STRIVE Program Wins Award
Page 3
What Does Success Mean To You?
Page 6
Royals Time Warp
Pages 10-11
The Crown
2016-2017 School Year
Vol. 4
Program of Studies Night
By Alex Yoon
On Wednesday, February 22, 2017, RMHS
hosted the Program of Studies Night for current eighth grade students and their parents.
RMHS principal, Mr. Coviello, and assistant
principal, Ms. Martyniuk, explained the RMHS
Program of Studies curriculum and extra-curricular activities. Humanities chairperson, Mrs.
Georgiou, gave an overview of the humanities
program and STEM chairperson, Mr. Zunick,
gave an overview of the STEM program.
Parents and eighth grade students were able
to ask questions of the administration and staff.
The audience was also provided insight about
RMHS by current student ambassadors and
RMHS alumni.
RMHS alumna, Holly O’Hara, said,
“RMHS is a great school that enables students
the ability to focus on academics in small
classes and excel in sports and other extra-curricular activities.” Class of 2015 alumna, Eunice Kim, is a current student at the University
of North Carolina. She stated that the small
school environment of RMHS enabled her the
ability to make a smooth and successful transition to university life.
RMHS student ambassador, Angie Jeoung,
stated that there is a wide variety of extra-curricular activities for all students of the school.
Students should make the most of these activities and learn the ability to keep a full and engaging schedule.
The RMHS Program of Studies Night was
a great event that showcased the virtues of our
school for incoming freshmen and their parents.
March’s Royals Period
by Ryan Lo
On March 8, 2017, the school was provided
with the monthly Royals Period. This Royals
Period was different. Ninth and 10th graders
reported to the cafeteria and 11th and 12th
graders reported to the auditorium.
RMHS vice principal, Ms. Thrower and
behaviorist, Ms. Lavelle showed a segment
from the Pixar movie “Inside Out.” The movie
focused on the emotions of Riley who is a preteen girl. Students were put into small groups
and had a discussion with teachers regarding
emotions, feelings and their evolving relationships with their parents.
The 11th and 12th grade students learned
about the impact and the consequences of
drunk driving. Ms. Gonzalez of the Stone
Cold organization showed a movie about
drinking and driving and discussed the effects
of drunk driving.
Both presentations were received positively by the RMHS student body.
RMHS Senior Ambassadors
RMHS Alumni Panel
RMHS Program of Studies Panel
RMHS Musical: Big Fish
By Ryan Lo
The 2017 RMHS school musical was Big Fish. On March 9th, 10th and 11th the Big Fish cast put on three
spectacular shows. Under the direction of Ms. Jessica Abrams, the cast amazed the entire Ridgefield community.
Featured senior performers were: Jeffrey Greiner, Jae Hui Yoon, Eli Stavridis, Nikkie Kim and Byungmin Choi.
Featured junior performers were: James Rush, Insun Chung, Julianne D’Amico, Alissa Ferdinand, Erik Ghizzone,
Brendan Bohan, Katie Pfaff, and Ricardo Cantarero. Young Will was played by Aidan Bohan who is a fourth
grade student from Slocum Skewes.
The dance sequences were choreographed by RMHS alumna Mrs. Anamari Servis. The pit orchestra was conducted by Mr. Matt Tracey and Mr. Dan Tracey was in charge of sound design. Art teacher, Mrs. Neenan, assisted
in creating props and painting backdrops.
Ms. Abrams, said “I would like to thank the entire cast, crew and orchestra. Over 100 RMHS students contributed to this year’s musical and it was a wonderful success.”
Page 2
Meet the Staff!
Chief Editor
Alex Yoon
“The first step is the
beginning of a long journey.”
The Crown
Award Winning Competition Cheerleading Team
by Kyla Bonaguaro
The newest addition to the Ridgefield Memorial High School Athletics Program is the competition cheerleading
team. For the past few months the cheerleading team has been working hard during practice to prepare for the competition cheerleading season. Starting in January the competition cheerleading team has been competing in cheer competitions across the state.
The competition cheerleading team has been earning first place victories at competitions across the state. February 25th at Perth Amboy High School, the Royals competed against Donovan Catholic, beating the team by several
points in scoring. The Ridgefield Royals also had the 3rd highest score in the high school session aside from the Paramus Catholic High School cheer teams.
For a first year team the Royals are showing the crowds and judges what they are made of and what they can do.
March 4th at Elizabeth High School, the Royals competed against several other school and won their third first place
award of the season. Currently, the Royals are 3-0 this season with one more competition left in their season.
The team is coached by Coach Muccia, Coach Lada and Coach Zakarian. These three coaches have brought an enthusiasm to the entire program and with the best interest of their athletes in mind they have created a large interest in
the sport. The RMHS cheer team is not the only cheer team they coach, they also coach an 8th grade and under recreation competition team which they have been coaching for the past seven years. Most of their high school athletes
have been former cheerleaders for their 8th grade and under team.
Athletic director Mr. Duncan, took a leap of faith, by allowing the competition cheerleading team to be brought
back as one of the programs offered at Ridgefield Memorial High School. Since Mr. Duncan allowed the program all
the cheerleading team has done is try and make him proud. There is much hope for the future of the RMHS cheerleading team. The coaches have built a very strong program with over 50 cheerleaders in both the high school and
recreation programs. Go Royals!
Chief Editor
Ryan Lo
“Your mindset is the key to
a happy life.”
The Epilogue Lasts Forever
Class Advisor
Andrew MacDonald
“Work hard and enjoy high
school.”
Executive Editor
Anna Georgiou
“Love what you do and do
what you love.”
Are You an Artist or a Creative Writer?
The school yearbook needs new members to Do you like to draw? Do you write in your free time?
join the 2016-2017 Epilogue staff. Yearbook If you answered yes to one of these two questions, then
staff members work with Ms. Vega, Ms. Abene you should consider joining Serendipity. Serendipity is
and Ms. Ferraiuolo in creating the RMHS Epi- the school’s art and literarymagazine. Please see Ms.
logue. If you are interested in joining the year- Ferraiuolo for more information.
book staff, please contact Ms. Vega, Ms. Abene
or Ms. Ferraiuolo.
Page 3
The Crown
The Artist of RMHS
by Ryan Lo
Meet Ridgefield’s new artist Evan Barbosa. Evan is an accomplished artist who has created hundreds of pieces of
artwork during the past year. Evan believes in repurposing and uses recycled products as part of his work.
Evan’s most recent artwork has been created on toilet paper rolls. Evan draws pictures on the rolls. He has drawn
pictures of cartoon characters, video game characters and his own original drawing.
Evan will be entering his artwork in the annual RMHS Art Show this spring. Art teacher, Ms. Neenan said, “Evan is
a talented artist who really enjoys creating art. It is a pleasure to work with him on daily basis.”
Congratulations to Evan Barbosa for his new found passion for artwork.
Meet the
Journalists!
Ben Ferrante
Age:17
Grade:12
“Go to School and get your
degree.”
STRIVE Program Wins Award for State Design Contest
by Ryan Lo
Congratulations to the RMHS STRIVE Program for winning second place in a design contest hosted by The Arc of
New Jersey to commemorate Developmental Disability Awareness Month which is celebrated March of every year.
The STRIVE Program helps people ages 18 to 21 with disabilities become more independent with life skills and
transitioning into the work force.
Students and teachers traveled to the State House in Trenton on March 6th to accept their award and showcase their
project. Their project was a 2 minute video showing STRIVE Program students working and performing charity work
throughout Bergen County.
Students who were honored were: Jared Saldana, Rushi Champaneri, Bora Demirbulakli, Evan Barbosa, Crystal
Rivera, Alex Flores-Manzano and Anthoni Fuentes. RMHS teacher, Ms. Donna Wietecha said, “It was a wonderful
honor to be recognized by The Arc of New Jersey and the students were thrilled to attend the ceremony and visit the
State House in Trenton.”
The STRIVE Store is Open for Business
By Alex Yoon
Are you looking for a wreath or a magnet to decorate your locker? Now you can purchase those items in school at
The STRIVE Store in room 134. The STRIVE Store under the direction of RMHS teacher Ms. Wietecha has stocked
the store with arts and crafts created by students in The STRIVE Program.
Students involved with the store are learning how to make arts and crafts projects, how to work in a business, and go
to the store and purchase materials.
One of the first customers of the new store was our own Mr. Kahn who purchased a wreath. He said, “It is a beautiful piece of work and I can’t wait to hang it up in my office.”
Support our STRIVE Program and visit the new store in room 134.
Olivia Jurisch
Age:17
Grade:12
“That’s what she said.”
Yasmine Ayala
Age:17
Grade:12
“What will be, will be.”
Mia Guinta
Age;17
Grade:12
“Live in the moment.”
Page 4
Meet the Staff!
John Biggiani
Age:17
Grade:12
“The best things in life are
free.”
Boys Basketball: Senior Night
by Ray Rizzo
On February 22, 2017, the Ridgefield boys’ basketball program held “Senior Night” for its graduating seniors.
Athletic director, Mr. Duncan introduced each senior basketball player who then presented their parents a flower at midcourt. The class of 2017 have had at least 10-varsity wins each of their four years in high school.
The seniors recognized their fallen classmate Daniel Scibetta who died tragically in a house fire during eighth
grade. Daniel was not only a classmate of the seniors but also a fellow basketball player. Daniel’s father and brother,
John, accepted flowers on behalf of Daniel.
Congratulations to the 2017 boys’ basketball team on a successful 10-win season.
Nikolas Hernandez
Age:18
Grade:12
“Never give up.”
Angie Jeoung
Age:17
Grade:12
“A negative mind will
never give you a positive
Alexa Houston
Age;17
Grade:12
“The only way to succeed
is to not worry about what
anyone else is doing.”
Page 5
Emergency Readiness
by Alex Yoon
Imagine there is a real emergency lockdown at RMHS and it goes on for hours and hours. What would the classroom teacher and students do in a situation like this? In an effort to maintain safety and security for all students and
staff, RMHS partnered with Shop Rite and Home Depot to secure donations of emergency readiness for our classrooms
in case of an unexpected, extended period of time in the classroom.
These buckets include water, nut-free granola bars, flashlights with batteries, gloves and other related items. Ms.
Voight and seniors who are completing their community service filled each bucket and delivered them to every classroom in the school.
Assistant principal, Ms. Martyniuk would like to thank Shop Rite and Home Depot for their generous donations and
their commitment to education.
Meet the
Journalists!
Louis Correa
Age:18
Grade:12
“Everything happens for a
reason.”
English and Fine Arts Combine
by Ryan Lo
On Tuesday, March 7, 2017, the English department and the Fine Arts department combined to instruct an interdisciplinary lesson on creating a book jacket for The Secret Life of
Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
Mr. MacDonald’s English I class had just read the modern masterpiece and had discussed the themes and symbols that were presented in the novel. Mrs. Neenan created
a PowerPoint presentation which discussed the development of a book jacket. She discussed components of creating a rough draft that incorporated symbols, awards, and reviews by literary critics. She discussed how publishing companies market their books and
that the book jackets are the most important selling point of a novel.
The students crafted their book jackets and received constructive feedback from Mrs.
Neenan, Mr. Prenenski, and Mr. MacDonald.
Students worked on their book jackets for two class periods and created finished projects.
Marissa Semeraro
Age:17
Grade:12
“You’re never too young to
understand.”
The Crown Needs You!
The Crown is looking for members for the 2017-2018
staff. The newspaper staff is currently seeking journalists,
photographers and editors.
If interested please contact senior editors Alex Yoon
or Ryan Lo.
Andrew Jackson
Age:17
Grade:12
“There is a way to see into
the future, walk towards it.”
Page 6
Meet the
Journalists!
What Does Success Mean to You?
by Alex Yoon
Success is a difficult concept to grasp. Success is defined differently by each individual and society as a whole.
The Crown staff has decided to weigh in with their views regarding success and happiness. Enjoy the following
two articles by our staff writers.
Success in my mind
by Kareem Nasser
Haris Mahmutbegovic
Age:16
Grade:11
“Don’t be afraid to fail”
Lazaro Conde
Age:16
Grade:11
“Life is a Long Journey”
Kyla Bonaguaro
Age:16
Grade:11
“Seize the day”
-Carpe Diem
Ray Rizzo
Age:16
Grade:11
“Some people want it to
happen, Some wish it would
happen, others make it
happen”
Success has taken on millions of different forms throughout history. While our ideas of success may vary, we can
all agree that the pinnacles of our lives will be when we meet our criteria for success. However, I personally believe
that your journey to success is often more fruitful and memorable than arriving at your destination. The memories and
events that you experience on your path will motivate you and propel you forward. The steps that I will take on my
travels will be to devote myself to achieving my success, ensure that I am happy throughout my expedition and reach
my own life goals.
Regardless of your image of success, your path to it will require you to push yourself to your limits and work to
your full potential. You must devote yourself to achieving success, whether it be by fulfilling your education or working in a job or career. Nothing in life comes to you easily and you must constantly labor in order to succeed. In my
opinion, one part of life that you cannot place a price on in your education. It opens countless opportunities, some of
which will lead you to success. However, you must commit yourself to your education if you are to truly reap its benefits.
Furthermore, you must make sure that you remain happy throughout your journey and after it as well. You should
only feel content with yourself and your vision of success if it contains happiness. Like education, you cannot put a
price on happiness during your journey and you should use happiness as a guide for yourself. Happiness also must go
in tandem with success. Together you can achieve harmony and inner peace, which are pivotal to your final image of
success. Happiness can also assist you in remaining devoted to your goals and path to success.
Finally, you should strive to reach your own personal life goals. Reaching these goals will also fill you with an immeasurable amount of happiness, such as buying your first home or getting married. I have established seven personal
life goals and I believe by reaching each of these individual milestones, I will be nearing my idea of success.
There is not one clear path to success, yet it can be reached in many different ways. I believe that you can reach
success by devoting yourself to reach your idea of success, remaining happy during and following your expedition and
by attaining your life goals. All three steps are intertwined, as happiness will allow you to stay devoted to your goals.
World famous soccer player Pele one said, “Success is no accident and reaching it is a life long journey.”
What does success mean to you?
by Yasmine Ayala
Success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. Success means something different to every
person. Success is a very important concept in life; success is a very big part in people’s lives. To
some people success means everything; to some people success can either mean things like money,
a big house, a good job, a great education and of course a family. To me success means all of the
above. People think that finding success is very difficult, however I find it to be quite simple.
I believe that the most important factor of being successful is staying in school and getting a great
education. I believe that if you go to college and pursue your education then it will be a lot easier to
be successful when you are older. Having a great education is so important because it can help you
find a career. Your career should fit your definition of success. What defines success in your career?
The individual must decide that. Money, helping people, or enjoying what you do are all key components when choosing a career.
Having a great education and a good career can be a catalyst to having money, a big house and
many more luxurious advantages. A good career can bring in a lot of money; money can help buy
a nice car, nice house clothes and more. A great education and a good job are the keys to a bright
future and a successful career. However, I believe the most important part of being successful is having a happy, loving, and healthy family. Family should also come first and be the most important part
of your life. Having a family is truly the most successful part of life.
Page 7
Girls Basketball 2016
by Ali Baric
The girls basketball season started on November 21st. Three days before Thanksgiving consisted of workouts, lots of running, and getting all the girls back into tip top shape for the upcoming season. Graduation hit
the team hard and new players were expected to step up and play major minutes.
The season started slow for the Royals as they lost three in a row. Going into the Ridgefield Holiday Tournament with a losing record was extremely tough. The lady Royals won the tournmanet and gained momemtum for the remainder of the season. With a record of two wins and three losses the team was ready for the
months of January and February.
During the season the Royals had exciting wins and disappointing losses. The girls ended their season with
a record of 11wins and 14 losses.
Following the regular season, the girls were able to make it to the first round of the New Jersey State Basketball Tournament. The girls played Glen Ridge and lost to them in overtime by two points.
Coach Reynoso would like to thank senior Hailey Walsh for her dedication to the basketball program.
Next year the team will be a veteran team that will consist of four seniors and several juniors. The girls are determined more than ever to have a better season next year. This year’s experiences will help them accomplish
more of their goals for next year’s season.
Meet the
Journalists!
Ali Baric
Age:16
Grade:11
“The only person you
should try to be better than,
is the person you were
yesterday”
“Light It Up Blue” for World Autism Awareness Day
by Ryan Lo
Each April 2nd, the international autism community celebrates the United Nations sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day and kicks off Autism Awareness Month.
In honor of April 2nd, businesses, iconic landmarks and homes “Light It Up Blue” in recognition of individuals with autism.
Approximately 70 million people across the globe are affected by autism. One in 68 American children
are affected by autism as of 2016.
The goal of Autism Awareness Month is to show support from all corners of the world for the individuals
who have autism and the families of these individuals whose daily lives are affected by it.
George Yakoubian
Age:14
Grade:9
“Success is like a staircase
you need to take step by step
to get to the top.”
Ashley Zingillioglu
Age:14
Grade:9
“Love Yourself”
Mario Giordano
Age:14
Grade:9
“Do or not do, there is no
try”
Page 8
Music is a Major Part of Our Lives
by John Biggiani
Music is everywhere. It impacts each of us on an everyday basis. We listen to music at home, in the car, and on our headphones. We listen to music to pump us up, relax us or a soundtrack to help us study. Music comes in many different genres. Pop, rock, jazz, heavy metal,
classic rock, rap, and classical music help us make it through our busy days.
The Crown staff would like to share with our readership our thoughts and ideas on the topic of music.
Imagine Dragons
by Olivia Jurisch
Imagine Dragons is an American rock band. They originated from Las Vegas, Nevada. The lead singer is Dan Reynolds, the leader guitarist is Wayne Sermon, the bassist is Ben McKee and the drummer is Daniel Platzman. The band released its first studio album in 2012 named
“Night Visions.” The album’s first single was named “It’s Time.” MTV called Imagine Dragons the “Year’s Biggest Breakout Band.” The
second studio album was named “Smoke and Mirrors” and released in 2015. It reached number one in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Imagine Dragons won two awards from the American Music Awards for Favorite Alternative Artist. They also won a Grammy Award for
Best Rock Performance and they have five Billboard Music Awards and a World Music Award. They have been very successful, evidenced by
selling nine million albums and 27 million singles worldwide.
Billboard named the genre of the band as an Alternative Rock Band. Their musical hooks often include elements of arena and anthem rock.
At an interview, the band stated, “We don’t want to be a cliche band. We don’t want to restrict ourselves to one genre. We don’t want people to remember us from the genre. We want to let people call our songs as Imagine Dragons’ type songs. So in pursuit of that, we push the
boundaries of every genre and try to mix them.”
Whatever their genre is, Imagine Dragons is surely an awesome band with a unique flair.
Tony Bennett: A Man of Words and Melodies
by Lazaro Conde
Ninety years old and still going strong, the impeccable singer Tony Bennett is still singing his heart out. The Grammy Award-winning
singer has yet again enthralled the masses with his performances. Most recently his two hour 90th birthday special on NBC featured himself alongside dozens of his musical counterparts, furthering his hold on modern culture.
The long-standing artist began his career as a crooner, a singer of sentimental medleys at Columbia Records. Over time Bennett rose
slowly, but slowly to stardom. Bennett faced struggling times in both his career and personal life. Despite the predicaments within his life,
Tony persevered and developed a new image that became well-liked by younger audiences. He reached this new demographic through
shows such as Late Night with David Letterman and MTV programs. Then Tony skyrocketed, singing around the world and leaving each
and every listener in complete awe. His reach to demographics of youth occurred once again when Bennett began to sing with and befriend
culture phenomenon and pop icon, Lady Gaga. The two legends have produced and performed multiple duets together as well as an album
named “Cheek to Cheek.” Although they have been perceived as an unforeseen pair, the two have created history in both classic standards
and pop music together. The inseparable relationship between them seems to only inspire Bennett to go further. The dynamic singer has no
plans on retiring. Tony Bennett is an American institution and will be listened to by people for generations to come.
Page 9
Glory Days
by Ben Ferrante
Anyone who knows me knows I have a slight obsession with a group called Little Mix. Formed in 2011, Little Mix gained popularity by winning
the X-Factor UK, becoming the first and only group to win the series. Since then, they have successfully released four studio albums, all of which
have been met with widespread critical and commercial acclaim. Their most recent studio Album, Glory Days, has been gaining a significant amount
of popularity in the United States, and will hopefully solidify their attempts to break the market here.
I discovered Little Mix through my close friends, who have been following the group since their formation. I was immediately drawn to their
catchy and powerful songs, that often have great messages to them. Their vocals were nothing that I’ve ever seen. Finding a girl group where all
members can sing in tune, have tight harmonies, and not out shine one another is rare these days. Their latest album, Glory Days continues this
trend, all while attempting a new genre the girls have never tried. The album contains more pop styled songs, ideal for nights at a party and just
spending time with friends. For example “Power “ and “Oops” would be perfect for any party scenario.
Little Mix
by Yasmine Ayala
My new recent obsession is the British girl group, Little Mix. The girl group contains Jesy, Leigh-Anne, Perrie, and Jade. They are a pop
group. Their energetic music will definitely make you dance and put you into a happy, fun mood. Little mix was formed in 2011 on the X Factor and ended up winning the competition. They have four albums, DNA, Salute, Get Weird, and Glory days. Little Mix is not very big right
now because they came from England but they are slowly becoming more popular in the United States.
My favorite album is their recent album Glory days. It was released in November of 2016. The deluxe version contains 15 songs. Their
most popular song on the radio is “Shout Out to My Ex”; it was their first single off of the album. My absolute favorite song off of the album is
“Touch.” Whenever I hear it I feel like dancing! It is such a fun song and I can imagine listening to it in the summer while hanging out by the
pool. Another one of their catchy songs is “No More Sad Songs.” Another one of their amazing songs is “Private Show.” “Private Show” has
a great beat drop that will make you dance. Overall, all of their songs on this album are amazing and I definitely recommend that you give it a
listen.
Review On The Bangerz Tour
by Mia Guinta
On April 25th, 2014 I went to the Miley Cyrus concert at the IZod center. Miley Cyrus performed 78 shows in total and the box office made $62.9
million dollars. I had very good seats. The opening act was Icona Pop and I thought they were very good. They aren’t famous yet but they have catchy
song and are a fun band. I enjoyed them opening up for one of the greatest concerts I have ever attended.
Miley Cyrus is a dynamic performer who sings and dances throughout the entire concert. She energizes the crowd with her songs and stage performance. During her concert I sang along to all of her songs. The Bangerz tour was based on her fourth studio album titled Bangerz. The Bangerz album is
my favorite Miley Cyrus recording.
Miley Cyrus is a great artist and many people don’t like her because of what she says on social media but anyone who loves her songs and went to
her concert would completely change their mind about Miley because of her amazing performance skills. The Bangerz tour was one of the greatest concerts I have been to and I would definitely pay another $150 to see her in concert.
Page 10
Royal Time Warp
by Alex Yoon and Ryan Lo
Students have been attending RMHS since 1957 and each year marks the graduation of another class of
Royals. This edition’s “Royal Time Warp” looks at the classes of 1996, 2006 and 2016. Enjoy the styles,
students, and faculty members from the classes of 1996, 2006 and 2016.
Page 11