Student Schedules for 2012-2013 Year to Be Released by Early June
Ben Reiser, Managing Editor
May 9, 2012
Schedules for the 2012-2013 school year will be made available to students by the end of the first week of June, according to assistant principal James Farnen. Along with a homeroom meeting during which students will be given hard copies of their schedules, they will be sent out in the mail,... Read More
The Last Curtain Call: “Into the Woods” Marks Final Mainstage Production for 2012 Senior Players
Ben Reiser, News Editor
April 1, 2012
Late in the hours of March 24, as the cast members of “Into the Woods” took their bows during the curtain call of the closing show, Jamie Yarmoff ’12 felt an odd feeling she couldn’t shake. She knew the reason behind that feeling, though: as a senior graduating in a few months, she... Read More
Comfort or Style? PJs and Sweats
Ben Reiser, News Editor
March 16, 2012
Back in January, a Wall Street Journal article brought to light what is apparently considered a pressing national issue: students wearing pajamas to school. The piece mentioned aLouisianacommissioner’s proposed ordinance outlawing the wearing of pajamas in public and quoted him as saying,... Read More
Students Respond to Results of Super Tuesday 2012
Ben Reiser, News Editor
March 8, 2012
Super Tuesday: the Tuesday during presidential election year when the greatest number of state primary contests are held. Super Tuesday: a day that can spell astonishing success or devastating failure for a presidential campaign. Super Tuesday: arguably the most critical day of an election... Read More
A Q&A with Student Songwriter and Singer Jacqueline Devine ’13
Ben Reiser, News Editor
March 1, 2012
For most Staples students, iTunes is the central hub for music. If there’s a new single tearing up the charts by Nicki Minaj, Adele, or David Guetta, iTunes is guaranteed to have it. However, for Jacqueline Devine ’13, iTunes is something much more personal: it’s the place where her very... Read More
Liepolt, Longtime Staples English Teacher, Unexpectedly Retires
Ben Reiser, News Editor
February 29, 2012
When Matt Smith ’13 received a letter from his Film Analysis teacher addressed to him and his parents toward the end of February break, his initial reaction was shock. “I was wondering, ‘Oh, God, what did I do?’” Smith recalled. However, the letter did not express disapproval of Smith;... Read More
Jon Hunstsman: The Solution to the Hunt for the Right Man
Ben Reiser, News Editor
February 17, 2012
In a heated race against unshakable, extremist right-wing politicians, Jon Huntsman, Jr. offered a refreshing dose of what this nation needs most: logic. Huntsman, unlike the other Republican contenders, holds more moderate—rational—standpoints... Read More
Feb. 14, 2012 | Parking Problems
Ben Reiser, News Editor
February 14, 2012
7:25 a.m. For many students driving to school, parking became an issue this Valentine’s Day morning. Upon arrival, students discovered that several spaces in the front parking lot had been cordoned off by caution tape. According to Principal John Dodig, these spaces have been reserved... Read More
Feb. 13, 2012 | Teenage Citizen of the World
Ben Reiser, News Editor
February 13, 2012
2:41 p.m. Doug “The Thug” Russ ’13 works on his project for the Model United Nations (Model UN) club in the English/Social Studies Learning Center after school.
Surprise Sweep: Santorum Wins Three States, Shakes Up Race
Ben Reiser, News Editor
February 9, 2012
On Feb. 7, the Republican primary contest was reshaped dramatically. The race, largely believed to be between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, proved Rick Santorum a serious competitor, as he defeated his challengers in three state primaries: Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri. In the Colorado... Read More
Planet Morgan
Ben Reiser, News Editor
January 25, 2012
It all started with a gift: a telescope from his parents. Since the day that gift was given to a then-12-year-old Nicholas Morgan, he knew that his true passion lies in the field of astronomy. In fact, Dr. Morgan, now a science teacher at Staples, has an accomplishment not many on this planet... Read More
Tame Gervais, Diverse Winners at 2012 Golden Globes
Ben Reiser, News Editor
January 16, 2012
“The Golden Globes are to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton—a bit louder, a bit trashier, a bit drunker, and more easily bought.” With that, host Ricky Gervais opened the live broadcast of the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards from Beverly Hills, Calif. on Jan. 15. Following... Read More
Romney Wins New Hampshire GOP Primary
Ben Reiser, News Editor
January 11, 2012
Electoral history was made on Jan. 10, when Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney won the N.H. primary, following a victory in the Iowa caucus on Jan. 3. This makes Romney the first Republican non-incumbent to win both New Hampshire and Iowa since 1976. “Tonight, we celebrate,” said... Read More
Challenge, Passion & The Future: Why Enrollment in Certain AP Classes is On the Rise
Ben Reiser, News Editor
January 5, 2012
476. 977. During the 2011 Advanced Placement (AP) testing period, these were the respective numbers of Staples students that took an AP exam, and the total number of AP exams taken by students, according to assistant principal James Farnen. These values show an increase in AP participation... Read More
PSAT Scores Sent to Juniors
Ben Reiser, News Editor
December 10, 2011
According to Elaine Schwartz, the director of the guidance department, scores on the PSAT/NMSQT exam, which most juniors took on Oct. 5, have been sent out in the mail. Schwartz said Alan Jolley, a mathematics teacher who heads most of the standardized testing procedures for Staples students,... Read More
Hungry Enough to Eat a Horse: Students React to New Law Legalizing Horse Slaughter for Human Consumption
Ben Reiser, News Editor
November 30, 2011
“I don’t know why someone would eat a horse. I’ve never really heard of that before.” This was the thought that perplexed Valerie Fitton ’14 when she learned of the passage of federal Spending Bill H.R. 2112, which legalizes the slaughtering of horses for human consumption. Since... Read More
#Haters: Juniors Engage Pop Star Aaron Carter in Twitter Brawl
Ben Reiser, News Editor
November 16, 2011
Aaron Carter may have told us how he beat Shaq, but we don’t really know why he tweets back. For most Staples students, Nov. 15 was any other Tuesday, with the normal routine of school, sports practice, homework, dinner, and sleep. But for some students, Nov. 15 was not just a regular weekday. It... Read More
Accountability vs. Personalization: Late Test-Taking Policies Vary Within Staples
Ben Reiser, News Editor
November 8, 2011
In the midst of her freshman year, Chloe Pflug ’13 was cut down by a vengeful entity. The culprit? Common illness. As a result, she missed not only various homework and in-class assignments, but Spanish and Geometry tests as well. Upon her return to school, Pflug says, she found that both... Read More
Major Record Labels to Possibly Abandon CD Format by End of 2012
Ben Reiser, News Editor
October 30, 2011
If you’re a Staples student, chances are you bought your last single, album, soundtrack, EP or remix on iTunes. The idea of getting your music from a CD probably hasn’t even dawned on you for the last four or five years, except maybe when Amazon shipped a few copies of Lady Gaga’s latest... Read More
Shake Shack: The Review
Ben Reiser, News Editor
October 13, 2011
After months of anticipation, burger chain Shake Shack opened its Westport location in mid-July. The Shake Shack concept was developed by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, which owns and operates New York City fine dining restaurants. The first Shack opened in Madison Square Park... Read More
Instinct vs. Repetition: Debating the Usefulness of AP Review Books
Ben Reiser, News Editor
October 11, 2011
When walking down almost any hallway at Staples High School, it is quite difficult not to spot a student toting a Barron’s, Princeton Review, or Five Steps to a Five AP review book in their arms. “When I used an AP review book, they made my grades better for sure,” said Jake Petterson... Read More
Famed Shake Shack Arrives in Westport
Ben Reiser, News Editor
October 6, 2011
After months of anticipation, burger chain Shake Shack opened its Westport location in mid-July. The Shake Shack concept was developed by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, which owns and operates New York City fine dining restaurants. The first Shack opened in Madison Square Park... Read More
AP Environmental Classes Embark on First Ecology Trip
Ben Reiser, News Editor
September 19, 2011
Macroinvertebrate testing. Transect sampling. Water quality testing. These are just a few of the scientific processes that AP Environmental Science students conducted on a field trip to the Devil’s Den Preserve in Weston. The AP class, which has traditionally taken just one field trip late... Read More
A Difficult Transition: New Windows 7 Kills Long-Used FrontPage Program
Ben Reiser, News Editor
September 10, 2011
At the start of the school year, students and teachers alike noticed a dramatic change in the technological scheme of Staples High School: Windows 7 has arrived. According to Natalie Carrignan, the Director of Technology for Westport Public Schools, Windows 7 was brought to the district because... Read More
UPDATE: School Opening May Be Postponed Until August 31
Ben Reiser, News Editor
August 26, 2011
According to a memo posted on the Westport Public Schools website and sent in an e-mail via Connect-ED, if Westport schools are forced to close on Monday due to Hurricane Irene, the first day of school for the 2011-12 year will be August 31. This is the day after school has been planned to... Read More
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