Brian Martin: From Baseball Player to Headmaster

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Every morning, Brian Martin stands outside Father Morrisette Boulevard, greeting students, staff, and passerby’s alike.

“Mr. Martin”, as students call him, is the current headmaster of Lowell High School. Established in 1831, it is the first co-ed high school in the United States, and currently the second largest high school in the state of Massachusetts, with over 3,000 students from grades 9 through 12.

“The students are terrific, the staff and faculty here, everybody are terrific. It’s like having a gigantic family,” Martin said.

However, before he became the headmaster, he started off as a young kid who walked the very same halls of the high school. Mr. Martin graduated from the Class of 1968 at Lowell High School, where he led the red and gray baseball team to the Massachusetts State Tournament, and eventually landing a spot in the school’s hall of fame.

He then moved on to UMass Amherst, where he graduated in 1973 with both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Sports Administration. He was able to fulfill his mother’s hopes.

“When I was raised, a college degree was the goal from the time we were little kids. You had to get a college degree,” Martin said.

A Look Into the Life of James McCabe

By Mika Guillen and Alexandra Mai

“John Adams stood by his principles, never abused his power and did what he thought was best for his people,” said James McCabe, an A.P. U.S. History teacher at Lowell High School. McCabe proudly chooses John Adams as his role model for these very reasons. As a teacher, McCabe is greatly admired by his students, who appreciate his consideration for their busy schedules as he assigns reasonable amounts of homework every night.

As a kid, he wanted to take the Civil Service Examination in order to be part of the executive branch in government. As a bright young student in high school and college, he had a passion for baseball and running. In fact, the second proudest moment in his life was persevering through and, finally, finishing half a marathon of thirteen miles. Although he was unsure of what career he would take up, unlike most people he was not scared by this fact at all. As he grew older, McCabe changed his mind and decided to become a history teacher in his Sophomore year of college when he was required to choose a major.

McCabe’s family is quite extraordinary. They have a very interesting set of genes because twins seem to run in the family. McCabe has a twin brother who currently teaches a computer class at Lowell High School. As a child, McCabe loved having a twin because he never felt lonely. Not only does he have an identical twin brother, which is rare in its own, but his aunts, sisters and cousins are also twins. Although they are not biologically related to McCabe, his wife’s family also has twins.

Currently, McCabe lives a very happy and satisfying life. In his free time he jogs and plays golf and is a loving husband who raises four kids at home, which brings us to McCabe’s proudest moment in life, when his children were born.

A Big Sister Story

In this podcast Alexandra Mai tells how one sophomore learned to appreciate her new sister.  She shares family anecdotes along the way.

Mrs. Downey Interview

By Elijah K. & Minh T.( interview from 11/2014)

Lowell, MA – All librarians like a good story and all librarians have their own story. You can count on it.  Our librarian at Lowell High School (LHS) is no different.

Four years ago, Mrs. Kathy Downey came to LHS where she views the students as wonderful, kind and polite. She’s worked at many different grades in the schools.   So, she’s been able to take her skills as a teacher and apply them to all age levels. “ I have loved every single level”, she said.

There is no difference between a preschooler and high schooler, according to Mrs. Downey, “everyone wants to be listened to.”  Her best quality is being a good listener, she says,  and everyday puts those skills to work with a diverse student population at LHS.  Working at the high school level has no doubt changed her for the better, she adds.

Mrs. Downey chose to be a librarian because she wanted something that combined reading and technology. Library work is so tech based in today’s digital day and age, she said. And her view on the technology implemented in libraries is that its a good thing.

“You can’t have the world changing out there while you stay stagnant,” she notes.  Even with technological change, her work still concentrates on teaching kids how to research and come up with effective strategies to complete research projects using the tools of the library.

With a sense of humor she quips that her favorite type of book is one that is written.  But if she were to choose, it would be non-fiction because it gives students so many advantages regardless of level.

Mrs. Downey, born in Middletown,Connecticut, went to East Hampton High School before coming to Massachusetts for college. She attended prestigious Lesley College in Cambridge, MA for her bachelor’s degree in education. After studying at University of Massachusetts and Bridgewater State University, she earned her master’s degree in mathematics.

And that’s how Mrs. Downey’s story adds up.

(Edited version, 1/23/15)

Impressions from my first Kerouac Poetry Contest

By Cornell Grinkley

At the start, the first impression that I had was that it was going to be students going up and reading their poems. I had come to find that there was more to it than what I had expected, the Jack Kerouac Poetry Jam was more than just a contest. It became somewhat of an open mic in which students going up and expressing themselves and talking about their lives and the trouble that each and everyone of them faced but in a lyrical and metaphorical way.

When we had arrived at the theatre, there was a guest speaker, speaking to the audience chanting and performing. His name was David Amram. David is a poet who was friend of Jack Kerouac.  Amram seemed to be a very down to earth guy, who was equipped with several cultural musical instruments. He told of his path to pursue what he loved and the sensibility of music for others. He spoke to everyone with honest and wise words, one thing that I remember vividly was him saying, “What you deserve, and what you get doesn’t precede to fail.”  Even though, I can barely understand this expression I do know that it has to do with the fact that if you fail, it doesn’t mean that you deserved it or that you had it coming.  It just means that you can be better.

After Amram was finished, they then announced the the finalists out of the original twenty-five poets. The finalists consisted of Jonathan, Gretta, Anna, Maryian, Felisha, Elmer, Darselena, Madison, Polo, and Ivan.  Each told well-put-together poems related to his or her life and revealed something hidden.  Something the poet endured and that had to be brought out. As the students read their poems, the audience, teachers, students and spectators were fixated and feeling emotion for them.

Although all the students were good, the stand outs were Elmer, Darselena, and Madison. Each finalist’s poem had to do with past experiences and troubles that they had faced and overcome. Whether having a hard time managing in school, or connecting with others, and finding themselves along the way, each person told what they felt deep down.  The pain, joy, and anticipation from every person filled the room. All gave out a very pleasant vibe, and they were not afraid to express themselves and let their tears and emotions just flow out to the audience.

In the end, the top three winners were: Elmer who came in third place, Darselena who came in second place and Gretta who came in first place. Each student that participated did an amazing job, since getting up in front of a live audience in itself is an achievement.  The students, teacher and staff recognized all of the poets with a sincere round of applause.

(Edited MB 2/3/15)

The Breakdancer by Emma Guthrie

Ricky Pulido came to the East Coast last year. Pulido arrived in a new community with few friends. He got a chance at Utech. Now he’s part of a community of breakdancers.

Get to Know Brittany Sollinger

By Alexandra Mai

Lowell, MA- Ever since she was young, Brittany Sollinger, has had a curious side. Once as a seven year old, she called the police from a phone at a resort because she didn’t think it would work. Brittany hung up when the policeman said “911 what’s your emergency?”  She playfully admits that the concierge at the resort was not happy about her little test.

Despite being a mischievous person, she can also be quite serious. Brittany focuses intensely on the sport of crew, a strenuous sport that requires athletes to row long distances.   In fact, she’s made a hobby of training for crew.  During any crew season, she finds herself training for many hours a day and up to five or six days a week.  As a result she’s with the other athletes for such long periods of time that  “they become like a second family” to her.

Brittany spent her life growing up in the mill city on the river, Lowell, which has also influenced her greatly. So, her family and community have deeply shaped her view of the world.  The diverse immigrant community has made Brittany more knowledgeable about cultures and traditions around the world. She has noticed differences in clothing and food in Lowell compared to her family.  Brittany’s observed how “celebrations like the birth of a child or the death of a loved one are different in other cultures.”  As a result of these experiences with culture and community Brittany strives to demonstrate a respect for all people. To be respected one must show respect to others, she notes with empathy.

Given her knowledge of cultures, Brittany also hopes to travel Europe to learn more. She’d like to learn the historical values of different European sites. In ten years, when she will be 26, Brittany imagines herself on her way to success.  By that time she hopes to have studied abroad in Europe or beyond.  Later maybe she’ll settle down.  Brittany would like to be married, or at least engaged by then, and she’d like to own a house someday.

Brittany doesn’t just think of her own future though; she also thinks of people who are not directly in her life. In fact, if Brittany had the power to change anything in the world, she would help people combat starvation. “Too many children…die due to starvation, and no one deserves to die in such a painful way,” she says with the concern of a humanitarian. Then, there are many third world countries that have to deal with starvation while the other half of the world is battling obesity, she notes with a tone of irony.

If Brittany could be anyone in the world for a day, she’d like to be herself, but when pressed for an answer, she admitted that she’d like to be J.K. Rowling, world-renowned author of the “Harry Potter” fiction series. She’d like to learn how Rowling, who went from having barely anything to becoming a successful writer, goes about her daily schedule. That’s not the only author she admires though.  Actually, Brittany’s favorite book is Flipped, by Wendelin Van Draanen, which is written from the perspective of two different teens whose opinions of each other change as they get to know each other.  Even so, she aspires to a genre more suited to her playful side.  Brittany would like to become a screenwriter for romantic comedies of sci-fi movies. With such a unique genre there’s no doubt her curiosity and playfulness will lead her there.

(Edited 1/23/15, MB)

Mr. Murphy’s Interview

By Kelsey Higgins

Lowell, MA-With the diversity of Lowell High School, there are so many different types of people you can meet between the students and staff. One history/ psychology teacher from our social studies department is a unique, eclectic and personal favorite of many. Daniel Myles Murphy, or just Mr. Murphy as his students call him, teaches history and philosophy and has a lot more to him than meets the eye.

As a child Mr. Murphy grew up in Watertown, MA. He lived a very normal life, went to school, played sports and did all things expected of teenage boy. Then, his family chose to try a pretty daring experiment. From 1986-1988 the Murphys ventured out to Ireland to experience how living in another country would treat them. They lived on a farm with sheep, cows and even a pig. After a couple of years they moved back to the states, and life returned to its American norms. This moving to another country so young may have been what sparked Mr. Murphys desire to travel.

Mr. Murphy is constantly challenging himself to travel further and do more and this thirst to travel makes him unique when compared to most people. He sets up and plans trips, and travel goals. His current goal to visit all of the 50 states is in the works right now. So far, he has been to 42. Quite an impressive stat for such a young guy. When asked what his favorite state was that he had been to so far he replied with, “Today I will pick Hawaii, because I got the feeling of total isolation, a really relaxed vibe.” He’s also traveled through America’s heartland racing the sun to get to the arch of St. Louis. In Arizona, Mr. Murphy faced a life threatening experience due to such high altitudes. He was hospitalized and was given assistance breathing. It was the first time it had happened to him and he was alone. He told how this experience really reiterated his firm belief on living life. “If people thought and faced the idea of death, they would live differently than they do now.” He’s held this belief for a lot of his life, and events like these remind him just how true that statement actually is. Mr. Murphy believes that life is incredibly fragile, and a lot more fragile than people tend to give it credit for. “In life we must take the opportunities we are given because we just don’t know when our lives can be taken,” he says.

Meet Joe Foley

By Darlene Em

Lowell, MA – In 1997 a lasagna loving, Irish boy was born in the Mill City with many talents and aspirations.

Joseph Connor Michael Foley, also known as Joe Foley, is a 17 year-old Irish-American student from Lowell High School.

Joe values his big family, a multicultural community and the various people who have walked in and out of his life.  He lives with his mom, younger sister, older sister, older brother and his niece. From so many viewpoints at home Joe has learned a lot about cooperation.

An immigrant city like the Mill City has also influenced Joe’s view of the world. Growing up in Lowell helped him develop a tolerance and respect for ethnic groups.

‘Living in such a diverse community like Lowell, gives me the best opportunity because I’m being exposed to so many other different cultures,’ he said.  With regard to cultures, Joe explained how nothing shocks him anymore. “To me, people are people,” he said.   Although we come from different cultures we’re all still very much alike, he said.

Joe fondly remembered his time at his grandparents house, when he was 4, sledding for the first time.  He learned independence early on from such experiences.  So, he’s especially grateful for his grandparents’ influence in his life.

In the future Joe aspires to be an architect or film maker. He’s inspired to become an architect because he wants to build something that will last a thousand years. As a filmmaker Joe wants to be able to bring all the imagines in his head to life in movies.

With a sense of humor Joe also seeks to make $100,000 an hour just because nobody believes he can.

Through his respect for people and imagination Joe may just reach that goal.

 

 

Matthew Laraba

Matthew Patrick Dewey Laraba was born in 1994 into a single family household. Now a man at the age of 20 he still remains an only child. One of his greatest interests is rowing and reading. His favorite book is “And Then There Were None”, a murder mystery novel, by Agatha Christie. When asked why he takes pleasure in the book he responded, “I love a good murder story.” When asked how and why he has his passion for rowing he responded, “I started when I was a sophomore in high school and I’ve enjoyed it since then.”

Matthew did not start crew his freshman year because, “ I wanted to take time to adjust to the lifestyle of the Lyceum before adding on extra stress of a sport.”Also during his schooling at Lowell High, Matt was apart of the drama club. As a junior in high school he was asked to leave school to be on a television show based out of Florida where he would sing, dance, and act. However, he declined this opportunity because he wanted to graduate from high school and focus on his education.

Matt talked about the extravagant and inspiring trips he went on as a student in high school. On both his trips to Italy, one his sophomore year and one his senior year, he described how the culture, food, languages, and every day life was different from what he does on a normal day-to-day bases in America. “It smelt different”, he said when asked how Italy was different. When asked about his most memorable childhood memory he responded with, “My grandmother’s funeral. She died when I was young, and I told her everything. She was the only one I could really talk too.”

Matt learned from a young age, that if he wants something, he’ll have to work hard to get it. As a result, his hard work and determination helped him graduate high school as a Latin Lyceum student and also helped him receive many college acceptance letters. Currently a junior at UMass Lowell, he is working his way to a minor degree is psychology and a major degree in science that he will use in the field of education. Matthew has faced many ups and downs in his life but he has proven to be a very successful man.