Volume 1 Issue 2 Joseph A. Foran High School Milford, CT November 2013

The Mane Street MirrorA Forum For Student Opinion

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Index

Editorial........................................................Page 2-3Columns........................................................Page 4-5News............................................................Page 6-10Entertainment...........................................Page 11-13Sports........................................................Page 14-16

Kayla BenedettiEntertainment Editor

The Foran Feeds Foran food drive is an impor-tant thing to do around the holidays for families. Many students and Faculty are aware of the need for food drives to help those around the state and country, but, does anyone ever think about the people in the Foran community that are in need of this help?

Each common time and advisory will be compet-ing, so make sure to partici-pate. Each room will receive a large paper bag to place all of the food that is donated by the students in that class. Each item equals one point, so a

box of mashed potatoes is the same as a can of corn. The advisory class that brings in the most cans and boxes wins a Dunkin Donuts breakfast.

Mrs. Whitaker and her advisory class thought of feeding Foran families. “Doing this gives the students a better sense of helping the community and shows people that we take care of our own first,” said Whitaker. Her ad-visory says it would help build up school spirit and will give the school a better feel for the holidays. “We hope to feed at least 20 families,” Whitaker said.

Students are encour-aged to bring in multiple

non-perishable items; such as canned foods and boxed foods. Some examples of the foods that can be brought in are corn, carrots, stuffing, peas, cranberries, gravy, green beans, asparagus, squash, boxed mashed potatoes, crou-tons and mixes for pies, and brownies. Letters are being sent to the local grocery stores asking for turkey donations. Some of the staff here is donating turkeys to the drive as well.

When the drive is finished, a few days before Thanksgiving, the turkeys and the food that has been pro-vided by all those that helped will be placed in decorative baskets and dropped off to each of the families in need.

“By donating to the food drive, not only are you doing a good thing by donat-ing, you are giving the family of someone, not only in your community, but one of your fellow students a better, hap-pier holiday this year,” said Nicole Piercey.

Jennifer WeissauerEditor The Homes of the Brave Organization was very pleased to see the immense participation from Foran High school, when at least a thousand dollars’ worth of groceries was dropped off on Friday afternoon. According to Mrs. Gilman, the residents were absolutely thrilled and very touched. “The residents who helped bring the items in from our vehicles kept asking, “This is all for us?”

The Homes of the Brave organization, which started in 2002, provides tem-porary housing for homeless people, specifically veterans who have lost their way. There are three residential facilities including one specifically for women and two providing support for other veterans. The organization helps people who were homeless, those suffering from addiction, and is a good leeway to help veterans get back on their feet. The social stud-ies department spear headed the fundraiser. Mrs. Gilman, who had done the project at a

previous school, brought the idea to the table. The idea was approved by department head Mr. Cesare. Mrs. Svogun,

Foran Feeds Foran

Foran High Supports Homes of the Brave

Mr. Tupka, as well as Mrs. Gilman organized the whole fundraiser for the department. Collection boxes were present

in each social studies class-room. Some teachers even offered extra to encourage students to participate.

Key Club also was involved in this event, and sold patriotic ribbons during lunch waves which raised over $200 in cash. “The Foran kids were the ones who really did this, the student involvement was overwhelming,” said Mrs. Gilman. In addition to the money and groceries, gift cards to Stop-and-Shop were brought over as well. “We completely filled my big SUV entirely and Mr. Tupka’s car, drove it over, and it actually required about 10 residents who took several trips to bring all of it inside.” said Mrs. Gilman about the collection of supplies from the students. Mrs. Gilman spoke about the day of the drop off and the residents said, “You could see the excitement on their faces as we were coming to the door, and they were really unbelievably touched.” Some of the items that were brought in, included clothing, food, and toiletries.

The Homes of the Brave organization greatly ap-preciated our efforts thanks to all of the students and faculty here at Foran.

Students collect food and necessities for local veterans

From left: Mrs. Svogun, Charles (Emmett) Maher, Jacob Pouliot, Nikki Cichowski, Mrs. Gilman and Mr. Tupka with donations for veterans

Lions are the Best, YES!

The Lions will face the Lawmen for the 40th annual Thanksgiving football game at Jonathan Law High School on Thanksgiving Day. Law leads the series 21 games to 17 with two ties. See story inside.

Photo courtesy of Mike Ross from the New Haven Register.

Megan MestresEditor-in-Chief

Sabryna Wedemeyer Andrew JonesNews Editors

Kayla BenedettiEntertainment Editor

Megan McCaskillSports Editor

Megan MestresEditorials

Kaitlin KielyColumns Editor

Drew LenzJenny Weissauer

Advertisments/General Layout Editors

Mrs. FarrellAdvisor

Joseph A. Foran High School is a partnership comprised of educators, parents, students and the community devoted to help-ing students strive to become responsible, educated, and pro-ductive citizens who will thrive in a changing world.

Joseph A. Foran High School Mission Statement

Meet the News Crew!

SeniorsFallon BevinoNick BradeenChiara GaitesAndrew JonesKatie KielyClaire MarlerMegan McCaskillMegan MestresPeter Mount Liam Oliver Brad OrbanDrew PeraniGina Raucci Will Vitelli Sabryna Wedemeyer Julian Yuliawan

JuniorsKayla BenedettiOlivia Elliott Max Jerue Drew LenzJenny Weissauer

SophomoresKatie Buckheit

Page 2 EDITORIAL November 2013THE MIRROR FORAN HS

The Mane Street MirrorSupport Foran Journalism: The Philippine-American Association of

Connecticut, Inc.

We’re looking for dona-tions to aid the victims of super typhoon Haiyan that hit the Philippines last week.

We’ll be collecting the fol-lowing until December 14:

• clean used clothing (no winter clothes please)

• clean under garments • linens/blankets/towels• personal hygiene items such as travel

size soap• toothbrush and toothpaste• sanitary napkins• non-perishable food items preferably

ready to eat• easy to open canned goods

Donations Monetary or In-Kind

You can drop off donation boxes in the main office, room 261 and the

library

Page 3 EDITORIAL November 2013THE MIRROR FORAN HS

Katie BuckheitStaff Writer

According to doso-mething.org, 95 percent of people with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25. This statistic is staggering, and directly reflects society’s image of beauty. Everywhere you look there are pictures of buff guys and slim ladies, most with unrealistic qualities. Even in grocery stores while checking out, little kids can be found observing what is inac-curately presented as genuine. Frequently, weight loss is a hot topic for maga-zines to cover- giving, young girls especially, the wrong idea about a healthy weight. A study at Amherst College found that women who think their peers are thinner than they are, are more likely to develop eating disorders. Eat-ing disorders and poor body image can be results of society glamorizing unrealistic bodies. Sam Mitchell, a sophomore, says “It’s (the idea of beauty portrayed by

society) extremely overrated. We make it seem like it’s so much that it’s not. Society makes it seem like you have to do certain things. It makes it feel like people have to be a certain way or else they’ll be judged.” It’s not only the girls who are feeling the pressure of society’s prefect image. Often, guys are insecure as well. Not everyone is as tall or muscular as the guys on TV or in magazines. Editors of magazines and other social media sources have the ability to Photoshop pictures to en-hance someone’s appearance. Nic Vanchot, a sophomore, was asked if he feels soci-ety puts pressure on guys to look a certain way. “Because America was facing obesity, I think men don’t want to be a part of that. Society shouldn’t have to provide the motivation to change your personality or body. It should come from

within you.” Even in the popular movie Captain America, the hero had to change bodies be-fore he could save the world. His smaller, less muscular frame was not enough. Such fears and insecurities from boys are typically overlooked-eating disorders, and body image issues are seen as only for girls. The pressure for people to fit into the mold that society forms for us is ridiculous, and needs to be broken. We need to accept that all different body types are beautiful. We need to stop looking at unrealistic photoshopped celebrities and wishing we looked like they do! The world needs to accept the fact that we are not all super models, and we are all beautiful. Some information courtesy of dosometing.com and psycologytoday.com

Peter MountStaff Writer

I know I’m in the minority on this topic at Foran High where everyone takes a significant amount of pride in their sports. Everybody seems to love them, they feel that sports make their lives worth living. After all, their whole lives revolve around the games. People follow professional games, and students are encouraged to be athletes. I understand that yes, sports may make you happy and if that’s what you want to do then go for it! Of course I have a biased opinion, I think sports, in some respects, is childish and more or less a waste of time because it is just a game. Sports were originally invented to pass the time away. Then again that’s what everything is in the end, right? Sometimes it feels as if you’re an outcast for not playing a sport in high school, and I don’t think it should be that way. Why is it that so

much money, time, and interest go into sports? It shouldn’t be that big of a deal. Professional coaches and players get paid millions of dollars a year, for playing a game. These professional games are set up for entertain-ment, and people eat it up like the Roman citizens and the coliseum. They live for it. Watching it, playing it, talking about it, and in the end they’re simply idolizing it. What bothers me the most is the fact that you can get so much money in schol-arships just for being a good athlete. Why do colleges care? Why are sports so important to them? It has to do with money, of course, like everything else important, and that seems illogical. I’m not completely against sports, but I really think sports have way too much importance in today’s society. Sports should stay as what they were intended to be, something to pass the time. They shouldn’t be these huge money making games.

Sports IdolizationSociety’s “Perfect” Image

photo courtesy humanillness.com

Drew PeraniStaff Writer

Leaves are falling. Temperatures are dropping. Ballots are being counted. That’s right, it’s election sea-son; the time of year where citizens are given the oppor-tunity to embrace their suf-frage and make a difference in their community. Milford is pleased to announce that the beloved Ben Blake is back to serve his second term as May-or. Blake (Dem.) won handily by a vote of 7,296 to 4,629 over his opposing candidate, Peter Spalthoff (Rep.). It’s not surprising that residents of Milford re-elected Blake considering the impact he has made on Milford’s govern-ment over the past two years, making it more effective and more efficient. Not to men-tion, he also led us through two of the worst natural di-sasters in our town’s history, Hurricane Sandy and Blizzard Nemo.

Some other notable winners in the 2013 election include: Linda Stock (Rep.) city clerk, and Linda Hardi-man (Dem.), constable. The Democrats were able to main-tain their majority of spots on the Board of Alderman,

outnumbering Republicans 9 to 6, but lost 2 spots on the Board of Education, still giving Democrats an advan-tage of 6 members to 4. The results seem to continue the trend of last year’s Demo-cratic sweep.

Connecticut has always been a state with a high turnout rate for voters (74%, 7th in the country). Traditionally, most of these voters consist of adults. This election, there was a push for more student voters. Students who were 18 and eligible to vote were urged to register and participate on Tuesday, November 5.

“I was excited that I was able to vote this year,” said Marissa Lorenzo, a se-nior at Foran. Her prodigious pride and joy was accompa-nied by a large, green sticker that read ,“I voted.” “I feel like it was my civic duty,” she said, conscious of the fact that the founding fathers of our country fought for our rights and that we should take advantage of them, consid-ering a large population of the world does not have the same rights. In Twitter terms: #America #freedom #suf-frage.

Mayor Ben Blake is Back

Andrew JonesNews Editor Ralph Waldo Emer-son once said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” The pursuit of greatness is taken seriously here at Foran High School. But as Emerson so eloquently stated, spirit is a quintessential part of achieving success.

School spirit has cer-tainly been on the rise at Foran this year. From the Foran Key Club running its First Annual “Pinkapalooza” to the heavily populated student section at the football games, opportuni-ties to showcase your “Lion Pride” have become increas-ingly plentiful.

One of the students responsible for this resurgence in school pride is Tyler Ka-

suba. As a 3 sport athlete him-self Kasuba realizes the value in having your peers come out to support you and the benefi-cial effect it can have on your performance. As a result, he and other students proposed the formation of a new group called the “Foran Pride Club”. It serves as a student section, attending sporting events from football to swimming, with its loud cheering that can be heard from the parking lot.

However, Foran’s spirit extends far beyond the fields and courts into the com-munity. Foran students are altruistic, dedicating time and effort in the name of those less fortunate.

The Foran UNICEF

club has been raising money for the organization and its many initiatives via bake sales and UNICEF’s trademark Trick-or-treating fundraising program.

The Foran Key club has been organizing several fundraisers as well supporting causes like breast cancer and the Salvation Army. The Natu-ral helpers have organized the “Foran feeds Foran” program, allowing students to donate food, helping their peers in need.

The community spirit, both athletic and phil-anthropic is abundant here at Foran High School.

photo courtesy of maxpreps.com

Foran Pride is Pervasive

What’s On Your iPod?Freshman: Christopher Pellegrino

Sophmore: Pheobe Collins 1.Radioactive- Imagine Dragons

2.I Knew You Were Trouble- Tay-lor Swift

3.Best Song Ever- One Direction4.Demons- Imagine Dragons5. Wrecking Ball- Miley Cyrus

Junior: Matthew Rubenstein

(photo courtesy Kayla Benedetti)

(photo courtesy Kayla Benedetti)

(photo courtesy Kayla Benedetti)

Senior: Julian Yuliawan 1.P.Y.T.- Michael Jackson

2.Family Business- Kanye West3.September- Earth, Wind &

Fire4.Best I Ever Had- Drake

5.Thinkin Bout You- Frank Ocean

1.Heart of a Champion- Nelly2.The Slam- Toby Mac

3.False Pretense- The Red Jump-suit Apparatus

4.Someday- Flipsyde5.Lose Yourself- Eminem

(photo courtesy Kayla Benedetti )

Page 4 COLUMNS November 2013THE MIRROR FORAN HS

1.The Monster- Eminem ft. Rihanna2.I’m so Paid- Akon ft. Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy3.Fall for your Type- Jamie Foxx4.Old School Love- Lupe Fiasco5.TKO- Justin Timberlake

(Courtesy of www.facebook.com)

Chiara GaitesStaff Writer Few people think about how other countries dif-fer from their own. However, Foran student was given the opportunity to do so. Mouna Abu Laban is an exchange student who came from Switzerland. Her first day at Foran High School began the morning of September 5 of this year.

When asked which country she preferred, she said, “I like a mix of both countries. Of course I like Switzerland because it’s where I’m from and it’s where I grew up, but I also like America because it’s all so big.”

Even though she appreciates both countries and what they have to offer, there is one particular thing about

school in Switzerland that she favors more so. Accord-ing to Mouna, in Switzerland, they do not have to use passes walking from place to place around her school.

There are many dif-ferences between schooling here in America and school-ing in Switzerland. Mouna begins her day at 8AM and runs through classes until 11:30AM. When 11:30 hits the students have a two hour break and are allowed to leave the school premise to go home and have a nice lunch.

“During the break, my friends and I usually cook a good lunch, or catch up on homework,” Mouna says. The students must be back at school by 1:30PM to finish out their day, which goes on until 5PM.

Also, schools in Swit-zerland have about 13 subjects

in general. The 13 subjects include French, Math, Ger-man, English, Spanish, Phys-ics, Biology, Philosophy, His-tory, and more. In the United States there are generally five core subjects.

Even though Mouna said she enjoyed a mixture of both countries, acclimating to a new country has to be dif-ficult for a teenage girl. When asked if the adjustment was challenging, she said, “Yeah it was pretty hard to adjust, but it wasn’t specifically because it was America. It’s just hard in general to completely change your routine and go to a very new country.” “I enjoyed my ex-perience here and I’d love to come back for college, “she says.

Student Spotlight on MounaKaitlin KielyColumns Editor At this point in the school year, college is on most seniors’ minds, whether you’ve already applied, or have already been accepted. It’s something we all think about. For some people, the college process has already been com-pleted. For others, it has just begun. The first step into the college application process is to see your guidance counselor. Your guidance counselor is your best source of informa-tion, and they’re here to help make your life easier. They can help you make a list of your top colleges so you can do your own research and pos-sibly go check out colleges that you’re interested in. Rachel Steeves, a senior, said “I don’t really have a top school but I’m interested in some more than others.” Another thing that you should consider when making a list of your top colleges is whether you want to stay close to home or go far away. Meghan Sherman, senior here at Foran, says, “I’d like to stay close because I don’t think I’m ready to live away from my family. I’m looking at Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University.” The next step that you

can take is to write your col-lege essay, and you can even ask Ms. Dion in yellow hall to read it. Ms. Dion, the writ-ing tutor here at Foran High School, can help you make your college essay application ready. Most colleges are on Common App, so it would be a great idea to set up your account and fill out all of your personal information. So where are students from the class of 2014 thinking of applying, or have already ap-plied to? Senior, Jules Petru-celli’s top two schools are University of New Haven, and Mount St. Mary. While Kyra Blacketter’s top school is Vassar. “It’s my top school because they’re really open to combining all different majors and minors.” she said Erin Dunn, who is top of the class at the mo-ment, says her top schools are Georgetown and UConn, but she also plans on applying to George Washington Univer-sity, Vassar, and Harvard. As you can see from all these students, lots of stu-dents are still undecided about where they want to go. Guid-ance counselors say it’s great idea to at least get started and make some sort of list of your top schools, if you haven’t already.

(Left to Right: Daniel Rivera, Fallon Bevino, Mouna Abu Laban, Sarah Segrue, Clarie Marler)(Courtesy to Kaitlin Kiely)

College 101

Page 5COLUMNSNovember 2013

What’s APPening?THE MIRROR FORAN HS

Liam Oliver Staff Writer These apps are the best of November, “Bit-strips”, “Tiny Death Star”, and “Sleep Cycle alarm clock”. Bitstrips (Free) is a social media app that allows you to make comic strips using you and your friends as characters. The app uses a search system that provides a variety of moods and helps you to find a comic that suits you. Once you find an illus-tration that works for you, the next step is to enter any text that you want to add. This app will come up with some funny im-ages and the best part is how simple the comics are for anyone to create. Next, Tiny Death Star (Free)

really is a great game. The game is a remake of “Tiny Tower” that completely rede-signs the game to be Star Wars themed. The game is lets you build and manage your own

building with pixelated occu-pants that require jobs and ask you to perform tasks for them. You get to see all of the iconic Star Wars characters in your tower and your ultimate goal

is to build the best tower you can for the Death Star. Finally, Sleep Cycle alarm clock ($1.99) is an app that collects and trends data on the amount and quality of your

sleep. You just place your phone on your bed as you fall asleep and it records how of-ten you move to predict when you are sleeping the lightest. This app also functions as an alarm clock to wake you up when you are sleeping the lightest. You set the alarm for the time you need to wake up and it will set the alarm to go off when it feels your sleeping the lightest before the time you set. The real strength of this app is its ability to trend sleep data. The app records several different components of sleep and then graphs it over weeks, months, and years. It also gives an overall percentage grade for your quality of sleep each night. These are three very different apps that all are fun and addicting in their own ways and I definitely would recommend that you give

(Courtesy of gameinformer.com and techvibes.com)

A Quarter Mile at a Tyme Drawn By: Peter Mount

Page 6 NEWS November 2013THE MIRROR FORAN HS

Black Friday

Common Core State Standards

Kaitlin Kiely and Olivia ElliotColumns Editor and Staff Writer

The Common Core State Standards is a set of standards expected of stu-dents at each grade level. This helps teachers become better equipped at what they need to be teaching, allowing students, teachers, and parents to all work on the same page and work together to ensure that students are progressing. This is allowing the education system to not focus so much on standardized test, but more on the students’ performance in class.

It does not restrict teachers on what they must teach in the classroom, but outlines what the Common Core wants each student to de-velop from year’s kindergar-ten to 12th. As of right now, 46 states have adopted to the CCSS. This means that first graders all the way in Idaho are expected to learn and know the same curriculum as a first grader in Connecticut.

Drew Lenz & Megan Mc-CaskillEditors

The day after Thanksgiving, more com-monly referred to as “Black Friday,” is expected to boost businesses’ profits astronomi-cally this year, some earning gains of more than a billion dollars, but most people overlook additional shopping holidays. Thanksgiving has been given the name “Gray Thursday,” as well as the Sat-urday after Thanksgiving be-ing “Small Business Saturday” and the Monday after being called, “Cyber Monday.” Black Friday was a term first coined to describe the September of 1864 stock market scare that showed plunging prices of gold in the country. Late in the 20th century, newspapers all over the nation gave the term a new meaning; “Black Friday” was now used to describe the overwhelming crowds at storefronts before the holiday season hit full swing. It was not until years later that the reasoning behind the term became known to America.

Back in the late 19th century, when the stock market had its ups and downs, much as it does today, black ink was used to mark prof-its of businesses on balance sheets. These sheets would then be colored black, rep-

resenting a huge profit gain for that business. Overtime, Black Friday has been used to describe retailer’s profits in a given year.

Black Friday is most known as the notorious begin-ning of the holiday shopping season. Stores nationwide open bright and early for those who are looking to begin their shopping and catch one-day sales and specials that will not appear again until the follow-ing year. For most Americans, this day entails waking up early and waiting in lines for hours, just to even enter the store. In many instances, prod-ucts that have been eyed by prospective buyers have sold out before the shopper even made it into the store. With the madness that ensues every morning, stores create danger-ous environments that could, and have, put lives in danger.

Black Friday, as

wonderful as it is for bargain hunters, is a source of dread and anxiety for many retail workers. As stores open earlier and earlier, employees lose their ability to enjoy Thanks-giving with their families. Large chain stores, such as Target, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy, are opening their doors at 8pm on Thanksgiving, mean-ing employees will have to be clocked in two hours prior to help set up and organize for the flood of shoppers, ending their holiday celebrations at 6pm. Is it fair to ruin one per-son’s holiday to save money for another? Even if it were not a holiday, should we as a country be forcing our retail employees to work 12 hour night shifts in hectic condi-tions?

This trend of opening on Thanksgiving has been la-beled “Gray Thursday.” Gray Thursday has just recently

been coined as a term to describe this mayhem. Many Americans see Black Friday hours as taken “too far,” but now having shopping start on the actual holiday has set people over the edge.

One plus of post-Thanksgiving shopping is the recent attempt at starting a “Small Business Saturday” where, instead of rushing to large chain store, shoppers wait a day and buy items from beloved, hometown busi-nesses. Go buy Vera from Something of Bev’s, jewelry from Me Boutique, and even nautical gifts from Island Time to celebrate the coastal quaintness of Milford.

Last but not least, after the hectic holiday week-end comes to an end, Cyber Monday starts it right back up, but it won’t be as noticeable as the two preceding shopping days. Cyber Monday makes its

debut right online, with stores and companies advertising their sales to the people who did not make it out on Gray Thursday or Black Friday, or for people who did shop but want to do more.

Cyber Monday al-lows people to shop right at home on their computer. It is a win-win for most because of two reasons. One, people do not have to leave their home and enter the traffic flooded streets and stores. They can shop right in the comfort of their own home. Secondly, the deals stores offer online are just as good, if not better than deals in stores. The internet typhoon company, Amazon, is notorious for boasting its steals and deals that many cannot go without consider-ing. Senior Jessie Black says, “I love online shopping, it’s addicting, but it’s dangerous. I have to be careful that I don’t get caught up in it and spend all my money!”Whether or not you decide on leaving Thanksgiving dinner for Gray Thursday, waking up at the crack of dawn for Black Friday, or spending time online for Cyber Monday, the shopping season is in full swing starting in a couple of days. Whichever your mode of shopping may be, remember to be careful and it’s always the thought that counts.

There will be new test administered this year made up by the CCSS. It is called the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), and it will be replac-ing the well-known Connecti-cut Mastery Test (CMT) and the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT). Unlike previous years that the test has been administered on the computer rather than using pencil and pen. Regard-less of where they live, with the CCSS, all students will have the same level of college or career ready expectations when they graduate. Districts in Connecticut have already swiftly started carrying out the new adopted standard. The community will directly be affected by this new change. While current high school students may not feel effects of the change, it will make a larger impression on students in lower grades. Judging by the plan and future goals of the CCSS, we can foretell a positive change for the next generation of students. The

Connecticut State Department of Education has supported a statewide forum on Connecti-cut’s Vision for Implement-ing the Common Core State Standards. Even with the new standard in place, teachers in the district and all throughout Connecticut will still maintain control over the information in their classroom. The goal of the CCSS remains in which it is to measure and make sure students are retaining the knowledge they need to know to ensure they are prepared for college or careers. With the CCSS being only in its begin-ning stages, it will be watched, as well as the monitoring of students improvement, to determine whether or not this new instated testing is more effective.

Questions on the Common Core will be held on three nights: Monday, Nov. 11th; Wednesday, Nov. 13th; and Wednesday, Dec. 4th. All three sessions will be at Harborside Middle School at 6:30 PM.

Discover what know-how can do.

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Early morning shoppers on Black Friday (photo courtesy of google.com)

Page 7NEWSNovember 2013 THE MIRROR FORAN HS

Standardized Testing

Katie BuckheitStaff Writer We are all familiar with the dreaded standard-ized testing that comes around every year. From grade three, we began our journey. CMTs, or Connecticut Mastery Test, were handed out, testing read-ing, writing, and math skills. For five years we took these tests, always knowing they were coming up. In Connecti-cut high schools, sophomores take CAPTs or Connecticut Academic Performance Tests. Throughout a high school student’s four year career, the option to take Subject Tests is daunting; because some col-leges require them. These tests are typically administered on Saturday mornings, along with the SATs, or Scholastic As-sessment Tests. The option to take ACTs or American Col-

lege Testing is also available. NWEA testing is administered at Foran during school hours, taking away from teaching and learning time. All of these tests are trying to get results from us students. Do they work? Kaylyn Bettencourt, a senior, says, “I think that kids are learning that all that matters is their standardized test scores rather than the actual knowledge they should be learning at school.” The question remains: are these tests really accurate? Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Everyone has their own strengths and weakness-

es, and ways of learning best. Standardized testing does not seem to take this into account. The pressure to do well on said tests are stressful. The process for applying to col-lege is intimidating by itself. Stress levels are known to run high in junior and senior year, because of the importance of getting into a good college. Standardized testing is not an accurate measure of a stu-dent’s performance. Everyone

is so different; the playing field is off balance. Such testing can’t be considered an accurate way of measuring student progress. It’s simply not fair. Also, tests such as the SAT aren’t realistic to life. In real life, we won’t have a list of five choices and only one of them is right. The problems presented to us aren’t always going to be so simple. Frequently, teach-ers are focused on test taking

skills and teaching to prepare for the tests rather than teach-ing for the sake of learning. This wears down on both the student and the teacher. Teachers want to make learn-ing fun and enriching, but the requirements of the state regu-larly push their plans aside. It’s time to rethink the way we do school here in the U.S., because clearly, something is wrong.

Gina RaucciStaff Writer For eighty seven years the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has awakened the streets of New York with over the top balloons and jaw dropping floats. People come from all over to witness the extravagant decorations and exciting per-formances. The beginning of it all started back in 1924 with employees working at Macy’s marching from 145 street in Harlem all the way to Macy’s store on 34 street. Some of the floats and balloons that were sailing down the street fea-tured different fairytale char-acters to enlighten the children. Live animals from the Central Park Zoo could even be seen marching their way through the crowd. It wasn’t until 1934 that the famous Mickey Mouse balloon made an appearance. In previous parades, our own as-sistant superintendent, Michael Cummings worked as a balloon holder dressed as a banana.

Photo Courtesy to abcnews.go.com

Ever since then the parade has been a hit and the streets are constantly packed with enthu-siastic spectators. This year’s parade will feature old and new entertain-ers. As always you will expect to see Santa in his sleigh wav-ing to his many adoring fans. The well-loved Spongebob Squarepants balloon will be fly-ing around the corner to make his every year appearance with a new makeover this year. The famous Tom Turkey float will also be seen bobbing his head and gobbling down the parade route. One new coming float however doesn’t have people sitting on the edge of their seats for its appearance; it has every-one doing the exact opposite. SeaWorld Entertainment’s new float ‘A Sea of Surprises’ has animal lovers blowing smoke from the ears. Ever since CNN aired the hard hitting documen-tary “Blackfish”, SeaWorld

went from an amusement park to an abusement park. Animal activists including PETA have always had this opinion about the famous sea park but this documentary unveils the hidden truth about captivity to millions around the world. Even with this minor bump in the road, Macy’s is expected to put on an over the top parade as usual. Not only will the fif-teen balloons and nine hundred clowns be an exciting site to see, but so will the celebrities who are expected to be riding in the parade. Some of the celebrities that will be either performing or just riding a float are late night comedian Jimmy Fallon, artists Fall Out Boy and Gavin DeGraw, and even the cast of “Duck Dynasty” will be there. Macy’s always knows how to pull off one of the big-gest parades in history. Tune in to NBC on Nov. 28 at 9 AM to see it live.

Photo Courtesy to abcnews.go.com

Macy’s Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade

Sabryna WedemeyerNews Editor

Thanksgiving is a holiday that has been cel-ebrated in this country since its founding. Every year it is on the fourth Thursday of November, also the day prior to Black Friday. It is a day when people rejoice with their families and reflect upon everything they have that makes their lives whole and enjoyable. It’s a time to give thanks, spend with family, and eat scrumptious food, but what about the people that are less fortunate around this time of year?

Thanksgiving dinner is a huge perk to the holiday. Traditionally, families serve turkey, stuffing, gravy, po-tatoes; or their own twist of deliciousness on the day. This may be one of your own tradi-tions, but there is someone in your community who is not as privileged. There are a lot of Americans who have no idea when their next meal will be, and it’s a perfect time to show your thanks by providing someone else with a meal.

“There are some people out there who are less privileged and I love the feel-ing it gives me to help them out,” said senior Cara Dube. She isn’t the only one who en-joys that warm feeling. Many restaurants, churches, and other establishments volun-teer to do something special. One of those restaurants is Pop’s Family Restaurant. Gus Grigoriadis, owner of the family oriented eatery, has held free thanksgiving dinners on the day for many years. In previous years, he has donated proceeds from the breakfast sold in the morning to a home-

less shelter, and then later that day gives a free dinner to anyone that signs up.

Even though the small diner has opened in a new location as a restaurant, they plan to continue the tradi-tion.

“It started a long time ago, it’s something my dad wanted to do to give back to the community,” said daughter of Grigoriadis, Virginia Kikis. “It’s for whoever is lonely or needy on the holiday. We serve everything from soup and dinner to dessert and drinks.”

If you or anyone you know wants to attend, it’s from 12-3 PM at Pop’s Family Restaurant, 134 Old Gate Lane. Make sure to call in advance if you will be go-ing so they know how many people to expect. The number to reach them at is 201-876-1210.

Other than Pop’s, the Connecticut Food Bank campaign “Thanksgiving for All” will be accepting dona-tions for the funds to provide meals for families. Last year they provided an average of 490,000 meals for anyone that needed the help. The organiza-tion holds many food drives and events that will allow them to raise all of the money and Turkeys as they can. “If you can, help out you’re community and donate to a charity, or volunteer at one of the events that take place during this season, you don’t realize what a difference you can make and how you are giving people another thing to be grateful for,” said Danielle Wade.

Dinner Donations

NEWSPage 8 THE MIRROR FORAN HS

Sgt. Gavin Erickson-Army, Sgt. Tod Dotson-Marines, Chief Master Sgt. Tom Flow-ers-Air Force, Senior Master Joseph Della Monica-Air Force (Foran High gradu-ate), First Lieutenant Lauri Dougherty- National Guard (Social worker here at Foran),

Jennifer WeissauerEditor America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, is the country it is today because of all the courageous men and women that serve our country. Veteran’s day, a national holiday, is celebrated every year on November 11th. Once known as “Armistice day” in 1938, November 11th is a day to celebrate those who sacrifice everything for the safeguard of our liberties and freedoms. Each year, the Mil-ford public school system has celebrated the day with no school. With the recent change in the school year schedule, Milford held school on Veter-an’s day. This year, Foran held an assembly and had various guest speakers. Although there were mixed feelings about having school, the day was valued by learning the impor-tance of our veterans. The assembly that was held for the students took place in the morning. The significant assembly was at-tended by 13 veterans, includ-ing a few Foran alumni and

Fallon BevinoStaff Writer

A little less than a year ago, tragedy struck close to home at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The devastating loss of 26 innocent teachers and children broke the hearts of millions nationwide on December 14. In honor of the victims and families, there have been memorials, funds, decals, fundraisers, and even playgrounds have been created nation-wide. A tragedy hitting so close to home truly united the small state of Connecticut. Following December 14, Facebook pages, donation pages, fundraisers and more started to pop up on the news. Immediately after that awful day, people from every corner of the country started to come to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Donated teddy bears were abundant at the elementary school. Teddy bears lined the streets of Sandy Hook and the school.

Along with teddy bears, people also started to create little set-ups compiled of 26 little pendants. Whether the pendants are angels, luminaries, stars, hearts, etc., each single pendant stood for one of the innocent lives lost that day. Even throughout

the city of Milford, multiple personal memorials are set-up in honor of the victims. In addition to personal and individual memorials, many bold and heart-felt individuals took their fundraising above and beyond. The heart-breaking terror that went on last December so close to home gave parents around the country even more reason to hold their children tight. The teddy bears were representative of this, and they came from everywhere in the world- China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Australia. The biggest fundraiser and memorial of all is the 26 Angels Foundation, foundation started in honor of each precious life lost that day.

The purpose of the foundation is to build 26 playgrounds around the northeast coast, one dedicated to each victim. The goal is to not only honor each of the 26 angels, but to rebuild places that were demolished by Hurricane Sandy. So far three have been built for Daniel Barden, Jack Pinto, and Chase Kowalski. Ever since that terrifying and heart-wrenching day last December, an incredible amount of love and support has arisen from places all over the world. Although that tragic day will forever be a sickening memory in the minds of millions, the effort to comfort families, relatives and all of those affected has become a positive outcome of something so devastating.

faculty. The veteran’s include Lance Corporal Jordan Levine-Marines (Foran Class of 2009), Lt. Commander Daniel Stock- Navy, Capt. David Doyle-Army, Sgt. 1st Class Rich Troy-Army (Span-ish teacher at Foran), Special-ist Richard Pratt-Army, Staff

and Staff Sargent- Paul Grillo- National Guard. Also included was a soon- to- be National Guardsman, senior Andy Khon. There was a school wide contest held for students to write poetry about Veteran’s day. There were many great entries in the contest. Mr. Berkowitz and staff chose three representatives to read their poems at the assembly. Josselin Lathurs, junior, began by reading her poem, “My Papa Tom,” Leanna Charron, senior, followed and read her poem entitled “No Ordinary Day.” Lastly, Claire Marler, senior, presented her poem, “Veteran’s Day Poem for Dad.” Mr. Troy, Spanish teacher here at Foran, was next to present at the as-sembly. Troy spoke about his time in the military and how he joined. The veteran since 2001 has served in Bosnia and Afghanistan. Troy started his teaching career in 2006 at Jonathon Law and came to Foran in November of 2010. Troy, like many other veter-ans, continues to inspire us

each day with his brave spirit and his continuous fight for this country. Another veteran that Foran has kept close to their heart is Mr. David Doyle. The thirty year veteran has served everywhere from the U.S. to Europe and Vietnam. Doyle says, “I enjoyed the military very much and being a veteran is important because it is al-most exclusive, not everyone is a veteran.” November 11th is a day of extreme importance because without the men and women that sacrifice everything they have for us, America wouldn’t be the same country we all know and love. Foran took the time to appreciate the greatness of those who serve us every day. As Foran High school student Drew Lenz, junior, said, “It is important to value soldiers who have served for our coun-try because our lives depend on those who put up a constant fight for our freedoms. I think Foran did an excellent job bringing attention to Veteran’s day and having students un-derstand the importance.”

Remembering Sandy Hook

Foran Honors Vets and Soldiers Alike

Sabryna WedemeyerNews Editor

Victoria Soto, 27, lost her life in the tragic New-town shooting last year doing what she loved: teaching. In memory of the young educator who has since been named a hero, local friends and family put together an annual Vicki Soto 5K run to help her loved ones cope with her loss.

Pink flamingos lined the streets, guiding the participants that gathered at Lordship in Stratford, in the early morning of November 2. With an entry fee of $26, people came to remember and honor of the 26 lives that were lost that fateful day. A chil-dren’s run started off the event at 9:30 AM so people of all ages could participate and the actual run started at 10 AM.

Since Soto’s favorite bird was a Flamingo, a lot of people showed up in lots of pink or wearing bird cos-tumes. One of those people was her brother, Carlos Soto. “Well, Vicki’s favorite animal was a flamingo, so we had to go big or go home,” Soto told News Channel 8. The day was spent with the intentions of having as much fun as pos-sible and laughing with family and friends while supporting a good cause because that’s

what her loved ones knew she would want. There wasn’t a sad face there; cheerleaders even brought pep to the event every few blocks to encour-age the runners throughout the race.

The event was not only to help Soto’s family, but to raise money for those who want to pursue a career in education, and have as much ambition and passion for teaching as she did. Benefit organizers want her legacy to live on in the hearts of young teachers who deserve a chance at getting a degree.

Whether one was dressed up as a the pink bird, or wearing a Vicki Soto 5k t-shirt, it proved to be a huge success, raising over $50,000 and running out of numbers. “I will definitely go next year if I am home. There were about 2,000 people par-ticipating and it will only get bigger,” said Senior Hannah Lickteig.

Next year is expected to have more people signing up, and some Foran students are already planning to attend.

“I unfortunately was not able to attend this year, but I can’t wait to go next year,” said Courtenay Carrano. “It looked like a lot of fun and I’m sad that I missed out.”

Vicki Soto Memorial 5K

Veteran Richard Pratt shares his experiences with Foran students on Veteran’s Day (photo courtesy Jenny Weissauer)

Foran faculty Mrs. Hart and Mrs. Farrell with Carlos Soto, brother of Vicki Soto (photo courtesy Soto Family)

November 2013

Page 9NEWSNovember 2013 THE MIRROR FORAN HS

Julian YuliawanStaff Writer The long lasting anticipation and excitement of Sonic coming to Milford is finally over! Jubilance over-whelmed Milford citizens as news spread this summer that Sonic was going to replace the steadily declining Arby’s. Sonic is not the average burger spot. Customers are able to choose from a menu that offers chicken, burg-ers, hot dogs, wraps, toaster sandwiches, breakfast bur-ritos, tots, french fries, onion rings, SONIC® Blasts, banana splits, and 398,929 drink possibilities! Happy hour at Sonic is also what makes the restaurant unique. Every day from 2-4 P.M., customers can order any drinks or slushes for half price. Sonic also keeps their consumers on their toes by adding something new to the menu every month. The recently opened Sonic is just the third restaurant to

open in the state of Connecti-cut, with prior locations in Wallingford and Manchester. So why come to Milford? “We are trying to expand to all parts of the state; central, northern, southern, eastern, and western,” said staff man-ager, Justin Thompson. The Wallingford and Manchester locations satisfy the central and northern objective, while the Milford location fulfills the southern portion. Future Sonic locations include; Danbury, Berlin, Southington, and New Haven. However, the Sonic in Milford is not the typical Sonic Drive In. The restaurant here in Milford is only one out of 10 Sonic Drive Ins with indoor dining. This special feature attracts consumers from all around the state. Very high expectations come with open-ing a new restaurant such as Sonic. Customer service is a key component. Employees, especially skating carhops, are

expected to provide a friendly and quick service to each of the customers. Well trained management staff ensures that these expectations will be met. The location in Wallingford is ranked #2, while the Sonic in Manchester is ranked #5 out of the 3,000 restaurants in the country. Management from both of these locations has been brought over to the Milford Sonic in reassurance that these very high expecta-tions are fulfilled. Heavy traffic and eager customers coincide with the newly opened Sonic here in Milford. However, the unique experience is worth the wait. Thousands of customers per month will leave satis-fied, with hungers fulfilled all thanks to the new Sonic open-ing in Milford.

Milford Welcomes New Franchise: Sonic

Drew PeraniStaff Writer

Disaster struck on Friday, November 8 when the perilous typhoon Haiyan left the Philippines’ entire eastern coast in shambles. The dam-age and the devastation are unreal. According to the UN, more than 11 million people were affected by this disaster and more than 600,000 were displaced from their homes. The death toll is now up to 3,982 and is expected to continue to rise due to the fact that the typhoon affected such an extensive area of eastern and central Philippines. Most of the damage however was done on the two main islands Leyte and Samar. Tacloban, a city in Leyte, in particular was hit badly. The city that was once home to 220,000 people is now com-pletely destroyed and covered in debris. The government has vanquished and there is a concern about the lack of security amidst all this tur-moil. Philippians are fighting for food and survival. There have been numerous reports of incidents such as the 100,000 sacks of rice that were stolen from a government warehouse that left 8 dead after the walls of the warehouse collapsed.

Countries around the world are bringing aid and support as quickly as possible to do as much as they can for such a large population of struggling survivors. The shortages of food, water, shel-ter, and medical relief simply cannot keep up with the press-ingly high demand from the

millions of civilians that are facing the hardships of Hai-yan. On Tuesday, November 13, the UN launched an ap-peal for $301 million to help survivors, on top of the $25 million already issued to meet the immediate needs. The international relief efforts are trying to improve their pace of aid distribution, especially as certain areas of the disaster zone are turning to chaos.

Hopefully with the help of all of the countries that have assisted them so far, including the U.S., Australia, Japan, North Korea, England, and Indonesia, the Philippines can be restored to a country

with adequate and safe living conditions. If you want to help out you can donate to organization like UNICEF, the Philippine Red Cross, or Save the Children.

Foran is also collect-ing donations until December 14th for the PAAC (Philip-pine-American Association of Connecticut). They are accepting monetary donations as well as non-perishable food items, clean used clothing, and personal hygiene items. If you have any questions or con-cerns please contact Geordann Daguplo at G_dann_08@ya-hoo.com or Megan McCaskill and Claire Marler.

Typhoon Devastates Philippines

Liam OliverStaff writer

The Pink Panthers Jewel Thief Gang might be the coolest group of criminals ever to pull off a heist. The Gang has stolen over $400 million since its first heist in the mid-nineties. Although referred to as a “gang”, the organization operates more like a network of small teams, with specialists working to carry out the heists in the most quick and efficient manner possible.

What sets these thieves apart from the rest though, is their stunning taste for style. The various mem-bers, men and women, all have been known to dress up in matching outfits and escape in creative ways.

In one heist for example, the Pink Panthers all wore flower print shirts to rob a jewelry store in Saint-Tropez, the robbers left the store and escaped the area in a speed boat.

In another heist two robbers stole a diamond tiara from a high end jewelry store in the Ginza district of Tokyo. The two sped away on bi-cycles with their $1.5 million dollar prize.

The group’s calling card car is the Audi S8. If the panthers use a car in their heist, it will be an S8. In past heists, the thieves have gone to extraordinary measures to

obtain the cars. They once smuggled an S8 across the border of Abu Dhabi into Dubai just to have the car for a heist that ultimately lead to a $3.4 million gain.

What is unique about these criminals is their ability to sell the stolen goods faster than the law can hunt them down. If the Pink Panthers steal an item, it is often resold within 24 hours or broken down into its raw material and sold into legitimate markets. The Panthers all come from war torn Balkan countries that refuse to extradite their citizens. The men are mostly former soldiers and it shows in their efficient brutality. Al-though never actually killing anyone, the Panthers always brandish heavy armaments and do not hesitate to stick them in the faces of employ-ees and patrons of the stores and showrooms they rob. The Pink Panthers rarely get caught for their crimes, but when they do, the men and women often escape. These are arguably the most stylish criminals in the known world.

The Pink Panthers really do embody the classic movie thieves and enjoy mut-ed support from many people because of that undeniable swagger. Most people who are interviewed about the Panthers say that, although stealing is wrong, the Pink Panthers do it about as right as possible.

Diamonds Aren’t Forever?

Sonic Logo (photo courtesy of Sonic Corporate Website)

Haiyan’s Destruction in the city of Tacloban, Philippines (photo courtesy Associated Press)

Page 10NEWSNovember 2013 THE MIRROR Foran HS

Drew Lenz and Jenny Weis-sauerEditors

Foran High School is home to many students who show excellence in their academic subjects as well as volunteer service to the school and community. These students have met specific requirements that make them eligible for prestigious clubs and honors in Foran, three of which held their inductions this past month.

Spanish Honor Society was held on October 24 in the Foran auditorium for the 22 inductees it accepted. Spanish Honor Society is classified as a national and international academic honor society in the study of high school Spanish and is spon-sored by the American Asso-ciation of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. Its purpose is to recognize high achievement in Spanish by students of sec-ondary schools and to promote continuing interest in Hispanic Studies. Expectations are high while society requirements are defined. To be eligible, one must be a junior or senior having completed Spanish III at levels one or two. In addition, the inductee must currently be enrolled in Spanish IV or V at levels one or two. They must have a weighted cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher at the end of their sophomore or junior year.

As well as a cumula-tive GPA of 3.7 in their aca-demic classes, a student must also have a weighted cumula-tive GPA of 3.7 in Spanish at the end of Spanish III or Span-ish IV. These qualifications are concrete as a student may not apply for membership. 11 juniors and 11 seniors were inducted into the society;

Erin Dunn, Jennafer Fu-gal, Hannah Reed, Noah Johnson, Bryan Niebanck, Naagma Timakondu, John Casey, Serena Mulligan, Emilia Wielogorski, Nena Coulombe, Lucy Weis-sauer, Zoe Grinder, Annie Jin, Nicole Jurgot, Shaina Arsenault, Michaela Smith, Kali Borden, Matthew Ru-benstein, Bryce Ciccaglione, George Rusu, Tyler Colwell and Kacie Trapp. Spanish Honor Society advisor, Señora Convertino, was ecstatic at the progress Spanish Honor Society has made and is proud it is in its eleventh year. Mrs. Conver-tino invited guest speaker, Mr. Kevin Carey, to speak at the induction.

Mr. Carey is the Regional Director of the Hispanic Honor Society in Connecticut and is in his last year at this position. He has contributed many years to this department and is very enthusiastic about the Span-ish language. “When you’re having such a good time, you do not remember things like

dates.” Mr. Carey lived in Spain and it was his experiences there that led him to pursue the language further. “It was my first love, “he said. I love the food and the culture. It is the secondary and third mean-ing of something that gives you fulness and gives life to words.”

Mr. Carey was de-lighted to be attending Foran’s induction as it is his last year as Regional Director of the Hispanic Honor Society. Span-ish Honor Society is a tight-knit community that is looking forward to bringing life to the Spanish language here at Fo-ran High. As they say, “Todos a una,” or “all together.”

In addition to the Spanish Honor Society, Foran has welcomed nine inductees into the French Honor Society, led by French teacher, Ma-dame Kosenski. On Thurs-day, October 17, nine students were inducted into the society in hopes of creating a strong foundation for future French Honor Society inductees as French at Foran has grown

throughout the years. “This is my sixth

year teaching French here at Foran, my fourth full-time here in this building. The French program has grown since my first year. I started with three courses my first year, four courses my second year and now this is my fourth year with five classes. I expect it will continue to grow with the help of the French Na-tional Honor Society and the French Club,” says Kosenski.

The nine inductees were from the junior and senior class who showed excellence in the French language. The inductees were: Barbara Clayton, Diana Coutros, Sarah Dunn, Eryn Goff, Thomas Kennedy, Anna Levinson, Valeriya Pozdnyakova, Shemona Singh, and Jack Wilson.

These students exhibited exemplary performance in French as well as a high aver-age in all other courses and have completed at least two full years of French study at the high-school level.

Also, the candidates must have demonstrated a willingness to provide service and have a high moral character in order to be inducted into the French Na-tional Honor Society. “The so-ciety’s aim is to stimulate the interest in the study of French, promote awareness of all the Francophone (French-speak-ing) nations of the world, to promote high standards of scholarship, and to promote and perpetuate international friendships,” says Kosenski.

The students will soon be showing their commitment to the society by “...raising funds to help various organizations, including Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders).” Kosenski, as well as the nine inductees, stand by their motto “Celui qui sait deux langues en vaut deux!”

(Translation: The one who knows two languages is worth two people!).

The National Honor Society held its 2013 induction on November 7th. A candidate for the national honor society must maintain a 3.6 gpa and go through an extensive application pro-cess. There were nineteen inductees at the ceremony. The inductees were, Shaina Arsenault, Kyra Blacketter, Kali Borden, John Casey, Anna Huebner, Annie Jin, Noah Johnson, Andrew Jones, Nicole Jurgot, Anna Levinson, Kyle Lockwood, Stephen Longley, Robert Lynch, Erica Money, Ryan Olah, Tiana Rotzal, Mat-thew Rubenstein, Dana Xu, Lucy Weissauer. The lovely ceremony included speeches from each of the inductees’

sponsor as well as the keynote speaker, the superintendent.

Mrs.DiGiacomo has been running the national honor society for three years. Since running the program, DiGiacomo has started the Peer Tutor program, which is set up during common time. DiGiacomo has also effi-ciently set up more leadership meetings with the students. The national honor society continues to do great things for the Foran community and we can look forward to many new things from them!

The national honor societies here at Foran have continued to demonstrate academic excellence and are looking forward to inducting prospective students in the upcoming years. Each society has its diverse, unique quality and is highly prestigious. If the Spanish, French, or regular academic National honor so-ciety is something you would want to be a part of, make sure to keep your grades up and check out the requirements for next year’s inductions!

Foran Honor Societies Induct New Members

Inaugural Inductees to Foran’s new French National Honor Society (photo courtesy Mrs. Kosenski)

Spanish National Honor Society Induction (photo courtesy Drew Lenz)

Students receive their certificates at the national Honor Society induction ceremony (photo courtesy Ben Lavallee)

Page 11ENTERTAINMENTNovember 2013 The Mane Street Joesph A. Foran HS

Kayla Benedetti and Chiara Gaites Whether you’re an artis-tic person or not, the arts is an important piece of our school. Foran offers many courses for students to pursue, including advanced courses for aspiring students. The four teachers teach a large variety of art and are willing to help everyone find their artistic side. Ms. Theodoseau teaches four main courses and was excited to share some things about herself and the courses she teaches. “As a child, I was often sick, so while ev-eryone was outside playing, I was inside drawing and paint-ing,” Theodoseau states. Theodoseau teaches Ce-ramics and Pottery, Sculpture, Advanced 3D Design, and Advanced 2D Design. All are alike in that they all require clay as the main structure. Mr. Chi is also one of the art teachers. He realized he was interested in art when it was the one class in school that he had gotten an “A” in. When asked how he had got-ten into art in the very begin-ning he answered, “One thing I knew I could do from the very start was draw”. Chi teaches three cours-

es at Foran. As of right now those courses include: Art for Seniors, Cartooning, and Print Making. Art for Seniors is a course that is only avail-able for the senior class, a lot of their projects deal with the color wheel. On the other hand, cartooning is strictly about learning how to exag-gerate animals, objects, and people in playful forms us-ing art. Print Making is when the students trace a picture of their choice and design it so that it may be used on t-shirts, pants. Ms. Hudson says that her creative background has come from her whole family be-ing extremely talented. “Ever since I can remember I was doing something art related. My family is really creative” Hudson says. Hudson teaches Drawing, Painting, AP studio, AP Drawing and Advanced Photography. Ms. Ritz-Swain is an-other amazing teacher in this school. “My grandfather taught photography at a col-lege level” Ritz-Swain says. She also tells us that he took pictures in World War II. Ritz-Swain teaches Digital Photog-raphy, Visual Art & Design, and Graphic Art & Design.

Thank You for Your Service

courtesy of www.npr.org

Julian YuliawanStaff Writer Drake season is upon us. With his last album, Take Care, going platinum and win-ning a Grammy for Best Rap Album, Drake fans have been dying from anticipation wait-ing for the Canadian artist’s third studio album. Primarily a hip-hop album, Take Care had a slow tempo, grandiose production which incorpo-rated pop, R&B, electronica, and dubstep styles. With such atmospheric sounds, subtle chords, and muted textures, fans really did not know what to expect when Drake an-nounced the release date of Nothing Was the Same. In April 2012, Drake an-nounced that the album will have a different style and tem-po than Take Care. This is due to his different mindset and recent move to Los Angeles, California. Drake explained the difference between Noth-

ing Was the Same and Take Care to XXL saying, “Take Care was about connecting with my city and connecting with my past and sort of still feeling guilty that I’m not in love with one of these girls that cared about me from back in the day. Now, I’m 26, I’m with my friends, I’m making jobs for people, I’m making memories for people that will last a lifetime. I think for the first time in an album I’m content—not sat-isfied—but proud of where I’m at as a person." For Drake, music is a process that everyone goes through, it’s an evolution. The 26 year old hip-hop art-ist constantly figures out what works best for him. In an interview with MTV, he explained more about the differences between Nothing Was the Same and Take Care saying; "The music I'm mak-ing is more concise, more

clear, I've been able to get my thoughts across a lot better on this album. Take Care is a great album but I listened to it and realized where I could do better and I think I've done better on this album." Upon its release, Nothing Was the Same met generally positive reviews from music critics, earn-ing a score of 79 out of 100 (gen-erally favorable) at Metacritic based on 31 reviews. The album also had great commercial suc-cess. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 selling 658,000 copies in its first week, compared to Take Care selling 631,000 copies. Wi t h outstanding numbers, it is clear that Drake fans have been satis-fied with each of the artist’s past two studio albums. No matter what style Drake adapts to, his fans will follow. Listeners will be able to relax and enjoy this year’s Drake season with Nothing Was the Same.

Nothing Was The Same

726 East Broadway, Milford, CT 06460203-693-3970 • 9am-8pm daily

Burgers, Gyros, Fries, Shakes & More

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Open 7 Days a Week

A for the Arts

courtesy of fansided.com

Andrew JonesNews Editor It was once said that, “Free-dom is never free”. Never has that sentiment been more thematic than in Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Da-vid Finkel’s new book Thank You for Your Service. The book is somewhat of a sequel to his best-seller The Good Soldiers, which followed the story of the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Infantry Division of the US Army. The unit was stationed in Rustamiya, a perilous and dilapidated section of Baghdad as a part of the 2007 Iraqi surge. Over 100 members of the outfit were killed or injured, leav-ing a physical wound on some and a psychological wound on countless others. For many of the young veterans, after the external con-flict ended, an internal one began. Post-traumatic stress disorder is an epidemic that has affected genera-tions of veterans dating back to the Vietnam War. Thank You for Your Service tracks several members of the 2nd Battalion suffering from the menacing disease. The plot focuses on Sergeant Adam Schumann, who was notorious for being a tough and seemingly imperturbable soldier. After an ambush towards the end of their deployment, Schumann sought help from the psychologist on base who ultimately recommended that he be sent home for further treatment. In between anecdotes describing the anguish caused by the disease and the grisly horrors expe-

rienced by these heroes, Finkel includes astonishing facts and statistics about healthcare and employment opportunities for veterans and their families. With families being torn apart, marriages being held together by gossamer, and torturous physical ailments; the stories of these young men are part of a tragedy that plays out far too often in our society. With one in five Iraq or Afghanistan veterans coming home with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, the book issues a necessary plea for help, drawing attention to the most pertinent and pressing of issues. As writer Jose Narosky once said, “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.”

Courtesy of www.milforded.org

Page 12 ENTERTAINMENT November 2013THE MIRROR FORAN HS

Photos from Ms. Ritz-Swain’s Photography Class

Mon- Fri Shoes by: Erin Dillman

Sunrise 1 by: Mariah Kasparek Sunrise 2 by: Mariah Kasparek

Sunrise 3 by: Mariah Kasparek

Page 13 ENTERTAINMENTNovember 2013 THE MIRROR FORAN HS

The Mane Street Mirror’sNovember 2013 News Quiz!

Directions: Answer the following questions by reading the November issue of The Mane Street Mirror. Return your answers to room 261, in yellow hall. Entries with all 10 correct answers will be entered in a

drawing for a $25 visa gift card.

~Entries are due to room 261 on December 5~

1. How much money did the Key Club raise for Homes for the Brave?

2. Why did Sonic come to Milford?

3. What region of Europe were the Pink Panther jewel thieves from?

4. How many consecutive years have Foran beat Law in the Thanksgiving football game?

5. Who is the popular superhero that had to change bodies in or-der to save the world?

6. How many copies did Drake’s new album sell in the 1st week?

7. When was the Spanish National Honor Society induction?

8. What’s gray Thursday?

9. What are the averages of rookie MCW?

10. Who let the dogs out?

Page 14 SPORTS November 2013THE MIRROR FORAN HS

Bradley OrbanStaff Writer With the holiday season coming along, Foran prepares for the annual Thanksgiv-ing football game with cross-town rival Jonathan Law. The night before is the annual Powder Puff game featuring the junior and senior girls from Foran and Law. Tryouts took place on November 4, with a lot of girls eager to help out the team with high hopes of coming out victorious over their tough Law opponents. Fallon Bevino, senior, is looking forward to the upcoming chal-lenge. “I’m excited for the game, and I think we can take a lot out of last year’s game that can benefit us.” Bevino is a key asset to the team and

believes all the girls are working hard in practice. “Everyone wants to win so badly, and it can be seen in our practices.” When asked about expectations for the girls this year, Mr. Troy, one of the return-ing head coaches, said “Our team is looking stacked with great ath-letes and talented play-ers.” There were many girls that came to tryouts,

but no cuts were made. “Practices are every day after school for two hours and one Saturday practice at six in the morning.” This may be a tough schedule, but Troy seems to have everything under control to be en route to a victory. Nick Weissauer, a senior who contributed to the improvement of the girls in their first practice, said “The girls

are improving every time they practice.” Weissauer believes that with all the hard work the girls are putting in, it will pay off on game day. “Hope-fully the girls can get the victory and can be there to support us for the Thanksgiving game.” Although the Foran girls have not been successful in taking down Law in the last few years, this year looks to be different. There is a lot of hype for the game and the atmosphere in school is very competi-tive with the team ral-lying around the phrase “protect this house.” Be-cause the game is home this year, as it is every second year, the pow-derpuff Lady Lions are ready to prove to Milford that they can take down the lady Lawmen.

Last year, the game would have been tied if the flag on the fi-nal play was honored, so many returning seniors feel as though the victory was stolen from them, which only adds more fire to the girls’ desire to win. “We were so close,” says senior Rachel Man-to, “I remember walking into the locker room after the game and seeing ev-eryone just break down; we were so upset that we lost, but I think we were equally upset that it was over.” Thanksgiving time brings great expec-tations and memories to be made for Foran High School and Powder Puff is hopefully going to cre-ate some great stories to tell in the future.

Powderpuff’s 2nd Quest for Glory

Seniors Kaylee Ciolino, Sarah DeLuke, Chelsea Utz, Val Pozdynakova, Kassi Frey, Tiana Lazo, Megan McCaskill, and Erica Durazzo, and graduate Callie Cullen before last year’s powderpuff game.

Fallon Bevino Bradley OrbanStaff Writers

A tradition that will draw a crowd of over thousands of people from all-over Milford; a hard-fought and always well-played game that both teams look forward to all season; what else could it be besides the traditional Thanksgiv-ing Day football game between the Foran Lions and the Jonathon Law Lawmen? This is more than just another game to these boys: it’s the most anticipated and hyped-up game throughout the entire school year. Year after year, families, stu-dents, fans, and Milford citizens all dedicate their Thanksgiving mornings to the football match-up. Coaches and players alike prepare for this game all season with nothing but victory in their minds. For the past

5 years, the Foran foot-ball team has walked away with victory against their cross-town rival. The boys are very confident with their chances of continuing their winning streak this year. Junior Anthony Raccio, one of the team’s centers, said “I really want to win this year, and I think we can.” Another junior, Josh Mixie, a defensive corner, thinks that “it would be great if we could go cap off this great year with a win against Law. We have a great group of seniors, who are, by far, my favorite class, it would be the best feeling to win this for them.” For the seniors, a victory in this game isn’t a surprise; it’s more of a tradition. Every year they have been here, they have come away with a stellar victory. Under the leadership of 4 great senior captains, Nick Weissauer, Zach

Hubler, Jesse All-dredge, and Sam Ols-son, this year shouldn’t be any different. Reflecting upon last year, Connor Cadrin, a senior wide re-ceiver, hopes to continue the tradition. “I want to make this year 6 in a row for us, and I think play-ing hard and just playing the way we have will help make that possible.” Last year, Cadrin ran for 124 yards, and put up 5 touchdowns for the

Lions during the Thanks-giving game. With 11 touchdowns this season, Cadrin hopes to top off his senior year with this

game. Jason Hart, assistant football coach says, “We’ve got a great group of boys, they are great to coach, fun to joke around with, and talented young men.” Along with the other coaches, they have the utmost confidence and faith in their players. With hard work comes success, and for these boys, they have a lot in store for them the rest for the season. This year’s Thanksgiving Day game will take place at Law’s football field at 10am.

Thankful for a Winning Tradition

Many of last year’s players posing after winning the Thanks-givng game against Law 48-13.

Page 15SPORTSNovember 2013 THE MIRROR FORAN HS

Megan McCaskillSports Editor

To many of Fo-ran’s cross country and track & field runners, the winter sports season means only one thing: indoor track and field.

lansky, now a freshman at ECSU, both excelled at the state competition to such a high degree that they were both able to compete in the New England Regional Open’s where their competition was the top 3 athletes in each event from each New England state. The road to get there was not easy; both of these outstanding athletes had to make it through the regular sea-son to SCC’s, and then Class M States. Both athletes finished in the

top 20. Although not ev-eryone made it as far as Griswold and Polansky, the rest of the team was equally as successful. The 4x800 relay, con-sisting of juniors Kevin Aiken , Kevin Mas-triano, Tyler Porcello, and senior Steve Cugini, has improved at such an exponential rate that even their out-of-season coaches have taken note. Mr. Troy, one of the out-door boys’ track and field coaches, said, “I’m so proud of my 4x800 team,

Junior Corissa Masciana and senior Megan McCaskill handing off the baton during the 4x200 at Floyd Little Ath-letic Center in New Haven.

En gaurd... Prêt...Allez!Maxwll JerueStaff Writer The one and only Milford High School Fencing Club is now at Foran! Foran freshman Andrew Hiza founded the Milford Fencing Club in 2010 and, since the establishment of the club, over 150 students of all ages have been trained to fence. Currently, there are 36 active members in the club. Hiza is very excited to bring the club to Foran, saying, “a lot of schools have the club.” The coach and manager of the Milford Fencing Club both hope that the club will be a huge success. Mark Kissinger has been the club’s USFA (United States Fencing Associa-tion) - certified fencing instructor since March of 2012. Kissinger has over 25 years of fencing

experience; and regularly fences in USFA tourna-ments. Chris Hiza, father of Andrew Hiza, is the club manager of the Mil-ford Fencing Club. He is a professionally licensed member of the USFA and handles all administra-tive functions as well as instruction. A sense of indi-vidualism is gained from taking part in fencing.

“Self-discipline is gained from taking part in this sport; it’s just you,” Chris Hiza said. A fencer is on a team, but, when the time comes, stands alone to face the opponent. Fencing is an Olympic-level sport, and in high school it is as competitive as ever. The club will participate in local tournaments against Hopkins, Gilford, and

North Haven. Winning is important, but fencing emphasizes safety and sportsmanship above all. The Fencing Club follows the sport of fencing’s rules of proper etiquette to a tee. Before the fencing match, called a bout, the two fencers salute each other, the au-dience, and the director of the match. After the match is over, both fenc-

ers politely shake each other’s hands; which are drenched in sweat from the protective gear. Strict safety rules help to keep the fencers secure when entering a bout. A mask, jacket, long pants, and glove must always be worn when fencing. Gear is often checked due to the con-stant clashing of fencing weapons. Violent actions are not permitted. These rules and many others help to keep the fencers safe. The Milford Fenc-ing Club is welcomed at Foran High School. If any student has any interest of the club, email questions at milfordfenc-ing@yahoo.com. Also, you can find the club on Facebook under “Milford Fencing Club”.

Foran’s New Kids on the Block Set Records

Senior Tyler Kennedy pole vaulting at the Coaches’ Invitational at Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Ha-ven last season.

they'regoing to states this year, I know it!” The girl’s 4x200 relay, made up of seniors Chelsea Utz, Megan McCaskill, Alyssa Pudill and junior Corissa Masciana, was also very close to quali-fying for states, as the boys’ 4x400 did (junior Dan Kruger, seniors Nik Griswold, Tyler Kennedy, and graduated senior, Mike Dana) and a variety of individuals. Head coach Mrs. Doheny is very excited

for the season, saying “we have such a strong team this year, I know were going to have a very successful season. We have a team of nearly 40 boys and only 20 girls, but i know they’ll work hard and achieve so much this season. I want everyone to get a new PR (personal record) at least once!” Kennedy, one of last season’s captains, agrees. “Its a lot of work, and obviously a lot of running, but its a good time. It has a much dif-ferent vibe than outdoor track,” he said, “compet-ing inside of the athletic center allows you to see, and do, everything at once; its exciting.” If you are inter-ested in joining boys’ and girls’ indoor track and field, talk to Mrs. Doheny or Mr. Raucci in room 260.

The team is the second youngest at Foran, only older than lacrosse, but the team has been very success-ful already! Last year, Nik Griswold, now a senior, and Lauren Po-

Senior Megan McCaskill high jumping during last year’s second Girls Developmental Meet at Floyd Little Athletic Center, New Haven.

Senior Nik Griswold long jumping at Floyd Little Ath-letic Center last season.

Students mid-fencing match (picture courtesy of Chris Hiza)

Page 16 SPORTS November 2013THE MIRROR FORAN HS

Olivia ElliottStaff Writer With winter sports approaching, Foran has a lot to look forward to this basketball season. There are high expectations held for both the boys basketball team as well as for the girls. Athletic Direc-tor, Mr. Vitelli, said, in reference to both teams, that “We have a lot of returning players, but a very difficult schedule. But, I think as the season goes on we’ll be fine and successful. “ Some of the girls returning varsity players include senior co-captain, Teneya McLaughlin, and along with her is All-Division guard, Taylor Ceballos. Both have proved to be assets to the team and are expected to perform well in the up-coming season. When asked about future goals for the season, McLaughlin said, “I want to win the

Hammonasset division again and to make it past the first round of states.”As far as improvements we can expect from the team, McLaughlin said, “I want to work on being more consistent when we play and not lose towards the end our games.” Coach Nails, the head coach of the team, said, “We will come to work every day looking to get better than the day before. Coaches will mo-tivate our group to build a solid tradition.” The Foran com-munity can anticipate a lot from the Lady Lions and can show support by attending their games. Coaching the boys’ basketball team this year again is Coach Swaller. Swaller says “This year’s boys’ bas-ketball team will be a veteran group consisting of seven seniors who all played at the varsity level last season as juniors.” These seniors include captains Bob Northolt, Matt Gomes, and Nick

Weissauer, all of whom showed their capabilities last season. Hopefully there will be more success to come for the team this season. Last season the team finished with an overall record of 8 wins and 13 losses. With the work ethic of these athletes, it is definitely possible for them to show improve-ment. Swaller said “The team has been working very hard to prepare for the upcoming season.” Foran is a part of the SCC conference and will be challenged in facing some of the best teams in the state. This is not intimidating to the team who, Swaller said, “will continue to work hard and play well together as team and can expect to be competitive versus every opponent.” The team’s goal is to make the state and SCC tournaments in March, and hopefully do well in the competitions.

Senior Teneya McLaughlin dribbling down court in a game against cross-town rivals Johnathan Law last season.

Lion’s Basketball Teams Shoot for State Tournaments

Nick BradeenStaff Writer Blockbuster trades and the much awaited return of Derrick Rose headlined the NBA offseason this year, so it’s only fair to say there was a lot of hype for the season to kick off on Oc-tober 30th. From teams with new looks to teams with new names, for avid basketball fans there was a lot to keep up with. In the 2012 playoffs, Derrick Rose tore his ACL, and did not play a single game in the 2012-2013 season, despite being medically cleared to do so. Produc-ing a lot of excitement over his comeback to the league and whether or not he could return to MVP form, in the season opener against the Heat,

Rose tallied 12 points, and 4 assists but only 1 rebound. While these aren’t the great numbers we expected, it was only his first game back. Another much awaited return was that of Russell Westbrook. On April 25th during the first round of the playoffs, he tore his right meniscus and was given a recovery time that would make him miss the first two weeks of the season. However, after only two games of the season he surprised all of us, put-ting up 21 points and 7 assists in 33 minutes in a great return from injury. While there were great returns, there were also big stars on the move before the season even started. On draft night, news of Kevin

Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry being traded to the Brooklyn Nets was released, and that was only the begin-ning, it seemed, of teams looking to acquire pieces for playoff runs. Dwight Howard signed a four-year contract with the Houston Rockets, fol-lowing the line of great Rocket big-men, such as Elvin Hayes, Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, and Yao Ming. Howard is averaging 17.6 points, 14.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game so far this season with the 5-3 Houston Rockets team. With the first two weeks finsihed, the one surprise of the league are the Philadelphia 76ers. They currently sit in a tie for first with the Celtics at 4-4. Led by the fantas-

tic four of Michael Cart-er-Williams, (18.7 points, 8.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.6 steals) Evan Turner, (23.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists) Spencer Hawes, (15.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks) and Thaddeus Young, (15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) they have already shocked the Heat and Bulls with surprising wins to start out 3-0, but have lost four of their last five. An entirely revamped Clippers team consisting of newly added J.J Reddick, Byron Mullens, Jared Dudley, and former Celtics coach Doc Rivers sit a half game back of Phoenix in the Pacific. While it is still early in the season, if the Clippers want a shot

at a title, they’ll have to beat teams like the Lak-ers and Magic, two weak teams that won’t likely make the playoffs this year. The league won’t be the same without the presence of Kobe Bryant. Bryant tore his achil-les tendon on April 12th 2013 against the War-riors. It is estimated he will miss 6-9 months and he hopes to be back by December/January, the latest being the All Star break in the middle of February. Another star not back yet is Boston’s Rajon Rondo. Rondo tore his ACL on January 27th 2013 and was ruled out for the rest of the sea-son. He currently has no timetable, saying he may be back in the winter.

NBA Openers are Something to Cheer About