falconaire - monmouth regional high school · bloopers from throughout the year. for the first time...

FalconaireA Publication of Monmouth Regional High School

sports

“Senior Edrick Alleyne of the winter track team took home first place in the shotput at the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II Championships.”

– page 03

behind the wheel

“Believe it or not, it has been proven that chatty drivers are less proficient than drunk drivers with blood alcohol levels exceeding the legal limit of 0.08.”

– pages 04

opinions

“The number of empty spots could be easily distributed to a certain number of juniors to save at least a few students the hassle of that dreadful walk every morn-ing.”

– page 05 – page 07

March 2008 • voluMe 45 • issue 05

Tr i c k Hoopz and A l l ey Oops

reviews

“A slice of pizza can be found right around everyone’s corner, but some piz-za is just better than others. Here is a list of the top five local pizzerias..”

tom denbleyker ‘11staff Writer

Students at the Africa Diaspora Fair displays on February 27.

Students volunteer with dancers and musicians at the Capoeira assembly

on February 26.

blackhistoryMonthat Monmouth regional

<--- Superstars share a pep talk before taking on the professionals

Teachers stretch and warm up for the big game --->

Above:Teacher players on the sidelines

Left & Right: Mr. Cappiello dribbles down the court; Mr. Wendel waits for a rebound with Mr.

Lerman.

Photos by Thomas DenBleyker and Ellen Goldberg.

well, are you? If students thought STI Home Plus was too much info for the parents, get ready for this. Starting in the fall of 2008, students can expect to see a bumper sticker just like the one above on every student vehicle in the Monmouth Regional parking lot.

The idea was developed by Fred Cerbini, who was inspired to create the bumper sticker after seeing a make-shift memorial alongside a road where a teen had been killed in a car accident. “Something had to be done,” he says as his reason for taking action. His idea was to make a sticker modeled after the popular big-rig “How is my driving?” stamps. The bumper sticker offers a phone number for drivers to report unsafe driving, which will result in Cerbini sending the parents of the reckless driver an email explaining the student’s infraction. MRHS will be the first high school to implement this bumper sticker as requirement to park in the high school’s lot during school. “If you read the paper any given week you hear about teens dying behind the wheel,” says MRHS Principal Andrew Teeple. “Monmouth Regional wanted to be proactive in keeping our students safe. The parents will now have a tool to help raise safe and respon-sible drivers.” Although the stickers will not be made mandatory until next year, they are optional for students this year. For more information go to the Monmouth Regional website.

sarah boyd ‘08editor in chief

On Sunday, February 10, the Harlem Wizards came to Monmouth Regional

with their “Trick Hoopz and Alley Oops” and took on the Sensational Superstars, made up of teachers and faculty from not only Monmouth Regional, but Eatontown and Tinton Falls as well.

The Wizards somehow managed to pull out with the win even with the “Napp Attack,” aka history teacher Mr. Joseph Nappi, playing for the Superstars, who put up an impressive eight points in only eight minutes.

Nappi says, “Just think if I put up eight against the pros,

how many will I drop on the students at this year’s Heifer game?”

The game was a Monmouth Regional PTSA fundraiser for all of the classes at MRHS. Margret Katz organized the event. She and parent Ellen Goldberg say, “This event brought together three school districts,

Fort Monmouth, families, teachers, and administrators in a positive way.”

All together there was a $5,534 profit with the sale of over 500 tickets, and a lot of donated food.

Freshman Jake Aumack says, “I thought the game was entertaining, and I enjoyed seeing

our teachers get embarrassed in front of the entire student body.” Everyone from toddlers to grandparents attended.

Freshman TJ Eckstein says, “Because my arm was hurting I wasn’t ballin’ at the half time free throw contest, but I’m still going to join the Wizards in a few years.”

Photos by Matt DenBleyker and Emalee Rodriguez

features & news2 March 2008 Falconaire

The FalconaireEditor in ChiefSarah Boyd Sports EditorMatt DenBleykerWorld News EditorEmalee RodriguezOpinions EditorEvan GallinettiLayout TeamSarah Boyd Michelle FuterfasRandy StraussChristine Tynes

Staff WritersKevin CruzThomas DenBleykerKeona GeorgeKatie HieberArthur LeeJoe MaiulloFrancesca MartelliSam PelisseroJulie RutanHolly TranMiranda WyattChris Zweig

Editorial PolicyThe Falconaire will accept written and graphic material for publication in

the Falconaire from students, faculty, and administrators provided it is of interest and value. We reserve the right to reject any material that we consider inappropriate. The Falconaire reserves the right to edit any material received for publication.

Statement of PurposeTo provide a graphic forum of dialogue and expression. To provide the

school and community with information concerning the important issues and ac-tivities pertaining to students, faculty, and administration. To publish an interesting, readable newspaper satisfying the needs of the students and the Monmouth Regional community.

ContributorsSarah CobuzziStephen Montero Robyn OlsonTannu SinghMegan TursiSheldon Wong

Head of PhotographyFrancesca MartelliTechnology EditorStephen WeberAdviserDawn Collett

Midnight Munch SpotsMiranda Wyatt ‘08

Staff Writer

Applebee’s

“Is it 10 yet?” Known for its great deal of three for $12 and half-priced deal on appetizers (after 10 p.m.). Good selection in food choices, and delicious desserts.

14 Park Road, Tinton Falls (1.85 miles from MRHS)

Sun 11 a.m.-MidnightMon-Thurs 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-2 a.m.

Nelly’s Restaurant

“A Fat What?”Specializes in “anything you want” sand-wiches at decent prices. If you are not a sandwich person, Nelly’s also offers Italian favs like pizza and chicken parm, as well as many other foods to eat.

589 Cedar Ave, West Long Branch(5.72 miles from MRHS)

Monday-Sunday 10 a.m.-4 a.m.

“Breakfast at midnight?” Good amount of food for decent prices.

From pastas to breakfast all-day, in-cludes a great number of food choices.

176 Wyckoff Rd, Eatontown(3.25 miles from MRHS)

Monday - Thursday. 6:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.Fri. 24 HoursSat. 24 Hours

Sun. 6:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.

All Seasons Diner

Inkwell Coffee House

“Macaroni cheese balls?” Very friendly and welcoming environ-ment. Great spot to just “chill” and eat without emptying your wallet.

665 2nd Ave, Long Branch(7.44 miles from MRHS)

Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.-3 a.m.

Saturday 5 p.m.-3:30 a.m. Sunday 5 p.m.-3 a.m.

Cluck-U

“Wingers or clucker-bees?”Take a challenge at the “9-11” chicken or just go for a simple fried chicken special.

Chill environment or quick delivery service.

15 State Route 36, Eatontown(3.43 miles from MRHS)

Open until 12 a.m.

“You rack, I’ll get the food?” Play pool for however many desired games, while eating food from Redhead’s kitchen. Good, clean fun at a low price.

613 Hope Road (Victoria Plaza), Eatontown

(1.77 miles from MRHS)Monday - Friday 5 p.m. - 2 a.m

Saturday - Sunday 12 noon - 2 a.m.

Players’ Billiards/Redheads

It is late and you and your friends are not only bored but majorly hungry. Yet, with the hour being so close to midnight, the big question is “Where to go?” If you find yourself in this predicament, here are some popular late-night spots.

Behind the Scenes of the MR News

Tom DenBleyker ‘11Staff Writer

Every morning in home-room after the pledge, the always-changing theme

song for the MR News comes on. Then all three minutes of the morning news follows, which is conducted by students in the school. A handful of students “home-roomed” outside the PAC

Chad?France is moving 140 soldiers into Chad to protect their citizens because the Chad military took force against some French rebels in the country. It said that tension between these two groups has been brewing for some time, and more tension was added by the Zaghawas and the Tamas. -Robyn Olsen ‘10 Contributor

Britain?

In London, on Saturday, February 9, a large fire ripped through the Camden Market causing an evacuation of the surrounding areas. It took about 100 firefighters to battle the blaze until it was finally under control after about five hours. Shelters were opened to house many of the residents that lost their homes which provided the occupants with bedding and food. -Sheldon Wong ‘10 Contributor

Greece? Rwanda?An earthquake hit Greece Thursday, February 7. The quake was about a 6.7 and lasted for a long time, according to Theodoros Salantis, the mayor of Koroni. It hit about 12 miles offshore and 140 miles south of Athens, the country’s capital. There were no severe injuries reported.

-Sarah Cobuzzi ‘10 Contributor

Early in January, 39 people died and 400 were injured in Rwanda from a combination of two earthquakes. The earthquakes struck hours apart, the first measuring 6.0 with the second measuring 5.0 in the Richter scale. Rwanda is located in part of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, which includes a fault line which is seismically active. Officials believe that the death toll will soon rise due to injuries. -Megan Tursi ‘10 Contributor

What’s happening in...

Photos courtesy of Google Images

anchor the news regularly, includ-ing seniors Caitlin Rigney and Jordan Monts. But anyone who is interested can do it.

“Sometimes I will just pick out students walking in to school and ask them if they want to read on the news,” says Audio Visual Aid Technician Mr. Dave Ahlers.

Ahlers gets to school at about 7:15 and starts setting up; by 7:35 after the readers have time to look over their lines, they get ready to shoot.

The program has been at the school since 1996. Ahlers finds all of the stories for the news; most of the information comes

from the morning announcement sheets. School news, announce-ments for after school activities, and sometimes birthdays are part of the repertoire. According to Ahlers, every year the news runs about 85 commercials. Among their most notable are photos for prom, the preschool, super bowl,

and at the end of the year news bloopers from throughout the year. For the first time this year the news runs a program that comes on every few weeks called “Rappin’ With Riggs.” Hosted by senior Caitlin Rigney, the two-minute program features in-terviews with teachers, coaches, and students about issues at the school or opinions on school-re-lated events.

Ahlers and Drama De-partment Supervisor Mr. George Liebenberg are the advisors and take care of all of the video. Stu-dents, however, do the sound and all of the news.

Photo by Francesca Martelli

Visit www.falconaire.designteen.com for more pictures and information!

sports3 March 2008 Falconaire

Above and BeyondKatie Hieber ‘11

Staff Writer

#7 Reaches 23rd yearMiranda Wyatt ‘08

Staff Writer

Falcons Reign on the Big StageMatt DenBleyker ‘08

Sports Editor

For more pictures & articles visit: falconaire.designteen.com!

Over a three-day span from February 8-10, Falcon athletes were busy wrapping up some individual titles in their respective sports.

Sw imSenior Eddie Carnes of the swim team wrapped up his sec-

ond consecutive Shore Conference title in the 100-yard backstroke in 53.81 seconds at the Ocean County YMCA in Toms River on Friday, February 8. He was seeded first in this event and beat out senior Stephen Fox of Freehold Twp High School by 0.34 seconds. With this win he qualifies for the state championships.

Wint e r Tra ckSenior Edrick Alleyne of the winter track team took home

first place in the shotput at the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II Championships at the John Bennet Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River. He won the event with a throw of 55 feet, 2 inches. Coming in second place was Monmouth junior Charles Johnson with a throw of 46 feet, 7 inches. In the same meet senior Joe Ortiz picked up a third place in the 400 meter dash in a time of 52.66 seconds. In the boy’s 800 meter run senior Karam Alkhalil picked up a second place with a time of 2:04.45. Lastly the Boys 4 x 400 relay team of seniors Andrew Berry and Joe Ortiz along with juniors Omar Alvarado and Sean Rugen-stein picked up a fourth-place finish. On the girls side, sophomore Megan Tursi picked up a sixth-place finish in the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:28.71, and juniors Kayleigh Rynar and Michelle Skove picked up fifth and sixth place, respectively, in the pole vault.

All these track athletes competed in the overall state cham-pionships. In that meet Alleyne took first place in the shot put.

When you think of track and field, chances are running and jumping

usually come to mind. However, here at Mon-mouth Regional and at more and more high schools across the country, pole vaulting is becoming more popular. The MRHS pole vaulters return this year with a newfound con-fidence along with a bunch of new members.

“There are a lot more girls on the team this year,” says junior Kayleigh Rynar. The pole vaulters have good form and technique, but practice increasing their speed to make higher and higher jumps. The team prepares by partici-pating in winter track as well as spring track.

“The girls have done very well this year,” says Coach Calvert, “We placed first in the county relay and seventh in the state, which is the highest we have gotten so far.”

Junior Michelle Skove placed third and Rynar placed fifth in the county meet.

The pole vaulters have achieved in

jumping up to their goal of

eight feet. The highest so far is

eight feet and six inches and

they are now attempting nine

feet.Although the boys have not placed as high as the girls, Calvert feels they will per-form better in the spring. “The boys bars

are set higher than the girls, but where we practice indoors does not have enough height. When we can practice outside they will do better,” Calvert says. In the state sectional, se-nior Ryan Jones just missed qual-ifying for states, placing seventh. According to Calvert, “They [the team] are definitely better than last year and are very prepared for the spring,”

“And next up to bat is...” Mr. Theodore Jarmusz with a

baseball coaching record of 374 wins to 236 losses.

Wearing his bright white # 7 jersey Coach Jarmusz is now entering his 23rd year in the Fal-cons dugout.

You may have him as a guidance counselor, seen him in the halls, or just know of him, but one place you can definitely find Jarmusz is coaching his players on while proudly standing in the dugout. Along with his 23 years on the bench for the Falcons Jarmusz is a former football coach and girls bowling coach and he has no plans to retire anytime soon. “I enjoy what I am doing. I won’t stop coaching until it is not fun for me anymore” Jarmusz says, “There are still things left to accomplish.”

Kyle Fagan, a returning senior to the varsity team, has nothing but compliments for his coach.

“He is really

fair to his players. He is creative, too. He is always thinking of new ways to make practice fun,” Fagan says.

Along with assistant Coach Joe Pingitore, Jarmusz has recorded a stammering record of seven division championships, three consecutive Monmouth County Tournament Champion-ship wins from 1990-1992, two

NJ State Sectional Championship wins, one overall NJ State Cham-pionship, and many more wins on hand. It is no wonder why he has been named Shore Conference Coach of the Year four times.“My staff is equally responsible for our success,” says Jarmusz, “They’re out there everday too.”But for Jarmusz it is not about the winning but the chance to coach

such a “talented and respect-ful group of teens.” “I love the opportunity of getting the players some-place they can’t go without me,” says Jarmusz. Under Jarmusz, the base-ball team only suffered two losing seasons, while quali-fying for the Shore Confer-ence and State Tournaments every other year. Yet with such a successful reputation, what are his plans for this upcoming baseball season? As Jarmusz puts it, it is the same as every year- qualify for the tournaments, win the Conference, win the Umpire’s Sportsmanship award, and ultimately win the Championship ring. In other words, be the best.

And visit Matt’s blog for more about MRHS sports: http://blog.nj.com/monmouthregionalhs_sports

Falcons GroundedMatt DenBleyker ‘08 and Evan Gallinetti ‘09

Editors

When the 2007-2008 basketball season got underway, the MRHS

boy’s team, on paper, looked like a team to be reckoned with. Last year the Falcons busted out for 19 wins and clinched a share of the division crown, and a state sectional championship. This year MRHS returned six play-ers off of last years team to help

they downed number 12, Toms River North, 72-46, which got them a re-match with CBA in the quarterfinals. In this game sopho-more Neil Thompson busted out for a career high 23 points as the Falcons got revenge over the Colts with a 55-50 win. This got them another game against the Fliers of Neptune in the first SCT semi-fi-nals that the boy’s team has ever

Photos by Talon Staff

them in their campaign this year. At the beginning of the

year, however, MRHS did not look like the team that people thought it to be. After winning their first two games, the Falcons dropped three straight to Neptune, CBA, and Monsignor Donovan. They dropped out of the top 10, where they had been ranked num-ber three in the pre-season. But that did not get the Falcons down, over a 17 game span the Falcons busted out 16 wins, with their only loss coming to number 1 Neptune, with the Fliers squeak-ing out a three-point win 63-60. Now when the post sea-son started the Falcons were the team they did not want to play. They received the number-five seed in the Shore Conference Tournament and in the first round

made it too. Neptune was too much to handle for the Falcons in this game as the eventual tournament champ downed MRHS 58-43.

The season was not over, yet, as 4th seed MRHS opened up the NJSIAA CJ Group III tour-nament with a 71-58 win over 13th seeded Princeton, to set up a match up with Shore Conference rival number five Red Bank Re-gional. It just was not in the cards for MRHS; however, as RBR rolled out with a 59-45 win, to end the Falcons championship hopes.

The future looks good as Anthony Gibson, Neil Thompson, Austin Whitehurst, and leading scorer Joe Willman will all be back to lead the Fal-cons in what looks to be another good year for the Falcons in ‘09.

behind the wheel4 March 2008 Falconaire

Get off the road!

The Primary Concerns

Ask any teenager which is more dangerous, drunk driving or using a cell

phone and the average response will be similar to that of junior driver Michelle Gundel, who says, “drunk driving.” What these wrong teens do not know is that every year approximately 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries are caused by cell phone distractions in the car. Believe it or not, studies show that chatty drivers are less proficient than drunk drivers with blood alcohol levels exceeding the legal limit of 0.08.

In an interview with online journal LiveScience, psychology professor David Strayer says, “If you put a 20-year-

Drop that CellEvan Gallinetti ‘09 & Emalee Rodriguez ‘08

Staff Writers

old behind the wheel with a cell phone, their reaction times are the same as a 70-year-old driver who is not using a cell phone.”

Even though drunk driving is very dangerous, cell phone use while driving is right by its side. Drivers using cell phones are responsible for at least 4,699 reported accidents, which killed 31 and injured 2,786 in past years.

“You have to pay attention to yourself and everything happening around you,” said Sharon Harrington, the Chief Administrator of the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC), when she visited MRHS on January 10.

For any student going

through the Graduated Drivers License Program, the use of any type of cell phone when behind the wheel is against the law. Teens with brand new licenses are not the only ones who should not drop the cell, however.

“I see both students and teachers using their phones while driving,” says SADD Captain Phil Cantwell, senior, “and if something sudden was to happen…in the parking lot, there might be an accident.”

The MVC is working to prevent such accidents through many new strategies. They have published a new driver’s manual, which has been three years in the making. The new manual

New NJ law cracks down on chatty drivers--expect to pay a fine of $250 on first offense

Remarks by Marks

Tannu Singh ‘09Contributor

Some teens will never change Julie Rutan ‘08

Staff Writer

According to Sharon Harrington, Chief Administrator of the

Motor Vehicle Commission, statistically, it takes 1000 hours behind the steering wheel to become an experienced driver. Even though students study hard to pass the Driver’s Ed test, and complete their six required hours of driving practice, it is not enough to prepare teenagers to be behind the wheel on their own.

As a teen driver myself, I know how many distractions there can be in the car and on the roads that can result in an accident. But what most students do not realize is most of these dangerous distractions are not things like the weather or a loud radio. Instead, cell phones are becoming the number one cause of fatal and minor accidents. According to a Harvard University study, cell phones cause over 200 deaths and half a million injuries each year. So what is it going to take for people to realize how hazardous cell phones can be?

Several states restrict cell phone use while driving. Generally, these laws are based on issues specific to each state. The law for New Jersey is that hands-free cell phone devices are required while operating a vehicle.

Nevertheless, this restriction was not enough to keep drivers safe. Hands-free devices will help with talking on the phone, but the issue of text messaging is another story, especially regarding teen driving.

includes many content upgrades, such as changes to the NJ laws since the manual was last printed. New information on pedestrian safety, and details of a new cell phone law are also included.

Beginning March 1, using a handheld cellular telephone or texting device is a primary offense, meaning that police may stop and cite a motorist specifically for these actions. The fines for breaking this new law range between $100 and $250. Now all drivers, not only ones under the GDL, may not use any type of cellular device when behind the wheel at any time.

MVC Press Officer Kevin Cranston says, “The MVC’s

message to drivers throughout the state is to buckle up, avoid distractions (such as using a cell phone) and always be aware of what’s going on…around you.”

know I should not, but I doubt a cop will ever catch anyone texting in a car,” says senior Samantha Garibaldi. However, that changed on March 1st, 2008. On this date, text messaging became a primary offense. Fines for breaking this law range between $100 and $250.

The only problem with this law is people will not stop until they get caught or get into an accident.

This new law is just like every other law out there...like no speeding or having the legal amount of passengers depending on age. As a whole, teenagers push the limit and think they can get away with things if they do not do it to the extreme.

“There is no way a cop will be able to see someone texting if they hold it close enough to their lap,” says senior Kyle Fagan.

Bottom line: teens will only abide by this law after they get into an accident or get pulled over.

But for now, the law is not going to stop us from sending these oh-so-important text messages that simply cannot wait until we get to our destination.

Views from the Passenger Seat

TeenDriving

73 young people in new Jersey between the ages of 17-20 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2006.

moToR vEhiclEcrashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers ages 15-20.

6,984fatal traffic collisions involving young drivers ages 16-20 nationwide in 2006.

20:factor by which teens are more likely to get into an accident compared to any other group.

46 accidentsoccured in Monmouth County in 2007,

with 55 fatalities.by ThE NumbERS

Joe maiullo ‘08 & Julie Rutan ‘08Staff Writers

Whether you have been a victim or a perpetrator, please study the following hand guide and lessen the number of annoying drivers on the road.

In 2007, there were approximately 2339 licensed teens between the ages of 16

and 19 were involved in collisions in Monmouth County. In 2006, 73 young people between the ages of 17 and 20 died in motor vehicle crashes in the whole state. The fact is that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in teenagers ages 15-20. Although there are many bad drivers on the road, accidents are not just the driver’s fault. After successful completion of driver’s ed., parents are supposed to spend a certain amount of hours teaching the teens to drive. However, some parents only spend the bare minimum driving with their teens.

Many people blame accidents on bad drivers, but students are not entirely to blame. Students need to be taught by their parents how to drive on the open road. If parents had to log in more hours of driving with their teens, the new drivers would get more practice.

MRHS Athletic Director and owner of Wolf Driving School Mr. DeOrio says, “If we increase the parent logging hours, the driving will be a little better.”

Unchallenging driving tests also make it difficult to distinguish good drivers from

Parents, step up to the plateKatie hieber ‘11

Staff Writer

5

ProblemDrivers who do

not use their blinkers

Slow drivers who cut you off

Tailgaters

Cell Phone Users

Back Seat Drivers

HighBeams

Not only is this annoying, but it can also be dangerous. When you are unaware that a car is turning you do not know whether to pass them, slow down, or change lanes.

This is just plain old rude. These drivers speed to get in front of you and proceed to drive 15 mph under the speed limit. If you are going to cut in front of someone, drive faster than them and give them some space.

Unlike the previous offenders who drive slowly in front of you, these people drive at high speeds behind you. This is very dan-gerous and can lead to a fender bender or a mean case of whiplash.

Cell phones are a leading cause of car crashes. According to car -acci-dents.com, it is estimated that peo-ple using cell phones are four times more likely to be in a car wreck.

These passengers are not only an-noying but highly distracting, espe-cially for new drivers who are ner-vous enough as it is. If you are not in the driver’s seat, put a sock in it!

High beams are meant to be used where there are no street lights and not much traffic, however some drivers use them all the time. The safe and polite thing to do is to turn them off when there is oncoming traffic or a car in front of you.

Explanation

“”if parents had to log in

more hours of driving

with their teens, the

new drivers would get

more practice.

bad ones. Juniors and seniors confess that the closed-course test is easy.

“I was really nervous about the test so I practiced a lot, but when I took the test, it was so easy and it was over so fast,” says junior Stephanie Ronan. “It was much easier than the driver’s ed. test.”

DeOrio says, “Making the test longer would not separate the bad drivers from the good ones.”

If the test was open-road, officials would be able to see how new drivers react with other drivers.

DeOrio says, “Driving is different when you are aware of your surroundings.”

Although there will still be bad drivers on the road, increasing parent logging hours and making the driving test open-road would help cut down on accidents.

Teenagers of this generation are obsessed with text messaging, and no matter what they are doing, their phone remains glued to their hand. “I do text while I drive, even though I

During the high school years, teenagers start driving; a few even have the privilege of driving to school every day. Some are better than others getting from point A to point B, but none

are perfect. So, a little advice won’t hurt. The person most qualified to offer advice to MRHS teenagers is Monmouth Regional’s own SRO, School Resource Officer, Officer Danny Marks, of the Tinton Falls Police Department.

Falconaire: Overall, How do you feel the drivers at MRHS are?Officer Marks: They’re pretty good. When I’m directing traffic outside I can see they have a lot of patience. F: Do you have any concerms for the drivers here?OM: My biggest concern would have to be the tendency for the students to exceed the amount of passengers they’re supposed to have with a graduated/provisional license. Another concern is parking. A lot of the students don’t abide by their parking numbers.F: What’s the biggest mistake new/teen driver’s make?OM: That’s hard to say. 1-Having too many people in the car is a big mistake. It puts a lot of people in danger. 2-Being overconfident is another big mistake. Having a license doesn’t mean you’re an expert. Good driving comes with experience.F: How serious of a problem is cell phone use when driving? OM: Driving while using a cell phone can be deadly. It only takes a split second distraction to take a life. Of course this is never anyone’s intention but it does happen. F: Do you think the new law effective March 1st will have any effect?OM: I’m sure it will. It helps send a message to drivers that using a cell phone while operating a vehicle is dangerous.F: Why do you think teens repeatedly convince themselves that, “ It won’t happen to me” when making driving choices?OM: First of all, that’s a dangerous thought to have. It lures people into a false sense of security. I would say the reason behind that is they simply haven’t had enough experience on the road. There also hasn’t been a lot of exposure to different kinds of scenarios that could easily cause an accident. F: What is the first thing a teen should say to him/herself upon entering a vehicle?OM: If it isn’t their car they should make sure the license and registration is in there. Next comes safety. All I can really say is don’t be stupid. Make sure the vehicle has been recently inspected so there’s no doubt it is functional and safe. Always remember to buckle up. F: How effective are random “spot checks” in deterring teen infractions?OM: They’re very effective in and out of school. This is because they create a sense of awareness for both the driver and their parent/guardian. The police department issues the driver a warning or summons and a letter stating the problem is sent to the parent.F: How often do they set up random “spot checks”?OM: The checks aren’t set up in a fixed schedule. When we, meaning the police officers, see a violation we address it. F: How many people do the police officers ticket?OM: We only ticket people if we have to. Most of the time a warning and a letter to the parents/guardian is enough. It really depends on the circumstances of the situation and the discretion of the officer. F: Is there a message you would like to send to the drives of Monmouth Regional?OM: Yes. Safety is a frame of mind, a positive attitude. Safety should never be taken lightly. Always remember that driving is a privilege, you don’t want to lose it because of a careless mistake. Respect the laws of the road; they’re there for everyone’s safety.

MRHS Officer Marks opens up about teen driving issues

Dear Readers,The Falconaire presents “Behind the Wheel,” our look

at the issues, laws, and opinions that affect drivers of all ages, and teenagers in particular, on the roads today.

We are aware that this topic is always up for discussion in the halls of MRHS. Driving, however, makes its way into our theme pages during the month of March, which is Teen Driving Safety Month.

We would like to thank Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Sharon Harrington, for be-ing so informative and accomodating to our driving questions during her visit to MRHS on January 10. Sarah Boyd Editor in Chief

For more information on driving safety,

visit the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission website at

http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/

For more articles, visit us online at

falconaire.designteen.com

Photos by Matt DenBleyker

opinions6 March 2008 Falconaire

Oh, No..... They Tow!Evan Gallinetti ‘09

Opinions Editor

Tannu Singh ‘09Contributor

A Cartoon

Dear Sports Editor,

I noticed that Issue 3 of the Falconaire printed an article about all the winter sports and what to expect from them. As I was reading this I noticed that there wasn’t any preview about the winter track team. And then again in the Febru-ary issue, there was still no article about winter track. I thought this was extremely unfair to all the athletes who participate in winter track. We work just as hard as any of the other winter season teams. You can also look at what we have accomplished in the past two years. If you go into the gym and look at the banners you will notice the State, County, and Shore Conference championships the track team has won in the past years. For the last two years we have been state champions. Also two very outstanding athletes from the track team received full ride scholarships ton University of North Carolina. So its not like we aren’t good. All I am asking is give the winter track team the respect we have worked so hard to achieve. -Sean Rugenstein ‘09

Letter to the Editor

Seventeen: a huge stepping stone in every student’s high school experience.

Finally being able to drive your-self to school rather than running to the bus stop every morning is something every student antici-pates. Nothing is more exciting than knowing that rather than standing in a range of weather conditions, sitting in a car and taking a few steps to the school entrance is finally an option. However, under the new condi-tions, many new ‘of-age’ juniors were denied this excitement after being told that they would have to park in the back parking lot by the softball fieldsor face a penalty of their cars being towed. The ques-tion constantly being asked is, “If the parking spots are empty in the front, why do the juniors have to park in the back?”

“Having the juniors park in the back helps to contain the students who do park there [vo-cational] and makes sure that stu-dents are not using those spots so that they can leave school early,” says Assistant Principal Mr. Lar-kin.

According to a recent law, the class of 2009 will be the last age group to even be able to drive as juniors, so this raises the

Dear Sean, When reading your letter to the editor it

brought up an issue that I have been confronted with numerous times. If you go into Issue 3 of the Falconaire and look at the Winter Previews article you will notice at the bottom of the page there is a box that says for the rest of the sports to go online to http://blog.nj.com/monmouth-reghs_sports. You have to realize that in an eight-page publication, where sports is only given one page it is very hard to fit everything on the page that I would like. The way I picked what articles were going in the hard copy was totally random after I picked the two basketball articles. This issue I published two articles that involve winter track. Check it out and I hope y o u e n j o y i t .

- Matt DenBleyker ‘08 Sports Editor

With John McCain as the clear nominee for the Republicans, all of the

attention has turned to the Demo-cratic Party and Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton’s struggle to become the nominee for their party.

As of the end of Febru-ary, Senator Obama is clearly ahead of Senator Clinton in the primaries. This change of events has sent Clinton on a warpath to try and wrestle back to the top. Clinton has been using and ex-ploiting cheap tricks to try and gain an advantage. This is noth-ing new for politics but it is the true test for Obama if he can

Go, Obama!Stephen Montero ‘10

Contributor

weather Clinton’s storm and still get the votes to win he will have a clear chance to become our next president. Obama is a candidate who is speaking for one cause: he says that he will bring change to America. Obama’s appeal is crossing party lines to get things done.

He speaks of changing America through new policies that he will pass by joining par-ties on the issues. He is going to bring change to America if he is elected. I believe that Barack Obama is the candidate that best suits America.

His policies are exactly what this country needs to contin-

ue to be a world player. Obama is ready to make changes that don’t just benefit a few. He is planning to make changes for America that actually will make a difference to us on a personal level. Obama is talking about a change that our nation needs. I feel that Obama’s plans for our nation is the best thing for us. I think that Barack Obama should be our be our next president because he has what it takes to bring our nation into a place we are all proud of.

Sorry, I got excited...

question of what is the harm in parking in the empty spaces in the front on a first come, first served basis? After all, they will be the last junior class to have to deal with this ongoing issue.

“It is not fair that the ju-niors cannot park in the front be-cause those spots are sitting there not being used which is pretty much a waste of space. It is not like the juniors are taking anyone else’s spots, even including the vocational students,” says junior driver Nick Kutiak.

Although those spots are being held for vocational stu-dents, junior drivers outnumber the vocational drivers. That said,

the number of empty spots could be easily distributed to a certain number of juniors to save at least a few students the hassle of that dreadful walk every morning.

Junior driver Stephanie Ronan says, “I think that the spots being used for the vocational stu-dents should be marked and then the other empty spots will be able to be used by other junior driv-ers.”

Larkin says, “It is some-thing that we will consider at some point.”

Hopefully with the growing number of drivers, some changes can be made.

Photo by Francesca Martelli

The opinions expressed in this article are owned solely by the writer and do not reflect the views of the Falconaire advisor, editors, or staff members.

Can you find the value of

x?

Do it! Do it!You won’t!

MRHS will tow illegally parked junior cars

Have a letter for the editor? Send it to [email protected]

reviews7 March 2008 Falconaire

“Legally Blonde”Sam Pelissero ‘09

Staff Writer

Pizza, Please!Emalee Rodriguez ‘08

World News Editor

Three Brothers – BelmarLocated right on Ocean Avenue in Belmar, Three Brothers is convenient for all beach-goers. The pies are so big that a medium could easily feed six or seven people. Along with quan-tity, there is quality - the pizza is also the tastiest on the shore. Five stars.

Pete and Elda’s - Neptune CityAs their motto claims, “the shore’s famous” ultra thin-crust pizza draws big crowds all year round. For the ambitious eaters, Pete and Elda’s provides a free tee-shirt for those who eat a whole pie by themselves. The bar and restaurant atmosphere compli-ments family outings, watching the game, or just a night out with friends. Four stars.

Pizza on Main - Bradley BeachThis quaint, little eatery provides customers with a fresh brick-oven taste. A pizza slice is pretty big for the little price, and the crust is thin and crunchy. It is ideal for summertime because it is located a block from the Bradley shore, and the set up allows for easy eat-ing inside or out. Four stars

Attilios – Tinton FallsAttilios Pizzeria can be found at the southern tip of Tinton Falls in the Tinton Falls Center. The pizza has thick crust, and lots of cheese. Along with great food, this place has friend-ly service and low prices. Three stars

Guidos – EatontownLocated in the heart of Eatontown, Guidos Pizza is great for a quick lunch or dinner on a Friday night. Al-though the pizza is a bit greasy, the taste is mouth-watering. The crust is thin, but soft. Additionally, they offer a variety of side dishes, such as sal-ads, soups, subs, and fries. Three stars

Stephen Weber ‘10Technology Editor

Super Mario Galaxy

Originally slated as a launch title and perhaps one of the best in the series, Super

Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii is the latest installment into the Mario franchise. Super Ma-rio Galaxy set multiple records for the Nintendo and the Mario franchise, such as an orchestrated soundtrack (versus synthesized) and the inclusion of gravity as a key game play element. The inclu-sion of varying gravity through-out levels is what makes Galaxyone of the best Mario games. Players have to watch their steps and execute quick maneuvering to stay alive. Even though the controls are very easy to under-stand, players are walked through how to control Mario in a tutorial level. However, no Mario game is complete without the worst pos-

sible camera controls. Galaxyranks up as the worst camera con-trol the Mario franchise has ever had. The camera spins around at

the worst possible times causing the controls to suddenly become reversed. On a more positive

note, the orchestrated soundtrack sounds amazing, and generously complements the game play. Nintendo’s experiment of an or-chestrated soundtrack paid off.

Some of the levels are a tad short, while others can be extremely challenging. The game has 120 stars total but only 60 are required to beat it the first time. If a player manages to gather all 120 stars and beat the final boss again – which unfortunately only takes about five minutes to do – they will unlock extra content to keep them playing.

All in all, because of the shorter than expected game play, extremely poor camera, and con-trols that could be better, SuperMario Galaxy receives four stars.

Christopher Zweig ‘11Staff Writer

“Strange Wilderness”

The hosts of a fictional wild-life T.V. show Peter Gaul-ke (Steve Zahn) and Fred

Wolf (Allen Covert) realize that their television critic (Jeff Garlin) has announced that the show is being cancelled. With their crew (Justin Long, Peter Dante, Jonah Hill, and the old funny guy Er-nest Borgnine), they need to think of something to save their show. With the help of a hot chick (Ash-ley Scott), a newcomer (Kevin Heffernan), a hunter (Robert Patrick), a mountain man (Joe Don Baker), and an old guide man (Blake Clarke) they set out into South Africa to find Bigfoot.

“Omigod, you guys!” Legally Blonde: The Musical is one of the

most unusual musicals out there. But surprisingly reviewers say it is “Sheer Fun”- The Star-Led-ger, “A Hit!”- MTV, and they call it “The Best Musical Around”- WOR Radio, but I can only par-tially agree. “Blonde” is one of the most ridiculous things to come to Broadway. Broadway has apparently lost its creativity and now has to turn any movie they can get their hands on and twist it around until it is good enough to put a tune to it. It is bad enough

Disney is slowly dominating Broadway but now chick flicks are making their way to the stage.

Broadway “Going Blonde” was one of the riskiest choices producers have made in a while. The opening number “Omigod You Guys” kicks off this very feminine musical with perky, peppy sorority girls singing and dancing to a some-what catchy tune. As the show goes on, it slow-ly captures my interest mainly because I am looking for the dif-ference between the 2001 movie starring Reese Witherspoon and the musical, starring Laura Bell

Pizzerias are a vital part of the Jersey lifestyle. A slice of pizza can be found right around everyone’s corner, but some pizza is just better than others. Here is a list of the top five local pizzerias.

“Strange Wilderness” is “National Securi-ty” meets “Grand-ma’s boy.” Happy Madison produc-tions, the com-pany behind my favorite films “Deuce Bigalow: European Gig-olo” and “Grandma’s Boy” has done it again! It totally cracked me up. If you are looking for an Adam Sandler movie to see, this is the one. Unlike the TV rat-ings that Jeff Garlin gave them, this deserves five smiley faces.

Bundy. I think the show will only catch the attention and interest of those who have seen the movie or are interested in this type of show.

One of the few reasons why I liked “Blonde” was how well put together a show it was. I expected it to be poorly produced and have a not-so-very talented cast, but I was wrong. The songs are actually quite catchy and the sets are very well done. Legally Blonde definitely proved a lot of reviewers wrong. With hard work and a cast and crew full of people who are committed to their work, you can have a great

show. Because of its talented cast, fine sets, and likable songs, I give “Legally Blonde” three stars.

For more reviews,visit us online at falconaire.designteen.com

(February 19- March 20)Lend a hand when a friend or sibling asks for help even though you already feel stressed doing your own work. You could really use a break, and this is the perfect opportunity to do a good deed while clearing your mind. Money: Mood:Style: (March 21- April 19)Life is getting complicated and you are frustrated dealing with it. You will have difficulty trying to keep up with all of the work, but if you push yourself a little harder, you will manage to be fine. Money: Mood: Style: (April 20- May 20)Everything is about you right now so do not worry about spending time and energy on projects that are not important to anyone but you. This is a good time to ask for help from your friends and allies.Money: Mood: Style: (May 21- June 21)You are having trouble making decisions. You know you will need to make a choice no matter what. Just make sure that you are listening to all of the right people. Money: Mood:Style: (June 22- July 22)You are so determined to do things on your own that you may stop listening to parents, teachers, and other adults. This could mean apologizing to them later, but you do not mind. Money: Mood:Style:

(July 23- August 22)You are feeling very creative and you should be able to work your creativity into all of your assignments, or anything you enjoy doing, to express yourself.Money: Mood: Style: (August 23- September 22)Now is a good time to put a lot of effort into a project for school or home that you have been putting off for a while. You are feeling in control and will be able to breeze through work with ease. Money: Mood: Style:

(September 23- October 22)Although you do not usually mind being busy, you are overscheduled. Try to remove the insignificant tasks or reorganize your time. Money: Mood: Style: (October 23- November 21)Now is the perfect time to slow down and take some time for yourself. The social scene is getting to be too much for you to handle. However, you will be back on it soon. Money: Mood: Style:

(November 22- December 21)You are feeling very relaxed and confident. Now is a good time to reach out to someone you have been feuding with or to rekindle a friendship in need of repair. Money: Mood: Style: (December 22- January 19)Now is the time to get serious about something. Fortunately, you have the energy and skill to take it to the next level, but it will require a large amount of discipline as well. Money: Mood: Style:

(January 20- February 18)Now is an important time to stay focused. If you do not, you will continue to make the same mistakes. You may even want a friend to help you keep your concentration. Money: Mood: Style:

HoroscopesKatie Hieber ‘11

Staff Writer

Inspired by astrology.yahoo.com

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Aries

Libra

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

comic corner

Joe Maiullo ‘08Staff Writer

Students in the Hallvariety8 March 2008 Falconaire

Scorpio

News Toons

Arthur Lee ‘08 and Miranda Wyatt ‘08 Staff Writers

Aaron Stathum, senior“The DMV gives licenses to every-

one.”

Tiffani Lee, sophomore“We are not paying attention because we have too many people in the car.”

Robert Flores, sophomore“Teenagers prob-ably think that they know everything and can do any-

thing they want.”

Karlin Triggs,freshman“Drivers are talking

on the phone.”

Brandon Gresham,junior“Drivers in New Jer-sey are the worst. They don’t care about other drivers

on the road.”

Michael DeMarzo, freshman“Teens just want to have fun. They are just young and im-

mature.”

Susan Murphy,senior“They do not pay attention. They al-low themselves to get distracted so

easily.”

Matthew Baldas-sarre, freshman“I think they get in car accidents be-cause they are al-ways in a rush to get places so they

speed.”

“Fasten your seat belts! It’s gonna’ be a bumpy ride…” and maybe an even fatal one. Teen driving is becoming more of a death-ride than a means of transportation as the number of accidents and fatalities increase each year. Yet, with so many drivers on the road what, or even

who, is to blame? Some Falcons offered their opinion on the matter when asked: “What do you think is the reason so many teenagers are involved in car accidents?”

5 Seconds Earlier“It’s only texting!What’sthe worst that could happen?”

“It’s only texting!What’s the worst that couldhappen?”

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