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The February 2014 issue kicks off with coverage of "South Pacific" and a wonderful feature on PTHS junior Gillian Meeker and her second chance at life. Inside includes a great look at the benefits of attending college overseas, coverage of all the winter sports, and the college scholarship signings of four student-athletes.
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The Stinger Vol. 20, Issue 3 Pemberton Township High School February 2014
Inside:The wrestling team is hoping to make an impact in District 25. Page 6
Inside:College-bound students might want to consider foreign schools. Page 5
Inside:Four senior athletes sign binding letters of intent for colleges.Page 7
Making most of 2nd chancePTHS junior still battles from near-fatal crash
Photo/MEDIA SERVICESSenior Matt Laude and sophomore Christine Martin starred as Emile De Becque and Nellie Forbush in the classic “South Pacific” Feb. 7-9 in the PTHS Auditorium.
‘South Pacific’ a hit By Kylie Sposato
This year’s play “South Pacific” was definitely a hit, judging by the reaction of the crowds that filled the Pemberton Township High School Auditorium for three shows Feb. 7-9.
With Matt Laude and Christine Martin as the two leads, it was an amazing show. Featuring numbers such as “Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” and “Nothing Like a Dame,” the performance was outstanding.
This being Laude’s last play, the Sunday show had a very sentimental feel.
“It was a perfect show. I even teared up a bit,” Laude said. “I definitely look forward to what the fu-
ture holds for the Pemberton Players.”Laude left the crowds with a great last impres-
sion as the senior used his talented vocals to nail his songs and pull off a fine, believable performance as Emile De Becque, a French plantation owner. He and Martin, a sophomore, had a great chemistry together as the focal point of the play.
The other seniors also felt the same sense of nos-talgia regarding their last show.
Ross Anderson, who portrayed Commander Wil-liam Harbison, was sad to leave this year.
“I’ve been with the Pemberton Players for the past six years, so this was definitely the most emo-tional for me,” Anderson said. “I’m really going to miss everyone and wish the best of luck to all.”
By Tonya LynchThe Stinger
Three years ago, a group of upperclass-men at Pemberton Township High School first stepped up on stage and flaunted their looks and talents. Dressed from casual to formal, the boys competed in a new pageant called Mr. Pember-ton.
Ms. Sullenid Morales first started Mr. Pem-berton when she was the 2011 class adviser. Now in its fourth season, Ms. Morales hopes this year’s Mr. Pemberton contest proves to be the most popular.
There are 15 boys, ranging from juniors to seniors, who agreed to be in the pageant. Mr. Pemberton will be held on Friday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the PTHS Auditorium.
Tickets are $5 each and are on sale now to Feb. 28. They can be purchased from any Mr. Pemberton contestant, Travel Club or Habitat for Humanity member.
Each ticket that the contestants sell will re-sult in one point added to their scores. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Travel Club and Habitat for Humanity.
The boys will compete in several categories to win the title of 2014 Mr. Pemberton and a cash prize. The categories of the competition are Casual Wear, Group Number, Beach Attire, Formal Wear, and Improvisation Skit.
The theme of the skits will be reality shows such as “The Bachelor,” “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” “Cops,” “Jersey Shore,” and “Duck Dynasty.”
After completing those categories, the top five boys will be asked a Final Question. The question will be similar to other pageants. One Final Question idea is “What do you want to do with your life?” Ms. Morales said. The con-testants will be scored after each competition by a panel of female staff members as judges. Once the scores are tallied, the winner will be announced, and he will receive a crown and a $50 Visa Gift card.
Joe Oswald, the senior class president, is the reigning Mr. Pemberton, having won last year as a junior. Under contest rules, as a previous winner he is unable to compete this year.
Mr. Pemberton candidates set for Feb. 28 fest
By Rebecca WileyThe Stinger
Shrieking of brakes, screams of dread. BAM! It happened within seconds. A life changed, a car crushed. There were four people in that vehicle, and one was Gillian Meeker. She was left in the demolished car as it was engulfed in flames.
Two brave men saved her life. One pulled her out and the other performed CPR on her lifeless body until a helicopter came. Here is Gillian Meeker’s story.
From the age of 4 Meeker competed in soccer and lacrosse. She was on all kinds of teams, and loved sports. She never realized in one instant, it could be taken away. Bowling is also one of Meeker’s favorite sports, even to this day. She competes on Pemberton Township High School’s varsity bowling team.
When she hit middle school, she started to enjoy other things such as going to Six Flags. Almost every week Meeker would travel there with her best friend Katelyn. She loved to hang out with her friends, do homework, sports, games, and have fun.
Before her accident she would describe herself as bubbly, active, intelligent and friendly.
“I wish I could say I haven’t changed, but since the accident, I have yet to discover who I am or who I want to be,” Meeker, a junior, said recently while sitting at a table in the PTHS library. “At only 11 years old, a car ride home changed my life.”
The date was July 26, 2009. After spending the night at her friend’s house, they decided to go to Six Flags.
Her friend’s 17-year-old sister drove. They arrived at Six Flags to have a wonderful time. She rode all the excitingly large roller coasters, and ate Six Flag’s greasy food.
Not a worry crossed anyone’s mind during this hot summer day. The ride home was supposed to be quick and simple. Gillian relaxed and decided to
take a nap. Complications happened with
the vehicle. The vehicle did not turn even though the wheel was turning, and the vehicle went straight. A white pickup truck side-swiped them. The car Gillian was in flipped and both vehicles caught on fire. Gillian was left
Yearbook photoGillian Meeker, a junior at Pemberton Township High School, is set to graduate next year with her class. That didn’t seem likely five years ago, after a near-fatal auto accident that left her in a coma for three weeks.
See MEEKER/Page 2
Seniors leave lasting impression with musical
See ‘SOUTH PACIFIC’/Page 2
The Stinger Pemberton Township High School 2 November 2006
trapped in the flames. Local military men, including Jay
Heyward and Richard Murphy, saw the accident occur. Murphy pulled everyone out, including Gillian. That could have been the happy ending, but it was far from. Gillian lost her life on scene.
After crashing against the window, her skull shattered. Her ankle was dis-figured and severely broken. It must have been an awful sight. Heyward saved her life by giving her CPR until the heli-copter came to air-lift her to the Cooper University Hospital in Camden. She was rushed into the op-erating room, where they rebuilt her skull and transformed her mangled ankle. Luckily, she survived the surgeries, but she was left in a coma. No one knew if she would ever wake up, or how long it would take. Three weeks later, to everyone’s surprise, she woke up, stunned from head to toe.
“Mom, what happened? Why are you crying?” Meeker said innocently after waking from the coma.
In one instant, Gillian was a happy-go-lucky preteen, and in another she couldn’t walk and struggled with simple things. Re-covery began the moment her eyes opened. Because of her lack of movement for weeks, any kind of movement was pain-ful. Memory was even more troubling. If something was not written down, she would forget it. Every day she woke up
to the same windows and walls. On some days her family would be there, but on oth-ers she was alone. It was like being trapped in a cave, she said. There was nothing she could do, but stare at the ceiling. The tele-vision can only entertain someone for so long. A bitter bug grew inside her, slowly eating her insides until she exploded.
“I said things I did not mean to the people I love dearly. Recovery was ex-tremely difficult, and I could not deal with the pain,” Meeker said.
Gillian spent about one month in Cooper Hospital. During that time, she tried rebuilding her coordination, mobil-ity, and memory. Her day was planned out. She worked with ev-eryone from a speech therapist to a physi-cal therapist. Every day, tears spilled out her pleading eyes. She said it was the worst time in her life.
After Cooper, she went home and went to a hospital in Toms River for physical therapy. She missed quite a bit of school, and school officials wanted her to stay back a year. She worked hard with her tutor, and caught herself up. She moved on to eighth grade with all of her friends. After getting her skull rebuilt, she was back to school in a few months.
Gillian has memory of before the accident. She remembers sitting in the back seat on the driver’s side. The doctors told her she sat on the opposite side. Her friend also told Gillian that she unbuckled Gillian’s seatbelt while she was sleeping. No one believed the girl with memory
loss. However, Gillian knows what she remembers.
Mrs. Deborah Meeker was there for her daughter every step of the way. Even after Gillian came home, life would worry her mom.
“Would she get around safely?” Mrs. Meeker said. “Would I be able to help her become self-sufficient or would I crumble every time she showed resistance?”
Gillian is not done recovering from the accident. She has many difficulties to this day. She still struggles with memory and headaches. Many sports carry too much risk, so she finds herself being less active. She is still trying to find herself and is slowly becoming comfortable with the story behind the scar. Above it all, she is just like every other teen. She loves music, shopping, and talking to her friends.
History teacher Mr. Patrick Fry said he considers Meeker to be the hardest working student he has had in his 11 years at PTHS.
“She faces all challenges head on and is determined to overcome whatever road block is in the way,” said Mr. Fry, who
coaches the girls bowling team. “Since I have met Gillian, it has made my life a little harder because I no longer can run and hide when I face overwhelming odds because no matter what my excuses might be, it can never compare to hers.
“She has inspired me to not only push myself, but others in my family to a new adage which is ‘You can do it.’ I would like to thank Gillian for the ray of hope she has given the Fry family when faced with a challenge. We strive to overcome it and if there is a need, always look to others for assistance.”
Mrs. Meeker and Gillian are looking forward to her graduation in 2015.
“She amazes me with all she accomplishes despite it all,” Mrs. Meeker said. “Recovery is every day for her but it’s easy to forget what she goes through because she doesn’t complain. When someone so young goes through an event that is life changing and does it with grace and without bitterness, I can’t help but be amazed. Gillian is my miracle and my hero.”
February 2014
MEEKER/FROM PAGE 1
‘South Pacific’ a hit at PTHS
The Stingerwww.thestinger.org
Like us on Facebook at “PTHS The Stinger” Editor-in-Chief: Katelin Gennett (graduated Feb. 1), Sarah Daniscsak (effective Feb. 1)Website Editor: Aly HortonWebsite Developer: Jacob SavilleEditorial Editor: Khaliyah Pugh Copy Editors: Matthew Laude and Aly HortonSports Editor: Ross AndersonStaff writers: Tommy Ayrer, Latayla Branson, Kevin Emmons, Jacinda Ford, Alyssa Grego-ry, Samantha Gregory, Savannah Hill, Christine Martin,Tonya Lynch, Kylie Sposato, Michael Thompson, Brittany Vaughan, Rebecca Wiley, Kayla Wilson. Staff photographers: Cazja Andrades, Shelby Curtis, Ashlynn Williams. Adviser: Bill Gurden - email: [email protected] Stinger is a work of the Pemberton Township High School journalism class and after-school club members.It is the policy of The Stinger to accept comments or opinons from any member of the school community. Any author wishing publication should indicate so; any work must be signed to be considered for publication. Names will be withheld from publication and signed anony-mously upon request.The Stinger reserves the right to print any submitted material. All such work becomes the property of The Stinger. The Stinger does not discriminate due to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual prefer-ence, ancestry, national origin, or social status.The opinions expressed are those of individual student writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Board of Education, Administration, Faculty, or Student Body of PTHS.
Photos/MEDIA SERVICESMarine Lieutenant Joe Cable (Brent Knox) looks at neighboring island Bali Ha’i as Bloody Mary (Grace Sandel) speaks to him in the PTHS “South Pacific” production.
Yearbook photoGillian Meeker bowls for Pemberton Township High School’s team.
Contributed photoGillian Meeker was 14 when this photo was taken of her with the two men who saved her life three years earlier, on July 26, 2009. Jay Heyward (left) performed CPR after Richard Murphy (right) had pulled her lifeless body from a fiery car crash.
Meeker makes most of second chance at life
“South Pacific,” written by musical drama legends Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, takes place on an exotic is-land in World War II. It was based on the 1947 book “Takes of the South Pacific” by James A. Michener.
The production is about a young nurse Nellie (Martin), who falls in love with a middle-aged French plantation owner,
Emile (Laude), but struggles to accept his mixed children.
The production won 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Libretto, and is the only musical pro-duction to win in all four acting categories.
The school’s production tried to meet those high standards, and the dedication of the actors, stage crew, musicians, and fac-ulty leaders was evident with a successful three-show performance.
‘SOUTH PACIFIC/FROM PAGE 1
Stewpot (Andrew) watches as Luther Billis (Joe Barton) sings during the PTHS production of “South Pacific” Feb. 7-9.
For more photos from the play, please see Page 4.
The Stinger Pemberton Township High School 3November 2006February 2014
Two teachers retire Jan. 31By Savannah Hill
Sleeping in until 9 a.m. after years of waking up early in the morning, five days a week, is a big change for anyone. You get to experience the world and all its wonders, and cherish the moments you have with your children and grandchildren. You do what you want when you want without worrying about grading papers and projects or making lesson plans. You get to focus on yourself and discover what makes you happy.
Retirement. It is something almost everyone will have to experience in life. This year we are saying goodbye to teachers Mrs. Gini Doyle and Mrs. Heather George. They both retired Jan. 31, at the end of the first semester.
“The interesting thing about block scheduling is that it affords faculty two opportunities to leave without negatively impacting the students and their needs,” Mrs. George said. “Leaving now allows me to spend some quality time with my elderly mum in Ireland this spring.”
One of Mrs. Doyle’s favorite memories is starting the sewing and tech design club and seeing her students run it and bring school spirit back into the school. Her tech design club designs T-shirts for activities and sport teams here at PTHS, but it also gets involved with outside projects such as the Mount Laurel Rotary and some churches. All the money made goes to the award fund, which they give seniors when they graduate. School spirit is what she really wants to see improve, and she said she has seen more people wearing school
colors and Hornets attire. Mrs. George taught at Pemberton as
a science teacher for 29 years. She came to the United States when she was 22, from Ireland. She has taught almost every science class and grade level here at PTHS.
One of Mrs. George’s favorite memories is feeling the warm welcome from her colleagues when she first moved here from Ireland. They helped her become the educator she is today, she said. She also loved working with students who were determined to overcome obstacles.
“Our students are intelligent, resilient, and really can accomplish their goals with a little support from those around them,” Mrs. George said.
Mrs. Doyle was the sewing and tech design teacher, and started sewing when she was 9. She taught 30 years and is a Pemberton alumnus. If you would have told her she was going to be a teacher, she would have said no, but since then she grew to love teaching and working here.
“It’s like my home away from home,” she said.
Teaching here for 30 years, Mrs. Doyle has inspired students and colleagues. Dorothy Wilson, a senior in Mrs. Doyle’s Creative Construction 3 class, said, “I learned to not underestimate myself and to take time with my sewing projects.”
Mrs. Doyle has also grown close to Mrs. KT Carney, an art teacher. Their classrooms are right next door to each other. Mrs. Carney admired Mrs. Doyle’s
positive attitude and her kindness.“It saddens me, but I’m very happy
for her,” Mrs. Carney said. “She’s a great teacher and neighbor.”
Mrs. George and Mrs. Doyle started working here together and now they will leave together. Mrs. Linda Narke, a science teacher, said she enjoyed being able to share information with Mrs. George over the years and discuss various topics.
Mrs. Doyle said she plans on visiting her daughter and doing some traveling. She also plans on starting her own apparel design business. She has kept in touch with some past students who want to help and also has some friends helping.
Mrs. Doyle will miss her students but definitely not the paperwork, which she said takes away time from working with her students on projects. Retirement is a big step and you just have to know when you’re ready. Last year at the end of the school year, Mrs. Doyle retired but soon decided she wasn’t ready, and asked the school board to take her back.
Now she knows for sure she is ready. “It’s just time,” she said. “Time for me
to enjoy new things.”Mrs. George plans on spending time
with friends and family. She also wants to visit her mother and sister in Ireland. After that, she wants to wants to be a school or community counselor.
Mrs. George said her favorite teaching memories revolve around those “aha moments” when students demonstrate understanding of a challenging concept.
“I love to see the light in a student’s eye when they have been working hard on a tough concept and they finally get it,” Mrs. George said. “That’s magical.”
Mrs. Doyle, George taught for 3 decades
Stinger photo/KATELIN GENNETTMrs. Gini Doyle (left) and Mrs. Heather George retired at the end of the first semester after making their marks on Pemberton Township High School over the past three decades.
By Matthew LaudeThe Stinger
The second semester marks the halfway point of the school year. With each passing day, summer vacation grows ever closer, and for the seniors, graduation. High school is an experience like no other, bringing unique memories with each year. And what better way to remember your high school days than with a yearbook that delivers those memories in a nice little package?
This year, the yearbook club partnered with Lors pho-tography and Jostens yearbooks. You can now view and even purchase individual photos from school events right from your computer. Simply go to the Lors website, click
on “event photos,” and search for Pemberton. The 2014 yearbook will sport the theme “reel memo-
ries” with a movie-theater theme. The “buddy photos” will also be coming back. They are scheduled for Feb. 18 and 20. Grab a buddy and smile!
For the 12th graders: Senior parent recognition forms are due by Feb. 18. Seniors this year will also have the op-portunity of attending a yearbook signing party, where the yearbooks will be distributed to them before anyone else. Details have not yet been entirely disclosed, but know that yearbook adviser Ms. Kim Glassman promises that this will be a tear-jerking night of reminiscence. And yes, there will be food.
The senior yearbook distribution night will take place here at PTHS sometime in June.
Yearbooks are on sale for $50 but will go up in incre-ments as time passes (make checks payable to Pemberton Township High School).
You can give your yearbook that extra personal flare by ordering from Jostens.com. Here you will be able to add a custom engraving to truly make it your own (for example “Gary’s Sweet Yearbook”).
An added bonus of ordering online is that credit cards or debit cards can be used to complete the transaction.
Whether you want the traditional yearbook or prefer to get personal, don’t miss out on this opportunity. There is nothing like a school yearbook that you can share, re-flect on, and laugh about with friends now and for years to come.
For more details, see Ms. Glassman in Room 276.
Romance starts conflict in ‘Endless Love’ remake
By Sarah DaniscsakThe Stinger Editor-in-Chief
Do you believe in love at first sight? This Valentine’s Day innocence is
gone. Passion is electrified and mysteries are on edge in the new movie “Endless Love” starring Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde.
“ E n d l e s s Love” is about an innocent girl, Jade, who is a beautiful and smart girl focused on her future.
This changes when Jade meets this young, attractive, popular guy named David. Their love ignites like a flame to a candle.
Before you know it, the candle of a love-at-first-sight romance is burning out of control.
Jade gets sucked into David’s love so easily that she is caught up in this whirlwind and she can’t get out.
Unfortunately, Jade’s family doesn’t like David, but this makes their passion for each other grow stronger.
Now Jade doesn’t know as much as she thinks about David. His past starts haunting him, but now he has Jade in the middle. What can he be hiding? Will Jade still love him? Could her parents be right after all?
This movie didn’t just pop out of thin air. It is based on a book written in 1979 by Scott Spencer.
Spencer’s book was so popular that it has been translated into 20 different languages around the world. More than 2 million copies have been printed.
If you’re the type of person who has to read the book before the movie comes out, you’d better get started.
“Endless Love” debuted in theaters on Valentine’s Day. The PG-13 romance from Universal Pictures runs 105 minutes.
Director Shana Feste wrote the screenplay along with Joshua Safran. Feste is the second director to bring “Endless Love” to the big screen.
Franco Zeffirelli directed the 1981 movie by the same name, which starred Brooke Shields as Jade.
Of note on the soundtrack of the current “Endless Love” release, Florence and The Machine performed a cover of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love.” The song is featured on one of the trailers.
Yearbook capturing the ‘reel memories’ of 2014
Title: “Endless Love”Director: Shana FesteRating: PG-13Length: 105 minutesDistributor: Universal Pictures
The Stinger Pemberton Township High School 4 November 2006February 2014
Day of service is ideal way to honor Martin Luther King Jr.By Kayla Wilson
The Stinger [email protected]
The third Monday of January is a na-tional holiday known as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As an activist, humanitarian, and leader of the African-American Civil Rights movement, Dr. King dedicated his life to bringing equality throughout the na-tion.
While a majority of the population takes this holiday as a chance to catch up on some sleep, passionate individuals across the country use this day off to honor Dr. King’s legacy through community ser-vice. From rebuilding family homes, to be-friending our senior citizens, and distribut-ing necessities to the less fortunate the op-portunities seem endless to have an active and fulfilling role on this day.
No matter age, gender, or race anyone can have a part and learn important life lessons to take with them from that day forward. For example this year the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day National Day of Service with some much-needed cleaning, painting and other chores at the Brookside Boys & Girls Club. Participants worked from 1-4 p.m. painting, cleaning and orga-nizing the club’s program areas. They also washed the club van and removed debris from the playfield.
From the East Coast to the West, vol-unteers honored King by donating their time to help local communities. Nearly 300 students from the University of La Verne in California spent the day doing volunteer
work for various charities and senior citi-zen facilities in the east San Gabriel Valley.
Six rental buses transported the La Verne students and their supervisors to 17 sites throughout the state on Jan. 20.
One was the Glendora, Calif., home of Vicki Brown, the CEO and founder of Sowing Seeds for Life, a nonprofit orga-nization that provides food and services to some 6,000 people per month.
Under the supervision of Provost Jona-than Reed, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and his wife Annette, about 15 students cleared an area above Brown’s home where she plans to grow a garden and orange trees and construct a greenhouse.
Brown’s home is not far from where ar-sonists started a huge blaze that destroyed property on Jan. 16.
“Just days after that destructive fire
was started by three careless young men, here we have young people giving us their time to help turn a barren piece of land into a place where we can grow food to feed the needy,” Brown said.
Of course you don’t have to wait until 2015 to be a part of something bigger than yourself. There are always volunteer op-portunities waiting to be taken.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sacrificed his life so that we could all have a chance for equal rights and opportunity. Without his drive and passion, along with countless other civil rights leaders, most of us prob-ably wouldn’t be here, have the friendships we treasure, or the basic rights we take for granted.
Martin Luther King Day is an inspira-tion to us all and a reminder that although he is not here today the acts we do in his name will forever continue his fight.
Opinion
‘South Pacific’ hits PTHS
Plantation owner Emile De Becque (Matthew Laude) sits with his children (played by Alethea Paez and Josh Laude), and Nellie Forbush (Christine Martin) near the end of “South Pacific.”
At right, Forbush speaks to Marine Lieutenent Joe Cable (Brent Knox) after he parked his Jeep to question her about De Becque.
Photos/MEDIA SERVICESThe entire cast thanks the orchestra during the curtain call after its performance in “South Pacific,” which ran Feb. 7-9 at the PTHS Auditorium.
Commander William Harbison (Ross Anderson) and Captain Brackett (David Evans) interrogate Nellie Forbush (off camera) about her involvement with Emile De Becque.
The Stinger Pemberton Township High School 5November 2006February 2014
Features Section
Forget the snow, it’s time for spring fashionBy Samantha Gregory
Get ready to put away your North Faces, Uggs and hoodies! Are you sick of your winter wardrobe yet? If you said yes, you’re in luck! Winter is coming to an end and spring is on its way. That means it’s time to break out shorts and flip flops, and buy new swimsuits.
Top designers have already displayed their spring collections on runways in New York. Each designer has his or her own signature, but when you see the same trends among the shows you know what are going to be the hot styles sold in stores.
For women, this year’s trends are soft colors with many patterns. Floral and geometric patterns and graphics are expected to be popular. Even though the favored color scheme is pastel, the accessories are big and bold. The repetition that was displayed during Fashion Week was lace and ruffles on lightweight materials such as cotton. For men, crisp, clean, and well-tailored clothing is once again the trend this year.
Pemberton Township High School
Fashion Illustration teacher Ms. Aimee Archambault became interested in fashion when she was in high school.
“When I was your age, there were
no fashionable plus size clothing so I started to make my own clothes,” said Ms. Archambault. She attended Burlington County College and Centenary College in
Hackettstown, where she studied fashion design.
Ms. Archambault explained that anime was a huge influence in her fashion and she made costumes. Although she was hesitant to predict what will be in style for spring, she did mention she is excited to see what the new season will bring.
Sophomore Rachael Eseltine is another fashion enthusiast who anxiously awaits the upcoming spring clothing line. Eseltine plans a career based on fashion and design. Her favorite style is Hobo Chic and she loves designer Vera Wang.
“Disney was my inspiration for fashion when I was young and it grew as I got older,” Eseltine said. She predicted the biggest trend will be long, flowing sheer or lace skirts.
No matter what hits the stores for spring, most teens look forward to wearing flip flops. Around PTHS, the survey has it that the majority of boys can’t wait to pull out their slides and the girls are ecstatic to bring out their flip flops. It’s nice to go from heavy, warm clothing to light and airy. Appropriately, this spring, more than most, designers are focused on light and airy.
By Latayla BransonThe Stinger
You wake up and look out the window. You see hundreds if not thousands of people walking be-low on the stone streets and side-walks. It’s almost time for class so you get dressed and join the crowd. In the streets you look up at the old gothic styled buildings. They bring a village-like feel to the city environment, surrounded by vast trees and hills.
As you walk you glance up to the hills where Heidelberg Castle sits. The beautiful German land-mark with Renaissance influences overlooks Heidelberg’s pictur-esque homes, a view highly un-common in the United States.
Can you imagine seeing a scene like that every day? Well, this is one of the many sites Ty-lor Silvia, a Pemberton Township High School senior, will gaze upon when he attends a German university around this time next year.
In the past few years the per-centage of students looking to attend foreign colleges has in-creased. Students have gained the realization that most overseas col-leges cost less and the experiences are far more diverse than what you might get here in the United States. From different sceneries and food to different languages, the cultures you are submerged in by going to school abroad are end-less and simply life changing.
PTHS history teacher and Travel Club adviser Ms. Sullienid Morales recalls her college expe-
rience in Europe for a semester as very “eye opening.” Ms. Morales attended Rider University and participated in the Semester at Sea Program offered by the University of Virginia. As a history major, she spoke about how valuable her experience was traveling while still studying in college.
“It was one thing for me to study history for four years through a book and pictures; it was another thing to actually be standing in the place where the events I studied took place.”
Ms. Jennifer Tyler, or Ma-dame Tyler as she is known by her PTHS French students, went to Europe while she attended college as well.
“It’s such a wonderful experi-ence to study abroad,” she said. “You meet so many new and in-teresting people.”
She attended university in France and stayed with a French family while there. While she re-members how amazing the expe-rience was, she also remembers how the standards were different in France, as they are in many for-eign countries.
“The SATs and ACTs in France as well as in other Euro-pean countries to the best of my knowledge don’t exist,” Madame Tyler said. “In France they take a two-part exam called the Bac-calauréat. It’s a very challenging test that you must pass to enter universities.”
Madame Tyler also mentioned how graduating high school in France is often looked at as the equivalent to an Associate’s De-gree in the United States.
Although college out of the country may be very desirable to some, it is definitely not some-thing everyone can pull off.
Not everyone is good with that much independence. Being a few states away from home is hard for most people but being a whole continent away may be a little too much for most. Also, the culture shock encountered from being overseas an extended period of time can be overwhelming.
Changes in currency and dialect may also be a hard thing for some. But for those who can take the changes the experience is worthwhile, according to all who have done so.
Silvia is prepared for the
changes because he has been to Germany before.
“I spent about a month there, in Germany, last summer. I know the language and could very eas-ily become a fluent speaker,” he said.
German teacher Mr. Thomas Risley agrees that Tylor is pre-pared for this next step in life. “Tylor is very outgoing,” Mr. Ris-ley said. “He is one of the most talented German students I have ever taught, he has a great grasp of the language at this point and I think going to Germany for col-lege would fit him well.”
Mr. Risley, as well as many other teachers, encourages stu-dents to attend college in a foreign
country for the experience. He too went out of country, not only for school but for work as well.
“I worked with a lot of Ameri-cans who were coming to Germa-ny for the first time and they abso-lutely loved the experience, and I could see their outlook on things gradually change.”
He found the experience in-spirational and sees it as being a possible upper hand for the young generation while applying for jobs in a competitive job market.
“This generation will now be competing for jobs not just with other Americans but with people from all around the world,” Mr. Risley said. “I definitely think it’s an advantage.”
College abroad opens up many new possibilities
Pastel dresses, with colors such as pale pink, spearmint and soft yellow, are expected to be among the hot items this spring.
Stinger photo/SHELBY CURTISGerman teacher Mr. Thomas Risley poses with senior Tylor Silvia, who is making arrangements to attend a German university next year. Mr. Risley said he sees advantages for American students attending college in foreign countries.
The Stinger Pemberton Township High School Feb Pemberton Township High School6 February 2014
Improved wrestlers ready for districts
Yearbook photosNelvin Salas picks up a pin against Maple Shade recently. The sophomore is 18-6 at 113 pounds for the Hornets so far this season.
Sports Section
By Ross AndersonThe Stinger Sports Editor
The Hornets wrestling squad has im-proved a great deal since last year. They held a 14-12 record as of Feb. 15 and are ranked seventh in the South Jersey Group 2 team seedings.
Pemberton Township High School has high hopes as it heads into districts, led by senior Tom Haines, junior Ju-wan Walker and sophomore Nel-vin Salas. Coach-es Mr. Dave Fed-erico and Mr. Ger-ald Hewitt said they have strong wrestlers in ev-ery weight class, and can wrestle compe t i t i ve ly. A strong sign is even the Hornets’ losses aren’t by much.
Much of the team’s success stems from wres-tlers taking ini-tiative in the off season and con-tinuing to wrestle.
”I think everyone has made the com-mitment to be at practice every day, en-hance their skills, and do what it takes to wrestle competitively,” said Coach Federi-co. “The kids are doing a lot on their own.”
Walker, Salas, senior Justin Addison, and sophomores Charles Richardson and
Davon Coleman all wrestled in an off-season league, where they worked on skills and technique and it has been beneficial for them this season.
The wrestlers are preparing for the up-coming District 25 tournament to be held Feb. 22 at Northern Burlington Middle School, which is across from the high school.
In addition to the wrestlers already mentioned, some others to watch out for
in the tournament are sophomore 106-pounder An-drew Allison, who is 20-8, and senior Nathan Francis. Francis was featured in the Burlington County Times’ athlete spotlight for his ability to wrestle in differ-ent weight classes competitively.
Haines (18-11 at 220 pounds), Walker (26-3 at 145), Salas (18-6 at 113), and Addi-son (18-8 at 152) are expected to be seeded high for
the District 25 tournament. Walker, who is having a standout sea-
son, recently defeated a two-time district champ in Rancocas Valley’s Shane Pastore.
“In the past he’s struggled when wres-tling a big name athlete,” said Coach Fed-erico. “But he wrestled tough and was able to get the win.”
Haines, who is wrestling for the first time in high school, is also having a great season. He wrestled in middle school and for PAAL since kindergarten. He decided it was time to return for his senior year.
“I wanted to wrestle. I felt like I could do well and had nothing else to do in the winter, so I went for it,” said Haines. “I’m glad I came out. We’ve got a great team, re-ally strong weight classes, and we’re only getting better.”
Haines isn’t sure who he’ll face in his district matchup but he knows of a few pos-sible matchups.
“There are a couple guys that I lost to, that if I face, I have to wrestle differently,” Haines said. “There was a guy from R.V. that was huge, but if I can get him to the mat I can tire him out.
“I think I could do well in districts. I
just have to wrestle smart and do what it takes to beat my specific opponent.”
Francis (132 pounds) will look to cre-ate some upsets at District 25, along with Coleman (160), sophomore Brandon War-ner (138), senior Elijah Parsons (120) and junior Dasamere Warren (182).
As of right now the team is taking it match by match and trying not to look too far ahead in the future.
However, the coaches are impressed by several other younger wrestlers who are showing potential. Russell (R.J.) Steele at 126 pounds, Brandon Bozarth at 170 pounds and Tyrese Harris at heavyweight are all freshmen who have proven to be tough wrestlers. All three have contributed key roles in the varsity lineup and show potential to do big things on the mat in up-coming years.
Fun tourney ends bowlers’ seasonBy Tommy Ayrer
Pemberton Township High School’s bowling team recently took part in a very special tournament known as “Scotch Dou-bles” on Feb. 6.
This season-ending tournament is known by most as the most fun tournament in the entire season. Bowlers pair up with a friend of the opposite sex, and battle it out
with other schools. Blair Carrico paired with Ashley Correa
and dressed up in their traditional “onesie” to receive laughs and smiles from team-mates.
Trevante Turner and Janae Martinez were sporting a prisoner and cop attire.
Chris Braman, the boy’s varsity captain, said that Scotch Doubles is a “good way to end the year. It’s fun to bowl with someone who you get along with.”
A day before the Scotch Doubles, Bra-
man finished second at the Burlington Coun-ty Scholastic League Open with a 701 series.
The Hornets had a challenging season this year with a 7-8-1 record. All six varsity bowlers on the boys team are seniors.
“We’re going to take a step back,” said boys coach Mr. Curtis Taylor, addressing the impending graduation losses of his seniors.
Mr. Taylor is hoping to develop a pre-high school bowling program at Helen Fort Middle School to raise awareness and inter-est for the program.
Joey Edwardssenior bowler
Juwan Walker, a junior, locks up a cradle on the way to a pin earlier this month. Walker has the Hornets’ best record heading into districts: 26-3 at 145 pounds.
Tom Haines, shown getting a pin earlier this month, boasts an 18-11 record at 220 pounds despite wrestling in high school for the first time as a senior.
Pemberton Township High School Feb Pemberton Township High SchoolThe Stinger
7February 2014
4 seniors sign college letters of intent Sports Section
How long have you been playing bas-ketball?
Seven years.What are some hardships you’ve en-
countered while playing this sport?A hardship I have faced while playing
basketball was tearing my MCL twice.What are two words that describe
you?Funny and short.What is your favorite basketball
team?L.A. Clippers.Who is your role model?Kyrie Irving.Who do you look up to on your team?
(Someone you would name captain if you could)
On the team I look up to Brittanie (Bingham). She is a leader and always says the right thing.
Words From Coach Will “She always worked hard and never
quit. Regardless of her health conditions she would still come to practice.”
“Very respectful and ALWAYS has something positive to say. Although her in-juries hold her back from playing she still shows up and contributes any way she can.”
BRITTANIE BINGHAMWhat college will you be attending?
(Major/Field of study)Undecided (Major- Pre-Veterinary
Medicine)What is your favorite memory of the
season?Beating Willingboro.How long have you been playing bas-
ketball?10 years.What are some hardships you’ve en-
countered while playing this sport?A hardship I faced this season was dis-
locating my shoulder.What are two words that describe
you?Hardworking.What is your favorite basketball
team?L.A. Clippers.Who is your role model?Lindsey Harding.Who do you look up to on your team?
(Someone you would name captain if you could)
Jada Champion.Words From Coach Will “She is quick, shoots well, and is too
unselfish.”“Britt is usually quiet around the coach-
es but is said to be lively around her team-mates.”
JADA CHAMPIONWhat college will you be attending?
(Major/Field of study)Undecided (Major- Early Childhood
Education)What is your favorite memory of the
season?None yet.How long have you been playing bas-
ketball?Since my freshman year.What are some hardships you’ve en-
countered while playing this sport?A few hardships I’ve faced was tearing
my MCL and tearing my ACL twice.What are two words that describe
you?Athletic and challenging.What is your favorite basketball
team?Miami HeatWho is your role model?Myself, Jada Champion.What is a quote you live by?“Pain is temporary.”
Who do you look up to on your team? (Someone you would name captain if you could)
Myself, Jada Champion.Words From Coach Will“Jada has a lot of energy, she is always
all over the court while doing her thing. She is also our leading scorer; how she goes is how we go.”
“Jada is different from other athletes with her jumping ability along with her speed.”
ASYANAE MUWWAKKILWhat college will you be attending?
(Major/Field of study)BCC (Major- Forensic Science).What is your favorite memory of the
season?My favorite memory this season was
when we won our first game.How long have you been playing bas-
ketball?My entire life.What are two words that describe
you?Funny and athletic. What is your favorite basketball
team?Miami Heat.Who is your role model?Lisa Leslie. Who do you look up to on your
team? (Someone you would name cap-tain if you could)
Nobody, I look up to Coach Erika (Messam).
Words From Coach Will “She is very easy going and is the ‘team
jokester.’ Asyanae has to get mad to play.”
By Aly HortonThe Stinger Copy [email protected]
Four Pemberton Township High School senior athletes met with parents, coaches, and counselors to sign college letters of in-tent Feb. 4, the national signing day.
Sarah Rellstab was a standout goal-keeper for the Hornets soccer team over the past four seasons. She’ll be attending Division 1 Delaware State University on a full athletic scholarship to study nursing.
“Being on a college team is the same as high school, but more connected. You play and practice more often than you do now,” Rellstab said.
Delaware State was the choice for her because of its relaxed environment, small class sizes, and proximity to home.
“It’s going to be my freshman year and they have a senior goalkeeper already,” Rellstab said. “It’ll be a challenge.”
Taylor Dorman is a four-year var-sity starter for PTHS’s softball team. She missed most of her junior year with an in-jury and is excited to get back on the field to cap off her high school career.
Dorman was looking for a small enough school that allowed her a lot of playing time. Her strong skill set, knowledge of the game and experience was a perfect fit for the Division 2 Shippensburg Red Raiders.
Kyanna Deravin will look to make her third straight trip to the spring track state meet this season. She is one of the top throwers in New Jersey.
Next year she will also attend Ship-pensburg University in central Pennsylva-nia.
“I get the chance to improve my throws and it’s great that it just doesn’t end in high school,” Deravin said of the chance to compete at the college level. “Everyone is on the same level of ‘good,’ and it’s an equal playing field, unlike high school.”
Shippensburg has her major, psychol-ogy, and her minor, philosophy, allowing her to throw shot put on a partial athletic scholarship.
Quincey Lambert has been the top run-ning and defensive back for the Hornets football team the past two seasons. Lam-bert led the way with 14 touchdowns his
senior season and will be taking his talents to Long Island at Nassau Community Col-lege.
“I didn’t have the D-1 option, but by going to Nassau, I’m setting myself up bet-ter,” Lambert said. “Last year eight play-ers from their team got scholarships to Division 1 schools. It’s a step to get good
looks.”He said Nassau coaches gave him the
choice of which side of the ball he wanted to play, and he chose to play strong safety, on defense, instead of continuing to be a running back on offense, for a perceived higher ceiling as a potential Division 1 football player on defense.
Stinger photo/ALY HORTONQuincey Lambert (standing, from left), Kyanna Deravin, Taylor Dorman (seated, from left) and Sarah Rellstab signed binding letters of intent to colleges Feb. 4. Deravin and Dorman will both attend Shippensburg University.
Catching up with the five seniors in girls basketball
Yearbook photoAsyanae Muwwakkil boxes out a Moorestown player to get in position for a rebound recently.
BASKETBALL From PAGE 8
The Stinger Pemberton Township High School 8 November 2006February 2014
Pitts leads Hornets by example Sports Section
By Kevin EmmonsThe Stinger
High school can be a different experi-ence for every individual. Some people get right down to business, while others drift behind and put themselves in a hole. Your freshman year is crucial, and your final three years of school could be affected if your freshman performance is poor.
But Jaquan Pitts is proving that any-thing is possible. This Pemberton Township High School senior didn’t have the greatest start, but he definitely turned things around.
Pitts is an athletic, hard-working stu-dent at PTHS. But his high school years didn’t start off very well. Pitts didn’t take things as seriously as he does now, causing him to fall behind.
As an athlete, Pitts was named ineligible as a result of not maintaining good grades. During the 2012-13 season, Pitts sat out a majority of the season, which was very hard for him. The team lost a good player who would’ve helped down the stretch.
“I just didn’t turn in work,” said Pitts. “I’d go to class but just wouldn’t do work.”
As a result of not being productive in the classroom, there were some heartbreak-ing consequences.
“I stay focused more and I’m not get-ting in trouble,” said Pitts when talking about his character growth as an individual since his freshman year.
The turnaround wouldn’t have been possible if not for Pitts’ dedication and heart. He also has many influences that helped him along the way.
“Darius (Anderson), Shaun (Brooks), Coach (Roy) Heck, and Coach (Luis) Bur-gos have all helped me,” Pitts said. “They make sure I do my work.”
“It’s great. I work hard every day and I’m just happy to play sports again. It’s something I wanted to do for a long time, since I missed two years.”
Pitts is now a starting guard for the Hornets basketball team. On opening night at Willingboro, he scored a game-high 23 points, and was nearly untouchable beyond the arc. Pitts ranks among the Burlington
County Scholastic League leaders in three-point shooting with 28 three-pointers made. His 28 leads the team.
“He’s a great leader in practice and a great leader during games,” said basketball head coach Roy Heck. “He’s the guy who has the rights to talk to officials.”
Pitts was also a key contributor this past fall on the football field. He played multi-ple positions, including defensive back and backup quarterback.
He intercepted two passes for 50 yards and recorded 30 total tackles as a defensive player. On offense, Pitts threw a 32-yard touchdown pass, and also rushed eight times for 43 yards.
Pitts mentioned that basketball is defi-nitely in his future plans, but his work here isn’t done yet. The Hornets boasted an 18-2 record after a victory over BCIT-Medford on Feb. 20, forcing a first-place tie with Medford in the BCSL Patriot Division.
“First we want to win the division,” Pitts said. “Then we want to win a Group 2 state championship. We just got to take it one game at a time.”
Yearbook photoJaquan Pitts gets the job done in the classroom and on the basketball court, where the senior guard leads the Hornets in three-point shooting.
Five seniors share a love of basketball
By Alyssa GregoryThe Stinger
The Pemberton Township High School girls basket-ball team is well on its way to the playoffs with a 6-9 re-cord. The girls are seeded 10th and will be on the road for their opening-round playoff game.
“Well, it’s been a growing year. They should be able to make quite a bit of noise this year,” said assistant coach Mr. Cameron Williams.
With five seniors, the hard-working Hornets want to end the season right with a bang. On and off the court, these athletes are interesting individuals with aspirations, hardships, and personalities of their own. The Fab Five took time out of their busy schedule so we can get to know them better. Let’s take a look.
KYANNA DERAVIN What college will you be attending? (Major/Field
of study)Shippensburg University (Major-Psychology and Mi-
nor-Philosophy)What is your favorite memory of the season?Beating Willingboro, considering the fact that we lost
to them in the past.How long have you been playing basketball?Since seventh grade.What are some hardships you’ve encountered
while playing this sport?Having so many underclassmen, next year we will
only have one senior.What are two words that describe you?Dedicated and cheerful.What is your favorite basketball team?Lakers.Who is your role model?Shanna Campbell.What is a quote you live by?“The pain you feel today, will be the strength you feel
tomorrow.”Who do you look up to on your team? (Someone
you would name captain if you could)Jada Champion.Words from Coach Will “Kyanna is hard working and always gives what she
can while on the court. She is a 100 percenter.”“This athlete is very coachable and will do well at
Shippensburg, I will always remember her laugh.”YVONNE DICKEY
What college will you be attending? (Major/Field of study)
Morgan State University/ Bloomfield College (Major- Pre-Med).
Swim team able to enjoy ‘full’ season
By Khaliyah PughThe Stinger Editorial Editor
One team of swimmers impressed its coaches by filling all three team lanes, and accomplishing it with an amazing work ethic.
Coaches Ms. Melanie Rose and Ms. Kim Glassman said it had been several years since the Pemberton Township High School coed swim team could fill every lane in every event. They credited a large group of devoted athletes who were dedicated toward working hard.
They started out with a ton of what Ms. Glassman called ‘backyard’ swim-mers, who showed a commitment toward improving their technique.
Ms. Glassman, an English teacher, and Ms. Rose, a science teacher, are not only proud of the team but have high hopes for the Hornets in the future.
“We had a lot of new swimmers come out this year who were really dedi-cated in coming to practice and meets,” Ms. Glassman said.
Although the coaches are to thank for the team’s improvement, they didn’t do it alone. Co-captains Leah Ford, a senior, and Desirae Hilton, a junior, contributed to helping the team move forward.
Ford finished her career as a four-year varsity swimmer, and Hilton scored the most points for the Hornets.
The team had its last meet of the sea-son Feb. 7 with the Burlington County Scholastic League Open.
Hilton placed fourth individually in the 100 backstroke to lead the Hornets at the BCSL championships.
Ford, Hilton, Alyssa Horton and Gia Sorrentino placed second in their 200 medley relay heat against Bordentown and Delran, to wind up with a fifth-place finish in the BCSL in the event.
“I like the responsibility of being captain,” said Hilton, who believes the team’s biggest improvement this year was an overall advancement in skills across the whole roster. “Our technique is so much better and our endurance has improved a lot from last year.”
Yearbook photoSenior forward Jada Champion works inside the paint for a basket against Moorestown.See BASKETBALL/Page 7
