Vol. XVI, Issue 6 May, 2011 Sibert’s success story 2011...Sibert’s success story ... Sewell, NJ The Patriot Vol. XVI, Issue 6 May, 2011 When walking through the doors of ... p.

Ally Gallo ‘11Sibert’s success story

Washington Township High School,529 Hurffville-Cross Keys Road, Sewell, NJ

The PatriotMay, 2011Vol. XVI, Issue 6

When walking through the doors ofWashington Township High School on the firstday of his freshman year, little did Shane Sibertrealize he would be crowned the 2011 Mr. WThis senior year. “First I remember holding hands witheveryone waiting for the runner’s up to be called,then getting bum rushed by everyone and notbeing able to breathe,” said Sibert. “I’ll neverforget Meghna’s voice and the exact way shesaid my name.”

Sibert is known for many things here atWashington Township High School. He was votedby his classmates for “Best Smile” back inNovember, and he is an active member of DECA.You can also catch him on the morningannouncements, and some of the most wellfavored and remembered commercials from thisyear were made by him.

His peers believe he couldn’t have deservedthe honor of Mr. WT more.

“Shane is probably the most genuine guy Iknow,” said Mandy Verno ’11. “He is talented,but modest, and is such a reliable friend to anyonewho chooses to become his.”

Sibert was crowned Mr. WT during the nightof the Mr. Washington Township show onThursday, April 28. The theme of this year’sshow was Nickelodeon. Throughout the night,the 12 most well rounded boys that the seniorclass of 2011 voted for showed off theirpersonalities and dancing skills competing to be

the next Nickelodeon star, in this case the 2011Mr. Washington Township.

“I feel that performing in Mr. WT was agreat experience,” said Ryan Francisco ’11. “Myfavorite part was just being able to share thatnight with 11 great guys.”

The entire show is put on by StudentCouncil. Advisors Ms. Elizabeth Longo and Mrs.Francesca Muscelli started planning around theDecember before the show. This year, thechoreographers that were chosen were seniorsAlexandra Richards, Nicoleta Sinagridis and AllyGallo. They worked with the boys for 2-3 nightsa week since February, teaching them dance

Inside...

Shane Sibert was crowned the 2011 Mr. Washington Township on April 28. The otherMr. WT boys raise him on their shoulders to celebrate.

Photo courtesy of LINDA HANFORD ‘11

routines to perform the night of the show.“The most ironic part about it all is that I

actually don’t know what I’m going to do nowthat it’s over,” said Richards. “I never thoughtI’d say this then, but I would do it all over againin a second. All in all, love-hate relationship ornot, it was definitely one of the greatest thingsI’ve experienced in high school.”

After an opening video to introduce theboys, the 12 candidates came on stage performinga large group dance. Following the dance, the boyswere introduced one by one each representing adifferent month of the year, where they then were

Dancerstell their

storyThe Arts - Page 14

See MR. WT page 3

Books - p. 10

Commentary - p. 6

Lifestyles - p. 12Features - p.4

The Arts - p. 14

Odds and Ends - p. 9

Entertainment - p. 18

Twp. Sports - p. 24

Opinions:National Sports - p. 21

News - pages 1-3

Tech Talk - p. 17

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. May, 20112 - News

Interact buddies up

“Hoops” game. Buddies and their partners couldcome and toss a beach ball into one of three hulahoops and every time, somebody won a prize.Most prizes included key chains, stickers, beadjewelry and even balloons.

“Personally, I think Festival of Friends isan opportunity for the students of WashingtonTownship to help out in the community and to

This is a community event and despitethe rain outside that day, it was filled withmany sunny faces. On Saturday, April 16,the Rotary Interact club held its annualFestival of Friends. Throughout the day,mentally challenged people from assistedliving homes and special schools came tothe WTHS 9/10 gym to spend the dayplaying games, snacking and winningprizes. “My favorite part was definitelyplaying games with the people and theirbuddies,” said Nicole Ryan ’13 “Theyalways look so happy.”

All students who volunteered forfestival of friends were able to do somethingproductive. Some students worked in the9/10 cafeteria helping out with the food andothers worked at the fun stations in thegym. But one of the most involved and importantjobs a student can have is being a buddy.

“I learned a lot from being a buddy,” saidMatt Andreas, “It takes patience at first, butonce I got to know Dorothy I saw that she was areally cool person and we had a lot of funtogether.”

One popular activity of the day was the

learn that everybody is different, not justat wths but in the real world. Hopefully itgives everyone the chance to becomefriends with somebody they wouldn’tnormally meet without this event,” saidMrs. Renzetti, the adviser for Interact club.

Festival of friends benefits all by givingstudents a rewarding day of communityservice and creating better character as theybuild values like acceptance andunderstanding of others. “I think it’s important that studentsand staff work with the community tomake new friends and build relationships,it’s a genuine service that is donated,” saidMichael Rettano ‘11.

As the festival came to an end in thelate afternoon, the Interact club and studentvolunteers work together to clean up the

gym and prepare for their next big event.Everyone who attended received a complimentaryFestival of Friends T-shirt to be worn on theMonday afterward. “I feel it was a great accomplishment thisyear,” said Kaitlin Hampshire ’11. “A lot ofpeople showed up to help out and it ran reallysmoothly.”

Amy Dennis ‘12

Joe Brown ‘11

Kyle Linderman ‘12

Krissy Robertson ‘11John Whalen ‘11

WTHS Interact collected 177pints of blood at the SpringBlood Drive held in the 11thgrade Gym Friday, April 29.

Due to a Blood Drive TrainingSession, there was a shortage

of Red Cross Volunteers.Although WTHS donated 177

pints of blood, over 300students had signed up.

Every student who donatedgot one pint of blood taken.

Donors dominate WTHS

ELISA OBEDOZA ‘12

WTHS students spent their day as “buddies” tomembers of local assisted living homes andspecial schools.

photos AMY DENNIS ‘12/The Patriot

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.May, 2011 News - 3

Tech boys triumphto answer their own randomly selected question.The boys then got into smaller groups to danceso the audience could really get to see the boys’personalities. This was going to be the last timethey saw the candidates before they decided whoto vote for.

During intermission, the entire audience gotto vote for their favorite dancer by putting theirticket stub in the box of the boy of their choice.Many agree the show was a success.

“I thought it was better than any year beforebecause the choreographers were awesome andour boys really went all out,” said Taylor Peck’11.

The votes were counted during the entiresecond half, while the boys performed anotherlarge group dance, a dance with their mom, and adance with a girl escort of their choice. Aftercounting over 1300 votes, Student CouncilPresident, Ryan Francisco, came in 3rd, JohnNero came in 2nd, and Sibert was named the2011 Mr. Washington Twp.

“I just want to throw a huge thank you toeveryone who supported me, without you all Iwouldn’t have had this opportunity,” Sibert said.“It was the best time of my life, I owe it all toyou.”

The Mr. WT boys agree that three monthsof preparing for Mr. WT was a lot of time anddedication for the boys, but they all agree it wasworth it in the end simply because of how muchfun it was.

“I will remember Mr. WT forever becauseafter spending so much time with the other guysand the choreographers, I will consider us afamily,” said Reg Torrevillas ’11.

MR. WT from page 1

Mr. WTCrowning

The Washington Township Public Schools’Board of Education, Administration and Staff says

We are grateful for your validation of our educational efforts andextraordinary programming that daily benefits thousands of students.

Congratulations to our incumbent Board Members Kurt Snyder andChet Nawoyski who were re-elected to the Board and to newcomers Josh

Aronovitch and Ginny Murphy for their successful campaigns.

to the entire community for its support of the2011-12 school budget.

The Technology StudentAssociation (TSA) participatedin a conference at The College ofNew Jersey (TCNJ) on April 6.Over 40 high schools competedin 30 events ranging fromarchitectural models to CO2powered dragsters and flightendurance. There were on sitecompetitions such astechnology problem solving andpre-conference judged eventslike engineering design.

Ricky Hernandez ‘14 (above right) was one of the top 16 CO2 powereddragsters out of approximately 80 cars from throughout the state. TrevorThayer ‘12 (left) also competed in the CO2 competition.

Ayush Asher ‘12 (left)competed in the flightendurance and had tobuild and fly a rubberband powered aircraft withthe goal being to stayaloft as long as possible.

The TSA welcomes newmembers and generallymeets every first and thirdWednesdays in roomH-111 of the 9-10 wing. Contact adviser Mr. RichAmbacher for moreinformation.

photos courtesy of TSA

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. May, 20114 - News

Decisions, decisions:

prefer to go into the testing cold turkey.Nino Nastasi ‘12, an AP student taking five

tests this year said, “I’m not doing a whole lotto prepare beforehand because I feel as thoughmy teachers have prepared me enough.”

No matter what methods of studying thesestudents chose, it was a fairly universal beliefthat forking over the eighty seven dollars couldgive them an edge in their college years.

“It’s all worthwhile because I am expandingmy general knowledge of both history andpsychology, as well as preparing myself for thework and dedication I will have to exhibit incollege. It lessens the shock value for what is tocome” said Dzierzgowski.

All in all, the students taking AP exams thisMay are headed for a challenge, but most areready for what is to come.

“In the long run, it’s one less class to payfor and take in college,” said Waters, “It’s betterto spend the time and money now than later.”

class will not be taken by colleges.However, most students do believe that the

stress and work of the AP regime will make themmore successful.

“I want the college credit [from the test]and I want to prove to colleges that I have theintellect to attend their schools” said ZachDzierzgowski ’12.

In order to receive that passing grade, moststudents are working extremely hard in order tofill their brains up with the information theyhave studied all year.

“I’ve been going to Mr. Barnshaw’s[history] reviews, reading my notes and studyingthe AP textbook that was given to us” said BrianneWaters ’12.

Some teachers, like Mr. Robert Barnshawhold reviews for his AP students to assure thatthey have a refreshed idea of the subjects theyhave learned in the past.

However, there are some students who

Kaitlyn Gallagher ’12

To many, taking an AP course in high schoolis a challenging and exciting way to exploreeducation.

AP courses are offered in order to enhancestudent’s high school experience and open updoors for their future. In addition to the courses,AP testing is another big part of the whole APpackage.

Each year in May, students who haveselected one of the advanced placement coursesare allowed to take the AP test in that certainarea. Although it is not mandatory for studentsto take the test, most opt to take it consideringthe test can exempt them from that specificcourse in college.

In order to take the test, students must paya fee of eighty seven dollars, making it one ofhigh stakes. A passing score on the AP test isanywhere from a three to a five, so if a studentreceives anything lower than this, credit for the

to attend Rowan University and hassent in her deposit.

“Right now, my major isundeclared but I hope to make adecision in a year or so.”

Kelly Lamb ‘11 had a toughdecision to make. She had to decideif she would wait to see if she wastaken off the wait list for her numberone school [Clemson University],or choose another place to start thenext period of her life. She decidedto do the latter, and is happy withher choice.

I decided to attend Universityof South Carolina instead of waitingon Clemson because they have a fiveyear program that would allow meto get my masters in both secondaryeducation and mathematics,” Lambsaid.

Another factor that proved tobe the make-or-break point was thefinancial cost of the college. Someschools, such as Drexel Universityor Arcadia University, can cost over$30,000 per year, which can bedraining to those who have to payfor their education alone without thehelp of their parents.

Kelsey Sentak ’11 based her

Rebecca Serad ’11

It’s that time of year again. It’stime for the seniors to make adecision that will impact the courseof the rest of their lives: where to goto college. The May 1st deadline isfast approaching and the decision isonly getting tougher.

It isn’t just the choice of aschool that they have to deal with.After spending months gatheringtheir academic records andrecommendations from formerteachers, the senior class has had toface adversity with the decisionmaking process. After playing thewaiting game for months, they haveto deal with possible rejection or nothaving enough money to pay for theeducation they desire.

Kelsey Wainwright ’11 has hadfirsthand experience with beingrejected from her dream school.

“I was rejected from mynumber one school [University ofDelaware]. It took me awhile to getpast that. At that point, I justwanted to get in to any of the othercolleges I applied to.”

Wainwright has made her choice

decision for the immediate futuresolely on her financial situation.

“I’m going to attend GloucesterCounty College in the fall for Web/Multimedia Development. I wantedto go to Rowan, but I couldn’t affordit. I thought that it would be best totake the safe route and save up themoney to attend Rowan after mytime at GCC.”

Kate Hampshire ’11 is tryingto bypass possible monetary issuesas best as she can.

“I can’t really afford to go toRider,” she said, “since it costs over$30,000 a year, but I’m trying tomake it work. I’ve taken out loans

Preparation key to AP success

and have applied for a lot ofscholarships. Hopefully, that willhelp me out.”

However, not everyone wasforced to deal with the glaringfinancial costs. Chris Viola ’11 wasable to make his decision withoutneeding to keep the pecuniary aspectin the front of his mind.

“I’ve gotten a couple ofscholarships that should help meout,” Viola said. “Because I couldjust focus on the colleges and notthe money, it was a lot lessstressful.”

Most students who have

FeaturesSeniors make finalcollege choices

Dance concert performers pose to show their college pride.ALLY GALLO ‘11/The Patriot

See COLLEGE page 5

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.May, 2011 Features - 5

Apparel classes prepare for showFashion frenzy

Stumm goes on to say, “Nowit’s even harder to see their homevenue leave as well. At least we havethe Union to follow now.”

The Union is the newprofessional soccer team forPhiladelphia that plays their homegames in Chester, PA.

Economics teacher Mr. TomMorris has a lot of memories of theSpectrum.

“Last time I was at theSpectrum was in 1988 and I sawNeil Young and Crazy Horse. It wasa Rockin’ good time!” Morris said.

something new is being built therebecause the Spectrum wasn’t reallybeing used that much.”

The Spectrum, known forbeing the longtime home of the76ers and Flyers, also hostedconcerts, Arena Football, IndoorSoccer, and professional Lacrosse.The City of Brotherly Love was awitness to many notable eventstaken place in the spectrum. It heldDuke Basketball legend ChristianLaettner’s last second shot to beatKentucky in the 1992 NCAA EastRegional’s of the March MadnessTournament at the spectrum. TheSpectrum also hosted six FlyersStanley Cup series and five 76erFinals.

These notable events bring alot of great memories too manystudents at WTHS that they willnever forget.

Tyler Stumm ‘12 says, “Ihave been to quite a few Kixx(Indoor Soccer) games, and it wastough to see them go.”

Chris Bosnjak ‘12

This past winter, the city saidgood bye to the first modern indoorsports arena in Philadelphiahistory. The Wachovia Spectrumwas under demolition fromNovember of 2010 to April of 2011to be replaced by Philly Live!, anentertainment sports complex thatis projected to open by spring2012. As the region says goodbye,many look forward to the change.

Philly Live! Is going to featurebars, restaurants, andentertainment for after Philadelphiasporting events. Though this newsports complex will be replacing aclassic piece of Philadelphia sportshistory, some believe Philly Live!will turn out great.

Connor Hornibrook ’12stated, “I think that the Spectrumwas an awesome venue for sportsand later on concerts, but it wasgetting run down and wasn’t ingreat shape. I think it’s good that

and sewing their own clothes. The participants muststay after school to work on every last detail that goesinto the show. Some of their tasks include picking atheme, organizing the designs, finding models, makingprograms, and creating the set.

All of the students with garments in the showfind their own models. The models are usually thepeople most similar to the designer’s size.

Although the fashion show takes a lot ofpreparation, it all comes together in the end.

“My favorite part of the show is the show itself.Planning and preparing is very stressful, but I knowthat it is going to be a great show and I’m excited forthe show to happen,” said Donlon.

“My favorite part is seeing all of our hard workpay off and being able to see the clothing that peoplemade,” said Fleming. “My least favorite part is notbeing able to watch it because we are behind the scenes.”

Any students who contribute to the show areable to put in anything they have ever made, as long asit wasn’t in a previous show.

“Mrs. Drozd would never want us to putanything in the show that we are not proud of,” saidDonlon.

The student fashion show is the perfect chancefor students to show off their garments they haveworked on.

Emily Bierman ‘11

For those who have dreamed about attendingNew York Fashion Week, on May 31 the sewingclasses at WTHS will be hosting Township FashionWeek 2011.

The show is an annual event for the sewingstudents to showcase their work that resulted fromhard work and dedication. Alumni who are in thefashion business are also able to participate. Thisyear, the fashion show is also opened to studentswho previously took sewing, or students who sewat home.

Cecilia Chu ’11, Shannon Gutoski ‘11, EricaCiancaglione ’11, Hannah Donlon ’11, MaureenFleming ’13, and Carley Dinovi ’12 make up the sixcommittee members for the fashion show. Most ofthe girls are in different years of the offered sewingclasses at WTHS. Ciancaglione and Gutoski are intheir fourth year, Dinovi, Donlon and Chu are intheir third year, and Fleming is in her second year.The committee members plan and organizeeverything that goes into the fashion show.

“Our job is to put the ideas of the class toreality,” said Donlon. “We also run and organize theshow.”

The fashion show isn’t just students designing

Remembering the Spectrum

“I also saw Bruce Springsteenthere in 1981 and I saw a circusthere one time.” Morris stated.

This stadium made an impactnot only on people in Philadelphia,but across the entire South Jerseyregion. Most fans have stories ofthe Broad Street Bullies, thosenotorious Aerosmith concerts, andthe 76ers teams of Julius Erving andMoses Malone.

Although its era has come toan end, for locals who experiencedevents at the arena the memorieswill live on forever.

College choicesfinalized

committed to a school are veryhappy about the choice they havemade.Hampshire, who wants to be apediatrician, said, “The one thingthat really stuck out to me aboutRider was how they personalizeyour academic program. When Ichoose a medical school to attendafter my four years there, they willhelp me make the best decision forme.”

Viola was sold on Rowan fromthe start.

“I really liked the proximityto where I live,” he said. “Since mybrother went there, I know what agood education system they have.Plus, they have programs for bothof the majors I am considering:business management and music.”

Although not every studenthas yet decided on a college andmajor, the ones that have anticipatethe next stage of their lives.

“I’m definitely excited for theyears to come. College is going tobe a big part of that,” said Lamb.

AP IMAGES

The former spectrum is being demolished for Philly Live!

See COLLEGE page 4

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. May, 20116 - Commentary

sewing. I have to say that it hasbeen a great experience, and now Icannot imagine my High Schoolexperience without it.

Though sewing can be veryfrustrating, our teacher Mrs. Drozdis very helpful. Even when I domess up (which is often) I knowthat in the end, I will make a garmentthat I am very happy with whenshe is there to help. It is a fun classwith a relaxing atmosphere. Goingto sewing is like going to an oasis inthe middle of my school day.

Lastly, those who take theapparel courses are able toparticipate in the school’s fashionshow and showcase their work. Thestudents who are in Apparel 2, 3and 4 run the fashion show, howeverall levels participate. This year’stheme is “Township Fashion Week”and is on May 31 in the ll/12auditorium. Flyers will be postedin the halls with more details at alater date. If you would like anymore information about the courseplease talk to your guidancecounselor or talk to Mrs. Drozd inA-2.

Hannah Donlon ‘11

The feeling of pride that onereceives when wearing a garmentthat you constructed with your ownhands is a feeling like no other. Apparel Construction is the classthat will give you that pride. In thisclass you will learn the art of thissomewhat ancient craft, andeveryone will be coming to youwhen a button falls off.

The apparel constructioncourses at Washington Townshipoffer new opportunities.

To start, people will be comingto you to fix their clothes. So notonly will you be helping people, butyou may be able to bring in somemoney as well.

Also, if you are interested ingetting a career in the fashionindustry, it is important to haveexperience in sewing. Sewingclasses help to build your portfolio. Why spend hundreds of dollarstaking apparel courses at local artuniversities when you can take acourse at school for free?

This year is my third year of

seniors fail toappreciate is that,regardless, the pastfour years wouldn’thave been possiblewithout the fundingthat we had.

Already in the pastfew years, we’velost the WinterFormal due to budgetcuts and class sizeshave noticeablyincreased due to thedownsize in staffing.What previous -WTHS alumni willhave enjoyed and

remembered fondly as part of their high schoolyears, the cu-rrent and upcoming students will

Christina Cockerill ‘12

It seems like theapathy from seniors in ourschool is one of the biggestthorns in our budget’sside. Every year, the lackof participation from ofage seniors is startling;when the budget passes orfails by a small margin ofvotes, every single onetruly matters. And whatexactly is it that stopsstudents from voting?

Perhaps it’s the factthat whatever the outcomeis, they leave for collegenext year, completely unaffected by whateverchanges are made to the school. But what many

never have the chance to experience at all. Mostof the current students don’t even remember thatwe had the winter twilight dance.

The sad part is that for the lack of interestthe upperclassmen show, they never experiencethe detrimental effects of their disinterest. It’salmost selfish; the few moments it would take toregister and cast your ballot are something manyof the younger students would gladly volunteerto do if they had the chance.

This April, all upperclassmen at WTHS hadto opportunity to get out there and vote for thebudget to pass. While the budget did pass, manyseinors did not bother to get out and voice theiropinion.

Voting is a democratic responsibility: whilecitizens of the USA would fight bitterly over theloss of our system “by the people, for thepeople”, those who don’t exercise their right tovote don’t deserve it.

Apparel Construction providesrelaxed, fun atmosphere

Commentary

Every year, the lack ofparticipation from of ageseniors is startling; when thebudget passes or fails by asmall margin of votes, everysingle one truly matters

Voting seniors need to step up

The PatriotVolume XVI, Issue 6 - May, 2011

Editor-in-Chief - Emily Bierman ‘11

Washington Township High School,519 Hurffville-Cross Keys Road, Sewell, NJ

Managing Editor - Anthony Dentino ‘11

Adviser - Mr. Jim Evangelisti

Assistant Adviser - Mrs. Heather Finn

Printing- Mr. Dale Biebel,Chris Pelley ‘11, Brett Deckert ‘13

The opinions expressed in the Commentary section and all articles labeled asopinion as well as all reviews and columns, are the views of the writer indicated inthe byline. They are not meant to represent the views of The Patriot staff, thestudents of Washington Twp. HS. or its administartion. Unsigned editorials aremeant to reflect the views of the publication.

Please send all correspondence to: [email protected]

News - Ally Gallo ‘11Commentary - Jennifer Gordun ‘12The Arts - Kelsey Wainwright ‘11Lifestyles - Leanne Abrams ‘11Tech Talk- Steven Hauser ‘13Entertainment - Christina Cockerill ‘12

Odds & Ends - Amy Dennis ‘12Features - Kaitlyn Gallagher ‘12Books - Alexandra Propati ‘13People - Alexis Donia ‘11Twp. Sports - Rebecca Serad ‘11National Sports - Phil Jaffe ‘11

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.May, 2011 Commentary - 7

Scheduling,before

consideringstate

requirments

...and after

Students believe new gold card rules are unfairStay gold

they have oil and we want it. Soyou can see there is no unified causeto get behind in the Iraq War yes?Well not on our side at least. Butfor Iraqis the war is very simple.They fight us because we are there.They fight us because we are in theholy land. This war means more tothem than it could ever mean to us.They do not care if they die fortheir cause. We cannot agree on whywe are fighting. Who do you thinkis going to last in the long haul?

The War on Terrorism, as wehave named it is not a war to befought with a military. Osama BinLaden is dead. Killed by a smallmilitary task force under thedirection of President Obama andworking off of intelligence from theCIA. It was one of the smoothestmilitary operations of the decade.And it is a beautiful example of howthe War on Terror should have beenfought from the beginning. Whydoes Muammar Gaddafi live whenAmerica could have him killed with

rose to the occasion to show us thatthey had moved past beinguntrustworthy to being just plainidiotic.

Iraq, the country that couldn’thave been more not involved withthe events of that fateful day wasmarked as our enemy. Quitesimply, this is a stupid war to befought with a military. I am in noway disre-specting the heroes whohave died for this country in theIraq War, because that is exactlywhat they are, heroes. What I amdisrespecting is the idea that theseheroes’ lives should be squanderedon wars that the public cannotunderstand.

When I was young and the warbegan I asked every adult I couldfind why we had gone to war withIraq. The answers I got were varied.Saddam Hussein was an evil manwho had to be stopped, we wereavenging the victims of 9/11, Iraqhad weapons of mass destruction(never found), and (my favorite)

Sean McLaughlin’11

With the death of Osama BinLaden the time is ripe for a look athow the U.S. is handling foreignpolicy in The Middle East. TheMiddle East, as with most thingsable to be debated, seems to havebrought our government to anindecisive impasse. Ever since theend of the Vietnam War there hasbeen a trend growing in Americaof generally mistrusting thegovernment.

Of course, it is not as thoughthis feeling by the American peopleis unwarranted. With the Watergatescandal, the Pentagon Papers, andthe misdeeds of President Clintongovernment’s nose is far from clean.American’s became despondent,bored with the government, that isof course until the attacks onSeptember 11th 2001 when a surgeof patriotism brought America backinto the government’s arms and ourmen and women in Congress truly

Jenn Gordun ‘12

Hard work, participationin extracurricular ac-tivities,and close to perfectattendance –acquiring a goldcard at WTHS is no easy task.

In order to acquire a goldcard, students must have aGPA of 93 or higher and mustparticipate in at least oneextracurricular activity on topof other requirements.

Holders of gold cardshave open IMC privileges, h-all pass privileges, discountson school activities and atcertain stores in WashingtonTownship which participatesin the renaissance program.Though these are allwonderful privileges, moststudents are unhappy withthe decision to revoke thepolicy of exemption on finals.

Before this new rule was putin place, students with a gold cardwho had an A in each markingperiod of a class were exempt fromtaking the final exam at the end ofthe year. This privilege has beentaken away from students, andmany are angered and upset.Though it is noted that thisprivilege was revoked because ofthe increased weight finals have onthe GPA’s, this privilege shouldstill be available to certainstudents.

Achieving a 93 or higher inevery marking period of a class isno fluke. These students haveclose to perfect attendance andhave had no subject failures ordetention referrals during theschool year. It is apparent that thestudent knows the materialthoroughly and completely andshould not be subjected to takingthe final exam. It is safe to say

a phone call and yet we are willingto waste time bombing his countryfor the sake of being the hero intheir own inner-state conflict. It’stime for America to wake up.Putting the lives of our people, evenour warriors, at risk without a clear-cut reason that the American peoplecan grasp is reckless, wrong, andmust not be allowed to continue.

War not worth fighting

that almost every student in highschool gets extremely stressed whenfinals come around –especially forhigh achieving students, and theability to be exempted from one ortwo would be a tremendous stressreliever.

By bringing this privilege back,the district would give studentsextra incentive and a stronger driveto try harder for an A and a goldcard. Many good students who maynot usually participate in afterschool activities would bemotivated to do so in order toacquire a gold card and becomeeligible to skip a final exam. Withhard work throughout the entireyear and the outstanding grades toprove it, gold card holders shouldbe rewarded f-or all their hard workand determination.

It is safe to say thatalmost every student inhigh school getsextremely stressed whenfinals come around –especially for highachieving students, andthe ability to beexempted from one ortwo would be atremendous stress

Have anopinion

you’d like toshare?

Send it to us.wthspatriot

@gmail.com

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. May, 20118 - Commentary

Senioritis strikeswith a vengeanceMotivation, MIA?

as the snow clearancein the winter. Perhapsten dollars was not asufficient price inorder to keep theparking lot clean andadequate for studentuse.

In addition,twenty five dollarsreally should not beconsidered anoutrageous price for aparking spot that canbe used for an entireyear. It may be anissue if it was twentyfive dollars a month topark in the senior lot; however, theschool only charges those wishingto use it once in the beginning of theschool year.

If the school does not collectenough money to repair the parking

Kaitlyn Gallagher ‘12

Recently a press release wasissued on wtps.org; the district’swebsite. It stated that in order topark in the senior lot, studentswould have to pay twenty fivedollars as opposed to the normalten dollar fee.

As expected, much protestbegan to arise among the class of2012. Why now, was the questionmost juniors asked, considering thatfor the last fifteen years, ten dollarswas the instituted fee. But uponconsideration, this fee is not anoutrageous increase.

In defense of the WashingtonTownship Board of Education, theprice of maintaining the parking lotcertainly adds up. With all of thecars constantly circulating in andout of the lot, damage starts tobecome a prominent issue, as well

prom at the end of that week, waking up thenext morning to go on Senior Trip.Upon returning from Disney, seniors would thenhave nothing left to do but graduation practiceand then graduation. I think this could be a niceway to end the year. Seniors could go to promand then to Disney without a care in the world.They would be completely done with high school.

This may prevent Senioritis from gettingso bad like the way it is at our school. No matter

Ally Gallo ‘11

Senior trip, prom, Phillies games, wingnights, all of these events are what forces seniorsat Washington High School to have Senioritis,the crippling disease that causes students whoare nearing the end of high school to slack off.But is it really our fault?

How can we help but think about thedozens of other exciting things going on in ourlives? We flew to the happiest place on earthwith 500 friends just a month ago, and then areforced to come back to the reality of everythingafter a week. It seems impossible to me to focuson schoolwork after a week in Walt DisneyWorld.We still have an entire marking period left, and Ithink most of the senior class is more worriedabout what they’re doing prom weekend thanthey are about AP Testing.

Whether it’s Twp Night at the Phillies orthe Honors Banquet, there always seems to besomething else to look forward to that distractsme from my schoolwork, and I know others arefeeling like they’re in the same position.

I know it’s been like this forever, but I thinkit could be a cool idea to possibly change thingsaround. Some high schools have a week of finalsthe second to last week of school, followed by

what, everyone gets excited for the end of theyear to come, and all of the events that lead upto the last week of school really have an effecton the outcome of students’ performance in class.Some people get lazy with their work; othersjust stop doing it all together. It’s not fair toteachers that we as students aren’t giving ourbest. If we can try to prevent ways of Senioritisfrom spreading, I think it could have a verypositive outcome for everyone

lots, pot holes, cracks and otherpavement problems can causedamage to student’s vehicles,creating even more problems theschool and the driver will have todeal with.

Also, with the enormousamount of snow and precipitationwe’ve been receiving in the past fewyears, the cost of plowing the lotmust have sky rocketed. If we haveyet another harsh winter in 2012,the school is going to need moremoney in order to clear the snow.

The Board of Education wasjustified in raising this price,contrary to popular belief. Ifstudents expect the school toprovide sufficient, clean, and safeparking, a decent amount of moneymust flow into the cause. A fifteendollar raise in the parking fee iscertainly worth the money ifstudents are going to be using theprovided spots all year long.Students often take advantage of theresources given to them, and shouldbe more grateful that students evenhave a parking lot to use.

NICK LEDONNE ‘12/The Patriot

Parking space upcharge justifiedIf the school does not collectenough money to repair theparking lots, pot holes,cracks and other pavementproblems can cause dam-age to student’s vehicles,creating even more pro-blems the school and thedriver will have to deal with.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.May, 2011 Odds & Ends - 9

Wristbands: irritating or irresistible?

closely and noticed that inexplicably, water hadgotten inside even before visiting the waterpark,Typhoon Lagoon. Then the words that classifiedus as part of our high school senior class triprubbed off. Even a few kids started whiningbecause their “individuality” couldn’t shinethrough because the unthinkable had happened:we were all marked the same.

Alex Lawlor ‘11

If there’s one thing Township loves, itswristbands and inch-high stacks of tangledfriendship bracelets. What decorates your wristshas become a symbol among students here forhow inclined you are to school-related socialoutings, what charity you donated to duringlunch, and how much your best friend loves you.

The ever-popular wristband is additionallya means of identification for chaperones toefficiently glance at a student and see that they’refrom Township. The most recent addition tomany Township kids’ collections were the limegreen Senior Trip bracelets.

At first there was a buzz of anticipationchurning through the crowd as everyone, liningup with their luggage, waited for the band to besnapped on their wrist. After all, these neoncolored bands meant the official start of whatmany called “the best five days of their lives”.

But over the next few days, people took adifferent attitude towards their bracelets.Students started examining their bands more

Some say holding onto memories can bepainful, but in my case at least, trying to preservethem via Senior Trip wristbands is even worse.Every time I changed my shirt, the bracelet’srigid plastic edge grazed my opposite elbow. Aftertwo weeks of this nonsense, the sheer rawnessof the skin on my elbow became an incessantirritation, and finally the Band of Doom drewblood. I bled all the way from my house to work,all for the sake of determination to keep mymemories of Senior Trip alive.

Then, over a month after returning homefrom Disney, I noticed tiny raised bumps alongmy wrist where the Senior Trip band clung to: arash. I can deal with the liquid inside, I can dealwith writing rubbing off, I can even put up withband aids on my elbow. But when it gave me arash, it crossed the line. The silver gleam ofnearby scissors caught my eye, and withouthesitation, I snatched them. I cut off my bracelet,and promised myself I’d find other ways to holdon to my Senior Trip memories.

At least I still have my Mickey Mouseslippers.

Odds & Ends

NICK LEDONNE ‘12The Patriot

“It’s more than just afashion style; it’s a pointof view, a way of life and

even a whole newsubculture.”

Hipster goes mainstreamAmy Dennis ‘12

“Hipster”. The name sparks notions of vintage clothing, thick-rimmed glasses and fedora hats. But the hipster is more than just afashion style; it’s a point of view, a way of life and even a whole newsubculture.

While the term has recently been kicked into overdrive in thepast decade, the “hipster” has actually been around for more than 50years. The name itself was coined in the 1940’s after America’s jazz agewhen everybody was feeling a little bit on the rebellious side. From thestart, hipsters were known for giving off a general attitude of indifferencetoward the established conventions.

But as the Vietnam conflicts and Cold War began to grow inAmerica the hipster ways seemed to retreat and morph into a new styleof individualism… the hippie. While the hippie is also derived from thesame “hip” concept, there are plenty of differences. For example, hippiesseemed to by and large possess an increased social awareness of saidestablished conventions by promoting their ideals of peace and loveeverywhere they could. Hippies also appeared to act much lesssophisticated and much more extroverted in their ways of life comparedto the hipster. The hippie fashion is more laid-back, but at the same timemore obnoxious and flashy than the carefully arranged, subtle andconservative style of the hipsters.

While they don’t bear much physical resemblance at first, it’splain to see that the hippies and hipsters have experienced the same typeof social feedback and stereotypical response over the years. Manyinstitutions took to displaying signs saying, “Hippies, keep out” or “No

hipsters allowed” as the groups began to litter the modern social world.But by keeping to their carefree mindset, it seems many hipsters andhippies take pride in this attracted public loathing.

Recently, as media and fashion have advanced, the hipster hasironically regained popularity in our urban culture. With TV Shows likeMy Life as Liz gaining popularity it’s hard to avoid hearing about hipstersas the main character often categorizes herself as one. Even the popsinger Ke$ha has brought up the term in her hit song “We R Who We R”.

The media is often responsible for inspiring the many trendsof pop culture so it’s no surprise that the hipster has evolved into a newand mutually exclusive style revolution.

NICK LEDONNE ‘12/The Patriot

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. May, 201110 - Books

Book Club president helps out

Alexandra Propati’13

The IMC Book Sale comesaround once a year; students can getused books for just a dollar each.This year there will be an even widerselection of books to choose from,because the book sale is now opento the public.

The librarians, who areorganizing the book sale, Mrs. KarenJohnson, Mrs. Denise Skow, andMs. Ann Hill, have put an ad in thelocal newspapers to encouragesupport from the public. Now notonly can students and teachers donatetheir books, the public can too.

“I’m not a big reader, but thisbook sale is a bargain. I don’t have

Activities are a main part of Kamal’s freetime. She participates in eight activities afterschool including COW project, Book club,Rotary Interact, Student Council, French Club,and library volunteer work.

“I love staying busy with different projectsbecause I know that if I stop I will startworrying,” Kamal said.

Volunteer projects that Kamal has taken apart in include the WTHS blood drive, Festivalof friends, and raising money for impoverished

Mariatu Santiago ‘11

Sarah Kamal ‘11 is the president ofthe Washington Township High schoolbook club. Kamal’s interests go beyondbooks and reach as far as science andvolunteer work.

More than anything Kamal lovesto help people anonymously, “To me itdoes not matter if I am recognized,” shesaid, “all that matters is how they woulduse it and pass it on.”

Becoming a pharmacist and helpingpeople is well worth toiling throughyears of difficult chemistry for Kamal.Kamal has always shown a particularinterest in science, even though it wasn’teasy at times; Kamal still finds it to be afascinating topic.

Regardless of the challenge scienceposes Kamal hopes to become aPharmacist because of the medicationand healing they provide withoutnecessarily getting all of the credit oraccolades, “How can I expect to get if Ido not give?!”

In high school many students use their freetime to spend with friends and hang out, butKamal’s favorite part is the volunteer work.Kamal gets a thrill from helping others inanonymous ways, leaving a significant impacton a person’s life. To Kamal the impact of leavinga wonderful memory is better than leaving behinda great fortune. Kamal’s beliefs are best summedup by Jackie Robinson who said, “The measureof a person is in the affect they’ve had on thepeople around them.”

IMC book sale expands its market

Books

children through programs, such as theO Ambassadors.

What Kamal loves about events suchas Festival of Friends is the opportunityto help someone else who may not havethe same advantages as others. She viewshelping others as, “My purpose in life.”

When it came to the blood driveKamal’s favorite aspect was comfortingpeople after they just donated.

Along with the joy of helping othersKamal says that she has a true passionfor reading and on being called abookworm she jokingly said, “One ofmy friends has me saved in her contactsas bookworm, so yeah, I kinda am.”

Kamal’s favorite book is Kite Runnerby Khaled Hosseini. What Kamal lovesabout this book is its description of themain character’s life from childhood intoadulthood and the idea that even themost despicable people have the abilityto be forgiven. She finds the themesmentioned in the book to be serious andsuggests that it’s a book that everyone

should read one day particularly for the maincharacter’s journey of struggle.

A unique interest of Kamal’s is belly dancing.Being Egyptian, belly dancing is part of herculture. She learned belly dancing by herselfprimarily by watching television. It’s a dancedone by all of the girls during parties, and Kamalconsiders herself to be better at it than normaldancing.

Kamal is not shy when it comes to thissaying, “Whenever there’s a party I just get upand dance.”

Book Club members and studentvolunteers in the IMC, who arehelping out.

to just get books for myself, theycould be a gift to my friends orfamily,” Said Leanne Abrams’11.

The IMC will be open on May18 from 6-8pm, for the public. OnMay 19-20, the IMC will be openall day, so the students can go andcheck out the books during lunch,study hall, or after school. There area lot of books, close to a thousand,but they will surely go fast, so don’tbe afraid and come on down.

Last year the Book Sale madeabout five-hundred dollars, anddonated the money to Pennies forPeace and CHOP (Children’sHospital of Philadelphia). CHOP, areach out and read program that givesa brand new book to the children

who are being treated for a sickness.The book sale organizers hope toreach last year’s figure, and ifpossible, exceed it.

“Our goal is to promoteliteracy,” said Johnson.Whether it’s for thestudents atWTHS or thechildren ofCHOP, theL i b r a r i a n swant to bethere to helpe v e r y o n elearn what ajoy readingis, alongwith the

Courtesy of SARAH KAMAL ‘11/The Patriot

Sarah Kamal enjoys reading and participating inservice projects that help the community.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.May, 2011 Books - 11

Emily Bierman ‘11

Thirteen Reasons Why by JayAsher is a novel about how one thingcan change somebody’s life forever.When Clay Jensen arrives homefrom school one day, he finds ashoebox sitting on his front porchwaiting for him. Little does he knowthat his opinion of his communitywill change the minute he opens thebox.

Inside the box he finds sevencassette tapes. Each tape has anumber on both sides, except thelast one which only has one number.These thirteen numbers hold theThirteen Reasons Why Jensen’sformer classmate and crushcommitted suicide weeks before.

Once Jensen starts listening tothe first tape, he is shocked to hearHannah Baker’s voice.

Each tape is directed to a personwho had a hand in why Baker

committed suicide. She demands thatafter the listener listens to the tapes,he or she should send them to thenext person. If they don’t, shementions that she sent an additionalcopy to another student who willrelease them for everybody to see.None of the original thirteen wantthe duplicate tapes to be released,especially after listening to howthey played a role in Hannah’s death.

Everything is a chain reaction.Baker describes how she was hurtand how everything led to herdepression and her eventual suicide.Justin Foley, the person the first tapeis directed to, starts everything witha simple rumor and everythingsnowballs from there. Each personis connected to another, and eachstory reveals more about the painHannah Baker had to go through.

Asher switches betweenJensen’s narration to Baker’sthroughout the novel. The novel

followsJensen as he listens to eachtape, waiting for his own tape. Whileat times the different narrators canbe confusing, it adds depth to thenovel. The reader is able tounderstand Baker’s thoughts andactions, while hearing Jensen’sreactions to the truth.

The novel has quickly becomea bestselling book, and has wonvarious awards. The novel also hasa positive message, even with theheavy subject of suicide.

This novel provides aninteresting insight into theunconscious roles people can playin somebody’s suicide. ThirteenReasons Why ties in with Rachel’sChallenge and teaches people to payattention to how they perceive andtreat others. No one knows howmuch of an impact they have on thelives of other people.

Amy Dennis ‘12

Mitch Albom’s unique andinnovative tale of The Five PeopleYou Meet in Heaven offers a newperspective on the mysteriousconcept of an afterlife. The bookfocuses on a main character, Eddie,who dies an old and bitter man ina shocking amusement park rideaccident.Rather than floating off into aGarden of Eden minutes after hedies, Eddie is instead introducedto a whole new journey markedchronologically with life alteringmemories and five particularpeople who somehow made adifference in his life.

At first, the book may seemcontroversial because of itsassociation with heaven, but really the themes delvemuch deeper than any concept of religion and in theend, actually pertain more to life than death. Alongwith the five people Eddie meets, he is also given fivedifferent lessons on why his life ended up the way itdid.

In Albom’s rendition of heaven, he doesn’t createa forget-all paradise but rather a place to have yourlife explained to you. For instance, one significantcharacteristic of Eddie is his handicapped leg, brutally

injured in World War Two. All hislife, Eddie never knew how he waswounded or why his life had to beplagued by this constriction. Butwhen he arrives in heaven, Eddiemeets his old war captain whoexplains to him that Eddie was shotin the leg, so that his life would bespared. This lesson of selflessnessand sacrifice is just one of the manylessons Eddie comes to understandabout himself after death.Mitch Albom, also the author of

Tuesdays with Morrie and For OneMore Day often focuses on theimportance of truly living andappreciating the people who havemade a difference in your life. Thisis very obvious in The Five PeopleYou Meet in Heaven. He teachesreaders to look for deeper meaning

within their life situations and learn from your mistakesbecause we are always given a second chance, evenafter death. To quote the author; “All endings are alsobeginnings. We just don’t know it at the time”.

Being an easy read, the Five People You Meet inHeaven is a very enjoyable and interesting book thatwill hold your attention. Almost anybody can find atrait of Eddie’s life or of Eddie himself that they cansomehow relate to, and this also makes the novel anextraordinary read.

Novel offers newperspective of afterlife

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

In each edition of “Keep It Short”Hannah Donlon will reveiw shortstories from both classic andcontemporary authors.

I often hear people say thatthey would read but they just donot have the time. For all of thosewho feel this way, consider readingshort stories. Short stories are greatalternative to novels because you areable to read them in one sitting. Bycompleting them you are not left thelingering feeling that you have tofinish your book. Also, and mostimportantly, by completing themyou acquire the satisfaction ofreading a good story.

Edgar Allan Poe’s “WilliamWilson”, sends one on a trip toEurope in the 19th century. Thiseighteen page story is filled withsolid descriptions; Poe gives veryvivid images in this story. Though“William Wilson” can seem toowordy and hard to follow for modernreaders, the details are essential inmaking the story as great as it is.

The narrator begins the storyby labeling himself as an evil person,but he wants to tell his story as towhy he became that way. Poe’spreface does a superb job drawingthe reader in. Next, the narratorventures to his past, beginning histale in grade school. The plot holdstrue to a reoccurring theme in Poe’swork; the sanity of the maincharacter and their actions becauseof that mentality.

The work of Edgar Allan Poecan be very intimidating, but do notlet that stop you from reading“William Wilson”. While reading, ifthere is an aspect that you do notunderstand, you can alwaysreference to an analysis on theinternet. There are many otherstories of Edgar Allan Poe thatshould be given a try. So remember,keep reading, and keep’em short.

Lesser-knownPoe story

provessuspenseful

Keep It Shortby Hannah Donlon ’11

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. May, 201112 - Lifestyles

Teen tanning trend continues

pain but, if she lifts her arms just a little over 90degrees, it puts her in a lot of pain.

Looking at my mom, you wouldn’t be ableto tell that she has M.S. She appears normalbut, really every other step she takes, hurts herwhole body. Despite all the pain that she’s in,she still does everything for my family.

It’s hard for my mom to do normal thingswith my family like, going to the mall or going tothe boardwalk or anything that requires a lot ofwalking. We are fortunate because it could be alot worse. Some affected with M.S are confidedto a wheel chair or, have no control of her bodywhat so ever.

As teens we probably all take our mothersfor granted sometimes and forget how reallyblessed we are. Everyone argues with their momand that’s probably not going to change. But, allI’m asking is sometimes just take a moment andrealize how lucky you are to have someone whowill always be there for you no matter what.And don’t ever forget, to remind your mom howmuch you love her.

getting grounded.This happens probably with about 90% of

teens. We’re teenagers, we have short temperand we blow up when something doesn’t go ourway. That’s just how we are.

But, do we ever really stop for a secondand think how lucky we are to have a mom? Iwould be lying to you if I told you I did that alot.

But, I really am blessed to have a mom likemine. She does everything for my family. Shedrives us everywhere, gives us money when weneed it, cooks, cleans, let’s us go out with arefriends and so much more. But, the one thingthat I’m most grateful for is that she does allthese things despite all the pain that she is ineveryday.

When I was in the 4th grade, my mom gotdiagnosed with M.S. This is a spinal cord diseasewhich puts her in a lot of pain every day. Shecannot go a day without taking her medicine orshe won’t be able to move. Normally, peoplecan lift their arms over their head without any

In “Opening the Door”, I will relate someof my personal stories & struggles. I hope tohelp readers understand that they are not alonein having challenges in life and that everyonegoes through hardships in dealing with family,friends and relationships.

Mother’s day is the day where everyonegoes out and buys the cards and the flowers andchocolates. It’s the day where, for the day,everything is about mom.

But, do we ever really think about the truemeaning of Mother’s day? Are we just going outand buying chocolates and flowers and cardsbecause we “have to” or, do we do it because wewant to show our mom’s how appreciated theyare?

My mom and I argue about almosteverything. Admit it, we all do. Most of thetime it’s about stupid things like, cleaning yourroom or, leaving your clothes in the washer ornot cleaning up after yourself when you’re doneeating. But of course, every little argument turnsinto yelling and screaming and I usually end up

‘13.Although tanning seems to be

the current popular obsession, it hasnot always been this way. In thedays during the Victorian era,women did what they could to staypale. They used extra whitemakeup. When they traveledoutdoors, they used umbrellas toblock the sunlight. Women whowere fair skinned were put in thehigh social class while the womenwho had color or who were “tan”,were put in the lower class status.It was assumed they couldn’t affordto hire people to do outside workand they had to do itthemselves.This would showthey weren’t as wealthy had thosewho were pale and hired workersdo their yard work. In our modern days, bodyimage and social statuses havechanged. Going tanning and beingtan for most is found to be moreattractive. How you dress and whatyou drive seems to establish yoursocial class not being pale or tan.

Leanne Abrams ‘11

Body image is a problem notonly for teens but for adults as well.“Being accepted” by others andfitting in seems to be on the top ofmost people’s list.

Being thin and tan seems to bethe new thing to be attracted to.Some people are spending onaverage about 30- 35 dollars a monthon tanning.

We are all taught that tanningis dangerous and in some cases canlead to skin cancer. Yet people stilldo it to “fit in” and try to be moreattractive.

“Knowing the side effects doesbother me somewhat but I try notto think about them,” said AlexCentrone’11.

Some people take the risk ofgetting skin cancer seriously andwould never go tanning.

“I’m afraid of getting burnt, Idon’t think looking ‘good’ for a littlewhile is worth getting skin cancerlater in life,” said Alexandra Propati

This has happened the sameway many unhealthy things occur:from the media’s perspective ofwhat a so called “perfect bodyimage” should be. Some youngadults look up to celebrities and ifthey are tan and thin they want tobe the same.

Appreciation should be more than once a year

NICK LEDONNE’’12/The Patriot

Lifestyles

“I go tanning because I havemore confidence when I am tan, italso puts me in a better mood. It isworth the money to me,” saidCentrone.

Times have changed, and itmakes us wonder, is being tan reallyworth it?

The desire to tan can become an expensive obsession.

Opening the Door by Giavanna Aquilino ‘14

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.May, 2011 Lifestyles - 13

Spring into a healthy diet

“When spring comes,my eyes water, and my nose isconstantly stuffy. I take Dayquiland Nyquil to get some relief, itworks well for me,” said BradGraham.

and I sneeze all the time,” said EricaEisenstein ’11.

Allergy symptoms may berunny nose, water eyes, sneezing,coughing, and itchy eyes. Somepeople tend to stay indoors untilnature is done blooming. Windy daystend to be the worst for allergysufferers as the wind blows pollensaround.

For those with asthma, springcan be a very difficult time tobreathe normally. According to theAllergy Health Center, the numberof people in the U.S who have eitherallergies or asthma symptoms is onein five.

Because allergies are so commonamong people, there are many overthe counter medicines one can taketo help lessen their symptoms.Make sure to visit yourdoctor before spending your money,to make sure it is a good idea foryou to start these medications.For some, these medications onlyprovide limited relief.

Leanne Abrams ‘11

When spring is mentioned somepeople look forward to the warmsunny air and beautiful flowers, onthe other hand some dread theseason.

Spring not only brings thesunshine, but all the trees start tobloom and the pollen gets airborne.Allergy sufferers begin their annualritual of sniffling and sneezing, amiserable time for many people.

“I love the warm weather, butmy allergies make it hard to getthrough the days sometimes,”Melanie Brzezinksi ’11

Some of the most commonallergies people suffer from aretrees, ash, oak, cottonwood, pollen,willow, and many more.

Most people are born withallergies and start suffering fromthem at an early age. In some casespeople develop them later in life.

“I never had allergies untilrecently, my nose gets really stuffy

4. For maximum results when dietingyou must also exercise. Go on demand and lookfor free workout videos or buy a ten dollarworkout DVD at Target. It is sometimes hard tofind time for this but half an hour out of 24 hoursis just enough time to shed your fat.

5. Substitute coffee with tea. A cup ofcoffee is low in calories however; added creamand sugar increases the calorie and fat content ofthe beverage. If we put in creamer and sugar itsfat and carbohydrates go up. Giving up coffeewill also save you money at the coffee shop!

6. Read the nutrition label. If you knowhow to read the label you understand the“translations” which are essential to finding ahealthy meal. Look closely at things such as:carbohydrates, sodium, and fat when reading alabel. Food labels can be deceiving so payparticular attention to the “amount per serving”section.

7. Eat Less: Bagels, pasta, cheese, cookies,ice cream, soda, potatoes.

Eat More: peas, oatmeal, blueberries,salads (with olive oil dressing), yogurt.

8. Do not skip meals. If your body doesnot get food at lunch time it will panic at dinnertime and you will have the desire to eat morethan you usually do. Your body fears starvationand if you skip too many meals it will feel

Sarah Kamal ‘11

With warmer weather approaching,hibernating comes to an end and the one thingthat many of us are ready to do is: lose weight.

Here are 10 simple steps to help lose weight. 1. Drink lots of water. Drinking water

before every meal will fill up your stomach veryeasily and help control your hunger. Sometimeswe think that we are hungry and our bodyautomatically tells us we need food but if we justdrank a glass of water we will feel completelyfine for a good hour. Also studies show thatdrinking lots of water can increase yourmetabolism.

2. Substitute chips and snacks with fruitsand vegetables. Having a bag of carrots or grapesto snack on is sweet as well as full of antioxidants.(Antioxidants are found in a lot of Fiber Oneproducts.)

3. Portion your food. Cut your portions inhalf. (see after a meal if you’re going to feellight.)Another tip is to not rush when eating.Give your stomach time to speak for itself andtell you if it’s still hungry or not. Don’t eatstraight out of a snack box because you will notbe aware of how much you’re really eating. Limityourself to a small bowl of snack food.

threatened and attempt to eat more and storemore fat calories when a meal finally arrives.Breakfast should be something lightbecause breakfast is what determines how muchyou will be eating throughout the day.

9. Stop Eating Before Bed Time.Research shows that to digest food a personneeds to stop eating two hours prior to sleeping.In addition, the longer you will stay up, the moreyou will snack.

10. You must be patient when followingthese steps. It will take at most a month for youto start seeing results. It is just like studying; astudent cannot study for a final for an hour andexpect to get an A.

Last but not least, love your body. Just

because you are watching your weight does notmean you hate your figure, it simply means thatyou wish to improve your appearance.

The hardest part of any weight loss plan isgetting started. Once you begin, if you findyourself losing motivation, remind yourself aboutwhat you have accomplished and think aboutyour exercise and diet goals.

Loving your body has a huge psychologicalimpact on weight loss.

If you are suffering from springallergies, you are not alone.

Talk to your doctor to see ifyou are able to get some relief andjust count the days until the summerseason!

Here come the allergies

NICK LEDONNE’’12/The Patriot

Spring is in session, allergies are on attack, and many peopleare suffering.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. May, 201114 - The Arts

Dance Concert wows crowd

The productiondesign of The 39 Steps isremarkable. True to itsfilm noir roots, the showrelies heavily on themanipulation of light andshadow, with theadditional purpose ofmasking the suddenchanges in costume and setnecessary to put on a two-act play with 33 distinctscenes. Often the sets areminimalist; in one scene, Hannaywalks through a mansion wherethe only prop onstage is a singledoor frame; in another, he leaves ahouse by pulling a window frameover himself (literally breaking thefourth wall).

With some lovely meta-humor and simple physical

to clear his name and find out justwhat the 39 Steps are, actorsHess, Riopelle, and Hodge assumethe roles of everyone he meets. Inone memorable scene, Riopelle andHodge play a porter, twoconductors, a policeman, apaperboy, and two trainpassengers—all within fiveminutes. To accomplish this feat,much swapping of coats, hats, andover-the-top Scottish andCockney accents (courtesy ofdialect coach Jane Ridley) takesplace. Scenes like this areinterspersed with hilarious actionsequences accomplished with toytrains, furniture, and a shadowpuppet show. Surprisingly, it allworks—and it’ll be sure to haveyour sides splitting by the timethe curtain falls.

Kirk Butler ‘12

If Alfred Hitchcock everimagined his 1935 thriller “The 39Steps” as a play, he probablywouldn’t have envisioned thesuspense-turned-comedy thatdirector William Roudebush hasbrought to the stage at the WalnutStreet Theatre. Running throughMay 1 in a joint production withthe Fulton Theatre of Lancaster,PA, The 39 Steps stars David Hess(recently of Curtains), Joan Hess,Paul Riopelle, and Dan Hodge.

Hess portrays RichardHannay, a delightful nobodywanted for the sudden murder ofself-identified spy AnabellaSchmidt. Just before dying, sheleaves Hannay a clue that sets theplot in motion. As Hannay races

so many questions, and they were really excitedto see us dance. We put so much work into theconcert, so it was fun to just do it a second time,”said Nicoleta Sinagridis ’11.

The concert is put on by the DanceDepartment every April, and a lot of work goesinto it before the big night.

There are four dance courses offered here atWashington Twp High School, dance 1, dance 2,dance production, and dancer’s studio. It isperforming arts elective and one of therequirements to pass each class is to participatein the mandatory annual dance concert held eachApril. Preparation for this concert begins as earlyas the day after the concert the previous year.This is when the director of the DanceDepartment, Ms. Christina Richardson, startsto plan the theme of the show and the songs foreach dance.

“Planning for it and just waiting for it all tobegin is very stressful for me. I feel better onceI’m working on it and checking off that list Ialways have,” said Richardson.

Ms. Richardson’s ideas become realityusually around the November before the concert.This is when the dance classes begin to work ontheir routines for the performance, and whenauditions for after school ensembles begin forthose who wish to participate in dance club.Choreography for every dance in the concert wasby Director Christina Richardson, teacher EisaJackson, and Dance Alumni Devon Rafter and

Ally Gallo ‘11

The WTHS Dance Department held the 8thAnnual Dance Concert in the TDBAC, calledTell Me a Story. Each dance represented and tolda classic story, such as Alice in Wonderland, TheLion King, and Where the Wild Things Are onThursday, April 14.

As an added bonus, the Mr. WT boys andtheir choreographers performed a special sneakpeak during intermission of the show. Accordingto Richardson, she thought this would be goodpublicity for both shows, attracting a newaudience range to both her show and the Mr. WTshow.

“I think it was a good preview for us, to geton stage and kind of get a feel of what it’s goingto be like the actual night of our show,” JasonMelfi ’11 said. “I thought it was good for all ofus and a really fun experience.”

Many believe the show was once again agreat success, with 1,311 people in attendanceand the dancers doing a fantastic job.

“I feel like I missed out on my first threeyears of high school by not going. Every dancewas absolutely amazing and I loved every minuteof it,” said Reg Torrevillas ’11.

The following school day, on April 15, theWTHS dancers did a special performance ofexcerpts from the show at an assembly forWashington Twp 5th graders.

“It was really fun. The little kids asked us

Regina Vassallo.After ensembles are picked, both rehearsals

in school for class dances, and after school fordance club are held almost every single day upuntil the day of the dance concert.

“It gets really hard and stressful oncerehearsal begins because I have to remember andpractice so many different dances along withstaying on top of my school work and othercommitments,” said Sarah Marzolf ’11.

This year, after months and months ofrehearsal, show week finally arrived. OnWednesday April 13, every dancer stayed afterschool for a mandatory dress rehearsal. It startedat 2:30 and lasted until around 8 that night.Although the day was long for most, it is themost exciting part about preparing for the concertevery year.

“I like getting to see all the dances finallycome together, you finally get to see the fullaffect of everything and it makes you reallyexcited for the next night,” said Natalie Orsimarsi‘11.

After a long night of rehearsal, the dancerswoke up early the next morning ready for showday. The performers went around school theentire day promoting the concert, getting hypedfor their big night.

The long, intense, rehearsals, the stress puton both the choreographers and the dancers, andthe hours spent on making the show its verybest is all worth it in the end.

comedy, The 39 Steps borders onthe Pythonesque—never a badthing for a farce. This productionis the best of the Walnut StreetTheatre season so far, bringingtogether some really talentedpeople on an A-class script. It’sdefinitely worth seeing.

39 Steps breaks boundaries

The Arts

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The Patriot - W.T.H.S.May, 2011 The Arts - 15

Concert Tipsin Philadelphia. Most venues though will notmake you throw out your bottles as long as theyhaven’t been opened. This is great because youwill get thirsty. Whether you’re sweaty and hotafter dancing with the crowd up front or exhaustedfrom moshing, water will become your best friend.Unfortunately venues like to charge a lot for itand no bottle of water is worth $5.00. Bring aboutone or two and put them in a small bag. It’ll saveyou.

Tip Number Five: Get the tour shirtEven though it is usually around twenty to

twenty-five dollars, when in doubt, get it.Pictures are great but a shirt also serves as a goodreminder of that night. It is always a safe betwhen you’re standing at the merchandise boothand have no idea what to get. While you’re thereremember to also respect the merch guys. Theymay not be in the band but they are a big part ofit. These guys work hard to make sure you getthat t-shirt. Don’t be rude, just be friendly. Mostmerch guys are easy to talk to and tips, of course,are always appreciated. For most bands, themoney made from selling merch is how they payfor gas, food, and other necessities they need tocontinue touring. If you can afford to give a littlemore, you’ll be helping them out a lot.

Tip Number Six: Know the crowd layoutGenerally speaking, the room can usually

be split into three sections: front, middle, andback. You get an entirely different experience ineach of these sections so choose wisely. The frontis from the barricade to the middle of the room. Iknow youwant to beclose to yourfavorite bandbut this area isnot for theweak. Proceedwith caution. Itis hot, sweaty,i n s a n e l ycrowded andtough tohandle the firsttime around. Don’t let that turn you off thoughbecause being up there is extremely exhilaratingand a lot of fun. I recommend seeing a show fromup there at least once in your life just to see foryourself. The middle of the floor is where you’llfind pits. If you don’t plan on moshing, try toavoid this area. Stay along the outside of themiddle, towards the walls. As for the back, youusually can still see pretty well from there. Thisis the best place if you just want to enjoy themusic. There’s more space, it’s cool, and you

Samantha Smith ‘12

I went to my first concert a year ago andever since then, I’ve been hooked. There isnothing better than singing along to your favoritesongs with a room full of people who are allthere for the same thing. At each show I havelearned something new and have accumulated alist of “rules” my friends and I always live by.Want to have fun at a show? Here are a fewways how:

Tip Number One: Dress comfortablyThat means no dresses and no high heels.

You will be judged so harshly by the peoplearound you if you show up in this outfit. It’sunderstandable that you want to look cute foryour favorite band but comfort always trumpsstyle when it comes to shows. Jeans and a t-shirt never fail and depending on how you wearit, you can still look good. I also recommendwearing closed shoes like sneakers and boots. Ifyou wear flip flops, you won’t be able to feelyour toes by the end of the night. You’llprobably lose a shoe too.

Tip Number Two: Know moshing etiquetteThere’s no way to avoid a shove or a punch

if you’re in a pit but despite the misconception,moshing isn’t about hurting people. In fact thereare certain unspoken rules that go along withmoshing. For one, if someone falls, you pickthem up. It doesn’t matter if you’ve neverspoken to this person before. Be a friend.Second, if you see someone get stuck in a pit,help them out. Security guards are usually onhand to help but if they aren’t, you have to doyour part. Someone could get hurt if you don’t.Also respect those who are not moshing. Don’tdrag someone in a pit if they don’t want to bethere. Just focus on having a good time.

Tip Number Three: Don’t be afraid to meet theband.

Most band members hang outside the venueafter the show. If you want to meet someone,that is the time to do it. Bands are known tostand either out front or out back for at least anhour taking pictures and signing autographs.However some venues have strict rules againstthis so it ultimately depends on where you are.If you do get the chance to meet them, take it.It’s easy to get nervous but you’ll regret missingout on a picture. Remember though to only askwhen they’re not busy. Not only is it just politebut you don’t want to be remembered as the fanwho interrupted at the worst possible time.

Tip Number Four: Bring waterSo far, I’ve come across one venue that does

not allow this and that was the Electric Factory

won’t have to worry about being pressed upagainst strangers. Even though you’re away fromthe action in a way, I have had some of the bestconcert experiences just standing in the back.Ultimately no matter where in the crowd youchoose, you will have a good time. I guarantee it.

Tip Number Seven: Pack light.Purses and backpacks are awkward to hold

onto during a show. Try to keep the things youbring to an absolute minimum so you can fiteverything in your pockets. If you absolutelyneed a bag, a drawstring backpack is the bestchoice. It’s light and for the most part lies flat soit won’t bother the people standing behind you.

Tip Number Eight: Learn how to say no.At every show there are about five

relatively unknown bands outside, looking forpeople to buy their music. They’re armed withan iPod, headphones, and a copy of their CDthat they will want you to buy. They’ll be niceand even though you think their music is justokay, you’ll be compelled to buy a CD anyway.I know it’s hard but if you don’t like the music,don’t buy the CD. You will be out twenty dollarsbefore you even step in the venue. Only buy itif you genuinely like the music and want to hearmore. It’s important to support these artists butyou don’t want to look back and regret buyingthem. Trust me, I have six un-listened CDs thatI got at last year’s Warped Tour that I still regret.Don’t be afraid to say no.

Tip Number Nine: Don’t see a show at the NorthStar Bar unless you really love the band

Trust me, it’s like being in a closet with 250other people. If you don’tcare, don’t go.

Tip Number Ten: Earn thatbarricade spot.The earliest I’ve ever shownup at a venue was at noonfor a show that wouldn’teven start until seven. Eventhen, I didn’t get that wellsought after barricade spot.It depends on how popularthe bands that are playing

are but if you really want to get up there, you’regoing to have to show up early. Sure you couldalways try to push your way there but most ofthe time, that doesn’t work out. Also rememberto follow the golden rule: no cutting in front oflines. That is the quickest way to anger a linefull of people. Plus it’s much more satisfying toget that barricade spot because you earned it,not because you took that chance from someonewho deserved it.

Don’t see a show at theNorth Star Bar unless youreally love the band.

...It’s like being in a closetwith 250 other people.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. May, 201116 -The Arts

Entering the theatre

road to gaining versatility varies.Some people will find it incrediblyeasy to adapt to any role they aregiven. To those who struggle myadvice to you is this: the first stepis learning how to understand acharacter. To do that you must puta part of yourself in everycharacter you portray. This will besimpler when the situation is easyto relate to than when you aretrying to portray emotions youhave never felt before.

For example, a 15 year oldwill have a harder time portrayingthe emotions of her wedding daythen a 32 year old who has beenmarried for 7 years. What thismeans for the actor, who is tryingto become versatile but unsurehow to begin, is that the best thingto do is start with what you know.Search out characters that remind

On the other side of the cointhere are people who are perfectlycomfortable with being what theycall “type cast.” This means thatyou are so accustomed and well fitto play a certain type of character,that you most likely will be castedfor those types of roles. Someactors live by it.

A good example is Ben Stillerwho, Dodgeball not included, hasplayed basically the samecharacter in every single movie hehas been in. He portrays thenormal guy who is put intoridiculous situations whereeverything that can go wrong willgo wrong. While he makes millionsof dollars off of portraying thissingle character, you’ll never seehim starring in a dramatic piece.

So, in general, versatilitybeats type casting any day. The

One of my favorite actors towatch on screen is Will Smith.Whether he is portraying agoofball on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a smooth talking pick up artistin Hitch, or a man struggling to getby in The Pursuit of Happiness, hebrings a naturalness to a characterthat appears seamless. This talentfor versatility is just as useful onthe stage.

It is a general rule that themore roles you are capable ofplaying the more likely you are toget casted. Flexibility in the typeof genres or characters you arecomfortable with is a trait thatsome actors are born with andothers work their whole lives for.Regardless it is a trait worthhaving if you want to go far andget the most out of yourexperience in the theatre.

class for you. Mr. Heinze and Mr. Huff arealways looking to recruit for stage crew andgetting involved with an alternative view oftheatre is quite easy and thoroughlyrewarding.

I advise any underclassmen interested intheatre to try out for the Fall Play and AllSchool Musical next year, regardless of yourprior experience with singing, dancing, oracting. It is never too late to get involved.

Community theatre is also a great way togo in seeing if the theatre is for you.Mainstage Center for the Arts located inBlackwood at Camden County College is awonderful theatre organization for all ages.This summer they will be putting onHairspray and incredibly fun show. For moreinformation log on to www.mainstage.org.They generally accept everyone whoauditions, so there is no real pressure. This ismore about seeing if the theatre is for you andfeeling the acceptance of the communityaround you. People say a great cast is like agreat family. You’ll find a hundred differentpersonalities and for some reason they cometogether in the end to make somethingspectacular.

To those who are thinking about enteringthe theatre, whether that be trying out for alocal play, taking an acting, voice, or danceclass, or getting involved in a student-directedproduction, I’d like to first say welcome. Thetheatre community is ever growing and youwill quickly find friends on stage. There isalways a part out there for you to play, soyou should never be worried about not fittingin when going into the theatre. Anyone andeveryone can join at anytime and they willfind themselves feeling right at home in ashockingly short amount of time.

Many students join the theatre duringtheir junior and senior year for the performingarts requirement, and they end up falling inlove with it. You can make dozens of newfriends and can see firsthand about what awonderful experience it has been. Needless tosay, you should never feel uncomfortableabout getting involved with the theatre.

My first advice to any WTHS studentthinking about starting theatre is to take Mrs.Silverman’s Exploring the Theatre class.

For those looking to get involved in thetechnical side of the arts, like lighting, set-building, etc., then Theatre Production is the

you of yourself. Search forsituations that you know how toportray. Then explore youremotions and put them into thescene. Soon you will find thesituation becomes more real whenthe emotions behind it are yourown. The reason that the mostdramatic and challenging roles goto well known actors is becausethey have proven themselvescapable of going through theextremes to get the emotion acrossthat an audience needs to see.

Perfecting the art ofversatility is quite difficult, butlearning it is one of the mostrewarding parts of an actor’s life.

Versatility for actors

Kristin Lamb ‘11 and Gianni DiGabriele ‘11rehearse scenes for their upcoming show,Soap Opera.

KELSEY WAINWRIGHT ‘11/The Patriot

Stage Sage by Sean McLaughlin‘11

Stage Sage by Sean McLaughlin‘11

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.May, 2011 Tech Talk - 17

Facebook Factions

fans of the metal-infused Rock Band 2.Despite the many positive aspects of Rock

Band 3, there is one major downfall. The gamecomes with a brand new way to play called “Pro-Mode”. However, being able to use Pro-Moderequires you to purchase more equipment. Thereare add-on pieces for the drums, while you haveto buy a whole new guitar. Personally, I wouldrather not buy another plastic guitar that is over$100.00 in price.

Overall, Rock Band 3 lives up to allexpectations. The soundtrack is fantastic andthe improved graphics allow for the creation ofmore unique characters. It’s definitely a must-buy for fans of the combination of music andvideo games.

Almost every aspect of a person’s face fromtheir nose to their jaw isnow customizable. Thisallows you to create analter ego for yourself thatlooks frighteningly similarto your actual appearance.

As always, thegame’s soundtrack doesnot fail. It not only allowsyou to play popularcurrent songs, such asParamore’s “MiseryBusiness” and AmyWinehouse’s “Rehab”, butit also helps you discovernew music that you hadn’theard of before or that wasreleased “before yourtime”. The genres includedare much more varied thanthe last two gamesreleased, which mayplease some or may upset

Rebecca Serad ‘11

If you went wild for theprevious two installments fromHarmonix, prepare to be amazedby Rock Band 3. The bestelements of musical video gamesare flawlessly combined into thestrongest product released yet.

One exciting new feature isthe addition of a new instrument.The keyboard is not only fun toplay, but it offers a newchallenge to the advancedplayer. The piece itself isversatile and can be used aseither a “key-tar” or just as aregular keyboard.

The graphics have overallvastly improved from the lastgame. The colors are more crispand detailed. In addition, thereare many new options in“Create a Character” mode.

Steve Hauser ’13

Our generation has gonecompletely electronic. Most teensthese days rely on technology foreverything. As soon as I get home Iimmediately check my Facebook,which I think a lot of other peopledo as well. In fact, a lot of teenscheck it during school on their cellphones because now we need to bein touch with friends during everypart of the day.

When young teens talk abouttechnology, a lot of adults have noidea what they’re talking aboutbecause they never had anything likewe have now in their generation.Now with Facebook you canconnect with anybody, any of yourfriends, no matter how far away theyare as long as they have a computerand a Facebook account. While thereare a lot of good things aboutFacebook, there are also some bad.

Like any social networking site,cyber bullying can take place.Obviously, you want to put a stopto cyber bullying no matter what

Rock Band 3 wins over fans new and old

happens. Hopefully, nobody hasto go through cyber bullying. It is aterrible occurrence that can lead totragedies such as suicide.

Facebook is a very addictingsocial networking site as well.People spend hours on the Facebookat a time. It is an excellent distractionif you are trying to avoid doinghomework or anything. I find

myself getting sidetracked onFacebook all the time, just like a lotof other people who use it.Anybody can tell themselves, “I’monly going to be on for five minutes.”A lot of the time, it could end upbeing hours. There are so manydifferent ways Facebook can lead todistraction.

Facebook can also lead to a lot

of problems. A lot of times, thingscalled “Facebook fights” occur,which basically are fights betweenpeople on Facebook, pretty simple.However, people think they can saywhatever they want over a screen,and get that “I’m invincible feeling.”But, that can lead to comments thatmight trigger someone to bring thiscyber fight to real life.

I have seen this very thing inour school, every single day, it’s likeclockwork. Say the right thing tothe wrong person, and you could befacing a serious problem in real life,but people, mostly students, don’tknow how to be mature on Facebook,and that is why this is a reoccurringproblem. Honestly, I think lifewould be a lot easier, and there wouldbe fewer conflicts if there was noFacebook, but honestly, I could notgo a day without mine. No matterhow much you attempt todeactivate, trust me, you’ll be loggingin within the next few days or hours(or minutes), depending on youraddiction.

AP Images

Harmonix’s newest RockBand game leaves fanswanting more.

If you’ve played anyIf you’ve played anyIf you’ve played anyIf you’ve played anyIf you’ve played anyinteresting games, sub-interesting games, sub-interesting games, sub-interesting games, sub-interesting games, sub-

mit your reviews tomit your reviews tomit your reviews tomit your reviews tomit your reviews [email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]

Mark Zuckerberg has sparked online fanatics with hiscreation of Facebook.

AP IImages

Tech Talk

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. May, 201118 -Entertainment

ballad, “You”, where Momsen sings“I can’t have you, no, like you haveme.” The simplicity of the song andthe tender way that she caresses eachword make it an innocent song, whichcontrasts with the rest of the album,which deals with more maturetopics.

Rock music fans will love thisalbum. The melodies are extremelycatchy and will get stuck in yourhead all day. Momsen’s vocalsperfectly compliment the music andwill surprise those who quicklywrote her off as another actress thatthinks she can sing.

It won’t be surprising to findthis Gossip Girl being talked about

greatness. Her soulful alto voicepowers the accompanying guitarriffs.

Her voice is not the onlypositive attribute she brings to theband. She also has a gift for writingrelevant lyrics.

The pre-released first single,“Make Me Wanna Die”, is a solidexample of her lyrical potential. Thesong tells the story of a girl whodoesn’t feel good enough, regardlessof how hard she tries to impressthose around her.

Another highlight is “NothingLeft to Lose”, where Momsen tellsthe story of a past love.

Also featured is the acoustic

Rebecca Serad ‘11

We’ve seen it all before:actresses trying to build upon theirsuccess by attempting to venture intothe music industry. Most of thetime, they fail miserably and arecriticized for even making the effortto try something different.

However, Taylor Momsen,most notably of the television showGossip Girl, does not fit the norm.As the front woman for The PrettyReckless, she breaks boundarieswith her raw talent.

The first album for the band,titled Light My Fire, highlightsMomsen’s potential for musical

(Sara Canning) and her brother because her parentsdied the previous year. She falls for StefanSalvatore, and gradually finds out about his difficultpast. Dobrev also plays Katherine, the vampire

who turned Stefanand Damoncenturies ago.

T h eshow is in itssecond season,and fans continueto count down thedays until everyThursday, when anew episode airs.Many fans haveadmitted that thegood looks ofWesley andS o m e r h a l d e rattracted them toThe Vampire

Diaries, but most will agree that the show itselfwas why they continued to watch.

With the growing love triangle between Elena,Damon, and Stefan, fans have even more reasonto divide themselves between team “Delena” andteam “Stelena.”

Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson, thedevelopers and producers, deliver every week withmore back-story and twists to add to the growingplot. It is not just another show about vampires.Every episode will make the viewer sit on the

Emily Bierman ‘11

Every episode starts off the same:“Previously on The Vampire Diaries...” Everyepisode ends thesame way, leaving youwanting more.

With variousnovels, movies, andtelevision showsabout vampires,everything seems torevolve around thesupernatural thesedays. The VampireDiaries is not justanother show aboutv a m p i r e s ,werewolves andwitches. It is a seriesbased on the novelsby L. J. Smith.

The show focuses on two brothers, Stefanand Damon Salvatore, played by Paul Wesley(Fallen) and Ian Somerhalder (Lost) respectively,who arrive in the town of Mystic Falls wherethey were first turned into vampires centuriesago. The Salvatore brothers don’t get along, butthey eventually agree on one thing: their maingoal is to protect Elena Gilbert, who looks exactlylike somebody from their past, Katherine Pierce.Nina Dobrev (Degrassi) plays Elena, a highschool student who lives with her aunt Jenna

edge of their seat.The show has a great supporting cast, as

well as some amazing guest stars. Elena’s bestfriend Bonnie (Katerina Graham) is a witch, andCaroline (Candice Accola) is turned into avampire. The show doesn’t just focus on Elena,Damon and Stefan. Many of the supportingcharacters have grown even though the show hasonly two seasons so far. Elena’s younger brother,Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), has grown from astruggling, depressed teenager to a strong, helpfulyoung man. Caroline has gone from being anannoying, selfish blonde to one of the mostfavorite characters.

While the show focuses a lot on the differentrelationships, it also focuses on the story of thevampires, werewolves and witches. Every timeyou think you understand what’s going on,another fact or twist is thrown in to throw youoff.

Another great aspect to the show is the greatmusic. While most songs may not be well-known,every song played on The Vampire Diaries fitsperfectly with the scene it is played in.

Whether you’re entertained by Damon’switty one-liners, annoyed with Katherine’s badtiming, or impressed by Elena’s capability tohandle herself, there is still a reason why youwill want to watch The Vampire Diaries.

Once one episode is watched, it is easy tocatch up because the show is so addicting.

Watch Damon, Elena and Stefan Thursday’sat 8 on the CW.

Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and IanSomerhalder star in the hit series, The Vam-pire Diaries, on the CW.

CWTV.COM

by the music industry.Only time will tell whether or

not the music fans will embraceMomsen and her band or will allowthem to fall into obscurity.

Taylor Momsen’s other talent

Vampire Diaries: Love at first biteEntertainment

THEPRETTYRECKLESS.COM

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.May, 2011 Entertainment- 19

Vices and Virtues does not dis-appoint.

Don’t Panic! The boys are back.

It’s a dream I’m following on myown.”

Overall, Yellowcard impressesfans both old and new with solidguitar riffs and melodic infusions ofviolin. The lyrics are heartfelt andgive a true insight into the lives of

Key sings about wanting long-lasting love with a reluctantparamour. While looking back ontheir relationship, he sings, “I knowyou’ve always been afraid of endingup alone. Somebody hurt you, nowyou’re waiting on a dial tone. ButI’m right here, so don’t get blue. It’snot just you, I need this too.” Hisemotional tone throughout the songdisplays his true sincerity.

The “Ocean Avenue” band alsotakes on sensitive topics. Oneexample of this is “See Me Smiling,”where the lyrics tell the story oftrying to move on after the death ofsomeone close.

The quintet also providesinsight on the drawbacks of followingtheir dreams at all costs on “Life ofLeaving Home”. Key openlydisplays how his passion for makingmusic surpasses all else when hesings, “There is something callingme, more than a moment in time.

Rebecca Serad ‘11

After a long hiatus due to thelack of success of their album PaperWalls and lead singer Ryan Keyhaving surgery to remove a cyst onhis vocal chords, Yellowcard is backwith a bang. Their new album, WhenYou’re Through Thinking, Say Yes,proves that the band is ready topush the envelope and return to theunique pop-rock that brought themfame.

Not only are Key’s vocalsstronger and more passionate thanever, but the melodies throughoutthe album are interesting, and yetstill radio-friendly. In addition, theband’s signature electric violin,played by Sean Mackin, is presentthroughout the entirety of the albumand keeps the listener intrigued.

Among the many standouttracks on the album, “With YouAround” strikes the loudest chord.

one of their opening tracks, getslisteners pumped for the rest of theCD with a quick beat and light lyrics.

While the album leaves listenerssatisfied, there’s one part where itfell short. The writing, far from theabstract and originality of old P!aTDhas become cliché and overlyromantic. In the years before, in theirpremier album, songs like “BuildGod, Then We’ll Talk” discussedmorals and ethics in society,questioning the authenticy of modernromance.

Now, Brendan Urie and SpencerSmith have taken a turn into aromantic point of view with lyricsabout girls and relationships, singingsongs like “Sarah Smiles” in place of their edgierprevious pieces. While some may find this asweet turn of events, the lyrics come off as clichéand repetitive rather than the original spice thatthe group originally felt.

Overall, though, the album is spectacular,especially with the recent line-up change. In 2010,members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the bandfor form The Young Veins. With half theirmembers, Panic! has still managed to produce

Christina Cockerill ‘12

Panic! At the Disco is back with a newalbum and debuting their new line up with Vicesand Virtues, an alternarock set sure to please fansof both old and new Panic.

With catchy, alternative pop songs like“Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)” and theirhit single, “Ballad of the Mona Lisa”, they’restuck in the heads of many. For the first timesince “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies”, the band isreceiving serious air time on the radio stationslike Q102.

However, the boys always know when toslow it down. Pretty tunes like “Always” and“The Calendar” set a calm, acoustic tune to theirnew album. While their sound is far from whatfans of Pretty. Odd. would be led to expect, thesetwo tracks bring back the easy listening thatPanic!’s second album with a Beatles-esque touchof acoustic jams. The few easy listening songs inthe album give it a calmer, sweeter feel.

Panic’s first album, A Fever You Can’t SweatOut and their first, Pretty. Odd. were completelyopposing forces, with the former carrying ashowy, glamorous Vegas-rock and the latter goingfor a light, fun feel. However, Vices and Virtuesis the best of both worlds; “Let’s Kill Tonight”,

and enjoyable, thought stranger listen, a surebalance to fans of both old and new. There’s noneed to Panic!: the boys are back and they’rejust as good as before.

The two remaining members of P!aTD have triedanew, vintage style for their third album

the band members during theirhiatus. Fans of alternative rock witha twist should pick up a copy ofWhen You’re Through Thinking, SayYes. There’s no need for secondthoughts.

Yellowcard returns with a bang

AP ImagesYellowcard is back and ready to rock your socks off.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. May, 201120 - Entertainment

seem to center on characters thatfeel like an outcast or different.“Heaven’s Gonna Happen Now”is a song about living in the momentand how though all aspects of lifemay seem vacant and barren. Theycan be made better with the help ofa friend.

“Even in My Dreams” is apleasant switch from the heartacheensued in the earlier songs. Thepower ballad sings of idyllic indieromanticism, finding someone andloving them for their ownuniqueness, “Even in my dreams Icould not betray you…there’snobody like you, Is that why theydon’t like you, like I do?”

The theme of adolescent lovecontinues on with the song “MyTerrible Friend” a pleading lovesong begging to stay together andcelebrate their difference and their

The album consists of lyricsthat cause listeners to experience theintense emotional highs and lows ofbeing in a relationship. Though theymay fall flat in terms of poetry andword choice, Kip Bergman’s linesare straight from the heart and in themoment.

The opening song, Belongstarts off with an energizing kickwith a grunge tinge as it tells thestory of teen love gone wrong. KipBergman’s wavy whisper tells offinding someone else with almost acruel coldness.

The album continues withsongs of love and loss, mostmemorably with “Heart in YourHeartbreak”, an almost 80s pop songwith the catchy chorus, “She wasyour heart in your heartbreak, shewas the miss in your mistake.”

Many of the songs in the album

Noel Abastillas ‘11

With their dreamy pop riffs andcloudy synth aura, The Pains ofBeing Pure at Heart make a strongreturn with their critically acclaimedalbum Belong. If you’re into anyindie rock bands like Phoenix orMGMT, The Pains of Being Pure atHeart will definitely be a band toput on your iPod.

Their self-titled debut in 2009has earned them a strong followingand their sound has been comparedto as the American version of theSmiths and a rock version of the JoyDivision

Their euphoric indie hooks andsoft mellow vocals are for anyonethat wants to relax and drift awayfrom the world. But besides being asoothing massage for your mind, thesongs are more profound than that.

with ballads or too many dance tunes, but itdoes have a little bit of everything with songsfeaturing artists such as John Legend and TreySongz. Other than a few “main stream” artistsFiasco features some musicians that may not bethat well known such as Sarah Green and Sway.This eclectic pick in musicians gives the album amore unique tone.

Fiasco’s approach to this album is refreshingwith songs such as “Break the Chain” which

Mariatu Santiago ‘11

If you were a fan of Lupe Fiasco’s previousalbum The Cool, Lasers won’t disappoint.

Fiasco’s minimal use of auto tune (almostlack there of) have worked in his favor, anddisplay the featured artists vocal abilities as wellas lyrical talent. A great song that probably bestsums up what the radio is all about would haveto be “State Run Radio” featuring MattMahaffey. This is absolutely one of the bettersongs on the album mentioning the constantredundancy of the radio playing songs over andover again. He mentions “if you’re dumb maybeyou could be number one” taking a jab at thelack of talent that becomes number one saying“independent spirits you can barely hear whatthey say.” One word to describe this would beeclectic with its use of electric guitars anddefinitely unique subject matter.

This album is filled with the essence ofFiasco, a singer whose first single spawned bythis album, “The Show Goes On” was an instanthit with well produced beats and rhythms aswell as a captivating anthem to never give upand stay strong. This album isn’t bogged down

features Eric Turner and Sway. This has to beone of the better songs on the album with a uniquecombination of a “dance” “techno” beat and ahip hop flare. A well said quote in this albumwould be “playa thinking its cool to be a pimpstill”. By stating this Fiasco is trying to helpchange the way youth see life.

In “Words I never Said,” the lyrics arebrilliantly written with an overall theme. It seemsthat in most of the songs Fiasco tries to break themold by trying to downgrade the popularity ofpimps and street crime.

Fans of his last album The Cool willabsolutely love Lasers. This album completelymeasures up to The Cool.

Fiasco should definitely be considered oneof the most talented rappers out there today withhis brilliant lyrical abilities similar to that of thelate great Tupac Shakur. Fiasco is definitely underappreciated for his choice to focus on talent andquality in his music instead of constantly changinghis views and sound. Fiasco has an sound thatreally can’t be compared to any other. Even ifyou never got a chance to hear The Cool check itout and see for yourself.

indifference to everyone else aroundthem. “Everyone is pretty and fun,everyone is lovely and young,everyone is gentle and gone, buteveryone’s just everyone”

There’s a consistency of teendesires of love and indie romance tothe album. The lyric content gives asense of melancholy alienation andprovides an introverted perspectiveof the world but for those not in themood to delve so deeply in lyricsand themes, their cloudy dream-dazesound makes your worries washaway.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart:it ‘belongs’ in your library

Fiasco and friends wow withnew album

“Fiasco is definitelyunder appreciated forhis choice to focus ontalent and quality in hismusic instead ofconstantly changinghis views and sound. “

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.May, 2011 Entertainment - 21

In Rio de Janeiro lies a new sort ofchildren’s tale

Lorraine Nicholson also is abreakout star who plays Bethany’sbest friend, Alana Blanchard, whowas with her when her accidenthappened.

It was interesting to seecountry superstar, CarrieUnderwood, star in her first big roleas Sarah Hill, Bethany’s youthpastor. While Underwood may bebetter at singing than acting, herperformance didn’t take away fromthe movie itself.

The movie may be difficult foryoung children to see because of theshark attack, but it is definitelyconsidered a family movie thatemphasizes many positive values.While after many movies are over,the audience leaves before the credits

when one day she was surfing withher best friend’s family, and a sharkattacked her. Bethany lost her arm,but did not lose her life. Soul Surferis about how she finds the courageto get back in the water after heraccident.

Robb isn’t the only one withgreat acting skills in the film. DennisQuaid (The Parent Trap) and HelenHunt (What Women Want) star asBethany’s parents who help hermake the right decisions concerningher future.

Although they don’t have a bigrole in the film, Ross Thomas andChris Brochu shine as Noah andTimmy Hamilton, Bethany’sbrothers, who are by her side as shegoes through difficult times.

Emily Bierman ‘11

One moment can change thelife of an unsuspecting, teenagedsurfer, but it can take all the time inthe world for her to face her newestchallenges and fears. Soul Surfer tellsthe inspiring, true story of BethanyHamilton and her struggle toembrace the changes in her life aftera freak-shark attack that resulted inthe loss of her arm.

Anna Sophia Robb, known forher emotional performances inBridge to Terabithia and Because ofWinn-Dixie, doesn’t disappoint asBethany Hamilton, a young surferinvolved in a shark attack. BethanyHamilton had the potential ofbecoming a professional surfer,

independent and wants nothing to do with Blu.She is more concerned with trying to escape fromTulio’s bird lab and return to life in the jungles ofRio.

When Jewel’s escape plan goes awry

Kaitlyn Gallagher ‘12

With colorful 3-D graphics, fun music and acute plotline, Rio is certainly a film that can satisfyeveryone’s inner child. Made by the sameproduction studio that brought us the popularIce Age films, director Carlos Saldanha is at itagain in this entertaining, animated familyadventure.

The movie begins with a young woman,Linda (voiced by Leslie Mann) and herdomesticated Macaw, Blu enjoying life in smalltown Minnesota. Linda and Blu (Jesse Eisenberg)have been inseperable ever since Linda discoveredthe exotic bird on the streets when she wasyounger.

However, the story takes an interesting turnwhen Tulio (voiced by Rodrigo Santoro), a birdspecialist visits Linda and Blu, and tells Lindathat Blu is the last male bird of his kind. In orderfor Blu’s species to survive, Linda must take himto Rio de Janeiro where Blu will be able to matewith a female of the same species.

Linda and Blu are immediately hesitant,considering both of them have never traveledbeyond their small town. Not to mention, Blu ismost likely the only Macaw in existence that isafraid to fly.

Although they are both apprehensive, Bluand Linda make a trip to Rio where Blu isintroduced to his female counterpart Jewel (voicedby Anne Hathaway). Jewel is fiercely

however, both Blu and Jewel end up in the handsof an exotic bird smuggler (voiced by CarlosPonce) and his vengeful pet bird named Nigel(voiced by Jermaine Clement).

From here on out Jewel and Blu must finda way to escape from the clutches of their captorsin order to reunite with Linda and eventually bereleased into the wild. In addition, Blu mustovercome his fear of flying if he ever wishes toget away from the smugglers.

Not only does Rio have an original,captivating plotline, but the 3-D effects of themovie are extremely impressive. Although it maybe more expensive for audiences to opt for the3-D showing of the movie, the creators of thefilm definitely make it worth the extra cost. Thecolors in the film are very bright and detailedand will certainly amuse children, as well asadults.

No matter what age, Rio is a fun film foranyone, and is a nice family friendly choice for anight out at the movies. Rio contains jokes andmusic that both children and adults will findhumorous, which eliminates the boredom somechildren’s films generate.

All in all, Rio is a good choice when visitingthe local movie theater. It may not be The King’sSpeech, but it gives a unique spin to the typicalchildren’s movie.

finishing running, it is a suggestionfor those seeing the movie to stayfor the credits. The credits showvideo clips of the real BethanyHamilton and her friends and family.

The movie is very emotional,to the point where it will makemany people cry, but it is also veryinspirational. It is a great movie thatportrays a young girl exploring herfaith, pursuing her dreams, andbeating the odds. Bethany Hamiltonhas become an inspiration to manypeople, and it is great that her storyis being told in the form of SoulSurfer.

Surfer flick gets spiritual

Google Images

Rio impresses movie goers of allages.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. May, 201022 - Opinion: National Sports

NBA Playoffs off to rip-roaring start

complied.Oh, what a terribly horrible act

committed by Rickie Fowler. Andto think that there are people in theworld who look up to such an awfuland atrocious human being!

Seriously golf, lighten up. Hewore a hat backwards, what’s thebig deal? This story actually madeit to the homepage of Yahoo!, andwas talked about quite a bit in thegolfing world as the Masters wenton... because the kid wore his hatbackwards. Let’s calm down golf,

He wore his hat backwards.In a sport where class is

apparently just as important astalent, Fowler sat down for a pressconference at the Augusta Nationaltournament and, as he frequentlydoes, turned his hat backwards. Augusta National member RonTownsend then asked Fowler to turnhis hat around, a request therebellious teen declined, saying thathe wanted people to see his face.When Townsend once again askedhim to turn his hat around, Fowler

Phil Jaffe ‘11

When one thinks of golf, theimage of 50-something year old menwearing khaki pants, lightly coloredPolo shirts, and golf spikes comesto mind. Maybe even a hat thrownin. But 22 year-old Rickie Fowlerhas made headlines for doingsomething so obviously over the lineand horrifying that it has grabbednational attention and causedstereotypes of a generation to cometo the forefront of the golfing world.

it’s really not that outlandish thatsomebody wanted to wear their hatbackwards. Maybe he’ll even bringin some new fans due to the factthat he looks like a grown-up JustinBieber, and surely will have theattention of young women all overthe world. If he wants to wear hishat backwards so the ladies can seehis face, thereby bringing a newgroup of fans to golf, then why notlet him?

Golfer criticized for hat

his team would be a tough out in thepostseason, look like an utter fool. 3. Three-Peat?: The DallasMavericks answered this questionemphatically, and the answer theygave was a resounding no. No, as in“No, the Los Angeles Lakers willnot even sniff their third consecutiveNBA title this year.” The Mavsswept the two time defendingchamps in embarrassing fashion, andquite frankly, the Lakers didn’thandle it all that well. In theclinching game, both AndrewBynum and Lamar Odom wereejected for letting their frustrationget the best of them, and as good asKobe Bryant is, no player cansinglehandedly win a championship. 4. Age vs. Youth: While theBoston Celtics are hangingtough, it seems as thoughyouth is winning out over ageas the old and banged up SanAntonio Spurs were eliminatedquickly from the playoffs bythe upstart MemphisGrizzlies. On the flip side, theyouthful Chicago Bulls andOklahoma City Thunder arestill competing in thepostseason and are threats togo all the way. 5. The Big 3: The Miami Heathave managed to make themselvesthe New York Yankees of basketball,and it probably has something to dowith signing that LeBron James guy

Anthony Dentino ‘11

In case you’ve been living undera rock, or you’ve just been doingone of the millions of things moreinteresting and exciting thanfollowing the National BasketballAssociation, the NBA’s playoffs arerapidly approaching.You may be asking why you shouldeven bother watching. After all, thetypical “defense” employed in theNBA is about as pretty as a ShaquilleO’Neal free-throw, and much lesseffective, which is truly sayingsomething considering O’Neal’sabysmal 52.7% career free-throwshooting percentage. In addition, theNCAA tournament that justconcluded was one of the bestplayed in recent years, if not ever,which probably satisfied thebasketball appetite of most fans.

Yet, the intensity does pick upfor most professional players andteams during the home-stretch of theregular season and into the NBApostseason. There are also manyintriguing storylines to watch for,and so far, the playoffs have beenexcellent. It may not be easy, buttry and tune in to some surprisinglywell-played and fun basketball. Hereare five of the biggest NBA headlinesat this point in the championshiprun. 1. Philadelphia 76ers: Sure, thehometown favorite Sixers wereeliminated by the Miami Heat in thefirst round, but most fans would

agree that even stealing one gameaway from the Heat in the serieswas a huge success, especially afterthe team was not even expected tomake the playoffs. Philadelphiastarted the season off on quite abitter note, as they went an abysmal3-13 through their first 16 games.Nevertheless, Doug Collins rightedthe ship quickly, and was splendidin his first year as head coach,meshing talented youngsters such asJrue Holiday, Lou Williams,Thaddeus Young, and Evan Turnerwith veterans Andre Iguodala andElton Brand.

2. Which Knicks Team WillShow Up?: Before catching fire andwinning seven games in a row to closeout the regular season, the New YorkKnicks had dropped nine of theirprevious 10 games. They quicklyregained this losing form in theplayoffs as they were swept by theBoston Celtics in the opening round.While Boston is one of the EasternConference’s top teams and one ofthe NBA’s best teams for thatmatter, the Knicks and their talentedroster, highlighted by CarmeloAnthony, Amar’e Stoudemire andChauncey Billups, should have atleast made the series interesting. Ofcourse, they also should have playeddefense; even the most casual viewerwould agree that very little defensewas employed by New York.However, on the bright side, theKnicks did succeed in something;making Billups, who claimed that

everyone talks about, along withChris Bosh, to complement DwayneWade. Miami does boast a strongrecord heading into the postseason,but with three of the best players inthe NBA on your starting roster, it’spretty hard not to. There is alsosome concern about the other twoplayers who fill out the startinglineup, namely because they arechanged constantly, leading to a lackof team chemistry, and becausewhoever does earn the other twostarting roles, is simply not James,Wade, or Bosh. Of course when yourfront office is coughing up dough tothose three, it’s almost impossibleto find any other money to bring intwo other highly skilled players.Certainly, Miami is a threat to winit all because of their three-headedmonster, but they have not gelled as

well as many experts previouslythought and the Heat players alongwith their front office willundoubtedly be under heavyscrutiny if their team makes an exitbefore the NBA Finals.

Opinions: National Sports

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. Opinions: National Sports- 23May, 2011

April brings excitement for MLBHowever, Crawford has not been the

consistent lead-off man that the team expectedto play a big part of the offense this season. Heis only hitting .168 with four stolen bases. Inaddition, the Red Sox are not having the samesurplus amount of offense that has been expectedof them. Only two players (Gonzalez andshortstop Jed Lowrie) are hitting above .300,and cannot be forced to carry the entire offensethis season.

This team needs production from the All-Star caliber players that have helped establishthem as a gritty team, such as second basemanDustin Pedroia and third baseman KevinYoukilis. Despite this lack of production fromthe offense, the pitching staff has been solid. Inorder to live up to the hefty expectations, theyhave to continue to pitch solid outings and hopethat the offense will pick them up in closeballgames.

April has been an eye-opening month interms of teams living up to the potential thatthey have. Some teams may only be contendersfor the moment, but they have proven that theywill be a tough team to beat in order to reach thegoal of playing in October baseball. The monthsto come will help distinguish the truly remarkableteams from the pretenders in MLB.

average hasn’t been anything special, they havebeen working collectively as an offense to getthe job done. If a few starting players step uptheir game, including new acquisition VernonWells, look for this team to give reigning AmericanLeague champs the Texas Rangers a run for theirmoney late in the season.

In the National League, the ColoradoRockies have proven to be a force to be reckonedwith. They have one of the best records in (17-9). Their offense continues to be among thebest in baseball and has been dominant due tothe efforts of five-tool player Troy Tulowitzki,who is hitting .296 with 17 RBIs and sluggerfirst baseman Todd Helton (.307 with 11 RBIs).If ace Ubaldo Jimenez returns with anotherdominant season like the one he had in 2010, theRockies could be serious contenders in the league.

Among the usual surprises that come witha new season are the underachievers. No teamin baseball exemplifies this better through thefirst month of the season than the Boston RedSox. Fresh off acquiring highly sought afteroutfielder Carl Crawford and acquiring firstbaseman Adrian Gonzalez from the San DiegoPadres, the BoSox had baseball critics everywherepractically penciling them in for another WorldSeries trip this October.

Rebecca Serad ‘11

Thus far, the baseball world has been turnedupside down by the surprising rise of teams thatwere expected to be at the bottom of theirrespective divisions this season. Even thoughApril is known as a month that cannotforeshadow the division races in September, ithas proven to be eye-opening in regards topossible contenders.

Highlighting the surprise factor is theCleveland Indians. Leading the American LeagueCentral division with a record of 19-8 throughMay 1, the Tribe has been dominant in boththeir offense and pitching. The offense has beenled by the return of Gold Glove winning center-fielder Grady Sizemore. Back to his former selfafter two injury plagued seasons, he is hitting.340 with ten runs scored. The pitching staffhas been excellent, including standout startingpitchers Justin Masterson (5-0 with a 2.25 ERA)and Josh Tomlin (4-0 with a 2.45 ERA).

In terms of a rotation, the Los AngelesAngels of Anaheim have proved to be absolutelyspectacular. Ace Jered Weaver has posted a 6-0record with a 0.99 ERA in six starts and hasbeen supported by right hander Dan Haren (4-1with 1.23 ERA). While the team’s overall

created a huge hole in the lineup, in terms of playing small ball andmanufacturing runs. In contrast to the past, Ryan Howard has put morefocus on getting base hits instead of home runs. Some critics say that thiswill put a damper on the power numbers that awarded him with the honorof National League Most Valuable Player in 2008, but most fans wouldagree with the idea that a higher batting average and hit total would be morebeneficial to the team than increased strike-outs that often accompany ahigh home run total.

Overall, the team has not scored more than four runs in a game sincethe opening series of the year versus Atlanta. For a team that prides itselfon the force of their offense, this is a valid reason for concern. Throughoutthe first month of the season, the only true consistent hitter has been thirdbaseman Placido Polanco. Through April 27 Polanco is hitting for a .389average with two home-runs and sixteen RBIs. More impressive is his.448 on base percentage.

As most fans already know, this team was put together as a collectiveoffensive force. Without the proper support behind Howard in the fifthhole, pitchers will continue to have no problem walking the slugger to faceeither left fielder Raul Ibañez or new right fielder Ben Francisco. Of thetwo, Ibañez has produced far more dismal numbers, hitting a mere .171with twenty-three strikeouts in only twenty-two games. Because this isthe last year of his three year contract, this season is key for the strugglingoutfielder. It will prove whether or not his age is catching up with him andlimiting his productivity as an everyday player.

As April comes to a close, it could be said that it was a successfulmonth for the Phillies. However, the lack of power in what was once oneof the most feared offenses in baseball has hurt the team in the few gamesthat they have lost. Time will tell whether or not the everyday rostersteps up their game and helps support the pitching staff.

Rebecca Serad ‘11For those who were worried about the offense of the Philadelphia

Phillies not being able to support the acclaimed starting rotation, a sigh ofrelief is necessary. Not only has the offense produced, regardless of thelack of consistency, but the rotation has been stellar.

The reigning National League Cy Young award winner, Roy Halladay,has continued his trend of putting down the opposing offense with hisrenowned arsenal. As projected, the rest of rotation has been consistentlyimpressive, with Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels tied for the bestrecord, each at 3-1. Although Lee is not off to the best of starts, posting a2-2 record with a mediocre 4.18 ERA, fans shouldn’t worry just yet.Once Lee gets into a rhythm and notches a few more wins, he should seemmore like the ace who led the Phillies to their second consecutive WorldSeries in 2009.

The Phillies bullpen, headlined by set-up man Ryan Madson andeye-opening strike-out machine Antonio Bastardo, has exceeded theexpectations of baseball critics across the nation. Despite the long termloss of closer Brad Lidge to a right shoulder injury and the more recent lossof interim closer Jose Contreras to a strained right flexor pronator tendon,the pen has been successful as a group. Young pitchers Mike Zagurski andMichael Stutes have been promoted from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to helpout. They may, in fact, be crucial pieces of the puzzle as time passes.Manager Charlie Manuel has had to pick and choose what pitchers comeinto the game based simply on the match-up and his gut feeling. If thesetwo can prove themselves, they could work themselves into more prominentroles in either the seventh or eighth innings.

It is fortunate that the pitching staff has been so dominant as theoffense has not been producing to the same level that led them to a WorldSeries title in 2008. The loss of All-Star second baseman Chase Utley has

Inside the Park by Rebecca Serad ‘11

Stellar rotation has Phils in first

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.24 - Twp. Sports May, 2011

So far, so good for Township,as part one, taking home the covetedGrand Slam Classic trophy, has beenaccomplished. Winning theOlympic Conference and DiamondClassic will not be easy, but theexperienced and senior-ladenMinutemen feel their attitude willhelp them be up to the task.

“The biggest strength of theteam is our ability to not takeourselves out of the game througherrors or attitude. We don’t getdown on ourselves when we arebehind and we don’t get complacentwhen ahead,” said Bright.

In addition to Bright andMorad, other key seniors includeTrevor Connors, Dan Simnor, NickValori, and Mark Jankowski.

Tyler Bright ‘11 said, “Ourgoal for this season is the same asevery year: to win states.”

While few programs are ableto continually set this goal withrealistic hopes of actually achievingit, Washington Township is one ofthose teams. Of course, the journeyto a state title is long and arduousone, and along the way the teamhopes to accomplish other goals.

Senior pitcher and outfielderJonny Morad said [in addition towinning states] “My goals for thisseason are to win the Grand SlamClassic, win our conference, and theDiamond Classic tournament. Aslong as we take it one game at atime, I believe we can accomplishthis.”

Anthony Dentino ‘11

It is often said that the onlyplace success comes before work isin the dictionary. Another truthabout sports is that a team will getout of their season what they putinto it. Based off of the recentsuccesses of the WashingtonTownship Minutemen Baseballteam, it is apparent that they are nostrangers to dedication.

Fresh off of a South JerseyGroup IV Sectional crown in the2010 campaign, and only four yearsremoved from their thrilling 2007state championship, theMinutemen traditionally set highstandards for themselves, and thisyear is no different.

Of course, experience and even coachingability can be for naught in any sport if the playersdo not buy into the system. However, it is evidentthat this is not the case for WashingtonTownship. While it has certainly been anadjustment period, the players all agree thatSurplus runs the program similarly to Flemming,and whatever differences there may be, are allpositive.

Prasun Sharma ‘11 said, “[As a team] welove messing around, but with Coach Surplus weget serious and try to learn as much from her aspossible because she knows a lot about tennis.But a lot of times she goofs off with us too. Wehave also have lot more technique drills withCoach Surplus and game play strategy.”

Not surprisingly, Coach Surplus also feelsthat the team has responded well and is glad thatthe transition has been swift, stating “The teamis responding very well; having Coach Rearickwith me has helped them transition. I made itclear that I want us to be successful in manydifferent areas, and the boys are all on boardwith this. I am really enjoying getting to knowmy players and am thankful for all the positivecomments and responses I receive from bothparents and players.”

In addition, the team returns a slew ofveteran players such as seniors Prasun Sharma,Jason Melfi, and Nick DeVito, who arecomplimented by underclassmen Derek Alfinito’12, Raghav Sahni ’12, and Steve Hauser ‘13 aswell as first year senior player Mike Osborne.

This core group of players understands their

Anthony Dentino ‘11

As the harsh winter weather is starting togive way to the warmth and sunshine, excitementis brewing about many of Washington TownshipHigh School’s spring sports teams. And whilemany people associate spring with the ping ofballs flying off of aluminum bats, a certain groupof athletes is focused on the pop of ballssmashing off of a racket.

The Washington Township High SchoolBoys Tennis team enters the 2011 campaignunder new leadership, with Ms. Cindy Surplustaking over the helm for longtime coach Mr. RichFlemming.

Nevertheless, Surplus, a former tennisplayer at Haddon Township High School, EastCarolina University, and The College of NewJersey, has plenty of tennis experience.

“Coach Surplus has been a volunteerassistant for the girls’ tennis team the last 3years. She has been an invaluable asset to thegirls’ team, and my biggest wish is that shereturns to continue and help the team in the fall.Having played as a singles player at HaddonTownship and The College of New Jersey, Ms.Surplus brings an enormous amount of playingand coaching experience to WTHS boys’ team.[She is] a confident leader and amazing instructor,and the boys will benefit from the wealth ofknowledge she brings to the team. I lookforward to watching the boys succeed under Ms.Surplus’s tutelage,” said Flemming of Surplus’sknowledge of tennis and coaching ability.

role as varsity members of the team and takestheir leadership responsibilities seriously.

Sharma stated, “As a senior I definitely tryto encourage the underclassmen as much I can.Tennis can become a very frustrating sportbecause your technique has to be dead on, youneed to have a good head on your shoulders anda lot of teams [we play throughout the season]are really tough. Whenever we do exercises I tryto push the team to finish it out. If someone hitsa nice shot I’ll give them encouragement or ifsomeone hits a bad shot I try to point out whatthey did wrong. And most importantly ifsomeone needs help with their technique thenI’ll definitely help them.”

Another crucial element needed to ensurethe Washington Township Boys Tennis team’ssuccess is goal setting. This year, the athleteshave lofty goals and hope to build upon lastseason’s strengths and chip away at theirweaknesses.

The team hopes to qualify for the SouthJersey Open and play deep into the GloucesterCounty Tournament while also provingthemselves worthy adversaries to other OlympicConference foes. In addition, qualifying for thestate tournament looms as a distant yet attainablemark, and the ultimate goal of the squad is tocompete and work diligently to reach their goalswhile having fun.

With a different yet far from inexperiencedcoach, veteran leadership, and a high morale, the2011 campaign stands to be a successful one forthe Minutemen.

With this core group of seniorsand a strong nucleus ofunderclassmen, the Minutemen feelthat they are poised to make a deeprun into the postseason whilecontinuing to make history as a partof an already storied program.

Minutemen baseball making a move to the playoffs

Township SportsBoys tennis team seeking success

Next Issue:

The Patriotsits down with

starting pitcherTyler Bright ‘11