Sparta Robotics Heading To World Championships

Written by: Lauren Groff

As if being ranked number one in the state of New Jersey wasn’t a large enough accomplishment, the Sparta High School robotics team, 5249Z, is on the quest for an even higher title: World Champions. “Right now 5249z is ranked 54th in the world, so they have great potential to do well at worlds,” noted 5249Z head coach and SHS robotics teacher, Mr. Meola. World Championships are hosted in Louisville, Kentucky, and the trip is costly, to say the least. “The expenses are between $12 and 14,000” stated Meola. Because the trip ventures out of state, it is not funded by the school. Consequently, the team is currently shouldered with the task of fundraising the money themselves.

“They’re a very unique group-- I would say their leading attribute is that they work well together. They compliment each others’ skill sets, they defer to each other when they are having a discussion… all of those things come together to really make for a superior team," Coach Meola remarked. Help the hardworking team of students put SHS on the map! Donations are much appreciated, and can be made through the designated GoFundMe page linked below!

https://www.gofundme.com/send-sparta-robotics-to-vex-worlds

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'To All The Boys I Loved Before:' Book vs. Movie

Written by: Sarah Riley 

As many regular Netflix-users might know, the Netflix original movie To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before was a big success when it was first released this past summer. However, few know that the film is based on the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before book trilogy written by Jenny Han, with the movie is mainly centered around the first book in the series. Even though the book and movie have the same plot and characters, they do have some differences to them that may or may not have been noticed by fans who have read the book(s) and also seen the film. Here are a couple of key differences between the book and the movie:

1. The youngest of the Covey sisters, Kitty, was written to be of elementary-school-age in the book. However, in the movie, Kitty was a sixth grader in middle school. This age gap gave us an insight into how Kitty’s personality as a younger child compares to her personality as a young preteen in the movie. Kitty’s transition from a child to a young adult between the book and movie was a smooth transition that shows readers and viewers of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before how Kitty’s joyful and fierce personality and traits stick with her even as she goes through the process of growing up.

Source: Teen Vogue 

2. One of the more obvious contrasts between the book and the movie were the different amounts of the presence of the character Josh Sanderson-- the Covey family's close friend and next-door neighbor, Lara Jean’s former crush, and eldest sister Margot’s ex-boyfriend. Those are only a few and most significant of the handful of roles Josh played in the story. At the beginning of the book, Josh and his connection with the Coveys seems crucial to the story, but as the plot goes forward, mentions of his character are less frequent. In the film adaptation, however, Josh’s character fades into the background when the lead male character and primary love interest Peter Kavinsky takes over. Ultimately, Peter becomes the main male focus in the plot, making Josh less of an attention-point.

Source: Netflix 

3.   John Ambrose McClaren is a minimal character in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and is introduced as one of the recipients of Lara Jean’s love letters. His role is minimal in the book and the movie, but in different ways. In the book version, Lara Jean is reminded of John and her past feelings for him and even goes to one of his Model UN events to possibly reconnect with him. However, in the movie version, John is mentioned briefly and is shown standing at Lara Jean’s house at the end of the movie. John and his out-of-the-blue arrival act as a cliffhanger to the captivating romantic comedy. This detail of the story is not extremely crucial to the plot, more of a side note, but it is another example of how To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and its film adaptation differentiate from one another.

Source: Netflix

Overall, both the movie and the film were very entertaining to read and watch. Even though the book and movie have the same plot, they both focus on different side details of the storyline. Preference of the book or the film depends on which details you prefer to pay attention to more within the story. Either way, Jenny Han’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before was a pleasant, humorous, and exciting book to read and film to see and would be a good selection for young teens who enjoy romantic-comedies and/or teen drama genres.

Source: Amazon

Source: Netflix

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Curtain Closes for 'Willy Wonka'

Written by: Lauren Groff 

All but stray candy wrappers are what is left of Sparta High School’s production of Willy Wonka. Selling out the high school auditorium on opening night, the musical was a sure hit among community members of all ages. Senior Henry Silberstein brought Gene Wilder’s persona of Willy Wonka to life on the stage in his fourth and final production on the SHS stage. “It was such a great experience getting to work with so many talented people. We were able to have fun with each other, and I think that's what the audience got… A truly magical, fun, show”, says Silberstein.

Aside from elaborate visuals and exciting choreography, flying equipment was temporarily installed above the stage to levitate characters feet off of the ground to the amazement of the audience. Charlie Bucket, portrayed by Claire Riley, was one of those who got to take flight.

“I have to admit at first it was terrifying- my fear of heights really kicked in. But, after a couple of tries, I got used to the feeling and had so much fun flipping and enjoying hearing the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhhs’ from the audience,” says Riley of the experience. “It was awesome and definitely once in a lifetime!”

Claire Riley as Charlie Bucket.

The theatre department is bidding farewell to a daunting amount of seniors, including Stephanie Downes, who played Mrs. Bucket. “I love being surrounded by people who are as passionate about creating a show as I am, and I’m so thankful for the memories and friendships I`ve created through my experience!” Downes remarks.

As much of the cast moves on to college and beyond come June, directors Ms. Angela Deluccia and Ms. Paige Lucas are already looking ahead to the 2019 musical, Beauty and the Beast.

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Representative Mikie Sherill Visits SHS

Written by: Lauren Groff 

On Tuesday, Mar. 5, Representative of the 11th District of New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill, visited the Sparta High School MRC for a Q & A session open to Spartans. Seats were limited, as the session took place during one class period. Sherrill fielded a myriad of questions regarding multiple issues such as gun control, Planned Parenthood, renewable energy, and even her experience as a former student of the Naval Academy and member of the United States Navy. The session was also live-streamed, so students from Sparta Middle School were able to submit questions the high schoolers could present on their behalf. Following the Q & A, students had the opportunity to speak with Sherrill personally and get their picture taken with her. 

A member of the “pink wave,” Sherrill recently made both state and national history as the first female representative of New Jersey’s 11th district, following her predecessor Rodney Frelinghuysen. New Jersey’s 11th district consists of parts of Sussex, Morris, Essex, and Passaic counties.

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Sparta Senior Scores Spot in Student Art Show

Written by: Kanita Tariq

Morris Museum’s ‘Fresh Perspectives’ is a New Jersey-student art exhibition. Sparta senior Mikayla Bivona’s sketch, ‘Restless Anxiety,’ won a spot at this year’s show.

For Mikayla, this is an incredible honor. “Art has influenced my life because it is something that I’ve done all four years in high school. I even spend all my lunches working on artwork! I’m taking AP Studio Art this year, which is how I was lucky enough to have one of my pieces selected in the show. Projects are due every Monday, so it takes up a lot of my weekends too!”

Mikayla’s AP Art concentration is a focus on mental illness. “I look into how [mental illness] affects people. I’ve found that mental illnesses have been stigmatized. A lot of that has to do with Hollywood and the media. I’m looking to shatter those stigmas. I am also taking AP Psychology and I want to study psychology in college. Picking a focus was like pairing together two of my interests.”

Take one look at Mikayla’s piece-- ‘Restless Anxiety.’ You can feel the anxiety radiating off of the paper. The title fits perfectly. “Mrs. Mase and I worked together by just rattling off names. At one point, she just looks at me and goes: ‘Restless Anxiety.’ We both agreed instantly-- it made complete sense.”

The choice of medium was also very purposeful. “I used a technique called ‘scribbling’-- quite a literal term for it, actually. I wanted to mirror the feeling with the medium; the scribbles reflect the desperate feeling of trying to stay calm when experiencing complete anxiety.”

With the school year very quickly winding down, what’s next for this happy-go-lucky Sparta senior? “I am going to be attending Ramapo College in the fall of 2019. For a while, I wanted to be an art therapist. For now, I will be studying psychology with a minor in photography.”

Sparta High is filled with aspiring underclassmen-- perhaps a few interested in AP Art or continuing with art in college. Mikayla’s advice? “Always listen to your teachers! They know what’s best and when to quit on pieces. It’s okay to quit on some, but it’s also important to push through the ones that could potentially be some of your best!”

Check out Mikayla’s incredible artwork, ‘Restless Anxiety’:

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