sopho-more Juliana Milewski said she also runs for herself saying, “I love doing outdoor track be-cause it helps me stay in shape, and because of the amazing friends I’ve met.” The season so far has been successful for the team, with many making states and representing Foran. The closing of the sea-son as this school year comes to an end will be sad for coaches and the team, including Junior Genevieve Jaser who says, “Track motivates me to con-stantly try to up my game and improve because of my friendly and supportive teammates.”
Outdoor Track is Crossing the Finish Line
2016 Tennis Team. Photo courtesy yearbook staff.
Freshmen Maggie Cummings and Mike Melilo competing in a track meet at Foran. Photo courtesy of yearbook staff.
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