Winter Edition, 2022

Our participation in the NHS soccer team

by Franklyn Chocoj Flores

Translated by Jacqueline Domingez/Mr. Rueda-Baquero

HOLA, We are Franklyn Chocoj Flores, Inmer Ba-Ical and Gilmer Rax Ba, enrolled in the ELL (English Language Learners) here in Newton High School and we want to share with you our experience in the school’s soccer team.

Since we started studying here, we were always interested in becoming members of the soccer team and represent with pride the name of this school that we considered a second home. This will be a way to give back the welcoming and extreme support we have received by the entire school community--administrators, teachers and fellow classmates. This has always been our goal.

This has been a very important experience for all of us. It has always been our purpose to get good results in each game. We always knew that we needed to give all our enthusiasm, energy and availability in the training sessions and games in order to show good results–even though we keep ourselves busy since we all need to work in order to help out our families. We were always ready to give our best.

The mutual support within the team and the camaraderie were always present and gave us security, confidence and encouragement to have good participation. The coexistence of the team was very positive because the teammates were very respectful and happy who were looking for the same thing as us: to achieve good results for our team and have fun .

We feel very proud representing our school playing with the soccer team, and demonstrating to ourselves what we are capable of doing when we put our mind into something that interests us with discipline and enthusiasm. We feel better people within our community. The team makes us feel part of a greater family, its members provided us with what we were looking for: respect, togetherness, support and enthusiasm.

By participating in the team, we show our teammates that in our country (Guatemala) we love this sport and we put all our energy into it when we play it.

As for the Coaches, the coaching staff of the team taught us how to have a good attitude, to be disciplined, to never give up, to give respect to teammates and members of opposite teams. To never forget that we are having fun with something we like to do. Support was always present within the competitions and we hope to continue participating in the NHS team.

Finally we want to thank the school, the coaches and the teammates for their support, but above all, thankful for soccer!

Nuestra Participación en el Equipo de Fútbol de NHS

by Franklyn Chocoj Flores

Translated by Jacqueline Domingez /Mr. Rueda-Baquero

Hola, somos Franklyn Chocoj Flores, Inmer Ba- Ical y Gilmer Rax Ba, estudiantes de la clase de “Aprendices de lengua inglesa” (ELL) en la secundaria Newton y queremos compartir con ustedes nuestra experiencia en el equipo de fútbol de nuestra escuela.

Desde que ingresamos a la institución, siempre estuvimos interesados en ser parte del equipo de fútbol y representar muy bien el nombre de nuestro segundo hogar, Newton High School (por su nombre en inglés) . Esta sería una forma de compensar la acogida y el apoyo que hemos recibido de todo el grupo administrativo, los profesores y los compañeros. Esta ha sido siempre nuestra meta.

Esta experiencia ha sido muy importante para nosotros. Siempre fue nuestro objetivo obtener buenos resultados en cada partido, sabíamos que debíamos poner nuestro entusiasmo, energía y disponibilidad en cada uno de los entrenamientos y competencias, para dar buenos resultados - a pesar de que permanecemos muy ocupados, porque debemos trabajar para ayudar a nuestras familias- siempre nos sentimos listos para lograrlo.

El apoyo mutuo dentro del equipo y la camaradería siempre estuvieron presentes y nos dieron la seguridad, confianza y ánimo para tener una buena participación. La convivencia del equipo fue muy positiva porque los compañeros fueron chicos muy respetuosos y alegres que buscaban lo mismo que nosotros: lograr buenos resultados para el equipo y divertirnos sanamente.

Nosotros nos sentimos orgullosos de representar nuestra escuela con este equipo de fútbol y demostrarnos a nosotros mismos de lo que somos capaces de hacer cuando ponemos el interés, la disciplina y el entusiasmo. Nos sentimos mejores personas en esta nueva comunidad en la que vivimos. El equipo nos hizo sentir en familia porque nos brindaron lo que cada uno de nosotros buscaba al participar en el equipo: respeto, unión, apoyo y entusiasmo.

Al participar en el equipo, mostramos a nuestros compañeros, que en nuestro país -Guatemala-, amamos este deporte y le ponemos toda nuestra energía cuando lo practicamos.

En cuanto a los entrenadores y cuerpo técnico del equipo, nos enseñaron a tener buena actitud, a ser disciplinados, a nunca darnos por vencidos, a dar respeto a los compañeros y adversarios. Además de nunca olvidar que nos estamos divirtiendo con algo que nos gusta. El apoyo mutuo siempre estuvo presente dentro de las competencias y esperamos seguir participando en el equipo de NHS.

Finalmente queremos agradecer a la escuela, los entrenadores y los compañeros por su apoyo, pero sobre todo ¡Gracias al fútbol!

Photo courtesy of Senor Rueda

The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens offer opportunities to NHS students in addition to entertaining the community

by Kaylee Mangual

The play has not been just a club at Newton High School, it is a part of the Newton community. Mr. Scullin, the play’s director, explained how the play came about. “In 2000, the principal of the school told me the teacher who was going to direct a fall show decided she didn’t want to. He asked if I would like to direct one, and I said yes.” The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens is the 23rd consecutive fall production at Newton High School.

Scullin added, “I love working with the students and watching them grow into their characters, but I also can’t help but love to hear audience reactions to the performances they have created.” In an effort to determine which plays could be the most suitable for the course and the students, Scullin reads about 15 plays. He makes an effort to pick a production with a cast of 12 to 18 people. He also makes an effort to get the ideal gender balance. He goes on to add, “Most of the time, gender doesn't even matter when reading a play. Characters have traits that are universal and don't truly indicate gender at all. Actors will decide how they wish to depict their characters in certain situations.” As soon as the performance is complete, he starts reading the scripts of the plays he wants to cover. He informs the kids as soon as he makes a decision.

This year, the show wasn't announced to the students until September. This year's play is a playwright demonstrating his writing process for a mystery to the audience.

He describes the scene, the characters, and his preferred method for building tension and mystery. The playwright then begins the narrative. The playwright chose to portray the murder victim in the first act, and the investigator in the second. The facts of who committed the murder, including their motivations and methods, are essential to the storyline. This play has been going on for six weeks. The actors have been learning blocking and the lines.

Hearing from one of the cast members, Jocelyn Reynolds, she gave amazing feedback on how she feels on the play and her favorite part of being in the play. Jocelyn stated, “My favorite thing about being part of the play is being a part of a whole. I know that if I work hard during practice, be kind to the cast and crew and remain dedicated to the play, then the small part I do contributes to a great show as a whole. Also, high school can be difficult in terms of discovering who you are. There are lots of social pressures that cause students to change who they are around different people. I can’t deny that I understand this pressure. Being part of the play, all of those worries go away during the practices and shows. For just that moment, I am someone else, and I don’t have to worry about how the different actions will affect real-life relationships. On stage, what I say or do is just acting, not applying to my real world. It is fun to not have to worry for the time. I get to just work hard to embody my character and convince the audience that I am not Jocelyn Reynolds, but rather Allegra Worthington (my part in this year’s play!)” She has been in the play for all of her time in high school and she has great opportunities coming her way especially with this club! Being part of the play has benefits to you as a student and for your future.

Under the direction of Casqueira, Morris and Tallamy, FFA prepares for Nationals

by Karlee Reid

AG: Is a short for Agriculture. The class covers floral design, introduction to agriscience, horticulture, and aquaculture, wildlife, greenhouse and technology. This year in the greenhouse, Mr. Casqueira will be working with Ms.Tallamy’s Horticulture class, greenhouse technology class, and Robotics & Engineering design class. His goal and vision for the greenhouse is to first gain an understanding of the Greenhouse's climate control demands, then design a system that will automatically control the temperature, humidity, light, and watering of plants. The AG class plans on building hydroponic systems that will provide fresh herbs and vegetables. The class will also plan on creating a section in the greenhouse to maintain class project plants. For decorative reasons and for placement in local FFA CDE's.

Casqueira teaches greenhouse technology, but in the past he has taught Intro to Ag, Animal science, and floriculture. Casqueira added in a recent interview, “One of the things I like the most about Ag is it gives myself and the students an opportunity to learn about our natural world and how we can do our part in providing for a sustainable future by learning more about the world around us and how we can better live in harmony with it.” He also really enjoys working with flowers and plants and he is happy to share his plant "nerdiness" with others!

Casqueira added, “As far as FFA, I think one of the things I like most is the community or "family" of students it builds. No matter where you go in the country, you can find a school with an FFA chapter and be in the company of like minded people. Another thing I really like about FFA is how it helps students gain leadership skills. I often look back on my own experiences within FFA and reflect on how it has not only helped me develop these skills, but how I have observed students build these skills as well.”

FFA advisor, Mr. Morris, commented, “Being an FFA advisor is a lot of work, but is arguably the most rewarding thing I do here at Newton High School. It gives me an opportunity to help students find topics they are passionate about within agriculture and help foster that love for agriculture and beyond. It's a lot of long days and nights to prepare students for the many things that FFA has to offer. Sometimes it feels like I spend more time on being an FFA advisor than an Ag Teacher. However, I enjoy the mentor, mentee relationship that FFA allows me to have with my students. It gives me an opportunity to prepare them to be better people when they leave the program. I absolutely love it!” When asked, “Why do you like FFA?, Mr. Morris commented, “FFA is great because it helps students find their passion. A lot of people don't know what extensive agriculture is and how many different fields there are within agriculture. FFA helps students find these niche areas within agriculture and helps foster a passion for them.” Mr. Morris has been an FFA member from 2007 until 2013 when he received his American Degree. “I've been an advisor since 2019. All in all, I've been involved with FFA in some capacity for over 10 years.”

This year, FFA had 32 students go to Nationals to compete in 8 different events. Agronomy, Forestry, Livestock Evaluation, Agricultural Mechanics, Agricultural Sales, Farm and Agribusiness Management, and Meats Evaluation and Technology.

Finally, Ms.Tallammy, FFA co-advisor with Mr. Morris added that, “I love seeing students learn things in my class and apply it to real life scenarios like FFA competitions. Being able to guide students to become young leaders is a great feeling as an FFA Advisor. It is a lot of work to train students for competitions, help them fill out applications for various things, and mentor them, but it is totally 100% worth it. I love being an FFA advisor.”

She continued, “FFA has always been near and dear to my heart. When I was a freshman in high school I joined FFA and never realized what kind of impact the organization would have on me. The people you meet, the things you learn, and the places you go, all make it worth it to invest your time in this organization. I love seeing my students invest their time in FFA cause I know it will make an impact on their life's.” Ms. Tallamy teaches floral design, introduction to agriscience, horticulture, and aquaculture.

Taylor Swift is the "Mastermind" of the music industry

by Shannon Rittie

The tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, Midnights, was released on October 21, 2022. Swift released her first studio album since her alternative folk albums Folklore and Evermore from 2020. Both fans and critics of Taylor Swift can agree that she is incredibly passionate about what she does. Taylor Swift has always been conscious of how the world sees her when she writes about herself, and rather than ignoring it, she takes it in and embraces those perspectives.

Swift's Reputation, which sold 1.216 million copies, set a record for the largest U.S. sales week for a traditional album five years ago. This record was surpassed in just four days by Midnights. In the fall of last year, Red (Taylor's Version) broke Spotify's record for the most-streamed album by a female artist in a single day with 90.8 million streams on the day of release. Swift once more surpassed her own record with Midnights, which got 185 million streaming on its first day.

On Midnights, Taylor Swift reflects on the ghosts of her past. The album is at times a view into how she fell in love, while other times, a flashback to previous romantic humiliations. There is also a commentary on what it's like to live as a person who is constantly watched by the public and who is constantly judged by the public.

Taylor sings about looking for companionship and affection in "You're On Your Own, Kid," a bittersweet song that blends self-reflection and storytelling. Some people think of her as malevolent, and she plays into that stereotype on the album's "Mastermind." Swift appears to claim in "Mastermind" that being extremely methodical is the only way for women to thrive in the harsh world. In "Maroon," she describes the characteristics of the relationship, indicating that her view has evolved as she has become older.

Taylor Swift is a phenomenal songwriter and singer. Her storytelling powers captivate the attention of her audience. The songs take you through the times in her life that she felt love and heartbreak without being overly dramatic. Midnights is the kind of album I could listen to all day, every day. Something that I like about this album is that each time I listen, I notice something new that I hadn't noticed before. Without a doubt, Taylor Swift's album did not disappoint.

Patti Smith’s Just Kids contrasts A Book of Days with insight into music and life

by Aisling Gill

Patti Smith’s newest work, A Book of Days–a collection of images taken by Smith herself over the course of a year, was released in November of this year to great acclaim. Featuring polaroids of Haruki Murakami and pictures of her morning coffees, A Book of Days shows a glimpse of the mundane artistry within the daily life of Patti Smith. However, with some vintage photos included, it also prompts a revisit to Smith’s past pursuits recounting her stories as a budding artist during the later half of the 20th century.

While Just Kids was published over a decade ago, winning the National Book Award in 2010, the cultural lens has once again found itself fascinated by the sights and sounds of the 70s. A resurgence of bell bottom jeans and psychedelic rock and vinyl records hints at greater desire to return to a place like the one described in Just Kids rich with postmodernism and new artistic ideas. A perfect frontwoman for a 70s revival with her edgy allure and unique poetic voice, Patti Smith’s work showcases her distinct perspective of the era of rock and roll. Smith’s prose is addictive. She writes with all of the gritty feelings of punk rock music hidden beneath a stylish veneer reminiscent of Beat Generation poetry. Sharp-witted, wry, and poignant, Smith recalls her time at the Factory with Andy Warhol and her conversations with Janis Joplin, the chaotic beauty of her time in New York City, and the various people, from partners to passersby, who impacted her and her art.

Undeniably, Just Kids is a love story that transcends traditional love and romance, offering an emotionally intimate, vulnerable look at her relationship with the late artist Robert Mapplethorpe as it morphed throughout the course of their lives. A memorial to who she calls “the blue star in the constellation of [her] personal cosmology,” Smith’s book is a celebration of passion and a portrait of two artists throughout their growth into fully-fledged people. Just Kids tells a tale familiar to all of us, even if its events took place over fifty years ago—one of the rapid changes of young adulthood, but also one of the neverending process of growing up.

Senior Spotlight

Thaylor Sibblies first ever Senior Spotlight

by Jordan Short

Thaylor Sibblies is a well-known name around the halls of Newton High; from football, to wrestling, to the spring musical, just overall being a great person.

I sat down with Thaylor for an interview to get to know more about this incredible senior:

Q: What is your favorite part about being a Newton Brave?

A: Definitely seeing my friends everyday. It’s cool to be able to see them and have a good laugh!

Q: What are you most excited about for senior year?

A: There are a lot of things I’m looking forward to, going on trips and seeing everyone happy and I mean sitting in the senior lounge but that’s kinda normal.

Q: What are 3 things you’d tell your freshman self if you could go back in time?

A: Definitely keep making more friends, keep having a positive attitude, and stay on your grades.

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment since being at Newton High School?

A: I think it goes back to my friends and my relationship with my teachers. I mean I did get Brave of the Month for stopping a few fights but hey that’s something you can brag about. I am someone who will jump in when no one wants to. I just want everyone to be comfortable with each other and have a positive attitude all around.

Q: What sports do you play?

A: I wrestle and play football.

Q: Have you done anything inside of those sports that have impacted you as a person?

A: Yeah definitely through football and wrestling, through my four years of grinding it out with my team and mostly just building the brotherhood, and learning to keep pushing through when things get hard.

Q: What are some achievements you’ve had this year?

A: My grades are good. In football, I made first team all conference. Hopefully in wrestling I will make it to states and hopefully even win it.

Q: If you could give any incoming freshman a piece of advice about high school what would it be?

A: Have an open mind to things, always challenge yourself and give yourself different options. Make tons of new friends and get along with your teachers because they can always help you out.

Q: Do you have a teacher or coach that has impacted your life?

A: Definitely Ms. LaForge. I mean I love all my teachers, but Immediately I think of her because of her overall positive attitude and the way she puts time and effort into her students inside the classroom and out. She takes the time for anything. I would thank her for a lot because it keeps me positive knowing that she is as positive as me. It kind of reflects off me as a person. I always try and make time for people and people reach out to me and I always try and make time for them, so she is a perfect representation of who I want to be.