Billy’s Barbershop: Fight Against Lowell Drug Epidemic

Lina Woronko

Along the sidewalk of Andover Street, in the town of Lowell, MA, or otherwise known as “Mill City,” a small, brick building is almost hidden behind a much larger one. Next to it is a BP gas station, and the surrounding area is lined with apartments and metal gates. An intersection is at the corner of the gas station, where a rush of cars are in constant stop-and-go motion. Plant life is at a minimum, only the small sprouts peeking through the cracks in the cement wishing to be touched by the sun.

It’s a mid-winter afternoon, and the sky is cloudy with a surrounding fading blue. Dogs bark, cars honk, and people go about their daily lives: smoking, carrying groceries, or yelling to one another from opposite ends of the street. Amidst this cacophony of traffic, pavement, and humdrum is Billy’s Barbershop, which offers much more than just shampoos and straight razors.

The building itself is decorated with a huge, long banner draped against the storefront’s brick wall facing the oncoming traffic of Andover Street. In the windows are barber’s poles and an LED neon light that states: OPEN, encouraging anyone in the area to take a peek inside.

The storefront of Billy’s Barbershop displays barbers’ poles, as most barbershops do, but this shop gets its idea of display from a tradition in the Middle Ages. While these displays now represent places where someone can walk in for a fresh cut, they were historically used to indicate other services, such as bloodletting. As early as the 5th century, the barber’s pole signified a place where medical practitioners offered a wide-range of services. These barbers provided their community with assistance and a safe place to go to when people were in need. The red and white stripes represented blood and bandages, while the blue is believed to have stood for patriotism. Today, Billy’s Barbershop introduces a more modern representation of the barber’s pole, and it’s not just suggesting a new haircut.

As you first walk in, a long, black couch is reaching out to you, begging for you to recline and relax while you wait. The wide-screen TV is propped up at the perfect angle, but is kept at a low volume, so you are able to speak to those near you. The snugness of the shop encourages customers to connect with those around them and have friendly exchanges with their barber as well, which is crucial considering the owner, Billy Cabrera, serves as a support system for those who are transitioning out of incarceration and for those who are battling addiction.

Billy was once in the shoes of most of his customers who come into the center. After years of being addicted to heroin, Billy decided he needed to change his life. In 2008, he began his path to recovery and has been clean ever since. Now, Billy is determined to help those who want to do better too. He works alongside close friends, as well as his son, Willie Cabrera, which makes his job much more gratifying and special. His daughter, Angelina Cabrera, attends the Lowell Vocational Technical High School for cosmetology and is an aspiring stylist/barber. Following in her father’s footsteps, she also works at the shop part-time. Billy is kind and understanding, both as a barber and a father. For years, Billy had worked at Masterpiece Hair Studio on Lakeview Avenue in Lowell before opening his own shop in 2014. His passion for barbering never stopped growing and he worked years towards his goal in pursuing his own shop, and he was finally able to make that dream come true. While looking for the perfect place for his shop, Billy always considered an extra room for which he would welcome in his community with stories and advice. In the back room of his shop, he owns what is known as the Resource & Reclamation Center. Here, you will always find food, drinks, information on drugs and alcohol, and someone ready to listen and help.

In today’s economy, it is difficult to find a job, but finding one with a criminal record can be nearly impossible. In 2008,  39% of felons in Massachusetts were reconvicted within three years of release, and in 2011, the average national recidivism rate was almost 44% . Ex-inmates who sold drugs were likely to end up selling again, because they were unable to find a job and earn money legally. This is why Billy’s Resource & Reclamation Center is so important, as their mission statement says: “our strength is the experience of the many volunteers who work together with us and each other providing a vital support network for those endangered individuals who are at risk of relapse before they are fully recovered and out of the danger zone… All the community health structured and state-sponsored programs are a necessary part of this. We are the missing link.” By providing this opportunity for improvement and self-reclamation, the Resource & Reclamation Center is helping pave the way for those seeking a fresh start.

I was able to spend a few minutes talking to Billy and listen to some of his input on the subject of incarceration and the purpose behind the Reclamation Center. He told me that there are often steps that lead to prison. Billy claims that this consequence starts with bad decisions that are most commonly a result from childhood trauma. “As these children grow up, they turn to drugs for relief and it becomes a bonding attachment,” says Billy. Once this bond is formed, the person will learn to do absolutely anything in order to maintain this bond in which they feel accepted and at ease. These bad decisions, such as stealing and scamming, are repeated and become a necessity to achieve that desired bond.

According to psychoanalyst, Karen Horney, “all of us need love badly, so we are constantly afraid that important people (like our parents when we are very young) will not like us… A person who does not receive love is one who is always anxious and afraid.” During this time period, if a child does not feel as if they are getting enough support or love by their parents, they will look for it somewhere or in someone else. There is a great percentage of children who find this in their friends, other family members, sports, and other positive influences. However, according to a study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, “65% of teens use drugs to ‘feel better about themselves.’” This indicates that teens who have low self-esteem are more likely to get hooked on drugs, because they feel accepted in the crowds that offer them.

As this cycle of bad decisions repeats itself, the person eventually gets arrested and faces consequences as well as withdrawal. So why are recidivism rates so high if ex-inmates should have already “learned their lesson”? The answer is discouragement and discrimination. When these inmates leave prison, they must find a job. However, a major problem with this is the application process. The Felony Checkbox is a box that must be checked if the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime. The Libertarian News claims that only “forty percent of employers would give applicants with criminal records a chance, indicating that sixty percent of the employers and agencies would not consider an ex-offender's application.” Because of this, a movement was started in 2004 to encourage employers to pick their candidates out of consideration of their job qualifications and skills rather than their past. The campaign is called Ban-the-Box  and can be visited at bantheboxcampaign.org, where a person can pledge to “always welcome formerly incarcerated peoples into my community and to support changes in policies that discriminate against the formerly incarcerated.” Movements like this, are the solution to recidivism. In the Reclamation Center, Billy has a list of employers who will give convicted felons jobs: Best Western, Sprint, Walgreens, Dunkin Donuts, Ace Hardware, and Chase Bank are only a few of the more well-known employers on the Cori Friendly Employer List.
Billy also works with the re-entry team at the Middlesex House of Correction in Billerica. When men leave the prison and re-enter society, he invites them to the shop for a free haircut and offers his stories and information on staying clean and finding a job. This Resource & Reclamation Center is a non-profit organization that serves as a support system for those who need someone to speak with or confide in, and Billy and his co-workers are always there to help. Billy says that “the purpose of the Reclamation Center is to help one begin their journey by bonding to positive influences, such as the people in their community rather than negative impacts such as drugs.” Small gestures of generosity and understanding can go a long way.

The sky may be faded in color and the street may be filled with the sounds of dogs, cars, and people, but Billy’s Barbershop is the sun reaching out to the small sprouts peeking through the cracks in the sidewalk. It is the source of light for many recovering addicts and for those transitioning out of confinement. Billy wishes to push past the dark skies and open up a brighter future for those who wish to be helped.

As I stepped outside of Billy’s Barbershop, I saw Andover Street in a whole new perspective. The sun was no longer stuck behind a dark cloud and its light shined down along the sidewalk, reaching the small sprouts in the cracks. The people yelling to each other were laughing and smiling, the dog was barking excitedly to his owner returning home, and the cars honked at the employees of Billy’s Barbershop as a way of saying hello. The whole purpose of the barbershop is to welcome its community with small talk, advice, food, and fresh cuts. Billy considers this as his way of giving back to his community, and it was a pleasure to be able to learn more about the drug epidemic and the multiple solutions to help stop it.

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Mangos, Trowels, and the Howlin’ Wolf: An Optimistic Journey through the Heart of the American Dream

MY COFFEE HAD TOO MUCH CREAM IN IT. My usually disciplined pour had fallen prey to distraction. The sugar was perfect, but the taste of bitter beans had been lost in thick white liquid. I heard Stavros Dimakis pressing home fries on the flat grill, whispers of their scent reached my nose. My spoon had a small circle of coffee in it, an odd reflecting pool perched on a napkin next to my fork next to my knife. My arms hairs were stuck to the table in a faint circle of someone else’s maple syrup.

“Hey Max how come you haven’t come to visit me yet?” asked Stavros. “Max, we live a street apart from each other. Just leave, you don’t need to tell your parents, just walk over and visit me.”

“No, you wouldn’t do that would you, Max?” Max’s parents chuckled.

“Yes, I would!” exclaimed Max.              

“Thata boy, knuckles,” said Stavros, fist bumping the eight year old.

(Image provided courtesy theheartbeatofhaverhill.wordpress.com)

I smiled and looked up at my father who was shaking his head, grinning. Stavros and my father had been football buddies in high school, and when I went there the first time with a group of friends he asked: “Little Valenti, is that you?” He had seen pictures of me on my father’s Facebook. He knew Blute because he comes in every Sunday with his father, and he knew Dimitri because every Greek knows every other Greek in Haverhill.

Our food came on large plates, Stavros having given us much more than the usual serving size. The home fries which I had previously smelled from across the room finally erupted with scent right below my nose. Homefries were not what I searched for that day, though they were right under my nose.

THIS WAS THE FIRST STEP IN MY JOURNEY. Mark’s Deli, by the train tracks, so close that when the train comes through you’d better hold on to your coffee mug. I work at Cherry Village Pizza in Hampstead, New Hampshire, and while we’re not very popular, needing only six regular employees, I realized something in my many nights there: 90% of the people who come in know Billy, the owner, at least enough to converse with him about their families, their moving schedule, and anything else they could talk about.

Small businesses employ more than half of the work force according to the U.S. Census Bureau, employing 4.5 million more people than large corporations. Out of those small businesses, the ones with less than 100 employees had the largest number of employees, Billy has six. If Billy has six, and businesses with under 100 employees create most of the workforce, that means that there is a whole lot of family owned pizza shops.  Yet, people still shop at big corporations, not supporting these economically healthy small businesses.

The goal of my journey was to show why more people should shop locally, at small businesses, so I would go to several local businesses and take down prices to compare to WalMart: simple. As I left Mark’s Deli and started to walk down the dirty sidewalk, looking at the cracks in the streets, the brick buildings with their dirty windows, I planned my path to from our Middle Class Earth, to an outstretched hand of Corporate Mordor.

HIS HAIR WAS LIKE A CLOAK, COVERING ALL BESIDES THE TOP OF HIS HEAD. His glasses were dirty gold and his leather jacket hung open. The shop smelled musty and of cigars. The door was open. He told Dimitri and I, as we meandered through the vinyls, that he wasn’t even supposed to be working that day. He also informed us that if he was talking too much we could tell him to shut up. The woman at the counter had gone upstairs to find her husband, with whom she owned the shop, leaving us alone in Welfare Records with that man, whose name I still do not know.

“Yeah, I’m sorry if I talk too much,” he said.

“No, no, it’s fine man!” I said to him.

“Well you just let me know. I don’t mind at all, just tell me to shut up. One guy was in here once, I didn’t even offer, he just asked me to shut up and so...I did,” he said chuckling.

While walking around, holding a Ghost Mice record and a Violent Femmes record, I realized I had never looked at Welfare’s selection of CDs. What I found was astounding, a strange, older punk band who had coincidentally opened up for the Street Dogs when I saw them in December---eight bucks. What I was most astounded by, however, was the man working the counter on his day off.

“You guys watch Jessica Jones, or Daredevil?” he asked.

“No, I don’t,” said Dimitri shaking his head.

“Yeah me neither, been wanting to though, just don’t have Netflix,” I replied.

“Ah, got cha man. Yeah, Daredevil is great, more action-y, and the Punisher is joining this season, but Jessica Jones is more psychological and wicked cool.”

(Image provided courtesy of bdcwire.com)

Once we had jaywalked to my car parked across the street, I looked back at Welfare Records, soaking in the grey-cream siding which was covered in old records, the logo looking like it came out of Doom. I realized that the reason I was uncomfortable the first time I went in there was simply because I knew it was on the ever frightening River Street, where you couldn’t move a three feet without stepping on the butt of a cigarette. Now, I couldn’t get enough.

TRUE VALUE IN BRADFORD IS ACTUALLY CALLED ARTHUR SHARP’S. My father told me that my grandfather had known it by no other name besides Arthur Sharp’s. My father and I are starting a garden this summer, and we decided that this would be our supplier for seeds. As I walked around two men came in.

“Hey John! Back again today?” asked the man at the counter today, who had previously asked if we needed any help.

“Yeah, need some more stuff, seems like every time we go back to work on it we’ve forgotten something else,” said John.

True Value is actually what is sounds like, true values. Inside I found knock-off shirts and hats, “Sons of Belichick” was my favorite. Most importantly, however, was their wide selection of hardware. They had more screws than a con-man has identities. I had no idea that there was more than one type of trowel, but let me say, True Value has every type.

(Image provided courtesy of yelp.com)

JACQUELINE’S HAS EL YUCATECO, that delicious green hot sauce that had been introduced to me at Plaza Azteca on the border of Methuen and Salem. I thought it was great, a balance of heat and flavor which can make any good chimichanga into a spectacular tube of meat and cheese. After a while of searching, my father made the executive decision to order El Yucateco off of Amazon. We were nearly out of it when my father and I found ourselves in Jacqueline’s Spanish food market. I pulled open the metal door, which reminded me of a door which would close off a mafia meeting from the outside world. Once inside I grabbed a mango, having never actually eaten one before. I walked around this small shop for a minute, attempting to decipher what the Spanish labels meant, and then I saw it. A four inch tall bottle of green with another label I couldn’t decipher but could certainly recognize. I could not believe that we had ordered a bottle of El Yucateco from God knows where, when it was right here the whole time.

Once we had left Jacqueline’s, we crossed the street by the Greek Orthodox church, and reentered the car. I then knew that my mosey through the bright and sunny parts of Middle Class Earth had ended. I knew then that I had to enter a realm of shadows, Minas Tirith was behind me, Mordor awaited.

SOMETIMES A COOKIE CUTTER CAN HOUSE A BROWNIE. I had left my father at home for my trip to WalMart; instead, my girlfriend, Amanda, came with me to help me on my journey. As we walked around the belly of the beast, I pulled out my iPod which I had used to type up prices from stores and shops downtown. As I walked around WalMart I became increasingly disappointed. My mind flooded with questions: How am I supposed to argue my point now? All of WalMart’s prices are better, save a few items which were the same. How was I supposed to prove that a more affordable and unambiguously stocked store was less preferable?

We made our way to the food department where I was looking for beef to compare with Haverhill Beef. Amanda said, “Well, there are the hot dogs!”

(Jeff Bridges as “The Dude” in The Big Lebowski (1998))

“Oh, is that what you call them?” questioned a voice reminiscent of a South Park representation of an older hippie who drives a Prius. I turned towards the sound and couldn’t be more satisfied with the sight which reached my eyes. This was a man who can only be described as The Dude, if the Dude shopped at WalMart. This man had Jeff Bridges hair with a much longer beard, jeans and a blue tye-dye-esque shirt, with an incredibly fierce looking wolf and full moon on it. “I always just called them cow lips,” he continued, “because I had a buddy who worked where they made the hot dogs,  and they just took whatever they didn’t want from the cow, like the face. So I call them cow lips.”

Amanda, being the kind person she is, responded with a laugh and a “that’s very clever!”

“Yeah, I’ve got nicknames for everything,” he said, shifting back and forth in front of  us like a small dog who couldn’t quite tell if he trusted us yet, “like um... buggies! The cars, you know punch buggy, we call those bee-bops in my family. And, me and my daughter, we call peas bullets, we’ve got a nickname for everything. Okay, I’ve got to get cream, uh, have a good night!”

“You too!” Amanda and I replied to our new friend.

This was it, I had found my ring of power, the object WalMart could use, and equally be destroyed by. I had been searching WalMart for some sort of higher price on a product so I could say “Ha! WalMart is awful, shop locally,” instead, I found the quintessence of loneliness in a market. WalMart has good prices but they come with a greater cost. WalMart, being a large corporation, has its headquarters in Arkansas, not in New England at all. Therefore, when WalMart as a corporation pays its taxes, the tax money does not go to all of the states where it has locations. Each location pays some degree of taxes, however, the headquarters deals with the majority. This is a major source of slow economic growth according to a study done by Penn State, run by Professor Stephan Goetz.  

The Andersonville Study of Retail Economics says that if a shopper spends 100 dollars locally, in places like Welfare Records, Haverhill Beef, Arthur Sharp’s, and Jacqueline’s, 68 dollars stays in the local economy. That means that the local and state government has more funding and can provide more for the people. On the other hand, if a shopper spends 100 dollars at a national chain or online, only 48 dollars stays in the local economy. Now, this may seem hypocritical because True Value is itself a worldwide chain, the difference between True Value and WalMart is that each location of True Value runs independently by an owner, separate from True Value as a whole. Subway also does this, a sub shop which has a location inside of the Plaistow WalMart, however, Subway owners have no say in the menu. True Value’s products are left up to the owner. My grandfather called it Arthur Sharp’s, not because Arthur Sharp was the manager of the store or a carekeeper for set prices and products, he called it that because it was Arthur Sharp’s. An independent local shop.

Now, I did my research on why small businesses are great, and yes they employ more than larger businesses, however, what intrigued me were the tangible elements, the aspects that couldn’t be backed up by data.. That’s why I went to these places, that’s why I found The Dude. The Dude was a man walking around WalMart with things to talk about; however, he could only share them with other souls floating through this store. None of the employees had ever asked him about his nickname for hot dogs, what he was looking for, if he needed help...the list goes on. The Dude had to find the cream for his White Russians on his own. When I was in Welfare Records, our leather clad acquaintance told me I could tell him to shut up if he spoke too much. This store has products made to fit everyone, but not any specific jobs. You can find hot sauce at WalMart, but not El Yucateco. You can find wood screws at WalMart, but if you need just the right size screw for your special order European door, you’re...well I’ll let the pun go unspoken.

WalMart lacked something in its store. Yes, I could buy a hammer for four dollars less than True Value and a CD for five dollars less than Welfare Records, but you sure can’t find several types of trowels or vinyls at WalMart. It lacked a variety, and a personality. WalMart itself is a representation of what they sell, cookie cutter blanket products.

WHAT WAS BELOW MY NOSE TASTED HOW THEY SMELLED. The home fries had a crunch along the outside contrasting their mushy and malleable centers. My coffee had one last sip in it, the waitress asked if I had wanted more. I considered it, just due to the fact that more coffee would outweigh the overflow of cream, however, I declined.

When we left, Stavros shook both of our hands and told us to take care. We started walking up Washington Street towards Haverhill Beef. I was thinking about how eight cents of every dollar spent in America goes to WalMart. “You know, Haverhill’s not a bad city,” I said to my father.

“Eh, it’s not great,” he replied.

“I don’t know, I think that’s based on perspective. I think it looks like a bad place, but it is truly a picture of the American dream. Small shops flourishing because downtown is a giant family. I don’t know, I like it. It’s my home,” spoke I. 

( Image provided courtesy of bostoncoasters.com)

“It certainly could be better,” he concluded.

“Maybe, but I like it,” I decided.

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Hanging Out With College Kids: A Highschooler's mindset

Michael Whitcomb

Vape clouds filled my cousin Danny’s basement, illuminated blue by the lights of the PS4, brought over by Danny’s friend, Matt. Snack wrappers and an entire tray of Ore-Ida French fries sat on the table in front of the tv. We had been playing FIFA on the PS4 for almost an hour and a half, and I was thinking to myself “wow, this is college.” I sat back, thinking about how these three college kids should be at some party, not hanging in a basement with a high school junior. What actually possessed them to just hang out down cellar on this Saturday night?
Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with my cousin and we've always had a brotherly bond, and I consider him as such, but I was confused as to why he'd rather hang at his house with me than be at a party. Maybe every college student still has to be childish every now and again, just for a few days out of a few months to stay sane. They (going off of my cousin’s experience as he's explained to me) spend the first few months of school cramming in essays and finishing homework the night before they're due. Anxiety and stress pour over them with work along with the daunting and overwhelming fear of having to find a career to pay off their tuition and college loans. Maybe they just need a break.
I always had a picture in my mind of what college would be like. Going out every weekend, crashing parties and staying up until the break of dawn. Then just as you try to remember all the exciting things that happened that night, you are forced to sit through lectures and take exams during the day. Then after class hang out in your dorm room with your friends and joke around and just have a good time, and this cycle would just repeat itself.
From what I can tell, most college students still have the personalities of high schoolers. I asked my cousin if he had matured at all (I didn't think he did, but I asked anyways) and he replied “no I'm still a weirdo.” I thought for a second about what I would be doing on a Saturday night right now if I weren't with my cousin, and I figured I would probably still be doing the same thing, sitting around with my friends playing video games and joking around. Maybe this was true and he just didn't change.
I have a feeling that some college students go into their first years with a negative capability, where they are comfortable in a new situation knowing that everything in this new step of life is unknown. However, others may be the exactopposite. Many may be extremely uncomfortable and unaware as to what to do with themselves. This may be the same concept with parents of these newly sprung young adults.
 I was lucky enough to spend another night with my cousin this week. We stayed up until around 1:30 on Thursday night with his friend “Chiz”, who had earned his nickname at UNH. We watched the golden state Oklahoma City game, admiring Steph Curry and how unbelievable he was. Unbelievable, just like how it was unbelievable to watch my older brother( still my cousin, but more or less the same) go to college a few months earlier. It's difficult to comprehend how people go through elementary, middle, and high school and make so many memories as a younger kid, and before they know it they're in college in the blink of an eye. I feel as though we all know that college will inevitably happen, but it doesn't feel as if it's a real thing until someone you usually see everyday isn't there anymore.
College students are an entirely different species than the regular human. Hanging out with a small pack of them in the wild was an interesting and insightful learning experience for me. I learned many things, such as how to get into fraternity parties, and how to hide contraband in your dorm. These young minds are influencing me, and many others, and I feel as though I shall be prepared next year when I attend my first year of college.                                    

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A Netflix Addiction: The Constant Urge to Binge

Alina Page

“Just one more,” you tell yourself, “I need to know what happens, it's only forty more minutes. I'll stop after this one.” We tell ourselves the same things every time, and then we are up till 1am watching our favorite show on Netflix. The problem, however, is that because it is so easy to watch these shows, It has become an actual addiction.

Image from Google.com 

It starts with you innocently watching one episode of your favorite show and then slowly, without realizing it, you have spent four hours or more watching it. Every once in awhile, there is nothing wrong with binge watching, but when it becomes an everyday occurrence, that’s when you realize that things have gone too far and need to change.

To adjust from your usual life schedule is something that most people rather not do. So when you need to adjust, it isn’t that simple. In my case, I come home from school or work, head up to my room, close my door, and in an instant I’m on my bed watching Netflix once again. When you have nothing better to do, yeah, watching your favorite show for hours doesn’t seem that bad, but when you decide to shirk responsibilities to do so, it becomes more toxic than you ever realized. TV shows are dangerous, at the end of every episode there’s always something that happens to leave you intrigued, ideally so you’ll continue to watch it every week on that certain day that it’s on. With every ending of a season, there’s something even more shocking or intriguing that leaves you waiting until another season comes out. This is the secret weapon to all shows, it’s what leaves you hanging and wanting more. With Netflix, all the waiting is gone and you have the opportunity to watch the next episode or next season with the push of a button, and that’s where the issue develops.

With the addiction leaving you to push play on the next episode, even though it’s already midnight and you have school the next morning, you might wonder why your exhaustion isn’t getting the best of you. Since the ending of an episode leaves you to ponder, your body gets stressed with not knowing what will happen next. When faced with the stress of not knowing, the body produces an excess of CRH, a hormone that mediates the release of other stress hormones in the body. This causes

Image from Google.com

the body to remain alert, which then disrupts sleep. So, when you're faced with that cliffhanger at midnight, you're suddenly not so tired and you find yourself pushing through the next episode. That explains a lot doesn’t it? It sure explains why I have that issue with staying up all night watching my favorite show, and why I don’t feel the slightest bit tired doing it. So then why do we continue to constantly do this when we know that it is a bad habit? We all joke about being addicted to Netflix, but could we actually really be addicted?

Everyone has a slight addiction with Netflix, and when we watch episodes over and over again, we find ourselves talking about it with friends. You compare how many they have watched to how many you have watched. Netflix is designed as a checklist for a reason, the more you watch the more you check off your list. When we check an episode or season off our list and move to the next, it triggers a neurochemical cascade of serotonin, which is satiety, and dopamine which is pleasure. When we achieve the completion of a season on a show, we're actually tapping into the reward center of our brains. Is this what the world of technology has come to?

Image from Google.com 

That finishing a number of episodes, or even a whole series allows us to feel as if we have completed a task? This feeling of completion, causes a surge of dopamine release in our brains, and then the dopamine motivates us to keep watching more, creating this feedback loop that is never ending. We continue to watch these shows all the time and delay our everyday tasks just because a trigger in our brain is released and we feel the need to continue watching. This dopamine release and motivation is actually an indication of an addiction, which then poses the question on if we could actually be addicted. However, since 1996, Internet Addiction Disorder has been studied and considered for inclusion into the clinical setting as a documentable disorder. While this represents an extreme that won't affect most Netflix users, it’s a reality when you're talking about binge-watching TV for hours on end.

Many people, however, fall in the habit of watching Netflix over and over again. From one forty minute show, to another, and another, Netflix users watch more than two billion hours of movies and television shows every month. With this, it is obvious that Netflix destroys your time management. How you might wonder? Because the human brain best receives, processes, and remembers information in small segments, also known as the “chunking principle.” This includes the way we process time. It's much easier for us to divide our time into concrete portions such as 30 minutes or 60 minutes. But, when it comes to most shows on Netflix, we are talking about 40 minutes or 20 minutes, which doesn't exactly fit into our designated time chunks. So when you give yourself one hour to watch Netflix before you have to get back to your responsibilities, that means you have about enough time to watch one and a half episodes of a forty minute show, and no one, including myself, likes to end a show right in the middle. So because of this, you just have to continue until you're two episodes in, and twenty minutes over your one-hour limit. Therefore, you might as well watch one more episode to make it an even two hours of Netflix, and that's how our time management gets completely manipulated by our beloved Netflix.

Another problem with Netflix is that you fall completely in love with it. To some, including myself, Netflix is basically like a drug. It is able to pull you in because it can so easily and slowly consume you into the world of the show you are watching, and without your noticing, you fall in love and become utterly addicted. Binge watching our favorite shows on Netflix definitely makes us “happy.” However, can the light of the screen also be taking part of our happiness, in which the light can make us believe that we are feeling happy when in reality we aren't? As most know, light is a major factor in the regulation of sleep wake cycles, so you've probably heard that too much light from a TV screen

Image from Google.com

or laptop may keep you awake late at night. However, recent studies have found that bright lights can naturally increase levels of serotonin in our brains, which is a neurotransmitter most commonly known for its contribution to feelings of well-being and happiness. Therefore not only is the light from your screen keeping you awake so you can watch more, but it's also providing you with this sense of happiness that we have no control over.

In my experience, Netflix is extremely addicting. Staying up all night and not doing homework or responsibilities, it full on consumes you. With its addicting agencies, if you can’t control the urges, you’re better off stopping before you’re completely engulfed with it all. However, I am fully aware that it is easier said than done. But with everything, a lot of people have short attention spans. Either reality sets in, or something else takes control of your attention, and the once really bad Netflix addiction, soon is just a not-so-bad satisfying habit. For most anyways.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Image from Google.com

                                                 

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College Tuition: Buying Your Approval

Michaela Kane

We passed through the gate that led up the long stretch of road guided by old-school lampposts and rolling fields of grass.  Atop a bright green hill in the distance was what looked like a mansion: a two story brick building with pillars hoisting up the overhanging roof.  Warm rays from the sun reflected off glossy “Welcome” signs, adding to the clear, clean air on an unusually warm February day.

Continuing along the winding road to my potential future at Stonehill College, we finally reached the parking lot of our destination, only to find it lined with cars in every available spot.  We were directed to another one not too far away,  just past the large W.B Mason Stadium.  My parents found a spot in a much larger parking lot than the first,  allowing us to finally make our way to the athletics building of the college- an impressive two story facility with glass panels facing the stadium so spectators can watch any game while running on one of several treadmills.  Lining the walkway were several banners that read, “Welcome Class of 2020,” big and grand for all to see.

I was directed to the sign-in area containing roughly 500 alphabetically ordered names spanning about ten rectangular tables.  After stating my name and patiently waiting for the woman from admissions to find it among the vast number of students, I was given a gift bag and sent on my way to the gymnasium.  Once I entered, it took me a moment to take in the scene that was before me.  Two large screens displayed pictures of smiling students from the college throughout campus, about 1,500 chairs lined half of the gym for the admitted students and their parents, the other half was occupied by dining tables and information booths, all the while the harmonizing sound of an acapella group filled the air.

It took some time to find a seat for the three of us among all the families spaced out between rows upon rows of folding chairs, but once we did, I was finally given the chance to open the gift bag.  The purple drawstring bag contained a high quality travel mug, a notepad and pen bearing the school’s name, a lanyard, and a folder containing information about events planned for the day.  Welcome Day started with information sessions regarding each individual major, followed by an elaborate walk through of the dormitories and the various academic departments.  These long hours I spent on campus gave me time to reflect on the modern buildings with well kept grounds and the gifts I received, making me wonder, how much of my tuition will actually be spent on my education?

W.B Mason Stadium, the multi use, artificial turf stadium we had passed is home to several of the school’s sports.  The $4 million project was obviously very costly, but seemed to be worth it.  Just seeing the stadium, athletes looking to attend the college hunger for the chance to play in it.  This is also true for other colleges and universities across the nation.  The Washington Post reviewed forty-eight athletic departments from five of the wealthiest conferences known in college sports.In 2014 alone, the finances from these schools recorded a combined $772 million spent on their athletic facilities, an overall 89% increase from the $408 million used in 2004.  These expenses come out of the tuition of students at each college, even if they do not personally participate in collegiate sports, causing each individual student’s tuition to ratchet even up even higher.

In order to establish teams to play in the colossal stadiums, schools also need to hire coaches to lead their teams to success. Football, of course, is the most popular sport at the college level, and also the most costly.  Top football coaches can earn up to $2 million, sometimes even more, according to Business Insider. As reported by Sports Illustrated, the head coach of Michigan State, Mark Dantonio, was just given a pay raise- he now earns $4.3 million per season.  Although Dantonio earns a fortune, he is not even the highest paid coach in the NCAA.  Nick Saban, coach of Alabama Crimson Tide, earns the most at $7 million per season.  USA Today reported the annual average salary for major colleges is currently at $1.6 million.  Not every school has the money to pay their coaches millions, but the NCAA collected records show schools pay anywhere from $10,000-$100,000. Each school not only fields a football team, but various other varsity teams.  Students end up being the ones to foot most of the bill, collegiate athlete or not.  Schools are not only throwing their money at their football teams, they are also putting large sums into the beautification of their schools in order to sway students’ minds.

Head Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide takes the field with his million dollar team

Michigan State’s $2.2 million dollar stadium holds up to 80,000 fans

Regardless of such infuriating data, the brick buildings scattered all over campus instill in many, including myself, a strange sense of home.  I couldn't help but see myself there next year, even if it is not my top choice.  The campus alone had the ability to bolster my opinion about the school, making all the millions worth it.  Colleges want to spruce up their campuses to show students they are the real deal, adding new living spaces and renovating entire sections of their campuses.  According to EVstudio, building a dormitory alone costs around $220 per square foot in places like Boston.  One of UMass Boston’s new dorm buildings cost $592 per square foot to construct.  UMass plans on spending about half of their operating budget, $1.7 billion, on construction, meanwhile, tuition from the several UMass campuses range from $12,000- $25,000.  Schools, just like the UMass campuses, are spending money on upgrading and adding buildings, leading to a rise in tuition.

Before and after the $185 million science building was finished at UMass Boston

Some thirty years ago, graduating high school seniors were able to pay for their college years from the money they made at minimum wage.  From working a summer job at around $7 an hour, students in the 1970s had enough money to pay for in-state tuition, but such numbers seem unrealistic. Students in the ‘70s, according to ATTN News, only required about eight weeks of work in order to cover the cost of one year at school, but in recent years, students need to put in over a year’s worth of work to foot the bill, even though minimum wage has risen to $10 an hour.  With all the coaches and construction projects to fund, college tuition is now unaffordable for most families, and will soon be too expensive for everyone.

As we drove back through the grand entrance we had entered through, one question still stood between my parents and I: do I want to go here next year?  I thought about the warm feeling of home I had experienced along with the gifts I received, and I actually could see myself going there despite the cost.  They had done what they wanted to do: persuade me with the cash they put into the visit, making all their spending work like they had hoped it would.

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An Eventful Sport is Added to Hillie Nation

Emily Mills

After years of growing interest, Haverhill High School has recently added Gymnastics its vast repertoire of team-sports. All grades are welcome to join the team, coached by the experienced, Lyndsey Capra.

 The team is competing within the Merrimack Valley Conference league. There are 9 other teams within the league: Billerica, Methuen, Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury, Chelmsford, North Andover, Andover, and Central Catholic High School. The HHS Gymnastics team being in its inaugural year, there are concerns having to do with the team not being prepared for the upcoming competition season. However, Coach Capra is not discouraged. “The team is working hard and within the first week, the team already looked promising,” said Capra.

 Coach Capra had been a gymnast herself for 15 years; competing before high school, during high school and one year in college.  She competed with Southern Connecticut State University for about a year before being stopped due to a back injury. Along with coaching the team for the high school, she is also coaching a handful of varied leveled gymnasts at Wilkey’s Gymnastics located in Tewksbury.

 Gymnastics is a very physically demanding sport, but even more so mentally. Fortunately, the Haverhill High School gymnastics team seems to be mixing well with each other. Megan Carroll, a sophomore on the high school team, describes the new gymnasts as a “small closely bonded team.”

Gymnastics is not only a team sport, but an individual sport. Individuals compete to earn points for the team. Teammates also compete against each other to get individual awards. Gymnastics consists of four events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and the floor exercise. Gymnastics is offered not only in high school but college as well. There are nearly 1500 scholarships available for high school gymnasts. It is considered a varsity sport for at least 82 colleges and universities in the United States.

The team will be practicing at the Haverhill YMCA. Practice began at the beginning of December and will continue until early February. The team practices five days a week, Monday through to Friday. Their first competition is the 30th of December in Tewksbury. The first home competition will be on January 6th.

For more information ask Coach Capra herself or someone within the gymnastics team.

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Soft As Baby Jesus' Bottom

Michael Whitcomb

America seems to be becoming more and more sensitive every day. Last week, Muslim citizens were offended by President Obama’s asking Muslims to be more vigilant in their neighbors for extremist, Muslim youths.  Before that, Duke University banned the phrase ‘man-up’ because of its discriminatory nature, and other campuses across the country recommended banning the use of the phrase “man-cave.” All of these point to an outer shell in American society that was once strong like bullets but is becoming more like a piece of tissue paper.

Trigger warnings have been around for years. They originated online to with the idea to warn people who have had a traumatic experience in their past about what was about to be discussed or viewed. Soon, trigger warnings gained momentum and began being applied and, in some cases, required of college professors in lecture halls throughout the country, stirring the current and heated controversy.

A Yale University organization conducted a survey revealing that 63% of students support the use of trigger warnings by professors. Most professors now warn students in their syllabi about possibly uncomfortable topics they plan to explore. The idea behind this is that students who have had a traumatic experience can prepare themselves and plan accordingly.

Similar to colleges becoming politically correct and sensitive to all possible conflicts, many companies have switched from the traditional 'Merry Christmas’ to ‘Happy Holidays’ for similar reasons, particularly to avoid "offending" people. Some companies that are saying ‘Happy Holidays’ are Staples, Footlocker, PetSmart, and Family Dollar. They have moved away from saying "Merry Christmas" because its Christian overtones can come off as offensive to other religions.

However, there are companies that still using the traditional phrase of ‘Merry Christmas.’ Some of these are Lowes, J.C. Penny, Wal-Mart, Macy’s, and Home Depot. These places do not get scrutinized by most people, but have had a complaint every now and again.

These continual conflicts surrounding the unintentional ramifications of primarily harmless traditions highlight America's progression towards becoming softer than Drake. Ideas, concepts, themes, and phrases that used to be acceptable are now being ridiculed for being ‘too offensive.’ People can’t make a joke anymore without someone trying to sue or give a lecture on why what was said is wrong. Understandably, jokes can sometimes be bad, such as a racist joke that is very offensive, but even little jokes that might just use a swear are ridiculed.

Little stuff like this epitomizes the strictly first world problems we are too often consumed and divided by.  In a world where rap lyrics allow children to idolize drug dealers and gang violence, and pornography is at everyone's fingertips, it's funny to think people are offended by a simple phrase intended to express happiness and well-wishes. Instead of accepting the phrase for what it is, so many people use this to divide rather than bring us together, which seems, whether or not you call it Christmas or Holidays, to be counterintuitive to the spirit of the season. So, try to keep your earmuffs tight if you need to and your heart as warm as the unseasonable weather, for I'm going to go there: Merry Christmas!

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The Roman Road to Walmart: Christmas through the Ages

Alina Page

Christmas is a time when families come together and celebrate. It can be a stressful time but also one replete with colorful rituals and traditions: Santa Claus and his nine reindeer; waking up to presents under the tree, stockings full of candy, and half-eaten cookies and milk on the kitchen table. Christmas, of course, is also a time for commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, at least for the devout among us. Whatever Christmas is to you, a time of gathering, a time of prayer, or an excuse to shop, it is a holiday that, more than any other, marks the passing of the year. 

The first evidence of Christmas was in Rome in 336 AD. The word "Christmas" originated from two archaic words: Christes maesse,"the Mass of Christ," the Catholic Mass during which the priest re-offers the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross during the time of Communion. But Christmas was not the sole, original winter celebration in the Roman Empire, in fact, the Saturnalia, or winter festival, was a pagan-inspired holiday that had long been observed and established. 

Early in the 4th Century, the Roman Catholic Church, which was the dominant church in Europe, adopted the holiday and tried to convert it into a Christian celebration, declaring December 25 to be the day of the Lord's birth, calling it the Feast of the Nativity. While Christmas may be a religious holiday for many Christians, the Christmas holiday in the American culture isn't that religious at all. Christmas in the American culture is very secular, and that may be, ironically, because of Santa Claus. 

Santa Claus is the anglicized form of the Dutch name St. Nicholas Sinterklaas. Although the modern Santa Claus is associated with a world of fantasy, the historical St. Nicholas was a pious man known for his charity and generosity. There are many stories about Nicholas’s life, many of them emphasizing his kindness. It is said that Nicholas’s parents were devout believers who had long prayed for a child. When Nicholas was finally born, they devoted him to God. However, when Nicholas was still a young boy, a plague struck his city, and both of his parents died. In most cases, a loss like this might turn some away from God, but this drew Nicholas closer to him. After his death on December 6, 343 AD, a tradition of gift giving began in his honor. The custom of hanging stockings also comes from the story of St. Nicholas. 

1,500 years later, popular images of Santa Claus were being circulated by the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast, who drew a new image of the character every year. By the 1880s, Nast's Santa had evolved into the old, cherry-cheeked man we now recognize. The image was standardized by advertisers in the 1920s. Today, Santa Claus is not a religious figure or symbol, Santa is a little bit of Christianity, a little bit of pre-Christian paganism, and a whole lot of modern, secular myth-making. Santa Claus as a Christmas figure has always been relatively secular, and this has only intensified over time. 

With the adaptation of Santa Claus, people also embraced the practice of decorating  trees. It was known that the evergreen tree was an ancient symbol of life in the midst of winter, Romans would therefore decorate their houses with evergreen branches during the New Year, and ancient inhabitants of northern Europe would cut evergreen trees and plant them in boxes inside their houses. However, by the early Middle Ages, the legend had grown that when Christ was born in the dead of winter, every tree throughout the world miraculously shook off its ice and snow and produced new shoots of green. With this legend, a star was affixed on the top of a tree to represent the star in the east that shone where the baby Jesus laid in a manger, and the lights and ornaments on a tree came to represent the stars and planets in the sky. Some Christians even place a manger at the base of the Christmas tree.

The works of O. Henry, Charles Dickens, and Thomas Nast all helped to shape our concepts of Santa Claus and other aspects of the holiday. The custom of giving and receiving presents at Christmas, in the Christian religion, is to remind us of the presents given to Jesus by the three Magi. The magi were kings from the East, wise men who traveled a great distance following a star, to find the Christ child and to bring him gifts. They brought Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh. Frankincense was a perfume used in Jewish worship and, as a gift, it showed that people would worship Jesus. Gold was associated with Kings and Christians believe that Jesus is the King of Kings. Myrrh was a perfume that was put on dead bodies to make them smell nice and, as a gift, it showed that Jesus would suffer and die. 

For some, Christmas is a way to celebrate the Christian holy day. For others, it is a special time to let family and friends know that you care by giving gifts. At times, giving gifts at Christmas becomes almost as a chore. When this happens, it is worth stepping aside for a few moments and considering why exactly we give gifts at Christmas. 

Merry Christmas!

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Girls' Volleyball: Road To Florida

Lina Woronko

The HHS girls’ volleyball team went to Disney in 2014 for a nationwide tournament in Orlando, Florida through the organization KSA Events. KSA Events hosts high school sanctioned sporting events throughout the United States for student athletes. Again, the girls were invited to attend the Classic Volleyball Tournament at Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida for the year 2016.

The idea of the trip is to prepare the team for their upcoming season. The tournament consists of teams from around the nation, some being the top high school teams in the country. Out of about thirty teams, a team from Wisconsin ended up winning the entire tournament in 2014. The Haverhill girls’ volleyball team were given the opportunity to play against Wisconsin and other higher level teams, learning to compete. Returning players now know what to expect and are ready to challenge these teams once again in 2016.

The tournament is held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The cost of the trip is about $28,000 for the whole team and includes food, hotel, Disney parks, practice time, and transportation. The tournament itself lasts for two days, but the team is given an extra day at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for two hours of practice time. Although the trip was meant for inspiring student athletes through competition and education, the team was most excited about going to the place “where dreams come true”.

Varsity team Captain, Kiana Bueno, who had attended the trip in 2014, said “spreading the word for our fundraisers and accomplishing the fundraisers successfully were major steps for our last trip and it will be just as important for our upcoming trip in 2016.” The team was able to attend Disney in 2014 for the cost of only $50 per girl. “The initial cost was $25,000. The whole team continuously encouraged each other to help out all the time. We got to go to Disney World and that, itself, was already a motivation, especially for the few girls who had never been”, Kiana stated.

Below are the upcoming fundraisers and events the girls’ team have prepared for donations towards their trip in 2016:

1/10/16

Bingo

Amvets Hall 2pm-6pm

1/30/16

Mattress Sale

HHS Gym 10am-4pm

If you are unable to attend any fundraisers, but are still willing to help, the girls’ volleyball booster club has also set up a GoFundMe account: Click here to donate

Any donation is greatly appreciated!!!
Thank you for your support!!!

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Christmas Around The World

Josephine Ricardo and Marielis Batista

America: People in America like to decorate the outsides of their houses with lights and with statues of Santa Claus, Snowmen and Reindeer. Towns and cities often decorate the streets with lights to celebrate Christmas. It is common to organize a special meal, often consisting of turkey and a lot of other festive foods, for family or friends and exchange gifts with them. Merry Christmas!

Kenya:  On the morning of December 25th, people’s homes are decorated with flowers and a Cyprus tree. Christians attend church in the evening, for Midnight Mass. After church comes the party. A goat is usually killed for the occasion and the family will make traditional beer and the special dishes of their particular tribe. Plenty of singing occurs. Boxing Day, December 26, is the day for curing the hangover and giving gifts. A gravy-like soup made from the goat's blood and bone is  typical.
Merry Christmas: Kuwa na Krismasi njema!

Mexico: Their main Christmas celebration is called La Posada, during the procession, celebrants go from house to house carrying the images of Mary and Joseph looking for shelter. On Christmas Day, kids are blindfolded and taken to try and break a decorated clay piñata that dangles and swings at the end of a rope. Mexicans attend a Midnight Mass service which is called la Misa Del Gallo or, "the rooster's mass," and at the mass they sing lullabies to Jesus.
Merry Christmas: Feliz Navidad!

Dominican Republic: It’s a tradition to hear radio stations with Dominican Christmas songs. Private and public institutions make Christmas dinners and raffle them off for employees. While at dinner, you may be surprised to hear in your front yard a group of people from your neighborhood playing “aguinaldos,” which are songs popularly played during the Christmas season. On Christmas Day some people will exchange gifts, but most of the people wait until “El dia de los reyes,” “the Celebration of Three Wise Men,” on January 6th.
Merry Christmas: Feliz Navidad!

China: Christmas is only celebrated in big cities where more people are Christians. Chinese like to get together with friends, relatives, and with their couples. They like to have Christmas parties or hang out at some restaurant or a bar. Christians celebrate by going to special church services. On christmas eve there are choral performances and the congregation puts on dance and drama performances.
Merry Christmas: Shengdan jie kuaile!

Egypt: About15% of the population celebrate Christmas. Christmas Day isn't celebrated on December 25, but on January 7. For the 43 days before Christmas, from November 25 to January 6, Coptic Orthodox Christians have a special fast were they eat a vegan diet. On Coptic Christmas Eve, they go to church for a special liturgy or service. Merry Christmas: Mboni Chrismen!

Italy:  One of the most important ways of celebrating Christmas is by displaying the Nativity’s crib scene. A lot of Italian families have a nativity crib in their homes. Children go out caroling and playing songs on shepherd’s pipes, wearing shepherd sandals and hats. On Christmas Eve, no meat can be eaten, but Italians eat seven types of fish for dinner, they call it “The Feast of the Seven Fishes.” Christmas celebration starts eight days before Christmas with special “novenas,” or series of prayers and church services. Epiphany is also important in Italy.On epiphany night, children believe that an old lady called “Befana” brings presents to them.
Merry Christmas: Buon Natale!

Ecuador: Today Christmas is no longer a religious holiday. Farmers still celebrate it religiously by going to midnight mass and in urban areas they decorate their houses and give gifts. All houses decorate with nativity scenes instead of a Christmas tree. Families eat dinner at 11pm and afterwards open presents when the clock strikes midnight. The next day people either sleep in ate or go to a late mass.
Merry Christmas: Feliz Navidad!

India: Though India is predominantly Hindu, Christians attend special church services, gather with families, and eat a festival meal. They decorate their homes with banana and mango leaves that have Christmas carvings and display small electric lights and oil burners.
 Merry Christmas: Krisamas kee badhaee

Australia: Christmas kicks off the summer holidays, mid-December to early February. Australians decorate their houses and gardens with Christmas trees and lights and with bunches of “Christmas bush,” a tree native to Australia with small green leaves and cream colored flowers that become a shiney, bright red towards the end of December.
Merry Christmas, mate!

Brazil: Traditions come from the Portuguese. Nativity scenes, known as Presepio, are set up in churches and homes all thought out December. They have a Brazilian version on “Los Pastores”, the Shepherds. Many go to midnight mass and some go to the beach because of the hot weather. The children leave a sock outside their window so that Santa Claus or, as they call him, Papai Noel, can exchange it for a present. For dinner, they traditionally eat pork, turkey, ham, and other kinds of meat.
Merry Christmas: Feliz Natal!

France: They use Nativity scenes to decorate their houses and burn yule logs with sprinkled red wine so the house can smell good. They have a reveillon, long dinner on Christmas eve and in the twilight hours of Christmas day after returning from midnight mass at 1am. During the month of December most towns have festivals where they sell Nativity figures.
Merry Christmas: Joyeux Noel!

Cuba: Christmas is not celebrated in the country. The holiday was removed from the calendar in 1969 because Fidel Castro believed the holiday was interfering with the production of sugarcane, their main export.
Merry Christmas: N/A

Turkey: Since Turkey is a Muslim country, Christmas is not popularly celebrated. Only Christians that live in Turkey celebrate the holiday. You also, occasionally see a Santa Claus giving out candy to children. They traditionally give out gifts on New Year’s eve instead of Christmas.
Merry Christmas: N/A

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