By Jenny Schulte, Zoe Tzetzis and Lisa Zheng Staff Writers Photo by Reed Tso Hallway as defined by dictionary.com: “An entrance hall.” Hallways as defined by Jamesville-DeWitt High School: Overly crowded, obnoxious, awkward space between doors that come out of absolutely no where, and of course the lovely encounters with random people you collide with. But it’s also a warehouse of random sayings and amusing conversations. “I promise I’m not violating you.” “Awww, you’re a pretty girl.” “Pregnant women are mean.” “Okay…all this man-touching seriously needs to stop!” “ YO, we had to dissect a pigeon.” “What the junk?!” “You’d be the worst drug dealer ever.” Boy: “Try putting hand sanitizer on then lotion after. Your hands feel so soft!” “I watched ‘Paranormal Activity’ with my grandma over the weekend. I had trouble falling asleep that night.” “I do have a neck. It just likes to play hide-n-seek on me and I’m not that great at seeking it.” Girl: “You don’t need that class to graduate!!” Boy: “I WANT TO FINISH IT ANYWAY.” Teacher: “Why are you sitting on the ground?” Girl: “To look at the world from a different perspective.” Teacher #1: “Once you eat one you just can’t stop.” Teacher #2: “That’s why I have two.” Teacher: “Haven’t seen you for a while. Where you’ve been?” Student: “Hiding.” Teacher: “Good spot.” While walking by a classroom we heard the teachers hard at work with their students. The following came from teachers’ own mouths: “Oranges, figs, Italian olive oil, tobacco…” “Half the people from here say, ‘I went acrossed the street.’ No you didn’t. You went ACROSS the street.” “Sit there and ponder your place in the universe.” “I don’t understand in ‘Titanic’ why Jack let Rose stay on the door while he froze to death in the water. There was clearly enough room for both of them.” “Guys DON’T DO body language.” “Hit play THEN rewind.” Once students are tucked away in their classrooms for an 82-minute period, they seem to be learning lots of things, for example: “This new phone holds so many messages. I’ve had messages since like, what’s it called? Oh yeah, New Years.” Girl #1: “I WANT THAT DRESS” Girl #2: “It was only 5 dollars.” “Oh my stars of Eliza.” “Why’s it called wood?” “Go on Google and type in ‘death penalty information center’.” “Hey Mr. Brown, is JD in DeWitt or Fayetteville?” …Or maybe not. true 2010-02-01T19:51:21Z true 126 image/jpeg 5perlunchfinal.jpg 96613 2010-02-02T19:39:43Z 44 15 A compilation of quotes heard around J-DHS. 2010-02-24T15:21:09Z

By Jessica Cohen and Allie Healy Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor for Writing and Reporting Photo by Brittany Beehner Keith Comfort, a science teacher at Jamesville-DeWitt High School, proudly doesn’t eat anything with a face “except animal crackers.” He has steered clear from meat for 20 years and counting. “My two main reasons why I am a vegetarian are health and ethics,” says Mr. Comfort. “Being a vegetarian is healthier. When I lived in Colorado, there was a meat processing plant near by. I used to see truckloads of meat being brought to the plant and I saw the cows that were kept in such packed areas- it did not look like a happy life.” There are also a few other teachers who follow a vegetarian diet along with Mr. Comfort. Within the science department, teachers Theresa Groman, and Amy Boettger live life meat free. Ms. Boettger’s son, Jimmy, recently became vegetarian- making the whole family herbivorous. “I have been a vegetarian for three and a half years. My daughter, Rita, evangelized me to become one. Veggies rule!” Ms. Boettger agrees that being a vegetarian provides a healthier lifestyle. “In a short amount of time I began to feel healthier and even lose some weight!” While many people are familiar with the term “vegetarian,” some are unaware of its real meaning and significance. Many associate the word “vegetarian” with a non-meat lifestyle. This is true; however, there is much more to the vegetarian way of life than just staying clear of meat. In general, being a vegetarian means that a person follows a diet that does not include specific animal products. However, there are a variety of kinds of vegetarians, some of these different kinds of vegetarians are lacto vegetarians, lacto-ovo vegetarians, pesca vegetarians, and vegans. None of these types of vegetarians eat meat or poultry; pesca vegetarians are the only vegetarians that eat fish. Lacto vegetarians are vegetarians that eat dairy products, however, they do not eat eggs. Lacto-ovo vegetarians are like lacto vegetarians, except they include eggs in their diet. Pesca vegetarians eat everything that lacto-ovo vegetarians do but they also consume fish, where as vegans do not eat any animal products, including dairy products. People have different reasons for becoming a vegetarian, and as a result there are different kinds of vegetarians. Various people become vegetarians for reasons relating to animal rights, others are health-conscious eaters, and some even become vegetarians based on religious reasons. Many students in Jamesville-DeWitt High School are unaware of these finer details of vegetarianism, and they may be surprised to hear that some of their fellow peers follow a vegetarian diet. “I feel bad eating meat,” says vegetarian and senior Elisa Iribarne. “In sixth grade I just wanted to become a vegetarian because I wanted to do something with my time. Then, I realized after a while that there were different reasons I really wanted to be a vegetarian and I decided to stay with it.” So, what were those reasons? Why do people want to become a part of the vegetarian lifestyle? One is impact. “It’s better for the environment to be a vegetarian,” says Iribarne. “You leave less of a carbon footprint.” The American Dietetic Association states that vegetarians have “lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; … lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, type two diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer and vegetarians are less likely than meat-eaters to be obese.” Another popular reason people decide to switch to the vegetarian lifestyle is the idea that they will help protect animals. “In Buddhism, every single living thing is a part of God within themselves,” says Iribarne. “That’s why Buddhist monks walk down the streets with brooms in front of them so they don’t step on insects.” Vegetarians are found in all walks of life, all around the world. Even celebrities such as Alicia Silverstone, Pamela Anderson, Sir Paul McCartney, and Russell Simmons are all devotees of the vegetarian lifestyle. However, with this change in diet come major health concerns that people need to be aware of if they are thinking of making this change to vegetarianism. Vegetarians need to be sure to get enough protein to keep their muscles strong, iron to keep the formation of red blood cells intact, calcium for strong bones and teeth, Vitamin B12 to prevent anemia, and Vitamin D to help the body use calcium. Protein can be found in foods such as tofu, beans, nuts, and soy products. Foods that are high in iron include spinach, beet greens, prunes, and dried beans. Good sources of calcium as well as Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D for vegetarians are milk products. In order to make up for these lost nutrients, Mr. Comfort eats plenty of nutrient-rich substitutes. “I eat eggs and tofu which supplements my protein intake,” says Mr. Comfort. Ms. Boettger says gets her lost nutrients from a special vitamin. “I need to take a supplement that is made for vegetarians.” Making the change to the vegetarian lifestyle is not a simple task. This lifestyle requires a person to make changes to their diet that has an immediate impact on his or her body. Although there are many benefits to becoming a vegetarian, people need to make sure that they are still receiving the proper nutrients in order to maintain a healthy, functioning body. false 2010-02-04T17:39:23Z true 128 image/jpeg Veggies.jpg 104220 2010-02-04T20:23:02Z 46 15 Vegetarians of J-DHS speak out about their lifestyle and how it's important to their everyday lives. 2010-02-04T20:31:18Z

By Nick Firman Sports Editor Photo by Lizzie Dublin The Dome has seen many great Jamesville-DeWitt athletes. It hosted Jamie Archer, J-DHS physical education teacher when he played lacrosse for the Syracuse Orange. It is the current home of former J-D Rams Syracuse point guard Brandon Triche and guard Andy Rautins. And in 2009 the Dome hosted yet another Jamesville-DeWitt athlete. Hundreds of fans sat on edge as the Jamesville-DeWitt Boys Varsity Football team played the Fowler Falcons in the first game of the season. During the opening quarter of play, the J-DHS defense was scattered across the field with the score tied at zero. Notable athletes like the monstrous Kenny Schunk approached the Falcon’s offensive line, but one man went unnoticed. The Falcon’s quarterback dropped back and threw a bullet to his receiver, who was near the Rams sideline. Then a streak of red flew through the sky, and the ball was intercepted by senior linebacker Dave Urciuoli. “That play just shows how smart Dave is,” says J-DHS senior and football teammate Schunk. “He knows where he has to be and he knows his responsibilities.” Urciuoli is clearly a versatile athlete, participating on varsity sports’ teams all year: football to volleyball to lacrosse. Not only is Urciuoli an unstoppable athlete, he is a great student. “He clearly strives to do well in school,” says David Nylen, a J-DHS math teacher. “And (he) is a logical thinker as well.” Urciuoli takes high-level courses such as AP Statistics and Honors Physics, but he has reached High Honor Roll every marking period in his four years at J-DHS. He is also part of National Honor Society. Urciuoli’s academic track record’s impressive and his athletic one is starting to pile up. Urciuoli was on the 2008 Varsity Boys Lacrosse team that won the Section III championship and advanced all the way to the state semifinals where they fell to Canandaigua High School. “It was amazing,” says Urciuoli as he describes winning the section. “Just like Christmas day but even better. It was like a weight was lifted off our shoulders and we were finally victorious.” In a school accustomed to having victorious basketball and lacrosse teams, Urciuoli doesn’t care about the glory, he plays on the Boys Varsity Volleyball team for the pure fun of it. “To me it is all about playing what you have the most fun at,” says Urciuoli. “So I’m not so jealous about the glory some of the other sports get. I feel that if our team works hard enough we can make a name for ourselves.” Not only is Urciuoli excited about the volleyball season, but his coach, Jason Hays is even more excited for his senior stud. “Dave is able to listen to what coaching advice you are giving him and then go and translate that into results on the floor,” says Hays. “Because he has the ability to do that, he has become and will continue to be a force to be dealt with this winter on the volleyball court!” The drive and determination that Urciuoli brings to the court comes from an older family connection. “My inspiration would have to be my older brother Bill,” Urciuoli says. “Growing up he was incredible athlete, one of the fastest and strongest people I have ever known.” After Bill Urciuoli blew out his knee, which ended his sports career, his little brother took note of the “hard work” and “determination” that it took for him to recover. Even though this scholar-athlete seems to be very serious whether he is picking up a pencil or a lacrosse stick, Urciuoli still finds ways to have fun. “One time we filled Jesse Evensky’s lacrosse stick with rocks when he wasn’t looking,” says Uriciuoli. When Evensky got called to play, the rocks rattled in his stick;“It sounded like a maraca. I don’t think the coaches were too happy, but it was funny.” Despite being a force to be reckoned with on the lacrosse field, Urciuoli also is quite the dominant Ultimate Frisbee player. “Dave is a natural athlete,” says J-DHS senior and lacrosse teammate Cam Stone. “He’s got a great mind for sports. We play Ultimate Frisbee a lot in our neighborhood. He dominates me every time.” When asked about these rumors Urciuoli replied, “It is absolutely true, I’m a pretty dominant ultimate Frisbee player.” Sports haven’t always been fun and games for Urciuoli. During his eighth grade year he transferred from Christian Brothers Academy to J-DHS. Urciuoli decided to play soccer instead of football because more of his friends played on the modified soccer team. A year later the football star inside him decided football was a direction he wanted to go and he rejoined the football team his freshman year. “Even though he was faster and was better at certain drills the coaches never played him,” says his father, David A. Urciuoli. “Midway through the season Dave came to a decision.” Urciuoli told his father that he didn’t care about playing time, he just wanted to be a better football player. “I was so proud of his team spirit and perseverance,” says Mr. Urciuoli. This attitude that developed at a young age clearly paid off. That young freshman could have easily quit, but through blood, sweat and tears he found himself on the turf of the Dome, with the crowd applauding his defensive efforts. “Dave is a hard worker who cares a lot about his coaches and his teammates,” says his father. “To me, this is the quality of a true athlete.” false 2010-02-04T17:49:41Z true 130 image/jpeg AOTMfinalUSETHIS-_Lizzie_Dublin.jpg 112104 2010-02-04T17:49:41Z 48 1 Athlete of the Month- Dave Urciuoli 2010-02-06T18:07:52Z

By Jenna Hayward and Daria Oganesyan Staff Writers Photo by Daria Oganesyan There’s no doubt that Taylor Lautner will have a great Valentine’s Day this year with his new movie, “Valentine’s Day” coming to theaters on Feb. 12. Even if he doesn’t have any luck with Taylor Swift, he can still rely on the girls at Jamesville-Dewitt High School. Freshman Lauren Steciak said she’d pick Lautner to spend Valentine’s Day with. She says that they would “go to a carnival or just hang out,” for their date. Junior Ally Loewy prefers Lautner’s character from the “Twilight Saga,” Jacob Black, as a companion for Feb. 14. In character or in reality, Taylor Lautner is very popular among the ladies. Earth Science teacher Charles May also picked a fictional character, Princess Leia, to spend Valentine’s Day with. Freshman Owen Williams’s ideal celebrity date is, “Lindsay Lohan because she is awesome.” On a Valentine’s Day date, Williams says they would go see a movie. Sophomore Julia Colares said she’d pick “‘The Situation,’ from ‘Jersey Shore.’ He is the perfect Guido from the gelled hair to the fake tan and steroid body.” Colares wasn’t kidding about her “perfect” date. Two freshman girls chose Channing Tatum for their celebrity date. Sophia Maloff chose Tatum because “he’s really cute. We could go take a stroll on the beach.” Fulmer agreed that Channing Tatum is a good choice. Two freshman boys, Mike Perkins and Andrew Scibilia, chose their date based on looks. Perkins selected Megan Fox because “She’s hot, rich and famous,” while Scibilia chose Jennifer Lopez because she’s pretty. Scibilia said jokingly that he’d bring Lopez to Chuck-E-Cheese. Sophomore Emily Bazydlo said, “Sterling Knight, from ‘17 Again’ and ‘Sonny With A Chance.’” Junior Monica King thought it would be great to spend Valentines Day with “Chad Michael Murray, because he seems like he’s really nice and sweet.” Juniors Ameena Dye and Jayla Green agree with King’s decision on her Valentine’s Day date. We expected Spanish teacher Simone Pacilio to pick Johnny Depp since she is known for having a crush on the celebrity. Students in classroom G05 have noticed her obsession since Sra. Pacilio talks about him all the time and includes his name or picture in lessons. However, she said she’d select, “Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters because we could go out to dinner and he would keep me laughing all night. Plus, I could sing with him.” true 2010-02-04T19:29:38Z true 133 image/bmp untitled.bmp 475578 2010-02-04T20:29:50Z 51 15 Who would students want to spend Valentine's Day with? 2010-02-04T20:29:50Z

By Chrissy Cody Features Editor Photo by Jessie Torrance There is a time in most people's lives when they dream of being famous musicians or performers. Joanna Wu gives up her dreaming time to work toward her music dreams. She typically only sleeps about three to five hours each night. Six hours of sleep is lucky for Wu. Why? Wu gives up all her time to music. And schoolwork. But mostly music. Wu has been actively involved in music ever since she was 5 years old, when she started taking piano lessons. In the fourth grade, she started playing the flute. She’s been playing ever since. “I seemed to become more interested in music as I was beginning to learn how to improve my playing,” she says. And improve she did. On weekdays, Wu practices about 30 minutes to an hour each day, which she considers “an extremely short amount of time.” On the weekends she practices even longer. What does Wu need to practice for? A lot. Wu is part of concert band (and also is the president), concert choir, woodwind quintet, flute ensemble and pep band. And that’s just for school. Outside of school, Wu has been the principal flutist of the Syracuse Symphony Youth Orchestra for the past three years. She’s also part of “Flutessence,” a flute choir that performs in concerts throughout the community. She has also participated in the NYSSMA solo festivals, All-County festivals, and piano and instrumental competitions each year. And then there’s her band, Crimson Action. Crimson Action is composed of J-DHS seniors Andrea Canale, Kathryn Hu, Jennifer Legaspi, Gleydis Merino, and of course Wu. Wu plays keyboard and sings in the band. Crimson Action performed at J-D Day last year, the National Spanish/French Honor Society Induction this year, Hoops for Haiti, and the International Music Festival at Syracuse University. Wu’s proudest accomplishments have involved music. She was chosen as the first chair flutist of the All-State Symphonic Band and played piano with the All-State Wind Ensemble. She also performed in the All-State Piano Showcase and was one of the top 11 students in New York State chosen to perform in the showcase. Also, during her freshman year, she had the opportunity to perform with Sir James Galway, a world-famous flutist, after his concert with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. Wu states that both of these events were “life-changing experiences,” because of the opportunity to play with such fabulous musicians and learn from them. The events were things that Wu never expected to happen to her. Speaking of life-changing experiences, Wu is going to be majoring in music performance in college. She has applied to Ivy League colleges with excellent music programs. Most schools Wu will have to audition for, which makes acceptance even harder. Wu says, “The acceptance rates of many of the colleges I am applying are even lower than those of the highest ranked schools in the nation.” Wu says that she has “heard of a school that selects only two flutists out of the 500 that apply, which is a .4% acceptance rate.” Wu is undaunted however as she hopes to continue playing music in college and pursue a career as a musician. She is optimistic that there is nowhere to go but up. Yet, there’s more to Wu than just music. She’s also an excellent student. Just look at her list of honors and AP classes: AP Music Theory, AP English Language, AP Spanish, AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP World History, AP United States History, AP Calculus, Earth Science Honors, English 10 Honors, Spanish II Honors, Spanish III Honors, Spanish IV Honors, Geometry Honors, Algebra II Honors, and Pre-Calculus Honors. Along with those classes, Wu is an officer of National Spanish Honor Society and Science Olympiad. Wu is also involved in athletics. She has played on the Varsity Girls’ Tennis Team all throughout high school. All of these activities are “very stressful,” Wu says. “I try to balance academics, music, and sports and excel in each of them at the same exact time. It is extremely difficult, but I have pulled it off for the past three and a half years of high school,” she says. Wu admits that her schedule is “pretty hectic.” Wu almost always has a rehearsal, lesson, or a concert after school, which causes her to get home late in the evening with a pile of AP homework awaiting her. Though Wu barely has any free time, even when she does, she gravitates back towards music. She listens to music online, particularly the music that she is playing in a certain group at the time. For example, she listens to orchestra repertoire that she may be playing with SSYO.” Or she’ll teach herself to play more instruments, like the oboe and string bass. Wu also volunteers, reads, and spends time with her family. Wu has worked hard to fulfill her design to be a musician. After all, she was born with “perfect” pitch. true 2010-02-04T19:47:05Z true 136 image/jpeg joannaresizedfinal.jpg 135161 2010-02-04T20:35:02Z 53 15 J-DHS senior blows the school away with her flute expertise and much more. 2010-02-05T15:11:51Z

Ryan Byrnes and Walker Masiclat Sports Editor and Asst. Commentary Editor. Photos by Keith Comfort On Jan. 31, the Jamesville-DeWitt community made a difference. More than ten clubs, several sports teams, and two parent groups helped to make an event called “Hoops for Haiti” a reality. This event gave students and teachers alike to have a good time and donate money to those suffering from the effects of the massive earthquakes in Haiti. At first, “Hoops for Haiti” was just an idea. J-DHS social studies teacher Donna Oppedisano, and seniors Nick Griffith and Liz Hauser were the driving force behind the fundraiser. “I consider myself the Delegator of Responsibilities of ‘Hoops for Haiti’,” Mrs. Oppedisano says. “I had to put the idea out there, but the people that have been helping out are outstanding.” The event started out with two members of the third nationally ranked Syracuse Men’s Basketball Team, Brandon Triche and Andy Rautins (Both J-DHS alumnus), and coach Jim Boeheim praising the events great cause. Then, the true basketball events began. Senior Lamar Kearse won the slam-dunk contest, and the entire audience was wowed by his acrobatics. The teacher-student three-point shootout was another big hit. Teachers and coaches such as English teacher Courtney Romeiser and boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach Bob McKenney teamed up with students like Alyssa Gratien and Tim Snyder. Money was raised not only by ticket sales, but by raffles, contests, and the generosity of students and teachers alike. Nobody made the half court shout (officially), but the money that was donated will have a resonating effect in Haiti. Prizes like autographed t-shirts, jerseys, and J-D apparel were raffled off. 13 total clubs were involved including SADD club, Hole in the Wall club, Model United Nations, and Key Club, just to name a few. Sports teams involved included the Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Basketball teams, the Cheerleading team, and the Varsity Girls’ Gymnastics team. Students saw the event as a great idea, and a way to make fundraising fun. “It’s a really fun way to raise money for Haiti,” said junior Ally Loewy. Junior Sarah Wood added, “It’s good to get the whole school involved in something like this.” Dave DiStefano, a junior as well, was “pumped to donate time and money to a good cause.” Overall, the fundraiser was considered a success. (Ill get the figures by Thursday) “When people come together as a community for a good cause,” says Mrs. Oppedisano, “It makes us who we are.” true 2010-02-04T19:57:28Z true 142 image/jpeg DSC_0621.jpg 60811 2010-02-06T10:23:32Z 57 15 J-DHS's Hoops for Haiti raises spirits as well as money. 2010-02-06T10:23:32Z