EDITORIAL: The Cost of Healthy Living

By Diana Herritt

Have you ever considered the connection between low-income families and the quality of their food? It is apparent that in areas of our countries with lower standards of living, a greater percentage of the population is overweight. It looks as if everyone is making the wrong lifestyle choices—but lack of health consideration may not be the only factor in determining food preference.

I browsed through aisles, scanning up and down trying to make the perfect choice. Those bananas and healthy smoothies would surely be enough to fill me up from New York to Pennsylvania. With money as not something of my concern, I had no limits. At the check out line, I could not help but ignorantly judge those with carts containing cheese curls and snack bags. Only when I took notice of the dramatic price differences did it occur to me that some people simply lacked the money. Their budgets cannot afford enough fruits and vegetables to feed their entire families. It is much easier to buy a greater amount of processed foods that will last longer rather than spend that money on a smaller amount of short-lasting fruits and vegetables. The price of health is very unappealing.

So I have to ask, just why exactly is eating healthy so expensive? If obesity is such a huge concern, why is simply eating healthy a struggle for part of our population? The government is subsidizing the food industries aimed towards the more profitable foods, such as those containing high-fructose corn syrup. Unlike your organics, these foods can be produced whenever and in mass quantities, so they are more readily available. What the government fails to realize is that they will be paying to deal with the health problems that come from the very foods they support. This is not to say junk food should be banned, because there certainly are those who can consume these foods in perfect moderation. However, food industries aimed towards healthier products deserve the backing of government subsidies more so than the others.

If the government will help, the lower price of healthier foods could create a great incentive to buy healthy. Higher demand will allow for a safer drop in price, hopefully a drop big enough to encourage that better choice. People will still need to learn how to make the proper lifestyle changes, but lowering the costs is the first step towards preventing chronic disease such as heart diseases, diabetes, and even cancer.

VIDEO POLL OF HHS STUDENTS: Exercise Your Civic Duty

Click on the link below to view a video editorial.

Exercise Your Civic Duty

Editorial: Budding Youth are Cut Down

By Tucker Gaskill, Brian Scala, and Alex Beckwith

Senior year is arguably the most import year in a high school student’s life. During this year, the transmogrification from teenager to adult occurs. Students are applying the colleges, driving is no longer restricted, and most pupils are turning 18.

With great age, comes great responsibility. Although this slightly altered saying was originally applied to a different scenario, it is still a wonderful anecdote for any high school senior’s obligations. At Hopkinton High School, these obligations come with benefits as well. As long as students maintains above a 75 average, passes all of their classes, and bring a parent to school one day to sign all the forms, they have the privilege of leaving school grounds during a free block.

Compared to some neighboring districts, our policy is a tad more strict than others. For example, at Pembroke Academy, they have similar requirements, albeit only requiring a passing grade in all courses, whereas at Hopkinton, we need at least a 75 cumulative average.

As all people know, everyone has his/her own strengths and weaknesses. At Hopkinton, there are many classes that are requirements for graduation. While students may try hard, they just might not be cut out for what’s assigned to them. We feel as though the 75 average is a relatively high requirement for those who may struggle with certain topics in the curriculum.

During a student’s final year in high school, most will experience his/her 18th birthday. In virtually all aspects of society, this student is now viewed and treated as an adults. This has both positive and negative effects. These new adults can now make important decisions such as signing for loans, choosing the political candidates they support, and committing to marriage. All of these decisions require a vast amount of maturity and responsibility. However, according to the school, they can’t venture out of the building to decide what to have for lunch without parental permission.

We feel that, as adults, those in our student body should have the right to make that decision for themselves, without involving unneeded bureaucracy between parents and school administration. We feel that both of these proposals could be combined to make a more free, American policy that would teach responsibility and ethics to our budding youth.

EDITORIAL: Helping to Help Yourself

By Kaylee Foote, Breanna Ostrander, Kara McKlusky, and Rachel Partlow

You see a girl working at the soup kitchen. She’s smiling, and enthusiastically helps to serve. But what’s going through her head? We assume she’s thinking simple thoughts about making a difference and helping the unfortunate: warm, sweet feelings. But a peek into her head reveals she’s thinking about how her service will get her into college.

Helping your community used to be a great judge of character, where people actually wanted to help and see their community prosper. Now, if you give up a few hours of your weekend, you can get into colleges more easily. Blaming students for college resume padding is misplaced; the blame belongs to the colleges. Students feel as if they need to be the best they can be to get into a school, which is true. Yet, if that includes faking sincerity, then it should not be a large requirement. There should be no personal benefits to doing community service, other than feeling good about yourself.

We need to focus on the “why,” not the “what.” College applications only reflect the shell of a student, what’s on the outside, what everyone else sees. So a student did a lot of community service. Based on that information you’d say that makes them an excellent candidate for whatever school they are applying to (granted the rest of their application is of good quality). Wrong. Colleges foolishly base a lot of their acceptance qualifications on the “shells” of students. Many would be surprised to find that inside those seemingly perfect shells are not so stunning interiors.

Yes, a kid did a lot of community service and yes, they may have taken many AP classes, but what college applications fail to acknowledge is why? Maybe they did community service just for the college application and maybe they took AP classes in subjects they hate or aren’t even good at, just because it looks good to colleges?

These candidates are a little less stunning now aren’t they? The sad thing is this theoretical situation is anything but theoretical. It’s the real deal. Beneath that glossy exterior of students today is a slightly less appealing center that college applications fail to acknowledge.

EDITORIAL: The Truth About Obesity

By Lindsay White, Rachel LeGros, and Jimmy Angell

“This might be the first generation where kids are dying at a younger age than their parents and it's related primarily to the obesity problem.” This is a bold quote from Australian actress Judy Davis, but she is entirely right. There are many factors that increase the rate of childhood obesity in the world, the USA primarily. Studies have shown that children who live near fast food establishments are more likely to be obese and children that are clumsy also have a greater chance of being overweight.

According to the World Health Organization, there are more than one billion overweight adults, with more than 300 million of them being obese. Since these adults are setting the example for the next generations, they put the future’s health at risk. Parents are allowing their kids to run their own diets when they really do not have an idea of what is healthy and what is fattening. For example, families who are always on the go do not have time for a sit-down dinner, so the children are forced to make their own eating decisions, and usually do not pick the most nutritious foods.

Another factor that leads to obesity is lack of exercise. It is suggested that you exercise at least thirty minutes each day so you can burn the calories that you have consumed over the course of the day. Exercise is also important because it will keep you at a healthy weight. But exercise is not always enough. You also need to eat healthy to see results in weight loss.

If we do not act now, the obesity rate will keep increasing. Do what you can to eat healthy and exercise daily. The choices you make are the ones that effect your life and family.

Editorial: The Truth about Going Green

The United States produces the most carbon emissions out of all the countries in the world. According to Environmental Engineering, we produce 1.5 billion tons of emissions from the use of automobiles. Americans have been asking themselves what steps they need to take in order to reduce their carbon footprint. The fact of the matter is we, as a nation, do not want to re-adjust our daily routine in order to reduce our footprint. Adjusting our routines seems like (and is) a wonderful idea and notion; however, it is quite hard to do. Even though there are many obstacles, there are plenty of ways that we can produce our nation’s carbon footprint and become greener.

Car companies are trying to produce more and more efficient cars. Since the 1960s our nation has been worrying about global warming. We now have cars that run on hydrogen, natural gas, ethanol, and biodiesel. We also have electric powered cars like the Nissan Leaf, the Toyota Prius and the Chevy Volt. There are plenty of ways to cut down our emissions; however, people don’t want to get rid of their old cars and buy a new one. Buying a new, green-efficient car may seem stressful at the time, but in the end, the planet would benefit, which is what our nation claims it wants. Though we could cut down our emissions by buying a new car, we have to take in the fact that the company’s factories burn fossil fuels, and create emissions. The companies could switch from fossil fuels to solar panels, but again, it is a lot more expensive.

Each individual can cut down his/her own carbon footprint by using alternative ways of transportation. People should walk, ride a bike, or car-pool. Car-pooling is a great way of transportation if you live in the city, whereas in the country it is a little bit more difficult.

Aside from cars, people want to cut down the energy use in their homes. This is the place where it is hard to change habits. We want to use less water and conserve energy, but in reality these actions are conscious thoughts and they need to be subconscious. Simple things can reduce the amount of energy a family uses in their homes: stopping the faucet while not using the water, taking shorter showers, and doing the laundry with cold water all can help by cutting down the amount of water we use. We can save energy by shutting off lights while not in the room, or unplugging appliances when they are not in use. It is simpler to cut down energy use in homes.

No matter how Americans do it, we must begin to cut our energy use. We use more energy than any other country, and that is unacceptable. Pick one thing that you can do; whether it be turn off the lights, take shorter showers, or maybe buy a more efficient car. Start with one simple task, and then it will become a subconscious thought for you to branch off into doing other greener tasks.

By: Alex, Justin, and Anthony

Editorial: If Words Could Kill

By Rin Conley and Ashley Tibbetts

Do you remember being a teenager? Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, only now beginning to shape whom you will be for the rest of your life. Imagine if instead of those years being about growing and learning, they are about hate. Imagine walking into a school building every day and being taunted, yelled at, made fun of, called names, even hit. Imagine going home, a place that should be safe, and being assaulted on social networking and in text messages. And all of this hatred, anger, and intolerance, is simply because of whom you decide to love.

It’s estimated by the Give A Damn foundation (promoting tolerance) that 90% of gay and lesbian teens are harassed in school, whether physically or verbally, where as only 62% of straight teens feel they are bullied. Many adults take the viewpoint that “kids will be kids,” that bullying is a part of school and youth. But what happens when these teens being targeted day in and day out start taking their lives?

On September 19^th, thirteen-year-old Seth Walsh hung himself from a tree in his back yard because of constant torment at his California middle school.

On September 22^nd, Tyler Clementi jumped off of the George Washington Bridge in New Brunswick, NJ because a tape of him having sex with another male surfaced and spread around the Internet.

And on September 23^rd Asher Brown, a thirteen year old Texas student, shot himself in the head after reported anti-gay bullying which eventually turned physical, which teachers and officials at his school did nothing about it.

Hate bullying is real. We can no longer pretend that this issue is not pressing. It is everywhere: media, politics, Internet, television. For some teens, there is no safe place for them anymore. School, a place students should be protected and allowed to learn, isn’t even welcoming. Two thirds of gay students report hearing homophobic remarks from faculty. And 1 in 3 kids have skipped a day of school in the past month because of harassment at school.

We are to the point when two thirteen-year-olds and an eighteen-year-old have taken their lives within a week of each other because they simply couldn’t take the pressure of the hatred anymore. Gay and lesbian teens are four times more likely to kill themselves than straight teens. What has to happen before we are all aware, before we all try to help? How many children have to die before we actually care?

For information about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender tolerance, visit:

http://www.wegiveadamn.org/

http://www.noh8campaign.com/

Red Hawks Stay Strong

By Breanna Ostrander

During the past two weekends the local football team, the Red Hawks, have played two very good games. The first of the two games was against the Mount Washington Wolves, which took the Red Hawks record from 4-2 to 5-2 with a score of 28-0. This game on the 30th of October was located in Whitefield, in which many of the players had an excellent game. In the second quarter, Dario Jimenez, ran the ball for a total of 51 yards; he also had an intercepted ball. “I felt that we really came together and played as a team. We improved in a lot of different places, which helped us overcome Mount Washington and will help us with the other teams we will have to face,” stated Jimenez. In the third quarter, before the Red Hawks took offense, Jay White returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown. Jimenez also had a good third quarter, running for 41 yards. In the last quarter of the game, Trynt Barchey got the ball on Mount Washington and was able to run it for 29 total yards with a touch down.

In the Red Hawks second game, they played the Seacoast Titans in Dover. This game was a hard defeat for the Red Hawks, bringing their record to 5-3. Jimenez also had a very good game against the Titans where he ran for total of 40 yards. The game was a tough one for the Red Hawks with a score of 0-8, but each player tried his hardest, even though the game did not end up in their favor. In the fifth drive, there was one interception for the Red Hawks, and there were also two sacks for a total of 29 yards lost for Seacoast. Viktor Montanez had a great game with a total of 66 yards ran.

Overall, both of the games were played very well, and the Red Hawks put all their effort into each of them. The next game for the Red Hawks will be here in Contoocook on Sunday November, 14 at 1pm against the Granite State Panthers.

Students in Out-of-School Activites

by Lindsay White

Not everyone participates in school sports. Some students find their interests in places outside of the district. This is true for freshman, Taylor Yianakopolos, and senior, Stu Mosseau. Both students spend their time outside of school doing what they do best.

Stu Mosseau takes 5-10 hours a week to devote his time to teaching at Shaolin Kung Fu. He used to do 15 hours a week but he had to downsize in order to complete other jobs. When asked if he ever considered doing a school sport he said, “nah. I’m not much of a ‘team player’.” He does not think he will continue after high school because of “where he applied to college.” Mosseau says his favorite part of what he does is “just seeing the students progress and mature, it’s really self rewarding; knowing that what I’m doing helps.”

Taylor Yianakopolos spends her time outside of school attending gymnastics lessons most days of the week. She “loves it” and thinks that it is too early to determine whether she will continue after high school. Since she is only a freshman, Yianakopolos is glad that she has something she really likes to do even though it is not school oriented. She attends gymnastics ‘meets’ most weekends in the spring. Although she is often spending time at Flipz Gymnastics, Yianakopolos still manages to get her homework done without complaining.

Gould Hill: More Than Just an Orchard

By Jimmy Angell

Gould hill was founded in 1735, and, since then, has changed ownership seven times. Previous owners Sue And Erick Leadbeater sold the farm in 2009. They still work closely with owners Amy and Tim Basset. Gould Hill is an important part of Hopkinton and its history. From McIntosh, to Red Delicious, to Hampshire Gould hill offers a variety of different apples. Since the 1980s people have been able to pick their own apples for just a small price. For almost 300 years and with new owners, a prosperous farm and a good community member, Gould Hill will surely be a part of Hopkinton for years to come.

Math Is: $#%!

By Kaylee Foote

This year Hopkinton High School has decided to start their own chapter of the Math Honor Society. The two main goals of the society are to recognize people for their superior math achievements, and to promote math so that more people will get interested in it.

Since this is the first year of the society at the high school, the students that are part of it are chosen by leader of the society. And after that first year, the students from last year get to choose who is in the society.

Math is cool!

Bringing Some Southern Comfort to a Small New England Town

By Nicole Mitchell

The Everyday Café opened on October 4, 2010. The new owners Lisa and Christian Nardi bought the café when they came to Hopkinton for Christian’s 20th high school class reunion in August. Christian, a native from Hopkinton, grew up and graduated from Hopkinton High School and Lisa who is from Jackson, Mississippi met in New Orleans. The two of them moved up here on September 22, 2010 and now live in Contoocook.

When asked what inspired them to open a café, Lisa commented, “I’ve always wanted my own business and to be my own boss and Christian has always wanted a breakfast place and in New Orleans there is so much competition and it would cost five times as much and when we saw the café for sale it was too good of a deal to pass up.” The café is busier than they expected it would be with regulars who come in for their morning coffee and travelers from the interstate looking for a hot meal.

In order to cook the food, they use electric griddles, a Panini press machine, a convection oven and toasters, since the building does not have any stoves. Lisa commented that the only problem they are having right now is not having enough outlets since it’s an old building. When they first opened they would have power surges quite often while in the middle of cooking food, but now they figured out what appliances should go where to suit their needs and the buildings needs. The café only has about eight parking spots in front of the building, but there is a municipal parking lot behind the Covered Bridge Restaurant that has more parking for customers.

This café is different from the previous cafés because the new owners brought in some of the old with the new. All the tables have old pictures from the Historical Society of Hopkinton. These photos of the café are displayed underneath the glass on all the tables in the café. The new owners also changed all the décor, lighting, food, and atmosphere. This new café really shows the history of our small town and it is incorporated into the décor of this local café.

Mathletes

By Alex Beckwith

At Hopkinton High School, there are many alternatives to conventional sports that still offer a nice level of competition. One of these activities is the math team, which is led by co captains Sam Verbanic and Melissa Levy. Verbanic says that one of the main things that separates math team from other sports and activities is the level of diversity. There are many people from all ethnic groups and walks of life at their meets, which occur weekly on Wednesdays.

One of the star players on the team is Lucas Aruda, a bright young sophomore who is already taking AP Calculus AB. Lucas is known for uniting the team, as well as earning them many points. With Lucas on the team, Hopkinton’s mathletes are on track to bring home a title for their advisor this year, Mr. Brizard.

The Rocky Horror Glee Show

By Rachel LeGros

This past week’s episode of Glee caused some upset with parents who have children who watch the television show. The episode’s plot was the Glee club doing The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the year’s musical. The cast performed covers of songs such as “Time Warp” and “Dammit Janet,” and to some viewers, was a bit too risqué for television. Maybe one of the most controversial scenes of the episode was the cast’s spin on the song “Sweet Transvestite,” sung by Amber Riley.

The episode also caused some upset with die-hard Rocky Horror fans. On the Youtube videos of the Glee cast performing the songs, there is an abundance of comments stating things such as “I can’t believe they would try to cover Rocky Horror” or “Rocky Horror’s version is so much better.”

With 11.76 million viewers that night, apparently the controversial matter of the episode didn’t matter.

Hopkinton Gets Rained Out of a Victory

By: Alexandra Trahnstrom

On October 27th the Hopkinton varsity boy’s soccer team was scheduled to play a play off game against Mascoma. At the end of the first half the game was tied 0-0. Five minutes into the second half Mascoma scored the first goal of the game. About two minutes after the goal, the rain came down in buckets. Fans, players, and coaches were drenched. There were puddles on the field making it an unsafe playing area for both teams. The teams stopped playing for twenty minutes to see if the rain would clear.

After the twenty minutes the Hopkinton athletic director, Dan Meserve, announced that the game would be postponed until the next day. Meserve had called NHIAA asking if they could do so, and NHIAA officials okayed it. However, the next day NHIAA notified Hopkinton and Mascoma high schools that the game could not take place. Hopkinton High School restated the fact that it was already okayed, it turns out that the NHIAA official did not have the authority to say what he said. The game could not continue, and Hopkinton had to for fit to Mascoma.

“Clearly there were other options,” Coach Zipke said, according to the Concord Monitor. "Hopkinton has other fields that the game could’ve been moved to. They could’ve raked away the water or sprinkled dirt onto the field to make it playable. The school did not decide to do so because they were told that the game could continue the next day."

“It was hard for me, being a senior, to find out that we couldn’t become state champions for the fifth year in a row because of NHIAA,” Brian Scala stated. There were seven seniors on the boys Varsity soccer team that have worked hard through out the season. No one knows who would’ve won the game if it hadn’t been cancelled. The Mascoma team sympathized with Hopkinton; however they went up to the quarter finals.

18 and Able!

By Kara McCluskey

It’s voting season! And many 18 year olds are now finding themselves able to vote for the first time.

Is it really important for young people to vote? Mrs. Sintros, who teaches Civics at Hopkinton High School, believes 18 year olds “are the least represented in our political system. They’re our future and are more educated than they’re given credit for.” She believes that voting in general is important because “it is habit forming and it allows people to become more involved in the political process.”

So what do 18 year olds think about being able to vote? Senior Laura Jones, who recently turned 18, said, “I’m so excited! I’m excited to get my voice out there and be heard.” Karissa Hazen had similar feelings, “I am really excited to vote. I finally have an opinion when it comes to our government, and that’s really important. I can finally make a difference.”

Jones and Hazen, like Mrs. Sintros, also expressed the belief that it's important for young people to vote. Jones believes that “it’s really important; the youth controls the future.” Hazen said, “I think it’s extremely important. It’s important because we can make a difference in how our country functions. Also our generation has a much different outlook on how things should be than older generations. [In voting,] we can get our opinions out there to be heard.”

Car Advice

by Anthony Davis

. Do you really have to change your oil at 3000 miles?
A. Yes and no. It is always a good idea to change your oil at 3,000 miles. Some oil is rated for 4,000 to 5,000 miles, but even if you use this kind of oil it does not hurt for it to be changed every 3,000 miles or 3 months.

Q. Why is there a squeak in the front when I step on the brakes?
A. The most likely thing is that your brakes are worn down. There is a built in squeaker so when your brake pads get low and are almost ready for replacing, it will squeak. It could also be a number of other things but that’s usually the first thing to check.

Q. Why does the frontend shake after a certain speed?
A. Most likely one or more tires is out of balance. Also something could be wrong with suspension.

Q. Why are my tires wearing funny in the front?
A. Most likely you need a frontend alignment. When this is being done if a part such as the tie rod or ball joint or something along those lines is bad they will tell you and you can have it fixed or do it yourself and your problem will be solved.

Q. Why is my tire pressure sensor on when I first get in my car when it’s cold out but after driving for a couple minutes it goes out?
A. This is because when it is cold out the air condenses and the sensor does not get a proper reading. As you drive the air will expand and the light on dash will go out because it is now getting a proper reading.

Q. When I get in my car and turn the key nothing happens at all?
A. First to check is the battery. It may have gone dead from leaving lights on or just from sitting. If a battery does not fix this problem then it could be a number of different things. A bad connection is one.

Q. Why is my car running hot?
A. First thing is if your car starts overheating, pull over and shut it off. This will avoid any further damage to you engine. First to check is to see if it is low on coolant. If it is and you have no antifreeze, then water will work till you can get it home. If it is not low on coolant then it could be a bad water pump, a bad thermostat, a worn belt, maybe a clutch fan, and always possibly the head gasket.

Q. Why is my transmission shifting weird?
A. First thing to check is your transmission fluid. On an automatic you will have a dipstick under the hood. The car has to be running and should be fully warmed when you check the fluid. Manual transmission will have a check bolt on the transmission itself. If low add transmission fluid, be sure to use the right kind.

Let's Go Bowling!

By Rachel Partlow

Come one and come all! Peer Outreach is hosting bowling this November 17th. This event will fall on a Wednesday, starting at 3:00pm, so anyone looking to have some fun is advised to sign up outside Room 202. Grades 7 through 12 are welcome to participate.

Bowling at Boutwell’s is an event that has been held in the past and has been very successful. The purpose of this event is clear in the words of Peer Outreach member, Kristen Anderson. “One of our goals this year is to bring the grades and the school together, so by hosting an event, we hope to achieve this.”

Peer Outreach is a group in the Hopkinton Middle High School whose goal is to unify the school and lessen the amount of bullying, and this event is just one of many ways they try to reach their goals.

A Day in the Life of Brian

By Justin Tracy


Today we had an interview with one of our favorite school janitors, Brian. His work starts at six in the morning. First he unlocks all the doors except for the teacher’s room, then turns on all the lights. He then sets up all the tables and chairs. After that he sweeps and auto sweeps the gym. He checks to see if there are any teacher, or office requests. Once he’s checked, he starts on grounds keeping. When he starts this it is somewhere between eight and eleven. If there is enough trash in bins then he takes the trash out and replaces the bags. With this, he also cleans the tables and chairs if needed. Some people might be wondering about the recycling; we found out that the Interact Club takes care of that. On a normal day Brian gets out at 2:30.

Brian does not work on the weekends, unless, of course, there is a snowstorm. Then it can take anywhere from an hour to five hours to shovel and snow blow all the walkways and side walks. The town plows the parking lot and all roads. Brian can tell how much snow there is because he only lives two miles away. When students have the summer off Brian does not. He works all through the summer. During the summer Brian comes in with four other people and they take all the furniture out of the rooms and wash down everything and wash wax the floors. They also clean the walls and replace lights if needed.

We asked him out of all the tasks he does on a regular basis what is the easiest. He replied, saying unlocking the doors is the easiest. The hardest thing he said is setting up the voting booths and any special events. He said that each bleacher is about one hundred pounds per step. The final part of his job is just regular maintenance. That can include anything from bringing the office paper to replacing lights. That is the conclusion of a day in the life of Brian.

Local Treasure Trove

By: Olivia Hamel

As it is so often heard of in a small town, teen and children residents often complain that there is “nothing to do.” Living in a town with a dismal population of 5,000, this accusation of “there is nothing to do” sometimes seems to be the truth to the younger people stuck within the boundaries of the town due to the lack of a driver's license. However, recently an interesting company was established right in the middle of the town of Hopkinton, N.H. Located at 874 Main Street, the company that was so recently established is called Contoocook River Consignment Gallery.

To one who is unfamiliar with the term “Consignment Gallery,” it simply means that it is a store that sells items that have been recently and lightly used, and remain in wonderful condition. More times than not, consignment galleries put most of the items that they receive, up for sale, rather than critiquing the items that are brought to them, and keeping only the best for their customers. However, this is where the Contoocook River Consignment Gallery differs from the other consignment stores out there. The owner of C.R.C.G, Susan Gagnon, has firm consignment policies that she keeps on a sheet to hand out to wondering customers or future “vendors.” I went into C.R.C.G on day contemplating how she ran her business and simply asked her and she, excited at my curiosity, not to mention tremendously friendly with me, handed me one of the Consignment Policies fact sheet. On this fact sheet all of the important information is provided such as the store hours (Wednesday through Friday, 9am to 5pm). Along with this important information one of the most important Consignment Policies is the one that states, “Clothing must be clean and in excellent condition.” This one policy makes C.R.C.G enormously different from other stores of the same genre because of the fact that Susan cares tremendously about the quality of the products that she sells. This shows that as a small business owner, Susan cares immensely about her customers. However, it is not only the older customers that she cares about but she cares a whole lot about the younger customers and dedicates a whole room to teenager attire.

Overall, Contoocook River Consignment Gallery focuses on customers wants, along with quality. As a teenager myself I find this specific shop to be a great place to find treasures along with clothing, that I have purchased there and wear frequently. The Contoocook River Consignment Gallery feeds my curious appetite and gives me something to do within the small borders of my town, of Hopkinton N.H.

Clash of the Titans

By Cody White

For the past three years Hopkinton High School has hosted a basketball game called the Clash of the Titans. Every year so far the faculty has won against the team that has challenged them. This year the students are playing the faculty with hopes to end the teacher’s reign of the basketball court. The teachers have played the bus drivers, and student’s parents. The closest game so far was between the dominating faculty and the parents of students in the school.

The Clash of the Titans was created to raise money for the Special Olympics and for the senior class. Mr. O’Dougherty has been a huge help for raising money for the Special Olympics. There has been a great turn out in the past for basketball game raising a good wad of money.

The game is being held on November 10^th in the HMHS gymnasium. Everyone is encouraged to go support the seniors and the faculty in what should be a great match up. There will be a concession stand outside the gym run by the freshmen to raise money for their class. It will be a fun event for family and friends for only 3 dollars. It’ll be a game you won’t want to miss.

Hopkinton and Fall Mountain, Kickin' That Cancer Out!!!

By Brian Scala
On October 14, 2010, the first ever Kick Out for Cancer event was held at Fall Mountain High School in Charleston, New Hampshire. Four soccer teams participated in order to help raise funds for cancer awareness. Funds were gathered by collecting admission from families who chose to attend the game. The proceeds from the concession sales were also donated.

Fall Mountain’s JV and varsity boys soccer team played against the visiting Hopkinton Hawks. Each team was given different colored t-shirts for jerseys, with each different color representing something with significance to cancer awareness. Hopkinton’s varsity squad was dressed in lavender, which represents all those who have survived cancer, and the JV team was wearing light blue, which symbolizes prostate cancer. The Fall Mountain varsity team was wearing teal, which represented ovarian cancer, and the JV team was dressed in darker blue, which represented thyroid cancer.

During the varsity game, the hawks played quick possession soccer and made numerous baseline runs. This style of play overwhelmed the Fall Mountain team and they quickly resorted to just kicking the ball out of bounds. This resulted in three goal scoring corner kicks for Hopkinton. The fourth and final goal for Hopkinton was unassisted and was scored by Steven Auger.

The final score came out to be 4-2 with Hopkinton on top. Overall, the game and the fundraiser was a complete success, and there has been talk about making one game a year a fundraiser for worthy causes.

Costume, Candy, and Controversy.

By Rin Conley

Free candy, scary masks, bearing the elements to be out late into the night…it can only mean one thing: Halloween. Ask any kid their favorite holidays and Halloween will undoubtedly be in his top three. How can an 11 year old not love a sugar high and fake blood?

But despite the seemingly harmless, though spooky, fun Halloween provides, there is some minor controversy about acknowledging it in schools. Here in Hopkinton, we have two elementary schools where children can celebrate the holiday: Harold Martin and Maple Street. And both have developed very different customs for such celebrations.

When you walk into Maple Street School the Friday before Halloween, you can immediately feel the holiday in the air. Children are buzzing around in their costumes, eagerly awaiting the annual Halloween parade. Although the principal, Mr. Bassette, says they “try to maintain a pretty calm and normal day,” it’s easy to see the kids are excited. After all, they’re just kids. To them this is nothing more than costumes and treats. But as Bassette points out, “Halloween can be a trick holiday in schools, because many of the costumes and things that are associated with the "normal" expression of the holiday can be inappropriate or offensive in school settings.” And he makes a very valid point: a costume worn by one child could scare another, or perhaps offend a teacher. He and other teachers also struggle with the idea of promoting the consumption of large amounts of sugar. Bassette says he, along with parents, try to promote the idea of “all things in moderation.” They convey that it’s okay for the kids to eat “a cupcake or sweet,” but they should also know it’s okay to eat something healthy if given the option! It seems the Maple Street has taken a good stance on tackling this delicate choice.

And on a lighter not, the Halloween parade is tons of fun. This reporter attended it when she went to Maple Street six plus years ago, and the spirit is still well alive today. Some favorite costumes were a roll of Charmin toilet paper, a wallet (complete with a driver’s license that had a hole cut out providing room for a child’s face), a roll of “duck” tape, and two giant iPod headphones. The Maple Street student council holds a costume contest, and the winners get gift cards to Beech Hill Farm or the student council store.

However, on the other end of the celebration spectrum is Harold Martin School. There is no costume contest, no parade, and few costumes. The Harold Martin sponsored parade is held the Saturday before Halloween. It does have a costume contest, treats, and games. But despite the differences in in-school celebrations between HMS and MSS, there is still some excitement during school hours. Their principal, Mr. Carozza, explains that “[the school feels] that the Halloween Parade event that we held last Saturday is sufficient. We also hold harvest parties in many classrooms,” so Halloween does not go completely unnoticed. He says that the second grade also makes scarecrows, so there are “plenty of opportunities…to celebrate, not to mention the regular town event.” Carozza also mentioned that he had no problem with Maple Street’s celebration, but that just wasn’t right for Harold Martin.

Holiday celebrations in schools can be tough. It’s a touchy subject, trying to accommodate for every holiday and every belief. But despite the difficulties, both schools have established great ways to get the kids in the Halloween spirit. Now if only the high school could provide some more Halloween fun…

Hope For Haiti

By Ashley Tibbetts

Musicians at Hopkinton High have many opportunities to display their talents. Hopkinton High students have the opportunity too participate in Steel Pan; the steel pan is an instrument we associate with the Caribbean and the sounds of Calypso and Soca music rather than with classical music. The origin of the steel pan can be traced back to slavery in the Caribbean and grew from many instruments.

November 7^th there will be a concert held at the Hopkinton Town Library at 2 pm. This concert is being held to benefit Partners in Health, founded by Paul Farmer, to support on going work in Haiti. Paul Farmer wrote the book “Mountains Beyond Mountains” (a Haitian book) a compelling and inspiring book that shows what great works one person can do, it being from Harvard to Haiti.

The Hopkinton Steel Pan will be playing a well-known Haitian song called “Yellow Bird”. Not only will they be playing these songs but they will also be talking about the history of these songs.

Following that on November 11^th, Hopkinton police chief Pecora will be at Flanders Field where there will be a ceremony for the veterans of war. Here there will be a choir singing many songs one being “America The Beautiful”.

Don't want to go to college? Here is an idea.

Joshua Isabelle


For the high school students who don’t have the money, grades or just don’t want to go to college, there are other choices such as getting a full time job. It’s not always a loss in choosing to avoid going to college. A Degree would defiantly help you get a well paying job depending on the major you chose but it doesn’t always work out for everyone. After college students may have a loan to pay off and that could take a few years. High school grads can get a full time job and in the years they would have spent in college they may get raises or promotions.

Prototek Sheet Metal Fabrication LLC. in Contoocook New Hampshire takes pride in hiring high school grads. Larry Hilton, Shop Foreman, says, “They are young and full of energy”. Hilton explains that training younger people is much easier then experienced workers because they don’t claim they already know what to do. When using dangerous equipment like a four-inch grinder and the TimeSaver employees must follow directions exactly how they are given. One mistake could end up with someone in the emergency room, and this can be avoided by hiring of attentive eighteen year olds.

The start off pay is $8.00 an hour. Over time workers may grow their knowledge of the shop and develop their skills in other areas of this individual work place. This may lead to a raise in their pay, usually at $.50 intervals. A high school student working twenty hours a week and making progress can, over time, make up to $10.00 an hour as explained by Hilton. While in college there are fewer opportunities to make this amount of money.

Support with Purple

By: Alexandra Trahnstrom

On October 19^th people across the nation wore the color purple to show their love and support to gay teens all over. This was triggered by a traumatic death of a gay student, Tyler Clementi. Clementi attended Rutgers University. A roommate had taped Clementi and his partner partaking in sexual actions together. Clementi later jumped of the Washington Bridge. Homosexuality has become a huge controversy. In 1965, 82 % of the male population and 58 % of the women said that homosexuality is a clear threat to our nation. Now, in 2010, more than 7 million kids under the age of 20 are homosexual. Kids are getting verbally and physically abused because of their sexual orientation. The youth of our country needs to make sure that the abuse stops.