Monthly Archives: October 2014
Rockland Will Face Cardinal Spellman in 1st Round of Football Playoffs
The football team takes the field last Friday for Homecoming. Photo courtesy of Rockland High School Sports
Cameron Stuart, Veritas Sports Editor
It’s one of the best match-ups on the slate for the opening round of the playoffs. Rockland will face-off against Cardinal Spellman on Friday, October 31st at 7 PM at Rockland’s Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Rockland comes in to the playoffs following a 32-8 Homecoming victory over the Carver Crusaders. While the Catholic Conference is competitive, the South Shore League Large School Division may be the most competitive league in all of Division 5. With Rockland the #3 seed in the South with a 5-2 record, the only two teams seeded higher are East Bridgewater (1) and Abington (2), both of whom play in the same division as the Bulldogs.
The Cardinal Spellman Cardinals stand at 3-3 going into the playoffs, including a 2-2 record in the tough Catholic Conference. Three years removed from their most recent Super Bowl appearance, long-time head coach Ron St. George leads his Cardinals to the postseason for the fifth consecutive year.
Senior Matt Anastasi has rushed for over 3,000 yards in his illustrious career in the old-school style of St. George. Even with proven game manager Mike Reale at quarterback, Spellman wears down opponents with a heavy ground game led by Anastasi and paved by star linemen John Edward Sagun and James Belton.
The ground game will be the biggest factor in Spellman’s game. Anastasi has been compared to the likes of East Bridgewater’s Jared Vargas and Abington’s Shawn Donovan, both of whom had multi-TD games against the Bulldogs.
The winner of this game will go on to play the winner of the Abington/Dover Sherborn game next weekend.
Volleyball Team Is Ready for Tournament
The girls volleyball team begins tournament play tonight against Bristol County Aggie.
The girls volleyball team will travel to Dighton tonight to take on Bristol County Aggie in a first round tournament game.
Rockland with a record of 11-7 is seeded 11th in the Division 3 South tournament. Bristol is seeded 6th with a record of 13-5.
Coach Craig Johnson is optimistic about the girls’ chances despite Rockland’s 4-5 road record this season. Against common opponents, Randolph and South Shore VoTech, Rockland is 4-0 while Bristol is 3-1. Johnson says in tournament “it’s one game at a time” and he feels the girls are ready to play.
Good luck to the girls volleyball team.
Homecoming Rally Video and Photo Gallery
Scenes from last Thursday’s Homecoming Rally were captured by Brian Cohen of the Journalism class and members of the Digital Media Class.
After you watch the video you may click on the following link for the Photo Gallery from the rally.
The senior class were spirit champs with their roller coaster ride!
Hallway & Runways: Teens Get Fashion 101 at BFW
From back to front and left to right: Gihan Amarasiriwardena, Tatiana Tejedor, Magdalena Stokalska, Joel Benjamin, Julie Desimone, & Jill Radsken. (Photo from the Boston Fashion Week Facebook page.)
Haley Macray, Veritas Web & Features Editor
“If you have [a] sense of what you want to do, follow your passion,” says Joel Benjamin, a Boston fashion photographer who spoke at the 2014 Teen Talk: Fashion 101 panel.
The panel, facilitated by Jay Calderin, the founder and director of Boston Fashion Week, was held on Oct. 11 at the Boston Public Library. Benjamin, Calderin, and other industry leaders gathered to inform teens of what it takes to make it in the world of fashion.
The panel included:
- Gihan Amarasiriwardena, Co-founder & CEO, Ministry of Supply
- Joel Benjamin, Photographer, Joel Benjamin Photography
- Julie Desimone, Assistant Head of Wardrobe, Cirque du Soleil
- Jill Radsken, Fashion Writer, Boston Globe
- Magdalena Stokalska, Designer, Magdalena Stokalska Jewelry
- Tatiana Tejedor, Designer, and Co-owner of Caramelo Clothing Co.
Each of the panelists has ties to Boston, bringing an understanding of the local fashion and business scenes. This understanding made their stories even more relevant to their audience.
Amarasiriwardena got his start in the fashion industry at a young age. He described stories of looking at athletic equipment at the sporting goods store REI. He realized that the equipment and items were pricey and set out to make some of his own. He and his friends experimented with trash bags and used skiing trips as test drives for their designs.
“This was a hobby throughout most of high school,” he said.
After studying at MIT and the Sports Technology Institute, Amarasiriwardena set out to solve a problem that he had noticed.
“There wasn’t really stylish clothing that functioned well.”
With this in mind, Amarasiriwardena and his business partners created Ministry of Supply, a Boston based company designed to merge performance wear and fashion.
Amarasiriwardena continues to keep the Ministry of Supply business located in Boston – you can visit their shop on 299 Newbury Street, Boston, MA – because of the culture.
“I think Boston is a great place to start a business,” he says.
His advice for those looking to start a career in fashion?
“Don’t let lack of experience stop you from starting.”
This was a common theme throughout the panel.
“You don’t have to worry about your experience,” said Benjamin, “You should be using your inexperience to get experience.”
Benjamin’s success as a fashion photographer came at a crucial time in his life.
“I had one month left of money to live in New York,” he said. Luckily for him he took a job at Macy’s and his career flourished from there. Nowadays he says, “Everyday is like art class to me.”
To sum up his ideas and words of wisdom Benjamin advised the audience, “If you have an opportunity just take it.”
Desimone, a graduate of the School of Fashion Design, and the current Assistant Head of Wardrobe for the famous Cirque du Soleil, also spoke on the panel.
“I grew up drawing sketches in notebooks,” but she did not believe she could make a career out of her passion.
Desimone received a degree in Marketing and International Business from Fairfield University and has held other jobs in the world of fashion such as a buyer for Filene’s Basement and a manager at Neiman Marcus.
“It’s never too late,” says Desimone about following one’s dreams, “If you have that feeling just stick with it.”
At Cirque de Soleil Desimone is responsible for making fashionable garments that the performers can move and function in. She cites language barriers as one of very few struggles she finds with her job. Currently, she is doing her best to learn the languages of the performers in order to better accommodate their needs when it comes to their costumes. Other than that Desimone is quite pleased with what she gets to do for a living.
“About 3,000 people a night get to see what I do,” she says, “I cry everytime.”
Desimone advises budding fashionistas to show their face and stay humble in their fields.
“You’re an image, not just a person making a piece.”
Radsken, fashion writer for the Boston Globe, like most, struggled a bit with finding herself towards the beginning of her career.
“I couldn’t really figure out how to find my voice,” she says.
Once she found her groove Radsken immersed herself into her work. She explained that her job is to translate stories involving luxurious clothing and fashion to audiences that may not be able to relate to such expensive designs.
Radsken explained to the audience that details will set them apart and that they must be able to present themselves.
Rasken was able to talk about the industry in a different light than the other panelists. She explained that in order to be talked about in the media by journalists such as herself designers, business owners, and others must be willing to set themselves apart from the rest.
“New is always what we are looking for.”
She suggests that up and coming fashion industry members must “be willing to do everything” and “throw themselves into it.”
Stokalska, a jewelry designer, who’s work was featured on the television show The Carrie Diaries, discussed the importance of organization and planning. She sets goals for herself and researches how they can be achieved.
She also believes that those looking for a career in fashion should “take advantage of everything [they] have in [their] city.”
School of Fashion Design graduate, Tatiana Tejedor, recently opened her own menswear store, Carmelo, in Jamaica Plain and has been dedicating a good portion of her time to running her new business along with continuing to design for her own line but she has been enjoying the process. One of her favorite things is to be able to wake up every day and say “I am going to my store.”
Tejedor believe that feedback from customers helps you grow and that one should never “be afraid of failing.”
Overall the Teen Talk panelists stressed one common theme put nicely by Stokalska, “Don’t give up and just do it.”
Ms. Rockland Crowned
On Friday night Oct. 24, RHS senior Brianna Starkey was crowned Ms. Rockland at half-time of the Homecoming game. Starkey was one of six senior girls nominated for the honor who also included: Nicole Cook, Katie DeLorey, Kara Penney, Alex Pigeon, and Danielle Whitcher. Congratulations to all the nominees and to Ms. Rockland, Brianna Starkey.
Nicole Cook was escorted by her brother John and her father Lewis.
Katie DeLorey was escorted by her mother, Lisa DeLorey.
Kara Penney was escorted by her parents Patti and Rich Penney.
Alex Pigeon was escorted by her parents, Greg and Sharon Pigeon
Brianna Starkey was escorted by her parents Donna and Robert
Danielle Whitcher was escorted by her mother Debbie and her father John along with her brother and sister.
RHS Principal Alan Cron crowns Brianna Starkey Ms. Rockland
Brianna Starkey with her parents and Principal Cron.
Left to right: Kara Penney, Danielle Whitcher, Brianna Starkey, Nicole Cook and Katie DeLorey
Chris Landy Crowned Mr. Rockland
On Thursday night, Oct. 23, five seniors competed for the title of Mr. Rockland: Pearse McNally, Leshon Crawford, Andrew Frazer, Eddie Yeadon and Chris Landy. Judges Mr. Fred Damon, Ms. Amanda McDonough and Ms. Samantha Hoyo chose Chris Landy as the new Mr. Rockland. Photos of the event were taken by PJ Butler.
Chris Landy, Pearse McNally, Leshon Crawford, Andrew Frazer and Ed Yeadon
Andrew Frazer
Andrew Frazer serenading Mr. Damon
Chris Landy in regal robe
Chris Landy stretches
Dance off
Dance off
Ed Yeadon answers a question
Ed Yeadon’s talent
Faces in the crowd
Kara Penney, Emma McGarry and Katie Delorey
Leshon Crawford and Katie Delorey
Leshon Crawford
Getting familiar with the judges
Leshon Crawford answers question from Kara Penney, Katie Delorey and Emma McGarry
Pearse McNally
Pearse McNally
Thanking the SGC
Dance off
The judges: Mr. Damon, Ms. McDonough and Ms. Hoyo
Kara Penney hands flowers to Mr. Rockland
Chris Landy blows kiss to the crowd
Chris Landy strikes a kingly pose
THE VERITAS 