The Freedom Forum 56.1 - October 2022

A Voice for the Voiceless

To relinquish or resist: FHS reacts to the new phone plan

Jonathon Chiu Freedom Forum

The ringing of an incoming call, the ding of a text message being received, the buzzing of a phone vibrating: these are common occurrences for users of cellphones and ones that can be potentially distracting from the lessons taught in school.

At the start of this school year, a group of staff members decided to implement a phone plan with students being required to place them into designated bags to better their concentration on a teacher’s lessons.

Members of the faculty have expressed their support for the phone plan and its mission, with this support even coming from those who were originally skeptical of it.

“I was extremely sceptic at first, but it’s won me over,” said Mr. Kraft, a US Government & Economics and German language teacher, “I think the policy accomplishes its primary goal of improving student focus, but I have definitely noticed improvements in the hallway as well. I’ve also been in open dialogue with the students about how, contrary to my original opinion, the phone policy has been a huge improvement.”

A survey sent to a group of 46 students

somewhat supports Mr. Kraft’s statement, as 13 students said that not having their phone in view helped them to have an increased attention span while in class.

Some teachers have also been in dialogue with their students and have made adjustments to how they implement the plan as a result such as adding breaks in between lessons, allowing phone usage for pressing matters.

“If students have an emergency or issue, they can communicate [with] me and I make exceptions from time to time,” said Mr. Dunstan, an English Language Arts teacher.

Many students have expressed their dissatisfaction towards the phone plan as well, with 14 students who participated in the survey, when asked to rate the plan from a scale of 1 to 10, gave it a rating of 1, with a senior who voted with the group calling the plan “kinda dumb.”

Despite the 13 students who did say they saw improvements in their attentiveness towards lessons when their phone was not in view, there were 24 participants who said they had seen no change. Meanwhile, eight of the 46 participants said they saw a lack of improvement in their attention spans.

“No one follows the phone plan.” said a junior who participated in the survey, “not many teachers get so mad about it.”

What Freedom High School is doing for mental health

2019, to address the mental health issues of FHS’s student body.

Mental health assistance is widely accessible throughout Freedom. The most common and mostly used source of mental health assistance is the guidance counselor that students get when they first come to high school. Although some people think that it’s the only way to get mental help, the Wellness Center is planning to expand their operations to make their other resources more available, according to Ms. Diaz Sierra, a member of the Wellness Center.

Signing up for this Wellness Center is fairly easy, there are various ways to sign up for the Wellness Center, the main ones are going directly to the Wellness Center, going to your Guidance Counselor, or asking the assistant principal. There’s also a way to sign up for a therapy at Pinebrook, which offers free mental health according to Mrs. Erdman, who is a member of the Wellness Center.

We’ve all felt unwell in the past, some people have felt even worse for long periods of time. The Wellness Center and therapists have been working together, starting in

The success rates of the Wellness Center are high. Both Mrs. Erdman and Ms. Diaz Sierra have stated that there have been some organizational issues, but they are going to be getting the old planetarium for the Wellness Center this year. As for their activities, they have social emotional learn-

ing activities to help with anxiety, vaping, and depression.

Although we do have plenty of help with students with mental health issues, like having a desk outside certain classrooms for kids to sit at and calm down, we do not have as much help as the Department of Educa-

While students and staff at Freedom may have differing views on the phone plan for various reasons, it is more lenient when compared to similar plans implemented in other school districts, with the Pittsburgh and Penn Hills school districts distributing “Yondr pouches” equipped with magnetic locks that students must place their phones in until the end of the school day. Middle schools in the BASD such as East Hills also allowed students to have their phones out when the teacher was not instructing, but would be taken away if they were too much of a distraction. These are two of the various directions that Freedom can take in the evolution of the phone plan, with the reactions of both students and faculty being just as unpredictable.

tion specifies that people have the ability to get more help from the Department of Education because of their 24/7 education on mental health along with mental health help for those who need it.

Homecoming King Josiah Peters (left) and Queen Lauren Humphrey (right) were crowned at the Homecoming Dance on Oct. 8th. See more on Homecoming on page 3.

Photo: Christmas City Studios

Cell phones are a common part of everyday life and a potential distraction from lessons

Photo: Aiden Bleier

Aiden Bleier Freedom Forum

Desks outside classrooms are a convenient way to destress.

Photo: Aiden Bleier

Creative expression helps students flourish at Freedom

Catelin Schwoerer Freedom Forum

Students at Freedom High School seem to enjoy their creative electives during school. The thrill of doing something they are passionate about keeps them energized and motivated throughout the day.

“[Artistic classes] provide a sense of inspiration and freedom,” a student in Studio Art 1 said.

“I think creative electives can help bring out one’s talents in art, music, etc. They give me a break from other intensive classes that I have in the day,” a student in Music Production said.

Not only do students get enjoyment out of these classes, but they can also notice academic attributes from them.

A study conducted by Tamlin S. Conner with 658 university students found that people who engage in a creative activity once a day are happier than those who do not. Their skill in this area does not affect

this, either. They reap the benefits even if they are not successful at the activity.

The researchers of this study confirm that these findings support “everyday creativity as a means of cultivating positive psychological functioning.”

Artistic expression has also been shown to reduce the symptoms of anxiety. Another study of university students shows that after engaging in a creative activity, the anxiety levels of those students decreased.

Researchers from UCLA found that students with high arts involvement performed better on standardized tests than those who were not involved heavily in the arts. Students highly involved in the arts also watched less television, engaged in more community service, and were less bored in school.

A study conducted by Kathryn Vaughn and Ellen Winner also showed that the more years that students engaged in the arts, the higher their SAT scores turned out to be. The data showed a linear pattern, with students who have taken 4 or more years of art

classes having the highest scores.

Even knowing this information, art classes are becoming less of an option for students nationwide. When the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB Act) was passed, it put more focus on core subjects including math, reading, science, and social studies.

Schools put more funding into these subjects since they require standardized testing— increasing the budget would raise those scores. With funds raised for these classes, the budget for art classes with supplies required got cut first. This led to a drastic decrease in arts opportunities in schools throughout the U.S.

Here at Freedom we have many artistic electives for students to choose from, ranging from Studio Art to Clothing Creation to Voice Class. Seeing all of the benefits that derive from them, it is important that we keep our elective diversity wide at Freedom. The variety should not be declining in schools across the U.S.— more should be done to keep these valuable classes accessible to students.

Should high schools require Adulting101?

abundance of math classes, but some teachers believe that a class in finances should be mandatory. When asked in a survey about their views of personal finance and whether it should be mandatory at FHS, Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Santini agreed that a finance class should be mandatory for upperclassmen, in addition to the seminar classes for 9th and 10th graders. Both of these teachers did not have a finance class offered when they were in high school, but they wish that it would have been offered because they found themselves confused when it came to life insurance, retirement planning, and buying a house.

dents are not prepared, especially if they do not enroll in schooling after high school. Senior student Allison Makula says that she does not feel prepared to pay taxes and bills after she graduates.

Phoebe Cunningham Freedom Forum

Are students being left in the dark about how to dive into adulting? At FHS, there are many different electives that students can take, such as personal finance and an

When asked if they believe that students, specifically at Freedom, have a good understanding of how to manage money in their adult lives, both Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Santini were united in their opinion that most stu-

Combating seasonal depression in students

The sadness and unwillingness to get out of bed during the holiday season may not be just laziness or mood swings, it might be seasonal affective disorder.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), more commonly known as seasonal depression, is a type of depression that is related to changes in the seasons. (Why have seasonal depression when you can have it all year round?) Seasonal affective disorder will start and end around the same time annually and in most cases start in the fall and continue into the winter months. People affected by this order may feel moody, irritable, or fatigued.

Seasonal affective disorder, depression or anxiety can have large tolls on teens and young adults, affecting their performance in school. Depression can negatively impact their ability to learn and enjoy time in school and if ignored, can lead to social and behavioral problems, poor learning skills,

neglected hygiene, and low self esteem; unpredictable behavior is often a sign of anxiety and/or depression. Freedom student Cielo McClendon said, “I notice I start to get more depressed during fall. It might be because of the weather, work, and school.”

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 34% of students experience depression. In 2017, 1-in-5 teenage girls (13%) and 7% of teenage boys had experienced at least one major depressive episode. The rates of anxiety and depression have risen since then, especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying this can be difficult because the way these disorders appear differ from person to person.

There are ways to treat seasonal affective disorder on your own at home. First, talk to a doctor or therapist; they can sort out whether it’s seasonal affective disorder or a different type of depression and can prescribe antidepressants.

To treat chemical imbalances like depression, you need to do more than just take

medication. Spending time with people can help in the treatment process.

“Get off your phones and spend time with your friends in real life. Isolating yourself is the worst thing you could do,” a local therapist said.

You can participate in activities that improve your mood – for example, going out to a place like the mall or the movies or joining after-school activities like AEVIDUM to keep yourself busy. Freedom High School’s AEVIDUM club aims to empower students to talk about mental health, suicide, and other issues that teens/youth face. It strives to create healthy communities where everyone is accepted, acknowledged, and cared for in schools. The advisor is Mrs. Schmidt and meetings are held weekly; they include fun games, snacks, and planning for field trips and conferences.

You can also try bright light therapy which is exposure to artificial light; you can try light therapy by purchasing a light therapy box. Vitamin D is a critical component to recovering from depression.

There are some schools across the country that do require financial based courses such as Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, and Utah. However, most schools incorporate that into their freshman and sophomore seminar classes. Based on the opinions of Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Santini, high school students should be more prepared when they are launched into adulting. Do you think that you are prepared to pay taxes, manage money, buy a house, and to retire?

At 16, most students can say that they probably are not. However, a class focusing on these subjects might make students more prepared.

Overall, take care of yourself, try keeping a journal, and make sure you spend time with your friends and family because recovering is a little bit easier with the support of your loved ones.

Madilyn Loper Freedom Forum

Jonathon Chiu looks at the trees changing color outside of Freedom

Photo: Madilyn Loper

A student in Studio Art 1 expresses herself through painting.

Photo: Catelin Schwoerer

FHS is excited to announce two musicals in one year

Allison Makula Freedom Forum

After five years of doing one show and one musical, Justin Amann, the theater director at Freedom High School, decided to do two musicals instead of one. The two musicals are Schoolhouse Rock Live, and Beauty and the Beast.

Schoolhouse Rock Live tells the story of a man named Tom, who is an elementary school teacher, nervous about his first day of teaching, when all of a sudden five people from the show Schoolhouse Rock jump out of the TV to show Tom he can do it while singing and dancing. And everyone knows the well-loved story of Belle and how she met and fell in love with the cursed prince.

FHS Theater Director Justin Amann says he chose two musicals because the of the “strong core of students that would be successful and appropriately featured [with] their incredible singing and dancing abilities.”

Tiahnna Dalpezzo, who is the Freedom High School Theater Company president, says, “I think that doing two musicals this year is a new, yet beneficial experience. Doing two musicals for our shows will help bring in a bigger audience and will show off all the talent that our Freedom theater program has to offer. I also think doing a musical in the fall will give people who are new to the company a taste for what is in store for the spring musical.” One of Tiahnna’s favorite parts about FHSTC is the music. She says “Musical theater songs are just super catchy, so you can’t help but sing along.” She is also hoping to do this in the future.

Abby Shapiro, stage manager, says, “I think that doing two musicals is a good thing because it showcases all of the potential we have as a cast and crew. Doing two musicals is ambitious but I feel I can speak for most if not all of us when I say we are prepared to take this on.” She also says that she thinks Mr. Amann will do this again in the future.

One of Abby’s favorite parts of the theater is being on the stage crew. She says “My favorite part about being in the crew is that everyone gets into the show. Especially with musicals, it is an exciting time and everyone does their part to make the show the best it can be. With musicals, the crew sometimes interacts with the cast more often, which is important because we all are working towards the same goal: an excellent show.”

Both of these shows should not be missed. To buy tickets ($12) for Schoolhouse Rock Live, on sale now, go to showtix4u.com/ events/FHSTC or call (610) 867-5843 ext. 80857 and leave an order via voicemail.

Metal shows to check out before 2022 ends

Javian (Chemi) Miranda Freedom Forum

Sweaty, loud, bloody, moshing, painful, the next upcoming shows in the area are nothing but terror and loud metal. These hardcore metal bands put their lives, souls, sweat, blood, and tears into making music. Their events show how much time and effort they put into making a form of art.

Within the next month, shows in Philly include underground bands such as Raw Life, Last Man Out, and Carried by Six. A lot of these shows are heavy metal and metal shows and all of them sell shirts, cds, cassettes, and even posters and stickers along with providing entertainment for their fans.

On Saturday, October 19th is the Halloween show which has bands such as Raw life, Last Man Out, and Street Struck. This show will take place in Altoona, PA, at the 4D Lounge. Tickets are $10 with a costume and $13 without. It’s all ages, so make sure to show up!

Next month, the Slave to the Grave show will have bands such as 200 Stab Wounds, Enforced, and Undeathly. This is a 2022 tour that will take place on November 12, at the First Unitarian Church on 2125 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia at 1 pm; tickets will be $20.

Another upcoming show is the Holiday Slam 3 which features Life of Agony, Wisdom in Chains and Carried by 6.

Most of these shows have a lot of hardcore bands, like Carried by Six. Carried by Six is based in New Jersey and released two EPs,“Eternity” and “Slow Death” and a single called “SLOTH.” Another hardcore band that will be performing is Raw life based in New Jersey, with two demos out and one promo. For the death metal Slave to the Grave show, 200 Stab Wounds is one, if not the most popular band out of the bunch. 200 Stab Wounds is based in Ohio and has two albums, Slave to the Scalpel and Piles of Festering Decomposition. If you’re a fan of metal or just curious to listen to new types of music check out these shows.

Preparing for autumn mentally, physically, and emotionally

Autumn is arriving. Your mind, body, and spirit may still be stuck in summer. Fall is a comfort season filled with lots of coziness, peace, and happiness. With the color-changing leaves, drastic weather changes, and eventful holidays, this time of year could get crazy. Although, there are some bright sides to this season and it is important to make the most of it. Are you prepared for autumn?

To prepare for autumn mentally, here are some ideas:

Changing your sleeping habits can make you less tired in the morning and give your body more energy for your day. Dressing warmly will protect you from catching colds and keep your body warm when you step outside. Eating healthier will not only keep your body healthy but increase your immunity which keeps you from getting sick. Keeping everything organized will reduce stress and make it a lot easier to access your belongings/needs. Along with reducing your stress, fresh tea is a great way to calm your mind.

There are plenty of ways to prepare for autumn physically. Warming up in a cozy or comfortable sweater or hoodie is very bene-

ficial. You can wear one at home, to school, when you’re cold, it is the perfect necessity that is much needed for fall. Decorating your home for the upcoming holiday season is not only a great activity to do with friends and family, it can help your mind get in the festive mood. Carving pumpkins and making pumpkin pie, putting up the scarecrows on the lawn, making pumpkin spiced lattes, dressing up for Halloween, and preparing Thanksgiving dinner are also fun activities to get into the fall spirit. Have nothing to do after school? Join a club to stay occupied or a sport to keep yourself active. You get 15 hours of community service as well! Here is a list of clubs that you can join at any time: -Pen & Ink, a creative writing club where you can express yourself through the art of writing.

-Black Excellence & Joy, a club where all people are accepted to celebrate, support, and encourage African-American history.

-Freedom Forum, a newspaper and broadcasting club that writes and speaks about things going on at Freedom.

-Garden Club, a fun, productive club that takes on the difficulties of gardening while

creating great things from the natural resources of Earth.

Preparing for autumn emotionally is very important. Here are some ideas of ways you can prepare:

Emotionally, you can clean your room or a messy area in your household. This contributes to your mental health and makes you feel better about yourself. Sleeping in a warm, clean bed can prevent you from losing any sleep. Maintaining a consistent after school or after work routine could make you happier and be more organized. Meditating can help with depression and calm your emotions when you’re upset or mad. Meditating could also keep your mind and body on the same page in an emotionally productive way.

Preparing for autumn in any way is easy. It is a chaotic and mentally challenging season with many bright sides. If anything becomes hard or overwhelming, take a step back and remember why you are here. It’s not always going to be easy but there are people here for you. Autumn is enjoyable; don’t waste a second of this beautiful season.

Homecoming Highlights

Cielo McClendon Freedom Forum

The FHS Stage Crew paints the sets for Schoolhouse Rock Live.

Photo: Allison Makula

Autumn leaves change color and begin to fall in Bethlehem.

Photo: Cielo McClendon

Cheerleaders, Riot Squad, and the drumline celebrate at the Homecoming game.

Photo: Anna Marmaros

The 2022 Homecoming Court poses before making their entrance.

Photo: Christmas City Studios

Owen Miller dances in the circle at Homecoming.

Photo: Christmas City Studios

Jalen Fletcher (center) runs through hole created by Freedom’s offensive line.

Photo: Christmas City Studios

Defending District Champs; Tight race in the beginning, who will come out on top?

Zeyad Ragab Freedom Forum

EPC football kicked off this year on August 27th. It was a little bumpy for Freedom, the defending District champs, after losing 19-13 against Emmaus in the home opener. However, the Pates have a big bounce-back game. Week 2 kicked off against Easton, and Freedom won 33-20. Week 3 was against powerhouse Parkland, who had just come off a loss against Nazareth the week before. Unfortunately Parkland comes out with a close 21-13 win against Freedom.

Coming into Week 4, we saw the biggest matchup Freedom faced since hitting the field in Week 1. They faced Nazareth who was undefeated, 3-0. The Patriots slugged it out the whole game with both teams scoring back and forth. Before halftime Prajeet Santra hit a 26 yards field goal to get the Pates up by three going into the half. In the second half, Freedom and Nazarerth continued going back and forth scoring and the Pats prevailed, winning 45-35.

At this point the Freedom Pates were 2-2 going on to the next week’s match up against Central Catholic, who were 3-1. The Pates were hot going into this intense contest. After a scoreless first quarter, Freedom scored the first points in the game. The game ended with a great Freedom win, 3314 and their record improved to 3-2, while Central dropped down to 3-2. The Patriots went on to play Allen, who were currently on a losing streak at 0-5. Freedom, after

beating Nazareth and Allentown Central Catholic, were pumped up to get another win over the struggling Allen team. With a score of 33-0 at the end of the half, the Pates scored a quick touchdown at the start of the third quarter. Head Coach Jason Roeder put in the young players for the rest of the game. The score came out to be 46-0, making the Pates record go up at 4-2.

Now onto Week 7, the Pates were on a three-game winning streak. They faced another tough task in playing the Whitehall Zephyrs. Whitehall were coming off a big win against Parkland and feeling very confident, but the first half didn’t go as expected for them. It was 21-10 going into the half. Then in the third quarter the Pates scored a touchdown but a missed PAT makes the score 27-10. Whitehall was scoreless in the third, and finally scored in the fourth, making it 27-17, but it was too late as the Pates scored another touchdown to make it 33-17 with a missed PAT. Freedom improves to 5-2 on the year, and Whitehall drops to 5-3.

Most recently, the Pates headed to the mountains to play a confident Pleasant Valley team. The Bears came into the game 5-3. Going into the half, the Patriots were up 28-0. From there, they just ruined the Pleasant Valley team, beating them 49-0. This improves Freedom’s record to 6-2 with a five-game winning streak.

The regular season ends with what we have all been waiting for, the city games. Bethlehem Catholic heading into their game with Freedom had already beaten

Liberty to make them one step closer to the title of being city champs. The Golden Hawks headed into that game at 4-4, while the Pates were at 6-2.

To end the regular season, the Patriots go on to face Liberty in Week 10. This is going to be an action-packed game, the biggest in the Lehigh Valley, with hundreds of people in attendance. Our Freedom student body is hoping this huge game will be a repeat of last year, when the score was 28-13 in favor of Freedom.

As the season winds down for the Patriots, they will be going into the District playoffs. Last year’s Freedom team went 11-3 overall. They were on a nine-game winning streak until playing powerhouse state team St. Joe’s Prep. St. Joe’s prevailed but the Pates gave them a hard time, with a dramatic ending when Ethan Niedig scored an important touchdown thrown by Brian Taylor to make it a 24-21. This year, Freedom has the momentum to could go even further.

Booms, busts, fantasy football outlook through Week 4

Coming into the year, Jonathan Taylor was said to be the unanimous first overall pick in most fantasy football drafts; the only other option that came close was Christian McCafery. Johnathan Taylor rushed 81 times for 328 yards and a touchdown, averaging four yards per carry, before he went down with an ankle injury in week four. The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, what this means is Nyheim Hines who has been a starter for the Colts in the past, could see some more touches and a big increase in points with the uncertainty to Taylor’s injury. Hiens is sure to get more touches and will become a viable flex and even a starting back in some leagues.

is the Atlanta Falcons, Pitts hasn’t been that “unicorn”( A player that can do it all, has many good traits, athletic freak) type player people had hoped he would be.

John Roeder

Freedom Forum

To many people and to many students in Freedom High school the start of the NFL season is the start of the fantasy football season. From in-person draft parties with

friends to online drafts with complete strangers, to most people the proper selections that create their teams are the most integral part of having a successful season.

With the first two weeks underway, let’s take a look at some of the biggest surprises in the fantasy football world so far.

The biggest bust of the season so far is Kyle Pitts. Drafted as the third best tight end coming into the season. To say Pitts has under-preformed would be an understatement, through four games Pitts has just 10 completions for 150 yards and zero touchdowns. According to ESPN’s pre-season projections, Pitts would have 43 receptions for 638 yards at this point in the season, which obviously he hasn’t come close to. Pitts who was drafted fourth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft was set to have a breakout year, but due to inconsistent quarterback play and an overall struggling franchise that

In contrast, The biggest boom of the season so far has to be the NFL’s leading rusher, former rookie of the year, Saquan Barkley. Barkley who played his high school football in the valley at Whitehall High school is coming off a couple of injury-plagued seasons looks to be returning to true form, He has 463 yards on 87 carries and two touchdowns, while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Barkley had 593 yards last season and only 34 the year before due to an acl injury that has plagued his last two seasons. Barkley was a 1000-yard rusher in each of his first two seasons, but hasn’t come close since, he looks to achieve that mark again this season, as long as he stays healthy.

Saquan Barkley, the all time leading rusher at Whitehall played his final high school game in a playoff matchup against Freedom in the District 11 6A tournament on November 7th, 2014. Freedom came out on top led by a defense that managed to hold the NFL star to zero total touchdowns.