What’s Inside:

Green HornThe Award-Winning Student Publication of Springfield High School and the Tech Center

March 23, 2010 Volume 30, Edition 6

School Budget

Passes on First Try

By Maria Stern

SHS Students Ryan Gottschaulk, Sam Hensel-Hunter, and Kelsey Christensen hold signs imploring Springfield voters to pass the school budget. The students

stood outside Riverside Middle School. from 7 am to 7 pm and encountered honks, thumbs-up, and angry lectures. The budget passed, 1,107-975.

The Earth makes a complete revolution around the Sun every 365 days. The Olympics are held once every four years. Halley’s Comet appears every

75 years. The town of Springfield, Vermont, passes a school budget on the first try once every eight years. Tuesday, March 2nd, was the first time since 2004 that the budget passed in its original form. The Springfield voters approved the school budget of $25.4 million by a vote of 1,107-975. Histori-cally, the margin of loss for the budget has been narrow. This year that statistic changed in favor of the budget, which slid through by 132 votes. “I think the big difference this time was that SAPA had been televising our budget committee meet-ings since last fall,” Superintendent Frank Perotti said in an e-mail. “People were very aware of the implications of a no vote, and I think they were very informed this time.”

See Budget page 23

T.J. Wallace, Derek Graham, Jon Esden, Brittany Andrews, and Tiffany Derosier play flag football during winter carnival. See more carnival photos on page 5.

Simret is student of the month,

P. 3

Festival of Roots

celebrated,P. 4

Holmes comes home,P.17

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Green Horn Interview

Erika Anderson, Ryan Brady, John Forbes, Sarah Gray, Sam Hensel-Hunter, Holly Hooke, Angelo Jardina, Jill Rushton,

Maria Stern, and Olivia Thayer.

GREEN HORN STAFFCo-EditorCo-EditorCo-EditorLayout EditorLayout EditorPhotography EditorSports EditorTech News Editor

A shley Richardson.....................O livia Johnson........................... J enny Bradley.......................... S amuel L. Benton....................K elsey Christensen....................L aurel Porter.............................C ourtney Downing...................Melissa Tarbell............................

----------------REPORTERS---------------

By Erika Anderson

.

In early January, Kevin Anderson became the Springfield High School Truancy Officer. Previ-ously, Anderson worked as a police officer for

25 years. During his time as a Vermont State Police Officer, he filled a role for the BCI unit as a detective sergeant and as lieutenant and captain/station com-mander in the uniform division. Anderson teaches at the Vermont Police Academy and is thrilled to be be chosen for the post of truancy officer. The Green Horn interviewed the newest member of the Springfield High School staff about his new position.

follow-up, and [other techniques]. I have taught at the police academy. This all helps my position because, as a truancy officer, you bring information to the state's at-torney for possible prosecution if the student hasn’t been attending school. Working as an officer gave me a lot of experience with prosecution and the court system.

What is your most memorable experience as a police officer?That’s a difficult question. There are many satisfying

Kevin Anderson Reflects on His Role as Truancy

Officer

reading the job description for the truancy officer, I felt comfortable with the position. I have always enjoyed working and interviewing youth.

What is a Truancy Officer?Children between the ages of 6 and 16 are by Vermont law required to be in school. School districts are re-quired to appoint a truancy officer. My job is to follow up with students and investigate reasons for absences. I work with the families to try and correct the behavior and get that child back in school.

During my career as a police offi-cer, many situa-tions as an officer involved dealing with people in different situa-tions, whether victims of crime, families, or the c r imina l s . I worked as a de-tective sergeant for the Vermont State Police for 13 years, inves-tigating different crimes. Those experiences made me comfortable with interview-ing, instruction,

How did you hear about the truancy officer posi-tion?My wife [Jenny] found it posted on the bulletin board at Park Street School. It was posted around all the schools.

Why did you decide to apply?The circumstances at the time [led to my decision]. I had just finished a contract with Homeland Security. After

What was the interview process like?I had to fill out an application, and submit a resume with three letters of reference. I was interviewed by Dr. Vincent Hawkins [Springfield School District Curriculum Coordinator] and a Mrs. Casey, who is the truancy officer at Stevens High School in Claremont, NH. They asked questions pertaining to scenarios and how one would react and deal with it.

How was your past experience able to help you?

cases that I’ve worked, and many sad ones. I have al-ways enjoyed the criminal cases, and especially enjoyed solving them. However, my most memorable experi-ence is bringing home [state trooper] Mike Johnson’s killer. I picked him up with another officer and when we crossed the Connecticut/Massachusetts border, two cars from the Massachusetts State Police started following us as a guard. In Springfield, Massachusetts, two Vermont State Police started following us. This guard continued all the way to the Vermont border, when the Massachusetts police turned around and two more Vermont police picked it up. This was a really important moment for the troopers. It was therapeutic for them. The Vermont State Police had wanted to find Johnson’s killer before Mike’s funeral. Mike Johnson was a police officer who had finished laying down spikes and was on the side of the road when the suspect (on the run) swerved to avoid the spikes and hit him. The suspect was apprehended in Pennsylvanica. Mike Johnson died from his injuries. Knowing that I was partly responsible for bringing this man to justice was a truly satisfying thing. Mike Johnson left behind a wife and three kids. He passed away on Sunday, June 15, 2003. It was Father’s Day.

Are you excited about the job?The staff has been very welcoming to me in my work-ing at SHS and Riverside [Middle School], and I have been enjoying working with them. I have met many students and I am excited about helping them improve their attendance.

"Knowing that I was partly responsible for bringing this man to justice was a truly satisfying thing."

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News

Sp r i n g f i e l d H i g h School’s first Student of the Month was an-

nounced Friday, February 26th. Senior Simret Ladd was chosen by staff mem-bers out of ten nominated students. Ladd, who had previously won Student of the Quarter at the River Valley Technical Center, said she was “honored that the teachers picked me,” but admits it was kind of em-barrassing. “When people say congratulations, I don’t know what to say,” said Ladd. When Student Council Co-Advisor Kevin Coen told Ladd that she had won, she was confused and tried to tell Coen that she didn’t sign up for anything. “I didn’t know [this pro-gram] existed,” Ladd said. Student of the Month is a new program brought to SHS by the stu-dent council in cooperation with the Elks Lodge. Youth Activities Chairman for the lodge in Springfield, Mi-

Character, Leadership, Citizenship, ScholarshipSimret Ladd Student of the Month

By Melissa Tarbell

chael Tennis suggested the program to Student Council Co-Advisors Liz Goddard and Coen in the fall. Student of the Month has been an Elks program for a while but is just getting started locally. Springfield High School is the only school in the area taking part so far, although Tennis hopes “that more schools will come on board at some point.” Tennis, who became youth activities chair-man four years ago, said it was his goal to get the pro-

good turnout for the first go around.” There were 12 nominations for ten students this first time. Although no students nominated fellow students this time, both faculty and students may nomi-nate a student. “Now that I know [about the program], I will nominate someone,” said Ladd, who already has someone in mind. Nomination forms can be found in the main office of the high school. When nominating, indivduals

is involved in a major mis-conduct situation such as ISS or OSS, the student is subject to disqualification. The criteria that the faculty will consider when selecting one of the nominees include charac-ter, citizenship, leadership and scholarship. Character includes overall attitude, behavior and treatment of others. Citizenship is in-volvement in school and the community as well as community service. Some leadership examples in-clude, but are not limited to, sports, Student Council, National Honor Society and class officers. And scholar-ship means effort in class, good grades, etc. “We’re looking for a well-rounded student,” said Goddard. Right now only one student is selected each month. In the future there may be two students, a boy and a girl, each month. “We haven’t really figured it all out yet,” said Goddard. Tennis agrees. “It is a work

in progress,” he said. In the meantime, the program is up and running. At the end of the year, all Students of the Months and their parents are invited to a dinner on May 1st where the Student of the Year will be announced. Student of the Year is chosen from those who were already voted Student of the Month. Everyone receives a plaque to honor their achievement, but “most of all

Senior Simret Ladd was chosen out of ten nominated students to become the first Springfield High School Student of the Month.

The criteria considered when selecting a Student of the Month include character, citizenship, leadership and scholarship. Character includes overall attitude, behavior and treatment of others. Citizenship is involvement in school

and the community as well as community service. Some leadership examples include, but are not limited to, sports, Student Council, National Honor Society and class officers. And scholarship means effort in class, good grades, etc. “We’re

looking for a well-rounded student,” said Student Council Co-Advisor Liz Goddard.

gram started this year. “Each lodge has to start different programs within their community,” Tennis said. The Springfield Elks Lodge already offers the soccer shoot and hoop shoot and “donates to programs that may be short on funding.” Since Student of the Month is a new addi-tion to the high school, not many people are aware of its existence or how it works. Although Goddard hopes for more awareness in the future, she thinks “it was a

should be prepared to include their name, the student’s name and grade and explain why they think the student is a good choice for Student of the Month. A person may nominate as many students as they want, but a student can only be voted Student of the Month once in a year. Nomination forms must be sub-mitted by the 15th of each month and the nominees will be discussed and voted on by faculty at the last faculty meeting each month. However, if a nominated student

they get the recognition,” said Tennis. Each Student of the Month will have their name and picture displayed publicly at SHS. The Elks Lodge will also recognize the Student of the Months in the paper. “I think it will be good to recognize good students for doing good things,” Goddard said. Social

See Month page 22

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News

Festival of RootsAn Interdisciplinary Celebration

By Ashley Richardson

Trumpeters entertain, Spanish students dance, and students and faculty come

together to exalt roots. Inset: Alaina Page contributes to a festival mural.

The theme for the 2010 Arts Festival at Spring-field High School was roots, which tied ito SHS students' ancestors. All of the Arts Academy

classes participated in this event. Many English, social studies, and music classes performed or set -up exhibits at this festival as well.

The regular, core classes involved in the Festival of Roots connected their lessons to the theme of beginnings, and used it as an interdisciplinary learning opportunity. Drama II performed 5-minute snippets of three vignettes from Jules Tasca’s “The God’s Honest: An Evening of Lies.” The playwrighting class at SHS

gave staged readings of the rough drafts of the vignettes they were writing, and the freshman English Arts classes made poetry trees with poems based on their family. The art classes, including advanced art, also

See Roots page 22

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News

Popsicle sticks, dental floss, and glue are usually items found in classrooms and dentist offices. However, Springfield High School physics stu-

dents and River Valley Technical Center Introduction to Engineering students used these crafty items to create bridges for the Norwich University 14th Annual Pop-sicle Stick Bridge Building Competition. The competition, which took place in late January at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, was sponsored and run by the engineering students at Norwich University. Although no bridges built by

Building BridgesSticks, Floss, Glue

By Sarah Gray

SHS and RVTC students placed in the top three in the competition, the se-nior team of Kevin Orth, Matt Mitchell, Zack Hall, Bennett Chevalier, and Mark Xu, who are all students in SHS sci-ence teacher Courtney Brooks’ physics class, had the best bridge overall for Springfield. S e n i o r s

See Bridges page 23

Jenny Bradley, John Esden, T.J. Wallace, and Bran-don Boyle, all physics students, created a bridge that supported 1032 pounds, which was the most weight supported by a bridge that was created by either SHS or RVTC students. The team’s design for their bridge consisted of a design similar to an I-beam bridge. Their bridge had three basic layers of popsicle sticks: a flat layer, a bar layer, and another flat layer. The building process wasn’t too strenuous and consisted of a lot of gluing. Unfortunately, Bradley’s team wasn’t able to place in the supported weight section of the bridge competition because while assembling their bridge, their team had the set of rules from last year’s competi-tion. Consequently, their bridge did not fit some of the requirements of this year’s competition. However, the team was still impressed with how much weight their bridge held.

“I thought it would hold like 500 pounds and it [the weight] doubled that,” Bradley said. “I was proud.” Unfortunately, no student teams from the River Valley Technical Center’s Introduction to En-gineering class, taught by Christopher Gray, placed in the competition. However, freshmen Seth Gammon, Sky Lucero-Keniston, and B.J. Blish, also known as the Minootes, took home an award for best sportsman-ship. Gammon believes that the award was because the Minootes stood by their teammates and were energetic about the competition. As for their bridge, the Minootes were proud of their final product, even though it wasn’t successful in the competition. “I felt it [the bridge] turned out great, but it didn’t perform very well,” Gammon said. The

Assistant principal finalist Zack McLaughlin visited Spring-field High School on Wednesday, March 10th. McLaughlin,

who lives in Dummerston, served in the Peace Corps.

Donuts consumed, ice cream enjoyed, a snow frog created,

a smile accomplished, a batter poised. Visions of delight sprinkled the Springfield High School Winter Carni-

val in early March.

Sky Lucero-Keniston, B.J. Blish, and Seth Gammon received the Best Sportsmanship award at the Bridge

Building Competition.

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Letter

Dear Green Horn, I am writing to discuss the theory of capital-ism. We Americans see capitalism as a great

advancement in human economics, and an economic system that would allow a country to grow exponen-tially. Actually, the original theory of capitalism states that a capitalist society will grow exponentially. This is obviously not true or else we wouldn't be in an economic crisis right now. The good thing about capitalism is that it freely allows the citizens of the capitalist country to make all the money they can. Unfortunately, this also means that these financially-successful people can exploit their workers and create mass monopolies from which they can control an entire market. I would like to see anyone try to become successful these days in America by starting a general store now that Wal-Mart pretty much owns the entire concept. Capitalism is simply a way to help you. There is no way capitalism can help anyone but you, and these days you have to be rich for that to happen. The Trickle-Down Theory? That’s laugh-able. Do you know what really happens? All of us low income and medium income people go to work for other people. The work we do goes into the production of goods for a privately owned company. You don't even get the amount of money you earned. If we all got paid for exactly what we do then there wouldn’t be much money left for the people who own the companies to get more than you do. There is no reason that some people get the money they get. Like football players? They get paid millions of dollars to play a bloody game. This is an outrage! Any mindless sod who might possibly agree with the wages of these people must be part of the problem. Those football and basketball and baseball players shouldn’t get paid even close to what they do. They don’t even produce anything! Its things like this that make me hate our society. Well, in America, things don't work the way the citizens think they do. As a matter of fact, they work quite differently. All we’re doing is helping the rich get richer. So go on buying your Ugg boots and expensive Hollister clothes and remember where all that money goes. It goes to corrupt people who don’t give a crap about you. All they want is to keep you a mindless con-sumer so you will not think about the social injustices, all the homeless people, all the starving people, and all the problems that really matter. I’ve always wondered why people care about things like political parties and buying land and

A Letter on CapitalismBy Ethan Paton

See Capitalism page 20

making money. We need to be concerned about the other people in the world. If you are reading this and thinking, "I don’t care about the poor people or what the government does" then I say you should reconsider your existence because all you're going to do in your life is make things worse. I hate people who don’t care; they are as worthless as they are ignorant. Humans are the only species that will kill each other for things they create like money, power, or political land boundaries. This planet isn’t ours and we shouldn’t abuse it or claim that we "own" it. It’s absolutely sickening. When will people stop being so egotistical and start helping each other? The only way we can advance as a people, as a society is if we come together and work as one. Unity is the only way we can survive. I am going to bring up one of the scariest words an American can hear. This term has brought propaganda, lies, covered-up murders, and the lack of it has allowed the people of not only America but also most industrialized nations in the world to suffer. People in America have feared the word socialism for decades because of pure ignorance. It is true that, so far in practice, socialism hasn’t worked because no one has tried to do it right, no one has had a socialist democracy. Socialist democracy?! That’s not possible, socialist nations are all run by dictators. Well, thus far they have been. Socialism has nothing to do with dictators.Socialism refers to is economic equality. Economic equality is where you remove economic hierarchy. This means that everyone has just about as much money as everyone else and workers own the companies. With socialism, there is no chance of mo-

nopolies dominating a country where you can start a business of whatever you want and you won’t have to worry about not being bought out because of a larger corporation. Wikipedia offers this definition: "Socialism refers to the various theories of economic organization advocating public or direct worker ownership and ad-ministration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a method of com-pensation based on the amount of labor expended." Most socialists share the view that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital and derives its wealth through exploitation, creates an unequal society, does not provide equal opportunities for everyone to maximize their potential, and does not utilize technol-ogy and resources to their maximum potential nor in the interests of the public. Now think about it: a land where everyone is free and equal, a legitimate democracy where the government isn’t controlled by a group of the richest men in the world, and everyone works directly for their goods or money, a place where people don’t do good things so people will think better of them but because they need to be done. There would be no homeless people, no ridiculous government that tells you how to live your life (even though they tell you you’re free). It's funny because if you think about it most conservative Christians love capitalism and Jesus preached to share and to unconditionally help everyone.

Radical Rhetoric

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News

Words are my life,” said actress Bonnie Pritchard in the persona of Emily Dick-inson.

Pritchard performed her one-woman show, The Belle of Amherst, for Springfield High School English students in the Kevin Sheehan Auditorium on Wednesday, February 4th. She is part of the Vermont Actors’ Repertory Theatre, a group out of Rutland, Vermont. Peter Marsh directed this production. “I was really impressed by the actress’ stamina because it’s a really long show,” said SHS senior and drama member Eliza Pennell. “I thought she was really believable as a person you can relate to.” Although Pennell enjoyed the performance, she likes dialogue. She does not think, as an actress herself,

Dickinson Comes to Life

The Bell of Amherst

By Maria Stern

See Dickinson page 21

This daguerreotype photograph is the only known photo of Emily Dickinson.

Dickinson was portrayed by Bon-nie Pritchard in The Bell of Amherst,

which was performed at SHS.

Retirement Incentive Proposal Bothers Some

This January, superintendant Dr. Frank Perotti and Director of Fiscal Services Steve Hier proposed a retirement incentive to the Springfield School

District School Board. The proposal offered teachers with a tenure of 22 years or more a retirement package of $55,000 over a period of 5 years. The proposal was requested to be developed by the school board to save money. However, the board tabled a motion on the pending retirement incentive to reflect on the proposal and board attendance respectively. Some Springfield High School teachers found the proposal disrespectful and insulting. “I think the focus [of the district] should be keeping teachers with experience,” said Lisa Murray, an SHS Art teacher of 30 years. “It implies that we want to hire teachers with little experience because they’re

By Kelsey Christensen

cheaper.” Murray is not interested in taking the retire-ment package if it is passed. David Slivka, veteran social studies teacher, echoes Murray’s dismay. Slivka recalled a recent trip to Home Depot, the home improvement superstore, in which he observed a giant banner boasting “We have 50 years of experience.” “Why is it in the field of education, we’re trying to buy out our most senior employees?” asked Slivka. “We’re basically at the height of our career and they want to push us out the door.” Vice-chair of the school board Jeanice Garfield insists that no disrespect was meant by the pending retirement incentive. “It’s a choice,” said Gar-

See Retirement page 22

One rite of passage commonly affiliated with young adults involves passing the test for one’s driver’s license. For an adolescent, being

able to drive places on their own gives them a greater range of mobility and, thus, more freedom. However, a driver’s license has lost some of its appeal among today’s teens. One reason for teens not being as eager to get their licenses involves cost. In Vermont, it costs close to $30.00 to test for a learner’s permit and close to $45.00 to receive a driver’s license. Also, the cost of a

Earning a Driver’s LicenseIs it Still a Big Deal?

By Sarah Gray

car, gasoline, insurance, and other factors that affect an adolescent’s driving experience diminish the excitement of receiving a license. “I think people aren’t as eager to get their licenses because it costs so much with gas money, insurance, and car repairs,” senior Emily Mobus said. Springfield High School Driving Instructor Larry Wen-tzel agrees that the cost is a big reason why teens aren’t as eager to get their driver's licenses. Another factor to explain why adolescents aren’t eager to get their licenses is that some teens just don’t have time to go through the process of acquiring a license with their busy schedules. “I haven’t bothered to get my license because I don’t have a car and I walk a lot of places. I’m planning to get my license before college,” Mobus said. “I honestly just don’t have the time to get my license right now.” Wentzel also believes that students’ busy academic schedules make it difficult for them to make room for Drivers' Education. Sophomore Sam Hensel-Hunter agrees that it’s hard to fit Drivers Education into his schedule. Sophomore Devan McCarty hasn’t received his driver’s permit yet. He doesn’t believe receiving his permit and license is important for the time being because he wants to focus on his academics. However, Wentzel finds that smaller class sizes of about 10 to 15 students are easier to teach on

See License page 22

Morgan Johnson has no interest in driving. Other people drive her where

she needs to go.

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Feature

This coming June, roughly 130 seniors at Spring-field High School will be graduating and going their separate ways. Many have chosen a four-

year college, but several students have decided to do a gap year or join the military. Last year’s graduating class of 2009 showed a 17% drop in students going to 2- and 4-year colleges. SHS counselor Kelly Ryan was concerned about these statistics, worrying that there was some unknown reason behind the change. But as it turns out, many schools in the area also showed similar statistics which has led Ryan, as well as SHS counselor Heather Toth, to believe that the economy may be the culprit for students not choosing to enter higher education. With the economy down, more students than usual have decided to take a less-expensive path to higher education. However, Ryan is hypothesizing that about 61% of his batch of 43 or so students are considering college. This reporter is planning on going to a four-year college, but wants to stay within four hours of Springfield. A couple of other seniors, however, plan to get away. Emily Mobus, who would like to go to Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania for psychology, says, “I think it’s important to distance myself from where I grew up, to be away from my family and find who I am.” Another senior, Eliza Pennell, has been accepted to Pomona College in California under the QuestBridge scholarship and will be heading out west next fall. QuestBridge, as explained in an earlier edi-tion of the Green Horn, is a “scholarship organization that works with colleges to give full scholarships to high-achieving, low-income students.” Pomona is one of the 27 schools connected with QuestBridge. Having a full ride to college is enough of a deal-breaker itself, but the other motivation for going to Pomona, Pennell says, is “I really, really, really hate the cold.” While those two girls want to get away, some seniors plan on sticking around Springfield, at least for a little while. The gap year is a great thing that many seniors choose after high school instead of heading straight for college. Matt Domina has decided to take a gap year, as well as Chris Hall. Domina is pretty sure of his plans. “I’m taking a gap year and then I’m going to college,” he said. He knows what he wants to do at college, but needs a year to work a couple of jobs and save money for college. Hall, however, is unsure of his plans after his gap year. He knows that he wants to go into either auto mechanics or something with graphic design or photography. He has been working at a local mechanic shop for two years and has acquired some skills in that area, but doesn’t know if he’d be happy doing that for the rest of his life. During his gap year, Hall will continue to work and save up money, and hopefully find out what

it is he wants to do. There is another alternative to college that several seniors are looking at this year. Dillin Heidtmann and Luke Morin have both decided to go into the mili-tary. Heidtmann felt that “college wouldn’t have been right for me” and has already enlisted in the Marines. When asked if technical school is something he’s looked into, Heidtmann commented on the advantages of joining the military. With the job market being so low, Heidtmann believes that even with a skill it would be hard to get a job right out of high school when qualified

adults can’t find jobs. The military provides job security as well as encouraging soldiers to be, as he put it, in “the best physical shape you can be in.” Morin agrees with this point. Morin in-tends on joining the Air Force. He says it will provide him “with a roof over my head and a second family for four years.” Morin doesn’t know his long-term plans—whether he’ll reenlist or not—but the advantage to joining the Air Force is that he’ll be able to come out

SHS Seniors Plan Their FuturePost High School

By Melissa Tarbell

See Post High School page 20

The door to Community College of Vermont in the Howard Dean Education Center beckons high school graduates. Senior Eliza Pennell is headed to Pomona

College in California. Chris Hall will stay in Springfield next year.

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Features

The Game of LoggingHorticulture Students Learn Safe

Chainsaw TechniquesBy Melissa Tarbell

During the winter months, students in the Hor-ticulture and Natural Resources class at the River Valley Technical Center worked with

chainsaws. Students in the Level I class began to learn the basics of chainsaw operating in the late fall. Horticul-ture teacher John Harmer spent several hours teaching chainsaw maintenance, safety and techniques. Not only are chainsaws dangerous, they can also become tiresome after lengthy use. To learn safe and efficient ways to run the chainsaw, a Game of Logging representative comes to the RVTC three times each year to instruct the Horticulture students on the methods of Soren Eriksson. Eriksson, a Swedish logger, developed a series of techniques which he calls the Game of Log-ging that put less strain on the body as well as allowing

loggers to be more accurate when felling trees. “Game” refers to the way in which Eriksson persuaded others to try his technique. Eriksson told his fellow loggers to try felling a tree his way. However, they originally claimed their way was better. He then said that he would give them 50 dollars for doing it his way, but they’d lose so much money per foot that the tree landed from the target. The money incentive worked and the Game of Logging was on. Eriksson’s techniques quickly spread among loggers. They hit their targets more often and were less tired at the end of the day due to Eriksson’s tech-niques. This friendly competition is still incorporated into the Game of Logging training RVTC students re-ceive. David Birdsall, who is from Tinmouth, Vermont,

is the instructor who has been training the Horticulture students. Birdsall partnered with John Adler to create Northeast Woodland Training (NEWT) in 2001. NEWT was formed to educate people about various aspects of logging as well as to excite people about the forestry industry. There are four levels involved in the NEWT program, and Birdsall covers three of those with the tech center Horticulture students. The first level, which was taught in November, covers all the basics of chainsaw operation. Birdsall first discussed safety: emergency plans, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the 5-point safety inspection of the chainsaw, and the reactive forces of the chainsaw.

See Logging page 21

Level II Horticulture student Tim Slade cuts down a tree during class. Slade took the Game of Logging training last year.

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“Did You See Her Last Status Update?”

Facebook. The new form of communication. There’s no need to call up your friend to tell them you need that shirt back. No need to spend time

with real people, just read their status updates instead. Let’s just say, you can do almost anything on Facebook: chat, message, write on someone’s wall, status update, like something, comment something, become friends, poke someone, become of a fan of literally anything, post pictures, post videos, tag yourself, tag your friends (New to Facebook? Want to learn how to tag? Flip to page 22), notes, post a YouTube video on someone’s wall, update your relationship, your religion, your fa-vorite books, become a group member, become a friend of a show, movie, band, applications, play Farmville, play virtually any game imaginable. Hey, you can even gratiffi on someone’s wall! For those, if there is any of you left, that are still foreign to Facebook, get ready to embark on an adventure, because this is just the tip of the iceberg. Olivia Johnson is HAPPY! I just got accepted to Salve Regina =) 7 comments, 13 likes. Jenny Bradley just saw Shutter Island and a skunk! Eeeek. 4 comments. Erin Graham still loves Shamu AND his friends! Textaroo! =) 1 comment, 2 likes.

Feature

Facebook. It’s an Epidemic.By Jenny Bradley & Olvia Johnson

One of the most emphasized and non-partisan points in Senator Bernie Sanders’s January 12th address to Springfield High School students

was the encouragement of youthful engagement and activism: voting, participating in campaigns, and vol-unteerism. Traditionally, the voter demographic known as young adults (eighteen to twenty-nine year olds) is one of the least politically active groups of eligible voters. This changed in the 2008 presidential election. According to the Centre for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), fifty-two percent of young adults voted in 2008, compared to only forty-one percent in the 2000 election. The 2008 young adult turnout was at its highest since 1972. “That doesn’t surprise me much,” said SHS senior and Contemporary Issues student Elisabeth Max-

Civil EngagementYouth More Involved in Politics

By Laurel Porter

field. “I think when [President George W. Bush] was elected for his second term, people got mad at him for the war in Iraq. A lot of young people were being sent over to the war, so they wanted to make a difference, a change.” In a 1999 observational study conducted by the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools (CMS), the civics education of a representative sample of high school freshmen in the United States was evaluated. When the students were re-evaluated in 2009, those who participated in a civics class that combined lecture and interactive discussion had the best-developed 21st century skills, including the ability to understand people with different ideas, cooperate in groups, demonstrate

See Engagement page 22

Jon Esden still loves the USA hockey team. 5 likes. Paulina Mei I’ve decided to treat my life as if it were a musical. Please expect singing and dancing.11 comments, 4 likes. These are status updates. Anyone can change their status at any time. It can say anything you want or you can choose to not have a status. Do you know what happens when you post something on Facebook? Go to page __ to find out. Pretty simple. Facebook is an epidemic. It has swept the world. Students and teachers at Springfield High School were asked their opinions of Facebook. Sarah Trombly I’m addicted. I stalk people all the time I become a fan of everything. Ms. Guy It makes the world a lot smaller. Mr. Jardina Facebook broke that cultural bar-rier, bringing older and younger generations together. Tori Blake I’m on it everyday, but I’m not like, obsessed. Eliza Pennell I love Facebook because I have a lot of friends from things I’ve done over the summer and Facebook is a great way to stay in touch. Our generation is ridiculous. How many hours a day do we spend clicking from wall to wall?

See Facebook page 22

Jon Esden, Paulina Mei,

and Erin Graham suggest the richness of

Facebook communication.

Elisabeth Maxfield wasn't surprised that more youth voted in 2008 than in

any election since 1972.

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FeatureBullies

By Olivia Thayer

Self-Conscious, Seeking Power

Bullying in schools has become an increasing talked about topic in the past decade. Ameri-can newspapers and evening news programs

have been filling up with stories of cyber bullying, the increased bullying in schools, and the tragic stories of teens who were harassed to the point of suicide or other self destructive actions. “I do hear about it [bullying],” said Spring-field High School Student Assistance Program Director Danielle Dulany, who works with and counsels both victims and bullies at SHS. “But this year it hasn’t been that often.” According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, almost 30% of youth in the United States, over 5.7 million teens, have been involved in bullying either as a bully, a target of bullying, or both. 11% of students nationwide in grades 6-10 report being bullied. “No one should be picked on for something they can’t change, like size, race, weight, stuff like that,” said SHS English teacher Joanna Coleman, as she reflected on bullying. Why do children and teens bully? The most common response is that those individuals want power, or are self-conscious. But try telling that to the victim. Often, the bully is the most powerful figure in their lives.

“I think people bully because they think they can get away with it,” said sophomore Michael Whitemore. “Especially seniors and upperclassmen. They [the seniors] think it’s their last year and they can get away with anything.” Vermont law has two acts and two statutes on bullying and harassment. According to Vermont’s Human Rights Commissions’ online site for bullying and harassment laws, Act 91 and Act 117 independently define bullying and harassment. Many states in the coun-try do not have separate definitions for the two terms. 16 V.S.A. § 14 gives a description of “how a school is required to respond to a complaint of harassment” and 16 V.S.A. § 565 gives a description of “what is required to be included in a school’s/school district’s/supervisory union’s harassment policy.” Vermont’s Act 117 was passed mainly in memory of Ryan Halligan, a 14-year-old boy who lived in Essex, Vermont, and committed suicide in 2003 because of continuous bullying and harassment by his classmates both in person and over the Internet. “It [bullying] can create a sense of insecurity, lack of safety, sense of not belonging, and it can make the victim feel sad or depressed,” said Dulany. Once most children reach high school, the awareness of bullying virtually stops. Except for the extreme case, when is bullying or harassment ever

brought up in school? For most students, if they are not being bullied, the subject doesn’t really matter to them. “I don’t think most students know there is bullying going on unless they are the bully or being bullied,” said Coleman. But maybe the most difficult aspect of bul-

See Bullying page 20

Danielle Dulaney says that bullying can create a sense of insecurity and make a

victim feel sad and depressed.

Bacon, sausage, ham, egg, cheese, croissants, bagels, English muffin, donuts, coffee, lattes, coolattas, hot chocolate, vanilla chai, white hot

chocolate, iced coffee, and cappuccinos. Everything you need in one small store located in the middle of town, Dunkin’ Donuts. “I think Dunkin’ Donuts is more hype than anything,” senior Jeff Adorno said. “I go there some-times and get a bacon egg and cheese on a croissant, or an iced coffee, but it’s not the best. The coffee isn’t the greatest, but the food is good, even knowing it’s coming right out of the microwave.”

A recent article in The Boston Globe, written by Alex Beam, gave Boston area Dunkin’ Donuts an overall grade of a B+. But with so much to offer, and with such a wide variety to choose from, that might seem a little low. “On a scale of 1-10, I’d give Dunkin’ Donuts doughnuts a 9, because they are always good,” senior Mark Xu said. “Their coffee, on the other hand, would be about a 7, because sometimes they put in too much sugar.” Most Springfield High School students make their trip to Dunkin’ Donuts early in the morning before school starts, to give them an extra boost to jump-start their day. “I like going to Dunkin’ Donuts right before school in the mornings,” senior Lindsey Harrington said. “It gives me some energy, and it’s right by the school so it’s right on the way.” Senior Angelo Jardina agrees about the Dunkin‘ Donuts coffee energy in the morning. “I go to

Coffee, chai, tea. It doesn't matter. Dunkin' Donuts rules.

Dunkin’ Donuts, and quite a lot I might add. It’s probably my number one stop in the morning. I drink coffee way too much, and I also have a sweet tooth for chocolate, so I go there a lot.” While early in the morning seems to be the prime time for most students and Springfield residents to grab a quick coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts remains busy throughout most of the day, and into the night. At almost any hour, you have to wait behind at least one car to go through the drive-thru. “I go to Dunkin’ Donuts at least five times a week,” senior Elisabeth Maxfield said. “I usually just get a coffee or a vanilla chai. I like Dunkin’ Donuts because they’re quick, and they have a drive-thru, and I like their coffee better than McDonalds, which is really the only other option in this town.” While some students complain about the

SHS Runs on Dunkin' Donuts

Ashley Richardson

See Donuts page 22

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Feature

For most young girls growing up, Barbie dolls and Ken dolls were the most desired toys. For 51 years, Barbie dolls have taken over the toy aisles

in stores, and taken over young girl’s hearts as they grow up wanting to be more and more like Barbie. “I think Barbie dolls sometimes give off an image that make girls think they have to look like them, but other than that, Barbies are harmless,” senior Elisabeth Maxfield said. “Growing up, I didn’t really try to fit that image, and I think it helped that I played a lot of other childhood games growing up, and didn’t just focus on Barbies, so I didn’t have that desire.” Her flawless skin, long legs, and perfect, straight hair, have, for over 50 years, been the most desired look for girls all around the world. But, as more and more young girls try to look like the perfect Barbie doll, the question becomes haunting- will they begin to see themselves as ugly, or not beautiful enough? “If I were to design a Barbie, I would design one that had at least a couple flaws, because when you grow up with all those Barbies, they’re all too pretty and I feel like it brings your self-esteem down,” senior Paige Parker said. “When you’re growing up it seems like you’re not pretty enough, so I’d design ones that were all different.” As Barbie’s 50th birthday approached, so did her 126th career. The newest career for the Barbie doll was Computer Engineer, and this was decided by

Not Madonna, It's BarbieBy Ashley Richardson

with them and dressing them up. “I played with Barbies all the time, until I hit my tomboy period. Then I threw them all away,” junior Amanda Farnsworth said. “I had a little town for my Barbies. My favorite Barbie was this Barbie that bowled, that my grandma got me. I’d have them all talk to each other, and then I wanted to be a hair dresser, so they all got terrible hair cuts. I was a girly girl. I had like 40 Barbies.” Some girls didn’t notice the flawless skin, hair, and body. They just saw a fun doll to dress up and play house with. Barbie dolls came with outfits ranging from ball gown dresses to a bikini, as well as tons of shoes to dress in. Barbie and Ken dolls also had many different cars and houses. “I loved the Spice Girl Barbies growing up,” junior Leanne Souksanh said. “With all the different out-fits, they were so fun to dress up. My sister and I shared a big pink Barbie house and a pink convertible, and we would play with them all the time. I love Barbies, but if I were to choose, I’d make them all with different faces and not the same face. I’d make them all look different from each other, and I’d make an Asian Barbie doll.”

The pressure to be beautiful now-a-days is more and more suffocating for many young girls growing up. And having their favorite toy be a perfect girl doll may not help with this pressure. Or it may not bother them at all. “If I were to design a Barbie I’d make a Zooey Deschanel one,” Pennell said. “I absolutely love her. I don’t think kids would know who the heck she is, but I would know, anyway. Or a Lady Gaga one, if that hasn‘t happened already. It would be crazy fun dressing up that Barbie.” Barbie remains one of the most desired toys, and continues to be so after 50 years and over 125 ca-reers. But, if it were up to the young adults today, Barbie would not be so perfect. “I don’t think Barbie dolls are necessarily a good role model for kids, but I don’t think getting rid of Barbies will make girls more self-assured or self-confident,” senior Eliza Pennell said. “Barbie is sort of a 'perfect woman' figure, but, you know, so isn’t Megan Fox. And we can’t really tell her to go away.”

51 Years Old, Still Looking the Same

millions of Barbie fans who decided among architect, environmentalist, news an-chor, and surgeon, accord-ing to the New York Times. “I always liked the darker haired Barbies,” Maxfield said. “If I were to design a Barbie doll, I’d have it have more of a 'nor-mal' body than the 'perfect' ones they all have now. And maybe I’d give her curly hair.” As the new gen-eration of young adults gets older, the idea of the Barbie doll as a role model seems

to dwindle. Her legs are too skinny, her hair is always perfect, and she has a constant smile on her face. “I think Barbie dolls are way too perfect,” senior Lindsey Harrington said. “It’s unfair to have to try and have to live up to something that has no flaws. If I could change one thing I would change how small their [Barbie] stomachs are.” While the Barbie doll is seen as the perfect all-American girl, and many girls look up to her and try to look like her, the Barbie still remains just a doll. And many girls, and boys, growing up just enjoyed playing

Barbie reached the half-century mark last March. As the celebratory design above suggests, her relatively advanced age in 2009 had no effect on her style. Traditional Barbie, who follows strict lines of gender profiling, is still around.

But she has felt the winds of change and entered the field of computer engineering and the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise, left.

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Opinion

Gadgetry Bulimia

By Sam Hensel Hunter

Apple hopes to extend its market share with the release of a new touch screen device called the iPad. The main webpage for the iPad claims,

“Our most advanced technology in a magical and revo-lutionary device at an unbelievable price.” I doubt even Steve Jobs believes that. The iPad is essentially a larger version of the iPhone with a height of 9.5 inches and a width of 7.5 inches. It's about half inch thick. The iPad is meant as a more versatile and productive piece of equipment for people on the road, offering a combination of touch screen phones and the small low-powered netbooks. In terms of innovation, the iPad really doesn’t bring much to the table especially since a device that sports very similar specifications called the Touch Book has been around since March of 2009. But without the Apple branding and a clever ad campaign, the Touch Book is most likely doomed to obscurity despite being $200 cheaper than the cheapest iPad. So why will people buy an overpriced, un-derpowered device like the iPad? Some people will be suckered in by the idea that an Apple product is worth whatever it costs. Others will believe the extensive ad-vertising campaign that Apple is sure to deliver as they have done with the iPod and iPhone. Apple’s advertising is a big part of its success, creating memorable ads that show off their own products and ridicule the competi-tion, often simplifying concepts for a consumer base without extensive technological knowledge. Apple’s reputation for simplicity and ease of use has been one of its identifying trademarks, but with Windows operating systems looking more and more like Apple’s they’ve tried to focus on aesthetics in advertising. Apple’s ads appeal to a lower intellectual baseline and the sensory desire for shiny, pretty, skinny things. These ads con-vince buyers that a phone that still uses a keypad, that still flips open, that can’t run their precious proprietary “apps” and requires more than a vegetative state to operate simply isn’t good enough. Apple’s advertising budget for 2009 was $501 million. All of this money is spent to ensure consumers are perpetually caught between a rock and hard place of slightly cheaper older generations of technology and a purported cutting edge that changes every six months. In the end the release of new products has less and less to do with innovation and more and more to do with shoving a repackaged, more polished rehash of products that we are told we need, are essential, are innovative, and are available for the low price of ump-teen dollars and ninety nine cents down the throats of American consumers, again and again and again.

Many Springfield High Schools students and teachers long for the winter mornings when they wake up to the “All Springfield Public

Schools are closed today” banner running across the SAPA screen. Or they dream of a gentle nudge from a family member informing them that school has been cancelled and they can go back to sleep. Springfield has had four official snow days, but a few have been more like rain or ice days. Though many students don’t care what the weather is outside, as long as the alarm clock doesn’t go off, some wonder why schools is cancelled when the roads and weather seem bearable. “I liked the snow day,” said sophomore Sarah Trombly commenting on the February 25th snow day. “But I didn’t think it was necessary.” More than once this season, SHS students and teachers have gone to bed expecting to wake in the morning to a wonderful winter wonderland, yet aris-ing eight hours later to the same gray, bleak Vermont landscape that they viewed the night before. In fact, overdramatized and hysterical forecasts often leave the school age children of Springfield going to sleep hoping for a day off from classes. “It’s [calling a snow day] a very serious responsibility,” said Springfield School District Su-perintendent Dr. Frank Perotti. Perotti makes the final call on those snowy mornings whether or not to run the busses or let the alarm clock fall silent. “A bad decision could lead to accidents or bussing problems,” he said. “Potentially lives of people could be at risk by a bad decision we make.” It’s not a secret that snow and ice affect schools in New England. But how much does one day off from school really alter a scholar’s life? Though students and teachers enjoy the occasional day off in the bleak winter months, no one wants to be in the halls of SHS long into June or even July when the warm weather is right outside the window. “I think we’ve done pretty well this year with cancelling school,” said Perotti. Perotti says the process that may lead to a school cancellation starts at five in the morning with a

WeatherDecisions, Decisions

By Olivia Thayer

call to Lisa Hall, the Springfield School District Trans-portation Coordinator. She then talks to the public works department and the rest of the transportation department before getting back to Perotti with her recommendation to cancel school or not. “All of us use home computers which are an improvement over how it used to be,” said Perotti. “The satellite maps are very important to the decision.” While modern technology is used in any no-school decision, Perotti says that school officials sometimes get it wrong. He recalled an experience when the snow wasn’t intense enough to cancel school in the morning, but the radar maps showed that a huge storm was coming. Perotti gave the call to cancel and the prediction never came true. The snow never came, and many questioned why he cancelled. “There are times I wish I hadn’t cancelled, and times I wish I had,” said Perotti. “But it’s a lose-lose situation either way: There are always people who question your decision.” On some days main roads and secondary roads around Springfield may be clear, but since bus-ses have to travel all the back roads in the town, those conditions are a factor as well. The back road conditions have been the cause for at least one snow day this year even though most thought school could be in session. Though most students may not realize it, there is more to cancelling school than meets the eye. Each snowstorm costs the town money and time to clean up all the roads, sidewalks, and public town property. Also, the school calendar is arranged with no snow days included, so every day off during the winter is another added on in the summer. Perotti said that if the number of snow days went above five or six, school officials would consider holding school on a Saturday, instead of adding another day in July. “Some people are going to kill me for saying this but if it’s a questionable day [to cancel school or not] and it’s the day before Christmas break or another holiday, I’ll be more likely to cancel,” concluded Perotti. “Everyone likes a day off.”

Feature

Superintendent Frank Perotti makes the call when snow comes a-knocking.

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ColumnsAccepting Serendipity

By Eliza Pennell & Jess Watkins

By Kelsey Christensen

Examining Existence

Where are We All Going, and Why are We in This

Hand Basket?

You know that feeling of immense satisfaction you get when you finish everything on your to-do-list? We miss that feeling. We miss get-

ting a full night's sleep occasionally. We miss hanging out with friends. Reading. Watching movies. Vacations. Seeing family. Having time to go to the bathroom/locker in between classes. Having nothing to do sometimes. Taking our time. Breathing. We miss living. Senior year has made us forget how to live. We dread getting out of bed. We have to very carefully plan any social activities and free time. What is spon-taneity? We only know what lab reports, essays, math problems, reading from a textbook, research papers, and college applications are. You know all that fun you were going to have your last year of high school? Forget about it. Senior year is quite simply a fun-SUCKER. We expected senior year to be busy, but not impossible. We're never on top of everything; the only

way we can stay caught up in English is by putting off math homework. And the only way we can catch up in math is by falling behind in history. It's like we're ham-sters running on their exercise wheels, always moving but never getting anywhere. See, the thing is, there are eight periods a day now. And that's a problem. Class periods are shorter--a brisk forty-six minutes, to be precise. So what does this mean? Teachers assign more homework in order to cover the material they didn't have time to cover in class. Keep in mind, we have eight classes every day this year, instead of last year's six. So we have more homework per class, and we have an extra two classes. Our new schedule has also given us shorter passing periods, a longer school day, a shorter lunch period, and almost meaningless senior privileges. We barely have time to get to our next class in the three-minute passing period we're given, let alone stop at our lockers or go to the bathroom. Forget about the water

fountain. These basic human needs are considered superfluous at Springfield High School. And you know those fabled free periods seniors get? They're almost pointless. Not quite, but almost. Getting to sleep in an extra 40 minutes is nice, but it certainly pales in comparison to the extra hour previous senior classes were given. If we were in charge, we couldn't change this schedule fast enough. We can't think of a worse punishment for high achieving students. But no once can truly live this way--without any breaks, without any fun, without any sleep. So sure, we never do all of our homework. It's impossible to finish everything, so why try? Instead, we do watch movies. We hang out with friends. Once in a while, we even let ourselves get eight hours of sleep--all in one night! School shouldn't come before living. And for us, it never will.

Damned Kids

Too bad you’re not the one paying for it.”“They pay you to be out here?”And, from a student, “Let’s skip school; that will

help pass the budget.” These were some of the many criticisms myself and two other students faced at this year’s budget vote, holding signs encouraging people to vote yes to the school budget. Perhaps I should address these criticisms.Angry citizen #1: Indeed, I don’t currently pay taxes. Many people feel that in order to form accurate, char-acteristic ideologies in life, I have to be paying for it as fully as they do. I recognize that I don’t accept the tax burden that older citizens must, but I’m certain that when I pay an income-sensitive tax to benefit educa-tion, I’ll continue to be a person with the mindset that children should have the resources they need to be educated, just as many people who consistently vote no will do so no matter how fair their taxes are, or how low the school budget is. (By the way, the operating budget of the Springfield School District is less than

it was last year.) Angry citizen #2: I was not paid. As a person 16 years of age, I’ve formulated an uncanny ability to decide to do things on my own, even without the incen-tive of cash. Furthermore, no matter how much you don’t appreciate the board members, administrators, or teachers at the school, I can’t think of a person in the district unscrupulous enough to offer students gratuity for budget advocacy. Also, isn’t it far more likely that passing the budget means more to a student than, say, a board member? Angry citizen #3: Your comments deeply upset me, since you’re a student. I would hope that you care about the budget passing. Perhaps you’re simply articulating regurgitated ideas from angry parents. Yes, I did skip school to hold signs to advocate for the budget. Some people view this as fundamentally ironic, but I can’t make up a day of work. I’m a relatively good stu-dent, and I feel that I’ve earned the privilege of missing one day to do something important to me. I would en-courage people to view picketing as an alternate learning

experience to school. When you go on field trips, they’re meant to enrich your learning experience outside of the classroom, and no one criticizes those. Demonstrating at the budget vote was certainly a learning experience. I don’t mean to suggest that nasty com-ments were overwhelming. In fact, positive feedback far outweighed the negative, both in impact on me and amount of it. I appreciate all the head nods, fists in the air in a “power to the people”-esque gesture, thumbs up,

See Manifesto page 22

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ColumnWelcome To...

By Melissa Tarbell

Surviving Apocalyptia

By John Forbes

Change

See Welcome page 20

I just spent the better part of the last five minutes arguing with my two personalities. As I sit in my room listening to Carrie Underwood’s latest album, I

am yet again struggling with the desire to do something with my life. One minute I’m pitying myself over my lack of ability to do one thing or another the way I wish I could. The next minute I’m saying, “Well, get up off your lazy butt and make yourself better!” I face a constant struggle of wanting to relax and do nothing. But where will that get me? If I continue down that road I will one day look back on my life and think that is pitiful. Being lazy is a good way to be a nobody. Sure, being somebody is a lot of hard work, but I’ll be happier in the long run. And I know that, so why is it so hard to do something about it? Up until now, all of my columns have been light-hearted in hopes of amusing my readers. I’ve talked about books, online classes, even bathrooms. I felt it was time to examine something serious. I needed to take a look inside myself and write how I feel, not just my opinions of material matters. In the last edition of the Green Horn I read Jessika Watkin’s column “Accepting Ambiguity”. Her

topic that time was “The Things I Carry” and it was about all the things that make her who she is. Her column was really what sparked me to write this column. I think Jess is an amazing writer. She wrote something that I think a lot of readers can relate to. I also envy Jess’s style of writing which is what sparked my self-pitying session. I’ve always con-sidered myself a great writer because that’s what people tell me. But I often find myself unable to express what I want to say. When I read something that is written really well I just wonder why I can’t be that good. This carries over to other things as well. Why can’t I sing like her? Or why can’t I look like her? That’s when I realized how important it is that I stay the way I am. I’m at that age when I’m ap-parently supposed to find out who I am and trying to be someone else certainly won’t help me do that. I need to stay true to myself, but I do need to change some habits. Being lazy stops me from being who I want to be or doing what I want to do. I tell myself every day I’m going to run on the treadmill for ten minutes or I’m going to write all those papers I’ve been avoiding. But it

never happens and it is so frustrating. It’s like I have no willpower. I want so badly to, for once, follow through with something. Why is it so hard? As it is, I’m writing this column when I should be writing an essay for another class. I already had a column written for this edition, but I chose to wander away from my responsibilities. It is so easy to

Last edition I explained why zombies are fright-ening. This edition I intend on delivering some life-saving information. Unless you’re a hermetic

shut-in it’s exceedingly likely that you won’t be in your zombie-proofed fortress of solitude when the zombies come. Therefore it’s important to make a quick and ef-ficient escape plan for every scenario. Here are a couple of tips for planning an escape. First, locate all the exits, including first story windows. It’s probably better to do this preemptively, as it will be difficult to locate all the exits when the zombies attack. Good exits include those that are close to you, and close to the place where you parked. After locating the best exit, pick the quickest route to the exit. As with creating any other emergency escape plan, make sure

that your path to the exit is unobstructed. After you have your escape route worked out the next step is to locate a good weapon, because if you run into a zombie on your way out they aren’t going to politely let you by. It’s unlikely that you’ll find an actual weapon in a public place, so it’s important to know what sort of qualities to look for in an improvised weapon. Generally you’ll want a blunt object. That’s easy enough to carry and can stand up to some punishment. A fold-ing chair would be a great choice, for instance, while a book would not. Books, while blunt, aren’t capable of delivering the force needed to collapse a zombie’s brain cavity. Another thing to consider in a weapon is reach. The further you are from the zombie the better. There is a point where escaping is inconceiv-able, so you may have to hold out where you are. This is more of a final option than a preferred tactic, but it can work. Find the most secure area of your building and bring all of your available supplies there; usually this is some sort of closet or utility room. Anything with one exit is worth consideration, as it requires much

less work to barricade. If you have a choice, a smaller area is easier to keep track of. But if you plan on being there for a long time, a larger area may help to prevent cabin fever symptoms, especially if you’re in a group. As with your regular zombie-proof hideout, it’s a good idea to bring some sort of recreation, though anything with excessive light or sound could quickly attract un-needed attention. Unfortunately, your chances of survival in a public place are limited, because it’s public. If the outbreak starts in a large mall, for instance, hundreds of mall-goers are likely to be felled by the zombie men-ace, which means you’ve got hundreds of mall-going zombies to hide from. Another big downside in many public places is that you’re forced to lock yourself in a more inac-cessible location, which reduces your chances of being rescued, assuming the military decides to use rescue protocols. Or they could just initiate a tactical decima-tion of the area. Death by bomb or death by zombie? Take your pick.

Public Display of Zombies

Humor

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Reviews

By Samuel L. Benton

American VI: Ain't No Grave

(Johnny Cash; 2010)

I was riding leisurely on enchanted railroad tracks when a possessed train came speeding at me. Then, later, I was finding my way through

a dark dungeon with the spirit of a Princess, but I kept having to battle guards with flaming swords. Luckily, I destroyed an entrance to a cave using some explosives I found, and it afforded me a shortcut to a new city. Or, at least, these are some of the adventures possible when playing the recent Nintendo DSi video-game, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Released December 7th, Spirit Tracks is the 16th Legend of Zelda game, which began being fashioned exclusively for Nintendo consoles in 1986. The premise of the recent installment of the series is that, Link, the game's hero, is a railroad engi-neer. When he goes to the Hylian castle to be honored by Princess Zelda, she gives him a note asking for help because she believes the Chancellor of Hyrule has evil

All Aboard for theThe Latest Zelda Adventure

By Kelsey Christensen

ulterior motives. In order for Link to help her, Link must voyage, by train, to all corners of the Legend of Zelda universe, restoring antiquated railroad tracks along the way. After restoring all these tracks, goodness will also be restored in the universe. In order to defeat the game, you wield Link through several dungeons full of monsters, like all proceeding Zelda games. Each dungeon ends with a boss battle, in which Link combats a unique, more challenging monster. The rooms of the dungeons, in true Zelda style, often have a puzzle – one will have to light torches in a certain order, or move blocks in a certain pattern – that one must solve to advance to the next room. A more obnoxious facet of the game is the voyage from village to village. Instead of walking, or riding a horse as in past games, the player has to suffer through long, tedious, uneventful virtual train rides throughout the game. Spirit Tracks is one of three Zelda games that

seem to be diverging from classic games in the saga. The Windwaker, released in 2002 for the Nintendo Game-cube, and The Phantom Hourglass, released in 2007 for the Nintendo DS Lite, feature a similar, cartoonish animation, versus the gothic, fantasy influence of other games in the series. The long voyages in between levels also reoccur in this divergence. Also, musical riffs that are universal in the games shift in Spirit Tracks, Wind-waker, and The Phantom Hourglass. When Link finds a piece of treasure in the game, like money, a weapon, or life energy, the “item catch” music differs, sadly, from what Zelda fans are used to. Also, in older games,

See Zelda page 23

Johnny Cash. Unless you have lived in complete solitude your entire live, you’ve probably heard the name before. He’s a musical (country, to be specific)

legend, a man in black, rising from the grave once again with his guitar clutched in one hand and a Bible in the other, casting out his latest book of the dead: American VI: Ain’t No Grave. Released on February 23rd this winter, three days before the anniversary of Cash’s birthday, Ain’t No Grave peaked at number 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 (His first posthumous album, American V: A Hundred Highways made it to number 1 in 2006), proving that even in death he is loved enough to make this dead man walk again. Taken from the same sessions as American V with producer Rick Rubin (who has produced numerous artists, from the Beastie Boys – he was their original DJ – to Weezer with many more in between), the album features a very stripped-down sound (a trademark of Rubin) with the only other instruments played (other

than the guitar (of which there are plenty) being banjo, piano, organ, and harpsichord. The title track (written by Claude Ely), with its rattling chains, funeral bells, and stopping footsteps, is as chilling as a graveyard, though not as dead. As his voice, worn and still powerful, croaks out the chorus (“ain’t no grave can hold my body down.”) you get the sense that Cash knew people would be listening to his tracks, and when you think about it, it’s a pretty humorous song, likely intentionally so. The rest of the tracks aren’t funny. They’re not sad either, nor angry, and not even happy. They’re… satisfied? It feels like that’s the only word to describe them. Though the songs are covers (the sole original composition being “I Corinthians 15:55”), they give off an autobiographical feel, full of reflection on the past and interest in the future, in tunes like “Can’t Help but Wonder Where I’m Bound,” and “For the Good Times.” The songs can put your mind at ease because it feels like his was. Though his third and fourth installments in his American recording series were filled with sor-row (his reaction to the discovery of his autonomic neuropathy and his damaged lungs), "Ain’t No Grave"

is Johnny Cash accepting death (see: “Satisfied Mind,” “I Don’t Hurt Anymore.”). Devout Christian he was, and it shows. Most of the songs he chose to sing have numerous biblical references, many about going to heaven, adding a certain peace of mind because you can tell he believed that was where he was going. The final track on the album is a cover of the Hawaiian “Aloha Oe” ("Farewell to Thee"). He takes the song, originally about a farewell between lovers, and makes it a goodbye. You can picture him sitting there, strumming his guitar, singing “Aloha Oe, aloha oe/ E ke onaona noho i ka lipo/ One fond embrace/ A hoi ae au/ Until we meet again,” with a faint smile on his lips, knowing that every time someone listens to his music he’ll be alive. The final words of Johnny Cash are compiled here, in an album which works wonderfully as the next part in the Cash chapter and would work just as won-derfully as his last. It’s satisfying to the ears, the mind, and to the legacy of Johnny Cash. He has proven that there truly ain’t no grave for the man in black. He lives on through his music, and in that regard, I guess I'll be visiting with Cash frequently through American VI.

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Holmes

Guy Ritchie's Movie

Giving Superman a Kryptonite Lightsaber

Sherlock Holmes sucks you in like the whirlpool Kharybdis the instant it begins. The viewers feel as trapped as Odysseus did when he encountered

this pest. It’s not a particularly pleasant sensation. This movie, directed by Guy Ritchie and star-ring Robert Downey Jr. as the indomitable title character

By Laurel Porter

and Jude Law as his staunch sidekick Dr. John Watson, is action-packed and diverting, if poorly written and lacking in plot. The film is entertaining. Though it lacks depth, it is exciting and makes for a passable detective

See Holmes page 21

Arthur Conan Doyle's Story

Figment of Times Long

Passed

An extraordinary fellow is he, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. When one thinks of crime, and solving it, one will

think of this extraordinary character who is still inspiring the minds of young and old. When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Holmes in 1887, Doyle probably doubted he would last into two centuries. But he has. Due to the Sherlock Holmes movie revival, the Green Horn has decided to attack this head on: with

By Erika Anderson

a level head, of course. To find out more about the in's and out's of Sherlock Holmes, this reporter inter-viewed the resident expert, junior Laurel Porter who has been reading Holmes since she was in elementary school. "I really like that he is a cerebral detective,” she said. “He uses his mind.” Sherlock Hol-mes is depicted as a tall, handsome man. He is very withdrawn and has an al-most manic passion for the

violin. He has a cocaine problem and an uncanny ability to detect criminals. “He represents the fact that even if you are sour, cold, and not a people person, you can still make a contribution to society,” said Porter. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock Holmes into a series of novels and short stories. When you first are introduced to the repertoire one feels rather intimidated by the sheer mass of it, but if you know an expert, they can give you a road map. Holmes' charac-ter is that of a different age, that is, it is timeless. The writing is of something you had not seen before. "It is an experience in writing of a different time past. The writing challenges you to think. There is a challenge to solve it [the crime] before Holmes," said Porter. The Sherlock Holmes series is set up in novels and short stories. While the novels are incredible reads, and recommended to readers, if you are looking for a quick dose of mystery, than the short stories are recommended. The two really great ones (for they are all good) is "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Red-headed League." In "The Red-Headed League," a man

See Detective page 20

Left c0lumn: A collection of the original Sherlock Holmes stories

written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Clockwise: Robert Downey Jr. and

Jude Law as Holmes and Watson in the new Guy Ritchie movie; Disney's The Great Mouse Detective based on the Holmes stories; the official poster for

Sherlock Holmes; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

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SportsBoys Bulldoze BF,

Lose to Windsor, Vergennes

Amanda Farnsworth Top Female Bowler in State Tournament By Ryan Brady

See Farnsworth page 22

games for each bowler. Amanda finished with a 188, 192, and a 213, which won her the tournament. “I was really nervous that I wasn’t going to win because of the scoring of the tournament, but I won," she said. "It was a huge confidence booster.” SHS junior Ethan McAllister passed up a chance to bowl in this tournament. “I haven’t gone the last two years,” said McAllister, “I’m too lazy to get the sponsorship for the tournament. But I am going to do the Pepsi Cola tournament. I’m happy for her [Farnsworth] since she’s one of my teammates.” Her victory, however, does not qualify Farn-sworth for any further tournaments, such as the national tournament that she competed in last year. The quali-fication for the national tournament is the Pepsi Cola tournament, which Amanda qualified for based on her

In late January, Springfield High School junior Amanda Farnsworth was honored as Vermont state champion for female bowling. Farnsworth

participated in the state youth bowling tournament, a tournament for the best bowlers under the age of 21. The tournament is made up of four different events:singles, teams, and doubles. Each event has male and female categories and the teams and doubles also feature coed or mixed groups. Amanda competed in the mixed doubles event and female singles event. She competed for the mixed doubles event on the first day of the tournament, when she and her partner finished 7th. “It was really unfortunate because my partner did really well,” said Farnsworth “I did really bad.” On the second day, Farnsworth competed alone. The singles competition consisted of three

By Ashley Richardson

In the first half of the Springfield High School boys basketball senior game, the Cosmos bulldozed rival Bellows Falls, 41-15. At the beginning of this game,

the Cosmos seniors, Brandon Boyle, Ryan Brady, TJ Wallace, and Derek Graham, were honored for their contributions to this year’s team. Graham was unable to participate in his senior game, however, due to a concussion and sprained shoulder. “It was definitely a disappointment to have Derek gone in the last few games, because he had been improving so much throughout the season,” senior co-captain Ryan Brady said. “Towards the end of the season he was playing much better defense, and he was shooting the ball really well. He was also a much better player than most of the guards because he was much better mentally in the game.” The seniors led the team with scoring in the first half against Bellows Falls: Boyle with 15 points and Brady with 13. These starters only played for about the first half, however, as they prepared themselves for their last regular season game against Windsor. “We had back to back games against Bellows Falls and Windsor, so the starters sat out the second half of the BF game to get refreshed for the Windsor game,” senior co-captain Brandon Boyle said. “The younger players had been stepping up in practice before these games, so we knew as a team that they were ready to

take control of the Bellows Falls game.” In order to secure a home playoff game, the Cosmos had to sweep their last two games of the regular season. The Cosmos absorbed a devastating loss to the Yellow Jackets, however, 64-52 at Windsor the day after their Bellows Falls blowout. Three Cosmos players, juniors Ethan McAllister, Derek Otis, and Billy Wheeler, fouled out of this tough match-up, and Graham was unable to participate in this game as well, leaving the Cosmos with four key players on the bench. “Despite the foul trouble from three juniors, we still had a shot to win the Windsor game. But we didn’t play smart enough or hard enough to win it,” Brady said. “We were certainly expecting to win the game, and Coach [Pete] Peck certainly gave us confi-dence going into the game. But we didn’t play as well as he, or we, had hoped.” Because of the loss to Windsor, the Cosmos had to travel to Vergennes in the first round of the play-offs. Last year, the Cosmos defeated Vergennes in the finals, to walk away with the Championship title. This year, however, the Cosmos went home empty handed, defeated in the first round of the playoffs, 47-37. It was a struggle, however, as the Cosmos played hard, but could not finish their shots, and only scored a little under 40 points, their second lowest score all season.

Amanda Farnsworth was crowned best female bowler in Vermont.

Senior co-captain Ryan Brady scored 13 points against Bellows Falls in a blowout victory for the Cosmos in

their senior game. Consecutive losses to Windsor and Vergennes ended the

boys season.

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Sports

The lights shone bright, make-up glittering, and the unmistakable matching costumes stood aligned on stage. As the music blasted, the Starz danced

with confidence and hard-hitting movement, and the crowd buzzed when the dancers moved into various formations. The performance finished with intensity as the crowd cheered. The dancers, under the direction of Kyla Beardsley, won gold with the routine. It was time for a change according to former Springfield High School student and Dance Team coach, Kyla Beardsley. Kyla encouraged most of her dancers to dance in her new hip hop dance company, a part of Stardancer Studios that Beardsley recently bought and operates in Newport, New Hampshire. There are five girls on the company who go to Springfield High School and all have danced with Beardsley in the past. Four other girls on the company dance at Stardancer Studios and are from the Lake Sunapee area. “This year is different,” said Beardsley. “I didn’t have time to coach [the Springfield] dance team so I decided to have a private company from the studio.” The company practices once a week for two

Stardancer StudiosBeardsley Offers New Option

By Holly Hooke

hours. Since the program is not run through the school, there are no restrictions about practice. “With dance team you couldn’t start until all the fall sports were over, so this is really nice,” said Beardsley. This allows the team to learn the dance and choose which competitions to compete in. The company has been practicing since early fall and dances to a mix of songs put together and choreographed by Beardsley. The company will compete in national tour-ing dance competitions run through private associations. Competitions typically last 2-3 days with studios from across the nation competing. Each dance studio has a choice to dance in the hip hop, jazz, open, lyrical, tap, foreign culture, ball room, and ballet categories. The Stardancer Company will be competing in the hip hop category only and planned to dance in 3 or 4 competi-tions this winter. “I’m excited to see what competitions will be like this year,” said Meredith Ward, dancer and SHS student, before the season started. Many people do not consider dance a sport. However, the dance company disregards that notion. The hip hop dance company combines athleticism, coor-

dination, and synchronization, along with determination and teamwork, to pull off the 2-3 minute competition routines. “I would like to see anyone on the football

See Dance page 22

Michael SchwarzLocal Snowboarder Returns

By Ryan Brady

In December, Olympic hopeful Kevin Pearce was critically injured while preparing for the Vancouver Olympics. A native Vermonter, Pearce isn’t the only

Holly Hooke, Lauren Sanderson, and Erin Graham dance under Kyla

Beardsley's instruction.

Michael Schwarz has returned from a traumatic snowboarding injury.

Vermont snowboarder who has been critically injured. Last March, Michael Schwarz, son of Fran Schwarz, second grade teacher at Park Street School, suffered a critical injury similar to Pearce’s. Michael Schwarz was competing in Lon-donderry, Vermont, in the World Quarter Pipe Cham-pionships when he was injured performing his last set of tricks on the Quarter Pipe. “He caught his legs on a rail at the top of the pipe," Fran Schwarz said. “That made him fall backwards and he hit his head on the deck of the pipe flipping around and hitting his head a second time.” At first, Michael Schwarz seemed unhurt. He unbuckled his bindings and stepped out of his board. However, when a friend approached the snowboarder, Schwarz fell, vomited, and passed out. Schwarz was then rushed to Grace Cottage Hospital in Newfane, Vermont, before being flown to Dartmouth Hospital. “I arrived just as the helicopter landed and they let me see Mike before he went into surgery,” continued Fran Schwarz. “The doctor told me that Mike’s injury was one of the worst for a brain injury and he may not survive.”

It seemed to be a tragic situation for the Schwarz family. However, Michael recovered from his traumatic injury. “Mike was a semi-pro snowboarder,” said Mr. Schwarz. “as he was still going to UVM. He was in his senior year and after college he wanted to turn pro.” On January 21st Michael got back on the slopes, hoping to rebuild the career he once hoped to participate in. He hasn’t forgotten about his traumatic injury. It has made him more aware of the safety tips that every snowboarder needs to know. “Always wear a helmet because it definitely was one of the factors that saved Mike’s life,” said Mr. Schwarz “Don’t ever dismiss any kind of head injury. Always get checked out by a doctor. Ride with friends so if anything does happen someone is there to help.” Snowboarding has become a much more dangerous sport with all the new tricks that riders are trying. But riders can still prevent most injuries by be-ing smart and wearing the proper gear. Mike Schwarz recovered from a dramatic and devastating injury, and he and his family are very thankful for that.

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with vividly red hair arrives at Holmes' stoop, with a puzzler. Though I won't tell you the whole story, I will tell you that it is a funny one. "A Scandal in Bohemia" is, likewise, incredible. It holds within its bindings the wonder of "The Woman," one of the only people that ever thwarted Holmes. The writing of Doyle represents genius be-cause any of Holmes can be read without a prerequisite of reading another novel. “It is important to have an experience in writing of a different time period,” said Porter, who is an avid reader of the classics. “I would recommend Holmes in a heartbeat, because he is The Great Detective.” Doyle also wrote several novels, one of the best being The Hound of the Baskervilles. It follows Holmes through a huge search for a spectral hound, which may be responsible for a curse that is haunting a family. Through deductive reasoning and sheer wit, he solves the mystery. Or he doesn’t. You can read the story to find out. The Sherlock Holmes represent great litera-ture, good sleuthing, and a glimpse of a long-ago past. Porter concluded, “You can’t not love stories about someone that cool.” And so this article comes to a close with a request: if you ever find yourself on Baker Street, and hear the strains of a violin coming through a window, I suggest you walk up the stairs to 221 B and knock on the door. That act may lead to great adventure..

Detective from page 17of it with a skill and hopefully acquire a job right off the bat. His dad was in active duty in the Air Force for eight years. This had some influence on Morin’s choice. College is not totally out of the picture yet for Morin, but it looks as if the Air Force is going to be part of his future. Kelly Ryan has a broad view of military service for young people. “I’ve had a lot of [students] who have gone into the military and had a great experi-ence, but some [also] don’t come back,” he said. "It is a personal choice when it comes to the military. The downside is we are in a time of war, but for some it’s a right, natural step.” For Heidtmann and Morin, it is a choice that, as Ryan said, is a natural step. Out of all the options students have, most tend to overlook the community college option. Ryan is trying to bust the myth that community and technical colleges aren’t as good as four-year schools. Although people seem to be examining these schools more readily now, Ryan thinks students should consider this alterna-tive even when the economy is in good shape. Ryan presented a scenario about the theoreti-cal students A and B. Student A goes to UVM four years and gets a degree in psychology. Student B starts his first two years at community college and transfers to UVM for his last two years. Student B also graduates with a

Post High School from page 8

I researched Satanism and found the satanic Ten Commandments. It is not what I expected. I thought it would be slaughtering lambs and black cats and weird rituals. But it was actually reasonable. Sort of. It spoke of leaving people alone unless they mess with you, in which case, destroy them. Also to live for yourself. The description of Satanism is similar to capitalism, and Jesus seems to have been preaching socialism. Jesus would have been a socialist. Sincerely, Ethan Paton

Capitalism from page 6

lying in schools is what exactly defines bullying. If someone doesn’t intend to hurt the other person, just harmlessly teases him or her, should that be considered bullying? Should mean messages sent over Facebook or other Internet sites be defined as harassment? “The bullying I’ve seen is mostly kids mak-ing ‘harmless’ comments about another student,” said Coleman. “Kids are oblivious that their comments are hurtful and can ruin another person’s self-esteem.” “I think kids are becoming desensitized to appropriate social exchanges, so they don’t realize what could be hurtful to a sensitive person,” said Dulany. “But, in addition, I think there is a problem of people being overtly mean on purpose.” Vermont law defines bullying as a “combina-tion of acts directed against a student by another student or groups of students and which: is repeated over time; is intended to ridicule, humiliate, or intimidate the student; and occurs during the school day on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored activity, or before or after the school day on a school bus or at a school-sponsored activity.” But these laws and definitions will

do nothing if the students who are being bullied and won’t come to an adult and tell on the bully. “I think the bullies also bully because they know the kids they bully are too afraid to tell anyone,” said Whittemore. Most victims feel that if they tell they will be labeled as 'tattle tale' or 'snitch.'" Dulany feels that if the victim does not have a tight circle of friends and family or a trusted adult in their life, they won’t tell on the bully and will keep their emotions to themselves. “Bullies aren’t dumb,” said Dulany. “They know who to target and they bully people who they know won’t tell on them.” Though it still may occur, the textbook bul-lying that includes punches and tripping in the hall has been replaced by cyber-bullying and bullying that isn’t physical. Instead, this is mental and emotional. “It’s mostly boys against boys, and girls against girls,” said Whittemore. “The guys might ver-bally bully someone for a short amount of time but it’s mostly physical, and with girls it’s mostly verbal.” Coleman feels that while bullying between

Bullying from page 11boys may start off as good-natured teasing, the girl bul-lies are intent on bullying, not teasing. “Girls start with verbal abuse, then threats, and then they actually fight,” said Coleman. “It doesn’t start off good-natured.” The Restorative Justice program at SHS, headed by Dulany, has dealt with two cases of bullying this year, one concerning text messages and cyber-bul-lying, and the other involving physical bullying. Dulany said that both cases were resolved and there have been no issues since. Bullying can be examined and talked about extensively. But the most important subject when it comes to bullying is what an individual can do when they find themselves the victim of a bully. “If you’re being cyber-bullied, I think you should delete that person from your friends list, delete the blog, just don’t contact them,” advises Dulany. “If you’re being bullied at school, if the first situation is safe just ignore it. If the bully continues, call him or her out on it. If they continue, you should let an administrator or adult know.”

degree in psychology from UVM. The two students have the same exact degree from the same school, yet student B saved a lot more money. SHS English teacher Rebecca Skrypeck is an advocate for community college. Skrypeck started out at a community college and transferred to a uni-versity. “I felt that my education at the community college was just as good,” she said, “if not better than the 4-year university I transferred to.” Another advantage to beginning one’s edu-cation at a community college involves the transition process. The high school schedule is different from the college schedule, and the course work is similarly different. When seniors leave both their high school and their home behind, those are two huge changes that will have an impact on them. For students who start out at a community college while still living at home but then transfer to a university, the transition process is much smoother. And, according to a study done at River Valley Com-munity College, those students are more likely to succeed and finish college. College is a place many use to explore different career options. But it doesn’t have to be ex-pensive. “College can be for anyone," Ryan concluded. "It’s just how you’re going to get there.”

Welcome from page 15just claim there is something wrong with me, I have no drive, so I might as well feel sorry for myself. The whole time I’m pitying myself, though, I could be fixing the problem. The truth of the matter is I’m not going to write like Jessika and I’m not going to sing like Carrie Underwood (nobody can, she’s too good). I’m defi-nitely not always going to run on the treadmill when I tell myself to. I just have to accept myself as I am. If I get on that treadmill once out of every ten times I tell myself to, that’s okay. It is true when they say you are your toughest critic. Things are always going to appear the worst to yourself. I think a lot of people can relate to being lazy or slacking. It is just so easy. But everyone knows

deep down that that isn’t any way to live. We all need to find something to inspire ourselves to be better. Carrie Underwood’s songs inspire me. Almost every one of her songs is like a soundtrack to my life. All it takes is something little like a song to get you motivated. I mean, come one, who doesn’t get pumped up when they hear the Rocky theme song? Or “Eye of the Tiger”? Sometimes willpower isn’t quite enough. So we all need to find those little things that get us going. It is really amazing how much an outside source like music can get me motivated to change. Don’t change who you are, though. If there’s one thing that has been forced into my head, it is that I should never pretend to be someone I’m not.

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movie. It is infinitely better than any given episode of CSI: Miami, but it is not at all on the same par as previ-ous Holmes movies such as Terror by Night. Holmes, in this latest incarnation, must battle the mysterious and occult-soused Lord Blackwood who escapes execution for murder in order to execute a plan for the takeover of England. The cinematography for Sherlock Holmes creates a sinister, steamkpunky atmosphere that seems perfect for a Holmes movie. With such appropriate style, the viewers are transported back in time to Victorian London and, in such fog-shrouded streets, one immedi-ately begins to indulge thoughts of nefarious plots and dastardly schemes. Hans Zimmer’s score matches the mood perfectly. His music is as splendid in Sherlock Holmes as it was in The Dark Knight. The costumes were also well done, appropriate for the time period, and reflective of each character. Watson is conservative, his military background clearly showing, and Holmes is messy and derelict, antisocial to the nines, though he has wisely avoided a deerstalker cap this time around.Ritchie’s fight sequences are brilliantly filmed. Holmes’s intellect is applied to the art of pugilism, and the viewer is allowed to witness this through narration and slow-motion emphasis. This cinematographic experiment brings to the fore a previously untold part of the Holmes legend. However, in his emphasis on action, Ritchie

Holmes from page 17 leaves Holmes’ brain somewhere in the back alleys of London. We miss some of the usual perplexingly clever deductions. They are overwhelmed by the sounds of a down-and-dirty brawl. Ritchie, in his attempt to make Holmes more modern and connected, essentially gives Superman a lightsabre and then refuses to left him fly. Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Holmes is also lacking. This version of Holmes is awkward; he’s not as cultured as usual. In one interaction with Watson and Mary Morstan, the doctor’s fiancée, he is disturbingly disconnected. Though he speaks to the others, he does not absorb what they are saying, and he does not seem to even absorb what he himself is saying. He has no instant, arrogant reply to simple queries or comments; in fact, he doesn’t seem to have much of a reply to anything, seemingly living on a different plane of existence. This is highlighted even further when, after Morstan throws a glass of wine at him, he simply continues blankly with his meal, not even bothering to wipe his face. Jude Law, though, is solid as Watson. He seems perfectly comfortable in his role. He pulls along otherwise passé and bland secondary characters; Irene Adler, played by Rachel McAdams, is stereotypical as the rather annoying female tag-along modern writers feel the need to attach to male heroes in order to maintain political correctness; Mark Strong’s depiction of Lord Blackwood is convincing, creepy and sinister, but the character is poorly written and unfortunately cast; Strong

looks more Holmesian than Downey. Additionally, Holmes battles a previously unknown enemy in this latest adaptation of The Great Detective: the occult. Lord Blackwood is presented as one of many wealthy Englishmen who moonlight as sorcerers, casting spells and performing rituals in the sewers. However, the occult is not a particularly intelligent choice for a villain, given Holmes’ cerebral background, and it shows. Holmes’ stories, no matter what their media, have always asked the viewers and readers to think hard and well, but this film, perhaps because of a lack of deductive reasoning on Holmes’ part, asks for a suspension of disbelief from its viewers from the opening sequence to the end credits. In the novel A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes said: “Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts.” This is the chief mistake of this otherwise delightfully diverting film. Instead of allowing Holmes to remain the cerebral, cold, and distant detective he has always been, Ritchie forces our hero into a tight spot. At its heart, Sherlock Holmes is not really about Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is remote and hard-to-reach; this character is painfully close to humanity in his awkwardness and inelegance. Because of this fatal flaw, he cannot be admired as the pinnacle of intellectual accomplishment he has always been. Ultimately, Sherlock Holmes falls short of Sherlock Holmes; while amusing and perhaps entertaining, this film makes elementary mistakes, wasting its potential.

that she would enjoy starring as the only actress since a “one-person show can be tedious.” The performance ran for two hours, with a 15-minute intermission. Both Marsh and Pritchard praised the SHS students for their excellent audience behavior. In The Belle of Amherst, Pritchard took on the role of American poet Emily Dickinson. She took the viewers through Dickinson’s life as if they were a stranger she had just met. Along the way, Pritchard conveyed anecdotes from Dickinson’s life and engaged in one-sided conversations with the audience and other

Dickinson from page 7characters from Dickinson’s life. Part of the challenge Pritchard faces while performing The Belle of Amherst involves engaging with characters that are not present. In a question and answer session after the performance she admitted the performance takes a lot out of her emotionally. To maintain her intensity, she re-reads the script daily. She has been performing the play since October. On performance day, Pritchard and Marsh are accompanied by a stage manager and a prop manager, who finds antique pieces that are authentic to the time of Emily Dickinson.

SHS English teacher and drama club direc-tor Rebecca Skrypeck was instrumental in bringing the performance to SHS. “I didn’t choose it [The Belle of Amherst], it chose me,” she said. “The flyer was in my mailbox.” Intrigued by the idea, Skrypeck contacted the group and found the funds to allow the show to come to SHS. “I thought it was fantastic,” she said of the show. “I gained a lot of perspective about her [Dickin-son] as a person and her poetry. More than I would have doing research.”

He next talked about how to fell a tree us-ing Soren Eriksson’s techniques. The group then went off-site so each student could cut down a tree. All the students were then given a score, deducting points for things like safety violations, such as not wrapping their thumb around the handle on the saw, and how off from their target the tree landed. At the end of the day, the student with the highest score was given a Northeast Woodland Train-ing t-shirt. This friendly competition made it fun for the students as well as pushed them to do better, hence learning the techniques quicker. Level II, which occurred in February at RVTC, covers maintenance of the chainsaw, sharpening of the chain, limbing and bucking trees and dealing with spring-poles. Spring-poles are trees or branches that are under tension. These can be caused when one tree falls on top of another tree pinning it down, or when a branch of a tree gets pinned when the tree falls. Spring-poles can be more dangerous than cutting down the tree. Because there is tension built up, if

Logging from page 9 the tree is cut in the wrong place the tree can spring back and severely injure or kill someone. The Horticulture students learned how to safely release the tension from spring-poles by shaving the under side of the tree with the chainsaw at a specific point on the tree. Level III, which occurred on March 10th , involved felling trees that have major side lean and back lean. This basically means that the tree is not standing straight up, but leans one way or another. Three Level II & III Horticulture students are also taking the Game of Logging training for a second time. Senior Russell Schleimer thought the training was “fun the first time” so he decided to retake the course. Schleimer really likes how the training is a competi-tion. Horticulture teacher John Harmer likes the training because it complements his ideas of teaching chainsaw operation. “I like this training because it puts accuracy, thinking and precision into tree work and logging that can be very hectic and fast-paced,” said Harmer. “It teaches people to be precise with a chain-saw” and when one is more precise and plan things ahead of time, accidents can be prevented.

Sandra Bullock. She deserves it. End of story. Did you see the movie? Because if you did, you should have been stunned by how different her character was yet how perfectly she played the part. This movie was out of her comfort zone, but she took the risk and it paid off. Therefore, we’re supporting her role in this movie a hundred percent. The nominations for Animated Feature Film consist of Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, The Secret of Kells, and Up. We’re pretty torn when it come to the animated films. Again, we think that a lot of good movies have been grouped into one category. It’s a toss-up because there isn’t one that stands above the rest. Once again, Avatar is up for nine nomina-tions, as is The Hurt Locker. Inglorious Basterds trails a bit behind with eight nominations. Both Precious and Up in the Air are nominated for six, while Up is nominated for only five. Although these are our predictions for the Oscars, it could go any way and we’re excited to see what happens.

Bubble from page 24

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Visit past editions of The Green Horn online at shs.ssdvt.org

field. “In the past, veteran teachers have welcomed the opportunity. The intent is not to push anyone.” Garfield also realizes there are young teachers ready to be hired, making it an ideal time to hire new people. Murray shares this idea. “Everyone’s got to start sometime,” she said about potential staff. Perotti feels that the pending incentive could be regarded as a reward for the teachers’ many years of service. “It’s a win-win situation,” said Perotti. “We can save money without layoffs.” Hier does recognize the risk of losing experi-enced staff, however. “We will wind up with experienced teachers retiring,” he said. “There is a sense of loss. " However, Hier does not feel the pending incentive is for everyone. School Board member Sam Coleman is less of an advocate for the pending incentive. “It’s a gamble of whether or not we’ll save money,” he said. Coleman does not recall financial benefits following the last retire-ment incentive. He also feels that because there is such a high number of staff who qualify for the package, the change in staff could be overwhelming. However, not all teachers will be interested in the offer. “I’m not interested,” said Murray. “I don’t teach for money. I teach because of my passion.”

Retirement from page 7

“They’re friends again?!” “He’s in a relationship with her?” “Did she really just comment on my status?” This is Facebook drama. And it’s bigger than real life drama. You know why? People can hide behind their computers. And this is normal to us. Is it easier to break up with someone face to face, or simply change your relationship status to single? Let’s admit it, Facebook has become our reality. The pros and cons of Facebook are endless. The possibilities are nonstop. It’s constantly changing, adapting to the world we live in, moving forward. People are constantly checking their Facebook, regardless of if they’re at work or at school. It seems as if teenagers will stop at nothing to check their notifications. When will the day come when we never log off? Can you imagine if Facebook crashed? Maybe people would stop procrastinating and get

Facebook from page 10

participated in this event. “I sculpted a tree out of wire in advanced art,” junior Amanda Farnsworth said. “I drew a bunch of roots, and I also took photographs of trees, branches, and roots. The rest of the class sculpted other roots and tree type exhibits out of modeling clay and wire, as well as people with roots coming out of their head.” The music classes were also involved in this display of art at SHS, which was open to the community, as they performed numerous acts. The Madrigals picked national anthems from their homeland, using their roots and ancestry, and made a medley out of these songs. The Wind Ensemble also picked many songs from a jazz exercise book and performed those songs together. “The band aspect of the show was very good and very successful,” junior Nicolas Chlebak said. “The individual groups that performed also did very well, along with the jazz songs that were played afterward.” The chorus classes also participated in this exhibit by singing “Colors of the Wind” from the Disney movie Pocahontas. “All of the art exhibits were really cool to look at,” senior Paulina Mei said. “Everyone was able to translate the roots theme into something other than just a tree root.”

a more personal level and provide a better learning environment for students. “The smaller the better as far as I’m concerned,” Wentzel said. Lack of motivation appears to be another reason why some teens haven’t gotten their licenses yet. “I just have no intent to drive anywhere,” sophomore Morgan Johnson said. “I have other people drive me places.” “Laziness and money are huge factors,” sophomore Sarah Trombly added. However, some teens are excited to have the freedom that comes along with a driver's license. “I want my license so I can drive and be free on my own,” sophomore Holly Hooke said. Sophomore Samantha Macie agrees with Hooke that getting a license will open up new opportu-nities. “Freedom is what it’s all about,” Macie said. For some teens, the idea of freedom that comes along with receiving a license is an intimidating

License from page 7

Roots from page 4

team work as hard as we do in practice,” said senior Erin Graham. “They should try doing a hand toe into a split," she said, "and then tell us Dance Company isn’t a sport.” Beardsley attends many professional dance workshops throughout the year. Recently she traveled to Chicago and attended a four-day workshop with Hip Hop and Contemporary greats like Mia Michaels, Dave Scott, Laurieann Gibson, and Wade Robson. By attend-ing these workshops, Kyla brings back the most current dance moves and incorporates what she has learned into her own choreography. This keeps the dance company up to date and challenges the team. As with any other sport or team Stardancer Company plans to use hard work, dedication, and lots of determination to learn routines to bring home a competition award or two this season. “I love our team this year,” said SHS sopho-more Lauren Sanderson. “I know our hard work will pay off with a win.”

Dance from page 19

studies teacher Dave Slivka agrees. “Anytime we have the opportunity to recognize students, it’s a good thing,” he said. Student of the Month may change in the future, but it will continue to highlight student achieve-ment. “This is a lodge program that we are proud to bring to Springfield High School," Tennis concluded. "We feel that it is good for the Elks, good for the community, and good for the students,” said Tennis.

Month from page 3

honked horns, and encouraging comments by the side of the road. Last year, the budget passed the second time it was voted on, which was the first time I’d demonstrated at a vote. This year, it passed on the first time it was voted on, when I picketed. This seems like evidence that our involvement is effective.

Manifesto from page 14

responsibility. “I’m nervous to have the freedom to drive because it’s a lot of responsibility and I don’t think I’m ready for that yet,” McCarty said. “I think they [teenagers] see it [a license] as a source of empowerment,” Hensel-Hunter said. “But few see it as a responsibility and hassle.” No matter what the reasons, getting a license doesn’t appear to be as appealing to teenagers as it used to be. Wentzel says that Drivers’ Education class sizes at SHS have decreased since eleven years ago. Back then, Wentzel’s Drivers’ Education classes had, on average, 20 to 30 students in them. “[Back then] I had more students than I could possibly take care of,” Wentzel said. Wentzel’s average class size now for Drivers’ Education is about 15 students. “I don’t think it [getting a license] is a big deal like it used to be,” he concluded.

something productive done. Is this how we want to be remembered? As Facebook users? Links: What is tagging? Tagging was ini-tially used when posting photos on Facebook. Tagging is labeling users in photos, so they are recognized by viewers. If a friend tags you in a photo, Facebook notifies you and sends you a link to view the photo. It sounds complicated, but it’s very convenient and is useful for identifying people you don’t know. You can also tag people in notes, videos and statuses to get their atten-tion. What happens to the information you put on Facebook? With any social network you have to be cautious of what you share on the internet. What a lot of people don’t realize about social networks such as Facebook is that once you post a picture, send an IM, send a message, post a status, these are now property of Facebook. Even if you delete it moments after you post it, Facebook still owns it. Forever.

averages. If she does well enough at that tournament, she will again qualify for the national tournament in Indianapolis. “I’m hoping I can go to nationals again and do better than I did last year,” concluded Farnsworth. “If I bowl like I did in my singles competition I should do pretty well. But if I bowl like I did with my partner, I might as well not go to nationals.”

Farnsworth from page 18

quality of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, others are glad they’re up and running again after their renovation. “I didn’t really see the purpose of shutting down Dunkin’ Donuts to renovate the building, but it looks nice, and I‘m glad it‘s open again,” Maxfield said. “I think that Beam is right, Dunkin’ Donuts deserves a B+,” sophomore Megan McCarthy said. “It’s amazing food, but it could always be a little better.” Even with all of the bagels, croissants, espresso drinks, coffees, and coolattas, Dunkin’ Donuts could still be improved, according to the majority of SHS and the country. But, with all of these new choices, with even more on the way, Dunkin’ Donuts is setting itself up for glory. Make the coffee more consistent, and keep the donut’s coming, and Dunkin’ Donuts will continue it’s popularity in years to come.

Donuts from page 11

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concern for other countries, obey the law, pay attention to the media, and vote. Vermont Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, in an April 2009 report entitled The Impact of Civics Education on the Attitudes, Behaviors and Disposition of Youth, said: “Our schools can play a critical role in motivating young people to become involved in the political process by teaching the value and mechanics of voting and by providing opportunities for students to develop and practice the skills necessary to be engaged citizens.” In this report, Markowitz examines the effect of mock election activities on 2007 high school seniors’ attitude toward civic involvement. In a survey conducted by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, seniors believed that their civics education had included the following: Forty-four percent strongly agreed or agreed with the statement: “I learned about individuals’ respon-sibility to community.” Thirty-five percent strongly agreed or agreed with the statement: “I learned ways of addressing com-munity problems.” Thirty-nine percent strongly agreed or agreed with the statement: “I learned how to examine social problems.”

Thirty-four percent strongly agreed or agreed with the statement: “I learned how political action groups can solve problems.” In respect to the specific effects of mock elections, students who participated in one or more mock elections were 68% more likely than students who did not to agree with the statement “When political issues are discussed, I have something to say,” and were 62% more likely to agree with the statement “My education has helped me to understand the political issues facing the country.” “Education definitely affects you,” said Maxfield. “Without classes like Contemporary Issues or Civics, a lot of students don’t really watch the news, so they can’t really know what’s going on or why it affects them. “I’ll probably watch the news more [now that I’ve taken Contemporary Issues] because I’m more interested in what’s going on,” she added. “I think classes like that really help, espe-cially when they’re really hands-on and show a lot of what’s going on in politics,” said senior Contemporary Issues student Zack Carpenter. Senior Lindsay Harrington agrees. “I know that I didn’t really care before I took Contemporary Is-sues," she said, "and the class caused me to learn a lot more about politics.”

Engagement from page 10

Springfield voter Fred Willis took advantage of the meetings broadcast by SAPA. He voted in favor of the budget. As a retired teacher after 41 years in the classroom, Willis understood the importance of passing the budget. “I’m all for it,” he said after exiting the Riv-erside Middle School Gym where the voting was held. “I think the class sizes in the elementary schools are getting out of hand.” He noted that further cuts would be detrimental, especially in the high school, which serves as the springboard to college. He believes that cuts tear down programs that others work hard to build, such as programs that students need to get into college. While the decisions were left to the adults of the town, a few SHS students stood at the entrance to the Riverside parking lot holding signs to encourage voters to approve the budget. While the day was still young, School Board Representative Kelsey Christensen predicted the budget would pass based on the honks she and her civic-minded classmates received. “If I had to determine whether or not the budget passed based on the honks, I would definitely

say it passed,” she said before the final tally. The students picketing were evidence of a spirited strategy to promote the budget. “The campaign to pass this budget was also full bore right from the beginning with parents, students, PTAs, and staff mak-ing phone calls, registering folks to vote and answering questions,” said Perotti. School board member Jeanice Garfield achieved a victory on two fronts: the budget, which she strongly advocated for, passed, and she was re-elected to the school board. Garfield wanted the budget to pass “to send a message of success. To send a message of can do. To send a message that it’s positive. To send a message of change. And to support our youngsters.” The budget for the 2010-2011 school year was “level funded” with increases coming from the principle payment on the school reconstruction bond and from honoring increases in contracts. In order to keep the budget at a reasonable level, cuts were made including teachers, support staff, and supplies. “They [Springfield voters] know we have

cut 31 positions in the last two years from custodial staff to the Central Office,” Perotti said. “They know the only reason for the increases [in budget] is the bond payment and I think we have done all that we can from the operations side to cover that cost.” “I think they [Springfield voters] took responsibility for the decision to reconstruct the el-ementary schools and not take it out on the educational system,” added Perotti. “The budget was transparent and clear. People are becoming more trusting that we are telling them the truth about our costs and we are being good managers of their tax money. The fact that they supported selling all of the old schools, a huge saving for us, is also evidence that they believe we are improving education quality as well as being very good fiscal managers.” “Springfield has got to start changing,” said Garfield. “We’ve been grouchy for too long.” “I am just happy that it is a win for the children in Springfield,” concluded Perotti.

Budget from page 1

Minootes’ bridge design was supposed to be an arch bridge, but due to lack of time the bridge turned out to be a simple flat-with-supports design. The bridges were judged on three factors: the bridge’s workmanship, originality, and resistance factor, which is how much weight a bridge holds compared to the weight of the bridge itself. The students spent about two weeks assembling their bridges. Physics teacher Courtney Brooks brought eight teams of seniors to the competition while Engineering and Manufacturing teacher Chris Gray brought five teams. Students and teachers agree that this comple-tion was a fun and interactive way to incorporate physics

Bridges from page 5 and engineering into real-life experiences. “I think they [the students] have a great time showing their creativity and applying physics principles, Brooks said. “It also helps confirm future fields [of study] and careers and spark students’ interests.” “I don’t normally incorporate civil engineer-ing [the design and construction of public works such as bridges and dams] into my Introduction to Engineering class and this year I included it so this was a good way to include civil engineering with sort of a fun activity,” Gray said. “It also teaches kids patience for waiting for things like the glue to dry.” This project also taught students how to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to things that relate in real life. “It was supposed to teach us how

to take something that doesn’t hold a lot of weight and create something that can use vectors to support a lot of weight,” senior and physics student Angelo Jardina said, speaking of how physics principles can apply to engineering. “It taught me that you should plan and know your obstacles,” Gammon said. Both Brooks and Gray are hoping to continue to have their students participate in the competition at Norwich for years to come. “I think it [the competition] is something I have to continue to do. The students re-ally look forward to it and do most of it on their own,” Brooks concluded. “I can’t imagine not doing it. It’s so much fun.”

each dungeon would have a unique theme, but in Spirit Tracks, the same, repetitive, eerie music plays in every dungeon. However, the other game music is very impressive. During the otherwise boring rail voyages, a very melodic background composition plays. The music seems to have a wooden flute basis, reminding us exactly of train whistles. Another facet of strength in the game is the visuals. Though handheld consoles like the DS typically afford limited dimensionality, Spirit Tracks rises above this limitation with seemingly 3D animation, and makes use of the picture-to-picture screens of the DS, putting a map on the top screen and the third person perspective on the touch screen below it. Or, during boss battles, both screens are employed. This is not enough to save the game, unfortu-nately. Beating levels is extremely easy. It’s too possible to imagine beating the game without dying and facing the “Game Over” screen once. This is partially because of the use of the stylus on the DS touch screen. Rather than using the classic up, down, left, right, A, and B controls, to move Link, you create a path with the stylus, and attacking an enemy is as simple as tapping it with the stylus. If one is looking for challenge and nostalgia in Spirit Tracks, they’ll be severely disappointed.

Zelda from page 14

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SHS Speaks Out

Bursting the Bubble

By Jenny Bradley and Olivia Johnson

Oscars

Every year the Academy Awards aka the Oscars are awarded to the best movies, directors, actors, and writers. In the past, some of the best pictures of

the year have been Titanic, American Beauty, Chicago, Forrest Gump, Gladiator, The Departed and Slumdog Millionaire. We love these movies, so we were really happy with these wins in previous years. However, the ten films nominated for best picture this year are up in the air for us. Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Educa-tion, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, Up, A Serious Man, and Up in the Air have all been nominated for the 2010 Best Film Award. Between the two of us, we have watched four of these movies. But

we have read reviews, watched trailers, and heard lots of buzz about them all. Last year Slumdog Millionaire swept the Oscars winning a grand total of 8 awards. We wouldn’t be surprised if Avatar, which is nominated for nine awards, followed in the footsteps of Slumdog and took them all. Although Avatar deserves awards, we’re still rooting for multiple movies to be recognized. We feel that most of these movies are on the same boat, and one doesn’t deserve all the glory. Some of the other films that we think should be acknowledged are The Blind Side, Inglourious Bastards, and Precious. Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), George Clooney (Up in the Air), Colin Firth (A Single Man), Morgan

Freeman (Invictus), and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) were nominated for Leading Male Actor honors. Although we haven’t seen all of these movies, we predict that it will be between Morgan Freeman and George Clooney. Both of them are dependable actors. When you see that they are in a movie, you think, “That’s going to be a good movie.” We’ll be cheering them on like fans at the Superbowl. Actresses in a leading role include Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Helen Mirren (The Last Sta-tion) Carey Mulligan (An Education) Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia). We want

See Bubble page 21

On March 2nd, the Springfield High School Budget passed. With 1107 yeas to 925 nays, this marked the first time that the budget passed on the first vote in six years. With these results in mind, the Green Horn asked students and staff: How do you feel about the budget passing?

Sophomore Julie Hannan“I think that it’s a good thing because it will be the

first time in many years that the budget has passed on the first vote.”

Jerry Gomez & Junior Joe AnkudaJG: “I’m ecstatic that the budget passed on the first try. I was actually shocked. We don’t have a very good record

in that respect, but I’m very happy.”JA: “Ditto.”

Junior Ryan Gottschalk“I love that the school budget was passed. I’m glad that people saw when we picketed what kids were willing to do to pass the budget. It was good to have support for the budget from kids rather than just let it go on its own.”

Senior Jon Esden“Frankly, I’m thrilled. This will allow programs to be continually offered to students. I’m sure students will excel, and this will build a more educated population

within Springfield.”

Senior Alexis Olmstead“I’m glad that the budget passed. We’ve had a lot of problems in the past when the budget didn’t pass; we

didn’t have any money for field trips.”

Senior Brittany Andrews“I think it’s fantastic. The student body should really appreciate it, and I’m really proud of our town and community coming together and passing something

that our school actually needed.”