February 2011 Volume 2 Issue 3

Photo by Dan Tatman

Smoke Signals

P T H S

Smoke SignalsVolume2 Issue 3

Peters Township High School 264 East McMurray Road

McMurray, PA 15317Phone: 724-941-6250

www.ptmedia.net

Photo by Brynn Lantry

Who would be your celebrity valentine?

Meet the Staff

“Johnny Depp”

-Julia Gauthier

Managing Editor-In-Chief: Mike Schuck Online Editor-In-Chief: Katie Denning Layout Editor-in-Chief: Matt Sikora Period 1 Editor-In-Chief: Erin Masta Period 3 Editor-In-Chief: Gabrielle Brinsky

“Tina Fey”

-Hardy Kern

“Steve Carell”

-Katie Shultz

Layout Editors: Val Gobao and Joe GrossiLife & Style Editor: Molly DoehringPeople Editor: McKenzie Fritz PT Focus Editor: Amanda Moore

Mission Statement:Smoke Signals is produced five times a school year by the students of the Media II, III, and IV Journalism staff at Peters Township High School. Staff Advisor is Mrs. N. Sitler. Commentaries, reviews, and opinion columns are the express opinion of the au-thor and not of Smoke Signals, its advisor, or the Peters Township School District.

.

Entertainment Editor: Conor JacksonSpecial Features Editor: Christine ManganasSports Editor: John Galatic

Staff Writers: Layout Staff:Carly Beck Lexi Miller Melina Sopko Jessica Kleja Hardy Kern Valerie Kotar Madison Mincone Sean SickmundKatie Shultz Matt Lison Julia Gauthier Kenzie StepanikJake Achenbach Katie Finn Greg Marsh Denee RenzSavanna Schweitzer Kurt Werner Steph Hammell Nikki Happe Allie Schlafman

4-5 PT Focus

6-7 Sports

8-9 Blurring the Lines

10-11 Life & Style

12-13 Special Features

14-15 People Features

16-17 Seasonal

18-19 Entertainment

20-21 News Features

22-23 Student Work 24 Voices

“Miles Austin”

-Savanna Schwiezer

“Mila Kunis”

-Sean Sickmund

“Jake Gyllenhall”

-Nikki Happe

T

ab

le o

f C

on

ten

ts

“Matthew McConaughey”

-Jess Kleja

Worst Pick Up Lines

Campus Connections

Lacrosse-Rip G’s Get V’s

Relationships and the Media

Fashion Focus: Accessories

How to Lose a Guy/Girl

New Teacher: Ms. Ingham

President’s Day

Simply Yogurt

Focus: Media I

Arizona Mass Shooting

4 February 2011

Winter 2011

Ready or not the spring SAT’s are quickly ap-proaching; it is crunch time. Now is the time for signing up for SAT tutoring classes, or-dering The Official SAT Study Guide book, and brushing up on those vocabulary words. Do not worry too much about what will be on the SAT, because the test only covers skills and top-ics previously learned in school. With these few tips to help you prepare, the SAT will not be a problem. First, sign up for SAT tutoring because it will be ex-tremely beneficial. Tutoring ranges in cost from about $500 to $2,000, depending on loca-tion and length. Several local businesses offer tutoring in various forms such as, in per-son tutoring at their center, pri-

vate one on one tutoring at your house, or online tutoring. The Official SAT Study Guide book is an essential tool. This book includes ten official SAT prac-tice tests, three re-c e n t l y a d m i n -i s t e r e d tests, de-tailed de-scriptions of math, c r i t i c a l r e a d i n g , and writ-ing sec-tions of the SAT. There are also targeted practice questions for each SAT question type, practice essay questions

along with sample essays, a re-view of math concepts tested in the exam and free online score reports plus exclusive access to online answer explanations.

This book c o s t s $ 2 1 . 9 9 and is carried in any local bookstore or online. The prac-tice tests in the book are set up ex-actly like the real SAT, each

with a time limit for each sec-tion. Each practice test takes a few hours to complete and lists

the answers for each section at the end. Once finished with the test, scoring is similar the real SAT allowing students to iden-tify areas of weakness. Finally, begin to brush up on vocabulary. Author Brian Leaf has created a SAT novel, eliminating boring flashcards. For example, Leaf took the pop-ular Twilight series by Stephe-nie Meyer and wrote a vocabu-lary workbook that goes along with the book. Using context clues from the novel, users are able to decipher the meaning of each vocabulary word listed. There are a range of titles avail-able to suit anyone’s interests. The SAT takes many weeks to prepare for, but remember the SAT does not test intelligence. It tests skills that were already acquired in school.

Preparing for SuccessStephanieHammell.StaffWriter

What is your club going to do with the money earned from the smoothie sales?

“It is going towards our state project, Teen Chal-lenge.” -Christina Dee, FBLA

“It is our substitute for muffin day and we are planning on buying new books.” -Emily Madalena, Library Club

“We are planning on adding a variety of plants and also put-ting some of the money towards our project to install solar panels and add some skylights in the school.” -Katie Rickman, SAFE

PT Focus 5

Campus Connections is a program run by members of Students Against Drugs (SAD) that unites high school and elementary students. Twice a month, these teens travel to McMurray Elementary to meet with their “buddies.” “The high school SAD members bless the McMurray ‘little buddies’ by sharing their time, talents, and strong char-acters,” said Mrs. Gearhart, the high school’s SAD sponsor. High school students are known as “Big Buddies” and the elementary school students are their “Little Buddies.” Each high school student is assigned a buddy to mentor. They hang out together, play games, make crafts, talk in small groups, all

while acting as a role model for the younger students. “It’s fun to help the little kids,” said senior Laura Bertoni. “I like the game ‘gym on fire’ and playing with the parachute.” “I feel like a big sister,” said senior Sam Meyer. She and the other big buddies assume the role of “big brother” or “big sister” when volunteering with the students. The Campus Connec-tions program was introduced last year by three seniors, Han-nah Hobbs, Lauren Hobbs, and Kaitlin Wiegmann. “We created Campus Connections because of the increasing prevalence of chil-dren who need a positive role

model,” said Kaitlin Wiegmann. “We felt it was important for these children to have some-one they can talk to or just to be a friend.” The girls came up with games and ac-tivities for the buddies to do during the first meet-ing and the program continued from there. The initial success of the program inspired a second year. Now, over 20 Little Bud-dies are involved with Campus Connections. “It’s fun to be a kid again,” stated Kyle Sossi.

Campus ConnectionsKatieShultz.StaffWriter

Ms. Ingham moved here all the way from Okinawa, Japan. She loves the fresh start that she has gained from mov-ing arriving in the US. “I’m amazed by all the opportunites I’ve gained by moving here,” stated Ingham. Ingham taught Social Studies at a school in Japan, Mountain View. Last year, she moved back home to Pennsylvania and she is loving teaching Social Studies here. “The students at Pe-ters know how to get work done while having fun,” said Ingham. “This is my first time working with seniors and they have been

Konnichiwa Ms. Ingham

nothing but fun.” Ingham is trying to become involved in school ac-tivites. She is the new advisor of the popular club, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). “All of the kids are re-ally inspired to do their best and work hard,” stated Ingham. Becoming involved with extra curricular activities is one of her most important goals. Ing-ham will attend the State Lead-ership Conference in Hersey, PA with a select number of FBLA students in early April. Finally, Ms. Ingham looks forward to becoming even more involved in our school

AmandaMoore.StaffWriter

and its activities. She loves be-ing here at PT. The students and teachers of Peters Town-ship have welcomed her very

A favorite activity at Campus Connections is playing with the parachute. Big and little bud-dies get to play games to gether as a way of bonding.

warmly so far and she hopes to obtain a long career here teach-ing students Social Studies and Economics.

Ms. Ingham, a new teacher, perpares a worksheet for her next class. “I love the new start I’ve gotten from moving here,” stated Ingham.

Winter 2011

6 February 2011

The name “Sean Sick-mund” conjures plenty of ideas: cool t-shirts, beard, twin, media, and of course, lacrosse. Sick-mund, a senior captain of the Peters Township Boy’s Lacrosse Team, can most likely be found on the lacrosse field. He heads into his senior season with high expectations. “Coming into the season with a lot of seniors this year, I expect us to have a big year and hopefully make it deep into the playoffs,” stated Sickmund. Although the team has seven returning starters, they

nior year, Sickmund has plenty of reasons why this year will be special for him. However, there is one thing that stands out. “I have been playing with most of these guys since fifth grade and it is probably my last time playing with them,” Sickmund stated. No matter what the outcome is of this year, there is no doubt that Sickmund has had an impact on the lacrosse field. Whether he is ripping G’s and getting V’s or being a leader off the lacrosse field, he will always be remembered for the work he has done.

Rip G’s Get V’sMattLison.StaffWriter

Carlo Summaria

Chicken Red Kid Cudi Mid-Afternoon Spoon

Angelo Toscano

Eggrolls Red Wiz Khalifa Late Night Spoon

Corey Prykull His

Sisters Rice

Orange Wale Tea Time Spoon

Curt Sickmund Our

Sisters Rice Magenta Justin Bieber

Morning Spoon

Sean Sickmund Lorenzo’s

Italian Pizza

Red Kid Cudi Morning Spoon

How well do you know Sean Sickmund?Food Color Artist Spoon

(LAX Stick)

Winner: Carlo Summaria

will be faced with a tough challenge offensively because their two leading scorers graduated last year. “This year we are without our two leading scor-ers – Jimmy Cogley and Con-nor Mannion. Without them, I think we will need to spread the scoring out and have more of a team-based offense,” said Sickmund. This may seem like a great obstacle for any team to get around, but Sickmund knows what the remedy might be for his team to get some wins.

“Our team needs to not underestimate ourselves and they must have the confidence that we can win no matter whom we are playing,” Sickmund said. With this type of leader-ship, it is no surprise that this is his second year as one of the team’s captains.This year, Sick-mund not only has high expecta-tions for his team, but for himself as well. “I hope to improve my game this year and to rip G’s and get V’s. After this season, I plan on playing at Mercyhurst Col-lege,” said Sickmund Being that it is his se-

Sports 7

JG: Ben Roethlisberger success-fully pulled off the biggest come-back of the NFL season. By digging himself out of a deep, dark hole, he was able to lead his team to a great year. Roethlisberger has straight-ened out his life on and off the field. Despite his four-game suspension, Big Ben has enjoyed one of the best statistical years of his career in both passing and rushing. Even more impressive is his uncanny ability to extend plays, which is a huge at-tribute to the Steelers’ success. Out-side the lines, Ben has improved his lifestyle considerably. There are rumors that he has finally stopped chasing women and is engaged to Ashley Harlan. While Ben has made a huge personality change for the better, Vick is still the arro-gant narcissist he always was. Some things never change… CJ: Ben Roethlisberger digging himself out of a deep hole? How about Michael Vick spending 18 months in prison and coming back better than ever? If it weren’t for Tom Brady, Michael Vick would have easily won the MVP

job. Do you honestly think Vick believes in any of the things he is saying? The only reason Vick is sorry for anything is because he got caught. He would have kept putting those innocent dogs in harm’s way had he not been arrested. Also, of course Michael Vick is self-conceit-ed, he proclaimed himself deserv-ing of the MVP award. The NFL’s best player does not lose in the first round of the playoffs. Speak-ing of which, Ben probably would have been seriously considered for MVP had he not been suspended for 4 games at the beginning of the season. Even after his suspension, Roethlisberger immediately con-tributed to the Steelers’ success. It took Michael Vick two whole years to achieve his current overrated status. I wouldn’t classify sitting be-hind Donovan McNabb for a year, and then having to beat an injured Kevin Kolb out of his starting job as a “great comeback.” The best comebacks take place immediately; something Michael Vick has not achieved at quarterback, nor will you with your upcoming response.

Under Review: Bigger ComebackJohnGalatic.SportsEditor and ConorJackson.EntertainmentEditor

Best Sports Photos of 2010/2011

Photos By: Dan Tatman & Meredith Karavolis

award this year. Roethlisberger’s name would never have been mentioned for such an award. Vick has achieved unprecedented success this season. On Novem-ber 15, 2010 Vick became the first player in NFL history with 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game. There is no doubt that he should be named offensive player of the year. Vick has also changed off the field. Obviously, he is not an “ar-rogant narcissist.” Vick has volun-teered his time to travel to inner-city schools and talk to students about animal cruelty and peer pressure. He has learned from his mistakes and has worked hard to improve himself not only in the world of football, but as a person. Michael Vick is clearly the better comeback story. After spending months in jail, he is close to being named MVP of the National Foot-ball League, a feat Roethlisberger could never achieve.JG: Another poor sap falls prey to Michael Vick’s incredible acting

CJ: Michael Vick is an actor? That’s weird. I thought he was a football player. I guess Ben Roethlisberger does not feel sorry either, because if he did not get caught, he would still be allegedly raping people. His crimes would continue just like ev-ery person in this world that does something bad. Ben would not even be named MVP of the Steelers, let alone the entire football league. Yeah, Roethlisberger might have contributed to the Steelers success this season. On the other hand, ev-eryone and their mothers know the Steelers defense wins the games, not the quarterback. Remember the Bengals game this season? The mighty Ben Roethlisberger could have been taken down by the 4-12 Bengals if it was not for two defen-sive touchdowns by Troy Polomalu and Lamar Woodley. Yet again, the Steelers’ defense won the football game. That’s the only reason the Steelers are at the top of the league. Roethlisberger winning games be-cause of his team’s defense does not-show much of a glorious comeback, but this response does.

Love is in the air. How-ever, on television shows, love is not always por-trayed positively. Tele-

verbally, or even cheat. For example, Jersey Shore is always depict-

ing relationships and hook ups, though these rarely last. One person

in the show, Jwoww, always seems to be in a relationship, but that

vision series portray people who do not trust in their relationships,

abuse either physically or does not prevent her from cheating on her boyfriend while

crazily clubbing. Furthermore, couples on The Bachelor and

The Bachelorette rarely find a relationship that lasts past the

proposal, let alone for years. The longest re-

lationship on The Bachelor lasted 51 months

(www.thefrisky.com), while The

Bachelorette only has a track record of two lasting relation-ships.

Once two people have decided to take the step into a relation-ship, a modern mile-

stone is to make it “Face-book Official,” whereby those involved change

their relationship status.

By doing so, all Facebook friends can see what is going on in your romantic life including people like your best friend’s parents, grandparents,

or even former teachers, suddenly can fol-low your every move. There is no privacy. Inside jokes between one of those involved

and their friends may be taken the wrong way. Furthermore, there is a much smaller barrier between your

significant other and the rest of your

life.

By: Hardy Kern & Katie Denning

: :

Most people want to have a fairytale rela-

tionship, like one that exists in themov-ies.But how much

influence do movies

really have on relationships? As far as content goes, they

tend to get hopes up. Everyone who watches them sees

what true love should look like, and then hunts for it in

their own lives. When things do not go exactly as written,

disappointment comes swiftly. For instance, in the James

Cameron classic, Titanic, two people of differing socioeco-

nomic backgrounds conquer familial and financial

barriers to be together. That is, until freezing water

conquers them both. While movies can give

us big and hopeful ideas about relation-

ships, things do not always work

out like they do on the big screen.

The trick is knowing what is realistic, and

what is simply good writing.

When listening to the

radio, people sing along

with the most popular

songs of the moment.

However, they often do

not listen to the words

they are repeating. Numerous rap songs describe physical or

verbal abuse, including one of the most popular songs of the

past year, “Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem and Rihanna.

This song may even influence people to treat their significant

other in the same way. Furthermore, Rihanna has been

surrounded by abuse not only in her songs but also in

real life. Chris Brown, her former boyfriend,

repeatedly beat her up. Not only did the actu-

al abuse stir up controversy,

but also the fact that Rihanna

tried to return

to her abusive

relationship.

Often, people d

o not

think before t

hey send

a text. In

stead they

feel em

powered be-

hind their phones a

nd

use them

to put peo-

ple down. T

exting ca

n

affect re

lationships

when people sprea

d false rumors a

bout others. Fo

r exam-

ple, if s

omeone sprea

ds a ru

mor that a guy ch

eated on his

girlfrien

d, his girlf

riend may b

reak up with him beca

use

she does n

ot know the truth. Also

, while in a rel

ationship,

texting is

an outlet to physic

ally and em

otionally abuse

someone and play it

off as a

joke. In additio

n,

it is a way to

pressure a

girlfrien

d or boyfriend

to make bad decis

ions, such

as pers

uading them to atten

d

a party they w

ould rather

avoid or to

“sext”

them a

picture.

Winter 2011

10 February 2011

Handbags and purses have been staple style acces-sories for the last century. Whether you need somewhere to keep your on-the-go essen-tials or just want to accent your ensemble, you need to be aware of what is “in” and what is “out”. In the past years, handbag designers have focused on east/west styled handbags, which tend to have a horizon-tal shape and are very struc-tured. The spring 2011 season will bring a dramatic change from the east/west silhouette to what is now being called the north/south trend, which, as one could imagine, would be of a more vertical shape. They are made with soft leathers and other stretchable fabrics. The north/south bags have short, handheld straps as opposed to their shoulder strap counter-

parts of past seasons. This trend in handbags is a casual one, but don’t go home and immediately throw out all your old purses. The east/west style can still be brought out for more serious and dressy ensembles. Instead, north/south bags are meant to enhance your everyday outfits. When looking for fab-rics, colors, and patterns for the new season, you also need to keep a few things in mind. Cotton, linen, canvas, and pat-ent leather are always popular choices for the spring season. Stripes are very in. Also, bright colors such as pink, green, yel-low, and white look very cute in patent leather styles. Even though you might think that you cannot go wrong with black or brown because they are neu-tral, timeless colors, you would be wrong. Black and brown are

so boring and overrated, es-pecially for the warm, upbeat seasons that are coming up. If you don’t feel bold enough to be able to pull off a bright color, try a nude or pale pink palette. They are very in right now and go with almost anything. If you’re feeling like you want to stand out, try metallic leather, in either silver or muted gold. When shopping for your prefect spring handbag, go for something new and excit-ing. You might surprise your-self with what you actually like and are capable of pulling off. The handbag is one accessory that is both stylish and practi-cal, so don’t skimp on the price. Chances are, if you find a style the suits you and is well made, you will be wearing it for years to come.

The “Clutch” AccessoryMollyDoehring.StyleEditor

This selection of cars provides you with the entire lineup needed to transport you in a chilling style. Go with the sleek coupe and have the speed to back you up or up-grade to a truck for some raw power. Either way you will be sure to impress upon arrival. Come on, who wouldn’t want to take these cars for a spin? They are just all around fun to cruise around in. Take your lemon and trade it in for some real lemonade, and transform into a stunner.

Fresh RidesMattSikora.LayoutEditor

Life & Style 11

Dating Do’s and Don’ts: 2011 EditionCarlyBeck.StaffWriter

We’ve all sighed at the classic romantic comedy story line where the girl and the guy have their relationship perfectly fall into place. We’ve seen the corny pick up line get the girl on screen, but rarely in real life. Gone are the days of calling the house phone to propose a date. And rarely do the parents meet the special friend on the first date anymore. With all these standbys out the window and technology taking over, what are the new rules? “There are so many ways to keep in contact between texting, Facebook, and Skype,” stated junior Caroline Nixon. In today’s world, communi-

cation never seemed so easy. With endless options, it falsely appears that dating has gotten easier. Any message sent to a girl starting with “I know we don’t know each other but….” is quickly labeled as creepy and deleted. Even though it may be less intimidating to shoot a girl a text or an inbox message, the gesture would be much more respected in person. “Not knowing every detail about the other person in a relationship keeps things more exciting,” said sophomore Trent McPherson. Although face to face contact is encour-aged for introductions, tech-nology is of course going to be

a part of dating. Once the ice has been broken and the texts, pokes, and wall posts are flying, another issue can arise. It may not seem normal, but being okay with not knowing every detail of the significant other’s day is important. Two more rules to live by in the digital dating world are simple; tone and consisten-cy play a major role. “In person I can tell what someone means by their voice, but in a text it can be tricky to figure out,” remarked junior Kristen Jacobs. The way you say some-thing conveys as much as the actual words. So although this

is easily lost in writing, a quick emoticon or exclamation point can sometimes do the trick. Consistency is important be-cause it builds trust. A flooded inbox of texts for three days can be exciting, but one message everyday for a month is more meaningful. Consistency or the lack of can help discern a rela-tionship from a fling. In the end, words are still cheap. Without a con-nection beyond the internet, a relationship can never really blossom. Human interaction is essential. Hearing a laugh, no-ticing a blushing cheek, or sim-ply hearing their voice goes a long way past any LOL or <3.

Breanna Ferchak 12 and Josh Orr 12

Morgan Wyatt 10 and Nick Esposito 12

Lexi Miller 10 and Joey Sala 10

Hannah Foster 9 and Cody Ruffing 9

Nikki Celko 11 and Trent McPherson 10

Savannah Brooks 9 and Dakota Erb 9

Eleni Coleman 11 and Justin Miller 11

Maggie O’Hare 10 and Greg Lippert 10

Cutest Couples at Peters...

How to Lose a Date in Ten Days For some, chocolate candy and flowers are a must, but for others, Valentine’s Day is a bust! Forty Percent of Americans agree that this day does not bring love, but quite the opposite (Listverse.com). If you are feeling like your relationship is just not work-ing out, there is a solution. Taking these ten easy steps will almost guarantee that you will be single and worry free.

Mood SwingsToo Much Makeup

Too Competitive

Mean Parents

Always On The Phone

Always With Friends

Talking About Herself

Overly Flirty Talks Too Much

How to Lose a Guy

Too Much Cologne

Spitting

Not Listening

Too Into Sports

Obsession Wth His Car

Overly Obnoxious

Making The Girl Pay

Late For Dates

How to Lose a Girl

Winter 2011

14 December 2010

Congressman Murphy Issues Proclamations to Peters’ Sports Teams

Girl’s Soccer Boy’s Golf

People from all over the world have been putting in a lot of time and effort to help others, whether it is sending supplies to the victims of Haiti or cleaning the animals and oceans affected by the BP oil spill. People commit random acts of kindness all the time: especially here in Peters Town-ship. Seniors at Kurt Wer-ner and Alyssa Trier, decided to accompany their church group to Panama to volunteer at a camp called “Word of Life.” Their trip occurred from Janu-

ary 23 to January 30th. At “Word of Life,” Kurt and Alyssa counseled young or-phans and lower-class children between the ages of nine and fourteen. While they were working with the children at the camp, they also be learned about their religion by reading the Bible regularly. By the end of the camp, both the counsel-ors and campers should have an understanding about what they have to offer the world and what their talents are. Though Kurt and Alyssa will be working with

young children, this camp is also offered for preschoolers and teens up through high school. This trip helped out many children who have not been very fortunate in life, whether it is because of finan-cial troubles or other reasons. It provided them with a sense of hope and a feeling of be-longing. The children gained a wonderful experience, but nothing can amount to the awareness of knowing you helped make someone’s life better.

Panama Mission TripJuliaGauthier.StaffWriter

This year’s musical, West Side Story, runs from April 7th-9th. This classic show tells a modern, dancing version of Romeo and Juliet, a timeless love story. Rehearsals have just begun, and with such a heavy emphasis on dance, the cast has a lot of work ahead of them. However, they are more than ready for the challenge and can’t wait to showcase their talent.

West Side Story Ryan Crall:Student Extra Effort Award

On Thursday, January 27th , Ryan Crall was awarded the Student Extra Effort Award by KDKA-TV. TV personality Bob Pompeani presented the award to Crall at an assembly. Crall won the award due to his achievement in both athletics and acedemics.

Boy’s Soccer

People Features 15

With only a few weeks remaining, the dance team is undergoing intense prac-tices accompanied with additional all-day practices to prepare for the UDA (Universal Dance Association) Nationals.In the first week of February, both Varsity and JV will be on their way to Walt Disney World, Florida for the annual Nationals com-petition. Danielle Debonis and Liz Egan, the Varsity team’s captains, are responsible for leading the team in practices and incorporat-ing creative ideas in the routines. “I do a lot of visualizing. I also watch videos and try to find different tricks to try, and also look for different clothes for our costumes,” stated senior Liz Egan. With weekend practices ranging between 5-8 hours, the team is definitely uti-lizing that extra time to perfect and enhance their routines. “We add practices throughout the week and on the weekends we will sched-ule all day practices,” stated senior Danielle Debonis.The competition at Nationals is very intense this year. There are 44 teams in the Varsity category and 11 teams in the JV division. The dance team is putting in extra time and practice in order to improve their score from the previous year. They are determined to bring home first, an aspiration that looks quite promising.

New Team, New Year,

New CoachesLexiMiller.StaffWriter

“This program means a lot to me,” said Varsity cheer coach Chelsea Stockhau-sen. “I want the g9irls to improve from past years.” A 2004 Pe-ters graduate, Stockhausen has com-pletely reformed the cheerleading pro-gram as the new head coach. Assistant varsity coach Alyssa Simmons and ju-nior varsity coach Emily Sasso round out the staff. The cheerleaders have had a new coach every year for the last five years, and hope that the new coaches will continue to guide them to success as they have this year. “I expect a lot more out of the girls than previous coaches,” said Sasso. “I want us to work hard but have fun too!” The girls are just starting their winter season, which includes cheer-ing for boys and girls basketball and wrestling, and they are working harder than ever before. Under the direction of their new coaches, the cheerleaders won several first place awards at the UCA (Universal Cheer Association) camp, held at Virginia Tech.

Dance Team Hopes to Win NationalsSavannaSchweizerStaffWriter

Photo by Savanna Schweizer

Photo byMeredith Karavolis

All photos submitted

President’s day

G to the E-O-R-G-E I’m the number one protector of democracy

The first president of the U.S.AAll the homies still know me today.

I have ivory teeth;NOT wood

And was a member of the Virginia colony hood

Fighting in the French and Indian and Revolutionary battles too

I became the man, the myth, the legendNow what you gonna do?

Never chopped down cherry treesThat’s a fake part of history

Valley Forge was pretty rough From it I got completely jacked and

toughThat’s why Martha Curtis loved me

She thought I was a revolutionary hottieLiving it up at my house Mt. Vernon

with the grandkids in towGangsters welcome to the George

Washington showOH!

My name’s T. Jeffy Jeff that’s Mr. Jef-ferson to you

I’m a Mac Daddy from Virginia and, oh yeah, I wrote the declaration too

I say laissez faire, let the homies do as they choose

Hamilton can’t stop me from wearing my leopard print shoes

I was the 3rd president of the U.S.ABesties with John Adams, we hung out

every dayI was the Minister to France and the

Secretary of State I always had smoking hot dates

I was quite the babe magnet, every single day

But I liked my chicks darker; Sarah “Sally” Hemings, get what I say

The Louisiana Purchase, that was meBut fellas I been a revolutionary since

1743 A politician, philosopher, and P-I-M-P

You all wish you were as cool as me SNAP

did you Know?

“My favorite president is definitely the original: George Washington. After all, he was the man who wouldn’t be king.” - Mrs.Pinto

-President John Quincy Adams owned a pet alligator which he kept in the East Room of the White House.-Martin Van Buren, the eighth President, is sometimes credited with creating the word “OK.”-Woodrow Wilson kept sheep to trim the White House lawn. -Thomas Jefferson is the most famous red head in American history and the only President to be a ginger.-Ulysses S. Grant was given a traffic ticket while he was President. He was fined $20 for riding his horse too fast on Washington street.-George Washington loved to eat ice cream.-President Taft, weighing 332 pounds, got stuck in the White House bathtub and had to have an oversized version brought in for his use.

day

Bonnie Strang

One day, PT students will rule the country. Here are our predictions for the future leaders

of America...

Speaker of the House

Secretary of Defense

Chief Justice

President First Lady

Vice President

Secretary of State

Secretary of the

InteriorMark Seraly

MelissaSarnicke

HardyKern

Jen Rupprecht

ConstantinePolitis

Jake Brown

Boyd Jones

the Pt Government

Kay knows her husband could never commit these horrendous crimes. However, when her father’s body is found on Peter’s land every-one except Kay becomes skeptical of Peter’s innocence. Peter hires the best defense lawyer money can but he is found guilty and put in prison. Kay is not about to give up. She con-sistently visits with the lawyers and searches through facts to find evidence that supports Peter’s innocence. As the story comes to a close, Kay be-gins to find bits and pieces of evidence that lead to the real murderer of the three victims and Peter is released from jail. In the last lines of the novel, Kay finally puts the pieces togeth-er and realizes who the murderer really is. But is it enough to save her life?

Winter 2010

18 December 2010

Attention all ice cream lovers; say goodbye to the sugar high and extra calories of ice cream sundaes and say hello to a low fat, delicious alternative. For those who have planned a weight-loss new year’s resolu-tion but cannot seem to get rid of their sweet tooth, this treat will be sure to help and will not ruin a diet. Simply Yogurt is a frozen yogurt shop with pre-mium ingredients and a laid back, Southern California feel. The store in South Park is con-veniently located in the park-ing lot of the T-station, along Brownsville Road. The clean atmosphere and friendly em-ployees keep customers coming back for more. A flat screen TV and free Wi-Fi make it a perfect place for students and adults to come and complete their work while sampling the different types of yogurt. The store does not only appeal to the mature crowd, but also children. The “build your own”

toppings bar gives people of all ages the chance to person-ally design the dessert however they want.“I come to Simply Yogurt all the time because I never regret eating frozen yo-gurt as much as I would an ice cream sundae. It’s a perfect way to kill a sweet tooth or craving and is relatively healthy,” stated junior Danielle Rusnak.

Simply Yogurt has an average of eight different kinds of yogurt and a self-assem-bly toppings bar. The classic French vanilla and chocolate flavors are accompanied by cheesecake, peanut butter, cake batter, raspberry, and various holiday flavors such as eggnog. After dispensing the desired amount of fro-yo, the toppings

bar makes the experience per-sonal. Fresh cut fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, kiwis, pineapples, raspberries and blackberries can make it perfect. Granola, coconut, and sprinkles can also be selected to add flavor and crunch for barely any calories. For the health nuts that cannot get enough smoothies, the skinny smoothies made with fresh fruit and yogurt help people count calories and watch fat intake. Protein pow-der and health supplements can be added to strawberry, ba-nana, and even mango smooth-ies to help those who are on a diet or fitness plan. People who are not exactly watching their waistline may take interest in Oreo cookies, peanut butter M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces, cookie dough chunks, chocolate chips and many oth-er sweet toppings. Hershey’s chocolate and caramel sauce along with Reese’s peanut but-ter topping can be put on top

to make it complete. The Not-So-Skinny smoothies have vari-ous options such as the Twix smoothie that includes cookie chunks, caramel, and chocolate and also the Mocha smoothie with coffee bits and chocolate yogurt. Despite the name, the yogurt along with all of its fix-ings is still a healthier option than ice cream itself. Simply Yogurt strives to make itself different from run-of-the-mill ice cream stores. Paying by the ounce, makes the customer feel in charge and helps control portion size. The friendly and clean environment makes it the perfect place to stop any time of day. It is open every day of the week and ac-commodates any type of sched-ule.

Restaurant Review: Simply Yogurt

KatieFinn.Staff Writer

I Heard That Song Before

ErinMasta.Editor-In-Chief

If you like murder mystery novels, you will definitely enjoy this book. Not only does Mary Higgins Clark use mystery, but she uses love and friendship to enhance the story as well. This book is one of the best she has published and it is one you will not want to miss out on. When Kay meets Peter Carrington, she automatically falls in love with him. Carrington is a rich man with an influential company and he has inherited millions from his father. Once he and Kay wed, they move into the family man-sion that they will share with Elaine, Peter’s step-mother, and the servants that have worked for the family for years. The newlyweds have a lot on their plate including their new marriage and the unfortunate fact that Peter is being charged with the murders of his late wife, Grace, and his high school sweetheart, Susan.

by Mary Higgins Clark

Entertainment 19

“My Boo” By Usher & Alicia Keys “Let Me Love You” By Mario “Find Your Love” By Drake “Today Was a Fairytale” By Taylor Swift “Baby” By Justin Beiber

Trent McPherson and Nico Summaria’s Romantic iPod List

Take a brave step off the beaten path and try listening to songs that cannot be heard on the radio. The music of Florence + the Machine certainly falls under this category. F+M’s bold sound has fu-eled their steady progression from obscurity to the public square.

The band is centered on 24-year-old Florence Welch, an ec-centric songwriter from London. She is the only permanent member of the band, while the “Machine” is made up of various backing musi-cians who play based on neces-sity and availability. Their first album, Lungs, was released in 2009. It held the num-ber one spot in the UK for a time, and produced such songs as “Rab-bit Heart (Raise It Up)”, “You’ve Got the Love”, and “Dog Days Are Over”, the last of which has been used to promote movies such as

Slumdog Millionaire, and Eat, Pray, Love. The song was also featured on a 2010 episode of Glee. The poppy and bright overall sound of Florence + the Machine is made even more complex by the dark and search-ing lyrics whose subjects can range from love and romance to death and coffin construction. Florence’s voice itself is a force of nature that lends itself well to her clear, pas-sionate singing style. The group received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards, held on February 13th. They are currently working in the studio on their next album, which has yet to be named. If nothing else, one can say that Florence + the Machine put soul into their music, a trait sorely lack-ing in today’s Top 40.

Off the Radar: Florence + The MachineMikeSchuck.Managing Editor-in-Chief

For those of us who have played action/sandbox genre games such as Grand Theft Auto IV and Saint’s Row 2, we know that they are usually kick-butt games. There’s freedom to roam about, tons of cars to drive, and over-the-top ac-tion. However, with such expansive space in open-world games, it’s important that the environment feels full – living, breath-ing, alive. Fortunately, Mafia II fulfills that necessity brilliantly. Mafia II’s presentation is terrific. You become engaged in the story, cinemat-ics, characters, and the city itself within the first 15 minutes. The detail is incred-

ible and the sense of realism is top-notch. Graphically, it’s gorgeous, but there is one flaw. While the photo-realistic design, lighting effects, and textures are excellent, there is a decent amount of screen-tearing.This is relatively minor; most people will get used to it, but it may irritate others. Mafia II takes place in a fictional city called Empire Bay, during the 1940s. Therefore, the architecture, clothing styles, and cars all take you back in time. On foot, the controls are sharp and the button layout provides a smooth experience. You can walk, sprint, crouch, and aim down your gun sights. There’s also a convenient

hand-to-hand fighting feature, and a sim-plistic covering system that’s similar to Gears of War. Overall, Mafia II is a good-look-ing, engrossing action/sandbox game that delivers an especially fresh experience thanks to the 1940s setting. The story is interesting, the voice acting is as good as it gets, and the soundtrack consists of a wonderful mix of ‘40s and ‘50s music. The game is slightly short (around 12 hours long), but if you take it slowly and stop to admire the detail of Empire Bay, Mafia II will last long and satisfy you entirely. Capiche?

Will You Join the Family?Greg Marsh.StaffWriter

by Mary Higgins Clark

20 February 2011

Winter 2011

On January 8th, America was burdened with the news of another tragic shooting, carried out in a suburban grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. Almost imme-diately it was identified as a failed political assassination that ultimately resulted in the death of six individuals and the wounding of thirteen others. During the attack, the accused gunman, Jared Loughner, attempt-ed to end the life of U.S. Representative Ga-brielle Giffords (who was holding a small community political forum). Following detainment, it became clear to investiga-tors and the public that Loughner is a po-tentially deranged individual, mainly from the release of his eerie arrest photo and demeanor during early legal proceedings. The conclusion was that Loughner feels an irrational resentment toward the American political process, Congresswoman Giffords, and other symbols of authority and leadership within the country. It is unfortunate that such slay-ings, with their increasing frequency and

regrettably similar circumstances, seem to surprise the American culture less and less. Now it seems they occur consistently (al-most annually) and that the repercussions are also consistent: grievance, confusion, anger, political tension, and eventually a departure from the headlines and our con-science. Another unfortunate aspect of the shooting was the reaction of our always-watchful media, who exploit these events in an attempt to fit a faulty agenda. Obviously, people from the left and the right used this tragedy to push their own political beliefs. However, Loughner’s reasoning was more fogged and sporadic that the politically inclined media is willing to stress. This be-havior of our media ignores the seriously flawed action of the criminal and incites accusations at a time when our country is coping with the effects of extreme hate and trying to understand its essence. Such counteraction then opens the doors for

individuals, like Sarah Palin, to inappro-priately defend her inappropriate use of crosshairs on a political map, and ironically complain that she has been unfairly “target-ed.” Is it impossible to ignore one’s self im-age rather than let the issue go in the wake of such events? Clearly, for some it is not. Is this how to treat death? Certainly not, but some give politics priority over respect. Ideally, for the sake of our country, biased media and outspoken politicians should have joined the rest of the country and al-lowed for a much needed time of mourn-ing, rather than press upon the public their familiar complaints, accusations, and sug-gestions for our society. President Obama saw a need to address this idea in his me-morial speech, stating: “At a time when we are far to eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do, it’s important for us to pause for a moment, and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals… not in a way that wounds.”

A MediA MAssAcreKurtWerner.StaffWriter

A year ago, Verizon launched its newest phone, the Droid. They adver-tised the mobile phone using the slogan “Droid Does,” which implies that other phones, such as the iPhone, don’t. Surprisingly, Droid did. In the first year, Android-based cell phones outsold iPhones drastically. AT&T then lost its privileged deal to sell iPhones when Apple announced that the device will now be available through the Ve-rizon Wireless Network, allowing U.S. iPhone buyers a choice of carriers for the very first time. Android, the Google operat-ing system, allowed Samsung, Motorola and many other cell phone companies to create iPhone-like devices (Droid, Droid Aries, and Incredible). Since Verizon Smartphone’s began to overrule their competition, Apple became frightened. Since Apple’s 2007 debut of the iPhone, it has been sold exclusively

to AT&T customer. AT&T activated 11.1 million iPhones in the first nine months of 2010. Verizon Wireless has 91 million subscribers, many of whom are aching for the iPhone. AT&T’s contract with Apple is demanding and completely in favor of the iPhone. The Verizon Wirless contract seems to be more evenly handed. Now when cell phone problems occur it will be more difficult for Apple to blame it on Verizon like they have been able to do to AT&T. This may mean Apple will have to take full responsibility for faulty iPhones. Also, Verizon uses Code Divi-sion Multiple Access (CDMA) technol-ogy while AT&T uses the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Net-work. One limitation of CDMA is that, unlike GSM, it does not support simul-taneous voice and data. People who want to be online while talking on the phone will have to wait for Verizon to come out

with an upgrade for its CDMA Network that will allow voice and data to run si-multaneously (This is not promised to happen). Another factor is, despite initial hopes, Verizon’s first iPhone will strictly be a 3G, not a 4G device. A plus for Veri-zon iPhone carriers is that the phone can serve as a hotspot, meaning subscribers will be able to connect five different de-vices to share the iPhones 3G connection to hop online. This company is confident and it is clear that it can handle the work-load of the iPhone newcomers because it believes that Verizon is the nation’s most reliable network. Verizon’s rendition of the iPhone 4 makes its retail debut on February 10, 2011, although pre-existing customers have the opportunity to pre-order the phone starting February 2, 2011. With a standard 2- year contract, the Verizon iPhone will cost $199.99 for a 16GB mod-el, and $299.99 for the 32GB model.

Apple Meets VerizonMelina Sopko.StaffWriter

News Features 21

WhAt in the World?

Valerie Gobao.Section Editor A 33-year-old Indian farmer, Selvakumar, re-cently gave new meaning to the term “hot dog” when he married Selvi, a local stray female dog. But do not worry; it was only to break a curse. After stoning two dogs to death fifteen years ago, Selvakumar experienced paralysis of the legs and blindness in one eye. With the help of an astrologer, he found the true cause: a curse by the souls of the wronged mutts. To atone for his sin, he had to marry and live with a dog. However, the union will not be a happy one, as “the dog is only for lifting the curse and after that, he plans to get a real bride.”

Who needs pants? According to “Improv Everywhere,” a comedy group based in New York City, no one does. On January 10, they held the ninth annual Pants-Free Commute, where people were encouraged to ride the subway in their underwear. To partake in this liberating event, all you had to do was arrive at a subway, walk in, and ditch your pants. To increase comedic effect, participants were instructed not to speak to each other, and to act naturally until they got off the train. One woman described it as “a wonderful thing to do.”

The North Korean government has created a “super brain juice” that is supposed to mul-tiply brain cells with its special blend of “60 different microelements.” According to the Central Korean News agency, it “protects skin from wrinkles and black spots, and prevents such geriatric diseases as cerebral haemor-rhage [sic], myocardium and brain infarction.” Well, doesn’t that sound delicious? At least we now know why Kim Jong Il’s regime is so secretive.

The Golden Arches are the ul-timate American icon, but also the main cause of our country’s obesity problem. The media has made many attempts to try and turn the people away from this type of food with articles, books, and videos like Food Inc. and Super Size Me. Food Inc. was hailed by Peter Travers from Rolling Stone as “an essential, indel-ible documentary.” Super Size Me is an American documentary film created after an over-weight lawsuit against McDonald’s failed. It’s premise was to tape a man eating Mc-Donald’s for 30 days while showing the side effects. After the film concluded, the man worked for fourteen months to lose the weight he put on, which was over 24 pounds. U n f o r t u -nately, people con-tinue to consume this unhealthy food that has been proven to not decay. Karen Hanrahan, a McDonald’s buyer saved a burger and French fries from 1996, and to this day it still looks just as appetizing as it did the day she bought it. Recently, Sally Davies recreated the experiment. On day 180, the only change was that the food hardened. Real food is supposed to be perishable, beef is to rot, and bread should mold. However, many families turn to this unhealthy food for a quick and inexpensive meal. Americans eat over 1 million an-imals.The cows slaughtered for hamburg-er meat are from several different farms and sent to the six main processing plants McDonald’s owns. In each of the six plants, approximately 500,000 pounds of

McdonAld’s super sizes obesityGabrielleBrinsky.Editor-in-Chief

beef are produced daily. The average cow weighs 1,150 pounds which means 2,609 cows a day are turned into burgers. In the end, that’s 952,285 cows a year in each of these production plants. This is according to the producers of Food Inc. The chance of obtaining and spreading the contamination of salmonella or E. coli to any processing plant or onto any burger is very risky. Additionally, McDonald’s cooks their French fries in vegetable oil that contains beef extract in addition to milk and wheat. For years, McDonalds refused

to release this in-formation in or-der to appeal to all types of appetites and of people. Whether its goal is to target children or adults, McDon-ald’s has succeed-ed with both. John Robbins of WN Network proved

children are able to recognize the golden arches be-fore they are able to speak. They are fascinated with

the toys that come with the Happy Meal. Nutritionists don’t recommend eating McDonald’s more than once a month, because eating a Big Mac and a large fry takes roughly seven straight hours to work off. People may be short on cash, but fast food is not the answer. Despite what the advertisements say, only seven items on the menu completely lack sugar. Basically, the human body does not want foods that refuse to decompose, raise your blood pressure, or jeopardize your health. McDonald’s is obviously hid-ing many things from their customers and when revealed, people refuse to believe it.

Americans eat over 1 million animals

an hour.

Maggie O’Hare, 10

Nina Leven, 10

Jake McPeek, 9Mike Erenberg, 9

Arend Kaminsky, 10

Kruppa Desai, 10

Media I’s Flashy PhotographyLa

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Brooke Lininger, 9

Georgia Gagianas, 9

Emily Collins, 9

Gabby DiBattista, 9

Andrea Salizzoni, 9

Rachel Cellini, 9

Media I is the class where students are taught the basics of Photography, Journalism, Yearbook, and Broadcasting. Here are just a few examples of exceptional work created during the Journalism unit.

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“Are you a speeding ticket because you have fine written all over you?”

“I thought you liked my walrus impression.”

“I was planning to eat those breadsticks.”

“Has anyone ever told you you look

like___?”“Don’t tell me you’re alone.”

“I lost my teddy bear. Can I snuggle with you?”

“Is it hot in here, or is it just you?”

“Are you from Tennessee be-cause you’re the only 10 I see?”

“Fat penguin... I needed something to break the ice.”

“Do I know you? Because you look a lot like my

next girlfriend.”

“Do you know where the Dippin Dots are? I don’t want Dippin

Dots, I just wanted to talk to you.”

“Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?”

“Do you have a map because I am lost in

your eyes?”

“If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put U and I

together.”

“I lost my number. Can I have yours?”

“Excuse me, but I’m new in town. Can I have directions

to your place?”

“You must be a Windows ’95 because you’ve got

me so unstable.”

“If you were a book, I’d check you out.”

“Do your legs hurt from running through my dreams

all night?”

“If you were a sandwich at McDonald’s you would be called McGorgeous.”

“I was so enchanted by your beauty that I ran

into that wall over there. So I’m going to need your

name and number for insurance purposes.”

SENIORS

JUNIORS

TEACHERS

SOPHOMORES

FRESHMEN