The Proclamation Wilbur Cross High School “Let truth be the prejudice.” Issue #1, O ctober 2006 W. Eugene Smith OPINION: -ENOUGH. -DISCONNECTED -LETTER TO THE EDITOR -IMMIGRATION NEWS: -GOVERNOR’S RACE -NEW TEACHERS -TEACHER OF THE YEAR -MR. CANELLI IN THE MOVIES FEATURES: enough. -GEAR UP -UNLEASHED (See editorial on Page 2) -CUSTODIANS -GOT FRIES? ARTS: -ARE YOU FEARLESS? -IDLEWILD -CORINNE BAILEY RAE -STEEL PULSE -FRESH -CONCERTS AT ! YALE CLUB LISTINGS ADVICE COLUMN SPORTS: -FOOTBALL -DIVERSITEAM -TEAM SCHEDULES AND RECORDS THE PROCLAMATION 2 OCTOBER 2006 There’s another one. A large plastic button, displayed on the shirts of Cross students. It’s not a birthday, it’s a memorial. “He got shot.” “He got killed.” Most of the remembered have died at the enough. hands of others. “It happens all the time.” “It’s getting worse.” Enough. The bottom line here is nothing more than a sim- ple word: enough. Violence has gone too far in this country, and in this city. We have come to accept the unacceptable as normal. In what society is it normal to be afraid to leave your own home? Your home is supposed to be your safe haven. A place where you feel nothing can go wrong. A place where you can teach your children right from wrong and show them that they can be impor- tant, that they can make a difference in this world. That is what a home should be. Nothing can go wrong in your home. But if you con- sider the violence that has gone on in the city of New Haven since the beginning of the summer, nothing has gone right. Violence is taking its toll on the neighborhoods, wars over drugs, wars over turf. How many young people have died so far? How many of them have yet to even reach high school? Maybe that isn’t the question our minds should be focusing on. The question should be: How many young people have died as a result of gun violence? No fist fights any- more. Not even stabbing. Guns. Guns were invented long ago for soldiers to use in wars, to fight against the enemy. Who said anything about our enemies being young people, in our own community? And not just the youth in their late teens and early twenties. No. Thirteen year olds and younger. Still children them- selves with their whole lives ahead of them. Justus Suggs, age thirteen, was gunned down on the weekend of July 31st as he rode __________________________________________ home on his bike after a carnival. They say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jajuana Cole was another young teen that The Proclamation was gunned down for no reason on June 16th. Why are they gunned down on the same streets that they The Proclamation is Wilbur Cross High School’s newspaper. It is dedi- cated to bring you news, feature stories, arts stories including book, played on as toddlers? Streets that seem divided by turf and owner- movie and music reviews, sports articles, editorials, and more. ship. And why is it that the youth themselves are doing the shoot- Advisor: Mr. Brochin ing? Whose turf is getting invaded, and by whom? Business/Advertising/Circulation: Bernard Garrett Well, shouldn’t we all admit something as Americans, Co-Editors in Chief: Dina Wiggins, Jackie Wyley members of this city and the Wilbur Cross community? Here’s a Ma_naging Editor: Paul Zeng suggestion. How about we own up to the fact that the United States Production Editors: Bernard Garret, Joshua Ortiz, Paul Zeng has lost its right to be called the “land of the free”? Where is the Features Editor: Dena Wiggins News Editor: Bryan McGarthy freedom in knowing you could die just by leaving your house? Sports Editor: Nick Neeley The dead are remembered with buttons pinned to the stu- Photo Editor: Kristina Staklo dents’ jackets, book bags and shirts. Shouldn’t someone do some- Arts Editors: Kristina Staklo thing about the violence? Shouldn’t someone report something? Staff and Contributers: The police have an anonymous tip line for things like gun violence, Adriana Gonzalez, Alan Visochek, Ariel Neely, Daemien Collins, Dalia right? Shouldn’t we use it when we know something, no matter Santiago, Gonzalo Zuniga, Henry Muy, Inez Nyandekwe, Janae Ward, what it is? What about us teens? Fellow students, don’t get even, Janet Yi, Jonathan Henderson, Joshua Henderson, Karissa Gatison, get mad! Get mad and declare, “It is not normal for young people Molly Herold, Morgan McKenna, Natale Beach, Una Casey, Rolesscia to get shot!” “We have the power to change this!” We’re entitled to Hurd-Kosa, Victoria Smith, Vilma Mancia, and Xuxa Perea, Tamia Gregory our own opinions, right? When are we going to use them? Wilbur Cross students are encouraged to participates. Please contact Mr. Brochin at A214. THE PROCLAMATION 3 OCTOBER 2006 DIS-CONNECTED? ! ! ! ! ! ! We all know the routine. Tuck your cell phone into the far (letter to editor) corner of your backpack, throw the backpack on the inspection table and HECKUVAJOB! !! hope it goes through. Most of the time it does, and if it remains silent throughout the day, you’ve successfully evaded the Wilbur Cross Cell ! I will not name the person who has changed my life. Why? Be- Phone Rule. These devices, now banned, still ring in our educational cause even the mention of his name makes me quiver with fury. Why do I community, under the radar. Most students scoff at the cell phone decree detest him? That will become painfully obvious by the end. and the ticketing system that the administration is trying to implement Let’s go back to 2000. Yes, that seems so long ago, doesn’t it? along with it. Ironically, it is still up to the student’s discretion as to Before 9/11 and BradJelina and Tom Cat’s baby. We were innocent third whether to adhere to the policy. “My cell phone is safe in my pocket the graders, basking in all life’s glory. There was something going on about an whole school day,” says a student. “If I don’t take it out, the authorities election and something I heard about hanging chads and Florida. But don’t have anything to say come on? I was practically in diapers, how was this “grown-up” stuff to me. And it makes going to affect me? Yea… So I continued practicing for our winter play sense, because I don’t and other important things and ignored whatever was going on in the use it in school any- world. Then I became a fourth grader, king of the school. And then, a cou- way.” Another student ple weeks into school, Ms. Smythe, our music teacher, told us that some- disagrees: “I don’t bring one flew a plane into the World Trade Center. mine at all. I wouldn’t From that heart wrenching moment forward, I knew, for the most use it if I did bring it, part, what was happening. I knew about the White House, and Al Qaeda. I but we should obey the knew about the decision to invade Afghanistan. And I knew about He Who rules.” Must Not Be Named. After September 11, I watched everything begin to go wrong. How is It started with invading Iraq. The months go by and skepticism grows. But then, the the policy working out Evil Man gets on an aircraft carrier in a flight suit and says, “Mission Accom- so far? “I think [the cell plished,” Then as the casualties begin to mount, it becomes apparent to me and most phone policy] is won- of the country that we were played for suckers. Where are the bombs? Where are the derful,” comments Ms. nuclear weapons? The White House tells me that we need to send our troops in to Rodriguez, a Wilbur find these bombs and where are they? Not in Iraq. But we are still in Iraq, no end in Cross teacher who has sight, and thousands of casualties and a psycho at the helm telling us to not cut and noticed a positive run. That’s all he can say? Don’t cut and run? This wouldn’t be running; it would be change with the new going home after a suicidal wild goose chase! But then in 2004, there’s a glimmer of policy. “Phones are a hope: re-elections. Surely a man that lied to America and killed thousands couldn’t distraction to the learn- be re-elected. Right? It was looking good. I thought we had it in the bag! But then ing environment. I don’t some swift boat people showed up and lied about a war hero who probably saved all even carry my cell their lives and won three Purple Hearts. Every other word out of You Know Who’s phone during school.” mouth was “terrorists”, and the media is completely on the right and some people How- began to feel that He was actually just what America needed. Before you know it, ever, it has been ob- every Democrat hears a breaking glass sound, our dreams being dashed against the served that teachers are not so eager to actively enforce the cell phone rocks of propaganda. policy. Students report getting numerous “warnings” and not a single ticket, though the rule’s ultimate success may depend on use of the tickets. And the rest. First there’s No Child Left Behind policy that In reference to ticketing, Mr. Vessicchio says, “We don’t want the teachers makes my school experience more painful than it should be.