by Tom Wright Students at Thomaston High School are being pressed by a new rule enacted in the beginning of the first semester. This rule says if a student is caught with an electronic device, hat, or any other prohibited item, they will receive strike and a punishment. After three strikes, the item is taken for the remainder of the school year. Students at the school, including myself, believe this rule is a step over the line by new principal John Perucci. Items such as cell phones and articles of clothing are important tools for students and are private property of the student or student's parents. Theses items cannot be held "in storage" by the school system as punishment. Thomaston High School (THS) students learned of this new rule at an assembly held in the first semester of the year regarding the changes. Assignment books are also distributed to the kids displaying these rules and instantly had questions for Perucci. As hands began to rise, Perucci became defensive of his new rule stating, "I have checked the laws and we are legally allowed to do this, and I will prove it right now if you do not believe me." The frustrated principal continued to defend his position. He continued to say that, "If your phone or I-pod has been taken by me and it accidentally ends up getting broken in my door, that's not my problem either." Students were furious, but began to quiet as the assembly progressed. | They continued to say that cell phones and other banned items do not even belong in the school and should be left at home. This presents a problem for students who stay after school for sports, detention, school-related meetings, or for extra help on their work. Students need to be able to communicate with their parents or guardians. If a cell phone is needed for these, this rule is creating an issue of no communication within the school walls. The battle over electronics is school began with the fear of students cheating with their cell phones. Also, students wearing hats would create a disturbance. Same with I-pods. These are the things that caused this abrasive new school rule. But elevating to this point is not the answer. The rule has an easy and non-aggressive replacement. Simple punishments, such as the ones issued for a first or second strike. The matter of a student using a cell phone or I-pod in school is an issue best dealt by the parents of the students. The parents should impart values of whether or not these items should be allowed in school or not onto their kids. Rules such as these have no place in a school system. The aggressive approach to keeping students from cheating or being a distraction was uncalled for and only enraged the students here. |
by Maureen Taraskweich Thomaston- Students have to get a physical every year if they want to play a sport. Kids reacted to this and didn't think it was necessary to have to get a physical every year. Thomaston High School should know the people who play sports if they play them every year. If someone gets a physical one year to play a port, they shouldn't have to get one the next year. Even if it expired, it shouldn't matter to the school. Parents would know if their child was physically fit to play a sport or not. Parents allow their kinds to participate in school sports. It's a good way for the athletes to bond and get in shape if they aren't already. The school shouldn't be worrying about kids getting hurt and suing the school or anything like that. It that's why kids need to have a physical, then they should make the parents sign something before the child gets to play the sport. Something agreeing to not sue the school or anyone if something happens to their child while playing a sport. | Kids hate getting physicals because it's a waste of time, gas, and money. THey shouldn't have to get on every year. If they were fine one year and didn't have any heart problems or asthma or anything like that, then they shouldn't have to worry about stretching, running around, playing sport, or going to the weight room. Whether they have a physical at the time or not, they still have to change and participate. Kids run down the hallways and jump around at home. If they do this, they should be able to do a sport without a physical. Physicals are a waste of time to get done every year. Other students from the school don't need to get a physical handed into the nurse every year just to go to school. People who do sports shouldn't have to have one handed in every year either. I can see every other year maybe, but a year is asking for a lot. If a person doesn't have a physical form handed in, they should get to play, participate, and practice just like everyone else who does have one. |
by Mark Dilley Last year, on February 14th 2009, the Thomaston High School Wrestling Team went to St. Bernard HS to compete in the Class S State tournament. I was a sophomore, coming off of a freshman record of 5-21 and recovered for a 24-10 new season. I was seeded a 6th out of the tournament, even though I had lost to people that were seeded lower than me, I still managed to squeeze enough seed points to seed me higher than them. For the entire week before, I was stressing out because I already knew who I had to wrestle first that day and it was Cody Stone, a senior from Northwestern who had beaten me 3 times prior to States. All I was doing was concentrating on my first match so I could proceed to making it to the placing round. When the time finally came to step out onto the mat, there was so much tension in the air you could practically feel it. Everyone on my team, including my family knew what was riding on this match right here. As the whistle blew is was go time, It was 2-0 him going into the second period but after a minute, I had rolled him to is back and gotten the pin. This was probably one of the most successful wins of my entire career. After I walked off the mat hugs and high fives surrounded me, because everyone knew no one could stop me now from placing in this tournament. The next day on the tournament, I made it to the quarterfinals, shortly after that I was in the consolation bracket after losing to the kid who got 2nd at Class S, and 4th at Opens. It was not over yet though. I still had the ability to wrestle back for 3rd. I went up against a kid from Griswold next and won in about 20 seconds. After that it just got easier. I then won against a kid from Suffield, Kyle Sherriden, where we wrestled for a full 6 minutes with me coming out victorious 9-4. With each win I got, more confidence grew as the next kid I went up against was the deciding factor on whether I were to wrestle in consolation finals or go and wrestle for 5th and 6th. This kid was from Canton. His coaches kept him hidden from most people sort of like a secret weapon. No one knew what he was doing as he had an impressive record only receiving 4 losses the entire season. I went up to the mat to warm up with confidence on my side, and ready to try my best. | As we began wrestling, I noticed he only had one trick up his sleeve to try and win all his matches, after it worked the first time, he couldn't get it on me again. I was winning the match after the 2nd period, and was going into the 3rd with a drive to try and make it to State Opens, which was completely out of the question, before we came to the tournament. I was winning all the way up to the last 5 seconds where I slipped and he score a take down, to win the match by 1. Not only was I disappointed in the outcome, it was just like a goal of mine had been crushed. As I went to the tournament, I only had one goal, which was to even place at the tournament, but right there I wanted to place top 4, which is a huge accomplishment, only seen by the elite wrestlers in Connecticut. As I went into the 5th and 6th place round, I really had no drive to win it, the difference between 5th and 6h had no change on the outcome of State Opens for me, so I went in there not ready to wrestle, and didn't really care whether or not I was victorious in the end. Therefore I had lost the match and was the 6th place winner at the Class S tournament. This was a huge accomplishment in my eyes, even though I wanted to be better. This was the defining moment where I knew I was a good wrestler, and could come back next year and be the champion. The way I had gone out and wrestled at that tournament gave me all the confidence I needed to start off my new year of 2010 that much better. To this day I remember all the events that took place in that tournament, to make me who I am today. Now I am seen as one of the top 10 best wrestlers in the state at my weight class and have high hopes of becoming a champion next year. My wrestling has improved drastically, as the year goes on because of this day, it has taught me that if you put your mind to something, it really can come true and that if you're motivated and determined to get something in life, you have the ability to go out and obtain that goal. |