Vol. 2, Issue 3
Thursday, June 4, 2009
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK SUPPLEMENT NAME x & x
Olivia Haynes and Steven Vivian.
Jessica Pine, Maria Komar, Ruth Komar and Theressa Newman. Prom Queen Taylor Nims and Prom King Greg Russell. Elijah Johnson and Cassie McAfee together at prom.
Prom: Truly AFond Memory
longer line to make them appear taller. One trend that many of the tall girls followed was to wear a big and voluminous dress that had gathers on the skirt. These dresses definitely appeared to be "princess dresses" Another trend this year at prom was definitely color. Prom is a time where an individual can really be unconventional with the color that she chooses. A lot of girls were comfortable with bright colors, such as pink, electric blue, or green. However, the colors that seemed most popular for Prom 2009 were yellow and gold tones. Dresses were also adorned with rhinestones and jewels to make the dress really sparkle and shine. Prom is the best time for a young woman to express her personal style. It is a special time to really dress up and feel like a million dollars for one night. Some ad-
By Zoe Garry Prom is one of the highlights of senior year in high school. Students prep and plan months ahead to strive for the perfect night. Prom is almost like a Hollywood event, especially for the girls. One of the biggest decisions a girl does to prepare for the prom involves choosing her prom dress…The dress she chooses will end up in countless family photo albums; and therefore, it is important for her to look classic and timeless, and not out-dated. This year's theme for prom was "The Premiere of the Class of 2009," and each girl wanted a dress that would be suitable for a premiere. This year, girls truly seemed to take their body shapes into consideration when choosing flattering gowns. Many petite girls wore short dresses to show off their tiny stature or long column dresses with a
Gunjan Udeshi and Ricky Nolan.
Big smiles from Leslie Johnson and Jenna Schwarzmann.
vice for the girls that will be going to prom next year: The dress is important, but you must also keep things in prospective. Don't take things too seriously or you
could risk ruining your night. Just relax and enjoy the night because senior prom only happens once in a lifetime. (And this one was absolutely perfect.)
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Cycronicle
Thursday, June 4, 2009
High School for a Conservative Teenager
By Jessica Satchwell I was a little apprehensive when I began this article; however, I have always been vocal about who and what I am. I know what I believe in and that how I live my life is right for me; however, that isn't always well-received by my peers. I am a young Christian woman, who stands on what she believes. My religion isn't something that I hide; anyone who knows me can tell you that it is the biggest part of who I am: it shapes my life. My parents brought my brothers and I up in a conservative home, a home that was full of love and rules. And believe me, it was strict: I remember that "jeez um" and "holy crap" were curse words that were punishable by standing in a corner for ten minutes. I am not complaining, however, because that strictness shaped me into the person that I am. That being said, my life is different than that of most teenagers. What I wear is "approved" by my parents. It's not like everything that I put on has to be "okayed," but if either my mother or father doesn't like the way that I look, I have to change. My father has a rule that says that if my skirt is not at least two inches beyond my fingertips, it is too short. My mother would love it if my shirts extended up to my neck. Make up was forbidden until I was thirteen, and the shiny earrings that I got in the fourth grade were not approved by my father because he would have preferred that I would have waited until middle school. These things might drive other teens up the wall, but it is my life, and I am used to what I have always lived. My life is what it is, and I love it! While some kids sleep late on Sundays, I am up before eight o'clock so that we can get to church by 9:30 a.m. Also, while some teens might dread spending an entire day with their parents and grandparents, I look forward to it. While some parents could care less what their kids do on a Friday night, my plans have to be made weeks in advance so that my parents can approve them. If I want to get a driver's license, I have to get a job because I will be expected to pay all of the expenses of driving a car myself. These lessons are designed to make me stronger and to show me that "life isn't fair." Sometimes, my beliefs and my rules make me feel out of place at Watertown High School. I can stand in the hall and see young people hanging all over one another. I have heard kids cursing at teachers and at one another, and I have also watched fights break out in the hallways. I would not dare to do any of these things. Physical displays of affection, in my opinion, are best left outside of school. Cursing
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has no place in society, and fighting is something that a civilized person should not do in public. Why did I write this article? I didn't mean to get on "my high horse" and make it seem like I felt that I was better than someone else. Instead, I wanted to demonstrate that there are students in this building who live a very different life. I also want to spread the message that it is okay to be who you are: you don't need to change to fit in or to be accepted. If you do, then people won't really want to be around you, they will want to be around the person whom they think you are. As Herman Melville once said, "It is better to fail in originality, than to succeed in imitation."
A Vegetarian Diet
By Allison Carlos Have you ever considered adopting a vegetarian lifestyle? For some people, the transition can take place overnight, but for others it is a gradual change. I encourage you to consider the many benefits of vegetarianism besides the fact that you would be saving over 100 animals a year. Contrary to popular belief, vegetarians are extremely healthy with just a little bit of planning. Becoming one is undoubtedly one of the single-best things that you can do for your body. It can help protect you against several diseases such as: heart disease, prostate and colon cancers (among others), strokes, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and it can even lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Several alternatives to meat are available today which makes becoming a vegetarian easier than ever. A brand called Morningstar Farms offers "fake" foods like Italian Sausages, Asian Veggie Patties, Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers, Hickory BBQ Riblets (one of my favorites), Chik'n Strips, and Sausage Style Crumbles. These
Cychronicle staff
Editor – Chelsie Taddonio Assistant Editor – Bonny Gardner Sports Editor – Michael Bufalini Advertising Manager – Allison Carlos Photographer – Zoe Garry Journalism Club Advisor – Mrs. Dee Shear Special thanks to Ms. Stephens and her computer graphics class for designing our ads this year.
meatless meals are available at almost all local grocery stores. For about the same price as animal meat, you and your family could enjoy some of these delicious meals while making your way towards better health. Here are some fun facts about vegetarians that can be found on www.GoVeg.com: meat-eaters are nine (yes nine!) times more likely to become obese than vegetarians, they are 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease, more than half of our water supply goes to animal agriculture, and vegetarians live about 6 to 10 years longer than meateaters. You can also go to this website to find great vegetarian recipes. Changing your diet to vegetarian, as you can now see, would absolutely benefit you in more ways than one. You would be doing yourself good and helping animals at the same time, it's a win-win situation! As Albert Einstein once said, "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."
Swine Flu: An Epidemic?
By Angel Jo Campbell In the past few months, there have been over five thousand cases of Swine Flu in the United States. Sadly, there have also been six deaths. Schools have been closed, the public has been warned, and people everywhere have worried. So, what is the truth about this flu? The disease, which is also known as the H1N1 flu, is a new strand of the flu virus. We do not know very much about this flu, but we do know that it is passed from human to human, and that it can become airborne. We also know that many of the early symptoms of this flu are very much like the
traditional flu that many of us experience in winter. At this time, there is no true vaccine for this flu. The best that we can do is to be aware of the symptoms and follow good hygiene rules. The symptoms include a cough, a high fever, a sore throat, body aches, chills, and fatigue. To protect ourselves, we must remember to cover our nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing. We must wash our hands constantly and remember not to eat or to drink after anyone else. There is no guarantee that we won't get the flu, but there is hope that we can take every possible measure to avoid it.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Cycronicle
Page 3
Club Achievements of 2009
they went to Starbuck to read to students. The students at that particular elementary school really appreciated it and made a pamphlet of thank you notes and gave it to the members of the club. Mr. Planes advises three very different clubs at the high school. The first one is Drama club. Drama club puts on one play a year and this year they out on the play called an "Evening with Carol Burnette" which was very successful. Students in drama club also got to go to Drama fest which is a day at Suny Oswego where many high schools come together and perform many different plays. For some students in drama club it was their first actual musical and the students had a lot of fun. The second club Mr. Planes advises in Key club which is a volunteer organization that does community service. This year the club participated in the First Frost AIDS walk which was sponsored by AIDS Community Resource. The club won creative team during the walk once again. They have had two blood drives this year and hit their goal. The last club he advises is Gay Straight Alliance. This club teaches students about tolerance. This club also participated in the First Frost AIDS Walk and they started the equal sign stickers that can be put on teachers doors. These stickers means that it is a safe place to talk about issues that the student is going through whether they are being bullied or maybe discriminated against. Diversity club is advised by both Mrs. Harrienger and Mrs. Ricci. This club teaches students about other cultures and promotes cultural awareness and understanding. This club is responsible for the WHS front hall showcase because every month is a celebration for different cultured so they decorate it according to what culture it is suppose to represent for that month. Diversity club also does community service projects. This year they have participated in the First Frost AIDS walk and students also made valentines to send to the Veterans hospital for Valentines Day. Students in this club supported the SPCA in the Zoo 2 competition as well. Every year Diversity club holds a talent show in the spring and the talent show recognizes the talent and diversity within the school. Environmental club is about raising environmental awareness and making students become more proactive. This club is advised by Mrs. Fleming. The environmental club participates in an envirothon in which students take quizzes on environmental culture. This club also sells reusable grocery bags which are ecofriendly. Mrs. Shear is the advisor of the Journalism Club. This club started out as a class and a club for students who like to write but it later became a discovery of how much it takes to make a newspaper when they paired up with the Watertown Daily Times. This club has produced three newspapers with the Watertown Daily Times and has already produced in house papers and an advice pamphlet for eighth graders at Case Middle school. The members and the advisor of the Journalism club are very appreciative for what the Watertown Daily Times has done for them. Interact club is a service organization club that is advised by Mrs. Stephens. This club does at least two service projects during the year which they have to do at least one local service and one global service project. One global service project that they are still currently doing is raising money for polio vaccines for third world countries that cannot afford it on their own. So far the interact club has raised 600 dollars for this particular project. It is sixty cents for each a vaccine. Another global service project is that they sell Rwandan grown coffee to help Rwanda rebuild their economy. Ninety cents out of every dollar goes back to the coffee coops in Rwanda. This club also makes students aware of Watertown's place in the world because Watertown may be small but any effort to change the world no matter the size of the group helping out can still make a difference in the world. Magic club is advised by Mr. Brumfield. Magic is a collectible card game that is popular among teens. In this club students have fun by playing a game but they are also learning about skill and strategy and how to make a deck that will help them beat other players. Their biggest accomplishment is that the members are having a good time. Spirit club is about changing the school to make it a better learning environment. Mrs. Harrienger is the teacher that advises the club and after many senior exit interviews she noticed that when students were asked what they would change in the school, most answered with the moral of the student body. She also graduated from WHS and she remembered that there were many more school activities when she was in high school so she wanted to add more activities so she made the Spirit club. This club has added an extra pep rally and has had a school wide cleanup day which the painted the cafeteria purple and white and they also held the first spring carnival. They are also hoping to clean out the elevator. Step team is a group of students that come together to learn how to use their body in order to make a rhythm. This club is advised by Mrs. Dickinson. This form of dance that they learn is derived by Africa so they are also learning about culture. They have had performances in the school and in the community as well. Whiz Quiz's club advisor is Mr. Garnsey. Whiz Quiz is an academic club that competes with schools in the tri-county region. The competition takes place at WPBS and has a panel of four students. These students are asked trivia questions in pop culture and school subjects. Two out of four years they have made it to the semi-finals from a field of thirty-eight schools. Model UN is advised by both Mr. Vrooman and Mrs. Shear. It is a club that only meets once a month and has a conference every other month to discuss about current issues in other nations. This year they held a conference at WHS and that turned out very well. Next year they plan on making the club an in house club instead of going to other schools because of the budget.
By Randi Hollenbeck and Rachel Seigfried There are twenty-one clubs that Watertown High school has to offer. These clubs are very diverse and many students participate in these various clubs. There are also a lot of clubs that have achieved pretty incredible things this year but many students and staff are not aware of the accomplishments that these clubs have attained. Art Club is advised by Mrs. Ellsworth who is the art teacher at WHS. Art club has made melted wine bottle platters to raise money for their club. They have also had a dance earlier in the year that was glow in the dark themed and at the moment they are having a silent auction that auction off student's art work that was made in the ceramics classes in order to raise money for the trip that their club will be taking next year. They are also updating and restoring the school murals that are painted throughout the school. The advisor of the animal welfare club is Mrs. Fregoe who is one of the science teachers at the school. This club is about educating people about treating animals correctly and researching about animals. This year animal welfare club had a pet food drive at WHS to help feed animals at the SPCA. They were able to feed about thirty dogs and about sixty to seventy cats and four hundred sixteen families were able to feed their pets because of the pet food drive. Also this club was able to help the SPCA get third place in the Zoo 2 competition by trying to get help from the community through the radio station the Border. Mr. Towne is the advisor of the AV club. This club broadcasts the morning announcements and they also help students make commercials to advertise for clubs and fundraisers within the school. One of the biggest achievements AV club has had is the angel tree. The angel tree is a community service project that takes place around the Holidays.The AV club finds out about students and other children in the community that they will probably won't get presents because their parents may not be able to afford it. So a homeroom can adopt an angel which will have the information as to what the boy or girl wants for a gift for the Holidays but it will not state the name of the person or any other personal information, it's completely anonymous. This year sixty students were given presents because of the angel tree and 3500 dollars was raised. All the money that is raised is used to buy gifts. Av club also videotapes graduation and broadcast over the web for students who have a parent or both parents deployed. After the graduation ceremony the student and the family with the student can go into the AV room and they can have a live video chat with the parent(s) that are deployed. Ms. Wood is the advisor of the book club. The members of this club read different books from a range of many different genres. This year they have read five books and
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK SUPPLEMENT NAME x & x
Anna Karenina: A Review
By James Jolley Undoubtedly, Leo Tolstoy was one of the most gifted writers and thinkers to come from Russia. Anna Karenina is one of the hallmarks of his pen, and is disputed by some to be the best piece of literature ever written. Regardless of whether one agrees with this thought or not, I can guarantee that this book is one of the best I've read. It gives a glimpse into the age of Russian aristocracy (of which Tolstoy was once a part), of gentlemen, of honor, and of the struggles ofthe day in which the book is placed. In my opinion, this book is a rich experience into the days of courtly love and palace balls and into the people that lived in those days. The two ways Anna Karenina shows its brilliance is in its characters and in words in which it is written It is a rare book that fleshes out its characters and the true depth of their emotions. Each and every character in this book is deep and has a rich story, and Tolstoy uses a wonderful choice of words when he creates scenes between these characters and how they react. This is one of the most 'human' books I've ever read, and those 'human factors' bleed through and will affect how you experience this masterpiece. You will meet Stepan Arkadyevich, whose wife is leaving him because of his adultery. You will encounter Konstantin Levin and his pleasant, common, and likable personality. And while reading this novel, you will experience some of his struggles with class identity. You will also experience the life of Vronsky and his adulterous life with Anna, and his alienation from society. By the end of the book, you'll find yourself caring for at least one of these characters, each of whom has his or her own distinct personality. This book does well depicting the difficulty of Russian life at the time, and the emotional and enigmatic nature of humanity. The book is very long and uses a very difficult vocabulary; however, it is well worth the effort necessary to complete its reading.
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Cycronicle
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Another Successful Year for the Cyclones
By Michael Bufalini and Bonny Gardner The Watertown Cyclones have once again proven that they are among the best in the competitive Frontier League. During the fall season, the boys' and girls' soccer teams captured both the Frontier League regular season and tournament titles. Andrew VanNostrand, Brendan Mance, Spencer McCreary, Ricky Nolan, Will Jaacks, and Matt Cleaver were voted Division All-Stars. All-stars from the girls' team were Bonny Gardner, Logan Barnard, Taylor Hughes, Sophia Capone, Maureen Keggins, and Kathleen Bacsik. The team as a whole received the Frontier League Sportsmanship Award for the 2008 fall season. Girls' coach Mike VanNostrand was chosen as the Frontier League soccer coach of the year. The boys and girls cross-country teams had respectable seasons, as well. Seniors Nick Lynch and Jillian Busby qualified for the state meet. Jillian was ranked as high as first in Section 3 and Nick was ranked as high as fourth. Although the football team played below its expectations, there were some individual players that made some noise. Tom Capone and Jeff Ashline were named to the Section 3 Class A 1st Team. Ishmael Jordan and Derek Brown were named to the 2nd Team and Steve Vivyan earned an honorable mention. The girls swim team continued its dominance under Coach Lori Peters, who was named the Section 3 Class B Coach of the Year. They repeated as league champions
Gisela Ocasio and Zoe Garry prepare to defend their territory
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WHS hosts South Jefferson ladies basketball team.
thanks to a strong core of swimmers, including all-stars Emily Shuman, Kathryn McKinney, Sierra Maitland, Paige LaBarr, Aubrey Kettrick, Danielle Gebo, and Samantha Favaret. Kettrick, who will be swimming at Niagara University, qualified the state championship in Buffalo, where she finished 24th in the 100 yard freestyle and 21st in the 50 yard freestyle. Even more impressive than these accomplishments on the field is the fact that all seven fall sports at Watertown were
An Open Invitation for Parents and Students: Join the Booster Club
By Bonny Gardner At Watertown High School, the Booster Club is an organization that is run by the parents of students. This organization was started in 1978. The Booster Club has much to offer. It provides members with guidance, education, training, and support. Involved parents volunteer countless hours to help certain teams and clubs raise money, and also work to purchase updated sporting equipment for our athletes. The Booster Club is responsible for running concession stands at sporting events. The money that is earned at those concessions is put towards updated sporting equipment, improved facilities, and scholarships. Recently, the Booster Club purchased the new Cyclone Mascot. Along with concessions like popcorn and hotdogs, the club sells Cyclone clothing, hats, umbrellas, magnets, mugs, and much more. Tutoring is available for student members who need extra help in certain subjects. Scholarships are also distributed by the Booster Club at the end of the school year. These scholarships are given to students who were involved in sports or in the Booster Club. (The parents of these students must also have been involved with the Booster Club during the students' years at WHS.) In addition, the Booster Club also awards money to students who need financial assistance in order to play summer sports, attend camps, etc. Memberships are $2 per person or $10 per family. With a paid membership, an individual can get into basketball and football games for free. If interested, the meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. New members are always welcomed. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact President Patty Jaacks or to contact the WHS Athletic Office at 785-3833.
named to the scholar/athlete teams. The boys swim team had a very successful season as well, with over half of the team qualifying for sectionals. They tied with rival Indian River for the regular season title and came out on top in the league championship meet. A combination of both veteran and young talent led to the team's success. The volleyball team repeated as both league and section 3 champions. Aubrey Kettrick, Gisela Ocasio, and Zoe Garry made the All Section Team. Gisela Ocasio also made 1st team All-State, while Aubrey Kettrick and Zoe Garry made 2nd Team All State. On the basketball court, freshman standout Dustin Pond was selected as a 2nd team member of the All-North Basketball team. Senior Bonny Gardner was voted onto the girls All-North 1st team. She became one of only four basketball players in school history to surpass 1000 points in her career. Ms. Gardner will continue her basketball career at St. John Fisher College. Junior Tom Capone continued his success as he was named a Frontier League All-Star in the 160 pound weight class.
Aubrey Kettrick at a home meet.
An aggressive Lady Cyclone passes the ball.
Josh Robinson, WHS football player, puts on his game face.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Cycronicle
Page 5
Senator Gillibrand on Money, Education, and Fort Drum
By Chelsie Taddonio Recently, our newly appointed State Senator, Ms. Kristen Gillibrand held a small, informal, press conference at the Watertown Daily Times. She listened and spoke about many issues surrounding the North Country, and addressed financial hardships due to the economy. She explained that the way money is distributed through the states is sometimes weighted toward those with less population, because of some kind of formula that gives every region the same amount of money. This leads to the under representation of poverty in the larger areas of the country, such as New York. The unease felt by many schools in New York due to budget cuts was brought to her attention. The concern over the loss of jobs, and school programs was very high. It was rumored that field trips, dances, and summer school would be no more, depending on the outcome of the budget cuts. Gillibrand spoke of trying to get more money from the federal government to help the state budget in education in particular. At the time, Gillibrand had just finished the stimulus package that was the American Recovery Act that gave billions of dollars to education and a lot of money was spent to keep teachers from being laid off. She said that if teachers are still being laid off then it would be a sign that another investment might have to be made. Money was also invested in higher education, such as increasing Pell grants to give more kids opportunities to afford to go to college. Senator Gillibrand is a sponsor for the College Affordability Tax Relief Act, which would allow families to deduct up to $10,000 of the cost of college tuition from their federal taxes. Gillibrand continued to say that, "One of the goals of President Obama is to turn this economy around and I'm working with him everyday to create jobs; and we can do that by strategic investments. One of the strategic investments in the last budget was invested in education because… when you make sure our school systems have enough funds you are investing in the future workforce…" Gillibrand mentioned that one way schools could look to save money is to apply for energy independence money so changes could be made to the school such as solar panels, better lighting, better windows, and geo-thermal heating. This would save money on electric and heating bills, making the school more cost efficient and energy efficient. On the state level, money can be provided for grade school and high school's infrastructure only so teachers can keep their jobs, and repairs can be made to the buildings. If certain after school activities do get cut, Gillibrand mentioned Obama's public service program aimed toward high school students in lower income areas. Kids would be able to apply for after school programming where they get to do public service such as visiting a senior center or building an energy efficient home. Gillibrand made a point of stating, "I will continue to advocate for additional funding for education. The connection between Fort Drum and Watertown was also brought up. Senator Gillibrand indicated that the growing facility has been an "economic engine" for the area driving the need for new restaurants and businesses and increasing the demands on local hospitals and schools. There was also a discussion of some of the problems that accompany growth, especially those that deal with military families. Senator Gillibrand pointed out that returning soldiers had been away from their families for approximately twelve to eighteen months and had been in constant danger. She reminded her audience that being away from home for such a long period of time affects the mental state of returning soldiers. The press conference
Chelsie Taddonio, Cychronicle Editor, Senator Gillibrand and Bob Gorman, Watertown Daily Times manging editor, continue the conversation after the press conference.
ended with the suggestion of a possible partnership between the hospitals in Syracuse and the Samaritan to increase our ability to deal with mental health issues.
Obama's First 100 Days
By James Jolley After being elected to the presidency Barack Obama entered into an office that was afflicted with problems. Obama has been a busy president during the past one hundred days as he has struggled to deal with countless issues, ranging from a struggling economy to foreign policy. The big question, however, lies in what he has been able to implement? What has he done? What does he have planned? What are the next three and a half years going to be like with him at the lead? Daunting questions truly, but let us consider what he has accomplished in the past few months in three key areas: The Economy - One of the most pressing and important matters in America today is the economy. We all know times are hard, but what has the president achieved in this field so far? After passing the stimulus bill, which has now well capped one trillion dollars, the president has managed to achieve a national debt of $11,232,439,130,636.53. With government spending at the highest it's ever been since the Great Depression, one cannot deny that the administration is currently living by the motto "To make money, you must spend money." With the stock market not falling as fast as it was months ago, one may be feeling better; however, with experts saying we've not even hit bottom yet, we cannot breathe a sigh of relief yet, and we will have to wait to see if President Obama has taken the right road. Foreign Policy - Being brought into the tough world of worldwide politics was a smooth process for Barack Obama. While meeting with many of the leaders of modern European countries and establishing warm relations between himself and the Russian president, Obama made quite an impression in Europe. The same is true of his meeting with the Saudi King. Aside from meeting many world leaders, little else has been done other than arranging for the British to send more troops to Afghanistan. Internal Politics - With many Republicans and even some Democrats rapidly becoming disenfranchised with the administration, friction is growing within the House and Senate. Now, Obama must work to keep one of his campaign promises: bi-partisan cooperation. Unless concessions are made, one can certainly predict difficulty in the passing of some the president's policies. This president cannot be effective unless he finds a way to mend the division between the parties. President Obama has certainly made an effort; however, he has not yet made marked changes in the face of America. He remains, however, after the first hundred days, well-liked and respected. The jury is still out as to whether or not he will be successful.
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Cycronicle
Thursday, June 4, 2009
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Increased Support over Global Warming
By Chelsie Taddonio Global warning is a major topic that has turned into an even bigger movement. What was once thought of as an inconvenient theory, or something not to worry about for many years to come; is now accepted by most as an inevitable event with effects starting now. The buzz and support to help stop global warming has increased tremendously over the past few years. The movement to go "green" or become eco-friendly is popping up everywhere; from the bags used to shop with to the type of energy used to power businesses and houses. Clothing lines, appliances, and random businesses all seem to want to have the publicity of helping the environment in some way. It's almost to the point where it is frowned upon if a business or individual is not doing their part to help the earth's environment, which is great! Many want to help stop global warming, but do not exactly know what global warming is. Obviously, it is the rise in the global temperature; but how exactly is air pollution causing the earth's temperature to rise? The atmosphere has a natural supply of "greenhouse gases." They capture heat and keep the surface of the Earth warm enough to live on. The more gases that are released into the atmosphere cause more heat to be trapped, which leads to global warming. Over the past century, the globe has heated up by about one degree Fahrenheit, and has intensified over the past two decades. The 90's was the warmest decade on record. According to NASA, 2005 was the hottest year ever recorded. A one degree rise around the Earth may not seem like a lot, but it is actually a huge difference. In fact, the difference between global temperatures and the last ice age was about 9 degrees Fahrenheit. So, one degree could eventually turn into 2, 3, 4, etc.; and when that happens who knows how it will affect the globe. The theory for another ice age to occur is very possible with the rapid continued increase in our global temperature. The more heat from the sun trapped in our atmosphere due to the thickening of the ozone layer because of air pollution, has been causing the glaciers to melt. When the glaciers melt, more and more fresh water is dumped into the oceans, causing an imbalance between fresh and salt water. This can lead to a change in the currents and may alter our weather patterns in a severe way, such as covering the northern hemisphere in ice. This is the reason for a possible second ice age due to global warming. The concern over global warming has increased so much ever since the facts and science have come out for the general public to view. Although, some still believe the state of global warming the earth is in now to be a natural cycle or something too big for which the human race cannot do anything. Even if it is, is it such a bad thing to recycle, or use energy efficient appliances, anyway? What is there to lose by doing that? Absolutely nothing, there is only gain. Some other ways to help besides recycling and using energy efficient appliances are to turn off unnecessary lights, keep your windows closed tight, and adjust your thermostat a little lower in the winter and a little higher in the summer. These tips will also help with energy bills! It is also good to only run the dishwasher when it is full and wash clothes in warm or cold water, not hot.
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Thursday, June 4, 2009
Cycronicle
Page 7
The Gilded Truth of the Watertown City School District's Financial Status
By Andrew VanNostrand Although recently the weak economy has faded from the worries of society, it still remains a serious issue with lasting effects. One needs look no further than the local school district to examine such effects. Issues currently unseen could become much more influential in the not-so-distant future. While panic is far from necessary, vigilance now will pay dividends later. Recently I had the pleasure to sit down with Mr. Fralick, Superintendent of Schools here in the Watertown City School District. Mr. Fralick was more than happy to shed a certain amount of "light" on the districts current financial situation. As a broad introduction, Mr. Fralick put certain issues at ease by saying that the district is financially in "very good shape". He went on to add that our good standing is backed by the solid Appropriated Fund Balance of 4.5-5 million dollars. While that statistic may seem foreign and perhaps unimportant, it will be elaborated upon further as it is the key to any looming issues the district may face; however, I felt it necessary to ease into such issues and lay to rest other popular concerns. I began by inquiring upon the fate of athletic and music programs in the district as they are often first in the concerns of students and parents alike. Despite recent concerns, Mr. Fralick was happy to say that such programs are safe and skeptics can rest assured. On athletics, Mr. Fralick specifically stated that it is "highly unlikely" that they will be affected but if they are it will be with games being taken off modified schedules. He went on to say that he "highly doubted" seeing any effect on Junior Varsity and Varsity programs. It was very apparent in the interview that he adamantly supported the districts athletic programs and decided early on in this situation to do all that was necessary to preserve them. He offered the same sentiment when asked about the districts various music programs, saying he feels they are "very safe". He went on to add how they are a "great staple" in the district and really add to what the district offers its students. With all this reassurance, it appeared all was well in the district and somehow we were "protected" from this current crisis. As I expected this not to be the case, I decided to delve deeper and ask slightly more specific questions. In the process I uncovered the elusive source of all of the districts economic concerns. The origin of all future problems may lie in the aforementioned Appropriated Fund Balance, or AFB. The AFB in simple terms can be described as the districts "savings account" of sorts. It is extra money which the district accumulates in various odd ways. Such money is placed into the AFB and is "saved for a rainy day" so-to-speak. What this means is that whenever the district is in need of money for reasons not accounted for in the budget, the AFB account is tapped and used to make up the difference. It is a "safety net" of sorts keeping the school economically safe. Although all schools have such a "safety net", ours has recently been accumulating holes. Mr. Fralick cited examples such as students in need of wheelchair access and aids, fires, and unforeseen budget issues as reasons for tapping the AFB. In his words the district is always in need of "unanticipated relief". The problem is that as a district we are currently burning through our AFB at a much faster rate than we can accumulate it. There is no set method for stocking the AFB: it is filled with money that the district stumbles upon by chance. The most recent case of AFB spending is the new proposed budget. In order to get approval adequate enough to get it passed, the board was required to maintain the current the district property tax. This is not easily done as it is meant to increase with the current markets and inflation. This money to offset the 0% increase came from the AFB, putting a large dent in it. (And this is just one incidence of this occurring.) All over the district, the AFB is being used to in order to maintain the districts current economic status, making it seem as if we are untouched by the current situation. However, if this continues the real effects will be felt sooner, rather than later. Mr. Fralick was very open and honest about his concerns for the future budgets given the increased erosion of the AFB. He stated if the district doesn't increase revenue soon programs will begin to be cut. Of course this leads to the question everybody wants answered: "What will the effects of this economic erosion be?" Once again Mr. Fralick was happy to oblige. He said that if fiscally responsible the district will be "good for about two years;" however, if this situation lasts longer than that the district will have some serious issues. Mr. Fralick has concerns for the 2010-2011 budget given the circumstances. He said that currently the district is using attrition, which is retirement, in order to balance the pay of current teachers and hir-
Club in Jeopardy: The Teen AIDS Task Force
By Marissa Richardson In the age of so many concerns with so many new diseases, like the swine flu to consider, many individuals have forgotten the plight that concerned us about twenty years ago. At that time, many people were concerned with the HIV/AIDS virus. Now, it seems that we have forgotten HIV/AIDS; however, it is important to remember that HIV/AIDS is still an in curable virus. In fact, the sad reality is that the highest rate of infection in American is among people under the age of twenty-five. One club at Watertown High School is committed to educating teens about the virus so that we as a generation can protect ourselves and make educated decisions: the Teen AIDS Task Force is an organization that has been formed across North Country Schools, not only to share knowledge about HIV, but also about many other sexually transmitted diseases. The ultimate goal is to teach teens about these viruses so that they can be prepared and protected. This year, the club also took steps to help the community. The club teamed up with the AIDS Community Resource Center to benefit people in the North Country living with HIV. Recently, the Teen AIDS Task Force participated in a walk to raise money for HIV/AIDS research. This walk raised fifty thousand dollars, all staying in the North Country. Unfortunately, this important club may not be in existence in the future. Funding for this important educational club has been cut from the state budget. So the question is who will share the message of HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases with our teens and young adults?
ing of new ones. Unfortunately, this is far from a steady plan and once this fails, job cuts will be imminent. He foresees class size increases and perhaps the movement of teachers and cutting of others. This is, in the minds of most people, the worst-case-scenario for our school district; however, it is a worstcase-scenario for a reason: many things have to go wrong before the district resorts to job cuts and Mr. Fralick was fairly confident in the districts ability to avoid such an issue. To conclude, I feel as though I must shed my own light on this subject. Mr. Fralick is doing an excellent job containing this situation and has approached it with absolutely the right attitude. Although all of this talk of the depleting AFB and job cuts can be frightening, one must have faith in those who have gotten us this far seemingly untouched by the current economy. The Board of Education and Mr. Fralick are very capable of economically and adamantly supporting the future needs of the district. At the close of my interview Mr. Fralick shared with me a sentiment which I feel was very insightful. He said: "The main difference between my generation when we were children and the current generation of children is a certain lack of hope. Students seem less optimistic about their future and our future as a whole." This I feel is one of the main issues we face today. Among the turmoil of the economy, one must never doubt ones ability to persevere. So take away this: although the Appropriated Fund Balance is currently eroding and job cuts may be on the distant horizon, this district is in very good financial shape. The AFB is still packed with 4.5-5 million dollars and that money is not disappearing any time soon. So continue to trust our district and know that we are very well equipped to "weather the storm".
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Page 8
Cycronicle
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Travels to Africa Part II
By Zoe Garry Last summer, my family and I lived in the small city of Mzuzu in Malawi, Africa. There, the majority of my time was spent working in an orphanage called the Crisis Nursery. In this nursery, my sister, cousin, and I took care of seventeen babies, ranging in age from zero to two. However, not all of our time was spent with the babies. During the summer, my family and I traveled up and down the country for church activities, safaris, and political rallies for our very own Grace Chiumia. Although these things were very important and fun parts to my trip, to overlook my family's involvement with the Malawian widows would not do our trip justice. In Malawi, when the husband dies, it has become custom for the husband's family comes into the house and takes everything. They take the furniture, the roofing, any prized possessions, and completely empty the bank accounts. Left with virtually nothing, the widows are forced to move into the Dambo. The Dambo is free malaria-infested swamp land that the government doesn't want and has abandoned. In most cases, these relocated widows are left to care for their children without any source of income. While my sister, cousin, and I were in the nursery, a group of eight women were sent by our church to help set up and interview the widows for the Chisomo-Garry Widow Fund. This fund gives widows tin roofing, money for their children's education, funds to replace what was stolen from them, and money for their primary needs. During the summer, I traveled to
Finesse, one of the Tonga women.
Dambo several times. During one of our tours, my sister Laura asked if the widows had bed nets. One widow simply responded by saying that they don't need bed nets because they do not have beds. When you travel within extreme poverty, your expectations change as your surroundings change. Things that seem necessary within the borders of the United States become luxuries in places like Malawi. However, when I heard that basically none of the widows, who take care of at least two children, had a bed, or a couch, or even a blanket, I was dumbfounded. Every night, those widows slept on their dirt floors, while my family and I slept in
A widow rejoicing in the street.
our own individual beds only a few miles away. The next day, my family and I went into the market and bought three beds and three blankets for two of the families within the Dambo. Because there are no roads within the Dambo (no one is rich enough to own a car), my family and I had to carry the beds. It became a parade: everyone came to see why the "muzungos" (white people) were carrying large beds above
My Trip to Vietnam
the coolest thing ever, but I was sadly mistaken. The water-puppet show that I went to was in a theater whose seats where made for midgets, and the music that was played seemed to have been created purely to give me a headache and the story made no sense whatsoever. To say the least, that hour and a half was not ideal or what I had expected from a water puppet show. Hanoi had so many cool aspects to it, don't get me wrong. I did get to buy some awesome war propaganda posters; however, Hanoi was probably my least favorite of the all the cities. My favorite city was Hoi An, which is more commonly known as "Shoppers' Paradise." Many people don't know this about me, but I am a shopaholic (the first step in solving a problem is admitting you have one, and I have a shopping problem). Another fun fact is I am an extremely gifted haggler; some people can read minds, others can run fast; I can make high prices disappear. So basically when we arrived to Hoi An, I couldn't help myself and I obviously couldn't keep my promise of not buying anything for the rest of the day. In fact, as I returned to the bus, I was wearing a completely different outfit and holding bags of gifts and of oil paintings, which were about three feet wide. Vietnam was fun. I truly enjoyed my time there, and I got to experience things that the average person will probably never experience: I played volleyball on China Beach, completely collapsed in a Hindu Art Museum, and got to go into some of the Viet Cong tunnels, but I'll probably never go back. The biggest difference between Vietnam and my other travels is it wasn't with the Church: I didn't have a purpose in Vietnam, I was simply there to buy things and looks at pretty objects but I didn't feel like I accomplished anything while I was there. I'm glad I went, and I brought back some awesome souvenirs, as well, as some awesome stories. I would recommend this trip to anyone. I personally think a person should at least try something once, and I did that. It seems I was right to assume this would be a one time thing and now I can check Vietnam and Hong Kong off my list of places to visit.
By Zoe Garry This spring a small group of students and teachers from Watertown High School traveled to Vietnam. The trip involved ten days of traveling and extensive sightseeing of the whole country from the North to South. When I signed up for the trip last June, I had convinced myself that I was going because this would be a one time thing and I probably would never have the chance to go back again. So when John Doldo the IV was rallying people to sign up for the trip, I wrote my name down. The trip surprised me in many ways: not doing any research on the trip or the country I was completely ignorant about what to expect and looked at the trip as an educational experience, which it was. Starting in Hanoi the group of seventeen increased by two when Ms. Ostanek's Sister Barbara and her husband Bruce joined us in our adventure. After about two minutes of introductions, we where herded into a water-puppet show. I had been looking forward to this water-puppet show all year; I didn't know why I thought that it was going to be
their heads. When we arrived at the widows' houses, the celebration only increased. One of the widows was Tonga, which means "from the lake shore." When she saw the beds, she rejoiced by falling at our feet and rolling on the ground while singing praises. She rolled at my feet like the others. You don't try to pick them up, you let them roll. They don't roll for pity or to say that they are beneath you, they roll to show that they were humbled by our gift. The widow didn't know what else to do, but to fall and roll, on the ground, at our feet. A couple of days later, one of the widows that we helped, Finesse, told one of our employees that she could die now because she had slept in a bed. (I have slept in a bed every night since I was born with very few exceptions.) Finesse doesn't even know how old she is or how many nights she has slept on the ground. Extreme poverty isn't easy. It's hard to see, to be around, and to live with, especially in a country where two-thirds of the population makes under twenty-seven cents a day. Extreme poverty is everywhere in Malawi. I didn't experience extreme poverty while I was in Malawi, but I spent a lot of time with people who did, and they struggled. Being around the widows for the short period that I spent with them made me admire their strength, their faith, and the hope that they possess and bring to each new day. This trip helped me to remember the things that I have and the places I have been. When I think of my trip, I can only feel blessed for being able to experience what I did last summer. My complete gratitude goes to the individuals who helped my family and I get to Malawi. Thank you.