Two words can aptly describe this turn of events: a travesty.

Collab is a non-traditional U.S. history course where students are constantly engaged in in-depth discussions and exposed to texts, such as “A Peoples’ History of the United States” by Howard Zinn, that open up students’ minds to new ideas about the history of the United States.

Fulton and Dancz have constantly pushed me to break the boundaries of my perceived limits, whether it is my quietness in class, or my ability to write essays. They have taught me that collaboration doesn’t just signify a combined English and History course.

It also means collaborating with the teachers, with other students, and even collaborating with the authors to interpret the idea and arguments of the books we read.

For me personally, collaboration means opening myself up to others, including my teachers.  They demand that we think, speak, contribute and debate with each other and with them. Before Collab, I’d never done that.

While I understand Fulton and Dancz want to move onto other things, that doesn’t mean the Collab course needs to be cut. Two other bright teachers should be given the same opportunity as Fulton and Dancz to touch the lives of students.

The mission statement of Staples says, “We strive to become a community of learners who treat each other with care and respect; we think critically, use contemporary literacy skills, and work to solve real-world problems.” Unlike other classes, Collab fulfills our school’s mission statement.

In Collab, I have never seen another student bullied, something I can’t say in other classes I have been in. Everyday we think critically about texts that we read, watch or listen to, and then reflect on them to understand what the texts means to us. In the eight months that I have been in Collab, my literacy skills have dramatically improved; I understand the depth of many of the books I read.

And finally, everyday we debate how to solve the issues that this world has to face in the next 50 years; whether it be racism, lobbying, economic injustice, or social injustice.

Not only has Collab made me a better student, but also it has made me a better person. Staples has an opportunity here to do the same for another year and years to come.

In an interview on Good Morning America that appeared on ABC news, President Barack Obama said, “I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.”

With the statistics previously stated and as a person who strongly believes in equality, I could not agree with our president more.  And I am only disgusted to hear that on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, North Carolina passed Amendment One, a constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage in their state.

It is overwhelming to hear that an entire state does not allow innocent people to live freely.  I want you to take a minute and think about what color hair, eyes, and skin you were born with.  I want you to think about what kind of bone structure you have, how many freckles you have, and how tall or short you are.  When you were growing in your mother’ stomach for nine months, you were not able to say, “Hey Mom, I want brown hair please instead of blonde,” because these are physical characteristics that you had no control over choosing.

Now think about your future and if someone hated you or did not treat you equally because you were born with these inevitable characteristics. When you look forward into your life, do you see a wedding ceremony with your friends and family?  Do you see a ring on your ring finger that reminds you of the day when you said, “I do” to the one you love?  Do you see yourself growing old with someone?  The option of this future should never be banned to anyone.

“The Declaration of Independence stated that everyone should be granted life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” said Jamie Yarmoff ’12. “I think the last part of that is violated by Amendment One. It’s heinous that people are voting on someone’s right to marriage. I don’t think it’s necessary or appropriate.”

“Our president just said that he thinks same sex couples should get married, and I can’t say that I disagree. I strongly believe that this should be the case, especially when North Carolina citizens have the right to marry their own first cousins.”

With so much on the line for those who identify as LGBTQ, it makes me even angrier that voters who have helped make our society unequal do not even know what they are voting on. According to Herndon Graddick, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, who was recently quoted in the Advocate when speaking on this issue, “North Carolina’s media failed to educate its audience about the potential far-reaching consequences of this amendment, and as a result, polls show as many as 60% of voters didn’t know the extent of what they were voting on.”

Although Westport is far from North Carolina and is much more accepting of the LGBTQ community, we are still extremely impacted by Amendment One.  Amendment One is an unfortunate wake up call, a reminder that hate and homophobia still exist in our society.  It is a reminder that the LGBTQ community and alliances of this community are not done fighting for their rights.

“Its just sad that in a time where so much is being done to move forward with the gay rights movement, we’re still facing minor setbacks like this,” said an anonymous high school student who is a part of the LGBTQ community.

“And it also just makes me really sad because you know there are people who live in North Carolina and states who don’t approve of gay marriage who wont have the same rights as we do strictly because of ignorance.”

Throughout high school I have met and built relationships with people who identify as LGBTQ, and just like my friends who identify as straight, they are wonderful people.  Sexual preference does not and has not done any harm to our society. It is Amendment One that is doing the harm.

1.) “Read” the news -
and I don’t mean Perez Hilton. Download the New York Times App, and read the headlines of every story. That way, when your friends are talking about prom dresses, you can interject headlines you read earlier. Example: “I really like the red BCBG dress…” “OMG! Obama gave a speech about Afghanistan last night!”

2.) “Tweet”
Follow people like Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Syrian dissidents, and Somali journalists. Then, about twice a day, retweet these people. That way, you can look like you care with just a click of a button.

3.) Roll your eyes
Smart people don’t think anything is interesting. I don’t know why; maybe their minds are just so interesting that everything else seems dull and stupid. But, the more sarcastic and unenthusiastic you are, the smarter you will seem.

4.) Know random facts
We had a family friend who went on Jeopardy and everyone just assumes he’s a genius because he knows how many countries Britain had colonized in 1876. Knowing random facts that you can just rattle off, whether in class or in the bathroom while you’re washing your hands, will make you bound to impress.

5.) Photobomb the Moody’s Megamath Challenge
Just because you don’t know the difference between a function and a fraction, doesn’t mean you can’t stand in the background of their photos. That way, once it goes up on Facebook, everyone will just assume you’re on the team as well.

6.) Wear Ivy League apparel
Looking at BU and Northeastern over break? If so, be sure to stop by Cambridge and get some apparel from both Harvard and MIT. Wear it at least once a week to remind people that you are seriously considering these schools.

7.) Get a watch -
and no, not a super-chic D&G watch. The more it would fit in on a Star Wars set, the better. Make sure it looks technological and beeps, so it seems as if you have better things to do.

Prom is the night that all girls live for. They are in constant pursuit of their very own fairy tale. This is their moment.

The only thing in their way? Boys.

Guys and girls both know that boys are idiots. And we are proud of it. But on prom night, rest assured that there will be different expectations.

So, a word of advice to my male comrades. Don’t fail to live up to those expectations. If you do, the reaction will be unpleasant, to say the least.

I understand that guys don’t always want to act respectfully. I’m on your side. Be honest though: there is nothing more annoying than a girl crying hysterically.

Make no mistake; females are very willing to help the male species in their quest to make a girl happy. It may not be possible, but at least they know what they want for once.

“Be sweet, polite, and hang out with your date,” said Maddy Mann 13, offering some suggestions for guys who want to live through prom night.

I share that information in the hopes that guys will be able to understand girls a little better. Girls, it’s your turn for a little enlightenment.

We will try to live up to your expectations. But it’s impossible when you set the bar so high. No guy will be the Prince Charming of your dreams. It’s just a cold hard fact.

I apologize if I’m the first to burst your bubble.

As usual, though, boys and girls are going to have to compromise on this matter. Nobody is going to be completely happy about this. And that’s perfectly understandable.

Guys, be yourself — just try to be a better you. Being courteous won’t hurt too much, I promise.

Try not to embarrass your date. Don’t show up in a polka dotted suit. Don’t throw up gang signs during the pictures. And please don’t get in any dance battles.

Being a little respectful isn’t a bad idea either. Spend some time with your date, make friends with other group members, throw in a few compliments here and there, and you’re all set.

Girls, you can’t always live the life of a Disney princess. Look down at your feet. Do you see glass slippers? I doubt it.

Lower your standards just a tad bit. Don’t expect guys to be putting their coats over puddles for you. Don’t expect guys to say exactly what you want to hear. And don’t expect us to make you feel like the only girl in the world, especially when there are 500 people in the same room.   

Ladies, I’m not trying to ruin your dreams of having an incredible experience. I’m just trying to prepare you.

High school guys aren’t always going to be the most romantic and sensitive people in the world.

Keep that in mind.

It doesn’t mean you won’t have a good night. It just means that you won’t be quite as disappointed when your date decides to act like, well, a boy.

Everyone who has finally gotten in to college, we have achieved our major objective. Now we have to contend with this great unknown. A person we really don’t know, six months from now, will ostensibly be our ‘college roommate.’

Because I don’t like dealing with the unknown, I attempted to mitigate the mystery of the process. My friend told me about a website, Roomsurf.com, that is intended to demystify the process of finding a roommate at your new alma mater.

I gave Roomsurf.com a whirl.

After a few hours on the site, I’m pleased to report that it completely demystifies the process of trying to find a compatible roommate for your freshman year.

Although candidly, I had to search through a lot of haystacks in search of the golden needle.

Well here’s my initial experience with Roomsurf.com. I answered about 20 questions (which by the way taught me a little bit more about myself as a potential roommate to someone else), then I hit the return key, anxiously awaiting my potential matches.

Instantly, the website notified me of 24 matches that met most of my criteria! Roomsurf ranked my compatibility with my potential roommate on a scale of 81% as most compatible and 35% as least compatible. The criteria that they judged us on included: smoking, sexual activity, religion, cleanliness and god knows what…

I contacted candidate number one. She said “ Oh, you sound like the perfect roommate for me, and because you seem so nice, I hope you don’t mind but my high school boyfriend didn’t get into college, and he’s asked if it would be okay for him to sleep on the floor of our dorm room from time to time as he looks for a job. It’s all cool, he’s a lot of fun!!! And is kind of an entrepreneur when it comes to certain ‘herbal remedies’ if you know what I mean. Anyway, so excited. Let me know!”

#Fail

On to the next one. Candidate number two. She said “ Hey Chik lette! You seem like you’d be a really fun roommate. So, you would totally understand me having a fun pet that other people really don’t get. I know that people say that tarantulas are dangerous to humans, but let me set the record straight, they are so much fun!  So I’d like to bring my family of tarantulas, and when they run around the room, it’s a blast!!! We will be the talk of the campus. P.S., my dad’s a doctor and has given us the antidote, so we have nothing to worry about. Peace—Emily.

Get out.

Candidate three. “Hi Nicolette! I think you’re probably my ideal roommate. It’s very important to me that you are perfect haha! Some people call me a neat freak and no worries, that’s not an insult. Some people call it OCD, but I just laugh and say ‘I just like to have things in order!’ Do you like to have things in perfect order? What I mean is, does it bother you to have a dirty room? Let me know. Perfectly yours, Felicia.

No thanks.

Finally, I connected with someone I thought just might be a perfect fit for me as my freshman roommate. Psyched! I made the first move. I said,

“Hii! You’re going to ‘Nova too?”

“Hey! Ya I’m so excited! I just sent in my deposit, what are you majoring in?”

“Political science, what about you?”

“Business and economics. Political science is cool though! I was thinking about that for a while.”

We went back and forth for a couple of days, when The Perfect Roommate said, ‘Hey! Are we roommates or what?’ and I said, ‘ya, it looks that way haha’, and she goes ‘great, oh and hey, just thought I might ask, by chance, do you agree—c’mon, who wouldn’t?—that George W. Bush was our greatest President ever?”

Um, yikes.  And so the search goes on…

But you know what?  Maybe the first year of college is not mostly about finding the perfect roommate.  In fact, maybe it’s better that, come September, we all find ourselves with an absolutely imperfect roomie.  One with a multitude of flaws.

After all, the most important thing a college student could experience is a plethora of eclectic, multi-cultural perspectives.  Isn’t higher education all about being outside of our comfort zone? 

Gosh, I certainly hope so.

My mom always said I’d be important someday.

Like most of the other department chairs, I like to poke and prod a bit before signing the mint-colored form that so many futures apparently rest upon. It gives me a chance to put those college journalism courses to use and ask the hard-hitting questions that students dread:

• Why do you want to take this course?

• Have you talked to anyone else who has actually taken this course?

• Do you even know which course you are overriding into? 

Not exactly the stuff inquisitions are made of but shockingly hard for some of my customers to answer.  For the purposes of this year, you could substitute “AP Gov” for “course”, since I probably signed ten overrides for AP US Government and Politics to every one override for anything else.

 If schools were run like  businesses, I would be rocking a pretty sweet commission on AP Gov this year.

You might expect that most of the responses to my investigative prompts would sound something like:

“Well, Mr. D’Amico, I have a really strong interest in politics, especially because we have an important election coming up this year, and I’d like to take advantage of a full-year course where I can learn about the US government in an environment where I would be surrounded by students who share my interest and want to pursue more in-depth studies on the topic, with the added bonus of potentially earning some college credit.” 

You would be wrong. 

So here are tonight’s top five responses to incredibly basic questions about overriding into a social studies course:

#5:  “Hold on, you’re not the English department chair?”

#4:  “Wait, my mom needs to sign the form too?”

#3:  (awkward silence)

#2:  “Um, I, like, wanted a challenge.”

And the #1 reason given for overriding: “I hear it’s not that bad.”

Yes, record numbers of students will take a course because they hear, “it’s not that bad.” It kind of makes me feel bad for the courses that didn’t make the cut.  Are other courses really that bad?  What are these other departments forcing kids to do?

Is AP Environmental some kind of sinister cover for providing community gardens with unpaid labor? 

Is APCalculusBCreally some way for NASA to decide who gets to live in the underground bunker until the nuclear fallout dissipates? 

Does AP English Language really beat all love for reading and poetry out of kids?  (OK, bad example.) 

 It does concern me, as a teacher and as a parent, that there is a pronounced trend to jump on anything that has “AP” in front of it, as if a student’s life depended on it. 

It is disheartening to know that there are some students in this building who sit in a course for an entire year, even though their heart might be somewhere else, like music, painting, culinary arts, tech ed, or even an A-level (gasp!) elective in another academic department.

They feel that they are somehow sacrificing a chance at getting into college, or rather the college, if they don’t keep up in the AP arms race. 

Adults know that this is not the case, that your life is more than the sum of your transcript.  Some magazines, consultants, and even colleges themselves will indirectly (or even blatantly) try to convince you otherwise, but everyone who has felt the pressure to take an AP that they are not passionate about should do a little questioning of their own. 

I want you to talk to the people in your life who you consider to be the most successful.  Ask them where they went to school, what the most formative experiences were in their lives, where they were when they overcame their greatest obstacle, when they realized what they wanted to “be”…the answers will probably surprise you.

Oh, and don’t worry about your grades in all of those courses you overrode into.

I’m sure they won’t be that bad.

I was doing some post holiday shopping, trying to thin my wallet of the multitude gift cards from various relatives, when I came upon one gift card that sent me back in time. A big white moose on a navy blue background.

I was instantly brought back to 2008. As I walked into Abercrombie & Fitch, I was surrounded by a wave of spicy cologne, and lighting so dark I could barely see my hand in front of my face, let alone the clothes. A girl dressed in jeans and the tightest T-shirt I had ever laid eyes on greeted me as she folded shirt after shirt, only to have them all lie crumpled on dressing room floors just minutes later.

I flitted around the store, picking up sweaters and jeans, and virtually everything that sported a giant moose. Because, after all, what’s the point of buying this stuff if the brand isn’t plastered all over it?

Now, in 2012, I face a much different dilemma.

Abercrombie and Fitch has transformed from the utopia I once ran to each time I entered the mall into the store that causes me to hold my nose as I walk by.  This is not simply the fact that I turn up my nose at their clothing but more a reflection on my growth as both a customer and as a teenager.

First of all, I don’t go shopping with the intentions of listening to blaring techno music. If I wanted to do that, I would purchase my clothes at Terminal 5. While I shop, I prefer being able to hear my own thoughts. This is a clothing store, not a rave.

Second, I have come to realize the sheer impracticality of the posters they hang on the walls to entice their customers. I’m sorry, but lying in the middle of the woods in nothing but jeans is just plain stupid.

Finally, Abercrombie’s most defining characteristic: The smell. Years ago, people actually chose to forgo washing their shirts for a few weeks just to keep that faint scent of Abercrombie wafting about them.

Now, the smell gives me a migraine.

The scent is a mixture of spicy “I’m trying too hard” in addition to “I’m in middle school.” Sure, they may have provocative names like “Fierce”…but to me the scent of Abercrombie just screams “Prepubescent”. Not to mention the fact that someone’s job is literally to walk around and spray the various articles of clothing with perfumes that attract tweens like moths to a flame.

You can easily search out the nearest Abercrombie simply by the smell, which drifts through the mall as a constant reminder that at one point or another, you actually thought this store was cool.

I finally worked up the courage to walk into A&F on my last mall trip. As I plopped down in one of the comfy leather chairs, usually reserved for the parents who get dragged into the store by their moose-loving tweens, I realized my personal metamorphosis.

Around me were the girls who still wear their bat mitzvah sweatshirts and leggings with pride as they search for the biggest moose on any article of clothing in the store.   And then there was me, desperately searching for something, ANYTHING that didn’t have “Abercrombie and Fitch” plastered anywhere. I was an outsider in this once familiar world.

Looking at where I was sitting was my first indicator… I had confined myself to the “parent chairs.” I no longer wanted to be a part of the chaos that ensues in this store. I sound like a mom, but really, I’ve just become someone who no longer loves the Disney Channel or who no longer wants to wrestle with a Sugar Lip tank top each morning before school. I look in the strategically placed mirrors of this hell and no longer see the girl who once loved this store. That time has come and gone.

Although walking into Abercrombie literally sends chills down my spine, it took a bottle full of perfume and the constant loop of Cascada to make me realize how much I have grown up from middle school to high school. And for that, I guess I owe the creators of Abercrombie a thank you.

   There are certainly perks to having a big family. You never have to share the table with strangers at a hibachi restaurant and you constantly have enough people around to field a soccer team, if need be. However, among the items on this inexhaustible list, quick and convenient travel isn’t one of them.

   The number of travelers in my family always changes. My immediate family consists of seven people there are three grandparents, six people in my uncle’s family, and always some tag-a-longs. The biggest group in recorded history was 19 in Vail, the winter of ’02. But there’re usually some conflicts, so the magic number is typically around 13, give or take a cousin.

   Describing what it’s like to be in my house with these 13 people the day before a trip is like listing the side effects of a prescription drug: may cause nausea, irritability, or lack of volume control, and don’t try if you are at risk of heart attack or stroke. Everyone is stressed and unprepared, and we all want to be left alone to freak out about our missing bathing suit in solitude.  However solitude, along with important travel documents, and the right flip-flop, is nowhere to be found in a house filled with enough people to violate building codes.

  If that’s not enough, consider the impending3:30 a.m.wake-up. When you’re traveling with a dozen other people, it’s best to get to the airport hours before anyone else. That apparently includes the pilot.

    At the airport the real fun begins. A big family will receive dirty looks from people in the check-in line. We just take way too much time. We try to make friends with airport personnel, and at least one of our bags is over 50 pounds. People dislike this kind of delay.

   Once past check-in we annoy the people in security. To move through security faster, TSA recommends packing an organized carry-on. My family’s bags look like they were hit by bombs. We make sure not to say the B-word in airport security though, after an incident back in ’05.

   Getting past security is taxing. But remember, traveling with the size equivalent of a respectable hip-hop entourage is a marathon, not a sprint.

   If being in an airport is difficult, being 30,000 feet in the air defies explanation. Though I pity the innocent bystanders most. It’s really convenient for us to constantly reach across the aisle for a piece of gum, or yell from first class to coach, but not for anyone else. Thus, I often volunteer to take the seat surrounded by strangers. It’s much easier in that position to pretend I don’t know my family, and join the other passengers in staring in disgust.

   Slowly though, things calm down. My older brother will fall asleep with his head on whoever’s next to him, while my mother shamelessly watches “The Lion King” on her seat back screen.  In these moments I start to revel in thoughts of the vacation to come: the unsuspecting hotel whose employees will know our names by the second day, the beachfront we will crowd, or the gondola we will fill to capacity. And I’m ultimately happy that we won’t have to share a hibachi table with strangers, and if need be, we can field a soccer team.

    These thoughts carry a person through hours at baggage claim, or a slow-moving customs line, delayed even further by a joke about my 7-year-old cousin smuggling cigars into the country.

 Because, although traveling with a big family is rough, it isn’t entirely bad. Entirely, though, being the operative word.

Did I mention how hard it is to make a dinner reservation for 13?

Governor Dannel Malloy has spent the past few months and much of his political career on the topic of education reform. He has championed a bill, referred to as SB24, which seeks to address theConnecticutachievement gap, the largest inAmericagive all students a fair shot at a good education.

In the past few months, we have seen teachers, politicians and outside voices tell us that this bill is either a landmark piece of legislation or a death sentence forConnecticutpublic education.

Yet, neither side has been able to explain what this bill actually does.

There used to be tenure reform, now there might not be.

There used to be standardized testing, now there might not be.

Education reform is too important to rush through the legislature.

When our own reporter asked the governor about increases in standardized testing, he “corrected” her by stating that was not the case.

No less than two minutes later, he backtracked, saying that testing was necessary for the evaluation of students.

This board cannot endorse or speak out against a piece of legislation if we, along with the rest ofConnecticut, do not know what the contents of the bill are.

Do not mistake this hesitancy for apathy or a lack of research. This paper ran a front page story on the achievement gap inConnecticut, and this board cares deeply about the quality of education in our state. Education reform is an important subject.

It is also a complex issue, and any solution will require an extensive conversation about the needs of our students. That conversation has not been held, and a vote in the state legislature is coming up too fast.

Changes to the bill in committee are happening at an alarming rate. Throughout our research, this board was often surprised to find that cornerstones of the bill all of a sudden no longer existed.

How can students be informed of the future of their education?

How can teachers feel secure in their jobs?

How can unions fight for their members?

How can voters determine their views?

How can legislators make a representative vote?

We’ve already written an editorial to our local Board of Education asking it to be more direct withWestportcitizens and effectively communicate updates in their doings.

We’d like to extend this request to our state government and ask for a delay on the vote of SB24.

With the 21st century skills, Staples students have learned to effectively communicate and persuade. Our state’s government needs to learn to do the same.

I was just about to head out on a Saturday night when my mom posed this question to me, and it caught me off-guard. I didn’t think my outfit was too offensive. I was sporting sneakers, jeans and a hoodie, which is what I normally wear out of the house.

But ever since Trayvon Martin, a black, hoodie-wearing teenager, was killed inFlorida, this article of clothing has become public enemy No. 1

The tragedy has captured the nation’s attention, leading many to warn parents about the dangers of letting their children walk about in these “thug-like” outfits. My mom is just the latest to be swept up in the hoodie paranoia.

This was the most recent in a long string of events that have scared Americans and made them react irrationally. Just like we are afraid of hoodies now, we were afraid of low-flying planes in the months after the attacks of September 11th. We broke a sweat whenever we noticed the guy standing in front of us at airport security was wearing a turban.

It’s a natural reaction to a national tragedy.

I groaned, assured her that I wouldn’t get myself shot by anybody and proceeded to walk out my front door.

It was only when I pulled my car onto the Post Road that I began to think about why my mom was so scared for me, and it made me feel great about the direction our country is heading in.

Everyone who has heard about this tragedy has, for whatever reason, put themselves in Martin’s shoes. When I read the first accounts I didn’t just see a dead teenager. I saw a fellow 18-year-old who, like me, was probably worrying about the college process, or, like me, was trying to figure out who he was going to ask to prom.

Martin could have been me.

When parents heard the story, they didn’t just see a dead person. They saw a dead son. They saw a fellow parent’s pride and joy. They saw the kid that they loved with all of their hearts, and the person they could never imagine losing or having to bury. Even our president felt a connection to the case.

Martin could have been his kid.

Younger kids saw their brother. Older Americans saw their grandchild. Teachers saw their student. Somehow, Martin has touched a nerve and struck a chord with the people of this nation.

We all may not agree on the details of the case, but we can all agree that the death of a young American is tragic.

This empathy that we feel is one of the things that makes America the greatest country in the world.Americais such a large land with so many different types of people. Yet, when tragedy strikes, we feel strong connections to our fellow citizens, no matter how far away they are.

Sure, a farmer inAlabamamight crack jokes about an elitist liberal living inNew York City. Yet, when the towers fell, that farmer was waving his American flag just as proudly as the New Yorker.

Martin’s death also shows a dramatic evolution in racial acceptance in this country.

Half a century ago, a black kid dead on a Southern street was just another black kid dead on a Southern street. Now, he is the top news story. He is the son of every parent and the brother of every kid. Martin’s story has captivated this country because Americans can connect to him, not as an African American, but simply as an American.

My mom viewed an event that happened over a thousand miles away to somebody else’s child as if it were her own flesh and blood.

That sense of compassion during hard times is what this country is all about.