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The Devil’s Pitch
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Plainville, Connecticut— Spring 2020 ______
A Terrific and Terrifying Night at PHS Written by: Bridget Arena
On March 6th and 8th of 2020, Thomas Riccardo, Plainville High School social studies teacher, directed “The Haunted Cabin,” with his students playing the roles. Before the show began, Riccardo spoke to the audience, giving a backstory to the theater and tech clubs at PHS. “Our kids build this and do it themselves,” Riccardo said about the stage and setting. The students put emotion into the play and into the characters. Before directing this play, Riccardo stated that he didn’t like the story, but after seeing his students take on the roles, he started to enjoy it. One of his head actors, Travis Lavigne, spoke on Riccardo’s directing, “He would put us on stage, and we would run through the scene doing whatever we wanted. If something looked off or he didn't like the outcome, he would stop us and we would go back and try it again. I personally really liked this approach. When we were all in character and on stage we were just having fun and doing what we thought was best. It really gave us the ability to make the show ‘ours’ and put our own personalities into every aspect.” The story begins with a nurse named Emily Davies, played by Abigail Feyerbend, entering a cabin called “Rogan’s Cabin.” Legend tells that this cabin is haunted by the victims of the mountain. As Emily is searching the building, Joe, played by Travis Lavigne, and Danny, played by Daniel Pryzbyz, enter the cabin. The storyline takes off with the suspense of wondering if these characters, along with new ones that find the cabin as well, will eventually get rescued or die on the mountain. This tragic and emotional setting reflected on the character’s actions. Lavigne played a very big role where he would have scenes full of screaming and crying. When asked how comfortable he was with a role like that, he said, “It was rather difficult at times. One of the things that we worked on in the rehearsal process was, "Method Acting." This is when you think about a past experience where you felt an emotion, like happy or sad, and then tried to call back on that emotion in the present. This process was difficult for the cast physically and emotionally. We couldn't go too deep into one memory where we would start crying uncontrollably, but we still needed to make sure we got the effect that we wanted on stage.” The Plainville High School Theater and Tech clubs put on plays every school year. After interviewing Lavigne, he wanted to share this final thought, “I have been doing theater at Plainville High School since my freshman year. I have been in almost every production since then, and have met dozens of people through the program. I am proud of this show, and am glad that I got to end the year with a banger.”
College Experience as a High School Student By: Milena Baltyn
Plainville High School and Central Connecticut State University in New Britain have established a partnership agreement that gives Plainville High School students the opportunity to take up to two courses per semester, or four per academic year, to earn university credit if the student earns a grade of “C” or higher, free of charge. This opportunity is not for all students. Students must be eligible as full-time high school students in order to be part-time college students as well. Mrs. Lamont, guidance counselor at Plainville High Schools says, “Juniors and seniors are only allowed to enroll in college classes, they need to have an overall ‘B’ average, students must maintain a full schedule at Plainville High School, and be responsible for their own transportation.” Students need to consider both the rigor and the time constraints of their high school schedules and evening college courses because it can be challenging and can interfere with their high school schedule. Lamont also mentions, “Most courses meet twice a week for 1 hour and 15 minutes and some classes only meet once a week for 2 hours and 30 minutes.” Peck, a PHS and CCSU student, says, “I think anyone who is eligible to take a course at CCSU should take advantage of this opportunity. It is free, you get a taste of what it is like to be a college student, and the credits you earn are transferable to other schools as well. I think it is important for my peers to be aware of this opportunity because it really is the best decision I have made in my high school years.” Other juniors and seniors were asked randomly if they knew about the partnership, and 10 out of the 15 said, “they had no idea,” and asked for more information about it. With this being said, it is important to give students the chance to take advantage of this opportunity.
Plainville High School Seniors Compete for the Title of Mr. PHS By: Angela Mojica
On March 26, Plainville High School will be hosting the annual Mr. PHS competition in the auditorium. Plainville High School’s class of 2020 will be participating in the competition for the title of Mr. PHS. The boys will be accompanied by their black dress girls who will be performing as well. The students have been hard at work in preparation for the show. Mikayla Wells, the event coordinator, says, “This year we have a great group of contestants, black dress girls, and hosts who have been preparing for the show for quite some time, and they are almost ready to shine on stage in just a couple of weeks.” The show will be hosted by Plainville High School’s seniors Kevin Hormoz, Vanessa Xiques, and Alexia Sirois. When asked what to expect from the hosts, Hormoz says “It will be something new and very unique this year. I don’t want to ruin the surprise but it’s going to be different from last year.” In addition, Wells says “the students have prepared an exciting and unexpected variety of talents for the audience to enjoy! We have all been working very hard to put on an extremely entertaining show that we are hoping will sell out.” The audience can look forward to seeing the talent, swimsuit, and formal parts of the show. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Mr. PHS is postponed indefinitely. Tickets can be bought from any of the contestants or black dress girls for $6. Tickets will also be sold at the door. All of the proceeds go towards supporting Project Graduation for the class of 2020.
Message from the Class of 2020 By: Angela Mojica
For the past twelve years of our lives, we have spent countless hours and days together. We have seen each other grow into the adults we are today. From learning to read to getting our licenses, we have been there to witness all of the milestones we have passed as class. From elementary school to middle school, we became an even larger group. We made new friends, went through awkward phases, and finally became teenagers together. From middle school to high school, we began to learn how to function in the real world. We began to plan for a life beyond high school. We finally became adults. In only a couple of months, we will all go our separate ways and begin our lives without each other. Sheik Mohamed says, “At the end of the day we remember where we were years back as little kids playing on the swings and sharing food during snack time. We all come from different aspects in life but we became a family under a roof, a family that we see 8 hours a week for 5 days. No matter what happens we will always remember each other.” The memories that we have made together will always stick with us. We will always remember the times we have spent together from homecoming, prom, and other school functions. Whether everyone was friends or not, our moments together will always be memorable. Bridget Arena says, “I’m extremely grateful for the years we have spent together. Even through our arguments and disagreements, we’ve made friendships that’ll last a lifetime.” To the friends we have made, to the teachers that have taught us, and to the faculty that has guided us, the class of 2020 thanks you for the memories we have made together. Here is to the next generation of lawyers, doctors, and teachers. Here is to everyone’s success and happiness outside of highschool.
Spanish at Plainville High School with Mrs. Witkowski By Maina Alarcon ------
Mrs. Witkowski in her Classroom at Plainville High School March 12,2020 Mrs. Kristi Witkowski is a Spanish teacher at Plainville High School. When asked what it is like to work at Plainville High School, she said she is doing very well. She enjoys working hard. She loves to teach her students and works together with other great teachers. She always said she feels happy to be here at PHS, she said that the days are very stressful and busy, but above all, it is an excellent place to work. Mrs. Witkowski stated that what she enjoys most about being a teacher is making connections with the students. It is very rewarding to help students who have difficulties and to see them progress. She has been a Spanish teacher for four years. She started off working at Manchester High school for two years and is now in her second year at PHS. Not many people know that Spanish is her third language. Mrs. Witkowski was born in Albania, so her first language is Albanian. Then she moved to the United States when she was six years old and took on English as her second language. At University, she studied Spanish and traveled to Spain, now Spanish has become her third language. Mrs. Witkowski hopes to learn more languages in the future. While talking to Mrs. Witkoswki, she stated her love for speaking Spanish,“I love to speak Spanish because I can speak Spanish when I travel to Spain and other Spanish speaking countries. It is amazing to be fluent in Spanish when traveling. I also love the culture, the people, the food and so much more of Spanish speaking countries so speaking Spanish helps me learn more about that.” One thing that she does to educate others about the Spanish culture is having Spanish club. The people in Spanish club continue to practice Spanish and learn more about the Spanish culture. I asked Mrs. Witowski how she would like her students to remember her and her response was, “I would like my students to remember me as someone who cared about them and was there for them academically and emotionally. I hope they enjoyed learning Spanish in my class.” Mrs. Witkoswki plans on continuing teaching Spanish at Plainville High School.
Dunkin Donuts vs. Rebel dog By Marina Alarcon ------
Vs
Dunkin Donuts and Rebel Dog are both places to get coffee in Plainville, CT. I decided to compare and contrast the two different coffees from Dunkin Donuts and Rebel Dog. Dunkin Donuts is the world's largest donut and coffee chain. Rebel Dog coffee is less known compared to Dunkin Donuts. On March 15th, I decided to compare the two by ordering the same coffee from Dunkin Donuts and Rebel Dog. The coffee I ordered was a Cappuccino. At Dunkin Donuts, a small Cappuccino was $2.69. At Rebel Dog, a small Cappuccino was $3.55. The Cappuccino was a little more money, but after trying both coffees, I was more satisfied with Rebel Dog coffee. Compared to Dunkin Donuts, Rebel Dog Coffee was more rich and tasted better. Dunkin Donuts Cappuccino tasted slightly watered down and I did not get that taste I was looking for. However, I definitely will still go to Dunkin Donuts because of the cheaper price. The Dunkin Donuts I went to is located at 19 East Street Plainville, CT. Rebel Dog is located at 393 Farmington Ave Plainville, CT.
This was March 18, and I bought a Small Cappuccino in Dunkin Donuts, and the other picture is a Small cappuccino from Rebel Dog.
Interviewing Mr. Humphrey By: Nicole Cal
The bathrooms during the past years have never been a large concern at Plainville High School. However the restrooms are now the source of rising issues, causing administration to lock them before 7:30 am and keep them locked during period 5, the lunch wave. There is only one bathroom that is left open from 11:48 am to 1:13 pm. This is the bathroom right outside the lunch room, this makes it easier for security guards and administration to monitor who is going to the bathroom. While speaking to one of the security guards here, Lowell Humphrey, he said, “The security team is never inconvenienced by procedures designed to address problems that impact the school environment.” Vaping has become a large problem throughout the school, hence why bathrooms are being locked during certain times. Students at Plainville High School are taking advantage of bathroom privileges and not just using them for bathroom purposes. Humphrey also mentions, “Our job is to help ensure a safe, comfortable learning environment for all. If someone is using poor judgment and decision making they are held accountable. In the long run it benefits the student and the school.” This is a large concern for the school, parents and students even. The school is catching on to more students doing illegal activities in the restrooms, which causes students to receive more and more consequences. Allowing the bathrooms to be locked during period 5 may be reducing the amount of students doing such activity. However, Humphrey did say during the interview, “Last school year I noticed increasingly disruptive behavior, vandalism and rule violations.” Parents are also concerned with what happens at school. Their children come to school 5 days a week and expect them to be safe and not get involved with bad behavior while here. A majority of parents are also in shock when they find out their child has gotten into trouble. Most parents are not aware of what their children are getting involved in, in and out of school. Lastly to conclude the interview, Humphrey mentioned, “My duties stop upon making the administration aware of the issue. While I don’t meet with the parents I trust they are disappointed in their child's misbehavior.” He does an excellent job of keeping our school safe and calm. Humphrey is someone who is in charge of locking bathrooms and making sure they are being used for what they are intended for. Consequences are served to students who are caught, however the severity affects them in different ways depending on the situation and how something occurred.
Changed Roles In Plainville By Nicole Cal
Throughout the past years at Plainville High School, a lot has changed, mainly through the roles of administrators, that positively affects our school and town. Right before the class of 2020 began high school, Mr. Steven Lepage was principal. He then moved onto greater and better things by becoming Plainville's assistant superintendent. LePage worked in this position for 4 years until he got offered the position to be Plainville's superintendent. During an interview with LePage, he says, "Becoming superintendent includes more work and takes lots of responsibility, but also comes with lots of nerves." LePage was very excited about his new role as Plainville's superintendent, knowing the position also came with more responsibility, more power, and prominence. LePage has been involved with working in schools for the past 25 years, however, he mentions, "Being principal at Plainville High School was my favorite, I tried to be very involved with the students… I am a very kid-focused person." He loved being involved with all the kids, watching them grow and become successful. LePage also ran multiple clubs at PHS while his time being principal, interacting with the kids was always important to him. Although loving all his past jobs he says, "Transitioning to become superintendent was a challenge. It involves more work than people think and truly is behind the scenes of everything that happens." This entails having to deal with legal work, attorneys, budget cuts and politics, which are the very few things LePage dislikes about his job. However, there is a lot he enjoys as he mentions, "Seeing the outcomes of hard work and still being involved with kids and doing everything I can to be as involved as possible." Being involved was always important to LePage and seeing his new job doesn't revolve around that, he still tries his hardest. Lastly, concluding the interview he says, "I am absolutely happy with what I am doing now. The ability to shape futures, help kids and seeing them be successful pays off with hard work." Although lots of work comes with the superintendent position, LePage loves his job. One of the best things LePage is reminded of is his past work with students and the impact he has had on their lives moving forward, it genuinely makes him happy and excited to continue to help students.
What's for Lunch? By: Alana Torres
Lunch is served at Plainville High School seven days a week. The cafeteria serves pizza every day, along with a different option each time. For pizza, the students can choose from mozzarella, pepperoni, or french bread pizza. A different option served at Plainville High School is whole grain chicken nuggets with a whole grain roll served with mashed potatoes and gravy. Each lunch option gives the students a choice of fresh fruit in season or chilled fruit and a choice of milk. There is also a deli that serves cold cut sandwiches every day. The question is, do the students at Plainville High School enjoy the food served at lunch time? I decided to further investigate by asking some students if they enjoyed school lunch. 66.7% said they purchased school lunch, while 62.5% of those students said they did not enjoy the school lunch. I asked them why they did not enjoy the school lunch, and one student responded, ¨Generally speaking for the population of students and I who purchase school lunch, I strongly believe that no one is 100% satisfied with school lunch. Portions could be larger because some students go to the extent to get two lunches because they are not full. The food could also be made better, suit what we want more. Lastly we should have another option for lunch everyday along with the choice of hot lunch, pizza and sandwiches.” While this may be true, there are also some students who are pleased with the school lunch. One Plainville High School Student stated, ¨I'm satisfied with the school lunch because of the abundance of options. For example, if I don't like the main lunch, I could always get pizza or a sandwich.¨ The choices of other options may be helpful to some, but to others, they still aren't satisfied.
Come to Coji Kitchen By: Alana Torres
Coji Kitchen is a restaurant located in Southington, Connecticut. The restaurant serves Asian food and is owned by husband and wife, Cais Tee Tran and Tuan Tran. I learned that this is not their first time in the restaurant business. The married couple previously owned “Koji”, a restaurant that was located in Hartford Connecticut. The restaurant “Koji” was in business for thirteen years with a partnership. The couple decided to close their restaurant down back in 2018. They decided to have a fresh new start away from the busy city. The restaurant “Koji” changed to “Coji Kitchen”. The new slightly changed name was to empathize with their fresh new start. Cais Tee Tran and Tuan Tran worked on fixing and furnituring the new restaurant now in Southington. The furniture and beautiful design was crafted by the owners themselves. While dining in, I was able to talk to a customer enjoying his food. I asked him if he comes to dine at Coji Kitchen often and his response was, “I come here about twice a week and have had almost everything off the menu.” The menu has many different options from french fries to pork dumplings. A popular dish is the Josh Noodle. The Josh Noodle is roasted pork stir fried with noodles and baby spinach. If you are looking for new great food, stop by Coji Kitchen. Coji Kitchen is located at 1230 Queen Street, Southington, Connecticut and is open everyday from 11am to 9pm.
Cais Tee Tran and Tuan Tran, Owners of Coji Kitchen at their restaurant.
Crab Rangoons at Coji Kitchen. (Stuffed with cream cheese and crab, served with sweet and sour sauce) Sports Adding At PHS! By: Emily Bauman
Something that has been in conversation recently with students is adding sports to PHS. Sports that are in favor to be added are lacrosse and boys volleyball. To add a sport to our school district, you have to go to the Board Of Education, and it could take up to 3 to 4 years just to get the sport at PHS. There was a group of boys that went to Plainville High’s Athletic Director, Christopher Farrell, and said, “can we have boys volleyball but the thing is that it may be the same time as any other sport.” Adding a new sport may be difficult for funding because of how much uniforms are and how much we have to pay for officials. A new sport takes a lot of people to make it happen. There needs to be a certain amount of kids who want to play the sport in their school. It would then become a club which could turn to a varsity team, but it would take a while before that change could be made.
Spring Break By: Emily Bauman
Spring Break looks different this year then past years because this year we have COVID-19 spreading all across the world. So I was supposed to go to Washington DC but now we are thinking of not going and this is why we might have to go to school for spring break but if we do school work online to make up the days so that we can spring break back.
This is me doing my school work online because of the COVID-19.
Ms.Turkowitz’s Journey By: Hannah Paz
Ms.Turkowitz information by her office Ms. Turkowitz has been a school psychologist in Plainville, Connecticut for 23 years. When I asked Ms. Turkowitz to tell me about herself, she said, “I am a certified school psychologist. I knew that I always wanted to work with kids and that is why I chose to be a school psychologist. I worked at Toffolon Elementary School, Linden Street School,the Middle School of Plainville, and Plainville High School. I graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in psychology.” When I asked Turkowitz why she wanted to become a school psychologist, Turkowitz says, “I met a person at Uconn that was a school psychologist and I knew that it was for me.” When I asked Turkowitz about what grade level she liked the best, Turkowitz says, “I worked at the elementary school but when I transferred to the high school it was a hard transition when I transferred to the high school.” When I asked Turkowitz what she will miss the most after retiring from being a school psychologist, Turkowitz says, “I will miss working with and seeing the students and working with the great faculty and administration at PHS.”
Mr. Blanchette’s Journey. By: Hannah Paz
Mr. Blanchette has been a choral and drama teacher here in Plainville for 30 years. When he was younger he was involved in band, jazz and sang in the choir. When he was in school he had exceptional music teachers in high school which led him to pursue his career in music. Now he is living his life with another man for 15 years. When I asked Blanchette why he wanted to be a music teacher he explains, “I decided to become a teacher a few years after college, I was offered a job teaching at the Academy for the Performing Arts in Hartford. I loved working with high school students who were passionate about the arts.” When I asked Blanchette what is most frustrating about teaching he told me, “Right now, being away from the students due to the closure.” Then I asked him what he likes best about teaching. Blanchette explains, “Combining my love for music with the joy I feel from working with high
Mr. Blanchette chilling with the flowers schoolers makes teaching, for me, a dream job.” When I asked Blanchette what his strengths are he told me, “I think I connect pretty well with my students. I'm also a good listener.” I asked Blanchette what he enjoys most about teaching Blanchette explains, “It's wonderful to see the growth that occurs from when we first begin a piece of music to when we perform it in public. I also enjoy getting to know the students. I'm a Justice of the Peace and have officiated the weddings of many former students.” Then I asked Blanchette the complete opposite of the first question about what he disliked about teaching he told me this, “I can't say that there's anything that I strongly dislike. I get frustrated when I can't seem to reach a student.” The last question I asked him was about what frustrates him most in the classroom and Banchette explains, “In addition to the above, sometimes a rehearsal just doesn't go well. And when I reflect back on it, I realize that my planning was flawed. But, that's one of the things that's most exciting about being a teacher. You're always trying to improve your craft, always.” I know I am going to miss Mr.Blanchette because he was my choral teacher for 2 years while he was in Plainville High School. I hope you have an enjoyable retirement Mr. Blanchette!
2020 Plainville’s Passion for Softball Season Preview By Jake Brown Plainville Softball is gearing up for softball season at PHS. The team tryouts have been pushed back due to the coronavirus. Also, the season does not have a start date due to the coronavirus. The team is excited to have their season begin. Varsity player Makenzie Caron says, “Hopefully we make it to the tournament like we did last year, and hopefully make it farther than last time!” While some of the players are excited, many players from last season are no longer on the team. Many JV players will have to come up to varsity in their absence. Caron says, “she is excited to see what the freshmen have to offer.” Caron said that she thinks Mackenzie Alvarado is the best home run hitter hitting 4 home runs and one grand slam last season. Overall the team is having a positive outlook for the season. Last year the PHS softball team finished W9- L11 and are looking to improve this season. In this off season Coach Lou, Head Coach of PHS baseball, has helped the girls do conditioning in order to get ready for the season. The team is most excited to play their rival Berlin High because last season PHS beat Belin high on senior night to qualify for the state tournament. Coach Marcucio said, “we are very excited for this season,” and he also added, “We took a big step forward as a program last year and our goal is to keep the momentum going this season.” The team is looking to maintain our focus, effort, and intensity. Varsity player Grace Diminno is excited for the season. Good luck girls, we’re hoping for a great season. GO BLUE DEVILS!!!
2020 Plainville Blue Devils Baseball Season Preview
By Jake Brown The PHS baseball team is getting ready for the 2020 season and the team is feeling excited and is ready to get to work. Varsity player Wyatt Lacombe says he is really excited, “ever since last season ended I have been looking forward to the next.” Also, Wyatt has been working hard in the off season and is ready to ball out with my teammates for the senior year final ride. “In previous years we have had a slow start to the season but I believe we should be all together and ready to perform come the first scrimmage of the season.” Varsity player Wyatt has also said if the Florida trip is cancelled he will be upset. The Florida trip has been cancelled due to the coronavirus. He sees the team putting in the work and having a winning record and making the playoffs. Varsity player Grabo said “I’m feeling good about getting back into the swing of things after partially tearing my ucl.” Grabo said that tryouts have been pushed back by the coaches due to the coronavirus. Grabo said he has been going to workouts with his aau coach and has been working on building up his strength in his UCL with his physical therapist so he will be ready for the first game. Grabo said he can’t wait to go on the Florida trip with his teammates but is canceled due to the virus. Grabo also said that varsity player Alec Couture is going to be in the starting rotation this year as a new addition with the rest of the rotation being Tyler Mandeville and Nate Johnson. Grabo said the starting rotation looks strong this year. Varsity player Wyatt said he is most looking forward to playing Plainville’s rival Berlin Red Coats this year. Wyatt also said, “The team has not beaten Berlin for at least three years.” Varsity player Wyatt says the coaching staff has done well in the past and he believes in them and says they do what's best for the team. Varsity Player Tucker says he feels good about the upcoming season. Tucker has hit and thrown to get ready for the season. Coach Lou said “We return a vetern group of varsity players along with others that are coming off a successful 2019 JV season and we feel them combined can help the Blue Devils have a memorable year. The CCC is a very competitive conference of which the team to beat is the next one on our schedule, therefore we don’t take any team for granted.” Coach Lou also said, “Our season does not have a start date because of the COVID-19 Virus, but we respect the CIAC decision to suspend the season and put the safety of our kids first and foremost. Kids are working on their skills at home during this time to prepare for the season. We will stay positive and control what we can!” Assistant Head Coach Ryan Raponey and Assistant Coach Erik Perrotti and volunteer Ed Smith will be returning for the 2020 season. Coach Matt Gingras will be with the program for his 24th year, “We have a solid group of kids that look forward to performing for the Blue Devils this spring!” Jake Brown, Mr. Farrell's assistant, said he will be with the program for his 1st season and will also be helping out this year by doing different responsibilities to help out the team and Mr. Farrell. Good luck boys!!! Go Blue Devils!!!
We hope you enjoyed this edition of The Devil’s Pitch. Thank you for understanding that some of the previous articles were written before the various school closures. Stay safe! Go Blue Devils!