Steven Hayes in Coma

According to wtnh.com Steven Hayes, a suspect in the Cheshire home invasion murders, has been put in a medically-induced coma when he was taken to the UCONN Hospital in Farmington. He was reportedly "discovered unconscious this morning in his cell by prison guards". Chief New Haven Public Defender Thomas Ullmann could not comment because of a court-imposing gag order.

Hayes is due on trial in September for his suspected role in the the Cheshire homicides.

Source: http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/new_haven_cty/report%3A-stephen-hayes-unconscious

Picture Courtesy of: http://pysih.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/steven-hayes.jpg

Mr. RHAM

Last Saturday, Mr. RHAM 2010 was held in the auditorium of the RHAM High School. Mr. RHAM is a humorous pagaent where males in RHAM High School can express their talent to be crowned, "Mr. RHAM".

This year's contestants included Larry Fawcett, Chad Avril, Scott Adamson, Mark Eels, Casey Zammitti, Nick Aubin and Cam D'auria all representing the class of 2010 with Mike Reardon representing the class of 2011. The event was MC'd by Alex Crockett and Christopher Langlois, both class of 2010.

The contestants all had to display their favorite sport as well as one of their talents.
Most of the sports were mock teams and clubs such as the, "Gardening Club," and the "Nerf Gun Squad." Some of the talents included, "Smoothie-making," "Rapping," and even,"Playing World of Warcraft." The boys knew not of embarrassment while performing their skits, they all took the liberty of making their skits as absurd as possible. To top it off all eight boys got together and danced, moving every joint in their bodies as wildly as they could.

In addition to some excellent performances by the contestants, the MCs - Alex Crocket and Chris Langlois - also helped the show keep its upbeat atmosphere even when skits were running dry. The duo played off of each other's comments and provided a great chemistry. Their chemistry spread beyond the stage into the crowd when they spoke with audience members and ended selecting Jason Tsokalas as an honorary fourth judge. Torwards the end of the show they even showed the audience what their writing sessions were like with a funny video laced with self-parody and all-around good humor.

The last event was the "Big Question." The boys were put on the spot to answer nerve-wracking questions. The majority of the answers revolved around chicken nuggets after Larry Fawcett answered that they were the best meal served in the RHAM cafeteria.

In the end, the judges selected Nick Aubin to win the title of "Mr. RHAM 2010." He was followed by Mike Reardon who earned second place and Scott Adamson in third. The rest of the contestants seemed content with their positions, because the real prize was just being there to experience such a memorable night.

Pratt and Whitney welcomes Aerospace Engineering class

On Thursday, January 28, the RHAM Aerospace Engineering class, instructed by Mr. Ruddick, took a field trip to United Technologies company Pratt & Whitney to further their understanding of the engineering profession. The class arrived at the building eager to learn about the assembly, maintenance, function and overall design of the plane engines. The first half of the trip was a tour led by individual contributor, Mr. Bilek around the museum extension of the company which includes jet engines designed to propel military aircraft as well as the evolution from the first airplane to the Boeing plane and its importance to understanding flight technology today. The class was able to actually enter one of the exhibits where the military jet engines are displayed and students had the chance to examine the intricate wiring and blade attachments as well as the physical material that was used to assemble the engine. Designs like the F100 and F117 used for military aircraft were on display. The tour of the museum also included historical overviews of how the engines were first manufactured.

The group then ventured to the Customer Training Center which has personnel from many different international countries. Here, the students were introduced to engineering instructor John Angelotto who delivered a lecture to the class describing the different types of engines, including ones like turbo fan and turbo pro. The group was able to learn about the compression of the air when it first enters the engine as well as the actual aerodynamic structure of the engine's design.

Angelotto then introduced the class to some of the larger engines in Pratt & Whitney which included the A380 and the PW 4000-112. They were led by Mr. Bilek around the exhibit and were able to see how massive these engines are. The hands on experience and information about actual real life working fields was something that the class could apply to what Mr. Ruddick had been teaching them. Overall, the field trip was informative, stimulating and enjoyable for both students and faculty.

RHAM Leos Dinner to Benefit Project Graduation

On Friday , January 29th, there will be a spaghetti dinner in the RHAM High School Cafeteria. The dinner will benefit RHAM Project Graduation and is sponsored by the Hebron Lions Club, the RHAM Leos Club, and AHM youth services. The price is 10 dollars for adults, 7 dollars for senior citizens and students, and 5 dollars for children under 12.

Bigger Faster Stronger for RHAM Atheletes

Last Friday and Saturday, Rham atheletes were taught how to use the Bigger Faster Stronger program. This covered flexability, running, weight lifting, and nutrition. Atheletes learned proper forms for stretching using the 1, 2, 3, 4 method. They covered proper running technique and the dot drill. They also were taught how to lift safely and for the most gain. Lastly they covered nutrition which talked about the five lethal foods, rest, hydration, and getting in thos fruits and vegitables. What makes this system unique is that it has the athelete keep records. You keep track of the weight you lifted for lifts and you keep track of your vertical jump, your dot drill speed, your long jump, your 20 yard dash, your 40 yard dash, and your sit and reach. as you look back you can see your result and how you have progressed. "Today I Win." At the very end, the instructer told the atheletes about this boy who was doomed to die and he wrote these three words and got better. His team took after his lead and went from a losing season to an undefeated season. It shows that determination will help you suceed. The last thing they learned was determination and hopefully with this new program all the RHAM teams will see improvements in their future seasons.

Son Forced to Kill Hampster

A Georgia woman, 38 year-old Lynn Middlebrooks Geter of Warm Springs (as shown in the picture above), is in jail because police say she "forced her son to kill his pet hamster with a hammer as punishment for bad grades". According to the Sheriff of Meriwether County the 12 year-old boy told his teacher about the incident who reported it to the Division of Family and Child Services, who then reported it to the police. The Sheriff's office stated that she remained in the Meriwether County jail Friday. Lynn Middlebrooks Geter faces one charge of battery, animal cruelty, and child cruelty.



Information & Picture Courtesy of: wtnh.com

( http://www.wtnh.com/dpps/news/strange/police-say-georgia-mom-forced-son-to-kill-hamster-jgr_3196390 )

RHAM senior Stephanie Eldridge is a multi talented student with a story that may have several peers saying "Wow". Since the beginning, Eldridge has been involved in track and field for the entirety of her high school career and does not have any plans to discontinue the sport. Her team mates had always given he the nickname "Sergeant" even before her future endeavour was revealed. The leadership qualities and outstanding dedication that Eldridge has expressed towards the track team as well as her academic career will continue to evolve as she takes tackles life's next obstacle: College. The senior has decided to attend West Point University, a historically notorious military academy located in New York, New York. She began to exhibit interest after her two great grandfathers served as generals while enrolled in the Academy. The death of her great grandmother prompted to the family to voyage up to West Point where Stephanie soon realized that the military was the direction she wanted to pursue.


Although alternatives were considered and discussed amongst the Eldridge family, Stephanie had a clear vision of her future and was positive that West Point Academy was her top choice. Over the summer, Eldridge attended the academy to experience and undergo meticulous training as well as experience the life of a military cadet. She also studied the rigorous career in classes at the seminar which only increased her ambition to get accepted. Eldridge was recommended by a state Senator and was accepted this past fall to West Point. Yet reality was present in the minds of her parents. They were, as any parent would be, preoccupied with the thought of their daughter being shipped off to military school. However, despite this underlying apprehension, Eldridge's parents continually reminded themselves that Stephanie had always put her best foot forward (literally) and eagerly accepted challenges she was faced with.


Eldridge has been participating in the RHAM track and field program since middle school. She has shown perserverence, dedication, ultimate skill and devoted many of her hours to the sport. Her team mates believe she is a commited and enthusiastic member of the team all while maintaining a calm and level headed attitude through difficult times. She is the team captain and has competed in countless numbers of meets including her second place win in the 1,600 and 1,000 NWC meet unveiling the talent she possesses. This multi faceted student plays the trumpet, is involved in Spanish club, holds a part time job and is ranked eighth in her senior class. Her interests in many areas have assisted in the process of choosing the ideal college. Eldridge explains that her intended major at West Point is engineering, however, she would be required to serve five years in the military and upon return, serve in the reserves for three years.


The respect and attention that Stephanie has gained throughout her high school career are beneficial to her future and have proven that she is ready to rise to the challenge. She is organized, focused, and determined in many areas of her life and is excited to show the people close to her how dedicated she is to give back to her country. The best of luck goes out to Stephanie.

Accident In Downtown Hartford Slows Commuter Traffic

According to courant.com, there was a car accident around six pm on Thursday. The accident happened at the intersection of Asylum Avenue and Woodland Street, according to police. In one of the vehicles an airbag was opened. The area of this accident is a very massive route traveled for city workers leaving the city.

RHAM Boys Varsity Basketball

The RHAM Boys Varsity Basketball team played Bloomfield at home on Tuesday, January 19th. The RHAM Varsity team lost to Bloomfield and the score of the game was 58 to 84. Their next game was on Thursday, January 21st against Rocky Hill. They won the game 67 to 47 at home. The next game the RHAM Boys Basketball team will play Hall away and the game is going to be on Tuesday, January 26th. The varsity team will play at 7:00 pm.

RHAM Wrestling Wins Match Against E.O. Smith

The RHAM wrestling team wrestled E. O. Smith High School at home on Wednesday evening. The match was close and ended with a final score of 42 to 31 in favor of RHAM. The evening also served as a Senior Night for the RHAM wrestlers. Brian Steiner, Tyler Cyr, Dillon, Braga, James Johnston, and Eric Brainard were honored before the match by head coach Ryan Fitch. The RHAM team will next wrestle at the Eagle Classic on Saturday at East Catholic High School.

Mr. Ketterer Memorial

On Sunday January 10, 2010 people from many communities gathered in the RHAM High School auditorium to remember the life of the late Mr. Ketterer. The service began with an alumni brass quintet and what to follow was extraordinary. It started with an invocation and then personal stories of him. The stories were about the good times that brought back many laughs and some stories that brought you to tears. People talked about his love for music and his love for his students and his love for his friends and family. Following the stories there was a video and a slide show. The video showed how happy he was with what he did and how proud he was of his students and the slide show showed him as a loving father. After the video some current RHAM students played through the cadence that Mr. Ketterer created and then some closing words were said and the memorial ended with the brass quintet playing. Afterword the stories didn't end - just like his memory and legacy wont end. He was a loving father, co-worker, teacher, and a friend and he will be missed.

Cell Phones A Possible Breakthrough in Medical Field?

For several years now cell phones have shaped the technological world and steered the public towards a world of endless possibilites of communication. Though heavily debated, there is now new found research that celluar devices may actually serve as a beneficial aid for mice suffering with Alzheimer's disease. To counter the long belief that the radiations coming from active cell phone rays may cause brain tumors, there is a new study which shows that it could potentially be a cure or treatment for Alzheimer's. Researches studied the electromagnetic rays that were transferred to the brains of aged mice and discovered that the device depleted deposits of beta-amyloid which is a protein involved with the disease. Scientists are working to create a "technological antidote" for humans in the near future.


96 mice were the "guinea pigs" of the study and some were left without the experiment performed so that the researchers could compare the results with those that had not been tested with radiation. The mice were housed in cages with the celluar device and waves were emitted from an antenna to the mice's brains. The result was as follows: Young mice who had Alzheimer's that were exposed to the cell phones before their memory began to deteriorate were not at risk for cognitive disruption. However, if the aged mice were already displaying signs of memory loss, the radiation would eradiacate all impairment. The increase in brain temperature post exposure to radiation may be the cause of this phenomenon. Researches additionally discovered that blood flow increased due to the alteration in brain activity and that this boosted memory in the mice.


Now how could this potentially be beneficial to the human population? Well, simply enough, the experiment was conducted using human cell phones on the mice themselves so essentially, the same results could possibly follow if they were to be tested with humans. Electromagnetic exposure from cell phones is not only a technological breakthrough but it coincides with how the medical field is constantly finding more innovative ways to further research with diseases. Scientists are still testing and considering the pros and cons of this newfound brain research and hope that it will be of good use in the medical future.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34735993/ns/health-mental_health/

School Bus Crash

Early Saturday morning, January 9th, a student from the Greater Hartford Academy of Mathematics and Science was killed in a school bus crash on I-84. According to police, 17 year old Vikas Parikh from Rocky Hill died in the accident. Lt. J. Paul Vance said "A passenger car and a school bus had been involved in a crash causing the school bus to go through the guard rails and off the roadway". The bus was on its way to Farmington High School for a robotics competition when it collided with a station wagon and fell about 20 feet down. The bus held 16 teenagers and two adults. It was reported that one student was sent to Hartford Hospital and another was in serious condition at Ct Children's Medical Center while others were sent to UCONN and St. Francis. Superintendent Dr. Steve Adamowski of Hartford Public Schools said "Our hearts go out to the families of the students who were injured and particularly to the families of the student from Rocky Hill".

Story & Image Source:

http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/school-bus-crash-on-I-84

Chopstick lodged in brain

Young toddler Li Jingchoa was playing with a chopstick when he fell. The chopstick entered though the nose and became lodged 4 millimeter into the young child's brain. In the province of Shandong China, there was little the doctors could do to safely remove the chopstick due to limited technology. The family was forced to drive ten hours to Bejing to receive proper medical attention. When the young boy arrived he had a high fever and an irregular heartbeat due to a infection. The doctors were concerned about pulling out the chopstick because it could have caused internal hemorrhaging in the brain, which could have lead to paralysis, or even death. Fortunatley the procedure went well, "Luckily, the removal resulted in little bleeding and he suffered only an infection," said the hospital spokesman, Mr. Chen. The boy is expected to be realeased from the hospital in about one week.

Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/6948108/Chinese-doctors-remove-chopstick-from-toddlers-brain.html

Google Unleashes the Nexus One

Google recently released the Nexus One, a touch-screen phone featuring internet, apps, music, and most other functions the iPhone has to offer. Unlike the iPhone, the new Nexus One can by used on any carrier. For the price of $530, the phone can be purchased and a SIM card from any carrier can be used with it. The phone can also be purchased for $170 if it is bought with a service contract. The phone features 3.7 inch tough screen and a 5 megapixel camera. "It pushes the limits of what's possible of a mobile phone today," said the CEO of the company that created the phone, HTC. Along with the other features the phone has, it also features no-type texting; speaking into the phone to go on facebook, text, call, or do other applications.

details courtesy of CNN

YouTube Video Trumps Expectations

"Panic Attack", a 5-minute film made by an Uruguay filmmaker, was made using only $300, some helpful extras, and a wealth of talent in the field of special effects. The short film, which shows an alien invasion targeting Montevideo, uses a series of brilliant robots and flying machines dropping mass bombs on the city. As people flee and the air force intervenes, there is total chaos and destruction in the city. The film got noticed by Hollywood and Sam Raimi, the man behind "Spiderman" and "Drag Me to Hell", recently picked up the maker of the film for a $30 million deal. If the math is done, each dollar put into the film resulted in $100,000 for the filmmaker behind "Panic Attack".

Here is the link to the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dadPWhEhVk&fmt=18

(details courtesy of CNN)

James Cameron's "Avatar" Hits $1 Billion

Avatar, a 3D film finally released to an excited public, has finally made the box office splash people have been expecting for weeks; $1 billion. The number came only 17 days after its initial release; if you do the math, thats $681 per second. Other films that have hit the $1 billion mark have been Titanic (also by James Cameron), The Dark Knight, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. So far, the highest grossing has been Cameron's own Titanic, with a whopping $1.8 billion in revenue. The film continues to sell out multiple showings worldwide, even over three weeks after its release. Some think the huge gross in money is partially due to the high ticketing prices for 3D and IMAX showings. Some believe that the film will pass The Lord of the Rings (#2 highest) and perhaps even Titanic (#1 highest) in box office revenue.

(story courtesy of access hollywood)

Insomnium Review

Hailing from Jeonsuu, Finland, four piece melodic doom metal band Insomnium has released their 6th album entitled "Across The Dark." The album bleeds with cryptic precision and provides listeners with a heavy taste of despair and sorrow. Members including Niilo Servanen, Ville Friman, Markus Hirvonen and Ville Vanni have developed a sound that few listeners can appreciate. With its melancholic progressions and solemn invocations, Insomnium is not for the light of heart. Their current album is heavily influenced by the idea of darkness in the naturalistic world and the ill informed wonders before us. Interestingly enough, one of the prominent influences the band has is the poet Edgar Allen Poe, notorious for his brooding, dreary fixations of the world. Insomnium focuses on existentialism and state of being in this album. The album imposes the idea of how nature and human existence are harmonoiusly intertwined with one another.

Every song on this album includes some state of emotion or melancholic nature such as "Where The Last Wave Broke" and "Against The Stream". "Equivalence" is an illusion which entrances the listener allowing curiosity and shallow fear to arise. "Lay of the Autumn" is a prime example of the balance the band has; it experiments with the melodic and simplistic instrumentation while fusing mournful screams of morose and disparity. Other favorite tracks include "Into The Woods" and "Down With The Sun". The album captures an ambient dissonance which is subtly enlightening to listeners. Although the Finnish foursome may come across as just another "doom metal" genre, their sound is echoing, and will become captivating to people from all across the globe.

End of Semester Hiatus

The RHAM News crew is preparing for mid-year exams and the start of the second semester. Posting will resume shortly. Thank you.

-Editor