fhs october 2019

October 2019

Volume 53, Issue 1

Photo: Alexis Swoyer and Carly Grozier

Freedom High School sports rally on Sept. 27 where the Freedom football players got amped up for their game.

Jeff Frank Sports Editor One step I will take to go further and achieve more is...

“To do better on tests that I take.”

Tyler Czipoth Freshman

“Making sure I do all of my homework.”

Madisen Millen “Staying after school if I need help with my assignments.”

Izzy Szmodis Sophomores

“Listening to my teachers and the directions given to me.”

Deven Baffour Junior

Get fired up, Freedom!

Freedom Football prepares to end the 2019 season Isabella Scipioni the game is,” said Jimmy Moniz, Riot Co-Editor-in-Chief Squad Captain.

Even underclassmen are getting Freedom students look forward to the involved in the fun. In the past, beginning of the school year for one younger students have had a reputathing: high school football. The 2018 tion for showing little school spirit District Champions, the Freedom Pa- and low attendance at sporting events. triots, will soon conclude another This year, the Riot Squad is getting great season. them more involved by offering stu“We’ve done a really great job of dents rides to games and giving them taking things one day at a time. information in person and on social Sometimes when looking out on a media. long season, it’s easy to get caught up “We have just tried to offer as much in the future, but this crew of guys information and give as much of a has been really focused on the task at helping hand to them (underclassmen) hand all season,” said Vince Reph, as possible. It’s all about showing our receiver and outside linebacker. support to the school’s athletes, stuAnother team with a successful sea- dents in the band, and cheerleaders. son, the Riot Squad, or the student We’ve really tried to welcome the section that attends every football underclassmen to the riot squad culgame, has been getting wide student ture because we feel it’s the best way participation throughout the season. to experience high school,” said MonThe group also hopes to bring that iz. energy to other sporting events That support does not go unnoticed throughout the year. by the football team. Players say that “This year the Riot Squad has been the energy from the Riot Squad has a showing very strong support at foot- positive effect on their playing and ball games, both home and away. We helps the team perform better. are getting great numbers of kids out “Our Riot Squad has been amazing and we’re louder than I’ve ever heard. all year. I remember week one when Our goal is to keep the same energy we were playing over an hour away. for as many sports as we can attend All of us were so impressed by the and continue to bring Freedom Fami- number of people at the game,” said ly together by showing our love for Reph. the school whenever and wherever Now that the regular season is con-

Mrs. Lynn wins B.E.S.T award The results are in Page 2

One-to-one computer initiative Freedom underclassmen given personal laptops Page 3

cluding, the Freedom vs. Liberty game is on everyone’s minds. The team has been working hard all year to secure a win for what is several players’ last season.

Freedom’s co-ed cheerleading team Photo: Alexis Swoyer

“We’ve been preparing by putting in effort every week in practice and staying focused on ourselves and what we have going on,” said Reph.

The game is on Oct 26 at 1:00 pm at BASD stadium. The Riot Squad’s theme is white-out for any students looking to watch from the student section.

“Going to a Freedom vs. Liberty game is an event that people all over the state of Pennsylvania come to see.

Both crowds are enormous on that Saturday, and everyone anticipates the game to be incredible. That being said, we want everyone to be there in all white Saturday, October 26! Be ready to riot!” said Moniz.

A Day in the Life of…

BASD cyber school student tells all Page 6

Carly’s Critique Spicing things up this fall Page 6

Freedom High School - 3149 Chester Avenue - Bethlehem, PA 18020 - www.FHSForum.com - @FHSForum

Celebrating over 50 years of serving the Freedom community

2 News

October 2019

The Forum

Destruction abounds across the centuries Top five hurricanes that devastated the U.S. Alec Lutz Journalism Student Hurricanes are some of the most devastating natural disasters, known for their low pressure centers and extremely fast winds. They have traumatized the U.S. for many years due to the combination of warm air and blistering water rising from the ocean. After interviewing Earth and Space Science teacher, Mr. David Solliday, it was made even more clear how hurricanes work and how they form.

“Hurricanes form as tropical storms also known as thunderstorms, then into a tropical depression, which is a very mild hurricane over the ocean with 37 mph or more wind speeds. These are usually formed when storm from the coast of West Africa reach warmer waters as they cross the Atlantic Ocean, with such a surplus of water (the ocean), the hurricane can keep building across the Atlantic,” said Mr. Solliday.

“The hurricane’s movement pattern is completely based on the Coriolis effect or the Earth’s rotation.

This is why hurricanes don’t just continue across the Atlantic into South America. It gives them a bend to go up and hit Central America and the U.S. How the hurricane is depends on how much it bends. It could end up in Texas, or it could hit South Carolina, it all depends on how strong the effect affects the hurricane,” said Mr. Solliday.

The first contender on this list is the Sea Islands

Hurricane. This was a hurricane that took place in 1893 in Georgia. It had the fifth most deaths caused by a hurricane ever. Nearly all affected died from the storm surge.

Next, The Cheniere Caminada Hurricane, or the Great October Storm. This was a hurricane that devastated the island of Cheniere Caminada, Louisiana in early October 1893. It was one of three deadliest hurricanes during the 1893 Atlantic hurricane season, which killed an estimated 2,000 people, mostly from storm surge.

The most recent hurricane on the list, Hurricane Katrina, affected Louisiana and most of the Southern United States. It proceeded to move through the Gulf of Mexico to strike Louisiana. This took place in 2005 and was a category five storm that caused around 1,800 deaths; however, this hurricane is rated number three because it caused the most damage of any natural disaster.

Later in the list is the Lake Okeechobee hurricane.

It took place in 1928 and was the only deadly hurricane of that year. Over 4,000 people died and the storm itself caused over $1.46 billion in damage. It lasted for two weeks as a Category Five hurricane.

The last hurricane to make an appearance on this list is Great Galveston. This hurricane was said to be the worst natural disaster to ever happen in U.S. History. It took place in 1900 and caused between 6,000 and 12,000 fatalities. The hurricane hit Galveston, Texas and took the entire area by storm.

So, to ask the pressing question: How does Dorian

Compare to these? Dorian is a Category Five hurricane, which means that it is ranked with some of the most dangerous, destructive hurricanes ever. Dorian afflicted the worst damage to the Bahamas and then moved into Southeastern United States territory. It also did some damage to Florida and the Carolinas.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Dorian ties with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane for the strongest sustained winds at landfall with 185 mph (298 km/h). Dorian reached peak winds at second landfall on Great Abaco Island (Bahamas) near Marsh Harbour on Sept. 1st; however, Dorian does not compare to the size and time of the hurricanes on the Top 5 list.

Hurricane Katrina in the North Atlantic, 2005 Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Vaping deaths on the rise; lives do matter The effect of e-cigarettes on young lives Samantha Corvera News Editor The craze of e-cigarettes bloomed around 2003.

Now, the epidemic has been sweeping the nation as it captures the attention of politicians and broadcasters all across the world. These e-cigarettes or “vapes” as the consumers have been calling them, have been costing the lives of many young adolescents.

Cooper Stevens, 16, suffered multiple organ failures and was put on ventilation for over a week due to his addiction with vaping. Stevens’ claims that his infatuation with e-cigarettes was due to “the smoke that comes out of them and there's people who do tricks with them.” Once Stevens’ senses had been appealed to, he became addicted to the nicotine.

Although numerous students are persuaded to give these modernized cigarettes a try, others are less likely to fall for the product’s propaganda.

“Kids do not understand how bad vaping is when they do it. Also, I think vaping has been appealing

Vapes that have been confiscated by teachers at Freedom High School Photo: Samantha Corvera

to younger generations by making it more entertaining for them with different flavors and smoke.” said Anthony Trabosci, sophomore.

Much like Stevens’ case, 18-year-old Adam Hergenreder from Chicago took action to sue the creators of e-cigarettes as well as the gas station which sold the alleged vape to him, after suffering from severe lung damage. Reports from Illinois confirmed a death due to a vape-related illness in August, as well as over 450 casualties nationwide.

The amount of deaths occurring due to e-cigarettes has become so alarming that the company of e-

cigarettes got involved and gave a statement.

“It was our hope that others in the category would self-impose similar restrictions to address youth usage and it is now our hope that regulators will impose these same restrictions to protect youth and to preserve the opportunity to eliminate combustible cigarettes, the deadliest legal consumer product known to man," said the company.

The backlash towards e-cigarettes has been climbing and gaining attention from concerned parents, teachers, and law enforcement. President Donald J. Trump himself has even been taking action to prevent underaged teens from using vapes, juuls, and any other forms of e-cigarettes; however, some people believe that e-cigarettes are getting too much attention and feel that the focus of authorities should be shifted to the more pressing problems of the world.

“Weird how 6 people die from vaping and the federal government institutes a ban within weeks, but 20 kindergarteners, 22 people at a Walmart, 49 at a nightclub, and 58 at a concert are shot and killed and there’s nothing that can be done,” tweets Adam Beck.

Mrs. Lynn wins the B.E.S.T. award The results are in...

Anna Isbell Pates Post editor Annually, the Bethlehem Area School District holds an award ceremony for three outstanding teachers in our community. The awards are as follows: The Seymour and Sophie Harber award for excellence in teaching at an elementary level, the Bernie Cohen award for excellence in teaching at a middle school level, and the Anthony Ruggerio award for excellence in teaching at a high school level.

The recipient for the Anthony Ruggerio award for excellence in teaching at a high school level was Freedom’s very own Mrs. Karen Lynn. She has been teaching for over 23 years and has been teaching at Freedom since 2008.

She is proud to be a teacher at Freedom High School because she feels like it is a perfect size for a sense of family, everyone is close knit and she knows every single faculty member here.

At Freedom, she teaches English as a second language and is very passionate about her students.

She helps get them involved in numerous opportunities, one of which is partnering with

Cedarbrook nursing home. They work with seniors which is a win win for both parties. Her students get to learn more English and the seniors get to socialize.

Another thing that her students do to get involved is partnering with the world language department, mostly Spanish. They mentor the higher Spanish classes such as honors and AP , along with some of the beginner classes this year. This program is called friends giving, where students learning Spanish speak with native speakers. It is a great opportunity for everyone.

“I have kids in my program that have never been in school before, they’ve never learned to read or write,” said Mrs. Lynn.

In all, she has 110 students this year for English as a second language, she had 130 students last year and said that it varies each year with the amount of students she has.

“I never even thought of being a teacher when I was younger, it just never crossed my mind.” said Lynn, when asked why she decided to become a teacher.

She started off her teaching career by substituting at Fountain Hill elementary. From there, she asked Mr. Raz, who was the principal at the time, what

ESOL was, because there was an opening at Liberty High School.

Soon enough she was teaching English as a second language at Liberty and ended up here at Freedom for 11 years.

70 percent of her students are in programming and 30 percent are mainstream, which means they could be sitting next to you in your English class.

She is one of the many teachers appreciated at freedom, her award is well deserved after all of her hard work towards the ESOL department.

Mrs. Lynn receiving the B.E.S.T. award Photo: BASD blog

October 2019 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

Editors-in-Chief Dymea Schippers Isabella Scipioni News Editor Samantha Covera Editorial Editor Sarah Healy Pates’ Post Editor Anna Isbell Entertainment Editor Carly Grozier Center Spread Editors

The Forum

3 Editorials

One-to-One Computer Initiative Freedom underclassmen given personal laptops Emily LaRiviere Freedom Forum As laptops, smartphones, and tablets become more available and costeffective, providing students with their own technology is becoming a more viable option for many school districts.

This is seen through the one-to-one initiative, meaning one computer, tablet, or smartphone provided for each student.

The Bethlehem Area School District is one of many across the country to implement this, providing more than 3000 students in grades six through ten with chrome books in the 2019-2020 school year. The district plans on expanding this to all secondary students -middle and high school- the next fall.

Through multiple studies conducted, there is data that supports the success of this program, however this occurs when schools focus more so on training

and immersion of the technology rather than just implementing the one-to-one initiative.

Students within the school have varying opinions regarding the laptops.

A common complaint was in regards to their “heavy and “bulky” nature that “inconvenienced” students to carry around.

“Since all of the classrooms are already provided with laptops, I don’t really see the need. I understand the meaning of the laptops, to provide students who are unable to have access to computers at home, but I think that they may have been a better way to do this. By providing all the students with laptops, there are a lot of students who don’t need them and the money could have been spent elsewhere,” said Izzy Burnett, freshman.

However some disagree, stating that “it is easier to take notes and able to keep them in one place. The computers

Chromebook provided to student Photo: Emily LaRiviere

are not an inconvenience to carry,” said Haley Martian, sophomore.

The views are mixed among the students; some view the computers as a useful tool that, so far in the year, has provided benefits. However, others view the computers as an unnecessary addition that takes away funding for other areas that need improvement.

Dymea Schippers

Students Take the First Step of College Prep

Isabella Scipioni

The PSAT will be held this fall at Freedom High School

Sports Editors

Isabella Scipioni Co-Editor-in-Chief

Jeffrey Frank Jalen Stewart Advisor Mrs. Karla Erdman Principal Mr. Michael LaPorta Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy For our editorial statement and correction policy, please go to www.fhsforum.com/about.html Any photo that is not directly credited is from Microsoft Office.

Follow us on Twitter, send us an email, and visit our website! @fhsforum, #fhsforum fhsforum@gmail.com www.fhsforum.com

For anyone who has recently spoken to any Freedom High School (FHS) sophomore or junior, chances are they are stressing out over nine letters: PSAT/NMSQT, or the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The PSAT is held every fall at Freedom High School and will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19. Although registration for this year is closed, it is recommended that all current underclassmen arrange to take the exam next year.

The exam serves as a practice test for the SAT and is not required for students to attend college. So why are students lining up at 8 a.m. on a Saturday to take the exam? According to Mrs. Selines Oquendo, FHS guidance counselor, students tend to score better on the actual SAT the more familiar they are with the exam.

“Anybody who is planning on taking the SAT certainly should take the PSAT if at all possible, especially collegebound students. Even if you don’t think you’re going to college after graduation, there’s no harm in just taking it in case your plans change down

the road,” said Mrs. Oquendo.

The PSAT is administered by the College Board, the same company that offers the SAT and AP exams. Although the exam is very similar to the SAT, there are a few key differences. The SAT is scored on a scale of 400-1600, but the PSAT is scored from 320-1520.

Both exams have sections in Reading, Writing (grammar), and Math, but only the SAT offers the optional essay. Most importantly, the PSAT is only offered as a projection of how students will score on the SAT and is not seen by colleges. After taking the PSAT, students can use their scores to gain free, individualized test prep.

“If you connect to the College Board and Khan Academy, they can tailor your SAT practice in the areas that you might need it more,” said Mrs. Oquendo.

Another benefit of the exam is only offered to juniors, the NMSQT. The 50,000 highest scorers on the exam, out of about 1.5 million students who take it, are notified that they qualify for national merit. Then, students are either cut or advance to the Commended Students level, to the Semifinalists level , to Finalists level, and eventually, to the

Merit Scholars level. Qualifying for any level of the competition means students can be offered scholarships from various organizations and can boost their college applications.

“To earn that title of merit scholar is certainly an accomplishment,” said Mrs. Oquendo.

Jordan Shames, sophomore with the PSAT Student Guide Photo: Isabella Scipioni

So how can students prepare for the exam? Mrs. Oquendo advises them to practice using free resources, such as Khan Academy, taking a practice test online or in the registration packets each students taking the exam received.

“You can’t over practice,” said Mrs. Oquendo.

Oceans Overflow with Trash

L-R: Mr. Michael DiBilio, Ms. Laurie Sage, Mr. Michael LaPorta, Ms. Maureen Leeson, Mr. William Cecchini

Photo: Christmas City Studios

How FHS students can help clean up the ocean by 2050, there will be more plastic than Anastaisa Ledee fish in the ocean, even if humans try to The Freedom Forum decrease pollution. With figures like Since oceans make up 71 percent of these, many feel hopeless that cleaning the planet, many feel that water up the ocean is even possible. There is pollution is a major issue. Many blame no need to worry, there are plenty of the catastrophic condition of the oceans other people who also want to help the on humans. Most of this pollution is ocean. from plastic.

“I don’t think ocean pollution is good According to oceanconservancy.org, because it hurts the animals that live in plastic has been found in more than 60 the ocean and it’s bad for the Earth,” percent of all seabirds because they said Erika Monzac. mistake plastic for food. In addition, Everything counts; Even the little every year, eight million tons of plastic things can have a huge impact on the is dumped into the ocean on top of the ocean’s environment and the creatures estimated 150 million that is currently that live in it. If students want to take circulating the ocean. With the amount part in saving the ocean, they can visit of trash that is circulating the sea, it is oceanconservancy.org for tips and only a matter of time before there is information about helping the ocean. more plastic than ocean. This reasoning This site gives information about is not far off the mark according to taking action in a place near you. This various publications. organization has created a group known According to The Washington Post, as the International Coastal Cleanup,

which helps out with resolving ocean pollution by going to rivers and lakes in different areas around the world and gathers up all of the waste along the shore lines so it will not get washed out to the sea. If students would like to help out on a smaller scale, they can start by deducing the use of plastic straws, recycling, and spreading the others about ocean pollution and how they can get involved in protecting Earth’s oceans.

Plastic that washes up on beaches around the world. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Chromebooks for underclassmen

Integrating technology into schools Nat Durham Journalism student This year the 9th and 10th graders have received new chrome books, so they will never have issues completing assignments inside or outside of school.

Underclassmen are able to take their laptops home and use them outside of school. Once the school year has concluded, the laptops are even allowed to be kept over the summer. They are also able to receive an insurance policy within the first 30 days of receiving the chrome books.

The chrome books are also a two-in-one deal, and allows the students to turn them into a tablet, so they are more mobile. They are touch screen and they also have a stylist that can be used to draw on it when it is in the tablet mode.

Since most of the curriculum is online, the chrome books make learning more efficient for high school students.

A new chrome book with an old Chromebook Photo: Nat Durham

Marilyn Baiardi

Officer Brehm

Liam Browne

Marilyn Baiardi is a paraprofessional at Freedom High School. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and moved to Easton with her husband and four children in 2001. She started working in the BASD in 2006 and worked with the Spark program. She looks forward to learning more from everyone at Freedom High School and feels blessed to be in every aspect of development with children.

Officer Brehm is the Resource Officer at Freedom High School. He was raised in New Jersey, but he moved to the Lehigh Valley after graduating from Kutztown University. He has been a police officer for five years and has worked primarily as a patrol officer, as well as working with the Northampton County Drug Task Force. He wants to be able to come to work every day and know that he has helped mold at least one student into a better person.

Liam Browne is a science teacher at Freedom High School. He was raised in the Lehigh Valley and attended Catasauqua High School. This is his third year teaching, and he started at Wilson Area High School. He is looking forward to working with such a diverse and great bunch of both students and staff. Mr. Browne became interested in working with kids because he likes seeing those “aha!” moments.

Say hello to hydration

New water fountains installed around Freedom Lucas Hicks Journalism student Prepare to have the school’s thirst quenched by the new water fountains installed throughout Freedom High School. These new water fountains, manufactured by the company Elkay, function as both regular water fountains as well as water bottle fillers. The new fountains installed this year are located by the band hallway and by the new gym. They are equipped with state of the art anti-splashing technology to help clothes stay dry while getting a drink.

These new water fountains also have a filtration system to ensure that students are only drinking the cleanest and freshest water. In addition, the new fountains are an environmentally conscious step for Freedom, as they encourage the use of reusable water bottles to the student body. These new water fountains will surely hydrate any student in need of a drink.

The new fountains have a counter that comes up every time a bottle is filled.

Photos: Lucas Hicks

Paul Kemmerer

Dr. Shaista

Caroline McMichaels

Leslie Omdalen

Paul Kemmerer is the Head Custodian at Freedom High School. He was born and raised in Bethlehem and graduated from Liberty High School in 1998. He has worked in the BASD for 16 years and has worked as a substitute, and both supplemental, and full-time custodians. Mr. Kemmerer has been at Freedom before for 12 years and was at Nitschmann for the past three. What he considers his biggest challenge is managing the other 15 custodians’ personalities. He is looking forward to helping the custodial staff here exceed in keeping Freedom clean and safe for everyone.

Dr. Shaista Keshodkar, a science teacher, was born and raised in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and moved to the United States in 2003. She has been living in the Lehigh Valley since 2014. Although she has been teaching for the past 14 years, she has been a substitute teacher for the past four years at Liberty High School, while finishing her teaching certifications at Moravian College. Dr. Keshodkar is looking forward to getting to know and connect with all of her students, building strong relationships, and bringing out the best in them.

Caroline McMichael is the new guidance counselor at Freedom High School. She was raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. She studied elementary education at Grand Valley State University for her Bachelor’s degree, and school counselling at Lancaster Bible College. She previously worked at Elizabethtown Area High School and this is her second year as a school counselor. She is looking forward to getting to know the students at Freedom and developing positive relationships with them, as their counselor.

Leslie Omdalen is an instructional assistant at Freedom High School. She was born and raised in the Lehigh Valley and graduated from Bethlehem Catholic High School. She has previously worked at Liberty, several schools on the west coast, and Freedom from 2006 until 2009. This is Ms. Omdalen’s 13th year as an instructional assistant and she is looking forward to meeting her new co-workers and students this year.

She has always enjoyed working with kids and working with them in a high school setting has given her the opportunity to work with them every day and try to make a difference in their lives.

A Voice for the Voiceless

Freedom’s New Morning Announcements Nat Durham Journalism student One of the newest changes this year is the school’s newscast. Daily announcements in previous years were done over the loudspeakers in the morning, but they were difficult to hear most of the time. Now, the newscast allows students to have an active role in school news and events.

Christopher Schweikert, a social studies teacher, was raised in the Lehigh Valley and attended Parkland High School. Mr. Schweikert graduated from Kutztown University, and this is his first year teaching. He is looking forward to becoming a part of the Freedom Family and getting to know different teachers, students, administration, and other members of the BASD staff. Mr. Schweikert enjoys working with kids because he wants to share his passion for social studies. He also enjoys coaching volleyball and thinks that it has helped him build a passion for working with kids.

Mitchell Thomas, a social studies teacher, was born and raised in Bethlehem and attended Liberty High School. He graduated from Lehigh University and this is his second year teaching. Mr. Thomas first started working at Freedom last school year in November. He is looking forward to reuniting with his co-workers from last year and teaching the wonderful students at Freedom. He has always wanted to become a teacher so that he could have a positive impact on kids.

Theresa Whitebread is an American Sign Language teacher at Freedom High School. She was born and raised in the Lehigh Valley and attended Bloomsburg University for her degree in American Sign Language/English Interpreting. This is her first year teaching, but she has been an interpreter for the past 11 years. Ms. Whitebread has always worked in education and loves helping others find their “lightbulb moments.”

Nicholas Wynne is a math teacher, who was raised in the Lehigh Valley and attended Parkland High School. He graduated from Penn State University in 2003. Later, he got his teaching certificate at Kutztown University in 2012. He previously worked at Liberty and this will be his seventh year teaching. Mr. Wynne is looking forward to getting to know the students and staff here this school year and is interested in working with kids because he wants to help them overcome their potential phobias and struggles in math.

Dawn DelPriore is a Home Economics teacher at Freedom High School. She was born in South Carolina and graduated from the University of South Carolina.

She attended St. Joseph’s University for her teacher’s certification. This is her fifth year teaching as she previously taught at Nitschmann Middle School for four years. Ms. DelPriore is looking forward to meeting new students and likes working with kids since she enjoys their humor, and seeing them succeed in different fields.

Nina Andreucci, a Special Education teacher at Freedom High School, was raised in the Lehigh Valley and attended Southern Lehigh High School. She is looking forward to attending sports games and cheering on all of the Freedom teams. Ms. Andreucci considers the hardest thing to do as a teacher is making sure all the students are both engaged and learning simultaneously. She enjoys working with kids to help students learn, feel welcome, and prepare them for their futures.

The newscast being shot by

Journalism students get to acquire new skills such as script writing, recording, anchoring, and Jourvideo editing, which are common jobs in the broadcast journalism field.

Christopher Schweikert

Mitchell Thomas

Theresa Whitebread

Nicholas

Photo: Nat Durham

The daily newscast is student-run, and the process commences when the scriptwriter verifies the script. Then the anchors rehearse the script, while the teleprompter sets up the camera. Once the anchors have gone over their lines, they start recording. Afterwards, the video goes through the editing process.

On occasion, the newscast will have special guests to make announcements, and on Fridays, special segments are recorded and put into the newscast. All in all, the newscast is a fun way to start off the day by getting students and staff engaged in the morning announcements and making them aware of how to get involved in their Freedom family.

Michael Reenock, an art teacher, was raised in Northampton, PA, and attended Northampton Area High School. He attended Rider University, Kutztown University, and The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

This is his twenty-first year teaching, and he has mainly worked in high school education. Mr. Reenock is looking forward to adding excitement and energy to the art program and to be working with many people that he grew up with and knows personally.

Michael Reenock

Emily Duddy, a Special Education teacher, has lived in the Lehigh Valley her whole life, and attended Bangor Area High School. She graduated from Moravian College with a certificate in Special Education and Early Childhood Education. She is looking forward to building relationships with her students and fellow staff members. Ms. Duddy had a great school experience throughout her childhood and wants her students to have a good time in school as well.

Emily

Kim Semiday is an Instructional Assistant at Freedom High School. She is originally from Staten Island but moved here when she was in middle school, and she graduated from Liberty High School. She graduated from DeSales University and this is her first year as an instructional assistant. When she graduated, she did two years of service with AmeriCorps and got to work with kids in kindergarten through second-grade in emotional support classrooms.

Kim Semiday

Welcome to StudySync

A new curriculum being piloted in Freedom Lucas Hicks Journalism student

Emily Dawn DelPriore

StudySync is an innovative curriculum that is being integrated into Freedom High School. It is a comprehensive English Language Arts curriculum, currently being used for grades 6-12. It is being used in every middle school English class in BASD. In addition. Liberty High School is incorporating it with the 9th and 11th graders, and Freedom High School with the 10th and 12th graders.

So, what does StudySync entail? It is a curriculum that takes advantage of the digital medium with assignments that utilize videos and articles in order to teach critical thinking, annotating, and analyzing to students. It comes with a book, but most of the work can be done online. How does this virtual classroom hold up to expectations? Well, it is hard to say at this point in time, but stayed tuned for updates!

Nina Andreucci

StudySync has an easy to use online interface, making it very simple to find out what assignments are due.

Photo: Lucas Hicks

6 Pates’ Post

October 2019

The Forum

A day in the life of a cyber school student A school outside four walls Molly Williams The Freedom Forum Whenever I tell someone that for senior year I decided to do cyber school, I always get the same response every time: “Oh, okay.” One may think that being home alone doing work is boring and having school online is too 21st century, but in reality, cyber school is actually really great. My days really vary with what I do, but let’s talk about a typical Monday in the day of me.

My Monday’s always start off fresh; I wake up around 7:30, when Freedom High School starts classes, and I eat breakfast then head out to the gym.

Instead of having to be at school at 7:30 like everyone else, I get to take my time getting to the gym with no worries about having to be done by a

certain time.

By 8 o’clock, I arrive at the gym and start by running a mile or two. A mile a day keeps the doctor away, right? I typically use some of the weight machines after the treadmill, and then I head home to start my school work. I usually start school work at 9 o’clock, but sometimes that changes with whether or not I had a good night's sleep.

I always start with two hours of my Honors U.S Government class, and within those two hours, I usually finish all the assignments I need to for the day. After a quick stretch from sitting for two hours, I make myself some lunch.

By 11:30, I usually finish eating, and then I watch some TV until I need to leave for my dual enrollment class. I decided this year to take an Introduction to Psychology course at North-

ampton Community College, and within the first day of having that class, I loved it. I always leave around 12:10 to get to my class since parking is sometimes limited. After finally finding a parking spot, I head to my class. The class is from 1 o’clock to 1:50, so I usually get home by 2 or 2:15.

I relax a bit at home by watching TV or reading, and then I start on my Honors English work. Both classes usually take two hours, so by 4:30, I am finished and I can hangout at home. I spend the rest of my evening enjoying dinner with my family and spend as much time as I can with them.

Sure, my day may be slow to start, but having my own schedule of doing what I want when I want really helps.

Cyber school gives me so much flexibility to spend time for me or spend

more time with my family in the evenings. Get this: cyber school does not really have homework. When I finish my classes for the day, I am completely done until the next morning and then I start my routine over again.

In the end, I am glad I chose to do cyber school for my senior year. Having the flexibility and being able to prepare for college really has been going well for me. Let’s see where the rest of the year takes me.

Edgenuity is the website used for BASD Cyber students Photo: Molly Williams

Carly’s Critique: fall beverages Spicing things up this fall Carly Grozier Entertainment Editor

Every season, Starbucks selects drinks to represent that time of the year. This fall they spiced things up a bit, and their favorites beverages included the Pumpkin Spice Latte and the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino.

I decided to critique one of these drinks. The drink I choose was the Frappuccino. I am not a Frappuccino kind of girl, but when given the option, cold drinks are more appealing than hot, even on a cold day When I put up a poll for my Instagram followers to choose which drink they would prefer, 93 of them responded. 70 percent preferred the Frappuccino as well. The other 30 percent said they would rather purchase the Latte.

The drink was a blend of caramel and mocha. It was topped off with whipped cream, a swirl of caramel, and salt sprinkled on top. Sweet and salty is not something I typically enjoy, but I still walked into Starbucks with an open mind about the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino.

When ordering the drink, the service was great. A

grand cost of a little over five dollars. The baristas were very kind and my drink came out in just a few minutes.

The first thought I had when the drink came out was that it looked very appetizing. Two things looked different from the advertisement, it was served in a different cup and the caramel swirl was wider than the swirl pictured on the menu.

I then sat down to give the drink a try. Initially, it was not as bad as I thought. The caramel to mocha ratio was perfect. I prefer mocha over caramel and there was more mocha.

After taking another few sips, I got a little bit of salt. This is when I stopped liking the drink. It seemed as though the salt was an outlier and did not belong.

Thankfully, I purchased the Marshmallow dream bar as well and I was able to get the salty taste out of my mouth. It was a Rice Krispy treat that had marshmallows throughout.

It was hard to finish less than half of the drink.

Within minutes it was melted at the bottom. I would recommend that Starbucks make their Frappuccinos a little thicker to avoid this happening.

If you are like me and do not enjoy the sweet and

salty taste, I would not recommend the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino to you. Maybe give the Pumpkin Spice Latte a try if you are into that kind of thing.

Overall, I’d give the drink a rating of two and a half out of five. It had its positives, but also its negatives. I would not purchase it again. I think I will stick to the peach lemonade tea, which is a five out of five any day.

Starbucks displaying their fall favorites

Photo: Carly Grozier

Me with the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino Photo: Maddy Summers

Dear Dymea: Club confusion A guide for what clubs to join

Dear confused freshmen,

Dymea Schippers Co-Editor-in-Chief

I remember it took me a while before I got adjusted to high school life. As a freshman I was very overwhelmed adapting to a new environment that had a thousand more students than my middle school. Although I was a bit anxious in the beginning of the year, I did not let that waver my confidence. It is never too late to join a club or activity, and you do not have to join right away either. To Hope this helps, answer your question, I would recommend listening Dymea to the daily newscast since meetings for different clubs are announced every day. I would also consider joining clubs that peak your interests.

In my case, one of my favorite hobbies is writing, so I joined the Freedom Forum, our school’s newspaper, during my freshmen year. I also joined French Café, which has helped me learn more about French cuisine, culture, and music outside of my French course. Sports also account for our school’s Freedom Forum issues clubs and activities, so if you have a favorite sport Photo: Dymea Schippers

Dear Dymea, I am a freshman this year and the transition from middle school to high school has been a little frustrating. I want to join clubs and activities, so I can get to know more people, but I don’t know how to get involved. I only know a few of the clubs, but I don’t know when to go to any of the meetings, or who to contact. I also want to join the soccer team since I played it back in middle school, but I don’t know when any of the tryouts or practices are held.

How do I figure out which clubs are the best fit for me? Is it too late for me to hop in this year? Do you have any recommendations?

Sincerely, Confused freshmen

in mind I would recommend trying out. You can also go to the athletic office to get more information on when tryouts and practices are held.

Besides getting to form new relationships, joining a club or a sport gives you 15 hours of community service. You should try emailing teachers who are in charge of managing clubs that interested in if you have any further questions.

Student work makes it to the top Last year, students from Freedom and Liberty High Schools created artwork for Dr. Joseph Roy, superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District, to be displayed in his office at the Education Center for this year.

Students discuss their artwork with the superintendent Photos: Jamie Toohey

From left to right: Yaelin Gonzalez, Erin O'Brien, Nathan Mikulski, and Tyler Mantz, Dr. Roy and Zachary Schafer

Photo submission: Dymea Schippers

October 2019

7 Entertainment

The Forum

Swinging into the next PlayStation masterpiece Spider-Man for PlayStation review Glenn Funderburk Journalism Student Spider-Man is one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. Even for people who have never picked up a comic book or seen a Marvel movie, chances are they have at least heard of the legendary wallcrawler.

“My memories of Spider-man all comes back to when I was a little baby watching the first SpiderMan movie. I saw Spider-Man 2 in the theatres.

Throughout the years it has been kind of a rocky road with The Amazing Spider-Man movies and Venom but with so much good stuff like Into the Spider-Verse and even the MCU Spider-Man. With this game coming out it’s a good time to be a Spider -Man fan,” said Lemuel Santiago, Freedom High School alumni.

Throughout the years, there have been many Spider-Man video games, but none are as good as the 2018 masterpiece Spider-Man for PlayStation 4.

Produced by Insomniac Games, Spider-Man features a beautiful recreation of New York City, a large variety of enemies that test your skill and

creativity, a progression system that will keep you hooked for weeks, and a unique campaign that features a very memorable perspective on the superhero we all know and love.

“The character Peter Parker seems to have the best elements of all three movie Peter Parker’s. He’s the perfect mix of Tobey Maguire’s sensitivity, Andrew Garfield’s attitude, and Tom Holland’s youthful charm,” said Santiago.

The story starts off with Peter Parker about eight years into his career as Spider-Man. “Having Peter Parker already be Spider-Man was probably the smartest choice (insomniac) could have made,” said Santiago.

At the end of the tutorial businessman and crime lord Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpingets arrested. This causes a power vacuum to form in New York, resulting in several different gangs fighting over who can take his place.

Throughout the campaign stop crimes, investigate criminal activity, and play some missions as Peter Parker, Mary Jane, and even Miles Morales. The story has many twists and turns and does a fantastic job of keeping the player’s attention.

Progression is arguably the most important part of

any video game and this one is jam-packed with it.

As gamers progress through the campaign they unlock new ways to interact with the open-world; which unlocks new gadgets, skills, and suits.

The suits are a highlight because they are not only cosmetic but also come with a unique special ability.

Including all current downloadable content, the game offers 42 suits including six from movies featuring Spider-Man, a multitude from the comics, and even a vintage one based on SpiderMan’s early appearances.

Whether a person is a fan of SpiderMan, Marvel, or video games, SpiderMan for PlayStation 4 is a video game for any marvel fanatic.

Spider-Man in New York City Photo: Pixabay

Spooking Freedom with the top horror films FHS’s favorite horror movies this October Alexis Swoyer The Freedom Forum

Halloween is the time for spookiness, candy, trickor-treating, and costumes. Horror movies are a big part of the Halloween and fall season, so what movie is the scariest?

In order to get a variety of opinions, 115 FHS students voted on what movie they think should be at the top. According to the survey, the top three are “IT,” “Halloween,” and “The Conjuring.”

In first place is “IT” by Stephen King. The original had first come out in 1990 as a miniseries based on the novel from 1986. In 2017, the movie was remade into a more modern version. It is described as a shape-shifting evil that comes out every 27 years.

The sequel, “IT Chapter Two” takes place when the group of teens grows older and encounters the darkness once again, but this time they all went their

separate ways just came out last September. Despite its number one ranking, many students refuse to watch “IT” due to their fear of clowns.

In second place is “Halloween” by John Carpenter, a movie series that consists of films released from 1978 all the way up to 2018.

The original is a story about Michael Myers, a kid who murdered his sister when he was six years old.

He was sentenced to 15 years in a sanitarium, or hospital, for long-term mental illnesses and was released at the age of 21.

In third place is “The Conjuring” by James Wan and is currently a two part series, but there is rumor of a third movie coming out in the fall of next year.

The first movie came out in 2013, but it took place back in 1970.

The plot includes paranormal investigators visiting a house with a known spirit. The movie then picks up speed when the known spirit starts to mess around with the investigators and the owners of the home.

The second movie shows another family that has sensed the evil that is in their home. A mother becomes concerned that their daughter has been possessed by a spirit. When trying to take the spirit out of the young girl, they become a target.

The third movie’s plot has not been released, but it is said to be based on another true story, just like the first two movies.

For anyone looking for a classic horror flick this fall, check out a few of these movies.

The Graph of Votes Photo By: Alexis Swoyer

Pennsylvania harvests some of the best seasonal festivals

An amazing time that happens during fall Mikaila Harka Journalism student

Loving the fall weather and just the season in all?

Want to make more memories? Then consider attending a local harvest festival.

Luckily, there are many different harvest festivals across Pennsylvania. Some popular ones are located at Seiples farm, Raub’s Farm, and Grim Orchard and Family Farms.

At these harvest festivals visitors can expect to see many popular “fall” activities.

Activities range from pumpkin and apple picking to face painting, corn mazes, hayrides and much more. Not only that, but there will be many vendors and different things to keep participants entertained

throughout the day.

Another reason why these fall festivals are so popular is because they are all family-oriented.

There are many activities and fun-filled events for every age.

As an added bonus, there are various picture perfect spots that can be found throughout the festivals.

Another feature that attracts many people to fall festivals is the fall-themed food. Some of the delicious treats include, caramel covered apples, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and many more delicious treats for everyone to enjoy.

In addition, some places will also have food trucks, so there will be many opportunities for visitors to sample this season’s favorite selections throughout the day.

So, for anyone who enjoys nature, cuisine, mazes, hayrides and more activities then a harvest festival is definitely something to check out. Families can make amazing memories and just enjoy themselves at a festival that only occurs during the fall.

Some of the amazing pumpkins people can expect to see at these festivals Photo: Creative Commons

Monday, 10/21

Tuesday, 10/22

Wednesday, 10/23

Thursday, 10/24

Friday, 10/25

Pajama Day

Meme Day

Groufit Day

Throwback Thursday

Gold Out

8 Sports

October 2019

The Forum

Catching up with Freedom’s fall sports Highlighting sports’ achievements Jalen Stewart Sports Editor

Freedom High School fall sports is off to a great start, and it has been very interesting to watch. The fall sports season is in full swing and all of our sports teams have been competitive against the other Lehigh Valley high schools, and for the moment most teams have a winning record. Last season Freedom High school was able to collect three fall sports district championships; football, soccer, and tennis. This season, each team is looking to add more hardware to the trophy case and continue their success from last season.

Our volleyball team has gotten out to an impressive 5-2 start, this lands them as one of the top volleyball teams in the Lehigh Valley. Though this is very good they will continue to play hard each and every game as they look to continue their success throughout the rest of the year. They have been lead by the veterans of the team, as well as some of the younger plays stepping up. Seniors, Grace Grandinetti and Emily Szy, have been key to their success as well as some of the underclassmen

such as: junior Brenna Ortwein, and sophomores, Alania Roman and Grace Hercik. The leadership from the upperclassmen has definitely been felt by some of the younger players such as Isabella Rodriguez, sophomore volleyball player, “They all contribute with their leadership and commitment towards the team and the game itself.

Each of them showcase the characteristics that it takes to be a varsity athlete. They also always have a positive attitude and build up the team with encouragement.”

This team is very good and look for them to make a strong push at a deep run in the postseason.

The defending District 11 champion men’s soccer team has started off to a modest 4-3 record in their quest to try to repeat. They are lead by their leaders Daniel Ramirez and Seba Garces, who are both juniors. The team is definitely looking to get some breaking room with their record and hope to rack up some wins in the future. This does sound all well and good but they also know that this will require them to be improved as the year goes on, “We need to improve our goal scoring on offense, this will allow us to put teams away when we have the chance,” said Nick Stannard, senior player on the Freedom High School soccer team.

Improving this going forward will enable them to accomplish some of the goals that they set out to accomplish for this season, “As a team we are hoping that we can improve and go on a run to make the playoffs and when we get into the playoffs have a deep run, and hopefully win another district championship.”

Senior Nick Stannard going for a loose ball vs.

Whitehall Photo: Bill Leicht

As these two teams head into the heart of the season they will continue to get better and compete in their quest to achieve the goals that they have set out this year. They are both teams to keep an eye on and will hopefully have what it takes to add championships to the Freedom High School athletics history.

The staff’s favorite photos from the big night Isabella Scipioni and Dymea Schippers Co-Editors-in-Chief

2019 Homecoming Court Girls (from left to right): Karrington Hall, Gabby Book, Grace Grandinetti, Grainne Schroeder, Lily Judge, Kira Yost, Nasia Palios, Doris Muncan

Gabe Caton and Gabby

2019 Homecoming Court Boys (from left to right): Jimmy Moniz, Gabe Caton, Nick Stannard, Vince Reph, Jared Jenkins, Matt Thomsen, Thales Maciel, Ryan Hill

The neon-themed dance was held on Saturday, September 28

Lily Judge and Ryan Hill, Homecoming Queen and King Ryan Hill and Doris Muncan

Jared Jenkins and Grainne Schroeder

Students who attended homecoming

Vince Reph and Grace Grandinetti Photos: Christmas City Studio