The first number really set the tone for the whole show when the entire group danced to Youtube remix of “Waka Waka”. Not only was it very entertaining, but it was impressive to think about the fact that the students came up with the choreography on their own. One of the cool things about Diversity’s show was all of the different kinds of music that they danced to. They performed to songs by Skillet, the Dixie Chicks, and even more familiar tunes such as the Fairly Odd Parents theme song. It kept the show interesting because no two dances were ever alike. Another interesting aspect of the show was that some dancers performed in pairs or smaller groups which showcased the dancers’ technique and showmanship. The crowd favorite was the finale, a group hip hop number to track that put a new twist on a song from Disney’s The Lion King.

One of the things that stood out about the show was that there were only female performers. When asked about this Mrs. Fuld, Diversity’s staff advisor, said she hopes to have some boys in their next show. Having both boys and girls in the next performance would allow the club to perform to even more styles of dance including ballroom. This is only one of the goals that the group hopes to achieve in the future. Because they are such a new club they are not funded by the school yet so the proceeds from their performance, as well as other fundraisers that they have put on throughout the year, will go towards funding the club itself. Mrs. Fuld said that going to a competition is not a possibility at this point but isn’t out of the realm of possibility for the future. However this would probably require school funding as well as formal auditions, which would be a first for the club.

Diversity’s show felt like a celebration. It was very clear from watching the performance that all of the members of Diversity simply enjoy dancing. This club and this recital gave them an opportunity to do what they love to do. Congratulations to everyone involved in the Diversity’s performance and best of luck in the future.

You wake up the next morning and realize you never actually finished writing your paper so you hop on the computer and write the last two pages as quickly as you can. A few days later you get the paper back and your teacher gives you a 35 out of 50. You think the grade is a little ridiculous, I mean come on, and you actually took the time to write it! You go talk to your teacher and tell him that you think that you deserve a better grade then what he gave you. Your teacher gives you a look and tells you to sit down. He says that he believes that you can do much better and the work that you have been doing lately is not the very best that you could do. You begin thinking about how much time you actually decided to spend trying to write this paper and remember that it was very little and even less thought. The rest of the day you are in a funk because you realize your grades this year haven’t been where you wanted them. It’s time to make a change in your habits. But…how will you do this?

Well think about what has been distracting you from your work. Cell phone, Facebook, TV, music, and that’s just the beginning of the list. Turn it off, all of it, just for a little while. You can live for two hours without checking the above list every five seconds. You have enough going on in your life and the social network can wait until you have finished your homework so you can get good grades and eventually get into a great college and have a good looking future. Sounds good right? So remember what I said, no socializing plus good grades equals a great future. Which reminds me…should probably go and work on that math homework now. Good luck!

For every group of freshman at the retreat, two Natural Helpers would help monitor their group. I managed a group along with one of my best friends, Maiya Genovesi. We played several different games including Pictionary and the hula-hoop game. I can remember playing these games on my freshman retreat four years ago, and I can also remember how they brought us together as a class. As a freshman I was so nervous for the retreat because it was the first time I had ever hung out with my entire grade. However, after the retreat I felt closer to some people I had never talked to and felt even closer to the people I was already friends with.

Helping out with the freshman retreat made me think back on my high school days. My interests have changed a lot since starting high school. As an eighth grader, I played basketball and soccer and was a straight A student. I leave high school as a cheerleader and a thrower for the track team with a B average.   Personalities change over the four years of high school as well. In middle school, I was the quiet studious type. In high school, I was the obnoxious one. As cliché as it is to say this, you truly do find who you are during high school. During the freshman retreat this year my friends and I kept saying, “Enjoy it. High School goes by fast.” Looking back this statement is completely true.

September flies by as students get back into the routine of school, while seniors develop an understanding for their future processes. Senior night entails all information on how to easily apply to colleges, start asking for letters of recommendation and signing up for last minute SAT’s. Once the process is understood, it is only a matter of time before all the steps are complete. Stress and other contributing factors may come along when deciding which school to apply to. College Board plays an amazing role in a senior’s life when choosing a school. The website has a college match to correspond with desired majors, location of school, desired price, and whether or not to live on campus. After you’ve narrowed down a list of schools, it’s time to apply. This is where you need a properly put together resume in order for someone to write a letter of recommendation and to send to the college(s) you’re applying to. All of these steps take place within the first three months of the school year. On top of this procedure, some students may have a job, first time Advanced Placement classes, and sports that they must also take into consideration.

Everyone deals with stress in their own unique way. It is very easy to let deadlines and assignments get to you but it’s also easy to slow down and regain a sense of focus. In our school there are many people to talk to about emotions or even to get help with the college process. Both guidance counselors along with many trustworthy teachers are available to all students to talk to. During senior year, there is peer pressure coming from all outside opinions but as a student, it is very important to stay focused, calmed and continue to see your ultimate goal. Success is the key but as long as it’s reached correctly.

The dance club has been appropriately named “Diversity”, describing the diverse people and types of dancing. How does it work? The club meets every Tuesday and Thursday, and attendance is necessary. They work on dances that will hopefully be seen in an end-of-the-year performance. Anybody can choreograph, and dances from hip-hop to ballet are welcome. “Dance is used as a source of self expression,” says Ms. Seay. Choreographers should have their dances completely choreographed by April break.

Dance Club has many goals for the future, as well. In the short term, the students hope to put on a great end-of-the-year performance to display the dances they have been working so hard on. Because the club is not funded currently, they expect to fundraise so they have the opportunity to buy uniforms or even participate in competitions. In the long term, the club hopes to expand. They look forward to more students getting involved in the upcoming years so auditions can be held. Ms. Seay seems thrilled to be the club advisor and cannot wait to see how all of the dances come together. As of right now, the end-of-the-year performance date is undecided, so stay posted!

Depending on who you ask, snow days can still be a nice surprise. However, they can also put you in a difficult situation around midterm week. We’ve recently had two snow days and two delays, with a promise of more snow in the future! With reviews cut short and exams coming up fast, what should we do?
Many teachers are making review sheets and old notes available through their school websites and Blackboard. Use recommended sites like regentsprep.org to help you prepare. Sometimes investing in a flash drive or creating an e-mail is definitely worth it when it comes to finishing up assignments and projects at home, too. If you’re a person who can study well with others, why not host a study group? They can be really beneficial as long as everyone stays focused and you don’t have any distractions.

Use the snow day to your advantage! Taking a little extra time to study here and there never hurts, right? If you feel like you’re starting to get off task, take a little break. Just remember that there is a difference between “taking a break” and procrastinating.

Although things may have seemed crammed this past week, keep in mind that after the exams we can start the second half of the year out fresh! (And more free time means more snow angels…)

This being our first column, we thought we’d start out small with only two letters.  If you like what you read, write to us.  Who knows?  Maybe your letter will be answered online.  Look for another column next month!

Dear Keeping It Real,

There is this person in my class who is having family troubles at home. I know her family and I am also really close to them, but lately this friend has been treating me like dirt. I know she has problems, but she keeps making me sad. What do I do?

Lost Friend

Dear Lost Friend,

It’s never easy to be pushed away by a friend. Family has a lot of influence on how someone will act. Your friend may feel pressured by family and school. For now, allow her to go on her own. It may feel like that’s wrong, but if she is pushing away then she needs time. Be there but don’t suffocate her because that will only make things worse between you and she will push you further away. While this is going on, try hanging out with a different group of friends or involve yourself with a new hobby.

Dear Keeping It Real,

All my friends have guys in their lives. They all get texts from guys and a lot of them have boyfriends. I have a lot of guy friends, but none are interested in me. How do I become more girlfriend than just friend?

Unnoticed

Dear Unnoticed,

First thing I want to tell you- NEVER date someone just to say you have a boyfriend. If you care about someone and want to become more than ‘just friends,’ tell him. Yes, it will be hard, and you will be holding your breath for his reply. If he likes you too, then be very happy that you spoke up first. If he doesn’t, it’s better than holding it in. You won’t waste your time caring for someone who isn’t on the same page.

We had a great time, and maybe even a little too much fun with a leaf blower, but in the end it felt great to get outside and do something nice for someone else. Usually on a Sunday, the last thing on my mind would be to go outside. Unfortunately, I’m probably not the only one who’d rather be inside doing something much less productive. Luckily, Key Club gets me outside, and it feels great to be in some fresh air getting exercise and volunteering at the same time. When we were done raking, the feeling was so rewarding.

I can tell all of the members in the club are willing to help others. There are tons of volunteering opportunities we can choose from throughout the year, and each one is special. I am really glad my friends and I joined, because it’s nice to know you’re taking a part in the community.

Whether you’re in Key Club or not, volunteering is a wonderful thing to participate in. It benefits not only the people you’re helping, but you as well. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and help the community!

Most high school students do something on Halloween. Usually, as the years go by, trick-or-treating gets a little boring, or even seems too childish for us. That’s somebody’s own personal opinion. Plenty of teens and even adults still go trick-or-treating. But there are other things to do on this holiday, isn’t there? Two other activities could be going to a Halloween party, or even staying home and watching horror movies all night. You can never be too old to do something on Halloween. It’s not ALL about the trick-or-treating.

There is also a whole unknown, cool history behind Halloween. It’s not all about dressing up as Star Wars characters, or people from your favorite TV show. Did you know that wearing masks on Halloween comes from a Welsh and Celtic tradition? The tradition claims that the dead visit the living on Halloween night, October 31^st. Masks are intended to keep the dead from recognizing the living. If you see a spider on this day, it is said to be the spirit of a loved one watching over you, so try not to squish any spiders on Halloween! During the 1800’s in America, the end of the Harvest season was celebrated by wearing costumes, eating candy along with other sweets, and playing jokes, or “tricks” on each other. The tradition of adding pranks got ugly in the 1930’s when a movement was formed, having kids go door to door collecting candy.

There are many more fun facts about Halloween, seeing that those are only a few of them. One thing we can get out of this though is that Halloween is more than it seems, and that there is something out there for everyone. If you think it is childish to go trick-or-treating with your family, try going with your friends for a year. It could be much more fun! If that doesn’t work, go to a party (Halloween is also the third biggest party day behind New Year’s and Super Bowl Sunday!), or just get a bunch of your buds together and watch horror movies. Get a bag of candy, and give small sandwich bags full of it to each person.

Halloween has to be popular though, since it’s the second most commercially successful holiday. Number one was Christmas. Also, last year costumes made over 6 billion dollars, AND, adult costumes are 62% of those sales!

So, what are you going to do this Halloween? Get out there and enjoy the night! Just remember to stay safe!

See where I got my Halloween facts from!

http://www.godubois.com/cgi-bin/blah/index.cgi?v-print/m-1287776596/

And another good website:

http://www.halloweenhistory.org/

In high school, Mr. Abbasi was involved in debate team, wrestling, and orchestra, though he tells me wresting was not his strong suit. He is very passionate about music and listens to a little bit of everything; country and rap are not his favorites. One week he’ll be listening to mellow vibes, the next he could be listening to metal. As long as it’s good, he’ll listen to it. He also knows how to play bass guitar, but admits he might be a little out of practice. He is a big fan of the Boston Celtics and Red Sox. At home he has an energetic two-and-a-half year old son who keeps him busy as well as a soon-to-be thirteen year old Norwegian Elk Hound.

Mr. Abbasi hopes to make things as pleasant as he can for both students and teachers. He enjoys coming in to work every day and wants students and staff to feel the same. He wants the school to have a good sense of community and a connection to each and every person. School spirit is important to him. He wants kids to appreciate school and know that at one time, all of the adults were kids in school too. Mr. Abbasi wants you to know that not everyone is always the best at school or the most popular, but he thinks you should make the most of what you do and live your life to the fullest.