Thousands of books are being stored in the band room in preparation for this weekend’s book sale. (Photo by Devon Reis)
The Penn Manor Band Boosters host an annual book sale for the band to raise money. Some people might think there are not enough books to sell.
Actually, there are thousands.
“This year was the highest donation we have ever gotten of books,” said Tom Mumma, band director.
There are approximately 20,000 books for sale at this year’s event.
Band members, color guard members and parents of band students have worked hard to get all these books into this sale and organize it.
To promote the book sale, the organizers placed a screen advertisement at the Kendig Square movie theater, and signs, like the one outside of the Sugar Bowl. Also they sent email blasts to tons of people and paid for ads in newspapers.
All of the money that they raise at this book sale will go to the outdoor marching band show they perform at half time at football games.
The book sale will run from 4-8 p.m on Friday, April 26 and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday April 27. Each hardback book is on sale for $1.50, and each paperback book costs $.50.
It’s that time of year again, football fans. The NFL Draft is back.
The draft is time for teams to hopefully rebuild and improve their respective roasters from last years season and free agency. However, the opposite is still true as well. Fans have watched in horror as their team wastes a high draft pick on a player who turns out to be a bust when he transitions to the pro game.
As we countdown the days and hours before the draft kicks off on Thursday night, fans are becoming antsy, trying to anticipate what players will come off the board first.
“Waiting for the draft is tough,” said senior Jordan Williams. “You never are really sure what player your team is going to get and this draft class makes it that much more difficult to predict.”
This year’s draft is a strange one to analyze. It is not a weak draft class in any sense, but the lack of one or two superstar players is certainly making the draft complicated, unlike last year’s draft when the first two picks (Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III) were a sure bet.
Unglamorous positions such as offensive tackle and defensive ends are littered all over the place. Positions such as quarterback and running back are lacking. Players who were once considered the cream of the crop have fallen from potential ‘Top 10’ status to ‘early second round’. Mock drafts are in a state of constant flux.
“I have watched the draft as long as I can remember and not once was I this confused of who will end up where”, said senior Richard Schultz. “I just have no clue at this point.”
Many analysts are having the same problem as well. Not one of their predicted drafts is remotely similar to another. Not to mention the trades between teams during draft day that will shake up an already unpredictable draft.
In the end, though, this is what the draft is all about. Knowing who will get whom before it actually happens ruins the fun of it all. And this draft will be no different. We won’t know for certain until a player puts on the cap and is called to the front of the stage.
Its good to see that what was once considered by many fans as a sideshow to actual football games has evolved into a March Madness like affair.
The first round of the 2013 NFL Draft will be broadcast on the NFL Network Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m.,followed by the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. Rounds 4-7 will be held Saturday, April 27 at noon.
These laptop carts could become a thing of the past when the high school introduces a one-to-one laptop plan in January 2014. (Photo by Alexis Cunningham)
By Alexis Cunningham
Penn Manor High School will introduce a 1:1 program for high school students in January of 2014. The 1:1 program will be giving each student their own personal laptop.
According to the Lancaster New Era, the technology department, lead by Charlie Reisinger, introduced the idea this past fall, but the 1:1 program was not presented to the school board until March 18. The board approved the plan on April 1.
The laptops will be monitored by the school’s network for appropriate use only. Each student is responsible for any damages and viruses to their laptop.
“Laptops will be connected to the school’s network. When off-campus, the Internet will be filtered via the district web-filter,” said Reisinger. “The laptops will be personally assigned to students and may be used both in school, at home and off-campus.”
With the 1:1 program, each student has access to the internet at school as well as at home.
“They are first and foremost a learning tool and we trust that students will use them for educational pursuits. The Penn Manor Acceptable Use Policy applies in full—even when the laptops are off-campus,” said Reisinger on appropriate use of the laptops.
Although there was some debate over the type of technology to purchase, the teachers who helped create the program decided that a keyboard is essential for writing purposes. The district is considering netbooks.
“However, my team and I are still evaluating various models. We still have a great deal of testing to do before making a final model decision,” said Reisinger.
The 1700-student high school is due for laptop upgrades in the upcoming year. According to Principal Dr. Phil Gale, the cost to purchase laptops for each student is now much cheaper than it would be to replace all of the current laptops.
“Costs are estimated at approximately $580,000,” said Reisinger. “To put that figure in perspective, the Pennsylvania Classrooms For the Future (CFF) grant provided approximately $470,000 for the 400 current MacBooks.”
The 1:1 program offers many benefits, including the possibility of allowing the student to purchase their laptop when they graduate. This is due to the fact that every three to four years the laptops need replaced.
However, Reisinger says that the laptops will be reused for upcoming freshman as of right now. The tech department is also offering students with advanced computer skills to become a tech-support team in a form of an internship.
Dr. Gale said that the laptops will give the student body more opportunities to apply what they have learned in class.
According to Reisinger’s blog, the 1:1 program is intended to improve class engagement, school attendance, science and math skills and writing and language arts.
“That’s our whole purpose (of the laptops), to improve student achievement,” said Dr. Gale. Dr. Gale is hoping that the 1:1 program will eventually advance Penn Manor’s curriculum.
Prom is fast approaching, which means a lot of preparation for high school seniors and underclassmen asked to accompany a senior on this special night. For many teenage girls, there is a lot to do including buying the perfect dress, painting nails, and figuring out what to do with their hair.
Another important step in reaching the perfect “prom look” is tanning at a tanning salon.
When asked about why they like to tan at a salon, junior Eden White stated, “it’s way easier than sitting outside for hours when you barely get any color.”
Junior Tori Valentin stated, “I like being tan all year long and I find tanning really relaxing.”
Both girls attended prom in 2012 and loved the idea to tan to stand out in their dresses.
According to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 13 percent of high-school students use tanning salons, 21 percent of high-school girls use tanning salons, and 32 percent of 12th-grade girls use tanning salons.
A lot of concern comes from State Representative RoseMarie Swanger (R-Lebanon) on this issue. A week after New Jersey passed a law prohibiting kids under 17 from using tanning beds, Swanger had launched an effort to pass a similar law in Pennsylvania.
“Tanning beds are essentially cigarettes for the skin,” said Swanger in a press release. “This exposure to ultraviolet radiation is known to be particularly dangerous for teenagers, who are at greater risk of developing skin cancer from indoor and outdoor tanning.”
The danger of the ultraviolet radiation is what is scaring the public, but for those tanning specifically for prom, it’s a risk they are willing to take.
White stated, “I would be kind of upset if tanning would be banned for people under 18. I think that parents should be allowed to sign for their kid if they personally think it’s okay.”
Valentin stated, “I would be upset because I enjoy tanning, but at the same time, I know it’s bad for me.”
Mike Leaman, on the left, reaches for the frisbee, as Ben Moore, on the right, catches it. (Photo provided)
By Lauren Hillegas
Football. Basketball. Baseball. Soccer. Lacrosse. These are some teams at Penn Manor you’re probably familiar with.
But what about Ultimate Frisbee?
That’s right. Penn Manor has its own Ultimate Frisbee team, although the team is not officially associated with the school.
Ultimate Frisbee combines features of soccer, basketball, football and Netball into a demanding game involving a Frisbee. According to Sports and Fitness Industry Association, ultimate is one of the fastest growing team sports in the country.
The 20 members of the co-ed Ultimate team compete in a league against Lampeter-Strasburg, Solanco and Lancaster Country Day School, as well as a home school team.
Although the team has no official coach, junior Mark Hoffer along with others has created the team successfully at Penn Manor.
Hoffer said that his expectations for the season are “just to start the team, get founded among the league, and get it started for future years to come.”
Hoffer had originally been part of the team at Lampeter-Strasburg before he moved to Penn Manor. At Lampeter Strasburg, he played an active role in the team that had been developed there two years ago. Once settled at his new high school, Hoffer gathered friends to form an Ultimate team here at Penn Manor.
Penn Manor (in white) took on Lampeter-Strasburg on April 17.
The Ultimate Frisbee team competed in its first game of the season on Wednesday April 17, against Lampeter-Strasburg. According to one of the team players, Justina Mylin, the team lost but played a good game.
According to Hoffer, the team plans to get uniforms for the games, but the uniforms are still in progress.
Something unique about the Ultimate game itself? The players referee themselves.
“It’s not difficult to referee yourself,” said Hoffer. He added that most people tend to display good sportsmanship.
The team practices three times a week at Millersville Borough Park.
Although Hoffer will leave the team next year to attend Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, junior Ben Moore plans to take over for next year and continue the team.
Have you ever wondered who is behind the screen of the Dr. Gale Tho twitter account? This popular account has 550 followers and is a parody of Penn Manor High School Principal Dr. Philip Gale.
The account was made for more than one reason, but Dr.Gale Tho said he mainly made the Twitter account because he wanted to make people laugh.
“You know, the burn book made people cry, Danielle’s page [@Play_Nice_PM] made made people feel good about themselves, and I thought to myself, why not make people laugh?”
Dr.Gale Tho added that he is careful about the jokes he makes.
“This page was meant to be funny, not to hurt feelings”, said Dr.Gale Tho. “I have been very careful not to say anything that could be taken seriously, like in the movie Mean Girls when Tina Fey’s character gets her apartment searched when the burn book said she was doing drugs.”
Although he is mostly anonymous, there is one Penn Manor student who knows who the twitter account is.
“There came a point where I was curious enough about who ran another page that the two of us arranged a meet-up,” said Dr. Gale Tho. The anonymous writer said that the meeting was in a random parking lot where one student set off a car alarm, and Dr.Gale Tho reported to the car to meet.
What does the actual Dr.Gale think about all of this going on?
“Some of the things are funny, and I’m glad for the most part that things have been appropriate,” said Dr. Gale. According to Dr.Gale, the student would not get in trouble if his name was revealed.
Dr.Gale Tho was not sure about what kind of trouble he might actually get in if he is exposed.
“I’d have to check the planner to see what the consequences for the first offense of making a funny Twitter page would be,” said Dr. Gale Tho. “One thing I will say is that I think it’s sad how we live in a day and age where schools have the power to monitor what you say on social media.”
At this point, Dr.Gale does not see a reason the page would need to be removed..
“No [it should not be removed], as long as it remains appropriate and nothing more inappropriate goes up,” said Dr. Gale.
Dr.Gale Tho said at one time he was scared after he made this Twitter account.
“Initially, right after I made the page, every time the phone would ring in one of my classrooms I was convinced it was for me, and that sick feeling you get in your stomach would creep in.”
Casey Hurlburt, a senior, has multiple tattoos on her body, including this one on her ribs.
By Alexis Cunningham
To older generations, tattoos might be considered rebellious and repulsive. Our parents and grandparents might not understand why teens mark their bodies up with ink, but there are a number of reasons. Teenagers use body art to give an everyday reminder to hard times, to honor loved ones and to express their identities. Tattoos are more accepted in modern times and many believe that ink is art.
The consequences that our guardians consider when we ask for parental consent can vary. One consequence is that a tattoo can be painful and irritate the skin on certain areas of the body, and if for some reason the tattoo needs to be removed, laser removal can be very painful. However, for most adults, their main concern is that some employers will not hire a person with visible tattoos. And what happens if the tattoo is later regretted?
According to Kidshealth.org, safety is the main concern on doctors’ minds when tattoos are mentioned. Kidshealth.org encourages teens to contact their doctors before they get tattoos. Educating oneself about the risks of tattooing is vital.
The most common health hazard faced when getting a tattoo is infection. Infections can include redness, tenderness, color change in skin and pus on or around the tattoo. Hepatitis is also a risk. To prevent diseases from being transferred by needles, be sure to get the hepatitis and tetanus shots prior to getting a tattoo.
Risks vary from person to person, but if there are other health or skin disorders be sure to ask a doctor first. Kidshealth.org also encourages teens to do their homework on the qualifications and cleanliness when it comes to a particular parlor. With more than 21,000 parlors in the United States alone, there are plenty to choose from.
Many people get their tattoos on places that can easily be covered, such as their backs, arms and feet. Being able to cover your tattoo is vital. This can determine whether or not you’ll get hired for a certain position. According to Barrie Gross of AllBusiness.com, most employers will hire someone with a tattoo as long as it is not visible in the workplace. This is to maintaining a professional environment for customers or clients. Only 11 percent of people with tattoos get their tattoo removed, so covering it up is less painful and less expensive.
SophomoreAshlee Oswald has her last name tattooed on her foot.
According to Statisticbrain.com, 14 percent of all Americans have at least one tattoo. This is equivalent to 45 million people. Only 17 percent of the 45 million with tattoos regret getting inked. This might be the the result of the 43 percent of people already tattooed who think that a tattoo must have a personal meaning.
A minor under the age of 18 can not get a tattoo without a guardian’s consent in the state of Pennsylvania.
Emily Adams, a senior, stated that her parents approved of her tattoos.
“The one tattoo (birds and a dandelion on her back) is art,” said Adams. “The other is more meaningful, which is why it’s in a noticeable place (on her wrist).”
Adams states that she will not regret her tattoos later on in life because she put them on places that she can cover up.
Ashlee Oswald, a sophomore, went to Tattooing By Mee to get hers done. Her tattoo is of her last name on her foot.
“My dad wasn’t very supportive of it, but said it was okay because it was my last name,” Oswald said. “My tattoo is meaningful because it is my last name and family is very important to me. I will not regret it later in life because my family will never change and when I get married I am not changing my last name.”
Deion Valentin, a senior, said that his mom approved of his tattoo and took him to a local tattoo shop where she had her own done.
“I’m a Christian so I decided to get something with religion,” said Valentin. He added that he does not believe he will regret his tattoo as he ages.
Casey Hurlburt, a senior, said, “I did go to a friend, now I go to the shop Tattooing By Mee, they are great. Did my parents approve? Not at all, but now that I’m 18 it doesn’t matter.”
“They mean something to me,” said Hurlburt, “I want to do tattoos eventually, so I have a lot of thought in them so I know I won’t regret them.”
Do professional athletes earn too much? photo credit: Tracy O via photopincc
By Mike Eshleman
Many athletes are begging for new contracts after putting up big performances. Take Joe Flacco for example. After winning the Super Bowl as quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens, Flacco received a record-breaking contract even though he had a mediocre regular season.
Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo also recently received a huge new contract, becoming the highest paid player in franchise history. However, Romo has only won one playoff game in seven years as starting quarterback of the Cowboys. Although he usually puts up good numbers in the regular season, he has shown that he will usually choke in key games that he needs to win.
According to ESPN.com, Romo’s contract is for six years and $108 million, with around $55 million guaranteed. Meanwhile, players like quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, who is a Super Bowl MVP and regular season MVP, are making considerably less. Is it fair for Romo, who has had little to no playoff success, to make a lot more money than a player who has proven himself to be among the league’s elite quarterbacks?
Even Penn Manor senior Deryk Morales, who has been a huge Dallas Cowboys fan for a long time, does not think Romo deserved his brand new extension.
“He has not done enough in his career to be paid as much as other players at his position that have done far more,” Morales said. “Win a Super Bowl, MVP, or lead the league in passing and then maybe you would deserve that kind of money.”
Should athletes even be paid this much money to begin with? Players in the NBA, NFL, MLB and other professional sports make millions of dollars every year, and some make even more off of major endorsements. Should they be making more money than doctors, police, firefighters or other people who protect the lives of the American citizens?
An argument could be made for football players. In order to provide entertainment for many people around the world, these NFL players are putting their bodies on the line every week of the season. These players risk major injuries such as concussions, torn ACLs or even something as severe as paralysis. These injuries have been known to end the careers of players in the NFL and even change their lives forever.
Take former NFL tight end Kevin Everett from the Buffalo Bills for example. Everett sustained a life-threatening spinal-cord injury back in the 2007 season after a helmet-to-helmet hit with Denver Broncos’ wide receiver Domenik Hixon. At first, doctors said that the chances for Everett to ever walk again were not good. However, Everett defied these predictions and was able to walk a few months after surgery. His life was changed forever, however, and he will not be able to play football again.
Players in the NBA and MLB make a lot of money as well, but the risk of injury in their profession is much smaller than that of the NFL. NBA and MLB players still have the risk of injury while playing their sport, but they are not putting their bodies on the line like players in the NFL are. Concussions and major injuries are not as common in the NBA and MLB as they are in the NFL.
This will be a major debate for a long time, but it looks like professional athletes, who make millions of dollars a year playing a game, will continue to make ridiculous amounts of money for years to come.
MTV is known for crazy reality shows featuring pregnant teens or wild partiers. For its show World of Jenks, MTV took a completely different direction.
Andrew Jenks is a famous filmmaker who created a show where he lives with three different people with different backgrounds and struggles within a year.
Jenk’s reason for this show is to make a show that’s not just filmed but where he experiences these peoples’ lives. He wants to film lives of the real heroes and survivors not usually shown on tv. On the current season of World of Jenks, he follows an autistic boy, a dancer who lost his brother to the streets and a girl who’s struggling with cancer.
Chad, 21, is just graduating high school and starting to live his life on his own, while struggling with his autism and trying to separate himself from his parents. He struggles with anxiety and the feeling of not being able handle things on his own.
On the show, Chad was having a hard time doing a speech for his graduation ceremony and has a hard time sleeping in his own room. As he grew out of that stage and started sleeping in his own room, he felt uncomfortable if Jenks wanted to sleep in his room too. Jenks was patient but finally helped Chad through that fear.
Kaylin, 23, is an aspiring fashion designer who struggles with two different types of cancer that were found six months apart. Kaylin had Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone disease that she is battling once again. With her struggle she still is trying to make her dream come true by moving to New York and becoming a fashion designer.
D-Real, 21, is a hip-hop dancer in Oakland who grew up in the streets selling drugs. He got his brother into doing it, and his brother ended up killed in a shooting. D-Real then realized the streets were not for him and started doing his passion, dancing. He became YouTube famous by making a video with his crew called “Dancing in the Rain,” a tribute to his brother and all of his friends who lost their lives to the streets.
D-Real’s goal is to try and turn his town away from violence and try and pursue dreams through dancing. He holds friendly dance competitions as a sign of peace and enjoyment. Jenks follows D-Real’s life in helping him accomplish his dream for the better of Oakland.
Being one of the most popular and inspiring shows according to MTV, World of Jenks catches the eye of our generation of young adults. Some students of Penn Manor were asked why they watch World of Jenks and how they think the show is inspiring.
“I think World of Jenks is a show that our generation would benefit from because it shows that just because you have a physical or mental illness doesn’t mean you can’t live life and live your dreams. It is a great show for our generation to get into for the reason of showing that being different is okay and that people who are accepting are the strongest people out there. Andrew is an awesome example.” says Katie Myers, junior and a fan of World of Jenks.
World of Jenks consists a season of ten episodes and airs every Monday at 11 p.m.
Junior Jackie Hemler wears a pastel floral scarf for spring.
By Lauren Hillegas
With changing weather comes changing fashions. Spring is finally here and so are the new trends for the season. Even here in Penn Manor, the new fashion trends will be popular with those who are drawn to everything chic.
“I’m excited to finally wear rompers and skirts,” said junior Jen Adams.
While rompers and skirts are sure to be popular, pastel colors are going to be huge, according to VOGUE magazine.
Juniors Liz La, Rachel Shelley and Michelle Herman are all in agreement when it comes to pastels for the spring fashion season.
Junior Michelle Herman’s shirt has a floral print, one of the most popular trends for spring.
“I think pastel-colored lace will be a big trend for spring,” said Shelley.
According to ELLE magazine, lace is also going to make a comeback.
Another trend you will be seeing a lot of is floral patterns. As well as being listed as an upcoming trend in ELLE magazine, junior Rachel Hreben also predicted a wave of florals for the spring season.
Along with florals, bright colors are going to be popular, according to students Hreben and junior Kelly DiCamillo as well as GLAMOUR magazine.
Junior Rachel Hreben also wears florals, but chose bright colors, another popular spring trend.
