Volume 4, Issue 1 Page 1 The Foran Exchange...Ugly Sweater Friday Crystal Colon rd,On Friday, December 23 many students and teachers were dressed in their ugliest Christmas sweaters

Page 1 Volume 4, Issue 1

Continued on next page

Aftermath of Tragedy

Mid– January 2013 Volume 4, Issue 4

The Foran Exchange

Inside this issue:

Ugly Sweater Friday

Foran Ski Club

Wanda's Sugar Shack

New Year’s Eve

BCS Championship

The hobbit Review

Winter driving safety

SAT Dates and prep

And more...

On Decem- ber 14th, 2012 tragedy was wide-

spread through Con- necticut, as well as the United States,

China (who experienced their own tragedy) and the

whole world. Two people ruined the lives of 43 children,

7 adults, and their sur- rounding friends and families in 2

different incidents on the same day. In Newtown, as we are

all aware of and mourning, the second largest school

shooting in U.S. history took place.20 Innocent children

along with 6 brave teachers were all gunned down in

classrooms within 10 minutes. What people may not know however is that on the same day, in China‘s

Henan province, Min Yongjun entered a school and stabbed 23 children on the same day, injuring body

parts including fingers and ears, but killing no one. Both tragedies touched the hearts of the world and

sparked the discussion over America‘s obsession with guns. It has been proven that America‘s murder rate

is four times higher than Britain‘s and six times higher than Germany‘s. It seems those numbers weren‘t

alarming enough to be taken into consideration by the government until our country had to face something

so awful as watching 20 families bury their small children just weeks before Christmas.

The scene in Newtown on December 15th, 2012 was set by silent cries and residents taking down

their Christmas decorations. Homemade paper snowflakes with prayers for the town and families and teddy

bears (2600 donated from Rhode Island alone) flooded into the town to ease the Christmas season for those

affected. Towns all over the state, Milford included, as well as places all over the world, hosted beautiful

candle vigils out of respect and remembrance for the children and teachers lost. In fact, a new school in the

works may be named in honor of a very brave Newtown teacher Victoria Soto, who died protecting her

students from the gunman. This past Monday, the Stratford mayor spoke of the hometown hero and vowed

that she would be remembered. On Christmas day officers from residing towns took up extra shifts sur-

rounding the Newtown crime scene in order to give local police a day of rest and relaxation and time to

spend with their families. The community feeling for the holidays was tight knit and comforting in the

small Connecticut town after all the chaos they had just been hit with in hopes for a peaceful recovery to

the area.

Staff and students of Foran are still torn over the tragedy; for some it hits closer to home than for

others. Assistant Principal, Dr. Golesky, refers to Newtown as home; ―That day was especially hard for me

because I live in Newtown. I reacted first as a parent because I have a 2 year old who will attend another

Newtown elementary school very soon. Every time I drive home and see all the signs it‘s so hard to process

and even begin to recover. As an educator, once you get past the emotional response, it is important that we

think about improving security, even around here.‖

New information released states that perpetrator Adam Lanza was wearing ear plugs during the

massacre. You can‘t help but wonder whether it was to block the screams of his young victims or to protect

his own ears, which would not make sense considering he had to have known he wouldn‘t walk out alive.

Police have yet to offer a theory about why the shooting took place. Some came up with theories of their

own; for example, a professor at Florida Atlantic University blogged ―The Sandy Hook massacre may have

been staged – or didn‘t happen at all.‖ This statement alone outraged and offended many. Responders say

he is an ―Embarrassment to FAU (Florida Atlantic University) and they should be ashamed to have some-

one of that nature on the payroll.‖ Students and the professor‘s colleagues responded saying that his views

do not reflect the views of the university. When asked, senior, Sam Geier, said ―He [Lanza] got off too easy

by taking his own life and shooting himself, he deserved to be punished for all the pain he is causing.‖

The massacre is still under investigation as the world waits for updates on the shooting and con-

tinues to ask the common question ―Why?‖ Gun control is the still the topic of every news station in the

U.S. but what these families and community as a whole really needs is some peace and time to recuperate.

Cheyanne Chaisson

We remember the victims

of Newtown in this issue:

Charlotte Bacon

Daniel Barden

Olivia Engel

Josephine Gay

Ana M. Marquez-Greene

Dylan Hockley

Madeleine F. Hsu

Catherine V. Hubbard

Chase Kowalski

Jesse Lewis

James Mattioli

Grace McDonnell

Emilie Parker

Jack Pinto

Noah Pozner

Caroline Previdi

Jessica Rekos

Aveille Richman

Benjamin Wheeler

Allison N. Wyatt

Dawn Hochsprung

Rachel Davino

Anne Marie Murphy

Lauren Rousseau

Mary Sherlach

Victoria Soto




Foran

Ugly Sweater Friday Crystal Colon

On Friday, December 23rd, many students and teachers were dressed in their ugliest Christmas sweaters to support neona-

tal tetanus for infants. A dollar was given from every student and teacher who participated by wearing their ugliest holiday sweat-

er. Spanish teacher Mr. Troy said, ―Approximately $70 was raised‖. Not only was this a fundraiser, but it was a contest as well.

Junior Jessica Black took first place in the contest. Science teacher Mr. Lawrence took second place. Finally, Kelli Zahariades,

also a junior, made third place. Zahariades stated, ―I was already prepared for the ugly sweater and borrowed my mom‘s that she

wore in the 80‘s‖ First place winner Jessica Black stated ―I was really happy I won because it paid for my Dunkin Donuts trips. I

thought this was a really fun fundraiser, because we got to have fun by wearing an ugly sweater while supporting a good cause as

well.‖ Senior Rebekah Derosa stated ―It was great to see everyone in their ugly sweaters supporting neonatal tetanus, and I will

definitely participate in the next fundraiser.‖ This is not the only fundraiser that is going to be held to help neonatal tetanus. There

are going to be other fundraisers held throughout the year. Senior Becca Tutino, says, ―Key Club is also going to sell bracelets to

raise money to go towards neonatal tetanus.‖ For the people who did not get the chance to wear their ugly Christmas sweater and

support neonatal tetanus, it is not too late! There is a chance to contribute by buying a bracelet for the next fundraiser or participat-

ing in many of the next fundraisers to come!

Ski Club at Foran High School has been very popular throughout the years at Foran High School; this year is no different.

It is run by history teacher, Mr. Williams. With about 80 students signed up, the ski trips are going to be great. The trips that are

planned for the year are Mount Snow, Okemo, and Bolton Valley. In the past, Mr. Williams has always booked an overnight trip,

but because of events that have occurred in the past, the school is are no longer allowed to have them. After what happened last

year, many people were nervous that there would no longer be a Ski Club. Mr. Williams on the other hand knew there would still

be a Ski Club, just without an overnight trip. ―I would love to take the kids to White Face [mountain] in New York where the 1980

Olympics were held,‖ said Williams.

Most of the kids who go on these trips have been skiing for their whole life. Junior Andrew Nolan has been skiing since

he was two. ―My favorite mountain to go to is Sun Valley,‖ stated Nolan. Some of the mountains that the Ski Club has been to in

the past are Sunday River in Maine, Wildcat in New Hampshire, and Pico in Vermont. On every ski trip Mr. Williams has every-

one pay $1 to play bus bingo where you can win ski club apparel. Bus bingo is just regular bingo, but it is played on the bus ride

home.

Hopefully in future years, the administration will allow the Ski Club to start doing an overnight trip again so that Mr. Wil-

liams can take them on farther and bigger trips.

Ski Trip Dates: Feb. 16 at Okemo, March 2 at Bolton Valley

The Notorious Ski Club Karle Winters



News

Page 3 The Foran Exchange

Sandy Hook Scholarship Emily Lucca

In response to the horrible tragedy of the shooting at the Sandy Hook elementary school in

Newtown, The University of Connecticut has started a Sandy Hook Memorial Scholarship fund. This

scholarship fund is in honor of those who were taken away in this horrible massacre. The fund sup-

ports college costs for siblings of the victims killed in the tragedy, students who are registered at the

elementary school and are later accepted to go to UConn, and the relatives of the adults who were

killed. If there are any funds remaining after first given to the directly affected future students, then

they will be given to any future students of UConn from Newtown.

This fund was originated on December 17th and so far, UConn itself has raised almost $700,000 for over 4,000 people.

This scholarship was created in hopes of supporting the dependents and siblings of those who died, the students in grades K-4 who

will be attending UConn in the future years starting in around 2021. Spanish teacher, Ms. Collins says, ―I think that‘s a really great

opportunity. It helps out the families that are suffering from the tragedy.‖

Any leftover money from this fund will go to any prospective University of Connecticut students from Newtown. Senior

Sneha Thomas, says, ―Well, truthfully I understand the fact that people want to help the citizens in Newtown with their sadness,

but when looks at the situation, it seems as though UConn is paying to make these children happier.‖

This scholarship fund is a great way to give these kids hope for the future and will definitely be one less burden these af-

fected families have to face. Senior Brianna Clinton shares, ―I think it‘s a good idea since these children are so young and have

been traumatized by the incident at their school. Some may have a tough time dealing and coping with it. These scholarships are

one way to help the children succeed in school, despite the ordeal they have been through.‖

To make this movement have even more of an impact, the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) has decided to part-

ner with UConn. The CEA has stated that they are planning on raising $1 million for the Sandy Hook Memorial Scholarship fund

and constructing a permanent monument for victims in the Newtown shooting. In addition, the CEA is also planning on creating a

bronze sculpture to represent the heroism and courageousness that occurred at Sandy Hook elementary school that day. The sculp-

ture will be revealed to the public at the first anniversary of the shooting.

Wanda‘s Sugar Shack, located in Downtown Milford, recently announced the sad news of its closing. The storefront has

been a popular icon in Milford. The store has been open for 40 years. During these years the storefront was at several different

locations. Two major fires forced Wanda to relocate around the town of Milford, but she never gave up. Owner, Wanda Hornack,

is now 91 and severely ill. Her family unfortunately had to make the hard decision to close the shop. This news has been hard to

hear for many including paraprofessional Mrs. Doheny, who said, ―The store made me feel like a little kid each time I walked thru

the door.‖

Wanda‘s is known to both adults and kids. Parents would bring their kids just as they had gone when they were younger.

The candy was always cheap enough for kids to get a large amount. Wanda also had a stand of baskets she collected; these baskets

could be used to gather your stash of candy as you wandered around the store. ―The store holds sentimental values for sure‖, says

senior Kelly Quinn. Senior Amanda Westphal, says, ―When I was younger I would always save spare change to spend at

Wanda‘s.‖ Wanda also added her own touch to the store. Besides the penny candy ordered from distributors, she made her own

chocolate treats. Senior Makalya Cavander says, ―My favorite candy was Wanda‘s homemade chocolate coconut crunch.‖

After many years of good memories and delicious candy, all of Wanda‘s many dedicated customers are all saddened by

this event and wish Wanda the best. Comments can be made on Wanda‘s Sugar Shack Facebook page, and the family has said that

all of the comments will be sure to make it to Wanda. The family adds, ―The outpouring of love and admiration we have received

from you over the last few days of this page‘s creation is nothing short of astonishing. We‘ve literally received well wishes from

19 different countries as well as all over America.‖ Lines formed outside the door during the last few weeks of the store‘s busi-

ness. Wanda‘s Sugar Shack closed for good on Saturday, December 29th, but lives on in the hearts of the stores loyal customers.

Wanda’s Sugar Shack Closing Emiley Stiffler




News

Kate Middleton Hospital Scare Claire Torento

Bringing in the New Year a Different Way Michaela Garland

Britain‘s Prince William and wife Catherine are expecting their first child, but because of extreme morning sickness, the

duchess was hospitalized. This also caused the surprise of the pregnancy to be announced much sooner than wanted. Senior Aman-

da Westphal said, ―I was very surprised when I heard the news that Kate was pregnant. I thought they were having problems get-

ting pregnant, so this was very exciting.‖

Kate suffers from a disease called Hyperemesis gravidarum. Many people don‘t know about this disease or know anyone

who has suffered from it. Elective teacher, Mrs. Tummins said, ―I don‘t know anyone who has suffered from this extreme morning

sickness and can‘t imagine what she is going through.‖ Hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition characterized by severe nausea,

vomiting, weight loss, and electrolyte disturbance. Mild cases are treated with dietary changes, rest and antacids. More severe cases

often require a stay in the hospital so that the mother can receive fluids and nutrition through an IV, like Kate. Hyperemesis gravi-

darum is quite rare; only two percent of all pregnant women experience symptoms this severe, according to the Honor Society of

Nursing. Kate Middleton is 30, like her husband, which, while in the middle range for pregnancy age, makes morning sickness

more likely. Studies show that older moms typically have increased problems with morning sickness and other pregnancy-related

health issues than younger women. It is also to be said that Hyperemesis gravidarum is more common in women who are expecting

twins. Senior Tyler Poznick said, ―If this disease is more often seen in women who are carrying twins, it is definitely a possibility

that Kate is pregnant with twins. If she was to have twins I think everybody would be shocked.‖

Kate Middleton is continuing to ―feel better‖ as she returns home from King Edward VII Hospital in London, according

to St. James Palace. She may have to stay several more days to recover from severe nausea related to her pregnancy. There is no

guarantee that her morning sickness won‘t get this bad again. Kate has to be very careful when it comes to choosing what foods to

eat and needs to continue to drink a lot of fluids to keep her hydrated and healthy. As Kate rests and recovers she hopes for an ordi-

nary and open pregnancy. She and the duke are immensely grateful for the good wishes they have received and are very thankful

for all of the support.

Bringing in 2013 was a little different than it has been for the past 40 years. With Dick Clark passing away in April of 2012

he was no longer there hosting or co-hosting ―Dick Clark‘s Rockin New Year‘s Eve.‖ Ryan Seacrest hosted the party thrown in

Manhattan, and honored Dick Clark during the last hours of 2012. Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy started the party with a tribute to

Dick Clark called ―New Year‘s Rockin Eve Celebrates Dick Clark‖, in which Dick Clark, the man who created it all, was celebrated

and all that was done in his 40 years of celebrating with America. Many celebrities performed, some of them including Neon Trees,

Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen, Elle Goulding, and Karmin. Some celebrity appearances were Snooki, Jwoww and MC Hammer,

along with others. Ryan Seacrest hosted one of the biggest viewing ―Dick Clark Rockin New Year‘s Eve‖ since 2000. It had 13.3

million viewers and thousands of viewers waiting for the ball to drop from Time Square. ABC took home the win and beat all the

others (CBS, NBC and Fox) with ratings by having the most viewers. Many staff and students were some of the 13.3 million view-

ers of the show. Sophomore Jack Garland, said ―Dick Clark‘s Rockin New Year‘s Eve‘ is always fun to watch and see if the ABC

special out did itself better than they did when they brought in the last New Year. It‘s always a good time to celebrate with friends

and watch the New Year come closer and closer.‖

While watching it, some missed Dick Clark bringing in the New Year and thought it was different than it has been in a

long time. Spanish Teacher Mr. Troy said, ―It wasn‘t the same without Dick Clark celebrating with America, but it was still a good

show. Ryan Seacrest honored Mr. Clark and entertained America like Dick Clark would if he was still doing the show.‖

Many people however did the same old things even if it was a little different without Dick Clark welcoming the New Year.

They made their resolutions and hoped 2013 would be a good year, had one last good time with friends in the year 2012, and

watched the ball drop from Time Square.



Sports


Wild-Card Weekend Brendan Hallett

Alabama wins 3rd BCS Championship Title

Claire Marler

Last weekend marked the start of the NFL playoffs with its annual Wild-Card Weekend. This is where the bottom four qual-

ifying playoff teams in each conference battled it out to try and progress further into the playoff brackets. The weekend started off

with the Cincinnati Bengals against the Huston Texans. It was no surprise when the Huston Texans, who previously held the number

1 seed, defeated the Bangles 19-13. In the game, Matt Schaub (quarterback for the Texans) threw 29 completions in 38 attempts,

gaining a total of 262 yards. The Texans running back, Arian Foster, rushed for 140 yards and averaged 4.4 yards per carry. The se-

cond Saturday game took place in Lambeau Field as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers took on Adrian Peterson and the

Minnesota Vikings. The game ended with the Vikings easily defeated by the Packers, only putting up 10 points to the Packer‘s 24.

The Packer‘s defense shut down Adrian Peterson, who only managed to rush for 99 yards in 22 carries. The backup quarterback, Joe

Webb (who subbed in for Christian Ponder while he is recovering from an elbow injury) managed to pass for 180 yards and run for

another 68. Sadly, the backup‘s stats weren‘t good enough when compared to those of Aaron Rodgers, who passed for 274 yards

with one touchdown and no interceptions.

Sunday‘s games began with Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts competing against Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ra-

vens. Flacco threw for 282 yards with 2 touch downs, completing 12 passes in 23 attempts. Andrew Luck threw 288 yards but had no

touchdowns, 1 interception, and only completed 28 out of 54 passes. The Colts‘ running back Vick Ballard rushed for only 91 yards

in 22 attempts, while Raven‘s running back Bernard Pierce ran for 145 yards, with 1 touchdown, and a longest run of 50 yards. With

stats like that it was no surprise that the Ravens swiftly defeated the Colts 24-9. The final game of Wild-Card weekend was between

the Washington Redskins against the Seattle Seahawks. During the game, redskins quarter back Robert Griffin III injured his knee

during one of the plays. Shockingly, the Redskin coaches decided to put RG3 back in during their next possession. Eventually, RG3

sustained another hit to the knee that would take him out of the game and allow backup quarterback Kirk Cousins to fill his position.

―My opinion is that he shouldn‘t have been put back in‖ stated paraprofessional Mrs. Doheny. That seems to be the general opinion

from those who watched the game, RG3 should not have returned to further injure his knee. ―It was a poor decision to allow him to

come back,‖ said senior Mirza Musovic. ―He could have jeopardized his career with a move like that.‖ In the end, the Seahawks de-

feated the redskins 24-14.

Recently, the Alabama Crimson Tide won their 3rd BCS title in the last four years at the 2013 BCS

Championship game. Alabama fans cheered in the stands as Michael Williams scored the first touchdown

within the first 3 minutes against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In addition to William‘s touchdown, Eddie

Lacy racked up 14 points against Notre Dame, putting his teammates in the lead. The second quarter opened

with another one of Alabama‘s running backs, T.J. Yeldon gaining the team yet another touchdown changing

the digits on the scoreboard to 28-0 with only 31 seconds leading into half time.

The fighting Irish refused to let the intimidation of their opponents, affect their game performance. However, it wasn‘t until

the first ten minutes of the third quarter that the Fighting Irish were up on the score board, making the score 35-7. With only 25

minutes left to go, there was no telling who was going to win the game. ―I knew after the first quarter of the game, chances were

looking good for Alabama,‖ stated Spanish teacher, Mr. Troy. Going into the start of the fourth quarter, wide receiver for Alabama

Amari Cooper, made another 86 yard touchdown which contributed to the score making it 42-7.Junior and Notre Dame Fan, Sam

Olsson expressed his intense hatred for Alabama and how,‖ Alabama didn‘t deserve to win.‖ Notre Dame Quarterback, Everett Gol-

son passed the ball to running back Theo Riddick to gain another touchdown for the Fighting Irish changing the score to 42-14. As

the clock ticked in the final minutes of the game, Alabama held a strong defense leading their team to victory and the 2013 BCS

Champions.




Sports

Racism in Soccer Nick LaPenna

Racism in soccer is a problem with the culture of the people who are involved in the game. Racism, which is prevalent in

the beautiful game, is a very controversial topic. In some countries racism is hardly a problem and a rare one at that, but in some of

the best leagues in the world some players continue to be victims of racism. For instance in the English Premier League on Octo-

ber 15, 201, Luis Suarez, a Liverpool striker, was accused of racially abusing Manchester United Defender Patrice Evra. In the

match between two rival clubs Suarez had called Evra, ―negrito‖ which in Spanish means ―little black man‖. Although this word is

not an insult in South America, it still doesn‘t allow Suarez, who is from Uruguay, to be able to get away without any punishment.

The English Football Association banned Suarez for 7 games and fined him £40,000. This is a problem in soccer that most likely

will continue especially with all the different cultures that come together with such a globally popular sport. Head Soccer Coach

Rick Distefano talked about how he thought FIFA was handling the situation, ―I think they have taken steps, but they could take it

further.‖ Coach Distefano also said, ―I believe there shouldn‘t be any of it in sports because our youth players look up to these pro-

fessionals and they should act like professionals.‖

Recently in Italy, A.C. Milan played a friendly against Pro Patria where there were displays of racist slogans to-

wards the Milan players. In an act of frustration from the monkey chanting Kevin Prince Boateng kicked the ball at the crowd and

then left the field with teammates Urby Emanuelson, Sulley Muntari and M‘Baye Niang, who were also harassed with chants.

Coach Distefano gave his thoughts on how players should handle themselves in this situation, ―The players should show a bit of

class and composure and let the process and the governing bodies in soccer take care of it.‖ The Ghanaian international says, ―Like

I have to be the one who walks off the field, when there are so many people like FIFA or whatever — they can do something

against it, so they should wake up and do it. They should not tolerate it. If there is a little thing of racism, they should be out; they

should be banned forever from the stadium.‖ This is a terrible sight for Soccer because there have been various racist problems all

over Europe. If this is to truly stop then FIFA shouldn‘t tolerate this behavior and give harsher punishments instead of insignificant

fines. In a U-21 international match between England and Serbia Danny Rose, representing England, was the victim of racism

throughout the match. ―When we went out for the warm-up behind the bench they started monkey chanting straight away,‖ Rose

explained. Foran student Jesus Ortiz would feel, ―incredibly offended‖, and suggests to, ―Just walk away‖ if he was facing any

form of racist chanting. The incident in Serbia ironically happened a week before FARE (Futbol Against Racism in Europe) was

set to take place. Thirty-four year old Reading striker Jason Roberts said, ―The official match report doesn‘t even mention what

has happened. I think that just shows they would like to sweep it under the carpet and make it out we don‘t have these problems in

football when we clearly do.‖ The coach of the u-21 team said, ―Apologize for what? It takes two to brawl. We will analyze to-

morrow what exactly happened, but let‘s talk about football now. It‘s not uncommon for fans to get out of hand like this. Mr.

Woodbridge says, ―There were always riots by fans at Futbol matches when I was there.‖ Mr. Woodbridge has been to England and

experienced the fans firsthand. Earlier this summer Italian striker Mario Balotelli had similar monkey chants directed toward him

in a group match by Spanish fans in the Euro 2012 Championships.

Even American players have first-hand experiences of racism in Europe. On February 10th, 2011 U.S. international De-

Marcus Beasley, playing for Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga tweeted about a recent incident at the Grocery store, ―I'm at

the grocery store. This mom is w/ her 2-3yr. The lil girl looks at me says (in German) ‗mom, look he is from Africa‘ mom

laughed.‖ Another American soccer player who is a victim to racial abuse is Oguchi Onweyu. Onweyu playing for Standard Liege

in Belgium faced racism in a championship 2-leg playoff against Anderlecht in the 2008-2009 season. In the first match Ander-

lecht defender Jelle Van Damme according to Onweyu repeatedly called him a ―dirty ape‖.

These scenes of Racism have been seen more and more, especially with all the coverage these high profile matches get.

On December 9thin the Manchester Derby there was an incident where the visiting team, Manchester United had celebrated the

winning goal and defender Rio Ferdinand was hit by a coin thrown at a fan. The coin left a cut right above his left eyebrow, and he

had to receive some medical attention before coming back onto the field (at the same time a fan jumped out of the stands and tried

to confront Ferdinand). If it were not for the Manchester City Goalkeeper Joe Hart, who stopped the fan from making a mistake he

would regret; these things take place pretty often in Futbol matches according to United veteran Ryan Giggs, who got hit after

Javier Hernandez scored for United at Chelsea earlier this season. Ferdinand‘s brother, Anton has also been a victim of abuse too;

Anton Ferdinand was racially abused by former England captain John Terry who was found guilty and served a 4- game suspen-

sion. John Terry has been in numerous scandals outside of soccer and he continues to be a part of many controversies. In 2010

Terry had a 4-month affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the former girlfriend of Wayne Bridge. This scandal caused the English Foot-

ball Association to strip Terry of his captaincy. The following year he was reinstated as the Captain of England. On November 2,

2011 Chelsea played a match against Queens Park Rangers. In the match Terry allegedly used highly inappropriate language to-

wards Anton Ferdinand. Once again the English F.A. decided to strip John Terry of the English Captaincy and shortly after the

hearing Terry chose to retire from international Futbol. Chelsea decided to only fine Terry for his actions and not strip him of his

captaincy, which brought up talk of hypocrisy by Chelsea because of their ―zero – tolerance‖ policy. One fan of the Premier

League in England, senior Rodrigo Sapriza says, ―I believe that these types of stories will continue if they aren‘t dealt with correct-

ly.‖ These events are a growing concern for all of the fans, clubs, and governing bodies of soccer like FIFA and UEFA.



Reviews


The Hobbit Review Ben Bonessi

Django Unchained Review Emily O’Leary

This past month, the long awaited film, ―The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,‖ hit the theatres. In less than two weeks the movie

became the #1 film in the world. Peter Jackson, the director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has once again created a movie that has

captivated the world.

New Zealand was once again the location of choice for the shooting of the film, as it had been for the Lord of the Rings

trilogy. Jackson could not have chosen a better destination for the depiction of Middle Earth. The large, expansive landscape makes

New Zealand a perfect candidate for the wide-open battle scenes of the Hobbit. The production of the film began in March 2011

and ended in July 2012.

The film has received vastly mixed reviews. Many students in Foran say the movie did not stay entirely true to the book.

However, another population of students argue that the ―add-ons‖ to the film merely spiced it up, without straying from the central

conflict of the plot. English teacher Mr. Sturdevant feels that ―the adaptation added extra action, but was a good film overall.‖

While the story-line is up for debate, none can argue against the special effects quality of The Hobbit. The computer-

generated cities of the film, such as Rivendale and Erebor, were simply stunning. In addition, different monsters, such as the stone

giants, trolls, and of course the dragon, Smaug, were also very impressive.

The casting was another positive aspect of the production. Martin Freeman

did an excellent job portraying the wanting but reluctant Hobbit, conflicted about join-

ing the company of Thorin. And the casting of the dwarves was spot on. The actors

accurately depicted the obvious comical portion of the company, and were also able to

be serious when necessary.

Overall, the Hobbit was a phenomenal film and should be recommended to

anyone who is looking for a movie to see in the near future. It‘s also pleasing to hear

that New Line Cinema has announced the release of ―The Hobbit: The Desolation of

Smaug‖ to be released next December, and followed by ―The Hobbit: There and Back

Again‖ in 2014.

In the new movie Django Unchained, Jamie Foxx plays a convincing role as a slave named Django, who has experienced a

brutal history with his former owners which eventually gets him involved with a German bounty hunter by the name of Dr. King

Schultz (played by Christopher Waltz). Schultz takes Django away from his slave life to help him with his duties as a bounty hunter

and in return, Django agrees that after a winter of working together, Schultz would help him find his wife, Broomhilda (played by

Kerry Washington). After the winter, they discover her location at the infamous ―Candyland‖ plan-

tation which leads them to concoct a rescue plan that does not necessarily go as planned. Since the

script is set in the south, two years before the Civil war, it contains language that, in this day in age,

would be offensive, as director Quentin Tarantino makes use of the ―n-word‖ in an attempt to make

the film seem authentic. Senior John Carchia agrees he ―did not think that the use of the word was

in any way offensive to the modern day because it‘s meant to be historically accurate; setting wise.‖

The language they used and the actions of the slave owners was their way of life in the

past, although it is obviously not recommended for kids or early teens. Parents would have issues

with the movie‘s violence, but as a movie lover, it is a great story with a more than satisfying

amount of action from gunfights to blood soaked walls. Also, Leonardo DiCaprio plays his first

villain, as the plantation owner of ―Candyland.‖ Apparently, during the scene in which mister Can-

dy discovers Django and Schultz‘s plan, DiCaprio cut his hand that later required stitches after

slamming it on the table in anger, but continued as if nothing happened and even used the blood on

his hand as a prop to wipe on the face of Broomhilda. Audience members were surprised at how

engrossed DiCaprio was in his acting, including senior Alice Hatton-Miller. She stated, ―Leo really

proves himself as an actor in every movie, but this is something that really stands out. Also, it high-

lights how intense Quentin Tarantino‘s films can be.‖




Reviews/Best of the Rest

Les Misérables Emily Palm Les Misérables is a musical film drama based on the musical of the same name by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schön-

berg, which is in turn based on Les Misérables, the 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo. The film is directed by Tom Hooper, and

stars a cast led by Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, and Amanda Seyfried. It broke the record for the highest opening

day gross for a musical film, earning about $18.1 million. It has earned about $170.5 million worldwide to date.

Set in the time period 19th-century France, Les Misérables captures the same excitement that the original composition

brought, and recreates it once again. The film tells the story of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) who has been hunted for decades by the

ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for fac-

tory worker Fantine's (Anne Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), their lives

change forever. All of the actors delivered phenomenal, moving performances, and I was particularly

surprised by the vocal range of Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, and Russell Crowe. All of the songs

were performed live on camera, which allowed the actors to focus more on their acting instead of mak-

ing sure they were lip syncing correctly. ―I liked the character Leonine because she was a very talented

singer and actress, she showed a lot of emotion. She was easy to relate to,‖ said junior Peter Mount.

I personally found Hathaway‘s performance incredibly moving as she showed the immense

pain and hardship women in 19th century France endured. I was moved to tears as she sang about the

father of her child abandoning her and the hell she was living because of him in ―I Dreamed a Dream.‖

―My favorite scene was when Marius was singing to Cossette through the fence, and he was my favor-

ite character because he has a great voice and his ability to convey the emotions of his character is tru-

ly moving,‖ stated senior Nicole Brie.

Les Misérables was overall an amazing movie with authentic makeup, costume, and set de-

sign, as well as astounding performances by the unbelievably talented cast.

Drive Safe, Keep Safe As the snow begins to fall, and the winter months kick into full gear, driving safety becomes a huge concern. The roads

have already started to form the notorious black ice, one of the major accident causing factors. As this season is filled with holidays

and celebrations, it is also filled with tragedy, as drunk and careless driving increases dramatically.

Sadly, one of our seniors, Karle Winters, along with her family experienced a traumatic situation just

weeks ago. Karle's dad was approaching a stoplight where he was hit from behind by a drunk driver.

Thankfully he was okay, but his car was not. During these months especially, people need to be extra

cautious of intoxicated drivers, because they are certainly not. So, what can be done to prevent drunk

driving? ―If someone is at a bar or out with someone who seems to be too drunk to drive, they need to

be the bigger person and take their keys. That can stop it right there. You always have to be a cautious

driver on the road, always looking, especially at night. And if you see someone driving that seems

drunk, please call 911. You can save someone‘s life if they can be stopped‖, Karle said.

Although drunk driving is the leading factor of motor vehicle accidents between November and Feb-

ruary, weather conditions trail closely behind. Poor weather can certainly cause many accidents, and definitely

has. People need to be aware of how to prepare themselves and their cars for these circumstances. When asked

what he does to prepare and keep safe while driving, senior Joe Zanghi said, ―I try and stay off the roads as

much as possible if it gets bad, and try to always take the main roads because they‘re usually paved...I follow

the speed limit and sometimes will go a little below it just to be safe. And of course, no texting.‖

Other tips to ―winterize‖ your car include making sure your car‘s oil and battery are checked, to

check your tire pressure, and to have an emergency kit in your car consisting of things such as: a flashlight,

first aid kit, bag of abrasive material, and an ice scraper. ―I always make sure I get good snow tires for my

car‖, business teacher Mrs. Semple stated.

These winter months can be extremely dangerous, but preparing yourself and your car the right way can definitely keep

you safe.

Kelsey Jackson

Pictured above are pictures from

Karlie Winters’ father’s car accident



Best of the Rest


SAT Prep Megan McCaskill

Test Dates January 26th March 9th May 4th June 1st

Regular Regis-

tration

December 28th February 8th April 5th May 2nd

Late Registration January 11th February 22nd April 19th May 17th

As the first semester comes to a close, many of our seniors have "strived and thrived" their way into college acceptance

letters, while the junior class has just begun down their road to post-secondary education. With guidance presentations and SAT

prep opportunities appearing in the multitude of places, the pressure seems to be on the junior class. The SAT is a nationwide

test given by the Collegeboard that is practically required on most college applications, although the ACT is widely accepted in

its place. 3+ hours long, this may be one of the biggest tests a student may take, but there are benefits to taking it more than

once. To begin with, the more you're exposed to the test, the better you will do. Ask your teachers. There have been instances

where students have earned an extra 200 points just by taking it again! Also, regardless of how many times you take it, colleges

will take and look at only your best score in each section so don't sweat it if all your section scores don‘t increase each time. Pre-

paring for the SAT may seem like a tedious and daunting task, but, typically, higher scores mean a higher chance of receiving

merit-based scholarships.

There are many easily accessible opportunities within the community -as well as within Foran High-to prepare for the

SAT. Our library has an abundance of SAT prep materials ranging from texts to technology. Currently in progress is a college

and career section of the library where one will be able to find SAT prep books filled with guidance and practice tests. Also, on

the library website there's a link to our new online database, "Terc." Filled with study guides and pause-able, yet full length,

tests, this is a must use for students preparing to take the SAT.

Practicing a little bit each day is better than cramming the week before your test, so try out the Collegeboard SAT Ques-

tion of the Day. You can access this daily via email, going directly to www.collegeboard.com, or by downloading the iPhone

application. Each day is a question from one section of the exam, even the math section.

If you don't feel as though that is enough, SAT prep classes are another good option to consider, especially online clas-

ses, which give you more flexibility than meeting one on one with an instructor. One refutable site is www.satprepct.com, alt-

hough classes can be found from dozens of sites. Do some research and find the classes that are right for you. All in all, any

amount of preparation will benefit you. According to Dean of Students Mr. Greist, the best way to prepare for the exam is to

study materials from the Collegeboard, since they create the test, and to simply become familiar with the test's format.

To register for the SAT, go to www.collegeboard.com and choose your test date, but don't procrastinate; the tests re-

quire you to sign up at least a month in advance.

It‘s that time of year again for New Year‘s resolutions! New Year‘s resolutions are changes that people want to make in

their lives starting in the New Year. Common resolutions are to lose weight, start going to the gym, eat healthier, and spend more

time with friends and family. When asking students from Foran about their resolutions, they were asked to venture away from the

common answers and be creative. Senior Camille Ross said that she wants to be a happier person this year and she really wants to

stick to it. Senior, Brian Dirgo wants to get his degree from the Air Force in the Emergency Management Program. According to

Cone Health, 35% of people don‘t even successfully start what they proposed. On the contrary, about 1 in 5 people stick to their res-

olution and 65% of people keep their resolutions for at least part of the year, according to Time Magazine. Reasons are endless and

excuses pile up when one doesn‘t follow their resolution. Some people take on too much, too fast and want to make huge leaps of

progress all at one time. Also, some people take on too big of a resolution and don‘t have a big support group behind them. Family

and friends are a big part in most people‘s lives and can either make or break you. It‘s important to surround yourself with positive

people when it comes to making a big change in your life.

New Years Resolutions Kassidy Philpott



Page 10

Editor:

Joe Mixie

Design Editor:

James Givens

Journalists: Samaar Batool

Ben Bonessi

Cheyanne Chaisson

Crystal Colon

Luke Cullen

Paul Deptulski

Anthony DeTullio

David Foster

Michaela Garland

Gina Georgetti

The Foran Exchange

Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 10

Upcoming January Events & Varsity

Sports:

Chris Giaccone

Brianna Gray

Kevin Green

Victoria Haba

Brendan Hallett

Kelsey Jackson

Andrew Jones

Caitlin Kaczynski

Delanie Kliff

Nick LaPenna

Alex Librandi

Emily Lucca

CJ Luth

Valerie Mackin

Clarie Marler

Megan McCaskill

Courtney McManus

Megan Mestres

Kaitlin Morlando

Paul Nicholas

Emily O’Leary

Christine Pala

Emily Palm

Dom Persichilli

Kassidy Philpott

AJ Piselli

Morgan Priess

Allie Raucci

Caroline Stapleton

Emily Stiffler

Claire Torento

Hadley Whitaker

Karle Winters

*GB = Girl's Basketball

*BB = Boy’s Basketball

*HOCK = Ice Hockey

*ITR = Indoor Track

*WRES = Wrestling

*GYMN = Gymnastics

*BSW = Boys' Swimming

& Diving

January 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

1/21– No School (MLK JR Day)

1/21– HOCK vs Fairfield Lud-

lowe/Warde 6:00 (Milford Ice

Pavilion)

1/21– ITR Novice Meet @ Hill-

house HS

1/23-ITR East Sectional Meet @

Hillouse HS

1/25– BB vs Daniel Hand 7:00

1/26– SAT’s @ Law

1/26- HOCK vs West Haven

1:00 (Milford Ice Pavilion)

1/28– 1/31: Midterms (Early Dis-

missal)

Documents

Volume 4, Issue 1 Page 1 The Foran Exchange...Ugly Sweater Friday Crystal Colon rd,On Friday, December 23 many students and teachers were dressed in their ugliest Christmas sweaters