Category: Student Life

By Alyssa Jahnke –

A senior at Penn Manor High School, Dani Warfel, believes she has chosen a good best friend, one that may have saved her life.

Her best friend is able to give her advice to keep her safe. Even if she thinks about getting in a car with someone who is intoxicated, her best friend reminds her there are consequences.  Warfel’s best friend went through her own experience of a death of a friend that was involved in a car crash.

“She keeps me in line,” said Warfel.

A best friend, or BFF, is important for any teen.  In fact, some teens consider several friends as their BFFs.

“It’s better to have a couple best friends then a whole bunch of friends that you’re not close to. In the end the couple best friends will be the ones you know the longest,” said senior Devin Yecker.

In high school, choosing a best friend or group of them can be hard to do.  Many high school students have learned that their best friends can have the best or worst advice and have an impact on their lives.  From being able to share their life experiences to being able to help them get through the rough times, a best friend is important to nearly every teen.

Senior Jenna Reel said, “The best advice I ever received was make wise decisions when you choose your friends. Some friends can drag you down, and family should be before friends.”

Sometimes being a teenager can make you feel disconnected from your parents or other adults.  A best friend will listen to you express your feelings and concerns, and try to give you advice or help you solve problems.  A best friend can better understand what’s going on in the teenage world.

“Always do what makes you happy is the best advice I ever got,” stated senior Abby Newport.

Best friends can influence the amount of trouble one gets into or stays out of.  Best friends can even apply peer pressure on each other.

“My best friend encourages me to do bad things,” said Danny Boehler, a senior at Penn Manor.

Many times a friend will go along with what their best friend says because they trust their opinion.

“My best friend gets me in trouble,” joked Newport.

Being best friends has a level of responsibility built into it.  Hopefully most BFF’s can give good advice to help their friend make good decisions.

“They help me make wise decisions with right and wrong, and we go through the list of benefits and consequences before we do something,” said Reel.

Best friends can also keep you accountable when you make a bad decision.

“When I do something bad she gives me a lecture,” joked senior Devin Yecker.

But the most important thing about disappointing a best friend, is their belief and encouragement that you will make a better decision the next time.

“She doesn’t really get mad when I do something she doesn’t like, but she’ll give me a pep talk,” said Reel.

You choose a best friend that shares common interests and values.

Yecker said, “My best friend and I have the same views in life.”

Being a best friend, having a best friend or having a group of BFFs is a cornerstone of any teenager’s life.  Having someone to share happiness or frustrations and give advice is what a best friend is all about.

By Cassey Graeff-

Sleep, sleep, sleep.

There’s nothing better then ending your day crawling into bed and drifting off to sleep. On average eight hours of sleep is the recommended number of hours each night, but a new kind of people called “short sleepers” are beating the odds.

“I’m cranky, I need my sleep,” said senior Brian Ramsey.  Ramsey is not one of the short sleepers.

According to Sleep Education, “A short sleeper is a person who regularly sleeps less than the average member of his age group. His nightly length of sleep tends to be five hours or less. This sleep is unbroken and of a very good quality. The short sleeper feels alert and refreshed after waking up. He is able to function normally during the day on a very small amount of sleep.”

“I get six to seven hours of sleep. It depends if I’m up late studying or something,” said senior Emily Hutchinson.

Short sleepers have a mutation on a gene called hDEC2. This gene regulates the sleep-wake cycle. This mutation allows people to function with less sleep then the average amount of people, according to the latest research.

Jarod Staub a teacher at Penn Manor said, “I think five-and-a-half (hours of sleep) makes me tired.”

Staub must not be a short sleeper, either.

Some students noticed that their parents get about the same amount of sleep as themselves. There may be a pattern in the amount of sleep parents get and their offspring.

“My dad gets six and my mom gets seven hours,”said Emily Nickel a senior at Penn Manor. Nickel sleeps less then eight hours  a night, which is similar to her parents.

“Short sleepers” awaken around four in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to start their day.

According to Better Sleep, Better Life, “Sleep plays a vital role in promoting physical health, longevity, and emotional well-being.”

From the looks of it, students at Penn Manor are not short sleepers and need about eight hours of sleep to feel refreshed when they awaken in the morning. That doesn’t mean they always get it.  With homework, jobs, sports and a social life, sleep can sometimes be a low priority even though a lack of sleep can make all the other activities more difficult.

Sleep well Penn Manor.

By Laura Revelt-

Sacrificing everyday pleasures for 40 days. Who can do it?

People face the challenge of giving up their favorite habits as the season of Lent returns. Some use it as an opportunity to start up that diet that they failed to follow after New Years or to abandon time-wasting hobbies.

The beginning of Lent is marked with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter. This year the dates are Wednesday March 9 to Sunday April 24.

Some Christian families now give up their everyday vices and do not eat meat on Fridays. According to catholiceducation.org,”Lent is a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter.”

But Lent is becoming more a cultural tradition and not just a religious practice anymore. Faschnt Day, Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday is used as a day of participating in festivities to experience the last of those guilty pleasures before Lent. It is often used as an excuse to party or eat donuts.

Here at Penn Manor students are partaking in Lent, not necessarily for religious reasons.

“I want to try it to see if I have enough discipline to give up sweets,” said Elsie Huber.

“I acknowledge the religious aspect, but that’s not exactly why I’m doing it,” said Stef Friedman.

“It’s(participating in Lent) self-satisfaction,” said Natasha Fletcher.

“Last year I gave up dairy, so I was vegan,” said senior Mikah Farbo who is a vegetarian. “It’s (participating in Lent) knowing that you can live without something.”

“I am giving up sweets,” said Haley Blazer.

“I won’t be eating meat on Fridays,” said Erica Coakley.

“I sort of do a little of everything. I don’t just give up one thing,” said senior Dan Elliot. “I try to cut back on swearing and junk food.”

So it seems healthy eating is a popular goal during Lent, but it can be a struggle.

“One year I attempted to participate in Lent by giving up candy, like chocolate, everything,” said Friedman. “It honestly probably lasted like three days.”

“I think it depends on what you give up,” said Alicia Burns about the difficulties of Lent.

“It’s really hard and I always try to give up things I really like,” said Kate Maisel.

So if you see students passing up the big cookie or ice cream bar at lunch, now you know why. Good luck to all who are participating in Lent. Only 38  more days to go!

By Lyta Ringo –

In life we all experience many emotions, joy, happiness, grief, and sorrow. But one emotion, one that can cause many other emotions, can be the most complicated to deal with.

That emotion is fear.

Fear can be something that lasts for a short amount of time, for instance someone may have a fear of bridges, but once your over the bridge you’re fine. However some fears, can last a lifetime. That in itself can be an issue.

“My biggest fear in life is not making something of myself,” said Alexa Jenaskie.

Many people say they fear death the most. Maybe not death itself, but what happens after death, where we go, and what happens to us?

Senior Liz Rivera admitted death is her biggest fear.

“I like my life,” said Rivera, “I don’t want it to end.”

Some fears can have a humorous touch to them. Fears that don’t exactly have people worried, but its just something they’d never want to experience.

Austin Hess, said his biggest fear is getting stabbed or robbed.

“I’d rather get shot then stabbed,” said Hess.

“I mean like taking the trash out at night, it’s the scariest thing,” added Hess, “you never know what’s going down.”

On the other hand, some fears can effect every move you make. The fear of being alone can effect everything you do. One wrong move and you could loose everything and everyone you’ve worked hard to keep.

“My biggest fear is fighting through life alone,” stated Marcos Rivera, “There’s nothing worse then facing everything by yourself.”

Fear is an emotion, sometimes easy to work with, other times fear of it can consume you. Everyone handles things differently, and no one copes with things in the same way. The only way a society can help each other is to understand how each person may feel.  Even though we cannot get rid of their fears, we can be a bystander, and listen.

By Vaughn Stetler –

“They are just trying to jump on the wagon and make the most ridiculous things ever,” said freshman Austin Stetler.

The new trend on some cable channels is to load up on paranormal investigative programming.

For the History Channel, it’s Monster Quest, the Travel Channel has Ghost Adventures and Syfy brings to the table Ghost Hunters. It seems that every time you change the channel, a new paranormal series is coming out and most students seem to think that the first one is more out-there than the last.

The first show to appear on the scene was Ghost Hunters, which aired October 6, 2004.  When this show came out, it inspired waves of merchandising opportunities and some other networks decided to join in on the opportunity.

On October 31, 2007, the show Monsterquest launched its T.V. programming with the story of the American Loch Ness Monster.  It had a three-year run in which it did rather well, but not everyone was on board with the new programs.

“I think that some of the stuff is based on facts, but they do embellish some of the facts,” said junior Josh Morgan.

Morgan also said, “They may actually be hearing something moving around but, that could be any number of things from animals to even the wind, but they jump right to the fact that it is a ghost instead of looking further into it.”

Though not everyone is as doubtful as Morgan, the general consensus seems to be the same among Penn Manor students.

“I don’t think that all of the stories can be explained away,” said senior James McElroy, “but they actually might make things up in order to make the show interesting and not have people start tuning out.”

“I used to watch these shows all the time, now I think it just a bunch of made up hoaxes to get people to watch the shows,” Stetler said.

Whether it is real or fake most Penn Manor students do seem to be tuning out.

By Cassey Graeff-

Feeling Down? Take a gander at laughing.

Laughter is thought to be a mental medicine because it can brighten somebody’s mood along with putting some pep in their step if they are feeling down.

Some teachers here think the benefits of laughing should be put to use and they have used it in their classes – sort of like a laughing club.

Kim McMullen, an art teacher at Penn Manor, said everybody needed to gather around the front table before anybody could leave. Students stood around with straight faces wondering what she was about to say when suddenly she began laughing obnoxiously and a few kids couldn’t help but laugh back.

“Mrs. Hay started it in her classes and they do it all the time, almost everyday,” said McMullen.

According to CBS news, laughing for one minute is equivalent to ten minutes on a rowing machine when comparing heart rates.

“It gives you an ab workout, lowers your blood pressure, and people think you’re crazy,” said Teri Hay an art teacher at Penn Manor.

When we laugh, we change psychologically. Muscles stretch, our breath quickens, and oxygen is transferred to our tissues similar to the effect of working out, according to the same source.

Even though some kids join in with laughter, Hay says that “Most kids try not to laugh.”

While working out has benefits, laughing portrays some of the same ones. This may be the reasoning why laughing causes a change in mood for the better. You may feel healthier after a good laugh because your body just had a “mini workout.”

“A guy in India started it, and they laugh together for an hour every morning about corny things like being broke,” said Hay.

Laughing is said to be far more contagious then a cough, sniffle, or sneeze, and even boost your immune system because of relieving stress.

According to help guide, laughter relaxes your whole body and for 45 minutes after a good laugh your muscles remain relaxed. Also, laughter triggers the release of endorphins which gives you a sense of well-being and may temporarily relieve pain.

“It makes you feel better at the end of the day,” said Hay.

By Bobby Rehm –

School, sports, and stress. How do some students stand it?

For many high school students, sports play a large role in their lives. The experience of spending extra time after school at practice is a common one for many. Sports are simply a part of high school, but is it too much for students sometimes?

Stress is almost always a part of the lives of students. School work, relationships and grades are all contributors to stress and sports add even more to the mix. For many, jobs also add some lovely stress.

Many student athletes find themselves tired, exhausted, or somewhat stressed.

Brock Kauffman, a senior on the varsity wrestling team, finds himself feeling the same way. Though the stress gets a bit high, he finds that it’s not too bad.

“Yeah it’s manageable,” he said.

What’s the most stressful part of his day?

“Waking up for morning runs for sure,” said Kauffman.

There are many ways to handle stress. Depending on how a person reacts to it, there may be different solutions to help manage the body’s stress levels. Counselors, students, and stress experts all agree that awareness of stress is the first step to preventing and reducing it.

Another student athlete, Connor Rowe, agrees with Kauffman. Rowe, a varsity lacrosse player and team captain, also finds being a student-athlete controllable.

“Being a captain adds some stress, but it’s manageable,” he said. Both students earn As and Bs and also have jobs in the summer.

Although being a student-athlete can be stressful, to most, it’s simply not that bad.