EAGLE’S EYEThe

Trumbull High School - 72 Strobel Road - Trumbull, CT 06611June 16, 2014 Issue No. 3

2014 Poetry Slam a Huge HitAlison Kuznitz ‘15EE Senior Opinions Editor

Kevin Pacelli ‘14EE Co-Editor-in-Chief

On Friday May 16, THS students and people from throughout the Trumbull community fi led into the auditorium to watch contestants of all grade levels pour out their emotions in the form of poetry. This year’s Poetry Slam marked the third annual event of its kind at Trumbull High School, and it certainly did not disappoint.

The Slam may have been a one-night ordeal, but preparation for the evening began months prior to the event. The poetry class students were primarily responsible for all aspects of the event, including creating promotional videos, choosing a theme, and advertising for the slam.

“They’re really involved in all of it. I think we want to make them take the responsibility so it feels like theirs...It’s a responsibility that they have to take on to really make it run smoothly,” said Mrs. Balter, one of the Poetry teachers

at THS. “The event is actually now part of the curriculum where [the students] are part of the planning, the marketing, the facilitating of the entire event.”

Throughout the entire night of the slam, the audience constantly praised each of the young poets by way of thunderous applause and shouts of support during and after their poems. One particular contestant, senior Wyatt Pendleton, described the emotions that he felt as he heard the crowd’s positive reaction to his performance.

“It was probably the most empowering moment of my life. Leading up to the Slam I was incredibly nervous about performing my poem but after I loosened the crowd up with my introduction, my confi dence was through the roof,” said Pendleton. “After the Slam I was in the greatest mood ever.”

While the spectators certainly enjoyed all of the performances, they may not have realized the amount of sheer dedication and hard work that landed the poets their opportunity to perform.

In order to be considered for the Slam, students needed

the students create that much buzz. It’s that moment where the doors open, and everyone’s quiet, and the MC’s come out, and it starts and it goes...And we are just standing there watching it. And it’s because [the students] planned it and they did it spectacularly.”

to submit their original works of poetry to either Mr. McCaffrey and Mrs. Balter. The students then performed their two-minute poems in a preliminary round in front of a panel of seven judges. The judges awarded scores out of ten and selected approximately 30 poets to perform in the actual Slam.

The poetry classes of Mr. McCaffery and Mrs. Balter also attended a workshop conducted by Mahogany Brown, a published poet who runs a weekly poetry slam in New York City and coaches the New York City Youth Slam Team.

“She kind of brings a certain credence to the whole process because she’s sort of renowned in her fi eld,” said Mrs. Balter. “On a more specifi c level, she works one-on-one with the poets who are going to perform. I think she gives them tips and suggestions that are far beyond what Mr. McCaffery and I could.”

This year’s judging panel consisted of Mrs. Garcia, Ms. Giordano, Mr. LaBarca, Mrs. Netting, and Mrs. Owen. Their job was to score the contestants based on their performance, and the fi ve contestants with the highest scores

advanced to the fi nal round. While all 30 poets did an outstanding job, it was senior Stephanie Giblin who was crowned champion at the end of the night.

Mrs. Balter remarked that the night of the Slam was the most rewarding part of the long process.

“I think that night, that moment when it all kind of comes together and you have 800 people coming to an event to hear students speak poetry. I think that’s amazing that

To check out more Eagle’s Eye, go to thseagleseye.com or follow the link to the right.

Senior Andrew Smith uses comedy in his poem to addressed to his younger self to entertain the audience. Photo courtesy of Mikey Touri.

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Congratulations Class of 2014! Stepping into the New World

University of Alabama

Kerry MarquesLuke Moore

Ashley MorganHannah Winacott

University of LouisvilleJacqueline Rose

University of MichiganAndrew CharltonChristopher Scott

Maxwell Wu

Oxford College of Emory UniversityAlexa Gunsolley

Going to WorkJermaine Alston

Donald GreerAutumn HelfgottNicholas MarrashMark Mezzanotte Austin MoranoPhilip Reardon

Matthew Rowan

ELITE ProgramFrancisco Lacerda

Daniel KennyVidhi Murjani

Canada

Serving Our CountryArmy

Kaylynn Carr

Air ForceMichael Aldridge

Brian MorenoColin Walsh

Marine CorpsMarc CesareAustin Held

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John Walkup

NavyTyler Robles

ROTC Aleksandra Pirog

Matthew Smith

Loyola University of Chicago

Tessa Neubauer

University of Wisconsin, MadisonMichael Ciancimino

Ian Matz

McMaster UniversityYihan Lu

Ohio UniversityLiam Moore

Ohio State UniversityRachel CarronDaniel Choi

University of California, Los Angeles Kunal Jhaveri

University of California, San DiegoWilliam Sun

University of Southern CaliforniaMiles Buroker

University of WyomingSarah Eaton

University of DenverMelanie Gorton

University of Colorado, BoulderBrendan Welch

Texas Christian UniversityRebecca Buck

University of North TexasChristopher Burt

Florida State University

Austin MedinaHaley Pendergast

Stephanie Targonski

Full Sail University

Victor Pontes

Lynn UniversityNikko Arganese

Palm Beach Atlantic University

Rebecca DeVosJosiah Kish

University of FloridaCamilla Edwards

University of South Florida

Christine Paulin

University of TampaGrace Berardi

Valencia Community College

Danissa Pile

University of Minnesota, MorrisNathaniel Stankevitz

University of Alabama

Jake HaslamKerry Marques

Luke MooreAshley Morgan

Hannah Winacott

Indianna UniversityYufei Jiang

Jake Horowitz

Purdue UniversityJacqueline Probst

University of Notre Dame

Alyssa Storino

Congratulations Class of 2014! Stepping into the New World

University of NewEngland

Margaret Eaton

Unity CollegeEleanora GilchristAmanda Griswold

Oxford College of Emory UniversityAlexa Gunsolley

Columbia UniversityLarissa Mark

Fordham UniversityBrooke Hayden

Robert KochJulia Moores

Emily RuchalskiMary Ryan

Molly Stewart

Marymount Manhattan College

Natalie BiebelIulia Ilea

Manhattanville CollegeNovella DeAngelis

Pace UniversityWilliam Eng

Jesse RubinsteinJacquelyn Sheehan

Jennifer StoweCasey Walsh

St. John’s UniversityKiana Erazo

Sarah Lawrence CollegeLindsay Katz

Paul Smith CollegeJacob Ford

Syracuse UniversityAnna Ferrari

Jackeline GuillenJulie KramerKevin PacelliBennett Ryan

Marist CollegeOwen PolzelloRobert Wheeler

Mount Saint Mary CollegeKayla McBrideAbrianna Smalls

Binghamton UniversityTyler Grubler

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Srividya ChandrasekharSarah Morsches

Elmira UniversityDaniella Costa

Norwalk Community College

Hayley BerkowitzWandy Brito

Kaila RodriguezHunter SharkeyDilpreet Sood

Gabriella Tuccinardi

University of Connecticut,

StamfordMatthew Angelo

Anna BivonaBrianne Clancy

Kalea ColesStephanie Correa

Camila CoutoAsia Davis

Cristina Johnson Sean LorsonMark Palner

John MacconeJeanette MariniDiana NguyenLuc Nguyen

Michael NguyenGabriella Oppedisano

Daniel QuinnCristopher Tantimonico

Caitlyn Wall

Ricci’s Cosmology School

Casey Kelly

Western Connecticut State University

Mathew DeRienzoKyle MarchettiZachary SagarBianca SantoneDaniel SatterJulia Teixeira

Pennsylvania State UniversityChristopher Bodnar

Alexandra FetzerGabrielle Joachim

Delaware Valley CollegeAngelica Cassese

Ray YoungCarnegie Mellon

UniversityJacob Cohen

Clarkson UnversityGregory Murray

Cornell UniversityCaroline Drenkard

St. John Fisher College

Melissa Lindine

SUNY CobelskillLuke Bolton

Robert Fantarella

Hartwick CollegeBriana White

Ithaca CollegeShaun Rimkunas

Morrisville State CollegeNicole Chiappetta

SUNY CortlandJustin Baxter

Haley Goldblatt

University of Connecticut

Kiana AkhundzadehJessica Aloi

Thomas BaccaroMarianna Bedoya

Sara BuzelMichaila Castaldi

Stephen CiullaThomas Cole

Christie CostelloJeanelle De Los Santos

Simon DuBrendan Dunn

Michael EllRebecca Feuerberg

James FisherKatherine FoleyKristen Gregory

Michael Grischuk

Jeffrey HageAshley HallstromStephen Hnatuk

Thomas IeronimoSara Katske

Keshav KhazanchiEric Koelewyn

Jessica KomorowskiManeesh KoneruKatherine Larkin

Julia LisiJoseph Mancini

Lauren MateusiakErika Nagy

Chitra NidadavoluMohamed Othman

Jordan PabellonMargaret Parisi

Ross PellenbergWyatt Pendleton

Marc RiveraJeffrey Sam

Christine SavinoSeth Scott

Anneliese SegarraAndrew SmithEmily Socha

Sophia TramutaSnigdha WadhwaBrandon WongNour Yacoub

Elizabeth Tujak-WeissCindy Zheng

University at AlbanyBailey Cotrona

Bay CollegeChristian Bernadel

Becker CollegeAlexandra Simone

Boston CollegePeter Veikos

Boston UniversityLekha Alaparthi

Dana Fryer

Bridgewater State UniversityAmanda Dingwall

Curry CollegeAndrew MarinoRyan Randall

Dean CollegeChristopher Anderson

Nicholas Roberts

Endicott CollegeVictoria SantoroSydney Sheehan

Gordon CollegeAlexa Bragg

Massechussetts College of Art

Alexander Haam

Merimack CollegeMeredith Felt

Mount Ida CollegeDaniela Ciambriello

Northeastern University

Amina EssaihiDixon Jin

Ryan O’HaganAleksandra PirogAnthony Ramadei

Plymouth State University

Madeleine Dehm

Springfield CollegeLuis Gomes

Jamar Hinds-RobinsonLinda McAuley

Smith CollegeElizabeth Nagy

Stonehill CollegeCorrie MacLean

University of Massachusetts,

AmherstMark AmbroseMonica Pereira

Universal Technical Institute

Nicholas Grogin

Westfield State University

Kevin CecioCarla Dias

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Jackson LaBoaLouis Sokol

Western New England University

Matthew Petrizzi

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Samuel Carley

Housatonic Community College

Omar AlwaniDeion Artis

Alena AubreyThomas Bucci

Savannah BurkeLauren CancholaThomas ChiacuMaria Damien

Michael DelfinoBrandon HenrySkye Holden

Arlene MartinezTyrone McBurnieJohnathan McCoy

Kayla MendellTyler MonteiroIsam Nahlawi

Brandon PaoliniAshley Papcin

Alexander PierneAnthonym Salgado

Lisa TorresAnastasia Tsymbalyuk

Kristian Wortz

Porter and Chester Institute

Kyle MishleyMaria Parra

Sacred Heart University

Lisa CarboneJuliana Decker

Nicholas DeRosaStephanie DiBenedetto

Stephanie GiblinEmily Grilley

Kathryn HerndonSamantha Jackson

Stephen KadishAna-Marie Kalafatis

Alexandra McCulloughDylan Lao

Elizabeth LaPortaSarah Phonthaphanh

Sara RobaczynskiSarah Shamatovich

Luana SardinhaAlexandra SosaAlysa Williams

St. Vincent’s CollegeKylie Collier

University of Bridgeport

Brett CousinsLauren Hyde

Joeseph MartinezKaterina Wittmer

Brown UniversitySamuel McKinney

Bryant UniversityLauren Jacobson

Johnson and Wales University

Courtney CoyneJelica Morrison

Providence CollegeHailey Pekera

Roger Williams UniversitySydney BlackwellAngela DeGenovaKevin McAndrews

Kaelyn MostafaMatthew Seferian

Salve Regina UniversityAlexa Ruff

New England Institute of Technology

Sterling Davis

University of Rhode Island

Matthew BaccaroAlden Dahl

Thomas HaydukBrian Lifrieri

Samantha MarzulliChristopher MasiDaniel McInerneyMichele ShulmanAngela Surrusco

Gettysburg CollegeJulianne Boggs

Brian Finger

College of CharlestonKatie Woessner

Clemson UniversityAllison SchmidtWilliam Sitckle

University of South Carolina, Beaufort

Eliza Lynch

University of South CarolinaEric Anderson

Julianne BeckerMadeleine Collins

Brooke CurryJulianne Napolitano

Wofford CollegeKevin Yeung

High Point UniversityMargaret DonlonPatrick Loughran

North Carolina State UniversityVeronica Dykes

North Carolina Wesleyan College

Joshua Dumas

University of North Carolina Charolette

Sean Hopper

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Hannah Lillicraf

Warren Wilson CollegeCora Barber

George Washington University

Carley Berlin

Goucher CollegeJoyce Woolen

Howard UniversityNgozika Odigbo

Loyola University Maryland

Daniel DeLucia

Morgan State University

Destiny Powell

Salisbury University

Nicholas HarriauMatthew Smith

Zachary Thompson

Towson UniversityJessica Pikikero

University of MarylandMorgan Fried

Briana GoodenMarcus Laracuente

Nicole Schwartz

Albertus Magnus College

Alberto AguillonThomas Kasper

Gregory Shawinsky

Gateway Community College

Samir AnastasioMaria Elizondo

Valeria GonzalezNaysha Rivera

Jhon Ruiz

Quinnipiac UniversityChristian DeGenova

Alyssa MariniKherigen JonesPriscila Ribeiro

Elizabeth Stanton

University of New Haven

Ileana AguirreJessica Deaky

Michael ErrichettiSteven Green

Brandon HirshfieldKelly Jeffery

Zachary KaesmannColin Keyes

Kristine LiptackVictoria Llanos

Yara ObeidDavid PiccirilloSean ReynoldsEmily Wajda

Maya Zaytoun

Southern Connecticut State

UniversityGene ArganeseKyle Bacharach

Stephanie BellofioreKyle Bova

Richard BoydKaylynn CarrBrooke Capra

Daniela CevascoSabrina ChevretteMikala Coppolella

Peter FreundAllison GomesPaige HavilandMichelle HesseFrancisco Jorge

Alyssa KleinDanielle Kolliopoulou

Michael LabrecqueTyler Liven

John MacaudaMacy ManoeitzDaniel MarazitaJoseph MateraTara Merkle

Rosa MorielloPaige PaolettiThanh Pham

Christopher RzasaPersephone RuffAdrian SandersAmber SchultzShahed ShahamPerry Vincenzi

Hunter Wnukowski

Champlain CollegeRiley Maloney

Norwich University Corps of Cadets

Eric Jones

Saint Michael’s College

Emily McGrathOlivia Nestro

University of Vermont

Beena JacobVictoria Primavera

Keene State CollegeAlexa Bruce

Melissa Wydra

Saint Anselm College

Hannah Pirozzoli

University of New Hampshire

Derek BrunerChristina Clericuzio

Stephen KellySydney Speaks

University of DelawareErin Grady

Steven Costello

Fairfield UniversityGrant AmrineJoshua Amrine

Jamie AppelbergKatelyn DunnPatrick Heeks

Giovanni KleinElena Mignone

Caroline NeubauerSamuel PulieHunter SigonaKristine Szabo

Christian Wieler

Lincoln TechChristopher Adiletta

Justin Tisdale

Eastern Connecticut State University

Alexandra CammarotaMichael CurleyAmber Domond

Connor BroderickRyan BroderickQuentin BrunettiMichael CurleySean Doherty

Samantha HobarAlyka Lara

Daniel MichelKayla Ray

George SollenbergerMadeline Tatto

Colby Trask

University of Hartford

Richard BriggsAudrey Vogel

Gabriel Weitzman

Lincoln CulinaryGenesis Caraballo

Hofstra UniversityLauren Squires

Hunter CollegeRosalie Tomasto

Stony Brook University

Kathleen Nickson

Monmouth UniversityAllison Bachman

David MillerTyler HiznayTaylor Puzzio

Ramapo CollegeKristine Nickson

Seton Hall UniversityDeborah HessThomas Hesse

Drexel UniversityShannon BoydAlexis Waller

Philadelphia UniversityAlex Marino

Temple University Zachary Corey

Michael LaMastraA’lexus StatonSharan Ugra

University of PennsylvaniaJakob Levison

University of the Sciences at Philadelphia

Giovanna Cadella

Villanova UniversityRakshana Selvarajan

Widener UniversityNicholas Dulepski

Siena CollegeErin Rybnick

Oxford Academy of Hair Design

Krissalee Learnard

Christopher Newport UniversityGabriela Buttress

George Mason UniversityKellie Courville

College of William & MaryJack Zhang

James Madison UniversityHayley Wettenstein

Hampton CollegeNicole Williams

Central Connecticut State University

Neil BarrowPhilip DeGenovaCourtney Dicocco

Nicole HeyderMichael Mason

Brian MegoZachary ParenteCarlos SevillaCarly Sollitto

Thames AcademyAlessandro Tucci

4 FeaturesThe Eagle’s Eye June 16, 2014 Issue 3

Some Goodbyes...

And Hellos!

I remember walking into my first Eagle’s Eye meeting at the end of my freshman year with strong ambitions. I knew that journalism was a career field I was somewhat interested in, and I thought this was the perfect place to start. As it turns out, it’s a good thing I decided to join.

Being a part of the Eagle’s Eye staff has been extremely beneficial to me for various reasons. For one thing, it has provided me with journalism experience that would be difficult to find elsewhere. I was not only able to write for the Entertainment section, where I did most of my work in my sophomore and junior years, but I also had opportunities to try writing articles in the sports and news fields.

Most importantly, the Eagle’s Eye has added fuel to

my passion for journalism. What started out as a slight interest in journalism has developed into a dream. I now know that I want to study journalism in college, and I hope that my studies at Syracuse University will lead me into a career as a sports journalist.

As I look forward towards my future as a Broadcast and Digital Journalism major, I can’t help but reflect on everything that the Eagle’s Eye has accomplished. Most notably, we have successfully established a strong digital presence that consists of an official website (thanks to the Web Team) and a Facebook page. I am fully confident that next year’s editors and staff members will be able to further expand the publication’s use of 21st Century technology.

Saying goodbye to the Eagle’s Eye is bittersweet for me, but I know that I will never forget the memories I’ve made, the lessons I’ve learned, and the people I’ve met through my experiences as a staff member and editor.

Kevin Pacelli ‘14EE Co-Editor-in-Chief

The Eagle’s Eye is the official student-run publication of Trumbull High School. The views expressed in the commentary are the opinion of the majority of the editors. All other opinions are solely those of the authors and do not represent the views of The Eagle’s Eye.

As journalists, the members of The Eagle’s Eye staff are committed to upholding the core of our code of ethics: objectivity, integrity, and truth.

Letters Policy: This paper is an outlet for the student voice. We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions about the paper or articles published. If you wish to write a letter to an editor, it must be signed and addressed to Mr. Pelligra in the Literacy Center.The Eagle’s Eye reserves the right to edit all letters published.

Trumbull High School thseagleseye.com72 Strobel Rd. 203.452.4555Trumbull, CT. 06611 203.452.4593 (fax)

The Eagle’s EyeKevin PacelliJack Zhang

Editors-in-Chief

Jesse RubensteinBrittany KubickoManaging Editors

Lia Horyczun News Editor

Paulina HowardMorgan RegentLifestyle Editors

Mr. PelligraMrs. Pacelli

Advisors

Alison KuznitzOpinions Editor

Robin WyckoffFeatures Editor

Chris RzasaSports Editor

Rachel TroppEntertainment Editor

Katie WoessnerWebmaster

THS Eagles

Eye hopes

that you have a

fantastic summer

and we will see

you next year!

I am so incredibly honored and excited to be the Editor-in-Chief of the Eagle’s Eye for next year! In a way, I feel like I have slowly been working towards this position ever since I stepped foot into my first meeting early on in my freshman year. Although I had previously been exposed to newspaper writing in middle school, the Eagle’s Eye truly transformed and ignited my passion for journalism. I can clearly recall every article I have written for the Eagle’s Eye, ranging from the more humorous perspective of why freshmen are hated so much to the more serious topic of providing a non-contact gym class to students with

injuries or disabilities. Thanks to these articles and my interaction with the entire staff, I now view journalism as a vital tool. I can truly use it to my advantage in order to shed light on issues that might otherwise not be addressed.

Additionally, I am indebted to Eagle’s Eye for making me realize the exhilerating influence and power of journalism. I look forward to performing all of my responsibilities of Editor-in-Chief, especially delivering the news to THS through or website and our regular print editions. One of my personal goals I sincerely hope to fulfill is to make all of my staff writers and section editors fall in love with the art of newspaper writing and journalism as much as I have.

Wow, I can’t believe another great year went by. The Eagle’s Eye had a great year this year, not only printing three print issues on a limited budget but constantly updating the website with the latest articles. As this years Managing Editor, I maintained a lot of the design aspect of the paper and I helped the staff with a lot of the articles.

Over these past years the Eagle’s Eye has made me a better person overall. My writing skills have improved greatly and I found one of my passions: design. If you haven’t noticed, I usually help with most of the design process of the paper, and designing the paper has

Alison Kuznitz ‘15EE Senior Opinions Editor

people around me. Brushing aside my fears of speaking in public, I interviewed the principal on the second week of school, and since that day I have never looked back.

This year I am happy to say the Eagle’s Eye has evolved to include more than the print issue you see before you. We have since explored the realms of video documentaries, found ways to penetrate the world of social media, and have adopted the motto of reaping the best of both worlds.

I am fasicnated to see what next year’s staff is to come up with. It’s been a pleasure working with the editorial staff this year, and I am proud to have spent my four years with these dedicated people.

Sophomore year I came up with the nickname “berd” (in contrast to the yearbook term “yerd”) to describe someone who’s really dedicated to the Eagle’s Eye. While the term hasn’t taken off just yet, I shall miss my fellow berds and as I leave the nest, I know you all shall forever be in my heart. The next journey starts now, so hobey ho let’s go.

Brittany Kubicko ‘15EE Managing Editor

made me love the Eagle’s Eye even more. The Eagle’s Eye is actually one of the reasons why I am deciding to focus on journalism and communications in college

I’m very excited to be a Co-Editor in Chief next year with my good friend Alison. We have a ton of ideas for next year that we both cannot wait to bring to you. With three years under my belt, with two of those three years as editor positions, I feel like I’ve learned enough to be able to guide the paper to new heights. I cannot believe that last year will be my senior year at THS; it has gone by so fast. I’m hoping that I can make my last year at THS and on the Eagle’s Eye memorable and I cannot wait to see where this paper will go. Alison and I have big ideas for next year, so watch out THS, the Eagle’s Eye will definitely blow you away next year!

Jack Zhang ‘14EE Co-Editor-in-Chief

Kevin Pacelli ‘14Current Co-Editor-in-Chief

Jack Zhang ‘14Current Co-Editor-in-Chief

The pen is mightier than the sword. Unless your pen is a sword, in which case you’d be Percy Jackson. All joking aside, ever since I was little I have always believed that words, in particular writing, have enormous power: they give people the chance to express themselves. This belief is something I have carried with me throughout all my four years in the Eagle’s Eye.

In seventh grade, I learned that one of the greatest demonstrations, not to mention shutdowns, of free speech in history occured on none other than my birthday, a date no one dares speak about in my home country. That made me angry. “How could one be so close-minded that simply speaking is considered a threat?” This ignited a flame in me to tell people’s stories. No matter the person, no matter how small, it’s better than not be able to speak at all.

Since then, words have become like a palette, a way to engage the

Alison Kuznitz ‘15Future Co-Editor-in-Chief

Brittany Kubicko ‘15Future Co-Editor-in-Chief

To check out more Eagle’s Eye, go to thseagleseye.com or follow the link to the right.