Marissa Daftary

In recent years, juniors have been pressured into having elaborate and perfect Prom proposals.

In today’s society, social media is a prominent aspect of teen life and can be used in ways that our parents would never have imagined. In their day, a prom proposal was nothing more than “Hey, do you want to go to the prom with me?” A simple yes or no.

Unfortunately, it has become tradition in recent years to put forth elaborate prom proposals. As with any tradition, people expect proposals to become more complicated.

I know of some prospective prom seekers who have said that they will only accept an elaborate proposal. If that’s the case, it forces the asker to propose elaborately or not at all.

If the he or she has to come up with something creative, just the act of putting it together has its own problems.

The most obvious problem is finding a creative proposal. Sometimes, it seems all the “creative” ideas have already been done, and many people may hesitate to do something if they know it will be repeated.

Another issue is that many unfortunate circumstances can prevent someone from pulling off his or her proposal. The reason could be due to distance, cost, confidence or a variety of other things. But whatever the issue is, it can easily force someone to ask in a simpler manner.

One quite important, but perhaps less acknowledged flaw, is that the process of asking puts whoever is being asked on the spot because if a person is the target of a well-planned proposal, even if they were hoping to go with someone else, it’s hard to be the bad guy and reject someone who clearly put a lot of time and effort into the proposal.

Also, part of the reason that there is so much emphasis on something memorable is the “That’s so sweet!” factor. Everyone wants to be the person who gets all the comments on the picture they posted to Facebook. Because social media has made it easy for things to get noticed by our friends, people really want something that other students will talk about.

Ironically, the stereotypical “lame” idea is to ask someone over Facebook or a text message.

I find it interesting that the same way people display their success has become almost taboo for garnering the success.

Sure, Facebook may seem a bit impersonal, but I don’t see what’s wrong with going up to someone and asking them straight out, to their face. It’s not fancy, and it’s not creative, but it relieves some of the stress and pressure associated with prom proposals, and in the long run is a better method.

Elizabeth Karpacz | WSPN

Iliana Smalanskas sings Maybell's Prayer during Thursday night's performance. Performances will continue through Saturday April 28.

I’ve always watched the Wayland High School Theater Ensemble’s productions, and Fame the Musical was by far the best production I have seen. The story was great and all of the performers did an amazing job.

All of the musical numbers were well done, and there was a variety of different songs, which made the musical interesting. The musical had everything from upbeat and energetic songs like Hard Work to a rap song called Jack’s rap. The variety of songs kept the musical interesting and entertaining.

One of my favorite songs was Let’s Play a Love Scene Reprise. This song included the characters Nick Piazza (Jonathan von Mering) and Serena Katz (Julia Lopriore). They both have amazing voices, and the duet was charming.

Caitlin O’Keeffe was another performer with a great voice. In her solo, In L.A., her voice was powerful. There were many other strong voices, especially the characters of Greta Bell (Carly McKee) and Jack Escovero (Greg Seage).

Besides the singing, the musical also had a lot of great dance numbers. The ballet dances were excellent, and for the most part, the group dances were in sync.

Erika Moran, who plays Iris Kelly, was in many dances and did an excellent job. She was very graceful in the ballet dances and was perfect for her part. The other dancers also did a good job and the choreography was nice.

Fame is a perfect musical for a high school to perform because it addresses many of the problems that high schoolers deal with. It was also very funny. Gabe Sehringer, as Mr. Sheinkopf, had a hilarious accent.

Fame was definitely a success because it was funny, entertaining, the musical numbers were good, and high school students can relate. Fame was the first musical in the new theater, and it was a great start to the many musicals that will be performed. If you haven’t seen Fame yet, I highly suggest you do.

Matthew Gutschenritter | WSPN

Rehearsals for Fame the Musical are time consuming for student-actors, but much like practices are for athletes, rehearsals are well worth the time commitment, according to WSPN reporter Chris Connell.

In parts of the winter and spring seasons, Fame the Musical cast members attend two hour and 45 minute rehearsals from Monday through Saturday. Some would argue that is too much time to spend on an after school activity. Personally, I disagree.

As an athlete, I know that two hour practices are used to partake in drills, conditioning and skill exercises. However, when a game day rolls around, it’s going to be just like the 100 games before that. I know how to play, where I should be moving and to whom I should be passing. With theater productions, you don’t get the same sense of repetition; each new play these actors perform is different.

As an athlete, goals for the season always seem to change depending on how the season is going. What starts as “finishing the season above .500″ could easily end up “being a contender for a state championship.” For a play, the actors have one group goal and that is to put on a great show.

Most athletes who participate in Wayland Athletics know the game. The season is a time for everyone to try to “click” on the field and learn how to play with your teammates.

Actors only get two months to learn, practice and perform a set of totally new material. Most of these actors, if not all, have never performed Fame, so they are going into the show not knowing exactly what to expect.

From my minimal acting experience, I know it can take hours just to learn a few lines. I can’t imagine how much time and work it must take to learn a whole play, not to mention the movements, dances and costume changes.

In sports, teams can qualify for the playoffs where it’s do or die. The play has a ‘crunch time’ as well. In both situations, people are putting in everything they have. From my experience on the boys varsity soccer team this year, I know that when this time comes around, it gets intense. Practices are longer, everyone is ready to go immediately after school and everyone is always working hard.

The play is no exception. With the first show on April 25, actors are entering crunch time. The actors will be spending up to five hours per day over April vacation to rehearse in preparation for their upcoming performances.

People play sports and participate in plays because it is something they truly love. It’s something that they want to spend their time doing and about which they are passionate. These students live for the relationships they build with their team or cast. Practices every day might be strenuous, but there’s no better feeling than seeing it all come together in the grand finale.

At the end of it all, I think that the actors’ longs days of rehearsal will turn out to be worth it for every cast member and director when they take their final bows.

Find out more about Fame the Musical »

Ally Toto | WSPN

The "Boy Band Dance" was one of the five dances in the class of 2012's Senior Show.

On Saturday night, I arrived at the WHS Mainstage along with students, faculty and parents to watch the Senior Show, and I was not disappointed. But what really makes a good Senior Show? No matter what, every show is bound to get a few laughs, but here are my top five criteria for what makes a perfect Senior Show.

Remain Universally Appealing
A perfect Senior Show has to be universally appealing. It shouldn’t matter whether someone is a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior; he or she should still be able to understand the jokes and what’s going on in the show. But with that said, it’s still understandable from time to time if someone outside of the WHS community doesn’t understand a punchline or two because most of the skits are written by students, for students.

This year’s Senior Show consisted of 29 scenes. Most of these scenes were relevant to all students and faculty, but there were still some completely random ones that could have been funnier if they had been tied back to Wayland. One of my favorite scenes was “Fresh Prince of Wayland,” a remake of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song with a new Wayland twist. Some other scenes such as “Swag Syndrome” and “Tim Tebow” might have been better if there had been a local angle.

Play to Your Strengths
Next, to add some pizazz to a Senior Show, it’s necessary to incorporate the talents and abilities of different class members into skits. For example, let’s say some members of a grade can juggle. By all means, let them juggle in the show; Senior Show provides a unique and interesting opportunity for seniors to showcase their abilities.

This year, I loved the talent snippets like Luke Boudreau’s showcase of his gymnastics in the boys dance and the use of Jakub Buczek’s realistic animal calls. Casey Donlan’s version of the song “Hallelujah” was a great way to bring the Senior Show to a close. Two thumbs up for the class of 2012 on fulfilling this requirement.

Be Creative
Third, it is absolutely necessary for the Senior Show to incorporate alternate scene formats. This year’s show did a great job with that as well. All the videos were very well done. “‘Stuff’ Freshmen Say,” “Swag Syndrome” and “Tutoring Video” were especially funny. Furthermore, it was unique for this year’s show to use Siri messages as transitions although the responses by Siri could have been funnier. Playing recorded voice audio and having a senior act out their recorded lines was a great idea as well. Something that I would like to see soon in the Senior Show is an interactive scene where volunteers can be chosen from the audience. Maybe next year?

Don’t Get Too Crazy
Another key factor to a great Senior Show is finding a balance of humor and comfort in the skits. Over the years, the appropriateness of Senior Show has been an issue of debate between the administration and students. Although I’m not an advocate of placing regulations on Senior Show, I do think that Senior Show can be a huge failure if it makes the audience uncomfortable. I thought the class of 2012 did well with their options and limitations.

Maintain the Traditions
Last but not least, the Senior Show needs to be traditional in its dances but find new skits. Whether it’s the “Dressing Down Dance” or the “Coed Dance,” dances play a key role in Senior Shows, providing quick humor and entertainment. Shout out to all the choreographers: you all did a great job with finding new moves for this year’s dancers.

This year, the seniors had a lot to work with in terms of new skit ideas because of the move to the new school. Apart from the new school, one especially creative idea was the “Boy Band Dance.” This scene was absolutely perfect. From the casting, to the choreography, to the fans placed in the audience, to having the boys run out into the audience, this scene was hilarious and entertaining.

This year’s show matched up well against my requirements for a great Senior Show, leaving me satisfied and happy that I had come. Now that my guidelines are out, I’ll just have to wait and see how the class of 2013’s Senior Show fits.

CC Flickr user: eliduke

No, the world isn’t going to burst into flames, there will be no zombies and there may not be an epidemic that wipes out the population, but our own prior actions might be the cause of the end of the world as we know it.

Tornadoes tearing apart the city of Los Angeles, rain that floods the city of Manhattan and super-cooled air storms that instantly freeze everything in their path; many of us who have seen the fictional movie The Day After Tomorrow laugh at the seemingly ridiculous apocalyptic plot line, but what if we told you that the movie has some scientific basis?

What would happen if the world changed in an instant? What if it is changing right now?

This time last year, Wayland was buried under more than a foot of snow. The winter went down in history as Boston’s third snowiest of all time. This year, temperatures have rarely dropped below freezing.

There is open water on the ponds and almost every lawn is green. It’s only six weeks into 2012, but signs of a changing earth are already starting to crop up. The weather may not be showing itself as prominently as The Day After Tomorrow’s ice age, but don’t be fooled, Earth’s climate is changing faster than you may think.

There is such a thing as abrupt climate change like in the movie, and according to scientists from The National Academy of Sciences, it has happened before, it could happen again and it might be happening right now.

Abrupt climate change is the sudden warming or cooling of the earth as a result of a major change in the global climate system like the melting of ice sheets, strengthening or weakening of ocean currents, or increasing emissions of climate-altering gases.

There is already evidence of these changes. Combined with the recent above average temperatures, it looks like climate change may be occurring as we speak, and it is definitely having an impact on us. Ski resorts are suffering, money is being wasted on skating rink construction and winter supplies, and snowplow companies don’t have any work.

So we’re receiving less snow this year. What does that have to do with the end of the world you ask?

Excuse the pun, but it’s a snowball effect. Abrupt climate change may start with a seemingly insignificant snow-less winter, but it’s all downhill from there. From flooding, to extreme heat, to hurricanes, once the effects of climate change start, they set off a chain reaction.

So maybe the Mayans were right in predicting the end of the world in 2012. No, the world isn’t going to burst into flames, there will be no zombies and there may not be an epidemic that wipes out the population, but our own prior actions might be the cause of the end of the world as we know it.

Right now, the biggest danger of this snow-less winter isn’t in the physical problems it may cause. The danger is that it has disguised itself as a blessing. Heating bills are surely lower as the average temperature has hovered around 40 degrees, and people don’t need to spend money on snow-caused property damage. Without slick ice and massive snow banks, the roads are safer for driving, especially for inexperienced teen drivers.

These benefits lull the average resident into accepting the seemingly harmless changes, making them even more vulnerable when the more dangerous weather inevitably arrives; at a closer glance, the absence of snow merely foreshadows the horrors to come.

If you ask the average Wayland High School student, they’ll probably say they’re enjoying the weather, loving the warm temperatures and not missing snow in the slightest. We are getting soft in this warm weather. Mother Nature has lulled us into a trance, but sooner or later the end of meteorological norms will be upon us.

Courtesy: The Barber family

For senior and hockey player Shane Brady, his disdain for Weston arose when he was in elementary school.

A rivalry is made up of three qualities that lead to ultra competitive situations: hatred, hype and most importantly, respect.

Losing to a rival sparks a fire in the eyes of the defeated. It gives the loser motivation to redeem themselves the next time they meet. In Wayland’s rivalry with Weston, we are constantly seeking the chance to get the upper hand. We become very competitive and it is not just players that want to win the game, but the rest of the town as well. We lose in hockey, so what, we’ll get em’ in basketball.

Ever since I started playing BAYS soccer in elementary school, I’ve been told to hate Weston, hearing coaches and parents talking about how they are our rivals. Subconsciously, I have been much more competitive with Weston than with any other town. I wanted to beat them for my town.

By the time I got to high school, I was familiar with Weston. I’ve even played on the same team and became friendly with some of their players. But in a game, there are no friends; I hate them. My teammates and coaches hate them. My friends and teachers hate them. My whole school hates them.

Everyone at the high school wants to be there to see Wayland beat Weston; the Wayland-Weston game, no matter what sport, has much more hype than an average game. The attendance for the game is much higher and talk of the games echo throughout the high school. There are sometimes even chant wars between fans at games. Since Wayland and Weston are so close to each other, no matter where the game is played, it is essentially a home game for both teams.

When the game ends, players shake hands. Some players that were battling and cursing at each other throughout the game greet each other as friends. The great amount of mutual respect between Wayland and Weston is indisputable. This is what makes the our rivalry so great. Even though we hate each other, we respect each other on and off the field.

Combined with hatred and hype, respect is the keystone of any rivalry; especially this one.

Wayland has few commercial areas with banks anchoring most of them. (Credit: Caitlin O'Keeffe/WSPN)

From the moment the first beam settles into place, I can’t help but wonder what type of destination the work in progress will become and how much fun my friends and I will have there. In the lovely town of Wayland however, my high hopes are always dashed – unless my hope is that our town holds the suburban record for highest density of banks.

The construction of banks represents missed opportunity. After all, what good is withdrawing money if you have nowhere to spend it?

Well, at least I can drown my sorrows in a mouth-watering breakfast from Finagle-A-Bagel.

Oh, wait.

From the minute our beloved community bagel shop closed its doors, I was sure that the only way to stop these banks would be to camp out on Cochituate Field with my tent and portable sink. But suddenly, as all seemed lost, the Town Center project renewed my hope.

A few years back, when the controversy of to build or not to build was at its height, I can’t say that I was too interested as a dedicated Wayland Middle School student. Now, having graduated from the tweenage to the teenage years, I am relieved that the project went through.

Stop & Shop has signed a twenty year lease with the lot, which will make running errands a lot more convenient. More importantly, there is 170,000 square feet of retail space – think of all the clothing racks that can fill that amount of space!

What I’m most excited for, though, is the green. The possibilities for events are endless: we can build an ice rink, host town wide parties, fundraisers and even outdoor concerts.

Sorry banks, but money can’t buy my love. The town center, on the other hand, can bring us community.

Romney has been criticized recently for changing his position on various controversial issues. (Credit: CC/Flickr nmfbihop)

In recent weeks, the direction of the Republican primaries has become ever more clear. Michele Bachmann, John Huntsman and Rick Perry have all dropped out and only Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum remain.

Paul, a candidate promising to end all foreign aid and curl the United States back up into its isolationist shell while cutting an incredible five federal departments, has amazingly finished strong in both Iowa and New Hampshire, with respectable showings in South Carolina and Florida. Despite his political agenda, I admire Dr. Paul because he has remained loyal to his principles regardless of how absurd they seem.

Rick Santorum has also fared well apparently because he represents the “average American” born from a family of coal miners. Listening to Santorum compare gay marriage to a paper towel would seemingly scare away voters, but it hasn’t.

On the other hand, Gingrich seems to have dedicated his campaign to barraging Romney with negative advertisements. Judging by his finish in Florida, it doesn’t look like Newt’s strategy is working.

That brings us to the Grand Old Party’s front-runner: Mitt.

After winning in Iowa (at first, anyway), New Hampshire and Florida, Mitt has become the primary target for negative advertisements from other Republican candidates like Gingrich and Paul. Romney is criticized for his constantly changing political agenda – otherwise known as “flip-flopping.” Desperate to appeal to conservative voters, Romney has abandoned the moderate rhetoric that won him the gubernatorial election in Massachusetts in 2003.

For Pete’s sake, Mitt, we know you’re running for office, but you can’t just flip your position on every single issue to get people to like you. This ‘adaptive’ strategy should keep you, Mr. Romney, out of the oval office.

On our nation’s most controversial issues, Romney has repeatedly changed his position.

Let’s focus on abortion. During the 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial race, Romney said in a debate: “I will preserve and protect a woman’s right to choose.” In a historically liberal state like Massachusetts, a statement like Romney’s would appeal to voters.

Romney clearly did not realize though, that he would run for president years later and that conservative Americans would not be pleased with his stance on abortion. In recent years, Romney has become an opponent of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that allows women to have abortions.

Romney’s “Pro-Life Pledge” states, “I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother … I support the reversal of Roe v. Wade. …”

To defend his changing opinion, Romney argues that abortion was a philosophical issue when he ran for governor, but when he became governor and was presented with real pro-choice legislature, he was forced to switch sides. This argument seems reasonable for a high school vice president but not quite for a governor of Massachusetts.

How can we believe that Romney will follow through with the promises he’s made during his presidential campaign?

Personally, I wouldn’t mind if Romney changed back to his previous political rhetoric like supporting abortion and gay rights and acknowledging the realities of global warming. What concerns me more is that Romney seems to lack principles. He has not maintained the same position throughout his political career, and there’s no evidence to show that he won’t continue to flip-flop.

Changing one’s position on a controversial topic isn’t necessarily a tragedy. However, Romney has done so on almost every issue (research for yourself). It seems he is willing to forgo any principles he had as a governor to win the nomination and eventually the general election in November.

For this reason, we cannot elect Mitt Romney.

Boys Basketball Coach Dennis Doherty graduated from Wayland High School in 1992. (Credit: Jake Adelman/WSPN)

Each year, Wayland High School employs over 50 coaches to try to lead our teams to state tournaments and hopefully even state titles. Coaches spend hours each day working with the athletes to help them improve their skills. Coaches and players can develop a special relationship with each other.

Often, one of the last things on a player’s mind while they are running sprints or doing push ups is their future in that sport. While they don’t think about it, chances are, some of our athletes will return to WHS to coach the team on which they once played. However, is the fact that we have alumni coaching our teams a good thing?

Right now, the large number of alumni coaches contributes tremendously to the success of our athletic teams here at WHS. We have numerous teams that qualify for the tournament and some which win championships. It would be hard to say that we don’t have a successful athletic program at the moment.

One of our most successful teams this year, boys soccer, has assistant coach Charles Goodhue, class of 2002, on the sidelines. Boys basketball has coach Dennis Doherty, class of 1992.

For both of these sports, these two coaches were on the last team that won a state championship. Goodhue led the team as a captain to the 2001 state championship and Doherty was the point guard on the 1992 championship team.

After taking time off, both of these coaches decided to return to Wayland to lead their new teams to similar fates.

One reason why I feel alumni coaches help is that they can form a special relationship with the players that most others cannot. Even though we just moved to a new building, alumni coaches understand the culture in Wayland. They can talk about problems and relate to issues that are specific to WHS.

Anyone involved in athletics knows that sports change. The speed of the game, the strategy and even the equipment used all progress each year. While one strategy might have worked last year, you can bet that it most likely won’t work this year. For these reasons, we have to be sure that our coaches stay up to date on their strategies.

You can be sure that the strategy that was dominant when alumni played would be a disaster if it were used today. Some might say that having alumni as coaches is detrimental to the success of our programs. They would say that using alumni wouldn’t allow new opinions into the system.

I disagree. Alumni can bring a new perspective and promote original strategies just as coaches new to the system do. Alumni coaches give us a distinct advantage that most schools don’t have.

(Photo Illustration: Elaine Hunt/WSPN)

This is the third in a three-part hipster guide designed to inform and instruct those looking for a lifestyle change or simply to become more knowledgeable about this new phenomenon. So, put a kettle of tea on the stove and read on.

You now know how to dress and converse like a hipster, so you’re probably eager to meet some of these mystical creatures. Be warned though – hipsters aren’t always the most friendly, so you may have to reach out to them first.

Before you take to the streets with your cat in tow, just know that you won’t find many hipsters in Wayland. If you want to find a plethora of them, head to a city. Minnesota was recently named the most hipster state, but luckily for us, Massachusetts came in a strong fourth. That is not to say, however, that everyone who lives here is a hipster, so you must be able to spot one at 100 paces.

The key to hipster spotting is knowing where to look.

Where to find hipsters:

• Used bookstores. Hipsters like classic literature and vintage things. Now combine the two and you get vintage literature, a hipster’s dream.
• Riding fixed-gear bikes. In simple terms, a fixed-gear bike has one gear that is attached directly to the back wheel. The pedals of the bike are constantly in motion, and it has no brakes so you must peddle backwards to stop. To some, this may seem dangerous and impractical, but to hipsters, they’re the pinnacle of urban trendiness.
• Used and vintage clothing stores. Maintaining their look is no easy task. Hipsters must stay on the cutting edge of 80′s fashion.
• Farmers markets. This is where the line between “hipster” and “hippie” becomes a little blurred.
• Any music store that sells vinyl records.
• Protests. Hipsters love fighting for their rights, whether it be their freedom to speak against the government or their freedom to wear non-prescription glasses.
• Indie band concerts. Usually, one would go to these concerts with friends. Hipsters don’t believe that anyone could ever possibly share their taste in music, so they have two options for these events. They can either go alone or go with friends and act sullen and complain about how the band has become too mainstream.
• Urban Outfitters
• Coffee shops, both in front of and behind the counter. Many hipsters have liberal arts degrees, making it hard for them to find jobs in the current economy. Coffee shops are just cool enough for them to work at, and they include discounted caffeine. Coffee shops also often have free WiFi, which is key for hipsters trying to maintain their online presence.
• Indie and foreign film festivals. The thing these two types of movies have in common is that they require more sophistication and intelligence to understand than the average movie. Whether hipsters understand them or not is a different matter.
• Taking “artsy” pictures of nature and of themselves, using either vintage or professional-looking cameras. Slap some sepia on that photo and there you go, a new tumblr post.

Finding hipsters in their natural habitat is no small feat, but if you know their usual haunts, you’ll be one with the hipsters in no time.

Do you have your over-sized glasses? Your cat sweater? Your iPhone? There is only so much preparation one can do. Now you have no other choice but to seek out these hipsters and try to win their affection. Catch the next train into Boston and put your new-found hipster knowledge to the test!

Guidance counselor Jim Griffin died on Sunday, January 15, 2012 after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. (Photo illustration: Jake Adelman/WSPN)

Arts & Entertainment editor Oliver Levin reflects on his personal interactions with Mr. Griffin and his impact.

My first memory of Mr. Griffin came when I was only ten-years-old.

My sister had made the freshman basketball team, and Mr. Griffin was the coach. One day after a practice, I was in the gym picking up my sister when Mr. Griffin introduced himself to me.

“Hi,” he exclaimed with pure enthusiasm. Even though I was an awkward-looking fifth grader, Mr. Griffin seemed genuinely happy to meet me. A friendly conversation quickly led to Mr. Griffin and me shooting around together. I can remember thinking how cool it was that an adult like Mr. Griffin actually had an interest in a twerp like me.

On Sunday night, when I learned the news of Mr. Griffin’s death, I recalled this first experience with him. Then an unexpected feeling hit me: guilt. But why? It was cancer that had killed him, nothing I did. But the more I remembered our interactions, the more I understood my guilt.

Throughout my childhood I would often see Mr. Griffin around town. We saw each other at basketball games, high school events, even occasionally in a store. Every time we saw each other, the same enthusiastic and caring man greeted me with a warm smile and nice “hello.” He was always interested in every aspect of my life, and he seemed to look forward to my arrival at the high school.

Once I got to high school, I saw Mr. Griffin everywhere, as it is impossible not to run into people at WHS. Whenever he saw me, Mr. Griffin had the same simple “hello” that always improved my day. It was this simple act that often got a smile out of me, which was tough to do during some of those stressful days of high school.

So it was among these memories that I discovered why I had felt so guilty. I had never done for Mr. Griffin what he had done for me. I had never made him feel special like he had for me. I had never gone out of my way to say hello to him, or to check in on how he was doing. These thoughts sickened me and led to a restless Sunday night.

But it was on Monday morning, when I read Mr. Tutwiler’s email to Wayland High School families regarding Mr. Griffin’s death, that I understood guilt was the wrong emotion to be feeling.

Instead of dwelling on what I should have done, I must focus on what I can do. I can be more like Mr. Griffin. I can try to reach out to others like he did. I can say that simple “hello” to not just my friends, but all Wayland students, regardless of looks, attitude or personality. Just like Mr. Griffin did.

So even with the devastation of his death, Mr. Griffin still inspires me. He still challenges me to be the better man he saw in me and that I now see in myself. His death is sad, but his influence will live on. I’d like to thank Mr. Griffin for always seeing the best in me.

To submit your own reflection or memory, send it to WSPN via email or comment below.

Conductor Benjamin Zander was dismissed from his post at NEC after nearly forty years of service. (Credit: CC Flickr Katrina Kokosova)

On Thursday January 12, New England Conservatory President Tony Woodcock released an “urgent message” stating that Benjamin Zander is “no longer with the institution” – a euphemism for ‘Zander was fired.’

Zander was the beloved conductor of my orchestra, the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (YPO), and the artistic director at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, a private school affiliated with New England Conservatory (NEC).

After transforming the culture at NEC and Walnut Hill, Zander was allegedly fired because he allowed Peter Benjamin, a registered level two sex offender, the opportunity to continue his career as a videographer after serving time in prison and undergoing therapy.

Woodcock and New England Conservatory’s decision to dismiss Zander was unfair not only to Zander, but also to the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and the rest of the NEC community.

Perhaps the best way to describe Benjamin is as a “background figure.” He did not record every rehearsal, only our concerts in Jordan Hall. Legally, NEC felt obligated to take action against him.

However, he posed no danger to any orchestra members. I never saw anybody in any contact with him. Zander’s decision to hire Benjamin, while somewhat imprudent because Zander failed to inform the administration of Benjamin’s past, did not jeopardize student musicians. It certainly did not warrant Zander’s dismissal.

Zander was also fired just eight days before a concert packed with extraordinarily complicated music. Our orchestra will now be under the direction of two able conductors, Hugh Wolff and David Loebel, each conducting two pieces. Under these circumstances, though, our ability to perform at the same level we did with Zander is questionable.

Why did Woodcock decide to fire Zander immediately? Was he a threat to the school or the students? No, he was not.

In his letter to YPO, Zander wrote, “I believe that terminating my services as soon as possible had become a priority [to Tony Woodcock].”

If Zander was correct, which I think he was, then we can draw one conclusion: Woodcock was more invested in settling some sort of personal vendetta than in YPO and the student body at NEC and Walnut Hill. His decision was selfish.

Finally, what I find the most astonishing aspect of this ordeal is NEC’s treatment of Zander, despite his contributions to the school over the course of 40 years. Zander attracted students and teachers to the school. He fundraised and donated his own money for incredible orchestra tours like the one to Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic that I was a part of last summer. He even convinced rock legend Sting to attend one of our rehearsals.

After Saturday’s rehearsal, the second since Zander’s firing, I spoke with a musician who had been a member of the orchestra for four years. She told me she was unsure if she could continue to play in YPO without Zander. Zander brought these remarkably talented musicians back to NEC each year. He was an invaluable member of the NEC community, and he was banished from the conservatory in an abrupt and unfair manner.

Zander was a leader at NEC. His philosophy, detailed in his book The Art of Possibility, urged people to always maintain a positive outlook and avoid the “downward spiral” of pessimism. Zander made a living through speeches to corporate executives around the world about the importance of classical music and “the art of possibility.” He inspired YPO’s musicians and anyone else who had heard him speak or conduct.

While I was checking my luggage at Logan Airport before flying to Europe with YPO, the attendant recognized Zander several booths down from me.

He told me, “I know that man! He’s Ben Zander, right? I’ve seen his talks on YouTube – he’s amazing.”

Zander influenced people everywhere, and his personality is truly unique. He will be dearly missed at New England Conservatory.

(Photo Illustration: Elaine Hunt/WSPN)

This is the second in a three-part hipster guide designed to inform and instruct those looking for a lifestyle change or simply to become more knowledgeable about this new phenomenon. So, put a kettle of tea on the stove and read on.

At this point, your beard is probably on its way to becoming full and you have probably raided your grandma’s old clothes more than she’d like to know. You’ve made it past the first step, but you’re not out of the woods quite yet. (Though, as a hipster, you probably like being in the woods.)

Being a hipster is about more than just looking like one. You’ve got to be able to act the part too.

This post is to keep you from blowing your cover when talking to a fellow hipster. Sure, you can make up some “hipster-esque” lines when talking to your friends and parents, but the moment of truth comes when conversing with another hipster. They can tell you’re a fake the moment you mention you mostly like music from the radio.

But fear not, all hipsters generally like the same things. Here are a variety of things hipsters love to talk about and do. If acting like you only speak French doesn’t work, this list should keep you afloat while conversing with your fellow hipsters.

• Classic literature. Having read these books is not a requirement by any means, however. Just be able to say, “Yes, John Steinbeck is a genius.” Your fellow hipsters will nod wisely, and you’ll be off the hook.
• Living in the city. This does not require, however, actually living in the city. You must simply have a desire to live there.
• Getting a liberal arts degree.
• Being questionably ironic. Most things hipsters do are attempts to be ironic, from the clothes they wear to the tattoos they get. While wearing their grandmother’s old Christmas cat sweater, sometimes they think, “Do I really like this sweater? Or am I just mocking it?” The line often becomes blurred. Whether you like the sweater or not, be sure to play it off as ironic. If there is no other explanation, hipsters always approve of irony.
• Cats
• Music that you haven’t heard of. Most of the bands hipsters like are unsigned and indie. This is hard to maintain, though, because inevitably someone else in the world has heard of the same band. Here is an example of a potential problem you could face: your friend just downloaded an Animal Collective song and wants you to listen to it. Here are a few ways you could respond:
  -“They’re so mainstream.” or
  -“They sold out.” or
  -“I liked them before they were famous.” or
  -“Yeah, I’ve moved on to some much more obscure bands; there’s no way you’ve heard of them.”
• Recycling
• Not washing your hair. It’s far too conventional, and by skipping the shampoo, they are getting back to nature. However, if one is wont to washing one’s hair, one must use all-natural, vegan hair products.
• Being vegan.
• Not wearing labels, and by default not labeling yourself.
• Tattoos that a normal, reasonable person would never dream of getting. For example, a slice of pizza on your upper arm, a quote from a book across your chest or a crow on your forearm.
• Social media, including but not limited to Google+, Tumblr and Twitter.

Now you’re dressed and conversing like a hipster. Only one thing is missing, and that is other hipsters. The next blog will address where and how to find hipsters, so you can put your new style and knowledge to the test.

(Photo Illustration: Elaine Hunt/WSPN)

This is the first in a three-part hipster guide designed to inform and instruct those looking for a lifestyle change or simply to become more knowledgeable about this new phenomenon. So, put a kettle of tea on the stove and read on.

It’s 2012 and the hipster epidemic has struck. Everyone either knows a hipster, hates hipsters or wants to become a hipster. But the perfect balance of wit, plaid and facial hair can only be accomplished by those with a fierce dedication.

Above all else, you must remember the most important rule of being a hipster: never admit to being one.
Even though you’ve secretly striven to be one for years. Even though you’re so excited because your cool friend finally called you a hipster. Even though you bought your glasses praying someone would say they make you look like one. If someone continuously accuses you of being a hipster, the best response is to simply say, “I don’t like to label myself.”

A large part of being a hipster is outward appearance. With that being said, the first step in becoming a hipster is knowing how to dress like one.

Dressing like a hipster:

For ladies:

• Large, thick-rimmed glasses
• High-waisted shorts
• Corduroys
• Ironic shirts, sweaters, jackets, etc.
• 80′s and 90′s clothing and accessories
• Gold chunky jewelry
• Colorful spandex
• Toms or moccasins
• Forehead headbands

For gentlemen:

• Large, thick-rimmed glasses
• Extremely tight pants
• Cut-off jean shorts
• Flannel button ups
• Zip-up hoodies, particularly American Apparel style
• Ironic t-shirts, sweaters, jackets, etc.
• Deep v-neck t-shirts
• Ironic moustaches, especially handlebars, and/or beards and long, shaggy hair
• Vans or Converse

Keep in mind that your hipster outfit will change depending on the season and your tolerance for cold weather.

Where to shop:

• Your attic! Your mom thought her gruesome 80′s dress would never surface again, but suddenly it’s the perfect compliment to your new lace tights.
• Thrift shops (Savers, Goodwill, etc.)
• Urban Outfitters. Hipsters love things that cost a fraction of their original price, and things that cost ten times as much as they should. Who would pay $70 for a cat sweater? A hipster!
• American Apparel. This goes for both male and female hipsters.
• Your elementary and middle school wardrobe. When you packed away that Pokémon shirt you wore every day in fourth grade you thought that would be the end of it. Now, however, it’s the perfect “ironic” shirt, made even better by the fact that it’s a few sizes too small. The Charmander appliqué says, “I’m still young, but old and mature enough to look back at my childhood in an ironic way.”

A few other hipster accessories:

• iPhone and any other Apple product
• Large, professional looking, vintage camera
• Anything with Native American print
• Fixed gear bike
• Androgynous haircut

Dressing like a hipster, although a vital part of becoming one, is only part of the battle. Check back next week to learn about what hipsters like.

Student Learning Centers (SLCs) in the new school offer freedom to students. (Credit: Caitlyn Pineault/WSPN)

When I first heard that our eight-building campus was being condensed into two two-story buildings, I was disappointed. Despite the leaves that are tracked into the hallways and crushed into the carpets during the fall, the bitter cold and snow in the winter and the rain and mud of spring, I love the layout of our old school.

What I love most is the unique sense of freedom the open campus gives the student body. With so many buildings, students never feel trapped. Walking from building to building is always refreshing and clears the mind after a first block class. It’s a perfect five-minute break. Going outside to sit on the back hill with your English class hardly feels like school. It’s not like I come to school at 7:30 and say goodbye to the blue sky and sun for the next six and a half hours.

Then there are the frees. One whole hour when you can do homework, meet with teachers, eat or chat with friends in the Commons, the media center or at a picnic table. No one checking over your shoulder, marking you present or getting in your way. Students have more freedom because they are not constrained to one building, but can wander between eight.

At first, moving into a more traditional high school appeared to be an end to these freedoms. No more walking outside between each classes. No more frees where students can walk around campus. But after an impromptu tour of the new facilities with Principal Tutwiler, I’ll admit that I may have passed judgment too soon.

Spatially yes, the new school may make students feel more restricted because of the building layout. However, many attempts have been made to ease this feeling. Although we won’t be traveling outside in between classes anymore, the new school has many large windows, allowing natural light to filter into the buildings. Hallways are wider. On the second floor, the hallways have skylights to let extra light in.

If that’s not enough, the courtyard between the academic building and the administrative/arts building is not a far walk. Free blocks are not being altered from how they are currently being run.

The media center and the Commons are the two most common places where students who have frees pass their time on the current campus. This will probably remain true in the new school. The library was designed to be a place of collaboration. There are fewer study carrels and more tables. My favorite additions are the plush armchairs located near the back window looking into the woods.

The new school also introduces a new area for students to work during frees: Student Learning Centers (SLCs). Similar to mini teacher lounges, these four centers are spread throughout each wing of the school. SLCs will include armchairs and computers available for student use. These SLCs extend student freedoms by giving them more options of where to hang out during frees.

With regard to the open campus policy, the administration is not planning on making any changes to the current rules. That’s one more freedom that will remain unchanged by the move to the new school.

Some students have also expressed concern about restrictions on their cellphone use. The current policy says no cellphone use in academic buildings, thus still allowing students to use phones outside walking from class to class or in the Commons. In the new school, students will spend most of their time in the academic building and, according to the current policy, will be unable to use their phones. The administration is aware of this issue and is in the process of reviewing the policy.

Unforeseen issues will probably arise due to the move. It’s going to take a bit of time and patience for a new routine to develop, but with the faculty and the student body’s cooperation I have no doubt that a routine that satisfies both parties will emerge.

Switching schools will be a huge change, but losing their freedom is one thing students don’t have to worry about.

Check out the rest of the stories in this In-Depth report, “Examining the culture shift in the new school.”

(Credit: Matthew Gutschenritter/WSPN)

Episode three of Chitchat with Doug and Matt stresses the importance of kindness during the holiday season. Doug and Matt welcome guest Christina Barakov to give some advice on how not to swear.

Click play to listen to the podcast.

Because the current facility is soon to be demolished, less focus has been put on getting rid of graffiti says Lucas Boegehold. (Photo Illustration: Jonathan Chen/WSPN)

Throughout the school, there are many simple things, from door knobs to sinks, that simply don’t work. Increasing amounts of graffiti have been ignored as well, and profane images and words are taking bathrooms by force.

To some extent, the lack of repairs makes sense. Why fix something that is going to be demolished in a few short months? Nevertheless, it is still demoralizing to watch your school fall apart right underneath your very fingertips.

Just two years ago, one would have never known the true amount of graffiti being drawn. Due to the swift movement of the janitors, the underworld of Wayland High School graffiti artists was one that was stifled and kept under tight control. Now, this same underworld has begun to flourish, from odd scrawls that can be found on every wall, to strange hieroglyphics sketched into desk tops.

The language building has probably suffered the most damage.

One of the doors on the side facing the Commons sticks to its frame and requires more than the shove an average high school student wants to give. Most kids learn quickly to give it the extra push, but even the most experienced upperclassmen sometimes run into it and embarrass themselves.

One of the doors that faces the large courtyard between the language, history, and science buildings seems to be locked all the time from the inside. On the next set of double doors, one of them lost its handle and is thus physically impossible to open when entering. No one seems to know where it went, but I think I might have seen it sticking out of the perpetually clogged toilet in the language building on Monday.

Even the bell system has been laid to rest, leaving students sitting in the depths of the library to get carried away in their studies and miss their next four classes. One student was found curled up in a ball sleeping the next morning in the library because his life had no structure without the bells.

The dilapidation of our school has had many different effects on students, and has revealed a previously unseen underbelly of Wayland High School culture. Along with the old school, the problems with the utilities of our alma mater will disappear. Later this year, we will start on a new page in a new school, and vandalism will return to the depths of creative thought, where it belongs. But for now, “embrace” the art or shun it: it’s your choice.

(Photo Illustration: Jake Adelman/WSPN)

We all have those nights when the amount of time we spend on our homework surpasses the number of hours we spend actually sleeping. We beat ourselves up for procrastinating on that biology presentation, curse our English teacher for giving us a “small essay” due the next day and damn our math, history and french teachers for giving us tests, projects and homework all at the same time.

But that’s just the way school is, and those piles of homework are there for a reason, right?

Well, sort of. According to guidelines endorsed by the National Education Association (NEA), schools should be following the “10 minute rule” created by Harris Cooper of Duke University, the country’s leading homework researcher.

The “10 minute rule” states that students should be doing 10 minutes of homework per night, per grade level. For example, second graders should complete 20 minutes of homework per night, fifth graders should do 50 minutes per night and so on.

Cooper’s rule also states that by the time a child of any age reaches two hours of homework, they stop effectively taking in the material, and the homework will not affect their achievement. The average American high school student does two to four hours of homework a night, so according to Cooper’s rule, high school students could be anywhere between 12th to 24th grade.

Obviously something is wrong here. We shouldn’t be taking on more than we are capable of, but why is homework such an issue all of a sudden?

According to a 2004 national survey of 2,900 American children conducted by the University of Michigan, the amount of time spent on homework is up 51% since 1981. With the leap in homework, William Crain, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at City College of New York and the author of Reclaiming Childhood, said that the average high school student is glued to his or her desk for almost seven hours a day, has two to four hours of homework each night, and in total is working 45 to 55 hours a week.

So who’s to blame for why we sit at our desks night after night, feeling our brains melt into the back of our skulls as we reach our third hour of what Harris Cooper dubs, “counterproductive homework?”

As easy as it is to say that our teachers are the ones to blame because they are handing out the homework, that is not necessarily correct. True, maybe some teachers favor ten page papers more than others, but the real answer for why we have so much homework is a little thing called top down pressure.

In 2001, The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was established, requiring states to create assessments in basic skills in order to receive federal funding for their schools. NCLB supports standards-based education reform, which is based on the belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education.

Since NCLB, there’s been a huge push for high test scores, which means covering everything from the ancient Sumerians to historians’ predictions for the future in only 180 days. Add the fact that schools for educators don’t offer “Assigning Homework 101,” and teachers are figuring this out on their own.

“Today’s educators are getting pressure from state school boards to cover more material and in greater depth – all without a corresponding expansion of the school day,” said Harris Cooper. “Students are spending homework time learning extra material rather than reviewing the day’s lessons.”

However, the thing that our country needs to understand is that the challenge of achieving high test scores and managing education can’t be met with an abundant amount of homework.

According to Etta Kralovec and John Buell, educators and co-authors of the book, The End of Homework, homework also doesn’t allow teachers to see how a student is progressing. A student may struggle and make many mistakes without the teacher being able to pinpoint the problem or even notice that the student has made an error in the first place. This ultimately hurts the student’s learning process and grades. Also, studies and statistics show that countries with lesser amounts of homework, such as Japan, Denmark and the Czech Republic, report higher test scores than the countries that assign the most homework.

Luckily, as the homework issue has become more prominent, there have been some shifts in ideals, and some schools are making progressive changes to their homework policies. Mason-Rice School in Newton, MA now follows Harris Cooper’s “10 minute rule” to keep a handle on nightly assignments.

Raymond Park School in Indianapolis, IN wrote a policy instructing teachers to “assign homework only when you feel the assignment is valuable” and that “a night off is better than homework which serves no worthwhile purpose.” Other schools, such as Oak Knoll Elementary School in Menlo Park, CA, have even considered eliminating homework altogether.

The bottom line is, homework has evolved into an unhealthy way of life for American students. Somewhere along the road, homework became a safety net for teachers to cover extra material that they are impossibly expected to teach us. It became a way to put us all at ease, convincing ourselves that our education programs are succeeding because they have been meeting the state standardized bar. But now, it’s time to face the facts. Homework has a time, place and use, but like anything else, there can be too much of a good thing. It’s time to start a homework revolution.

The class of 2014 enjoys their Sophomore Semi. (Credit: Jake Adelman/WSPN)

The dust has cleared after this year’s Sophomore Semi and the class of 2014 made it out alive, despite the stress leading up to the event.

Until a few years ago, having a date was not a priority. The Class of 2014 took it a step further and made bringing a date to Semi as important as it is for Prom.

This year, sophomores employed clever strategies to ask their dates, just as juniors typically do for Prom. For example, some sophomores chose to ask their dates from across the Commons by writing, “Semi?” on a piece of paper instead of a simple face to face, “Will you go with me?”

In past years, Semi has taken place in early November and would have happened weeks ago. This year though, it was in early December. Sophomores began asking for dates in the early weeks of the school year, as early as three months prior to the event.

The fact that students asked dates so much earlier just shows that getting a date has become much more important in their eyes. Many high school students thought that it would be embarrassing or awkward to go alone when in reality, it was quite the opposite. Semi used to be a time for the class to bond. It was rare if someone had a date, but now, finding a date is stressful.

If the pressure of the asking itself wasn’t enough, timing the “proposal” was just as nerve-wracking. The worst scenario imaginable was if you asked too late, and the person you wanted to go with already had a date, but it was also a bad idea to ask too early. This left most people to wonder, “When is the best time to ask?”

As questions like, “Will I be turned down?” and “Is there anyone left?” arose, more pressure mounted on students. There was also the problem of whether a girl could ask a guy. It’s completely OK for a girl to ask a guy. Just because it doesn’t happen as often doesn’t mean it should be against the rules.

Attire for the big night also left sophomores anxious. Luckily for guys, it was easy to pick between a grey and black suit. Girls, on the other hand, had to find the perfect dress. This process can be very stressful, not to mention costly. Some girls even went to the extreme of ordering up to seven dresses online from various stores and then deciding.

The class of 2014 was stressed, but it wasn’t worth worrying about. Whether or not you had a date or whether he or she was the one you wanted to go with, it’s no big deal. Your date was really only there to take pictures with. The rest of the night, you could dance and hang out with your friends. It didn’t even matter what dress or suit you wear. As long as you had fun with your class then you probably had a great time. In the end, that’s all that really matters.