Diagram courtesy of Patrick Tutwiler

The diagram above shows the changes in parking for teachers and seniors. (Click diagram for a larger image.)

Principal Tutwiler announced via Twitter that a new parking plan will be put into effect on Monday, May 21.

The new parking plan will change the current bus loops and walking paths for teachers and students. However, the parent drop off and pick up will remain the same.

The new parking lot is next to the current dirt lot and will be open for seniors with parking passes. Seniors will no longer need to share parking spots with one another.

After construction, the dirt parking lot will eventually become the new parent drop off loop. The new loop will have more visitor parking spots and a grassy area.

The new parking plan and loops are temporary. The administration has not given a date for the final parking plan or for when the new parking plan will end.

Evan Barber | WSPN

Macaroni and cheese is the perfect comfort food. Try it in honor of Mother’s day!

My mom is always the first to admit that cooking is not exactly her thing, but a few weeks ago she made an amazing batch of mac and cheese that deserves some recognition.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I feel that this is the perfect opportunity to share this recipe with you.

There are an endless number of recipes for mac and cheese, and honestly I find most of them to be perfectly comforting and delicious.

What makes this recipe special is the fact that it is super quick and easy to make, and it uses Velveeta cheese as opposed to cheddar or other cheeses that are more commonly used.

If you’ve never tried Velveeta, I especially encourage you to try this recipe because it is a really delicious way to use it. (It works great in scrambled eggs too!)

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3/4 lb pasta (I recommend pipette-it holds the sauce really well.)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon flour
1/4 package Velveeta cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Boil pasta with 1 teaspoon salt until tender. Melt butter and milk over medium heat in saucepan. Whisk in flour until dissolved.
Add cheese and stir frequently over low heat until melted. Stir in garlic powder and salt. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir and serve.

Alex Erdekian | WSPN

Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media act as essential modes of communication and distractions to Wayland students as their dependence on social media increases.

A bloodshot pair of eyes are glued to a glowing blue screen where the time in the corner says 12:36 a.m. Meanwhile, a neglected textbook is spread open beside the keyboard. Sound familiar?

Many students at Wayland High School find that their use of social media easily distracts them from academics and could be causing their grades to drop.

Over the past few years, a variety of social media websites and apps have become popular, and practically every student at Wayland High School uses some form of social media. The most prevalent social media at Wayland High School is Facebook, followed by Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest.

Not only do students use Facebook most often, they use it in a variety of ways. Facebook use includes stalking photos, emailing, chatting with friends and communicating with extracurricular activity groups.

Students feel obligated to have a Facebook page not just to keep in touch with friends, but also to communicate with classmates for school and extracurricular activities.

“For sports, you have to be in a Facebook group,” sophomore Sammy Karle said. “That’s where they put all their information. They don’t send out emails anymore.”

Script to Screen teacher Erin Dalbec explains that she supports students in her class using Facebook in a positive way; she finds it important for her class to communicate.

“It definitely helps with the planning and communicating. Since most students are using Facebook outside of class, that’s the only way I can get in touch with them. Students these days aren’t using email,” said Dalbec.

Students don’t use Twitter as often for schoolwork or extracurricular activities. Instead, students use Twitter to Tweet (post statuses) and read others’ Tweets. You can follow friends, celebrities, teams or anyone whose Tweets you like to read.

“I don’t really post anything on Twitter. I look at other people’s stuff,” sophomore Rex Provost said. “I don’t follow Kim Kardashian; I follow people with interesting thoughts.”

Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest all involve self-expression by posting images. Instagram is a mobile app for the iPhone, and Tumblr is a blogging site.

“Facebook has gotten boring. On Tumblr, you can express yourself. It’s fun,” said sophomore Kate Kaneiff.

School nurse Amy Schoeff and guidance counselor Jennifer Mast are concerned with the effects of social media on students’ academics. They both believe social media can become academically, emotionally and mentally harmful if used improperly.

“It almost has an addicting quality to it,” said Mast. “My sense is that a lot of students can’t ever shut it down, in which case if they’re studying or working on assignments, anytime they hear the beep of a Facebook message, it’s very, very distracting.”

Mast and Schoeff’s observations of social media’s effect on students’ schoolwork seem to ring true as students agreed that social media is distracting when trying to do work. Some students admit it can even completely prevent them from doing their schoolwork.

“It’s a means for procrastination,” said junior James Shaw. “Say you go on for five minutes; it turns into 30 minutes.”

“Sometimes when I have a reading to do for English, and I don’t feel like doing it, I go on Facebook,” senior Natalie Barone said.

Mast also believes social media can affect academics indirectly by creating mental and emotional distress, which in turn can cause students’ academics to suffer.

Cyberbullying is one way this emotional damage can be caused.

“Words can be so, so hurtful. It doesn’t matter if they’re said to somebody’s face or if they’re said online,” said Mast. “The world of bullying has gone cyber.”

According to Mast, students’ emotional and mental health is also affected by their relationships. Social media has a major impact on relationships because it is one of the most utilized forms of communication.

“If you’re communicating on Facebook, and you feel like that’s a conversation that you’re having with someone, then I think that’s a problem because it’s not,” said Schoeff. “You’re not getting facial expressions and hand gestures; you’re not getting the whole message. If people are using social media conversations instead of face to face or even over the phone conversations, then I think that’s a true problem with personal communication.”

Mast and Schoeff also had similar views regarding privacy on social media. They both warn students to be cautious when deciding what to post and to avoid posting anything personal.

“I do believe that it does more harm than good,” said Schoeff. “If you shared something personal with one other person, and all of a sudden the entire school, and world really, has access to it, it can be emotionally devastating. The whole privacy piece to me, it terrifies me.”

“If you wouldn’t say it to somebody in person, don’t put it online. It’s not a space for publicizing your entire life,” said Mast. “Recognize that while these sites may feel secure, they’re absolutely not.”

The Window Dance Ensemble took the Main Stage to perform A Beautiful Mess, a show compiled of dances choreographed by members of the ensemble. The dances ranged from hip-hop, to jazz, tap and even pointe ballet.

CCFlickr user: gruntzooki

From May 7 to May 16, Wayland High School students will be taking Advanced Placement exams.

Starting Monday, May 7, students have been taking Advanced Placement tests for WHS’s AP courses. If students do well on these tests they can earn college credit. Students who are not enrolled in an AP class can still take the test for that course.

Students who decided to take an exam spoke with the AP Coordinator, Language and English teacher Edmund Dehoratius. After speaking to Dehoratius, the students went to a meeting during which they filled out the necessary paperwork to take their tests.

Many consider AP exams to be difficult, but Dehoratius believes that WHS teachers prepare students very well.

“I think they do a great job. Wayland students do very well on the exams; our scores are high. As someone who has taught AP, I know that when you sign up to take an AP or to teach an AP you know what you are getting into,” said Dehoratius.

Students must pay $87 for each AP exam they take.

“College board is a nonprofit organization. They are always changing the tests, and they have to fly teachers out to help with grading and have hotels full of teachers where all they do is grade. So I think the price is mostly about support,” said Dehoratius.

Many WHS students think the price of these tests is too high.

“It is pretty absurd that they make us pay so much, but I know it is worse for people who take more tests than me,” said senior Ryan Budnick. Budnick is taking 3 different AP exams this year.

Budnick agrees with Dehoratius that teachers prepare their students to succeed at the highest level.

“I have a lot of faith in our teachers. We have been taking practice tests and seeing our scores as if they were real. It’s a great way to study,” said Budnick.

The last AP exam will be on May 16th.

Alex Erdekian | WSPN

More and more students at WHS are relying on coffee or other caffeinated beverages to get through the day. If this growing trend continues, it could lead to potential health risks such as anxiety or insomnia.

Your first period class is canceled! What’s the first thing you think of doing with your new free time? If Starbucks is a possibility, it’s likely you’ll be there. Just the opportunity to get your hands wrapped around a foaming White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream sends you running to the parking lot.

What students don’t consider is that one grande White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream has 470 calories and 18 grams of fat, containing 150 calories more than a McDonald’s cheeseburger. Most espresso-based drinks at Starbucks have 175 milligrams of caffeine, or two shots of espresso.

“They taste great, but they’re awful for you,” said school nurse Amy Schoeff. “It’s taking the place of something else; people generally don’t have that and food, they have that instead of food.”

Senior Megan Osborn’s morning routine suggests accuracy in Schoeff’s theory.

“I don’t really have time to eat breakfast, and I need energy until I eat something later,” said Osborn of why she drinks coffee before school.

Since caffeine is a stimulant, students feel it helps them stay alert through the day, but excessive intake can damage one’s health. According to TeensHealth.org, side effects of caffeine include anxiety, dizziness, headaches and insomnia.

Nine out of ten students WSPN interviewed admitted to drinking coffee at least every day before school. The same students also claim drinking coffee in the morning helps them get through the school day more easily.

This is also evident walking through the halls of WHS in the morning, when it’s nearly impossible to avoid spotting a student clutching his or her thermos or recently bought Starbucks cup. Students, in general, observe that carrying a Starbucks cup is a trend at WHS.

“They have a lot of good stuff there, I guess, but it’s kind of a fad. It’s like an accessory,” said senior Maeve Moynihan.

A local Starbucks manager says he typically sees 10-20 students between 6:30 and 7:00 am, the majority of which are girls. Of these students he recognizes several as regulars, and he knows them by name. He also has observed that teens typically order grande (medium) or venti (large) sugary drinks such as the Caramel Macchiato, the Vanilla Latte and various frappucinos.

Schoeff also notes the growing popularity of Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts at school. Schoeff explains that some students crave the social aspect of these coffee-runs nearly as much as the drinks they buy.

“Either they need the coffee, or the actual trip to the place is becoming a habit,” said Schoeff. “The more you drink caffeine, the more likely you are to become physically dependant.”

Self-proclaimed caffeine addicts, like sophomores Andrea Cincotta and Vivek Singh, confess the difficulty of going a day without drinking coffee. Despite their efforts to break their habits, Cincotta and Singh have found that the physical effects of withdrawal are too difficult to handle.

“A day without coffee is kind of like when you get two hours of sleep and you have a head cold. Everyone just seems ten times more annoying,” said Cincotta.

Schoeff’s advice for students wanting to decrease their caffeine intake is not to stop immediately, but instead to gradually drink less coffee.

“I suggest they cut back half; at the store you can order a half-caffeinated and half-decaf beverage. You can increase the amount of decaf you drink and decrease the amount of caffeine, and really painlessly you can get off the caffeine,” said Schoeff.

Allison Wei | WSPN

Girls tennis captains (from left to right) Katrina Gaddis, Emma Barton and Dina Berdichevsky.

“We’re there for Lauren,” senior captain Katrina Gaddis said. “We’re there to celebrate her and remember her through something that’s fun and something that she would have enjoyed.”

Gaddis and fellow senior captains Emma Barton and Dina Berdichevsky have been marketing the tournament throughout the community. They hope that people of all skill levels and even those who didn’t know Astley attend.

“It’s a gathering of the community as opposed to it being restricted to our tennis team,” said Gaddis.

38 teams of doubles are currently signed up to play from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The players include Astley’s father, Wayland high school students, parents and students from other schools. In the round robin, the teams will engage in friendly matches against each other.

“I think that an event like this will definitely put smiles on people’s faces,” Athletic Director Justice Smith said.

When the tennis team played Westford Academy on April 24, the opposing team gave a $100 donation to the Lauren Astley Memorial Fund. The Westford Academy coach told the team that she remembered Astley’s laughter.

“It’s interesting to see how people remember her in their own way and how they are reaching out and contributing to this,” said Gaddis.

“She was a great teammate and a great competitor,” Wayland’s tennis coach Erin Reeves said. “She brought a lot of spunk to this team, and everyone got along with her, and she’s sorely missed.”

Anyone is welcome to join the tournament. Those who wish to sign up as a pair or receive a partner for the tournament should contact keeponsparklingtennis@gmail.com.

File Photo

Members of the Being a Teenager is Hard Enough (BATHE) club and the administration have decided to introduce advisory groups to Wayland High School. Advisory groups will present opportunities for students to meet with advisers in small groups and branch out from the standard curriculum.

“Advisory is typically defined as a small group of students who meet with an adviser, or advisers, and separate from the core curriculum,” said Allyson Mizoguchi, Wayland High School’s vice principal.

If the current plan prevails, the groups will consist of about ten to fifteen students guided by a teacher or faculty member, and the groups will launch in September 2012.

It is still unknown exactly where advisory will fit into the WHS schedule.

Members of the Being A Teenager is Hard Enough (BATHE) group and teachers discussed last spring which parts of school culture should continue to the new school, and which should be left in the old. Students expressed feelings of separation from one another and discussed strengthening relationships between teachers and students.

“During the meeting we discussed what we would do and focus on during this time, such as relationships, team-building, and get-to-know-you activities. We thought of a place to share what you’re going through during school,” said BATHE co-founder, Tori Hill.

Mizoguchi’s goals for advisory reflect those of BATHE.

“We are looking at advisory as a way to strengthen our school culture, providing one more way for students to feel connected to each other and to another adult. We are looking for ways to break down barriers and look at things more honestly, apart from the classroom culture. There’s a need for it,” said Mizoguchi.

To aid in the advisory design process, administrators are working with consultant Rachel Poliner. The administration meets monthly with Poliner, who has worked in schools everywhere from New England to Texas, to write the curriculum.

According to Poliner, the first step in designing any advisory program is gathering a team of people. Usually, this team is made up of an administrator, a guidance counselor and a representative teacher from each department.

“With the team, we check that we’re covering different grade levels, and ask what’s best for this school. It’s a methodical process; there’s no one right format,” said Poliner.

Poliner explains that some people may think that once a school has a culture, it is set and cannot be changed. She believes this to be untrue.

“You can shape it however you want. There is never quite a total three sixty in culture, but there will be a softening of the edges to create a more inclusive environment,” said Poliner.

To spark a change in environment, the time spent in groups is designed to receive student’s input on school policy and layout of policies. However, the exact plan, which Poliner describes as “interesting and unusual,” is currently confidential and in its primary stages.

Both Mizoguchi and Poliner attended a faculty meeting in February where they discussed the potential composition of the groups. Teachers were asked to analyze different scenarios in which students were grouped differently.

The advisory team recently spent a day working out logistics, but details from the meeting are confidential.

Caitlyn Pineault | WSPN

The course selection process for the 2012-13 school year is under way for underclassmen.

When choosing classes for the 2012-2013 school year, students will have several more options. All the classes offered this year will be available next year and many departments have created new courses.

Business teacher Jim Page is offering a new business course, School Store Operations. It will be open to seniors as a continuation of the Entrepreneurship and Business Management (EBM) course. Students will learn the principles of retail marketing, plan and maintain inventory and sell goods at the school store in the Commons.

The fine arts department is creating two new electives: Piano and Page to Stage. Page to Stage is a musical theater class that will focus on many aspects of performance including singing, dancing, and acting. The arts department will also continue their course Lyrics, Licks and Layin’ Down Tracks.

The English department will not be introducing any new courses. However, Journalism and Creative Writing will be offered next year.

Math teacher Mike Hopps will be teaching Android App Development. The course is an introduction to programming and will focus on creating applications for Android devices. The class, offered at both college and honors levels, will be open to all grades.

For seniors, the science department will be offering Forensics and Astronomy courses in addition to the usual science classes. Forensics and Astronomy will only run if enough students enroll for the courses.

The language department is not making any changes to the curriculum, but students may start a new language as an elective.

The course selection process will be run as it was last year: teachers input recommendations, and parents and students have the opportunity to go onto iPass and select their courses.

Shane Brady | WSPN

The Shawmut Construction company saved the Wayland-themed Monopoly board but there are currently no plans for reinstallation.

“Shawmut saved the Monopoly board because it was clear that it meant a lot to the Wayland community,” said the head of the project, Michael O’Conner.

The administration had investigated the possibility of removing the Monopoly board from the old school and mounting it on the new school but had little success finding a solution.

“When we took everything into consideration, taking it down, finding a place to put it, storing it, making a new base structure and refurnishing it, the total cost was going to be $30,000,” said Dean of Students Scott Parseghian. “The Building Committee took that quote and told us there was no way they could spent that amount of money on the board.”

Instead, the board was professionally digitalized and electronically saved so it could be reproduced in any format at the new school. Compared to the $30,000, this only cost between $1,000 and $2,000.

However, as the buildings began coming down, students and parents began to wonder what was going to happen to the mural.

“Shawmut gave us an estimation of $2,200 just to remove it from the Arts building, but we had to tell parents that we couldn’t save the board because we didn’t have the money,” Parseghian said.

Some parents contacted other parents and businesses to try to collect enough donations to save the mural before the Arts Building was demolished but they were unable to raise the necessary amount.

A few hours before the Arts Building was scheduled to go down, Shawmut made the decision to save the Monopoly Board.

“They really stepped up,” said Parseghian. “It was awesome they did that. They knew how much it meant to everyone.”

“Knowing that the Monopoly Board meant so much to so many people in the community and having the opportunity to help preserve this valued item was an honor for the construction team,” said project manager Lauren Slaven.

The Monopoly board is currently in storage but there are no plans for where the Monopoly Board will be hung on the new school.

Connie Yoon | WSPN

Assassin, a game in which students must squirt water on other student targets in order to "kill" them, has become a senior class tradition but will not be permitted on campus this year. (PHOTO ILLUSTRATION)

“The game is a huge disruption, and we’re not going to do it here on school grounds,” Tutwiler said.

However, students won’t be quick to abandon the tradition.

“We’re going to find a way to play. It’s organized within our grade. We’ll do it somehow,” said senior Willem Wang.

Tutwiler encouraged seniors to play the game off school grounds but insists that there will be no tolerance for it at the high school. Even carrying safety items, Tutwiler explained, will be forbidden on campus.

Elizabeth Karpacz | WSPN

As a part of the Walden Forum, Jimmy Tingle spoke at the First Parish Meeting House about his work as a comedian.

Although Cambridge-native Tingle did not plan on becoming a comic, he is very happy to be one. It wasn’t until performing at an open mic night that he decided to pursue comedy as a career. After years of street performing and more open mic nights, Tingle made his way to NPR, HBO, CBS and the BBC.

As a political comedian, Tingle  expresses his opinions on matters that he considers important. Tingle explained that, unlike politicians, he has the freedom to say what he believes without worrying about a target demographic of voters.

“If I feel a certain way about something, it comes out,” Tingle said.

While Tingle’s profession allows him to express his perspective, he also believes that humor unites opposing viewpoints. According to Tingle, a good comedian will make everyone in the audience laugh, even those who disagree.

Tingle is currently in the process of producing his own TV show, through which he hopes to express his opinions to the public. According to NPR reporter Neal Conan, young people get much of their political information from comedy shows. Conan reports that 39 percent of today’s youth get their news from political comedy programs like “The Daily Show.”

And many Wayland students are part of that contingent.  “I love political humor. I watch Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and I like to read the Onion,” said sophomore Josh O’Neil.

Tingle looks forward to sharing his political stances on a more widespread level in the future.

“I feel really fortunate to have found something that I love to do,” said Tingle.

Caitlyn Pineault | WSPN

Following the Rachel's Challenge presentation in early January, a group of students and faculty created a club called Friends of Rachel to continue to spread the presentation's message of kindness and compassion.

Two months ago, Rachel’s Challenge came to Wayland High School. The presentation challenged students to look for the best in others, dream big, choose positive influences, speak with kindness and start their own chain reaction.

Students and faculty recently accepted these challenges at the first Friends of Rachel club meeting, where they came up with a plan of action for bringing positive change to Wayland High School. The club, led by drama teacher Richard Weingartner and guidance counselor Jennifer Mast, began with a general discussion of Wayland High School culture.

“The goal was to open up a real dialogue about what goes on here at our high school, what works and what doesn’t work,” said Mast. “We were able to have a neat brainstorm session.”

“We talked not only about what problems exist, but also how we thought we could solve them,” said senior Michela Luchetti, a Being a Teenager is Hard Enough (BATHE) Co-Leader who was involved in bringing Rachel’s Challenge to the high school. “I wish we had more time; we could have talked forever.”

After the large group discussion, faculty and students split up into four action groups, “Commons Table Jumping,” “Caught in the Act,” “Positive Gossip” and “Artistic Acts of Kindness.” These groups strive to promote kindness at Wayland.

In “Commons Table Jumping,” club members will make efforts to regularly sit at unfamiliar lunch tables.

In the “Caught in the Act of Kindness,” students will observe the actions of their fellow peers, noting those who are kind and writing their actions down on strips of paper which will then be made into a paper chain.

Members of the “Positive Gossip” section will work to spread compliments and praise around the school.

“I love this idea because when you think of gossip, there is so much negativity that comes with it,” said Mast.

The final section, “Artistic Acts of Kindness,” has already visibly begun to start changing WHS by putting up signs with logos such as “Smile at the next person you see, you never know who may be having a bad day.”

Students left the meeting with positive feelings.

“Everyone had good ideas that we can actually put into action,” sophomore Martin Narciso said, who worked with the “Caught in the Act” group. “It was a really positive experience.”

“All my expectations were met,” junior Andrew Laven said. “We have many plans of action for the future. I’m definitely going to the next meeting.”

Those who attended the meeting have high hopes that Friends of Rachel will be able to change the culture of Wayland High School.

“In the group discussion we talked about the idea that talk is cheap. We can’t just talk, we have to do something,” Laven said. “I think because we realize this, and because we have broken the club into four small groups, we will be able to do something.”

“I think because we have the four small groups we’ll be able to take immediate actions so changes will happen,” said Luchetti.

However there will be challenges and obstacles to overcome along the way.

“Change is hard, in any school climate,” Mast said. “I think a lot will depend on whether or not the group can work together, can the kids feel good about trying to do this, and what kind of feedback they get from the rest of the school.”

There is a Friends of Rachel group on Facebook for students who are interested in joining the club. The small action groups will meet individually up to several times a month while the large group discussion will be held monthly.

“The clubs that are successful in this school are the ones that are driven by students and not by faculty,” said Mast. “Because of that I think this club absolutely stands a chance.”

Although the warning was considered “not credible,” Wayland Police and Fire Departments responded immediately as a precaution. WMS students were dismissed from school at the regular time of 1:10 P.M. Shortly after, the building was evacuated of all remaining students and faculty.

“We were asked to search our rooms for any irregular things,” said Diane Muffitt, the WMS Band Director. “We didn’t find anything.”

State police arrived with bomb tracking dogs who scoured the school and found no traces of any bomb materials.

“What the teachers did was go around and check their classrooms,” said Wayland Police Officer Tyler Castagno. “They came back and reported there was nothing out of the ordinary, which made us feel safer and then the dogs went inside to fully check the building and didn’t find anything either.”

“I always believe that you have to be open and let people know what’s happening right away,” said Superintendent Paul Stein who sent an email to parents shortly following the clearance of the building. “It is what it is, it’s unfortunate, but it’s not anything we haven’t dealt with before.”

Wayland Middle School was deemed bomb-free by local and state police at 2:40 P.M. It will be open for normal activities tomorrow morning.

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.

Wayland Public Schools Superintendent Paul Stein. (Credit: Sammy Keating/WSPN)

Dr. Paul Stein has worked in various schools and communities throughout his career; this year, he became the superintendent of the Wayland Public Schools.

Stein started his job as the new superintendent  on July 1st, 2011, replacing Dr. Gary Burton, who had been the superintendent  for seventeen years.

After attending Cornell University as a math major, Stein discovered where his interests intersected.

“I really liked math, but I also felt the need to be with people, so I thought that being a math teacher combined my interests together,” he said.

Stein was a student teacher in upstate New York, and at the age of 21, he moved to the Boston area for graduate school.

Over the years, Stein has had many jobs in education. He started as a math teacher at an alternative high school in Somerville and later became the director of the high school.

Stein was also the assistant principal at Pollard Middle School in Needham, the principal of F.A. Day Middle School in Newton, and then the deputy superintendent of Newton Public Schools.

“I had known Wayland over the years. I originally became familiar with it when I worked in Needham, and I used to come for meetings,” Stein said. “I always liked the values of the people that worked here and also the values of the community.”

Although Stein was not looking for a job at the time, he realized the opportunity to be the superintendent of Wayland was one he could not pass up.

He had known previous Wayland Public Schools administrators Charlie Ruopp and Richard Shay.

“It was a combination of the people and values that I really liked,” said Stein.

Stein’s currently working on new initiatives, such as the One to One initiative slated to begin next fall. Stein is also an advocate of adding the study of Chinese language to the school system. He also wants to add an exchange program between WHS and a school in Beijing.

For right now, Stein is concentrating on his goal of supporting students and helping them learn.

“[The students] come first. We have a responsibility to their education, and if for some reason it isn’t working, then we aren’t doing something right,” Stein said.

As much as Stein is working on bringing new ideas to Wayland, he also wants to maintain the strong aspects of the Wayland Public Schools system.

“I think what I’m bringing to Wayland is more reflected in the goals I have for the school system,” said Stein. “Part of those goals include working with the faculty and the administrators; part of my goal is to sustain those great parts of Wayland.”

(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!