NON PROFIT ORG. NON PROFIT WALPOLE, MA 02081 MA WALPOLE, U.S. POSTAGE PERMIT NO.8 PERMIT THE REBELLION PAID December 2012 Walpole High School 275 Common Street Walpole, MA 02081 Volume 15, Number 2 whstherebellion.com facebook.com/therebellion twitter.com/whstherebellion Rebel Cheerleading qualifies for National Championship Photo/Midcoast Photo athletes as the fall season for the most part despite a few girls having other commitments. Senior Captain Sam McChesney said, "This achievement shows that we are athletes and our bid to nationals has proven it. The cheerleading team is going further than all of the other male and female sports." With all other fall sea- son sports coming to an end because of falling short in games or disappointing endings, the cheerleading team’s season is extending longer than any other sport at Walpole High School. McChesney said, "We want to show our Rebel Pride throughout the nation. [The bid] has proven that we deserve more recognition than the minimal amount we have previously received." This is the second time in school history that the Reb- els have qualified for Nationals but this being the first time during a fall season. Last year, the varsity winter team went to Hartford, Connecticut and became Na- tional Champions. The girls are dreaming bigger this year and would like to continue their quest to become National Champions in Orlando, Florida. The team is going to have many fundraisers throughout the win- ter to raise the estimated $15,000 needed for the trip. McChesney said, "With our new all-star coaches helping us every step of the way, we were able to ac- complish a routine that we would have never thought was possible before." Head Coach Courtney Doherty The Rebel Cheerleading team poses for a group picture. provided the girls this year with extra help from ex- tremely talented and intelligent all-star coaches Sean Bibeau and Mikey Hamel both from Methuen, Mas- By Lauren Scanlon sachusetts. All of the coaches pushed the girls hard and gave them the critiques Class of 2013 that were needed, both of which were huge reasons why the team was quite suc- cessful this fall season. McChesney said, "Our jam packed, high skill level routine The Walpole High School Cheerleading team made a statement at the Mas- is what aided us in receiving our national bid in the fall and our team is packed sachusetts Secondary School Administrators' Association State Tournament on with extremely talented athletes." The Rebel’s elite partner stunt consisting of Sunday, November 18th at Shrewsbury High School. The girls got a bid to the a ball-up followed by a switch-up to heel-stretch is the most skill packed stunt State Tournament on November 11th at the South Sectional Regional competi- the Walpole Rebels have ever performed. With the new release move of flip- tion where they scored a 175.25, the highest score in Rebel Cheerleading history. ping in the pyramid sequence recently legalized to perform this year, the team The required score is 160 points to move forward onto States and 160 points and coaches took advantage of that skill to boost thier points. From a tumbling is also required to move on from States to Nationals. The Rebels competed perspective, the skill level was very high. The routine consisted of half the team in the second session of the day with all Division 2 and 3 teams that quali- throwing round-off-tucks to open up the tumbling sequence followed by 10 high fied at Regionals. There were 24 teams total in the second session and only skilled specialty tumbling passes. McChesney said, "Qualifying in the fall gives 8 qualified for Nationals, the Walpole Rebels being one of them. In Division us a chance to actually fundraise, unlike when we qualified in the winter of 2011 2, Dracut, Reading, Woburn, Walpole, Hopkinton, and Milford were the only and could only afford to go to Connecticut Nationals." Fundraising will be a huge teams to qualify for Nationals. The girls scored a 165.25, placing 4th in the part of the girls winter season because they need all the help possible due to state behind Dracut, Reading, and Woburn. Although their scores dropped 10 financial issues. The girls will be holding a "Drop and Shop" on the Fridays of points from the South Sectional Regionals the week prior, the girls still scored 12/7, 12/14, and 12/21 for parents to drop their children off at Elm Street School high enough to receive the bid to Nationals that they had hoped to obtain. with the team to play varieties of games and sports for $20 while the parents go The National Championships take place during the winter season; therefore, Christmas shopping. The Rebels will also hold an annual February cheerlead- the Walpole Winter Cheerleading team will be attending the Cheerleaders of ing clinic over February vacation for any youth aspiring to be a cheerleader. America Ultimate Pure National Championship, held March 29-30 at the Gay- Many other fundraisers will be done by the girls to bring in as much money as lord Palms Orlando in Orlando, Florida. The winter season will be the same they can so the girls will be able compete in the COA National Championships. Construction set for press box in honor of Coach Lee Photo/FWCAC By Jake Moser co Field. "Coach Class of 2013 Lee is a legend in high school Think back to the year 1980. Most people recall the football," said Iranian hostage crisis, the brutal murder of John Len- Shannon Les- non, or even the Miracle on Ice in the Winter Olym- tan, one of the pics; however, Walpolians had their attention fixed people in charge on the high school football team and their fearless of the project. head coach, John Lee. Even to this day, Walpole resi- "He also instilled dents, both old and young, speak of John E. Lee and great values in his herculean achievements. In his 25 years as coach the young men at Walpole High School, "General Lee" boasted an he coached and unearthly record of 212-33-7, giving him an astound- taught them to re- ing winning percentage of .855, along with 11 BSL spect themselves, Championship titles, 1 State Championship, and 4 Su- others, and the per Bowl victories. Beyond that, what really separates game itself." The John E. Lee Press Box is set for construction in June 2013. Lee from the rest of history's successful coaches are The coalition the core values and work ethic that he instilled in all plans on building his players over the years, helping these young men a press box on the hill opposite the bleachers for in- man, junior varsity, and varsity football teams be able prosper and succeed in college and the working world. game commentary and filming of the various sports to make use of the John E. Lee Press Box, but also the Hence, in honor of our town's famed football coach teams that make use of John Turco Field at WHS. Al- teams for soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and track can former players, the Walpole High School Gridiron though football boosters and former football players are utilize the building during their own games as well. Boosters, Friends of Walpole Community Athletic spearheading the project, other sports teams—both at Also, there are numerous youth sports programs that Complex (FWCAC), and other donators have begun a the high school level and youth level alike—will ben- will have the opportunity to utilize the press box too. project to raise a structure in Coach Lee’s name at Tur- efit from the structure. Not only will our town's fresh- continued on page 10 Page 2 The Rebellion December 2012 EDITORIALS What should Obama do next? By Matt Brownsword if the violence spills over Syria's bor- Class of 2014 ders into other, already problematic Middle East countries, the already The election's over. Every number thin fabric of the Middle East will be has been crunched—at least, I think ripped apart. Obama should help the Florida's done counting—and Presi- rebels when the time is right, through dent Barack Obama has won, and military operations on the ground no amount of Karl Rove and Grover and a restriction of airspace for Syr- Norquist complaining can change ian war planes so that al-Assad can be the result. The Democratic Party ousted and Syria can become a demo- controls the Senate and the White cratic nation and not severely dam- House, and the Republican Party con- age the structure of the Middle East. trols the House of Representatives. Another foreign dispute, The Israel- CNN, being the pioneer of the fu- Gaza conflict has ceased for now, after ture that it is, has already installed seven days of airstrikes littering the polls trying to gauge who the front- streets of Israel and Gaza. This con- runners will be for the 2016 presi- flict is only a product of the constant dential election. Senator Marco Ru- war that has ravaged the Middle East bio and current Secretary of State since the inception of Israel, and since Hillary Clinton were leading the the U.S. is a longstanding ally of Israel, Iowa pre-pre-pre-straw poll num- we must help in their defense. How- bers for their respective parties. ever, Bebe Netanyahu, prime minister No one doubts that the president of Israel, has maintained that Israel has a tough job in getting America has the right to defend themselves, back to the level of economic pros- and Obama has taken this stance for perity, national secturity, and hope now; seemingly, it is a win-win, for for the future that was acheived President Barack Obama was relected this past election, Obama is supporting Israel while also with even higher expectations in the rehabilition of the economy.