Staff writer

Last month’s largest success: Circa Survive’s Blue Sky Noise

Without a doubt, Blue Sky Noise deserves the most attention amongst April’s releases. The long awaited follow up to 2007’s On Letting Go was finally released on April 20th. It can easily be said that the wait was well justified by the product. The twelve track album possesses the ability to impress virtually anyone, from an avid follower of the band, to one who was previously unaware of their existence. (Although, if you’re familiar with similar bands, this would prove to be fairly difficult). The true beauty of Blue Sky Noise simply cannot be described in a brief article. For that matter, it couldn’t be described substantially in a full length article either. With tracks ranging from the catchy introduction track, “Strange Terrain” to the heartfelt track, “Spirit of the Stairwell”, the album is very dynamic. Once you’re drawn into the album, it proves to be a difficult task to stop it. With outstanding musicianship displayed by Anthony Green and company, the album is a huge success and shows that Circa Survive truly deserves the publicity that they are receiving due to the album’s release.

Looking forward to June:

1. Attack Attack’s self-titled album(6/8):

Attack Attack!’s sophomore album will be a vital test for the band. With the departure of screaming vocalist Nick Barham, (who screamed on their debut record, Someday Came Suddenly) keyboardist Caleb Shomo took over the position last October. With the new vocalist, the band has naturally acquired a slightly altered sound which they will have to prove as worthy to their fans. Expect the album on June 8th.

2. Pierce The Veil’s Selfish Machines (6/22):

With almost a three year waiting period between their last album, A Flair For The Dramatic and the new release, Pierce The Veil will need to show that the three year gap was worth the wait. With more of a thrashy, less melodic style than others of their genre, the past three years have hopefully matured the band and will make for a successful release. The record is set to drop on June 22nd.

3. Hawthorne Heights’ Skeletons (6/1):

Skeletons will be the second album that Hawthorne Heights has released since the tragic death of guitarist and vocalist Casey Calvert, which left them as a four piece band. With no intentions of replacing Casey, their last album, Fragile Future was somewhat of a disappointment after two very strong albums which featured Casey’s guitar and screams. Fragile Future came off as a very pop-like effort, which the band previously had a limited amount of experience with. If all goes well, Skeletons will be a better concocted effort at a pop/alternative rock album, and will even feature some minimal use of screaming vocals. The album will be available on June 1st. As always, rest in peace, Casey.

4. Hey Monday’s Beneath It All (Mid-June):

Hey Monday will be releasing their sophomore album, Beneath It All at some point during mid-June. The power-pop band’s newest creation will only contain eight songs, forcing them to put a lot into such a short record in order to set themselves apart from other similar power-pop and pop-punk bands. Cassadee Pope’s vocals do a lot to accomplish this, but another hill that the band will need to conquer with the new record is to not sound exactly like they did on their debut album, Hold On Tight. Look for a release date soon.

5. In Fear and Faith’s Imperial (6/15):

A year and a half after their debut album with Rise Records, In Fear and Faith is gearing for their second album release. The six-piece post-hardcore band has spent the intermittent time constantly touring and writing new material. They have released two tracks from the new album on their MySpace page. Both replicate their original sound from Your World On Fire pretty closely. Therefore, the band will need to show some progression with their sound for the album to be successful and not redundant. Either way, the band is a great up and coming force among their genre and should be recognized more than they are. Imperial will be available on June 15th.

Spring is in wake and with a new season comes new music.

Spring is known to everyone as the season of rebirth. When the green fields grow back their luscious grass, leaves sprout from the trees, myriads of flowers can be seen through out the various parts of town. So when you’re looking for a new musical playlist to jam too when you’re enjoying the warm weather on a casual drive, or enjoying a nature walk or simply just laying in a field of grass: here are some suggestions:

You American Idol fans might remember Brooke White, a top five finalist back in season seven? Well now with a Grammy nomination and holding the record of best Indie/Folk-Pop album debut ever, she has come a long way. Her album, High Hopes and Heartbreak is a soothing type of sound that can set someone at peace and the harmonies put together on this album are genius. These are the type of songs that fit nicely into going for a nature walk, or just trying to reach a state of zen. Some tracks to listen too: Sometimes Love, High Hopes and Heartbreak, When We Were One and Phoenix.

If you’re looking to jam out to some party music while driving aimlessly around in Westford or just to have a good time then these are recommended: Animal by Ke$ha, Jason DeRulo’s self-titled album, For Your Entertainment by Adam Lambert. These albums collectively make prime songs to dance ridiculously to in your car and sing too. Some tracks to look out for are: (Ke$ha) Dinosaur, Blah Blah Blah, Party At A Rich Dude’s House. (Jason DeRulo) In My Head, Love Hangover, Ridin’ Solo. (Adam Lambert) Music Again, For Your Entertainment, Fever.

Some new artists to watch out for that are making a huge impact quickly in spring of ‘10: The Script, Taio Cruz, La Roux, New Boyz and David Guetta.

Check back for more reviews on concerts, music and bands!

Who hasn’t wanted to leap down the rabbit hole? Or attend a maddening tea party? Play a game of royally wacked up croquet?

Ever since Lewis Carroll published the fantastic story of a young girl’s journey in a strange place called Wonderland, this story has inspired dozens upon dozens of spin-off films, TV series, and other novels with the same idea. Yet the event that inspired Carroll to write the original novel is surprising in and of itself.

Carroll was a man who stumbled on his words when in the presence of other adults. Yet when asked to tell a story  filled with nonsense by the young girl, Alice Liddell, the stutter vanished and he immediately began to tell Alice and her three sisters about a girl that fell down the rabbit hole.

Today we associate Alice in Wonderland with the 2010 Disney movie by Tim Burton. New faces, old faces and a blend of characters and plot. One common flaw in plot is the assumption that the Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts are the same people. Just to set things straight, they’re not. But the new film has a much more realistic image of Wonderland. Well, compared to the other versions, this one actually looks as real as Wonderland possibly could. Which isn’t saying much anyway, but the effects are spectacular and the characters are developed, given pasts and a deeper personality.

The audience meets Alice thirteen years after the first Disney movie, which was released in 1951. She has experienced the same dream countless times since she was a child, which includes a dodo bird, a rabbit in a waistcoat and a grinning cat. Her family expects her to marry an extremely boring lord. So when Alice spots a rabbit as he proposes, she quickly excuses herself and quickly chases the Easter icon down. She soon finds herself in Wonderland, and is expected to slay the Jabberwocky, a pet of the Red Queen’s which is the most dangerous weapon in her arsenal. Did I mention that the Red Queen has conquered Wonderland (which is actually named Underland), having stolen the crown from her sister?

During the next few days, Alice meets old friends and enemies and makes some new ones (cue the creepy one-eyed Knave of Hearts, who tries to seduce Alice because of her largeness), all the while changing sizes. But on the opposite side of the spectrum she also meets some very strong willed women, a murderous “Bloody Red Queen” and a docile White Queen, her sister. I won’t say anymore otherwise I’ll spoil the ending. But this is a raving must see, five stars!

I have two days of school left before senior internships begin and it’s a little terrifying. For the many seniors who are leaving early for internships and projects, there is a combination of emotions as they realize that the high school career that they have been wishing away with senioritis and senior skip days, is now, actually, over. There is excitement, anxiety, sadness, fear, relief, and still more excitement.

While leaving early makes me nervous, waiting till the normal let-out date would be pretty unbearable. I’ve heard back from my colleges, have signed up for accepted student days, and am just not up for doing homework for grades that do not mean a lot to me anymore. My time will be so much better spent doing community service to repair and renovate East Boston Camps (my internship, along with about 16 other classmates). In fact, whether seniors are participating in an internship in their desired career field, or something fun and interesting, like planting a garden, leaving school early to do something of their choice is the best use of their time.

I’ve heard criticisms of students who are taking off to work at their normal summer jobs, or who are preparing for senior projects that others do not understand. Yet, whether or not outsiders would determine their internship or project “legitimate” is irrelevant. I agree with giving students an opportunity to use time they might waste in their last semester in school- when many students and teachers have given up- doing whatever it is that they, personally, think is helpful and useful for them. In my opinion, no use of time can be pointless if it was a personal choice. After all, as Bertrand Russell said, “time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted time.”

As I manage my conflicting emotions upon the close of my thirteen-year career in Westford Public Schools, I want to commend the Westford Academy administration for allowing such a great opportunity for seniors. Instead of pretending that seniors aren’t day dreaming about their college dorm room in their fourth semester classes, they have made a change to accommodate the reality of senior year. I think it is a wonderful and productive solution that works for everyone- teachers, parents, administrators, and, above all, students.

Also, I want to thank the guidance counselors for promoting the internship program. I had not planned on an internship at all until my guidance counselor, Wendy Pechacek, took time out of her day to talk to me about it, promoting its advantages and showing me all the possibilities. Spending time outdoors, in the sun, with my friends, and helping the community is the best way I could think of ending my senior year.

This is the fourth and final article in a series on the dynamics of girls’ sports teams. The first three articles are Girls’ sports teams experience divisions, Team spirit of team splits, and Team divisions: how it begins.

Amid the great successes of girls’ sports at Westford Academy, there is a less healthy and productive side to the world of sports, particularly, girls’ sports. The dynamics among players is an issue and stumbling block for many teams- the question is what players and coaches plan to do to fix these problems.

Varsity Cheerleading Coach, Josh Vadala, made clear that he believes that dealing with divisions and friction is the first and most important step.

“If you sweep it under the rug it’s going to erupt at some point,” said Vadala, “Openly discuss things- if you are having issues deal with them so you can move forward.”

Vadala said that his personal coaching strategy and his advice to other coaches is to be honest about the problems that are happening in order to solve them. As far as poor dynamics on girls’ teams as a larger issue, Vadala says that he does not expect it to resolve itself any time soon.

“I do not see an end to this,” said Vadala, “I think that it’s bigger than people realize. It’s a bigger issue of the social scene within schools.”

He followed up by saying that instead of focusing on the larger issue, “the onus needs to be on both the team and the coaches. [Divisions on individual teams] have to be talked through,” Vadala said.

He also stressed that a large emphasis on team building was the best way to bring a team together, and that success and team dynamics go hand in hand.

Senior and Varsity Volleyball player, Lorraine Harhen, agreed with Vadala about the vastness of the problem saying, “I think it [friction] is just an understood thing in girls’ sports.” She went on to say that it needs to be addressed and would take a lot of pressure off of athletes if steps were taken to fix it.

The former Girls’ Junior Varsity Volleyball Coach and current Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach, Russ Coward, said that he knows how he wants to begin attacking the issues within girls’ sports on his own teams.

“I know how I’m going to try to fix it,” said Coward, “The first thing I’m going to do is have practices with all three [Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Freshman] teams on the weekends. We’re going to do a silly workout video, because if they are feeling foolish, at least they are doing it together.”

He said that fostering interconnectedness among all of the players in each sport, regardless of which level they played out, would lessen frictions in coming years when JV players would move up to Varsity and have to get acquainted with a new team.

Coward, a new dad, said that when thinking of the friction and unhealthy dynamics of girls’ sports teams as a larger problem, he is wary, but hopes things will improve for his daughter.

Coward also connected these problems to the status of women’s sports in general.

“This has the potential to disappear in 30 years. If girls’ sports are taken as seriously as boys’ sports, they will care less about the social aspect,” said Coward.

Senior Rachel Socolow, who plays Varsity Field Hockey, Varsity Hockey, and Varsity Lacrosse, said that she agrees with Coward on his prediction.

Looking forward to the time when dynamics are not such a prominent issue, Socolow said, “girls’ sports have a ways to go, but there’s been a lot of progress already.”

Right now, it seems, every TV set in America is playing one NCAA play-off game or another. People in every state, have laid their bets as to who will win it all- even President Obama has filled out his bracket.

Yet every discussion revolves around the men’s teams- so much so that most people do not deem it necessary to clarify which team they are speaking of, it is simply assumed that the men’s teams are the only ones worth talking about.

In such a climate, it would not be surprising if Coward was right to say that it is the lack of respect and seriousness given to women’s sports that make team dynamics so troublesome.

While women’s sports slowly but surely gain more and more respect, though, it is important that coaches and players stay vigilant in being honest about the problems that do exist, trying to avoid the causes of friction, and dealing with divisions, openly and earnestly, when they arise.

This is the third article in a series on the dynamics of girls’ sports teams. The first two articles can be found here, and here.

A looming question in the discussion about the divisions among players on girls’ sports teams is where these divides and dysfunctions arise from. Is it a result of social issues at school? Are they fostered at an earlier age on club and travel teams? Is it simply a result of the nature of female athletes?

Girls’ Varsity Basketball coach and former Girls’ JV Volleyball coach, Russ Coward feels that poor dynamics arise from preexisting divisions. As for these divisions, he points towards club and travel teams.

“They [town travel teams] are so good at getting the girls to play but that means the pressure to make the team starts earlier,” said Coward.

He also explained that in order to continue improving off season, there is pressure to join club teams that cost a lot of money. Then, bonds are formed on those club teams and girls on their school teams who did not play club feel left out.

He also said that he has seen his players let feuds and friendships from school affect their games.

“I have seen situations where girls did not pass to other players because they weren’t friends off the court,” said Coward.

A senior varsity volleyball player who prefers to remain anonymous said that the coach’s treatment of girls on the team also fosters divisions. She said that when coaches have favorites- who they “are always talking to before practice…they don’t yell at them for mistakes”- it creates friction between players.

Senior varsity volleyball player, Loraine Harhen, echoed this idea. When talking about poor dynamics she had seen as a player she said that her coach “has a different relationship with the girls who are benched” but “seems [to be] friends with all the girls who start.”

Coward said that while he tries to avoid causing more friction on his team with the way he interacts with players, it is difficult.

“I can say I try to treat everybody equally but I don’t know if I achieve that,” said Coward.

Varsity Girls’ Cheerleading coach, Josh Vadala has seen divisions and poor dynamics ruin a team’s performance, and says that it stemmed from jealousy after one player was singled out.

He said that when there is competition within the team, instead of with the opposing team, there will be problems.

“[coaches] need to make a conscious effort not to single anyone out,” Vadala said.

The anonymous varsity volleyball player expressed similar sentiments when speaking about cliques on the Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team.

“[Coach Maria Henderson is] always encouraging us to fight for our spots. It’s hard to get along when we want to beat out our teammates for limited spots,” she said.

For one senior three-season athlete, the attitudes of her fellow teammates contribute to divisions and the feeling that she is left out on her teams. This athlete says that homophobia on teams can make it difficult for many players.

“We had a team boyfriend that everyone talked about. It was an obsession for everyone on the team but me- so I was the outsider,” said the three-season athlete who prefers to remain anonymous to avoid outing herself.

“I’ve always felt a little ostracized…being on sports teams definitely doesn’t make me want to come out,” she said.

Both coaches Coward and Vadala see these problems of dynamics more on their girls’ teams than they do on the boys’ teams.

“Boys seem to be able to separate the athletic and the emotional a little bit better than the girls do,” said Vadala.

Senior athlete Rachel Socolow, who plays varsity field hockey, hockey, and lacrosse, agreed with Vadala’s observation. She said that having played on a boys’ sports team, she can see the differences in how teammates interact.

“When I played on a boys’ football team they were very focused on their sport- nothing else was important while they were there,” said Socolow.

She also said that this focus on the athletic rather than the social increases, despite gender, as the level of skill increases. According to Socolow, girls’ sports may have more issues with dynamics because they are not as developed and respected as boys’ sports teams.

To some, it makes sense that boys would have an easier time at seperating the social and athletic realm due to notions that boys are less emotional.

“It makes sense that boys should be physical while girls…are social,” said Socolow.

Vadala also said that he saw the difference in ability to manage dynamics for boys and girls to be a natural occurance.

Perhaps, though, the mere expectation that boys are physical and girls are emotional is what creates these distinct differences between the sexes in the first place. If there was not the expectation that all boys will hide their feelings and all girls will care more about social connections than about athletics, maybe the differences in team dynamics would even out.

In fact, there are many ideas about what coaches, parents, players, and even whole communities can do to improve the dynamics on girls’ sports teams to be healthy and to better support the amazing talent these athletes have. Solutions and strategies for the future will be discussed in the next and final installment of this series.

This year, Chinese New Year fell on February 14^th and ended on the 28^th of February. When most people think of Chinese New Year, the first thing that comes to mind is the red envelopes containing money. Although that is a crucial part of the celebration, it is not what Chinese New Year is entirely about. Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival to Chinese families. This is because Chinese New Year is a day to welcome a new year as well as the arrival of spring.

During Chinese New Year, children perform a kowtow in front of the parents, which is the process of kneeling down and bowing the head. They also say “Gong Xi Fa Cai” which is a sentence meaning “I wish you good fortune”. After this act, the parents present their children with a red envelope containing money on the day of the New Year. Red is actually an important color to the Chinese and is abundant in many Chinese ornaments. Although there are many holidays in China, the New Year is considerably the most important. Simply praising one’s family and receiving money is no way to completely celebrate such a grand holiday.

To celebrate, Chinese families gather together for parties. They prepare feasts of many Chinese dishes. The most notable food to have on Chinese New Year is dumplings. It has become a tradition in most Chinese families to prepare dumplings for Chinese New Year. The Chinese word for dumpling is jiao zhi, which is also a term that describes the countdown to a new year. Similar to the countdown in America, people in China have a countdown to the New Year that is held in Beijing in the middle of the Spring Festival. After the clock reaches midnight, and the New Year has come, people rejoice and celebrate even more. In these parties, people gather to sing songs in Chinese. One famous song is the “Happy New Year” song which is sung to the tune of Clementine. Although it is true that the red envelopes are a crucial part of Chinese New Year, the parties, the songs, and the food are all important parts of the Spring Festival as well.

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!

On January 27, 2010 an outstanding American author, J.D Salinger, passed away due to natural causes. He was ninety-one at the time, and the day marked an end to a legend of American literature.

Salinger was not the most prolific of authors, for he only published one major work: The Catcher in the Rye. Nonetheless, he still imparted his legacy onto society by selling over sixty-five million copies of this novel.

The Catcher in the Rye, which is a part of the sophomore curriculum, encompasses the struggles of Holden Caulfield, a sardonic protagonist searching for unfathomable realities. Yet, it is more than just that; the book is said to be the birth of the “modern teenagers”.

The novel captures the “teenage-limbo” years to a tee. In a time of strict social expectations, Holden finds it difficult to relate to others because he is in the middle: neither a child nor an adult. This awkward middle ground is something that most high school students experience one time or another, which is perhaps the reason why the novel is so relatable and thus popular.

Yet, it is the writing itself that intrigues some readers the most. The Catcher in the Rye is written as if it were an autobiography. Every detail, even a trivial one, is stated so passionately and so precisely that readers like WA sophomore Aditya Shankar feel as if “(they) are listening to a friend’s personal story”.

Salinger’s past accounts for this miraculous genuineness. Just like Holden Caulfield, Salinger went from private school to private school- failing out of each one. Also, he admitted in a rare interview that the book was “sort-of autobiographical”.

Furthermore, Westford Academy’s resident expert on The Catcher in the Rye , Jeffrey Kucaj stated, “I love the book and I still enjoy reading it – especially Holden’s voice. This is a novel that sums up the shift in the demographics of America”.

When asked what one word he would use to describe it, Kucaj humorously replied, “If you asked me ten different days, you would get ten different answers. But today, I would describe it with ‘realization’ because Holden has to deal with difficult realities throughout the novel”.

Ultimately, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, and J.D. Salinger have become icons in literary history. Hopefully, his death will be a beginning rather than an end; perhaps instead of a dwindling in popularity, there will be a reignited safari into The Catcher in the Rye.

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.