Posts by :
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- Bettina Juszak writes for the WA Ghostwriter.
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- Eric Bonnen plays varsity soccer for Westford Academy.
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- Julia Bilczuk, one of the four exchange students.
Curley Keeps it Moving
January 25th, 2011by Lauren Meurer
Staff Writer
She is an essential part of our morning, we drive by her everyday, but no one knows her name or who she is. She is our traffic officer, Shelia Curley.
For twenty-seven years Curley, mother of three grown children, has been directing traffic around Westford; she has worked on Patten Road for six years now, rain or shine. She is now an essential part of our morning commutes to school. She began at Nabnasset School, then worked on 110 for many years, and ended here at WA.
On the road at ten of seven every morning, Curley enjoys directing traffic, as long as it’s moving. In the winter, she is in the freezing conditions for most of the morning, but that doesn’t bother her. She wears a winter jacket, a fleece jacket, a sweater, and snow pants to keep warm. However, in the summer the sun shines right where she stands, making the job unpleasant.
We’ve all experienced the long lines and traffic jams outside the school when Curley is not present. Lines are backed up down both streets; students come in an extra ten to fifteen minutes late, disrupting the flow of the school morning. Students, parents, and bus drivers all welcome her back.
“That’s why I don’t like to take days off, I feel bad when I hear that” said Curley.
Keeping traffic moving is Curley’s focus. Some say she takes too long on each line of traffic, but sometimes it takes some time to get the line moving fast enough.
“I enjoy doing traffic, I always have. I enjoy it when its going, when its moving” said Curley.
Getting up from anywhere between 5:30 and 7:00, students will do anything for some extra sleep. Traffic seems to all come at once for Curley. She hates to make people wait in the mornings, but with the amount of traffic heading for WA there is no way around it.
“Come earlier. [You] wouldn’t have to wait” says Curley to the parents and the students.
Curley has felt welcomed and accepted over the years she has worked here. Everyone gives her great respect on the road.
“All the faculty, and the student body, and the parents, they’ve all been great to me since I’ve started” said Curley.
WA Football take Thanksgiving again
November 25th, 2010By Lauren Meurer
Staff Writer
Westford Academy Varsity Football won their annual Thanksgiving football game against the Acton-Boxborough Colonials 21-18 for the second year in a row.
AB and WA both scored three touchdowns, but a few plays were the difference between winning and losing. Westford’s Mark Cornelius scored three extra points, but the Ghosts blocked one goal-kick attempt and two two point conversion attempts.
At the end of the first half, WA was up 14-12. In the first quarter, only WA scored. In the second quarter AB scored two touchdowns, but their goal kick and two point conversion attempts were blocked.
In the third, AB scored two touchdowns, giving them the lead in the second half. WA’s Patrick Dugan passed to Cornelius in the end zone for their second touchdown.
In the third quarter, Dugan broke his thumb. He decided to stay in the game and finished the game playing with four fingers.
Only two minutes into the 4th quarter, WA scored their final touchdown. Cornelius kicked another extra point, leaving the score with 21-18. In the last few minutes of the game, the two teams struggled for possession of the ball, but Justin Mount intercepted AB’s final pass, which ran out the clock.
New traditions spark for Halloween
October 31st, 2010Lauren Meurer
Staff Writer
When people think of Halloween today, they associate it with candy and decorations. But that isn’t how people used to think of it.
The tradition of Halloween started in the 16th century. Currently, it is most popular in Britain, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
This year, sixty-nine people replied to a poll, which asked what they were doing for Halloween.
Twenty-nine said they were going to the dance.
Sophomore Kristen Burk said, “I’m going to witches woods, with a free pass, and the dance.”
The Halloween dance is run every year by DECA, and it has always had a large turn out.
In the poll, twenty-two people said they were going to a party.
Eileen Finegan said, “I’m going to a party on Saturday, and on Sunday I’m going trick-or-treating.”
The third most popular answer was “working and studying.”
After this response, sixteen people said they would be handing out candy.
The Celts. a British religious group, believed evil spirits would travel from “The Otherworld” and haunt them. Halloween costumes were created to copy and/or calm the evil spirits.
Trick-or-treating also resembles the medieval practice of “souling,” when the poor went door to door on Halloween asking for food.
The last option on the poll was “trick-or-treating.” This is last because many students and parents believe that after eighth grade, kids should not go trick-or-treating.
Inside german club
October 18th, 2010By Lauren Meurer
Staff Writer
German Club is well known at Westford Academy for the myriad of activities they plan every year.
The German club has about 40 students in it and is advised by Michael Joyce, with some help from Kristin Gillett. The club meets every other Tuesday.
“I think it is important in Westford that we see more of the world, and we see that the world is bigger than just Westford,” said Joyce. “So to have some Spanish activities, or some French activities, or German activities is great to add a dimension to our school.”
The club raises large amounts of money to support the club and the exchange program. The exchange happens every other year. The club pays for some of the activities participated in when the German exchange students are at Westford Academy. It also goes to the activities hosted when the WA students are in Germany.
“When the Germans are here, there are activities that cost money and so we use the money for that, and when we go there as well because what that does, even if you’re not a part of the exchange, you’re really reaping the benefits of all the things. We like everybody to be involved,” Joyce said.
The German club has a few ideas up its sleeves for this upcoming school year. They will be at the Holiday Bazaar again, and they will be selling gummy bears as well.
Other ideas include a German-speaking table at lunch, a scavenger hunt and many more.
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Four students here to find a once in a lifetime experience
September 28th, 2010Lauren Meurer
Staff Writer
Bettina Juszak, Eric Bonnen and Julia Bilczuk from Germany and Baas Ravirujiphant from Thailand are here to get a life experience for the next ten months they could not get any other time.
Westford Academy has been a change for the students. Walking to class is one difference all four students have been adjusting to. In Germany and Thailand, the teachers come to the classrooms. For Bilczuk, the rotating schedule and size of the school has been a few of the adjustments to be made in America.
Ravirujiphant has found the major difference from Thailand is the gender.
“In Thailand, my school is all boys” said Ravirujiphant.
All the students have found that WA offers more art and music classes than offered in their schools in Germany and Thailand. Bilczuk is taking the classes that are not offered in her school.
International club is a common activity for the students, when Bonnen and Bilczuk are not playing soccer. Photography is also a common interest for the students.
The life experience was the reason that motivated all four to study in the US for the year. Juszak came because her sisters came, and enjoyed it. Bonnen said that this was a once in a lifetime experience.
When asked how this would affect life at home, Bonnen said it would give him a better understanding of the culture and make him more open-minded of the world around him.
Our everyday vernacular consists of some very strange sayings that have been some of the things amusing the exchange students since their arrival. Bilczuk and Bonnen enjoy the word “ridiculous”, whereas Juszak enjoys “wicked”.
