2 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
The Gazette
congratulates all the NIE contest winners What’s inside ■ Design-an-ad winners Page 3 ■ A full list of participating teachers Page 3-5 ■ A complete list of the winners Page 4 ■ Student feature stories and opinion columns Page 5-35 ■ A full list of all participating students Pages 36-46
TOM PEEL/Gazette
HASTIE KINTER spoke recently with fifth-graders in Leslie Meyer’s class at Rayne Elementary School.
NIE program celebrates young writers The Indiana Gazette is celebrating its 31st year of publication of this Newspaper in Education Student Supplement, which highlights the talents of local students from kindergarten through grade 12 in a variety of contests. All of the work included within has been created by students in our readership area. The kindergarteners and first- and secondgraders are asked to complete the last frame of a comic strip that has been developed by
one of our Gazette artists. At the third-grade level, students are asked to write a short essay paragraph on a topic that changes yearly. Fourth- through sixth-grade students design ads that are sponsored by local businesses, and at the high school level, students have the opportunity to showcase their writing abilities through an opinion writing contest and feature writing contest. High school students also compete in a
photography contest that includes the best feature, sports and news photographs. The goal of The Indiana Gazette’s NIE program is to reinforce a positive lifetime reading habit in students by engaging them in a life skill that will be benefit them into adulthood. It also provides them with an opportunity to have their work published, something few school-age students can pride themselves on.
■ Winners of the feature, news and sports photo contests Pages 48-50 ■ Third-grade students’ “What is Special About Where I Live ...” winners Page 46-47, 51-59 ■ The winners of the design-a-comic contest Pages 60-62
Thank you! The following teachers took part in this year’s Newspaper in Education contests featured in this supplement.
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 3
Design-an-ad winners Area students in grades 4, 5 and 6 designed advertisements for approximately 90 local businesses. The advertisements were then taken to the business owners, who chose the ones that appear in today’s special section. Members of the art department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania then selected these winners from each grade.
APOLLO-RIDGE ELEMENTARY Katie Clever, Nikki Dunmire, Janie Fryer, Sharon Friday, Amy Kraus, Chad Danka
BEN FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY Deborah Horvath, Edward Kocinski, Pat McKee, Angela Petroff, Shannon Redinger, Tammie Brunettta, Heather Redinger, Sarah Bond, Sarah Coleman, Alicia Clark, Laura Lorelli, Jill Kaszubowski, Maria Olechovski
BLAIRSVILLE ELEMENTARY Susan Dunlap, Jennifer Plowman, Hope Staats, Jennifer Surratt, Matthew Nicely, Michele Sisitki, Jessica Scardina, Steven Shannon, Brittany Marshall, Monica Bell, Jennifer Shirley, Linzi Strong, Amanda Steele, Scott Stuchal, Sarah Blair, Diane Antonacci, Eileen Jeffries, Amy Stofa
1st
2nd
3rd
RAYLEE WELLER Homer-Center Elementary Grade 4
ISABELLA BRUNETTO Eisenhower Elementary Grade 4
ASHLYN KERR Homer-Center Elementary Grade 4
1st
2nd
3rd
ADAM COWBURN Horace Mann Elementary Grade 5
ADAM ALTEMUS Penns Manor Elementary Grade 5
1st
2nd
3rd
MEGAN OVERDORFF United Elementary Grade 6
AVIANA STRUZZI Indiana Area Junior High Grade 6
HASHEM ALRAHMAH Indiana Area Junior High Grade 6
BLAIRSVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL Kimberly Henigin
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Amy McCullough, Kimberly Covato, Melody Zitterbart, Diane Burbank
DAYTON ELEMENTARY Katrina Kimmell
EAST PIKE ELEMENTARY Hollee Jones, Heidi Higbee, Mandy Yanoschick, Jason Stubbe, Leigh Heidenthal, Deb Patterson
EISENHOWER ELEMENTARY Melissa Bender, Jenna Gizzi, Zachary Whited, Barbara J. Bell, Carolyn Detwiler, Katie Yancy, Mark Morrow, Brad Trout, Rob Stewart, Kevin Rado Continued on Page 4
RAMYLOS DOKOS Homer-Center Elementary Grade 5
On the cover Brielle King, a Learning Tree Homeschool Fellowship student, created the winning artwork featured on the cover of the 2016 NIE Newspaper in Education Student Supplement Contest.
4 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
A list of this year’s winners The following is a list of winners in this year’s Newspaper in Education contests featured in this supplement:
COMICS KINDERGARTEN: Corydon Metcalf II, first, Seeds of Faith Christian Academy; Nancy Silk, second, United Elementary; Teagan Buckles, third, United Elementary GRADE 1: Braelyn Pattison, first, Northern Cambria Elementary; Raelynn Reitz, second, Dayton Elementary; Gianna Cornman, third, Saltsburg Elementary GRADE 2: Vanessa Uher, first, Homer-Center Elementary; Allynia Wells, second, Homer-Center Elementary; Ty Marshall, third, Seeds of Faith Christian Academy
THIRD-GRADE WRITING CONTEST Layla Alsippi, first, Ben Franklin Elementary; Jacob Sexton, second, Ben Franklin Elementary; Lucy Menta, third, Ben Franklin Elementary
DESIGN-AN-AD CONTEST GRADE 4: Raylee Weller, first, Homer-Center Elementary; Isabella Brunetto, second, Eisenhower Elementary; Ashlyn Kerr, third, Homer-Center Elementary GRADE 5: Ramylos Dokos, first, Homer-Center Elementary; Adam Cowburn, second, Horace Mann Elementary; Adam Altemus, third, Penns Manor Elementary GRADE 6: Megan Overdorff, first, United Elementary; Avianna Struzzi, second, Indiana Area Junior High School; Hashem Alrahmah, third, Indiana Area Junior High School
GRADE 11: Allison Sedlock, first, Northern Cambria High School; Siena Burk, second, Northern Cambria High School; Alyssa Lockard, third, Northern Cambria High School GRADE 12: Macey Bates, first, Saltsburg High School; Teresa Shields, second, Saltsburg High School; Shelbe Jarrett, third, Saltsburg High School
FEATURE STORY GRADE 7: Austin Friday, first, United High School; Marvin Beatty, second, Marion Center Area High School; Riley Payne, third, United High School GRADE 8: Hannah Steele, first, Indiana Area Junior High School; Alyssa McLaine, second, Indiana Area Junior High School; Jared Bloom, third, United High School GRADE 9: Rosa Fricke-Roman, first, Saltsburg High School GRADE 10: Kara Fisher, first, West Shamokin High School; Emma Arblaster, second, United High School; Olivia Fusaro, third, West Shamokin High School GRADE 11: Johanna Knapic, first, United High School; Eden Lydick, second, United High School; Sarah Jones, third, Learning Tree Homeschool GRADE 12: Emily Oaks, first, Seeds of Faith Christian Academy; Isaiah Sharp, second, Calvary Baptist Academy; Shelbie Roman, third, Saltsburg High School
NEWS PHOTO FIRST: Michael Supinka, Indiana Area Senior High School SECOND: Isabella Williams, Indiana Area Senior High School THIRD: Leo Lezzer, Indiana Area Senior High School
FEATURE PHOTO
OPINION COLUMN GRADE 7: Riley Payne, first, United High School; Blake Mears, second, Seeds of Faith Christian Academy; Rylei Vogel, third, United High School GRADE 8: Jake Albert, first, Indiana Area Junior High School; Grace Wadding, second, Seeds of Faith Christian Academy; Eliza Ray, third, Indiana Area Junior High School GRADE 9: Logan Hoburg, first, Calvary Baptist Academy; Nicole Fink, second, Saltsburg High School; Michael Shoup, third, Saltsburg High School GRADE 10: Steve Heckman, first, Saltsburg High School; Skye Cramer, second, United High School; Tony Barone, third, Saltsburg High School
FIRST: Bethann McGinnis, Indiana Area Senior High School SECOND: Brianna James, Indiana Area Senior High School THIRD: Caleb Sipos, Indiana Area Senior High School
SPORTS FIRST: Brianna James, Indiana Area Senior High School SECOND: Jamie Simmons, Indiana Area Senior High School THIRD: Caleb Sipos, Indiana Area Senior High School
Thank you! Continued from Page 3
HOMER-CENTER ELEMENTARY Nicole Baker, Emily Gates, Nicole Neal, Christine Kowchuck, Katie Stossel, Christine Kochman, Dawn Yurky, Nancy Skultety, Erin Hildebrand, Lauri Shoup, Cathy Hays, Joe Kotelnicki, Carol Mlakar, Tanya Hirsch, Amy Skoff
HORACE MANN ELEMENTARY Greta Helsel, Susan Stitt, William Freyvogel, Brian Helsel, Carrie Schneider
INDIANA AREA JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL Robyn Bailey-Orchard, Jamie Lichtenfels, Jeff Reed
INDIANA AREA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Julie Steve, Erik Puskar
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP Kristin McKelvy, Christie Huff, Regina Fortushniak, Rebekah Rummel, Jane Mundorff, Amy Canose, Sarah Grantz, Jen Sleppy, Rochelle King, Becky Jones, Kristy Scherf, Karen Wolfe
W.A. McCREERY ELEMENTARY Alyssa Antalis, Ed McCunn, Katie Proch, Sarah Hritz, Lori Hudzicki, Lee Hudzicki, Susan Moore, Debbie Malicky, Randy Corosu, Christine McGee, Max Falisec, Jennifer States
MARION CENTER JR./SR. HIGH Sabrina Sandoval, Cathy Patterson
COVER DESIGN Brielle King, Grade 10, Learning Tree Fellowship Homeschool
Nevaeh Stiffy, Grade 5, Horace Mann Elementary School
Sarah Bolyard, Grade 6, Indiana Junior High School
Continued on Page 5
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 5
A special thank-you Continued from Page 5
NORTHERN CAMBRIA ELEMENTARY Michele Paronish, Tracey Ruddock, Sandy Serafin, Richard Work, Lea Born, Anne Weber, Jackie Paronish, AnneMarie Shaffer
NORTHERN CAMBRIA HIGH SCHOOL Deborah Frontino
PENNS MANOR ELEMENTARY Sue Lieb, Diane Fenton, Tiffany DeSteffano, Connie Myers, Christine Carpenter, Donna Driskel, Adam Shearer, Amy Mountain
PENNS MANOR JR. SR. HIGH SCHOOL Kathy Lezanic, Beth Palilla, Carson Rhea, Jason Miloser
PURCHASE LINE ELEMENTARY Leslie Hanley, Dian Matko, Kerri Mountain, Rebecca Manzek, Tina Anderson, Melissa A. Lynch, Christy Falisec, Holly Edwards, Danielle Malicky, Krista Peles, Greg Pack, Denise Bence-Fetsko, Debra Miller, Sue Lieb, Denise Fenton, Tiffany DeStefano
RAYNE ELEMENTARY Renee Tiesi, Lindy Herr, Jackie Smathers, Rebecca Blews, Kim Todd, Christina Stone, Leslie Meyer, Megan DeOre
SALTSBURG ELEMENTARY Melissa Hall, Doug Titmus, Ramona Taylor, Jeffrey Smathers, Tim Frassenei,
Anna Layden, Grade 4, Purchase Line Elementary School
Kristy Harrington, Brandy DelleDonne, Kelsey Dietrich, Carly Hruska, Heather Bole, David Gerstel, Molly Reddinger
SALTSBURG MIDDLE SCHOOL Eugene Riley, Stephanie Jake
SALTSBURG HIGH SCHOOL Lauren Cunningham, Geoff Dixon
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Kristin Kodman, Jeniece Duchon, Stacy Marquez, Sharon Vivian, Susan Wilson, Caroline Killam
SHANNOCK VALLEY ELEMENTARY Maggie Schreckengost, Ashley Stefancik
ST. BERNARD REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL Vera Leonard, Angela Brody, Melissa Ryan, Janet Arone, Megan Pomputius, Stephanie Mallis, Tracy Dixson
UNITED ELEMENTARY Kelli Griffith, Dyann Dill, Rose Williams, Mary Douglas, Ryan Long, Megan Swanson, Greg Mytrysak, Chris Matava
UNITED JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL John Dunn, Jim Cawley, Jody Conrad, Vicki Stelma
WEST SHAMOKIN HIGH SCHOOL Glenda Brewer
Writing contest for the best
feature story
Students in grades 7 through 12 were asked to write feature stories using the theme “People live in rural areas, small towns, larger communities and big cities. Each of these is unique in its own way. Tell us what is special about where you live.” The stories were judged by the IUP Journalism Department. Here are the winners.
Something Special There is always something good about every town, right? Even if people don’t think so, there is. There is something special about small towns, rural areas, larger communities and even big cities. My town is special because even when someone just moves into our town, everyone knows them and they soon realize that everyone knows each other! Also, most of the people in my town are related, but if some people aren’t lucky enough to be real family members, my neighbors will adopt pretty much anyone into their family. My family doesn’t have any relatives just down the street, so the older people in the town kind of took care of us when my parents were busy or not home. I remember my mom telling me stories from when she and my dad just moved into our house. On the first night they were there, they went to a small store in town called Cookies to get pizza. When they went in to pick up their pizza, the person working told them, “Oh! You’re the Fridays!” My parents were very confused! My parents soon realized that it was just our neigh-
1st AUSTIN FRIDAY United High School Grade 7 borhood’s kindness and generosity. They kind of took us under their wing for a little while until we got settled into the house. My town is also very special because everyone is related even if they aren’t really blood relatives. When I was little I had a neighbor who was older, but he was very special to me. I started to call him Pap Dawn. He had a really pretty porch with chairs and swings. I remember going over and sitting on the porch with him. Continued on Page 6
Julian Sandoval, Grade 4, Eisenhower Elementary School
6 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best feature story SOMETHING SPECIAL, Austin Friday, United High School, Grade 7, first place Continued from Page 5 Sadly, Pap Dawn passed away a while ago, but I will always have the good memories I made with him. Pap Dawn’s daughter lived with him to take care of him. After Pap Dawn passed away, my mom started cleaning for his daughter, Carol. We would go over and help her with her garden and all sorts of things. I had so much fun with them!
We also have our neighbors, Paul, Annie and Aggie. Annie and Aggie are sisters. Aggie had a stroke a while ago, and now she can’t talk. She really loves the Pirates, Penguins and especially the Steelers. For her 89th birthday, my mom made her a Steelers birthday cake. She was so excited! She kept giving us hugs and kisses all over! It is such a good memory! Now Paul and Annie are probably the most
special to me. We always go over to visit, and my brother and I used to run around their house playing tag. I used to call Annie the lollipop lady because she would always give us lollipops when we went over to visit. I can call all of my older neighbors my grandparents! As I had said before, something special comes from everything. In my town, everyone knows each other
Home
The Country Life Experience The special part about being in a rural area, where I live, is that you get to be away from all the annoyances of the cities. You get to be in the soothing peace of the outdoors. I live on a farm, but I don’t have farm animals, just a garden. I have a barn of all the stuff my dad has collected over the years, also three lakes one with a smiling cattail face. In rural areas you are closer to nature where you can go hiking or hunting and maybe even go camping. The joy of being in a rural area is so thrilling to me. It’s just to go outside or look out the window and see something like a deer instead of being in a city where you look out and see a parking lot or a brick wall. Nature is an exciting site to see; it has so many interesting things to do in it. When I was born I lived in the city; I thought it was great. When I was 6, we moved to the Marion Center. I was scared at first, and then I realized that this was the best thing that ever happened to me. Being here in Marion Center I have learned so many things. I found out I am good at playing the tuba, and I now know I am an okay wrestler. I could be doing better, but I am working at my own pace — slow and steady, like life in the country. I am glad that I moved to the country. Even though I don’t see my old friends any-
and everyone is related. Sometimes it’s hard to find the good parts of a town, but once in a while just think of all of the special things in life. Think of all of the awesome memories packed full in people’s brains because of their town. Even if it’s a tiny little town, like Robinson, PA, that few have heard of, it can still be the best town in the whole world!
2nd MARVIN BEATTY
Marion Center Area High School Grade 7 more, I will always remember them. In the country you can find so many cool places like abandoned mines, places for quads/dirt bikes, or even lakes to swim in. While out in the wilderness you can have so many adventures to let your imagination run wild. It makes me feel so special to be somewhere special like the country. I can finally have so many things like dogs and pet fish. These are all reasons why the country is so special to me.
What does the word “home” mean? To me home means a special place that I can feel safe. The question is, what is so special about this home of mine. The first reason it’s special is that the property I call home has been owned by my family for at least five generations of my family. The next is because of the beautiful scenery I haven’t seen in to many other places. Last, but not least, the space: my homeland and area is unique, and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. My family is pretty large compared to most. But, that just means more love to go around. My homeland has been owned by many relatives of mine, some of which I didn’t even know. That’s how far back it goes! My grandma always tells me stories of how she and her siblings had different parts of the land for different things like growing and corn and wheat. Another part of the land was for
3rd RILEY PAYNE
United High School Grade 7
the barn and animals, as well as the big pond that they used to splash around in. They got to do these things and many more because where I live we don’t have many neighbors. The neighbors we do have are all family and they would join in on the fun activities rather than yelling or calling the authorities because we were too loud or were on their property. Continued on Page 7
Arianna Foreman, Grade 5, Eisenhower Elementary School
Abigail Burgess, Grade 4, Homer-Center Elementary School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 7
Writing contest for the best feature story HOME, Riley Payne, United High School, Grade 7, third place Continued from Page 6 A fun fact is that my grandparents’ house is actually walking distance from my house. It’s less than a mile with a tree house in the middle! Along with having wonderful neighbors, we live in the country. That means there is always something beautiful to admire, like the sunrises and sunsets. It’s amazing to wake up or go to sleep to those magnificent colors of purple, red, pink and orange. In the summer, because of our area, we can just sit out on the back lawn and star gaze. There are always clear nights and we even find constellations! My pap always tells me, “Riley, you don’t get to see this in the city.” His words are true because we don’t have to deal with pollution, or shootings, as well as other not so pleasant issues along those lines. It’s nice to be able to just sit back and realize the world does have beauty. We just have to find it. With neighbors and houses and garages you wouldn’t think there’s much room left, but there is. In the summer we plant a garden. The crops are different every other year. One year we will plant things like cucumbers, carrots, pumpkins, raspberries, blue-
berries, gooseberries, different kinds of cherries, and tomatoes. The next year will be all potatoes. My pap always has a flower garden as well, with big bright yellow sun flowers, long and skinny purple and white lilacs that smell heavenly, and also roses, but you have to be careful if you pick up the roses. They do have thorns! We can grow these plants because of the fertile soil and no one being able to bug them. Because of the space we have, there are also many animals we get to see. These include many, many animals. I couldn’t list all of them, but one of my favorites is turkeys. There are always so many of them and you can hear them communicating with each other by going, “Gobble! Gobble!” Where I live is special for more reasons than one. With numerous family members all around, and the gorgeous, most wonderful scenery, as well as the space, I don’t want to ever leave. You can call it West Wheatfield Township, you could call it Indiana County, America, the United States, North America, or even Earth, but I call it home.
A Very Special Place People live in rural areas, small towns, large communities and big cities. Each of these places is unique in their own way. Although these locations are each distinct, the place I live is extremely special: Indiana, Pennsylvania. The borough of Indiana is the county seat of Indiana County in Pennsylvania. It is an independent town neighboring White Township. Settled in 1805, Indiana has thrived ever since. Decades ago Indiana was known for coal mining to the predominant industry, but as mines started to close due to economic troubles, a new industry started to take over: natural gas. Because of this, Indiana holds the largest privately owned natural gas company in the USA. If you ever come to Indiana, you’ll surely be aware of one thing: it’s Jimmy Stewart’s hometown! He was born at 104 N. Seventh St. in the beautiful town we know so well. On his 75th birthday, Indiana gave him quite a celebration he would never forget: a huge birthday bash! It took over a year to plan and included a giant cake, a parade and a festival appreciating his films he’s starred in. The most memorable thing would have to be the 9-foot statue erected in his honor, standing in front of the Indiana Courthouse. Today, anyone can visit the museum built in his recognition beside the Indiana Library.
1st HANNAH STEELE
Indiana Area Junior High Grade 8 Indiana has long been titled “The Christmas Tree Capital of the World.” There’s numerous Christmas tree farms located here because of the well-adapted area. If you come to Indiana, I’m sure you’ll find a beautiful tree for the holiday season! Indiana has a beautiful downtown area, with many different shops and restaurants. There’s even a college Indiana University of Pennsylvania, or IUP for short. Gorgeous churches can be found all around town. These are some examples of why “it’s a wonderful life in Indiana,” but if you ever took a trip here, I’m sure you would find even more reasons.
Kathleen Dixon, Grade 5, Penns Manor Elementary School
8 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best feature story What makes Indiana special
The Ghost Town Trail
Indiana County is a great place for kids and adults of all ages to find something to do in their free time. Indiana has many places in which people can express their creativity and showcase their talents. One of these places in the Indiana Playhouse. The Indiana Playhouse is home to the Indiana Players. The Indiana Players is a nonprofit organization that puts on monthly shows. The Indiana Players always have at least one kids’ musical/play in the summer. Other children and teenager shows may be put on throughout each season. Some shows that have been put on in the last couple years are: “Pocahontas,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Winnie the Pooh,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Snow Queen.” These shows help kids and teens hoping to be the next Jimmy Stewart learn critical acting skills that they will use in the future. There is no cost to act in a show for the Indiana Players. The only ways that the Indiana Players earn money to put on more shows is through donations, ticket sales and fundraisers. They have had 55 raffles for audience members over 18 during shows. They also have basket raffles, silent auctions and vendor/craft shows. The Indiana Players have had a few vendor/craft shows. Different vendors come to the location at which the show is, and set up a display. They talk to customers about their company and tell them about the products they sell. When someone busy something at the vendor/craft show from one of the vendors, part of the profit goes toward the Indiana Players. They usually also have a raffle at the craft/vendor show. Silent auctions sometimes take place before shows. Baskets or other things to be auctioned off are donated in advance by
2nd ALYSSA McLAINE
Indiana Area Junior High Grade 8 companies or people. During the auction, people write their bid on the paper in front of the basket/object that they want. When the auction ends, the bidder with the highest big wins the prize. There are usually refreshments to eat during the auction. The Indiana Players had their first Scout Night this January. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts alike came to an extra show, separate from the usual six shows. Along with watching the show, the kids got to learn the behind-the-scenes things in theater. They learned how the light and sound booth worked, participated in many acting exercises and had a meet-and-greet with the cast afterwards. The Indiana Players use money from these fundraisers to help to continue the love of theater in many different people in Indiana County. The money helps pay for set construction and paint, props, costumes and helps pay the bills that allow the theater’s doors to remain open. The Indiana Players helps citizens of Indiana County learn many public speaking skills and acting skills.
Mya McCallum, Grade 4, Blairsville Elementary School
Along the 46-mile long Ghost Town Trail (GTT) you can hear the rushing Blacklick Creek, gaze upon the scenic views, and admire the countless historical markers. Despite its scary name, there is nothing frightening about the Ghost Town Trail. The trail’s name comes from the numerous mining towns that once existed along the railroad. Much of the coal mined from this area was used to produce coke for the steel industry in western Pennsylvania and New York. The trail was originally established in 1991 and is a designated National Recreation Trail. It is also a part of Rails-to-Trails. Rails-to-Trails is an American, nonprofit organization that works with communities to preserve unused railroads by transforming them into walking trails. Starting at the Heshbon access point working your way east, you will find one of the two historic iron furnaces: the Buena Vista Furnace. The Buena Vista Furnace is the Ghost Town Trail’s first furnace from Hesbon. The furnace got its name from a Mexican War battle that took place in February of 1847. Although built in 1847 by Henry and Elias McClelland and Stephen Johnson, the furnace was not operational until the following year. At its peak, the 30-foot, cold blast furnace used iron ore, limestone and charcoal to produce 400 tons of pig iron a year, with 61 men and 30 mule laborers. Then in 1856 total operation ceased. Since 2006 efforts have been made to make more a more accessible path to the furnace and to repair weathering damages. Today the Buena Vista Furnace is still a beautiful site to see. Further east of the furnace stands the trails second furnace: the Eliza Furnace.
3rd JARED BLOOM
United High School Grade 8 The Eliza Furnace is a Nationally Registered site regarded as one of Pennsylvania’s best preserved iron furnaces. This hot blast furnace was operated from 1846 through 1849. At the furnace’s peak there were 90 men and 45 mules producing 1,080 tons of pig iron per year. The Eliza Furnace created a small community around it including many buildings and operations such as a bridge house, casting shed, wheel and bellows shed, twostory houses, 21 log cabins, a stove house, office, blacksmith shop, also having a log stable and a charcoal storage house. Unfortunately, in 1849, the furnace stopped its operations due to financial problems. Despite its early closing, the Eliza Furnace helped bring the industry into the Blacklick Valley. The non-operational furnace still has its original heat exchanger. Today the furnace serves as a tourist site equipped with a restroom, picnic area and water fountain. The Ghost Town Trail offers more than just a history lesson, it provides users with great exercise opportunities. In Continued on Page 9
Jonah Arone, Grade 6, Saint Bermard School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 9
Writing contest for the best feature story GHOST TOWN TRIAL, Jared Bloom, United High School, Grade 8, third place Continued from Page 8 total, it is 46 miles of trail that could be used for walking, running, biking, hiking, or even just nature-exploring. The trail is host to many different types of
races including 5k’s, half marathons, and full marathons. The trail includes many userfriendly features like mile markers, picnic tables, pavilions, and restrooms. The Ghost Town Trail has something for
everybody from the two historic iron furnaces, to the 46 miles of riverfront trail, to the excellent views with nature everywhere. The trial is not just home to the Buena
Saltsburg
These activities are what make Saltsburg, Pa., so interesting as its own small town. The first reason Saltsburg, Pa., is so interesting is because it has a beautiful river that you can do many activities in. One activity would be fishing. We have a great selection in fish that you could go fishing for. Another activity would be kayaking or canoeing. The river has a steady pace some days and it’s a great way to go relax. You can also go for a small swim thanks to the rope swing that is off the Heritage Trail. The second reason is there’s very low crime which makes the town very family friendly. You usually don’t hear about Saltsburg on the news because we never have any big events happen. There’s not many murders happening and
people aren’t robbing houses. The kids could go walk around on the trails and nothing would happen to them. There is also a constant stream of police officers driving around town, making sure everyone is following the law. The town has a curfew which tell people they should be inside by a specific time. This will allow your family to be safe within this town. The third reason is the history behind this town. There are so many different things within this town that would be amazing to discover. You could go to the museum that is located right in town. They have almost all the history of the town within its walls. It even shows pictures of the burning of the covered bridge right in town. Continued on Page 10
Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, a wonderful small town with many qualities to it. Saltsburg is located about twenty miles away from Indiana, Pennsylvania, and about 35 miles away from Pittsburgh, Pa. In this small town, there are many characteristics that makes it different than many others. It has a very beautiful river that you can go fishing, canoeing and kayaking in. There’s very low crime that makes it family friendly. There is also an event called Canal Days that is held on the first weekend of June. The last and most interesting characteristic to me is the history behind this town. So many things have happened here and it’s wonderful to learn about the background of it.
Vista and Eliza Furnaces, it also has countless other historic markers from the numerous ghost towns. The Ghost Town is one of the major focal points of my community.
1st ROSA FRICKEROMAN
Saltsburg High School Grade 9
Cleo Long, Grade 4, United Elementary School Mia Lydic, Grade 4, Penns Manor Elementary School
10 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best feature story SALTSBURG, Rosa Fricke-Roman, Saltsburg High School, Grade 9, first place Continued from Page 9 You could go to the canal and read about the history there. We have a graveyard right within town where you can go see all the graves of the veterans and people that died. You can come watch the band play for Memorial Day and
see soldiers speak about those who have fallen. An extra reason to come is to watch the Saltsburg teams play. We have many sports teams that play. Even though our football is not the best, you can still come watch the marching band put on a great halftime
show. The Saltsburg students work hard to get something done and that’s what makes Saltsburg a good place to be. Everyone here in town works hard to earn something. Even though there are many flaws to Saltsburg, there are many reasons to be here. Everything here to me is beautiful because it
What’s Special About My ‘Little’ Community
potty-trained yet. Finally, we made our way to the checkout. I was surprised we only spent 10 minutes talking to the cashier about the weather. We made it home around 4 p.m. We left around 2 p.m. Would you like to know what we needed at the store? A gallon of milk and one loaf of bread. Two hours for milk and bread. I don’t know about you but I find this very troublesome when I am in a hurry. People who live in a community where the population is smaller than a single-cell organism tend to complain about the amount of time it takes at the grocery store, instead of the amount of time you are stuck waiting in traffic. Despite this long trip for groceries, I am
more than grateful to live in a rural community where everyone knows everyone and everyone is like a family. Where I live is special in its own “little” way. Literally, we have five stop signs. No stop lights. One local grocery market. No traffic. Sometimes cows may cross the roads, but we have all gotten use to that. No matter where your destination is it will probably only take around five minutes to get there. Living in this sort of environment and growing up in this culture teaches a person a lot about the essence of family and the deep meaning it has behind it. Next time I go to the store with my mother, I will drive. And I will make sure to consider the minimum two hours to shop for milk and bread.
I wasn’t even a whole foot out of the car when my mother saw someone she knew. After 10 minutes of hearing my mother’s friend talk about missing her husband because of his new hours at the coal mine, we eventually made it into our little local grocery store. As soon as we walked through the doors, what do you expect? We immediately saw my mother’s best friend’s sister’s husband’s mother. So, of course we had to carry on a 45minute conversation about her new golden retriever and how the pup is not exactly
makes up what Saltsburg is. From the town history to the activities that you can do during the summer. It’s amazing to live in such a small town where everyone knows everyone. It’s a good place to be and that’s how Saltsburg could be described.
1st KARA FISHER
West Shamokin High School Grade 10
Gianna Brody, Grade 4, Saint Bernard Regional Catholic School
Madison Long, Grade 5, Purchase Line Elementary School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 11
Writing contest for the best feature story The robin’s call I wake up to the beautiful singing of a robin and the refreshing smell of the damp, morning air. I quickly open my eyes and walk to the open window where the sound and the breeze come from. It’s beautiful outside. Our home is the only one in sight. We are surrounded by woods and fields. I love it. Looking out the window I see brilliant colors. The grass is green, the flowers are bursting, and life is exploding all around. You instantly know it’s spring. Spring is known for aggressive storms, alluring colors and the resurrection of nature, but it is much more than that. Memories quickly flow to my head. My family pulls the porch furniture out and cleans up the landscaping around the house. The air smells of freshly plowed fields. I especially like the smell of manure! The changing weather brings thunderstorms and gentle showers. When thunderstorms come, my family humorously scrambles to save the porch furniture by bringing it into the garage. They are usually soaking wet and laughing. I see and smell new life all around. Animals move about looking for food and tak-
ing care of their babies. I know there is a fox den in the woods behind the house. We see the mother fox at dusk searching for food. I really want to chase her, but mom says no. There is so much to see, smell and explore. It is hard to stay close o home and especially hard to stay inside. I am glad it’s spring. The days have grown warmer, the smells stronger and the days longer. It’s summer now. Leaves are on every tree and the flowers are in full bloom. One of my favorite things to do is sit in the middle of our field wit my eyes closed, taking in every smell, every sound and ever feeling. Whether it be the beautiful smell of the flowers, the chorus of the birds or the silky feel of the grass beneath me; it never gets old! Mornings come early and fresh. As the lazy day turns warmer, work and play fill the long day. Sometimes my neighbors wander by and visit for a while. Everyone is like family. In fact, the local farmer plants a vegetable garden for nearby families to tend and pick from. At the end of summer, my mom gathers a lot of vegetables and cans them. Sometimes we even have what you could call canning parties with our neighbors. When evening comes, the sunset is com-
2nd EMMA ARBLASTER
United High School Grade 10 prised of yellows, oranges, reds, pinks and purples. When twilight turns to dark, my family sits on the porch. The noise of the creaky porch swing competes with the cicadas and crickets wile candles flicker in mason jars set around the porch. The noises at night are loud in the country, but it is a peaceful kind of loud. As darkness continues to fall, and bats come out to eat, we watch as the front yard and trees are consumed by the little pulsing explosions of fireflies.
On some evenings, instead of the front porch, we sit around the fire pit. Fire pit time is consumed with s’more eating and fun conversations that go on forever. Sometimes friends come over, which makes it more of a party. Sometimes we even have a tent set up so the kids never have to come in at night. I love those nights that we are allowed to stay out all night. I wish summers were longer! I am sitting in the car watching my family pick out pumpkins from the local Amish mart. It’s chilly out. I watch my family’s warm breaths turn to steam as it hits the crisp air. The leaves have turned from brilliant green to bright reds, yellows and oranges. Over time the leaves will slowly fall off and the trees will become bare. It is now fall. As we drive home with our pumpkins, I observe the empty farm fields, the cow pastures and the occasional cars that pass by. My family loves fall because fall means football. Every Sunday consists of enthusiastic excitement and frustration. It is entertaining to observe. The down part of fall is that school starts. The house becomes an uneasy stillness; it seems unnatural. Continued on Page 12
2nd
Tori Manzek, Grade 5, Horace Mann Elementary School Adam Cowburn, Grade 5, Horace Mann Elementary School
12 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best feature story THE ROBIN’S CALL, Emma Arblaster, Saltsburg High School, Grade 10, second place Continued from Page 11 Besides school starting, it’s the perfect time to be outdoors. Long walks in the woods entail content observation of sight and smell. Sometimes on particularly crisp days, you can hear the echoing clip clop of an Amish horse and buggy through the valley. But long walks come to an end as a result of hunting season. Mom doesn’t let me go outside because I might meet a hunter in the woods. But that’s OK; I love hunting season. The sight of orange gets me excited. It reminds me of when dad takes me birdhunting. It’s one of my favorite things to do. When the nippy days turn to brisk nights, we end the day by gathering around the fire pit. With the harvest moon shining down on
us, my family curls up in blankets, hot chocolate in hand, and they have loving conversations. Sometimes we end our evenings with just the crisp, cool, quiet sounds that fall gives us. I hear my name called in the distance. I then start bounding in the deep snow toward the house. The once chilly weather turned to raw, freezing snow. I run to the door and go straight to the warm fire. Winter is the most brutal season. From its frigid temperatures to its deep now, it shows no mercy. But winter isn’t all bad; it shows its own beauty. At night the snow sparkles in the moonlight and the treetops get a glaze of ice. I love waking up to the untouched snow. It’s like a white ocean across the fields. Sometimes when the weather gets bad
enough, my brothers and sister get off of school, which results in a fun snow day. It is even better when family comes to stay. One time our cousins came to visit, and they all went outside. There was an epic snowball battle behind forts and sled-riding. My uncle and my dad even made a giant snow unicorn! I will never forget that day. In winter, the nights get longer, which means the moon is out. On clear nights, the moon is shining so bright you could mistake the night for day. The moon and the snow mix together to get a cold blue color. I love digging in the snow, trying to find the sleeping grass beneath. Although the wind doesn’t have a distinct smell, it will bite you. My family’s favorite time of winter is Christmas. There’s something about it that
F-A-M-I-L-Y
Our team bond echoes the community around us. I love my corner of western Pennsylvania because of the family feel of my school and community. Our community is much like our school: small. West Shamokin graduates an average of 60 students every year. With three small towns — Rural Valley, Dayton and Elderton — making up West Shamokin, it truly proves how small of an area it is. But I can’t complain. Our small community is special because everyone is like one big family. The community in which I live consists of family, extended family and a lot of friends and acquaintances. I can honestly say that I have spoken to at least 85 percent of the people who love in my small town of Yatesboro. Actually, it is so small that on the road sign
it states, “Village of Yatesboro,” but it is the perfect place for my family and I. West Shamokin is a great high school. There is a lot of athletic opportunity. There is a wide variety of elective class options. It is funny that any team members, school faculty, students or coaches that you could easily be related to them. Just think your math teacher could be your mom or your history teacher could be your basketball coach! We are all so tightly-knit that a lot of people have many roles in our lives. But we don’t mind, we love our teachers and coach, like a big family. When Frank Nagy took over the girls’ program at the beginning of 2015 summer the girls decided to keep the coach McCullough’s motto. Continued on Page 13
“Bring it in, Family on 3. 1, 2, 3 FAMILY!” This has been the West Shamokin girls’ basketball team’s motto for the past four seasons. When Judd McCullough took over the program in the 2012-13 school year, he started the “family” perspective of the team. It was the second time that Elderton and West Shamokin had merged and he wanted to gel the team together. “Since we have had two programs merging as one, I needed strong terminology to help build a culture of ‘teamwork’ and ‘togetherness,’” Judd said. “Family was the first word that entered my mind. It just seemed to be a perfect fit for the type of culture I wanted to establish in our program.”
brings the family closer. The Christmas tree goes right beside the fireplace, which is my favorite napping place. I sometimes spend all day there. Christmas comes to an end, and the longest part of the winter creeps along. We all begin to anticipate warmer days. The winter has been long, but the sun is coming up earlier and forgotten familiar smells are returning. Spring is in the air once again, the song of the robin has returned, I bark to be let out so I can greet her. When my mom lets me out, the smells and sounds from nearby and far call to me. There is more out there to explore and my four legs want to carry me farther out. I stay close by though, never leaving further than my family’s call.
3rd OLIVIA FUSARO
West Shamokin High School Grade 10
Damien Mulhern, Grade 4, Northern Cambria Elementary School
Alayna Klingensmith, Grade 4, United Elementary School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 13
Writing contest for the best feature story F-A-M-I-L-Y, Olivia Fusaro, West Shamokin High School, Grade 10, third place
Continued from Page 12 “I think it’s important for the team to decide what to say after each huddle in order to really take ownership of it,” McCullough said. The 2015-16 season for the Lady Wolves
The Legacy of a Name Every day students walk to the school office to sign up for Varsity Track. They envision themselves sweating and suppressing tears every day during practice, competing at meets, and finally, smiling because they have achieved the success they so long coveted. The paper will print the stats with the heading “United’s Victory on Thomas J. Madill Athletic Field and William Lichtenfels Throwing Field.” Despite reading this print and catching a glimpse of the names during track, how many students know why the fields are named after these two men? The answer is scant. Nonetheless, Thomas J. Madill and William Lichtenfels left an unimaginable impact on United High School and the community. When learning about the past, young people have a tendency to clump decades together instead of understanding the linear progression of how time truly passes. To put it in track terms, the two weren’t competing head to head; instead, they were in a relay. Madill was the first runner. He set an impeccable precedent for every coach at United, even Lichtenfels. Madill was a teacher and track and football coach at the Armagh school, before the transition of neighborhood schools that took place in 1955.
has been a successful one. After a rough 0-2 section start they fought back to finish second at 10-4. “We knew after our 0-2 start in our section that we needed to work together and as one to claim our spot in the playoffs,” said An-
1st JOHANNA KNAPIC
United High School Grade 11 Madill’s teams had instant success; the first track and field team at United was a runner-up for states, and the following two years, they were state champions. In addition the football team went undefeated. Lichtenfels noted that Madill was a valuable coach because, “he was concerned about the kids. He even showed up at their house and made sure they were in line.” Fifty years ago, Lichtenfels was one of the students Madill influenced. He had Madill as a teacher, and Lichtenfels shared, “He was my second father, really. If it hadn’t been for Mr. Madill, I don’t think I would’ve gone to college.” It was Mr. Madill who convinced Lichten-
Addison Sutton, Grade 6, United Elementary School
drea Orlosky, a junior varsity starter on the team. The girls did exactly that and came back with a vengeance. “Our girls have chosen to say, ‘family’ and it has shown that the word truly
means something to them,” said Frank Nagy. “It brings us all together and helps us through the ups and downs of a long basketball season. We really are one big basketball family.”
fels to apply to IUP. Right after Lichtenfels graduated in 1968, Madill made him the assistant coach. Lichtenfels recalled, “Everything I know about track I learned from him ... I participated in track, but it’s different when you’re on the other end of the spectrum. He just said, ‘it’s yours, you’re handling all the throwers.’ It was a learn-by-doing.” Evidently, that learn-by-doing worked. In the mid-70s Madill retired and Lichtenfels took over, and so the baton was passed. Getting the humble Lichtenfels to talk about his success was a Herculean task. His former pupil, Eric Skedel, a 2007 PIAA State Champion and the United High School Javelin Record Thrower was asked why the field was named after Lichtenfels, and he vocalized, “It’s simple. He is and always will be the best throwing coach to ever step on the field at United.” On the field, Lichtenfels felt coaches must
have high expectations. “I was very demanding of a person that played for me,” he described. “I wanted to build a better person out of my students, so I wasn’t afraid to tell them how I wanted things done. “ Skedel supports this, saying, “Lichtenfels was very stern, very strict, and extremely detail oriented. He had his own way of encouraging you to do better!” Skedel believes sports create a solid foundation for a person and their career, not just high school. Of course, what made Lichtenfels a success wasn’t limited to a field; Lichtenfels said his overall goal as a coach was to have kids come out of sports with lessons they could take with them. To summarize all that he taught, he recited 10 small, yet powerful words that he counted on each finger: “If it is to be, it is up to me.” Continued on Page 14
Sarah Covato, Grade 4, Calvary Baptist Academy
14 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best feature story
THE LEGACY OF A NAME, Johanna Knapic, United High School, Grade 11, first place Continued from Page 13 From his attitude it’s easy to see why they wanted to name the field after him, but when pried for his opinion he answered, “I’m okay with how it was: Buena Vista Field.” The coach shrugged and said truthfully, “It’s a humbling thing, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think I was any greater than anyone else out there coaching, I really don’t. I simply enjoyed coaching.” Lichtenfels retired from teaching math in 2005 and coaching in 2010, and the baton is now held by current coaches Mr. Robert Penrose and Mr. Chris Matava. Good coaches teach athletes about their sport, but great coaches
also impart their character on athletes. Lichtenfels remembers Madill as a man with tremendous character. Lichtenfels is thought of in the same way by those who were coached by him and those who coached with him. Coach Mr. Robert Penrose, who was a former athlete and assistant coach to Lichtenfels, says, “As his assistant coach, I got to know a man who showed integrity, caring for every athlete, someone who took his job as a teacher and coach seriously because he saw how he had a chance to impact students. He is a man that people respect because he treats them with respect.” Penrose continues the philosophies of
Madill and Lichtenfels by, “coaching every athlete like they are the best on the team. Respect and hard work ... are the lessons I pass on.” For 61 years, thousands of student athletes have trained, competed, and dreamed on United High School’s athletic fields. They have looked up to the white press box that presents Madill’s name; they have passed the boulder at the throwing field that announces Lichtenfels’s name, and soon track season will start and students will be handed the baton of success forged by former students. Their aim is success, and although it can be a vague term, Coach Lichtenfels puts it
Ghost Town Trail Livens Community
given to trails that contribute to health, conservation, and recreation goals in the United States. Hopefully, the trail will continue to grow for many generations to come. The meaning behind the name “Ghost Town Trail” is significant to the community. To outsiders of the community, it must sound eerie, why would you go on a haunted trail? The name “Ghost Town Trail” refers to the small mining towns of Wehrum, Bracken, Armerford, Lackawanna, Scott Glenn, Webster, Beulah and Claghorn that were bustling with people heading to work in the mines, and shops open for business that had a life of their own have long since closed. The trail doesn’t let us forget our community’s history, and what made it what it is today. The trail runs through where these old mining towns were located. You can even see some of the relics from the old towns. The most well- known would be the Eliza Furnace in Black Lick.
The Eliza Furnace, though not in use since 1849, is one of the best-preserved hot blast iron furnaces in Pennsylvania. The trail also runs along another, the Buena Vista furnace, another hot blast iron furnace. These furnaces would produce pig iron, which was refined into wrought iron. Combined, these two furnaces pumped out 2,200 tons of iron a year. These two landmarks are crucial elements of the Ghost Town Trail and to the community. The furnaces are little pieces of what made up our community all those years ago. The Ghost Town Trail has been a big part of our community for over 20 years. The trails wind through the old mining towns that were once the heart of this community and next to the historic Eliza and Buena Vista furnaces that would blast hot iron every day in their prime. Those days are long gone, but the trail can remind us of what our community has been built on, and the hard work it still stands for.
A scenic trail winds through the countryside, through the ruins of buildings that once were from a lifetime ago. Huge, magnificent boulders and a river encompass you, with the soothing sounds of water, the air-cooled and clean. Your bicycle tires are gliding effortlessly over the small gravel. There is no other place you could experience this than the historic Ghost Town Trail. The Ghost Town’s trail had a previous life as a bustling railway. The trail was established in 1991, when the Kovalchick Salvage Company donated 16 miles of the former Ebensburg & Black Lick Railroad to Indiana County. From there, it blossomed into what it is today, 36 miles long, stretching between Indiana and Cambria county. The Ghost Town Trail is a designated National Recreation Trail, which is a title only
like this: “There’s always going to be someone better, and only one person can be the winner ... Success in track is measured by personal bests, improving your scores. Life is driven by improving yourself and not worrying about who is better than you ... To me improving yourself is more than important than being the best.” I now know my success is up to me. In the late 1970’s, the football and track field was named after Thomas J. Madill, and soon after the throwing field was named after Bill Lichtenfels. Now paint peels off and the rock weathers as former leaders are forgotten — but the impact coaches leave on the community remains.
2nd EDEN LYDICK
United High School Grade 11
Isabella Brunetto, Grade 4, Eisenhower Elementary School Belinda Lin Xu, Grade 5, Horace Mann Elementary School
2nd
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 15
Writing contest for the best feature story My Home If this little piece of earth I call home could talk, what would it say? For as long as I can remember, the ridge line has always been my favorite view; these beautiful mountains are very special to me. This has always been my home, my address has never changed. My people are from here, though they weren’t always. My ancestors, the Kinseys, came through these mountains from Germany and built their home here in 1795. I suppose, like me, they thought that there are few places on earth that could be more beautiful. Distant relatives still hold an annual family reunion at the Kinsey Family Museum near Ligonier. This museum displays historical artifacts from the Kinsey family’s life here. There is also a memorial stone in Bedford County, which I have visited with my grandparents. This is a quote from the inscription on the memorial stone there: “This marker symbolizes the victories won by pioneer ancestors
over the wilds of nature, in these parts, in a new and strange land.” Though to me this land is not new, or strange, like it was for my ancestors, I am very glad that some of it is still wild, and has not been tamed by man’s industry. That is not to say that it is completely unchanged. My grandfather told me once that this cluster of mountains is called Chestnut Ridge; however, there are very few chestnut trees on the ridge now due to a blight that struck a long time ago. If, in the future, either man or nature changes the land, I will always remember it as stunning as it is now. Something that is also very special about where I live is that it is near the country and wildlife, but we are not so far out that we cannot also go into towns and cities in a fairly short amount of time. I love that I can enjoy the beauty of rural life, and am still able to participate in activities such as ballet and violin lessons in two adjacent cities. It is a blessing to be able to enjoy qualities of both country and city life. The ridge that I live on is very beautiful,
but it is not the main thing that makes my home special to me, that would be my family. God has blessed me with a wonderful family. By saying this, I do not mean that we are perfect, quite the contrary. But, as I said before, I have been very blessed. Most of my family members live close to me, and those that don’t, we can visit within a day’s drive. I am thankful for all the memories I have with them; they have been a keystone in my life, and continue to be so. If this small piece of earth that I call home could talk, I imagine it would say that it saw a family grow and live in its embrace. It saw the family grow in love, and that they lived well. This ridge will always be one of my favorite views, and will occupy a special place in my memories. Even when I move away someday, whether I live somewhere in the country, or a city, this will always be my home. Regardless of the physical distance that may lie between us, my family will always be my people.
3rd SARAH JONES
Learning Tree Homeschool Fellowship Grade 11
Rachael Ward, Grade 4, Purchase Line Elementary School
Amy Fu, Grade 5, Eisenhower Elementary School
16 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best feature story Small Towns, Big Cities As human beings we create borders for ourselves, we create our own way of thinking, and we set that imaginary boundary saying that across the line is someone different than us. But in reality, that is not true. We also created these boundaries between rooms, houses, towns, communities and counties. I live in the small town of Brush Valley, hidden in between the valleys of Homer City and Armagh. In this town our boundaries do not make us push away from helping one another and being with one another, and in that way it makes us special. In Brush Valley a lot of the residents are family so it is special for them to be able to just walk down the street to be able to see the rest of their family. We are also different because we are friends. We, as a town, would be considered distinctive because we help each other out when something goes wrong. When it is the middle of the winter and the big snowstorms hit, there are a large amount of older people who are unable to shovel off their porches or get a tractor
1st EMILY OAKS
Seeds of Faith Christian Academy Grade 12 to clean out their driveway, and one of the guys on the road will clean up for them. Also, when a big storm happens and trees fall all the tractors pull out and start pulling them off the roads in order for people to be able to drive on them. Brush Valley is also special because we have a large family population that lives in the town so that way people can just walk to each other’s house.
This is special because when the grandchildren want to go to see their grandparents, most of them just have to walk up the street to see them. Personally, my grandma lives three houses down from my house. I like being able to walk to my grandmother’s so that whenever I want to see her I do not have to rely on someone to take me, and I do not need to drive my car back and forth to her place so she can have companionship more often. We are also distinct because, unlike many towns, we usually get along with one another. We are close enough to each other that we can get to each other’s house and stay the night and not have to worry because the parents are friends and the grandparents are friends. In this town, when we run into each other, we will talk to one another instead of ignoring each other. I love living in my town because we are all friends and we can be with one another when we want to hang out with our friends. I also like being in my small town with my friends because we have more land we can use to participate in activities such as horseback riding, quad riding, walking and hunting. In Brush Valley our boundaries do not make us push away from helping one another and being with one another and in that way it makes us special. In Brush Valley many of us are family and we treat each other as family. I like living in the small town rather than the big city because we can be a family because we can be together, unlike those who are in a bigger town or city. Would you rather live in a small town or a big city?
2nd ISAIAH SHARP
Calvary Baptist Academy Grade 12
Untitled Young adults will make some of the most important decisions in their life from age 18 to 24 years. One of these decisions is where to live. Many factors affect your choice for a place of residence, such as cost, occupation, type of home, and most importantly location. There are basically four main options for location; country, towns, suburbs and city. Comparing the two major sides, rural living and city dwelling, seem like such a sharp contrast, but are they really? When looking at the history of physical well-being we see that generations ago, the country people were in better health than the city dwellers. Largely related to food source, most of the people outside city limits were farmers, therefore, had an abundance of food. Continued on Page 17
Ashlyn Winslow, Grade 6, Indiana Junior High School
Hannah Muir, Grade 6, Saltsburg Middle High School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 17
Writing contest for the best feature story UNTITLED, Isaiah Sharp, Calvary Baptist Academy, Grade 12, second place Continued from Page 16 Technology was not largely improved ,so manual labor was a huge part of day to day life. However a large portion of the people living in the city had occupations which required a sharp mind, not physical fitness. Disease was more prevalent among the city people, because sanitation was not a popular idea and the population was dense. In modern times most of the country people have jobs farther away from home because of the advancement of highways and transportation. The farmers do not rely on physical fitness as much because of the new equipment such as tractors, reapers, and different other types of machinery.
‘People live in rural areas, small towns, larger communities and big cities’ I live in a small town known as Saltsburg. Saltsburg is not very big and is located right along the Conemaugh River. Saltsburg’s population is about 900 people as of the 2010 census. Living in a small town like this is very pleasant because everyone knows everyone. Our high school is a public school and my senior class consists of 69 students. Small town schools allow students to get to know each other, unlike big schools that have graduating classes of 400 students. I live right outside of Saltsburg out in the country. I enjoy living out in the middle of “nowhere” where your closest neighbor is a few hundred yards away.
Aidan Goodlin, Grade 4, United Elementary School
A higher percentage of city dwellers today are more physically fit than the latter, because of all the walking they do down sidewalks to get places. In rural areas more people rely on vehicles to get to their jobs because of the farther distance needed to travel. Living in the country, I enjoy many recreational activities because of all the open space and woods surrounding my house. My front yard is many times larger than a football field and playing a real game of football is no problem. The woods on our property are a great place for hunting and riding dirt bikes and four wheelers through the trails we made with the dozer. Now, I’m not certain, but I’m pretty sure that if a person in the city shot a firearm out-
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side the house they would get a lot of attention, from the police and possibly media. At my house we use our hill in the backyard as our own personal shooting range. Getting a good night’s sleep is no problem at my house because there is basically no noise pollution. It is just the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and if you listen closely, you can hear the sound of the small stream that runs down over the hill. In the city there are advantages such as entertainment, lots of people, and convenience. I know that in the city there are many different restaurants, clubs, recreational centers, and many more places to choose from when you’re looking for something to do.
If you are a “people person.” the best place to live is obviously in the urban environment. Of course a lot of people seem rude because of the hustle and bustle, but there are rude people almost anywhere you go. Another perk is living within a few mile radius of anything from movie theaters, to grocery stores, to coffee shops. Even though traffic might be bad at times, it is a small price to pay for being so close to everything. Looking at my options, I have a 15 minute drive at least to get to the closest movie theater. There is no right or wrong, or better or worse. It’s merely a matter of preference and it’s ultimately what you want out of your choice of living.
This is what is nice about living in a rural area. You are provided with some space and privacy! There are many advantages to living in a rural area. Not only do children get to go outside and breathe fresh air, they actually have yards to play in.
Children get to see all kinds of wildlife and experience the environment living in a rural area. Many get to go bird watching, hunting, or even fishing. This is one of the biggest reasons I love living in a rural area. My Dad was able to take me hunting and fishing all the time. Continued on Page 18
SHELBIE ROMAN
Saltsburg High School Grade 12 I could never live in a city because I could never live two feet away from someone else.
Steven Fisher, Grade 6, Penns Manor Elementary School
18 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best feature story ‘PEOPLE LIVE IN RURAL AREAS, SMALL TOWNS, LARGER COMMUNITIES AND BIG CITIES,’ Shelbie Roman, Saltsburg High School, Grade 12, third place Continued from Page 17 Hunting has become my favorite hobby and provides me with a great way to spend time with my father. Another advantage would be that children
get to raise chickens, goats and even cows. This is a great life experience for kids because it teaches them numerous life skills. Living in a rural area also gives us a place to escape too!
Going home is like a mini vacation because you get to escape the city, traffic, and all of the day to day routines. Turning off of a main highway onto a back road is sometimes just what
someone needs. It allows you to get away from the real world for the time being. These are just some of the reasons living in a rural area is so special to me.
Writing contest for the best opinion column Untitled Ever been up to 11 o’clock doing homework? Or even reading a book that you absolutely hate but your teacher made you read for an assignment? Let me tell you, you definitely aren’t alone! Many people I know play sports after school, and so do I. That lessens the time we have to do homework, even though it’s after school. Most days our homework includes AR (Accelerated Reader), which is a reading program at our school district. A lot of kids I know dislike reading, so this makes it harder to find books that they will enjoy reading for AR. For AR, you have to get a certain amount of points, but if you don’t or don’t do the extra credit, it’s possible to feel judged. After this, your self-esteem doesn’t exactly go off the charts. Do you see what I mean about this program now? Accelerated Reader is a program where after you read a book you can take a test to get points on it. You have to have a certain amount of points before your time frame (ours is by the end of the quarter) is up. This
1st RILEY PAYNE
United High School Grade 7 puts a ton of stress on kids, especially when they play sports. If you have football or cheerleading, basketball, baseball, soccer, cross-country, or even multiple at once, you probably have your hands … or feet full. Sources say that an average of 55 percent of kids in high school play sports (www.us news.com and https://ncaa.org) That’s over
half! This statistic needs to be taken into a more careful consideration. With sports, regular homework and then AR, our evenings are filled with stress. After ruining our evenings, it can ruin our love for reading. Do you happen to know anyone who doesn’t like to read? I do, a good many too. Having to read books just because you need points and are out of time is miserable. Especially when you don’t like the books. I have learned that some people like to read, some don’t and some who did, don’t anymore. It’s all because they feel forced to read something they didn’t want to. If we didn’t have the Accelerated Reader program, this wouldn’t happen. Since it’s already demolished our evenings and love for reading, it might as well kill one more thing, right? Wrong. It also has started to destroy friendships. If you don’t read as much as someone else it can make you feel down about yourself, when you really shouldn’t have to. This happens when people brag about their points. This causes other peers or friends to get upset. Again, this shouldn’t happen over having to read a book.
Some believe it’s important to have AR. They say it boosts your reading level. The question is, how does skimming over a book quickly because you don’t care for it, help your reading level? Also, they say to plan it out and read some each day or each night. The problem with this is how would you have time for sports for three hours, do your homework, and then have time to do your reading? It’s more difficult than it seems, to balance everything. As you can see this AR program takes a lot of time. For us as kids, it carries a lot of stress and I mean a lot. It also can hurt our confidence when we are already self-conscious enough. When we need our friends the most, it’s possible for them not to exist anymore because of bragging or being upset over something as simple as how many points we got. I, as a junior high student believe AR is over looked as a smaller responsibility than everyone thinks, because we already have enough on our plates. This AR program needs to be discontinued at our school district.
Devon Laney, Grade 6, Penns Manor Jr./Sr. High School Madison Miller, Grade 5, Saltsburg Elementary School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 19
Writing contest for the best opinion column Can pink be for boys too?
Problems with Gym Class Should student’s grades in gym affect their grade-point average? I think it should not. Student’s G.PA. should not be affected by the grades they are receiving in their gym class. Grades in gym class could keep you off the honor roll. Not everyone is athletic. Not all athletic instructors are fair. For example, my aunt was kept off the high honors for many years because of a gym class. Some students are born athletic, some are not. There are some non-athletic students I know who are super intelligent. Most students that are non-athletic spend most of their time on academics and do not have time to be athletic. I think student’s G.P.A. should not be affected by their grade in gym. I feel that exercise and being fit is very important every day. Exercise of any kind helps reduce heart disease and obesity for everyone, especially those who are not athletic and compete in sports. It should not feel like a boot camp. Exercise is a good way to keep stress out of everyday life. If you are having fun, you will not think of it as exercise. Because not everyone is athletic, school districts could offer other types of exercise. For example, they could offer weight lifting, exercise class, aerobics or yoga. Some students are better at one-on-one. Students
2nd BLAKE MEARS
Seeds of Faith Christian Academy Grade 7 usually do not want to work as a team in sports — they exclude you if you are not as athletic. Sometimes a student is judged unfairly because they may not have the coordination or strength, but are doing their very best. I feel that as long as you wear the proper gym clothes and participate in the activity the best you can, your grade in gym class should not affect your G.P.A. If this option is not possible, they could off substitutes. Do you think your grade in gym should affect your G.P.A.?
Megan Overdorff, Grade 6, United Elementary School
1st
What gender should pink be for? Is pink for boys, girls, or both? Is it not “manly” enough for boys, or because it’s a softer shade, it should be for girls? Both men and women, boys and girls, children of all ages have disagreements .A common disagreement has to do with the color pink. Boys’ colors say it’s not a boy color, girls say it’s a girls’ color not a boys’ color, then there are a few who say pink is for everyone. I personally, are one of those few. A color, is a color. If you say it’s a girls’ color, it’s like girls are “claiming” that color, but you can’t just claim a color, any color. I took a survey asking my class “Should pink only be for girls?” Two students said yes and 18 said no. What’s your vote? You, we, I, us, everyone has seen a boy in pink before. Lots of people wear pink, so what things as they do. Girls’ should be happy because some boys have a liking for pink. Some girls’ wear blue, so does that mean boys’ should only wear pink? Is a color really manly? Think about it, is pink really manly? I took another survey (for boys only) in my class asking “Is pink manly enough to wear?” Three students said yes, one said no. But it doesn’t matter if it is, or is not
3rd RYLEI VOGEL
United High School Grade 7 manly. You should be able to say what you want, do what you want, and think what you want about pink, or any color. There are good qualities that girls might like for boys wearing pink. They have the same taste that girls might like in pink. Such as fashion. If you have trouble picking out clothing or accessories, you might want to bring a guy friend who likes pink. It may come in handy! Pink is for everyone. No matter who it is, big or small. Boys can wear and like pink, just as much as girls do.
Grace Bennett, Grade 6, Indiana Junior High School
20 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best opinion column A Man of Infinite Variety After Kobe Bryant’s last All-Star game, Camelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwayne Wade took him out to an invite-only party and dinner as part of their gentlemen’ club, which they started in the 2014-15 season. At the dinner, they each presented Kobe with retirement presents. Wade gave him a robe and a one-year subscription to Netflix; Paul gave him dental adhesive, reading glasses, compression socks and a cane; and Anthony gave him a magnum of Gaja Barbaresco Italian wine since he grew up in Italy where his father played professional basketball in Rieti. What a variety of gifts for a man whose career itself was the epitome of variety. NBA superstar Kobe Bryant played his last All-Star game of his career in Toronto. Kobe announced his retirement in November, stating that he would play the whole season. In the All-Star game Bryant scored 10
2nd GRACE WADDING
Seeds of Faith Christian Academy Grade 8
points, he had seven assists, six rebounds and one steal. To date, he has played 20 seasons with the Lakers and participated in 15 All-Star games. He has four All-Star MVP awards along with winning the 1997 slam dunk contest. Kobe has had his ups and downs on the court. He came to the NBA straight out of high school at age 17, deciding not to take any of the full ride scholarships he was offered. He was full of talent and was already being compared to Michael Jordan, which is hard for a rookie right out of the gate in the NBA. It was not easy for this quiet young kid who kept to himself. He had nothing in common with the players since they were older, but that did not stop him. He worked out longer and harder than any player on the team. After the team won their first NBA championship, Kobe started to open up more and
tried to get together with his teammates better. In the NBA there have been scores of great players, but none quite like Kobe. We have all watched him grow from a teenager into a man. What’s going to happen to the Lakers now without Kobe? Who will they try and replace him with, who are they thinking about, and who will they trade? Who will be the Lakers’ next big star? Kobe has been mentoring some of the younger players on the team as he prepares for his exit this season, hopefully making them into NBA legacies. Kobe will continue on to help the team that has helped him become one of the greatest NBA players to ever live. He will probably continue on to do endorsement deals with Nike and other companies. Kobe has had a long and prosperous career in the NBA. Who knows, maybe some day you will find
Kobe mentoring or coaching at Lower Merion High School, the place where dozens of the coaches came to see this great star play high school basketball.
Feminism in America
to campaign for women’s rights, including the right to vote, to hold public office, to work, to earn equal pay, to own property, to receive education, to enter contracts and to have equal rights within marriage. Women of colour are often more oppressed than Caucasian feminists, especially in other countries. In Afghanistan, for instance, women tend to only live to the age of 45. A huge number of women are illiterate, which means they cannot read or write. Half of the brides are under the age of 16 and one woman dies from childbirth every half hour. Domestic violence is so common that 87 percent of women admit to experiencing it. Afghanistan is the only country in which the female suicide rate is higher than males.
Common stereotypes of feminists are: feminists hate families, feminists hate men, all feminists are ugly, feminists hate stay-athome moms, all feminists are women, all feminists believe the same exact thing and feminists are always angry. Many of these myths are false. Though there are some feminists that are like these examples, which makes people believe every feminist is like that. In conclusion, feminism is very important. Without it, females would still be buried in oppression like hundreds of years ago. People deserve equal rights regardless of their gender. Discrimination is a huge issue that needs to be stopped. If we work hard enough, someday we may achieve equality.
Even since the historical ages, women have been oppressed. Women have always been looked down upon by most men. Discrimination happens not only in third world countries, but also in America. It is a huge issue that needs to be dealt with. That is why in the 19th century, they staged the first feminism movements. People have been fighting for hundreds of years to end female oppression. The definition of the word “feminist” is: “Advocating social, political, legal and economic rights for women equal to those of men.” Which literally means: a person who wants equal rights for women. Feminist movements have campaigned and continue
Gabe Cornman, Grade 4, Saltsburg Elementary School
1st JAKE ALBERT
Indiana Area Junior High Grade 8
Xiamara Kerr, Grade 5, W. A. McCreery Elementary School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 21
Writing contest for the best opinion column Future or Fiasco? Self-driving cars may seem far fetched or futuristic. They aren’t. Google is planning to have 10 million computer drivers on the road by 2020. Google began its new revolution of autonomous cars six years ago, but only recently has it become one of the most debatable topics in technology. Currently, the autonomous vehicles have traveled over one million miles in California, Texas and Washington. Goggle’s self-driving car prototype doesn’t look like any typical car. It’s much smaller, The car is equipped with sensors and software to detect pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. The software classifies the objects based on their appearance and predicts what the object might do next. The car has a round shaped and starts at the push of a button. With millions of unemployed citizens in the U.S., Google’s project will provide work. Google is providing 36 professional jobs with its new project, including engineers, policy analysts, marketers and a head of real estate. More than 90 percent of traffic accidents in the U.S. are because of human error. Google thinks that self-driving cars will reduce the amount of accidents that occur on the streets. The computers aren’t prone to distractions and have a larger perspective of their surroundings. Computers also don’t have road rage. With self-driving cars, people with disabilities would be able to drive without having to rely on another person. People would be able to relax in the back-
3rd ELIZA RAY
Indiana Area Junior High Grade 8 seat and get other work done while the car does the driving. Since the cars are much smaller than human-piloted cars, they could solve congestion issues. They are able to drive much closer together, allowing more of them on the road at a time. James Anderson, a senior behavioral scientist, said autonomous cars will “reduce the costs of congestion,” At first, self-driving cars may seem harmless and beneficial to our society. However, there is one thing that Google forgets to tell us: they want to take human control completely out of autonomous vehicles. They removed the steering wheel and brakes. In a letter to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, Google stated that they “express concern that providing human occupants of the vehicle with
mechanisms to control things like steering, acceleration, braking … could be detrimental to safety.” If the vehicle is about to crash into a ditch, all riders can do is sit back and watch the vehicle be destroyed. Google believes that the autonomous technology can make better decisions than human drivers. Don’t plan on speeding down the highway, either. The cars do not go past the “neighborhood friendly” speed of 25 miles per hour. Recently, China hacked into the U.S. government. How easy would it be for a computer whiz to hack into the software of a self-driving car? Constantly, technology shuts down, glitches and malfunctions. Technology is unpredictable. The self-driving car project may provide many jobs, but it will also cause many people to lose their jobs. Taxi drivers or automobile manufacturers will no longer exist. This will be a major problem for many people in our nation. Google designed the self-driving car to start at the push of a button. This control may be convenient, but it is dangerous. A child could easily jump in their parent’s car, push a button and drive away. Since the computer does the driving, there is no skill needed to drive an autonomous car, thus making it even easier for a child to drive. This raises the question: will people need a driver’s license to drive an autonomous car? Driving is something all people love and enjoy, or even do as a professional sport.
3rd Lydia Miller, Grade 4, Rayne Elementary School
Hashem Alrahmah, Grade 6, Indiana Junior High School
It is considered a privilege to drive. Google is taking this privilege away from us. The self-driving cars aren’t necessarily accident-free either. Even with the small amount of autonomous cars that have been on the road, they have already caused hundreds of disengagements and accidents. In one testing location, there were 341 disengagements. Thirteen of them were because of weather conditions; the sensors cannot see through heavy snow. The majority of the accidents were caused because of a perception discrepancy. The sensors could not properly identify and react to objects on the road. There were 80 software discrepancies. Morning Consult surveyed 1,869 people between January 29 and Feb. 1 of this year about their thoughts on autonomous vehicles. Surprisingly, over half of the voters said they would not ride in a driverless car. An overwhelming 75 percent said they expressed concerns about road safety, glitches and having self-driving cars share the road with traditional cars. As many science fiction novels and movies have told us, we cannot let technology take over our lives. Technology can do wonderful things, but our society is becoming lazier every day. Ninety percent of accidents on the road happen because of human error. Software, vehicles and all technology in our world today were created by humans. Anything made by humans can never by perfect. Inevitably, there will be error in technology. Human error.
22 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best opinion column Untitled Guns are devices made of steel, wood, plastic or plastic, or other man-made and natural materials. The purpose of this device is to propel a projectile by a rapidly expanding gas. The most common form of this today is called a cartridge. The device itself however comes in many different shapes and sizes commonly known as pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Even with these differences, the devices all share common traits. They typically have a trigger to start the re-
Why High School Should Start Later Picture this, you walk into a high school class between 7:40 and 9:00 a.m. The teacher is talking and trying to get the students to participate, but nobody wants to. Instead they are tired, sleeping, or staring off into space. Most teens don’t get enough sleep at night. In Rhode Island it is found that 85 percent of teens were chronically sleep-deprived. How do we prevent this from happening? Teens need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night to function best. Studies show that lack of sleep affects teens’ ability to function at school. A recent study showed that sleep deprivation can affect mood, performance, attention, learning, behavior and biological functions. Sleep is vital to your well-being. Sleep can even help you eat better and manage the stress of being a teen.
action of expanding gas and a barrel in which to stabilize and guide the projectile. Also they typically have some form of sighting devices to identify where the projectile will be placed. What guns are not. Contrary to popular belief, firearms do not have abilities on their own. The possessor of the firearm must give it those abilities. In other words, in all of history, a fireman has never committed a crime by itself, nor has it ever shot anyone by itself. In fact, a firearm is nothing more than an inanimate object. Often this is the greatest misunderstand-
2nd NICOLE FINK
Saltsburg High School Grade 9 In Rhode Island it is proven that 26 percent of high school students said they usually got less than 6.5 hours of sleep on school nights. Sleep deprivation in teens may have bio-
ing in our country today. This causes many legal and social debates. What a gun is. A firearm is a tool used for many necessary reasons. It could be used for hunting to provide food, as well as fellowship for family and friends. Also, these tools can be used for recreational or competitive target shooting. Finally, firearms can be used for self-defense. The possession of guns by law-abiding American citizens is a right granted under the Constitution of the United States of America, commonly referred to as the 2nd Amendment.
1st LOGAN HOBURG
Calvary Baptist Academy Grade 9
logical causes, some experts believe that teens’ body clocks start later. Tests by a professor at Oxford suggest that students do better in the afternoon because their body clock is programmed two hours later, possibly for hormonal reasons. In the morning, when people of other ages are awake for the day, elevated melatonin levels and often feel groggy as a result. Also many teens feel drowsy in the middle of the day, regardless of their sleep habits. Researchers at Norwalk Hospitals Sleep Disorders Center in Connecticut found that teens whose high schools have a delayed start time sleep longer and report less daytime sleepiness. The high school opening time changed from 7:20 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., and everyone noticed the difference. “Teachers think kids are more alert; they document fewer absences and tardiness in early classes,” said Laura Nelson, a school district spokeswoman from the Edina, Minn., School District.
Some people may not support changing school start times simply because they do not like the idea of a change, but according to researchers fully rested teens have improved memory, reaction time, mood and athletic ability. Even though after school activities would have to be rearranged most schools who switched say that they had students perform better in school and they had less students dropout. Sleep can help manage the stress and that, to a teen, is a good thing. A 2013 survey by the APA found that stress is extremely common among teenagers. In my opinion, high schools should start later so teens can improve their abilities. Most teens have activities, homework and a social life to maintain after school. Why would we not make teens lives easier and let us achieve more in school. What do you want to see when you walk into a high school class between 7:40 and 9 a.m., sleeping students or students actively participating and getting good grades?
Romylos Dokos, Grade 5, Homer Center Elementary School
1st Aaron Coblentz, Grade 4, Purchase Line Elementary School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 23
Writing contest for the best opinion column Gaming: Peaceful Pastime or Harmful Hindrance? According the 2014 NPD Group’s information, 34 million ‘Core’ gamers, gamers who play on a home console for at least 5 hours per week, actually spend approximately 22 hours per week gaming on average. Gamers offer up almost a collective whole day per week in order to play video games, but the real question is, is it worth it? What effect does gaming have on a person’s life? Is this effect harmful, or is it helpful? Too much time spent playing video games would distract you from your responsibilities, but if you balanced time correctly, it provides a fun pastime and challenge. As an avid gamer, I would say the benefits of gaming outweigh the deficits. Video games generally get the stigma of rotting minds and only being played by nerds or people with no lives. This stigma is a major misconception. Many gamers are social gamers, spending about 5 hours a week playing with friends in-person and 6-7 hours with friends online. Not only this, but 56 percent of all frequent gamers play games with others, in-
3rd MICHAEL SHOUP
Saltsburg High School Grade 9 cluding friend, siblings and parents, and say it helps them bond. Games often offer gamers the chance to experience a situation they’ve never seen before, be it a medieval fantasy or a futuristic sci-fi story, which produces a change of pace from day-to-day life. Because of this, people will sometimes play games simply as a method of “escaping reality” for a while, either from an announce or to cope, making games a good
medium for balancing stress. Games also help gamers develop certain skills, such as: reaction time, hand-eye coordination, and decision making skills. Games help develop these by challenging the with fast paced gameplay, active puzzles and time limits on making choices. These skills can be used in everyday life, allowing gamers to react faster than most depending on circumstances. Games such as Telltale’s “The Walking Dead” or “Tales from the Borderlands,” active storytelling experiences, forces gamers to make snap decisions that will influence the story of the game, while games such as Treyarch’s “Black Ops 3” makes gamers rely on reaction speed and hand-eye coordination in order to survive. Games offer more advantages than these, but they are often the most cited advantages, as they are useful in everyday life, allowing you to pass the time, face a challenge, recover from the day and develop skills. Although people often assume that games are bad for the commonwealth of gamers, they offer many ways of improving the gamers. I say that games are more beneficial than they are malignant and that the stigma against them is mostly unfounded.
1st STEVE HECKMAN
Saltsburg High School Grade 10
Talkin’ Bout My Generation I rise in the morning accordingly to the alarm set on my iPhone 5. I get out of bed, put on an REO Speedwagon T-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and my red Converse sneakers, all the while “Hurts So Good,” by John Mellencamp, plays quietly through the speakers of my school-issued iPad. As I walk out of the door of my house, I kiss Continued on Page 24
Ethan Jacobs, Grade 4, Northern Cambria Elementary School
Jon Berzonsky, Grade 5, Horace Mann Elementary School
24 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best opinion column TALKIN’ BOUT MY GENERATION, Steve Heckman, Saltsburg High School, Grade 10, first place Continued from Page 23 my momma goodbye and walk to the bus stop. I stop and help the neighbors with their garbage cans as I walk by after garbage night, and pet the neighbor’s dogs along the block. I have a leisurely conversation with my 45year-old neighbor, while I wait for the bus, which arrives promptly. I walk up the steps on the stair well of the bus and look at all of the passengers promptly on my way back to my seat, and what I see rips my heart out every time. Several boys and girls sit in the numerous seats, many wearing headphones blaring rap music and the new hit pop songs that cuss and praise drugs, sex, and violence, and all of the things that teens are so promptly swayed away from by the public education system. Almost every teen on the bus is staring down at a glowing piece of glass, tapping and scrolling and pinching, but for what? I sit down in my seat at the back of the bus, and shake my head in disgust at the modern youth that sits in front of me every morning. I plug my own headphones in and the melodic tune of “Black Water,” by the Doobie Brothers, plays softly and melodically as
the bus rolls through the country hills and riversides of Saltsburg. I turn my phone upside down in my lap immediately after selecting a song. I look at all of the heads in front of me, bowed in obedience to the device in front of them. I turn my head and observe the gorgeous tranquility of the rolling hills and blue mountains ringing from the reflection of the sunshine; a golden sea of wheat and crop lay in front of my eyes with the fields and forests spanning miles and miles of sacred American land, through the looking glass of the school bus window. The music-just loud enough to cancel outside noise but not damage my earsdrums out the yelling of the bus driver, scolding the teens to “turn off their damn rap music.” I chuckle as I think of my interests and tastes in everything as oppose to everyone in my peer groups. “Sweet Child of Mine” by Guns and Roses comes on next as I take a closer look at the looming Blue-Ridge mountains over the horizon. The massive blue-tinted giants sit unmoved in the distance, hundreds of miles away. The bus arrives at my high school-built in 1984-and I unplug my headphones and turn
my phone off as I walk into the entrance. I observe the trophies and photographs of the good old days located in the lobby. I note the brick walls, and all of the thousands of memories they’ve witnessed over the 32 years of their existence. Just as I glance away from the massive trophy case, I notice a sixth grade kid on his knees on the floor of the lobby, a huge mess of papers, notebooks, and binders all around him, the only other kid in the hallway. I walk over to him quickly without even thinking, help him pick all of his things up, and pat him on the back as he says thanks, and he walks to homeroom. Eventually, lunch swings around in the school day and the lunch ladies hand me a tray, asking me what I’d like to eat. I ask with a please, and I receive with a thank you. As I say please and thank you, I am laughed at by several kids in the lunch line, who just happen to glance up from their phones in order to remark and complain about the quality of the school lunch. I sit at my table and eat my lunch alone. Fast forward to the end of the day, just before I am to leave the public education system, and board the bus ride home. I pull a binder from my relatively tidy locker, but it slips from my grasp as it falls violently to the
Sally Kingan, Grade 6, Indiana Junior High School
floor. All at once, all of the hundreds of papers within the binder are strewn across the hallway. I dive on it quickly, as my bus is going to be at the lobby any minute. As I scoop the first paper in my hands, the bell rings and the horde of shuffling teenagers fills the lobby, all of which discussing rumors, gossip, and the usual “I hate this class, this person, this school, blah blah blah.” The horde shuffles past me, paying no attention to their fellow student on his knees, trying desperately to clean his things and regain his composure. I finally manage to do just that, just in the nick of time. I follow behind the horde, plugging Led Zeppelin into my ear as I step back on to the bus. Yes, my dear reader, I entirely agree that I’m not like the typical teenager. I love all different types of classic rock, I don’t do drugs and I treat others exactly how I want to be treated. I’ve been told jokingly that I’m like an old man, and many times I see myself as such; weary and tired of the misunderstanding and lack of manners from my peers. Yet oddly enough, I get along excellently with my elders! Continued on Page 25
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016— 25
Writing contest for the best opinion column TALKIN’ BOUT MY GENERATION, Steve Heckman, Saltsburg High School, Grade 10, first place Continued from Page 24 At the end of the day, as I peer through the looking glass of the bus window, I see the Blue Ridge Mountains looming over my little happy town. The mountains are there in my current generation, as well as the generation that I feel I belong in. Those mountains will always exist in the horizon, overlooking the ever developing-or ever declining, depending on how you view the situation-society of youthful teenagers, all with dreams and ambitions. Those mountains will always look down on kids such as myself with gratitude, appreciating the knots in the grain of youthful societies and men/ women on the moon who are hungry for a difference in their lives. To these kids, I say this: stay different, my friends. Your time while come, as sure as the mountains stand.
Immigration The Statue of Liberty stands tall in New York City. She once welcomed immigrants into our country. She is here to remind us of how our great country came to be: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddles masses yearning to breath free.” The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France. She was given in the spirit of celebration and democracy which signifies to us that immigration should not have restrictions. For nearly 130 years, Lady Liberty has been an iconic symbol of immigration and freedom. Some Americans are now feeling fear and suspicion from Hispanics, Southeast Asians and Middle Easterners. It’s no different than the feelings of Americans many years ago towards the Italians, East Europeans and Russians. Immigrants built this great nation. We should not build walls but build brighter more secure futures. Immigrant to the U.S.A. can create more jobs and give us more diverse skills. It can also result in lowering our taxes. Not restricting the borders and letting immigrants in will give us more diversity and with their skills, could also create more jobs. Immigrants are 30 percent more likely to
Cassidy Jakosh, Grade 5, Saltsburg Elementary School
2nd SKYE CRAMER
United High School Grade 10 start a business than a U.S. citizen, according to the Small Business Administration (www.whitehouse.gov). This in turn creates jobs for American workers. The Fiscal Policy Institute recorded that in 2007, immigrant business owners had employed around 4.7 million people. These immigrant-owned businesses created more than $776 billion a year! Immigrants can also help raise the wages or American-born citizens. Most immigrants have jobs in agriculture, construction and household services. If immigrants work in lower-paying jobs,
then it expands the capacity of higher-paying jobs for Americans. According to a study done by the University of California, immigration has boosted the earnings of Americans by .7 percent in the last few years. It is projected to increase to 1.8 percent in the upcoming years (www.american progress.org). Immigrants can and do help Americans economically. Immigrants can also open new export markets for American products which can strengthen relations. Even if immigrants didn’t have jobs, people would complain about them getting welfare, but to fix this problem, we can set up local “charities” to help migrant families. It could operate like a food bank. There is an organization in China called the MCF. It’s a non-profit organization (mcfchina.org), and I think America needs something like this. Some people agree with Donald Trump’s idea to build a wall to separate use from Mexico. By building a wall, you would be putting the environment at risk and there would be conflicts between Mexico and America over possession of property. Also, building a way would limit the amount of sunlight given to crops and farmers could lose their jobs. Continued on Page 26
Kendra Wysocki, Grade 4, Appolo Ridge Elementary School
26 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best opinion column IMMIGRATION, Skye Cramer, United High School, Grade 10, second place Continued from Page 25 Building a wall could start a war between the U.S. and Mexico. Let’s not build walls. Let’s build solid relationships. By not risking a war between America and Mexico, we would be cutting down on our military budget, which would lower our taxes. Eighteen percent of our taxes go to the military per year. We can save thousands by not building a wall. Also, building a wall that big would require many materials and would cost us about $2.8 million to $3.9 million. Some people argue that when immigrants come in, they bring diseases with them. Well, back in 1842, if you were sick, you were brought to Ellis Island Hospital and Morgue. If you died on the way to America on the boat, you were taken to the morgue immediately. In 1914, the staff treated almost 10,000 people from 75 countries (www.thevintagenews.com). The immigrants were checked on the boat before they even set foot in
America. This kind of system would create jobs and cut down on disease. If we had a separate hospital, like the one at Ellis Island, it would quarantine the diseases and create jobs. Instead of sending military overseas, we can have them patrol our borders to check on the immigrants. This would not put any restrictions on the border because the military would just check for sickness and/or criminal background. We would send the sick to the hospital and cart the criminals off to our prisons. Wouldn’t we want the drug lords/pushers in our custody rather than roaming freely in another country waiting for a second chance to penetrate our borders and infect our younger generation? If we deport the illegal immigrants, it would cost the government money which eventually will cost Americans money through higher taxes. Transportation is the most expensive. Also, children of the immi-
grants need special care before being deported, and that would cost more money. This would raise our taxes. It would cost $10,070 per undocumented immigrant deported. There are currently 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.A. It would cost over $114 billion to deport all the immigrants that are already here and undocumented. It would take 20 years through Mitt Romney’s “self deportation policy” to deport them and would also cost between $400 and $600 billion dollars in the years upcoming (www.newsweek.com). In Pennsylvania, the state/local expenditures on illegal aliens cost $1,378 million. In some states close to the borders, like California, the expenditures are $21,756 million. The total of all the states combined is a staggering $83,851 million (www.fairus.org). If immigrants come freely into the country, they wouldn’t be escaping taxes; they would be paying them because they would be U.S.
Will Trump Breed Fascism?
ed by a group of Englishmen who had grown tired of tyrannical English rule. These men were, for all intents and purposes, immigrants. They weren’t native to America, that title belonged to the Native Americans that had inhabited the land for hundreds of years prior to Europe’s discovery of it. These men were to them what the Mexicans and Arabs are to us: aliens, nuisances that had to be dealt with. But the natives were too primitive to mount an actionable assault against the onslaught of Europeans, who were already fighting each other. But there is a rather famous proverb that I believe we are all familiar with: “History repeats itself.”
It was around this time in history that Thomas Jefferson began his infamous Indian Removal Act, in which he sent thousands of United States soldiers to clear out areas all over the east coast, and send them to Kansas. The route to their new home earned the title: Trail of Tears. After years of ensuing conflict, history has left us with great battles and wars between Natives and Americans, such as: The Red River Wars and Custer’s Last Stand. But why am I spouting this history lesson? Well it is not very well known that these actions of total extermination of another race by Americans was subject to the admiration of a famous man, a very despicable man. A man by the name of Adolf Hitler. Continued on Page 27
“Make America great again.” Many of us have heard these lines being spoken at Trump support gatherings. But where exactly will we be under Trumps rule? Oh sorry, presidency. As the months tick down to the election, more and more presidential candidates grope for more support in decisive states such as Iowa and Ohio. But perhaps those who support Trump in these decisions are rushing to conclusions. But who can blame them, right? Who wouldn’t want America to be great again? So let us take a trip back in time, to when America was “Great.” As we all surely know, America was found-
Mackenzie Thomas, Grade 4, W. A. McCrerry Elementary School
Carina McClurg, Grade 5, Rayne Elementary School
citizens. The taxpayers are paying for the deportation. Deportation takes too long and costs too much. Immigrants are the backbone of our great country. We should never forget what American stands for — liberty and justice for all. We should not have restrictions on our borders. We should welcome all immigrants with open arms and make them feel at home but always take the natural precautions with diseases and national security. America would not be where it is today if immigration was restricted. Our ancestors were all immigrants. A lot of influential and productive immigrants became American citizens. As one former immigrant has said, “As you know, I’m an immigrant. I came here as an immigrant and what gave me the opportunities, what made me to be here today, is the open arms of Americans. I have been adopted by America.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger
3rd TONY BARONE
Saltsburg High School Grade 10
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 27
Writing contest for the best opinion column
Abigail Skoff, Grade 5, Homer Center Elementary School
WILL TRUMP BREED FASCISM?, Tony Barone, Saltsburg High School, Grade 10, third place Continued from Page 26 That’s right, the actions of “America the beautiful” and “The land of opportunity” posed as a figure to replicate by a man who committed alongside his lieutenants, the most heinous crimes in mankind’s bloody history. They pushed those people from their homes the separate camps. They stripped them of their culture, and openly discriminated against them. They passed awful rules and regulations against them, all before they began to blatantly massacre them. And the Nazis followed suite, committing the same acts against the Jews. What? Did you think I was talking about the Nazis at first? But how does this all tie in to the initial subject at hand? Many blind Americans reach to vote for Trump because he promises several ways to quench America’s seemingly insatiable racism. Trump promises to build a wall on the border to Mexico, but besides wasting millions, and perhaps billions of taxpayer dollars, what good would that do? The cartels and crafty illegals have already proven they ingenuity in getting past our border defenses. Hundreds of miles of tunnels, smuggling operations, and even swimming the Gulf of Mexico are all means of getting inside the United States. What good would a wall do to prevent any of these situations? Trump also has openly
stated his hatred for Muslims, which is hardly a surprise coming from the racist background of his father. But yet again his claims satisfy many Americans. I mean, who wouldn’t want to outcast the Muslims, right? Well perhaps the Muslims would! Trump’s ideas are insane, nothing short of the fascist ideals that caused World War II. Trump has even gone so far as to suggest that all Muslims wear special symbols for identification, and that is where I draw the line and admit: that really, truly scares me. When the holocaust started rearing its ugly head in 1930’s Germany, it was covered up by the German government. The citizens of the regime were none the wiser as Jews disappeared from the streets, and even supported the movement under the claims of Hitler that the Jews were the source of all their pain and suffering in the past several years. The German people were thoroughly convinced that the Jewish people had caused everything wrong the their Germany, and had cleverly orchestrated the downfall of Germany in The Great War. Nobody spoke up as Jewish authors and songwriters, poets and philosophers as well as even military officials such as Captain Wolfgang Furstner, of whom had been the architect to create the Olympic Village for the 1936 Olympic Games, disappeared into concentration camps. Continued on Page 28
Desiray Powell, Grade 4, Apollo Ridge Elementary School
Ava McKelvy, Grade 4, Learning Tree Home School Fellowship School
Phoenix Sharpe, Grade 4, W. A. McCreery Elementary School
28 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best opinion column WILL TRUMP BREED FASCISM?, Tony Barone, Saltsburg High School, Grade 10, third place Continued from Page 27 But instead of facing the shame of being cashiered from the Wehrmacht, Captain Furstner instead decided to take his own life. German citizens were so brazenly pro-Hitler and his ideals, they didn’t think twice, or even once about following his every command, he was a hero to them. History repeats itself. When the holocaust first began, Jews were forced to wear badges so that they could be identified. Trump has suggested that the Muslims of America have to wear badges so they can be identified in the street. This worries me because the parallels between Nazi Germany and modern America are to hard to ignore. While I will admit that the beginning of the rise of the Nazis was significantly different than the last several years of America’s history; we don’t have a bloodthirsty dictator (although many would disagree). I worry that under Trump, it is only a matter of time before an American holocaust of the Muslims begin. How long will it be before we begin exhaling Muslims to concentration camps or ghettos under Trump? Under the Nazi regime, some 270 thousand mentally and physically disabled German citizens were euthanized as to preserve the strength and purity of The Fatherland. Recently on national television, Trump mocked reporter Serge Kovaleski for his muscular dystrophy. If Trump pokes fun at those with physical disabilities, why should we think he will show sympathy for them when he is in charge? Trump and his supporters are recently known for meeting and having rallies which are comparable to those of extrem-
ists. One recent rally got national attention when a group of Bernie Sanders supporters got in and began protesting against Trump. Those who got in were fortunate enough to get past the security that demanded those who attend to swear allegiance to the billionaire, sounds like fascism to me. After the protests began, Trump instructed his security to “Throw them out into the cold.” As if that wasn’t enough (Though I do agree Trump had that right at his own rally) he also instructed them, saying “Don’t give them their coats. No coats. Confiscate their coats.” If the man is so radical at his own private receptions, who knows what he will do at larger events, when he has real power. There is a rather powerful quote from a man by the name of Pastor Martin Niemoller that strikes deep in my heart. It goes like this: “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.” If we do not stand up for one another, we are no better than the oppressors who oppress us! If we stand idly by, and go quiet into the night, we will slip further and further into tyrannical chaos. United we stand, divided we fall! So let’s stand up against the oppressor, and not give power to those who would misuse it and further soil the good name of the United States citizen: American!
1st ALLISON SEDLOCK
Northern Cambria High School Grade 11
Perspective is Key Tick-tock. Tick-tock. It goes on and on, but somehow the bell still doesn’t ring. The girl stares at the clock, focused on the ongoing ticking, while math equations float over her head. Only 20 more minutes, then she’s free. After those 20 minutes she will leave the dull cell and enter the only classroom that’s able to hold her attention — the art room.
Aviana Struzzi, Grade 6, Indiana Junior High School
2nd
Continued on Page 29
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Writing contest for the best opinion column PERSPECTIVE IS KEY, Allison Sedlock, Northern Cambria High School, Grade 11, first place Continued from Page 28 She will take pencil to paper and instead of numbers forcing their way onto the white sheet, beautiful lines and shapes will sprawl from her 4B pencil. Snap! Something pulls her back into reality — words. Not just any words: Society’s words. They scream and echo through her mind no matter how hard she tries to ignore them. “You have to pay attention, because art will take you nowhere!” “Study what’s useful!” “How will you be able to support yourself if you pursue art?” She’s still not absorbing the math though; she’s forming questions that will be asked to no one. Why can’t she live in a world where art is accepted? Why can’t people see art the way she does? Why? (Ding!) The long awaited ring of the bell brings her out of her reverie. She leaves her worries and questions, along with y + mx + b, in the class room. For 42 minutes she is safe. In 42 minutes she can
create a masterpiece to add to the collection on her bedroom wall. The girl from this paragraph is only one of the many creative children and teenagers worldwide struggling with wanting to pursue a career in art but being held back by society. I believe that art is extremely important. Art allows us to express ourselves like no other subject. Thomas Merton once said that it enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. It has meaning and depth and no boundaries. Art is the universal language, yet it is sidelines. People are constantly wrinkling their noses at it and pushing it aside. Little do they realize, art is everywhere. Maybe that’s why people cast stones at art. They are looking at it as lines on paper rather than the wide category that is actually art. Perspective is key. Art includes the houses lived in, the furniture filling the rooms, the clothes worn, even the food we eat. It is the portraits lining the hallways, the books read, the movies watched, the music bounc-
ing off the walls , and so goes the endless list. Take that all away? What’s left? Nothing. We need art. We need that sense of individuality. Art is what sets us apart. Andy Warhol once said, “The idea is not to live forever, but to create something that will.” There are various occupations involved in this subject. Fashion designers sew clothes to match our own personal styles. Architects build houses and structures that are different from any other. Writers compose stories that stay with us forever and develop characters that we can relate to. Screen writers and directors bring these stories and characters to life. Artists paint, draw and sculpt the masterpieces that line walls and streets everywhere. Chefs use the culinary arts to create edible works of art. Animators design animation and visual effects for television, movies, video games and other forms of media. Cosmetologists provide haircutting, hairstyling and a range of other beauty services. And so on. The careers are endless. The
Adopt a Pet from a Shelter
euthanize pets whenever they get too packed. There are currently 2.7 million pets that need adopted in the United States. We can be the ones to make a difference. We can bring that number down, even if it’s just by a smidge, it makes all the difference in that animal’s life. Adopting from shelters boots our self-esteem because every time we look at that happy animal, we are reminded of what might have happened to it if we hadn’t been the ones to save it. My own grandmother adopted two of her dogs from a shelter. The two dogs that she adopted are perfect for her and have helped her in so many ways. Secondly, by adopting we are fighting
against puppy mills. Puppy mills are “factory styled” breeding facilities that put making more money above the welfare of dogs. If people adopt pets, they are getting a wellmaintained, healthy dog. Some might say, “dogs that aren’t rescued aren’t very healthy,” which is most of the time true when they first get placed into the pound, but the staff at the shelters work very hard to bring that dog back to its original health and make sure that they are kept well groomed. Lastly, people will be saving money. The pet shelters keep every animal up-to-date with shots, which means we don’t have to. Let’s say that someone buys a puppy from a breeder. Continued on Page 30
Imagine seeing a distraught puppy running across the road as you are driving. The puppy has no collar, and therefore no place to call home. That cute, harmless puppy ends up spending most of its life in a dog shelter. Just like humans, this puppy longs for a family to call its own. It did nothing wrong to be put into a jaillike home. That was why more people should consider adopting from a shelter they are saving that animal’s life, fighting against “puppy mills” and getting a great bargain. Firstly, people who adopt a pet are saving that animal’s life because many pet shelters
opportunities are infinite. Read the following quote first without and then with the brackets. It will reveal that perspective is key. “Art is pointless [without passion]. You have to go out [and create art]. Get an actual job [doing what you love] and make a living [by being yourself]. You can’t just let [other people define] the rest of your life [and say you will] be a joke, a failure. [Follow your heart]. You will end up [happy and free], not a starving artist. [Love your art and] contribute to society [by inspiring people] instead of wasting time [letting others tell you] you’re worthless. [You can change the world].” — Unknown. I hope one day that art will be embraced for the good it truly is, and I long to see the artistic succeed in doing what they love. My advice for the inventive youth would be to not let anyone or anything influence their decisions. Be creative, be unique and know that we will enjoy life much more if we do what we love.
2nd SIENA BURK
Northern Cambria High School Grade 11 Lizzie Carion, Grade 4, Eisenhower Elementary School
Hunter Smathers, Grade 6, Indiana Junior High School
30 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best opinion column ADOPT A PET FROM A SHELTER, Siena Burk, Northern Cambria High School, Grade 11, second place Continued from Page 29 They are in charge of keeping that puppy healthy and up-to-date on its shots until its adult years. The vet bills add up and so does the stress. Also, most animals in the animal shelters are welltrained. Most people end up paying a trainer to train their pet because they don’t have patience to do so. So, instead of buying a pet and spending more money than you should, adopt an animal in need for just an adoption fee. For those who finally decide in their life it’s time to get a loving, furry companion, think about the 2.7 million animals out there right now in those dull, prisonlike pounds. That puppy you are about to buy will be bought in a matter of days if you don’t buy it. Even though the staff at the shelters work hard on giving each and every animal their love, all animals deserve a life outside of a shelter. Shelter animals can be in the shelter their whole, short-lived lives. But we can make a different. We can save that pet from a short, neglected life.
Untitled It was not a very busy night at the café, but Alyssa was counting down the minutes until she was able to go home after a long shift. All of the things she had to complete before school the next day were spinning in her head: three writing assignments, a chemistry lab and a complete layout for her school newspaper. She drove her mother’s car to work today, so she didn’t have to waste time taking the local bus. It was exactly 10 p.m. as she thought to herself, “Ah, finally closing time.” As Alyssa gathered her stuff, she grabbed her keys, jacket and her books. She shut off the lights and closed the door behind her. It was now 10:14 p.m., and she knew she’d be home by at least 10:25. She pulled out of the café parking lot, which was muddy from a long day full of rain and snow. Instantly her life flashed in front of her eyes. When Alyssa awakened, bright lights and white ceiling tiles blinded her. She tried to sit up, but was denied by three doctors standing by her hospital bed. Alyssa suffered with three broken
3rd ALYSSA LOCKARD
Northern Cambria High School Grade 11 ribs and a broken arm, but she was very lucky to be alive. A drunk driver, driving at a speed of 45 miles over the speed limit, had hit Alyssa. In 2014, 10,076 people were killed and approximately 290,000 were injured in drunk driving accidents. There are even more people injured emotionally, such as family and friends close to the victims that were killed and injured due to drunk driving incidents. One person is killed per day in Pennsylvania from drunk driving accidents.
Terrible things can happen to people if they get behind he wheel after consuming any amount of alcohol. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated will endanger the person driving and also hurt innocent people driving as well. Drunk driving is a serious problem facing teens today. In fact, 4,300 deaths are caused by underage drinking. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted in 2013 that among high school students in the past 30 days: 35 percent drank alcohol, 21percent participated in binge drinking, 10 percent drove after drinking and 22 percent rode with an intoxicated driver. Plain and simple — don’t drink and drive. A person cannot legally drink or purchase alcoholic beverages in Pennsylvania until you are 21 years of age. If someone is caught buying, drinking, possessing or transporting beer, wine, or liquor, that person will be arrested. If convicted of underage drinking, that person will have a criminal record and lose their driver’s license for 90 days. Those caught driving under the influence of alcohol receive a misdemeanor of the second degree, with a maximum penalty of up to $5,000 and up to two years in jail. Continued on Page 31
Brinley Toland, Grade 5, Apollo Ridge Elementary School
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Writing contest for the best opinion column UNTITLED, Alyssa Lockard, Northern Cambria High School, Grade 11, third place Continued from Page 30 If you are tried and convicted, you must pay a minimum of $300 and spend at least 48 hours in jail and pay other legal fees. In addition, you will lose your license for at least three month, possibly up to a year. Under Pennsylvania’s Zero Tolerance Law, people under 21 can be arrested and charged with a DUI even if their blood alcohol is .020 (any measurable amount of alcohol in your system). Please do not let anyone get behind the wheel if they are under the influence of alcohol. The outcome will never be good. Do not take the chance, even if you think you are fine to drive. I believe too many people do not think about what they are capable of doing to themselves and other people around them. Wherever you’re going, whoever you’re going to see, it can wait. You can always get something later, but you will never get your life back. Do not drive under the influence of alcohol. It’s not worth it.
Mental Health in Teenage Minds Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people 10-24. And 90 percent of people that have committed suicide had some type of underlying mental illness, according to NAMI. And according to save.org, and average of 105 Americans die by suicide every day. Those statistics are staggering and incomprehensible to read. Imaging children, teenagers, and young adults suffering to the point of self destruction is neither something established among the population as fact or even brought into the light at all. This is due to the sad and dark nature of the truth, but something has to be done about it. Young people all over the world are killing themselves. That’s a concrete fact. The youth of America has been suffering with illnesses that they are never taught to understand. Some crucial aspects to their own minds are left as a mystery to most of these people, some that never get the
1st MACEY BATES
Saltsburg High School Grade 12 chance to find out what is really making them feel the way that they are feeling. These facts needs to change. The reality of young people killing themselves from mental illness needs to change. And from my own experience within my own schooling system, I have seen no change. All that I have seen and experienced are the ill effects of mental illness and what they can do to destroy entire families, along with the hardships of dealing
with your own mental illness. I believe that education on mental illnesses and how to manage them has been a greatly neglected section of a student’s education, considering the drastic effects that mental illness has on the young community. I do not recall having a serious class about mental illness. I did not know what generalized anxiety was when I was diagnosed with it and I did not know what depression was until I felt it. I can only recall a brief and vague lesson that I had went through during middle school health class. We only skimmed over things like suicide and how you should tell someone if you feel like you are depressed. The problem is that I didn’t know what being depressed really was and I didn’t know what feeling suicidal was truly like. All I was given was a list of symptoms and the notion that every mental illness was the same for every person. Teachers that were only focused on physical fitness did not know enough about health within the brain and therefor did not stress the importance of it in our lives. Continued on Page 32
Adam Altemus, Grade 5, Penns Manor Elementary School
3rd
Emily Adams, Grade 5, Eisenhower Elementary School
32 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Writing contest for the best opinion column MENTAL HEALTH IN TEENAGE MINDS, Macey Bates, Saltsburg High School, Grade 12, first place Continued from Page 31 I didn’t understand until I went to the doctor with my mother as a last ditch effort and the doctor told me that I was suffering from anxiety and depression. That was in seventh grade. I was 14 years old. After that, it was a long long road of adaption and learning. I was forced to research my illnesses and find ways that I could get better. This wasn’t a cold or a broken leg that you could see. This was something that made me feel like I must have had nothing wrong with me at all. No one understood how I had panic attacks before school. Kids were confused when I seemed upset about everything, even when I told them that nothing was wrong. This was all so hard. Hiding and working around my illness became what I based my life around and it still does to this
day. I continue to deal with stigma from people that are not educated about mental illness. For me, the most difficult part of having this illness is the feeling that only a few people in my life will really understand what I am going through and will consider it an actual problem. Being young and having a mental illness is a rough road, but not one that I am alone on. Many young people are dealing with these issues the best ways that they can manage, which is very inspiring to me. But this can’t be the way that it stays, because if the majority young people are never told what the reality of mental illness is, they will never learn about themselves more. Imagine having a cold, but never learning what a cold actually was. That must be a confusing, scary thing. Mental illness is similar, but even more terri-
fying because it is unseen and within our brains. Making a child deal with that seems despicable, if not only heartbreaking. Students learn about the periodic table and every element within it, but we don’t know what to do if we have extreme anxiety. Students know how plants grow, but we don’t know what to do if we are constantly sad. Students are taught about how bullying is bad, but we do not teach children about anger disorders. All of those things that we are taught are important and crucial in their own respects, but why is mental health excluded from them? Why do I have to study sodium for an entire week, but information about my mind is only skimmed through? Mental illness is not below any of those things and needs to be brought to more attention to all children
Food Choices at School
Schools should offer more healthy, local and diverse food options in order to benefit students and to reduce the cost of school lunches and snacks. Some credit must be given to the school for the healthier options they currently possess. For instance, the cafeteria serves standard lunch with whole grain, sweet potatoes and zucchini when appropriate. Baked chips, whole grain cookies and muffins and portionable ice cream desserts are also offered additionally. This only begins the expansion of healthier food options in school environments. I feel that students would appreciate the enhancement of the school cafeteria and vending machine selections and develop a new propensity to establish healthier eating habits. According to the USDA, one meal consists
of one to two cups of fruit, two cups of vegetables, one and a half to four ounces of whole grains, and two to six and a half ounces of protein. The USDA also recommends three cups of milk per day. In order to obey the United States Department of Agriculture’s proposal, Saltsburg Middle/High School should consider making these health-based options more accessible to the students. Freshman Mathew Razpotnik agrees that these selections would help improve and expand our current school menu. “If the school imposed bigger but healthier meals for the students, the students would be getting the necessary amounts of whole foods,” says Razpotnik. Offering student-approved and healthier meal and snack choices would overall benefit the well being of the students. Continued on Page 34
Each day, the school bell rings for students to report to lunch. The cafeteria fills with the aroma of the two or three entrée selections the cafeteria provides. The meal each student receives has selective optional sides, but a majority of students fall victim to purchasing additional à la carte items. These costly foods only harm their health and lunch account balances. These items that pertain more to snacks than a side to a meal, also sit in the lobby vending machines and call students to indulge in their sugar and high calories. With more of a selection from vending machines, students experience temptation to feast on unhealthy foods, a similar effect to that of a snack shelf at grocery store check-outs.
when they are in school. Some of their parents may not teach them because they do not even know themselves, so school has to be the constant to foster their emotional and mental growth. Young people are killing themselves. Young people are starving themselves. Young people are cutting their wrists and hiding it under their shirt sleeves. And most of them don’t even know why. This is one of the darkest problems that is facing our education system today. It needs to be dealt with and these young people need to be educated on the human mind so that they can at least understand why they are suffering and why their illness cannot be seen. Make it so that young people are not alone in the world of mental illness. Make it known.
Grace Stonebreaker, Grade 4, W. A. Mcreery Elementary School Maddie Buffone, Grade 5, Rayne Elementary School
2nd TERESA SHIELDS
Saltsburg High School Grade 12
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Faisal Bakri, Grade 6, Indiana Junior High School
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Writing contest for the best opinion column FOOD CHOICES AT SCHOOL, Teresa Shields, Saltsburg High School, Grade 12, second place Continued from Page 32 The Saltsburg Middle/High School offers several à la carte options such as soft pretzels (accompanied with nacho cheese), chips, cookies, assorted drinks and ice cream. Although students have the right to make their own lunch decisions, they take advantage of the prodigious combinations. It’s unacceptable that these unlimited options could potentially count as a meal of its own. Meanwhile, sophomore Lizzie Zapach comments that items such as the soft pretzels, chips, cookies, assorted drinks and ice cream should not be removed, but improved. “As they are now, the additional items for sale aren’t worth the money. If they were better, people would be more willing to buy them,” says Zapach. Additionally, vending machines also offer
3rd SHELBE JARRETT
Saltsburg High School Grade 12
students these unnecessary junk foods but at more of a convenience. These machines need to house more fruits, vegetables, and grains for students and less sugar and calories. It would also be helpful if these machines weren’t disabled throughout the school day. Saltsburg Middle/High School currently serves milk and juice from Galliker’s milk. These local options should continue in our fruit, vegetable and meat servings and need to occur in the school cafeteria and vending machines. Some people might argue that Saltsburg Middle/High School supplies the proper menu and servings size suggestions. While some may argue that the school menu should remain as written, they may accommodate diverse food options. For example, Homer Center School District provides students with the option of building their standard lunch with trail mix
and Minute Maid frozen fruit bars at no additional cost. If Saltsburg offered various side options, then students may substitute the extra à la carte items for included healthy options in their lunch. Certain added selections, such as glutenfree foods, may benefit students with particular dietary needs. Also, having a variety of foods compatible with students’ home diets could make them feel more comfortable in a school setting. So why not expand the current lunch menu? Consistent purchases of à la carte items result not only in an unbalanced diet but in higher lunch payments. According to the Blairsville-Saltsburg School District, a daily lunch costs $2.75. Additional sides to these meals can drastically affect one’s account balance. For instance, purchasing a soft pretzel with cheese costs an additional $1.50, chips
cost 80 cents, cookies cost 60 cents, and drinks cost as much as $1.50. Limiting the amount of à la carte options can lessen daily lunch prices per student and improve their self-esteem. Perhaps students would gain more confidence and improve their grades if they ate foods to help them focus. After all, you are what you eat. Overall, I firmly believe the elimination of sugary snacks from the Saltsburg Middle/High School cafeteria and vending machines to be as felicitous as introducing more fresh, diverse, and local produce. With this, proposed limits to monitor students’ intake on cafeteria nutrients in respect to the USDA serving size recommendations need to take place. While others may think otherwise, I consider these changes in order for school students to achieve and maintain a vital diet, which I scrupulously look upon.
Save the NCAA Women’s Equestrian
and gave it 10 years to spread to 40 different universities. In 2012 the NCAA gave an extension the NCEA, allowing them a few more ears to broaden their outreach. Later, in October of 2014, the NCAA issued a release saying that women’s equestrian is being considered to drop in the following 2016 season. By 2014, there were only 22 universities that offered women’s equestrian and approximately 800 athletes competing in the competition. This is why the NCCA should reconsider pulling Women’s Equestrian for the 2016 season and should give them another ten year contract to expand their influence. Equestrianism offers the rare opportunity
for young women to receive a once in a lifetime scholarship to attend a well-known college and receive a well-rounded education. Equestrianism is just as physically taxing as many other sports. People don’t realize the effort that actually goes into riding a horse. The student-athletes attending these universities work out daily and have a strict daily regimen. After class the riders go to the nearby farm and have practice for hours. In a study done by a Midwest Suburban School District the average GPA of student athletes is a 3.25 whereas the average GPA of non-student athletes is a 3.01. Continued on Page 35
The NCAA is an organization that gives young student athletes the opportunity to continue their athleticism representing a specific college. In many cases student-athletes receive scholarships to attend major colleges and represent them. What many people don’t realize is that along with football, baseball, soccer, etc., women’s equestrian is also a Division I and II sport. In 2002 the NCAA passed the NCEA (women’s equestrian) as an emerging sport
Carly Townsend, Grade 4, Blairsville Elementary School
Amy Wang, Grade 5, Blairsville Elementary School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 35
Writing contest for the best opinion column SAVE THE NCAA WOMEN’S EQUESTRIAN, Shelby Jarrett, Saltsburg High School, Grade 12, third place Continued from Page 34 Students who are more involved in school activities — such as athletics and/or women’s equestrian — typically maintain higher grades. It would look much better for a university to have athletes who are maintaining a high grade point average and colleges should encourage such behavior in its students. Many people don’t realize the kind of money that goes into horse showing. Universities don’t realize the kind of financial land-mine they are sitting on. In the horse industry an average horse sells for approximately $50,000 and higher. Show saddles sell for typically around $5,500 —that something you just sit your butt on and ride
around in! Trainer fees are an average of $550 every month, that’s $6,600 a year. The outfits women wear when showing are around $1,000 just for an outfit that you can’t wear anywhere but in a show pen. A two day horse show over the weekend costs a family about $600 on average, not including the gas it would take to haul their things there. Not to mention all of the expenses of vet, farrier and feed bills The families that compete in these equestrian fields are wealthy, many of them own their own businesses, are surgeons, lawyers, etc. Every October the AQHA Congress brings more than $200 million to the central Ohio economy. If colleges make a good reputa-
tion with their student equestrians there is a huge opportunity for donations and benefits from that family later on. Equestrian is still an emerging sport. In ten years the sport was only able to garner 10 universities to offer equestrian as a sport. In the last two years they boosted that number up to 23 different schools. In two years they had an increase of four schools. Ten years isn’t enough time for an emerging sport to spread its influence. Maybe if the NCEA was promoted as equally as other sports they could have a chance of expanding. Colleges should keep their athletics wellrounded and offer women’s equestrian. There are numerous amounts of young
women that would love the opportunity to ride for a well-known college like the University of Georgia or the University of South Carolina, and many others. Equestrianism is only a growing trend. Yes, it isn’t as popular as some other sports like football, baseball, soccer, etc., but it is still a sport that is showing an increase in the past several years. Another 10 years would do it good. If in ten ears the NCEA hasn’t exceeded expectations then yes, maybe it would be a good decision to pull them from curriculum. Until then, don’t rip this opportunity from hard working, intelligent, and diligent young women who have a lot to offer the universities they attend.
Autumn Montgomery, Grade 6, United Elementary School
Ayden Allen, Grade 4, Blairsville Elementary School
Ava Gardner, Grade 5, Blairsville Elementary School
Abbigail Cunkleman, Grade 5, Blairsville Elementary School
36 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
5,000 students participated in NIE BLAIRSVILLE ELEMENTARY
Kindergarten
APOLLO-RIDGE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Katie Clever Mila Altman, Carleigh Beighley, Dante Bradshaw, Alyson Floyd, Ean Frame, Max Freund, Brandon Gadley, Sophia Gerardi, Camryn Havens, Breanna Hollis, Summer Johnson, Kourtney Levesque, Deanna Long, Phoenix Mackintosh, Elijah Magness, Levi Mangol, Abigail Moses, Jordan Mull, Madison Parsons, Kaden McKendree Teacher: Nikki Dunmire Macie Chierici, Madison Blake, Justin Orvosh, Matthew Faulkner, Ava Grantz, Owen Stiffler, Noah Stewart, Koltin Juart, Paige McKendrick, Thomas Cravener, Harley Sample, Chloe Block, Savannah Hall, Zoey Orcutt, Jacob Bertino, John Preston Clemens, Peyton Weyer, Jake Prebish
BEN FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY Teacher: Tammie Brunetta Sadee Bowditch, Avery Carnahan, Jaxen Carnahan, Charlie Dotts, Elliot Drew, Lila Dubetsky, Abby Falgione, Stella Felker, Mason Fisanich, Emma Freidt, Parker Freidt, Maria Lewis, Alexandria Nielsen, Joshua Palmo, Skylar Phoebus, Amelia Ross, Chloe Williams Teacher: Heather Redinger Anthony Boiano, Claire Brewer, Matthew Burton, Ellie Coleman, Chase Curry, Max Drew, McKenley-Reign Duncan, Adelaide Fazianai, Amellia Kellar, Dylan Kinter, Logan McGlinn, Isabelle Nastase, Noah Neidhart, Will Steve, Ruby Westrick, Shyla Wilson Teacher: Sarah Bond Sara Alassaf, Alicia Atherton, Kayla Baker, Teagan Baunoch, Dylan Belt, Gavin Dachille, Noah Green, Jeremiah Hilliard, Jude Hockenberry, Ismael Keita, Eric Komlosky, Beau Raykes, Corbin Shields, Hunter Shoup, Sophia-Alice Southern, Elianna Thomas
Teacher: Amy Stofa Lucas Allen, Izabella Blackman, Hailey Boswell, Gianna Elwood, Maylee Hissem, Kaiden Johnston, Rick-Wyatt Jones, Chloe Lee, Sophia Lee, Kendall Mohney, Maxim Previte, Nathan Rodkey, Jeremy Shields, Jalen Snow, Matthew Stone, Madison Twinchek, Chase Valuchuck, Sarai Westbrook, Kagome Calabrese, Jayden Kehathilwe
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Melody Zitterbart Eric Bracken, Zander Davis, Madisyn Mortimer, Laina Shank, Laken Smith
EAST PIKE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Mandy Yanoschick Samantha Aljoe, Olivia Bailey, Karter Belfiore, Landon Benalt, Lawson Benalt, Abby Brode, Owen Grim, Ethan Harasty, Aubrey Jewart, Isaac Jones, Drew Mimis, Gracie Reed, Elle Rosendale, Myla Smith, Finley Stewart, Christian Worzbyt
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP Teacher: Rebekah Rummel Mabel Jane Rummel, Hugo Rummel
PURCHASE LINE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Sue Lieb Braden Abrams, Jamie Anderson, Alexander Barkey, Mya Barton, Lazarus Blose, Paul Browning, Caden Cessna, Kennedy Greene, Eric Learn, Ashtynn McCracken, Brenna Murdock, Marissa Pearce, Skyler Smith, Everett Spencer, Lucas Stapleton, Helena Stonebraker, Emma Timko, Evelyn Watson Teacher: Diane Fenton Shelby Ball, Joseph Blake, Trevor Boychuck, Olivia Depto, Maddox Frantz, Gavin Froum, Conner Goss, Michael Keith, Lexi Marsh, Roman Massey, Ava Mattis, Adrianna
McCracken, Paityn Mnich, Brent Pearce, Ethen Price, Maile Spellman, Lillian Stauffer, Bristol Warren Teacher: Tiffany DeStefano Zane Anderson, Zachary Bingaman, Casey Bouch, Brayden Caldwell, Anthony Esposti, Cooper Geer, Jenna Handley, Trevor Harbrige, Paxton Ligas, Rylee Mahaffey, Hunter McCombs, Tateum McCullough, Jeremy Pavlosky, Daymian Pierce, Liam Purcell, Winter Swanik, Payton Wannett, Alorra Phillips
ST. BERNARD REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL Teacher: Angela Brody Kade Beppler, Rhett Cashman, James Dillaman, Adam Durant, Victoria Fairman, Berlynn Fulton, George Hoffman, Carlie Hoover, Jude Krauss, Ashton Majernik, Kira Pacconi, McKenzie Mumau, Chase Russell, Athena Shipley, Kathlene Thompson, Conner Villa, Jaiden Wolfe
SALTSBURG ELEMENTARY Teacher: Brandy DelleDonne Adalene Appleby, Amelya Barnes, Hayden Cleary, Mackenzie Darnell, Addison DeForno, David Harkins, Collin Hendrick, Carter Henry, Makayla Kravetsky, Kaleb Lorelli, Emma Mawhinney, Antonio Messina, Jacob Mutchler, Gauge Nestor, Seth Raypush, Jaxon Rodriguez, Casey Vidra, Jayden Watt, Kolten Wilds Teacher: Kelsey Dietrich Anthony Basile, Nathan Beuten, Liliana Caranese, Brady Ewing, Anika Francek, Chevy Gresko, Gavin Gross, Camryn Hruska, Tristin Iapalucci, Maria Keeton, KC Lehane, Mackenzie Makarsky, Braden Malarik, Garett McKendrick, Shane Novak, Ann Oswalt, Danielle Rogel, Kamara Skillings, Lilian Turpen, Jake Woodring, Rocky Annecchini
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Teachers: Jeniece Duchon
J’Raud Scott, Grade 4, Eisenhower Elementary School
Makenzie Houck, Grade 5, Purchase Line Elementary School
Joey Alsippi, Lucas Armstrong, Landon Bieda, Aiden Darr, Lorelai Gillenwater, Alaynna Henry, Alea Marshall, Mason McCully, Corydon Metcalf, Ava Rudyk, Aubrey Seale, Aubrey Valazak, Onna Varner, Kaylee Walker, Brayden Ziesman
UNITED ELEMENTARY Teacher: Kelli Griffith Kayla Anderson, Isabella Beard, Venna Cahill, Alex Duncan, Katieri Goodlin, Reese Hoffman, Brendan James, Madison Kunkle, Ashlyn Lane, Mark Metil, Bryn Sheasley, Jesse Sokira, Xander Stark, Kennadee Stivison, Anthony Janicsko, Kylee Vann, Caly Ward Teacher: Dyann Dill Ainsley Baird, Isabella Cardona, Kaitlynn Deemer, Landon Dubics, Kyle Geer, Jocelyn Hageder, Oreatta Harvey, Alexis Long, Brock Mason, Jake McConville, Syson Oleksa, Nancy Silk, Nicholai Sisitki, Keydun Tomalson, Taylor Tomlin, Audrey Yuhas Teacher: Rose Williams Savannah Arcurio, Landon Ault, Holden Brendlinger, Teagan Buckles, Ashley Clark, Ryan Horner, Alexandra Kwisnek, Mya Lichtenfels, Serenity Mills, Alyssa Monty, Lizzy Moyer, Aiden Overly, Peyton Potts, Aiden Simmons, Brooke Van Hoose, Michael Volk, Faith Wirick GRADE 1
APOLLO-RIDGE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Janie Fryer Lyrick Johns, Mackenzie Magness, Beck Andree, Lucy Barone, Parker Gourley, Braden Little, Shawn Peace, Melina McCorkle, Cooper Seibert, Landan Sadler, Mason Shaulis, Makayla Solorzano, Carly Frain, Emma Delo, Aaliyah Allison, Destyni Blystone, Jeb Coulter, Logan Gamble, Jaycee Wysocki, Emma Sage, Gino Howard, Wyatt Continued on Page 37
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 37
5,000 students participated in NIE Continued from Page 36 Bernard-Coon Teacher: Sharon Friday Zander Block, Katelyn Butler, Scarlett Dones, Braydon Dunmire, Gunner Frickanisce, Brody Henderson, Sophia Kostelansky, Lee Leasure, Taylor Mahaffey, Peyton Mamros, Milla McKendree, Morgan Miller, Aaron Myers, Andrew Patterson, Maliyah Schmiedel, Abigail Shearer, Paige Sikora, Kingston Staley, Arabella Stapko, Samuel Vermeulin, Trevor Wheatley
BEN FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY Teacher: Sarah Coleman Emily Akers, Noor Al Harthi, Sarima Andah Wai-Ogosu, Evan Bazala, Colin Carloni, Joseph Cumming, Sophia Elliott, Kayden Gallo, Christian Gornick, Destiny Gribschaw, Luke Halchak, Macey Jones, Shawn Lockard, Emmah Meyer, Andrew Nowak, Hams Otayf, Jason Sharbaugh Jr., Jameson Walmsley, Ransym Wheeling
BLAIRSVILLE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Matthew Nicely Scarlett Bonadio, Noah Carnahan, Brady Doak, Aiden Ellenberger, Kendall Faith, Leland Felton, Hayden Haight, Kaylee Hamill, Mekhi Henderson, Cole Hollingshad, Keagan Laidacker, Lexi Millar, Max Perischetti, McKenzie Stivison, Austin Shirley, Rhyleigh Swartz, Emilee Weinel, Joshua Wells, Grey Williams
Teacher: Michele Sisitki Ricky Blazek, Brendan Brezinski, Cira Clawson, Ezekiel Doak, Abigail Ferris, Tanner Flickinger, Hannah Gallagher, Davon Hill, Brody Houser, Skyler Lewber, Elijah Michel, Kameron Perkey, Justin Roycroft, Cecilia Serwinski, Hannah Smidl, Aiden Turenchalk, Olivia Woodley, Evan Zimmers Teacher: Jessica Scardina Jace Kirouac, Ivy Thompson, Lincoln Schaldenbrand, Michael Arbogast, Zoe Peightal, Hunter Miller, Laura Rowley, Regan Stone, Braden Baker, Benny Witner, Aleah Vadala, Kylie Felton, Tanari Spearman, Ava Kibler, Xavier Nease, Megan Knott, Brandon Elwood, Keegan Dixon
Camerata, Hazel Cormier, Mohamed Elalous, Chace Force, Dylan Foulk, Angelo Gentile, Kaelin Gray, Angel Henderson, Aubrey Lynch, Jamison Miller, Summer Nesbit, Griffin Poole Smith, Joshua Reed, Jacob Reiter, Amelia Rives, Sophiana Sidikou, Aubrey Simms, Shane Singer, Justin Spiaggi, Liliana Vello Teacher: Leigh Heidenthal Jacob Allen, Cash Allshouse, Ryley Baker, Madelynn Bearden, Daniel Cherry, Ellie Clark, Brody Filkosky, Miley Fulmer, William Herr, Ashlyn Hoyman, Lilly Le, Maddie Lewis, Veronica Major, Jason Moore, Anna Rifendifer, Connor Sevajian, Emma Strittmatter, Kiera Webb, Addison Williams, Syler Kubala
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY
HOMER-CENTER ELEMENTARY
Teacher: Amy McCullough Brayden Mumau, Maggie Murray, Austin Robertson
Teacher: Christine Kowchuck Carson Arone, Lylah Aryes, Hayden Bence, Zeke Butterly, Anthony Clark, Blake Coleman, Garrett Donahue, Bella Flores, Kaylee Gutshall, Bryanna Haer, Joanna Howard, Ceyara Jarvie, Destiny Liggett, Nevaeh Mathews, Caden McAnulty, Caleb Normand, Chelsea Rodman, Alex Ryan, Sydney Turnbull Teacher: Katie Stossel Mason Elkin, Ayriella Wells, Riley Grillo, Liam Planisky-Cortez, Lyla Sester, Sydney Liming, Domenick Shimko, Matthew Olechoveski, Maggie Voyda, Brady Frazer, Brianna Birchall, Joe Kosmack, Ethan Palmer,
DAYTON ELEMENTARY Teacher: Katrina Kimmell Jack Young, Bailee Kilgore, Payton Goodheart, Trenton Meyer, Devin Irvine, Noah Gonzales, Baylee Johns, Chase Gearhart, Trey Rocco, Ty Whiting, Brooke Hileman, Raelynn Reitz, Dawson Wright
EAST PIKE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Jason Stubbe Zara Ahmed, Owen Buterbaugh, Chloe
Deegan Fedoruck, Aidan Kenney, Dillon Bell, Olivia Boxler Teacher: Christine Kochman Dustin Miller, Abbey Taylor, Isabelle Rowland, Alex Foltz, Kendall Tanner, Kelsie Shirey, Alton Wyatt, Matthew Baltzer, Lilly Adinolfi, Danielle Uher, Libby Brown, Chris Morgan, Albreonna Beach, Mitchell Kellerman, Cara Waller, Colton Supko, Aiden Griffith
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP Teacher: Sarah Grantz, Christie Huff, Jen Sleppy, Kristin McKelvy Rowan Grantz, Karsten Huff, Patrick Sleppy, Kate McKelvy
W.A. McCREERY ELEMENTARY Teacher: Sarah Hritz Rose Adams, Austin Albright, Carson Carnahan, Shailynn Duffy, Michael Fabbri, Savrina Falkner, Brody Faught, Jordynn George, Adyson Hall, Ryan Henry, Aiden Minshull, Lily Nalevanko, Tyler Phillips, Alexis Shields, Savannah Taylor, Tyrique Watkins, Clinton Webb, Emma Zamborsky Teacher: Lori Hudzicki Parker Blews, Abby Blazavich, Sydney Fabri, Jesse Fleming, Cameron Gaston, Dexter George, Kaylee Griffith, Reagan Mantini, Tyler Pack, Susan Patterson, Chase Pritt, Continued on Page 38
Rosalie Vogel, Grade 5, Apollo Ridge Elementary School
38 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
5,000 students participated in NIE Continued from Page 37 Billy Schultz, Gracynn Silvis, Mason Sinan, Isabella Sinclair, Tobin Sinclair, Jeremy Smulik, Tori Snyder, Johanna Stonebraker, Isabelle Vincent Teacher: Jennifer States Ayla Bash, Danika Bias, Lennon Brown, Tyler Charles, Lea Chilenski, Lillian Coble, McKenzie Eyler, Logan Goss, Jason Griffith, Elizabeth Kimmel, Abigail Matty, Kenneth Mills, Gracie Reeger, Alivia Ruddock, Hannah Runk, Colin Sacco, Trent Slovinsky, Landon Spence, Sara Williard
NORTHERN CAMBRIA ELEMENTARY Teacher: Anne Weber Jacob Bowser, Hayden Cessna, Mariah Demi, Veda Freidhof, Haylee Gibbons, Makayla Gore, Devany Hollingsworth, Kenneth Holtz, Austin Keith, Ava Messina, Josh Nelson, Braelyn Pattison, Cameron Slasky, Ryan Stock, Mackenzie Wise, Madison Work Teacher: Anne Marie Shaffer Destinie Baker, Parket Barrett, Marianne Boothman, Zachary Bradley, Alexa Fox, Isabella Kanouff, Aiden Siford, Kingston Swanson, Mylee Weakland, Alexis Wholaver Teacher: Jackie Paronish Amelia Boring, Morgan Edmiston, Dominic Falduto, Daniel Harper, Zachary Kirsch, Ronald Leamer, Aubree Mallin, Adrian Miller, Ava Paronish, Sophia Sheredy, Hunter Smith, Erynn Suchar, Lainey Vasil, Tristian Wike, Alivia Solley Teacher: Lea Born Emily Shultz, Ciara McCracken, Ally Lennox, Lane Woods, Makayla Formeck, Ashley Lockard, Alyssa Depetro, Elle Karlheim, Joey Buterbaugh, Tommy Costello, Ben Shutty, Daniel Farrell, Rachel Farabaugh, Thomas Hershberger, Aadyn Hoover
PENNS MANOR ELEMENTARY Teacher: Amy Mountain Elaine Altemus, Kaden Cramer, Ava Deabenderfer, Madellin Freeman-Schrecengost, Kaylyn Gillo, Deven Habel, Clara Henry, Aubree Hill, Aaron Lapso, Cole Lute, Vinny Myers, Michelle Patterson, Addison Peterson, Maliyah Plowman, Alexa Rhea, Gavin Shaulis, Zachary Schleicher, Austin Sharer, Robert Smith, Yanni Stergiopoulos, Philomenia Summers
PURCHASE LINE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Rebecca Manzek Emilee Buterbaugh, Madison Galloway, Xavier Galloway, Daniel Hodge, Kiera Hugill, Olivia Imes, Scott Kephart, Ryen Leydic, Allison Lipsie, Micah Lotson, Ike Markle, Ryan Matko, Jace Pearce, Mason Shaffer, Aiden Tavel, Leo Zurenko Teacher: Tina Anderson Sara Aikens-Freno, Ava Bourdess, Joshua Gould, Jacob Kitchen, Jacob Stein, Wyatt Harbrige, Meredith Massey, Haley Strawcutter, Niya Novella, Leehm Burnett, Tyler Buterbaugh, Taylor Hartman, Wyatt Lantz, Carl Patterson, Mason Huey, Matthew Vogel Teacher: Melissa A. Lynch
Christian Barto, Zoey Barto, Devin Bouch, Noah Clossin, Watson Gromley, Kaitlyn Houser, Ava Jozefczyk, Kaitlyn Keith, Alex Komlosky, Logan Little, Layne Musselman, Mya Painter, Evan Pearce, Timothy Phillips, Gabriel Stewart, Shayley Straw, Lilliann Vance Teacher: Christy Falisec Cole Ayers, Luke Chilcote, Quinton Clark, Mitchell Fleming, Lillian Fulmer, Nichole Jones, Devan Keener, Riley Keith, Aidan Knepp, Lexen Lundberg, Chelsi Lute, Anthony Mountain, Natalie Overman, Bethany Smith, Chloe Stephenson, Hunter Wilson, Olivia Wray
RAYNE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Lindy Herr Theo Barry, Byron Breisch, Dylan Bugay, Samantha Butterworth, Zach Dixon, Hayden Fox, Dominic Juart, Luka Kuffa, Joel LaMorte, Kaydee Long, Elainea Lyman, Bentlea McIntire, Emmy McLaughlin, Macie Miller, Kaitlin Murdick, Grace Park, Raylee Peterson, Averi Ruddock, Kailla Scott, Rowen Wagner, Laylen Williams, Jacob Winters, Gabby Zeilman Teacher: Jackie Smathers Joey Abbey, Carissa Adkins, Camden Anderson, Ben Blazavich, Abbey Bouch, Johnny Bracken, Adelyn Burns, Holly Fisher, Jadyn Frew, Seth Fulmer, Ella Gaston, Jake Johnston, Sophia Kirk, Krystal McKendrick, Aerianna Steffish, Brooks Stormer, Charleigh Swigart, Will Vivian, Chasity Voorhies, Alayna Walker, Emma Wilson, Gracie Reeger
ST. BERNARD REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL Teacher: Melissa Ryan Zane Beppler, Austin Calvetti, Chloe Cowie, John Cross, Irene Dillaman, Evan Hess, Dane Krauss, Elijah Krouse, Joseph Mains, Clarissa Pineda, Joseph Pittman, Blair Rohlf, Jordan Smay, Anthony Handa
SALTSBURG ELEMENTARY Teacher: Carly Hruska Dominic Basile, Samantha Beuten, Angelo Dilascio, Riley Fink, Jayden George, Paxton Henderson, Andrea Kravetsky, Trace Kunkle, Victoria Marsolo, Bella Prenni, Aiden Ringle, Paige Rokicsak, Savannah Rupert, Aphenia Skillings, Emma Spahn, Izabella Speal, Trenten Stine, Shannon Tuttle, Hunter Urban, Allyssandra Waugaman, Cameron Williams Teacher: Heather Bole Alayna Bordogna, Gavin Brant, Molly Condor, Gianna Cornman, Kenzie Donahoe, Gavin Evanichko, Brooklyn Henigan, Elizabeth Isaac, Brady Koffman, Ian Lake, Johnathan McDivitt, Bryan Miller, Jocelyn Moran, Ricardo Santana, Michelle Smith, Evan Strouse, Waylon Troup, Wyatt Troup, Kira Watt, Maisey Zvara, Dannilee DiCriscio, Bailey Rugh
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Teachers: Jeniece Duchon, Sharon Vivian
Elliott Clayton, Addison Frain, Cassidy Jenkins, Isaac Juart, Rudy Lipniskis, Christian Moyer, Helene Saxion, Cody Schreckengost, Luke Shepler GRADE 2
APOLLO-RIDGE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Amy Kraus Donna Remy, Moriah Azzorella, Gage Ferguson, Lukas Cyphert, Haley Clark, Alexis Shaner, Alexander Clawsome, Randall Ralph, Aerianne Getty, Ellas Mollow, Julianna Saxion, Brayden Myers, Brooke Kuntz, Connor, Isaiah Houser, Richard Peach, Ava Floyd, Julie Bertino, Ethan Marsh, Aiden Karpik, Sarah Niel
BEN FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY Teacher: Alicia Clark Maria Algubaisi, Ella Barley, Andrew Beatty, Kaylee Byers, Leo Fisher, Emme Fry, Sadie Herman, Brayden Kellar, Samantha Lawson, Alivia Lehman, Nathan Livermore, Jaden Lynch, Makenna McMasters, Juliana Ritson, Hunter Smola, Jacob Snyder, Asher VanWieren, Justin Vojtek Teacher: Laura Lorelli Sidra Bakri, Nick Carretti, Michael Dubetsky, Christian Dunlap, Alonzo Farrington, Sara Fisher, Lilli Fleming, Elliot Fry, Katrina Harper, Isaiah Hilliard, Anna Kauffman, Anya Li, Alyssa Meyer, Justin Montague, Zoey Motto, Zaine Parke, Austin Schawl Teacher: Jill Kaszubowski Lily Adams, Mario Caporossi, Carter Drew, Heather Erickson, Cadence Esteb, Paige Fisanich, Joshua Fox, Abbigaile Jarvis, Casey Jennings, Jayce Learn, Kaylee Quick, Alan Roberts, Taylor Rowe, Sophia Scardina, Elijah Thomas, Jasmin Uptegraph, Jacob Wood Teacher: Maria Olechovski Eyad Albalawi, Asim Alharthi, Maddy Bauer, Maizie Baunoch, Zachary Brewer, Ben Campbell, Anna Carnovale, Avrey Caruso, Elaina Fishel, Riley Komlosky, Ella McKendrick, Michael McKenith, Kaylee Onder, Joaquin Partida, Gavinn Sleigh, Ean Wiggins, Michael Zimmerman
BLAIRSVILLE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Steven Shannon Bradley Ansel, Christopher Clawson, Brodie Forsha, Kristina Graham, Reggie Henderson, Dominic Jarrett, Maya Kendall, Chloe Kroupa, Alessia Lamantia, Nathaniel Matotek, Connor Norton, Datavion Patterson, Desmond Reilly, Makaylen Schrack, Brittany Shaffer, Jacob Shirley, Dakoda Sprague, Gavin Steeves, Hannah Stone, Raydain Vozsnyak, Feena Calabrese Teacher: Brittany Marshall Katarina Burton, Austin Cochran, Trent Crump, Chloe Dennison, Eric Dinger, Madigan Dunlap, Maren Dunlap, Cole Heckathorn, Gabbrieal Hilaire, Israel Hoopengarner, Grace Jones, Kaycee Long, Danica Marsh, Bryson McDowell, Laila Mikeska, Brandon Murphy, Ethan Patz, Luke Pickerd, Eric Strouse, Elijah Underwood, King Woomer, Kristeena Zeisler, Ian Zimmers
Teacher: Monica Bell Hunter Adair, Haileigh Artley, Gabriel Brumagin, Allen Buzzella-Frederick, Sydney Doak, Taylor Duffey, Addison Ehman, Emily Emerick, Brook Huber, Victoria Ingmire, Lily Johnston, Shelby Miller, Nicholas Mortimer, Trenton Mortimer, Ashley Pynos, Jacob Pynos, Dyllan Ryan, Brady Shannon, Mia Snow, Michael Wano, Logan Williams Teacher: Jennifer Shirley Mareya Aaron, Nate Allen, Sara Bollinger, Brennan Borbonus, Emma Clawson, Caitlyn Cuda, Malakai, Dunn, Addison Fabian, Andrew Hebenthal, Jacob Hissem, Lukas Kishlock, Kenady Kitner, Jack Kunkle, Hunter Latta, Tyson Lear, Troy Milliron, Marcus Niehenke, Devin Peiffer, Ronekia Spence, Jakob Twinchek
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Amy McCullough Mikayla Mortimer, Troy Rattigan
EAST PIKE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Deb Patterson Lelise Allison, Sweetsage Barrera, Makenzie Boyer, Lance Fennell, Gabrielle Isenberg, Laken Kugler, Dominic Lonetti, Jackson Matty, Connor McGowan, Xander Mohney, Hayden Perdue, Libby Porter, Evan Riffer, Josephine Shugart, Ethan Springer, Zarek Struzzi, Ava Thompson, Justin Webber, Kaitlyn Wyant, Paige Day
HOMER-CENTER ELEMENTARY Teacher: Dawn Yurky Hope Anderson, Joss Bence, Callie Bishop, Nash Budner, Riley Cobaugh, Phoebe Compton, Keltie Diethrick, Katilynn Fairbanks, Ethan Huston, Autumn Lee, Dohnavin Liggett, Alivia McKee, Zachary Miller, Brayden Rado, Austin Ruddock, Sarah Schmidt, Paul Smith, Bella Tamburrino, Jackson Taylor, Natalia Thomas, Ashlyn Weaver, Jeremiah Whedbee, Matthew Zerfoss Teacher: Nancy Skultety Sean Beach, Alaina Bell, Leah Bryer, Veronica Bush, Caden Costello, Gaberial Crook, Connor Deyarmin, Owen Elkin, Havanah Emmert, Summer Haire, Aiden Harper, Megan Henry, Hailee Kuntz, Morgan Nagy, Chris Prailey, Anna Shank, Jaiden Sharer, Tavius Skillings, Isabella Sleigh, Donald Spade, Wyatt Trexler, Vanessa Uher, London Walters, Hanna Weller Teacher: Erin Hildebrand Aiden Abbott, Isabella Arone, Sadie Bishop, Talan Cruz, Destiny Davis, Mitchell Dutko, Andrew Fisher, Abigail Harper, Riley Hartnett, Kierra Jackson, Lakin Kishlock, Kylee Krejocic, Rockey Kromer, Olliver Lee, Levi Loose, Emma-lee Rouser, Gabriel Ruffner, Hunter Shamberger, Landon Shoup, Mason Sisko, Peyton Tanner, Allynia Wells, Grace Wirt, Emma Zayac
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP Teacher: Jen Sleppy, Jane Mundorff, Amy Canose, Rebekah Rummel Continued on Page 39
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 39
5,000 students participated in NIE Continued from Page 38 Parker Sleppy, Jake Mundorff, Madalyn Canose, Beatrix Rummel
RAYNE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Rebecca Blews Mallieha Blystone, Trevin Buente, Skye Bugay, Avery Clark, Devin Cook, Jack Cooper, Alex Creighton, Isabella Franey, Rayna Frew, Sierra Johnson, Noah Mason, Kyleigh McBurney, Layla McGraw, Katya Miller, Andrew Patterson, Camden Rising, P.J. Shellhammer, Robby Slade, Brayden Stile, Kathryn West Teacher: Kim Todd Joey Blystone, Mylie Buffone, Clayton Burns, Ethan Buzzard, Tabitha Coy, Donavin Day, Damian Dixon, Breonna Ferguson, Austin Fisher, Antonio Jordan, Christian Juart, Caden Krouse, Anthony Long, Aiden Lutz, Austin McKendrick, Adam Ryer, Brooke Slade, Charity Tagala, Kara Trinkley
ST. BERNARD REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL Teacher: Janet Arone Ariana Avolio, Isaac Bennett, William Buchanan, Garrett Goodrich, Sara Gornick, Chloe Hain, Evan Hoover, Rebekah Marshall, Matthew Merlo, Eva Nealen, Joseph Shipley, Audrey Yang, Leo Youssef
SALTSBURG ELEMENTARY Teacher: Ramona Taylor Cameron Ader, Daleson Appleby, Noah Bedick, Danielle Bish, Tyler Clark, Maurio Gardner, Sierra Gresko, Rilee Iapalucci, Nathan Mulholland, Justin Ostrawski, Natalia Renna, Zak Resnick, Craig Rupert, Breona Shirley, Addison Stuller, Brody Stuller, Miley Walmsley, Billy Weimer, Adeliene Yennerell, Isabella Zetler Teacher: Jeffrey Smathers Amya Barrett, Charleigh Beatty, Joshua Butz, Madelyn Condor, Kameryn Crowe, Oliver Crowe, Tryn DiCriscio, Lauren Gam-
ble, Kian Gibbons, Wyatt Gibbons, Elianna Gross, Hunter Hendrick, Brynne Henigan, Michael Keeton, Odessia Nestor, Jeremy Reed, Preston Shaulis, Dakota Stone, Casen Yingling, Journey Zvara
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Teachers: Jeniece Duchon and Stacy Marquez Skylar Carson, Noble Ditch, Ty Marshall, Jessiah Roadman
SHANNOCK VALLEY ELEMENTARY Teacher: Maggie Schreckengost Lyndon Boyer, Raymond Boyer, Cullin Buckley, Rocko Buffone, Avery Elkin, Ethan Hartzell, James Jack, Lillian Kilgore, Lilyann Lias, Kevin Lytle, Jayden Moore, Kiara Myers, Clayton Overly, Samuel Parks, Dean Sturgeon, Caitlyn Williams, Cameron Wilson Teacher: Ashley Stefancik Alaina Arbuckle, Gabrial Bowser, Francesca Buffone, Adam Cessna, Destiny Erdley, Austin Fouse, Kash Julius, Lilian Kilgore, Gracelyn Kirkpatrick, Brooklyn Kotora, Bethany Kromer, Peyton Moore, Carter Myers, Nicholas Powers, Nevan Smulik, Alexis Stripling, Riley Toy, Scott Toy
UNITED ELEMENTARY Teacher: Mary Douglas Eli King, Josef Garshnick, Layla Magro, Carter Payne, Mya Cook, Isabella Hill, Jada Walls, Shane Grace, Peyton Gallaher, Sadie Mitchell, Lilly McGinnis, Tyler Berry Sophia Overdorff, Connor Darr, Rylee Tantlinger, Michael Lecci, Camdyn Long, Hailey Garshnick, Addison Rosko, Sarah Tremmel, Dmitri Worthington, Logan Lichtenfels, Maya Ressler Grade 3
gos, Mahdi Alabbad, Isabella Rifendifer, Mark Collinger, Jeremiah Rushton, Addison Mosco, Hagen Jones, Sekyoung Kim, Charleigh Dougherty Teacher: Edward Kocinski Lilyana Swalga, Mason Raglani, Max Julin, Brogan McCreary, Lucy Menta, Ethan Hatfield, Gavin Dunmyer, Layla Alsippi, Rocco Cosentino, Diora Grettler, Samuel Van Luven, Ethan Coleman, Aubreanna Helman, Joshua Roumfort, Preston Leeper, Zoe Drahnak, Jacob Sexton, Makayla Wisneski, Victoria Adras, Landon Bertuzzi, Mary Todhunter Emily Betsinger, Kole Hodak, Kyle Hodak, Samuel Marshall, Abigail Clayton, Karys McComb, Lizzy Dillon, Sera Todd, Ellie Speer, Collin Musser, Demetri Robinson, J’Dell Scott, Grace Leeper, Hailey McDermott, Chase Maines Teacher: Pat McKee Vania Ali, Connor Bowersox, Grace Bowersox, Parker Bowersox, Alexis Dolan, Jakob Doucette, Madilyn Fair, Izzy Garland, Aaron Horn, Chuckie Lawson, Joey Margita, Matheu Pierce, Gabby Sharp, Rayna Sleigh, Sarah Tra, Isaac Wadding, Hayden Yankuskie, Hunter Decker Teacher: Angela Petroff Gia Adamson, Ziyad Alotaibi, Colden Augustine, Madison Bazald, Matthew Compardo, Moniquea Dixon, Gavin Gonos, Emma Gutierrez, Aramide Kaffo, Elizabeth Kinneer, Brock Kuzneski, Jacob Larrimer, Brooke Millen, Taylor Oswald, Joel Romance, Stella Stossel, Liam Suggs Teacher: Shannon Redinger Hayden Witherite, Payne McClure, Charity Clawson, Gavin Mottin, Ella Fleming, Ella Mosco, Preston Kessler, Hailey Rado, Riley White, Lucia Clark, Tuscan Blystone, Olivia Ramer, Stanford Webb, Tim Birch, Luke Rowe
BEN FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY
BLAIRSVILLE ELEMENTARY
Teacher: Deborah Horvath Kalise Dugan, Addie Stossel, Jaden Petrovich, Peyton Scott, Jenna Lin, Mashayla Dlu-
Teacher: Susan Dunlap Autumn Bridge, Louise Bryner, Max Chambers, Charity Culp, Dominic Degrut-
1st
Dillon Green, Grade 5, McCreery Elementary School
Raylee Weller, Grade 4, Homer Center Elementary School
tola, Olivia Ganoe, Brayden Greer, Lauren Hamill, Katie Haynes, Isaiah Hoopengarner, Logan Lear, Haylee Mazzaferro, Jaiden Palmer, Hunter Perkey, Caden Smith, Aidan Spaid, Kalea Strubble, Kayleigh Trump Teacher: Jennifer Plowman Aleeya Adams, Blaine Ashbaugh, Austin Baker, Emily Blauser, Abbigail Borbonus, Caroline Clawson, Jaydin Damas-James, Kira Fabian, Kenneth Ferris, Holden Friedley, Jarrett Gongloff, Preston Gomish, Amara Guesman, Joseph Matotek, Madison Peightal, Ava Perfetti, Giavanna Previte, Jack Rummel, Brianna Ryan, Chase Stuchal, Zackary Bollinger Teacher: Hope Staats Jessica Barger, Makenna Bickel, Hope Brant, Shawn Cochran, Madison Fails, Roman Fritz, Maleia Good, Eric Goss, Keelyn Johnston, Shawn Knupp, Callie Krause, Zoe Libengood, Anthony McAdams, Hayden Michel, Sean Michel, Kira Olenchick, Matthew Reeger, Caden Vresilovic, Isabella Wolfe, Sam Yanits Teacher: Jennifer Surratt Brooke Aikins, Cody Daughety, Lillian Buckles, Gavin Burkhart, Dane Curnow, Arianna DiLascio, Brenden Evans, Allei Garrigan, Aiden Kennedy-Citeroni, Macy Maher, Ava Persichetti, Callie Reaugh, Jacob Risinger, Colin Serwinski, Emily Valuchuck, Nathan Wadding, Willow Weimer
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Amy McCullough Nathan Helman, Aubrey Ingmire, Alexis Mumau, Cyrus Murray, Petey Velardo
EAST PIKE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Heidi Higbee Abdulelah Aljehani, Annabelle Davies, Ava Thomas, Bella Donatelli, Callista Carr, Christian Sensebaugh, Christopher Roth, Dy Lonn Wells, Hannah Durante, Dionte Rose, Jonathan Wyant, Katie Ooten, Kian Hodgkinson, Lucas Gauntner, Madeline Continued on Page 40
40 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
5,000 students participated in NIE Continued from Page 39 Shirley, Marcus Mukeba, Morgan Norland, Ryan Okopal, Tovah Sharbaugh, Marvel Fasanya Teacher: Hollee Jones Lily Anderson, Ava Apjok, Riley Bradosky, Caiden Cardelli, Alyssa Clawson, Rachel Gill, Andrew Grim, Tyler Hunter, Abby Jozefowicz, Sam Knepper, Tennyson Kubala, Eve Kuzneski, Ella McHugh, Marques McKoy Jr., Kate Mill, Ryder Monk, Gabe Nettleton, Hailey Pennington, Mason Ploskunak, Izzy Slagle
HOMER-CENTER ELEMENTARY Teacher: Nicole Baker Max Bencic, Aiden Bodkin, Averie Budner, Aidan Carnahan, Rylee Cessna, Jimmy Clawson, Tanner Coleman, Brianna Deutsch, Melanie George, Benjamin Longwell, Crystal Mason, Gigi Palmer, Alexis Shaffer, Sarah Steffey, Bianca Stillman, Blake Strong, Noah Turk, Hope Vasquez, Zac Wilson, Sophie Winkelman Teacher: Emily Gates Taryne Kish, Hannah Arone, Braden Dunn, Taneya Liggett, Brian Mills, Ian Bocz, Ella Cook, Julian Meda, Max Voyda, Eli Butterly, Hunter Elias, Isabella Bernard, Gracie Anderson, Oshen J. Maratita, Daniel Jones, Kristen Yackuboskey, Kira Friedel, Briana Benamati, Ava Overdorff Teacher: Nicole Neal William Jones, Collin Daugherty, Alexis Mitchell, Olivia Lear, Angelo Alexander, Ivy Stocks, Maria Hippchen, Madison Lovejoy, Jackson Supko, Isabelle Sprankle, Leanne Cooper, Breeana Watt, Landon Stuchel, Ava King, Nicholas Turnbull, Nathan Birchall, Christopher Hoover, Brianna Taylor
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP Teacher: Regina Fortushniak, Christie Huff, Jen Sleppy, Kristin McKelvy Oliver Fortushniak, Simon Fortushniak, Brennon Huff, Macey Sleppy, Emily McKelvy
W.A. McCREERY ELEMENTARY Teacher: Alyssa Antalis Mason Barthel, Shelby Bowser, Analeise Burns, Olivia Dwire, Mikayla Gatskie, Madison Griffith, Landon Harkleroad, Jacob Kellar, Ian Kutsch, Liam LaVan, Madison Lipsie, Charlie Marshall, Noah McCoy, Preston Moore, Cameron Pack, Cheyenne Pruner, Deserae Schmader, Cassidy States, Chase Wray Teacher: Ed McCunn Landon Ament, Sophia Charles, Landon Cook, Ryan Dicken, John Falkner, Owen Hopper, Nevaeh Jasper, Noah Kirkland, Kenneth LaBryer, Brenna Leasure, Ethan Neal, James Nunez, Reagan Pearce, Derek Rummell, Ethan Shields, Cheyenne Silvis, Eliza Tymensky, Seaira Watkins Teacher: Katie Proch Molly Beer, Emma Brewer, Gabe Faught, JJ Ferraro, Noah Filipovich, Trenton Graff, Brenden Harper, Claire Hood, Chloe Knox, Danielle LaVan, Landen Miller, Kiersten
Minshull, Preston Powell, Drew Runk, Mollie Shadle, Carley Shoop, Olivia Short, Trey Slovinsky, Owen Snyder
PURCHASE LINE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Leslie Hanley Levi Powell, Jianna Hopkins, Zeke Harris, Brooklynn Walker, Caleb Goodlin, Isaiah McMillian, Sheree Huber, Natalie Misko, Brady Bingaman, Coby Byers, Hannah Snyder, McKenzie Keener, Jakob Mountain, Kaiden Powell, Becca Depto, Taylor Hodge, Zander Stiffler, Johnathan Good, Rachel Zurenko, Faith Goncher, Devlan Kordish, Kylie Chigas, Brandon Buterbaugh Teacher: Dian Matko Shakira Alexander, Kennedy Bennett, Cody Blystone, Elizabeth Coder, Javlyn Creamer, Gino Dominick, Daniel Esposti, Iva Fox, Morgan Fridley, Phillip Gaston, Alyssa Moore, Katelin Komlosky, Austin Leamer, Justin Lydic, Carter McCracken, Aaron Miller, Lauren Miller, Kaitlyn Patrick, Mark Pearce, Logan Smith, Tyler Stiffler, Lindsay Timko Teacher: Kerri Mountain Natasha Burnett, Addison Buterbaugh, Blake Deyarmin, Wyatt Edwards, Aveyah Foster, Anthony Fulmer, Taylor Geer, Tyler Houser, Sarah Huber, Isaac Kester, Benedict McCombie, Michael Murphy, Matthew Rushnok, Alissa Phillips, Alonna Phillips, Amber Rushton, Ella Scott, Jenna Shilling, Garrett Small, Katie Weaver, Sophia White, Hallie Wilcut, Briana Wright
RAYNE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Renee Tiesi Collin Anderson, Connor Barry, Olivia Boring, Savannah Boring, Dylan Coy, Collin Craig, Mason Desmond, Olivia Gaston, Brynnley Haggerty, Brooke Heigley, Garrett Helman, Ethen Isenberg, Aliya James, Mareena James, Kadince Keith, Chase Koches, Sullivan McGraw, Kayden Park, Madison Schrecongost, Nicole Scott, Randall Smith, T.J. Smith, Quashaun Smith-Briggs, Elizabeth Stewart, Evan Thomas, Chloe Trinkley, Trenton Walker, Jaden Weston, Brooke Butterworth
SALTSBURG ELEMENTARY Teacher: Melissa Hall Terry Abbati, Mia Cornman, Ryan Eckenrode, Nicole Fairman, Star Hopkins, Rain Igo, Logan Jeffers, Jacob Jorgenson, Aiden Kravetsky, Brayden McNellie, Haley Miller, Guage Mohney, Joey Ott, Nicholas Rogel, Abigail Shirley, Madyson Skinner, Merreck Smith, Trenton Smith, Zander Stine Teacher: Doug Titmus Grace Allshouse, Scout Barber, Aubrieonah Boring, Sam Ewing, Mia Faber, Mauriana Gardner, Brad Henry, Leah Henry, Aiden Huston, Logan Iapalucci, Braden Lutman, Skylar Moran, Dylan Mowry, Erika Mutchler, Luke Prohaska, Miranda Richards, Damion Shaffor, William Syster, Justin Urban, Dakota Watkins, Sebastian Waugaman
ST. BERNARD REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL Teacher: Vera Leonard CeCi Butler, Isabella Fulmer, Kiersten Gardner, C.J. Hess, Fatima Sissoko, Cecilia Spadafora, William Thompson, Elizabeth Villa, Skylar Wensel
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Teacher: Kristin Kodman Katana Fulmer, Molly Marquez, Quinn Lipniskis, Chet Boring, Trent Marshall, Rebecca Niel, Trinity Metcalf, Manny Sams Grade 4
APOLLO-RIDGE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Chad Danka Hannah Baines, Savannah Bencic, Mathias Bernat, Nicholas Clark, Jayden Doyle, Alina Farster, Kristopher Geer, Angel GouldJones, Madelyn Greenawalt, Austin Havens, Brayden Henry, Gabriella Hoessler, Jonathan Hoover, Alexandria Horne, Peyton Lytle, James Morrison, Elijah Mumau, Tyler Querry, Bridgett Rodgers, Kayle Shaulis, Aislyn Shellhammer, Jacob Shermenti, Riley Silvis, Thomas Sodowsky, Logan Speer, Christopher Stapko, Alexis Swalga, Jessica Tevelonis, Sophia Yard, Ty Young Devin Ardellitz, Zander Barr, Logan Bianco, Alayna Callen, James Cravener, Gabriella Fairman, Makaila Grein, Aubrey Hitchman, Kyle Kamer, Garrett Kerr, Marly Koleno, Isabelle Lewis, Jemaira Lynch, Madeline Metts, Brianna Mika, Kaylee Misner, Jacob Nunamaker, Blaze Peace, Allen Pettigrew, Kaylee Richard, Karter Schrock, Chloe Seevers, Harley Sloan, Jackson Taubler, Kendra Wysocki, Heaven Zawodniak Stephanie Altman, Mia Ament, Zakk Boyer, Tessa Ferguson, Leah Gess, Connor Gould-Jones, Emily Harkleroad, Levi Harmon, Sophia Hild, Olivia Hollis, Sienna Jackson, Sean Jordan, Jaden Mull, Anthony Patterson, Luke Rodnicki, Thomas Sallade, Spencer Sells, Brody Shondelmyer, Megan Skurcenski, Ivie Slusar, Alyssa Starkey, Dakota Stewart, Skylar Watterson, Alexander Wurmb Hailey Barber, Julia Boop, Laura Cindric, Kaleb Cline, Mackenzie Cup, Austin Davison, Alexander Dunmire, Madison Feidak, Dylan Gadley, Cheryl Gerheim, Elle Grguric, Thomas Guy, Brenna Knox, Gavin Koehnlein, Camdyn Kowalczyk, Carson McDowell, Charles Moore, Nathan Nowikowski, Abigail Ost, Desiray Powell, Jacob Pryor, Aidan Sopko, Riley Spix, Wyatt Starcher, Isabella Stroup, Malea Veneziani
BLAIRSVILLE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Linzi Strong Ronny Ray, Hunter Riggle, Tito Santiago, Shawn Shirley, Siera Shirley, Emmy Skirboll, Ethan Sleasman, Emilee Staats, Evelyn Stewart, Blake Strouse, Ciara Tatsch, Cody Taylor, Carly Townsend, Aiden Ullrich, Niko Vadala, Aspin Wadding, Meadow Wano, Jayden Whitfield, Selena Whitfield, Riley Williams, Vanessa Winters, Quinto Witmer, Jakub Zias Teacher: Amanda Steele
Jossalyn Griffen, Cameron Haight, Noah Horchar, Rachel Howard, Aurora Hutton, Emily Jackson, Emilee Johns, Walker Johnson, Sean Kelly, Lexie Kepple, Rylee Kitner, Isabella Klingensmith, Zach Kralik, Addison Jones, Mya McCallum, Sara McConnell, Jazmyn Milburn, Andrew Miller, James Murphy, Aidan Pollock, Brianna Lowry Teacher: Scott Stuchal Benjamin Ackley, Ayden Allen, Braiden Ashbaugh, Kaden Barnhart, Logan Barnhart, Elijah Borbonus, Auria Bumpass, Jordan Cline, Naomi Cochran, Alexander Cribbs, Andrew Dickson, Peyton Duffey, Bailey Dunlap, Gabrielle Emerick, Falena Enriquez, Zaya Fink, Carson Flickinger, Avery Foreman, Tori Foust, Kaytlin Gable, Braden Garia, Jacob Gillin, Kassandra McConnell
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Diane Burbank Wyatt Ackerson, Sarah Covato, Colin Oaks, Katelyn Shank
EISENHOWER ELEMENTARY Teacher: Melissa Bender Natalie Bianco, Charlotte Camp, Lizzie Carion, Shanelle Eiselman, Josh Eubanks, Kadin Homer, Michael Jadzak, Max Johnson, AJ Lockard, Alexa Millen, Jayden Montague, Kaylynn Skinner, Johanna Welch, Trinity Williams, Olivia Zimmerman Teacher: Jenna Gizzi Hannah Horvath, Isabella Brunetto, Madelyn Suwolitch, Isic Sleigh, Elizabeth Olsen, Diler Su Cokguler, Alex Bauer, Sarah Tyger, Eric McGarvey, Harrison Martineau, Rayan Rahman, Westley Frenzel, Cora Kushner Teacher: Zachary Whited Morgan Adamson, Catherine Akers, Joseph Baunoch, Chloe Carnahan, Gavin Caruso, Zachary Creighton, Ciara Cunningham, Wade Jones, Jayden Learn, Kathryn Lehman, Madison Leydic, Fiona McQuaide, Ella Myers, Patrick Nowak, Eva Pangonis, Julian Sandoval, Jocelyn Santoro, Evan Sheesley, Zoe Vickhouse, Ronald Wang, Abigale Weaver, Isabella Yuha Teacher: Barbara J. Bell Olivia Olmstead, Kamryn Snyder, Addison Toy, Tommy Kauffman, Cole Amsler, Delia Salser, Joey Moody, Nathan Wood, Kayla Leon, Ben Ryan, Kristian Dugan, Connor Rohlf, Izabel Dzuro, Wyston Farrington, Lucy Powers, Sofia Wiggins, Korbin Erickson, Brynlee Schawl, Tyree Turner, J’Raud Scott Teacher: Carolyn Detweiler Taylor Wood, Will Filipovich, Taylor Fisanich, Jacob Kardell, Griffin Prebish, Emma Eubanks, Austin Boring, Elkah Donald, Camryn Carnahan, Averial Cobaugh, Skyler Garzoni
HOMER-CENTER ELEMENTARY Teacher: Lauri Shoup Elisa Rura, Ethan Roser, Christian Pribesh, David Eastman, Braden Neal, Ashlyn Cripps, Continued on Page 41
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 41
5,000 students participated in NIE Continued from Page 40 Aiden Murphy, Patrick Rudd, Raylee Weller, Sonya Shamberger, Dakota Robinson, Grace Frazer, Shaelynn George, Dominic Deyarmin, Landon Hill, Brock Clark, Travis Dunmire Teacher: Cathy Hays Diana Eastman, Chevelle Kenney, David Kwisnek, Sophia Kuntz, Lydia Bishop, Kenny Duncan, Caleb Palmer, Alex Ober, Kaden Bernard, Nicky Todd, Laken Blystone, Arabella Clark, Ciara Richards, Ashlynn Wells, Ashlyn Kerr, Garrette Greene, Alexia Mester, Kiana Briscoe Teacher: Joe Kotelnicki Jaxson Arone, Madison Bash, Ashlynn Blystone, Emily Bowser, Abigail Burgess, Macayla Fairbanks, Benjamin Guiste, Cadence Helman, Lucas Hurd, Lonnie Lowndes, Kylie Myer, Emma Popp, Nicholas Pribesh, Maddox Quick, Carson Walters, Robert Whedbee, Meegan Williams, Peyton Yurky
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP Teacher: Jen Sleppy, Rebekah Rummel, Kristin McKelvy, Kristy Scherf Molly Sleppy, Stella Rummel, Ava McKelvy, Abby Scherf
W.A. McCREERY ELEMENTARY Teacher: Lee Hudzicki Jordan Bratton, Jordan Palmer, Jonathan Shuey, Anson Cribbs, Theresa Harkleroad, Alyssa Yarger, Cheyenne Anthony, Johnathan Frazer, Aubree Goss, Roan Frye, Jonathan Leasure, Derek Fairman, Lita Reeger, Milos Sinan, Dakoda Anthony, Hunter Reichenbach, Grace Stonebraker, Alan Harmon Teacher: Susan Moore McKenna McCausland, Easton Cook, Alek Vaglia, Jeremiah Adams, Mason Mantini, Lilly Sedan, Kari Miller, Mackenzie Thomas, Paul Smith, Logan Fulmer, Abby Saxfield,
Owen Cramer, Grade 5, Eisenhower Elementary School
Miranda Leasure, Kaelee Elkin, Jalyssa Kerr, Kayla Hill, Lindsay Fulmer, AnnaRose Blose, Audrey Farmery, Emma Filipovich Teacher: Debbie Malicky Ethan Williard, Sarah Mumau, Abby Smulik, Pheonix Sharpe, Evan Risinger, Brady Weaver, Kyleighia Spade, Lexi Bias, McKenna Wood, Mackenzee Shotts, Nathan Krouse, Marcus Laney, John Wetzel, Alex Stewart, Brandon Adam, Ashley Frye, Mya Lipsie, Edward Bell, Dalton Stenman
NORTHERN CAMBRIA ELEMENTARY Teacher: Michele Paronish Brandon Arotin, Maverick Baker, Shelby Boothman, Hannah Certo, Laynee Chordas, Alaina Corio, Ava Dobransky, Andrew Farabaugh, Jacob Frantz, Olivia Hrubochak, Kori Kuzar, Kurtis Lanzendorfer, Caden McConnell, Dylan Nelson, Rasheed Nurse, Dawson Shutty, Nathan Straw, Ethan Vallery, Alivia Yahner Teacher: Sandy Serafin Jacob Abrams, Christian Baxley, Benjamin Carpinello, Natalie Corson, Gabriel Davis, Zabrina Deyarmin, Landon Goss, Danielle Hendrick, Adam Keith, Michael Konitsky, Emily Lefferts, Jordon Pattison, Brayden Shaffer, Hunter Shonsky, Hanna Smarsh, Rylee Stine, Dominick Stock, Hope Trinkley, Lillian Woods Teacher: Tracey Ruddock Jayson Arotin, Cassidy Davis, Ethan Donatelli, Hayley Dumm, Alayna Edmiston, Brooke Farrell, Logan Finkle, Ethan Jacobs, Eden Karlheim, Isabella Kass, Logan Keith, Sierra Keith, Haley Luther, Madison Lysic, Thomas McKendrick, Gabriel Padgett, Alyssa Patterson, Jackson Sheredy, Dylan Weaver, Jaden Wojno Teacher: Rick Work Michael Adams, Skye Bernecky, Julie Birchall, Cadence Bobby, Jeb Burkey, Ethan Corson, Phoenix Farabaugh, Rachael Findley, Paige Hickok, Hunter Kraynak, Declan Litzinger, Damien Mulhern, Reese Myers, Joseph Paterno, Mandy Perrone, Alex Piper,
Katlynn Szalma
PENNS MANOR ELEMENTARY Teacher: Connie Myers Aubrey-David Barkewich, Kristin Baum, Braden Depp, Anthony Douglas, Marty Dumm, Christian Ford, Bryton Gillen, Abby Hagerman, Jarod Keith, Brynn Kascho, Dallas Leasure, Mia Lydic, Megan Mack, Joseph McCachren, Aiden Nichol, Kadin Patterson, Ricky Patterson, Ethan Smith, Landon Snyder, Adam States, Gavin Taylor, Isaac Tucker, Ava Wenzel, Matthew Wolfe
PURCHASE LINE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Holly Edwards Max Ball, Katrina Barkey, Dylan Bouch, Cynthia Creamer, Madison Davis, Evan Falisec, Isabella Faught, Maykala Harringer, Leland Johnston, Liam Lamkie, Anna Layden, Ben Lundberg, Stella Murdock, Rozlynn Musselman, Brady Petras, Madison Petras, Jaylin Robertson, Sadie Shaw, Jayden Sokol, Emma Spencer, Hannah Stonebraker, Wyatt Sturgeon, Landin Wilson, Katelin Woods, Zachary Yingling Teacher: Danielle Malicky Bella Bartlebaugh, Quentin Brooks, Jalyn Buterbaugh, Austin Chambers, Charles Edwards, John Elick, John Hughes, Peyton Lavender, Sophia Markle, Daveigh Neely, Leeah Peles, Mikeayla Ryen, Brock Small, Samuel Smith, Brooklyn Syster, Rachael Ward, Hannah Westover, Jewel Kromer Teacher: Krista Peles Bradley Arnold, Alexandra Ball, Samara Blose, Daniel Boring, Desiree Brady, Jodi Brown, Aaron Coblentz, Denise Deyarmin, Diana Dilts, Hailey Geer, Chelsey Himes, Destiny Keener, Jakob Misko, Kadance Nedrow, Gage Orf, Becky Patterson, Kaitlyn Patterson, Katie Patterson, Brooke Piper, Eric Piper, Toby Smarsh
RAYNE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Christina Stone Isabel Blazavich, Gabe Bryson, Ryanna
Colazzo, Hailey Critchley, Mathew Doolin, Nathan Druschel, Averie Gerhart, Logan Gromley, Cobe Hankinson, Venecia Johnston, Bonnie Kostella, Aydan Kuffa, Chance Leasure, Anthony Lynn, Risecen McGinnis, Brittany McIntire, Evan Miller, Lydia Miller, Sierra Reinard, Shiane Richard, Emma Shirley, Nathan VanLeer, Aaliyah Watkins, Anna Wilson, Megan Zombotti
ST. BERNARD REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL Teacher: Megan Pomputius Gianna Brody, Kara Broskin, Travis Calvetti, Ava Elliott, Jaime Levendusky, Eliana Pineda, Isabella Thompson, Daniel Carpenter
SALTSBURG ELEMENTARY Teacher: Tim Frassenei Landon Arndt, Domenic Bartolini, Colton Carr, Ethan Clever, Amelia Coleman, Donavan Corridoni, Ethan Hall, Brianna Harris, Matthew Isaac, Nicole Koczan, Hanna Koffman, Dylan Kunkle, Nicolas Maruca, Jake McKnight, Kaden Pisarcik, Emma Prenni, Makayla Rudy, Kiley Street, Sydney Walters, Carley Weimer, Luke Woodring Teacher: Kristy Harrington Joe Bedick, Gerald Brady, Dylan Cass, Gabe Cornman, Shelby Lynn DiCriscio, Addison DiLascio, Mitchell Edmundson, Jenna Fox, Seth Gibbons, Kyleigh Harkins, Max Hilty, Charles King, Michelle Lynn, Bradley McDivitt, Hannah Montgomery, Samantha Pronko, Dominic Speal, Alexis Strouse, Jonathan Warnick, Shae Willett, Kennedy Yingling
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Teacher: Susan Wilson Grant Bohnen, Alex Bohnen, Landon Kodman, Joshua Whipple, Christina Alsippi, Haley Schreckengost Continued on Page 42
Zachary Rouser, Grade 5, Homer Center Elementary School
42 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
5,000 students participated in NIE Continued from Page 41
UNITED ELEMENTARY Teacher: Ryan Long Dylan Ambrose, Gavin Boring, Jonathan Conway, Trinity Debnar, Chelsea Dimmick, Brody Doell, Aiden Gallaher, Bradley Kiesel, Paige Landis, Cleo Long, Christian Ludwig, Devon Magro, Lizabeth Muir, Stephen Oleksa, Morgan Olexa, Ashton Shomo, Jacob Sombronski, Caydence Tantlinger, Evan Thomas, Kaidance Thomas, Travis Timko, Mandy Uncapher, Gary Michaels, Kassandra Pulgino, Alishae Carter, Braden Clark, Kevin Forsythe, Addison Gazdik, Gaige Grassmyer, Clay Harkleroad, Dakota Hood, Landon Hoover, Alayna Klingensmith, Camden LaBelle, Ian Lawson, Hudson Ludwig, Trent Martin, Madison Miller, Abagail Naylor, Brian Parsley, Avalon Plummer, Xander Strong Teacher: Megan Swanson Hanna Baker, Matthew Wagner, Jaylon Crum, Noah Torok, Sadye Barner, Eli Meagher, Braydon Hill, Nathan Reinard, Alex Spaid, Sam Stutzman, Aidan Goodlin, Dylan Frederick, Gavin Gosnell, Lily Raney, Carlee Hower Teacher: Megan Swanson Autumn Fisher, Ruardon Butler, Abigail McConville, Connor Rosko, Delaney Perrone, Zachary Travis, Isaac Worthington, Caden McCully, Makenna Eppley, Preslee Metil, Colt Bowers, Monica Fry, Sydni Fyock, Charles Blake, Mollee Fry, Paiton Steiner, Autumn Boldin, Madisyn Burkett, Emmalyn Hixson, Ashley Donelson, Jacob Pflueger, Evan Cates Grade 5
APOLLO-RIDGE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Chad Danka Jordan Abell, Darek Baustert, Carley Bullock, Anthony Corso, Ryan DeSantis, April Earnest, Macie Eckenrode, Jolena Hamrock, Landon Harmon, Olivia Krug, Sydney McCray, Sophie Mitchell, Jacob Mull, Maddox Myers, Colton Nagg, Kaleigh Pinkowski, Jessica Ross, Colin Saxion, Jodi Schreckengost, Baleigh Sherwood, Madelyn Smoyer, Brinley Toland, Reed Veneziani, Connor Weigand, Evan Yackuboskey Spencer Baker, Kayla Beecher, Timothy Bowen, Hannah Clark, Landon Clark, Owen Crawford, Daniel Csonka, Hayleigh Dean, Whitney Dumnich, Sophia Filippini, Delaney Fitzroy, Michael Fryer, Cooper Gourley, Michael Grant, Joshua Holby, Tyler Jaworskyj, Chassidy Kamer, Landon Karpik, Dalton McKendrick, Kyra Myers, Austin Niel, Dylan Orr, Emilie Rittenour, Jayden Snyder, Jesse Stewart, Austin Tichinel, Rosalie Vogel, Ava Whitlinger Samantha Adams, Braiden Anderson, Matthew Ardellitz, David Bankosh, Jordan Baum-Porter, Kenna Brownlee, Aidan Burkett, Brandon Butler, Alana Cindric, Robert Coulter, Dominick Curci, Sydney Duriancik, Savannah Eckman, Isabel Gerheim, Evan
Hepler, Tyler Hice, Peyton Kerr, Reagan Kirkland, Gabriel Koehnlein, Joshua McKendrick, Sterling Myers, Sydney Osan, Kirsten Parys, Nadia Pollard, Anna Sowodowsky, Adam Sproat, Madison Tura, Colten Walker, Thomas Weston
BLAIRSVILLE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Sarah Blair John Aaron, Hannah Artley, David Baker, Andrew Barris, Mallory Bish, Adam Blauser, Derrick Bryner, Paige Clawson, Christa Cochran, Kay-Lee Cole, Joseph Costello, Danika Davidson, Austin Deyarmin, Jeremiah Dilts, Kendal Escalona, Rylan Fairchild, Jacob Farabaugh, Abbigail Cunkelman, Connor Daughety, Charles Banks Teacher: Diane Antonacci Lanna Bialas, Kaylie Bowser, Giovanni Dilascio, Mackensie Irwin, Victoria McCully, Savannah Mocek, Ben Niehenke, Gage Pierce, Jordan Pierce, Julia Platt, Abigail Pynos, Marcus Raby-Lloyd, Gracy Risinger, Brian Ryan, Madeline Serwinski, Luke Shannon, Olivia Stiles, Zach Strine, Cole Stuchal, Autumn Tatsch, Ray Ullrich, Amy Wang, Sasha Whitfield Teacher: Eileen Jeffries Carson Elliott, Brooklynn Furman, Eden Ganoe, Ava Gardner, Kennedy Garvin, Chloe Gregg, Brayden Henry-Yanity, Nolan Howard, Trakina Hudson, Cole KennedyCiteroni, Ethan Kishlock, Rachel Knott, Evan Kralik, Zachary Kroupa, Anna Kurnocik, Caden Kuzemczak, Aiden LaMantia, Jordyn Lawson-Gill, Makenna Locke, Breyana Marshall, Aleena Martin, Rylee McCallum, Megan McConnell
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Diane Burbank Seth Brown, Joshua McCullough, Noah Meckley
EISENHOWER ELEMENTARY Teacher: Katie Yancy Mia Shaffer, Ryan Shaffer, Tala Al-Soud, Cameron Bender, Garrison Dougherty, Thomas Kelly, Bailey Oakes, Ahmed Alharthy, Addison Sexton, Ian Anderson, Colton Eyrich, Lexus Eckenroad, Abigail York, Alyjah Scott, Arianna Foreman, Jacob Roumfort, Abbie Huey, Lilly English, Rowan Lemmon, Shannon Filipovich, Gavin Homer, Adriana Petroff, Michael Voorhies Teacher: Mark Morrow Allison Birge, Christopher Blystone, Christian Brown, Amy Fu, Cole Hosbach, Olivia Keith, Eddie Lloyd, Nicholas Love, Emily Lybarger, LaValle Marfo, Joseph McKendrick, Julie Nickas, Abigail Olliver, Addison Olliver, Callan Romance, Anthony Scherf, Halie Soup, William Spicer, Gavin Stiffey, Ana Van Wieren, Jing Yun Yao Teacher: Brad Trout Emily Adams, Caroline Albert, Hatem Alharthi, Ian Bigler, Rachel Buterbaugh, Alexa Cikowski, Luca Cosentino, Nathian Creighton, Michael Dolan, Mason Fisher, Stephan Holman, Muneeb Kasi, Gabe Kenning, Sein Kim, Rylee Lee, Maycie Lorelli, Lilly Mettee, Addie Raykes, James Richburg,
Melissa Spohn, Jacob VanLuven, Jordan Yurko, Kyle Zheng Teacher: Rob Stewart Deven Buterbaugh, Owen Cramer, Marquita Dixon, Paul Ewen, Americus Firestone, Brandon Gardner, Justin Gibbons, Matt Lloyd, Lucius Maines, Makayla McKendrick, Tyler Ream, Donald Rotosky, Connor Sharp, Maria Voorhies, Branden Yanity Teacher: Kevin Rado Caleb Campbell, Sam Barley, Alyssa Carloni, Matt Ray, Damian Tripp, Andy KondaMunongo, Katie Kovalchick, Regan Trusal, David Scardina, Alex Arbuckle, Destiny Brewer, Emmy Davis, Ellie Wadding, Chloe Williams, Gabe Sleigh, Shamira Johnson, Nadia Goodyear, Rayne Butler, Seven Barber
HOMER-CENTER ELEMENTARY Teacher: Carol Mlakar Caleb Anderson, Justin Beach, Mason Bell, Isaiah Bence, Brandon Broskin, Haleigh Casteel, Cameron Cavalier, Anna Cutshall, JackLynn Fleming, McKenzie Greenawalt, Kaitlynn Harper, Molly Kosmack, Emmanuel McMillian, Alexander Morgan, Macy Sardone, Abigail Skoff, Joseph Succheralli, Vincent Tagliati, Rose Terranove, Ethan Tullis, Evan Tullis, Cordelia Zack, Austin Zenisek Teacher: Tanya Hirsch Aidan Arone, Grace Barnett, Domingo Benavidez, Brian Dunmire, Aurora Ellis, Clark Freed, Casey Harper, Kyle Henry, Logan Huey, Ryan Jackson, Gavin Jordan, McKenna Kishlock, Michael Krejocic, Alayna Mack, Quinten Mittermeier, Madison Montague, Tayvin Pizer, Zachary Rouser, Justley Sharp, Annaleigh Spade, Megan Steffey, Riley Succheralli, Hayden Taylor, Katlyn White Teacher: Amy Skoff Brady Alexander, Aiden Bekina, Mya Boxler, Olivia Brown, Laci Bryer, Riley Clevenger, Kia Cruz-Hoover, Romylos DoKos, Tru Duncan, Joshua Elkin, Lilly Freed, Logan Henry, Julia King, Anderson Lee, William Liming, Cole McAnulty, Noah Michael, Kaylee Moon, Ashli Mumau, Mark Perry, Ian Pizer, Abigail Ramsell, Alexandra Schmidt, Caden Vitalie, Ashton Winkelman
HORACE MANN ELEMENTARY Teacher: Greta Helsel Kameron Arndt, Michael Boyer, Adam Clark, Alek Clark, McKenna Decker, Kaydence Fulmer, Sophia Garzarelli, Emma Grim, Audrey Hunter, Maura Knepper, Isabella Lebrato, Alvin Liu, Tori Manzek, Marilyn Mazey, Jenna McLain, Emma Means, Tara Peiffer, Noah Petersen, Alexi Rocco, Meghan Rummel, Ben Sebring, Lydia Shaffer, Tyler Skalican Teacher: Susan Stitt Maddy Anderson, Jon Berzonsky, Luke Bonatch, Steven Budash, Landon Henry, Victoria Kimmel, Sofia Kipp, Michael Lubold, Alivia Marsh, Cherise Milner, Kaylee Mitchell, Skyler Mogle, Alyssa Myers, Jayna Olp, Emily Sands, Kara Somerville, Gage Thompson, Maiya Walls, Cydne White Teacher: William Freyvogel Camden Dean, Lauren Brocious, John
Morganti-Martineau, Chloe Bell, Emily Madey, Chloe McHugh, Madison Apjok, Joe Clark-Cook, Audrea Barbara, Shyann Curtis, Eve Fiala, Seth Weaver, Camille O’Brien, Nevaeh Stiffy, Emily Layton, Paige Abrams Teacher: Brian Helsel Mohammad Alrahman, Carter Bohn, Madison Conde, Adam Cowburn, Hailey Drennen, Emilee Fields, Benjamin Froud, Connor Geesey, Olivia Krimin, Lia McAnulty, Liam McFarlane, Amara Moore, Arden Neiderhiser, Joshua Nelson, Na’Shawn Phillips, Sophia Rahman, Tyanna Redd, Lee Rosenberger, Sophie Runge, Olivia Smathers, Cadence Ullman Teacher: Carrie Schneider Abigail Adamson, William Berzonsky, Kiley Branan, Olivia Burkhart, Austin Crawford, Mora Fasanya, Jacob Gill, Joseph Groff, Sheyanne Hozak, Angelo Lamantia, Belinda Lin Xu, Karlee McIntire, Sara Mock, Shay Lynn Peddicord, Caroline Porter, Makena Redhead-Kriston, Julia Runge, Emma Sheeran, Isabella Uncapher, Emma Weishner
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP Teacher: Jane Mundorff, Karen Wolfe, Rebekah Rummel Abel Mundorff, Henry Wolfe, Henry Rummel
W.A. McCREERY ELEMENTARY Teacher: Randy Corosu Danielle Adams, Ethan Ashbaugh, William Baker, Timothy Barrett, Kaleb Behune, Dakota Bracken, Morgan Chichy, Kenadee Elkin, Austin Frye, Cody Hoover, Shayleah Juart, Brady Leasure, Justin Livingston, Madelynn Orr, Reagan Ryen, Sebastien Sedan, Brianna Spencer, Keisa Treadway Gilbert, Angel VanHorn Teacher: Christine McGee Max Ackerson, Michael Bailey, Hunter Bish, Parker Black, Liam Cornetto, Matthew Cummis, Calvin Donahoo, Abigail Fabri, Isaiah Fleming, Leah Herman, Maggie Hood, Savannah Hoover, Haley Kellar, Xiamara Kerr, Kaylee Monoskey, Shelby Murphy, Camryn Sacco, Trinity Schweizer, Amy Shaffer, Olivia Vehovic Teacher: Max Falisec Dawson Bracken, Alex Cummins, Makayla Goodlin, Josh Graff, Dillon Green, Sierra Hart-Fabbri, DeKova Marsh, Owen Mattis, Abi Miller, Jordan Parsell, Braden Reichenbach, Giana Ruddock, Maggie Shaddle, Camden Stewart, Haylie Vincent, Ella Wells, Allison Yeomans
PENNS MANOR ELEMENTARY Teacher: Christine Carpenter Dominic Bottali, Jacob Bush, Johnathan Chilenski, Heather Campbell, Cecilia Chiodini, Mercedes Dalton, Kathleen Dixon, Alex Kirsch, Kiley Long-Tate, Michael Lowman, Hunter Patterson, Adrien Pennington, Samantha Pennington, James Redden, Dannie Schleicher, Sabrina Smith, Cheyenne Continued on Page 43
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 43
5,000 students participated in NIE Continued from Page 42 Stanek, Nadya Wilson, Nickolas Yackuboskey Teacher: Donna Driskel Logan Cox, Dylan Wise, Sarah Nichols, Allison Stiteler, Leah Dunmire, Savanna Orner, Justin Marshall, Ryen Gresko, Max Hill, Eric Baum, Jimmy Jioio, Logan McCunn, Allison Antonio, Ryan Brady, Nathan Raffaele, Mackenzie Wilson, Morgan Hill, Bailey Horn, Adrianna Scatena, Kristyn Detwiler, Katelyn Hnatko Teacher: Adam Shearer Adam Altemus, Kyle Arble, Mark Bagley, Jada Bennett, Sierra Bush, Kyleigh Coy, Alaina Ellis, Deja Gillo, Jordyn Goril, Lashay Johnson, Emily Kendra, Koltan Kerchensky, Mariah Koches, Emma Laverick, Harlee Leasure, Travis Mason, Payton Miller, Mory Peles, Allison Rummel, Colton Shields
Kodi Bair, Maggie Bates, Layne Baum, Carmhyne Brown, Kylie Buccheit, Heinz Cindric, Leigha DiLascio, Aliyah Eckenrode, Robert Elias, Tiffany Evans, Bradley Henigan, Anna Hudson, Aidan Lassick, Nathan McKendrick, Bradley Miller, Madison Miller, Michael Muir, Brandon Nalevanko, Sara Petro, Tyler Pierce, Korey Schmidt, Sara Shaner, Blake Vincent Teacher: Molly Reddinger Casey Allshouse, Jimmy Barrett, Zach Bendis, Leah Carr, Cheyanna Bryant, Dalton Clawson, Rylee Doak, Savanna Fink, Alex Frain, Bill Gibbons, Addison Heeter, Emma Heeter, Cassidy Jakosh, Garrett Koczan, Devin McCullough, Rylie Miller, Chance Mohney, Lukas Montgomery, Justin Murphy, Abigail Pazak, Kyle Roessler, Zakkery Shirey, Nathan Simpson, Zachary Smith, Kayla Vought, Cheyenne Weimer
PURCHASE LINE ELEMENTARY
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Teacher: Greg Pack Adam Ball, Nick DeVore, Silas Harris, Makenzie Houck, Tessa Hudson, Gabriella Hughes, Courtney Jarvie, Tammy Larson, Jadyn Leamer, Eric Overman, Lilly Patterson, Makinna Pearce, Andrew Smarsh, Merissa Spellman, Austin Stephenson, George Swanik, Bailey Wilcut, Michael Zurenko Teacher: Denise Bence-Fetsko Rodney Ball, Donavin Campbell, Zaeda Cline, Simon Coblentz, Kaitlyn Gaston, Abigail Goncher, Jett Goss, Lauren Hilty, Madison Jenkins, Cherish Kauffman, Derek Komlosky, Christopher McCoy, James Overman, Lacey Patterson, Mia Pearce, Destiny Puit, Rachel Snyder, Zachary Wickens Teacher: Debra Miller Andrew Beer, Jailyn Brown, John Edwards, Peyton Falisec, Jenica Fleming, Autumn Gray, Kara Harbrige, Lucas Huey, Cole Keith, Nathan Kuhn, Joseph Lamer, Madison Long, Olivia Mnich, Jenna Mumau, Benjamin Pearce, Laken Ruddock, Alexander Rushnok, Devin Tomlinson, Bailey Weaver, Charlee Woods
RAYNE ELEMENTARY Teacher: Leslie Meyer Chelsea McAdams, Emily Orr, Ayden Blanzy, Abbigale Bernard, Milayna Leasure, Maddie Buffone, Chloe Davies, Denton Park, Brenna Hodak, Owen Conner, Trevor Midock, Dakoda Patterson, Rachel Fox, Angel Steffish Teacher: Megan DeOre Rebecca Spence, Dakota Johnson, Daniel Waltermire, Zane Fulton, Klara Smith, Carina McClurg, Gage Heilbrun
ST. BERNARD SCHOOL Teacher: Stephanie Mallis Emily Bennett, Ryan Conn, Daniel Gornick, Isaac Marshall, Rhyan McCracken, Nicolas Pacconi, Alexander Tebbs, Ivan Youssef
SALTSBURG ELEMENTARY Teacher: David Gerstel
Teacher: Susan Wilson Sadie Juart, Kobi Parks, Braydon Albright, Kaitlyn Hood, Brayden Chabot Grade 6
BLAIRSVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL Teacher: Kimberly Henigin Jolene Cribbs, Cameron Reaugh, Isabel Pynos, Braden Staats, Carson McCully, Conner Rebo, Aliyah Kendall, Lydia Fowler, Hannah Foust
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Diane Burbank Alyssa Grant, Rebeka McCullough, Miranda Pounds, Joseph Shank
INDIANA JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Jamie Lichtenfels Leah Amsler, Jenna Bell, Antonio Bizzaro, Hope Cook, Lily Cunningham, Yahya Farag, Noah Grattan, Alexander Holuta, Abigail Killam, Puroom Kim, Kate Kuzneski, Ross Louther, Elizabeth Lubold, Madeline Menta, Samuel Overman, Loughlin Pagnucci, Owen Putt, Aiden Rizzo, Aviana Struzzi, Carly Wang, Zora Watson, Sara Welch, Miranda Zuzek Ahmad Aljari, Wajd Alsahli, Mikayla Cramer, Joseph Everett, Payton Firestone, Spencer Hatfield, Ainsley Herman, Joshua Kardell, Gabriel Leydic, Thomas McCurdy, Verner McKendrick, Logan Rode, Katrinette Sexton, Antonio Sobrinho, Tamira Williamson Isabella Anderson, Damian Beatty, Elyse Beeken, Lilliana Blank, Jenna Conrad, Donato Gentile, Melina Hilliard, Sydney Hojnoski, Ethan Kutz, Luke Leon, Zachary Long, Abigail Mazey, Benjamin Nettleton, Trista Newman, Anne Rizzo, Hunter Smathers, Lincoln Trusal, Michael Wood, Athena Yang Matthew Bass, Grace Bennett, Aurora Blank, Ashley Cherry, Alex Craig, Emma Doyle, Devin Flint, Amber Hendricks, Rachael Hill, Reagan Homer, Shyanne Johnson, Maria Kowchuck, Bixin Liu, Hailey Lupinetti, Daniel McAnulty, Mackenzie
McGee, Destiny Moronta, Leighanna Patterson, Noah Pierce, Joshua Saurer, Kiersten Shields, Amanda Skursky, Breann Stineman, Fox Van Leer, Riley Visnesky Hashem Alrahmah, Connor Burtick, Evan Clawson, Asher Cobaugh, Ally Conrad, Jormann Embry, Austin Fedor, Blaze Gaugler, Rylee Homer, Brock Kephart, Victoria Lloyd, William Methven, Emily Moody, Meredith Price, Daniel Ray, Luke Sell, Tessa Shirley, Carley Stanley, Joshua Stone, Abbygail Travis, Makenzie Wells, Alexander Williams Teacher: Jeff Reed MacKenna Adderley, Michael Allen, Faisal Bakri, Ethan Beighley, Madison Bence, Madison Boyer, Zachary Cole, Nicholas Drahnak, Kayden Edwards, Kamryn Fulmer, Megan Henning, Jin Rui Huang, Sarah McClelland, Tristan Menifee, Tyler Pecany, Emma Powell, Alexi Setlock, Zachary Tortarella, Rachel Wilson, Dylan Woods Anas Algubaisi, Gabriella Atchison, Vince Belice, Logan Bowan, Michael Castro, Alexandra Chelgren, Mia Ciocca, Owen Clifford, Anthony Colonna, Alyssa Dalesandro, Starr Day, Auron Gongloff, Sarah Hozak, Luke Hunter, Audrey Josephson, Sally Kingan, Kariss Knuckles, Owen Lawson, Madyson McGee, Avery Olenchik, Natalie Schaeffer, Matthew Shupe, Catherine Stauffer, Ryan Stossel, Tristin Wiggins Nyle Bajwa, Hannah Baumer, Maksym Conjelko, Nathaniel Ebeling, Jose Gutierrez, Noah Hutton, April Kim, Kennedi Kunkle, Andrew Kuzneski, Emma Levan, Margaret Lowery, Anna Margita, Kellen McDaniel, Isaac Myers, Melanie Navaratna, Xavier Semone, Autumn Smith, Jennifer Todd, Lauren Vu, Ciera White, Ashlyn Winslow Gabriella Clark, Autumn Fanella, Isabella Garzarelli, Blake Hodak, Elizabeth Lee, Lauren Malobiskey, John Manna, Jacob McCracken, Jonathan Midkiff, Grant Miller, Jack Mock, Brenna Nutter, McKenah Olliver, Shylina Parson, Peyton Ream, Amaura Sutfin, Bryce Vojtek, Caitlin Wilson, Kiara
Wilson, Hayden Zilner Layan Alotaibi, Bernadette Batuncang, Sarah Bolyard, Logan Chamnik, Korey Ferringer, Marley Gardner, Zachary Herrington, Willow Hone, Josiah Johnson, Carter Lychalk, Sarah Madey, Logan Oberlin, Tyler Pennington, Brock Petras, Sarah Poydence, Cipriana Salazar, Dylan Shaffer, Ashley Shaw, Kristianna Shearer, Abigail Smith, Kaylynne Trusiak, Jodi Tucker, Maria Valentin, Taylor Zook
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP Teacher: Regina Fortushniak Edith Fortushniak
PENNS MANOR JR. SR. HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Kathy Lezanic Chad Adams, Tommy Bartlebaugh, Robert Davis, Casandra Ferguson, Steven Fisher, Kevin Hoehn, Cole Jarvie, Keara Patterson, Tanner Platt, Katie Steiner Teacher: Beth Palilla Xander States, Bryan Koches, Tyler Hill, Sydney Duvall, Koda Patterson, Abigail Lewis, Donovan Laney, Connor Rainey, Benjamin Dean, Josh Summers, Julian Shultz, Nicholas Buterbaugh, Kendra Thomas, Hunter Hagerman, Brent Tuorinsky, Aaron Lowman Teacher: Carson Rhea Aleasha Brendlinger, Nolan Detwiler, Caroline Super, Brock Sleppy, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew Rhea, Hayley Douglas, Cameron Custer, Alyssa Stack, Ashley Mason, Aaron Lute, Zachary Ellis, Gabrielle Wise, Natalie Pileski, Devon Laney, Kailee Mumau, Lily Orr, Hannah Lieb, Katelynn Ghiardi, Austin Stapleton, Anna Buggy, Jacob Buggy, Russell St. Clair, Michael Maderer Teacher: Jason Miloser Joseph Johnston, Hayden Sturgeon, Keirstin McCachren, Julie Shank, Alec Johnson, Samuel Weaver, Matthew Zayachak, Luke Rainey, Andrew Giermanski, Maddie Continued on Page 44
Lydia Murphy, Grade 6, Seeds of Faith Christian Academy
44 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
5,000 students participated in NIE Continued from Page 43 Martin, Jake Johns, Gretta Ratay, Reilly Hill, Megan Dumm, Allison Johnson, Hannah Mogle, Ben Dumm, Ty Fennell, Makaylah Koscho, Maria Carrozza
ST. BERNARD SCHOOL Teacher: Tracy Dixson Zack Brody, Jonah Arone, Neil Russell, Dylan Majernik
SALTSBURG MIDDLE-HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Eugene Riley Aiden Williams, Lucas Donahue, Myhlie Skillings, Craig Buchinsky, Lillian Harris, Taylor Carr, Molly Clawson, Kleo Curry, Derek Graf, Anthony Sharp, Corbin CullenShearer, Rocco Bartolini, Angelo Bartolini, Noah Bole, Jason McKnight, Hunter Pratt, Anthony Ashbaugh, Hannah Muir, Maddison Prenni, Haylee Henry, Courtney Smith, Hailey Clark, Morgan Nelson, Madison Petro, Anna Coleman, Kerra Stover, Raychel Cass, John Brink, Timothy Allshouse
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Teacher: Jeniece Duchon Lydia Murphy, Grace Rougeaux, Matthew Lee, Alexandria Williams, Monica Turnbull, Kara Marshall, Kaeden Parks
UNITED ELEMENTARY Teacher: Greg Mytrysak Jacob Boring, Dominico
Bufagna,
Matthew Coy, Cheyenne Doell, Kassidy Fletcher, Autumn Hardy, Andrew Henry, Jonathan Henry, Shyloh Hill, Ethan Kish, Trenton Klingensmith, Charlette Long, Anthony McKinney, Chloe Peterman, Evan Reasor, Alexa Silk, Breanna Syryca, Ben Thir, Ryleigh Dwulet, Tatumn Coyle Cole Allison, Kasey Baird, Coral Grassmyer, Bayden Gregorich, Kimberlee Hill, Lucas Hillan, Ethan Hixson, Amie Mack, Autumn Montgomery, John Muchesko, Gabby Murray, Larry Olliver, Mason Penrose, Wade Plowman, Alex Rambish, Liberty Regan, Amara Reinard, Cody Williams, Gabby Wirick, Masen Young Teacher: Chris Matava Collin King, Jacquelyn Spaid, Bryce Ruffner, Dakota Leary, Tyler Pegg, Delaynee McCully, William Rice, Braden Boothby, Austin Clark, Garret Rager, Addison Sutton, Abbey Magalich, Jordyn Travis, Dakota Rummel, Alexander Rainey, Chloe Hernandez, Colten Hill, Sara Bowers, David Vadiski, Jacob Mathews, Deanna Piper Tyler Miller, Elaine Raney, Chenoa Blough, Mackenzie Lewis, Katlynn Baird, Megan Joseph, Kaylee Witten, Aidan Strong, McKenna Muir, Alexa Mardis, Connor Howard, Taylor Bojanac, Jordan Westover, Pyper Barbus, Natali Brink, Dominick Stephens, Megan Overdorff, Kylee Bartlebaugh, Hannah Buchkoski, Ben Tomb, Shane King, Anthony Trent, Nydia Smith
Grades 9 through 12
INDIANA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Erik Puskar Cayla Arthurs, Emily Dulion, Deanna Gonzales, JD Hilditch, Brianna James, Moriah Kromer, Marie Lieb, Bret McGinnis, Krista Richardson-Crawford, Jamie Simmons, Michael Supinka, Jacob Zilinskas, Matthew Anderson, Kacey Blair, Amanda Elias, Kilee Gaston, Carlie Glavach, Kyle Grube, Alaina Kiral, Maria Kokolis, Leo Lezzer, Bethann McGinnis, Sydney op de Beeck, Joshua Phillips, Jason Pittman, Kate Rairigh, Michelle Raymond, Caleb Sipos, Jessica Smith, Jessica Stever, Jessica Wilkinson, Isabella Williams Grade 7
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Kimberly Covato Michaela Ingmire
MARION CENTER JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Sabrina Sandoval Callie Bland, Marvin Beatty, Savannah Mimis, Liv Solien
SALTSBURG MIDDLE-HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Eugene Riley Alyssa Adams, Anthony Aronson, Mariah Baker, Gino Bartolini, Carolynn Bucco, Karly Cindric, Abbigail Dickie, Antonio Dilascio,
Katelyn Hnatko, Grade 5, Penns Manor Elementary School Emma Eubanks, Grade 4, Eisenhour Elementary School
Thomas Dionisi, Conner Gafke, Morgan Gamble, Emily Golik, Maddison Guthrie, Jacob Hall, Isabella Koffman, Nicole Kovalcik, Camryn Luther, Adam MacDonald, Kaitlyn McManis, Kevin McNellie, Harley Moran, Rachel O’Day, Kirah Schultz, Makenzie Simpson, Kirstin Smith, Kerigan Staats, Michael Stover, David Stuller, Emily Woodring, Hope Stano, Eden Plowman, Mark Lynn, Logan Bonnoni, Tristan Roessler, Braden Yard, Brooke Shirley, Hope Bryner, Santino Bartolini, Cody Fairman, Jacob Speedy, Dustin Sparks, Candra Bair, Hope Ramsden, Mary Fischer
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Teacher: Caroline Killam Jack Fischer, Zack Huey, Ethan Marshall, Blake Mears, Korpo Parks, Victoria Sharp, Eric Smith, Noah Whipple, Shyanne Philp
UNITED JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Jim Cawley Naomi Campbell, Max Clevenger, Chad Colson, Joellene Deyarmin, Katie Duckworth, Madison Duplin, Grace Eritano, Annalise Felton, Austin Friday, Alexa Furnari, Courtnee Garland, Tianna Hinton, Ashley Hunt, Myla Ingalls, Indica Martin, Joseph Means, Sophia Naugle, Zachery Nixon, Riley Payne, Kylee Rodkey, Destiny Stewart, Continued on Page 45
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 45
5,000 students participated in NIE Continued from Page 44 Rylei Vogel Teacher: John Dunn Naomi Campbell, Chad Colson, Joellene Deyarmin, Katie Duckworth, Madison Duplin, Grace Eritano, Annalise Felton, Austin Friday, Alexa Funari, Courtnee Garland, Myla Ingalls, Sophia Naugle, Zachery Nixon, Riley Payne, Kylee Rodkey Grade 8
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Kimberly Covato Cole Brown, Shane Meckley
INDIANA AREA JUNIOR HIGH Teacher: Robyn Bailey-Orchard Julian Yerger, Kayley Palmer, Brooke Boyer, Rodge Reschini, Jake Albert, Alexis Bonatch, Lily Boulard, Will Ferguson, Natalie Grattan, Abbie Masengale, Paige Mitsko, Cormac Pagnucci, Eliza Ray, Abby Walker, Megan Wood, Hannah Steele, Alyssa McLaine, Haleigh Trabert
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP Teachers: Regina Fortushniak, Karen Wolfe, Jane Mundorff Eliot Fortushniak, Erik Wolfe, Gracie Mundorff
SALTSBURG MIDDLE SCHOOL Teacher: Stephanie Jake Maylee Bates, Courtney Battistelli, Brianna Bicker, Reese Bole, Zachary Brady, Kelsey Brunner, John Calandrella, Colton CullenShearer, Josh Gibbons, Miranda Guthrie, Blair Hutchison, Gerald Hysong, Alex Lassick, Mackenzie Meckley, Gavin Miller, Dylan Palmer, Lauren Rager, Mitchel Rager, Colin Roessler, Michael Shirley, Nathan Slapinski
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Teacher: Caroline Killam Ben Davies, Madi Fairman, Emily Findley, Brady Kodman, Molly Kodman, Megan Marquez, Grace Wadding, Chase Walker, Stone Williams
UNITED JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Jody Conrad Mattison Rodkey, Ashley Rambish, Jared Bloom, Laura Susick, Emily Ponchione, Tori Conway, Hailey Hood, Emily Akers, Taylei Boring, Jacob Brown Teacher: John Dunn Jon Aloi, Angel Brendlinger, Tyler Cochran, Shawna Fry, Justin Higgins, Ally Karcher, Emily Muchesko, Candice Rainey Grade 9
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Kimberly Covato
Logan Hoburg, Jim McCullough
MARION CENTER AREA HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Cathy Patterson Rylie Schoch
SALTSBURG HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Lauren Cunningham Bryan Bieda, Bethany Buchinsky, Destiny DeMase, Dylan Downey, Riley Edmundson, Nicole Fink, Rosa Fricke-Roman, Alyssa Hager, Charity Halldin, Ryan Hutchinson, Michael Shoup, Megan Treece, Matthew Razpotnik, Allison Shondelmeyer, Aurora Stover, Xaiver Zvara
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Teacher: Caroline Killam Ann Lin Grade 10
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Kimberly Covato Luca Covato, Emily McCullough, Austin Meckley
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL Teacher: Regina Fortushniak Reuben Fortushniak
NORTHERN CAMBRIA HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Deborah Frontino Elisha Dospoy, Allison Nealen, Gracie
Ethan Hall, Grade 4, Saltsburg Elementary School
Grant Bohnen, Grade 4, Seeds of Faith Christian Academy
Weaver
SALTSBURG HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Geoff Dixon Tony Barone, Taylor Bendis, Madison Carr, Anna Cindric, Turner Cunningham, Susan Feiling, Steve Heckman, Charity Hipple, Holly Long, Kayla McNellie, Jake Roman, Bayla Shindledecker, Mariah Simpson, Ben Sinclair, Jacob Slapinski, Liz Zapach, Dalton Allison, Kelsie Bender, Cassidy Bopp, Rachel Brown, Nicholas Clement, Noel Halldin, Lexi Humphrey, Hannah King, Destiny Meyers, David Murphy, Jace Resnick, Isabel Satler, Dylon Sparks, Nicole Stuller
UNITED JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Vicki Stelma Anna Higgins, Ian Kordish, Skye Cramer, Sarah Rensko, Jaden Draksler, Nathan Thompson, Emma Arblaster, Michaela Bracken
WEST SHAMOKIN HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Glenda Brewer Mariah Wilson, Luke Pinkerton, Evan Marino, Owen Fleming, Taylor Weaver, Lakien Porter, Zoe Eisenman-Hershman, Curt Slagle, Laney Johnston, Olivia Fusaro, Kara Fisher, Erica Sickel, Ashley Cumberledge, Ashtin Kirkwood Continued on Page 46
46 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
5,000 students participated in NIE Continued from Page 45 Grade 11
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Kimberly Covato Kayla Chambers, Jack Marshall, Lucy Shao, Jimmy Ye
INDIANA AREA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Julie Steve Jacob Anderson, Leah Pidgeon
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP Teacher: Becky Jones Sarah Jones
NORTHERN CAMBRIA HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Deborah Frontino Siena Burk, Alyssa Lockard, Andreana Malcotti, Desiree Peles, Allison Sedlock
SALTSBURG HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Lauren Cunningham Sara Anderson, DeAnna Brady, Jacob Braun, Mitchell Carr, Carly Hall, Alexis Shearer, Gina Clawson
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Teacher: Caroline Killam Nick Emanuel, Morgan Marquez, Taylor McDowell, Cory Shetter
UNITED JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Jody Conrad Michelle Bloom, Eden Lydick,
Johanna Knapic, Katie Long, Julia Stewart, Jordan Penrose, Ashley Zarnesky Grade 12
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY Teacher: Kimberly Covato Rachel Covato, Joel Knupp, Caleb Martin, Brittany Prugh, Isaiah Sharp
INDIANA AREA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Julie Steve Rachel Pane
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP Teacher: Kristy Scherf Hunter Scherf
NORTHERN CAMBRIA HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Deborah Frontino Steve Christoff, Zoey Gailey, Samantha Kline, Brad McMullen, Heidi Sherry, Kimberly Spade
SALTSBURG HIGH SCHOOL Teacher: Geoff Dixon Sydney Hutchison, Shelbie Roman, Ryan Senick, Macey Bates, Shelbe Jarrett, Shayne Louder, Carrie Muir, Olivia Satler, Hailey Savage, Teresa Shields, Samantha Zapach, Molly Zona
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Teacher: Caroline Killam Jasmine Kendall, Dennis Patterson, Emily Oaks, Karl Wolfe
“What is special about where I live ...” The world is a big place and no matter where you travel, the old adage is “There’s No Place Like Home.” This year the third-grade students were given the subject “People live in rural areas, small towns, larger communities and big cities. Each is special in it’s own way.” They were asked to tell what is special about where they live. Here are their answers:
FIRST PLACE BEN FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY (Ed Kocinski) LAYLA ALSIPPI I live in Indiana County and it’s the best place to live! I live in kind of a rural area. Sometimes when it’s sunny and warm, my family and I take a walk down to this old pond LAYLA down the street ALSIPPI from our house. There are frogs and dragonflies that live there, too. There are also fish that live there. Also in the summer, usually my brothers and I get our rain boots and walk in the tiny creek next to our backyard. Our dad built a little bridge that crosses the creek. In the fall or spring, my family takes a hike in White’s Woods. It looks really beautiful in the fall. It looks as pretty as a wonderland. I’m proud that I live in Indiana because I
have a fantastic backyard! Well, I have two backyards. One has my playground on it and the other one is just a big open space! And here’s the best part: My neighbor has a horse! Her name is Amber and in the fall, spring, or summer we visit her and feed her apples or carrots. Also in the summer, we have a deck and we set up our pool there. I’m lucky to live in Indiana because my grandma — I call her “Memaw” — lives in Indiana and makes cookies for us. She makes chocolate chip cookies, and we visit her all the time. Also, my Aunt Karen lives about 2 miles away from my house. My Aunt Karen’s house used to be my great-grandma’s house, but she passed away. I usually see him on the weekends. Indiana is my home and it will always be the best!
lation, I can hunt outside. There’s a huge family of deer that lives near my house. Turkeys wander around and end up in my yard. When I see them, JACOB we open the window, and my dad SEXTON shoots them! I like to hunt, and I also like to watch my dad hunt, too. I’m glad when we get a deer. In Indiana County, I play sports at my house, and when I’m bored, I make my own games, such as bounce the ball so high it hits the ceiling. You try to bounce the ball so high it hits the ceiling! I also play baseball in my driveway. (Don’t slide!) Sometimes I play football in the house. Nowhere is better to be than Indiana County.
SECOND PLACE
THIRD PLACE
BEN FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY
BEN FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY
(Ed Kocinski) JACOB SEXTON Indiana County is the best place to live. In my large backyard, I can walk into a garden with many fruits and vegetables. Sometimes I like to just gaze at my backyard through the window. I practice hitting baseballs. My dad is like a pitching machine! He gives me balls to hit. I’m glad he throws those balls to me. I can do this because I live in Indiana, Pa. Because of our large deer popu-
(Ed Kocinski) LUCY MENTA My neighborhood of ShadoWood Village is the best place to live! Behind my house is a cornfield with humungous mountains following it. In autumn, ShadoWood looks like a wonderland of leaves. I see deer in the corn and the squirrels frolicking and playing! Living in Shado-Wood is so much fun! I have kids to play with Continued on Page 47
Timothy Allshouse, Grade 6, Saltsburg Middle School
Kenna Brownlee, Grade 5, Apollo Ridge Elementary School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 47
“What is special about where I live ...” Continued from Page 46 like my friend Stella. And there are a lot of kind adults. Once, we shared a garden with our neighbors Doug and Kriss. We loved the tomato plant that we planted — it gave us 122 tomatoes. We had so much fun working together. In the summer, we have an annual picnic where problems are discussed. And where LUCY people talk and eat. EveryMENTA one lets their pets say, “hi.” We also have a yard sale where people who don’t even live in the neighborhood come to buy things. The people in my neighborhood are just so generous! I am so lucky to have such a wonderful neighborhood. There are lots of things to do. For instance, I ride my bike around my neighborhood with my mom because it’s a giant loop. Sometimes we walk my 6month-old puppies together. It’s a challenge. Another benefit about living in my neighborhood is that we have lots of trails close to us that we can hike on. Like Whites Woods and the Hoodlebug. My mom and I also love to garden. We even planted raspberries and blackberries. It was so much fun. And those are all the best reasons why my neighborhood Shado-Wood Village is the best place to live!
Lydia Fowler, Grade 6, Blairsville Middle School
BEN FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY
(Deborah Horvath) SEKYOUNG KIM Hello, fellow visitors. Welcome to Indiana, PA. It has lots of amazing places you can visit. Her we go on an amazing adventure in Indiana, PA. First stop, the Ben Franklin Elementary School. This is where you make your brain as smart as you can. But it is not just for learning in here. It is where you can make your best friends. Next stop is Walmart. As you can see, it is a big mall where you can buy almost everything you need. You can go to Walmart’s website to buy stuff too. There is fruits, vegetables and all kinds of things. Our last stop is the YMCA. It is a good place to spend your summer. You can go swimming, play games and do all kinds of fun things. Well I think this is the end of our tour. Thank you for enjoying this your. HAGEN JONES Hello Indiana Gazette, I live in Indiana, PA. My town is a suburban community. My town is close to Pittsburgh. My town is very, very special because we have a hospital, restaurants, schools and many more. We even have a college named IUP! I live right next to a big hill so my family and me like to ride bikes, walk and run up the hill. We have lots of parks and pools. We have shops and places for kids to run around and be crazy. I love where I live and would not want to live anywhere else but right here.
PEYTON SCOTT Do you live in Indiana, PA? Well I do. Here are some fun things I like to do. I like to go to Mack Park Pool because it has a giant blue slide. Or Grubs because I love their french fries with cheese sauce plus I know the owner. And I also like to go to the YMCA because they have a tumbling room and I’m on the Piranha Swim Team. I also love it because all my best friends are here. And because I have the best teachers ever I go to Ben Franklin Elementary school. And that is why it is special in Indiana, PA. (Edward Kocinski) GRACE LEEPER I live in Indiana. It is the best town. It is not too big or too small. Where I live we have a tree house. I like going there on nice days. I am planning to build onti it because it is small. Another special place in Indiana is a basketball court. It is special to me because I play basketball and it is my favorite sport. In Indiana for fun I can go to a park since I live close to them and I am not far out in the country. For fun I also love to go horseback riding. And it takes 10 minutes to get to the spot in country where I ride horses. Riding horses is special to me because I have loved horses. Another great thing about Indiana is my friends and family. I can spend time with my family because I don’t live far away. When I go to my grandma’s house she makes me the
best mac and cheese. It is as good as my birthday. And I can play with my friends too. I think my town Indiana is the best town. ELLIE SPEE My neighborhood, Claypool Meadows, is an awesome place to live. If you lived in an apartment they might not let you have pets and there might not be a yard. I have a dog and a yard. My dog’s name is Archie. He is important. He always sleeps with me, it’s like he’s protecting me. I’ve had him since I was a baby. I also always play fetch with him in my yard when I can find his toys. If there’s lots of people your neighborhood you can play with them. I have neighbors and I play kickball all the time. It’s fun to play with them. The best time to play is in the summer because we use slip ‘n slides. I also have a big street so I can ride bikes. At the bottom of my street is a pond with frogs and fish. My grandma and I sometimes go watch the frogs and fish. It’s so peaceful there. There’s also a cul-de-sac so there’s not much traffic. And I don’t have to worry about being hit by a car. It makes you feel happy to live in Claypool Meadows. It is as beautiful as a bunch of flowers. SERA TODD Living in a rural area is the best thing I ever got. I love my house because in the winter I can go out to my lace and ice skate with my Continued on Page 51
48 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
NIE contest winners for the best photos BEST NEWS PHOTO
1st MICHAEL SUPINKA
Indiana Area Senior High Grade 12
2nd ISABELLA WILLIAMS
Indiana Area Senior High Grade 11
3rd LEO LEZZER
Indiana Area Senior High Grade 10
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 49
NIE contest winners for the best photos BEST FEATURE PHOTO
1st BETHANN McGINNIS
Indiana Area Senior High Grade 11
2nd
3rd
BRIANNA JAMES
CALEB SIPOS
Indiana Area Senior High Grade 12
Indiana Area Senior High Grade 11
50 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
NIE contest winners for the best photos BEST SPORTS PHOTO
1st BRIANNA JAMES
Indiana Area Senior High Grade 12
2nd JAMIE SIMMONS
Indiana Area Senior High Grade 12
3rd CALEB SIPOS
Indiana Area Senior High Grade 11
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 51
“What is special about where I live ...” Continued from Page 47 family. And when it thaws I can fish and catch bass and blue gills. My backyard has a tree with a bench and chairs. Me and my family go to the tree and we talk about our day and how we’re feeling. Another place we go to have family time is our favorite restaurant. We go to Eat ‘N Park and talk there. In my woods I can see deer, bear, rabbit, turkey and more interesting animals. Having a lot of land means being able to have a lot of pets. I have a dog, two cats and a mule. In the fall I get to hunt. Hunting is absolutely my favorite. I got a 6-point when I was 7 and it was great. I felt really because I was only 7 years old. When I do or see these things it makes me feel happy and proud of what I have and own. (Edward Kocinski) DIORA GRETTLER Living in the woods is very exciting. In my woods there is a secretive cave. There are little pieces of glass near it. All of the walls inside are stained. The cave is made out of rocks and has an opened space at the top. Also, we have outside steps that lead to a room inside. The steps have little specks that give you a really bad itch once you touch them. There is a waterfall that you can relax by with wavy water. It makes your house look better. You can go hunting by your house. There are lots of trees and sticks. The deer come and visit us. Trails lead behind our house. And a lot of little creatures come and eat our plants. You have lots of extra space. To me living in the woods is a dream come true. The woods are as fun as Christmas! MAX JULIN Indiana is the best place to live! There is so much to do! Everything is close to you. In this suburban town there are cool places to hang out and things that will make you laugh. I’m sure you will have fun. In Indiana there is so much to do and lots of places to go! From where I live, I can ride my bike anywhere! There is no traffic. There are many shops, stores, supermarkets and more! There are even six schools! Everyone is nice to you! JOSHUA ROUMFORT Indiana, PA, neighborhoods are the greatest. Indiana neighborhoods are conveniently located near lots of places. People that live in the neighborhoods are not far from things like parks, stores and restaurants. A lot of these places are in or next to many of the neighborhoods in Indiana. You can even walk or bike to many of these places from your home. There are a lot of different things to do in the neighborhood. Indiana neighborhoods have a great quality of life and are very peaceful. Most of the neighborhoods are very quiet. You can play outside because the neighborhood and yards are very safe. The yards and streets are very beautiful and full of nature. I love to play in nature with my family. Indiana neighborhoods have the greatest people. Neighbors are very friendly to each
other. They can help each other in times of need. You can even share things. For example, my two neighbors let me swim in their swimming pool. There are also kids to play with. If I had no kids to play with, I’d be lonely. Indiana neighborhoods are the place to be. Living in Indiana is as fun as going to Toys R Us. (Pat McKee) RAYNA SLEIGH Do you like to visit places? Well, if so you should come to Indiana, Pa. I like Indiana, Pa., because in the summer you can go swimming at Mack Park and YMCA. Also at Mack Park you can walk your dog, play at the park and go to the skateboarding ring. That’s why I love Mack Park. I love the YMCA because you can play basketball, go swimming, play air hockey and do exercises. I love the YMCA. Do you want to hear some more amazing things about Indiana, Pa.? Another thing is they have great churches. I go to the Summit. My family and I love the Summit because they have a kidz town if you don’t know what that is it’s a children’s church. We do worship, sing, praise, and talk about God and at the end you get to play basketball, air hockey, ping pong and much more. The pastors are Mel Masengale and Todd Stanley. That’s why I love where I live! JOEY MARGITA Indiana Pa., is an amazing place to live because there is a lot of space for my sisters and I to play. I also like Indiana, Pa., because I can walk my dog around the block and I have nice neighbors. In summer, you can go to Mack Park pool and go to fairs. I also like Indiana, Pa., because I live near a church. It’s called the Summit. There are also lots of doctors and a hospital. We have many parks too. I love living in Indiana, Pa. MADILYN FAIR Do you like to go to different places? Well if you do come to Indiana, Pa. To me, I think you should come here because there are lots of things to do, like go to the YMCA with your mom or dad. When it’s summer you can take long bike rides, which I love doing. You can also go to the KCAC and watch basketball games. That’s what I would do, but my favorite thing of all is going to the YMCA with my dad because he loves basketball. Sometimes when I talk on the phone with my brother he will be jealous he’s not there. Indiana is also my hometown, that’s why I love it. It’s a great place for family and friends. (Angela Petroff) LIAM SUGGS It is very fun to live in Indiana. You can do loads of fun activities. My house is surrounded by trees for good privacy and it has a hill for an easy way down from our porch. You may also like the Fifth Street Gym. Though it is small, it’s a good place for practicing basketball. At S&T Arena, you can play soccer, skate and even have a birthday party. If you like to experience all four seasons, Indiana is the place to be. In conclusion, I hope you want to live in
Indiana, just like me. STELLA STOSSEL Indiana, Pa., is a great place to live in. There are so many reasons why I believe this! First of all, I live by my cousin, I can go to the KCAC and watch IUP games, my grandparents own Culpeppers, there are a lot of restaurants, we have a hospital, and I get to go ice skating at S&T Arena. I can go swimming at Mack Park. I dance at Sue Hewitts. You can adopt a pet at the humane society. I live by the YMCA, and I go to school at Ben Franklin. It is a great place to live. COLDEN AUGUSTINE Indiana, Pa., is an amazing place to live because there are so many wooded areas. I love to ride my dirt bike and go walking on trails in those wooded areas. Most of the things I like about Indiana involve being outdoors. I love to shoot hoops at the Fifth Street Gym. This is where I play basketball! Indiana has a lot of fun things to offer! (Shannon Redinger) OLIVIA RAMER Guess how Indiana PA is special? I think Indiana is special because there are a lot of places to go. There are restaurants where I live. They serve pizza, subs, sandwiches, spaghetti and much more. I think Papa Johns has the best pizza in the world and Subway has the best subs. We also have “foreign” restaurants like Chipotle, Tres Amigos and Fortune Buffet. There are more places like banks, schools, parks, memorials and state parks. Some parks that we have are Mack Park, Getty Heights Park and Blue Spruce has a park, too. The banks that we have are First Commonweath, S&T and many more. That is what is special about Indiana, PA. TUSCAN BLYSTONE Indiana is the best place to live. There are sports, restaurants, schools, parks and we live near hospitals. Mack Park pool is a place that you can go swimming, go on a waterslide and play at the park. There is a lot of places to play sports like baseball, basketball, hockey and dance. My favorite sport is baseball. We have a lot of restaurants around and there are some Chinese food stores. Yellow Creek is a place to go on a boat, go fishing and go swimming. There are local stores. You can go hunting. You can hunt bear, deer, birds and other animals. I go to Ben Franklin Elementary School. Tis is why Indiana is a good place to live. LUKE ROWE I live in a little town in Indiana County. What makes our town special in Indiana County is that we have parks like Blue Spruce, Getty Heights and Mack Park. You can do a lot of things in Indiana County like play on playgrounds, ski at college lodge, sled ride in your backyard and play sports like baseball, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, football, soccer and swimming. If you enjoy nature you can go camping, hunt-
ing, boating and fishing. There are many restaurants in Indiana County like Hoss’s, Eat n’ Park, Ruby Tuesday and Chipotle. That’s what makes Indiana County special.
BLAIRSVILLE ELEMENTARY (Susan Dunlap) KALEA STRUBBLE I think Blairsville is special because they have a good library. At the library, they have kids’ activities like art, crafts and reading to the kids. They also have lots of kid books. Blairsville has a lot of delicious restaurants with great food. Taco Bell has lots of good kinds of tacos. Also, Bull Dogs has lots of good food like hot dogs, corn dogs, nachos, stromboli and so many other things. In my neighborhood, I have a community pond. A lot of people go fishing there for fun. You also get to fish there for free. Some people catch and keep the fish as pets. Blairsville has many great stores. One of them is Walmart. They have mostly anything you need like food, clothes, shoes and many other things. Also Dollar Tree, almost everything there is a dollar. They also have lots of stuff and lots of things for whatever season it is. I love my community! KATIE HAYNES There are a lot of special things in Blairsville. There is a town square. Town square has a lot of space so you can play a game. You can also sit and relax with family. There is also a trail. The trail is really pretty and quiet and also super relaxing. Blairsville has a library. In the library they have a kid area. They also have computers. You can sit and read a magazine or two. The park is my favorite place to go. There are a lot of slides, swings, monkey bars and things you can climb on. In the park you can walk the track and get exercise. OLIVIA GANOE There are many things in my community. It has a great library. My family goes there sometimes to rent movies or books. It has a park that my sisters and family can go on a bike ride together and after, we go play at the playground. I have good friends around me, like Amara. She lives on my block. I come to her house sometimes and she comes to mine. I live close to my grandma and grandpa. They let us come over for sleepovers and get us crafts and candy. I have a good church, I live close to it. Some of my friends go to that church. I have a great pastor and our church got stolen from but we didn’t care. There are lots of good jobs in our community. My dad has a job at Walmart and I think it’s the best job in the world! I have four pets and I love them. I have three cats. One’s name is Max. Another one’s name is Ruby and the last one’s name is Cookie Monster from “Sesame Street.” When I wake up Ruby is at the end of the bed. Max is at the end of my sister Madeline’s bed. Cookie Monster is always behind the furnace. Brooks is my dog, he is crazy. Continued on Page 52
52 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
“What is special about where I live ...” Continued from Page 51 I live close to my friends Willow, Kalea and Madison. Madison is my cousin. I live beside friends! I live by a Walmart so I don’t have to travel far to get food and wood pellets. I love my community! (Jennifer Plowman) CHASE STUCHAL Blairsville is an amazing place to live. Three reasons are: the River Trail, sports facilities and the school. Those are the reasons why Blairsville is a great place to be. First, there is the river trail. The River Trail is a place to ride your bike and go for a run. When you’re there, you can also just look at the river. Second, there are lots of nice sports facilities. One of the sports facilities is the little league field, and they also have the football field. Third, we have the school. The school has taught everyone so much. The school is also very nice and clean. The school also has very nice teachers. Now you know why Blairsville is amazing. It is because of our River Trail, sports facilities and school. Blairsville is amazing. Let’s go Bobcats! MADISON PEIGHTAL I live in a very special town called Blairsville. We have a huge golf course. We have lots of places and fields to play sports. People around here are nice and treat people well. That is why Blairsville is awesome. We have a huge golf course so a lot of people can play. When people hit, the ball can go far. Also we have big games, and there is a lot of room to ride the golf carts. It’s a beautiful site. There are fun hills to play on. We have lots of places and fields, so we can play sports all around, and so young players and older players can play. Sports teams can also play there. People around here are nice and treat people well, so there will be no trouble. If people are nice to each other, they would be nice back, and if people are nice, the more the merrier. Go Bobcats! CAROLINE CLAWSON Blairsville is an amazing place. I will explain why it is such a special place to live in. We have lots of places to play all kind of sports. We have Buttercup Falls. We have good bike trails. These are some reasons why Blairsville is a wonderful place. We have all kind of places to play sports. These are some sport fields and courts we have. We have baseball and football fields in Blairsville. We have a basketball court in our school. We have a wrestling spot. We have Buttercup Falls, and it is a waterfall. It is big and I love to go there because it is a nice place to be in the summer. We have very good bike trails. You can go on bridges on some bike trails. Biking is a lot of fun. Blairsville is a very awesome place to live. I think it would be an amazing place to live for you. We have all kind of places to play sports and all kind of activities. We have Buttercup Falls. We have bike trails. Blairsville is a wonderful place where you should come some day. (Hope Staats) KIRA OLENCHICK I like Blairsville because there are a lot of
trees and not a lot of pollution. We can have gardens, and we have a community garden that brings people together. There’s not a lot of noise. This is what my family likes: the wildlife, our family and the history of Blairsville. Just because Blairsville is a small town, does not mean that we don’t have big thoughts, big imaginations and big hearts. MADISON FAILS Blairsville is special because on my street, I have a lot of my friends. I can play with them when I want to. I live near the school. I have a big yard to play basketball and play with my friends. When I go to town, there are so many food places and stores. I live near a skating place and a bowling place to invite my friends. I also live near a field. I can play with my brother and sister. I can go outside in my backyard and climb a tree and play with my rabbits. CALLIE KRAUSE Blairsville is special because we’re lucky to have no pollution. Our air is clean. My home is fun because I get to swim, play games and lots of other fun things outside with my family. I love my town because of the possibilities and once-in-a-lifetime chances or experiences (Jennifer Surratt) MACY MAHER My community, Blairsville, is a great place to grow up in because the school is awesome, the little league is fun, and living near your friends is convenient. My mom and grandma went to this school. I had the same bus and bus driver, too. My sister Abby plays on the high school volleyball team. She is number 38, and she is good. I love watching her play. In Blairsville, the community center is so fun! I also like going to the little league field, watching baseball and playing with my friends. Once I was walking with my friend Emmy Skirboll around the field, and while we were walking, a baseball went flying out of the park and hit my shoe. The baseball players told me to give the ball to the person running the concession stand, and when I did, she gave me a dollar and I got candy. I live near my best friends Ava Persichetti and Emily Valuchuck. I’ve known Emily for four years and Ava for my whole life. Once last year, I slept at Emily’s house every-other weekend. When I stay at Ava’s house, we always play basketball. In conclusion, hanging out with my friends, going to the baseball field and going to school is why I love living in Blairsville. CODY DAUGHETY I like Blairsville. It is fun. I like the Conemaugh River because I like riding on the bike trail. I like to go to Tri-County to go four-wheeling. I go with my friend Jimmy as much as we can. I like to play with Jimmy. We like to ride bikes together I like Blairsville. It is beautiful. AVA PERSICHETTI Blairsville is awesome! Blairsville is a special town. I think it is number one. Here are some of the many reasons why. Blairsville’s sports teams are doing very well! Our girls’ basketball team, The Ladycats, are in the District Championship! Some of my favorite
players are Catherine Martin, Sydney McCully, Rena Enterline, MiKala Misleany and Mary Tran! They have set some records, including rebounding, three-pointers and points. Everyone in my family lives in Blairsville. Only a couple of my cousins live far away! Even my grandparents live in this town. One of my grandparents are my neighbors. I always have someone to keep me safe. Our community always supports one another. We do things together like parades and parties. People in our community all have fun together. We respect one another. We have a Knotweed Festival. We all help set it up. All my friends live in Blairsville! Macy, Callie, Lilly, Ava, Sammy, Shawn, Emilee, Emily, Tori, Abby, Amara, Bailey, Isabell, Hannah, Makenna and Arianna. We also have building called the community center. We do fun things there. We can also have birthday parties there. With all these awesome things in Blairsville, I think it is the best town in Indiana County. I am proud to live her.
CALVARY BAPTIST ACADEMY (Amy McCullough) CYRUS MURRAY I live in Hillsdale, 1 mile away from a horse farm. At my house I have a swing set, a huge garage, six oak trees, one maple tree, nine pine trees, three hideouts and a sloped driveway. My house is white and brown. My yard is large. I have one sister, two brothers and a mom and dad. My house smells like red honeysuckle nectar. My favorite room is the entertainment room because my keyboard is in there. So my house and family are the special part. NATHAN HELMAN My family owns an orchard. I like to pick apples and make cider. I love my family. I have three older brothers and two sisters-inlaw. I live in a tan house. My room is big and I have lots of sports stuff. I have a big backyard. I have a basketball hoop. I have a trampoline to jump on. I like to ride my bike a lot. My cozy house smells like baked brownies. My house smells like honeysuckle nectar from flowers. AUBREY INGMIRE My house is special because I just moved in it. My favorite thing is that my family moved with me. We have two bathrooms now, so no waiting. My mom makes fresh cookies and my house smells. The basement has my toys and a very large TV that my family can watch movies together. My big furry husky, Duke, lives with us. My house may not be very big but I love my house because my family lives with me.
EAST PIKE
(Hollee Jones) RILEY BRADOSKY Indiana is the best town because it is clean and fun. We have school, shelter, stores and restaurants. My school is East Pike Elementary. It is the only school with a fish pond and has the biggest library in the district. The parks are clean and fun. There are many parks too. Walmart is the best store for good things to buy. It is an everything store. It al-
ways has toys and produce for me to buy. My mom works at Eat n’ Park. The pool at Mack Park and Jimmy Stewart Museum and the YMCA are fun for me. The pool is really big. The Jimmy Stewart Museum is great. The YMCA lets you sign up for things you enjoy doing. So, let me ask you this question, why would you not want to live in Indiana? That is why Indiana is a special place to live. AVA APJOK I like Indiana because I have to go the BEST school on earth. I get to have the best nurse, teachers and friends. There is so much at East Pike that is fun. For instance, pay to relay, Hubba, Hubba and the winter carnival. The lunch ladies are so nice and kind. There is nothing not to like about it. The best thing about East Pike is that everyone is welcome at East Pike, the greatest school on earth, it has the best teachers and all you will never hear a student bawl. The greatest school on earth is the best of all. That is why I love Indiana. ANDREW GRIM I think Indiana is special because have my grandparents house, my parents house and siblings, aunts, uncles and Hoss’s. Hoss’s is special because that is my favorite restaurant. My aunts and uncles are special because they protect me. My parents are special because they raised me. My siblings are special because I can play with them. My grandparents are nice to me so they are very special. Those reasons make Indiana special but there are a lot of other special things in Indiana. That is why Indiana is a special place to live. (Heidi Higbee) MORGAN NORLAND There are many special things in Indiana County but my favorite is the Oak Grove. The Oak Grove is the most special place to me because I take most of my Christmas photos there. The Oak Grove is one of the best things in town for my family. In the fall it is soothing and relaxed. The Oak Grove is a fun place for families and friends to get together. The Oak Grove is amazing because you can have picnics whenever you want. The Oak Grove is fun because anyone is allowed to go there. Everyone is always happy when they are at the Oak Grove. The Oak Grove is a wonderful place because in the spring there are many beautiful flowers and birds. I enjoy riding my bike in the summer with my dad and my brother past the Oak Grove. They are the reasons I love Indiana. HANNAH DURANTE Indiana County is a special place to live because of all the great things to do. You can go to the Indiana County Fair or you could go to a park too. Indiana has the best school and it is East Pike, “The Greatest School on Earth.” We have a Christmas Parade on Philadelphia Street and we also have an ice rink called S&T Arena. We have a lot of stuff to do. You can ride your bike on the Hoodlebug Trail with your family and friends. You can see fireworks at Mack Park on the 4th of July with your friends and family. This is why Continued on Page 53
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 53
“What is special about where I live ...” Continued from Page 52 we have a great time in Indiana! TOVAH SHARBAUGH Indiana is a very special place to live because everyone is very nice and friendly. On Philadelphia Street there are lots of amazing and really fun parades. Every year there is the Indiana County Fair. They have very yummy foods and lots of fun games and rides. There are really fun parks that you can play on. My favorite park is Mack Park because it is really fun and big. I like to go on the monkey bars. You can play lots of sports like football, basketball, soccer, baseball and hockey. There are also lots of bike trails. There is the Hoodlebug Trail and the Ghost Town Trail. Indiana is a great place to live.
LEARNING TREE HOMESCHOOL FELLOWSHIP
(Kristin McKelvy) EMILY McKELVY I think my town is the best in the world because The Meadows ice cream restaurant has the best ice cream ever made. My favorite kind of ice cream is mint chocolate chip. I like to run around outside with my dripping cone and catch lightning bugs on warm summer nights. When I catch one we all stare at it for a few seconds and then I let it go. I also really like my town because it has the Palace Gardens drive-in movie theater. We saw lots of movies there. It has a big slide and lots of other play stuff like swings and
seesaws to play on before the movies starts. There are some big pine trees to play behind with friends. We play house behind the trees. When the movie is ready to start we sit down on blankets in the back of the car and eat popcorn. One time my uncle brought Skittles and other candies. I love my little town of Indiana, and I wish to never ever leave it. (Christie Huff) BRENNON HUFF Indiana, Pa., is a beautiful place to live. My favorite thing about Indiana is Ninth Street because of the neat houses on it. I especially like the cow on the porch. I don’t actually live in the town of Indiana; I live in White Township. I like being close to town but not in town because we have more space. We do like to go to town and a few of my favorite things to do there are going to the library, where I get some cool “Star Wars” books; visiting the police station, where I took a field trip; and walking on the IUP campus because there is so much to see. I also like to visit the many parks in the area and do fun activities at my church and within the community like kids’ choir and the mall race. These are some of the many reasons that I love where I live. (Regina Fortushniak) OLIVER FORTUSHNIAK I like my small town because it’s not busy like other towns. I like downtown when it’s dark out. The streetlights go on. I like all the stores. I like all the parades. The biggest pa-
rade is the Jimmy Stewart parade. I like the candy and the big floats.
HOMER-CENTER
(Nicole Baker) MELANIE GEORGE Homer City is special to me for three reasons. The Hoodlebug Trail is there and I like walking on it with my family every day in the summertime. My mom’s friend NIcki walks with her kids. Next, Floodway Park in the summertime. My sister, Holly, plays softball there. I can play on the playground. It is my favorite park. There is a river and sometimes I get onto a rock and play. Also my family lives in Homer City. There are my sisters, Holly and Allison, my brother Nic, my mom, dad, and my grandma. In my mom’s old room at my grandma’s house, my mom wrote a letter that says “I will never live far away,” so from my grandma’s house, we live a couple of streets away. Come visit my community! HOPE VASQUEZ Homer City is a special place to be for several reasons. First, the Hoodlebug Trail is in my community. For example, I love to walk with my family and dogs, Penny and Frank. Sometimes we ride our bikes and see other friends. Another reason is that Sanso’s is part of my community as well. I love Sanso’s because we can get pizza and don’t have to drive all the way to Pizza Hut. Sheetz is special in my community because we can get milk and soda there instead of having to go
to Walmart or Giant Eagle. Those are the reasons why Homer City is a great community. NOAH TURK Homer City is special to be for several reasons. I live in Homer City on Fire Academy Road. I have about 27 acres of land and I go for walks on it. Next, anyone can play sports in Homer City. I play many sports. I like basketball, baseball and dodgeball. Finally, my favorite restaurant is Coy’s Pizza. They have the best pizza and ice cream. My favorite ice cream at Coy’s is blueberry. I love Homer City, it’s the best! (Emily Gates) KIRA FRIEDEL Homer City is the most outstanding place to live. Homer City is a rural area. For instance, Homer City is special, by rivers, open area and farms. It is amazing and peaceful. There are also a lot of amazing businesses. Some of the businesses are Dollar General, the vet shop, the barber shop and the post office. There are so many amazing things to do in Homer City. Homer City has many things that some communities might not have. Homer City also has an amazing school. They are called the Wildcats. They have outstanding teams for sports. They also might not have a swimming team but they do have a pool. Yes, the Homer City pool. If you need to cool off, there’s the place to go. Those are some things that make Homer Continued on Page 54
Maria Carrozza, Grade 6, Penns Manor Jr/Sr High School
Megan Skurcenski, Grade 4, Apollo Ridge Elementary School
54 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
“What is special about where I live ...” Continued from Page 53 City special to me. DANIEL JONES Homer City is the nicest place to live. Homer City has nice places to eat. Homer City’s cooks make delicious food. They make subs, pizzas, pastas and salads. Homer City’s school has very nice teachers. The teachers are also very smart. For example, my teacher is very nice because she helps me understand things when I don’t understand something. She is nice because she helps people that need help. Homer City is very special. KRISTEN YACKUBOSKEY Homer City is a great city and I’m honored to call it my home. It has a power plant that gets us all of that electricity for our phones, computers and tons of money. Another part of this great city is the Hoodlebug Trail. If you ask me, I would love to take a nice long walk or bike ride for one whole day. I think these reasons and more are what make Homer City so special and the best ever. (Nicole Neal) NATHAN BIRCHALL Homer City is special to me for many reasons. Homer City is special to me because there are farmers. The farmers give everybody food and milk. I need food and drinks to live. I also like the police station because the police help keep my community safe.
They make sure nobody hurts anybody in Homer City. The last thing that is important to me is the Homer City carnival because my family goes there every year. I spend a lot of time with my family and friends. I play games, go on rides and eat funnel cakes. One feeling I have about Homer City is it is really nice to live in Homer City. MARIA HIPPCHEN Homer City is a very special place to live. Homer City has a place where you can get motors fixed and it’s called IPS. It is special because my dad works there and that you can get motors fixed there. Homer City also has the Hoodlebug Trail. I like the Hoodlebug Trail because I can ride my bike with my dad. I can also walk dogs with my sister Kate and my mom. Homer City is also special because it has the police station. The police station is special because the police work there and try to make you safe. In conclusion, Homer City is very special and fun to me. MADISON LOVEJOY Homer City has the Hoodlebug Trail. One reason why I like it because I walk my baby bunny on it and the air lifts the fur up on her. Another thing homer City has is farms. I like farms because they give us milk and eggs and they take care of animals. Homer City also has a pool. I love the pool because that’s where I met two friends. The Homer City pool is also special to me because when I feel hot my mom takes me there to swim.
These are the reasons I love Homer City.
McCREERY ELEMENTARY
(Alyssa Antalis) CASSIDY STATES I like living in Marion Center because there is nice weather and pretty sunsets. In the sunsets there is purple, pink, blue, yellow and orange. It looks nice when the sunset shows sunlight through the trees. There are nice views where you can look at the sunsets. We almost never get floods in Marion Center. I like being able to walk my dog all over town. I can walk my dog to the park, to the school and to the post office. No giant building to cut off the sidewalks. There is nice sidewalks. I love have a nice big yard that I could not have in the city. In my yard I have enough room for a trampoline. My dog is able to run all over the yard because we have a fence. We have a fire pit in my yard too. I have nice neighbors and nice people live in my area. My neighbors are nice by helping each other. My neighbors are nice because they shovel each others side walks when it snows. People that live in my area are nice by waving to each other when the person walks or rides by. MADISON LIPSIE I love where I live because I have lots of space to play. Where do you live? I like to swim in my neighbor’s swimming pool. I eat watermelon, swim with my family
and I have swimming races with my sister. I also like to ride my dad’s side-by-side. My dad goes really fast, I listen to music and I learn how to drive it. I like to play outside with my dog and my sister. We feed my dog ice and snow, we have snowball fights and we make pretend snow food. Last, I like to play softball in the summer and fall. I won two medals, I stay fit while I’m doing it and my mom cheers for me while I’m doing it while my dad coaches me. Now you know why I love where I live. JACOB KELLAR I live in the country and I go hunting, I go fishing, I go in the woods and I ride fourwheelers. When I go fishing I put my line out, I sit there and when I catch one I go home and cook it. When I go hunting I load my gun, I sit there and I catch one. I will take it to be skinned. When I go in the woods I see deer, I see squirrels and I climb trees. I ride my four-wheeler in the woods, I ride my four-wheeler in the yard and I got to my Grandpa’s with my four-wheeler. That is what I do at in the country when I am at home. (Ed McCunn) LANDEN COOK The country, wow! Did you see that deer run by! That happens to me all the time. I like to sit under a tree and listen to the birds chirp while bears eat apples off the ground and my dog runs wild. Continued on Page 55
Kenadee Elkin, Grade 5, W. A. McCreery Elementary School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 55
“What is special about where I live ...” Continued from Page 54 I like to watch turkey strut through my backyard. I like playing baseball, football and wrestling. I like to run and bike also. I like to listen to cows moo while running through fields with my dog. JOHN FALKNER I live in the country. Have you ever seen a beautiful place? Well the country is the most beautiful place you’ll ever see. I live in the country because it is awesome. The snow is soft as a dandylion. The grass is tall as a maze and the trees are very good for climbing. I love the country because the animals are graceful. The deer frolic through the flowers and the birds chirping are very soothing. IN the country there is a special tree where I climb. The woods is made out of Oak. There is also a lot of space. The tree is taller than all the other trees. SOPHIA CHARLES Where I live in the world. Hi I live in Plumville. Where do you live? I live by the chiropractor so when my mom’s back hurts we can go down there. My house is white and has a brown roof and a big driveway. When it snows I can go sled riding on my hill. In the summer I can ride my bike in the driveway. In the summer I also go to
my grandma’s to go swimming. I also go on walks with my family but sometimes we walk to the park. My dad sometimes takes us to Chuck E Cheese. I love to play with my pet, Goldy the goldfish. I like it when she plays with the coral. She also likes to make bubbles. She also likes to eat a lot of food. I love to play with my Barbies a lot at home. I have 60 Barbies at home because my mom gave me her Barbies. I also have Barbie’s horses. Actually I have 4 of them. So in total I have 60 + 4 + 64 Barbies and horses in all. (Michelle Proch) KIERSTEN MINSHULL I love the country. Have you ever had a yard that is huge? Well I do, you can see so many things like trees. I hope you like vegetables because you can have a lot of those in the country. Another good thing is that you can have room for a swimming pool. I think going for a dip feels amazing. You can drink lemonade out of a melon patch. I love to pick berries. I love to sit by trees and watch the birds go by. I love to see the pretty snow fall down on the tall trees. I love to live in the country.
Mathias Bernat, Grade 4, Apollo Ridge Elementary School
Continued on Page 56
Ashlyn Kerr, Grade 4, Homer Center Elementary School
3rd
David Scardina, Grade 5, Eisenhower Elementary School
56 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
“What is special about where I live ...” Continued from Page 55 MOLLIE SHADLE Living in the country has a lot of healthy things to do like riding bikes. One good thing about riding bikes is it is a good way to have fun. Another good thing about it is you can exercise. Riding is good to hang out with your family and friends. Walking is good for keeping healthy. Another good thing about it is you can get bad things off your mind. It is also fun because you can take your dog. Swinging is just a way to have fun. It is also a way to exercise at the same time. It is also good to talk about stuff that happened. Jumping on the trampoline is a way to learn how to do new tricks. MOLLY BEER What’s special about living in the country. The first thing special about my home is having me family with me. When I spend time with my family at my house we watch movies and play family games. We also go in the summer to my cousins house. One other special thing is having a back porch and lots of birds. My family and I sit on my porch and watch the birds fly. Another thing is I like to do on my porch with my family in the summer the birds lay eggs and we watch them hatch and then we watch them grow up. Then when it’s time for them to start learning how to fly we watch them learn. Another thing is when they are adults we listen to them chirp.
My last thing is spending time outside. One thing I like about spending time outside is having no neighbors so I have lots of room to play and explore. Another reason is having lots of yard space because you can explore even more in my yard. Lastly, having lots of trees is fun because you can use tree branches to make stuff like forts. Now you can see that living in the country is great.
PURCHASE LINE
(Leslie Hanley) NATALIE MISKO I love where I live. I live near a nursing home and I live near the woods. In the winter, me and my brother sled down our huge hill. In fall, we always get a lot of leaves from our huge trees and we jump in them when they fall. I have a large backyard for doing cartwheels and other things. We also catch fire flies in our backyard. Inside my house my bedroom is really cool because I have a basketball hoop on the back of my door. I have a “keep out” sign on and my own bathroom. I love where I live. BRANDON BUTERBAUGH Something is special about where I live. A special thing about where I live is it used to be a post office. We found letters upstarts that looked 50 to 60 years old. When we went in the basement we found a room with an unlocked door and that room was used to store boxes for letters. The outside was all white and really looked like an old post of-
Blake Hodak, Grade 6, Indiana Junior High School
fice. A final cool thing was we had a huge yard to play sports. My house is very special. ISAIAH McMILLIAN There is a special place where I live. It is my neighborhood. My neighborhood is special because I have a lot of neighbors. My neighbors are friendly. They like to get to get together all the time. There is another reason my neighborhood is special I have a creek beside my house, and I can play in it. One more reason my neighborhood is special because I have nice kids to play with. I ride bikes with the kids. That is how my neighborhood is special. (Dian Matko) KENNEDY BENNET I live in a rural community. There is a trustle where we can build cabins. There is a big field where we can play cops and robbers in the field and ride bikes. There is a lake where we swim every summer. We go swimming and fishing. There is a big log so we can jump off of it. Little fish come, and so do minnows, trout, blue gill and sucker fish. We like to play mud war and throw mud at each other. There is an old barn that was in the field. We go metal detecting to find stuff from the old barn. It is fun. LOGAN SMITH I live in a rural community. I like riding my bike in and out of mud. It is fun. I like riding my 4-wheeler in the year and the mud. It is fun, too. I like riding snowmobiles in the yard, in
the woods and on frozen ponds. It is fun. KATELIN KOMLOSKY I live in a small town. It is special. We have a big yard, and we like to play in the back yard. My brother got a go-cart, and we push him down the hill. I do cartwheels, backflips and cheering in the back yard, too. (Kerri Mountain) NATASHA BURNETT Commodore is a great place to live. When it rains, there are little streams going down the road, and you can splash in them. In July when it’s hot, you can sit under a tree and read or play with bugs. There is a blacktop behind my house where you can ride a scooter, bike, skateboard, four-wheelers and even skates. You can even do chalk. There are a lot of trees. On windy days it’s good to fly a kite. There are a lot of tricks you can do. I love living in Commodore. Go give it a try! ADDISON BUTERBAUGH This is how my community is special to me. Commodore is perfect. You can play. You can go for a walk because it’s beautiful out. Commodore is very special because you can play at the fire hall. You can play basketball and softball in my backyard. It is fun to play on my trampoline. On Tuesdays the ice cream truck comes. That is how Commodore is special to me. SOPHIA WHITE What makes Cookport a special place to live? Cookport is a nice place to live. CookContinued on Page 57
Preslee Metil, Grade 4, United Elementary School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 57
“What is special about where I live ...” Continued from Page 56 port has a lot of fun places to go. It is fun to go to the fair in the fall. And it is fun to make snowmen when it snows. It is a special place to live because you can live by your family and friends. Those are a couple of reasons that Cookport is a special place to live.
RAYNE ELEMENTARY
(Renee Tiesi) COLLIN ANDERSON Have you ever heard about what’s awesome in Creekside? Well let me tell you what is awesome about Creekside. There’s a lot of open space to play with your friends. There is a lot of woods and cool animals in it. In the summer we go down to the ballfield and play baseball then we all go down to Stern’s ice cream shop and have an ice cream. To conclude my ending, I just want to say I hope you liked learning about all the fun things in Creekside, Pa. The end. COLLIN CRAIG Do you know why living in a rural area is great? Well first off my water comes from a spring! It tastes really cold and good on a hot summer day. In the spring the flowers smell so good. I like the tulips. Finally, in the summer I like to cut fire wood with my dad. Those are some things that I do that make where I live great!
NICOLE SCOTT Are you proud of where you live? I love how the blue sky looks in the summer. My dog and I like running around in our big yard. I enjoy the delicious taste of the fresh picked blueberries and juicy strawberries. I love how I can ride my bike on the Ghost Town and Hoodle Bug trails. What’s in your town?
ST. BERNARD REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL (Vera Leonard) SKYLAR WENSEL The area that I live in is special because it is peaceful, safe, fun and clean. There are also happy, caring and loving people in the area. There is fresh air and a lot of educated people that like to do work. I like to play at the park with my friend. This is why I like my area. ELIZABETH VILLA The community that I live in is special because it’s quiet most of the time, so I read at that time. I go outside and I do some science. Then, I play with my brother. Sometimes I go to the park across the street. The grass on the way there is clean. This is why my community is special.
Mikayla Cramer, Grade 6, Indiana Junior High School
Continued on Page 58
Cherish Kauffman, Grade 5, Purchase Line Elementary School Trenton Klingensmith, Grade 6, United Elementary School
58 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
“What is special about where I live ...” Continued from Page 57 CECILIA SPADAFORA The community that I live in is special because it has very pretty, caring and loving people. We also have recycling. It is also quiet and clean. There are very pretty trees where I live, and my area has amazing schools too. SALTSBURG ELEMENTARY (Melissa Hall) LOGAN JEFFERS Where I live is special because, in my town, it is quiet. When it is dark all you an hear is the wind howling. When it is wet all you can hear is the water flying and making that splashing noise. I live near a hill that is very steep. In winter my brother and I build a jump and we slide down it. When my brother and I play outside we always go down that hill. I live down the road from a park. Behind the park there is a place that bikes go to do jumps and ride on the trail. At the park people climb to the highest point. Where I live it snows a lot. When it snows it gives me happy memories with my family. When it snows I get to go outside with my brother and when I go in I get hot chocolate. These are the things that make where I live so special. JACOB JORGENSON What is special about where I live? I live in Clarksburg, PA. The special things about where I live are it is quiet, country setting
and there are a lot of farms. Where I live it is mostly quiet unless you include farm equipment and animals. At night in the summer you can hear bull frogs croaking. In my neighborhood there are elderly people that are very peaceful. There are lots of farms in the area. Where I live there are lots of dairy and beef cattle farms. In my neighborhood there are also lots of horse and pig farms. In the country we are around farm equipment. In the country I raise and barrel race/pole bend our horses. We also raise cattle in the spring through the fall. Then we butcher the cattle and sell the meat from them. In conclusion: These are the reasons Clarksburg, PA is special to me. Quiet, country setting and lots of farms. TERRY ABBATI My town is special because there’s big hills in my area. I go sledding on my big hill. I drive around on my quad on the big hill. I have a swing set in my backyard. Me and my sister play on my swing set. I play Army on my swing set. In my area where I live there’s deer. In the morning I see deer in my backyard. I feed the deer corn every morning. (Doug Titmus) GRACE ALLSHOUSE Where I live is special because we have a pond, and a cornfield and a playhouse we built. It’s fun in the shed with tools and stuff. The woods are fun.
Danielle Hendrick, Grade 4, Northern Cambria Elementary School
It’s noisy and I make the most of the noise. It’s fun banging pots and hitting metal. The woods are so, so, so fun! And that is why where I live is special. And more! The groundhogs are not in the city, that is special. We have the best spot for hunting, that’s nice. And good for food. We find stray cats and take them to the vet. They are hard to find in the city. There is no traffic in the country. We fish at the pond and play the woods. It’s not all fun and games in the country. Hunting is serious where I live. The trees are nice, the pond is nice, all of the country is nice. It’s all nice. That is special, where I live. SEBASTIAN WAUGAMAN What is special about where I live? It is quiet, there is no trash and it is mostly woods. It is quiet a lot. The only time there is a good bit of sound is when a train comes through. There is not a lot of kids. There is me, my sister and two boys. I’m the oldest of all the kids. I’m only 9. Another thing that is special about where I live is there is no trash. No one litters. Everyone around where I live cleans up. There is no garbage. The last thing that is nice is there is mostly woods. I can ride my ATV on the trails. I can also go hunting with my dad. In conclusion, that is what is special about where I live because it is quiet, there is no trash and it is mostly woods.
LEAH HENRY Where I live is special because there are many things I like. I will tell you a couple of things.There’s weeds close by so there is room where I can hunt. I can also ride my quad too! I have a good school that I go to so I get a good education. I get really smart and it’s cool. I love the wildlife. The peaceful birds chirping and sitting on branches. The creaks of shiny flowing water. So that’s what I like about where I live. In my area where I live there’s deer. IN the morning I see deer in my backyard. I feed the deer corn every morning.
SEEDS OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
(Kristin Kodman) QUINN LIPNISKIS I live in Indiana, PA. Where I live is special because there is always something fun to do outside. We have cold winters and warm summers. In the winter we drive up to Seven Springs and ski with my family. It is so much fun. I am on the racing team and I have friends that ski too. IN the summer I like to swim at Mack Park Pool, right in my small town. All my friends are there and we have a blast. I hunt deer and turkeys with my Papa in the woods near his house. I also play baseball and basketball with my friends in my neighborhood. I like camping with my family. I like to go to the drive-in in the summer with my friends and family. Continued on Page 59
Aliyah Kendall, Grade 6, Blairsville Middle School
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 59
“What is special about where I live ...” Continued from Page 58 I like to ride my bike in my neighborhood. Where I live is so special and we always have so much fun outdoors. TRENT MARSHALL I live way out in the country in a town called Smicksburg, Pennsylvania. I have three pigs and some cows. My brother, sister and I have to do a lot of chores on the farm. I love to feed my pigs. I love to go camping with my family. My grandma takes us to the drive-ins in the summer. There aren’t many small towns that still have a drive-in. I go hunting for deer and turkey with my mom, dad, or grandpa. We have a big garden and grow fruits and vegetables. We get to eat a lot
of the food we grow. I love where I live because there’s always so much to do. REBECCA NIEL I live in Shelocta, PA. I live out in the country and I like to play in the woods with my friends Ethan and Peyton. They live by the post office in Shelocta. I go ice skating every Saturday. Our garden is huge. Sometimes Peyton and I walk through the tall weeds. We also like to look at and study bugs and animals in my backyard or in the woods. My mom tells us not to get lost. I love where I live because my friends live close to me. Peyton rides my quad with me at night. Once we even saw a bear in the woods. But I didn’t do anything – that was close!
NICE TO MEET YOU
Alivia Yahner, Grade 4, Northern Cambria Elementary School
Rhyan McCracken, Grade 5, St. Bernard School
TERI ENCISO/Gazette
JACOB SEXTON, second-place in the third-grade essay contest, met The Gazette’s mascot, Diggy, after receiving his award during a special ceremony on March 21.
60 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Kindergarten classic comic winners 1st CORYDON METCALF II Seeds of Faith Christian Academy
2nd NANCY SILK United Elementary
3rd TEAGAN BUCKLES United Elementary
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 61
First-grade classic comic winners 1st BRAELYN PATTISON Northern Cambria Elementary
2nd RAELYNN REITZ Dayton Elementary
3rd GIANNA CORNMAN Saltsburg Elementary
62 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Second-grade classic comic winners 1st VANESSA UHER Homer-Center Elementary
2nd ALLYNIA WELLS Homer-Center Elementary
3rd TY MARSHALL Seeds of Faith Christian Academy
Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 — 63
Do you know the history of NIE? By The Indiana Gazette Did you know the origin of Newspaper in Education can be traced to the late 1700s? According to the website nieworld.com, the idea dates to June 8, 1795, when the Portland (Maine) Eastern Herald published this as an editorial: “Much has been said and written on the utility of newspaper; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools, and by the children in families. Try it for one session — Do you wish your child to improve reading solely, give him a newspaper — it furnishes a variety, some parts of which must infallibly touch his fancy. Do you wish to instruct him in geography, nothing will so indelibly fix the relative situation of different places, as the stories and events published in the papers. In time, do you wish to have him acquainted with the manners of country or city, the mode of doing business, public or private; or do you wish him to have a smattering of every kind of science useful and amusing, give him a newspaper — newspapers are plenty and cheap — the cheapest kind of book that can be bought, and the more you buy the better for your children, because every part furnishes some new and valuable information!” The program grew nationally in the 1930s and 1940s, when The New York Times and
NIE by the numbers ● The Newspaper in Education program began in 1985 ● Approximately 30 elementary, junior and senior high schools and homeschools participate ● The contests are open to students in kindergarten through Grade 12 ● 5,000 students participated this year the Milwaukee Journal sponsored programs and provided information and newspapers to classrooms. Iphigene Ochs Sulzberger, wife of the publisher of The New York Times, didn’t know that she’d become the “mother of NIE” when she filled a request for teachers in New York City to use the Times in the classrooms. While it was not yet called NIE, the program was referred to as the “Living Textbook Program.” In the 1950s, schools began using newspapers as a nationally supported program. A survey conducted by the Des Moines Register showed that 30 to 40 percent of the students did not read outside the classroom. In 1957, the national “Newspaper in the Classroom” program first sponsored by International Circulation Managers Association and later by the American Newspaper
Publishers Association, which became the Newspaper Association of America in 1992. The first result of the national program was the creation of three annual graduate credit summer workshops that trained up to 100 teachers each year in the classroom use of newspapers. During the 1960s, local newspapers started their own workshops to promote the use of the newspaper in classroom. At this time, more than 100 programs were being offered. By the mid-1970s, more than 350 newspapers sponsored local programs and the Canadian Daily Newspaper Publishers Association coined the name “Newspaper in Education” as the news program title. In the 1980s, newspapers were used in classrooms from kindergarten through college. The Indiana Gazette started its Newspaper in Education program in 1985, with
Hastie Kinter taking the lead, as she still does today. The ANPA Foundation (which became the NAA Foundation in 1992) and the International Reading Association joined forces to sponsor an NIE Week each March. By 1989, more than 700 NIE programs were taking place nationwide, with materials also being used for adult education and tutoring, in prisons, nursing homes and mental institutions. In the early years of the 1990s, newspapers began adding more content geared toward younger readers, as editors and publishers recognized the value of the young reader. By the end of the 1990s, there were more than 850 NIE programs across the country. There are now more than 950 NIE programs in existence throughout the country, with newspapers reaching nearly 40 percent of all public school students in the United States. More than 94 percent of all newspapers in the United States with a circulation of more than 15,000 daily have active NIE programs and the NAA Foundation created the NIE EForum, a mass email system that allows NIE professionals to have instant access to each other. NIE will continue to grow, as it expands into the new digital realm. Information for this article came from the websites www.nieworld.com, www.nwi times.com and www.nieinstitute.org. Benjamin Dean, Grade 6, Penns Manor Jr./Sr. High School
64 — Indiana Gazette NIE Supplement, Wednesday, March 30, 2016
THANK YOU
YOU YO U help make this program a suc ccess! -