Rocking around the dance floor at the senior Holiday Ball

by Julie O'Melia
The annual senior Holiday Ball at Woburn Memorial High School was once again a smashing success.  The halls were filled with an air of excitement as the senior class eagerly anticipated a night full of dancing, and holiday-themed fun.  The senior activities committee out did themselves this year by literally decking-the-halls of the main lobby.  Red garland, streamers and twinkling lights gave the room a radiant glow and festive touch.  To top of the holiday-themed décor, a Christmas tree stood proudly in the corner of the room to complete the holiday-theme.  The presents underneath the tree added a little something extra to the room.  This dance is strictly for seniors, but underclassmen are allowed to attend if asked by a senior to accompany them as a date.  If a student wishes to bring a date from outside of Woburn High, this is permitted as well.  The dance is a semi-formal, girls wear gorgeous dresses, and the boys look sharp in a shirt and tie. 

                Senior Nicole Gangi exclaimed, “it was really fun to dress in holiday colors and I think that’s what made it so exciting.  My friends and I looked so festive.  It was pretty awesome.  Looking for a Christmas colored dress was tough but I stuck with red and that was a good choice.” 

A good choice it was indeed.  Most of the ladies dressed in winter toned dresses of blue, red, silver, and pearly white.  Aside from the décor and attire, the actual dance itself made for a great night.

Senior Brett Duran said, “the dance was a good time. However, I was disappointed to find out that the DJ was not DJ Dan.  Also, Mr. Fowle’s appearance at the dance took the night from a five to a seven on a ten point scale.”

Making sure that this dance is a blast is important because as senior year winds down, the students want to make sure that this last half of the year is their best one yet. Senior year can be hectic, with applying for college, waiting for acceptance letters, and being captains of various sports teams.  This night is so looked forward to because it is a nice distraction from all the stress that they have been put under this first half of the school year.  The Holiday Ball is one of the last dances that the seniors will have just for them, and it is apart of one of the many senior activities.

Senior Chris Connolly shared, “the dance was fun because we didn’t have to deal with any of the underclassmen.”

It seems like the seniors really enjoyed dancing the night away together without any interferences from the younger students.   Everyone looks forward to the holiday season, and the joy that comes with it.  The senior Holiday Ball is a great way to get the students of Woburn Memorial High School in the holiday spirit, while rewarding the senior class for all the hard work they have done. 

Seniors Ally Mann and Cassie Magro are ready to tear up the dance floor at the Holiday Ball.
photo courtesy of Cassie Magro

WMHS students participate in Pulsera Project to help Nicaraguans

by Kate Sweeney

Community service, getting involved, and expanding the horizons of learning are extremely important aspects here, at Woburn Memorial High School.  Students and faculty are always on the look-out for new ways to make a difference in the world.  Recently, this means participating in the Pulsera Project.

“Pulsera” is the Spanish word for bracelet. The Pulsera Project is a non-profit organization taking a small idea and making a big difference. The project started when a group of friends went down to Nicaragua for a vacation and discovered the people there where in immense need of help. Nicaragua is a poverty-stricken country; the conditions they saw the people living in were devastating and fueled their desire to help. 

In Nicaragua there are not a sufficient amount of jobs available. The existing jobs are generally factory work which requires long, grueling hours in unsafe, unfair working conditions while providing very little pay. This leaves many families having to live on the streets, without food, shelter, or means to get an education. Emerging from the dark dreariness off the streets was a beaming ray of colorful hope, the Pulseras. The friends noticed the Nicaraguans had this fascinating skill to make beautiful bracelets, and that’s where it all began. 

      Four years, 150,000 Pulseras, and over 750,000 dollars later the Pulsera Project is rapidly growing and continuing to change a nation. The organization has been successful for the reason that everyone involved in the process benefits; it’s the simplicity of the concept is what makes it so smart. The Nicaraguans can make the Pulseras when time permits and under fair working conditions, putting them in control of their own incomes. Mothers with children now have the ability to stay home and take care of their families while still being able to provide financially. There is no financial burden placed on the seller of the Pulseras, the foundation just sends a box of Pulseras in the mail, the individual sells as many as (s)he can then sends back the extras. There is no fee and one is not responsible for providing money on account of unsold merchandise.

It is also relatively easy to get people interested in buying the Pulseras as they’re only five dollars; they’re for an amazing cause and they even make great gifts! The money earned from the sales goes to helping Nicaragua in so many ways. From providing an income for struggle families, to setting up safe shelters, providing food, clothes, medicine and books, to providing educational opportunities, the possibilities are endless.

      The Pulsera project caught the eye of Spanish teacher Katherine Bolcome-Owen and she became inspired.

      “We were looking for a way to incorporate new cultural components into the curriculum. I just stumbled across the project and thought it would be a really great thing to get the whole school involved with. The rest is history,” said Bolcome-Owen. “The Pulsera Project has been spread across forty-two states so far which is amazing but there has only been a handful of Massachusetts schools involved so far. I thought it would be great for Woburn High to be one of the firsts to start the trend.” 

      If you are as enthusiastic as Bolcome-Owen and the students already involved with the project, here is what you can do to help. WMHS students will be selling the Pulseras Monday, December 9 through Friday, December 13 before school in the lobby, in the café during all three lunches, and before and after school in Mrs. Bolcome-Owens room (E306). If you’r not interested in purchasing a bracelet but still want to participate, any kind donation would be appreciated.

Lastly, if you don’t attend Woburn High but are still interested in supporting the cause you can contact Mrs. Bolcome-Owen at kbolcome-owen@woburnpublicschools.com.

Spread the word and support the cause! For more information on the Pulsera Project go to www.pulseraproject.org. 

Disney Channel stars: where are they now?

by Laura Zakrewski

Recently, Miley Cyrus has been back in the limelight for her choices of clothing, hairstyles, and song lyrics.  While the public has kept close tabs on Miley’s actions over the years, many of her Disney peers have slipped through the media cracks and gone into obscurity.  The burning question here is, where have these childhood stars disappeared to? 

            If you are anything like me, then you know that The Suite Life of Zack & Cody truly was a sweet Disney show.  The stars, Dylan and Cole Sprouse, were adorable and fun to watch.  However, since the end of the spinoff sitcom, Suite Life on Deck, we haven’t heard much from the Sprouse twins. 

            It’s hard to fathom, but Dylan and Cole Sprouse are now twenty-one years old.  After their extremely successful television run, the boys decided to enroll in college.  In 2010, both Dylan and Cole were accepted into New York University.  Nonetheless, the boys wanted a more “free” approach to schooling and decided to attend the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. 

            We could assume that Dylan and Cole would be studying subjects related to film or acting, but that’s surprisingly not the case.  Cole Sprouse is making his curriculum focus around humanities and archaeology. His brother, Dylan, is working on video game design.  Both Sprouse brothers have websites related to their new hobbies and seem to be all grown up.  Luckily, they’ve both become responsible young men over the years.  On the contrary, it will be impossible to forget them as two young boys messing with Mr. Moesby in a hotel in Boston.          

            Do the names Lizzie, Miranda, Gordo, and Matt ring a bell?  The Disney Channel television show Lizzie McGuire aired from 2001-2004 and certainly grasped the attention of its young viewers.  The lead cast member, Hilary Duff, played a clumsy teen who wanted to fit in at school.  Since then, Duff hasn’t made a huge splash in the media.

After her childhood acting career, Duff made herself available to more grown up roles, away from the Disney scene.  Her most memorable films included Cinderella Story, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Raise Your Voice.  Recently, she has even guest starred on television shows such as Ghost Whisperer, Gossip Girl, and Two and a Half Men.  

Duff also ventured into the music industry after Lizzie McGuire ended.  Duff’s debut studio album, Metamorphosis, did well despite its mixed comments from critics.  Her song “So Yesterday” is a rather unforgettable tune that I still hum to myself in the shower.  Any aspect of entertainment that Duff experiments with is a success. 

As of August 2011, Duff has been married to her husband, professional hockey player Mike Comrie.  Together they have a son named Luca and seem to be very happy.  Despite having a family now, Duff plans to continue with singing and acting in the near future.  She’s arguably one of Disney’s greatest success stories, and it’s likely that she’ll go on and do more great things. 

Can you gaze into the future?  The Disney Channel television series, That’s So Raven, is my personal favorite out of this bunch of sitcoms.  It kept you waiting around wanting to view another episode.  I loved Raven’s quirky personality and psychic abilities when watching it on television.  However, Raven Symone, the main actress on the show, hasn’t been in the public eye lately. 

Symone acted on The Cosby Show and then on That’s So Raven, so her childhood was spent mostly on a set.  Her most successful Disney production, The Cheetah Girls, also came out around this time.  The movie was very successful and spawned two sequels, although Symone didn’t appear in the third movie.  This star spent her childhood working on these projects, but after her television show ended in 2007, she faded into obscurity.   

In recent years, Symone made an attempt to get back in the saddle and star in a new television show.  Sadly, her new show, State of Georgia, aired only twelve episodes before being cancelled by ABC family. 

Although that was a failure, Symone has other plans up her sleeve for the future.  She plans to release an album, although there is no set date or title.  Either way, it seems that Symone has remained out of the spotlight for once in her busy life, and she seems content with it.  

There are so many people who got their start on a Disney Channel television series.  After their childhood success, however, they tend to stray away from their stardom.  The Sprouse twins, Duff, and Symone are perfect examples of ex-Disney stars that have been out of the limelight in recent years.  Hopefully, they come out of the gutters and show their faces once again.  Not all Disney television stars have gone on to be extremely successful, but they certainly have not been forgotten by the audience that watched them.