Book Review: Basketball Junkie

Journalism assignment by Steve Burrill of Norton High School.

"Basketball Junkie" is a memoir on Fall River’s own Chris Herren, a small town hero who possessed the skills to make it to the NBA. Growing up in a troubled house hold, Herren tells us what it was like to basically have the world on his shoulders, or so it seemed. Herren tells us in great detail all the trouble he used to get into during his high school years, and how his brother was his role model. The book offers an interesting viewpoint of his parents, who were more concerned with his performance on the basketball court than his academic performance. The book is great for high school kids, and specifically for student athletes, who definitely can empathize with Chris’s struggle to perform on the basketball court and make everyone happy…

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Pets Are Part of the Family Too

Journalism assignment by Natalie Sharpe.

Most Americans have furry, slimly or scaly friend in their house. They are domesticated animals that we love and we gave them the name of pets. Pets can comfort us, drive us crazy or make us laugh. They are the most loving and forgiving creatures. Pets can do many things for us and the price that comes with loving them sadly ends with having to say goodbye forever.  Some who may choose not to have pets ask, “What’s the point of owning them? They cost more in the long run than what you originally paid for them. And you have to clean up their messes.” To those people, that is enough to not even bother buying a pet. However the people who do own pets do not see these things as burdens, but a necessity to owning them. They offer so much more …

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A Call for More Cell Phone Freedom

Journalism assignment by Norton High student Kendyl Cutler.

Cell phone use always seems to be an issue at Norton High. Even though the rules are enforced more this year, kids are still texting, tweetng, and checking facebook. A possible fixation to this problem should definitely be considered, especially with a fresh new look to the school for new underclassmen and for others moving up the grade scale. Personally, I think that kids getting in trouble for using their cell phones in the lunchrooms cause kids to use them more in the classrooms. We’re not learning during lunch and it wouldn’t distract anyone if there were the freedom to use phones at lunch. It’s understandable that kids shouldn’t be using cell phones in class because it will affect their learning experiences, but it’s proven that when …

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TVL Championship Basketball Game to Go in the History Books

Journalism assignment by Norton High student Steven Burrill.

The date of February 14, 2012 will be a historic date for most Norton basketball players and fans. This was the day that the Norton Lancer varsity basketball team won its first ever outright TVL championship. This has never been done by any Norton basketball team ever due to the rigid schedule of the Tri Valley League. Twice a year Norton must play perennial power houses such as: Hopkinton, Medfield, and Medway. Not often is Norton mentioned to be in the top spot of the TVL but this year was different. With two games left, the Norton Lancers were to completely determine their fate. This game was special because not only was it the game to clinch the first TVL title, but it was senior night. All the hard work would be put in perspective …

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As the Saying Goes, Never Judge a Book by its Cover

Journalism assignment by Norton High student Kendyl Cutler.

Judging another person is a hurtful, useless action to do. Words sting pretty harshly and one may never know when bad words or thoughts about someone else can ruin their life. Breaking down someone’s self-esteem is never okay. One may feel good about themselves for doing so, but what if it was the other way around? That person wouldn’t feel so great about themselves. Self-esteem is an extremely important aspect throughout life. It helps people get through difficult issues in school, work, or anywhere. When someone feels good about themselves, they do good for themselves. When other people take self-esteem away from other people, those people lose faith in themselves. It’s actually bullying in a verbally abusive way. Just because it’s …

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

March Madness is Good, but Could it be Even Better?

Journalism assignment by Norton High student Steven Burrill.

For most avid sports fans, the month of March is a riveting month due to the excitement of one of the most popular sporting events known to man: March Madness. The great March Madness tournament sets up a tournament of 64 teams and places them in four different divisions where a team must win five consecutive games in order to reach the championship game. The tournament is full of unexpected twists and turns, and even people that don’t like the sport of basketball tune in to watch the craziness unfold. What separates March Madness from all other sporting events are the upsets. At any time a lower ranked seed may upset the big dogs, so if you like to see David beating Goliath; March Madness may be in your interests. No name basketball …

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Let Individuality Rise Over Peer Pressure

Letter to the editor from Nicole Ellison as a journalism class assignment.

Peer pressure has rapidly increased in society. Not many people can think on their own anymore or be expressive without feeling judged. Everyone is trying to fit in and it is causing a lot of problems. People listen to certain music, dress a certain way, and even act a certain way. Conformity is spreading like a disease, when in reality it should be individualism. Peer pressure is mostly seen in schools. If you do not wear certain clothes, do certain things, and so on, you are considered "uncool". In reality though, some of those "uncool" kids will be a figure in history. Our presidents, leaders, singers, scientists, etc. had to start off somewhere. I can guarantee not all of them were in the "cool" crowd so to speak. The effects that peer…

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Think Before You Litter

Letter to the editor from Norton High student Kendyl Cutler as a journalism assignment.

Dear Editor, We hear it all the time; don’t litter. It may sound cliché, but it really does need to be enforced. It affects our water and it’s just plain unsanitary. We’ve all heard about what happens when we litter and don’t recycle, but there are some things that people should think about before they litter. All that trash and gunk on the streets eventually ends up in the ocean or other water sources that we use on a daily basis. The rain picks up all that trash and brings it through a journey in a run-off to larger bodies of water. When that water is polluted, it is still being evaporated and then eventually precipitated onto our belongings. That means, dirty water is raining on our cars, houses, and even us. Tap water is infected with …

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Types of Stress and How to Relieve It

Written by a NHS student as a journalism assignment.

By Meredith Davern Stress is something that affects everyone, but has many health risks. There are many reasons why people stress out. Students especially face stress trying to maintain friends, school work, sports and jobs. There is so much for them to focus on, that it can be overwhelming. Parents also face the burden of stress. People of all walks of life try to overextend themselves. There are four different types of stress. Acute stress is the most common. Acute stress comes when tasks and demands combine to overwhelm the person. Acute stress can be thrilling and satisfying because it makes the finished job feel so much better. The appreciation of a job well done makes the stress seem mild. Episodic acute stress affects those who …

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TV Show Review: American Horror Story

By NHS student Neeve MacGregor as a journalism assignment.

By Neeve MacGregor American Horror Story: Wednesday 10 p.m. on FX American Horror Story is a new show that aired recently on FX. In short, it is about a haunted house in Los Angeles. Ever since the Harmons, a family originally from Boston, moved here, their lives have been turned upside down. Mr. and Mrs. Harmon and their daughter Violet have each had their own encounters with the paranormal many times inside and outside the house. They have been trying desperately the past two episodes to sell the house, but to no avail; who would want to live in a place nicknamed “Murder House?” Break-ins are not rare, especially in the night, but usually no trespasser can be found. Many of the characters the Harmon’s interact with on a daily basis are …

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