2011 September

Volume 45 Issue 1

September 2011 45 Years

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

The Quest for “That Damn Bell”

In Case You Missed It A recap of the past summer..

By Luisa Marin, News Editor

Tyler Alicea / Editor-in-Chief

Freedom High School is working hard to excel in all things this school year. Through strong athletics, generous community involvement with Freedom‟s National Honor Society chapter, and school spirit, Freedom is truly looking forward to a year of greatness. Now let‟s work on getting “that damn bell” back in the halls of Freedom. “Whenever someone from Liberty comes into this school, I‟m going to ring that bell over the intercom,” said Mr. Michael LaPorta, principal.

“The Bell” Count: 2-1, LHS

“Most Valuable Players” on Oprah’s Network

By Janice Lavranos, Special to The Freedom Forum ― Mo s t Va lu a b le P la yers‖ (MVP), a modern day high school theater production, is now making a worldwide debut in September on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

After four years in the making, OWN bought the documentary which is a real life "Glee" storyline.

Freedom High School (FHS) Theatre Company's performance of "Bye Bye Birdie," directed by Ms. Jennifer Wescoe, is featured on ―MVP.‖

―Oprah is someone who I have admired for many years, and it blew my mind that she saw our kids perform in our little town of Bethlehem, Pa.,‖ said Ms. Wescoe.

The documentary shows the students and theater directors from Freedom, Parkland, and Emmaus High Schools preparing for the Freddy Awards at the State Theater in Easton, Pa. Ms. Wescoe said the Theatre Company works hard all the time to provide quality performances, and it is always an honor to be selected for recognition.

Selling over 600 tickets, the theater filled with students,

families, friends, and people from the community, for the screening in April 2010. ―MVP‖ also appeared in ―Star Magazine‖ as a TV pick.

After OWN bought the documentary, producer Christopher Lockhart submitted the film to many movie festivals hoping for a larger audience.

Now, four years later, ―MVP‖ cast and crew have reunited for a special Q&A at the State Theater. The 40minute segment answers many questions and shows the cast members where they are today.

IMBD

Recalling Food Due to Salmonella, E. coli Outbreaks

By Anna Thomas, Asst. News Editor

Jennifer Dunaway / flickr.com

Nationwide food safety has had a rough summer.

In August alone, as many as 107 Americans were infected with the most recent Salmonella outbreak, caused by ground turkey processed and later recalled by food company Cargill.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Solar Panels (p. 2) Senior Exemption (p. 4) Staff Changes (p. 7) 9/11 Anniversary (p. 8-9) Life After Potter (p. 11) Fall Sports Previews (p. 12) The Pate Block (p. 14)

Another strain of E. coli tied to an Oregon strawberry farm adds to that number another 18 people afflicted with food illness, including one fatality.

In another mid-August incident, a Michigan meat manufacturer recalled thousands of beef products after discovering a different E. coli strain suspected

of causing illnesses in surrounding Midwestern states.

Cargill has since issued a company statement apologizing for the contaminations and has worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to recall 36

The summer months of 2011 were filled with various events; just in case you missed something, here is a small sampling of what occurred.

In late June, Whitey Bulger was arrested in California after being on the run for 16 years.

Bulger was wanted for 19 murders and was part of the FBI's most wanted list. In January 1995, Bulger fled after a corrupt FBI agent John Conolly warned him about the impending arrest for a racketeering indictment. At age 81, Bulger did not give police much of a fight and confessed to the accusations.

On June 24 same sex marriage was signed into law in the state of New York, making it the sixth and largest state to do so. The Women's World Cup began on June 26, during which Japan surprised many by beating the host Germany and then beating Sweden. The tenacity of Japan paid off and in the end they surpassed the U.S. during penalty kicks.

Early July brought a new Wimbledon champion, Novak Djokovik. It also brought huge scandal and an end to the British newspaper News of the World.

Reportedly, the newspaper had been eavesdropping on phone conversations and messages of crime and terror victims.

On July 5, Casey Anthony was found not guilty of first degree murder. Anthony was charged with killing her daughter Caylee, who disappeared in June of 2008.

On July 9, southern Sudan seceded and formed the Republic of South Sudan, making it the newest country in the world.

Tragedy struck Norway in late July when a man bombed a building in Oslo, then went on a shooting spree. Anders Behring Breivik was charged for the attacks. He killed 92 people, 85 of which were shot in a youth camp.

Musikfest began on August 5 (Continued on page 2—RECAP)

(Continued on page 3—E.COLI)

2 News 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

Editor-in-Chief Tyler Alicea News Editor Luisa Marin Editorial Editor Julie Boylan Features Editor Ashley Eichlin Entertainment Editor Courtney Barrow Sports Editor Mike McGinty Pates’ Post Editor Amanda Molinaro Centerspread Editor Mackenzie Liberatori Photo Editor Andrew Mattei Layout Editor Haroon Ahmad Web Editor Krystal Domin Assistant Editors Anna Thomas Faarah Ameerally Ryan Shaikh Adam Duser Zach Ward

Adviser Mrs. Karla Erdman Principal Mr. Michael LaPorta Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy For our editorial statement and corrections policy, please go to www.fhsforum.com/about.html Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

http://fb.fhsforum.com @fhsforum, #fhsforum fhsforum@gmail.com

Sponsors Ron and Patty Williams Gold Level

Rosie Kaur Steel Level Interested in sponsoring The Freedom Forum? Stop by room 210 for a form or email our adviser at kerdman@bethsd.org.

Upcoming Events Sept. 28 End of First Marking Period Sept. 29 School Closed - Rosh Hashanah Oct. 7 Homecoming Game Oct. 8 Homecoming Dance Oct. 10 School Closed Teacher Inservice Oct. 11 Report Card Distribution Oct. 20 Parent Teacher Conferences - Half Day

The Forum (Continued from page 1— RECAP)

but faced a lot of problems due to rain. The organization has said it lost thousands of dollars and needs donations in order to have Musikfest 2012. On August 15, the school board of the Bethlehem Area School Dis-

trict decided that the activity fee would be revoked and that anyone who had paid the fee would be reimbursed.

On the August 23 an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 took place in Virginia. Buildings in D.C. were evacuated and the stock market went up.

The next day, Steve

September 2011

Jobs announced that he would resign as Apple CEO and remain as a chairman. COO Tim Cook will take Jobs' place.

On August 27, there were reports of Al Qaeda's new second-incommand having been killed by a predator drone. Atiyah Abd al-

Rahman was killed in the mountains of Pakistan and his loss has reportedly damaged the terrorist network.

On that same weekend, Hurricane Irene struck the east coast. Along the east coast, power went out and some places experienced flooding. Vermont was one of the most

affected states. Schools in Bethlehem Area School District were canceled due to the weather and the first day of school was postponed to August 30.

Solar Panels Bring Sunlight to Freedom

By Sergio Flor, Staff The moment before you walk into Freedom High School, you look to the left and what do you see? You see the new solar panels.

They are not finished, but when they are, according to the BASD website, they ―will provide nearly 2 million kWh per year of electricity and save 2.75 million pounds per year of CO2 and other green house gasses.‖ That is the same amount of CO2 that is produced by 275 cars in one year, but Freedom is not the only school that received this special gift.

Buchanan ES, Spring Garden ES, Farmersville ES, and East Hills MS also have received solar panels.

Greg Wright, sophomore, asked, ―Where did they get the money?‖ The BASD received grants to pay for the solar panels in all five

schools. The panels will also save the district 1.6 million dollars in energy costs over their life span.

Student reactions have been mixed. Some students have not even noticed the solar panels. ―I did not even know they were there,‖ said Justin Avecedo, freshman. ―That‘s new news to me,‖ added Shane Denson, sophomore.

Other student reactions have been positive.

Bradley Dietsche, sophomore, said, ―It will help us a lot and save us some money.‖ Some students like Jeff Lopes and Reina Reimundo (sophomores) have said that if the panels save We will just have to wait and money it is good, but if money is see if the solar panels pay for wasted it will be bad. themselves.

Justin Alicea / Staff

Economic Crisis Breaks Out in Europe Europe’s economic problems sharply contrast with China’s financial growth.

By Kate Dawson, Staff If you pick up any U.S. financial periodical or newspaper these days, not only will you get a debriefing of recent stock volatility and fears of a double dip recession here in America, but you will most likely also hear about the economic woes of the European Union.

After our own historically volatile week in the stocks of August 8to the 12, the Stoxx Europe 600 index, as reported in The Wall Street Journal, fell 0.6%, and France, Spain, Italy and Belgium introduced various short-selling bans in an effort to stem the sector‘s recent decline.

Though certain political leaders have tried to cast a positive light on possible growth outlooks, economists say otherwise.

French economist Nicolas Bouzou said, ―Without a miracle there won‘t be a return to strong growth in the coming six months, unless the euro falls steeply.‖ Of course, that is just the most recent and economically savvy idea of Europe‘s economic crisis.

To think about it more generally, the European Union consists of countries that once had their own currency and separate economies, which then chose to merge and have one currency and one economy.

Their governments, however, are still basically separate; therefore, not all countries are run equally.

This can, as it already has, result in problems. For instance, Germany, which has a particularly strong and well run banking system, now has to help pick up the slack for Greece, which is still in a serious recession.

You can imagine, however, that Germany was not too thrilled about the bailout plan, and in fact the country vehemently opposed it, only to come to the conclusion that they had to help for any hope of strengthening southern Europe and stabilizing the Euro.

Meanwhile, China has a huge amount of export business and is doing so well that they are keeping the U.S. afloat as well by their investment in Treasury bonds.

The Dow Jones Business and Financial weekly periodical Barron‘s even encourages investors to avoid what they are calling the ―economic sclerosis‖ of Europe and the U.S. by investing in emerging

economies such as China, Brazil and India.

China‘s rising middle class, stabilized currency, and even commercials persuading U.S.

businesses to relocate to growing Chinese metropolises, are all signs that China is most certainly on the up and up.

The Winner Is...

By Luisa Marin, News Editor

Freedom High School was very well represented by the winner of the BEST award.

Ms. Jennifer Wescoe won the award after being nominated by students and faculty.

The BEST Award is an award given to teachers in the BASD for excelling in the classroom. ―It is an incredible honor to win this award, especially be-

(Continued from page 1—E.COLI)

million pounds of its ground turkey products in total.

The blame for the widespread nature of these outbreaks can be equally shared among several food safety agencies. For example, even though a government antimicrobial monitoring system

News 3

The Forum

September 2011

cause I was up on stage with teachers whom I've respected and admired for many years,‖ said Ms. Wescoe when asked what it meant to win the award.

She added that it was nice to be publicly recognized for her efforts; however, she knows that winning the award was due to how fortunate she feels about the job she has.

It is easy to see her passion and dedication in teaching.

Ms. Wescoe also pointed out

that there are many other teachers who deeply care about their students‘ academic and personal achievements.

She attributes her award to the supportive staff, parents, students and members of the community with whom she works.

Ms. Wescoe is a firm believer that everyone can contribute positively to society. All they have to do is find a unique way to shine.

Her hope is that as a teacher

she can continue to help students find their ability to stand out and make the world a better place.

She said, ―I am confident in our future because I know that it will be in good hands.‖

had information on problems at Cargill's Springdale, Arkansas plant weeks prior to the turkey recall, the company was not contacted until several days later because the USDA felt it did not have enough data to request a recall.

Lost funding and stagnant budgets for these agencies with

the recent debt ceiling battles have further disabled the FDA from providing better oversight for food safety, even after these recent outbreaks.

As a response, several consumer groups have asked the USDA to declare salmonella strains "adulterants" to meat for the purpose of keeping infected

product off the market altogether.

However, as early as January the agency had requested that the White House budget office do the same to E. coli strains, to no avail.

The sizes of these latest outbreaks should have renewed calls for the government to take

Freedom Forum Photo Archive

preemptive action against the presence of food illnesses in product.

On the other hand, such stringent action will only be taken if the public continues to demand lawmakers to do so.

Riots Erupt over the Summer

By Julie Boylan, Editorial Editor In a display of some of the worst civil unrest the city has seen in generations, riots erupted in London this summer, leaving 2,000 arrested and 5 dead, says Metropolitan Police.

Lasting from Aug. 6 to Aug. 10, the riots were a result of the shooting of London native Mark Duggan, 29, a father of four whose taxi was stopped by police on Thursday, Aug. 4. Then, he apparently became involved in a gunfight with the police, resulting in his death as the police tried to arrest him.

A peaceful march to the station in protest of his death fell into violence and looting.

The riots were centralized in

the northern London neighborhood of Tottenham, where two police cars, a van, a building,

Tottenham is the poorest neighborhood in London and the eighth poorest in the country.

Although the riots started in Tottenham, unrest also spread to neighboring boroughs, and copycat riots occurred in other English cities including Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool.

Reportedly, five people died in riot-related incidents, including three men in Birmingham who were killed in a hit-andrun while trying to proBeacon Radio / flickr.com tect their local business. and a double-decker bus were Additionally, Richard Bowes, set ablaze during the course of 68, was attacked while stamping the rioting. out a fire in West London, and

Trevor Ellis, 26, was shot in South London.

Running parallel to the riots in London were pro-democracy riots occurring in Hama, Syria.

Rights groups say over 2,000 people, mainly protestors, have been killed since pro-democracy protests have been gaining steam since mid-March, while Syrian Ambassador Bashar Jaafari claims that 500 security forces have been killed by protestors.

In the wake of the violence, analysts are looking at the situation and blaming everything from economic distress to racial tension to police budget cuts for the anger that fueled the rioting.

Using Twitter in Political Debates

By Faarah Ameerally, Asst. Entertainment Editor As if summarizing your current thoughts in 140 characters or less is not challenging enough, Twitter is starting to take an active part in political debates.

The habit of tweeting has successfully found its way into the hearts and minds of political pundits and reporters.

Twitter provides them the opportunity to share their views with high-powered politicians like President Obama, who knows how to successfully maneuver the social networking circle.

Obama has used these platforms to further his agenda and share his political message.

Since what he has done with these platforms has been such a success, many other politicians are taking note of it and using

Twitter for their own purposes.

It can be said without argument that formulating a condescending question is great for ripping an opponent to shreds.

However, in this day where we feel such a vacuum of leadership in every aspect from government, does it help or harm us more when politicians stoop to the level of mini-blogging for the sake of destroying their opponent?

President Obama recently announced he would take FAQs from the general public with the hash-tag #AskObama.

Unlike the classic press conference, these forms of questioning limit his words greatly.

Republican 2012 Candidate Tim Pawlenty recognizes that Twitter allows him the freedom to mock the President and then assign blame to him as well.

For example, Twitter offers

Pawlenty the freedom to fault Obama for the mortgage crisis ―President Barack Obama inherited‖ (and for which he's not responsible) without having to answer such a charge.

Answering these questions effectively requires far more than the allotted characters on Twitter.

Likewise, Newt Gingrich makes the assumption that an increase in food stamp distribution is evidence of a President who caused the need for food stamps, but is freed from having to answer questions such as, ―Would you rather that people starve?‖ Where is the candidate who understands that the substance of a campaign lies in what they have to add, rather than on driving fear of opponents into the minds of the public?

Is Twitter a good idea in politics?

The answer really depends on whether you think that dropping one-liners in a one-way Internet debate or in 140 characters or fewer can solve the problems in our government.

Though these tweets may have started off with good intentions, it is very likely that the politicians are now setting themselves up for failure.

Marcos Xotoko / flickr.com

4 Editorials

The Forum

September 2011

Senior Exemption Now Requires 87 Dollar Fee

By Tyler Alicea, Editor-in-Chief Seniors, are you planning on not taking a final exam this January and later in the spring?

Don‘t worry; all you have to do is pay a flat fee of 87 dollars—for each exam.

That‘s right. The Bethlehem Area School District (BASD) removed the senior exemption privilege.

The old rule stated that any senior who received straight A‘s in a class would have the option to not take a final exam.

The new rule? You must take an Advanced Placement (AP) test that costs 87 dollars in order to be exempt from a final exam.

Dr. Jack Silva, assistant superintendent for education, said in The Express Times over the summer, ―This will not make me popular at home. But if we have a final exam, I think stu-

dents should take them.‖ The overall goal of this new exemption policy? To get more students to take the AP test.

This is not just a problem for seniors who are just too lazy to take a final exam. It is a problem for everyone.

The AP test and course is much more rigorous when compared to the regular honors and academic programs in the school. The test is not meant for everyone, and trying to get more students to take the test could be a grave mistake.

Another scenario that could be problematic ties in with the difficult nature of an AP course.

Anyone can sign up for an AP test if they are willing to pay for it. If students are looking to not take a class‘ final exam, perhaps if they were taking Honors US History, they could take the AP US History test. Since they are only looking to get out of taking

the final exam, chances are that they could earn a low score and bring down the school‘s averages, and we all know that no one wants lower test score averages.

In addition, AP tests are just expensive.

Many of those overachievers that you see taking four or five AP classes during a school year (somehow I have managed to fall into that category this year) will spend hundreds of dollars to take AP tests.

If the school district is trying to promote more students taking the test, how is that fair to students who have a finical burden that could prevent them from paying for the AP test? Our school district most certainly does not have the money to give out for more fee waivers, right?

Of course, this is all for a good cause.

Promoting students to chal-

lenge themselves is not a bad thing; however, punishing those who have worked hard for four years may not be the solution either.

Could we not promote more

AP classes while at the same time keep the original senior exemption policy in place?

We will have to wait and see after we all pay the 87 dollar fee.

Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

Paying More Tuition Does Not Guarantee Better Education

By Julie Boylan, Editorial Editor T h e r e ge n e r a l o p in io n amongst the American public is that with quality comes an exorbitant price tag.

Beauty comes when one spends a lot of money on creams and make-up; fitness is accessible if one pays for organic food and a gym membership.

The same mind set also appears to apply also to the quest for higher education.

Think about your natural reaction when someone tells you that they are going to Columbia

University. ―Wow,‖ you may think. That person is really smart. That person has a successful future in front of them.

Take that reaction and compare it to your reaction if that person was going to a small, local college.

You would not be as impressed, would you?

But really, a quality education and a successful future are mostly interdependent of the college attended.

For one, undergraduate teaching is not a focal point at the more renowned and expensive

schools, where research takes the front seat.

As one professor from University of California, Berkley said, ―Undergraduate teaching is a necessary evil.‖ One study conducted by Dr. Ernest T. Pascarella found that students, even high-ability students, learn as much at a community college as they would have learned in their first two years at a four-year college.

The biggest concern when considering whether price or ―quality‖ is more important is the career aspirations that one can hope to have after he or she

graduate college.

While it may be true that many people in America‘s top tier are from Ivy League schools, it does not directly correspond to the quality of education they received there.

Most graduates from such prestigious schools are generally very intelligent and have richer and better connected parents.

It is not impossible to succeed through smaller schools.

Long time television host David Letterman graduated from little known Ball State College, Vice President Joe Biden attended the relatively inex-

pensive University of Delaware, and writer Maya Angelou (along with many, many other intellectuals) did not even go to college.

In conclusion, don‘t kill yourself trying to get into an Ivy League or even another hightuition school like Boston University or NYU. In the end, it simply puts that much more pressure on you and your family financially without any guarantee for lifetime success.

It does not matter where you go to college; what counts is what you do once you are there.

Privatizing Space Exploration Who will ultimately be in control of the space program?

By Luisa Marin, News Editor Even though the U.S. was first to land on the moon, they will now need rides from countries like Russia to get there—or in fact, anywhere outside of Earth.

Although the NASA chief Charlie Bolden firmly believes that ending the shuttle program will not affect American human spaceflight, there are many indicators that it will have a lasting effect.

To start, in order for further human exploration of space, humans need to be in outer space.

To do so, NASA must now use astro-taxis or shuttles from private sector companies and Russia.

The estimate is that the U.S. will depend on Russia for about five years before the private

sector is able to handle all of NASA's shuttle demands.

Second, now that NASA has no funding for such events, it has to ―encourage‖ private companies to build shuttles that will accommodate humans.

If built, the shuttles will not be government property; therefore, the companies will have control over what they do and when they do it.

The control NASA will have is by agreeing to let companies such as Sierra Nevada Corp use the Kennedy Space Center and other NASA facilities.

In addition, NASA says that its goal is to land on an asteroid by 2025 and Mars somewhere in the 2030s.

They plan to do this using a Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) which is based heavily on the Orion capsule (part of a previous space plan that was cancelled.) The only problem is

that the use of the MPCV is still being questioned.

On a different note, NASA is also going to lack in the spaceflight aspect because many brilliant minds that once worked on the program have either been assigned to a new post or laid off.

At this point, John F. Kennedy might be a little disappointed in our lack of enthusiasm for space advancements.

But maybe since China is not worried about moving its population to the moon, it is not exactly a priority.

At this point, the economy is still struggling, and if it continues, the space shuttle program will just remain a part of the past.

As of right now, NASA is moving forward in other departments that still remain active.

Bolden says that they are relieving the organization from the

economical duty of creating space shuttles in order to advance in deep space exploration.

RobertScoble / flickr.com

Editorials 5

The Forum

September 2011

Is Nuclear Power the Way of the Future?

By Julie Boylan, Editorial Editor Humans are addicted to electricity.

On a social level, we rely on electricity for our day-to-day endeavors—we cannot function socially without our computers.

On a basic level, we rely on electricity just to stay alive— heating, cooking, and hospitals all use electricity.

The problem we are facing now is how to make that electricity to power our addiction.

Lately, humans have started to turn towards nuclear power.

In a nutshell, nuclear power works by splitting uranium atoms (nuclear fission), which produces heat, which produces steam, which is then used by a turbine to provide electricity.

As nifty as this all sounds, as the Union of Concerned Scientists puts it, ―nuclear power is inherently dangerous technology.‖ Proponents of nuclear power commonly unite under several arguments.

First, nuclear power helps to reduce global warming. This is false.

This is a common misconception because nuclear power is an alternative to fossil fuel like coal that is proven to contribute to global warming. In fact, a recent MIT study found that as many as

1500 nuclear reactors would need to be built in order to have a significant impact on climate change. If we built 1000 to 1500 new reactors, a new Yucca-Mountain sized dump would be needed every three to four years.

Let‘s not forget that nuclear power hurts the environment beyond global warming since the U.S. alone produces 3000 tons of high-level radioactive waste every year–waste that as of yet, we still have not found an adequate method of disposal.

Alright, so perhaps nuclear power is not great for the environment.

Fine, but it still helps to decrease U.S. dependence on foreign oil, right? Wrong.

Only 6 percent of oil used in the U.S. goes to generating energy, so nuclear power and foreign oil dependence have only slight overlap.

Additionally, even the Department of Energy admits that nuclear power is not economical.

Power plants require construction, mining processing and safeguarding dangerous materials. Yet, as expensive as it is, by U.S. law, the maximum operating life of a nuclear power plant is 40 years.

Otherwise the reactor becomes too brittle and even more prone to rupture.

The destructive potential of nuclear energy, specifically,

the incidents of Chornobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima should be enough to dissuade public opinion.

In 1986, Chornobyl rendered an area roughly the size of Switzerland completely uninhabitable, and Three Mile Island prompted over 2000 lawsuits that settles out of court for million.

The recent disaster of Fukushima is still on everyone‘s minds. Only time will tell the damage that Fukushima truly unveiled on the public of Japan.

Considering that ionizing radiation destroys the structure of atoms within body cells and can be passed down in the genes and cause physical abnormalities, we may be seeing the damage of Fukushima for generations to come.

If nuclear power plants are not environmental, not economical, do not decrease U.S. dependence, nor particularly effective, then why are we building nuclear power plants that contain the equivalent of 1000 Hiroshima bombs?

Jennifer Boyer / flickr.com

Socializing Lists Expand

By Faarah Ameerally, Asst. Entertainment Editor If people took the time, would they remember what their computer was used for prior to social networks?

After booting up, the majority of people exercise their daily routine checking their Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and whatever other networks to which they are linked.

It seems that even when there is an alternate purpose to

the Internet, everyone finds their way back to these pages.

What is the obsession with documenting our thoughts online, and what does this mean for future generations?

It is currently possible to sign onto any account and view all the blogs and/or pictures ever posted. Have these options turned from a way to stay connected to the only way to be involved?

Facebook has more than 750 million active users where 50

percent of the active users log on to Facebook in any given day.

People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook. As if mindless scrolling for that long is not bad enough, it does not end there.

Tumblr is a newer network that allows users to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog.

Users can follow other us-

Freedom Forum Photo Archive

ers, or choose to make their tumblelog private.

The service emphasizes ease of use. The site ranks as the tenth largest social network with 6.8 million weekly visits.

Twitter is another social networking and micro blogging service that allows users to send "updates" (textbased posts, up to 140 characters long) via SMS, instant messaging, email, directly to a Twitter account.

Mainly this type of social networking links back to what is on your mind at that moment.

Although these sites have different purposes, they all revolve around publishing thoughts and opinions in efforts to connect with friends.

Adding to the addiction, these accounts are not only available through your computer. They can also be accessed through almost all handheld devices.

People now find themselves logging off of their account on the computer only to re-open it on their mobile phones, often getting notifications sent in text messages or direct emails.

The only question we can ask ourselves now remains, ―Is it possible to be too connected?‖

Community Service is Important

By Krystal Domin, Web Editor Let‘s face it: many of us have busy schedules and do not have a lot of time for additional activities. However, one extracurricular that should be on the ―to do‖ list is community service, even if the task is done once a week for a short period of time.

Since completing community service, which is 60 hours of service, is part of the graduation requirements and therefore a part of school, it may seem a dreadful task to complete.

In retrospect, community service is an important role in society. By choosing to help the community for a greater good, community service shapes a person ―to be responsible in order to get things done,‖ according to Freedom junior Gabrielle Schantz.

Furthermore, by performing community service, it gets young people involved in the community. By these minute actions of service, many people can add smiles to the faces of others.

On the contrary, when a person first starts out doing their service project, it may seem ―boring‖ and ―unimportant,‖ but after a while, it gets better and may actually be fun.

In fact, it may feel like an honor to assist others.

One of the ―Freedom To…‖ themes is service. For a school, it is important as a whole to get involved because it shows that high school students care about others, not just themselves.

By reaching the goal of 60 hours and going beyond, students can get scholarships and enhance their college applications and resumes.

In addition, these service projects unify the community and make the world a better place. Who would not want to be part of that?

Even though many people‘s schedules are jammed packed with school, sports, and other extracurricular activities, students should make time to give back to the community.

For those who do not have a busy schedule and are looking for something to do, they should try a service project.

If you do not know where to start or what to do, go pick up a community service booklet in room 207 and find a place that is of interest to you and begin today.

Better late than never!

Justin Alicea / Staff

6 Features

The Forum

September 2011

How does an assistant principal do it all in one day?

By Anna Thomas, Asst. News Editor For assistant principal Mr. Mike DiBilio, the school day necessitates a busy schedule filled with everything from disciplining students to observing classes.

An average day for Mr. DiBilio begins at 6:45 a.m., when he arrives at Freedom. During this time before school, he checks to make sure that teaching assignments are set up for substitute teachers and that everything is in order for the upcoming day. From there, he heads out to the lobby at 7:30 a.m. to ensure that the morning rush for students runs smoothly.

After the halls clear, Mr. DiBilio returns to his office to check emails and referrals. He

explains that with the new school year‘s emphasis on restorative practices, referrals are even more of a key disciplinary practice than they have been in years prior. A single isolated incident requiring a meeting with teacher and student can take up to one block to conduct.

When he is not involved in restorative teacher and student meetings, Mr. DiBilio takes time to experience Freedom High School firsthand by making walkthroughs, observing classes, meeting with student groups, and taking time to talk to teachers and students. ―This year, we‘ve had to work to do more with less resources,‖ says Mr. DiBilio.

For him and other teachers, this means being available as monitor resources in the cafete-

ria during lunchtime.

Mr. DiBilio also stresses the fact that his schedule can change altogether in an instant.

Dealing with one fight can take an entire afternoon; time that could be better spent doing things to benefit the school as a whole, like visiting and observing classrooms.

At the end of the day, Mr. DiBilio can be found monitoring students as they board buses to go home.

However, Mr. DiBilio‘s responsibilities as assistant principal do not end with the school day.

After school, he and fellow assistant principals Ms. Jaime Jarosz and Mrs. Kim Harper fulfill the obligation of being administrators in the building when after-school extracurricular activities are taking place.

He also makes it a point to sup-

Adam Duser / Asst. Photo Editor

Living the Dream of an Assistant Principal

port Freedom at athletic events such as Homecoming and the Freedom-Liberty Game.

Along with the effort that goes into making Freedom run smoothly, Mr. DiBilio recognizes the importance of putting a positive attitude into his work,

and leading by example. ―I enjoy my job. If the first week of school is any indication of how the rest of the year will be, we can look forward to a great year.‖ Like an Assistant Principal.

National Honor Society Shows Support for Via

By Kaelee Alpha, Staff Senior and Junior National Honor Society members showed their support at the Via 5k walk.

Senior members made teams to join forces and prove that with the support of people, many life changing things can come about.

According to vianet.org, Via of the Lehigh Valley is a nonprofit human service agency that provides services for children and adults with disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy, and down syndrome. For these recipients, the ongoing support that Freedom displayed is nothing less than life changing.

With much enthusiasm, Freedom students and supporters of

the Via organization lined the street in the Steel Stacks complex located in south side Bethlehem.

The Freedom High School chapter of National Honor Society supported Via by providing volunteers for the 5k walk on Saturday, Sept. 9.

The walk has been going on for four years, all of which Freedom played a part.

In addition to NHS showing support, the FHS Fife and Drum Corps led the walk with patriotic melodies.

Luisa Marin, NHS vice president, said that NHS is required to do a service project each year.

This year was the first year that the walk was not held at Freedom. Even with the change

in location and extra planning, the members still managed to show more support than ever.

Gabby Spaddacia, captain of the cheerleading squad, said participating in the walk is important because, ―It‘s good to know you can make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. It‘s a great feeling to know you‘re giving back by supporting your community.‖ It is evident that FHS showed ongoing support due to the fact that out of the 350 walkers, 100 were associated with FHS. Lisa Walkiewicz, from Via of the Lehigh Valley, said the need for the community to support Via because, ―Without those services, vital support for

the most vulnerable people in our community wouldn‘t be available. When all different pieces of our community come

out, it only makes us stronger.‖

Photos by Tyler Alicea / Editor-inChief and Daryl Tweed / Staff

FREEDOM STUDENTS Pay your class dues! They are a one-time 40 dollar payment. Pay them to your class advisers or class treasurer.

Future Educators Association (F.E.A.) Interested in becoming a teacher or want to help appreciate the teachers of FHS? F.E.A. meets on Thursdays after school in room 604.

Features 7

The Forum

September 2011

Meet and Greet Our Teachers

By Courtney Barrow, Entertainment Editor Within a few short days into the school year, it became apparent that this is a year full of change. Part of the change was the various differences in staffing at Freedom.

At the end of last year, several teachers were let go in nearly every department due to budget cuts. Some of Freedom‘s favorite teachers had suddenly disappeared from the classrooms, leaving behind not only students but also fans and even friends.

In addition to the loss of teachers and one guidance counselor, three hall monitors were also laid off. This decrease in security is reportedly the reason for the three lunches and extended travel time this year.

However, every cloud has a silver lining. Even with the few teachers that had been lost, some have been gained. For

example, Mr. Karl Peters has joined the staff at Freedom, adding a familiar face to the new year.

Mr. Peters taught at East Hills Middle School for eighteen years. For ten years, he taught the seventh grade Nature Quest (NQ) program there, a program through which many of Freedom‘s students have passed.

Last school year was NQ‘s last as many of the popular middle school programs were also cut.

In addition, Mr. Peters has been a coach for the Freedom boys‘ soccer team for six years; he assisted for three and is in his third year as head coach. ―It‘s been great,‖ he said. ―Teachers have been great, kids have been great…I‘m happy to be here at Freedom.‖ Mr. Peters is currently teaching pre-calculus and geometry classes and will be moving to Liberty High School full time next semester; he hopes next

year to be at Freedom full time.

A new face here is also physical education Mr. Stephen Flad.

He teaches all year in first block and is also covering for Mrs. Nicolette Guerra, who is currently on maternity leave. He taught elementary school physical education for the past four years within the BASD. ―High school is a big change from the elementary school level…I am excited about the opportunity to teach the older kids here at Freedom,‖ Mr. Flad said.

Outside of academics, there have been major changes within the district‘s athletic department.

Mr. Fred Harris has been appointed athletic director for both high schools, and Mrs. Diane Jordan has been named assistant athletic director at Freedom.

Mrs. Jordan continues to teach within the technology department, but she had to give up her

position as head cross country coach of both the boys‘ and girls‘ teams. ―I had mixed feelings because of…having to give up my coaching position,‖ Mrs. Jordan said. ―[However,] I am looking forward to getting to know a lot more student athletes at Freedom. If they believe in themselves and their training, success will follow.‖

Left: Mr. Stephen Flad Above: Mr. Karl Peters

Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley Coming to FHS!

By Rachel Bell, Staff The Lehigh Valley has a program called Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

This is basically a mentoring program for youngsters to have a bigger person to look up to.

This organization is determined to make sure that every child has the ability to reach his or her full potential school and in life.

To be able to make this become a reality for the children, they are put through one-to-one relationships with their bigger sister or brother.

At Big Brothers/Big Sisters, they believe that a positive impact on these children will influ-

ence to make better decisions in the future.

Some effects on the children enrolled in this program are being more confident in their schoolwork performance, being able to get along better with their families, and being less likely to use illegal drugs, alcohol and skip school.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters has decided to bring their wonderful program over to FHS starting in September.

To become a Big Brother or Big Sister, you must be interviewed by someone from the organization to see if you are fit to do the job.

The little brothers and sisters are elementary school kids at

Governor Wolf Elementary School.

One must be willing to meet with a child once a week after school.

What you choose to do with your little sister or brother is up to you. Examples of fun activities both of you would love would be creating arts and crafts, reading, playing games and helping them with their homework.

The idea of this program is to build a one-to-one friendship with the brothers and sisters.

It is a wonderful program to get involved in because it not only enriches the child‘s life, but also enhances your own. It builds character as you mentor

your younger sister or brother.

Being involved in this program looks good on college applications and resumes for future employers as well.

It shows that you have taken time out of your day to spend time with someone who is significantly younger than you to benefit their life. Also it can help you discover how to be a great leader.

If you are interested in getting involved talk to Ms. Tara McGoff in office 207. She would be happy to set up an interview to get you started. All you have to do if fill out an application, and the people from big Brothers/Big sisters will contact you.

Diana Krupka is in charge of the high school portion of this program and will be the one dealing with the applicants and setting up everything for the program. Your little siblings are waiting, so hurry up and talk to Ms. McGoff about the program.

Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

Go Green for Green Team!

Just recently formed this past summer, the Green Team is an up-and-coming organization focusing to get people to be environmentally conscious.

Abhinav Rangarajan, the president of Green Team, believes that "small and simple changes in habits such as turning off the lights when a room is not being used saves much more energy than any of those alternative energy sources can produce."

Those alternative energy sources include solar, wind, and nuclear power.

The Green Team was founded

by Rangarajan and his senior friends Derek Detweiler, Willem Ytsma, Josh Recke, Emily Marchese, Julia Fox, Jordan Orth (who is a fellow senior studying at LVPA) and their

advisor Mr. Paul Fierro.

The organization is focusing their efforts on "getting students and faculty to make small changes in their habits" in order to conserve energy said Rangarajan.

Mr. Fred Harris also contributed greatly to their cause by bringing the members on a tour at Penn State to demonstrate how the university saves a lot of money and energy with simple habits.

The team wishes to extend these practices to Freedom High School, but also hopes to soon reach even farther to other schools such as East Hills Middle School.

The group wants to implement simple techniques for saving energy such as posting reminders next to electronic devices to turn them off when not in use and getting teachers to turn off their lights when there is suffi-

cient amounts of sunlight.

They are also hoping to spur the interest of others by offering a nice gift card to the person who comes up with the best energy conservation idea.

The Green Team extends a

special thank you to Mr. Michael LaPorta, principal, for all of his encouragement. They could not have done it without his support.

The members would also like to reach out to all the people of

the community and ask them to join in their cause by using energy saving habits.

If interested in Green Team, please contact: fhsgreenteam2012@gmail.com for more information.

Adam Duser / Asst. Photo Editor

By Thomas Nguyen, Staff

Mr. Rick Tocci, teacher John Justice, senior

Mr. Tocci clearly remembers where he was on 9/11—in room 219 at Freedom High School. In the morning he was unusually busy and did not check his e-mails during his first block prep and that delayed his knowledge of the attacks. While teaching Western Civilization, he got a call from a colleague who said, ―Are you watching this?‖ Mr. Tocci was quickly informed of the crash but still had not processed the events. He turned on the classroom T.V. and watched with his class. The smoke and debris seemed to be covering one of the two towers, but soon it became clear that the tower had collapsed. The class looked astonished when the second tower came down. Another call came in at the time, and the caller asked if Mr. Tocci's teaching assistant was in the class. Her father worked for the FBI at one of the world trade buildings. The young lady left the room escorted by the department chair and promised to bring news about her father as soon as she could. During the rest of the day the events became clearer and the confusion was less. The next day he found out his teaching assistant's dad was okay.

Matias Demichelis, sophomore

―I was in my apartment on the 20th floor,‖ recalls John when asked about where he was on 9/11. From where he lived in New York, he had a clear view of the Twin Towers. That day he had a doctor's appointment and did not go to school. He says, ―I didn't see the first plane hit, but I saw the second.‖ At first like many people he thought it was a terrible accident and was shocked. He thought the planes had just crashed into the buildings but that they would not collapse. All he could do is watch from his apartment as the towers collapsed.

Matias was still living in Argentina at the time of the 9/11 attacks. He remembers being with his mom at home while his dad was in the U.S. looking for a new home. From that day he remembers, ―My mom was on the phone, and she turned on the T.V. I saw the [repeat of] planes crashing into the buildings.‖ He had no idea what was happening and feared for his father's safety. Then they found out his dad was in Florida.

“Tragic Theatre” Red and blue seem to have ditched their friend the white, In favor of money and factions.

Forgetting what America was created on: Compromise.

Disagreements and political theatre are not uncommon.

In fact, we would be surprised if you weren’t arguing.

By Tyler Alicea, Editor-in-Chief

You’re an old married couple.

All could have broken loose, And you would still be in discord.

Two majestic towers, Crumbling and killing thousands. Is this the only way we unite the red and blue?

If not then show us how to unify.

If tragedy is the only way, then damn us all.

By Krystal Domin, Web Editor

September 11, 2001

September 27, 2001

American Airlines and United Airlines were hijacked.

The World Trade Centers, in New York City, were destroyed.

The Pentagon, in Washington, D.C, was damaged.

People on flight 93 were killed in a crash in Stoneycreek Township, PA. Immediately following the attacks the FBI opened an investigation. After the attacks, airline security enhances: watchdogs, metal detectors, liquids and other potential harmful objects banned. In NYC enhanced security: police on the streets and police dogs in the subway.

The names of the 19 hijackers were released.

June 2002 The air quality levels return to pre-Sept. 11 levels.

2002

December 31, 2006

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission) was formed.

U.S military captures Saddam Hussein and is executed. The city of Baghdad falls.

Background photo by Marc AuMarc / flickr.com

The Woman Who Hears it All letic trainer; whose husband taught here for 29 years; whose son attended Freedom; and who has played a part in secretarial duties at Freedom for 25 years.

Working here for so long, Mrs. Whirl has seen her fair share of excitement within the halls of Freedom.

That is why the editors at The Freedom Forum knew exactly where to go Adam Duser / Asst. Photo Editor when the center Mrs. Pat Whirl, one of the attendance spread‘s 9/11 theme secretaries, is the „go-to‟ woman at FHS. was first announced.

Mrs. Pat Whirl is a huge part As expected, Mrs. Whirl has a of Freedom High School‘s his- few first hand experiences of tory, whether students realize it the pandemonium on Sept. 11, or not.

2001.

Who knew that the woman in Sitting in the attendance office, charge of grades ten and she juggled incoming phone twelve‘s daily attendance is the calls while simultaneously andaughter of Freedom‘s first ath- swering my question.

1.5 million working hours in 261 days were spent cleaning up debris at ground zero.

―We were here in the office when it happened,‖ she said without skipping a beat. ―Mr. Evans was across the hall with the TV on in his room. He was actually the one who alerted everyone. He ran into the office and said that a plane hit the first tower. ―At that point we all quickly went to his room to watch.‖ She barely paused to take a breath and picked up the ringing phone as I struggled to write down everything that she just said.

She hung up after a moment, and pressed her fingers into a steeple. ―What else,‖ she said, jogging her memory. ―Oh! There were just tons of students that came up to call relatives that actually worked on floors of the building. In fact, so many students came up to make calls to family members, the lines were tied up.‖ ―It took a while, but slowly and surely everyone got in con-

The scrap steel from the debris of Ground Zero was melted down in 2003 to create the battleship, the USS New York.

The youngest passenger on one of the hijacked jets was Christine Hanson, age two on Flight 175. She was on her first trip to Disneyland.

By Mackenzie Liberatori, Centerspread Editor

tact with their family members.

This girl‘s mother even worked on the higher floors of the second tower,‖ She said. ―She actually got out, got into the bus terminal, and ended up waiting for hours because of the huge amounts of people. She made it home just fine, but very late at night. There were luckily no fatalities at all.‖ After confirming the latter, she continued, ―But Mr. Evans came back in shortly after to tell us another one hit. We were absolutely glued to the TV‘s. In fact, students were so upset, we gave them early release.‖ When I finished scribbling on my steno, she added, ―That‘s actually why the emergency contact forms were created.

Since then, the school has made it mandatory to list contact information in case of an emergency such as what happened on that day.‖

The fires at Ground Zero burned until Dec. 19 – exactly 99 days.

The South and North towers measured 2.3 and 2.1 respectively on a seismograph when they collapsed.

May 2, 2011 Osama Bin Laden is assassinated by the Navy SEALs.

September 12, 2011

News Hour / flickr.com Bill Lile / flickr.com

September 11, 2008

September 10, 2010

The Pentagon Memorial was completed and released to the public.

The Flight 93 memorial was unveiled.

A memorial dedicated to those that perished in the 2001 attacks opens.

The display includes cascading waterfalls and walls inscribed with the names of the fallen.

US Navy / flickr.com

10 Entertainment

The Forum

September 2011

The Perfect Ten Summer Movies Top Summer Movies: What summer movies hit the top of the box office this past summer?

By Luisa Marin, News Editor This past summer, exciting movies took over the box office.

Grossing millions in profit, the following movies are the winners of the summer season.

Sequels ruled the movie scene this summer. Earning more than any other, ―Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” takes first place with a record-breaking opening (take that, ―Avatar”).

In second comes the actionpacked Michael Bay film, ―Transformers: Dark of the Moon,‖ which made about $1.07 billion. Although Megan Fox was not featured in the film, ―Transformers‖ was still able to

captivate the audience and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley seemed to fill the Fox gap quite well.

In third comes ―Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides.‖ Captain Jack Sparrow never failed to be his charming character and the ―Pirates‖ franchise earned about $1.04 billion.

On another comedic note, ―Kung Fu Panda 2‖ came in fourth, earning $616 million and was a favorite among many children.

The humor in ―The Hangover Part II‖ made it number five, with $580 million in sales.

Taking the sixth spot is ―Cars 2.‖ It earned $476 million, surpassing the first movie in the franchise and making an enor-

mous profit for Pixar in the merchandise world.

Finally, a movie that is not a sequel made the list. With a gross intake of $448 million, ―Thor‖ sits in seventh place.

Back to the franchises, ―X-Men: First Class‖ (like the other countless ―X-Men‖ movies that exist) made a decent profit and takes eighth place with $350 million. It truly never gets old.

The ninth spot is awarded to another superhero movie, ―Captain America: The First Avenger.” The film made about $266 million and has set up the scene for the next movie, ―The Avengers.‖ In tenth place is the underdog.

With little Hollywood attention and an almost all female cast, ―Bridesmaids‖ was not expected to make the list. However, with

$265 million in profit, it closed out the top ten summer movies.

IMDB

What to Expect on TV this Fall!

By Andrea Miller, Staff This season brings back some old favorite shows and new ones that have promising futures as favorites! ―Glee‖ returns for its third season, Simon Cowell brings us ―The X Factor,‖ and Zooey Deschanel (known for her roles in ―500 Days of Summer‖ and ―Elf‖) appears on TV in ―New Girl.”

Everyone's favorite musical comedy starts up again on Tuesday, Sept. 20. ―Glee‖ is back for a third season, and it is sure to be thoroughly entertaining.

Viewers can anticipate a school year for the Glee student‘s senior year packed with new drama, laughter and heartfelt moments.

Viewers should also get ready for great new songs! It is senior

year for Finn, Rachel, and Kurt.

Viewers wonder what that could mean for the New Directions.

We will have to stay tuned to find out.

We all remember Simon Cowell from his harsh judging days on the panel for ―American Idol,‖ but now he reenters American television with a new talent—searching group of judges on his new reality show ―The X Factor.‖ These judges consist of Simon, his former co-judge from ―American Idol‖ Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger— lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls, and L.A. Reid, who was the former chairman of Island Def Jam and has launched some of the biggest acts in music.

This show is expected to be similar to ―American Idol,‖ but one of the biggest differences is

that there is no age limit for the contestants auditioning. They can be anywhere from 12 to middle age. This will make for

A Summer Filled with Music

By Nikki DeLeon, Staff With the summer coming to an end, teenagers and young adults gather at local festivities and events.

The summer attraction that every high school student looks forward to is Musikfest.

It is a time to meet new people, catch up with old friends, and laugh at the many embarrassing photos taken the night before on Main Street.

In addition to photos with friends, cameras were used throughout the many concerts and performances set up at Musikfest. Maroon 5, Nick Jonas, and Miranda Cosgrove were a few of the performers that set up stage in front of the Steel Stacks.

Sophomore Kaytlin Balliet had the opportunity to experience two headlining concerts, Maroon 5 and Nick Jonas.

She said that the Maroon 5 concert was the best one she hss seen by far.

Kait said, "I never thought I'd be less than ten feet away from Nick Jonas. Even though he only sang for a little bit, it was still great!" The concert was cut to a 45-minute performance by Nick Jonas due to the dangerous weather conditions.

Many students also gathered around the Platzes to listen to some smaller bands perform their music.

Senior Stephen Yale spent his time at Musikfest listening to his favorite band, Freak Owls, in Lyirkplatz.

Stephen concluded that "Freak Owls are great song writers with a deep textured sound."

In addition to the many concerts held at Musikfest, the Allentown Fair Grounds had a few of its

own, starting with Bruno Mars on Aug. 30, and ending with Big Time Rush on Sept. 4.

Games, rides, and face painting are a few of the many attractions held at the Great Allentown Fair.

If you haven't had the opportunity to attend these events, be sure to check out the events that are left including the Celtic Classic and Oktoberfest!

www.artsquest.org

an interesting mix. If you like ―American Idol,‖ tune into Fox on Sept. 21 for the two-hour long premiere!

Another new show for this fall is the comedy ―New Girl‖ starring Zooey Deschanel. The plot follows a girl left heartbroken by her now ex-boyfriend and moves in with three unlikely roommates.

It will also premiere on Fox on Tuesday, Sept. 20.

Be sure to watch old favorites and new shows this fall, but only after you finish all of your homework!

Top 10 Summer Hits

By Faarah Amerally, Asst. Entertainment Editor

1. “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera 2. “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO 3. “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People 4. “Lighters” by Bad Meets Evil feat.

Bruno Mars 5. “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”

by Katy Perry 6. “Super Bass” by Nicki Minaj 7. “How To Love” by Lil Wayne 8. “Good Life” by OneRepublic 9. “Give Me Everything” by Pitbull Featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer 10. “Stereo Hearts” by Gym Class Heroes Featuring Adam Levine

IMDB

Entertainment 11

The Forum

September 2011

Life After Potter: Now What?

By Courtney L. Barrow, Entertainment Editor After 14 years, seven books, and eight movies, the tale of Harry Potter has finally come to a close.

On July 15, 2011, the final film, ―Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two,‖ premiered across the country.

Millions of crazed fans—some in costume, some not—stormed the theatres for the midnight premiere. Rave Motion Pictures, located at the Promenade Shops in Saucon Valley, announced prior to the first showing that all 16 theatres had been completely sold out.

One group of students, mostly from Freedom High School and organized by FHS graduate Sarah Harrington, was amongst the most prominent of movie goers that night. About 20 of Freedom‘s current students and recent graduates dressed up as different characters from the story, ranging from Luna Lovegood to Bellatrix Lestrange to Voldemort himself. ―We have all be intrigued by Harry Potter our whole lives and have definitely grown up with it, so we decided to have one last huge hurrah and…just be fully in character the whole night,‖ says Harrington, who was

known as being an immense Potter fan during her time here at Freedom.

Junior Kelly Chemidlin was one of three current Freedom

Chemidlin went on to detail about how it meant a lot to her as a fan to be able to embody young Ginny Weasley in her costume and celebrate the story

―We all hung out at Sarah‘s during the day and had a [Harry Potter] movie marathon, and then we got changed and got our game faces on…I‘m not as hard

Sarah Harrington / Special to The Freedom Forum

Recent Freedom alum Sarah Harrington got a group together of hardcore Potter lovers to go to the midnight premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two” this past summer. Costumes included Luna Lovegood (Harrington), Bellatrix Lestrange (Mary Harvilla, FHS grad), Lord Voldemort (Rob DelFranco, FHS grad), and Severus Snape (Mike Romanelli, senior).

students who were a part of this super group. ―Yeah, it was crazy. We were featured on 69 News, and there were so many people at the premiere wanting to take pictures with us.‖

of The Boy Who Lived.

Mike Romanelli, senior, was also part of the insanity that night as he dressed himself like Hogwarts professor and Death Eater Severus Snape. ―It was a lot of fun,‖ he said.

core as my friends, but it was definitely worth the ten bucks I slapped down for a ticket.‖ But after the climax of the release of the final moviewhich has grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide—fans may be

asking, now what?

J. K. Rowling herself announced the creation of ―Pottermore,‖ an interactive site available to Potter fans across the globe. Online, one can build a profile and become a part of the wizarding world. Members will also be able to read unpublished pieces of every book that will be released once a year, beginning with ―Sorcerer‘s Stone‖ and ending with ―Deathly Hallows.‖ ―I just got my ‗Pottermore‘ email last week; I‘m so excited!‖ Chemidlin said. ―It makes a lot of Potter fans really happy, including myself.‖ In addition to ―Pottermore,‖ ―the Potter spirit lives on,‖ according to Chemidlin.

People continue to post fan fiction online, elaborating on the story and creating their own versions. Actual Quidditch teams are also becoming more and more common, especially on college campuses. Students actually engage in a game of Quidditch, involving Quaffles, broomsticks, and even a human representation of a Snitch.

The franchise that has been called ―the Star Wars of the twenty-first century‖ appears to be just like its main character; Harry Potter will continue to be the story that lived.

From Novel to Movie: “The Help”

By Samantha Randall, Staff First-time author Kathryn Stockett's book, ―The Help,‖ rose quickly through the bestseller lists despite Stockett being previously unknown and the book initially being rejected by close to 50 literary agents.

After becoming a national bestseller, ―The Help‖ was recently made into a movie.

This summer, ―The Help‖ hit theaters on Aug. 10. The movie featured many top actors includ-

ing Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Octavia Spencer.

The story takes place in the deep, southern Mississippi during the 1960s. In a town of extreme racism, each woman knows that the unwritten rules of segregation are not to be broken.

But when budding writer Skeeter decides she wants to write a novel from the point of view of the towns African American help, the town turns upside down.

In order to write the novel, Skeeter will need to gain the trust of the maids who work in her town. Two maids, Minny and Aibileen are the first to volunteer to help Skeeter with her book.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these three women will nonetheless come together for a secret project that will put them all at risk.

They know that even their lives are worth printing the truth.

These women know that the times they live in are wrong,

and that there is no need for segregation.

The lines that their town has drawn are suffocating them. No one else may have the nerve or resources to cross these lines, but these three women can. ―The Help‖ is a timeless novel about the bonds of friendship and how a those bonds are what get you through the cruelty of the world.

IMDB

Fall Fashion This fall brings the runway to your closet with blazers, coats, and vests. If you are looking for a new color for your wardrobe add some mustard, rust, or jade colored elements. Other trends include polka dots, a touch of lace, or bright pants.

Not ready for the bright? No worries because camo-inspired prints were also seen at various runways including the Victoria Beckham one.

Maxi skirts are also a good idea for girls, especially when paired with a comfy sweater. Specifically for guys, there is a new cuff trend for dress pants. Also light camel-like colors were seen in Emporio Armani, Marni, and Michael Kors fashion shows.

Michael Biotin / flickr.com

HombreChic / flickr.com

markus_linke / flickr.com

12 Sports

The Forum

September 2011

FHS Football Paving the Way for Year of Greatness

By Greg Adams, Special to The Freedom Forum ―We‘re going to get that damn bell,‖ said Mr. Michael LaPorta, principal of Freedom High School.

With two wins already under their belts, the Freedom Patriots are off to a promising start that will realize LaPorta‘s goal.

Led by Brian Uliana, Okezie Alozie, and Andrew Klotz, the team has shown so far that they can play great defense as well as gain rushing yards with multiple players in response to the loss of injured running back Eddie Elliott.

The team‘s potential became evident in their second game of the season against the reigning state champions Allentown Central Catholic. With a final score

of 34-24, the Patriots were ecstatic. They had accomplished what only 3 percent of the Lehigh Valley believed they could do.

In the stands, student body president Mike Romanelli announced to the beachwear-clad student section that they had conquered the state champions.

For the past few years, the starting quarterback for the patriots has been a senior. However, junior Brian Uliana has been proving that he can lead his team to victory with his arms as well as with his legs. Uliana has 342 passing yards and 152 rushing yards so far, surprising numbers for a junior quarterback in only two games. ―I get really nervous before the game, but I calm down after the first series,‖ said Uliana.

Brian said his goal this season was to be a leader on and off the field and to keep the team focused.

On the other side of the ball, the Patriots have dominated defensively. The keystone of this onslaught is Okezie Alozie, who plays strong safety and running back.

Okezie shines as a leader, running for 211 yards on offense and being an electrifying force on defense.

Okezie said they will take the season one game at a time in preparation for Liberty, but when the two teams collide, they‘ll be ready.

Coach Roeder is also excited about this season because of the experienced and talented players returning

this year.

With 833 total offensive yards in the first two games already,

the Patriots are off to a great start in their quest for the bell and a district championship.

Danny Owen / Staff

Girls’ Tennis Looking To Sweep Titles

By Ashley Eichlin, Features Editor Another school year rolls around, and the girls‘ tennis team is already showing an outstanding opening to their season.

Led by coach Mark Sigmon and senior captains, Marielle McIntyre, Valeria Ceron, and Julie Boylan, the girls‘ tennis team stands 4-0.

This is already a steady improvement compared to last season when they were a disappointing 6-8.

However, for coach Sigmon, their former record in a thing in the past. ―I‘m very excited about this season,‖ said Sigmon.

Having a undefeated record so early in the season is definitely something to be proud of.

This year, Sigmon has high expectations for his girls. Fortunately, he has the confidence that if the team plays to their full potential, they could win the LVC team title, the LVC Conference tournament, the District XI singles title, which would be won by Marielle McIntyre, and the District XI team title.

He also believes that Marielle could be the 2011 District XI Singles Champion and that the whole team can win the District XI Team Tournament Championship.

All of this can be done by earning themselves an undefeated season. Sigmon stresses that if the girls put forth their best effort, anything is possible.

The girls‘ tennis team does not consist purely of the tricaptains, but it also includes girls who deserve just as much

time in the spotlight.

Sigmon has individually picked girls who he feels will have a successful season.

Singles, McIntyre, Boylan, and Flannery Johnston

(freshman), are predicted to have ―outstanding seasons.‖ Ceron and Federica Maranzana, the number two double team, and Kayleigh DiNoto and Tiffany Stanley, the number

three double team, are all expected to have strong seasons as well.

Best of luck to the girls‘ tennis team as they continue their season!

Tyler Alicea / Editor-in-Chief

Senior captains (left to right) Valeria Ceron, Marielle McIntyre, and Julie Boylan.

Soccer Team Literally Fights for a Win

By Haroon Ahmad, Layout Editor Not being able to bend your knees and not being able to move around are two very common symptoms of being on the Freedom Soccer team, says senior Erik Bornako.

The Freedom soccer team has been practicing hard so that they can have a great season this year.

Bornako said, ―Practices were hard two weeks before the first game. We just did our thing. It‘s a lot of work. Your legs just get destroyed you know. We ran miles and sprinted hills, did suicides…just a lot of running….but it‘s all worth it.‖ Obviously, the soccer players are well prepared for this new season.

With an extremely impressive and eventful win against Pocono Mountain West, spirits were

flying high in the soccer team.

In the first-half, Freedom was down 0-1. But then something exciting happened—a full out brawl.

Recke said, ―There was a foul, and someone came swinging at Ali. Leo stopped the guy from hitting Ali but then everyone started coming in, including parents and Mr. Michael LaPorta.‖ Bornako justified his actions during the brawl by saying, ―You know, if you come swinging at someone who has become a sort of brother to me, I‘m going to help a brother out.‖ Fortunately, no one was hurt, and there were only two red cards. Mr LaPorta swiftly took the team to the side and asked them to behave, and it was all over by then.

After the brawl, Recke said, ―We really brought out stuff together, and we were deter-

mined to win the game no matter what.‖ So they did. During the second half they scored five goals and demoralized the other team.

The five players that scored were Erik Bornako, Quinn Ackerman, Nick Geraghty, Brendan Kaulius, and Alex Agren.

The team is expected to do well this year.

Recke said, ―We‘re all tight.

Maybe [we will] win districts.

We lost a lot of seniors, but we‘re pretty stacked right now.

We have some really good people.‖

For more sports photos, go to www.fhsforum.com /photography.html Tyler Alicea / Editor-in-Chief

Sports 13

The Forum

September 2011

Racing on the Road to Victory

By Julie Boylan, Editorial Editor This year, the Freedom crosscountry team has plans to work hard and keep one eye firmly fixed on the state championships.

The team is led by coaches Jose DosSantos and Freedom alumn Lauretta Dezubay and captains Nathanial Palmer and Shana Peterson.

The seniors on the team include the two captains, plus Courtney Barrow, Mervyn Lopez, John Buchner, Derek Detweiler and Joey Leicht.

The team started training this summer for their season, running about two times per day and four to five days per week.

Hopefully, their hard work will pay off during their season to

accommodate the team‘s goals. ―The boys are determined to go to states as a team,‖ said Peterson. ―The girls‘ team is still developing; however we plan to send a few to states as well.‖ The boys‘ team is well under way to a great season, having already fulfilled one of their goals, which was, as stated by Palmer, a win at the Lion Invitational at Moravian Academy on Sept. 2.

Last year, the boys‘ team fell short of gold, winning second place to Nazareth High School.

This year, the boys‘ team won both the AAA division and the overall, with Palmer placing first, Detweiler placing sixth and junior Chris Kelly placing 13.

On the girls‘ side, the team as a whole placed third in the AAA

divison. Also in the AAA division, Peterson placed fifth, freshman Shaina Palmer placed tenth and junior Alexa Deemer placed 12. ―I was proud of my team since we got third, beat Liberty, and had three girls within the top 15,‖ said Deemer.

The team has two other invitational meets this year, the Northampton Invite, and the Paul Short Run, the latter of which draws over 110 college teams and 80 high school teams.

In addition, the team has five regu lar meets

(about three teams at each meet), two post-season meets (leagues and districts), and two more invitationals. ―Cross-country is extremely demanding, and I love each and every one of my teammates and

admire just how hard everyone is working,‖ said Deemer. ―We have a lot of dedicated runners who continually push each other to be better,‖ said Peterson. ―It‘s going to be a competitive season.‖

Adam Duser / Asst. Photo Editor

Girls’ Volleyball Spikes the Ball

By TJ Singh, Special to The Freedom Forum Expectations are high coming into the season for Freedom‘s girls‘ volleyball team.

Led by head coach Mr. Joe Yoo, assistant coach Mr. Tim Dando, and assistant coach Ms. Annie Crocu, Freedom‘s volleyball team is home of The Express-Times Player of the Year, Brianne Giangiobbe, The Express-Times All-Star Team member, Rylie Haas, and The Express-Times Coach of the Year, Mr. Yoo. ―Our primary focus as a team is to work together and qualify for districts,‖ says senior Brianne Giangiobbe, captain of girls‘ volleyball. ―With only three seniors on the team this year, freshmen, sophomores,

and juniors have been asked to work harder than ever before. In fact our whole team has been asked to work to a whole new

level.‖ With the pressure adding, a lot of the newer and younger talents on the team have been asked to

step up and play on the varsity team. As the year progresses freshmen, such as Megan Edmund, will have a lot to offer.

Other key players including Logan Close, Rylie Haas, Shaylyn Jaworowski, and Caralyn Reese have been asked to emerge as leaders and good remodels for the incoming freshmen. ―A lot of preparation has gone into this season,‖ says Logan Close, junior. ―We have a lot to offer this year and will definitely be on a winning streak for the season.‖ Freedom‘s girls‘ volleyball team has been conditioning since the start of their preseason and had their first LVC match against Liberty high school on Sept. 6.

With an awesome start to their season, Freedom‘s girls‘ volleyball team is heading straight for districts.

Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

Freedom’s Golf Team Drives the Ball

By Mike McGinty, Sports Editor Even before school started, the Freedom golf team was working towards the 2011 season.

In fact, they already played three matches before the start of school and were 2-1.

The Freedom golf team does not have many players and only two are seniors—Theo Kourpas and Steven D'Aprile.

Last year the team graduated three of their seniors, and this year they have a very young team.

However, Kourpas seems confident and expects the team to end with a good record.

When when asked about his personal goals for the season, Kourpas said, "To lower my score and to be a boss."

Mr. Michael Evans, the head coach of the golf team, said he hopes to end around a .500 win-

to the Liberty a nd B eca h i matches," said Evans. "They're both solid teams and will be tough to beat though."

Scores do not fluctuate as much in golf as they do in other sports, so it will be a challenge for Freedom, who is shooting anywhere from a score of 435445, to beat Liberty and Becahi, who Freedom Forum Archive are on average Andrew Spruck, now a Freedom Alumni, chipping a ball out of a sand trap dur- shooting 30 or 40 s tr o k e s ing the 2010-‟11 golf season. lower. ning percentage in the 17 com- season.

"That doesn't mean we're not petitions that the team has this "We're most looking forward up to the challenge," said Evans.

"We expect to lower our team score to a consistent 430."

Also different from other high school sports, golf automatically sends two players from each team to the District 11 Playoffs.

Evans expects that the team's two best players, Helen Hsu and Tommy Archer, will earn a playoff spot at the end of the year.

At this point in the season, both players are shooting average scores in the high 80's.

Another one of Evans' biggest goals is to prepare these two players for the District Tournament throughout the season by helping them lower their scores.

They may be young and short on the number of people that they have, but the Freedom golf team is dedicated and looking forward to a stellar 2011 season.

14 Pates’ Post

The Forum

September 2011

The Skinny on the “Skinny Block”

By Navea Frazier, Staff Ah, how a summer changes things. Around the end of the 2010-2011 school year, Freedom High School was gearing up for the new addition to an ever-evolving school schedule: the Skinny Block.

Billed as a once-a-week shorter block period moonlighting as a study slash activity hall, the Skinny— otherwise known as the Pate—Block was geared to be a pivotal part of the current school year.

Even a few minutes of pure

academia were used solely as a question and answer session about the Pate Block for students, as the school braced itself for a monumental shift in the Pate school day.

Yet, much like the Loch Ness Monster or unicorns, the Skinny Block is thought of as a mystical urban legend, at least throughout the halls of Freedom.

The Pate Block—neither seen nor heard about—has left teachers and students alike pondering about its current state.

Queries about what was supposed to be the future of

Freedom days lay unanswered; perhaps like Amelia Earhart, the Skinny Block went missing over the great width of summer.

Although, this is not to say that the Skinny Block didn‘t contain its fair share of skeptics.

Students like senior Jasmeen Kaur questioned the purpose of the period, stating that she‘s ―not sure what the point of [the] Skinny Block [is] if [Freedom students] aren‘t taking any tutoring classes.‖ In addition, senior Jack Boylan does not have high expectations of the Skinny

Block, if it were to happen. ―The Skinny Block is going to crash and burn,‖ Boylan said, also believing that the Pate Block will ―not do anything, like East Hills [Middle School‘s] activity block.

And while some students are skeptical to the Skinny Block, others are absolutely clueless as senior Ryan Bell says that he ―doesn‘t know a lot about the Skinny Block.‖ So, whether it goes by the alias Skinny or Pate, just like the Chupacabra, we may never know what actually happened with the mystical Skinny Pate Block.

Wo-Man of the Month volvements, she simply wants to keep the environmental team fully functioning and Hello Forum readers! Welfull of activity and plans to come back to the Pate‘s Post continue editing and writing Section! articles for The Forum.

This year I have decided to She‘s not quite sure what to start a monthly series expect of NHS titled, as you can see, considering Man of the Month. she was just Similarly to Time recently acMagazine‘s Man of the cepted, but she Year, each issue will has high hopes highlight a particular for the properson‘s achievements gram. and accomplishments.

T h o m a s This month‘s chosen says, ―As an student? Drum roll involved FHS please…Anna Thostudent, I want mas. to encourage Thomas spent her other students summer lounging in to get involved the sun, enjoying qualand remain ity time with family enthusiastic and completing AP about school.

English and Biology Everyone assignments. should find Now that summer is where their officially gone and her leadership junior year has comskills lie and Adam Duser / Asst. Photo Editor menced with a bang, hone in on she is ready to fulfill Anna Thomas, junior, reflects on her day at Freedom High School while looking off into them. Just go the distance heroically. her job as this year‘s all out this junior class president. year!‖ She says, ―The fact that I ing, prom, hallway decorat- finding ways to make juniors She is clearly looking forwas chosen is a huge honor ing, and spirit week, and she turn in their class dues. ward to what this year has to and feels outstanding; I have hopes students will contribute Aside from student council, offer and is eager to get so many ideas to start this any ideas they have regarding her hopes for the debate team started with the many activiyear off.‖ the events mentioned. are to beat last year‘s record ties she is involved with.

Along with being elected to Thomas plans to continue and continue putting together Students like Anna Thomas represent the class of 2013, contributing to student council stellar arguments that leave are what keep Freedom alive Anna is captain of the debate by running for student body the other teams dazed and and thriving with life; getting team, a member of Freedom‘s president during her senior confused. involved is the key to success National Honor Society year.

Regarding her other in- in high school.

By Amanda Molinaro, Pates’ Post Editor

(NHS), a member of Freedom‘s Environmental Awareness Team (F.E.A.T.), and assistant news editor of our very own Freedom Forum.

She is extremely pumped up to plan this year‘s homecom-

Although she is definitely looking forward to running next year, she does not want to get distracted with hopes for the future.

Currently, she is focused on upcoming pep rallies and

Freedom Forum Contest All students that are following The Freedom Forum on Twitter by the football game on Friday, Sept. 30 will be entered into a drawing for a prize.

Scan this with your smart phone or visit us on www.twitter.com/fhsforum.

Ask Fabio!

Advice Column

College-High School Relationships: Can They Last?

The time has come. The new school year has caused all former seniors and their younger high school sweethearts to part ways.

What does this mean for those who are left behind, while their significant other is headed off to college, most likely hours away?

If you are involved in a relationship with a college student, and even if you are not, let me stress this one thing to you: You are so young.

I will not go into the stereotypical speech about not needing a significant other to define yourself (blah blah blah), but just know that you should do what is best for you and what makes you happy; even if that means saying good-bye.

Think about this, whether or not you have realized it, it was necessary to adapt to certain aspects of high school that were not present in middle school (complete lack of toilet paper, ridiculous hallway congestion, waking up earlier, not being treated like such a ―kid‖ anymore).

Your college bound boo will definitely experience this initial adaptation period too (no sleep at all, dorm life, harder classes, classic out of control hardcore partying, the list goes on).

College gives you the opportunity to develop deeper and truly find yourself, whereas high school is quintessentially a holding tank. In most cases, the newly graduated student that you left only a few months ago is already in the process of changing due to college experiences.

Aside from all the negativity, if you find your relationship is working for you, then that is wonderful.

I am not saying that outlasting your meetings in the halls of Freedom is not possible. Many couples have made it through the high school to college transition. For all of you who are determined to make it work, make sure to give your partner the space they need to experience life.

Be realistic, they are not going to sit in their dorm room all day in the dark and chat you on Facebook.

And if they did, not only would they be missing out on awesome college experiences, but they would most likely develop Vitamin D deficiency.

However, if it does not work out, do not exhaust yourself trying to make things work if you are the only one trying.

Do not tie yourself down to someone that has been subject to inevitable change. We all change in some ways whether it is with someone, or without them. Make what you believe to be the right decision.

The Forum

September 2011

Pates’ Post 15

Adam Duser / Asst. Photo Editor

Milk from Da’ Hood?

All was well at the start of the school year until the first day of school at lunch. Students were outraged by the new brand of milk sitting in the refrigerators. Instead of the milk that students came to love from the previous school year, Freedom was greeted by “Hood” milk. Is this new milk that has students upset from “da‟ hood” or did the milk from last year just taste that much better?

Rachel‟s Challenge, the anti-bullying task force, will be putting on a community presentation on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.

Vacation Hotspots

By Ashley Eichlin, Features Editor Unfortunately, it is the time of year for most students to say farewell to frequent trips to the beach and spending constant time with friends and family.

Some of these students, and even teachers as well, vacationed to very interesting locations over the summer.

Luckily, for students such as Sarah Kaboly and Julia Fox along with teacher, Mrs. Maryse Stanley, they all went on unforgettable vacations.

For senior Sarah Kaboly, traveling around the United States is nothing new. Her father set a goal to visit all 50 states before Sarah graduates.

Currently, the Kaboly family has visited 49 and number 50 (Hawaii) is coming this February.

This summer alone, Sarah traveled to Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, visiting multiple

popular sites.

Unfortunately, Sarah spent most of her time in a car while vacationing in Louisiana and Oklahoma; however, she still thoroughly enjoyed herself in the Lone Star state.

Visiting Big Bend National Park, Galveston, and Dallas, Sarah can say she explored places that were completely new to her. All in all, it was a ―good experience‖ for Sarah, even

As Mrs. Stanley walked down the streets of Givery, she imagined the late impressionist painter Monet walking in her footsteps. ―The small village is covered in beautiful flowers, which make one feel like they are strolling in a sea of colors,‖ Stanley said.

While in France, Mrs. Stanley attended La Fete de la Musique or ―Music Day.‖ Neighbors of the Stanley family invited them to Mrs. Maryse Stanley / Special to The Freedom Forum watch performances by local bands. The group listhough ―it was very hot.‖ was an amazing thrill for her tened and sang along to popular Disney World is known for its family as well; it has been her French and English songs from appeal to all ages. While some mom‘s childhood dream to go to the sixties. people like to visit Disney Disney. Julia truly enjoyed her There are plenty of other stuWorld annually, senior, Julia trip and said that it was a trip dents and teachers at Freedom Fox visited for the first time this she will never forget.

High School who traveled summer.

Not only have Freedom‘s stu- around the world as well!

She describes her trip as ―one dents traveled over the summer, However, a good portion of of those 90‘s sitcoms where the but teachers had their share of students, including myself, defamily goes and it‘s just magi- fun in the sun as well. cided to lay low on the beach cal.‖ French teacher, Mrs. Maryse and even feel the earthquake Her trip was quite magical Stanley, spent a good portion of beneath them! indeed. Visiting Disney World her summer in France.

Patriot Pride: 45 Years of The Forum A Letter from the Editor Welcome back to Freedom everyone. As the editor-in-chief of this publication, it is an honor to help facilitate the spread of truth and discussion throughout the halls of Freedom High. My number one goal this year is to continue the practices of past editor-in -chiefs by placing a focus on students because every student who walks through the school‘s doors each morning has a story.

This year marks The Forum‘s 45th anniversary, and I could not be any more proud of the revolutionary changes the staff has already worked on.

This year, our monthly publication will be taking a dip into social media.

Are you unable to make it to a football game this © Christmas City Studios fall? Don‘t worry, we‘ll be on Twitter tweeting live as the game unfolds. Want to relive that epic moment from the latest pep rally? Visit our website, and you might find a video there. While you‘re at it, ‗like‘ us on Facebook for all of the latest updates on things going on within the corridors of Freedom.

So be sure to get involved in your school, and let‘s work together to make this a year of greatness.

Alright then. Allons-y!

Tyler Alicea, Editor-in-Chief, The Forum

Freedom Fun Fact In 1983, Freedom became a high school for grades 9-12, after opening in 1967 for grades 10-12.

Here is a copy of The Freedom Forum from 1976. Check out the full resolution version of this picture at www.fhsforum.com.

Interested in joining the school paper?

We are looking for those interested in layout, writing, photography, or business. The Freedom Forum meets after school on Wednesdays in room 210.

16 Pates’ Post

The Forum

September 2011

Photos by Tyler Alicea / Editor-in-Chief

Freshmen: What Should You Expect?

By Simona Topuzovska, Staff Dear Freshmen Class of 2015; you are either super excited about being in high school or scared out of your mind.

Well, let me just say that you have absolutely nothing to fear.

During the course of your first few weeks, you will get lost, perhaps walk into the wrong classroom once or twice, which,

of course, results in you being late to class; thus, putting a cherry on top of your wonderful sundae of mistakes.

But you will learn that as semesters change and you get assigned new rooms and such, even upperclassmen still sometimes get lost going to class.

However, being in high school is not all that easy. It is definitely a change from being in middle school.

Prepare yourselves for more tests, homework, and tons of studying.

It is easy to think that you can pull the old ―I‘m not going to study because I pay attention and I will be fine,‖ but these teachers are slick, and they will get you. Trust me.

Another thing is teaming.

Teaming can either be looked at as a huge help, or to some, no help at all. To me, personally, it

was not of much benefit at all.

Although, the fact that all your teachers are connected does help because they know all the work that you are getting and limit it so you do not have tons of homework at night.

Aside from all the hard work, dedication and effort you put into your school work, make sure you have a lot of fun along the way.

Join a club or sports team and

figure out your interests.

There are so many great things that you can be a part of if you apply yourself and check things out.

Don‘t forget to have an excellent year, become involved in things and be confident!

If you aren‘t sure about the stuff that goes on, just ask someone. I promise, most of us don‘t bite.

What Happened While You Were Sleeping In...

By Krystal Domin, Web Editor While many students were enjoying the glorious summer days, members of student council and band spent many days of their summer vacation preparing for the 2011-2012 school year.

Student council, an important contributor to Freedom High School, spent most of their time organizing special events.

According to student council president Mike Romanelli, over the summer they planned pep rallies and fundraisers, and decided on a theme for the homecoming dance.

They also provided tours for

the new students, so they were acquainted with Freedom before the new school year. In order to accomplish each goal they met twice throughout the summer about five hours each time, said Romanelli.

Practicing music for the pep rallies planned by student council and rehearsing a pre-game and half-time show for the famous Friday night football games, the band also dedicated their summer free time toward preparing for the school year.

They spent many hours learning their music and drills, and to start off the summer on a light note, they had weekly rehearsals in July for two hours a night

which, according to drum major, Stephen Yale, prepared the incoming freshman for band camp.

These rehearsals presented the opportunity for the full band to play together as an ensemble.

The twirlers had morning practices throughout the summer as well, according to senior twirler, Kellee Edmund.

As the summer months came to an end, the band began band camp on August 1, which continued for three weeks through August 19.

Yale commented that they rehearsed every weekday from 8 -1, and during this time they ―focused on the memorization

of music, [their] marching basics, and [learned] the drill for [their] halftime and pre-game shows.‖ After the music and marching was perfected, they put on a preview show for friends and family on August 19 in front of Freedom High School.

Along with the band and student council, another group, known as Project Green Team, spent some of their summer days preparing for the school year.

In order to get this club up and running, members of the newly founded club met numerous times over the summer under the leadership of Abhinav Ran-

garajan, senior. ―The goal is to get students and faculty to be more environmentally conscious,‖ said Rangarajan. ―These small changes can save a lot of energy and money.‖ In order to put their plans into action they will continue to work hard throughout the school year.

The dedication and spirit seen by all of the students in these groups and others make the student body what it is today and affect the lives of students here at Freedom every day.