Most teachers follow the rule of not swearing—being mature adults and role models, they usually refrain from any sort of cursing. Students, however, use curse words much more in their day-to-day vernacular, and are therefore subject to possible embarrassment and/or punishment.

“I swear in school,” said Scotty Peterson ’12. “It’s just a habit. My teachers are usually cool about it unless I say it loudly—then they get mad.”

Some students, unlike Peterson, hold back on any sort of cussing.

“I respect teachers so I try and not curse,” said Mikell Washington ’12.

Whether or not students swear is often determined by the reaction their teachers have to it. Some teachers might be lenient, while others might be stricter.

“Some teachers recognize that we’re mini-adults so they don’t care, but there are some who do,” said Jordan Olson ’12. “The ones who do are usually very rude about it.”

Teachers who come down harder on students have their reasons, some of which being that the student intended to disrespect the teacher or the learning environment. However, many students claim that whenever they swear, it’s almost always accidental.

“I’ve sworn a couple of times when I forgot teachers were in the room,” said Cameron Meyer ’14. “I never do if I know the teacher is there.”

It’s permissible that students are allowed to speak the way they would like to their friends, but should show some decorum inside the classroom. The rapport between students and teachers should be professional and, in turn, formal.

Students at Staples often aim to respect the teachers.

“You have to respect the teachers, because they have too much swag,” said Washington.

You walk through the hallway to the cafeteria, where tables adorned with glistening green tablecloths replace the usual lunchtime décor. Your favorite pop band “The Left Banke,” is performing a bubbly tune about a girl named Renee on a nearby, temporary stage.

You are not in Kansas anymore.

You are at Staples’ Junior Prom in 1966, when theme dances were still alive and the old Staples still consisted of multiple separate buildings. Becki Whittington ’67, who was on the Prom Committee both her junior and senior years, recalls that it was a “big deal” to have a lot of amazing decorations to go along with the theme.

But fast forward a decade to Staples’ Senior Prom in 1977, and there wasn’t any theme at all.

“To have a themed prom would have been giving in to the old fashioned ways of our parents,” Amy Leonard ’77 said, a mother of a current Staples sophomore. “In the 70s, it was all about doing things differently.”

Leonard remembers her prom due to the popular music at that time: Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, the BeeGees, Queen, and Abba in particular. She said that because they didn’t have a lot of other opportunities to go to dances and be fancy, “this was the big one.”

Although prom was an important event even back then, it has changed in scale over the years.

“It was not nearly as big of a deal as the proms are now. Girls didn’t get their makeup, hair and nails done. There were no picture parties or limos. You bought a dress downtown a week or so in advance,” Leonard said.

Lee Saveliff ’79, who has a junior daughter at Staples, remembers wearing a “a Gunne Sax dress—which were popular back then—that was long and light blue with a little print,” from an old Main Street clothing store called Country Gal.

And much like long dresses, going toCompoBeachis a longstanding tradition for Senior Prom.

But instead of having the option of going to the beach directly after the dance, custom back then was to have breakfast at Compo the next morning — cooked by school administrators.

That’s not the only thing that’s changed. A favorite part of prom for many current students is the pre-dance picture taking with each “group.” But for a lot of alumni, it was typical to take photos with only your date and then go out to dinner with a big group of couples. 

Leonard went to a steak house inDarienwith around 40 of her friends.

“Back then, there were not as many restaurants to choose from, and people did not go out they way people do now,” she said. “It all felt pretty special.”

Nevertheless, despite all the differences, some things remain timeless. A tradition that has seemed to carry is the ever-popular idea of after-parties.

Leonard says that she and her friends tended to bounce from party to party, eventually ending up at the old Friendly’s inPlayhouse Square. For Whittington it was more relaxed; she remembers playing pool and listening to records until early morning.

“The goal was to stay out all night,” Leonard said.

Current students who have attended prom agree.

“I definitely look forward to the after party more because it is the most memorable part of the night,” Olivia Hammer ’12 said.

This opinion seems to be widespread among the students of Staples. Jessica Menachemson ’12 also thought that the after-party ended up being her favorite memory.

Suzanne Propp ’81, who is a mother of a Staples junior and a local music teacher, said, “The dances themselves were just okay and even a little awkward.”

The secret to a good night? According to Propp, it’s simple: don’t do anything stupid, and go with a person you’ll be able to laugh with. And for boys: “Be gracious to your date’s parents, bring a pretty corsage,” and always stick with your date.

Whether you attended prom in the 70s, 80s, or are preparing to attend your first, every person agrees that their prom memories are, well, unforgettable.

Before the votes are tallied, before the photos are taken, before people can happily declare themselves “Class Clown” or “Most Huggable,” the yearbook staff faces a daunting task.

The selection process.

The staff works tirelessly before the actual initial nominations of each category to first select the superlatives that will be included in the 2011-2012 yearbook.

“We try to come up with ideas that will best represent our senior class,” said Alexis Kelly ’12, a senior section editor on the yearbook staff. “After that, the entire staff collectively works to choose the best categories.” Although this may seem easy, it is difficult to embody and incorporate every student in the senior class.

However, choosing the categories is only the beginning. After the superlatives have been selected, the nomination process begins. The senior class is given a blank slip of paper on which it can submit an unlimited number of nominees for the various superlatives.

“It was difficult to select people for every category. For some I had so many people I wanted to nominate, but for other superlatives I could barely think of one name” said Emily Bicks ’12.

The nomination is perhaps the most difficult step for the yearbook staff, which must now count each nomination in order to figure out who will run on the final ballot. Usually the topthree to fivescoring nominations are the final contenders in the superlative showdown.

Although some categories may only have three candidates, each of the awards is equally coveted.

“I don’t think there is one award that everyone wants because all of the seniors are so different. There isn’t one person who fits into every category, and that makes it more exciting because it encompasses everyone,” said Amanda Pacilio ’12, senior section editor for the yearbook.

The voting took place on Thursday, March 29 during all three lunch waves, and soon after those final ballots were cast, the yearbook staff began to count all of the votes. In addition to being featured in the yearbook, the winners are announced on the loudspeaker by Mr. Dodig as well as posted on Facebook.

The results were released to the winners on Tuesday, April 2 and for some, the selection process paid off. Emerson Lovell ‘12, who won Most Huggable and Dynamic Duo along with good friend Andrew Fishman ’12, was ecstatic to receive a superlative.

“Danny and I had a giant hug-fest and we skipped around the lunchroom to let everyone know of our victory. We also bought victory clothing to wear for our yearbook picture,” said Lovell ’12.

Although it may seem like an easy task, the Senior Superlative selection process is an intricate and important procedure.

You stroll down the pathway of the campus, fitting in perfectly with the many college students passing by.  As you give a casual nod to the “chill” senior who walks by, you look to your right and see that your dad, standing way too close for comfort, is waving exuberantly at the very same collegian.

This situation is one that is fairly familiar for Shelby Schulman ’12.  Schulman’s dad, an alumnus of the University of North Carolina, looks forward to the UNC college visit just as much as Schulman—maybe even a little bit more.

“My dad went to this school however many years ago, and for some reason he felt the need to say ‘hi’ to every human being that we walked passed,” said Schulman.  “But he felt so cool so I just let him do it.”

This is just one of the many stories that Schulman has to share about her experiences with college visits in tandem with her parents.  Schulman also recounts the time her dad got a moment of fame and stood out among the students on a college tour at Boulder.

“It was actually the most beautiful day in the entire world, so the quad was filled with students doing all sorts of things,” Schulman remembers.

As the tour guide paused next to a few college students playing Frisbee to give the group some information.

“One of the boys missed the Frisbee and it came towards where we were standing. It was literally like my dad saw his moment of glory and ran to grab the Frisbee. The kids were cheering, and my dad was actually so proud of himself for catching that dumb Frisbee,” said Schulman.

Schulman, isn’t the only one with a collection of college visit stories.

Dani Kosinski ’12, has parents who love to ask the “classic questions that practically tell every single person in your tour group that your parents baby you.”  For example, “’is there a curfew?” or “Is there a bus for when it’s cold out?’” said Kosinski.

Kosinski’s mom also has a knack for hanging towards the back of the tour group, while Kosinski herself tries to get up front to hear what the tour guide is saying.

“I constantly have to look back to make sure she’s not causing trouble like going into a building she’s not allowed in and getting me kicked out of the school before I even try to get it,” said Kosinski.

Kosinski knows that many factors are important when deciding on a school—one being that (for girls) the school has an abundance of attractive people.

So in addition to keeping an eye on her mom, Kosiniski said, “The amount of good looking guys is definitely weighed in when decision-making time comes.” However, this is difficult to do when her dad is preoccupied with mentioning how great the engineer building is, Kosinski explained.

While both Schulman and Kosisnki enjoy recounting stories regarding their parents on college visits, Will Horne ’13 has a less event-filled college visiting experience.

“When my parents are on tours, they are just really talkative and try to be super nice,” said Horne.

Horne believes that even though his parents may sometimes “grill” the tour guides with questions, it is ultimately for the better, and helps him out in the long run.

Similar to Horne’s parents who love to question the tour guide, Alexa Casimir ’13, has parents who often ask “a lot of questions, like the ones that are just common sense.”

Casimir believes that “it’s kind of annoying but I guess they’re asking because they are the ones paying.”

Although the stories of students may vary, there is one thing that can be agreed upon: Having parents on a college trip is definitely beneficial and the sometimes-inevitable embarrassment is bearable.

“I did like when my parents came with me on visits because I did want to get their opinions on each place because that does matter when making the college decision,” said Kosinski.

Coming from a parent’s perspective, any embarrassment is not intentional.  Stanley Schulman, father of Shelby, stated, “I never deliberately try to embarrass my daughter.  I am just being myself.”

“I could have continued walking and let it drop,” said Stanley while reminiscing on his frisbee catch.  “Instead I caught the frisbee and turned to the boys and threw it right back.  My daughter looked at me with a newfound respect. “

In addition to living in the moment and going for the catch, college visits allow parents like Stanley to remember their four years at college and to get excited that their kids will get to experience those college years too.

Shelby acknowledges this and understands where her dad is coming from.

“Of course sometimes [my parents] do things on purpose to embarrass me. But these college stories are not times that my dad was trying,” Schulman agreed.  “He greeted every passing person because he was reliving his college life. By grabbing the Frisbee, he must have felt like he was on his own college campus.”

In the front of the school, however, there are pictures of students smiling who were recently awarded “Student of the Month”—an award given out to Staples students by the faculty once a month— not because of grades or involvement, but because of citizenship.

“I send a memo to all teachers at the end of September and again in February (second semester) asking them to submit one student name out of all the students they teach who simply makes them happy that they are teachers,” said Principal John Dodig.

The award includes everyone from freshman to seniors and, in the past, some students have won twice, even with a three-year gap between their nominations.

“I would always walk by the bulletin feeling jealous, wishing I could be on it too,” said Sofia Zenzola ’12, a recent winner. “It felt pretty cool that I could make someone smile and make school enjoyable just by being myself.”

Matt Silver ’12, a recent winner and Class of 2012’s Valedictorian, said that the best part of the award was the fact that the teachers choose the winners.

“Student of the Month is a great way for the teachers to show how much they appreciate and respect you in school,” Silver commented.

The teachers who nominate the students are always anonymous. It could mean that any teacher—or teachers—picked the winner.

“It was such a rewarding feeling,” added Rachel Samuels  ’13, a current winner. “I really felt incredibly honored.”

Therein lies the beauty of this award: it doesn’t have anything to do with grades or accomplishments. It shows how important it is to “be yourself” and follow the golden rule, elementary principles that still hold true. Principal Dodig understands that—and that’s why he felt the need to bring this award to Staples.

“I have always believed that in all schools there are kids who have never been recognized publicly for anything,” said Dodig. “The kids who are the backbone of the school – who do the right thing every day, but never get their moment in the sun—they are the ones who deserve this award.”

However, no matter how strong a club starts out in October, it is a real challenge to sustain the club’s momentum throughout the school year.

“Club activity and individual group members’ commitment definitely weakens as the year progresses. Our main event, Candygrams, is in the winter, so the hype and participation has died down since then,” said Maddie Melnick ’12, Co-President of Global Friendship, a club meant to establish friendships around the world through pen pals and to raise money for Save the Children.

“Now that it is second semester it’s difficult for me to stay motivated. First semester this year, though, was very busy for us, so being a little less active is expected second semester anyways,” Melnick said.

Gabriella Rizack ’13, Vice-President of Go Pink, which raises money for Breast Cancer research, has faced difficulties in keeping her club afloat. “Partially due to my busy schedule this winter we have stopped scheduling meetings and having events towards the middle of the year,” said Rizack.

Rebecca Stern, advisor to the club Shaping New Horizons, tutoring kids at an after school program, states that without a core group of members activity decreases. “Participation faded with each sports season, as different sports began, different people would be available to conduct the tutoring,” said Stern.

Sometimes members only get involved to put their membership on their college application.

Richard Franzis agrees that there is always a possibility students start clubs to put it on their applications, but they must have some level of interest in the club because of the work it requires. “They have to get at least five members and an advisor, it is a lot of work to do,” Franzis said.

For members that don’t have to do as much work as the leaders, they often do join for college. “Many volunteers have never worked, so it is clear that many students signed up for SafeRides just to put it on their college applications,” said Gregg Bonti ’12, President of SafeRides, a club organized to provide safe rides home for kids on Saturday nights.

Some clubs make sure members are only there because they are interested in it. “I feel that those who are in the club just for college have dropped out. In the beginning of the year, the first month of meetings were basically just me talking about how dedicated and respectful you need to be and if you are doing this for college applications, this is not the organization for you,” said Sami Schwaeber, President of Best Buddies.

Even though clubs may not be filled with college application seeking members, membership can still falter. “It seems like a lot more students play winter and spring sports for our club, so not as many people are able to come to the meetings,” Melnick said.

Countless clubs that start off the year successfully will have disappeared by the end of the year, for reasons that are out of the clubs control. But, some manage to thrive despite the challenges.

Leaders realize that in order to keep the members interested they must be pro-active presidents. “People just need more reminding to attend meetings and make cards,” said Claire Carroll ’13, President of Stamps for Soldier. Stamps for Soldiers writes cards to send to the troops.

President Victoria Mechanic ’12 of the Interact Club designed for volunteering around Westport agrees. “We have meetings every Wednesday, no matter what, it doesn’t matter whether we have something to do or are just going to discuss future plans and activities,” Mechanic said.

Bonti also attributes SafeRides’s success to the good reputation it has among the Staples community. “The enthusiastic volunteers and their dedication have also greatly contributed to the success of SafeRides!” said Bonti

It may seem as though clubs have sports, senioritis, and schoolwork against them, but yet many have found the key to success and continue to flourish.

It’s 4 p.m. on Valentine’s Day when Abby Zimmerman ’13 and her boyfriend Kayne sit down to watch a movie and eat dinner together. Zimmerman and Kayne are similar to thousands of other young couples except for the fact that they are separated by a three-hour time difference and must communicate through video chat.

Zimmerman thought that she was pulling out all the stops by lighting candles on her end of the chat but was surprised to see that Kayne had outdone her. “When he put his video feed up he had lit candles and was wearing a suit,” she said. “It was really cute.”

Zimmerman has been dating Kayne since November of 2009. The two met at camp and have always stayed in touch with each other.

With a significant time difference between Connecticut and Washington State—Kayne’s hometown—Abby says that distance is one of the most difficult aspects of a long-distance relationship.

“It’s hard not having him around. I only see him about once every six months because it’s a pain for him to travel to Connecticut and the plane tickets can be really expensive,” she said. “The worst part about long distance relationships is that I can’t just call him and say, ‘What are you doing this weekend?’”

Juan Castro ’12 also knows that finances can play a large role in long-distance relationships. His girlfriend Nina Meltzer, a former Staples student, now lives in Chicago.

“Before you go into a long-distance relationship, think about whether it’s worth it. You need time, dedication, and in some cases, money,” Castro said. “Each time I fly to Chicago it’s a little over $200 in transportation costs.”

Molly Collins ’12 can relate to Castro and Zimmerman’s situation. She has been in a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, Robert, since he started college in September.

“We met in April of 2010 through some mutual friends, and we officially started dating that July,” Collins said.

Robert, who attended Fairfield Prep, was a senior while Collins was a junior at Staples.

“He is an avid rower and now goes to the University of Pennsylvania,” she said.

Collins claims that sometimes finding quality time with Robert can be a challenge.

“We both have busy schedules, so visiting each other can be hard. Even when we were both here, we were busy, but we always found time to see each other,” she said.

Despite time constraints, Collins and Robert are usually able to see each other every five weeks and continue to be supportive of one another.

“He was home this weekend because I had a dance show that he came to see, and I might go see one of his sailing races next weekend,” said Collins.

Castro and Meltzer try to split up their time evenly between Westport and Chicago. “We try to visit each other every vacation, and we split the time up between us. One vacation there, one here,” he said.

Zimmerman and Kayne also find their ways around not being able to see each other every day.

“I Skype and call him every day,” she said.

Castro, who says he spends about two hours a day on Skype with Meltzer, suggests that people in long-distance relationships invest in a good Internet provider. “The last thing you want is to watch the other person lag around and be barely audible,” he said. “It just gets frustrating.”

Collins also calls Robert daily, but the two have found a way to keep in contact throughout the school day.

“We both have an iPhone, so during the day we’ll send each other selfies like, ‘Oh I’m walking to class’ or, ‘I’m home doing homework.’ We send each other a smile when we can’t video chat or call each other,” she said.

Zimmerman and Collins both agree that people must be dedicated to each other if they are going to be in a long-distance relationship.

“Only do it if you completely trust the other person. Otherwise you’ll always be paranoid about them cheating or doing stuff behind your back,” said Zimmerman.

In addition to trusting the other person, Collins believes people should just take the relationship one day at a time.

“If you know you care about the relationship and are willing to stick through it, do not worry about the next three months or the future. Think about how it is today,” she said.

Collins and Zimmerman both agree that long-distance relationships can be manageable.

“Distance isn’t an issue if you care enough about the person,” said Zimmerman.

There’s no debate as to whether or not the SATs are still popular, but the question is, what advantages does the ACT have to offer.

Historically, the SATs have been the more common option, especially on the East andWestCoasts, due to their creation 86 years ago by College Board. The ACT, however, created in 1959 inIowa City, was meant for students between the coasts. It was the first viable alternative for the SAT.

Recently, its popularity worldwide has grown. According to Deborah Slocum, a guidance counselor at Staples, since 2007 all four-year colleges in the U.S. began accepting the ACTs.

As colleges started changing their policies, the ACTs grew even more. According to ACT Inc., in the past five years, the number of ACT takers on the East Coast has risen 66 percent and on the West Coast 46 percent. The geographic barrier is somewhat astonishing. Many students now feel they have been placed in the position to choose between the two.

According to Study Point Inc., an online tutoring service, the major difference between the two tests is that the ACTs are more “content-based” while the SATs are “reasoning tests.”

The two are also formatted very differently. The ACT is comprised of four separate sections: 30 minutes of writing, an hour of math, 35 minutes for the reading portion, and the 35 minutes science test, which is the biggest difference from the original SAT.  By contrast, the SAT test is divided into small bursts of time ranging from 25 minutes to ten minutes. Each section has three different bursts separated throughout the test.

Another huge disparity between the two is that a common perception that the ACT is more straightforward. Students generally find the questions longer but easier to decipher. The SAT, on the other hand, is known for creating difficult wording that can easily trick the test-taker.

Perhaps one of the largest and most attractive attributes of the ACT is that it does not penalize for answering a question incorrectly. The SAT takes off a quarter of a point if an answer is incorrect, but does not take off point is the question is unanswered. The ACT, also, will not deduct points for an unanswered question, rewarding students for attempting to answer the question.

Slocum believes that the SATs at Staples are still very popular because the PSATs are offered, but when students receive poor results they seek other alternative standardize testing.

“Many students are driven to the ACT due to disappointment in PSAT results,” said Slocum.

Many students take the decision between taking the ACTs and SATs very seriously.

“The ACT doesn’t try to trick you while the SAT does. I think that’s why a lot of people take the ACTs,” Ashley Hyun ‘13 said.

But other people see the ACTs as appealing to students for other reasons.

“I think the ACTs are more appealing to people because for most it is easy to spend an hour and do all of one subject, instead of having to flip flop between all the different subjects,” said Margaux Stamm ‘12.

Often times, specific subjects, not just the entire format of the test, are what convince students to take the former mainstream test, the SATs. Such was the case for Eric Lederer ‘13.

“I didn’t like the idea of taking a science section,” Lederer recalled. “I also took the SAT because I always thought that was the primary standardized test.”

But even though Stamm and Hyun acknowledged the appeal of the ACT, they both in fact took the SATs, just like Lederer. Hyun spent less time analyzing the two sides of the tests and just wanted to finish them; she knew they were necessary for college and stuck with one.

Stamm chose the SAT, however, because she believed the organization of the sections of the test were best suited for her.

“I chose to take the SATs because I prefer to have many sections of only 15-25 min periods of time so I can focus for shorter periods of time,” Stamm said.

On the other hand, many Staples students seem to opt out of this decision. They attempt to cover all the basics by taking both standardized tests, hoping that one will be in the scoring range they find acceptable.

August Laska ’13 sees his standardized tests as an opportunity to show his versatility to colleges.

 “I decided to do both because I think it makes me look well-rounded,” said Laska. “If there is one that I do significantly better on, I’ll only send that one to colleges.”

Some students choose the ACTs over the SATs or vice versa because of where they are applying to college. Stephan Patterson ‘12 felt the SATs were the better option because he “was advised [by his tutor] that eastern colleges tend to prefer to have their applicants take the SATs, and I only applied to Eastern schools.”

However, Patterson does not  deny the increased popularity in the ACTs: “Some colleges like to see both,” he said.

Regardless of which test you are taking, the most important thing is to stay calm. Francesco Martinovic ’13 advises, “Relax, you’ll get into college.”

Caroline Valerio ’12 prefers to cruise to school on her two-wheeled,MAUI49cc ECO Gas Moped, in a sleek and sunny yellow paint job, and complete with a roaring Honda Engine.

“I will admit I feel pretty cool when I’m riding it,” Valerio said. “My bright yellow moped, baby blue helmet, and neon pink flip-shades,  it’s a little obnoxious, but fun to see people turn and stare.”

The yellow, grey, and black colors of her sweet ride inspired her to name her moped after the transformer, Bumblebee, however she calls it “Bumble” for short. “My friend group and I have turned the name into a verb, so instead of saying ‘I rode my moped today’ I say, ‘I bumbled today,’” said Valerio.

Hanging from the front of the shiny exterior, is Abima, an Ugly Doll, given to Valerio from her friend to protect and guard her moped when she is not around.

The inspiration for the moped came when Valerio would go on family vacations toBermuda, she would see all of these people riding around on their colorful mopeds.

“I thought mopeds were so cool,” Valerio said.

Valerio takes her friends for a ride on her scooter all the time, and they enjoy it very much. Meghan Fox ’14 described what it felt like to ride her friend’s moped.

“It’s basically like riding a really fast bike without the effort of using your legs,” Fox said. “Once it starts moving, there isn’t much to think about besides how nice the wind and the sun feel.”

But riding in style isn’t the only reason why Valerio decided to ride the two-wheeler.

“I knew that I wasn’t going to get a car for my 16th birthday, and since the moped is cheaper in terms of cost, gas, and gets pretty good mileage, I decided to invest in one,” Valerio said.

According to Valerio, her moped cost under $800 when she purchased it, and gas is practically pocket change.

Valerio’s moped runs about 100 miles per gallon, and she has never paid more than $4.00 for gas.

Valerio added  that in the summer, when she rides it the most, she only fills it up about every two weeks.

Since the moped requires so little gas, it is an excellent green alternative of transportation because it reduces the rider’s carbon footprint, and gives off less CO2 emissions.

Though the moped  may be a cheaper and more fun alternative, many wonder what to do when there is bad weather.

“When I leave for school in the morning the temperature is around 50 degrees, so I’ll put on some sweatpants and a sweatshirt under or over what I’m wearing. Once it is warmer outside and I don’t need the layers I just wear regular clothes,” Valerio said.

Valerio said she rides in anything from shorts and sneakers, to dresses and flip flips.

“I should however, invest in some gloves for the morning rides since my hands get extremely cold,” she said.

Though she enjoys riding her moped as much as she can, when bad weather hitsWestport, she will just drive a car to get around, or get a ride home. However, she will definitely ride her moped in a light drizzle.

The smaller source of transportation doesn’t complicate her baggage situation either, as she can keep a bag in between her feet and there is a small compartment under her seat, and in the back of her moped.

Valerio strongly recommends that everyone ride a moped.

“We can order some leather jackets…and have a Moped gang!” Valerio joked playfully.

She continued, in a more serious manner, that buying a moped would be a smart investment since they have pretty good mileage, they are cheaper than a car, and they are extremely fun. As a plus, Valerio explained that she can park her scooter in any parking spot or near a bike rack and even sometimes on the sidewalk, so finding parking at Staples is super easy.

One down side is she cannot ride the moped on the highway, however she uses it all around town.

Anyone with their driver’s license can drive a moped. According to Valerio, if a motor vehicle is under 50cc, then a person does not need a motorcycle license, and he or she does not have to register either.

As for the safety of riding a moped, Valerio feels confident that they are just as safe as a car, and her friends agree with her.

“At first I was kind of freaked out ‘cause I have horrible balance,” Gabrielle Wimer ’12 said, describing her experience of riding Valerio’s moped.

“I thought I was going to get both of us killed, and we had to go up a huge hill to get to her house, but we ended up being fine and now I want to get one of my own.”

Valerio explained that her parents were always supportive of her riding a moped, and she never had to do any persuading.

Valerio’s unique means of transportation makes her light up with joy, and she doesn’t plan on parting with it when her first semester of college rolls around.

“If it’s allowed,” Valerio said with a smile, “Bumble is definitely coming toCharlestonwith me next year.”

But these prices are not the only ones that students need to be aware of in their quest for the right college.

There are many costs involved with the pursuit of a college admission that don’t necessarily stand out to those who are more focused on paying for their actual education.  These concealed college-related fees, including the travel costs of visiting colleges and the prices for SAT testing, can accumulate for families when money is tight.

Susan Fugitt of the College and Career Center acknowledged these expenses.

“Cost can definitely be an issue,” she said.

One of the most essential parts of the college search, college visiting, can be one of the most expensive, according to Shauna Flaherty of the College and Career Center.

“People who don’t have unlimited funds available should take travel into consideration, absolutely,” she said.

Hotel room costs and high gas prices can drive up the cost of a short trip to visit a college. If the college in question is far away, air travel might be necessary, driving up visiting costs even more, according to Fugitt.

“There’s also no aid that I know of for these travel costs,” she said, “so it’s important to take them into consideration.”

Siri Andrews ’13 is among many juniors who are striving to cut the costs of their college trips. Andrews manages to visit colleges on unrelated travels, which lessens the price tag of her college search.

“Basically I try to see schools around where I go on vacation,” she said. “Soccer also brings me to places with colleges around, so I get to see those.”

Standardized testing prices can also add to the costs of college application.

SAT testing, required for application to most US schools, comes with a fee as well.

The price to take the basic SAT is $49, while the price of each subject SAT is $22. While most colleges only require the basic SAT, some, including many of the Ivy League universities, require an additional two subject SATs, which can drive the cost of testing up to $93.

Many students also retake their SATs, which can double the cost, bringing it to $186.

There is an SAT fee waiver available for students, but according to the Counselor’s Guide to SAT Program Fee Waivers, they can only qualify for it if they are enrolled in a free or reduced-price lunch program, are enrolled in a program for the economically disadvantaged, come from a family receiving public assistance, come from a family living in federally subsidized public housing, or are a resident in a foster home.

“It’s only for someone really in need,” said Fugitt.

Because Westport is a generally affluent community, the amount of students that qualify for these waivers is relatively low. In the 2009-10 school year, only 2.6% of the Staples student body was eligible for free lunch.

Another expense students might encounter in the process of pursuing colleges is the cost of the Common Application.

The Common Application can have a large price tag, depending on what college a student is applying to. According to CollegeBoard, the average cost of applying to a US school is about $35-50.  However, costs for applying to schools such as Stanford University can exceed $90.

When a student applies for more than one college, the application prices accumulate. For Staples students, who apply to as many as eleven colleges, the cost can be upwards of $500.

The fee waiver for the Common Application, much like the one available for SAT testing, is only available to students who meet certain criteria.

The fee waiver is only offered on a case-by-case basis, Fugitt said.

Students who do not qualify for the waivers must pay to take their SATs and submit their applications, and these expenses, when combined with the prices of travel associated with the college search, should be treated carefully, according to Fugitt.

To make sure they fully consider these costs, Fugitt suggests that any student considering colleges should list them with tuition prices, housing expenses and a monthly budget.

“It could all add up if you aren’t careful,” Fugitt said.

While Priyanka Subramanian ’12 was cautious about the price of her college search, she stressed that students should not cut down too much their college visits in order to save money.

“The whole process of application fees and visiting is overpriced, but necessary if you want to attend the college of your choice,” Subramanian said.