Over 200 years` experience leaving building

Transcription

The tyrian
Vol. 1 • No. 3
Mifflin County High School
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
thetyrian@mcsdk12.org
Welch
“flying”
to France
Inside
the CTC
Pages 9-10
National
Essay
Winner
Page 13
Page 15
Over 200 years’ experience leaving building
By TYRIAN STAFF
LEWISTOWN— When the
final
bell rings on June 1, students will rush out the doors and
into summer.
For seven MCHS teachers
and support staff, those same
doors will open a few days later
into more than a summer break.
When attendance clerk Patricia Crosson, aide Brenda Dudick,
cafeteria manager Darla Wheeler
and teachers Brenda Dillman,
Judy Gisewhite, Betty Longfield
and Connie McMinn exit the
building, a combined 226.5 years
of combined experience will go
out the door with them. They are
retiring.
Following are some parting thoughts from them as they
prepare to begin their retirement
years.
Tyrian photo by FINNIAN SAYLOR
Retirees (L-R) Darla Wheeler, Pat Crosson, Judy Gisewhite, Brenda Dudick, Brenda Dillman
Living in an era of technology
Pat Crosson, Secretarial staff
Crosson is leaving MCSD
after 34 years of service during which she has worked as a
library clerk, clerk typist and for
the past two years as an atten
dance clerk.
Her building assignments
have
See RETIREES/ Page A3
By KIM DUTCHER
Tyrian staff writer
LEWISTOWN—Growing up in the information age, we are
more than a little familiar with technology. Most of us have some
type of technology available for us to use every minute of every day:
cell phones, iPods, laptops, the internet.
When did this excess use of technology begin? The year 1970
proved to be one of inspiration, ingenuity, and invention. That is
when rudimentary personal computers were released, along with the
first portable music player (the Sony Walkman), followed by arcade
games, floppy disks, VCRs, e-mails, voicemail systems, microwaves, and cell phones. The creativity that developed in this decade
and the decades that followed brought about an overarching “need”
to use and be surrounded by technology at all times.
In order to determine how fully immersed MCHS students are in
their technology, The Tyrian staff recently conducted a survey of the
student body and tallied the responses according to gender.
Just how plugged in and dependent are we on our technology?
The graphics tell the story.
See MCHS SURVEY / Page 5
Tyrian photo illustration by FINNIAN SAYLOR
Faith, optimism, tenacity fuel sophomore’s fight
By FINNIAN SAYLOR
Tyrian staff writer
Editor’s note: Two years ago, when Hannah Faulkner was
she was involved in an automobile accident. The force of the
14,
impact left Hannah with a serious brain injury that destroyed the
centers of the brain that control speech and gross motor skills.
Since then, the 16-year-old has been engaged in a valiant battle
to regain the skills and faculties she lost that day. Through it all,
she has maintained both her brilliant smile and a faith in God that
strengthens her daily.
LEWISTOWN — Using
wish likely would have been the
one finger intent on striking
one Hannah would have made
its selected targets, Hannah
before blowing out the candles
Faulkner types out her answer to
on the cake. But Hannah spent
a question on her iPad. The mes- her birthday unconscious and on
sage on her screen reads: “some
life support.
space times, space I space wish
space I space could space walk
The accident
space and space talk.”
Had she been able to cel
Hannah was a passenger in
ebrate her 14th birthday, that
the back seat of the family car,
Tyrian photos by FINNIAN SAYLOR
Hannah and her aide Lori Aultz work on painting (above) and walking (at right).
when it collided with another
vehicle. Although two other family members were also in the car,
Hannah was the only one injured.
Transported to the trauma center
in Altoona, she was
See SOPHOMORE/ Page A4
MCHS Prom • A Night in the Spotlight• May 19, 2012
People
A2-Lewistown, PA
Huskies
in the
military
By TYRIAN STAFF
LEWISTOWN- Even before
graduating from high school, a
number of students are already
serving their country through
their involvement in the United
States Armed Services. Some
will be going active duty; others serving with the Guard or
Reserves.
Below, they discuss the
reasons behind their respective
enlistments and their long-term
plans, whether as career servicemen or civilians.
In what branch of the military have you enlisted?
Patton: Army
Murphy: Army
Weaver: Civil Air Patrol- Air
Force
Daddario: PA Army National
Guard
Haines: Army
Williams: Army National
Guard
Van Buren: Army
Explain the reason behind
your enlistment with the U.S.
Armed Forces.
Patton: I was told at a young
age I’d be a soldier someday.
Murphy: I wanted to do more
for the people I love and I always
looked up to the people that serve
(firefighters, police, enlisted
soldiers).
Weaver: I felt the need to do
so.
Daddario: Needed money for
college & wanted a back-up plan
Row 1 (L-R) Patrick VanBuren, Patric Moore Row 2(L-R) Torrin Daddario, Kevin Weaver
Haines: Family legacy for
every man in my family to serve
in a branch of the military, and it
has been my dream to serve since
I was little.
Williams: To better myself and
to help pay for college
How long is your enlistment,
and how did you know at the
age you are now that you were
ready to enter into a long-term
commitment of this nature?
Patton: Three years, 17 weeks,
then re-enlistment, and I trained
for many years beforehand.
Murphy: Eight years, reservist
for 2 years then Active Duty; determination on and perseverance.
Weaver: One year, I stay in the
U.S. and do search and rescue for
the Air Force; it was time to do
something for my country.
Daddario: Two-and-a-half
years enlisted—now; sophomore
in college—three years;ROTCcollege; 10 years officer—after
college
Haines: Six years for now. I
plan on reenlisting after six. Honestly I didn’t really think about it
being a long-term commitment
in the way someone else might.
I see it as my duty and chance to
prove myself to everyone.
Williams: Six years, one year
inactive; if you don’t take your
first intention, you won’t go
anywhere.
Van Buren: 6 years Active
Duty
How would you say you
have changed as a result of this
experience?
Patton: Yes, I’ve matured a
lot and been more motivated in
improving myself for the experience.
Murphy: Physical and mental
standards have increased due to
motivation.
Weaver: A new look on the
people that keep me and my family safe.
Daddario: More mature
Haines: I never really been
serious about anything until now
in my life, I like to joke around
a lot, but when it comes to my
future I have my mind set.
Williams: I have to say I know
more than what someone knows
when they go to basics and I am
more physically fit
VanBuren: It’s given me
motivation I never had before to
do better in school and work hard
to stay fit.
What career field to you plan
on pursue with the military?
Patton: Infantry
Murphy: Combat Engineer
Weaver: C/C MSGT or Chief
Master Sergeant, Position Fight
Commander
Daddario: Combat Medic and
Medical officer
Haines: Utilities Equipment
repairer
Williams: Infantry
VanBuren: Explosive Ordinance Disposal
Resource officer a proactive move for district
By BROOKE WALTERS
Tyrian staff writer
Many high schools across
the country have a full-time
school resource officer on staff. Cpl. Rob Haines is the resource officer in this district. The
position is jointly funded by the
district and the Mifflin County
Regional Police.
Although the concept is not
a new one, Haines says, “It has
recently become an integral part
of schools in Pennsylvania.”
The resource officer’s role,
according to Haines, is helping
to provide and maintain an environment that promotes success.
To achieve that goal, he
teams up as needed with area
agencies such as the Abuse
Network, Children and Youth,
Mifflin County Probation, Tri
County Drug and Alcohol, and
Clear Concepts.
All are community resources available to the district to help
students who could benefit from
their services.
In its decision to employ a
full-time resource officer, Haines
says, the district is taking a
proactive approach to prevent
disciplinary situations from
developing into something more
serious.
The resource officer explains he is often involved in
everyday discipline because, for
Tyrian photo by KELSEY WHALEN
Cpl. Rob Haines
example, incidents involving
bullying and harassment have
the potential to escalate into
criminal acts.
He identifies situations arising
from Facebook and texting as
among the more challenging
situations he has to deal with. “I deal with this 50% of my
day—one student talking about
another. Drama!”
A typical day for Haines is
about 10 hours—arriving here
before the students, catching up
on the paperwork from the previous day, and bouncing back and
forth between the junior high,
the high school, and the elementary schools.
Between the junior high and
the high school, the nature of the
incidents he deals with differs
significantly.
He explains that part of the
reason for this is the students’
age and level of maturity.
“High school students have matured and are making lifelong decisions. Their goals are
more future- oriented.”
The worst part of his job, he
says, is “when I have to arrest a
student. I’m here to teach kids to
make healthy choices, but sometimes it (arrest) has to happen,”
given the nature of the offense.
Asked what kind of incident
would constitute an immediate arrest, he replies, “Crimes
or actions that would put the
student body and staff in danger
of harm—felonies such as drug
delivery, assaults, or terroristic
threats.”
On the flip side, his favorite
part of the job is seeing students
MCHS Timeline
succeed: “I love seeing someone beat the odds and turn their
lives around.”
In law enforcement for 25
years, Haines says his lifelong
dream was to be a police officer.
There was a brief time, however,
when he considered being an art
teacher, but there were no positions then.
Prior to working for the
district, he worked in criminal
investigations, mostly investigating child abuse.
He says he chose to work
for the school district because
he sees himself as the person
needed to help teach students
to make good decisions and
become successful.
Outside of school, his
favorite hobbies revolve around
his own children, getting them
where they need to go and being
involved in their events.
He also enjoys woodworking and helping people in the
community.
As one of the people
charged with keeping the school
environment safe and secure,
Haines offers this advice for the
student body about success:
“The best way to be successful is to think about the
consequences of everything
you do—outside of school, too.
Don’t do drugs! Don’t Drink!
Study hard! Get active in school!
Get involved!”
School
A3-Lewistown, PA
Language week takes the cake
Around the World
in 80 Cakes
This year’s Language Week
theme was “Learning a new language makes you smarter.” One
of the main events of the week
was the cake decorating contest hosted by the Spanish Club.
The theme for the contest was
“Around the world in 80 cakes.”
First place went to the cake at
the left, made by Allison Rhodes
and Shana Wagner. Other entries, counterclockwise:
Cake 1: Selina Roman-White,
Alex Smith, Ashley Victoriana;
Cake 2 (third place): Michael
Kavala, Hannah Strauch; Cake 3:
Dylan Crosson, Lauren Kavala,
Paige Laughlin, Hannah Maben;
Cake 4 (second place): Kelsey
Barth, Kiersten Capouillez, Olivia
Runk; Cake 5: Taylor Boyer,
Joe Knarr; Cake 6: Ayla Hockenberry, Randa Garrett; Cake 7:
Cassidi Hetrick, Sara Munson
Retirees
reflect on
careers
Continued from page 1
included the following: administration; elementary—East
Derry, Buchanan, Union, Strodes
Mills, Seventh Ward; middle—
Lewistown, Indian Valley;
high—Lewistown Area, Chief
Logan, Indian Valley and Mifflin
County.
In the nearly four decades
she has spent working in an educational institution, Crosson says
she has witnessed such changes
in education as “bringing about
the middle school concept,
increasing all sports programs,
and eliminating basic programs
such as cooking and sewing for
everyday use.”
Having worked in so many
different schools and having met
so many people from throughout
the county has given Crosson an
appreciation for the caliber of
people who live here.
Brenda Dillman, teacher
For 35 years, Dillman, a
learning support teacher, has
been assisting students in many
different schools. Her first
teaching job was at the Lutheran
Church on 3rd Street, where
she taught the severely mentally
challenged. She has also taught
at Seventh Ward, Buchanan and
Strodes Mills Elementaries;
Lewistown Middle School and
Lewistown and Indian Valley
High Schools.
When picturing retirement,
she sees a white sand beach,
palm trees, clear blue water and
a good book! She also envisions
enjoying her family, especially
her grandchildren.
She says, “They keep me young
at heart and bring laughter to my
life.”
There are four items on Dill-
man’s bucket list so far: travel
to places such as Greece, Italy,
Australia, Scotland and Alaska;
visit many national parks in the
U.S., volunteer for a short time
in a third world country and help
build a home through Habitat for
Humanity. This is just the beginning; she says, “the list is still
evolving!”
learning new facts and concepts
and applying knowledge to their
own lives!!!”
She is quick to assert, “I am
proud to be an educator.”
Connie McMinn, teacher
Brenda Dudick, aide
Dudick has been employed
by the district for 27 ½ years,
working in the following schools:
Lewistown Middle; Buchanan,
Seventh Ward and Lewistown
elementaries; Indian Valley and
Mifflin County highs. Looking
back on her career Dudick expresses gratitude for the blessings
that have come to her through her
work.
She describes her vision of
retirement as “another adventure”! Her bucket list is “to
please the Lord in what he has in
store for me. We never know our
future.”
As a parting comment, she adds,
“My past 12 years have been
very dear to me. To be able to
watch a lovely student blossom
into a beautiful young adult and
a special part of my life forever.
We truly are best of friends.”
Judy Gisewhite, teacher
When Gisewhite entered
MCHS this year, it would be her
first of 27 years that she was not
working at the Lewistown high
school. What she remembers
most about her rookie year is the
open classroom experience she
shared with Valarie DeVecchis.
“You could hear other teachers
lecturing, watching movies, or
giving discipline. It was very
distracting,” she said. One of
her favorite memories from her
career is all the class trips she
took with her life skills students
to Washington, Baltimore, and
Lancaster.
Her advice for others contemplating a teaching career is
“Don’t. There are no jobs available. In the future they won’t
need teachers. Everything will
McMinn checks freezer for class recipe.
be done on computers.” Looking
ahead to retirement, she pictures
herself “sitting in a chair, looking
out the window and seeing IEP’s,
progress reports, reevaluations,
transitions, communication
books, noreps, invites, letters
to parents, papers to correct
and permission forms all flying
into the sky and never to be
seen again.” A few things on
her bucket list include traveling
Route 66, spending more time
with her aging family, volunteering, and camping more.
Betty Longfield, teacher
A biology teacher for 24
years in the district, Longfield
has taught a combined total of
33 years, with the other nine in
Washington, D.C., and Silver
Spring, Maryland.
One of Longfield’s signature
projects has been her involvement with the Pennsylvania
Envirothon of which she has
been an adviser for 20 of the
program’s 29-year history.
Her years in the district have
been spent in the following buildings: Lewistown and
Strodes Mills middle schools
and the following high schools:
Lewistown Area, Chief Logan,
Kishacoquillas, Indian Valley and
Mifflin County.
The best part of all of her
teaching days, she describes as
“when I see or hear students
When McMinn entered the
classroom 36 years ago, she says
she felt “totally overwhelmed
and somewhat unprepared.”
Nothing had been left for her
to follow, so she had to create a
class from scratch.
During her career she has
taught: Grade 7 sewing and 8th
grade cooking, along with “Adult
Roles and Functions”, “Child
Development”, and “Basic Nutrition” for grades 9 through 12
at Kishacoquillas High School
for 10 years; Grades 9 through
12 at Lewistown High School
for 25 years, teaching “Culinary
Arts I”, “Adult Living”, “ Teen
Living”, “Housing” ( only a few
years) which later became “Child
Development I and II” and “Life
101” with traveling to Lewistown
Middle School for 2 years somewhere in the middle. And this
year at MCHS teaching Culinary
Arts I, Child Development I,
Child Development II, and Life
101.
McMinn says she hopes to
see the return of electives in the
future. “I see firsthand that not
all students are academically
inclined, yet have other skills and
talents in which they may excel.
Offering electives allows many
students the opportunity to feel
successful.”
Her picture of retirement?
“A new me! One that is not
stressed, sleep deprived, or grading papers!” Her bucket list is
simple: “To never get enough
of my family.”
Darla Wheeler, cafeteria manager
It’s been 43 years since
Wheeler began working in the
district’s kitchens, and during
the four decades she has been on
staff, she has worked in a number
of buildings, serving children of
all ages. Her resume includes meal
preparation at the following
buildings: elementary—Buchanan, Derry, Highland Park;
junior high—Lewistown; high—
Kishacoquillas, Indian Valley and
Mifflin County.
Thinking back to her first
days on the job, Wheeler says she
remembers most the kids—and
then the amount of food she and
the rest of the staff were responsible for preparing.
As educational philosophies
and environments have changed
over the years, Wheeler says, it’s
become more difficult to develop
the closeness that used to be
common among students, faculty
and staff—something she says
she misses.
···
The Tyrian Staff would like to
thank all the retirees and wish
them well in their retirement.
Tyrian photo FINNIAN SAYLOR
Longfield at this year’s Pennsylvania Envirothon competition held in Juniata County.
Reflections of the First Year
School
Student store: Huskies’ gear and business experience
A4-Lewistown, PA
By ASHLEY VICTORIANA
Tyrian staff writer
Tyrian photo by KATEY CRAMER
Timo Escamilla sorts a new shipment of clothing to be sold at the student store. The store offers items such as clothing, food and
drinks, and school supplies. The store is open 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thomas Britt Memorial Award
LEWISTOWN- Since before
officially opened last fall, people
of all ages have been visiting
the school store for their official
“Huskies” gear.
This student-operated store has
been running since August when
people crowded in for their “First
of the Huskies” apparel in preparation for the official opening of
the new school.
Hours from 7:45 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. are designed so that students, teachers, and community
members alike may come by for
anything from an afternoon snack
to new yoga pants.
Adviser and business teacher
Melody Hassinger says the staff
has been busy, working after
hours to make the store a success.
They even offered extended evening hours over football season
and the Christmas holidays to
accommodate the heavy demand
for school-related items.
One of the reasons for the
store’s popularity is that it offers
high-quality, affordable items.
If you hate waiting in a long line,
try to avoid the store from 3:15 to
3:30 when the majority of junior
high and high school students
stop by for their after-school
slushies or chips.
Hassinger envisions the store
expanding one day to where
customers can enter and scan
merchandise at their leisure
rather than viewing it from across
the counter.
A place at the table
Rhodes
honored as
outstanding
educator
Duane Rhodes received the
Thomas Britt Memorial Award,
given in memory of former
Mifflin County School District
educator Thomas Britt. Annually,
a committee of teachers and
students selects a teacher who
exemplifies the qualities of an
outstanding educator.
Student Council members (L-R) Suruchi Sheth and Sydnee Treaster have been selected as student representatives for the Mifflin County School Board. They attend
board meetings monthly and have the chance to sit with the elected school board
members. Sheth and Treaster report good news from the high school to the board, as
well as concerns from students.
2012 NHS Inductees
Front Row (L-R) Jonathon Chester, Samantha Peters, Aaron Michaels, Katie LaMarca, Macie Lucas, Zanna Hannon, Taylor Boyer,
Michaela Wilson
Second Row (L-R) Patrick Parker, Kevin Cahill, Ann Bielski, Latasha Yoder, Jessica Shilling, Selina Roman-White, Allison Rhodes
Third Row (L-R) Steven Gingerich, Alex Smith, Finnian Saylor, Shawn Marker, Alana Felton, Caleb Druckemiller
Sophomore engaged in spirited battle
continued from Page A1
transferred to Hershey Medical
Center where she spent the next
10 weeks, two of them in an unconscious and non-responsive
state—unable to react to touch
or other stimuli.
The hospitalization
Upon Hannah’s arrival in
Hershey, doctors worked to keep
her body temperature down in
an effort to speed up the healing
process. Her injuries included:
destruction of the centers of the
brain that control speech and
gross motor skills, and fractures
to the right hip and pelvis.
Complicating her recovery
was the amount of swelling and
bleeding in the brain. To relieve
the pressure that was building in
her skull, doctors drilled a hole
through the bone. Life support
kept her functioning in her
unconscious state.
The medical team prepared
the Faulkner family of the
possibilities of what to expect
when Hannah finally regained
consciousness: best-case scenario was that she would be able
to walk, talk, retain her basic
motor skills and even have her
same personality; or, she could
be considered “dysfunctional”,
meaning she would have no motor control over her body and a
completely different personality.
The ongoing recovery
When Hannah came out of
the coma, the nature of her injuries became clearer in the weeks
that followed. Having lost gross
motor control, she was confined
to a wheelchair. The damage to
the speech center left her unable
to speak. And although she
could use her hands, she had
lost fine motor skills. It would
be a long journey back; Hannah
would begin her fight to train the
uninjured parts of her brain to
take over the work of the parts
that had been destroyed.
Hannah’s parents, Jeff and
Sharon Faulkner, rejoice as their
daughter continues to improve—
inside, she’s the same Hannah she
always was: same bright personality with a touch of moxie, positive attitude, strong faith in God.
Academically, she is performing at grade level—able to
read, write and execute math
problems at the sophomore level.
She can hear others and
answer their complex questions
without hesitation, although she
has had to adjust how she communicates. For now her voice is
the messages she types on her
iPad.
Hannah’s assistant at Mifflin
County High School, Lori Aultz,
comments that people often underestimate Hannah because they
see only her physical attributes. They notice a girl who cannot
speak and cannot walk and decide prematurely that her mental
capacity is similarly affected.
Student of
the Month
Leader of
the Pack
OCTOBER
10th - Alex Smith
11th - Sarah Bonson
12th - Jeremy Koller
OCTOBER
10th - Michea Wolfley
11th - Richie Royer
12th - Patrick VanBuren
NOVEMBER
10th - Kevin Cahill
11th - Alyssa Stackpole
12th - Hannah Walters
NOVEMBER
10th - Marc Aucker
11th - Jackie Shade
12th - Justin Lewis
DECEMBER
10th - Paige Laughlin
11th - Olivia Runk
12th - Ben Fowler
DECEMBER
10th - Mickey Holthaus
11th - Jordan Treaster
12th - Michaela Rogers
JANUARY
10th - Ann Bielski
11th - Aaron Michaels
12th - Brandi Sherwood
JANUARY
10th - Breanna Sunderland
11th - Craig Shingler
12th - Rebecca Casner
FEBRUARY
10th - Megan Ingram
11th - Megan Leeper
12th - Suruchi Sheth
FEBRUARY
10th - Bobbie Seitz
11th - Derek Yoder
12th - Jennifer Brower
MARCH
10th - Anna Taptich
11th - Kelsey Barth
12th - Matt Chester
MARCH
10th - Paige Havice
11th - Benjamin Kauffman
12th - Katie Leister
APRIL
10th - Sara Munson
11th - Dylan Crosson
12th - Jared Stufft
APRIL
10th - Kori Treaster
11th - Roxy Ruble
12th - Kelsey Whalen
MAY
10th - Katie LaMarca
11th - Makayla Pearce
12th - Garrick Treaster
MAY
10th - Brett Miller
11th - Jack Wagner
12th - Abby Wilson
Those who take the time to get to
know Hannah, she says, find that
she is a bright and witty. She can
form complete and perfectly executed sentences, make jokes and
laugh, understand commands
and engage in conversation.
Having retained her knowledge from prior schooling, Hannah is taking both sophomore
math and English classes. She
has also found a way to continue
in a favorite hobby from before
the accident—art.
Despite not having fine motor control, Hannah has adapted
her technique by laying her wrist
on her aide’s hand to steady it as
she paints. And determined to
walk on her own again, she does
laps in the halls with the help of
a walker and the support of her
aide.
The Faulkner family has
adapted, too, equipping their
house for handicap accessibility
and adjusting routines to ensure
Hannah’s everyday needs are met.
Without a doubt, faith has
sustained Hannah. An incident
that illustrates the strength of
her faith and her mettle occurred
when Hannah spoke to the driver
of the other vehicle.
Her message to him: Do not
feel remorse or sorrow. I know
God has a plan for my life and
will use this (accident) as a way
to minister to others.
Even from a wheelchair, she
walks in the light.
Opinion
5-Lewistown, PA
-MCHS Survey-
How tied are we to
our gadgets?
31.77%
26.04%
12.24%
19.01%
10.94%
Gaming
Under half of the male population at MCHS plays
video games every day, and about 19% of males do not
play video games very often.
Half of the females in the school do not play video
games very often, and only 7% play video games every
day.
Smartphones
Of the 58.33% of males who own a smartphone, 87.05% use their smartphones
to make calls. Of the 58.79% of females who own a smartphone, 96.39% use their
smartphones to make calls. 100% of males and females text, while only about 40% of
both use their phones for email. More girls than boys use their phones for Facebook or
twitter, and they are also more likely to use their phone’s camera than boys are. About
61% of males and females use their phones for news.
6.97%
1.21%
16.06%
49.39%
26.37%
The Let Down List
They’re the little things. They come at those moments when we’re all gas and giggles about something
that’s about to happen, only it doesn’t. Life’s little ironies. The letdowns. Sigh…
Worth a thousand words
By DYLAN CROSSON
Tyrian contributor
• Mifflin County does not have a Taco Bell.
• An iPhone’s battery life.
• When you get stuck behind a school bus on your
way to school.
• When people post their schedule for the day on
Facebook.
• The driver that feels the need to drive 35 miles per
hour in a 55 zone.
• Opening a bag of Hartley’s and finding it is only
filled half way with chips.
• Flat soda.
• When you buy cookie dough ice cream only to find
one piece of cookie dough.
• Flipping over a pancake and finding it is burnt.
• Not being allowed to use a calculator on a math test.
• When doughnuts are filled with pudding instead of
white cream.
• When animals rip open your garbage bags and drag
the garbage all over the yard.
• Strawberry ice cream with chunks of strawberries.
• A box of Cracker Jacks without a prize.
• Plastic fruit.
• When apple cider tastes too much like apple juice.
• Chunky salsa
• When you wake up Thursday morning thinking it’s
Friday.
The Tyrian
Established 2011
The Tyrian is a student newspaper published four
times a year by The Sentinel, 352 Sixth St., Lewistown, PA 17044. The offices of The Tyrian are located
at Mifflin County High School, 501 Sixth St. Lewistown, PA 17044.
Mark A. Crosson ……………….……..... Publisher
Natalie Love ………………………...…...... Adviser
Ben Fowler……………………... Managing Editor
Selina Roman-White …………..…… News Editor
Suruchi Sheth.…....Creative and Technical Editor
Office Location
501 Sixth St., Lewistown, PA 17044
Office is open 8 a.m.-4p.m. Monday-Friday
Phone (717) 242-0240 Fax (717) 447-2600
thetyrian@mcsdk12.org
Submitted by ANN BIELSKI
Fairy tales in an age of technology.
Reflections on the Huskies’ inaugural year
It is hard to believe that
these are the final weeks of the
inaugural year of Mifflin County
High School.
It has gone incredibly fast
and yet has been memorable.
First, the most significant
feature of this year has been
the incredible way the students
have come together to become
Huskies.
Blue and white and red and
black became purple, gray and
silver.
The predictions about all
of the problems that were sure
to occur with the meshing of the
two student bodies did not happen.
The student behavior, attitude and school spirit has been
amazing.
As a principal, I could not
have asked for a better student
body to work with.
They have been dedicated
to the school, each other and the
staff.
They have started new traditions and have either enhanced
or tweaked existing ones to
make them their own.
The teaching staff has also
been incredible. They have
faced each challenge with class
and dignity and worked tirelessly to make
our first year a
successful one.
They
have signed
up to be class
advisers, club
Mark
advisers and
Crosson
have signed on
to chaperone
dances, attend athletic events,
coach teams and lend a helping
hand to students in need.
My administrative, custodial, cafeteria and secretarial staffs
have been awesome as well.
They have worked long
hours to establish procedures,
type documents, enter data,
clean classrooms, halls, gyms
and restrooms and prepare the
best school lunches this county
has ever seen.
They often go unnoticed,
but the fruits of their labor are
evident.
As we conclude this first
year, let me take a minute to
share my vision for Mifflin
County High School.
I want this school to be a
place where students feel safe
and valued; one where they can
explore their interests, get the
best education possible and have
fun along the way.
I want Huskies to be known
for diligence, fierce competitiveness, honesty, honor and overall
class.
I want all who walk our
halls to have a sense of pride in
this school and what it stands
for.
And as the principal of this
school, I want to be the students’
loudest, most ardent cheerleader.
Go HUSKIES!
Opinion
A6-Lewistown, PA
MCHS Bullying Survey
The results
are in
The MCHS Student
Council ran a survey earlier this year of students’
opinions on bullying at our
school. As a result of the
survey, the Student Council
developed some suggestions to control the bullying
issue at our school. The
calculated results are on the
right:
Graphics submitted by
Jordan Everetts, Student
Council
How severe is the bullying problem at MCHS?
(852 surveys)
Where is bullying most prevelant at MCHS?
(852 surveys)
Did you know?
Facts about bullying
• The average bullying episode lasts only 37
seconds.
• Overly aggressive and overly permissive
parents are equally likely to have children who
bully.
• An estimated 40%-75% of bullying in
schools takes place during breaks, such as
during recess, at lunchtime, in the hallways, or
in the restrooms.
Bullying
Excerpt from the MCHS
Bullying Policy
Shall mean unwelcome verbal, written, electronic, or physical contact directed at a student by another
student or students, or by an adult, that has the intent and effect of:
1. Physically harming a student.
2. Damaging, extorting, or taking a student’s personal or academic property.
3. Placing a student in reasonable fear of physical harm.
4. Placing a student in reasonable fear of damage to or loss of personal property.
5. Systematically and intentionally excluding a student from activities with peers
6. Spreading false information about a student or attempting to influence others to exclude a student
from an activity.
7. Creating an intimidating or hostile environment that substantially interferes with a student’s educational opportunities.
Cyber Bullying
Includes, but is not limited to, the following misuses of technology: harassing, teasing,
intimidating, threatening, or terrorizing another student, teacher or employee of the district by sending or posting inappropriate or derogatory e-mail messages, instant messages, text messages, digital
picture or images, or web site postings (including blogs). All forms of cyber bullying are unacceptable and, to the extent that such actions are disruptive of the educational process of the district,
offenders shall be subject to appropriate discipline.
• According to a 2004 survey of 4th through
8th grade students, 53% of children reported
that they used the Internet to say something
negative about another child.
• Several factors increase the risk of a child
being bullied, including parental over-control,
illness or disability, passivity, social phobia,
agoraphobia, and higher levels and expression of general anxiety.
• The number of adolescents who experience
cyber bullying varies from 10%-40% or more,
depending on the age of the group and how
cyber bullying is technically defined.
Source: http://facts.randomhistory.com/facts-about-bullying.html
WANTED*
The egg’s return
Authority
The school district will not tolerate known acts of bullying occurring on school or during the time
students necessarily spend traveling to and from school or school-sponsored activities. Complaints of
bullying or cyber bullying shall be investigated promptly, and corrective action shall be taken when a
complaint is verified. Neither reprisals nor retaliations shall occur as a result of the submission of a
complaint. The district shall annually inform students that bullying or cyber bullying of students will
not be tolerated.
Reporting
The school district expects students and parents/guardians who become aware of any act of bullying
to immediately report that conduct. Students may report acts of bullying to their teachers, building
principal, or other school employees supervising school-sponsored activities. Students should be
encouraged not to stand by as third parties and tolerate bullying by others. Parents/Guardians may
contact the building principal to report acts of bullying.
Consequences/Discipline
Consequences for students who are found to have bullied others may include counseling, a parental conference, detention, suspension, expulsion, a loss of school privileges and/or exclusion from
school-sponsored activities. Depending upon the severity of a particular situation, the building
principal may also take appropriate steps to ensure student safety. Such steps may include the implementation of a safety plan; separating and supervising the students involved; providing employee
support for students as needed; reporting incidents to law enforcement, if appropriate; and developing
a supervision plan with parents/guardians.
Reprisal
Any student who retaliates against another student for reporting bullying or extortion or for assisting
or testifying in the investigation or hearing may be subject to disciplinary action.
*As per number 2 of the district’s bullying policy.
Editorial cartoon by Clayton Peachey
Competitions
7-Lewistown, PA
PMEA States
TSA States
All-State Choir
This year’s TSA comprised one of the largest delegations in Mifflin
County history with more than 25 members competing at the regional
level in over 50 events. Of those 25, 12 advanced to State Leadership
Competition, competing in over 25 events. Five TSA members are advancing to national competition in Nashville this summer. Members
pictured above are (L-R) Meghan Ingraham, Michaela DeBenedetto,
Caleb Druckemiller, Paige Laughlin, Kevin Cahill, Jonathon Chester.
(L-R) Zanna Hannon, Dylan Crosson, Katie Specht, and Jared Stufft qualified for the PMEA All-State Choir Conference . Crosson tied
for first at the conference.
National Financial
Capability Challenge
The following students scored in the top 20 percent of students
nationwide in the National Financial Capability Challenge, an
awards program designed to increase the financial knowledge
and capability of high school youth across the U.S. The program
stresses that students must strengthen their financial knowledge and skills because it is critical to their future success and to
the financial stability of our country. “We are all able to better
navigate our financial futures when we know more about earning
and spending, saving and investing, using credit wisely, avoiding
fraud, preparing for emergencies, saving for higher education, and
more,” the NFCC’s literature states.
David Eberley*
Seth Barger
Sarah Bonson
Nathanial Foster
Michael Kavala
Zachary Moon
Spencer Mumper
Morgan Peachey
All-State Band
Allison Rhodes
Nicholas Rhorer
Selina Roman-White
Hannah Strauch
Garrick Treaster
Steven White
Devon Wilson
* Perfect Score
(L-R) Patrick Harper, Jared Stufft, and Sara Munson qualified for the PMEA All-State Band Conference
Robotics:
FRC team takes robot
“athlete” to Pittsburgh
By SELINA ROMAN-WHITE
Tyrian staff writer
Editor’s Note: First Robotics
Competition (FRC) is part of
the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) program.
He shoots! He scores! And
the crowd goes wild!
Many have experienced this
thrilling scene at a basketball
game.
There’s nothing more exciting
than watching the winning shot
go into the basket. But what if
the players were robots?
This was the scenario created
in Rebound Rumble, the FIRST
FRC competition for 2012.
Three-on-three, no two robots
looked the same. Some could
shoot with great accuracy, some
that could cross a four-inch
barrier and balance on a balance
board, and still others could play
defense.
This was Mifflin County
Robotics Club’s rookie year.
They had six weeks to design,
build, and program a robot for
the Rumble.
It seemed a daunting task at
first. Where to start? What to do?
But through perseverance
and dedication, team 4289, the
Aut-O-Bots, was able to produce
a robot that could pick up balls,
shoot them, and even balance.
Led by Coach Peggy Fisher,
MCHS computer teacher, and
mentors Mark Feydo and Greg
Faulconbridge of General Electric, Ryan Manning of Phillips,
and mechanical engineer John
Berry.
The three-day competition,
held at the Petersen Center in
Pittsburgh, welcomed 45 teams
from surrounding states such as
Ohio and West Virginia, and one
team that traveled all the way
from Canada.
The first day was a flurry of
practice rounds and changes,
everyone eager to ensure their
robot was working properly.
Qualifying matches began the
second day.
The Aut-O-Bots started out
the day strong, winning their
first match, but they went on to
lose their next four to some steep
Front Row (L-R): Selina Roman-White, Alex Smith, Alexis Shoop, Michaela Wilson, Ryan Yoder. Second Row (L-R) Mentor Ryan Manning, Kyle Bargo, Cullen Kanagy, Caleb Diven, Brianna Rhodes, Dylan Kepner. Third Row (L-R) Mahesh Pai, Daniel Knepp, Josh Nale,
Mentor Greg Falconbridge. Back Row (L-R) Cassidi Hetrick, Coach Peggy Fisher. Below is the groups’ basketball playing robot, Dyson.
competition. Fifty-five out of 75
qualifying matches were played
that day, but it wasn’t all just
competition.
The atmosphere throughout
the day featured blaring music,
cheering, and dancing in the
bleachers.
Even when teams weren’t on
the field driving the robot, there
was no rest.
FRC teams take spirit very
seriously at competitions as the
Star Wars costumes, wigs and
hats, glow sticks, and team buttons bear witness.
There’s even an award for the
team having the most spirit.
The last 20 qualifying
matches were held on day three,
and the Aut-O-Bots made a
comeback, winning two out of
their three matches.
Finishing in 38th place, team
4289 was not chosen to form an
alliance for the semi-finals, but
they were not discouraged.
Submitted photo
They had built a working robot
that did everything they wanted
it to do in their first year, a
satisfying achievement in and of
itself.
Enviro team demonstrates
knowledge of natural world
Members of the Chipmunks, one of the MCHS Envirothon Teams, are shown
as they confer at a recent Pennsylvania Envirothon competition. This natural
resource environmental education program combines classroom learning
and outdoor activities. Students’ exposure to nature and seeing how humans
impact the natural world provide invaluable lessons for their understanding
of ecosystems and our environment, the group’s website states. (L-R) Blake
Marks, Kyle Kenepp, John Wilkinson, Autumn Jones, Jacob Fultz
Community
A8-Lewistown, PA
Join•Discover•MCHS Key Club•Serve•Lead
Serve
Courtney Anastasi-Foss and Olivia Rowles at the Special Olympics.
Submitted photo
Meghan Ingram and Katie LaMarca set
up for the teacher breakfast.
Other Key Club Events:
Volunteer Servers at Dinner Events • Lewistown Christmas
Parade • Lewistown Pancake Festival • Meet the Candidates
Night • Giving Tree • Santa’s Bookbag • Students of the Month
and Leaders of the Pack Bulletin Boards • Volunteers at YMCA
Swim Meets•Lewistown Elementary Bake Sale•Financial Aid
Night•Halloween Parade•Support to Troops•Painted at the
Lumina Center•5k Run•Baccalaureate and Commencement
Submitted photo
Kiersten Capouillez, Samantha Peters, and Alli Stuck prepare cookies and icing for the
Kid Connection in Lewistown.
“
I pledge, on my honor, to uphold the
Objects of Key Club International; to
build my home, school and community;
to serve my nation and God; and combat all forces which tend to undermine
these institutions.
“
Submitted photo
Hannah Kerstetter, Ashley Williams, Courtney Anastasi-Foss, Emily Landis, Alli Stuck, Tristan Kelly, and Sarah Bonson make pancakes at the teacher breakfast.
Key Clubbers and their Special Olympics
buddies
We are ONE - Rally for Education
MCSD staff in their Rally for Education shirts.
Above: Mifflin County School District Superintendent Mr. James Estep speaks at the rally for education. Recently, faculty, staff and
students rallied outside the administration building to highlight the accomplishments of district students and programs. The rally
was organized to raise awareness of the kinds of programs that could be affected by proposed cuts in the state education budget.
Life skills teacher Gina Moore and a student speak up to give others a voice.
Homecoming court
takes up literacy cause
On Wednesday, December 21, and Thursday, April 5, members
of the MCHS Homecoming Court and MCHS Student Council
traveled to Mifflin County elementary schools to promote literacy
to children. They talked about the importance of reading and shared
a book with the each class. They had a great time, and they hope to
continue this project every year.
More photos at:
https://www2.mcsdk12.org/StudentCouncil
Submitted photo by SURUCHI SHETH
CTC
9-Lewistown, PA
A day in the life...
Agricultural Technology
Ag technology students (L-R) Austin Moyer, James White, and Zach Goss fix a tractor owned by one of the student’s employer.
Kelly and Lacey Morder wheel fresh bedding in while cleaning stalls.
Baker planning career in underwater welding
By ABIGAIL WILSON
Tyrian staff writer
Metal working
LEWISTOWN- Senior Brian
Baker travels to his welding chair
as he lowers his helmet down and
begins to do some metal working. He is focused and intense.
Asked what he wants to
pursue as a career, his response
is quick and a little surprising.
He wants to be an underwater
welder.
After graduating and obtaining his welding certifications,
he will travel to Florida to begin
training in underwater welding.
In addition to a welding certification, he will need to obtain diving
certifications. Underwater welders perform
many tasks, including welding
pipelines and repairing ships and
platforms.
“Welding is something I love
doing, and the atmosphere here at
CTC is so laid back, but we learn
so much,” Baker says.
The money made in this
field is a factor. Starting salary is
about $55,000 yearly; with two
years’ experience, $100,000.
Cosmetology
Electrical
Cosmetology
Above: Shatima Harvey practices styling
Courtney Sullivan’s hair at the cosmetology department.
Top Right: Katelyn Logan practices
coloring hair using foils for highlighting
in Trisha Bratton’s hair at the CTC.
Bottom Right: Colton Wagner (left)
works to attach the rear axle onto the
swing arm of his 4-wheeler.
Collision repair
Child care
Child care student Carli Boreman plays with an infant.
Health occupations students
(L-R) Caddy Eby and Chelsea
Bilger placed 3rd at the State
Community Emergency Response
team (SCERT) competition in Lancaster, PA, staged March 5-7. The
scenario was working with people
and dummies “injured” by a bad
storm. There was also a written
test. Michael Bell placed first in
the pharmacology category. They
will compete in the national competition in Orlando, June 20-24.
Nationals
Nursing
students to
compete in
Orlando
Tyler Snyder (above) mounts a projector that will shine on a new SMARTBoard .
CTC
10-Lewistown, PA
Agricultural Technology
Ag Tech students, (L-R) Andrew Stringfellow, Terry Plank, Austin Moyer, prepare the field outside the CTC for spring planting. See related story on Terry Plank below
Applied learning
Student uses Ag skills in restoring antique John Deere tractor
By MORGAN PEACHEY
Tyrian staff writer
Senior Terry Plank chauffeured his friend and his friend’s
date to the prom this year—with
his 1947 Model A John Deere
tractor.
It cost him about $2,100
and about a year of his time to
get the machine in shape for
the trip—the prom wasn’t his
original purpose for buying the
machine, though.
He bought it to take to
shows.
Terry brought the tractor
home on July 3, 2011. He started
working on it that same night,
changing the steering rods because the one on the tractor was
bent.
He also had to remove the
cylinder head because the head
on it was broken due to water
having frozen inside.
About a month later, Terry
had all the parts he needed to get
the tractor running: a new head,
carburetor, gasket set, and spark
plugs.
By the middle of August, the
Deere was running again.
The next step in getting the
tractor ready to show was the
aesthetic portion of fixing up this
machine.
He took the tractor to the Ag
shop at CTC where the process
of restoration officially began.
He removed all the sheet
metal—the hood, the grill pieces,
dash, and various other parts.
He sanded off the old paint
and sent the pieces sent over to
Collision Repair to be straightened out and painted.
While the tractor was torn
down, he split it in half to repair
an oil leak; a gasket between the
block and the crankcase had to
be replaced (For anyone mechanically inclined, the engine
is horizontally mounted, which
means the pistons go forward
and backwards instead of up and
down.)
When he had it back together, he prepared for painting and
sent it off to the Collision Repair
shop for painting. Three days
later it was done, except for the
wheels. He spray painted them
John Deere Yellow; the paint
alone cost Plank about $400.
The next step was putting
the head, grill, dash, fuel tank
and seat back onto the tractor.
Once he had it up and running again, he used it to do some
of the field work at CTC. Once
the field was prepared, Terry
took the tractor home to for retirement. It will now be his show
tractor.
Unfortunately, when Terry
got the tractor home, it stopped
working again.
Terry chose to let it sit
for a while, but then he had to
scramble during the week of
prom so he could get his friend
to the prom.
On Thursday, two days before prom, Terry dropped off the
machine at the mechanic’s. who
had it up and running great the
next day.
The drive to the prom, he
says, went off without a hitch.
Electrical
Above: Two students work in the electrical shop.
Health
Professions
Health
Professions
Tyrian photo by Hannah Spotts
Above:
Katie Smith (center) waits patiently while Jess Wagner (left) and Alysen Frymyer (right)
practice taking blood pressure and listening to the beating of the heart.
Below:
Kari Bowersox (right), Latoya Hook (center) and Stephanie Helsel (left) place cookies,
fresh from the oven, onto racks to cool.
Culinary
Residential
Construction
Hunter Snook (above) constructs a small building at CTC.
(L-R) Katie Pecht, Rebecca Hesser, and Kayla Mountz spend
time studying for their upcoming state exams.
INSIDE: Sports B2 Arts&Leisure B4 Achievement B5
Section
sENIORS
Tuesday
May 29, 2012
The Tyrian
Lewistown, PA
B
Graduating First Class
President
Secretary
Historian
Treasurer
Senior Class
O
F
Nihar
Megan
Suthar
Heckman
F
I
C
Suruchi
Dakota
E Macknair
Sheth
R
S
Senior
Awards
Assembly
The following seniors received awards and scholarships at our first
annual senior awards assembly on May 16, 2012.
Rotary Club Service Above Self
Matt Chester
Joshua Shepherd
Zach Moon
Good Citizenship
Suruchi Sheth
Ben Fowler
M.C. Roundtable of Christians and
Jews Brotherhood
Ben Fowler
C. Ray Price Scholarship
Michael Kavala
Zach Moon
DuBois Business College
Business Achievement
Miklala Britt
Republican Women of Action
Scholarship
Michael Kavala
Randall Zook Scholarship
Ben Fowler
David Yale
Mifflin County Soccer Club
Scholarship
Ashley Shawver
AMCE Scholarship
Dakota Macnair
Nathan Peachey
Delta Kappa Gamma Grant-In-Aid
Dakota Macknair
John And Joanna Kornmann
Memorial Scholarship
Patric Harper
Mifflin County Association of
School Retirees Education
Scholarship
Dakota Macknair
Mifflin County Association of
School Retirees Scholarship
Matt Chester
Helen S. Price Scholarship
Maura Simonetti
Rebecca Casner
Moose Academic Scholarship
Kim Dutcher
Garrick Treaster
Kiwanis Club Scholarship
Zach Moon
Daniel Helen I. Fultz Scholarship
Whitney Corbin
Class oF
2012 Honor
Graduates
Fowler, Benjamin L.
Yale, David B.
Muir, Benet P.
Sheth, Suruchi K.
Koller, Jeremy M.
Walters, Hannah S.
Sutton, Daniel R.
Wasson, Samantha L.
Lake, Jennifer C.
Suthar, Nihar A.
Sherwood, Brandi S.
Bickel, Courtney J.
Crosson, Ashley R.
Harper, Patrick W.
Chester, Matthew F.
Saxton, Madison A.
Potorti, Matthew A.
Mulkey, Rachael S.
Messerman, Kailie T.
Simonetti, Maura K.
Bennett, Whitney J.
Cline, Danielle F.
Yoder, Alissa M.
Gingerich, Steven R.
Wilson, Theodore J.
Moon, Zachary W.
Boreman, Allison J.
Britt, Mikala J.
Michael, Brandon A.
Kavala, Michael J.
Martin, Neil D.
Haubrick, Brooke L.
Herto, Page A.
Shawver, Ashley L.
Long, Dalton L.
Strauch, Hannah E.
Pomeroy, Adaire L.
Treaster, Garrick W.
Frampton, Joshua S.
Andrie, Thomas M.
Martin, Nathan S.
Marsh, Jessica M.
Tomasello, Emily R.
Lewis, Justin S.
Peachey, Clayton C.
At the head of the class
Benjamin Fowler
Valedictorian
David Yale
Salutatorian
Benet Muir
First Honor Graduate
Suruchi Sheth
Second Honor Graduate
Jeremy Koller
Third Honor Graduate
Sports
B2-Lewistown, PA
Mifflin County Baseball
From the mound, Kirby Moist faces down a batter in action earlier this season.
Strong season comes to abrupt end at districts
By LEVI NORTH
Tyrian staff writer
The much anticipated Mifflin County Baseball season got
off to a very hot start as expected.
The Huskies won their first nine
games with relative ease. In those nine games MC scored a
combined 76 runs while only giving up 26.
The hot streak did suffer
one minor hiccup as the Huskies
fell to Penns Valley Area 10-7. It
was an unexpected outcome as
the starters created a 6-0 lead for
Mifflin County, but then most of
the ‘first team’ was pulled out of
the game. This gave an open door
to the Rams, who made the most
of it. The Huskies put the loss
behind them and started a new
win streak, winning their next 7
in a row, and their only loss came
from a makeup game against Williamsport.
Mifflin County finished the
regular season with a 5-1 win
over Williamsport.
MC earned the top seed in
the District 6 playoffs thanks to a
15-2 record.
MC suffered an 8-3 loss to
Central Mountain in their first
District 6 playoff game, which
ended their inaugural season.
The Huskies had many highlights over the course of the season. Collectively there were four
In the defensive category,
the Huskies were very solid. The
team only committed 14 errors,
with a total fielding percentage of
.966. Seth Wagner pitched 27 innings which was the most on the
team. Tanner Kibe had the lowest opposing team batting average at .160. Seth had an ERA of
1.07 which led the team, although
Evan Pupo had a 0.00 ERA but
only pitched 7 innings.
Off to states
Softball
earns a
top seed
5 individuals,
2 relay teams
quality in
track, field
By BRET PALLOTTO
Tyrian staff writer
The inaugural season for the
lady huskies has been a successful one as the softball team ended
the regular season with a record
of 13 – 5. Their record qualified
them to earn the top seed in the
upcoming district tournament.
The team was able to achieve
this record in part because of their
senior’s experience. Coach Jack
McCurdy has four seniors on this
year’s team with a combined 13
years of experience.
We asked Mifflin County’s
coach if there has been one player
that has stood out and was key
to the team’s success and he responded by telling us, “Although
all of our players are talented,
Brandi Sherwood is the first
player that comes to mind.” McCurdy later went on to say that he
believes all four seniors have the
ability to walk-on at the schools
that each of them is attending.
Our lady huskies win as a
team and lose as a team. In their
defeats this season, they have
learned from their mistakes and
responded well the following
game. In their victories, which
outnumber the defeats, they have
played selflessly and put the team
before themselves.
Coach McCurdy said that his
favorite part about coaching this
year’s team in the fact that the
girls are a joy to be around and
they all work towards a common goal. Winning the District 9
championship.
On May 2, 2012 the girls
travelled to Bald Eagle Area to
play a team they lost to earlier in
the season. Mikala Britt was not
ready to lose to that same team
twice. Britt pitched a complete
game, allowing only three hits
home runs hit; Ted Wilson led the
team with two, and Tanner Kibe
and Josh Rosefsky each added
one. Chris Wilson had the most
hits with 19, and Levi North had
17. Chris Wilson also led the
team in batting average at .395.
Wilson had 13 RBIs which was
good enough for the team lead in
that category as well. Levi North
led the team in runs scored with
20 as well as stolen bases with 25
of the team’s 36.
By TYRIAN STAFF
Shelby Lyter winds up for the pitch.
in seven innings of work. Britt
was also perfect at the plate, going 2 for 2 with an RBI. Coach
McCurdy had this to say about
her performance, “She had all
four of her pitches working well
today. She threw them at different speeds and different locations
and when you can do that, you are
going to be able to handcuff your
opponent. She just did a fantastic
job today.” (Credit: Bill Albright,
Lewistown Sentinel)
The entire team was able to
perform well too, the final score
was 9 – 0. Several ladies had hits
that blew the game wide open.
This win was truly a team effort
because everyone did their part
and got hits when they needed
them. McCurdy also had this to
say about his team after the victory, “This might be the best
game we played all season. We
played well in all aspects of the
game. We played great defense,
the girls were seeing the ball
well and hitting it hard and (Mikala Britt) gave us a strong game
pitching. We were just clicking on
all cylinders today.” (Credit: Bill
Albright, Lewistown Sentinel)
Note: This story was printed
on May, 23 before the playoff
game against State College.
In the regular season, both
the boys’ and the girls’ teams
finished 6-1.
Of the Husky team, four
individuals and two relay squads
moved on to states.
The following qualified in
individual events: Jake Shepherd in the long and high jumps;
Zach Moon in the 800-meter; Jon
Colwell in the mile; Cole Welham, javelin; and Harry Lowber,
the long jump.
Shepherd’s 22-4 in the long
jump was 6 inches beyond the
state qualifying standard. Lowber ‘s qualifying jump put him
in second. Lowber, however, is
sidelined with a knee injury and
will not be able to compete in the
state meet.
With a 6-5 leap in the high
jump, Shepherd finished with
silver, and because his jump tied
the qualifying mark, he moves
on to states in that event as well.
Colwell had a remarkable
run, finishing .03 seconds behind
Will Cather of State College.
Despite the second-place finish,
Colwell’s time was under the
qualifying limit, earning him a
state berth.
In team events, comprising
the girls’ 4x800 squad are Marissa Long, Jenn Lake, Whitney
Strohecker and Sam Peters.
The girls, who logged record times all season, took silver
in the District & Class AAA
championships, and qualified for
states by beating the state qualifying time by .9 seconds.
The qualifying boys’ 4x100
Jon Colwell grinds through the mile in
the meet against State College.
team of Tim Beck, David Yale,
Ian McGinnis and Mike Kline
advanced with a time of 43:40,
a time exactly equal to the state
qualifying time.
Note: At press time, the athletes had not yet competed in
the state track and field meet
at Shippensburg.
Sports
B3-Lewistown, PA
Casting off
Owen Welch fly fishing in Kish Creek in Derry Park
Fly fishing: Welch to represent USA in Europe
By OWEN WELCH
Tyrian contributor
of U.S. Youth Fly Fishing that the
team medaled.
Editor’s Note: An avid fly fisherman, 18-year-old senior Owen
Welch will be traveling to France
this summer with the U.S. Youth
Fly Fishing Team to compete
for the world fly fishing title.
This is the third year Welch has
qualified to represent the United
States at the international event.
The first competition was held
in Slovakia, the second in Italy.
In the Italian tournament, with
Welch serving as captain, the
U.S. team won the team gold and
the individual silver; this was the
first time in the 13-year history
I have always loved the outdoors and being near the water.
I found my passion for fishing
early, at the age of four.
I got my start in fly tying
and fishing through the Centre
Region Parks and Recreation
summer fly fishing program.
Since then, I have worked
on developing my skills by practicing on many lakes and streams
around the U.S. A member of
the Penns Creek Chapter of Trout
Unlimited, I gained additional
knowledge of the sport through
its many active members.
I also volunteer as a guide
for many outreach programs
offered through Trout Unlimited,
along with the summer fly fishing camps held through Centre
Region Parks and Recreation and
the fly fishing program in the
Penn State Arnell Project.
The youth world fly fishing
championships is an Olympicstyle competition where teams
from different countries compete against each other to win
a bronze, silver, or gold medal
both as individual anglers and as
teams. The past few years, the
teams have been from the U.S.
Italy, Wales, England, Scotland,
Ireland, Czech Republic, Slo-
vakia, South Africa, Spain, and
France.
This is my fourth year on
the U.S. Youth Fly Fishing Team
and my third year as a traveling
member.
In my first year traveling,
the U.S. sent two teams to the
championships, which were held
in Slovakia. I competed as team
captain of USA Team 2.
Last year, I was one of the
six team members who traveled
to Italy to compete; the team
won the gold medal and had a
second-place individual finisher.
The competition was held on the
Tiber River in Tuscany near the
town of Sansepolcro.
This was the first time the
U.S. Youth Fly Fishing team
medaled in 13 years of competing on the world stage.
This summer I will travel
with the team again to compete
in the youth world fly fishing
championships being held in
France.
Eventually, I want to start
competing for a spot on the USA
Adult Team and travel with them
as well.
In my free time, I want
to focus on guiding and doing
more to help get younger people
involved with fly fishing.
Tennis players compete at districts
By MICHEA WOLFLEY
Tyrian staff writer
This year, Huskies’ tennis
competed hard and achieved a
winning record.
They finished the year with
an overall record 5 wins and 4
losses.
The doubles teams of Jeremy Koller and Conner Saltzer
and Matt DeBennedetto and
Eric Brought went to districts.
Koller and Saltzer also
competed in district singles.
“There were a lot of younger players, both on the boys’
and girls’ side,” says Coach
Glen Kyle of his squad.
As was the case in other
sports this year, the tennis team
was not part of a league; therefore, every game was an out-ofleague game.
Next year MCHS is part
the Mid-Penn Conference
of
which includes teams such as
Central Dauphin, Carlisle, Harrisburg, Cumberland Valley,
Central Dauphin East, State
College, and Chambersburg.
Along with other changes
for the next school year, there
will be a new team introduced
to Mifflin County.
In the fall, there will be an
all-girls tennis team.
This will give the girls
more of an opportunity to make
a top spot.
That, however, also means
that girls will no longer be permitted on the boys’ team.
Boys’ tennis will continue
to be a spring sport.
“Everybody played well
it’s been great weather.”
“It was a good chance for
us to get the kids working out
together for today,” Coach Anthony Simonetti said.
“I thought everything went
well. Things worked out pretty
well with bringing the schools
together,” Coach Kyle said.
Jeremy Koller returns a shot from an
Altoona opponent. Koller competed
at districts in singles as well as doubles
with teammate Conner Saltzer.
Sentinel photo
Husky Club
scholarship winners
The Mifflin County Husky Club selected 12 senior athlete applicants to receive scholarships.
Jenn Lake won the $1,000 scholarship, and the other
11 athletes received $500 each.
Row 1 (L-R) Ashley Shawver, Jenn Lake, Brandi Sherwood,
Whitney Corbin, Mikala Britt
Row 2 (L-R) Madilyn Walters, Emily Tomasello, Dakota
Macknair
Row 3(L-R) Jeremy Koller, Owen Welch, Ben Fowler, Brandon Moist
Photo by Roger Herto
aRTS/lEISURE
B4-Lewistown, PA
The Reel World
Modern marvels
Comic book heroes band together and deliver real action
By KIM DUTCHER
Tyrian staff writer
After years and years of forcing us avid comic book fans to
wait, Marvel has finally released
The Avengers (PG-13). We had
been anticipating its release
since the other widely popular
movies in the series made their
successful debuts: Iron Man and
The Incredible Hulk in 2008,
followed by Iron Man 2 in 2010
and Captain America and Thor in
2011.
Comic fans everywhere
counted down the days until May
4, when director Joss Whedon
and cast would step onto the
Red Carpet for the worldwide
premiere.
The movie features everyone’s
favorite group of superheroes,
all packed into two and one-half
hours. Tony Stark, better known
as Iron Man and played by
Robert Downey Jr., is his usual
billionaire philanthropist self. His
propensity for modern technology and his arrogant disposition clash brilliantly with Steve
Rodgers, (aka Captain America),
played by Chris Evans.
The Captain is, of course, old
fashioned and doesn’t understand
why Stark is so fast paced and
ready for a fight. At one point,
Captain America breaks up a
fight between Iron Man and Thor
(Chris Hemsworth), who are acting like children fighting over a
toy. The fighting almost destroys
half a forest, but the motivations
are the same.
The cast also features Mark
Ruffalo as The Incredible Hulk
or, as Bruce Banner calls him
in the movie, “The Other Guy”.
Tony Stark finds himself constantly testing Banner’s temper,
which could end badly for obvious reasons.
The other two Avengers are the
Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy
Renner). These
two characters,
while pivotal
for the movie’s
development,
seem to be two
ordinary people
Kim
with highly
Dutcher
developed skill
sets, not superpowers.
Together, the Avengers create a
world of dissonance—half the
excitement involves fights among
By KIM DUTCHER
Tyrian staff writer
The God of Thunder has
brewed up quite a storm.
Thor, a sci-fi movie directed
by Kenneth Branagh (rated
PG-13), incorporates impressive special effects, astounding
performances, and dazzling 3-D
technology.
Released in May 2011, it is
the fourth film released in preparation for the 2012 Avengers
movie (which smashed box- office records in its recent opening).
The first three were The
Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and
Captain America.
Thor begins with the God
of Thunder destroying a fragile
A fist pump for the Shore
With over four million viewers per episode, Jersey Shore is,
without a doubt, one of the most
popular television shows out
there.
This show
is about going
out and having
a good time
with the “family” you love.
When one of
Andrea
the cast memFoulk
bers gets in a
fight, there are
always seven other people right
there to back him up.
There’s drama, romance,
friendship, family. Did I mention drama? You can definitely
tell that this is a reality show.
The popularity of the show is
reflected in the fact that the cast
has brought a new language to
America.
The words they use, such
as “fist pumping,” “guido,”
“guidette,” “grenade,” “GTL,”
“come at me bro,” “cool story
bro,” “you mad bro?”, and many
more, have crept into everyday
teen conversation.
The gang started off in New
Jersey, went to Miami, and then
traveled to Italy. They are now
back in Jersey, still working at
the Shore Store, a local T-shirt
shop on the boardwalk.
Vinny Guadagnino is the
cutest, quietest guy on the show.
He’s very respectful, and he
has those family values that
everyone loves. The downside
to Vinny G? He’s probably the
most judgmental person on the
show—but he’s my favorite.
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is
loud, ditzy and open-minded. A
fierce, 4’9”- firecracker, Snooki
is really little, but her heart (and
hair) are really big. Because
she’s so ditzy and clumsy, she’s
the most accident-prone person
on the show. The cast refer to
ing fighting skills; Hawkeye, his
bow and arrows (He’s a great
shot; believe me); and, let’s face
it, the Hulk doesn’t really need
anything, except maybe an extra
pair of pants. Each hero is arguably the “best” character, and
since all are so dynamic, I could
argue for any one of them. All
are such well-developed personas
that there’s no doubt as to the
fantastic camaraderie that appears both onscreen and off. And
on top of all that, the dialogue is
hilarious.
And I haven’t even gotten to
the special effects yet. The CGI
that appears from the very first
scene is remarkable. The $220
million-budget offers nothing but
the best in special effects.
Careful thought and planning
went into each scene—the great
acting, CGI, and some pretty cool
camera angles came together into
one powerhouse movie. Throw in
3D, and you get the feeling that
Loki is staring you down instead
of the Black Widow, and the
Hulk is that green anger towards
you.
The movie ends with an epic
fight that destroys half of New
York City, and the Avengers
finally learn to work together to
defeat their enemies. If the time
should come that somebody really does have to save the world,
those who have seen the movies
will want it to be the Avengers.
After watching it twice, I have
to say: simply Marvelous.
Thor calls down the thunder at the box office
Television:
By ANDREA FOULK
Tyrian staff writer
themselves before teaming up to
save the world.
The movie opens with the
Tesseract (which we first saw in
Captain America and then again
in Thor), opening an intergalactic
portal which allows villain Loki
(brother of Thor) to land on the
earth and wreak havoc. One by
one, the Avengers assemble and
together defeat Loki’s alien army.
Each Avenger brings something different to the table—Iron
Man, his modern, technological
Iron Suit; Captain America, his
good nature and old-fashioned
customs (not to mention his
shield); Thor, his Hammer and
a desire to stop his brother from
destroying the planet he loves;
Black Widow, bravery and amaz-
her as a “meatball.”
Deena Cortese is Snooki’s
other “meatball” girl. She came
onto the show late when everyone got sick of previous cast
member Angelina Pivarnick and
kicked her off the show.
Snooki said she knew
someone who would be great for
the show—enter Deena! Snooki
and Deena are basically the same
person. No exaggeration (That
might also explain why Snooki
thought she’d be perfect!)
Jennifer “JWoww” Farley
is the show’s tough girl. She can
get pretty wild and crazy, and she
can fight like there’s no tomorrow, but she also has a big heart.
Her best friend is Snooki,
and when Snooki cries, JWoww
cries. Inside, she’s a softy.
Michael “The Situation”
Sorrentino is more like “The
Snitchuation”—he gets that a lot.
He’s the troublemaker. If someone is talking about someone
else in the house, he’s the first
one to go snitch about it.
What would the show be
without the Snitch man? Boring!
Just a bunch of people sitting in a
house.
Like Vinny, Paul “Pauly D”
Delvecchio is a cute little sensitive teddy bear. Vinny and Pauly
D are actually best friends, too!
Sammi “Sweetheart”
Giancola is one of the only cast
members who is actually from
New Jersey. The other is Deena.
Sammi is always getting hurt by
cast mate Ron, but she goes back
to him. Every time.
Finally, there’s Ronnie
Ortiz-Magro. He’s a jerk. He’s
so mean to Sammi, cheating on
her and verbally abusing her over
and over. When Ron and Sam
go at it, the whole house gets
involved.
Jersey Shore is my favorite
show. It’s entertaining and amusing.
You can be sure to find
it, when it is in season, every
Thursday at 10 p.m. on MTV.
truce between the Asgardians
and the Frost Giants. As such,
Thor’s father Odin banishes
Thor from Asgard, and Thor
lands himself and his magical
hammer in the middle of a New
Mexico Desert where he meets
scientist Jane Foster.
Thor’s conniving brother,
Loki intends to become the new
king of Asgard, instigating an
intergalactic war that affects the
people of Earth as well as the
people of Asgard.
Take away the Norse mythology and the CGI, and the
movie is a love story.
It examines the love between father and son (Thor and
Odin), of brother for brother
(Thor and Loki), and of a man
for a woman (Thor and Jane),
no matter how different they are
(in Thor’s case, they’re literally
worlds apart, as in literally from
different universes.)
I certainly hope to see more
of Thor and Jane when Thor 2 is
released in 2013.
Add all of the special effects
and historical details back into
the mix, however, and you’ve
got a fantastic movie with great
acting and effects.
The cast has great chemistry. Chris Hemsworth is an excellent Norse God—so excellent,
it seems, that he will be returning in Thor 2.
Hemsworth’s Love interest is actress Natalie Portman.
The pair spin an underlying love
story amidst the huge battle that
is the main story line.
Thor’s commandeering
father, Odin, is played by none
other than Anthony Hopkins, and
Tim Hiddleston portrays Thor’s
weak yet incisive brother.
On a scale from one to 10
(one being bad and 10 being
fantastic), I give Thor a nine.
A few insignificant holes
in the plot line (masked by the
spectacular action sequences and
beautiful 3-D technology, but
there nonetheless) keep it from
being a 10.
If you’re a superhero fan,
I suggest you run out and buy
yourself a copy of the DVD
when you get a chance.
Thor is guaranteed to entice
any viewer who is interested in
comics, Norse mythology, or just
really cool movies.
No wonder the crowds
thundered in for The Avengers’
opening.
Music:
WOTE Cracks YouTube’s All-Time Top 30
By JARED STUFFT
Tyrian staff writer
Music is a creative field. If
you want to stay ahead, you have
to provide listeners with more
than just a good
song; you have to form new
ideas with your
pieces.
Out of all
the rising bands
of today, no one
is more creative
than Walk Off
Jared
the Earth.
Stufft
WOTE
was formed in 2006 in Burlington, Ontario, as an indie band
(Indie is short for independent,
and is used to describe bands
with humble or self-providing
origins.)
WOTE, for example, built
their success on an extremely
low budget, creating their fan
base with no help from producers, booking agents, recording
labels, or management (which is
no easy task by any means).
Their biggest hits are their
cover videos of popular songs
that they put YouTube, which
often include unusual instruments (such as the ukulele and
the remin) or new takes on commonly used instruments (like the
guitar).
Their video of Gotye’s
song “Somebody That I Used to
Know” went viral in early 2012
and garnered over 100 million
video views.
The video features all five
band members playing a single
guitar.
Sarah Blackwood, the only
female in the group, plays the
guitar in the usual fashion; drummer Joel Cassidy lays down the
beat on the body of the guitar;
vocalist Gianni Luminati plays a
little of the guitar, but primarily
sings the chorus; multi-instrumentalist Ryan Marshall drops
the bass line with the largest two
strings while singing the verse;
and last but not least, Mike
Taylor (or “Beard Guy”) adds his
small but unique part by strumming the head strings in select
portions of the song.
All the parts added up create
one unique listening experience,
enhanced only by the video
included with everyone playing
their part.
Walk Off the Earth is definitely worth a chance if you’re
looking for new bands to listen
to.
You can visit their website
(walkofftheearth.com), find them
on Facebook, or log on to their
YouTube Channel.
Books:
Crank reader high on Hopkins
By ABBY WILSON
Tyrian staff writer
I have no experience with
drugs, but Ellen Hopkins turned
me into a virtual addict through
her exquisite writing of Crank.
Hopkins loosely based Crank on
her own daughter’s chilling reallife struggle with addiction
to crystal meth, known on the
street as “crank”.
Kristina, the main character,
is modeled after Cristal Hopkins,
the oldest of Ellen’s four children.
Kristina’s fictional struggles with
drugs reflect Cristal’s real-life
battle to overcome her drug addiction.
When Cristal was in rehab,
she was uncomfortable with her
mother’s book shining a light on
her life for everyone to see.
When she became clean, she
realized that the books her mother
wrote could impact so many
young lives positively.
Kristina is the typical high
school student, trying to get by
and stay out of the spotlight. A
straight-“A” honor student, she
finds more enjoyment in advanced calculus than spending a
night out with her friends.
When the shy and withdrawn
Kristina meets new people, she
introduces herself as “Bree”, her
outgoing and
carefree alter
ego.
Over her
mother’s objections, Kristina
goes as Bree to
Albuquerque to
Abby
visit her father
Wilson
for the summer. Since her parents’ divorce,
Kristina’s father has been heavily
into the drug scene and introduces her to it. Bree’s reluctant at first, but
then she (and Kristina, too,
perhaps) meets and falls in love
with Adam (whom she calls
Buddy).
When she returns home, she
tries to be Kristina again, but her
alter ego overpowers her. At first,
she and Buddy write letters back
and forth. Their love does not
last, and he moves on.
As a result of losing touch with
Buddy, she turns to crank for
comfort.
Her involvement with drugs
leads her into a downward spiral,
and she begins to dabble, not
only in drugs, but in unhealthy
relationships with men as well.
Ellen Hopkins does a phenomenal job of portraying reallife of addiction and demonstrating how a situation can go from
bad to worse in a simple second. Through Kristina we understand how drugs can cause
a person to lose her inner self
and become someone she never
wanted to be.
The other two novels in the series, Glass and Fallout, will suck
you right into the lives of these
struggling addicts.
aCHIEVEMENT
A5-Lewistown, PA
Newton’s law sets winning essay in motion
By GARRICK TREASTER
Special to The Tyrian
Editor’s Note: The following essay, written by senior
Garrick Treaster, earned him
$100 and national recognition.
His work placed in the top 100
of the more than 4,000 essays
submitted in this year’s John
Stossel Essay Contest. This
year’s prompt was “Politicians’
Promises Gone Wrong”. It is
reprinted here with the author’s
permission.
“For every action there is
an equal and opposite reaction,
equal in magnitude but always
acting upon different bodies.” This key point of physics,
Newton’s Third Law of Motion,
can be applied to more than just
physical forces and physical
objects; it can also be applied
to the actions of politicians and
the effects of these actions on
the public. Many government
policies have good intentions,
yet they fall short. Their consequences are unexpected or
are more widespread than had
been planned. Far too often, a
promise is made by a politician,
and the effects of this promise,
if it comes to fruition, can wreak
havoc on the global economy
causing a deviation from the
status quo and a great shift of
market power from one country
to another. Here is an example
of how and why this occurs in
terms of minimum wage laws:
Steadily the unemployment
rate continues to rise, more
families fall below the poverty
line, and the nation is suffering.
The government can solve this
by raising the minimum wage,
right? Although the solution
is heartfelt and makes people
feel better, what are the consequences? Raising the minimum
wage increases unemployment,
decreases firm output, increases
good prices, and leads to outsourcing of many of the nation’s
jobs and businesses. Minimum
wage laws, although they are
intended to be beneficial, are
very harmful to a country and to
the economy as a whole.
During his 2008 campaign, President Barack Obama
promised to raise the minimum
wage to $9.50 an hour. As of
Senior Garrick Treaster sets in motion “Newton’s Cradle”, a device used to demonstrate Newton’s Third Law of Motion. Treaster applied his knowledge of physics to the effects of
minimum wage on the economy in an essay he wrote earlier this year on the effect of minimum wage on the economy for the John Stossel Essay Contest.
now, President Obama has been
unable to uphold this promise
to the American people. Fortunately for the economy, it does
not appear that President Obama
will be able to fulfill his promise.
His intentions are good; however, his economic theory in this
situation is flawed. An increase
in the minimum wage would
lead to a widespread increase
in unemployment in low-skill
labor, the jobs directly affected
by the minimum wage.
As a standard supply and
demand model for the Labor
Market shows, there is an equilibrium point at which the price
and quantity of labor demanded
by a firm is equivalent to the
price and quantity of labor supplied by workers. When left
to itself, the market will equilibrate to that price and quantity.
However, minimum wage laws
establish an effective price floor.
In the case of low-skill workers, this price floor is above the
equilibrium price and quantity.
This leads to a surplus of sup-
plied labor, which means more
unemployment. Problem solved,
right?
A firm in a competitive
labor market calculates the wage
at which it hires workers and the
quantity of workers based on its
output of goods and services. If
the price at which firms “purchase” labor increases, then
the firm will have to hire fewer
workers and, as was previously
stated, unemployment will rise.
With fewer workers, a firm
produces less output. As the
quantity supplied of goods market-wide decreases, the prices
of goods will increase substantially. Nationwide, the increase
in income is offset by the rising
prices, and much of the population is suddenly falling back into
poverty-like conditions. Everyone is richer and happier now,
right?
Stuck in a profit-decreasing
situation, many firms will begin
outsourcing jobs to countries
where they can purchase labor
at a lower wage. Suddenly, jobs
start disappearing in America
and start reappearing overseas
while the U.S. Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) starts to plummet. Firms find labor overseas
to be just as productive, if not
more, for a much lower cost than
in America. Firms go from paying workers a few thousand dollars a month in America, to paying workers that same amount
in a year in foreign countries.
The government has chased off
jobs, and the economy suffers
once again as jobs are outsourced and other countries with
cheaper labor thrive because
of it. The problem worsens as
more and more Americans lose
jobs because of a few extra cents
an hour added to the minimum
wage. But an increased minimum wage boosts the economy,
right?
The consequences of one
good-intention policy can easily lead to great waste in the
economy. Not only waste on
the part of the government,
but also on the part of private
Internationals
Future
Problem
Solvers to
Indiana
By TYRIAN STAFF
LEWISTOWN- We live in a
world filled with problems; that
is how it always has been and
always will be. Luckily, there are
young people who are willing to
take on some of the most daunting challenges facing the world.
Four MCHS problem solvers
– Suruchi Sheth, Nihar Suthar,
Zach Moon and Ben Fowler –
won the Pennsylvania Future
Problem Solving Competition in
April.
They solved problems involving trade barriers and placed
Left to Right: Nihar Suthar, Ben Fowler, Zach Moon and Suruchi Sheth
first in the senior division.
Now, the team will compete
in the International Competition
hosted by Indiana University in
June.
At the competition, students
from around the world will apply the six-step problem solving
model to address pharmaceutical
challenges.
The future problem solving
model teaches students how to
think, not what to think.
Students know only the
general topic before the competition. They spend about two
Paulson and fellow PSU researcher discover
possible cure for chronic myelogenous leukemia
By BEN FOWLER
Tyrian staff writer
UNIVERSITY PARK- The
stereotype of the reclusive, socially inept scientist is not true.
Collaboration is essential for research.
Such collaboration between
Penn State researchers Robert
Paulson and Sandeep Prabhu led
to a possible cure for chronic
myelogenous leukemia (CML),
a cancer of the white blood cells.
A compound called delta12-prostaglandin J3, or J3, kills
leukemia stem cells in mice, thus
curing them of the disease. J3 is
produced from an Omega-3 fatty
acid, called Eicosapentaenoic
Acid (EPA), found in fish oil.
Prostaglandins are hormonelike local regulators that play
a role in a wide variety of body
functions. Structurally, they are
fatty acid chains with a five-carbon ring.
Dr. Prabhu was talking about
prostaglandins and the benefits of
fish oil at one of the department
faculty lunches held every Thursday. After lunch, Dr. Paulson,
PSU photo by PATRICK MANSELL
Prabhu (right) and Paulson (left) sketch
D12-PGJ3, a compound that kills leukemia stem cells.
suggested that they try the prostaglandins on some of the leukemia
models he was working on.
Funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the team
injected 600 nanograms of J3 into
leukemia-infected mice each day
for a week. The mice were com-
Tyrian photo by KATIE CRAMER
months researching the topic to
understand how the issue affects
different categories: social relationships, technology, economics, the environment, etc.
At the competition, the
teams receive a fictitious written
scenario set in the future that
pletely cured of chronic myelogenous leukemia at the end of the
week.
J3 appears to work by activating p53, a tumor suppressor
gene, in the leukemia stem cells.
Activation of p53 causes apoptosis in the damaged cells, which is
sort of like cell suicide, but in a
good way.
Current medications, such as
Gleevec, keep leukemia cells at
bay, but they do not cure the cancer because they do not target the
stem cells.
The next steps involve testing the compound on human cells
in cultures, putting human cells in
mice without an immune system,
firms and households involved
that have no say in governmental policy and action. As the
examples in the Stossel Special
attest to, government actions
have wide reaching and, many
times, unintended consequences.
Politicians push programs that
they promise in order to get reelected, and the cycle continues
every election. Regardless of
party affiliation, politicians tend
to make promises while campaigning. Many times they are
unable to uphold those promises and never get re-elected,
but far too often the negative
consequences of these promises
outweigh the benefits and few
people see through the political
guise until it is irreversible. The
United States government was
set up to be for the people, by
the people; but as it turns out,
politicians have erred away from
the best interest of the American
people in pursuit of the immediate “heartfelt” solutions that
keep them winning elections and
sitting in a place of power.
pertains to the topic.
Then, they have two hours
to complete the six-step problem
solving process.
The six steps are: identify
challenges, select an underlying problem, generate solutions,
create criteria, apply criteria and
write an action plan.
If executed correctly, the action plan should solve the main
problem of the scenario.
After the competition, the
teams blow off steam by creating a humorous, creative skit to
present their action plans.
Suthar, Sheth and Fowler
have participated in FPS since
they were in fourth grade. They
finished second at the International Competition in 2008 and
2009. The topics were the distribution of wealth and pandemics,
respectively.
This was Moon’s first
year participating in FPS. His
economics knowledge added
another dimension to the team.
After the students graduate,
they will hopefully transition
from solving problems on paper
to actually solving problems in
the real world.
and testing on larger animals,
such as dogs.
Paulson and Prabhu have
begun working with people at
the Penn State Hershey Cancer
Institute to move towards clinical
trials.
There is a long road to becoming an approved drug, and
there are many uncertainties, but
the discovery is an exciting step
forward in the battle against cancer.
Note: Dr. Paulson is the husband of
MCHS mathematics teacher, Mrs. Amy
Paulson.
sENIORS
B6-Lewistown, PA
Journeys beyond MCHS
The following maps are a representation of the destinations of seniors after MCHS. The colored portions represent the results of surveys that were returned to the
Guidance Office. Some are heading to college, some the
military, and some into the workforce. These figures do
not include CTC students whose surveys had not been
tabulated prior to press time. Congratulations to all the
Seniors, and good luck in your future ventures.
Senior Paper Topics
Tyson Searer
Preventing PerformanceEnhancing Drug Use
Glory and championships are
short-lived experiences and not
wort harming your health over.
William McNemar
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence could advance our society’s technology
by hundreds of years.
Maura Simonetti
The Biology Behind Why
People Kill
There isn’t only one reason and
it is not only a biological factor.
Family abuse and issues also
play a role in these people.
Jeffrey Murphy
Pro for School Uniforms
The effects uniforms can do to
steer kids on a better path and
how certain rules should be
obeyed.
Zach Moon
Barefoot Running
Barefoot running is beneficial to
runners as it helps to strengthen
a runner’s feet and legs.
Painting
a lasting
legacy
By TYRIAN STAFF
LEWISTOWN - The first
honorees in what will be an
ongoing tradition, seniors Kara
Grove and Jennifer Lake were
chosen by the Art Department
as the first MCHS Artists of
Promise.
As such, Grove and Lake
have been commissioned to design and create original artwork
for permanent display in the
high school. Their pieces will
be based around the architecture
of the new building.
Erin Welsh, art teacher and
member of the selection panel,
indicates the girls were selected
for their enthusiasm, hard work,
creativity, positive attitude
and willingness to “go above
and beyond” for personal and
artistic growth. Both, she said,
demonstrate a high level of
commitment to their work.
Art instructor Tim Reeder
said of Grove: “Kara epitomiz-
Artists of Promise Kara Grove (foreground) and Jenn Lake (background) work on self portraits.
es the approach to Art I would
hope for in all students… She
employs an analytical approach
and constantly seeks to refine
and improve her already solid
technical skills…” Kara will be
working next year and saving
money to attend college fall of
2013 and majoring in art.
Of Lake, Welsh said: “Jenn
focused much of her attention on
further developing her painting
techniques and sculpture. Jenn
will go on to PSU, University
Park, next fall and will go in
undecided, but she has been considering visual art as her major...
or something in a horticulture
field.“
May you find your pot of gold, whatever it may be!

Over 200 years` experience leaving building

Transcription

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