The relationship of twins is complicated–especially of girl twins.  Competition for grades, boys, friends are all factors that put pressure on twins to beat out the other.  Erin Munley ‘16 said of her sister Kristin, “Our relationship is really competitive, so it’s always a competition between us, which starts a lot of fights.”

The comparisons are just as annoying.  I can’t tell you the number of times someone has approached me or my twin saying, “So, which one of you does better in school?”  Is it not possible for us to do just as well in school as the other?  After all, we are twins, right?

It may seem rough having a twin, but it isn’t all bad.  Having someone to talk to and hang out with is a perk of being a twin.  Kristin Munley ‘16 said, “I like how I never have to go through stuff alone.”

This year the Staples class of 2014 set the school and Guinness World Records  for the highest number of twins in one grade.  The freshman class of 2016 is right on their heels with 16 sets of twins and triplets in the grade.

Daniel Call, twin of Sophie Call ‘16, said, “Well, I didn’t actually know that we were close to a world record, but now that I do I think it’s pretty amazing.  What are the chances to have so many twins in the same town that are in the same grade?”

Who knows, maybe the next set of twins will put us in the Guinness Book of World Records?

To be honest, sleep away camp was not enjoyable for me. I only went to sleep away camp for one year, and that was way enough for me. I guess I’m just the typical valley girl, but I really can’t stand being trapped in the middle of nowhere for weeks upon weeks, detached from electronics and frozen yogurt shops. I hate sleeping on bunk beds, and I hate the bugs that infested my camp. To be honest, the most memorable thing about camp for me was how many bug bites I got. I don’t even know the number I had, because there were too many to count. However, I decided to include camp as one of the ten best things about summer because I know that lots of people really enjoy camp—they all have their own camp songs, bunk names, and camp friends. Personally, I’ll never understand it, but maybe some people like an escape from technology and civilization.

2. Ice Cream Trucks

The scenario is the same every time. I’m sitting in the park when I hear the jingle of the truck, and hear the sound of its tires on cement. Frantically, I rush to my mom and ask her for money. Practically tearing open her purse and her wallet, she searches for a few singles while I watch anxiously as the truck inches closer to me. Finally, she finds money and places it in my hand. I rush over to the truck and order the same thing I do every single time—a rainbow popsicle.

3. The beach

I know that it may technically be a sound instead of an ocean, but I’m so glad that we have a beach in Westport. I definitely spend the majority of my summer at the beach, because it’s so close and convenient. Our beach is especially nice to hang out at, since we have fields, a basketball court, and a snack shop. The playground has to be my favorite thing about the beach, though.

4. The Fourth of July

I always look forward to summer because of the Fourth of July. I love the fireworks, the food, and the excuse to dress up in red, white, and blue. Hands down, one of the best fourth of July’s I’ve had was two years ago at my grandparents house. It doesn’t sound like it would’ve been very eventful, but it was a lot of fun. My entire family from all over the United States came. We spent the night watching fireworks from my grandparent’s pool, which was right on the beach, while stuffing ourselves with barbeque and s’mores.

5. Road  Trips

During the summer, my family always goes to Martha’s Vineyard. While I love the Vineyard, my favorite part of going there is the journey. On the way there, our first stop is at Mystic Aquarium. It’s gotten less exciting since I first went there, but I still enjoy it. My favorite part of the trip is when we arrive in Cape Cod. Cape Cod has to be the cutest town ever, and it has such good restaurants and family businesses. I almost don’t want to hop onto the ferry once we’re in Cape Cod.

6. Tanning

I know it’s bad for me, but I do love to tan. I begin tanning a couple weeks before finals, because I’m more motivated to study while I’m outside. But the best time to tan has to be in the middle of July when it’s disgustingly hot. This is the prime time for tanning. Even better, when I get too hot tanning, I can just jump into the pool to cool off. However, while tanning, an important thing to remember is to use sunscreen, and to do it in moderation. You definitely do not want to end up as a lobster, and you most certainly do not want to have to deal with health complications and skin cancer.

7. Water Sports

I love every water sport, whether it’s water-skiing, wake boarding, or swimming—you name it. When I first learned to water-ski and to wake board, it wasn’t very enjoyable. The amount of tries that it took me to simply stand up on my water-skis were uncountable. However, once I mastered water-skiing and wake boarding, they’re my favorite things to do while boating. Watersports are a great way to be active without drowning in sweat because of the intense summer heat.

8. Sleeping Late

I may just be the average teenager, but I really appreciate getting a good amount of sleep. During the school year, tests pile up, along with project after project, and sleep becomes less of a priority. Trying to catch up on it over the weekend is difficult as well, because of extra-curricular activities and homework. But the summer is a great time to catch up on all the sleep that I missed, and maybe log in some excess hours as well.

9. Concerts

Summer concerts are the best concerts. There is nothing better than enjoying good music in the outdoors, preferably while sitting on a blanket and enjoying a picnic. My favorite concert that I’ve been to thus far was actually this May in Rumsey Playfield, which is in Central Park. The energy from the audience was unlike anything I’ve seen at other concerts, and I think that in part it was because of the fact that it was an outdoors concert. Everyone was free to let go, and we were able to be as loud as we wanted since it was outside. I’m sure that the residents in the nearby neighborhoods weren’t as pumped about the concert as we were, though.

10. Fireflies

When I was little, I remember thinking that fireflies were the coolest things ever. I hated all bugs, but fireflies were the exception. I was fascinated at the fact that they could light up. I especially loved to go looking for fireflies at my cousins’ house. My cousins had the biggest yard, and on summer nights, it was always swarmed with fireflies.  I remember chasing all the way across the huge lawn just to confirm that the faint flash of yellow in the distance was indeed a firefly. Once I had filled up an entire glass jar of the crawlers, I would watch them light up for a little while, and then release them. Even to this day, I’ll admit, I still like to chase fireflies.

“Although we didn’t have our biggest audience, the performance was just as important as all others because of the money we donated to KEYS,” said Nick Vega, president of Wreckers in Tune.

One of the concert’s featured performers was sophomore Julia Greene, who sang ‘Sunday Morning,’ by Maroon 5.

“The performances have become more personal because of the smaller audiences, which makes it a great opportunity for members to show off their talents, and have fun doing it,” said Greene. “It was so much fun performing with Tri-M, and the performance summed up a great year for Wreckers in Tune.”

As an emcee, sophomore Nick Massoud agreed with Greene about the performances.

“It was great to see the culmination of a years worth of playing and learning songs as well as see the other music charity group, Tri-M, perform.”

Students with personal finance education are more successful in their financial endeavors, and enjoy a higher quality of life, according to a recent study by Harvard Business School.

A personal finance requirement seems like the best way to prepare Staples students for their futures.

Why is there an area study requirement? The majority of students will never visit the Pacific Rim, or the deserts of the Middle East, nor the plains of Africa.

And why are three years of Physics Education required? Westport schools have consistently scored higher on the state mandated physical fitness tests than other schools, and Connecticut only requires one credit of P.E. Staples requires three.

But without knowledge in personal finance, students may have to visit the offices of the IRS when they are audited, or the bankruptcy courts when they make poor investments or mismanage their credit cards, and default on their loans.

A personal finance class would teach students how to invest and how to save and how to spend financial resources efficiently and effectively. The only thing that I’ve learned in P.E. is how to properly play speedball. This will be unlikely to keep me solvent and my family secure.

Adam Skolnick and I are working to convince the administration that personal finance should be part of Staples’ required curriculum. And with the student body’s support – whether by attending Board of Education meetings on the matter, or just by emailing Mr. Dodig -  we can make our dream a reality.

Help us out by taking our quiz at http://kwiksurveys.com/s.asp?sid=b4quv5zfgopipre162157

The relationship of twins is complicated–especially of girl twins.  Competition for grades, boys, friends are all factors that put pressure on twins to beat out the other.  Erin Munley ‘16 said of her sister Kristin, “Our relationship is really competitive, so it’s always a competition between us, which starts a lot of fights.”

The comparisons are just as annoying.  I can’t tell you the number of times someone has approached me or my twin saying, “So, which one of you does better in school?”  Is it not possible for us to do just as well in school as the other?  After all, we are twins, right?

It may seem rough having a twin, but it isn’t all bad.  Having someone to talk to and hang out with is a perk of being a twin.  Kristin Munley ‘16 said, “I like how I never have to go through stuff alone.”

This year the Staples class of 2014 set the school and Guinness World Records  for the highest number of twins in one grade.  The freshman class of 2016 is right on their heels with 16 sets of twins and triplets in the grade.

Daniel Call, twin of Sophie Call ‘16, said, “Well, I didn’t actually know that we were close to a world record, but now that I do I think it’s pretty amazing.  What are the chances to have so many twins in the same town that are in the same grade?”

Who knows, maybe the next set of twins will put us in the Guinness Book of World Records?

Relay for Life is an event run by the American Cancer Society since 1985 that raises money and awareness for cancer. It takes place in over 20 different countries, and over 4 million people participate.

Taylor Jacobs ’14 and her younger brother Mac Jacobs co-captained the team “Chad for Life,” for their father, Chad Jacobs. The team came in a close second place this year, raising over $10,000. Almost every member of this team is a Staples or Bedford student.

“I started this team when my dad got cancer, and, for the past three years, we have come in first place in his honor. I’m so proud of that,” said Taylor Jacobs. “Yeah, maybe we didn’t get first this year, but Fairfield raised around $250,000, and that’s all that matters.”

Justin Donlon ’14 and Victoria Loiacono ’14 co-captained the St. Luke’s Youth Group team and reached their goal of raising over $2,500. This team is composed of many students from Staples, as well as a number from other Fairfield County schools.

“It’s a wonderful thing to see countless people united in hope for a cure and reverent of those who have lost their battles with this horrible disease,” said Donlon.

Celiac (CD) is a genetic disorder that affects people’s ability to properly absorb food when they eat something containing gluten. Gluten triggers inflammation in the small intestine that  damages the intestine’s lining and prevents absorption of important nutrients. If this happens for a long time (for example in someone with Celiac who doesn’t know it), vital organs are deprived of nourishment.

“I sometimes make it seem like some horrific life-threatening disease, and while it can cause varying degrees of damage after years, most of the symptoms are hardly noticeable—which is what makes it seem so hard to diagnose.”

However, it isn’t the limited diet Ressler has a problem with, her problem is when she talks about it, very few people outside of her family knows what she is talking about.

As soon as Ressler was diagnosed, she took it upon herself to learn as much as she could about the disease and what treating it would entail. Once she learned the gluten-free lifestyle she wanted to share this information with others.

“What was most shocking to me was that once I knew I had Celiac I started realizing that getting a stomachache after you eat bread or pasta or pastry wasn’t normal. I had no idea that a gluten-free lifestyle would make me feel so much better.”

Then she came up with the idea of creating a club. At first she was worried no one would be interested. Then while she was walking in the hallway, talking about the idea of a gluten free club, the person in front of her turned around and said he was a Celiac and loved the idea of a club.

“After that, I was excited to start!” Ressler added.

Another driving factor behind the club was that, according to Celiac.com, about 1 in 133 Americans have Celiac yet only 1 in 4,700 knows it.

Ressler only found out she had Celiac when father was diagnosed, and she fortunately was able to cut out gluten before she caused any serious damage to her body.

“It made me realize that the rest of the world isn’t as fortunate as I am, and they might not know they are harming their bodies every time they grab a bite to eat,” Ressler said.

The main goal of the club is to promote awareness of gluten intolerances, something that unfortunately Staples cafeteria does not accommodate yet.

After Ressler was diagnosed, she still tried to eat lunch at school, but found herself limited to salads.

Gluten can be found in wheat, barley, and rye, key ingredients in the food served Staples Cafeteria.

“I was amazed when I realized that there are (to my knowledge) 8 different breads offered at Staples, yet none of these breads are gluten-free,” explained Ressler.

This realization gave Ressler the idea and determination to make the first major goal of the club getting a gluten free bread option in the cafeteria. This gives anyone who lives gluten-free more opportunity to eat healthfully at school.

“So far I’ve spoken to the Staples Chartwells manager about possible options. I’m also hoping that with more awareness, the demand will be greater and change will follow.”

The club currently called “Gluten Intolerances and Sensitivities Awareness Group” (GIASAG) meets on Mondays in the health area. If you want to join message Emily Ressler on Facebook or look for the open Facebook group.

“You don’t have to have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity to join. A lot of people cut out gluten by choice! Furthermore, to join you only need to have an interest in dietary restrictions and enjoy food!”

The reality, however, falls a bit short.

My freshman year the prank was a parody of the running of the bulls. The seniors, with the help of the administration, showed bull fights on the TVs and the seniors ran through the hallways. Snore.

Sophomore year, the seniors did a bit better. There was the cookout that Isaac Stein hosted. Technically it wasn’t an official senior class prank, but I’m going to count it as one. The class of 2011 also held a BMS and CMS battle in the courtyard as well as a senior girl “rave” in the library during lunch.

This year the seniors created many pranks: partial streaking through the hallways, the waterslide, caution tape on the hallway to the cafeteria, jumping in the pool, blocking the hall, and hanging in the courtyard. A few of these “pranks” were just plain annoying. Cough, cough — blocking the hallway.

But overall I enjoyed the pranks this year. Walking through the halls and hearing about prank after prank after prank was just fun and exciting and made for a memorable last day for seniors.

One of my biggest issues with senior pranks is how uninvolved the other grade levels are. The underclassmen shouldn’t be a part of them, but the point of a prank is to be noticeable and to have everyone enjoy it. Not just the seniors or select few who are lucky enough to happen upon the prank.

Half of these pranks happened unnoticed by most underclassmen. I didn’t see the caution tape, the jumping in the pool, blocking the hall, hanging in the courtyard, or the TV bullfights. Last year’s senior class did a good job with showing off their pranks. They took place in visible areas during times when many students could notice them.

This year, not so much. It was disappointing to say the least.

My other big issue with senior pranks is the involvement of the administration. It’s a prank. The administration should be involved as little as possible, not at all if the seniors can manage.

I can understand why you want administrators involved for the waterslide the seniors did this year. I can understand why you want them having a cookout in the courtyard. But for the most part, don’t include them. Create a prank that doesn’t need administrators instead.

For the seniors I’m sure it takes a bit of fun out the prank and I know as an underclassman it destroys a lot of the magic and turns and act of rebellion into a school-sponsored activity.