Monthly Archives: January 2010

Rebel Opinion: Unpredictable Bells

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hallEveryday when I walk into school I come in with one state of mind, “I’m not late yet.”  However, my previous thought soon changes when I walk in the doors at 7:34 a.m. only to be surprised that I came in the middle of the announcements.

  Checking the time on my cell phone provides no justice for my ‘tardiness.’  Why?  Because every other clock in this school is on a different time schedule.

   I am peeved that I can’t waltz into a classroom and know exactly what time it is; most clocks aren’t even within the same hour of the actual time.  What adds to my frustration is that these clocks remain untouched.  Half of them haven’t even been changed since before Daylight Savings.

  Our agendas are the only piece of paper that gives students a rough estimate of when classes will end.  The work to figure out what time it is in class if one does not have a watch can often be tantalizing.

  Most classes line up at the end of the day where anxious students stand there fidgeting.  The clock on their watches says the time is 2:10 or 2:11 p.m., yet the bell is supposed to ring at 2:09.  Why can’t our school show consistency with correct clock times and bell signals? 

  The bell schedule and incorrect clock times can take away a student’s focus as well as interfere with their punctuation to their classes.  This is proving to be problematic and with enough voices speaking out, a change will be made for the better.

PTSD Deserves Presidential Attention

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  On November 5, 2009 tragedy occurred.  Army Major Nadal Malik Hasan, fatally shot 12 people, wounding 31 others.  Hasan, a psychiatrist at Darnell Army Medical Center, opened fire at a military processing center at Fort Hood, located near Killeen, Texas.

  A civilian police officer, who is one of the 31 people injured, shot and took down Hasan, who at present he remains alive and in police custody.  Preparing to deploy to Iraq, many said Hasan appeared upset about his deployment, yet showed no sings of hostile behavior prior to the shootings.

  The unexpected deaths and injuries of these soldiers and civilians shocked the country, resulting with the honor of President Obama attending the funerals.  The appearance of our president is not too shocking, yet what I fail to understand is why the President can attend the funeral of those who passed at Fort Hood yet not attend the funerals of other soldiers who passed due to Army shootings elsewhere around the country.

  On April 24, 2009 at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas a civilian was fatally shot and another soldier was injured.  The perpetrator was an Army soldier.  The cause of this shooting was due to a brawl between two soldiers; the shooter did not want the other soldier on his lawn.  Ezra Gerald Smith, an 18-year old civilian, was fatally shot on his way to school that Friday morning, when a stray bullet pierced the back of his head as he passed by the brawl. The bullet killed Smith instantly there on the sidewalk.

  Gerald, as we called him, is a dear friend of mine who was not able to graduate a month and a half later due to his unforeseen death.  Yet, where was President Obama to comfort his hurting family?  Does the number of deaths have to reach into the double digits for it to receive presidential notice?

  Shortly before Gerald’s death, another incident occurred April 4, 2009 at the Army Exchange at Fort Bliss where a soldier fatally shot his wife, then himself.

Private First Class Cassaundra Beckel was shot by her husband while in the PX lobby.  Private Beckel’s husband claimed that his wife had been committing adultery.  Kevin Beckel, who has had various run-ins with the police, followed up the shooting of his wife by shooting himself.

  To his dismay, the shot he fired upon himself was not fatal; Beckel died before his case was taken to trial.  His wife Cassaundra however, died 45 minutes after being shot.  This tragedy received no presidential attention either.

  I cannot even begin to imagine how the families of these lost loved ones feel.  They sit down to watch the news only to witness the breaking story of President Obama visiting Fort Hood.  Would you not feel as if you deceased were being overlooked as well?  The tragedy at Fort Hood is sad, and it is even worse how the shooting is receiving national coverage while other shootings are placed on the back burner.

  What really is going on can be simply justified.  Clearly American soldiers are not being monitored and cared for as well as we would like to think.  Yes, we are in a war overseas; however, there are threats here at home.  Soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, are at a high risk of harming themselves and others.  What makes matters worse and these situations more serious is partly because many soldiers who have PTSD do not even know they are suffering from it.

  PTSD though is not the only cause of violent actions from soldiers.

Like Hasan, who shot innocent soldiers and civilians without ever being deployed, these other unforeseen murderers like Beckel, are not suffering from PTSD.  These criminals that are getting through the military are not being thoroughly screened.  Lives could be saved if more time was made for those enlisting in the military to ensure the safety of others, and our country.

  In the end, the number of deaths should never matter; a death of one innocent soul should be enough to prevent more.  The fact that President Obama has no action plan for the handful of other soldier/civilian deaths because only one or two died is shameful.  As a nation supporting our troops it is not just helping overseas but also helping here at home.  This support should not only be held outside of the hospital because these patients seeking treatment need our help as well, and without it PTSD soldiers or even mentally sane soldiers can take out as many people as they choose.  Therefore, letting incidents as these go unnoticed sets the wrong example. Murder is murder, no matter how many die.  We need presidential involvement starting now.

 

-Editor in Chief Hennessy Shaw

Dance Committee Considers Ban on Grinding

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Picture7“I go to dances to get butt and butt only,” said a junior male, after he and 20 others heard that SKHS may be banning grinding for good.

  Unbeknownst to many students, the school has recently formed a joint dance committee to curb the craze of grinding at school dances.

   A parent and teacher group at the high school, the newly implemented dance committee has put forth numerous ideas , including ping pong tournaments, to both draw more students to the dances and also deter kids from the latest style of “dirty dancing”.  The Latin dancing at Homecoming came from Student Council.

   “People go to dances to dance,” said junior Oliver Marcionetti. “It’s not a county fair. If I wanted to play ping pong and salsa dance, I would just stay at my house instead of paying $10,” added Oliver.

  Many adults in the community, however, support the initiative of the parents, teachers and students that make up the committee.

   “I think it’s great that there are parents who support this and care enough about this issue to want to do something about it,” said SKHS Principal McCarthy.

  Grinding has been a subject in the spotlight for sometime now, and has been covered by The Rebellion in the fall of 2006 to 2007.

  One of the larger concerns between parents in the community is the possibility that younger girls are being pushed to grind in order to fit in with their older counterparts at the school.

   “I think that many of the younger girls feel like they want to fit in and be accepted by the older guys, whereas others are shy and feel uncomfortable,” says Andrew Hedglen, a senior at SKHS.

  “I just give off this vibe that makes underclassman want to grind, it’s truly astounding,” commented another student who did not wish to release his name.

  Grinding isn’t only happening in Rhode Island.   Many schools around the country have been dealing with the “grinding is-

sue” through various means, including canceling school dances, banning grinding and throwing students out of the dances that were caught in the act.

  According to some students, the implementation of this committee is a turn for the worse.  

  Rory McEntee believes that “With the abolition of grinding, the dance profits will decline significantly.”

  Laura Giaruso, a junior at SKHS, feels that there are two however.

   “It’s not always as extreme as some people may think. I mean, there will be those few girls with their hands on the floor and going at it, but then you’ll have guys and girls just dancing back to front pretty casually. And there are also the people that just dance without needing to grind.”

  In regard to a ban of the dance style, McCarthy said, “It’s going to feel sudden for kids” and may impact sales.

   Dances are considered very profitable events put on for student organizations, and some fear that if ticket sales decline significantly because of a possible ban, the profit made from these dances could be lost as well.

  “If they want to have more than five people at the dances, they’ll keep grinding,” said Marcionetti.

  Apparently though, many students’ decisions were not phased by the implementation of the committee.

   “(Ticket sales) are up from last year,” said McCarthy, “They aren’t as high as two years ago though.”.

  Although the committee does not have the power to ban the act of grinding, the directive to ban grinding may come directly from the principal himself.

  “We’ll see where we are in February, but there seems to be a momentum in providing more explicit guidelines to what is permissible and not permissible on the dance floor,” said McCarthy.

  “You can’t sort of ban grinding” added McCarthy. “You have to say you cannot do this, there’s no middle ground to it.”

 

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Bass Population Increase Hurts Local Fishermen

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  In Deephole, Matunuck, just after casting an eel at midnight, former South Kingstown High School graduate Kevin Babcock, hooks onto a monster bass. Babcock fights the fish relentlessly for about ten minutes.

  Finally, after making its third run, the striper gives in.  Babcock ends up catching a 35 pound striped bass.

  Babcock said, “I’m souped I caught that big of a fish. Me, my brother and my dad ended up catching 35 pounders that night.”

  Babcock is one of the many bass fishermen who have been enjoying great fishing this fall.

  Each  fall, striped bass form into schools and migrate along the beaches to the south from September to later November.

  In fact, bass fisherman have not only been benefiting from the “schoolies” running along the local beaches but also the increase in the bass population over the last 20 years.

  In July 2008, local fisherman Peter Vican caught the mother of all bass, the state record. Vican’s fish tipped the scales at seventy-six pounds and stretched fifty-five inches.

  To the average person, a growing bass population appears great for fishing and the ecosystem.

  However, many commercial fishermen believe the higher bass population contributes to the decline of many fisheries, specifically, local lobster and eel fisherman. Due to the population of striped bass, many commercial fisherman who have earned their living for decades the water, have been prematurely forced into retirement.

  One local lobsterman, Steve Northup, believes striped bass and other fish contribute to the downfall of the lobster industry.

  “Definitely the last ten years have been horrible,” Northup said.  “This year is the worst year I have ever had.” 

  As a lobsterman for fifty-eight years, Northup has experienced a severe decrease in the amounts of lobsters he harvests each year.

  Striped bass and many other fish feast on lobsters of all sizes. As a result, lobster populations are on the decline.

 Typically, striped bass congregate along rocks and other structures along the shoreline.

However, Northup has been seeing bass where he ordinarily has never seen them before.

   He said “I have seen bass in the mud hole, south of sharks, ledge, and even at depths of 250 feet.”

  Striped bass normally roam in areas closer to the shoreline, in about 60 feet of water. However, now bass have been spotted as far as 15 miles of shore, in 250 feet of water.

  As a result, striped bass are eating more lobsters and hurting lobsterman like Northup.

  Many days throughout the past summer Northup bypassed on fishing, due to the fact that he was earning such little money for his arduous work.

  Northup said “This year I haven’t made any money. I am just finished paying off my slip and I still owe over a thousand dollars for my bait. If next year is as bad as this year I will definitely be forced into retirement.”

   That’s what happened to local eel fisherman Richard Hopkins who retired last April.

  Hopkins, previous owner of RH fisheries, sold his business last spring. Hopkins used to distribute eels to bait shops ranging from Providence all the way to New Haven, Connecticut.

  From the 1984 to 1990, Hopkins caught all of his eels in local ponds and rivers. It used to be enough for Hopkins to fish the local rivers and ponds to supply the bait shops with enough eels.

  However, Hopkins said “as the population of the striped bass rose, I watched the eel population decline.” This forced Hopkins to travel longer distances from Virginia all the way to Canada in order to adequately supply his bait shops

 with enough eels. Hopkins would drive countless of hours, day and night, in order to make his business survive.

  Eventually, Hopkins said he had enough. “I decided to retire due to my age and the extensive traveling,” he said.

  Essentially, striped bass forced Hopkins to retire because they diminished the local eel population, which his business relied upon.

  Northup, Hopkins and other commercial fishermen say something must be done in order to end the madness, and ultimately save the careers of local fisherman. They say the striped bass population has spiraled out of control, which equates to more bass preying upon other fish and other sea life.

   Both commercial and recreational fishermen recognize policies and regulations must be implemented in order to control the local catches of striped bass.

  Currently, there are strict commercial and recreational regulations placed on the harvesting of striped bass.

  Previously, from 1984-1990, The Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act was implemented. The Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act contained laws in which both commercial and recreational fishermen were not able to sell or keep striped bass. These laws aimed to bring back the striped bass population until 95 percent of female bass from 1982 were able to reproduce once.

  Now, commercial fisherman are allowed to sell striped bass in two short 1-2 week seasons in Rhode Island,  in the middle of June for about two weeks and in mid September, which only lasts about five days.

  The amount of bass caught in relation to the state quota determines how long the sale of commercial striped bass will be open for. Fisherman can sell five fish per day in June and two fish per day in September. This quota limits the how long the two commercial seasons are open during June and September.

  Recreational fishermen, who fish as a hobby, are able to keep striped bass year round. However, they are strictly limited to being able to keep two fish per day.

  Commercial and recreational bass regulations differ from state to state. Oddly in Massachusetts, commercial fisherman can sell twenty eight fish per day. However, in Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire, commercial fisherman are not allowed to sell striped bass. Clearly, there is a wide range in regulations from state to state.

  Northup, Hopkins, and other commercial fisherman suggest to raise the state quota on striped bass. This would result in commercial fisherman catching more striped bass, which would lower the population.

  Hopefully, they say, a lower striped bass population would equate to more lobsters, eels, and other fish that the bass feed on.

  If nothing is done to restrict the striped bass population, Hopkins simply believes: “fisherman will be put out of business.”

Rec. Basketball Power Rankings

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Picture2Picture31. Team 6: Coach Phil Campo

  The wild and out-of-control Sam Johnson is always an annoyance to guard. Committing an abundance of fouls, though he will never foul out because his brother Dan will make sure that he refs all of his games. Ryan Sherman and Phil Campo provide a solid front court for this team, while Pizol is simply there for intimidation.

 

2. Team 7: Coach Ron Agostini

  This team could beat you from anywhere on the court. From the rebound-crashing LeValleys, to the ball handling of Jeff Booth, and three-point shooting of Nick Greene, this team will be hard to stop. Also you can’t count out Sean “The Microwave” Eden, a solid player who could come off the bench to provide a spark.

 

3. Team 8: Coach Brian Maxwell

  Team 8 is solid all around. Childhood friends, Ben Gross and Nate Finnegan have grown to become leaders for this team. Also don’t sleep on the URI Basketball Camp attending Mike Mulroy. Although this team is ranked third, don’t be surprised, however if they struggle due to lack of a true big man.

 

4. Team 2: Coach Jerry Favreau

  With veterans Justin Favreau and Ben Roberts this team should be competitive. Also along with Zach Noka, who’s known to not do anything all game except net three’s at the buzzer. Coach Linc Almond told everyone at the Rec. Press Conference that, “this team is all three and no D.”

 

5. Team 4: Coach Lincoln Almond

  Never doubt a trio of Almonds. This team is all about physicality and grinding out games. Realizing Campos’ family was descendent from wolves, coach Linc Almond picked John up in the off-season, predicting Campos to be the next Teen Wolf. With a Jackie Moon mentality, this squad could surprise many teams in the long run.

 

6. Team 5: Coach Brendan Fogarty

  The much improved Andrew Hedglen is showcasing his skills this year in ways you can’t even fathom. With the departure of Brandon Daley, don’t be surprised if the team picks up a player from the waiting list. With free agent Patrick Gee still available, look for this team to make a move if they want to make the playoffs. Coach Fogarty has dubbed “Dub” as team captain, due to his grizzled beard and musky smell.

 

7. Team 3: Coach Dan Hagerty

  With the one-two punch of Rookie Ryan Haggerty and Veteran swingman Dan Shea, look for this team to cause problems in the front court. The Murphy twins will continue to develop into solid forwards this season. Regardless, Dan Shea is and will always remain the heart and soul of Recreation Basketball worldwide.

 

8. Team 1: Coach Mark Higgins

  No Lessard? No Dan Higgins? Coach Mark Higgins has his work cut out for him with this new cast and new attitude. Last year’s runner up will look to make a run on the heels of Big Peters and Chris Alb. Mike Matthews still has the ability to bank in threes which could pay dividends to this team late in games.

South Ace Briggs Signs with UMaine

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Picture1“Ever since I was little, one day I just started playing wiffleball, and I found I was pretty good at it,” said Alex Briggs South Kingstown High School’s ace south paw.

  Last month, Alex Briggs, the baseball team’s number one pitcher, verbally committed to play baseball for the Division One University of Maine Black Bears team. 

  Briggs will be receiving a partial scholarship for roughly around twenty to thirty percent with financial aid benefits from the Orono, Maine University.  He will be joining five other recruits in Matt Verrier, Colin Gay,  Mike Connolly, Shaugh Coughlin, and Troy Black that are expected to have an immediate impact on the ball club.

  “Friends from Michigan that were older than me went on to college to play baseball and I saw how successful they were and it became one of my dreams to play in college,” Briggs explained.

  Briggs lived in Michigan one year before moving to South Kingstown in the sixth grade. 

  The southpaw senior will be the first pitcher from SKHS to go play Division One baseball since 2008 graduate Jackson Geary, who just redshirted his freshman year at Coastal Carolina University.  

  “He’s 6 ‘5”, left handed….  he’s got the size, he’s fast, and strong,” said SKHS’s head baseball coach Mr. Sauro.

  Briggs, who started playing baseball at the age of seven in Maine, is heading into his tenth year of playing baseball and fourth for the SKHS varsity team.  After having a heartbreaking exit in the semi–finals of the state playoffs last year at McCoy Stadium, Briggs and his teammates are preparing for another great run and have set very high expectations.

  “This season we are going to be one of the best teams in our division, if not the best, and anything less than playoffs will be a disappointment,” Briggs said.   “We should be able to make it to the state finals.  We have a strong team.”

  No matter what happens to Alex and the team this coming season, during his college career at the University of Maine, and the for the rest of his baseball career, one thing will always be the same.

  “Alex is a great human being.”  Coach Sauro said.  “He is the type of kid who’s done volunteer work, he’s an eagle scout, and he’s the kind of kid you would want your son to be like.”