vikingviking sagasagathe

east lyme high school east lyme, ct

october 7, 2008 volume 42 edition 3

insid

e 4 7 8 1010

East Lyme students are now trekking signifi cantly further to

their bus stopsby Natalie Kazierad and Dana

Tricarico

At the beginning of the school year, many East Lyme students awakened to a new addition in their morning routine—a brisk walk (or run)—to the bus stop. Approximately 200 bus stops throughout the district were removed or consolidated, requiring students to leave their houses earlier and walk further, textbooks and all. “I think it’s a safety thing that’s the biggest deal,” said Gordana Vidakovic, a mother of two boys who have been

affected by the change in bus routes. She is concerned by the lack of sidewalks and the speed of passing cars. She even claims that in attempting to fi nd a shorter route to the distant bus stop, one of her sons was chased by a neighbor’s dog. Stephanie Wisner, a freshman at East Lyme High School and a neighbor of the Vidakovics had a lot to say about the new bus stop changes: “It’s really far and it’s annoying to have to go all the way there. It will be a real pain in the winter, because it’s all uphill, and it will be all icy and snowy.” A junior at East Lyme High School also expressed her new inconvenience, saying, “My bus

Uphill Both Ways

I AM Rocking Out

The I AM Festival ended with a bang as upcoming artists Kidz in the Hall performed in front of a large crowd. Their back drop was a mural

created by four graffi ti artists, who go by the name of Destroy and Rebuild.

Music festival returns to New London better than ever

by Ellie Kleinhans

On September 13th, bands, artists, and vendors came together to celebrate the I AM (Independent Art and Music) Festival in New London, Connecticut. They fi lled the air with music and illuminated the sky with spotlights from noon to 11 p.m. “This is the third year of hopefully many I AM Festivals,” said Rich Martin, the head of the New London Music Festival, which is a non-profi t organization that runs this concert. “Over the years we’ve

gotten better at what we do. The fi rst year it was a little thin.” “We have national acts, from places such as Memphis, Brooklyn and Montreal, who are touring across the world,” said Martin. Many of these acts are on the verge of breaking big in the music industry. Two of the headlining acts were Kidz in the Hall and Jay Reatard. “Kidz in the Hall have been on TRL and one of their songs has been picked up by the Obama campaign,” said Martin. “And the I AM Festival was Jay Reatard’s fi rst day out on his second major tour. Do you (continued as I AM on pg 11)

s. mooradian

class fees drama

guidance counselor tips

fi eld hockey fi eld destroyed

truth behind MADE

comes 10-15 minutes earlier than last year and other buses go by my bus stop when they could just pick me up later.” These hassles raise the question: why are the bus routes being restructured? Assistant Superintendent of East Lyme Public Schools Paul Freeman explained that “Fuel prices were going through the roof all summer long…we needed to seriously look at fuel costs.” Mr. Freeman also explained that by reducing the number of bus stops, bus routes would become more time-effi cient and less expensive. According to the Transportation Energy Data Book report, the average school bus gets around seven miles to the gallon. With diesel-fuel prices skyrocketing,

these expenses are becoming an increasingly imperative issue to the district. Fortunately, Mr. Freeman estimated that around $10,000 will be saved by making these eliminations. The actual outcome of this “experiment” will be known by the end of the school year, when the Board of Education can look back on their fi gures from previous years and compare. In addition to cutting the cost of fuel and saving time, the district is now “going green” by reducing the amount of fuel being used. Sheila, contract manager of the district’s bus company calculated that 12,000 miles, or 1,714 gallons of gas will be cut this year alone.(continued as Buses on pg 5)

opinion2 october 7, 2008

the viking saga

s a y w h a t y o u

History is about to made. It is possible, even probable that the United States will have a black president. And as the election intensifi es, possibility and probability are becoming reality. Barack Obama. He is a man with little experience but big ideas. And in my opinion, he is the man who wants change, the one who takes chances and the one with all the drive and passion in the world. And it is he who should be in offi ce.

Even though Obama has a strong following, not all are fans of his ideas. Political analysts review Obama’s plans such as energy independence and say they are impossible to put into action. He doesn’t have enough experience. He doesn’t understand what necessary steps are needed to put something like this into effect. This raises the question over what the term impossible really means. “Impossible” has been torn apart time and time again. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it was “impossible” for United States’ mens’ 4 x 100 freestyle relay to beat the French. But they won. After being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996, it was “impossible” for Lance Armstrong to win a Tour de France. But he won in 1999. And six more consecutive times until 2005. It was “impossible” for

Alexander Graham Bell to invent the telephone. But he did. It was “impossible” for men to walk on the moon. But they did. It was “impossible” to make the light bulb. But after hundreds of tries, Albert Einstein did it. Truth be told, Obama does not have a lot of executive experience (being the top decision maker). However some of the United States best presidents had no previous executive experience. Case in point: Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Lincoln was only in the House of Representatives for two years before becoming one of the greatest American presidents, leading the country through the Civil War. Kennedy had more experience than Lincoln – he worked in the House of Representatives and in the Senate – but was also the youngest president the United

emily

new

ton States has had. He was 43

when elected and was the fi rst Catholic president (yet another impossible feat). So maybe having executive experience clouds the views of political veterans. These veterans think they have seen it all, that nothing new or radical can work. Maybe fresh, new, innovative thinking are what The White House needs. And although political analysts say Obama’s ideas are impossible, I say let him prove himself. He has already surpassed impossiblity, becoming the fi rst African American presidential nominee. Why not surpass another feat? Nothing is impossible. Let Obama show you what he can do. Maybe then the American public will believe the impossible.

ellie

kle

inha

ns

High school is full of stressful moments such as pulling an all-nighter to fi nish that take home test, or fi guring out how to balance extracurriculars with school work. Even if homework, sports, and work overload your

schedule, it is important to save time for family and friends. Skipping one day of working out to spend time with your friends won’t prevent you from getting an athletic scholarship. Missing one day of school to go on a family vacation will not lower your GPA; and asking your boss for a day off because of an overwhelming work load will not get you fi red. Those of you who know me know that I get stressed out very easily. You are probably wondering why I would preach about avoiding stress. Well, recently I had somewhat of an epiphany—okay so maybe it wasn’t an epiphany, but it certainly was a slap in the face. I did not set apart time to

go in and get extra help for a test; instead I allowed work and the Saga to take over my life. I got less than 15 hours of sleep in one week.The morning of the test it all caught up to me. I broke down, fearing that I would fail. Luckily, my teacher was able to see the big picture more clearly than I could. She ended up giving me the opportunity to take the test a day later. Right then it hit me. Your friends and family, even teachers, want what’s best for you—and that is defi nitely not stress. So if you cannot fulfi ll all of your duties, communicate with your teachers, advisors, parents, friends, and coaches,

about it. But if it is a reoccurring event, that means you need to take some thing off of your plate—be it a job, club, or sport. You must remember what is most important to you, and keep that at the top of your list. If you ever fi nd yourself going over the edge, take a minute to relax—whether that means grabbing a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream (after all stressed is desserts spelt backwards) and curling up on the couch to read a great book, or going for a long run. Everyone has their own strategy, but it is crucial to fi nd such personal time. It will help you unwind and keep you from losing your mind—and your relationships.

opinion 3october 7, 2008

the viking saga

n e e d t o s a y

Ellie Kleinhans and

Emily NewtonEditors-in-ChiefAlex Addabbo

Managing EditorRamona Ostrowski

News EditorKit Brown

Features EditorBrendan Welch

Sports EditorAndrea Chrunyk

Entertainment EditorMatt Heath

Back Page EditorJeff Beale

AdvisorCatie Cameron

Illustrator

Staff WritersStefan Aleo

James ComptonShane Davies

Samantha DeabayNatalie KazieradCharlotte Kenyon

Kate KieltyAmber Lamha

Maeve McHughEmily Moorardian

Karie SimmonsKiersten SinkoRaj Thanabal

Dana Tricarico

Featured Writers:Elliot BrakeJake Davis

viking saga staff2008-2009

let us know what you think!email us at

elhsvikingsaga@gmail.com

I made it through the _________ (place), Somehow I made it throughDidn’t know how _________ (adjective) I was until I found you

I was beat incompleteI’d been had, I was ________ (adjective) and ________ (adjective)But you made me feel, yeah, you made me feel________ (adjective) and ________ (adjective)

Like a ________ (noun), ________ (past verb) for the very fi rst timeLike a ________ (noun), When your ________ (body part) beatsNext to mine

Gonna give you all my ________ (noun), boyMy _______ (emotion) is fading fast, Been saving it all for you cause only _______ (noun) can last

You’re so ________ (adjective) and you’re mineMake me________ (adjective), yeah you make me boldOh your love thawed out, yeah, your love thawed outWhat was ________ (adjective) and ________ (adjective)

saga mad lib:

I am writing in response to Ellie Kleinhans’ editorial (September 22, 2008), defending Sarah Palin. In her opinion piece, she claims that Sarah Palin is more experienced in politics than Barack Obama. This could not be further from the truth. First, let’s look at their education. Barack Obama graduated from Columbia University and went on to law

school at Harvard University where he served as President for the Harvard Law Review. Sarah Palin, on the other hand, attended four schools in four years, graduating with a Bachelors Degree from the University of Idaho. Her claim to fame was being nominated for a beauty pageant in between transferring schools. As far as I’m concerned, Sarah Palin lacks the education needed to hold the second highest ranking political position in America. Ellie says that, as a senator, Barack Obama “is just one of many…whereas Palin governs Alaska, the largest state in the country.” This may be true,

but let’s look at population. Alaska’s population is an estimated 683,478 (census 2007). The city of Chicago alone is an estimated 3 million. So when anyone says that Sarah Palin’s two years experience as governor of Alaska qualifi es her to serve as Vice President of the United States, ask them how she would know her way around Washington D.C. Palin made headlines when she fi led a lawsuit regarding the federal listing of polar bears and beluga whales as endangered species. This is because they are in her way of drilling for oil and natural gas as she charges into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Her goal is to

drill for oil so we do not have further confl ict with the Middle East. It sounds good, but after we suck up all the oil in Alaska in less than a year, we are going to have to go back to our plan with the Middle East, so why even bother? When Katie Couric interviewed Sarah Palin, she not only tried to explain how Alaska’s proximity to Russia counts as her Foreign Policy experience; she stumbled over all her words, could not complete a sentence, and was an embarrassment to herself, the Republican party, and, in my opinion, to the American people.

--freshman Livy Ferdon

madonna’s like a virgin

to a popular saga song (see below)

news4 october 7, 2008

the viking saga

The fi rst few weeks of school are monotonous. Meet new teachers, get assignment sheets and pay class fees. But this year, there has been a hold on the latter. “There has been a ban on collecting money for the time being,” said Principal Dr. John Sullivan. For students who have already paid their lab fees, this money will be returned to them once the problem is completely resolved. The entire process should begin to take place within the upcoming weeks. Questions about the legality of collecting dues were raised to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). Dr. Sullivan said that a parent expressed the unconstitutionality of charging fees for labs and other materials. At the Budget Committee Meeting on September 8th, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Smotas presented the opinion of Laura Anastasio, Attorney for CSDE. According to the meeting’s minutes, “The CSDE believes that state law prohibits a school district from charging fees for classes, books, material and supplies.” The meeting’s minutes also said, “The budgetary implications [of having students not pay fees] could be in excess of $100,000.” The fees under question were charged mostly for electives such as culinary and art classes. Additionally, freshman were required to purchase a Writer’s Inc for English classes, and many foreign language teachers asked that students purchase workbooks. It will take some time before the lack of these materials becomes evident. In some departments, such as the culinary department, nothing has changed since this ban has been set into place. “As of now, we have not been told to stop buying food,” said culinary teacher Melanie Sandoval. “Everything is continuing as normal.”

This is not true for the global language departments. “It’s really a mess,” said French teacher Nathalie Casey. “Some teachers are telling me to let kids write in workbooks if they have not bought them yet and other teachers are telling me not to let them write in the books.” The decision to permanently stop collecting lab fees will result in some changes at ELHS. “The curriculum will change if we are not allowed to collect lab fees. The students will have to use the workbooks in class or during lunch and will have to

answer questions on another sheet… doing this is not the same as writing in the books and you do not get as much out of it,” said Global Language Department Head Laurie Barry. “If we can’t take lab fees any more, we will have to start doing more book work and less cooking,” Sandoval said. Since no more fees are collected, one solution is to raise taxes. “It is going to be very hard to get support from residents,” Dr. Sullivan said. “Adding $100,000 to the budget will not be a popular decision… it’s a real issue.” For the time being, all classes have enough money to continue the year normally. However, once this money runs out, “some tough decisions are going to be made,” stated Dr. Sullivan. Separately, paying class dues is still mandatory as the public school system does not guarantee admission to proms or fi eld trips. These activities are extra, and therefore still require extra funding.

Behind the Numbers:

School Supplies

Highlighters: $5.99

Composition book:$2.49

Pack of six wirebound notebooks:

$7.49Box of 12 pencils:$2.29

Box of 12 pens:$1.29

3-ring binders:

$3.79 each

Even though we are Constitutionally guaranteed a free public education, it is

still expensive!

Backpack:$39.90

Scientifi c calculator:

$14.99

Total: $78.23

The Money

$ituationEast Lyme High School faces problems with collecting fees

by Emily Newton

“There has been a ban on collecting

money for the time being.”

- Principal Dr. John Sullivan

news 5 october 7, 2008

the viking saga

Walking into room D130 was a new experience for many of the musical students at East Lyme High School this year. Why? A fourth of the classroom is now fi lled with 14 high quality computers. “These computers will mostly be used for the Music Theory classes in order for them to do composition work,” says music teacher Anthony Maiese. AP Music Theory is a class that teaches students how to become more fl uent with the language of music, and AP Music C o m p o s i t i o n is a class that teaches students how to analyze and write music as well. One of the AP Music Theory students, sophomore Teresa Lan, explains that the “new technology would help improve these classes a great amount. The computers will be an extraordinary resource for these classes.” Sophomore Xiao Li agrees with Teresa, and explains that the new pianos will “help students to learn basic piano as well.” Last year, information technology specialist Jill Curioso noticed that both music classes were using the computer labs in the library frequently to compose music for their classwork because the computer lab supplied the class with the headphones and software. She was able to obtain

money for a “digital music lab” inside the orchestra room so the students would not have to travel to the computer lab regularly. With the money she gained, she was able to purchase the desks, computers, and monitors. But, according to her, the school needs another $20,000 to purchase the software, keyboards, headsets, and training

manuals that the classes need. When the lab is fi nished (which Mrs. Curioso plans to have with the rest of the school’s funding toward the end of the year), the c o m p o s i t i o n process for students will be fully digital. In other words,

the computer software will record students’ own creations with the electronic piano. Once imported, they will have the ability to edit their masterpieces before exporting, if they wish, to their mp3 players or onto a CD. The computers may seem like they are taking up space now, but once the lab is fully functional, it will allow students to communicate globally, with modern methods to share whatever they are able to produce. With all of these features students will soon be able to access, it will be no surprise if Room D130 will be known as “Studio D130.”

News Briefs

• Upperclassmen, remember last year when the clock was changed? It caused an uproar: class time wasted complaining, facebook groups, editorials in the Saga. Many people blamed the morning show, believing it was their fault. In fact, Mr. Place and his crew have nothing to do with the clock. District Technology Coordinator Mrs. Curioso handled the clock last year, but Mrs. Resetar has taken over this responsibility.• The senior trip is one of the most anticipated events of senior year. As a whole, the class of 2009 agrees that Six Flags will simply not cut it. The Senate distributed a survey during Mentor/Mentee recently to get students’ feedback on the location. Suggestions ranged from serious-Block Island, Camp Hazen, a camping trip to Maine-to silly-Kevin Frank’s house, Gull Island, Singapore. The debate rages on, until the senate has a formal vote.

• On September 17, students in the Contemporary Issues and AP Government classes and the political science club got a chance to hear political analyst and author Cokie Roberts speak at Connecticut College. She was named one of the 50 Most Infl uential Women in Journalism, and has published two books on the women who helped shape early American history.

Music Department Goes DigitalNew keyboard lab in music wing almost complete

by Stefan Aleo and Kiersten Sinko

by Ramona Ostrowski

(Buses continued from front page) “The more we keep the bus running, the less fuel we burn,” is the logic Mr. Freeman presented. In other words, if the bus waits at a stop, it is still burning a signifi cant amount of gas that could be reduced if the bus remained in motion. On the other hand, Wisner pointed out that a lot more people are driving to school or to the bus stop, so it may waste more gas overall than it actually saves. However, East Lyme schools are not

alone in their actions. Other schools, such as West Boulevard Elementary in Columbia, Missouri are also reducing their number of bus stops, some to an even more drastic measure. In many cases, if a student lives nine-tenths of a mile away from school, they do not even have the option of taking the bus. MACCRAY High School in Clara City, Minnesota and others schools have even gone as far as to reduce the distances of sporting events and cutting fi eld trips to save town money. Many schools in

California have even done away with bus routes altogether. Mr. Freeman also made it clear that the safety of this situation is not only important to parents, but to the Board of Education as well. There is a hotline number for parents to express their concerns about the reforms. There have already been suggestions to add another 20-24 bus stops. When speaking of safety, Mr. Freeman said, “It’s been our foremost concern.”

r.hardy/saga

Cokie Roberts (right)

The as-of-yet unfi nished computer lab in room D130

r.ostrowski/saga

features6 october 7, 2008

the viking saga

While living in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I rarely had a chance to pick apples in the fall, considering the closest apple farms were about 40 minutes away. That is why I am extremely grateful to now have a farm in walking-distance from my house. Scott’s Yankee Farmer provides East Lyme and neighboring towns with a wide variety of local produce, as well as numerous activities in the fall. Visitors to Scott’s are welcome to watch apples being pressed in the cider mill, lose themselves in the corn maze, or enjoy a wagon ride

around the 140-acre farm, where they can get off and pick apples, pumpkins, gourds and

raspberries. Karen Scott, who owns and runs Scott’s farm along with

An Apple a Day. . .

her husband Tom, and daughter Allison, reassured me that the snacks a customer can enjoy

are “healthy ones” including popcorn, fresh, h o m e m a d e doughnuts and caramel and candy apples. Naturally, there is seasonal produce as well, primarily apples at this time of year. The apples are one of the best parts of living in a rural area.

“What you fi nd in the grocery store could have come from Washington State [or] South

Learning to rely on and appreciate local produceby Natalie Kazierad

America,” Ms. Scott explained. In other words, Scott’s apples “are a lot fresher.” By supporting Scott’s Farm, you are also supporting local farmers. “People have no idea how hard we work,” said Mrs. Scott, as she busily sorted through a massive crate of apples. Her best advice: “Appreciate where local food comes from.” Scott’s also supports the environment by using a minimal pesticides sprayer containing radar and sonar to detect the size and spacing of crops so that pesticides are only sprayed where necessary. Locally grown food also cuts the amount of fuel needed for transporting. So fi nd some time this fall to visit Scott’s Yankee Farmer to enjoy and support your community and environment.

1. At the beginning of the day, avoid clumping together in front of the school’s main entrance. It is irritating to the rest of the school. The upperclassmen will not bite you, so do not hesitate to walk past them and clump elsewhere!2. Try not to complain about schoolwork; you’re guaranteed to have more next year!3. Screaming at each other in the hallways is bothersome. Please use your inside voices.4. Attempting to win Spirit Week will not get you anywhere: the seniors will defi nitely win!5. You can carry your backpack, so do not complain about carrying your heavy science book, you will survive.6. Walk faster! While there

may be time to chat and have a pleasant stroll from class to class, the rest of the school has places to go!7. Please walk around the sophomores, juniors and seniors, it does not work the other way around!8. Trying to sit at a lunch table is a waste of your time. Chances are, your table will be taken over by upperclassmen. On the bright side, there are plenty of hallways in East Lyme High School for you to sit in!9. We know... we know, we were freshmen once too. But right now, it’s your turn!10. Do as well in your classes as you can and keep your eye on the prize. Next year you can pester the Class of 2013!

A guide for any freshman who wishes to stop receiving remarks of “frosh!” in the hallways

Freshman Yearby Kate Kielty

Same Places

Introducing this week’s new faculty member...

Mr. Reginald GroverLong-term sub. counselor for Ms. QuinnRoom: 10/12 team offi ceExperience: 18 years in New London; 2 years in North Bridge, MA; 6 years in Sutton, MA; 2 years in Lebanon, CT; 1 year in Foster, RI. Worst Job: Stocking shelves in an A&P on Cape Cod from midnight to 8 a.m.h. barner/saga

Favorite thing about his job: The kids, no question.Favorite thing about ELHS: Everyone is nice and friendly.One place you would never visit again: Amarillo, Texas because everywhere you looked it was beige. High school activities: Basketball, baseball, drama. If you could add another day to spirit week, what would it be? Favorite sports team day.What is one surprising thing about you? I was in the movie Marooned, it was about astronauts lost in space.

NEW FACESHow to Survive...

n. kazierad/saga

Scott’s Yankee Farmer, located on 436 Boston Post Road, offers a wide variety of activities for fall-themed fun

features 7october 7, 2008

the viking saga

The assignment: On request from my section editor, it was my journalistic duty to trade in my football gear for an afternoon of artistic endeavors at a rehearsal for East Lyme High School’s drama club. As a member of the football team, I was unsure how this experience would turn out. At around 2:20 p.m., I walked into the auditorium and did not see a single student in the seats. Instead, I saw a teacher with a stern look and shiny hair, and two kids up on stage. At fi rst, I wondered if I was in the right place. As I later learned, the man with the stern look happened to be video productions teacher Grant Place, who is also the director of the upcoming fall production Who’s Wives are they Anyway? When I approached the stage, I was stunned to see how many people were backstage. Whether they were working or eating Dunkin’ Donuts, almost everyone seemed to be getting along. As I moved into the mob of people backstage, I was instantly greeted by a familiar face. Kit Brown, drama club member and Saga staff member politely showed me around and told me to visit anywhere I wanted. I decided to visit the students who construct the set. They were building fl ower boxes from wood which is stored in the “can,” a trailer outside the auditorium used for drama storage. The most interesting detail I picked up on while at rehearsal was how much work these students do behind-the-scenes to make the play possible. When people think of drama, they think of people acting, although most of the people in the club are involved in behind-the-scenes activites. I was impressed with the drama club’s teamwork and their overall friendly personalities. When fi rst I walked into the auditorium, I did not know what to expect. When I left, I left with much more respect for the drama club. If I was not interested in sports, I would think about joining the drama club because one thing is for sure: it is defi nitely better than conditioning everyday at football practice.

Drama for a Day

From the football gridiron to the grand stageby Shane Davies

A freshman fi nds himself in calculus instead of algebra. A sophomore has trouble with friends. A junior cannot take the stress of his courses. A senior needs help with college applications... where should these students go? Freshmen and juniors should go to A200, and sophomores and seniors should head to A250. What lies inside these mysterious rooms? Guidance offi ces, of course! From the fi rst day as a freshman, to the

day of graduation, the guidance team wants to help make high school a great experience. “Whether it’s your best day or your worst, or you just want to share something that happened, we want to hear from you,” said guidance counselor Deb Kelly. This year, the guidance department is making an extra-special effort to get to know the freshmen class. Freshmen Academy classes are now arranged so that every student in each class has the same guidance counselor. Five times each semester that class’ guidance counselor will stop by to get to know the students better. While the freshmen may have easy access to their counselors, the rest of the students at ELHS may not be so lucky. Now that the beloved scheduling appointment

clipboards are put away, the best way to set up an appointment with a counselor is “by e-mail, so we can let you know when we’re free,” said Ms. Kelly. If it is not an emergency, then the best time to meet with your counselor is during a study hall or before and after school. As senior year approaches, the thought of college comes to most high schoolers’ minds. In the busy atmosphere of senior year, it is extremely important not to forget

about applications and recommendations. Ms. Kelly reminds seniors to “request your transcripts on Naviance.” Ms. Marcia Goldreich, the guidance department head, also stressed that it is very important to send applications fi rst, and then send the recommendation, because in years past recommendations have been lost or misplaced by colleges because they do not yet have a place to fi le it. For students applying Early Decision, Early Action or to other early entrance programs, notifying your guidance counselor is a defi nite must. Even though the counselors are extremely busy, they want to let students know that they are available and fl exible. Said Ms. Goldreich, “We’re here whenever you want to stop by.”

The One Stop ShopThe East Lyme High School guidance offi ces have everything students need

by Samantha Deabay and Maeve McHugh

Freshmen, do you know who your guidance counselors are? Pictured (from L-R): Ms. Marcia Goldreich (last names A-C), Ms. Deb Kelly (D-Mc), and Ms. Lisa Ramaccia (Me-Z).

Regional College Fair at East Lyme High School ● October 7 6:30-8:30

k.brown/saga

Revoir. The team’s new location is a softball outfi eld. Jim Moran, the new athletic director said, “Considering the short notice, Parks and Rec. have been very accommodating.” “At fi rst I didn’t see how it would work with the lines in the outfi eld, but now that it’s all there, I’m sure it’ll be fi ne,” said varsity coach Amy Lloyd. “I’m trying to look on the bright side of things and I’m glad this happened at the beginning of the season as opposed to the middle.” “Mr. Moran has made me feel like our team is a priority. He

has put his best forth to get the girls settled on their new turf. He has made sure they have lines, short grass, and goals, which he

drove to Essex by himself to get,” explained Coach Lloyd. “Personally, I feel like this could have been prevented,” said Tocheny. Many girls on the fi eld hockey team feel as if their team is being neglected compared to the football team. The football fi eld has its own well, however, and because of the summer water ban the fi eld hockey fi eld could not have been watered over the summer with the town’s water. “There was no way we could have transported the water from that well to the other fi elds,” said Moran. Depending on how fast the new grass grows, the fi eld hockey team still has a chance to play on their original fi eld before the season is over. Moran is pushing for some home fi eld hockey games to be at Connecticut College. “My ten year goal is to have artifi cial turf put on the fi elds,” says the determined athletic director. The fi eld hockey team, however, has a goal of its own: to stop Stonington from winning ECCs eighteen years in a row.

“It was not until I hit a ball and it bounced like ten feet in the air that I realized that something

wasn’t right.”

Damaged fi eld forces fi eld hockey team to change home fi elds

by Kate Kielty and Amber Lamha

Walking up the stairs to try-outs over the summer, the fi eld hockey team expected nothing but a victorious season; what they saw when they reached the top, however, was not what they anticipated. “When I saw the fi eld, I thought it was odd that a giant cross had planted itself in the middle of it,” said sophomore varsity fi eld hockey player Claire Tocheny. Due to the water shortage in East Lyme over the summer, drainage pipes directly under the fi eld dehydrated the grass above. This grass eventually died and left what is now known as “the giant dirt cross.” This dirt cross extends from all sides of the fi eld and intersects in the middle. At fi rst the girls did not feel as if the cross would have a signifi cant impact on their season. They even joked about how it was a sign from God that they would have an outstanding year of play. “It was not until I hit a ball and it bounced like ten feet in the air that I realized that something wasn’t right,” said Tocheny. Passes and shots would get caught in the dirt sending the ball to dangerous heights above the players’ knees. This has caused the East Lyme High School girls’ fi eld hockey team to have to pack up and move out. “Now we have to practice and play our home games on Vets Field in Niantic, which stinks,” said senior varsity captain Autumn

sports8 october 7, 2008

the viking saga

Yankee Stadium is gone. Nevermore will a game be played in “Baseball’s Cathedral,” “The House that Ruth Built,” the home of 26 World Series championships and 39 AL Pennants. I will admit, as a Red Sox fan, I used to scoff at such praise of the hated Yankees and the headquarters of their Evil Empire. To me, the only good thing to happen in Yankee Stadium was the fi nal game of the 2004 ALCS when the Red Sox completed their unprecedented comeback. But then I decided to watch the last contest to take place within those walls that, as I have been told countless times by cliché ESPN voiceovers, “echo of names like DiMaggio, Mantle and Ruth.” The match between the Yankees and Orioles would have been meaningless had it not been the swan song of Yankee Stadium. Viewing that contest was one of the best sports decisions I have ever made. For the fi rst time I looked at the sea of dark blue in the stands and saw fans not worthy of my disdain, but of admiration. These fans made the trek to baseball’s true shrine not because of the wins and losses of the team that currently takes residence there, but the memories of the team that made Yankee Stadium their home for generations. For the fi rst time I viewed Yankee legends and their normally sickening pinstriped uniforms with awe and respect. They are some of the best to ever play the game, and their achievements will never be matched. As I listened to Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson and Michael Kay commentate, the legacy of the Yankees was cast into the glorious light that it truly deserves. I felt like more than a Red Sox fan that night. I felt like a baseball fan. Yankee Stadium, even Red Sox Nation can tip its cap to your legendary days. That’s the juice. This is the opinion of Brendan Welch

www.wikipedia.org

WELCH’S (legal) JUICE Field Hockey in the Outfi eld

This dirt cross caused quite a twist to the fi eld hockey seasonk. kielty/saga

-sophomore Claire Tocheny

Ledyard and playing well against RHAM. Senior captain Ryan Cave had this to say: “If we can come out and play how we normally play, we will be successful.” Coach Christensen agreed. “We will be competitive in every game we play,” he stated with certainty. While the Vikings may have needed a miracle to save the game, don’t expect it to be a trend. This season, they are determined to put the game away early and often.

Hello ELHS, I want to formally say hello and let you know how excited I am to be working with the athletic programs at the high school. It has been wonderful seeing all of your faces again. I have a special bond with the students at ELHS as you were the group that gave me a heart warming send off as I deployed to Iraq. I had been in Iraq two weeks when we had a particularly diffi cult day. Many casualties had been fl own in to our hospital from various places in Iraq where the fi ghting was getting intense. We treated patients all day long, many of which had sustained serious injuries. It was extremely

sports 9 october 7, 2008

the viking saga

Overtime Thriller at Bridebrook Vikings rally to force overtime

by Raj Thanabal With the September 5th matchup against the RHAM Sachems winding down, all seemed lost for the East Lyme High School boys’ soccer team. Luckily for them, a miracle struck: With only a mere 55 seconds left on the clock and the Vikings down 3-2, senior Sean

Doherty fi red and pocketed the ball into the right side of the net to tie the game. “Words can’t really explain my emotions. I just had so much emotion building up. I really just can’t describe it,” said a speechless Doherty. Doherty also added an assist earlier in the game. Along with him, junior Gary Power stacked the stat sheet with a goal and two assists in the double overtime 3-3 tie. Earlier, it seemed as if ELHS was going to run away with this one. Moments after the start of the game, the Vikings raced down the fi eld and junior Phil Ziegler put the ball in the goal for a 1-0 lead. In spite of this, the Sachems swiftly gained a 2-1 lead and held it until the end of the half. Throughout the game, the Vikings missed on huge opportunities left and right. They took almost three times as many shots as the Sachems, yet each team scored the same amount of goals. “While we did outplay them, we committed too many mental errors,” said coach Wally Christensen following the game. “We failed to convert on too many of our opportunities to come out on top.” The Vikings have high hopes this year after winning their road opener 3-2 against

Athletic Director’s Corner

r. thanabal/saga

Junior Gary Power, ready to strike the soccer ball

r. thanabal/saga

Sean Doherty’s clutch goal sent the game to OT

Following the writing of this article, the boys dominated and shut out New London, 9-0, led by junior Phil Ziegler’s four goals. On September 24, the team also won at Waterford in overtime, 3-2. Gary Power had two goals and Sean Doherty scored the game-winning point in OT.

diffi cult to see our soldiers die. Towards the end of the day, two badly injured Iraqi patients came into the hospital. I found out that these patients were insurgents that had been involved in the fi ghting that day. The same fi ghting that caused the loss of life amongst our soldiers. I felt the anger swell inside me. In front of me lay a person responsible for the death of an American soldier. My fi rst thoughts were to leave this man alone and let him die. As I debated how to deal with my anger, a soft yet stern thought came over my mind. I am a better person than this insurgent. Not treating him makes me just as bad as he is.

I remembered my sense of duty as a soldier and as a leader. I remembered the oath I took and the honor code I promised to follow. I would do the right thing despite my feelings of anger. Why am I sharing this? It’s an important lesson I learned that correlates to good sportsmanship. While we may want to say or do things that are not appropriate, it’s important remember what we stand for. I believe it’s important to demonstrate good sportsmanship at all athletic events. Whether you are an athlete, a spectator, a student or an adult, sportsmanship is everyone’s responsibility. No matter what

your feelings are towards a play made by the other team or a call made by the offi cials, we are better than that. Life is too short for us to consume ourselves with anger. A good sport would never yell out to distract the opposing team. Let us rise above it and do the honorable thing. Cheer on your fellow Vikings and acknowledge a good play by either team. Take pride in your school. I invite all of you to come out to the athletic events hosted at ELHS. Enjoy the competition and send the opposing teams home respecting East Lyme High School. I look forward to seeing you at the games. Thank you. Mr. Moran

entertainment10 october 7, 2008

the viking saga

MADE Up! A Reality Hoax?

November 2006, a senior at Grasso Tech, Keith, wrote to the MADE producers in hope of being “made” into a ballroom dancer. He was selected and was approached by his MADE coach in school. He would be training at Eastern Connecticut Ballet (ECB) in East Lyme. The irony was that ECB did not have a ballroom class, or even a ballroom instructor. So the choice, overall, was odd. The aspiring ballroom dancer was also requested to take an advanced ballet class, despite having never taken a ballet class. East Lyme High School seniors Kate Citron and Melissa Chmielewski, and junior Diana Garofalo were in the class. “I remember that Keith came to class late and the MADE crew had our teacher, Adam Miller, yell at him. Then the cameramen told us all to stop, and that the microphone did not record properly, so they made him leave and staged him walking back into class and Adam yelling at him again,” Garofalo explained. Another staged moment involved the MADE producers placing Keith in between Garofalo and another ballet student, “because we were much shorter than he was, so it made him appear even more

out of place.” Miller was also requested by the producers to show the

ballroom student how to do a proper lift. The lift that Miller showed was a typical ballet lift and fi nish, used in ballroom, but with a c o m p l e t e l y d i f f e r e n t

approach. “I think [Miller]thought the whole thing, staging included, was just really funny,” Garofalo said. After the episode aired, Garofalo said that, “the ballet section was only a few seconds.” She also described how Keith actually applied based on a dare, not for real interests. She recalled how in the episode the student had to lie that he wanted to be there. Other clips were also edited; Garofalo and Citron said that Keith told their ballet class that when he was out practicing at a club, the MADE producers had edited the material to make it seem like he had not danced with anyone, when in actuality he had. The consensus among the dancers was obvious. “What was fake about it? The whole thing,” said Citron. But in the end, Citron and Garofalo did not feel that the experience was an entire waste. “I wasn’t disappointed. Reality TV is fake anyway, but this just proved how fake it really is.”

Most people have seen or heard about the show MADE, where discontented high school students are transformed into something they have always wanted to be. There is usually a happy ending with a student winning a competition or gaining popularity. But the

question is, does this really happen? Saga staff members Charlotte Kenyon and James Compton were there for two separate episodes.

What most students at East Lyme High School may not know is that show MADE actually came to the East Lyme area. Martial arts studio Middlesex Tang So Do in Old Saybrook was the place where a local girl was transformed from an undisciplined schoolgirl into a devoted, respectful, hardworking martial artist. Unfortunately, watching the show in production was far from what is seen on television. When MADE fi rst came to the studio, they changed around the entire layout for more aesthetically pleasing designs. They also refused to fi lm with all the “noise” going on around in the studio. Due to this, silent classes were employed while fi lming was going on, three to four days a week. “I stopped coming because of the silent c l a s ses , ” s t a t e d N o a h Taylor, a nine-year-old red belt at the studio. On o c c a s i o n t h e y would also stop classes completed in order to obtain an uninterrupted shot. The so-called “coach,” Alec Shane, was actually a martial artist who was trying to make his way in Hollywood and long out of practice. He was once an instructor who taught self-defense and

traditional martial arts that focused more around real life applications. But on the show he was made out to be a Karate Kid-esque instructor, focusing on meditation and fi ghting blindfolded. In fact, most of the training exercises depicted in the show were completely inapplicable to the style of martial arts in which the student was training. The goal of the episode was to prepare the contestant for tournament competition. In preparation to do so, MTV and her coach brought her to Waldorf, Maryland, to observe the national tournament that took place there. They also gave her the opportunity to watch her coach compete. Alec competed in the advanced adult men’s division. While he competed in all

four events of his competition, he did not place in any. In fact he was actually beaten by the two 17-year-old instructors from his studio, in all of the events. But when the

show aired, it was edited to make it

seem like Alec won. He even took part in an interview about what victory feels like to him, even though he lost. The program was not at all concerned with accuracy, and it just goes to show that even reality can sometimes be “Made” up.

The Ballet Imposterby Charlotte Kenyon

The Wrong Grasshopperby James Compton

Keith does a lift at Eastern Connecticut Ballet

Danielle’s training focuses on deep breathing rather than

relevant techniques

www.mtv.com

www.mtv.com

entertainment 11october 7, 2008

the viking saga

My Favorite ThingsLik

e Maria von Trapp, or Oprah, I have favorite things. Here is the item of the week:

exciting consequence. From the most classic of fi lms to recent ones that have stolen our hearts, the fi lms depicted on the site are hilarious once you fi nally fugure them out. And while the prize for answering all of them correct may not be exactly legitimate, the achieving the correct answer is well worth the agony. Movie lovers alike should check out this semi-unknown site to test their fi lm knowledge.

(I AM continued from front page)really want to miss that?” Kidz in the Hall is a hip hop group made up of two men, Naledge and Double-O, who met at the University of Pennsylvania in 2000. “The name ‘Kidz in the Hall’ had a ring to it,” said Naledge, a native of Chicago. “It doesn’t sound like we are a rap group, so it didn’t immediately put us in a box. Most rappers put on this façade. But we don’t talk about guns, sex and drugs. What you see is what you get.” “If you observe what’s going on around you, it’s not hard to write a song,” said Double-O. An example being their song called “Work to Do”—which is now the offi cial Barack Obama campaign song. “It was not made specifi cally for the campaign. But we knew it was election time, and we were involved in the Obama campaign. It just made sense to write this song,” said Double-O “People on the internet labeled it the Obama Song, so the Obama people did some research on us and labeled it as the campaign song,” said Naledge. Also, their single “Love Hangover” just premiered as number six on TRL—their music is kind of a mix between Outkast and Black Eyed Peas. Their performance at the I AM Festival lasted about 45 minutes to an hour on a stage with a nine panel graffi ti backdrop done by four artists from Brooklyn, New York, who go by the name of ‘Destroy and Rebuild’. “We destroy the city through our graffi ti, now we’re rebuilding it with our artwork,” said Mike Baca, otherwise known as 2Esea. “My whole life I’ve been an artist. But I’ve only been selling my stuff for three or four years. We put our lives on canvases.” This festival also included 40 vendors, Niantic’s Tumbleweeds being one of them, and over 15 artists who either performed on one of two stages. Other attractions included demonstrations on Zine, duct tape wallet, and screen t-shirt making. “It went really, really well this year. I hope everyone comes out to participate next year,” said Martin. So next year, be sure to check out what future stars could be at the I AM Festival.

Burn After Reading is yet another dark comical addition to the repertoire of Coen Brothers comedies. It has the signature plot of a Coen Brothers fi lm, beginning as a simple story that eventually escalates out of control into a series of absurd and occasionally gruesome occurrences that seem to have no resolution. John Malkovich plays ex-CIA analyst Osborne Cox, a Princeton graduate who constantly asserts his superior intelligence upon the so-called “league of morons” he has had the displeasure of dealing with his entire life. After getting fi red from the CIA for problems with alcoholism, he masterfully constructs a need to chronicle his life’s dramas into a gripping memoir. His memoir soon fi nds its way into the hands of Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and her brainless associate Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), who embodies the post-millennium nitwit with spectacular enthusiasm.

After a seemingly disturbed co-worker of Litzke and Feldheimer stumbles upon the disc containing Cox’s memoir, the series nonsense numbers and names that comprise the text assures Feldheimer that they posses valuable intelligence information.

They attempt to sloppily blackmail Cox. Their incompetence however, fi nds themselves in a web of adultery, accidental murders, and divorce proceedings. George Clooney makes his role as a U.S. Marshall that much easier with his characteristic sly demeanor and ability to charm ladies all the way to the beaches of Ipanema (Stan Getz reference, anyone?).

The plot of this fi lm is as unpredictable as it is satisfying to the veteran fans of the Coen Brothers fi lmography, and if you’re a fi rst to their brand of discombobulated and consistently exciting humor, you’ll forever have an impression of pure hilarity and artistic genius.

Burn Notice: The Coen Brothers are at it again with their latest fi lm

Chad Feldheimer, the post-millennium nitwit

by Andrea Chrunyk

www.collider.com

by Jake Davis and Elliot Brake

The internet has made leaps and bounds since Al Gore supposedly invented it in the 1990s. There are sites devoted to the strangest things, such as blogs about nothing and the history of the armadillo. Among the random stands one: www.stationerymovies.com. While it may be one of the most perplexing sites on the world wide web, underneath the surface there is a really addicting puzzle. The creators of the site took classic movies, and recreated famous scenes using all stationary products. While it may seem really hard to recreate a scene from a 1930s musical using only Post-Its, they manage to

do it in an extremely clever way. Depending upon your knowledge of fi lm, minutes to hours are spent deciphering the stationary infused clues, a maddening yet

Can you guess what movies these scenes are from?www.stationerymovies.com www.stationerymovies.com www.stationerymovies.com

back page12 october 7, 2008

If only they could just give us what we want and revisit char-acters of primetime sitcoms we actually enjoy. If only we could see what Fonzie Ritchie, and the rest of the Happy Days gang are up to of course now the show would take place in the 80’ss instead of the 50’s. I also wish All in the Fam-ily would return. Obviously no one could take the place of Carry O’Connor as Archie but I still would have liked to see

Words of Wisdom with Matt Heath

“Hugh Hefner, why are you the coolest

person?”sophomore Andy

Henderson

“The guy who plays Tony the Tiger,

do you have a real job?” junior Mikey

Babcock “David Kennan, why do you call me crying every night?”senior Billy Havrda

“Michael Phelps, Will you go out with me?”

junior Brianne Miredki

his views on this year’s election. Last but not least I would give my right foot up just to see an episode of Seinfeld: Parole. I’d even like it if they turned those Windows commercials with Sein-feld and Bill Gates into a sitcom. Just keep in mind that none of these shows will probably ever air seeing that they only bring back shows with horribly generic plots like Knight Rider and dare I say 90210… although Shannen Doherty is a goddess.

As Jason Lee of Mallrats would say “Why can’t they bring a re-make good show like BJ and

the Bear? Now there’s a con-cept I can’t get enough of

a man and his monkey.” After I saw an add for the new Knight Rider series I

couldn’t understand why peo-ple keep attempting to bring back this show. What could KITT, the car of Knight Rid-er honestly do that a car with

Onstar and a GPS couldn’t do?

“George Clooney How can you make me more

like you?”senior Jake Davis

If you could be a talk show host who would you interview and what question would you ask?

m. heath/ saga

m. heath/ saga

m. heath/ saga

m. heath/ sagam. heath/ saga

the viking saga