Southern Lehigh Spotlight - May 2014 Issue

Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street Center Valley, PA 18034

MAY 2014 Volume 57 Issue 6

spotlight

In this

Issue:

Freshman Earns National Recognition From Google

by Allison Borelli and John Zamichieli

Want to see if your promposal made the top six? Find out on centerspread!

Mindy’s state-winning doodle is displayed on Google’s website along with the past and future events. Photo Credit: Google.com If you love Boy Meets World, see what’s in store for Cory and Topanga. Turn to page 12 for more details.

The Philadelphia Flyers hockey team’s season comes to a close. Read about their season on page 14.

Looking for a blast from the past? Back page has prom photos from some of your favorite teachers!

Want to see more?

Each year, Google hosts a contest for children in grades K-12 to submit a doodle that creatively spells out the word Google, and fits an assigned theme. This year’s theme was to design an invention that could make the world a better place.

One of the state winning proposals for Pennsylvania? Glasses.

Southern Lehigh freshman Yanming “Mindy” Wen decided to take on Google’s annual “Doodle 4 Google” challenge. She submitted a doodle of perspective changing glasses, and was named the state winner for Pennsylvania at her grade level.

“I was like hey, let’s do it but I never suspected that I’d actually win something,” Wen said.

The next phase of the competition was drawn from public support, and from April 29th to May 9th Southern Lehigh pulled together to vote for Wen’s “Doodle 4 Google.”

High school principal Mrs. Christine Siegfried only found out Wen entered the contest when she received an email from Google.

“I love the meaning behind her drawing. It is such a true statement and would truly make the world a better place,” Mrs. Siegfried said. “When I learned about her meaning I was so proud of her thoughts and how she put them into her artwork.”

Mindy Wen’s glasses enable people to see through someone else’s perspective. She was inspired by the famous author Mark Twain. Her curiosity and imagination were propelled by Twain’s famous quote: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrowmindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”

After entering on a whim, Wen did not expect to progress far into the competition, as there were many different ideas presented in the gallery. Despite this intimidation, she made the final 50 overall and top 10 of her age group.

“I realized that our school is so diverse with sports and art,” freshman Kevin Publicover said, “and it made me proud to be associated with talent like this.”

The winning doodle will be announced as well as animated on June 9th, where it will be featured on the Google homepage.

Mrs. Siegfried hopes Mindy will “keep drawing! She has a bright future ahead of her!”

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NEWS

Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street Center Valley, PA 18034 (610) 282-1421 x7122 slsdspotlight@gmail.com http://slspotlight.com

The Spotlight is published in print and online 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. Sponsorship rates are furnished upon request.

Faculty Adviser Mrs. Marlo Spritzer

Editor-in-Chief Dana DiGiovanni

News Editor

Ashley Zamichieli

Features Editor McKenzie Browne

Entertainment Editor McKenzie Browne

Opinion Editor Katie Cole

Sports Editor

Cody Heffelfinger

Our World Editor Ashley Zamichieli

In-Depth Editor Kylie Schmitt

Photo Editor Anna Simoneau

Video Editor Jacob Boyer

Web Manager Abby Muth

SPOTLIGHT

Freshman Stands Out in TSA States

Technology Student Association featured two Southern Lehigh students in the state championship this past April

by Taylor Marouchoc

Garret De Mars earned 1st place in TSA State Championship. Photo credit: De Mars family

Architect? Graphic Designer? Engineer? No one knows what is in the future for freshman Garrett De Mars. But it looks bright after he won the TSA State Championship this past April.

Technology Student Association (TSA) is a competition for students engaged in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It includes more than 200,000 middle school and high school competitors from 49 different states. The state championship was held on April 9 in Champion, PA. “I competed against 55 people,” De Mars said.

Sophomore Gavan Sullivan and junior Connor Greenawalt also competed at the state level. All three students were accompanied by TSA adviser and technology education teacher Mr. Richard Colelli.

For the state conference there were different events including architectural renovation, biotechnology design, and even fashion design. In each event, students were asked to do different things according to their skills.

“They gave me an assignment that I was to complete in three hours, that consisted of designing a series of five rowhouses,” De Mars said.

All of the competitors were given the same assignment.

Each house had to be fully functional and under 1500 square feet, landscaped with a driveway leading to the street. In addition, they were required to design a shed in the backyard. The house itself needed to be designed for a family of three.

“It wasn’t a hard assignment,” DeMars said. “It was time consuming.”

It was a long day for most competitors, but practice, a fun time, and a friendly atmosphere helped ease the nerves.

“It was an official competition, yet it had a fun atmosphere that was welcoming,” De Mars said.

DeMars, Sullivan, and Greenawalt were able to go to a hockey game with Mr. Colelli beforehand. After the competition, they were able to relax and focus on having fun with their free time.

De Mars’ hard worked paid off when he was awarded first place and the state champion title.

“I was overjoyed and had this feeling of achievement,” De Mars said.

“Out of the 15 years going to TSA,” Mr. Colelli said, “Garrett is the tenth state champion from Southern Lehigh.”

Kindle Singles Give Authors a Voice Aspiring writers now have the chance to have their works viewed by publishers in an easier and more efficient way

by Nicole Brintzenhoff

You throw your pencil down, a triumphant grin spreading across your face. It took the better part of three years, but your short story is finally finished. Now what do you do with it?

Before Kindle Singles, writers would have to submit their work to a traditional publisher in hopes they accept short stories to even be glanced at. With this new addition to Amazon, anyone with dreams of publication can submit his or her work.

Currently Amazon is accepting a myriad of submissions: fiction, essays, memoirs, journalistic reporting, autobiographies, and profiles. The only requirments are that the original work must be entirely unpublished elsewhere and the length should be between 5,000 and 30,000 words. Not a bad deal, right?

Kindle Singles works just like a regular publishing house.

If the story was previously self-published on the Kindle platform, the writer should email the publishers with an attachment including the story, summary, and Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN). If your work has yet to be published at all, submit the story via email with a summary, a writing sample, and a cover letter. All must be included to be considered for publication.

Authors keep up to 70 percent of royalties. They choose the listing price and may even have a say in what happens with their work.

Within six weeks, Amazon will tell you whether or not you made the cut. If so, congratulations! They’ll provide you with all the information you will need to complete publication. Who

knows, maybe a famous author will stop by to read or review.

Several established authors, such as Stephen King, endorse the use of Kindle Singles and submit their own work to the company. Sometimes if they find a particular writer in their field of expertise, they show their support, using pre-existing fame to advertise the work. With luck, fans of the writer’s work will track new releases and may possibly purchase other short stories or novels.

Despite the delight in knowing a famous author enjoys your work enough to promote it, some acknowledge that might not always be beneficial.

“If you’re a new writer going into such a broad field you have limited chances of getting well-known,” freshman Quinn Gaughan said. “Popular authors take up all the name-brand recognition.”

Yet such odds don’t keep thousands of aspiring authors from using the site. With greater numbers of people succumbing to other activities, shorter works may be just the thing to get others interested in reading again.

“I have a lot of friends that don’t like to read, so short stories are perfect for them,” freshman Sarah Mackin said.

“They’re more likely to read them than a novel.”

A built-in audience already searching the Kindle Singles market provides enough support to send the title to the top of the “Most Popular” list. After all, isn’t that the dream of any writer?

MAY 2014

NEWS

3

Southern Lehigh Libraries Cut Out of Budget

by Anna Simoneau

Southern Lehigh has a reputation for being a well-funded, high-scoring school district, a reason why many parents choose to live in this district.

This is why it comes as a surprise to many that Southern Lehigh’s libraries have been running on low funding and reduced staffs.

In the current situation, most of the library’s funding has been severely reduced. An anonymous source stated that the library was even denied the funds to purchase all required summer reading books for students.

Because the library does not have the money to keep the facilities up to date, our librarians have mainly relied on fundraisers and grants.

“We each cope as best we can. Families can donate books to the Libraries, we hold book fairs at Barnes & Noble or through Scholastic or we benefit from fundraising by the buildings’ PTAs and PTGs,” Intermediate School librarian Mrs. Heidi Schiavone said.

“Mrs. Robbins is very creative with applying for mini-grants to improve various aspects of technology at the middle school and high school, like Kindles and OverDrive, and we can occasionally request a special expenditure at the district level when the purchase benefits the entire district, as with OverDrive.”

Another major hindrance to our libraries is that retired librarians have never been rehired. As many high school students have noticed, the library is often closed for large portions of the day.

This is because Mrs. Corry Robbins has had to divide her time between the high school and middle school libraries following the retirement of high school librarian Mrs. Marilyn Adams.

“We were assured that the current arrangement of Mrs. Robbins dividing her time between the middle school and the high school would be temporary,” Mrs. Schiavone said. “That was three years ago, when Mrs. Adams and her secretary both retired. Now, there are other library secretaries on the verge of retirement, and we can’t be sure what to expect.”

The current funding struggles can be traced back to several sources from

Solehi’s ‘Shrek’ Wins Educational Impact Award at the Freddy’s

by Ashley Jann

Southern Lehigh has almost always had an invitation to the Freddy Awards.

The cast of Shrek had their fingers crossed for another one this year. Though there was not an overall production nomination, the Freddys spotlight shone on the stage crew for a change.

Southern Lehigh received nominations for outstanding use of scenery and outstanding use of costumes. Some of the scenery was created by the students while the rest was created by parents. The costumes were rented, then altered a bit.

“Nominations are always great, but...we never know what’s going to happen,” sophomore stage crew member Danielle Silva said.

Sophomore Chris Smith also earned a nomination in the category “Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” for his role as Lord Farquaad.

“Though I don’t feel like I’ll win, I’m still very excited about being nominated,” Smith said prior to the awards.

“I am proud of the [cast, crew, and orchestra] for the four nominations. I think these four categories were strong for us in ‘Shrek,’” director Matt Wehr said. “I think we [were] capable of winning any of the four because the musical Shrek played to those categories’ strengths.”

The final nomination was Outstanding Production Number for “What’s Up Duloc.” The cast had the opportunity to perform that scene at the Freddys.

The show aired May 22nd at 7p.m. While Southern Lehigh did not win any of the four nominated categories, the cast did not go home empty-handed.

Southern Lehigh’s cast of “Shrek the Musical” brought home the Educational Impact Award for visiting, performing, and creating lessons for students in the elementary schools this year.

school funding cuts at the state level and the loss of funds to charter schools.

“There have been various pressures on administration to make do with less,” Mrs. Schiavone said. “Governor Corbett cut funding to schools, charter schools take a portion of the district’s budget for each student who chooses to try that form of education, and there are other significant expenses for pensions, salaries, benefits, building maintenance, etc., none of which are getting cheaper.”

That being said, there’s a strong argument that, out of departments to face cuts, libraries should be preserved.

In their article “Impact on School Libraries on Learning” for Robert Gordon University, scholars Dorothy Williams, Caroline Wavell, and Katie Morrison found that school libraries had a significant impact on higher test scores, successful learning outcomes (such as higher quality project work and increased knowledge and reading development), and a positive outlook on learning.

Further proving this, the Maryland Association of School Libraries (MASL) research found that in Pennsylvania and Colorado, test scores improved 15 percent in schools with well staffed libraries. MASL’s studies also found that student achievement increases when the library’s media funding (to acquire new books and technology) is adequate and when libraries are open to students longer.

Knowing how valuable a strong library is to our school, there are several ways to improve Southern Lehigh’s library system for future Spartans.

“Ideally, each retiring library secretary should be replaced with a full-time person in the same capacity, and one should also be hired to fill the void created when the high school library secretary was not replaced three years ago,” Mrs. Schiavone said. “Additionally, a high school librarian should be hired to relieve Mrs. Robbins of having to cover two schools and attend to the needs of two staffs and 1500 students.”

Neither Mrs. Robbins nor the administration was available for comment.

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FEATURES

SPOTLIGHT

Maggie Moo’s is Out and the Yogo Factory is In

by Julie Evans

The ice cream has melted, the signs have been taken away, and people have said their final goodbye to Maggie Moo’s. Don’t worry too much, though. The Yogo Factory, a new frozen yogurt shop, has opened up in the same place that Maggie Moo’s used to be.

The Yogo Factory sells all kind of different flavors of frozen yogurt, such as strawberry banana, vanilla, Reese’s chocolate, and chocolate dipped ba-

nana to name a few. They also have seasonal flavors like toasted marshmallow and spiced apple pie..

“When I very first took a scoop of cookies n’ cream yogurt, I felt like I was in heaven,” junior Adrienne “Winter” Romero said.

They also offer scores of interesting toppings. Some of the toppings include animal crackers, Baby Ruth bars, and Lucky Charms. In addition to toppings, the Yogo Factory also offers sauces to pour all over your yogurt, including chocolate syrup, maple, wild cherry, and more.

“I covered my banana cream pie yogurt in chocolate syrup, cherries, animal crackers and rainbow spinkles,”senior Ian McMurchie said. “It was very good.”

The Yogo Factory runs a business of culture and is proud to produce and serve fine frozen yogurt for health-conscious consumers. The yogurt that is served to the customers is produced in a state-of-the-art production facility in Portland, Oregon. It manufactures “true” frozen yogurt.

“At first I had no idea it existed,” senior Matt Roe said. “My friend had told me about it when she saw that I had a gift card for Maggie Moo’s. I was a little disappointed but in the end, I wanted to rush to my car and go buy some yogurt.”

Yogo Factory’s yogurt is held to extremely high standards. The National Yogurt Association requires 10 million cultures per gram of live and active yogurt cultures, but Yogo Factory’s yogurts contain at least 100 million per gram, some as high as 400 million cultures. This is something Yogo Factory is very proud of, and they say customers can be assured of their commitment to quality with every bite.

Yogo Factory. Photo Credit: Julie Evans

The Killers Rock the Sands Bethlehem Event Center eager to listen to good music,” freshman Alexis Brown said.

The interaction between the band and the audience was key, united throughout the performance. As The Killers’ drummer, Ronnie Vanucci Jr said: “Tell your friends.”

The Killers perform at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center. Photo Credit: Nicole Schroy

Match the Quote with its Movie QUOTE

MOVIE

1. “I’ll call him squishy and he shall be mine. He shall be my squishy!”

2. “I see dead people.”

3. “I’m with you to the end of the line.”

4. “Starship, this is your captain speaking.”

5. “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

6. “They’re more like guidelines anyway.”

7. “People tend to overestimate my character.

They think that because I’m small, or a girl, or a Stiff, I can’t possibly be cruel. But they’re wrong.”

8. “There’s more than meets the eye.”

9. “There are no more Horcruxes. It’s just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives.”

10. “Chill? I invented chill!”

The Sixth Sense The Dark Knight Transformers Finding Nemo Divergent Star Trek Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Captain America: The Winter Soldier

ANSWER KEY 1. Finding Nemo 2. The Sixth Sense 3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier 4. Star Trek 5. The Dark Knight 6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl 7. Divergent 8. Transformers 9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 10. Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause

by Nicole Schroy Flashing lights and loud music made for an amazing night at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on Thursday, May 15, when The Killers performed. They provide the crowd with upbeat music and toe-tapping beats, and a night that the audience is sure to remember.

An electric-pop band named Joywave opened up for the Killers. They released their EP on March 11th, and many are curious to see where their hard work will take the band.

“I loved them! Their energy was really good,” freshman Isabel Oberlender said. “It seemed like they knew what they were doing and their songs are fun to dance to. Their lead singer was getting really into it.”

The outstanding performance included interaction with the audience, which made the experience more enjoyable. With lead singer Brandon Flowers leading the chant, the audience echoed “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier.”

“I would say the best part of the concert was probably the energy that came when Brandon Flowers came onto the stage,” freshman Ashley Lee said. “His singing was perfect live which is really rare. The Killers’ songs are so easy to dance to and it was just so much fun!”

There was a lot of energy and plenty of songs to dance along to throughout the entire performance.

“A concert is such a great thing because there are people of all ages

MAY 2014

FEATURES

5

Do Final Exams Aggravate Your Anxiety?

Follow these simple steps to help you prepare.

by Elizabeth Ruth

Final exams are here! Here’s the official guide on how to survive these final tests: 1. Get good nights of sleep.

During exams, sleep is a crucial part of the survival process. Don’t stay up all night. You’ll regret it the next morning when you’re falling asleep on your desk. Sleep will give you the energy to focus on what you’re doing, so the week prior to the exam, start catching up on your sleep.

2. Don’t rush.

Rushing to the beat the people in the room or even the clock is not the way to go. Rushing leads to nervousness. You don’t need to rush. It’ll get you done faster, but it won’t make your scores improve any faster. Take your time; you have a lot of it anyway.

3. Be prepared with supplies.

It doesn’t matter where you take exams; always make sure you have the materials you need. Pencils, erasers, calculators, and possibly scrap paper.

Even if they give that stuff to you, you’ll never run out if you bring your own supplies.

4. Keep the cell phones away.

How many times do teachers remind students to keep their cell phones out of sight at any test? A lot. To save the trouble of hearing this statement being repeated over and over, just turn your cell phone off, and put in away and out of sight. No one is going to be on Twitter anyway; everyone is taking exams.

5. Study.

Studying is so important. Without studying, don’t plan on getting the scores you desire. You put so much work and effort into learning all of the mate-

rial. It’s not hard to study it. Even if you think you know it, just study it, and don’t wait until the last minute.

6. Dress comfortably.

You should always feel comfortable when you’re doing something like taking a test that takes a while. If you feel good in sweats, go ahead and wear them. If you feel comfortable in a dress, wear it. Wear what you feel comfortable in, and that won’t be distracting to others or yourself.

7. Eat breakfast the day of exams.

If you don’t eat breakfast regularly, at least eat it before a final. These are the last tests of the year; make a statement. Eat breakfast so you don’t have that horrible noise coming from your stomach that distracts you and others.

8. If you don’t know a question, skip it, and come back.

You’re not going to know everything on a final exam. If you are stuck on a question, don’t waste all of your time on it. Pace yourself. Skip it and come back to it, so that way, you have the remainder of the time to make a welleducated guess.

9. Write things down that you don’t know.

When you’re studying, if you come across a topic you don’t know, write it down and bring it up in class. Keep in mind, don’t do this the day before the test, or else you are not going to get your questions answered.

10. Ask questions.

Don’t be afraid to ask anything when it comes to finals. Everyone has questions; they just aren’t brave enough to ask them sometimes. Questions make you interested in the subject, and don’t say you have no questions. There are too many things to not have questions about.

Students Find Inspiration Through Famous Artists

Chinese Exchange Teacher Ends a Fun Year at SLHS

For the final project in Ceramics I, students are choosing an artist as the inspiration for a ceramic cup. By researching the artist and using their style of work, each student will incorporate a piece of the artist’s work onto their artist cup.

Along with designing and making the cup, students are required to write a three-page biography of the artist. In the biography, students need to record the year of birth, year of death, the style of their work, important contributions, and why they chose the artist.

“I picked the artist I chose, Robert Delaunay, because I like abstract art and his was my favorite,” junior Samantha Kramer said.

Ceramics class requires students to exercise effort and patience while working with clay. Students may struggle to gather all of the accurate details of the artist’s style of work.

Not every student has the same artistic touch and it may affect the outcome of the project positively or negatively.

“My project had a positive outcome,” Kramer said. “I thought that the clay making is the best part because you put on the details to make it look like the artists version.”

Students debated on how to display their idols even before the artist became famous. Others researched their

The not-so-new exchange teacher, Mr. He Kun, who teaches the Chinese language at Southern Lehigh High School, has experienced a lot since the beginning of the school year when he arrived from China.

Kun enjoyed working with the students during this school year.

“I think the students are active,” he said. “They join a lot of activities after school, and they are smart. I really enjoyed the year here and I like to teach them.”

Kun also liked the time he spent with teachers and staff.

“They are really nice,” he said. “They helped me a lot throughout this year.”

Out of all the different after school activities and sports, one of his favorite experiences were the football games.

“I really enjoy the time when I sat on the stadium and watch the football games,” Kun said. “That’s really unforgettable.”

The students liked Mr. He Kun and have learned a lot of Chinese from his class.

“The Chinese teacher is really good and has taught me a lot this year,” freshman Sophie Boyle said. “I have really improved on my [Chinese] accent and the amount of characters I know in Chinese.”

“The Chinese teacher is fun in class and is enthusiastic about teaching us while also learning [some English] from us,” freshman Jacob Zimmermann said.

SL wishes Mr. Kun safe travels back to China.

by Elizabeth Shalders

artist and chose original pieces.

“I had to find his original pieces of my favorite movies that Tim Burton directed, just so I could get a real feel for his original artwork before it hit my tv screen,” freshman Allie Janda said. “When I see Tim Burton’s work, I see the world in a whole new manner with colors and true personality.”

An artist cup inspired by Pablo Picasso.

Photo Credit: McKenzie Browne

by Alex Huang

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Ruth

6

OPINION

Letter to the Editor

Response to “Marriage Equality for All?” Rejects Overgeneralization of Religious

by Alex Miller

vs.

Dear Editor, In response to the Displaying the Confederate Flag: Is it racist or a right? I think it was a very well written editorial. I too heard of the dispute with the student that had the flag in his truck and honestly I really think that you did a great job asking students what they thought. The students input really matters, and you backed up your opinion with facts which really mattered like the Mississippi fact. I also liked the fact that you explained the history of the flag and the Confederacy and what they fought for most people thought it was for slavey but you explained it how it was which I thought was great. I personally am a supporter that it is a representation of being southern nowadays and that a flag is not a person so therefore can not be racist. Keep up the good work.

Draven Yandersits Sophomore

The Confederate Flag blows in the wind.

Photo Credit: Richard Elzey

SPOTLIGHT

Photo Credit: Sean MacEntee

I must be a racist since I don’t agree with Obama’s policies, right?

I must hate gays since I don’t believe their civic unions should be legalized, right?

According to the generalizations made by the “Marriage Equality for All?” article in the April issue of this paper, the above statements must be true because I’m not a “half decent member of society” due to my religious convictions. I find this ironic since the very same article tells me that it is “by no means” acceptable for another person to judge me “based on his or her own closed-mindedness.”

The “close-mindedness” present in this article is plainly and simply reverse discrimination. It seems that the writer has chosen to lump people such as myself into the “judgemental right-wing” group, which is a broad generalization about both right-wing members of society and religious followers. Don’t say “love thy neighbor” while bashing the beliefs of your “conservative Catholic who lives next door.”

“Is it not oppressive to demean and belittle due to religious beliefs?” said junior Brycen Holland, founder of the Young Americans for Freedom Club. “How is generalizing a people as ‘immature’ for holding a belief in God better than not supporting a different belief?”

Why does the writer get to decide that “religious” people are judgmental and damning? Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church (which has a following of 1.2 billion members), has recently called for Catholics to accept and try to aid those of different sexualities.

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Pope Francis said.

The one thing in this article with which I agree is the fact that the true judgement of all is “for a ‘forgiving’ God to conclude in Heaven.” However, Catholics believe that God has revealed he will judge mankind, and those who believe in this faith act in accordance with these rules. Yes, it is impossible to know how God will judge at the end, but believing in the rules is a step the faithful take to prepare for God’s final judgement.

I would also like to address the commentaries on both the Constitution and the Bible. Firstly, the Bible does not “approve of slavery.” The Bible simply addresses slavery because it existed at the time, and in a very different capacity than it did in the Americas.

Which other important text takes the same action? The Constitution (Article I Section 2), which the writer of “Marriage Equality for All?” uses as the basis of her argument: “Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole

Photo Credit: Human Rights Campaign

Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”

According to the logic presented in the article, the original Constitution (drafted by Madison, not Jefferson) should not “be taken seriously and literally” when debating marriage equality. Another contradiction. I understand that “we aren’t in [ancient] Jerusalem during 0 C.E.,” but we aren’t in 1790 America, either.

So how does one apply old texts to new issues?

Through interpretation and amendment. The Catholic Church, especially through the new Pope, has begun to foster forward-thinking and acceptance while still trying to help people and recognize God’s grace.

The Constitution has also seen its share of updates that have established more liberties. Yet, some of these liberties have had a more profound impact on history, and a comparison can not be fairly made (as it was in the original article) between the Black Civil Rights and Marriage Equality Movements.

In 2012, the U.S. Census estimated that approximately 13.1 percent of the United States population was African-American. That’s around 40 million Americans. According to a 2013 Gallup Poll, around 3.5 percent of American adults identified as LGBT. In 2012, the FBI released statistics showing that 48 percent of hate crimes were still based on race, while only about 20 percent were based on sexual orientation.

The scale of the Civil Rights Movement was drastically more substantial and influenced more lives in a greater capacity than the Marriage Equality Movement could, so no, we can not “remember the debate on legalizing gay marriage just the same as we look back on granting African Americans civil rights.” Oppression of an entire people based on skin color for centuries is not equivalent to the denial of equal marriage rights.

Finally, the discussion of the separation of church and state in “Marriage Equality for All?” leaves one key concept out of its argument. It does cite the fact that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” but the writer has conveniently chosen to leave out that Congress may also not make laws “prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

If the Constitution works both ways in this manner, then who should get to say who is right and who is “judgmental?” I am not here to stand on a soapbox, but I feel that those speaking out against people opposed to same-sex civil unions should realize that mass generalizations about a conservative or “religious individual” should and will be met with fierce opposition. If you truly are going to “love thy neighbor,” you cannot do so selectively.

MAY 2014

OPINION

7

Racial Discrimination Still Prevalent in Society

by Talia Trackim

The endless battle of racism began in the year 1619 when the first shipment of slaves came to America from their home in Africa, resulting in a bloody battle for the ending of their ownership over 200 years later. The battle for full equality continued long past the freeing of slaves; in 1955, a fourteen year-old boy named Emmett Till was lynched for flirting with a white woman and eight years later Martin Luther King Jr. confessed his dream for a better future. Since the Civil Rights Movement, our society has improved tremendously, but the issue of racism has never truly gone away.

I believe everyone can agree that racism has been a predominant issue in our American society since before we can remember. While we have come a long way from the Jim Crow Laws, our schools, homes, and workplaces are still plagued with racial prejudice.

“When you have many different people with different ideas, different upbringings, different beliefs coming together it’s very hard for people to get rid of their preconceived stereotypes,” English teacher Mrs. Sheryl Ciotti said.

The majority of our society’s racism isn’t intentional; it’s not even conscious. In fact, there’s a good chance just last period you heard a fellow student spit out some racist term against someone else, even if the prejudice wasn’t intentional. We throw around these ethnic jokes and racist comments when we are typically unaware of just how much damage our verbal sticks and stones can cause.

“As society changes, people tend to change, but people have come to a point at which they believe that racism is bad but the predominant idea is still there,” junior David Kroll said. “People just don’t realize they’re being racist.”

Everyone has prejudices whether they like it or not, and we seldom realize just how bad they are. Our media-driven society has painted misconceived portraits of races, religions, and even countries. The sad truth is that these ideas often stick with us.

“People still cling to the underlying ideals that our country was raised with, which, consequently, lead to a biased view of others and racism,” freshman Lexi Brown said.

We’re not entirely to blame though. Racism has existed for as long we can remember, and in a much more drastic way. Slavery, Jim Crow laws, and even the malevolent practice of lynching have all impacted our modern day prejudices.

“White Europeans engaged for so long in the transatlantic slave trade

Our society must work to abolish racism. Photo Credit: Ardfern

and then continued a domestic slave trade. You set up a whole class of people to be sort of sub citizens. That’s engrained; that’s not easily erased,” social studies teacher Mrs. Katie Quartuch said. “You have this long history of segregation even after slavery ended. For most of our country’s history, blacks have been treated very poorly. I don’t think that’s easily erased. That sets up some of that subconscious racism.”

Fortunately, there are ways that we can fix this problem. We as members of society need to engage in open discussions about our problems with prejudice. We need to cut down our segregational barriers and engage ourselves with people of all different races.

“People need to recognize the ways that they may be subconsciously discriminatory,” Mrs. Quartuch said. “They need to be allowed to come to that realization without feeling so much guilt, which may be holding people back. There needs to be more conversation.”

As America has continued to grow and change, we have come a long way from the errors of the past. We need to continue to push for a brighter tomorrow where everyone, no matter what race, religion, or class, can enjoy the same rights as human beings.

Is Standardized Testing Necessary?

by Trevor Leposa

Standardized tests are a big part of our education, but do they really help?

When the end of the year arrives for students, it isn’t all summer relief. There are still final exams and Keystone exams. The Keystones are in place to “assess proficiency in the subject areas of Algebra 1, Literature, Biology, etc,” according to The Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Starting with the class of 2017, the Keystones are much more important since they can affect whether or not a student graduates. Starting with the current freshman class, a “proficient” or above on the Keystone exams is necessary to graduate.

This may not seem like a problem for most students, but for others it can be a struggle.

Do these tests actually help the students and reflect what they really know?

Not all students learn the same way. Everyone expresses knowledge differently. Multiple choice tests may not accurately measure how much a student knows. A student may be able to write an essay that shows great knowledge on a subject, but may not be a very good multiple choice testtaker. Likewise, a student who is borderline failing the class in question might pass the Keystone on lucky guesses.

While some students may not be as good on tests, others simply might not be good in one particular subject. If a student isn’t the best in math, he or she won’t likely do as well on the Algebra Keystone. If a student isn’t very good in a subject, but at least tries, then he or she should be commended for their effort.

If a student fails the Algebra Keystone but passes all their other subjects and tests, he will not be permitted to graduate. The only way to remedy this is to retake the Keystone during the next testing period. If a student keeps struggling to pass a test, he will have to keep retaking it in order to graduate.

Students should strive to do well, but preventing them from graduating just because they fail a standardized test seems unfair. They may be strug-

gling with the subject and don’t intend to pursue a career that requires extensive knowledge of it.

Even the students who aren’t held to the graduation requirement still feel the same pressure and stress to do well. The stress can lead to them staying up late to study and skipping breakfast, something the test strongly discourages.

Prior to the test, students are advised to “get a good night’s sleep” and “eat a good breakfast.” If the students stay up all night to study, they cannot get a good night’s sleep. They also might not sleep because they are worried.

Of course, students can worry for every test, so this shouldn’t just be blamed on the Keystones themselves. Keystones are more important in students’ eyes, however, and seem more threatening than a regular test.

While there are negative effects on students, the test can have some positives. If the students fails, they will know that they need to improve in the subject so they pass.

The Keystone exams have a good original function: to assess and help students. This may be what they are supposed to do, but instead of helping the students, they mostly place unnecessary pressure on them.

8

IN-DEPTH

SPOTLIGHT

TOP 6 Pro

2. Megan Arnold and Zach Cermak Megan Arnold, a Red Robin employee, was expecting an ordinary night at work. This particular night, she was in charge of all the “to go” orders.

Zach Cermak called in and she took his order for two milkshakes from the restaurant.

Shortly later, Arnold was hinted by a coworker to go outside. Sure enough, there was Cermak with a sign resembling the Red Robin logo that read, “I would like to order 1 prom date.”

“I didn’t want to go back to work because I was so excited that I couldn’t focus!” Arnold said.

1. Mark Haverhill and Octavia Fitzmaurice Mark Haverhill may not have won Mr. Spartan 2014, but he does have Mr. Promposal in the bag. For humor at the Mr. Spartan contest, Haverhill staged a hipster-style finger painting performance, creating a still-life painting of a bouquet. This was the exact same bouquet he would later ask his date, and girlfriend, to prom with. After a minute of painting, he revealed the masterpiece to the judges and unfolded the painting, revealing a sign that read “Octavia, prom?”

Haverhill thought the timing and public display would make the asking perfect. Fitzmaurice said she didn’t expect such a public, grand gesture.

“It was stressful, but well worth it,” Haverhill said.

“It all went really well and it was an overall exciting experience.”

3. Abbey Cerciello and Mark Folkes Abbey Cerciello had just returned from her very first soccer game as an official referee. Her boyfriend, Mark Folkes, was standing outside waiting for her. Folkes was dressed up in a referee uniform, holding flowers and a sign that read, “It would be a bad call if you didn’t go to prom with me.”

“I saw him wearing a ref uniform and I didn’t really understand what was going on,” Cerciello said. “Then I saw the flowers and I understood. It was such a creative idea!”

MAY 2014

IN-DEPTH

omposals

9

by Lizzi Thom

4. Erica Nymberg and CJ Maron Erica Nymberg was sitting in her room when she heard a car alarm go off. She jumped up and went outside to see what was going on. To her surprise, there was CJ Maron, standing next to his car with flowers. His car was covered in sticky notes that spelled “PROM.” He got the idea after witnessing something similar done as a prank.

“I ended up having to set my car alarm off six times before she finally came outside to check what was going on in her driveway,” Maron said.

5. Elise Ashford and Ralphie Shields Elise Ashford was returning home after being out and about the night before. Exhausted, she went into her bedroom and mini fireworks went off! Ralphie Shields wrote “PROM” in huge letters with window paint, decorated her room with balloons, and brought a bouquet of flowers.

“It scared me a little at first, but ended up being really funny,” Ashford said.

6. Ashley Dawe and Troy Reppert With the help of Shannon Schone, Troy Reppert turned Ashley Dawe’s bad day around by asking her to prom. While Dawe was at cheerleading, Reppert went to the middle school stadium and spent nearly an hour setting up white paper bags with sand and a candle inside each one.

After a rough practice, Schone devised a ruse to get Dawe, who was in a bad mood, down to the track with her. Schone claimed Mr. Wehr asked her to get something from the sound booth. When they arrived at the stadium, Dawe saw the candles spelled “PROM.” “I saw the track all lit up! I was so surprised and it made my night so much better!” she said. “We blew out the candles together.”

Reppert ended that night with two things, a prom date and a burnt thumb.

10

OUR WORLD

SPOTLIGHT

Color Me Rad Takes Over Allentown

Over 7,000 people lined up at the start line to race in one of the most colorful 5k runs taking place in the area.

by Kaelee Rupell

ners around most of the perimeter of Dorney Park, including one of the newer additions of the park, Dinosaurs Alive. The pathway through that area of the course was pretty tight so many people were only able to walk or slowly jog through that space.

“I like to run. I heard this 5k was fun so I decided to give it a try,” junior Eric Fulmer said. “The Zumba continued afterwards, but I was too tired.”

Many people come out of the race completely covered from head to toe in different colors, while others dashed through every checkpoint and got only a dusting of color. Many are warned not to keep their mouths open while running through the checkpoints, but as Color Me Rad has stated, the cornstarch is gluten free.

Color Me Rad has proved to be fun for the whole family and will hopefully return to our area again sometime soon.

Blue cornstarch is thrown in the air as participants reach the finish line. Photo credit: Rosalie Mattiola

On May 10, over 7,000 people got covered from head to toe in different colored corn starches at Dorney Park for the Color Me Rad 5k race.

The Color Me Rad 5k travels all over the world. Color Me Rad donates part of the proceeds to a selected local charity. The amount that is donated depends on how much the charity is involved and helping with the race.

Throughout the 3.1 mile run, participants hit certain “check points” which are giant colored archways. The color of the archway matches the color corn starch that will be thrown at you.

“I did the run with my friend for her birthday,” junior Morgan Buchas said.

“I’ve done it before and thought it was fun so I wanted to do it again.”

Before the race started, there was a warm-up, including Zumba, and there were some competitions as well. There were four teams of four members that each had a full gallon of a colored drink. The first team to finish their gallon was declared the winner and traditionally doused in colored corn starch “My favorite part was the Zumba at the beginning,” senior Shakera Coyle said. “It was so much fun!”

The first running wave started out at seven o’clock. The course took run-

Students celebrate as they finished their 5k run. Photo credit: McKenzie Browne

Bullying: A Prevalent Problem in 2014

by Talia Trackim and Nicole Schroy

Fat. Ugly. Stupid. Lame. Useless. Ignorant. Weird. Mean. Self absorbed.

Weak. These are just a few of the insults that victims of bullying face daily.

Students all over are bullied, and it’s a growing problem.

“By definition bullying is something that’s happened time and time again and not just some instance of ‘someone called me a name’,” Southern Lehigh high school psychologist Mr. Cotie Strong said.

According to dosomething.org, over 3.2 million students are bullied each year. It occurs almost every day-in the classroom, among groups of peers, and on the internet.

“It’s a problem everywhere because you’re always gonna make fun of other people it’s just something [you have to deal with],” freshman Allyson Yanega said. “I mean it’s bad but people do it to make themselves feel better, to look cooler in front of their friends, so I think there’s definitely more than we think.”

After asking high school students if they believe that bullying is a problem at Southern Lehigh about half say yes and half say no.

“I think it can be a problem, I don’t think it’s maybe voiced as a problem but that’s just because maybe it’s covered up more than it should be,” said senior Andrew Sheats.

Boys are typically more prone to throwing punches and aggressive insults.

However, girls bully in a much quieter way, purposely excluding others from groups and spreading rumors about each other.

“Females bully in a different way, it’s often times much more covert, kind

of under the surface. We’re much better at portraying ourselves as nice and kind and pleasant, but when no one’s looking that’s when the hidden aggression comes in,” said social worker Mrs. Heather Evans. “Guys might be much more physical and verbal.”

People bully for a number of reasons, but one of the major reasons is because of insecurity. Many people are struggling with self-doubt, self-hatred, or even troubles at home take their pent-up emotions out on others.

“Sometimes [people bully] maybe out of their own insecurities. They may pick on someone to feel better about themselves. They may have been bullied in the past and want to feel better about their status socially,” said Mr. Strong.

Even though it isn’t their fault, victims of bullying don’t leave unscathed.

Many victims develop depression and anxiety. Some students are afraid to go to a certain class or even to school because of bullying.

“Any change in mood or behavior [might allude to bullying]. Often times one might become withdrawn or isolated,” said Mrs. Evans. “Other times they may become more worried or anxious.”

Even though it may seem unstoppable, there are steps that everyone can take to try to resolve bullying. Stand up, speak out, and tell an adult if you or a friend is being bullied. Don’t just sit by and watch.

“Don’t be afraid to ask someone for help. Don’t try to keep in all of your emotions,” said freshman Kyle Schaedler.

Video available at slspotlight.com.

OUR WORLD

MAY 2014

11

MDA Ride for Life Features Local Emmaus Band

by Jordan Burt

On Saturday May 3rd, Harley Davidson held the 27th annual MDA Ride for Life. With a goal to raise money and awareness for muscular dystrophy, the event included performances from a local band, Head Rush, and wellknown rocker Bret Michaels.

According to Kidshealth.org, Muscular dystrophy is a “genetic disorder that weakens the muscles that help the body move.” People with MD have information missing from their genes, so their bodies can’t make the proteins necessary for healthy muscles. Many people who have MD can’t walk or sit up on their own because their muscles are so weak.

In order to draw attention to the event, as well as raise money, a local band from Emmaus High School, Head Rush, got the event started before Bret Michaels stole the show away.

“Overall, we had a nice turnout,” Head Rush bass player Nick Mutchler said. “It was a great experience and a good way to get our name out there.”

Head Rush formed in 2013, when the players were close friends in school.

The band members include Anthony Gallucci (lead guitar and vocals), Jor-

dan Frank (lead vocals and guitar), Nick Mutchler (bass), and Sam Selkregg (drums).

“I asked Nick last year about [joining the band] and he said he would do it. Then we started looking for a drummer. I had just left the band that I was with for four years when I asked Nick if he would want to play bass for me,” Gallucci said. “It originally started as just looking for guys to record my solo record with, and then it turned into what we got today.”

Gallucci has been involved with Ride for Life for most of his life. “I have been raising money for Muscular Dystrophy Association for 10 years,” Gallucci said. Over the 10 years that he’s been fundraising, Gallucci has raised over 30 thousand dollars. He has played the event a total of three times: twice with his former band and once with Head Rush.

Head Rush has many other gigs coming up.

“June 11th we are playing at an MDA camp,” Selkregg said. “We have a few parties we will be playing at and hopefully Crock Rock, Planet Trog, and Revolutions soon.”

Diversity Gap Affecting Schools

Minority teachers and students are analyzed at not only Southern Lehigh but also throughout the United States.

by Preston Amato

Minority students in the United States comprise over half of the population in schools. As for the teachers, only one fifth overall are non-white. This creates a huge diversity gap between students and teachers.

The Center for American Progress and the National Education Association are raising awareness for the lack of diversity in the classroom. Both parties want more to be done in the future so that teachers can mirror their students.

“We live in an area that doesn't have many minorities, so it’s not surprising that we do not have minority teachers,” junior Julia Bergeman said.

In the past, the opportunity to be a teacher and make a good salary was one of the only occupations that minority groups could strive for.

“It shouldn’t matter what color the teacher is as long as they are best available and only the best candidates get hired,” senior Troy Reppert said.

Now, in a more diverse melting pot of a society, minorities can shoot for any job in the occupational field because the color of the person is not what matters most.

With more and more minority groups fluctuating and rising in population, the United States needs to do a better job at creating a more diverse teaching core in order to fit the needs of students.

“More diversity with the students and teachers is key because if they can better relate to their students, the students will have an easier time learning,” senior Jake Fizer said.

Some states have already took the initiative of installing programs within their respective states to provide teaching opportunities to minorities.

Photo credit: interiordesignsid.com

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12 12

ENTERTAINMENT

SPOTLIGHT

‘Girl Meets World’ Set to Premiere June 27th on Disney

by McKenzie Browne Fourteen years have passed since the final episode of the hit 90s sitcom “Boy Meets World” aired on television. Fans of the show were heartbroken after hearing Mr. Feeny’s final words to his students and seeing the show end with Cory, Shawn, and Topanga moving to New York City.

Viewers were left to wonder what would happen to the group after they moved out of their childhood homes in Philadelphia. After 12 years of wondering, it was announced in November 2012 that a spin-off of “Boy Meets World” was in the works.

It was confirmed on May 2nd that that “Girl Meets World” will premiere on Disney Channel on June 27, 2014. Season one of “Girl Meets World” will feature 21 episodes.

Since the conclusion of “Boy Meets World,” Cory and Topanga have started a family of their own and have two kids named Riley and Auggie.

Cory has also since followed in Mr. Feeny’s footsteps and is now his daughter’s seventh-grade teacher.

“Girl Meets World” will be like “Boy Meets World” in many ways, but this time it will show us how kids in this generation discover the world around them.

“When I first heard about it I was excited because ‘Boy Meets World’ was and still is one of my favorite shows.” junior Kim Panik said. “I think it’s a cool concept because it allows older generations to reminisce while a new generation is introduced to Cory, Topanga, and their daughter.”

The character structure in “Girl Meets World” will be similar to its predecessor. Cory and Topanga’s 12-year-old daughter Riley will be the star of the new show, acting as the new Cory. Riley will have a best friend named Maya, who is the new Shawn. The show will also star a boy named Lucas, a love interest for Riley, acting as the new Topanga. And, last but not least, Farkle Minkus, will follow in his father Stuart Minkus’ footsteps as the class nerd.

Ben Savage (Cory) and Danielle Fishel (Topanga) are the only two “Boy Meets World” stars to confirm their return to their original roles in “Girl Meets World,” but director Michael Jacobs is looking to have guest appearances by other former cast members. Look for Rider Strong (Shawn Hunter), William Daniels (George Feeny), Danny McNulty (Harley Keiner), Lee Norris (Stuart Minkus), William Russ (Alan Matthews), Betsy Randle (Amy Matthews), Will Friedle (Eric Matthews) and hopefully more to join the “Girl Meets World” cast.

The official theme song of “Girl Meets World” was released to the public on May 20. The song, titled “Take on the World,” is sung by Rowan Blanchard (Riley) and Sabrina Carpenter (Maya). The video aspect of the theme song features a montage of clips from different episodes, and also brings back the iconic paper airplane from the “Boy Meets World” opening credits.

Now this all sounds great for the current generation of Disney Channel viewers who know nothing about “Boy Meets World,” but will older fans appreciate the new life of Cory and Topanga?

“I’m really excited to see how Cory and Topanga have turned out because I’ve watched the show since I was old enough,” senior Abby Muth said, “but I’m scared it’ll end up being like all the new Disney Channel shows and not be good.”

Making spin-offs of popular shows is always hard to do since fans don’t want to see their favorite shows ruined. Michael Jacobs, the director of both shows, promised that if they were going to make this spin-off, then they were going to do it right.

Photo credit: ABC Studios

‘Crash My Party’ Continues to Top Country Charts

by Trent Silfies

On August 13, 2013, Luke Bryan released his latest album, “Crash My Party.” Bryan has written seven number one singles, including four number ones from this album. The album is easy for typical country fans to love, with songs about beer, tailgates, and falling in love.

“Crash My Party” is extremely similar to his previous album “Tailgates and Tanlines” because both contain sappy love songs. This is acceptable for his fans, after the previous album produced his first number one single, “Country Girl (Shake It for Me),” which is the third best-selling male country song of all time.

Listeners learn about Bryan’s past in “Dirt Road Diary” and “Drink A Beer,” his most poignant song on the entire album, reflecting Bryan’s memories with his brother and sister before their deaths. Chris Bryan was killed in a car accident in 1996, while Kelly Bryan died of unknown causes in 2007.

The one knock to the album is that two of his

number one songs, “That’s My Kind of Night” and “Crash My Party,” were not written by Bryan.

Both songs incorporate a hip-hop theme, which is inconsistent with the rest of the album’s slowpaced songs.

The unique thing about Luke Bryan that separates him from other artists is that he co-produced all four of his albums and co-wrote all but two of his singles. Bryan is slowly developing his own style with humble songs about falling in love. This is evident in the songs “Play It Again,” “Roller Coaster,” and “I See You.” “Play It Again” is Bryan’s most recent single and very similar to the album’s opener “That’s My Kinda Night,” with references to having a good time while sitting on a tailgate. “Play It Again” confirmed another reason why Luke Bryan is this generation’s premiere storyteller in country music.

The song reflects a date he had with a girl where their relationship grows stronger each time their favorite song plays.

Luke Bryan will be on tour this summer and will make a stop in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field on August 15.

Photo credit: Capitol Records

ENTERTAINMENT Page

MAY 2014

13 13

Radio 104.5 Birthday Show Shatters Expectations

by Emily Kasarda On May 11th, music lovers gathered at the Susquehanna Bank Center to attend the seventh annual 104.5 Birthday Show. Opened by a local band named We Speak in Sounds, the show later featured performances by St. Lucia, Foals, KONGOS, Cage The Elephant, Third Eye Blind, Bastille, and Foster the People. Each band had its own style of music and way of connecting with the audience, making the show entertaining and intriguing despite its nine-hour length.

We Speak in Sounds started the show off with an enjoyable performance.

“I was really surprised! They were only just a local band, but I enjoyed watching them perform even though I didn’t know who they were at first,” junior Kylie Schmitt said.

St. Lucia then followed with an energized performance of songs that only select audience members knew but most enjoyed. Their electronic pop style, synth-driven and dreamy, was perfect for helping to start off the show.

Following the opening acts, Foals, a band from England, played a variety of their unique and airy songs. By the end of their set, more and more audience members had filed into the venue, finding spots on the lawn, taking their seats, or finding place to stand in the pit. After a short break, KONGOS began their performance, immediately capturing the audience’s attention.

Featuring an accordion in most of their songs, KONGOS brought a unique and energy-filled sound to the stage. What makes this band unique is the four of them all being brothers from South Africa. Their song “Come With Me Now” has recently been played on multiple radio stations and was definitely a crowd favorite that night.

With the crowd’s energy continuing to grow, the venue buzzed with excitement as Cage the Elephant took the stage. The rock band took connecting with the audience to a whole new level when its lead singer Matt Shultz decided to crowd surf. Eventually he was able to stand up, supported only by the arms and hands of audience members. No one could deny the clear passion that Cage the Elephant had for performing.

Third Eye Blind, one of the more well-known bands of the evening, created a frenzy in the audience even before they took to the stage. WIth songs like “Semi-Charmed Life” and “Jumper,” the audience could not help but stand-up and move to the music. The band also performed a new song that will be featured on the album they are currently working on.

By the time the sun went down, the audience’s energy level had risen.

When Bastille performed, everyone was standing and singing along. The lead singer, Dan Smith, captivated the audience with his raw and unique voice. He continued to bring excitement to the band’s performance when he ran into the crowd, even making his way into the lawn at the back of the venue.

The final performance of the evening by Foster the People was also one of the most anticipated judging from the reaction of the audience when they finally took over the stage. With color-changing ice-like structures lined amongst the band members and their instruments, and a series of squiggleshaped video boards as a backdrop, this band’s performance was nothing less than vibrant and intriguing. It was a fitting ending to a energetic show filled with a variety of intriguing bands, passionate performances, and songs that filled the audience with energy.

Foster the People ends the show on a good note. Photo credit: Dana DiGiovanni

‘The Other Woman’ Turns Out to be a Surprise Hit

by Anna Esposito On April 25, “The Other Woman” hit theaters across the country. In this film, director Nick Cassavetes tells the story of three girls, Carly (Cameron Diaz), Kate (Leslie Mann) , and Amber (Kate Upton), who are all being led on by the same guy, Mark King (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau).

Even though this film might have not pleased some critics, the film overall seemed to please the public and provide a good start to the season of summer comedies.

The film topped the box office with a solid 9.3 million dollars. According to Forbes Magazine, the film got terrible reviews, but there haven’t been many films for adult women since “About Last Night” and “Labor Day.” In the film’s plot, Mark King sets up a love triangle between the three women. When his wife Kate finds out that her husband is cheating, she goes on to form a friendship between all the ladies, thinking it would be the best way to end the cheating, make two new friends, and show Mark that karma hit him right in the face hard.

“I thought it was weird how the women who got

cheated on became friends with the mistress,” junior Samantha Kramer said.

Most people thought that Kate would want some type of revenge on Carly and Amber.

Personally, I felt the critics were very off about the movie. The film overall was something that movie viewers haven’t seen in a very long time. The story-line of the film was great because it keep me hanging on waiting to know what’s going to happen next. Lastly, the film keep viewers and myself laughing and made me say these woman are the oddest friends but they need some revenge.

“The movie was very funny and a great chick flick!” junior Octavia Fitzmaurice said. This film is great for a night out with the girls and also if you need a good laugh.

“The Other Woman” may not be an Oscar-winner, but I say just ignore the critics, get your best girlfriends together, and go check out the comedy of the year.

Movies Now Playing in Theaters

Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox

Neighbors

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Godzilla

A Million Ways to Die in the West

Photo credit: Good Universe

Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox

Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Photo credit: Bluegrass Films

14

SPORTS

SPOTLIGHT

Flyers Soar Through to Playoffs After a Rocky Early Season Start and a New Head Coach

by McKenzie Browne

The Philadelphia Flyers hockey team started the 2013-2014 NHL season with a 1-7 record, their worst in team history. After losing the first three games of the season, head coach Peter Laviolette was fired, and his job was given to Craig Berube.

Berube helped the Flyers turn their season around, ending the year with a 42-27-10 record, good enough to finish third in the Metropolitan Division and a earn spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Coming back from such a bad start was amazing, but it was expected because of the high caliber players on their roster such as Giroux, Voracek, and Lecavalier,” junior Matt Long said. “I’m surprised they got themselves in such a hole to begin with.”

The Flyers faced the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs.

Unfortunately, their season ended after a 2-1 loss in game seven. With the way the season started, the Flyers are lucky to even have made the playoffs at all, though fans are still upset with the end result.

“Upset would be an understatement. I know our team could have made it far, possibly outplaying Pittsburgh,” Central Catholic High School junior Michaella Ohl said. “I wish they could have shown their talent and passion for the game in the post-season longer, but a game is a game and the scoreboard proved the Flyers just didn’t have it.”

During the regular season, the Flyers offense was successful, as seven different players scored over 20 goals. They finished eighth in the NHL in both goals per game and overall power play percentage.

The Flyers’ top two leading scorers not only finished the season at the top of their roster, but earned one of the top three spots in two respective categories.

Captain Claude Giroux finished third in the NHL with 86 points, and Wayne Simmonds finished third in the NHL with 15 power play goals.

The Flyers’ weak spot this season was their defensive play, as they ended the season with one of the highest numbers of goals against in the NHL with 235.

Fortunately, goalie Steve Mason came in clutch and proved himself to Flyers fans by earning himself a 33-18-7 record, a 2.50 goals against average, and a 0.916 save percentage. Mason was the hero of many games, and many fans believe he’s the reason the Flyers were able to come back from such an awful start to the season.

“When I heard the Flyers received a new goalie, I was praying for a change and Mason was that change,” Ohl said. “He was such an influence on the team and gave the city of Philadelphia hope.”

After the sudden end to the Flyers’ playoff run, it didn’t take long for the management to make a big move in the 2014 offseason. On May 7, the Flyers named Ron Hextall the new general manager and promoted Paul Holmgren to president.

Hextall played 11 seasons for the Flyers and is the winningest goalie in Flyers history with 240 wins. He was also on the managing staff for the Los Angeles Kings when they won the Stanley Cup in 2012, and hopes to help bring the cup back to Philly.

The Flyers made the playoffs after a rough start. Photo Credit: McKenzie Browne

Spartan Baseball Team Reaches District Play but Falls Short of a Championship

by Casey Asman

The Spartans lost their first round game to Tamaqua 8-1. Photo Credit: Casey Asman

On May 13, the Southern Lehigh Spartan varsity baseball team clinched a district playoff berth with a victory over Daniel Boone and Pennridge to finish their regular season. The Spartans then faced the Tamaqua Blue Raiders on May 21 in the first round of the District XI playoffs.

The Spartans fell short and lost by a score of 8-1 which eliminated them from District XI championship contention. Sophomore Derek Barnes and junior Eric Boyd both pitched for the Spartans, but their efforts could not push them to victory.

“I expected some very good competition, probably some of the best we’ve seen all year,” freshman Timmy Walter said, “especially when we played Tamaqua cause they won the championship last year.”

In the District XI playoffs, the best teams in the Lehigh Valley showcase their talents to compete for the championship which is held at Coca Cola Park in late May. The Spartans finished their season with a 9-10 record. They finished fourth out of six teams in the Colonial League South Division.

“This year I think we were a good team, with good chemistry for the most part,” junior J.T. Dyche said. “We had our ups and downs, but I think we had a good season even though we fell short.”

With the season’s end, the team says goodbye to seven seniors: Chase Asman, Jacob DelPriore, Pete Long, Tyler Mann, Nikos Milios, Trevor Musselman, and Troy Reppert.

SPORTS

MAY 2014

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Spring Media Day Largest in School History

by Cody Heffelfinger and Dana DiGiovanni

23 of the schools top athletes announced where they will play their respected sport in college on May 16th. Photo Credit: Cody Heffelfinger

On May 16th at the biggest spring media day in the school’s history, Southern Lehigh showed off 23 top senior athletes who will go on to play sports in college. Four swimmers, one girls soccer player, one boys basketball player, one field hockey player, six football players, two girls lacrosse players, two boys lacrosse players, two boys soccer players, one softball player, two track and field players, and one cheerleader displayed their newfound collegiate pride while recognizing their roots.

Coach John Neumann presented four swimmers who announced where they will attending college. Madison Amann declared she will be attending Catholic University of America where she will major in chemistry. Megan Anderson will be going to Elizabethtown College to swim and study occupational therapy.

Suzanne Selman will be attending Kutztown University to major in electronic media and Spanish. Josh Kreider will attend Eastern Michigan University where he will major in computer science and Spanish.

Lauren Bertucci was the only girl on the soccer team to announce her fall collegiate plans. Bertucci will attend Moravian College where she will either major in business or early childhood education.

Basketball player Casey Krause will attend Wilkes University where he will study biology and pre-med to become a physician’s assistant.

Shelby Drissel will play field hockey at East Stroudsburg University where she will major in criminal justice. Field hockey coach Mr. Ian Beitler called Drissel one of Southern Lehigh’s most successful goalies.

Football Coach John Toman has six of his players taking their talents to

the next level. Tyler Derby will play at Wilkes University where he will major in business. Tom Dex will attend Dickinson college to major in international business. Collin Kendrick will attend Geneva College where he will major in engineering. Trent Silfies will major in economics at Furman University. Zach WIlson will attend Villanova University where he will major in engineering on a Naval ROTC scholarship.

Kirstin Quilty will play lacrosse for Elizabethtown College where she will major in occupational therapy. Her teammate Haley Risi will play attend Marywood University where she will major in interior architecture design.

Boys’ lacrosse players Ryan Kearns and Greg Farris will both be playing for Boston University. Kearns will study computer science while Farris will study business or marketing and communications.

Will Demmel will play soccer for Moravian College; he is still undecided about his major. His teammate Nicolas Loew will attend Houghton College to major in mathematics.

Softball player Alyssa Herr will be attend Messiah College where she will major in nursing.

Brianna Prince will be a member of both the basketball and track and field teams at Goucher College where she will major in civil engineering and Spanish. Fellow track and field teammate Felicia Wieder will attend Alvernia University to major in occupational therapy.

The final athlete to be honored at media day was Maddie Kocse. She will cheer for Penn State University where she study psychology.

Angels for a Day: Baseball Players Bring the Joy of the Game to Miracle League Kids

by Sean Welsh and Casey Asman

On May 17, the Southern Lehigh baseball team traveled to Schnecksville, PA, to participate in Miracle League, a league where disabled kids play baseball. Many teams participate as “angels” to help the kids play baseball and most importantly have fun. They have different leagues for different ages and everybody gets involved.

“It is a great experience, and I had a lot of fun,” freshman Marco Spinosa said. “ It was great to see how many kids come out and have a good time.”

In the game, the Miracle League kids all get to hit and have a good time in the field with their angels, the players that the kids pick to be with them for the game. They protect their players when in the field and help them when on the base paths.

“My favorite part of Miracle League is seeing their smiles when you make them feel that they have a friend on their side,” senior Chase Asman said. “It is my favorite part of the season because we get to see how lucky we are and how grateful we should be.”

“It was a lot of fun to hang with the kids,” freshman Zach Mohr said, “and many of the kids parents like seeing the kids play the game.”

The Southern Lehigh Spartan baseball team has been a part of Miracle League for seven years, and will continue to participate in the future.

Photo Credit: Spartan Baseball and Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley

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ODDS AND ENDS

SPOTLIGHT MAY 2014

A Blast From The Past Guess which of your favorite teachers are in these throwback prom photos!

From top from left to right: Mrs Byers, Ms. Horvath, Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Bronfenbrenner, Ms. Edwards, Mrs. Krey, Mrs. SikorskiSchneider, Mr. Dougherty, Mrs. Kern, Mr. Bjelobrk, Mrs. Muhleisen, Mr. Long, Mr. Schrader, Ms. Mead, Mrs. Hendrzak, Mr. Skrapits, and Mrs. Spritzer