the Volume XXV Number 2 Manchester Essex Regional High School 36 Lincoln Street Manchester, MA 01944 November 13, 2018 Restructuring proposal TEACHER HALLOWEEN CONTEST aims to address student behavior, school athletics Admin. position to be letics and leadership,” she said. split into academic After the athletics review, an athletics task force identified that behavioral dean, an area to address was the role of athletic director the athletics director, Puglisi said. “The Task Force Commit- By Sirine Benali INDEPENDENT EDITOR tee has determined that the Ath- letic Director at MERSD must By restructuring the current be a full-time professional…The role of the assistant principal/ Committee considers this recom- athletic director, into two posi- mendation the number one priori- tions—an academic behavioral ty for the athletics program…The dean and an athletic director—the wide array of leadership, man- administration is aiming to ad- agement and day-to-day duties dress certain needs in both the involved demands a professional athletic and behavioral areas, with full time devotion,” the Ath- Principal Patricia Puglisi said. letics Task Force report said. “[The restructuring] has been Additionally, the athletic direc- in progress, in terms of thinking tor would teach some sections of about the need, for a long time. gym and wellness. Last year, we had the athletic “Currently, we have gym class- review, which really reflected es spanning from 27 students to some needs to change our prac- 35 students. That’s not conducive tice in athletics and to provide a to really developing those well- COURTESY OF FACULTY structure that will give kids more ness traits that we are looking for, Teachers Mary Buckley-Harmon dressed as Dora the Explorer; Erin Fortunato as Salt Bae; Abigail opportunities and a stronger pro- so the position that we’re Donnelly, John Mullady, Lauren DuBois, and Jennifer Coleman as versions of Michael Scott; Daniel gram to develop educational ath- RESTRUCTURING, page 3 Koughan as three-hole-punch Jim; Kristin Umile as Flo; and Amanda Frithsen as Lorelai Gilmore. Mock election Boosters implement able to raise a significant amount fundraisers, of money through advertisements gives students for a program booklet for all fall increase school spirit sports. The booklet has been dis- real voting tributed to fall sports teams and is By Olivia Turner available in the main office and INDEPENDENT STAFF experience the canteen. Dwindling school spirit has A Boosters Club membership By Mia Cromwell spurred the Manchester Essex drive charged a $25 joining fee to INDEPENDENT EDITOR Athletic Boosters Club to find fund several $1,000 scholarships new ways to fundraise and in- for the Class of 2019. These As a way to civically engage crease Hornet pride in the 2018- scholarships were not available students, the AP U.S. Govern- 19 school year. for the Class of 2018 due to a lack ment and Politics class hosted a Since the release of a 2017- of funding. mock election through the Na- 2018 athletics review, an athlet- To aid fall team spirit, the tional Student Parent Mock Elec- ics task force has Boosters worked tion program, AP U.S. Govern- MIA CROMWELL PHOTO been implemented with Jungle Inc. to ment and Politics teacher Jennifer Senior Eve Feuerbach voted at a booth the AP U.S. Government to improve sports ‘The goal is to create an online ap- Coleman said. and Politics class set up for the mock election held on Nov. 2. programs. develop pride in parel store for the The mock election took place Principal Pa- our school and teams. Proceeds on Nov. 2 during U block and from this election: the Senate dents created a 30-second to one- tricia Puglisi said from purchases lunch. The voting booths were set Race, Massachusetts’ 6th Con- minute radio or TV ad, a poster members of the to show that made on the web- up in the main hallway during U gressional Race, Massachusetts’ or digital poster, and a candidate task force have pride through site help fund the block and outside of the cafeteria Governor Race, and Ballot Ques- handout, Coleman said. aided in the re- fall sports. during lunch, and students voted tion 1, Coleman said. These three works were dis- emergence of the things like spirit “The goal is to using electronic ballots on iPads, AP U.S. Government and Poli- played around the school, posted Boosters. The wear.’ develop pride in she said. tics student senior Lena Brzez- on a website created for the elec- club works col- our school and to - PATRICIA PUGLISI This election simulated the inski said students researched tion, and sent to parents and the laboratively with show that pride midterm elections that took place either the candidates’ background community through Principal Pa- the school to en- through things like on Nov. 6. or Ballot Question 1 in order to tricia Puglisi’s weekly email, she sure equitable funding for school spirit wear,” Puglisi said. “If we AP U.S. Government and Poli- learn all the information about the said. sports and provide equipment that can expand it beyond athletics as tics students were put in groups of topic. This gave the public access, the district may be unable to af- they’re doing with some of the three and four and were assigned Once they thoroughly re- through an electronic ballot, to ford. other clubs, it will bring a more to focus on one of four issues searched the candidates, the stu- MOCK ELECTION, page 3 Puglisi said the Boosters were BOOSTERS CLUB, page 3 “ News Features Opinion Sports Arts Humanitarian League Tower Gardens GMOs Fall sports Abby Spinney -page 2 -page 4 -page 7 -pages 9-10 -page 11 Night of Stars Alumni Abroad Khashoggi’s Murder Chorus/Band -page 3 -page 5 -page 8 -page 12 2 The Independent Volume XXV #2 November 13, 2018 NEWS News Brief Green Team scholars grow school sustainability American Western Literature class Junior, senior attends “The Sisters use projects to Brothers” English teacher Debra improve school’s Isensee’s American Western literature class environment attended a screening of By Hannah Freeman the new film “The Sisters INDEPENDENT EDITOR Brothers” on Oct. 18, following their study As a part of their capstone of Western literature projects, Green Team scholars ju- throughout first quarter. nior Nils Taylor and senior Annie The film, based on a Martin worked to create oppor- novel by the same name, tunities to promote sustainability which was published in within the school. 2011, follows two brothers, Since the beginning of her Charlie and Eli Sisters, sophomore year, Martin has been portrayed by Joaquin working toward the goal of pro- Phoenix and John C. viding the school with greenhous- Reilly, on their journey es in order to extend the growing through the frontier season in the school garden. Northwest United States as “Without this project, having they work as assassins. the gardens wasn’t working suc- After reading the novel cessfully because the summer as a part of the outside was the only time we were able to reading list for the course, grow vegetables, and school isn’t the students were able in session then,” she said. to use the film to draw The project, which cost a total HANNAH FREEMAN PHOTO comparisons not only to of $20,000, was funded through On Nov. 9, sophomore Lars Birkeland and Green Team adviser Keith Gray helped plant apple, the novel on which it was grants from the Spaulding Educa- pear, and plum trees outside on the lawn between the middle and high school. Junior Nils Taylor based, but to others they tion Fund, Whole Kids Founda- said this project will provide the cafeteria with fresh fruit. have read throughout the tion, the Hooper Fund, and the quarter. Cape Ann Community Founda- zen,” Green Team adviser Keith project that will similarly impact far away,” Taylor said. Isensee said she enjoyed tion. Gray said. the school community, installing The trees were installed on showing the students the The greenhouses will be in- Gray said he hopes the green- apple, pear and plum trees on Nov. 9 by various students on the film because, despite still stalled during the second week of houses will provide the school the lawn between the middle and Green Team, after Taylor secured being set in the past, it Dec. by The Works, a local con- with more growing opportunities high school. $2,000 in grant money this past modernizes the story and struction company owned by Jes- and will help provide more food He said he hopes that the trees year from the Spaulding Educa- allows students to better se DeBenedictis that has offered for the school cafeteria. will help the community by pro- tion Fund. The classes worked to comprehend all works of to work on the project for free. “[The greenhouses] will al- viding the school with fresh fruit plant trees in boxes throughout the literature about this period. “[Jesse Benedictis] has been low the school to serve fresh to serve in the cafeteria. day. Principal Patricia Puglisi generous to help us with this vegetables further into the school “I think this project...will pro- “We have been working to in- said learning opportunities project. It’s ideal to get this proj- year, which will be really great,” vide students with fruit grown on stall them into the boxes by col- such as this help students ect done before winter break, so he said. property in the cafeteria rather laborating with all the Green Team both in and out of the the ground isn’t completely fro- Taylor has been working on a than fruit that is shipped in from classes,” Taylor said.