November 2007 Issue
A high school yearbook is about memories. It is an outlet for students, especially seniors,
to show themselves as they were in high school, to leave a mark so that they and their peers can, as adults, look back on themselves and recall who they were and how much they have changed. Yet this year, there is a serious obstacle to true self-expression in the yearbook owing to the monopoly of the photography company, Prestige Portraits, over senior portraits.
Although American banks loan billions of dollars everyday to entrepreneurs, in poorer countries, businesses do not have the same opportunity.
A group of South students, however, have joined the Youth MicroCredit International (YMCI), an organization that aims to remedy that problem.
Newton North senior Alex Simon started YMCI to educate students about microcredit and developing economies. South sophomores Ben Chesler and Naveen Sridhar started a local chapter at South. They hope to convince people to donate money that can be lent to poor people in the third world.
By Helen Tian
I recently read Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities,
a story of love, redemption, and vengeance, set
against the bloody background of the French
Revolution. While exploring the themes of
resurrection, salvation, love and retribution, A Tale
of Two Cities accentuates the unnecessary bloodshed
and oppression war brings forth.
By Julia Lytle and Claire PezzaThis October, the Natick Mall completed its transformation into the revamped, remodeled Natick Collection. Newly added restaurants, retail stores, and lounging areas make the Natick Collection the largest mall in New England.
While many welcome the renovations and improvements, others believe that the addition of high-end stores like Gucci and Louis Vuitton creates an overwhelming and exclusive atmosphere.
By Nicole Repina
After Newton Police caught two Spanish exchange students shoplifting on November 8, the exchange program coordinators sent the two students back to Spain.
The students were shoplifting from Bloomingdales at the Chestnut Hill Mall. The Newton Police immediately informed their host parents after finding them.
Although Bloomingdales did not press charges, the students were sent back home on the very next flight to Spain the following Friday afternoon. The coordinators felt that it was a serious offense that should be punished.
By Will Richardson
Dr. Jay Granat once said, "Golf is a game of inches. The six inches between your ears." I recently learned this the hard way.
One summer night, I strode down the fairway of the final hole on the neighborhood golf course having just finished a casual afternoon round with my friends. I played brilliantly, shooting one of the best rounds of golf in my life. My swing was relaxed and my strategy superb for the whole round.
By Nathan Yeo
South is stressful. It sometimes seems like it will take superhuman effort to study for those two tests tomorrow, finish that project, and do all your homework after returning home late from practice or a club.
With all the pressure to get good grades but not enough time to do the work, there is a mounting temptation to cheat.
Why study for the math quiz if you can just put the formulas on your graphing calculator? Don't have a clue what to write an essay about? These nice people on the internet sure do. Why do practice problems when you can get the real problems ahead of time from your friend who already took the test?
By Hye-Jung Yang
Rushing out the door early in the morning, many students do not have
time to grab something to eat, let alone sit down and eat a healthy
breakfast. By lunchtime, they are tired, hungry, and have difficulty
staying focused. Many health experts consider breakfast the most
important meal of the day because it breaks the 10 to 14 hour fast
since dinner the previous night. Skipping it can raise the risk of
health problems.
By Matt Robbins
How many people do you actually know who have been caught cheating? The intelligent students we have at Newton South High School are far too smart to get caught.
While some argue that cheating is not morally right, morals are the last thing one thinks about when dealing with the pressures of getting good grades and keeping up with the endless amount of work. If it means securing a better future, cheating is more than acceptable. People need to at cheating from multiple perspectives. There's the kid that spent hours on an assignment and was proud of the work about to be turned in. There is also the kid that has a major project due the next day and had to copy the assignment from a friend.
By Samuel Ebb
Mayor David Cohen called for a tax override to fund expected increases in health insurance and pension costs in his October 22 State of the City speech.
If the override passes, it will lead to an increase in the allowed property tax rate for Newton residents.
Five years ago, a proposed tax override caused considerable political uproar around the city and a vicious campaign for votes from both supporters and opponents. Furthermore, Cohen promised that funding from an override would not be used to fund the hugely expensive Newton North renovation.
According to Cohen, pension, health insurance, and energy costs will increase by roughly $5.5 million,