We Never Go Out of Style

by Meaghan Angers

The dress. The tux. The hair. The nails. The shoes. The pictures. All for that One. Memorable. Prom.

The Class of 2016 Junior Prom took place on April 10 at the Hilton Plaza. The event was filled with pictures, laughter, and lots of dancing. The night was a memorable evening where everyone looked beautiful and handsome. The dresses were colorful and fit everyone’s personality.

Jojo Mandra, Sydney Young, Arianna Ramirez, Alexa Vargas, and Mollie Fraser looked absolutely stunning in their dresses that fit them perfectly. Chris and Brian Kenton pulled off the white tuxedos to look like Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill from 22 Jump Street. 

Getting ready to head to the Junior Prom: photo by Ben Farrell

As for myself, my mind was set on finding a dress that looked like Taylor’s Swift dress at the White Winter Gala in 2013. I searched online and found worldcelebritydresses.com (I highly recommend looking at because the dresses are made well and cheap for the quality). World Celebrity Dresses remakes dresses and on there I was able to find dozen of Taylor Swift dresses and the one I wanted!

 The dinner was a buffet with choices of chicken parmesan, vegetable lasagna, potatoes, string beans, salad, and bread. Couples and friends sat together and enjoyed the meal. Particularly at my table, the conversation was focused on the interesting center pieces composed of clear gel vase fillers, which we threw at one another.

DJ Dan played a mixture of techno songs, popular songs from the radio, and oldies. Some highlights were “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, “Style” by Taylor Swift, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Colorblind, and “Rather Be” by New Eyes. The slow songs consisted of “Drops of Jupiter” by Train, “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. The dance ended with the slow song “Earned It” by The Weekend.

The main feature of the night was the photo booth. The photo booth allowed students to take home photos while having fun. Props, such as hats, glasses, and feather boas were provided for students to act goofy and have a little fun with their pictures. The photo booth provided the students to take a break from dancing and continue the fun as they got to dress up and take pictures with friends.

Me showing off my boot: photo by Joe Brown/ joebrownphotos.com

The highlight of my night, however, was when Madeline DiMauro, Ms. Smith, and I had to go out to the car to get my boot.

Two days before prom, I had to get a walking boot due to a stress fracture. Instead of wearing it all night I decided to wear my heels up until the point where it really hurt. After “Style” by Taylor Swift came on, I went “too hard” and ended up in a lot of pain and had to get the boot.

Walking out to the car, Madeline and I saw the gazebo and took a really cute picture. After avoiding jumping into the pool (because it was really hot) and the silent auction going on, we got back up to the dance floor and encountered the photo booth again. My group of friends decided to do something fun with the photo booth and my boot and decided to pick me up and show off my boot and of course Joe Brown came to take a photo.

After all the stress and anticipation that went into planning it, junior prom has come and gone. The Bulls’ Eye Staff hopes everyone had a safe, fun, and memorable evening!

Why pay the fare to attend the college fair?

by Edward Lam

10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Go to the College Fair (At Least Not Yet)

A blue sheet appears before a WMHS student. The student is elated as they read the joyous words of “WOBURN HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE VISIT PERMISSION FORM”. Then again, perhaps “elated” is a strong word. In many cases, opposed to those that simply treat the opportunity as an excused absence from school, there are students that see this as a real chance to figure out the college that is right for you. The question then becomes whether such a college fair is the right one to go to.

1. There Are More College Fairs
College fairs are abundant. Just because there is a set day does not mean it’s the only one that will ever pass by. The opportunity of a college fair will always be present as they are stationed throughout the nation as well as locally to those willing to look. It is just up to you whether you will truly seize such an opportunity.  While the condition of missing a school day is indeed appealing, it is up to you as the student to responsibly realize that college fairs are to gain information about, you guessed it, college. As a junior, this concept is easy to forget as much of the potential information can be ignored in the excitement of no school. Instead, a college fair should be appreciated with plenty being offered during vacation to allow for the proper time to enjoy a fair without the worry of school the next day (or even prom).

2. Everything is Digital

The world is entering a generation of technology and colleges are following suit. While college fairs are convenient congregations of potential colleges to keep in mind, a college fair is simply that. Research online can be just as, if not more, beneficial as much of the information being offered is at your disposal and really up to your interpretation. College reps are there to provide information in short bursts, but much of the convincing is up to you. Their job is not to bad mouth peer institutions and much of the comparison falls upon taking the time to look up desired colleges. Colleges that you may already be interested in may not even be at the college fair which is why one should always research if such a college fair is even worth your time.

3. Prioritizing School

While there is no harm in thinking about the future, one should always keep in mind of the present (especially when it could actually impact the future far more than preparing for a college fair). April is a delicate time of the year considering it becomes the last real month to prepare for any AP classes (on top of any scheduled SAT, ACT, or even Subject Tests). Everyday becomes essential especially when realizing how much time has been lost to the cold breath of Mother Nature. By going to the college fair during the school day, what is lost is not only that day’s potential lesson, but really the teacher’s purpose for the day as having a class of 2-5 students is not really worth it as it will eventually have to be retaught with those that went to the college fair anyway.

4. Crowds

While it can already be an anxiety filled experience when realizing that a college fair could have the place that you will spend four years of your adult life in, imagine having to shift through numbers of the very same nervous teenagers. With incoming students from every which way, trying to do exactly what you are doing, the experience can feel very much rushed and confusing. Especially if you are traveling among a pack of friends, the need to group up can be tedious and overall, harmful to the knowledge that could actually be gained from a college fair.

5. Let’s Be Honest…

Some refer to this day as Junior Skip Day. Unless your teacher actually assigns a project surrounding the college, it is easy to see how a student might not take the college fair too seriously. There is no doubt that a person should be able to enjoy themselves at a college fair, but the risk lies in when this enjoyment becomes just a care-free time due to going with friends. While the day may initially begin with “checking out” the college fair, a shocking discovery is revealed that the time given off to students may be dedicated toward more recreational activities rather than educational.

6. No One-on-One Opportunities

You are not special; at least not in the eyes’ of the college fair (of course, by reading this blog, you will always hold a special place in the hearts of the Bull’s Eye staff). The truth is that you are but a single entity in a mass of students and/or their parents. College fairs are not where you make an impression especially when a desired college is there. There is simply not enough time and the ten minutes that a college rep may hold with you is more than likely ten minutes that he or she spent with another student. While we would like to believe that these people would remain faithful to us, such an expectation is just not possible.

7. Dealing with Transportation in Boston

“Ugh.” said the flustered mother who grimaced as she searched for a parking spot.  “*#$%!” said the impatient father caught in traffic with his shirt slightly untucked due to being rushed in the morning. “Your taste in music is awful.” grumbled the teen as he carpooled with his friend. With the college fair being offered both during the school day and the late afternoon, simply getting to the college fair is a sufficient effort. Whether it is by car or the T, commuting through Boston as a suburb native can be frustrating enough to ruin an evening.

8. Abandoning Those Who Didn’t Go

While slightly biased as I chose to attend school, number 8 on this list mainly exists as a Katniss salute to those that were left behind.

9. Being Bombarded with the Reality of College

The thought of college is scary. Sometimes to the point where you just want to cry and curl up in the fetal position with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s that whispers “It’s going to be okay” as the fear of college slowly consumes your sanity. Or maybe that’s just me. Even so, college fairs can be overwhelming as numerous colleges try to gain your interest. With so many choices, a junior becomes a kid in an overpriced candy store with only enough pocket change to lick a small morsel over and over for the next four years. So do you go for the Godiva of a private school or the less exclusive but no less delicious Skittle of a state school? The pressure is real, but stay vigilant as relief of choosing is that much sweeter. While some are able to determine what they want from the get go, the college fair is very much a see-but-don’t-touch kind of deal for those that are not as decisive.

10. Free Pens

If there’s anything to take away from this list, it is this. Beware of the pens. They are but a trap; seducing students with their ballpoint goodness. As a high-schooler, these college reps know that pens are a resource that is diminished everyday within a student’s life. So like a coyote on an injured gazelle, they pounce as timid juniors fall into their hands and leave with a new pen. While it may be us who believe that we walked away with this precious resource unscathed, little do you realize of the smirks these reps share as their institutions’ name becomes subconsciously integrated in our lives with each written word.

 

 

 

Our Future Inventions: The Green Shower

by Margarita Forbes

It is clear that one of the serious issues now-a-days is the lack of pure and clean water in some areas of the world. So, the best way to save the world is through recycling. A Swedish Company named Orbital Systems is trying to overcome this problem of shortage around the world, and has introduced a new sort of shower that recycles the used water and sends it in clean and purified form back to its tip. 

A Swedish tech company, Orbital Systems developed the “OrbSys Shower” with NASA's Johnson Space Center, having been inspired by the designs used in space missions, where fresh water is obviously limited.   The “OrbSys Shower” is a developed water recycling technology to be used in domestic appliances. It saves up to over 90% water and 80% energy for every shower taken, while still providing a quality shower, increasing comfort and hygiene. 

The current model of the OrbSys Shower has a touchscreen embedded in the wall, allowing users to check its status and adjust the temperature and water flow.  So that homeowners can easily lift it up to check the filter and replace it if needed, the filter under the shower tray is easily accessible. Once a new one is in place, used filters can be sent back to Orbital Systems for recycling.

 The way that this technology works, is by saving the water you'd normally use to get yourself clean and then having it catch in the drain and be sent right back to you.  The dirty, soapy water goes through a purification process first, before it emerges as drinking quality.  And because the used water only needs to be reheated slightly, the 80 percent in energy that the shower saves translates into saving about $1,350 per year from the average utility bill. 

Of course, the “OrbSys Shower” has evolved from the regular shower that most people have in their homes.  Unlike the “OrbSys Shower”, a standard shower’s used water collects at the bottom of the shower, flowing out the centrally located drain and into the sewer, and does not filter through to be used again to save water and electricity.  Also, unlike having a touch screen to control your shower, normal showers simply have knobs to control the temperature of the water.  As for how the company plans to change the “OrbSys Shower” for the future, they plan to adapt the system to other household water sources, such as kitchen sinks and drinking fountains.

Orbital Systems Shower of the Future