PLAINFIELD HIGH
SCHOOL
EDITOR IN CHIEF—ZACH DENOVELLIS
T H E
JUNE
PAN TH E R
ADVO CAT E
2009 ISSUE #9
BEAUDACIOUS BOCEPHUS
Picture and Interview by Devin Kotulsky
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
SENIOR STUFF
NATIONAL
HONOR
SOCIETY
FIELD TRIP
NEWS
ART NEWS
Beau Dugas, a senior at Plainfield High School, is probably one of,
if not the biggest contributors to our fine institution of learning. He
spends most of his time here at the school; if he isn’t in class an2-5
swering every question the teacher asks, he is participating in after school activities. Beau is the one and only Mr. P.H.S. He was a
team captain for football, golf and track. But we are here today to
6
ask him a couple questions on how he feels about being Class
Orator at the June 22nd graduation. There were a total of fifteen
nominees trying to acquire the role of Class Orator but during the
7
last advisory, the class of 2009 voted upon which nominees’
speech was the best. Each nominee had to read his or her speech
and after everyone voted the seniors chose Beau Dugas as the
8+9
graduation speaker. The Class Orator will present their speech in
front of over a thousand people at the graduation ceremony on Monday, June 22nd.
SPORTS
10
MUSIC NEWS
11
RENT A SENIOR
12
SPECIAL POINTS
OF INTEREST:
• Senior Calendar
• Retiring Teacher
Goodbyes
• NHS Induction
• Whale Watch
• Art
• Sports Banquet
• Lady GaGa
• NBA Finals
Now that high school is coming to an end what do you plan on doing?
I plan on having an awesome beach season and playing the occasion wiffle ball but after that I am
attended Central Connecticut State University for Nursing.
You were elected as Class Orator . What did you have to do to accomplish this role?
I had to write the most amazing speech that Plainfield has ever seen and beat out several opponents.
What was your immediate reaction on being elected as Class Orator?
I’m amazing!
Can you give us an idea on how you’re planning to make your speech a success?
I plan on looking admirably good and announcing it with the intensity of a thousand suns.
Did anyone help you write your speech?
Nope, it was all hand writing by my amazing mind.
Are you nervous about standing up in front of over a thousand people?
I am not; I feel I speak better with the pressure of thousands of people watching me and my every step.
Will this speech make a difference in your life? If so how?
This speech will not make a difference in my life but it will make a difference in the world. It will make
everyone want to be like myself, Mr. P.H.S
What is your favorite high school memory?
My favorite high school memory was on the class trip when me and “Sweet Red Pepper” Matt Rioux
were tipping people over off their canoes.
What were some of the awards you got in high school?
I was All-ECC in football, I made states for shot put indoor track. I received the Unsung Hero reward at
the sports banquet.
If you were to choose who was your favorite teacher?
If I was to choose my favorite teacher I would choose Air Adams, seeing how I was blessed to have him
for three years.
What’s the biggest thing you’re going to miss about high school?
I’m going to miss chasing around girls with my side kick Tom Giroux.
Page 2
senior goodbyes
“E.L.E. (EVERYBODY LOVE EVERBODY)”
– Beau Dugas
“Leaving high school is going to be hard, I don’t
know what this school is going to do without me,
but we’ll all manage and I’m looking forward to
college and having an awesome life.”
- Espo
“I can’t wait to graduate and get the hell
out of here.” - Chad Nadeau
“It is what it is. Good times.” “If
you like high school half as much
as I did then I liked it twice as
much as you.”
– James Turner
“Sometimes forever isn’t long enough, but
everything comes to an end. CAN”T WAIT FOR COLLEGE!!! :) - Kenny Sousa
“It’s definitely strange separating from my class that
I’ve been with for so long, but it’s time to move on. I’m eager for the future.”– Tracey Valcin
senior goodbyes
“This school is losing
EDITOR IN CHIEF—ZACH DENOVELLIS
Page 3
the life of the party,
the class of 2009.”
– Derek Cyrus
“I like kittens with
eye-patches.”
- Schuyler Jackson
“This school is losing the best class in years.” – Brad Beausoleil
“I’m going to miss playing sports and seeing all
my friends everyday.” – Dave Ertel
“Coming out of high school I feel more prepared
for my future and have a better understanding of what I want in life.”
- Corey Desrosiers
“Even though I cannot wait to graduate, I am extremely
nervous to see how my new life at St. Joseph’s will work out.”
- KellieKellie-Ann Thompson
“I can’t believe it’s almost over. At times, I still don’t feel like
a senior, but as I receive my diploma in my cap and gown, I
know I’ll be prepared for whatever life throws at me. I can’t
wait.”
- Heather Fountaine
THE PANTHER ADVOCATE
Page 4
THE SENIOR SPORTS BANQUET
ARTICLE AND PICTURES BY HEATHER FOUNTAINE
The senior sports banquet was full of fun and laughs. Mr. Greene made an appearance and
questioned the fashion sense of the senior male athletes here at Plainfield High School. He sat and
pondered, “Why aren’t they wearing belts?” Regardless, the fashion sense of both the girls and boys
did nothing to bring down the prestige of the Senior Sports Banquet.
According to Mrs. Voland, the Senior Sports Banquet has been happening for at least thirty
years. She also wants everyone to know, “I will be talking to all the boys sometime after the banquet
informing them about a formal dress code. Belts should be necessary.” As Mr. Greene heard such
wonderful news, he no longer sat in a daze, pondering the question brought to him earlier.
The night started with an introduction from the athletic advisor, Mrs. Voland. She welcomed
the parents with grace and poise. After the warm welcome, Mr. Shiffner announced the name of every
senior athlete from the Class of 2009. Each was awarded with a plaque and fifty dollars. The parents were delighted and the students
beamed as a fifty dollar bill was put into their empty wallets. At that point, their empty stomachs were then filled with food. The parents lined up first to enjoy some delicious roast beef and chicken cordon bleu. Then the hungry
teenagers rushed over to the table to do the same. Another special treat was the cake with
“Senior Athletes” written on it.
After dinner, everyone went to the auditorium to receive some more awards. Honors that
were given out included:
The Richmond Bourque Award for best athlete – Aaron Nadeau
The Rene Lacharite Award – James Turner
The Plainfield Rams Award – Seth Auger and Kayla Martin
Unsung Hero – Beau Dugas and Matt Rioux
Most Improved – Heather Olsen and Brad Beausoleil
Coaches Association Sportsmanship Award – Kristin Fratoni and Andrew
Esposito
The Bob Brodeur Award for golf – Derek Cyrus
Softball Award – Deanna Pegg
JourettJourett-McMahon Award for baseball players – Stephen Vanase, James
Turner and Andrew Esposito
The Scholar Athlete Award – Kyle Lundgren and Alexa Lehto
The Coaches Association Award given to the best athletes who plan to
further their education – Chad Nadeau and Alexa Lehto
The Coaches Association Sportsmanship Award given to those who plan
to further their education – Stephen Vanase and Margo Pfeifer
The Jim Wilcox Award for those who showed leadership and character –
David Ertel and Tracey Valcin
The night ended with a well done slide show by Mr. Langlois. It
was filled with entertaining pictures of every sport… from soccer to cheerleading. Congratulations to all the seniors for their efforts this past year.
You will be missed.
THE PANTHER ADVOCATE
SENIOR CALENDAR
Page 5
BY: ALEXANDRIA VICENTE
.Class
Night:
On Thursday, June 18th over $1,000 in awards will be given to seniors. It will be at 7:00 pm in the auditorium. All seniors are expected to attend wearing their caps & gowns. For apparel boys must wear a dress shirt and tie, slacks and shoes. Girls are expected to be
wearing either dress pants, a skirt or a dress.
Barbeque:
On Thursday June 18th there will be a senior barbeque held in the cafeteria. It will begin at 12:00 pm and all food and drinks will be
free of charge.
Senior and Faculty Breakfast:
In the Plainfield High cafeteria there will a breakfast for all seniors and faculty on Monday, June 22nd. It will be at 7:45 am and end
at 9:00 a.m. This event is only for seniors who are graduating and at the end there will be time for yearbook signing.
Graduation:
Will be held on Monday, June 22nd at 6:00 pm on the football field. If the weather is bad it will be held in the auditorium. Tickets
will be required for admission. All of the seniors who are graduating are expected to be there in the cafeteria by 5:00 pm.
All the gentlemen are expected to wear a dress shirt and pants, a tie and shoes. No sneakers or flip-flops will be allowed; students
who don’t comply with this rule will be removed from the ceremony. During the ceremony, graduates will receive their diploma jackets as
they cross the stage, and after will be able to pick up their diplomas in a designated area.
Each student will receive four tickets to the graduation. The tickets will be handed out on Monday, June 22nd. The tickets will be
required for admission for all guests.
Recognition Programs:
The Honor Cord Departmental awards will be presented on Wednesday, June
17th. It will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. The Honor Cord recipients
will receive special invitations, but all are able to attend. Formal attire is required to attend and a reception will be followed in the cafeteria.
Requirements:
To be eligible to earn a CAPT honor cord you must have scored either a 4 or 5
on all sections in the CAPT. To receive a Departmental Honor Cord you must
have received a final grade of at least an A– in three or more classes in one of
the following subjects: Art , Business, CAPT, English, Family and Consumer
Science, Math, Music, Science, Social Studies, Technology and World language
Retiring Teacher Goodbyes!
Mrs. Burdick
“I’d like to thank
everyone for making my years here
so pleasant and
enjoyable, and I
wish everyone the
best in their future.”
Mrs. Pyrdol “I’ll miss the kids.”
Mrs. Savoie
“I want to thank everyone at the high
school; faculty, students and staff, for
giving me many
memorable moments
in my teaching career.
I wish everyone
health, happiness
and success in the
future.”
Mr. McDermott and Mr. Kasparian:
“Goodbye.”
THESE KIDS GOTS SMARTS
Page 6
ARTICLE BY ZACHARY DENOVELLIS
PICTURES BY KAYLA ROBITAILLE
On June 4th 2009, some of the smartest students at Plainfield High School gathered to welcome thirty-three new inductees to the
National Honors Society. These students were selected because of their high grades and demonstration of the four main characteristics
expected of NHS members. These characteristics are: service, leadership, scholarship and character.
To be inducted into the NHS a student must first be nominated by a teacher. They are then notified of the nomination and if they
wish to be part of the NHS they must write an essay explaining why they are superior to the other students competing for the limited spaces
in NHS. These essays are then voted on and whichever students appear to be the best suited for NHS are then “tapped in.”
Tap in is when the existing NHS members, including myself, walk around to the classrooms and inform the students whether or not
they are going to be inducted into the NHS. We begin in the library. All existing members throw on some robes and march around the
school. Each new inductee receives a yellow cord. A few days later there is practice for the induction.
The practice for the NHS induction is essentially sitting around and eating. But after awhile we finally get down to practicing for the
ceremony. Each new inductee is asked to fill out a biography to be said by one of three presenters at the actual ceremony. This included
proper pronunciation of names and personal information. The actual practices were extremely rushed and no speeches were formally given.
Finally it is time for the ceremony. Speeches were given by various NHS members and the superintendent, Mrs. Conway. The
speeches by the students were focused around the various characteristics required to be in NHS. Each characteristic was assigned to an
existing member for speeches. The speeches were given by Sam Colli, Heather Fountaine, Kyle Lundgren, Margo Pfeifer and Lydia Mackela.
At the end of the ceremony a special gift was given to the new NHS advisor, Mrs. Bastien.
The new inductees are:
Ethan Andstrom
Joe Meier
Meaghan Lewis
Erin Attella
Chelsea Merritt
Chelsea Lincoln
Devan Beaulac
Meagan Monteiro
Kelly Livernoche
Laren Bedard
Jared Pfeifer
Jacqueline Lorange
Briana Disaia
Stacey Plantier
Keith Lundgren
Meagan Dorshevich
Kimmy Reindl
Adam Main
Caitlin Duncan
Katrina Sebastian
Jenna Marchenkoff
Heather Fritch
Nicole Silveira
Dylan Yaworski
Sam Graf
Zach Standeford
Cassie Guerin
Shelby Tarrent
Colleen Horta
Kelsey Vallee
Carter Jackson
Dustin Yaworski
D I TNews
OR IN
Field ETrip
CHIEF—ZACH DENOVELLIS
Page 7
SHIP RAILS, GINGER ALES AND SOME WHALE TALES
Pictures and article by: Stephanie Desrosiers
They’re huge, they’re wet …they’re whales! On May 27th Mrs. Rossman’s marine biology class and a few other students were
selected to go on a whale watch in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. We gathered at the school for 5:45 AM hoping to leave for 6 o’clock, but
a few tired students put us a bit behind schedule. Uncomfortable and cold I sat on a bus for three and a half hours curious as to what
the day was going to bring us.
We arrived at the harbor and approached the Portuguese Princess. The
wind blew hard amongst my face as the boat went full speed ahead. One
of the boat tenants told us of the numerous whale species living in the
sea below us. No one was confident if we were going to sight any whales,
but to our dismay, twenty seven whales rose from the surface to greet us
on a rainy afternoon. My face was frozen as I walked along the bottom
deck. The playful attitudes of the whales made it easy to forget about my
frozen body.
The boat was set like a clock; the bow of the boat was “twelve o’clock”
making the stern “six o’ clock.” The boat came to an immediate halt, once
the first whale was sighted off out into the distance, at precisely “one o’
clock.” We examined the ocean for any other moving creatures, suddenly,
the second whale moved toward the bow of the boat. Still far from the
Portuguese Princess, more whales started to ascend from the water. The
tails rose up from the ocean, splashed water and went back under.
Our group stayed out at sea for five hours watching these magnificent sea creatures.
We left the bay and went out further into the sea, where we found a mother and baby whale
along with one other whale. These three whales were the most playful of all the whales we
observed that day. The baby showed off by doing flips, and the mother got as close to us as
hitting the boat. I stood at the top of the boat, running from one side to the other eager to see
the whale’s enthusiasm. One whale approached the boat and spewed bad breathe and water
all over every one of us.
After a long day out on the sea, it was finally time to depart from our whale friends
and head back to shore. Once arriving at the docks we joined for a group picture and were
given an hour and a half to explore the glorious and fascinating Provincetown. Provincetown
is a very unique place to shop; things you may see at stores in Plainfield for example might
not be the same as in “Ptown.” It was a fun filled day full of adventure, and a wonderful field
trip to be apart of.
A Special Note of Thanks:
“The students at PHS should be commended on their behavior during the whale watch trip undertaken this past Wednesday, May 27, 2009. As the captain of the vessel had to repeatedly remind other adults on board to keep both feet on the deck,
PHS students followed directions, were patient with crowded conditions, pointed out numerous whales to complete strangers, and
shared both their railing space and their seats with other patrons.
Indoors, they struck up conversations with students from other schools and adults, asked intelligent questions, and even
entertained youngsters on board.
In truth, I forgot that the group I was with was made up of teenagers as I was surrounded by mature, friendly, competent,
and world-ready young adults. I never forget why I chose to teach here – we have the best students anyone could ask for.
It was a pleasure to take you guys on this trip!” Ms. Rossman
Art News — by Kaytee Clark
“Each year the Plainfield High School art show reveals beginning high
school art work through advanced student art work which shows the progress students’ make in taking all the art course levels that the art program has to offer. It’s obvious from the
rich, diverse display of the art that the
students are challenged to think critically, creatively, to problem solve, and
develop their artistic voice ultimately
expressing their ideas and feelings
through the art media.”
Plainfield High School art teacher
Ms. Dobrocki
QVCC INVITATIONAL
Quinebaug Valley Community College is having
an opening reception that features artwork from
high school teachers and students. The QVCC
Invitational features Plainfield High School students Ruth Reinwald and Lindsey Demuth’s art
work, so come and check it out!
June 11, 2009-July 9, 2009
Opening Reception Night
Thursday, June 11, 2009 6:00-7:30
Address– 742 Upper Maple St., Danielson, CT
06239
Www.qvcc.comment.edu
INSTALLATIONS
Some of Ms. Dobrocki’s art students finished a piece in the “Co- existence theme”
where they painted installations relating to
life in other countries such as India, Egypt
and Korea and the culture of their way of
life. These installations include Kristin
Musser’s ‘Abundance Tree of Life,’ Michelle
Park’s ‘Korea Today,’ and Brittany Lee’s
‘Egyptian Culture.’ There are other installations that include Lindsey Demuth’s
‘Darwinism VS the Biblical Adam and Eve’
piece and Briana Disaia’s mural on the
effects of war.
Plainfield High
School ART Student Installations
Kobe Doin’ Work
Page 10
Kobe vs. Lebron: Destiny. As the National Baseball Association playoffs began the talk was of Kobe trying to get his first title without Shaq.
In the finals, he would have to meet The King (Lebron James) and the Cleveland Cavaliers. They even made puppet show commercials in
preparation for the battle. They are still airing the commercials but they don’t have
the flare that they would have had if the two were fighting it out for the title. As the
playoffs progressed each moved past their first round foes with ease. The next round
proved to be just as easy for King James, but Kobe and the Lakers struggled. They
needed the whole seven game allotment to pull the series away from Houston.
After the two teams went through the second round, everybody thought that
that the stage was set to see whom the best player in the NBA was. However, the
Orlando Magic had different plans as they entered the semifinals against the Cavaliers. They took the opening game of the series. Lebron battled back and hit a game
winning three point shot at the buzzer in game two, and the Magic battled back and
won games three and four. The Magic sent Lebron home to watch the NBA Finals on
his 72 inch plasma screen television after they beat him in a seven game series. The
Magic won the series and by doing so they closed the door on the talks of a Kobe and
Lebron showdown.
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/photos?
By: Barry Maily
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/photos?
While the Magic were ending Lebron’s season, Kobe was taking care of the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers dominated the semifinal series and won it in six. Kobe and the Lakers were never in danger of losing, and Kobe was in the finals.
The stage was set for Kobe to win a championship without Shaquille O’Neil. Superman (Dwight Howard) and the Magic wanted their first NBA Championship in their
franchise’s history. Although the Magic fought valiantly in game one Kobe scored
forty points in a blowout victory. Then in the second game the Magic had a chance
to win the game when the Magic threw an alley-oop pass to Courtney Lee but the
rookie missed. The Lakers took the game in overtime and Kobe was one step closer
to a title. In game three the Lakers and the Magic went back and forth. The Lakers
were fueled by Kobe Bryant and the Magic by Dwight Howard. Kobe scored thirtyone and Howard twenty-one and had
fourteen rebounds. The Magic were
fortunate to win this game because if
they hadn’t the Lakers would have
taken a stranglehold on the series.
http://espn.go.com/nba/
Game four was a battle. The game
remained close down to the wire. The Magic had a three point lead with eleven seconds to go. The
Lakers’ veteran point guard, Derek Fisher, dribbled down the court and shot a three pointer directly in
front of Jameer Nelson. The Magic’s third year player should have known better than to give up an
uncontested three pointer when your team is up by three in a pivotal playoff game. This was the beginning of the end for the Magic as they could not make a game-winning shot, nor could they keep the
game close in overtime.
Game five was all Lakers, all the time. If I had to choose one word to
describe the game it would be: KOBE. Bryant would not be denied
and he helped his team take a massive lead in the second quarter.
Then they just kept piling it on. At one point in the fourth quarter the
Lakers had expanded the lead to twenty-four. They ended up clinching the series by a thirteen point margin. This is Kobe's first title
without Shaq, but as Earving “Magic” Johnson said at halftime of the
game he may have won without Shaq but he couldn’t have done it
without Pau Gasol.
Music News
Going Goo Goo Over GaGa
Commentary by Katie Kennedy
Poker Face….. The song’s on the radio but who is the person behind the song? And what is it
that people find so amusing about her? Is it the way she looks or maybe it’s the way she
sings? Maybe it’s the lyrics of the songs? But what does anyone really know about her? I
hear people talk about her and when I ask them, well what’s her real name, I get a blank stare
and some answer about how should I know. You see people going down the hallways and on
the street singing her songs; how many of them actually know what the songs mean? I
wanted to know what the hype about this woman is. What makes her better than every other
female R&B and POP star? So, I started doing research, and the pictures I found astounded
me.
Lady GaGa’s real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She was born on
March 28, 1986, in the town of Yonkers in New York. She was born to Joseph Germanotta
and his wife Cynthia; she is their eldest child. By the age of eleven she was all set to attend
the Julliard School in Manhattan but she chose to go to join the private, catholic school, Covent of the Scared Heart, in New York. GaGa
had learned to play piano by ear at the age of four, wrote her first piano ballad by the age of thirteen, and by the age of fourteen she was
singing at open mic nights. By seventeen she gained early admission to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied music.
She withdrew from New York University age of twenty. She began working for Interscope Record Company as song writer.
She moved out of her parents’ house and started working in the Lower East Side club scene, working with bands such as Mackin Pulsifer
and SGBand. After a while she started to desire a change of scenery, so she stopped working with rock bands and started to pay attention
to the pop music scene. After switching over to the pop music scene she started to have some problems and getting into trouble by hanging
out with the wrong crowd. She was strongly headed in the wrong direction: she started drinking and going to parties, trying drugs, she also
started to need money so she started working for a burlesque house doing shows for large amount of money. Lady GaGa’s comments on
her father's reaction to her drug use and performance in burlesque shows, "He couldn't look at me for a few months...I was in leather
thongs, so it was hard for him—he just didn't understand." But was it that he didn’t understand or was trying to look out for his little girl.
Now she is having a negative on teenage girls across the country!
According to lingerie expert Annette Warburton, teenage girls as young as age sixteen were buying the black undergarments and
wearing them as hot pants to emulate GaGa's style. And this is who teens are looking up too? What does that tell the, that it’s ok to dress in
only your bra and underwear, people will love it? This is the wrong message to be sending! The lead singer of “The Rakes” Alan Donohoe
thinks she dresses like and ugly prostitute and that she is selling crap to kids, making them want to dress like her which is a bad statement
for those teens to make. Donohoe said he prefers British X Factor winner Leona Lewis to GaGa. "Leona Lewis seems dull but nice," he
said. "Whereas Lady GaGa is trash and dresses like a prostitute.” On May 19,2009, in London, England, Lady GaGa was almost arrested
but the Russian cops for looking like a prostitute, when she posed for pictures in a black leather leotard. All of these are examples of how
this Lady GaGa is not a lady and how she is not setting a good example for teens to follow. For the Russian cops to almost arrest her, now
is that some one to look up to I think not!
GaGa needs to be forced to set a good at example for people to follow if she is going to be all over the front of magazines and
over played on the radio. Kids and teens look up to her and the example she is setting is it’s okay to dress very inappropriately, because I
do it! So, should she really be allowed to dress like this? In this reporter’s opinion absolutely not! She needs to start acting her age and
dressing it. She has money now, so why must she dress like a prostitute showing off for the world to see everything she has? There really
is no answer to that question because she does it for two reasons maybe three: to get attention, to be like everyone else and to show teens
it’s okay to dress in a promiscuous manner with everything hanging out! My only statement I have for her is: Please, cover up and leave
some things a mystery!
Information and photos taken from: http://www.chartattack.com/news/68019/the-rakes-dislike-lady-gaga, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
tvshowbiz/article-1172270/Thigh-high-boots-PVC-panties-bra--Lady-GaGa-dresses-night-town.html , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Lady_GaGa , http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/when-russian-cops-mistook-lady-gaga-for-a-prostitute_100194438.html
THE PANTHER ADVOCATE
RentRent-A-Senior Day was held on May
29th. The seniors were bid on and
rented for the day. All of the proceeds
that were made were donated to
SADD. Can’t wait to do it again next
year!