I must admit, I’m a little upset about this Super Bowl. I was rooting hard for the Ravens and 49ers, because, anything would’ve been better than another Giants-Patriots Super Bowl. It’s not that I have anything against either of the teams, they’re both very good franchises who have good teams. I don’t think they are the two best teams this year, but that’s besides the point. It’s just that unless it’s my favorite team, the Packers, I’m generally adverse to teams winning two or more Super Bowls in a short time period.

With all that said, these two teams are pretty evenly matched, which means that this should be a well played game and an entertaining one. For anyone who is a neutral fan, that’s all you can really ask for.

Now onto the preview and the prediction:

Let me start by saying that both teams are good. They both have great quarterbacks, very good head coaches, and defenses that are playing well. Still, both teams are not without their own flaws. The Patriots had the second worst defense in NFL history in terms of yards allowed. Their pass defense has been porous all year long, and a 3-4 defense often doesn’t get a lot of pressure on the quarterback. Meanwhile, the Giants have a defense that is slightly better than the Patriots overall, yet it’s out on the field a lot. Giants fans dislike the team’s offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, and with good reason: his playcalling is inconsistent and somehow predictable at the same time. In the regular season, the two teams combined beat one team with a winning record, and that was when the Giants beat the Patriots.

The Patriots' defensive backs have struggled all year long. Photo from the AP

But these teams are in the Super Bowl, which means they do some things very well. The Patriots have a lethal passing attack, led by Tom Brady. Simply put, if you give Brady time to throw in the pocket, it will be a long day for the defense. In the first two games of the season, Patriots’ opponents were only able to muster one sack. Pressuring Brady is imperative if you’re going to beat New England.  The Pats have a bevy of playmakers to team up with Brady, led by tight ends Rob Gronkowski (A.K.A Gronk) and Aaron Hernandez. Gronkowski scored 17 touchdowns during the regular season, and averaged nearly 15 yards per catch.

Rob Gronkowski has been nearly impossible to stop this season. Photo from Sports Illustrated

For the Giants, they have a very good passing game as well, and a defense that is hot right now. In the playoffs, quarterback Eli Manning is completing nearly 62% of his passes, with an 8:1 touchdown to interception ratio. In addition, he has averaged over 300 yards per game passing. The Giants ‘D’ features a fearsome front four, led by Jason Pierre-Paul, better known as “JPP”. In three games in the playoffs, the Giants have forced 9 sacks.

Eli Manning has been lights out in the playoffs. Photo from Getty Images

The biggest key to the game will be the play of the linemen. It sounds cliche, but the game will be won there. In the matchup between the Giants defensive line and the Pats offensive line, something will have to give. If the G-Men can get pressure on Brady, they have a very good shot at winning the game. But if Brady has time to throw, the Patriots will win the game. In the last two losses for the Patriots in the playoffs, Brady was hit early and often. That will be the key for the Giants defense. On the other side of the ball, it will be interesting to see how Coach Bill Belichek tries to defend the Giants’ passing  attack. Like I said before, the Patriots pass defense has been downright awful this season, although they have played a bit better on the playoffs.  The key to the Pats defense stopping the Giants offense will be how Belichek decides to schematically defend Manning. This Super Bowl will be a classic chess match between two great coaches.

Bill Belichek's coaching will have a huge impact on the game. Photo from nj.com

Prediction: 34-31 Giants

The Giants are hot right now. And if recent history is any indication, the hottest team in the playoffs usually ends up winning. Both teams have certain deficiencies that won’t be fixed by Super Bowl Sunday. But I think the Giants have fewer deficiencies, and they’ll end up winning Super Bowl XLVI.

Photo by Isabel Hetherington

Audrey Piehl
Arts & Entertainment Editor

On Jan. 10 acclaimed author and Nerdfighter deity John Green published The Fault in our Stars. Since then, it has received universal praise from fellow writers and readers alike. Not to mention he signed every freakin’ copy, excluding a few like those at the high school library (my pre-order was signed in green sharpie. I smelled it immediately, like any totally normal person would.)

Now to mimic the “Author’s Note” format, this is not so much a book review as an exploration of how the Fault in our Stars forces one to think, act, and generally maneuver throughout daily life in an enlightened state. This may sound completely idiotic (or like an LSD trip gone horribly wrong), but it managed to accomplish just that.

This fifth novel by Green follows narrator Hazel, a seventeen-year-old girl with Stage IV cancer. Though granted a second chance via a miracle drug, tumors in her lungs keep Hazel perpetually entwined with cumbersome oxygen tanks and watchful parents. However one day her support group is joined by Augustus Waters, a boy of the same age, equipped with a prosthetic leg and an abundant supply of witticisms. Together they embark on adventures of the mind, the soul, the heart, and maybe even Europe.

Before I continue, let me just say this: The Fault in our Stars is not a cancer book, nor is it really a romance. In fact many of the revelations within its pages defy the definition of the former, and though the latter is tastefully sprinkled throughout, it never dominates the plot. Just in case you don’t believe me, I give you permission to judge a book by it’s cover. You may have noticed it isn’t a melancholic black or seductive red, but blue. A vibrant blue, with two clouds and two sets of chalky text. The Fault in Our Stars isn’t a diseased Twilight. Far from it.

Rather, the novel is about the side effects of dying, scrambled eggs, Holden Caulfield’s sister, Spartans, cigarettes, Dutch confetti, playgrounds, sly Star Wars references, and so forth. I would analyze each literary morsel, except it would constitute of spoilers and way too much text. It would also require a second, third, and perhaps even fourth read, though I can’t imagine that being a burden.

Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister’s Keeper, described the reading journey as, “An electric portrait…Filled with stoccato bursts of humor and tragedy.” One minute I found myself crying, the next I was laughing. To read it was to have my soul ripped out, delicately examined and reconstructed in a curious way, re-inserted, only to have the process recommence over and over again.

In the end it wasn’t about plot, characters, or any literary devices, but the heightened consciousness they create together. In fact, a friend of mine, who read the book before me because I’m too snobby to read one of the library’s unsigned copies, explained how you don’t talk about what happens in the book but how it makes you feel. We described it as communicating on a “third plane,” a section of space incidentally similar to something described in the novel itself.

It’s comforting to know John Green felt a similar way when he was writing, as revealed in a recent Vlogbrothers video, “I was very, very lucky to have many moments where I felt like it wasn’t me [writing], like I was somehow transcending the limits of myself.” Congratulations Mr. Green; we felt that way too.

Perhaps what creates this effect is the brutal but honest realism. Nothing is sugar-coated, but nothing is melodramatically horrid either. It is merely true; the fictional story of very non-fictional scenarios and obstacles. I found myself relating to every character on an extremely personal level, though their home-base of Indianapolis can be found miles away. Even cancer often ceased being an illness, but an entity any human could associate with.

But of course every one’s experience will vary. When themes such as “what will happen after I die” and “what is the meaning of life” come into play, variations in opinion are bound to occur. Indeed, that defines a fantastic piece of literature; when words can be contorted and tangled and untangled in a bazillion magnificent ways. In the end you are left with a book seemingly designed for you and you alone. Perhaps a few aspects are similar to the meaning other people find, but no two readings of  Fault in Our Stars are identical. I can promise you that.

Photo by Kaitlin Ostling

Kit Clemente
Reporter

Beginning on Mar. 8 and running through Mar. 10, the high school theater will perform their Spring production, Sweet Charity.  The play is based off the original musical movie written by Neil Simon and directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. It’s the story of a young woman, Charity, who supports herself as a dance call hostess and tirelessly searches for love.

Senior Alexa Holzberger, starring as Charity, describes her character. “She’s strong and optimistic, but at the same time manages to have a naive and innocent quality about her,” she said.  “I look at the play as a dark comedy, because Charity never gives up hope in her continual search for love no matter the turns her relationships take.”

With extensive and abundant rehearsals, the cast has been working hard to bring together the production.  “Being that it’s only been the 4th week of rehearsals, we’ve done a lot.  We’ve actually finished the first act, which is a big feat,” senior Allie Potenza, playing Helene, said.  “It’s good because once you’ve rehearsed something it’s up on its feet and then you can practice it and make it stronger.”

“The cast actually worked outside of rehearsal to write biographies for our characters,” Alexa added.  “We did this to develop our characters more thoroughly, and really get to know them, which is essential to our production.”

Junior Jesse Bird, playing a baseball player and bouncer, spoke about the challenges the production presents. “A favorite, but challenging feature of the show is the set, because it has a very difficult design.  Despite this, I’m very excited to see how everything comes out after all the hard work the tech team has put in,” he said.

“The dances are always complicated and intense,” expressed Jesse.  “But I’m getting to know them better as I come to understand and improve my dancing skills.”

“In general, we are a very young cast because this production has a lot of freshman with larger roles.  It’s hard to focus at times, but it’s all about teaching the younger kids the process of NCHS Theater so we can learn from each other and build a stronger production,” Allie said. “As with any show, everything is a little scattered, but once everyone is together it becomes a cohesive process.  This happens when the whole cast is committed and focused; when it clicks it’s the magic of theater.”

Although the cast faces these challenges, their hard work is already proving to be successful.  “Since the first read of the script in the beginning of December, I could tell the show was going to be great because of the cast’s various and creative approaches to their roles in the show,” Jesse said.  “Overall, things are going very smoothly, and we’ve really plowed through the material.”

And as the opening day approaches, the actors are forced to concentrate their efforts to achieve the best possible Sweet Charity. “A performer has to be committed in all three of the fields, performers have to listen to each other and make connections with the other actors before everything falls into place,” Allie said.

Sign ups for the prom fashion show have been going on during lunch. Photo by Kate Howard

Kate Howard
News Editor

On Jan. 18-20, the Post Prom Committee held sign ups for models, emcees and stagehands in the lounge from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in preparation for the annual Prom Fashion Show. The event entitled, “Fashion’s Night Out,” will take place in the auditorium on Saturday, Mar. 24 at 7 p.m. to raise money for the senior post prom and will feature local stores like A Step Ahead and Togs.

Those who are interested in modeling will be required to attend a meeting on Thursday, Mar. 1, a scheduled fitting and a dress rehearsal on Friday, Mar. 23.

According to the event’s co-chair Anne-Marie Queally, the class of 2012 has shown great interest in participating, but they are still in need for more models. “We have already had a lot of sign ups, but at the moment we have twice as many girl models and need some more boy models and stagehands,” she said.

In recognition that the seniors will graduate in June, the event’s co-chair Beth Atherton further encouraged seniors to sign up to enjoy their last semester before they graduate. “Other than spirit week, [the prom fashion show] is so much fun to participate in with all your friends and is stress free,” Ms. Atherton said. “It is a great way to kick off senior spring.”

According to senior Hannah Femia, she decided to sign up to model because it has been a senior tradition she has wanted to be involved in. “It’s really fun to come together as a grade and be part of one of the last events in high school,” she said. “It’s something that we have been looking forward to since freshman year.”

Danielle Sorcher
Special Reports Director

After School (1)

I walked down the stairs in the art hallway and knocked on the door of the Custodian’s supply room right after school, when the night-shift custodians would just be arriving. It’s tucked into a corner behind double doors and, peering in, I could make out bulky custodial equipment and a conference room. Upon being invited inside, I was able to talk with Head Custodian Mark Kimball and custodians Frederick Word and Mohammed Miah.

As I sat at the large, square table and took notes, Mr. Word gave me the low-down on how work was divided up. “Each custodian has a designated area that they clean up,” he said. “My area starts in the copy room, and I go all the way down to the TV room. Everything on the lower half down to that area is my responsibility. When I finish that area, I go to the Fitness Center area. I’m responsible for the hallways there and the boys’ locker room.”

I knew from talking with Union President of Custodians and Maintenance Juan Ochoa that there are currently three day-shift custodians (from 7:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.) and six night-shifters (2:30 P.M. to 10:30 P.M.). Mr. Ochoa, a day-shift custodian, had already explained to me the difference between day and night shifts and how he begins his day. “The day guys take care of, for instance, the auditorium, the cafeteria, but not the classrooms,” he said. “We take care of the classrooms if an emergency happens. It’s different because the night guys clean every single classroom and office.”

Mr. Ochoa also told me about a focus of day-shifters. “One of the biggest messes is the cafeteria,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve gotten a chance to see how it looks out there after all the kids finish lunch. So we start at around 12:40 and at about 2:00, we finish our time there.”

When I had walked into the Lounge during the lunch period to meet Mr. Juan Ochoa for our interview, I found myself paying more attention to the chaos around me. I noticed that even though garbage bins were easily accessible by students–either right next to them or a short walk away–food remains and containers still littered the plastic cafeteria tables and the floor. Mr. Ochoa’s statement about the cafeteria being the biggest mess didn’t surprise me at all.

I wondered if this was ever frustrating for the custodians. “Yes, it is,” Mr. Ochoa answered me. “Some kids care, other kids just throw things on the floor or throw garbage into the recycling bins. So for me, it’s like, I just tried to keep that clean.” Mr. Ochoa told me that he’s tried to teach his two daughters about the importance of throwing items into the right bins because it’s been something he’s had to deal with at work.

Mr. Ochoa was not alone in his frustration. “This is high school,” Mr. Miah told me. “We expect a little bit of responsibility–the bathrooms, the cafeteria. People spit in the mirrors, the sinks, the fountains. There is gum, and especially tobacco–there is chewing tobacco all over the school, especially in the bathrooms. I see spit from tobacco in water bottles by the toilets, and in the hallways.”

Mr. Word echoed the sentiments of the other custodians. “If I had my way, I would love for a kid to kind of tag along with us one night—they would have a newfound respect for what the custodians do at NCHS,” he said. “It would change them and how they go about throwing away—or not throwing away—garbage.”

At this opportunity, I offered myself to be that kid. My offer appeared to be surprising and the custodians I was sitting with were a little taken aback. Instead of tagging along, they suggested that I go to the library before and after school to take a look at the messes that kids create. They told me to look in all the crevices and really see how much garbage ended up in a place that was supposed to be food- and drink-free.

I agreed, and when I went in the morning, the library looked pretty much pristine. There was a piece of paper here or there, probably from the librarians already at school. But when I came back after school, I couldn’t believe I had never truly noticed how disgusting the library gets. Bottles, food wrappers, gum, bits of tinfoil were all shoved under the tables in the quiet section. Errant papers and wrappers were strewn all about the library. Sure, I’d been guilty of the occasional granola bar in the quiet section before, but I was struck by how messy this place had become–rival, almost, to the cafeteria (almost).

Cleaning all this up has recently become more of a challenge due to short-handedness. “One of the most challenging things now is if we’re short-handed, which is quite frequent,” Mr. Kimball said. “We’re not allowed any substitutions or overtime so we do the best we can. What gets done is kind of what gets done, and that’s unfortunate.”

Although the job of custodians is far from easy, my conversations led me to discover highlights of their careers. For Mr. Ochoa, who worked at West School for eight years before coming to the High School where he’s worked seven so far, it was watching the kids grow up.

“When I came to the high school, I had the opportunity to see kids who I saw in Kindergarten, and could see them when they were ready to graduate,” he said. “That was for me like ‘Oh my God, they’re in college already.’’”

Similarly to Mr. Ochoa, Mr. Word’s interactions with kids he knows also makes him happy. Mr. Word was previously a teacher’s assistant for Special Education, an Assistant Coach for varsity football and the Head Coach for girl’s track. “I know a ton of kids and kids know me,” he told me. “When I come in, they’re leaving or out at their practices. But the beautiful thing is that some know my area, and the girls run through the school when it’s cold outside so they stop and say hi. I usually talk to them.”

The custodians described their relationship with the NCHS faculty and student body as a strong one. They told me that there was a lot of friendliness and trust among everyone. Though the custodians like to focus on work because they want to finish in a timely manner, they told me that students will ask for help when they need it and that trust is not an issue.

Mr. Ochoa gave me an example of this trust. “I found one person’s wallet with money, a driver’s license, credit cards—but there was no phone number or anything,” he said. “So I just looked at her name and looked in the phone book, called her and let her know that I had her wallet, and to not worry about it. I told her she could pick it up the next day if she came in and asked any of the custodians. She called me back and said thank you for everything. I feel good because that’s the trust of the people in the New Canaan—when something is lost, they know that we will take care of that.”

Just as Mr. Word had hoped, I left my interviews with a new found respect for everything the custodians have done and will continue to do.

Photos by Danielle Sorcher

Sometimes old people are pretty dope. They can do lots of exclusive things that we can’t. Like if you started rocking a snapback that said “Vietnam Troop 77” or went  grocery shopping on a mobile scooter, it just wouldn’t work–you’d look like a d-bag. I mean I’d trade all the bling in the world to cop a life alert necklace, but it looks like I’ll just have to wait my turn.

Screw Jordans

Old people are always very well groomed, tuck in their shirts, and rock those baller unisex all-white new balance kicks. They say words like “spiffy” and “whippersnapper “ that take me back to a malt shop in ’52. They have unreal names like Agnus, Eugene, Meriam and Leroy.

My man Chives

But before you get as mad as I do, when I think about all the exclusive things our elderly citizens get to do, I think about the downside to all of that growing up. It’s gotta suck to not be able to do  layups without breaking a hip or talk to honeys without looking like a creep. Sometimes I wonder what it will be like for us when we get up there into the triple digits. Will wearing patagonias and nikes be super lame? Will words like “dude” and “rage” be outdated? Will our grandchildren snicker in the back of our ancient Jeeps when we put on Avicii? Hmm, it’ll sure be different. All I hope is that some day, in my ripe old years, I’ll be surrounded by exotic pets and get to say things like “Oh Chives? I feel like Chinese food tonight. Fetch my cloak and we’ll depart for Beijing in a half hour”. Ever wondered what you’d look like as an old person? If you want to ruin the surprise just download age booth and have fun depressing yourself. We cant be young forever, as much as that sucks, but at least there are some things to look forward to

- G$

Photo by Bryn Pennetti

Tyler Kendall
Reporter

Since Superintendent of Schools David Abbey announced his retirement on Oct. 12, a Superintendent Search Committee has been set up to make a decision regarding his successor. This committee set out to hire a search firm to help conduct the hunt. The committee has urged the community to take an active role in the decision making, too. Several Focus groups and an online survey were made available to all public school faculty, residents and students.

“The committee’s goal in having these forums is to gather information so we can better gauge the community’s opinions,” said Ms. Hazel Hobbs, Chairman of the Board of Education and Superintendent Search Committee Co-Chair.

Though students identify the superintendent primarily as the one who decides weather-related school closings, sophomore Brian Huff, who attended the focus group, discovered that the superintendent responsibilities consist of a much wider ranger that impacts them on a personal level. “I would have found [the focus group] more interesting if I knew what the superintendent did,” Brian said. “I found it hard to voice my opinion because I wasn’t sure his role.”

Ms. Hobbs clarified that one of the superintendent’s primary responsibilities is dealing with the budget, two thirds of which it goes to the public schools.

“If the high school needs anything such as more computers, books, or even desks, if the roof has a leak, the superintendent works with various committees to find funding for these problems,” Ms. Hobbs said. “Everything you see in NCHS is part of the budget.”

Ms. Hobbs cautioned that the superintendent, “has to be responsible when ideas come forward, because the budget is not limitless,” and that is why the one chosen has to be able to display fiscal responsibility.

The curriculum is another area within the school system that the superintendent works closely with. “All that is taught from grade K through 12 is seen over by different people, and they all respond to him,” Ms. Hobbs said. “The superintendent also pays close attention to the school’s achievement records and looks to see what areas need more work and improvement.”

Along with the school’s budget and curriculum, the superintendent also works with countless other areas, including school policies and hiring of faculty.

“The new superintendent must be a good communicator, have excellent people skills, and they must have thorough knowledge of education at all levels; K-12. They also must have an understanding of what colleges and future employers of the students are expecting from them. A huge goal of the superintendent is to make sure that the students are leaving the school system fully prepared,” said Ms. Hobbs.

During the focus group, sophomore Jenna Egan was surprised by the superintendents connection to her education and felt that providing her input was important in the committee’s research. “It was a good chance to get my ideas heard,” she said.

With the forums now closed and the search underway, the committee hopes to have a new superintendent chosen by early April, because the superintendent must begin work July 1 and this will allow a transitional time.

Even though Christmas is over, the Junior Student Coalition is still in the season of giving. From Jan. 30 to Feb. 3, the week before Super Bowl XLVI, the student leaders will run the “Soup-or-Bowl” fundraising campaign. Each English class will compete to see which can collect the most cans for the Fairfield County Food Bank.

Student Coalition hosts a can drive every January to benefit the Fairfield County Food Bank. Graphic by Jack Ludtke

The drive was planned earlier this year when the Student Council contacted the Fairfield County Food Bank and asked how they could help.

“The food bank suggested a can drive because they are essentially depleted after the holiday season,” junior Sam Murray, a council member said. “In fact, at this time of the year we will be their biggest contributors by far.”

Junior Molly James, the social board president, agreed. “We have done similar drives in past years, so it wasn’t hard to organize,” she said.

The drive will be football themed to reflect the actual Super Bowl later that week. “We decided to go with the Super Bowl theme to make people remember that this event will occur every year around this  time,” Sam said.

The Soup-or-Bowl Drive will be run a little differently than winter can drives in the past. “The English Department has generously volunteered to keep the collection bins in their rooms, so this year will be a competition between English classes,” Sam said. “We mostly did cans for the Turkey Drive and Toys for Tots, so we’ll focus mostly on collecting cans.”

Representative Sam Murray is ready to start collecting. Photo by Emily Brand

“There will also be a box where students can drop items off in front of the main office, and representatives would be happy to take monetary donations,” Molly said.

There will be plenty more opportunities to help out: Sam said there is another great fundraiser on the way. “We will probably have a bake sale soon, so keep your eyes open,” he said.