The Podium

Football

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During the past seasons, BMHS football hasn’t been very strong. Looking back into the history of the program, however, the word “lose” was non existent. Every team in and out of the league knew and feared Brien McMahon. The end results of those years were multiple FCIAC championships and a state championship in 1994 (final was record was 12 : 0). Coach Albano’s goal? To revive the old days into the present.

AJ himself is an alumnus of Brien McMahon. But for the past five years, he had been the defensive coordinator (under former Senator coach Rob Trifone) for the Blue Wave in Darien. “It feels great to be back [here]” Albano said. “Especially because now I get to coach a long side with some very good friends of mine who have been around the game all their lives”. Among the new additions to the team comes Derrick Lewis, the new offensive/defensive line coach. He brings experience from playing football at UCONN and Southern Connecticut.

The Senators have been fortunate with returning players such as junior quarterback Damien Vega. Other key returning starters include Ryan Eaton (Captain; linebacker/halfback), Jermaine Martin Riley (Captain; linebacker), Clement Abonyi (Captain; Cornerback), Chris “Goose” Daniels (Captain; Tight end/defensive end), and junior middle linebacker Chris Holomokoff.

“Commitment to excellence” has been Coach Albano’s motto since the meeting for spring football last year. His expectations are nothing short of at least 7-3 or an 8-2 season with desire to go to states.
With a positive attitude and the continuance of rigorous practice, McMahon football will reemerge as a team to be respected and feared once again.

Anthony Amato ('11)

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Mosque Mania

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The nation has been in an uproar about the so-called “ Ground Zero Mosque,” but have we gone too far?

The “Ground Zero Mosque” is neither at ground zero nor is it a mosque. The proposed plans are for an Islamic cultural center, Cordoba House, not a mosque. According to the official website of Cordoba House (www.cordobainitiative.org), the building will include an area for prayer on one of its 15 floors, but it is not strictly a mosque. Plans also include a basketball court, swimming pool, and banquet hall, and a number of community based programs and activities will take place that will be open to everyone. It is also not at Ground Zero; it is two blocks away. When the media refers to Cordoba House as the “Ground Zero Mosque” it gives the idea of a huge mosque right on top of where the Twin Towers stood, when in fact the Ground Zero site is actually fenced off.

Many Americans were outraged when the plans for a “Ground Zero Mosque” were revealed. Lots of people called it insensitive because they saw it as a representation of the Islamic religion and the al-Qaeda members who committed the 9/11 attacks and claimed that they were done in the name of Islam.

However, this issue is also relevant in Norwalk. Plans for a mosque are currently being revised, after a group of Norwalk citizens protested against the use of a house as a mosque.

With this issue popping all over, it makes me wonder how much of the controversy surrounding the “Ground Zero Mosque” is driven by an informed opinion, rather than fear and ignorance.

If one person does something in the name of their religion, it does not mean that everyone in that religion would agree with it. For example, the Ku Klux Klan was a group of white Christians in America who committed hate crimes against minority groups. However, it would not be fair to call all white Christians of that time period terrorists. People like Viola Liuzzo, a white women who dedicated her life to the African-American Civil Rights Movement also identified as a Christian during that time. We must realize that Muslims were also negatively affected by the terrorists attacks, as the United States is home to about 8 million Muslims. It is not fair to hold a religion of 1.5 billion people responsible for the actions of 19 individuals, who represent an extremist minority group.

Tatyana Hopkins('12)

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Facebook Fights

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How are fights resolved these days? The majority of fights that occur at Brien McMahon begin on Facebook.

Facebook has become a famous social networking site and most people have a page. On Facebook, people let their inner-most feelings out as their status, including the rage they have against people which causes fights

Girls fight girls over guys, cliques fight cliques, and boyfriends fight their girlfriends. Some of these fights end in a physical confrontation.

BMHS students think that fighting over Facebook is a proper way to resolve things. A sophomore ( 13’) said, “Once you sign in, right on your newsfeed, you see the bad things people say to each other or through status and sometimes it’s funny, but you ask yourself, ‘Why are people afraid to say it upfront?’” This sophomore believes the problem would be solved quicker if people just confront one another.

However this is not the attitude that we want to encourage here at McMahon. It is very easy to be consumed in all of the drama, but Peer Mediation is a healthy alternative. Peer Mediation is a club led by Mr. Sutherland and run by the students of McMahon. If any student feels that a problem is escalating or starting, we highly suggest that you take the mature, Brien McMahon way, and end the situation.

Valeria Carvajal ('12)

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After School Jobs

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With thirty-five plus hours a week already dedicated to school, McMahon students have found the time to join Norwalk’s workforce in an effort to gain job experience and earn a little cash. Around this time of year, many students begin to think about the possibility of getting a job afterschool in order to provide for the expenses of being a teenager.

Some students find themselves having to pay for gas money for the family car or even saving up to buy a car for themselves. Some are a little more lax with their money, choosing to buy clothes or spend it at Garden Catering. Other students, especially upperclassmen feel the responsibility of saving some of their money for college. No matter the reason, getting a job can take a lot of time and effort.

One of the biggest problems facing students is actually finding jobs open to high school students. In the downward economy,

employers are less likely to hire workers with little

experience and limited work schedules. Melissa D’Agostino (’12)

remembers going “application crazy” before landing a job at Staples. Other students, such as Jesse Tiffen (’11), have thought about getting a job, but find it difficult to manage without a license or car.

Juggling afterschool activities, homework, and a job can be difficult as well. Many students who found work over the summer had to quit at the start of the school year. Students still working have to learn to schedule their time around work or choose to work less hours. Weekends often mean long workdays, after which school can actually come as a blessing says Melissa D’Agostino, who also said work “taught her how to schedule time better, and made her become an adult.”

Overall, students need to decide if working sixteen or more hours a week at minimum wage is something they are really interested in. “If you’re gonna’ work, make sure you really want to work” said D’Agostino. In the end, having an afterschool job certainly has both short and long term benefits.

McMahon students continue to exemplify a commitment to work in and out of school, so for those students who are applying, make sure they know you are a Senator!

J.C. ('11)

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We did it.

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It took a lot of time and effort from our amazing staff, we had a few hiccups along the way but its funally done and is being distributed by us. If you want one they are available free in the school store and other places that no one told me about yet. Real articles will be posted here shortly.

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For real this time

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Monday we should in theory will have everything printed and looking amazing. Be ready for excellence.

Christian

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Going to Press on monday

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T- minus 3 days until what a little less then month ago was merely words on a white board, is now the first of hopefully many issues of our soon to be critically acclaimed school newspaper. More REAL posts on the blog are to come soon.

Christian

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The Paper is done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Its actually been done since last Thursday but it is currently in the final editing stage being done by the administration of our great school with a creepy white guy as its mascot. We plan on having the paper 100% done and out for the student body to consume with their eyes by this Friday. WE HOPE. We do a lot of hoping at our little paper, but on average things don't tend to go as we plan. We have already begun our next paper, let's see if we can set a new record and have two out before 2011!!!!!!! Don't be to disappointed if that doesn't happen, so keep expectations low, so we can blow them out of the water even more!!!

Christian

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Welcome!!!!!

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This is the new home of Brien McMahon High schools The Podium online.

The site will be subject to change via the wish of the best Journalism teacher at McMahon, Rebecca Dombrowski.

The plan of the site will hopefully be a place for the articles that our amazing journalism students (me!) write that may unfortunately not make it the that months The Podium. No article will go to waste!

Christian Gomez

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The Podium

Brien McMahons online arm of the Podium.

Football

Mosque Mania

Facebook Fights

After School Jobs

We did it.

For real this time

Going to Press on monday

The Paper is done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome!!!!!

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