Nick: Have you been on all of Bamboozle?

Chloe: Yeah, I’ve been on it for all but 8 days, because I had an event in LA to do.

Nick: How has [Bamboozle] been?

Chloe: It’s been awesome. It’s such a great tour and there are so many great bands on it and it’s so awesome to meet all the kids and hear their stories. It’s been a blast.

Nick: What does TWLOHA have for upcoming events?

Chloe: [To Write Love On Her Arms] will be on all of Warped Tour, we have Cornerstone, we have a bunch of festivals this summer that we’re going to, so we’re busy. Summer’s always a crazy time for us.

Nick: Back in the spring, [TWLOHA] was going to different colleges, [right]?

Chloe: Yeah, we did a U-Chapter tour, and we’ll probably do one again in the Fall.

Nick: Since you won the USA Today ad, what’s the effect of that been like?

Chloe: Well we have a lot more site traffic and we heard from a lot of people that really loved the ad and love what we had to say. So, it was so awesome winning that. We were so excited and we really wanted to take the time to tell America that there is hope.

Nick: And for people who don’t know, could you give a basic overview of TWLOHA’s vision?

Chloe: Yeah, we’re non-profit and we exist to raise awareness for depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. Also to present hope and find help for those struggling, and then we invest directly to treatment and recovery. In four years, we’ve donated over $700,000 and answered over 175,000 messages.

Nick: Is there anything that somebody in high school could do if they want to help out?

Chloe: Yeah, they could go to our official website, and there’s a section called “Move”, and it lists all the ways to get involved.

Nick: I saw the peer-to-peer [program] that you guys are setting up on your website…

Chloe: Oh, I Am Alive, yeah. We’re excited. Hopefully it’ll be launching this fall. It’ll be the first ever online crisis counseling over instant messenger, that’s staffed by people one hundred percent trained and certified in crisis intervention.

Author’s note: TWLOHA is consistently entered in contests in order to win cash prizes which go directly to those in need. If you see anywhere to vote for them, please do so. They also have an abundance of awesome merchandise in their online store, where 100% of the profits go towards preventing suicide, depression, self-harm and addiction, in addition to things like their online crisis counseling program, IMAlive.

If you would like to find out more about To Write Love On Her Arms please visit their website.

June’s largest success: VersaEmerge’s Fixed At Zero

Looking back at June’s releases, there were a number of very solid records produced. From Hawthorne Heights’ fourth full-length, Skeletons, to Pierce The Veil’s sophomore album, Selfish Machines, the month did not disappoint. However, one of the most fulfilling records of the month was the debut full-length of the female-fronted alternative-rock band, VersaEmerge. Entering June, the release of their debut full-length was anticipated, but not necessarily as highly as other records, coming from bigger names that were slated for release during the month. VersaEmerge rose to the challenge and produced a record that draws you in, and just won’t let you go. Unfortunately, with a female-fronted rock band, the thought of “Paramore sound-alike” comes to mind fairly easily. However, that thought can easily be disregarded in this case. Sierra Kusterbeck is not Hayley Williams, and VersaEmerge is not Paramore; in a good way. The best way to find this out is through listening to the album, not just reading about it.

Go listen to: “Stranger”

Another product of June that deserves to be mentioned is the Chiodos demo track, “Thermacare”, which leaked during the month. The track was recorded while frontman Craig Owens was still part of the band, and shines some light on what will hopefully be a successful new album from both Chiodos, and Craig’s new band.

Looking forward to July:

1. The Maine’s Black And White (7/13):
The highly anticipated follow up to their 2008 debut full-length Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop will be The Maine’s first record with Warner Brothers Records. Black And White will propel the band through their first ever headlining tour this summer, which is titled An Evening With The Maine. Look for a similar, but more mature sound on the new record, which will be found on July 13th.

2. For All Those Sleeping’s Cross Your Fingers (7/20):
The debut album of popcore band, For All Those Sleeping is shaping up to be a good one. The two singles that the band has officially released are both heavy and catchy at the same time, which will bring a wide range of fans to the band. Look for the band on the Pyknic pArtery Tour this summer, and look for the album on July 20th.

3. Black Veil Brides’ We Stitch These Wounds (7/20):
Black Veil Brides may look like iconic rock band KISS on stage, but their music sounds nothing like them. The metal-influenced band has gained a very large following since coming together, and is now ready to release their debut album. They will be on the Sacred Ceremony Tour this summer playing songs from the new album which will be out on July 20th.

Chamber Music, the Westford Academy Theater Arts’ submission to the Massachusetts Drama Guild State Festival, was declared winner during the Semi Final Round of the competition on Saturday March 13, 2010.  WATA will now advance to the State Finals to be held in Boston at the John Hancock during the dates of March 25^th to March 27^th.  This great achievement was accomplished through a collective effort from the technical theater team as well as the actors and actresses that participated in the production.

Beyond the initial success of moving onto the next round in the competition, the WATA Set Design Team was named to the All Star Cast for Excellence in Technical Theater: Set Design.  The team was composed of Kate Sulka, Jordan Welch, Dan Bubin, Bobby Esposito, and Emily Moler.

In addition to the Set Design Team’s all star recognition, the Costume Design Team was also named to the All Star Cast for Excellence in Technical Theater: Costume Design.  The team members include Liza Gosselin, Karilyn Howe, Lizzy Benway and Carter McAlister.

Furthermore, two actresses from the Westford Academy production were recognized for Excellence in acting and named to the All Star Cast.  Both Kristen McCusker and Jennifer Torto were the recipients of this honor.

The Theater Arts department will present Chamber Music one last time at Westford Academy on Tuesday, Mach 23^rd at 8:00 PM.  Be sure to support this all-star cast of WA students as they prepare to compete for the State title.

I’m a student, new on the Ghostwriting staff, that you can write an anonymous letter to if you have any… how do I word this? Personal issues or problems at home, with relationships, with school, stuff like that, send it in. Don’t worry; I am a student, because I know that you think your teachers lived amongst the dinosaurs and have no idea what we’re going through. I promise that e-mails and names will be confidential if you want to send anything in. Just sign it with a creative name, I’m sure that you’ve read similar articles. Desperate to Be Seen, Stressed About School, Heartbroken… and the like. I’ll try to keep a theme for each post. I will try my best to respond to every post, but I may not be able to publish every one on The Ghostwriter. My advice will be unbiased, although maybe a little judgmental. But that’s what we need sometimes: for a person to tell us the honest truth. Even if it hurts.

And it seem like you guys have some problems even without me here. I found this earlier:

Dear Amy,

I am not a social butterfly whatsoever. I have a real problem communicating with other people, and making new friends. Even though I try to reach out to people, I am often very quiet and have a hard time starting a conversation. People tease me a lot because I’m really smart in class, like I get good grades. But I am not street smart and am totally devoid of social skills. How do I become popular, someone people want to be around?

Invisible Girl

Dear Invisible Girl,

Don’t worry too much about this; it doesn’t take that much work to fix. Start by finding people that are in several of your classes, or that seem to have similar interests. Don’t try to jump into the middle of a conversation, this usually results in people starting at you like you sprouted a third eye. Instead, try partnering up with them during group work. Laugh at their jokes, and tell some of your own funny stories. Be outgoing but not overbearing. And just because you have had one conversation with these people does not mean that you are instantly friends, so don’t follow them around. Friendship takes time to build, plus they might think you’re stalking them. Have fun and be yourself, because if you need to change yourself to make friends, then they’re not worth it. A senior would also like to add that you shouldn’t try to jump right in there, “Say something smart, not something stupid. ‘Cause saying something stupid makes you look like a moron. Loyalty is important. And don’t set yourself up to be in one particular group. Because that’s just boring.”

Amy

Here’s another one from a boy. So guys don’t be shy; no one’s going to know it’s you.

Dear Amy,

I have this huge crush on a girl. But I don’t think that she thinks of me as anything more than just friends. What do I do?

Not Her Bro

Dear Bro,

I can understand what you’re going through, the girl may be feeling the same way. Just casual gestures such as a brush on the arm, a quick hug when she’s ecstatic or sad, or even a secret smile across the class that lasts a few seconds longer than usual. Its the little things that will show her you care. But if she isn’t responding, just screw up your courage and tell her. It’s not as bad as it sounds, because she most likely will be flattered that you have a crush on her and will be happy make the feeling mutual. If not, don’t worry because the feelings will go away over time. Appreciate your friendship and move on, because chances are that she already has. All in all, try your hardest and good luck! Another anonymous student wants to say, “Just tell her she’s beautiful. Respect her. Keep eye contact. Don’t be a total creep. And if you’re that far in the friend zone, there is no hope. … Good luck!” Trust me, everyone will agree about this: if you are totally in the friend zone, there is totally no chance of dating.

Amy

Now that you guys have an idea of what I do, just send me an e-mail at:   amykoolkid.notarealgirl@gmail.com

See you next time!

March is upon on us! Not quite Winter and not quite Spring, this month often ends up being remembered for mud and it’s lack of days off from school.

So to liven things up a bit this month, here are a few pieces of entertainment to look for:

1: Album: One Life Stand, by artist Hot Chip. The latest album released by the electronic/pop group, One Life Stand has an overall softer sound to it that Hot Chip’s previous albums, noticable in the singer’s voice, but maintains all the synthsized keyboarding and guitar solos that make the band stand out. The songs are fairly consistent, and are all good listens. The album does, however, lack a major stand-out single like Ready For the Floor from their previous album.

2: Album: No Ones First, and You’re Next, by rock group Modest Mouse. Composed of B-Sides and unreleased tracks from the band’s two previous albums, MM’s latest album arrived in stores August 2009. Don’t be deceived by the B-Side description, though; many of the songs will make you wonder why they never made it to the earlier albums. The album contains a good mix of faster and slower paced songs with vast levels of changing sounds. If you are not already a MM fan, I would recommend listening to some of the band’s earlier work, as this album is a bit heavier. I recommend the single King Rat on this album.

3. Game: Bioshock 2, by 2K games for the PS3, XBox 360 and PC. The long awaited sequel to Bioshock was released  in North America Feb. 9th. I never played the first Bioshock, but that was no big problem as the well developed storyline engrossed me immediately.  The  game takes place in the late 50’s, with player taking control of a man who discovered the underwater city of rapture, a place where the brightest minds in the world came to live in peace – before the “bioshock”, that is.  All of the city’s denizens have been transformed into power hungry zombies known as splicers. The gameplay focuses around you, a  juggernaut character known as a “Big Daddy”, destroying zombies with an array of random, assorted weapons in the search for a girl you must find to stay alive. The single player mode is excellent, the multiplayer  gameplay is solid. I recommend this game for those not easily given nightmares. ESRB rating: M.

4. Television: Important Things with Demetri Martin, Season 2: Sketch/Variety series on Comedy Central.  One of my favorite comedy shows on TV, the new season began February 4th. Host Demetri Martin shows more comedy brilliance in the new episodes with plenty of new creative sketches and topics. Many themes and segments from the previous easons have returned here, too, such as the giant notepads, musical jokes and “Important Things things” store. The season is already about halfway through, but some episodes and jokes can be viewed OnDemand or on the popular Hulu.com. New episodes air Thursdays at 10:30.

When someone says Bavaria, Germany, what comes to mind? Chocolate, lederhosen, maybe yodeling.

Actually, Bavaria, or Bayern in German, has more to offer than these timeless associations.

Even in this modern generation, stereotypes about people from other countries are still relevant. And although technology offers opportunities for global communication, some people have yet to take advantage of this.

Westford Academy, true to our mission statement, is trying to bridge international gaps-starting with the German exchange. This program, headed by German teacher Michael Joyce, celebrated its twenty-ninth anniversary and is more influential than ever because of the websites and connections available for today’s students.

When asked about his role in the German exchange, Mr. Joyce explained, “Everything. I found the partnership schools originally; I find the host families and plan the itinerary, [and] make the travel arrangements. And then of course chaperoning.”

Other members of the faculty who are involved include Ulrike Joyce, who teaches German at Stony Brook Middle School, Kristin Gillet, and James Antonelli, who all will be traveling with the Westford Academy group to Germany for a few days this summer.

Students from Northeim, the home town of the fall exchange students, and Untergriesbach, the home town of the spring exchange students, stay with their host families for up to a full year, which is more than enough time to develop an attachment with new friends.

In the past, foreign friends stayed in touch only with letters; now the exchange offers a much broader window of communication.

Although Untergriesbach is located at the southern tip of Germany in the suburb of Passau, Bavaria, it is not difficult for students to talk using media like Skype and Facebook. Friends are only a click away. And it is not just German students who reach out to the foreign exchange-classmates in other languages are becoming more involved as the traditon continues.

This spring, students from Untergriesbach will stay with their host families, and though they’ll be far from home, they are not the only ones who will be given the opportunity to learn about a new culture.

“The exchange helps to improve [students'] language and open the doors of the world to them. There is also the chance to go to Europe and experience everything from food to people to cities and lifestyles,” says Joyce.

Most importantly, Joyce would like students to open up to new cultures. He wants students to gain “The willingness to take a risk and to try new things even when it’s a little bit outside their comfort zone. And to realize that they can live, manage, and communicate in a foreign environment.”

Westford is home to many great pizza places, so we decided to review them and rate them. We visited Westford House of Pizza, Pizzaria Presti, Silver Palate, and Willow’s.

Westford House of Pizza

Westford House of Pizza is a local pizza shop that many believe to be the best in the area. Located off of Main Street in a plaza situated between Tedeschi Food Store and Creative Nails of Westford, it is very convenient and easy to access. There is ample parking, and the parking area is well lit. I personally thought that WHOP would be the winner of this competition, but after our experience, which was below average, I now have a different opinion of it.

Walking into the modest shop, an aroma of sauce and cheese overwhelms your senses. The clean floors and granite counter tops give Westford House a 4.5 out of 5 for atmosphere. You feel comfortable eating there, with plenty of seating for its size. The staff is very welcoming, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. The prices are average, with our total of a large steak and cheese sub, small cheese pizza, small fry, and two sodas coming to around twenty dollars and change.

Our wait was relatively short; we waited about 8 to 10 minutes for the sub and fries, and about 12 to 15 minutes for the pizza. Once the food was ready, we dug in. Immediately, the steak and cheese appeared dry just by looking at it, and its taste was just as unappetizing. The amount of cheese was unacceptable, and the dry meat was overcooked and had a rubbery texture.

Overall, our experience at Westford House of Pizza was poor. Even though all of the other factors such as atmosphere, speed, and presentation were average to excellent, the taste of the food ruined it. The fries were the only decent part; the steak was dry, and the pizza lacked in cheese and was overpowered by sauce. Westford House earned its rating, 17.5 out of 25, due to its mediocrity.

Pizzeria Presti

Pizzeria Presti is conveniently located at 2 East Prescott Street near Route 225 in Graniteville. The parking is very minimal and the parking lot is difficult to maneuver since it is on the side of the road. The shop itself is a very modest building, with average seating for a shop of its size. Even though the atmosphere is rugged, considering the heat was not running, it was nicer than the Willows. We wondered if they had paid their heating build because it was so cold.

After waiting about fifteen minutes, our hot pizza, subs, and fries were ready. The friendly staff was there to readily assist the flow of customers. The pizza was very cheesy and had a decent amount of sauce on it, and was the second best pizza. The dough was fresh and had a nice consistency. The steak and cheese sub was wrapped in fresh bread, and was piping hot. We would have preferred more cheese, but it tasted fresh. The fries were crunchy and filled with potato, however they had a hint of sogginess.

The presentation of the food was right in line with the other shops. The pizza came on a metal plate on a tray, the steak and cheese sub came on a plate, and the fries came in a nice box. It had the feel of an average pizza shop; the food was not served on golden platters, but it was decent for what it was. Overall, I had the feeling that for what we paid, we received a good deal.

Pizzeria Presti was third in line for the overall experience. It received 21 stars out of 25, making it a safe place to hang out on a Friday night. Although both The Silver Palate and The Willow’s beat it out, I would eat there anytime.

Silver Palate

Silver Palate is a local Pizza place in the Nabnasset area of Westford. It’s known as both a speedy delivery place and a hangout spot after school. But how does it stack up to the other major pizza places in Westford?

Silver Palate is well situated and the building is physically larger than the other three competitors. It has very lots of seats and a nice atmosphere. The food was prepared very quickly, and watching the news while waiting was nice.

The pizza at Silver Palate is very different from the other three stores. It is Greek style, and difficult to compare to the others. The steak and cheese was well prepared; it was nice and juicy with plenty of cheese, the best I’ve had out of all of the restaurants. The fries were crisp and delicious but lacked salt.

The only problem with Silver Palate was the pizza. It somewhat dry and lacking. Overall, Silver Palate was a great competitor and definitely finished second in the race against WHOP, Pizzaria Presti, and Willow’s.

Willow’s

Going into the competition, Willows appeared to be the definite underdog. This is due to the fact that it is in an unfortunate location, in a very small trailer sized building. The interior failed to impress. Mismatching tables and very old seats were scattered a bit unevenly through the small store. The lighting in the store was dim, and the parking lot was barely lit. The parking lot itself was very small.

Walking into a pizza place, one immediately looks at the price. The value of Willow’s was great compared to the other restaurants. All together, small fries, a small cheese pizza, and a large steak and cheese sub were only about 18 dollars. This greatly contrasts with the $24 meal at Pizzaria Presti, and the $20 at the WHOP.

Service at Willow’s was incredible compared to the WHOP and Presti’s. At Willow’s, the food was brought to us with a large amount of condiments and cheese. The other two restaurants just had a pick up system that was nowhere near as personal.

Willow’s made up for its poor appearance by bringing exceptional taste and great prices. And so, Willow’s received first place with a rating of 23 out of 25. It’s the ideal pizza place.

Have you ever been surprised to see your teacher being questioned by a random group of students who came to the door while you were sitting in science class? Well, this is just one of the many things that students of the forensics class at Westford Academy get to do in order to solve the crime scenarios they are presented.

During the year, students learn different types of skills that include fingerprinting, handwriting analysis, hair analysis, blood typing, and DNA extraction and amplification. Each of these techniques is mainly practiced during labs, and for the most part, the bulk of the work is done in class.

“It’s a lot of in-class work, there’s no homework really except studying for quizzes,” says Teresa Burke, forensics teacher.

Students of the class are then given different types of projects in order to test their abilities to use the skills they have learned. They also get to use a variety of equipment, such as ultraviolet lights, microscopes, and lasers to examine evidence they find. Fake blood is used for the crime scenes.

Some of these projects include leaving the classroom to go examine crime scenes in other parts of the school.

“It’s really unique, you’re pretty much independent for everything you do in the class,” says student Thomas Socorelis.

The final exam for the class is much the same and takes place over the course of much more than just one day. Students get to use the techniques they learn to examine evidence and solve the scenario they are presented. Some examples of these scenarios include a drug deal, a stolen purse, a love triangle, and a stolen pen.

“The final is a performance-based assessment, each one has their own skill set and they come together as a group to find out what happened. They take their skills learned over the whole semester and use them during the final,” says Burke. “They may not get the right answer with their final, but as long as they use the right technique it’s okay.”

The subject of forensics is closely related to chemistry, however one doesn’t have to enjoy or be good in chemistry class in order to find forensics enjoyable. As for math, very little is involved during the entire semester. Students only have to do one basic calculation to get by. Biology is somewhat involved during the practices of DNA analysis and blood typing.

“There’s still blood on Mrs. Garland’s door, it’s still hanging there,” said Socorelis.

Rec Basketball is an extremely popular winter sport. In town tons of kids sign up each year to play. The rules and regulations of rec basketball are the same as any other game of basketball.

At www.westfordhoops.com they have a chart of recent game results for each grade level, and even calendar print-outs of each team’s schedule.

Rec basketball gives any kid the opportunity to practice and play on a team against friends. Each team is given a different color jersey and number, and most of the team names have to do with this color.

Lisa Vallone has been a dedicated rec basketball player since third grade. After watching basketball games on TV, and playing with friends she decided to play rec.

Vallone has once a week games and practices on her own time outside when the weather is nice. Her favorite thing to do is play with friends and not just alone. The choice of rec over school came when she decided she did not want to play too intensely because she did not have enough time to practice that hard.

Rec basketball has everyone practice together first then teams are chosen in order to even the playing level out. So that one team is not way better than another. Vallone does not really mind when she is not placed on a team with her friends because she knows she will play them in a game eventually.

Rec basketball is less intense and anyone can play without getting cut from the team. It is less of a commitment than a school team. The practices are limited to once a week and weekly games.

“It is fun to play against my friends not too competitively but we still try,” said Valone.

Vallone’s favorite memory of rec basketball came when she was chosen for the all-stars team in seventh grade. This is a side team that you play along with your normal rec ball team. The team is made up of one deserving player from each individual team that coaches nominate.

Another wonderful memory she has of rec ball was during freshman year when she scored a winning basket in double overtime. She says she will never forget doing that and always hopes to do that again.

Her team this year is not off to the best start with their 0-4 record but are hoping to improve. The team includes no seniors so Vallone is the oldest one on it. She is number 10 and her team is violet. Her coach is Mr. Templeton. Vallone plans to continue playing basketball throughout senior year but then stopping after that and not continuing into college.

Vallone’s favorite things that she used to do at practices were the quick drills. She liked practicing shooting and running quickly. From starting in third grade to now being a junior she feels that she has improved greatly from these practices.

Winning is important but is not what counts to Vallone. She likes being able to play against friends and not take it too seriously. Winning used to matter more when she was younger but as she got older it was more about just having fun.

Along with playing rec basketball, Vallone also coached it for two years. She and one other person coached girls third through fifth grade rec basketball.

“Coaching basketball was so fun because I really enjoy helping kids improve their skills, and it was a nice change to watch and help rather than myself playing,” said Valone.

Staff Writer

Cafe Night, one of last year’s biggest hits, is rapidly approaching. English teachers and co-coordinators, Jeffrey Kucaj and Jessica Lang, are working together with students to put the finishing touches on this upcoming event.

Most people have not heard of Cafe Night, since the first one was only last year. Lang and Kucaj both agree last year’s event was a hit, and they both hope this one will be too.

Cafe Night is sponsored by two of Westford Academy’s clubs, Guitar Club, headed by Kucaj, and Beyond Words, the Academy’s literary magazine headed by Lang.

Unlike last year, Lang and Kucaj agreed with students to have auditions, since last year there was the issue of time management. Students, along with Kucaj and Lang, decided to be the judges. They were looking for stage presence, originality, and appeal, just to name a few attributes.

Ticket prices are $5 per person, and $8 at the door. Tickets are on sale now for Cafe Night during lunch blocks. Proceeds from Cafe Night will go to Haiti, to fund their recent earthquake.

Adam Ciampi, who will be performing for the event, believes this year’s event will be more successful than last year since there are more sets and therefore more entertainment.

Kucaj will also be performing along with English teacher, Brain Mahoney. They will be singing and playing guitar, but they decided to keep the song names a secret. Regarding their rehearsals, Kucaj said, “I think this year, the audience will know not to expect too much from us. Our talent level is mostly the same.”

Lang is confident that Cafe Night, if it is repeated every year, will encourage the Arts, and it will become “…part of the school culture and fabric of WA. It’s great to see different students all coming together to celebrate art, music and literature.”