N E I RAD V OLUME 6 9, I SSUE 2 S EPTEMBER 2 0 0 7 Homecoming Breathalized Administration Institutes Controversial New Policy Hadley Green ————————————————————————————— not get a 00 reading will be discretely Principal Haron states, “My hope Managing Editor pulled aside and offered to take the is that it will help students to better The new breathalyzing policy at breathalyzer again after 10 minutes to be able to resist the temptation or Darien High is one of the most contro- ensure that the positive reading is not peer pressure they might feel to drink versial school rules strictly enforced due to mouthwash. On that note Egan before our dances. When students re- in years. This action has already been remarks, “Everyone passed, this elimi- alize how much fun you can have at imposed at the freshman/sophomore nated the drinking problem.” a dance without alcohol, my hope is dance, and more significantly the Although the lack of admittance that we will have made a dent into homecoming dance. could lead to greater problems in the changing students’ perceptions that According to Principal Haron foreseeable future, sophomore Lauren one needs alcohol to have a good time the breathalyzing was enforced, “due Beardsley notes, “I think that over time socially.” Sophomore Mike Foresta to the incident at the prom last year fewer students will go to the dances, said, “I thought that the Breathalyzer (and other similar incidents in the past if people stop going to the dances, wasn’t that big of a deal and defiantly where students were intoxicated.) We there won’t be money for prom or made the dance safer.” felt we needed to institute this policy other school functions.” Despite the In breathlyzing and questioning to better be able to ensure the safety fact that not nearly as many people every student due to alcohol use many of our students, the enjoyment of the showed up as usual to homecoming, no more issues can arise. Junior Peter participants, and the equitable enforce- students were caught under the influ- Walker remarks, “I think the breatha- ment of the rules.” ence of alcohol. Many students do or lyzing is a terrible idea, and hurts way This year, teacher chaperones and did have an issue with the breathalyz- more than it helps. All it does is make other administrators oversaw the act ing. Junior, Talbot Clarke states, “If the underage drinking an even more prev- of breathalyzing each student. History administration has any suspicion (that alent issue when it shouldn’t be at all, teacher Mr. Egan states, “the dance students are under the influence) they by giving the issue more attention than went very well, the thought of drinking have every right to breathalyzer, but it deserves. It’s just going to give stu- was completely wiped out of a students the whole school shouldn’t be subject- dents an excuse to find ways around Graham Karlan and Heather Hanson were crowned Homecoming heads because they knew they were ed to this if only a small fraction of the it and do other drugs.” being breathalyzed.” If a student does students need to be Breathalyzer.” King and Queen. None of the people in the background are drunk. Continued on page 6 Narc Life Darien Detox Undercover With DHS’s Hard-Boiled Campus Monitors Have Your Favorite Restrauants Spencer Matson ————————————————————————————— Managing Editor Been Busted For Health Violations? Every community has had the Mike Klein need for security. China has its Great ————————————————————————————— Fuji’s, Michael Joseph’s, and Vavala’s Wall. Old Europe had its castles. Business Manager deli failed to properly cover their food. Industrial Japan had its navy. Darien In Darien, every restaurant and Additionally, Vavala’s, Cosi, Uncle’s, High School has its Campus Monitors. deli must follow a certain set of rules and Michael Joseph’s were all cited For years, the Campus Monitors have and regulations that allows them to be for storing food on the floors of their served as the protectors of the DHS’ in business. Recently, several restau- restaurant. institutions and they have served as the rants have been cited for failing their One of Darien’s favorite local high school’s first line of defense. regular health inspections for obvi- eateries had several things that they “The Campus Monitor’s pri- ous reasons, such not wearing gloves failed on their health report. Besides mary role is to ensure the safety of while preparing food. But, more res- not covering or storing their food our students and our faculty and our taurants and delis in town get poor properly, they were cited for some staff during school hours,” states ratings on these health inspections rather disgusting offenses. They were Darien High School Principal Dan because of the little things that would cited for having employees without Haron, “that safety translates into be hard for the everyday patron to tell clean outer clothes and effective hair many things. In the morning it means that the restaurant is violating. restraints. Besides that, Uncle’s was that they help out with traffic, and Each restaurant in town is given also cited for not thawing potentially [throughout the day] they are given a health inspection and must pass in hazardous foods. In all, Uncle’s was certain areas of the school where they order to stay in business. These in- docked fifteen points, receiving the watch for inappropriate behavior.” Campus Monitor Jim Smith directs traffic with an iron fist. spections are given at different points score of an 85, which is the second For the 2007-2008 school year, during the year and judge the restau- worst of the reports I received. the Campus Monitors will be con- Pat D’Agostino, Richard Butler, in their day-to-day duties. rant or deli on a 100 point scale based Cosi, one of Darien’s chain delis, sisting of four individuals: Monitors Jim Smith, and newcomer Angela “It is best that the Campus on certain criteria. If a restaurant gets scored the worst of all reports I read. Markoja. This year marks the first Monitors be friendly with the stu- a DNC, which stand for does not It received an 84. Cosi had two DNC year where there is a head “Campus dents, but not too friendly; not friends comply, the amount of points that the that stood out. For one, they were cited In This Issue Monitor” position. Pat D’Agostino with them,” says Principal Dan Haron, area on the inspection is worth will be for not having clean food equipment serves as the head Campus Monitor “we’ve had problems in the past where deducted from the overall score of the and utensils. They were also docked and he coordinates the actions of Campus Monitors were too friendly eatery. However, if a restaurant gets a for having flies present near the soda his fellow Campus Monitors while witht the students and there was the C, which is complies, they neither get dispenser and kitchen. “School Spirit” - facilitating relations between the impression that some students were al- points take off or given. So if a res- As far as Darien fast food goes, Editorial..........................2 Administration and his comrades. lowed to get away with things if they taurant gets a C on everything they Duchess also received a low score of “The first year [that I was here], I were friends with the monitors.” will get a 100. an 84. They were cited for things like suggested the position for accountabil- However with that thought in Though some of your favorite not having clean work surfaces, as Smoking at the ity reasons” Head Campus Monitor Pat mind, it cannot be ignored that there restaurants in town seem safe to eat well as according to the health reports Depot.......................................3 D’Agostino, “and so they created the is definitely a unique student perspec- at, most people do not take the time having “uncovered food throughout position, and they gave it to me..” tive on the Campus Monitor program. to look over all of the health inspec- the restaurant.” They were also cited On a personal level, there is truly Campus Monitors, or “Narcs” as they tions (all of which are public record) for having raw meat being stored next Homecoming Photo not a common background amongst are popularly called have always been on their favorite local eateries. You to other foods. the four current campus monitors. To viewed as being “on the student’s could be eating at a restaurant or deli Restaurants like Vavala’s, Fuji’s, Insert..............................5 become a campus monitor, an indi- case” historically. Many students view that was just cited for having employ- Michael Joseph’s, and Bertucci’s all vidual does not have nescessarily have this encroachment upon their daily ac- ees that do not wash their hands. did reasonably well, scoring from an Robeks to have any particular background. tivities as slightly overbearing. One of the most appalling things 88-91 respectively on their inspec- Pat D’Agostino and Jim Smith both “Whenever I pass a Narc as I I found when reading the inspec- tions. All of these restaurants were Opening.................................5 come from white collar backgrounds, am traveling between classes, I feel tions was that almost every restau- cited for things like properly storing Richard Butler spent time in the ser- that my friends and I shouldn’t talk rant failed to cover their food and food and having clean wiping clothes. vice, and Angela Markoja has a degre too loudly,” says Junior Samantha properly store their food.