Helping Darfur Dive Day Returns

VOL UME 6 8, Iss UE 5 LATE NOVEMBER 2006 Post 53 On CBS "Posties" To Appear In Katie Couric's Evening News Elisabeth Tone Managing Editor in the hopes of becoming certified EMTs. In the piece, entitled "When In recent weeks, it seems that Saving Lives is More than Child's the student volunteers of Darien's Play," author Peter Applebome gives own Post 53 have become minor ce special mention to Post 53, focusing lebrities. On Wednesday, October 25, on the exhausting amount ofwork they two cameramen and reporter Steve must do as EMS volunteers. Hartman began filming these EMTs, In his description of the dedicat both at the organization's headquar ed EMTs, Applebome writes, "The ters in Noroton Heights and at school. 58 young members, ranging from Hartman, a reporter for the news seg l4-year-old candidates to 17- and 18 ment "Assignment America," was year-old crew chiefs certified by the tracking the Posties for a profile that state as emergency medical techni is to appear on the CBS Evening News cians, provide staffing for shifts 24 with Katie Couric in late November. hours a day, 365 days a year, sleep Says president ofPost 53, senior ing overnight in dormitory rooms at Charlie Hannon, "CBS asked to do a the post. They drive the corps' three special on Post after reading an article $100,000 ambulances, operate the in the New York Times about the orga radio room that responds to calls, and nization." coordinate an operation with an annual Seniors Cailin Watters and Anne Ryan volunteer at the blood drive held in the gymnasium on Thursday, The article, published on June budget of $200,000 that responds to November 2. The blood drive. which benefited the American Red Cross, exceeded the its goal with 75 people 25,2006, describes the extensive train about 1,400 calls a year." volunteering and 45 peole donating. ing that some teenagers go through Continued on page 6 Helping Darfur Dive Day Returns Facebook And Depot Concert Darien's Initiative To Value Each Other Will Be Held Help To Raise Awareness From November 15 to November 17 Elizabeth Calka Allie Concannon StaffWriter The numbers are astounding. StaffWriter Though the fighting began about three About a month from now, the years ago, the situation has worsened In years past, Dive Day activi Depot will be hosting a benefit show significantly since July of this year. ties have only taken place during a for Darfur, organized by Darien High These statistics demanded the atten couple of periodsin the school day, School student Casey Herz. tion ofthe U.N., thus prompting the in and, for the most part, the purpose of Various responses I received to ternational response that we see pres the program has been lost on the stu this statement were, "Cool! I'll be ent in the United States today. dent populace. there," "Yeah, I donated money to When it eventually trickled down This year, however, the format of Darfur," and "Darfur? What is that, to the population of Darien High Dive Day has changed. The school's a bandT' School, Darfur became a word, not diversity day will consist ofa series of Darfur (pronounced Dar-for, a place, that represented an opportu discussions and speeches taking place not Dar-FURRR) is a region of west nity to help more than anything else. from November 15 until November ern Sudan that is currently witnessing Adopting the generous spirit that is 17. devastating armed conflict, primarily typical of DHS students, many have The program's committee, between the Janjaweed and the non expressed their support and have ap headed by English teacher Ms. Sala, Baggara tribes. The death toll is esti peared eager to help. The common decided that Dive Day would make mated to be anywhere from 400,000 understanding ofDarfur at our school, a more significant impact if held on to 450,000 people. An approximate 2.5 however, can be put in simple terms three different days for certain peri Advisor Miss Sala proctoring the last ofthe Dive Day facilitator's meetings. million have been displaced. by senior Nick Sauerberg's response, ods per day. "Oh, Darfur? The Facebook thing?" This change came about as a lesson will stick." dents ofall backgrounds spoke oftheir Yes, the Facebook group, "For result of the administration's realiza The new structure allows for dif own experience with stereotypes and every 1,000 people that join this group tion that students would often skip ferent approaches to diversity to filter racism. This was followed by an "open In This Issue I will donate a dollar to Darfur," prob the day if they knew the date ahead through, as well. One day, a speaker mic" in which various students shared ably includes a good number ofDarien of time. In order to fix this problem, will come to speak to the entire school personal anecdotes and their own opin High School students. Volunteering the schedule will include several aca about accepting people and embracing ions about diversity. The entire student Facebook vs. makes students feel that they are part demic class periods so that students differences. On another day, discus body refused to leave the auditorium :.'.~ of something, on a worldly scale. will be encouraged to attend the Dive sions revolving around the visitor's until the last speaker had told their Textbook 3 We all know that we are fortunate Day activities as well. speech will occur in homerooms. story, even after the bell rang. to live in Darien. Consequently, partic The DHS student body has had Past Dive Days have been both Last year's Dive Day, however, School ipating in efforts to save Darfur allows mixed reactions in response to the successful and unsuccessful in reach paled in comparison. "Last year, after us to share this fortune and feel better structural changes. Many students ing out to the students. For the seniors, the speech, homeroom was really awk Recycling 3 about ourselves. It does not necessarily feel that this Dive Day format takes it is hard to forget the infamous exer ward and no one talked. It felt like all stem from a passionate hatred for the away from the emotion that is often cise with Groups A, M, and Z that took eyes were on you," says senior Kaitlyn Sudanese government, or a genuine involved with Dive Day. "I think it place in 2004. Each student, no matter Arcamone. Summer concern for the mass genocide ravag would be more beneficial if we had what his or her age, reported to a room It is the committee's objective to Intemships .4 ing a remote part ofAfrica. it all on one day, and it would be less and was then assigned to a group. Each rid the new series of diversity events Therefore, it is necessary that disruptive to class time:' says senior group was instructed to build a house, of this "awkward" atmosphere. Says we understand the magnitude of the Mike Mogenson. but the judges treated each group dif senior Kathryn Lang, "Students should Teenage causes that we are helping in addi On the other hand, some stu ferently. Group A was given Legos feel free to share their views about di Relationships 5 tion to helping them. On December dents view this structure as advanta to construct their building, whereas versity in our school or community 22, Darien students will be presented geous. "When it is on one day, I feel Group Z was given frozen tater-tots. without worrying about the repercus with a chance to do so at the Depot. like people only listen to it on that one Many students felt the full effects of sions. Dive Day should be an open Turkey Bowl ~ "The goal is to raise $1000 for Darfur:' day and then completely forget the this activity, since their eyes were forum that involves the entire schooL" explains Herz, "But the goal is also to message:' says senior Diana Morris. opened up to the discrimination that With these structural changes in place, Preview 8 raise awareness." "However, when Dive Day takes place occurs in the real world. Dive Day at Darien High School will The show will feature bands for a couple ofdays, people will likely Later in the day, there was a stu hopefUlly become more than just a Continued on page 6 think about the message more and the dent-run panel in which DHS stu- reason for free t-shirts. , .. 2 L ATE NOVEMBER 200 6 OPINION Epic Journalistic Battle At DRS NEIRAD Neirad is a monthly Darien On November 8, 2006, the Blue Furthermore, the debate's con that aired in mid-October, the Blue BWN staffin advance and requests air High School student publi Wave News broadcast included foot- tentions and rebuttals were entire Wave News correspondents asked stu time. Although the news debaters used cation. The publication is a age of the heated debate that occurred ly edited out to make it seem as if dents in the auxiliary cafeteria if they this point to defend their sometimes forum for student thought and between the BWN correspondents Neirad's editors lacked both the ar had ever had an object stolen from their lackluster broadcasts, this point com and Neirad's three editors-in-chief. guments needed to challenge BWN's backpacks. pletely destroys their argument, as well expression. and its conteDl is Although the editing of the segment journalistic integrity and the prepara While these unsuspecting stu as supports Neirad's statement that it is decided solely by the editors made it seem Like BWN was victorious tion to invalidate the opposing team's dents answered that they had indeed simply the principal's instrument.

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