THE LIGHTHOUSE Volume XXVI, Issue III Lyndhurst High School January 2013 Kicking off winter break with a slam BY BIANCA FATA Marco and Mr. Snyder, Business Teacher Mr. place. For this Winter Poetry Slam, I was sure Fuschetto and Main Office Secretary Mrs. I couldn't place in order for the judges to give Instead of the world coming to an end on Rasczyk—deliberated to select the winners, other students a chance. I must say I sur- Dec. 21, 32 student poets gathered in the the students listened to readings by members prised myself. It's a real confidence booster,” media center for LHS’s third annual Winter of the English Department. Garcia said. Poetry Slam. During fourth and fifth blocks, Supervisor Mrs. Klein took a humorous Senior Giselle Francis’s “Spinners of Fate,” students presented their poetry to their peers approach to her poetry, telling the audience a poem about her ambition to be a writer, re- and judges in the hopes of placing among the about her comical experiences shopping at ceived second place. Taliento took the overall top three. CVS. Student Teacher Ms. Miller shared the win with “Inside,” a sestina about an affair be- Senior Grace Gigante kicked off the Slam challenging poetic form of the pantoum. En- tween a married man and an unwed woman. with “I Won’t Let You Go” by James Morrison, glish Teacher Ms. Pastor wrote a tribute to Taliento said she was inspired by the reality which she performed on her ukulele and ded- her alma mater, Columbia University, and its show, “Cheaters,” where a jilted girlfriend ac- icated to the victims of the Sandy Hook Ele- Christmas traditions. cused her boyfriend of cheating on her in front mentary School tragedy in Connecticut. Pastor’s creative writing class, which edit- of her cat. Senior Michelle Taliento and Freshman Gi- ed and compiled the Poetry Slam book, also “Mrs. Ruiz, my creative writing teacher, told anna Arantes were the emcees, introducing shared verses about the art of poetry. Par- me that I should put this poem in the Slam. I each poet and musical number. ticipants were treated to cake just before the wasn’t sure about it, but she is very convinc- “I liked announcing at the Slam because I judges announced the winners. ing. I was mostly happy about making Mrs. felt like I helped out a lot, and it helped me Eight poems were recognized by the judg- Ruiz proud when I won,” Taliento said. prepare to read [my poem],” Arantes said. es: “Stranger” by Arantes, Musical interludes performed by band and “A ‘Real’ Woman” by Junior choir members gave the students and judges Jasmine Caamano, “Ode a chance to digest the poetry. Senior Christi- to Chapstick” by Freshman na Barone, Junior Rachel Palmisano, Sopho- Emyah Crisostomo, “Untitled” more Shanice Aquino and Gigante spread the by Sophomore Ketevan Ko- holiday spirit by singing Christmas-themed bauri, “The Preface” by Ju- songs. nior Kara Mackin, “Love” by Aquino, Seniors Julia Pennello and Nicole Sophomore Ruka Olunlade, Wartel; Sophomores Katriel Schwab, Jessi- “Its Voice” by Freshman Ash- ca Shortino and Emily Young and Freshmen ley Stephens and “Do You Mackenzie Bancroft and Monica Baranowski Know What You Want?” by also joined together to perform “Edelweiss” Freshman Ryan Smith. from “The Sound of Music” on their flutes. Sophomore Lucinda Gar- “The music was incredible! Each of the per- cia took third place with “Cy- formances gave something special, and all cling,” a poem about friend- the carols before the holiday season made ship. CHRISTIANE PIEZAS our afternoon at the Slam much merrier,” “I definitely did not expect Senior Grace Gigante (left) performs on her ukuleke and Junior Jas- Taliento said. to win. At the Spring Poet- mine Caamano (right) recites her poem, “A ‘Real’ Woman,” at the As the judges—English Teachers Mrs. De- ry Slam last year, I won first Third Annual Winter Poetry Slam on Dec. 21. Facing the winter with no snow days ahead BY SEAN MCCHESNEY whether days would be subtracted from the to school on Nov. 8 and 9, making up the two beginning or end of the break. days that had been exceeded. Superstorm Sandy wiped through the tri- When Lyndhurst schools were closed due Junior Joey Mayerchak plans to spend part state area in October. As a result, Lyndhurst to the superstorm, students missed five days of his spring break in Old Forge, New York with schools were closed for an entire week and his friends. many schools in the area remained closed “If spring break were shortened, my trip even longer. With all emergency days now “I hate the fact that we lost would be cut short,” Mayerchak said. gone, Lyndhurst schools and the Board of Ed- all our snow days.” Sophomore Nolan Kelly and Junior Frank ucation may be faced with a major dilemma. Rago also worry that the length of spring break Business Administrator of the Board of of school, even though only three emergency will be reduced. Education Mr. DiPisa has been in charge of “I hate the fact that we lost all our snow days. non-curriculum topics such as finance and fa- days are built into the academic calendar. Working in Lyndhurst students’ favor, the It really grinds my gears,” Rago said. “I hope cilities in the district for almost two years. He our break will not be affected. However, I do said that if Lyndhurst uses any more emer- annual New Jersey Education Association conference for teachers scheduled for Nov. think [the district] will have to shorten some gency days, spring recess would have to be of our breaks if we have a winter with a lot of shortened. He said it has not been decided 8 and 9, was cancelled due to storm dam- age in Atlantic City. Therefore, students went snow.” PAGE 2 The Lighthouse January 2013 Question: If you could be on any reality tele- COLUMN vision show, which one What would would you choose? Coppola do? COLUMN COMPILED BY What would GIANNA DIPISA Hmm...excellent question. How Newman do? did you know I happen to be a re- ality TV addict? COMPILED BY I suppose I could aspire to be GIANNA DIPISA on one of the “Real Housewives” franchises: it might be nice to COURTESY OF GIANNA DIPISA COURTESY OF GIANNA DIPISA Reality TV is an interesting an- have oodles of money and very imal. Sometimes, it’s entertaining. melt before you can even dance little discernible intelligence or want to be on a baking or cook- Other times it’s the precursor of with it. “Amazing Race”? I do my common sense. By that same to- ing competition show—way too sin to Armageddon. own versions when I go to Eu- ken, I could be a housemate on stressful, and potentially hazard- So, I looked up information on rope. “America’s Funniest Home the “Jersey Shore.” Unfortunately ous to one’s health. How many the history of Reality TV. YES I Videos”? I try not to be around I think I am a little too old for that— “Top Chef” contestants have looked it up on Wikipedia. YES, kids with wiffle ball bats near my even though I may be the same maimed themselves with ridicu- I know it’s not 100 percent accu- personal space. “Little People, age or even younger than “The lously sharp knives? Too many to rate, English Department. NO, Big World”? I prefer “Big People, Situation.” count! And some of those people I don’t care that the information Little World.” “Deal or No Deal”? If I were to move beyond the were supposedly “master” chefs? may not be the best. Where else I’d demand a deal right away, be- Garden State, I would have loved Count me out. can you find an intricate chart of fore I picked any cases, and not to be a member of the original sea- I guess when it comes down to it, scenarios for the Temple Run waste Howie’s time. “The Biggest son of “Laguna Beach.” I would I would probably have to say “Sur- Stage of “Legends of The Hidden Loser”? I’d rather be the “Smallest have book deals and a clothing vivor: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast.” I Temple” and then search for Ar- Winner.” “Scare Tactics”? They’d line now, and I would not have know, it’s pretty old school, right? chie Manning’s career completion have a hard time showing a scene had to bother with all those te- But it would afford me the oppor- percentage in the NFL? where I beat the bejesus out of dious degrees I pursued instead. tunity to live in a beautiful exotic Now, there have been an incred- whatever costumed “demon” they I must admit I wouldn’t mind work- location for a few months, and ible number of Reality TV shows. threw at me. ing for Jeff Lewis of “Flipping Out.” dealing with the group dynamics Some are easily put under the While there are many others we That man is insanely talented and and potential alliances could be “Reality” label such as “Big Broth- could talk about, I have to finish seemingly insane. How hard could pretty fun and challenging. er,” “The Real World” or even the and make sure the fantastic edi- it be spending hundreds of thou- Now I don’t relish the idea of dopey Kardashians. I’d pass on tors of “The Lighthouse” can fit this sands of other people’s dollars having to catch, kill and cook my all those, plus Kim’s gotta stop sucker in.