By Rachael Page and Brittany MissertJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - Spirit Week this year took place Sept. 28 through Oct. 2. The hallways were all decorated in varying class colors. The week started off with Twin Day on Monday, followed by various spirit days like Tacky Tourist Day, Superhero Day, and Holiday Day. The festivities ended with Class Color Day and the annual pep rally on Friday afternoon.

Students and faculty of Windham High School gathered in the gymnasium to celebrate the end

of the week. Opinions about the week and pep rally varied between students and faculty.

As opposed to past years, students noticed some major changes to this year’s pep rally. This year, the pep rally was shorter, so it had fewer activities. With fewer activities, not as many people from each class could participate. Some students overall had a good outlook on the week and shortened pep rally, while others were less than pleased with the changes.

This Edition:

Double Trouble: Should Twin Day be replaced? Page 3

Meet the Staff: Take a look at the staff’s old Halloween pics, Page 5

New Year, New Principal: Mr. Bob Dawson discusses his new position, Page 7

Varsity letter controversy sparks debate: Should clubs and other activities also be able to earn varsity letters? Page 7

The New English Department: Catch up with the new teachers, Page 11

Jag Football: Learn about this season’s impressive record, Page 12

Band’s Magical Experience: WHS Band gets to work with Disney, Page 15

Shark club makes waves: What exactly is this popular club about? Page 18

Photo by Willem ShattuckJuniosrs and seniors duke it out in a game of tug-of-war at the pep rally on Oct. 2, 2015.

Students flaunt class charisma at pep rally, homecoming

Story continues on Page 6

WHS Shows Spirit

ROARThe Jag October 27, 2015

Writing the Perfect College EssayIt seems that college has been the talk of the entire school.

Endless questions about college deadlines, college essays, college choice, and major choice have been circling the school since the start of the school year.

There is so much to do and so much to think about when applying to college. There is the common app, specific schools’ applications, financial aid, scholarships, and more.

Also, on top of filling out endless questions about myself, my interests, and my activities during high school, I had to come up with the perfect college essay.

All the advice that was given to me, like so many other seniors, was that it had to be a representation of you. But how could I make an essay become a complete and accurate represen-tation of myself?

It took me a long time and a few drafts to come to the right essay. I went through some great ideas, but they just didn’t seem

to fit me. And then I wrote one that I thought was the one. How-ever, it was completely generic when I thought about it. Anyone

could write an essay about working hard on an English paper. So I chose to write about my mom’s battle with cancer and how that affected me. That’s not an essay that just anyone can write.

Keep at it, those of you who are still trying to find the perfect essay. I know you will- don’t feel like you have to stick with the first topic you thought about. Jump around, and the essay that was easiest to write is the one for you.

On that note, I would like to say that I’m excited to be this year’s editor-in-chief of the JagRoar. I have been on the staff for the past two years and was so excited when I was of-fered this position! I hope you enjoy the stories

that our staff has compiled over the course of the last month. Happy reading!

EDITORIAL

Ashley Domogala

Staying Afloat When Times Get ToughIt’s the end of October, which means it’s

the end of the quarter, which means we’re all feeling overwhelmed.

Students are struggling to complete papers and proj-ects and to study for big tests. Athletes are gearing up for high-pressure playoff games. Seniors are writing college es-says and filling out applications. Teachers are struggling to get their grading completed before report cards close. To say the least, it’s a stressful time around here. So what do we do to keep calm and carry on? Here’s a brief list:

1. Do the best you can. Know that you are capable, and that dedication and hard work go a long way. Set up your best study surroundings, and devote time to getting it done.

2. Take care of your body and your mind. Make time to eat full, nutritious meals. Take breaks every half-hour by going for a walk, eating a snack or playing

with a pet. Go to bed early and get up when your alarm goes off.

3. Talk to your guidance coun-selor. The Guidance Department has all sorts of helpful informa-tion about how to de-stress, and they can help talk you through any obstacles you may face in the process of getting things done.

4. Finally, know that you are not alone. We are all in this stressful time together. Look to

each other for support! Tell your teachers, friends, parents, co-workers and anyone else who is important in your life that you have a lot that needs to be accomplished. They can support you by offering a quiet place to study, or cooking you food, or giving you a ride to the library, or simply working along side you for moral support. Plus, you can visit the learning center for extra help from professionals or fellow students.

Good luck, fellow Jags – be strong, and

Mrs. Ash

Table of ContentsOpinion - 2News - 6

Academics - 11Sports - 12

Features - 15Activities - 18

Jag OpinionTHE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 2

Enjoy the JagRoar’s first edition of the year!

JagRoar Staff

Ashley DomogalaEditor-in-Chief

Mrs. Katherine AshClub Adviser

Brittany MissertGeneral News Editor

Paige EspositoOpinion Editor

Taylor MendesFeatures Editor& Photographer

Nick TaurasActivities Editor

Katey VestaPR & Marketing Editor

Rachael PageCo-PR & Marketing

Editor

Molly RyanSports Editor

Staff Writers:Casey Ergin

Alexandra MillardMatt Petry

Bella PfeifferShelby WarnekeBen Whitehead

Joe Zollo

PERSPECTIVEBy Brittany MissertJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM- Recently WHS celebrated spirit week, and for most of the days you could tell that people were participating. However, with twin day, it’s different. People have different classes than their “twin” so it you can’t really tell who is twinning with who.

Twin Day takes quite a lot of planning. The idea is that you match outfits exactly with another person, however, I find this concept a little ridiculous. How many people actually have matching outfits with others without having to go out and buy and entirely new outfit? On any other day, people get annoyed when two people show up in the same outfit. I also find the idea of matching outfits to signify being a twin a bit ridiculous. Speaking as a triplet, I haven’t worn a matching outfit with my siblings since I was about 6. However,

I did participate in Twin Day. A bunch of my friends dressed up in pajamas together, however, we were

not matching. Just because we don’t look exactly the same doesn’t mean we weren’t participating.

Twin Day can cause stress for some students, especially if they aren’t asked to twin with others. Not a lot of people par-ticipate in this spirit day because they feel left out or don’t have perfectly matching outfits with their friends.

Most of the time in high school, we are encouraged to be individuals and express ourselves. Twin Day is the one day a year that all goes out the window and we are encouraged to look and act exactly like everyone else.

I suggest changing this spirit day to something more students would par-ticipate in, such as Crazy Hair Day or something similar.

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 3OPINION

Double Trouble

Tips for FreshmenBy Ashley DomogalaJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - It’s a hard transition from middle school to high school for most students. Here are some helpful hints on what to do and what not to do your fresh-man year:

1. Get involved- If you haven’t already, join a club or a sport. It’s the best way to meet people with common interests and have a place to hang out. Also, you no longer have to feel like you are in a big, scary school full of upperclassmen.

2. Get organized- You don’t have to color-code all your binders and notebooks, but you also don’t want to always be fish-ing through the endless pit of papers that you also call a backpack.

3. Don’t stress out- I know, easier said than done. But that transition from middle school to high school can be a tough one, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Focus and do the best you can, but know your limits before you hit a mental breakdown.

4. Plan ahead. Start a document of what classes you want to take each year. It can

be a rough sketch, but you don’t want to end up taking all your requirements your senior year.

5. Try to keep a balance between grades and social life. High school is, unfortu-

nately, not like High School Musical. It does involve actual schoolwork. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have any time to hang out with your friends.

6. Don’t slack off. You don’t want to be in your senior year panicking that you don’t have a good enough GPA to get into the college of your dreams because you slacked off during your freshman year.

7. Take advantage of extra help from teachers if you are struggling. Teachers don’t bite (well, most of them). Don’t be afraid to speak up if you are falling behind. Better to solve the problem now than stress out the night before a big test.

8. Do HW- Homework is an easy way toboost your grade and a great way to practice skills that you need to know for tests. Do it.

9. Do community service- You are re-quired to have 40 hours at the end of high

school, so start now. But don’t do it just because it’s required- do it to make an

impact on your community. It’s a very rewarding experience.

10. Have fun- The next four years of your life will most likely fly by, so enjoy them while they last. Take challenging classes and explore your interests.

If you follow these steps, you are sure to have a great freshman year. Welcome to WHS!

By Bella PfeifferJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - Constitution Day. It’s a day to celebrate the document that has directed the laws of our country for over 200 years. This year, WHS invited an attorney come in and talk about it during an assembly. Here’s what some students thought of it:

Frehsman Hannah Pickett said, “Though I thought it was interesting, I feel like it was a bit of a waste of class time because the attorney speaking dragged out the answers to the questions. It wasn’t concise enough; he only answered a few ques-tions. Also I felt that a Constitution Day assembly should talk about and celebrate what really went into the creation of our freedoms rather than taking time to define what those freedoms mean in a school setting.”

Senior Conor Leland said, “I thought

the Constitution Day assembly was a very good idea because it brought together our school to understand what created this cre-ate nation of ours. I’m sure it was a great learning experience for those who have not yet studied the topic of the Constitution and a great reminder for those who have as to the reasons why we celebrate such a day. For anyone who hopes to become a participating citizen in American society it is critical for them to understand the laws that they must abide by and I believe the assembly provided a great coherence on the document and all that it does for us.”

Social Studies teacher Ms. Joy said,“Anything that gives us better insight into the Constitution is a great thing! I es-pecially liked how he chose to speak about court cases that explain students’ rights and are relevant to their lives.”

The views of others I talked to pre-sented a lot of different opinions. While some loved the concept, they weren’t

thrilled with the execution. Others didn’t enjoy it in general. My own experience was a mixed one… at the beginning of the assembly, I was interested. The first question was something that students had been talking about for a while, so it made sense to hear the answer. However, I was soon wondering why we were spending so much time on the answers, when all we re-ally needed was a quick explanation. It felt like forever until the next question came up, and I was surprised to hear that it was another about the school’s rights. I’ll admit it— I was bored, and it didn’t help that the next few questions took as long as the first one. I was hoping to enjoy learning more about a piece of history. Instead, I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open as the event dragged on.

The assembly was an opportunity to teach WHS students more about the Con-stitution in an engaging way, but seems to have missed the mark for some students. Considering the potential for learning and interest seen here, I hope that our next Constitution Day event can connect to more viewers.

PERSPECTIVE

Constitution Day Assembly

By Elizabeth O’NeillJagRoar Correspondent

WINDHAM – The time of year that many seniors at Windham High School never thought would come has finally begun. For some, like the class president, Kelsey Kendzulak, the process of applying to college is extremely long and painful. For others, it is easier because they manage their time.

Kendzulak said, “I tried to manage my time and spread a lot of my tasks out. I started my college application early to ensure that I had enough time to complete everything.”

The Windham High School guidance department is witnessing tons of stress from seniors who are roaming around the halls trying to get all their last minute questions answered about their applica-tions. The early deadlines for most schools

are November 1st, November 15th, and December 1st.

Mrs. Diane Figaro, the registrar of the guidance department at Windham High School, said, “What kids were worried about the most was not having everything done in time for their application dead-line.”

Figaro added that some students were very prepared for this time to come, but others still have not taken the time to fill out any of their applications at all.

One student who did not have much of a problem managing her time writing her application was the president of the senior class, Kelsey Kendzulak.

Kendzulak had set her goals high for colleges to which she wanted to apply. Ever since Kelsey was in the seventh grade she hoped Yale University was where she would end up studying one day. She knew it would be a long shot, but she decided it would be worth the try because of the hard work she had put toward what she had dreamed for so long.

Kendzulak added that one certain section of the application was the hardest.

She said, “The college essay was the hard-est part of the application by far. It was extremely hard to come up with topic and a way that will show college admissions a lot about me in 650 words.”

Mrs. Julie George, secretary in the Windham High School guidance depart-ment, agreed with Kendzulak saying, “Almost every student who has come into the office asking to make an appointment with their guidance counselor has had a question about the college essay. It is what most of the students are worried about.”

This time of year for seniors in high school is very stressful; especially those who have trouble spreading their work out evenly. It makes a huge difference when something is done sooner than later and can make things much easier and less stressful. It lifts a whole load off many students’ shoulders when the process is finally over.

“Managing my time has really helped with the stress of all the college appli-cation and really helped me find where I want to go and what I want to be in the near future,” explained Kendzulak.

Preparing the College ApplicationTake an inside look at the senior class president’s decision-making process

What did WHS think of this year’s presentation?

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 4OPINION

Former Jags: Where Are They Now?

By Jillian DipersioFormer JagRoar Staff

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After spending the summer working with refugees at the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success in Manchester, NH in their Fresh Start Farms job training program, I have discovered my passion for human rights and humanitarian issues. After some soul searching I have decided that my heart is truly in humanitarian aid.

As such I am currently studying Inter-national Affairs with a concentration in International Development at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. My classes this semester have been

challenging and thought-provoking as we consider such concepts as Plato’s view on justice and what factors lead to good gov-ernance in countries around the world.

Outside of the classroom I spend my time exploring the city, volunteering with the Red Cross Club, playing in the GW Wind Ensemble, and going on assignment as a photographer for the GW Hatchet.

I live on GW’s beautiful Mt. Vernon campus, which gives me some reprieve from hectic city life and also allows me the opportunity to bond with my room-mates and hall mates. On the weekends we discuss politics, watch West Wing and House of Cards, and sometimes even en-gage in epic Nerf battles in the hallways (they shoot each other, I photograph the wars for posterity). I truly could not have asked for a school more suited to my interests and personality.

Last year’s editor-in-chief writes about college

Photo courtesy of Jillian DiPersio, by Victoria Russell

Roommate Kate Jones, neighbor Tanner Slaughter, and 2015 WHS graduate Jillian DiPersio painting a community center on Freshman Day of Service.

Answers: (top row from left) Paige Esposito, Brittany Missert (left), Taylor Mendes, Ashley Domogala(bottom row from left) Katey Vesta, Bella Pfeiffer, Mrs. Ash, Rachael Page

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 5OPINION

Meet the Staff! Guess Who...JagRoar reporters, editors throw back to their childhood Halloween costumes

Jag NewsTHE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 6

Photo by Taylor MendesSeniors gather for a picture in the gymnasium after the pep rally.

WHS Shows Spirit, Class Charisma “The whole week and pep rally had a

really fun atmosphere,” said Madeline Bursell, a WHS senior. Each student interviewed had similar comments, but all added their own opinions.

“I really enjoyed participating in all of the spirit days,” said senior Athena Chan. “The pep rally was fun, but I was disappointed that they cut out the musical chairs, since that was always my favorite activity,” she added.

Junior Lily Shpak said she enjoyed the pep rally, but when asked if would change anything, she said that she “would get rid of the obstacle course since only two peo-ple from each class could participate.”

Shpak added that it was exciting to watch, but more participation or more small activities instead would have made it even better.

Similarly to Shpak’s point, two soph-omores, Jess Irish and Tyler Viscarello, agreed that the pep rally was too short and were disappointed that it was missing some activities.

Both Irish and Viscarello added that even though they missed some certain activities, they still had fun, especially “dressing up for the spirit days during the week.”

Freshman Brianna Chianca voiced her opinion that “the school coming together over the spirit of being a jaguar” was her favorite part of spirit week. However, she said, “I didn’t really enjoy the pep rally. A lot of the freshmen were confused.”

The WHS Jags Homecoming Week was overall a success, with many students enjoying at least one part of it. Ideas to improve future pep rallies can be brought to anyone on student council, or Vice President Matthew Malila.

Photo by Ms. Chali DavisPictured above is a group of seniors on Tacky Tourist Day.

Story continued from Page 1

Varsity Letter Controversy Sparks Debate

By Joe ZolloJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - Windham High School band and robotics have been granted the ability to receive varsity letters this year by school administration.

For the past few years, both the band and robotics team have competed nation-ally and worldwide to showcase their incredible talents. Robotics has been recognized worldwide as one of the best teams in the country, and band has been

recognized for several national accom-plishments, including the conductor, Mr. Jared Cassedy. He received a Grammy for his excellent work with his students.

The teachers that work with these stu-dents said they believe participants should be recognized for their achievements.

“I think that robotics works just as hard as other sports teams and that they deserve the same opportunity,” said Mr. Chad Westwood, a Spanish teacher at Wind-ham High School who is also one of the mentors of the robotics team. He said he believes that the robotics team deserves recognition with a varsity letter for their hard work and dedication.

Even though the teachers said they think the students deserve these awards, they

were not the ones taking on the task of making it happen. “I was taking lead on this,” said Dhruv Patel, a Windham High junior who is a member of the robotics team at Windham.

He said he had heard about a team in Connecticut getting recognized for their achievements and that he and a couple of other students felt that they should as well.

Some student athletes do not agree that robotics and band should get these awards, but a coach at Windham thinks otherwise.

“It doesn’t need to be a sport to be hard work,” said Mr. Jack Byrne, who is one of the coaches for the defending Division II state champion football team. “Anytime you can recognize a kid for hard work, it should be done.”

Should letters be given to select clubs as well as athletes?

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 7NEWS

New Year, New Principal By Bella PfeifferJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - Mr. Bob Dawson, the new principal at Windham High, isn’t new to the building. He was the assistant principal for four years, but decided to apply for his new position earlier this spring after Principal Ryan Kaplan left.

“It’s the next challenge for me - that was a big part of it,” he said. “What really lured me was Windham, more than anything. I really wanted to be a principal for a while, but once I came over here four years ago, I kind of fell in love with this crazy place, and it afforded me the oppor-tunity to take a job that I really cannot see myself leaving for at least a decade if not more.”

It’s a nice statement to hear at a high school that hasn’t had a graduating class with the same principal for all four years.

His new position hasn’t changed his outlook on what WHS is about, either. The same events that students enjoy are still his favorite thing about what he does.

“A lot of the things that I like about being at Windham are hanging out with the kids and messing around at the pep rally, and going to games, and talking to this fantastic staff, and helping teachers get better, and a lot of those things haven’t changed at all, because I can still do all that,” he said. “But the things that I do have changed pretty significantly since last

April, when I was definitely going to have the job.”

Most students don’t think of being principal as a particularly fun job, but according to him, it definitely is. “My friends always comment on how I’m such a goof and I’m young and I’m 52 but I act like I’m, you know, 22. But that’s because of what I do, it sort of goes along with the job I have,” he said.

But even though he loves what he does now, it wasn’t his plan when he was a teenager.

“When I graduated high school, I was going to go into sportscasting, and it just didn’t play out the way I wanted it to. [Then] I took my first education course, which my wife kind of forced me to take (she was my girlfriend then), and I just was like, man. It kind of lit a spark with me, and I never walked away,” said Mr. Dawson, nodding as he thought about it.

It’s easy to envision him as a sportscast-er when asked about his goals for the high school. He was confident, and answered almost immediately.

“A lot of [my goals] are things you guys won’t see, sort of inside teacher stuff. We’re going to take a look at how we grade. We’re working really hard on get-ting back to some things that were in the roots of what WHS did, teachers meeting every week, about once a week, for an hour and a half, just to talk about student learning.

If we’re not talking about learning, we’re really missing an opportunity. For me, personally, that third goal is really for me to figure out what this job really is, and I really haven’t got it all yet.”

His advice for graduating students: do what you love. It’s not surprising consid-ering how much of an emphasis he has on fun with his own job. “I think that it’s really easy to chase the money, it’s easy to follow the path where there’s a job, but I think it’s really really important to find something that you really like doing.

“I think the best advice you can give anybody who’s going off to college or whatever their future is, is to chase some-thing that you really want to do. Chase something you like, because you can have a lot less money and love your life a lot more than the other way around.”

WHS Leader Mr. Bob Dawson discusses his new position

Photo by Taylor Mendes

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 8NEWS

WHS Comes Together for a CauseBy Brianna DeSalvoJagRoar Correspondent

WINDHAM – The Windham communi-ty came together to watch the Windham football team beat John Stark at 7 p.m. on Sept. 18, 2015, during their blackout game at Windham High School, which sent all proceeds to childhood cancer.

The WHS blackout game was played in honor of Cole Stoddard, who was diagnosed at age 4 with neuroblastoma and passed away on Jan. 20, 2012, at just age 5. All proceeds that Windham High School made will be donated to Cole’s charity, the St. Baldrick Foundation. Total money raised has not yet been confirmed, but “The Junior Leadership class raised over $3,000 for this great cause,” said Mrs. Jill Bartlett, teacher at WHS and leader of multiple clubs.

“Volleyball started the blackout tradition in a way to raise money for a great cause,” said Bartlett. “It is special to me as I have gotten close to the Stoddard Family and the money is going to pediatric cancer, I like to think about how the funds we raise can give the children hope for their future.”

A committee of students dedicated their

afternoons to set up lighting, raffles, tables and goodie bags to sell to the students and faculty at Windham High School.

“I worked for over two weeks to set up and make sure everything is perfect for this wonderful cause,” said Jessica DiBla-si, a 16-year-old junior at WHS, member of the Junior Leadership class, and multi-ple other activities.

Zach Augusta, a 16-year-old junior and

member of the golf team, said, “I put on a my blackout shirt and yellow shorts, got my blackout childhood wrist band and went to the game.”

Every year the town of Windham comes together as a community to raise money and awareness.

Augusta said that this game is more than just about winning; it is about the fight to stop pediatric cancer.

The tradition of ‘Black Out Cancer’ continues

Photo by Brittany MissertStudents prepare to attend the Black Out game.

By Brittany Missert JagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - On Oct. 1, WHS held its annual Powder-Puff football game. This year, it was played on the actual football field. Girls from both the junior and senior class played the game while being coached by boys of their respective classes. The girls of the junior class sport-ed black shirts with orange bandannas, whereas the senior girls wore old away-game official WHS football jerseys.

There was a large turnout from both classes, and the crowd was very rowdy as they cheered for their teams. Jean Maz-raani and Jacob Gagnon, both seniors, took it upon themselves to be the “head cheerleaders” for the seniors.

Junior Alycia Dow made the first score

about five minutes into the game, and from that point on it was a very close match. Senior Rachel Rogers scored the first touchdown for the seniors.

Shortly after halftime, senior Amanda Carey said, “I think the game is going well. The seniors are totally going to win.”

Junior Kacie Flahive naturally disagreed and said that “[The Juniors] are giving the senior team a run for their money”.

Mr. Bob Dawson, one of the referees, tried to end the game at 7p.m., after the girls had been playing for an hour. However, since the score was tied, this decision was met with protest from both teams as well as the coaches. Mr. Dawson eventually gave into the rousing chants of “Overtime! Overtime!” and allowed each team one more opportunity to score. The seniors won with a score of 28-21.

Powder-Puff Football:Not the superheroes, but the game

6- End of Quarter 16- No School – Teacher Workshop6- Our Town performance @7pm7- Our Town performances @2pm and @7pm10- Assembly11- No School - Veterans Day 23- 6th Annual Flag Football staff v. student tournament 2:20-5pm 25-27- Thanksgiving Break

November School Calendar

By Alexandra MillardJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - To kick off Fire Prevention Week, the Windham Fire Department had their annual open house on Saturday, Oct. 3. Open house was an exciting day for the firemen and the residents of Windham.

When the doors opened at 10 a.m., there were families everywhere. There were children lined up, excited for this huge event and wide-eyed as they got their first look at the flashing lights and ladders of the fire trucks reaching for the sky.

Kids got the chance to climb all the fire trucks, ambulances, Southern New Hampshire Hazardous Material Mutual Aid District Mobile command support unit, and a police special operations vehicle. The Manchester and Hampstead Fire Department as well as Southern New Hampshire Special Operations contribut-ed vehicles and personnel to this event.

Kids also had the opportunity to dress up in firefighter gear and do an obsta-cle course. After the kids had done the obstacle course, firefighters taught kids

fire safety, stop drop and roll, and escape plans.

“My favorite thing about open house is teaching young kids that we are here to help and not to be afraid of us,” said firefighter Bryan Smith.

One of the highlights of the event was Wynette, the K-9 Accelerant Sniffing Dog for New Hampshire. Wynette’s job is to sniff around after a fire for any present ac-celerant. Mitch, visiting from Manchester, explained that the dog will sit in front of any accelerant she finds and put her nose in it, informing Mitch and other investiga-tors of the danger.

“My favorite part about the open house

has got to be teaching and interacting with the kids,” said Deputy Chief William Martineau. He interacted with the crowd by lighting a fire pit and teaching the people how to use a fire extinguisher, how to properly put out a fire, and how to be safe around fire. He let kids help him put out the fire.

“My favorite part about the open house is seeing and talking to all the people,” said Scott Zins of the Windham Fire De-partment.

Overall, it was a great day enjoyed by both local firefighters and residents as the community came together to learn about fire safety and prevention.

Above: Photo by Shelby Warneke Windham’s own Ladder 1.Left: Photo by Alexandra Millard Hampstead’s ladder truck.

Windham FD Hosts Open HouseTHE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 9NEWS

Families enjoy checking out fire department and learning

about fire safety

Photo courtesy of

windhamfire.org

The patch of the Windham

Fire Department.

By Joe ZolloJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM – The awakening of minds in Europe brought along the Renaissance Era. The Renaissance brought Da Vinci and his incredible ideas and paintings but it also held the trebuchet. Its uses have been marked all the way up until the late 1700’s, but then died down.

Where is the trebuchet now? It has appeared at Windham High School, for the students’ learning experience.

Trebuchet Day is an all-day event in which physics and engineering students come out to play with their wooden castle crushers. These students shared some of their secrets on how to achieve the best possible grade.

First things first: you are going to need wood, and lots of it. Various sizes and shapes must be cut to perfection in order to achieve maximum efficiency from your trebuchet.

“Build early and practice, practice, practice,” said Mrs. Laura Nickerson, a physics teachers at Windham. She was introduced to her first Trebuchet Day three years ago when she started teaching at the

school and has been very involved ever since. Another tip she gave was to make a video documenting your process so that it can be turned in for extra credit.

Students this year have been working diligently to make their trebuchet the best there has ever been.

“I need to dedicate a lot of time to the trebuchet, and [try] a lot of tests,” said Jean “Maz” Mazarotti, a senior this year at Windham High. He believes that dedicat-ing his time to the trebuchet and “finding the exact counterweight for the balloon” will be the best possible way to boost his team’s grade.

Tim Raymond, former student at Windham High School, said that he and his team “optimized [their] design through testing” and he was one of the few that hit Mr. Pat Kaplo inside the castle walls. Kaplo has been the longest tenured phys-ics teacher at Windham and every year he dresses up like a King and stands inside his “castle” and all participants attempt to take him out.

Now you might be asking, what you could do to get even more points on the day of launching?

“Having costumes and a funny team

name is absolutely worth doing,” said Mr. Bob Dawson, the principal of Windham High.

Mr. Dawson said that one of his favorite moments in Trebuchet Day history was when a student, who he said “shall remain nameless,” hit Kaplo and screamed out loud in her Harry Potter costume, “that’s a point for Gryffindor!”

Having yourself a good team name will give you more freedom on your costume choice and will attract your teacher’s attention and give you even more bonus points.

A clever name from the past was P.M.S, which does not stand for what you are thinking. It was a clever acronym for Per-petual Motion Squad.

Some new ones are being introduced this year with current trends that involve the Whip and Nae Nae, but the one that stuck out was the clever word play by senior, Jake Gagnon and his team.

They used rhyming to create the clever name of Flotation Nation, he said that it won’t just be their name that will beat ev-eryone out, but their hard work will show and pay off on their road to getting an A on Trebuchet Day.

How to Get an ‘A’ on Trebuchet DayAnnual balloon-chucking event coming up on October 30

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 10NEWS

WHS Theatre Co. To Present ‘Our Town’

See their performance on Nov. 6 and 7!

Photo courtesy of Ms. Alison O’BrienThe cast of the newest production.

The New English DepartmentBy Annie MacLeodJagRoar Correspondent

WINDHAM - The English Department at Windham High School welcomed four new teachers this year following the de-parture of prior-director Lisa Roeder and other faculty last year, leaving students and teachers to form new bearings.

The Windham School District wel-comed Coby Troidl as the new Director of English. Troidl was formerly a princi-pal in Rochester, and brought extensive training and administrative experience to Windham. The English Department also welcomed Dr. Allyna Ward, Mrs. Maura Sampson, Mr. Mike Munsey, and Miss Jessica Samogie.

This year, Windham welcomed in a total of 15 new staff members, leaving the returning staff and students to acclimate to the new environment.

Sam Mague, a junior at Windham High School who is highly involved in the student population, said, “I feel that this is a bump in the road for Windham. We are an up and coming school that is having trouble building a foundation of commit-ted faculty.”

Mague added, “The School Board needs to work in the teacher’s favor to help them get the support they want and need; it is sad for students when they cannot count on that one teacher they love from year to year.”

As far as rebuilding the program, Mrs.

Kayleigh Davis, a returning English teach-er who has taught Cultural Foundations and American Studies along with other English electives, said that the department has some great goals for the year. They plan to raise the expectations and set the bar higher, she said, and she continued that the new teachers are eager and hope to improve their students’ work, resulting in things like a higher SAT score.

Many students have at least one new English teacher this year. When asked about new teachers, Katie Wallace, a junior at Windham High School, said, “I have Mrs. Laura Sampson for mythology, and I really like how she writes the sched-ule on the board because most teachers don’t do that.”

By Rachael Page and Ashley DomogalaJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM – Windham High School has a lot of new faculty this year, especially in the English Department. The JagRoar staff sent a questionnaire to the new teachers, and these are their responses.

Dr. Allyna Ward, teaching AP Litera-ture, Freshman Writing, English Grammar and Composition, is excited to be part of the WHS faculty this year. She graduated from New Castle University with her BA in 2001, MA in 2002, and PhD in 2006.

In addition, Dr. Ward also has teaching experience teaching English Literature at Newcastle University and Durham Uni-versity (UK) while she was in grad school at Newcastle University. Before coming to Windham, she taught at a liberal arts college in Canada. When asked what her biggest accomplishment is, she replied, “I wrote a book about women in 16th century English literature!”

Ms. Maura Sampson, a lover of the outdoors and playing with her eleven month old twins, is teaching Mythology and Freshman Wring this year. Sampson studied her undergrad at Laffayette Col-

lege with a double major of English and Sociology and graduated in 2003, grad-uated City College of New York for her secondary English Education in 2006, and started her Master's in School Counseling at Montclair, but ended up moving.

When asking Ms. Sampson about her biggest accomplishment, she explained how she presented at conferences and has worked on different projects. However, she explained that “the funniest accom-plishment is that I was teacher of the week on an all-spanish tv station in NYC called Univision and for my whole interview I was dubbed with a male, spanish-speaking voice.”

Ms. Jessica Somogie, a lover of reading and writing, outdoors, and crafting, stu-dent-taught in a high school in Charleston, SC last semester. Ms. Somogie is teaching American Studies and Poetry and fiction this year. When asked about her educa-tion, she answered that she “attended the College of Charleston and graduated with a dual degree in secondary education and English with a concentration in Spanish and Creative Writing.”

All of the new faculty is excited to see what the rest of the year holds!

Intro to our new teachers English ElectivesAll of these classes are options

for juniors and seniors. Check them out!

AP Language and CompositionAP Literature and Composition

Contemporary FictionFilm Studies

H. British Literature IH. Modern World Literature

Intro. to College WritingJournalism IJournalism II

Literature of the Land and SeaModern World Literature

MythologyPoetry and Fiction

Propaganda and PersuasionScience Fiction

Women in Literature

Jag AcademicsTHE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 11

Jag SportsTHE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 12

Jag Football Goes Out Strong

By Emma LindquistJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM – What does it mean to be undefeated?

The WHS varsity football team knows the feeling of holding the first place title of their division, and Windham is on yet another undefeated season so far.

The WHS Jaguars have been preparing for their current football season since the beginning of August, long before the school year began. Until last weekend, the Jaguars were off to a very impressive start with an undefeated record of 6-0. Coached by Bill Raycraft and led by team captains Matt Shea and Shane Lafond, the Jaguars were on a roll.

After an undefeated season last year, including the school’s first state cham-pionship, the team looked to repeat as champions this fall, but were eliminated from the playoffs after losing to Milford on Oct. 24.

“We are on a 17-game win streak, one shy away from tying the New Hampshire state record,” said senior captain, Shane Lafond, before the game. “We’re looking to use that momentum through the regular season and into playoffs.”

After many of the team’s starters grad-uated last year, including Quarterback Brendan McInnis, the way in which the members play as a team has been greatly rearranged. So far this season, many play-ers have stepped up in the absence of last year’s starters.

When asked about what kind of changes had to be made from last year to this year, senior captain Matt Shea said, “Our de-fense is run a little different than last year, and we have relied more on our running game this year on offense.”

This noticeable difference between this year and last year’s team has not affected the Jaguars as much as many would have thought. The changes worked for the Jags throughout their winning streak, especially against tough competitors like John Stark.

“In my opinion, our biggest competition so far has been John Stark. Their QB is one of the best in the state and challenged our defense more than any other team,”

said Shea.As playoffs were approaching, Coach

Matt Blair said, “Playoffs are always on our mind, but the boys are focusing more on finishing the regular season strong first, to gain the number one seed in our division.”

Lafond also added that this mindset has worked well for the Jags, focusing on one game at a time.

The Jaguars’ impressive record this season is a testament to their hard work starting in the warm days of summer, and with their past victories behind them, it is clear that fought their hardest to get to the championship.

The team will be playing one last game on Oct. 30 against Monadnock to end the regular season.

Team pulls off 17-game winning streak

Photo by Brittany MissertThe WHS football field on the night of the Black Out Game. The field was painted to have a smiley face on it in memory of Cole Stoddard.

NOTICE: Winter sports sign-ups

will open Nov. 1 through FamilyID.

By Emma LindquistJagRoar Correspondent

WINDHAM- At Windham High School, the girls’ volleyball team won their annual blackout game on Monday, Sept. 14, to fundraise and bring awareness to childhood cancer.

The team ran a bake sale prior to the match and ended up raising $205 for pediatric cancer research.

Before the game, coach Jill Bartlett had every fall sport cap-tain step up to present the Stoddard family, who lost their son to pediatric cancer. This event affected Windham in such a way that every year, a plethora of WHS sports teams rally together to fundraise for the cause.

This year, Coach Bartlett said she wanted to do something different. She wanted it to be more special, saying, “This year we wanted to make the event more inclusive for all athletes and had every fall sport captain come out to present the Stoddard family.”

Katie Farrell, senior captain of the WHS volleyball team, said, “It felt like more than just a game. We were going out there to win for the families that have been affected by cancer.”

“We had just come off of a hard loss the Friday before, so being able to regroup and play at our level was really awesome, and it felt great that it was for the Stoddard family too,” Farrell added.

Junior captain Lexi Sawyer said, “Knowing the Stoddards were watching us made want to work harder as a team and win.” Much like the rest of the WHS community, the members of the girls’ volleyball team truly brought their all to Blackout Week.

WHS Volleyball Plays for Childhood Cancer Awareness

Windham High School field hockey beats defending champions, Lebanon

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 13SPORTS

Jaguars Win Football Game Against Rival

By Matt PetryJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - Sometimes rivalry games are intense battles that go down to the wire, contests where the outcome is in question up until the final horn sounds. Other times they are akin to Custer’s Last Stand, a total blowout from start to finish.

The latter was the case when the Wind-ham Jaguars football team met their bitter rivals, the Pelham Pythons, on Friday, Oct. 16. The Jaguars won 39-9 in a game that was never even in question. Open-ing the game with four straight drives all ending in touchdowns, Windham never

looked back as they crushed their op-ponents and kept their ongoing perfect record.

There were many catalysts for the Jaguars’ success. One was Kyle Adam-son, No.87 who hauled in two touchdown receptions.

Another major player was quarterback Griffin Lippold, who led the offense on all six of their scoring drives while throwing for an impressive four touchdowns with zero interceptions.

“Well, Kyle Adamson was open every time.” said Lippold, a senior at Windham High School and starting varsity quarter-back, when asked about the key aspects to his performance. “Their defense was play-ing pretty shallow so I just kept throwing to Kyle.”

It was not until the final minutes of the second quarter that the Pythons managed to put up a touchdown and Windham was finally held out of the end zone.

Without a doubt, Windham dominated the first half and turned a much-antici-pated rivalry game into a thrashing. The match slowed down in the fourth quarter when the subs came in, but by then the starters had put the win out of reach for the Pythons.

Matt Shea, a senior at Windham High School and one of the captains of the football team, said, “I’m definitely proud of the guys, [they] stepped up.”

The Jaguars offense ran like a well-oiled machine for most of the game. The combination of stout defense that pressured the quarterback, a solid ground game that found the end zone twice, and a potent passing attack that resulted in four scores led to the decisive victory.

“Every game counts,” said Coach Bill Raycraft, varsity football coach and ath-letic director at Windham High. “There’s no let up, we have to keep fighting,” he added.

Beat Pelham Pythons in blowout, keeping undefeated season alive

By Sam CavallaroJagRoar Correspondent

WINDHAM – On Thursday Sep. 17th the Windham High School girl’s field hockey team earned a three-goal home win over Leba-non, the defending champions from last year’s season.

The team was able to put four goals past Lebanon, three even before the half. In the second half, Lebanon scored only one goal against the Jaguars to make the final score 4 to 1.

Brianna Langlois, a junior on the team, scored the first and last goals for the Jaguars and Kenna Melvin, a sophomore, and Katie O’Connor, a junior, scored one goal a piece.

Girls’ field hockey Head Coach Katie Bourque thought that her team was able to move the ball well, spread out on the field and take good shots.

“The performance was stellar,” said senior Abigail Lagos, captain and goalie for the Jaguars. “The defense played well as a whole; we barely let any shots off.”When asked about how Leba-non performed Bourque said “The midfielders were good.”

“I think both teams came out strong,” said Jordan Pellerin, a ju-nior on the team. “The other team’s goalie came off the line a lot.”

Melvin, who scored her first varsity goal in the game, also played a solid defense. “She worked her butt off,” Pellerin said. “She never gave up.”

Langlois scored twice in the game, and was additionally de-scribed as a good communicator and always was on her post. Pellerin added, “Bri worked her hardest.”

Both the teams were undefeated going into the game, and last year Lebanon beat the Jaguars in the finals. When asked what the game meant to the Jags, Lagos said “It gives us more confidence because they knocked us out last year in the championship.”

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 14SPORTS

Photos courtesy of Windham High School Twitter pageGolf and soccers photo by Chuck Swierad

Above: Seniors of the football team honor Mrs. Gayle Robertson on their honorary walk across the field.

Left: Seniors of the pep band gather for a picture.

Upper left: Seniors of the cheer squad strike a pose at halftime at the Oct. 24 football game against Milford.

Above: Varsity girls soccer seniors huddle together for a picture with their beloved soccer ball.

Left: The golf team poses with the 2nd place plaque for Division II. James McKee, a junior, earned his second consecutive Division II individual golf championship.

This Fall in Pictures

Story continues on Page 16

Jag FeaturesTHE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27 • PAGE 15

Photo by Jared CassedyThe WHS Band is conducted by a special guest from the Disney Workshop.

WHS Band Has Magical Experience With Disney

PERSPECTIVEBy Casey ErginJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - On Wednesday, Sept. 23, as a mem-ber of the Windham High School Band, I was given a chance to work with Disney Performing Arts as they led a workshop for the Windham High School Band. The workshop was designed to transform the students from ordinary high school instrumentalists into studio musicians. From the moment we entered the room, students were treated as any professional would be, and expecta-tions were just as high.

Taught and conducted by Mr. Allen Gray, the workshop focused on Disney music, and used recognizable songs that we could identify within moments of hearing them. Just like professional studio musicians, however, we all saw the music for the first time that day. Given books in which the songs were titled with numbers rather than their actual names, we were given around a minute to read through the music and discover what

song we would be playing, before we played and recorded the piece.

At first, we were unaware that we were being recorded. After hearing a surprise recording of our

first song, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from the Disney film Mary Poppins, our focus was refined tenfold, and we took on the pieces with a new resolve. Director Jared Cassedy was amazed by the transformation that occurred within the students. “Having to focus, review, and record music in such a short amount of time requires all of us to really dig down and work through the music and with each other in a different kind of way,” he commented, looking back after the experience.

The transformation that took place during the workshop was just as impactful on the students. Giuliana Jeffers, a senior, ad-mitted to being nervous about the idea of reading and performing

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 16FEATURES

music on-the-spot. “But,” she admitted, “I think that [Disney] can definitely help us learn how to better sight read today, and how to approach a piece so that we won’t be terrified of it right away.”

The climax of the workshop arrived when we were given a half-hour to rehearse a longer piece that would be layered onto a scene from a Disney movie. The scene chosen was a well known one – the stampede scene from The Lion King. Told we would only get one chance to record, our effort and focus increased tenfold, and we buckled down and attacked the music with a renewed vigor. After the recording was completed, we were able to head out into the auditorium and watch their scene as a band and audience, featuring the score we had personally recorded.

After the workshop, the Disney representatives hosted a Q&A for all students in the school’s music programs about careers in Disney Performing Arts. Just before, Mr. Allen Grey, who led the workshop, reflected on the Windham High School Band’s progress over the course of the workshop. “You guys are doing some really great musical things,” Mr. Gray told us. “Keep doing everything you already know how to do to the best of your ability, and step it up to the best it can be every time [it’s played].”

Truly a magical experience for all who had a chance to take part in it, the workshop will continue to influence the work of the students in the classroom and in their future performances on stage.

Photo by Jared CassedyThe band members received Mickey hats.

Dough: 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour2 ½ teaspoons baking

powder½ teaspoon salt1 ¾ cups packed brown

sugar¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter

or margarine, softened

3 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract

A Delicious Fall Season RecipeBy Katey VestaJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - Leaves have hit the ground, thermostats have dropped below 50°F, and stores are already selling Christmas decorations: fall is now officially here. Because of this, people finally have a reasonable excuse to bake ridiculous amounts of food. You can con-tribute to this great pastime with this simple fall recipe. Since treats like apple pie or peach cobbler may be a bit traditional, this dessert is something a bit more out-of-the-box. It’s a variation, or rather two variations, on a blondie cookie bar recipe found on a chocolate chip bag in ages long past. They’re extraordinarily easy to make, but also incredibly delicious.

Instructions: 1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a baking pan, any size will

do but 15 x 10 inches works best.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl (if you’re making the pumpkin spice variation, add in the pumpkin pie spice here as well). Beat sugar and butter in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Then gradually add in the flour mixture. Stir in the other ingredients, depending on which version you chose to make.

3. Spread the dough into the prepared pan, sprinkling it with any leftover chips. Bake it for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let it cool in the pan, cut it into bars, and you’re done!

Two Variations: Traditional:

1 bag of cinnamon or pump-kin spice chips (you can find these at almost any supermar-ket in the baking aisle)

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¾ cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Non-Traditional:1 cup white chocolate chips1 cup Craisins

Magical Experience With Visit From Disney

Photo Cour-tesy of very-bestbaking.comBlondie cookie bars

Try a seasonal twist on blondie cookie bars

By Macy DelaneyJagRoar Correspondent

Supplies: - wood (make sure you can hang your

creation once you’re done)- hammer- nails- big printed picture/template of a jack

o’ lantern - x-acto knife- green string (for the stem)- orange string (for the pumpkin)- black string (for the face)- wax paper- pencil- masking tape

Procedure: Step one:

Get all of your materials.

Step two:Trace your pumpkin onto the wax

paper; make it whatever size you prefer. Tape down the wax paper so it’s in the center of your wood board.

Step three:Get all of your nails out, and begin

hammering them around the rim of your pumpkin template, doing your best to separate the nails evenly. Also be sure to hammer in nails around the face of your pumpkin. Finally, put nails in two rows

down each side of the pumpkin, represent-ing the lines that are on a real pumpkin.

Step four:You’re all set to make your pumpkin!

Tie a double-knot around a nail, (starting with the orange string) and go around the rim of your pumpkin, avoiding the stem. Every time you go around a nail, twirl the string around it once before going to the next nail. Be sure to put the string around the correct nails- and not inside the stem or face. End with another double-knot. Make sure it’s tight! Then, go down the lines with your string a few times to make it noticeable. (I went four times.) Once you’re done with the outline, carefully take off the wax paper without ripping it.

Step five:Once you’re done with the pumpkin,

work on the face. Begin and finish it just like you did with the rest of the pumpkin, using black string for the face and green for the stem, and enjoy!

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 17FEATURES

Jack O’ Lantern String ArtAn easy, spooky DIY Halloween craft

Photos by Macy DelaneyPictures of making the craft.

By Alana HaggertyJagRoar Correspondent

WINDHAM – Having trouble figuring out what to wear this fall? This wom-en’s fall fashion trend guide will help you identify what’s cool and what’s a drool.

Fashion trends change by season, and this fall there are many items “all-the-rage” for women. These fall trends usu-ally begin in the end of September or mid-October depending on the region. Fall trends tend to transition into winter trends during the end of November.

In-season items for this fall include boots, jeans, neutral colors, plaid prints, and furs.

“I think that they’re mostly the same,” said Samantha Percuoco, a senior at WHS said when asked to compare last year’s fall fashion with this year’s. “I haven’t seen that much of a difference, except I do think that slouchy (cocoon) sweaters have become more popular this year.”

Cocoon sweaters are big, slouchy sweaters that are usually longer in the back and do not contain buttons or any type of closure in the front. Typically, they are worn with a camisole or t-shirt underneath.

Fashion can be personalized. Every person has their own style, level of comfort, or favorite items. Even guys are taking notice of women’s fall trends. Link Whiteford, a senior at Windham High School, observed that girls enjoy wearing boots, scarfs, and jeans during the fall months.

Certain styles of clothing also have a lot to do with where the person is from. A woman living in New York City would not wear the same fall clothing as a woman from North Dakota. Because their backgrounds and locations vary drastically, their styles will vary too.

“I love the new cocoon sweaters and ponchos,” said Mrs. Janet Robbins, the veteran fashion teacher at Windham High School. “They are funky and fun and can be a great expression of person-al taste.”

When asked what colors to wear, Mrs. Robbins replied, “Reds, bricks, browns, golds. The same colors you find in our beautiful leaves as they change color.

Fall FashionThis season’s trends

Jag ActivitiesTHE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 18

List of Clubs:Art Club- Ms. Cole-DaharBook Club- Ms. Morin or Mr. NaroianDeca- Ms. BishopDigital Video- Mr. SweetserFBLA- Mrs. MorseFrench Honor- Ms. BrennanFriends of Rachel- Mrs. TalonGames Club- Mr. MunseyGender Equality- Mrs. McKennaGLBT- Ms. GauvinGo Green Club- Mrs. O’ConnellGranite State Challenge- Mr. DemersHiking Club- Ms. CannonJCA- Ms. Les or Mr. WelchKiniting club- Mrs. AshLiterary Magazine- Ms. C. DavisMarine Biology- Ms. GauvinMath Honor- Ms. AndersonMinecraft Club- Mr. WestwoodModel UN- Mr. CuttingNEML- Ms. HartmannNewspaper- Mrs. AshNHS- Ms. SmithPhotography Club- Mrs. BourdeauProgramming- Ms. NickersonRobotics- Mr. WestwoodRock Climbing- Mr. GilbertSALT- Mr. BlairScience Olympiad- Mr. DemersJAGSAT- Mr. KaploShark Club- Mr. KeshigianSki & Snowboard- Ms. GauvinSMILES- Mr. BryantSpanish Honor- Mr. WestwoodStudent Council- Ms. Bishop/ Ms. HallTheatre- Mrs. O’BrienTri-State Travel Math Team- Mr. LatvisYearbook- Mrs. Ash/ Ms. Bourdeau

Students Flock to Club FairTime for the fun groups to start again

By Kirk WhelanJagRoar Correspondent

WINDHAM-- Windham High School students on Thursday gathered outside the school cafeteria for the 2015 WHS club fair, organized by Mrs. Julie Licht-mann, the Director of Guidance.

Tables lined the hallway topped with info, props and sign-up sheets set up by club leaders to recruit new members. Props varied from the Robotic Club’s tote storing, organizational machine, to the brand new Shark Club’s shark mascot.

Windham High School is currently offering 51 extracurricular activities for students to participate in this year, according to guidance receptionist Mrs. Julie George. Notable defunct clubs include archery club and debate club, which were discontinued due to not having available club advisors.

“The high turnover rate among teachers can often make it difficult for clubs to maintain structure and have active participants,” said Mr. Michael Welch, leader of the Jaguar Community Alliance (JCA). The JCA has become one of the most successful clubs at the high school, growing from five students in 2011 to 130 in 2015.

“The JCA gives all students an op-portunity to meet new people and come together,” he said when describing the mission of the club.

Various clubs have experienced some roadblocks in executing their plans.

TV Video Club member Jacob Gag-non described the shortcomings in the production of Jag TV: “Past members have gotten in trouble because of bully-ing and other issues, so we are trying to repair that,” he said.

The club now mainly airs school plays and events in the auditorium.

By Ben WhiteheadJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - One of the most success-ful and most interesting clubs in the club fair was a new club named Shark Club. But what is Shark Club? What do they hope to achieve this year?

According to Billy Fischer, a sopho-more, shark club is a place where people can go to raise awareness for the endan-germent of sharks.

The club gained close to 200 mem-bers during the club fair, by far the most popular club of the day.

The club attracted many new shark fanatics and friends alike who enjoy activities like watching shark week.

When asked why he joined the club, sophomore Vinny Marino said, “I thought it sounded like fun.”

The Shark Club’s main goal is to

raise awareness of shark endangerment, which is a frighteningly real issue.

As the years go by, the number of sharks in the world decreases as a result of human activity in the oceans. Activities such as shark finning and sharks getting stuck in fishnets, are what is causing this decline.

According to seethewild.org, three species of sharks, including the Great Hammerhead Shark, are now endan-gered.

So, whether you think shark club is a joke or not, they have already partially accomplished their goal of raising awareness for Shark Endangerment.

Billy Fischer contributed to this article.

Shark Club Makes Waves

By Katey VestaJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM -Anyone who has taken a Spanish course at Windham High has probably had some interaction with, or at least heard of, the Spanish Honors Society. SHS has certainly been an important part of the World Languages department in the past, but Society leader Mr. Chad West-wood says he has especially high hopes for this year.

“This year we really are putting a lot of the responsibility on the students them-selves so that they can get more leadership qualities and experience,” he said.

In previous years, SHS was involved in some events within the community, but not as many as hoped for.

Returning member and newly elected secretary Grace Donabedian explained, “I want members to become more active, by creating new committees to make more SHS events happen.”

Some possible events for this year include a Spanish movie night, a Spanish Café, and even a piñata party. All mem-bers of SHS, even new inductees, are being encouraged to participate as much as they can.

“We represent the school in advocating for culture in the community,” Mr. West-

wood continued. “We like to show more of the Windham High School students our global world.”

It is this message of cultural appreci-ation that is the driving force behind Span-ish Honors Society, and will hopefully be expressed in their future endeavors.

Vice-President Susie Poore agreed, “I’m excited for SHH to make other people more aware and immersed in Spanish culture. I think it’ll be a great experience for everyone!”

Community involvement is a vital as-pect of success for activities run by SHS, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for any announcements about future events.

By Ashley DomogalaJagRoar Staff

WINDHAM - On Oct. 10, Windham Windup (FIRST Robotics team #3467) headed to the NH Jamboree at New Hamp-shire Motor Speedway to demonstrate last year’s robot. The team started the year off with a bang as they won the event.

Right now, the team is in preseason, training new members and refreshing shop materials as they work on random proj-ects to improve their skills. The team is divided into subteams, including business, electrical, mechanical, programming, media and design.

Nathan Houde, electrical captain, Varsity member, and WHS senior, said he enjoys the challenge of building a robot to com-plete certain tasks. “I enjoy the challenge and process of having a problem, creating a solution to the problem, and solving the problem,” he said.

The team will host the 7th Annual New Hampshire Techfest at WHS on October 24. It will be a great place to “learn about robots, drones, and virtual reality,” claims the team’s website at team3467.org.

After that event, the team will compete in River Rage on October 17 in Manches-ter and Battle of the Bay on November 14 in Alton.

The real season starts at the global Jan-

uary 9 kickoff, explained Houde. Then, once the challenge is revealed, the team embarks on a six week mission to build a robot capable of completing the challenge. In past years, the robot has had to throw Frisbees and climb ladders on top of other things.

“If you enjoy or want to be in the STEM field, it’s a great place to try it out,” explained Houde.

Team captain, Varsity member, and WHS senior Dan Savukinas agreed: “It’s fun, you learn. It’s a hands-on experi-ence.”

In the 2014 season, Windham Windup won the UNH District Event, the North-eastern University District Event, and the Archimedes Division. They made it to quarterfinals in St. Louis and were knocked out, but enjoyed the experience.

Carina Savukinas, student leader, Varsity member, and WHS junior, said, “It’s a really good way to learn about engineer-ing and science and prepare you for the future.”

As for the team members, media captain and WHS senior Conor Syracuse described them as “helpful and friendly, along with willing to show you what to do at a mo-ments notice. You get to know everyone wicked fast, and everyone knows you.”

If you are interested in joining the Robotics team, contact any of the team members to find out when meetings are.

Photo coutesy of Team 3467Windham Windup’s 2014 robot at the Strawberry Festival this June as the team demonstrates.

Robotics Gears Up for New Season

SHS Aims to Make a Bigger Impact

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 19 ACTIVITIES

Windham Windup team participates in preseason events

Monday2:30pm- NHS (11/2)2:30pm- Newspaper2:30pm- jagSAT2:30pm- SMILES (every other)2:30pm- Theater3pm- Strength and Conditioning

Tuesday7:15am- Mu Alpha Theta (11/10)7:20am- SALT (date)2:25pm- Math League (11/10)2:30pm- Strength and Conditioning2:30pm- Book Club2:30pm- Theater2:30pm- JCA

Wednesday2:30pm- jagSAT2:30pm- Minecraft2:30pm- Theater

Thursday7am- Mathletes7:15am- SHS7:15am- DECA7:15am- Knitting Club7:20am- SHS (11/19)2:30pm- DECA2:30pm- Latin Club2:30pm- Knitting Club2:30pm- Strength and Conditioning

Friday7:20am- Go Green Club7:30am- Friends of Rachel2:30pm- Marine Science2:30pm- Art Club2:30pm- Games Club

What’s Happening? Club Calendar

Happy Halloween!

Art Club: open studio for people that like to create or hang out with people. Lots of independent projects, food, and loud music.

Strength and Conditioning Club: Good for anyone looking to get stronger and more athletic. Open to all.

Rock Climbing Club: At Vertical Dreams in Nashua, one night a week during the winter season.

Student Athlete Leadership Team (S.A.L.T.): SALT, Student Athlete Lead-ership Team, has been organized in order to create tradition throughout our school and community, gives student-athletes a chance to improve and demonstrate their leadership skills, and creating a positive, spirited environment within our school.

Mu Alpha Theta: Mu Alpha Theta is a national, collegiate math honor society that promotes the love of mathematics.

WHS Matheletes: A group of stu-dents that love learning mathematics and friendly competition as well as traveling to other schools to compete against students from 12 area schools. Also - we have lots of food!

DECA: DECA is a competitive club, students practice leadership skills such as goal setting, consensus building and proj-ect management. Students compete and prepare for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, management and entrepre-neurship. We are preparing for our State Competition in February 2016!

Knitting Club: We are a group of crafty students and teachers who like to knit, crochet, or want to learn. We drink tea and hot cocoa and chat with friends while we work on our newest knitting projects.

Book Club: Based on the interests of members, a common pleasurable reading book(s) is selected. The club convenes weekly for discussions of the readings and life in general. We are currently reading H2O by Virginia Bergin, a dystopian novel about the future.

Math League: We meet once a month for 30 minutes. You are completing 6 (sometimes challenging!) problems. All levels of math are welcome!!!

Go Green Club: We look for ways for WHS to be more environmentally friendly and raise awareness about environmental issues. Right now we are planning activ-ities for the year to raise awareness about recycling and also grounds clean up.

Minecraft: Minecraft lovers come to-gether to design and create anything their minds can come up with within the Mine-craft world. Anyone is welcome, experi-enced and inexperienced students alike.

Marine Science Club: We watch marine science videos and prepare for the Nor’easter Bowl in February.

jagSAT: We are currently working on adding new technologies to our jagSAT program. With jagDRONE we are adding new cameras (possibly infrared) and other sensors to the flight package.

French National Honors Society: Our club works to improve the understanding of the French language and culture within WHS. As leaders of the WHS French com-munity, we encourage different avenues to explore and enhance our learning of the French language and culture (both academically and socially).

SMILES: SMILES was founded at WMS in 2007 to provide opportunities for students to get out in the community and recognize the value of community service. Our big event each year is the Styles and SMILES Fashion Show benefitting the Avon Breast Cancer Foundation - there’s lots of opportunities to help plan and pro-duce the show, so get involved!

Friends of Rachel: We are trying to spread a chain reaction of kindness in hon-or of Rachel Scott. Rachel was a student who was killed in the Columbine school shooting. We are in the planning stages of some new and exciting activities!

Drama: We produce 2 shows a year- A fall play and a spring musical. There is also a student production in May, which is traditionally a musical as well. We are pre-pared for our fall show Our Town which opens November 6th.

JCA: Our goal is to help bring together the students and staff of Windham High School by creating fun events. Our events, activities and theme days give our mem-bers an environment where they can be themselves, form friendships and become positively involved in our school.

Latin Club: This is a club for those students who are interested in the an-cient world, specifically Ancient Greece and Rome, and its culture, history, and language.

Games Club: We meet once a week after school to play board games, card games, and tabletop roleplaying games.

THE JAGROAR OCTOBER 27, 2015 • PAGE 20 ACTIVITIES

Responses by club advisers answer the question