Core floods with toysWashington Township High School,

529 Hurffville-Cross Keys Road, Sewell, NJ

The PatriotDecember, 2010Vol. XVI, Issue 3

Kaitlyn Gallagher ‘12

Every year in earlyDecember, the core of WTHSbecomes flooded with toys,camping equipment, and thestudent members of the ClassCouncil Executive Board.

The, “Twenty Four at theCore” charity or as some callit, “Toys for Tots” has been apart of Washington TownshipHigh School for sixteen years,but many fail to realize howmuch time and effort is put into making this charity asuccessful one.

Starting with just twoother high school advisors, Mrs.Carol Costello decided to raisemoney for the famous Toys forTots charity. They organizedan event in which Mr. MartyBouchard, the school’scommunications teachershaved his head after raisingseven hundred and fifty dollars on behalf of thecharity. However, this was only the beginning ofthe large scale charity that was to come.

“The second year we participated in Toysfor Tots,” Costello began, “Myself and two otheradvisors slept on top of the band truck, and filledit with toys for the charity.”

After seeing the enormous success of thetoy drive that year, Costello decided to take thecharity one step further, and get her Class Counciladvisors to pitch in and help raise money andgather toys. She realized that with the help ofher students, she could collect a lot more toysand spread the word about the charity at a fasterand more efficient pace.

“I think Twenty Four is such an important

charity because it allows us to give back to ourcommunity in one of the best ways possible.”Said Christine Ciocco, a member of the JuniorClass Council Executive board.

Once the Class Council Executive Boardbecame involved, the idea for a twenty four hoursleepover at the core emerged, in which studentsstayed up and camped out while they collectedtoys at anytime, from anyone who wanted todonate to the charity. But in order to do so,Costello and the school have to take many thingsinto consideration.

“Other than making the community awareabout the drive, the school has to make sure theheat stays on for the students running the charity,make sure there is a custodian on duty at all times,

have police patrolling theschool during the charity, havea permit to stay at the schoolovernight, as well as makingsure that everyone hasenough to eat and drink whilethe drive goes on.” SaidCostello. After Costello and her

students have made all thenecessary preparations,Twenty Four at the Core isready to go into full swing.Each year, Class Council andCostello alike are veryhopeful about the amount ofdonations and toys they willreceive for their cause. “Of course in my mind,”

Said Costello, “I would likeus to collect an infiniteamount of toys. But I’d saymy dream number for thisyear would be around fivethousand.” No matter how many

toys or donations they collect, Costello still getsextreme satisfaction as the event wraps up, “Themost rewarding part for everyone involved is tojust stand back and look at the amount of toysthat they had collected over a twenty four hourperiod.”

Although the drive may have already endedfor this year, Class Council urges everyone todonate annually. Each year, new families andchildren can benefit from the generous amountsof toys that are donated from the school andcommunity.

“Some people have much more than others,”Said Raghav Sahni, a member of the JuniorExecutive Board, “And it’s satisfying to see thosewho are more fortunate donate to those in need.”

Inside...Homecoming Queen

News - page 3

Texting and DrivingCommentary - page 4

Mock Trial clubFeatures - page 6

Anne of Green GablesThe Arts - page 10

Two new columnsOdds & Ends - page 7

Harry PotterKeith Urban

Entertainment - page 8

Hoops previewTwp. Sports - page 15

Some of the 24 @ the Core participants gather with the a portion ofthe donations collected.

photo courtesy of JESS SPARACIO ‘12

Jayson WerthNational Sports

page 13

Books - page 13

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. December, 20102 - News

Pretty in pink

cancer. In his memory, the manyWTHS students wore green on thefirst day of school.

Before Buonadonna’s death,Washington Township came“together with pride” to supportTaylor and her family in their time

Ally Gallo ‘11

It seemed more like spring thanearly December as the classroomsand hallways of WTHS were a seaof pink in honor and memory ofTaylor Buonadonna ’12.

Buonadonna, a beloved memberof the Junior class of 2012 lost herlife to cancer on Sunday, Nov. 28.

To her peers, she wasconsidered an amazing person.

“She never left someone in needalone. She would help anyone whoneeded her” said Olivia Parry ‘10.

One of Buonadonna’’s bestfriends, Emily Parry ‘12 said, “Shemade everyone who was around herthe best person that they can be.”

According to her peers, hersickness never seemed to lessen heras a person.

“Taylor was unlike anyone I’veever met in my life. She was sweetand selfless. She always put herfamily and friends before herself. Shenever took advantage of people’ssympathy for her” Britt Rebstock‘12 said.

Buonadonna passing was thesecond student death to touchWTHS this school year. DerekSchnapp ’11 passed away this pastsummer after a long battle with

of need. WTHS Class Council andStudent Council joined forces andstarted a fundraising campaign for theBuonadonna’s. The members madepink ribbons and sold them to thestudent body for $1.

The faculty of WTHS also

chose to participate in two dressdown days. With a $5 donation, theyhad the option of wearing jeans on aFriday. So far, the organizations haveraised over $4,500, all of which wasdonated directly to Taylor’s family.

On Dec. 3, the students atWTHS showed their love andsupport for Taylor and wore pink.The day was called “Townshiploves Taylor.”

Buonadonna never got to seethe day the halls at WTHS were filledwith pink in her honor.

The message she always livedby is still growing strong in theschool and the community.

“Tay would want us all to liveour life to the fullest and appreciatethe small things, like smiling atsomeone or always being there forthe people that need us” Parry ‘10said.

The past month has been avery hard time for Buonadonna’sfriends and family. They feel sheleft a mark on her school and thatshe will never be forgotten.

“When ever you saw her in thehalls she put a smile on your face. Ispeak for a lot of people when I sayI’m going to miss her” said ToriOrsimarsi ’12.

Kevin Levy ‘12/The Patriot

Students honored and remembered classmate Taylor Buonadonna by wearing pink. Studentsand staff across all grade levels participated.

WTHS students dress to remember classmates’s impact

Elementary schoolstake five

Jessica Gardner ‘12

Brass students in Mr. Jim Beyer’s Wind Ensembleclass are continuing a long tradition here at WTHS.

The brass players have formed three differentquintets. The quintets include an array of brassinstruments, ranging from trumpet and horn, toeuphonium and tuba.

The quintets play a large assortment of differentsongs; they play all varieties of classic holiday favorites.Their repertoire of songs include Jingle Bells, WhiteChristmas, Frosty the Snowman and many morerecognizable holiday tunes.

Beyer, director of the school’s Wind Ensembleand Symphonic Band, created three quintet groups,each of which is planning on touring to the sixelementary schools in the district.

“I think it’s such a cool experience, to get to goback to where I came from and make their Christmasseason a little better,” trumpet player Kelsey

Wainwright ’11 said.The students have learned independence through

this project; they do not always need to rely on someoneto guide them through their music. Essentially, the goalwas for the students to be able to practice and play foran audience on their own.

Tuba player Nancy Chan ‘12 said, “It’s a goodexperience to try different rehearsal techniques on ourown and to add some creativity to our usualperformances.”

The brass quintets are a long-standing tradition atWTHS for the Wind Ensemble class. Several studentsare veterans of the quintet project, now getting a chanceto do it for a second time. Students like Wainwrightnow feel like they have to step up to plate. In order tolead the group, veterans have to act as a leader withtheir peers because they don’t have a director standingin front of them.

The quintets have worked hard on their musicand are excited to share it with the elementary schools.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.December, 2010 News - 3

Royal treatment:

Jewusiak’s were red.“I was just happy that I finally opened it, because

it took me a while. Then all these emotions came overme, I can’t even describe the feeling” Jewusiak said.

Jessica was taken off the track in a golf cart withher escort Phil Claghorn ’11. In her moment of fame,she waved back to her senior classmates that had votedfor her to represent the class of 2011.

“I’m thankful for all their support. It means a lotto me and it’s a huge honor” Jewusiak said.

Ally Gallo ‘11

The votes were in.The seniors at WTHS had each voted for two

girls they felt would best represent their class athomecoming. For the next week, student counciladvisors Mrs. Elizabeth Longo and Mrs. FrancescaMuscelli counted every vote.

On Friday, Sept. 24, during the first five minutesof first period, the twelve girls of the 2010homecoming Court were announced.

Jessica Jewusiak was one of the twelve girlsannounced. Little did she realize that only one shortmonth later, she would be crowned the WTHS Classof 2011 Homecoming Queen.

Jessica’s peers feel that she perfectly representsnot only the class of 2011 but the entire school. Sheis a well-respected friend and a great role model. Sheis very involved in school and has many differentgroups of friends. She is also known for being a niceto everyone.

“I was so happy, because she looked so happy.She’s so humble and sweet so she deserved it” saidhomecoming court member Candace Brown ’11

Her family is also very proud of the person shehas become.

“One of the things that we taught Jess was toalways look at everybody from the inside and notthe outside, and that’s why I think a lot of peopletake to her” Mr. Jewusiak said.

During halftime at the homecoming footballgame, each girl was introduced one by one. Theywere walked down the track by their escorts. Onceevery girl was called, the flower boys handed offtheir boxes of roses. After what seemed to be alifetime worth of waiting, all the girls finally gottheir boxes open. Eleven girls held white roses.

Ally Gallo ‘11

Alexandra Richards ’11 is ahomecoming court nominee and amember of student council. Withhelp from other court membersMary Hearn ’11 and Zoey Miller’11, Richards choreographed a danceroutine for the twelve girls and theirescorts which they performed threetimes.

After much practice andpreparation, the homecoming girlsand their escorts performed at thehomecoming dance, at the pep rallythe night before the homecomingfootball game, and at the spiritparade before the game.

“I was really proud ofeverybody. We had so much fundoing it and it came together reallywell,” said Richards.During theweeks prior to homecoming, the girlsgot the opportunity to representtheir class and their school as theWTHS 2010 homecoming Court.With this honor came someresponsibilities. They had to pickan escort in the senior class thatwould dance with them and walkthem down the track at thehomecoming football game. Theyalso had to choose a flower boy, anyunder classman.

To introduce them to thestudent body, during the twelve daysprior to homecoming, each girl ledthe school in reciting the Pledge ofAllegiance over the loud speaker inthe morning.

Although the entire month ofOctober was a once in a lifetimeexperience that none of thehomecoming girls will forget, it wastime for one girl to be crowned. Thehomecoming football game was heldon Friday, October 29. The WTHSStudent Council hosted their annualhalf time show. After all twelve girlswere announced, Jessica Jewusiakwas crowned the WTHS 2010Homecoming Queen.

Court membersget girlsin step

Jessica Jewusiakcrowned Queen

Homecoming Queen Jessica Jewusiak andescort Phil CLaghorn.

2010 Award winners from the Garden State Scholastic PressAssociation Summer Writing Contest.

For work published during the 2009-10 school year, A-division (large schools)

3rd place - Overall ExcellenceWTHS The Patriot Staff/Nicole Heath ’10 Editor in Chief

Nicole Heath ’10 1st place - NewswritingWeston Eldridge ’10 2nd place - Sports WritingChristina Schillaci ’10 2nd place - PhotographyChristina Cockerill ’12 2nd place - Column WritingKevin Whitehead ’10 3rd place - Sports Writing

Honorable Mention - NewswritingLuke Verrillo ’10 3rd place - Reviews & EntertainmentCarolyn Cicalese ’10 3rd Place - Feature WritingTaylor Perkins ’11 3rd Place - Feature WritingChris Hall ’10 Honorable Mention - Artwork and IllustrationStacey Angelillo ’10 Honorable Mention - Editorial CartooningAnthony Dentino ’11 Honorable Mention - Opinion WritingShane Sibert ’11 Honorable Mention - Photography

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. December, 20104 - Commentary

Step up or step outThese people often don’t

receive quite the thanks thatthey deserve for planning andorganizing different events.

If you are one of the peoplewho don’t get involved, andfind yourself criticizing theevents that go on in our school,you should take a few stepsback and look at the big picture.

If you did not like thedecorations at this year’shomecoming, and your opinionwas loud enough for many tohear, maybe you should havegotten involved with student

Jenn Gordun 12’

Assembly. This word is enough to get thestudent body cheering with enthusiasm. It’s onlynatural for students to be excited to get out ofclass and attend something different than theirusual eight classrooms during the day. Thisprivilege is becoming more scarce with the newrestrictions on eighth period assemblies.

Only select classes at Washington TownshipHigh School have been allowed to attend eighth

p e r i o dassemblies.Though manyof theserestr ict ionshave beenmade becauseof the lack ofspace in theTDBAC for

all three-thousand students, it should be apparentthat there should be some type of system forchoosing which classes should be able to attend.

For most of the eighth period assemblies,the same classes which have attended all theprevious assemblies are continuing to be chosen.This is unfair to the majority of WTHS studentswho never get to attend any eighth periodassemblies. It is understandable that many ofthe teachers do not want to lose an entire day ofclass for an assembly. Many classes are notchosen to attend because of this fact. This is nottrue for every class and teacher, however.

A week or two before an assembly, a surveyor poll should be distributed to teachers whoteach class eighth period. On the poll, theteachers should write which class they teach andwhether or not they wish for their class to attendthe assembly. The survey can then be handed into the coordinator of the assembly, and a moreequitable selection of classes can be made.

This is a more impartial method of selectingthe audience of eighth period assemblies. If thisimpartial system is used, different classes willbe able to experience the spontaneity andenjoyment assemblies bring to the student body.

council. This would have given you theopportunity to choose the decorations foryourself.

The point is that if you don’t like the waythings are going, it’s your own fault. If youcategory of the group of people who don’t getinvolved, and you find yourself criticizing theevents that go on in our school, you shouldtake a few steps back and look at the big picture.If you did not like the decorations at this year’shomecoming, and your opinion was loud enoughfor many to hear, maybe you should have gotten

The PatriotVolume XVI, Issue 3 - December, 2010

EditorsLeanne Abrams ‘11, Alexis Donia ‘11, Alexandra Gallo ‘11, Philip Jaffe ‘11, Taylor Perkins ‘11,

Rebecca Serad ‘11, Kelsey Wainwright ‘11, Christina Cockerill ‘12, Amy Dennis ‘12,Kaitlyn Gallagher ‘12, Jennifer Gordun ‘12, Steven Hauser ‘13, Alexandra Propati ‘13

AdvisorMr. Jim Evangelisti

Printing- Mr. Dale Biebel, Greg Furman ‘10, Chris Pelley ‘11, Brett Deckert ‘13

The opinions expressed in the Commentary section and all articles labeled as opinion as well as all reviewsand columns, are the views of the writer indicated in the byline. They are not meant to represent the viewsof The Patriot staff, the students of Washington Twp. HS. or its administartion. Unsigned editorials aremeant to reflect the views of the publication.

Please send all correspondence to: wthspatriot@gmail.com

Washington Township High School,519 Hurffville-Cross Keys Road, Sewell, NJ

Assistant AdvisorMrs. Heather Finn

Assemblyattendence

systemflawed

Editor in Chief - Emily Bierman ‘11Managing Editor - Anthony Dentino ‘11

Commentary

Only selectclasses at WTHShave been allowedto attend eighthperiod assemblies.

Ally Gallo 11’

Although the mostimportant part of school iseducation, the social aspect isdefinitely a big part of the highschool experience.

There are two opposinggroups in our school. There arethe ones who get involved, andthe ones who don’t.

Members of clubs such asclass council, student counciland Interact give the studentsat WTHS a lot of opportunitiesthat not all schools have to offer.

involved with student council.This would have given you theopportunity to choose thedecorations for yourself.

The point is that if youdon’t like the way things aregoing, it’s your own fault. If youreally want something to be acertain way you can dosomething about that and addyour opinion. Otherwise, youhave no room to criticize theefforts of the people whoactually do get involved .

Your voice matters andyour opinion counts.

year olds require a parent or guardian’s signaturebefore they donate. Why not let fifteen year oldand fourteen year old students who meet theweight specification get parental permission todonate blood?

Only three percent of people who are abledonate blood and those three percent don’t dothis as regularly as allowed (fifty six days arerequired between every donation).

With the great need for blood donors, TheRed Cross should be widening the percent ofpopulation allowed.

Students who meet the weight requirementcould easily handle it. Students who meet theage limit know the risks and are eager to help.Allowing those who wish to donate blood wouldbenefit both the Red Cross and the volunteers.

Christina Cockerill 12’

American Red Cross Blood donations havetoo many strict regulations and rules, to the pointwhere they are counterproductive.

Blood drive regulations only allow studentsover the weight of 110 pounds and over the ageof sixteen to donate blood, yet they advertisethat one pint of blood can save up to three lives.People aren’t endangered after losing one pint ofblood, especially when it’s done with a sterilizedneedle in a very controlled location. There’s foodfor those who feel light headed and places to laydown if you don’t exactly feel ready to go backto class.

If there is a specification for weight, whybother with the age limits at all? Even sixteen

Blood drives too restrictive

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.December, 2010 Commentary - 5

Out of Handdangerous texting and driving was.

While, there are laws about using cell phoneswhile driving, most people think they won’t getcaught. What they haven’t been taught or realizedis they are not only putting themselves at riskbut other drivers on the road as well.

According to a national driving safetyprogram, 26 percent of cell phone users said theyhave texted while driving. 60 percent of teenagers,typically the most dangerous drivers due to lackof experience reported to texting while behindthe wheel .

Parents and teachers really need to informyoung drivers about how not only drinking anddriving is unsafe, but that texting while driving is

just as bad or evenworse.

According to anarticle written byAbhijit Naik, 81percent of thepopulation hasadmitted to textingwhile driving. 50percent, of who wereteenagers. 29 percent ofaccidents are causedby drivers between the

ages of 18 and 29. Whether it’s sending or receivesthe text messages.

I will admit when I first started driving I

Leanne Abrams ‘11

Texting is getting out of control! Accordingto a report done by the National Safety Council,28 percent of car accidents are caused by textingand talking on your cell phone while driving.

Almost everywhere you look, you seesomeone on the cell phone. The odd thing to meis you hardly ever see people just talking on thephone, in most cases they are texting. It’s as iftexting is taking over!

Kids are texting in school; adults are textingon the job and driver’s texting while driving theircars. It’s not just the teenagers; it’s even theparents driving with their children in the backseats.

Texting whiledriving is getting outof hand, and it scaresme. I don’t think kidsare getting educatedenough about howrisky and unsafetexting or talking onthe phone is whilebehind the wheel. Mysophomore yearduring driver’seducation class, I remember learning aboutdrinking and driving and the risks, but never didthe teacher mention anything about how bad and

thought I was a good enough driver to text at thesame time, I soon realized I just couldn’t payenough attention and I quickly stopped doing it.If I need to really get in contact with someone, Ipull over for a minute; I don’t understand whyeveryone can’t just do that. It would save somany lives.

Consider a question before you take thatcell phone out, “Is any text or phone call moreimportant than your own life or someone else’s?”

Texting while driving slows down thedriver’s reaction time down my 30 percent.Texting while driving is shown to cause greaterimpairment then being on drugs or drinking whiledriving.

Texting while driving sparks dangerous consequences

Consider a questionbefore you take that cell

phone out: “Is any text orphone call more important

than your own life orsomeone else’s?”

JAMIE OLSON ‘13

friends show up to hear the hardwork the music program does yearround.

It’s time that the arts weremore appreciated. Year round,student performers and artists workas hard as possible in the timeallotted to perform, play, and paintto the best of their abilities. Andyear after year, play after play,performances after performance,less than an impressive amount of

Kelsey Wainwright ‘11

On almost every Friday night,WTHS students head out to theTom Brown field to watch ourfootball players take on thechallenge. Throughout the year,students pay as little as two to fivedollars to enjoy sporting events.

The students of WTHS aredefinitely always very enthusiasticabout their teams, regardless ofwhether they win or lose.

But Township, while in fullswing for school spirit, tends tomiss a large section of the school:the arts.

Whether it be the schoolmusical, the orchestra concert, orthe art show in April, there are manyopportunities that lend themselvesto the students to appreciate the

work of their peers, yet not manygrab of that chance.

For example, on a cold andrainy Friday night, the stands at afootball game are filled to the brimwith exuberant seniors, passionateunderclassmen, and supportivefamily members. They sit out inthe bleachers in downpours towatch the football team. Yet duringthe winter concert season in theTDBAC, only family and close

students show up to support thearts.

The students of Townshipneed to show their appreciation forthe arts more. If they don’t, beforewe know it, the arts may diminishso much that they could get cut alltogether and future students won’tget to enjoy it like so many beforethem.

Have an opinionyou’d like to

share?

Send it to us.

wthspatriot@gmail.com

The arts need fans too

SAM MILLS ‘12

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. December, 20106 - Features

Order in the court!

Tips to cut college planning stressclassrooms & have the positiveattitudes to do it. I’ve beenemphasizing work and such becausethat’s the main thing they look for,how well you’re going to do and howwell you’re going to succeed.”

When reviewing a studentapplication, the college admissionscommittees will look for class rank,the type (academics vs. electives)and depth (honors/advanced vs.college prep/remedial) of yourclasses, and your overall pattern ofgrades.

Also it’s very likely that theywill require an essay and of course,the results of your SAT.

“Don’t wait til the last minutewhen you apply,” says AndrewPham ’11 “colleges are less likely topay attention to you if you send allyour information in so close to theirdeadline.”

Know what you’re looking for. It’s important to know exactly

really wanted to visit and apply to.”

Take a Sample Test.These can be found on College

Board and will give you an idea ofwhat the SAT will really be like. Itwill give you a feel for the formatand difficulty level of the test andprovides you with a score that youcan improve on and evaluate.

This can mainly pertain totenth graders since high school doesadminister the PSAT to all eleventhgraders.

Know what they’re looking for.Colleges want to succeed just

as much as students do and it’s nosecret that most colleges willemphasize academic ability andachievements.

“I think its really important tokeep your grades up at all costs,”says Emily Konzelman ’11,“Colleges will look for students thatare going to apply themselves in the

Amy Dennis ‘12

Already the Juniors, and evenmost Sophomores, are beginning tofeel the pressure and demands ofcollege but many without any oldersiblings or friends, are at a loss ofeven knowing where to start.

Here are a few tips and adviceon how to handle the important stuffthat colleges really look for.

Visit Collegeboard.com.Here you can search colleges

to find those that best suit yourneeds and interests. The website alsooffers surveys, college news, collegetouring info., and SAT preparationinfo.

“Collegeboard was reallyhelpful when I first started looking,”Lauren D’arcangelo, ’11 said “itshowed me colleges that reallymatched my interests and helped menarrow it down to find the ones I

“It has introduced me to awesome people,”said Jim Celia ‘12.

“It is easy to catch on to,” said Muscellibecause of the simple fundamentals and drivenpeople in Mock Trial.

Muscelli has enjoyed advising the club since2006. Even though he did not know much aboutthe club in the beginning, he soon developed astrong interest. He even said he would have joinedMock Trial if it had been offered to him when hewas in high school.

Spending a few days after school fromOctober through February is not a burden onMuscelli and Jessica Seigel, ‘12 commented,“Mock Trial can be work but it is fun work.”

Madison Sudano ‘12

It is no wonder that many are enticed bylaw enforcement during an episode of Law andOrder or even from listening to a story aboutjustice. The Mock Trial club at WTHS providesthe perfect combination of duty and drama in acourtroom.

Mr. Gregory Muscelli, the Mock Trialadvisor, and members of the club explained thebasics in a courtroom and the exciting elementsthat Mock Trial club offers.

The Mock Trial club is given a case eachyear created by the New Jersey State BarFoundation to present to an actual judge at theVincent J. Apruzzese Mock Trial Competition.Different schools verse each other.

“This challenge keeps the team competitive,”said Muscelli.

The basic roles in the trial are the defenseand plaintiff sides consisting of usually twoattorneys and three witnesses, which willcompete against the other club’s defense orplaintiff.

When a real judge determines which siderequires justice, anticipation rises between eachteam. These stimulating characteristics of the clubare just the beginning to an enjoyable group.

Zach Dzierzogowski, ‘12, a member ofMock Trial since his freshman year, has beenenthusiastic in the club ever since. Muscellisuggested him to join.

Dzierzogowski’s interest in law andperforming, before getting involved in the club,helped him adjust and give him an “edge,” as hesaid.

There are no prerequisites and the onlydemands in this club are to have a desire to winthe case.

Dzierzogowski even stated whencommemorating on past year’s competitions that,“there is no better feeling than beating otherschools!”

The members of Mock Trial look forward to their day in court.ALEXANDRA PROPATI ‘13/The Patriot

Features

what you want to get out of yourcollege experience. Know what youwant to major in and what will helpyou later on in life with the careerthat you choose.

At the same time, don’t be toonarrow-minded. You never know ifyou might want to switch that careerchoice half way through your collegecareer.

Still not sure of want you wantto make a living out of? Liberal Artsis a popular choice of study for thosejust entering college. It comprises abit of everything educational that isrequired for you to know and willhelp prepare you for life aftergraduation.

To get the most from yourcollege years, it’s also valuable tofind a school that focuses on a sportyou play, a good music or artprogram, a shared religiousbackground, etc. to help you stayconnected with your recreationaland social interests.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.December, 2010 Odds & Ends - 7

Christmas with the Sollenbergers

Any season is hunting seasonThe funniest item on the list was to

release an animal in a public place. At first wedidn’t know what to make of it. A few of myfriends had pets but we didn’t want to releasethem so we decided to go and buy a littlegoldfish.

We felt bad after we released him in thebathroom of my friend’s mother’s pizza shopso we told her mom there was a fish in thebathroom. She went in and saved it and nowthe fish lives in her family room.

On a weekend if you’re bored, going on ascavenger hunt is something fun and differentto do. They may be time-consuming, but thereis never a dull moment. Even if you lose,participating in them is still worth it.

To find more fun ideas these are usefulwebsites : http://www.diva-girl-parties-and-stuff.com/scavenger-hunts.html and http://w w w. b i r t h d a y p a r t y i d e a s . c o m / h t m l /scavenger_hunt.html .

they are, the better the hunt is.A tally system also has to be made to decide

on the winner. The harder the task, the morepoints it is worth. Every team also has to have acamera to document each item to prove they didit. Teams should have three to five people on

them and Prizes can also begiven out to the winners ifyou can buy them.

My friends and Ionce entered a scavengerhunt that lasted all day. Thelist had over 100 items on it,each worth differentamounts.

We didn’t have to complete all of the tasksbut try to earn the most points to win. Therewere around five teams and each player gave fivedollars towards the winning prize. We startedout trying to get a napkin from as many differentfast food chains as possible.

People often complain that there’s nothing to doin Township. In each installment of “Make YourOwn Fun”, Keli Sharkey will share creative waysthat she and her friends fill their free time.

Every weekend in Washington Township,teenagers do the same activities.They either hang out with theirfriends, go to the movies, go outto eat, etc. A scavenger hunt issomething new and exciting todo and it can be fun with anyperson, at anytime.

Scavenger hunts aregreat and require littlepreparation. To have a successful one, somesupplies are needed. The main thing is a list of allthe tasks that have to be done or obtained. A fewexamples are going into a grocery store wearing ahula skirt or buying a fish at a pet store with amask on. The more random, difficult or funnier

with my family, every year we goout and get a real tree. We alsoalways debate if we should let thattradition die, and succumb to theworld of fake trees, but I refuse.They just aren’t the same, youknow?

Before Christmas I alwayshave my dad drive me aroundHaddonfield to look at all thebeautiful lights decorating thehouses, while listening to CharlieBrown Christmas music. That’sprobably what I look forward tomost about the holiday season

This year, something new isbeing added to the mix. If I thoughtmy mom was obsessed withChristmas, she’s nothing comparedto my boyfriend.

I always joke and call him“Buddy The Elf”, because he’s beenexcited since before Halloween, (I’mnot even joking.) So far, he’s had meover to decorate stockings, and weplan on making our own ChristmasCountdown Calendar. It soundscheesy, but it’s fun.

One day we just took a trip to

Let’s face it; the holidays areright around the bend. Some dreadit, and some live for it.

Take my mom, for instance.Even if you restrain her, by mid-November, she’s dancing around thehouse humming Christmas tunes. Itonly gets worse from there.

Once she’s opened that door,Christmas-Mania absolutelyinvades our home. The “Sounds ofthe Seasons “Music Choice channelis on when Christmas movies aren’t.Questions about what foods toserve are asked on a daily basis, anddecorations come creeping downfrom the attic.

It’s enough to drive my dad andme insane, but it’s been this way foryears now, and part of a tradition.I’d never actually realized that myfamily had traditions, untilsomewhat recently, because I’dalways thought of the cliché onesyou hear about on TV or see in themovies.

My family, although close, isn’tlike that. And I don’t think it’s thatway for the majority, either. I know

the dollar store and bought up abunch of decorations and these hugestockings that are about as tall as Iam. We decided that I woulddecorate one for him, and he wouldmake one for me, and as we collectedand wrapped up gifts for each otherwe would deposit them in thestockings and open them togetheron Christmas.

I’ve probably never been moreexcited for Christmas to come.

Odds & EndsA Slice of Life by Kelley Sollenberger ‘11

Make Your Own Fun by Keli Sharkey ‘11

On top of that, there’sChristmas Morning to look forwardto as well. Every year, my momcooks a big brunch and her family,which is smaller than my dad’s,comes over to watch movies,exchange presents and eat.

That in itself is alwaysentertaining, simply because of myfamily. My mom-mom is fromGermany, and also completely outof touch with the modern world, soshe wonders how “a little piece ofplastic”, aka my iPod, couldpossibly play music. Meanwhile mymom is running around like a mad-woman, trying to do a million thingsat once and can be heard shoutingprofanities over top of clanks andbangs from the kitchen.

My Uncle Steve and father aremore than likely sitting on the couch,sharing a plethora of inappropriatelychildish jokes and stories with oneanother.

All in all it’s a long and crazyholiday when it comes to my family,but I would not have it any otherway.

MAX WOLFF ‘12

A scavenger hunt issomething new andexciting to do and itcan be fun with anyperson, at anytime.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. December, 20108 - Entertainment

Film explores Facebook’s origin

Beginning of the End:

by the audience.The decision to split the movie into two

parts proves to be beneficial, as it allows themovie to be more accurate compared with thenovels. Fans that started with the novels willdelight in the movie, while newer fans will mostlikely find it unfulfilling and less exciting incomparison to past films. However, the fact ofthe matter is that Deathly Hallows Part 1 is themost accurate movie in the series thus far andmust be noted as being such. The fan reaction tothe film will depend on whether or not the viewerhad previously read the book or not.

tension to the climactic finish in the second halfof the final book, which will be released in movieform in July of next year.

Excellent performances by Radcliffe,Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson(Hermione Granger) prove to be vital in a moviethat focuses on strained relationships through arough period of time. The trio perfectly displaysthe wear and tear of alliances when hope seemsto be lost. Considering each of their ages andlikelihood to have actually experienced a scenarioof this magnitude, it should be regarded as a grandfeat to make these displays of emotion believable

Rebecca Serad ‘11

Waiting in line hours in advance, I sensed theanticipation rising for the latest Harry Potter film.The fans, clad in their Hogwarts gear, were clearlyexcited for the midnight premiere.

The question is: did it live up to the hype?Avid fans of the book series will agree with mewhen I say that seeing the premiere of HarryPotter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 was wellworth the lack of sleep the next school day.

The film begins with Harry (played byDaniel Radcliffe) waiting for the members of theOrder of the Phoenix to arrive at the home of hisaunt and uncle. Without Dumbledore’s protection,Voldemort and the Death Eaters viewed Harry asa vulnerable target. The Order of the Phoenixknows that and attempts to place Harry at asecure location, which was the “Burrow”, or theWeasley home.

The event being celebrated at the Burrowwas the marriage of Ron’s brother, Bill, to FleurDelacour. However, the mood of the receptionturned bleak when Kingsley Shacklebolt, arenowned auror, gave news that the Minister ofMagic, Rufus Scrimgeour, had been murdered.Without a “good guy” in charge of the wizardingworld, fear put the wizards into a frenzy. Notlong after, the wedding was crashed by a group ofDeath Eaters. This propelled Harry, Ron andHermione into the journey of a lifetime whilesearching for Voldemort’s horcruxes.

As a result of the mission given byDumbledore prior to his death, the film is ratherbleak. Relationships are strained and it oftenappears as though there isn’t a light at the end ofthe tunnel. But it is necessary to increase the

Steve Hauser ‘13

The Social Network is a great movie that everybodywho uses Facebook should watch. This movie tells thestory about how the Facebook started.

Jesse Eisenberg stars as Facebook creator, MarkZuckerberg, in this true story about Facebook’s rise in2004. What started as a few college kids eventuallyturned worldwide.

Zuckerberg’s net worth is equal to four billion.When Facebook expanded, it was greatly successful.

In this movie you’ll see that it was notZuckerberg’s idea to create Facebook, but that he stoleit from two brothers attending Harvard, Cameron andTyler Winklevoss.

Entertainment

Also, it was Eduardo Saverin, who created thealgorithm to allow the website to run, who eventuallygets kicked out of Facebook because he froze theaccount that kept Facebook running, which could havebeen the downfall of the company.

Although, Zuckerberg did get a half a milliondollar investment, Mark was angered that his friendcould have ended the website.

Both the twin brothers and his friend ended upsuing Mark.

It is an excellent movie about one of the mostpopular social networking website in America. It reallyexplains the story about where and how Facebookoriginated.

I recommend this to all high school students.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione (Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson) take on their final adventurein the first half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

AP Images

Part one of Potterfinale wows fans

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.December, 2010 Entertainment - 9

Get Closer to Keith Urban

Lesser Known, Greater Talent by Christina Cockerill ‘12

soft rock song, but quickly turns intoa relaxed, jazzy piece with KyleWareham’s soulful confidence and aslow beat.

The rest of the album doesmostly the same, with some songs,such as “One World, One Heart”,giving off a bass fueled ska feel.

All of the songs have the sameloose, fun feel, even when the lyricsare biting and serious.

Skip forward three years andNot as Far has seen some evolutionin the band and their music writing.

Their newfound confidence isevident, with a more equal balanceto beat and vocals.

Songs like “Not as Far” and“Soul Thief” put more focus on rockand guitar than any song on theprevious album, sounding more likean alternative band than previouslythought.

especially with their upcomingnationwide tour to promote theirsecond album.

The band got their start in 2006,after winning the University ofDelaware’s annual Battle of the

Bands. After thatsuccess, theywere able torelease Ideas,their first studioalbum, and beganto tour with asmuch ferocity asa local band assuch could offer.

The sound ofthis doesn’t varyfrom rock toreggae—it splits

the line straight down the middle.The album starts out with “On

My Way Home”, beginning like a

Three Legged Fox, a reggae rockband coming straight fromPhiladelphia, PA, has been gainingpopularity, with gigs in major venuesand plays on over a hundred radiostations on the east coast.

The fourman band hasreleased twoalbums sof a r — 2 0 0 6 ’sIdeas and thenewer albumtitled Not asFar in 2009.

T h e i re a s y - g o i n g ,relaxed style ofrock hasm a s s i v epotential and with the amount ofshows they’ve played along the localarea, are bound for success,

paint the perfect sunset, but I couldn’t make itmore beautiful than you.”

Another sweet, love song, “Without You”seems to capture Urban’s life perfectly. It evenmentions a baby girl, similar to Urban andKidman’s daughter, Sunday Rose.

“You Gonna Fly,” a more rock than countrysong, “Georgia Woods” and “Long Hot Summer”all are songs about loving somebody and wantingthem to stay and be with you. “You Gonna Fly”has a mixture of guitar and banjo that makes itone of the favorite off the album.

Love gone wrong is the topic of “Right on

Emily Bierman ‘11

Keith Urban’s seventh album, Get Closer,features eight new songs from the country singer.If you are not a country fan, don’t let the countrylabel turn you off. Most of the songs on thealbum could appeal to fans of other genres.

The album includes songs about love andrelationships, so it makes sense the album isdedicated to Urban’s wife, Nicole Kidman.

The dedication reads in part, “I just want tobe a better man, for you, and father for ourheavenly Sunday Rose...no one has ever, or willever, love you as much as I do…all we need isfaith…”

Urban’s lyrics are always a strength of hiswork. His outlook on love is one of the mostnoticeable differences on this album. Still thereare his incredible guitar solos and spot-on vocalsparticularly in the leading single, “Put You in aSong.”

“Put You in a Song” is an upbeat song abouta guy who longs for a girl and decides to write asong about her.

One of the best parts about Get Closer isthe sincerity in Urban’s voice. It’s like he’s tellinga story and he means every word he says.

“All For You,” one of the ballads on thealbum, is obviously about Kidman. The songreminds you of a loving wedding song. In it, Urbansings “I’d paint the moon, the stars around you,

Back to You” and “Shut Out the Lights.” “Righton Back to You” features the speaker realizing hewas a fool and hoping he’s not too late to go backto the girl. He wonders where he’d be withoutthe girl.

“Shut Out the Lights” is about a couple thatis arguing, but Urban is certain everything will beable to be fixed in the morning.

Although eight songs may not be enough tomake you want to buy the album, the deluxeversion sold only at Target features the originaleight songs, three more new songs, and four liveversions of old songs, including the hits “BetterLife” and “You Look Good in My Shirt.” Thelive songs make you feel like you’re at a concert.This makes the deluxe album worth buying.

One of the bonus songs, “The Luxury ofKnowing,” is also about a difficult relationship.It is one of the best songs on the album, and itshould have been a part of the regular album.

If you’re not in a relationship, or you aren’tin love, the album is still good to listen to. Itwould have been nice to have a song or two aboutmore than just love and relationships, but youhave to remember when listening there are onlyeight songs.

Even with the few songs about relationshipdifficulties, Urban still manages to focus on lovein every song. Everything about Get Closer isabout the optimism of love and the positivefeelings that come from being in love.

Keith Urban’s newest album covershows justhow personal he gets.

KEITHURBAN.NET

Philly reggae-rock group gaining fameHowever, songs like “Love

Move A Mountain” and “Help”bring back all of the jazz in theirfirst album and the result is just asfun as the first, with the addedexperience making Three Legged Foxjust as, if not more, pleasurable tolisten to as when they first won theircompetition at UD.

Though fun and a good listen,their one drawback did seem that int heir first album, many of their songshad a very alike feel.

This was cured by the variationin their second album, with rock andreggae mixing tastefully onto onealbum.

With their uniqueness to theday and their hard work unrelenting,Three Legged Fox is on their way tomaking something of themselves inthe music industry.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. December, 201010 - The Arts

adopted a child, returns to find aboy for one of her neighbors. Excitedover the prospect of getting Anneout of their hair, the women presentAnne to Mrs. Spencer. She agrees totake her home to the Cuthbert’s.

Kelsey Wainwright ‘11

The Way-Off Broadwayplayers put out another spectacularshow, Anne of Green Gables, onNov. 18, 19, and 20. The cast waswell-suited for their roles, from thecold-hearted Marilla Cuthbert(Natasha Hesketh ‘11) to the happyand vivacious Anne Shirley (KaitlynGallagher ‘12).

As the play opens, FlorenceRemsen (Rachel Lawler ‘12)andMinnie Stearn (Renee Belsky ‘11)are discussing Anne, one of theorphans who lives in the HopetonOrphan Asylum.

Using her broad imaginationand wild story-telling, Anneconstantly causes problems in theorphanage by scaring the otherchildren. Mrs. Alexander Spencer,(Taylor Heil ‘11) who recently

The scene then changes toGreen Gables, home of Marilla andMatthew Cuthbert (NickStonehouse ‘11 ). Marilla, a stone-cold woman, wants a child to helparound the house, but ominously

keeps repeating how she doesn’twant a girl. Much to her dismay,Matthew arrives home with Anneand immediately trouble ensues.Anne’s imagination and antics getsher in a lot of trouble and even takesher near to death.

The classic work was turnedout brilliantly by the actors.

“It was very-well acted,”Bernadette Burke ’12 said, “Theytook a literary classic and brought itto life. I laughed and cried, so it wasworth it to see.”

While staying true to theclassic, the cast of Anne of GreenGables put their own style and flairinto the performance.

Continuing a strong tradition,Director Mr. James Digennaro andthe Way-Off Broadway playerspulled out all the stops to transforma classic into a spectacular show.

The Arts

Anne Of Green Gables

The Cuthberts and friends (Nick Stonehouse ‘11, Alexa Simone‘11, and Natasha Hesketh ‘11) anxiously await the arrival of Anne.

Alyssa Garrison ‘12

“As director I felt like I could really bringsomething to the table. I had a vision of what Iwanted the show to be like, and I wantedeveryone involved to take away a great experience,like I have over the years.” Hesketh said.

Koons shared that sentiment, “I had such agreat time last year that I wanted to take it to thenext level and direct the show. I felt that asdirector, I could assure that everyone else madethe awesome memories that I did in past years.”

There is little rivalry between the co-directors. “I was so ecstatic to be co-directorwith Shawn. He’s one of my best friends and tohave this opportunity with him has been solucky.” Hesketh said.

“Natasha is one of the greatest friends I’veever had,” said Koons, “ I love directing with herand I’m sure we’ll get in little fights, but at theend of the day she’s still my best friend.” Hesmiled, “It doesn’t hurt that she’s pretty either.”

The directors are enthusiastic about gettingpeople out to see the show. Senior DirectedCabaret will be performed on January 20th and21st at 7:30 p.m. in the 11/12 auditorium. Ticketsare five dollars.

“It will be the best show they will ever seein their entire life, guaranteed.” Said Koons.

“It’s going to be super awesome, get readyfor some boys dancing in leotards and high heels,and a night full of laughter and fun.” Heskethadded. “Be ready to be amazed.”

but at the same time I had to pick who was bestfor the role,” said Koons.

Even though Hesketh and Koons have muchto plan and organize before the show, they havea lot of ideas about getting the word out to theirpotential audience.

“We’re going to use Facebook as one of themain ways to advertise the show,” Hesketh said,“We are going to have an abundance of flyers allaround the school so that students are constantlyreminded that the show is coming up.”

The directors still have a lot of work aheadof them, but neither of them forget why theyoriginally wanted to be a part of the SDC tradition.

Kaitlyn Gallagher ‘12

Every year, WTHS experiences a perfor-mance unlike any other. Senior Directed Cabaretis a show directed, performed and produced bythe students, and is a much anticipated eventamong the school’s theatrical community.

Two senior directors are chosen from theprevious year’s cast to stage a show comprisedof comical skits and musical numbers. All themoney raised from the show gets donated to the,“Project Graduation” fund for that year’sgraduating seniors.

This year’s directors, Natasha Hesketh andShawn Koons, have learned that there arechallenges to overcome in addition to all therewarding aspects of the job.

“Balancing school work and the show hasproven to be difficult,” said Hesketh, “By thetime we end rehearsal, it’s already four or five o’clock and I still have to go home and do all of myhomework. It’s really taught me how to organizemy time.”

Another challenging part of being a studentdirector, was casting their classmates. BothHesketh and Koons had a hard time decidingwho would be a part of the show, and who wouldhave to be left out.

“I felt like if I cast my friends, people wouldthink I was picking favorites. I didn’t want tohurt anyone’s feelings during the casting process,

Review

Seniors take charge

Koons and Hesketh are working hard totake Senior Directed to the next level.

photo courtesy of Natasha Hesketh

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.December, 2010 The Arts - 11

Local bands rock TLA Stage

musical selections they’ll performat their concert,” Mrs. Judy Barnettsaid, “Students are playing theirmusic very well and we are lookingforward to a wonderful evening!”

Dec. 15, the Guitar ensembles,Chorale, and Orchestras willpreview their winter selections.

“The choruses are very wellprepared for their upcoming concert.Chorale has been collaborating withthe Symphony Orchestra to presentVivaldi’s Gloria [on 12/15],” chorus

Kelsey Wainwright ‘11

As the snow begins to fall andthe season change, the WTHS musicprogram begins their 2010 WinterConcert series. With preparationover the past few months reallytightening down, the classes are infull concert mode.

“Members of the three WTHSorchestras [Sinfonia, Sinfonietta andSymphony] are working very hardto put the finishing touches on the

The members, six seniors andone junior from Timber CreekHigh School, played a set thathad the crowd dancing andjumping to the music with a mixof original music and covers,such as Catch 22’s “KeasbeyNights” and closing with theiroriginal song “11:11 Is A Lie.”Videos of the performance canbe found at www.facebook.com/robotmanhattan

Jennifer Gordun ’12, afriend of several of the bandmates, said, “It was so cool,seeing the same people I hangout with playing on a real stage.It was awesome—I was sohappy for them.”

Another notable act was Forever Broken, ahard-core metal band, which performed as wellin the show. The band, whose youngest memberand singer is just twelve years old, received ahugely positive reaction from the audience.

When, at the end of the night, No SuchNoise! took the crown, the boys werecompletely shocked that they won.Fuscia said, “We didn’t think we’d

even come close to placing, but then,my friend from Robot Manhattan,Mike Campanelli, texted me tocongratulate us on the win. We had noidea.”In addition to the title, the No SuchNoise! also took first prize. The bandhad the option of twenty hoursrecording or a $500 dollar prize. Sincethey had already finished recordingtheir first EP, Worst Birthday Ever,they chose the cash prize to fund theirmusic and touring.The band has played at the

Trocadero’s Next Big Thing concert forseveral years, finally winning in 2010’s

Christina Cockerill ‘12

South Street Philadelphia teemed withstarting artists and their fans as the Theatre ofthe Living Arts saw The Next Big Thing tour, aconcert for small time bands looking to get big byperforming in their battle of the bands againstother local artists.

There were performers in genres from death-core to pop-punk. The show lasted from elevenin the morning to eleven at night on Nov. 21, butin the end, Sicklerville’s own ska, punk band NoSuch Noise took the title of “The Next Big Thing”.

Joe Fuscia, vocals and trombone of thewinning ska, pop-punk band, found it to be anexciting venue. “The TLA stage is amazing. Whenwe found out the show was going to be at theTLA, we wanted to do it so bad because we’venever played there before.”

In second place was Morgan’s Accident fromNorristown, PA, which played a combination ofhard-core and electronica.

Robot Manhattan, another ska band straightout of Sicklerville, performed an impressive show.

show at the Theatre for Living Arts. MitchGuedon, guitarist and vocalist of No Such Noise!,has been playing with Fuscia since he was tenyears old, though the band only formed two yearsago. Other members include Tom Cruise, drums,Dave Jones, guitarist, Vince Lacovera, trumpet,Kevin Edwards, saxophonist, and KevinMcKendry, bass guitarist.

Since their formation, they have playedregular shows at Savage’s School of Rock inBlackwood, several Skater’s Choice Battle of theBands concerts, and house shows throughoutSouth Jersey. Robot Manhattan has also playedwith themon multiple occassions.

While practice has not been as consistentdue to school obligations for many band mates,they meet up several times a month to practicetheir music.

Their EP is due for release in mid-Decemberand they plan on playing more shows throughoutthe next few months. Their songs can also befound on the band’s Myspace page,www.myspace.com/nosuchnoisenj or by checkingout videos on the band’s facebook page,www.facebook.com/nosuchnoise.

director Mr. Casey Corigliano said,“The Mixed Chorus and Women’sChorus have been working on theirprograms since October. Theybenefit by having a later concert [12/21] this year, which has given themthe opportunity to really polish andperfect each piece. All of thestudents have been working hard andI’m confident that hard work willpay off at the concerts.””

Dec. 21 hosts the Wind Ensem-ble, Mixed Chorus, and Women’s

Chorus.“Both bands have been

working their hardest ontheir musicrepertoire,” Mr. Jim Beyer said.

Jan. 19, the Symphonic Bandand the Jazz Band close out thewinter performance season.

The nights are filled withbeautiful music that all of the groupshave worked hard on since thebeginning of school.

All concerts start at 7:00 andare free.

Winter concert series begins

Christina Cockerill ‘12

Robot Manhattan frontman, Mike Campanelliperformed for their fans at theTLA show.

No Such Noise, the winning band, poses for a group shot on their website, www.nosuchnoise.com

www.nosuchnoise.com

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. December, 201012 - Books

Cuddle Up With a Good ReadThe Mediator by Meg CabotAlexandra Propati ‘13

Meg Cabotwrites more thanjust The PrincessDiaries. She writesabout more ghoulishthings such asghosts. Morespecifically, peoplewho can see ghosts,otherwise known asMediators.

The Mediatoris a series of sixbooks. It starts offwith a girl named Susannah moving from NewYork City to California. That’s not the only bigchange though; she has to cope with her mom’snew husband and his three sons.

It’s not all bad; at least she gets her ownroom. That is until she realizes that she has toshare it with a ghost named Jesse. Ghosts arenothing new to Suze; in fact, she helps them, ormediates them so they can cross to the otherside. This is not the case for Jesse though.

Seeing as Jesse has been dead and living inher room for almost two-hundred years, it’s goingto be hard to get him to leave.

Throughout the series Suze learns moreabout Jesse, and how he died. She also meetsother people like her, and makes new friendsalong with enemies.

Every book leaves you wanting more, andonce it’s all over, you will be glad for the read,and look for another series written by Meg Cabot.

Kristen Treude ‘13

While I try to stray away from books thathave been converted into film, I just couldn’thelp myself from writing about the well knownmasterpiece, The Notebook .

It can probably beguaranteed that if you askany girl over 13, they willrecognize the nameNicholas Sparks.

However, if you areone of those who havebeen blinded from modernday media, and do notknow who NicholasSparks is, I will try mybest to explain his pureawesomeness in the bestway possible.

Let me start out bysaying that this is not abook for the weak heart,and like Romeo and Juliet,it can be seen as a tragedyas equally as a love story.

There are two main characters, Allie andNoah, they fell in love fourteen years ago, butunfortunately they haven’t seen each other since.

It was a surprise to me that those fourteenyears apart are not included in the novel. Readersreceive a vague description of what once was and

that is all. If you have seen the movie before yougo to read the book, this will probably be yourbiggest disappointment. Over a decade, Allie and Noah lose touch.The main reasoning is that Allie is fabulouslywealthy, and Noah is dirt poor. This sets up

their relationship forfailure, and Allie leaves.But, since in Sparks’ eyes,love defeats all, they findeach other again.

The rest of thenovel continues as follows:boy meets girl, boy losesgirl, boy finds girl again,boy loses girl...again...toher fiancé. (Sadly, Allie isengaged to another man.)This is probably thelargest cliffhanger within abook I have encountered.

After building upall the anticipation of theirmeeting and falling in loveagain, she leaves. But, this

is what makes this novel so insanely genius,because Sparks doesn’t continue the story at thispoint, it just stops dead in its tracks.

I’m not going tell you the ending, of course,but what Sparks does write leaves you torn. Ican still flip through the pages of my novel andsee tear stains polluting the ink.

Books

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

The best-seller was made into a2004 film starring Rachel McAdamsand Ryan Gosling.

Alexandra Propati ‘13

Meg Cabot writesanother seriesbeloved by fansin 1-800-Where-R-You.Jessica Mastriani is a normalteenage girl, with regulareveryday problems, such asgetting into fights, trying to getthe attention of the boy shelikes, and oh yeah, dreamingabout kidnapped people.

When Jess was walkinghome from detention one daywhen freak thunderstorm wasstarting. She took cover undersome bleachers, and she was hitby lightning. From that day on,when she goes to sleep, shedreams about missing people.

At first she doesn’t knowwhat is happening, but then she

slowly figured it out with thehelp of her best friend Ruth, andthe guy she likes, Rob.

Jess helps find missing

people, but then a situationpops up and she now has todecide if she should tell wherethe missing people are. Thethought occurs to her, what ifthey don’t want to be found?

Not only that, but Jessdoesn’t want to be a part of anyfreaky government experiments.But it’s kind of hard to fly underthe radar when you’re tellingthe police where a kidnappedvictim is everyday.

The first installment of thefive book series is called 1-800-Where-R-You When Lightningstrikes . Meg Cabot writesanother series that anyone canenjoy, whether you’re 15 or 35,or a girl or boy, beecause it’swritten with humour thateveryone will love.

1-800-Where-R-You by Meg Cabot

Studentbookclub

MeetsDec. 22in theIMC

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.December, 2010 National Sports - 13

seem to be skeptical.Acquiring Sergei

Bobrovsky wassomething many Flyersfans and teammates alikewere not expecting. In toreplace the injured

Michael Leighton came an unsuspecting free agentfrom Russia’s KHL hockey league.

At only 22 years old, Bobrovsky lacks theage and experience that many veteran goaltendersof the NHL posses. During his very first start inthe NHL, Bobrovsky stopped heavy artillery of29 shots from the Pittsburg Penguins, andrecorded the team’s first win of the 2010-2011regular season.

The question for some, is ‘exactly how longcan Bobrovsky keep up this hard work ethic,high energy style of play?’

While the battle for the number onegoaltending spot is underway, only time will tellwho will come out on top for the playoffs.

the team, and it showsdrastically in thestatistics.

As of Nov. 29, theFlyers are at the top of theEastern ConferenceAtlantic division with 34points and 15 wins. Many believe that the seasonis still too young to make any predictions, and

some believe that theFlyers goaltending willappear in question laterdown the line.

With MichaelLeighton out on injuryreserve from back surgery,the Flyers top twogoaltenders have beenBrian Boucher and SergeiBobrovsky. While some

believe that the two net minders have what ittakes to each become a playoff goalie, others still

Jenn Gordun ‘12

The Philadelphia Flyers’ season is in fullswing and the opposition is undeniably takingnotice.

With the offensive stars finally causing sometension on the scoreboard, the defense is beginningto take shape as well.

With new defensive additions AndrejMeszaros, Sean O’Don-nell, and Matt Walker,tandem strings ofdefensemen have beenequally successful inturning pucks away fromthe net.

The back check hasbeen getting more rigid andthe opposition is giving upmore pucks in neutral ice.Competitors of the Flyers have been flusteredwith this new-found confidence and energy of

National Sports

AP IMAGES

Flyers’ acquisitions making impact

Rebecca Serad ‘11

The nation was stunned after newsbroke that outfielder Jayson Werth hadsigned a seven year, $126 million contractwith the last place Washington Nationals.

Sure, Phillies fans knew in the back oftheir minds that Werth would not resignhere.

Most expected him to sign with anationally respected franchise that couldwithout a doubt give him the paycheck thatkids dream of, like the Boston Red Sox orthe Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

However, no one could haveexpected that Werth would get this kind ofcontract from a fairly new team that hasbecome a fixture at the bottom of theN a t i o n a lLeague Eastdivision.

“He cared about creating an opportunityfor himself and his career. I don’t think thathe should be judged [for his decision to signwith the Nationals],” Kelsey Sentak ’11 said.

Chris Viola ’11 thought it was wise forthe Phillies management to holdtheir ground on contractnegotiations. “I believe it was a

good decision to get rid of Werth.He was greedy; the [Phillies] fansloved him a lot more than he loved

them.”

Baseballfans farand wide

knew thats o m e t h i n g

was up whenWerth fired his

Phils fans question Werth dealMajor League Baseball

National Hockey League

Exactly how long canBobrovsky keep up thishard work ethic, high-energy style of play?

The back check hasbeen getting morerigid and theopposition is givingup more pucks inneutral ice.

agents and hired agent Scott Boras, who isknown for getting his clients ridiculouslyexpensive contracts. It made fans wonderwhether Werth cared about winning or themoney. This contract seems to answer thatquestion.

“His paycheck is a little large after onlybecoming a starting player two years ago,”Sentak noted.

Alyssa Schiavo ’11 agreed. “I think thata lot more people were expecting him to beless greedy.”

The Nationals are investing quite a bitof their future funds into this deal. Thiscontract covers what is considered the“prime” of a player’s career: from their midtwenties to mid thirties. Because Werth tooklonger to break into the Majors and becomea productive starting player, many people inthe league think that he will continue to beproductive later in his thirties.

Only time will tell whether or notWerth proves to be worth the money thatthe Nationals have put in.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S. December, 201014 - National Sports

considering Collie would eventually be fine, buthe was carted off the field on a stretcher unableto move.

Fortunately, a tragedy like this did nothappen to Collie, and he was reported to haveonly suffered a serious concussion. Alas, it wasscary watching the receiver lay helplessly andmotionlessly on the ground.

Therefore, it was amazing to see that whenhe was carted off of the field, the Eagles fansgave Collie at best, a light smattering of applause.

The utter lack of respect shown in the aboveinstance is despicable.

Admittedly, there was some applause, andit is clear that many of the Eagles players andfans alike were genuinely concerned for Collie.

Nevertheless, it is frightening to think thatmany people viewing the game were only worriedabout the penalty ensuing from a hit that couldhave led to another person being seriouslyharmed. The real issue at stake is not the callagainst the Eagles that will be debated hotlyaround the NFL, but the lack of prioritiesdisplayed by a crowd of incredibly rudespectators.

While it is very likely that the fans wererazzing the referee and not the injured player, itis mind-boggling to think that the first thing thatwent through their minds was not the safety andwell-being of another human being, but a penaltyon their team.

Yes, in the context of the game, the penaltywas a drastic one, but in the grand scheme ofthings, football is just that, a game. Anotherperson’s life is, or at least should be, moreimportant.

In hindsight, that may sound a bit severe

Anthony Dentino ‘11

In the second quarter of the game stagedbetween the Philadelphia Eagles and IndianapolisColts on November 7th, 2010, an unfortunateand controversial play occurred.

Colts wideout Austin Collie appeared tohave made a clean catch amongst two defendersbefore receiving a bone-jarring blow from Eaglesdefensive back Quentin Mikell. Then, Colliewas re-directed into Mikell’s secondary mateKurt Coleman who accidentally hit Collie withhis helmet.

As Collie lay motionless for several minuteson the ground, a penalty flag was immediatelythrown, prompting a loud chorus of boos fromdisgruntled Philadelphia fans. They seemed tohave a legitimate argument about the penalty, asMikell’s hit was an extremely hard butultimately clean hit and Coleman’s wasundoubtedly an accident and unavoidable.

However, they had absolutely no right toboo in the situation. Before the penalty waseven called, it was quite obvious that Collie hadbeen severely injured.

with being good at sports, but you work hardand you try to be the best.

Women do have some sports that they cancall almost all their own, such as gymnastics andcompetitive cheerleading, but you see men takingpart in them too. However, when you watchprofessional football, baseball, or basketball, youdon’t see a single female.

There are female teams for basketball, andbaseball is changed to softball, but having adifferent league for women and men makes iteven worse because that’s saying that womencan’t possibly compete on the same level as men.That however is not true, just look Madge Syers.In 1902 Syers took place in a Figure SkatingChampionship, this was unheard of at the timesince figure skating was dominated by males inthe early 1900s. After Syers competed againstthe men, women were allowed to compete againstmen in figure skating.

There are many women besides Syers that

Alexandra Propati ‘13

Throughout history women have beenconsidered inferior to men. While things havechanged in the past century and women havetaken on leading roles in society, one area thathas not changed much are sports.

Everyone loves to gather around and watchSunday Night Football, baseball, basketball, orsome other favorite sports. All of those sportspeople are watching mostly consist of men withsome women as cheerleaders. There are somesports that women and men play on equalgrounds, such as golf and tennis, but there arestill separate leagues for women and men.

It is known very well that males naturallyhave more muscle than females; however, ifwomen work hard enough, then they could be onequal ground as men, not because they were bornwith natural strength, but because they work hard.It’s just like learning a sport, you are not born

Women need support from sports fans

Eagles fans lack respectful attitude

have achievements like that, such as NancyLieberman, who was the first woman to play inmen’s pro league basketball (USBL).

Women are highly capable of doing anythingmen can do, and some can do it even better.

Opinion

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Opinion

It is mind-boggling tothink that the first thingthat went through [fans]minds was not thesafety and well-being ofanother human being,but a penalty on theirteam.

The Patriot - W.T.H.S.December, 2010 Twp. Sports - 15

Jenn Gordun ‘12

A new system is coming to Washington Townshipice hockey and it is taking opposition by storm. Withcaptain Eddie Sarin ‘11–last year’s top scorer in SouthJersey, and new coach Mr. Mike Glick, WT’s ice hockeyteam looks to have a promising year.

Glick also coaches the Hollydell Hurricanes U18AA ice hockey team that is well respected in the region.The systems he uses with his Hurricanes team is nowwhat he is applying to Township’s style of play.

“He’s a good systems coach,” Jonathan Smith,’12 –another top scorer for Washington Township, said.“He’s teaching us a new system and how to be moreaggressive on the fore-check,”

Anchoring the team’s defense, net mindersBrandon Cusumano ’12, Pat Finnegan ’13, and RyanMcCusker ’13, create a fierce opposition that mostteams find impregnable.

Other new editions to the team are freshmen AustinHaslett and Shane Moffatt. Transitioning onto the teammay be difficult, but Sarin believes that it is a learningprocess for everyone.

“The freshmen are young,” Sarin said. “But thewhole team is learning since we’ve got a new system,so it’s not just the freshmen that are new to this,”

Sarin and Smith also believe that there are alwaysadvantages and privileges that come with playing a sportfor Washington Township. Both athletes explain that

playing a sport for WTHS teaches you how to balanceschoolwork and responsibilities of being on a team.Having a hectic schedule can be chaotic and sometimesstressful, but the athletes believe that it teaches themhow to manage their time and responsibilities better.

There is also a certain pride that comes fromplaying a high school sport. Smith believes that beingable to play with his fellow classmates and representinghis school is a fulfilling and rewarding experience.

“You get to play with your friends and play infront of your entire school,” Smith said.

For the ice hockey team, there is much to be proudof. They have finished with the best regular seasonrecord in the South Jersey high school ice hockey leaguethe past two years, and have won multiplechampionships since their formation in 1990. Sarinbelieves the goals of the team are simple: to win thechampionship and make it to the Flyers Cup.

The top two teams in South Jersey compete fotthe Flyers Cup shortly after the playoffs.

Sarin said that a win in this “very prestigious event”would be an incredible achievement for the team.

Some believe that hockey is a unique sport thatawakens a certain passion and emotion that any otherWTHS sports cannot.

“[And] We’re a winning organization,” Sarin said.He and Smith believe with their promising start to theseason and the skill of the team, students will continueto pour into the stands each and every game.

Ice hockey poisedto build on success

Township Sports

Seniors keep win streak alive

Warpaint was not enough forthese spirited juniors in the2010 Powderpuff game. Thesenior class pulled out adecisive win 48-26.

Amy Dennis ‘12The adrenaline-pumping, all-

female, late November football gamephenomenon known as PowderPuff, 2010 has ended with yetanother senior victory. It was a surprisingly warmevening when hundreds ofWashington Township residentspiled into the high school’s footballstadium on Nov. 23 to watch theJuniors dressed in all blue, take onthe red-clad Seniors.

After a week of hard work atafter-school practice, the girls wereready to finally get out there andplay.

“It was some intensepracticing, getting tackled by yourown team mates and stuff,” said

Danielle DiVirgilio ’12.The Powder Puff game is

conducted as flag-football and whilethis may seem like a gentle way ofplaying, the girls can still get prettyviolent.

“We’ve been working with thespecial teams,” said Mr. JimHallinan, the junior girls’ coach, “sofar we’re tearing up touchdowns andscoring forty-yard field goals.”

But even with all the practice,somehow the Junior girls justcouldn’t beat those Seniors, and thegame ended with a score of 48-26.

Although the actual game iswhen things get exciting, the weekthat leads up to it can be just asinteresting. Over the weekend, manyteams usually get together to

decorate their sweatpants and t-shirts with team names and slogansfor the game.

Also, in line with high schooltradition, the Junior and Senior boysdo their own sort of role-reversalfor the game. Every year the boys,dressed in tights and short-shorts,perform as cheerleaders during thegame to cheer on their class’s PowderPuff girls.

“The [cheer] practice was a realeye-opener,” said Joe Flanagan’11“I’ve gained a new respect forcheerleaders.”

In addition to teaching the boysa lesson, the cheering also managesto be a fun and exciting experience.

“It’s been phenomenal.” saidJohn Nero, ‘11 “If you’re an

underclassmen, you shoulddefinitely get involved.”

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The Patriot - W.T.H.S. December, 201016 - Twp. Sports

Minutemen ready to face changes

Minutemaids trust in teamworkEven though last season wasn’t

one of the best, they don’t plan tosettle for less than a playoff berth.

“Now that we’re older, we’reable to learn from the mistakes wemade and how we can fix them,” saidGianna Dipietro ‘11.

To help make this season betterthan last, the girls developed a teammotto to keep them going.

“The team motto is basicallybelieve; to believe in yourself,believe in your teammates, andbelieve in the game no matter what,”said center/forward, MaureenFleming ‘13.

Natale is hoping for atremendous season for these girls.

Not only are practicesimportant for a team, but there arecertainly other things that tend tobe a huge factor in sports. One thingin particular is the team chemistry.

Alissa Schoelkopf ‘11

practicing for the past three weeksfor upcoming games andscrimmages, they’ve also beenpracticing during their varsity league,

summer league,and three daysummer camps aswell.

Coach JenniferNatale said“[Playing duringthe off-season]brought the girlscloser together –they’re more likea family and it

allowed them to gain moreexperience playing with each otherthan last year.”

Her main goal for this season isto make the playoffs. With thedetermination, practice, and effortthat the players are putting in, shefeels as if it’s more than possible.

Anthony Dentino ‘11

The 2010-2011 Washington TownshipMinutemen Boys Basketball team has manydifficult questions to answer this season. Twoof the largest: How do you compensate for theloss former head coach Mr. Bob Byatt, whocompiled a 115-75 record at WTHS? How doyou compensate for the loss of eight key seniorsto graduation, including seven foot, and 1,000point career scorer Matt Lopez?

Quite simply, you don’t. As first year head coach Mr. Matt Kiser

put it “You can’t replace that kind of experience.”Alas, what WTHS has done, is select a well-

respected coach who has experience with currentteam members and is capable of passing hisknowledge of the game on to his athletes.

Thus, the decision was made to promoteKiser, who coached freshman basketball atTownship from 2005-2008 and junior varsitybasketball from 2009-2010, to head varsity coach.

Byatt offered praise for Kiser. “I think it will be a very smooth transition

[for Kiser as head coach],” he said, “Coach Kiserwill bring a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge ofthe game to the team.”

Kiser’s first problem to address will be thechanging personnel on the roster.

While replacing eight seniors may seem adaunting task, current senior Ben Maffet gainedcritical varsity experience last year, and he along

with the other three seniors on the team, MarkJankowski, Jason Melfi, and Mike Murawski,are expected to lead the team and provide guidanceto the underclassmen on the team, especiallythose who will see varsity game action.

Murawski said “I lead by trying to be oneof the first kids in the gym and by giving 100% inevery drill. I also try to help my youngerteammates if they don’t understand somethingbecause I’ve been playing for the coaches longer,so I understand what they want us to do.”

Maffet echoed Murawski’s thoughts.“I lead vocally, by example, and by

instruction. I contribute by practicing hard,making my teamatesbetter, and giving all I’vegot everytime I step onthe court,” Maffet said.

The seniors willneed to fill their rolessuccessfully with theteam being very youngas a whole. Kiser looksfor many younger players to contribute, andwhile he stated that it was early and lineups arestill completely up in the air, in his eyes, he seesplayers such as juniors Mike Bach and Sean Smithand sophomores Kaevon Pleasant, Alex Grabbe,and John Williams making an impact.

With this type of inexperience usually comeslow expectations. While other schools may notview WTHS as a tough opponent this year, the

described one practice where thegirls showed up expecting the usual,but a different warm up took place.Coach DiBenedetto, the freshmancoach, decided it to create a trustfall which would involve the playersand the managers.

The trust fall started off withthree girls, one in the front, one inthe middle, and one in the back. Thegirl in the middle would fall forwardand then fall backwards, trusting thather two teammates would catch her.The whole point of this exercise wasto build team bonding, trust, and tobelieve in one another.

“No doubt about it, I knew if Icouldn’t trust them, I couldn’t trustanyone,” says four-year manager,Nicolette Hamilton ‘11.

The team hopes that thetrusting in each other will build achemistry that will help bring themone step closer to the play offs.

team is seeking to prove otherwise. Kiser said “This is a team with a first year

varsity coach and a team that doesn’t return a lotof experience. As a team, we’re going to playhard and expect more than people outside of theprogram.”

Similar offensive and defensive schemes fromprior seasons will be kept, but with some slightvariations. Some include a man-to-man defenseand a more perimeter based offense. This shouldhelp compensate for the team’s lack of size, andKiser feels that the spread out offense shouldwork as taller opponents would be susceptibleto getting beat on defense by a smaller and quicker

player.Kiser wants to

build a tightly-knit teamwho works hard, playssmart, makes openshots, and values thebasketball.

He feels thatthe Minutemen face a

tough schedule saying“In the Olympic Conference, you don’t get

an off-night,” he said.Nevertheless, Kiser believes that the team

can have a strong season. Though undersizedand inexperienced, they will not be a pushover.

The players agree.“We want to compete and put ourselves in

the position to win games,” Maffet said.

Brianna Caraballo ‘11

The winter sports season isjust kicking into gear. Pre-seasonscrimmages havealready started formost winter sports,like the girls’varsity basketballteam, who had theirfirst scrimmageagainst RancocasValley on Dec. 4.

Even thoughthey lost 40-38, theplayers believe thisgame has helped them in manydifferent aspects.

“The scrimmage was good forthe first one of the season. Itallowed us to see the things we needto work on most,” said center/forward, Paige Anastasi ‘13.

Not only have these girls been

“The team motto is ...to believe in yourself,believe in your team-mates, and believe inthe game no matterwhat.”- Maureen Fleming ‘13

“...We’re going to play hardand expect more than peopleoutside of the program.”

- Coach Matt Kiser