Greetings to all of our readers. It’s spring and we are thinking about sport and politics and how sometimes both of these overlap. We hope you enjoy reading about our ideas, and look forward to being in touch again after April vacation. Enjoy.

— Troy (85) Small, Editor

Short Wednesdays?

By Vikki Segal>

Many cities around the world have the system of going to school later on Wednesdays. I heard my friend from off-Island talking about it and it sounded amaazing! I started to really think about it all. I think that if we had shorter days on Wednesday, fewer people would be having to go to Saturday school because of tardies and 59s list for missing too many classes. On top of that it would also give kids a little bit of a break. I would love for this idea to come true, but as it is I don’t think that dream is bound to come true.

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Chance of a Lifetime

By Olivia Gross>

Next Thursday I have the privilege of traveling overseas with the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School varsity lacrosse team for the amazing opportunity of international competition. We will be traveling in England for 12 days. Not only will the team play many “fixtures,” or games as we refer to them, but we will also have the chance to stay with five host families, some for multiple nights. The opportunity to play a sport internationally is one which rarely presents itself, so for us to get this chance is truly remarkable. Along with the international sports trade, we will also receive a trade of culture. We will get to see how girls our age live across the world. This trip is packed with so many great ways to help us grow as people. We will also have the trip of a lifetime taking a step back from lacrosse. We are visiting London for two days at the end of our trip. We will be visiting Windsor Castle, the Roman Baths, the Fashion Museum, the home of Prince Charles, Chester, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and Hampton Court. So, not only are we being given an opportunity to share a sport over seas, but we are also being given an opportunity to take a trip that will last each of us a lifetime.

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For the Love of Sport

By Taylor Chisholm>

Have you ever loved to play a sport so much that you could only dream of one day playing overseas? That dream is soon going to become true for me. On April 17 I will travel with 14 other teammates of mine to England to play five games against a variety of teams over there including the girls that came and played us last year. I am truly looking forward to this experience. Its going to be amazing and I am going to grow as a person and a teammate playing somewhere new.

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Don’t Forget the Sailing Team

By Solvig Sayre>

The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School has a strong athletics department. The school is very supportive and recognizes both girls’ and guys’ teams, but the high school doesn’t treat the sailing team with the same respect as the other teams. It’s as if they’ve forgotten we have a sailing team. Today they forgot to send us a bus to get to Sandwich even though our coach was just at the high school talking to the athletics director. We had to cram in with the tennis team and all the gear. The sailing team has learned to ignore the announcements about all sports being canceled from all the times that we still had practice while all the other team practices were canceled due to weather. As a member of the sailing team I still get the comment: “We have a sailing team?” We are one of the top 25 schools in New England, in previous years probably one of the strongest teams at the high school. We deserve some credit. Watch our progress on the NESSA Web page where the standings are posted. We sail out of the sailing camp, so come and watch a regatta — the schedule is posted at SailMV.org. Please come and support the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School teams.

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How Can This Horror Be Denied?

By Anna Hayes>

There are people and whole organizations who deny that the Holocaust ever happened. But how can it be denied? For the past few weeks, we have been studying the Holocaust and World War II in class. For some reason, the Holocaust has always been something that interested me. Listening to how people were literally starved to death and trying to understand how someone had such a tiny heart that they were able to rip a baby out of its mother’s arms and throw the child in a gas chamber is baffling to me. How could someone do this to another human being? Were they that heartless that they felt no pain at all? Or were the people who did those monstrous things afraid of what would happen to them if they said no? The Holocaust is something that will always be a mystery to me. I struggle to understand how these things happen. Millions of deaths occurred over this time period and we will never be able to bring those people back, but the horror of what happened will always be remembered.

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Most Important Test of My Life

By Hayley Pierce>

I have never been so worried about something more than I am about my life guarding water exam tonight. Each class has been a new struggle, ever since the beginning exam. I didn’t even think I’d be capable of swimming the 22 laps we had to do just to be able to take the classes to become a lifeguard. My biggest problem is that I just recently learned how to swim underwater without holding my nose, specifically for this class. After I passed the prerequisite exam I felt like I could do anything I set my mind to, and I’m hoping I have the same feeling when I leave my final exam tonight. I know that I can do all the rescues and care for all the victims; let’s just hope my nerves don’t get the best of me. I have to have the mindset that there is absolutely no option to fail because I’ve already come so far, not to mention there is so much riding on this. I passed the four major tests; therefore I am already certified in oxygen delivery, CPR and AED and First Aid. All that means nothing, though, if I can’t use these along with my life guarding certification to become a lifeguard for my summer job.

I have already applied to all the beaches and there is no way I am going to withdraw my applications because I couldn’t pass the test. Hopefully the next article I write will be about my successful test and new job acceptance.

Editor’s Note: Hayley passed her test and will work as a lifeguard this summer.

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Girl on Girl Brutality

By Abbey Entner>

Recently, a horrible story appeared about six teenage cheerleaders from the ages of 14 to 17 who attacked a member of the squad at what was supposed to be a team sleep over. Lindsay, the girl who was beaten, had supposedly been talking badly about some of the other girls through My Space, which caused the six girls to plan a gang beat on Lindsay and have it taped to be on YouTube. As Lindsay walked through the door her fellow “teammates” were ready for the attack with cameras out. Two girls started by threatening and screaming at her and then began to hit her which knocked her unconscious. When she awoke to the six girls standing above her, they began to scream and beat her more. Two of the girls’ boyfriends were waiting in their cars, on the lookout, outside. She finally was taken out via ambulance. Lindsay was taken to the hospital and treated for a concussion, damage to her left eye and left ear, and numerous bruises. The eight teenagers involved have been charged with battery and false imprisonment.