March 2013Smoke Signals

Teacher Madness Results are in!

Pages 12-13

PTDT Brings Home the Gold

Pages 4-5

Smoke SignalsVolume 4 Issue 3

Peters Township High School264 East McMurray Road

McMurray, PA 15317724-941-6250

www.ptmedia.net

Meet the Staff

Mission Statement:Smoke Signals is produced six times a school year by the students of Media II, III, and IV Journalism staff at Pe-

ters Township High School. The staff adviser is Mrs. N. Sitler.

Commentaries, reviews, and opinion columns are the expressed opinion of the author and not of Smoke Signals,

its advisor, or the Peters Township School District.

Staff Writers & Layout StaffJulie GrifithNicole FolinoChristine GaabMaria HogeKelsey HunterNathalie LengNina LevenJessica McElroyNicole NaultyRaelynn NoonanJeff Berry

JC Brush Kristina CarbonaraHannah CarpenterJenn CoffeyJulie DachilleCassi DeLucaJesse EbyMadi StartCasey KirwanKassianna PolitisNicole TorchioChris Watschak

Natalie RihmlandKristin SlomianyNicole SpindlerLuke StokanAlana LomisMadeliene MaggsMandy MagnottiMatt MullanVanessa ScoulosAndrew StroudLuke Stokan

Josh GlicksmanManaging Editor-In-Chief

Alexa KennedyLayout Editor-In-Chief

Jenna TaimutyPrint Editor-In-Chief

Shane DazenBusiness & Sports Editor

Rebecca PerrymanPT Focus & News Editor

Lexi MillerLife & Style Editor

Andrea SalizzoniSpecial Features Editor

Lydia McCallOpinion Editor

Julia GauthierPeople Features Editor

Laura PurkeyOnline Editor-In-Chief

Jesse EbyVoices and Student Work Editor

Elise JozwiakEntertainment Editor

PT Focus 4-5Opinion: 8-9Life & Style: 10-11Entertainment: 18-19Student Work: 22-23

Table of Contents

Faculty Face-Off: 12-13

Also in this Issue....

People Features: 14-15

Entertainment: 20-21

Mrs. Ranade and three students

compete on CBS’s Hometown High Q

4 PT Focus

4.Snowmageddon, 2010- Don’t ever complain about shoveling again. The school missed almost a week’s worth of classes thanks to this nonstop blizzard. For three or four days consecutively, snow came on down onto the lovely streets of PT, accumulating up to a few feet. The students received an early spring break, spending much of their time outside. No, not sledding. No, not having snowball fights. No, not building snowmen. Yes, shoveling. The pattern was as follows: wake up, shovel, salt the driveway, drink hot chocolate, warm up for fifteen minutes, repeat (without waking up again). Needless to say, many students were ready for school to resume by the end of it.3. The Blackout of 2013

- Alvin! What’s a chipmunk struggling to find acorns to do in a cold winter? Gnaw on the wires of PTHS’s reserve generator, of course! Usually when the power system fails, the school relies on the backup generator. However, the cable chomping chipmunks knocked it out, leaving the school in complete darkness. Madness ensued. Teachers were forced to play a game of flashlight tag with students in the hallways. Many kids were locked in the same classroom for about four hours, WITHOUT FOOD. School dismissed 45 minutes early; however, students couldn’t access their locker upon exit, for fear of students running nuts. The power returned the next day. 2. Graduation Day, 2002- Ah, commencement. Throughout high school, students wait anxiously for this day. One can only hope for a sunny day, a few decent speeches, no beach balls, and the hats to be tossed up in a timely fashion. Sorry, Class of 2002. In the middle of the ceremony, rain started coming down. Not just a slight drizzle. An absolute downpour. There was difficulty even seeing the stage. The red on the guys’ gowns bled into their shirts. Diplomas became wet naps. The ceremony was forced to be halted and then resumed indoors. Girls graduated without any shoes on. And to top it off, the speech from the superintendent dragged on. Surprise, surprise. At least they’ll remember it forever.1. The Sewage Flood of 2005- If you haven’t heard of this, just ask the teachers in the basement. Basically, there was something of a “plumbing malfunction” in the downstairs boys’ bathroom. As a result, the entire basement was covered in a thin layer of “murky” water, not to be mistaken for drinking water. Students lucky enough to have a basement locker couldn’t reach it all day. Many ended up throwing away all clothes/food/belongings that soaked up the pleasant aroma. Teachers were forced to conduct classes in the auditorium. After a day passed, the mess was cleaned up. Yet the smell still lingered for weeks. Even today, eating off the basement floor isn’t recommended.

Bringing Music to Virginia BeachJulia Gauthier|SectionEditor

Once every other year, the school gathers together its largest organization, packs them all onto buses, and drives

them to some far off location to compete. The groups within this organization include the marching band, various school bands (concert, wind symphony, jazz), and the choir department. Usually functioning as separate entities, these groups join during trip years to form the Peters Township Music Department. Each group will compete once and bask in the applause from the entire Peters Music Department, along with that of neighboring schools. The judges will then gather the results and announce the group’s score in the closing ceremony.

This year the department will be turning their backs on the cold, grey weather of Pittsburgh, PA and heading for Virginia Beach. While there, each group will be competing separately. However, even with all the competitions there is a lot of free time. That brings our teachers and chaperones to a huge dilemma: what do you do with 300 plus students who have nothing to do? The faculty doesn’t view this question as a stress but rather as an exciting task. They research activities, make calls, and plan schedules so that by the time the students make it back to the hotel at night they will be too tired to cause a ruckus.

In years past, the organization’s groups have paraded through the competition at Chicago, Disney World, and Washington D.C, and left flying blue ribbons high. Individual students have also been recognized for their exceptional talent. This year, the group expects nothing less. “I cannot wait for this final trip,” says senior Drum Major, Melanie Roberts, “It will be a great ending to the entire music season.” With the help of the band’s percussion and the choir’s baritone sections, there is no doubt that the music department’s season will end with a bang.

Photo from AP Images

Photo from AP Images

March POWER RANKINGS: Most Bizarre Occurrences at PTHS

Since the high school hasn’t been renovated since the Civil War, there’s been some crazy things happening over the years. Here’s just some of the best of from the 2000s.

Photo By Julia Gauthier

JoshGlicksman|Editor-in-Chief

March 2013

Many students often find themselves doing the same routine over the summer: sleep in until noon and then go hang out with friends at the pool or the mall. These daily trips can get expensive and leave you broke. Why not get a summer job? It will make your schedule more productive and will award you some extra cash. If you’re an outdoors person, consider lifeguarding. There are many pools in the Peters Township area such as Rose Garden (724) 941-9944, Rolling Hills (724) 941-6123, Valley Brook (724) 746-9000, and Southpointe (724) 746-2950. Although you have to be certified to be hired as a lifeguard, the tests are fairly easy.

MattMullan|StaffWriter

Also, the job does not require hard work. All you do is make sure no one drowns, enforce rules, such as no running by the pool, and occasionally check the pH level of the water. Another plus to this job is that you are guaranteed to have a nice tan by the end of the summer. If you don’t mind yard

work, maybe consider mowing people’s lawns. In the summer most people go on vacation and do not have time to tend to their lawns and need to hire someone. This job is easy as long as you know how to use a lawnmower and fortunately, you can even negotiate how much you want to be paid. During the summer, parents that work day jobs are often left with the struggle of figuring out who is going to take care of their children while they are at work. As long as you are responsible and know how to play hide-and-go-seek, this could be

Jobs Galore

PTHS Varsity Team led by senior captains Jess Jo-seph, Alyssa Townsend, and Carla Buzzato won the 2013 Uni-versal Dance Association Championship in Orlando, FL clinch-ing the team’s first national title in the hip hop category.. “We were so focused and determined this entire year. We wanted to do our absolute best during every performance,” said se-nior Jess Joseph. The winning dance routine was choreographed to Rihanna’s song “Story” It begins with lyrical dancing then builds to a powerful upbeat ending. “We get real tight in formation and just get ‘raw and grimy’ as we like to call it.,” said senior co-assistant caption Carla Buzzato, “It just pumps me up so I perform the ending strong and with a lot of energy.” The unique and award-winning choreography gave the crowd and judges something they had never seen before. Like most successful endeavors, the routines required an intense time commit-ment and lots of effort to perfect. “The team worked harder than ever this year and it just proved that the hard work paid off,” said Buzzato. Leading up to nationals, the team had multiple all-day practices. Not only did the dance team work hard, but they also were in the right mindset when competing. “We made sure before we performed that we were doing it for ourselves and for our team,” said sophomore Samantha Abraham. To focus be-fore they performed, they warmed up while listening to music. Experience is anoth-er advantage that the varsity team had with seven of the fourteen team members be-ing returning seniors.

Out-Dancing the Competition

MariaHoge|StaffWriter

Madi

Woo! Spring Break ’13

Photos from AP Images

a job for you. Most people pay around ten dollars an hour for a babysitter. If you babysit four times a week, for six hours a day, for three months, by the end of the summer you will have earned roughly $2,880. That is nothing to complain about. These are just a few of the many job ideas the summer has to offer. Another option could be working at Rita’s

(724) 941-5004, or running a good old-fashioned lemonade stand. Don’t work to hard though; save a little down time to enjoy with your friends.

Mingo Creek ParkThis is the most underrated, underused park in the area. This park is beautiful and goes on for miles. There is so much to do there, with its countless trails and babbling creek, it is the perfect pace for a picnic for you and your friends, even if your best friend is a horse there are plenty of trails for horseback riding. Mingo is also a great place to go exploring, it has so many hidden gems that are too numerous to name. You’ll just have to go and discover them yourself. Sumbitted Photo

Students always say that there is nothing to do around Peters. Well, have no fear, here is a list of fun and (relatively) local places to go during the warm spring weather, and most of these activities don’t cost any money. DISCLAIMER: MOST OF THESE ACTIVITES REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE FUN WITH YOUR FRIENDS. Peterswood LakeThis local hotspot is a surefire hit for you and all your friends. This is a spectacular spot to go to have a picnic or just take a walk. The best part about this place is that there’s a lake. Lakes are a great place to go fishing or if possible, go canoeing. Pack a lunch, bring your friends, and get ready for a good time.

Peterswood ParkThere are many different activities to do at this particular park. There are two different playgrounds available for your jungle gym-ing pleasure. This park is also right next to the recreation center which is a fun place to go for pickup basketball games, or running on the indoor track. This park also connected to the beautiful Montour Trail which is perfect for running, riding your bike, or walking your dog.

Outdoor EatingThere are many places in and around PT that offer outside eating. There are many dessert places that have benches or tables for you to sit at while enjoying your frozen dairy treats, such as Bruster’s, Rita’s, or Sarris. Other places that offer actual food include Chipotle, McDonalds, Sonic, Farmhouse Coffee, and My Big Fat Greek Gyro.

Senior Raechelle Dietsch has overcome many hurdles to become the athlete that she is today. Becoming one of the top senior track par-ticipants doesn’t just happen overnight, it takes hard work and dedication. Dietsch is coming off one of her best winters of indoor track and is now in a cool down period before the outdoor season starts. Competing in hurdles in both indoor and out-door track is a difficult task. Dietsch was pleased

with her indoor season and cannot wait to carry that over to the outdoor campaign. “It was by far my best indoor season I’ve had in high school,” she said. Indoor track is a great way to prepare for the grueling outdoor season that follows. She uses the indoors to her advantage by perfecting the little things so when the outdoor year rolls around she’s more than prepared for what it has to throw at her. “The indoor season helps me to get into shape before the challenging outdoor season begins,” Dietsch said. Though it was her best indoor track year yet, she believes that the real accom-plishments and personal feats will come during the outdoor sea-son. Constantly stretching and running are some personal respon-sibilities to keep on top of her game. “It’s a demanding sport and you never know what it’s going to throw at you, so you have to stay at your peak performance,” Dietsch said. With the outdoor cam-paign coming right around the corner, she has high expectations for herself, and her recent accomplishments gave her the motiva-tion to do even better. “It’s going to be a tough season this year, but I’m striving to come out on top,” said Dietsch.

Raechelle Dietsch: Athlete of the Month

Chris Wastchak|Staffwriter Since fourth grade, senior Nick Tost has had a passion for play-ing lacrosse. He hopes that his senior season will be a memorable one as he leads the Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse team as captain. He uses this position to practice his leadership skills. “My method of leadership is encouraging players to simply do the little things right and to go full speed at prac-tice,” said Tost. The Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse team practices Monday through Friday, for about two hours each day. Tost stated, “Practicing on my own allowed my stick skills to develop greatly.” Aside from the time and hard work the team puts in at practice, varsity also has games one to three times a week, starting in the last week of March. Tost hinted to the Rowdy Red as he said a big crowd would be awesome to play in front of! Tost’s ultimate goal for his senior year is to lead his team to the WPIAL championships. “We definitely have the potential, we have shown it in the off-season against defending champions Seneca Valley (7-2 vic-tory), we just have to execute it,” said Tost. The team is also going back to the “Wild Cat Classic”, which they won last year. “The Wild Cat Classic tournament in Ohio was a great time. We are hoping for a 2-peat,” stated Tost. Additionally, Tost has also been named first team all-section for defense and was a part of the “Low and Away Lacrosse team,” a club team. After graduation, Tost is going to the University of Pittsburgh to study biological sciences/pre-medi-cine. He was recruited by Furman University, but decided that Pitt was his best all-around fit, but is not forgetting about lacrosse completely. Tost said, “Pitt has a pretty good club team I might check out.” With this option open to him, it’s a great possibility his lacrosse days aren’t over just yet.

Nick Tost: Athlete of the Month

Nicole Torchio|Staff Writer

Season Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates ShaneDazen|SportsEditor

Submitted Photo

Photo by Nicole Torchio

6 Sports

Hope and expectation are two very different words. The Pittsburgh Pirates gave fans both in 2012, going into the all-star break at 48-37, owning a slim one game lead in the National League Central Division. Unfortunately, the team underwent its second consecu-tive second half collapse and was elimi-nated from playoff contention for a 20th straight season.

Despite last season’s collapse, and the one before it, the Bucs, known for being loveable losers, will finally crack the .500 mark in 2013. Heck, they will even make the playoffs. Here’s why.

Catcher- Russell Martin takes over as the starting catcher after a two year, $17 million contract lured him to Pitts-burgh. His veteran leadership and abil-ity to handle the pitching staff are para-mount, and the added pop behind the plate (21 homeruns last year) will be a welcome additon. Michael McKenry will serve as the primary backup.

First Base- Garrett Jones and Gab-by Sanchez will platoon at the position, although I expect Jones to see more at-bats. The lefty slugger will look to build off a strong 2012 in which he hit .274 and cranked 27 homeruns, and Sanchez will provide relief against left handed pitch-

ers. Infield- Neil Walker is entrenched at

second base. His .280 average, 14 hom-ers and 69 RBI’S in an injury-filled 2012 will compliment Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, and Jones in the middle of the lineup. Clint Barmes, who was a disappointment in 2012 after coming over from the Astro’s, is back as the team’s starting shortstop. Alvarez mans third base for the club. He is looking to build off an up and down year which saw him hit 30 homeruns but also fan 180 times in 525 at bats. His stick will go a long way in determining just how far the Pirates can extend their success this summer.

McCutchen put up MVP-like num-bers in 2012 (.327/31/96/.400) and the MLB13: The Show cover winner is ex-pected to do the same this season. Mc-Cutchen, 26, is undoubtedly the heart and soul of the club and his leadership both on and off the field is not seen often in a player his age. He is flanked in the out-field by Starling Marte and Travis Snider, but it would not be wise to count out Alex Presley, Jose Tabata, or Jerry Sands from getting some at-bats as well.

The starting rotation is flanked by A.J. Burnett, a savvy 36 year old who

posted solid numbers for the team in 2012. His 16-10 record, 181 K’s, and 3.51 ERA were tops on the squad. The Opening Day starter is going to be counted on to lead the staff. Behind Burnett is lefty Wandy Rodriquez. A deadline deal with the Astros brought his arm to the ‘Burgh, and although he struggled to gain ground with fans after he came over, he quietly had a successful tenure, going 5-4 with a 3.80 ERA. James McDonald may be the biggest question for the rotation as it heads into the new season. He was arguably the best pitcher in baseball in the first half of 2012, go-ing 9-3 with a 2.37 ERA; he did a face plant in the second half and found himself in the bullpen by season’s end. If he can find success with his curveball and maintain it, the rota-tion will be a very complete one. Fighting for the final two spots are Francisco Liriano, Jeff Karstens, Jonathan Sanchez, Kyle McPherson, Jeff Locke, and the teams top prospect, Ger-rit Cole, among others. Liriano was inked to a two year, $12.75 million contract, but he broke his non-throwing arm in a domestic incident the day before he was to arrive in Pittsburgh for his physical. After a month-long standoff, the two sides agreed to a restructured contract at a lower value of one million dollars. He is not expected to join the rotation until May, so until then expect Karstens and McPherson to win jobs out of Spring Training.

March 2013 7

Most people associate March with the start of spring and warm weather. If you are a sports fan, all you can think about is the madness and excitement of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The tournament provides fans with thrilling games, buzzer beaters, upsets, and heartbreak. It is the best time of the year for sports and fans all across the country. The tournament can make or break play-ers, some rise to the occasion and some shrink on the big stage. The players that step up and play the best this time of year are the ones who will be remembered and go down in history. Being on our all-tournament team is a special honor because only five players make it out of 68 teams. These are players we believe can make a difference and lead their team through the ups and downs of the “big dance.”

Under Review: March Madness All Tournament Jeff Berry and JC Brush| Staffwriters

The Indians finished with a 9-11 record last year, which was a major disappoint-ment. Last season was the first in twenty years the Indians missed the playoffs, so expecta-tions are high for the 2013 cam-paign.

“We’re not going to dwell on the highs and lows of last season. Our main goal fo-cus is to concentrate and pre-pare for this season,” said senior catcher Brett DiCello. However with eleven seniors this year, the team has a lot of leader-ship and hopes to return to the playoffs. To prepare for their tough section competition, offseason workouts started in January. “Our seniors aren’t just great players, but great leaders.

PT Baseball PreviewLukeStokan|StaffWriter

JeffPG- Trey Burke- MichiganThe Michigan point guard is the heart and soul of his basketball team. He is leading his team in points per game, averaging just over eighteen and is eighth in the nation in assists per game. While his size isn’t over powering, his quickness and agility makes up for it.

SG- Ben McLemore- KansasBen McLemore is having a career year at Kansas as a freshman. Not only is he leading his team in scoring, he is also shooting 43.5% from long range; many players don’t shoot that highly from any range. Expect McLemore to take his team deep into tourna-ment this year, possibly making a Final Four appearance.

SF- Solomon Hill- ArizonaSolomon Hill is a senior forward at Arizona and has been a leader his team for the past two years. He is a big, physical player who always uses his strength to his advantage. He may not be having his best year statistically, but what he does for this team is virtually irreplaceable. You can’t coach his determination and will.

PF- Ryan Kelly- DukeDuke’s big man hasn’t played in a game since mid January due to a foot injury but is expected to come back for the tournament. At the time of his injury, he was averaging 13.4 PPG and 5.4 rebounds, while logging just over 28 minutes each game. When he does come back, expect him to light it up.

C- Cody Zeller- IndianaThe Indiana star is a player of the year candidate and without a doubt the best center in the game. Aside from his versatility, he puts up 18.5 points a game with an average of 8.2 rebounds per game. If it weren’t for Zeller, Indiana would be on the bubble and not even a contender in the talented Big Ten.

JCPG- Michael Carter-Williams- SyracuseCarter-Williams is incredibly valuable to the Orange’s success in the tour-ney due to his ability to pass the ball. The point guard is second in the nation averaging 8.2 assists a game. He is also a tough matchup for other teams because of his size and length. Carter-Williams can do it all.

SG- Tim Hardaway Jr.- MichiganHardaway Jr. may be the second best player on his team next to Trey Burke, but he is the key to them making a Final Four run. He has unde-niable athletic ability partnered with a smooth 3 point shot. During the regular season, he has shown that he can make the big shot in big games. This kid is fearless when the game is on the line.

SF- Deshaun Thomas- Ohio StateWithout Thomas carrying the load offensively for Ohio State, the Buck-eyes could have an early exit. Thomas is averaging twenty points a game this season, and when all breaks down, he can create his own shot. Thom-as has tremendous ability to get to the rim.

PF- Jack Cooley- Notre DameThey are by no means an elite team, but they can go as far as senior Cooley takes them. Cooley averages a double-double with points and rebounds. He has good touch around the rim and is relentless on the boards; he is just a tough kid with a high motor.

C- Mason Plumlee- DukeDuke is a team loaded with talent but without Plumlee, I don’t think they are a top team. Plumlee is averaging a double-double on the year with eighteen points and ten rebounds per game. His length and athleticism have always been there, but this season being a huge threat in the post has taken his game to new heights.

Younger players can learn and develop with help from them,” said senior outfielder David Ghilani. However the under-classmen are going to need to play a pivotal role, including sophomore Ryan Tassone, who already has some varsity ex-perience from last year. “Last year gave younger players ex-perience that we will need to help us in the future. Younger players are going to play a big role this season,” said Tassone. Peters Township is in one of the toughest sections in WPIALS. They need to play every team strong if they expect to win. The team aims to defeat conference opponents such as Mt. Leba-non, especially since they lost twice last year. “Our section is

filled with talented teams. I am anxious for all section games and hopefully we will play well enough to win,” stated DiCello.

With a new coach-ing staff this year Peters Town-ship, including Coach Bair and Coach DeLuca, the team gains even more leadership. The play-ers and coaches are determined to get back to the playoffs. “We have many coaches with a baseball background, who can re-late and help our players,” said Ghilani. The team is taking it one step at a time

from the off-season workouts to real games. Making the playoffs is the first step, but winning the WPIAL championship is the main goal. “This is my last sea-son to try to make the playoffs, so I will work even harder to do that. We want to do this for our seniors and for our coaches,” said senior Chris Wastchak.

Photo by Julie Griffith

8 Opinion

When choosing your roommate for col-lege, you could go about it two different ways: ran-dom, or picky. It’s your per-sonal preference, but don’t be surprised who you may end up with. Even when get-ting down to the nitty gritty when seeking out the perfect roommate you may not get what you thought. Here are some helpful tips, just in case you’re not sure what to look

for. First, are they neat and tidy or a complete mess?

Roommate RulesMadelieneMaggs|StaffWriter

You will be sharing a very tight, confined area with this person. Just simply ask them. You want someone to respect your space and keep it the way you both like it. The second fac-tor to be concerned about is whether or not they are a partier or someone who nev-er leaves the room. Wouldn’t it be nice to find someone in the middle? When scout-ing out your perfect room-mate you can do it through your school’s Facebook page. Creeping on students’ personal Facebook pages is great way to see who they are, and maybe even who their friends are. This can help you find out a little bit more about their social life. Another important factor when choosing your roommate should be their

sleep schedule. If they like to go to bed early and you like to stay out, it may cause some conflict when you’re waking them up every night. And if they like to get up at the crack of dawn with an an-noying alarm every morning and you like to sleep through the day, it may not work out. Maybe also find out if they prefer the room cold or warm just so you don’t find yourself freezing or sweating in your own room. Something else to look at may be their major. It is one way you can see what their interests are. You can find out if they are artsy, or if they are science or business oriented. Then compare it to your major and your inter-ests. It may be a good thing if you and your roommate are in the same major, that way

you can relate and help each other. However, I don’t think this is a deal-breaker. Ask them how and when they prefer to do their homework. If they like the room completely silent and you like music when you work, one of you may need to find a study room. They might even prefer to go to a study room, which would be a good thing; you’d get the room to yourself for a few hours. The reason I say ask when is because if they’re a night owl and need the bright light on to do their homework, it may bother you when you’re trying to get some sleep before a big exam. Meet a few times before making a definite de-cision to room together, or choose random and hope for the best. Good luck!

AP Images

If you’ve ever been on YouTube before, you have probably seen (or skipped over) one of the thousands of videos created by You-Tube beauty gurus featur-ing everything from what

they bought on their latest shopping trip to how to create the perfect smoky eye. For many, these videos are fun to watch and provide helpful insight. These gurus have one thing in common: they all go to IMATS. IMATS, or the International Makeup Artist Trade Show, made its debut in Los Angeles in 1997 by Make-Up Artist magazine’s Michael Key in order to provide a place for the industry’s best and brightest professionals to dis-play their talents. In 2013, the show features anything and everything related to makeup, including several drugstore, luxury, and professional cosmetic companies. Make-Up Artist magazine still sponsors the event, which is now held six times each year in six different places: Los Angeles, New York, London, Vancouver, Sydney, and Toronto.

IMATSLexiMiller|LifeandStyleEditor

You might be wondering: “Why should I care? I’m not a makeup artist.” This is a completely valid thought. However, the great thing about IMATS is that it is open to the public. What’s even better is that, at the event, the public is allowed the purchase products at the same amaz-ingly discounted price that professionals do. Featured well-known luxury brands at IMATS include Bobbi Brown, Dermalogica, Inglot, Laura Mercier, MAC Pro, Stila, Sigma, and Smashbox. However, each event varies in the brands that attend, and the majority of the event is comprised of professional brands. At IMATS, you can shop to your heart’s content, but you can also take part in many of the classes, make-overs, and demonstrations they put on for the duration of the two day event. While the Los Angeles event already occurred in January of this year, tickets are still available for New York IMATS event, which will take place on April 6 and 7. For more information on the event, you can visit the website at www.IMATS.net.

Photo from AP Images

March 2013

It is coming down to final decisions. After spending what feels like an eternity vis-iting, investigating, preparing for, applying to, and waiting on colleges, the high school class of 2013 must now choose the path that will determine for the rest of their lives. No pres-sure. D e c i -sion letters have been pouring in since November (and some, since August) for many high school seniors from safety schools to dream schools. Now, many students ponder where they’ll be spending the four couple years of their life. Some of us have known since day one that they would be at-tending a certain school, al-lowing them to focus towards grades and scholarships. For the majority of us, however, we have so many factors that have clouded our decisions, making it a little overwhelming. A good place to be-

Decisions, DecisionsHannahCarpenter|StaffWriter

gin when deciding is to start with yourself and your inter-ests. Take a second to think

about whether you’d like to be in a city, the suburbs, or even out in the country. Con-sider whether you want to be a part of a massive class, a small, tight-

ly-knit one, or somewhere in between. Before any other fac-tors for college are considered, students should establish their comfort zone in order to make college a more enjoyable expe-rience. For many, the primary obstacle is money. Education is exorbitantly expensive, so the lack of funding may stop a student from going where they want to go. Hundreds upon hundreds of scholarship oppor-tunities exist for every person, it’s just a matter of taking ad-

vantage of these opportunities. Websites like CollegeBoard and Fastweb Scholarships feature lists of scholarships for high school students to take advan-tage of. Keep this in mind though, especially if you’re looking at a prestigious insti-tute: sometimes you do not need to go to extremes to get the job of your dream. Many students believe they have to go to the school that is the best for their major, even if their major doesn’t require any-thing extreme. Don’t try to go to NYU if you would like to be a middle school teacher. Some schools may cost more than you need to pay. And don’t think that just because you’re not going to a big name school, you’re not going to succeed in life. Your

education is what you make of it. In the end, it all comes down to your motivation and work ethic. When you finally find your dream school, you may find that you’re a little farther from the nest than you’d like to be. Being away from home is a new experience for many high school grads, and might be even harder on parents. With the ex-pansive list of communication tools made available via the internet, it’s easy to feel nearby even if you are geographically far apart. The stress of making

such a monu-mental deci-sion can really weigh on a per-son. Be sure to sit down with your family to truly consider every factor be-fore you make your final deci-

sion. College is an incredible step on the path to becoming the successful adult you know you are capable of becoming.

In the wake of recent tragedies, a lot of young people have forgotten what it’s like to be truly empathetic; you can thank Twit-ter for that. When we hear about school shootings, deaths, and other horrific tragedies on the news, most people would keep the victimized in their thoughts and prayers. This sense of empathy and love is what’s been socially acceptable for as long as history can tell. Although using social networking sites to spread news is innovative and thoughtful, Twitter users may have taken it too far this time. Once a user gets addicted to the rave and rant of the Twitter world, their tweets become unimportant and fairly narcis-sistic. For example, on December 14 when the horrific school shooting occurred in Newtown, Connecticut, Twitter blew up. Out of the 200 million current Twitter users, a large sum of them probably found out about this event via their feed, rather than the news. While it is a positive occurence to spread the news and keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers, some users were using this opportunity to benefit themselves, or their

Fake Opinions: All In Under 10 CharactersAndreaSalizzoni|SpecialFeaturesEditor

own personal causes. Some us-ers may want to change public perception, and given the cir-cumstances, most likely tweeted #PrayersforNewton, not because they cared, but because they want to give people the impression that they are a good-hearted person. Many people did care and pray for those in need, but these truly sympathetic people didn’t need to advertise it on the internet. If those who claimed to “care” about these issues actu-ally did care, they would act upon it. Typing on your iPhone or laptop will do nothing to prevent this from happening again. If you want to show people that you truly do care, keep it off the in-ternet and broadcast it to your peers; organize fundraisers for the cause, brainstorm ideas to help the victimized, and put yourself out there, not your opinion.

All photos from AP Images

Photo by Andi Salizzoni

10 Life & Style

With the weather warming up, teenagers are ex-citedly pulling out their cute springtime outfits. However, they may not always be appro-priate for school. While looking stylish for school is important, it is just as important to avoid ending up in the principal’s of-fice because your “cute” outfit violates the dress code. We’re here to help define what school stylish is in the fashion world. We’ll focus on the three looks that are most common for springtime attire.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Spring

Sophomore Jill Ciaf-foni demonstrates the do’s and don’ts of the sporty chic style. Do wear shorts with a two inch inseam; don’t wear short shorts that may give people the wrong impression of you. Do wear a jacket on top of your spaghetti straps; do not allow your bare shoulders to show, it is an un-evenly distributed air-condi-tioned school, you’re not under the warm sun in the summer-time quite yet.

Sophisticated dressy is exhibited by senior Rachel Crane. Do wear a nice blouse that makes your tan pop out, don’t wear a skimpy, short cock-tail dress to school. It’s school, not a party. Do wear an appro-priate length skirt, don’t wear a dress or skirt that could make your legs look like those of a giraffes.

Freshman Courtney Ecker shows off her cute, casual look. Do wear jean shorts with a two inch inseam; don’t wear such short jean shorts that will land you an after-school. No one wants to see your bare skin. Do wear a cute T-shirt that shows you are ready to have fun; don’t wear a low tank top. Again, it is not summertime just yet.

NicoleFolino|StaffWriter

Dress for school, not for a modeling photo shoot or a summertime party. Nope, sor-ry, just plain old school. No one to impress here, sorry to shatter your dreams.

You’ve never tried yoga like this before. SHPY, or South Hills Power Yoga, has finally arrived in Peters Township. The Peters Township studio is located in the same plaza as Panera Bread and is the second studio of the business, the first being in Dormont. Power Yoga is an in-tense workout-based form of yoga that is designed to in-crease flexibility, strength, and focus. It combines the syn-chronized breathing, or Vin-yasa, a series of poses, and a heated studio room. All class-es at the Peters studio are held in the same room, but the tem-perature varies as some classes are heated and some are not. In the heated classes, the room is kept at a temperature be-tween 90 and 95 degrees, with 60% humidity. In the non-

heated classes, the temperature is kept at 79 degrees. There are a variety of classes at SHPY. The most common classes are the “Ba-sics” and “All Levels”, which are heated and are both perfect for anyone from beginners to experts. There are two non-heated classes as well: “Gentle/Restorative” and “Seated Medi-tation”. The “Seated Medita-tion” classes are free to the public and are a half hour long. SHPY offers a “Pay-What-You-Can” class once a week, which is non-heated and is at a level in between the “Basics” and “All Levels”. It is the most cost-effective class that they offer, because it runs solely on dona-tions from the participants. For new students to SHPY, they created a “10 for $10” deal in which first-timers are allowed to attend as many

practices as they want for ten days, for just ten dollars. The studio also offers a great student discount with a high school or college student ID. Once the offer expires, you are welcome to pay the drop-in rate for $13 a class, or $9 for students. You can also purchase mul-tiple class passes, or an unlim-ited class pass for one or three months. All class passes can be redeemed at either studio loca-tion, and can be purchased both in-studio or online. All teachers at SHPY have completed the 200-hour training program and are high-ly knowledgeable. If you want to grow stronger in both mind and body, yoga is a perfect opportu-nity for you. South Hills Power Yoga is a great way to take ad-vantage of it!

Poses in PT LexiMiller |Life and Style Editor

Photo by Lexi Miller

March 2013

Doin’ It Like Dazen:

With spring coming around

the corner, it’s time to put away

the snow boots and goulashes and

exchange them for a fresh new look

that matches the weather outside.

I’m not talking about a pair of black

and white Nike’s that everybody else is wearing. I’m

talking about a variety of colors, a variety of brands, and

a variety of prices. It is common, at least in our town-

ship, to feel that if you are not wearing top-of-the-line

shoes then you are not going

to fit in. Throw that logic

out! Look for shoes based on

amiability rather than price,

and pay attention to color

scheme and design as well.

Don’t follow a fading trend;

be the trend.

This year I had the amaz-ing opportunity to attend music’s biggest night, the Grammys. When I think of award shows, I think of a glamorous, magical night. But for the celebrities that attend, it is just another night out. For us average Joes though, the night was surreal on every aspect. Watching it on TV and then actually being there are two completely different experiences. On the day of the Grammys, my friends and I were so nervous. We were afraid of tripping or mak-ing a fool out of ourselves in front of the celebrities. We arrived at the red

carpet at 2:30 and were atomically shocked at the rush of people, the flashing of the lights, and the overall noise. As we were walk-ing to the actual carpet, we came face-to -face with Kelly Os-borne. The funny thing about seeing celebrities is that you will not recognize them when you see them. We were so used to see-ing celebrities in pictures or on the TV that when we saw them in person, we didn’t know who they were. Every celebrity that I saw or met, I didn’t realize it was actually them until much later. I know it’s an antique cliché to say that celebrities are just like you and me, but that is really the truth. Some of us see celebrities as

these super humans that are perfect, but everyone I saw was just a person who has a super talent. Taylor Swift was a tall, skinny girl and Ryan Secreast was a very short man with blonde hair. Of course celebrities are beautiful, but with a “glam squad,” who wouldn’t be?

As we entered the Staples Center, all around us people were eating McDonalds in ball gowns. Pretty ironic, right? Every-where you went, people stared. Not because you looked terrible or too terribly good but because they were curious as to whom you were. When we walked into the Staples Center, people were filing in left and right. We took our seats early to watch the celeb-rities come in. When you are watching the show, it appears to be well put together and magical, but when you are actually there, it was a production. When you see maybe four people on the stage on your screen, there were actually 50 people on the stage. There were people constantly on the stage, setting up the next set and cleaning up from the last performance. Nothing was as it seemed.

When the presenters were on stage, people dressed in black guided them down the stairs. When there were commer-cials, everyone got up and walked around while past performances were playing on the projections around the room. 30 seconds be-

fore the show was about to air, the announcer would say “Sit down, take your seats!” When everyone was sitting down the announcer would ask for ap-plause and everyone would applaud and scream. After the show, we were lead to the after party. The after party was Bol-lywood theme. The party was everything you would imagine

it would be. There were belly dancers performing with snakes and the room was filled with colors of purple and blue. There was a buffet of Indian food all along the sides of the room. On the other side of the room, Estelle was performing on the dance floor. The room was loud and there were celebrities everywhere.

The night was unreal, and to be honest, it hasn’t really hit me that I was at the Gram-mys. My friends and I kept say-ing, “What are we even doing here?” “What is this?!” “I don’t know what’s happening!” It’s safe to say that this was a once in a lifetime experience.

My Journey to the GrammysLydiaMcCall|OpinionEditor

Photos sumbitted by Alex Alavi

Shoes

FacultyFace-Off2013

Round of 64: Who would survive

a 72-hour Honey Boo Boo Marathon?

Round of 32: Who would be the best SNL host?

Sweet Sixteen: Who would

survive a zombie apocalypse?

Elite Eight:Who would win a “Just Dance”

contest?

Final Four:Who could run

the fastest in six- inch heels?

Final: Who could eat the

most cafeteria cook-ies in five minutes?LGI

CafeterIa

ChampIon

Mr. Pinto

Stefan

Redilla

Kuharcik

Mrs. Pinto

Gearhart

Hruby

Milchovich

LivingstonBetschart

Farrell Deliere

Powell

Demascal

Ripepi

Vavala

Maize

Vollmer

Price Bonanno

Kuhn Polard

Baker

Cifelli-McDonald

HickleLamb

Berger

Walsh

SussmanPlack

Keller Lesnett

FacultyFace-Off2013

Final Four:Who could run

the fastest in six- inch heels?

Elite Eight:Who would win a “Just Dance”

contest?

Round of 32: Who would be the best SNL host?

Round of 64: Who would survive

a 72-hour Honey Boo Boo Marathon?

Sweet Sixteen: Who would

survive a zombie apocalypse?

Final: Who could eat the

most cafeteria cook-ies in five minutes? Gym

LIbrary

ChampIon

Blackhurst Miller

Kazalas

Zippay

PerrotteBeckjord

Gunther

Bastos

Hodgin-Frick

Degnan

Wentzel

Kendrick

Hanley

Seckar

Corbin

Good

AntonelliChastel

Lacey

Clagett

Ingham

Wilkinson

Barney

Kocan

Ring Ansell

LaneMyers

ChristopherCompeggie

Cervenak Burns

14 People Features

Fiddlers in the PitCaseyKirwan|StaffEditor

The school musical, Fiddler on the Roof, is finally here and all of the cast and crew are hard at work with last-minute prepa-rations for opening night. Ev-eryone is fired up and ready to perform. However, the people on the stage are not the only ones who are busy practicing to get this show on the road. Down below in front of the stage, in the area that gets no spotlight, is the pit. This large group of young musicians is sweating it out just as much as the stars onstage. Under the direction of Mrs. Fox, instrumentalists of all kinds come together to create and supply a symphony of brilliance every year for the spring musical. After last year’s performance of Legally Blonde the Musical, the pit is eager to

be playing some music that’s a little more “tra-ditional.” Since January, they have been busy prepping for the play. Let’s face it; sitting in uncomfortable, plastic chairs in the band room playing

for hours and hours is exhaust-ing and can sometimes even be frustrating. The musical is one of the biggest high school events of the year, so the stu-dents try their hardest to sound the best that they can. “The music is fun to play and the music isn’t that hard,” says sophomore saxo-phonist Andrea Bryan. “Each song contributes to the whole musical.” Senior clarinetist Chrissy McNeal enthuses, “It’s fun. We have jokes and [being in pit] really improves my play-ing.” Junior trumpeter, Adam Shope, states, “[My fa-vorite song from the musical would be] Sunrise Sunset”. One of the other pop-ular pieces to play among the

pit is Entr’acte. The students cannot get the tune out of their heads. “For me, the thrill of any theatre production with an orchestra is very exciting,” Mrs. Fox, states, “I grew up listening to both opera and musical the-atre. During production, I en-joy watching the project evolve and seeing the individual ef-forts of every member of the company from the tech crew to the actors, singers and dancers, and the musicians, come to-gether with a synergy that de-fies explanation. Every perfor-mance has a kind of ‘electrical current’ that builds throughout all of the rehearsals and brings it all to life in front of the au-dience. As for favorite songs, I really like them all, some for

their energy, some for their charm and some because they deliver the plot far better than mere dialogue could.” The students highly encourage other young instru-mentalists to join them in the pit. Not only is pit a way of improving music skills, but it’s also a way of meeting people who all share a same interest- music. It’s evident that the life in the pit can be stressful, but also a load of fun. As the musical’s full performance rolls in, the pit is warming up their scales and trills. All of the young mu-sicians are really excited for the play where all their hard work will finally pay off.

Dancing On the RoofNathalieLeng|Staffwriter

On March 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, the Thespian Troupe proudly presents their spring musical, Fiddler on the Roof. The cast and crew worked for months to prepare, practicing their singing, acting, and dancing. While every cast member is required to dance in a few numbers, some students were cast as “specialty dancers” and will perform the more strenuous rou-tines. Although several of these girls take lessons or are on the dance team, just as

many of these “specialty” dancers have little to no previous experi-ence. Senior Carla Hoge is the perfect example; she has not taken a dance class since third grade, when she took a jazz class for a few weeks. Almost every girl, like Hoge, took dance lessons at some point in her young life, but that does not guar-

antee she knows how to do a pirouette or step-ball-change. “I literally laughed out loud when I saw the cast list, but I also thought it would be a fun challenge” said junior Emma Gray. Still, the girls have accepted this challenge and have worked for countless hours with choreographer Lisa Elliott. “Lisa is super helpful and very nice,” said freshman Jenna Jacobs. Hoge added, “Lisa is absolutely the most patient

and helpful choreographer I could ask for!” The main number the girls dance in is “L’Chaim,” or “To Life.” In this scene they play Russian men, a proud, cocky, talented group of dancers. This requires the girls to act confident and masculine, all while completing Russian-style jumps, kicks, squats, and knee walks. “The hard-est part is definitely the knee walks and the jumps,” said Gray. All in all, the specialty dancers feel even more special now than when they were initially cast. Additionally, the girls learned a few life lessons. “I learned that I can meet so many more people by trying something new,” Jacobs said. Gray learned a different lesson, “I learned to not be afraid to take on challenges, even if they may involve dancing… in front of people…”

Photos by Casey Kirwan

March 2013 Hometown HiQ on Queue

JesseEby|NewsEditor

Ten Seniors Sign Athletic ScholarshipsEliseJozwiak|EntertainmentEditor

Spring means one thing for the seniors: their high school career is coming to an end. The class of 2013 will leave their legacy here and will always be remembered for what they’ve accomplished academically, as well as in their extracur-ricular activities. In the class of 2013, seventeen seniors were talented enough to sign into their dream colleges on a sports scholarship. This issue focuses on the ten senior that signed in February. These students are looking forward to meeting new people and living on their own, as well as exploring new op-tions outside of “the bubble.” “The thing I’m most excited about is playing on a new team and getting to meet the new coaches,” stated senior Olivia Robertson. However, the end of their high school careers only means the beginning of a new one; moving on to bigger and better things in their lives. “One of the things I’m looking forward to have got to be the Point Park University meal plan,” senior Shiloh Simon-son said.

The Peters Township Hometown Hi Q team is having undeniable success this season. Jack Hussey, Josh Bowman, and Sean Yang, the masters of general knowledge, are the main reasons for the team’s dominance. The team

won in the playoffs against Bethel Park and Carlynton High Schools on February 16 at KDKA-TV studio and is now in the semifinals. The team coach, Mrs. Ranade, gives

much of the credit to the weekly practices, which help the team significantly. “We do lots of sample questions, we practice using buzzers and go over answers in each of the 4 main categories- math, science, literature, and

social studies,” she said. This upcoming competition isn’t just a competition, it’s the most important in their team’s history, and she is aware extra preparations need to be made. “Focus on harder questions, study material in-depth, encourage kids to watch Jeopardy and Hi Q shows regularly, more math, anatomy, and chemistry related questions, team building strategies to help us win,” Ranade stated. This is the most successful Hometown Hi Q squad PTHS has ever had.

Not only did they make school history by becoming the first PTHS Hi Q team to make the semifinals, but they have also been invited to the National Academic Championship in May in the nation’s capital. The semifinal will be aired on March 23 at 11:00 AM on KDKA. Tune in to watch the team advance to the finals for the first time ever.

Alex Alavi- Haverford College, SoccerAdam Becker- Bethany College, Baseball

Kelly Johnson- University of Mount Union, VolleyballCole Kochman- Youngstown State University, Football

Abbie Lavigna- Kent State University, SoccerBill McLuckie- Bethany College, Baseball

Olivia Robertson- Duquesne University, SoccerHarmony Shepardson- University of Charleston, Golf

Shiloh Simonson- Point Park University, VolleyballMike Woltz- Robert Morris, Football

Congratulations

Senior Shiloh Simon-son signs to her dream college of Point Park Uiversity on a Volleyball scholarship.

After taking one of the biggest steps in their lives, all ten seniors line up to document this moment after signing to their colleges.

Senior Adam Becker signs to Bethany College on a well earned baseball schol-arship.

Photos by Alexa Kennedy

Photo sumbitted by Mrs. Ranade

PTHS Hometown HiQ team consists of seniors Josh Bowman and Sean Yang

and junior Jack Hussey. Congratula-tions on an outstanding season.

Don’ts• Wear tennis shoes with your dress. It is okay to bring them along as something to change into, but it is a major don’t if you wear them for pictures or just in general• Wear any funky colored tuxes such as pastel colors or animal print, but if you do want to wear white make sure you discuss it with your date first.• Pick any random flower be-cause you like it or think it is pretty, pay attention to colors and types of flowers.• Cowboy hats, cowboy boots, or bowlows. We live in Peters, not the wild wild West. • Forget a camera or you cell phone, you will regret not hav-ing any photos of your own• Cause drama about groups! Go with your friends and you will see the rest at the dance and get pictures there.

Do’s• Dress to impress, this isn’t just a casual get together.• Coordinate the dress with the tie and the vest, matching colors is a must• Get matching flowers for the corsage and boutonniere.• Go all out with hair, make-up, nails, dress, etc. You only go to prom once or twice.• Take lots of pictures, Prom is something you want to re-member and look back on with good memories.• Have a great time, have fun with friends, your date, and yourself.

Kristina Carbonara Staff Writer

Matt Mullan Staff Writer Alright fellas, this is something you’re going to want to pay attention to. Everyone knows that prom is all about looking good and having a good time dancing until you can’t dance no more. Something that you have to think about be-fore getting ready to look dapper in your suit and tie, is how are you going to get there? You’re going to need to clean up the inside and outside of your ride. What’s that? You don’t have a ‘whip’ and you’re stuck in something like a 2002 mini-van? Sweet talk your parents and see if you can drive their car. They”ll get a free carwash and you get a nice ride. Win, win.

Another option you have is to rent a limo. Since prom is downtown this year, it isn’t a bad idea. No one has to worry about getting lost in the city and missing the whole night, or finding parking, because someone else can do all that for you. If you have a decently sized group, you can all split the cost and it will be relatively inexpensive. If you are driving yourself, especially your parents’ car, be careful driving, stay above the influence, and make sure you know where you’re going and allow yourself to have enough time to get there so you’re not rushing.

Design by Julie Griffith

The all-coveted high school prom is upon us. It is an evening promoted from a young age as being the most glamorous night of our lives. Now, prom is a lovely evening and can be a lot of fun, but (like everything else in high school) it comes with its own drama. Even if prama (drama + prom. Get it?) is inevitable, if you go in to the evening knowing that it’s not going to be a sparkly spread from a Seventeen magazine, you can enjoy yourself. Even if the list of problems seems to go on and on, you may find that you can handle these situations and have a lovely evening. Remember: This is advice, not a firm set of ground rules. Do what you want to do at prom. Try not to over think this evening and have a great time. That is what ultimately matters.

THE OUTFIT: Girls spend anywhere from the day before prom, to the day after prom last year picking out the perfect dress for that special night. They seem to go through a whole lot of trouble making sure their dress is a reflection of themselves, and glamor-ous enough to make them stand out, but not too much. Before you drop a fortune on a dress you’ll wear for only one evening, know that there are plenty of dress shops online where you can find a perfectly suitable dress without forfeiting your college tu-ition. Check out promgirl.com or micwell.com for great options. As for you, guys, it is simple. Go with your date to your tuxedo shop of choice to make sure you both match. If you’re going stag, get a black and white tuxedo, that way you will look great with everyone.

THE DATE: The panic of finding a date to prom seems to trouble almost everyone for months. Keep an open mind. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend. Prom does not need to be romanticized. Don’t feel pressured to make a big event out of “the asking” either. Finding a date in general is exciting enough, not that a little showmanship ever hurt anybody. When it ultimately comes down to it, going single with a group of friends is perfectly acceptable.

THE LOOK: Girls- please don’t panic about your look. I know that you may think everything has to be perfect, from the hair to the make-up to the jewelry to the shoes. Quick rundown: If you don’t like your hair when the hairdresser is done, SAY SOMETHING. They will definitely help you fix it. Doing your hair yourself is also more than acceptable. You may find that girls spend way too much on a style they could have done themselves at home. Do not go overboard on the make-up. You will just end up sweating it at the dance. Same idea with the shoes-- they’re only relevant during the pictures. Try not to spend a ton on six-inch pumps that you will never wear again because they hurt your feet. Think practical; you will probably take them off when you dance anyway. As for jewelry, as fun as it may be, no one spends too much time nit-picking jewelry. Thinking simple is fine.

THE GROUP: This planning step can be the stickiest. Try to never let your group get too big. If your group has forty people-- you’ve gone too far. As difficult as it may be, aim for a smaller group. Ar-ranging tables and pictures will be much easier as a result.

THE DANCING: Have no fear. In the long run, almost no one knows how to dance too well in high school. Be adventurous and enjoy yourself, just try not to hurt yourself or anyone around you.

Hannah Carpenter Staff Writer

Prom Dress Professional Tips• Above all else, be you.• Only bring your best friend. Your entire group of friends don’t have to go.• Sherri Hill and Jovani are Jeanie’s favorite designers, but they can be a bit expensive. “If you want dynamite, you are going to pay for dynamite.”• Dresses range from $250 to over $1,000. Have a budget in mind. • This year it is all about the lace, glitz, and glam. • When going for a ball gown, make sure you can actually move in it. • Make sure you can move around in any dress. Too tight is never right.• If you find a dress you love, buy it! It may be gone the next day. Do not wait.• Start looking now. If you need a different size or want a different color, it may be too late to order the dress.• If it’s your senior year, go out with a bang; don’t be afraid to be original.• You are the one wearing the dress, so make sure you like it. This one seems obvious, but you’d be surprised. • Leave the boyfriend at home.

Jeanie Lambert, the owner of Sorrelle Bridal, is an expert when it comes to finding the per-fect prom gown. Mrs. Lambert came up with a list to help you get that perfect prom dress. Read it, memorize it, live by it. These tips will make your prom dress shopping stress free.

Alana Lomis Staff Writer

18 Entertainment

Catching a Killer from Your CouchKassiannaPolitis|StaffWriter

Crime shows can be entertaining and appealing to everyone. People watch crime shows for the ultimate thrill of catch-ing the killer and finding his/her motive. “I enjoy watching crime shows because they are interesting and full of suspense. I am always on the edge on my seat while watching them,” said sophomore Raashmi Krishnasamy. There are numerous crime shows on TV today. Two popular ones include NCIS and Psych. NCIS which stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service is an extremely popular drama crime show, and is currently on its’ tenth season. This show is about a team of special agents who solve murders, catch serial killers and terrorists, and track down kidnappers relating to the Navy or Marines. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine is the caring, intuitive, but intimidating team leader. Gibb’s team consists of five close, but very different members. The comedi-an, Special Agent Anthony “Tony” DiNoz-zo, references a movie every episode while flirting with almost every woman he en-counters. Special Agent Timothy McGee, referred to as “McGeek “or “Probie” by Di-Nozzo, is the computer geek of the squad.

The hardcore and former Mussad officer, Special Agent Ziva David, has an unspoken chemistry between DiNozzo, bringing ro-mance into the show. Supporting the team is a Gothic forensic scientist, Abby Sciuto, who can process any evidence thrown at her and is like a daughter to Gibbs. The last component of team is a British Medical Examiner, Donald “Ducky” Mallard, who always has a unique story to tell. “My favorite crime show is by far NCIS because it is able to combine comedy and chemistry between the characters with a serious topic about investigating mur-ders,” said sophomore Sarah Magyan. Psych which returned for its’ seventh season on February 27, is a crime show about a fake psychic, Shawn Spen-cer. He conned the police into hiring him, thinking that he is a real psychic, due to his remarkable talent for noticing the tiniest details. Shawn is assisted by his childhood best friend, Burton ‘Gus’ Guster, a phar-maceutical salesman. Together, they go on hilarious adventures while solving every murder case thrown at them. “Psych is my favorite crime show because in every episode Shawn and Gus are able to spin who murdered who into

something completely unsuspected while keeping you laughing every minute,” stated freshman Emily Fornof Shawn and Gus work for the San-ta Barbra Police Department under Chief Karen Vick. The head detective for the SBPD is Carlton “Lassie” Lassiter, whose tolerance for Shawn’s juvenile ways often pushes him over the limits. Lassiter’s part-ner, Detective Juliet O’Hara is Shawn’s girl-friend in the current season. Students who enjoy watching crime shows should definitely watch NCIS and Psych. Together; these shows offer something for everyone such as comedy, suspense, thrill, romance, and much more!

NCIS stars Mark Harmon, Rocky Carol, and Cote de Pablo discuss their TV Show, NCIS.

The Entertainment Must ListLauraPurkey |OnlineEditorInChief

Spring is the best time of year—it’s the end of the awful cold, and everything outside grows and becomes and full of life. While staying in school during these beautiful months can be such a drag, you can make it better by checking out some of these pop culture greats.

You-EPAt the end of 2012, Mac Miller released a jazz EP with The Velvet Revival under the name Larry Lovestein. Mac shows his versatility, switching from hip-hop to jazz. Whether you like the Pittsburgh rapper or not, You shows he’s underrated. Consis-tently Mac is remembered as the kid rap-ping on “Donald Trump,” but it’s Larry that should be getting the attention. The EP features five songs, each with him croon-ing over love. It’s not the best of jazz, but I’m more than willing to believe Larry can only go up from here.

Life of PiThis spectacular film was recently nomi-nated for 12 Oscars, four of which it won (more than any other film). The plot centers on a young boy, Pi, and his fight for survival in the ocean on a small boat with no one but a Bengal tiger. Ang Lee, the film’s director (who took home a well-deserved Oscar for his work) captured the

spiritual dilemma of the film perfectly. Life of Pi presents the question of wheth-er people overcome hardships through self-determination or with the help of a higher being. The additions of an amazing soundtrack, breathtaking shots, and mind-blowing special effects make this film a must-see.

Season 3 of Workaholics In January the Comedy Central show came back from its hiatus. Workaholics follows the everyday experiences of Blake, Anders, and Adam; three college dropouts and TelAmeriCorp workers. The show is writ-ten by its stars and Kyle Newacheck. Their random everyday lives combined with the pop culture references and memorable quotes (“Substance abuse problem? If any-thing, we have a Subway abuse problem. We destroy $5 footlongs!” and many more I unfortunately cannot put in here) make the show hilarious. Let’s. Get. Weird.

Inherent ViceThomas Pynchon wrote this novel (set in L.A. in the late 60’s) a few years ago. Pyn-chon’s imagery and descriptions of the setting reminisce on an easy-going time. The plot follows Doc Sportello, whose ex-girlfriend comes looking for his help in her tangled relationship with an important real-estate agent. Inherent Vice ’s descrip-tions of sunny L.A. make it easy to escape the seemingly never-ending cold we have now.

SkemeLike many rappers coming from California recently (along with Kendrick Lamar, OF, Dom Kennedy, and OverDoz) Skeme is doing great things. A few months ago, he released a full album titled Alive & Living. On many tracks, his flow and metaphors really hit, such as “Alive,” “Kidz With Gunz (feat. Schoolboy Q),” and “All the Time.” However, he still has work to do to meet the talents of his Cali neighbors.

March 2013

Beyoncé: Every guy loves her and every girl wants to be her. She is the oh-so talented music artist and actress that has single-handedly created an empire that is all her own. She has ev-erything: immense fame, platinum albums, a loving family, and a strong head on her shoulders. After fading into the shadows for a short period of time, Ms. Knowles has made a major comeback in the past few months, and that has people talking. After parting ways in 2005, Beyoncé, Michelle Williams, and Kelly Rowland reunited for the first time in eight years to bring Destiny’s Child back together. Yes people, the triple threat is back. They released an album on January 29 titled “Love Songs.” Beyoncé also took the opportunity to perform the half-time show during the Super Bowl. She rocked it, performing many of her popular songs, such as “Crazy in Love” and “Halo.” Her per-formance was powerful and one to never, ever forget. Rowland and Williams accompanied Beyoncé, singing a number from their new album. The show brought down the house, and needless to say, left everyone speechless. The Twitter timelines had much to say about Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé’s performance, and her legs. Adding to Beyonce’s crazy life, she and her husband Jay-Z welcomed their beautiful daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, (unique, we know) into the world just over a year ago. This was a tremendous milestone for the couple, and for fans everywhere. This child will sure be more than talented, and needless to say one of the lucki-est in the world. Who wouldn’t love having Beyoncé and Jay-Z as their parents? Blue’s unique name comes from Jay’s favorite color,

Queen B Makes a ComebackJennaTaimuty|PrintEditorInChief

It’s been nearly a decade since Mean Girls first hit the big screen, impressing all who saw it. If a movie like this

can be so successful for this long, what made it so special and can any other movie top it? Let’s be honest, fans like Mean Girls so much because it is so quotable in everyday life. But this past October, Mean Girls may have met its match…Pitch Perfect. Let’s say you are sitting in Mr. Milchovich’s math class learning about limits. You and your friend are not quite sure of the answer, so naturally, the “limit does not exist,” according to Mean Girls. Or perhaps you are running the mile in gym class…eh, well, kind of… and Mr. Farrell begins to ask you what you are doing. Your first response should be, “I’m horizontal running,” from Pitch Perfect. Let’s be honest, you are still running aren’t you? Maybe you are participating in a tolerance assembly in the auditorium, and you are not quite sure who is on the stage speaking from your class. Someone will inevitably scream “she doesn’t even go here,” while odds are, she does, or at least that’s what Mean Girls would say. And while being on the subject of the stage, maybe you are a cast member in the spring musical, Fiddler on the Roof and you are playing a daughter in the wedding. Another cast member

begins to approach you to say “shalom.” If you replied “that’s not a real word, but keep trying you will get there,” the rest of the cast wouldn’t be very surprised since most of them have seen Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect screaming that at some kid in a yarmulke. Although as audience members we love our quotes, we may love those special characters just a bit more. Mean Girls has Coach Carr. He’s blunt, he’s awkward, and his small role plays a large part in the film. He provides the very apparently loved “or you will get pregnant and die” quote that so many people use in “Real Talk” when it’s time to anonymously write a phrase on their sticky note. But Pitch Perfect has its shining star, Fat Amy. Fat Amy is an “open book,” according to her own description. She says whatever she is thinking about at the given moment. She is highlight of the movie, no questions asked. Plus most of the laughs at the show come from one of her lines, which she improvised most of them. Now that is true talent, my friends. Half of these references will not make sense if you haven’t seen these movies, but trust me; it is worthwhile to be able to quote them in your everyday life and experience characters Hollywood has not seen up until now. Pitch Perfect is the up-and-coming Mean Girls of this decade, but it’s not for me to decide. “I hate myself everyday because of it.” So I cannot really be the judge.

Is Pitch Perfect the new Mean Girls?JesseMcElroy|Staffwriter

blue, and from the Roman numeral IV, hence Ivy. The number four plays an important role in the duo’s lives. Beyoncé’s birthday is Sep-tember 4, Jay-Z’s is December 4, and they were married on April 4. The couple also has tattoos of the Roman numeral on their ring fingers. Beyoncé has also come out with her own documentary, which is available on HBO or on demand. The documentary is unique in the sense that Beyoncé, who has never been one to share personal information, opens up about every aspect of her life. It goes through her decision to become independent and break free from her manager, whom is also her father, and how that has af-fected their relationship. It describes the hardships she has endured losing her first baby in a miscarriage, and it also displays home videos of Beyoncé as a child. And, of course, there is never-before-seen footage of Beyon-cé’s breathtaking voice and performances, as well as extremely personal interviews. Beyon-cé gives new meaning to the creatively titled documentary “Life is but a Dream.” Beyoncé has achieved these ac-complishments all on her own in the past few months, as she is her own manager now. Knowles is making her way back up the charts, and we will continue to watch as she continues her success, and takes over the world. AP Images

Playlist of the Month

Design by Christine Gaab

20 News

After the recent school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut and other schools across the nation, gun control groups, law en-forcement officials, and others are asking for Congress to address gun violence. President Obama did not press any gun control measures in his first term, but now with the help of his democratic leaders in the House, he has rolled out a large number of propos-als and made this issue a top priority. Congress will have to face the uphill battle, however, in order for a gun restriction law to be established.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi presented fifteen prin-ciples that focus on limiting gun rights. Some of the central and most controversial pieces include reinstating the assault weapons ban and requiring universal background checks for anyone pur-chasing firearms. Members of Congress, however, think that rein-stating the assault weapons ban will not get enough support from both parties. When it comes to reducing gun violence, President Obama believes it is best to look at criminal records and check mental stability before purchasing. Once his ideas are approved, the next step is to vote on it.

Other recommendations include strengthening the current background check database, restoring federal funding to research ways to reduce gun violence, improving mental health resources, and improving school safety. Pelosi told Congress that she wanted “the boldest possible package” and argued that “the American people are way ahead of Congress on this issue” (CNN.com). The American public has an interest in the issue and public opinion polls show more people are will-ing to approve stricter controls and new laws. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is ramping up a campaign against the pro-posed gun control measures. They do not believe that the five key states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina and West Virginia) are going to be able to get enough votes. Several Democratic senators are ex-pected to face tough re-election fights in their respective states because of supporting stricter gun control measures.

Ready, Aim, Law?NicoleSpindler|StaffWriter

Photo by AP Images

Inspiration is everywhere. For millions of women throughout the world, theirs now stems from a four-teen-year-old Pakistani girl named Malala Yousufzai. She is one of the greatest activists the world has ever seen and is not even old enough to drive. In Pakistan, it is a rare occurrence for a woman to voice her opinion, and unheard of to speak out against the Taliban. This brave

girl spoke up for all Middle Eastern women wanting an education. But, she was pun-

ished. Yousufzai was shot in the head and neck on her way home from school on October 9, 2012. The shooters fled from the scene but were known to be Taliban gunmen. Yousufzai’s life was in critical condition and she was air-lifted to a hospital in the United Kingdom. Even with the criti-cal injuries she received, she survived the near-fatal accident and left the hospital able to walk and speak again, improving each day with physical therapy and rehabilitation. Still the Taliban remain a huge threat to this young prodigy. CNN reported that the Taliban will not tolerate Yosufzai and if she continues to speak out against them, they will continue to target her.

There is still fear that they may attack again. So for now Yousufzai is living in Great Britain. However, this has not stopped her work. Even after this horrific incident, she continues to write a blog and speak out against the way Pakistani women are being treated. In an interview with CNN Yousufzai stated, “I want to serve the people. I want every girl, every child, to be educated.”

Yousufzai’s bravery shows that there is hope even against strong military leaders like the Taliban. She is still speaking up in her blog when she writes about standing up for her rights and the desire to improve her country.

“It seems that it is only when dozens of schools have been destroyed and hundreds others closed down that the army thinks about protecting them. Had they conducted their operations here properly, this situation would not have arisen,” (criticalapp.com). This courage from just one young girl proves that truly anyone can make a difference. Malala Yousufzai is a legacy.

Yousufzai: A Voice for Pakistan

Kelsey Hunter|Staff Writer

Photo by AP Images

It’s March, and the SATs are rapidly approaching. Whether you’ve prepared for them or not, it can be a treach-erous experience. Getting up early on a Saturday morning and taking a four hour long test is definitely not a student’s cup of tea. And nothing is more frustrating than when the scores come back lower than expected. Many high school students have their own theories about the best ways to study, but the ques-tion is, what is the best way to succeed? There is always the op-tion of signing up for an SAT prep course if you’re willing to spend some cash. Accord-ing to studies, SAT classes can potentially raise your score by

Don’t Sweat the SATsRebeccaPerryman|NewsEditor

200 points. SAT classes can be found everywhere and can range from semi-private to large group instruction. “The class I’m enrolled in gives me tips on how to ef-ficiently take the SAT test. It costs $175 for four three-hour classes at the public library on Sundays. We learn from other classmates’ questions and mis-takes so the classroom setting helps. We have two Penn State professors who have previously scored the SAT so they know what is expected from us. The class is worth the money also because we are given the col-

lege board book and other help-ful materials,” said junior Alana Hiner. While a classroom setting might work very well for one student, it may be too broad for another. Private tu-toring is a different and more specialized method to practice for the SATs, but typically you get less time for your money. “I have an SAT tu-tor that comes to my house for two hours a week. I feel like I’m learning a lot because there are no distractions from other kids and I can practice whatever I need to work on with the tu-

tor. I take a practice test and she tells me why I’m missing the things I miss,” said junior Christy Burris. Finally, indepen-dent studying is the cheapest. The College Board SAT book serves as a good resource to those who are practicing indi-vidually. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t take hours of prep classes and studying to get satisfactory SAT scores. One of the most important score boosters is confidence and perseverance. The SATs can be taken as many times as needed, so if scores from the March test aren’t ideal, there are many more chances to succeed.

March 2013 21

October 21st, 2015. Does that date ring a bell? It’s the date that Marty McFly and Doc Brown fly to in Back to the Future Part II. Although director Robert Zem-eckis’s predictions of flying cars, hover boards, and self-tying shoelaces may not come true by the time the current sophomores are seniors, but technology is headed toward a whole other level. Google recently released a promo for their new product “Google Glass.”

According to the video, the product is to be worn as glasses and perform many of the same functions as other top-rated Apple products, such as the iPhone. The commercial shows people do-ing remarkable things such as recording videos, taking pictures, sending texts, using GPS, surfing the Web, and finding restaurants. Of course, the product does resemble spy glasses with the widget on the top of one lens and extending back. However, the fact that Google has the ability to create such a product is incredible. The company targets a release before year’s end at a price under $1,500. It makes one wonder what is to come next in the world of technology. Both Sony and Microsoft have already announced the release of new gaming consoles in the near future. With the Playstation Move and the Xbox Kinect already in place, it will be interesting to see how the two rival companies build off the already astounding capabilities of the devices. Additionally, the electric car was founded not all too long ago. Although many find it unimportant, it’s a huge step in the en-vironmental and technology worlds. Who knows how close we re-ally are to flying cars? We live in a world today that centers entirely around tech-nology. Many students can’t last more than ten minutes without checking their smartphone. In between every class period, hun-dreds of students have their headphones in, listening to their iPods. With every passing day, masterminds are busy behind their com-puters, working on the next big thing. For those who say that they don’t obsess over the newest gadgets, think about it. More than likely, you either make fun of your friends that have flip phones or weep over the fact that the best phone you ever owned was the LG Chocolate. The iPod Classic now seems like a tool a caveman would have used to draw on the walls.

The Future is NowJoshGlicksman|EditorInChief

What in the World?RebeccaPerryman|NewsEditor

The latest in technology has ar-rived. A transparent phone was recently constructed in Taiwan and after six years of intense research and development, it will be produced this year. The innova-tion is said to have the same capabilities as the typical smart phone, except it is transparent and 25 percent lighter than the iPhone 5. Although the price has not

been released, the inventors claimed the new device to be sold cheaper than the iPhone 5! If Taiwan’s production continues to succeed, it looks like the transparent phones may become more common than the iPhone. Who could possibly be more intelligent than Einstein? Shockingly enough, a sixteen year old girl from the United King-dom has been discovered as smarter. After stumbling upon an IQ test, newfound genius Lauren Marbe, whose interests include fake tanning and manicures, scored 161, which is higher than Einstein and Bill Gates. Lauren has defied the “dumb blonde” stereotype, and she is blown away by her accomplish-ment. “It was such an achievement and I got a bit tearful to tell you the truth,” said Marbe (indianexpress.com). Lauren’s love for cosmetics and blonde highlights does not change the fact that she is one of the most clever individuals out there. If you think you may have an unhealthy addiction to chocolate or potato chips, meet Nicole, a 19 year old whose per-sonal addiction is consuming a stick of roll-on deodorant per day. While the average teenager uses this as an antiperspirant,

Nicole uses this as her main source of nutrition. “My brain tells me, ‘You have to eat it.’ I tried giving it up for a week but got really sick and had bad headaches,” admits Nicole (mirror.co.uk). In or-der to control her odd crav-ing for deodorant, she eats almonds as a substitute.

What’s the best way to stop a robber? Forget the bat, club, or knife and use a hot cup of Joe. In New Haven, Con-necticut, a man attempted to climb through the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through window after an employee refused to give him change for a $100 bill. As a quick and desperate measure to stop the man, the employee threw hot coffee at his face. The startled man drove away empty handed.

Pope Benedict XVI, at age 85, has re-cently become the first pope to retire from the Catholic Church in six hundred years. He gave an emotional farewell speech during a meet-ing of Vatican Cardinals. The pope left due to his decreasing health and high age on Febru-ary 28, 2013. He felt his age did not allow him to fully complete the job that was entrusted to him. Replacing Pope Benedict will not be an

easy task. Leading over one billion Roman Catholics nationwide requires both “strength and mind of body.” The new pope must be elected by the end of March, which leaves a large task ahead of the cardinals. Managing a church that holds over a billion Catholics is not an easy job to walk into, which makes the Pope’s decision to step down even more bold.

Search for New Pope ContinuesJennaTaimuty|PrintEditorInChief

AP Images

AP Images

AP Images

AP Images

Art

Hannah Falcione, 9

Emily Warne, 11

Macy McKnight, 12

Liz McElhaney, 10

Art classes are the most widely taken electives at PTHS. From Eletronic Imagery to Ceramics, stu-dents can demonstrate creativity through a variety of media and learn new ways to express them-selves through art. Below are pieces that the students have recently created.

Lauren Belack, 12

Emily Corrigan, 12

Nico Arribas, 12

Kelsey Collins, 10

Diana Sarnicke, 11

Design by Jenn CoffeyPhotos by Justin Puente and Emily Koch

24 Voices

Jane Fitzgerald:“The top of a tree.”

Stephan Aronson: “The bottom of a diving board.”

Courtney Ecker: “In the car.”

Harrison Nix:“The dryer.”

Freshmen:Where is the most memorable place you’ve found an Easter Basket?

sophomores: What are you looking forward to with the warm spring weather?

Casey Moran: “Short shorts and parties!”

Courtney Smore: “Spending time outside with friends.”

Brycen Hancock: “To drive with my top down.”

Mia Magnotti: “Playing soccer outside.”

Juniors: Who would be your celebrity prom date?

RJ Pfeuffer: “Mila Kunis.”

Ava Shahdadian:“Zac Efron.”

Geno DeBlasio: “Kate Upton.”

Elsie Growall: “Jesse Williams”

seniors: What is the best April Fools prank you’ve ever played?

Teachers: What would be your dream vacation to take over spring break?

Lauren Cisney: “Gave someone caramel covered onions.”

Carla Buzzatto: “Wrapped sink faucet with rubber band.”

Landen Donofrio: “Put broth cubes in shower head.”

Drew Schaefer: “Lied to my cousin about video game cheats.”

Señora Miller: “Visit my mom in Mexico. Most amaz-

ing tamales.”

Mr. Pinto: “The Masters.”

Mrs. Boni: “Any beach with white sand.”

Mr. Davidson: “Fiji, anything to get away from the cold.”