Meteor Chronicle - the Montrose Area School District

Mete r Chronicle
Produced by the students of the Montrose Area Junior/Senior High School
Volume 25, Issue 5
Meteor
Chronicle
named
Best Overall
Newspaper
at the
Tom Bigler
Journalism
Conference at
Wilkes University
April 16
.......................................
Softball coach Mel Lasher tells
runner to wait on base at Susquehanna game May 11. For more
sports news, turn to Pages 11-12.
Montrose Area School District
Scholastic Team to Compete at Nationals
Walk in the hallways of
MAHS, and it’s very likely that
you’ll see various memorabilia
and displays honoring athletes for
their bold, physical feats, but it is
less likely that you’ll see anything
recognizing the academic or scholarly achievements of students.
Scholastic Team adviser John
Koloski has a different vision of the
hallways of MAHS. He imagines a
display case presenting the several
trophies and awards that have been
earned by the Scholastic Team,
not just to boast their victories but
to emphasize the critical role of
academia in high school.
“It would be tangible proof
that academics are important,” Mr.
Koloski said.
Years ago when the collection
of scholastic competition trophies
was small, perhaps a display case
wouldn’t have been necessary, but
now, especially with this year’s
team earning several trophies, a
case has become a necessity.
“It’s nice to actually have
enough of them,” Mr. Koloski said.
“….Over the years we’ve gotten
four different first-place trophies in
three different tournaments.”
The oldest first-place trophy in
Mr. Koloski’s possession is the one
the Scholastic Team earned at the
King’s College Bowl when he was
on the team in 1982.
One of this year’s Scholastic
Teams took the first first-place
trophy in five years, thanks to its
victory in the annual NEPA High
S c h o o l
Challenge
at Mountain
View High
S c h o o l
March 20.
T h e
team
of
juniors
Tom Jordan
and Tyler
H o l l i s t e r,
sophomore
Chris Jordan
and freshman David
Koloski
was created,
Mr. Koloski
said,
to
a l l o w
younger
Scholastic
T e a m
members
play
time Scholastic team adviser John Koloski (left) practices
and plenty of member Tom Jordan.
experience
to keep their competitive edge for in mathematics and sports, Chris
next year when several seniors will in WWII and modern history and
no longer be on the team.
David in computer science and
“The seniors had more opp- mathematics.
ortunities to compete,” Tyler said,
Even though the team had little
“so Mr. Koloski wanted to give us practice time and was up against
juniors a chance to compete…. He other teams known to practice
thought we’d get together well.”
more frequently, Mr. Koloski said,
The team is very “well bal- “despite the fact that we don’t
anced,” Mr. Koloski said, due practice as much, we still do great.”
to the broad expertise of the
“We knew we had a good
members. Tom is strong in med- shot [at Mountain View],” Tyler
ieval history and physics, Tyler said. “At practice we answered
Sophomore Aids in Certification
By Kate Kielceski, Staff Reporter
Seniors Brittany Bartok and Steven Lucenti were crowned prom
queen and king May 8. For more
senior news, see Pages 6-7.
DATES TO REMEMBER
May 26
Lathrop Street Field Days
High school stadium
All day
May 27
Band Concert/Awards Night
High school auditorium
6 p.m.
June 5
Senior Awards Night
High school auditorium
6 p.m.
June 6
United Way
Punt, Pass and Kick
High school stadium
11 a.m.
June 6
Baccalaureate/Class Night
High school auditorium
6 p.m.
June 12
Graduation
High school stadium
11 a.m.
During the 2004-05 school year,
sophomore Sandra Avila and her
family of seven moved to the United
States from Mexico. Because Sandra
and her siblings spoke no English,
they began the English as a Second
Language program at Lathrop Street
Elementary School. Six years later,
Sandra is working with a national
organization to help people dealing
with the same language barriers she
once did.
With the help of school nurse
practitioner Jean Hollister and Spanish/ESL teacher Cheryl Arnold,
Sandra began working with the
local American Red Cross chapter
in March. A new Pennsylvania law
requires all stone quarry workers to
be CPR-certified, so four individuals
from Honduras recently registered
for a CPR course at the local Red
Cross, but none could speak English,
Mrs. Arnold says.
“The Red Cross contacted me
and asked if there was someone at
Montrose High School that could
translate a CPR course,” Mrs. Hollister says. “I contacted Mrs. Arnold,
and it was Sandra.”
According to Mrs. Hollister,
the Red Cross had contacted other
chapters
throughout
Broome,
Lackawanna and Susquehanna
counties, looking for someone who
could translate the various CPR
instructional materials used in the
course, such as the written tests and
DVD’s, but no Spanish-speaking
translator was available.
Sandra was the obvious choice.
“She knows the Spanish. I could
help her with the technical words.
One week prior to the course, Sandra
received all the materials, and we
went over them,” Mrs. Arnold says.
The CPR training took place
March 30-31 for three hours each
Sandra Avila
day. Sandra worked as an instructor’s
aide, helping the teacher and the
quarry workers communicate.
Sandra says the most difficult
part was asking and answering questions about a topic that she was not too
familiar with.
“I was a little nervous about how
to respond to the people, but it turned
out okay,” Sandra says.
Sandra proved to be an especially
valuable resource when she determined that two of the trainees
could not read and was able to instruct them anyway, Mrs. Hollister
says.
“When I gave a page number, I
noticed two people looking over at
another person’s paper [to see the
numbers],” Sandra says. “I realized
that these people could not read.”
Due to her positive experiences
there, Sandra has chosen to work
with the Red Cross for her graduation
project. She is planning to continue
as an instructional aide for the CPR
classes offered to the local quarrymen
required to have CPR training and
certification. Mrs. Arnold will be her
mentor throughout this process.
“I liked it a lot and had a good
time,” Sandra says. “I want to keep
working there.”
By Eli Gere
Co-editor in chief
Eli Gere/Meteor Chronicle
answering questions with team
every question…. We knew every
nation’s capital.”
Such knowledge would certainly pay off, especially during
the last round against Abington
Heights, winner of last year’s
competition. The round was intense with the lead changing four
times before Montrose won 210205.
“It came right down to the
See Scholastic, Page 3
Jordan Elected
State FBLA Officer
“Simply the Best!” is the 20092010 national FBLA theme, and
MAHS future business leaders “have
proven they are in many ways,”
according to FBLA adviser Duane
Benedict.
At the Pennsylvania State FBLA
Conference in Hershey April 11-14,
11 students competed in 10 businessrelated events, five of those placing
among the top-ten finalists in their
events out of 80-120 competitors per
event. Another student was elected
to state office, and two junior high
students took first and second places in
middle school-level events.
Sophomore Chris Jordan was
elected state vice-president-at-large,
the first state officer from MAHS in
the school’s history.
“It’s a huge honor to be the first
state officer in Montrose history,”
Chris said.
Chris was one of several candidates
for office asked to give two-minute
speeches about why they wanted to
serve as the state’s FBLA officers.
“I was excited to give my speech in
front of 4,000 people, not only because
it seemed like it would be a valuable life
experience but also because it falsified
honors English teacher Sandy Kaub’s
‘most likely none of you will ever have
to give a manuscript delivery speech
to 1,000 people or more in your life’
comment during our study of public
speaking earlier this year,” Chris said.
In addition to Chris’s success,
freshman David Koloski placed
second in the HTML competition.
David took a 100-question test on
the language and syntax of HTML
used in Web pages.
“I feel that I did very well for my
first year in FBLA and am excited to
compete again next year,” David said.
May 2010
By Brooke Malloy
Staff reporter
Chris Jordan
Sixth-place finishers in Introduction to Technology Concepts and
E-business respectively were David
and senior Chris Stevens. Sophomore
Jason Savage placed seventh in Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure,
which is one of the hardest events a
tenth grader can enter, according to Mr.
Benedict.
Sophomores Alex Charles finished ninth in FBLA Principles and
Procedures, and Ashley Mershon
received the Business Achievement
FUTURE Award for her work with
the local chapter and doing community
service.
“It was really easy to accomplish
because it wasn’t just me; I had help
from others,” Ashley said.
Eighth grader Samantha Bennici
and seventh grader Clayton Hansen
earned perfect scores on their Creed
and Code of Ethics tests in the middle
school competition.
“I am very proud of what the
students have accomplished and the
way in which they did it. I received
several positive comments and compliments from other advisers and
students regarding Montrose FBLA
members’ attitudes and work ethic,”
Mr. Benedict said.
MAY 2010
PAGE 2
METEOR CHRONICLE
Students Going Green, Saving Resources
In a world full of economic
turmoil, corruption, and natural
disasters, one would think that
the environment might be the
least of people’s concerns.
Not so for some students and
teachers in the high school who
say they are doing everything
they can to help save the
environment.
“I recycle everything possible: paper, plastic, aluminum,
cardboard,” senior Carmen
VanNess says. “My family even
separates paper into recyclables
and non-recyclables, and we
burn the non-recyclables in our
wood stove for heat.”
Carmen says recycling in
her home is a family affair.
“My mother raised me to
believe that people need to do
their part to take care of the
environment, and that every
little bit helps,” Carmen says.
However, it’s not just about
recycling, Carmen explains.
It’s also about reuse and
reducing the amount of waste
that people produce in the first
place.
“Why go to Starbuck’s to
buy coffee? Even if it is served
in a cup made of recycled paper,
we could make the coffee at
home and drink it from a mug
and have nothing to recycle at
all,” Carmen says.
Senior Megan Henry shares
Carmen’s environmental interests. In fact, Megan says her
friendship with Carmen has
encouraged her to take greater
notice of the role individuals
could play in protecting the environment and the importance
of doing so.
Megan’s eighth grade geography teacher, Tom George,
who has since retired, also influenced her thinking, Megan
says.
“He taught us about conservation of water and securing
our natural resources,” Megan
says.
As long as she can
remember, Megan says, she has
been taught by her family not to
waste anyt-hing.
“My grandparents always
said to eat everything on our
plates, not to waste food,”
Megan says. “The lessons about
not wasting have always influenced my thinking, and I’ve
always transferred that mindset
to my actions outside of my
home.
“I work at Creek Bend, an
ice cream/miniature golf place
on Route 29, during the summer.
A lot of cans and bottles they
were using got thrown away, so
I started putting out bags for the
recyclables, and then I would
take the bags to the Montrose
Recycling Center.”
Individuals in the high
school are not the only ones
to pitch in to preserve the
environment. The recently
restarted recycling program
has “been a huge success,”
according to SADD adviser Bill
Host.
“SADD is recycling all
mixed paper in the building,”
Mr. Host says. “Every Thursday
[after school] kids go around
Principal’s Perspective
Farewell, Class of 2010
By Jim Tallarico
A. Rebello/Meteor Chronicle
There is no question that you
are a very unique bunch of kids.
Intelligent, talented, personable
and very independent are how
I could describe the Class of
2010. Yes, my goodness, very
independent.
You’ve been one of my
greatest challenges in my long
career in education. Trying to get
your class, a class with so many
diverse personalities, to think as
one has been an extra full-time
job. But it has been a job I’ve
enjoyed every step of the way.
As we draw closer to the end
of your high school career, I will
once again remind you to finish
what you start. You’ve probably
heard me say that to you these
past few years more than you’d
like to remember. You are a great
group of kids who have helped me
smile and enjoy every day we’ve
spent together. Your behavior has
been incredible, and for that I am
thankful.
For many of you, however,
school work has been put on
the back burner for quite some
time now. For that reason I will
worry about you and hope as
you begin your next journey
after graduation, remembering
my annoying you daily with the
Life As We Know It...
finish-what-you-start
speech,
that you will finally understand
what I meant. President Teddy
Roosevelt once said, “Much of
the stress that people feel doesn’t
come from having too much to
do; it comes from not finishing
what they started.”
My Pop John DeLucca once
said, “If you kick in the pants the
person responsible for most of
your troubles with not finishing
things, you wouldn’t sit for a
week.”
Being that Pop John and
President Roosevelt just happen
to be idols of mine, you can see
where I get my opinions from.
Please try to finish what you
start, and life will be a lot easier
for you.
Good luck, have a great life,
and yes, I will miss you!
“Life As We Know It” is a yearlong series devoted to informing
teens and the community about
some of the issues teens face.
Graduates Regret Missed Opportunities
By Chelsea Gelatt, Staff reporter
Ashley Tyson graduated from
MAHS in 2005 and now stays at
home with her two sons, Wyatt and
Logan, taking care of them day in
and day out in her one-bedroom
apartment. When she thinks back to
high school, Ashley remembers her
math classes.
“Math was my favorite subject; I
was always really good at it,” Ashley
says.
After she graduated, Ashley
worked at a local nursing home until
she had her first son Wyatt. Looking
back, she says she wishes she had
taken her time at MAHS more
seriously. Missing out on vo-tech, for
example, is one regret she has.
Ashley wishes she had attended
the Susquehanna County Career and
Technology Center at Elk Lake for
nursing. The center offers a half-day
vocational program for sophomores,
juniors and seniors to learn specific
skills related to careers such as
nursing, cosmetology, carpentry and
others, an opportunity Ashley missed
out on.
“I wish I had taken vo-tech
for nursing because it would have
really helped with a better career as a
nurse,” Ashley says.
A 2009 graduate, Matt Faux
remembers some of his favorite times
in high school being spent in history,
which was his favorite subject in
school. Now Mathew works as a
mechanic at his cousin’s garage and
as a kitchen worker at Binghamton
General Hospital. When he thinks
about classes he wishes he had taken
in high school, he too wishes he had
taken vo-tech for mechanics.
“It would have really helped me
with my career now if I had gone for
mechanics,” Matt says.
Some students say they dread
attending school for 180 days out of
the year, but these graduates advise
taking school seriously no matter
how hard it gets or how long it seems
to drag on because it’s important to
get the best education possible to be
successful in life.
Students often ask, “When are
we ever going to need to know
this?” Some graduates say they find
themselves wondering, “Why didn’t
I just pay attention and learn this?”
Derek Biner, a 2002 grad, works
in a grocery store in Binghamton. In
school his favorite class was art.
“Art was something I was really
interested in because I love to draw
and design things,” Derek says.
After graduating, Derek went
directly into the workforce, earning
minimum wages and living in a
small, one-bedroom apartment
because his low grades in high school
made him ineligible to attend any of
his dream colleges. Instead of settling
for community college, Derek
decided to go to work.
“I really wish I had taken my
tests more seriously. I tried to get by
on mostly homework, and I really do
regret it now,” Derek said.
Another example of graduates
with regrets is Sophie Fredrick,
Class of 2000. The 28-year-old lives
at home with her mother Brenda in
Scranton. Since graduating, Sophie
has not pursued a college degree
and is currently unemployed. In
high school her favorite subject was
history.
“I enjoyed learning about things
that happened in the past like the
wars; it was always interesting to see
how people lived,” Sophie says.
Sophie says she regrets all the
times she skipped her homework
or put it aside until the last minute.
Her constant refusal to study and
participate in class led her down a
path she wishes she could go back
and change, but unfortunately for
graduates, it’s too late. On the other
hand, it’s not too late for students still
attending MAHS, grads say.
“My advice to students would
be to study and focus on your
grades no matter how difficult that
is sometimes. It may seem like you
have a lot of time left in high school,
but that time goes by fast,” Sophie
says.
with carts and
[collect all the paper in the recycling
bins] in classrooms
and elsewhere.”
Freshman Chris
Baumgartner is one
of approximately
16 SADD members
who help with
the
Thursday
collections.
“We split into
groups and walk
around the school,
collecting the recycling
bins,”
Chris says. “Then
we take the recyclables to the
back of the school
and
put
them
in the recycling
containers
to
be taken to the
Montrose
Recycling Center.”
When
the
See Green, Page 3
..........................
By Cory Kimmell, Staff reporter
Eli Gere/Meteor Chronicle
Two anemomters, one at 80 ft. and one at
100 ft., test the possibility of wind power for
MAHS. The anemometers are attached to a
tower located next to the high school.
Senior Takes First Place
at State Skills USA Competition
By Eli Gere, Co-editor in chief
Photo provided
Skills USA winners Silas Chance, a senior (foreground), and
Derek Diskin, a junior (back row middle), are joined by other
Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center medalists at
the state Skills USA competition in Hershey April 14.
Senior Silas Chance will fly
for the first time in his life this
June when he travels to Kansas
City, Missouri, to compete in a
national Skills USA competition
representing the Susquehanna
County Career and Technology
Center (SCCTC) at Elk Lake.
Silas qualified for the
competition after winning gold
medals at regional and statelevel Skills USA competitions
in Wilkes-Barre in October and
Hershey in April.
Skills USA is a non-profit
organization that aims to prepare
students for careers in trade,
technical and service fields, and
health occupations.
Silas became a member
of Skills USA automatically
when he began vo-tech classes
at SCCTC in tenth grade. Last
year one of his SCCTC teachers
persuaded Silas to compete in
the regional competition in a
math-related field.
Silas took second place in his
category, related technical math,
which tested his algebra and
trigonometry skills through word
problems. The experience gave
Silas the confidence to compete
again this year.
“[Last year’s competition]
gave me an idea of what to
expect and how [the contest]
works,” Silas said.
After placing first at this
year’s state competition, Silas
learned that he could compete not
only at the national level but also
perhaps at the worldwide level.
“If I win at the national level,”
Silas said, “I could go on to the
world-level competition to be
held in London in October.”
Through
competing
at
states, Silas also discovered an
opportunity for future education.
“After I had received the
first-place medal, they were
taking pictures of everyone
who had placed,” Silas said.
“A representative of Penn
Tech (Pennsylvania College
of Technology) was there, and
he offered me a full, one-year
scholarship.”
In addition to Silas’ gold
medal at the Skills USA state
competition,
junior
Derek
Diskin won a silver medal in the
category of “outstanding chapter
of Skills USA carpentry and
cabinetmaking class.”
“I presented a scrapbook
that included minutes of chapter
meetings and descriptions of what
projects and activities students do
in the carpentry classes and in the
local community,” Derek said.
PAGE 3
MAY 2010
METEOR CHRONICLE
Scholastic, continued from Page 1
wire,” Mr. Koloski said. “They
worked for every point, and everyone
answered at least one question.”
The team’s success qualified
the players to compete in the High
School National Championship
Tournament in Washington, D.C.,
in June. Although it is not the first
time a MAHS team has qualified for
nationals, it is the first time a team
will attend. Tom will be the captain
of the team.
At the Tompkins Cortland Community College’s High School Chal-
lenge April 25 Tom finished with the
highest average number of points per
game and the most toss-up answers
out of more than 100 competitors,
earning him a spot on the All-Star
Team with three other competitors
and an individual trophy.
Many of the Meteor players
have grown since the beginning
of the year, Mr. Koloski said. He
witnessed players grow intellectually
while having fun and still remaining
“humble” enough to sit out a round to
give others a chance.
“Some people developed leadership qualities and organiza-ional
skills…. People answered questions
I couldn’t believe,” Mr. Koloski said.
“I want them to have fun and learn;
that’s what they’ve been doing.”
“Phenomenally successful” is
the way Mr. Koloski describes his
first year as Scholastic Team adviser,
considering the many successes the
team has had. This year gives him
even more hope for the next.
“Next year will be an awesome
year!” he said.
Mock Accident: Sober Prom Reminder
.........................................................................................................................................
Polling: Teaching and Learning
By Carmen VanNess
Staff reporter
Each year senior government teacher Joe Festa
helps his students understand
the workings of government
and the political systems in
the United States. One topic
the students discuss is polling
the masses.
Each government class
is required to create and administer a survey about a topic of its choice. The idea is to
show students how polls of
large numbers of people are
conducted; how respondees
are randomly selected; how
results are tabulated, taking
into consideration margins of
error, and so on.
This year Mr. Festa’s seniors asked randomly selected
students in the high school
their opinions about gas
drilling and its environmental
effects and school policies
dealing with discipline, the
dress code and academic
integrity. A sampling of
the questions asked and
responses received is to the
right.
Dress Code
Students should be allowed to wear
flip-flops.
Disagree: 15%
Students should be required to wear
uniforms.
Agree: 71% Agree: 13% Disagree: 78%
Khakis/polo shirt would be a reasonable
uniform.
Agree: 34% Disagree: 53%
Discipline
Three minutes are long enough to move
from class to class:
Agree: 15%
Disagree: 78%
I use my cell phone in school.
Agree: 57% Disagree: 24%
Thirty minutes is enough time to eat lunch.
Agree: 46% Disagree: 46%
Academic Integrity
I have copied someone else’s homework
and handed it in as my own.
Agree: 51%
Disagree: 44%
I
have never cheated on a test.
I
think cheating in school is wrong.
Agree: 55%
Agree: 71%
Disagree: 40%
Disagree: 14%
Students Place at Computer Fairs
By Kayla Tyson,
Staff reporter
Junior Mike Duncan and senior Chris Ralston took first place
in the programming category at
the intermediate stage of the Pennsylvania Computer Contest at
Keystone College March 8. The
fair is an annual event allowing
students in grades nine through
12 to demonstrate creativity and
computer knowledge, according
to computer science teacher Mike
Clifford.
Mike and Chris will advance to
the state level competition May 25
at Dickinson College in Carlisle,
Pa.
“I’m not nervous [for states].
I’m actually quite impatient,” Mike
said.
The project Mike and Chris will
take to states is a 3-D video game
set in outer space that challenges
players to pilot spaceships and
destroy asteroids and enemy spaceships. The game gets harder as the
hero becomes stronger and the
enemies more challenging, Mike
said.
In the Web design category of
the Keystone contest, senior Chris
Stevens placed third, and seventh
grader Kostas Konstas took third
in the computer fair logo category.
Chris designed a Web site for
Dreamakers Kustoms in Vestal, a
custom car shop.
“The Web site did well in
competition, but I believe the
judges were looking for more
information, and this was more of a
portfolio/brochure site,” Chris said.
In
another
display
of
outstanding computer skills, four
students placed first out of 15
teams competing in the 11th annual
Great Valley Computer Contest
at Penn State Worthington in
Eli Gere/ Meteor Chronicle
Montrose firefighters and emergency crew work on rescuing senior
Carmen VanNess from a destroyed vehicle during the mock automobile accident held at the high school as part of prom activities May 7.
...........................................................................................
Myers Earns Fourth
at All-State Choral Festival
Sophomore Jake Myers finished in fourth place in Bass
II at the Pennsylvania Music
Educators’
Association’s
(PMEA’s) All-State Choral
Festival held in Pittsburgh
April 21-24.
In all, thirty Bass II singers
competed for spots in the
Music Educators’ National
Conference All-Eastern Choir,
which will include high
school students from 13 midAtlantic and eastern states and
Washington, D. C.
Jake had qualified for
states by finishing second in
Bass II at the PMEA Region
IV competition held March 1113 at Tunkhannock Area High
School.
To achieve his goals in
competition, Jake says he
studies with a private tutor and
practices hours every week
outside of his regular chorus
classes in school.
“I don’t think I’ve ever
taught a student who combines
such a high level of work ethic
with a surprising sense of
humility,” choral director Scott
Zimmerman says, “and who
puts in more time outside of his
choral rehearsals and after-school
practices with me.”
Based on Jake’s strong
performance at states, Mr.
Zimmerman says Jake has an
excellent chance of being selected
for the All-Eastern Choir.
“I have seen twelfth-place
state finalists be selected for AllEastern Choir, so Jake’s standing
definitely puts him in good
standing for consideration,” Mr.
Zimmerman says.
Decisions about All-Eastern
Choir qualifiers will be announced
in late summer, according to Mr.
Zimmerman, and the choir will
convene in Baltimore March 31
through April 3, 2011.
“This past year has been an
eye-opening experience for me,”
Jake says. “I have met wonderful
people and have made so many
memories. If I had to choose one
thing that I have learned from all
of this, it is that hard work and
dedication really do pay off in the
long run.”
.......................................................................................
Green continued from Page 2
containers are nearly full, Mr. Host
says, Rickie Clapper, Director of
Main-tenance, calls the recycling
center to pick up the contents.
The school district has
discovered
that
protecting
the
environment
can
have
economic advantages as well,
according to ­­­­­technical assistant and
energy manager Chris Tripp.
“We are in contact with a
company that utilizes changes in
habits to achieve a reduction in
energy usage. We have been in
contact for about a year-and-aAmanda Rebello/ Meteor Chronicle half and have reduced our energy
Senior Chris Ralston (left), junior Mike Duncan and Web design usage by approximately 26 percent,
equals
approximately
teacher Mike Clifford discuss an e-mail to be sent to the judges of which
the Pennsylvania Computer Contest to be held in Carlisle May 25. $215,000. This is also equal
Chris and Mike will enter a 3-D video game in the state competition. to a reduction of 1,070 metric tons of CO2 or 192
Dunmore March 9. The winning Ralston.
passenger
cars
not
driven
team included juniors Molly
Mr. Clifford supervises and as- for one year or 27,358 tree
Bruner and Courtney Hinds and sists the students who compete in seedlings
grown
for
10
seniors Amanda Rebello and Chris both computer contests each year years,” Mr. Tripp says.
Stevens.
by reminding the students to work
Senior Kim Stetson, a member
Their project was a Web hard and keeping them up to date of student council’s Liaison
page designed for Treebeard with the contest rules, Mike said.
Committee, is trying to further
Hardwoods, a lumber company
Next year, Mr. Clifford is increase the money saved by
located in Brackney.
hoping to start a computer club the school district by urging the
“We did a lot of work and for students in grades nine through administration to build a windmill
photo-taking for this Web site,” 12 who want to participate in the on the high school’s grounds.
“The school is in a one-year
Chris said. “It turned out great with computer contests and for those
a fully functional eCommerce store who are interested in graphics, he wind test right now to see if the
and the latest in Web 2.0 features.” said. Any student who is interested school grounds are windy enough
for [a windmill],” Kim says. “There
Placing fourth at Penn State is encouraged to join.
was the team of juniors Bryce
“All students really need is is a running joke in the senior high
Carlton, Aaron Cunningham and interest to succeed,” Mr. Clifford that if a windmill is built, there will
be a plaque on it saying, ‘Kim’s
Keenan Ross-Robertson and said.
windmill.’”
seniors Mike LoSapio and Chris
Megan and Carmen say
that despite the actions already
taken by SADD and the school
district, there are still so many
things that could be done to look
after the environment.
“I’m glad SADD restarted
[the
recycling
program],
but there are still things we
could recycle,” Carmen, who
sometimes carries recyclables
home from school with her,
says. “People don’t realize how
bad water bottles are on the
environment.”
Richard Brill, professor of
science at Honolulu Community
College, says “the production
of the 29 billion polyethylene
terephthalate
(PET)
water
bottles used in the United States
requires nearly 900,000 tons
of the plastic, the equivalent of
more than 17 million barrels of
crude oil annually.”
But that is only the cost of
the bottles. Other costs of bottled
water include the energy used
to fill the bottles, to transport
them to store shelves possibly
hundreds of miles away, to
refrigerate the bottles and more.
“I don’t see too many
people [recycling],” Megan
says. “Some people are too lazy
to recycle bottles, so they just
throw them away.”
“Anything we can do to
help the environment is a good
thing,” Mr. Host says.
PAGE 4
Opinion
METEOR CHRONICLE
MAY 2010
Editorial
Does Age Matter?
Teenagers often hear stories
from their grandparents about
how “in the good old days”
30-year-old men would wed
girls of the ripe old age of about
15. Though this much of an age
difference between partners
seems to have become rare,
dating someone more than a year
younger or older seems to appeal
to many MAHS students.
Whether seeking maturity
is the main issue, or there’s just
some sort of je ne sais quoi (“I
don’t know what”) about pursuing
someone of a different age, 63
percent of 76 randomly surveyed
senior high students reported that
they have dated and/or are dating
someone more than a year older
or younger than they.
The age of consent is 16 years
in Pennsylvania, according to the
LegalMatch Web site, and anyone
between the ages of 13 and 16
may consent to sexual relations
with any person who is no more
than four years older. However,
numerous senior high students
say that age shouldn’t matter.
“Love can be found anywhere,”
they say.
Even if “love can be found
anywhere,” it’s important for
teens to pay attention to certain
factors. One such factor is the
education levels of those in whom
they may be interested.
Let’s say a male senior is
dating a female freshman. The
senior is preparing for college,
which may be a distance from
his home, whereas the freshman
is just getting used to senior high
school. This hypothetical couple
should be prepared for possible
long periods of separation and
the need to deal with the different
expectations each partner may
develop as he/she advances in
school.
The older partner may expect
his girlfriend to share similar career goals, life responsibilities—
such as going to college, getting
a well-paying job or even raising
a child—and a commitment to a
serious relationship.
On the other hand, the
younger partner may expect a
large quantity of quality time with
her companion and for him to
participate in activities that may
be “too young” for him, such as
school dances, sports activities or
other high school events.
Other issues in dating a
significantly
older/younger
person may include managing
money, sexual relations, how
far each partner wants to take
the relationship, even where the
couple may eat a meal.
Pennsylvania state law says
no one under the age of 18 is
permitted to visit a bar that allows
smoking. One partner may be
allowed to enter an establishment
while his significant other is too
young, even if the couple is there
only for dinner.
Teens in junior high may
be less concerned about saving
money than their senior high
peers and much less so than
college students. Also, a younger
partner may expect the older
partner to buy her gifts or drive
her places that he simply cannot
afford.
Another
concern
raised
by partners with significant
age differences could be the
seriousness of the relationship.
While the older partner may
be gearing up for a marriage
proposal, the younger may not
yet be sure whether she wants
a long-term relationship at all,
much less marriage.
And then there’s the question
of sexual involvement. The issue
of sex often comes before the
thought of marriage, and either
partner could expect more than
the other is prepared to give,
especially when one partner is
considerably older.
In any relationship, partners
should be confident in their
knowledge of one another and
his/her expectations if the match
is to thrive.
Realizing a partner’s assumptions can mitigate possible future
conflicts. If one partner, for example, doesn’t know that the other
expects sexual intimacy, he/she
may be unprepared to say “no” in
future situations. Such intimacy
before one is ready can lead to
psychological problems, such as
feelings of regret or distaste for
one’s self, and can possibly affect
other relationships in the future.
Another possible psychological effect of dating an older
person is skewed decisionmaking. Consider a high school
senior girl who dates a college
junior and chooses the university
she will attend solely on where
her boyfriend is, regardless of
whether the school best meets her
career goals.
Though it is admirable
to believe that “love can be
found anywhere,” teens should
be cautious. Moving through
a relationship with someone
significantly
older/younger
may present difficult issues and
disappointing, if not dangerous,
consequences.
Editorial Cartoon
Dress Code Issues . . . Still
What exactly is a flip-flop?
..........................................................................................................................................
Another Voice:
Teachers Leave
Lasting Impressions
By Tatim Brace
Opinion editor
As a high school senior, I look
back and realize that most of my
years have been spent in school,
and most adults I have interacted
with on a regular basis have been
teachers.
Like all other human beings,
teachers are as unique as the
students they instruct. Some are
strict and authoritarian; others
are more flexible and laidback;
most are dedicated to helping
Meteor Chronicle
Montrose Area Junior/Senior High School
Co-editors in chief.......................Eli Gere
Katelyn Spellman
News/Features editor...................Katelyn Spellman
Opinion editor..............................Tatim Brace
Arts & Entertainment editor......Angela Short
The Chronicle is a student publication researched, written and produced by members
of the staff named here and printed by the
Mulligan Printing Corporation. All unsigned
Elementary co-editors.................Geena Bistocchi
editorials within this publication were written
to reflect solely the opinion of the newspaper
. Samantha Vetri
Junior high editor.........................Leah Cronk
Sports editor.................................Megan Henry
Photo co-editors...........................Katie Hibbard
Amanda Rebello
staff. Letters to the editor are welcome and
will be published as space allows but must be
signed and include contact information. Names
Editorial cartoonist......................Clara Lattimore
will be withheld upon request. The Chronicle
Adviser..........................................Sandra Kaub
reserves the right to edit letters for grammar
and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws
Staff
Dallas Ely, Chelsea Gelatt, Johanna Hripto, Kate Kielceski,
Cory Kimmell, Courtney Kimmell, Kaitlin Liddick, Brooke
Malloy, Katy Swingle, Kayla Tyson,
Carmen VanNess
50 High School Rd. Montrose, PA 18801
“Why do we have to follow the rules,
and she walks around like that?”
governing obscenity, libel, privacy and disruption of the school process as are all contents
of the newspaper. The Chronicle’s editorial
policy is available upon request.
newspaper@masd.info
(570) 278-3731
their students achieve academic
excellence.
It only makes sense that those
we spend time with daily will tend
to influence the kind of people we
become. Teachers serve as more
than just instructors then; they’re
role models, mentors, protectors,
sometimes even confidants.
One quality a great teacher
must possess is an interest in
what his/her students have to
say and what they have to offer.
Today’s high school students will
become tomorrow’s leaders. The
confidence and knowledge to find
what one has to offer to the world
often come from teachers. Many
teachers are competent instructors
but know very little about their
students other than their names
and what time they’ll appear in
their classrooms each day.
Most everyone comes across
that one teacher in high school
whom he/she will never forget.
Some might even consider the
individual to be a friend.
I have been fortunate enough
to meet two teachers whom I
will remember as friends. Both
teachers have given me gifts
more valuable than the necessary
education. They have taught me
life lessons because they care
enough about students to truly get
to know them.
Thanks to my journalism
teacher, Sandy Kaub, I feel
confident about my writing. I
understand that good writing
is about constant revision. I
know this not because of her
usual editing and suggestions
for how students can improve
their newspaper articles. I know
this because of her encouraging
words of wisdom and because
of the way she knows every staff
member’s individual strengths
and weaknesses as writers. The
amount of one-on-one time Mrs.
Kaub spends with a student is
proof of her teaching skills going
far beyond the requisite classroom
duties.
The second teacher I will
remember even after I leave high
school is my math teacher of two
years, Tom Lucenti. Mr. Lucenti is
the type of teacher who befriends
his students, and like Mrs. Kaub,
gets to know them as individuals.
When I first met Mr. Lucenti,
I could never have predicted how
close we’d someday become. I
have learned from him that even
someone with whom one has few
common interests can become a
life-long friend.
Mr. Lucenti has also taught
me that some teachers really do
care about their students enough
to notice if one of them is having
a bad day. He takes the time to
ask his students how they are and
what they’ve been up to. He is a
perfect example of a teacher who
bonds with students in a way that
makes instruction more profound.
Author William A. Ward
once wrote, “The mediocre
teacher tells. The good teacher
explains. The superior teacher
demonstrates. The great teacher
inspires.”
As a graduating senior, I
won’t soon forget these teachers
who inspired me at a time when,
as high school students, we don’t
always know who we are and
what we stand for. It’s truly great
teachers who push us to succeed
and instill self-confidence in order
to help us figure out the answers
to these important questions.
...........................................
Roving
Reporter
“Who Is Your
Hero?”
MAY 2010
METEOR CHRONICLE
Face Off:
Stand Up and Salute
OPINION
To Pledge r
o Not to Pledge?
By Amanda Rebello, Photo co-editor
Imagine yourself a student
sitting in homeroom on a
Monday morning. The voice
on the loud speaker asks for a
moment of silence. Then it asks
for everyone to stand or pause
in the hall for the Pledge of
Allegiance. Do you stand? Or
do you remain seated? If you
stand, do you recite the words
of the Pledge out loud?
Now imagine the same
situation, only this time there is
a member of the military sitting
next to you. If you’re one of
the people who don’t typically
stand up or don’t recite the
Pledge, how do you feel sitting
next to a man who has served
our country with devotion and
dedication as he stands and
salutes the flag which stands for
what he protects?
If you’re opposed to the war
in Iraq, or you don’t like the
way our government is being
run, then consider this: The
American flag stands for the
protection of your freedoms and
rights, the ones that allow you
your opinions. If you wouldn’t
mind giving those up, then
please feel free to stay seated
during the Pledge of Allegiance.
The United States is a free
country. No one should be
forced to stand up and recite
something he/she truly doesn’t
believe. However, if one really
stops and thinks about it, what in
the Pledge is so offensive? The
speaker is promising loyalty
to something that stands for a
united country and its protection
of a democratic government
guaranteeing liberty and justice
for all.
PAGE 5
Some people have an
aversion to saying “under God”
for religious reasons. However,
our country was founded by
God-fearing men. They shaped
our country with their beliefs. It
seems illogical to disregard the
fact that our country was indeed
founded under God. The speaker
is not being forced to say he/
she believes in God; he/she is
merely asked to acknowledge
that the people who founded our
country did.
People shouldn’t set aside
opinions or views of their own
and just follow blindly whatever
is laid out in front of them, but
there are some things that as
Americans we should respect.
We should be well informed
and know what we are standing
up for anytime we stand up.
Americans should know what
the flag stands for and why they
should respect it.
When a person stands up
to pledge the flag, that person
is saying he/she is loyal to
something that stands for the
union of the 50 states we live
in. Preserving that union is
something we fought a civil war
over. One would think that if it
was worth going to war over, we
could declare our loyalty once a
day.
The flag also stands for the
unique structure of government
we have, and since that
government is what gives us
the right to be sovereign, again
one would think it’s worth
acknowledging.
The Pledge also conveys
the strength of our country,
using the word “indivisible.”
It states that guaranteed liberty
and justice belong to everyone.
Americans who understand how
big a deal having these things is
should want to pay respect to the
thing that stands for all of this.
No one should be forced to
stand up for the thirty seconds
it takes to salute the flag and say
the Pledge. As an American, one
should want to show respect to
the flag that stands for the place
that allows him/her the freedom
to have that choice.
Free Speech Means Choice,
Not Obligation
By Eli Gere, Co-editor in chief
violent revolution or overthrow,
who is to say that he should not
have the legal right to refrain from
the Pledge to express his lack of
faith in our nation’s policies or
actions?
The words “under God” create
controversy with our nation’s
actual beliefs and values. That
is not to say that Christianity is
wrong, or that we should not be
allowed to exercise spirituality and
patriotism at the same time, but by
the Establishment Clause of the
U.S. Constitution, no law or act
of Congress can directly support
or harm any religion. So how can
there then be laws compelling
school children to say the Pledge
throughout our nation when many
Americans are not Christians?
In 1954, when the words “under
God” were added to the Pledge and
approved by President Eisenhower,
much of our nation was Christian,
but today that majority is shrinking.
By including the words “under
God” and punishing school children
for not saying the Pledge, Jews,
atheists, Jehovah’s Witnesses,
Muslims and others are directly discriminated against. This idea may
be hard for Christians to accept,
given the significant role their
faith has played throughout our
country’s history, but try to imagine
belonging to another religion while
also a legal resident of our nation.
Imagine being a high school
student and having to recite the
Pledge despite personal beliefs, or
simply not repeating the oath and
undergoing the unjust punishment
of school officials, punishment
that was delivered to a Jehovah’s
Witness in a Seattle middle school,
who was forced to stand outside
in the rain after refusing to say the
Pledge. Then there is the harassment
and embarrassment brought on by
peers who may not understand the
beauty of our nation’s emphasis on
individual rights.
All of this could occur despite
the precedent of law of the 1943
U.S. Supreme Court case Virginia
Board of Education v. Barnette,
which mandated that freedom
of speech is not the requirement
of speech. This is the case that
officially ruled that school children
could not be compelled to say the
Pledge of Allegiance. Amazing that
such a progressive action occurred
when our nation was going through
the greatest war of its history,
and yet even then freedom of
expression and the Establishment
Clause persevered over blindly
obedient patriotism.
When our nation’s forefathers
gathered to form the U.S. Constitution, they certainly did not want
a nation solely dominated by
Christianity. They envisioned a
nation where individualism and
freedom of expression would triumph. They did not perceive a
nation where those who opposed
the government even in small acts
would be persecuted. After all, they
themselves had revolted against the
British government.
Refusing to pledge the American flag does not discredit or
demonstrate a lack of faith in the
men and women who have and
continue to fight valiantly for our
nation. To the contrary, the right to
refrain from repeating the Pledge
symbolizes the very freedom those
brave souls protect.
Many may argue that all the
fuss over the Pledge is nonsensical
and a waste of time. Although it is
probably true that there are issues
of greater priority to address,
it is the language of a nation’s
people that hold it up and keep the
communication and free thinking
of its people active.
Imagine the world of George
Orwell’s 1984 in which the government is all-powerful and almost
omnipresent. Any opposition is
completely and utterly eliminated,
and no one is free to think on his/
her own.
The means by which this is enforced is not simply through brute
force but by the manipulation and
alteration of language so that no
one could even understand or think
of opposing the government.
In order to assure this does not
happen, we must make sure that we
never unwillingly or thoughtlessly
participate in acts of patriotism. We
must instead rely on a contradictory
resolution: that we will support
the beauty and grandiosity of our
nation and its values while always
being wary of unjust oppression or
unnecessary action.
“My grandpa because
even though he struggled
with
cancer, he stayed strong
and did all he could to
help
our family.”
“The Goonies because
they never say die.”
“Taylor Swift for
proving a small-town
girl can make a name for
herself.”
Megan Gregory
Geena Bistocchi
Daryan Gregory
Patriotism has long been a
useful tool for our country in times
of confusion and sorrow, times
that forced us to endure immense
hardships and suffer incredible
woes–WWII, Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina.
It is during times like these
when as a nation we do come
together that many Americans feel
a patriotic surge. Our love for our
country is expressed in many ways,
often with the Pledge of Allegiance
to the symbol of our nation: the
American flag.
However, true patriotism and
belief in America and what it
stands for sometimes conflict with
what is the norm, or what we are
instructed to do. If a government
is to be called a democracy, there
must always be an adversarial
relationship between those who
wish the country to remain the same
and those who wish to reform it so
that there are checks and balances.
And there must always be freedom
of speech, the first guaranteed right
of the Bill of Rights, for without
that, there would be no balance of
power, only ignorant obedience to
whatever those in power demand.
The Pledge of Allegiance is
certainly a prime example of a time
when people should have the right
to be silent, not because they are
lazy or uninterested but because
they have legitimate beliefs that by
principle are being oppressed by
the Pledge and its words.
When
someone
pledges
the flag with sincerity, he is not
simply repeating a boring motto
or verse (although its overuse
may sometimes lead to that). He is
symbolically swearing an oath to
support his nation. If someone who
lives in our nation has no desire for
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
“Quinton ‘Rampage’
“Jimi Hendrix because he
brought peace and love Jackson because he is the
best light heavyweight
to music in the 1960s and
UFC fighter,
is an inspiration for guiand he’s hilarious.”
tar
players.”
Denver Tyler
Senior
Mike Chapel
Junior
Sophomore
Senior
Grade 7
What a Long,Strange Trip It’s Been: Class of 2010
PAGE 6
Seniors’ Fears Revealed
“What scares you most
about life after high school?”
Macy Hansen
“Learning the responsibilities of an adult
and using those responsibilities to help me
become the best person
I can be.”
Travis Luff
“Nothing. I’ve been
ready to get out
there for a while.”
Julia Koloski
Alyssa Allis
“Continuing my
senioritis and failing
at college life.”
Emily Wesoloski
“Probably being away from
friends and family. It’s such
a change that will take time
to get used to.”
“My routine I have followed
for my whole life, 12 years, is
about to change completely.
The world is about to turn upside down in a good way.”
Alan Charles
“Women”
Derek Stocker
“I really have no fear about life
after high school because I feel
that I’m ready for it. I will say
that I have regrets of missing
opportunities while I was
in [high] school.”
Alex Reid
“[Not] getting enough money
and a good [enough] job
to stay ahead of the economy
and support myself
in the changing world.”
Carmen VanNess
“Not being able to make a
positive impact on the wod.”
Albert, David K. – SUNY Binghamton, Mech. eng./Computer eng.
Allis, Alyssa M. – Univ. of Albany, Pre-dental
Anderson, Allison K. – Penn State Hazleton, Medical laboratory tech.
Baker, James R. – Broome Comm. Col., Undecided
Bartok, Brittany A. – Albright Col., Biochemistry
Bennett, Cassandra D. – Keystone Col., Nursing
Bicknell, Nicholas A. – Workforce
Birchard, Casey J. – Mansfield Univ., Graphic design
Birtch, Jessica L. – Workforce
Bistocchi, Geena M. – Keystone Col., Physical therapy
Brace, Tatim N. – Marywood Univ., Broadcast comm.
Brewer, Taylor L. – Broome Comm. Col., Nursing
Brumbley, Ashley M. –Unknown
Burnett, Michael J. – Broome Comm. Col., Business
President
Cain, Taylor W. – U. S. Army
Derek Sydlosky
Castrogiovanni, Bryan D. – Indiana Univ. of Pa., Undecided
Caterson, Erin L.­­­­– Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre (WV), Farrier
Chance, Silas N. – Undecided
Charles, Alan J. – Susquehanna Univ., Environ. science
Clark, Adam J.– Undecided
Clark, Nicolas W. – Undecided
Cook, Brooke S. – Unknown
Cook, Devin C. – Workforce
Coy, Ashley B. – Broome Comm. Col., Undecided
Daral, Victoria S. – Full Sail Univ. (FL) – Music business
Dearborn, Makenzie, A. – Ithaca Col., Occupational therapy
DeRiancho, Dana L. – Ithaca Col., Exploratory Studies
Fair, Jordan J. – Broome Comm. Col., Criminology
Fiore, Victoria L. – Ocean City (NJ) Vocational Tech. Sch., Pastry arts
Ford, Phillip M. – Unknown
Fowler, Samantha J. – Broome Comm. Col., Sales/marketing
Fox, Emily A. – Broome Comm. Col., Sonography
Fruehan, Nicolette A. – University of Pittsburgh, Pre-pharmacy
Gana, William E. – Broome Comm. Col., Echo technician
Friends and Hard Workers: The Dynamic Duo
Six years ago two friends made
a pact. The pact detailed their future
plans, dreams and aspirations. These
plans included attending Penn State
University, rooming together and
majoring in education. The sixth grade
girls were prepared to work hard to
achieve their goals and stick together
through thick and thin.
Fast forward to the present. While
some of their original plans have
changed, seniors Megan Henry and
Brittany Bartok have remained friends
through the trying times of junior and
senior high school and have worked
hard—hard enough to become this
year’s senior class valedictorian and
salutatorian respectively.
While some goals may have
changed since their sixth grade
promise, this inspirational duo remains
strong. They have been fast friends
since elementary school, played
softball together and shared many of
the same classes. However, despite
these similarities, their individuality is
outstanding.
Valedictorian Megan has been
active in a number of school sports and
activities throughout her high school
career. She has played soccer and
softball each of her four years in senior
high and belongs to Student Council,
National Honor Society, Spanish Club
and Ski Club. She is seen at many inschool and out-of-school activities.
With a smile and a willingness to help
those around her, Megan has tutored
students regularly through National
Honor Society, giving up her lunch
periods to do so.
Megan is “one of the most
dedicated students I’ve come across
in all my years of teaching. She
exemplifies what a student should be,”
AP American government teacher Joe
Festa says.
Art, Megan’s true passion, is
clearly a talent she takes pride in.
She spends at least two periods a day
in the Room 64. She takes Art 3 and
independent studies, an equivalent of
Art 4, with art teacher Cathy Regan.
“She comes in every day, ready to
work. She loves trying new things and
gets excited about new things,” Mrs.
Regan says.
By Carmen VanNess, Staff reporter
Megan Henry
Megan plans to attend Indiana
University of Pennsylvania next fall
on a full- tuition scholarship. She will
major in art education with a possible
dual major or minor in Spanish. Hoping
to one day teach internationally, Megan
has also considered joining the Peace
Corps after college graduation.
A long list of activities explains
how salutatorian Brittany fills her time
as well. She is an active member of
Key Club and the IONS Chemistry
Club and has helped organize a number
of IONS trips to Lathrop Street and
Choconut Valley to teach children the
importance of science. Brittany also
belongs to the National Honor Society
and the Spanish Club.
Despite all of her commitments,
Brittany still manages to find time for
her true passion, softball. She even
hopes to become a coach sometime in
the future.
Well known for her sunny
personality, Brittany was elected
2010 prom queen by a majority of the
upperclassmen who attended the high
school’s prom May 8.
“She’s a wonderful student who
is a pure joy to have in class. Her
exuberance lights up my room,” Mr.
Festa says. She is an incredible student
with an amazing work ethic.”
Brittany plans to attend Albright
University in the fall, half of her fees
covered through scholarship money
provided by Albright. She will dual
major in biochemistry and history,
perhaps incorporating both in the
workplace. She has also considered
becoming an emergency room
physician.
“Brittany is very deserving because
she works so hard at everything she
does,” AP chemistry teacher Deb
Lewis says.
Finding the balance between
school work and extracurricular
activities in high school was difficult
for both Megan and Brittany, the girls
say.
“Being selective about what
activities to go to made senior year
better. What I did I put my heart into,”
Brittany explains.
However, choosing between
school work and attending sporting
events or hanging out with friends
became a bit stressful for both girls.
“During high school I learned a lot
of hard lessons and made a lot of tough
decisions, but I am glad I got them
over with sooner than later,” Brittany
says. “Balancing my time wisely and
Brittany Bartok
choosing between studying and going
to events was difficult.”
While both girls have clearly
made an impact on those around them,
MAHS has also had an impact on
them.
“MAHS has played such a huge
role. My entire life thus far has been
about high school, but there is so much
more out there,” Megan says. “[I will
miss] the people and especially my
teammates. Being a part of that was
important.”
Both girls say they are excited to
meet knew people and experience new
things.
“I won’t necessarily miss everyone
and everything because there is so
much more to experience and many
more people to meet. I know I’ll see
my friends again and keep in touch,”
Brittany says.
Leaving all that they know will be
difficult, the girls say
Excitement is there, nerves emerge,
but “a lot of awesome memories” will
always remain, Brittany says.
Megan describes her time at
MAHS as “absolutely insane and
crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other
way,” she says.
Photo courtesy of Craige’s Photique
Prom queen Brittany Bartok and king Steven Lucenti (foreground) are surrounded by their senior court
May 8 at The Summit in New Milford. For the first time in recent memory, every member of the senior class
received at least one vote for the prom court, according to class adviser Anne Vaccaro.
Class of 2010 Prospective Graduates
PAGE 7
Seventh Grade ‘Senior’
Letters Surprise,
Amuse Writers
By Katelyn Spellman, Co-editor in chief
Despite having never taken a
gymnastics class, senior Geena
Bistocchi hoped in
seventh
grade to one day compete at the
Olympics. She also planned to live
in Hawaii and give birth to twin
girls so “they don’t fight tons.”
Geena and approximately 50
of her classmates wrote letters
from the perspective of graduating high school seniors in MJ
Kelly’s English class six years
ago. Students wrote about their
friends, academic performance,
extracurricular activities, hobbies
and future plans. As “seniors,” they
also gave advice to seventh graders
that could help them in their first
year of junior high and throughout
high school.
“I was aware of students saying,
‘When I graduate...’ or ‘When I
get my license...’ and so on when
dealing with the future,” Mrs.
Kelly says. “I thought it would be
interesting to contrast their idea of
the future with the actual.”
After the students’ letters were
collected, Mrs. Kelly put them
away. Recently she found the
letters and passed them onto senior
English teacher Bill Walker.
“My letter is hilarious because
none of it is true now,” Geena,
who will major in physical therapy
at Keystone College next year,
says. “They were great goals that
would have been nice to have
accomplished, but I changed
throughout high school and so did
my goals.”
Classmate Jess Stetson described herself in her letter as tall
and blonde with a pierced belly
button. After graduation, she wrote,
she wanted to pursue a career in
marine biology or play pro-soccer.
“I’m not even five feet tall,
and I am not even playing soccer
in college, let alone professionally,
so none of this true!” Jess says. “I
never got my belly-button pierced;
I got a tattoo instead.”
After researching marine biol-
ogy programs, Jess realized that
she was not suited for a career
in that field. Instead, she will
attend Lock Haven University for
physical education.
“For marine biology, I would
have to go to school for 12 years,
and I could never do that. Anyway,
most marine biologists end up
cleaning fish tanks,” Jess says.
“Physical education is a much
better fit for me because I love
sports, and I like to coach.”
While Jess’s letter was completely wrong, her twin sister
Kim’s was spot-on.
“The only thing different from
what I am doing now and what
my letter says is that I am going
to Mansfield University instead
of Penn State. I want to major in
elementary and special education,
which is what I wanted to do six
years ago,” Kim says. “It’s funny
that [my letter] was so right, and
Jess’s was so wrong.”
Despite some inaccurate predictions for the future, all three
girls say they would offer the same
advice to seventh graders now
that they did six years ago and
include additional tips that they
have learned since: Respect your
teachers and classmates, always
do your homework and prepare for
tests and quizzes.
And reflecting upon their high
school years, they have some
advice that they wish someone had
told them six years ago.
“Things change very quickly,
so enjoy high school while it lasts,”
Geena says.
“I would definitely tell seventh
graders to take classes that they
are interested in and that will help
them with their careers,” Jess says.
“Take classes that you will enjoy.”
“Be kinder to your classmates;
it’s ridiculous how mean kids can
be to one another,” Kim says. “And
always do your homework, which
is advice that I always followed
until senioritis set in!”
Editors’ Note: The appearance of names in this list does not gurantee graduation.
Gere, Elijah L. – Bloomsburg Univ., Communications
Gibson, Sierra M. – Broome Comm. Col., Undecided
Graham, David N. – U. S. Marines
Grochal, Randon S. – Lackawanna College, Undecided
Hall, Samantha M. – Broome Comm. Col., Elem. educ.
Hamernick, Josiah D. – Lycoming Col., Astronomy/Physics
Hansen, Macy E. – Brigham Young Univ., Elem. educ.
Harris, David N. – Broome Comm. Col., Undecided
Henry, Jesilynn J. – Penn Tech., Pastry arts
Henry, Megan E. – Indiana University of Pa., Art educ.
Hilgner, Larissa M. – Ithaca College, Physical therapy
Hoflund, Nichole C. – Northampton Comm. Col. (PA), Nursing
Holinej, Nicholas E. – Bloomsburg Univ., Business manage.
Hollenbeck, Erica M. – SCCTC, Cosmetology
Johnson, Patrick J. – Undecided
Kemp, Kody S. – Undecided
Kiefer, Kenneth E. – Undecided
Kimsey, Sarah J. – Kutztown University, Elem. educ.
King, April L. – SUNY Cortland, Pre-chiropractic
Klein, Rachael R. – SUNY Binghamton, Pre-med
Koloski, Julia L. – Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pharmacy
Konstas, Anna M. – Misericordia Univ., Biology
Koziel, Janna J. – Penn State Dubois, Agric. sciences
Ladner, James L. – Workforce, welder
Lawrence, Brittney A. – Luzerne Comm. Col., Pastry arts
Lewis, Amanda J. – Penn Col. of Tech., Undecided
Vice President
Liddick, Jeffrey L. – Luzerne Col., Business
Makenzie Dearborn
Link, Sara C. – Edinboro Univ. of Pa., Environ. science/biology
LaSapio, Michael S. – Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Architectural tech.
Luce, Miranda L. – Colby Sawyer College (NH), Psychology
Luce, Nathan J. – Mansfield Univ., Undecided
Luce, Samantha M. – Workforce
Lucenti, Steven T. – Undecided
Luff, Travis D. – Automotive Training Center (PA), Automotive
Macan, Tyler J. – Clemson Univ., Business
Maxey, Peter J. – Acquiring Training Services (VA), Heavy equip. operator
McCollum, Cody J. – U. S. Army
McHale, Brad M. – Unknown
McKeen, Robert W. – Penn State Altoona, Mech. eng
Mead, Kristina M. – Temple Univ., English
Meehan, Matthew J. – Lock Haven, Phys. educ./Health
Miller, Tammy – Unknown
Mitchell, Derek L. – Workforce
Montonya, Melvin E. – Undecided
Mordorvancey, Christopher M. – Undecided
Nemcek, Kathryn M. – Bloomsburg Univ., Undecided
Newell, Nicholas R. – Penn State Hazelton, Accounting
Nice, Aaron R. – Workforce
Nolan, Ashley N. – Bloomsburg Univ., Elem. educ.
Oleniacz, Renee L. – Monmouth Univ. (NJ), Business admin.
Pipher, Melissa R. – SUNY Cortland, Musical theater
Secretary
Powell, Cody L. – Workforce
Renée
Oleniacz
Proof, Misty R. – Lackawanna Col., Comms./media
Rafferty, Shaun M. – Workforce
Ralston, Christopher J. – Undecided
Randall, Ashley N. – Broome Comm. Col., Early childhood educ.
Rebello, Amanda R. – Texas Institute of Equine Dental, Equine dentistry
Reed, Kevin R. – Undecided, Criminal justice
Reid, Alex R. – U. S. Coast Guard
Robinson, Emma R. – Saint Francis Univ. (NJ), Social work
Rogers, Nicholas J. – Workforce
Roman, Aaron W. – SUNY Oneonta, Computer art
Rosengrant, Amber L. – Penn Foster (online), Early childhood educ.
Rucker, Matthew E. – Penn State Univ. Park, Mech. eng.
Salamea, Tamara A. – Cuenca Univ., Medicine
Scarola, Maximo J. – Univ. in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Undecided
Shelp, Grant R. – Lock Haven Univ., Undecided
Short, Angela – Lock Haven Univ., Psychology
Shultz, Kaitlynn M. – Marywood Univ., French educ.
Small, Jonathan R. – Penn State Univ. Park, Agroecology
Smith, Dalton J. – Lackawanna Comm. Col., Natural gas/petroleum eng.
Smoker, Josiah S. – Word of Life Bible Ins./Worship arts
Snow, Brian J. – Undecided
Spickerman, Kaitlin D. – Undecided
Sprout, Jenna B. – Veterinarian
Steingraber, Greg – U.S. Marine Corps
Stetson, Jessica S. – Lock Haven Univ., Health/phys. ed.
Stetson, Kimberly A. – Mansfield Univ., Elem./spec. educ.
Stevens, Christopher J. – Rochester Institute of Technology, Information tech.
Stewart, Cortney C. – Unknown
Stocker, Derek E. – Workforce
Strohl, Eric S. – U.S. Army
Sydlosky, Derek L. – Temple Univ., Performing arts
Thompson, Dakota A. – U. S. Navy
Travis, Brien A. – Broome Comm. Col., Sound engineering
Tyler, Denver – Hawaii Pacific Univ., Comp. sci.
Upright, Raina L. – Lackawanna Col. Early childhood educ.
Vaccaro, Margaret M. – Undecided, English
VanNess, Carmen B. – West Chester Univ., Secondary educ.
Volk, Robert K. – Sacred Heart Univ. (CT), Business admin.
Waddington, Mark C. – SUNY Canton, Small motorsports
Walsh, Kyle J. – Broome Comm. Col., Radiology tech.
Warner, Hillary M. – Broome Comm. Col., Health info. tech.
Welch, Gina A. – Johnson Col., Radiologic tech.
Wesoloski, Emily E. – Kutztown Univ., Art educ.
Wetherill, James E. – U. S. Air force
White, Jay T. – Workforce
Treasurer
Whitney, Jonathan M. – SCCTC, Carpentry
Casey Wolanin
Williams-Clark, Morgan C. – SUNY Morrisville, Dairy science
Wolanin, Casey J. – Broome Comm. Col., Sound eng.
Zehnal, Kala V. – Penn State Abington, Mech. eng.
* SCCTC (Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center)
PAGE 8
Sixth Grade Voices:
“What is your favorite memory
from elementary school?”
MAY 2010
METEOR CHRONICLE
Mural Project ‘Permanently Captures Kids’
By Samantha Vetri,
Elementary co-editor
Photos by Samantha Vetri & Geena Bistocchi
William Purdy
Choconut
“All of my friends that I have
made because they are the reason
that I wanted to come to school.”
Brian Moser
Lathrop Street
“The sign language show
because it was fun.”
Megan Henry/Meteor Chronicle
Lathrop Street art teacher Lori Keihl (left) works with senior Sarah Kimsey as she
paints one of the six plywood figures that Sarah and senior Megan Henry used for a
mural based on the works of artist Keith Haring and the students of Lathrop Street.
Brittani Biermann
Rachel Zona
“Field days because you
got to do a lot of fun things
with your friends.”
“Mr. Cherundolo picking
on us all and joking around.”
Paul Motsko
Tara McCollum
“My first day of third grade
because that is when I met
my first friend.”
“When I got a shining star
award from my fourth
grade teacher, Mrs. Huff.”
Choconut
Choconut
Lathrop Street
Lathrop Street
.......................................................................................
Archers Place at States
By Cory Kimmell, Staff reporter
Cory Kimmell/Meteor Chronicle
Choconut Valley principal Chris McComb helps sixth grader
Spencer Quinn (back to camera) retrieve arrows from a target after
shooting in the CV auditorium. Quinn and over 40 other archery
participants traveled to Harrisburg April 9 to participate in the
state tournament for the National Archery in the School Program.
The archers in the elementary division (grades 4-6) placed first
while Montrose junior high students took second in their category.
Senior Megan Henry says
she and her graduation project
partner, senior Sarah Kimsey,
actually stumbled into the idea
for their project.
“Sarah’s mother teaches at
Lathrop Street and is a very good
friend of art teacher Lori Keihl,”
Megan says.
“Mrs. Keihl had mentioned
to Mrs. Kimsey that she had an
idea for an outdoor art project for
the school but didn’t have time
to complete it. When Sarah and I
were brainstorming ideas for our
project, Mrs. Kimsey shared with
us Mrs. Keihl’s comment, and we
decided to take on the project in
our own way.”
The girl’s project was
inspired by artist Keith Haring
from Reading, Pa. Mr. Haring
had a love for drawing at an early
age, according to his biography,
and two of his favorite people
were Dr. Seuss and Walt Disney.
After he graduated from
high school in 1976, Mr. Haring
enrolled in the Ivy School of
Professional Art in Pittsburgh,
a commercial art school, and
then went to New York City to
continue his art education at the
School of Visual Arts.
Mr. Haring pursued a career
in art, drawing, painting, taking
photos and producing more than
50 public artworks. His work is
characterized by bold lines, vivid
colors and active figures, Megan
says.
“Haring’s
work is wellknown among elementary students,” Megan says.
The girls decided to place
their mural at Lathrop Street
because both had attended the
school.
“We thought the project
would be different than most
people’s senior projects!” Sarah
says. “It took a lot of time but
turned out well.”
For the mural, the girls traced
the outlines of several Lathrop
Street kindergarteners’ and first
graders’ bodies on brown paper
and then turned them into Haringlike figures by changing their
various body parts or featuring
them in different poses.
Then they cut out and traced
the paper figures onto large
pieces of plywood and gave them
to the woodshop students in the
high school to cut out.
After they were painted, the
six, life-size figures were hung
in a scene on a wall outside the
Lathrop Street gymnasium as
permanent art fixtures. “The work looks wonderful. The girls did a great job of
matching the true authenticity of
Keith Haring’s work to their own
mural idea,” Mrs. Keihl says.
“I love the way they tied in
the movement of the figures to
the physical education theme.
This will be a fantastic and
bright way to welcome visitors
to the Lathrop Street Elementary
School.”
Megan says she’s pleased that
the project “permanently captures
kids’ bouncing around the school
like elementary kids do.”
“It’s a tribute to the silliness
and fun of elementary school,”
Megan says.
.............................................. ..........................................................................
CV Third Grader Values Charity
By Geena Bistocchi, Elementary co-editor
Choconut Valley third grader
Desirae Orzell says she believes
in helping those less fortunate
than herself, and did she ever!
She collected canned goods
and other food items for a local
Easter food drive—1,500 items
to be exact!
When she first heard about
the food drive and the request for
the school district to contribute
2,000 cans of vegetables for
more than 700 food baskets to
be assembled by area churches,
Desirae’s mother suggested that
her daughter e-mail a couple
food companies that may have
some leftover food they couldn’t
use. So Desirae took her mother’s
suggestion and contacted the H.
J. Heinz Company and the Del
Monte Foods Company.
“I thought that it was a good
idea to contact some companies,
but I thought that they wouldn’t
even acknowledge my attempt,”
Desirae says.
In her e-mails Desirae mentioned that her school was trying to help those who were strug-
gling with hunger. She asked
for a small donation, but Heinz
apparently had other ideas.
The company delivered to
Choconut Valley 500 32-ounce
bottles of ketchup, 500 jars of
marinara sauce, 500 jars of turkey gravy, and 500 coupons for
free packages of frozen potatoes.
Items were then transported
by the school district to the
Susquehanna County food bank.
“I was so shocked that they
wrote back and sent such a large
amount,” Desirae says.
For coming up with this idea,
Desirae also received from Heinz
rewards such as a sweatshirt, a
stuffed bear, a bracelet, several
books and even something for
her classmates—Heinz pickle
and ketchup pins.
“Desirae took the request for
donating goods to another level,”
third grade teacher Carolyn
Morrison says. “Her action
shows what a thoughtful and
considerate girl she is.”
Principal Chris McComb
agrees with Miss Morrison about
Desirae’s actions.
“I think that it is amazing what
one person can do with just a little
effort,” Mr. McComb says. “By
reaching out to these companies,
Desirae was able to provide a
substantial number of people in
our community with food items
they may not otherwise have
had.”
Geena Bistocchi/Meteor Chronicle
Third grader Desirae Orzell
stands by only some of the
food products that were delivered to CVES from the H. J.
Heinz Company in March.
PAGE 9
MAY 2010
METEOR CHRONICLE
Passion, High Goals Motivate Mordovancey
Amanda Rebello/Meteor Chronicle
Eighth grader Rachel Mordovancey runs her horse, Glo Win
Jacilin, toward the timer line during a barrel race in Corning, N.Y.,
May 8.
.............................................................................................
Track Team Sends 14 to Districts
By Kaitlin Liddick, Staff reporter
With nearly 50 athletes out
for junior high track, Coach Bob
Davis says he had “one of the
biggest teams he’s had in years.”
“It was awesome! I’m really
happy that we had a large team
this year. Often we are hurting
for athletes,” Coach Davis says.
The seventh and eighth graders competed in seven meets
and one invitational since early
March, and 13 girls and one
boy qualified for the District
II Junior High Track and Field
Competition held at Memorial
Stadium in Scranton May 15.
“For the most part, there were
a lot of hard working kids out this
year,” assistant coach Heather
Winn says.
Leading the district qualifiers
for the girls’ team were Myra
Lattimore, who qualified for the
4x100 and 4x400 relay events,
high jump and the 100-meter, and
Nicki Lewis, who qualified in the
4x100 and 4x400 relays, high
jump and the 200-meter.
Other district qualifiers include Laura Brink, Samantha
Bennici, Megan Gilhool, Lindsey
Gregory, Allison Lewis, Rachel
Mordovancey, Maddy Pasteka,
Angela Russell, Kaylee Russell,
Brett Shelp, Rebecca Timm and
Emma Washo.
.............................................................................................
New Coach Builds Fielding Strengths
By Dallas Ely and Brooke Malloy, Staff reporters
“Good fundamental baseball
in every game” is the goal of the
new junior high baseball assistant
coach Josh Winn, and the team’s
5-4 record at press time suggests
the players are delivering.
“The new coach brings
fielding strengths to the team,”
according to eighth grade third
baseman Justin Hartman.
Coach Winn has played baseball since he was four years-old
and has coached three teams.
“I have played under a lot of
coaches, and they have taught
me a great deal about the entire
sport. However, I pride myself
on understanding pitching and
defense,” Coach Winn said.
To improve fielding, the boys
focus on grounders and game
situations during practices. For
every overthrow to a base, the
team is required to run a hill,
shortstop Matt Benninger said.
“They work very hard on
their fielding at practice, and it
certainly has translated in our
games. Our boys do not throw the
ball away, and that has helped us
to win or at least be in every game
we’ve played,” Coach Winn said.
One of the team’s strengths is
the few errors the players make.
Coach Winn says he tries to
improve the baseball players’
fundamentals and mechanics
when they are playing defense.
“We spend a lot of time
teaching our guys how to deal
with situations so that in the
game, there is no reason to stop
and think; they can feel comfortable to just react,” Coach
Winn said.
Infield performance is all
about getting the out, according
to Benninger.
“Coach always says that our
infield motto is ‘Make sure of one
[out].’ He always wants us to get
an out if we can,” Benninger said.
............................................................................................
Outstanding Students
Leah Cronk/Meteor Chronicle
Outstanding Students for the third marking period are (from left)
eighth graders Holly Andre and Callista Newhart and seventh graders
Nathaniel Albert and Morgan Puterbaugh. “The teachers who nominated these particular students said they are helpful in class, have a
positive attitude, are extremely hard workers and are friendly to other
students,” assistant principal Russ Canevari said.
With two older brothers who
are athletes, it’s no surprise that
eighth grader Rachel Mordovancey
has developed a passion for sports,
setting high standards and goals
for herself, seeking out people who
will support and help her achieve
success, and constantly working no
matter what the hurdle.
“Rachel sets a very high
standard for herself,” junior high
track coach Heather Winn says,
“and will put in time to get things
done. She’s also very willing to
find the kind of people who will
be able to help her and politely,
respectfully, get their advice.
Finally, Rachel wants to improve at
everything and will work on what
she is told she ought to change.”
Rachel competes in discus and
shot-put and often runs or takes
home a shot-put on the weekends
to improve her form through
certain drills.
“Rachel is an outstanding,
dedicated athlete,” senior thrower
Geena Bistocchi says, “especially
for the junior high level. She
frequently stays after practice by
herself to improve her throwing.”
Through her hard work, Rachel
has qualified for the District II
Junior High Track and Field
Competition in both discus and
shot-put with throws of 83’ 8” and
30’ 8” respectively and is looking
to place in discus at least.
After growing up around her
family’s horses, Rachel’s love of
the animals and working with them
has developed into competitive
barrel racing, which takes up almost
every weekend of her summer from
May through mid-September.
“I try to ride every day and
practice in the arena at Camp
Choconut,” Rachel says. “I love the
animals. The fact [I] have to work
together with a thousand-pound
animal, plus the adrenaline and
speed…. It’s like a four-wheeler
or motorcycle with a mind of its
own.”
Academically
Rachel
is
interested mostly in history and
By Megan Henry
Sports editor
science, she says.
“I like to learn about things
that happened in the past,” she
says. “Those kinds of things
really interest me and catch my
attention…because what happened
in the past affects what happens
now.”
Never one to shy away from a
challenge, Rachel wants to turn her
interest in science into a profession.
A recent lab in her biology class,
focusing on worm dissection,
interested her.
“I want to go into the medical
field,” Rachel says. “I want to be
a surgeon.”
Setting such goals and doing
whatever it takes to achieve them
is what makes Rachel stand out,
Coach Winn says.
“[Rachel] is willing to take
on whatever is needed, even if
that means she will have to do
something hard,” Coach Winn
says. “She is very goal-oriented
and has a good understanding of
what it takes to achieve her goals.”
................................................................................................
Eighth Grader Wins VFW, 4-H Contests
By Johanna Hripto
not only because I was actually The team competes by answering
Staff reporter
concentrating on [soldiers fight- questions on all aspects of dairy
Eighth grader Callie Curley ing abroad], but also because I farming. Last year the DES team
recently added two more was disappointed in myself for placed third out of 16 teams in a
accomplishments to her long list not thinking about [the sacrifice] competition outside Pittsburgh.
of achievements: Callie won the enough,” Callie said.
“We practice [for competition]
Veterans of Foreign Wars’ (VFW)
In her essay, Callie discussed with the buzzer,” Callie said.
Patriot’s Pen essay contest why America needs to remember “[Being captain], I get to say
and the Chesapeake Energy its soldiers serving in the answers in the bonus round. I
Corporation’s
Discovering military.“I know some people think I’m captain because I talk
Tomorrow’s Leaders (DTL) who are overseas, Callie said. a lot,” Callie added with a smile. contest.
“It’s important to honor our
Callie also takes notes at
Callie’s essay entitled “To military heroes and discuss their meetings and performs roll call
Honor a Hero” placed first in trials and tribulations of being as her Arrows and Clays (archery
MAHS’s own Patriot’s Pen overseas­­.”
and clay pigeon shooting) and
contest and then at the VFW’s
Callie will be recognized for 4-H club secretary. She has been
District 14 level
a team leader at
and finally fourth in
4-H camp, a dairy
Pennsylvania.
“It is my belief that it is our duty ambassador on
The
annual
the Susquehanna
as American people to honor our Dairy
contest is open to
Prom
military heroes every moment they Court and shows
students in grades
six through eight
spend fighting for our freedom, and cows for the 4-H.
nationwide and had
Callie
was
forever after the last man is delivered
120,000 participants
nominated
for
the
safely home.”
last year, according
DTL contest by
her 4-H leaders
to a VFW brochure.
Callie Curley
Contestants
were
LouAnn Kiefer
required to write an
Patriot’s Pen essay contest and Michelle Koessay of 300-400
valeski.
words answering the Leah Cronk/Meteor Chronicle
In
addition
question “When’s the
to
her
4-H
right time to honor America’s her essay by the local VFW at activities, Callie plays trumpet
heroes?”
Memorial Day festivities on the for the MAHS marching band,
Essays were judged on the Green in Montrose.
is in Girl Scouts, does shot put
writer’s ability to develop the
The Discovering Tomorrow’s and discus for junior high track
theme, demonstrate knowledge Leaders contest that Callie and field, and occasionally works
of the theme, and present entered in April recognizes with the United Fire Company of
clear ideas, according to VFW young people in the community Montrose.
chairwoman May Belle Golis. who are involved in 4-H.
“My dad has a pager, and I go
Mrs. Golis said the idea of the Sponsored by the 4-H Club, to calls with him,” Callie said.
contest is to let young students the Rotary Club, Gem 104 FM
Callie’s myriad of activities
express themselves. The national and the Susquehanna County helps her stay focused on school,
winner received a $10,000 Independent and Weekender in she said.
savings bond from the VFW.
addition to Chesapeake, a winner
“I get my homework done in
“[Patriot’s Pen] is a chance is chosen each week for eight school. It’s a conscious effort….
for young people to write out weeks. At the end of the contest, It’s easier when you know you
their thoughts on a patriotic two winners from the original have to do it,” Callie said.
theme,” Mrs. Golis said.
eight were awarded laptops.
Despite being only an eighth
Callie was influenced to enter
Callie, who has been involved grader, Callie knows what she
the competition, she said, by her with the Dimock/Elk Lake/ wants to do when she’s older and
grandmother, who is a member Springville (DES) 4-H for six where she wants to go to college.
of the Montrose VFW.
years, said she’s always had an
“I want to go to a Penn State
“My grandmother thought interest in agriculture.
campus for two years and then
it would be a good idea [to
“I would go to my babysitter’s transfer to the main campus. I
enter the contest]. I learned a barn as long as I can remember. want to major in agriculture/
lot while writing the essay. I I went to my grandfather’s farm, extension education. It would
mean, sure, we all think about too. It all really, really appealed to be very hands on with 4-H and
how there are people every day me,” Callie said.
agriculture. I need a job like that.
out there fighting for us, but I’d
Callie has been part of the I want to be involved with 4-H
never actually thought about Dairy Quiz Bowl team for two even though I won’t actually be
it. It was really eye-opening, years and is captain this year. allowed in it,” Callie said.
PAGE 10
METEOR CHRONICLE
MAY 2010
$Arts & Entertainment$
Rucker Finds Poetry ‘Speaks to’ Her
Dance Program Draws All Ages
By Courtney Kimmell, Staff reporter
By Leah Cronk, Junior high editor
And “speak to” her is exactly
what the poem Amanda selected
for the first round of competition
did. Amanda recited “Phenomenal
Woman” by Maya Angelou.
“I chose this poem because it
was empowering and out of my
comfort zone,” Amanda says. “I
wanted to try something new and
challenging.”
Amanda aspires to be a
“phenomenal woman,” she says,
by finding her own uniqueness
and becoming comfortable with
it. Amanda says she wants to be
“comfortable in her own skin”
and not worry about changing
herself to please others.
The only people I need
to please are my parents, my
Heavenly Father and myself,”
Amanda says. Phenomenal
women
in
Amanda’s life are her mother, her
three older sisters and her paternal
grandmother, she says. Each has
influenced her by demonstrating
what it is to be a powerful, strong
woman who tries to do the right
things in life, Amanda says.
Even though Amanda never
met her paternal grandmother in
person, she has heard stories from
her parents that have made her
want to be like the woman.
“[My grandmother] lived in
Mississippi, which was extremely
prejudiced and racist at the time,
and she made the decision that
she didn’t want to raise her future
children in that environment,”
Amanda says. “She decided to
run away to California at around
age 20 to have a better life and to
start over.”
Amanda is inspired by her
grandmother’s
bravery
and
determination to build a life
different from the one she was
born into.
“I think any girl or woman
can be a ‘phenomenal woman’
just by knowing who she is and
her essence,” Amanda says.
Amanda says she learned a
great deal from the Poetry Out
Proof of the Pudding
By Angela Short, Arts & Entertainment editor
Geena Bistocchi, Elementary co-editor
ur high school years are
Even though we sometimes
O
coming to an end, and we
are getting ready to say
goodbye to our fellow classmates
and move on to college. As
we write our last column, we
can’t help but look back on our
school years and think about
the people who have made the
biggest impact on our lives,
what we’ve learned and the great
times we’ve had during our high
school careers.
We have collected so many
great memories, growing up
together in high school. Like
the first time we went to the
Valentine’s Day dance in eighth
grade and met kids that we
normally didn’t talk to because
they weren’t in the same classes
we were. Now we are really
good friends with most of them.
We remember too our first high
school crushes, first kisses, and
then our first break-ups.
ventured away from each other,
we have always found our way
back and realized how much
our friendship means. We have
been best friends since we were
in diapers. Angela’s baby book
even refers to Geena as “Angela’s
favorite toy.”
The one thing that we will
never forget about high school
is saying goodbye to the senior
class that made the most impact
on us, the Class of 2008. Even
though we were only in tenth
grade, they didn’t treat us like we
were beneath them—they treated
us with respect. Now that we are
graduating, we can only hope that
we have made the same positive
impact on the younger classmen
as that class did on us.
There have also been several
teachers who have made a
significant difference in our lives,
but one who stands above the
Loud competition.
“Reciting poetry is a lot
more effective than just reading
it. When one has the evidence
of understanding the poem, it
connects the audience to you,”
Amanda says.
And Amanda did indeed
“connect” with her audience,
according to Mrs. Kelly.
“Amanda rocked the poem.
She internalized the poem, so
through her deliverance the
audience could comprehend it
completely,” Mrs. Kelly says.
Finishing in first place at the
local level, Amanda advanced
to the regional competition held
Feb. 24 at the WVIA broadcasting
station in Scranton.
There Amanda chose to
recite the poem “On Virtue” by
Phillis Wheatley in addition to
“Phenomenal Woman” because
she wanted to balance the
sensuality of Angelou’s poem
with the “reserved” innocence of
Wheatley’s verse.
“‘On Virtue’ is about trying
to grasp the idea of virtue in a
sinful world,” Amanda says. “It’s
mainly about focusing on virtue
in high school, trying to do what’s
right and sharing a divine quality
with others.”
Winning top honors at the
regional contest against 13 other
competitors, Amanda advanced
to states held at the governor’s
mansion in Harrisburg March 15.
“Competing in states was one
of the most stressful experiences
in my life,” Amanda says. “The
caliber of skill required to place
and the competition of the other
contestants were hard to beat.”
Amanda did not advance to
the national Poetry Out Loud
competition, but she says she
has learned what she needs to
do to improve for next year’s
competition.
“I learned ­­­­to be fearless,”
Amanda says. “I’m definitely
competing next year, so watch
out!”
Katy Swingle/Meteor Chronicle
Preschoolers Paige Brewer (left) and Emily Donovan agree with
this year’s theme, “It’s always a good time to dance,” for the Lathrop Street PTO dance program’s recital April 10.
A line of preschoolers in tutus
walks onto the stage in the high
school auditorium, looking a little
bit nervous, a little confused and
very excited. They take their places
as the music starts. A bit out of
sync, looking to their neighbors
for their next step, the dancers
nevertheless are eager to show the
audience what they have learned
since September.
One by one the dancers exit the
stage after curtsying to the audience
that erupts in applause, despite the
occasional missteps, as they would
for any experienced troupe.
“I was worried about forgetting the dance steps,” second grader
Skylar Collumb says.
The CVYAA and the PTOs
at Choconut Valley and Lathrop
Street sponsor the dance programs
taught by veteran dance teachers
Judy Castner-Bloom and Erin
Singleton from The Art of Dance
with Miss Judy, located in Endicott.
“The best thing about teaching
is the kids, just different things
that they say and that they do, and
knowing that you’ve taught them
something,” Miss Erin says.
Dancers ranging from preschoolers to high school seniors
study ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical or hiphop. The students pay $6.50 per
weekly class plus $50 for a recital
costume.
“Dance has taught me that you
have to be patient, and it takes a
while to learn new things,” senior
Tammy Miller, a 14-year dance
veteran, says.
Out and About
With Angela and Geena
rest is English teacher/journalism
adviser/journalism mom Sandy
Kaub. Mother Kaub has taught us
so much throughout high school.
She has taught us how to achieve
our goals, not to procrastinate and
an endless number of journalism
skills.
Mrs. Kaub has taught us how
to stand up for what we believe,
even if it’s not the most popular
thing to do. Even though we
didn’t always do everything that
Mrs. Kaub told us to do, we still
believe that most of what we have
learned in high school Mrs. Kaub
taught us.
Not only has Mrs. Kaub
taught us educational things but
she also has taught us a lot about
life. She has taught us how to
handle stressful situations and
how to overcome obstacles, such
as being able to talk to anyone we
need to and how to look at things
from different perspectives.
Mrs. Kaub has become an
important influence in our lives,
and she is a teacher we will never
forget. All that she has taught us
we will carry on to college and
into the rest of our lives.
Mrs. Kaub is retiring this
year, and we are honored to have
had her as a journalism teacher
for four years, an English teacher
for one year
and most of
all, a lifelong friend.
So this is
our time to
let her know
how much
she
has
influenced
our
lives
and to say
a
simple
“thank you”
and “good
luck with the
next chapter of your life.”
Our high school years have
been great, even with the ups
and downs that we have all been
through. We would now like to
congratulate the Class of 2010
and wish our fellow classmates
the best of luck as they’re “out
and about.” We’ll see you at the
reunion!
A. Rebello/Meteor Chronicle
Amanda Rucker
A. Rebello/Meteor Chronicle
Imagine standing on a stage,
facing more than 125 people,
reciting a poem you’ve only
recently memorized. Freshman
Amanda Rucker said she was nervous because no matter the size of
the audience, it’s always nerveracking to be in front of others.
Freshman Jacob Kerbaugh
and 10 juniors joined Amanda
Jan. 21 to compete in Poetry Out
Loud, a national competition
sponsored by the National
Endowment for the Arts and
the Poetry Foundation, who has
partnered with state arts agencies
of the United States to encourage
young people to learn about great
poetry through memorization and
performance. The program helps
students master public speaking
skills, build self-confidence, and
learn about their literary heritage,
according to the Poetry Out Loud
Web site.
English teachers John Koloski
and MJ Kelly organized the
competition at MAHS. They
invited published poets Craig
Czury of Reading and James
Warner of Wilkes- Barre to
visit the school and work with
the students on interpretation
and memorization of poems
the students had chosen for the
contest.
“I wanted to improve at public
speaking and understand poetry
better; I really like poetry, how it
speaks to us,” Amanda says.
METEOR CHRONICLE
Whipple Off to Texas to Compete
in Power-lifting Worlds
At the end of a regular sports
season, it is not unusual to see
MAHS athletes preparing for
additional competitions, such
as districts. But it is unusual to
find one preparing for a worldlevel competition.
Sophomore Tyler Whipple
has been selected to represent
the United States in the International Power-lifting Federation’s World Sub-Junior &
Junior Men and Women’s
Bench Press Championships in
Killeen, Texas, May 25.
Aside from turning in solid
performances during the regular
season, Whipple qualified for
worlds by lifting 237 pounds in
the 16-17-year-old age group’s
114 lbs. weight class during the
PAGE 11
MAY 2010
2009 USA Power-lifting Bench
Press Nationals in Cleveland
in September. The previous
record had been 214 pounds.
Whipple will be one of
the United States’ 12 team
members. It is estimated that
between 19 and 23 countries
will participate in the event,
powerlifting coach Eric Stallings says.
“I was pretty surprised
about it,” Whipple says. “It’s
an amazing accomplishment.”
Because of the level of
competition he expects at
worlds, Whipple will work
with Coach Stallings to adjust
his workout and conditioning
routine.
“We will be mainly focusing
By Kate Kielceski
Staff reporter
on form and technique before
worlds,” Mr. Stallings says.
“What makes Tyler so good is
his drive and that he wants to
be successful. He works hard at
what he does and he listens to
what I have to say.”
Despite the hard work
and challenges that lie ahead,
Whipple says he has high
expectations for the competition and is looking forward to
the experience.
“My goal is to try to get 313
lbs. at worlds or maybe more.
We will see what happens. I’m
looking forward to being a part
of the competition, the team
and just to be recognized as
one of the best in the world,”
Whipple says.
Photo courtesy of Kim Stetson
Sophomore Tyler Whipple practices a bench press exercise in the high school weight room April 1.
Whipple is preparing for a world-level competition in Killeen, Texas, May 25.
Pitching Its Way to Playoffs
By Katy Swingle, Staff reporter
As the Meteor baseball
regular season comes to an
end and the district playoffs
begin, good pitching has
played and will play a large
role in the team’s success,
according to varsity pitcher
Jimmy Churco, a junior.
“When you have good,
strike-throwing pitchers, it
gives the infield more chances to make plays and get
outs,” Churco says.
Throughoff-season
practice and hard work,
Churco’s pitching has improved in many ways since
last year, he says.
“[I have been] throwing
more strikes and hitting my
spots really well,” Churco
says. “[I also] improved my
curve ball and change-up.”
In addition to Churco’s
“greatly improved” pitching, his batting skills have
improved, according to head
coach Todd Legg. At press
time, he has three homeruns
and a .286 batting average.
He also ranks eighth in the
Lackawanna League Division III for strikeouts.
Hard work has also played a pivotal role in the
team’s success.
“[They] don’t give up,
and they battle each game
even if they get down,”
Coach Legg says. “[They]
don’t get down, and they
practice hard.”
As the team approaches
district playoffs, players
hope to play strong and
advance deep into the postseason.
“We want to win [our
remaining games] and keep
winning in the playoffs,”
centerfielder Danny Simonds, a junior says. “We
want to go far, and we have
the team to do it.”
At press time, the Meteors’ record was 4-7.
Photo courtesy of Jessie Blaney
Pitcher Jimmy Churco winds up a pitch in a game against Mountain View at home April 8. The Meteors lost to the Eagles 8-2.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
By Katy Swingle, Staff reporter
Softball: A Real Family Affair for Elys!
Sometimes the love of a sport
runs in a family. For the Ely fam-ily,
softball truly is a family affair.
Co-head coaches Bud Ely and
his sister, Melanie Lasher, are the
new varsity softball coaches for the
Lady Meteors, whose short stop is
sophomore Dallas Ely, Coach Ely’s
daughter and Coach Lasher’s niece.
Coaching with a sibling is one of
the best things that has happened in
her life, according to Coach Lasher.
“It is kind of like when we
were kids. We were always together, doing or playing something,
[such as] baseball, football and
basketball,” Coach Lasher said. “I
have learned a lot about my-self
and my brother that I think we both
forgot.”
Short-stop Ely says playing
for her father and aunt is “fun and
relaxed.”
“I don’t feel a lot of pressure
because they are always encouraging me to do my best and keep my
head up,” Ely said. “If I need help
with hitting or fielding, they are
easy to talk to, and it really just is a
lot of fun because we joke around,
and it helps us get along and eases
practice.”
Coach Ely and Coach Lasher
don’t treat the younger Ely any
differently than the rest of the
players, junior Sarah Feeney says.
“They pretty much treat us all
the same,” Feeney said. “They don’t
give her any special treatment. They
push us all the same.”
Coaching with a sibling shows
some team unity to the players,
Coach Lasher said.
“This will help the kids relate to
being one because of the philosophy
we believe in and demonstrate each
and every day,” Coach Lasher said.
“Our philosophy is to always try
your best in anything you do and
never expect to fail. Work ethic is
the key to everything.”
Players agree that having brother-sister coaches has a positive
effect on the team because the
coaches are closer and communicate
better with each other than a normal
coaching staff sometimes does.
“I definitely feel that the brother-sister combo is beneficial to
the team,” senior Brittany Bartok
said. “They have played the game
together their whole lives, so they
know exactly what they want, and
they are consistently on the same
page.”
In addition to new coaches for
the varsity softball team, brother
and sister Alex and Courtney Wells
have stepped up to coach the junior
high softball team.
Coach Courtney says she’s
played softball for “as long as she
can remember.”
“I started playing for Vestal
schools in the eighth grade and continued through JV and varsity until I
graduated in 2005,” Coach Courtney
said. “I have been coaching [Vestal
and Johnson City] summer and
recreational teams since I was 18.”
The junior high Lady Meteors
are more competitive and bring
more skill to the table compared
to teams she has coached before,
according to Coach Courtney.
“The Montrose team has had
more experience with competitive
softball,” Coach Courtney said.
“They understand the game better
and can make the plays that are
necessary.
“They have more instinct when
it comes to knowing what to do with
the ball when it comes to them, and
they are more mature and willing
to listen to criticism in order to get
better.”
Coaching with a sibling is unusual for her, but Coach Courtney
says it helps the team.
“Being comfortable with a
colleague is extremely important,”
Coach Courtney said. “Usually it
requires introductions and working
together for a while be-fore that can
happen.
“Alex and I didn’t need to find
trust or confidence in each other because we already had it, as did Mel
and Bud. It makes things easier,
especially early in the season.”
Megan Henry/Meteor Chronicle
Varsity softball coaches Mel Lasher (right) and Bud Ely offer shortstop Dallas Ely, niece and daughter of the coaches,
words of advice and encouragment before she goes up to bat
in the Meteors 10-0 win over Susquehanna at home May 10.
PAGE 12
MAY 2010
SPORTLIGHT
Commentary
Make it Happen,
Make it Count
By Megan Henry, Sports editor
As my senior year began,
the first thing that welcomed
me back to school was soccer:
conditioning, scrimmages, and,
of course, discussing the design,
colors and text that would
constitute this year’s team T-shirt.
After a team vote, we ended
up choosing a simple, succinct
saying: “Make It Happen.” Little
did I know that those few words
would come to represent so much
to me as our team finally defeated
the Mountain View Lady Eagles,
with whom the Lady Meteors
have been highly competitive the
past few years, in the District II
AA District Championship, a
victory that I’d been dreaming of
since my freshman year.
For most athletes, senior
season is that one last chance to
prove yourself as a team leader, to
be selected as an all-star, to beat
your rivals or maybe your own
best time, or to make the exciting
trip to the district championship
with the hope that years of hard
work will pay off.
“[Being a senior] makes every
game count,” basketball player
Alan Charles says, “because you
don’t have another year to play or
get better.”
It’s that sense of finality that
really hit me in the fall and pushed
me to make my senior season one
that would be unforgettable.
“In a way [being a senior]
motivated me a lot more for this
season than my previous years,”
tennis player Emily Wesoloski
says. “I really wanted to finish on
a good note.”
Not only do wins and losses
make up a season but also the fun
and teammates.
“Don’t
take
everything
seriously; make it fun,” track
athlete Renée Oleniacz says.
“You’ll want to remember it and
hope others do too.”
As I look back, sports have
been such a major part of my
school experience, whether as a
player, a spectator or the author
of “Sportlight.” They have given
me the opportunity to meet all
kinds of people and form not
only cherished memories, but
friendships as well.
Charles agrees that being part
of close teams and having fun
together made his senior seasons
in golf and basketball memorable
both for him and his teammates.
“Do your best,” he says.
“Every day you’ll want it back
when it’s over.”
As I write this final
“Sportlight” as a Lady Meteor
soccer and softball athlete, I can
only hope that all the Meteor
athletes go forward with a positive attitude and give it their all.
Play free of regrets by making
every moment count, even when
you think it may not.
And most importantly, leave it
all on the field because when you
look back, the fun you’ll have and
the memories you make will be
some of the best during your high
school career.
METEOR CHRONICLE
Featured Athletes
Albert, Jacobson Down Pins for Dollars
By Samantha Vetri, Elementary co-editor
Q: When did you join the the very last ball for my team.
Bowling is a sport most
Jacobson: My favorite part
people do just for fun, but for scholarship league?
Albert: I joined the league is winning!
two MAHS students, bowling
Q: Have you participated
is also serious business— when I was three because I
financial business—because it wanted to beat my sisters, in any tournaments?
Albert: I have bowled in
means cash for college. With Jessy and Jennie, by bowling
lots of different tournaments,
average scores of 180 and higher averages every week.
Jacobson: I joined the some league-sponsored and
175 respectively, senior David
Albert and junior Amber league when I was three some sponsored by Pepsi and
Jacobson bowl in a scholarship because I was influenced by Coke.
Jacobson: I have been
league at Sunset Lanes in my parents.
Q:
How in Pepsi, state, holiday and
Kirkwood, N.Y.
often do you league tournaments. I took
Scholarship
practice
and second in fourth grade at a
leagues provide
state tournament.
compete?
young
bowlers
Tournament prizes include
A l b e r t /
with the chance
Jacobson: We cash and trophies, Albert says.
to earn college
Q: How much money have
bowl
every
scholarships
S a t u r d a y you earned for college?
offered each year
Albert: I am not sure
morning
for
by associations,
30
weeks— exactly how much I have.
tournaments,
S e p t e m b e r Monies are sent directly
sponsors
and
through April— to the college during the
others.
The
s o m e t i m e s summer after we graduate. It’s
David Albert
league
Albert
practicing and definitely going to help buy
and
Jacobson
belong to is the Saturday sometcompeting against other first-semester books and pay
some of the tuition.
Morning Juniors sponsored by league teams.
Albert plans to attend
Q: What is your favorite
USBC (United States Bowling
Binghamton
University
Congress) and run by the local part about bowling?
Albert:
That’s
tough to major in mechanical
bowling alley.
Students bowl on Saturday because I have two. My first engineering. Jacobson will
bowling
during
mornings, and each pin is that I love the atmosphere continue
her
senior
When
they knock down earns them there.
year,
earning
a percentage of a penny. I’m competing,
scholarship
When it is time for college, a sometimes I can’t
dollars to help
student who has participated even tell who
pay for college
in a scholarship league is my partners are
and a degree
guaranteed a minimum of because after I
in English and
$800 to put toward college throw a strike
creative writing.
or bowl a good
expenses, Albert says.
For
more
Q: When did you start game, both teams
information
come over and
bowling?
about scholarship
Albert: I started when I give me high fives
leagues, contact
was three years old at Sunset and say, “Good
Sunset Lanes in
Lanes because my parents job!” It’s more of Amber Jacobson
Kirkwood, N.Y.,
and sisters made me since my an eight-man team
than two four-man teams. My at 607-775-2232 or leagues@
sisters bowled.
Jacobson: I also started second favorite thing about sunsetlanes1.com or Midway
when I was three at Sunset bowling is being the anchor Lanes in Vestal, N.Y., at
Lanes because my parents are for my team; I love winning 607-729-3538 or leagues@
the games that come down to midwaylanes1.com
active at the bowling alley.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
By Dallas Ely, Staff reporter
While it could not manage
an undefeated season, the
varsity girls’ track team sent 24
girls to the District 2 Class AA
Track and Field Competition
in 17 out of 18 events May 17
in Scranton.
“It’s amazing to get that
kind of push and talent to be
able to have so many girls
participate [in districts],” track
coach Sean Castellani said.
The track team was also
crowned champions of the
Wyalusing Lasagna Invitational on April 30. They finished first in a field of over 20
schools.
“To win the Wyalusing
Lasagna Invitational against
Abington Heights and other big
schools is amazing. It’s cool to
come out with a win [against
big schools], and to win every
jumping event is a win within
itself,” Coach Castellani said.
The girls’ team finished
its regular season with a 5-1
record. Their only loss was
against Western Wayne by 20
points.
“I think when you look at
the dual meets, it comes down
to numbers. We are competing
against AAA schools that have
a lot more kids,” Coach Castellani said.
Three girls on the varsity
track team turned in especially
strong performances, setting
three school records.
Senior
Sarah
Kimsey
beat the school’s high jump
record of 5’5”, previously set
by Diane DiPhillips in 1983,
with a jump of 5’6”. Kimsey
qualified for districts in four
events.
“I was extremely excited
because I have been working
towards breaking the school
record since I was in tenth
grade,” Kimsey said.
Senior Julia Koloski set the
200-meter dash record with a
run of 25.9 seconds. She beat
her own record by one-tenth of
a second.
Koloski holds four school
records and is part of the
4x100 relay team that also
holds a school record. Koloski
qualified for districts in seven
events.
“I am most proud of the
4x100 record because it is so
much sweeter being able to
share it with my teammates.
It’s not ‘I’ve accomplished;’
it’s ‘we’ve accomplished,’”
Koloski said.
Junior pole-vaulter and
hurdler Christy DiMichele beat
her own pole vault record of
9’6” set in 2008 and repeated
in 2010 with a vault of 11’
“During the meet, I didn’t
want to know the height I was
at because I get psyched out. I
was at 9’6” for so long, and I
wanted to get higher, but after I
was done and went over to find
out, I was ecstatic,” DiMichele
says.
This year’s boys’ team
ended the season with a 1-5
record, picking up a late win
against Riverside May 3.
“[The boys] made a lot of
progress this year, and there is
a lot of hope, considering all
the boys who graduated last
year and the talent we lost.
This sport helps them in other
sports, and a lot of people
don’t understand the benefit;
by the time they do, it’s too
late,” Coach Castellani says.
Sixteen boys qualified for
districts. First-time varsity
track athlete Cole Wheaton,
a junior, was the boys’ high
scorer and qualified for
districts in three events.
“This was my first year
doing track since eighth grade,
and I was just going out there
to try and get my eighth letter.
I didn’t know I would end up
doing this well. When I first
started, I had no technique, but
as the season went on, I got
better at jumping,” Wheaton
said.
Another high scorer for the
boys’ team was sophomore
Kurt Kimsey, who qualified
for districts in javelin.
“I was so excited when I
got it!” Kimsey said.
Tennis Team Competes
in District 2 Championships
By Cory Kimmell
Staff reporter
The last time the Meteors’
boys’ tennis team had a shot at
a district championship was . . .
well, never, according to thirdyear tennis coach Jim Hinds. This
year the Meteors (6-2) finished
second among nine teams in the
Lackawanna League and fourth
among 18 teams in District 2
Class AA.
“I’m super happy we made it
to the championships,” team cocaptain and number-two singles
seed David Harris, a senior, said.
The Meteors competed in
team District 2 competition at
Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre May
4. The top four teams in District 2
took to the courts, MAHS placing
fourth behind Dallas, Scranton
Prep and Wyoming Seminary.
Harris and junior Zach
Warriner competed in district
tennis singles at Kirby Park May
6. Both won the first rounds of
matches but lost in the second.
Coach Hinds says part of the
success of the team this season
has been a lot more practice in
the off-season and working with
sports psychologist Gary Truce,
a professor of physical education
at SUNY Binghamton, to help
players stay mentally focused
and maintain confidence.“[The
psychologist] talked about how
to prepare for games and what
to think mentally,” junior Ryan
Ochse says.
“Both boys played really well
but were up against some tough
competition,” assistant tennis
coach Anne Mory says.
In district doubles competition
at Kirby Park May 11, Harris and
Warriner beat Honesdale in the
first round and then lost to Dallas
in the second. Seniors Maxi
Scarola and Aaron Roman lost to
Holy Redeemer in the first round.
Photo courtesy of Anne Mory
Track Talent Breaks Records, Districts Next
Partners Zach Warriner (left) and David Harris exchange high
fives at district doubles competition at Kirby Park May 11.