Issue 1 Volume 30 November 2010 MORRIS KNOLLS STUDENT NEWSPAPER

New Roof at Knolls Ends Bucket War Zone

During the day this year, students may have seen mysterious men working on the roof, heard in-teresting footsteps above the second floor ceilings, or noticed large white packages stacked outside the Senior Y windows. All of these are the work-ings of an over $1,600,000 project to replace the roof at Knolls. Through various grants and sponsorships from the Board of Education (funded by tax dol-lars) as well as the Morris County Freeholders, the school’s roof is not only being refurbished, but new so-lar panels are also to be installed. According to students and staff, everyone has experienced the nuisance and discomfort caused by the infamous leaking roof. The leak-ing roof has been the butt of many jokes cracked by students and teach-ers alike over the years. Morris Knolls students have complained how be-tween every block, as the narrow hallways filled with people, students would have to weave around a maze of aqua-filled buckets that practi-cally created a minefield down the B-Wing. Many also mention having had the lucky opportunity of experi-encing classrooms filled with musty smells, water stains, and desks show-ered with roof-water droplets. While the majority of the roof is to be redone, solar panels are planned to cover all areas of the school’s roof except the hallway be-tween the gym and the wrestling

room. These high-tech solar panels will serve to replace a portion of the massive amounts of electricity con-sumed by the school every day by us-ing stored solar energy instead. Dur-ing the summer months when the school is mostly vacant, these new so-lar panels will be storing the sun’s energy to be used throughout the school year. As roof-ing project guru Mr. Schil-ling shares, the project has been moving at a steady pace. The new, leak-proof roof is expected to be completed by the mid to end of November. The comple-tion date of solar panel installation is still tentative. W h e n asked if con-s t r u c t i o n would interfere with classes, Mr. Schilling responded, “Hopefully it will not have too much of an impact. There have been some complaints of tar smells and a few leaks of residing water from the roof deck and insu-

lation, however, these temporary discomforts should have a minimal effect.” It seems that students should soon be able to say goodbye

to dripping ceilings and barricad-ing buckets once and for all. One can only wonder what students and teachers will joke about next.

PDA: Why Can’t You Hide It? what they’re doing and not do-ing it’s on them. They’re allowing others into their business.” To be fair, it is the couple’s business whether or not they want to show PDA. Senior, Conor Lovett said “Whatever people want to do or don’t want to do is up to them.” It is true that people have the right to display their affection for one another, but they also need to re-alize they are sharing space with others who may not want to wit-ness it.“When people are [literally mak-ing out in the hallway, it’s a prob-lem]…if it’s just holding hands and a little smooch, it’s fine,” shares Junior Emily Kohler. We are in high school. We all know that kissing is something many couples do, but some of the things

seen in hallways are completely inappropriate. If you’re “in love”, that’s fantastic. We believe you. We might even like your rela-tionship status on Facebook, but showing everyone around you how long you can make out with-out coming up for air is a little much. Senior Hannah Gorman kept it short and sweet when she said, “Just as long as they don’t go too far…they’re fine.” So should people be able to get in trouble for PDA? Again, it’s all about moderation. Some people such as Junior, Yulissa Delgado, believe that you shouldn’t be able to get in trouble as it’s all about “their own morals and their own self-respect.” However, the general population of Morris Knolls agrees with (continued on page 4)

You’re rushing through the halls on your way to French class when suddenly there’s a huge blockade in the hallway. You shimmy your way through the crowd only to find the cause of the traffic was the kind of French you weren’t expecting to see—a MAKEOUT SESSION! Public Displays of Affection are everywhere—in school, at the mall, etc.A common problem with PDA is that it gives bystanders too much information. Junior Jared Hal-yard explains, “I have no prob-lem with [PDA]. If they want people in their business about

Best Department:Snow White and the seven dwarfsScariest: Edward Scissorhands

Funniest: Mario Bros. & Yoshi

Most Creative: Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Ro-bots

Best Duo: Old Ladies

Silliest: Sailors

Best Group: Noah’s Ark

Best Individual: Mad Hatter

Halloween Parade Costume

Winners

MK B-Wing during constructionPhoto by Megan Young

Guidance wins Best Dressed De-partment at the Halloween Parade with their Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Costumes.

Photo courtesy of mhrd.k12.nj.us

Marla HesselinkEditor in Chief

Megan YoungStaff Writer

Managed by Mr. Geary and the students enrolled in his International Business class, the Morris Knolls school store opened for business earlier this year and said proprietors are finding that their current en-deavors are proving to be very lucrative. A new sight for the stu-dent body, some even questioned about the previously empty and dark room with the mysterious plaque reading “School Store.” Morris Knolls always had a lo-cation for a store, but it has not been in business for many years.

Morris Knolls senior, Cal-lie Conroy, who can be found working in the school store dur-ing B-lunch on B-days, eagerly claimed that the business has been very successful so far and that they are even looking to integrate new merchandise soon. She re-ported that the most popular sell-ing items are the MK “Superfan” shirts while school is in session. The least popular items are ge-neric school supplies. More Mor-ris Knolls apparel such as t-shirts and sweats are possibly going to be added to the store’s inventory in the near future. Callie also ex-

plained that the school store is, “Awesome!” and that students should stop by if they haven’t already. Also, look out for the Art Service Club’s upcoming ma-jor project for the year: design-ing and p a i n t i n g the school s t o r e . T h e i r hope is that this will en-hance and b e a u t i f y students’ e x p e r i -ences in the school store for years to come.

This year’s Mr. MK was a night filled with Jersey Shore im-personations, High School Musical lip-syncing and even a dance from the movie Mean Girls. On Thursday, October 7, Morris Knolls hosted its 7th annual Mr. MK in the school au-ditorium. B r i a n Cheung, B r i a n G a r i e , G r e g Furlong, Lucas Ho-meijier, An-thony Man-danici, Vincent Oliveri, Tom Stru-ble and Tyler Wirth were the candidates this year. These eight contestants competed in four different catego-ries which were swimwear, talent, formal wear, and an interview. Each contestant also collected money for breast cancer. The total amount raised was over 740 dollars. The swimwear segment in-cluded everything from jeans and a t-shirt to a snorkel and a tube. Greg Furlong even accessorized with socks and a hat. Jersey Shore was also big this year. Both Brian Cheung and Vincent Oliveri wore outfits that advertised the show. During the talent portion, Brian Garie started off by show-ing his Irish step dancing skills, a

performance which freshman Mi-chael Kedzierski commented on saying, “It was spectacular. His moves flowed together as if he were a professional. I felt as if I was in Ireland.” Tom Struble lip-synced to High School Musical’s “Breaking Free.” Anthony Mandanici sang

to “Come Sail Away,” and Vincent Oliveri

performed his Mean Girls

dance. Next up was the for-mal wear c o m p e -t i t i o n . Each of

the guys spiced up

black tux-edos with

fancy ties and colored shirts.

From blue shirts with pink ties to green

shirts and green ties, each con-testant added his

own special flare. After the crowd had a chance to cast their votes during intermission, it was time for the in-terviews. Questions ranged from, “What would your perfect date be?” to which Anthony Mandanici responded, “Drills with Coach We-ber,” to questions such as, “What would your Jersey Shore nickname be?” to which Vincent Oliveri re-plied, “The solution because when you have a problem, the solution is right here.” After the interviewing, winner Brian Garie was announced and crowned Mr. MK of 2010.

Brian Garie Irish Step Dances his Way to Mr. MK

School Store Hits Knolls

Understanding IB

New At KnollsPage 2

School StorePhotos by Justin Gonzalez (top) Dan Dawson (bottom)

Brian Garie & Jennifer Perry Photo courtesy of mhrd.k12.nj.us

Dan DawsonStaff Writer

Lindsay Opsal & Leah HennesseyStaff Writers

An FYI on the International Bacca-laureate Program at Morris KnollsNino Signorelli & Cindy JiStaff Writers

The IB program has offi-cially started at Morris Knolls this year, but many students still have misconceptions about IB and often compare the rigor of AP to that of IB. The AP program has been a part of the Morris Knolls curriculum for a while, and most people are famil-iar with how it works, but because of its novelty, few know much about IB. Senior Matt Ortigas, an AP student, said, “I don’t know too much about IB, but from what I know, I wouldn’t take it even if it could because it seems too rigor-ous.” Junior Ali Faccenda, whose friends are involved in the program, stated, “I don’t really understand it. I never thought you could pick what you were able to do. I thought it was a set curriculum.” Ali’s comment represents a popular misconception – although IB has a set curriculum, it has some room for freedom. IB students must take one course in math, Eng-lish, social studies, science, a sec-ond language, and an IB elective. There is also Theory of Knowledge, a course taken between lunches and gym classes at least twice a week that does not take up an ac-tual block. Additionally, IBers still have one free block for any Morris Knolls elective, which some use for studio art, music classes, or visual

basic. Mr. Gambale, the Knolls’s IB Coordinator, acknowledges that some students prefer AP because it provides even more freedom of course selection, and freedom is a good thing. Of the IB courses taken, three must be higher level (HL) and three must be standard level (SL), which brings up another common misconception: HL courses are not more difficult than their cor-responding SL courses. SL covers more material within the subject while HL covers slightly fewer sub-topics in greater depth. Both class-es receive ten extra points like AP courses. Since the arrival of the IB program at Morris Knolls, there have been debates among students and teachers alike about whether IB or AP is better. According to Mr. Gambale, AP and IB are not comparable because of their differences in how they look at knowledge, and IB students agree. As Mr. Gambale put it, “Knowledge isn’t broken into separate parts…[It] is collective,” which is why the IB diploma program requires students to take six diverse subjects and why it is considered more rigorous. On the other hand, AP classes are more fast-paced, and put a greater emphasis on the facts of a subject. Simply put, the IB program offers students a different perspec-tive of understanding knowledge and another way of analyzing at questions among integrated subjects.

for 2010- 2011

Rachel’s Challenge Comes to MKFreddy Gutierrez, Sabrina Bogovic

Staff Writers

New At Knolls Page 3

The night after Rachel’s Chal-lenge, October 21st, Morris Knolls students and staff received a phone call from Mr. Cleffi. He informed students that a hit list was found, but authorities determined that it was a hoax. The school worked with the Denville Police Department. The de-partment “deemed the threat not to be credible” said Mr. Cleffi on the re-corded message. He assured parents that their children were safe, and even directly contacted the parents whose children were on the list.

Cop’s

Corner

Officer Scott TorkosPhoto by Ms. Schreiner

Rachel’s ChallengeOfficer TorkosSRO

Rachel’s Challenge will be coming to Morris Knolls. Who is Ra-chel? What’s her challenge? Rachel Scott was the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Rachel’s acts of kindness and compassion coupled with contents of her six diaries have become the foun-dation for one of the most life-chang-ing school program in America. An essay she wrote for a school assign-ment has become a cornerstone in thousand of schools as a positive, core value curriculum. Rachel produced five chal-lenges through her journals and writ-ings that ask us to make this world a better place. She encourages us to be kind and have compassion toward others. Rachel’s first challenge is “Look for the best in others and elimi-nate prejudice.” Resist the temptation to judge people the first or even the third time you meet them. It is easy to find the bad in people but it is far greater to find the good. The second challenge is “Dare to dream and set goals,” if we have dreams, then they can motivate us and inspire us to do

great things. Writing down our goals is like charting a course for success. Challenge three, “Choose positive in-fluences,” input determines output. Surround yourself with positive in-fluences, like books and music. Chal-lenge four, “Kind words and actions,” will equal huge results. You don’t know how far a smile or a kind word will go. Finally, challenge five, “Start a chain reaction with family and friends,” have the courage to make your school, community, your world a better place to live. With a smile and hello to someone in the hallway, you might just start a chain reaction. To check out more, go on-line to Ra-chel’s Challenge .com. If you would like to join the Friends of Rachel club, contact me at storkos@denvillepolice.org or see me. Changing the world starts with you.

An Issue of RespectMackenzie RoweStaff Writer “I think the hit list is an im-

mature, pathetic attempt at humor,” says Taylor Hannan. Most people that I talked to shared similar feel-ings. “I think it’s messed up that the list was made the day of Rachel’s Challenge. To go out of your way to do something so hurtful when people came here to try to teach us a lesson is really disrespectful,” stated Tay-lor Freligh. “Things like this are the reason why organizations like Ra-chel’s Challenge have to exist. People should have paid more attention to the assembly,” said Dan Dawson passionately. Although the hit list was deemed a prank, Morris Knolls students are not laughing.

On Thursday October 21st, 2010, Rachel’s Challenge, an organi-zation dedicated to showing others that kindness and compassion really can make a difference in someone’s life, visited MK. It started after the death of Rachel Joy Scott, the first victim in the Columbine shootings. On April 20th, 1999, two male stu-dents at Columbine High School de-cided to place bombs in the school’s cafeteria, but when they didn’t deti-nate, the students began shooting others in the school. The killing spree ended with the two boys taking their own lives. One of the victims killed was Rachel Joy Scott. Although this is tragic, good has come of the event through the birth of Rachel’s Chal-lenge. Volunteers from Rachel’s Challenge travel all over the country to schools and businesses to show others Rachel’s message. When Rachel was in 11th grade, she wrote an essay entitled “My Ethics, My Code of Life” about how kindness and compassion are impor-tant aspects of everyday life. Rachel believed that people should not be

judged based on their appearance, ethnicity, or by their first impres-sions. A volunteer from Rachel’s Challenge shared five challenges for every student at Morris Knolls, ask-ing students to complete the chal-lenges in order to create a positive environment for everyone in school. Students were then shown pictures and video clips of Rachel and her writings to emphasize the impact the challenge can have. The reaction to Rachel’s Chal-lenge was very positive. “The pre-sentation was extremely good and I learned that something as little as a compliment can make a person’s day” said junior Connor Manning. Freshman Lindsay Opsal said, “It [the presentation] was so inspiring. Rachel was truly an amazing per-son.” Cassidy Koeppel, a sophomore said it was, “very emotional and very helpful to change other kids’ opin-ions on how to judge others in and around school, personally I loved it,” The overall message of Rachel’s Challenge is that kindness and com-passion can create a positive envi-ronment for everyone and words can affect others in a positive or negative fashion. (article includes interview information

gathered by Simmone Fayerman)Photo courtesty of tynerose.com

MK hands from Friends of Rachel Assembly Photo by Dan Dawson

PDA in our school, Mr. Cleffi ex-plained that administrators “want people liking and caring about each other” and they understand that “relationships are a normal part of teenage life”, but they “do not want students kissing in the hallways” because it “changes the atmosphere of the school,” so discussions about what is appropriate and what isn’t is, at times, necessary. Public displays of af-fection. They seem to pop up everywhere—especially in school hallways. But when is enough go-ing to be enough? Next time you see your boyfriend or girlfriend or ANYBODY you want to kiss, please think about what you’re doing and keep it hallway-appro-priate.

MIND & BODYPage 4

Use recyclable products when possible. One easy way to do this is to buy boxed dry goods so that

the cardboard can be recycled.

Eat your leftovers! By eating leftovers, you save money to re-duce your shopping bill. Not to mention, having to use your car for one less trip saves some gas emmissions from infecting the planet. Every eco-friendly action

helps.

Use glassware and silverware rather than paper plates and plas-tic utensils, which almost never get recycled. And when dessert time rolls around, use ceramic mugs instead of disposable cups

for hot drinks.

When decorating, name cards with cute illustrations and guest names on them will make every-one feel like they’re dining out.

But use recycled paper!

Decorate place settings with cloth napkins rolled and tied with raf-fia. Slide a cinnamon stick under the tie for a classic holiday scent.

Make your own tea-light holders by using a melon scoop to scoop out stems of apples, then add a

tea-light.

Allison FaccendaStaff Writer

How To Have a Green and Inexpensive

Thanksgiving

Jimmy Kelly when he says, “They [sh]ould get in trouble if they’re all over each other, but one little kiss” given to your significant other should never be reason for disci-plinary action. While many of us think that PDA could potentially be a cause for getting in trouble, we still understand why people get up-set for getting in trouble. “[People get upset when they get yelled at] because [they] can’t control their emotions, but [they] need to be ap-propriate with the relationship and know when it’s an acceptable time for such actions,” explains Elsa Ket-chum, Senior. When asked about

Style Savvy at MK

The halls of Morris Knolls are swarmed with fashion-forward students representing every style. With the changing weather, one can find clothing varying from scarves and leggings to skirts and short sleeves. While some certainly dress to impress, oth-ers are all about the comfort. Jennifer Mele, freshman, displays the fall trends with her dark color scheme and punch of color. She dons a floral printed blouse with lace accents, black skinny jeans, and high black boots. For Breast Cancer Aware-ness month, she showed off her lus-cious locks by adding a pink streak. Rep-resenting the fash-ionable male un-derclassmen, Luke Heinbockel wears dark-rimmed glass-es, a casual t-shirt, and a bright turquoise hoodie. “I think he’s going for the stylish intellect look,” says Dan Dawson, junior. Representing the moms-to-be, Mrs. Ver-

tucci shows off her baby bump in fall maternity wear. She is

wearing a simple yet so-phisticated grey dress, maroon sweater, and black leggings, with the addi-

tion of a black scarf, doubling up as an ac-cessory and piece for warmth.

As for the male fac-ulty, Mr. Esdale

keeps it conserva-tive in a monochro-matic look. With a grey button-down and dress

pants, he finishes off the look with a muted blue tie. There’s no doubt-ing that Morris Knolls students and faculty know how to dress. Look for our winter edition next issue. To see photos of The Quill’s fash-ionable teacher picks, visit our web-site: mkquill.moonfruit.com

Taylor HannanStaff Writer

The quillMorris Knolls HigH scHool

50 Knoll Drive ~ rocKaway, nJ ~ 07866-4099 ~ (973) 664-2200

Editors-in-ChiEf

Brian Cheung Marla Hesselink

AdvisorsMs. MaierMs. Smith

WritinG stAffalin BoJKovic saBrina Bogovic

Jessica BuznitzsKy JaMie cHapMan Brian cHeung

Melissa clellanD

Dan Dawson

ali FaccenDa

taylor FreligH

Justin gonzalez FreDDy gutierrez

taylor Hannan

leaH Hennessy

thE Quill, issue 1,vol.29 noveMBer 2010. puBlisHeD Four tiMes per scHool year By scHool puBlications coMpany, 1520 wasHington ave. neptune, nJ 07753. tHis puBlication May not Be reproDuceD in wHole or in part witHout tHe express written consent oF tHe eDitors. all pHotograpHs, grapHics, anD articles are property oF The Quill unless otHerwise noteD. The Quill apologizes For typograpHical errors appearing anywHere witHin. tHe opinions anD iDeas expresseD tHrougHout tHis puBlication Do not necessarily reFlect tHose oF tHe eDitors, tHe staFF, or tHe scHool. anyone wisHing to suBMit articles or letters to tHe eDitor May electronically Mail sucH Material to mkquillmail@yahoo.com. all suBMissions Must Be signeD, tHougH tHey May Be puBlisHeD anonyMously at tHe writer’s request.

cinDy Ji

taylor nulK

linDsay opsal

pricilla ortiz

MacKenzie rowe

nino signorelli

Megan young

Art & PhotoGrAPhYpeter cHia

Dan Dawson

ali FaccenDa

Justin gonzalez

taylor Hannan

MacKenzie rowe

Megan young

PDA (cont.)

Photo courtesy of imageenvision.com

“Join a sport- you might make some friends along the way too”

“Get involved in a few clubs and stay in them for all four years. Also, go to as many sporting events and school events as possible. They are a great way to meet new people and hang out with friends.”

“Don’t lie or do some-thing you will regret to ruin one. Alwayscherish your true friends”

“Not everything requires drama, just surround your-self with people you have fun with”

Justin BushOn School Involvement

Blake MezaOn School Involvement

Courtney DickersonOn Friendships

Alex UllrichOn Friendships

“Advice for Freshmen from the Senior Class”

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“Don’t get too caught up in everyone else’s drama.”

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Marla HesselinkOn Friendships

Style Photos by Taylor Hannan

Photo by Megan Young

SPORTS Page 5

After the County Champion-ship race that took place on October 30th, the Boys Cross Country record is 4-3. Captain Neil Patel and the team have worked many hours every day after school to improve their skills. These athletes of Morris Knolls run through pain and extreme weather conditions striving for perfection. Before the County Champi-onship Meet, Patel explained, “Coun-ties are something I am still uncertain about because of power teams like Randolph, Morris Hills, and Mend-ham, but based on the kinds of times our team ran today [October 19], I think we definitely have a shot close

Justin GonzalezStaff Writer

Behind the Bird

to the top as long as we work hard for the next two weeks and stay at the top of our game. If we can reduce the number of injuries present on the team, I know for a fact that we could be contending for a high spot, if not the top spot. As for sectionals, I think if we can hold it together as a team for one final week, we can definitely pull out top five place and move on to the Group Championship Meet. I think our chances of advancing to Groups is much higher this year because of our balanced team and if we do make it, it would be the first time we did so in over four years. I really think if we mentally stay focused we definitely have a chance at making it there in November.” The Morris Knolls Boys Cross Country Team placed 11th in the county.

MK Boys Cross Country TeamPhoto by Mrs. Thalman

On October 19, the Girls Cross Country team competed for the Con-ference Champions seat and walked away with an undefeated season. They fought against Randolph, an-other previously undefeated team, and Roxbury. Runner Liz Hutnikoff said, “If we beat Randolph, Roxbury will take care of itself.” During the first lap of the course, runners Alyssa Brindle and Julia Strother ran behind Randolph’s second runner, but ended up beating her on the second lap of the course.

Pricilla OrtizContributing Writer Runners Shannon Dolan, Kassandra

Ortiz, Priscilla Ortiz, Brianna Reg-giani, and Emily Bentivenga, fol-lowed behind. Other runners like Lauren Carlson, Elizabeth Hutnikoff , Heather LaVallee, Sadie Polilio, Dan-iele Ray, Rachel Schweon, and Abby Voelkner secured the win against Randolph and Roxbury. Almost every girl on the team ran her personal best. The win against Randolph and Roxbury on the 19th gave the Girls Cross Country team and Coach Feehan a major championship win. This meet makes Coach Feehan the coach with the most championship wins at Morris Knolls.

MK’s TV CheerJess BuznitskyStaff Writer

On October 15th, 22 MK var-sity cheerleaders visited the News 12 television station in Elizabeth, NJ. The team was the first to arrive on the new studio set. “It was great con-sidering the last time I was there dur-ing my sophomore year, we were lit-erally cheering on a six by six square of concrete,” claims captain Melissa Clelland. The girls got to take pic-tures in the news chairs, pose in front of the cameras, and talk to newscast-ers. After a quick bit of practice, they sat down behind the cameras to watch the show. “It was kind of cool to see the anchors getting ready to go on TV and to see the whole process of

filming a news show,” says Clelland. During commercial breaks the girls got to chat with anchors Bryan Jen-kins and Bryan Denovellis. Accord-ing to Melissa, “one of the guys even asked us what to get his daughter for her birthday. It was really funny.” When it was their turn to get in front of the cameras, the girls did a total of eight cheers, starting off with a crowd favorite, the MK Rumble. The sports anchor explained that he especially liked the Golden Eagle worn by senior Maria Cardoso. The broadcast ended with a thank you to “Coach Ronnie,” which the girls found a little strange, considering that the varsity coach’s name is Amy. Overall, the girls found the experi-ence to be a great success, as well as a huge honor for the team.

Knolls Volleyball On October 13, 2010 the girl’s varsity volleyball team beat Morris Hills High School. They defeated the well-known rivals in two games out of the possible three. The score of the first game was 25-8, and the second 25-10. The Golden Eagles got into a rhythm after senior Meghan Martin-sen ended the match with 14 serves total, including a stretch where she served 12 times in a row. In addi-tion, Senior Keri Bongo followed

in Martinsen’s footsteps with five straight-forward serves and conclud-ed the match with eight serves total. Sophomore Andrea Bush stepped up to the plate and drove five aces for Knolls. However, the servers were not the only two contributing factors to this big triumph. Bongo also had four kills to help the Eagles strive to their victory. Sophomore Andrea Bush slammed five kills into Knight territory putting the Eagles up im-mensely. Junior Alexis Sejas added three kills to put Knolls in the win-ning position.

Jamie ChapmanContributing Writer

Brian CheungEditor-in-chief

At the football games, she is in charge of inspiring the crowd to erupt with school spirit. Like a conductor of a symphony, she leads the spectators through lively dances and shuffles. The Quill sat down with the Portu-guese exchange student that is behind

the mascot: Maria Lopes Cardoso.

Q: What do you love most about being the mascot for Morris Knolls and school spirit?A: Well at first I didn’t know much about football, so it was a little diffi-cult. But I loved being inside of the cos-tume, where I could do embarrassing things without anybody seeing me! At the games, it was always good when the band was there. In fact, I hated it when they weren’t there because it would get so boring! I also love hanging out and having fun with the cheerleaders.

Q: What is the most difficult thing about being in a costume?A: It is very difficult to run, because the footwear is larger than my feet are. When the cheerleaders run from one place to another, I always find myself trying to catch up. It is also hard to decide what to dress in under the cos-tume, since it gets so hot at times.Q: How did you end up becoming the mascot?A: It happened last August, when I ar-rived in America. My host sister with the family I am staying with is a cheer-leader with the Rockaway Rockets. The two coaches, Melissa Clelland and Jen-na Mellott, were some of the first peo-ple I met that went to Morris Knolls. I told them that I was interested in join-ing something at school, but that I am not very athletic. They suggested the position of mascot, and I immediately said yes!Q: So what are your plans now that the cheerleading season is winding down?A: Joining winter track and ski club!

Girls X- CountryBoys X- Country

“Take classes that you don’t know anything about. You might end up finding something that really interests you”

“Get your requirements done ASAP so that by Senior year if your goals change, you are free to take different electives.”

“Don’t take too many hard courses if you don’t think you’re ready for it.”

“Definitely take classes based on the teachers. Who is teaching the class can make or break your experience.”

Erica JohnsonOn Classes

Nino SignorelliOn Classes

Brian CheungOn Classes

Megan YoungOn Classes

“Advice for freshmen from the senior class”

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“Give your best freshman and sophomore year. It still counts and you don’t want to regret it.”

Sara ConkinOn Classes

OPINIONPage 6

U.S. officialS ShoUld allow the BUilding of a MoSqUe at gRoUnd ZeRo

Mayor Bloomburg of New York City has recently expressed his support for the right to construct a mosque near Ground Zero, a very

sacred place since the attacks that took place on September 11, 2001. While the mosque is not being built exactly at the sight of Ground Zero, it is extremely close to it. An old Burl-ington Coat factory building at 45 Park Place, which is two

blocks away from Ground Zero, is where the mosque is planned to be built. Many people believe that this mosque is very disrespectful to both those who perished in the attacks and those who risked their

lives to save others. U.S Democrat-ic Senate Candidate, Jeff Greene of Florida, who believes the mosque is a terrible idea stated some strong reactions he had to President Obama’s speech on Friday August 13, 2010. “President Obama has this all wrong and I strongly oppose his support for building a mosque near Ground Zero especially since Islam-ic terrorists have bragged and cele-brated destroying the Twin Towers and killing nearly 3,000 Americans. Freedom of religion might provide the right to build the mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero, but com-mon sense and respect for those who lost their lives and loved ones gives sensible reason to build the mosque someplace else.” Knolls student Kristen Maday agrees with Greene, “I don’t think it should be there because of the incidents that occurred. It just hits too close to home. It’s almost like they’re mark-ing their territory.” While some may think the mosque at Ground Zero is a way to spare further tensions between the Muslim religion and Americans, in the eyes of most it will be dishon-oring the memory of the people the attacks involved.

Much debate has been stirred over the construction of the “Ground-Zero Islamic Center” in lower Man-hattan, located a few blocks away from where the Twin Towers stood before being attacked by an Islamic terrorist group. For various reasons, mostly concerning sensitivity issues and overgeneralization of the Islamic religion, however, many oppose the construction. The United States is a coun-try whose citizens pride themselves on freedoms, specifically that of reli-gion; every person has the legal right to exercise religion freely, no matter what faith he or she may practice. Not only is this a highly valued virtue, but it is a constitutional right established by our government. Refusing the Is-lamic Center would undoubtedly be a case of discrimination, contradicting the First Amendment that the coun-try prides itself so highly on. It is both hypocritical and unconstitutional to stop its construction. The opposition to the Islamic center also causes the United States to appear ignorant for believing that an

entire religion is responsible for the terrorist acts of one group. In every religion, there are radicals who may be hateful and violent towards specific sects of people. In the case of the Twin Towers, Al-Qaeda was the group who acted violently. Just because these people were Muslim, however, does not automatically make the entire Is-lamic religion responsible for the at-tack. By protesting the Islamic center, it appears that we are unaware of the separation between Al-Qaeda and the Islamic religion as a whole. The cen-ter is not there as a place of refuge for anti-American ter-rorists, but merely as a building for re-ligious practices. By fight-ing an Islamic cen-ter, the country is seemingly surren-dering to terror-ism. Through the disregard of our constitutional rights, America shows weakness in that we are incapable of staying true to our laws merely because of a terrorist at-tack. This act of violence does not cre-ate an exception to our freedoms, nor does it represent the entire Islamic religion. By building this center, we are proving our strength, our ability to recover, and our understanding of the Islamic religion and its lack of af-filiation with Al-Qaeda. The Islamic center has every right to exist.

inteRactive textBookS: a new tRend?

Taylor HannanStaff Writer

Melissa ClellandStaff Writer

Alin BojkovikContributing Writer

Imagine walking into a class-room: all students are in their seats, the teacher is writing on the board.students are told to open their text-books to page 116, they pull out thin slabs and put them on their desks – iPads. These remarkable devices can do everything from storing books to researching on the internet. Many believe iPads and other tablets are the future of education. They have the ability to re-place textbooks, newspapers and

notepads. Notes can be taken right on the iPad. Homework can also be writ-ten down onto the device’s calendar. Very often students complain that they have to carry too much. The iPad only weighs 1.5 pounds and even if a student programs 10 textbooks in it, it will still weigh 1.5 pounds. The most useful part of textbooks on the iPad is interactivity. Within uploaded textbooks, students do practice prob-lems, take practice quizzes, or watch review videos. Current studies are examining whether interactive text-books will help students get higher grades. Although individual iPads

come with a hefty price tag, starting at $499, they could be cheaper in the long run. Textbooks cost about $100 each, but when one is bought for the iPad, the file can be shared between devices. Instead of buying a whole new set of traditional textbooks every couple of years, the interactive text-books can be updated as soon as an update comes out without replacing the device. This also saves paper. In a poll of 20 students at MK, 15 would want iPads, but of those 15, six wanted them for the wrong rea-sons – games, social networking, and “coolness”. The rest understood the educational value and knew the de-

vices would literally take a lot of stress off their backs. 18 students felt they would help raise their grades. The five who didn’t want to make the change felt that looking and physically feel-ing paper in front of them was better than staring at a digital screen all day. Richard Nguyen-Le even stated, “The iPad would bring books to life in a way no other book can.” It hasn’t been considered at this time, so no matter what path MK and other NJ schools choose to take, there won’t be a change for a while. But who knows? By then, there could be another device which could blow the iPad and other tablets away.

Photo courtesty of fineartamerica.com

“Advice for freshmen from the senior class”

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“Don’t do anything you’ll regret, ‘cause you might have to wait ten years to fix that mistake.”

Matt MaisonetOn Actions

“Don’t get too serious with them.”

Gerri WeinbergerOn Relationships

“Don’t get attached,because most high school realtionships don’t last too long.”

Zach HeinbokelOn Relationships

“ Remember an extra gym shirt so you don’t get smelly!”

Conor McCloskeyOn Athletics

“Be sure to plan ahead. Know the registration dates and sign up as soon as possible to get a seat in a local testing site.”

Eric SchmittOn SATs

REVIEWS Page 7

student attending Ojai High School she flies under the radar and feels somewhat anonymous among peers. However, her whip smart comments aren’t missed. Her high school experience begins with “Google Earth couldn’t find me even if I were dressed as a 10 foot building.” At this line, I knew I was in for a laugh. This all changes when she tells her best friend Rhiannon (Aly Michalka) a small lie. The lie itself was an excuse not to hang out all week-end with Rhiannon and her hippie parents, but it becomes about Olive’s feeling of inadequacy in comparison. Olive tells her she had a one-night stand with some “friend of a friend” college freshman. This happens in the girls’ bathroom and predictably, Mar-ianne (Amanda Bynes), the school’s leader of a religious group, overhears the conversation. Even before the bell sounds for the end of class, Olive’s

Director: Will GluckWriter: Bill RoyalStarring: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Lisa Kudrow, Thomas Haden Church, Amanda Bynes, Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Cam Gigandet, Alyson Michalka Easy A has proven to be one of the funniest comedies of the year. While nothing has been able to really capture the heart of adolescence like a teen comedy from John Hughes, who created movies that defined a decade (think Sixteen Candles, Ferris Buel-ler’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club), Easy A stands with the few that have come close in more recent years: Juno, Mean Girls, Superbad, and Clueless. After making her debut in the 2007 hit Superbad, Emma Stone is Olive Penderghast. As a

“sexcapade” is all over school. All trac-es of anonymity have gone from her life as an unsuspecting high school girl. With the can of worms out and open, Olive tries to stop the situ-ation, but there’s a part of her that likes the attention. The new reputa-tion is suddenly set in stone when she helps a gay friend (Dan Byrd) try to show the school how “straight” he is by pretending to sleep with him at a high school party. The snowball ef-fect takes over as Olive’s reputation morphs into her reality. Comparing it to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Olive embraces her new repu-tation, embroidering her wardrobe (pretty much consisting of black and pink corsets) with red “A’s”. While her faux trysts have guys lining up for her “experience”, no one actually shows Olive the meaning of romance. Furthering her reputation gets her rewards like gift cards to the Gap and

Taylor NulkStaff Writer

T.J. Maxx and even twenty percent off a purchase at the Bath and Body Works, but soon, the infamy becomes too negative to live with. Easy A will eventually be de-scribed as Emma Stone’s debut into stardom. There was Alicia Silver-stone in Cluless, just as there was El-len Page in Juno. Emma’s look, wit, and deliverance make the movie an effortless must-see. Not only does she carry the role, but she has ex-cellent chemistry with the support-ing cast. The movie makes plenty of references to the brat pack movies of the 80’s that’ll have your parents laughing. Along with the teen jokes, it has a dry, witty script that appeals to all ages. The movie is a great teen flick that will be talked about as part of the coveted genre for years to come. Rating: B+

Cindy JiStaff Writer

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“Advice for freshmen from...”

“Look sooner rather than later.”

“Start with the general area you want to go to school in, then narrow it down by size. Make sure you take a tour.”

“Use your assign-ment planner, other-wise you’ll forget half of your homework.”

Caitlin WoodsOn College Searching

Taylor HannanOn College Searching

Liz HutnikoffOn Organization

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This year’s fall production included two one-act plays: “Ara-bian Nights” by David Ives and “The Real Inspector Hound” by Tom Stoppard. Both plays feature elements of Theater of the Absurd, an outgrowth of the post-modernist liter-ary movement. This genre includes non-chronolog-ical time sequence, magical realism, and plays within plays. These ele-ments can po-tentially confuse the audience but can still convey comedy. “It can be appreciated on a comedic level, and, if you’re inter-ested, can also be appreciated on a deeper, abstract level,” says Ms. Mazur, the direc-tor of the fall play. In “Ara-bian Nights”, two bland characters, Norman (Bryan Richards) and Flora

(Cindy Ji), are contrasted with an in-terpreter (Victoria Prasad). The inter-preter is a figment of the characters’ imaginations and the magical ele-

ment of the play. Her exaggerated translations of their di-

alogue add a humor-ous perspective to the romance that unfolds between them. The inter-preter’s zany com-ments become

Norman’s own as he confesses his love for Flora. Although he

originally enters Flora’s souvenir shop to buy a souve-nir, he leaves with her love. During rehearsals, the cast experimented with timing, an element that Ives often fea-tures in his plays. Because the interpreter was imagi-nary, Norman and Flora had to create realistic actions to fill in the gaps when she spoke. Cast members were also fascinated with the

props, including an exotic robe for the inter-preter, an albino

frog, and a duster that turned into a rose!

“The Real Inspector Hound”, on the other hand, contained a less straightforward plot, featuring a play within a play. It openes with two theater critics, Birdboot (Theo Low-rey) and Moon (Thomas Schreck), expressing differing desires and con-flicts while interacting and watching a murder mystery together. Birdboot shows hypocrisy when he asserts that he would never cheat on his wife in the beginning of the play but falls in love with one of the actresses, Cynthia Muldoon (Liana Glew), by the end. Meanwhile, Moon fantasizes about the death of Higgs so he can take his place. However, they accidentally be-come involved in the play. Birdboot briefly wins Cynthia over, but shortly after is myste-riously killed. Moon dis-covers Puck-eridge (Sean O’Neil), yet another critic, has murdered Higgs. Puck-eridge kills Moon shortly after because he, like Moon, f a n t a s i z e s about being with Cynthia. Puckeridge’s disguise

as Magnus Muldoon and Albert in the play also reunites him with Lady Mul-doon, robbing Birdboot of his love fantasy as well. Actors in “The Real Inspec-tor Hound” had an interesting expe-rience developing their characters, from the intellectual Moon to the zany Ms. Drudge (Brooke Buon-auro). Many actors used peculiar voices, such as Magnus Muldoon’s southern accent, Inspector Hound’s (Amit Gupta) Christian-Bale-esque voice, and Ms. Drudge’s emphyse-mic, smoker’s voice. A small cast can be conceived as a bad thing, but the actors were able to bond into one group and genuinely enjoy their ex-perience together.

Easy A: Emma Stone’s Debut to Stardom

The Fall Play Through an Actor’s Eyes

Liana Glew & Owen Dachisen as Cynthia Muldoon and Simon

Cindy Ji & Bryan Richards as Flora and Norman

Sagittarius: Nov. 23- Dec. 22

New contacts will develop early in the month, but some may not be helpful. Your stress levels

with your future could rise, but you are your own worst enemy. Slow down your socializing

and focus on your work. A good night’s rest will make you feel like a completely new person.

Taurus:April 21- May 21

This month’s success rate is at an all-time high...take advantage of that. Make sure you don’t put too much on your plate at once as you’re likely

to get overwhelmed. Personal relationships will be passionate but time consuming. You can get through it Taurus. The stars are aligned for you.

Gemini:May 22- June 21

Expectations are high for your success this month Gemini, but don’t burn yourself out yet. If you’re struggling to keep your head above water by the end of the month, things will turn

around. Take some time out for yourself; go for a leisurely walk or watch a movie. You deserve

it.

Cancer:

June 22- July 22Branch out and do something out of the ordinary this month. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with your result. Along the way

take time to make a small peace offer-ing with a friend or a peer you have been bumping heads with. Doing so will be a

big weight off your shoulders.

Virgo:Aug. 22- Sept. 23

Don’t hesitate to pick up a phone and call a friend you may have lost touch

with for advice. School work may cause added stress this month be sure to use caution and common sense in all your decisions. Refrain from pushing your

family away this month as you may need them the most.

Leo:July 23- Aug. 21

You’ll be able to make others feel comfortable and enjoy themselves

where it’s most necessary. Take pride in that gift Leo. If you’re

longing for a relationship this may be your month. Familiar faces could come back into your life;

unexpected feelings may develop into something serious.

Scorpio:Oct. 24- Nov. 22

Don’t fall back into old habits this month Scorpio. Be sure to sur-

round yourself with positive peo-ple and make your own choices.

Your future will take a major turn for the better. You’re bound to

stress out but don’t worry. In the long run you will be much happier.

Aries

March 21- April 20Relationships are a priority this month. Take time to do things with the ones you love whether you want to or not. You’ll learn to prioritize better over the next few months. Make sure you keep the lines of communication open.

Your aggressive side and over-bearing tendencies may shine through. Be sure to keep your

temper in check when frustration

occurs. Things will get better.

Capricorn:Dec. 23- Jan. 20

A piece of your past may come back to haunt you this month, but not to worry, it will blow over quickly as long as you refrain from dwelling on it.

Your uncertainty about a rela-tionship will finally end. This month you will realize what is truly important to you, your

family being an example. Don’t hesitate to lend a helping hand

to someone in need.

Aquarius:Jan. 21- Feb. 19

This month your creative side will shine through, don’t be intimidated by it, embrace it. Use caution when

meeting new people, but don’t spend too much time alone. Splurge on a

new pair of dancing shoes and have a fun night out, you deserve time for

yourself.

Pisces:Feb. 20- March 20

You’ll have a new found confidence this month Pisces; just don’t let it all

go to your head. You’re financially sta-ble but your relationships, on the other hand, are not. Focus a lot of energy on

working with others to get funding, negotiate settlements, or plan joint

finances. Try to work as a team and be willing to compromise. Follow through with your travel plans you’ve been put-

ting on hold before it’s too late.

Libra:Sept. 24- Oct. 23

This month will be no time to be indeci-sive Libra; important personal decisions will need to be finalized before the New Year. Step up and take control, do not

allow others to influence your deci-sions. Jump out of your shell and try

something new. Who knows? You may discover a new hobby or a career path.

Fall Horoscopes

Taylor FrelighStaff Writer

DOWN:2. Taylor Hannan says opposing the building of a mosque is a case of _________.4. Captain of the Cross Country team5. Who is the female editor of the Quill this year?8. Best newspaper you’ve ever read! 9. The roof is not only being redone, but the school is adding…14. This actress always gets Easy A’s.15. Open during lunch and after school

ACROSS:1. IB students miss gym every other Wednesday, for this course.3. “...if it’s just holding hands and a _____ _____, it’s fine.”6. Jennifer Mele supports breast cancer with a ____ ______.7. Rachel’s Fifth Challenge: Start a _____ ____________10. May replace textbooks11. Alex Ullrich explains, “Not everything requires _____ just surround yourself with people you have fun with.”12. PDA stands for public display of ________.13. Mr. MK16. This Quill issue’s psychic17. These girls were on TV!

Quill Crossword!

FUN & GAMESPage 8