May 2013Smoke Signals

PT’s Declassified School Survival

Guide pages 12-13 Discover some of

PT’s Unsolvable Mysteries pages 16-17

Peters Township: Year of the Champions

pages 6-7

Photo by Mandy Magnotti

Smoke SignalsVolume 4 Issue 5

Peters Township High School264 East McMurray Road

McMurray, PA 15317724-941-6250

www.ptmedia.net

Photo by David Tennet

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

Also in this Issue....

People Features: 14-15

News: 20-21

Sports: 6-7

Girl’s Softball racks up the wins this season

Read up on some stories that will make you say “What in the World?”

POWER RANKINGS: Why the Sequel(s)?I thought about including the Scream films on the list, then I realized just how great those films are. I hope they make a million more, at least. WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILER ALERTS!

5. Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)Surely, you can’t be serious. Unfortunately, I am. Several main characters came back for a second round of the air travel madness. What’s the difference between the first and second edition, you ask? Instead of food illness causing Ted Striker to save the plane from smashing into land, this time Ted Striker has to save the plane from flying into the sun. Wow. That’s some difference. Now, I understand that The Hangover films follow the same approach (although hopefully the final chapter changes at least a little), but at least they include hilarious jokes. The only positive from Airplane II: The Sequel is that the cast picked up William Shatner. Otherwise, enjoy losing about an hour and a half.4. Jaws 2 (1978)Why the need for more sharks? Didn’t the point get across? Apparently not. Not sure if Jaws had some sort of baby with his shark wife (because I know Jaws wouldn’t just have a baby with any old shark, he’s got morals) to create an equally terrifying shark. And so the cycle repeats. What Jaws are we on now? Seventeen? They’ve even lost count, they’ve started using names such as Jaws: The Revenge. The

first one was a classic, LEAVE IT BE. Jaws died a peaceful death originally, no need to try and revive him. Leave the oceanic drama to the phenomenal Piranha films.3. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)What are the odds that Sandra Bullock would end up in such an unlikely situation twice within five years? Almost impossible. Additionally, when deciding to make a sequel, at least bring the appropriate cast back. Give me Keanu if you can only get one back. He’ll provide some action phrases that are so bad they are comical. Bullock just talks and tries too hard to play the part. At least they got William DaFoe, who is always entertaining, if nothing else.2. Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003)

Just when it can’t get any funnier, they go out and do this… AND TOTALLY RUIN EVERYTHING! Why do Hollywood producers have to pick up worthless paychecks at the cost of disgracing classic films? Although I generally loathe Jim

Carrey, the original is one of the best comedy films of the 90s, without a doubt. And now, rumor has it there may be yet another chapter in the series coming out next year. Here comes disaster.1. The Karate Kid, Part II (1986)Talk about running a series into the ground. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made some sort of Karate Kid mash-up in which Jaden Smith battles Ralph Macchio. Come to think of it, that would be awesome. Regardless, why can’t Mr. Miyagi and Danny either become friends for life and reminisce over that tournament while catching flies with chopsticks or sadly part ways, never to see each other again. Don’t take us through the painful attempts of sequels. There is no other karate match or tournament that can beat the ending of the original Karate Kid. Period.

Say goodbye to the PSSA’s and hello to the Keystone Exams. As of 2013, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania requires students to take three Keystone Exams by the end of their junior year: Algebra 1, Biology, and Literature. The exams are brand new, so there are many questions and concerns about this new standardized test.

What is the difference between the Keystone Exams and the PSSA’s? The Keystone exams measure the newly adapted

PA Common Core Standards. They are designed to be end-of-course assessments for various subjects. The PSAs measure proficiency in reading, writing, and math for the PA academic standards.

“I believe that the PSSAs were easier than the Keystones because the questions on the PSSAs were a lot simpler, less analytical, and are more

straight forward,” said sophomore Julia Hilden.

Why do Pennsylvania students have to take the Keystones? As of the

start of the 2012 school year, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania requires students to take the Keystone exams to graduate. Since the exams are new, numerous students were required to take the test a year or two after completing the actual class. However, as the

Keystone Questions Answered Keystones progress, students will be given the opportunity to take the exam immediately after they finished the class.

“Taking the Biology Keystones while taking Chemistry was very challenging because it was difficult recalling specific details about Biology,” stated sophomore Jennifer Holcombe.

What if you did not receive a proficient or advance on the tests? Students who did not score proficient or above in the winter Keystones in Algebra 1 or Literature will receive remediation in those areas and will have to retake them in May. If students do not pass the May Keystones, then they will likely be enrolled in a semester-long course in the fall or spring of next year. However, the Biology Keystone is not currently a graduation requirement, but students who did not pass will have to retake them. This is to stress and help students understand the importance of science in the curriculum, and review necessary skills.

Which exam should students who have not taken the test be worried about the most? Do not stress over the Keystones but rather prepare for each and take your time during the test. However, the majority of students thought that the Biology Keystone was the most difficult and that students should definitely study for them.

“The Biology Keystones were difficult because I had to remember the information from freshman year and the questions were very specific, especially the open ended ones,” said junior Rebecca Flaugher.

If you have any other questions about the Keystone exams visit http://www.pdesas.org/module/assessment/keystone.aspx or contact your guidance counselor.

KassiannaPolitis|StaffWriter

Students from a school in Hazleton, PA take the keystone exams Friday January 11th 2013.

4 PT Focus

JoshGlicksman|EditorinChief

May 2013

Seniors, we’ve been working towards our graduation day for the past twelve years and it is now just around the corner. We have an entire week of practice, guidelines to follow, and everything for is planned down to the final detail. We’ve made it this far, let’s not ruin the big day. Here are just a few friendly reminders. Girls: A white dress and white shoes are required. Keep in mind that gram and gramps will be in attendance, so keep it classy. We do not need any wardrobe malfunctions while you’re shaking hands with the superintendent. Also, please remember to bring your cap and gown.

Alana Lomis| Staff Writer

Congrats Grads

The Peters Township boys fencing team may have snuck under the radar of PT sports, but we cannot forget the fact that they are then League Men’s foil champions for the second straight year. The 2012-2013 fencing season has been extremely successful, adding to the many championships earned by PTHS sports teams. Every member of the squad was a huge contributor to their success this season. Senior team captain Josh Bowman is nationally ranked in both foil and epee, and was named League Men’s Foil MVP. Senior foil captain, Kenny Dodson, is nationally ranked in foil. Senior Josh Larimer, junior Chris Laster, and sophomore Freddie Smith also greatly contributed to their winning season. Furthermore, the club will be adding a new trophy to their collection. The Pittsburgh High School Epee Cup will be showcased at PTHS due to the hard work of Mariska Usouski, captain Joshua Bowman, and other captain Joshua Larimer.

Fencing Their Way to the TopJesseEby | NewsEditor

Guys: This shouldn’t be difficult. All you need is black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and black socks and shoes. A tie is optional. I’m sure if you give your mom a couple weeks notice, she can have everything ready for you, even your cap and gown. Time: We know how terrible the traffic is in the morning on our way to school.

Now picture that, but twenty times worse. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the high school. This does not mean you leave your house with two minutes to get

here, then blame the sweet old traffic guard for your tardiness. Excuses like that won’t cut it in college. Family: This day is not just about us. Our families have worked just as hard as we have to make sure we can walk down that red carpet. Give them the time and respect they deserve. I’m sure we will

all understand if your mom is sobbing uncontrollably and is insisting on hugging you and never letting go. Let’s also make sure our parents make it to graduation. This means do not lose the tickets the school provides for you, and please keep them informed on the date and time. As long as everyone follows these simple instructions, graduation should run smoothly. This day should be fun and exciting; we’ve all worked so hard to get to this point. This day should go without a hitch.

Photo by Lindsey ChiesaPhoto by Rachel Celini

Photos by Rachel Celini

6 Sports

Senior Clayton Edwards has exemplified the will to win in his past four years for the vol-leyball team. Edwards has played the sport for the school since he was a freshman and has not only grown with his own ability, but has also grown with the other players on the team.

“Volleyball is a good time for me. I get to play a sport that I’m good at, and get to be around

my friends at the same time,” Edwards said.Coming off of a 16-3 record last year, the team had a great sea-

son, but there’s always room for improvement.“The things that we can improve on that will really help us is

our defense and our blocking,” Edwards stated.Edwards believes that teamwork is going to be a key factor this

year, and with him being a middle hitter, he will be a central fig-ure to the team. The team has a few goals they are looking for-ward to achieving, such as beating their rivals Bethel Park, win-ning their section, making the playoffs, and making a run at the state title. The team has a great outlook and should prove to be a tough opponent to play against.

“The team is looking excellent, and we’ve really improved from our season last year. We plan to show everyone what the volley-ball team is all about,” explained Edwards.

Deep down, Edwards has a drive and strong will to win that will assist him in carrying his team through what everyone has planned to be a successful season.

Clayton Edwards

The female athlete of the month is sophomore softball player Lindsay McKnight. She has worked hard on and off the field, and her determination to keep getting better is what makes her a great player. Her team made it to the playoffs last season and she plans to take them there again. “One of the most important goals as a team is to beat our rivals Canon-Mac and win our section. If we keep our bats going we can beat any team we play,” said McKnight.

The Varsity softball team is very young team with many sopho-mores starting this year. “We are a very young team, which is good in some ways because we can only get better,” said McKnight.

Recently, the varsity team went to a tournament in Tennessee where they captured first place. Lindsay helped the team by driving in runs and mak-ing many great defensive plays.

As a shortstop she works hard de-fensively and offensively to try and help the team win every game. “Let-tering last year as a freshman was one of my biggest accomplishments. Last season in a tournament in Kentucky I drove in the game winning run with a double,” stated McKnight. She is a huge contributor to the success of the soft-ball team and her determination helped her earn Athlete of the Month.

Lindsay McKnightLuke Stokan|StaffWriter

Athletes of the MonthChrisWatschak|StaffWriter

With a nice winning streak going and really mak-ing a name for themselves, the PT Lady Indians softball team is one to watch. Having decent seasons in previous years, the ladies have stepped up their game and proven themselves to be a great team. Starting off the sea-son in a tournament at Gor-donsville, Connecticut, the Lady Indians won it all, with-out dropping a game in the tournament. With a great start and a confidence booster for the team, they have been con-tinuing their streak ever since. Like every team, they have a

ritual they do before game time to get them pumped. “We all like to dance so we always have music to get us pumped up, loose, and jazzed up for the game,” said se-nior Abby Cunningham. Cunningham has been on the team since her freshman year, and now as a senior she is happy to see her team doing so well. She also knows what is important and considers her teammates as family. “Our team is extremely close. We’re all best friends and get along with each other very well, which makes it easier to play”, stated Cunning-ham.

These girls have worked hard and still continue to do so. They have become so close, but as the year comes to an end and the seniors gradu-ate, Cunningham knows how hard it will be not only for the team, but also for her. “My t e a m next year in col-lege is going to be hard to match my team this year.

PTSB Starts off StrongKristinaCarbonara|StaffWriter

I’ll miss everyone on the team more than they know.” They truly deserve accolade and no-tice for what a great season they are having. Best of luck to the Lady Indians!

Photo by Softball Team

Photo by Emma Norton

Photo by Chris Watschak

May 2013

Girls’ Soccer- The Lady Indians had another tremendous season they only lost one game during the regular season to the team that they defeated 1-0 in the state championship game. They cap-tured both of their postseason goals by winning the WPIAL Championship first, then going on to win their third state title in as many years. The soccer team has not only built a tradition of winning, which is something none of these ladies will forget. Are ranked as the number one team in the country by Max Preps.

Girls’ Tennis- The girls are not used to losing and have built a winning program over the past couple years. The Lady Indians had another successful season by going on to defend their sec-tion, WPIAL, and state titles. The expectation to win is high. They certainly didn’t disappoint finishing the season 22-1. Three state titles in the past four years is an unbelievable accomplish-ment, and the girls have turned the program into a dynasty.

Dance Team- Another program in the township that has shown great success over the years is the varsity dance team. However the team’s success always seems to fall on how they do at Nationals. The girls took first place in sever-al events this year, but none as big as winning Nationals. They have reached their ultimate goal of winning Nationals and being the number one team in the country, proving that all the practice and hard work put into their season was completely worth it.

Boys’ Hockey- The hockey team has shown through the years to be a juggernaut in the regular season and postseason hoping to capture their ultimate goal of winning the “Pens Cup.” This season, the Indians were the number one seed heading into the postseason and cruised their way into the championship. In the end, they lost a hard fought battle against North Allegheny 2-0. Even though they came up short of what they wanted, the boys had an amazing year.

Peters Township: Year of the ChampionsThis school year has been a successful one for Peters Township athletics, whether it is playoff runs, WPIAL Championships, state titles or national titles. Students have been full of spirit, giving sports teams their full support and cheering them on to victory. This year has consisted of four extremely successful sports teams: the girl’s tennis team, the girl’s soccer team, the dance team, and the boy’s hockey team.

As temperatures rise across the country with the changing of seasons, so does the heat inside every NHL rink. With the season winding down and teams jockeying for position in two crowded con-ferences, here are some bold predictions for how this year’s playoffs shake out. In order, I expect the Eastern Conference to look like this:1. Pittsburgh Penguins 2. Boston Bruins 3. Washington Capitals 4. Montreal Canadiens 5. Ottawa Senators 6. Toronto Maple Leafs 7. New York Rangers 8. New York Islanders

ShaneDazen|SportsEditor

I expect the Senators to give the Canadiens a show in this year’s first round. The two match up well, but Ottawa is the hungrier of the two teams. The Pens will dispose of the Island-ers in six. The Isles are a much improved team, but the Pen-guins are more talented across the board, and the additions of several key veterans in Jarome Iginla, Jussi Jokinen, Brenden Morrow, and Douglas Mur-ray only make them that much stronger. It doesn’t matter how you fare at the beginning of the year as long as you play well at the end of it, and the Capitals are a fine example. They will beat Toronto in the first round. Captain Alex Ovechkin has shown that he can still light the lamp with authority, and a Neu-virth/Holtby platoon in net will be tough enough to weather the Maple Leafs barrage. Finally, I’m predicting a Rangers series victory in the first round. It is not so much about what the Boston Bruins will do wrong as much as it will be about what the Rangers will do right. I

like Boston’s depth, but Henrik Lundqvuist is a superior goalie and the Rangers offense will find holes in the Bruins defense. In the Conference semi-finals, I expect the Pen-guins to edge out the Rangers in what surely will be a footrace for a spot in the Conference finals. The teams have played each other well this season, but it’s really hard to bet against the Pens at this point. The team is strong from top to bottom. Their depth is unmatched, and they will only get better once they get Crosby, Martin, and Neal back from injuries. The Capitals-Senators series will be one for the ages. Both teams coasted somewhat easily into the playoffs, namely the Capi-tals, who play in what may be the weakest division in hockey, but this series will be the exact opposite. The Capitals will put a stranglehold on the series by beating the Senators in seven games and advancing to play the Penguins in the Conference Finals.

If this were 2009 or 2010 or maybe even 2011, this series would be the highlight of the playoffs, but Penguins-Capitals doesn’t exactly have the same ring as it used to. De-spite that, this will be an EX-TREMELY physical six games of hockey, and the team who can put the puck in from in front of the net will advance. The Penguins will win this one, too. It could be another cup year for the team, as I expect them to represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. Maybe next year Alex

Let the Games Begin

JCBrush|StaffWriter

Photos by AP Images

8 Opinion

Let’s get real: search-ing for one video on YouTube turns into an hour and a half escapade where eventually, you end up watching a video about a talking dog. Take more advantage of your YouTube time by looking up these five incredible young dancers, who you may find more interest than a dog whose bark sounds like “hello.”

1. Dena’h Gregory- This young hopeful is well known for her interpretive style of danc-ing. Her best two pieces are “Nostalgia” and “Sentimental.” Both are primarily instrumen-tal pieces, and her unique body movements, interpretation of the music, and incorporation of her personality are what makes all of her performances impossible to not watch.

2. Paulina Macias- This young star could be considered more

than a dancer. She’s a per-former. In what can be called her “blockbuster” of a perfor-mance, “Hallelujah,” Macias not only executes extremely difficult tricks and combina-tions, but she does it with emo-tion and style. This outstanding performance scored Macias almost a perfect score and won the overall top solo perfor-mance.

3. Juliette Frishette- The new “Gumbi” of dancing, Frishette’s performances, although thor-oughly entertaining, are prob-ably the hardest to watch of all others. In a national competi-tion in 2011, she took a routine called, “Unravel.” As all dancers know, props are hard enough to perform with, but having a prop twisted around your body, while continuing to dance with it, are nearly impossible. The routine included Frishette

doing an acrobatic type of routine, while at the same time showing a struggle of getting unraveled from something she couldn’t get out of. This mind-boggling, yet incredible routine just shows how talented this young performer truly is.

4. Sophia Lucia- This young girl is the true definition of a “prodigy.” By age nine, Lu-cia could do 54 pirouettes perfectly, without a single stumble or fall. The first thing you probably think of when you hear this name is the show “Dance Moms,” where little Miss Sophia Lucia was featured in a few episodes toward the beginning of the current season. Before her shining moment on national television, Lucia was very well known for her full time life as a competitive dancer. Lucia has taken home

a winning routine from every single competition she has ever performed in.

5. Kate Aberger- A very ma-tured and sophisticated dancer, Aberger’s classic and memo-rable performance, also named “Hallelujah,” shows just how much talent this young per-former had. Something unique to watch out for is how well she truly knows how to dance; it is mostly seen through her emo-tional execution, and overall ability.

Rising Stars from your DesktopAndreaSalizzoni|SpecialFeaturesEditor

Photo by AP Images

Twenty straight years of losing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. They have gone to the ends of the world over those twen-ty years, trying to end the worst streak in professional sports history. Over the course of this horrific streak, they have had at least 90 losses in ten of those seasons, traded away star players such as Freddy Sanchez, Jason Bay, and Nate

McLouth, as well as a pair of late season collapses in the past two seasons. However, many fans and experts believe that this is the year that the Pirates’ tormenting streak comes to an end. Last year, the Pirates were sixteen games over .500 with just 52 games left in the regular season; all they had to do was win nineteen of those to get over the 81 win mark. However, the team collapsed and finished with a very disappointing 18-41 record in those final games. It was heartbreak for Pirates fans everywhere. At the height of their season, they had a better record than six of the ten total playoff teams, including the World Series contenders, the Giants and Tigers. This year, they kick off a new season with a new motto. Finish. This will be key if the Pirates want to make the playoffs and ultimately end the horrific curse. They go into the season with a

JeffBerry|StaffWriterIs This the Year?

solid core of players, headlined by center fielder Andrew McCutch-en. To help McCutchen on offense, they brought in Russell Martin, a two time all-star with the New York Yankees. Neil Walker, Pedro Alvarez, and Garrett Jones should also prove to be reliable early-to-middle of the line up bats to add some much needed offense. The Pirates should be able to compete well early in the season and carry the momentum into the final months, and hopefully even into Oc-tober. Defensively, the Buccos should continue to be solid. Once again anchored by reigning gold glove winner Andrew McCutch-en, the Pirates are also returning with shortstop, Clint Barmes, and backup catcher, “The Fort” Michael McKenry. Newly acquired Francisco Liriano will add some depth to the pitching rotation that features fan favorite AJ Burnett. With Hanrahan now on the Bos-ton Red Sox, Jason Grilli is going to have to step up into the closer role. As long as the pitching stays reliable, Pittsburgh will have no problem staying around the coveted .500 mark. With new players, reliable bats, and the bitter taste of an-other late season collapse still fresh in their mouths, Pittsburgh has great motivation to break this infamous streak. As long as they do the little things right, I think that Pittsburgh will finish with 87 wins this season. Yes, the Pirates will finish over .500 for the first time in twenty years. Photo by AP Images

May 2013

What does it mean to be hipster? It is the question that the teenage population, along with every other human being on the earth, has not yet figured out. Well, maybe they have. The obses-sion with “being hipster” was basically screaming “look at me; I’m different than everyone else.” However, 99.99% of teenagers have become “hipster,” so that no longer makes you different. The fol-lowing trends of a “hipster” have since been adopted by everyone, basically ending the whole movement. Part of being hipster was all about the look. Hipsters had a unique, edgy style that did not just draw attention, but had peo-ple doing double takes. You may have seen the moderate hipster dressed in fringey boots, printed skinny jeans, and grungy top, while the extreme hipster expressed their style by wearing a hot pink furry cat hat and suspenders. Another key accessory in “hip-sterism” was oversized glasses. These glasses differed in shape and color, but were a sure sign of conforming to hipster trends. Although their style was a little wacky, hipsters sure do know some good music. Mumford & Sons has become a huge sen-sation, taking home a few Grammys. Their music is alternative but all of their songs offer a relaxing, happy tune. The XX’s new album Coexist is available for purchase now as well. The Weeknd and GroupLove are also worth a listen, so be sure to get in tune with your already inner-hipster and check them out. Ombré, the fading of dark to light hair; yet again another trend that started off just in the “hipster” category, but is now ad-opted by almost every teenage girl’s head. However, it has started to decline and soon, the ombré style will most likely cease to exist and get its revenge twenty years from now. Celebrity starlets like Katy Perry and Kelly Osborne have used their head as their canvases, dying it almost every color imaginable. That trend has since rubbed off on half the world. Walking around the mall, or anywhere in public for that matter, you will see people looking like their heads are on fire, or some that look like they took a wrong turn through the Crayola factory. Let’s take a moment of silence for them.

Hipster Trends Heed to an EndJennaTaimuty|PrintEditorinChief

Lifeguarding is the quintessential summer job. Lifeguards are often portrayed in movies and TV shows saving lives and existing as beach gods and goddesses. As flattering as this stereotype is, the truth is that the reality of being a life-guard is not like the movies.

1)Guards love the sound of thunder.Every clap of thunder or flash of lightning requires the pool to be cleared for another thirty minutes. During a big sum-mer storm, this could give guards the entire afternoon off. Throughout this paid free time,

NathalieLeng|StaffWriterConfessions of a Lifeguard

they get to have some fun. Ju-nior Holly Hanna and sopho-more Joe Dunleavy confessed to doing crazy things like jump-ing rope with a vacuum exten-sion cord or just enjoying them-selves by singing, dancing, and playing volleyball.2)Guards are always on duty.When guards go to the pool to enjoy free time, they tend to slip into work mode. “I find my-self sometimes saying “walk” at random kids,” said sopho-more Tyler Phillips. Off-duty guards have also been known to straighten up lawn chairs or even start scanning the pool while sitting on the deck. For those reasons, sophomore Becky Moshier doesn’t go to the pool during her free time.

3)Lifeguards don’t save swim-mers every day.Contrary to popular belief, guards rarely make saves. Last summer only two Rose Garden guards had to rescue a swim-

mer. By enforcing safety rules and keeping young children out of the deep end guards avoid having to save swimmers.

4)The job isn’t as glamorous as it seems.In addition to surveying the pool and enforcing the rules, guards are charged with the upkeep of the pool. This re-quires not only cleaning the bathrooms and the pool deck, but also some unusual tasks. Strange cleaning stories range from pulling staples out of a picnic table to vacuuming ce-ment. Once, Tyler Phillips even had to catch a toad in the baby pool.

5)Dealing with little kids is an important part of the job.Guards know every kid at the pool, either because the kids are on swim team or because they’re troublemakers. “I love little kids. I coached swim team this year and it was one

of the best parts of my sum-mer,” said Becky Moshier .Not every guard shares the same sentiment, however. “Some are really adorable, but some are super bratty and people just let them run free,” commented Joe Dunleavy. Even though the gen-eral perception of lifeguards is different than reality, the media does get one thing right: being a lifeguard is not for the faint of heart. While a typical day more likely includes the risk of sunburn than the risk of having to perform CPR, the threat is always there. At any moment a day at the pool can go from boring to dangerous, and life-guards are prepared for both. After all, it’s all fun and games until that whistle blows.

Every time you donate blood, you are potentially saving three lives. With a simple prick of a needle, and less than 30 minutes of your time, you are positively altering the course of someone’s life. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood trans-fusion. That is more than 44,000 blood transfusions daily. A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood, while the typical donation is one pint Only 38 percent of people in America are eligible to give blood, due to health restrictions, or medications that prohibit the donation. If you are sixteen or older and do not have an irrational fear of needles, give blood. Donating blood is a completely safe process. You begin with a quick physical and answer some preliminary health questions. Next the actual blood donating begins. The needle used to extract the blood, is sterile and only used once. The actual blood donation typi-cally takes less than ten to twelve minutes. After donating blood, you relax with some refreshments to insure you are feeling your best. The whole donating process from start to finish takes about an hour. If donating blood is something that interests you, consult your doctor. They will make sure you are healthy enough to give blood and double check that any medication you are on will not affect the blood you give. The Center Presbyterian Church in McMurray hosts blood drives every Thursday and Sat-urday from 1pm-7:30pm. PTHS makes it easy for students to donate blood by hosting a blood drive every nine weeks. Take advan-tage of the many opportunities you have to help people and seriously consider donating blood.

The Positives of Donating Blood

VanessaScoulos|StaffWriter

Photos by AP Images

10 Life & Style

Doin’ It Like Dazen: Why do we get our wisdom teeth removed? Usually because if you don’t, they will crowd your mouth and ruin that sparkling smile your parents paid thousands of dollars for. Getting your wis-dom teeth pulled is not enjoyable. The actual procedure of getting your teeth extracted is not excruciatingly painful, but the recovery is extensive and boring.

If you don’t enjoy hearing drills going into your gums, I advise you be knocked out for the process. It will make your experience a lot more pleasant. I don’t mean to scare you, but it sure beats being awake during the whole surgery. They put you on so many dif-ferent medications and sedatives; you will barely even remember the day you got them pulled. When you wake up, you will most likely find yourself extremely confused sitting in a room with one of your parents and the doctor, just smiling at you. Whatever you do try not to say anything, because you will still be drugged and unaware of what comes out of your mouth. This can get pretty embarrassing; just think of all of the things you would not want to say in front of your mom or doctor.

Ice cream, italian ice, and milkshakes will be your new best friends for at least a week. This sounds wonderful, but after a few days all you want to do is eat something crunchy or salty. Luckily, being limited to what you can eat can be a good way to lose weight without all of the special food brands and counting calories. Tak-ing off of work and school and staying in the house for about a week to recover is a smart idea. You will probably resemble a chip-munk for a few days, which can be mortifying if you are sporting the chipmunk-look at the mall and you run into a bunch of people you know. Also, it may be hard to talk for the first few days be-cause your mouth will be so swollen.

Some WisdomMadiStart|StaffWriter

Summer is just around the corner, and the warm weather is bringing shorts, skirts, dresses, and swimsuits to the front of our closets. Don’t get caught with the palest skin in school; follow these tips to get a great tan this season.

The most obvious way to get a tan is to grab a lawn chair and lay out in your backyard or by the pool. However, this isn’t always the easiest way due to the fact that we live in Pennsylvania, and for most of the spring we consider “warm” temperatures to be in the up-per 50’s. If you do get a chance to get away to a place that is ac-tually hot, take advantage of it. Don’t forget sunscreen! SPF 35 or higher is your best defense against UVA and UVB rays that can cause cancer.

If laying out in the Arctic of Pennsylvania isn’t really your thing, you’re in luck; there is a

LexiMiller |Life&StyleEditorGetting That Glow

huge variety of self-tanners for you to choose from. Some of the top sellers are luxury-brand St. Tropez, which is an instant bronzing mousse, and drug-store favorite Jergen’s Natural Glow, which is a gradual tan that builds with each use. Sun-less tanners are perfect for ev-eryone, especially those who don’t want to take the risk of ex-posure to aforementioned UV rays. If you want to avoid the stereotypical orange shade that sometimes comes along with instant self-tanners, gradual tanners may be more suitable for you. Make sure to exfoliate and moisturize your skin prior to applying the self tanner.

Last, but not least, a high-ly popular form of tanning is the tanning bed. While tan-ning beds often have a negative connotation because of their concentrated exposure to UV light, they are the fastest and

This is it. Another year is in the

books. The time has raced by about

as fast as your heart did when you

asked your girl to prom, or maybe

about as fast as your heart raced

when you couldn’t find the guts to.

There are a lot of things you can’t

control when it comes to relationships, but the one

thing you can is the effort you put into representing

yourself every single day. This includes your hairstyle,

your clothing, and, most importantly, how good you

smell. I’m not saying you need to go out and buy the

most expensive bottle of cologne and that will magi-

cally solve all of your problems, but exerting a little ef-

fort will go a long way. Local department stores such as

T.J. Maxx or Macy’s have a plentiful amount of men’s

cologne available for purchase. It really depends on

what scent suits you best, but aim for something light.

The last thing you want to do is overwhelm a crowded

room by drowning yourself in it. Until next year, I leave

you with this: don’t follow a fading trend. Be the trend.

Cologne

easiest way to get the glow you’ve been looking for. Tanning booths, or stand-up beds, are the newest in-novation in the industry. There are several great tan-ning places in PT, such as Sunkissed, Sahara Rays, and Oh So Tan. Prices for each location vary, but the most affordable way to fake-bake is to buy a membership. Just be sure to start with a low time in the bed or booth, and increase it each time you tan.

In the case that you do get a burn, the best remedy is aloe vera. Clinique also makes a great moisturizer called Mois-ture Surge Intense that is per-fect for sunburns because the main ingredients are simply aloe and water. Try to avoid

sunburn at all cost, because it will do the most damage to your skin as you age. Applying sunscreen regularly, even when you’re in a tanning bed or booth is the best method of preven-tion other than staying indoors.

Whether you want to stay traditional with sunshine or go with a new, innovative way to tan, there are countless ways to get that summer glow this sea-son.

Photo by AP Images

May 2013

The first year of college is an enormous flood of stress and ex-citement. Among those stresses is the worry of gaining the fresh-man fifteen. The freshman fifteen is the weight college students more often than not gain soon after arriving. Along with other new found freedoms, college students also experience the freedom of food. College students start eating at forbid-ding hours and often, it isn’t good food. A recent study at Dartmouth University found that the average weight gain is 3.5 to 4 pounds within the first year. That’s a lot better than fifteen, huh? But during the year, it was said to be a 7.8 pound gain.

It is a no-brainer that you need to watch what you eat and try to get to the gym as often as you can. But students forget that you need to watch the times at which you eat too. If you are up late studying or having fun (wink, wink), you can’t eat a full meal at that hour or you are guaranteed to gain weight. Sleeping on a full meal is one of

Watching Out For the Freshman FifteenLydiaMcCall |OpinionEditor

I think everyone can agree that there is plenty of mental prepa-ration for college, but there is also a lot of physical preparation. The list of items you will need for your dorm room and classes is ongo-ing. Where do you start? Let’s establish your to do list together.

The first major necessity is a laptop. Hold off on buying this big item until the departure time gets closer. The major electronic stores usually have sales in June for college students including Ap-ple just in time to purchase a Macbook or Macbook Pro. Typically, you’ll receive a free printer at the Apple store with your laptop or computer purchase. You can find a variety of other brands at stores like Best Buy. Don’t forget the simple supplies; binders, notebooks, and a calculator. They’ll be a lot cheaper at these places than the college bookstore.

Now it gets a little more involved and complicated when you begin purchasing everything you will need for your dorm. Think logically when trying to tackle this overwhelming job. Start with bedding; Are you coordinating with your roommate? Keep in mind, most dorm mattresses are XL twin. Don’t forget the bed bug protection kit, it is a must. You should then move on to organiza-tion. This includes closet organizers, hangers, storage bins for un-der the bed, storage carts, additional bins, a shower caddy, desktop storage, and corkboards. There are many items you will need to fit in such a small space. The more organization options you have, the easier it will be.

You’ll need to buy cleaning supplies. Germs spread fast in col-lege and messes are guaranteed. If you have the right supplies, stay-ing healthy and keeping your dorm clean will be easy. Paper towels, a trash can, a mini hand vacuum, dish cleaning soap, wipes, and hand sanitizer are all products you should be buying.

Now one of the worst parts about being in the dorms…no real kitchen. Packaged, canned, or cabinet food is on the menu. If you don’t feel like going to the commons every day, or just want a snack, keep easy foods in your dorm. I do recommend purchasing a mi-crowave, coffeemaker, magic bullet, glasses, dishes, and silverware.

Keep a case of water in your room, as well. Time to do your own laundry. Laundry detergent, dryer

sheets, a drying rack, and a laundry basket are definitely needed. Don’t forget, you also need all your own shower supplies, includ-ing towels, washcloths, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and any other toiletries. A shower caddy is helpful for lugging these items to the bathrooms down the hall. You will also definitely want a pair of flip flops designated for shower use.

Decorating-this is the fun part! An area rug is a necessity; the ground is cold and hard. Decorative pillows, wall art, lamps, pic-tures, clock, backrest pillow, door mirror, and maybe even a chair if you have room. This is the chance to make your dorm feel more like home. Make it cozy and comfortable and you.

Where can you purchase all of these things? Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart and PB Teen are all excellent sources. Most of these stores have sales this time of year on all the products you will need. If you go online, some stores even have sample check lists to refer back to when lost with what to buy or what you’re missing. Don’t stress over all the preparation, utilize your sources.

Decorating your Dorm

AP Images Peters Barreras

MadelieneMaggs|StaffWriter

the worst things you can do for your diet. It is a rule of thumb that you should stop eating after 7:00 at night.

Another fact college students tend to forget is what cafeteria food is really like. Cafeteria food is not cooked with love by your mom. It is made for quick access and in mass quantities to feed

the population within the college. This means that the food served is plentiful but lacks in nutritional values. The cafeteria is also locat-ed in such a way that students do not search for another food option that is more suitable for them. Since most cafeteria food is prepaid for, this food also becomes the cheapest op-tion as well.

Bottom line is, be aware of your eating habits. More than ever, you need to be aware

of your body and what you are putting in it. If you let it get bad, one day you will look down and realize you gained fifteen pounds and you fulfilled the prophecy. Photo by AP Images

Don’t go to Room 304.

Keep moving. Don’t stop.

Walk on the correct side of the hall.

Don’t hug the corners.

Don’t be afraid to open a door.

Don’t date crazies.

Respect your elders. Period.

Have self-respect.

Support everyone.

Use your 3G.

Don’t start Twitter fights. #chill.

Dress for all seasons.

BYOG(gum).

Be careful in the gated lot.

Don’t reapply makeup.

Learn to text without looking.

Upperclassmen get the window tables in cafeteria.

SENIOR benches.

Get your cookies early.

Know your bus #.

Take a mental health day.

Don’t expect to sleep.

Take a study hall.Bring headphones.

Be Smart. Get a tutor.Take hard classes before senior year.

Take more media classes.Don’t go to Room 304.

Take grades seriously.Library passes don’t exist.

Always watch the Morning Announcements.

Make friends with the lunch ladies & parking attendant.

Don’t stand in the middle of the hallway.

Keep moving. Don’t stop.

Don’t walk too slowly.Don’t clump.

Don’t hug the corners. No PDA.Don’t be afraid to open a door.

Get out of the way.

Don’t date crazies.

Have self-respect.

SENIOR benches.

Spread designed by Raelynn Noonan

14 People FeaturesReflections Contest Victory

CaseyKirwan|StaffWriter The results of the 2012-13 Reflections contest are in. High school students created their own personal depictions of “The Magic in a Moment” through three different catego-ries: visual arts, literature, and photography. All students who par-ticipated at the local level re-ceived a certificate and a Giant Eagle gift card. The winners receive a $10 certificate, and the council level all received med-als. The regional and state lev-els attend an awards ceremony at Sewickley Academy and are rewarded certificates and med-als. The Reflections Contest has three different awards for students who reach the na-tional level. This includes the National Outstanding Interpre-tation, Awards of Excellence, and Awards of Merit. Only one entry from each category is selected for the National Out-

standing Interpretation award. The winners of this award re-ceive a trip to the National PTA convention, an $800 arts education award, a gold medal-lion, a certificate signed by the National PTA President, and their entry which is showcased in the Reflections online gal-lery. They also receive a $200 art education award, is given to the student’s PTA. Up to 72 students are selected for the Award of Excellence where they receive $200, a silver medallion, a signed certificate, and a place in the online gallery. For the Awards of Merit, 120 students are chosen receiving a silver medallion, a certificate, and place in the online gallery. This contest is clearly a big deal and one of the greatest chances for anyone who wants their talents to be recognized. Young artists should not neglect this event. Congratulations to

all of these juniors and seniors who placed in regionals. Junior Cecelia Allison, placed first for the literature category with se-nior Joe Majkut, in second. In the photography category, ju-nior Jessica VanNewkirk placed in first followed by junior Em-maLee Ducoeur, and then ju-nior Meredith Rovito. For vi-sual arts, senior Emily Corrigan came in third. The local win-ners for each category were as follows. The visual arts winners were seniors Carla Buzzatto in first, and Lauren Belack in third who both also made it to the council level. The photography winners included senior Timo-thy Warne in fourth place, and junior Julia Schuerle in fifth. The Reflections Con-test is a huge opportunity each year for students to express themselves and show off their artistic abilities. The school dis-trict is proud to have so many

creative pupils. Next year’s theme will be “Believe, Dream, Inspire.” The PTSA, who spon-sor the contest for the district, highly encourage more students to enter next year. There are far more categories than those that were mentioned. Even students who have already entered the contests in the past should enter again. What limits your chance of winning the most is not en-tering at all.

Photo by Mrs. Boni

Changing Lanes of LifeJuliaGauthierlSectionEditor

For those of us with a license, we couldn’t imagine a life without it. It’s thanks to the wonderful Mr. Maize that this is not the case for most students at PTHS. Over the years, his teaching and personality have dubbed him a very popular reputation and won him the 2013 Faculty Face-Off bracket. Un-fortunately, his years of sharing his vast

knowledge with students are coming to an end. Mr. Maize will be retiring at the end of the 2013 school year. Beginning his teaching career in 1978, Maize started off by teaching physical education at the middle school. After improv-ing the life of teens there for seven years, he took the position as Athletic Director after the unfortunate death of friend and men-tor, Jerry Debolt. He immediately embraced the role and even took over as head coach of the baseball team. After being offered a posi-tion as a full time administrator, Maize declined and decided to pursue his love of teaching and coaching instead. And it is a good thing he did. “Driver’s Theory is the most important class that students will take in high school,” Maize said. If you pass the “Joe Maize School of Driving,” you are pret-ty much set for life. Not only has Mr. Maize shaped and changed the lives of countless students and faculty, but they, in turn, have also had a major impact on him.

“[The thing I will miss most about PTHS] is watching the students and athletes grow from freshmen to se-niors, [like I did with] my own two sons Aaron and Ryan,” said Maize.Maize plans on staying involved in the athletic department to a small degree and will continue to watch over his base-ball players and student drivers. You can take the man out of the high school, but you can’t take the high school out of the man. He may no longer be teaching driver’s theory, but rest assured, he will continue to follow the rules of the road and let them lead him where they may. Mr. Maize has taught us the ways of the road, and more importantly, the ways of life. So next time you are stuck in a sticky situation on the road or a n y w h e r e , ask yourself, “What would Joe Maize do?”

Kirwan Wins Prudential Spirit of Community AwardMay 2013

NicoleTorchio|StaffWriter Junior Casey Kirwan recently received the Pruden-

tial Spirit of Com-m u n i t y A w a r d r e c o g -n i z i n g her hard w o r k and ded-i c a t i o n

to volunteering and organizing community service projects. The award is earned by stu-dents who spend a great deal of their time volunteering or organizing community service projects. Not only did Kirwan receive this award, but she was recognized among the top ten percent of all applicants from

Bianco Serenades PTHSJennaTaimuty|PrintEditorinChief

Barefoot in StratfordHannahCarpenter|StaffWriter

For many students, Mrs. Kelly Barefoot may just be a ninth or eleventh grade English teacher who’s known for her oc-casional involvement with the theatre troupe. What most students, and maybe even some staff, may not know is that Mrs. Barefoot’s interest in theatre expands beyond the high school stage. When Mrs. Barefoot was a junior at Michigan State Uni-versity, she was invited to the International Actors Fellowship through Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in Stratford. Where she also studied and observed at the Royal Shakespeare Company. “I learned so much about how to access the characters and language of Shakespeare,” said Barefoot.Being able to study at the legendary theatre allowed Mrs. Barefoot to focus on her real love of the works of William Shakespeare. She was given the opportunity to practice the role of Ophelia from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” The focus on such classic works gives the audiences as well as the actors a fresh perspective on how timeless Shakespeare’s plays can be. “I love the language, the characters, the themes-- Shake-speare is so real,” explained Mrs. Barefoot. “Real problems, yes, in a grand, or exaggerated circumstance, but the raw human emotion behind everything is very relatable.”Although the experience was undoubtedly unmatchable, there were some serious lessons to be learned. Mrs. Barefoot said, “[I learned] If you can do anything other than acting and love it, do it. Acting is a really tough business. Talent does not necessarily mean you will work. You live job to job, paycheck to paycheck, and as a woman, you have a very short shelf-life.” Like most actors, Mrs. Barefoot learned the unpleasant sacrifices that would come with working in acting. “I was told at an audition for the soap opera, One Life to Live, that, if I lost 15 lbs, I would test better on film. That was an eye opener-- if I had lost 15 lbs, I would have been dangerously unhealthy.” Mrs. Barefoot did find another theatrical love though- di-recting. “Honestly, I am more inspired and creative as a director than I ever was as an actor.” The decision has worked out well. Audiences will be able to see Mrs. Barefoot’s direction at work with Thespian Troupe 185’s spring production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on May 23, 24, and 25.

Friday March 8, 2013. The day every female student at PTHS fell in love with sophomore Nick Bianco’s voice and guitar skills after his performance at the Library Arts Café. He became a super star throughout the halls of PTHS and student’s twitter timelines. Little do some of you know, Bianco has been writing music, singing covers, and playing guitar most of his life.

“I learned how to play guitar when I was six. My oldest brother learned in college and taught my other brothers and me,”

said Bianco.From there, Bianco continued to teach himself to

play and eventually to sing.Bianco covered a plethora of songs at the café,

including music by some of his biggest inspirations, Ed Sheeran and Dave Matthews. Sheeran and Matthews write their own songs, just like Bianco. His favorite style to pay is acoustic alternative, and his favorite song to cover is “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie.

Bianco has written songs that can be found on his YouTube channel, scurvyman36, so be sure to check it out. Writing a song may seem challenging, but when a subject is in mind, the job is much easier.

“I usually use a girl as inspiration. I take different little things from different relationships. Pretty much whatever mood I’m in will reflect in the song I’m writing at the time,” explained Bianco.

Bianco is clearly phenomonal at singing and playing guitar, so it is good that he enjoys it.

“It’s just relaxing. It’s good because it’s a time when I really don’t care about anything else and can just do what I love,” said Bianco.

Pennsylvania for her outstand-ing community service. Kirwan is a member of the High School Interact Club and led last year’s efforts to support autism aware-ness in the schools with the first annual Autism Walk. “I suggested the idea to the Interact Club and I be-came the head of it. All I had to do was speak up,” Kirwan said. Aside from the Autism Walk, Kirwan spends time vol-unteering at the Washington Humane Society and work-ing with other various projects through the Interact Club. “I just go help whenev-er and wherever I can. I mean, I feel like I’m always busy with some new project,” explained Kirwan.

Volunteering has be-come a large part of Kirwan’s life. “I started volunteer-ing after hearing about differ-ent places that I could help out, I just decided to jump in and have fun with it,” said Kirwan. Ever since she has been volun-teering even more. “My favorite part about volunteering is the feel-ing that I’ve helped someone. I know that sounds corny, but I love that feeling of accomplish-ment and knowing that some simple actions I do can help other people,” said Kirwan. Kirwan doesn’t plan on stopping volunteering any-time soon. “My plans for the fu-ture are to continue the Autism

Walk my senior year and then after graduation, I hope that I can participate in similar proj-ects, whether it’s leading them or just participating.” Volunteering doesn’t have to be tedious work. In fact, Kirwan advises that students get involved with the commu-nity doing something they en-joy. “I suggest that they go with friends and volunteer to-gether. It’s more fun that way,” said Kirwan. Every second counts, and no time spent volunteer-ing is too small. Come support autism awareness at the annual Autism Awareness Walk on April 27 from noon to four at the high school.

Hannah Carpenter & Matt Mullan|StaffWriters

The end of the school year is near, and for the seniors, so is their time at PTHS. With that in mind, some seniors started asking the ques-

tions that have been on their mind their entire high school career.

Before it’s too late, Matt Mullan and Hannah Carpenter have decided to investigate these

important questions.

For those who have ventured into the girl’s restroom by the band

room, they have encountered the

uncomfortably small restroom stalls.

These stalls allow for very little

privacy with their unusually small doors,

allowing for the occasional

uncomfortable eye contact.

Why are these restrooms so

unnaturally tiny?

Hannah: Budget cuts?

Matt: To accommodate the abnomally short ladies who venture in to this particular restroom?

Spread Design by Julie Griffith

No student can resist the soft, gooey cookies from the Snack Shack in the cafeteria. Former students have even gone on to proclaim that these cookies are better than any other cookie they have ever eaten. So what exactly makes these cookies so delectable?

Three months ago, PTHS encountered a school-wide black out that rendered the school powerless for the entire day, ultimately resulting in an early release for students. Later, Mrs. Pavlik announced to the school, and the 40,000 homes and businesses that watch Chan-nel 7 Community Access Television that the cause of the blackout was chipmunks eating the power cable. Although most of the school chuckled at this notion, some students still live in fear of these chipmunks. Where are they now? How did they become so powerful? Are they still at large?

Hannah: There never were any chipmunks. The story was all just a joke to distract from the possibility that a harsh winter had weathered

the cables.

Matt: The chipmunks continue their devilish plans. Radiation?

Yes.

Hannah: They probably just add extra shortening to make them so gooey.

Matt: Magic. It’s definitely magic.

18 Entertainment

For myself and the 365 others in the graduating class of 2013, June brings the promise of freedom, adventures, and finally finally finally leaving the Bubble. And for the other students at PTHS, it’s the end of another school year. Odds are, even if you really hate it here, you’re going to be a little nostalgic about leaving or finishing another year. So, to wrap up our ride, I give you the best of high school related pop culture greats.

The Entertainment Must ListLaura Purkey|Online Editor-In-Chief

The Girl Next DoorThis 2004 film centers on Matthew Kidman (Emile Hirsch), an honors student who has been accepted to Georgetown University, and dreams of not only a political career, but a real high school experience. Kid-man wants to skip school, go to parties, and hang out with the cool kids. He wants to do it all. When he meets his neighbor and for-mer adult film star Danielle (Elisha Cuth-bert), who is the opposite of a cliché “girl next door”, she opens a lot of doors to the fun he’s been missing. However, he begins to struggle with his schoolwork. The Girl Next Door is a must-see before June 7th.

Boy Meets WorldThis 90’s TV show followed Cory Matthews and his friends growing up and going to school. BMW was just plain funny-- each character served a different comedic role. Cory (the unambitious but witty and level-headed star), Shawn (the rebellious bad-boy best friend), Eric (the funny goofball broth-er), and Topanga (the brainy girlfriend) had friendships and relationships that were not only interesting to watch, but also real. An-other important character in the series is the teacher Mr. Feeny. Although an annoy-ance in their youth, Mr. Feeny progresses to teach them valuable lessons and mentor them in all things. Our generation grew up with Boy Meets World and is moving on just as they did. Class dismissed.

The Breakfast ClubOne of the biggest downfalls of high school is the judgment and stereotypes which cre-ate cliques (surprisingly enough, they ex-ist in the Bubble, too). In the 80’s film The Breakfast Club, five students--a criminal, an athlete, a brain, a basket case, and a prin-cess--come to school for a Saturday deten-tion. Throughout their time together, they open up to one another and realize they are all more than their label. The respect they gain for one another in this realization leads them to accept their differences. Truly an amazing film, The Breakfast Club opens viewers’ eyes while combining memorable quotes (ex: “Eat my shorts”) and humor. It’ll be a long time before anyone forgets about John Bender walking across the field with his arm up in triumph.

Donnie Darko’s “Head Over Heels” Scene

Not only is the movie spectacular (and gets better with every watch), Donnie Darko also has amazing cinematography, which is especially seen in the “Head Over Heels” scene that is shot throughout the protago-nist, Donnie’s, school. The scene is a con-tinuous reel which shows the daily activi-ties of everyone in the school--the average students, the trouble makers, the nerds, the outcasts, the popular girls, even the teach-ers. It’s an awesome perspective set to the perfect Tears for Fears song.

Dustin Hoffman in The GraduateThroughout his career, Dustin Hoffman has given many impressive performances, but perhaps his best was in the 1967 film The Graduate. He plays Ben Braddock, a recent university graduate who is collapsing un-der his parents’ pressures for grad school. He does not have a real direction for his career, or his life, and begins an affair with the much older Mrs. Robinson. Braddock faces the problem many people do once graduating, and Hoffman portrays his tur-moil with grace and realism. The addition of a soundtrack featuring the duo Simon & Garfunkel make this movie one of the most highly regarded films of all-time.

Friday Night LightsFor many high school students, Friday night lights mean something. It’s one of the most cliché parts of high school. Whether you play on the field, cheer on the side-lines, or watch in the stands; you’re part of the game, and sports are a big part of school spirit. The television series Friday Night Lights portrayed a football team in a small Texas town. Throughout the series, their coach, Eric Taylor, helps the team face problems on and off the field. Not only is the show a good watch, but the soundtrack is phenomenal, featuring a Texas native band Explosions In The Sky.

Sun, Fun, and ReadingJesseMcElroy|StaffWriter

It’s summer time. The birds chirp, the pool is glamorous, and there is no school for three months. But let’s be honest, you need something intellectually based every once in a while this summer. So, below is a list of some of the English Department’s favorite books and suggested novels for you to read as you go into your long break.Mrs. Hitchens approves of…1. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which takes place in nineteenth-century China. The main character of the story is Lily, a seven year old girl who is matched with a laotong. Upon meeting the loatong, Snow Flower, Lily is given a silk fan by the loatong. The two girls endure the hardships of life, including the foot bind-

ing processes and their arranged marriages, making their friendship everlasting. 2. The Help, known by many from the movie, is about a black maid, Aibileen, living in 1962 Jack-son, Mississippi. Eventually, she meets the white socialite, Skeeter, who is looked down upon because she went to college and is still not

married. Together they work to write a novel about the maid’s ex-

periences to produce a renowned novel. Mr. Kuharcik approves of…1. 11/22/63. “This is a novel about time-travel and the Ken-nedy assassination, combining supernatural elements with a love story, intrigue and suspense,” says Mr. Kuharcik.2. Sing You Home is another recommendation of Mr. Ku-harcik. He states that, “this is the scariest novel I’ve ever read; set within a twenty-four hour time frame; it tells the story of a woman hunted down by a crazed killer.”Why does the English Department love to read so much? “Each book is a page-turner, one that I couldn’t put down. And in each (particularly the Picoult) you are challenged to refine your beliefs and restructure the way you think about social obliga-tions and rights,” Mr. Kuharcik stated to answer the question. So if you feel the same way about reading a book as he does, wouldn’t you just die to pick up one of these books this summer?What are you planning to read over the summer? Mrs. Hitchens is going to read Unnaturally Green this summer. It is an autobiography about the understudy of Elphaba in the Broadway show, Wicked. Being extremely excited she ex-claims that it will be “the first thing I pick up in June!”

They’ve got reading…do you?

The Warped Tour has evolved since its beginning in 1994 and is a great event for both teenagers and adults alike. Pittsburgh will host it on July 17, 2013 at the First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown. Tickets are on sale for about $40 each. The tour originally featured punk rock, but plenty of other genres have been added to the venue and it has expanded into other countries. It showcases approximately 100 bands on 10 or more stages, with many bands playing at the same time. Be pre-pared to go home with ringing ears. The tour will feature popular bands such as Reel Big Fish, 3OH!3, Never Shout Never, and Forever the Sickest Kids. Reel Big Fish gained major recog-nition in 1997 with their number one hit “Sell Out”. Which promoted their sopho-more album, Turn the Radio Off. They are an ska punk band and can be compared to popular bands such as Sublime and No Doubt. Harsh love songs are their favorite, but somehow, their music still makes you want to dance.

3OH!3’s playful and mischievous attitude defines their music. Their album WANT went gold in 2008. You may re-member blasting “Don’t Trust Me” and “Starstrukk” on your radio back in middle school. They have worked with several different artists, such as Katy Perry and Ke$ha; which has widened their musical palette. They will be playing their classic hits alongside new material off of their new album OMENS this summer. Straight out of Joplin, Missouri; Never Shout Never’s Christofer Drew has been writing and creating music since he was sixteen. The band’s favorite genre to write for is indie pop and it includes a va-riety of songs, ranging from sad love melo-dies to inspiring music about living life to the fullest. They have released many hit singles such as “First Dance” and “Love-sick”. Forever the Sickest Kids recently signed to California’s Fearless Records and are in the studio working hard on their new album. They spent all of 2012 on tour in the

US and overseas. Their first album, Under-dog Alma Mater, made them the number one underground band according to Alter-native Press. Their 2010 album The Week-end was a huge hit and made them popular. They will be playing on the tour for most of the summer. Every year, fans vote online for the band they want to see play as the last band of the night. The tour also features a “BBQ Band”, who, in exchange for playing on the tour, is required to prepare food for the bands and crew for the barbecue which is held on most nights. Go this summer to switch things up and vote for your favorite bad at www.vanswarpedtour.com!

May 2013 Playlist of the Month

Design by Christine Gaab

Warped Tour Coming in JulyNatalieRihmland|StaffWriter

AP Images

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and examine those innocent cartoons we all know and love. Goofy, cute, colorful cartoons like Dexter’s Laboratory, Rugrats, and Garfield are classic 90’s cartoons. Our parents have let us watch them since before we could talk. No harm in a little light heart-ed cartoon humor, right? Wrong. Every car-toon has a twisted background; the real art in making the television shows is contorting them in such a way that the disturbing mes-sage is displayed in a fun, foolish, and over-looked story. This first conspiracy is a pretty well known one. The popular children’s cartoon Rugrats doesn’t strike as a morbid TV show told from the mind of little Angelica, now does it? To much surprise, it is. The show is completely made up by Angelica herself. Each of the babies are actually illusions made up in her mind. Tommy was actually a still-born baby, which explains why Stu is always in the basement frantically making toys for a son that never was. Chuckie died a long time ago with his mother, clarifying why Chaz is always a nervous wreck. As for the Devilles, they had an abortion. Angelica could not un-derstand this procedure so she compensated by generating the idea of twins in her mind because she never knew the sex of the baby. Not totally convinced yet? The next

conspiracy theory is from a cartoon that dates back to 1978, Garfield. This lasagna loving cat is said to have been abandoned. Garfield wakes up in an abandoned house and begins to search for Jon and Odie, who no longer are part of his life. In fact, Gar-field is actually dying of starvation, which explains why he is always hungry. He keeps Jon and Odie alive in his mind to balance the fact of him being abandoned and mistreated, when in reality, they no longer exist. Moving on to a household favor-ite, Dexter’s Laboratory. This show is about a young boy who happened to be lucky enough to build his own laboratory in his room and have it remain a total secret from his parents (obviously they paid no mind to the electricity bill). Think again. Dexter is introverted and socially awkward. His “arch nemeses,” Mandark, was actually one of the closest friends Dexter has ever had. Dexter relies on his imagination to keep himself en-tertained. His parents and sister tend to play along with the game at times, but have no mind of what Dexter truly believes. Spoiler alert: there is no laboratory, just a figment of his imagination. Now after all that, cartoons prob-ably don’t strike as light, innocent tales, in fact, it almost disturbing to know that as a small child, we were exposed

to this and had no idea. Every cartoon had to come from some mangled imagi-nation; it’s just a matter of decoding the true meaning of each.

Cartoon Conspiracies EliseJozwiak|StaffWriter

Caroline Pla is only eleven years old and has already done more for women’s rights than most women will in a life-time. For Pla, it started out just being about playing football, but it became much more. This young girl has inspired other young girls to fight for their rights as equals to men by fighting for play in a completely male-dominated sport.

Pla has played football since she was five and was told after last season in Catholic Youth Organization football that she could no longer play. She was truly upset, but not discouraged. Pla continued to fight against this ruling of the Catholic school. A panel at the school met, but ruled against her because she was a female player and it was the policy of the school for football to be boys-only.

Pla was not pleased and pushed her equality to hang with the boys. Soon, the Archbishop heard her cries and s p o k e o u t . A r c h - b i s h o p , C har l e s Chaput, o v e r - ruled the p a n e l ’s decision and de- cided to let Pla continue p l a y - ing. The s t a t e - m e n t w a s , “ T h e Archdio- cese will allow for c o - e d participation in CYO football, effective in the 2013 season.”

“If you’re good enough to play, it does not matter whether you are a boy or girl,” Junior Naomi Burke, stated. This is the attitude that seems to be growing among our soci-ety. Pla’s persistence to play showed that she is truly equal to the boys on the team.

Pla has paved the way for herself and all other girls wishing to play football in Catholic schools. She fought for what she believed in and because she was so persistent and passionate, she won. This eleven year old women’s activist has already made a difference and has not even reached high school yet. This may be the first, but will definitely not be the last time Caroline Pla is in the spotlight.

Pla gained the national attention by winning her fight against the Philadelphia Archdiocese to play football.

Female Fights for Football

20 News

Kelsey Hunter|Staff WriterDo you think lending someone a pencil at school is gen-

erous? A twelve-year-old student in Detroit was spotted handing out wads of cash to classmates. Reports claim that the student re-ceived $20,000 from a generous next door neighbor. A few of her lucky classmates were given up to $500. When the police heard about the situation, they confiscated the sixth grader’s backpack; and all the cash was recovered and returned to the unidentified neighbors. School punishment for the student’s generosity is to be determined, as a situation like this has not been addressed in

the school policy. A Rubiks cube can

take months to complete by the average person. But a five-year-old girl named Summer can solve one in only 100 sec-onds after six months of prac-tice. Discovering the cube at a family party, Summer became interested in solving it quick-ly. Her progress has nearly

reached a level where she can show off her talent at competi-tions. Summer enjoys the challenge of continually trying to beat her record.  She said, “It’s fun. I like to sit in the treehouse in the garden at home and do it. I can finish faster now than when I first started” (telegraph.co.uk). She also enjoys spending her time do-ing jigsaw puzzles when she is not doing work for home school. Child prodigies like Summer make us all want to step up our game!

Most of us are only fluent in one language. Maybe some of us know a little Spanish, German, or French; but let’s not kid ourselves--we’d sound like two-year-olds when compared to flu-ent speakers. A 16-year-old from New York City has taught him-self a total of 23 foreign languages. The obvious question here is, “How does this kid have so much time on his hands to learn all these languages?” Well, unlike the majority of American teenag-ers, Timothy Doner uses his summer vacation productively. He has become the world’s youngest polyglot (someone proficient in several languages). Doner’s YouTube account contains many videos of him speaking all these languages, making his popular-ity grow. Since he lives in New York, Doner practices the various languages when speaking to foreign cab drivers, connecting with foreigners via Skype or simply walking down the streets of New York City. Mastering the Spanish language or simply getting an “A” in Spanish class seems like a piece of cake compared to all the work that Doner has done.

If you think driving at 16-years-old is too young, con-sider driving at age six. A child in Michigan took a three mile trip to get Chinese food before he was stopped by the police for errat-ic driving. The child hit a street sign near his house, cracking the bumper of the car. As a result, his joyride included a stop at the car repair shop. Blaming the damage on his father, the child told the police that he was simply driving to the dealer to repair the car. How did the child escape his parents? To add to his troubles, he snuck out while his parents were asleep. It is unsure whether charges will be pressed.

What in the World?

Photo by AP Images

Photos by AP Images

RebeccaPerryman|NewsEditor

May 2013

The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church in Vatican City astonished the Catholic world by electing Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as the 266th pope. He is the first Jesuit and Latin American in modern times to lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. Pope Francis ushers in an interesting Catholic world and the Vatican City.

He chose the name Francis, which has never been used in the church’s 2,000 year history. This name signaled to the Vati-can City that there is a new beginning for the faith. The pope wanted to honor St. Francis of Assisi, an admirer of nature and servant to the poor. St. Francis was born the son of a rich cloth merchant, but he lived in rags among the beggars at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

In some ways, Pope Francis is just a normal guy. He is very humble and uses public transportation every day. Some of his astonishing decisions include choosing to live in an apartment instead of the archbishop’s palace, passing on a chauffeured lim-ousine, and cooking his own meals. In his first public act, Pope Francis broke with tradition by asking about 150,000 people, who were packed into St. Peter’s Square, to pray for him, rather than him blessing the crowd first. He broke another tradition by refus-ing to use a platform to elevate himself above the cardinals stand-ing with him as he was introduced to the world as Pope Francis.

The Catholic Church’s New BeginningNicoleSpindler|StaffWriter

The reactions in St. Peter’s Square as Pope Fran-cis was being introduced were out-of-this-world, filled with excitement and full of joy. The Catholics are anx-ious to follow a pope with a fresh, new name and a sense of closeness and humanity. Latin American countries are embracing their faith and do not feel that they will be ignored anymore. With the new changes and approaches, Pope Francis is paving the way for a brighter fu-ture around the world that will bring Catholics together.

Pope Francis is not actually the first pope from outside Europe. Back in the eighth century, a Syrian, Pope St. Gregory III, led the church from 731 to 741 A.D. There have been other popes from Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and modern-day Libya. Sev-eral other Syrians have been chosen in the last few millennia. Al-though the majority of the popes since the very beginning have been Italian, with the first election of a Latin American pope, the tide could be shifting to outside of Europe.

Photo by AP Images

On March 15, two Steubenville high school foot-ball players, Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays, were found guilty for the crime they com-mitted on August 11, 2012. However, the investigation does not stop there. Further discov-ery is being conducted to de-termine what other influences played a part in this horrific event. Are parents, school offi-cials, other students, or coaches refusing to come forth and con-fess their role in the case? Social media has un-earthed much of the evidence that was presented to convict the two guilty individuals. The “Anonymous” group leaked photos, videos, and tweets that uncovered the crime and ques-tioned why the two players were not prosecuted for their ac-tions. Many people have taken a side on this situation. Some question whether the girl chose to associate with the football

team, but social media backs up her innocence when one of the text messages she sent read “They were taking advantage of me.” During the trial, text mes-sages backed up the accusations that Richmond and Mays did in fact rape the un-conscious girl and that they asked the witnesses to cover for them. “ T h i s s ituat ion s h o u l d t e a c h people to watch out for under-age drinking as well as internet security. Both need controlled. Once you post something on the internet, it is always there and even if you haven’t com-mitted a crime, colleges and fu-ture employers can still see any

pictures and posts,” said junior Allison Welsh. S o -cial media continues to harbor violence and gossip. The care-lessness and ignorance of teen-agers keeps catching up with them. Shortly after the verdict,

two girls were ac-cused of threaten-ing the v i c t i m via Twit-ter. Cur-r e n t l y , the girls are on h o u s e arrest.

Results of a grand jury investigation will take place within the next month to reveal any other possible guilty parties which may include the coach or parents who knew that this situation was taking place. Sus-picious text messages revealed

that the football coach knew what went on before charges were brought against the play-ers. This entire rape case can be a lesson for anyone who freely posts their opinions or personal information online especially now that the online evidence can be used in court. The lives and futures of Richmond and Mays have gone from bright and positive to painful and treacherous because of their crime. Many teenagers seem to feel “above the law,” as if they will never be caught for their mistakes. Those two teenagers now live with constant regret and emotional suffering, and they will pay their price in jail. An important lesson can be learned from the Steubenville Rape Case: anything you say, do or tweet can be used against you.

#convictionbysocialmediaRebeccaPerryman|NewsEditor

Photo by AP Images

Mix it Up... These student pieces showcase the wide array of talent at PTHS. Whether they’re capturing the images through a camera lens or a paint brush, these students were able to display their creativity. Here is just a taste of the talent that can be found in the elective classes.

Justin Puente, 12

Kelsey Collins, 10

Joanna Pollock, 11

Dan Pletz, 12

Lauren Belack, 12

Hayley Schaeffer, 12

Alexa Kennedy, 12

Cassi DeLuca, 11

Kat Luttner, 9

24 Voices If you could go back and change something in your high school experience, what would it be?

“Had a better balance of work and fun earlier on”

-Jeff Bergman

“Done track all 4 years instead of 1”

-Mark Enscoe“Mean girls and bullies.”-

Maura Majcher

“Spent time trying to stay in shape.”

-Brett DicelloWhat will you miss most about high school as you enter college?

“Hanging out with my friends.”

-Matt Cowler“My mom’s cooking.”

-Kim Chedgy“The school cookies.”

-Shiloh Simonson“A bunch of clothes.”

-Christen Sollon

What is the scariest thing about going to college next year?

What are you going to miss most when you graduate?

What is the best moment that has happened during your class?

“The complicated college schedule” -Justin Magnotti

“One step closer to college.”-Naomi Burke

“More freedom.”-Jake Augustine

“Being able to say I survived high school” -Holly Hanna

“All of my friends.”-Tom Nettles

“My favorite teachers.”-Maura Howard

“My friends.”-Neil Harrison

“Extra credit, cookies, hall passes, & snow delays.” -Sarah Smart

“A song parody of A Horse with No Name.” - Mr. Davidson

“Kids passing out.”-Mrs. Gunther

“To see the seniors start their next chapter.” - Mr. Compeggie

“Someone flying a toy helicopter.” - Mrs. Mannion