Issue 5 / December 2015

Taylor Cuff
Columnist
Wreaths Across America
Students are currently raising funds to support local efforts of Wreaths Across America,
an organization aimed at remembering veterans. Individuals wishing to purchase a wreath to
use as a remembrance for a loved one, especially a member of our U.S. Military, or as a decoration for their home are encouraged to place an order.
The wreaths are 22 inch Maine Balsam Wreaths. The cost is $15.00 per wreath.
Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit organization whose mission, “Honor
and Teach,” is carried out each year in part through the laying of wreaths on National Wreaths
Across America Day each December.
There will be a local remembrance ceremony sponsored by the Dana L. West and CCC
CJ Club students and the Cayuga County Vietnam Veterans Chapter 704 at St. John’s Episcopal
Church at 169 Genesee Street, Auburn NY 13021 on December 12th, 2015.
An invitation to attend the ceremony is extended to all who wish to remember and honor
the sacrifices made by our
military personnel that keep
If you would like to purchase a wreath, please
our nation strong and allow
contact Dr. Townsend to place an order.
our citizens to enjoy freedom.
ltownsend@pbcschools.org
Printing
Brought To
You By:
For more information visit:
www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org
Panther Press Staff
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Feel free to contact us!
panther.press1@gmail.com
Staff Editor: Miss Rao
Editing Chief of Staff and
Senior Columnists:
Tyler Guarnieri
Maddie Jorolemon
Katie Locastro
Molly Ryan
Kaitlyn Sevilla
Columnists:
Jessi Menotti
Lexi Vitale
Kaleigh McLoughlin
Taylor Cuff
Haleigh Reese
Kristen Sevilla
Emma Redmond
Marissa Recckio
Anna Vincent
Sophie Redmond
Abbey Vincent
Emily Ryan
On behalf of the Panther Press Team, we’d like to thank you
for reading this issue! Be sure to come back for more of
Port Byron’s best newspaper!
PANTHER PRESS PRINT EDITION: PART OF PORT BYRON’S STUDENT MEDIA GROUP
Generating opportunities for students to create media; broadening perspective, increasing marketability upon
graduation, and reaching out to the local and global community.
Port Byron High School’s Newspaper
Only the Best From the Panther Press
December 2015
Kaitlyn Sevilla
Senior Columnist
Established 2011
Volume 6, Issue 5
Embracing ADHD
Several works have been published that
support the idea that attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) may actually be more of a blessing than it is a curse. Among these are Dr. Marilyn Wedge’s A Disease Called Childhood and Dr.
Dale Archer’s The ADHD Advantage: What You
Thought Was a Diagnosis May Be Your Greatest
Strength.
Those with ADHD often jump from one
idea to the other very quickly, and are constantly
coming up with random comments. This is known
as “non-linear thinking.” Dr. Archer points out that
non-linear thinking often leads to the ability to see
various perspectives on one issue. It may also lead
to the ability to multitask. These skills can contribute to a huge success in both a career and life in
general.
One might think that having ADHD means
that a person isn’t able to focus, but sometimes it
is just the opposite. Kids with ADHD can achieve
hyperfocus when immersed in a topic or activity
they are passionate about. Instead of scolding them
for thinking too quickly, fostering an environment
where they can thrive should be the goal of parents
and teachers alike. Little things can help improve
the productivity of a child with ADHD. One might
try to split a child’s homework into 15 minute sections by subject, and let the child skip around.
The abundant amount of energy that those
with ADHD possess is another identifying characteristic of the disorder. This energy, however,
is becoming more beneficial as more research is
done. Studies have shown that people with ADHD
are better at responding to failure because of their
tireless attitude and ability to find new approaches
to certain tasks. Athletes such as Michael Jordan
and Michael Phelps both have ADHD, and it has
partially contributed to their success in their respective sports. Those with ADHD often make
friends easily due to their high levels of energy;
many find it easy to talk with people who have
outgoing, friendly personalities. In addition, children who have ADHD are often creative, dedicated, and spontaneous.
Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of ADHD, there are several, often underplayed positive things that it brings. If we embrace the qualities in others that are different than
us, then we may stumble upon great friendships
and partners, and lead to new ideas and creations.
Molly Ryan
Senior Columnist
Katie Locastro
Senior Columnist
Winter Advice for the Signs
If you’re looking for a nice view on a winter night, then take a trip to Onondaga Lake Park where you can find an
abundance of beautiful assortments of lights. Lights on the Lake is a commonly known event to Central New Yorkers during
the winter months. Lights on the Lake consists of twists-and-turns of beautiful pictures made up of lights of different colors.
The pictures are not only Christmas/Holiday themed, but also include animals and much more. Most of these assortments are
animated which make them even more eye catching. If you’re up to brave the cold, you can enjoy a nice walk through the
park. However, if you’re looking to be cozy with pajamas and popcorn, driving through the park is probably the option for
you. Christmas music also makes the experience even more enjoyable, so tune into your radio as you enjoy the scenery! Lights
on the Lake runs from November 11th to January 3rd from 5-10 PM. This year they are specially featuring:
• Towering Holiday Displays
• Larger-than-Life Land of Oz
• Twinkling Fantasy Forest
• Colorful Section Arches
• Delightful Victorian Village
• Fairytale Magic Grand Finale
• Memorable Animated Scenes
Admission is $10 during the weekdays and $15 on the weekends. If you’re looking for something fun and affordable,
make the short drive to Lights on the Lake. You will not be disappointed!
Aries: Be careful when you’re driving! Winter calls for extra caution. Pay attention and don’t speed, wait until the
snow melts for that. (Just kidding, you shouldn’t speed any time, but especially not in the winter.) This will help you
avoid: car troubles.
Taurus: Wear proper footwear. You don’t want a repeat of last year when you wiped out walking into school. But it
happens to the best of us, so don’t freak out if your klutziness carries over into this winter season. This will help you
avoid: slipping in front of everyone and their mother.
Gemini: Don’t slack off just because the year is almost over, you still have a few weeks left. Get done what you need
to get done. This will help you avoid: poor grades and late assignments.
Cancer: Dress for the season. Start wearing a coat, even if it doesn’t match your outfit. Don’t wear shorts, there’s
snow on the ground. It’s time. You’re making us all cold just by looking at you. (Of course you can actually whatever
you feel like wearing, a horoscope can’t tell you what to do.) This will help you avoid: being chilly.
Leo: Treat yourself. It’s the winter season, yes you can eat those cookies. Yes you can have hot chocolate. Yes you
can eat the candy canes your mom is saving for Christmas. Yes you can buy yourself that sweater or new pair of slippers. This will help you avoid: seasonal sadness.
Virgo: Don’t let that winter blues get to you! It’s almost holiday season. Use this to pull yourself through. If it helps,
let those sugar plums start dancing in your head a few weeks early. This will help you avoid: the winter blues.
Libra: Don’t bank on snow days. Nothing is worse than not doing something thinking you’ll have another day, then
waking up to find out the opposite is true. But do all that you can to get one! Start wearing your pajamas inside out
and hoping for snow. This will help you avoid: stress.
Scorpio: Take precautions so you don’t get sick. Take vitamins, eat foods rich in nutrients. The winter is prime cold
and flu season, be sure you don’t become a victim! This will help you avoid: winter sickness.
Sagittarius: Start now. CHRISTMAS IS AROUND THE CORNER. (Your birthday might be too!) Begin your present shopping, don’t procrastinate! This will help you avoid: buying your mom another picture frame (for the 3rd year
in a row.)
Capricorn: Don’t be a winter hater. Embrace it! Enjoy the beauty of this season! No sight compares to that of
glistening snow covering the ground. Sure, it’s cold, but try to enjoy this great season. This will help you avoid: A
pessimistic winter attitude.
Aquarius: Moisturize. Use chapstick and put lotion on your hands. The cold and bitter winter air will dry out and
crack your skin, so get ahead of the game and don’t let that Mother Nature ruin your perfect complexion. This will
help you avoid: dry skin.
Pisces: Relax! The stress of school may be getting to you, but remember, the semester won’t last much longer. You
just have to get through these next couple of weeks! Make sure you’re getting a healthy amount of sleep each night
too. This will help you avoid: feeling stressed and tired.
Lights on the Lake
Kristen Sevilla
Columnist
Top Five Solutions to Winter Bummers
1. Dry Skin: Lotions are great, but oils are even better! Using oil won’t leave you with
a greasy film since your skin absorbs it faster.
Product: Sonia Kashuk Body Oils, $10.99
2. Dry Hair: Washing your hair everyday strips your hair of its natural oils, which
will dry it out. Using a hair mask once or twice a week will help restore your dry
hair.
Product: Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle Deeeeep Conditioner, $2.99
3. Chapped Lips: If your lips are feeling distressed after a long day of being outside
in the cold, chapstick won’t do it. You will need a gentle exfoliator to scrub off dead
skin, followed by a moisturizing lip treatment.
Product: Burt’s Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate SugarScrub, $12.99
4. Dry Hands: The new miracle product that is great for dry skin is Argan Oil. Everyone is obsessing over it because it is lightweight and non-sticky. This product is heavy enough
to relieve dry, chapped skin and has a light rose scent.
Product: Tree Hut Renewing Hand Cream, $5.29
5. Foundation that is drying: During the wintertime, your skin may become flaky and dry.
Applying foundation to your flaky skin can look unflattering and can feel uncomfortable. This
foundation is perfect for dry skin because it focuses on providing all day hydration.
Product: L’Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup, $10.36
Anna Vincent
Columnist
How to Spice Up Your Hot Chocolate
Have you been getting a little bored of the plain chocolate hot cocoa?... Want a little more diversity
in your favorite cocoa mug?... Is your tongue craving different flavors?... If you answered, “Yes!” to any
of the questions above then here are some ways you can improve your usual hot cocoa making routine!
How to spice up your HOT chocolate!
Peppermint: Lavender White:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 tsp. lavender buds
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Peanut Butter: Pumpkin Spice:
1 cup skim milk1 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
4 oz. milk chocolate chopped
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. unsweetened dark cocoa
Maddie Jorolemon
Senior Columnist
Mockingjay: Part Two
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 was released on November
20th, 2015. It is an adventure sci-fi movie and is rated PG-13. The movie
was overall very action packed, keeping viewers
at the edge of their seat constantly. The movie features Katniss Everdeen, the leader of the rebellion
against the Capitol, bringing together an army to
try and defeat President Snow. The games of the
previous films are over, but the Capitol is full of
suspense, and I would definitely recommend it to
others. To the readers of the Hunger Games Trilogy: the movie is a good representation of the
book, and will not disappoint.
Lexi Vitale and
Kaleigh McLoughlin
Columnists
Interview: Mr. Ward
Kaleigh and Lexi: Before coming to Port Byron, where were you employed?
Mr. Ward: I was at Weedsport.
Kaleigh and Lexi: What was your position at Weedsport?
Mr. Ward: I was a high school math teacher as well as the Dean of Students.
Nutella:Caramel:
1 cup whole milk1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. nutella5 oz. milk chocolate chopped
1 Tbsp. cocoa1/4 cup heavy cream
A pinch salt3 Tbsp. caramel sauce
Kaleigh and Lexi: How is taking on your new position as an athletic director?
Mr. Ward: So far it’s interesting. It’s challenging with keeping all of the sports straight as far as
organized and scheduled and officiated.
Mix all ingredients together in a mug and heat in microwave until you’ve reached desired temperature.
*Recipes courtesy of Patricia Conte of SHEKNOWS*
Kaleigh and Lexi: How is Port Byron treating you so far?
Mr. Ward: Everyone has been friendly, welcoming, and supportive.
Kaleigh and Lexi: What are you most excited for?
Mr. Ward: I’m most excited for seeing successful programs for athletics and academics.
Emma and Sophie Redmond
Columnists
Sister Showdown:
Winter VS. Summer
Haleigh and Macenzie Reese
Columnists
Jessi Menotti
Columnist
Hillary Clinton Witch Hunt
Everyone knows the story of the Salem Witch Trials. What people might not know is
that the term is actually still used today. A “witch hunt”, referring to politics, is defined by
Merriam-Webster as “the searching out and deliberate harassment of those with unpopular
views.” Right now, the Hillary Clinton email/Benghazi controversy has turned into a politicalwitch hunt.
On September 11, 2012, the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya was attacked.
Four Americans were killed by the attackers, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya. At first,
the CIA wasn’t sure what had caused the attack. Later, it was revealed that a group of militants had chosen that moment to strike after the country’s civil war. Republicans sprung on the
opportunity as a chance to belittle the Obama administration. They blamed him for failing to
protect the lives of the Americans who died. Clinton was Secretary of State under President
Obama at the time of the attack. Due to Benghazi,
it was discovered that Clinton had been using a
private email server, instead of the standard government-issued email. Then controversy ensued.
A committee was established to investigate
whether or not the attack could have been prevented. However, the committee has been the longest recorded in United States history, lasting even
longer than the Watergate hearings. $4.5 million
dollars has already been spent on the inquiry. This
is a ridiculous amount of money, especially when
the facts are considered. No information has been
found that indicates negligence on the part of Clinton or Obama. Although Clinton’s choice
of using a private server is questionable, it has nothing to do with Benghazi. In fact, she isn’t
even the first politician to use a private email.
The Benghazi hearings should have been completed by now. The false information
about Clinton’s emails have taken center stage. Since Republicans have discovered Clinton’s
private email, they have taken the opportunity to use it against her, in hopes of foiling her
plans to become president. Some question the relevance to the Benghazi case. The Obama
administration did not intend on a loss of four American lives, and many speculate that the
whole ordeal has been an attempt to oust the Democrats from their power position. It’s time
that we see what is happening in the Capital for what is really occurring. At this point, it appears that the investigation is not a check to see if Benghazi could have been prevented. It’s
the Republicans on a witch hunt to destroy Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid.
Marissa Recckio
Columnist
15 Things You Didn’t Know About Grey’s
*THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*
1. Sandra Oh originally auditioned for the part of Bailey.
2. Grey’s Anatomy was going to be called Complications.
3. Alex Karev was added to the script after the pilot had already been filmed, so all of his scenes were digitally implanted into the episode.
4. Arizona was originally just going to have a three episode arc.
5. When Derek writes his and Meredith’s wedding vows on a Post-it note, he was actually writing down the
things they were saying in that moment.
6. Pompeo got pregnant while filming Season 6, but instead of making Meredith pregnant as well, the writers
had the character give part of her liver to her father, Thatcher, so that Pompeo could be confined to bed rest to
hide her pregnant belly.
7. Though most of Grey’s Anatomy is shot at a soundstage in Los Angeles, Meredith’s childhood home is a real
house located in Queen Anne Hill in Seattle.
8. When Arizona lost her leg she walked on a prosthetic with [her] own leg tied behind [her] and editors
digitally erased any overlap.
9. All the medical storylines are found in medical journals that the writers read, or from stories that viewers
send in that they find interesting.
10. When cast members “perform” a specific medical procedure during an episode, they are given tons of mate
rial to understand how it would be done in real life.
11. On set real cow organs are used.
12. Lamb brains have been used for some of the brain surgeries.
13. Dr. Erica Hahn seemed to almost randomly disappear off of our TV screens. This is because the actress was
let go from the show after the writers could no longer write for her character.
14. Each episode of Grey’s is named after a popular song.
15. The original interns Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), Alex (Justin Chambers), George (T.R. Knight), Izzie
(Katherine Heigl) and Cristina (Sandra Oh) spelled the word “MAGIC.”
Emily Ryan
Columnist
MY Week Without Chocolate
I tried to go one full week without eating ANY Chocolate. It was one of the hardest
things I have done in my life! You don’t realize how much chocolate is in your life until you
give it up!
Day 1: I feel pretty strongly about giving up chocolate so far, I wasn’t tempted at all!
Day 2: Okay, let me be honest, there is so much chocolate around me that I was really
tempted to take a quick bite. I pulled myself together and ate other candy to distract me.
Day 3: OMG!!!! This is so difficult!!! I tried so hard not to eat chocolate. I was about to
sneak a chocolate chip cookie into my mouth when my sister caught me. I immediately put
the cookie down... Okay, maybe not immediately... But I didn’t eat it!
Day 4: Do you even understand how much chocolate you come across just before you go to
school? I went to get breakfast and I almost ate a chocolate Poptart, a chocolate chip granola
bar, chocolate chip muffins and chocolate milk!
Day 5: I may have cheated just a little. It’s one of the show nights of “I Never Saw a Never
Butterfly,” and you can buy Hershey Kisses for the cast and crew. My mom bought my
sister some kisses and when I delivered them, there may have been one missing. I couldn’t
help myself. I slipped the Hershey Kiss in my mouth and wished no one saw me! My wish
did not come true. One of my cast mates saw me and I bribed her with a Rice Krispie Treat
to stay quiet.
Day 6: I am very depressed. So many chocolatey things around me! I had to use all of my
strength not to cheat again!
Day 7: I am trying to get through one last day. I
plan to eat as much chocolate as I can tomorrow!
I really can’t refrain from all of my excitement!!!
Conclusion: I will keep this short and sweet.
NEVER, EVER, GIVE UP CHOCOLATE FOR A
WEEK!
Abbey Vincent
Columnist
Starbucks Cup Controversy
On November 1st, Starbucks released their new holiday themed cup; only this
year, it looked like someone forgot to copy and paste on all of their usual festive designs. This seemingly insignificant mistake has triggered a national debate.
It all started with a video made by a man named John Fuerstein. In his video
he explains how Starbucks is overly politically correct, saying, “Do you realize that
Starbucks wanted to take Christ and Christmas of their brand new cups? That’s why
they are just plain red.” He then challenges all “Great Americans and Christians” to
trick Starbucks into writing Merry Christmas on their cups by saying your name is
Merry Christmas and to then share a photo of the cup with the hashtag “MerryChristmasStarbucks.” Since then, his video has been viewed more than 11 million times.
Some Christians believe that Starbucks’ cleaner design is an attack on Christmas and Christ himself. Starbucks has since released a statement explaining “Starbucks is inviting customers to create their own stories with a red cup that mimics a
blank canvas.” Many have taken a different position on the red cup debate wondering
“Why do we even care about things as petty as the design of a cup?”
It’s noted that for the past five years, Starbucks hasn’t had a Christmas themed
cup, only winter themed cups with images of snowmen, sledding, and snowflakes.
Foster mom, Kate Rallis, in a statement to shead light on the trivial nature of
the issue, put a new spin on the controversy in her recent Instagram post explaining,
“If one family in one out of every three churches adopted a child from foster care
there would be no more orphans in the United States. But please, tell me more about
how offensive this red cup is.” Rallis’ friend shared the image on social media explaining, “In society there are so many other things that we, Christian or not, should
be concerned with. Finding homes for orphans,
feeding the hungry, cleaning the environment,
supporting veterans, and many, many more things
could use our energy rather than arguing moot
points over a cup.”
Despite your opinion on the subject, it is
amazing what a single red cup can set in motion!
Tyler Guarnieri
Senior Columnist
Mizzou Controversy
Most recently, one of the most
talked about events going on in the U.S.
is the controversy going on at the University of Missouri. But what is really going
on there? On Monday, November 9th, the
president of the university, Tim Wolfe,
stepped down saying that his decision
“came out of love, not hate,” and urged everyone to “focus on what we can change,”
meaning in the future, and not to focus
on the past. He also said after his resignation, “This is not -- I repeat, not -- the
way change should come about. Change
comes from listening, learning, caring, and
conversation,” and also that the university
needs to, “Use my resignation to heal and
start talking again.”
His resignation came about primarily because of allegations of racial discrimination aimed at Jonathan Butler, a student
at Mizzou. The Mizzou football players
and coaching staff, both black and white,
threatened that they would neither play
nor practice until Butler, ended his hunger
strike, which he started one week prior.
Butler began this hunger strike because of
multiple racial discrimination instances.
Players and coaches supporting Butler felt
this was not appropriately handled by the
university administration. Butler’s objective was to get the Mizzou president to
resign as a statement to raise awareness of
the racial tensions and the lack of adequate
action by administration and the university to do anything to ease them. Most of
the racial tensions were coming from the
Columbia Campus, where the majority of
the student population is white.
Hours after President Tim Wolfe
stepped down, Chancellor R. Bowen
Loftin told reporters that he too would be
resigning before the end of the year and
that he would “transition to a new role
advancing research, starting January 1st.”
Following Wolfe’s resignation, students, faculty, and staff, in peaceful demonstration, linked arms on a student quad
and began to sing “We Shall Overcome,”
a powerful protest song used during the
Civil Rights movement. The students and
faculty are surprised and touched by the
resignations of these two administrators
and are hopeful that things will change in
the future.