The Tadmuck Chapter of the National Honor Society held an Empty Bowls fundraiser Saturday night in the WA cafeteria. Students made ceramic bowls and guests each got to take a bowl home. The soup was served, and multiple students presented about their volunteering in the community.

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A student decided to make a plate instead of a bowl.

On Wednesday, February 3, the Westford Academy Boys’ Varsity Basketball team crushed their opponents from Lincoln-Sudbury.

Westford Academy started the game well. Junior Declan Morse scored the first points of the game, giving Westford Academy a three point lead. After Declan’s basket, senior Adam Scaramuzzo scored a three-pointer.

As the first quarter persisted, Westford Academy stayed drastically in the lead, although Lincoln-Sudbury was able to claim a few baskets. Many three-pointers were scored as the offensive plays were strategically planned out, allowing for the ball to be passed around smoothly in order for it to be properly and accurately shot into the net.  

The first foul by Westford Academy was made by Scaramuzzo against Lincoln-Sudbury, due to Scaramuzzo trying to stop the ball. Lincoln-Sudbury was able to score two points as a result of the free-throws they were given.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 17-10, with Westford Academy in the lead. Both teams had two fouls each.

As the second quarter started, Lincoln-Sudbury stepped up their game, scoring the first points of the game. However, Westford Academy was still going strong. Junior Jake Barisano made the first basket of the second quarter for Westford Academy.

Many rebounds were made by junior Ayush Purandare. He was able to catch the ball while it was in the air, allowing for Westford Academy to take control of the ball and score points for their team.

As the game progressed, Westford Academy stayed ahead of Lincoln-Sudbury by a large amount of points. Senior Ben Lawrence scored a large amount of the points for Westford Academy. At the middle of the second quarter, the score was 25-13, Westford Academy in the lead.

As the second quarter progressed, Lawrence tripped over a Lincoln-Sudbury player and fell to the ground. The crowd watched attentively as Lawrence stood up quickly and resumed playing the game.

Before half-time, Morse wrapped the second quarter up by shooting a three-pointer with seconds left on the clock. The quarter ended with a score of 37-15, Westford Academy in the lead. The total fouls for the first half of the game was seven for Westford and four for Lincoln-Sudbury.

During half-time, the Boys’ Freshman Basketball team came out to practice their skills as the varsity team prepared for the second half of the game.

The third quarter began with Lincoln-Sudbury having control of the ball. Westford Academy quickly stole the ball, allowing Ben Lawrence to score the first three-pointer and basket for Westford Academy in the third quarter. Soon after Ben Lawrence’s three-pointer, Scaramuzzo and senior Scott Beattie score three-pointers for the team, respectively.

The quarter progressed with Westford Academy having a substantial lead. Scaramuzzo, Lawrence, and Morse make a considerable amount of baskets for the team. From Lincoln-Sudbury, #10 played good defense, trying hard to keep Westford Academy from scoring. Four fouls are made by Westford Academy during this quarter, two of which were made by Purandare.

At the end of the third quarter, the score was 57-27, with Westford Academy in the lead. So far, the fouls for the second half were four fouls for Westford Academy and two fouls for Lincoln-Sudbury.

Westford Academy started the fourth quarter without lagging in energy. Morse shot the first basket of the fourth quarter, giving Westford Academy three more points.

The game started to move slow during the middle of the quarter, when both teams started to lose momentum. However, the ball slipped causing both teams to pile on top of each other in order to get the ball, picking up the pace of the game.

The quarter ended with Lawrence scoring the last points, allowing Westford Academy to steal the game 71-38. The total fouls for the second half were nine fouls by Westford Academy, five of which were Purandare’s, and five fouls by Lincoln-Sudbury. Throughout the game, senior Ernie Barber-Mingo played a strong defense against Lincoln-Sudbury.

Parents and friends were thrilled with how the game played out. Coach Chris Bramanti was happy with how his team played.

“Westford Academy led wire to wire in a 71-38 win over DCL Large rival Lincoln-Sudbury.  The win marks the end of the season for the Grey Ghosts as it finishes its difficult season out of the tournament at 9-11,” Bramanti said.

Even players were happy to finish their season with a win. Beattie was content with finishing his high school basketball career with a win.

“It was our last game as a team. The whole team wanted to end on a strong note, the juniors wanted to play for the seniors and the seniors wanted to play for each other. So, we went out there and gave it our all,” Beattie said.

Ever since I can remember, substitutes have been a part of my learning experience. Over my ten years of schooling, I have had countless substitutes. Some were nice. Some were mean. Some were boring. Some were a blast. No matter what they were like, all of them had one thing in common: they stepped up and took the task of being the teacher when my own teachers could not make it to class, and for that, we as a school system are thankful.

However, the school district has come to the conclusion that we need to make some changes to the substitute program at Westford Academy. The school district of Westford has been speaking out about problems with its budget since the fall of 2018, but in January, Superintendent Olsen proposed the specific cuts that need to be made in order to compensate for the $1.2 million deficit between the requested and actual budgets. Among those cuts was the Westford Academy substitute program.

These cuts are going to be put in place at the beginning of next year and then more cuts will be made for the following years. The long-term plan is to get rid of substitutes completely at Westford Academy, though they will still be employed at other schools across the district. 

The district wants teachers to use Google Classroom to make lesson plans available for students, when teachers can not make it to class. Then, the students can utilize a room in the school that is being supervised by available teachers at Westford Academy, such as the library or Mac Lab. 

I am happy that our school district is coming up with ways to fix our budget problems. The fact that we have been able to address the situation and come up with effective solutions is calming. However, I feel that substitutes serve as an extremely positive figure in a classroom without its teacher, making them necessary to have.

I have built connections with many substitutes which makes me upset that the district will eventually replace the substitutes at Westford Academy with a Google Classroom program, which does not seem at all personal. Think about it: you cannot have a relationship with a website.

One substitute encounter of mine took place when I was in sixth grade. The whole class buzzed with excitement due to the fact that we had a substitute, which meant we would not be learning anything new. For the entire class we had a conversation with our substitute. We learned about her life, we talked about sixth grade and how we were nervous for the start of middle school, and we laughed together as a class. The hour of class went by fast, but the experience still remains with me. This year, the substitute came to fill in for one of my ninth grade teachers, and she was just as nice as I remember.

Another reason I am skeptical about allowing teachers to use Google Classroom as a way to teach a class without being present is that it will not allow for students to take assessments while their teacher are not at school. Currently, substitutes are allowed to administer assessments such as tests and quizzes. Without substitutes in the building, students will not be able to complete assessments without their teachers present. This will definitely impact the amount of stress a student is under, due to the fact that they are doing all that studying for nothing, and will probably have to revise what they studied again to be fully prepared when their teacher eventually comes to class.

Also, we should not forget the fact that the environment may be different without substitutes in a classroom. Students will be under the supervision of other Westford Academy staff who will be juggling their own tasks as well as supervising the class. This will allow for a more chaotic environment where students are more prone to get less done, which serves as a negative for their personal learning.

Let us not forget some of the overlooked advantages of having a substitute in class. For starters, sometimes substitutes know a lot more than they let on. From time to time, a student will get a substitute who understands what the class is learning at that particular time. The substitute will be able to guide and help the student through their troubles, almost as if the student’s formal teacher was in class. This may not be the case if the Google Classroom system is set in place. Students will have to independently work on the subject matter without having the ability to converse with an adult about their questions. Another overlooked advantage that I slightly touched upon earlier is the fact that substitutes, in the grand scheme of things, allow for other classes to run smoothly.

If a teacher abruptly decides they can not make it to school, then a substitute would have to fill-in for the teacher. If no substitutes are available, then another teacher who has a free block would have to step in. This causes the teacher stepping in to lose valuable planning time to organize their classes, resulting in a less thought-out plan for that teachers personal classes. If the Google Classroom system is set in place, then different teachers are going to have to multitask planning their classes and supervising someone else’s class during the teachers free block. This will most probably result in the teacher creating a less enriching program for their own classes since they can not fully focus on planning out the activities they want to do with their class.

The job of a substitute is more than just sitting at a desk for an hour. Substitutes serve as the anchor of a classroom when teachers are not present. Without substitutes, the classroom experience with an absent teacher will be completely different.

On Tuesday, March 19, 2019, a debate on the different perspectives of abortion was held in the lecture hall at Westford Academy from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. At the debate, students from all grade-levels gave their opinion on how abortion should be addressed in society. Advising the debate was Lynn Bonakdar, an English teacher at Westford Academy.

The debate started as a project for the Transcendentalism unit in Bonakdar’s English 11 Honors class. In her class, projects based on social action ranged from an anti-vaping campaign to an Instagram campaign for mental health advocacy.

“I actually let my students control the organization of the debate. It was their project, so I wanted to let them pretty much have complete autonomy. So, my role as the teacher was to sit back and step in if they really needed the support, but otherwise, the students organized it,” Bonakdar said.

The abortion debate was organized by three of her students named Conor Bellone, Tassie Cimini, and Allison Wakefield. The project was assigned to them around a month ago, and since then, the students have been researching whether abortions should or should not be allowed.

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. There has been many debates and controversies as to whether a woman should or should not have the option to abort. The controversy divided many into two major groups based on how different people view abortion.

People who belong to the pro-life side of the debate believe that unborn children have rights. Many of these people believe abortion is a form of murder and that abortion is unethical.

On the other side of the debate are the people who belong to the pro-choice group. Pro-choice believes that women have the right to decide to have an abortion based on whether they can take care of a child or not.

Bellone, Cimini, Wakefield had organized their debate by breaking it up into sections based on the subtopics associated with abortion.

“They gave an introduction by introducing themselves, the purpose of the debate, and what sides they were each going to be representing. Then, they did about ten minutes of debate and after opened it up for free discussion. After some discussion, they came back to more debate between the three of them on a different subtopic and then opened it to the audience once again,” Bonakdar said.

For the hour that the debate was held, different approaches to abortion were brought up and discussed by Bellone, Cimini, and Wakefield, as well as other students.

“You should not be punished for destructive behavior. The baby should not bear the punishment to be alive. The baby is alive and has a life. There is a life in there,” sophomore Micah Smith said.

Cimini shared her feelings on how a mother reacts to her baby once the child is born.

“I remember my mother telling me that when she first saw me it was love at first sight. I think when a mother gives birth to her child, she will realize that she wants to keep the baby rather than destroy it,” Cimini said.

People participating in the debate shared their opinion that a mother has the right to choose what to do with her baby before the baby can feel the pain or be considered a child with rights. Junior Kavya Desikan felt that an abortion should take place before the twenty-three week mark.

“At twenty three weeks, they don’t need their mother to provide the nutrients from the amniotic. They have lungs and a fully functioning brain. They have limbs they can control, even if they have dementia or a terminal illness they are still able to perform two basic processes that determine someone alive such as breathing and blinking… It doesn’t need to be attached to a human in order to survive,” Desikan said.

At the end of the debate, Bellone, Cimini, and Wakefield ended with a concluding statement.

“No matter the side that you are on, you can still work with the people who are opposing you to build a better perspective of your own point,” Wakefield said.

Bellone was proud of the end result of the debate and felt that it was successful. He believes that the audience was respectful of all the opinions present at the discussion.

“I am glad we were able to get people to come and discuss. I am happy that there was no fighting. For me, the main point is when does life begin and when the government should regulate it […] I enjoyed the amount of passion present and how there was never a point where someone was being mean-spirited,” Bellone said.

Audience members also felt that the debate was effective. Junior Meghna Vasiraju enjoyed the abortion discussion.

“I thought it was a really interesting conversation to have because we don’t usually talk about that kind of stuff at school. I like being able to talk about controversial topics with people in this type of environment […] I thought it was organized well. I liked how the three people at the front were monitoring the discussion […] I loved how respectful everyone was while discussing the varying opinions,” Vasiraju said. 

On Thursday, February 28, 2019, the WA boys’ varsity hockey team played against the St. John’s Prep boys’ varsity hockey team at the O’Brien Rink in Woburn, Massachusetts. WA lost against their opponents 7-0.

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Westford Academy lines up for the national anthem

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Anushka Patil

The entrance to the field shows off the color green to support mental health awareness.

On Thursday, April 25, Westford Academy’s Girls Varsity Lacrosse was defeated in a tough game against Lincoln-Sudbury, with a score of 11-16. Although WA ended up losing the game, the team put up a fight, using their strategies and teamwork to attempt to beat Lincoln-Sudbury. The game was important because it helped bring awareness to student’s mental health.

With the start of the first half, Westford Academy came onto the field with strong offensive skills. The team passed to ball around consistently without losing the ball to their opponents. However, Lincoln-Sudbury had a powerful defense that protected their goal, not allowing for Westford Academy to score.

Lincoln-Sudbury scored the first two points of the game, but shortly after, #13, senior Kaitlyn Cullen, scored the first point of the game for Westford Academy.

As the game progressed, Westford Academy’s defense began to falter Lincoln-Sudbury was able to score four consecutive goals before Westford Academy stepped up their game. However, Lincoln-Sudbury was still able to dominate the first half.

Prominent players during the first half were #2, senior Morgan Freud, who scored twice for Westford Academy, #34, senior Mary Cadogan, who played a strong offense, and #14, freshman Kendall Donovan, who made a close goal and played solid defense by preventing the ball from reaching the net.

The first half concluded after #21, sophomore Sophia Esteves, scored the last goal, making the score 5-12. Lincoln-Sudbury was in the lead.

Starting off the second half, it was apparent that Westford Academy was trying to make a comeback. Before Lincoln-Sudbury could score, Freud scored the first goal of the second half, and shortly after, Cullen scored another goal.

Throughout the second half, Westford Academy battled their opponents harder than they had during the first half. The peak of Westford Academy’s playing came around the middle of the second half. Westford Academy stepped up both their defense and offense, allowing Freud and Cadogan to score. The defense was played well by #11, senior Meaghan McGee, who stole the ball repeatedly, and #7, junior Claudia Oakleaf, who blocked Lincoln-Sudbury from passing the ball. 

As the game was coming to a conclusion, Lincoln-Sudbury was able to score a few more goals, but not as many as the first half due to Westford Academy’s defense. The last goal of the game for Westford Academy was scored by #5, junior Nicole O’Neil.

In the end, Donovan felt that Westford Academy pushed hard throughout the entire game.

“Our team played a great game. Everyone fought hard until the end and I am proud of everyone for not giving up. The game was for mental health awareness and there was a very moving ceremony after our game ended, ” Donovan said.

Aside from Donovan, Head Coach Julie Olivier felt that the team gave it their all, even if they were not able to win.

“I thought the girls fought with the true Grey Ghost spirit of never giving up. They were 110% all the way to the end. It was a true team play. Every single person was on the field today and contributed to an outstanding performance by [Westford Academy] against a very strong opponent,” Olivier said.

Since the theme of the game was mental health, Westford Academy wore white shirts with the green mental health symbol written upon them. The girls’ team tied green ribbons in their hair to show their support for mental health awareness.

The goal of the night was to fight the stigma around mental health. Right after the girls’ team played, a ceremony was held. The ceremony included most of the spring varsity teams at Westford Academy, such as softball, baseball, and lacrosse. All the teams linked arms and walked across the field. Once across, one member from each of the teams released a green balloon. The purpose of this was to show mental health awareness as an open topic.

Students who had come to the game to cheer on their friends loved how mental health was approached. Freshman Jessica Park was thrilled that Westford Academy was trying to face the problem of mental health.

“So many students at Westford Academy are struggling with poor mental health, but it is not spoken out about. I feel like this outreach by Westford Academy really helps students share their emotions,” Park said.

Growing up, siblings keep each other in check, whether it be being there when one is upset, when one is celebrating, or when one needs help. The relationships that stem from sharing every moment with a sibling are stronger than any bond imaginable. As siblings grow up together, they end up teaching each other many valuable lessons that may come in handy when they are older. Although some siblings may move away from each other, some get the chance to stay close together. Lucky enough for one pair of siblings, their lives have decided to allow them to work close, keeping their relationship even closer.

     For the Soo brothers, their jobs have allowed them to work in the same building. Michael Soo, the band director at Westford Academy, started working at WA at the start of this school year. He joined his brother, Mark Soo, a biology teacher, and together they have become the first pair of siblings to work at Westford Academy.

     Before both brothers gained permanent positions together, they alternated years at Westford Academy, with Michael Soo working as a shadow for former band director George Arsenault during the school year of 2016-17, then Mark Soo getting a job at Westford Academy when Michael Soo left during the school year of 2017-18, and finally with Michael Soo coming back to replace Arsenault after he left for Acton Boxborough Regional High School, allowing both brothers to work at Westford Academy during the school year of 2018-19.

   Going back to their childhood, the brothers were, as they still are, close. They spent many hours together, talking, laughing, and sharing knowledge with each other. As the younger of the two siblings, Michael Soo grew up idolizing his older brother Mark.

   “When we were younger, I would go wherever he went. It was almost as though I worshipped him because that’s usually the case with older brothers. I remember this time when we were younger when I went through a phase of following him around. I was trying to do what he was doing, but I ended up falling, and I got a scar, which I still have today,” Michael Soo said.

   Michael even gained a love for music from his brother, who grew up playing many instruments with a tremendous appreciation for the art. Michael Soo, highly influenced by his brother, decided to take up a few instruments and instantly fell in love.

   “As I mentioned, I idolized my brother, so much as so I wanted to do everything that he did. I saw that he had taken up quite a few instruments, so I immediately wanted to try them myself, and I am glad that I did so because music has become my passion,” Michael Soo said.

   Although both brothers work in the same school, surprisingly enough, they hardly even notice each other in the student-filled building. Mark Soo and Michael Soo both travel the halls of the school, rarely ever bumping into each other. However, on occasion, they acknowledge each other in the most brotherly way.

   “We do not really see each other at school much, and it almost feels as though we do not even work together. From time to time, we run into each other in the hallway. We often laugh and be like, ‘Oh, hey,’” Mark Soo said.

   The role that each of the brothers plays at Westford Academy is very different. Mark Soo is part of the science department, while Michael Soo is part of the music department. Each of the brothers uses skills that they have learned from each other to improve the techniques they use in their classrooms. Even outside the classroom, Mark Soo incorporates lessons that his brother had taught him. Michael Soo taught his brother how to approach music with a different mindset, giving Michael a whole new way of understanding how to play an instrument.

   “Michael [Soo] puts an outstanding amount of effort into his music. He treats music in a way that I have not seen anyone treat it before. I have learned an immense amount of knowledge about   music and how to sound flawless, from my brother,” Mark Soo said.

   From Mark Soo, Michael Soo has long admired and picked up his brother’s ability to be hard-working and dedicated to his craft. Michael Soo respects his older brother for spending many hours tirelessly working to make sure that, with whatever he is doing, that the product is the best possible product he can put out.

   “To his job, my brother is the most dedicated person I have seen. Over the summer he spent many hours making plans for his classes. It was extremely motivating to see how much drive he has for his work,” Michael Soo said.

Abigail Katz, a senior at Westford Academy, has been playing lacrosse ever since she can remember. This fall, she will be playing lacrosse at Wesleyan University, where she will also be studying biology and engineering.

Katz became inspired to try the sport after watching her older brother play regularly.She gave the sport a try and found it enjoyable, and she has been hooked ever since.

“After I got into the sport, I learned that it is a very fast game and there is so much to it. Lacrosse IQ, athleticism and specific skills are all equally important to the game, which makes it fast, exciting, and strategic, which I love,” Katz said.

Katz qualified for the varsity lacrosse team during her freshman year at WA, and has played for the school team ever since.

Through her years being part of the WA lacrosse community, and her years of training leading up to high school, Katz has learned countless lessons from the sport that she believes will remain with her for many years to come.

“Lacrosse has taught me how to be patient and trust myself more than anything else. It has also taught me that hard work pays off and that being the hardest worker in a group is extremely important,” Katz said.

Throughout the years, lacrosse has shown Katz the kind of persistent effort and tireless dedication needed to succeeed and to accomplish her goals, both in and off the field.

However, Katz has taken away more than just a strong work ethic from her years of playing the sport. She has made close bonds with many of her teammates, especially from Westford Academy. For her, the girls that she has played with since her freshman year have become her family, as they have shared many of the same experiences through their joint participation in the sport.

“The senior night my sophomore year was super fun. It was a great win against Chelmsford and the team was so close that year. We all did so much to make it special for the seniors and I think the underclassmen had just as much fun setting up for the day as the seniors did enjoy it,” Katz said.

Though Katz has decided on spending the next her four years of her life playing lacrosse at Wesleyan University, her future was not always so solid. At one point in her senior year, Katz faced a pulled hamstring injury that caused her to miss six games, and raised concerns about her athletic career in college. She knew that she needed to rest from the sport in order to heal. Katz said that taking time off from playing was really difficult for her, but in the end, she realized it was the best decision that she could make for herself and her team.

 “I just wanted to be able to get back out there and help my team win. In a way, I am grateful for the injury though because it shows that I am not unbreakable and I need to do even more to prevent injuries for myself,” Katz said.

Katz learned to re-enter the sport after her recovery, slowly but steadily improving her game. Though Katz typically works the midfield, her injury has led her to play attack, because it requires a significallty lower amount of running.

Katz feels confident about her deicsion to commit to Wesleyan as a result of the lessons she has learned through lacrosse.

“I honestly can’t imagine my life without lacrosse because it has been such a big part of my life for as long as I can imagine. It has given me so much, like countless friends, motivation, and something to be passionate about. My life would be so different without it and I know playing in college is only going to bring out my love for the game even more,” Katz said.

Well, it’s that time of year again, at least in some ways. You’re probably accustomed to the whole “back-to-school” process by now, and you’re most likely being constantly reassured by your parents that high school is better than middle school, and the other usual cliches.

But entering high school represents more than just a few awkward days of getting used to the school and its rhythm. It symbolizes the last few steps of your childhood years.

Now look, I know, I can hardly call 14, 15, 16, and 17-year-olds “children,” in the usual sense. Trust me, I know quite a few kids who have grown up way faster than they should have, relatively speaking. And despite what some will tell you, there are plenty of minors at school who are brighter than lots of adults in the world.

Having established that, there is still one aspect of your lives that distinguishes “the men from the boys” so to say, and that is summed up in one word: opportunity.

Im not here to give you the simple, tips for your first few weeks; I’ve already done that in another article. Instead, I want to stress to you the main thing that I swear is every senior’s first regret.

Trust me, I know, I was in your shoes once and I didn’t take much of what any of the seniors said seriously either. But for the love of all that is holy, Just. Hear. Me. Out. I’m not going to try to get you to “feel” anything or try to make you empathize with us, that’s irrelevant, I just want you to listen to what I’m going to tell you, digest it, and think.

You currently have your last chances laid out before you to get involved in different clubs, activities, and sports. You can’t going to waltz into college and then decide that you want to go out for the baseball team, only to find out that your in competition with a bunch of guys who have made the tops of rosters at their high schools. Now is much more forgiving than the future, you can make mistakes, you can still learn from them, and you can adjust for the future when the stakes are raised.

The same will apply for your academics; colleges like to see diverse transcripts and myriads of extracurriculars. Making yourself stand out in your class, or even just maintaining good grades and throwing in a club or two, will make your chances of getting into your top colleges improve drastically. Getting a leg up now, and maintaining it throughout the school will be a lot more practical than trying to systematically determine what grades you have to get in what classes to get your GPA up to a certain number. Instead of applying unrealistic standards, know your strengths and weaknesses, and work to consistently improve yourself.

I’m not an expert on anything; everything I’m telling you is my opinion, not fact, but it is an opinion that is widely shared amongst students and staff alike. Take advantage of your opportunities. Don’t let yourself get bogged down by an impossible goal, but also give yourself higher expectations, and work to advance yourself both in academics and as a person.

Don’t waste what’s left of your childhood because it will be one of the biggest regrets you will have to bear for the rest of your life. You’re only young once, so enjoy it.

On Friday, September 13, Westford Academy varsity girls’ volleyball faced Acton-Boxborough in a highly anticipated match. With the energy blazing in the crowds, both teams were hyped, screaming chants and plays to their teammates. However, although WA was highly motivated throughout the game, the team ended up losing, with a score of 0-2.

WA started off the game with great intensity. All the players were putting power into every move they made on the court. AB scored the first two points of the first set. Junior Sarah Cannuscio, #24, scored the first point for WA by slamming the ball onto AB’s side. Notably, junior Megan Tierney, #11, played a strong defense, alongside Senior Alexa Wilson, #3.  Wilson also excelled with her ability to deliver tricky spikes to Acton-Boxborough. For serving, senior Anshu Punreddy, #8, performed powerful serves that had a target towards the opposing players’ feet.

Although WA played vigorously throughout the first set, Acton-Boxborough pulled through with their successful defensive and offensive strategies. AB ended up winning the first set, 22-25 after a rally ultimately ended with Westford Academy spiking the ball out. Punreddy felt that, despite the outcome of the first set, her team did an excellent job of keeping focus and a positive mentality.

“I think we did really good the first set. AB is a really hard team, so we went into the game thinking that we were going to lose. I think everyone was really nervous. We trusted each other a lot more during the first set, which is why we did a lot better during the first set than the second set,” Punreddy said.

After both teams took a few minutes to recuperate after the first set, the second set began with AB scoring the first two points by spiking the ball deep into the court. Westford Academy earned their first point of the set when AB spiked out. As the set continued, WA repeatedly received most of their points from mistakes on Acton-Boxboro’s part.

The second set was filled with errors from the WA girls. The team’s focus, teamwork, and energy declined after the score reached 9-16, with Acton-Boxborough in the lead. WA ended up making a few careless mistakes in which they started hitting the ball out, into the net, or downwards.

Ultimately, after a very stressful match, AB won the second set, 11-25, after a long rally between the two teams.

Although losing the game 0-2, Westford Academy showed strong attacks, approaches, and was able to hold quite a few rallies with AB.

For their next match, head coach Brandon Eang feels that the team must go back to the fundamentals and remember the basics in order to stay driven the entire match.

“I think communication is key. I think we need to trust our ability and our teammates’ ability. The bottom line is [Acton-Boxborough] has two really strong hitters and very good servers, which really threw us off. There was a lot of misreading of body language, so I think that is something we really need to work on in the future,” Eang said.

Lorraine Burns is a new addition to the faculty at Westford Academy. She has eleven years of experience teaching, and Burns is excited to be a new special education teacher at WA. 

Q: Where were you educated?

A: I attended Chelmsford High School and received both my bachelors and masters degrees from Rivier University. 

Q: What is your teaching experience?

A: I taught for three years at North Andover High School and eight years at the Robinson Middle School in Lowell. 

Q: How has teaching at Westford Academy been? 

A: It has been great! I am establishing bonds with new people and students and am really enjoying it. Everyone has been really kind and helpful. 

Q: Why did you choose WA?

A: I recently moved to Westford and am loving it. I figured a teaching position would be best here because of the community and the great reputation of Westford Public Schools. 

Q: Why did you choose teaching as a profession?

A: Originally, I worked in state government. I worked in the human resources department for ten years. However, decided to pursue education, and changed to teaching, which has been extremely rewarding. I love the environment of teaching, working with new students and staff, and creating more interaction among people and peers. I have loved WA so far and am learning more and more every day. 

Q: How has working with the students at WA been?

A: It has been wonderful! The students here are excellent. They are respectful, helpful, and abide by the rules. I have been really enjoying the atmosphere we have here.  

Q: What are some of your favorite things to do outside of school? 

A: I like to go skiing, swimming, rollerblading, kayaking, and running in my free time with family and friends. 

New school adjustment counselor, Ms. Molly DelleChiaie arrives at Westford Academy. The Ghostwriter meets with her to see how she is adjusting to WA and what influenced her to come here. 

Q: How and when did you get into counseling?

A: I got into counseling when I was working in private practice, not a school setting.  I kind of saw what was going on around me and wanted to get involved. I then went back to get my masters, and now I’m here. 

Q: When did you know this is what you wanted to do for work? 

A: I would say I’ve always really enjoyed working with this age group, so I knew I wanted to do that, I just wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to do. I would say working in private practice I got to see a lot of interactions between doctors and therapists. I just wanted to get involved. I wanted to do the same thing so that’s what led me here. 

Q: Why is Westford Academy a good fit for you and what you have to offer? 

A: That’s probably the best question you could ask me right now. So, an interesting story, 2 years ago I interned here with Mrs. Lonergan. There wasn’t a position open when I graduated with my masters, so I went to Marlborough High School to work and be a school adjustment counselor there, and then, over the summer, this position opened up so I left my position in Marlborough and came back. 

Q: So you’ve always been interested in coming here?  

A: Yep, it’s a great school.

Q: What do you do during this job, what do you help and council with specifically?

A: I would say If you could think of the best things you want to share with someone. You want to share with somebody but maybe don’t know who to share it with, this office is for that. I know that’s kind of vague but sometimes people think of counseling as just the hard stuff. Sometimes good stuff can be hard to decipher through as well. 

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? 

A: I just really enjoy working with young adults, because I feel like you guys have a voice whereas somebody in elementary school it’s really a lot more- even sometimes middle school. It’s a lot of working with parents rather than students directly, so I would say getting on your guys’ level. 

Q: What makes counseling and working with high school kids different or possibly better than working with other ages and grades? 

A: I don’t know if it’s better, I like how you said or different because it is. It’s just different. I think when you get to high school, there’s a lot more responsibility, you’re expected to be a lot more independent, and with that independence comes a lot of scary thoughts or feelings. It’s a lot of trial and error, and I think in elementary and middle school it’s a lot more concrete. This is where you are, this is what we’re doing. And there’s not any gray area. I think in high school when you introduce that gray area, there comes a lot of mixed emotions with it. I just know that working with this age group is where I belong.

Q: What does it mean to you to be an adjustment counselor? 

A: In one word, everything. When I was in high school, there was no such thing as school adjustment counselors until I was a junior. Our school suffered a tragic loss of one of our students and there was only one adjustment counselor. I don’t know how because we had 1700 students school, but she was our go-to in a tragic and difficult situation. So I think ever since then, you know, I try to emulate that and try to be that support for students in or out of tragedy.

Q: What do you think is the most important characteristic of being a school counselor is?

A: I think being relatable. If you guys came in here to talk with me, and you were like she’s kind of weird, and I don’t know if I can trust her and she’s not cool, [no one would come]. I don’t know if I’m cool, but I think I’m pretty cool. Would you trust me to talk if I wasn’t the person I am right now, if I didn’t have that kind of vibe about me? I think it’s important on school accounts that the person is a professional and appropriate but also is able to get on the level of where you guys are at. It’s really important. 

Q: So what’s the difference between a therapist, a counselor, and an adjustment counselor? 

A: The names. it just kind of depends on where you’re at. I think you could call me a therapist, you could call me a counselor, or you could call me an adjustment counselor. I’m all of the above. But I guess the only difference is where you’re practicing kind of what the rules are, and confidentiality and things like that, obviously, working in a school, you follow the rules of a school district, right. Whereas in a private practice, you kind of follow the rules of an insurance company. So it just depends on where you’re working. But you could put that name on all three of those names on me.

Q: What does your job mean to you? 

A: It means that I could work with you know, twenty kids a day, maybe that’s a lot, but maybe fifteen. If I can help one of those students overcome something difficult in their life or just be there for them in a moment where they just need, you know, an ear to listen. Unfortunately, in our line of work, that doesn’t always happen. But, being able to come back and loving what I do makes me come back and I think I can’t imagine myself doing any other job. So it means more to me probably than I can even put into words.

Sara Piper, a new biology teacher in the Westford Academy science department, talks about her plans and what she looks forward to in the school year.

Q: Have you worked at WA previously?

A: No, this is my ninth year teaching but my first at Westford Academy. I did work in Townsend at a smaller school.

Q: What grades have you taught as a Biology teacher?

A: So I have always taught from ninth to twelfth grade. Although the first high school I taught was very small I’ve taught [briefly] some middle school, then one middle school class a week for four years in my teaching career, and then every other year, it’s been nine to twelve.

Q: Has this subject been something you’ve always wanted to do?

A: Science has been something I’ve wanted to do. After graduating from college, it’s been something more open and interesting than something small from the back of my brain.

Q: What do you think of Biology?

A: I believe it is important since we [people] are all living forms. We work efficiently and interact which is something we all should understand based on how we function.

Q: What are your favorite things in Biology?

A: I’ve always favored DNA, genetics, ecology, and evolution.

Q: Has there ever been any other subjects you’ve wanted to teach?

A: My background is mostly made up of science and biology and environmental science. But also, kind of out of the blue, I have a minor in Spanish. I always had some great Spanish teachers growing up. It was always kind of the back of my mind that maybe I would look into teaching Spanish. However, science has become more of my passion compared to Spanish. 

Q: What is something you learned from your prior classes that you want to improve for this year?

A: I’ve just always wanted to keep kids interested. I have learned that there’s always ways to improve, because you try to switch things up in class, day in and day out. Sometimes it gets too repetitive and, you know, kids lose interest. So, I’m always trying to look for new ways to spice things up in the classroom while bringing in relevant information, things that you as high school students would be interested in instead of just reading from a textbook. 

Q: What is your goal for this year for you and your students?

A: My goal is to get to know students and inter-workings of WA and successfully deliver Biology content to students.

Growing up, my dad would make it a point to explain to me the ability that we as individuals have in conveying a message to the world. At the age of seven, I did not pay much attention, merely listening so I could go and play with my friends as fast as I possibly could. Now, looking back on the several conversations I have had with my father, I realize all the potential that is bundled up in his advice.

Markus Spiske
A student as she protests

What is courage? Is it our ability to stand up for what we believe in? Is it our ability to dominate the rest? Is it our ability to seek the unimaginable? To me, courage has always been a dominating factor in the way we approach situations. Taking all that we stand for and risking our image for the ideas that are most important to us, that is what courage should be.

In life, however, courage is nothing without a driving force. Now, you may ask, what would that driving force be? To me, the driving force that stimulates every action in our daily lives is power. It is almost as if power is the fuel to the fire of courage. Without a certain quantity of power, the courage that you so fearlessly portray is nonexistent.

Today, the role and acceptance of courage and power have greatly changed in value from what they were as of a few decades ago, possibly even years ago.

Specifically, our society has come to terms with the difference between saying and actually doing. A few decades ago, people were not as open to the idea of physical protests, active performances, and verbal demonstrations that people would conduct in order to illustrate their point of view to the public. Activists were shut down and tormented by groups of people for voicing their opinions. Not to mention, student activists were widely unspoken of.

Recently, the tables have turned. The attention of change has turned to the younger generations who have taken on the great task of fixing all of the worldly corruption.

Furthermore, one way activists share their messages is through voicing their concerns since our voices hold so much more meaning than we believe they do. We have the ability to captivate audiences and strive to create an idea of what a better planet would look like. Students are the core of any change that is needed in society since it is our future at stake. Currently, students all around the globe are standing up for the ideas they believe in, a concept that would have been unheard of during centuries before our own.

Empowerment is sprouting at Westford Academy, growing through the variety of clubs that the high school provides. The NOW! club offered at WA brings awareness to gender equality, a topic that needs to be brought to people’s attention. All around the United States, students are passionately fighting for all genders to receive equal treatment. Similarly, Gender Sexuality Alliance meets to discuss the importance of accepting everyone for who they are, regardless of their identification and sexual orientation. The Junior State of America club is a major player at WA in the field of allowing students to share their thoughts and beliefs when it comes to current-day politics. Also, on the idea of today’s world problems, the environmental club works to improve the way our society deals with nature, which ultimately affects our climate. Although these clubs range in purpose, all of them have one thing in common, which is spreading awareness to current-day problems in the world.

These clubs are just a handful at Westford Academy that facilitate a person’s right to share their message. We, as students, have the ability to make a difference not only in our town but in society, if we took the opportunity.

Students don’t get enough credit. Much of society makes it a point to highlight how teenagers are still growing as individuals and, therefore, should not be taken seriously when they are voicing their opinions. These ideas by the power figures of society are wrong and hold a high level of ignorance. However, even with these people’s disapproval, student activists have taken it upon themselves to keep fighting for what is important.

Widely known, Greta Thunberg, a sixteen-year-old Swedish activist, has been protesting her views on climate change and how the governments of the world need to take action on the problem.

Despite all our personal views on climate change, we should commend Thunberg for her courage. Her motivation and commitment to her cause have made her a household name as well as her protests admired. Thunberg should be a leading example for our generation to fight for the unthinkable. Thunberg and many other student activists have shown us that where there is a cause, there is a voice guiding for change. Coming together and pushing to make our society a better place is what will change laws and people’s outlooks on life.

Civil disobedience, believe it or not, starts revolutions, demands change, and pushes for a better society. Our voices hold so much power. They pave the way for ideas. They pull people in. They spread awareness about problems.

Despite all of the improvements that have been made to society, there is still so much wrong with the world. We can make a difference. Starting at home, at school, your town, your state, or even your country, you can fight for change. You can fight for your vision of tomorrow because we, the students of the world, are its image. Whatever ways we decide to handle the major societal problems that occur are directly reflected back. So, don’t sit at home and complain about the plastic in our oceans or the problems in government or the blatant sexism of the humankind, do something. Work to get your voice heard, because, at the end of the day, your voice is all that matters when it comes to starting a revolution. As Mahatma Gandhi so famously once said, “be the change you wish to see in the world.”

On Saturday, October 28, 2019, Westford Academy health and wellness teacher Meredith Kehaias was arrested for a DUI with her two minor children in the vehicle.

Kehaias was stopped by officers on Broad Street Hollis, NH at 9:15 p.m. after calls were made to the local police department.

According to the report, Kehaias had a blood alcohol level of 0.17, approximately 0.08 above the legal limit. Kehaias has been charged with two counts of child endangerment, a DUI with minor passengers, and an aggravated DUI.

Kehaias has been released on personal recognizance. Her court hearing is set to take place on Wednesday, November 6, 2019, at the Nashua District Court.

Kehaias has been absent from WA since mid-September.

For the time being, her physical education role is being filled by substitute teacher Sandy Ruggles.

The WA Ghostwriter does not promote, endorse or condone vaping or any use of drugs. This video is a study to gain insight from the members of the vaping community. The opinion of both a heavy and casual vaper are featured to gain a rounded understanding of vapers’ attitudes.

In textbook psychology, a child’s beliefs of right and wrong can easily be influenced by the atmosphere around her or him. For example, when a child sees consequences doled out for dishonesty, the punishment reinforces the value that “lying is wrong”. Though this concept is fairly simple in its application in early childhood learning, how does it impact young adults? What happens when questionable behaviors go unpunished?

As students, whether we realize it or not, we continuously evaluate the actions of those around us, particularly our role models, whether they be teachers, parents, or celebrities. When a celebrity we idolize commits an outrageous act, we typically compartmentalize it because the celebrity’s behaviors lie in a world totally separate from our own.

However, when one of our role models, someone we frequently interact with and perhaps unconsciously look up to, makes a mistake, it places our minds in a distinctive conundrum. The bond and trust we have for that individual begin to conflict with our ideas of morality. 

More often than not, we end up excusing the infractions made by our role models, placing more of the blame on their circumstances rather than their actions. We focus on the type of person we perceive them to be, neglecting the type of person the allegations make them out to be. Instead of properly judging the actions based on ethics, we extend a degree of leniency towards not only the offender but also to ourselves. Allowing ourselves to find a scapegoat for the situation helps us cope. We struggle to acknowledge the reality of the situation because it takes away from the positive light in which we view our mentors.

Therefore, figures of authority need to recognize the necessity of appropriately reprimanding people, regardless of the scandal it may cause. Punishments set precedence for the behaviors of the rest of society and reinforce the idea that every inappropriate action faces certain.

Consequences aid in shaping a community because they highlight the mistakes made by people and force reflection of situations. By handing out repercussions to people who deserve them, a community is able to display to the rest of its members that there is a standard etiquette that people must follow in order to be viewed with respect.

Our mentors highly influence the decisions we make throughout our lives. Learning from our mentors, we unnoticeably pick up particular characteristics from them that end up blending into our own personalities. Learning through the consequences of our mentors’ poor decisions, we can avoid following their bad behaviors.

Condoning the mistakes made by our role models, power figures send the message to us that there are no repercussions to ill-mannered activities. The message that not all situations will receive appropriate measures conveys to a person that if their role model has the ability to avoid ramifications, then it is publicly acceptable for them to take part in the same affair, even if it may be seen as morally incorrect. 

Our suburban town of Westford must do its part in fully recognizing the people who have committed misdeeds. Although our town may be handling the situations behind the scenes, it is understood why our community feels left astray. As a town, it is important that leaders are notifying the public on these affairs and quickly combatting them with an established set of repercussions so that every community member feels safe, respected, and trusted.

The WA Ghostwriter met with Principal James Antonelli to understand how the school handles staff discipline.

Q: How does the school handle staff discipline?

A: “[We take it] very, very seriously. We are bound to a process, and that process is called due process, and you are innocent until proven guilty…You certainly take each case individually. And again, you document things along the way. There is a teacher’s union, and union representation that deals with every single case. And so our teachers pay into a union that has specific union protections. And you work with the union to progressively discipline someone along the way […] So let’s say for instance  an employee has been here for 25+ years. If that employee makes a mistake, the person is going to have to own up to that mistake. But one would hope that 25+ year career would hold some water, [and that maybe it] would put a letter in the person’s file, maybe it would be a stern discussion. Unless it was so egregious … that would be a situation [where] the Principal and/or Superintendent [would have to make the decision to let the employee go.]”

Q: What message do you think the lack of information coming from administration sends to those in the community?

A: “I think it sends a message of professionalism and due process. That there is a process, and if I was one to lack confidentiality about a scenario, I think that would send more of a message that I just let information leak out. That I’m giving them erroneous information. [And that] I’m sharing things without the appropriate steps.”

Q: Should a faculty member who’s done something questionable return to the school, how would the administration work to make students comfortable?

A: First of all, I’d have to acknowledge that there are going to be some parents that are uncomfortable, you know, having any [students] in that class…If a parent called me and said “I am not comfortable with my son or daughter being in that class,” I would have to respect that… And if there’s anything that gave me any indication [that] someone was not safe, I would move the student myself.”

Q: Would you say that for teachers outside of school grounds, that they are still held to the standards that are established at school?

A: “[I’ve had conversations with teachers where I’ve had to say] you know, you’re held to a higher standard. I mean, you’re dealing with students, you’re a role model, and so forth.”

Q: What would you say to someone who wants to know all the details about incidents? How would you go about telling them about the limits that confidentiality puts the administration under?

A: “Trust in the people that you put in positions. Trust. I don’t think I’ve had a career here of misleading people. I don’t think I’ve had a career of being an untrustworthy person[…]You have to trust, and not think that something is going to be shoved under the rug. There’s a process in place. And you may not get the full story [of the incident.] But there will be actions that will be taken in order to make sure that those kinds of situations don’t occur again […] I just want you to know that it’s difficult sometimes to be in my shoes in regards to what I can share and what I can’t share. And I wish I could do more, but my hands are kind of tied.”

Senior Abigail Katz has been playing lacrosse longer than she can remember. It has been a commanding force all throughout her life, helping her overcome many obstacles as a result of the many lessons and friendships she has made through her lacrosse career. As her time at Westford Academy comes to an end, she realizes that WA was a gateway to the many opportunities that greet her in the future. This fall, she will be playing lacrosse at Wesleyan University, where she will also be studying biology and engineering.

Katz first became inspired to try the sport after watching her older brother play regularly. Spontaneously, one day, she gave the sport a try, and she has been hooked ever since.

“After I got into the sport, I learned that it is a very fast game and there is so much to it. Lacrosse IQ, athleticism and specific skills are all equally important to the game, which makes it fast, exciting, and strategic, which I love,” Katz said.

Katz qualified for the varsity lacrosse team during her freshman year at WA and has played for the school team ever since. Through her years being part of the WA lacrosse community, and her years of training leading up to high school, Katz learned countless lessons from the sport that she believes will remain with her for many years to come.

“Lacrosse has taught me how to be patient and trust myself more than anything else. It has also taught me that hard work pays off and that being the hardest worker in a group is extremely important,” Katz said.

Throughout the years, lacrosse has shown Katz the kind of persistent effort and tireless dedication needed to succeed and to accomplish her goals, both on and off the field.

However, Katz has taken away more than just a strong work ethic from her years of playing the sport. She has made close bonds with many of her teammates, especially from Westford Academy. For her, the girls that she has played with since her freshman year have become her family, as they have shared many of the same experiences through their joint participation in the sport.

“The senior night my sophomore year was super fun. It was a great win against Chelmsford and the team was so close that year. We all did so much to make it special for the seniors and I think the underclassmen had just as much fun setting up for the day as the seniors did enjoy it,” Katz said.

Though Katz’s decision on spending the next four years of her life playing lacrosse at Wesleyan University seems like it was always meant to be, her future was not always so solid. At one point in her senior year, Katz faced a pulled hamstring injury that caused her to miss six games, and raised concerns about her athletic career in college. She knew that she needed to rest from the sport in order to heal. Katz said that taking time off from playing was really difficult for her, but in the end, she realized it was the best decision that she could make for herself and her team.

“I just wanted to be able to get back out there and help my team win. In a way, I am grateful for the injury though because it shows that I am not unbreakable and I need to do even more to prevent injuries for myself,” Katz said.

Katz undoubtedly re-entered the sport after her recovery, slowly but steadily improving her game. Though Katz typically works the midfield, her injury led her to play attack, because it allows for a significantly lower amount of running.

Katz feels confident about her decision to commit to Wesleyan as a result of the lessons she has learned through lacrosse.

“I honestly can’t imagine my life without lacrosse because it has been such a big part of my life for as long as I can imagine. It has given me so much, like countless friends, motivation, and something to be passionate about. My life would be so different without it and I know playing in college is only going to bring out my love for the game even more,” Katz said.

Students have worked for their entries for the 2020 Art Calendar at Westford Academy. Fourteen students, out of eighty participating in the competition, had their entries chosen to be displayed for the art calendar contest. Members of the faculty visited the flag lobby, where the artwork was exhibited, to vote on the fourteen candidates for the calendar.

The monthly artwork winners are by sophomores Shobha Raguraman and Stephanie Chang, juniors Kelly Kim, Izabela Fernandes and Ciara Chan, and seniors Amanda Franco, Julia LePoer, Shannon McPhee, Amanda Murphy, Allie Lu,  Peyton Henriksen, and Caeli O’Brien. Senior Olivia Swaida and Sophomore Logan Davighi are winners for the cover and back cover of the calendar.

The artwork for the 2020 Art Calendar will be up to purchase at the annual Holiday Bazaar.

Over the course of a month and a half, a variety of students from different grades and classes, these being Visual Art I and II, Advanced Honors Art, and Advanced Placement Studio Art worke,  on their drawings. Kelly Fitzsimmons, an art teacher, recognized how her Visual Art I students participating in the event learned and practiced new and old skills.

“I think especially for the Visual Art I students where it’s their first year, they are learning the grid method, but not to create a realistic or photorealistic drawing. As the levels go up, even in Visual Art I, they learn how to create implied texture, such as using a variety of different pencils, drawing pencils, and other methods like blending and stamping with a kneaded eraser,” she said.

Fitzsimmons also observed how her students challenged themselves this year and how what they learned from previous classes affects what they’ve drawn. Many of the students participating come from full-year art classes.

“Each year they do the calendar drawing, they learn from the year before and they know what they liked to draw and what they didn’t like to draw. They could also challenge themselves in a different way, either it’s thinking of a more creative space in Westford that they want to draw, or they want to make the drawing more personal to them and their feelings of Westford. So, each year it gets interesting to see what people continue to enter,” she said.

Gallery|14 Photos

Kelly Fitzsimmons

Olivia Swaida's entry for the Art Calendar of 2020.