Student Life – Page 28 – Penn Points Online

Keys For The City Make Music For Everyone

Lancaster City streets are growing pianos faster than spring showers can grow flowers.

On Friday, May 21, 20 pianos were set up around Lancaster city for the public to play whenever they please.

The pianos were donated by local families and churches and painted and designed by local artists.

piano music — Pianos have been place around Lancaster for the enjoyment of residents.

Music For Everyone, a non-profit organization that raises awareness of the role that music plays in the community, partnered with Society of Design, another non-profit organization dedicated to multidisciplinary design education and community service, to create this public art exhibit.

“[The pianos] allow citizens to interact and they will give responsibility to the community to treat the city better,” said Penn Manor junior, Felix Gonzalez.”They bring our community together and all that mush.”

The release of the pianos was preceded by a public concert in Lancaster Square and the pianos will be kept up all summer long.

“The early reaction was pretty positive,” said Craig Welsh, the head of Society of Design.

So far Lancaster citizens seem to be enthused about the addition and enjoying the benefits.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea and I like that people are now allowed to randomly showcase their talents,” said Melissa Telesco, Penn Manor’s chorus director. “It just goes to show how important the arts are in our culture.”

And while it has its benefits to the general public, it also has shown to be a playground for vandals. Only one short day after the pianos made their debut, there were signs of abuse.

One piano has been broken in three places and, according to Welsh, others criminals have left their mark with graffiti.

“It doesn’t surprise me but it saddens me that there are people who lack such self-esteem in their own life that they can’t allow others to benefit,” said Telesco.

“I’m disappointed because this might be an insight to how [the pianos] will be treated in the future,” said Gonzalez.

By Emily Brody and Jacqueline Lennon

Some Sketchy News Hits the Art Department

Hold on to your sketchbooks, AP art may be drawing to an end.

According to Karen Gingerich, who teaches AP art, her class may be eliminated because not enough kids are taking the course and there aren’t enough art teachers in the school to teach other art classes.

“Our fear is if it goes away next year that it won’t be brought back,” said Gingerich.

Many students who plan to major in art in college are itching to get into AP Art,

“ In AP art, (students) are working like real artists,” Gingerich said.

According to collegeboard.com, The AP art program offers three portfolios: Drawing, 2-D Design, and 3-D Design. The portfolios share a basic, three-section structure, which requires the student to show a fundamental competence and range of understanding in visual concerns (and methods).”

In other words, like all AP classes, AP art is a very in-depth class and requires a lot of work.

Some students who signed up for AP Art next year are upset to hear the news about the class being eliminated.

“We are starting to have AP languages classes, its not fair that we can’t have AP art classes,” said Emily Miller, a junior at Penn Manor.

Not only students who are planning to take this class are upset but students who have already taken and experienced the class believe it should be offered to enrich the art experience of other students.

“Juniors are very talented, they need this AP art class,” said Kira Klaassen, a junior who knows a lot about the class. “Students will benefit from the different use of mediums.”

One student in particular, Faith Walauskas, circulated a petition and made a group on Facebook to spread the word the class may no longer be in existence.

gotta have FAITH — Walauskas founder of Facebook group and the petition. Photo by Gabby Myers

The petition, that is floating around, has at least 132 signatures from students attending Penn Manor. The Facebook group was a popular hit, within 36 hours it had 200 members, according to Walauskas.

“Future art students can easily benefit from an AP art credit, it could determine if you get into college,” Walauskas said. “ If it (the petition) doesn’t work, at least everyone will know how angry we are.”

Penn Manor’s administration is trying to find ways to keep the class in the face of belt-tightening measures across the district.

The reasons the class may be cut is that only eight students signed up for it and a teacher will be dropping to elementary school level, thus causing a shortage of teachers.

“Its tough to assign a teacher to teach eight students, two blocks a year,” said Phil Gale. “I’d prefer to keep it if we had a teacher to teach it and kids to take it.”

Whether or not the class will stay is yet to be determined, however the concerned students will continue to work for their art class next year.

By Mike Bouder and Gabby Myers

Voting Scarce Among Penn Manor 18-Year-Olds

“It feels empowering.”

That’s how Penn Manor senior Mark Longenecker said he felt after voting in Tuesday’s Pennsylvania Primary election.

But not everyone who is eighteen and attending Penn Manor High School voted.

“First of all, I didn’t register, second, I had no means of transportation and third, I don’t care about local government,” said another 18-year-old senior.

That seemed to be the trend for most of the 18-year old Penn Manor students, they didn’t vote.

While, Joe Sestak took the race over the aging Arlen Specter for the Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seat on the Democratic side. Pat Toomey won the Republican nod and will face Sestak in the fall.

The other major race was for gubernatorial candidates. Tom Corbett was the Republican winner and will face Dan Onorato, a Democrat, in the general election.

“I didn’t register or I would have voted,” said senior Matt Glick.

It was difficult to find even one student eligible to vote who actually did.

Although primary elections can have light turnout, the Associated Press estimated less than 40 percent of registered voters turned out on election day.

joe sestak — Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator, Joe Sestak. Photo courtesy of Washingtonpost.co

Yet, many students have strong opinions on government and politics making it curious why more did not take advantage of one of the strongholds of democracy.

“I would say, that the students probably do not know where to go and register,” said assistant principal and history teacher Doug Eby, “the majority would vote if they knew where to go.”

One student, other than Longenecker, was found who did vote, “It was a very serious atmosphere,” said senior Andrew Zell, “I thought it would have been a lot cooler.”

By Zane Sensenig and Paul Slaugh

Doubling Down on Fat, Calories and, Yes, Taste

“It’s going to be loaded with calories, saturated fat and protein,” warned Anne Butterfield, RN, “it is abuse of the body.”

Given that I, like most Americans, eat something horribly toxic on a daily basis, I ignored her advice and bought one anyway.

Double Down Opened — The Double Down, pulled open.

It is the Double Down, so named for the fact that there’s two of everything, chicken, cheese and bacon.

It’s Colonel Sander’s newest creation and will be appearing at KFC’s nationally, though only for a limited time.

It comes with a cardboard pocket to hold while eating, a brilliant idea considering it has more grease than I thought even fast food chicken was capable of.

For those of you who refuse to eat this thing, and honestly, I don’t blame you, imagine eating chicken wings, a BLT and a chili dog at the same time. Really, I expected to end up reenacting the opening from Reservoir Dogs: “I’m gonna (expletive) die!” “You’re not gonna (expletive) die!” So far, it hasn’t killed me.

Looking for other students willing to down this “Down” thing, I found Carolyn Gable, who has not eaten one, but has heard of it.

“It’s like they were in the kitchen putting together a normal sandwich: ‘okay, chicken, bacon, cheese, mayo…Scott, we’re out of bread!’”

Then I spoke with Charles Kaufman, a sophomore who’s, apparently, brave enough to try what Stephen Colbert calls ‘the warped creation of a syphilitic mind.’

“It’s really indescribable. You finish one and you want more.”

He’s right about the indescribable bit. I only ate half of one and the only thing I remember thinking was “Dear God.” That and “I am going to die eating an abomination.”

Have you ever tried to eat two chicken breasts at once? It’s one of those things a person can do, but shouldn’t. You bite into this and grease just leaks from it into your mouth. It’s delicious and disgusting at the same time. And the Colonel’s sauce is just mayo. KFC owes me secret sauce. And a good chunk of my liver, probably.

Anyway, final verdict is that the Double Down is a pretty good sandwich that, yeah, was probably created by a crazy homeless man, but… oh, I think I’m gonna be sick.

By Kennedy Phillips

The Price of Paper Memories

To buy or not to buy?

That’s the question surrounding this year’s yearbook.

Though the prices have stayed the same, $59 in the fall, $75 in the spring and $85 plus tax on distribution day, the number of books sold has taken more than a 11 percent hit.

Last year, 1,140 yearbooks were sold and this year 1,000 were sold by this point.

Out of nine students polled, five have purchased a yearbook and four haven’t and don’t plan on it.

Freshman Lauren Swinehart said she is buying one because she “likes the idea of a book of memories.”

Sophomore Megan Schlegelmilch said, “I like how you can always have [the yearbook].”

Among the students not purchasing a yearbook, the reason seems to be unanimous – money.

“They’re expensive, I’ll just wait and get one my senior year,” said junior Jenna Waite.

Junior Lars Andersen said, “[The prices] are kind of high. I don’t really see the need, it’s like ransoming your memories.”

“No, I’m not getting one because the price is too high,” said sophomore Mikayla Herbert.

“They’re pretty expensive and [a yearbook] doesn’t matter to me,” said sophomore Logan White.

Douglas Anderson, a Penn Manor art teacher and the head of the yearbook, attributes a small part of the decrease in yearbook purchases to the constant change in class size, though he attributes the majority of it to the economy.

“It’s a pricey book, but I think people want something tangible for down the road,” Anderson said.

“I think [the price] is extremely high, what about people who can’t afford it?” said Schlegelmilch.

“Of course I’m getting one, it’s a yearbook,” said freshman Julia Norton.

Sophomore Aaron Sellers said, “They’re pretty expensive, but I’m still getting one.”

“I think they’re a bit pricey, but it’s a memory,” said sophomore Kierstin McDonald.

One solution would be making the yearbook completely online (much like Penn Points), but neither Anderson nor students find that to be a favorable option.

“I don’t think [sales] have gone down because of technology. I don’t think the yearbook will go online, five years from now, technology we have now might not be accessible,” Anderson said.

“I wouldn’t like that, I hate technology,” Waite said.

“That might be a little lame. The book’s there so you can have it,” White said.

“Maybe both [a book and online],” said Schlegelmilch.

Only time will tell the fate of the yearbook.

By Sarah Schaeffer

Fire Drill Scare Just a False Alarm

Monday, students at Penn Manor were left wondering why they were forced out into the sticky, humid morning weather twice in one day.

At the beginning of second block, students were interrupted by a routine fire drill.

In the middle of B lunch/third block, even more unexpectedly than the first time, another fire alarm erupted in the hallways and classrooms throughout the school.

“It was a waste of time,” said sophomore Willie Welsh.

Some students questioned whether or not the fire drill was legitimate, noting the sounds of fire trucks seemingly approaching Penn Manor High School.

“I thought it was really long,” said sophomore Nick Cunningham

According to principal Phil Gale, the first fire alarm was a drill. However, the second fire alarm was due to a faulty sensor somewhere in an unspecified location of the building.

Despite the sounds of fire trucks, the waves of mass confusion and the sight of principals on their cell phones, Penn Manor remains safe for another day.

By Zane Sensenig and Paul Slaugh

Summer, Sunshine and…Healthcare?

This year’s graduating seniors may be begging to come back.

Under the old health care policy, young adults were able to remain on their parents coverage as long as they were being educated, be it in college or graduate school. This option still holds true, but not all seniors will continue their education after high school, so not all will be covered by health insurance.

President Obama is trying to speed up the available insurance coverage for young adults, which could last until they turn 27, but the law suggests that some will not be able to sign up until 2011. Not only that, but employers will not be required to keep 20-somethings on their parents health care program.

So as seniors are pushed from the safety of high school and their parents’ health care into the workforce and uncertain coverage, they may just be desperately hoping to stay healthy.

1080174_stethoscope_1 — In the coming year, healthcare will be difficult to find for some high school graduates.

Dylan Swanson, a soon-to-be graduate without health care said if he injured himself in the coming year, he would fix it with “duct tape and 2 by 4’s.”

That answer (and others like it) seems to be the general consensus among out-of-luck seniors.

Neal Bricker, a 2009 Penn Manor graduate, was without health care for the past year.

“I just tried not to get sick, but I did have to go to the doctor once. Paying wasn’t fun,” said Bricker.

Deb Meckley, Penn Manor’s social worker, offered more reasonable solutions.

Meckley explained that if you live with someone you are not related to and your income falls below a certain level, you can apply for medical assistance.

Palco, as Meckley said, is a local group of doctors that provide free medical care from the goodness of their hearts, though you must enroll to be eligible.

Lancaster General Hospital is a third option, offering more wallet-friendly clinics.

The following link from The Washington Post can provide you with the projected changes for your personal health care program: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/what-health-bill-means-for-you/

By Sarah Schaeffer and Juan Montes

Stretchy, Stretchy, Stretchy, still a Duck

A new fad is smacking Penn Manor students right in the face. SillyBandz.

SillyBandz are the average jelly bracelets but when they are removed from the wrist they take the form of an animal or shape. They come in every color including glow-in-the dark! They come in many different packs such as the pet pack, the zoo pack, the sea pack, the basic pack, the dinosaur pack, etc.

The SillyBandz idea was thought up by Robert Croak. They are sold only in the US and Canada but other places are looking into possibly selling Sillybandz as well.

“The thing that I like most about Sillybandz is that it teaches kids how to share,” Clair Lethart said an employee working with SillyBandz.

Sillybandz became popular last year (2009) but are becoming more and more popular this year.

Sillybandz are sold on their website www.sillybandz.com for $4.95 for a 24 pack of bracelets, but they can be found at various other places like 5 Below or Walmart.

But what is it about these new bracelets that is driving students mad?

Students at Penn Manor had a variety of reasons.

“I like Sillybandz because they’re cool and amusing and you can stretch them,” Becca Eckman said.

“They’re stretchy and they prettified my wrist and I like taking it off and showing people my long-neck giraffe,” said Genny Leonards as she played with her bracelet.

“I like Sillybandz because they’re puuuurfect,” Zach Miller said referring to his kitty cat Sillyband.

Sillybandz are very popular not only in Penn Manor but all over the United States and Canada.

It looks like Sillybandz might find a way to stretch themselves worldwide.

By Gabby Myers

Are There Eyes Behind Our Screens?

When you look at your computer screen, what if there were eyes looking back at you?

Lower Merion School District, in suburban Philadelphia, was brought into the spotlight after student Blake Robbins sued the district under accusations of taking pictures of him through the web cam of his school laptop.

Now, USATODAY reports that the district has secretly taken over 56,000 pictures of students over a two-year period through the web cams.

The classrooms of Penn Manor have been buzzing wondering whether our school has been watching us as well.

Lower Merion claims they turned on the tracking service in order to claim lost or stolen laptops. The FBI has begun a criminal investigation regarding wiretapping.

“There were no written policies or procedures governing the circumstances surrounding activating the program and the circumstances regarding turning off the activations,” said Henry Hockeimer, the lawyer who represents the school district.

Officials have said that students did not sign waivers, such as our Penn Manor internet safety contact, agreeing to the hidden use of web cams.

Local schools are watching through webcams, but not Penn Manor. — Local schools are watching through web cams, but not Penn Manor.

…So does that mean Penn Manor can do the same thing? And are they?

“No, we cannot do that. We don’t have the capabilities to do that. Lower Merion uses a purchased program called ‘Lanrev’ that can remotely switch the cameras on, but no we can’t do that,” said Penn Manor’s head of technology Charlie Reisinger.

But how have the students and staff reacted to the incident at Lower Merion?

“Honestly, I thought they already could when the little green light comes on because of the rumors I heard, but it would really creep me out. I wouldn’t do anything, just stay on my guard,” said freshman Kelly Shertzer.

Some teachers and staff have gone as far as to place a piece of tape over their web cams – as a precaution.

“I don’t like people looking at me when they shouldn’t be,” said art teacher Kim McMullen, “I don’t like the invasion of privacy.”

Both experts and Reisinger explain that there are different ways Lower Merion – and Penn Manor – could find computers.

“There are less intrusive ways to track stolen laptops, no question about it,” said Marc Rotenburger a Georgetown University law professor who serves as President of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, according to USATODAY.com

“We have a system similar to a GPS, if someone would walk out with one of our computers it would basically ‘phone home’” said Reisinger.

It’s safe to say that no one’s watching you at Penn Manor, for at least now.

By Mike Nitroy and Lindsey Ostrum

Penn Manor Ready to Bust Their Brains

Live from the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg, it’s the Penn Manor Brain Busters team.

Along with their coaches, Sallie Bookman and Chris Meier, team members Grant Elledge, Brendan Stoeckl, Lars Andersen, Henry Stewart and alternate Christine Sharp have high hopes for the final round against Hershey on May 27.

“This is our third year [in Brain Busters] and we didn’t [win] the past two years. This is a big deal,” said Elledge.

If the team dominates after the 10-point first round, the “One v. One” second round, the “Point Wagering Section,” the “Pick a Topic Section” and the 20-point final round, they will receive $7,000. If the team takes second place after the hour long competition, they will receive $4,000 and one $5,000 scholarship to Shippensburg University.

Bookman said, “The money won’t go straight to the kids. We have to determine what to do with it.”

Along with the normal pressure of having to perform under a timer, the team must focus even harder on what they say, since the broadcast is live and it can’t be edited. There’s even a section where team members can get up and speak about a topic.

“The section’s not scripted, so you can say whatever,” said Stewart.

However the team is not too nervous about the knowledge aspect of the match.

“We’ve done so well because we are even. We have four different people with four different strengths,” said Bookman.

“I know when it comes around, I’ll be ready,” said Elledge.

The hardest part about being on Brain Busters, it seems, is getting fans to come out.

Elledge said, “We really want people to come. We’re trying to have buses for people.”

The Brain Busters final round, hosted by Rich Rosen, airs live on WGAL May 27 at 7 p.m.

By Sarah Schaeffer