Category: Student Life

The launch of “Escalation”- New Call of Duty Black Ops Maps

By Blake Wales –

Guns, Grenades and Gadgets….

Call of Duty Black Ops, one of the top selling, first-person shooter games of all time, is back at it again.

Treyarch and Activison have tried to give their players more variety in their most-played multiplayer mode. They did this by initially releasing the map pack “First Strike,” which gave the players who purchased it four maps – “Discovery” “Kowloon” “Stadium” and “Berlin Wall.”

The pack also included one zombies map “Ascension.” But on May 3, they released “Escalation,” a map pack which supplies players with four additional multiplayer maps and a zombies map “Call of the Dead.”

New Multiplayer and Zombie maps included in the "Escalation" map pack www.videogamewriters.com

One of the first maps you come across in the new pack is called “Stockpile.”   This map is supposed to represent an urban village in Russia but also has a Cold War theme because of the middle building which features armaments. The center building in this map is really the heart and the key location. This building features doors that can be operated from inside the building and outside.

The next map is called “Hotel.”  This map is a branch from the Cuban hotel in the original map from Black Ops call “Havana.” This map features an operational elevator that allows players to move to different floors of the hotel. This map also provides a lot of places for the players to hide and includes a few flanking points as well.

The third multiplayer map is called “Convoy” which is the scene of an ambush by Soviet forces on a United States convoy.

Snipers will love this map because of the high positions. But this map is also good for “run and gunners” who want to get around the map quickly.

Players battling for the monorail in "Zoo." www.cheatercc.com

The fourth and most favored map by Xbox players is called “Zoo.”

The location is, of course, a zoo.  But not just any zoo, it’s an abandoned Soviet zoo. This map features a broken monorail that runs throughout most of the map, an advantage point for players who can advance to this key point.

These maps are available now to Xbox live custumers for the price of 1200 Microsoft points (1600 Microsoft= $19.99). This pack costs the same amount as the first map pack “First Strike.”

If you want to learn more about the zombies map “Call of the Dead” you should download the pack and play it. Hopefully you can survive to talk about it.

Facebook Users degrading Lancaster County Teens

By- Alicia Ygarza and Cynthia Rodriguez –

“This girl has been with too many guys.”

Anonymous facebook users are creating discriminating pages degrading the most talked about females and males in Lancaster County schools. The males and females can be found under pages called “Pop Jawnts,” “Lancaster Slobes IDGAF,” “McCaskey Ho**,” and “Penn Manor Ho**.”

Bullying constantly occurs on facebook

Tatyana Dejesus, a student at Penn Manor. Found herself on the page “Pop Jawnts.”

Parents whose kids are on these sites feel embarrassed, but as a parent, wouldn’t you feel embarrassed too?

“My mom thinks it’s very childish and immature.She said I should go to the office and report it,” said Dejesus.

Friends and family members of the kids can do something about this.

The report button.

You may use the report button if you believe the picture is inappropriate and also, if a person is harassing you.

Some people do this and some people don’t. But this does work.

Vanessa Marquez, a student at McCaskey High School will attest to its use.

“There was a picture of me someone posted on facebook and I didn’t like it at all. So I reported it and Facebook immediately deleted if from the site,” said Marquez.

This is another case of cyber bullying.

“Cyber bullying” is when a child or teen is threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or is targeted by another child or teen using the Internet or mobile device. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor.

According to stop cyber bullying, “once adults become involved, it is a case of cyber-harassment or cyber stalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyber stalking is never called cyber bullying.”

Cyber Bullying can take hold of a person's life

According to www2.insidenova.com, a 16- year old was charged with computer harassment. He created a Facebook page called, “Stonewall Ho**.” Police say there were pictures of nine girls, all of which had “lewd captions” under them.

According to www2.insidenova.com, “Under Virginia law, harassment by computer is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and/or a fine of up to $2,500. “

These are the steps used in preventing Facebook harassment pages.

According to www.attorneygeneral.gov, these are tactics parents can use in preventing cyber bullying :

  • Supervising the use of the computer;
  • Get the computers out of the bedrooms and into a family room or common living area;
  • Learn about and monitor the Web sites that your child visits while on the computer;
  • Talk to your children about cyber bullying and encourage them to talk to you if they feel threatened while on the Internet. According to a survey by iSafe.org, 58 percent of kids did not tell their parents when someone was abusive to them online;
  • Be concerned if your child spends an excessive amount of time online and, if necessary, limit his/her time spent on the computer; and
  • Have your child fill out and sign an agreement or pledge, such as the ones on this Web site, about safety online.

 

 

Banned Books still Popular Here

Senior Jaquan Presbery and Junior Jeffrey Kirk read one of the banned books

By David Mohimani, Jake Shiner and Sam Valentin –

Catcher in the Rye, Huck Finn, and To Kill a Mockingbird are all classic tales but also commonly bring about controversy in schools. While the three mentioned titles are very well known in literature, they didn’t even break the top 10 list of 2011’s most banned books list.

“(Books) Definitely  shouldn’t be banned. There is no reason they should obstruct information from getting to us, that’s like the first amendment.”said Junior Logan White.

The 2011 list of banned books in high school may be considered more shocking than the content inside the books.

The list is as follows:

    The ALA’s top 10 most frequently challenged books of 2011

    1. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

    Reasons: Homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

    2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

    Reasons: Offensive language, racism, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence

    3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

    Reasons: Insensitivity, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit

    4. Crank by Ellen Hopkins

    Reasons: Drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit

    5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

    Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence

    6. Lush by Natasha Friend

    Reasons: Drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

    7. What My Mother Doesn’t Know by Sonya Sones

    Reasons: Sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

    8. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America by Barbara Ehrenreich

    Reasons: Drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint

    9. Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology edited by Amy Sonnie

    Reasons: Homosexuality, sexually explicit

    10. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

    Reasons: Religious viewpoint, violence

     

    The Penn Manor library contains all but two of the book and the one, Crank, is not out in the general library but will be given to students if the student gets written permission by a parent stating that their son/daughter may read the book.

    The books on the list however, did not shock everyone.

    “No it doesn’t surprise me,” said English teacher Holly Asthiemer about the books on the list.

    One student thought that Twilight deserved its spot on the list.

    “Twilight deserves to be banned,” said Sienna Emrich, adding that it was not well written.

    Some felt that Hunger Games didn’t deserve to be on the list.

    “Twilight is poorly written but Hunger Games is a good book to teach for the right age group,” said Astheimer.

    “I thought it (Hunger Games) was good and that it’s going to make a comeback like Huck Finn,” said Matt Purdin.

    The most surpirsing book on the list is And Tango Makes Three, a child’s tale about two male penguins raising a baby penguin. It is banned because of the homosexual overtones some feel it contains.

    Not everyone is in favor of libraries banning books however, especially educators.

    English teacher CeCe O’Day said, “I think banning a book from a library makes no sense.  People should be able to read and explore new ideas.”

     

     

     

Don’t Worry, Be Happy Seniors

By Cassey Graeff-

As the end of the year approaches, seniors at Penn Manor may have some worries lingering in the back of their mind when the topic of college is discussed.

“My biggest worry is not being able to go home, you just can’t go home whenever and  you have to stay there and survive on your own,” said Peter Horning who plans on attending Liberty University.

According to nwmissori.edu, both students who are going to college and parents have worries. “They (students) are worried that they will disappoint their parents, may not get the best of grades and may not want to major in the area that the family approves of.”

“Not being able to balance the education part of college and my social life is my worry. I am also worried about having to live with somebody else because I can be a messy person and they might not be very happy about that,” said Abby Newport who plan on attending Shippensburg University.

Though some students do feel a need to follow family tradition with alumni colleges, it is important that students do not let this affect their decision, and go where they would like to.

“I’m afraid to be without my mom, dad, and brother because I have been with them for 18 years. Now all the sudden they won’t be there to help me out with things like laundry. I will learn the responsibility to do stuff on my own without having somebody do it for me,” said Alyssa Jahnke.

More common worries pertaining to students, according to Northwest Missouri University, is that they are worried that no one will like them at college because all their friends went to other schools, they are miles away from home and unsure on how to make friends and/ or participate in activities.

“I’ve been friends with some of the same people for 13 years and now it’s going to be weird knowing I am not going to see some of them,” said Liz Lawrence who plans on attending Millersville University.

“I really don’t want to end up switching my major (physics astronomy). I am good at what I want to major in, so I am hoping that doesn’t happen,” said Zach Rayha who plans on attending James Madison University.

If you are unsure what major to pursue when applying to college, there are many online personality quizzes that can be taken in order to help. One example of this online quiz is careerbuilder.com.

Elena Hart who plans on attending Temple University explains finding her classes is one of her biggest worries. “I feel like college campuses are so big and there are so many buildings. I feel like I am going to get lost.”

Taking campus tours is a useful tool to help avoid this situation. Most, if not all college campuses have open houses which provide very useful information and show the layout of a campus.

“My worry is playing lacrosse with girls that are really good. Instead of just having a couple good girls, every good girl is going to be competing for a spot to play. Virginia Tech is really competitive, being in the ACC, so they play all the top teams in the nation,” said senior Maddy Hess who will attend there on a scholarship.

Some students struggle with waking up in the morning and attending school. Some high school students already have this problem but when seniors head off to college, they will be in for a rude awakening.

Chassidy Sowersby a senior at Penn Manor says, “I’m never going to go to class. Not having somebody wake me up and make me go to class is going to be bad.”

Even though there may be an endless list of worries running through the minds of multiple seniors, not only at Penn Manor but other high schools as well, an open mind and a willingness to learn will be the key to a success.

Penn Manor Students Plan a Dance Party to Remember

By Alicia Ygarza-

There’s a prince, a ballroom and a bundle of luck. Many teens in Lancaster County may have their fantasy wishes granted with what Penn Manor promoters are calling “the dance party of the year.”

The year of 2011 has had a lot of dance parties, this one, its promoters promise,  will be the best one yet.

“I will feel relieved after the party. There is a lot of pressure riding on everything going well. There’s a lot of high expectations and we don’t want to let people down,” said Summy.

Penn Manor students Cheyenne Weber, Marc Summy and Connor Hughes will be hosting the “dance party of the year,” at the Lancaster Convention Center, Saturday April 30, from 8:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m, doors opening at 7:30 p.m. The show will star a guest who has lyricized his way into Philly’s rap game, know as the “Prince of Philly,” Tayyib Ali.

Over 1,500 people have confirmed their attendance on the party’s Facebook site. Over 100 online tickets have been sold and more than 300 have been sold in person.

When Weber posted his Facebook status that he’d be selling tickets at the mall, he sold 50 tickets in two hours.

“We have a place that holds 2,000 people and we need 800 people to show up in order to break even. Any more people that show up is just a bonus,” said Weber.

That shouldn’t be a problem. The party is becoming the most talked event in schools all around Lancaster county.

“The party’s growing popularity has definitely skyrocketed in the past week, everyday I hear more and more excitement about it. Everyday I hear about a different school finding out about it and it’s spreading like wildfire,” said Summy.

“I’ll be there dude, I’m telling everybody,” said a local to Hughes while posting fliers in Lancaster city.

According to Weber, the event was planned over a month ago and the planning trio “got lucky.”

“We were lucky when it came to booking Ali. Hughes’ friend Jeff Yofray is best friends with Ali, so it wasn’t too hard to book him. We were also lucky in booking the Convention Center because they are always having events,” said Weber.

Tayyib Ali's, "Keystone state of Mind," has become one of his more popular songs

He recalled, “Everything fell into place.”

The dance party-throwing trio is not only providing this event for people to have a good time, but they are doing it to give back to the community.

Matt Mora, a local rapper from Manheim Township will be opening for Ali.

“That’s our way of giving back,” said Weber, noting they are giving a local the chance to show off his budding talents.

This may turn out to be a great experience for everyone going, and it has already been a great and learning experience for the boys.

“It’s been a great business learning experience. I’ve talked to many important people,” said Weber.

“I’ve learned a great deal of responsibility comes along with doing something like this. You need to make sure you don’t get ripped off or taken advantage of just because you’re a kid,” said Summy.

“This party means a lot to me. It proves to kids that we can follow through with our ideas. A lot of kids thought it was a fake event, but no. We’re making it happen,” said Summy.

But the possible worries over a party like this has not escaped the planners.

What if a fight breaks out? Kids show up under the influence and ruin their moment of fame? Or worse, what if Ali doesn’t show up and the people don’t get what they paid for?  All concerns that the planners have taken measures to prevent.

“I will feel relieved after the party. There is a lot of pressure riding on everything going well. There’s a lot of high expectations and we don’t want to let people down,” said Summy.

Hughes said the group’s security, liability insurance and the venue has helped ease their worries.

“I’m also frightened that with all these schools coming together that everyone gets along. We don’t want anything bad to happened that would cause us to end the party early. That is my biggest fear,” Summy recalled.

All the boys can do is wait.

If you want to know what happens, come out and have a great time at the LCC Dance Party.

 

 

 

 

 

Separating Myth from Fact – a Tall Order at Penn Manor

By Eric Gerlach and Zach Campbell –

In Penn Manor High School, myths fill the halls. Some are true but others are just a legend.

Myths heard while traversing in the hallways…

  • Principal Phil Gale is/was a Green Beret.
  • English teacher Gregg McGough has a dungeon under his desk.
  • That there is a UFO in an abandoned hallway.
  • Some seniors put the principal’s car on the roof.
  • There is railroad underneath the streets of Willow Street.
  • A lot of the sicknesses of last year came because the food has the swine virus.
  • There is a pool hidden in the school for teachers to swim.
  • There is an alien in the school.
UFO - image by inquisitr.com
  • A girl in Penn Manor smoked a cigarette in the bathroom and her hair caught on fire. They then had to call the fire department.
  • That Penn Manor staff can access the camera on laptops and watch you.
  • That Penn Manor High School was on MTV’s Pranks & Scandals.
  • Penn Manor used to be a smoking school.
  • Mr. Dutchess got locked in a bathroom for four hours.
  • A motorcycle drove through the hallways.
  • Seniors filled the outside eating area with balloons.
  • There is an “underground” fight club at Marticville Middle School.
  • An underground fallout shelter exists under the science wing.
  • The school is haunted.

Some of these myths can be dispelled and others, well, the search for the truth is ongoing.

So, is Gale a Green Beret?

“It’s top secret,” is all the head principal would reveal.

Gregg McGough doesn’t have a dungeon but he does have a “secret” panel in the floor beneath his classroom that houses some of the school’s infrastructure.

The actual bomb shelter was investigated last year by Penn Points and found to exist.

https://www.pennpoints.net/?p=4480

The “underground” fight club was reportedly witnessed by one student.

“When I walked in the bathroom there was a slap-boxing fight,” senior Jesse Graham said, who noted that it looked official.

Penn Manor used to have two buildings which led to the myth Penn Manor used to be a smoking school.

“Students used to walk in between the buildings and smoke,”  technology coach Shawn Canady recalled.  But it was never sanctioned.

MTV did a feature for their show “High School Pranks and Scandals” based on a feature story written by journalism teacher Susan Baldrige when she was a reporter for The New Era.

These are just some myths and some will never know if they are true or not. Some have been confirmed true, but for the other myths, they will remain unknown.

Feel free to leave a comment regarding a myth that you know.

Facebook Users Dance with Depression

By Alyssa Byers –

Facebook’s not just for friends anymore.

It’s got a hidden agenda and you could fall prey. An article released by the American Academy of Pediatrics recently named a condition it called “Facebook Depression.” The group said that social networking sites, such as Facebook, can cause kids to become more susceptible to depression. Researchers still disagree if this is a real condition, or if social networking sites just contribute to an already depressed person.

“I don’t use Facebook and I think it saves me a lot of stress,” said Hannah Willet.

It’s not a surprise that Facebook can make people feel down in the dumps, especially with status updates that can hurt kids’ feelings and destroy self confidence. Many teens post exactly how they feel, even if it can single people out. In addition, social networking sites allow for students to be intimidating without even trying, due to the lack of in-person confrontation.

“Everyone instantly runs to Facebook to put angry statuses about their life and then everyone sees it and comments are made that can make people feel bad,” said Devin Yecker.

Photos are popular on social networking sites, but if you find out you weren’t invited to last Friday’s party, this feature can leave you feeling a little left out.

Yecker said she can remember hanging out with her friends and seeing on Facebook that they had an event invitation that she didn’t. It didn’t leave her feeling too good.

The site also allows kids to become isolated. Some teens spend hours in front on the computer checking their account and viewing others’ profiles. Instead of hanging out with friends, they turn to messaging them on Facebook. Interaction among peers becomes a thing of the past, and kids no longer take part in much needed face-to-face communication.

AP Psychology teacher Maria Vita said she can see where researchers are coming from when they say social networking sites can cause depression. The self serving bias is a term used to describe how people blame others when something goes wrong, and credit themselves when something goes right. People who are depressed, according to Vita, don’t have a self-serving bias. If someone posted a mean status about them, they’d assume they did something to deserve it.

Some researchers say pediatricians should ask about the amount of time their patients spend on the internet and how it makes them feel, during regular check-ups.

If you’re worried Facebook is affecting you, doctors may suggest spending less time on the site.

Where to Now?

By Katie Breneman –

From pre-school, to elementary, to middle school, to high school, then to …

Many students at Penn Manor High School will be attending a college or entering the workforce. Many students know exactly the major or area of study they want to enter, while others are undecided.

The college process is very crucial and, at points, can be stressful as well.  Students have to decide, big school, small school, in state, out-of-state and does the school have the right major. A popular saying students hear often with the college process is, “you’ll know when it feels right.”

But what feels right? Is it that feeling that gives butterflies in the stomach?

Zach Rayha is carefully considering which college to attend. Photo by Katie Brenneman

Deciding what college to go to is crucial. College costs a bundle of money and it is important to love the environment and to make sure the major is available.

Zach Rayha, a senior at Penn Manor High School is not positive but is leaning toward  James Madison.

“When I went there I thought I could see myself there and had a really strong program for my physics astronomy major. The people were very welcoming as well,” said Rayha.

Peter Ashworth, a senior at Penn Manor High School is still deciding between three colleges, Pittsburgh, Delaware and Grove City .

“My major is mechanical engineering. I chose to apply to Grove City because my brother goes there. My dad went to Delaware and I just liked Pitt,” said Ashworth.

Megan Wilson, a senior at Penn Manor has committed to go to Millersville University and will be on the soccer team there.

“I really liked it, and it’s close to home. It’s a great way to save money. I also really liked it because the soccer coach was interested in me and I wanted to play soccer in college,” said Wilson.

Emily Hess, a senior is not sure where she is going to school yet. She does know that she wants to become a teacher.

“Ever since I was little, I always wanted to teach. I love little kids and I would really enjoy my job,” said enthusiastically Hess.

Penn Manor High School’s graduation is on June 7, and theses students will then move onto the paths they have chosen.

 

 

 

 

Gas Prices Lightening Your Wallet?

By Alex Blythe –

If your wallet isn’t paper thin by now, it will be very soon. Gas prices are rising all over the United States and will continue into the summer months.

By the time summer hits, gasoline could be up to $4.00 per gallon in some parts of the country, even more in others.

The former President of Shell Oil Company, John Hofmeister, thinks the price of gas will rise up to $5.00 by 2012, says The Huffington Post.

The high Oil prices around the country have been raising the gas prices, increasing it by 34 percent since May, also according to The Huffington Post.

According to Pennsylvaniagasprices.com the Sheetz and Turkey Hill convenience stores, located on Centerville Road, are both up to $3.73 a gallon. BJ’s Wholesale club in Centerville is at $3.69 a gallon and the Turkey Hill off of New Danville Pike and Marticville Road is up to a whopping $3.73 a gallon.

High Gas Prices. Photo courtesy of wjtv.com

“Before the rising gas prices I paid $33 (per tank) and now I pay $40.00. I try to fill up my tank once every two weeks if I can,” stated senior Katie Coons.

Senior Eric Clark now pays $45.00 for gas opposed to $30.00 before.

The new national average for unleaded gas is $3.77 per gallon, which rose 22 cents from a month ago. A year ago the price for unleaded gasoline was only $2.86, which is almost a whole dollar less, according to today.msnbc.msn.com. The cheapest gas in the country is in Tuscon, Arizona at a low $3.41 a gallon.

For the fifth straight week, gas sales have been down because of the rising prices. More and more people are taking other transportation or carpooling to avoid paying the high prices.

“It’s depressing,” expressed senior Abby Newport.

Before the gas prices skyrocketed, Newport paid $20.00 for gas. She now pays $35.00.

Gas prices haven’t been this high since 2008. According to cbsnews.com, in Los Angeles, California, the average prices are up to $4.14 per gallon.

The Giant Food Stores located around Lancaster County have “Gas Reward Points.” When you shop at Giant with your Bonuscard, each dollar you spend you earn one point. Once you reach 100 Bonuspoints, you earn 10 cents off a gallon of gas at any participating Giant to Go gas station. Giant to Go is located off Fruitville Pike and Richmond Drive. There are many other locations coming soon.

Turkey Hill Minit Markets also have a great deal going on. According to Turkeyhill.com, when you use your Turkey Hill rewards card, you earn points. When you earn 100 points, you get 10 cents off of a gallon of gas. Coffee, cappuccinos, slushies, fountain drinks, iced coffee and milkshakes are just some of the items that will earn you 10 points. Two points will be earned for every other selection for every dollar spent. For example, if you buy a bag of chips for $1.39, then the person will get two points; but if you buy a $2.11 pack of Chex Mix, then you would get four points.

According to Weismarkets.com, if you use your Weis Markets rewards card during your shopping experience, for every $50.00 you spend you will earn a 10 cent discount on any grocery or pharmacy item. You must spend $50.00 in order to get the 10 cents off a gallon. The gas points may be redeemed at any Weis Gas N’ Go location or at any participating Sheetz location.

Keep saving up money for gas, Penn Manor – you’re going to need it.

Oh the Weather Outside is……Confusing.

By Matt Ulmer –

Monday sandals and short shorts, Tuesday umbrellas with a sweatshirt.

Students at Penn Manor are going back-and-forth between their winter and summer wardrobes. It’d be lovely to ensure students that they can set out their cargo shorts, tank tops and sandals for good, but the next 5-7 days may “wash away” that thought.

The inconsistent weather forecast for the next 5 days.

Last week  temperatures hit 79, and Wednesday snow appeared in some parts of the county.

This week is just as odd. Yesterday, Lancaster hit a seasonal high of 84 degrees. Today’s weather is roaming in the 50’s with high chances of rain leading into the night. Tomorrow is gonna seem like Deja Vu.

One Penn Manor substitute said, “variety is nice, be aware of anything.”

Most students and teachers in the building seem to have the opposite mindset.

Sophomore Kyle Musser said, “I’m annoyed by the weather” which is forcing him to wear sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

Millersville University Meteorologist Eric Horst has his own theory on the weather pattern. He believes it’s a pattern that has stayed consistent for the past 10 years, and always seems to fall around the end of March into the third week of April.

“This roller coaster ride will continue for the next two weeks until around Easter weekend,” explained Horst, indicating the April 23-24 weekend.

His predictions were enlightening with his promise of sunshine and high 60s for Thursday and Friday, but they were erased with his predictions of rainstorms for the weekend.

One thing is for sure, this week is probably the start of a more unsettled climate to come.