The Witches' Brew
Spring 2019
The Importance of the Short Film Angst
Molly Morse-Belcher
The short film, Angst, was shown by the Guidance Counseling office on February 7th in the Greenwich Central School auditorium. Many community members were in attendance including students and their parents.
Angst is an IndieFlix documentary which was made to bring attention to the problem of anxiety. The short film includes interviews with people ranging from kids to Michael Phelps. Angst not only teaches about how common anxiety is, but also informs the viewer on how to manage it. These tips can help people struggling with anxiety live their day-to-day life with more ease.
GCS clubs such as S.A.D.D and Gender Equality had booths set up in the senior lounge with information and flyers, with members on hand to discuss their clubs with those attending the screening. The showing of Angst allowed for the exposure of such clubs and brought awareness to mental health issues like anxiety that plague many teens.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety is the most common form of mental illness in the United States. It’s estimated that around 10 percent of teenagers and 40 percent of adults suffer from anxiety of some kind. Despite its high level of treatability, 2/3 adults do not receive treatment and only 1 in 5 teen sufferers do. Angst can hopefully change these statistics and encourage more people to seek help.
Tutors Needed!
Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Fortier
For the month of April, Mrs. Fortier was chosen for the staff spotlight. As everyone knows, she is the 7th-grade math teacher and she is great at it. As you already know, the staff spotlight shines a light onto a person so the school can learn more about them. It allows the students to learn things like how long they have worked for Greenwich school. For Mrs. Fortier that answer is 19 years. She has been working here since 2000. For 15 of those years, she was the advanced and AIS math teacher but she has been the 7th-grade math teacher for the last 4 years.
She always knew that she wanted to be a teacher but before she became what she is now she wanted to become a history teacher. She said the classes were too boring and she was really good in the math classes so she changed majors. Due to the switch she is here with us as our math teacher and might I add that she is doing a phenomenal job. In order to do the amazing job she is doing, she had to attend a college and that is what she did. She even attended two schools. She first went to Russell Sage University in Troy, NY, and when she graduated she continued on to SUNY Albany. She said that Albany was so populated compared to Russell and she wasn't as big of a fan because of the size. Maybe that is one reason she fits in so well in this adorable, small school or ours.
So as seen she has great knowledge but that isn't what makes a great teacher. A great teacher does their job because they love it, and to want to watch their students grow, learn, and mature all together and that is exactly what Mrs. Fortier loves about her job. And that is why Greenwich is such a great school. It's because the teachers really want to see us students grow and mature all together.
Mrs. Fortier loves her job but that isn't her whole life. She has a family as well. She is happily married with two kids and a pet fish named Laura. She has a daughter named Shea Fortier and a son named Jack Fortier. She adores her kids and she told me that in her free time she loves to watch her daughter dance and watch her son play basketball, baseball, and soccer. She also enjoys cooking and baking when she can. But her kids and husband aren't her only family. She has two sisters as well. She has a twin sister, which many of you should know as Mrs. Finney, the guidance counselor, but she also has another sister who's older.
I asked Mrs. Fortier if you were to travel anywhere where would you want to go and she gave me two answers. She said Hawaii and then she said Portland, Oregon to visit her older sister. After asking that, I asked what it is like to grow up as a twin and her answer was she loved it. Mrs. Finney was her best friend and of course, there were some fights but they were sisters-- it's natural to fight. What I was told was that they mostly fought about clothes, which is even more natural for sisters. No matter what they loved each other and they each had a built-in best friend which seems amazing in my eyes.
I asked Mrs. Fortier to describe her home life and she told me busy but fun, which is simple but of course never boring, and who could ask for anything more than that?
Fun Facts
*Mrs. Fortier has always wanted to drive cross-country with her family.
*If she wasn't teaching Math right now she'd own a bakery!
Celebrating Valentine's Day...is it worth it?
Lauren Reynolds
Valentine’s Day-- the day of love and friendship. The one day people can show how much they love the people around them, or is it? Is a holiday really necessary to show how much you care about family and friends? Some people might say it's so, and maybe you agree, maybe taking the time to slow down and appreciate everyone you love is a good idea. Or maybe not. Others might argue saying you don’t need a specific day to show your love. There are many different views on this topic, which side do you fit in?
The Pros
Celebrating the people you love; this is always a good thing to celebrate and with everything going on in our day-to-day lives, sometimes a reminder to slow down and spend time with the people you care about is a good thing.
CHOCOLATE, what more needs to be said? Valentine’s Day is a great reason to go out and buy candy, even if it's just for yourself. Not to mention, it's usually on sale the next day.
A reminder we are loved; sometimes just knowing people care about you can make all the difference in the world. You don’t need a boyfriend or partner to make this day special, being with friends can make this day one to remember.
The Cons
Self- esteem issues; Valentine’s Day is the one day of the year with significant drops in self-esteem. Kids, teens, and adults alike who are single on Valentine’s Day tend to have very low self-esteem.
Expectations; People get very hyped up on Valentine’s Day and tend to expect too much from their family and friends which can lead to disappointment later on.
Social Obligation; does anyone even want to celebrate this holiday? People who participate in Valentine’s Day tend to feel obligated to do so, instead of joyfully wanting to.
Celebrating at Schools
Many schools all around America find some way to celebrate this romantic holiday. Elementary school kids might make cards and decorate the halls, sometimes even the teachers will print out worksheets that fit the theme, and pass out treats in class. Middle schoolers might also participate by having a dance or a party during class time, and high schoolers might pass out flowers to people who are special to them. All-in-all Valentine’s Day is celebrated in schools throughout America in all kinds of ways.
Money
Valentine’s Day is widely celebrated, so you can imagine the profits this holiday brings in. Think about it, if 54% of Americans celebrate, and each person spends an average of $136.57 then that's about a total of 18.2 BILLION dollars! This chunk of change goes into jewelry (4.2 billion), flowers (2 million), chocolates (1.7 million), and cards (1 million). That's a whole lot of money! What do you think? Is celebrating worth it?
Op-Ed
Annabel Gregg
One year ago, 34 Parkland high school students were shot at by one of their peers. 17 of them died. For a day that is supposed to celebrate love and friendship amongst classmates, I am sure that the children of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High will remember February 14th as nothing more than a day of death, a failure in lawmaking, a breach of safety, and a halting end to their childhood. This horrific event sparked an important national debate on gun control, one that birthed hopes for new legislation, a surge of youth involvement in politics, and hundreds of rallies and marches nationwide. One year later, it’s important to reflect on the progresses and hindrances that America has made in gun violence.
In April, dozens of Greenwich students, including myself, took part in the National School Walkout event, honoring not only the Stoneman Douglas victims, but the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting, where 13 students in Colorado were horrifically killed by a classmate. Greenwich kids stood at the Mowry Park gazebo, speaking to their classmates about how mass shootings seem to be a solely American issue, as well as an issue that can be fixed. This past year has proved them right.
America does have a gun problem, that’s fair to say. The United States has by far the highest rate of gun homicides in the world, 25 times higher than any other high-income country¹. Since the Stoneman Douglas event, there have been over 300 mass shootings in the United States, 22 of which occurred just in January of 2019². The conflicting issue, however, is how to put an end to these surmounting deaths.
One year after the Parkland shooting, looking at where the U.S. stands politically in the gun control issue is significant. Many lawmakers are still against common sense gun control legislation, despite the public push. Although their total spending has dropped this past midterm cycle (most likely due to their poor financial health the past two years³), the National Rifle Association still ranks in the top 3% of campaign contributors and in the top 2% of lobbyist spending⁴. However, after the Parkland shooting, national attitudes towards gun control shifted. According to recent polls, 90% of Americans support universal background checks on gun purchases⁵. A majority of Americans also support raising the legal age of being able to purchase a gun, banning bump stocks, and banning assault-style weapons⁶. Because the Stoneman Douglas massacre had such a unique aftermath - where we saw the survivors speaking out, embracing their access to the national media as a chance to get their message heard, and pushing for legislation rather than “thoughts and prayers” - the American public was sure to react, and action was sure to be taken. And, slowly but surely, it has been.
The 2018 midterm elections could be seen as a victory post-Parkland. Because of the impact that the current political climate and specifically the conversation surrounding gun violence had on students across the nation, young adult voter turnout in 2018 increased by 188% ⁷. Gun control proponents won dozens of House and Senate seats⁸, most notably perhaps Representative Lucy McBath (D-Georgia), whose son was senselessly murdered at gun point at a gas station just a few years ago. “While I support the 2nd Amendment rights of Georgians,” McBath says, “we can still advocate for common sense gun violence prevention to make our communities safer” ⁹. With new representatives like McBath working on behalf of the American people, we can hope that more legislation to protect citizens from gun violence will pass. Many bills are already being proposed in the House, including one pushing for universal background checks that was introduced less than a week into the 116th Congress.
As the years progress and citizens continue to have their voices heard, Americans can count on heightened protection from gun violence in the wake of the Parkland shooting.
After one of the deadliest mass shootings in our history, it is important to make sure we keep the same passion we had in those marches, walkouts, and protests now as we did just a few months ago. Change is still coming - bills are being drafted in Congress every day, organizations like Moms Demand Action are still fiercely lobbying on behalf of common sense gun control, and the Parkland students are still extremely active in voter registration drives and bus tours¹º. But change doesn’t happen if the nation does not collectively continue its push for better safety standards in regards to gun control. And so, this Valentine’s Day, in remembrance of the 17 lives lost in Parkland, Florida, and the countless others lost in different schools, gas stations, nightclubs, concerts, offices, and homes across the United States, let’s rekindle that passion we had on April 20th, when we proudly left school and marched unitedly to Mowry Park. Dig out the picket sign you made the night before the March For Our Lives. Go back through your “sent” folder and reread the email you wrote to your congressional representative, encouraging them to vote for common sense gun control. And instead of feeling nostalgic, reignite the devotion you had in those moments to changing the world around you. Send another email. Call the new members of Congress and urge them to vote on behalf of their constituents. Register to vote when you’re eligible; I know I will be in April.
One year after Parkland, let’s make sure we #NeverForget.
Sources
1: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26551975
2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_States_in_2018#Statistics
3: https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/09/nra-in-the-red-for-2nd-straight-year/
4: https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=d000000082
5: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/08/us/politics/house-democrats-gun-control.html
7: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/11/youth-turnout-midterm-2018/575092/
9: gun-safety
Show Your Love With This Recipe: Marble Meringue Hearts
This recipe is simple to make, and doesn’t involve a ton of ingredients either! Enjoy making these adorable treats that are easy to take on the go and share!
Ingredients
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Food coloring, optional
3/4 cup sugar
Directions
Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 200°. Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Remove 1/4 cup and tint pink. Lightly swirl pink mixture into remaining meringue. Fill pastry bag with meringue. Pipe 2-in. heart shapes 2 in. apart onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake until set and dry, about 20 minutes. Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven until oven has completely cooled.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/marbled-meringue-hearts/
The Witches' Brew
Annabel Gregg
Contributors
Molly Morse-Belcher
Annabel Gregg
Lauren Reynolds
Kylie Young
Advisors
Robin Bristol
Nicole Carner
Email: ncarner@greenwichcsd.org
Website: www.greenwichcsd.org
Location: 10 Gray Avenue, Greenwich, NY, USA
Phone: 5186929542