Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street, Center Valley, PA 18034 Volume 59 Issue 2
Beards and Beyond
Faculty shows support for “No Shave November”
Turn to page 8 for more
Photo Credit: Devon Wolfe
In this
Issue: Learn about the “miracle” of theater on pages 4 and 5
Buzz on over to pages 10-11 to save the bees.
Get “wiped out” by The Neighborhood’s newest album. Reald about it on pages 12-13
Page 2
The Spotlight
News
Southern Lehigh Students Receive Honorable Mentions at Poetry Festival by Izza Choudhry
Freshman Cameron McColgan (left) and junior Alex Mccue (right) pose with their honorable mention certificates at the DeSales University Poetry Festival on November 6. Photo credit: Mrs. Sheryl Ciotti
On November 6, twenty Southern Lehigh students attended DeSales University’s annual poetry festival. Two Southern Lehigh students, junior Alex McCue and freshman Cameron McColgan, received honorable mentions. English teachers Mrs. Sheryl Ciotti and Mrs. Kelly Howsare accompanied the students. While the poems were submitted in October, the winners were announced the week of the festival. At the festival, they were asked to recite their poems in front of the attendants. “When I received the honorable mention, I was surprised!” McCue said. “I wasn’t even expecting to win; I thought my piece was okay. I wasn’t even sure about entering, but
the fact that I won was great.” McColgan’s poem, titled “Simple Pleasure,” was the shortest poem to be honorably mentioned in DeSales history, consisting of only two words, “Up. Around.” “[My piece is] asking for you to look around at everything you have and appreciate it, and to take pleasure in life,” McColgan said. The annual poetry festival is run by Dr. Stephen Myers, festival director, professor of English, and chair of the Humanities department. The grand prize given to the winner of the poetry competition is a four-year scholarship to DeSales University. The day began with a welcome breakfast, followed by the recipients
receiving their awards. After being commended, they were asked to recite their poems to the audience. About 225 people attended. This year, Daniel Donaghy, a successfully published poet and novelist, gave a presentation. Students also had the opportunity to perform in an open mic session and listen to other students recite their poems. “Students have the opportunity to hear poetry presented in a variety of mediums,” Mrs. Ciotti said. “Our students become empowered in this environment. Suddenly, students who are normally reserved are excited to share their poetry with strangers. The open mic session is emotionally charging and infectious.” Mrs. Ciotti and Mrs. Howsare are very proud of the students that came out to participate in this event. “The poetry festival allowed
students to see the value in writing poetry,” Mrs. Howsare said. “They had the opportunity to listen to a published poet and receive advice on how to create a well-written poem.” The day also consists of writing workshops where students are divided into small groups and work individually with a successfully published poet. While hearing published poets speak, students learn how to strengthen their own writing skills. “[My advice is] if you want to get into poetry, always stick with writing something that has a message and distinctive feeling towards you,” sophomore Melissa Stough said. “Be true to what you think, don’t get into something only because someone else would think it sounds pretty.”
Twenty Southern Lehigh students attended the DeSales poetry festival. Photo credit: Mrs. Sheryl Ciotti
UPENN Field Trip: Mummies to Murals by Allison Borelli
Displayed at the muesum in the Chinese Gallary are two qilins, mythical lion-dragon hybrids. Photo credit: Allison Borelli
On November 4, students in AP World History, Gifted Seminar, and Arabic classes attended a day-long �ield trip to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, or UPENN museum. “The objective was to allow the students to have some interaction with or some information about different cultures throughout the world that we may not be exposed to here at Southern Lehigh,” AP World History teacher Mr. Lee Zeisloft said. Upon arrival, students were able to have about 45 minutes to roam the museum and explore the exhibits themselves. At 11:00, the students split into two groups for a guided tour through the Egyptian exhibit. “We want to increase the knowledge and show the beautiful artifacts,” University of Pennsylvania museum tour guide Robert Burger said. “I hope that people appreciate how old these things are.” The hour-long tour provided in-depth information on Egypt. Students were also able to see artifacts ranging from mummies to models of brain removal hooks. “My favorite part was seeing Alex Curtis be
grossed out by the brain removal from the dead bodies of Egyptians before they were exposed to the mummy process to preserve their bodies,” Mr. Zeisloft said. Mrs. Hanan Gawdet, a distance learning Arabic teacher from Egypt who spent a year teaching on campus at Southern Lehigh, inspired Superintendent Mrs. Leah Christman to organize this trip. A grant funded Mrs. Gawdet’s return to SLHS in order to catch up with past students, teach classes on Egyptian culture, and attend the UPENN trip. “I thought it was fun, interesting if nothing else,” freshman Jacob Chenmitz said. “It was de�initely better than school.” Some students disliked the guided tour, the lack of time, and the lengthy transportation. Of course students enjoyed the food trucks where they ate lunch, as well as the opportunity to learn away from the typical school atmosphere. “[The �ield trip] was certainly very educational,” junior Grace Bothelo said. ”I feel like I understand more about the stuff we were learning in AP world.”
November 2015
News
Page 3
Computer Science Students Snag Silver by Allison Borelli
Five of Southern Lehigh’s computer science students programmed their way to second place in the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) competition, which took place on November 5. ”In terms of the competition, it was the �irst time all of us had ever done anything like that,” junior Joshua Wentling said. “We had all done or taken a few computer science courses before that, so we’re relatively new to competitions.” The goal of the ACM contest was to provide an opportunity for like-minded individuals to collaborate as a team and have an enjoyable experience. In the competition, teams had to write a source code of computer programs which had to be able to solve real-world problems; time also came into play if not all the answers were correct. The problems they had to solve went from making a program that could calculate miles per hour to creating a program that would be able to produce a cross-word puzzle from the touch of a button. “The practice problems that they handed out were pretty hard, and I thought we were gonna get crushed because it was our �irst time doing it,” junior Daniel Qian said. Southern Lehigh’s team �inished within an hour and forty minutes which is actually a pretty fast time - and the winning team, Emmaus, �inished one minute before them. The students who competed in this competition were senior Domi-
SL Students didn’t win first, but they did snag second. (From left to right) Banjamin Zalatan, Dominick Rubino, Daniel Qian, Mr. Bradley Siesko, Joshua Wentling, and Mindy Wen. Photo credit: Jordan M. Gruber
nick Rubino, juniors Mindy Wen, Daniel Qian, and Joshua Wentling, and sophomore Ben Zalatan. Also competing were eleven other high school teams, including Easton, Freedom, Delaware Valley, Emmaus, and Bethlehem Catholic. “It was fun because you get to competitively program and go up
against other people that are also good at programming,” Zalatan said. Although there are no more competitions planned for the computer science classes, this year they signed up for the American Computer Science League (ACSL). The ACSL organizes computer science contests and computer program-
that deal with several different academic disciplines. The �irst team to answer the question gets a set number of points and at the end of the 24-minute match, the team with the most points wins. The teams play in a tournament format similar to March Madness that lasts over the duration of most of the school year. The team who wins the tournament brings home the grand prize of 4000 dollars and a trophy
for their school. On October 28, four students, junior Daniel Qian, senior David Rush, junior Victor Aung, and junior Jacob Zimmerman, attended the Scholastic Scrimmage match at the PBS39 headquarters in Bethlehem and returned as victors. The day commenced with the four competitors leaving their classes after second block to catch the bus that would take them into the studio. Soon after the previous match had ended, the contestants from both schools were summoned into the studio where they met the host, Dr. Karen Walton, who explained the rules. The competitors then took their seats, and the match began. At half time, the students were asked questions about themselves, such as who their role models were and what their goals were for the future. “It wasn’t recorded live in one take; there was a couple of times where they had to stop and edit things together,” Rush said. “So even though it was supposed to be a timed competition, it wasn’t really.”
ming contests for junior and senior high school students. “I think it was a good, fun experience,” senior Dominick Rubino said. “It was de�initely interesting; I’ve never done anything like that before.”
It’s More Than Just a Simple Scrimmage
by Townsend Colley
Scholastic Scrimmage is more than just a scrimmage. The term scrimmage implies a lack of competition and excitement. But that is not the case, it is instead a 24-minute duel of some of the Lehigh Valley’s brightest minds. Scholastic Scrimmage is a quiz bowl style of competition where two teams of four, usually from different schools, are pitted against each other and asked questions
The PBS39 building is located in Bethlehem. Photo credit: Wikimedia.org
The extra time, however, did not seem to give a decided advantage to one team or another, considering the �inal score. “The team did really well,” co-adviser Mrs. Beth Dottery said. “The score was 240-40.” Despite the huge margin of victory, the lineup still must beat four more teams in the tournament in order to be crowned the Scholastic Scrimmage champion. They will continue until the end of the school year to practice and work hard. The group of dedicated students practice every Friday after school with the hope that on the day of the Scholastic Scrimmage �inal they can lift the trophy and represent Southern Lehigh. “We’re there to win, we’re there to show that our school is a good school, we’re there to show that we’re good students and we pay attention, we learn, we go above and beyond,” Zimmerman said. “We showed the enthusiasm for learning that all Southern Lehigh students have.”
The Spotlight
Page 4 Features
Mr.Castanagna, The Literary Ninja by Emily Oberlander
Mr. Joseph Castagna finds stiff competition with his four-year-old daughter, Lorelai. Photo credit: Joseph Castagna
In the beginning of the Literary Ninja’s three-minute long video, a man is seen dangling from hanging rings, throwing javelins, and climbing bars through various obstacle courses. In the next frame, we see a familiar face standing shirtless, crossing his arms in slow motion with rock music blaring in the background. The self-proclaimed “Literary Ninja” is none other than Southern Lehigh English teacher Mr. Joseph Castagna. On October 4, Mr. Castagna uploaded his self-made American Ninja Warrior audition tape onto YouTube. In early November, senior Fiona Bultonsheen discovered the video. Since then, the video’s views have skyrocketed. “I absolutely 100 percent did not expect students to �ind the video. It was a huge surprise,” Mr. Castagna said. “Over the summer, my daughter and I became obsessed with American Ninja Warrior. I thought it would be kind of fun to make the video and audition for the show. You know, just
to see what happens.” Along with training almost every day of the week and regularly participating in Spartan races, Castagna has built many of American Ninja Warrior’s common obstacles in his backyard. “I’ve built a salmon ladder, rings, a climbing rope, traverse rope, and a slack line,” he said. “Over winter, I’m adding an unstable bridge and some bars I can swing from.” The audition, which is designed to be a humorous interview, features Mr. Castagna’s four-year old daughter, Lorelai, participating in Spartan races with her father and even practicing pushups with him by her side. “That kid wants to beat me at everything!” he said. Throughout the audition tape, Mr. Castagna shows footage of himself doing pushups and tricep dips on the desks in his classroom. He even proceeds to lift a desk over his head, which was math teacher Mr.
Ryan Haupt’s idea. “The �irst time I saw the video, I realized he was using my desk for pushups,” sophomore Sidnee Moyer said. “I freaked out. I mean, how could I not?” Even though the video was discovered and shared by students, more than just freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors have watched it. Teachers and staff members throughout the building, including our school principal Mrs. Christine Siegfried, have also enjoyed Mr. Castagna’s audition tape. “It is hilarious,” Mrs. Siegfried said. “My favorite part has to be him in the classroom. Or maybe the fact that he took it as far as building the salmon ladder in his backyard.” While this is the �irst time the 34year old has auditioned for American Ninja Warrior, completing obstacle courses and races isn’t something the teacher’s unfamiliar with. “I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t into �itness,” Mr. Castagna said. “I’ve been exercising regularly for over 20 years, and have been training speci�ically for obstacle racing for the past year.” American Ninja Warrior is a popular TV show in which multiple athletes compete to conquer “the world’s most dif�icult obstacle course.” The show, which accepts 700 applicants each season, receives more than 70,000 applications. Considering the show only accepts one percent of their applicants, will we be seeing Mr. Castagna tackle the course? The answer lies within the next few months. “I’ll probably know the results in January if they pick me,” Mr. Castagna said. “I certainly think you’re more likely to be chosen if you’re a known commodity. If there is
some level of popularity, you’re a safe bet to put on the show because they know people will want to watch it.” Students who would like to see Mr. Castagna attempt the American Ninja Warrior obstacle course can go onto YouTube, search “Castagna American Ninja Warrior Audition” in the search bar, click on the �irst result, and give Southern Lehigh’s literary ninja a like. With the support of Southern Lehigh’s staff and students, Mr. Castagna might just appear on the show’s eighth season and be crowned the next American Ninja Warrior.
lars. Through their very �irst of�icial fundraiser, the �lag football tournament, coordinators of mini-THON raised approximately 500 dollars and successfully spread the word about the good that is being done through mini-THON. Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) is an event that raises money and awareness for pediatric cancer. All funds that are made are given to the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. This money covers medical expenses of the patients so that the family does not receive a bill. THON is known as the largest student-run philanthropy (the greek word that means “love of humanity”). It requires a lot of energy. 46 hours, no sitting, no sleeping, just dancing and fun (and for a good cause, too). “THON is the biggest adrenaline rush that you will ever experience, you can really feel the energy of the student body �illing the [room],” instructional aide Ms. Lindsay Horvath, who was involved in THON all four of
her years at Penn State, said. “It’s just a huge event where the entire student body comes together, and within those 46 hours everyone becomes family.” Modeled after THON, mini-THON will last for twelve hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on April 2, 2016. There will be many activities throughout the day to appeal to various students and people of the community. “The more that students participate, the more good that we can do for the community,” junior Sam Quilty, a coordinator of mini-THON said. Junior Justine Groeber, OverallHead of Mini-THON, has been hard at work as she advertises for this event. The ambition of the coordinators is admirable, seeing as they aim to host a fundraiser every month. “I just really hope that a lot of [people] get involved and realize that it’s a really great cause,” Groeber said, “The more money we raise, the better because we are giving it to someone that really needs it.”
Snap, Sack, and Attack Pediatric Cancer
by Nicole Schroy
Participants of the flag football tournament come together for a good cause. Photo credit: Mrs. Beth Guarriello
On Wednesday, November 11 at 3:00 pm, Southern Lehigh students and teachers met on Spartan grounds to snap, sack, and attack pediatric cancer. Each team consisted of �ive players that held determination to compete for �irst place in a �lag foot-
ball tournament. Hosted by coordinators of miniTHON, this event took place in order to raise money for the Four Diamonds Fund. The coordinators of mini-THON have been working diligently to reach their fundraising goal of 10,000 dol-
Features
November 2015
Page 5
Theater Deparment Works Miracles On Stage by Talia Trackim
Lexi Brown as Kate Heller comforts Mary Felix as Hellen Keller. Photo credits: Kristen Brown
Everyone who’s taken Mr. Hershey’s Honors English class knows exactly what a catharsis is. That moment in a dramatic play when the characters are wailing, the lights are dim, and the audience is reaching for a box of tissues. That’s just what “The Miracle Worker” was: a true display of raw emotion brought to life onstage. When I �irst heard that the Southern Lehigh Theater Department was performing “The Miracle Worker,” I was a bit surprised. An avid theater attendee, I had been expecting to be delighted and and amused due to performances such as the comical “Noises Off” and the heartwarming, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” “The Miracle Worker” was just the opposite. It was rich and serious, �illed with complex characters and dif�icult situations that seemed impossible to surpass. It was also an intensely emotional piece that left myself, as well as other members of the audience, in tears. “I think the audience most enjoyed that there wasn’t as much �luff built around it as a musical,” junior Giuliana Augello said. “It was raw and hard core and I don’t think the people were expecting that from the cast because in the past we’ve done more lighthearted pieces.” The play featured freshman Mary Felix, who played the role of Helen Keller. Felix’s role was unique, as she only spoke one line. Because her emotions were not delivered through words, Felix’s delivery was highly physical and expressive, ranging from feral, childlike crawling on the �loor, screaming and punching during tantrums, and looks of relief when she was held by her mother. Felix’s acting was so strong that she was able to make the audience understand what it would be like to live the dark and silent life that Helen Keller lived. “I have truly grown as an actress from performing in this show,” Felix said. “I have learned to act more with my body and facial expressions. I have also learned other acting tips from the upperclassmen as well.” Giuliana Augello portrayed Anne Sullivan, the young girl who was recruited to teach Helen how to behave like a normal child and, ultimately,
to teach her to understand language. Augello’s performance was raw and intense, stern and steady, but very, very human. Her serious demeanor allowed her to translate Sullivan’s haunted past to her present actions in a way that was both surreal and intense for the audience. “I’m de�initely tougher, physically and mentally [after playing Sullivan],” Augello said. “Mentally because memorizing 90 pages of dialogue is challenging, especially when it’s not broken up by songs, which are easier to memorize. Also physically, everyone thought I was beating up Mary every night. [Due to the depth of the piece] it was a lot to think about at once and I think that de�initely helped me grow as an actress.” Junior Lexi Brown and senior Chris Smith played Helen’s parents. Brown’s gentle and sympathetic portrayal of Kate Keller served as a gateway from the audience to the characters, allowing the audience to connect with Helen and Sullivan and feel compassion for the situation at hand. Smith seemed to reprise his role from “The Sound of Music” as the “stern military father” in his role of Captain Keller. He once again did an excellent job, and his anxious and tense demeanor really intensi�ied and enhanced the con�lict and the overall vibe onstage. Because “The Miracle Worker” was such a different play it required a lot of adjustment from the cast as they delved into an entirely different genre. “I don’t think there was anything easy about ‘The Miracle Worker,’” theater director and chorus teacher Mr. Matt Wehr said. “It’s often associated with middle-school or junior high literature but it’s a very challenging piece of literature. I thought they handled it really well.” Now that the fall play has run its course, the theater department is preparing for its spring musical, “Carousel,” another serious and heavy piece. ”There are some very big scenes to create, some very deep characters, and some very complex actions and emotions,” Mr. Wehr said. “‘Carousel’ deals with abuse, suicide, and second chances. It’s still a musical, but there’s some very deep provocative spots in that show and I think “The Miracle Worker’ was a step towards that.”
Page 6
The Spotlight
Opinion
Staff Editorial: Twitter is Valuable Learning Tool Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street Center Valley, PA 18034 (610) 282-1421 x7122 slsdspotlight@gmail.com Twitter: @SLSDspotlight Facebook: Southern Lehigh Spotlight 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.
Are we really doing this again? We go through this every year: a few people do something childish on Twitter, and the entire student body gets their privileges taken away from them. While we understand why the administration chooses to do this, we feel like it is counterproductive for them to revoke our privileges when they could be using this as an educational opportunity. Despite administrative attempts to prevent students from using Twitter by blocking it, students are still able to get around the system by turning the wi�i off on their phones. Blocking Twitter isn’t actually doing anything. In our growing globalized, technologicallydriven society, social media is about as common as
Vaccinations: Give it a Shot by Izza Choudhry
Faculty Adviser Mrs. Marlo Spritzer
Editor-in-Chief
Vaccinations are extremely important in disease prevention. Photo credit: www.tOrange.us
Talia Trackim
Managing Editor Nicole Schroy
News Editor Emily Oberlender
Features Editor Allison Borelli
Center Spread Editor Danielle Alpert
Opinion Editor Katie Cole
Our World Editor Sarah Trebicka
Entertainment Editor Jamie Kish
Sports Editor Townsend Colley
Web Editor Alex Baca
Copy Editor Izza Choudhry
Photographers Maggie Moerder Caitlin Roth Devon Wolfe
Pennsylvania School Press Association 2015 Gold Rating 2014 Gold Rating 2013 Silver Rating National School Press Association 2015 First Class Rating
sel�ies. Business executives, universities, employers, political leaders, and more use social media as a tool and platform for communication. It is inevitable that all of us are going to need to use social media in this way at some point in our lives. So why does our school �ind it justi�iable to prevent us from exploring our future? We think that instead of just taking away our Twitter privileges, we should be taught how to use social media responsibly as a valuable tool. By having it taken away, we aren’t learning anything or even bene�itting from it. It isn’t helping us grow to be mature individuals because at some point we are going to have to learn to be responsible for ourselves.
Parents always want to do what is best for their children. Small gestures go a long way, such as always making sure your child is wearing a seatbelt, packing them healthy lunches, or making sure they get enough sleep. Many parents question the safety of vaccinating their children, but they don’t understand that it is one of the most important ways to keep a child healthy. “It is a guardian’s duty to vaccinate their children not only for their children’s health, but for the health of others,” sophomore Emma Duane said. “After job shadowing a pediatrician and speaking with her, she said that a legislation is trying to be put into place to, in some cases, force students to receive vaccines. I feel that it is one’s responsibility to keep their children healthy, where therefore keeps other kids healthy as well.” The main purpose of a vaccination is to prevent someone from getting a communicable disease that has caused death or disability in the past. Immunization can even protect future generations from certain diseases. Vaccines have reduced, and in some cases even eliminated, many diseases, such as smallpox, measles, diphtheria, and polio. “There are many reasons why parents would not want to vaccinate their kids, such as ethical, religious, and medical,” Southern Lehigh High School nurse Merrilyn Pysher said. “What I usually hear is that they’ve read an invalid article on negative side effects that could happen. But truthfully, the chance that something bad will happen to you when you are vaccinated is much less than the chance you will contract a disease if you are vaccinated.” Prior to the development of vaccines, one out of every �ive children died before age �ive from illnesses such as polio and measles that are now preventable through vaccines. “Now that we do vaccines, children are living longer,” St. Luke’s pediatrician Elizabeth Gibson said. “Parents should de�initely look at statistics
when they’re questioning whether or not to vaccinate their kids. They’ll be able to see the increase of life expectancy with the increase of vaccinations. I always tell parents, ‘anything I recommend for your children, I recommend for my own children.’” There are many misunderstandings about the effects of vaccines. One of the most popular theories is that vaccines are directly related to the development of autism. In the 1980’s, a study was conducted where British doctor Andrew Wake�ield concluded that there was a direct link from the MMR vaccine to autism. These studies have been completely discredited, and Dr. Wake�ield has lost his medical license. “A reason parents think the MMR vaccine is linked to autism is because we give the MMR vaccine at age one,” Dr. Gibson said. “Signs of autism are usually �irst noted around that age, so the �irst thing parents do is think, ‘Oh, it must have been that vaccine,’ but there were always developmental issues. In England, they stopped giving the MMR shot for a period of time. The rates of autism continued, but the rates of measles and mumps increased.” Vaccines simply give your body immunity to �ight against a disease if it enters your body. Most vaccines contain a small amount of dead or weak disease germs. Your body reacts to this germ by creating antibodies, which are proteins that help to trap and kill germs that could lead to disease. The next time a disease germ enters your body, the antibodies recognize it and are ready to eliminate it. “Another misconception is that we’re not using our natural immunity when we’re vaccinating, but we’re actually using our natural immunity to our bene�it,” Pysher said. “We’re being exposed to something that will help us use our natural immunity to help our antibodies.” In December 2014, there was a large outbreak of measles in Orange County, California. At least 40 people who were visiting or working at Disneyland contracted measles due to an unvaccinated child. If more parents continue to refuse to vaccinate their kids, it will result in a huge loss of herd immunity. Right now, the majority of society vaccinating their kids are affecting the children who aren’t vaccinated, and the loss of that would be devastating. In a community, everyone needs to look out for one another so we can protect everyone else around us. So in all seriousness, get vaccinated.
November 2015
Opinion
School Safety Demands More Stringent Security
Page 7
As I Was Saying
by Emily Oberlender
by Jamie Kish
School security is an issue that needs to be addressed. Photo credit: Jamie Kish
Despite it not being the nicest thing to talk about, the fact is that school shootings are becoming more and more common day by day in America. According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), there have been 283 mass shootings so far this year, not even accounting for attempted and foiled mass shooting plots. Unfortunately, many students still tend not to think about the idea of a shooting happening at our school. Usually the excuse is that “it can’t
possibly happen to us.” Although it’s nice to have some optimism, these last few years have seemed to indicate that attempted and successful school shootings may happen anywhere. Most recently, and locally, a serious incident resulted in a fourhour lockdown at Emmaus High School, less than a half hour down the road from Solehi. On the morning of October 28, an unidenti�ied student was able to sneak 50 rounds of live ammunition into the school before dropping the box on the ground and spilling the bullets all over the �loor of the cafeteria. Whether the act was simply “stupid humor,” or if it had malicious intent, I believe that this event should spark Southern Lehigh students to start having conversations with their peers, staff, and the community at large about what we can do to prevent these kinds of things from happening at our school. Although this didn’t happen within our school district, it happened close enough that both staff and students have already begun forming strong opinions on what we should do to help protect ourselves from violence at school. “I always like to think that we are on top of things and that we address them in a proactive manner,” said school resource of�icer Brian McLaughlin. “But with our school’s security, you cannot be relaxed. If there’s anything that we, as a school, can do to improve safety on campus, it’s developing better communication skills.” Many agree with Of�icer McLaughlin that improved communication can keep school safe for everyone. “If you hear something or suspect something, don’t take it lightly,” social studies teacher Mr. Brian Dow said. “We’re all here to protect and look after each other, so if someone you know is in danger, mentally or physically, especially with bullying, be sure to get them the help that they need.” Others believe that the administration could do more to make sure that our school remains safe. “It’s �ine for what it is, but it could be far better. For example, they should ask visitors more than just ‘What are you here for?’” sophomore Jillian Werbisky said. “I think that a stricter sign-in procedure could help unwanted intruders from getting inside the school.” With student safety as our main priority, Of�icer McLaughlin believes there is no one better than students to help. “Students should always be vigilant, able to tell what’s normal and abnormal and report suspicious activity to staff,” he said. “Improving communication between students and staff about possible danger could prevent things like what happened at Emmaus from occurring at our school.” Overall, we should all care more about our school’s security. It’s the difference between a safe and secure school and potential disaster.
Photo credit: Devon Wolfe
610 Billion Dollars and Counting How would a surplus of 610 billion dollars impact America? This amount of money has the potential to provide a home to every homeless person in the United States for one year. Or, America could utilize these billions to put an end to world hunger for the next twenty years. Surprisingly, this sum of money could cover full-paid, four-year scholarships to every member of the military. Considering the in�inite possibilities 610 billion dollars encomposes, it is frustrating to discover that the United States directs this enormous amount of money solely to the defense budget. Instead of using this money to change the world for the better, America puts this money towards destruction that would change the world for the worse. Research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found that Germany, India, the United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China combined spend 601 billion dollars on their defense budgets. In tandem, these seven countries spend nine billion dollars less than America spends alone. While our country’s security is important, it is irresponsible to contribute such a large sum of money towards defense when other areas of government are weak and could bene�it from portions of this money. Utilizing even a small percentage of this money to improve education or health services would drastically bene�it America. Or, our government could use this money to address prominent issues in America such as poverty, unemployment, and a plethora of climate change affairs. To put our government spending into perspective, according to The Business Insider, the Pentagon, which is the headquarters for the United States Department of Defense, spends more on war than all 50 states combined spend on health, education, welfare, and safety. In fact, The National Priorities Project discovered that military spending takes up 54 percent of our country’s discretionary spending, which is part of the �iscal budget. These proportions are disgusting, especially when looking at �igures that show only three percent of this spending is contributed towards the combined social security, unemployment, and labor programs. Six percent of the 1.11 trillion dollars is dedicated to education, while a small three percent is for science. Further statistics reveal even more vulgar information. According to Intel Daily, the United States, which holds about �ive percent of the world’s population, has almost 50 percent of the world’s military expenditure, a sickening and extremely embarrassing statistic. As a nation, America is economically strong. Imagine the incredible change our country could make to improve the Earth if we only cut our defense budget in half. Even taking a third of this budget to contribute towards global issues would show recognizable transformations. Instead of making change, the federal government neglects this possibility by contributing more money towards military than any other country in the world. For a nation with a debt as monstrous as 65.8 trillion dollars (and growing by the thousands every second), our defense spending patterns are irresponsible and should be put to an end immediately.
Page 8
The Spotlight
Center Spread
No Shave No Game by Danielle Alpert
Most people envision No Shave November as the month where they do not have to shave, but it has a deeper meaning. It raises awareness for patients who have lost hair due to cancer treatment, by challenging men not to trim their faces for the entire month. The miniTHON coordinators, along with the help of special education teacher Mr. Matthew Miller, got 29 staff members to participate in the No Shave November challenge. “We had to shave the last day of October and had to submit a picture to show we shaved,” Mr. Miller said. “Neck beard maintenance is acceptable, but if we shave in the month of November, it is a ten dollar �ine.” However, the real purpose of No Shave November is to raise awareness for cancer. While it started as a fun way for the male teachers to grow beards, it turned it into a way to raise money. In order to gain further support, some Southern Lehigh staff members will have a box on their desk for students to give donations for mini-THON. Physical education teacher Mr. Stephen Schrader said the best part of this experience was in the beginning when the email referring to this contest came out.
“However, the worst part is that I don’t like my appearance,” Mr. Schrader said. “I am not a fan of beards and I am not a fan of it on my face.” Though we think it is amusing to see our male teachers growing beards, their families hold different opinions. To some of them, it may be second nature to grow a beard, but many of the teachers do not like their facial hair at all. “My mom absolutely hates it!” said Mr. Schrader. “My wife, however, actually likes it.” Students have been supporting the teachers from the beginning, encouraging them to sign up, and motivating them to not shave. “I’ve noticed, and it is great that they are supporting an important cause,” sophomore Hannah DelSordo said. Make sure you donate by depositing money into a little box on the teacher’s desk to help support the mini-THON. to raise awareness for cancer. Cans with the teacher’s faces on them are also located in the cafeteria for the Southern Lehigh staff and students to raise money for the mini-THON.
Week two: Mr. Zeisloft
Week two: Mr. Ruch
Week two: Mr. Sabino
Week two: Mr. Long
Photo Credit: Devon Wolfe and Mrs. Marlo Spritzer
Week two: Mr. Lilly
November 2015
Center Spread
Page 9
Before group picture
Week one: Mr. Fay
Week one: Mr. Castagna
Week one: Mr.. Greenawald
Week one: Mr. Bjelobrk
After group picture
Page 10 Opinion
The Spotlight
Photo Credit: Devon Wolfe
We Need to Talk About Mental Health
By Talia Trackim
When I �irst set out to write this article, I was preparing to write a criticism of the way the guidance of�ice handles mental health. I always had the feeling that the administration was totally detached from mental health, and I felt as if trying to talk to someone about mental health would only result in frustration. I wasn’t alone in thinking that. According to a small survey among the student body, 47.7 percent of the participants said they didn’t think that Southern Lehigh did a good job of handling mental health. However, after conducting some research, I think my criticism is a little undeserved. I found that the guidance of�ice tries to do what they can to help us out, and I’m sorry for my earlier judgment. Now, I’m certainly not saying that the mental health atmosphere is all rainbows and sunshine because, to be perfectly honest, it’s a bit of a mess. But that’s due to a bigger problem that goes beyond the work of a few guidance counselors. Our society, including our school, suffers from a horrible stigma surrounding mental illnesses. Not only is the stigma inhibiting, but it’s toxic. Mental illnesses are often kept quiet, swept under the rug until someone commits suicide and we say, “That’s such a shame, I always thought he (or she) was so happy.” “It’s a thing that you don’t talk about in society. You’re not supposed to bring up things like that; like it’s almost proper etiquette to not talk about that because it’s someone’s personal problems,” senior Gavin Sullivan said. “That’s the thing. You don’t know what someone’s going through until something happens. You have no idea they’ve been going through severe depression. It’s good to talk about this sometimes; you need to make people aware and make people know that it’s okay to talk about mental illnesses.” The fact is that most people who don’t live with mental illnesses, or are not close with someone who has one, don’t understand what mental illnesses actually are. They picture what they see on tv, which is almost always one of two things: 1) A criminal whose crimes are excused due to him being “mentally impaired” or 2) feral patients who are locked in cells on overdramatized hospital shows. This leads some to equate “mental disorder” with “insanity.” “I still will remember that last year when we were talking in health about mental disorders, the teacher had everyone go around the class and say what they �irst thought when they thought of mental disorders,” Sullivan said. “I’d say a good 80 percent of the class said, ‘They should be locked up in jail.’ I was in awe.” Mental illnesses are real. Just because we can’t always see them doesn’t mean that they aren’t as real as a broken arm or the �lu. They aren’t someone being too weak to deal with their problems or seeking attention. They come in all shapes and forms, and they can happen regardless of a person’s race, socioeconomic level, sexuality, or lifestyle. Mental illnesses truly can affect anyone: the outgoing kid in class, your optimistic best friend, your teacher who seemingly has her life together. The possibilities are truly endless. They don’t all look the same, and they can differ in their levels of severity. “We look at the quiet girl who dresses in all black and seems moody and say, ‘Well she’s obvi-
ously suffering from depression,’ with no knowledge of the fact that it can be someone who’s seemingly upbeat,” English teacher Mrs. Lauren Tocci said. “We often have no understanding how those struggles can be masked or coped with in a real life setting.” These negative stereotypes are ultimately incredibly damaging to those who live with mental illnesses because they make them feel as if they’ll never be accepted or successful in society. This often prevents people who desperately need help from getting it because they are afraid to admit to it. According to my survey, 57.5 percent of the students who participated said they would not feel comfortable talking to guidance if they had a concern about their mental health. The guidance of�ice has a number of resources for students who are in need of assistance. There are people who are genuinely concerned with the well-being of students, including the SAP team, a group of teachers who have been trained to assist students who are struggling. “If a student sees [another] student that appears depressed or anxious, they can refer them to the Student Assistance Program. We [also] have our three counselors, myself, and the school nurse who are options for students who have a mental illness,” school psychologist Mr. Cotie Strong said. “We can help the students get them from their struggles to support. If some students are really struggling they may be recommended for an evaluation through me for special support.” Despite this, there does seem to be a level of disconnectedness between the students and guidance. SAP is commonly joked about among students, and others fear that if they talk to the guidance counselors they’ll just receive a lecture on their grades. “There’s a very negative stigma to going and asking for help. You’re seen as the person who can’t deal with their own problems,” senior Maggie Boyer said. “As a whole, people don’t feel like the guidance counselors are the people that can help them. They think, ‘If I talk about it things are going to change for the worst.’ We need to make it known that the guidance counselors are there and you can ask for help, regardless of the situation. It should be ‘These people are here to help you and we’re going to do our best to help you.’” So how can we stop this epidemic? The solution is education. To put it simply, Southern Lehigh must devote more time towards educating students on mental health and mental illnesses. While students do receive education in psychology and health courses, the lessons show extremely simpli�ied versions of the disorders, placing them into categories for means of memorizing for an upcoming test. By being a basic part of a curriculum, mental illnesses aren’t being given the time and respect that they deserve. “The only thing that I’ve ever seen the school do with mental health is that short chapter you learn in health class on the basics,” Sullivan said. “It doesn’t go super in depth, just they teach you this so you can do well on a test and then forget it a month later. They don’t teach you what it’s like living with a disorder, how to treat it, or how to show how they’re accepted in society.” I understand that the school has to concern itself with standardized testing, college prepara-
tions, managing courses, and preparing students academically as best they can. However, students who live with mental disorders such as depression and anxiety often have a harder time coping with work and activities, and the stress of school piled on top of a mental illness can be destructive and will ultimately hurt academic performance. In order for students to be as successful as they can be, their mental health must be kept in check. “Not educating students on mental health [prevents them from getting] the help they need, leading to hospitalizations, and even worse, suicides,” Liza J Alvarado, a local professional psychologist, said. “If kids are missing school or are having trouble focusing, they are not going to do their best academically. In the bigger picture, schools can’t afford to not educate kids on mental health issues.” I don’t want this article to just be something that you skim over and then shove it in the back of your mind. I want this to be a call to action. Administration, guidance counselors, teachers, fellow students: we all need to play our part to eliminate the stigma of mental illnesses. The guidance of�ice must ensure that students are aware of the many ways that they can assist them. Teachers must create an environment of awareness, acceptance, and help. The administration needs to make mental health a bigger priority. “It is virtually impossible that [mental illnesses] won’t touch [students’] lives at some point, whether it’s them personally or someone else dealing with it,” Mrs. Tocci said. “The better educated students are, the more supportive they can be. If we can educate them now, think about the support that can happen later on in their lives.” It is our responsibility as students to help facilitate conversation. We are the ones who friends turn to �irst in times of trouble. We can’t let their suffering go unnoticed. We have to learn how to talk to each other about the not-so-pretty things that we feel. As cheesy as it sounds, we have to learn how to cultivate love and acceptance in our relationships with one another because we never know what someone else may be dealing with behind their smiles. If we don’t do this, and if we don’t challenge the stigma, we’ll never learn how to heal. “You don’t have to understand, but be there for the person,” Boyer said. “Make sure that you know that you’re there for them and can be that person that can listen to them and talk to them if they need help. Make sure the people around you know that it’s okay to talk.” If you are suffering from a mental illness, but are afraid to talk about it, know that it is okay. It is scary, but you are more than your illness. You are worthy of healing, hope, and love, and no matter how isolated you feel, you are never truly alone. Your story has the power to change someone’s world, and simply bringing awareness to this issue can bring a change to your life, and to others’ lives as well. We all have to do our part to start the conversation. We need to create a community where it’s okay to ask for help, and where it’s okay to talk about the things that we feel. It’s such a simple thing: just turn to someone, point to this article, and ask them, “What do you think?” You might be surprised by what they have to say, and you might even learn something new.
Sports
November 2015
Page 11
Southern Lehigh: Champions of Fall by Townsend Colley
Photo credit: Mady Singley
Southern Lehigh is one of the most successful schools in the valley, but not only when it comes to academics. Year in and year out Southern Lehigh Spartan athletics consists of the valley’s top teams that often go on to compete at the state level. Each team practices every day in order to try and continue the success that Southern Lehigh has maintained over the last few years, and it pays off each team has accomplished huge goals this year.
Field Hockey Girls �ield hockey has always been one of Southern Lehigh’s most successful sports and that did not change this year. Despite losing six prominent seniors last year, the Spartans were undeterred and dominated this season. The Spartans �inished regular season play with a 15-1 record in the Colonial League, with their only loss coming to a strikingly good Moravian team. Colonial League playoffs turned out to be a microcosm of the Spartans season with a semi-�inal victory over Pen Argyl, 2-1. However in the �inals Southern Lehigh lost to Moravian for the second time that season, 3-0. Their runner-up league �inish was enough to lift the Spartans in to district playoff contention. They went to the championship and lost to Moravian for the third time that season. However, they were again able to make state playoffs where they lost in the �irst round 2-0 to Archbishop Carroll.
Cross Country Boys and girls cross-country ran into a superb season. Spartan runners posted times that put them in contention with the top athletes in the area. Overall the Spartans were second in boys and girls events, with each team having a 23-1 record. In the Colonial League championship meet, Raahi Klar-Chaudhari had the best time out of all Southern Lehigh runners with a fourth place �inish, Thomas Matsumura had a sixth place �inish. In districts Matsumura �inished 12th and Stephen Gray ended up 14th. On the girls side, Katherine George �inished seventh in the Colonial League championship meet. Alissa Vandebunte came in as the next best Southern Lehigh �inalist at 11th place. In districts Vandebunte earned a 28th place �inish with George coming in at 32nd. Overall, the Spartans had a quite outstanding season for cross-country Golf Southern Lehigh golf had a sensational season. To start, the team earned second place in the Colonial League team standings, amassing a record of 12-1 and only losing to Colonial League champs Moravian Academy. At districts Jimmy Gold, Michael Miller, Alex Albenzi, and Derek Barnes quali�ied for the championship. In the championships the Spartans faltered and Alex Albenzi had the best district �inish where he ended being tied for 21st place. Photo credit: Marlo Spritzer
Photo credit: Annalyse Kehs
Girls Soccer The 2015 Spartan girls soccer was one of the most successful teams this season. The Spartans were 10-2 in the regular season with losses coming from Northwestern and Saucon Valley. However, once playoffs began the Spartans could not be stopped; they began the playoffs with 1-0 win over Palisades and then went on to beat Northwestern 3-1 in the Colonial League �inals. Districts began and so did the goal-scoring barrage. En route to a district championship, the Spartans outscored opponents including Salisbury, Palisades, and Notre Dame Green Pond, 11-1. After blowing out district opponents the Spartans’ season stopped abruptly in state playoffs in a 1-0 loss to Lansdale Catholic.
Girls Tennis Girl’s tennis had a very strong season that saw several of its competitors go to districts and beyond into states. Nina DeLuna had one of the best seasons out of any Southern Lehigh athlete, winning the number one girls singles bracket in the Colonial League by beating Madeline Newsome of Palisades. DeLuna went on to roll through District XI AAA playoffs and beat Elessa Jacobs of East Stroudsburg North. She won her �irst state match to advance to the quarter�inals where she lost to North Allegheny’s Natalie Miller. Senior Katie Cole also had a very strong season in which she won the number two girls singles bracket Colonial League championship and advanced to the second round of districts. Both doubles pairs of Asselin/ Mcloughlin and Zhang/Barnes made it district playoffs; however, they were defeated in the �irst round. Photo credit: Garrett Demars
Photo credit: Sam Quilty
Boys Soccer Coming off of last year’s District XI championships Southern Lehigh boys soccer had high expectations for this year. Over the off-season the team was put into the hands of new head coach, Mike Evans. The Spartans got off to a hot start in the regular season amassing a record of 10-2 in the Colonial League with losses coming at the hands of Northwestern and Moravian Academy. Upon making the Colonial League playoffs, the Spartans were handed another defeat by Moravian in the semi-�inal. Despite an early playoff exit the Spartans still managed to secure a place in the District XI playoffs. The Spartans easily cruised past Easton in the �irst round. However, the Spartans then suffered a season-ending defeat in the district semi�inals against Parkland, 2-0.
Girls Volleyball Spartan girls volleyball had a good season, just on the cusp of a great one. The team went 6-2 in Colonial League play with both of the teams’ losses coming to eventual Colonial League champions Notre Dame Green Pond. The Spartans went in to league playoffs as the number two seed and lost in the �inals to 3-0 to Notre Dame Green Pond.
Football The team had a promising start to the regular season beginning 2-0 before losing to Saucon Valley . The team �inished the regular season with a 7-3 record in which they lost close games to Saucon Valley, Northwestern, and Salisbury. The Spartans had three shutouts this season and one of the best defenses in the league. The Spartans did not make it into District XI postseason play; however, they did make the Eastern Conference playoffs where they won in the �irst round against Jim Thorpe. At the time of publication, the Spartans had yet to face Allentown Central Catholic in the next round.
Page 12 Our World
Where Are They Now?
Gymnast Sean Senters
The Spotlight
Snapchat’s New Not-soPrivate Privacy Policy by Sarah Trebicka
by Danielle Alpert
Sean Senters, a 2010 Southern Lehigh alumni and former class treasurer, boasts an impressive career as a professional gymnast. He started gymnastics when he was �ive years old and has been doing gymnastics for a total of 17 years. “My sister was doing it, and I was the annoying little brother who wanted to do what she was doing,” Senters said. “I �inished up this past April.” In high school, Senters was not only an athlete, but a genuinely engaging person. “He was driven, intelligent, kind, caring, mature, and when you take Left: Southern Lehigh alumni Sean someone who’s driven, Senters vaulting. Photo credit: Hecwho’s smart, who’s passiontor Garcia-Molina ate, and when you combine that with kindness and caring, it gets you far,” social studies teacher Mr. Brian Dow said. “For me, it was not just Sean’s athletic ability; it wasn’t just his intelligence; it was everything about him that got him where he is today.” In high school, his goals as a gymnast included competing in the Olympics. As a student at Stanford University, Senters competed in collegiate gymnastics and wanted to make it on the Senior National Team to compete internationally. However, he changed his mind later and decided to compete only at the collegiate level. “My collegiate team actually traveled to Oslo, Norway, and I got to compete against the Norwegian and Italian national teams,” he said. Despite his success, he encountered many obstacles. In high school, Senters had two knee surgeries. He also had a few injuries in college, but nothing that caused him to stop competing for a long period of time. Emotionally, he had a lot of people backing him. “It’s impossible to name one [of my biggest supporters], so I’m going to go with my entire family, each of whom has supported me in different ways,” Senters said. “Without my mom, dad, sister, Kelly, and twin brother, Timmy, I would not have been the gymnast I was or the person that I am today.” Senters was on the Stanford University gymnastics team for �ive years and won a team national championship. Individually, he won three national championships on vault and was a six-time All American, three on �loor and three on vault. “During individual �inals, I completed a yurchenko triple full on vault, which was the �irst time it was successfully completed by an American, and the �inal routine of my gymnastics career,” Senters said. “I actually was able to leave the sport with no regrets and realize how fortunate I am for that.” After becoming the NCAA vault champion in April 2015, Senters resigned from gymnastics, a year short of the next Olympics. “I have so much respect for the guys who are trying for 2016 berths in Rio,” he said. “I know a bunch of them and wish them the best through the process. USA!” Senters is now studying at George Washington University and working towards a master’s degree in political management. He hopes to graduate next December and begin his career in the �ield. “A big purpose of government is to help people, and Sean is very concerned about helping people,” Mr. Dow said. “Sean was willing to listen to others and hear their suggestions and as a politician it is important to listen to people to be able to solve their problem.”
Photo credit: AdamPrzezdziek
On October 28, Snapchat released an update drastically revising its privacy policy, and according to some users, not necessarily for the better. “You grant Snapchat a world-wide, perpetual, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to host, store, use, display, reproduce, modify, adapt, edit, publish, create derivative works from, publicly perform, broadcast, distribute, syndicate, promote, exhibit, and publicly display that content in any form and in any and all media or distribution methods,” the social networking application’s new Terms of Service say. In simpler terms, Snapchat now has the power to do whatever they want with your disappearing photos and ten-second videos. Is this an immoral violation of privacy, or a completely valid authorization? “I think it is [a violation of privacy] if you don’t read through their privacy policy,” senior Dominick Rubino said. “If you’re agreeing to it, then it’s not a violation of privacy,” sophomore Jillian Gehring said. “It’s your own fault if you don’t read the terms and service and then get mad when you �ind out what you agreed to isn’t actually something you agree with.” One of the reasons why Snapchat is so popular pertains to the nonpermanent nature of messages and “stories,” so the fact that the app can now save your snaps if they so desire and distribute them as they please causes some users to feel uneasy. In reality, most people simply don’t have the patience or time to scroll through pages and pages of dif�icult-to-comprehend terminology, so they mindlessly click the “I agree” button and think nothing of it. However, other users have begun to feel distrustful towards applications and websites, some even going so far as to speculate that the terms and conditions and privacy policies aim to demand more from the user without their knowledge. “If I was on a whole lot of social media, I would de�initely take [the terms of service] into account,” principal Mrs. Christine Siegfried said. “When my personal stuff is involved, I’m usually pretty careful about reading it.”
Due to the commotion all over Twitter and other social media platforms, Snapchat issued a public blog post further clarifying the purpose of their new policy. “It’s true that our Terms of Service grant us a broad license to use the content you create—a license that’s common to services like ours. We need that license when it comes to, for example, Snaps submitted to Live Stories, where we have to be able to show those Stories around the world—and even replay them or syndicate them (something we’ve said we could do in previous versions of our Terms and Privacy Policy),” the blog post stated. So, maybe Snapchat isn’t really going to use your double-chin sel�ies and private conversations for advertisements after all.
“Snapchat now has the power to do whatever they want with your disappearing photos and ten-second videos.”
Snapchat is frequently used by Southern Lehigh students. Photo credit: Sarah Trebicka
November 2015
What’s All the Buzz About Bees?
Our World Page 13
by Allison Borelli
The honeybee: a majestic, somewhat misunderstood creature; important to our agriculture and food production. A new hurdle has been added for honeybees to overcome: Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD - a disease in which honeybees disappear from their hives. Honey bees die from a multitude of other causes, so what makes CCD so signi�icant? “It [CCD] was widely recorded, and �irst noticed and reported in 2006 or so, primarily by commercial beekeepers, large beekeepers that manage thousands of colonies,” Lehigh Valley Bee Association President Steven Finke said. “Of course they are very dependent on the bees being alive and thriving right up before they move them into the pollination track, and that’s why they were surprised that suddenly half their bees had left.” A part of the reason why CCD is being treated as such a big deal is because researchers haven’t been able to pinpoint what’s causing it. After all, CCD isn’t the only reason honeybees are dying, and it’s not the �irst time that bees have mysteriously disappeared. “Beekeepers report that one week they A bee collects nectar from a flower. Photo credit: aussiegall from Flickr look into the hive and everything is normal; there’s brood in there, larva, and then within “There’s a whole side of the industry where eybees. One way is to plant pollinator friendly one to two weeks, suddenly all the bees are gone beekeepers keep their bees around the country, plants, like sun�lowers, clematis, and even herbs, except for the queen and a handful of bees,” where they take their bees to pollinate crops,” like mint. What kind of pesticides and when they Finke said. “There are no dead bees around the biology teacher Mr. Ed Sinkler said. are used is also something to take into considhive or in the hive, and there’s still an active CCD is mainly affecting large scale commereration. For example, pesticides should not be brood. Honeybees normally are very reluctant to cial beekeepers, and not local beekeepers like sprayed in the middle of the day when honeyleave their brood, which is why this condition is those involved within the Lehigh Valley Beebees are most active. Lastly, the Lehigh Valley very unusual and very noticeable.” keepers Association. This means that individuals Beekeepers Association encourages people to Certain stressors that honeybees currently may see an increase in the price of honey from start their own honeybee hives. face have been considered as a cause of CCD commercial producers, and that those employ“I and others in our club still think that it’s in some currently unknown blend. Examples ing beekeepers to pollinate their �ields will see very reasonable to be [a] beekeeper yourself. include parasites like varroa mites, which are an increased fee for pollination. It’s not that hard and with the right clothing it’s often found in colonies affected by CCD; patho“I think it’s really worrying because bees pol- not that scary,” Finke said. “There’s a lot of fun in gens, more likely than not a multitude; environlinate a lot of the plants that we need for food, beekeeping.” mental stressors like pesticides; and manageand without them it’s going to be really hard to More information can “bee” found on their ment stressors, like poor nutrition and moving a grow anything,” senior Kelsey Grube said. website: www.lehighvalleybeekeepers.org. colony to multiple locations across the country. There are quite a few ways to help the hon-
Source: USDA Colony loss surveys
Page 14 Arts and Entertainment
The Spotlight
Fans ‘Wiped Out’ by The Neighbourhood’s New Album by Nicole Schroy American alternative rock band The Neighbourhood released their second full-length album, “Wiped Out!” on October 30. This band, known for taking risks with their music, has kept their fans intrigued with the announcement of this release in August of 2015. It has been two years since The Neighbourhood’s debut album, “I Love You”, was released and a lot has changed. In 2013, “Sweater Weather” proved to be a fan favorite as it was played on the radio again and again and again (and again). In 2014, #000000 & #FFFFFF, the band’s mixtape was released. Although many fans were taken aback by the rapping, they were still able to enjoy the apprehensive music and the heavy lyrics that The Neighbourhood provides. Frontman of the band, Jesse Rutherford, intended to re�lect his experience in growing up through this album. To start off the album, there is a track entitled “A Moment of Silence.” Which, well, is a moment of silence. This track embraces a thirty second silence, a metaphor that could possibly re�lect the many painful, awkward, or even sentimental silences in our lives. These risk-takers remained loyal to their experimentation in their new album. “Wiped Out!” the title track, is one evident example with a lot of experimentation, as various
sounds intertwine together to make a medley of what seems to be chaos. Following this particular part of the song, comes “I’m back and forth, I think I’m going crazy,” elaborating on the chaotic noises. Each song holds signi�icance, capitalizing stories behind the lyrics. The heavy lyrics in “Daddy Issues” portray an immense amount of emotion as Rutherford belts out lyrics, asking where his father has gone. “I didn’t cry when you left at �irst, but now that you’re dead it hurts, this time I gotta know, where did my daddy go?” This explains Rutherford’s complications in the relationship that he had with his late father. As you continue through, you can pick up on a subdued R&B sound within the melancholy character of the album. At times, the subtle beats off of their new album sound similar to The XX, an indie pop band that is also known for taking chances within their music style. This album re�lects on how the band has accepted the conclusion of their youth as they take a step into adulthood. Whether it’s the lull in “Single” or the angsty beat in the closing track, “R.I.P. 2 My Youth,” The Neighbourhood successfully created an album that is worth a listen.
Photo credit: Columbia Records
Check Out @thenbhd on Twitter!
The Peanuts: Same Heart, New Generation by Caitlin Roth
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox
Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole gang are back in a shiny new 3-D adaptation of Charles M. Schulz’s classic Peanuts Characters, just in time for the Holiday season. The Peanuts have been a staple of American culture for children, with cartoons like “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!” and “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown.” So how does the new Peanuts movie stack up to these classic animations? In one word : exceptionally. This movie is exactly what you expect it to be. It’s a simple, silly plot of Charlie Brown’s escapades of trying to win the heart of the “little red head girl.” At the same time, Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s loveable beagle, writes his own escapades as an airplane pilot taking down the Red Baron. Not only is this a clever reference to a classic peanuts skit, but also directly parallels to the life of Charlie Brown’s as Snoopy tries to capture the heart of Fi�i. Mayhem ensues for our loveable underdogs.
It’s a cute �ilm for the entire family and appeals to every age group. In fact, many in attendance in my theater were older adults who came without children. The 3-D version keeps the same feel of the classic cartoons, something many Peanuts fans were worried about. It felt lifted right off the pages of one of Schulz’s comics. The beautiful thing about this �ilm is the wonderful moral the audience is left with. Charlie Brown is the de�inition of an underdog. Everything he does, he fails at. But his resilience makes him never give up and keep trying. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that every underdog has his day. It’s an inspirational message for all ages to keep trying, no matter how many obstacles life throws you. If you want to let out the inner kid in you, make sure to check out “The Peanuts Movie.” It’s guaranteed to leave a big smile on your face.
November 2015
Arts and Entertainment
Page 15
‘Krampus’ Shows a Scarier Side of Christmas by Sarah Trebicka
It’s that time of year again. The most wonderful time of the year, when jolly old Saint Nick brings all the nice little girls and boys presents… or, you know, when the demonic anti-Santa whisks all the naughty kids away to the underworld. Wait, what? This year’s joyous new horror-comedy, “Krampus,” co-written by Todd Casey and Zach Shields and produced by Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and Alex Garcia, will be released by Universal Pictures on December 4, starring Adam Scott, Allison Tolman, Toni Collette, David Koechner, and Emjay Anthony. The primary writer and director, Michael Dougherty, is known for his 2007 Halloween horror �ilm, “Trick ‘r Treat.” “Krampus” tells the story of Max (Emjay Anthony) and his dysfunctional family as they (struggle to) come together during the Christmas time. Little does he know, his bah-humbug attitude and the humorous con�lict between family members unleashes the wrath of Krampus, the yuletide ghoul. Max’s broken family is then forced to shove their differences aside and stick together in order to survive. The movie is based on the ancient pagan legend of
Krampus, the son of Hel, goddess of the underworld. His name is derived by the German word krampen, which means “claw.” According to the folklore, Krampus sports lengthy fangs, rough fur, and protruding horns, and is considered Saint Nicholas’s corrupt counterpart. He visits on December 5 and beats misbehaving boys and girls, traditionally with a birch rod. The outrageously naughty kids get dropped into a wicker basket on his back and hauled down to his lair, never to be seen again. Krampus Night, or ‘Krampusnacht,’ is still commonly celebrated in many European countries in the Alps region, such as Germany (where the tale originated), Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, and Hungary. According to the lore, Krampus trots around town, making loud noises and terrorizing children. St. Nicholas Day, or Nikolaustag, is the following day, December 6. The upcoming �ilm doesn’t follow the legend precisely, but it’s still expected to be the perfect balance of terrifying and darkly festive.
Photo credit: Universal Pictures
The Name Is Bond.....James Bond by Jamie Kish
Despite being one of this year’s most expensive �ilms, as well as setting a new Guinness World Record for largest explosion in �ilm history, the new James Bond movie, “Spectre,” is not as exciting as expected. Three years after the release of the previous installment in the 007 series, “Skyfall,” Daniel Craig returned to the big screen for his fourth time playing the infamous British spy, James Bond. Released on November 6 in the U.S., the �ilm utilized a total budget of over 30 million dollars, according to Business Insider. The �ilm’s fantastic opening scene takes place in Mexico City during the Day of the Dead, where Bond is on vacation celebrating. However, his relaxation is suddenly interrupted when he discovers and foils a terrorist plot. What ensues afterwards is a tense chase through the streets of Mexico City, chock full of explosions and a ride in a helicopter. However, after this scene the �ilm’s excitement seems to lull, with only several scenes later on in the movie increasing the tension. While the �ilm can certainly be entertaining for those who enjoy action, it has many
very evident �laws that slightly dampened my experience. It is quite slow, and many of the action scenes seem very slow paced and drawn out. While not entirely reliant upon the plot of the previous �ilm, watching “Skyfall” is recommended before watching this movie, as some plot points expand on the last �ilm. The continuity of the plot is mostly stable apart from one large plot hole that really confused me. A character who is introduced in the �irst half of the �ilm is made out like she’ll be an important character, however after her introduction she disappears for the rest of the �ilm. Whether she’ll be reintroduced in a later movie or if the character just disappears forever beats me. Although it has many �laws, it isn’t necessarily a bad movie. It has some good moments, and the many little easter eggs referencing previous James Bond �ilms placed throughout will leave most fans relatively satis�ied.
Photo credit: MGM/Columbia Pictures
Star Wars: The Force Awakens December 18
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox
Photo credit: Walt Disney Pictures
UPCOMING MOVIES:
The Revenant December 25
The Hateful 8 December 25
Page 16 Odds and Ends
The Spotlight November 2015
Solehi Students Celebrate Healthy Living by Emily Oberlender
Seniors Michael Partington and Garvan Lamb boxed their way to healthy living. Photo credit: Emily Oberlender
Seven hundred Lehigh Valley residents gathered in Southern Lehigh’s gymnasium on November 19 for the annual healthy living expo. The expo, which was organized by SADD, has been hosted at Southern Lehigh the past four years. “The expo has been happening annually for probably 20 years,” SADD adviser and physical education teacher Douglas Roncolato said. “It used to be a joint venture between Northampton and Lehigh County, but then we split and started having Lehigh Valley annual.” Ever since the expo was started, its purpose has been to educate all age groups on the bene�its of taking care of oneself through healthy eating, daily exercise, and reduction of stress. The addition of school clubs manning their own booths allowed the entire community to observe and admire students’ hard work and dedication. “It’s a gathering where people from the school and community can learn or share healthy activities and food to bene�it others in daily life,” sophomore and coordinator of the expo Jillian Werbisky said.
The expo serves as a great venue for school clubs, community organizations, and foundations to educate students on how to lead a healthy life, all while integrating the county. At the 2015 expo, about 20 clubs, at least six school districts, and 10 other venues were present. “I think it’s really bene�icial to the community because people from a lot of schools come and participate. We get to learn great stuff, too,” junior Georgian Fan said. A handful of Southern Lehigh clubs took advantage of the great event by setting up multiple booths topped with decorations, �lyers, and of course, food. “I’m the vice president for SADD, so it’s great advertising for our club to get our word out,” senior Jordan Munoz said. “It helps bring the school community together.” Among the outside attendees was the Power of Ten, an anti-tobacco group which has attended the expo for the past two years. “It’s nice to get to know different people and everyone’s version of what they consider healthy,” Power of Ten representative and Catasauqua High School sophomore Lasia Caraballo said.
Students participated in a number of games and activities to celebrate healthy living. Photo credit: Emily Oberlender
Students from other schools participated in the Healthy Living Expo. Photo credit: Emily Oberlender
While healthy living may not be what one expects high schoolers to enjoy, most of Southern Lehigh’s students were nothing but jubilous throughout the two and a half hour event. “There’s lots of great food and lots of interesting clubs,” freshman Billy Duffy said. Along with the students from multiple schools, teachers, and organization representatives, Southern Lehigh principal Mrs. Christine Siegfried also made an appearance. “It’s a fabulous opportunity for students to display what they have learned. They’re presenting and sharing knowledge on different subject matter,” Siegfried said. “It’s real world.” Though most students were delighted by the event, not all could give it �ive stars. “I think there’s a couple tables that didn’t prepare very well,” senior Sam Johnson said. Despite the hectic preparations for the event, SADD coordinators agreed that their hard work payed off. “It seems like everyone is enjoying the expo a lot. Everyone is laughing and getting involved. That’s what makes it worth it, “ Werbisky said. “I can’t help but smile when I see what we all accomplished.”
Solehi Spartan Athletes of the Season by Townsend Colley
Ethan Price: Wide Reciever 53 Receptions 1248 Yards 15 Touchdowns
Nina Deluna: Girls Singles Colonial League girls singles champion District Eleven AAA champion PIAA State Championships
Photo credit: Alyssa Chirumbolo
Photo credit: Hanna Herzog