By Ethan Walshe
Managing Editor

On Thursday, Westford Academy was honored with the presence of four veterans from various wars as a part of Veterans Day. Veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Iraqi Freedom appeared before an audience of history students and spent two class periods talking about their experiences in the military service and taking questions from the crowd. The event was orchestrated by social studies teacher Stephen Scully.

One of the veterans was Army Corporal Athanace “Joe” J. Landry, a veteran of World War II. He was drafted straight out of high school and became a truck driver for the army. He noted that he was scheduled to drive his truck full of soldiers on D-Day to the beaches of Normandy, but was very lucky to be rescheduled at almost the last minute. It was likely that he would not have survived D-Day had he landed there, which was incredible to hear. He told a heartwarming story of how he ran into his brother in a small town in France and was able to share a few good meals with him in the time of war. He was one of five children, four boys and a girl, all of whom enlisted in some form of military service during WWII and all of whom, made it home safely, an absolutely incredible feat.

Another speaker was army Lt. Colonel David Sawyer. He gave an overview of his career and his service in Vietnam and noted that he was lucky enough not to see combat, instead having administrative duties, which could not be said for all of the veterans present at the seminar. This man had the closest ties to WA, as his grandson Patrick Flannagan is a senior this year. He would continue to discuss much of his life after the service, and provide insight to what life after the military was like for a veteran, which turned out to be fairly normal for him. One quite powerful thing that he said was that when he came home from war, the first thing he was greeted with was an angry person calling him a “baby killer.” He explained that the Vietnam War was not widely supported by the people of the United States and many had difficultly distinguishing if the blame should be put on the politicians or the service members.

Yeoman 2nd Class Frank Harmon, the Korean War veteran, also spoke. His story was very similar to Lt. Colonel Sawyer’s, in that he too was drafted to serve in the navy. He spent much of his career out at sea performing clerical duties for ships’ captains.

The most recent veteran Command Sgt. Major Joseph Scunziano also told his story. He was the only of the veterans who had joined the military of his own accord. He became a career service member, and after his retirement he became a state trooper. He continually mentioned that the military had granted him with every opportunity he could have wanted, including schooling and a secure job. He also spoke extensively about serving your community in whatever way you can, in a very inspiring way.

Immediately following the veteran’s talks, a video made by Senior Reed Peraner thanking these veterans as well as all veterans was shown. It can be viewed here.

Following their talks, there was a brief Q&A period. The first question posed was how they were received when they came home from war, as veterans. Three of the men said that they received what could be called hero’s welcomes, aside from Lt. Colonel Sawyer, who as previously mentioned was not received in such an endearing way.

Another question was about whether any of them regretted their military experience. There was a unanimous answer of “no.” All of the veterans said that their experiences shaped them and offered them opportunities and they did not regret it at all. After this, the Q&A had to be cut short due to time constraints.

As students left after the presentation, a number of them approached the veterans one-on-one, shook their hands and thanked them for their service to this country. A feeling of respect was felt throughout the audience.

Hypnosis, the state of consciousness where one loses total control over their mind and actions. Now, when most of us think of this term, it reminds us of crazy children’s shows we see on television, the ones with a crazy magician sending the characters into a transe and resulting in spinning eyes and causing them to go into crazy tasks.

Well maybe those kids’ shows weren’t all wrong. This past Wednesday, Westford Academy’s DECA club held a hypnotist show in the Performing Arts Center. The show was put on by Frank Santos. Twenty four students from the audience were selected. After a short test to determine each participant’s ability to respond to the hypnosis, twelve students remained on the stage and the show went into full swing.

Overall, the show was a huge success. Students laughed and were amazed by the talents of Frank Santos Jr., a highly skilled hypnotist, as he used hypnosis to make the students believe and do crazy activities. The students hypnotized were Sara Goode, Ryan Murphy, Matthew Warner, Richa Kaul, Nick Walsh, Sarah Oughton, Matt Higgins, Shannon Green, Pat O’Neil, Kaylie Boyd, Annie Hickey, and DECA Advisor Adam Gagne.

The first hypnosis activity consisted on hypnotizing the students to believe their arms were extremely stiff. Santos then went around to see if any of the students could bend their arms. However, under their hypnosis, none of the students could do so.

Following this activity, Santos hypnotized the students to believe that their tongues were glued to the outside of their lips. Most of the students looked extremely confused during this time, much to the audience’s amusement. Each student was then asked their name, which came out in a mumble of words the audience couldn’t decipher.

One scheme Santos put on was making some of the female students believe they were in need of going to the bathroom. However, once they reached halfway up the stairs, the urge was gone, but then returned as soon as they got back on the stage. For the boys, Santos hypnotized them into believing the same thing, but when they got into the bathrooms, they believed that their pants were glued to their backs.

The audience went crazy with applause for all of the pranks, and they were all executed very well by Santos. WA’s Performing Arts Center was full of students, families, and younger students who all were very impressed by Santos’s work as I could tell by the huge roar of applause and laughter in the crowd.

The show was put on to benefit the select students who made it past the state DECA competition and will be moving onto the International Career Development Conference. The competition will take place April 30^th to May 3^rd in Orlando, Florida. Each student who is going was given a set of tickets they were required to sell. Once they sold enough to break even to the cost of the event, all additional ticket sales would go towards paying for their $1000 trip, said John Rogers, a marketing teacher and a WA DECA advisor.

Staff Writer

Po’s Ribs and Barbeque is not your average BBQ restaurant. It is not the traditional baby back rib and peanut gallery that most critically acclaimed barbeque restaurants pride themselves for. However, its smoky barbeque sauces, delicious selection, and integration of eastern-style cuisine make up for this and more in both taste and satisfaction.

Right on the intersection of route 27 and 2-A located in Acton, Massachusetts, Po’s Ribs and Barbeque is located in the area of a small strip mall. Alongside it is a café, a CVS, several appliance stores, and even a few gas stations.

Outside of Po's Ribs and Barbeque

The restaurant is fairly small family-owned business that has moved from place to place throughout the years. The owners last worked at “Ginger Court” up until a year ago. The restaurant was located right outside of Acton Indoor Sports. Due to several reasons, the owners left and came here.

The place itself is homey and comfortable. When you enter you are almost directly seated in one of the many tables scattered throughout the room. The focal point of the restaurant, however, is the large bar that is at the center of the room. A family place, Po’s is a convenient place to come for lunch or to just sit and talk.

The prices at Po’s Ribs and Barbeque vary greatly. The menu consists of several dishes including sandwiches and platters as main entrees, a few soups, some seafood dishes, and sides. The entrées range from prices of $5-15.00 with a guarantee of two sides with each entrée. Extra side dishes cost $3.00 each. The seafood itself cost only up to $10.00, however, and the soups around $4.00.

Main courses consist of several dishes involving pork, chicken, and beef. With beef comes briskets and sandwiches. In order for brisket to be delicious, it must be slowly cooked, allowing for the meat within it to soften up and tenderize. Without a doubt, the beef is fresh, well seasoned, and falls apart in your mouth—obviously slow cooked.

Several options of pork include pulled pork sandwiches, platters, and baby back ribs. The pulled pork is smoky and tender, which goes amazingly well with the various sauces that they provide you with. In many cases good pulled pork is hard to come by because its being smoked leads to dryness or toughness. This entrée, however, was the exact opposite. The baby back ribs were coated in somewhat of the same sauce as the one that the restaurant provides to you at your table. However, there is an added zest to the rub that the ribs have, and the ribs themselves are fresh and extremely juicy.

The pulled chicken sandwiches are made the same way as the pulled pork, except for perhaps a bit more moist because it was cooked for less time, seeing as chicken requires less time to cook. The chicken skewers that are also available are convenient and fun to dip in the sauce, as are the well-seasoned and spicy chicken wings.

Po's Ribs and Barbeque Chicken Wings

The side courses consist of cold noodles, mashed potatoes, french fries, broccoli, baked beans, and green beans. Served with each meal, the sides are all fairly tasty. The french fries are crispy and light—golden brown and good with all entrées. The broccoli is somewhat al dente, however if you like your broccoli on the crisper side then this is the broccoli for you. The cold noodles have a vague taste of cucumber, and contrast greatly with the many savory, salty, and spicy flavors that the rest of the meal offers.

Although not an official entrée, I personally find the chicken wings to be the best dish of the entire restaurant. The wings are very fresh and are full of flavor. Battered and fried to a deep golden brown, they give a noisy crunch when you bite into them, yet remain moist throughout. The pepper flakes and various other spices give the chicken wings a special zest that makes them simply irresistible and leaves you wanting more.

Overall, Po’s Ribs and Barbeque is a diamond in the rough which has yet to be discovered. With fairly reasonable prices and delicious food, those who visit Po’s definitely have something to look forward to. A family place, simple yet inviting, is owned by a family itself that has changed the way that I personally view BBQ restaurants. Although not a traditional barbeque restaurant, Po’s Ribs and Barbeque utilizes a perfect mixture of western and eastern flavors.

Staff Writer

The Ghostwriter took a behind the scenes look at the Morning Announcements and noticed a very calm and prepared aura in the studio. With the lights dimmed and cameras ready, the announcements were ready to begin.

With Mark Miller, Elaine Pietras, Emily Raczelowski, and Sports fill-in John Ryan, the Ghostwriter got to see the process of how Westford Academy Broadcast Club prepares for the announcements.

Anchors are ready to read off the teleprompter while Miller works with the cameras, in the mean time Pietras is in the back of the studio working with audio, switchers, and the teleprompter. Miller later gives the okay to the anchor and the announcements are ready to begin.

Both Miller and Pietras have been working with Westford Academy Broadcast Club, or WABC, for 11 years. Both of them coordinate the morning announcements from the administration, faculty, students, and clubs.

The process for filming includes many stations which are audio, camera crew, switcher, graphics and teleprompter, which are handled in the back of the studio. Anchors proofread the script at around 7:20 for no mistakes during recording.

Between 7:25 and 7:35 Miller and Pietras are filming the morning announcements, which has been airing everyday for eleven years. Announcements are submitted to wabc@westfordk12.us are organized, edited, and downloaded onto the teleprompters.

Anchors come in every morning and sit at the desks, which contains a blue screen for graphics. In front they have the cameras with the teleprompter behind from which they read off of.

Anchors interested in being part of WABC sign up and practice 3 times before shooting to get that comfortable feel in front of the camera and reading the teleprompter.

“Our anchors have individual styles and approaches to the broadcasting experience. They bring their own personality to the morning news, which includes a sense of humor, maturity, confidence, and a keen interest in broadcasting,” said Pietras.

Students wanting to anchor sign up using a calendar in the studio, and chose the day to anchor that fits into their class schedule. They also have to keep in mind how early they have to arrive at school to start shooting.

When asked about anything new for WABC Miller said, “We are hoping to expand & improve the morning announcements by merging with the journalism class next year. Students will have more time to work on various newsworthy projects and earn class credit for efforts.”

Miller and Pietras hope to expand WABC to include the Westford Community via cable access in the future.

Staff Writer

James Antonelli, principal at Westford Academy, graduated from WA in the class of 1986. He has been a coach, a computer and business teacher, a dean of student activities, assistant principal, and is currently the principal. He returned to the school after his injury in college and has not looked back since. Antonelli was a student who really enjoyed his high school years.

“I had a wonderful experience at Westford Academy. I enjoyed my high school experience much better than my college experience. A lot of folks say the opposite,” said Antonelli.

When Antonelli was a junior in college at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, he got hurt playing football. He called Al Duffet and acquired a job as the freshman football coach. This is how he got his first taste of educating at WA.

As a student, Antonelli was very involved in athletics. He was on the football, wrestling, and track teams and became captain of both football and wrestling.

Antonelli's Yearbook Photo

“It really taught me about leadership, perseverance, being tough and winning and losing,” said Antonelli about his role on the sports teams.

One of Antonelli’s favorite parts of high school and participating on the teams was the camaraderie that was formed with his teammates and the whole class.

“I had good teachers, I made good connections, life-long connections with a lot of folks, a lot of teachers that really had an impact on my life,” said Antonelli.

Although Antonelli was an athletic type of student, he also believes that education is very important. He says he wishes that he had spread himself out a little bit more into some different types of classes and clubs like the National Honor Society and student council. Antonelli describes himself as a solid student who was dedicated to his academics.

Antonelli knew his German teacher, Michael Joyce, well after the afternoons that he would stay after and study with him. Over the years, the two have built a very solid friendship.

“When he would come in for an explanation of something or just to ask a question, we would work and he would get up and every single time he would say thank you. Even when he was being talked about as a possibility for being the principal of this school, I remember bringing that up because that isn’t something that always happens. He was just a nice young man—he really was,” Joyce said.

Antonelli recently became the first principal to go on the foreign exchange when he traveled to Germany last year.

“Even all those years later his German came back to haunt him,” Joyce said.

When Antonelli was a student, Westford was less developed than it is now.

“There was Market Basket, gas stations, and Kimball’s. And we never really went too far,” said Antonelli.

Some of his teachers and mentors helped Antonelli decide that he wanted to return to WA. Bill Cody was Antonelli’s mentor and inspiration to become a teacher. Ed Scollan and Michael Parent were also a help to Antonelli in coming back to WA.

“Mr. Scollan is just a great teacher, great mentor, great friend,” said Antonelli.

Antonelli went to Salem State to get his teaching degree and has not looked back since. He then returned to WA as a computer and business teacher. He later became the dean of student activities and held that position for six years. He was then the assistant principal and he is now and has been for the past four years the principal of WA.

In between these jobs Antonelli also spent eighteen months working in sales. He says he did not enjoy it as much and returned to WA because other jobs were not as good as the one he has now.

Antonelli’s favorite job at WA was being a teacher. He was able to form great relationships with the students and he really appreciated and enjoyed that part of teaching. As a principal he says that people really don’t get to see him unless they are in trouble and he thinks he is seen as mostly a disciplinarian-type figure. He does not like this appearance although he has very high standards for all of his students. He encourages students to stop by his office and introduce themselves.

He has also had a few tough experiences. Antonelli remembers when he returned to WA and he had to evaluate his CP Biology teacher, Sally Haberman. He says that she was very respectful and appreciative but it was still one of the hardest parts of being back at WA as a faculty member.

James Antonelli, Principal at Westford Academy

However, being a member of the Westford community for many years has helped Antonelli a lot. The closeness and the traditions that the Westford community values can be hard for some of the newer faculty members to learn. Having known them since his school years is a definite advantage.

Teachers like Chris Gosselin, Pat Gendron and Scott Cruikshank remind Antonelli of himself as a new staff member at WA. They are also all graduates and have returned to WA as a part of the staff. He takes it as a compliment when a teacher returns because he likes to know that other students also enjoyed their experiences enough to return.

There have been some big changes in WA since Antonelli was a student. The size of the student body went from around 900 to about 1600 students. While Antonelli likes the growth, he also says that it makes it that much harder to get to know all of the kids by name.

Antonelli has had a great experience at WA but says there is still a lot of work to be done. In the future Antonelli says that he would like to put together a committee of students that could give him input about what he can do to improve their experience at WA. This year, he is planning on meeting with a group of outgoing seniors and a group of underclassmen to listen to their ideas about stress, balancing high school activities with school work and other ways to make WA even better.

“Westford Academy blood runs through his veins. He really he loves this place– it has meant a lot to him in his life and he continues to want to make a difference in the lives of the kids at the school,” Joyce said.

Corn, King Corn, and Prog are some of the names he is known by at Westford Academy. Senior Mark Cornelius, a student-athlete for the WA Ghosts, plays football, basketball, and baseball for the school.

He made the varsity teams for all three sports in sophomore year. In basketball, he plays the position of guard, in football he plays wide receiver and in baseball, he pitches, plays outfield, centerfield, and a little bit of first base. Also, he was one of the captains of the basketball team this season. Overall, he is talented at all three sports.

The three sport varsity athlete, Mark Cornelius.

Cornelius has been playing basketball and baseball since he was very young, sometime around kindergarten. However, he only started to play football in his sophomore year at WA.

“I love all three, but basketball is probably my favorite,” said Cornelius.

With the spring sports season coming up, Cornelius said that the baseball team will be good this year and should do well.

“We’ve got a lot of good players, mostly seniors. So yeah, we should do very well this year. It would be disappointing if we didn’t,” said Cornelius.

Cornelius said that WA tied for the DCL title two years ago and made it to the playoffs last year. This year, they are aiming to once again be the DCL champions.

Cornelius hopes to play basketball or football in college next year.

“I’m not sure which one yet. It kind of depends on what school I go to,” said Cornelius.

He is mostly looking at the University of New Hampshire and Bentley University, but the college he will definitely go to is still undecided. However, it is definite that this is King Corn’s last year as a Grey Ghost.

“It’s fun playing all three sports. I enjoyed every minute of it, and it’s gonna be different when I’m only playing one,” Cornelius explained.