Patriots Day Review

Written by: Sean Hannon 

Patriots Day is an action drama movie pertaining to the Boston Marathon bombing that took place in April 2013. It follows the stories of multiple characters like Sgt. Tommy Saunders, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg, a cop on the scene hoping for a promotion and desperately tracking the bombers. Richard DesLauriers (staged by Kevin Bacon) is an FBI agent who is also trying to discover the identity of the bombers. Most surprisingly, the viewer follows the story of the actual bombers and witness their attempt to flee the boston area.

Summary

Tommy Saunders, a cop desperately seeking a promotion, is assigned as a guard at the finish line at the Boston Marathon. Two Chechen brothers plant bombs in backpacks in certain parts around the finish line. When the bombs go off, Tommy Saunders and the other guards help the survivors and later join the search for the Chechen men with the help of the FBI, the Governor of Massachusetts, and the people of Boston. In the meantime the bombers attempt to leave Boston by stealing cars and taking hostages. Of course, everyone knows the fate of these bombers but their inner motivations that are shown are very intriguing.

Positives

Every good drama requires some comic relief and this film does it very well. It highlights the classic blue-collar Boston stereotype with its harshness and accents. It has a very prominent “Boston Strong” theme that shows the unity of the Boston community during the 5 day manhunt. It does a very good job portraying characters realistically, sometimes the movie cuts to one from one of the bombers entering a store to actual surveillance footage of the bomber in the store, which adds a touch of realism. Although the viewer knows the end of the story, the movie does a fantastic job keeping tense and interesting.

Negative

There is not much to say negatively about this movie, as it does its job pretty well. I can recommend people to not see this movie if they are disturbed by blood as after the bombing it does showcase limbs separated from the bodies and many other things not for the faint of heart or anyone with a weak stomach. Personally I enjoyed the accents, but if you are annoyed by thick accents this may not be the film for you. The drama can be very tense so if you do not enjoy that I would pass this movie.

Overall

Writing this review made me want to see this movie again, the characters and plot were portrayed perfectly and when it gets too tense the comic relief works very well. If you were to watch a movie this weekend I could not recommend Patriot's Day more.

SPARTA GIRLS 2017 LAX SEASON PREVIEW

Written by: Lauren Groff 

Although it may only be January, Sparta Girls’ Lacrosse Coach Kate Brennan has her players putting in work with pre-season in full swing. Brennan, who has been coaching at Sparta for 14 years, is proud to lead the Lady Spartans, who are currently ranked 25th in all of New Jersey. Holding such a good standing requires a lot of long hours on the field and in the weight room.

“I wouldn't say we need to improve, but we need to continue to grow," Brennan remarks. “Our players need determination to continue growth and get better to work better as a team."

The girls engage in weekly weight room practices, and some participate in the optional Monday night fitness class lead by former Sparta lacrosse goalie Becky Leonard at Black Bear Fitness. When asked who she felt Sparta’s biggest rivals would be this season, Brennan felt Morris Central was an appropriate prediction. “They have a strong program, and I respect both their players and coaches. They play on a grass field like we do.”

This years’ Freshman Team mostly consists of girls who have never picked up a stick before entering high school. Brennan comments that they are “ the nicest Freshman class” she has ever met, and is very excited for them to “be around a team who loves each other as much as our team does”.

The season may not even have officially begun yet, but it is already evident that the Lady Spartans are preparing for a successful season under Kate Brennan's lead!

SPARTA DECA COMPETES AT REGIONALS

153 members of Sparta DECA took on the role of business professionals at the Regional competition on January 9 at Ramapo College. In DECA, students are to report to a role-play event in which they must solve a problem pertaining to marketing, business operations or finance where they assume the role of a professional in the business world. Sparta students were very well prepared for the event, spending weeks before regionals asking questions and practicing pre role-plays in their marketing classes. Talking to Sparta students after their competitive event, many said they felt very confident in their ability and did better than they had anticipated.

Students who perform well at Regionals move on to the State level competition in Atlantic City from February 21 - February 23 in Atlantic City. Forward, the students who succeed as the top three in their event at states can qualify for the International Career Development Conference, the national level, in Anaheim, California.

These students will be attending States in their respective categories:

Apparel & Accessories Marketing Series

• Jacqueline Hoffman
• Michaela Kayal

Retail Merchandising

• Rachael Spelman
• Shelby Kapp

Automotive Services Marketing Series

• Jonathan Byers

Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series

• Jonathan Bonker
• Leonard Fontes
• Alexander Milliken

Sports and Entertainment Team Decision Making

• Benjamin Toscano and Rexford Anderson

Principles of Finance

• Tucker Hastings

Financial Consulting

• Liam Armstrong
• Michael Nauta

Financial Literacy Promotion

• Elise Kerim, Christian Xenakis and Hannah Fagersten

Financial Services Team Decision Making

• Eric Castorina
• Matt McAndris

Professional Selling

• Jane Sosik
• Jack Valentine

Hospitality Services Team Decision Making

• Tori Monroe and Olivia Hogle

Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling

• Blake Aschenbach
• Hailey Mead
• Jillian Henderson
• Molly Schelle
• Stylianos Kroudis

Principles of Hospitality and Tourism

• Carlie Wilson
• Michaela Bleakley

Hotel and Lodging Management

• Morgan McBride

Human Resources Management Series

• Victoria Heim
• Zachary Van Es

Travel and Tourism Team Decision Making

• Robert Gennat and Sean Scully
• Devon McIntyre and Emma Rennie

Business Management and Administration

• Bayleigh Takacs and Kate Nash

Restaurant and Food Service Management

• Patricia Aldrich

Food Marketing Series

• Emily Argula
• Tori Seeland

Restaurant and Food Service Management

• Rachel Sosik

Quick Serve Restaurant Management Series

• Daniel Baker
• Hannah Fagersten

Business Services Marketing Series

• Julia Czheroniak
• Raymond Weisse

Buying and Merchandising Business Operations

• Jonathan Byers, Alexander Milliken and Devon McIntyre
• Molly Schelle and Annie Burns

Franchise Business

• Cayleigh Glew and Jacquelyn Hallack
• Michaela Pamplin and Emily Argula

Independent Business Plan

• Adrian Ukaj and Justin Mellick
• Jack Berlin and Kevin Berlin

Entrepreneurship Promotion

• Jane Sosik and Emma Rennie

Creative Marketing

• Jack Valentine and Liam Armstrong

Principles of Marketing

• Robert Whalen

Marketing Management Team Decision Making

• Brent Bloomgren and Heather DiPiano
• Jeremy Dericks and Brendan Puszcz

Marketing Communications

• Julia Bally
• Thomas Ferrara

Sparta Boys Basketball Rolling After Two Wins!

Written by: Billy Stoddard

Going into the game this Saturday against Hanover Park, fans began to become skeptical Sparta could get it done. Hanover Park was coming off a huge win over Roxbury where they scored 91 points. Sparta beat Roxbury in the holiday tournament but only won by six, putting up 48 points. Hanover Park was averaging 75 points a game. However, Sparta stayed tough and secured a big win. Jack Simon dominated with 16 points, Nick Lucas added 15, and Danny Smith came through with 7. The whole team played well and gained lots of momentum from the win.

After losing to Sparta in the finals of the Roxbury holiday tournament, Newton was hungry for a second chance. Despite a roadblock due to a great player, Newton's Jason Heter who is on a full ride to play basketball at Saint Michael's University, Sparta pushed through and got another win. Lockdown defense by Terrell Smith and Thomas Ferrara shut down Newton’s offense. Thomas Ferrara had a great game offensively, scoring 10 points. Jack Simon scored 13. Coach Brennan said that the team’s versatility and toughness helped them push through to get a very impressive win against a good Newton team.

Sparta Inducts New STEM Students in White Coat Ceremony

Written by: Billy Stoddard

Sparta High School’s Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Stem program formally accepted 19 new members last week. The program is a very challenging curriculum and schedule bolstered with interesting field trips. The program is currently in its second year. The freshman who were inducted include:

Shahed Al-Aydi
Todd Cummings
Jeremy Devaney
Corinne Goome
Antonia Hand
Terrence Hurley
Natalie Krudys
Kelsi Loewen
Jordan Ouimette
David Rubin
Michele Scaglione
Ryan Ventresca
Ande Wittenmeier

Evan Fischer
Sebastian Gomez
Patrick McQuillan
Thomas Scheri
Anna Tartaglia
Alan Young

Mrs. Pisano, Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Ferraro, and Dr. Rossi all spoke at the white coat ceremony, where the students were presented their lab coats by the sophomores, who spearheaded the program last year. Mrs. Wilson said, “These 19 students have already demonstrated their ability to think creatively, problem solve, collaborate, read, write as well as grasp mathematical and scientific content at levels well beyond their years,”. Mrs. Ferraro also had kind words to say. She said, “Research correlates exposure to STEM instruction with success in higher education, regardless of the field of study,”. Dr. Rossi was also very inspirational with his speech. He said, “remember it is about sincerity of purpose”.

The Most Highly Anticipated Movies of 2017

Written by: Kanita Tariq 

2016 was a swarm of brilliant blockbuster from hilarious animated comedies like Zootopia and Finding Dory, to action flicks like Deadpool and Captain America, and coming-of-age dramas like The Edge of Seventeen. Naturally, our expectations for the new year in are at a sky-high.

The year is off to a fresh start with the release of Hidden Figures on January 6, 2017. The inspiring story of a team of African-American women providing NASA ideas for their first successful space missions. The film is complete with a star-studded cast, with Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe, and Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer.

In the next twelve months, we await the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson, which will make the big screen on March 17. Next on the list is Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, an action thriller based on real events in World War II. The scheduled release is July, and it marks Nolan’s first film since the hit, Interstellar, in 2014.

In the mood for some superhero action? Check out Justice League, releasing in November. Lovers of DC Comics are guaranteed to enjoy this continuation of last year’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Finally, we all know the perfect end to a year is one with a new Star Wars movie, and this year, we will be treated with Star Wars: Episode VIII. The new addition to the Star Wars franchise will include the characters we know and love, including a rumored appearance by Tom Hardy! Sadly, this will be Carrie Fisher’s last film as her most popular role to date, due to her untimely death at the end of last year. The Star Wars princess and real-life social activist will surely be missed.

With these films and many more on the way, 2017 in film will not disappoint!

Students of Sparta: Rachael Schmidt

Those who know Rachael know she is a true "gem" of Sparta High School. Her willingness to talk to anyone having a bad day, want to volunteer her time to meaningful organizations, and desire to be the best she can be are top qualities of Rachael, yet do not even begin to scratch the surface on what a truly wonderful member of our school she is. As a senior of Sparta who will sadly be making her exit, Rachael sat down with me to get real about the struggles of high school and how to overcome them while keeping your cool.

"The challenges of school are a huge struggle. All the weekly assessments as well as college applications - it's stressful because you have to make yourself stand out, and then you have to anticipate getting answers back from colleges. I mean, it is what it is, but I had no idea what I was doing throughout the college application process. Everyone around me was in the same boat so I definitely felt the stress piling on as if I was not well prepared. Getting a job in high school is good, but it can also add to stress because you have to manage your job, social life and school work. Time management is definitely an important element that you should learn in high school to prepare for college and life. 

Never slack off and do realize that every grade does matter. Don't sweat the small stuff. I would say that relationships change and it comes with maturity and being in high school. It's important to look at things in a perspective different than yours to become very wise."