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Grinding article reaction
December 15th, 2011By Samantha Upperman
Print Editor
On December 1, the Lowell Sun published an article entitled “You grinding? Stop right there!” regarding the Nab Rave. The article prompted an overwhelmingly negative response from the public.
“Unfortunately, due to this portrayal, our dance got quite the publicity and eventually got shut down because of the amount of buzz. All the attention was not good for anyone; our business, the administration, Nabnasset Country Club, or Westford as a whole,” said Ryan McDonald, a senior and one of the Rave’s organizers.
Some of these comments posted on the Lowell Sun’s website portrayed senior Abby Hyslip in a negative light. Many of the comments implied that she was promiscuous. A picture published alongside the article portrayed Hyslip and McDonald demonstrating grinding.
“I feel bad for the way Abby was portrayed. People can be very mean because it is very easy to sit behind a computer and throw stones,” said Principal Jim Antonelli.
Hyslip initially was upset by the comments.
“At first, I was a little bit upset,” said Hyslip, “but then I realized that I don’t care at all what people think about me and I don’t even know them. All my friends and family couldn’t care less and thought it was funny and nice of me to help my friends out so that’s all that matters.”
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2011 Updated Club List
December 9th, 2011It is important to get involved throughout high school because it is a good way to make new friends and be a part of your school. Also, it looks good on college applications. Here is an updated list of clubs for the 2011-2012 school year with email addresses for the advisors of each club.
Amnesty International Advisor: Ms. Kavanagh
Art Club Advisor: Mr. Hardy and Ms. Goswick
Summer Band Advisor: Mr. Arsenault
Best Buddies Advisor: Mr. McHugh and Ms. Heymann
Broadcast/Communications Club Advisor: Mr. Miller and Ms. Pietras
Chorus Advisor: Ms. St. George
Cirrus Advisor: Ms. McLaughlin and Mr. Brumbaugh
Color Guard Advisor: Elizabeth McCarthy
Community Service Team Advisor: Mr. Roman and Ms. Porter
Computer Science Advisor: Ms. Trehan
Dance Team Advisor: Ms. Bourassa and Ms. Crocker
DECA Advisor: Mr. Gagne and Mr. Rogers
Environmental Club Advisor: Ms. Oelerich
Film Club Advisor: Mr. Eang
French Club Advisor: Ms. Lackner
Future Educators of America Advisor: Mr. Bobrowsky
Gay-Straight Alliance Advisor: Ms. Oelerich and Ms. Beers
Ghostwriter Advisors: Ms. Fonden and Ms. Kucaj
International Club Advisor: Mr. Joyce
Latin Club – Junior Classical League Advisor: Mr. Lubben
Marching Band Advisor: Mr. Arsenault and Jen Tietze
Math Team Advisor: Ms. Cronin
Mock Trial Advisor: Jim Bogue and Yolanda Rigali
Model Congress Advisor: Ms. Porter
Model United Nations Club Advisor: Mr. Martell
Museum Club Advisor: Mr. Norander
National Honor Society Advisor: Ms. Carney and Ms. Lorenzo
Orchestra Advisor: Mr. Culver
Peer Counseling Advisor: Ms. Hider and Ms. Lynch
Photography Club Advisor: Ms. Bolotte
Spanish Club Advisor: Ms. Bourassa
Speech and Debate Team Advisor: Mr. Pravi
Ski and Snowboard Club Advisor: Laurie Couronis
Student Council Advisor: Mr. Wysokowski
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Advisor: Ms. Maraganis and Laurie Rybiki
WA Pride Advisor: Ms. Coates
WAVE Advisor: Mr. Scanlan
Yearbook Advisor: Ms. Mustoe
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Backpacks Weigh Down Westford Academy
October 20th, 2011Samantha Upperman
Print Editor
In the halls of Westford Academy, many students are seen with massive backpacks filled with books, binders, and homework. These behemoths earn students nicknames matching their “freshman backpacks”.
During lunch one day, reporters from the Ghostwriter went around and weighed various students’ backpacks and got quite surprising results. We assumed that the seniors would have the lightest bags while freshmen would have the heaviest.
The heaviest backpack was a freshman’s that weighed 30.8 pounds, while the lightest backpack was being carried by sophomore Charlotte Suszynski and weighed 2.6 pounds.
“I think my bag is lighter than last year. I know my way around the school so I can stop at my locker more,” said Mikayla Viscione, a sophomore with a 3.6 pound backpack.
Sophomores had the lightest average with only 11.36 pounds. Unsurprisingly, freshmen had the heaviest average with 17.74 pounds. While seniors were expected to have the lightest bags, their average, surprisingly, was 12.4 pounds.
“My bag is so heavy probably because the teachers give us so much work,” said Graham Goodwin, a sophomore with a 17 pound backpack.
According to a study conducted in 2006 by the Illinois Board of Education, no student should carry a backpack over 25 pounds. Students’ backpacks should be, at most, 15% of their body weight.
Over 6000 injuries a year are caused by heavy backpacks. Heavy backpacks can cause back, neck, and shoulder pain. Other problems caused by heavy backpacks include posture problems and injuries to the spine. Many of these problems are caused by not carrying the backpack properly.
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Ribbon cut for new Trustees’ Field
September 19th, 2011Samantha Upperman
Features Editor
Over the summer, a new turf field was installed at Westford Academy. The Trustees’ Field at Alumni Stadium was unveiled on the evening of Tuesday, September 13 with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The field cost $650,000, all of which was privately funded. Donations came from the Westford Academy Trustees, private donors, and the youth sport groups said athletic director, Dan Twomey.
Once the money was raised, construction could begin. On June 6, 2011, the construction team broke ground on the new turf field. It was finished during the week of September 5, 2011.
The school wanted to get a turf field for many reasons.
“It’s a consistent playing surface. It can be used 24 hours a day by PE staff and all the teams afterward. It can be used in really lousy weather where you may not be able to use a grass field, and if you have to play in lousy conditions, it will be a great field the next time somebody steps on it, too,” said Twomey.
The field is also expected to help athletes’ performances. According to Twomey, once the athletes get used to the turf, it is expected to help them be faster and more competitive.
“We’re really excited to have it,” said Twomey
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A Quick Peek at the Holiday Bazaar
December 1st, 2010by Samantha Upperman
Business & Public Relations Coordinator
With the Holiday Bazaar coming up this Saturday, many people are wondering what is going to be there.
The German Club is is going to have a full-scale menu with traditional German and Austrian foods. They will be serving Wiener Schnitzel, Kartoffelsalat (potato salad,) Brezeln (pretzels,) and assorted pastries.
“We sell all sorts of German and Austrian baked goods,” said club advisor Mike Joyce.
The Environmental Club is going to be selling canvas earth bags to promote an eco-friendly lifestyle. All the club’s proceeds will be going to the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
The International Club will be continuing their tradition of having a jail. You can pay to have your friends and family arrested. You can take pictures and laugh at them until they pay to get out. In the past, teachers and students have put each other in jail.
“We used to go around with little red wagons and arrest people in wagons but the bazaar got so big and crowded that we couldn’t get through the hallways anymore,” said Joyce.
In the jail, they have stocks and a fake electric chair.
“We always have fun,” said Joyce.
Varsity Field Hockey loses to AB in annual Play for the cure game
October 28th, 2010By Samantha Upperman
Business & Public Relations Coordinator
The team huddles during half-time. Photo by Samantha Upperman.
The Varsity Field Hockey lost to Acton-Boxborough with a score of 0 – 1 on Saturday.
With twenty-five minutes left in the first half, AB scored the first and only goal of the night.
At the first annual Play 4 The Cure game, pink bracelets and glow sticks were being sold in support of breast cancer awareness. There were also raffles and drawings for blankets and baskets for both schools.
The field was decorated with pink balloons and a pink banner that read “Play 4 The Cure”. Pink papers and streamers were stuffed in the fence all around the field in the shape of awareness ribbons.
All proceeds from ticket sales and purchases made at the game went to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation.
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The first month of school as a freshman
October 1st, 2010By Samantha Upperman
Staff Writer
Sprinting down the hall to get to class. Taking tests every day. Five-pound textbooks. It’s all part of being a freshman.
In the month that we have been in school I have already experienced all of this.
The most horrible thing is the weight of the books. I have a two-inch thick textbook for World History I, Algebra I, and English. It is a workout to bring just one book and a small number of binders around to classes.
There isn’t even that much time to stop at your locker after class and get rid of some of the weight. The one time I tried to stop at my locker after World History to drop off the massive book and binder, I was roughly a minute late for class.
For the most part, there is one test or quiz at least every other week. Some classes even have several quizzes in one week!
Not all about being a freshman is terrible though.
Getting to take electives that you choose is awesome. You still have to take the usual English, math, history, and science, but you don’t have to take classes like music or art that you have no interest in.
The teachers are so kind and supportive. If you have any problems in a class they are glad to help you out as long as you contact them in advance.
With exciting electives and terrific teachers, it’s fantastic being a freshman!
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Getting to know Mr. Knittel
September 14th, 2010By Lauren Meurer and Samantha Upperman
Staff Writers
Mr. Knittel teaches chemistry at Westford Acadmey. Photo by: Samantha Upperman
Q: What made you want to be a science teacher?
A: I don’t know. I would say that I love science. I love chemistry. There’s certain sciences that I don’t like, like biology. But I love chemistry. I love teaching, there’s no question about that, it’s my 10th year teaching. So I put those two things together and got something I enjoyed.
Q: Where did you teach before?
A: 9 years at a school called Malden Catholic. It’s in Malden. It’s a private school. So I taught chemistry for 9 years there, all different levels, and physics and math too.
Q: What made you want to come to Westford Academy?
A: It’s a good school district. It’s got a very good reputation, and with two small children at home now it’s much closer to my house. I can spend more time with my family.
Q: Was there anyone that inspired you to be a teacher?
A: Inspired? I’m going to say not so much inspired, it’s just something I enjoy. When I was in college I liked tutoring people actually because they needed help in chemistry. It’s just something that came naturally, and it actually helped me learn the material better. It just kind of grew, I guess.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: I like to bird watch. I’m sure that’s something very unusual. I told my classes this, I like to go out and take my binoculars and I look for birds. I can identify 320 different birds by call.
Q: Are you involved in any other activities here at Westford Academy?
A: Not yet, I was thinking about helping with the environment club. I don’t know if anybody is helping out with that yet or not. I think they needed somebody, so that’s an option. I’m hoping to go to some sporting events, to watch. I like sports. I’m new so I’m just trying to get the hang of things. I have a hard enough time getting through the halls when the classes change, and not getting run over.
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: I have a dog, she’s 5. And my kids are not pets, but sometimes I think of them that way. We have the dog and that’s it.
Q: If you don’t mind telling us, how old are your kids?
A: I have a two year old and a six month old, very young.
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