Page 1 Volume 4, Issue 1 The Foran Exchange Volume 4, Issue 7 Inside this issue: College Acceptances Senioritis New Forever 21 Russian Meteor Movie Reviews Gun Control And More... Late February Derosa Dominates Milford Athletics: Sports Person of the Year Kelsey Jackson Bekah Derosa, a senior here at Foran High School, definitely has made a name for herself these past few years. As a three sport athlete, Bekah has helped lead each of her teams to numerous victories. Derosa not only helped her basketball team to the state tournament in the two last years, but also lead them to be SCC Hammonasset Division Champions this season, for the first time since 1977. “It’s a real honor to know that I helped this happen. Our team has come a long way, and I’m so proud of every single girl on this team”, Derosa said. Bekah gave her heart in the softball game that won them the state championship her sophomore year. Her junior year, the team advanced to the state finals as well, and with her leadership advanced further in volleyball than any other has in Foran history, making it to the quarterfinals of the CIAC Class M state volleyball tournament. On and off the field, Bekah is a well-rounded person. She excels on the court and off it in the classroom. She is most likely attending Quinnipiac University next year, and possibly playing volleyball for the Bobcats. “She’s an extremely talented and well-rounded player. I believe that is why she received this award, “senior and softball teammate Marissa Bruno said. With the notorious title of captain for all 3 sports, she definitely leads from her heart. When asked how he thinks Bekah will perform this softball season, Mr. Bevino, Foran’s softball coach and gym teacher said, “She is the type of person to lead by example. She plays hard. She’ll do just fine as captain, a lot of players respect her.” Derosa is an extremely humble player for all sports, but keeps her head in the game and makes sure everyone, including herself, is 100% focused. Being named Milford-Orange Bulletin Sports Person of the Year really made everyone recognize how much of a dedicated player she really is. “I didn’t know what to say or think when I found out about the award. I couldn’t have been any happier. I work hard and strive to succeed, but my coaches and teammates are the ones I should be thanking, they shaped me into the player I am today”, Bekah said. “Bekah is a great leader. She sets great examples, and is definitely a team player. She has a lot of knowledge about the game on the field and court”, Junior Fallon Bevino stated, when asked how Bekah is as a teammate. No matter what is challenge is put in front of her, whether it is on the diamond, court, or in school, Bekah Derosa handles any challenge with poise and determination. Being named Sports Person of the Year was unquestionably an appropriate title for this tremendous athlete. Continued on next page Foran News Page 2 Volume 4, Issue 17 College Acceptances Michaela Garland January and February brings exciting news for the seniors of Foran and the guidance department. College acceptance letters are finally on their way in. The board outside of guidance is filling up with the names of the students and all the colleges they were accepted to. The long college application process began back in September, and it has been hectic ever since. It has now finally started to calm down and excitement has filled the stress. Senior Maggie Phelan has been accepted, and plans on going to St. Michael’s college in Vermont. She, like the other seniors, is relieved the college application process is over. “I’m relieved, excited, and happy that the whole college application process is over. My acceptance letters are finally here. It was a long stressful process and I am just so glad it is over and I have been accepted. I can finally relax.” The guidance department can finally catch their breath too and no longer have kids constantly on their backs about sending this and writing that. However, college acceptances have made the guidance department excited and happy for the 2013 seniors. They are finally somewhat relaxed and stress free from the long process. Mrs. Skuches, the secretary of the guidance department, commented on the college acceptances that are here for the 2013 seniors and said, “It’s been a long process, as it is every year, but we were prepared for it to be a long process. We are all so happy for the seniors and all the exciting news that is finally coming their way. This time of year is always exciting every year and we are all so glad that it has finally come for the 2013 seniors.” Sam Geier, another senior, has been accepted to 2 out of the 3 schools he has applied too. He has been accepted to Southern Connecticut State University and Central Connecticut State University. He is still waiting to hear back from UConn. Sam plans on attending Central and was asked what he is most excited for now that he has been accepted. “I’m most excited for finally graduating and moving onto college. The college experience is what I’ve been waiting for and it’s finally right around the corner.” Some seniors are still waiting to hear back from colleges that they applied to back in the fall and others are hearing about scholarships they might have won. The rest of the school year will be a very thrilling time for the seniors as they are getting accepted to college, graduating, and finally starting their own college experience. “Senioritis” Courtney McManus Senioritis is a fast spreading disease, sweeping the nation’s senior class of 2013. Some symptoms of this illness are lack of motivation, missing assignments and an increase in student absences. With the second semester quickly approaching, senior Bekah DeRosa stated “it is difficult to stay focused on current school work when I have already been accepted to Universities.” DeRosa is not alone. Casey McCone, another senior, also stated, “in order to keep my baseball scholarship, I have to keep up with my grades and maintain a 3.0 grade point average,” leaving McCone with little to no time for games during his senior year. Late and incomplete assignments are a common factor when discussing senioritis, with certain deadlines and due dates for seniors class-work, many find themselves slipping through the cracks and losing interest in keeping up with their grades, which most colleges request to view! It has also been made clear to the class of 2013 that Joseph A. Foran’s faculty and staff view our attendance policy very strongly, especially for seniors. In light of this ever-present senior slump, Dean of students, Mr. Greist, has made it a point to stay on-top of graduating seniors by ensuring their absences are excused and granting after school detentions to those whose aren’t. Another common name in the attendance field is Mrs. Broccoli, who is known for handing out tardies and issuing detentions for excessive amounts of them (tardies) to students. These detentions can potentially cost graduating seniors certain privileges that they once were granted and lead towards a more hectic end of the school year. The class of 2013 has many up-coming events to look forward to in the spring such as cotillion, the senior picnic, and of course, graduation. Be sure to fight off the senioritis disease in order to be able to attend these festivities! Continued on next page News The Foran Exchange Page 3 Volume Page 3 4, Issue 1 School Resource Officers May Be Added to Milford Schools AJ Piselli Recently, Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Feser has been talking to Mayor Ben Blake about adding School Resource Officers (SROs) to the Milford Public Schools. SROs are specially trained police officers allowed to legally use firearms in schools as a means of protection. They are basically police officers, but are immersed into the school’s systems. They develop relationships with faculty and students, while taking a serious note of the students’ and faculty’s safety and a serious note of any “threats” that may be made at these schools. After what happened at the Sandy Hook School shooting, Dr. Feser and Mayor Blake do not want a repeat, even if it means hiring one SRO for each school. The idea of the SRO has been around for a long time, and is already in place in many different locations around the state of Connecticut (CT). The SRO’s pay will not be taken from Mayor Blake’s yearly salary. However, there will be some type of federal funding that will pay the SRO’s salary. There are many opinions on whether or not this would be a good idea, or whether it would work in general. Senior Dan Murray said, “I think that the extra SROs will be superfluous and they will be a waste of school resources that could have been used for resources like paper, computer software, etc.” They are also worried about how there will only be one for each high school, and two or three spread out between middle schools, it will be “safer” for students. Senior Ryan Drohan said, “I think that the SROs will be beneficial, however, I don’t believe that the cost is worth it. There is only one in the entire school, and Foran is a BIG school!” Other people, like science teacher Ms. McBurgin, believe the opposite. Ms. McBurgin said, “From my experience as a student that had SROs, they made us feel comfortable and safe simultaneously. They develop a sort of friendship with the students and faculty by being there every single day.” The facts tell us that there will be an armed guard patrolling the school keeping us safe, and for most of us, that is all we need to hear. Martin Luther King Day Kevin Green Martin Luther King Day is one of the various holidays that include a day off from school. Most school kids see past the significance of it after being rewarded with a day off. King was a great role model and a perfect example of how you do not need to use violence to solve your problems. His problems were much worse than the problems average people deal with nowadays that result in violence. His strong beliefs in civil rights and non-violence were some of his features that made him so special. Some people feel we do not give as much recognition to the day as we should while others disagree. “I haven’t heard anything about it (Martin Luther King Day) besides the fact we have the day off from school.” Junior Bob Notholt stated. Schools might have to do a better job in educating students on our countries’ holidays, including this one, but also others like Memorial Day and Veterans Day. “We should not just learn about these days once or twice in middle and elementary school and just assume that we, the students, know enough about these days as we should once we get to high school.” said junior Nick Weissauer. All in all we know what Martin Luther King Jr. did and said, but we, as a country should proceed to educate about the risks, struggles, and hard earned moral victories for the African American communities. Continued on next page News Page 4 Volume 4, Issue 17 New Forever 21 Opens Emiley Stiffler The popular clothing chain, Forever 21, located in the Westfield Connecticut Post Mall, announced last spring that they would be expanding their store. Forever 21 is known for its cheap but trendy clothing selection for girls. The store decided to expand after Aeropostale moved locations. This gave them the opportunity to expand upward and create a second floor. The renovations have since been on going and the re-opening has been pushed back several times. Originally, the opening was set for fall of 2012, but the store officially re-opened on Saturday, February 16, 2013. The new store is bigger and brighter with entrances on Level 1 and Level 2 near center court. As well as it now offers a plus size selection of clothing. The first 200 customers’ received gift cards on the day of the opening. The store also did outfit giveaways. Senior Maggie Phelan visited the store shortly after the opening. She said, “I couldn’t believe how big it was and how large the new selection of clothes was. It was a girls dream.” The nice thing about Forever 21 is its affordable yet stylish. The prices have not changed with the new store. Senior Amanda Westphal said, “The new store was worth the long wait. I walked in and immediately fell in love with everything. It was hard not to spend every penny I had.” It’s a popular place for most teenagers to shop. Reading teacher Mrs. Whitaker said “My daughters seem to really like the clothes, and most seem appropriate and cute.” If you’re ever in the Westfield Connecticut Post mall be sure to stop in and see this amazing new store! Rocking in Russia James Givens On February 8, the biggest meteor in centuries struck into the central Russia area of Chelyabinsk. The meteor was caught on various dashboard cameras and other devices such as highway cams. There were no casualties; however, there were 1800 injuries, which were mostly caused by broken glass from windows broken by the sonic boom produced by the meteor itself. It is not unusual for Siberia to experience a meteor crashing into the barren land of the extensive land mass, but not one as spectacular and caught on so many video cameras. It can be seen coming into sight, then exploding and turning into bits. Before finally, crashing into the earth with tremendous force that shook the ground around the several impacts. Minus the 1800 injuries, many Russians were able to watch a once in a lifetime sight. Many students can agree after seeing the many YouTube videos, and other media sources. Senior Madeline Forte said, “It’s easier to see how pretty it is when you know no-one has passed away because of this.” It had a spectacular tail, that some mistook for a comet. Others watched with fear, wondering it was the start of a new cold war; expecting a missile of some kind, or a form of spacecraft. The days following the impact consisted of fixing up residences as well as those injured from broken glass. Others ventured out to do meteorite prospecting, exploring the landscape in search of a possible chunk of the broken up meteor. Researchers have said that this meteor was made of something harder than usual, judging by the amount of damage and the speed of it, they suspect it was something as dense as iron, which is why it was able to pass through the atmosphere without being reduced to a pebble. Continued on next page Sports/Reviews The Foran Exchange Page 5 Volume Page 5 4, Issue 1 Super Bowl XLVII Brendan Hallett The annual NFL Super Bowl took place on February 3, and can easily be called one of the most notable Super Bowls in recent history. This Super Bowl was nicknamed the Harbaugh Bowl due to the fact that the coaches for the playing teams, the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers are brothers. Coaches Jim and John Harbaugh are head coaches of these champion teams, which no doubt added tension to their game anxiety. To add to the game’s excitement, Raven’s Linebacker Ray Anthony Lewis Jr. claimed to retire after the Super Bowl. These unexpected incidents added to the buildup of the game. The game itself was rather interesting as well. The Ravens quickly took advantage in the first half with a dominating lead of 21 to 6 by the end of the 2nd half. “I wasn’t proud of my team’s performance in the first half,” said Mr. Lawrence, teacher at Foran high and avid 49ers fan. But it was the second half when the game got exceptionally interesting. On the opening kickoff of the 2nd half, Jacoby Jones ran the kickoff back 108 yards for another touchdown for the Ravens. This touchdown matched a Super Bowl record for longest kick return for a touchdown in Super Bowl history. As if that didn’t make the Super Bowl interesting enough, there was a power outage that caused darkness for nearly half of the stadium. For 34 minutes, play was halted as technicians worked to restore power to the dark side of the stadium. When power was finally restored, the 49ers finally decided to start their comeback. They put up 17 points in the 3rd corner, making the score 29-23 with the Ravens still holding the lead. In the forth the Raven’s defense managed to stop the 49ers progression. The game ended with the Ravens taking a safety in order to drag out the clock to the lowest they could. With little time on the clock, the Ravens punted the ball and tackled the kick returner to end the game. The final score was Ravens 34, 49ers 31. "I’ve never seen such an interesting game," stated Nick Brennan a senior at Foran, “it was the best Super Bowl that i have witnessed". After the game, it was announced that Joe Flacco, quarterback for the Ravens, was named the Super Bowl’s most valuable player. Finally, Ray Lewis ended his career with a Super Bowl win, the perfect way to go out. New Season, New Judges! Hadley Whitaker “Live from Los Angeles, this is American Idol!” American Idol Season 12 has kicked off like every other season: Auditions. But there is a major change this year. After getting a sharp drop in ratings during season 11, it was time for “some creative tweaking,” Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly announced. July 12, 2012, Steven Tyler publicized that he would not be returning as an American Idol judge and the next day Jennifer Lopez did the same. There are three new celebrities on the judging panel for Season 12. During the fall of 2012, singer, song writer, and fashion icon, Nicki Minaj, as well as four-time Grammy Award winning country star Keith Urban signed onto the show. Mariah Carey, the best-selling female recording artist of all time, also signed with American Idol, and returning judge Randy Jackson will be back for his eleventh year. Main Office secretary, Mrs. Carino said, “The new judges will add a new and pleasant twist to the show.” Be sure to watch Thursdays on Fox 8/7c to see who your next American Idol is! Continued on next page Reviews Page 6 Volume 4, Issue 17 Side Effects Movie Review Emily Lucca The movie Side Effects is a thriller about a couple living in New York, Emily (Rooney Mara) and Martin (Channing Tatum). While her husband is in prison, and continuing into his release, Emily has been battling depression, which included suicidal incidents. Because of Emily’s anxiety, she begins to see a new psychiatrist, Jonathan Banks (Jude Law). Dr. Banks prescribes her several different types of antidepressants which don’t seem to be helping, so he pays a visit to Emily Martin’s previous psychiatrist Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who recommends a new trial drug Ablixa. After taking this drug, she begins sleepwalking and murders her husband while sleepwalking. Emily is taken to a mental institution and Dr. Banks is blamed for her husband’s murder because he prescribed her the drug. Jonathan Banks refuses to take the blame and investigates more into the crime. He has already lost his reputation, his practice, and his family and has nothing left to lose. During his investigation, Dr. Banks discovers many shocking facts, as the truth surfaces. This movie was much better than I thought it was going to be. It was slightly boring and it seemed like it was going to have a boring ending as well. However, when Jonathon Banks begins to put the pieces together regarding Emily Martin’s actions, the twists and turns of the story throw you for a loop. It was a shocking ending when the truth came out and I definitely was not expecting it. Senior Ashley Torres said, “I lost interest in the middle of the story line, until the second part of the story really caught my attention.” The lead actress, Rooney Mara, really did a great job in portraying Emily Martin as a very believable innocent girl with a horrible case of anxiety and depression. It really helped to make the ending even more surprising. Jude Law, who played Dr. Banks, also portrayed his character as very believable. This made it difficult for the viewer to decide who to believe. I would recommend this movie because it was interesting and attention grabbing in the end. Kyle Michelson says, “I don’t regret seeing this movie, it was worth it.” I would not say it was a spectacular movie that everyone has to see but it was pretty good for a thriller movie. The actors and producer Steven Soderbergh really did a great job in creating a believable story. Sparks at It Again Gina Georgetti Rushing to theaters while pulling their date by the arm, girls everywhere were eager to be the first to see Safe Haven, released on Valentine’s Day. This captivating movie is based on a novel from the bestselling author, Nicholas Sparks. His romantic books are the beginnings of award winning movies, such as The Notebook, Dear John, The Last Song, and A Walk to Remember. His type of writing, so emotional and thrilling, is not missed on the screen, and Safe Haven is a good example of that. Senior Kelly Quinn exclaimed, “Safe Haven was a great movie because it kept me on the edge of my seat. I never knew what was going to happen next.” Safe Haven is about a girl named Katie, played by Julianne Hough, who finds herself in a small North Carolina town of Southport because she is running from her former abusive lover. While in this new town, Katie tries to start over by getting a job, buying a house, and learning to love again. After some time in Southport, she begins to fall in love with Alex, a dad of two little kids and an owner of a shop. She begins to become attached to his family, and slowly lets her guard down. But despite Katie’s new life with Alex, played by Josh Duhamel, her grim secret, which sent her on this fearful journey, still hangs over her head terrorizing her. Katie eventually has to make a decision; run like she did before, or stay in her new life and face her darkest nightmare face to face. This suspenseful movie had so many twists and turns that it “kept my interest,” said Senior Mike Dana, “even though it wasn’t my type of movie.” Safe Haven is a great date movie, so grab your girl or grab your guy, and go see the box office hit, Safe Haven. Continued on next page Sports/Reviews The Foran Exchange Page 7 Volume Page 7 4, Issue 1 Silver Linings Playbook Movie Review Caroline Stapleton Silver Linings Playbook is not your typical romance story. Pat Solitano, played by Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper, portrays Pat, a man who loses his wife, his job and his house after walking in on his wife, Nikki, having an affair and severely injuring the man she was with. Feeling that he needs to prove to his Nikki that he’s recovered and is a healthy and safe person again, he attempts to contact her, only to find out that she has a restraining order against him. Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this movie, is a widow who has a passion for dancing. Tiffany and Pat make a deal. If Pat will dance as Tiffany’s partner in a pageant, then she will give Nikki a letter for him. Pat’s determination to reunite with his wife drives him to dance with Tiffany. As their deal plays out, a connection between the two deranged-minded dancers is formed. This movie has earned excellent ratings from critics and students here at Foran. Marissa Bruno said it was a “crazy, good movie,” pun intended since the two main characters are classified as mentally insane. Stephen Furda and Clay Callahan agree that the actors fit their parts well and did great. “The acting was amazing,” Marissa Bruno shared. Clay Callahan said he would see the film again and he would tell all of his friends to see it, too. Amanda Westphal describes this movie as “gripping, exciting and refreshing,” and Rebekah DeRosa describes it as being “unpredictable, realistic and dramatic.” Silver Linings Playbook is a great movie for anyone to see. Even Mrs. Collins loved it, saying, “In a weird way, it’s a feel-good movie. “ Some foreshadowing takes place in the beginning when Pat goes on a 3 AM rant to his parents about how a story by Ernest Hemmingway is ruined by an unhappy ending. Will Pat have a happy ending? Has he earned Nikki’s forgiveness? Will he resume his marriage with Nikki? Will he fall in love with Tiffany? These are all questions Pat must face throughout the movie. Pat’s father, played by Robert De Niro, tells him “when life reaches out with a moment like this, it’s a sin if you don’t reach back.” See this emotional and dramatic romantic comedy to find out how the story unfolds, you won’t regret it! The Walking Dead Midseason Premiere CJ Luth AMC’s The Walking Dead returned from its midseason break on February 10th with a new episode that brought 12.3 million viewers. As a result, the show is becoming one of the most popular television series in the country. Foran Senior Nick Holt said, “Since everyone always talks about The Walking Dead, I decided to start watching it a few weeks ago.” Mrs. Morrazzini, Spanish teacher says, “I’ve heard a lot about The Walking Dead and I’d like to start watching it because I’m looking for a new series to watch. From what I hear, it’s a very popular show.” The midseason finale ended with The Governor making Merle and Darryl, who are brothers, fight in front of the outraged village. This premiere picked up right where it left off. In the first few minutes of the premiere, Merle announces, “Y’all know me. I’m going to do whatever I’ve got to do to prove my loyalty to this town.” He then sucker punches his brother. However, during their “fight” Merle whispers to Darryl to follow his lead and soon they are able to fight against The Governor and escape the village with the help of Rick and his crew. All this happened within the first 5 minutes of the midseason premiere in what seemed to be an action-packed episode. Yet, the action quickly slowed down and the rest of the episode seemed to be filled with lots of yelling and arguing within both Rick’s crew and The Governors Village. With Rick and Merle having some history, Rick refuses to let Merle back into his group. Darryl then chooses to leave Rick and join Merle. Jon Buzelle, Foran Senoir said, “I knew that Darryl and Meryl would reunite because they were so close. So, I wasn’t really surprised when Darryl picked Meryl over Rick. I think Darryl will start to realize that his brother is crazy sooner or later, though.” After Rick and Darryl split up, Rick returned to the prison with his crew. When Rick returns to the prison, his son, Carl, introduces him to the new strangers. Tyreese, a man who seems to be the leader of this pack of strangers, begs Rick to let him stay. Rick, however, sees a ghost of his dead wife, Lori, and seems to lose his mind. This isn’t anything new as we have seen Rick gone crazy in previous episodes from previous seasons. The midseason premiere ends with Rick screaming “get out” and “why are you here?”; as the strangers follow his commands and leave. The camera eerily zooms in on “Ghost Lori” as the episode comes to an end. Following episodes look to be more intense than this one, with previews of the Governor seeking revenge, and of course lots of zombies. Many are excited to see what the second half of The Walking Dead has to bring, as it looks like another phenomenal finish to this season is underway. Be sure to tune in to AMC’s The Walking Dead on Sunday nights at 9 PM.. Continued on next page Best of the Rest Page 8 Volume 4, Issue 17 Obama and Gun Control: What it Means for the 2nd Amendment Anthony DeTullio The past few months have been filled with tensions and debates over gun control, and the right way to approach and fix problems with it. Last month, the president held a press conference on what he feels is the right approach to solve gun violence. It involved numerous executive orders and proposed congressional action. For people who don’t know what executive orders are, they are things that the President can do without having congressional approval but are not laws. They mostly involve having a better communications and transfer of information between agencies. It also involved appointing an ATF director in congress and providing officers, first responders, and school officials with the proper training for armed attack situations. Lastly, some of the executive provided incentives to schools with armed guards and also make sure each school has a proper plan in place in case of an attack such as the one at Sandy Hook. Also, the president proposed actions to congress for laws. Some of these actions were to require background check for all sales of firearms, and reinstating the 2004 assault weapon ban and strengthen it. Another key element is limiting ammo magazines to ten rounds. Lastly, president Obama wants to provide more money on the expansion of mental health programs for young people. The proposal would only affect the future production and sale of military-style weapons or highcapacity magazines, all already owned firearms and magazines will not be affected by this law. After asking business teacher Mrs. Brown how she feels about Obama’s actions, she said, “I believe that assault weapons should be ban and schools need to be made safer.” Senior Kenyon Colwell said “Owning an assault weapon should be allowed, but I agree with the rest of Obama’s plan. Lastly, Senior James Monk said “I believe in the second amendment right own firearms but I do agree there should be a ban on magazines. Also I agree with Obama’s plan on expanding metal help programs which I feel are very important in stopping some violent crimes.” In the end there haven’t been any federal laws passed on gun control so far, but only the coming months can tell. Continued on next page Page 9 Volume 4, Issue Issue 71 Volume Page 9 4, March 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 The Foran Exchange Editor: Joe Mixie Design Editor: James Givens Journalists: Samaar Batool Ben Bonessi Cheyanne Chaisson Crystal Colon Luke Cullen Paul Deptulski Anthony DeTullio David Foster Michaela Garland Gina Georgetti Brianna Gray Kevin Green Victoria Haba Brendan Hallett Kelsey Jackson Andrew Jones Caitlin Kaczynski Delanie Kliff Nick LaPenna Alex Librandi Emily Lucca CJ Luth Valerie Mackin Clarie Marler Megan McCaskill Courtney McManus Megan Mestres Kaitlin Morlando Paul Nicholas Emily O’Leary Christine Pala Emily Palm Dom Persichilli Kassidy Philpott AJ Piselli Morgan Priess Allie Raucci Caroline Stapleton Emily Stiffler Claire Torento Hadley Whitaker Karlie Winters Continued on next page
© Copyright 2026 Paperzz