Periscope Dumont High School
Vol. XCVI No. 1 DHS
DHS Under New Administration
Mr. Michael Parent, Principal
By: Edgar Mariano &
Jaynee Flores, juniors
Last year, Mr. Parent was
the vice principal of Dumont
High School. This year, he is now
the principal, and he is taking on
the responsibilities of running
and improving DHS.
Mr. Parent started his
higher education track at Ocean
County College and completed
his bachelor’s degree at
William Paterson University. He
then attended Montclair State
University to achieve his master’s
degree and continued on to Seton
Hall University. He is currently
working toward his doctorate.
Mr. Parent first entered the
educational field as an English
teacher, teaching at Paterson
Catholic. What he enjoyed
Miss Ryanne Foley,
Vice Principal
By: Deborah Stack, senior
For those students who do
not yet know, DHS’s beloved math
teacher, Miss Foley, has now become
the Vice Principal who is in charge of
sophomore and senior students. Miss
Foley said that the transition from
teacher to administrator was difficult.
“But what [transition] isn’t?” she
said. “I miss the classroom, hearing
the bell ring, and switching classes,
and I miss the math! But what has
made the transition easy is knowing
the staff, being comfortable with
101 New Milford Avenue, Dumont, NJ 07628
the most was discussing and
discovering good books. He says,
“Books did great things for me.”
What Mr. Parent finds
rewarding about his current
position as principal is the
privilege to work with teachers
on big issues. He wants to “inch
by inch, make a great place for
He wants to “inch by inch, make a
great place for students.”
everyone at DHS, and knowing Mr.
Parent, the rules, and the ways things
work.”
Miss Foley is excited about
her new position, as she has hoped
to be able to obtain an administrative
position for a number of years, and is
excited to be able to learn something
different every day. “As a math
teacher,” Miss Foley says, “It was
math, math, math all day long. Now,
every day is an adventure!” Her
favorite aspect of her new position is
working with a team of administrators.
“All of the administrators work so
well together, and Mr. Parent has
great, new ideas,” she said.
The major difference she has
encountered between her former and
current positions are the disciplinary
issues. She explains, “As a teacher
you deal with discipline very little
in the classroom, but now it’s an
everyday occurrence to deal with
discipline.”
A typical day for Miss Foley regime. Mr. Palumbo loves being
is not routine. “My schedule really is
Continued on Page 5
December 2008
What’s
Inside?
School News
students.” The major difference
between his former and current
pp. 2-5
role is that, as principal, there is *
no one to bail him out. “You are National News
the final word in the building. p. 6
That is the toughest part,” said
Mr. Parent.
*
As principal, Mr. Parent Features
has many changes in mind. The p. 7
main change that he wants to bring *
about is to refocus the school on
Student Spotlight
academics. His long term plans
are to reshape the way students p. 8
choose their courses and to make *
more courses are available. Some Entertainment
courses he would like to introduce News p. 9
to DHS are a freshman seminar,
an internship, and additional *
higher-level classes. Style
p. 10
*
Fun Stop
p. 11
Mr. Brian Palumbo,
Vice Principal
By: Roselyn Thalathara, senior
young people. “I always aspired to
work with students,” he explains,
“and [the position of] Assistant
Principal allows me to work with
students the best I can.”
Mr. Palumbo first started
out working as a Big 6 accountant,
later branching out to coaching
and teaching business education at
Jefferson Township High School.
It was there that he made a fateful
acquaintance with a fellow teacher,
Mr. Michael Parent.
As a youth in high school,
Mr. Palumbo played lacrosse and
As the proud owner of
swam. In fact, he has a natural
Kimber, a Northern Alaskan
affinity for water, participating in
Husky, Mr. Brian Palumbo can
swimming, wakeboarding, surfing,
rest assured knowing he will feel
and water polo; he was even
quite welcomed here in the very
on James Madison University’s
home of the Huskies. Mr. Palumbo
water polo team in Virginia back
joined Dumont High School as
in his college years. And, he likes
Vice Principal this year, along with
seafood! But Mr. Palumbo’s most
Miss Foley, under the new Parent
important hobby is probably his
family. Indeed, he just welcomed
in the high school environment;
Continued on Page 5
he is passionate about educating
 Page 2
Privileged
A Look into ‘Seniority’ at DHS
By: Jennifer Forde, senior
With the start of any school
year, students anticipate a new set of
challenges. For seniors, these include
college applications and preparing to
say goodbye to friends. What makes
most seniors look forward to senior
year, besides the excitement of heading
off to college soon, are senior privileges.
At DHS, the senior privileges are the
senior prom, Project Graduation, access
to the courtyard, the senior lounge in
the cafeteria, and possible exemption
from finals. Yet most seniors at DHS
feel that these senior privileges are not
really benefits.
While the senior prom and
Project Graduation are events most
seniors look forward to attending, they
do not exactly feel like benefits. When
students are required to pay for events,
they are not true privileges. Also, the
senior prom is not restricted as a “senior
only” event.
Additionally, seniors are the
only students who have access to the
courtyard. This might be nice in the
spring, but is not a very useful “senior
privilege” when it is 40 degrees outside
in the middle of winter. It is doubtful
that many seniors will take advantage
of that benefit during the majority of
their senior year.
Another senior privilege is
exemption from finals. Exemptions are
a good incentive for students to keep
their grades up, but in some classes
that can be very hard for many students
to achieve. Many students are taking
advanced level courses, and keeping
an A- average in all those classes while
trying to keep up with sports and after
Ecology Club Raises
Awareness
By: Tameh Rohani, junior
With Mr. Post in charge for
his second year, the Ecology Club is
focusing on making district students
aware of the waste that goes down
sewage drains as well as what they
can do to be eco-friendly.
Mr. Post stated that the club’s
main purposes this
year were to “bring
about awareness
[for people] to be
eco-friendly” and
to have people be
“conscientious
regarding the
climate.”
“ T h e
Ecology Club has
kicked off the year
with aluminum and
battery recycling, a printer cartridge
collection, and student representatives
raising storm drain awareness
throughout the district,” Mr. Post
said.
To aid in their endeavors, the
BCUA, or Bergen County Utilities
PERISCOPE | SCHOOL NEWS
-school jobs can be difficult. This is
great for students who can do this, but
for many it is not feasible. Therefore, it
is more of a “smart student” privilege
than a senior privilege.
The senior privilege seniors
want the most is a senior lounge. It
feels as though this year seniors are
lacking a lounge because it has been
downgraded to two benches in the
back of the cafeteria, and most of the
time the “senior lounge” is occupied by
underclassmen. A few years ago, the
seniors had a centralized senior lounge
in the 1st floor elevator wing that was
only allowed to be occupied by them,
and yet in the recent past the seniors
were given only two benches in the
back of the cafeteria.
DHS seniors have been very
vocal about this issue. One senior said,
“We are being gypped. Most schools
have much better senior privileges than
the ones our school has.” When asked
what could be done to improve the
situation, senior Charlene Fernandez
suggested getting seniors a better senior
lounge, letting the seniors decorate their
lounge, and prohibiting underclassmen
from being allowed to use it. She also
suggested that perhaps only seniors
should have an open campus during
SDLs and the lunch period.
There are many other high
schools where seniors receive more
prominent privileges than DHS seniors.
These range from a senior staircase,
to special senior parking, to a wider
variety of class choices. This is causing
DHS seniors to question whether they
are really “privileged.”
Authority, gave the club a grant
of $940, specifically for recycling
awareness. The grant was called the
“Environmental Awareness Grant.”
The club used a portion of the
grant to fund a project that will place
specially designed and marked trash
receptacles on the school campus for
recycling cans to
further clean-up
the environment.
Moreover, the
club is looking
forward to possibly
going down to the
Jersey shore as a
major clean-up
project.
The Ecology
Club focuses on
the elimination
and reduction of waste and raising
awareness of water contamination
in sewage and storm drains. These
preliminary ideas of the Ecology Club
will benefit the community and light
the way to an environmentally healthy
future.
Editorial
Blocked Websites
By: Kaitlyn Plinio, sophomore
The Internet is filled with sites
that our parents and teachers do not
want us to view. Some have images
of pornography and violence, and
other websites deal with sexuality,
illegal activities, bigotry, racism, and
drugs.
In addition,
the majority of social
networking sites such as
Myspace, Facebook and
Meebo are also blocked.
Not only are these
websites blocked here
in DHS, but they are also
blocked in most schools
around the country.
Although I believe
that social networking
websites are okay to
block, other websites that
provide valuable information to
students should be accessible to all.
For instance, students should be able
to view images on Google, Yahoo!,
AOL, and Ask alike, since they all
contain the same pictures, yet Google
Images is blocked.
Many students do not mind that
Myspace and other similar websites
are blocked, but others absolutely
hate it. One student expressed her
The C.A.D. Lab
A New Technology at DHS
By: Michelle Decepida, senior
The students of Dumont
High School this year have been
fortunate to receive a number of
new developments to make their
educational career more enjoyable:
a new football field, a new track,
changes in the administration, new
teachers, and, last but certainly not
least, a new computer program which
makes the jobs of drafting teachers
Mr. McWhirr and Mr. Banicki much
more interesting. This program is
called Computer Aided Design,
otherwise known as C.A.D. The
C.A.D. program has not only been
anxiously awaited by Mr. McWhirr
and Mr. Banicki, but also by Drafting
students. Several students have
expressed their excitement for the
C.A.D. program.
The benefit of C.A.D. to
the drafting curriculum is simple:
it takes a sketch of an object that
would normally take about thiry-five
minutes to complete and shortens
that amount of time down to ten
minutes. And as Mr. Banicki often
tells his students, in the real world
time is money; therefore, the more
efficiently ideas are put down on
paper, the more opportunities there
Fall Issue
opinion about the blocked websites.
She believes that blocked websites
are good in a way since they may
eliminate the probability of viruses.
At the same time, she said, “It is bad
because some sites that are blocked
just give people information for a
project or other school-
related things, and
they [people] can’t
access those sites due
to the fact that they
are blocked.”
She theorized
that certain sites are
blocked because “the
administrators want
us to be working on
homework instead of
looking up random
things.” Therefore,
she believes the
administrators will not take the
initiative to unblock the harmless
sites. However, the interviewee
maintained that for the controversy
of blocked websites to be solved,
“the administrators should not block
as many sites.”
Where do you stand?
are to make money. C.A.D. is much
more efficient than taking a piece of
paper and a pencil and sketching an
object. When sketching an object,
there are many factors that could lead
to an inaccurate picture: the reliability
of the tools used, the thickness of
the lines drawn, and the skill of the
person using those tools. C.A.D.
gets rid of the mistakes that could
occur due to human error. Also, it is
possible to generate very complex
3-D objects that would normally take
about three months to draw by hand.
Thus, this new technology allows
for a conceived object to become
virtually visible.
Added benefits of C.A.D.
include its ability to show manually-
generated objects at millions of
different angles that would otherwise
take months to portray by hand, and
also to show the objects in use as they
would function in real life. Ultimately,
the goal of C.A.D. is to help people
more easily comprehend objects’
structures and functions. Dumont
High School’s drafting students will
explore C.A.D. throughout the year,
using it to create projects the school
can be proud of.
 December 2008
The SATs’ Role in College Admission
By: Stephanie Eisemann, freshman
College and the SAT seem
to go hand in hand. The majority of
colleges ask for these scores, which
is probably the reason that eighty to
eighty-five percent of DHS seniors
take the test every year.
According to Dr. Collins
of the Guidance Department, while
the SAT is not the only determining
factor for college acceptance, it
is relied upon by colleges as an
indicator of potential college success
because it is the one universal
comparison that they can make
among applicants. Grades can vary
with different teachers’ and schools’
grading systems, but everywhere in
the world this test is the same. When
asked how much of an influence
the SAT has on college acceptance,
Dr. Collins replied: “Along with
your grades and GPA, it is one of the
most important criteria.”
The company that
sponsors the infamous SAT is the
College Board; however it hires
the Educational Testing Service
to develop it. Together, these
companies have control over the test
that determines so many futures.
However, the company assures that,
“It is the most rigorously researched
Stress Levels Elevate Due to College Applications
By: Deborah Stack, senior
Have you ever noticed the
behavior of high school freshmen?
They all seem to have endless
amounts of energy and are full of
excitement for the new friends, clubs,
classes, and endless possibilities that
high school entails. What could have
happened in four years to create a
transformation from bubbly freshman
to sickly, tired, bloodshot-eyed and
cranky seniors? The juxtaposition
is frightening. Where freshmen
are happy, seniors could kill with a
glance. Where freshmen are carefree,
seniors are on edge, worrying about
anything and everything.
Doctors across America have
questioned and wondered about
this predicament. And they have
each come to separate conclusions:
Senioritis! Hay fever! Mono! But
the real reason why all of these
seniors act the way they do? College
applications.
College apps don’t seem like
such a daunting task to the neutral
observer. But stress over applying
to college is well known to every
high school senior. And it is not just
the financial burden looming in the
future that gets us. Parental stress is
a major contributor. The only person
more worried about you getting into
college than you is your mother,
father, or both. According to George
F. Will, columnist for Newsweek,
PERISCOPE | SCHOOL NEWS
and analyzed standardized test in the
world. Each question on the SAT
goes through an in-depth pretesting
and review process to ensure that
every single question is fair to all
students across genders and ethnicity
groups,” according to the official
College Board website.
Another aspect of the test
that is a source of students’ dread is
the test’s length. It takes place from
about 7:40 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. and is
about four hours in length including
instructions and breaks. The test is
far too long in the opinion of Dr.
“Such parents produce children
who…worry unhealthily [that] a
bad decision about where to apply
to college would probably lead to a
life of future unemployment, then
homelessness, and finally exclusion
from family gatherings at holidays.”
And all of this stress certainly is
not healthy, mentally or physically.
According to the New York Times,
“… doctors and educators also
worry that stress tied to academic
achievement can lead to depression,
eating disorders, and other mental
health problems.”
Is it not ironic that academic
achievement is leading to depression?
A number of students are competing
for spots at schools that have
acceptance rates between seven and
nine percent. Even perfect grades and
SAT scores, a history as a member of
three varsity sports teams, being the
three-time champion of the scholastic
decathalon, having the lead role
in every musical production, and
holding the position as organizer of
a mass fundraiser that enabled the
creation of a new children’s wing at
the local hospital, a student is still not
guaranteed to get into his/her dream
school!
“Schools where good, solid
kids were a sure admit a few years
ago, now are places where they find
themselves wait-listed or denied,”
says Amy Belstra, post-graduate
Collins.
When asked if the test
seemed a fair assessment of various
academic skills, Dr. Collins said
that each student is unique. Some
may excel in all areas where others
may just excel in one. However, the
type of school the student wants to
go to should align with a student’s
strengths. An aspiring engineer
should strive for a higher math score,
for example. In general, though, the
area most students need to work on
is reading comprehension.
With approximately ninety-
counselor at Cherry Creek High
School in suburban Denver. As a
result, students are over-exerting
themselves simply to get their
application looked at. “An MIT
applicant has an average of 12 extra-
curricular activities, and when you
think about that, even if they’re an
hour apiece, 12 extra hours spent in
extra-curricular activities, in addition
to their schoolwork and everything
else they have. That’s insane, insane,”
said a broadcast on WTAE TV.
Whatever happened to
colleges basing your acceptance not
on numbers, but on who you are,
how you will fit in on campus? Well,
there’s the college interview, right?
For most students, the interview is
the most dreaded aspect of the college
application process. The prospect
of sitting across an immense sea of
oak and kitchy desk-top doodads and
attempting to maintain a professional
attitude through your jitters is scarier
than the Saw movies, 1-5! Yet the
CollegeBoard, the maker of the SAT,
suggests that your answers should be
truly spontaneous, honest reactions.
But if you tell your interviewer that
if you could meet any person, alive
or dead, and have a conversation
with him, it would be Perez Hilton,
would the school accept you? Now,
some administrators might respond,
“Yes, actually, my school admires
honest, creative answers.” And in
Page 3
five percent of the student body
planning to go to college, SAT scores
are helpful in securing acceptance.
Most DHS students plan to apply
to schools on the east coast, where
these scores are necessary. However,
Bergen Community College does
not require these test scores, and
over seven hundred and fifty schools
nationwide have dropped the
requirement, though their locations
tend to be more to the west.
Yet, in the end the SAT
is “the most widely used college
admissions test, a distinction that
it has held for more than seven
decades,” says the College Board.
“It’s just one part of the process,”
Dr. Collins says. “Just embrace the
challenge and accept reality.”
a perfect world, that would be true!
Unfortunately, today colleges are
weeding out applicants left and right,
with or without a purpose, and that is
a frightening thought.
So before you get all worked up
about the college application process,
high school freshmen, sophomores,
and juniors, take a deep breath. It
will be ok. After you finish your ulcer
medication, buy your economy-sized
box of Advil cartons at Costco, and
see several dermatologists about that
compulsive itching problem, it’s only
about six months of your life you
have to worry about! I promise, even
though you haven’t been formally
diagnosed, as soon as that acceptance
letter is in your hand, you will be
good to go! [that is, if you get your
college’s acceptance letter. If not,
side effects may vary…].
Note from the Editor: The
views expressed by the writer are in
regards to top-tier schools. Students
are certainly being
accepted into
colleges and
universities
that give them
excellent
educations.
 Page 4
Mrs. Maria Albano
By: Jennifer Forde, senior
This year, Dumont High
School is lucky to introduce many
new teachers and faculty to the
school community. One of these
new teachers is Mrs. Albano. Mrs.
Albano, a Spanish 1, Spanish 2, and
8th grade Spanish teacher at Selzer
School, has secured a position at
DHS after having worked in the
school as an ESL aide for several
years.
After graduating from St.
Peter’s College with a bachelor’s
degree in Spanish, Mrs. Albano
knew that teaching high school
Ms. Rachel Babashak
By: Jaynee Flores, junior
Ms. Babashak started teaching
at DHS last year as a year-long substitute
teacher. This year, Ms. Babashak was
hired as a full-time teacher at DHS.
Also, in tandem with her journalism
class, she has continued with her role as
co-advisor for Periscope.
Ms. Babashak related, “I wanted
to become a teacher so I could help
people.” After trying different jobs she
realized being a teacher was the right job
for her, since she wanted an occupation
where she could help students learn.
Last year Ms. Babashak taught
at DHS for the first time. One of her
first impressions was that the students
and the staff were very welcoming upon
her arrival. In her position she learned
that, “teaching is the hardest thing I’ve
ever done, but it is also the best thing …
I have responsibilities, but I enjoy it.”
Her teaching experience has rendered
many memorable moments in class. Ms.
PERISCOPE | SCHOOL NEWS
students about the Spanish language,
culture, and literature was what
she wanted to pursue as a career.
Mrs. Albano feels that because
Spanish is her first language, and
because she feels so passionate
about her culture, she would be an
asset to teaching others. While she
is not a fan of all the “housekeeping”
that comes along with teaching, the
enthusiasm that she has for teaching
and seeing her enthusiasm reflected
in her students more than makes up
for it.
What Mrs. Albano would
like students to know about her
classes is that they have the freedom
to express themselves. As far as
her impression of Dumont High
School, she loves the school and the
atmosphere and only continues to
enjoy life at Dumont High School
more as time goes by.
When not in school, Mrs.
Albano enjoys visiting museums,
eating at ethnic restaurants, and
helping her children with their
schoolwork.
Babashak says she enjoyed receiving
thank-you’s from students and hearing
their sentiments expressed.
Now that Ms. Babashak is
a full-time teacher who is teaching
English 2 CP and English 3 CP, there
are a few differences from last year.
As far as the teaching curriculum, she
is now teaching older kids, and she is
trying to refine activities. She explained
that her teaching style consists of giving
out as many activities as possible, trying
to have minimal lectures, and holding
student discussions. Ms. Babashak
says, “my goal is to find a way to make
learning fun.”
As an English teacher, Ms.
Babshak enjoys reading and has read
many interesting books. She likes to read
contemporary fiction and her favorite
authors are Toni Morrison and Maya
Angelou. During her spare time she
enjoys spending time with her family,
reading, and going to the theater. Ms.
Babashak’s pet peeve is when students
give up. For instance, she disklikes it
when students leave blanks on a test.
She says, “just try because that’s all you
can do in life.”
In addition to prolonging her
teaching career at DHS, Ms. Babashak’s
future plans include getting her Master’s
degree. She also wants to get involved
with drama at camps or after school
programs, but for now she is happy
teaching English at DHS.
Mrs. Tricia Alesandro
By: Milcia Pena, junior
DHS has acquired many new
staff members this school year, including
Mrs. Alesandro, a new science teacher.
Mrs. Alesandro, who received
her B.A. at Rowan University and her
M.A. at Walden University, teaches Geo-
physical Science and Physics. She has
taught for ten years, having worked at
Westwood prior to coming to Dumont.
Her interest in science was
inspired by her father, who always
talked about science as she grew up and
would take things apart and put them
back together to explain their functions
to her.
Mrs. Alesandro’s high school
chemistry teacher was a major influence
on her decision to pursue teaching. He
was an energetic person who added life
Ms. Karen Booker
By: Kristelle De Castro, junior
Who is the new teacher hitting
the books in the English Department?
The new English teacher in the
building is Ms. Booker, whose desk is
currently located in room 110.
Ms. Booker has a teaching
history that is very interesting. Prior
to her arrival at Dumont High School,
Ms. Booker had already seen a part of
the world that some dream to visit but
never get the chance to: Ms. Booker
worked in Japan as an English teacher
in public school for three years with
the JET program. “JET” stands for
Japan Exchange Teaching, which is
controlled by Japan’s government.
Prior to her experiences
teaching English in Japan, Ms. Booker
was not planning on becoming a
teacher. She explained, “I studied
English in college and was planning
Fall Issue
Next issue:
DHS’newest arrival,
Ms. Gina Sullivan
to learning. Mrs. Alesandro decided
that she wanted to become a teacher so
that she too could present learning as a
positive experience for students.
In addition, she was influenced
by her neighbor who always sought
Mrs. Alesandro’s help with her school
work. One day the girl told Mrs.
Alesandro that she had a way of making
big concepts simple and suggested that
Mrs. Alesandro become a teacher when
she grew up. That statement stuck with
her and helped her with her career
decision in college.
Mrs. Alesandro said, “I love the
fact that it [teaching] is a new experience
each day. Every day there are different
kids and people to interact with. The
interaction is the best part.”
The people that Mrs. Alesandro
loves in her field of study include Einstein
“because he was a mess, he could not
spell, and did not fit in school because he
had a different way of thinking and did
things his own way, but he had a brain
for science. ... He went with his passion
and did not let anyone interfere with it.”
So far Mrs. Alesandro has
been overwhelmingly pleased with
her experience at DHS. She stated that
the best part of DHS is her colleagues
because they are so helpful and have
welcomed her into their environment.
Mrs. Alesandro has great expectations
for the years to come.
to either go into publishing or law
school. I was accepted into the JET
program and really liked interacting
with the students there. Afterwards, I
was accepted into a masters program
for teaching in America.” Then, after
the completion of her student teaching
in New York City, she worked in
Teaneck High School and Hawthorne
High School before settling into
Dumont High School.
Ms. Booker made the move to
Dumont High School because she now
lives in Dumont. Ms. Booker stated
she has received a good impression
of our school, saying, “I like it a
lot; everyone here is very nice. … I
think the students are enthusiastic,
generally well-behaved, and involved
in activities.”
Ms. Booker shared some
interesting information about her life.
“New Jersey is the seventh state I’ve
lived in. I moved to Dumont to be with
my fiancé, who lives in Bergenfield.
We will be married in June.”
Besides Ms. Booker’s love
for teaching, she also has a love for
dance. She could see herself becoming
involved in the high school’s Dance
Team in the future. For now, her goal
is to meet all the curriculum goals and
get through the school year. It sounds
like Ms. Booker is already off to a
great start in Dumont High School.
 December 2008 PERISCOPE | SCHOOL NEWS Page 5

Mrs. Fina Flores Miss Foley sort of welcome and good-bye

By: Nicole Dargis, sophomore
Mrs. Flores was hired as the new
Spanish teacher at Dumont High School.
Mrs. Flores, a graduate from Fairleigh
Dickinson University, is young, but she is
an effective teacher who really knows how
to get a class interested in her lessons.
“Although second language
acquisition can be a mental challenge,
I make learning fun for my students. I
transfer my passion and enthusiasm for
the language. I help my students become
critical thinkers by asking better questions.
I help them take new topics and new
vocabulary and make sense out of them,”
said Mrs. Flores.
“When I entered college I knew
that I wanted to be a teacher,” said Mrs.
Flores, “but I did not know what area I
wanted to teach.”
Mrs. Flores said that she likes
teaching Spanish to high school students
because it prepares them for life after
high school since they live in a culturally
diverse society, and it is important for
students to be able to communicate with
people of other cultures.
Learning Spanish may come
easily to some students, while it is more
of a challenge to others. Mrs. Flores has
experienced this challenge, only with the
English language.
“When my parents and I arrived
in the United States, we were surprised
when faced with so many challenges. One
of our many challenges was the second
language acquisition,” said Mrs. Flores.
Mrs. Flores’ mother told her that she must
attend school in order to have a better life in
America. After joining a school program,
Mrs. Flores was put in an ESL (English as
a Second Language) program.
Her success in the classroom –
now as a teacher – is due to the structure
and order she maintains, which helps keep
students motivated to learn. Mrs. Flores
has rules and regulations for her classroom.
The number one rule in a classroom is
responsibility, according to Mrs. Flores.
Mrs. Flores said that the hardest
part of teaching is watching students that
don’t show effort. Effort plays a big part in
teaching and learning; laziness will not get
people far in life at all.
Our school, staff, and students are
very lucky to have Mrs. Flores as a teacher
here because she brings a lot to the table.
Mrs. Flores is a very remarkable teacher
that will do great in Dumont High School.
Cont’d from page 1
different every day. I never sit at
my desk; that’s the only thing that
you can count on! I usually walk
around, dealing with cuts. The only
thing that is the same every single
day is my duty in the hallway at
lunch. My position is really about
being on your toes, as everything
always changes.”
Miss Foley’s goal for her
first year as an administrator is to
get used to the position and the
responsibilities it entails, specifically
the departments she is supervising.
“I’m supervising languages, music,
and special education, and for me,
those departments are foreign and
new worlds. This year is a learning
year - a big year for conversation
- just to see what everyone would
like to see happen in the future at
Dumont High School.”
This new vice principal
also has some long-term goals
that she envisions instituting at
DHS. She explains, “I’m a big fan
of curriculum and new classes;
one thing that I am hoping will
happen in the future is a freshman
seminar and a senior seminar, a
from Dumont High School, to start
and wrap up students’ high school
careers.”
Miss Foley advises students
that they “should go to their classes
and do their best, whatever their
best might be; enjoy classes and
teachers, start conversations, and
make the best out of their day - and
don’t cut! Every student should get
involved in something - a sport or
club, volunteer work - whatever it
might be. But make sure, whatever
you do, do not cut classes!”
Mr. Palumbo
Cont’d from page 1
a new baby boy, Everett Joseph,
into his family.
What fresh ideas does
Mr. Palumbo plan to bring to
DHS? “Reorganizing student
government,” he says, “[and]
creating one in which students
have more of a voice.” He plans to
hold monthly meetings where each
representative of each club will
have an agenda item. “Complete
reorganization,” Palumbo states,
“one that I don’t think students at
DHS have seen before.”

Tomorrow’s Teachers
A New Generation of Teachers
from DHS
By: Stephanie Martin, senior
Last February, like every
February, students were given slips
from their guidance counselors in
their homerooms, that signified it
was time to make up their schedules
for the next year’s classes. There was
something different about the course
offerings that time around - there
was a new class being offered to all
upcoming juniors and seniors called
Tomorrow’s Teachers.
This class is directed towards
any upperclassmen who are interested
in becoming teachers in the future.
In the class, the students learn about
self-esteem, how certain actions can
affect a child’s own self-esteem, child
development, and the days in the lives
of different teachers. In addition, the
class may have the chance to attend
a faculty meeting at the high school
to see what else teachers have to do
at work.
Around March and April, the
class is going to observe many different
classroom settings: an elementary
school class, a high school class, a
middle school class, and a special
education class. After they write about
and discuss their observations, they
will have the opportunity to teach
a class of their choosing. Students
may choose elementary, high school,
or special education for twenty days
straight. Participants have already
requested a cooperating teacher
whom they will be assisting, but there
is no guarantee that they will get the
teacher they requested because it may
not work with the teacher’s schedule.
The students will act solely as “teacher
cadets” to their cooperating teachers,
but they will have to make up lesson
plans and teach a few topics.
Mrs. Barnes, who is the teacher
of this new class, is very enthusiastic
and optimistic about Tomorrow’s
Teachers and hopes it will continue
for years to come. This class teaches
students the fundamental aspects
of being a teacher and even gives
them the opportunity to teach in a
classroom setting, a tremendous first
step towards teaching as a career.
Seeking New Submissions
What is an oracle?
oracle
noun
1 a priest or priestess acting as a medium through whom advice or
prophecy was sought from the gods in classical antiquity.
• a place at which such advice or prophecy was sought.
• a person or thing regarded as an infallible authority or guide
on something: casting the attorney general as the oracle for and
guardian of the public interest is simply impossible.
2 a response or message given by an oracle, typically one that is
ambiguous or obscure.
ORIGIN late Middle English : via Old French from Latin
oraculum, from orare ‘speak.’
What is the Oracle?
The Oracle – Dumont High School’s literary magazine. Published
annually, the Oracle showcases all students’ creativity in printable
form: stories, poems, plays, photographs, drawings/sketches, and
paintings.
When: Deadline is December 22, 2008.
Where: Email submissions to DHSOracle@gmail.com or bring to
room 113.
Why: Leave your footprints in the sands of time.
Page 6
The Economy
and Its Effect on Students
By: Annie Smith, freshman
Americans are facing many
challenges in the economy. People
are losing their homes and their jobs.
The cost of home heating energy has
dramatically risen. Gas prices have
gone down, but how are these people
supposed to pay for gas and even food
without jobs? And how is the economy
affecting the students at Dumont
High School? Students
graduating from
Dumont High School
are hoping to attend
college, get jobs, and
some may even want a
house one day. With the
struggling economy,
these students may
never get any of these
things, or at least not very easily.
College tuition is getting harder
to pay for. About ninety percent of the
jobs of the future will require some
post-secondary education or training
from colleges. That leaves ten percent
of jobs for the people who did not get
a college degree. College graduates
in the United States earn nearly twice
as much as workers with just a high
school diploma. This means that if a
student wants to make a good amount
of money when he is older, he should
Thanksgiving:
Turkey or Thanks?
By: Jellirica Tan, junior
Thanksgiving, the United
States’ widely celebrated holiday, is
approaching. Many of us know the
story behind this legendary event and
why we commemorate it. However,
is it possible that we have degraded
the meaning behind this honored
holiday?
It is accepted that
Thanksgiving is a day in which we
acknowledge our prosperity and
fortunes. It is a day in which we leave
behind the thoughts of greed, misery,
and misfortune. Families gather and
realize the importance of each other’s
presence. It seems, though, that these
values have been ignored.
PERISCOPE | NATIONAL NEWS
2008 Presidential Campaign
go to college. However, with the cost
of tuition going up, not all students
can afford to go to college. In this
highly competitive global economy, a
college education has never been more
expensive, with average tuition rates
nearly doubling over the last decade.
Some students may fill out their
working papers, but they may not have
the best of luck finding jobs. Fewer jobs
are becoming available.
Even if a student is lucky
to get a job, salaries are
lower than before. More
and more pink slips
are being issued. The
lack of jobs means less
disposable income for
Americans. The costs of
essentials, such as food,
are increasing dramatically. So little
money is being earned, while things
cost a lot more.
Dumont High School students
will certainly feel the impact of the
faltering economy. Some students will
miss out on a good college education,
earn less money, and struggle to
find jobs. According to Bain Capital
Managing Director Paul Edgerly, “It’s
going to take a long time for the U.S.
economy to turn around and become a
growth engine.”
The idea of Thanksgiving
has been demeaned to such a
degree that even its name has been
insultingly turned into “Turkey
Day.” Americans have managed to
transform a respectable holiday into
a celebration of merely feasts and
football games.
Evidently, the true purpose
of Thanksgiving has been lost and
forgotten. However, with our country
undergoing economic troubles, http://campaignwindow.com/georgiastudentsforbarackobama/uploads/georgiastudentsforbarackobama/060922_BarackObama_Xtrawide.jpg
perhaps a day of thanks is exactly
what we need. Conceivably, if the
true intentions of Thanksgiving are By: Shanelle Gonzales,
sophomore
brought back, Americans can realize
What a journey the 2008
more fully the blessings that they
election has been! Barack Obama
have.
Fall Issue
A Summary of the
By: Shanelle Gonzales,
sophomore
What’s the difference
convention was the ad lib, “What’s
between the presidential campaign
the difference between a hockey
before and after the national
mom and a pit bull? Lipstick,” which
political convention? Lipstick. In the
drew huge cheers from the GOP
historic 2008 presidential election,
crowd. And what does Obama have
Americans saw things that they have
to say about this? Obama’s campaign
never seen before in presidential
spokesman insisted Obama was not
campaign history: Barack Obama, a
referring to Palin with the line, calling
black man running for president, and
it an old expression.
John McCain, giving all of America
Next were the two debates
a surprise by announcing that Sarah
between Obama and McCain. A
Palin would be his Vice Presidential
USA Today/Gallup Poll showed 46
running mate.
percent of those who watched the
In case anyone has been
debates say Obama did a better job
hiding these past ten months, here
than McCain, while 34 percent said
are some things that happened.
McCain did better.
“You know, you can put lipstick on
The debate between Sarah
a pig,” Obama said, “but it’s still
Palin and Joe Biden was also viewed
a pig.” Obama delivered the line
by many, with pundits claiming
while campaigning in Lebanon,
Biden expressed his knowledge and
Virginia, tearing into his rivals for
experience, while Palin fared better
not representing real change. Many
than expected, despite earlier public
in the Obama crowd leaped to their
missteps.
feet in delight, apparently taking the
Now that the election is
“pig” comment as a direct slam at
over, these events will be permanent
Palin. One of her most memorable
chronicles of a tremendously
lines during her vice-presidential
historically significant election.
acceptance speech at the GOP
The Election of a
New President
In order to win the
presidential election a candidate
needs 270 electoral votes. Obama
won a massive victory against
made United States history on
his opponent, John McCain, who
November 5, 2008 when he
gathered 162 electoral votes,
became the first African-American
versus Obama’s 349 votes. In order
president. Barack Obama told
to win the presidential election
supporters that “change has come
a candidate needs 270 electoral
to America” as he claimed the
votes, Obama, 47, will soon
victory in this historic presidential
occupy the White House. He will
election.
become the 44th U.S. president on
January 20, 2009.
Read about president-elect Barack Obama’s plans he hopes to instate
in his position of chief execuitve in the upcoming issue of Periscope.
December 2008 PERISCOPE | FEATURES Page 7

And the World Was Silent

By: Christina Zikos, senior
When one thinks of slavery,
one thinks of history. Yet the full story
of human bondage is still unwritten.
The truth is, slavery is still a thriving
institution across the globe, including
the confines of the United States, the
supposed land of the free.
The difference between the
slavery of by-gone years and today’s
system of slavery is that while the
slavery of the transatlantic trade era
was legal, the slavery of the here and
now is illegal throughout the world
– at least on paper. This supposition
should not permit global citizens to
smugly assure themselves that all is
well in the world; while people wallow
in their complacency and ignorance,
well over 27 million people (which
could very well be a conservative
estimate since, as mentioned, slavery
is an illegal operation that is not
recorded) are currently undergoing
the dehumanization of this intolerable
practice due to covert organized crime,
unenforced legislation, and corrupt
governments.
Today’s slaves are not
identifiable by the shackles around
their ankles, or the color of their skin.
Slavery pervades every racial group of
the world and assumes several forms,
including forced labor, debt bondage,
domestic slavery, sex slavery, and
The Story of Modern Day Slavery
some remnants of chattel slavery. It
is notable that human trafficking, the
international or intranational selling
and transportation of humans, has
increased so much so that it is beginning
to rival drug trafficking.
The victims of modern slavery
are oftentimes deceived into slavery.
Poverty can propel people into slavery,
with people allured by visions of
opportunity in other countries finding
themselves trapped in the hands of slave
traders. Women from Indonesia or Sri
Lanka, for instance, pay employment
agencies to secure them a job working
as a maid for a household in another
country with a seemingly profitable
return. Instead, they find themselves
trapped as the domestic slaves and
abuse victims of ruthless masters in
a foreign country with their passports
seized, and where the language,
geography, and people are unknown –
great bulwarks of escape.
Millions of women, and
young girls and toddlers too, are
also ensnared by sex slavery. They
are usually kidnapped or go freely,
unwittingly deceived by the promise
of a legitimate job, and find themselves
forced into prostitution, encountering
sexual, physical, and psychological
abuse. For example, some slaves in
Thailand, which has a booming sex
tourism industry, report being forced
to service as many as 40 men a day.
The U.S. State Department estimates
that 17,500 slaves are brought into the
United States alone every year from
various countries, who largely toil in
brothels, massage parlors, and other sex
businesses, or as domestic servants.
In East Asian countries like
Pakistan and India, debt bondage is
a system in which people of all ages
are held as collateral against a debt
that they owe or that they inherited
from a relative. The bonded laborers
work to pay off a debt to a local
businessman who ensures that the debt
grows exponentially larger, generating
generations of slaves.
Other countries, such as
Burma, China, Mauritania, and Sudan
are governed by dictatorships that have
tacitly supported the enslavement of its
own citizens. For instance, laogai exist
in China. These are forced labor camps
originated by Mao Zedong that enslave
criminals, those accused of political or
religious dissent, advocates of Tibetan
independence, labor union activists,
and dissident bloggers. In Sudan, the
southern Sudanese are oppressed by
the northern Arabs, who commit mass
genocides of male villagers of Darfur
notoriety and conduct slave raids and
rapes of women and children. Many
children, in Sudan and elsewhere, are
exploited in armed conflict and forced
to murder – oftentimes their own
relatives.
The existence of millions of
enslaved persons around the world
challenges Americans to create a global
abolitionist movement. The reason that
slavery flourishes in the modern day
is because it thrives on the ignorance
of others: potential victims are lured
unaware into the hold of human
traffickers and the global community
remains inactive while people suffer
unthinkable fates. While the United
States has made strides towards
forming a front against slavery, the
United Nations has done very little to
address this paramount issue affecting
so many people worldwide. The UN
avoids standing up to slave traffickers
or liberating their slaves because
many guilty countries, such as Sudan
and China, sit on the Human Rights
Commission.
How can one advance the
anti-slavery movement? An individual
can become a modern abolitionist
by educating the public that slavery
still exists, pressuring leaders to take
stronger actions, providing aid to
rehabilitation programs, and being an
educated consumer who does not make
purchases that benefits slaver holders,
specifically sweat shop products.

By: Juli Hidirash, sophomore,
The following questions and
answers are from when I sat down
with Connie Brienza, an interior
designer. I asked her about her career
and some of the responsibilities and
joys that come from her field of
work. After reading this article you
may find that you have an interest in
a career like that of Mrs. Brienza.
Q: What is your job like?
A: My job is creative. It gives me a lot
of pleasure to help decorate people’s
homes so they can come home to this
beautiful space…a space that is warm
and inviting so they can look forward
to it after a long day.
Q: What is a typical day like?
A: A typical day starts with meeting
the client and having a walk through
their home. Then I sit down with
them and discuss their lifestyle and
the type of home they wish to create.
After listening to them I go home
and make a plan. This plan consists
of samples of colors and furniture
that give an idea of what the room
will look like. I will show the final
presentation to the client so they then
can decide whether or not they wish
to follow through with the project.
Career Corner
Interior Design
This typically is done through the satisfying when you finish a job.
course of the week. You get to see your client’s reaction
and how excited they are to see their
Q: What are the duties, functions, home come alive. It’s very rewarding
and responsibilities of your job? and exciting to have that feeling
A: It’s a creative job, so I have to of accomplishment. I love to help
sometimes a client has no vision
coordinate fabrics and colors for the people and I get to do that in my job.
and it’s difficult to have to deal with
clients to pick from to create their And that brings me happiness.
[that]. People skills are key; if you
vision. I also am the middleman: I
don’t have them you’re doomed.
go and see the furniture companies, Q: What are the skills that are
other designers, etc. for the clients. most important for a position in
Q: What are the major frustrations
It’s my responsibility to make sure the this field?
of this job?
person’s dream home comes true. A: The skills that are most important
A: Some of the major frustrations
are sense of style and good taste. You
in the job are delays in the custom
Q: How did this type of work need to have a little bit of drawing
furniture. Also, if the fabric is not
interest you and how did you get skills but not a lot since the age of
ready from the mill. Unfortunately in
started? computers. You need to have good
this economy, business is slow. It’s a
A: Well I always liked creative things, space ratio skills. Also you need to
luxury business and so people do not
anything art. I always liked fashion have good math skills for measuring
want to spend their money. In a bad
and this was fashion for the home. I the room such as dimensions and
economy the business is not great to
originally worked at Bloomingdales yardage. If you’re going to be
be in. There are things you can control
in the home division. From there freelance you have to be able to
and [things] you can’t; the ones you
I learned about the fashion for the know how to mark up your products.
cannot control are frustrating.
home. I left Bloomingdales when Math plays a major role in my job.
I had my first child. Later I went to It’s important to be able to write well,
Q: Do you have any advice for
work at my father-in-law’s upholstery for you constantly are writing up
someone interested in this field?
shop, [where] I brought the design proposals for your clients.
A: My advice is to get a degree and
end up in the business more.
pass your exam. That way you can
Q: What abilities or personal
get a corporate job. Also, to study
Q: Do you find your job exciting or qualities do you believe contribute
green interior design, for this is the
boring? Why? most to success in this field?
design of the future.
A: What’s exciting is that it’s A: You must have patience because
Page 8 PERISCOPE | FEATURES Fall Issue

Dumont High School Student Spotlight

The teenagers walking the halls of Dumont High School are not just
students who attend class and study; many of them participate in sig-
nificant extracurricular activities out of school that not only grant them
terrific credentials to add to their college applications but exceptional
life experiences as well.
Attention Students & Faculty:
If you know of a student who has done something significant out of
school and would like to have them considered for the Student Spotlight,
please speak with Mrs. Glaser or Ms. Babashak in room 206.

For there was never a story of more whoah

By: Tameh Rohani, junior
Dumont High School’s Griffin
Hennelly, senior, along with eleven
other playwrights, won the Blank
Theatre Company’s 16th Annual
Nationwide Young Playwrights
Competition.
His submission of Doublets
and Hose, a parody of William
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet,
is intentionally “a really bad
production,” according to Hennelly.
He stated that “the entire plot
changes” and that “everyone dies
due to gonorrhea, except Romeo and
Juliet.”
For his outstanding
Griffin Hennelly
submission, a plaque was made to
honor him. More importantly, he
was also given the chance to hold
five performances of his play at
the Hudson Mainstage Theatre in
Hollywood, California, under the
direction of a mentor and professional
director.
Blank Artistic Producer Noah
Wyle said in a news release on the
Blank Theatre Company’s website, “I
am constantly amazed at the caliber
of the writing in these winning plays
each year. Just when I think the
quality can’t get any better, it does.
If I didn’t know these plays were
written by teenagers, I would never
guess. This is not children’s theatre.
It is remarkable to know that there
are kids creating art at a level that can
be compared to most adults. And by
the way, often more entertaining!”
Hennelly wishes to further
pursue his career in some type of
conservatory univerisity, viewing
“normal college as a waste of time,”
but at the same time says his work is
“more of a hobby.”
When asked what inspired
him to become a playwright, Hennelly
said, “Woody Allen.”

This Was the Moment

By: Edgar Mariano, junior
Dominick Panfile is a senior
at Dumont High School who has
recently won a singing contest titled
“High School Teen Idol.” Although
not affiliated with the popular show,
American Idol, the competition
included talented students from all
around the United States. For three
days, Dominick competed in various
levels of the contest and eventually
reached the finals. There he sang what
he calls his signature song, “This
Is the Moment,” from the musical,
Jekyll & Hyde.
When I asked him about the
experience of singing in front of so
Dominick Panfile
many people, he answered “the
experience was nerve-racking but
worthwhile.” Obviously Dominick’s
nerves did not get the best of him
because he earned the title of “High
School Teen Idol.” When he received
his award he said “I felt great and
was so happy [that] I cried.”
Dominick has been singing
ever since he can remember and
was taught by his grandfather. His
biggest inspiration is his parents
because they have been so supportive
of him, from driving him to all choir
rehearsals and auditions, to sitting in
the seats on performance night. The
one person Dominick says has helped
him with his singing career has been
Mr. Pochini, the choir director at
Dumont High School. Dominick
says that Mr. Pochini taught him the
proper techniques to sing and the
way to approach music.
When asked where he would
see himself ten years from now, his
response was that he would love to
teach at Dumont High School. But
in the near future, he would like to
attend Montclair State University
and major in Music Education.

Lakshya “Chris” Keshwani
By: Tameh Rohani, junior
Returning from summer
vacation, many students have stories
and adventures to tell to their classmates.
But how many of your friends had a
summer job in the U.S. Open Tennis
Tournament? Lakshya, also known as
Chris, is a junior here at DHS who can
say he works at such a world-renowned
event.
Keshwani has been the ball boy
for the U.S. Open games for two years
now. He goes to Flushing Meadows
in Queens, New York to serve in his
important role in the games. The job
of the ball boy or ball girl is to collect,
return, and provide balls to the players
when they are out of play.
He also enjoys playing tennis
himself, “I’ve been playing tennis since
I was very young and it’s a great thing
In the Open:
to see the professionals perform at
such a big stage,” said Keshwani.
Among the professionals he
has met are Roger Federer, Rafael
Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and John
McEnroe. He said, “It has always been
my dream to have a chance to meet
them.”
Keshwani stated that one of
his friends informed him of the job;
the former called in for the position
and got a tryout date. He said that the
admissions committee required the
participants to have quickness and
a good arm; Mr. Keshwani fit such
standards and was qualified for the
ball boy position.
He said that his experiences
were incredible and nerve-racking due
to paparazzi going around the court
flashing away with their cameras and
the hundreds of spectators watching his
every move.
“It was crazy in the sense that
I was on television,” Keshwani said. “I
wanted to seize such an opportunity by
just having fun out there.”
Aside from tennis, Keshwani
enjoys playing soccer for Dumont High
School, and recreationally, he takes
part in both basketball and football.
He enjoys traveling, listening to music,
hanging out with friends, and “just
having a good time.”
When asked why he would
endeavor to pursue such a demanding
job, Keshwani responded: “It’s mostly
my determination, love for the sport,
and the will to play it.”
 December 2008
The Sound of New Music
By: Paulina Luong, freshman
New Albums
The Glass Passenger by Jack’s
Mannequin
On October
8 the release of the
th
long-awaited, new
Jack’s Mannequin
album, The Glass
Passenger, was
released internationally. Lead vocalist
and pianist, Andrew McMahon, sings
his tender vocals and moving, heart-
warming lyrics. Jack’s Mannequin’s
previous album, Everything In
Transit, brought out the southern
California vibe which is fast and
catchy. Jack’s Mannequin made it to
the tops of alternative music charts
with the hit single, “Dark Blue”. The
new album is settled down compared
to the previous album.
Love Lockdown by Kanye West
Chicago-
bred, soul-sampling,
beat master Kanye
West produced his
new album, Love
Lockdown. His
new album has impacted Hip Hop
and R&B history due to the stunning
lyrics and catchy beats. Kanye West
originally climbed his way to the top
of rap and R&B charts with “Gold
Digger” and “Faster, Stronger.” His
new album still has hot beats and
inspiring lyrics like his previous
hits.
The Top Music Hits
By: Keri DiGirolamo, junior
Music makes up a huge part
in many people’s daily lives. Whether
listening to just dance, to feel that
someone knows what you are going
through, or to find inspiration, people
turn to music to fill their lives. It can
turn many people’s worlds around by
changing moods from happiness to
sadness or vice versa.
The new music people are
listening to are topped by hot new
singles that have been number one on
the charts, such as “Live Your Life”
by T.I. featuring Rihanna, “So What”
by Pink, and “Disturbia” by Rhianna.
They are followed by “Let it Rock” by
Kevin Rudolf and featuring Lil Wayne,
“Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry, “Keeps
Getting Better” by Christina Aguilera,
“Can’t Believe It” by T-Pain, “M.I.A.”
PERISCOPE | ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Premiering Artist
Every Avenue
Every Avenue began as a
small town band from Michigan but
now they are anything but small. The
band formed in 2005 with David
Ryan (vocals and piano), Joshua
Randall (guitar), Jimmie Deeghan
(guitar), Cameron “Cam” Grestiner
(bass), and Michael Govaere (drums).
This alternative rock band made it to
the top of the charts with their EP,
“Ah!” (2007), and their album Shh.
Just Go With It (2007). Both the EP
and album have amazing guitar rifts,
beats, heart-warming lyrics, and
David’s heart-melting voice.
Every Avenue decided to take
a break from making music and has
been at such venues as Bamboozle
and Warped Tour. They are currently
on the Compromising Integrity,
Morality & Principles In Exchange
For Money Tour with All Time Low,
Mayday Parade, and The Maine. I
had a great opportunity to interview
Every Avenue on October 12th at the
sold-out Roseland Ballroom show:
Me: Which member of the band are
you and what do you do?
Mike: I’m Mike and I play drums
for Every Avenue.
Me: Is there a story behind the band
name?
Mike: It’s the band name that has
been associated with our singer and
myself since 2002. We were honestly
too cheap to change our band name
when the band changed up in 2004.
by Paper Planes, and, lastly, “Gotta Be
Someday” by Nickelback.
There are many opinions over
whether such artists have enough talent,
but are getting too much attention. For
instance, Britney Spears seems to be
making a comeback with a new single,
“Womanizer,” after going through
many obstacles these past few months
concerning her health and her two sons
that she lost custody of. Her songs
are on the charts which shows that
Britney may be here to stay, despite
her questionable song quality.
Music is what lightens up our
lives every day. These hot new singles
seem to be making an impact on the
public as shown by the charts, with
many artists, new and old, vying for
people’s attention.
Basically we didn’t want to pay for
a new URL domain name for our
website! ‘Every Avenue’ originally
came from my brother brainstorming
countless band names when I quit
my old band. I said something like
‘’I’ve gone down every avenue
figuring out this band name.”
Me: Tell a little history of how
Every Avenue came to be a band.
Mike: David and I are the only
original members left in the band.
We started in 2002 with a few
other guys and everything fell
apart. David played guitar, I played
drums, and we had a different lead
singer. We kicked our old singer out
who actually is our tour manager
now, and asked David if he would
try singing. He never sang before
and it worked out. Since then we
have added Josh, added Jimmie, the
guitarist, and Matt as the bassist.
Once those adjustments were made
we felt like a complete band.
Me: How did you guys get picked
up to record for Fearless Records?
Mike: Fearless came around when
we sent them our Myspace and
some of our songs. They instantly
took us under their wing to record
under their label. They are more
than we could have asked for in my
opinion.
Me: How is the tour with All Time
Low, The Maine, and Mayday
Parade?
Mike: It’s amazing beyond words.
It’s like touring with your best
friends. I couldn’t really ask for
more than that.
Award Show Recap
By: Cassandra Conlan, junior
September was a busy month
in Hollywood. Two award shows
took place in this month, the Video
Music Awards, and the 60th Annual
Emmy Awards. Both were nights
filled with glitz, glamour, and musical
performances.
The VMA’s were shown on
MTV and used as a comeback for
Britney Spears. Her hit “Piece of Me”
took home Best Female Video, Best Pop
Video, and Video of the Year, a positive
start on her road to recovery. Spears
was very thankful and appreciative of
her wins. Chris Brown took home Best
Male Video for “With You,” and the
Best Dancing in a Video went to the
Pussycat Dolls for “When I Grow Up.”
The VMA’s left the choice of Best New
Artist up to the viewers: they had to text
in their choice of artist. Tokyo Hotel
was the winner with their hit, “Ready
Set Go.” They beat out country singer
Taylor Swift and pop star Miley Cyrus.
As always, the VMA’s are known for
their musical performances. Rihanna
opened up the show with her popular
Page 9
Book Reviews
Twilight
By: Stephanie Meyer
By: Michele Herman, junior
There is a new book craze that’s
sweeping the nation, called the
“Twilight” series. These sagas are
based on the story of a vampire
who falls in love with an average
human girl. There are four books
in the series: Twilight, New Moon,
Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. If you
have not gotten the chance to read
and fall in love with the books and
the characters, you should really try
them. As you journey into the life of
Bella, one of the main characters,
you fall in love with her relationship
with a vampire named Edward.
There are not enough good things I
can say about these books.
Want a second opinion?
CosmoGirl magazine says: “The
romance of these books get you
hooked.”
The New York Times says: “As Bella
and her vampire swain channel
Romeo and Juliet, Heathcliff and
Cathy, their audience falls under
the spell of a love that is not only
undying, but undead.”
Paisley Hanover Acts Out
By: Cameron Tuttle
Another great new book
recommended by CosmoGirl
magazine is Paisley Hanover Acts
Out. This book is about a girl in high
school who doesn’t have any friends,
but works with what she has. She
creates her own cool life, simply by
making her life seem cooler than the
lives of the rest of the people in her
school.
song “Disturbia,” then returned later
on in the show to perform with T-Pain.
Pink and the Jonas Brothers performed
outside in a city looking film lot, and
sang their singles “So What” and
“Love Bug”. Overall, the VMA’s were
exciting and successful in 2008.
A few weeks later the 60th
annual Emmy Awards took place. They
were hosted by five reality show hosts:
Tom Bergeron, Heidi Klum, Jeff Probst,
Ryan Seacrest, and Howie Mandel. All
five used their comedy skills to create a
unique opening act. The big winner was
John Adams, which won Best Actor,
Actress, and Supporting Actor in a
miniseries/movie. Tina Fey was also a
big winner, collecting awards for Best
Actress in a comedy series and Best
Comedy Series, for her show 30 Rock.
As always, her acceptance speeches
were humorous and very appreciative.
Josh Grobin appeared as a musical
guest, doing a rendition of over 20
television show openings in record
time. The Emmy’s turned out to be an
eventful night, and glamour-seeking
viewers were not disappointed.
 Page 10 PERISCOPE | STYLE Fall Issue

Fall and Winter Fashion

We change. Seasons change. BUT ABOVE ALL FASHION CHANGES.
By: Paulina Luong, freshman Guys’ Pants
The chill is in the air, and doesn’t those cold and cloudy days. There
Levi’s, Gap, and Pacsun have always been
everyone want to look fair? all time, American favorite classic for
are looks straight from the runway mens’ jeans. Don’t worry boys – the classics
Fall and winter are here and that could also fit budgets and go are still in, but with a hipper twist. Neon
what a better way is there to welcome directly into wardrobes. Read on for color skinny jeans, and daring patterns are
the cold weather than with chill the latest and hottest trends, styles, on the rise for something daring this season.
styles? Put away those flip flops and must-have looks, tops, bottoms, Check out the classic in styles right here:
suntan lotion and say “hello” to the shoes, accessories, and the hottest corduroy pants
Truereligionbrand-
nice and chilly weather. places to find them. jeans.com Available at Urban Outfitters
This season, everything is So read more…
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back brighter and bolder to cheer up Available at Pacsun
shop.pacsun.com bootcut jeans
The must-haves of Girls’ Shoes Available at True Religion
this season www.directsunglasses.co.uk
Kicks. Kicks. Kicks. Everyone wants to
This season is all about making statements walk with fresh new kicks on their feet that
and standing out as one-in-a-million. The are in style. This season vintage shoe styles
must-have look of this season is the vintage are coming back, like moccasins, sweater
look with a pop-modern twist. knitted boots, cowboy boots, and flats. Don’t
worry, though! The modern styles of Air
Uggs Jordans, Nike Airs, and Converse are still in
Available at Nordstrom
but back in bolder looks. www.UrbanOutfitters.com
RayBan wafers Fred Perry hightops
Available at B&P www.overland.com
Available at Urban Outfitters
summer scarves cowboy boots
www.UrbanOutfitters.com
Available at B&P Available at Urban Outfitters
www.UrbanOutfitters.com www.UrbanOutfitters.com

Nike blazer
Prints & Patterns Available at Journeys Guys’ Shoes
As the classic childhood hand game “Got my Nikes on cuz they are real
intones,“Pattern Pattern this this. Pattern sneakers…” – “Real Sneakers” by Drino
Pattern that that. Pattern this Pattern Man. Sneakers are always a popular choice
that. Pattern Pattern this that.” Prints and and they have withstood the many centuries
patterns are in for this season in the form of www.journeys.com
of fashion. The latest styles for this season
plaids, checkerboards, zebra prints, giraffe are high-top sneakers with screaming colors
prints, cross-stitching, watercolor effects,
and hot patterns:
stripes, and geometric shapes. www.journeys.com
Midway Sk8hi Vans
plaid button up
http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/ Available at Vans
Available at Urban Outfitters
www.UrbanOutfitter.com
Baghaus/1222080-black-1-
Nike Golden Vandal High
?$product$
giraffe print tote
Available at Journeys
Available at Forever 21 www.kicksonfire.com Air Jordans
Girls’ Tops Latest Accessories Available at Foot Action USA
The perfect top makes the perfect outfit For both boys and girls accessories have
right. This season vintage tops are in, such as always completed any outfit. The latest
vests, tunic vests, cardigans, t-shirt dresses, accessories are vintage inspired pieces which
sweater dresses, blouses, and plaid jackets. include summer scarves, long necklaces,
Anything that is simple with patterns is a RayBan sunglasses, aviators, beanies, and
necessity to look chic in this chilly weather. berets. www.hottopic.com

tunic vests Ritz sunglasses

Available at B&P Available at Urban Outfitters
cardigans www.UrbanOutfitters.com
crotchet Beret
www.nordstrom.com
Available at Urban Outfitters Available at Hot Topic
Guys’ Tops
Americanapparel.net
gold chain Americanapparel.net

Tops top any outfit. Don’t be jealous boys –

guys can wear the hot patterns of the season
Available at Urban Outfitters Skin
Acne & hair have always been both boys’
on hoodies, t-shirts, and long-sleeved shirts.
and girls’ greatest insecurities. Here are
Vintage looks are also in for guys, including
some products that will rid of that unwanted
vests, cardigans, and plaid jackets.
shop.pacsun.com acne:
Vans hoodies
Neutrogena Wave
Available at Vans
Available at any pharmacy
Volcom long sleeve harveynichols.com
Mario Badesceu Drying Lotion
www.UrbanOutfitters.com Available at PacSun
shop.vans.com Available at Nordstrom
gauze vests
Neutrogena Acne Wash
Available at H&M www.popgadget.net
Girls’ Pants ciao.com
Available at any pharmacy
“Shawty got them apple bottom jeans...
Boots with them fur. / With the fur. / The
The Places to Get denim, and leggings to athletic wear,
glasses, sunglasses, and accessories.
whole club was looking at her… AYYE!” the Looks The nearest American Apparel is at
– “Low” by FloRida. Amazing pants are Straight from Californian
available this year. The latest trends include Garden State Plaza.
boardwalks comes the simplicity of
leggings, leather leggings, skinny jeans, Straight from the roots of
neon colored skinny jeans, and skinny jeans American Apparel. At the heart of
Americanapparel.net vintage: Ireland inspired clothing is
with patterns on them. California’s lifestyle is L.A., which
back and better than ever in Urban
print leggings is “all out,” but just downtown
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Available at American Apparel from there, simple yet statement-
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Available at American Apparel American Apparel is known for their
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Bullhead skinny jeans wide varieties of color palettes in
nearest Urban Outfitters is at Garden
Available at PacSun
“chill” styles ranging from t-shirts,
shop.pacsun.com State Plaza.
 December 2008 PERISCOPE | FUN STOP Page 11

Halloween Happenings
Halloween
Photography by: Brittany Dore, Jaynee Flores, & Laura Fullam, juniors
Costumes
By: Caitlyn Kohlhase, senior
What is the first thing that you
think of when you hear “Halloween?”
Most people would say costumes,
trick-or-treating, candy, or decorations.
When I hear “Halloween,” all I think
of is what people will be wearing this
year, but I don’t mean it in a good
way.
Now-a-days, costumes are
getting out of hand. First, they are
way too expensive for an outfit made
of such cheap material that is going to
be worn once – maybe twice. When
asking students about what they were
going to be, a handful had said they
were not dressing up because they do
not have the money to.
Second, most of the costumes
sold for Halloween are very
questionable. A few female students I
talked to said they were not going to
dress up because the costumes sold are
way too revealing. This is the biggest
concern of DHS faculty on Halloween:
what is appropriate and what is not.
Every year, students get into trouble
for wearing overly revealing costumes,
such as short skirts, exposing cleavage,
and having inappropriate props to go
with costumes, such as fake weapons.
When I talked to a senior
student, who wishes to remain
anonymous, she said, “Halloween lost
its meaning since we were young. It’s
no longer about how much candy you
get or who looks the cutest. It’s now
DHS students and faculty prove that Halloween is not just for kids.
about who has the shortest skirt or
most revealing outfit. It’s really sad
how it has changed.”

Horoscopes
By: Zamena Dhanji, junior spend more time with your family, job right now or maybe you are just C a p r i c o r n
Aries (March 21-April 19): reminisce about looking for a job; don’t get stuck (December 22-
A leadership role will old memories, and with something you dislike. Find January 19): You
appear in reach for celebrate the traditions something that you can handle and feel a little insecure
you at school soon; you love. Stronger are compatible with. After all, it is and out of touch, but do not let it get
take a chance and seek connections are always something you choose, so make it the best of you. Some quality time
that position. You will feel bold, and, made at this time of worthwhile. spent with friends and keeping your
now that you are keeping up with year. Scorpio (October 23-November 21): mind open will help you come out of
schoolwork, you will be setting an Leo (July 23-August Things have not this strange phase.
example for your peers and getting 22): You don’t take been so great for Aquarius (January 20-February 18):
ahead in the long run. criticism well, and you; you are either Lately, you have been
Taurus (April 20-May 20): You sometimes you do not not doing well in keeping your mouth
have been busy and social always get things your school or you are shut about something
lately; you have events to way. Stop judging yourself so harshly feeling tension with people around that has been bothering
attend soon so keep your and remember what is important: you. Take a break from it all and you. Sometimes it is
phone charged and try to doing well in school or at work, keep yourself relaxed: take a walk not good to lock everything in. Do not
keep your calendar updated so you which can actually up your spirits. or do something artistic. When you pretend to go along with something if
don’t overbook yourself. You might Also, remember that your friends are feel good about yourself, it is more the truth should be declared.
be really busy but it is better than always there and ready difficult for things or people to bring Pisces (February 19-March 20):
doing nothing. to give advice. down your mood. Your hard work is
Gemini (May 21-June 21): You feel Virgo (August 23- Sagittarius (November 22- coming to an end.
rebellious when your September 22): Try and December 21): Last month was tight People are noticing
parents start to order focus on your health but soon enough you will be getting your talents and if they
you around. Use your more. Eating better foods, exercising, an unexpected load of cash. Do not really like what they
feelings for good and and getting more rest are great ways let that get to your head. Save some see, they will help you accomplish
do things that show to rebuild your stamina, and doing but also spend some on that important goal you have been
you can be counted on; they’ll ease these things with a friend can always whatever you have had working towards.
up eventually and you will feel more make it easier. your eye on lately. Your
responsible. Libra (September 23- birthday is coming up;
Cancer (June 22-July 22): The October 22): You are plan something fun
holidays are right around the corner: not really liking your with your friends.
 Page 12 PERISCOPE | DHS SPORTS December 2008

Fall Sports The Turf Field

The 2008 Varsity Volleyball Thanksgiving morning. Good luck to played this year: their final loss in By: Nicole Dargis, sophomore
team, under the the Huskies! the states to the powerful Glen Rock At the beginning of the
direction of Head The JV Football Team, team was by the score 2008-2009 school year here at
Coach Jamie Kipp, is coached by Bill Fitzgerald and Mike of one to nothing. DHS, athletes were given a brand
in the midst of a very Weber, compiled a record of two wins The Girls’ JV new turf field, replacing the beaten
impressive season. The and five losses. The team finished Soccer Team, led by up grass field. For students involved
squad qualified for the strong, as several of their players were first year coach Sofia in football, soccer, track, cross-
Bergen County Tournament as well freshmen. Capparelli, ended their season with a country, cheerleading, having this
as the State Tournament. The squad The Frosh Football Team record of 9 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie. field is a lot better than having to
completed its league schedule with a ended its season with a record of 5 wins This is a good sign for the future of endure the field conditions previous
record of 14 wins and only 4 losses, and 3 losses. According to longtime years.
the soccer program at DHS.
and has an overall record of 18 wins coach Todd Minimi, this team recorded The turf field was put
The Girls’ Freshman Soccer
and 6 losses more wins than any team in a very long down over the summer and at the
Team was 3 and 3 under the direction
The JV Volleyball team, while. beginning of the school year. For
of Megan Moran. These players
coached by Ron VanBuren, had another The Boys’ Varsity Soccer the first time, Dumont has a field
wonderful season. Their final record Team, under first year coach Chuck should add to the depth of next year’s
upper level teams. that will not flood, get extremely
was 13 wins and 6 losses. The future Hogan, had a record of 6
The Boys’ Varsity Cross muddy, or get completely destroyed
looks bright for volleyball next season. wins, 8 losses, and 3 ties.
Country Team, under the direction by the weather. The turf provides a
The Frosh Volleyball Team The team was young and
has had much improvement over the learned much during of coaches Jon Bennett and Tom synthetic grass surface that won’t
course of this season. Their league the season. T h e Montuori, has tied get ruined for the athletes.
record was 6 wins and 10 losses, and Boys’ JV Soccer Team for fourth place in Having a turf field is much
the overall record was 10 wins and 13 had a record of 7 wins the BCSL American better for DHS’ athletes. With
losses. and 7 losses. The team LeagueChampionship the new field came new lights, so
The Varsity Football Team, was coached by Marc Ferrara. meet held at athletes are able to have late games
under the direction of first year Head The Boys’ Freshman Soccer Darlington Park. They finished in 12th now. Fewer games will be called off
Coach A.J. Wells, has been competitive Team ended their season with a record place in the State Sectional Meet on for inclement weather that would
all year. The team had 3 wins and 5 of 1 win, 8 losses, and 1 tie. November 8th at Garrett Mountain. have damaged the track and field.
losses entering the state The Girls’ Varsity Soccer The Girls’ Varsity Cross For this year, and the years
tournament consolation Team, under the guidance of first Country Team, also coached by to come, DHS athletes now have
game on November 14th year coach Stacey Del’Re, had a very Jon Bennett and Tom Montuori, a professional surface to practice,
against Pascack Hills respectable year in which they qualified participated in the League play, and celebrate their victories
High School. The team for the Bergen County Tournament as Championships and the State on.
will also be playing well as the State Tournament. Their Sectional meet., finishing seventh
their last league game final record of 8 wins, 10 losses and and fourteenth, respectively.
against Tenafly on 1 tie doesn’t reflect how well they

The Periscope Staff

Crossword Puzzle
By: Michelle Decepida, senior Editor-in-Chief:
Christina Zikos

Copy Editor:
Kaitlyn Plinio

Graphics Editor:
Jessabeth Nuñez

1. the current Vice President of the United States of
America
2. actor that plays a debonair agent in an upcoming
film
3. author that wrote the hit series about a vampire and
the person he holds most dear
4. Major League Baseball Team that won the 2008
World Series
5. name of building used for the Olympics held in
Beijing, China
6. fervent supporter of the current President of the
United States (female)
7. author of the epic poem Paradise Lost
8. actress co-starring in upcoming film “Revolutionary
Road” with Leonardo DiCaprio
9. recently deceased author of “Jurassic Park”
10. hit teen movie that stars Zac Efron and Vanessa
Hudgens
Staff:
Natasha Carlos, Cassandra Conlan, Nicole Dargis, Kristelle
De Castro, Michelle Decepida, Zamena Dhanji, Keri DiGirolamo,
Rebecca Dunne, Stephanie Eisemann, Jaynee Flores, Jennifer
Forde, Shanelle Gonzales, Michele Herman, Juli Hidirsah, Caitlyn
Kohlhase, Paulina Luong, Edgar Mariano, Stephanie Martin, Milcia
Pena, Tameh Rohani, Annie Smith, Deborah Stack, Jellirica Tan, &
11. popular Nickelodeon show back in the 90’s that
featured adventurous babies that always caused trouble
Roselyn Thalathara
12. infamous character affiliated with Nintendo
13. name of the project of Saudi Prince and billionaire
Al-Waleed bin Tala to build the world’s tallest building
14. leader of North Korea Artists:
15. Canadian duo that managed to pull a prank on
Sarah Palin Brittany Dore (photographer), Laura Fullam (photographer),
16. new NBC comedy series written by Emmy winner
Tina Fey Jaynee Flores, Chae Ri Lim, Christopher Murray,
17. Academy Award winner that has recently suffered
losing three close relatives in a shooting in Chicago & Ace Joslyn Li Puma
18. country that most recently opened a National
Tsunami Warning Center
19. food that has caused a safety scare in China
Advisors:
Mrs. M. Glaser & Ms. R. Babashak