VOL UME 6 8, Iss UE 10 MAR C H 200 7 Prom Spirit Week In The Works Community Council Proposes Lacrosse Tailgate, PowderpuffGame Jenny Large twin day, and pajama day. StaffWriter The Community Council has proposed a tailgate before the la­ With February break a thing of crosse game scheduled to take place the past, the students of Darien High on the Tuesday of Spirit Week. For School have begun looking forward to an admission fee of five dollars, stu­ the happenings of the spring season: dents and faculty would enjoy food lacrosse games, spring break, gradu­ donated by various local restaurants ation, and, most importantly, prom. and the lacrosse game against Staples This year, the Community from the stands. Council is toying with the idea of a The proposal also calls for a spirit week leading up to prom. "powderpuff' flag football game, to The idea, first proposed by the be played between twenty junior girls council's Vice President ofActivities, and twenty senior girls on Wednesday senior Lindsay Thoren, must be ap­ evening. proved to the administration before Student response to the propos­ a date can be set and details worked al of Prom Spirit Week was generally out. positive. "I think that the spirit week With tbe administration's ap­ will be a nice change to our [existing] proval, Prom Spirit Week will en­ traditions," says junior Sarah McKay. courage students to dress up in outra­ "The only real spirit week we have geous outfits to show off their school right now is before Homecoming and, spirit. As far as outfits go, it has always after that, we have nothing really big been the crazier the better. Though to look forward to." the themes for each spirit day have Sophomore Kathryn Landers Building with Books members Amy Marchesi and Allie Townsend play Bingo with a Scoffield Manor resident on not been set in stone, favorite sugges­ shares a similar feeling. "I believe the Wednesday, March 7, at the Building with Books party. tions included sports player day, Blue spirit week will bring us all together Wave Pride day, "All Out 80's" day, Continued on page 7 ~'~ '.:l:.'. IIF_ 1- ~"I -,----- --,," '~._-~"'''''''''''''''~-'''''-'_. Whole Foods? Darien's Own Jimi Hendrix Commission To Determine Future DHS Senior Chris Piccaro Makes His Debut At The QjVacant Howard Johnson's Lot Black History Month Assembly Pat Luongo "The Planning and Zoning Allie Concannon Sports Editor Committee could possibly ratify StaffWriter the proposal at that meeting," says The former Howard Johnson's Ginsburg. The Black History Month assem­ restaurant off ofthe Boston Post Raod "If all goes really well for [the bly provided an excellent opportunity has long been little more than a vacant Whole Foods Market and its support­ for students to showcase their various lot. ers]," he continues, "they could start unknown talents. The breakout star of In the near future, however, the building by the end of May." the assembly turned out to be senior space now overpopulated with weeds The site, located past the Darien Chris Piccaro, whose medley of jazz could become home to a new health Sport Shop, which has been desert­ and blues songs culminated in his ren­ foods supermarket, Whole Foods ed since the restaurant closed years dition of Jimi Hendrix on a bright red Market. ago, has lately become the talk of the guitar. The astounding performance According to Jeremy Ginsburg, town. left the rest of the student body want­ director of the Darien Planning and "The Whole Foods proposal is ing to know more about Darien's Zoning Commission, the board will the first proposal about the site that the newest star. review the proposal in a meeting Planning and Zoning Commission has Chris' musical career began in scheduled for Tuesday, March 13. heard in a while," says Ginsburg, ex­ elementary school, where he learned plaining why the case has garnered so to play the violin, but he first tested much attention from the local media out the guitar in middle school. "Ijust and homeowners who either support or loved the sound a guitar could make," In This Issue dislike the idea of constructing a new Chris says. "After listening to Jerry health foods store in Darien. Garcia from The Grateful Dead, I just "It's actually pretty neat to see all wanted to replicate that." Chris Piccaro channels his inner Jimi Hendrix on stage New Traffic Policy .....3 of the letters come from allover the After taking guitar lessons for during February's Black History Month assembly. town because there are so many mixed three years, Chris decided to take his Darfur views about the site proposal." musical career into his own hands. "I Hendrix. He seems to agree with that DeMaio. This band is also looking to "The Committee has seen a lot just finally realized that when I took statement wholeheartedly, as the stu­ perform in a concert within the next Benefit Shows of mixed views on the site, especial­ lessons, I simply read sheet music and dent body witnessed his stage trans­ month or so as well. ly from people in the condominiums I wasn't training my ear," he says. formation during the Black History His involvement in two bands behind it," Ginsburg says. "We're well "When I started to teach myself, it Month assembly. may bring a lot of noise into the Depot Open House .. .4 aware of their concerns." came more naturally." Chris is currently featured in two Piccaro household during practice In a sense, the commotion about Chris' passion for music also lies bands. Marvin Berry and The Star sessions, though he says his family the currently vacant lot is a refreshing Principal Search 5 , in the genres of jazz and blues. With Lighters (evidently related to a joke remains extremely supportive. "Well, change to the feeling ofdisinterest that role models like Miles Davis, The from the movie Back To The Future) my sister [freshman Michele Piccaro] has existed for several years. Temptations, and FUnkadelic, it is easy also features Nick DeMaio and DHS might get annoyed sometimes when I Panera Bread 6 The addition of a health food to see why he loves it so much. English teacher Matt Pavia. "We're practice," he says, "but she still sup­ market in Darien finds itself in accor­ He also looks to more current planning on possibly putting together ports it." dance with the downtown revitaliza­ artist John Mayer, who "started with a benefit concert to aid situations in In the future, Chris hopes to Rugby Club .7' tion program and could stir up debate pop to bring in fans but recently has Africa," says Chris. Chris' other band transform his passion for music into with several local businesses as well. been sounding more like blues and remains nameless, though the most an actual career. He is currently look­ If all goes according to plan, soul - a real classical feel," says recent suggestion is "Aficionado," the ing at colleges with programs in music Girls Softball 8 however, construction of the Whole Chris. title of a cigar magazine. The group production technology and intends to Foods Market could be underway by "Blues is easy to play, but hard includes seniors Jack Schlinkert, Matt become a producer or sound engineer late spring. to feel," says Chris, quoting Jimi Trigaux, Mike Mogenson, and Nick later on down the line. ., I. 2 MAR CH 200 7 NEIRAD OPINION Neirad is a monthly Darien High School student publi­ cation. The publication is a forum for student thought and Opening Eyes To Invisibility expression, and its content is decided solely by the editors Invisible Children Program Makes Its Way To DHS and advisors. Circulation is approximately 1,000. A sub­ On February 28, 2007, the entire that they can protect themselves from at a time so that they can present the were on sale after the assembly. senior class, along with several under­ the brutal kidnappings and torture. movie and inspire participation in vari­ The Schools for Schools program scription can be ordered for classmen, had the opportunity to view In their exploration of the situ­ ous fundraisers. motivates people to participate by of­ $25. All comments should be Invisible Children, a movie made in ation in northern Uganda, Russell, The programs that were present­ fering them the incentive ofa potential 2003 by three Californian kids. Bailey, and Poole came across a young ed at Darien High School's World trip to northern Uganda, but an even mailed to the editors at Neirad, The college students from San boy named Jacob, who managed to Literature Day assembly included better incentive is that ninety percent 80 High Schoool Lane, Darien, Diego, California, (Jason Russell, escape from the LRA. "Displace Me," Schools for Schools, ofall their contributions will go direct­ Bobby Bailey, and Laren Poole) set out In spite of all the troubles he has andlRI. ly towards helping the Ugandans. 06820. for Africa with the intention offilming face in his young life, he still holds "Displace Me" is a one-day ac­ The energy and inspiration that the conditions in war-tom Sudan. out hope for the future and in the tivity, taking place on April 28, in could be detected after our school's Due to the conflict there, howev­ movie expressed his desire to become which students from across the coun­ viewing ofInvisible Children is prom­ er, the young filmmakers were unable a lawyer when he grows up. try gather in urban bus stations and ising, but at the same time leads you DlTORS-IN-CHIE to fly into Sudan, and instead began to In the film, Jacob and his friends parks in an effort to simulate the harsh to wonder whether the students' ex­ Mackenz.ie Horan explore the northern region of neigh­ show the filmmakers the flooded cor­ reality that Ugandan children experi­ citement about service is actually Brianna Mulligan boring Uganda.