Volume 46 Issue 8
June 2013
Freedom High School - 3149 Chester Avenue - Bethlehem, PA 18020 - www.fhsforum.com - @fhsforum
Claire Sullivan By Walter Ogozaly The Freedom Forum In a class of more than four hundred, there are only a handful of natural leaders. Over the past four years, Claire Sullivan has shown everyone around her that she is one of these select few. Her hard work culminated recently with BASD’s first Mini-THON, of which she was a captain. The event raised over twice its goal amount of money. Sullivan dominates both in the classroom and on the field. She was a member of National Honor Society and earned the Lamp of Learning award, but also plays field hockey and soccer. She was one of the captains of the field hockey team. “Every game I played on the field hockey field was memorable,” she said. “Also memorable were all the school activities I attended with my best friends.” Her advice to underclassmen? “Don’t forget about your core group of friends and make the most of every day. Don’t stress over every detail, either,” she said. Mr. Wallaesa was Sullivan’s favor-
ite teacher. “He is so sweet and hilarious. He’s also always willing to help,” said Sullivan. Her hard work has paid off and Sullivan will be attending Penn State University. She was accepted to study in their Smeal College of Business. Sullivan is one of those students for whom the phrase, “The world is your oyster,” was coined. Wherever she goes success will shortly follow.
CLASS PRESIDENT
Student Body Officers
Amanda Molinaro By Samantha Lutz Pates’ Post Editor “You can usually find me running around the school doing errands for The Freedom Forum,” said Amanda Molinaro. Molinaro was involved in a multitude of extracurricular activities during her four years of high school: The Freedom Forum, student council, Orchestra, debate team, Young Democrats, student advisory board, pit orchestra, ski club, BASD mini-THON, and the National Honor Society. Molinaro is exceedingly passionate about all that she participates in. In fact, she has taken the leadership role in many of her extracurricular activities. She is the Managing Editor of Print for The Freedom Forum, Senior Class Vice President, and President of the Orchestra. “Becoming involved and taking advantage of as many opportunities as possible is the key to enjoying high school,” said Molinaro. Molinaro’s most memorable experience was spending a week on a cruise with Freedom’s Band and Orchestra her junior year. Her musical director, Mr. Moran, is her favorite teacher because she said, “he dedicates his time
and effort and has taught me to be a better musician and person.” She obviously had her plate full, but still found time to take AP and honors classes, achieve honor roll, and obtain over 270 hours of community service. Molinaro will surely utilize her high school leadership experiences as she enters the next chapter of her life. She will be attending Temple University in the fall to major in Political Science and minor in Journalism.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Anna Thomas President
Eileen Seitz Vice-President
Molly Magnan Secretary
Maria Restrepo Treasurer
Senior Class Officers
more senior photos and articles.
Inside this issue
Claire Sullivan President
Amanda Molinaro Vice-President
Kelly Winegar Secretary
Carlton McCullough Treasurer
2013-2014 Class Officers Student Body Officers Evan Anthony, President Faarah Ameerally, Vice-President Matthew Henninger, Secretary Jordan Presto, Treasurer
Junior Class Officers Nicholas Youwakim, President Alyssa Villani, Vice-President Priyanka Patel, Secretary Caitlin McCadden, Treasurer
Senior Class Officers Michael Samuelson, President Noah Gonzalez ,Vice-President Semira Ajisafe, Secretary Laura Stammherr, Treasurer
Sophomore Class Officers Gabriela Wamba, President Kristen Schmidt, Vice-President Elizabeth Thomsen, Secretary Bridget Tarnowski, Treasurer
Retirees………………………..page 12 BASD miniTHON…………….page 13 Freedom to Fly……………...page 13 Freddy Awards……………...page 13 College List…………………..page 24
Senior Issue 2 The Freedom Forum A Publication of Freedom High School, Bethlehem Area School District 3149 Chester Avenue Bethlehem PA, 18020 (610)867-5843 www.fhsforum.com
Managing Editor of Print Amanda Molinaro Managing Editor of Digital Media Zachary Ward News Editor Bill Leeson Editorial Editor Kate Dawson Pates’ Post Editor Samantha Lutz Entertainment Editor Kirat Randhawa Sports Editor Greg Adams Photo Editor Trevor Watlington Assistant Editors Kristen Dalton Sabrina Castaneda Faarah Ameerally
Adviser Mrs. Karla Erdman Principal Mr. Michael LaPorta
The Forum
Letter from the Adviser By Karla Erdman Adviser to The Freedom Forum Each year I take a moment to reflect upon The Freedom Forum’s goals and outcomes, and I always find that the end of a school year is bittersweet. The senior staff of the newspaper comes to say farewell as each student plans for his or her journey beyond Freedom, and the underclassmen vie for editor positions for the next school year. It is such an exciting time of year for everyone, but after working with many of the students for three or four years, it is also a time to say goodbye. The best part of reflection is looking at the accomplishments the staff made throughout the year. Each year the newspaper staff strives to increase our readership through as
By Amanda Molinaro Managing Editor of Print It goes without saying that my passion for writing is essentially how I became involved with the school newspaper, but ironically enough when I sat down to summarize my experiences as Editor-in-Chief this past year, I couldn’t think of a single word to express my feelings. I can definitely relate to Ernest Hemmingway when he said, “I don’t
For our editorial statement and corrections policy, please go to www.fhsforum.com/about.html Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and email us! http://fb.fhsforum.com @fhsforum, #fhsforum fhsforum@gmail.com
2013-2014 Editors Editor-in-Chief Samantha Lutz Web Editor Anissa Vasquez Correction: PBS article writer incorrectly noted as Kevin Devine in the April issue. In fact, Jack Ogozaly was the writer.
Freedom High School’s
Class of 2013 Graduation
June 5, 2013 Stabler Arena Lehigh University 7:00 p.m. Congratulations, seniors!
many students, staff, and community members through the monthly print edition and the website. This year the paper’s website stats surpassed the previous year, and our Twitter presence increased through Tweeting at live sporting events and publishing news alerts. Another goal this year was to highlight more student writers, which was accomplished through the journalism course. Over 40 new student writers were published this school year either in the print version or on the website. This is a great accomplishment for the newspaper, as it moves forward and continues to grow each year. As we wrap up the senior issue, I want to wish all of my senior staff members much success in their future endeavors. I hope they all continue to write in some
capacity because they all have so much to offer the world. Finally, I welcome our leadership team, Samantha Lutz and Anissa Vasquez, for the 2013-2014 school year. These young ladies have already begun planning for another successful year. I am looking forward to working with them next year.
Letter from the Editor
Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy
The senior portraits used in this issue are courtesy of Christmas City Studio.
June 2013
like writing, I like having written.” This relates to not only this particular case of writer’s block, but also the entirety of my experiences with The Freedom Forum this year. There have been days I’ve wanted to pull my hair out in frustration, but the days the newspaper is sent to the printer and the days I see my fellow classmates flipping through pages of The Freedom Forum: those are the days I know it was worth it. It goes without saying that these past few weeks have been very bittersweet for this year’s graduating class, and as my senior year and entire high school career come to an end I find myself wondering how time flew by so quickly. The experiences I have had and the people I have met have shaped me into who I am today and I can honestly say these past four years would not have been the same without the presence of The Freedom Forum in my life. This newspaper is one of my proudest accomplishments and it has been an incredible experience. I have had the op-
portunity to work with some of the best and brightest of the Class of 2013 and even with a very small staff this year and only a few dedicated editors, The Freedom Forum created publications that improved with each month. With a flourishing website and a full-color paper, this year has sparked the potential for even greater success in years to come. I am just one of many Freedom students that have taken on this role, but I am honored to have been one of them and I will always look back on this experience with fondness. In particular, I was pleased to accept the Second Place Award from the American Scholastic Press Association on behalf of The Freedom Forum this year. The obstacles I faced and lessons I learned while managing this newspaper will definitely help me in the future. I can only hope that someday I have the privilege of finding a job that I am equally passionate about and enjoy as much as I have enjoyed running this newspaper.
Goodbyes from the Editors “The Freedom Forum has taught me so many skills that I can utilize for the future. It also gave me the opportunity to get to know some unique people that I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for the newspaper. It was a memorable experience, and I recommend anyone who wants to be involved in something vital for our student body and have a memorable high school experience to join.” -Kristen Dalton “Thank you to all of the talented writers and editors for making this a great year for The Freedom Forum. This school year was very eventful both at Freedom and in the national and global news, and I am proud to have been apart of Freedom’s number one news source this year.” -Greg Adams
“Having the privilege of overseeing the growth of The Freedom Forum into new realms of digital media has truly been meaningful. I would like to thank the entire staff for a great year, and I hope those who come to follow will grow these new assets even further. Good luck to all of my successors.” -Zach Ward
“I have had a wonderful time over the last year working with The Freedom Forum team to put together what has amounted to several wonderful issues. I have learned quite a lot about time management and the usefulness of teamwork, all while writing some articles that I am quite proud of. Overall, my experience can be summed up in one word: positive.” -Sabrina Castaneda
“My role as the Forum’s news editor was an experience that thoroughly enriched my time at Freedom. The rest of The Freedom Forum’s editors deserve a huge ‘thank you’ for making it an informative and interesting newspaper. Good luck to the rest of the senior class in the future!” -Bill Leeson
“Throughout the past couple of years, I have been a part of The Freedom Forum; it has taught me many things. I learned about responsibility, time management, and how to work with a diverse team. I managed to acquire skills that I can apply to my writing, reading, and communications. I have produced work that I am proud to call mine. Overall, this has been a wonderful experience, and I encourage students to get involved with this publication.” -Kirat Randhawa
“Being an editor for The Freedom Forum during my senior year has allowed me to work with some of the school’s best and brightest, not only on the staff, but also in interviewing, writing, and reading about all our school’s talented students. I have learned many valuable lessons about writing as well as adhering to deadlines and doing research. I will always look fondly on my years with The Freedom Forum and wish the best for the upcoming staffs for years to come. ” -Kate Dawson
The Forum
June 2013
William Leeson
By Amanda Molinaro Managing Editor of Print
Dedicated, hard-working, and talented are three very clichéd, yet very true words to describe Bill Leeson. Over his past four years at Freedom High School, Leeson has balanced Honors and Advanced Placement courses, the debate team, the tennis team, and being an irreplaceable editor for this very newspaper. He has validated his work ethic by being recognized as an “AP Scholar with Distinction,” a “National Merit Program Commended Student,” and a
member of Freedom’s National Honor Society. A life altering event occurred during the summer before Leeson’s junior year: he had extensive back surgery to fix his Scheuermann’s Kyphosis scoliosis. As an avid tennis player this was obviously a very difficult time to overcome. His postsurgery recovery time varied as it took him a month to regain independence, but over a year to truly feel like himself again. However, Leeson overcome this obstacle and bounced back to become the accomplished student and athlete he is today. One of his favorite faculty members was Mr. Young, who was both a
Senior Issue 3
teacher and a coach to Leeson. Young was Leeson’s AP Calculus teacher during his sophomore year and has been his tennis coach for his sophomore, junior, and senior years. The wit and humor Leeson brings to the table has made it a it a pleasure to work with him and Leeson’s dedication to The Freedom Forum this year has been greatly appreciated. Leeson had a great experience with Air Products & Chemicals, the company which he had an internship with last summer, which confirmed his interest in chemical engineering. He will be majoring in Chemical Engineering this fall at the Schreyer Hon-
ors College at Pennsylvania State University.
ogy and going on to become a physician. As with most seniors, college admissions lead to senioritis. Rather than cursing senioritis; he appreciates it. As Ward said, “[Senioritis] caused me to focus on having fun rather than worrying about grades and such, and I thank it for that. The stress really isn’t worth it.” Even though Ward is heading off to college; he still has had memorable times at Freedom High School. One of his favorite memories was when he took ceramics, which he liked because, “being able to have some artistic expression, rather than purely academic classes.” With memorable moments, comes
memorable teachers. Ward’s favorite teachers would have to be Mr. Young and Mr. Kolb. “Mr. Young and Mr. Kolb go in tandem; they are both just fantastic teachers, who genuinely care, but also speak their minds (more so Mr. Kolb on this front). They also have a great sense of humor, so it’s fun to pull gags on them,” said Ward. “College applications are going to be rough, but it really doesn’t matter if you get into some highly esteemed university. It only matters how much effort you’re willing to put forth once you get in,” said Ward advising the upcoming seniors.
jor in. I adore little kids and my dream job is to bring public speaking and working with little kids and helping people together in some way,” said Seitz as she describes her college plans. At Penn State, Seitz plans on getting involved with their THON and aspires to eventually hold a captain position or the overall for the committee Family Relations. She also looks forward to attending Penn State University football games as a student. If Seitz continues in the accomplished legacy she has started, she will surely be successful at Penn
State University and in post-college plans.
Zachary Ward By Jack Ogozaly Journalism student
Students come and go every year. The hope is that after four years your name has its own legacy. To be someone who will not only be remembered, but be spoken of in awe. I speak of none other than Zachary Ward. Ward participated in debate team, varsity scholastic scrimmage, National Honor Society, Rachel’s Challenge, and was the Managing Editor of Web for The Freedom Forum. That is not even naming all of the extracurricular activities Ward participated in. He excels in and out of the classroom, and his hard work paid off in the long run. Ward has been accepted to the University of Pittsburgh honors college, where he plans to study Biol-
Eileen Seitz By Faarah Ameerally Entertainment Asst. Editor Eileen Seitz is surely a name everyone got to know over the past school year for her active role in Freedom High School. She became notoriously famous for her leading role in running the first ever BASD miniThon. Along with THON, Seitz participated in varsity field hockey and was captain her senior year. Seitz held the position of class vice president from freshman year until junior year and was student body vice president during her senior year. Seitz was also a member of the National Honors Society, the Big Brother Big Sister pro-
gram, and student advisory board during her years at Freedom. Seitz had a very memorable senior year. She remembers tailgating before football games, being nominated for homecoming and prom court, and basketball games as some of the highlighted moments. It is no shock that her ultimate highlight was on April 27th. “I'll seriously never forget how amazing THON was, and the reaction we got from people. Getting to do the line dance in front of 650 people was unforgettable,” said Seitz. “I will attend Penn State University Park this upcoming fall. I am completely unsure of what I want to ma-
Brittney Ciardi
Adam Grossman
“Don’t take anything for granted, and don’t waste your time. Live in the moment,” said Brittney Ciardi. Ciardi dreams of owning her own bridal line someday, and is on her way there by owning a jewelry business called Bedazzling Creations and also by making clothing. “I had countless amazing and memorable moments at Freedom, and I know I learned from and treasured each one of them,” said Ciardi. Ciardi plans to attend NACC for a year to cover her core classes, then transfer to F.I.T. for fashion design. -AV
Adam Grossman plans on attending St. Johns University for Actuarial science. At Freedom he was a member of choir and band grades nine through eleven and was a part of NHS. Achievements he has received are the silver cord and the Wegman’s scholarship. You can usually find him working at Wegman’s. His most memorable experience was beating Liberty in football. Grossman’s favorite teacher was Mr. Fierro, and his favorite class was honors physics. EN
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The Forum
Doo Park By Damian Roszkowski Journalism student Captain of the cross-country team, President of the National Honor Society, part of the Green Team and many more activities, Doo Park is a very active member at Freedom and will not be forgotten as the great student he has become. When Park leaves Freedom, he plans on making his mark with a career in medicine. He plans on majoring in biology at the University of Pittsburgh. Then, he will continue to medical school to become a surgeon and further benefit the world. Park says he has been inspired by his favorite teacher, Mrs. Chiafulio. “Mrs.Chiafulio just gives so much effort into her teaching and helping students; she honestly cares about her students, and she has inspired me,” said Park. Park signed up for AP Biology with Mrs. Chiafulio as soon as it became available in Freedom and although he thought it was hard, he loved every minute of it. Park looks back on the day he and his cross-country team won District Championships as, “one of my favorite moments in Freedom”. Park also said, “being a part of that team with those people was amazing.” He has met some of the greatest people on there and being captain of the team made it even better.
When asked about what he would change about Freedom he said, “I would reestablish the whole honors and academic system.” He says that he would model it more for the students for them to get a better education. “Those who learn vigorously would be placed in a class more to their liking and those who can’t would be placed in a class better suited for them.” Park also caught a bit of “senioritis” but he’s staying strong. Some words of advice to freshman and upcoming seniors from Park, are some inspirational words. Doo is an inspirational figure to all and some final advice he leaves off on is, “Don’t slack off like I started to. Don’t waste your talent. Work your hardest because in the end it’ll all be worth it.”
Caterina Atiyeh By Kate Dawson Editorials Editor One of this graduating class's many smiling faces is that of Caterina Atiyeh. Atiyeh has been involved in various clubs and athletic activities during her four years at Freedom and even taken on leadership roles. She is a team captain for both Cross Country and Track and Field and has also participated in Ski Club. This year, Atiyeh also acted as a captain of the food committee for the inaugural THON event. Equally dedicated to academics, Atiyeh has earned the academic achievement award for straight "A"s three years in a row and is also Vice President of National Honors Society. Academically, Atiyeh says her favorite teacher is Mr. Kleist. "He's very passionate about what he teaches. I look forward to his class and seeing him every day." During her junior year, Atiyeh was given the coaches' award for Cross Country. Cross country has been her most memorable experience. She also says of her years on cross country: "The team has truly made these last four years awesome and I am so grateful for the experience. Cross country has given me many wonderful memories and opportunities and I've made some of the best friends I'll ever have in life." While many seniors claim to be afflicted with the disease known as
"senioritis," Atiyeh explains: "I've always been a procrastinator, so this year is really no different from any other." Atiyeh will be continuing her education next year at the University of Pittsburgh. Her advice to underclassmen is to "Get involved! Being a part of a club, a team, or any student organization can really make a huge difference in your high school career." When reflecting on her last four years at Freedom, Atiyeh admits everything hasn't been perfect, but she is very happy with the memories she's made and the direction she's headed in.
June 2013
Kelly Winegar By Bill Leeson News Editor Kelly Winegar’s list of achievements in high school is a sight to behold. She was a varsity field hockey player for all four years of her time at Freedom, she was the Class Secretary for Student Council, she was a National Honor Society member, she was a Captain for the wildly successful BASD Mini-THON, and she still found time to perform over 200 hours of volunteer community service. Furthermore, she was one of four Freedom students selected for the Lehigh Valley Conference’s Student Athlete Character Council based on her character and leadership skills. And the whole time, she made it look easy. Winegar’s incomparable
enthusiasm for each of her responsibilities leaves no question that success awaits her in Penn State’s remarkable nursing program. Her record of straight A’s and recognition as a Scholar Athlete is proof of her academic proficiency, but at the same time, she believes her role in Freedom’s field hockey team was “one of the best decision’s I have ever made. I have not only learned valuable life lessons, but it was pretty awesome gaining a couple of great friends who turned into family.” Winegar had a long list of teachers to thank for the parts they played in making her time at Freedom the best it could be, including Miss Devine, Mrs. Direnzo, Mr. Ayre, Mrs. Roman, Mr. Roscher, and Mr. Harakal. Some of the advice she offers to underclassmen is to avoid procrastination, because “[college] rejection letters… suck.” Not that there was any hidden message there. The personality and humor Winegar displays make it obvious how she has managed her accomplishments. Only someone with a clear assessment of their priorities could take advantage of every opportunity presented in life as Winegar has done. Winegar’s admirable devotion to all of her engagements is the foundation for the blindingly luminous path that begins for her on graduation day.
Gregory Adams By Ellyce Nieves Journalism student Gregory Adams, Freedom High School’s rock star, is known for his participation in many school activities. In addition to being sports editor for The Freedom Forum, Adams was manager of the Freedom High School Theatre Company. Not only was he involved in theatre for four years and newspaper for two, but he was also in S.A.D.D. Outside of school, he performs with his rock band Taking Tomorrow as the lead singer. He wants to play in his band as much as possible on break during college. He also was involved in Boy Scouts. Despite being involved in many activities, his most memorable experience at FHS was being a part of “Les Miserables.” According to Adams, “Les Mis” was the best show he has
been a part of, and he liked being a serious character that was a challenge. Another thing that was memorable for him was performing at THON. Although Adams was dedicated to the FHSTC, he is not sure if he will be continuing theatre in college because theatre would consume a lot of time. However, he still may try out for some productions. Adams will be attending Drexel University after high school. He chose Drexel because of its great engineering school and co-op program. He became interested in chemical engineering because there are a lot of job opportunities in the field, and his dad is a chemical engineer. He plans on becoming a bio-engineer and staying in college for at least 5 years. Adams has also received multiple awards, including a Freddy nomination, the silver cord, AP Scholar, NHS, honor roll, an Eagle Scout award, and the BRIDGES scholarship. He is proudest of the scholarship because not a lot of people earn it. The BRIDGES scholarship is eligible for vo-tech students They receive it for funding businesses in the Lehigh Valley. Adams had to go to an interview lunch with a board member to receive the scholarship. Greg is both excited and sad high school is nearly over. “A few months ago I saw everything as ending,” said Greg, “but when I picked my college, I got less stressed.” His best advice to underclassmen is “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” and get involved.
The Forum
June 2013
Nicholas Matos By Amanda Molinaro Managing Editor of Print
They say people that laugh the most live the longest. If this is the true, Freedom senior, Nicholas “Nico” Matos is going to live a very long life. Anyone that has had a class with or socialized with him knows that he has the ability to make every situation funny and make all those around him laugh. Matos has exercised his happy outlook on life by greatly enjoying high school. As President of the Freedom Patriot Band, Section Leader of the saxophones, a member of Wind Ensemble, and a member of Pit Orchestra, Matos has proved himself to be a leader and a talented musician. Matos was also a part of the Ski Club his freshmen, sophomore, and junior years, a member of Student Council all of high school, and a member of the Student Advisory Board his senior year. His words of advice, which he has clearly taken, are “Get involved! Find a good group of friends and have fun!” It comes as no surprise that one of Matos’ favorite memories and one of his favorite teachers both relate to the band. His most memorable high school experience was going on a seven day cruise to the Bahamas with the entire Patriot Band and Orchestra in April of his junior year. Speaking of his musical director, Mr.
Moran, Matos said, “He has been my Band Director for four years. He has basically watched me grow up.” Matos’ hard work as a musician was recognized as he was recently awarded with a United States Marine Corps Award for Musical Excellence at Freedom’s 15th Annual Band Awards Banquet. Matos will be attending Shippensburg University in the fall for a major in International Business with a focus in Marketing and a minor in Logistics.
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Ann Marie Liadis By Mitchell Corriel The Freedom Forum Remember that $100,000 grant S.A.D.D received earlier this year? Or the amazing choreography that took place in both Urinetown and Les Miserables this year? If you do, then you are remembering the hard work of Ann Marie Liadis, president of S.A.D.D. and head choreographer for Freedom High School’s Theatre Company. Ann Marie worked diligently with Ms. Wescoe and other students to create momentum that would cause our school to win that grant, which has since been used to form various programs and workshops. As for theatre, Liadis has spent countless hours putting together the moves that would make this year’s
Les Miserables one of the best shows Freedom has ever put on. You would be hard pressed to find another student that could keep it all together. Despite the amount of time Liadis put into theater and S.A.D.D., she still had time to balance multiple AP courses, even while battling with senioritis. All of this hard work has paid off, and she will be attending the University of Pittsburgh this fall to major in marketing. You also may find her familiar if you have picked up an issue of Lehigh Valley Magazine recently. She was featured in an article that followed the daily lives of a few local teenagers. The article further serves as another example of the impact Liadis has had during her time as a student of Freedom High School. Her time as a student was also marked with many memorable events like prom, the 2012 Freddy awards, and the National Youth Leadership Conference that she attended with S.A.D.D. As for teachers, she cites Ms. Wescoe, Mr. Kolb, and Mr. Ziegler as teachers that have taught her many life lessons. Last, but certainly not least, she is irrefutably, irrevocably, completely, and totally obsessed with penguins. So, if you ever need to get her something for her birthday, I would recommend a penguin themed object.
Sabrina Castaneda Katherine Dawson By Kate Dawson Editorials Editor What Freedom senior has a black belt in Karate, edits for the school paper, debates like a pro and has a full ride to one of the best schools in Boston? The answer to this common query is Sabrina Castaneda. Castaneda is a Freedom senior, who, like many, has a lot to be proud of. Castaneda has been involved in so many activities during her four years at Freedom High School both within and without of school. On school grounds she is a member of F.E.A.T. (Freedom's Environmental Awareness Team), the debate team, stage crew and an editor and staff writer for the Freedom Forum. Castaneda is also an honors and AP student, member of National Honor Society. Outside of school, she is a tutor at Kumon Learning Center and a student as well as instructor at Bethlehem Karate Academy. The advice Castaneda gives to underclassmen and upcoming seniors is to "breathe and realize that high school is not going to be 'the best four years of your life.' It is only the beginning. So, enjoy it while you can, but work to ensure a great future. Your life is just beginning and the best is yet to come." Of the sweeping epidemic known as senioritis, Castaneda documents her struggle against the disease: "Day 131. I am the only known survivor.
I've been looking for food and water for days with no luck. I am afraid I have lost all of my classmates. They attacked yesterday while I was writing my essay and almost dragged me to their beach fortress, but I began asking them math questions and they retreated. The future seems bleak, and I have no means of escaping. Tomorrow, I will try to make it to class without making contact. I won't let senioritis take me." After Castaneda finally escapes the senioritis-infested halls of Freedom, she will continue at Northeastern University, where she has been given a full tuition scholarship, to study civil engineering. When asked if she would want to redo part of her high school experience, Castaneda says, "I am the result of my memories and experiences, and I'm happy with that."
By Sabrina Castaneda Editorials Asst. Editor Katherine, or “Kate” as she is more commonly known, Dawson will be walking across the stage on June 5th with the rest of Freedom High School’s senior class. She will leave with a diploma in hand and a successful future in her sights, but there is much more to Dawson’s time here at Freedom than simply walking across a stage. During her four years here, Dawson has been in numerous activities. She has been a member of the debate team, French, The Freedom Forum, Les Chanteurs, Bell Choir, and most notably Freedom High School’s Theater Company (FHSTC). Dawson has certainly made an impact in her other clubs, but theater is where she truly shines. From Fan-
tine, to an old sheep, to a flying nun, Dawson has brought to life many roles on that stage. She has been nominated twice for a Freddy award, and the recognition is well deserved. She’s dedicated a lot of time to FHSTC and even cites performing with her friends and cast mates as her most memorable moments. However, Dawson’s skills do not stop at extracurricular activities; she is also a star student and has been recognized as an AP scholar with honor. Dawson has also been awarded the Dean’s Scholar award at Temple University’s, where she plans to join the honors program and study political science with a focus on international affairs and relations, a focus that makes sense when one considers the fact that Dawson has been to 11 countries outside of the U.S. Dawson is also a guru of wonderful advice and offers the following hint to underclassmen and upcoming seniors: “Surround yourself with positive people who love you for who you are, and remember that high school is not the be-all-end-all of your existence, you have so much to look forward to.” So it seems that if Dawson doesn’t get her dream job of working for the United Nations she could always become the next Oprah and spend her days doling out stellar advice.
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The Forum
Molly Magnan By Jocelyn Cintron Journalism student Molly Magnan, Freedom High School’s soccer and swimming captain for two years, is also interested in various other activities. In addition to being the captain of both Freedom’s soccer and swimming teams for two years, Magnan participated in the Special Olympics, S.A.D.D, student council, and also band. Even with all of her extracurricular activities, Magnan also maintains good grades. Magnan will be studying at the University of Vermont and will be majoring in early childhood special education. Some of the awards and recognitions that Magnan has earned are The Lions Club All Star Area Classic 2013, Most Saves in the Lehigh Valley 2011, Scholar Athlete Nomination for soccer, and State and District Swimming Qualifiers. Magnan said she has had multiple different favorite teachers throughout her four years here at Freedom High School. “I had a lot of amazing teachers my four years. I adore Mrs. Chilmonik; I had a fun time in Baltz’s class, and Mrs. Deily’s class was very enjoyable. Mr. Harakal and Mr. Karam are also my favorites.” said Magnan. One thing that has affected almost all of the senior class had been senior-
itis. Magnan said that she had caught senioritis, but what senior hasn’t? “It made me not want to do any work in school, which is crazy because I am normally always on top of my homework.” Magnan said about senioritis. As senior year is coming to an end it also means incoming students and new seniors next year. Anyone can give advice to underclassmen but the best advice to listen to is always from a senior, who can give you a serious answer. “Make sure you can laugh it off, don’t take something too seriously to the point where you are not enjoying it,” Magnan said for the underclassmen.
June 2013
Matthew Asteak By Bill Leeson News Editor Matthew “Matt” Asteak’s responsibility as Freedom’s National Honor Society Treasurer only scratches the surface of his extensive dedication to his high school and community. In addition to his NHS leadership role and his Lamp of Knowledge award, Asteak found time to perform upwards of 135 hours of volunteer community service, earning him the highest honor at graduation ceremo-
Senior Mini-Article Writers nies. His athletic ability deserves mention as well; Asteak was on Freedom’s track and cross country teams throughout the years, and he considers the cross country team’s District-
level victory to be one of the proudest moments in his high school career. His only regret? Not joining these teams in his freshman year – a lesson he hopes other underclassmen will learn from. Among his favorite teachers are Mrs. Cierech and Mrs. Roman thanks to their determination to keep their classes engaging for their students. Not that Asteak needed help to stay academically excellent; his AP Chemistry course with Dr. Krieger was an invaluable part of his senior experience because it kept him on his game and away from the dreaded undertow called senioritis. Asteak’s pursuit of an academically demanding senior year – indeed, every high school year – is a case of leading by example. Asteak will be attending Lehigh University in the fall. His intense and successful devotion to extracurricular activities speaks for itself, but he offers this advice to underclassmen: “Challenge yourself!” In fact, Asteak suggests that Freedom students begin the college search and application process as early as possible to find the best way to challenge themselves in the future. From another student, advice that condemns procrastination would seem rather telling. But coming from Asteak, it is passing along the secret to an impressive high school career that will create a triumphant future.
Brett Broczkowski Maria Restrepo By Kate Dawson Editorials Editor Senior Brett Broczkowski is one of the most dedicated musicians in Freedom's graduating class of 2013. His instrument? The drums. A member of the Freedom band, orchestra, jazz band and pit orchestra, Broczkowski certainly spends much of his time drumming. It doesn't stop at school, though! Broczkowski is also a member of student rock band, "Taking Tomorrow," with classmates Greg Adams and Andy Kurtz, as well as sophomore Ben Adams. The band released their EP entitled "For the Lonely Ones" on iTunes in June 2012. Not only is he one of the most dedicated musicians, though, he is also a very dedicated student. As much as Broczkowski loves his music, it has never distracted him or taken anything away from his academic excellence. He is a member of National Honors Society as well as four year "Lamp of Knowledge" recipient. Broczkowski has taken various honors and AP classes; his favorite faculty member has been his AP Calculus teacher, Mr. Young, and his most memorable experience was his tenth grade honors chemistry class. Despite his joking warning to underclassmen friends to avoid taking the BC calculus extension, Broczkowski says that calculus teacher Mr. Young "made calc understandable while remaining
personable and fun." When asked if the gripping ailment of senioritis had affected him this year, Broczkowski willingly admits: "Heck yeah. I gave up four months ago." Although high school may no longer be his first priority, Broczkowski has great plans for his future education. In the fall he will be attending Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, where he plans to take a major in Marketing and minor in Music Business. Broczkowski says he probably wouldn't change anything about his years at Freedom High School and encourages underclassmen to "make the most of your four years here."
By Kirat Randhawa Entertainment Editor Wild, humorous, and an overall genuine person are few of the words that people of the class of 2013 would describe Maria Restrepo as when hearing her name. Taking all honors and AP classes, Restrepo excels in all that she does. After she graduates in June, she plans to attend American University in Washington D.C. for the next four years. She will be studying International Business and be dealing with peace and resolution for conflicts. Apart from being an outgoing member of National Honors Society, Restrepo plays soccer for the girl’s team at FHS, which includes her favorite memory of school as she used to roll around in the mud making the best out of her free time during prac-
tices. However, as social and friendly she is, you can most likely find her taking a nap hiding away from the world at home, which is one of her most comforting things to do. Throughout her last four years at FHS, she can proudly state that her favorite teacher of all would be Mr. Stellato because he is generally a “funny guy.” A proud member of the student government, Restrepo uses her own experiences to encourage the upcoming seniors to get involved as much as possible and keep your grades up. She also states how a smart idea would be to take harder classes earlier on throughout one’s high school career, and looking back, she wishes she would have done the same thing. Just like many other students, there are several interesting facts that Restrepo contains about herself that many people may not know. Such as, when she was younger she was actually in a commercial as well as taking part as an extra in a real soap opera. Despite the fact that senioritis may have the best of her at this moment, looking back on the past few years, she has managed to accomplish remarkable things and surely, there will be more to come in the upcoming future at American University.
The Forum
June 2013
Senior Issue 7
Kirat Randhawa Kristen Dalton By Faarah Ameerally Entertainment Asst. Editor Kirat Randhawa is most likely known for her notable British accent or her striking sense of style in the hallways of Freedom High School. Along with her fashion sense and her spontaneous personality, Randhawa participated in The Freedom Forum, Future Educators of America, and BASD miniTHON during her years at Freedom. She was an editor of the entertainment section of this very publication and a captain for the publicity committee of THON during her senior year. Randhawa plans to attend the London College of Fashion in the fall for fashion buying or merchandising and aims to be a businesswoman in the fashion industry. She is excited to move back to England after nearly seven years in the United States. “I’m excited to live in the city and experiment with new fashions,” said Randhawa. She also looks forward to meeting new people in a new and different
environment. Randhawa best enjoyed participating and planning the first ever BASD miniThon, the motivational speakers at Freedom, and winning best dressed in the senior polls. She eagerly anticipates her move out of the country, but will miss all of the friends she made over the past years dearly. Randhawa holds a very promising future and will surely continue in the successful path she has started.
By Anissa Vasquez Journalism student “Work hard, get involved, and make smart decisions. It will pay off when you get that acceptance letter from your dream school,” is the advice Kristen Dalton gives to underclassmen and upcoming seniors. Dalton has been greatly involved at Freedom High School. She was a varsity cheerleader, the assistant news editor for The Freedom Forum, on the first ever BASD mini THON
committee, and part of the ski club. Dalton had many memorable memories during her high school career, however her favorite experience has been THON. While keeping up with her extracurriculars, Kristen has achieved a community service award at Freedom, and also attained straight A’s during her junior year. However, senioritis did greatly affect Dalton this past year. “It all goes downhill once you get accepted into college,” said Dalton. One can usually find Dalton “at the gym or Chipotle.” She would not go back in time and redo anything during her years at Freedom High School because she has learned from all of the mistakes she has made. Mr. Stellato is Dalton’s favorite teacher at Freedom. “I love helping him out with fundraisers and he gets kids involved toward a good cause,” said Dalton. Regardless of her senioritis, Dalton will be attending George Mason University, a 4 year college, this fall and plans on majoring in communications.
Dylan Frankenfield Brian Uliana By Bill Leeson News Editor Dylan Frankenfield’s list of accomplishments at Freedom is inspiring to say the least, with each honor or award more impressive than the last. He is a National Honor Society member and a Lamp of Knowledge recipient and will be attending Johns Hopkins University on a full academic and athletic grant. He intends to study business at Johns Hopkins – and he does not need to be any more specific than that, because when you have Frankenfield’s set of skills and experience, every option is available to you. Frankenfield’s performance on the baseball field was enough to net him a full ride to an incredibly prestigious university, and it is obvious that his passion for the game is genuine. He considers Freedom’s games at CocaCola Park among his favorite moments in high school. Frankenfield’s other extracurricular activities largely include devoting his time to cancer-awareness charities in honor of his mother, who passed away from cancer. When asked if there was anything in life he wanted to do over again, Frankenfield declined, saying, “Everything that has happened so far has had something to do with what I am today.” To reiterate: inspiring, to say the Jocelyn Cintron (JC) Mitchell Coriell (MC) Sabrina Castaneda (SC) Kristen Dalton (KDa) Kevin Devine (KDe) Hannah Evans (HE) Karla Erdman (KE)
least. Frankenfield’s advice for underclassmen is to seek out challenges and participate in sports or other activities since being part of some kind of group will help build a solid foundation for your personal growth in the future. Clearly, he speaks from experience. Frankenfield admits that his focus on school deteriorated during his senior year: “Once you get that acceptance letter, it’s hard to be as involved in your own schoolwork as before.” To be frank, it is hard to blame him – anyone would be excited to watch their future turn brighter than they ever imagined. And there is no doubt that Frankenfield will make the most of his opportunities in the coming years.
Julia Gialanella (JGia) Julianna Gimpert (JGim) Logan Handwerk (LH) Tyler Koch (TK) Bill Leeson (BL) Samantha Lutz (SL) Amanda Molinaro (AM)
By Chris Miceli Journalism student Who do you think of when you hear starting quarterback, role player on the basketball team, and a defensive star and team MVP on the baseball team? If you answered with Brian Uliana, then you would be correct. Uliana has done a lot athletically for Freedom, but explains that the only thing he would change about his time at Freedom is the game against Easton in the playoffs where Freedom got knocked out. “My time at Freedom was cool and it definitely got better as I got older,” said Uliana. Well, not only did his time at Freedom get better as he got older, he
Chris Miceli (CM) Mario McIntyre (MM) Ellyce Nieves (EN) Juwan Northington (JN) Jack Ogazaly (JO) Alexa Reich (AR) Damian Roszkowski (DR)
became a better athlete as he got older. In 2011 and 2012, Uliana won Defensive Player Award in baseball his sophomore and his junior year. Not only did he do well in baseball that year, but he was picked for the All-Conference football team where only the best of the best in the conference can make the team. “It’s just a God given talent and it’s always nice to be able to help the team and the school,” said Uliana when asked how it felt to be a star athlete at Freedom. Uliana will be attending Penn State at University Park in the summer and the fall semesters where he explains that he will not continue his sports career. “I mean, it’s Penn State, I just can’t see myself going anywhere else with sports after this year,” said Uliana. One of Uliana’s most fond memories at Freedom was when he knocked down the game-winning three-point shot with 18 seconds left this year versus Liberty. “It was an awesome moment and something that I will never forget,” said Uliana.
Julia Stahl (JS) Miriam Siddiqui (MS) Caterina Troiani (CT) Anissa Vasquez (AV) Autumn Washington (AW)
Senior Issue 8
The Forum
June 2013
Andrew Burcaw Bridget Silk By Julianna Gimpert Journalism student Andrew Burcaw has spent the past 4 years at Freedom High school making friends and getting involved. Burcaw is an easy going kind of person. During high school, he had to make a decision about which college to attend. His two options were Moravian and Lock Haven University. Burcaw got an early acceptance to Lock Haven University. He plans to go there to study ecology and is very excited to continue education. He is not exactly sure of his career path after college. He is determined to find his calling along the way. His main accomplishment in high school was being a member of the National Honor Society where he helped organize an Easter egg hunt for young children. He said the experience was very enjoyable and enlightening. Burcaw also participated in varsity baseball from freshman year to junior year, until an unfortunate injury. “I would continue with baseball, but I am not physically capable,” said Burcaw. Baseball was a great experience for him and he had a lot of fun. If he could change one thing about his high school experience, he would socialize more. He said that he spent most of his time with fellow students instead of expanding his social circle
to all grades. Burcaw’s advice to incoming freshman is to socialize with everyone and try your hardest during your freshman and sophomore year. Senior year was a fun time for him; it was his best year out of all his time at Freedom. Burcaw enjoys being outside in nature and spending time with friends. Although he wishes he could have socialized more, although he would not change anything about his high school experience. Burcaw feels he has been a victim of “senioritis” because he got accepted to the school of his choice early. He is excited to go to college and begin his life outside of high school.
Maceo Connor By Tyler Koch Journalism student Maceo Connor has acquired a very good reputation throughout his 4 years at Freedom High School. A reputation that will live on even when he graduates. He not only is a very important asset to the Freedom basketball team, but he also managed to maintain very good grades with a high GPA as a hardworking student. Along with his grades and extracurricular activities, Connor was also involved with dual enrollment at Northampton Area Community College during his time at Freedom. Which he thoroughly enjoyed. When asked about dual enrollment Connor said “Underclassmen should definitely take it as much as possible. It’s more than worth it, you're better off taking a class at NACC than taking an elective here.” Connor started at the guard position for the Freedom basketball team his senior season. He also was the 6th man on the team earning a large amount of playing time his junior season. As a fan favorite of the profound Freedom High School student section, The Riot Squad, Connor was given an honorable mention for the all conference team from The Express Times for his efforts on and off the basketball court. Which still remains a huge accomplishment for him. Connor also plans to attend Temple
University to study Actuarial Science in the Fall. He has been referred to as a very determined and consistent student. He enjoys spending time with his friends outside of school. He isn’t completely sure about walking on the Temple track team or not, but he is seriously considering it. When asked if senioritis affected him, Connor said “Yeah it definitely has (affected me) so much more than I could ever think! As an underclassman I thought everybody feels that way and that senioritis didn’t even exist, but now that I’m a senior it is so much worse than I ever expected.”
By Kirat Randhawa Entertainment Editor Bridget Silk is one of the well known students around school for being extremely friendly, outgoing, and an overall genuine young woman. After accomplishing honor roll, and participating strongly in the National Honor Society at this moment, Silk has also participated in many other activities. This includes writing for the school newspaper, being in student council, acting in Theatre, helping out with SADD, attending ski club, doing track, and lending a hand during the Special Olympics. If all of those extracurricular activities are not impressing, then the fact that Silk is attending Temple
University in the fall for Business must be. After college, Silk plans to work for a non-profit organization and ultimately work for the Make A Wish Foundation. Throughout her last four years at Freedom, her most memorable moment was hosting a fundraiser for Shane Burcaw for Muscular Dystrophy this past Halloween and also attending THON. Her favorite class was Honors Global Studies, along with her favorite teacher being Ms. Wescoe because she “taught me a lot about hard work and just being an open person and accepting.” Her advice to the upcoming freshmen would be to just get involved as much as you can to truly be friendly to everyone. She also wishes that they make a lot of memories and take it one day at a time. You can usually find Silk socializing with all her friends, and talking to many different kinds of people, laughing, and being energetic. With her diverse social life, Silk had the distinct honor of winning Prom Queen. With all her wonderful traits and a hardworking personality, Bridget is sure to go far in life, so Good luck Silk on your future at Temple.
Robert Bogardo By Sabrina Castaneda Editorials Asst. Editor Future mechanical engineer. Varsity cross country captain. Stellar student. Victim of senioritis. World champion Tetris player. All of the above are phrases which could be used to describe Robert (or “Robbie” as he prefers) Bogardo, and all of them offer insight into who Robbie Bogardo is and how he is a shining example of the exemplary students that have passed and will continue to pass through the halls of Freedom High School. Robbie got involved in Freedom High School’s athletic programs from the get go, and much of his time has been spent running with the cross country team. In fact if one would need to reach Robbie for any reason, they would be most likely to
find him running with his teammates. That dedication to and love of running paid off when Robbie and his teammates won Districts this year. One would be hard pressed to find a prouder captain. However, Robbie also achieves great things in the classroom, and he has been a recipient of the Straight As award four years in a row. He is also a member of the National Honor Society and has received a scholarship from the National Chapter of Unico. That scholarship will help Robbie as he moves on to attend Lehigh University, where he will pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. All of the effort that has been put in the last four years (even despite him suffering a severe bout of senioritis) has paid off, and the future seems bright. Finally, if for some reason the mechanical engineering thing doesn’t pan out Robbie could always have a successful career as a champion Tetris player. The Tetris route is unlikely though. Robbie’s casual nature and record of success indicates an enviable future.
The Forum
June 2013
Senior Issue 9
Sarah Callahan Joshua Young By Sabrina Castaneda Editorials Asst. Editor Sarah Callahan is in essence the model Freedom High School student. She has been involved in a plethora of extracurricular activities, such as debate team, Young Democrats, cheerleading, cross country, and the Freedom Forum. Callahan has also been a great student throughout her time here, taking many honors and AP classes. Next year, Callahan plans to go to Pennsylvania State University for 1 year, before transferring to Cornell in order to major in Political Science. After that she plans to become President, so I would recommend being pretty nice to her. As she moves forward through her life, Callahan will carry with her many memories from her time here at FHS, but her favorite memory is that of the Freedom v. Liberty basketball game last year, in which the Riot Squad went from a whiteout to a blackout in a flurry of shirt-ripping motion. Also leaving her with positive memories is Mr. Fierro, who Callahan cites as helping her through material she didn’t understand. “He was ridiculously patient when he helped me and was always smiling, even when I was at his classroom at 7 a.m. with questions or until 4 p.m. in need of a review.”
Callahan also has some help of her own to offer to upcoming seniors and underclassmen: she recommends that they “try new things in order to open themselves up to new experiences, get to know their teachers, spread kindness, and PRIORITIZE!” Callahan once held the esteemed title of “Fattest baby in the world” and can also turn into a human jukebox when it comes to rap music (or Bruce Springsteen). Finally, “Wherever the coffee is” is where one can usually find Callahan, so if you wish to get on her good side before she becomes President and rules the country, gifts of coffee seem like the way to go.
Andrew Arner By Hannah Evans Journalism student Easy going and friendly, Andrew Arner will be attending St. Joseph’s University in the fall for health studies. Arner chose a career in health studies because of his liking for helping people. Also, classes like anatomy and biology have always interested Arner. Over the past 4 years, Arner has been on the basketball team, although he will not be pursuing a career in basketball in the future. In addition to his sports enthusiasm during high school, Arner is a well rounded student who is a member of the National Honors Society and received a merit scholarship for St. Joseph’s University. While Arner is dedicated to his studies, he is also dedicated to his community. Arner is a silver cord recipient, which means he went over 135 hours of community service. Before going off to college, Arner has a job as a lifeguard this summer. After Arner’s experience at Freedom, he has learned many things. “There are a lot of good people at
Freedom and it got me ready for the real world,” says Arner. Although Arner is excited about graduating, it is also saddening for him, and he is hesitant about leaving all of his friends. But Arner is looking forward to meeting new people once he goes to college and is looking forward to pursuing his career. Out of all four years Arner was at Freedom, his most memorable moment was the food fight his freshman year. Arner has been going strong his last year of high school, so senioritis wasn’t a problem for him.
By Julia Gialanella Journalism student When students at Freedom look at Josh Young, they see a popular, athletic and well-rounded person. He maintains good grades while balancing many duties as a Freedom High School student. He is on several sports teams, including football, wrestling, and track. His outstanding ability in sports has been recognized by the public countless times, and he possesses great talent. Young defies the stereotype that football players are “dumb, as he is an AP student and is known for being extremely smart. Not only that, but he is also a member of Student Council and National Honor Society. His outgoing personality and allaround friendly attitude has caused
Kaelee Alpha By Erin Heaney Journalism student A member of National Honor Society, a recipient of the Lamp of Learning, and an achiever of over 140 community service hours, Kaelee Alpha has exceeded academic standards during her time at Freedom. Outside of her academic accomplishments, Alpha participated in track and field, The Freedom Forum, the competition cheerleading team, and Thon. “My favorite memories at Freedom were going to Florida with the cheering team as well as attending and sup-
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him to excel throughout his high school career and to create longlasting friendships. Young is excited to attend Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, but will miss all of his friends very much as they go their separate ways. Young thoroughly enjoyed being on the football team his freshman year, and even says it is his favorite high school memory. Freshman football paved the way for the rest of his journey at Freedom and it started off his high school career on the right foot. “Don’t do drugs and always do your homework”is Young’s his deep, inspiring advice to underclassmen and upcoming seniors. Young claims that he has been plagued by senioritis since freshman year. It has always been a bit difficult for him to muster up the energy for school, but of course, he always gets his work done and is successful. While being nominated for Homecoming and Prom King, his senior year was full of excitement and fun. He has had many moments that he will never forget. Despite the many ups and downs, he will always treasure the memories and the lessons he learned.
porting Freedom at sporting events with my friends,” said Alpha. Alpha can usually be found taking pictures and enjoys eating twizzlers and trail mix. At Freedom her favorite class was Mr. Baltz’s Human Anatomy class. “I definitely learned the most, but yet I had the most fun in his class,” said Alpha. Given the opportunity to go back and change something she would not take it. She believes that learning from your mistakes is important. “My advice to the upcoming seniors is to take advantage of the days you have with your friends and family. They won’t always be there so I definitely think it it’s important to make the most of every opportunity,” said Alpha. As senior year began to wind down Alpha received many college acceptance letters and senioritis began to worsen. “You find that when the college acceptance letters start coming, motivation for school is really hard to find,” said Alpha. Continuing her academic work this fall, Alpha will be attending Quinnipiac University, studying Occupational Therapy.
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Senior Issue 10
The Forum
June 2013
Robyn Campbell
Tyler Koch
Robyn Campbell plans to study Early Childhood Education at West Chester University this fall. Campbell was involved with athletics and recalls some of her favorite memories from different sporting events. Campbell ran varsity cross country and was a football manager, as well as a lacrosse manager. Her favorite memory was standing on the sidelines as Freedom beat Liberty in football during her junior year. Being so involved with FHS athletics, it is obvious that she suggests to underclassmen to get involved with sports and clubs within Freedom. -SL
Knowing his path in life, Tyler Koch plans to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in the fall to study Journalism. Koch is a 4-year member of the Freedom football team, and he said, “You can usually find me working out.” Koch is a silver cord recipient, having earned over 200 hours of community service. His advice to underclassmen is “Don’t slack and get involved. If you don’t enjoy yourself now, you’re going to look back and regret it.” -KE
Alexander Agren
Andrea Miller
After high school, Alexander Agren will be attending Temple University to study engineering. Agren recalls his favorite high school memory occurring during ceramics with Mrs. Ackerman. The two were discussing a piece, and she mentioned that she hopes for her son to grow up to be like Agren. Agren played varsity soccer and dabbled in some other sports for fun with his friends. -SL
A published writer, yet unsure of where exactly she will be attending college is Andrea Miller. Miller mentioned that her high school career was more than satisfying. Mr. Kleist was the biggest impact [through his character] on Miller during her four years at Freedom. She feels lucky to have had five courses with Mr. Kleist and will miss him as she ventures off to college. -SL
Olivia Kolis Being part of band, orchestra, jazz band, wind ensemble, pit orchestra, cross country, and National Honors Society, Olivia Kolis was also voted most changed in high school. Kolis plans on attending Temple University to pursue kinesiology and someday attend a grad school for occupational therapy. Kolis would to encourage all underclassmen to get involved with everything. -MC
Adam Conti “You can usually find me smiling and singing,” said Adam Conti. Conti will be going to West Chester University for vocal education. Conti is currently Treasurer of Orchestra, Vice president of Theatre Company, and President of Choir. Conti would like to thank Ms. Wescoe for always being there for him and changing his life for the better. Conti will always greet the world with a smile and pure kindness and throughout high school, holds no regrets. -MC
Bruce Schmidt Early acceptance to Ohio State University to study pre-med resulted in a case of senioritis for Bruce Schmidt. Despite catching the “bug,” Schmidt received numerous awards: AP Scholar Award, 2013 Soccer Scholar Athlete Award, Donley Award, and Lehigh University Scholar. Schmidt is a member of the National Honors Society, is involved with THON, and is a varsity soccer player. -SL
Kimberly Hein Kim Hein will always remember the cruise the band took in 2012; they went to the Bahamas. Hein is involved with band, choir, student council, and Friends of Rachel. Hein plans to go to Wilkes to study psychology and become a child therapist. Hein’s advice to underclassmen is to pay your class dues early. Hein’s favorite faculty member was Mr. Dunstan actually understanding that students have a life outside, and that their public speaking class made their own Harlem Shake video. -MC
Kyle Yost
Trey Deichman
Kyle Yost, a.k.a. Brad Pitt’s less attractive brother, is an all-star hockey player, as well as a standout student. Some of his extra-curricular activities include: ice hockey (captain), cross country, and maintaining a job at Weis Market. Yost’s favorite memory at Freedom was participating in the BASD MiniTHON. Yost’s favorite teacher was Ms. Maholik because of her support academically as well as on the ice. After high school, Yost will attend Penn State University to study computer science. -KDe
“You can usually find me sleeping on someone’s couch,” said Trey Deichman. Deichman’s favorite faculty member is Mr. Harakal. Deichman will be attending Delaware Valley College. He was a member of track & field and the events committee for MiniTHON. Deichman wants all underclassmen to know that they should do their own thing and enjoy their years of high school. Deichman would also like everyone to know that he is the one who knocks. -MC
The Forum
June 2013
Senior Issue 11
Jennifer Santamaria Lucas Yerger By Kirat Randhawa Entertainment Editor Determined, enjoyable and sometimes shy are a few of the words that come to mind when I think about Jennifer Santamaria. Some may know her as the captain of the cheering squad, but to the close friends that she has accumulated over the last 4 years at FHS, she is just Jen. Santamaria is committed to St Joseph's University in Philadelphia and plans to study Risk Management and Insurance and plans to graduate in 2017 to work in the finance industry. At St. Joe’s Santamaria also plans on studying abroad and traveling with Habitat for Humanity. She is still undecided as to whether or not she will continue her cheerleading career. Her hobbies include hanging out with her best friends, attending concerts, and simply enjoying life. When not at the beach, one can most likely find Santamaria working at Tapas on Main Street in Bethlehem or going on adventures with her friends. Besides participating with the cheering squad, she is also an active member of the Young Republicans club and intends to follow these foot-
steps in college. Her favorite memories at Freedom High School were being a part of the first PIAA state cheerleading championships and going to Disney World for Cheerleading Nationals. Jennifer advises underclassman to “get involved with a sport, to take high school seriously from the beginning and not let senioritis get the best of you.” Santamaria is very excited to go off to college and cannot wait to take advantage of everything the city has to offer. I wish her much luck with her future plans.
By Erin Heaney Journalism student Freedom Senior, Lucas Yerger, a representative of the the Republican Patriots, Rachel’s Challenge, Thon, and Special Olympics, he has done his part to help Freedom’s extra curricular activities. “My favorite moment at freedom was the student section and beating Liberty in football my junior year,” said Yerger. Given the chance to start high school differently Yerger would have played more sports and taken all four years seriously. His advice to the un-
derclassmen is to not slack off and take everything seriously, one bad move and it can ruin everything. Outside of school Yerger would most likely be found hanging out with his friends, laughing and having a good time. “I like to jam out to country music in the shower,” said Yerger. Entering his adult life, Yerger plans to start college at Northampton Community College and transfer to Penn State. As a future job he aspires to become a lawyer. Throughout high school he obtained honor roll and secured 120 plus community service hours. Yerger’s favorite teacher in Freedom was Mr. Wiltraut. “He is a cool guy. He is also real and will always be there to talk if you need it,” said Yerger. As senior year came to a close Yerger got lazy with his school work. He still managed to keep his grades up, but graduation is so surreal and close that he is ready to depart.
Letter from the Editor-in-Chief-Designate By Samantha Lutz Pates’ Post Editor Outgoing seniors are notorious for advising the underclassmen to “get involved.” Throughout my freshman, sophomore, and junior years, I did exactly that. Juggling four extracurricular activities can be stressful, so I found myself re-evaluating my commitments. I ended up stepping down from my position as junior class secretary in order to focus on my duties of being the Pates’
Post editor for The Freedom Forum. Throughout this year, Amanda Molinaro, Mrs. Erdman, and I spent countless hours working on various aspects of this award-winning newspaper. The alcove in room 210 has essentially become a second home. For the 2013-2014 school year, I will have the distinct honor of being the Editor-in-Chief for The Freedom Forum. I am ecstatic to take on a huge role of leadership, and I am also thankful for the mentorship of Amanda. When I walked into my first day of
“Congratulations, Kristen! We are so proud of you. Good luck at George Mason!” Love, Mom, Dad, Patrick, Erin, Aidan, Emily, Kaitlin, and Louis
journalism as a sophomore, I never would have thought that I would one day be so involved with this newspaper. Mrs. Erdman saw potential in me and asked me to be a staff writer. I gave it a shot, and I am very happy that I did. I am anxious to begin this new chapter of my life, and I hope to continue the tradition of “giving a voice to the voiceless.”
“Kaelee Mae, Congratulations on your graduation! We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments. Your hard work and dedication always amaze us! Reach for the stars and you will find your dreams.” Love, Dad, Mom, Devon, and Tori
Senior Issue 12
The Forum
June 2013
Moving onto a new chapter Three teachers to retire at the conclusion of the 2013 school year.
Jennifer Chilmonik: Physical & Health Education Teacher By Kevin Devine Journalism student Mother goose leaves her children as she ends her tenure at Freedom. An alumna from the first graduating class at Freedom High School celebrates her retirement from Freedom High School. The Webster's dictionary does not have enough adjectives to describe the emotions felt by students for Mrs. Jennifer Chilmonik. Her compassion, love, and energy for her job, students, and co-workers comes second to none. Chilmonik’s history at Freedom started before many of our parents met each other. She graduated in 1968 as a part of the first graduating class of Freedom High School. Chilmonik was on the cheerleading squad and took part in intramural basketball and volleyball.
“As a student, I was very naive and somewhat sheltered. But when I came back as a teacher I was ready,” said Chilmonik. Before her tenure at Freedom commenced, she spent seven years at Emmaus teaching physical education before joining the physical education and health department at Freedom. “When I was a student, we had segregated classes between boys and girls. Also, before the fitness revolution, fitness was looked down upon. Fitness was not seen as feminine, so girls who would workout seemed awkward,” said Chilmonik. Times have changed since Mrs. Chilmonik’s transition from a student to an instructor, “The facilities are so much better than what we had. When I was a student, all we had was the old gym and
the wrestling room,” said Chilmonik. Chilmonik has also seen a change in the behavior as students. “Kids these days have less discipline than when I went. When I was a student, we were not allowed to have skirts that came above our knees. Now, kids are strolling around the halls with cell phones out,” said Chilmonik. As time goes on, people move on, and now the clock has struck midnight on Mrs. Chilmonik’s time here at Freedom. “I have extenuating circumstances with my home life, and I must attend to those needs,” said Chilmonik. It is almost fitting that Mrs. Chilmonik is leaving Freedom to go and take care of someone else. Her personality is one of helping students, friends and co-workers, and her penchant for caring is still alive through all of these years. “I bleed black and yellow.” A statement that epitomizes Mrs. Chilmonik as a professional, and as a friend. As Scott Fitzgerald once said, “So we
beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” Mrs. Chilmonik may be leaving, but the memories last. Never shall we forget a teacher who dedicated more to us, than we did to her. She will truly go down as one of the greats. No superfluous adjectives necessary, just the bittersweet ending to a great and sumptuous career.
Ronald Danyi: Special Education Teacher hem through different subjects. Army from 1960-1962. He was an ofBy Karla Erdman “Math and social studies [were my fice worker, as well as a member of the Adviser to The Freedom Forum It was the 60s when Freedom High School opened its doors, and Ronald Danyi was just starting his teaching career. This special education teacher began his 46-year teaching career at Northampton School District. From there he educated students at Yardley School District prior to coming to Bethlehem in 1988. Teaching across the grade levels-elementary, middle, and high school-Mr. Danyi touched a lot of students lives throughout his 25 years in Bethle-
favorite to teach] because math is almost an instant result and social studies is more interesting,” said Mr. Danyi. Seeing results is something that Mr. Danyi attributes to his fond memories at BASD. “I saw one of my special education students become a producing person in the business world making large sums of money and having real world responsibilities of other people,” said Mr. Danyi. Prior to becoming a teacher, Mr. Danyi served in the United States
Army band and the tank corp. He was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo, and Fort Dix, N.J. Upon retirement, Mr. Danyi plans to spend more time honing his golf skills. Before leaving, Mr. Danyi imparts some of his venerable wisdom upon his colleagues and future teachers. “Try to know your students’ families the best you can. Knowing [them] keeps you informed of what your student may need outside of the classroom,” said Mr. Danyi.
By Anissa Vasquez Journalism student After her 28th year of teaching in the Bethlehem Area School District, Mrs. Illona Stauffer is retiring. In 1985, Mrs. Stauffer began her career her career teaching as a traveling teacher. She taught between Freedom High School, Liberty High School, Northeast Middle School, and Nitchmann Middle School for about 5 years before being given her current position at Freedom. Mrs. Stauffer has taught Spanish 1
through Spanish 5 during her years at Freedom. She explained that Spanish 5 was her favorite to teach because the students want to improve their language skills and do well in the class, with very few behavior problems. It is hard for Mrs. Stauffer to choose her most memorable experience at Freedom. However, one that stood out to her was when her students were there for her when she went through a house fire 2 years ago. "My most problematic class was the class that was most generous, sympathetic, and caring when I returned to
class," said Mrs. Stauffer. Upon retirement, Mrs. Stauffer plans on playing plenty of golf, which is not a huge surprise to students who know her well. Also, she plans to spend more time with her 10 grandchildren, travel to Arizona to visit family, and even do some volunteer work. "My advice: hold you students to high and rigorous expectations and keep rules to a minimum but always enforce them," says Mrs. Stauffer.
Congratulations on your retirement; we wish you the best of luck!
Photos: Yearbook Staff
Illona Stauffer: Spanish Language Teacher
The Forum
June 2013
Senior Issue 13
First ever BASD miniTHON surpasses goal By Samantha Lutz Pates’ Post Editor Freedom and Liberty set the rivalry aside on April 27 and joined together for a life changing event. BASD miniTHON brought together over 700 high school students in order to raise money for the Four Diamonds Fund. This event is based on Penn State University’s THON. Eileen Seitz, an FHS senior, and Owen Evans, an LHS junior teamed up to put it together. Seitz and Evans were the overall captains for THON. There was 30 other captains for different committees, 130 members, and 600 dancers. Captains, members, dancer, and families participated in a number of different events including a luminary walk, glow hour, relay races, face painting, and so much more. During something called “family hour”, families of those affected by cancer shared their stories with the students. The ultimate goal was to raise $10,000, but the final total more than doubled the goal. “We raised $23, 518.99, and this was only our first year,” said Seitz. “If
Photos courtesy of Bill Leicht
Freedom and Liberty keep doing this...They will do amazing things for the Four Diamonds Fund and help benefit so many families who need our help,” added Seitz. The second BASD miniTHON will be held at Freedom High School and will alternate between the two high
schools for years to come. For everyone that participated and attended, it was seen as a truly life changing event. “Never underestimate what you have done for these families. Whether you donated a dollar at ’Stop the Bop’ or paid $15 to become a dancer, you just
helped a Four Diamonds family by relieving the cost for their child with cancer. So, the only thing they have to worry about is their child getting better. And that is the true definition of what THON is and why we do it,” said Seitz.
Eradicating cancer one butterfly at a time The Freedom Family rallied together behind Mr. William Cecchini when his wife, Robin, passed away from breast cancer. As a result, the Freedom To Fly fundraiser was initiated. Butterflies were sold for five dollars each in order to raise money for cancer patients and their families who have suffered a loss due to cancer. Mr. Joseph Stellato dedicated the whole fundraiser to Mr. Cecchini’s wife who had recently passed away from cancer. This event was put together by Mr. Stellato and a group of dedicated students. The fundraiser committee was made of mostly students from his second semester health class, along with other student volunteers.
The butterflies that were sold and purchased by students and teachers covered the main lobby on the day of the fundraiser’s carnival. Each butterfly was dedicated to someone who has been affected by cancer. Mr. Stellato decided he wanted to recognize the class that raised the most money. Mr. William Safranek’s first block class raised over $4,000 and was deemed the winner. Mrs. Lindsay Wieand’s fourth block class was drawn out of the raffle of classes that had total participation in the purchasing of butterflies. The reward for both classes
was a Dorney Park trip that occurred during school. Teachers that had the total participation in their class were also entered in a raffle to win an iPad; Ms. Amy O’Connor was the winner. The carnival that Freedom To Fly committee put together allowed students to play games and be a part of a special day. During the carnival, Mr. Cecchini and his daughter, Emily, released over 1,500 butterflies; these butterflies symbolized those who have suffered from cancer and those who have lost the battle to cancer. A total of $14,150 was raised by the Freedom Family.
Photos by Karla Erdman and Samantha Lutz
By Jocelyn Cintron and Samantha Lutz
Freedom at the Freddy’s By Kate Dawson Editorials Editor This 2013 season, the Freedom High School Theatre Company (FHSTC) enjoyed an exciting night at the 11th annual Freddy Awards. Just like the students from so many other Lehigh Valley and Western New Jersey High
Schools, the kids from FHSTC look forward to spending this special night with their fellow performers at the beautiful State Theatre in downtown Easton. Freedom's production of Les Miserables earned 15 nominations across 13 categories, among which was the much coveted nomination for Outstanding Overall Production Of A Musical. This nomination brings with it the honor of performing a production number live at the Freddy's. Freedom's cast performed “One Day More” which was received with a standing ovation in the house and seen on television screens and lap-
tops around the world. At the end of the night, FHSTC went home with three awards: Outstanding Achievement in Lighting, Outstanding Stage Crew and the Vic Kumma Outstanding Solo Vocal Performance award for Danny Youngelman's rendition of “Bring Him Home.” All competition aside, performing and participating in the Freddy's is a joy and an award in and of itself. The students who performed in “One Day More” as well as the four students from Freedom who performed in the opening and closing numbers had a once in a lifetime experience, and, more importantly, were able to share that experience with many other talented students from the 30 participat-
ing schools. The excitement is tangible throughout the State Theatre each year at the Freddy Awards, as is the inspiration that grows in the hearts of all who have participated and all who are touched by this amazing experience.
Photos courtesy of FHSTC Facebook Page
Senior Issue 14
The Forum
June 2013
Jackson Zappas Morgan Lukievics By Mario McIntyre Journalism student Smart athletic Jackson “J-Zapp” Zappas is planning to attend Penn State University Park in the fall to study either business or engineering. While Zappas was a good baseball and soccer player in high school, he is not going to pursue a career in athletics. Zappas, known for being a funny and a very nice person to his classmates, was involved in many things in his high school career including the baseball and soccer for 4 years. As a senior, Zappas was elected captain of the baseball team and had a successful career playing third base for the Pates. “My most memorable moment in high school was beating liberty 3-0 and also winning the division for soccer,” said Zappas. In addition to sports, Zappas has a good academic record. He is a member of the National Honor Society.
When asked about what he liked least about high school he said, “I really didn’t like all the homework we got.” Although Zappas earned very good grades getting straight A’s all four years. Zappas is a very easy going guy and has good advice for upcoming seniors. “Don’t stress out too much in high school. Enjoy yourself,” said Zappas. An interesting fact about Zappas is that he has a “hot ride,” and he enjoys taking drives in it. However, the senioritis plague still hit Zappas as he said, “I did the absolute minimum to get by, but I still got good grades.” Zappas has displayed strong leadership characteristics on and off the field, and that will help him in his 4year career at Penn State.
By Joseph Murtha Journalism student What is the best way to go through high school? According to Morgan Lukievics, it’s by getting involved in school. The talented and friendly Lukievics not only plays softball, but runs cross country and is a member of student council. Lukievics has made quite a mark during her years at Freedom, and she has not been pulled under by senioritis. She has kept up with her work, and is finishing the year strong by making an appearance on the 2013 prom court. During her stay here, Lukievics has come to be known for helping others and her overall nice treatment of everyone around her, and she wants to
“My favorite thing about high school was being a student, which involves going to pep rallies and football games,” said Zappas, as one of the leaders of the riot squad at the football games. Zappas’ favorite teacher is Mrs. Pfizenmayer because she was very understanding, and he could talk to her about almost anything and her class was very fun.
Ricky Castro Noah Gonzalez The Freedom Forum Ricky Castro is a man of many traits: funny, smart, fairly interesting. Nevertheless, he intelligently utilized his positive personality to finish his senior year strong and to help the community through community service activities, particularly at St Luke’s Hospital. Additionally, Castro attended the medical academy at Lehigh Valley Hospital. “I was able to get a look into many different fields of medicine and got an idea of what I would like to do. [The academy] definitely prepared me for a life in the medical field” he said. However, his success was not limited to only at hospitals. Castro was the food captain for this year's BASD mini-THON and worked to gather donations from various local restaurants that would willing provide food for the event day. "Thon was a whole new responsibility and definitely was an experience that helped mature my personality." Although it will be difficult to top this year’s THON achievements, Castro wishes the best for the new committee. "It was truly a privilege and I hope others will be apart of THON and especially join the [food] group as well." On a side note, the high school experience has been quite different for Castro. It was not as easy as he set it out to be, but at the end of the day, Castro victoriously worked his way
through nights of studying which result to many midnight bedtimes. “[High school] has been different, in a good way. There has been many great experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life.” Castro will continue his studies this fall at Elizabethtown College majoring in biochemistry while following a strict pre-med track. He hopes to attend the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) or Temple for graduate school. Gratefully, Castro is also anxious to see other people prosper after high school. “A lot of people have changed and I am excited to see where people will end up during and after the college years,” he said. Because of his inspirational humbleness, I wish Castro the best of luck in his inspiring path to his medical career.
make a career out of her passion for helping people. “I have wanted to be a pharmacist for a long time”, said Lukievics when asked what job she wanted. Lukievics will be going to Temple University to become a pharmacist and wants to work at a hospital in Philadelphia. Lukievics told us that she will not be staying with softball and cross country later in life, choosing instead to focus on becoming a pharmacist and helping others. While reflecting on her time at freedom Lukievics says that she loved her stay here. She told us that she has only had the greatest teachers and has had great classes at freedom. Lukievics also said that she would not change anything about her stay here and is happy with the way that her school years have turned out. As a last word of advice for all the underclassmen Lukievics suggests, that in order for your school year to be the best you must get involved, like her. Lukievics said that her favorite part of her stay was making friends and lasting memories here with them and the Freedom Family.
Sean Wrobel By Juwan Northington Journalism student Through the 4 years of high school, everyone wants to make memories. Sean Wrobel's most memorable moment is when he kicked the winning field goal for Freedom to win the 2011 game against Liberty High School. Wrobel, or better known as “golden toe” by his teammates, is not just known for the great kick that he hit to win the game; he is also known for his 3 runs batted in (RBI) triple during a varsity baseball game against Liberty at the Coca Cola Park. Wrobel won awards in both football and baseball. In the fall for football, he received the 1st Team All LVC Punter and 2nd Team All Area
Kicker. In the spring for baseball, Wrobel earned an Honorable Mention All LVC Outfield and All Area Outfield. In addition to football, he maintains good grades, has a good personality, and is an all around nice person. He is still not sure if he wants to play football when he gets to college, but he is definite about attending college. One thing Wrobel reveals that most people do not know about him is that he plays the piano. “I’m ready for college...I’m not really nervous. It’s anticipation more than anything,” said Wrobel. Wrobel enjoyed his 4 years at Freedom High School and appreciates his teachers. “Mrs. Cierech, Mr. Roscher, Mr. Young, and Mr. Ziegler all made class interesting,” said Wrobel. “All the teachers in this school are great people and they really try to become your friend.” Wrobel plans to continue his education at Penn State University Park and major in business. He said he is tired of the daily grind of high school and is looking forward to the more relaxed schedule of college.
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June 2013
Senior Issue 15
Rachel Wilson
Daniel Rodenbach
From swimming to soccer to NHS, SADD, and Freedom’s theater company, Rachel Wilson has been involved in many activities here at Freedom. Wilson will be attending Quinnipiac University in the fall, but before she goes she has a bit of advice to offer to underclassmen, “Don’t stress out because it will be over before you know it.” Wilson also names Mr. Roscher and Mrs. Cierech as her two favorite teachers due to the time and effort they dedicate to their students. -SC
Golfing, skiing, and playing volleyball are the sports of Dan Rodenbach. Rodenbach would like all underclassmen to know that they should join as many activities as they can to “keep up the traditions and beat liberty. He would not change anything about high school because he said, “Mistakes are what define a person.” He will be attending Temple University after high school. -MC
Brooke Munion
Vincent Bonavita
Brooke Munion, a loyal competitor for the FHS swim team, will be attending Nova Southeastern University after high school in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She will be studying marine biology and of course will be on the swim team. Munion set two pool records for Freedom, and won MVP swimming in 2010 and 2011. “You can usually find me at the pool,” said Munion. She was also on the honor roll from 2010 - 2013. Munion’s favorite experience at Freedom was seeing the plays. -EN
Vincent Bonavita is planning on keeping it local for the next two years at NCC and then transfer out to East Stroudsburg or West Chester University for Athletic training. He has obtained honor roll and is a member of Cross Country and Track & Field. He also plays guitar very well. Vinny recommends to “enjoy your time here because it goes by very fast.” -JS
Alexis Rosario
Joshua Synoracki
After High School Alexis Rosario will be going to NCC and then transfer to Temple University. Rosario is the captain of the step team and her most memorable moment is performing in front of the entire school for the first time. She said, “I was so nervous, but hearing the students cheering pumped up my adrenaline.” Her advice to underclassmen is “Just be yourself, don't try to mold yourself into something you're not just fit in.”-JN
Joshua Synoracki will be attending Sales University this fall and plans on studying film. Synoracki played volleyball for Freedom and was a part of the Ski Club. Mrs. Ackerman has been his favorite teacher during his four years. “Cherish every moment of your high school career,” said Synoracki. Synoracki is proud of the trophy he once got for soccer. Senioritis has affected him the most in his second semester. -AV
Eileen Killian By Julia Gialanella Journalism student Eileen Killian is editor in chief of the FHS yearbook. She has been in Mr. Bloszinsky’s yearbook class seven times in her high school career, and is now a huge part of the yearbook creation process. She is usually spending her free time doing something yearbook related, and working to ensure that the FHS yearbook is a success. Killian’s most memorable high school moment is being in the THON committee. Being able to help so many kids in need is a memory that she will always treasure. Her favorite faculty member at Freedom is Mr. Bloszinsky. She learned a lot from him in all of her years as a part of the yearbook staff, and he really made her high school career unforgettable. “Being apart of the yearbook was an amazing experience,” Killian said. Her plans for after high school plans are to attend East Stroudsburg University for four years. She is very excited about college and looks forward to eventually pursuing her career. Her advice for underclassmen or upcoming seniors is, “Get involved in
as many activities as possible. You will not regret it at all.” If Killian had the chance to go back in time, she would get more involved in sports, clubs and after school activities. But to make up for it, she stayed very busy with yearbook. Unfortunately, senioritis has affected Killian in a major way. She has lost all interest in anything school related and is on the brink of giving up. Looking forward to graduation, she is doing her best to stay on top of her studies and her yearbook duties. As she moves on from high school, she will miss her family, but luckily will not be too far away from home.
Brittany Michael By Samantha Lutz Pates’ Post Editor “You can usually find me in the athletic training room helping the trainers and athletes,” said Brittany Michael. For her junior and senior year, Michael served as a varsity football manager and a varsity lacrosse manager. In addition, she received a varsity letter for cross country all four years of her high school career. The memories Michael made in high school will live in her heart forever. Some of her favorite memories include being on the sidelines to
cheer Freedom to the defeat over Liberty in 2011. Another event Michael thoroughly enjoyed being a part of was the life changing event known as THON that occurred this year. It is obvious that Michael was involved with Freedom in many aspects. Through everything she has done, Michael attained a whopping 517 community service hours. Outside of school, Michael keeps herself busy with a position as a team member at Rita’s Italian Ice. While juggling all of that, Michael worked hard in the classroom and kept her grades up. She was on Honor Roll all four years at Freedom. Michael had a handful of teachers and classes she enjoyed, though she could pick out a few favorites. Mr. Bloszinsky and Ms. Thomas were by far her favorite teachers she had during her senior year. “They both knew how to make their classes and lessons fun, but also knew how to get down to business,” said Michael. Michael will be attending Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania in the fall. She plans to study prephysical therapy.
Senior Issue 16
The Forum
Nicholas & Christopher Maurer By Miriam Siddiqui Journalism student Just by looking at the Maurer twins, one would never guess that they are related. In fact, one would think they are from separate worlds. Nicholas and Christopher Maurer are two opposite people, but they share the role of being a brother for one another. Nicholas “Nick” Maurer [top photo] is a wise student who wants to make a difference in the world. At Freedom, Nick exceeds as being the funny, outgoing individual who “wants to make people feel good.” Wanting to be a role model to others, Nick is very down to earth. Nick is an athletic person who takes advantage of the extracurricular actives extended by Freedom. His activities include cross country, track, ice hockey, and ski club. Out of all of these activities, cross country was his favorite. “We had a brotherhood, and there was so much connection. We were not a team; we were a family,” said Nick. Nick hopes that he left a positive impression on the group and Freedom as a whole, which he arguably has, as he was recently honored as Prom King. Nick is very excited to go out into the ‘real world’ as he moves to Philadelphia to study Political Science at Temple University. Christopher “Chris” Maurer [bottom photo] is a very experienced individual who has grown up to be a mature man. Like his brother, Chris is also very into sports; he was on the Freedom baseball team. He was the starting pitcher at Coca-Cola Park against Liberty. Even with his fantastic achievement in baseball, Chris is undecided whether he wants to play in college.
“My favorite teacher is…”
High school has taught Chris “to make good friends that you can keep for a lifetime.” He has learned many things about life from his friends, and he hopes that they learned from him also. Chris is very eager to start his new life at Pennsylvania State University. He is ready for a new chapter and a fresh start in his life. The brothers have been together forever, but both are ready to conquer their own lives. Even though they are going to be miles apart, they will always be the “Maurer Twins” from Freedom.
Looking at the Aidan and Bryna Pheiffer, one would not think that they are fraternal twins. Very calm and collected, Bryna has had quite a journey at Freedom. Along with brains, she has the athletic genes as well. Bryna has been on the varsity girls’ soccer team all 4 years. Her education has definitely made a mark in her life. Bryna plans on going to Northampton Community College for the first two years of her college experience. Combining both athletics and academics, she will be studying sports medicine. The motive for her decision had a lot to do with her human anatomy class, which was said to be her favorite class. For upcoming seniors, Bryna believes they should just relax and take it easy. Bryna said if she had the chance to go back and redo anything, she would not. Simply because everything that has happened made her the person she is today. Despite the fact that she is very good academically and fit when it
“Ms. Stenson because she is cool.” Kenneth Kraft
“Mr Sak because he makes choir fun in the morning.” -Ravon Jones
“Mr. Callahan.He is very competitive! He has helped me become half of the person I am.” -Isrrael Gonzalez
“Mr. Martinez because he was funny.” -DaVon Sharp
“Mr. Kolb and Mr. Roseman because they’re tiny, and I beat them in arm wrestling.” -Sebastian Szemiako
“Ms. Hyland [because she is] always so nice.” -Jacquelyn Busby
“Mr. Quintana because he was always fun to be around.” -Joseph Smith
“Mr. Harakal because he’s funny, and he can cook.” -Weihong Lin
“Ms. Baylis because she is very nice and sweet.” -Nasir Davis
“Ms. Thomas; she’s down to earth.” -Shanel Streeter
Aidan & Bryna Pheiffer By Autumn Washington Journalism student
June 2013
comes to sports, like many others, senioritis has definitely affected her. “I just have no motivation to do anything,” said Bryna. Likewise, Aidan Pheiffer has gone through the same stages of life. With a very good sense of humor he said he has really enjoyed his time here. Much like his sister, Aidan also plays soccer. His time at Freedom was shared with his favorite teacher Ms. Maholick because she makes him cupcakes. Although Ms. Maholick’s Spanish class added to Aidans’ continuous honor roll, he has decided to go to Northampton Community College for criminal justice. In addition, his most memorable moments are meeting Carly Deichman and rollerblading with Logan Close. But, unlike Bryna he said senioritis has not affected him. To the upcoming seniors and the underclassmen Aidan said, “Use the horse, may the horse be with you.” Not sure where he was going with that one, but it shows his light-hearted and humorous nature, which has served him well at Freedom.
“My favorite class was Flash because I like to create things.” -Samad Hutcherson
“Don’t wait to do community service; get it done while you have time.” -Carl “CJ” Erie, III
“There is no third floor.” -Chelsi TarboRepsher
“I would secretly love to make a living as a journalist.” -Bryce Wiseman
June 2013
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Senior Issue 17
Brian McKenzie Simona Topuzovska By Greg Adams Sports Editor
When I was asked to write about senior Brian McKenzie, I didn’t know what angle I would specifically take. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized just how many things he excels at. McKenzie’s first layer of excellence hit me halfway to his desk to ask for help in Mr. Young’s AP Calculus class. He is an intelligent person among intelligent people. Brian is so smart that before revered theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking makes a presentation, he consults his sensei, Brian McKenzie. Although that last sentence is only an exaggeration, McKenzie is truly one of the greatest brains in the class of 2013, and the student of multiple AP classes this year is in the running for Valedictorian and will be attending West Chester University on a full scholarship. “I don’t know how I got where I am in the class; I honestly don’t” the ever humble McKenzie said when asked about his class rank. McKenzie is not all about the books though. He has exceptional musical talent as well. Brian plays many instruments, including the guitar and the drums. He has been a member of the Freedom High School Drumline for
the majority of his high school career and has played the drums for the popular Freedom High School rock band “Breaking Boundaries.” Brian McKenzie is quite the gentle giant. He is a great friend and praised for his kindness by all who know him. He is an intelligent and talented individual who will make his mark on Freedom High School and will continue to impress those around him for the rest of his life.
Kanakamedala Triplets By Noah Gonzalez The Freedom Forum Finishing high school in three years is almost too good to be true. In the Kanakamedala triplet’s case, it is a step closer to completing their future years of schooling. Each of the three, Gautam, Loukya, and Swathi, all hope to become physicians, and getting a year ahead in their education will undoubtedly benefit them. Their journey began in seventh grade. In part because of the new advanced math track at East Hills which offered algebra 1 to qualified students, the triplets were able to earn all their high school math credits one year earlier than normal. During their sophomore year of high school, the Kanakamedala’s doubled up in science courses, taking both chemistry and physics to complete their science credit requirements. This left the triplets with just English and history as the classes that they needed to achieve in order to be able to actually graduate one year early. Their c ou ns el or r e co mme n d ed t ha t they take the two remaining senior credits at Northampton Community
College, which smoothly transferred as AP credits to their high school transcript once they completed them. “We thought, because we all want to become doctors, and doctors have to complete at least eight years of schooling after high school, we might as well get a head start on our higher education.” Although one might view this grade skip as a disgrace to the high school experience, the skip will ultimately propel the Kanakamedala’s towards their eminent career dreams. The three will attend Moravian College, and each will major in biochemistry. The oldest triplet, Loukya, will also major in neuroscience. When asked about their opinion on high school as a whole, the triplets responded positively. “We had a good time [at freedom] and made some really good friends in both the senior and junior classes. Some of them will definitely be lifelong friends that we will never forget.” Luckily, the Kanakamedala’s gained all the life lessons learned through high school and will reap the benefits of beginning college one year early.
By Alexa Reich Journalism student Simona Topuzovska is a different, outgoing, and caring person who has a huge passion for art. She is vice president of the Art Club, her work has been featured in many art shows, and she even had one of her paintings hung up in a gallery at the Banana Factory. “I’ve always been creative as a child, but I didn’t really start getting into art until I was a sophomore,” said Topuzovska. Sophomore year was when she took her first year of art. Topuzovska loved it from the start, but never thought she would have gone any farther with it some day. She plans to
attend The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, a 4-year college, to major in fine arts. Topuzovska thinks of graduating as “bittersweet.” She is excited to make new friends, but is going to miss her friends and family and a lot about high school. Some of her favorite memories from Freedom High School were being on homecoming court and riding in the golf carts around the stadium, the art shows, dancing at pep rallies, doing the opening number at the Freddy Awards, and a more recent event, THON. “THON was the best experience ever and very life changing,” said Topuzovska. Besides art, Topuzovska is also involved in other extracurricular activities. She is also captain of the Dance Company and is involved in Theatre Company. She loves the close-knit bond that the Theatre Company shares. High school has taught her that there are all kinds of different people out there, and it may be really hard to fit in. In the end, hard work is what pays off. Topuzovska’s advice for underclassmen is, “[do] not stress about the little things and just think about life after high school and how great it will be.”
Senior Issue 18
The Forum
June 2013
Emily Gundrum
Daniel Seith
Emily Gundrum doesn’t just play well on the field; she extends her talent into her schoolwork and extracurricular activities. This Freedom High School senior is involved in all sorts of activities such as softball, field hockey, FBLA, and NHS. Emily’s favorite moment at Freedom High School was striking out the side in the seventh inning to get the win against Liberty sophomore year. Emily Gundrum is proof that working hard definitely pays off in high school. -KDa
Daniel Seith will be going to Pennsylvania State University Park to pursue engineering. Seith has been involved with cross country, ski club, and track & field. Seith said, “You can usually find me studying.” Seith wishes he would have challenged himself with AP classes earlier on in high school and tells all underclassmen to challenge themselves as much as possible, but also have fun. His favorite faculty member is Dr. Krieger because she puts the most effort into teaching her AP Chemistry class. -MC
Connor Gawlik
Shaylyn Jaworowski
One of the original “Lax Bros” will be taking his studies to Temple University in the fall. Connor Gawlik was the inaugural captain for the varsity lacrosse team in his sophomore year. Gawlik was also involved in student council as a representative. Gawlik will graduate with a silver cord due to his achievement of over 135 hours of community service. -SL
Shaylyn Jaworowski plans to study at Temple University this fall. It was difficult for Jaworowski to decide on a college because she applied to 9 schools and got accepted to 6 of them. Jaworowski balanced honor roll, varsity volleyball, and a job efficiently throughout high school. Jaworowski looks up to Mrs. Cierech because she pushes her students to do their best and to step out of their comfort zone when speaking in Spanish. -SL
Danielle Labelle
Matthew Ashton
Danielle was a member of the choir and her enthusiasm for volleyball earned her a spot on the girls’ team and motivated her to support the boys’ team at every game as well. She recommends that underclassmen “make every moment count” at Freedom. Danielle will attend Rochester Institute of Technology this fall. -BL
Matthew Aston was a varsity tennis player as a senior at Freedom and achieved over 120 hours of community service. He names Mr. Young as his favorite teacher, saying he is “funny and understands everything.” Matt will attend Drexel to major in political science and intends to follow through by attending law school. -BL
Christopher Hassay Christopher Hassay devoted his time to extracurricular activities for the duration of his time at Freedom, including Freedom’s Environmental Awareness Team, Astronomy Club, Young Life, Ski Club, and writing for the Freedom Forum. His irreplaceable humor made him an unforgettable presence to all of his friends. Hassay earned several merit-based scholarships to attend Moravian College in the fall. -BL
Gabrielle Schantz Gabrielle Schantz’s time at Freedom was well-spent; she participated in Freedom’s Environmental Awareness Team, Students Against Destructive Decisions, and the Every 15 Minutes program. She offers advice to underclassmen to begin their college application process “as soon as possible.” Schantz received a scholarship from the American Association of University Women to attend the University of Pittsburgh to major in biomedical engineering. -BL
Emilee Strange
Anthony Childress
From student council representative to THON and cheering captains, Emilee Strange has been very involved with Freedom. She looked forward to staying after and putting in countless hours of work without looking for credit. Strange has earned 500 hours of community service. Strange received an award for getting straight A's for three years, and she loaded her schedule with honors and AP classes. She plans on attending Lehigh University and pursuing a degree in biology. -LH
Showing a sense of humor, Anthony Michael Childress notes that he “received a trophy during t-ball for chewing the most gum on [his] team.” As far as future plans go, Childress plans to attend NCC for 2 years before transferring to Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He says his favorite teacher is “Miss Maholick because she’s the bee’s knees.” -KE
The Forum
June 2013
Nikki DeLeon & Allison Poczak By Caterina Troiani Journalism student Out of all of the amazing characteristics of Freedom that all added up to make their high school career memorable, Nikki DeLeon and Allison (Alli) Poczak will both miss the Patriot Band the most of all. “We’re all like a big family; we’re really close,” said Poczak. DeLeon and Poczak have known each other since 6th grade when they had first started majorettes at East Hills Middle School. This year, DeLeon and Poczak are both captains for Freedom Majorettes, which is not surprising because when at East Hills, DeLeon and Poczak were also captains together. Throughout her four years of high school, DeLeon was a member of the staff of The Freedom Forum as a writer and a member of the Patriot Band. One thing she regrets within her high school career is not getting involved as much as she would like to have been. To get a headstart on her independent career away from high school, DeLeon will be attending Wilkes University in the fall. Poczak is a part of the Patriot Band and Rachel’s Challenge. Upon graduation, Poczak plans to attend Northampton Area Community College (NACC) in the fall to start her own life. After she graduates from NACC, she plans to attend either Moravian or Kutztown to continue with twirling there. “We definitely regret not getting involved as much as we could have,” said DeLeon and Poczak. They both
advise incoming students to get involved as much as possible to make your high school career much more memorable and successful. “After I graduate from NACC, I hope to attend either Moravian or Kutztown and continue twirling there,” said Poczak. Poczak and DeLeon have practically lived on the Frank Banko Stadium field performing with their squad.
Senior Issue 19
Derike Chiclana & Nyreef Jackson By Kyle Zimmerman Journalism student Nyreef Jackson [bottom photo] is an outgoing senior this year, and he spent the majority of his time at Freedom as half of the dynamic duo on the Freedom basketball team. This year Jackson won Express Times Player of the Year by leading Freedom to a 22-14 record and assisting the team to the State Tournament. Jackson’s future plans include going to Northampton Community College for a year then transferring to a 4-year school. “If I could go back in time, I would start over again and start high school I would take school seriously and get good grades,” said Jackson. Jackson’s advice for incoming freshmen is “Don’t mess around. Get good grades because you don’t know where you’ll be in 4 years.” Jackson anticipates that basketball will still be part of his future. In fact, he may possibly play when he transfers to a 4-year school. Jackson’s only plans are to get an education and play ball. The second half of the dynamic duo is Derike Chiclana [top photo]. Chiclana is being recruited by a few different colleges to play basketball. However, he does not know where he is going to go school or what scholarships he will receive. So for now, he is just waiting in anticipation. Chiclana anticipates that basketball will continue to be a major part of
his life. “When I get out of college, I want to play ball overseas,” said Chiclana. Chiclana said that he is most proud of his grade improvement each year. That is his caution for underclassmen. “For the incoming freshmen, don’t take anything for granted and take school seriously,” said Chiclana.
Jonathan Garcia
Gabriela Lo Basso
Community service is in his blood. Jonathan Junior Garcia earned the silver cord for over 120 hours of community service. In addition, he plans to join the United States Army to serve his country before attending NCC for criminal justice. His high school years included playing football, joining the Bethlehem Police explorers, and working at Valley Farm Market. -KE
Gabriela Lo Basso’s marvelous singing talents contributed to some of her best experiences at Freedom, including her involvement in the concert choir and Les Chanteurs. She even had time to sign autographs in between working for her straight A’s. Lo Basso will be attending West Chester University’s School of Music in the fall and will become a professional recording and touring artist. -BL
Rachel Bell
Alexander Rubinetti
“Try to understand the value of knowledge” is the advice Rachel Bell offers to underclassmen and future seniors at Freedom. “Even if you hate the subject or think it has no use, it’s pretty cool to know things,” she explains. Bell has been very involved in the arts program, and she has been a member of art club, an assistant in the designing of the new gym logo, and a recipient of the Promising Artist Scholarship to University of the Arts. Bell will be attending art to attain her BFA. -SC
Alexander Rubinetti, will be attending West Virginia University following graduation. Rubinetti is a silver cord recipient and participated on the Honeybadger indoor soccer team and Cougar Ball Millionaires basketball team. One of his favorite high school memories was dunking during a Millionaires game. Rubinetti has on-thefield soccer skills, as well as off-thefield soccer skills. Therefore, he has a challenge to offer, “I will beat you in FIFA ‘13.” -SL
Senior Issue 20
The Forum
June 2013
Patrick Eaton
Adam Cygan
Patrick Eaton will be attending the University of Pittsburgh to study business finance. Eaton’s most memorable moment was being a part of the varsity soccer team when they beat Liberty. The advice Eaton gives to underclassmen and upcoming seniors is, “Get involved with the school.” You can usually find Eaton spending time with his friends. “I don't think I would change anything; everything that happened has shaped me into the person I am today.”-JN
“Keep your grades up and stay active in school events and activities. If you don’t, your school years will go by very slowly.” Adam Cygan has been involved with the ski club, cross country, and track and field. It is pretty obvious that Cygan is an outdoors man. Even though Cygan was affected by senioritis, he plans on attending Pennsylvania State University at University Park for four years. -AW
Gabrielle Ramirez
Brenna Ferrera
Gabrielle “Gabby” Ramirez was a member of the varsity spirit and competition cheerleading squads. Ramirez says her favorite teacher was Mr. Hatch because his class was always fun, and he was such a nice teacher. Some advice Ramirez gives to underclassmen is, “High school goes by fast; we all hate it. With the snap of a finger, your senior year is here. Enjoy your time.” -DR
Brenna Ferrera will be attending Shippensburg University this fall. She was apart of the Republican Club, ski club, and the THON publicity committee. Her most memorable experience was her freshman year, because she met so many new people and tried a lot of new things that year. Her advice to underclassmen is, “Always try your hardest because if you don’t, you’ll regret it later. Just have fun senior year and don’t stress.” -AR
Dalton Laut Dalton Laut will be attending Monmouth University in New Jersey this fall. One of Laut’s most memorable moments at Freedom was when his friends got the whole cafeteria to sing “Happy Birthday” to him. Laut has no regrets through his time at Freedom High School. When asked if senioritis affected him, he jokingly replied, “Yes, this is the first worksheet I have done all year.” -DR
Grace Liparini Grace Liparini is a varsity cheerleader with a passion for writing. She found her passion in the creative writing and poetry classes that she took. She will be attending West Chester University for business finance. Liparini’s most memorable moment happened this year, which was winning the Americheer InterNationals in Disney with her team. She suggests to underclassmen and upcoming seniors to get involved in everything that you can. -AR
Devin Vasquez Devin Vazquez plans to attend Penn State Lehigh Valley. He then plans to transfer to Penn State’s main campus. Vasquez will major in criminal justice. Vazquez’s favorite moment was becoming Homecoming King. If he could go back in time, he would not change a thing. Vazquez is satisfied with all of the choices he made. His advice to underclassmen is, “Do your community service as early as possible.” -JGim
Iliana Mejia Mejia’s most memorable experience during her 4 years at Freedom was being a part of the Every Fifteen Minutes retreat. She was a member of choir for 4 years, FEA for 2 years, and SADD for 2 years. Her favorite teacher was Mr. Sak and gives this piece of advice to underclassmen, “Do not slack with applications and scholarships. Do it in time so you can enjoy your senior year.” Mejia will be attending West Chester University in the fall to major in Elementary education. -AV
Marcqwell Brown
Christian Lawson
Marcqwell Brown has received an honorable mention award for football. His most memorable moment was playing against Liberty because of the historic rivalry between the schools. Brown plans on going to a junior college for a year or two, and he then plans to continue his education at a 4year college. Like others senioritis has affected Brown as well. “Knowing that the year is going to end soon, you just sit in school and wish time would speed up.” -AW
Christian Lawson plans on becoming a therapist in his future. His hobbies include art and running. His pieces were a part of the FHS Art Shows throughout the years. Lawson’s most memorable class he had was astronomy class with Mr. Safranek. Mrs. Ackerman was his favorite teacher because “She made the class fun, and she challenged the students.” Lawson said that you can usually find him laughing. -MS
The Forum
June 2013
Senior Issue 21
Zahir Newton
James Rich
Zahir Newton will be attending Northampton Community College for two years, and he then plans to transfer to either the School of Visual Arts, Philadelphia School of Art, or Temple University. Two activities that he enjoys doing in his spare time are drawing and painting. Newton’s favorite thing he looked forward to was the football games and the annual art shows. Advice Newton gives to underclassmen is to simply have fun. -JS
James “J.J.” Rich will be attending the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in the fall. Rich was a senior leader on the FHS varsity lacrosse team and also played varsityfootball. Rich was a part of the art club as well. When asked if he had any advice to underclassmen Richsaid, “Make your four years as memorable as possible, and make sure you have fun.” -TK
Christopher Volpe
Arielle Nicholson
Christopher Volpe will be attending Kutztown University in the fall. Although he will be entering college as an undecided undergraduate, Volpe hopes to study Early Childhood education. During his four years at Freedom, Volpe felt that he spent them exactly as he planned. “Mrs. Baylis [is my favorite teacher] because she is the nicest woman I’ve ever met, and she always kept me on track with my studies,” said Volpe when asked about his favorite teacher. -SL
Arielle Nicholson will be attending DeSales University for nursing in the fall. Nicholson was a member of National Honor Society and the varsity volleyball team. Nicholson’s most memorable experience was getting to play volleyball all four years on the team. Nicholson would not go back in time and redo anything because all of her experiences have gotten her to where she is today. “Show up to class and try to finish your senior year with good grades.” -HE
Andrew Wirth A two sport athlete at Freedom, Andrew Wirth divides his time between sports and academics. Wirth played varsity football and lacrosse. After he graduates, Wirth plans to attend Lock Haven University to major in athletic training. One of his fond memories is last year’s Freedom vs. Liberty football game. In hindsight, Wirth wishes he would have started playing lacrosse earlier. A piece of advice Wirth has for upcoming seniors is, “Don’t waste the opportunities you are given.” -KDe
Jeffrey Swigart Jeff Swigart plans to attend Pennsylvania College of Technology. He participated in lacrosse, band, and cross country. His most memorable experience was freshman year, when there was a food fight. Swigart’s favorite teacher was Mr. Fierro. Although Jeff has been affected by senioritis, his advice to underclassmen is to stay in school and work hard. -JO
Destiny Hackett
Amber Nelson
Destiny Hackett will be attending Northampton Community College for one year and then transferring to Bloomsburg University. Hackett has will receive the silver cord for outstanding community service due to her 327 hours completed. Hackett was on the track and field team. Hackett said the most memorable moment for her was when she won Homecoming Queen. Hackett gave advice for underclassmen, “Don’t slack off and always do your best. Then when you’re a senior, it comes easy.” -JC
Amber Nelson went through high school while creating a bond with Mr. Evans, who she deems as her favorite teacher. Nelson also made a lot of memories during her years at Freedom. Her most memorable memory was the Freedom vs. Liberty away basketball game during her junior year. Nelson plans to attend Northampton Community College for two years, and she then plans to transfer to Rutgers University. -SL
Tyler Peerson
Scott Tress
Tyler Peerson will be attending the California University of Pennsylvania this fall on an athletic scholarship. He will be playing football and wrestling in Division II athletics for CalU. Peerson was one of the four captains for the varsity football team. Peerson’s favorite teacher he encountered during his years at Freedom High School was Mr. Wiltraut. His most memorable moment was qualifying for the state competition level in wrestling.-KZ
Scott Tress plans to study mechanical engineering at Pennsylvania State University. While in high school, Tress was recognized as a member of the National Honor Society. He was also involved with track, cross country, and THON. His favorite memory was when he made a bonfire using matches, alcohol swabs, paper towels, and popsicle sticks in Mrs. Laughlin’s class. Tress is excited to continue his life and graduate high school. -MS
Senior Issue 22
The Forum
June 2013
Emily Anderson
Kelly Chemidlin
Emily Anderson, a typically quiet girl in class, shows her true personality when she performs on stage. Anderson has been a valued member of the Freedom High School Theatre Company throughout high school. She was recently nominated for a Freddy this year in recognition of her performance as Cossette in FHSTC’s spring musical, “Les Miserables.” Anderson has balanced Theatre Company, private dance classes, and a rigorous course schedule. She will be attending DeSales University in the fall. -AM
Kelly Chemidlin has been a member of the Freedom High School Theatre Company throughout the past 4 years. Her most memorable moment was the enthusiastic applause she and Adam Conti received for their performance as the Thenardiers in FHSTC’s spring musical, “Les Miserables.” Her favorite teacher was Mr. Ziegler. Chemidlin will be attending Temple University to major in Psychology. -AM
Jacob Sternberg
Gary Moritz
Jake Sternberg will be attending the University of Pittsburgh. Sternberg was a member of National Honor Society and achieved the Outstanding Community Service award. He was involved in cross country and track. Sternberg’s most memorable experience was when the cross country team went undefeated. His advice for underclassmen is “Don’t procrastinate.” -MM
Gary Moritz, also known widely as G-Mo, will be attending Stevenson University in Maryland. He will be majoring in Biotechnology and will be playing football for the Mustangs. After getting 3 varsity letters in football and 2 varsity letters in baseball it is easy to see Moritz was an involved athlete at Freedom. He was also part of the National Honor Society. His advice to underclassmen is, “Keep working hard in everything that you do until the last day of school.” -TK
Melissa Colon Over the past four years, Melissa Colon was involved with Freedom’s band, orchestra, student council, and National Honor Society. Her favorite teacher was her Spanish teacher, Mrs. Cierech. Colon’s most memorable high school experience was senior skip day at Lake Nockamixon because she said, “Many seniors came together and worked together to create a fun-filled day.” Colon will be attending King’s College to become a Physician’s Assistant. -AM
Eric Lawrence An all area swimmer and future four -year college attendee, Eric Lawrence certainly is looking forward to life after high school. Beyond the halls of Freedom, Eric enjoys snowboarding, swimming, and fishing. Although, Eric will be attending college in the future; he did say senioritis affected him. However one teacher’s class in which he did stay attentive in was Mrs. Baylis’ class. “She really made learning fun and easy for me,” said Lawrence- KDe
Rebecca Herman Rebecca Herman will be attending Temple University this fall. She played on the varsity softball and basketball teams. Herman’s most memorable high school experiences were the homecoming dances. Her favorite faculty member at Freedom was her ceramics teacher, Mrs. Ackerman. If she could go back in time, she would focus more on her school work during her freshman and sophomore years. -JGia
Matthew Troxell Matthew “Matt” Troxell has a plan to go to Penn State for four years majoring in actuarial science. Troxell’s extracurricular activities are snowboarding, soccer, and playing guitar. Troxell says his most memorable experience was his band playing at the Freedom vs. Liberty football game tailgate this year. Troxell said that he has suffered senioritis, but blamed it on Hurricane Sandy. -JC
Samantha Cabrera
Natosha Stanley
Samantha Cabrera, a varsity softball player, has plans to attend East Stroudsburg University to study Criminal Justice. She was voted rookie of the year and MVP for softball during her freshman year. If she could go back in time, she would have put more effort into school. Her favorite teacher was Mrs. Baylis. Mrs. Baylis helped her through a lot at Freedom. Cabrera said, “Make the best of every single moment here because senior year flies.” -JGim
Natosha Stanley will be attending West Chester University this fall. She played basketball during her freshman and sophomore years. Stanley also participated in track and field during her sophomore and junior years. Her most memorable experience in high school was playing JV basketball because they had a great season. She tells underclassmen to not get caught up in drama or care about what other’s think or say. “Be yourself and be confident,” said Stanley. -AR
The Forum
June 2013
Senior Issue 23
Michael Warfield
Devin Milligan
One of the captains of the Freedom High School Ice Hockey Team, Mike Warfield is getting ready to join the Military this fall. He explained that he is becoming a U.S. paratrooper for the army. He said that he would not go back and change anything about his time at Freedom because he is happy with how his senior year turned out. Ms. Maholick was his favorite teacher because she always kept him in check and was always willing to help. His advice to upcoming senior is “Don’t use senioritis as an excuse for not trying.”-CM
Devin Milligan, is an honor roll student at Freedom High School and will be attending a 4-year college. Milligan said, “You can usually find me playing sports.” Milligan was involved in track and field, band, orchestra, wind ensemble, and drum line. His most memorable experience was in his freshman year when the band went to Disney. His advice to upcoming seniors is to keep good time management skills and stay in school. -CM
Victoria Zienkiewicz
Rylie Haas
Victoria Zienkiewicz will attending Temple University in the fall. Zienkiewicz has been involved in band, orchestra, and wind ensemble throughout her four years at Freedom. Mr. Moran and Mr. Lynn are Zienkiewicz’s favorite teachers because they have taught her many things. Zienkiewicz loves being outside, especially during the warm part of the year. Her advice is, “Get the most out of your time here. Do the work you need to pass and balance that with free time. Things get difficult, but keep going.” -HE
Homecoming court, National Honor Society, varsity volleyball, club volleyball, and working as a lifeguard are just a few of the multitude of things Rylie Haas has accomplished. Haas received an athletic and academic scholarship from Eastern University. Mr. Young was Haas’ favorite teacher because he is able to show enthusiasm when he teaches. “Plus, he thinks he’s funny,” added Haas. -SL
Ivor Corlette
Kevin Stack
Ivor “J.R.” Corlette will be attending and playing Lacrosse at Northampton Area Community College for two years. Corlette then plans to transfer. Corlette was given an honorable mention for the all-area defensive team for football. His advice to underclassmen is, “Don’t take anything for granted because it will be gone before you know it.” You can usually find Corlette on some kind of sports field. -TK
Kevin Stack, also known as Stack, will be attending Northampton Area Community College for two years. He hopes to attend Pennsylvania State University shortly after. Kevin played football during his time at Freedom. When asked if he would change anything about his four years Stack said, “I would want to replay my last football season.” His advice to underclassmen is simply, “Don’t catch senioritis.” -TK
Amanda Decker
Shelby Toth
Amanda Decker will be attending a NCC, and then transfer to a four-year college. She would like to transfer to Temple University. She achieved the outstanding community service award, was a manager for the football team for 3 years, and played softball for 3 years. Regarding the her experience being a water girl, Decker said, “Those boys are like my family now. We spent countless hours together, and I will miss them so much.” -JO
Shelby Toth will be attending NCC for two years. Toth then plans to transfer to a university for her Bachelors degree, and then continue on to get her Masters degree. She plans to be an Oncology nurse practitioner. She has attained over 120 hours of community service. Toth’s most memorable experience in high school was the Protective Services program at Vo-Tech during her sophomore year. Her advice to underclassmen is, “Take your time growing up and just have fun.” -AR
Benjamin Wykosky
Alexander Bialobrezski
After graduation, Benjamin “Ben” Wykosky will be moving to Texas to play in the NAHL for the Witchita Wildcats. He played on the FHS ice hockey team and was a part of the first team from Pennsylvania to go to an ice hockey championship in Canada, where he won MVP. Wykosky’s favorite teacher at Freedom was Mr. Rivera because he felt he could trust him with anything. His advice to underclassmen and upcoming seniors is, “Be yourself and don’t care what people think about you.”-JGia
Alex Bialobrezeski will be leaving on Sept. 2 for Paris Island, South Carolina for the Marine Corps Boot Camp. In his free time, he has physical training with the Marines, does firefighting, and enjoys scuba diving. Bialobrezeski earned the BRIDGES scholarship from Vo-Tech, and his favorite teacher was Mr. Hatch. His advice to underclassmen and upcoming seniors is to not get lazy at the end of the year. -EN
Volume 46 Issue 8
The Forum
June 2013
Photos: Amanda Molinaro
Alvernia University Breanna Fresoli American University Amy Wetmore Becker College Gabryel Rodriguez Binghamton University Thomas Goller Bloomsburg University Rebekkah Felsher Andy Kurtz Fernando Santos Shanel Streeter John Tavares Clemson University Kerry Hathaway DeSales University Emily Anderson Inayah Jones John Rodriguez Joshua Synoracki Dickinson College Macey Cohen Drexel University Gregory Adams Matthew Ashton Brendan Kaulius John Kelly Michael Salzarulo East Stroudsburg University Alexander Betancourt Cole Donatelli Eileen Killian Eastern University Rylie Haas Elizabethtown College Ricky Castro Franklin and Marshall University Joshua Young George Mason University Kristen Dalton Indiana University of Pennsylvania Miranda Conley Tyler Koch Ithaca College Nicholas Kopchak Jacksonville University Justin Wodzicki John Hopkins University
Dylan Frankenfield Kean University Jeilah Cooper King’s College Melissa Colon Kutztown University Nasir Davis Christopher Volpe Lafayette College Alexa Deemer LaSalle University Adriana Fazil Lehigh Carbon Community College Rayda Aponte Taylor Cremia Lehigh University Matthew Asteak Robert Bogardo Evan Kauffman Emilee Strange Lock Haven University Andrew Burcaw Andrew Wirth Lycoming College Corrine Kline Millersville University Ross Romero Cody Swartley Monmouth University Dalton Laut Moravian College Samantha Bori Shawn Brandau Brianna Burnett Christopher Hassay Gautam Kanakamedala Loukya Kanakamedala Swathi Kanakamedala Northampton Community College Khola Ahmad Hector Albarran Rebeca Alejandre Devin Arnold Jenna Arnold Baidy Ba Dakotah Biggs Hayleen Blandon Asia Bolton Michael Burdo
Samantha Cabrera Karl Calden Joshua Chapel Anthony Childress Brittney Ciardi Matthew Cimera Rebecca Cimera Donna Colfax Ivor Corlette Jason Cuevas Tyler Dalla Piazza Shanta Darden Amanda Decker Kevin Delacruz Joel Dilan Nathan Favretto Jeffrey Gable Nyasia Garcia Cody Gonzalez Cory Gonzalez Julissa Gonzalez Kristopher Gonzalez Ashely Gordon Emily Gundrum Destiny Hackett Tanaya Hilton Daniel Keyser Gavin Klipple Jose Lebron Beverly Rivera Alexia Rodriguez Princess Rodriguez Alexis Rosario Karena Salcedo Balwinder Sandhu Isaias Santos Sean Seeger Andrew Serrano DaVon Sharp Tyler Shulman Lyle Smith Kevin Stack Jason Stives Antonia Stoddart Lucas Strickland Elizabeth Szabo-Shaffner Amber Terry Exania Torrez Reynaldo Vega Leslie Venable Jenna Voloshin
Bryce Wiseman Corey Wright Ohio State University Bruce Schmidt Pennsylvania College of Technology Gregory Hiller Ravon Jones Pennsylvania State University Christopher Alvarez Milton Beaton Ryan Bone Sarah Callahan Katelyn Chambers Adam Cygan Scott DelFranco Brian Kelly Kaitlin Kelley Tyler Kulanko Tyler Rogalewicz Daniel Seith Eileen Seitz Davyd Sharp John Silver Prasoon Singh Ryan Stranzl Claire Sullivan Scott Tress Matthew Troxell Briana Uliana Devin Vazquez Nicholas Vogrin Kelly Winegar Sean Wrobel Kyle Yost Quinnipiac University Kaelee Alpha Rachel Wilson Rochester Institute of Technology Danielle Labelle Rowan University Rachel Fackenthall School of Visual Arts Simona Topuzovska Shippensburg University Brenna Ferrera Aidan Pheiffer Nicholas Matos St. Joseph’s University Andrew Arner
Brett Broczkowski Jennifer Santamaria Jason Wright Temple University Tyler Ables Alexander Agren Rachel Bell Kelly Chemidlin Jacob Cline Maceo Connor Jehan Danecha Katherine Dawson Lex Donatelli Heather Fuhrman Rebecca Herman Shaylyn Jaworowski Olivia Kolis Morgan Lukievics Nicholas Maurer Amanda Molinaro Daniel Rodenbach Bridget Silk Tiana Van Victoria Zienkiewicz Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology Joshua Grube University of Delaware Kaley Russin University of North Carolina Doo Park University of Pittsburgh Caterina Atiyeh Joseph Datz Patrick Eaton Gabrielle Schantz Jacob Sternberg Zachary Ward West Chester University Kay Bogunovich Adam Conti Natosha Stanley West New England University Maxwell Holz Wilkes University Nikki Deleon Justin Ehret York College Kyle Hanchick College listing is based on student responses from guidance questionnaires.