Calling all AP exam-takers!

Want to help out on an upcoming article? Tell us what you do to prepare for the AP exam(s). Post a comment right here.

No Ban on Club Smoking in Wakefield

http://www.wakefielditem.com/news.htm
Responding to recent inquiries, the chairman of the Wakefield Board of Health said his board will not attempt to ban smoking in private clubs.
Stella, in a letter to the Daily Item, wrote that he has received a few complaints from members about smoking in their clubs.

“All members of the Board of Health agree that second-hand smoke is harmful. The majority of the board members feel when a member enters a private club and that door closes behind the member, it becomes the club's business,” Stella wrote.

“If smoking is an annoyance to you in your clubs, it is your responsibility to do something about it. You really do not want us (the government) in your clubs,” he added.

WHS Senior runs Boston Marathon

It had been reported as the perfect day for running. There was a nice warm breeze blowing and a cloudy sky hanging overhead as W.H.S. Senior Rick Carrick ran his longest distance yet, the Boston Marathon.

“I was feeling pretty good, feeling pretty strong,” Carrick said of his pre marathon emotions. “There was a little nervousness, but not too bad though; I knew I didn’t have to go fast or anything like that.”

Fast indeed. An important lesson to learn about long-distance running is pacing yourself, and when running from Hopkinton to Boston, it is necessary to constantly repeat that message in your head.

Even so, Carrick, a member of the indoor track team, did not have to worry about competing with front-runners like Robert Cheruiyot, Rita Jeptoo (this year’s winners). Because it was his first marathon, Carrick ran as a bandit, or as an unregistered runner.

Despite the connotation of ‘bandit’, Carrick says he did not have to worry about security. According to Carrick, not only is it generally accepted, but about five thousand bandits ran this year.

Regardless whether or not one was registered for the marathon, he or she still ran the same distance as everyone else. Even for being a bandit and still in high school, Carrick held his own.

Still, Carrick says he wish he prepared more.

“The longest I ran for training was about fourteen miles, and that was about twelve less than the entire race,” said Carrick, who had been running regularly since last June in preparation for the marathon. “I wish I had done longer distances.”

“It was a lot longer than I anticipated,” said Carrick, who has been running long distance on the track team for some time. “The first 18 miles weren’t bad, but the last 8 miles were pretty rough.”

Overall, however, Carrick still had a good time.

“It felt really good actually,” Carrick said of his first marathon experience. “Nowhere on the 26-mile course people weren’t cheering you on, offering you some water, and stuff like that.”

“Next year, I think I’m going to run another marathon,” Carrick said, “And next time, I’m hoping to qualify.”

A Night with the Guys and Dolls of the Drama Club

10:10 AM. That's when I eat lunch over at WHS. Early, I know, but hey. Before my lunch table begins its weekly tradition of singing "Pizza Day" by the Aquabats, the Étudiant's own Ulfgar Largo (Chris Morrill) would like to make an announcement.

"Everyone has to come see Guys and Dolls."

So, I went. I was treated to an impressive production of the 1950 musical, but this is a news post, not a theatre review, so I won't stray from the topic. Right before the show began, its director, Ms. Emily Strong, addressed the audience, telling us that the actors have been rehearsing since after WHS's February vacation week, the week of Presidents' Day. Chris's involvement with the production, playing Benny Southstreet, has subtracted from the time he spends with his band, The Revivalists, and his academic performance (he hasn't done his Math homework in a while, and sleeps during class). And Benny Southstreet is only a supporting character.

"Up until...a week or so ago," he says, "Most people had one rehearsal a week, then everyone got together on Sunday. The bigger the part, the more you rehearse."

The club spent more time on Guys and Dolls than their two other productions this year, Arthur Miller's play The Crucible and Sophie Treadwell's short drama Machinal. Makes sense: the other two didn't have singing and dancing.

"For a while, I had to figure out the voice," says Chris, softening the '50s NYC gangster accent he uses in the show.

I managed to get all this dirt from an interview with Chris during the fifteen-minute intermission. But the real story that night, according to Noah Rodman (Rusty Charlie in the show) was the rave. More accurately, the blasting of Paris Hilton's song "Screwed" on the backstage stereo, as Kevin Edson (Master of Ceremonies) and Tyler Wilkinson (Lt. Brannigan) flickered the lights while the club danced in their dressing room. I can't make this stuff up; according to Noah, they did it during last night's intermission too.

The club has one more chance to rave this year: their final performance of Guys and Dolls is tomorrow night at 7:30. Referring to the male ensemble, Noah says, "We've bonded so much. They've done an amazing job," when I ask him what he'll remember most about working on the show. Answering the same question, Chris says, "Singing 'Guys and Dolls', working in the upstairs gym, and the upcoming sleepover."

Something tells me they'll be raving quite a bit that night.

Thanks to Chris Morrill, Noah Rodman, and Dan Casey for helping out on this article.

Day of Silence Facts

Tomorrow, WHS, along with students all across the US, will observe the Day of Silence, a day when students can choose to silence themselves to protest the discrimination and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. Here's some interesting facts about the event:

-The Day of Silence has been an annual event since 1996. The first was organized by students at the University of Virginia.

-After extensive press coverage of the 1996 DoS, Jessie Gilliam and Maria Pulzetti created a web page, resulting in 100 colleges and universities participating in the 1997 "National Day of Silence."

-Each year, the number of NDoS participants grows. In 2002, more than 1,900 schools participated.

-Not everyone supports the NDoS. In 2003, several conservative groups protested the event by picketing and even telling children not to go to school that day. According to an April, 2003 cnsnews.com article, the protests were made by those "fearing that homosexual students will spread their message in classrooms."

-GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) and USSA (United States Student Association) have made an official website for the event, dayofsilence.org.

Sources: Official Website
CNSNews.com article

Tuskegee Airman Pompey Hawkins Dies at 91

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060424-111138-7239r

Pompey Hawkins, one of the members of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, died in Indianapolis at age 91.

Hawkins died Sunday at the Veterans Affairs Hospital with his family by his side, a hospital spokeswoman told the Indianapolis Star.

Hawkins, a longtime resident of the city, trained as a fighter pilot and worked as an administrator for the famed Tuskegee Airmen's 99th Pursuit Squadron, the Army's first all-black combat pilot corps that saw action in Europe, the report said.

Hawkins was court-martialed for leading a 400-man black detachment to protest discrimination in the military but was acquitted after successfully proving their charges, the report said.

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Margaret; a son, a sister; a brother-in-law; and a grandson. Funeral arrangements were pending at Washington Park North Funeral Center.

Before his death, Hawkins had made plans to speak at a WHS assembly, scheduled for tomorrow, April 25. Ms. Lopez, a history teacher at WHS, announced the assembly to her class sometime before April vacation, telling how excited she was. Today, she announced Hawkins' death to her students.

About us...

Welcome to the Wakefield Étudiant (that's French for "student"), a blog dedicated to the reporting and analyzing of news, music, philosophy, humor, and more. The WÉ was created by high school students in 2006 and is still maintained by high school students. Posts wise, sometimes (more so often) there will be some headlines out of left (or right) field. They could make you laugh, cry, or punch your computer screen. Remember to be civil in handling your emotions. Also, keep in mind that the views expressed on this site aren't anyone's 'cept the writers. We are solely affiliated with Étudiant Media. The forum is independently run and managed.

Administrators:
Chris DeCarlo
Glen Maganzini

Popular Topics

- Music (CD Reviews, Band Spotlights, Songs of the Week)
- General Politics (Economics, Current Administration Issues, Elections)
- International Affairs (Darfur, Myanmar, Iraq War)
- Science and Health (Disease, Technology, Medicine)
- Sports (Primarily New England Sports)
- Wakefield High School News (Updates, School Closing Information, Sports/Clubs)
- Local News (Massachusetts - Especially Boston Area)
- Humor (YouTube Videos, What Is This World Turning Into To?, General WTF?!)
- Opinion (Rant, Moot and Controversial Topics)

Posting News Format: We follow a pretty simple formula when it comes to posting already published news: quote + comment. You will usually be given a brief snippet (1-5 paragraphs) of news to read followed by a 1-3 sentence comment. The comment is usually the poster's personal opinion.

Please read the following rules before commenting:

- No intimidating or harassing other users and/or post authors
- Stay on topic!
- No spam allowed...at all! Elaboration is your best friend
- Use proper grammar (or try your best to)
- Don't make comments that are intended to make others angry
- Stay consistent with posting under only one username
- No advertising!

Infrequently Asked Questions

Q. How do you choose what to post?
A. To be honest, I don't put a lot of thought in what to post and what to not post. I usually check a myriad of sources for interesting 'objective' content. If there are a bunch of articles that I find worthy to be posted then I publish them. If I only find a few worthy ones then I publish them. There isn't a lot of discretion. There is a lot of randomness. I let the news sites do what they do best -- post about tragedy and other crap. The opinion and entertainment articles are of the stream of conscious, "whatever I feel like" kind.

Q. Are your articles biased?
A. Sort of, kind of. Arguably, many 'objective' news items posted from mainstream sources are skewed in some way. I don't really check for bias when I post stuff and that's because it's often difficult to do that. Don't get me wrong, my comments are biased. I typically inject a little opinion (usually a word or a sentence) after news snippets. My views are atypical.

Q. Has the Étudiant changed over the years?
A. Yes. For nearly a year there were infrequent news updates made to the site. Over time, the site expanded and garnered quite a following. Since academic year '07-'08, there has been a lesser presence of news and a greater presence of opinion, politics, and music. There is still news posted, but we mainly let the real news sites do what they do best.

The Étudiant will be celebrating its 3rd anniversary in April of 2009!