The Maroon Report - Greenville High School Maroon Report/Maroon12.… · The Maroon Report The student voice of Greenville. December 19, 2014 News ... launcher called a SMAW (shoulder

The Maroon Report The s tuden t vo i ce o f Greenv i l l e .

News December 19, 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE!

Greenville Marine Beats Odds, Dreams of Olympic Gold

Seniors Serve It Up During Food Drive By Catherine Sielaff

Filling cupboards with holiday hope and caring, GCS once again flooded the shelves at the Greenville Food Pantry while fostering some healthy competition between students. Students and staff brought in well over 500 canned, boxed, and jarred food items this year with an emphasis on vegetables, soups, baking mix-es, high protein items, and traditional holi-day foods.

The donated items were counted by class level then sorted and boxed by the students in the high school Functional Skills Class, who also removed any dented cans or products beyond the expiration date.

According to Student Council Advi-sor Chris Lochner, this year’s Thanksgiving Food Drive demonstrated the generosity of the students, faculty and staff to address a

great need in the community. Lochner also noted that to increase participation, the Student Council offered a $100 cash prize to the class with the most items donated.

Starting out at a slow simmer in late October, the competition boiled over in a heated race between the Junior and Sen-ior Classes, who were in a dead heat until the final day.

The Class of 2016 had the early lead, but the Senior Class donations out-paced them by a few dozen cans in the final count, securing the $100 cash prize, which the Class of 2015 intends to donate directly to the Greenville Food Pantry. De-livery took place on Tuesday, November 24, with assistance from members of the GCS Wrestling Team.

Continued on page 3

By Michelle Martuscello

2005 Greenville graduate Luke McDermott truly lives by his motto “Never quit. Take nothing for granted.”

After losing both legs while fighting in Afghanistan in

2010, McDermott had to learn how to walk again using pros-

thetics; however, as if that wasn’t a challenge enough, he then decided to start training and competing in the sport of sled

hockey. Sled hockey is a sport that allows people with physi-

cal disabilities to play ice hockey. McDermott discovered

hockey from his physical therapist when he was at the military

rehab center. McDermott said, “He asked if I wanted to try it

so I figured I’d give it a shot and I’ve loved it ever since.”

McDermott quickly sky-rocketed upwards through

the ranks of the sport and even traveled with the U.S. Nation-

al Team to Sochi, Russia to watch them win at the 2014 Olym-

pics.

Continued page 4

Student of the Month 8

Winter Activities 9

Personality Quiz 10

Puzzle Page 13

Photography 15-16

Holiday Fashion 18

McDermott at national championships with the San Antonio Rampage.

The Maroon Report News page 2

GCS’s Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, JDRF, held

a Kids Walk to support type 1 diabetes. research.

Students Take Part in Mock United Na-

tions

Ten students accompanied social studies

teacher Mr. Thela in a Minds On Historical Mock

United Nations Conference at the Carey Institute on

Wednesday, November 19th. This year the council was placed back in time to 1791 and had to ad-

dress the growing concerns of the Trans-Atlantic

Slave Trade. Junior Elaina Spahmer, Junior Ashley

Gifford, Senior Caroline Bobrick, Senior Julianna

Rauf, Senior Zoe Rudloff, Senior Brad Monkell, Sen-

ior Julian Jacobs, Senior Lucas Mistler, Junior Sean

McAneny, and Junior Jacob Gorneau collaborated with students from four other capital region high

schools as part of the event.

Hey Greenville, what’s been happening!?

Pictured: Senior, Lucas Mistler at the Mock UN.

NHS Inductees: Juniors, Chelsea Ruggiero, Jacob Gorneau,

Kelsey Gardner, Alyssa Hopkins, Ashley Gifford, Bryan Drossel,

Chenoa Cox, John DuBois, Jake Rath, Alex Powers, Sean McAneny,

Taylor McGuinness, Brittany Johnson, Emily Fagan, Erin Crawley, Urja Bhatia, Maddison Ackerman, Kristen Silk, Tara Doherty, Taylor

Huemmer-Harnett, Bethany Overbaugh, and Elaina Spahmer. Sen-

iors, Emily Bodecker, Brad Monkell, and Khrystina Warnstadt.

Photo Credit: Weight Room-Sam Statham, Diabetes Walk-Matt Plattner, Mock UN-Mr. Thela, NHS Inductees-Mr. Hopkins.

National Honor’s Society Inducts New Members

GCS Students Walk to Support Diabetes

The GCS weight room is almost ready!


The Maroon Report Staff

Danielle Caprio * Alexandria Papol

Bryan Drossel * Isaiah Papol

Emily Fagan * Matthew Plattner

Kelsey Gardner * Catherine Sielaff

Alyssa Hopkins * Emily Statham

Kaitlyn Krasney * Sam Statham

Natalie Louban * Callie Walker

Michelle Martuscello

...to join us in room 306 to work on the student voice of

Greenville, The Maroon Report! You don`t have to be in

journalism to come write an article! Take photos for us!

Offer ideas! Help us distribute the paper! STAND UP,

CREATE,

USE YOUR VOICE!

Food Drive Continued from page 1

According to Mr. Dave Rundell of the Greenville Food Pantry, “Cash donations are extremely important to maintaining in-ventory at the pantry.”

In fact, cash donations multiply the amount of high quality food 10-12 fold in our local com-munity through an agreement with the Northeast Regional Food Bank in Albany. Every $10 donation stocks the shelves with $100 to $120 worth of high quality food goods.

This Thanksgiving GCS donated a total of $660 to the food pantry. Faculty and staff contributed $360, the Student Council $200 and the Senior Class the $100 in prize money. The donations will bring al-most $7,000 of much needed food into our community. Mr.

Rundell and the pantry staff noted their gratitude for the con-tinuous generosity and support of the pantry by the GCS com-munity.

“These donations are integral in helping local families to “makes ends meet” every month, Run-dell said.

The GCS HS Student Council thanks everyone for making this annual event a great success and encourages everyone to support the work of the Greenville Food Pantry throughout the year. The Student Council will be hav-ing its annual Pajama and Toy Drive beginning December 1st to benefit chil-dren in our community. Please consider picking up a new toy, book or pajamas

for a child age 12 or under and placing it in the box in the front lobby of the HS. Every donation large or small will make a difference in our community.

Seniors201537%

Juniors201632%

Sopho‐mores20177%

Freshmen201810%

Faculty14%

GCSHSStudentCouncil2014ThanksgivingFoodDriveDonations

THIS COULD BE YOUR AD SPACE!

If your high school activity, club, or sports team would like to place an ad in The

Maroon Report please notify any of The Maroon Report staff listed below.

Include in writing: the sponsor of the activity, name of the activity, the time and

location, and if there is any admission fee.


Marine continued from page 1

Returning home McDermott continued to work on his undergradu-ate degree in political science at Texas Christian University while

training and sharpening his skills on the ice. Recently his labors

have paid off. This past fall he made the U.S. National Sled

Hockey Team becoming one of the most elite sled hockey athletes

in the world. Additionally, on December 20th of this year, McDer-

mott will graduate from Texas Christian University and walk the

stage to receive his diploma. Af-

ter that he will compete in his first

international sled hockey tourna-

ment and begin preparing himself

for the 2018 Olympics in Korea

where he dreams of catching Olympic gold.

McDermott sums up what is behind his exceptional drive.

“I focus on giving full effort in everything I do, every single day. I

lost friends overseas and know they sacrificed everything for me , the other Marines there, and everyone back home. They no long-

er have the ability to chase their goals and dreams, so I make

sure I do my best to honor them by giving full effort to everything

I do.”

McDermott had wanted to join the military since he was

a child and saw the September 11th attacks . “I was only four-

teen when the attacks happened, but I vividly remember watching

things unfold on TV. I knew I never wanted to see something like

that happen again, whether it was attacks on Americans or at-

tacks on other innocent civilians around the world.”

He then promptly joined the marines when he was eight-

een, leaving for boot camp on September 11, 2006. He was an

infantry assaultman specializing in explosives and a rocket

launcher called a SMAW (shoulder launched multipurpose assault

weapon).

On June 9, 2010 during McDermott’s second deploy-

ment to Afghanistan, his squad was on a routine patrol in Marjah

in the morning and on their way back to headquarters when an

improvised explosive device detonated under McDermott’s vehi-

cle. He was thrown from the truck and immediately lost his right leg below the knee. His left leg suffered trauma as well.

Doctors told McDermott that his left leg would not be

very functional for the rest of his life and would also cause him

pain for the rest of his life. After discussing options with his doc-tors, he decided to have his left leg amputated below the knee.

“It would allow me to be more active and would prevent

me from chronic pain. While it was a tough decision, I felt it was

the right one to make,” McDermott said.

“It took me three months to learn how to walk with the

prosthetics, “ McDermott explained. “You have to take it slow

initially and progressively work up your tolerance. After time eve-

rything just becomes normal.”

McDermott noted how his experiences with the marines

have shaped him. “Life is precious and I never take anything I

have for granted,” McDermott said.

After graduation, McDermott plans to move to Portland,

Oregon to train. “The captain of our national team lives up there

and he and I are great friends. We both have the same mindset

when it comes to training and preparation for hockey. My main

focus as of right now is on my hockey career for as long as it lasts

at the international level — which is hopefully a long time,”

McDermott said.

That gold metal in Korea is also a big motivator for

McDermott. “When I saw the U.S. National Team’s hard work pay

off and how incredible it was for them to reach the highest honor

in our sport in the 2014 Olympics in Russia, I knew I wanted that,” McDermott said.

“When I came home from Sochi, I printed off a picture of

a gold metal. I wrote ‘Dream Big’ on it and taped it to my front

door, so I could see it every day when I left. I knew I wanted to

be one of the guys on the ice in four years in Korea with a gold metal around my neck,” he said.

Luke in 2008 on his first deployment in Garmsir, Afghanistan.

The Maroon Report Opinion Page 5

Tech for Tenth Graders: Limiting Innovation Integration? By Emily Fagan

For far too long, Greenville has been living in a state of perpetually stagnant technology, from archaic VHS tapes and

mimeograph sheets to the overhead projectors and clunky monitors

still used in some classrooms. The recent incorporation of smart-

boards and laptops into classes has changed the way students are

able to learn and collaborate on projects. Before the school year

is up, an even bigger change is expected to sweep Greenville: each current tenth grade student is going to be assigned a laptop

to use in their classes and complete assignments on.

Due to this influx of resources in tenth grade classrooms,

teachers will have to adapt the way they teach to best incorpo-rate the new equipment. This adaptation is a welcome one, and

many teachers are taking it as a sign that Greenville is taking

steps towards technology. Mr. Russell, math teacher, commented,

“We`ve been working at a loss up to this point. This is where we

need to [finally] go.” Certainly, any step away from mimeographs

and clunky monitors seems like a step in the right direction.

Incorporating technology into the

education of younger students is an excellent

idea, but why not include upperclassmen as

well? The school may be leaving older stu-

dents out for the sake of trial running the integration slowly on the tenth graders and,

eventually, the grades below them, but this is

granting the younger students an unreasona-

ble advantage. This injustice has come to the

attention of many of the upperclassmen, such

as Madison Ackerman, who explained, “It`s

not fair that one class gets laptops to do their work and type their papers on when people like the seniors have much more work, like

[college] applications to work on with the computers.”

Maddy`s point is very valid, as upperclassmen take more

advanced classes and are assigned more work, longer assignments and papers to write, and lots of homework online. Seniors are also

very busy with the college application process, writing essays and

dealing with the admission process, and would benefit greatly

from a personal school-issued computer on which they could do

their work. Why do the tenth graders get to be the trial grade

for this technology when there is clearly a much greater need in

the grades above them? Additionally, not all students have com-puters or access to the internet in their homes, so being

given a school computer would enable them to properly tackle the

large assignments on the same level as their classmates with home

computers. If the laptops are not given to the upperclassmen, then

they are not being as well prepared for the technology-oriented world that faces them in college and beyond, as their younger

friends are. Isn`t school supposed to prepare all students for the

real world? How can they possibly be doing that when they are

only providing a fraction of the school full access to available re-

sources?

Handing out computers to every single student in the tenth

grade does raise some additional concerns. Primarily, would all of

the students be able to handle the responsibility of carrying

around a computer? Mr. Russell certainly thinks so, stating, “I think

all kids are. After all, they walk around with six hundred dollar

phones.” An anonymous tenth grader agrees, saying their class-mates were “responsible enough.” However, one only has to look

at the state of the laptops in the school library to know this might

not necessarily be true. Chipped edges, missing keys, scuff marks,

all common signs of abuse by the hands of Greenville students that

virtually none of the laptops are without.

As for the six hundred dollar phones, it is not rare to have a cracked screen or unus-

able buttons, and people frequently up-

grade their phones or simply buy new ones

when they deem the old one no longer

functional for their needs. Is this really a

group of people the school wants to mass-

issue computers to? After all, there’s enough problems getting textbooks back

at the end of the year, let alone laptops.

However, if the laptops were provided to students in the

eleventh and twelfth grades, the school might not face as many of these complications. Older students are more likely to know the

worth of the computers and treat them with more care, as many of

them have jobs and understand the value of the new tools. If this

responsibility was bestowed upon the senior class, not only would

the school be investing in helping those students succeed, but it

would also be enabling them with the best resources available to

help them on the path to their undefined futures.

As Mr. Russell pointed out, “Technology is a big part of

21st century learning skills.” Why should eleventh and twelfth

graders be denied an opportunity to learn and grow by their own

school?

The Maroon Report Opinion page 6

Hall Talk

Sophomore, Daniel Dwarika: "People can't handle the truth."

Junior, Ralph Masi: "People get a

false sense of confidence when they're

behind a computer screen."

Senior, Maddy Oulette; "It's almost as

bad as the GCS Confess Twitter account

a couple of years ago. It's just promoting

cyber bullying."

History teacher Mr Katagiri: "Anonymity

is for cowards."

Junior, Sam Statham: "I like it when people use it for comedy."

Freshman, Lacie Hotalling: "It's great

to get the scoop on things, but it's terri-

ble because you don't know who's say-

ing what."

What do you think

about Yik Yak?

Attention! Do you enjoy writing? Do you like to write your own stories or

poetry?

If so, you can have your work published in The Maroon Report in the

Fine Arts and Culture Section! Submit your work to Mr. Morrelli’s

mailbox across from the main office in the high school or to a Ma-

roon Report staff member.

Write for us!

By: Alyssa Hopkins

The Maroon Report Opinion Page 7

Hall Talk

Hall

Talk

What do you want for

Christmas?

Senior, Nicole

Caprio: “I want a bouncy cas-

tle!”

Junior, Isadora Matosinhos:

“My family to come here.”

Attendance Secretary, Ms. Morse: “Peace and harmony.” Senior, Jaymey

Kuykendall:

“College tuition in

full.”

Freshmen, Mackinzie Pinney:

“A pony and an iPhone.”

Freshman, Jenna Colwell: “A kitten!”

Sophomore, Dan Dwarika:

“A puppy.”

Freshman, Samantha Siegal: “A phone.”

Senior, Catherine Sielaff: “A new

Pendleton blanket.”

Freshman, Kayla Mur-

phy: “Eminem tickets.”

Junior, Niomi Papol: “A pair of Beats head-phones.”

Social Studies teacher, Mr. Katagiri:

“That’s easy, A Muppets Christmas Car-

ol.”

What is your favorite

Christmas Movie?

Freshman, Lacie Hotaling: “Frosty the

Snowman.”

Junior, Sean Graudons: “Is Forest Gump a Christmas movie?”

8th grader, Abigail Knowles “A Night-

mare Before Christmas.”

Gym teacher, Ms. Tuttle: “Snow Buddies,

I recently watched it with my daughter.”

Junior, Sandra Martin “I like Elf.”

Freshman, Carly Estep: “A White

Christmas.”

Senior, Erich Koehler: “Friday

After Next.”

By Callie Walker

By Kaitlyn Krasney

Sophomore, Olivia Baumann: “Rudolph

the Red Nosed Reindeer!”

Junior, DJ Smith: “A Christmas Story.

It is perfection!!”

Biology teacher, Mrs. Finch: “It’s a Won-derful Life.”

Sophomore, Bella Abate: “Home

Alone.”

Nurse Mackey: “Santa Claus.”

The Maroon Report Features page 8

Student of the Month

By Isaiah Papol

Who enjoys getting sick? Not many people would

say yes to that question. Think about how many people, or

objects you come into contact with everyday, now add how

many people or objects they have come into contact with.

Think of all the coughing, sneezing, drink sharing, bathroom

usage and you realize you’re caught up in a germ pool. Now add cold weather to the equation and getting sick isn't very

hard. Its not all doom and gloom, however. There are healthy

habits you can form as a precaution to avoid the pounding

headaches, and sick stomachs.

1.) Wear appropriate clothing for the season! Even if winter

jackets aren't “in style” neither is throwing up in class.

2.) Wash your hands vigorously (with soap) after using the

bathroom or before eating. You should wash for about the

same time it takes you to sing the alphabet.

3.)Sneeze or cough into your elbow! When you sneeze parti-

cles can travel up to 15 feet. No one wants to breath in your

mystical lung mist.

4.) Drink a glass of orange juice a day. This will provide you with

a sufficient amount of vitamin C (keeps immune system strong).

5.) Avoid sharing drinks with friends. That explains itself.

6.) Use hand sanitizer once a day.

7.) Take a multivitamin once a day. This gives your body whatever

your diet lacks.

Doing all of these will

greatly reduce the probability that you

will get sick. It is not

guaranteed, but the

chances are far less

likely. Not getting sick

will give you more

time to focus on school and sports. This sounds

silly but when you’re

coughing up your lungs you will think of this article.

By Michelle Martuscello

Junior Stella Yelich has been chosen to be student of the month for her kindness and excellent

effort in school. We asked Stella…

What sports do you play? “Track and volleyball.”

What is something not many people know about you? “I want to be an exchange student.”

What is your favorite subject? “English.”

What is your favorite thing to do outside of school? “Eating.” How do you feel about being student of the month? “I didn’t know, and I guess it’s cool.” Quotes about Stella… “STELLA! Stella is bottled lightning thrown down from the hands of Zeus.” Social studies

teacher Mr. Thela

“She’s a good soccer player and a good student.” Math teacher, Ms. Reyngoudt

“She has a lot of spunk and whatever she does she does it 100%.” Senior Bethany Mitchell “I’ve known her my whole childhood. She is a very kind and fun person. She has great enthu-

siasm.” Junior Bryan Drossel

Take precautions and avoid getting sick


Winter Welcomes Outdoor Activities and Arts By Catherine Sielaff

Winter is upon us, bringing a variety of seasonal out-door and fun indoor activities around the region. You don’t have

to travel far to find something fun to do on a weekend, school

break and the occasional snow day.

If you enjoy the great outdoors Ice Skating at the Empire State Plaza may spark your interest. Hours: Everyday from 11am

- 8pm, weather dependent through early March. NO charge to

skate. If you don’t have skates, skate rental is available whenev-

er the rink is open. $3 for children 12 and under, $4 for adults.

A photo ID (school license) is required to rent skates. Every Fri-

day is free skate rental. Several free learn to skate or learn to play hockey events are sched-

uled as well. Reservations are required for these

events and information can be accessed at win-

ter.empirestateplaza.org There is also a skate

lounge & lockers located on the Plaza. For skate

rental information call: 518-473-6299. For all

other ice rink related inquiries call: 518-473-1527.

Several economical options are available for skiers and

snowboarders. If you are a skier, make sure to check out Ski

Windham (518-734-4300) or Hunter Mountain (518-263-4223) for “locals” rates for students and families. Significant discounts

are available on seasons passes and learn to ski packages for

residents of the local area.

If indoor activities are more your style, Walking the Dog Theatre located in Hudson presents classical and improvisa-

tional theatre productions throughout the year. A Christmas Car-

ol by Charles Dickens will be running through the New Year. See

their website http://www.wtdtheater.org/improv.html for more

information on upcoming productions.

Do you love drama and want to participate? Consider

auditioning for Oklahoma right here at GCS. If you are not an

aspiring thespian, volunteer to work on set design, stage crew, or

costuming. All students are welcome to share their talents. Listen

to the morning announcements for more infor-mation.

Did you know that one of the oldest

museums in the United States is located in Alba-

ny? The Albany Institute of History and Art locat-

ed at 125 Washington Avenue in Albany is the perfect place to spend a snowy day exploring

local history and culture, viewing a world renown Egyptian ex-

hibit, taking in some amazing 18th and 19th century masterpieces

or viewing new rotation exhibits. The museum is open Wed.-Sat.

from 10am to 5pm and Sundays 12pm to 5om. Students are $8

with ID. (Free admission every Thursday evening and the first Friday of each month from 5-8pm). Information can be found at

http://www.albanyinstitute.org/.

The Class of 2015

& the Capital City Rescue Mission

Graciously thank

the students and staff of GCS!

Your generous donations of almost 500 items to “Sweats for Vets” & “Hoodies for Hope”

Will provide warmth and hope to many veterans and homeless in the region this winter.

Happy Holidays!

The GCS High School Student Council

&

The Greenville Food Pantry

Would Like to Thank

The Students & Staff at GCS

By Collecting 500+ Items &

$660 During the Holiday Food Drive

For Local Families in Need

Come Support

The Greenville Spartan Wrestling Team

as they go to Ba le with

Catskill High School

January 8, 2014

HS Gym @ 7 p.m.


Personality Quiz : Are you a jolly old

elf or a

Scrooge? 1.) Which is your favorite thing to do?

a.) Eating cookies

b.) Dancing/Singing

c.) Playing reindeer games

d.) Sitting at home alone

2.) Which is your favorite Christmas song?

a.) Santa baby

b.) Jingle Bells

c.) Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer

d.) Mr. Grinch

By Emily Statham

3.) Your friends would describe you as?

a.) Jolly

b.) Peppy

c.) Proud

d.) Bitter

4.) Your dream Christmas present is?

a.) a plate of cookies

b.) a new outfit

c.) big antlers

d.) a heart

5.) Your favorite thing about winter is?

a.) Christmas cookies!

b.) Christmas of course!

c.) Snow, I love snow!

d.) The cold!

6.) Your best friend would most likely be?

a.) Mrs. Clause

b.) Anyone!

c.) A misfit elf

d.) My dog. And he doesn’t even like me.

7.) Which is your favorite toy?

a.) An Easy Bake Oven

b.) A karaoke machine

c.) A fake nose

d.) A cap gun

a.) Making cookies

b.) Christmas Caroling

c.) Playing in the snow

d.) Sledding

8.) Which is your favorite Christmas activity?

Mostly A’s = Santa/Mostly B’s = A Christmas Elf/Mostly C’s = One of Santa’s Reindeer/Mostly D’s = The

Grinch


Boyfriend/Girlfriend Gift Ideas

Holiday Recipes: Give the Gift of Sugar

By Michelle Martuscello Santa Marshmallows Ingredients: 12 fresh strawberries 12 large marshmallows 1 cups white frosting (vanilla, cream cheese, or other) 1 edible marker Directions:

Cut off the green parts from the strawberries. These will soon

make your Santa hats.

Use an edible marker (brilliant creation!) to draw eyes and a mouth on each marshmallow for Santa.

Then use a piping bag to pipe some frosting onto the marsh-

mallows to create a Santa beard, and some additional up on

top for hair.

Place the strawberries (upside-down) on top of the marshmal-lows to create the Santa hat. Then top those with a wee bit of extra frosting to create the white ball on top of the hat. Your cute and yummy Santa is now ready. What a fresh break from traditional cookies, too!

By Alyssa Hopkins and Sam Statham GF: Jewelry is great for a girl, but it's a little over done. How-ever, if she really likes jewelry, and you haven't really gotten her jewelry too much, it’s a great idea. BF: A watch, wallet, or cologne is a good idea for a guy. BF: If a guy has a favorite sports team, get him a team jersey, with his favorite player's number on the back. GF/BF: If money is an issue, you can get a plain deck of cards and write on the front "52 Reasons why I love you”, and on each card, give a reason GF/BF: Clothes are kind of tricky because you may not know what they like or their size, but if you can figure out what stores they shop in and their size, clothing is always a good option.

GF/BF: If you find out they really like a certain TV show/movie, Amazon has a lot of funny/cute things for that (for ex-ample if they really like The Office, they have the "World’s Best Boss" mug that Michael Scott uses in the show). GF/BF: Make them a collage of pictures or give them a picture frame with a picture of fun activities you two have done to-gether. GF/BF: If there's a band/singer that you two really like, and they have a concert coming up around the area, get two con-cert tickets for you two to go to or make them a playlist of their favorite songs. GF/BF: Again, if you’re concerned about money or you want to do something more personal, make them a personalized "coupon book" with things like "free back rub," "free mov-ie date", etc.

Ho Ho Ho


Holiday Recipes Continued Olaf Banana Snacks

(leave one of these on the mantle for Santa!)

Ingredients:

2 bananas 6 lollipop sticks A bag of chocolate chips Pretzel Sticks Extra Ingredients: Small candy eyeball Reece’s Pieces Carrots Direction: Cut the banana into even-thickness chunks. Slide a stick through three chunks for the snowman shape. Use chocolate chips or candy eyeballs to make eyes on the top chunk. For the nose you can use a chocolate chip, Reece’s Pieces, or a piece of carrot. Stick it on the center of the top chunk. Break the pretzel stick to the size you want his arms and hair to be. Then stick them on the top chunk (for his hair) and on the sides of the middle chunk (for his arms). Snowflake Quesadillas

(This is a favorite treat for elves) Ingredients: 2 plain flour tortillas (10-inch diameter) 2 spinach-flavor flour tortillas (10-inch diameter) 1 cup grated cheddar cheese Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parch-ment paper; set aside. Fold plain tortillas in half; then fold into thirds to make one triangle with six layers. Use kitchen shears to cut out a snow-flake design (make sure to be creative with your snowflake design); unfold. Place spinach tortillas on lined sheet; sprinkle each with 1/2 cup cheese. Lay cut tortillas on top. Bake until cheese is melted, 6 to 8 minutes. 9 candy canes, crushed into small pieces.

Candy Cane Bark (reindeer love these!) Ingredients: 10 ounces white chocolate, chopped 9 candy canes, crushed into small pieces Directions: Line a baking sheet with parch-ment paper, set aside until needed. Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir. Repeat the same micro-wave-and-stir process until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, let it slightly cool on the counter for about 5 minutes. Once cooled, add the crushed candy canes into the white chocolate, reserving 2 table-spoons for topping the bark. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it evenly until its ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes over the white chocolate mixture. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator until its firm, about 10 minutes. Once it has hardened, break it apart into medium-sized pieces. This bark is best kept in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag for up to two weeks. Hazelnut Hot Chocolate (drink one while watching your favorite x mas movie) Ingredients: One packet of Swiss Miss or if you have a special homemade recipe you can use that. Tablespoon of Nutella Whipped cream and marshmallows (optional) Directions: Make your hot chocolate Then stir in the Nutella Add marshmallows or whipped cream.


Crossword & Word Search

MISTLETOE

ORNAMENT

PEPPERMINT

PRESENTS

RUDOLPH

SANTA

SKIING

SLEDDING

CHRISTMAS

COCOA

COLD

COOKIES

DREIDEL

FIREPLACE

GINGERBREAD

HANUKKAH

MENORAH

SNOW

SNOWBOARDING

By Bryan Drossel


25 Days of Christmas TV Schedule Tune in on ABC Family

Friday, December 19, 2014

8:00pm – Elf

10:00pm – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

12:00am – Scrooged

Saturday, December 20, 2014

7:00am – The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation

9:00am – Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws

11:00am – The Year Without a Santa Claus

12:00pm – Arthur Christmas

2:00pm – Home Alone


6:00pm – Elf

8:00pm – Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas


1:00am – A Miser Brother’s Christmas

Sunday, December 21, 2014

7:00am – Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws

9:00am – Arthur Christmas

11:00am – Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish

1:00pm – The Little Drummer Boy

1:30pm – Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey

2:00pm – Rudolph’s Shiny New Year

3:00pm - Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town

4:00pm – The Year Without a Santa Claus

5:00pm – Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas


10:00pm – The Polar Express

Monday, December 22, 2014

5:00pm – Frosty’s Winter Wonderland

5:30pm – Rudolph’s Shiny New Year

6:30pm - Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town

7:30pm – The Year Without a Santa Claus

8:30pm – Toy Story That Time Forgot

9:00pm – The Santa Clause

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

6:30pm – Toy Story That Time Forgot


9:00pm – The Polar Express

12:00am – Arthur Christmas

Wednesday, December 24, 2014


9:00pm – Elf

12:00am – Scrooged

Thursday, December 25, 2014

11:00am – Home Alone

7:00pm – Elf


The Maroon Report Fine Arts and Culture page 15

Bottom photo taken by Senior Sarah Mataraza

Top photo taken by Senior Erich Koehler


Top photo taken by Junior Kayla Elsbree

Bottom photo taken by Senior Chris Jollie


Attack of the “Perfect” Christmas Tree a holiday tale….. By Emily Statham

Every year, just after Thanksgiving, my mom, dad, sister

and I go on a day long expedition to find “The perfect Christmas

tree.” We wake up early in the morning and go to numerous Christ-

mas tree farms in our pickup truck, looking for our perfect tree.

Every year the trip is the same. We all have different

opinions about what the tree should look like, and we enjoy playful

arguments about whether it should be tall or short, skinny or fat,

and, of course, we have to tease each other about what shade of

green it should be. My Dad and my sister Brie always tend to

agree on trees. My mom and I also always tend to agree on trees.

Dad and Brie tend to lean towards the trees with a lot of imperfec-

tions; they don’t mind trees with missing needles or brown needles,

they don’t mind when a tree is a little bit lopsided, and they don’t

mind when a tree has so many branches missing that there is a huge

gap on one side. They also refuse to notice that the tree they love is

half dead. My mother and I, on the other hand, are perfectionists

and analyze every detail of the tree; we search for “The Perfect

Tree” and circle the tree numerous times, trying to decide whether it

is a healthy shade of green, making sure that it is symmetrical, and

also making sure that it isn’t missing too many branches.

As we pulled into Vedder’s Christmas Tree Farm we bick-

ered (as usual) over how tall the tree should be. Mom wanted a

short tree, and for once I disagreed with her and agreed with Brie

and Dad. We wanted a very tall tree.

“The tree will be no shorter than fourteen feet!” Dad, Brie

and I argued.

“No!” mom argued back, “No shorter than eight feet!”

Dad grabbed a saw and we headed out into the farm.

We passed numerous trees, judging each of them.

“That one is too fat,” I would say.

“Just like me,” Dad would reply.

He was giggling and making faces at me every time that I

passed judgment on a tree. My dad is sweet and funny; he can find

a way to make almost anything hilarious. After a lot of “how about this

one” and “that’s too tall,” or “that’s too fat,” and a few, “no you guys,

that one is half dead!” We finally found our perfect tree.

My dad got down on his belly underneath the tree and began

sawing. He was having a hard time with the dull saw and offered Brie a

try. Brie thought that she could do it better than him.

Brie tried and Dad cheered her on, “That a girl you got it

now!” he sarcastically continued, “You can do it better than me right?”

Brie made no progress and stopped trying. Dad took the saw

back and made a lot of progress before he got tired again.

“Marc could maybe try!” he said playfully sarcastic to my boy-

friend Marc, who came along for the adventure that year.

“Would you like me to try cutting it?” Marc replied, smirking.

“Yes, yes I would,” Dad said, handing Marc the saw.

Marc got down on his belly on the opposite side of the tree

with the saw, across from dad, and he began sawing. He sawed vigor-

ously and made a lot of progress in short time.

“Okay, now Brie pull the tree toward you!” Dad yelled enthusi-

astically.

“Oh yeah sure, so it lands on me!” Brie replied while pulling the

tree towards her.

“Oh my god Dad!” I yelled laughing.

The tree didn’t land on Brie. It landed right on top of my Dad.

After laughing at, and with, my dad, who was lying underneath

of our huge, perfect, fourteen foot Christmas tree we headed to the

truck, paid for the tree, and went home to get it set up.

Every year, just after Thanksgiving, my mom, dad, sister and I

go on a day long expedition to find “the perfect Christmas tree.” And

every year we come back with “the perfect Christmas tree,” a heart full

of joy and laughter, and memories that last a lifetime.

The Maroon Report Fashion and Style page 18

Sparkling Holiday Fashions By Kelsey Gardner

It’s all about the sparkle this holiday season! Have any parties coming up but have no idea what to wear? Problem

solved! Any good outfits for parties, not just holiday parties,

should show that some thought was put into them. During holiday

parties, whether for Christmas, New Year’s, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa,

or whatever it is that you like to celebrate, you don’t want to

blend in with all of the decorations; so it’s better to stand out with a bit of sparkle. Thanksgiving has passed, and hopefully you

wore some excellent outfits. However, if your ensemble wasn’t as

amazing as you hoped, or if you want to continue looking fabu-

lous, I have some ideas for you!.

For the Fellas: Every guy

needs to look dapper sooner or later;

but do they know how? Here are a

few tips to get you looking your best

for any upcoming parties. First, looking

sharp isn’t as hard as it seems. All you

need is a sweater or jacket over a button down or polo, and maybe

throw on a tie. Layers are key; not just

to stay warm, but to look good, too.

Red, green, white, and blue can pair

well with brown, black, and gray and

make you stand out from the crowd.

Also, burgundy, rather than true-red, might be a better color choice so you don’t wind up looking like Santa Claus.

For the Ladies: If you’re

a girly-girl, you might like these

first two outfits (left and below).

If you’re not-so-into dresses and

skirts, something better for you

would be jeans and a sparkly top. Heels or no heels, shoes can

make your outfit, so be sure to

pick some good ones. As it is with

the fellas, ladies should also

bring the colors of the holidays,

but remember to pair them with

neutrals. Add some glitter, studs,

or sequins. Layers are always good for ladies, too. However,

adding too much sparkle might

make you look too similar to the

Time’s Square Ball. Additionally, you can stand apart from the boys

with bold pops of color and spar-

kle.

Overall, adding some shine to your holiday outfit is never

a bad thing, unless it’s too much.

Asking a few friends or family

members what they think of your

ensemble can help you make sure

you’re

looking fine.

Moreover, according to

sophomore Stella Yelich, “comfy, fat

clothes” can be a cute outfit that you can eat a ton of those delicious holi-

day treats in. This could be leggings

and a loose top for the ladies; and

the fellas can still look great while

wearing comfy jeans and a baggy

sweater.

The Maroon Report Sports page 19

McAneny Races to X Country States By Bryan Drossel

Known for the impeccable times he has put up on the boards as a

cross country and track runner, Junior

Sean McAneny is a notorious athlete in

Greenville.

At the end of the fall sports

season, McAneny competed in sectionals

and qualified for racing in states after

he placed 2nd in the section. When

asked what it was like competing in

sectionals and working his way up to states, he replied: "Competing at Sec-

tionals is like the culmination of all of

the invitationals and dual meets leading

up to it. After placing 2nd in the section

this year, I had a week of fine tuning to

prepare for states. When it's champion-

ship time you can't do much more than stay fresh. What I was able to accom-

plish at states was a product of my

summer and base training rather than

that final week."

Knowing that every athlete has

a pre game ritual, I asked Sean what

his was and he shared with me that "a

lot of people think I'm disinterested

before a meet because I act so re-

served and quiet, but I'm just thinking of

how I will execute my race. I just try to enjoy the company of my teammates. That

relaxes me."

He also answered the question of how his experiences

with teammates, opponents, and coaches have helped to shape how he trains, practices, and competes by saying: "I think immedi-

ately of Mr. Siebrecht who has been so influential from the very

first days of cross country. He helped me link training to success

and encourage my teammates to do the same. My teammates are

who keep motivated. They make the team a family. I have noth-

ing but respect for my opponents because we share the desire to

continuously better ourselves and are willing to put in months of training for about 16 minutes of competition."

Since Sean has accomplished many things as a high school runner, he

was also asked how he feels about his

accomplishments and what are some

future goals, he said: "I hope what I have

accomplished so far is just a small part

of what I can achieve as a runner. My number one goal is to maintain my com-

petitive spirit for as long as I can. Short

term, I am eyeing a spot at the state

meet in outdoor track this spring."

Sean McAneny, now a junior,

has been running at Greenville since he

was a freshman. From his three years of

experience and memories, he was asked

to reflect on one of his favorite memories

of this year's season, he said: "My favor-

ite moment from the season would have to be losing to Taconic Hills at the Grout

Run because it made our team work

harder than ever and to see the guys

really invest in the sport was rewarding."

As Sean's career as a runner

continues, many people are eager to see

what else he can overcome. Teammate

and Junior Ralph Masi shared his feelings

toward his fellow athlete by saying

"There's a very small number of people

that are ready to work as hard as Sean does." Junior Chenoa Berg adds " Sean is

always determined to do his best."

When Sean's coach and History teacher Mr. Siebrecht

was asked how his experience of having Sean as one of his ath-letes has been, he replied by saying: "The thing that makes Sean

McAneny unique and special is he not only has the talent, but he

also has a terrific work ethic. To be a great distance runner you

need to have both, and he certainly has both. He works his tail off

and that's the main reason why I think he's been so successful in

distance running, but beyond that I think he's a terrific person which

ultimately is the most important thing."

Pictured: Junior Sean McAneny.


Winter Training: How to Stay Fit

Girls Basketball Lacks Numbers, Not Heart

By Isaiah Papol

Let’s face it most people tend to pack on pounds during the winter. Most excuses in-clude “it’s cold” or “no one will see me under the layers.” Why not stay in shape and keep your body healthy. You don’t need weights or a treadmill to stay toned and fit, some simple calisthenics is all it takes. You should strength train each region of your body a least twice a week and run three times a week. This schedule is just a template. You can change days and numbers to fit your physical level. Start small - don’t mentally exhaust yourself too soon. Re-member when you are working out you’re tear-ing muscle fibers so they can grow back strong-er.

If you go to any girls basketball games this year, JV or varsity, you might notice that the numbers on the bench might be a little low. This is because a severe lack of participation is occurring, with a total of 22 girls who signed up this fall, only 16 remain. The teams are divided into 8 girls on Varsity, 8 girls on JV (although one is injured).

These are not prime subbing options for a basketball team. With 4, 8 minute quarters of non-stop moving that totals to 32 minutes of players constantly in motion, running, jumping, sprint-ing, and dribbling down the court. With 5 players on the court con-stantly, and only 3 subs, this could spell out trouble for our girls teams, meaning lots of conditioning.

Girls varsity coach, Mr. Brain Haller spoke concerning the program’s lack of participation claiming “when speaking with other schools coaches for both boys or girls teams, all numbers are down in after-school sports. They all are having enrollment issues”. So it is not just Greenville that is suffering with recruiting numbers. Other schools in the district are having trouble too.

However, when asked about having a limited bench Haller says: “luckily most of our girls participate in fall sports, so our conditioning is very good.

Although basketball contains a different type of condition-ing than soccer. Basketball is more of a short, stop, go and sprint movement, soccer is long distance with different stamina.” In response with how the girls teams will fare in the Patroon league due to having a small roster Haller responds with: “We are talented because we play in the spring and summer, we play togeth-er almost 10 months of the year. At the same time this could be a detriment to our numbers because girls don’t realize how much of a

commitment playing basketball at Green-ville or basketball in general really is.” Haller is not wrong, playing a sport that many months out of the year could lead to girls not wanting to participate in the sport any longer because they are overloaded with basketball and therefore do not want to play school ball. So it is not just Greenville’s girls basketball program that is suffering to maintain their numbers. Other schools are having trouble with recruitment too. But our Lady Spar-tans are “Lacking in numbers, not talent.” says Haller.

Monday/Thursday 5 sets 10 pushups 10 tricep

Tuesday/Friday 5 sets 15 sit-ups 30 second planks

Wednesday/Friday 5sets 15 lunges 15 squats

Monday/Wednesday/Thursday 20 minutes of jogging (you should be able to talk but not sing. Don’t skip run-ning, it’s one of the best ways to burn fat).

That means your muscles need two

days of rest after being worked to

heal and grow. Take your weight di-

vide it by two that’s how many grams of protein you should be getting a day.

This workout will not turn you into a

body builder but keep you toned and

fit with good blood flow. Start small

and change numbers if you need to.

Add more reps as you go to add mus-cle. Good luck. No excuses!

By Kaitlyn Krasney

Pictured: Justine Albin, Kaitlyn Krasney, Carly Johnson,

Taylor McGuinnes, Bethany Mitchel, Ava Fitzmaurice, Erin

Crawley, and Julianna Rauf.


Ski Club Returns, Generates Excitement

Wrestling Captains Weigh In on Team

By Matt Plattner

The last time GCS had a ski club was back in the 2008-2009 year. Stu-

dents were able travel up to our local ski

mountain, Windham to ski and snowboard

with their friends, and even teachers. This

was a great way for a few friends and

teachers to safely and easily travel to our local mountain. On the weekends we were

even allowed to reach out and go to some

farther away ski mountains, like Gore

Mountain. This was really cool for skiers

and riders who have never been to any

other mountain other than Windham!

Sadly, the following year our ski

club was not approved. The whole idea of

a ski club was pretty much distinguished

after that year. However, there was still

hope. Ms. Magee, one of our math teach-ers who was a leader in our expired ski

club, took the initiative and worked really

hard to get Greene County a new ski

club! As difficult and confusing as this pro-cess was it seemed easy when it came

upon Ms. Magee. She had multiple meet-

ings and long phone calls with our Bethle-

hem YMCA. She simply told me, “I called

the YMCA. I said, you need a ski club, and

you need an instructor.” This was perfect timing because the YMCA had the idea of

creating a ski club. Soon enough papers

were signed and calls were made,

Greene County just got a new ski club

through the YMCA.

The new ski club is available to

students 6th - 12th grade from the ages

of 11– 19. This also includes teachers and

staff so don’t hesitate to sign up! The club

is open to the first 50 people on a first

come first serve basis. After this 50 is filled there will be a waiting list created

for another 50 people to get another bus for transpiration. The ski club will be trav-

eling to Jiminy Peak every Tuesday after

school, starting January 6th. If you are

interested in joining the ski club, head

over and get some more information from

Mrs. Magee. She can answer any other questions or concerns you may have. The

deadline for signing up is DECEMBER

19TH, so make sure you hurry.

By Niomi Papol

With every new sports season, we welcome new cap-tains. Each captain has a different expectation for what they

want in the season. Each captain

knows the different strengths and

weaknesses for each player and what

could help their team as a whole.

Junior Ralph Masi is one of

the new wrestling captains. Ralph has

many expectations for the team as

well as hopes for things that could be

done better this year. “I’m excited to be captain this year,” Ralph says “Bailey and Josh and Wyatt have taught me well. I

know how to push the team to go farther and harder than they

ever have.”

Junior Isaiah Papol is also another captain for the Greenville Wrestling team. Isaiah's expectation personally is to

win a Section Two title and place fourth

in the states. Isaiah believes they will

place 3rd in the Patron Conference, and

six guys will go to the Section Two Tour-

naments.

“We have a good group of

guys who work hard. That’s what we

need: people who aren't afraid to get

physically and mentally devastated and come back the next day to do it again,” Isaiah said.

“They will place 3rd in the

Patron Conference, and six

guys will go to the section

two tournaments.”


Winter Home Games Schedule Day of the Week Date Time Home Team Opponent Facility

Thursday 12/18/2014 6:00 PM Boys (V) Volleyball Coxsackie Athens High School Middle School Gym Friday 12/19/2014 5:30 PM Boys (JV) Basketball Hudson High School High School Gym Friday 12/19/2014 7:00 PM Boys (V) Basketball Hudson High School High School Gym Monday 12/22/2014 5:30 PM Girls (JV) Basketball Maple Hill High School High School Gym Monday 12/22/2014 7:00 PM Girls (V) Basketball Maple Hill High School High School Gym Monday 1/5/2015 6:00 PM Boys (V) Volleyball Taconic Hills Central High

School Middle School Gym

Thursday 1/8/2015 7:00 PM (V) Wrestling Catskill High School High School Gym Friday 1/9/2015 4:00 PM Boys (JV) Basketball Taconic Hills Central High

School High School Gym

Friday 1/9/2015 4:00 PM Girls (JV) Basketball Taconic Hills Central High School

Middle School Gym

Friday 1/9/2015 5:30 PM Girls (V) Basketball Taconic Hills Central High School

High School Gym

Friday 1/9/2015 7:00 PM Boys (V) Basketball Taconic Hills Central High School

High School Gym

Monday 1/12/2015 6:00 PM Boys (V) Volleyball New Lebanon Central High School

Middle School Gym

Wednesday 1/14/2015 5:30 PM Boys (JV) Basketball Coxsackie Athens Central School District

High School Gym

Wednesday 1/14/2015 7:00 PM Boys (V) Basketball Coxsackie Athens Central School District

High School Gym

Thursday 1/15/2015 6:00 PM Boys (V) Volleyball Catskill High School Middle School Gym

Friday 1/16/2015 5:30 PM Girls (JV) Basketball Catskill High School High School Gym Friday 1/16/2015 7:00 PM Girls (V) Basketball Catskill High School High School Gym

Thursday 1/22/2015 7:00 PM (V) Wrestling Cairo-Durham High School High School Gym Tuesday 1/27/2015 4:00 PM Girls (JV) Basketball Cairo-Durham High School High School Gym Tuesday 1/27/2015 4:00 PM Boys (JV) Basketball Cairo-Durham High School Middle School Gym Tuesday 1/27/2015 5:30 PM Girls (V) Basketball Cairo-Durham High School High School Gym Tuesday 1/27/2015 7:00 PM Boys (V) Basketball Cairo-Durham High School High School Gym Thursday 1/29/2015 6:00 PM Boys (V) Volleyball Cairo-Durham High School Middle School Gym

Friday 1/30/2015 5:30 PM Boys (JV) Basketball Chatham High School High School Gym Friday 1/30/2015 7:00 PM Boys (V) Basketball Chatham High School High School Gym Tuesday 2/3/2015 5:30 PM Girls (JV) Basketball Hudson High School High School Gym

Tuesday 2/3/2015 7:00 PM Girls (V) Basketball Hudson High School High School Gym Thursday 2/5/2015 5:30 PM Girls (JV) Basketball Berne Knox Westerlo High

School High School Gym

Thursday 2/5/2015 6:00 PM Boys (V) Volleyball Voorheesville High School Middle School Gym Saturday 2/7/2015 11:00 AM Girls (V) Basketball Berne Knox Westerlo High

School Columbia Greene Community College

Saturday 2/7/2015 12:30 PM Boys (V) Basketball Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Senior High School

Columbia Greene Community College

Monday 2/9/2015 6:00 PM Boys (V) Volleyball Germantown Central School Middle School Gym

Tuesday 2/10/2015 5:30 PM Boys (JV) Basketball Maple Hill High School High School Gym

Tuesday 2/10/2015 7:00 PM Boys (V) Basketball Maple Hill High School High School Gym


Sophomore, Dallas Krauss: 4 pointer!

Freshman, Garret Ingraham: 11 pointer! Freshman, Faith Schatzel: 8 pointer!

The Buck Stops

Here! Do you hunt, trap, or fish? If so, send in a picture

of you with your trophy to be included in The

Maroon Report’s sports section. Give your pho-

to to any Maroon Report staff member or to Mr. Morelli.

No minnows or chipmunks please.

The Maroon Report Cartoons page 24

Happy Holidays from The Maroon Report!

“Kitten in a Gift”

By Brenda LaForge

Documents

The Maroon Report - Greenville High School Maroon Report/Maroon12.… · The Maroon Report The student voice of Greenville. December 19, 2014 News ... launcher called a SMAW (shoulder