Green Horn

May 21, 2010 Volume 30, Edition 8

The Award-Winning Student Publication of Springfield High School

Stumped By
the Bell
Is it a
Conspiracy?
By Ashley Richardson

S
chool gets out at 2:42. At times during the school
year, however, the bell to signal the end of the
day rang at 2:44, 2:45, 2:47, and 2:49.
Third period ends at 10:06. Over the past
few months, however, the bell to signal the end of third
period rang at 10:08, 10:10, and even as late as 10:14.
Why were the bells ringing so late? Well, the
most popular answer the students gave around school
Around and around the clock goes. was that the school officials were trying to keep the
students later in the day so they would have more class
When the bell rings nobody knows. time. “Maybe it’s a conspiracy in the school to make us
Jess Watkins thinks this confusion is stay in school longer,” senior Jessika Watkins said.
part of a conspiracy. Erin Graham “They want to hold us in school longer be-
believes school officials are playing cause they’re trying to get more school into us,” senior
Nicole Cole said. “That’s what I’ve heard, anyway.”
with time to get in an extra day of The normal school day begins at 7:45 when
school to make up for snowdays. the late bell for first period rings, and lasts until 2:42.

See Bells page 20

What’s Inside:
Are you
A Summer
Flavor
grammatically
incorrect?
p.3

Buzz, buzz Mr.

Holmes,
Dilemma
p. 22 By Courtney Downing

L
ife is full of decisions. For some people, it’s not
so easy to make these decisions. However, those
who know exactly what they want, tend to get
Softball team what they want. For instance, dish or cone? Rainbow
beats Bellows sprinkles or chocolate? Flavor of the day or the usual?
Falls twice, The choices seem endless at Jonathan’s Summer Place,
located in the plaza.
p. 17
It’s a warm summer night. There hasn’t been
a status update in over an hour. You’re trying to think
of where everybody could be. Then it hits you. They’re
The Summer Place offers an
extensive list of flavors.
all at the Summer Place. You hop in your car, roll the
windows down, turn on your favorite CD, and you're
on you’re way. You pull into the plaza, [or the zoo, as
some once knew it] and there they are sitting at the
picnic tables, dish in one hand, spoon in the other. You
See Summer Place page 23
Green Horn Interview
By Erika Anderson

.
Maricel Lucero Talks
About Music and
Cuban Society
M
aricel Lucero is a powerful figure in the has been a band leader all of his life (in
Springfield community. A local musician, Uruguay, his native land, and in the U.S.);
Lucero has offered workshops and directed Iliana was a professional pianist and
performances at Springfield High School. The mother of teacher in Cuba; I’ve been a singer most
an SHS student, she keeps him involved in music. She of my life, but didn't have a lot of experi-
is the director of The Feminine Tone, a chorus located ence singing Cuban music. This was an
in Springfield. Lucero recently brought her Latin band, opportunity to get back to my roots and
The Black Beans, to SHS for music workshops and an to learn a new style of singing.
assembly in April. They held a Latin dance party after
school. Lucero is also important to the community How did you arrive in the USA?
because of the trips she takes to Cuba with her choruses. I came to the U.S. from Cuba with my
Evoking a warm personality and sense of confidence, parents in 1968 when I was ten years
Lucero is a great teacher, friend, and professional. The old. We actually had to go to Spain first
Green Horn interviewed Lucero about her history and and we lived there for several months
passions. before we were given a visa to enter the
US. This was a very difficult time for my
GH: How many are involved in Black Beans? parents but I enjoyed the adventure of it
ML: There are four of us: Redel Frometa (percussion), all. When we finally arrived in the U.S.
Iliana Sanchez (keyboard), Walter Gomez (accordion, things got a little harder for me because
drums machine and director of the band) and Maricel I had to learn English in a hurry. I did
Lucero, lead singer. manage to make friends and by the end
of my first year in school, I spoke English
What did you teach during your April visit? fluently.
We taught the Merengue rhythm to the band students.
I also taught a couple of choruses to the singers in What inspired you to pursue music? the world who participate in these festivals. The teen-
preparation to the performance. It was actually my high school music teacher. She age girls in the chorus especially enjoyed our trip last
was very enthusiastic about her job and gave much November and made a big splash everywhere they went.
Are you excited (about working with the High of her time to helping us kids to be the best musicians I'm hoping to take them to the next festival in two years.
School)? we could be. I try to go to Cuba at least once a year to visit my family.
Yes, I love working with the students at SHS and of Since President Obama took office, it has been easier
course, I love to share the music of my heritage. What made you settle in Vermont? for Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba. We now have
I was living in New Jersey before coming to Vermont permission to travel there any time we want. In previ-
How did this group form? and I wasn't very happy there. I came to visit friends ous administrations it was not so easy. During the Bush
We got together about six years ago, after Walter and here in Vermont and fell in love with the landscape. I years, the restrictions for Cuban-Americans traveling to
Iliana moved here from Miami. Mostly, we just wanted was just tired of the city and this seemed like the perfect Cuba were the worst I can remember. Only people with
to gather because there are so few Latins up here. Walter place to raise a family. immediate family could go to Cuba and only every three
years. This was very unjust and I fought along with other
Why do you re- Cuban-Americans to try and change this.
GREEN HORN STAFF turn to Cuba?
A shley Richardson..................... I return to Cuba Have you imparted your love of music to your
Co-Editor
to visit family children?
O livia Johnson........................... Co-Editor primarily but Yes, my daughter Shenandoah [a student at Kimball
J enny Bradley.......................... I also take the Union Academy] is a composer, singer, pianist and
Co-Editor Feminine Tone dancer. Her life is filled with music and she plans to
S amuel L. Benton.................... Layout Editor to participate follow a career in musical theater performance. My
K elsey Christensen.................... in international son, Sky, is also very musical. He plays a bit of piano
Layout Editor choral festivals. and tuba and has recently become interested in com-
L aurel Porter............................. Photography Editor This is a great position as well.
opportunity for
C ourtney Downing.................... Sports Editor the women in Do you enjoy teaching?
Melissa Tarbell............................ Tech News Editor the chorus to Yes, I love sharing my love for music with my students.
get to know the I felt very fortunate to work with many talented young
----------------REPORTERS--------------- Cuban culture, singers and pianists in my home studio. I can't imagine
Erika Anderson, Ryan Brady, John Forbes, Sarah Gray, listen to great ever giving that up. I especially enjoy working with
Sam Hensel-Hunter, Holly Hooke, Angelo Jardina, Jill Rushton, Cuban music, teenagers who are preparing for a career in music. I do
Maria Stern, and Olivia Thayer and meet people everything I can to encourage their interests and help
fromm all over them pursue their goals.

pg  G r e e n H o r n
 Opinion

From top left clockwise, Benjamin Franklin and Noah Webster were advocates for simplified spelling. Captain James T.
Kirk split the infinitive rule when he said "to boldly go." Winston Churchill believed that the injunction against
prepositions ending a sentence were a rule up with which he would not put. The Oxford English Dictionary rules over all.

Grammatically Incorrect
Learning to Read and Write Goodly
By Laurel Porter

W
hy can’t the English teach their children
how to speak?” Henry Higgins of My Fair
Lady asks this question, exasperated at the
apparent inability of the English people to speak cor-
rectly. I pose the same query (though phrased slightly
differently). Why can’t Americans teach their children
how to write? Every day, we all see and hear horrific
misuses and abuses of the English language.
The chief offenders are text messages.
yo…whr r u dude? ur L8!!!!
What is this? Code? Although I’m sure Al
Qaida will have difficultly deciphering your message, so
will your intended recipient. I doubt your text messages
contain classified information, so try to keep your use
of the secret language of the illiterate to a minimum.
Other frequent violators of common sense
in grammar are, sadly, journalists and public officials.
Okay, everyone. We're going to dialogue in small groups
before we conference and share our ideas.
Dialogue and conference are nouns. Not
verbs, nouns.
Linguistic modification is a pet peeve of
mine. Noah Webster and Ben Franklin advocated using
simplified spellings in order to make education more
accessible, and while I understand their point, I wish
they had left well enough alone. Favourite is really no
simpler when it is spelled favorite. Organise is no bet-
ter, no easier to understand, when it is spelled organize.
English is a difficult language, yes, but it is as beautiful
and complex as a fractal. Trying to simplify the spell-
ing of words is essentially lowering the status quo and
implying that we don’t trust people to be intelligent
enough to speak and write proper English.
There are, however, some grammatical rules
that I ignore. I start sentences with because all the time.
It's technically incorrect, but why? It's a valid word. As
long as my sentence makes sense and flows nicely, what
does because matter?
I've always considered the split infinitive rule
to be fairly useless as well. According to the American
Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, people
have been splitting infinitives since nigh about the 14th
century, and the practice of writing an adverb or other
element between the word to and the verb has only been
punishable by death since the nineteenth century. Star
Trek's famous opening titles, with the phrase "To Boldly
Go Where No Man Has Gone Before," breaks the split
infinitive rule; it should read "To Go Boldly" or "Boldly
To Go." The only time the split infinitive rule comes in
handy is when putting to somewhere other than next
to the verb changes the meaning of the sentence. This
doesn't happen often. English playwright George Ber-
nard Shaw once said: "I call for the immediate dismissal
of this pedant [rule]. It is of no consequence whether
he decides to go quickly or to quickly go or quickly to
go. The important thing is that he should go at once." In
any case, common sense usually helps when deciding
the order of words in a sentence.
According to legend, Winston Churchill
said, after being confronted about his tendency to end
sentences with prepositions, that there were some rules
up with which he would not put. He may not put up with
this rule, and generally neither do I. Most professional
grammarians choose to pass on, inflexibly following this
rule as well. The only sensible thing to avoid in regard
to prepositions is their extraneous use.
My most heinous grammatical crime is the
use of incomplete sentences. But I can’t really arouse
a proper level of self-condemnation in regards to my
flagrant violation of this Prime Directive. Incomplete
sentences add punch after strings of long, drawn-out
verbiage. They make a point. And while I would never
allow someone who is just learning to write use incom-
See Grammar page 23

G r e e n H o r n pg 
Prom
The Wind at Your Back
Come Sail Away with Prom
By Holly Hooke

I
t seemed like winter was never going to end. Yet
finally spring is in the air. Those teaser days come
along and you can’t wait to spend more time out-
side. You catch yourself daydreaming of being out on
the lawn soaking up some sun or maybe even going
to the beach.
It’s time to “Come Sail Away.” You guessed
it. Prom and all the rituals that go with it: tuxes, beauti-
ful dresses, fancy cars, and music. Mark your calendars
since the Springfield High School Junior Prom is May
29th.
The prom will be held at Riverside Middle
School. “Early on we wrestled with changing the lo-
cation, but we decided it is the easiest and most cost
efficient at RMS,” said junior Maria Stern, a member
of the prom committee.
Grand March starts at 7 o’clock and the prom
will end around 11:00 pm. A single ticket costs $35.00
and $65.00 per couple. It will be open to juniors and
seniors with the exception of underclassmen who have
been asked, or someone under the age of 21.
The junior prom committee insists that
“Come Sail Away” will be different than the proms
of recent years. “We’re trying to create a cruise-ship
atmosphere,” said Stern. “Our decorations are going to
be nautical and beachy.”
To make things different, the committee is
planning to have a bar shaped like a boat in the center
of the room. “We’re definitely trying to mix things up,”
said junior Nikka Bactad, also a member of the com-
mittee. “Instead of having traditional favors, we’ll be
giving out sun-glasses and party bags.”
Junior class advisor, Ruth Haskell (health
and Phys Ed teacher) is in charge of the music for prom.
Posters hanging around school request student song
choices that will be taken into account for the final play
list. A student from the River Valley Tech Center Digital
Audio class will run the music and other equipment the
night of prom.
With a matter of days until prom, Kirsten
Aiello (SHS tech department) and other members of the
prom committee are working hard to finalize last-minute
details and food decisions for what they hope to be a
spectacular evening of dance and entertainment.
“I’m looking forward to the theme,” added
SHS senior T.J. Wallace. “It should be a lot of fun.”
According to junior organizers, prom this
year is an event one will not want to miss and it seems
Prom committee member Nikka
to be stirring up excitement. Bactad says organizers want to mix up
“I can’t wait to dress up and have fun. It’s this year's prom. For example, instead
my boyfriends last year,” said sophomore Katelyn Daly. of traditional favors, sun-glasses and
“I’ve looked forward to prom since I was a little girl,
and I finally get to go this year.”
party bags will be handed out at prom.

Post Prom Party Will Be

Indiana Jones Adventure
By Melissa Tarbell

P
ost Prom. It’s something Springfield High School
prom-goers look forward to almost more than
prom itself. This substance-free—and completely
free—party hosted by parents is meant to offer a chance
for students to have fun and be together with their
friends in a safe environment after prom has concluded
for the night.
The SHS prom will be held on Saturday, May
29th, and this year’s Indiana Jones Adventure-themed
post prom party is held directly after prom ends. It is
the second year that post prom will be held at the North
Springfield Armory on Fairground Road.
All students and their dates attending
Springfield’s prom are allowed to go to post prom. SHS
juniors and seniors who have chosen not to go to prom
are also allowed into the post prom party. However,
Martha Tarbell opens a box of prizes
freshmen and sophomores may only attend the party if
for the Post Prom party. they are the prom date of a junior or senior.
Doors open at 11:00 pm, as soon as prom is
over, and will stay open until midnight at which time
students are no longer allowed to enter. Students will
be checked in upon entering the post prom party and
are also signed out if they leave early. Participants may
choose to leave early but will not be allowed back into
the building.
There are a lot of activities going on at post
prom. One can try their luck at the casino, get a henna
tattoo, watch their friends get hypnotized or become
hypnotized themselves, get their picture taken in silly
clothes, have a caricature drawn of themselves, make
crafts or create sand art, among many other things.
And, of course, there is plenty of food at the post prom
party.
Another great thing about post prom, which
See Post Prom page 23

pg  G r e e n H o r n
 Opinion
Prom is What You Make It
M
asquerade, Cirque Du Soleil, Come Sail
Away, Hollywood Glam, Americano, Life is
a Highway, Peace, Love and Prom. After a
final vote, the decision was made that this year’s prom
theme will be Come Sail Away. The junior class will be
hosting the 2010 prom.
We have to admit, we’re a little skeptical
about this year’s prom theme. Come Sail Away? We
just hope it’s more than anchors and boats. Prom is
normally looked at as the magical night of high school.
It’s one of those things that as a little girl you would
fantasize about. But as we have both learned, prom is
not automatically magical. Prom is what you make it.
It can be horrible. It can be amazing. Like everything,
it’s up to you.
You have to remember, this is Springfield
High School. We aren’t going to be waltzing around
a castle or dining on a four-course meal. We are going
to be grooving in the Riverside Middle School gym.
That’s just how we rock. Once you accept that, you’re
all good. But don’t expect to go in there and have the
gym transformed into a ballroom. It’s still going to be
the gym where you had to roller blade for Ms. Robbins
in gym class years ago.
Juniors Maria Stern and Amanda Porter have
taken charge of this year’s prom and we are confident
they will pull off a fabulous prom. But we still can’t help
but wish a different theme had been picked. Hollywood
Glam or Masquerade would have been our top choices.
But we had our chance to plan prom last spring. This
News
New Show, New Direction
[title of show] at SHS
By Erika Anderson
C
ome one, come all to…[title of show]. That’s
right ladies and gentleman, a new show is com-
ing to Springfield High School. It just happens
to be [title of show].
SHS seniors Eliza Pennell and Emily Mobus
are the directors for [title of show]. “I am going to be
the overall stage director,” said Pennell. “Emily will
be the music director.”
The show is a fairly new one to show busi-
ness and has won numerous Obies, the Academy Award
for off Broadway shows. “It’s about two men who decide
to make a musical about making a musical,” said Mobus.
“They basically just wrote down what happened in their
daily life, and then put it to music.”
The show features a five-person cast. “We
chose to do a small cast because it would be easier,” said
Pennell. “The students we chose as the cast are SHS
G r e e n H o r
By Jenny Bradley & Olivia Johnson
year we’re just sitting
back and watching.
When it comes
down to it, though, the
theme is somewhat un-
important. It’s not about
the decorations, or the
food. It’s about being
with your friends and
turning something me-
diocre into something
amazing. One other thing
that is vitally important,
though, is music. Bad
music kills a prom faster
than Olivia hearing the
gossip (and trust us, she
hears it fast.)
However, af-
ter seeing the list of songs
made up by Ruth Haskell
If prom is what you make it, juniors Maria Stern and
and realizing her determi-
nation to make sure songs Amanda Porter intend to make it fabulous.
we love are played such
as old favorites or the hottest hits, we are confident that if you can’t dance, guess what? Neither can we. Just do
we will be happy with the music. it. Smile and live it up. Because before you know it, all
All and all, we come back to the same these people who may drive you crazy, but deep down
conclusion: prom is what you make it. So put on your you love, will be gone. Make the memories while you
gorgeous dresses and spiffy tuxes, pretty yourself up, can.
and be ready to dance. Because dancing makes it all. And
junior Kelsey Christensen for the part of Susan, Bill
Knockenhauer for the part of Jeff from Green Moun-
tain Union High School, Luke Brengolini from Green
Mountain Union High School for the part of Hunter and
Georgia Ladd, also from GMUHS for the part of Heidi.
The last cast member is the pianist, Kelly Batchelder.
(Homeschooled),” said Mobus.
“We chose to use some of the GMUHS
students because we went to the regional festival at the
Lyndon Institute, and they were there,” added Pennell.
“They were a lot of fun and cool. So, we thought it
Seniors Eliza Pennell and Emily Mobus
would be a good idea to grab them and use them since
they are so close to us geographically-speaking.” will direct [title of show]. Luke Brengo-
Pennell and Mobus chose [title of show] for lini, a senior at Green Mountain Union
a number of reasons. First off it is a small cast (5) and High School, and Kelsey Christensen
See [title of show] page 21 are two of five stars in the show.
n pg 
News
For Librarian Katy Blair,
Her Second Act Has Just
About Concluded
By Sam Hensel-Hunter

Librarian Katy Blair is retiring after
eight years at SHS. She intends to read
and cook more, along with travel, in
her new freetime.
A
fter eight years working as the Springfield
High School Librarian, Katy Blair is retiring.
Blair moved to Vermont from Georgia with
her husband, when she and her husband purchased the
Hartness House on Orchard street in Springfield. Blair
has lived in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Georgia, and
Vermont.
Trained as a librarian, Blair didn’t expect to
go back to work after moving. “I planned to stay retired
when I came up from Atlanta,” she said. “But this job
opened up.”
After her husband’s death and the sale of the
Hartness House, Blair’s daughter called her about an ad
for the librarian position. “I just took the job one year
at a time,” said Blair.
Blair plans to make the most of her more
permanent retirement.“I’d like to do some travelling,”
she said. “I'll get to cook more, get to read more, do
some other odds and ends.”
When asked why she chose to retire this year,
Blair had no definite reasons to explain her decision. ”I
don’t know,” she said. “A lot of people have asked me.
It just seemed like the right time. No one event made
me decide.”
Blair was impressed with her use of tech-
nology in her second career go-round as a librarian. “I
did not see myself having to use it as often as I did,”
she said. ”I’m still using it at home. Friends have told
me about the ipad, and that I would like it if I was still
working.”
As a specialist in literature and reading, Blair
enjoys a wide variety of books. “I like reading biography
and fiction, but it really depends on the author,” she
concluded.

John Middleton Will Retire

After 23 Years
By Holly Hooke

M
any have passed him in the halls, or maybe
he's even played a great role in one’s high
school career. However, after 23 years of
teaching, Springfield High School Special Education
teacher, John Middleton is retiring.
Middleton started out at Springfield High
School in 1987 co-teaching math and English. He then
became a special ed. teacher, a position he has filled
until his subsequent retirement next month.
“I originally planned on teaching elementary
school but a job opened up at SHS so I took it,” said
Middleton. “I’ve been here ever since. I only wish I
had gotten into education sooner.”
Middleton acknowledged that teaching
comes with ups and downs. Working with high school
students is no easy task.
“There are always tough moments,” said
Middleton. “I can remember kids at risk to graduate but

“Teaching has given my life a sense of fulfillment, I’ve learned

as much from the students as they’ve learned from me.”

“Teaching has given my life a sense of fulfill-
ment,” said Middleton. “I’ve learned as much from the
students as they’ve learned from me.”
Before teaching at SHS, Middleton was an
undergraduate at Texas Christian University. Next he
worked for IBM for five years until he realized he was
not interested in the career. From there, Middleton
went to graduate school for two years at the University
of Texas in Arlington. He then worked for ten years in
a substance abuse intervention center before attending
Castleton State College, where he received a teaching
license.
I helped them through it and once I saw them receive
their diploma, it was a proud moment.”
Mr. Middleton doesn’t have an exact plan Learning center teacher John
of what he will do in retirement. “I guess I’ll find
Middleton will retire from Springfield
something to do for a while,” said Middleton. “I’ll miss
the students. I’ve enjoyed working with them and I’ve High School next month. After nearly
loved watching them grow from freshmen to seniors.” a quarter of century at SHS, Middleton
A new chapter is in store for John Middleton, will miss the students and will
though he’ll always remember the 23 years he spent at
remember the people he helped and
SHS. “I’ll leave with the memory of the people I helped
and the things I learned,” concluded Middleton. “I guess the things he learned.
I’ll have plenty of time to golf now.”

pg  G r e e n H o r n
 News
Linda Harbeson Will
Retire From ODP Director
Position
By Sam Hensel-Hunter

A
fter 31 years as part of the Springfield High
School Occupational Development Program,
ODP Director Linda Harbeson is retiring.
Harbeson started at Springfield in Job Placement and
eventually filled the position of director. Harbeson is
building a house in North Carolina and plans to spend
somewhere else working with kids and family.”
Harbeson’s grandchildren live in Springfield.
“I have close ties to Springfield, I love my job, I love
the kids, and the people I work with,” Harbeson said.
“I really enjoyed SHS.”
However, despite her wish to continue work-

“I have close ties to Springfield, I love my job, I love the kids, and
the people I work with. I really enjoyed SHS.”
winter in North Carolina and summer in Vermont. ing, Harbeson hopes to be able to spend lots of time
“I have a camp in Northern Vermont, that outside in retirement. "I’m going to enjoy kayaking and
I’m hoping to spend more time at,” said Harbeson. spending time at the camp,” she said.
“The buyout [any teachers who chose Harbeson was passionate and inspired by
to retire this year have been offered $55,000 by the her work at Springfield High School. “I really enjoyed ODP Director Linda Harbeson is
Springfield School District to be paid over three years] seeing students who have challenges rise above them,”
retiring after 31 years at SHS. She
definitely helped,” said Harbeson to explain why she she concluded. “It’s pretty awesome.”
was retiring. “But I hope to find a part-time position hopes to spend much of her retirement
outdoors.

Barbara Estey to Retire

After 36 Years of Teaching
By Laurel Porter

B
arbara Estey, math teacher at Springfield High
School, is retiring after 36 years on the job.
“It was important to retire before losing the
enthusiasm I have for my job,” said Estey. “I felt that
my reaction to teaching had been less than enthusiastic
sometimes. And I was old enough [to retire].”
Estey, a 1969 alumna of the University of
Vermont, began teaching at SHS in 1974 after holding
other teaching positions in Vermont. When asked how
she first began teaching, Estey said, “I graduated from
With all new job positions filled, Estey was
left without a job.
“But then I heard that the local high school
needed a teacher desperately,” said Estey. “And I needed
a job desperately. In the end, we kind of took a chance on
each other. I took some education classes and was certi-
fied as a teacher, and I’ve been teaching ever since.”
Estey has enjoyed her career as a teacher.
“Every day is different,” explained Estey.
“Just when you think you’ve seen it all—pfft!—you’re

“I dropped into teaching because I desperately needed a job

40 years ago, and here I am, still enjoying it.”

Math teacher Barb Estey, after 36 years
in Math Land, will retire in June. She
has enjoyed teaching in which every
day, every year, every term is a new
start. From Esty's perspective, it has
been endlessly interesting.
college with [mononucleosis],”said Estey. “I didn’t have
the energy to complete college and do job interviews
at the same time, so I just finished school. After gradu-
ation, I went and collapsed on my mother’s couch for
two months.”
“At the end of the summer, I realized ‘Hey,
I’d better go get a job,’” said Estey. “I went applying
and interviewing everywhere. And everywhere, they
said ‘We wish had you talked to us in the spring.’”
wrong. It’s a wonderful place; you keep getting fresh
starts every year and every term. It’s endlessly interest-
ing.”
Estey said she will miss teaching, and has
enjoyed her experiences at Springfield High School.
“I dropped into teaching because I desper-
ately needed a job 40 years ago, and here I am,” said
Estey, “still enjoying it.”

G r e e n H o r n pg 
News
Ghosts and Scissor Hands
Must Be Tim Burton
By Maria Stern
M
any Springfield High School students are avid
fans of the revolutionary American artist and
filmmaker Tim Burton. These students were
able to see an exhibit of Burton’s work on display at New
York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on April
9th. Burton is famous for films such as The Nightmare
Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, and
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
SHS English teacher Rebecca Skrypeck
got the idea for this trip from an article her husband
found over the summer. He jokingly suggested that she
organize a trip. Skrypeck is a big fan of Tim Burton. She
also teaches a film analysis class. Therefore she thought
the trip was fitting.
The trip took 48 SHS students, five adult
chaperones and two parents. Fundraising to allay the
cost of the trip began in November.
On May 1st, six ambitious members
from the Springfield High School class
of 2013 lent some time in their busy
schedules to green up and clean up
Springfield as part of their Community
Service Learning Project. Cody
Stevens, Shelby Reardon, Courtney
Page, and Larry Bolduc are pictured in
front, with Amelia Thomas and Laura
Vogell in back.
pg  G
In preparation for the exhibit the trip-goers
watched four of Tim Burton's films in addition to movie
shorts. "We watched Tim Burton movies down on the
bus and back on the bus," said Skrypeck.
SHS senior Kayla Perham experienced NYC
for the first time while on the trip. She is an enthusiastic
Burton fan. Her favorite Burton movie is The Nightmare
Before Christmas. In the movie the main character Jack
discovers the Christmas holiday and tries to celebrate it
with the creatures of Halloweentown.
While at MoMA Perham was able to see the
entire spectrum of “claymation” faces used for Jack.
“They had the original Edward Scissorhands
costume, which is my favorite movie,” said SHS senior
Becca Trombly. The costume, worn by Johnny Depp
in the movie, is black with numerous buckles, and, of
course, scissors for hands.
Community Service
Painting, Coaching, Cleaning
By Olivia Thayer
P
ainting buildings, serving food, coaching young
children in soccer. These are all examples of what
some freshmen have done to earn the required
ten hours of community service they must perform
before the end of the school year. The Springfield High
School Class of 2013 is the first class to take part in a
new policy for community service. This new program
requires each student to complete ten hours of com-
munity service each year, with a total of forty hours
before they graduate.
As of April 5th, only nine freshmen have
completed and turned in their paperwork for the entire
ten hours.
“I bet twenty more kids have completed
their community service, and just haven’t turned their
paperwork in yet,” said Ruth Haskell, who is one of the
freshmen class advisors. Even though Haskell was not
on the original committee that came up with the outline
for the community project for the incoming freshmen,
she jumped at the chance to be involved in it.
“I really believe in community service,”
Haskell said. “I think it’s a great way to get people
involved and give back to their community. Plus there
is so much they can do.” She also thinks that the only
reason it is hard to get people involved in community
service is because they aren’t used to it.
r e e
Drama and Arts Academy teacher
Rebecca Skrypeck organized the trip
this spring to the Modern Museum of
Art (MoMA) in New York City to view
the Tim Burton exhibit.
Skrypeck's favorite of Burton's movies is
Beetlejuice, a story about a ghost named Beetlejuice who
was called in when a deceased couple fails to scare the
new buyers out of their house. In addition to costumes
from the movies, the exhibit also displayed original
See MoMA page 20
The new community service plan says that
every freshman will have to complete ten hours per year,
and forty before they graduate, or they won’t receive
their diploma. This is similar to many neighboring
schools such as Claremont and Bellows Falls.
Freshman have mixed feelings about their
community service requirement. Some feel that forty
hours is too much to volunteer in four years. Others have
already surpassed the forty hours and feel that it’s not
a problem.
“I don’t think it’s that hard to get all the
hours,” said freshman Jordan Crowley, who has com-
pleted his ten hours for his first year by painting the SHS
soccer shed and serving at his local church. “It’s not
that hard unless you’re a slacker. That’s the only way
you couldn’t get all your hours.”
Freshmen Archie Farmer and Angelina Mei
both agree with Crowley. Farmer completed his ten
hours for the year by coaching a youth soccer team and
Mei worked at the SHS Empty Bowl Dinner and the
Beyond the Unicorn Craft Fair. Both are confident that
they will easily complete their forty hours by the end of
their high school career.
See Community page 20
n H o r n
 News
ZimbabWe Are
Students Plan Benefit Concert
By Erika Anderson & Olivia Thayer

Board member Sam Coleman said that
whether or not the retirement incentive
will save the district money depends on
who is hired to replace retiring
teachers.
H
ave you noticed the new posters around school?
Well, that’s a trick question: the walls around
Springfield High School are a sea of brightly
colored construction paper with blaring messages across
them. But, we’re talking about a specific set of posters,
the ones advertising the ZimbabWe Are fundraiser.
This project was created because students
in Jen Dodge's Honors Sophomore English class were
instructed that for their final project for the book Night
(Night, by Elie Wiesel, describes the author's journey
through the Holocaust in the 1940’s) they had to educate
and/or fundraise for a cause of their choice. The 18
sophomores chose to raise money for children in Zim-
babwe, Africa, to send them to primary and secondary
school.
“No one really cares about Zimbabwe,” said
sophomore Jake Sargent. “People hear about it, but no
one really knows what’s going on there.”
You may be asking yourself, what or who is
Zimbabwe? Zimbabwe is a small country in northern

Retirement
Africa, with a population of over twelve million people.
Zimbabwe used to be a thriving, educated country, but
after the inflation of their dollar in the early 2000s,
Zimbabwe has sunk into extreme poverty. By July 2008,

Incentive
Zimbabwe had reached a 231,000,000% inflation mark
according to Wikipedia.com.
“The economy [in Zimbabwe] used to be
very high, and the country had a very high GDP [gross

Will Save
domestic product]” said sophomore Andrew Bladyka.
“But then the dollar got inflated and the country is in
economic crisis.” Bladyka added that the 80% of
Emma Esty and Liza Fontaine will help
host the ZimbabWe Are benefit

Money
Zimbabweans who are living below the poverty line
are existing on less than two dollars a day. concert. A stark example of the
“Even though poverty is a big problem in poverty in Zimbabwe is shown in the
Zimbabwe, our class decided to do a project based
around the lack of education in the country,” ZimbabWe
emaciated form of a young child.
Are participant Zaire Mann said. “No one in the country
By Kelsey Christensen has money to spend on food, much less money to send will be lots of food as well. The class will be selling
their children to school.” hamburgers, hotdogs, and popcorn, but various vendors

T
his spring, the Springfield School Board adopted
a measure that promises district educators who
have worked at least 22 years a $55,000 stipend
to be paid over a period of 5 years if they decide to
retire. This measure was intended to save the Spring-
field District money, with the added benefit of adding
fresh, energetic professionals to the Springfield teach-
ing team.
“It’s a real nice thing for folks who’ve given a
lot of time and years,” said superintendent Frank Perotti,
in explaining this retirement package. “It’s a way to say
thank you and help out financially.”
When the incentive was a pending measure,
the board discussed capping the number of staff eligible
for the incentive. Ten teachers was a proposed capping
See Retirement page 22
“We [our class] looked at different countries
and decided that Zimbabwe needed our help most,” said
sophomore Felicia Graham. “Children have little to no
education.” According to the Zimbabwe Benefit Foun-
dation, the charity that ZimbabWe Are will be sending
its proceeds to, 94% of schools in rural Zimbabwe are
closed.
“It only costs fifteen dollars for us to send a
child to primary school for a term in Zimbabwe,” said
SHS sophomore Emma Esty. “It only costs twenty
dollars for secondary school.”
The ZimbabWe Are benefit concert and fair
took place on May 15th, at Riverside Middle School.
The street fair portion of this event began at 11 am, and
continued all day.
“There will be a bunch of fair events like
face painting, apple bobbing, and three legged and sack
races,” said Bladyka before the event. Of course, there
from around the area will be coming to sell traditional
fair food like cotton candy and fried bread dough.
The high school students have collaborated
with the popular Springfield music venue, 802 Music,
to provide a free concert.
“There will be tons of bands,” said sopho-
more Michael Whittemore. “Dave Hinkley [founder of
802 Music] has set up a lot of major bands to come into
town for us.”
There will be no entrance fee for this event,
and all of the music will be by donation only. While
the students want to make this a fun, low-cost day of
fun for the residents of Springfield, they are also trying
to raise money, so they encourage anyone who comes
to donate some amount to their cause.
“It will be a really fun day for a great cause,”
said sophomore Liza Fontaine. “So come and help us
make a difference.”

G r e e n H o r n pg 

Column
Examining Existence
Die, Vampire, Die
By Kelsey Christensen
M
y dreams come with vampires. No, not the
blood-sucking, immortal enemies of Van Hel-
sing, but “people, thoughts, or feelings that
stand between you and your creative self-expression,”
as explained by the insecure, inhibited but very goofy
actress Susan Blackwell in the musical [title of show].
Every Spring, when a year in my four-year
high school incarceration comes to a conclusion, mark-
ing the approach of bigger and better things, eventual
career plans plague my mind. Often, I imagine I’ll just
major in a social science and maintain an office job. It
will be boring, but it will be secure.
Then, in my wildest dreams, I imagine act-
ing. Immediately following my stint at SHS, I imagine
taking performance classes, auditioning, and updating
my repertoire like a maniac. Instead of my plans of going
to a semi-prestigious liberal arts college, I may consider
following my dreams and doing something which I’m
more interested in.
However, there are obvious problems con-
cerning my creative abilities. This issue is tackled in
the musical [Title of Show] when secondary character,
Susan, performs the song “Die, Vampire, Die!” This
song highlights the different vampires represented by
pg 10
A
ctress Rebecca Holtz, who starred in The War, a Ken
Burns documentary on World War II, came to
Springfield High School on Friday, May 7th, to talk to
students about her acting experience. Social studies teacher
Angelo Jardina asked Holtz to come into his classroom and talk
to all of his classes about her experience in The War
documentary. Jardina kept his classroom open all day for SHS
students to hear Holtz talk about her film-making
experience. Holtz also explained what she learned about World
War II through making this documentary. Holtz portrayed
Sascha Weinzheimer in The War, and was able to meet
Weinzheimer years after she portrayed her character. Jardina
had been planning Holtz's visit to Springfield High School for
months and consequently many students were able to listen to
her discussion on The War. Holtz, a recent Keene State College
graduate, will be attending Smith College in the fall.
one’s own thoughts of self-loathing and insecurity,
snarky comments from other people, and the temptation
to make safe and prudish art.
These are some of the wretched, overbearing
vampires that plague us all.
First, there’s the “You have to have a real job
at some point" vampire. This vampire tells me that I may
make it in acting eventually, but for years beforehand
I will be a homeless, starving artist in New York City
struggling for a break. Why not just study in theater and
teach it? Teaching is a real job with security.
“Don’t be a bum,” says this vampire.
Second, there’s the age Catch-22 vampire.
This vampire suggests that show business is impossible vampire manifests itself as my doubt and self-loathing,
to break into, because if you study theater in college, and it says “Sure, you can study theater, but it won’t
you’ll be in your mid-20s by the time you’re ready to make you a good actress. You don’t have to have raw
audition – old, according to Broadway and Hollywood. talent, and anyone who’s seen you thus far feels that
Though, if you don’t achieve a degree in theater, you you’re only amateur material.” This vampire leaves me
might be less attractive at auditions, and college may to believe that no matter how tenaciously I audition,
significantly enhance your performance skills. Either network, and study, I’ll never have the raw talent to
way, you lose. make it in show business.
“Why bother?” this vampire asks. “You have no talent, “says this vampire.
The “you’re not good enough” vampire is the
final and most significant strain on my ambition. This See Existence page 21
G r e e n H o r n

Welcome To...
Spring Renewal
By Melissa Tarbell
S
pring, the season of awakening and renewal. I’m
not just talking about plants here, though. It’s
when we women wake up and realize that those
extra pounds from winter storage are apparent and we
wear long jeans in 80-degree weather to hide it.
It’s when all of those workouts you’ve been
planning to do over the winter actually need to get done,
but it’s when you feel the least amount of desire to actu-
ally follow through with them.
Every female who has an ounce of interest
to her appearance knows what I’m talking about. All
winter you’ve been saying to yourself, “When spring
rolls around, I’ll go outside and work out all the time.”
Yeah, sure, honey.
I know the feeling and it’s not just that pesky
weight goal that’s the problem. Sometimes the stress of
work, school or spring sports gets the best of us and you
just need to take a break. I’ve been reading up on some
helpful hints to overcome these blue-sky blues, and I’m
going to share them with you.
Tip #1 (courtesy of Fitness magazine): Your
G
ood news. You know how tricky and incon-
venient it used to be, trying to nose into other
people's business, straining to overhear juicy
gossip in other people's conversations? Finding out
just enough about your distant acquaintances to make
people a little squirmy? It's gotten easier. You now have
Facebook to aid and abet in your creepy conquest.
First of all, you need to have a Facebook
account. Well, no. The very first thing you should do,
G r e e n H o r
body does a lot for you, but what have you ever done for
it? It’s time to give back to your body. Start by writing a
letter to your body thanking it for the times it has been
there for you and apologizing for the times you weren’t
there for it. Don’t be afraid to get to the nitty-gritty and
talk about specifics like those times you were too busy
to eat a meal or when you ran a whole mile without
stopping.
This heart-to-heart will allow you to come
to terms with your body and realize that you and your
body are in it together. You need each other. You depend
on your body for everything, so give it the respect it
deserves.
Tip #2 (courtesy of just about every maga-
zine I’ve ever read): Eat right! Trust me, I know how
hard it is to avoid that delicious cookie that you’ve
gotten almost every day (thinking of the ones at lunch
at the high school? Yeah, that’s what I was referring to),
but it’s not doing anything for you. Every time I give in
to the desire and eat one of those cookies, it definitely
tastes delicious, but I feel so icky and disappointed
Finding Serendipity
How to Be a Facebook Creep
By Eliza Pennell
if you don't even have a Facebook account, is crawl out
of the cave or bunker you are living in. Then acquire a
Facebook account. Get yourself some friends. Become
a fan of a few things. Join a few groups. Then you'll be
all set to begin becoming a bona fide Facebook creep.
If you already have a Facebook account,
you can, of course, skip that first step and jump right
into the fun stuff. The fun stuff includes any number of
Facebook activities.
First of all, friend away. Friend the verb.
Friend your real friends. Friend your pseudo-friends.
Friend your school acquaintances. Friend those kids you
went to summer camp with and maybe shared a lunch
table with one day. Friend those people you see in the
hallways at school and sometimes make eye contact
with. Friend those people you see in the hallways at
school and never make eye contact with. Friend those
kids you know go to school with you because they
always have—even though you haven't seen them
since your seventh grade Language Arts class together.
(Besides, maybe they dropped out, and that's why you
haven't seen them. And you'd want to know if this were
the case, of course. Just another reason to friend, friend,
friend.)
Look at your friends' friend lists. Do they
n pg
Columns
afterwards.
Think of that feeling ahead of time. Visualize
yourself all bloated and disappointed in yourself. Eat a
piece of gum instead. You won’t regret not eating the
cookie, but it is very likely that you will regret it if you
See Welcome page 21
have any friends who look vaguely familiar? Maybe
you've seen them before—and this is just cause to friend
them, if you are a bona fide Facebook creep. When/If
these individuals accept your friend request, go onto
their page and look at every picture anyone's ever
tagged them in. View their photo albums and comment
on the very, very old ones that you obviously had to
dig around for. Maybe it's family photos from fresh-
man year or photo booth-esque shots of your Facebook
friend with one of his or her real friends, or, if you're
very lucky, you'll find pictures of this Facebook friend
with a significant other from the past. Whatever it may
be, comment on it. At the very least, click “Like” on
some of the pictures. When your Facebook friend is
notified that you commented a photo/album, they will
be surprised and a bit curious to see which picture that
person he/she's not really even friends with might have
commented. Then, when they see that it's an old snapshot
of them with their grandfather, they'll be weirded out.
You're on the right track.
Facebook statuses are a fantastic addition
to life in the 21st century. Now you can tell people
exactly what you're thinking, feeling, eating, doing,
See Serendipity page 22
11
Review
J
oan Jett first gained fame in the mid-70s when she
became a founding member of the all-girl rock
group the Runaways. Jett played rhythm guitar,
provided backing vocals, and wrote or co-wrote many
of the Runaways songs, staying in the band through
its five-LP run. Her first solo album was released on
May 17, 1980, in Europe, but was rejected by 23 record
labels in the U.S., prompting Joan Jett and her producer
Kenny Laguna to release it on a new label all of their
own, called Blackheart Records. Laguna helped Joan
Jett form a backing group, the Blackhearts, comprised of
“three good men” as Jett specifically requested in an ad
in the L.A. Weekly. The Blackhearts made their debut on
Joan Jett’s I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll in 1981, and would go on
to back Jett for all eleven of her following records.
I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll is Joan Jett’s biggest
album to date. It reached number two on the U.S. charts
Surviving Apocalyptia
Dressed to Kill
By John Forbes
L
ast edition we picked a zombimobile that would
extend your longevity in the zombie apocalypse,
leaving one of the big issues in the dust. Now
let’s talk about traveling on foot or on a bicycle. Let’s
just say you’re riding your bike and you round a corner.
Suddenly there’s a lone zombie next to you, or maybe
a small group of the undead. The zombie decides that
you look tasty and decides to take a nibble. Well since
almost all zombies spread their grotesque infection via
bite you’re essentially a zombie now. Or are you?
I know sometimes it seems that once you
make any sort of contact with zombies, you’re dead.
But that’s not completely true. If you have some good
armor you may stand a chance. But then, what’s good
armor?
Naturally your first thought is going to be
something that covers your entire body, maybe some
tactical body armor, or maybe a medieval suit of armor.
Most people aren’t lucky enough to own either of these,
pg 12
I Love Rock 'n' Roll
(Joan Jett & the
Blackhearts; 1981)
By Samuel L. Benton
and was certified platinum. It spawned three top 100
singles, with “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “Crimson and
Clover” reaching numbers one and seven on the charts
respectively. Jett found most of her popularity in the
United States, contrasting with the lack of success the
Runaways found.
Of the ten songs that make up I Love Rock
‘n’ Roll, six are cover songs, including the title track.
The covers (one of which, “You’re Too Possessive,” was
originally recorded by the Runaways) are very similar to
the originals, just given a more heavy, raw, and rockin’
vibe in the Ramones fashion (the Ramones often times
covered classic rockers like “Let’s Dance” and “Do You
Wanna Dance?”) Although I would classify the music
as strict rock ‘n’ roll, it does share similarities with punk
music. The arrangements are simple, loud, and fast (best
example: “Nag.”)
The music is good on its own, but take a look
at the cover and you’ll see what gives it its greatness.
Looking back at you will be a raven-haired rocker. Joan
Jett looks tough, with a capital T. Spin the album and
but luckily there are a lot of common alternatives.
If you’re traveling on foot, you’ll want
something lightweight. Otherwise, you’ll end up with
an extreme case of exhaustion in no time, which will
in turn lead to an extreme case of zombie bites. Good
armor includes anything made of leather, heavy leather.
If you face the zombie apocalypse in a windbreaker , it’s
very likely that you’ll sustain quite a few bite wounds in
quite a short time. If you plunge in wearing a motorcycle
jacket however, you’ll fit right in.
Beyond the weight and durability of your
armor, your choice should be based on comfort. Com-
fort is an important aspect in day-to-day life, but even
more so when there are walking corpses lurking around
every corner. The apocalypse is a psychologically-trying
scenario, and if you find yourself in a lifeless wasteland
struggling for survival, running in oversized shoes will
be the difference between life and death. A pair of pants
that don’t fit right may be enough to drive you over the
G r e e
you’ll realize that you can judge a book by its cover and
be accurate. While her music isn’t full of greatness, it
is full of life. Aggressive life, at that. This lady has the
snarl of a punk rocker, and the attitude to back it up.
She has her female identity displayed proudly in her
music.
It was that exact female identity (also found
in the Runaways and other all women rock groups of
the time) that would lead into the Riot Grrrl movement
of the early 1990s. All-girl bands like Bikini Kill and
Bratmobile emerged with messages of rape, sexuality,
abuse, and all wrapped under the blanket of feminism
and rock. Joan Jett and other hard-rocking women bring
a boat load of power to women, channeled through their
guitar amps.
I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll is simple, direct, and
powerful. It is not one of the greatest albums of all time
quality-wise, but it is a blast to listen to. Joan Jett is a
rocker of the highest degree. She doesn’t just love rock
‘n’ roll, she makes it. And she makes it well.
Humor
edge. Try not to wear baggy clothing, though, because
it will get caught on something while you’re running
from hungry zombies, and we all know how that ends.
A word on color. Stay away from bright,
flamboyant clothing. Bright colors are remarkably easy
to see, so stick to colors that match your surroundings to
avoid being seen by the zombies. If you’re in a forested
area, for instance, you should stick to brown or green
colors. Also you could restrict yourself to night-time
traveling and wear a lot of black. The object is to remain
unseen. Unique fashion isn’t so important when it makes
you look tastier.
n H o r n
 Reviews
Clash of the Titans
From Campy to Charmless
By Sam Hensel-Hunter

and Predators are all hoping to cash in on high-grossing
but recently-deceased franchises. Topping the charts
is Clash of the Titans, switching up the original’s stop
motion animation for CGI and 3D.
1981’s Clash of the Titans was is a more
faithful adaptation of the myth of Perseus with the
campy acting and effects and the many creatures charm-
ingly animated by the great Ray Harryhausen, best
known for his work for Jason and the Argonauts which
portayed a battle of seven resurrected skeleton warriors.
Long before any of the flashy special effects that are a
standard in today’s movies, Harryhausen created fluid
stop-motion movement of characters that seemed much
more organic and fluid than many of the effects of later
movies. This style of animation has preserved well and
continues to pass the test of time.
butchered movie. Clash of the Titans often feels like it
was edited by a small child with a short attention span.
There isn't enough lead up to important moments, and
the character development is minimal at best. Some of
this can be attributed to editing the movie so it could be
rated PG-13; cutting sex and violence from it and seems
to leave an empty space in its place.
Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson put in
respectable performances as the Olympians Hades and
Zeus, but their screen time is slight, and for most of the
film we’re stuck with the wooden Worthington, and his
CGI opponents.
Clash of the Titans in 1981 wasn’t a perfect
movie, but its accuracy to the myth, and its equal em-
phasis on story and effects, and lack of ADHD editing
make it a much more pleasant viewing experience that

2
010 is turning out to be a year of movie re- The 2010 Clash of the Titans does not have Clash of the Titans in 2010 for those not easily addled
imaginings, the Hollywood term for remakes. A any of the charm that keeps the original alive. The by flashy CGI.
Nightmare on Elm Street, Alice in Wonderland, visuals have been updated, but they surround a heavily

Fan-Fiction Fun
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice
By Laurel Porter

A
fter a successful writer dies, it has become
expected that some aspiring whippersnapper
will take up the mantle of the author’s most
celebrated characters and plot devices and attempt to "do
them justice"—through a re-write of the original story, a
new sequel, or perhaps even an alternate reality scenario
where characters are transported to a new time period
or dimension. Most of these rewrites are stunning and
hilarious failures that will only be published online and
(thankfully) never see the light of bound printed matter.
There are some atrocities, however, that do manage to
make it to the page, giving them the status of glorified
Fan-Fiction. (Fan-Fiction is any story written using
‘borrowed’ characters that were created by an original
author who does not accept the rewritten story as part of
the true ‘canon’ or plotline.)This glorified Fan-Fiction is
usually only slightly better than the stuff found on the
Internet, and is generally mocked by true devotees of
the original author.
In the realm of Sherlock Holmes Fan-Fiction,
there is certainly a landfill stuffed with preposterous
plotlines: ‘Sherlock Holmes versus Dracula!’ ‘Sherlock
Holmes In Love!’ ‘Sherlock Holmes Catches Jack the
Ripper!’ ‘Sherlock Holmes IS Jack the Ripper!’
These titles and ideas are ridiculous, but
amusing.
I consider myself to be a true Holmesian
scholar. Until a week ago, I scoffed, along with the rest
of my fellow fans, at the absurdity of glorified Sherlock
Holmes Fan-Fiction. As if anyone could ever come close
to writing Holmes the way the original author, Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle, wrote the original.
Unfortunately, I wrecked my ship of snob-
bery against a series previously undiscovered by myself.
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice (1994) is the first in a
progression of novels by Laurie R. King in which the
Great Detective has retired to Sussex after a successful
career and is now minding bees as a part-time hobby
while keeping his mind sharp with scientific experiments
and the occasional political intrigues of a World War at the same time. Here is the decription of that event:
I-era England. As it was, my first awareness that there was
Holmes, however, is not the main character another soul in the universe was when a male throat
of this series. The main character is a certain Mary Rus- cleared itself loudly not four feet from me. The Latin
sell, a half-Jewish, half-American teenager with a sharp text flew into the air, followed closely by an Anglo-Saxon
wit and even sharper deductive mind. Russell (as she oath. Heart pounding, I hastily pulled together what
is called throughout the series) is also our narrator, and dignity I could and glared down through my spectacles
she begins her association with Homes after she nearly
trips over him while attempting to read a book and walk See Beekeepers page 22

G r e e n H o r n pg 13
Baseball
Baseball Team Drops a
Hot Biscuit to the Bulldogs
By Ashley Richardson

Matt Mitchell steps up to plate against
Otter Valley on April 28th. The
Cosmos lost the game 13 to 6.
D
uring pre-season, the Springfield High School
baseball team realized they needed to work on
intensity. Last year, the team didn’t do as well
as they had hoped, and ended their season at 4-12, which
disqualified them from the playoffs.
"The difference between this year and last
year is that this year, people care about winning and
losing and don't want to have season like last year,”
senior Derek Osborne said. “We weren’t a strong team
last year, but we’ve been improving our intensity this
year.”
This season is already different because of
the new players who came back to play baseball their
senior year. Seniors Bennett Chevalier, Matt Mitchell,
and Brandon Boyle came back this season to help the
Cosmos to a winning record.
“This season I hope we go all the way,”
Mitchell said. “It’d be good for the program. The base-
ball program has been down for a while, and it’s time
we start winning.”
In the Cosmos first game of the year, they
fell to the Burr and Burton Bulldogs 15-9 in a game that
was called in the middle of the seventh inning when
the umpire couldn’t see the ball anymore. Because of
darkness falling, the Cosmos were issued a loss. “We
just need to be more consistent at the plate, and just play
baseball,” senior Bennett Chevalier said. “We need to
have intensity from start to finish.”
In the second game of the season, however,
the Cosmos pulled it together in the rain, and came
away with a 5-4 win against the Division I Hartford
Hurricanes. In the beginning of the game, Hartford took
a small lead, but the Cosmos were able to answer with
runs of their own.
“We had a few errors in the beginning that
hurt us, but we were able to pull it together in the end
and walk away with a win,” Osborne said. “We didn’t
give up when we were down. And we were able to come
back and win.”
Osborne and junior Jeremy Currie are
veteran varsity pitchers, and are leading the team this
year on the mound. In Hartford, Osborne pitched four
innings, and Currie came in to relieve him in the 5th.
“We didn’t hit the ball as well as we should have, and
See Baseball page 23

Underclassmen, Golfers
Swell Baseball Ranks
By Jill Rushton

C
oming off a 4-13 record, the Springfield varsity
baseball team hopes for a more successful sea-
son in 2010 with the help of six players who
have returned after playing golf last spring.
“The coaches held open gym during winter
before the season to work on fundamentals and get in
shape,” sophomore outfielder Aaron Wallace said. “We
had a pretty good turn-out. It got us back into the swing
of things.”
With the lack of participants in the program,
however, coach Larry Partridge, who also teaches physi-
cal education at Riverside Middle School, intended to
fill positions with underclassmen, including sophomore
Kirk Perham and junior Ethan McAllister.
The Cosmos were beaten 15-9 by the Burr
and Burton Bulldogs at home in their season opener, a
game shortened by darkness. But the boys offset the
opening-game loss by beating the Division I Hartford
Hurricanes, 5-4, on Friday, April 9th.
“My hopes for the season are to make it to
the playoffs,” senior third baseman Bennett Chevalier
said. “We have a pretty good bullpen. This year we have
bonded more as a team, which will definitely be good
for our season.”
Larry Partridge returns to lead the team for
his 7th season. With the switch of the golfers, along with
new talent in the lineup including outfielder McAllister,
Partridge hopes to improve on their record from last
year.
Six freshmen have been part of the bonding
process on the varsity baseball team. The newcomers
have adjusted well to the faster pitching and tougher
competition. With the help of the coaches and upper-
classmen, the freshmen have been making a smooth
transition.
“I adjusted pretty quickly to the high school
level,” freshman first baseman Kirby Goodrich said.
“The coaches helped the transition and got us used to
the faster pitching. I did some Babe Ruth games in the
summer which got me back into the flow of baseball
and helped me get acquainted with the kids I would be
playing with.”
Seniors Matt Mitchell, Bennett Chevalier,
Brandon Boyle, and junior Cody Filkins return to the
team after taking a year off from baseball. Boyle will
fill the shortstop position, while senior Derek Osborne Junior Jeremy Currie prepares to
and sophomore Jeremy Currie send the heat from the strike out an Otter Valley Otter on
mound. April 28th.
“I definitely see how much I’ve missed in a
year,” Chevalier concluded.

pg 14 G r e e n H o r n

Erin Graham bats during the Otter Valley game on April 28th. She stands on
second base after doubling in the same game. Graham, one of four seniors on
the squad, displayed great leadership in the contest but it wasn't enough for the
Cosmos as they lost to the Otters, 3-0.
Cosmos Wallop Terriers
13-3 Romp Evens Record
By Ashley Richardson
F
or over 40 years, the Springfield Cosmos rival
school has been the Bellows Falls Terriers.
They’ve passed a trophy back and forth, played
each other in the playoffs and in championship games,
and had streaks of wins and loses. The Cosmos are on
one of their many winning streaks.
The Cosmos have not lost to the Terriers in
any other sport besides baseball. That means that the
Cosmos have beat Bellows Falls in softball, boys and
girls soccer, field hockey, boys and girls basketball, and
this year, softball again. On Thursday, April 15th, the
Cosmos destroyed Bellows Falls 13-3.
“In the first inning, Bellows Falls got three
runs,” sophomore Eibhilin Whittemore said. “I think that
everybody was just getting warmed up then, because
that was the only inning anybody from BF got home.
The rest of the game, we didn’t let anybody score, and
we started getting some runs.”
At the end of the first inning, the score re-
mained 3-0, in favor of Bellows Falls. But in the second
inning junior Sarah Vredenburgh stole home to make
the score 3-1. No one else could get a bat on the ball,
however, and the Cosmos were still trailing going into
the second inning.
G r e e n H o r
“The game went really well,” senior Erin
Graham said. “I got a little nervous about the outcome
of the game in the first few innings, but then we got
better. We had wonderful hitting, and the defense was
miraculous.”
After the third inning, the Cosmos began to
put their bat on the ball and started making the Terriers
work their defense. That proved to be the key point in
the victory. The Bellows Falls Terriers couldn’t make
the plays on the bunts, and the Cosmos runners were
able to advance to second and third without the catcher
throwing them out. This aggression only increased as
the game went on.
“The team was a little down at first, but
when we got into trouble our team and fans just cheered
louder,” junior Amanda Farnsworth said. “This allowed
us to stay positive and finish the first few innings. We
tried to catch up for about three innings, and had a hard
time getting on base. But eventually we had a few good
hits consecutively and that really pulled us back into it.
It took us a while to come back, but when we did, we
annihilated them.”
See Softball page 23
n pg
Sports
Lifeguarding
Class
Offers First
Aid Training
By Courtney Dowining
W
here is the one place you can get a tan, wear
your bathing suit, twirl a whistle, and have
full-time access to an air horn? The town
pool. During the summer, between 10 and 15 lifeguards
lather on the sun block and assume their positions in
their life guard chairs, sitting high and mighty over the
shimmering blue mirror of the town pool.
During the semester, the six students enrolled
in the lifeguarding spring course, along with instructor
Joan Cioffi, venture past the doors to Springfield High
School and head to the Edgar May Health and Recreation
Center located on Clinton Street in Springfield to work
in the lifeguarding course. The class is broken up into a
water portion and a video and lecture portion.
“I love being around the water and being
outside in the summer, so I thought lifeguarding would
be a great job,” said sophomore Larissa Bargfrede. “It’s
a really good certification to have.” Bargfrede's favorite
part of the course involves the time she gets to spend at
the rec center working in the water.
Another member of the lifeguarding class,
sophomore Olivia Thayer has experience around the
water. Last summer she worked at the Claremont town
pool. Since then she has wanted to be a lifeguard. “I’ve
been swimming since I was eight,” said Thayer. “So
swimming and the water has been a huge part of my life.
So lifeguarding was just a natural job choice for me.”
Lifeguarding is a semester class. Students
are required to have 30 hours of work completed. When
the class is at the pool, they swim or practice life-saving
techniques with a lifeguarding tube. They focus a lot on
back boarding techniques. The students also practice and
eventually are certified in first aid training. They learn
how to deal with open wounds and blood cleanup, among
other health protocols.
SHS phys ed teacher and instructor Joan
Cioffi teaches lifeguarding with Scott Bushway, who
is the aquatics director at the Rec Center. Cioffi was a
lifeguard instructor for 15 years. In order for Cioffi to
keep her certification, she would have to teach a class
at least once a year.
“I just didn’t have time to teach once a year,”
said Cioffi. Cioffi teaches the DVD and book part of the
course.
The lifeguarding class costs $16. However,
if a studen were to take the class out of school, it would
cost from $250-$300. For these six students, they gain
a life-guarding certificate without clearing out their
wallet.
15
Sports

Frank Gould and Mark Xu prepare their clubs, while Kevin Orth and John Kendall stand with golf-like discipline.

Golfers Tee-up Hope and Optimism

By Ryan Brady

S
pringfield High School baseball, softball, and
track teams started competition in early April.
But since the golf team commenced later, their
first match didn’t take place until April 26th since
weather delaying the start of the season.
As usual, the golf team started its season
with service days at the Springfield Country Club at the
beginning of April. The team aided the greens crew and
earned themselves free golf throughout the golf season,
for both team practice and individual use.
“The work isn’t hard,” said sophomore golfer
Tom Kendall. “You work for a couple days and then get
free golf for three months. It’s a great deal.”
About three weeks, after the teams service
day, the team completed its first match. The match took
place on Tuesday, April 27th in Windsor and SHS faced
off against the Windsor golf team, and the Westminster
Golf team. The squad finished second out of the three
teams, shooting a 33 on a par 34.
“The season is going well,” said senior golfer
Mark Xu. “There’s a lot of new faces on the team, and
Brandon left.”
Team numbers for golf are down from last
year with only eight boys on the roster. Girls numbers
are even lower with just one female golfers. The boys
include seniors Russell Schliemer, John Kendall, Mark
Xu, and Kevin Orth, along with sophomores Derrick
Gralich, Tom Kendall, and Frank Gould, and finally
freshman Levi Parker.
During practices, the golfers practice putting
and chipping, along with playing the course. “We warm
up and then get right into playing,” said John Kendall,
“and two or three times a year we work with the pro-
shop’s pro on chipping, putting and our grip.”
The golfers expect to have a good season
despite the low numbers. Their second place finish
in their first match was a good start. “We have four
matches in the second week,” continued John Kendall.
“I think we’ll do well”
Early matches included a match on Monday
May 3rd, along with a match the following day May 4th
at Tater Hill Golf Club.
The Boys and Girls State Golf
Competition will occur June 8th-9th.

S
enior Kim Murray prepares to return volley against a Woodstock opponent.
The Springfield girls tennis team is half way into their season with a
winning record. Although the girls have not faced their toughest
opponents yet, such as Burr & Burton Academy and Brattleboro High School,
they have pulled through strong with their previous matches. Both the number
one seed, senior Olivia Johnson, and the number two seed, Lauren
Sanderson have winning individual records. The girls hope to defeat their long-
time rival, Woodstock High School, in late May. For seniors Taylor Thomas,
Melissa Tarbell, Kim Murray, Nicole Stewart, Jenna Swan, Brittany Andrews,
and Olivia Johnson, this will be their last tennis season.

pg 16 G r e e n H o r n

Sophomore Cosmos lineman James
Stillings participated in a National
Underclassmen Football Combine
in Massachusetts recently. He was
named Offensive Line Most Valuable
Player at this event which included 100
top football players.
Sports Essay
The Black Ice hockey team enjoys a triumphant photo moment after winning the
Montreal Enterprise Tournament with a 4-1-0 record. Cosmos hockey player
Angelo Jardina, in the middle of the back row, and Brian Martin, sitting third
from the right, both played for Woodstock High School in the winter.
G r e e n H o r
Sports
James Stillings Honored at
Football Combine
By Ashley Richardson
S
pringfield High School football was represented
well in the recent National Underclassmen Foot-
ball Combine (NUC) in Massachusetts, when
sophomore James Stillings took home the Offensive
Line Most Valuable Player award.
“There were probably 80 or more sopho-
mores at the combine with me,” Stillings said. “They
break it up between days for grades 8-11. After the
combine, I received Offensive Line MVP, which means
I was overall the best offensive lineman there.”
Stillings is the only Cosmos player to attend
a combine. In fact, Stillings was the only player from
Vermont at the combine in Massachusetts.
“I learned about the combine on accident,”
Stillings said. “I was on another football website and
saw an advertisement for it so I looked into it. I thought
it would be a good idea. Nobody from SHS has done
one, and as far as I know, nobody’s going to. But I’m
definitely going to do it again.”
At the combine, players were challenged
in many different drills. It was structured to resemble
combines the National Football League conducts.
“We did the vertical leap, broad jump, 40-
yard dash, shuttle drill, bench press, and one on ones,"
Stillings said. "It was only a one day thing, and lasted
for about four hours.”
During these drills, Stillings competed
against about 100 other football players from large
n pg
schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut, as well as
players from surrounding states.
“My favorite thing about attending this
combine was the experience of competing against all the
great competition,” Stillings said. “It’s definitely going
to be a big help for the rest of my high school career.
The competition down there was ten times better than
up here. Up here, I’m also competing against seniors and
juniors, and down there they were all in my grade.”
After Stillings’ MVP award-winning per-
formance at the combine, he plans to attend a football
camp in New Jersey. “Most likely I will be invited to
New Jersey for the Ultimate 100 camp,” Stillings said.
“This combine is for the best in a certain region, our
region being the east. They also have south-east, north,
north-west, west, etc.”
SHS football players are already using the
weight room to get in shape, and will begin pre-season
practices in August. Stillings’ experience at the NUC
combine helped give him a leg up in preparing for the
2010 football season.
“It was a huge boost in my football career,”
Stillings said. “NUC is partnered with a lot of other
companies, such as the National Collegiate Scouting
Association [NCSA]. This company lets you create a
profile on their website, and over 20,000 profiles are
viewed by college coaches every month..”
Victory on
Foreign Ice
By Angelo Jardina
B
usiness trips will sometimes bring one around
the country or possibly out of the country. But
until you are out of high school, or college, the
only way to get out and about is to tag along when your
parents take a family vacation.
Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong
with family vacations. But there are alternatives. One,
in particular, is if you are a sports fanatic and love a
certain sport, you may have the opportunity to try out
for a club/ travel team. Many teams for various sports
travel about the country and even out of the country to
play in major tournaments.
I for one love to travel, and lately since I have
started to become more involved with school, varsity
sports and looking at colleges, I have had less time to get
See Hockey page 20
17
Sports
Sports Friends Forever?
Standout Cosmos Athletes Boyle and
Kendall Will Room Together in College
By Ashley Richardson

S
ince entering the sixth grade, Springfield High
School seniors John Kendall and Brandon Boyle
have been close friends. Kendall has always
played soccer, and Boyle switched from soccer with
Kendall to football in middle school. Now, six years
later, Kendall and Boyle will travel together to Castleton
State College to play soccer and football respectively.
“Brandon and I have been friends since sixth
grade, and now we’re both going to Castleton to play
sports,” Kendall said. “I really like the soccer program,
and Coach Warner at Castleton, and decided this year
that I wanted to continue my soccer career with him.”
In high school, Kendall was named to the
Marble Valley League team three years in a row, and
the All-State team his junior and senior year.
“I’m really proud of how I played through-
out my senior year, and I’m honestly honored by the
awards,” Kendall said. “I definitely could not have
achieved these awards without my team.”
Boyle also received many honors throughout
high school, including the All-league award for three
straight years and the All-State award his junior and
senior year. He also won the All-American U.S. Army
award, the Jerry Rice Nomination award, the Vermont
National High School Hall of Fame award. He was also
named one of the top 100 receivers in the nation.
Boyle played in the North South football
game in late November, and will play on the Vermont
football team in the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl Game in
early August.
“All the awards I received in high school
were very generous,” Boyle said. “I feel very honored
to get them. They’re the type of awards you don’t hear
about very often, so when you do, it’s kind of a huge
deal. The Shrine game will prepare me for college
ball because I will be going against a lot faster, bigger
guys.”
After the Shrine game, Boyle will attend his
own pre-season football practices at the same time and
while Kendall will be attending his own pre-season soc-
cer practices. Their similarities don’t end there. Boyle
and Kendall will also be rooming together at Castleton
State College, and are hoping to unite the Castleton
football and soccer teams.
“It will be really fun rooming together at
Castleton and playing different sports,” Kendall said.
“We’re hoping to pull the two teams together there next Seniors Brandon Boyle and John Kendall have been friends since sixth grade.
year like we have done in the past four years at SHS.” Next autumn they will room together at Castleton State College where Boyle will
“I’m really excited to room with John,”
Boyle added. “We haven’t always been extremely close, play football and Kendall will play soccer for the Spartans. Boyle, pictured
but we’ve always pulled together the football and soccer bottom left, will play in the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl game. Kendall, bottom
teams and cheer each other on. He’s someone I can trust right, was named to the Marble Valley League team three years in a row and the
See Castleton page 21 All State team for his junior and senior year.

pg 18 G r e e n H o r n
 Sports
John Davis Runs the Boston Marathon
Shares the Ecstasy of Victory with Sons
By Jill Rushton

PVP Teacher John Davis and his sons Jed and Ben participated in the 113th Boston Marathon on April 19th. They crossed
the finish line in roughly 4 1/2 hours, over two hours after the winner Robert Cheruiyot. Though they didn't
finish in the front, they ran faster than Jenny Craig spokeswoman Valerie Bertinelli, on the right.

O
n your mark. Get set. Go. For months, athletes
around the world trained and competed for the
113th Boston Marathon held in Massachusettes.
The Boston Marathon took place on April 19th and
26th. 735 runners participated in the world’s oldest and
most venerable annual race. One of the runners was
Springfield High School’s Precision Valley Program
(PVP) teacher John Davis, who ran with his two sons,
28-year old Jed and 23-year-old Ben.
To prepare for the marathon, Davis ran six
days a week, and tried to maintain a healthy diet by
eating lots of fruits and vegetables and keeping track
of calories.
“I trained for 16 weeks,” Davis said. “I ran
4-6 miles progressively on weekdays, and long runs up
to 20 miles on weekends.”
All three of the Davis boys crossed the finish
line together almost 4 ½ hours after the marathon race
started. Although none of them came close to beating
second-time winner Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, John
Davis finished ahead of Jenny Craig Diet System
spokeswoman Valerie Bertinelli. Cheruiyot, by the way,
finished first in the race with 2:05:52, and beat the world
record.
“Both my son and I use the quote ‘acting
our way into right thinking’ as a guiding principle
throughout our life,” said Davis. “If I sit around and
wait it doesn’t do any good. But if I just go out and run
it feels good. It’s kind of like learning. You’ve just got
to do it and you feel good about it after.”
Davis and his oldest son, Jed, participate
in a series of adventure games across the country that
include rock climbing, mountain biking and canoeing.
The Davis father-son duo won events in Arkansas and
Wisconsin and have placed in top rankings in more
competitive races in Texas and Florida.
“All of the races are difficult, but the most
challenging was [a race] in Florida last spring,” said
Davis. “There were alligator-infested swamps we had
to go through. But they’re all challenging. That’s why
we do them.”
The Boston Marathon is a charitable event
where runners from around the nation and the world run
a 26-mile course through Boston. What was once just
a local event has become a worldwide tradition, where
approximately more than 500,00 spectators stand by to
cheer on the runners. The marathon has generated local
traditions such as girls from Wellesley College who kiss
the runners as they run by.
Another tradition, started in 1903, is a Boston
Red Sox home game at Fenway Park that starts every
year at 11:05 am. When the game ends, the crowd emp-
ties on to the streets to applaud the runners just in time
for the final mile.
This year, the marathon expected to exceed
$100 million in total funds raised by its official charity
program. To qualify, a runner must complete a standard
marathon course within a certain period of time before
the date of the marathon.
“Our goal is to do events in every state,” said
Davis. “The events get me to another state. This one was
close so [my two sons and I] entered.”
John and Jed Davis have done marathons for
the past nine years in over 40 adventure races. They do
not plan on packing their sneakers away anytime soon.
The Davis duo has already planned their next running
adventure in Burlington, Vermont, in late May.
“I’ll do the races until I can’t,” Davis con-
cluded. “It’s something people usually don’t do. That’s
the satisfaction that makes it worth it.”

G r e e n H o r n pg 19
Hockey from page 17
away from all the stress and commotion. Some people
may have camps outside of town that they run away to
with their family, but as you get further into your high
school career escape can become more and more dif-
ficult.
Not all of us have the chance to get away
but when you do it feels great, especially if you are
with people you love, doing the things you enjoy. Some
people enjoy just having some relaxation time. But
for those of us who like to keep on the move, playing
sports has always been the path to take. There are many
different skill levels of travel teams across the country
and many of them can give you the chance to see new
and wonderful places.
I play on a travel hockey team called Black
Ice, based out of Rutland, Vermont. The team has been
around since 1999. For the past four years I have en-
joyed my time playing hockey and traveling around to
different cities in the Northeast. This spring we traveled
to Montreal, Canada, where we took the gold medal in
the Canadian Enterprises Tournament. First place at this
tournament is something we had never experienced. We
Community from page 8
Some members of the Class of 2013 enjoy
their community service and have volunteered for more
than the 20 hours required by the school.
“I thought the community service was easy,”
said freshman Sarah Stiles, who completed more than
her mandatory hours without trouble. Some freshmen
have even grown to love the act of giving back to their
community, like freshman Allison Pinney, who has ac-
complished a staggering 60 hours of community service
just this year.
“I really like doing community service,” said
Pinney, who volunteers three times a week at the River
Valley Tech Center pre-school. “I’ve completed over
sixty hours, I just haven’t turned in any paperwork.”
Unlike many of her classmates, Pinney
thinks it’s fair that only freshmen and the grades below
will be affected by this new requirement. Many fresh-
men feel that it’s unfair that their class has to perform
this un-paid help, while seniors, juniors, and sophomores
are still not required to do any community service before
Bells from page 1
But the way the bells rang during the month of March
and into April, the school day was extended by about
7 minutes. Which, to high school kids, seems like an
eternity. “I think the bells were off because our school
was too lazy or too busy to fix them,” senior Lindsay
Turgeon said.
In many classrooms, the clocks are off. They
may just be off by a few minutes, but there are a few
clocks where the hour is completely wrong. There are
even clocks that simply don’t move. During the class
period, many students watch the clock tick off every
second, just counting down the minutes until they can
leave. But when the time is off, there’s nothing to watch
or get anxious about. And then students would never
know if the bell was ringing on time.
“During class, I usually check my cell phone
to see how much time is left in the period,” freshman
Taylor Knoras said. “So I noticed that the clocks were
off. But they seem to be more on time now.”
pg 20
surprised many of the Canadian hockey fans with our
victory and finally earned ourselves a good name in such
a big city.
Although hockey was the main reason for
the trip, there was quite a bit of much-needed down
time in between games. The free time we were given
was supposed to be a time to rest up and re-focus for
the games ahead. But since we were teenagers, little
rest was needed when there were city streets in need
of exploration. New cultural experiences have always
been something I have enjoyed, and since I was in a
completely new setting I had many opportunities to
expand my cultural knowledge.
The hotel I stayed in along with the rest of
the team was set smack in the middle of Old Montreal.
Just down the block, Notre Dame loomed over the
streets. At night the flashing neon lights coming from
the shops below would shimmer up the spires toward
the sky. The streets of Montreal are full of life 24 hours
a day. Many of the people are friendly enough to help
you with directions or information. But when exploring
Montreal, directions are rarely needed.
they graduate.
“I think community service is dumb,” said
freshmen Jessica Crowley, who has only four out of her
ten hours logged. “We have enough else to do with our
lives.” Crowley, also along with Mei and Stiles, think
upperclassmen should have to complete some hours
before they depart SHS.
For freshmen like Crowley, the question
may become “So, what will happen if I don’t complete
my hours for freshmen year?” Haskell says that while
there is no direct consequence as of right now for not
completing hours, every student who doesn’t have a plan
to complete there hours will be assigned work. Haskell
also says that she and the rest of the community service
committee are currently revising the policy so a clearer
consequence will be set in place for next year.
“There are so many things that people can
do,” Haskell said. “Plus it shouldn’t be just about
working, it’s supposed to be about helping the com-
munity.”
Since there were four snow days this year,
Springfield High School students and staff have to give
up one more week of their summer sun to come into the
high school and learn. But, as some students and some
staff members believe, SHS officials were adding min-
utes on to each day in order to cut off one of the snow
days.
“Because of the messed up bells, a lot of kids
were late to class. The first bell would ring late, then
there would only be like a minute to get to your next
class, which made everyone late,” senior Erin Graham
said. “They were probably trying to get an extra day in
of school so we don’t have to make up a snow day.”
During March, the New England Accredita-
tion of Schools and Colleges visited SHS to see if it was
going to continue to be an accredited school. During
this time, a team of NEASC members shadowed SHS
students around the school, and to all of their classes.
They only stayed one week, and used as much time as
they could to understand SHS.
G r e e
As I walked from street to street, weaving
in and out of people of all ages, I noticed that at least
one window in every shop or restaurant was dedicated
to hockey. Even the windows of the shops in Chinatown
displayed hockey paraphernalia. There was no-where to
hide from the fact that Canada, well Montreal in par-
ticular, is in love with the sport of ice hockey although
their national sport just so happens to be lacrosse.
Seeing hockey all around me made me real-
ize how connected I had become to almost every person
on the team including the coaching staff. Hockey it
seems has a certain kind of bond with the players and
coaches. Even though many of my teammates, in fact
all but one, play for different high school teams, I treat
them as if I have known them my whole life and they
treat me with the same attitude. It is an odd circumstance.
But it is what makes playing hockey so enjoyable.
Black Ice hockey has broadened my travel
experiences and made hockey an even more enjoyable
sport that has enveloped my life.
MoMA from page 8
storyboards, Tim Burton’s poetry, and some artwork
from his childhood. Perham and Trombly described
his artwork as colorful with disfigured people that were
either “really tall and skinny, or really short and fat.”
"There was a lot of neat stuff from his child-
hood," added Skrypeck.
Another feature of the exhibit that remained
imbedded in the minds of Perham and Trombly was a
three-dimensional dollhouse with a dead person's feet
sticking out and a child holding the knife.
"It was creepy but cool," said Perham.
Due to a crowd, the group spent about an
hour in the museum. Also on display at MoMA for the
SHS group to see were famous works of art including
Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. The rest of the time
was spent touring New York City. Some notable sites
the group visited included Times Square, Rockefeller
Center, the Radio City Music Hall, Trump Towers and
numerous stores.
"I had a really good time," said Skrypeck. "I
can't pick out one thing. It was just a really good day."
“I heard that the bells were off because they
needed longer class time for the students while there
were the NEASC people coming into the school and
inspecting it,” junior Caitlyn Nye said. “I really didn’t
like it, of course, because the classes were longer.”
A lot has happened at SHS in a month this
spring. The NEASC committee came, daylight savings
occurred, and a lightning storm hit. Add that onto four
extra days of school in the summer, and it’s a disaster
bound to happen. Well, that disaster came: the bells
being off made students stay in school seven extra
minutes. “I think that the bells were off because of the
time change, and the time we had the lightning storm,”
senior Paulina Mei said. “I just don’t think they changed
the clocks.”
While most of the clocks still aren’t fixed, the
bells have been ringing on time for the past few weeks.
And, as much as students and staff believe there is a
conspiracy by the SHS officials to keep them in school
longer, that doesn't appear to be the case.
n H o r n
[title of show] from page 5
sports a very low set cost. Both of these appealed to
the directors. The cost of the show, though expensive,
was better priced than other musicals (about $1,000).
Pennell also knew some people in New York City who
were up to date on the current plays. “I have a friend in
New York City and she showed me the music to [title of
show],” said Pennell. “We were really thinking about
shows that would be possible to do.”
Mobus is very excited to be the music di-
rector for [title of show] and is looking forward to the
experience. “I am extremely excited for the show,” she
said. “It will be so much fun working with the music
and it will be a great experience because I have been
involved in music for many years so the chance to help
tutor and give back will be satisfying.”
Other than [title of show], which will be
Bubble from page 24
Armstrong’s famous “One small step for man, one giant
leap for mankind,” that he was determined to be the first
to eat fruit on the moon?
A male cricket’s ear is located on its leg.
This is Olivia’s favorite fact. She thinks it’s
awesome and she loves animals almost more than hu-
mans. Earlier today in physics we were talking about the
Tacoma Bridge. There was mention of a person having
died in this incident, and Olivia made no comment but
then we realized it was a dog. Olivia flipped out. She
Castleton from page 18
to not steal my things, so I think us rooming together
will be a really good thing.”
Castleton State College is a small, Divi-
sion III college in the NCAA Division. Their football
program was created last year, and the team has a new
Spartan Stadium. Boyle will be playing receiver on this
new team, as well as on the special teams, and will be
part of this new program.
“I’m really excited to be playing football
at Castleton,” Boyle said. “There’s only two recruited
classes there now, since the program is brand new, so
I’ll actually have a chance of playing my freshman year
which doesn’t happen too often. Castleton is one of the
top three largest crowd attendance Division III schools
in the nation, so I’m excited to play in front of a big
crowd.”
Kendall will be joining the Castleton soc-
cer team, which has been part of Castleton’s athletics
Welcome from page 11
do.
Tip #3 (courtesy of my sister): Stop moping
around, waiting for the “right time” or a new week to
get exercising! Who says you can’t start a new workout
routine on a Thursday? Nobody, that’s who. Nobody
says you have to go to the gym, either. There are plenty
of things you can do right in your home or around your
neighborhood to get healthy. Just go online and you
can find good moves or workouts to strengthen those
muscles. Some especially good sites are self.com and
shape.com.
Now is the perfect time to start. As my sister
says, “Nobody ever said, ‘I wish I hadn’t worked out
today.’” Make yourself get going and you’ll feel good
G r e e n H o r
performed outside of school, the SHS Drama II students
will be putting on some other plays. Kelsey Christensen
will be directing Proof a play about a female mathemati-
cian who is trying to convince the world that a proof is
hers, not her deceased father's. ”It will be great to have
a directing experience and see what Mrs. Skrypek goes
through. It will be good to see the other side,” said
Christensen. The other play, called The Good Body is
an effort of seniors Jess Watkins, Emily Mobus, and
Lindsay Turgeon. The show, written by Eve Ensler, is
a humorous show about how women feel about their
bodies. “It is a series of monologues,” said Turgeon.
“Its aim is to make woman feel better about their bodies,
and the main focus is stomachs and butts. It’s a great
little show.”
Money, however, has been a concern for the
production of [title of show]. “Money is a problem for
accused the owners of locking the dog in the car –which
is ridiculous. This is Olivia. When animals are in harm,
she is their defender.
Most elephants weigh less than the tongue
of a blue whale.
Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Oooooh! (That was for you
Erin). Anyway, back to the fact. Wow, are you serious?
Obviously they are. They’re Snapple. This is a great fact.
It just reminds you of how huge whales are. Elephants
are HUGE and the fact that most of them don’t even
weigh the weight of a blue whale’s tongue is ludicrous.
We love this.
for over 50 years. He’ll be joining a team laced with
success stories, the latest being in 2004 when the team
earned their first-ever apperance to the NCAA national
tournament with a school-record 15 wins. Kendall will
be playing striker on this competitive team and has been
watched by the Castleton soccer coach since middle
school.
“I’m playing striker at Castleton, and it will
definitely be a big adjustment for me, but I love playing
for Coach Warner,” Kendall said. “He was my ODP soc-
cer coach in Riverside, and I know his program is really
strong, so I’m pretty excited to stay playing there.”
Although football and soccer may be the
most important and prominent part of Boyle and
Kendall’s lives at Castleton, especially in the fall, they
both are going in with a declared major. Kendall plans
to major in business management or marketing while
Boyle is looking more at communications.
“It’s going to be pretty tough managing my
time at Castleton with football and classes, but I have
afterword. After all, exercise is supposed to increase
the naturally-occurring chemical in your body called
dopamine that makes you feel happy.
Tip #4 (courtesy of me): Out with the old and
in with the new. Make some changes in your life. Get
the old stuff out of your way to make room for improve-
ments. For me, it is all of that college junk mail that has
been sitting in my room for a good year. Now that I’ve
finally chosen a college (UMass Amherst, by the way) I
have no need for those college brochures that have been
collecting in boxes on my floor. They’ve been taking
up so much space that now that they’re gone, I feel so
free!
Whatever it is that’s dragging you down, take
care of it. Even if it’s just getting rid of some clutter like
n pg
us right now. Thankfully, local businesses have donated
items (VonBargens donated a Pandora bracelet and
friendship charm, and PizzaStone in Chester donated
pizza gift certificates) and we will be holding raffles
for them,” said Pennell. “As directors, we need to pay
for rights and royalties, which can get expensive.”
[title of show] will open at GMUHS on June
3rd at 7:00 pm, followed by a performance at SHS on
June 4th, also at 7:00 pm. Judging by the directors'
comments, this is a riotously funny show with a lot of
pizzazz and humor. When asked about what she was
looking forward to the most, Pennell said, “I have never
directed a show before so it will be interesting to see
what happens. I don’t know what to expect.”
With ultimate confidence, Pennell con-
cluded, “I have a fantastic cast and music director, and
am excited to make this happen.”
Existence from page 10
It’s hard to tell if these vampires are honest
insecurities, or just an excuse for lack of ambition.
We often set the bar so low that it’s impossible to fail,
because we’re so afraid of failure.
Either way, if I want to fully achieve a life
that will make me happy, like in [title of show], I’ll have
to grab a stake, and kill those vampires.
to go to mandatory study hours at the student center for
five hours a week, so that will really help,” Boyle said.
“I just have to stay on top of my school work and I’ll
be all set.”
For the next four years at least, Kendall will
be spending every waking moment studying for his
classes and practicing his penalty kicks. But he won’t
be alone in this unfamiliar place, as Boyle will be doing
his studying and practicing right beside him. Boyle and
Kendall are one of about five SHS seniors attending
Castleton in the fall, and will continue their friendship
and love for sports together.
“The only problem we thought we were
going to have was the fact that our morning practices
were going to be at different times,” Kendall said. “But
we decided that if I have an earlier practice, Brandon
will sleep without his hearing aids so he won’t hear my
alarm, and he’ll invest in a vibrating pillow or a light
up pillow so if he has the first practice, I won’t hear it.
Basically, this is a perfect room set-up.”
old clothes, you’ll feel better. Get a new haircut, change
your makeup—or try going natural! Anything that works
for you, just try it.
Tip #5 (courtesy of SELF magazine): Sched-
ule a certain amount of time every day for yourself. If
you have already planned even a half hour to yourself
then if something goes awry during the day you won’t
feel like you’re losing time that you didn’t have for it.
If there are no sudden surprises during the day, then
use that time to relax. Watch a movie, take a long warm
shower, or it could be used for that exercising you
haven’t gotten to yet.
Tip #6 (courtesy of everyone who’s ever said
it): Don’t sweat the small stuff. I just think we all need
a reminder of this from time to time.
21
Beekeeper from page 13
at this figure hunched up at my feet: a gaunt, greying
man in his fifties wearing a cloth cap, ancient tweed
greatcoat, and decent shoes, with a threadbare Army
rucksack on the ground beside him. A tramp, perhaps,
who had left the rest of his possessions stashed beneath
a bush. Or an Eccentric. Certainly no shepherd.
He said nothing. Very sarcastically. I
snatched up my book and brushed it off.
“What on earth are you doing?” I demanded.
“Lying in wait for someone?”
He raised one eyebrow at that, smiled in a
singularly condescending and irritating manner, and
opened his mouth to speak in that precise drawl which
is the trademark of the overly educated upper-class
English gentleman. A high voice; a biting one: definitely
an Eccentric.
“I should think that I can hardly be accused
of ‘lying’ anywhere,” he said, “as I am seated openly on
an uncluttered hillside, minding my own business. When,
that is, I am not having to fend off those who propose
to crush me underfoot.” He rolled the penultimate r to
put me in my place.
…My shoulders went back, my chin up, as I
stiffened for combat. I had no idea where I was, or who
this man was, whether I was standing on his land or he
on mine, if he was a dangerous lunatic or an escaped
convict or the lord of the manor, and I did not care. I
was furious.
“You have not answered my question, sir,”
I bit off.
He ignored my fury. Worse than that, he
seemed un aware of it. He looked merely bored, as if
he wished I might go away.
“What am I doing here, do you mean?”
“Exactly.”
“I am watching bees,” he said flatly, and
Serendipity from page 11
wishing, wanting, dreading, hoping. All the time. You
need to take advantage of this. At the very least, people
will think you're strange and annoying, but if you fully
commit, you could make several people wonder if you
may indeed be a Bona Fide Facebook Creep. They'll
wonder why you are under the impression that anyone
cares about you eating cocoa puffs, being bored, or lov-
ing your dog. And everyone else's statuses? Comment
them. tell her about any strange medical conditions, allergies,
Like them. For this, it's actually best if
you don't even know the friend you're commenting.
Maybe they'll have a status about their favorite television
show—comment with a paragraph or two voicing your
own opinion of the show. This could be a perfect segue
into walling them. Yes, walling. Write on their Facebook
profile wall about the TV show as well. Suggest a TV-
watching marathon, just the two of you. This will make
them feel uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. Depend-
ing on the individual, they'll feel obligated to respond
to you. To them, you will become a person who has too
much time and who is a little too interested in talking
to them. You will become strange, unsettling. You will
become a task: they’ll have to think of imaginary plans
they already have on Friday night and reasons why they
can’t IM at the moment.
And speaking of which, Facebook chat is
an invaluable tool in the quest to Bona Fide Facebook
Creep status. You know that girl who you went to kin-
dergarten with? You now live two towns away from one
another and you have only seen her in passing, maybe
pg 22
turned back to his contemplation of the hillside.
This wonderful bit of dialogue is indicative
of the overall wit and quality of the book. Russell guides
the reader through her training as a detective, a kidnap-
ping case, and eventually an attempted bombing, facing
an evolved version of one of Holmes’s previous arch-
enemies with skill and mastery. King has an astounding
gift for understanding the absurdity of English hilarity;
her dialogue (as seen above) is pitch-perfect. The be-
lievability of King’s new plot and updated Detective is
astounding. It is clear that King knows her subject and
her craft well; she maintains the integrity of Holmes’s
personality while writing beautifully.
Corruption of Holmes is usually the chief
problem of Holmes Fan-Fiction. Inevitably, the authors
of atrocity cause Holmes to fall in love, or present him
as a Vulcanesque thinking machine with no sense of
humour. King finds and presents a happy medium; the
Great Detective has, perhaps, mellowed with age, but
is as mentally sharp as ever.
Yet, at the same time, she creates a true sense
of peril. The plot is creative, yet believable enough that
the reader senses that the main characters are in true
danger.
There are, however, some worrisome ele-
ments to King’s adaptation. Russell is at times an unbe-
lievable character; she is an independent, obnoxiously
tall, gloriously-coiffed, intellectual feminist who seems
a bit out of place:
“I beg your pardon, are you hard of hear-
ing?” I raised my voice somewhat and spoke slowly. “I
said, if you want a new hive you’ll have to follow the blue
spots, because the reds are sure to be Tom Warner’s.”
“I am not hard of hearing,” [said Holmes]
“although I am short of credulity. How do you come to
know of my interests?”
“I should have thought it obvious,” I said
at football games between your respective high schools.
It’s fair to say that you don’t know each other. This is
what makes an IM attack so effective. Start chatting with
her one day. Just seeing your name pop up will weird
her out a little bit, but you need to go above and beyond.
This is perhaps the climax of your journey to becoming
a Bona Fide Facebook Creep. Start talking about the
problems you and your significant other are having. Tell
her all about the dysfunction your family went through
last month when you went on vacation. If possible, also
sicknesses, or skin growths you may have. To wrap up
the conversation with an extra punch of creepy, tell her
that you really enjoyed talking to her, you need to do it
again, and you’d like to make plans to hang out together
soon, because it’s just been too long.
As a final note, make sure you talk about
Facebook all the time in real life. Talk about those
pictures of that big blowout party that happened a few
nights ago at the home of that supercute guy who doesn’t
know or like you enough to invite you. Talk about those
girls who changed their relationships statuses and are
supposedly now in a relationship—are they really
together? Is it a joke? Are they lesbians or something?
Talk about the link one of your friends posted last night.
It was hilarious; did anyone else see it? Wasn’t it hilari-
ous?
If you have a full conversation that in no way
includes any mention of Facebook, you are not doing
your job. As a Bona Fide Facebook Creep, Facebook
is your life. It should be all you care about. You live in
Facebook. You are Facebook.
G r e e
impatiently, though even at that age I was aware that
such things were not obvious to the majority of people.
“I see paint on your pocket-handkerchief, and traces on
your fingers where you wiped it away. The only reason to
mark bees that I can think of is to enable one to follow
them to their hive. You are either interested in gathering
honey or in the bees themselves, and it is not the time
of year to harvest honey. Three months ago we had an
unusual cold spell that killed many hives. Therefore I
assume that you are tracking these in order to replenish
your own stock.”
Russell is unbelievably perfect and pomp-
ous here; the character begins to seem contrived. King
generally makes up for these difficult parts with better
writing, but these odd patches make it seem like the
character was not fully developed when King began
writing, as Russell’s personality seems to shift.
The other disconcerting aspect of this book
involves Holmes and Russell’s relationship. It is fairly
clear oncethe book begins that their mentor-student
relationship will eventually become a romantic one.
However, Russell is fifteen at the start of the novel,
and the thought of she and the fifty-something Holmes
becoming involved is bizarre at best and disturbingly
Nabokovian at worst. Generally, King manages to skirt
the issue by having Russell grow up very quickly; when
the dynamic duo has their first case, she is nearly twenty.
In addition, Russell and Holmes are always portrayed
as intellectual equals who learn from each other.
In the end, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice
was a delightful book. By staying true to the legend
and persona of Holmes, King manages to retain the
friendship of his devotees, but also manages to attract
new readers with the sharp-witted Mary Russell and an
ingenious plot. This fun and believable book is highly
recommended to any Holmes fan, as well as to anyone
simply looking for a good read.
Retirement from page 9
amount. This would mean $550,000 of retirement pack-
ages, with a loss of 10 teaching salaries. These teachers
would have received a 2% raise annually on a five-figure
base salary for over 22 years. The board decided against
capping the budget, allowing the incentive to be used
by any eligible teacher.
Since the offer was announced, approximate-
ly nine staff members have announced their retirement.
“Originally, the administration had indicated around 10
staff had expressed interest,” said Board Member Sam
Coleman said. “So, the response is expected.”
Perotti expected interest in the incentive to be
larger, but he knows many teachers had already formed
specific plans about the future.
“Money may not be a factor,” said Perotti.
Some retirees will be replaced with new teacher, while
others will be filled with current staff members whose
position may have been reduced from full time.
“[The savings] really depends on who gets
hired to replace the retiring staff,” explained Coleman.
Base salaries vary based on the experience of an ap-
plicant.
Perotti estimates the average salary of
Springfield personnel around $60,000. With nine an-
nounced retirees, the cost for the retirement packages
rounds at $495,000. Perotti expects that even with the
rehiring, the incentive will save the district around
$200,000.
“That could amount to three new positions,”
concluded Perotti.
n H o r n
Baseball from page 14
we lost focus a few times, but our pitching really pulled
through,” Osborne said. “I went four innings, and then
Jeremy came in and did a great job at shutting them
down.”
Once again, the game was called in the 6th
inning due to the weather and the darkness. But this time,
the game was called in favor of the Cosmos, and they
continued with their season at 1-1. On April 12th, the
Cosmos traveled to Mill River to face the Minutemen,
and pulled away with yet another win, 6-3.
“We’re doing really well when it comes to
being a team,” Chevalier said. “We get along, and we
communicate really well. We’ve started to find our
rhythm.”
After two straight victories, the Cosmos
faced their biggest rival, the Bellows Falls Terriers.
In the last inning, the Terriers pulled away with a 3-2
win. “Today’s game was just a reminder that we still
have a ways to go,” Chevalier said. “It was a tough pill
to swallow, but it’s a lesson better learned early. In the
past few games, teams have scored runs right off in the
early innings. Then we find our rhythm and zone in, but
we have to play catch-up. So far it’s worked. But today
we found out that you can’t always rely on that type of
play.”
After the Bellows Falls loss on April 15th,
the Cosmos dropped their record to 2-2 on the season.
They will play Mount Anthony, Burr & Burton, and
Otter Valley in the month of April. “I just hope we keep
improving,” Osborne said, “and get better each game so
we can go far in the playoffs.”
Summer Place from page 1
pull in, and walk over, check out what flavor everyone’s
enjoying, in order to help you make your decision. You
glance over at the flavor of the day sign. Now comes
the hardest part, deciding which flavor you want? You
think to yourself, ‘self, …what am I in the mood for?’
The Summer Place offers a wide variety of
soft serve flavors. Varying from strawberry and banana
to mocha or peanut butter. The flavor choices seem
almost endless. Along with the many topping’s. Fruit
or candy? Whipped cream or sprinkles?
Post Prom from page 4
has been made possible by donations, is that everyone
wins a door prize. “Many local and regional business
have been very generous,” said Martha Tarbell, a parent
helping to coordinate the event. “Without their support it
would be very difficult to offer this drug and alcohol-free
event for students.”
Although most students have expressed their
satisfaction with the party, some students have been
concerned with things like the location of the party as
well as the timing of some events. “The best part of the
party is when the hypnotist comes,” said senior Derek
Graham, “but I don’t want to wait until 1:00 in the
morning to see it.”
But Tarbell explains it is planned that way on
purpose. It is a way to ensure that kids aren’t leaving the
party to drink. Everyone enjoys watching their friends
get hypnotized, so they are likely to stay for the whole
event just to enjoy that part of the night.
Years ago, the post prom party used to go
until 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning at which time more
G r e e n H o r
Softball from page 15
After the slump in the first three innings, the
Cosmos scored multiple runs in each consecutive inning.
In the 5th inning, the Cosmos got their score up to nine
runs when seniors Erin Graham and Meredith Ward, as
well as juniors Jessie Haskell and Sarah Vredenburgh
and sophomore Kristin Cook, all piled in runs.
“We did really good hitting near the end of
the game,” Whittemore said, who drove in two runs in
the 5th. “The defense remained tough throughout the
game as well, and picked up the intensity in the last few
innings.”
After the Cosmos took the lead, they didn’t
slow down. Not a single Terrier scored after the first
inning, and only three got on base after the first. “After
they took the lead, we kept our heads up,” Graham said.
“We knew that it was a must win, and it was possible to
win it, so I think that is what kept us going. Our chem-
istry brought us back into reality to win the game.”
Grammar from page 3
plete sentences, I believe that successful handling of
such irregular syntax is indicative of, if not skill, then
at least linguistic confidence.
However, the rules of grammar apply more
stringently in some situations than in others. Writing
a history paper requires a greater formality of syntax
than writing a personal essay. I wouldn't dream of using
a sentence fragment to bring home a point about the
Founding Fathers. History essays are about facts, not
After you decide upon a flavor you’ve got
to choose what to put it in. A dish or a cone? But what
size? Tot or regular? Sugar cone or a waffle cone? Once
that is taken care of you must then decide on a topping
or two.
Junior Alexis Esposito, who frequently visits
the Summer Place, has a system for ordering. “Before
the 4th of July I get a vanilla tot in a cone with Oreos,”
said Esposito. “After the 4th of July I order a chocolate
vanilla twist, in a waffle cone, with Reeses Peanut But-
ter cups and red white and blue sprinkles.” In the case
of a sprinkle outage Esposito goes with the twist with
Oreo’s. While many believe that Esposito is a Summer
parents would show up and they would provide breakfast
for the students. Since then the hours have been cut
back.
As far as the location goes, now that the
SHS prom is being held at Riverside Middle School,
organizers feel it makes sense to have post prom at the
North Springfield Armory, which is relatively close. In
the past, when prom was held at the high school, post
prom took place at the Howard Dean Center.
Tarbell has an answer to those students who
have been dissatisfied with anything about post prom.
“If anyone has a concern,” she said, “they should talk to
the adults who are coordinating the event.” Post prom is
put on for the students, so parents definitely want their
input.
On the other hand, though, as Tarbell points
out, “Our insurance does not allow certain activities
[such as inflatable sumo-wrestling, jousting or a bull-
riding machine like they wanted to have last year] to
take place. It limits the things we can have.”
In the past, anywhere from 200 to 250 kids
n pg
The Cosmos scored four more runs in the 6th
inning to solidify the win, and pulled away with a 13-3
victory over the Terriers. Part of the reason for this win,
besides the hitting and the tough defense, involved the
chemistry on the team. Nine Varsity players from last
year returned to lead the team this year, and the Cosmos
only have one new starting second baseman, freshman
Jill Rushton.
“Everyone likes everybody on the team this
year, and there is no conflict between us,” sophomore
Emma Esty said. “The teamwork is great. This chemistry
will definitely help us win games. When everyone has a
positive attitude with each other, it just makes the team
feel better and do better.”
After this win, the Cosmos raised their re-
cord to 2-2 on the season, and 2-0 in the Marble Valley
League. “We’re 2-0 right now in the league, and we’re
tied with Otter Valley,” Graham said. “I hope we keep
it up, and keep up the team chemistry and intensity, and
come out of this season as MVL Champions.”
effusive writing. (Math has its own language, as does
science. I daren’t mess around with either.)
In conclusion, grammar is a slippery, crafty
creature. There are some rules we ignore, as we well
should, because they interfere with the artistic flow of
language, but there are some rules that had best stay in
place, especially when formality of syntax is required.
But, above all, writing improves with repetition and a
genuine desire to improve. Grammar is either a way to
make writing and language better or something to ignore
when necessary. It’s up to the writer to decide.
Place employee, due to the endless hours she spends
there, she is not employed by the Summer Place.
Junior Chelsea Howland is entering her third
summer working at the ever-popular ice cream hang out.
Howland finds a, “great variety of customers.” Howland
said, “I think people enjoy coming to the summer place
because it’s in the center of the plaza, there are picnic
tables, and of course the ice cream.”
With this much variety packed into one small
building, in order to try every ice cream and topping
combination there is, it will take you all summer to do
so. I suggest you start with my personal favorite, vanilla
ice cream, in a dish, topped with strawberries.
have checked into post prom and about 148 to 165 kids
stayed for the whole affair. Tarbell, who has helped plan
the post prom party four times—in 2006, 2007, 2009
and this year, 2010—thinks that these numbers show
just how well this event has succeeded.
“From the time I’ve known that post prom
has taken place,” Tarbell added, “I haven’t heard of any
major parties being busted or deaths from drinking and
driving.”
There are roughly seven parents who have
been meeting consistently to plan this year’s party. “I
expect twenty adults on hand that evening,” said Tarbell,
“which includes staff from the high school as well as
parents.”
The coordinators of the event have been
mostly parents of juniors and seniors, but any parent
may join. “I’d encourage the parents [of underclassmen]
to get involved,” said Tarbell. Since most freshmen and
sophomores don’t drive, Tarbell insists, “We want them
to know that their kids are in a safe place and in good
hands.”
23

SHS Speaks Out
T
he eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull has sent newscasters and conversationalists into a tizzy. Mispronunciations of the Nordic name (correctly pro-
nounced EYE-a-fyat-la-jo-kutl) abound, and to honor the hilarity of phonetic butchering, this edition of Green Horn asked: What word do you have difficulty
pronouncing?
Senior Tabitha Molden
“Fatigue. I learned it as fat-i-jew. It gave me a lot of
trouble for a long time, and then I moved on to [mis-
pronouncing] blatantly.”
Music Teacher Jim Chlebak
“Particularly is difficult. It has an embedded R next to
an L, and Rs and Ls are very close in sound.”
I
n Athens, Greece, a driver’s license can be taken
away by law if the driver is deemed either “un-
bathed” or “poorly dressed.”
This probably seems random for the begin-
ning of our column, so let us explain. For this edition
of the Green Horn we decided to be a little more light-
hearted and less catty. We have picked seven Snapple
facts to discuss, ridicule, support, but mainly just laugh
at. Alright, let’s get back to Athens’ strange law about
driver’s licenses. What? That’s ridiculous. If that was
a law in the United States literally half the people who
drive now wouldn’t have their license. And maybe we’d
be better off. Think about it, we would be much more
‘green’ as a whole. There would also probably be less
car accidents, considering there would be less people on
pg 24
Sophomore Alec Benoit
“Endometriosis. I just get tongue-tied. It’s a pain in
the butt to read, too.”
Senior Kayla Perham
“Colonel. It doesn’t have an R in it. You know that, but
pronouncing it really irritates you.”
Bursting the Bubble
Oooh! Snapple Facts!
By Jenny Bradley and Olivia Johnson
the road. Hmmm, maybe this isn’t such a crazy law…
There are more chickens than people in
the world.
Hahahuahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Everything tastes like chicken.
Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300
times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a
day.
That’s depressing. Laughing is therapeutic
all by itself. Think about how much better you feel
after you’ve laughed. Life is so serious. There’s death,
war, hunger and thousands of other terrifying things
that plague our world. But if we sit here and just think
about all these horrors, nothing will ever be changed.
Therefore, we have to laugh. We have to forget about
G r e e
By Laurel Porter
Sophomore Eibhilin Whittemore
“Anemone. It has so many vowels.”
Freshman Samir Mann
“Onomatopoeia. I’m not capable of saying it.”
things like human trafficking for a little while so that
we can stay sane a little bit longer to fix these horrific
things. So laugh. Laugh like you’re a six-year old.
The peach was the first fruit to be eaten
on the moon.
How did they decide what the first fruit to be
eaten on the moon would be? Do you think one guy just
pulled out a peach and dug in before they had a chance
to think about it? Or do you think they discussed and
analyzed the pros and cons of each fruit? Sounds pretty
ridiculous. And why would they record that? Do you
think Buzz Aldrin was filled so with jealousy after Lance
See Bubble page 21
n H o r n