Issue 7, SPECIAL ISSUE! Did you know?

VOLUME 9, ISSUE 7
SPECIAL ISSUE
DID YOU KNOW?
THE HISTORIC:
-Phoenixville alumni
who found fame
-Lincoln and Kennedy
weird comparisons
-what you didn’t
know about
Phoenixville
THE WEIRD:
- An absurd array of
fun facts
-Outrageous oddities
in sports
-The world of wacky
laws
THE SHOCKING:
-Teachers’ hidden
talents
-Students’ hidden
talents
THE STUPID:
-Stupid labels
-Darwin awards
-Movie mistakes
-Freaky phobias
We all
dream of leaving these hallowed halls of
Phoenixville
and making our
place in this
world. After
graduation,
some students
achieve things
Erin Boring many students
only dream of.
This might be a small town, but some big
stars got their start right here in Phoenixville. Who knows, one day maybe you or
one of your classmates could be on this list.
André Thornton: Graduated in 1967. He is
a former first baseman and designated hitter
in Major League Baseball. He played for
the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos and
Cleveland Indians during a 14-year career.
Neil Olkewicz: Graduated in 1975. He is a
former American football linebacker who
played his entire eleven-year career with the
Washington Redskins from 1979 to 1989 in
the National Football League.
Rich Kraynak: Graduated in 1979. Was
football linebacker for the Philadelphia
Eagles and then the Atlanta Falcons.
Mike Piazza: Graduated in 1986. Born in
Norristown, raised in Phoenixville, Michael
Joseph Piazza is a former Major League
catcher and during his career he played for
the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins,
New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the
The Purple Press
is written, edited,
and produced by
the Phoenixville
Area High School
Journalism class.
The opinions
expressed in this
paper are those
of the writers
and don’t necessarily reflect
those of school
administration
and/or faculty
members.
If you have a
comment, question, or concern
about the paper
or you wish to
submit an article
to The Purple
Press please
e-mail zittelj
@pasd.com.
Oakland Athletics. This year he fell short of
being
elected into
the Hall of
Fame.
a career in acting at age
20. He starred as
Rex on the daytime
soap opera “One
Life to Live” for
nine years and eight
months.
1999. Young actress
featured in the TV
show, “Life on a Stick,”
and was featured in
many others shows such
as CSI. She is a local
theater actor as well and
is starring in the People’s Light production
of A Winter’s Tale, by
William Shakespeare.
Jack Krizmanich:
Kate Bilo: GraduGraduated
ated in 1999. News
in 1996.
personality and
While
meteorologist for
working at
channel 3 CBS for
restaurant
Tom Fosnocht: Graduwhen he
ated in 2005. Graduate
three years.
Kate Bilo
was in high school Jack was discovof Oberlin ConservaKevin Negandhi:
ered by an agent at IMAGE Models, which is
tory, and Music Director
Graduated in 1993. Went
a boutique agency in Pennsylvania. After
at the Media Theatre
to Temple University in
doing a number of jobs for that agency he got
since 2010. Besides the
1997 for communication.
noticed by a talent scout at a club and then
music direction, he can
During college he did
starred as Aaron Spencer in “Wicked Wicked
occasionally be seen on
reports for high school
Creighton Gubanich
Games.” He also
stage playing the piano
sports on Fox. He was also an
was on the show
and singing (currently in “In the Men’s
anchor for USA Today. He is cur“Passions” for three
Room” with Ann Crumb). He is also
rently an anchor for ESPN.
years and had a
involved with children and teen summer
Tyler Schnabel: Graduated in 2007. camps at the theater.
supporting role in
Growing actor, filmmaker and Youthe film “Shadow
Tube partner. After earning his BA in The really important PAHS graduates
Boxer.”
Theatre from Kutztown University of Mr. Winnick
John-Paul LavoisPennsylvania, Tyler moved out to
Mr. Smiley
ier: Graduated in
Los Angeles to continue working as a Mr. Tornetta,
1997. John-Paul
Hollywood actor. Tyler currently
Mrs. Foresta
(Seponski) spent
works on the hit show Teen Wolf. He Mr. Barron
his teen years
has also been on Shameless, The
Mrs. Frost
working on his
Office and Vegas.
Mr. Stavensiki III
drumming and
Mr. Thompson
Creighton Gubanich: Graduated in
attended the UniMr. Curley
1999. Played briefly for the Boston
versity of the Arts
Mr. Hughes
Red sox in 1999.
in Philadelphia,
Mr. Varady
then left to pursue
Saige Thompson: Graduated in
Tyler Schnabel
President
Abraham
Lincoln and
President
John F. Kennedy were
both assassinated before
the end of
their four
Emily Wood
year terms.
The odd similarities between the
two and the events leading up to
their assassinations have astonished
people everywhere. According to
www.weird-encylopedia.com, here
are some of the most mind- blowing
facts that are too coincidental to be
explained.
Both assassins were Southerners
who held extremist views.
Lincoln was elected in 1860, Kennedy in 1960, 100
years apart.
Both men were deeply involved in civil rights for
African Americans.
Both men were assassinated in the presence of their
wives.
Each wife had lost a child while living at the White
House.
Both men were killed by a
bullet that entered the head
from behind.
Lincoln was killed in Ford's Theater. Kennedy met his
death while riding in a Lincoln convertible made by
the Ford Motor Company.
Both men were succeeded
by vice-presidents named
Johnson who were Southern
Democrats and former
senators.
Vice President Andrew Johnson was born in 1808. Vice President Lyndon Johnson was
born in 1908, exactly one hundred years later.
Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was born in 1839 [according to some sources];
Kennedy’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was born in 1939, one hundred years later.
Both assassins were murdered before they could be
brought to trial.
Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and fled to a warehouse. Oswald
shot Kennedy from a warehouse and fled to a theater.
ANDREW JOHNSON and LYNDON JOHNSON each
have 13 letters.
JOHN WILKES BOOTH and LEE HARVEY OSWALD each
have 15 letters.
A Lincoln staffer, Miss Kennedy, told President Lincoln
not to go to the Theater. A Kennedy staffer, Miss Lincoln, told President Kennedy not to go to Dallas.
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The first name of Lincoln's
private secretary was John;
the last name of Kennedy's
private secretary was
Lincoln.
LINCOLN and KENNEDY
each have 7 letters.
Both men were shot on a
Friday.
PRESS
Imagine
Phoenixville
almost 300
years ago;
300 hundred
years ago,
Phoenixville
didn’t exist.
Imagine
Phoenixville
280
Danielle DiGirolomo years
ago; our
small town was one year old.
When asked, most people can’t imagine what Phoenixville was like over two
hundred years ago; the idea is so strange
that many people forget
all about the early years
of this town we live in.
For example, Phoenixville was built by those
strong enough to build it
from the ground up,
leaving the imprint we
see today. Like many
probably expect, this
familiar town did not
just appear one day.
Phoenixville is a town
that started small but
grew strong and was
once one of the most important
steel industries in the United
States.
Bridge Street, one of the
busiest streets in
this small town,
used to have a
much different
face. A picture
can say a thousand words, and
similar to this
cliché phrase,
Phoenixville is
one of a kind. Not everything
we see now was there 281
Colonial Theater 1958 years ago; buildings and businesses have closed down,
moved and changed as the town changed,
Phoenixville was founded in 1732 and was originally called Manavon.
making the history of Phoenixville much
different than we may have originally
Phoenix Iron Co.
known. Read
these facts about Phoenixville and learn
things you didn’t know before!
The oldest house in Phoenixville was built in 1734 and still remains standing today.
Phoenixville Iron Works was one of the largest nail factories in the U.S. in 1830, where about three tons of nails were produced per day.
In September 1837, the 1,932 foot Black Rock Railroad Tunnel was completed, but was not open for business until January 1842.
Phoenixville’s first newspaper was called Phoenix
Gazette in 1846.
Reeve’s Park was established in 1871 by Samuel
Reeves in honor of his father, David, who was the first
president of Phoenix Iron Company.
Reeve’s Park was established in 1871 by Samuel Reeves in honor of
his father, David, who
was the first president of
Phoenix Iron Company.
The Phoenix Hotel was built in 1836
by the Phoenix Iron Co. and later
torn down in 1949.
The Reeves Mansion had a servant’s
quarter which is still standing today.
It dates back to 1854. It was a stop
on the Underground Railroad. Inside
there's a false closet door where the
slaves were kept until they could be
moved.
The home of David Reeves, first president of the Phoenix Iron Company, was on a
high slope overlooking the Schuylkill River. See the statue of David Reeves in
Reeves Park, Third Avenue and Main Street.
Junior Phoenix Military Band members in Reeves
Park in 1903.
The Columbia Bar and Grille has been a consistent favorite with locals and visitors
since 1893.
Phoenixville had an unusually long wooden covered bridge which
spanned the Schuylkill River connecting Mont Clare and Phoenixville in 1889. Some considered it an engineering marvel at the
time. If you want to take a glimpse of it the local historical society
has a photo as the bridge burned to the ground in 1915.
The Columbia Bar and Grille has been a consistent favorite with locals
and visitors since 1893.
The Gay Street bridge, originally made of iron columns and wooden
planks, was built in 1898 and lasted until 1924 until the new one was
constructed and later went under construction again in 2001-2008.
The Phoenix Bridge Co.
fabricated and erected hundreds of bridges in the last
decades of the 19th century
and worked on the Manhattan Bridge, completed in
1909.
Phoenix Hotel 1910
In 1917, the Great Houdini performed at the Colonial Theatre
where he freed himself from a burglar-proof safe.
Out of the four theatres that originally filled Phoenixville, the Colonial
Theatre is the only surviving one.
The basement of the Phoenixville Public Library, originally meant only for storage, was
refurbished as the Children’s Library with its
own access in the 1920’s.
Vale-Rio Diner
The Phoenix Iron Company was renamed the Phoenix Iron and Steel
Company in 1949, and then was later
changed to the Phoenix Steel Corpora-
The Vale Rio Diner, opened in 1948, was closed in 2008.
The Valley Forge General
Hospital, under construction
in 1942, had over 100 buildings and tunnels between
many of them to ensure patients were always taken care
of.
YMCA Baker Park, early 1960’s
Nutt Road (Route 23) was named for Samuel Nutt, who
purchased the land to create a path to transfer his ironwork to Valley Forge.
The Phoenix Steel Corporation closed on November 18th, 1976
In March 2010, Phoenixville was listed as one of “10 Awesome
Neighborhoods to Call Home,” by Philadelphia Magazine.
As of the census of 2010, there were 16,440 people
living in Phoenixville, which is 4,411 more people than
in 1930.
The oldest home in Phoenixville, still standing, was made from plaster,
mud and horse hair.
Phoenixville has the largest registered historic district
in Chester County.
Phoenix Columns were used to build almost 1400 bridges around the
world.
Blobfest in Phoenixville 2012
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I was always a
fan of random fun
facts, and so I
thought I’d share
some of the best
ones I’ve found.
Cars
Everybody
knows what a car is
- “a wheeled motor
vehicle used for
Alex Monteiro transporting passengers.” They
can be fast, they can be loud, they can be
ugly, and they will be proud. Cars are a
technological advancement that
has made everyday life far easier. But there are a number of
details that many people don’t
know- just thought I’d share a
few.
-Most car horns have perfect
pitch, playing in the note of F.
-The average American will
spend two weeks of her life
stopped at red lights.
-Drivers kill more people than
hunters.
Famous People
As a culture, we tend to worship celebrities and famous people, even if they haven’t done anything
productive or contributive (the Kardashians come to mind..).
-Charles Dickens slept facing North. He
thought it improved his writing.
-Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent
Roberts.
-Picasso's full name was Pablo Diego Jose
Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno
Maria de los Remedios Cipriano de la
-It is physically impossible for pigs to
look up into the sky.
-To escape the grip of a crocodile's
jaws, push your thumbs into its eyeballs, it will let you go instantly.
-A cat's urine glows under a black
light.
Random
-There are more fruit flies than students in Phoenixville High School.
-The mir-ror image of ’3.14′ looks
like the word ‘PIE‘
-The name of Lake Char-gog-g-a-gog
-gman-chaug-g-a-gog-gchaubunaPhotos: Google images
gunga-maugg is Algo-nquin for “I fish
Kangaroos cannot hop backwards.
on my side, you fish on your side, and
nobody fishes in the middle.”
-The guy that voices Sponge-Bob
laid to rest at the flavor graveyard in VerSquarePants is the nar-ra-tor in Powermont, USA.
puff Girls.
-Ulysses S. Grant
(our 18th pres-ident) got a speed
-ing ticket rid-ing
a horse 20mph in
Wash-ing-ton
D.C.
-When you
dream, everything you see in
The world's smallest car is the Peel P50, built in that dream,
1963. It does over 35 miles per hour, weighs only you’ve seen
130 lbs., and has no reverse gear. before in real life.
-Aladdin is Chinese.
-In Taiwan, garbage
-Donkeys kill more people annually than
trucks blast music to
plane crashes.
remind people to
-Eagles mate while airborne.
bring out the trash.
-The original name for the butterfly was
-Retired Ben and Jerry’s Michael Jordan made more money from Nike annually than all
of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.
flutterby!
ice-cream flavors are
It takes 3,000 cows
to supply the NFL
with enough leather
for a year’s supply
of footballs. Prior
to 1900, boxing
matches lasted up
to 100 rounds. The
Dallas Cowboys
hired the NFL's
first professional
Gia Tedesco cheerleading squad
in 1972. There are
numerous unusual statistics to sports like
these you didn’t know existed. There are
rules, regulations, and customs that date
way back. Here are a few of many strange
facts on sports.
-Major League Baseball umpires are required to wear black underwear while on
the job in case they split their pants.
-In July of 1934, Babe Ruth paid a fan $20
for the return of the baseball he hit for his
700th career home run.
-Because most sprints are completed in
less than 13 seconds, some track runners
don't breathe when they run their 50m,
60m, or 100m sprints. This is because it
only takes 13 seconds for oxygen to get to
muscles.
-Golf is the only sport played on the moon.
On February 6th 1971, Alan Shepard hit a
gold ball.
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Santisima Trinidad Ruiz Picasso.
-Einstein couldn't speak fluently until after
his ninth birthday. His parents thought he
was mentally retarded.
-Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny) was
allergic to carrots.
Animals
People have developed a strange relationship with animals, from the cat and the
dog, to the goldfish and hamsters. But
there are some facts that many people
don’t know about the creatures around us.
-Every year, nearly four million cats are
eaten in Asia.
-The Stanley Cup has been through it all.
and Greek athletes practiced in the nude
time, the first member of a team
It has been dropped into a bonfire, used to
to the accompaniment of music. They
to score three strikes in a row won a free
eat cereal, baptize children, and has been
also performed naked at the Olympic
turkey.
urinated in.
Games.
-Soccer dates back to China in 476 BC,
-Until 1920, Tug of War was a sporting
-Horse racing is one of the most dangerwhen it was known as "cuju" and involved
event at the Summer Olympic Games.
players kicking a leather ball through a hole ous sports.
There are 2,598,960 possible
-Volleyball was invented by William
in a piece of
hands in a five-card poker
George Morgan of Holyoke, Massachucloth.
game.
setts in 1895.
Not only were
-Catgut was once used in the
(According to http://
the Cleveland
making of tennis racket
www.outrageousfacts.com/ )
Indians the first
strings. It is made out of the
big league club to -At Cleveland's League Park in 1919,
intestines of various animals.
Ray Caldwell was struck by lightning in
wear uniform
-There are more head and
the bottom of ninth with two outs when
numbers, they
spinal injuries from cheerpitching against Philadelphia.
were the first to
leading than all other high
(According to http://wisdomquotes.org/
wear numbers on
school and college sports
http://bleacherreport.com/ )
the back of their
combined.
jerseys.
-The huddle in football was
-Basketball
formed due a deaf football
legend Wilt
player who used sign lanChamberguage to communicate and
lain never
his team didn't want the
fouled out
opposition to see the signals
of a game.
he used and in turn huddled
-Soccer is
around him.
the most
-Babe Ruth was the first
Photos: Google images watched
baseball player credited to
Tiger Woods was the first athlete to and played
ordering a bat
make $1 billion. sport in the
with a knob on it. They were
world.
produced by Louisville Slugger in 1919.
The first Hockey puck ever used was
-In bowling, three strikes in a row was
a frozen piece of cow poop.
The New Yankee Stadium cost $1.3 billion to
called a turkey. The term
-Gymnasiums were introduced in
make.
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The legislative
branch of our government tries very
hard to create the
governing laws of
our land. However,
some of their work,
and the work of our
local and state
governments, leave
us scratching our
Colin Mea heads. Here are
some
real stupid laws currently on
the books in some states.
-A person is not eligible to
become Governor of Pennsylvania if he/she has participated in a duel.
-You may not swear in front
of women and children in
the state of Michigan.
-In Alabama, it is illegal to
wear a fake mustache that
causes laughter in church.
-In the state of Florida, if an
elephant is left tied to a
parking meter, the parking
fee has to be paid just as it
would for a vehicle.
-The penalty for jumping off
a building is death in New
York.
-It is illegal to lie down and
fall asleep with your shoes
on in North Dakota.
(According To) http://
www.lawguru.com/weird/
part01.html
-In England, those wishing
to use a television must
apply for a license.
-Between the hours of 8AM
and 8PM, 70% of the music
in the radio in France must
be by French composers.
-It is illegal to roam the
streets wearing black
if you're caught throwing
away chewed bubblegum on
the sidewalk. If you do not
pay the fine, you are jailed.
(According To )http://
www.lawguru.com/weird/
part01.html
-In Idaho, the law states all
boxes of candy given as
romantic gifts must weigh
more than 50 pounds.
-In California, animals are
Photos: Google images
-In New York, it's against the law
In Texas, it is illegal to milk another person's cow.
to throw a ball at someone's head
for fun.
(According To) http://
-Musical Instruments may not be sold on
www.dribbleglass.com/subpages/
Sundays in South Carolina.
laws.htm
-In Morrisville, Pennsylvania, women
-In Corpus Christie, Texas, it is illegal to
need a permit to wear cosmetics.
banned from
mating publicly within
1,500 feet of a
tavern, school
or place of
worship.
-In Nogales,
Arizona, it is
illegal to wear
suspenders.
-An old law in
Bellingham,
Washington,
made it illegal
for a woman
to take anything other
than backIn Wisconsin, butter substitutes are not wards steps
allowed to be served in state prisons. while dancing.
In Pueblo, Colorado, it is illegal to let a dandelion grow within city limits.
raise alligators in your home.
-In Philadelphia, you can't
put pretzels in bags based on
an Act of 1760.
-In Bangladesh, kids as
young as 15 can be jailed for
cheating on their finals!
-Alaska law says that you
can't look at a moose from an
airplane.
-In Oklahoma, no baseball
team can hit the ball over the
fence or out of a ballpark.
(According To) http://
www.rcasteel.com/
StrangeThings/laws.aspx
Dominoes may not be played on Sunday in Alabama.
clothes, felt shoes and black shoe
polish on your face as these items are the
-In Berkeley, California, you can't whistle
tools of a cat burglar in Australia.
for an escaped bird before 7:00 a.m.
-You must pay a fine of $600 in Thailand
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-It is against the law to "frown" at a police
officer in New Jersey.
-In Montana, it's a
felony for a wife to
open her husband’s
mail.
-A man must have a
permit to shave in
Missouri.
-In Hawaii, Twins can't
work for the same
company.
-In Johnsboro, GeorIn Philadelphia, you can't put gia, it's illegal to say
pretzels in bags based on an "Oh,boy".
Act of 1760.
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You see your teachers every
day, but how much do you
really know about them? Let’s
find out!
Mr. Graham: I wrote a textbook on keyboarding and am writing
another on accounting.
Mr. Weinstein: I’m an
Ms. Rusanovschi: I can do splits on both legs.
Mr. Howard: I am a good singer. I once won a $1,000 karaoke
contest and I serenaded my wife at our wedding.
Mr. Phipps: I am better than you at Mario Kart and I know sign language.
Mr. Yeager: I can wiggle my ears—BUT I WON’T.
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Ms. Spina: I Irish danc
a few years ago, b
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ce. My school moved away
but I can still do a jig!
Ms. Riccardo: I can move my ears up and down! My hobby is weight lifting.
Ms. Davies: I LOVE flying in airplanes, mostly for the
TURBULENCE!! It’s so fun! Just like a rollercoaster.
n awesome juggler and I played guitar in a rock
band in college.
Mr. Gamble: I drove from Phoenixville to Belize.
Mrs. Sobel: When I was in Junior High I was a regular on a national
cable television show (for two seasons) I even got fan
mail. The show was America Goes Bananaz.
Ms. Speckhals: I was raised in Miami Florida, I collect antique photos, I can
touch my tongue to my nose.
Mrs. Rock: I turned down a modeling job offered right out of high school in Dallas,
TX. I am also interested in fashion design.
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Eric Wallace (11th grade): I’m a D1 athlete.
Ashley Westerman (11 grade): I am passionate about playing the piano, cooking, and yoga.
Anna Thompson (11th grade): I made it into District Band, District Orchestra, Region Band, and All-state
Band last year (2012). This year (2013), I made it (so far) into District Orchestra and District Band as first
flute.
Molly Demitrack (12th grade): I’m an artist.
Kyle Maxton (10th grade): I like firefighting and trains.
Rob McMahon (10th grade): I eat Limburger cheese for fun.
Megan McNabb (10th grade): I can touch my elbows together behind my back.
Sam McIntyre (10th grade): I can make phenomenal sheep noise.
John Lukowski (10th grade): I am awesome at rock climbing.
Gianna Bliss (12th grade): I pretty good at wrapping presents.
Stevie Rakoczy (12th grade): The first movie I saw in theatres was Toy Story, my dad told me not to lose my
ticket so I held the ticket in front of my face the entire movie.
India Reese (11th grade): I have a Master Scuba-diver certification.
Cassidy Richards (10th grade): I’m good at ballet.
Taylor Reed (10th grade): I have the talent to sing.
Bailey Quinn (10th grade): I do yoga with Alex Wertman and TJ Jeffries.
Katie Riddlemoser (10th grade): I can cook very well and I’m an aunt to nine kids.
Trey Romance (10th grade): When I hit my head it makes a hollow noise.
Taylor Crown (10th grade): I can mimic a baby’s cry.
th
Chase Paugh (11 grade): I’m a volunteer firefighter, graduating fire 1 class in September, class of 2013
and soon to be EMT next spring.
Amy Hill (11th grade): I can juggle.
Tyrell Rogers (11th grade): I can do a handstand.
Alyse Phillips (11th grade): I play the piano.
Ken Rosati (11th grade): I’m really good at putting outfits together.
Justin Ryan (11th grade): I like to mountain bike, I jumped off an 80 foot bridge two years ago, and I love
art and singing.
Safiyyah Jones (10th grade): I’m a pretty decent singer and actress.
Melissa Lombardi (10th grade): I can cook and play piano. I’ve had two poems published in two different
books.
Rachel Gallina (12th grade): I can sing the alphabet backwards.
Rose Moore (9th grade): I can crack my nose.
th
Sarah Weston (9 grade): I can juggle. I can sing/act and play soccer. Obsessed with Ron Pope,
Ed Sheeran and The Cab.
Allyssa Neppach (9th grade): I love lacrosse.
Mackenzie Bowes (9th grade): I design clothes in my free time.
Zack Bloom (9th grade): I am double-jointed in my shoulders.
Angelique Berg (9th grade): I can sing.
Marley Battista (9th grade) : I can do gymnastics.
Emma Dolan (10th grade): I love walking on my hands.
Hannah Famous (10th grade): I can sing.
th
Mike Ciaverelli (10th grade): I can only cross one
eye.
John Lukowski (10th grade): I am
awesome at rock climbing.
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Tara Gilroy (10th grade): I can pop
both of my shoulders out..
Chris Carney (10th grade): I lived in
Germany for six years.
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Lyn Doan (10th grade): I can fold my
eyelids.
Kylie Pannella (9th grade): I can
play the expert level on DJ Hero.
Tim Alati (11th grade); I have webbed
toes.
Bryan Furr (11th grade): I’ve had
beard since 6th grade.
Marissa DiPaul (12th grade):
Julie Fain (12th grade):
Matt Endres (12th grade):
Fred Riggins (12th grade):
Jeff Potts (12th grade):
Amelia Shaw (12th grade):
Matt Riddlemoser (12th grade):
Meghan Loughery (12th grade):
Lucy Sommers (12th grade):
Haley Smith (12th grade):
Jeff Miller (12th grade):
Joelle Doriani (12th grade):
Drew Doriani (12th grade):
Alex Wertman (11th grade): I have an extra rib on my Alexandra Schmidt (12th grade):
left side.
Sarah White (12th grade):
How
Erica Johnson (12th grade):
Mason Werny (12th grade):
Marcus Howell (12th grade):
Angela Hayde (11th grade):
Ryane Burton (12th grade):
Jake Noecker (10th grade):
Jess Mueller (10th grade):
Vanessa Colihan (10th grade):
Jess Carboy (10th grade):
Chris Carney (10th grade):
Allie Burkeen (10TH grade):
Lauren Daugherty (12th grade):
sharks.
Danielle Digirolomo (12th grade): I am douMack Thomas (11th grade):
ble-jointed in eight fingers.
Chris Fitting (10th grade):
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THE
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.
Scott Deichmann (12th grade): I can solve the
Rubix Cube.
da
Casey Wilkinson (12th grade): I have
30 cousins total on my mom and dad’s
side.
Chris Fitting (10th grade): I can sing.
Gabby Duda (10th grade): I like to sing.
Olivia Hage (9th grade): I can surf.
th
Kaitlyn Evans (11 grade): I can speed read. Little known fact though, I’m actually
funny.
Allie Johns (11th grade): I am double-jointed.
Jared Laird (11th grade): Ability to fix cars.
Marshall Goodman (9th grade): I was in “The Phoenix” for doing community within the
Boy Scouts of America.
Cullen Haslam (9th grade): I can play the guitar.
Brianna Gibbons (9th grade): I am a good water skier.
Ellie Delaney (11th grade): I can scooter real well.
Jamie Connors (11th grade): I can act and participate in community theatre.
Brianna
Cooley (11th grade): My hidden talent is my keeper voice…Lady Phantoms
John Granese (11th grade): I can spell the
Soccer.
longest word in the English dictionary
Jed Cooper (11th grade): I read extremely well.
(Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoko Kristen DeHaven (11th grade): Singing, dancing, gymnastics, horse racing, and jumping
niosis).
horses. Art and writing.
Dani Hedegard (10th grade): Piano and dance!
Devin Gervasi (10th grade): Horseback riding.
Ryan Hesse (10th grade): I do martial arts and I love to spar with friends.
Fiona Halloran (10th grade): I can touch my nose with my tongue.
Jada Boyce (11th grade): Drum, Ballet.
Talahia Sallad (9th grade): I am an excellent rapper, I just get stage fright.
Matt Palubinsky (9th grade): I can yo-yo.
Ethan Romano (9th grade): I can dislocate my fingers.
Connor Stinger (9th grade): My grandfather was a green beret in the Vietnam War.
Michael Stokes (9th grade): I’m one of the fastest 9th grader at Phoenixville Area High
School.
Nicole Steplewski (9th grade): I can write creative stories in less than 50 minutes.
Susanna Shier (9th grade): I am a gymnast.
Mike Vargo (9th grade): My name was supposed to be John
Brandon Sturges (9th grade): I play piano.
Kyle Scholten (9th grade): I am a good singer.
Kyle Kobilka (11th grade): I can balance a
ladder on my chin.
I can lick my elbow.
I can lick my elbow.
I can play four instruments: Bass, Guitar, Piano, and
Harmonica.
I like to dance.
I like photography.
I can play the piano.
I race four wheelers.
I am going to Philadelphia University on a softball
scholarship.
I can tie knots with my tongue.
I can sing like Christina Aguilera.
I’ve flown a plane.
I’m a pro at parallel parking.
Tim Labik (11th grade): I have memorized the first 86 digits of pi (π).
I love poetry.
My middle name is Fina and my favorite food is
Taylor Crown (10th grade): I can mimic a baby’s
bagels.
cry.
Everyone knows me as being good at art.
ever, algebra is my favorite subject.
I can run in high heels without tripping.
I can do zero school work with no regret.
I am amazing at golf.
Baking.
I’m great with kids.
I can wiggle my ears.
I’m actually Spiderman.
I can lick my elbow.
My spine is crooked.
I lived in Germany for six years.
I’m in indoor color guard and marching band.
I was born in Houston and I’m afraid of
Sam McIntyre (10th grade): I can make a
Rachel Boone (12th grade): I can wiggle
Vanessa Colihan (10th grade): I can lick
I love running.
my ears…one at a time.
phenomenal sheep noise.
my elbow.
I can sing.
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Page 9
Have you ever
looked at the metal
hangers you use to
hang up your
clothes and wonder
why it tells you not
to eat it? It’s simple! The warning
was put on that
hanger because
someone, somewhere, at some
time, tried eating
one! The following
“stupid
Danielle DiGirolomo labels”
are real
warning labels that were created to ward
off those who are not the “smartest tools
in the toolshed.” Enjoy!
•”Do not use if you cannot see clearly to
read the information in the information
booklet." -- In the information booklet.
•"Caution: The contents of this bottle
should not be fed to fish." -- On a bottle of
shampoo for dogs.
•"For external use only!" -- On a curling
iron.
•"Warning: This product can burn eyes." - On a curling iron.
•"Do not use in shower." -- On a hair
dryer.
•"Do not use while sleeping." -- On a hair
dryer.
•"Do not use while sleeping or unconscious." -- On a hand-held massaging
device.
•"Shin pads cannot protect any part of the
body they do not cover." -- On a pair of
shin guards made for bicyclists.
•"This product not intended for use as a
dental drill." -- On an electric rotary tool.
•"Caution: Do not spray in eyes." -- On a
container of underarm deodorant.
•"Caution: This is not a safety protective
device." -- On a plastic toy helmet used as
a container for popcorn.
•"Do not use near fire, flame, or sparks." - On an "Aim-n-Flame" fireplace lighter.
•"Not intended for highway use." -- On a
13-inch wheel on a wheelbarrow.
•"This product is not to be used in bathrooms." -- On a Holmes bathroom heater.
•"May irritate eyes." -- On a can of selfdefense pepper spray.
•"Eating rocks may lead to broken teeth." - On a novelty rock garden set called
"Popcorn Rock."
•"Caution: Hot beverages are hot!" -- On a
coffee cup.
•"Caution: Shoots rubber bands." -- On a
product called "Rubber Band Shooter."
•"Warning: May contain small parts." -On a frisbee.
•"Please keep out of children." -- On a
butcher knife.
•"Not suitable for children aged 36 months
or less." -- On a birthday card for a 1 year
old.
•"Do not recharge, put in backwards, or
use." -- On a battery.
•"Warning: Do not use on eyes." -- In the
manual for a heated seat cushion.
•"Do not use for drying pets." -- In the
manual for a microwave oven.
•"For use by trained personnel only." -On a can of air freshener.
•"Remember, objects in the mirror are
actually behind you." -- On a motorcycle
helmet-mounted rear-view mirror.
•"Do not use as ear plugs." -- On a package of silly putty.
•"Twist top off with hands. Throw top
away. Do not put top in mouth." -- On the
label of a bottled drink.
•"Do not use intimately." -- On a tube of
deodorant.
•"Caution: Remove infant before folding
for storage." -- On a portable stroller.
•"Do not iron clothes on body." -- On
packaging for a Rowenta iron.
•"Wearing of this garment does not enable
you to fly." -- On a child sized Superman
costume.
•"Beware! To touch these wires is instant
death. Anyone found doing so will be
prosecuted." -- On a sign at a railroad
station.
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•"Warning: do not use if you have prostate
problems." -- On a box of Midol PMS
relief tablets.
•"Do not light in face. Do not expose to
flame." -- On a lighter.
•"Choking hazard: This toy is a small
ball." -- On the label for a cheap rubber
ball toy.
•"Not for human consumption." -- On a
package of dice.
•"May be harmful if swallowed." -- On a
shipment of hammers.
•"Do not attempt to stop the blade with
your hand." -- In the manual for a Swedish
chainsaw.
•"Do not dangle the mouse by its cable or
throw the mouse at co-workers." -- From a
manual for an SGI computer.
•"Warning: May contain nuts." -- On a
package of peanuts.
•"Do not eat." -- On a slip of paper in a
commercial
which shows a car
in the ocean.
•"Always drive on
roads. Not on
people." -- From a
car commercial
which shows a
vehicle "bodysurfing" at a concert.
Signs and
Notices:
•"No stopping or
standing." -- A
sign at bus stops
everywhere.
•"These rows reserved for parents with
children." -- A sign in a church.
•"You could be a winner! No purchase
necessary. Details inside." -On a bag of Fritos.
•"Fits one head." -- On a hotelprovided shower cap box.
•"Warning: Ramp Ends In
Stairs." -- A sign, correctly
describing the end of a concrete ramp intended for handicap access to a bridge.
Safety Procedures:
•"In case of flood, proceed
uphill. In case of flash flood,
proceed uphill quickly." -- One
of the emergency safety procedures at a summer camp.
stereo box, referring to the styrofoam
packing.
•"Do not eat if seal is missing." -- On said
seal.
•"Access hole only -- not intended for use
in lifting box." -- On the sides of a shipping carton, just above cut-out openings
which one would assume were handholds.
•"Warning: May cause drowsiness." -- On
a bottle of Nytol, a brand of sleeping pills.
•"Warning: Misuse may cause injury or
death." -- Stamped on the metal barrel of
a .22 calibre rifle.
•"Not to be used as a personal flotation
device." -- On a 6x10 inch inflatable picture frame.
•"Do not put in mouth." -- On a box of
bottle rockets.
•"Remove plastic before eating." -- On the
wrapper of a Fruit Roll-Up snack.
•"Not dishwasher safe." -- On a remote
control for a TV.
•"Warning! This is not underwear! Do not
attempt to put in pants." -- On the packaging for a wristwatch.
Assurances:
•"Safe for use around pets." -- On a box of
Arm & Hammer Cat Litter.
Small Print From Commercials:
•"Do not use house paint on face." -- In a
Visa commercial that depicts an expecting
couple looking for paint at a hardware
store.
•"Do not drive cars in ocean." -- In a car
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Ingredients:
•"Ingredients: Artificially
bleached flour, sugar, vegetable fat, yeast, salt, gluten, soya
flour, flour treatment agents,
enzymes, water. May contain: fruit." -The ingredients list on a package of fruit
buns.
Materials:
Covering: 100% Unknown. Stuffing:
100% Unknown."-- On a pillow.
Instructions:
•"Remove the plastic wrapper." -- The
first instruction on a bag of microwave
popcorn; to see the instructions, one first
has to remove the plastic wrapper and
unfold the pouch.
•"Open packet. Eat contents." -- Instructions on a packet of
airline peanuts.
•"Remove wrapper,
open mouth, insert
muffin, eat." -Instructions on the
packaging for a
muffin at a 7-11.
•"Use like regular
soap." -- On a bar
of Dial soap.
•"Serving suggestion: Defrost." -On a Swann frozen
dinner.
•"Simply pour the
biscuits into a bowl
and allow the cat to
eat when it wants." -- On a bag of cat
biscuits.
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THE
•"In order to get out of car, open door, get
out, lock doors, and then close doors." -In a car manual.
•"For heat-retaining corrugated cardboard
technology to function properly, close
lid." -- On a Domino's sandwich box.
http://www.rinkworks.com/said/
warnings.shtml
•"Do not point directly at face." -Speargun
•"No animals were harmed during the
manufacture of this product." –Box of
Animal Crackers
•"Due to the law of averages, some unbroken chips may accidentally be included in
this package." –Bag of Potato Chips
•"Employees must wash hands before
spitting in customers' food" –Restaurant
bathroom
•"Frequent use of this product while driving is encouraged by the American Organ
Donor Consortium." –Cellular telephones
http://
www.thespeciousreport.com/2003_warnin
gs.html
•” Never operate your speakerphone while
driving.” –Jabra Drive ‘N’ Talk
•”Do not hold the wrong end of a chainsaw.” -Chainsaw
•”Contents may catch fire.”- Blow torch
gas bottle
•”This product may contain eggs.”- A
carton of eggs
•”Safety goggles recommended.” –
Staple’s letter opener
•”Do not put any person in this washer.” –
Huebsch Washing Machine
•”(on website): Do not eat.” –Apple’s Ipod
Shuffle
http://shopping.yahoo.com/news/15-
stunningly-dumb-warning-labels000000121.html
PURPLE
PRESS
Imagine a
woman is angry
with the speed at
which her boyfriend is driving
the car. Because
of this, she jumps
out of the moving
vehicle, and is
run over by another car. Every
year, nuAustin Starczewski merous
people are
recognized for dying in a way that is so
ridiculous that it makes people in the
world laugh. These people are “honored”
with Darwin Awards, which are “given” to
people based on the stupidity of their
deaths. Here are some past funny
“winners” of the Darwin Awards, found at
http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/.
According to the website, these events are
true.
1995- Some men, no matter how stupid
it may be, will do anything to prove how
tough they are. Polish farmer Krystof
Azninski, 30, had been drinking with
friends when it was suggested they play
some "men's games". Initially they hit
each other over the head with frozen turnips, but then one man upped the ante by
seizing a chainsaw and cutting off the end
of his foot. Not to be outdone, Azninski
grabbed the saw and, shouting "Watch this
then," he swung at his own head and
chopped it off.
(March 2001, Ghana) Tribal clashes are
common in Northern Ghana, and people
A movie gets
edited for hundreds of hours
before it is released into theaters. But believe
it or not, most
movies, even the
popular ones,
have multiple
mistakes in them.
Some movies
Jake Galli have hundreds of
mistakes. These
are some of my favorite movie mistakes,
via www.moviemistakes.com .
Star Wars- When the stormtroopers break
into the control room, the stormtrooper on
the right of the screen hits his head on the
door frame. On the DVD release they've
added a thump when he hits it.
The Twilight saga: Eclipse- In the last
scene where Edward and Bella are sitting
in the sunny field, Edward is not sparkling. In the first Twilight movie, Edward
says he always sparkles when he is in
sunlight.
Pulp Fiction- When Vincent is giving
Mia Wallace the adrenaline shot to
awaken her from her overdose-induced
coma, they mark her chest with a red
magic marker. After the shot has been
given, the red mark disappears.
THE
PURPLE
often resort to witchcraft with the hope of
bounce around the lamp. But after several
becoming invulnerable to weapons. For
frustrating minutes, nothing happened.
example, Aleobiga, 23, and fifteen fellow
Then, Phillip got an idea: "Why not accelbelievers
erate this painfully
purchased a
slow process?" He
"magical"
took the lamp to the
potion to
kitchen, placed it on
render them
the stove, and turned
invincible to
up the heat. The heat
bullets. After
from the stove caused
smearing the
the lava lamp to exmagical
ceed its pressure
lotion over
limits, causing the
their bodies
lava lamp to explode.
for two
One thick shard of
weeks, Aleoglass blew straight
biga volunthrough Philteered to test
ips's chest and
the spell. He
into his heart.
stood by
(December
while his
2005, South
friends lifted
Africa) Two
their weapmuggers were
ons and
working a
fired. You'd
crowd. They
Pictures: Google images had just taken a
think he would have tested the
Lava Lamp, pre explosion. cellphone and
spell on a non-essential body part
first.
purse from a
(November 2004, Washington) Twentycouple at knifepoint, when the
four year old Philip was found dead in the woman screamed. The muggers
bedroom of his trailer home, with burnt
sprinted away; however, one of
remains of a Lava Lamp covering his
them was severely out of shape.
kitchen. Puzzled investigators eventually
As the out of shape mugger
pieced together a likely scenario for
watched his partner in crime out run
Philip's last moments.
him into the distance, he felt a
Lava lamps can be tremendous distrac- cramp in his side, and knew he
tions. Philip couldn't wait to go home and
could run no farther. Then he spotted a
use his new Lava Lamp. He plugged it in
high fence and he used all of his energy
and waited for the pretty globs of lava to
sprinting toward it. The mugger made it to
Forest Gump- Jenny shows Forrest a
clipping of him in U.S.A. Today magazine
(first published in September 1982), but
on Jenny's grave it says she died on March
22 1982.
Step Brothers - A video is shown of
Derek Huff singing "Ice Ice Baby" at a
school talent show that took place when
Ice, came out in the summer of 1990.
Spider-Man- When Peter shoots his web
at his bedroom lamp and pulls it across the
room, it smashes against the wall and
breaks. But when Aunt May is talking to
Peter from the door seconds later, the lamp
is back on the dresser in one piece!
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines- When
John and Catherine
are in the hangar at
the runway, the
Cessna's tail number is N3035C.
When the plane is
shown in the air,
the number is
N3973F. When
they land, the tail
number has
changed back to
N3035C.
Gladiator- In the
"Battle of Carthage" in the Colosseum, one of the
Pictures: Google images chariots is turned
his brother
Gladiator: I didn't know they had gas canisters in the over. Once the
Brennan
chariots back then. dust settles you
was 17.
can see a gas cylRobert
inder in the back
states his desire to retire in "in two years,"
of the chariot.
in 2010, making the movie's setting 2008.
Commando- After chasing down Sully,
Brennan is 39 in the film, placing the
the yellow Porsche is totally wrecked on
talent show 22 years ago in 1986. The
the left side. When Arnie drives it away,
song "Ice Ice Baby", recorded by Vanilla
it's fine.
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the fence and leaped over it. He felt as
though he had escaped, because nobody
had followed him. But he had failed to take
into consideration a very important fact.
He was at the Bloemfontein Zoo. He felt a
huge relief because he thought he had
escaped, but he then realized that the other
side of the fence led him into the Bengal
tiger exhibit!
The man’s body, although all of it could
not be found, went unnoticed until the next
day.
(August 2010, South Korea) An angry
handicapped man, annoyed that an elevator
departed without him, rammed his wheelchair into the doors once, twice, three
times. He succeeded in getting the doors to
open; however, he plummeted through the
elevator shaft and plunged to his death.
Die Another Day - In the final fight scene
on the plane between Jinx and Agent
Frost, Jinx is slashed across her stomach,
drawing blood. In a later scene, when Jinx
and 007 are pouring diamonds over one
another in the hut on the cliff, her stomach
is fine.
Spider-Man 3- During the fight scene
with Sandman in the armor car, the Terminal Tower can be seen in the background,
which is a landmark in Cleveland, Ohio
(where the scene was shot), not in New
York city, where it supposedly took place.
The Matrix- Agent Smith is interrogating
Neo. Smith has sealed Neo's mouth shut
and is backed into the corner. However
when the camera cuts back to Smith you
can clearly see a reflection in his glasses
of Neo still sitting down in the chair.
Spider Man: Moments after he pulls the
lamp off the dresser, it is suddenly upright again!
Page 11
Some people have Cathisophobia, the fear of sitting down, or Chorophobia, the fear of dancing, or even Otophobia, the fear of opening your eyes. People who have Porphyrophobia
are afraid of the color purple, and people who have Octophobia have the fear of the number eight. Sesquipedalophobia, the fear of long words, seems like a cruel joke. If you have
Philosophobia, you shouldn’t take Philosophy.
These fears are extreme and it seems that nobody at Phoenixville could have such extreme fears, but check out the fears your peers have and things that freak them out. You might just
share them.
McKenizie Ashburn: I’m scared of feet.
Jake Noecker: I am afraid of
clowns.
Zach Bloom: Being buried alive.
Julia Benner: Grasshoppers/crickets
really freak me out.
Laura Moretti: Elevators.
Matt Chiappetta: I have the biggest fear
of Rover Busses.
Josh Anderson: I have a fear of elevators. I worry they will break down and
fall to the bottom floor.
Dani Hedegard: I have a huge fear of
clowns . . . They are terrifying.
Stephanie Schellberg: I have a
huge fear of BAND-AIDS. No
idea why. And I can’t stand to
hear people when they chew
cereal.
Peter Buck: Mr.McLaughlin when
he’s in a bad mood.
Prince Denson: I’ll be honest, dark
woods or forests are really scary.
Eli Brown: Fear of Girl Scouts. I’m afraid they will knock
on my door and I won’t have any money.
Jess Carboy: Drowning.
Jordan Mudd: Dropping weights on
my finger.
Page 12
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Ryane Burton: I’m afraid of clowns, cotton balls, and
squirrels.
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