News
Pages 2-3
Features
February ‘12
Pages 4-5
Editorial Pages 6-7
Center Spread Pages 8-9
Our World Page 10-11
Entertainment Page 12-13
Sports
Pages 14-15
spot light THE
Volume LV Issue 4
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News -Mr. Spartan Competition comes to SOLEHI -Scholastic American Visions Awards
Spartan Spirit Club Warms the Winter by Lauren Ortwein
On Friday, January 20, 2012, students eagerly awaited the first winter pep rally in recent history, and teachers still went on with their lessons. At 1:49 in the afternoon, when Mrs. Siegfried dismissed everyone to the gymnasium, the students went crazy. It felt like Homecoming all over again. The gym was decorated for the occasion, and the stands filled up fast. The actual pep rally did not even start yet, and teachers were already swarming to the senior section at the sight of confetti and silly string.
-Spirit Week Highlights Enthusiastic Students
Features -The College Roommate Conundrum
couraged to throw cheese balls to see if they would stick. The final game pitted select student basketball players against Mr. Zeisloft, Ms. Dellegrotti, and Ms. Lacey, in a 3-point shoot-out. Many students were overjoyed when they found out Southern Lehigh was having another pep rally, either because they really do enjoy them, or it is just an excuse to get out of class early. However, some were actually disappointed in the pep rally. An anonymous student stated, “I would have liked to see the cheerleaders do something as well. I understand it is the dance team’s season, but I also enjoy watching the cheerleaders.” On the other hand, many students and teachers enjoyed the rally and appreciated all the hard work of the spirit club who organized it.
-Facebook Welcomes the Timeline Feature -Sea of Souls: The Third Installment of a Five-Part Series
Editorial -Controversy Over Block Scheduling -Tattoos: A Popular Senior Fad -Letter to the Editor
Photos Courtesy of Isabella Hoeke and Bruce Backa.
The pep rally opened with very interesting choreography by the dance team which included a special guest decked out in LED lights that “popped, locked, and dropped it” in the middle of the dimmed gymnasium. The rally also consisted of a danceoff with our two eccentric hosts, Kyle Brown and Austin Rivera, and The Gingerbread Man (PJ Burris), along with games that required audience participation. The first was to see what section could get the loudest and was the most spirited. Next, two students from each grade, plus two teachers (Mrs. Searfoss and Mrs. Howsare), were randomly chosen to come to the center of the gym, where a plastic cover was laid down, and one partner had to put shaving cream on their face while the other was en-
Falling Whistles Charity Event Rocks the Dance Floor Entertainment -The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Hits Theatres -StumbleUpon Revolutionizes Online Searches -Monthly Horoscopes
Sports -Winter Athletes of the Issue -Competition Cheerleaders Prepare for National Competition
by Corinne Renner
Southern Lehigh High School’s Student Council held its annual mid-year dance on Saturday, February 4. The muchanticipated event was preceded by a spirit week as well as a pep rally, before it was postponed due to inclement weather. The proceeds from this event benefitted a charity, known as Falling Whistles, that works to advocate and rehabilitate child soldiers in the African Congo. These mid-year dances have gained substantial popularity over the last few years. Several years ago, Southern Lehigh hosted an annual winter formal named, “Snowball.” The event lost its popularity and was eventually canceled due to exceedingly low attendance. Because the winter dances fell between Homecoming and Prom, many of the students were disinterested in purchasing another expensive outfit and ticket. Four years ago, Student Council provided a casual alternative that was an immediate success. The “Four Months Til Summer” Dance was exceedingly popular in March of 2009. Organized and overseen by Student Council members and club advisor, Mr. Troy Ruch, the event welcomed an abundance of students sporting flip flops, shorts, and other summerwear. Student Council minimized the costs of the dance by using an iPod playlist, rather than a hired DJ, and eliminating food. The relatively cheap five dollar tickets were an easy expenditure for high school students.
Since the success of the dance in 2009, Student Council has innovated its mid-year event. In previous years, the club has held a Chinese raffle offering coveted parking spots and the latest technology. However, the most notable alteration was Student Council’s decision to donate the majority of proceeds to a charity. This year, the selected charity was Falling Whistles. The organization increases public awareness of the child soldier brutality in Congo. To support their cause and offer monetary donations of their own, the group sells whistles that are similar to those that the children wear on the front line in battle. The profits from the dance with greatly benefit this cause. Student Council members decorated the cafeteria with strung lights and posters in preparation of the dance. Roughly two hundred students attended the dance. Junior Sophia Hoeke organized a playlist of the latest and greatest in pop and hip hop music that received great reviews. Since its origin in 2009, the annual mid-year dance has been a distinguished event in the Student Council calendar. The club, composed of students from all grades, works diligently to provide fun and diverse activities throughout the school year. This year’s dance proved very successful. Student Council plans on continuing and raising awareness for this event in the years to come.
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Fun Facts Did you know that it is illegal for a woman to appear unshaven in public in New Mexico? It is also illegal to carry a lunchbox down Main Street in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Courtesy of www.dumblaws.com
News
Not Just a Textbook: Apple Revolutionizes Learning by Ashley Zamichieli
Have you taken a look at your last math, science, or social studies book lately? Did you notice that it was most likely written at least five years ago? In an attempt to save money, schools only purchase new textbooks when the old ones are completely falling apart. But these days, it seems like there is a new discovery every day. Unfortunately, without new textbooks, students may not stay up to date with these major events. However, this will all change because Apple has recently released a statement saying that they have partnered with publishers such as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw, and Pearson to create multi-touch textbooks. Regarding the expanding informational database, Apple stated, “While the way people learn has changed dramatically, the traditional textbook has stayed the same.” For this reason they have designed the multi-touch textbook, so that students can become up to date with everything that is going on in each of their studies. These new textbooks feature interactive photo galleries that enable readers to rotate, enlarge, and interact with the picture. No longer will students have to stare at a picture printed on a page. They will be able to manipulate the photo so that they understand exactly what is occurring. Another neat feature of these new multi-touch textbooks is that the user is able to take notes and highlight words right on the page. No more copying definitions onto flashcards; all students have to do is highlight the text, and they can automatically create custom study cards. So, how do the textbooks stay up to date? That is through the works of the free app, iBooks Author. This app allows publishers to create their multi-touch textbooks, publish them, and then submit them to the iBookstore for their choice of purchase or download. Then, when a publisher finds they need to adjust their book, they can simply fix it and then make that update available through the iBookstore. It’s as simple as that. There are mixed reviews as to whether or not these books are beneficial, and of course the main topic is whether the cost of the multi-touch textbooks is actually cheaper than standardized textbooks. Many people might automatically assume that multitouch textbooks are the priciest, requiring the purchase of the text as well as the actual iPad device. However, Apple announced that through their partnership with publishing companies they have come to provide these multi-touch textbooks for $14.99 or less. This is due to the cost reductions of printing and binding, which drives the price upwards for regular textbooks. This announcement is huge for not only technology, but also the educational world. Time will only tell how many schools will integrate these multi-touch textbooks into their classrooms.
Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street Center Valley, PA 18034 by Maria McDonald (610) 282-1421 x7122 slsdspotlight@gmail.com Attention upperclassmen males of Southern Lehigh High
Who Will be Crowned America’s Next Top Spartan?
The Spotlight is published six times annually by the student members of its staff. Its purpose is to present news concerning Southern Lehigh High School and the Southern Lehigh School District, as well as to provide a forum for student opinion. Editorial content of The Spotlight expresses the view of the paper and not necessarily that of the Board of Education, Administration, or faculty of the Southern Lehigh School District. Bylined editorial content and letters to the editor represent the opinion of the writer only. All contents are copyrighted by The Spotlight. Advertising and subscription rates are furnished upon request.
Faculty Adviser Mrs. Marlo Spritzer
Editor-in-Chief Corinne Renner
News Editor Lauren Gross
Features Editors Casey Anthony Rachel Style
Entertainment Editor Mariah Janowski
Editorial Editors Maria McDonald Ally Quilty
Sports Editors Tim Filler Cody Heffelfinger
Our World Editors Dana DiGiovanni Chris McCarthy
Center Spread Editor Rylee Maron
Photo Editor Isabella Hoeke
Photographer Katelyn Scheetz
Online Editors Bruce Backa Maddie Cole
compete, the male student will need to take part in a fundraiser, School! If you’ve always wanted the chance to prove that you and raise a certain amount of money for a designated charity. have what it takes to represent our school in terms of spirit, tal- Doing so will place individuals in the running for a spot in the ent, and all around good looks, then you’re in luck! This year, competition, or even the winning position. Whoever becomes “Mr. Spartan” will receive a Southern Lehigh’s Varsity Club will present the coveted prize that cannot be announced yet. ThereFirst Annual Mr. Spartan contest! Similar to Parkland Area High School’s fore, if raising money for a charity and showing off in a bathing suit for the female teachers of South“Mr. Parkland” competition, the event will be made up of upperclassmen boys who are interestern Lehigh isn’t enough motivation, there will be the added incentive of a prize! ed in representing the school. In a sense, the event So upperclassmen boys, keep your eyes and ears is a beauty pageant for men, but guys, don’t let out for for more information regarding the Mr. the feminine name scare you away. There will be Spartan competition! The event will be held someseveral intriguing categories that the contestants will participate in. Though the specific categories time in late April, during the school day. Be a part Photo courtesy of Southern Lehigh of Southern Lehigh’s first Mr. Spartan contest, and are not definitive yet, there are a few that will leave behind a legend that will be hard to beat in most likely be present, including a talent portion, School District following years. All it requires is a bit of confidence and some dress-up portion, and possibly even a bathing suit show! The event will be judged (without bias) by the female fundraising, and in turn, you get the respect of the school, an teachers in our high school. In order to receive the opportunity to awesome prize, and the title of Mr. Spartan!
Spartan Musicians Represent at Districts and Regionals by Madeleine Cole
Southern Lehigh School District is proud to be sending nine students to PMEA District Band, Orchestra and Chorus. Senior Betina Dalope made District Chorus as a soprano II for the second year in a row, and junior Julie Gordon and senior Cara Kinney made District Band and Orchestra for trombone and clarinet, respectively. Lucy Zhang, Matt Guro, Drew Hoffert, Michael Gouck and Matthew Kerr all made District Orchestra for violin, while Adam Leferovich qualified playing the cello. This is an incredible achievement considering the relatively small number of students that tryout. Roughly 12-15 Southern Lehigh students audition each year at Parkland High School in October for a spot in the 200-member chorus. Around 800 students audition from the entire PMEA District 10, so an appointment to District Chorus is considered very prestigious. Similarly, the District Band has a membership of 140 for which 800
students compete. District band was held at Nazareth High School from January 12-14, and included two days of rehearsal as well as two concerts. Both Cara Kinney and Julie Gordon also qualified for Regional Band, which will be held from February 23-25 in Chambersburg, PA. This year’s District Chorus was held during the last weekend of January. Students arrived on the morning of January 26 to begin rehearsals, when they were also given a chance to re-audition for the next step: PMEA Regional Chorus. Participants stayed overnight with their host families, and on January 27 and 28, students rehearsed in the morning and then proceeded to perform in concert. District Orchestra is held from February 9 through the 11 at Parkland and Emmaus High Schools along with District Band and Orchestra competitions. The fesitval includes two days of orchestra practice and one concert on Saturday. Stu-
dents are also offered a chance to audition for Regional Orchestra. PMEA (Pennsylvania Music Educators Association) is similar in purpose, function, and layout to the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association). Currently, Southern Lehigh High School’s own chorus director, Mr. Matt Wehr, is the president of District 10, and Mr. Doug Bolasky is second vice president. There is a district band, district chorus, and a district orchestra. The best participants in each will have the chance to perform at the state level. Junior Julie Gordon who received an appointment to both District Orchestra and Regional Band remarked, “It was an honor to represent our school in such a selective competition as District and Regional Band and Orchestra.” Congratulations to these Southern Lehigh students for their outstanding achievements in music.
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A New Kind Of Spirit Week
by Marisa Peters and Lauren Gross In order to hype up winter athletics, Southern Lehigh hosted a winter pep rally on January 20. Now lets face it, pep rallies would not be the same without a spirit week leading up to the big event, and this time around, student council came up with some very unique themes for the spirit days. Backwards/Hat Day Students wearing their shirts and pants backwards appeared to be confused after returning to school on Monday. Then there were those who simply jumped at the opportunity to legally wear a hat all day long. Sra. Imms fakes an electrocution. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Maureen Elliott.
Swinter Day On Tuesday, students were sure to be freezing as they walked into school sporting shorts and t-shirts. Summer-dressed students and teachers were scattered amongst the halls. However, it was upsetting to see that at the end of the day that Southern Lehigh’s optimistic outfitting had not changed the weather. Fake an Injury Day Anyone visiting the high school on Wednesday would have been under the impression that Southern Lehigh was the most accident prone school in the Lehigh Valley. Students pretended to be injured by wearing crutches and bandages while sporting realistic scars. Super Hero Day While students looked like victims on Wednesday, the same individuals appeared to be heroes the following day. There were shirts for Superman, Batman, Flash, and of course we can’t forget...Wonder Woman!
Senior, Tim Filler rocks his super hero costume! Photo Courtesy of Bruce Backa
Blue and White Day
Visionary Artists Among Us by Kylie Schmitt The Scholastic American Visions Award is the most prestigious award offered by Scholastic Arts competition. This art show is the oldest display in the United States. This year, several Southern Lehigh students were recognized in this competition. Senior Kali Yext was one of five recipients in our region chosen to go to New York for national judging of her prized piece, “The Mirror.” Kali’s photograph of trees and their reflection in a stream, was taken in black and white film, then scanned to enlarge the photo, and finally printed out. The process for this particular art show begins with the evaluation of over 1,000 entries, only ten percent of which will continue to the second round of judging. From that selective pool, only the top five pieces are chosen to go to New York for national judging. Finally, the Scholastic American Visions award is given to the best piece. The award is presented to the winner at Carnegie Hall. Judges look for qualities such as technique, creativity, voice, and vision in all the entries. Students can also receive other awards such as a Gold or Sliver Key and even scholarship money. Katelyn Ambrose received a Gold Key for a pencil drawing; Lauren Dundin, Emily Fisher, and Maggie Griffin all received Silver Keys for their entries. Hannah Castle, Kevin Kim, Catalina Pham, and Josh Watkins also received honorable mentions. “I hope this inspires kids to go further” says Mrs. SikorskiSchneider. There are many categories that are open for students to enter in such as drawing, painting, photography, design, and computer art. Students from Berks County, Lehigh County, and Northampton County competed in this artistic contest. Congratulations to all honored Spartan artists, and best of luck to Kali as she enters the final round for this prestigious award.
Kali’s winning photo Photo courtesy of Kali Yext
The Results Are In: Skills USA Congratulations to the following Southern Lehigh students who placed in the 2012 Skills USA District Competition on February 1, 2012!
Silver Medalists
Kristy Wisser - 2nd Place - Cosmetology Kyle Schrimpe - 2nd Place - HVAC & Refrigeration Alexander Adams - 2nd Place - Residential Plumbing
Bronze Medalists
Andrew Werkheiser - 3rd Place - Customer Service (HVAC) Gregory Scott Vincent - 3rd Place - Diesel Equipment Technology Nicole Glose - 3rd Place - Tech Computer Applications Damon Afflerbach - 3rd Place - Web Design Jason Ziegler - 3rd Place - Welding
Spring Musical is The Cat’s Meow by Kylie Schmitt
Cats. It all started with a sequence of poems by T.S Eliot. These poems were standard reading for young children in England, but for students here at Southern Lehigh, they make up this year’s musical. When Mr. Wehr was asked why he picked Cats for the spring musical he replied, “The show’s strengths are the songs. It’s the sort of show when you leave the auditorium you remember the songs.” While there are no lead roles, Cats features a lot of student talent from the various songs to the dance numbers. All together, this musical features 15-20 musical numbers. “My favorite song is ‘Jellicle Ball,’ and I think everyone will really enjoy it too,” remarked Ralph Shields, who plays the cat Victor. Austin Piel, who will be playing the role of Bill Bailey, agreed with Ralph. Approximately 75 students auditioned for this production. The 37 students selected for the cast rehearse every Monday
through Thursday after school, and occasionally on Saturday mornings, to prepare for the show. Southern Lehigh’s production of Cats premiers on March 1, 2012, with performances running through March 4. Tickets are selling out fast, so come support your fellow Spartan theatre students!
Jake Meluskey poses on the set of Cats Photo courtesy of Bruce Backa
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Sea of Souls
Features
by Robyn Somers and Joelle Smith
I clumsily nudged my foot off the brake pedal. The car slithered out of the wet driveway and began to coast down the street as we departed from the party. My phone continued to vibrate in the cup-holder. My mother was still trying to get a hold of me. Peeping into my rear view mirror, I noticed the sagging, bloodshot eyes that ogled back at me. I feared what was to come, but at the same time I couldn’t care less. The car began to glide over the speed limit. I attempted to merge into the passing lane, but clumsily swerved back as a car shot by. Thoughts flew through my mind. If I get pulled over, my life will be finished. They’ll see right through me. My worry grew to panic. Breaking into a cold sweat, I realized the danger Allie and I were in. I swerved to take a remote detour, hoping to avoid a highway surrounded by cops in silent vigil, searching for reckless drivers like me. The next left involved crossing an old bridge, only a mile from my home. I glanced over at Allie, who was out cold. “Allie, come on wake up.” I nudged her, yet she only slumped further into her seat . “Allie, I am taking you home. Get up!” I yelled. I shoved her, but she remained still as a stone. The old brick bridge lay up ahead; I grabbed her by the shoulders, lifting both hands from the steering wheel in a final attempt to see if I could shake her from her stupor. It only took seconds before I realized what I did...but it was too late. To be continued...
New! Facebook Timeline by Lauren Gross
Most of us have noticed the in years will be switched to Timeline. video that has been on Facebook’s Timeline is not very sensitive login screen for the past few weeks, to the fact that an individual’s group of but have not taken the time to watch friends may have changed since he or it or learn what it is about. This of- she first obtained a Facebook account. ten overlooked video is meant to edu- In other words, the pictures posted cate Facebook users about the new during the awkward middle school version of the social network called stages will now become more visible Timeline. Timeline is much more than to high school or college friends, and a simple update to your Facebook some may not want to remember that profile; it is a completely new take those days ever happened. For people on the Facebook we know and love. who are planning to enact damage As of now, Facebook users control on their current Facebook proview an individual’s recent activ- files, it would probably be a good idea ity through wall posts to start with the oldest and photos. Instead of posts and photos, likefocusing on the presly posted when there ent, Timeline allows was less viewership. users to create a comTimeline also posite about one’s engives the profile a tire life. Users can acfacelift by displaying tually add life events friends, photos, inforinto timeline that hapmation, and wall posts pened before the actiin a different manner. vation of a Facebook A completely new profile. For example, concept that Timeline an individual’s first brings to the table word spoken might is “the coverphoto.” be included in the This is a picture that timeline. Essentially, is displayed horizonTimeline is a scraptally across the top of Photo Courtesy of Lauren Gross book of someone’s enthe profile page, in adtire life. This new format also dition to the profile head shot. The makes it much easier for friends coverphoto can be anything that deto view old photos and wall posts scribes a user or tells something about that otherwise have been forgotten. his or her life. However, it may not Most people wouldn’t want be the best idea to make the cover their possibly awkward history ris- photo a picture of one’s face because ing from the ashes to become easily not many want their faces stretched accessible to their Facebook friends. length wise across a computer screen. However, those people who do feel Facebook is obviously trythis way will need to make adapta- ing to add a new edge to their site tions. Over the next few weeks, Face- in order to compete with their largbook will begin telling all of its users est rival, Twitter. It may be tough that they have seven days to clean up getting used to at first, but Timeline their profiles before they are auto- will keep Facebook interesting, at matically switched to the Timeline least for a little while. Timeline gives setting. At some point, even those its users more of a creative edge who have not logged onto Facebook and flexibility with their profiles.
There’s an App for That by Casey Anthony
As technology continues to evolve, the world is looking to our generation to take the next steps in innovation. At Southern Lehigh, members of the computer club strive to do just that. In fact, the club has recently taken on a new, exciting, hands-on project: the challenge of creating apps for a Windows 7 phone. Alex Parsons, a 2011 graduate, emailed Microsoft to get phones for the club to begin programming. “Last year, right before I graduated, I was playing around with developing ... applications for Windows Phones,” comments Parsons. “As I was looking at resources online, I noticed that one of the head guys at Microsoft was really receptive to people interested in developing, so I sent him an email describing how a developer device for the computer club would be beneficial for both Microsoft and our school.” Through Parsons’ work, Mr. Brad Siesko, the team advisor, obtained a grant and academic license to create apps. The club received phones to use specifically for the project and began to create new applications. The project is daunting, but they are still working towards creating more apps and even selling them.
Local Leukemia Support by Lauren Ortwein We all know someone who has been affected by cancer, and it seems to affect us most when it strikes someone our own age or even younger. Southern Lehigh High School has been committed each year to supporting Light the Night, a fundraiser that supports the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. We have supported our own in the fight against childhood cancers, but there are many others in our local area who benefit from the support of others. Last month, on January 12 and 13, 2012, the biggest ‘trend’ on twitter was #staystrongHannah. Celebrities such as Drake, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Lil Tunechi all participated in this trend, along with Mac Miller who tweeted, “Dear Hannah Bankos, The world loves you. #staystrongHannah” Word on the street was that the 16-year-old high school student from Whitehall had 24 hours to live. However, her mother, Chris Bankos, posted on Hannah’s Facebook page late on the night of January 12 that this was not true: “She is sick and in the PICU, but she continues to fight this ugly beast, cancer and its added ugliness it does to your body.” Hannah was diagnosed with Leukemia on November 17, 2009, and has been fighting it since. More recently, on January 24, 2012, a three-year-old girl from Emmaus was diagnosed with Leukemia and already started her chemotherapy treatments by January 25. Madison had been sick on and off since Halloween of 2011. She just had the common cold of a fever and sore throat, but then around Thanksgiving things got a little worse when she experienced pain in her hip and was having trouble walking. An xray showed no broken bones, and the pain eventually went away. However, by January the pain returned and Madison was experiencing a tingling feeling down one side; she tried to stand up and collapsed. At the hospi-
tal, blood work showed that her hemoglobin was low, so once a week, Madison had to go back to the doctor to get her hemoglobin checked. At first she was doing well, but then her counts kept dropping, and her platelets were low as well. Again, she was admitted into the hospital, given more blood, and had a bone marrow aspiration done. That is how the doctors found out that Madison has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. As of now the plan is for her to continue chemotherapy; however, she will need to have over 20 more spinal taps to draw out more spinal fluid. Each spinal tap will help the doctors at Lehigh Valley Hospital to know how to adjust her chemo to provide maximum treatment. Madison’s family is organizing a “card shower” for her, hoping for three-year-old “Maddie” to receive as many cards as possible from all over the world. If you are interested in sending a card please contact Lauren Ortwein or Mrs. Spritzer for the address. Cancer is a huge problem in the U.S. Just in the year 2012 about 1,638,910 new cancer cases are expected, and 577,190 are predicted to die. Any one person can get cancer; age, race, or gender does not matter. However, cancer increases with age; about 77% of all cancers are diagnosed in adults 55 years of age and older. There is a 29% chance of females getting breast cancer and a 26% chance that females with breast cancer will die in 2012 alone. Childhood cancers are rare, they are 1% less than all of the new cancer diagnoses.Childhood cancer rates increased by 0.5% per year from 2004-2008, a consistent trend since 1975. An estimated 12,060 new cases are expected to occur with children aging from 0-14 years old in 2012. Leukemia is the main diagnosis in 34% of all childhood cancer.
Features
Roommate Roulette?
by Mariah Janowski As more and more high school seniors begin to hear back from the schools that they have applied to and finally commit to a single institution, many more decisions start popping up. Decisions like “How should I decorate my room?” “What kind of meal plan do I want?” and “Do I really need a T.V.?” are common dilemmas that require a lot of thought. The most important, and possibly most life-changing decision, though, is “Who am I going to room with?” When seniors start their first semester of college, the living conditions are completely different from what many students have grown accustomed to at home. There will no longer be Mommy and Daddy, and they won’t have their own rooms to just lock themselves in when they don’t want to talk to anyone. So the big question is: stay with a familiar face, or go completely random? Sticking with a friend from high school in college can be a good and bad thing. It’s convenient to already know the person and avoiding stepping out of one’s comfort zone. Communication will likely already be strong, so understanding another individual’s schedule and daily routine can ease the somewhat daunting transition. Also, the stress over getting stuck with a freak that won’t detach from your hip, a 6’3” shot putter that you’re scared to death of, or a slob that’s used to living in a pig sty (so they don’t know how to clean) is completely eliminated. On the down side, however, a student may not receive the full experience, which might be why many individuals would want to take a different route. Many seniors, like Riley Geis, are deciding to go “completely random.” He said, “I definitely don’t want to be with a familiar face.” People “randomly” choose their roommates in a number of ways. Sometimes colleges have surveys available to students in an attempt to pair individuals with compatible lifestyles. These are particularly helpful because students may be as specific as possible and truly indicate personalities that are inconsistent with their own. For instance, if individuals don’t smoke cigarettes, they may make it clear that they prefer to live with someone that shares their choice. Most of the time, the admissions office will take those factors into consideration. In other instances, though, colleges don’t even have a survey. In those situations, roommate matching really is up to fate. More and more Facebook groups are being created for specific universities. For example, Tori Partington said, “I started to to look for a roommate on Facebook but it was too overwhelming, so I think I’m just going to wing it!” These pages and groups are especially helpful for incoming freshmen who are eager to talk to other incoming students about majors, roommates, and the overall college experience. A lot of seniors are starting to take this path. Students still have the opportunity to gain the full college experience of living with a complete stranger, but at least they’ll know a little something about them. In the end, it’s really up to the individual to decide what is the best fit. Students can almost always change roommates if they are really unhappy with their living arrangements. Perhaps taking a risk isn’t so bad after all. College is a time of change and self-discovery. Incoming college students should be eager to learn as well as play. As far as roommates go, the person a student lives with could become a life-long friend. New acquaintances who may not share the same personality can offer new ideas to one who is open-minded. There is so much available to a college student, and none of it should be wasted.
Ramping Up Robotics by Cassie Clarence
On January 8 the new “problem” was announced for the 2012 FIRST robotics season. The Southern Lehigh Spartechs are buildign a robot to solve the challenge and competitions in March. The new problem is called “Rebound Rumble.” The team must construct a robot that will essentially play a game of basketball. The obstacle will contain two basketball hoops that the robot must get a ball into and a bump that must be driven over. There are three robots on each team. The robotics team has 50 members that are broken down in groups to try to get as much done as possible in the short time frame of six weeks they have to build three robots. The groups are broken down into programming, drive train, ball thrower, field elements, and an object to pick up the ball. The competition is spread out through multiple days. The first half of the competition, the partners are randomly assigned and must get the robot through the course. For the second half, 8 teams with the best records get to choose their partners and get the robot through the course. The robot must be able to run itself for the first 15 seconds. The next 2:15 minutes the human drivers operate the robot. After the competition in March, there is a tournament that is held until the winners are declared. The winners receive a trophy and a chance to go to Worlds in Saint Louis. The president of the team is Nathan Scott. The vice president is Pat Kroll, and the secretary is Natalie Costa. The treasurer is Sean Clees and driver is Josh Toth. Safety captain Casey Anthony states, “The challenge this year is interesting; I like the new technology we’re using, and I’m really excited for competition to see how all the teams use their resources.”
Skyping the Globe
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by Elizabeth Levis and Alexa Marcano Learning about the popular culture in the 1920s and the emergence of the radio, jazz music, hairstyles, and rebellious attitudes may or may not be a fun topic for teens. Social studies teacher Mr. Brian Dow decided he wanted to really spark the interest of his US Cultures II students by having the class present a “show and tell” of modern culture in comparison to the 1920s. One of Mr. Dow’s period two students, Tai Bickhard, chose the technology route and used Skype as her “show and tell” topic. Since Tai has relatives living in Sweden, she thought it would be beneficial to show how Skype is used and how easy it is to talk to someone across the globe. This gave the students in her class the opportunity to introduce themselves and ask her family any questions they had poking around in their heads about life and culture in Sweden. Since this experience was informative and engaging for the class, Tai established a pen pal e-mail address with her seventeen-year-old cousin, Jonas, to allow students to ask further questions and learn more about Sweden. Now that the class has moved onto the topic of socialism, students are encouraged to come up with questions relating to socialism’s impact on Sweden and how Americans have concerns about socialism coming to our country. Mr. Dow and his class plan to Skype with Jonas once a month as well as email Jonas and his family every Friday with questions they have about life in Sweden. Mr. Dow also is anticipating a period two facebook group where the students can communicate with Jonas easily and frequently. A few interesting facts that the class has learned is that Sweden has a free government health care system, and the country is run by a king who has no power. The currency in Sweden is the Krona which translates to crown. Tai is very anxious to welcome Jonas to Pennsylvania for the first time this summer; he plans to stay for four weeks. Although Tai’s enthusiasm overcomes that of all the other students, many classmates are excited that they are able to keep in contact with Jonas. “Skyping with Jonas and learning about Sweden was very valuable,” shared Ian Mcmurchiyk. “[I]f I ever need to flee the country I will know Sweden is the place to go!” he added with a smile. As we all know, technology is everywhere and heavily influencing not only our society, but the whole world around us. Talking to someone in Sweden is as easy as a click of a button! Thanks to all of the vast amounts of technology available to us, education is more exciting to teens who are able to view different perspectives on a topic, even from a new friend Photo Courtesy of Alexa Marcano on the other side of the ocean.
History of Valentine’s Day by Alexa Marcano
Every February 14, loved ones exchange presents such as candy, flowers, and jewelry to display their affection for one another. But in the midst of this commercial holiday, many individuals are unaware of the origin and true meaning of Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14 was a holiday to honor Juno, the queen of the Roman gods. Romans also knew her as the goddess of marriage. On the night of February 14, Roman girls’ names were written on slips of paper and put in a jar, and the boys would choose the names out of the jars. The boys and girls would spend the next day of festivities together. Often, the relationships would last longer than just one night and they would fall in love and later marry. During this time, Claudius II ruled and was very cruel. He had a difficult time getting soldiers to join the military because most men did not want to leave their families and wives. Claudius II created a law that there could no longer be engagements and marriages. The Good Saint Valentine was a priest in Rome and would often secretly marry couples. St. Valentine was caught and was sentenced to death on February 14. Since then, February 14 is known to the United States, and many other countries, as Valentine’s Day in honor of St. Valentine who risked his life to help those who were in love.
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Letter to the Editor
Editorial
Why Androids Are Just Better I don’t understand why the iPhone is such a big deal. I mean, sure, I understand that it’s “easy to use”, “has everything you could ever want”, and is “the most technologically advanced whosiewhatsit in all of forever”, or whatever, but I think that’s all a bunch of company propaganda. Think about it long and hard. Almost every single “new feature” the newest generation of iPhone gets is something that other smart phones--and even some standard phone—have had for months, or even years. As you can probably tell, I’m not an Apple person. However, I am open-minded, and I won’t deny that iPhones are pretty cool, to an extent. Apple made turned future into the present with features like facetime. The list of applications makes it one of the most versatile machines man has ever churned out. Never before has technology been so... what’s the phrase... dumbed-down. Android phones, on the other hand, while lacking slightly in the app lineup and sales market, are substantially more realistic. They’re more customizable, more unique, and the companies that make them were smart enough to put a physical keyboard underneath the touch screen. Seriously, Apple, there are websites dedicated to how terrible your keyboard and autocorrect features are. For those of you still unsure, think of this little squabble in comparison to taking a physics midterm. You’ve got your Apple multiple choice questions and you Android free response questions. Multiple choice questions are so much easier to answer: all you have to do is eliminate the obvious incorrect answers, do a little calculating, and the correct solution becomes clear instantly. Most people predominantly go for them because they come first on the test and seem less daunting, but the smart testtakers tackle the free response questions. Multiple choice questions seem easy at first glance, but what if you used a few equations and a good chunk of time to get the answer, only to make a math error that ended up being incorrect? Free response questions give you so much more freedom. Instead of a few predetermined choices, you get to do everything your own way. If you make a math error, at least you get partial credit for doing the work. I’ll be the first to admit that iPhones are easier to use, period. Androids are the PCs of the smartphone world. You have to know your way around them, unlike Mac’s from-the-get-go usability. Most people would say this is the winning point, but to me, it’s the nail in the coffin. Anyone can guess on a multiple choice question and get it right. Only intelligence can get you full credit on free response questions. -Justin Malone
Tattoos: Right of Passage or Passing Phase? by Corinne Renner
Many individuals turn eighteen years old during the final year of high school. This milestone gives teenagers a heightened sense of independence as parents take less responsibility, and the entrance into the world as an adult finally comes to fruition. So what does being eighteen mean? For starters, legal curfews disappear and individuals are granted all the privileges and responsibilities of being an adult citizen. However, at Southern Lehigh, the most popular rite of passage this year seems to consist of body art in the form of a tattoo. As teenagers, many individuals feel they are entitled to some form of freedom; the power to do what they want, where they want, and when they want. These are the years that such people make spontaneous decisions. However, these same individuals should consider the permanence of such impulsive actions. Tattoo art is indeed appealing, but unlike a piercing, a tattoo is not easily removed. What is trendy and accepted now will likely not maintain the same reputation in the near future. Students, specifically those new adults, should think seriously before putting ink and needle to their skin. Here’s something to think about: how do you think your body
will look 10, 20, and even 50 years from now? People are constantly losing and gaining weight. The firm skin of youth will eventually fade, stretch, and wrinkle. With the changing body, the appearance of a tattoo will alter too. Let’s not forget that tattoos are also extremely expensive for young people. Upward of a couple hundred dollars, the astronomical costs can make a serious dent in a teenager’s limited funds. And for what? Intense pain and something to show your friends for a week? Think carefully before getting a tattoo. The health risks of infection, as well as the placement on the body, should always be a concern. If you don’t want your priest or boss to see your tattoo, don’t put it somewhere easily visible. A person with conspicuous tattoos may struggle to earn a job position over an equally qualified individual without such body art. Tattoos can definitely be interesting, tell stories or commemorate something of utmost importance to an individual, but should be thoroughly discussed before their attainment. Is the pain, money, and permanence really worth it? You make the call. Photo Courtesy of Corinne Renner
A Case Against Traditional Block Scheduling by Allison Quilty Secondary schools across the country are starting to reform their scheduling. Block scheduling, also known as modular scheduling, has become more and more prominent in the United States in the past decade. Traditional block scheduling typically indicates a four-period day, each period lasting roughly 90 minutes. Each class only lasts for one semester. There are a few fundamental problems with this type of schedule. The first issue that is readily apparent is that teenagers don’t have a 90-minute attention span. It’s not a matter of opinion. It is scientifically proven that an average teenager’s attention span is roughly twenty minutes. Now, how can any teacher help these students learn effectively for 90 minutes? Many would say it is difficult to hold some teens’ attention for a traditional 40-minute class. In order to hold students’ attention there would have to be more “fun” activities. Because of this, the content of the class would be severely watered down. In the end, students would not learn as much as they would in a year-long course. The second issue with block scheduling is retention. Think about how much a student forgets over summer break, which is about two and a half months. Expand that to summer break plus one whole semester without taking a class in a given subject. Students could take Algebra I first semester Freshman year and not get to Algebra II until the second semester of Sophomore year. How much will that student remember? Absolutely NOTHING! Another problem is that students getting ready to take college board exams may not have had math or English in a while, rendering them completely unprepared for a test that has a huge effect on the next stage of their lives. A student’s ability to perform well on AP tests could also be affected. A single semester may not adequately
cover the necessary material required for an AP exam. A block schedule may even prevent students from being able to take AP courses. With only four blocks a day, students have to make important decisions on which classes to pursue. When classes may only be offered for one period of the day, there are scheduling conflicts that often bar students from taking a particular class. One commonly cited solution for actual time lost in class is to cut unnecessary content. Unnecessary content? If this information is unimportant enough to cut, why in the world are students forced to learn it in the first place? Call me crazy, but I feel that all material covered in class should have a certain level of consequence. I don’t want to waste my time learning a bunch of fluff. Longer class periods will only increase the amount of time wasted. Even in traditional length classes, there is often time at the end of class to “start homework.” This is a time that is more often used as a social hour. If teachers struggle to fill a standard 40-50 minute class period, how is it possible for those same teachers to fill 90 minutes? Block scheduling does allow for teachers to get to know their students better, and it often fosters a less stressful school environment. Students may like this type of schedule for that reason, but they may be appalled when their report cards come home. In a Canadian study, a student enrolled in full-year courses outscored block schedule students in objective tests on every measure. This study concluded that “block scheduling can hurt academic performance.” Schools that are trying to give their students a better high school experience are really hurting them in the long run. Academics should be the paramount concern for high school students, not having a stress-free four years. Because, you know as high school students, that is impossible.
Editorial “I Have a Dream” of an MLK Holiday by Casey Anthony “I have a dream,” bellowed Dr. King in his most famous address on equal rights. These four words would go down in history as some of the most wellknown syllables ever spoken on civil rights. In honor of Dr. King’s contributions to society as a whole, a federal holiday was named for him. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is most widely celebrated through service work. However, for Southern Lehigh students, it was most recently spent in school making up a snow day. Due to the new policy on snow days this year, scheduled holidays, or other days where students don’t need to report to school, are the first to be used to make-up inclement weather. The district decided that Martin Luther King Jr day, originally a teacher in-service day, would be the first make-up day for the year. I believe this decision is a very poor reflection upon the school district as a whole. The district calendar is public information which means that the district has publicized its decision to have school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. To outsiders who view this information, the district may seem apathetic to this very important figure in our history. Will they wonder if this reflects the lack of diversity at Southern Lehigh? “I am sure most students and staff would welcome a day off,” stated Acting Superintendent Mrs. Leah Christman, “but I am not sure that it would necessarily be to celebrate the contributions [Martin Luther King Jr.] made to civil rights in the US.” On this premise, we should all set aside time on Columbus Day specifically to celebrate Columbus. While it’s true that many would simply take advantage of a day off, isn’t it also possible that others may want to take part in service projects following classroom discussions about Dr. King? So we had school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day; however, the school failed to recognize the holiday in any way during the day. On September 11, a special piece aired on the morning announcements after the pledge. We absolutely should have done something similar for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Friday before MLK Day, all social studies classes spent time learning about a charity, Falling Whistles, that the winter dance benefited. Why couldn’t the social studies classes devote an equal amount of time either on Friday or Monday to discussing Dr. King? “I believe the best way to honor his legacy is to practice acceptance of others every day,” commented Acting Superintendent Mrs. Leah Christman, “regardless of their heritage or differences to ourselves.” Although it is important to live Dr. King’s legacy every day, I believe it is also important to recognize what he did on Martin Luther King Jr. Day itself.
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The Virtue of Honesty By Chris McCarthy
Honesty has always been an immensely controversial and intermittent virtue in our society. Some argue that only with honesty and integrity can one live life to the fullest extent. Others argue that, while honesty is necessary on various occasions, humans have and always will be compelled to lie, deceive others, and withhold information. I agree with the latter, that there are certain innate pieces of information that should be kept to oneself. Revealing everything and everything about oneself compromises integrity, relationships with others, and conformity. Secrets are ubiquitous. Everyone has made mistakes in the past and tries their best to leave those secrets in the past. When, and if, these secrets are revealed, people lose their self-confidence. One's pride is compromised when paired with failure, humiliation, and regret. It is for these very reasons that people try to forget about humiliating and embarrassing moments in their lives. Currently, there are many individuals who live with a guilty conscience. To force them to declare and divulge their burdens would be tantamount to committing them anew. It is for this reason that many people laud their success in life but do their best to shroud their failures. When individuals are forced to divulge sensitive information, it not only compromises their integrity, but severely strains the relationship they possess with others. A murderer is inclined to keep his dark past to himself. The moment he declares his vulgar deeds to other individuals, he immediately establishes a barrier between himself and others. While countless individuals possess secrets not nearly as severe, the relationship nonetheless becomes strained as information
is presented that creates friction and establishes a distinction between oneself and one's neighbor. Revealing hopes, dreams, and desires to other individuals forces them to judge you and integrate their past opinions of you with the new controversial information they recently have obtained. The inability to relate to oneself or to others makes society a foreign, alien, and oppressive institution. In a society, there is a tacit code of what is proper and acceptable. When you reveal that, at one time, you have disobeyed this unwritten code, you experience difficulty interacting with society. Countless celebrities, lauded for their skills and opulent lifestyles, are now shunned after their dark secrets are revealed. Celebrities, such as Tiger Woods, move from positions of fame and power to squalid conditions because it was revealed that they were only human and made mistakes. In our society, certain things are best kept to oneself, for we do not, and will not, accept certain human natures, despite their occurrence. Honesty is a painful and arduous path in life. Although we stress it as an essential quality, we truly are not prepared to accept the truth. It is for this reason that, in our modern day world, lying is a necessary art. When information is divulged about oneself, self-confidence is destroyed, relationships are destroyed, and one's place in society is compromised. The truth, the whole truth, cannot be accepted by others. It is best to accept your past failures and secrets, but never share them with others. For they will not understand, and will never understand, as you yourself do.
Reality TV Sets a Bad Example
by Lizzie Levis by Mitch Tabor
Is Valentine’s Day Pointless?
by Natalie Baca Every Valentine’s Day, people are expected to show love to their romantic companions. Stores have a field day as eager buyers purchase flowers, chocolates, and cards in the hopes of demonstrating their love. Is this a romantic day to express your love or just a commercial holiday that has been changed over the years? You should love someone every day, not just once a year on Valentine’s Day. Does a pre-written card that you picked up from Hallmark at the last minute really show that you love someone? It’s fine, and even a good idea, to have a special day for
a special someone, but the meaning of the holiday has warped over the years. Now it is something that lovers are expected to participate in, instead of doing so voluntarily. Some couples even dread February 14th, viewing it as just another holiday that they need to spend hard-earned money on. To me, Valentine’s Day has become very commercial and just an elaborate way for businesses to make money. Next time the day full of hearts, Cupid, and candy comes around, be sure to remember that the true theme of the holiday is love.
What makes for a “great show”? Drama, fights, tears, you name it! Although most of what we see on TV is heavily fabricated, and “reality shows” are completely scripted, why do these fake fights and drama create so-called “excellent” entertainment for everyone? Think about it. An episode of Jersey Shore isn’t entertaining and won’t get a rise out of critics unless two characters end up screaming, punching someone, or making fools out of themselves. That’s what reality television has turned into. It’s sad, but true. In many cases, people call reality show participants stupid for subjecting themselves to the humiliation and ridicule that occurs when they act so idiotic. Newsflash -- the only reason they are told to act that way is because that’s what sells and what we, as a society, keep on tuning into every Thursday night! As a viewer of far too much television in the past, I have come to despise most reality shows. It’s truly upsetting to realize that trashy, drunken slobs are the role models of today’s youth. Young adults and teens see the Kardashians and say, “Wow, I want to be just like that!” That’s great. Who knows? Maybe within the next 20 years, our President’s biggest concern will be whether to add the Chanel purse or the Prada bag to her ensemble. We all know that the media influences not only our nation’s youth, but our entire society. Encouraging television that promotes girls stabbing each other in the back, showcases public drunkenness, and teaches “how to be shallow 101” is damaging to our nation. Please realize that TV is TV, nothing more. Set high standards for yourself and seek a role model who actually believes in something, and isn’t concerned about buying a $250,000 bracelet.
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Who owns your heart
Jessica Schmell, Benji, “Boys come and go, but best friends Te quiero ;) stay forever.” This may not be true for some friends, but for us it is. You are my best friend w- Anonymous in the whole world! Happy Valentine’s Day. w- Mary Coleman Marisa Peters, Nick Peoples, Thanks for Roses are red. Violets are blue. Bruce Backa’s Hair, always being there Just so you know, we all love you! You look lovely every day cupcake! Love you! w- Girls’ Swim Team I see you. Stay beautiful. w- Anonymous w- Every Teenage Boy Mr. Malik, Kaitlyn Higgins, Thanks for making me laugh! You are the apple of my eye! I Ali Zook, I love your sense of humor! love when you pass me by. You We should w-Anonymous are a star in the sky. You smell mate... I mean like my favorite pie. DATE! Christina LaPorta, w- Anonymous w-Anonymous Truth is... you’re soo amazing! Our love is equal to Lilly Shields, Monica McCue, Liam and Miley’s <3 Your beautiful hair is as Monica, I love you with a burnw- Mariah Janowski wonderful as a bouquet of rosing passion. You make me a better es. You are a Greek goddess, person. You make me whole. Love and your crabbiness gives me you! Natalie Costa, a reason to frown. :) In other w- Hannah Mengel Navajos are red, and words, you are my teenage Coke is brown. I’m always dream. Don’t forget to say “I glad to have you around. Ashley Weaver, love you” to the picture of me And though sometimes you It’s Valentine’s Day and I in your locker. talk too much, and you steal have a Valentine... I wouldn’t w- Anonymous my fries at lunch, I’m glad rather it be anyone else. you’re finally, officially, my w- Goober Mrs. Howsare, valentine. Beep-bop-boop. God love ya, Happy Valentines Day! Tim Filler, TM. wEvery British Author Ever. My love for you is w- Anonymous growing as I am shrinking! Madelyn Hayward, Code White/ Big Dane, w- Orbeez Maddie, you are sweet, I can’t wait to see nice, cool to be around, funPJ, your bright and shining ny, and loveable. I have one You are the peanut butter to my face every day! You are question. Will you be my jelly. Without you, I would be hopethe coconut to my cocovalentine? (>^_^)><3 lessly lost in this lonely world of lonnut tree!! :) w- Daniel Gavin ers. I love you with all the juices in w- Tim my heart. Morg, w- Dalton Emily Kopinski, Best little sister a big You still never got B-Rad, brother could ask for. Even me a Christmas gift, so Will you be Kim Stalbaum, though I am one of many, you dinner is your treat! :) my man-crush? Will you be are always there when I need Here we come NYC! w- Anonymous my Valentine? you the most. Happy ValenLove you Plum Bottom w- JJ tine’s. w-Anonymous w- Big Bro
Mrs. Quartuch, Roses are red, violets are blue, no one’s as deliciously sassy as you. w- I’m still here.
Background Photo Courtesy of: Fabib.wordpress.com
This Valentine’s Day?
GAVBOT, You’re cute. Your eyes shine like stars in the sky. Will you ever notice me? w- Anonymous
Augustus Waters, Our love story -like all real love stories -will die with us. I’ll see you in our invisible and tenuous third space, my love. w- Hazel Lancaster
Hannah Shaffer, Happy Birthday and Happy Valentine’s Day to my kangarhinoroostergiraffopotomapenguin! w- Carly Miller
Lauren Pellegrino, Until next time... I shall see you then. w- Eric R.
Ryan Madiara, You are just too cool. w- Anonymous Audrey Clarke, You’re my sun on a cloudy day. You’re the wind beneath my wings. I am in love with you, Audrey Jean Clarke. w- Anonymous Rylee, Whether or not this makes the paper doesn’t matter because either way, I know you’ll see this, and that’s all that counts. So, to the cutest girl in the school, have a happy Valentine’s Day! w- Anonymous Pat,
You are legend...wait for it...and I hope you’re not lactose intolerant because the second half of the word is DAIRY!! Beep, bop, boop...TM! w- Navs
Kaitlyn Higgins, Happy Valentine’s Day! I love you! Sorry, no fish! w- Someone in Alfred, New York
Timmy Filler, You are a fabulous brother. I mean you are so nice to me! I hope you have an amazing Valentine’s Day! I still like your brother better than you, sorry! w- Lil’ Sissy
Corinne, To my girlfriend and my best friend. You truly mean the world to me. Will you be my Valentine? w- Ty
Lizzi Levis, You’re really cute! I really, really like you. ;) w- Anonymous
Emily Kopinski, Em, you are super cool and pretty. We love you so much and hope you love us to! xoxoxo. w- Lizzi & Alexa
Jack Hartenstine, Dear Jack, you’re the cheese to my macaroni, the peanut to my butter, the icing to my cupcake, the ocean to my sand, and the love to my life! xoxo! w- Secret Admirer
Tyla Crouse, You ARE beautiful and awesome. I want to spend my Valentine’s Day with you! Please be mine. w- Anonymous
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Chelsea Horvath, Chels, I love you with all my heart and thanks for always being there for me sweets :) You’re the best! w- Cassie Clearance
Eric Clark, You most definitely have a way with words. This is the season you can’t put that to use! You are wonderful in every single way -- don’t let anyone tell you differently. Much love. w- Your Secret Admirer
Connor Vanin, I love you more than the day loves the sun. And I will always love you. w- Anonymous
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Cj Moyer, You are so cute, and I want you to be my valentine! w-Anonymous Sofia R, Happy Valentine’s Day Sofo!! We love you so much and will miss you when we graduate. All our love... w- Us
Bella, Roses are for lovers, chocolates are too. Valentines are for friends, and this one’s for you. Happy Valentine’s Day, Sexy. ;) w- Anonymous
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Our World
SOPA and PIPA: Infringing on Our Inalienable Rights? by Ashley Zamichieli
Technology has become such a huge part of today’s society. The ability to catch up on T.V. episodes and listen to music in one place is only available through the Internet. On the downside, the Internet also leads to the illegal sharing and downloading of files. Recently, two acts, referred to as SOPA and PIPA, have been discussed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Both acts have been causing a lot of controversy among Internet users and outrage from major websites such as Google and Wikipedia. But what are SOPA and PIPA? The first of the two acts is the Stop Online Piracy Act, commonly known as SOPA. This piece of legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in an attempt to target both domestic and foreign websites that copyright illegally. How harmful is copyright infringement, some people my ask? Well, sites fear that if they have a link to another web page that is being shut down due to online piracy, they will be fined for having the link on their page. That would be a minor stipulation, compared to having their entire site shut down, another possible consequence due to SOPA. According to a recent article in the Huffington Post, “If a website was streaming The Hangover without permission, Warner Bros. could ask the Justice Department to obtain a court
order to shut down the entire site -- not merely remove the specific film, as required under current law. Alternatively, Warner Bros. could force credit card companies to stop processing payments to the site, make Google to remove it from search results, and then force the site's ISP from hosting it on the Web.” Some critics speculate that SOPA may be taking things too far because the bill is extremely vague in description. Similar to SOPA, another bill called PIPA was introduced recently in the Senate that only added to the public’s anger and frustration. PIPA stands for Protect Intellectual Property Act. This is the counterpart to the bill being acknowledged in the House of Representatives known as SOPA. PIPA follows along the same goals as SOPA does, but PIPA is mainly targeting foreign websites. Similar to the other bill, PIPA is also very vague as to what exactly infringes upon copyright and what consequences apply as a result. Between the protests hosted by many major websites and the outpour of opinions, supporters of both the PIPA and SOPA acts have started to withdraw from supporting the bills. A day without Wikipedia seemed to really hit home. An article posted on CNN.com claimed that Republican Senator Roy Blunt tweeted, "We can find a solution that
will protect lawful content. But this bill is flawed & that's why I'm withdrawing my support. #SOPA #PIPA.” Along with Senator Blunt, people are beginning to realize that SOPA and PIPA may have some good intentions but are not the right solutions to protecting the rights of copyrighting. For this reason, both bills were put on hold in late January for discussion in both the Senate and House of Representatives. It looks like a 24-hour Wikipedia suspension and distinguished Google headline on the homepage sent a powerful and effective message.
Photo courtesey of Idea go
The Wonderful World of Winnie the Pooh by Lauren Gross
Our generation has grown up with Winnie the Pooh by our side. The world’s favorite “tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff” has been a companion to children for the past 86 years. The story of Winnie the Pooh has evolved over that time period, from short children’s narratives by A.A. Milne all the way to Disney Junior’s popular children’s show “My Friends Tiger and Pooh.” Even though this endearing bear has been around for some time, he continues to live in the hearts of children as a timeless teddy. The first collection of stories were compiled in the book, Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), followed by The House at Pooh Corner. Milne named Winnie-the-Pooh after a Teddy bear owned by his son, Christopher Robin Milne. His son was also became the inspiration for Pooh’s best buddy, Christopher Robin. Christopher’s other stuffed animals, Tigger, Kanga, Eeyore, Roo, and Piglet also played pivotal roles as Pooh’s “Hundred Acre Wood” pals. Winnie-the-Pooh and the rest of the team call
the “Hundred Acre Wood” a magical place where Christopher Robin likes to play. “Hundred Acre Wood” is based on Ashdown Forest, Sussex, England, just 30 miles south of London. The Milne family owned a home only one mile north of Ashdown Forest. They would pile into their blue, chaufferdriven Fiat and escape the London craziness by spending weekends, one month in the spring, and two months in the summer, at their home near the woods. Milne claims that some of the infamous landscapes, depicted in E.H. Shepard’s illustrations for the Winnie-the-Pooh books, look almost identical to a few of Christopher’s favorite spots in Ashdown Forest. Most of us relate Winnie-the-Pooh to Disney, but, as we have already learned, Disney was not the original creator of the cute character. The rights for Winnie-the-Pooh were licensed to Disney in 1961 from Stephen Slesinger, Inc. During the same year, A.A. Milne’s widowed wife, Daphine Milne, gave Disney other rights (including motion picture rights). When Disney got a hold of the
rights to Winnie-the-Pooh they dropped the hyphens between the character’s name, and the second generation of “Winnie the Pooh” was born. Since 1966, Disney has created Winnie the Pooh featurettes, TV shows, straight-to-video films, and four theatrical feature length films (The Tigger Movie, Piglet’s Big Movie, Pooh’s Heffalump Movie, and the most recent film, Winnie the Pooh). Disney suggests that the Winnie the Pooh features and merchandise turn up more of a profit than Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto items combined. Winnie the Pooh may seem to be a simple bear with a tummy hungry for “hunny,” but there is much more to him than meets the eye. He has been a friend, a toy, and icon of childhood to more people than just Christopher Robin. Although Pooh is 86 years old, and it has been a very long time since Christopher Robin Milne played pretend with his stuffed bear; every time a child hears Pooh’s tummy grumble or laughs along with Tigger, the magic is renewed and a tale as old as time comes to life again.
Iran’s Nuclear Research: Is the United States in Danger? by Michael Deutsch
If the country Iran were mentioned to someone in America today, a first reaction would most likely consist of terrorists or trouble. Unfortunately, that is exactly what the they are up to over there. U.S. intelligence has assumed Iran’s creation of its own nuclear program. This poses a major concern for the U.S and allied Western countries. Iran’s leadership claims that the goal of their nuclear weapon construction is to generate electricity without disturbing the oil supply and to provide fuel for medical reactors. United States officials have tried for years to disassemble Iran’s nuclear secrecy and provide valuable evidence that they have something going on behind the curtains. Now that the U.S. has learned of this alarming instruction, a debate has sparked between the U.S. and its allies as to whether or not to sabotage Iran with their military forces. The U.S and its allies were aware that taking
major steps to cut off Iran from its international fi- tinues its uranium enrichment programs and tries to nancial system, would shatter any possibility of their contruct a weapon of mass destruction. nuclear creations. Separation from Iranian oil services resulted in the U.S and allies consulting them in late 2011, when consulted about the program and limitations, Iran claimed that in doing so, the primary Western oil source would be unavailable in late December to the Americans. The final attempt for the United States to impact Iran’s program was through gathering its allies and aiming straight at Iranians with economic force. This plan proved successful as 27 Western countries agreed to ban oil imports from Iran and stop its nuclear research and creations. The central bank within Iran will be limited to its transactions in order to halt their nuclear threats. Ultimately, Iran remains under careful watch by the United States and neighboring countries for nuclear activity as they struggle with financial limitations. Only time will tell if Iran con- Photo courtesy of Idea go
Our World
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Republican Primaries: Candidates and Campaign Platforms by Christopher McCarthy
The Republican primaries are in full swing! Candidates are running across America, making appeals, proposing solutions, denouncing their competitors, and, ultimately, trying to win the Republican nomination for President of the United States. Currently, four candidates are still in the race and are trying to obtain a majority of delegates to the national convention. Mitt Romney is in the lead, followed closely by Newt Gingrich. Rick Santorum and Ron Paul are starting to lag behind. Unfortunately, many people are concerned with who is winning the presidential race and are not focusing on the issues that are at stake, such as the economy, foreign policy, and education. Unfortunately, each candidate’s platform is very similar and, as a result, it is difficult to distinguish between them. The economy is a huge problem facing America. For the most part, the majority of the Republican candidates have similar stances toward the economy. They plan to get the economy back on its feet by reducing taxes, spending regulations, and government programs. They also want to provide incentives for businesses to make American entrepreneurs more competitive. They all are promoting
the use of alternate energy resources, the importance of a balanced budget, and trying to strengthen the American dollar. There are very few differences between the candidates when it comes to the economy. Foreign policy is also a major presidential concern. These candidates take a firm stance on foreign policy. Most of the candidates want a strong foreign policy, where the country’s friends and enemies will know America’s goals and values. They emphasize border patrol, the judicial use of force, and importantly, the promotion of math and science in schools. Again, as foreign policy is difficult to understand, most of the candidates adopted an extremely generic platform. Education is a key issue facing the nation. Likewise, many candidates have taken clear, concise stances on this issue as well. As Republicans, many of the candidates firmly believe that the secret to a better education lies in the strengthening of moral values. By emphasizing responsibility, hard work, and honesty, they hope to give the students a proper mindset that they can take and use in their studies. They also think that the Department of Education should be significantly reduced, allowing the states to
have far more control over how their schools are run. If you take the time to access each candidate’s website, you will be disappointed to find that all of these core objectives are the same. What’s the difference between the presidential candidates? The major factor that sets them apart is personality. The candidates also differ greatly in their ages, backgrounds, and professional experience as well as political experience. The best way to learn information about a candidate is to look at his political record. By looking at the bills he has voted on and the organizations he has joined, you can gain further insight into a candidate. Nevertheless, the rhetoric stances, panacea solutions, and similar condemnations make it very difficult for Americans to make a well-informed decision. Americans have much to think about regarding the above-mentioned candidates for the Republican nomination. One of these men has the possibility of becoming our next President. The people must weigh the facts proposed for the major issues facing our nation. The hope is that the people who vote don’t think of it as a popularity contest, but truly elect a candidate that has the potential to make a difference in America during this crucial time of need.
Is the iPad 3 Worth the Wait? by Lauren Gross
The “iPad,” like many of Apple’s products, has become iconic in present day American culture. The iPad was introduced to the world of technology on January 27, 2010. The product was an immediate sensation. The iPad 2 was unveiled on March 2, 2011. Currently, rumor has it that the much anticipated iPad 3 will be released in the summer of 2012. Is the iPad 3 worth the wait? “The first iPad was basically a glorified, enlarged version of the iTouch,” recalled Spotlight staff member, Bruce Backa. “It is completely unnecessary.” However, the iPad 2 gained more functions and made the iPad more of a novelty. Aside from a faster processor and being 33% thinner than its older sibling, the iPad 2 had a camera with Photo Booth and FaceTime capability. During the recent holiday season, tablets were very popular gifts, but many buyers began to wonder if they should wait to spend their money on the iPad 3.
There is no telling what Apple might whip out with their next invention, which is sure to take the technology world by storm. Currently, we know that the iPad 3 will be 20% thinner and will have a higher resolution screen. It is also likely that the iPad 3 will come in various colors, have HD video recording, and have a stronger camera (allegedly better than the 8 megapixel camera on the iPhone 4s). There have been many conjectures towards new features that the iPad 3 may posses, but no one will truly know until Apple unveils this long-awaited product. As of now, the iPad 3 will not have many unique features of its own. The iPad 3 seems to be simply an enhanced version of the iPad 2. The faster processing system on the third generation iPad and the smaller sized battery (so the tablet can be thinner) will cause the iPad 3 to have a much higher manufacturing cost than its precedents. As a result,
the iPad 3 may cost far more than its predecessors. Unless Apple ends up unveiling new features that make the iPad 3 unique, it does not seem practical to purchase it.
Photo courtesy of Bruce Backa
Falling Whistles: A Campaign for Peace in Congo by Bruce Backa
Southern Lehigh’s student council recently organized a charity dance, held on February 4, 2012. The dance was created for a growing cause, a charity called Falling Whistles. With new headquarters established in Washington DC, this organization works toward one simple goal: bringing peace to Congo. Many individuals are unaware that there is a war going on in Congo. This is not the kind of war that draws national publicity, but the type that goes on behind the scenes. Congo has been in turmoil for a number of years. In fact, over the last decade, more than six million people have died while nearly 1,500 people continue to lose their lives daily. Sexual violence is more rampant here than anywhere else in the world, and thousands of children are involved in combat. It has become commonplace for children to be taken from their homes and forced to scout for the militia, being sent on the front lines armed with nothing but a whistle. If they see an enemy, they blow the whistle and try to escape. The conflict is tied directly to the country’s vast natural resources. Congo is rich in many valu-
able minerals and resources, making it a country of great potential and a frequent victim of exploitation. Today, minerals found in Congo are used in consumer electronics, including laptops and cell phones. While many benefit from the mineral trade, the people of Congo bear the burden of being in the center of such a hot spot for business. There are numerous groups -- both militia and multi-million corporations -- that go to Congo and directly interfere with the lives of its people for the sake of money. Furthermore, this has directly prevented any sort of government stability, as nothing is done within the country to help protect the citizens. Combined with a history of bitterness between local groups, international interest in Congo makes this situation one of the most complicated on the planet. It is this complexity that has left the current laws and regulations largely ineffective. A new approach is needed. That’s where Falling Whistles comes in. Comprised of people from all backgrounds, this group is the first legitimate charity devoted to this cause. While not many students may have understood
the importance of the dance, the $5 donation helps to make a difference in the fight to help bring peace to Congo. If you’re interested in furthering your involvement to help the cause, go to the Falling Whistles website at http://www. fallingwhistles.com/about/ for answers to your questions and information on how you can help.
Photo courtesy of Salvatore Vuono
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Entertainment
Beauty and the Beast Up Close
by Madeleine Cole Disney fans everywhere (including many high school students) rejoiced at the release of Beauty and the Beast 3D on Friday, January 13. Judging by the success of the re-release, Disney enthusiasts weren’t the only ones excited by the second 3D movie release in recent months. According to CNN, Beauty and the Beast 3D earned $18.5 million in a three-day frame, coming in close behind the R-rated Contraband, whose sales reached $24.1 million in the same time frame. Since Disney only spent $10 million converting the 1991 classic into 3D, the studio’s decision to release the musical was definitely justified. While the release of Beast can certainly be considered successful, its revenues seemed minuscule compared to the release of The Lion King 3D this past September, which debuted at $32 million. What caused the discrepancy between the profits of these two classics? There are many contributing factors. For one thing, The Lion King earned almost twice as much as Beauty and the Beast when released in theatres for the first time. Also, Beauty and the Beast was released on Blu-ray in October, whereas The Lion King was released on DVD only after it hit theatres. Lastly, boys seem to have a harder time identifying with Beauty and the Beast than with The Lion King -- only 31% of the audience was comprised of males. However, it is worth noting that Beauty and the Beast 3D now holds the record for revenues earned when it comes to an animated release in January: the film topped the previous record holder, Hoodwinked, which was released in January of 2006. The successful releases of Disney movies in 3D have prompted other studios to re-release their classic movies. According to TheWrap.com, Fox and Paramount are planning to re-release a 3D version of James Cameron’s Titanic on April 6 and Fox is planning to re-release a 3D version of Star Wars: Episode One--The Phantom Menace on February 10. Disney previously planned on re-releasing three other films in 3D, and the success of Beauty and the Beast 3D will certainly influence the studio to proceed with their plans. Finding Nemo will come in September, and Monsters, Inc. and The Little Mermaid in 2013. Such re-releases “are new opportunities --found money, if you will,” Dave Hollis, Disney’s head of distribution, told TheWrap. Thank you, Mr. Hollis, for reminding us why we all love the “magic of Disney.”
StumbleUpon This! by McKenzie Browne
The typical teenager spends almost seventeen hours per week on the Internet. Most teens spend the majority of their time on websites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, but must be other websites out there for teens, right? A website named StumbleUpon has recently been growing in the interest of young adults. StumbleUpon is a website where you can select different categories that interest you, and then continue to find millions of different web pages or images that have to do with that topic. For example, if you want to find some new quotes, you simply click on the quotes category, hit the button that says “stumble,” and it will take you to a page full of quotes. If you don’t like the page it brought you to, just hit the “stumble” button again, and it will refresh the page to a new one. Another interesting category for us high school kids is titled “Teen Life.” This interest, when StumbledUpon, brings you an incredibly diverse selection of pages. Some of these include homework help, tips on how to design rooms, things about 90s movies, and shows we remember as children, among many other things. If these two example categories seem a little bit on the girly side, no worries guys; there are millions of interests you can choose from, including sports, movies, television, and whatever else anyone could possibly have an interest in. If you’re into reading about new and interesting things, StumbleUpon is the website for you!
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Book Review by Rachel Style and Movie Review by Cassie Clarence Recently, the film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was released in theaters, receiving many positive reviews. The movie was based on the first book in a series of novels written by Swedish author, Stieg Larson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire, and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. This series’ primary focus revolves around the popular theme of crime, investigation, and mystery. Each of the books begins rather slowly for the first 100-200 pages, but once the plot is developed, it is nearly impossible to put down. The story follows Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist convicted of slander, as he solves a series of mysteries which include disappearance and murder. The characters in these novels are very lifelike and realistic, and each plot captivates the reader. Larson has succeeded in creating stories that are well written and easy to follow. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is definitely an interesting read, and one that is highly recommended to readers who enjoy suspense and intrigue.
Photos courtesy of Mariah Janowski & Marisa Peters
On December 20, this year’s “bleak but mesmerising” film, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo opened in theatres. In early April of 2010, David Fincher was assigned as the director for the film. Later that year, in September, the shooting began in Stockholm. The principal photography moved to Zurich in early December 2010. Daniel Craig was cast as Mikael Blomkvist in July 2010 and had to gain some weight for the role, akin to the portrayal of the character in the book. He trained himself to act more accidentprone and clumsy than normal. In August, Rooney Mara was cast as Lisbeth Salander. The role had drawn the attention of many actresses, but some eventually withdrew their names from consideration due to the time, commitment, and low pay of the film. The movie is an adaptation of the Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson. The film’s plot focuses on character, Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), as he investigates the disappearance of a wealthy patriarch’s niece from 40 years ago. He is assisted in his task by the pierced and tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). But as they work together, they uncover corruption beyond anything anyone could have ever imagined. David Fincher, director of the movie, was nominated for the 64th Annual Directors’ Guild Award. The Directors’ Guild Award has historically been
the best predictor of the nominees and winners of the Best Director and the Best Picture Oscar Awards. The winners were announced at the 64th annual DGA dinner on Saturday, January 28 at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles. Prior to the event, A Los Angeles Times film critic, Kenneth Turan, said that The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was too frigid. He remarked that the film “loses what made the books and Swedish films so successful--Lisbeth Salander’s humanity.” Critics of the film said it was hard to differentiate between characters because of the numerous and complicated names and roles. Another down-side of the movie is an extremely graphic rape scene. The high-tension emotion that was drawn from this scene had many wondering if a different director could have presented the same information without over-the-top violence and naked cruelty. Across the board, the movie received many mixed reviews. Eighty-six percent of 190 critics reviewed the film in a positive way. Richard Corliss from Time magazine said, “Seeing Fincher’s version is like getting a Christmas gift of a book you already have. This edition has a nicer binding and prettier illustrations than your beloved old paperback, but it’s essentially a reproduction of the same old ‘Dragon.’” The movie overall had a worldwide gross of $165,353,582.
Entertainment Wakey Wakey!
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hOROSCOPES
by Rachel Style
Sagittarius-Luck will find its way to you. Capricorn-Listen to your parents this month. They know their stuff. Aquarius-Go with the flow.
Materials: Water A French Press Coffee Beans A microwave or stove top to heat the water Spoon
Step 1: Boil Water Step 2: Ladle the coffee grounds into the French Press (amount depends on how strong you want your coffee to be) Step 3: Add the water (pour in enough water so that it nears the top) Step 4: Stir the coffee once it starts to bloom* (optional) Step 5: Let it sit for 2-3 minutes so that the coffee can steep Step 6: Once the time is up, put the lid on the French Press and slowly push down on the stick. Make sure it stays straight.
Pisces-You’re going to be showered with presents! Be thankful! Aries-Time to make a change for once in your life. Taurus-Revenge is not the answer. Karma will repay you. Gemini-Throw a party. Just do it. Cancer-You’ll hurt someone this month. Make it right. Leo-Surround yourself with only the people that appreciate you. Virgo-YOLO! Libra-It’s not always best to blend in. Do what you want to do with your life, not what others want of you.
Scorpio-Do something meaningful Once you finish step six, you have finished making your coffee and you are with your life. Get out and see the ready to pour it out and enjoy the flavor of your favorite coffee! world. Life is short. *Vocab Note: The bloom is a chemical reaction that happens when hot water is mixed with coffee grounds. Carbon dioxide is released and the coffee bubbles.
The Devil Inside All of Us? by Isabella Hoeke
Upon seeing commercials advertising William Brent Bell’s new movie The Devil Inside, I was immediately intrigued by this new horror film. I waited for the release date, bought tickets, and prepped myself for what appeared to be one horrifying movie. To my surprise, this was the least scary of all of the exorcismtype films that I have seen. The movie is about a film-maker creating his new documentary about exorcisms. He finds Isabella Rossi, a twentysomething girl who happens to have first-hand experience with exorcisms. When Isabella was a young girl, her mother was possessed by the devil and ultimately killed three people during an attempted exorcism. Twenty years later, Isabella discovers the truth about her mother and makes arrangements to go visit her at the mental facility
where she lives in Italy. Michael, the film-maker, accompanies her to Italy where they hope they can witness some exorcisms and ultimately cure Isabella’s mother, Maria. Sounds great, right? Sounds like an interesting horror film, doesn’t it? Wrong. I found this film to have horrible acting, a dumb plot, and an over dramatic series of events leading up to a lackluster ending that left viewers confused and disappointed. Once in Italy, Isabella and Michael meet two priests, Father David and Father Ben, who are secretly performing exorcisms without permission of the Vatican. Isabella witnesses one of their successful exorcisms and forms a false hope that the same success can occur with her mother. Isabella visits her mother in the mental hospital and finds her to show signs exclusive to someone with a possessed
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soul.
Isabella successfully convinces Father David and Father Ben to perform one of their exorcisms on her mother. However, upon attempting the exorcism, the priests find that Isabella’s mother has not only one demon inside of her, but four. Dramatic, huh? And it gets better. One of the demons jumps from Maria into Father David and possesses him. Father David cannot handle having the devil inside of him and eventually takes his own life in front of Ben and Isabella. Once he is gone, the devil inside of him jumps into Isabella. So basically, the devil is playing musical chairs with all of the movie characters. Michael and Ben attempt to save Isabella by taking her to another priest who can help her. However, while driving to this man’s house, Michael is suddenly overcome by his fear
of Isabella. While driving, he accelerates to extremely fast speeds and then purposely drives the car containing himself, Isabella, and Father Ben into oncoming traffic. And that’s it. The movie ends in a sudden and unexpected way, leaving viewers feeling like the writers of the film had something come up and had to end it abruptly. It’s as if the director got tired and decided to just stop filming half way through a scene. The final screen suggests that viewers visit a website to learn more about Maria and Isabella Rossi. Although this film did have some frightening scenes, the documentary filming style made the movie a lot less scary and the ending left many viewers unsatisfied. The acting was over-dramatic, the plot was somewhat ridiculous, and the ending was the cherry on top of a mediocre film.
COMING SOON
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (Feb. 17) This Means War (Feb. 17) Undefeated (Feb. 17) The Secret World of Arrietty (Feb. 17) Thin Ice (Feb. 17) Wanderlust (Feb. 24) Good Deeds (Feb. 24) Gone (Feb. 24)
Act of Valor (Feb. 24) Footnote (Feb. 24) The Forgiveness of Blood (Feb. 24) Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (Mar. 2) Project X (Mar. 2) Being Flynn (Mar. 2) Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie (Mar. 2) Snowtown (Feb. 2)
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Sports
Winter Athletes of The Issue
Bridgette Dougherty, four-year member of the girls basketball team, is headed on her way to success. Going to college at West Point Military Acadamy, Bridgette obviously has the talent to be there. Playing center for the lady spartans, averaging 14 points per game. She is a key player for the girls and always has a good attidude on and off the court.
Riley Geis has been swimming since he was five years old. He swims the 100 fly, 100 free, and the medley. He has the record in the 100 fly with a time of 52.30. Riley has been to states all three years and hopes to make this year his fourth. He loves wearing hideous speedos, and having dead pale white hair. Riley says the team is doing really well this year and he is very happy with the underclassmen filling in the depth that we lost with the talent we have.
Spartan Boys’ Basketball Keeps Rolling by Cody Heffefinger
In December, Southern Lehigh was The basketball team started off the left with a big dilemma when senior center, year with a 9-3 record. In mid-January Zach Stout, broke his ankle in the opening the Spartans were second in the Colonial minutes against Notre Dame. Senior Luke League south division, behind only SalisAmory stepped up for the Spartans and is fillbury, who gave the Spartans their only loss ing the void left by Stout for the remainder of in the colonial league in the beginning of the season. Another Spartan that is stepping the season. up for the team while Chris MoStout is out with inbley is the leading jury is sophomore scorer for the SparTroy Reppert who tans, averaging 15 scored ten big points points per game. Beagainst Saucon Valhind Mobley, averley, a game where the aging 14 points per Spartans narrowly game, is the Sparwon by five points. tans’ stunning threeThe Sparpoint-shooter, Alex tans have just a few Anderson. After Photo courtesy of Chris Mobley games left and intend Mobley and Anderto advance to the district playoffs. Please son, the other athletes are fairly consistent come out support the theme nights with the with one another, scoring an average of five Big Blue Wrecking Crew and cheer the Sparpoints per game.
Girls Basketball Team Has Ballin’ Season by Bruce Backa Those who have been following the season of the Southern Lehigh girls’ basketball team, are likely excited for the weeks to come. Southern Lehigh girls’ basketball has been keeping up their tradition of success with another dominating season this year. The girls’ varsity basketball team currently has a record of 17-3 (at the time The Spotlight went to press), with only one loss in league play. Currently, they stand atop the rankings of the Colonial League South division, with the top seed in the league playoffs already guaranteed. In addition, they project to be one of the top seeds in district playoffs, and even are expected to go deep into the post season. A major reason for the success that the girls’ basketball team has been the tough style and attitude brought by Coach Dellagrotti. Ever since she took over the head coaching position three years ago, the program has really experienced a huge turnaround, and the girls have become annual contenders. Coach Dellagrotti’s practice style reflects her approach to the sport: take one day at a time, improve today by focusing on fundamentals. Each practice has
a different focus of the day, where Coach Dellagrotti will highlight a certain component of their game that she believes the girls should focus on improving for that day. Moreover, she gives the girls motivation by reading aloud any critical articles that are published about the team. This year especially, the mood of practice has been shifted to a greater emphasis on defense-oriented conditioning, which in today’s world can be greatly overlooked. However, in addition to such discipline, the girls also know how to have some fun. The team also stresses unity amongst players, for with any team sport, chemistry and a care factor for your teammates are essential to success. The girls this year have worked together for numerous events, such as the Autism Awareness charity game and the local restaurant fundraisers. The girls’ basketball program is continuing their commitment to excellence this season, and its really been showing. The hard work these girls put into the off season and the past few months is paying off, and we cannot wait to see what the team will accomplish in the postseason.
Completelhy Capable ‘Cuse by Mike Deutsch
With an outstanding start and a fresh acquirement of new players, Syracuse University’s basketball team has been rolling up and down the courts this season. The “Cuse” started off the 20112012 season going 20-0, a new Syracuse University record for basketball. However, the real chalk talk around is only concerning one thing: do they have it in them for the big title? The only time Syracuse won the national title was back in 2003 when the team was composed of star players like Carmelo Anthony (who now plays for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA) and Gerry McNamara AKA “GMAC” (who is now an assistant coach for Syracuse). This year, these guys aren’t messing around. When the team gets out on the court, they come together as a dominant fellowship and play reluctantly by out-hustling their opponents and wearing them out with their fast-paced game play. One big factor in their play that is prized by fans and critics is their outstanding zone defense, which could easily be considered as one of the best in the country. Basketball is all about team work and chemistry. The Syracuse athlete’s performance on the court is completely selfless. The team passes the ball around until players open up to make shots. They work as a complete team on defense and do an outstanding job of communicating on and off the court. The players’ ability to move around the court in such a compatible fashion and not miss a beat is really remarkable. People wouldn’t say that ‘Cuse has a star player this year. All the team members are graciously talented, but big name seniors like Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine, and Brandon Triche stand out to spectators. All three individuals are highly motivated, bring the team together and especially influence the younger guys. It’ll be interesting to watch this team enter the March Madness tournament to see if they can handle the pressure of the “big dance” and live up to their expectations this year. There’s that big question still to be proven though; do they have it in them for the big title?
Wrestlers Pin the Competition by Sara Zook and Corinne Renner With 13 wins and only Ziegler have been awarded 5 losses under their belt, the with the most victories. Southern Lehigh High School Because of the length wrestling team is slowly mov- of the season, the wrestling ing to the top. The team con- team works hard to succeed in sists of twenty members that every match they participate take instruction from their in. Mr. Beitler has two goals hardworking coach, Ian Be- for the team this year: qualify itler. The two captains for the for the Colonial League tour2011-2012 season are Bill Hai- nament and advance to the district tournament. He remarked, ley and Dalton Romano. Coach Beitler has the “I love being the wrestling team practice five times a week coach because it’s an interestin preparation for their compe- ing sport with a team of twenty titions. All their hard work is energetic athletes with very put to the test during the two different personalities.” From matches a week and a tourna- their progress in this season ment that takes place every thus far, the Spartan wrestling Saturday. Throughout the sea- team will likely continue their son, Bill Hailey, Matt Mirth, way to victory. Dalton Romano and Adam
Photo courtesy of Katlyn Scheetz.
Sports
Cheerleaders Headed To Nationals by Corinne Renner
Cheerleading after a win in their competition. Photo courtesy of Allen Sunners
The competition cheer squad has been working diligently since the start of their season to nail all the tumbling and stunts in pursuit of advancement in the National Cheerleading Competition. Southern Lehigh’s competitive cheerleading squad, coached by Colleen Ianetta, has been selected to participate in the National competition for the past four years. Their routine must be strong and completely in sync for the team to have a shot at the National title this weekend. Disney World in Orlando, Florida, hosts this competition every year in cooperation with the Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA). Countless judges, squads, and families flock to Florida for this competitive event. This weekend, Southern Lehigh’s very own team will have an opportunity to showcase themselves in Orlando. The girls left Thursday
night, after completing a full day of school. They fly together, room together, and enjoy the Disney enthusiasm as a team. The Disney experience is so much more than a competition for the girls. The extended amount of time in this child’s paradise brings back fond memories for many of the cheerleaders while bringing them closer together at the same time. The competition is large and very stressful, but the girls put forth their best effort every year. In the past, the team has been unable to qualify for the semi-final round, dropping out in the preliminaries. Their goal each year is to end that trend, and finally advance to semi-finals. Please cheer for the girls as they perform against hundreds of national cheerleading squads in Orlando this weekend.
Winter Track: Still Running Along
by Stan Tabor Well ladies and gentlemen, it looks like as if it’s almost time for the winter track season to come to a close. After the last meet is completed, the spring track and field season will be underway. So far the Winter Track Picture of Colin Bergey at practice, Photo courtesy of Katelyn Scheetz, team has competed in five indoor When asked about his favorite highmeets (one at East Stroudsburg, two in lights of the winter track season, Jacob Kutztown, and the last two at Lehigh). Mosebrook reflected, “It was a good While, the team did not win or place at time to hang out with friends...and it any of the meets, they competed admi- wasn’t really that cold.” The winter track team has surely seen rably in the last official in-season meet its fair amount of chilly days, but was on February 11. The remaining two meets are generally lucky this year with the modfor the best of the best and they take erate weather and temperatures. Many place at Lehigh and Kutztown dur- of the runners will end the season preing late February. The official date of paring for spring track and field or other uniform collection for the track team athletic teams. All in all, it was another is February 15; the rest who don’t get fun season for the Spartan runners. “cut” go on to compete in the meet at Penn State.
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Rifle Team Shoots For Success
by Tim Filler Southern Lehigh is always well known for its successful athletics, yet some activities tend to go unnoticed. However, Southern Lehigh’s rifle team -- one of the best in Eastern Pennsylvania -- is worth noticing. Winning leagues and placing third in the state last year, the team is ready for any challenge. Their success at states has kept these sharp shooters motivated throughout the season. With a record of 8 - 0, the rifle team has qualified for Colonial League Championships once again this year. The rifle team boasts 18 outstanding shooters, but the three students who are most distinguished are Kevin Anthony, Justin Hofstetter, and Steven Senatore. The co-ed rifle team also includes one female shooter, Rachael Christman. On the morning announce-
ments, you may hear a recap such as, “the rifle team won 498-44x to 486-26x last night against Freedom.” What does that mean? Every player shoots at a target, and each target is worth 100 points. There are ten targets and ten bulls on each target; the bull is worth a total of ten points. The closer a player shoots to the center, the more points he or she receives. An X indicates a player who hit dead center on the target. Coach Gaugler had a few things to say about the team: “I am very proud of these kids, and I love being a coach because when I was in high school I was on the team, and I enjoy seeing these kids do well. I am really impressed with the team overcoming some hurdles, and the team is doing really well.”
Rifle team at practice. Photo Courtesy of Mr. Gaugler.
All-American Swimming Invitational by Jacob Boyer Every year in mid-January, 40 representatives of the Southern Lehigh Swim Team assemble in the Youth Catholic Center in WilkesBarre for the All-American Invitational Meet, where they are destined to compete with other PI-AA, and sometimes even PI-AAA, teams. The meet is always packed to the brim with record times for individual swimmers, or sometimes even pool records. When most students were making their way to homeroom on January 13, 2012, twenty girls and twelve boys were loaded up into three vans and made the hour trip to the Catholic Youth Center Pool. On that day, they competed head to head with other teams such as Holy Redeemer, Northern Allegheny, Springfield, Hempfield, and Radnor. Those who were fortunate enough to place in the top 16 of their events returned to the pool that night to compete for a place in the top eight. The next day, the schedule was very similar. The swimmers woke up early, ate a healthy breakfast, and swam headto-head with total strangers amidst the cheering of their coaches, peers, and parents. If fast enough, they re-
turned at night for one final competition with the hope of returning to their alma mater accompanied by a strong sense of pride and accomplishment for both the team and self. “It was one of the best meets we’ve had this year,” Head Coach, John Neumann, told the Spotlight staff when asked about the swimmers’ performance. “It gave everyone a small taste of what’s to come in our district and state competitions.” All in all, the meet was an action-packed ride, both for the seniors experiencing it for the final time in their high school careers and the freshman enduring the first of four meets that they are destined to swim in the coming years. The only question remaining for the members of the tight-knit Stoyle family is: “Can we pull it off again in districts?” Will the boys’ team win first place for the seventh year in a row? Will the girls’ team dominate for a third consecutive year? One thing is certain: the entire school will wish the swimmers good luck as they wrap up their season!
Odds and Ends Fancy Fridays: Bringing Class to the Classroom
by Bruce Backa
Spotlight Goes Digital!
Spotlight readers, have you been craving for a way to keep up with events happening in our school and community in a convenient and easy way? We’re assuming you all use the internet, so hopefully our solution will apply to you. The Spotlight has officially gone virtual. Come visit us at our new online home, www.my.hsj.org/thespotlight. (Yes, there’s a mobile version too.) There you’ll find the online version of the Spotlight student newspaper. In the online version, you can find all articles that have been published in any of our previous issues from the 2011-2012 school year, as well as more timely articles. The online edition will include immediate news updates that would normally be outdated by the time the print version of the Spotlight comes out. To our loyal readers, we appreciate you reading our paper, and we encourage you all to go online and check on the Spotlight at your leisure!
Here Corinne Renner, Tyler Edmond, Philip Burris, and Bruce Backa display their inner class that Fancy Friday strives for. Photo Courtesy of Rylee Maron
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Fancy Friday makes our school look classy while bringing us together! -Austin Rivera Have something you want to share?
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Southern Lehigh...let’s be real. We aren’t the classiest bunch. Sure, we think we know style, what with our high boots, Sperry’s, and corduroys, but how often do we actually exercise said classiness? Dates, spirit days...prom. When do we actually look good for the sake of looking presentable? Walking in the halls on a normal day, all you can see are yoga pants, hoodies, and college shirts. I mean, it’s acceptable every once and awhile...but c’mon Southern Lehigh, we’re better than that. Sophomore year, there was an unfortunate day in the fall when, frankly, I looked like a schmuck (ladies, that’s the equivalent of a bad hair day - on crack). My good friend and fellow crusader of class, PJ Burris, whipped me into shape and made me fix myself the next day. I had to make ammends for the hindrances I presented to the development of our species, as he said. Yes, it was that bad. So, several of the fine gentleman in my homeroom and I went all out and wore an ensemble of a tie, button down, and slacks. To say the least, we looked quite classy. Almost everyone we came across would exclaim at what a good idea it was. What began as a dumb joke, eventually became one our traditions. Thus, we started Classy Wednesday (which was, surprisingly, a very inconvenient day to have such attire) and it became what you now know as Fancy Friday. On the first Friday of every month, my friends and I don classy attire to help try and spread the message. Whenever you’re going out, looking presentable is a necessity. No, I’m not saying you all should go out and buy the most expensive clothes out there. No, I’m not saying this is an opportunity to beg for attention. No, I’m not saying this is a way to make other people feel bad for having their own styles. The message of Fancy Friday is dress how you want, reflect who you are, be who you want to be, but please, do it appropriately. Put some class back in the classroom, Southern Lehigh. Mark your calendars for the next Fancy Friday on March 2nd.
The Spotlight is now accepting suggestions, artistic contributions, and letters to the editor. Drop it off in Room 122, stop by our website under the Quick Links tab on the high school main page, or email us at slsdspotlight@gmail. com