Rain is Falling on the Festival

by Aleksandr Hubbard

Many Hopkinton residents enjoyed an afternoon at the Kimball Cabins on Saturday, October 24, 2009. The Hopkinton recreational department sponsored its annual Fall Festival, and to the amazement of some, was not postpone due to weather conditions.

Some of the activities that occurred were; musical chairs with Miley Cyrus, story telling, eating doughnuts off of a string and many other activities. The Women’s Club was also there to keep everybody warm and toasty with their special hot apple cider and amazing hot coco along with other goodies to keep the children happy. Robby Keilig also had a fundraiser food stand to help pay off the expenses of the renovation of the Kimball Cabins.

It rained pretty hard and yet, “I had no free time for the first hour cooking burgers and dogs,” said Adam Coen, who helped Robby with his fundraiser. “There were a ton of people there,” Adam continued. Robby’s mom also had something to say with the amount of people there. She said, “I thought we were going to run out of food during the first hour, but luckily we didn’t.” The rain did lighten up a little every once-in-a-while, but mostly throughout the time of the festival the rain came done pretty hard.

Justin Lavigne, the Park and Recreational director who set up the entire festival, would like to thank all of those who helped out to make the Festival the best ever, also for the people who braved the weather to participate in the event.

Safety Tips for Halloween!

Safety Tips for Halloween!

Halloween might be a time for excitement and dressing up as your favorite character or animal, but it can also be a dangerous time for children and parents.

Here are some tips for being safe:

• Avoid trick or treating alone
• Make sure you can be seen by people driving (wearing reflector vests)
• Look before you cross the street
• Don’t wear anything that will impair your vision
• Don’t enter a house unless you’re with an adult you trust
• Don’t eat homemade treats
• Always check your candy for rips and tears
• Eliminate an tripping hazards on your costume
• Use fake knives, swords and other weapons that go along with your costume
• Make sure your children return at a specific time

If you do not wish your children to be going out on Halloween, they should never be left home alone. You can find alternatives for your children such as having a Halloween party or a fun get together with their friends.

Given these great tips, have fun and be safe on Halloween night!

Today's Junk is Tomorrow's Masterpiece

by Mimi Ramsdell

Walking up the old steps of Hopkinton’s Antiquarian Society one would never be able to guess how many treasures are packed into one small room. From September 26th until December 5th approximately forty regional artist’s work is on display in the exhibit “Tomorrow’s Masterpieces.” Each piece on exhibit has been approved through a jury of judges and is available for purchase.

Looking at the exhibit all at once is overwhelming. Pottery, photography, jewelry, oil, watercolors, and woodwork are only a few of the media represented. Each piece tells a story, which is one of the reasons artist Bret Minnehan enjoys the most about his art. His photography features pieces from the recently passed Kemp Truck Museum. The old cars were auctioned off a couple of months ago, seen by many as junk. “The old cars have faces,” Minnehan remarked when discussing what inspires him. Although he considers himself an amateur, his pieces are striking. Minnehan’s goal was to capture the beauty in the run down cars, which is exactly what his pieces show.

A common pleasure between artists is their approval from the jury. Both Minnehan and Mr. Bickford, another photographer featured in the exhibit, commented on how it is always exciting to receive approval from an unbiased source. Another excitement that came to Bickford is selling one of his pieces.

The exhibit is rather impressive. Each piece appears to be created with passion and care. It does not take long to walk through the exhibit and does not take an artist's eye to appreciate the work. The exhibit is open during normal museum hours and is free of charge.

No Matter What the Name May Be, Halloween is Halloween.

by Cristina White

Trick-or-treat. Children get excited for this holiday every year, but do they know the real origins? Halloween, formerly known as All Hallow's Eve, has not always been about the trick-or-treating, glowing jack-o-lanterns, and decorative costumes. All Hallow's Eve was originally developed by the ancient Celts. It was a day to celebrate fall and a new year. It also served as a festival of the dead. A time where witches, goblins, ghosts, and demons could freely walk the earth.

The celebration of ancient rituals are still apparent in the modern day Halloween. Jack-o-lanterns developed from the idea of putting lantern gourds with carved scary faces out on paths to ward off the evil forces. The gourds were placed on the paths to guide ancestors safely home.

The idea of trick-or-treating emerged from the ancient tradition of children going door-to-door begging for items to burn the witches. Today children "beg" for candy and other treats. Playing tricks on unfortunate victims also makes All Hallow's Eve be known as Mischief Night. Originally children dressed as ghosts and goblins to fool people and cause trouble. Then again, who is really to know whether they were real or not?

All Hallow's Eve is more than dressing as someone you are not and collecting candy. It is mainly a time of getting rid of weaknesses, bringing the animals in for winter, and preparing for the cold months ahead. Since November 1 is All Saints Day, All Hallow's Eve is a time of remembrance of our ancestors. The Celtic New Year symbolizes a time to look toward to the future. The God Janus had two faces, one looking toward the past and the other looking toward the future. Halloween allows us to put masks on and cast them off. A way to get rid of weaknesses and prepare for the new year.

Modern-Day Halloween is not a holiday of evil, as it was once a day to ward off the evil spirits that may walk the earth. On All Hallow's Eve it has been said that the connection between the worlds of the living and the dead was at its thinnest. Making it easier for the evil spirits to roam the earth.

What do some of Hopkinton High School's teachers recall as a child at Halloween? Mrs. Zecha's favorite costume as a child was Cinderella. It was even equipped with a mask. While trick-or-treating she looked forward to the Snickers bars the most. Mr. Bickford enjoyed dressing up as a pirate in his childhood years. Mr. Bickford looked forward to anything that was chocolate but not the M&M's. "In an M&M the chocolate is watered down by the candy shell," said Bickford. Hopefully there were no M&M's in his candy bag.

Today Halloween traditions are significantly different. "Some communities have switched to trick-or-treating in the daytime," Zecha says, "when I was younger Halloween was always celebrated at night, never the daytime." Another concerning issue is the candy. "Peanut allergies were never a huge issue growing up, but now there are many children with them," adds Zecha. One year she gave out juice boxes for the children who cannot have chocolate or peanuts. Bickford adds, "In the old days, you didn't have to worry about candy, now you worry about someone putting cocaine in your candy bar."

No matter what the name may be, All Hallow's Eve, Mischief Night, or Halloween, it is a holiday to share and enjoy. Lighting up the jack-o-lantern, decorating our yards, dressing up in fun costumes, and being outside on a cool night with the leaves falling and a bright orange moon are all things we associate with the night called All Hallow's Eve. But don't forget the candy. Halloween would not be complete without our new traditions.

Beyond White Border

by Dorothy England

This picture
shows the
Entrance
to Chinatown

Wednesday, October 21st, Mr. Krogmen's Asian Studies class ventured out for the day to Boston, Mass. After an hour and a half of the highway and other vehicles as the only things in sight, the Twinkie bus finally came to a stop in a huge parking lot only blocks away from their destination: Chinatown. The class's first stop was a little grocery store where live eels and almost 2 feet long fish swam around and elaborately long bamboo shoots sprouted from brown bins. It was a strange experience the white students discovered; trying to understand the Chinese labels and ingredients made it hard to figure out exactly what the class needed. It was also different being the minority where Chinese and Asian costumers clearly dominated the aisles.
That was nothing when the class went to the restaurant Hi La Moon for lunch. It was as if it was a class of aliens as vs. a class of American teenagers; which technically, as opposed to being Chinese or Asian, they were. The other patrons looked up at this class of white, curious teens, wondering what exactly they were doing there, invading their territory. It was awkward but after a collective slew of friendly 'Ni Haos" (Chinese for 'hello'), the tense shoulders relaxed and smiles, which are universal for acceptance or kindness broke out.
Stu Mosseau even commented when walking around that he felt as if everyone was looking at him. It was a new experience but fun at the same time. Josie Therrien also mentioned that she felt like a minority, similar to an alien, but she liked the food which was unusual to what she typically ate. This unusual food included tripe which is cow's stomach and even chicken feet which grossed out most of the other class mates but some were brave to try it.
Overall the experience was very enlightening and informative, not only on what Chinese culture is like but also it gave insight on what's it's like to be the different one, the odd one out.

Longboarding; New Hobby

by Jake Lessels
In past months, longboarding has become a very popular past time in Hopkinton. Several students, including myself, have purchased or made their own boards. Longboarding is a form of skateboarding, and as the name hints, it is done primarily on boards that are longer than normal skateboards. Longboarding started in California in the 1960’s as a substitute for surfing.
Longboards are built the same way as regular skateboards, just with different decks, wheels and trucks. Longboards consist of a deck, wheels, trucks, bushings, bearings and risers. Longboards are sold mostly on the internet, but can be found at skate shops and sporting goods stores around. Some popular brands around town are Sector Nine and Original Skateboards.
One of the local longboarders is Will Hastings; he rides an Original Custom 35. Will has been riding for about three moths now and says, “It’s a great way to get around and I don’t have to pay for gas.” Some of Will’s favorite skate spots include Farrington Corner and Briar Hill road.
Longboarding is a fun and easy way to get places and just have a good time with friends. Go get a longboard and roll with your friends or just by yourself, but be careful and wear your helmet. Go longboard!

Ten Romantic things to do on a Date

By Mike Prisco

Sometimes, there are too many ideas to think about when couples want to plan on going on a date together. Here are ten interesting and fun things to do for a couple to do on a date:

1. A Walk on the Beach at Night – This is a great way to get to know your partner, and beaches have very nice scenery especially if a full moon is out.

2. Have a Picnic –Going on a picnic is not only romantic, but is classy and you get to make your own food together.

3. Star Gazing/Watching the Sunrise –Watching the stars on a clear night sky will bump up the romance as high as the stars go. The same thing goes for watching the sunrise, nothings better than seeing a beautiful sight with your lover.

4. Skiing/Snowboarding – Skiing or snowboarding at a mountain is very fun and is a lot easier when at least one person knows how to ride down the slopes.

5. Make Dinner/Bake Pastries – Why go out and spend more money on dinner when you can make your own with your date? If you know how to cook or don’t, this can be a very fun idea.

6. Go to the Movies – Going to see a movie is the classic thing to do when going on a date, but a non-cheesy movie like a good comedy, drama, or romance movie would be the best.

7. Play mini golf – Playing mini golf or any kind of sport is a great way to compete and have fun with each other and is another classic date to go on

8. Surprises – Anything can be a surprise; like going somewhere with nice scenery or even a little gift can show that you care about your date.

9. Go out to a Club – If you like to dance, going to a club for ages 21 and under is a great place for a date.

10. Seeing a Concert – Everybody loves music, so going out to see a band or singer that both you and your date like, or even it’s someone you’ve never seen before, this is a great idea to take your date.