Eastside Criterion

All the News That Fits

EASTSIDE CRITERION Vol. LXXVIII No. 1 EASTSIDE HIGH SCHOOL, PATERSON, NJ Fall 2008

MAKING HISTORY Nation elects first African-American President

By Ciera Bethune

Criterion Staff Writer

With over 300 electoral votes, Barack Obama became the first African-American to be elected Presi-dent of the United States. Obama defeated Arizona Senator John McCain in one of the most anticipated elections in U.S. history. Obama won several key states that voted re-publican in the last presidential election, including

AP Photo/ Morry Gash

Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Florida, North Carolina, Colo-rado, and New Mexico. Obama’s victories in those states remapped the political landscape of the nation. Obama and Vice-President Elect Joe Biden will be the first Democrats in the White House since Bill Clinton left office in 2000 and George W. Bush took over. They will be sworn into office on January 20, 2009. SEE OBAMA PG. 8

News: Sagging pants ban pg. 2. Polanco’s internship pg. 3. Kennedy beats heart attack. pg. 3. SRA changes proposed. pg. 3 Central air conditioning pg. 4. EHS’ boxing champ pg. 4. Hats in school pg. 5 Scholarships pg. 5 Rebound pg. 5. New teachers pgs. 6 & 7. Exchange students pg. 8 Opinion: Motherhood pg. 9. Voting pg. 10. Sports: Boys’ soccer pg. 10 Cricket pg. 11. Soccer in DR/PR pg. 11. Girls’ soccer pg. 12. Cross country pg. 12. Football Pg. 12

Eastside Criterion News Fall 2008

Eastside Criterion Eastside High School

150 Park Ave Paterson, New Jersey 07501

Member Garden State Press Association

Criterion Staff Seniors

Brian Arias, Stacy Aybar, Shantwan Brown, Suewaine Campbell, Steve Gray, Monae McRae, Kelvin Paulino, Malacci Robertson, Frank Zane

Juniors My’keyra Alexander, Shantae Bedassie, Mariam Kamara, Sherona Scotland

Sophomores Tahir Alston, Kaliya Bailey, Freshia Bazil, Sealiah Berry, Ciera Bethune, Nateisha Catnot, Lorena Ces-pedes, Samantha Davis, Takira Davis, Luinmys Espi-nal, Brittany Givens, Jordan Glenn, Damier Hansford, Nicole Kuilan, Cristian Reyes, Stephanie Vergara, Joshua Zea

Freshman Na-Asia Castro, Michael Chung, Joi Ealey, Miguel Estrella, Latoya Francis, Alberta Gibbons, Kayla Lugo, Fanny Marte, Bryanna McDowell, Saul Mer-cedes, Luis Pichardo, Steven Robles, Mariangelly Ruiz

Staff Adviser Mr. C. Bartlett

The Criterion Staff welcomes any and all comments or letters to the editor in regards to any published articles. We also welcome the submission of any articles for publication from students and staff. You may direct your comments, letters, and articles to Mr. Bartlett in the Criterion Office (311).

The staff of the Criterion pledges to be honest, fair, truthful and ethical in all reporting. This publication is intended to be the voice of the student body and will strive to reflect the concerns of the community.

“The press is the best instrument for enlightening

the mind of man.” — Thomas Jefferson

Sagging pants ban proposed Style causing controversy statewide

By My’keyra Alexander Criterion Staff Writer

What is with these saggy pants? Not only parents, but teachers and senior citizens are tired of seeing your but-tocks. Councilman Anthony Davis is, too. Davis will soon be introducing a proposal that will make walking around Paterson with undergarments showing subject to a fine un-der the city’s indecency law. Cities in New Jersey have had a difficult time pushing through the baggy pants ban law. Some say free-dom to wear what they want keeps their uniqueness. Others fear that a dress code in an urban area could lead to profil-ing. A lot of people have a problem with the trend. Some believe it’s not a trend, it’s just plain vulgar. “It’s funny how the young men who do wear sag-ging pants say, ‘it is a kind of disrespect to show your un-derwear,”’ said Khalil Anderson, an Eastside junior. “It’s a form of disgrace to our African American culture,” said Isaiah Adams, also a junior. Mr. Rieder, boys’ soccer coach, said, “Saggy pants are seen among people with low self esteem who are look-ing to be accepted by their peers and to make a statement.”

Mrs. Antonoff of the Eastside Guidance Depart-ment said, “The reason underwear is called underwear is because it is supposed to be covered by an additional layer of clothing. I believe there is a time and place for every-thing. Walking down the street or in a school hallway or office is neither the time nor the place to display underwear or parts of the anatomy that are meant to be covered accord-ing to common decency.” Sagging pants are believed to be fashioned after jailhouse attire, where inmates aren’t given belts with their baggy uniform pants to prevent hangings, beatings and sui-cides. Others believe it to be just an urban style. By the late 1980s, this trend had made it to rap videos, then went on to skateboarders in the suburbs and in high school hallways. Mrs. Antonoff said, “It is my under-standing that it’s a style adopted by the hip-hop culture that originated in prisons.” Phone calls to Councilman Davis’ office went un-returned.

“The reason underwear is called underwear is because it is sup-posed to be covered by an addi-

tional layer of clothing.” - Mrs. Antonoff, EHS Guidance

Department

SENIOR REMINDERS: • Cap and gown measurements in

December/January during gym

• $40 dollars for dues by December

• Prom scheduled for Thursday, May

28 at The Tides in North Haledon

Fall 2008 News Eastside Criterion

Polanco goes green to boost her resume By Shantae Bedassie


Allison Polanco, an Eastside senior, spent part of her summer getting connected with the environment. She volun-teered for an organization called the City Green Community Garden Project. City Green is dedicated to establishing com-munity gardens in Northern New Jersey cities. Polanco traded her usual video game, sports playing, reading lifestyle for a chance to perform a selfless act and to give back to her com-munity. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Saturday, she was a counselor to five and six year olds and assisted them with gardening. The City Green program allowed Polanco to realize something new about herself. “I discovered that I found great joy from working with young children,” Polanco said. Polanco enjoyed teaching the young children about the environment and nutrition. She and her fellow counselors put on a play for the young children. “The message of the play was that it takes more than a place, time, and water to grow something. You have to care for what you grow,” Polanco said. Polanco realized the importance of her internship when it comes to her future plans. “Participation in the City Green community garden project looks good on college appli-cations.” She also said, “Becoming involved in your commu-nity and making a difference in your environment will leave a person with a morally good feeling.”

Gardening correctly, learning about her commu-nity, and appreciating wildlife are what the City Green pro-ject taught Polanco. She recommends this program to her peers. “People need people to survive,” Polanco said. For more information or to get involved, visit www.citygreenonline.org.

Mr. Kennedy survives heart attack By Shantwan Brown


Welcome back Mr. Kennedy! After suffering a heart attack on October 5, Mr. Kennedy (of the English De-partment) was welcomed back by the Eastside family on October 20. Kennedy said he feels very healthy. “The staff was extremely supporting. I was touched to see how much support they gave the day I came back,” Kennedy said. According to the American Heart Association, a heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped because one or more of the heart’s arteries are blocked. If the blood supply is cut off for more than a few minutes, heart muscle cells suffer permanent damage or die. This can kill or disable the victim. The moment the heart attack started, Kennedy said, “My heart was beating very fast. It felt like it was getting ready to come out.” He also said he felt a burning sensation in his chest and his arm. As for the cause of the heart attack, Kennedy pin-points his lifestyle choices. “I was smoking, eating fast food every day, and drinking lots of coffee,” he said.

SEE KENNEDY PG. 8

SRA changes becoming reality By Stacy Aybar


Many people think that the Special Review Assess-ment (SRA) is being cancelled. Before students even won-der whether SRA is being cancelled, they must know the purpose of these classes. The purpose of SRA is to assist students who have difficulty with the High School Profi-ciency Assessment (HSPA). SRA teachers administer state-provided alternative tests used to help students pass and graduate. There are 16 language arts classes with 210 stu-dents enrolled and 15 mathematics classes with 230 students enrolled.

“SRA is only a back up for the HSPA,” said Mrs. Amorelli a senior English and SRA teacher. “HSPA is first in line and then if you do not pass it, SRA is provided.”

To clarify every student’s suspicion, SRA is not being cancelled. The name and a few concepts are being changed to help students. The new name will be Alternate High School Assessment (AHSA). Some changes will be the scoring format and the scoring location. As of now the changes are only a proposal, but if these changes are made they will be in affect possibly by next school year.

SEE SRA PG. 8

Allison Polanco standing in one of the City Green Community Gardens she helped plant this past summer.

Photo Courtesy of City Green


Central air conditioning not likely in the near future

Project would be costly in money, time By Albetra Gibbons


Most students and teachers at Eastside think central air is necessary, but opinions differ. Principal Johnson be-lieves central air would help, but money for this project is not in the school’s budget. “The school district will be funding the inclusion of central air when the long range facility plan comes to fruition. This is a capital improvement that is not from the school’s budget,” Johnson said. Mr. Insler of the English department also believes that central air would help in the summertime, but doesn’t think the school needs central air. “If we had better win-dows that opened and closed safely, we would be good.” Shacambria Lawson, sophomore, said, “Being hot causes me to lose concentration and fall asleep in class. Central air would improve my ability to focus in class and my performance.” Ms. Wall, an English teacher, thinks central air is not a necessity, and instead thinks any money earmarked for central air would be better spent on technology and sup-plies for students. Mr. Taherisefat, Mathematics Department Chair-person, said, “Eastside is 81 years old, and in order to bring in central air they would have to go through a lot of con-struction.” Taherisefat said, “With the amount of time and money it would take, equipping the school with central air may not be possible.” Principal Johnson also said, “In order to put a win-dow unit in each class, the entire building must be re-wired. With all the new technology (computers, printers, fax ma-chines, LCD projectors, etc.) the current electricity is not sufficient. We would never be able to sustain any additional pulling of electricity and would create brown/black outs throughout the building.” Johnson indicated that central air is part of East-side’s long range plan for the future. “The long range facil-ity plan calls for the entire building to be gutted. The infra-structure will be replaced and central air will be installed throughout the building.” Johnson also thinks central air would improve the ability of students to focus in class, but doesn’t think central air would improve student achievement and test scores.

The champ is here Eastside Substance Awareness Coordinator

no stranger to fights By Mariam Kamara


Jamie Lee Smith is 5’6”, 130lbs., and she will knock you out. Smith, an EHS Substance Awareness Coor-dinator, is an aspiring amateur boxer. She was born and raised in Clifton, NJ and attended Ramapo College.

Even though she loves boxing, Smith has no inten-tion to go pro. She boxes for fun as it is a hobby for her. Smith enjoys it simply because it’s challenging.

Smith wishes to stay at the amateur level and con-tinue her career as an SAC, as she majored in psychology

and counseling. “Boxing had a major impact on my life, and I met

some of the most amazing people,” Smith said. She met people like amateur boxer Larraine Infante, who Smith cites as an influence in her life. According to Smith, she learned good sportsmanship and how to fight like a girl from In-fante.

Smith feels that female boxing is not taken seri-ously. She understands some individuals do not understand boxing and the fact that there is much more to it than just knocking someone out. Smith said many women do not take the opportunity to become boxers simply because boxing is viewed as a traditionally male sport.

Ms. Smith raising a belt in triumph after a recent fight. Photo Courtesy of J.L. Smith

SCHOOL CALENDAR: November 26—Half day for staff/students

November 27 & 28—Thanksgiving Holiday December 5—Half day for students

December 9—No School December 23—Half day for staff/students

December 24 to January 4—Winter Recess

LEND A HAND—HELP OUT! The EHS Physical Education Department is

sponsoring a clothing drive, a toy drive, and a blood drive. Donations for the toy and clothing

drive can be made in the gym. See Mr. Super about donating blood.

YOUR HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!


Scholarship F.Y.I. By Brittany Givens


A large percent of inner-city students do not attend college. Could it be because they lack knowledge about scholarships? Most high school students do not know this infor-mation is easy to obtain. Students may not know what scholarships are, or they just don’t know where to get infor-mation about them. Shanequah Byrd, sophomore, said, “If possible, I would love to be offered a scholarship because it saves par-ents lots of money.” Byrd also said there should be an as-sembly so students can get more information about scholar-ships. “They could even create a website dedicated to the source of scholarships,” said Byrd. Keishyua Morris, sophomore, has a completely different opinion. Morris said, “I think scholarships are un-fair because not everyone is offered one. Spending money is a sacrifice you make when you make the choice to attend to college, and one shouldn’t have special advantages over another, whether money is an issue or not.” Scholarship information is available to all students in room 131, located in the café. Ask for Mrs. Marlin and you can receive a sheet with names, addresses and many scholarship opportunities. For more information see your guidance counselor in the guidance office. “It is important to be informed of all academic op-portunities you might qualify for, ” said Mrs. Kayal, an EHS guidance counselor.

Hats off… By Tahir Alston

Criterion Staff Writer Students in Eastside High School get their hats and

headbands taken away everyday. Students say sometimes they do not receive their belongings back after they are taken from them. But what exactly is the reason for this rule?

Ms. Johnson, the school principal, said public law states that no headwear shall be worn in any public building. Johnson says public schools are public buildings and you are not allowed to wear headwear in school with the excep-tion of religious reasons. Johnson thinks no one should have the right to violate any school rule, including this one. “My job is to enforce all policies, regulations, rules and public laws,” she said.

Eastside High School student Chyna Prince, sopho-more, said, “It’s not fair because most of the time, authori-ties at Eastside let girls wear things on their heads, so why not just let everyone wear what they want?”

Student Tyshmeika Lewis, senior, said she thinks teachers favor female students more than male students be-cause teachers think that headbands and hats are part of girls’ outfits. “They also need to think about the fact that hats and headbands can also be a part of boys’ outfits.”

James Anderson, junior, said, “Teachers don’t want to take students’ belongings because of the rules, they just want to annoy the students.”

Most of the students are against the rule. On the other hand, almost all employees of EHS support the rule of not letting students wear hats and headbands in school.

REBOUND: Don’t get bounced! By Takira Davis

Criterion Staff Writer Rebound, a program designed to help students recover credits, will be starting soon. Students get placed in Rebound because they lost credits for the year. “The Rebound program was started because freshmen had the highest dropout rate. The school created another op-portunity for them to remain in school and learn from their mistakes,” said Assistant Principal Cotto. The program serves freshmen and sophomores only. Juniors and seniors have a computer-based recovery program, NovaNet, available during café periods and after school. Cotto said, “In Rebound, students learn to improve their attendance, study habits, and work habits. Rebound takes place at night from 3:30-6:30 p.m. and attendance is mandatory once the student is placed in the program.” Nygeriah Johnson, junior, said she thinks freshmen and sophomores only get placed in Rebound because “juniors and seniors should be mature enough to know what’s wrong and what’s right.” Francis Fernandez, sophomore, said if he was placed in Rebound, he would feel badly because he was put there for cutting class too much. Brian Morris, sophomore, said he would not be ashamed to tell people he is Rebound because he does not care what people think about him. Johnathan George, sophomore, said, “If I was placed in Rebound, I would feel dumb because I’m too smart for Re-bound.” Most students interviewed realize Rebound is an option that carries with it a negative stigma. Several teachers inter-viewed all suggested the following to ensure you do not end up in the Rebound program: go to class every day, be on time, come prepared, and pay attention.


Say hello to Eastside’s

Words by Steve Gray Criterion Staff Writer

Mr. Megaro is the new art teacher. He decided to come to Eastside High School because it is close to home. He spent some time teaching ceramics at West Orange High School. Megaro attended Rutgers and was certified to teach by New Jersey City University. In his spare time, he loves outdoor activities. His fa-vorite food is rare steak. Megaro’s favor-ite movie is Into the Wild. He likes reggae, rock, folk, and jam music.

Ms. Amaro is a new teacher in the World Languages Department. “I wanted to work in an urban school,” said Amaro, who graduated from Union Hill High School in Union City. She received her degree from Rutgers University. “Eastside reminds me a lot of my high school,” said Amaro. “They have the same school col-ors.” In her spare time, Amaro likes to go to the gym and read. Her favorite movies are The Matrix and The Goonies.

Ms. Olivero is also new to the World Lan-guages Department. She is a native of Paterson and student taught at Eastside last year. “I love all of my classes. I’m having a great time,” Olivero said. Olivero at-tended Passaic High School and William Paterson University. Olivero helps Ms. Bushart with Salsa lessons on Thursdays after school. “I’m teaching students how to dance bachata and meringue,” she said.

Ms. Guerrero, a new Physical Education teacher, is an alumni of Eastside High School. She attended William Paterson University and was a member of the Paterson Future Teachers program coordi-nated by Mrs. Speer of the English De-partment. She decided to come back and teach at her alma mater. Guerrero has three younger sisters. Her favorite food is pizza, and her favorite movie is Great Expectations.

Mr. Ferdinand is a new Microsoft word teacher. Ferdinand previously taught at Bloomfield High School. “As each week goes by, I find I like Eastside more,” Ferdinand said. He graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School and attended Montclair State University. Ferdinand did not always want to be a teacher as he preferred to be in the business world.

Ms. Hamlett, a new Social Studies teacher, said, “I wanted to work somewhere I could make a differ-ence.” Hamlett graduated from Jona-than Dayton High School and the College of St. Elizabeth in Morris-town. She likes to read and spend time with her family. Her favorite food is chicken. She loves all the Harry Potter movies, and her favorite author is Phillippa Gregory.


newest staff members Photographs by Malacci Robertson


Ms. Ventura is also a new English teacher. Ventura graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Jersey City. She attended Rutgers and New Jer-sey City University. Ventura taught at Ferris High School in Jersey City for three years. She then moved to Virginia and taught for two years. Ventura likes to spend time with family or “hang out” in New York City. Her favorite food is Spanish. She loves hip hop and R&B, as well as rock.

Mrs. Hickmon, a new English teacher, graduated from Dumont High School. She later graduated from Seton Hall Uni-versity with a degree in Marketing and Business Administration. She then re-ceived her teaching certificate from St. Peter’s College. Hickmon’s husband, Larry, is an Eastside Alumnus from the Class of 1972. In her spare time she loves to read, play Nintendo Wii, and sing in her church choir.

Ms. Young is another new English teacher. Young taught in the United States and also in Asia. She at-tended high school and college in upstate New York. In her spare time, she likes to travel. Her favor-ite food is Boston cream pie. Her favorite movies are all the Indiana Jones movies

Ms. Racaniello, a new algebra teacher said, “I wanted to teach diverse students who live in a challenging world.” She taught at Boonton High School a year ago. Ra-caniello graduated from Cedar Grove High School and attended Bloomsburg Univer-sity in Pennsylvania. In her spare time she likes to sing and dance. She also likes to go to the movies, concerts and hang out with her friends. Her favorite food is Italian. Her favorite movies are Dirty Dancing, Transformers and Ten Things I Hate About You.

Mr. Orsini is another new English teacher. “I heard about the chance to work with high school students (instead of middle schoolers) and to teach drama, so I jumped at it”. When asked how he likes Eastside so far, Orsini said, “I love my classes and my students. I’m having so much fun.” Mr. Orsini graduated from Lakeland Regional High School. He went to Rutgers University (undergraduate) and then William Paterson University (masters degree work).

Mr. Oliver is also new to the English De-partment. “I wanted to come back to New Jersey to teach, and Eastside was the best opportunity,” he said. He was a teacher at Lakewood High in Salemburg, North Caro-lina. Oliver graduated from Verona High School. He attended Syracuse University and Essex Community College before graduating from Montclair State. In his spare time he likes to play Nintendo Wii.


Kennedy: continued from page 3

Since the incident, Kennedy said he no longer smokes, no longer drinks coffee, and sticks to foods with a low sodium, low fat content. He now exercises every day and limits his fast food intake. Kennedy eats healthy meals that are normal sized portions. “I’m just grateful to be back to reach out to the students,” he said. The American Heart Association recommends the following in order to prevent heart attacks: don’t use to-bacco, be physically active, eat healthy foods, watch your weight, and avoid excessive alcohol.

SRA: continued from page 3

“There are four native Spanish SRA classes and the tests are given in Spanish. One class is ESL, but the students must respond in English. The selections are given to them in English and they must respond in English,” said Mr. Walter, who oversees Eastside’s SRA process.

“They were usually scored in the school where the tests were given,” said Mrs. Amorelli “They plan to make it so that the tests are scored at other locations, now making the process of knowing if a student is going to graduate or not longer.” Amorelli said regional SRA scoring centers could be established.

SRA will still be used for a while; otherwise, those students who failed the HSPA would be left back.

Obama: continued from page 1 Students and teachers at Eastside voiced their opin-ions about this landmark moment in American history. Mr. Balsamo, of the Social Studies Department, said, “I think it is great. I’ve been following Obama since 2003. I think we might have a leader for the ages, but I also think it is going to be difficult for him.” Mr. Osorio, also of the Social Studies Department, said, “This is a milestone in American history.” Meanwhile, Mr. Thompson of the Science Depart-ment said, “I hope he comes through with his campaign promises.” Obama delieverd his acceptance speech shortly after midnight on November 6. His campaign theme of change was a highlight of his speech. “It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America,” Obama said in his speech to over 100,000 in Chicago’s Grant Park. Ms. Scimeca, Social Studies Department, con-ducted a mock election at Eastside. The results, provided below are based on ballots cast by history students and sen-ior homerooms. The results were compiled by the Student Government Association.

MOCK ELECTION TALLY AT EHS: Barack Obama—773

John McCain—98 Chuck Baldwin—2

Bob Barr—1 Jeffrey Boss—1 Roger Calero—2

Cynthia McKinney—1 Ralph Nader—1

Other—3

Exchange students tour Eastside Four exchange students from Shetland, an archipel-ago off the coast of Scotland, visited Eastside on October 24. Shona Duerdan, Lewis King, Margaret Johnston, and Michael Heubeck, all 17, along with Ridgewood High School Principal John Lorenz, were received in the princi-pal's conference room by Principal Karen Johnson for a light breakfast. Afterwards, the students were given a tour of the school and visited some classes. The purpose of the trip, sponsored by the Global Learning Classroom, was to observe the differences between education in America and their homeland, both in suburban and urban schools. The students said America is very different because everyone is in a hurry, there is more emphasis on sports in school, and in Shetland “there are more sheep than people."

Check www.state.nj.us/education/assessment/hs/sra2 for more information

on proposed changes to SRA.

Mr. Kennedy back in school after his heart attack. Photo: Mallaci Robertson

Photo: Mrs. Valenzano

Fall 2008 Opinion Eastside Criterion

When it comes to motherhood, timing is everything MY OPINION

By Sherona Scotland Criterion Staff Writer

While many high school girls are deciding what they’re going to wear for school the next day, I’m deciding what

brand of pull-ups to buy. My priorities have changed from hanging out to spending quality time and bonding with my son. My future no longer consists of one person, but now two. Every decision I make has an effect on my child. I am a proud mother of a 3-year-old boy, Shemar, and also a very dedicated student of Eastside High School. Teenage pregnancy is one of the major concerns in the world today. Several teenage girls are both full-time students and mothers. Unfortunately, others drop out of school whether it’s because they can’t deal with both roles in life, or for other personal issues.

According to statistics in the

year of 2005, there were 133,138 teen births and this number increased the following year by almost 6,000. The highest birth rates in the country come from mothers who are in the age cate-gory of 18-19. The second highest are teens aged 15-17 years old. Eighty per-cent of unwed teen mothers eventually end up on welfare. Not only is this sad, but babies who are a result of teenage pregnancy have lower birth weights, are more likely to do poorly in school, and have a much greater chance of being abused or neglected.

“I truly believe education about

pregnancy needs to start at home and then continue in elementary school because some girls come to high school already as mothers,” said Mrs. L. Johnson, a life science teacher at Eastside. “A childcare program has been offered at this school for at least 15 years now. We have a teen parenting class in the curriculum called GRADS, but unfortunately it is very difficult for teen moms to fit it into their class schedules. Also, in order for this class to actually be active, there need to be teens who are willing to come to the class and who have already passed their basic classes.”

About 30 to 45 girls every school year are either mothering or pregnant. This makes the childcare program very es-

sential for girls who need it. For further information please contact Mrs. Johnson (GRADS coordinator) at (973) 321-1000 ex. 51105.

Teens need to know that having a baby is the most beautiful thing in the world. I can say this from my own experi-

ence. I also believe that this experience may be even more beautiful…when the time is right! Lots of girls see babies and say they want to have one because they are so cute and adorable, or they see pregnant women who look nice with their big bellies and they figure that they would look good, also. They get all excited about having a baby without knowing the responsibili-ties. The changes that take place during pregnancy, like gaining weight and experiencing mood swings, could be very depressing and sometimes reach the point where they may be harmful. Whatever the mother does affects the baby, including the way she eats and even the way she feels about herself. Mistakes do happen to everyone, so if you’re a teenage mom like I am, the most important thing is to just do the best for your baby and yourself. Get an education so you can find a job that pays well. Then you can have a beautiful future providing for your child.

Sherona Scotland, an Eastside High School junior, and her 3-year- old son, Shemar. Photo courtesy of S. Scotland.

Eastside Criterion Opinion/Sports Fall 2008

Voting: Exercise your right MY OPINION By Cristian Reyes

Criterion Staff Writer Like all hard-won rights, voting is something we should not treat lightly. It is a right we should respect, and it is a right we should exercise. I recently went out and asked students and teachers about voting. Here’s what they had to say: When asked if whether or not they thought it was important to vote, Carlos Rosario, freshman, said, “I think it’s important to vote because the country needs somebody to lead them.” Wilmin Mota, sophomore, said, “Yes, because if we don’t vote, we can’t change presidents.” Adding her opinion, Isis Perez, sophomore, re-sponded, “Yes, because it’s important to pick a new presi-dent.” When asked if they knew how to register to vote, none of the students I talked to had a clue where to go or what to do. I also asked them if their parents were registered to vote, and the majority said yes. Mr. Neglio, a student teacher in the Social Studies Department, said he votes, “Because it’s my civic duty. It is important to vote because you have to make your voice heard in our government.” Voting is one of the most pre-cious rights we have, and my advice to the students of East-side is to learn as much about the process so when the day finally comes, your vote counts.

Rieder wins #300 Soccer team gives coach milestone victory

By Frank Zane Criterion Staff Writer

Despite a tough season, the boys’ soccer team

managed to get Coach Rieder his 300th carrer victory by finishing with a record of 3-14. As the team faced their op-ponents in the field they, achieved more than just a few vic-tories. Rieder said the team’s greatest victory was their un-derstanding of discipline, commitment and hard work.

From day one, the team learned that everyone was a valuable member of the team and there was no “star status.” In Eastside’s victory over Barringer, 4-0, Coach Rieder notched the 300th victory of his high school coaching career. “Actually, it was an accomplishment by all of the great players that I have coached,” said Rieder. His high expectations for his players rewarded him with a tremen-dous amount of success in his coaching career. The Mighty Ghosts managed to beat Passaic, 4-2, and city rival Kennedy, 2-0, as well. The Ghosts continued to haunt the Knights in their classic rivalry game. Within the NNJIL, Eastside faced 7 of the top 25 teams in the area, including 3 of the top 20 teams in the state, and 3 of the top 10 teams in Essex, Bergen, and Passaic Counties. Even so, the team Coach Rieder led man-aged to hold its own and at times play equally or better than its opponents. The team was captained by seniors, Juan Puerta and Omari Reid. They served as the backbone of the team to keep the players focused in practices and games. Coach Rieder is already looking at next year’s soc-cer season and already has his expectations. “I expect to build on the foundation that my assistant coach and I have begun, and I expect even greater commitment and ef-fort than was displayed this year. I was pleased with the change in the attitude and demeanor of the team.”

For more information about the registering process, visit

www.state.nj.us/state/elections.

WANT TO PLAY A WINTER SPORT? See these coaches for information:

Bowling—Coach Palko, Media Center Cheerleading—Coach Pinkett, JFK High School

Boys’ Basketball—Coach Davis, Room 203 Girls’ Basketball—Coach Black, HARP Academy

Winter Track—Coach Jordan, Eastside Café Wrestling—Coach Bartlett, Room 311

Cricket—Not just an insect By Michael Chung


“Cricket? Is it a bug?” is a common response people give when asked about the little-known sport of cricket. According to google.com, cricket is very similar to baseball. It is played on an oval field. In the middle of the field there are wickets, three stumps placed behind a batsman at both ends of a cut out dirt field in the middle, with two bails placed on top. There are eleven players on a team. Two batsmen are placed in front of the wickets. The players are placed on the field the same way they are placed in baseball, except for an extra batsman at the bottom of the cut out field. The batsman uses a flat bat to hit the ball. If the bats-man hits the ball over the boundary line around the field, that is considered six runs. If the ball hits the ground and then crosses, it’s four runs. Runs can also be scored if the two bats-men run up and down the field when the ball is hit. If the bowler, similar to a baseball pitcher, bowls the ball and the batsman misses it and the ball hits the wickets, the batsman is out. If a player in the field retrieves the ball and knocks down a wicket before he reaches it, the runner is out. The batsman is also out if the ball is caught in the air. An umpire stays at the bottom of the field behind the bowler and gives signs when any of these things happen. A game usually con-sists of two innings. In one inning, all the players on each team bat once in a fixed order. A game may take several days. At the end of these innings, the team with the most points wins. Many Americans do not know much about this sport, possibly because cricket is similar to baseball, a popular sport in the United States. Cricket is popular in Jamaica, Australia, England and South Africa. Some famous cricket players are Ricky Ponting, an Australian player, and Courtney Walsh, a Jamaican player.

Suewaine Campbell, an Eastside senior originally from Jamaica said, “It’s just like baseball, but more danger-ous. I like it because it’s more interesting than baseball.” She says she watches cricket because it is part of her cul-ture. Colesha Kerr, an Eastside junior who is also origi-nally from Jamaica said, “I know that it has wickets, and I will play for fun, but I won’t watch on TV because it’s bor-ing to watch”. She said she only likes cricket because it is part of her culture. On the other hand, Lorena Cespedes, an Eastside sophomore not from Jamaica, said she does not know any-thing about cricket and would not play it because of her lack of knowledge. “I’ll watch it if it seems interesting and I might play to learn more about it,” said Cespedes. Another American student, Brittney Givens, an Eastside sophomore, said she does not know anything about cricket and she would not play because it is not a sport she finds interesting. Givens said she would not watch because, “I wouldn’t understand what’s happening.”

The world’s most popular sport? Soccer not a priority in the Dominican Republic

and Puerto Rico By Nicole Kuilan


Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but along with the USA, there are two countries where this sport isn’t too popular: The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Some countries where soccer is popular are England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico.

But when it comes to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, this sport is just not popular.

Carlos Rosario, an Eastside freshman, said, “Soccer is not popular because baseball is the sport of choice in The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.” Rosario also said that in his family, only his stepfather likes soccer because he is Peruvian.

Junior Duran, an Eastside Sophomore, said “Soccer is not popular in The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico because the sport is not practiced as much as baseball.” Duran also said that he doesn’t watch soccer on television because it is annoying when they scream, “Goal!”

Wilmin Mota, an Eastside sophomore, said, “Soccer is not popular because Dominicans and Puerto Ri-cans mostly play baseball.” Mota also said that Puerto Rico-has more soccer teams than the Dominican Republic be-cause Dominicans play baseball more than Puerto Rico does.

World Language Dept. Chairman Mr. Guzman, of Dominican descent said, “Soccer is not popular in these countries because, the dominant sport is baseball. It’s the same with Cuba.” Guzman also said, “The prettier the cli-mate, the more baseball teams you’ll find.” Despite its un-popularity in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, Guzman said, “Soccer is a great sport for children, and great for team building.”

Fall 2008 Sports Eastside Criterion

A cricket match between South Africa and England in 2005.

Photo: Wikipedia.org

Wait until next year… Girls’ soccer looks to the future

By Freshia Bazil Criterion Staff Writer

Despite a tough season, the Eastside girls’ soccer

team is very young and expects to develop their skills and compete in the next two years. Top players of this year’s teams were Fiona Wedderburn( sophomore), Shakerra Wed-derburn (senior), Daisy Fabian (junior), and Aurora Garcia (senior).

Coach Lombardi said, “This year’s team was more together than those of past years. We had more team unity and youth.”

Lombardi said a priority of his program is to make sure, “Students are students first and athletes second. If their grades slip, players will not see the field.”

One obstacle the team must overcome in order to succeed next year is lack of experience. Most high school athletes have been playing since elementary school, while Eastside girls start playing in high school. Lombardi said the freshmen are the players who need to gain experience for the future. Some of the leaders who led by action first were Vera Opong (junior) and S.Wedderburn. Lombardi encouraged the team to become closer and stressed the im-portance of the team as family.

Practicing in the off season and getting into better shape is a priority for the next year. “You’re only as good as your weakest link. Everyone needs to work on their weak-nesses to make the team stronger,” said Lombardi. To in-quire about the girls’ soccer team, a fall sport, see Coach Lombardi in the Phys. Ed Department or Coach Reed in the English Department.

Football hits hard times Ghosts still searching for win, identity

By Joi Ealey Criterion Staff Writer

This year’s Eastside Mighty Ghosts football team had a tough season. After making the postseason three con-secutive years in a row, this year the team won’t be seeing the playoffs. Early in the season, Coach Davis said, “I have high expectations. I expect the team to commit to the program and their teammates.” Davis added, “Tradition never graduates,” hoping to capitalize on the teams recent years of success. Davis hoped to defend the Ghosts’ NNJIL Division B league championship, but the lack of a superstar player such as Kumar Davis (University of Massachusetts) or Tyree McQueen (University of Cincinatti) handicapped the Ghosts’ chances of consecutive league titles. Davis stays on top of his athletes to ensure their grades don’t slip. He said he monitors their grades with grade sheets, pulls up report cards and talks to teachers. “The hard part is talking to the athletes and for them to be honest about where they are academically,” Davis said. League play has been especially tough for the Ghosts this year. “In our league, every opponent is tough. There is not one week where we can take off. Last year, four teams made the playoffs and one made it to the cham-pionships (Montclair) from our league.” Davis said he tries to work hard every week in preparation for upcoming games, and to scout the teams. Early season injuries hurt the Ghosts. Jahad Major, TE/DE, broke his foot and was out four weeks. Johnathan Bonilla ,OL/DL, and Agusto Reynoso ,OL/DL, both lost playing time due to knee injuries. “Self discipline, total commitment to each other and willingness to become leaders are the x-factors between success and struggle for the team,” said Davis. Despite a season of trials on the field, the Ghosts still find time to help the community. “We do community service projects, like cleaning up Roberto Clemente Park. We attend events together, and do activities to promote team unity”. Davis said his coaching philosophy is to be firm and fair and treat individuals like young men. “My premise is not based on athletics. You have to be a good person, student, and athlete as well.” Davis added. “We have to get better in fundamentals, blocking, tackling, and just overall execution. We have to get better in every facet of the game,” Davis said. Improving in these areas could lead to an upset win down the stretch run of the season. “We need to win a game. At this moment we are in a crisis. We’ve had bad seasons where we lost more than we win, but never at a 0-6 start,” Davis said. The Ghosts close out the season with the annual Thanksgiving Day game against cross-town rival Kennedy at Bauerle Field on Thanksgiving morning, with kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m.

Corbin runs wild Cross country standout honored by The Record

By Kelvin Paulino Criterion Staff Writer

Eastside junior Salim Corbin ran one of the best cross country seasons in school history. Corbin placed 20th in the State Group 4 meet and competed in the State Meet of Champions the weekend of November 22. He is the first distance runner in Eastside history to qualify for the State Meet of Champions. Corbin is also the first Eastside cross country run-ner to win the Passaic County Cross Country Championship in 14 years. Because of this accomplishment, Corbin was selected as the Male Athlete of the Week by The Bergen Record on October 28. He is also a first team all-conference and first team all-county runner. According to Head Coach Mizzone, “Salim is clos-ing in on the Eastside High School course record at Garret Mountain.” Corbin also runs spring and winter track at Eastside and maintains a GPA of 3.3.

Eastside Criterion Sports Fall 2008

Eastside Criterion

Documents

Transcript of Eastside Criterion