Nature Trail in Marlborough

On West Rd, in Marlborough, a new nature trail has recently been made. This trail is near the Marlborough fire station. The trail runs along side the Blackledge river. On the trail one might expect to see a wide variety of wildlife. I myself have seen beavers in the area before the trail was built. The nature trail will give its town members a opportunity to check out the local wildlife and plant life.

Another Win For Girls Cross Country

Yesterday,September 29th, the RHAM Girls Cross Country team had their first and only home meet. They ran against Fermi and E.O Smith. RHAM continued their undefeated record and beat both teams with a total of 23 points. Fermi ended up with 50 points and E.O Smith with 32.

-The Sunstreak: Once Upon a Lie- Music Review

The Sunstreak, a band that is beginning to gain popularity, is about to release their newest album, "Once Upon a Lie". This formerly underground band gained a foothold in the music world when they made it onto Warped Tour and sold 25,000 self-produced records in two months. They were the second band in history to get on the Billboard charts without a distribution deal, making them a group rapidly approaching stardom. Their new album is self-produced and self-titled, and since the release of their hit single "Until I Met You", they have been featured on AOL and Yahoo! Music. The Sunstreak is beginning to build a larger fan base as their new album awaits to hit stores.

"Once Upon a Lie" is a well composed album that has a nice foundation of musical accomplishments. The drummer, Gary Foster, as well as lead singer Tony Rebis have talent that is evident in many of the eleven songs featured on the record. Also, the band blends some decent pop-sounding melodies and mainstream-friendly chorus with shared vocals to make a grooving feel.

However, the album has some major flaws that make it fall far below the top of the heap. First of all, every single song out of the eleven tracks is about loving, talking to, or missing a girlfriend. Every single song out of the eleven tracks. This provides no variety throughout the album; every song feels exactly the same as the past, set with a slightly different melody. Lines such as "I wanna touch you... I wanna kiss you..." and "She said stay with me... Why don't you stay with me?" are seen throughout the album. This makes the listening experience feel like a friend talking and whining to you above his/her love life for forty-five minutes.

Another weakness shown in "Once Upon a Lie" is the lack of originality and rougher feel. Many of the songs sound very much like pop-driven ballads heard before. This does not necessarily make the songs bad, but it does not give the listener a good reason to continue when they could listen to a similar band that pulls off the genre more successfully. Also, many of the songs feature steady, rock-based rhythms but with a bad catch; they sound far, far too clean. Even when singing of sadness, the songs on this album do not have an edge to them, which would highly benefit much of the material. The band sounds very precise and overly-clean, which does not give them the power that they are looking for in many of their lyrics.

Overall, the Sunstreak's "Once Upon a Lie" does not meet many standards that would make it one for the charts; however, the band has talent and potential that clearly shows through throughout the eleven tracks. Improvements that could be made include a change in song subject, more originality and unique qualities, and more of an edge for the rock-based tracks.

RATING: 2/5 REASON: "Once Upon a Lie" shows talent and potential, but it is not original enough in song genre or style to make it a good album.

Win For RHAM Girls Soccer Team

The RHAM girls soccer team played E. O. Smith at home on Tuesday afternoon. The Sachems defeated their opponent with a score of 2-0. Goals were scored by Sydney Aldrich and Audra Ayotte. The team is now 4-0-1 (w-l-t).

Evergreen Terrace - Almost Home REVIEW

Currently ending the Hard Knock Life Tour with Emmure, Stick to your Guns, For Today and Oceano, Evergreen Terrace will embark on their headlining, Almost Home(Less) tour following the release of their new album Almost Home which drops September 29th, 2009.

The album has been in high anticipation for more two years, following Wolfbiker (Metal Blade Records), released in mid-2007. If you've never heard Evergreen Terrace, you will be pleasantly surprised. Their eclectic sound makes the band more than enjoyable. Their unique voice is like from hardcore punk of the 80's and pop punk of the 90's and 2000's combined with new-age hardcore and metalcore. The album itself features 11 songs, each of which show off every aspect of the band's roots. One thing I noticed about the album was the speed. Every song seems to be banged out with such force, there isn't a slow moment, there isn't a moment where you won't be absolutely pumped to be listening.

After the album was over, I heard the last note ring out, and then my iTunes playlist continued, the next band was Every Time I Die, I thought I was still listening to the same band. I'm amazed at the similarities between the two. If you like Every Time I Die or any hardcore/hardcore punk band definitely pick up the album.

Stay tuned on rhamnews.blogspot.com for up to date music reviews on release dates.

IMAGE SOURCE: http://www.metalblade.com/news/images/et_home_cover.jpg

RHAM Volleyball Wins Against South Windsor

On Friday, September 25th, RHAM Volleyball played South Windsor at South Windsor High School. RHAM Varsity volleyball team won 3 games to 0. The scores of the match were 25-12, 25-10, and 25-16. Tessa Smolinski, Kelsey Welling, Jocelyn Taylor, Mallory Grosso, and Ellie Linden all played a major part in the team's victory. RHAM Volleyball's next game is against Rockville High School on Tuesday, September 29th.

Sources: http://www.rhamvolleyball.com/ and http://www.casciac.org/

UCONN Wins Another Game

Saturday, September 26, University of Connecticut Huskies took on University of Rhode Island at home. At the end of the first quarter the score was 14-0 UCONN. UCONN fumbled the ball turning it over to URI resulting in a touchdown. UCONN advanced the score to 24-7 in the second quarter, and 38-7 at the end of the third. The final score, with UCONN winning with a 42 point lead was 52-10. With only 7 fumbles the Huskies performed with excellence.

Music Review - Every Time I Die "New Junk Aesthetic" CD Release

Every Time I Die is one of the more abstract and certainly underestimated bands as far as the hardcore genre goes. Hailing from Buffalo, New York, the Southern metalcore band formed in 1998 to create a four piece set with members Keith Buckley, Jordan Buckley, Andrew Williams and Josh Newton that would bring forth an obscure sound that was unheard of. They released their first album "Last Night In Town" in 2001 under their former label, Ferret Records. The band then proceeded to tour with Killswitch Engage, a heavy melodic hardcore group the following year. The band has also played alongside Parkway Drive, August Burns Red, The Bled and The Human Abstract and has been featured on Guitar Hero 2, Motorstorm and Jimmy Kimmel Live. In 2003, the band had replaced former bassist, Aaron Ratajczak with Steven Micciche. With Micciche, the band released their second debut album in 2003 entitled Hot Damn! which included songs such as "Floater", "Ebolarama" and Pornogratherapy". The third album, Gutter Phenomenon, was one of the more praised albums Every Time I Die had produced yet, after the release, the band had acquired yet another bassist, Keller Harbin of the Chariot. Gutter Phenomenon included favorites such as "Champing At The Bit" and "The New Black" which was featured on Guitar Hero 2. However, though their previous albums have been a success; this review is about their newest debut album called "New Junk Aesthetic".

The album was released on September 15 and is the first off Epitaph Records that the band has made while signed to them. More popular songs include "Wanderlust", "Host Disorder", "White Smoke", and "Goddamn Kids These Days." The album definitely has more of an edgier feel than the others. The songs seem to include more melodic pieces and the lyrics contain a greater range of subject material. The CD shows off how well Every Time I die has captured the ability to incorporate the very wayward and bizarre mind of an individual and relate it to common idealistic views. The band as a whole seems to be creating more of a smooth sound but never the less has maintained their edgy, different, and somewhat outlandish style that listeners crave. Lead riffs and vocals are at the top of their game in this album however the only criticism is there can be times when parts of one song will sound similar to another. Every Time I Die is by no means for the weak minded. "New Junk Aesthetic" may not be the best album that the band has produced, but definitely does not cease to please fans by any means.

Picture Source: http://www.epitaph.com/dispatch/_depot/title/280937282bc42cd35145eef55432be17.jpg

Tie For RHAM Girls Soccer Team

The RHAM girls soccer team tied Tolland High School at home Friday. The game went into overtime and ended with a score of 2-2. The Sachems are now 3-0-1 (w-l-t).

New Junior at RHAM High School

RHAM High School has welcomed a new Junior to its class of 2011. He goes by the name of Chris P. I was fortunate enough to interview him during the second lunch wave.

The interview started with the basic question, "Where are you from?" Chris explained that his family moved here to Hebron from Columbia, CT.

Chris explained to me the ways Columbia and his old high school( Lyman High School) compared to Hebron and RHAM. About the school he told me there were, "Twice as many students... It's pretty huge... This school has a lot more educational opprotunites than my last school." Although RHAM seems to contrast greatly from his last school, he seems to think Hebron and Columbia as towns are overall similar, "It's pretty much the same, there's just a bit more to do."

Chris seems to being doing well adjusting in RHAM but he says, "It's been pretty rough... Going from knowing everybody to not knowing anyone at all." One can understand that being the new kid in school, like Chris, can be tough.

AIDS Vaccine

Accroding to www.abc15.com : Researchers in Thailand have found a vaccine for HIV that is capable of reducing the risk of contracting the virus. The vaccine uses two different vaccine compounds: AIDSVAX and ALVAC. These compounds had originally proved ineffective against fighting AIDS. Through years of research the scientists discovered that the vaccine was about 30% effect at preventing HIV. Volunteer test subjects who had become infected with the HIV virus prior to the tests were not affected by this vaccine, it did nothing to reduce the amount of HIV in the blood stream. This evidence show that the vaccine will only improve your chances of not contracting the virus, but will not cure someone who has it already. While the news of a AIDS vaccine is exciting, the U.S. food and Drug Administration said that much more research would have to be done before the U.S would allow this vaccine to be marketed. Researchers also noted that the vaccine was only effective on a common strain of AIDS in Thailand. They were unsure of how well it would work with other strains in different countries.

source: http://www.abc15.com/content/living/yourhealth/story/Can-a-new-AIDS-vaccine-prevent-HIV-infection/RnI1YwbEKUimtzEL4Gts6g.cspx

Girls Cross Country Results

This Wednesday, the 23rd, the RHAM girls cross country team had their third meet. They raced in Sage Park against Berlin and Newington. RHAM won the meet with a score of 24. Newington came in second with 41 points, followed by Berlin with 44 points. RHAM races again this Saturday at the Stratton Brook Invite.

ALEX CROCKETT - Rehearsals for “Oklahoma!” Begin at RHAM

Yesterday, RHAM drama held its first rehearsal for the fall play “Oklahoma!”. While the principal roles were already posted in the morning, the rest of the 30+ cast members had to wait until after school to find out their parts. The casting this year was more selective than ever, using actors from both the middle and high school. Director Mr. Jancis says that due to the size and scope of a musical like "Oklahoma", the program needed to find the best dancers, singers, and actors the schools had to offer to be able to put the show together in the limited amount of time we had. The cast met in the auditorium and, after a lecture regarding stage safety near dangerous equipment along with rehearsal schedules, Mr. Mirakian took the cast to the choral room to rehearse three sections of music. The pieces chosen proved to be quite challenging for even senior members of the group, foreshadowing the shows difficult nature. Mr. Jancis made it extremely clear that the tone of the rehearsals would be an enjoyable one but would also be very productive, and that anyone who chose to be distracting would be asked to leave. With the high expectations of the director, the enthusiasm of the actors, and the long history of the play expect “Oklahoma!” to be another great produc tion from the Tri-gon players.
By Alex Crockett

Sydney Australia covered in a cloud of red dust

According to www.theage.com, this morning residents of Sydney woke up to see the city enveloped in red dust. The dust made visibility bad and many airports were forced to delay flights. Even the sun had difficulty shining through the thick cloud. The reddish tinge is due to the sunlight hitting and reflecting off the cloud of dust. Meteorologists linked the dust to strong winds in inland Australia that whipped up dust and then blew towards Sydney. They believe the dust could possible travel as far New Zealand. Although the dust is a spectacular sight, meteorologists were more concerned about the high speed winds that were expected to blow through Sydney Yesterday morning. Some people were concerned with breathing issues due to the the dust. The ambulance service said they had more calls due to asthma related incidents. An education department spokesman in Sydney said that if parents felt concerned about their child's asthma then it would alright to keep them home. The red dust over Sydney was definitly a unexpected sight to its citizens.

Pictures of the city can be seen at : http://www.theage.com.au/environment/brisbane-cbd-dusted-sydney-storm-heads-north-20090923-g0y1.html

CD REVIEW - Emmure - Felony (2009)

CD REVIEW - FELONY BY EMMURE (2009 VICTORY RECORDS)



It's hard to imagine Emmure could get any stranger then their 2008 and 2007 releases, The Respect Issue and Goodbye to the Gallows. The subjects of their songs ranged from pregnancy to Travis Bickle (Referencing Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" ), a song featuring just breathing and a series of clicks.. No fan will doubt that that the New Fairfield, Connecticut band was strange, but there is no question the deathcore group has made a name for themselves nationally and throughout the small state of Connecticut.

Felony, surpasses the previous albums in strangeness. The topics of the songs... Well lets just say the listener should come to their own conclusion on those.. Felony seems to get stranger as the tracks trudge along. The vocalist Frankie Palmeri basically raps throughout the entire CD, making his vocal style unique, but a turnoff. In fact, most of the album turned me off mostly because of the odd subject matter, some of which is quite disturbing. Not to mention if you pre-ordered the album, it comes with a t-shirt and an "official" New York Police Department evidence bag. Strange? I think so.

Please remember though, if you are expecting the insane, intense and brutal breakdowns that the two albums previous had provided, you will certainly not be disappointed. If you have a weak stomach, though, you will be turned off. Trust me.

Win for RHAM Volleyball.

RHAM puts another win on their season. Thus far the juggernaut has won 4 games straight, following a championship win for their last undefeated season. The match against E.O. Smith didn't fail to impress the RHAM crowd, which kept noise at a reasonably loud level all game long, proving their support to the undefeated team. RHAM continues with a record of (4-0) and E.O. Smith with a record of (1-3).

Score:

GAME 1 2 3
RHAM 25 25 25
----------------------------------
E.O. Smith 9 9 13

Scores and Stats provided by David Coffey and www. Maxpreps.com

Opening Day Game Review: Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)

Today, September 22, one of the world's most popular gaming series, Halo, introduced Halo 3: ODST. The game takes a step into the shoes of an ODST, or Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, the top of the line of the human military in the game. The campaign takes place in New Mombassa, an African city being raided by the Covenant.

After a few hours of gameplay, Halo 3: ODST has proved to be an excellent game as well as a newer style of play for players of the past Halo games. The controls are all the same, except the style of the game in general is different. As a normal soldier, one does not have the high jumping capabilities and recharging health that a Spartan did. Also, when your life has been depleted, you must find a health station (there are many) to get back to full health. There is also a new type of grenade that unleashes a string of fire upon enemies.

The game's look and feel seem as if a game developer mixed Halo 3, Left 4 Dead, and the military aspects of Call of Duty: World at War. As an ODST, players carry more human-like guns that have cross-haired zooms similar to the battle rifle.

The graphics are spectacular, and they seem to be a step up from the previous Halo games. Also, the scenery is different considering you are now on planet Earth, and although over a hundred years into the future, there are still futuristic yet normal looking police care and buildings.

The final thing that one needs to know about Halo 3: ODST is the great fun that Firefight, a new game style that is modeled a lot like Gears of War's horde. Up to four players are cast into a large map, where endless waves of enemies come one after another. Players can turn on different settings and skulls to give them different skills or weaknesses that will make the game more entertaining. Overall, its an extremely fun game style, as well as one that Halo has never fully seen before.

Overall, Halo 3: ODST has not fallen short of the previous gems in the Halo saga. The game offers many new, unique features and a different style of gameplay that is very entertaining and satisfying.

MYAL Begins Their Third Season of "Pick Up and Play"

Last week, the Marlborough Youth Athletic League began the third season of its "Pick Up and Play" basketball program. The program is available to anyone interested between grades 3 and 12 and is completely free to all who want to participate, regardless of experience. Michelle Hespeler, co-founder of the program and the Marlborough boy's basketball commissioner, said the program was established "... to kick start the winter season by giving kids a chance to get their basketball skills tuned up. We want the kids to just come to the gym, get some exercise, and have fun!"

The program had 29 people attend on their first night and the numbers are expected to rise as time progresses. "Each week it increases because the kids talk it up at school and bring their friends," said Hespeler.

For those interested in attending the program, please see the MYAL website, www.myalsports.org, for more details.

image courtesy of http://static.stuff.co.nz/

Concert Review: Therefore I Am at The Windham Franco American Hall

Basic Information:

Alex Correia - Vocals

Brian Marquis - Guitar/Vocals

Jim Creighton - Bass

Travis Alexander – Guitar

Chris Fernandes - Drums

Before going into detail as to the actual quality of the concert it is important to make note of how rare of a show this was. With the breakout success of their 2009 album “The Sound Of Human Lives” the Boston based quintet’s reputation was launched to new heights, allowing them to draw in large crowds of solely their own fans at Van’s Warped Tour this past summer. While the band had offers to play many much larger gigs they were adamant regarding the Franco American Hall, as they had previously performed there 2 years ago and firmly believe in supporting local music.

The venue itself was one that I am extremely familiar with, having been there at least seven times. The actual concert space (beneath a bar) is a normal hall set up with easy bathroom access and a cheap admission price. A total of 6 bands played, 5 being amateur local bands and the headliner being "Therefore I am". It’s worth noting that the sound engineering was paid much more attention to then any other time I had attended, taking 45 minutes (which actually was nice, seeing as there are multiple fast food restaurants within 4 minutes of the show where we went to buy dinner) but producing a much higher quality sound from the drums, which usually suffer from the hall's mediocre acoustics. Also, merchandise booths were set up in the back of the hall near the entrance instead of against the left and right walls. This was a much welcomed change due to the danger of being caught up in mosh pits in the older setup. One subtle but excellent feature of this venue is the readmission policy which means you can leave and come back at any time, which is convenient seeing as there is no means of acquiring food or drink in the building.

The show itself was fantastic. The band members were all as excited to be playing as the audience was to be watching them. After opening with “Death By Fire” they played a handful of songs off of their latest album including “My Father, The Fatalist” and some from their 2007 album “Escape”, finally closing with an encore of “45 miles”. The crowd was extremely energetic screaming the words to every song and piling on top of vocalist Alex Correira during their favorite segments. On the subject of vocals, Alex remained consistent throughout the entire performance, which combined with the stellar jobs done by the rest of the band members made the set one of the tightest and best I have ever listened to.

All of the band members spoke to the fans before and after the show, telling stories about the summer and listening to stories of the audience's musical endeavors. The atmosphere of the show was extremely relaxed and friendly with Alex stopping at one point to thank everyone for coming out and explaining how without shows like this one they would never have gotten to where they were now. The show was extremely affordable, only $10, and for the quality of the performance, the amount of music played, and the sheer enthusiasm and passion of the musicians this performance was one that I am glad I did not miss.

Check out Therefore I Am at Myspace.com

http://www.myspace.com/thereforeiam

By Alex Crockett

Accident in Hebron early this

Accident in Hebron early this morning. Firemen with guerneys and smashed windows on what looked like a black SUV.

Mystery Creature Found in Panama

According to cnn.com :

The body of an unidentified creature was found by four teenagers in northern Panama City. The teens say they saw the creature, killed it with rocks, left and came back to take photos. Zooligists in Panama are still working to identify this creature. A video of the creature can be found at this url : http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2009/09/18/sot.panama.mystery.creature.cnn

RHAM Football Season Opener

The RHAM Football team started its season with a loss today against Bloomfield to a score of 28-13. Eric Brainard scored 2 touchdowns in which Joe Coletti converted 1 extra point. On the defensive side of the ball there were 2 interceptions, 1 by Matt Goodwin and the other by Mattt Fitzpatrick, and 1 fumble which was recovered by Michael Luby. Over all Coach Hammon was pleased with the way the team played.

Win For RHAM Girls Soccer Team

The RHAM girls soccer team defeated Fermi High School on Friday afternoon. The game was held at RHAM High School and ended with a score of 4 to 3. RHAM goals were scored by Audra Ayotte, Julia Hersh, Mariah Lipscomb, and Ashley Russo. The Lady Sachems are now 2-0.

Sewer Regulations discussed by WPCA

The Water Pollution Control Authority(WPCA) has been holding meetings concerning the change from septic systems to sewer systems around the area of Lake Terramuggus in Marlborough. The reason for this change is because waste from the septic systems has been flowing into the lake. The WPCA now has 65 days to act on a waste-water discharge permit that will allow them to run the sewers. Every house will have to have a grinder pump to move sewage from a citizen's septic system to the main sewer system.

Although this change will help prevent water pollution, some people are opposed to it. Pat Wilson wants the contractors to install the grinder pump on the side of her house with an empty lot instead of the side they originally decided. On the side the contractors originally planned to put the grinder pump are 15-year-old ivy plants that Wilson planted when her husband died. Installing the grinder pump would require the ivy plants to be ripped out. "I'm a widow and I have a great difficulty taking care of the inside and outside of the house," she explained.

Town Planner Peter Hughes and Chairman of the WPCA John Murray explained that any residents who refused to hookup the sewer would be fined. "We gotta think about how we can collect our money and not wait for a lien process to take place," explained Murray. Murray said he would contact the contractors, F&J inc., and have them plant new ivy for Wilson. "We request as part of their contract to replace whatever was there. At least as good if not better."

The WPCA will hold another meeting on Thursday, September 24, at 7:00 pm at the town hall.

Source:
Katy Nally
WPCA Discusses Sewer Regulations
Rivereast News Bulliten
September 18, 2009

Board of selectmen agree to draft ordinance for tax exemption

A Marlborough Vietnam War Veteran & his wife(Wilfred & Robin Hodge) consulted with the Board of Selectman (BOS) to be exempted from property tax in May. Four months later, on September 15, the BOS has agreed to draft an ordinance for a tax exemption of the couple. The ordinance would adopt the Connecticut General statue section 12-81(21)(c). This allows veterans who have recieved "Special assistance for special housing under Title 38 of US Code," to have an exemption from property taxes. The BOS will have to vote on this once a draft for the ordinance is made.

Much debate has arisen on whether the ordinance should be legislated for the couple. First Selectman Bill Black believes that adopting title 38 would not be proper. "If we legislate, we have to legislate for everyone," explained Black.

State representative, Pam Sawyer, is advocating for the rights of veterans. She strongly supports Title 38, describing it as, "feel good legislation." She plans to return to the capitol to support the 20 veterans (including Hodge) of the state of Connecticut through Title 38. "I have absolutely no problem asking the state to reimburse the town for that money," she mentioned, "They are our veterans, not just Marlborough's veterans."

A town meeting is being held on Tuesday, the 29th of September. Pam Sawyer explained that she has asked many Marlborough residents to attend it.

Source:
Nally, Katy
"Selectmen Agree to Draft Ordinance for Disabled Vet"
Rivereast News Bulliten.
September 18, 2009

Student Teacher at RHAM

Mr. Jason Leavings, a current student at Eastern Connecicut State University, is student teaching here at RHAM. He recieved his undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology. Right now he is completing the last step before getting his degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in Biology. He is doing student teaching with one of the biology teachers here at RHAM, Mrs. Cahill. So far, Mr. Leavings seems to be enjoying his time here. He said that the students have been great to work with. "No, no I wouldn't say they're giving me trouble. Most of them are making it interesting. That's a completely different factor compared to trouble," Leavings said.


Mr. Leavings will be at RHAM until December 18th of this year. Until then he will be practicing his teaching skills in room 225.


[Reporter Brendan H. contributed to this story]

RHAM Varsity Volleyball Wins First Home Game of Season

-picture was provided by: www.rhamvolleyball.com



On Thursday, September 17th, the RHAM Varsity Volleyball team won their first home game of the season. They played the Hartford Public Volleyball team. The Sachems won the match 3 gams to 0. There was a lot of effort on the RHAM team with saves and serves. With the top players, Tessa Smolinski, Kelsey Welling, Mallory Grosso and Ellie Linden leading the varsity team, hopes are this team could go all the way to win their conference.

Movie Review: District 9

(This article is written in the opinion of the writer. The film is rated R and cannot be attended by anyone under the age of eighteen without an adult)

The Basics on District 9:

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Lead Actors: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope

District 9 is Neill Blomkamp's fourth film as a director as well as Sharlto Copley's second film as an actor. Regardless, the work proved itself to be a work that contains a mixture of phenomenal special effects, acting talent, and originality.

The plot, without spoiling any of the movie, is about a man named Wikus Van De Merwe who works for a company called MNU (Multi-National United). He is living in a time where alien life has visited Earth, but the massive ship that brought them is broken down and hovering above the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. The global governments placed the refugees in a ghetto near the ship called District 9. When forces from MNU, led by Wikus, try to move the visitors to District 10, many events and troubles occur.

The film showcased many great features that make it one of the best films of the year. First of all, the picture relied completely upon special effects, which were very well done. One of the main characters was an alien, and he was one of the most emotion filled, realistic characters since King Kong in 2005. Also, the machines, ships, alien guns, and violence all looked very realistic and believable.

Although District 9 was Sharlto Copley's first film, he performed extremely well throughout it.

Girls Cross Country Results

Yesterday, Tuesday the 15Th, the RHAM girls cross country team had their first meet of the season.They raced against Bloomfield and Rockville. RHAM ended up winning with a total of 15 points. Bloomfield had 50 points and Rockville had 29. Stephanie Eldridge was first for RHAM.

Spanish Exchange Field Trip

RHAM High School language teachers Mrs. Rametta and Mrs. Nocton are organizing a field trip with the Spanish exchange students that will be visiting RHAM this fall. All RHAM students enrolled in Spanish 3 that are not hosting a Spanish student are eligible to attend this trip. They will be visiting the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Mystic Seaport on Thursday, October 8, 2009. The bus will leave RHAM at 7:45am and will return to school at 5:00pm that evening. The cost is fifty dollars and all students must bring a bag lunch.

There are still seats available for the trip so anyone interested should see Mrs. Rametta or Mrs. Nocton before the sign-up deadline, Friday September 18, 2009.

Win For RHAM Girls Soccer Team

On Tuesday afternoon, the RHAM girls soccer team played away at Plainville High School. RHAM defeated their opponent with a score of 7-1. Goals were scored by Sydney Aldrich, Audra Ayotte, Brianna Byrne, Mariah Lipscomb, Olivia Rivosa and Kristen Brett. The team is now 1-0.

"Oklahoma" Auditions

On Tuesday, September 15th and Thursday, September 17th, RHAM Middle and High Schools are holding auditions for the play, Oklahoma.This year's Drama club is being run by Mr. Jancis, Mr. Mirakian, and Mrs. Quinn. People who are auditioning only have to go one of the days listed for tryouts. There are three parts of the audition process. People trying out have to sing, dance, and act. The people who tried out for the play will find out the results of the tryouts on Friday or Monday.

Lions Lions - From What We Believe REVIEW

It's hard to mention the Boston hardcore scene without mentioning the members of the band Lions Lions. The Massachusetts locals come straight from the heart of bands such as VANNA, Therefore I Am, and A Loss for Words. Following their last EP "Direction" fans expected much out of this unique group.

From What We Believe (Panic Records) is sure to please. From the beginning of the CD to the end, nothing falls short of expectations. The group seemed to stray from the experimental aspect of their music and shifted towards a heavier, but sometimes acoustic sound. Listeners will be surprised at the shift from the beauty of the song "Tumbling" to the intense breakdown stocked song "Angels with Dirty Faces". The songs do transition into each other wonderfully nonetheless.

Also, be prepared to hear new renditions of songs from "Direction". Waves and Nothing Can Stop Us, simply put are great. I recommend this album to anyone who comes across it.

www.myspace.com/lionslions

California's wildfire believed to be arson

The recent fires that have been devastating the Los Angeles area in California have been burning for 10 days now. Recent investigations have determined the blaze, which killed two firefighters, was arson. This information has made authoritites launch a homicide investigation.

"We believe that this was caused by someone intending to set a fire," explains sheriff's spokesman, Steve Whitmore. Authorities have worked hard to extinguish the flames before they cause any more damage to the forest and claim people's lives.

The fire has proved to be one of the most violent wildfires in the history of southern California.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gZ8Zlj-J4JAGBVX44URTwVV53E0QD9AGDNEO0

Senator Curt Schilling

Retired Pitcher Curt Schilling, who led the Red Sox to two world series titles, has recently been told by citizens of Massachusetts to run for office and maybe take the seat of Ted Kennedy, who had just recently passed away. When asked about it he said, "As of today, probably not, but I’m not going to speculate about it right now.” Although this is not up his alley he does make some very good points in his interview. He refers to wasteful government spending in the state, particularly the "Big Dig". Schilling called it quote, “the largest, most colossal waste of money in the history of the United States.” Right now he still doesnt know whehther or not he will be running for office.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/curt-schilling-for-senate/gop-draft/?cid=cs:headline21

RHAM Girls Soccer Team Wins First Scrimmage

The RHAM girls soccer team defeated Coventry today in their first scrimmage of the season. RHAM out scored their oponents 8-0. Goals were scored by Ashley Russo, Sydney Aldrich and Ashley Russo. The RHAM boys soccer team has a scrimmage tomorrow at home.

Return to school reveals tight budgets

Due to the recession many schools have had to seriously cut back their budgets. At the start of this school year Connecticut had 1,200 less teachers than last year. Schools like East Hartford had cut close to 40 teachers just to meet a 4.2% reduction in the budget. This means that the amount of students in each class has to increase. New Britain will be increasing classroom sizes for the eighth year in a row. Hartford had to cut 250 jobs, 100 of them teaching positions, and even closed a middle school. Schools statewide are doing whatever they can to cut back. They are eliminating bus routes, cutting back on electives, dropping sub-varsity teams, and are even starting "pay to play" sports teams. School principals are really starting to feel the stress of trying to balance the use of resources between those who need additional help , and kids who are doing well. While some schools have had to make more severe changes than other, every school in Connecticut has been forced to make changes in order to stay within their budgets. Many are more concerned that next year the budgets will only be cut lower.

Sources:
http://www.courant.com/news/education/hc-recession-schools-0831.artaug31,0,4818899.story

Wolf Hunting Becomes Legal After Decades of Struggle

Decades have passed since the last gray wolf was hunted in the United States. After making its way onto the endangered species list years ago, the wolves have been the subject of multiple controversies. Recently, when their population began to hit larger numbers, 1,600 in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho combined, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service removed them from the endangered species list. Shortly after, the laws against hunting gray wolves were abolished and replaced with set numbers of wolves that can be killed each year
in a state.


The new law brought on new controversies. According to Melanie Stein, a spokesperson for the Sierra club, the gray wolves are "are just on the cusp of recovery and that we are almost there." She also believes that hunting the wolves will take their re-growth and move it backwards. Critics of the new law, including some environmental clubs and animal rights groups, hope that they can reverse the new law as soon as they can.


There are those that support the hunting of gray wolves. There are hundreds of sheep who have been slaughtered by hungry wolves, and ranchers feel that their livestock are threatened on a daily basis. "It is devastating for us to put all of the money and the time and the genetics and work to produce a great product and then just have it half-eaten and left to die," says Cindy Siddoway, a rancher from Terreton., Idaho.


Currently, there have been three wolves killed since the hunting season began.




(courtesy of CNN.com, image courtesy of National Geographic)

RHAM's New Football Program

"Up beat" Those are the words described by Coach Hammon about the new RHAM football program. The football program recently lost the co-op with Lyman High School as well as an all state punter. Despite the losses the coach thinks it will make the team closer.

The 31 freshmen and 43 JV-Varsity players will be entering a new league this season. Altough it is a weaker division the team still has work to do to prepare. With key players like Jim Morrison and Eric Brainard the teams has high hopes. The future, however, is found in the freshman program coached by Coach Clifton. When asked about them he commented,"given time [they] will develop into a great varsity program."

Ban On Tennis Star Over

In May of 2009 23rd ranked tennis star, Richard Gasquet, tested positive for cocaine. Gasquet said that he had met a woman named Pamela who he shared a kiss with, the only explanation for the unusual positive result. The International Tennis Federation found that there was no more cocaine than a grain of salt in Gasquet's system and that the typical ban of two years would be excessive. Instead he was given a ban of 2 months and 15 days, ending just before the U.S. Open. His ban was concluded on July 15, 2009. Gasquet just played for the first time in a Major, the U.S. Open, and lost 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

Sources:
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=4329491
http://www.usopen.org/en_US/index.html

Electricity Now Wireless!

Hate to charge your laptop with a wire? In a year cords might start become obsolete.
This is a prediction of Eric Giler, CEO of WiTricity, a company that is now able to run light bulbs without an electrical cord.

The system works by converting power into a magnetic field, and on a particular frequency, making electricity wireless. "The biggest effect of wireless power is attacking that huge energy wasting that goes on where people buy disposable batteries," Giler says.

Since the 1890's scientists and engineers have been working on the idea of sending electrical currents though the air, but up until now no one has discovered a safe way to do so. Many engineers have come upon successes, but none have been completely reliable. In 2003, a company called Powercast used the low-level power of radio waves to illuminate an LED light 1.5 miles from the power source. The Powercast system doesn't have enough power to charge a laptop, cell phone, or any other large power source.

One of the biggest doubts about the electricity system is health risks. Menno Treffers, chairman of the steering group at the Wireless Power Consortium, a group promoting wireless power as a standard, says there may be health risks involved with the magnetic field system. Giler said the technology would produce magnetic fields that are "about the same density as the earth's magnetic field." Despite the doubts about the system, it would be environmentally friendly considering the some 40 billion disposable batteries made each year. "The biggest barrier to the technology's adoption," Giler said, "is that people just aren't familiar with the idea. "

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/02/wireless.electricity/index.html

Schools in Connecticut Fail To Pass Program

According to Courant.com, Connecticut school officials say that out of all the state's public schools, 40% of the schools failed to achieve the standards this year for the federal program, No Child Left Behind Law. The state Department of Education says that 406 out of 987 schools didn't make their yearly progress under the federal law. Some schools on the list of failing standards on the No Child Left Behind Law are: Glastonbury High School, Greenwich High School, and West Hartford's Hall High School. Local officials say that the schools are having a harder time meeting the standards because of strict requirements for some groups, which includes students who have a disability and students who are learning to speak English.