October 26, 2012

Volume 12, Issue 1

Do you drive lessoutside of mentorshipto save gas or money?

NoYes

75%

25%

Avg. spent onGAS MONEYper week $35

travel time to mentorship (min)

5

35

Avg.15mi

shortest

longest

2

45

travel time back home (min)

Avg.24min

shortest

longest

Avg.10mi

3

23

distance to mentorship (mi)

shortest

longest

Mentorship students: out in the real world

Blot Illustration by Mike DeSocio

With the first marking period past its half-way mark, the first group of mentorship students is nearing the end of its real-world experience. Mentorship seniors find themselves picking up a larger tab at the gas pump. One year ago this week, seniors paid an average of $3.47 per gallon, compared this week’s average of $3.89.

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For additional coverage, visit our website: theinkblotnews.com

How we stack up against the “norm”A Special Feature, pages 4 and 5

INSIDE

October 26, 2012Communications High SchoolTaylor Walters as Mitt Romney

Matthew Goldman as Barack Obama

By FRANCESCA COCCHIEditor-in-Chief

Summer work for students here is one or two required reading assignments. That could change as the Instructional Council examines current summer reading rules. Principal James Gleason said sum-mer reading has been in place for years to engage students in possible literature that they wouldn't normally read. The books are selected by the faculty and class discus-sion and/or an assessment follows at the beginning of the semester. "I think students need to take some time off, to take advantage of the summer, to go out and find a job, to relax, to be a kid," Gleason said. Junior Charlotte List of Fair Haven completed the required summer reading only to find out there would not be any type of an assessment. "It's annoying that you read the book and then thought there was going to be something but there wasn't," she said. The summer reading policy was ques-tioned at a council meeting Oct. 11. "The Instructional Council decided all students will partake in a common read-ing assignment during the summer," said council member Tyler Paley of Howell. "This will allow different discussions and assessments in each course." Rising seniors will complete required reading over the summer for the first time. “I’ve been told my outlook on sum-mer reading is that of a lazy student, but I do not see its immediate benefits,” Holland said. “Besides, I’m pretty sure the majority of kids at CHS like to read on their own anyway, and summer reading just gets in the way of that.” English 1 teacher Kelly Harmon said she would like to revise the current sum-mer reading policy to eliminate required

See READING, page 2

Summer reading

Same bookfor all classes

By FRANCESCA COCCHI and SARAH GLEASONEditors-in-Chief

Communications High School and 269 other schools across America were named Blue Ribbon schools by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Sept. 7. "I feel extremely honored to have our school community honored by such a prestigious award," said Principal James Gleason. According to a press release by the U.S. Department of Education, the program selects public and private elementary, middle and high schools that exhibit “Exemplary Performing” or “Exemplary Improving.” The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has honored approximately 7,000 American institutions in the past 30 years. Among the recipients of the award were nine New Jersey schools. “It is a great honor to [be] named an Exemplary Performing or Exemplary Improving Blue Ribbon School because it indicates the school is either achieving to high standards or making strides in closing the achievement gap,” New Jersey Department of Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf said.

“It gives the school, district and community pride that their hard work and dedication has been recognized on a national level,” he added. The 2012 Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at a ceremony Nov. 12-13 in Washington, D.C. Gleason will attend the ceremony on behalf of the students and faculty, along with tech teacher Laura Gesin. "Mrs. Gesin and I will be attending the two day recognition ceremony. Mrs. Gesin was a main component in helping complete the Blue Ribbon application," Gleason said. Gesin expressed her enthusiasm about the overnight trip, as well as the award. "I always thought we were going to win. What surprised me was how few of the schools who won the Blue Ribbon title were public schools," Gesin said. According to Gleason, there were two categories among the winning schools: vocational schools and private schools. "Although I think our school was selected for a few different reasons, being a vocational school was most likely a factor. In addition to that, our performance indicators for the selected year showed incredible gains from previous years." See BLUE RIBBON, page 2

BLOT PHOTO BY BRIANNA DAZIOFacing off in their only debate, candidates in the CHS Mock Election exchanged opinions and barbs Wednesday on a long list of topics. From left are sophomore Megan Kelleher of Ocean, playing Green Party candidate Jill Stein; senior Matthew Goldman of Morganville, playing President Barack Obama; senior Taylor Walters of Interlaken, who was Republican Mitt Romney; and senior Adam Dorfman of Millstone as Libertarian Gary Johnson. For continuous daily coverage of the Mock Election 2012 Campaign, go to theinkblotnews.com.

School honored with Blue Ribbon

Mock Candidates battle for presidency

By JUSTIN ORTIZStaff Writer

Following a class vote Sept. 25, freshman students elected President Sallie Haas of Deal, Vice-President Gillian Natanagara of Ocean, and council members Connor Duffy of Freehold, Sara Takash of Brielle and Tanner Richardett of Tinton Falls.

Prior to the elections, students campaigned for votes by hanging brightly colored flyers in the front hallway and handing out candy and cookies.

“I just want to get my name out there,” Natanagara said before the election, “so people will know me.”

Twenty students submitted petitions for class council.

As a result, a primary was held the day before the official elections. Paper ballots were handed out in class, and only 10 students moved on.

Freshman Daria Belikov of Middletown said the primary was unfair.

“The first elimination process was based on the

popularity of the candidates,” Belikov explained. “We didn’t know why they were running; we just

picked our favorites out of the students.” The 10 remaining candidates gave speeches to the

Class of 2016 in the cafeteria the day of the vote. The candidates’ speeches ranged in topic from

personal information to plans for the new year. Jarod Danscuk of Howell said of the speeches, “Justin

Ortiz and Connor Duffy’s speeches made me cry from laughter.”

Richardett said the speeches were “very comical and convincing”.

“Everyone, including me,” Richardett added, “really stated that they wanted to listen to the entire class's ideas, instead of just themselves.”

Later that morning, after the votes were tallied, co-class adviser and history teacher Bill Clark announced the final council.

Haas, who has high expectations for the year as her grade's president, said, “I want the freshman class, and the school as a whole, to feel like a family.”

[READING from page 1]books and allow students to make their own selections. “The more experience I get as a teacher, the more I real-ize it’s not fair to force students to read something and then quiz them or test them on it when they return to school,” she said. Harmon also said that going over the summer reading assignment in class before the assessment is unfair to stu-dents who do not have English until second semester. She also said that, although she, “would like to foster a love for reading,” requiring students to read classics like “The Scarlet Letter” can often fail to accomplish this. With regard to the way summer reading is covered once school starts, Gleason said, "I certainly recognize that as something that we have to be better at here at CHS. I’m thankful that it came up as a concern at IC in September and I’m looking to address it over the coming school year." As far as summer assignments for other subjects, se-nior and Instructional council member Christian Kelly of Brielle said Instructional Council did not discuss any plans to add math or science packets and assessments. "I think between the demands of our curriculum here at CHS and what we offer ... we are a high perform-ing school," Gleason said. "... So right now, offering those worksheets and everything else, I don't know that it actu-ally supports productive learning over the summer." Math teacher Justine Lane said the beginning of every chapter is a review that helps refresh students' memories. "Do we lose a little over the summer? Of course," Lane said. "But be a kid for two months. Have a summer.”

Hass elected as class president

Info sessions adapt to new digital policyBy CASSIDY DESTEFANOStaff Writer

With a few changes, the Student Government Asso-ciation held the first of four information sessions for po-tential freshman applicants on Oct. 3.

As in past years, the information session lasted about two hours and consisted of separate opening presentations for parents and students, academic presentations and a closing Q and A session with Principal James Gleason.

Instead of paper applications of years past, the application process will be completed online. Prospec-tive students must attend an info session for the necessary code to access it.

Other changes included a "lost parents" table in the cafeteria, as well as stickers for students to wear, labeling them with the first room of their tour rotation.

Senior and SGA President Kiera Brennan of Middle-town explained the changes.

"Every year we have problems with lost parents- nev-er lost students," she said. "This year, we tried to keep ev-eryone on the right track. We just want the students to see as much as possible."

The format largely stayed the same as it has for the past few years.

“I believe that the info sessions are remaining rather identical to the past few years, as it’s a model that has worked very well for us,” SGA Vice President Christian Kelly of Brielle said.

Upwards of 200 prospective students and their fami-lies arrived at the first session. Eighth-grader Gabriella Franco of Tinton Falls said she attended the session, "be-cause I wanted to look into the computer design.”

Junior Halie Aaron of Ocean noticed that many stu-dents expressed interest in photography and journalism and overall seemed "impressed by the school."

The changes caused a few glitches throughout the night. A tour group, misled by the stickers, joined another group after its circuit was disrupted. Handing out the code for the online application also was a challenge.

"The first one always has some problems," Brennan said. "With this first info session, the main problem was making sure parents got the right forms to the right peo-ple." Of all the changes, Junior Matt Lamb of Howell said that the "lost parents" table was very helpful.

"Most of the parents who were lost got help," he said. "Although most just couldn't find the restroom."

BLOT PHOTO BY HALIE AARONThe Freshman Class follows the commands of Patricia McKiever of Brielle during her speech as a presidential hopeful.

2 The InkblotOctober 26, 2012news

[BLUE RIBBON from page 1] Gesin showed concern toward the list of new Blue Ribbon schools, which is dominated by high-achieving private and charter schools. “I can’t help but wonder if that’s a trend. Are they looking for excellence more in private schools? If so, that disturbs me,” she said. Gleason said he wants the students to be as proud as him. “This is like winning the Superbowl in the educational community,” he said.

BY MEGAN KELLEHERStaff Writer

Although cancelled three years ago , the Class of 2013’s space-themed back-to-school dance was held Friday, Sept. 28.

As freshmen, the Class of 2013 planned a space-themed dance which was canceled due to a lack of ticket sales. The senior council decided to resurrect the theme, as a nod to the dance that never happened. Some seniors, however, supported the idea of a “hoedown” themed dance.

One senior in favor of the country theme was volun-teer decorator Julie Prascsak of Ocean.

“The Space Dance is going to have a blacklight decor again, and I’ve already been to two CHS blacklight dances,” Prascsak said before the event. “The hoedown theme seemed different than other dances we’ve done and a cute idea for the fall.”

Senior Michael DeSocio of Middletown also enjoyed the idea of a hoedown.

“I just thought that the idea of “Space Dance” was

a replay of the many “lights out” dances we have had in the past,” DeSocio explained. “I was in favor of the hoe-down, but I couldn’t go because of marching band.”

Regardless of any doubts, 210 tickets were sold and the dance went on without a hitch.

“Overall I think the dance was a success. A lot of people came and everyone had a great time,” sophomore Erin Heidelberger of Middletown said.

The night of the event, twinkling white Christmas lights lined the lobby and black paper decorated with stars acted as a backdrop to the dance floor.

The DJ was positioned in front of the main staircase, flanked on either side by black lights.

A former CHS student, he opened the dance with, “Hey guys! I’m from the Class of 2008. I was given one task tonight - not to screw up.”

Sophomore Emily Woods of Middletown said she loved that the DJ was a CHS alumnus.

“He was one of us, so there was this kind of bond,” she said. “And now, the black lights are kind of a CHS trademark. The only downside is that I might still have yellow highlighter on my face, and I can’t really tell.”

Space dance trumps hoedownBLOT PHOTO BY CAROLYN STANTON

Freshman Beau Bradley challenges senior Valerie Saeger at the back-to-school dance hosted by the Class of 2013.

SGA revamps system

By JAKE CAMERONStaff Writer

Funky fresh moves and a personality to match: these two things have helped Jack Wisniewski of Mana-plan make a name for himself at Communications High School. Jack made a splash last year when he partici-pated in Lip Sync and showed off some of his moves to the tunes of pop songs like “Call Me Maybe” and “What Makes You Beautiful”. “My favorite thing about dance is the ability to express one’s character and personality through dif-ferent moves of various levels of swagger and other fac-tors,” Wisniewski said. “Also, I like to battle...I don’t win often, but I learn from other dancers and twist their moves and make them my own.” Wisniewski began dancing when his friend suggested to him that they should take a class together. While his friend quit, Jack continues to pursue this hob-by by taking lessons once a week at the Iconic Dance Complex in Englishtown, NJ. This studio is home to the Iconic Boyz, who were season 6 finalists for MTV show America’s Best Dance Crew. According to Wisniewski, the benefits of dance stretch beyond the ability to impress the school during the Lip Sync or personal benefit. “Dance affects my other parts of life by mak-ing me more social at dances and parties,” he said. “Ev-eryone loves to hang around a good dancer.” He added, “It’s just another thing to talk about.” A typical week for Wisniewski consists of juggling guitar practice, soccer practice, soccer games, hanging out with friends and dance practice. With a packed schedule, Wisniewski seems to be balancing everything on his plate. “Besides my normal out-of-school hobbies, I just go with the flow,” he said. Even though dancing is important to Wis-niewski, he said that he does not want it to define who he is. “I like to groove, but I don’t want to be dancer boy. I want to be Jack,” Wisniewski said.

By AFIYA THOMASStaff Writer

Senior Norah Gunn of Key Port is calm, cool and collected as she walks into her AP Art class. “I don’t think it’s as rigorous as I expected, but we haven’t gotten into the flow of things yet,” Gunn said. “But in April I think it’s going to get a lot harder.” AP Studio Art is the new elective class offered to seniors this year, and the only Advanced Placement class at Communications High School. Twelve students are currently en-rolled in the course, according to AP art teacher Shelly Ortner. According to Principal James Gleason, the discussion began last year when the school administrators looked over the curriculum and saw that adding AP Studio Art would be a good fit for the theme of the school. With the cancellation of the shared time program, it was a simple decision

that easily scheduled into the school’s curriculum, Gleason said. The course is yearlong and fo-cuses on two-dimensional design, said Ortner. It allows students to earn college credits and build their portfo-lios. At the end of the year, students send their pieces to the College Board, which then grades it on a scale from one to six, six being the highest. The scores are then sent to colleges, as with any other AP class. Since the course is yearlong, stu-dents are unable to take a third elective during their senior year. This length of time is needed to complete the bulk of work that is required by the College Board, said Ortner. Senior Katie Reulbach of Fair Ha-ven said that she is fine with the timing of the course. “I don’t think it will be a big deal,” Reulbach said. “Sophomore and junior year, I would always wait for art to start, but this year I can just take it for the entire year now.”

Ortner said it also gives students the opportunity to raise the bar on ar-tistic ability and artistic expression. With this new addition to the se-nior elective choices, students were now faced with even more decisions. Seniors taking art this year had two main options: AP Studio Art and the traditional senior art class, Advanced Design. “AP Art looks better than an ad-vanced class on college applications,” Gunn said. Advanced design does not span the entire school year but students can still build a portfolio and learn similar techniques that they would in the AP class, according to Ortner. “I think I would rather focus on English and do graphic design on the side,” said senior Julie Prascsak of Ocean, who chose the Advanced De-sign course. “I think AP Art is for people who want to go to an art school and major in something art related,” she said.

3The InkblotOctober 26, 2012

Introducingthe dance man

One in 300

Jack WisniewskiBLOT PHOTO BY HALIE AARON

AP Art gives students edge for college

BLOT PHOTO BY BRI DAZIOSenior Kaitlyn Cooper works with teacher Shelley Ortner in AP Art Class, the first advanced placement class offered at CHS.

RO

VIN

G REPORTER Q: What’s your favorite thing about fall?

Freshman Matt Morton of Howell: “The best part is the high school football games.”

By ASHLEY CHU and ALANA BAROFSKY

Sophomore Kevin Milton of Hazlet:“I love the seasonal changes of every fran-chise, like pumpkin spice latte from Star-bucks and Cold Stone’s pumpkin ice cream.”

Junior Alex Cros of Ocean:“The weather, the changing color of the leaves and the cool breeze. Also, I love my fall sport, tennis.”

Senior Kevin Erskine of Eatontown:“I love getting to wear jackets, sweatshirts, sweaters and pants. I’m definitely a pants kind of person.”

New course receives nod from students and faculty

features

By SARAH DEANFeatures Editor

Bussing for students of the Monmouth County Vocational School District is handled separately by each sending district’s transportation department.

“I don’t know if [the transportation here] is more difficult,” Principal James Gleason said. “It’s just different.”

Former Middletown North student and current senior Chrissy Doyle said the main difference between her transportation here and that of her home high school is the length of the ride.

“My old school was a two-minute drive and now, I have to get up so early and I have an hour bus ride.” said Doyle. “But sometimes it’s nice because you can study or nap."

“Since my parents are divorced, I’m from two sending districts,” senior Sabrina Serani of Spring Lake Heights said. When at her mom’s house in Wall, Serani

takes the bus to Wall High School and then walks to CHS. When at her dad’s house in Spring Lake Heights, however, Serani said that she “never had a real bus.”

“My parents called and tried to get me a guaranteed bus to my dad’s, but it never happened. I had to get my mom to sign a note [saying that I could go on that bus] and the bus drivers were usually really nice, so I was lucky,” said Serani. “At a normal high school, I think I would have some similar problems, just not to this caliber because we would only be dealing with one area.”

Principal Gleason said the main problems happen in the beginning of the year, regarding bus drivers getting used to new routes and schedules.

“It’s a huge undertaking for local school districts,” Gleason said. “When you consider the number of students coming to our career academies, they do an effective job of getting the students to school in a timely manner.”

By MARY SAYDAHAssistant Features Editor

Reaching to climb higher, a sophomore student at Colts Neck High School sweats at the thought of being 30 feet above the ground and depending on her classmates to keep her from falling.

“As cliché as it sounds, it is all about teamwork,” said Ashley Basile, a Design Academy junior of Colts Neck about her experience rock climbing as a part of physical education in her sophomore year.

According to Design Academy students, several public high schools throughout Monmouth County have students complete a “high elements” course as a part of their physical education requirements, but CHS is not one of them.

Students around the county are rock climbing, bike riding and learning archery during their physical education period as written in their curriculum. At CHS, students are playing basic sports like soccer and basketball while learning about them, as listed on the Monmouth County Schools' district websites.

After experiencing fitness class at CHS, Design Academy junior Juliana Hymanson of Middletown said, "It wasn’t just physical, it was mental.” She added, “I like that a lot.”

Students also noted the “laid back” environment and the learning aspect of fitness class.

Sophomore Kevin Milton of Hazlet said though he enjoys the information he learns, he would also like to try other activities like bike riding.

“It’s scenic and gets me out of my element,” Milton said.

Basile said that at Colts Neck High School, there were more choices offered for the physical education curriculum during junior and senior year – a stark difference to the decline in physical education as students get older at CHS.

“We had four teachers and you could choose,” she said. The teachers instructed activities from yoga to tennis, giving the students “a lot of freedom,” according to Basile.

Senior Victoria Palfini of Lincroft said that the gym curriculum here in senior year does not provide enough time for extra, desired activities such as biking and archery.

“If we had more time,” Palfini said, “I would like something like that.”

The sharp decline from physical education three days a week for 85 minutes half of the year to as low as one day a week for one marking period senior year, caused concern for some.

Junior Gianna DeWitt of Atlantic Highlands said that the academic environment at CHS takes precedence, leaving little time for physical activity outside of school.

“Homework is very time-consuming, therefore there

is only so much time for exercise,” she said.Although some students have concerns, physical

education teacher Virginia Clevenger said that “more than 60 percent of CHS students do participate in an extracurricular activity.”

Another difference, according to junior Tiffany Fu of Colts Neck, is that the gym classes tend to be larger at many students’ home high schools and incorporate multiple grades.

Michaella Burke, a junior who attended Middletown High School North for two years said that she prefers the small class size of CHS gym.

“I think you bond better,” Burke said.Not everyone likes the small class better; students

like junior Nicole Smith of Middletown preferred the larger class size.

“I liked having more people to talk to,” she said. “You could go over to any grade and just chill.”

Between activities, class sizes and the amount of physical education per year, gym class differs greatly from the academic environment of CHS to that of other public high schools. To many, the Monmouth County Vocational School District’s curriculum for physical education may seem lacking for juniors and seniors. Burke said this should not make a difference.

“As a junior it shouldn’t matter — it’s up to us to take care of our own bodies,” she said.

How we’re different at a theme-based academyFitness class: Gym curriculum is not a typical fit

Bussing blues: Transportation issues take students for a ride

campus comparisonS

BLOT PHOTO BY LAURYN MASCIANA

CHS offers yoga during fitness class, nicknamed ‘moga’ for health and bio teacher Leah Morgan.

By GINA TALAMOAsst. News Editor

Attending CHS complicates matters for students who wish to play a sport for their home high schools, according to senior McKenzie Pavacich of Ocean. For most athletes, this means compromised work time, both in school and at home, as well as compromised time at practice. "It's a challenge to leave my house so early in the morning and not get home until dinner time at 7 p.m ... sometimes later. It's hard to balance my time, but in the end it's worth it," said Pavacich. “I miss probably half the practice,” said freshman Nick Brennan of Middletown, who plays soccer for Middletown High School North. “I miss the running and the stretching and stuff, so I have more of a chance to get hurt.” Brennan also considered that the pressure of commuting from CHS to his home high school would be beneficial. “I can learn more time management. I think playing soccer is really making a difference, because I’m really stressing more, and not coasting.” Junior Courtney Evans of Wall participated in Wall High School’s gymnastics team last year. While she enjoyed the experience, she said it wasn’t easy. Evans said that she would have to

leave CHS 20 to 30 minutes early to get to practice, as her school ends 20 minutes earlier. “If I had to leave during a test or miss some important notes, it would be difficult to start getting back on track … don’t get me wrong, I loved it, but it was difficult," said Evans. "I think it would be better if we had some sports here, and if we didn’t have to commute back to our home high schools, but I love gymnastics, so I would do it whether I had to commute or not.” Senior Taylor Hoskins of Freehold said that attending CHS does not affect her athletics much. Hoskins plays lacrosse and cheers for Freehold Township High School. She is currently captain of the cheer team. While Hoskins acknowledges that she occasionally misses meetings before school, since Freehold starts later than CHS, she still feels that she is a strong part of the team. “It doesn’t make that much of a difference. I’m just as big a part of the team as I would be if I went to Township,” Hoskins said. Junior Justin Lippert of Middletown, who runs track for Middletown High School North, says that while he’s late for practice every day, commuting to his home school doesn’t make much difference. “It’s fine. I live with it.”

By VICTOR RIVEROSStaff Writer

Walking up to fellow students and complete strangers alike, sophomore Sean Gilbert of Spring Lake fires off a list of questions as he writes down the answers at rapid speed to keep up. Freshman Matt Morton of Howell swipes his fingers over the keys on the keyboard as he finishes up his project for Digital Video class at lunch. This is a typical day at Communications High School. CHS defends its reputable name by orienting students through the communications field with its theme-based curriculum, extending the selective education to various electives. This means that CHS students are not offered many other electives they would get at a public high school such as wood shop, band and dance, according to district websites. “I think it’s more important for students to choose the right electives based on their interests and work hard for them,” said David Salowe, the Digital Video teacher at CHS. “A student should work hard in what they’re in. A higher interest level means you can learn, and do more for your elective.” However, some students feel like they are hurting from the choices they do not get. “I like the electives offered to me. I think more options can give you a better idea on what careers are out there,” said freshman Cyndie Bundac of Long Branch. Sophomore Sean Gilbert of Wall said he'll benefit from the strictly theme-based electives. Gilbert said he believes students go to a career academy with the intention "to learn about a career path" they are interested in pursuing. "I don't think that they need to offer diversity in electives," he said. "I think it would pull focus away from what students should go to CHS for, which is the field of communications." Senior Emily Sakowski of Wall agreed. “As a Communications student, someone applying for college can have an advantage over a regular high school student wishing to study communications, who may not have the access a student at this school has," she said. “Our electives suit our theme well," said Bill Bengle, the Radio Production teacher. Students who attend this school are interested in the communications field." He added that CHS alumni in college "point to CHS" as their preparation. Gilbert agreed he may be missing out on a few electives, but overall he made the choice to come to CHS with the electives in mind. "If there weren't communications-related electives, I may have gone to a completely different career academy," he said.

How we’re different at a theme-based academyStudents nod to comm electives

Athletes balance hometown commitment

campus comparisonSThe Inkblot Pages 4 & 5

October 26, 2012

BLOT PHOTOS BY BRI DAZIOBefore broadcasting a live show, junior Abby Skorupski of Howell and juniors diagram the radio studio.

By JESSICA NOEStaff Writer After three and a half years, rock fans can finally get their hands on the first new Green Day album. But was the wait really worth it? “¡Uno!,” the first installment of three albums the band is releasing within the next few months, brims with Green Day’s signature punk dis-obedience and pop hooks. Highlights include the explosion of an opener “Nuclear Family,” the raunchy and exciting “Troublemaker,” and the dramatic closer “Oh Love,” with its radio-worthy classic rock sound. However, this new material is no “American Idiot.” The band purposely chose to deviate from their past two concept albums to deliver a more solid, sonic punch. For fans of their hits and earlier albums, this is great news. But those accus-tomed to the ambition of “Idiot” and “21st Century Break-down” may feel lost. Overall, “¡Uno!” is a solid collection of excellent hits from one of today’s most important bands that delivers their earlier sound, plus 10 years of experience.

6 The InkblotOctober 26, 2012opinion

By OLIVIA IANNONEStaff Writer It didn’t hit me that the rat race had truly begun un-til the entire Class of 2014 started scrambling for NHS hours. When I say “the rat race,” I am referring to junior year. It’s a necessary race, for sure. There is a country full of teenagers to compete against for a limited number of spots, both in college and the working world. The time has come for us to prove ourselves. But we’re stuck in a system where one of the keys to getting attention is keeping track of volunteer hours. The simple act of volunteering – which should only be recognized for the good intentions behind it – is no longer that simple. Quantity over quality is becoming the new standard. NHS wants 150 hours. The Congressional Award wants between 30 and 400, depending on whether you want a piece of paper or a medal, and what color you’d like it to be. We painstakingly tally and hoard our hours. Today’s college applicant deals in two types of currency: the U.S. dollar and the Service Hour. According to CHS guidance counselor Carol Caruso, the increased stress on community service in the college

application process is a trend that has developed relative-ly recently, within the past 10 years. Though these requirements grant students valuable life lessons and new perspectives, the high expectations and coveted rewards can push things too far. The system takes service, something that should come purely from generosity and a sense of duty to the community, and twists it backwards. As students, we may find ourselves “volunteering” to reap the rewards ourselves, not to help anyone else. Because of all the pressure to volunteer, we’re seri-ously in danger of missing the entire point. “You’re quantifying something that really should come from the heart,” Caruso said. And this argument doesn’t even take into account the fact that ranking and rewarding high school students based on hours spent volunteering is almost as unfair as ranking them based on the money in their bank accounts. As is the case with the U.S. Dollar, some collectors of the Service Hour have a natural advantage over others. Students dedicated to a sport, a job or another activity often can’t find time to volunteer. Although they are some of the most driven and dedicated students, they can lose crucial honors or financial aid because of a system that weighs service hours far too much. Volunteering builds character. It shouldn’t have to

Volunteering should be quality over quantityBLOT CARTOON BY SALLY BONIECKI

Staff Editorial

By JULIE PRASCSAKStaff Writer There’s that voice again. That voice, dripping with a strong concentration of arrogance and an over-whelming dose of egotism. I look up at the TV and glare at my favorite person: our dear savior, President Obama. Well, here’s the truth of the matter: he’s done nothing. Absolutely nothing. Want proof? Just look at the frightening string of current events in the Middle East. Radicals have been screaming “Death to America!” and burning our flag. They’ve taken it a step further, too, and attacked our embassy in Libya. They even murdered our ambassador. So, when a substantial portion of the world gangs up on our country, we can expect that our Presi-dent will do something about it, right? Don’t hold your breath, America. With Obama, we can’t count on it. While much of the Middle East is wreaking

havoc and plotting our demise, Mr. President decides the best thing to do is carry out his more important duties. He can’t skip a visit with David Letterman or a campaign party with Jay-Z and Beyonce, now can he? His frequent golf outings take up way too much of his time, so fitting in a meeting with Middle Eastern leaders to brainstorm solutions is out of the question. That would be crazy. This all goes to show you how selfish and dis-connected from reality our so-called leader is. If he loved this country half as much as he claims to, he would be try-ing to sort things out with the leaders of these countries, not living it up as his own celebrity. Since he has yet to take his job seriously, it’s time to turn off the disco ball and kick Obama and his pals out of the White House. The party’s over, Mr. President, because America needs a responsible adult leader, not a self-absorbed party animal. And when you go, Obama, feel free to take your party planners with you. We won’t be needing them.

President Obama is a self absorbed party animal

After cuts in club funding in 2010, it seems as if the “extra” has been taken out of extra-curricular activities. According to Principal James Gleason, theme-based clubs take priority in the budget. How-ever, this leaves several important student organiza-tions unrecognized. According to the student handbook, there are nine official clubs. The only recognized clubs not connected to our “communications” theme are two staples of any high school: Drama and National Honor Society. Other funded clubs are Broadcast, Newspaper, Digital Video, Visual Communications/National Art Honor Society, Yearbook and National Technical Honor Society/Skills USA. Among the unfunded clubs are Lit, Cul-tural Communications, Chorus and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Despite the cuts, though, these unrecognized clubs continue to thrive and benefit the school. But who should decide what clubs should and should not be included in the budget? Cultural Communications Club (CCC, formerly Multicultural Club before it became unofficial) has the highest club membership at 146 students, and has been raising money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital in creative ways for years. “I think it’s important that Cultural Commu-nications is recognized because it is our school’s only volunteer club open to every student,” council member and senior Gia Reilly said. “Besides the fact that it is the school’s largest club, CCC offers count-less opportunities for students to get involved in the community, and many people admire that about the club.” Senior and Club President Jacob Pirogovsky of Ocean said Chorus is another club that could benefit from being added to the official club list. According to Pirogovsky, the club members went to great lengths to find an adviser who would agree to monitor their club without a stipend. With funding, Pirogovsky said the club could buy equipment or sheet music. “I think [additional clubs] give you an outlet for something else to do,” Pirogovsky said. “It’s nice to have the dance team or the chorus since you are do-ing communications all day.” With CCC raising significant amounts of money for charity and Chorus set to perform at the NHS induction, Coffeehouse, and possibly graduation, we at The Inkblot believe these clubs deserve to be a pri-ority at our school. We may not have sports teams or a band, but that does not mean our students’ talents are confined to communications-related endeavors. High student interest and the promise to give back to the school and community should be standards for prioritizing clubs in the budget. After all, these are extracurricular activities, and should not be limited to the theme of the curriculum. School board members, it’s time to bring budget discussions involving clubs back to the table. Hard-working, motivated and passionate students are volunteering their time for great programs, and they deserve to be recognized.

Theme should not dictate club priorities

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2012-13 Editorial Board

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Green Day album satisfies

FROM GREENDAY.COM.

7The InkblotOctober 26, 2012 opinion

By NICK BRENNANStaff Writer

Considering the late nights, early mornings, and drowsy bus rides where everyone seems to be somewhere between sleep and consciousness, I can’t help but say that the time before I get to school is pretty bad. However, the mood changes as soon as the bus tires pull into the CHS parking lot; everyone seems to come alive.

Groans of exhaustion are replaced by smiles aimed at the school, almost saying, “Let’s have a good one today, huh?”

CHS just has an atmosphere about it that makes each day so much easier. I don’t dread coming to school like I did in middle school.

It helps being with other kids who want to go to class and actually care about their future. Each person I have met up to this point has a goal in mind, and attending CHS really is a dream come true for them. It is refreshing to know that

everyone I am with wants the same things out of life that I do, and we will work together to accomplish it.

We really are a select group, being only 85 out of 600 applicants. When this staggering fact finally dawned on me, I realized just how lucky I am to be attending Communications and how well off I am because of it.

Where else will gym class include the history of football before even playing? Only at CHS are themes involved in each and every class, from top to bottom. In middle school, teachers would try their best to incorporate the ideas of each marking period’s theme so classes seemed cohesive. However, their efforts always fell short. Here, there is always a feeling that I am learning all I can about the central topics being integrated into each class.

From my new perspective as a freshman, Communications is a great place to go to school and the student body truly feels like an extended family.

By NINA-MARIE AMADEOAssist. Opinion Editor

There are only two things I can learn about a person that will make me judge them. One is that they’re mean to others. The other? That they’re informed of each candidates’ policies, yet still support Mitt Romney in this year’s presidential election.

I simply don’t understand how anyone could make that decision. Economic policies aside, Romney’s stance on myriad social issues should be enough to turn anyone away from a favorable view of his campaign.

Let’s take a quick look at women’s rights. I won’t go as far as saying I believe that Republicans have truly waged a war on women, however they definitely don’t have our interests in mind. Actually, that’s not quite right. Romney and his cronies seem to believe that they are making the best choices for women. But there lies the problem: they are trying to make choices for women.

Are we so incredibly inferior, we can’t ever make decisions? Or does Romney believe that women are too busy rushing home from work to cook dinner and simply don’t have time to make their own choices? His comments at the town hall style presidential debate point to some combination of the two.

For me, the most jaw-dropping moment of that entire night was Romney’s line about having someone hand him “binders full of women” so he could find a suitable female to hire. Pride shone through his eyes as he told the story, as if waiting for everyone to pat him on the head, thank him for taking one for the team and give him a dog treat.

I’m sorry, but if you only thought about hiring a woman in order to make your company appear diverse and progressive, we’ll take our job skills and votes somewhere else.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Romney is strongly against same-sex marriage. This is a viewpoint which I cannot even begin to comprehend. If you are against same-sex marriage, don’t marry someone of your gender. It’s that simple.

Before you launch into the religious argument behind this stance, I direct you to the Constitution. In fact, I direct you to the very first line of the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

In other words, you can’t make something illegal if your basis for doing so stems from religious views. Yet somehow, Romney believes there should be a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

I used to think Republicans knew the Constitution like the back of their hands.

I mean, they did fight incredibly hard to prove Obamacare unconstitutional.

Oh, wait, right. They were proven wrong about that, too.It comes down to this: I don’t trust anyone who believes

they can make good decisions regarding the well being and happiness of others better than those groups themselves. Of course there are exceptions, such as when a group’s actions will hurt someone else.

But until you can prove to me that two men getting married or a women being able to choose whether or not she will be a mother would actually degrade the quality of your life, I won’t even consider supporting Romney.

Good luck with that.

Freshman finds family atmosphere

“Binders Full” of better candidates

By TAYLOR WALTERSStaff Writer

On Wednesday, Oct. 3 the first presidential debates took place at the University of Denver between President Obama and Governor Romney. The debate took off from the get-go, and there wasn’t a boring moment, or one where Romney wasn’t bringing his A-game.

Now, to all my readers, you know my stances and my views. But 100 percent, without a doubt, all bias and partisanship aside – Romney was the clear victor in this debate. He was prepared, eloquent, fervent, and finally the candidate I was waiting for him to unleash for a good six months. All his points were straightforward and clearly defined, not a gaffe to be found.

None of these things could be said about President Obama in this debate. The president clearly became overconfident in these past few months with the polls leaning slightly in his direction, because I’ve never seen a candidate with such stolidity. He stood there throughout the debate looking down, making no eye contact with his opponent, presenting falsified information, reciting the same points repeatedly, and for the first time I’ve ever seen him, smiling with subtle disgrace rather than arrogance.

I can’t even tell you the number of times he repeated his nonsensical script about “Romney’s $5 trillion tax plan” or his inheritance of “the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.”

I try to give him some slack for this, though. He has to run on some platform, and it certainly won’t be based on his current record.

Beyond this disaster of a debate, the Democrats had even more to worry about, because Joe Biden became the man now responsible for saving the day. I wouldn’t give Joe Biden the responsibility of reading the Pledge of Allegiance over the loudspeaker, much less count on him to turn around an election. Besides that, he’d be debating Paul Ryan. Paul Ryan, who, besides being irresistibly attractive is also sharp, smart and charismatic – and based on whom we currently have in office, charisma goes a long way.

During the VP debates the Right pulled through once again, with Paul Ryan delivering his points with eloquence and sincerity and Biden certainly living up to my expectations. He was completely disrespectful to Congressman Ryan right from the get-go, chuckling at everything he said. On top of that, he completely dismissed his opponent, and delivered his points in his characteristically rude and incorrect manner.

All in all, I think I can safely say that the Republicans are finally bringing the fire that needs to be brought to take this election.

Subsequently, Paul Ryan’s delivery was intelligent, earnest, and polite whereas Biden added on to his career-long record of embarrassing behavior.

This election is sure turning out to be an interesting one.

Editor’s note: Taylor Walters is playing the part of Republican Mitt Romney in the school’s mock election campaign.

Romney Rules Debate

BLOT PHOTO BY AMANDA SO

Democratic ticket folds under pressure

Com-mini-cations A BLOT COMIC STRIP BY SEAN P. CAVANAGH

Romney shows true colors through social policies

During the hour long lunch break, freshmen line the hallways with their lunches.

8 sports The InkblotOctober 26, 2012

By BLAKE STIMPSONStaff Writer

Academics. Social scene. Greek life. Location.These are all factors that this year's seniors are

taking into account as they sift through hundreds of emails and letters from prospective colleges, trying to decide on just a few schools to apply to out of thousands.

However, there is another major factor that is often overlooked at CHS but could be affecting the mindsets of soon-to-be college freshmen. This factor is NCAA sports, and while providing a rich bank of school spirit, successful programs may often detract from the overall academic prowess of the school.

With convincing arguments for each side, opinions of the current CHS seniors vary widely.

For senior McKenzie Pavacich of Ocean, the presence of strong D-1 sports programs is a prerequisite for application.

"For me it's going to come down to JMU and VT and I'm leaning towards Tech because I want a school with a strong football program so I can hopefully cheer," Pavacich said.

For senior Jessica Delvirginia of Freehold, sports are not so much of an issue.

"Since I'm not really that into sports, I'm not focused on how good the sports program is at any school," Delvirginia said. "I'm focusing more on the academic side of it."

For those seniors who aren't completely sold on either idea, there is a plethora of schools that bring these two sides to a happy medium.

For most, going to college offers a diverse world, bringing in students from around the country. It is the diversity of colleges around the country that makes choosing between an academic or athletic school not a burden, but an exhilarating and fun experience.

By MATT LAMBStaff Writer The New York Jets’ quarterback controversy has been one of the most talked about sto-ries in the league so far, filling air time on sports programs across the nation. With a few games under their belts in the 2012 sea-son, Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow are shaping up to be more of a soap opera than expected. Many believed that Tebow would get more playing time, but so far has less than 10 rushing attempts and has only thrown one pass. On the other hand, Sanchez hasn't shined for the most part for the 3-3 Jets, having over 1110 passing yards and eight touchdowns, along with six inter-ceptions. With the Jets’ and Sanchez’s recent struggles, some wonder whether it is Tebow Time or whether he should be traded all together, as there are already rumors that he wants out. While many agree that Tebow should start, Connor says that Sanchez has been doing well this season, including sophomore Connor Albrecht of Wall.

“Tebow’s presence has made Sanchez try harder so far this season,” Albrecht said. “Tebow is really only used on special teams and trick plays.” In these trick plays Tebow and Sanchez are both

on the field at the same time, which can be a lit-tle confusing at times. “It’s annoying when they’re both on the field together,” Al-brecht added. For some fans, it can even be more ir-ritating when they sub in and out for each other, which happens often and usually does not work well. For in-stance, in Week 3, San-chez led the team down the field and into the red zone. Once they got there, Tebow was subbed in, only to be sacked. He was imme-

diately subbed out, lead-ing Sanchez to be intercepted the next play. “I think that subbing them in and out throws off the team’s momentum,” Health teacher and Nurse Mrs. Dot Condon stated. “The plays are often unproductive and no one really knows Tebow’s role with the Jets. I’m still not comfortable with Tebow yet and the whole controversy is hurting the Jets.” Only time will tell if the situation will have a ma-jor effect on the team’s performance, but Tebow’s rise in the public eye has not fazed the Jets.

College sports programs influence decision for students

Jets wonder: Too soon for Tebow? By DANNY SHINStaff Writer

Unless you have an extra billion dollars lying around somewhere, it would be impossible to start your own franchise in the National Football League.

That’s why many students here at CHS take to fantasy football.

When you play fantasy football, every decision is yours, from the players you draft, to whom you start and bench every week. Speaking of the draft, it can be very stressful for many fantasy football owners.

“My strategy for the draft is to plan what players I want to pick ahead of time, and pay attention to which players are available,” said Michael Wheeler of Wall.

Basically, real life athletes from the NFL and their performances on the field will ultimately determine whether you finish on the top or bottom of you league.

“I like how it makes Sundays so much more exciting,” stated Sean Gilbert of Wall. “With fantasy football I have to keep my eye on every game and track the stats of players that are on my team.”

Pat Weber, a sophomore from Avon, enjoys fantasy football for a reason other than football.

“Even though I don’t know what I’m doing sometimes, I still play for the bragging rights that come along with playing,” Weber stated.

However you look at it, fantasy football is a great way to improve your knowledge of the National Football League and its players.

Fantasy football takes student body by storm

PHOTO FROM CREATIVE COMMONS BY MATT BRIT

Sports Spotlight

Frank Henry (25) of Ocean running the ball against Kennedy High School.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JON ZIMMERMAN & FRANK HENRYPHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL WHEELERAllie Wheeler of Wall clears the ball out of her own 18 yard box.

A closer look at the athletes of Monmouth County

BLOT PHOTO BY VERONICA PARKERDuring the schoolwide 3 vs. 3 tournament hosted in the Wall gym, junior Dave Palmari of Millstone goes for a lay up.