final issue 5 December:final issue 5 December.qxd.qxd

The Beacon
Science teachers have
tricks up their sleeves
77th Year, Issue 5
A night of fun
experiments from
our faculty.
(Above) Mr. Moreland does an experiment in which he heats
a Coke can and emerges it in water to create a vacuum and
crush the can. Photo by Brittany Heller
December 2006
of 6-8 cycles.
Wes Anderson hasfor a totalWes
returned from the
hospital
on
December 9 after his
been diagnosed
first round of chemo.
with Burkitt’s
He tells The Beacon, "The
doctors all said that I handled it
lymphoma.
really well and have been taking
BY STAFF
JULIA IVERS
Staff Writer
On November 21, explosions, silly rockets, and amazing
imploding tin cans shook the
Dallastown auditorium.
It was the 5th Annual Night
of Science, and students were
amazed by the displays of chemistry and physics.
Many had never been to
the night of science.
It was senior Lucas Wise's
first trip to the event, and he
decided to come because he'd
heard that they do some pretty
cool stuff.
He was right.
From "Old Foamy" to the
dissolving (melting!) of the
Wicked Witch, the Night of
Science was altogether a great
display of science.
"It's
like
scientific
magic!" said junior Shane
Cunningham. Although all of
the
experiments
can
be
explained with laws of physics
and chemistry, they did seem
miraculous.
As the night progressed, it became clear that
there is a slight rivalry between
chemistry and physics. Most
students seem to take the side of
chemistry, but to be fair, many
of the physics experiments didn't
work.
"I like Chemistry better
because of Mrs. Mathias," added
junior Josh Romero.
Sam Zolin agreed, saying
that Chemistry definitely won
the battle of the sciences.
While a few of the physics
experiments did not work, they
mostly pulled through. Because
most of the chemistry experiments required physics to work,
it can be argued that physics
was the real winner, but most
students would disagree with
that.
All in all, the Night of
Science pulled together physics
and chemistry to make for an
amazing show.
"It's a chance to communicate to the community how much
fun science can be, and to help
make people comfortable with
science," said Mr. Adams.
If you missed the Night
of Science and are interested in
science, there will be another
held next year. In the meantime, the science fair is held
January 27-28, and the Physics
Olympics take place February
20-21. Biology gets into the
action with the Envirothon on
April 24.
Senior battles
cancer
Dallastown Area High School
Senior Wes Anderson is
known for many things around
Dallastown:
drum
major,
wrestler, NHS member, concert
choir member, and member of
Homecoming Court.
Recently,
however,
Anderson's name has been spoken around DHS for a different,
more serious reason.
Prior to Thanksgiving, he
was diagnosed with Burkitt's
lymphoma, a fast-attacking cancer that if left unchecked for
more than a few months is
almost always fatal.
According
to
Wes'
father, the diagnosis came after
an MRI for back pain he had
been feeling during wrestling
practice.
"At the start of the season, he had a sharp pain in his
lower back. He was treated
through physical therapy to no
relief. The MRI revealed a 2-inch
tumor growing around his spinal
cord," says Mr. Anderson.
Although Burkitt's is an
aggressive cancer, Wes' prognosis for a full recovery is better
than 85% because it was caught
early.
His treatment will consist of heavy doses of chemotherapy administered through a 5
day stay at the hospital. This is
followed by 16 days of rest. Then
the whole cycle is repeated again
it better than most people who
go through this do. The only bad
side effect I have as of now is a
complete loss of appetite. I hate
the idea of eating or smelling
any type of food."
The process will ultimately help to rid him of the
cancer, but it won't be easy.
"Wes will lose all of his
hair by Christmas, have most of
his immune system destroyed by
the New Year, and will be pretty
much miserable until April,"
says his father.
The diagnosis has been
a challenge for the family, but
the community has stepped up
to help in many ways, including
offering rides to school and activities for Wes' five younger brothers and sisters and making
meals for the family.
Wes is remaining positive during this difficult time,
but would love to hear from
friends. He has access to the
internet while in the hospital
and checks his e-mail and
MySpace page on a regular
basis.
Even a simple "Hi" will
lift his spirits.
"I really would like to
hear from as many students as
possible. It's nice just to feel like
I'm in the loop with what's happening at school. I get the
impression that a lot of my peers
are afraid to talk to me about my
illness, but I know I have cancer
and I'm not afraid to talk about
it.”
IN THIS ISSUE
OPINION
................................pages 2-3
FEATURES
................................pages 4-5
DIVERSITY
................................pages 6-7
SPORTS
................................pages 8-9
A&E
...............................page 10-11
(Above) Physics teacher Mr. Ilyes balances a cinder block on a bed of nails atop Mr.
Moreland’s chest. Ilyes smashed the cinder block with a sledge hammer without doing any
damage to Moreland. photo by Brittany Heller
CBS NEWS
....................................page 12
2
SPEACE SPEAKS
Winter
Wasteland?
The BCS Overlooks
Important Matchups
OPINION
What do you
think of the BCS
as a way of
determining a
National
Champion in
NCAA football?
There doesn t seem
In light of the
to be much hope for
bowl
a White Christmas upcoming
or
games, there are
a cold season.
KATIE SPEACE
Editor-In-Chief
We
were
s t a n d i n g
around the bonfire last weekend
at
a
friend’s house
when Jimmy
Bagnall looks
up and proclaims, "Oh my God! Is that
snow?! It's flurrying!"
To our surprise, the "flurries" just happened to be ashes
in the wind. This was quite a let
down once we had finished
laughing at Jim.
I became rather upset with
the misunderstanding, only
because I have been looking forward to snow.
This got my attention and
brought me to reflect on the
weather these past couple
months. A White Christmas for
once would just be delightful.
But as the days crawl
through the month of December,
I am gradually becoming tenser,
in hopes of any sign of snow.
I'm restless in my sleep at
night. I check Weather.com at
least twice a day. I also visit Ski
Roundtop's site occasionally, but
I can hardly bear it. All there is
to see is disappointing pictures
of the base: barely a foot of
pathetic, fabricated, fake icesnow.
It's no news to us. Everyone
has heard about the comeback of
El Nino. He's back in action,
and he can't make up his mind
whether or not it's going to be
winter yet.
Don't get me wrong-we've
had our share of cold fronts so
far, but there are often days
where I feel like Pennsylvania
has up and moved dangerously
close to the Equator.
Therefore, there remains in
the backseat of my car an assortment of outerwear:
zip-up
sweatshirts, a light jacket, my
varsity jacket, and a solitary
down winter coat.
The randomness reminds me
of the popular book from our
childhood, Cloudy with a Chance
of Meatballs. Honestly, who
remembers it?
The book tells the story of a
town in which all three of its
daily meals fall from the sky.
It's just a story, but I can't help
but
imagine
Dallastown
emerged in a pea soup fog or
flooded by thousands of cream
cheese and jelly sandwiches.
Aside from my creative wanderings, the fact is we're all wondering what exactly is going on.
After looking at winter outlooks,
there seems to be a trend that
most meteorologists are saying
“only time will tell.”
Maybe this fall will pass and
there will be cold weather from
here on out; maybe it will linger
on and deprive us of snow altogether this winter.
Some can't get enough of the
mild temperatures. I, however,
as a dedicated snowboarder,
must admit that I am a wee bit
concerned for the upcoming winter sports season.
Snow is sort of needed to
snowboard.
many mistakes
that the BCS has
failed to address.
PAT BARBATO
Staff Writer
Every holiday guarantees us a few
things. Fake
S a n t a
Clauses at the
mall, eggnog
(Britton's
favorite), and
the BCS bowl controversy.
This year's title game will
feature Ohio State, the consensus number one team in the
nation, and Florida, who
squeaked in past Michigan in
the BCS's final standings by .01
points.
So what's the controversy?
Florida was previously
ranked number four, Michigan
number three behind USC, who
lost dropping them out of contention. Michigan's season was
over, and Florida's win over
Arkansas was enough to lift
them over Michigan for a shot at
the title.
Both teams finished with
one loss, Michigan's only flaw to
#1 Ohio State by three points,
Florida's to current #10 Auburn
by ten.
If USC would have beaten
UCLA this weekend, every one
would be praising the BCS for
doing such a great job. That didn't happen.
Many people think that
Michigan is the second best
team in the country, and that
MR. HARVEY
“I totally disagree with
the BCS fromat. College
football needs a playoff
system implemented.”
Chad Henne and the rest of the Wolverines will not be playing in any key bowl games. The BCS has failed again in the
eyes of many college sports fans.
Photo by Jim Davidson
the BCS has failed college football once again.
Other notable BCS errors
were leaving USC, ranked number one in both human polls, out
of the title game in 2003 and
having Florida State play over
Miami in 2000, even though
Miami beat Florida State in a
head to head match up and both
finished with identical records.
The BCS was put into use in
1998 to decide what teams were
the best in the country based on
averaging human polls and
strength of schedule.
However, every year the
BCS is around people beg for a
playoff, and every year the BCS
stays.
The reason for this is simple,
the colleges of the teams in the
bowl games get millions of dollars from advertising.
College football champions
need to be decided on the field,
and not in a computer.
Hopefully these BCS screw-ups
will force the NCAA to adopt a
playoff system for division 1A
football.
Taking a Real Break from
School
I honestly don't know, but I
It is important to not
do believe the answer to this
be defined solely doesn't
by lie within the walls of
Dallastown.
schoolwork
JESSI SCHATZ
Staff Writer
Who am I?
For
the
past 17 years
I've
never
introduced
myself as a
high
school
student when
meeting some-
one new.
Being in high school does not
define me. Ten years from now I
probably won't think about how
much homework I had that one
Tuesday night or how difficult
those math problems were.
I will, however, most likely
remember going to the movies
seven times over the summer
and participating in the Apples
to Apples and Risk marathons
over the Christmas breaks.
Which brings me to my
point; what is the most important thing learned during the
four years spent in high school?
FACULTY
FORUM
For students, ideas learned
outside school matter just as
much if not more than those
taught in the classroom.
Living in such a fast-paced
world, just sitting down and
relaxing for a few minutes can
be difficult.
Sometimes it feels as though
I have way too much to do and I
can't even spend 45 minutes eating dinner with my family.
Instead I have homework or
some sort of practice or work.
“The holidays are
the perfect time to
escape the pressures and stress of
school.”
There are so many benefits
from having time off of school.
Down time is what makes us
who we are. Christmas break is
as excellent example.
Just that one break, even a
simple 7 day break, can be just
the thing to help a person relax
and look at the bigger scheme of
life; one that doesn't involve
spicy chicken lunches or
American history homework.
Knowing that soon enough I
will be worrying about paying
the bills and doing my own laundry makes me realize that this
time I have now is time I want to
spend simply being me.
It's called Christmas break
for a reason-a break from the
normal school routine. I hope
that my fellow students will not
spend their entire break working on papers and labs and such.
Be sure to get that done, but
also take some time to have fun.
Hang out with friends and family and rent a bunch of new
movies and have a movie
marathon. The holidays are the
perfect time to escape the pressures and stress of school.
While being a teenager definitely isn't easy, we should try to
use this time to become the people we are, so we may be able to
answer the question "Who am
I?"
LT. COL. INNERST
“The BCS has its limitations, but I think it is
an improvement over
the previous system.”
MR. HOSTETTER
“I think it is an AWFUL
way to determine a
National Champion.
They need to go to a
playoff system like
Division II and the
NFL.”
MR. MELHORN
“It’s time to being a
simple 4 team tournament to figure out who
the National Champion
is. Nothing drastic - you
don’t want to get the
players hurt by having
a long tournament, but
a team gets left out of
the title mix every
single year.”
THE BEACON
OPINION
Tuesday, October 10, 2000
Military Draft: A Grave Possibility
THE BEACON
liberated more towns and took
With the death toll
more land than we have so far in
War on Terror.
rising in Iraq, the
isOur
country has seen military drafts in the past. In World
our country
War Two, The Korean War, and
doomed for anoth
- Vietnam, male American civilians were drafted to fill vacant
er Military draft?
spots in the military.
ANDREW LYTER
Staff Writer
There has
been a continuous flow of
rumors pertaining to the
possibility of
another military draft taking place due
to the increasing violence in Iraq and the rising death toll. We hope that
another draft will not occur but
if so, how does it work and who
gets drafted?
As of December 5, 2006,
there are a grand total of 2,904
American causalities in Iraq.
The war against terror has been
going on for six years and it does
not look like this conflict will be
ending anytime soon.
World War II lasted seven
years and the American forces
lost between 300,000 and
400,000 troops. Although these
losses were very high, America
In 1940, President Franklin
Roosevelt signed the Selective
Training and Service Act of
1940, thus creating the country's
first peace time draft.
Up until 1973, men between
the ages of 18 and 25 were drafted into the military to fill vacancies. In 1973 the draft ended
and the United States would
rely on an all volunteer military.
President Carter re-enacted
the Selective Service System
again in 1980 due the Soviet
Union's invasion of Afghanistan.
The registration for the Selective
Service has continued to this
day.
How does the draft work?
Currently, all males U.S. citizens must register with the
Selective Service with in thirty
days of their eighteenth birthday.
Upon registering, a public
lottery is held. Every day
throughout the year is placed on
a slip of paper and inserted into
a capsule.
Next each number from 1365 is written on a piece of paper
and each inserted into their own
capsule. These capsules are
sealed away until a draft does
occur.
If a draft occurs, a random
lottery is held in which a date
and a number capsule are each
randomly drawn. All males
between the ages of 18 through
25 with that birthday are then
the first to be drafted. The process continues until all the capsules are used.
It does not appear that
another draft is in our immediate future. With the Democrats
taking the House and Senate, it
appears that troop withdrawal is
in the near future rather than a
draft. But, if a draft does occur,
men ages 18 through 25 are all
eligible.
Contentious Objectors, people with serious illnesses
women, and students maintaining a certain G.P.A. cannot be
drafted.
This does create resentment
among poorer working class citizens who cannot afford college
and has sparked the phrase, "If
you have the dough, you don't
have to go."
As of today, a military
draft is not going to occur. In
January of 2007, the United
States Congress will vote on
whether the draft will be reinitiated or if the solders will simply
begin to be withdrawn from the
Middle East.
The thought of
a draft disturbing and troubling topic for
many young
adults
Photo by Nara
murdered twenty six years earlier.
In no way am I belittling
John Lennon's murder, those
who honor this man and the
ANDREW LYTER
Staff Writer
Twenty six years after the
murder of John Lennon,
Dallastown still mourns this
famous rock star's death.
But what does Dallastown
High School do in remembrance
of the 2,400 American soldiers
who died defending this country
from Japanese kamikaze pilots
65 years earlier?
Absolutely nothing…
On December 7, 1941 at
approximately 7:55 a.m., a wave
of about 353 Japanese fighter
planes took off toward the
American port of Oahu. These
planes were heading for the
largest
concentration
of
American Naval ships with the
sole intention on inflicting as
much damage as possible.
When the 50 minute attack
was over, 2,400 American
marines and sailors lay dead,
1,200
wounded,
and
the
American pacific fleet was completely crippled for the time
being. This attack would plunge
the United States of America
into World War II.
Sixty five years later, on the
anniversary of the attack on
Pearl Harbor, Dallastown Area
High School did absolutely nothing to honor these brave solders
who died protecting liberty and
the American people.
The next day, December 8,
PAWS AND
CLAWS
Claws: To the
Dallastown administration for handing
out midterm reports
Paws: To CBS in
recognizing the
importance of the
Volunteer Club’s
mission to support
the troops
Claws: To Taco
Bell and its green
onions containing
the Ecoli bacteria
Paws: To the Iraq
study group for coming up with 79 alternatives with regard
to the war
Dallastown: Where is the Patriotism?
the high school announceWhen it comes down2006,
ments did, however, focus on,
to Pearl Harbor orand have an entire segment in
remembrance of John Lennon, of
John Lennon in
the Beatles, who was brutally
importance, Pearl
Harbor wins
3
The devastation caused by Kamikaze pilots was astronomical to the
port of Pearl Harbor and the United States Pacific Fleet. on
December 7, 1941.
Photo by U.S. Navy
achievements he made to music,
or the students who created the
segment on John Lennon for the
morning announcements.
I am, however, attacking
the school and everyone who
failed to to honor individuals
who made the ultimate sacrifice
for their country.
Our country is in a sad state
and completely backwards when
students choose to make segments on famous rock stars that
lead anti-war and hippie movements, but fail to recognize the
2,400
soldiers
who
were
butchered at Pearl Harbor.
My point in writing this is
not to attack the character of
John Lennon, but to attack the
character of those at Dallastown
Area High School who failed to
show respect towards these
brave men.
I am completely appalled at
the lack of respect shown
towards the soldiers who died
and fought at Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941.
Paws: To the NFL
in creating more
football during the
week with
Thursday night football
Claws: To rising
crime statistics
especially in
Philadelphia and
major cities
2006-2007
Beacon Staff
The Beacon is the official student-run newspaper of
Dallastown Area High School.
Editorial Policy
Editor in Chief
Katie Speace
Opinion Editor
Tony McClure
The Beacon is a student-run newspaper. Its content
is the responsibility of the student staff and is not subject to
direct administrative approval. The newspaper, which is
designed as an open forum, serves to inform and entetain its
readers as well as train students interested in journalism.
Letters to the editor are encouraged and should be directed
to any of the Beacon staff or to Miss Angie Gable in Room
116. Letters should be under 300 words.
Sports Editor
Corey Righter
Features Editor
Jenn Schifano
Special thanks to The Printing Express, Inc.
Claws: To York
College students
and administration
for their continued
blame on York City
for recent alcohol
related arrests
A&E Editor
Kylie Seesholtz
Photography
Nate Leakway
Andrew Lyter
Writers
Katy Baldwin
Patrick Barbato
Britton Bixby
Kristina Caltagirone
Julia Ivers
Amanda Jones
Andrew Levis
Toni Lozzi
Andrew Lyter
Christina Merritt
Veronica Munoz
Allyssa Myers
Jessi Schatz
Jeremy Springman
Hanna Sylo
Faculty Advisor
Miss Gable
4
FEATURES
December 2006
“Bake Sale Kid” becomes famous
instant messenger background
Eric Chestnut wowed
is--what else?--hot dogs and
audiences with hishamburgers.
But food is not his only
role in the Volunteer
obsession. He filled me in on his
Club bake sale -comdaily TV routine, and it's a little
mercial, but what disturbing.
is"First I watch CNN for ten
this emerging -starminutes right when I get home.
Then it's Recess from 3:30 to
really like?
4:00.
From 4:00-5:00 it's
PAT BARBATO
Staff Writer
"Cookies, Muffins, Brownies.
Mmmmmm," are the most
famous words of a now recognizable figure in Dallastown's hallways.
Eric Chestnut, also known
as "Bake Sale Kid," lives up to
his nickname in every way.
"He sort of became an icon of
the school bake sale," said Lucas
Hanna, who directed and filmed
the segment that aired on the
announcements.
When most kids are asked if
they know Eric Chestnut, most
of them have no idea.
When the same kids are
asked if they know who Bake
Sale Kid is, they do.
"Is that the kid who drooled
on the announcements?"
Yes, that's him.
He's obviously become the
school's bake sale mascot.
The bake sale is run by the
Dallastown Volunteer Club to
raise funds for various projects
like supporting the troops.
So what else does Eric do at
school?
"During school I think about
food, play with my teacher's toys
(mainly Mrs. Eshenour's oreo
"James Brown"), and speak
Japanese during Spanish," said
Chestnut. "Did I mention thinking about food?"
Some might say Eric
Chestnut's obsession with food
goes a bit far. His favorite food
is a bacon cheeseburger. His
Malcolm in the Middle and King
of the Hill. After that it's two
hours of Beverly Hills 90210, followed directly by an hour of
Scrubs. And I didn't even get
into primetime," he said.
Maybe that's a good thing.
When not watching TV, Eric
likes to play video games like
Shadow of the Colossus, Ico,
Kingdom Hearts, and Final
Fantasy.
Also, his fascination with
Japanese came out of pure
curiosity.
"I wanted to learn Japanese,
so I went to Borders to get some
"Learn Japanese" CD's. To this
day I've listened to one of the
CD's and I only know a few
words."
With that aside, Eric is simply one of the funniest kids at
Dallastown.
"I've known Eric since sixth
grade and we have definitely
had some good times together,"
said freshman Yoshe Friedman.
Three words he uses to
describe himself are crazy,
annoying, and unmotivated. One
of these words most people
would agree with.
"He's
crazy,"
added
Friedman.
So if you missed seeing Eric's
famous bake sale announcement, don't panic.
"Eric Chestnut will play a
role in another bake sale video,
and we hope in the future to
bring him into another entertaining commercial," added
Hanna.
AMANDA JONES
Staff Writer
The holiday meal came early
this year at Dallastown, exactly
two weeks before Thanksgiving.
With it came the usual
crowds of people, lack of seating,
and a lot of food dispersed
throughout the cafeteria.
The menu included turkey
and stuffing as the entrée. For
sides there were potatoes (both
sweet and mashed), corn, cranberry sauce, and gravy on top.
While this may sound appetizing to some, holiday meal day
leaves a bad taste in the mouths
of others.
On holiday meal day, many
teachers let their students leave
for lunch an extra five minutes
earlier than normal. To a point,
this does help alleviate some of
Some students are seen with
trays stacked full of these holiday delights, while others leave
"Who in the world constructed that Mashed
Potato Mountain in the
middle of that table?"
the lines with pizza in hand.
The enigma which is holiday
meal leaves questions on some
minds.
"Why would he get six lunches?"
"Where did all the chairs
go?"
"Who in the world constructed
that
Mashed
Potato
Mountain in the middle of that
Desktop
publishing
gets
creative
Christina Merritt
Staff Writer
Eric Chesnut displays his drooling ability on the morning
announcements. Eric has become famous for his role as
“bake sale kid” on the Volunteer Club commericals. Photos
Submitted
What’s the big deal
with the holiday meal?
chaos.
The popularity of
- the
the
Another method of madness
holiday meal causes
alleviation is the scatter system,
which is used by the cafeteria
chaos in the cafete
staff to "move them in, and then
whip them out."
ria. Here are some
On this day, the salad bar is
types to avoid a closed
due to popularity of the
stressful lunch. meal.
THE BEACON
table?"
The mysteries which encircle
Holiday Meal Day are endless.
Some students feel that the
meal isn't worth waiting in those
crazy lines.
Junior Jessica Schatz says,
"Potatoes are good and turkey is
fine, but I'm not waiting in that
super long line."
So how can students prepare
themselves for the insanity of
holiday meal day?
1. Make sure you know
when it is so you can wear comfortable, food-safe attire. For
example, no white shirts and
maybe some pants with a little
give.
2. Eat breakfast. That
way your stomach is warmed up
for your meal, and you won't be
tempted to buy too much food.
3. Get out of your class as
soon as possible. I'm not saying
push people out of the way to get
to the cafeteria but the sooner
the better.
Even though the struggle
and strife brought about by holiday meal day are frustrating,
the tradition of the holiday meal
continues to be an important one
at Dallastown.
If you've gone to the Catty
Shack or been to the play Boo!,
then you've seen some of the
work that Dallastown's Desktop
Publishing class has turned out.
A level three computer
course, this class teaches students the ins and outs of
Microsoft Word and Publisher,
and, more importantly, shows
them how to make this knowledge applicable outside of school.
"It isn't book work. The
things they do are worthwhile
and being used," says Mrs.
Cross, the course instructor.
So far the classes have produced tickets, posters, and pamphlets for the advanced theater
class production of Boo!.
Additionally, they have made
IDs for TV Production, items for
the Catty Shack, and brochures
for the community.
In addition, the class is currently working on designing new
privilege passes.
As anyone can see, Desktop
Publishing isn't a class where
projects get stored on shelves or
shoved in trashcans.
"It gives them a skill they
can use to make money in the
future," adds Cross. This is no
doubt an appealing aspect of the
course.
Students don't have to be
experts at the programs either.
Students entering the course are
not required to have already
mastered Word and Publisher.
Desktop Publishing is available to students in grades 10 and
above, and it provides a chance
to give back to the community,
have fun, and learn skills for a
future career.
Alex Horvatinovich
“It’s such a good
arrangement of food
when you mix it all
together. It gets me
extremely excited for
Christmas dinner at
my house.”
Mallory Kreiger
“I don’t like the holiday meal. The texture
grosses me out. I feel
like I’m eating a
sponge. Is it even real
turkey?
Kamron Kreiger
“Me too.”
Mr. Rexroth
“I love the holiday
meal because of how
nice the cafeteria
ladies are when they
hand it to you.”
Cool Holiday Hotspots
FEATURES
THE BEACON
Instead of letting
Avalanche
boredom get the best
Express
of you this holiday
Whether the sky brings the
break, check out
snow, or it is man-made, it doessome of these fun n't really matter at the
Avalanche Express located at
things to do around
Heritage Hills.
Avalanche
York.
Express provides snow tubing
around and look at vendors
which offer fresh produce, homemade baked goods, and regional
handcrafts.
HANNA SYLO
Staff Writer
If you are into motorcycles,
or just free tours, check out the
Harley Davidson Factory of
York. The tours allow for the
exploration of exhibits that
guide you through the manufacturing and assembly process.
Tours also provide the opputunity to view the productions of the
cycles. Not only is there a sweet,
free tour, but there is also a gift
shop.
Finally, students recieve a
day off from school to relax and
recharge from the stress of tests.
After sitting around for a while,
it becomes obvious that boredom
has struck.
Whether it's putting off
homework or a bad case of boredom, neither are good excuses
for lying around the house for an
entire day. Get out and do something on these fresh winter days.
Sure, it is a common
assumption that there is not a
whole lot to do in York County.
Let's face it, York County is
small, cold in the winter, and is
generally known for its number
of quality restaurants; this is a
lot to be said, right?
The assumption that there is
not much to do is somewhat
incorrect. While the activities
available to Yorkers may not be
the most appealing to some, it is
a definite overstatement to use
the phrase "there's nothing to
do."
From the warmth of the
indoors to the beautiful outdoors
there are plenty of cool things to
do in the area this winter season. Free time is good time,
except when it turns into bordoom.
During this coming holiday
break there are plenty of options
to cure the dullness in your life.
Here are a few fun things to try
this season:
and is good for large groups of
people.
Christmas
lights
Grab some friends and take
a trip to Hershey Park, Rocky
Ridge (which is only $6 for
adults), or just a big neighborhood, and go Christmas light
gazing. Pick out your favorite
decorations, or put other's ideas
to good use and put up your own
decorations.
S
k
i
Roundtop
Ski Roundtop, located in
Lewisburry, PA, is not more
than a twenty-five to thirty
minute drive. This ski and
snowboard mountain is good for
not only skiing and snowboarding, but also snow tubing. All
rentals are available there, so
you don't need your own equipment, just warm clothes. Don't
have any money to spend? Wait
for natural snow, and find a big
hill to sled down. York College's
Reservoir Hill is really tall and
free!
Central
and Eastern
Markets
A fun thing to do inside is to
visit, and shop around, York's
Eastern or Central Markets.
Eastern Market is located on
East Market Street in York, and
Central Market is located on
Philadelphia Street in York.
Both are good places to wander
December 2006
5
Harley
Davidson
F i r s t
Night York
As the New Year rolls
around, if you're looking for
something to do on December
31st, New Year's Eve, head to
First Night York in downtown
York. Here you will find numerous attractions, events, and performances for entertainment. At
midnight there will be a grand
finale.
L i o n
Technologies
Every Wednesday night
from 6-10pm people of all ages
can play video games for free.
Lion Technologies in Red Lion,
located at 59 N. Main Street,
provides an LAN party where
they hook up a bunch of good
computers and play some of the
new video games coming out.
They provide the games and
computers. Feel free to bring
your own computers as well.
Eggnog:
the holiday killer
of Rutter's egg nog, you are
Although eggnog pint
consuming: 800 calories, (400 of
which
come from fat) 100 grams
doesn t really of sugar,
320 milligrams of sodium, 108 carbohydrates, and 64
cause cancer, this
grams of fat, 48 of which is satuholiday drink may
rated fat.
To put these facts into perbe worse than spective,
that's more calories
than any sandwich from
you think.
McDonald's, KFC, Subway,
BRITTON BIXBY
Staff Writer
Over this holiday season, I'm
sure that many of you will be
tempted to drink. I'm not talking about alcohol, the beverage
I'm talking about is much worse.
This beverage is called egg nog,
and it will kill you.
Many people are under the
impression that egg nog is a perfectly harmless drink.
This
thinking is not only incorrect,
it's dangerous.
The following is the nutrition facts label taken directly
from a pint of Rutter's egg nog.
The subsequent information
may shock you. By drinking one
Yuletide Mysteries
Wendy's, Dairy Queen, Long
John Silver's, Boston Market,
Taco Bell, Chick-Fil-A, any
drink from Starbucks, and two
Krispy Kreme donuts (or, if you
prefer, Dunkin' Donuts).
Around the holidays, egg nog
sneaks its way into the homes of
unsuspecting victims too careless to check the nutrition facts.
Parents see it as a wholesome
beverage the entire family can
enjoy, but they fail to realize
that they would be better off letting their children drink gasoline.
Remember to resist the
temptation to drink egg nog this
holiday season, and if you do
decide to drink, drink responsibly.
Why do people kiss under mistletoe?
The ancient Celtics believed mistletoe to have magical healing powers and used it as an antidote for poison, infertility, and to
ward of evil spirits. The plant was also seen as a symbol of peace, and it is said that among Romans, enemies who met under mistletoe would lay down their weapons and enjoy each other's company. Mistletoe comes from the Anglo Saxon words meaning "dungon-a-twig."
Why do we use stockings?
According to European legend, a kindly nobleman grew depressed over the death of his beloved wife and foolishly squandered his
fortune. This left his three young daughters without dowries, which would leave them spinsters. The generous St. Nicholas, hearing
of the girls' problem, set forth to help. Wishing to remain anonymous, he rode his white horse by the nobleman's house and threw
three small pouches of gold coins down the chimney. The pouches were caught by the stockings the young women had flung over the
fireplace to dry.
Why do we eat candy canes?
It was not long after Europeans began using Christmas trees that special decorations were used to fill them. Food items, such as
candies and baked goods, were used predominately. Straight white candy sticks were one of the candies used as an adornment.
Legend has it that during the 17th century craftsmen created the white sticks of candy in the shape of shepherds' crooks at the suggestion of the choir director at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The candy treats were given to children to keep them quiet during ceremonies at the Nativity scene, and the custom of passing out the candy crooks at such ceremonies soon spread throughout
Europe. The candy cane remains a favorite holiday treat and decoration.
EMBRACING DIVERSITY
Adjusting to a new,
change for several reasons.
Many of the city students
diverse, multi-cultural
say that the schools and the
Dallastown.
streets here are cleaner. It is
Dallastown, Pennsylvania
has been for years a small town
of fields and farms where primarily Caucasian families could
be traced back for generations.
Today, with new houses popping up and farm land disappearing, this small town is
quickly expanding, and the community is changing.
Change is not a bad thing,
but the new, city-minorities who
have moved into the area and
those who have lived here their
entire lives now need to adapt to
those changes and cultural differences which have turned the
Dallastown Area School District
into somewhat of a melting pot.
When walking through the
halls of Dallastown today, it's
easy to observe a variety of races
and to hear a variety of languages being spoken, creating a
diverse school culture.
Asians, Hispanics, Blacks
and Arabs have made themselves comfortable here in the
past few years, and while many
have moved here from Baltimore
or New York, many others don't
come from cities at all.
Sophomore Iesha Brown is
part Black and Puerto Rican.
She is from Mercersburg,
Pennsylvania, which is much
smaller than Dallastown. In her
opinion, "I like it here a lot more
because there is a little more to
do and it's not so quiet all the
time."
The area's city kids don't
always agree. They come from
places where there is so much
more to do and hear. Freshman
Brittany Munoz says, "In Miami,
Florida, we blasted music, had
loud parties and always went to
the beach. There was so much to
do!"
With all these new people,
even the fashion is noticeably
different. In places such as New
York, Baltimore, and Miami,
girls wear denim jumpsuits,
half-jackets and big hoop earrings with long chains.
Senior Michael Baker says,
"Down in Baltimore the guys
wear mostly black and white
baggy tees, and up here it's all
about muscle shirts and tight
jeans."
Suburban schools are something that is taking most of
these city kids time to get used
to. In the city, each class ranges
from 30-40 students per room.
The schools are often not as nice
as a school like Dallastown, and
the rules are very lenient.
Many of those who have
moved from city apartments to
developments have also had a
hard time dealing with the
neighborhoods in the area.
According to most students,
in cities no one complains about
loud music or hanging out somewhere outside. The streets and
sidewalks are always busy, and
no one calls the cops for what
may be called "minor" reasons.
Because of this, city students
find life in the city is much more
exciting and fun.
So why move to a small town
like Dallastown? Why not just
stay in the city?
Well, although these kids
prefer the city to the suburbs,
they also have to agree that living here has been a positive
“People are people.
Don’t judge them by
the color of their skin,
the language they
speak, or the shape of
their eyes.”
very diverse cities with all types
of people, these students are not
used to defending their race and
ethnicity on a daily basis.
Junior Tama Sakala, who
originally comes from Zambia in
Africa, has used her personality
and involvement with cheerleading to find her place at
But
not
everyone
in
Dallastown is judgmental. In
fact, there are a large number of
Dallastown natives who do not
see minorities as anything other
than people. City minorities are
very thankful for this because
these are the people they can
easily become friends with.
Senior Haile Selassie says to
ignore any ignorant comments.
"I don't care what people
think about me, because I'm
going to be me no matter what!"
said Selassie.
Being a minority is a tough
struggle that some students
don't think Dallastown completely understands.
A lot of minorities have been
through more than imaginable
“
We should
acknowledge
differences, we
should greet
differences, until
difference makes
no difference
anymore.
- Dr. Adela A. Allen
“
If you
are ready to
criticize a system, be equally
ready to offer
assistance to
improve it.
- Armando Sanchez
“
With increasing numbers of students from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds,
Dallastown is becoming a melting pot of cultures. Artwork on this page and opposite page by
Nicole Didusch.
city, apartments here are bigger
and less expensive. Instead of
paying a $900 a month for a 2bedroom apartment with one
bathroom (which is common in
larger cities), they are paying
$700 a month for a 3-bedroom
with 2 bathrooms.
Making
the
move
to
Dallastown has been a change in
itself, but when asked, many
“...these students are
not used to defending
their race and ethnicity
on a daily basis.”
minority students say that it is
not only the lack of entertainment of the area that they do not
like but also the racism and discrimination some feel they face
every day in our school.
Dallastown. When she first came
to the United States, she lived in
Baltimore. She later came to this
area and noticed a big difference
in the places she has lived.
"In Baltimore, no one cares
what race you are or language
you speak. But when I moved
here, I noticed that people focus
a lot on that."
Junior Britne Brown, a
native of Baltimore, says, "Some
people are rude to me and call
out my name just because I'm
Black."
Color is not the only problem. Junior Monica Rivera from
San Juan, Puerto Rico says she
has suffered insult after insult
because she often speaks
Spanish. "Sometimes people
misunderstand what our culture
is like, and criticize it rather
than respect it."
and have learned that it is more
important to be proud of who you
are and ignore the rude
remarks, than it is to fight and
reinforce stereotypes of any race.
The new students believe
that there are things this school
community can do to make the
transition from a small farming
community to a multi-cultural
melting pot as smooth as possible.
"People are people. Don't
judge them by the color of their
skin, the language they speak, or
the shape of their eyes," says
Junior Priscilla Camacho.
I have a
dream that my
four children
will one day live
in a nation
where they will
not be judged by
the color of
their skin but
by the content
of their
character.
“
VERONICA MUNOZ
Staff Writer
also much easier for teens to find
jobs of their choice, rather than
having a hard time looking for a
job and settling for whatever is
offered to them. The crime rate
here is a lot lower, and the area
is a good place to relax when
they want to get away from the
world for a little while.
But one of the biggest reasons why most have moved here
is because of the financial
lifestyle. Here, their parents
have had the luck of finding jobs
that pay better so they are able
to provide for their children
without a struggle. Unlike the
Racism and all types of discrimination exist everywhere in
the world, but after moving from
THE BEACON
“
December 2006
“
The Melting Pot
6
- Martin Luther
King, Jr.
A Whole New World
THE BEACON
ten years, she was living in cenHow freshman
tral Beijing, China.
"I can't really speak Chinese
Sofie Zhang madeanymore,"
said Zhang when she
the journey fromconsidered the differences in the
English and Chinese language,
Beijing to
"but I can still understand it and
remember that is was hard to
Dallastown.
write." Zhang would remember
NICOLE DIDUSCH
Staff Writer
Think about the first ten
years of your life. Those crucial
years were most likely spent in a
comfortable suburban home,
maybe even right here in York,
Pennsylvania.
This is not entirely true for
Dallastown Freshman, Sofie
Zhang. Though she may have
lived comfortably and happily
with her family for those same
the difficulty of writing in
Chinese, considering that up
until the 5th grade she attended
a public school in central
Beijing.
In Beijing, school started at
7:30 and didn't end until 4:30 in
the afternoon. After school,
Zhang recalls spending her
nights playing piano after her
daily three solid hours of homework the teachers had assigned.
During school, the children
stayed in one classroom while
the teachers rotated through
four different subjects. The only
International Club
celebrates diversity
BY STAFF
In another effort to recognize
diverse cultures at Dallastown,
the International Club met on
Wednesday, December 13 to celebrate “Christmas Around the
World.”
Students enjoyed refreshments and played trivia games
on the cultural history of
Christmas and its celebration in
different countries.
Students
learned
that
December 2006
EMBRACING DIVERSITY
time Zhang remembers actually
leaving their seats was for gym.
Students didn't even leave
their seats for lunch.
Lunch was delivered to their
classroom and they ate "traditional Chinese food" at their
desks as Zhang recalls, chopsticks and all.
Another stunning difference
in the Chinese classrooms when
compared to our own is the number of students. 56 uniform-clad
Chinese students filled the room
everyday. The same classes
would go through school together for the rest of their elementary experiences.
Outside of school, life was
nothing like here. "Nobody had
sleepovers or went over to other
people's houses," said Zhang.
She, as well as many of her
classmates, usually attended an
after-school program to pass the
time until their parents could
pick them up after work.
Zhang left China with her
father when she was ten years
old and immigrated temporarily
to Canada. Then, after her
father and she had obtained
American citizenship, they officially moved permanently to
Virginia. And then with one
final move, they arrived here in
York.
Today Zhang enjoys playing
guitar, listening to music, and
many other obligatory high
school pastimes. The difference
is she has lived an entirely different cultural experience and
been to places in passing many
of us may never go. Zhang
would like to return to visit
sometime but admits, "I lived in
China for ten years, but if I had
a choice, I'd rather live here."
7
“My parents had donated
money to the reconstruction
of a church in China. In this
photo, I am pointing at a
section of the plaque where
their names were carved,”
says Zhang. Photo submitted.
Christmas carols originated in
Germany and that in Italy, bagpipes are played during the holidays.
The students alsomade
paper cranes. International students led the other club members in making these cranes
which are traditional holiday
decorations in Japan.
The International Club
meets in room 320. Listen for
announcements about upcoming
events.
Adapting to English
Language) is taught by Mrs.
Students at
O'Hara, Mrs. Schifano, and Mrs.
Dallastown use ELLSwords. Many students have
classes to adjust seen
to these ELL teachers around
the school but may not really
know what they do.
the English language
ELL class helps any stuand American cul dentThe
whose first language is not
English. That does not only
ture.
ANDREW LEVIS
Staff Writer
Most Dallastown students
do not have to worry about
understanding common phrases
such as "hit the books" or "raining cats and dogs."
For ELL students, however,
studying idioms is a daily part of
class.
ELL (English as a Learning
include foreign exchange students; in fact, most of the kids in
the class are living here permanently.
It would be hard to adjust to
going to Dallastown after having
lived the majority of your life in
Mexico,
Korea,
Pakistan,
Nigeria, Israel, Egypt, or any
foreign country.
The class does not only help
students learn the language; it
also helps them understand
many aspects of American culture, including daily life and
food.
"Dealing with the school
cafeteria can be difficult," says
Mrs. Schifano, "they don't eat
raw vegetables in china."
This is just one of the perplexities a student from a foreign country might face in the
lunchroom.
In a small rural setting such
as Dallastown, it is incredible
that we have students from over
fifteen different countries representing a variety of cultures.
The ELL class offers course
credit while helping these students overcome both language
and social barriers here at
Dallastown.
Scholarship, Dream Car, and Future all in One
8
SPORTS
December 2006
odd discussing a car in regards
Senior Lauren
to gymnastics but as a helpful
Brzostowski heads motivational
to
tool
when
Brzostowski was in 5th grade
Auburn next fall on
a
her father promised her if she
gymnastics
received a full gymnastics scholarship he would buy her ANY
scholarship.
car she wanted.
TONI LOZZI
Staff Writer
What exactly would you do
for the car and future of your
dreams?
How about devote
yourself to one sport for over 15
years, suffer broken bones,
spend over 20 hours a week in a
gym and sacrifice time spent
with all your friends.
For
Senior
Lauren
Brzostowski, those seem like
reasonable endeavors to gain the
car of her dreams. It may sound
"Anytime I wanted to quit I
kept thinking of that car! That
is honestly what has pushed me
through these years," said
Brzostowski with a chuckle.
These dreams and hard
work began when Brzostowski
was just 3 years old. As many
parents do with young daughters, they placed her into gymnastics at Skyline Gymnastics
facility, hoping she would find a
sport she not only excelled in but
also enjoyed.
The starting schedule wasn't
much more hectic then any other
Brzostowski in action at a competition
Photo Submitted
Body-building his
future
ing magazines, it is apparent
Dallastown is
that many professional bodyintrigued by junior
builders use steroids.
I asked Cuculis if he
Luke Cuculis new hadWhen
ever used steroids, he
hobby new muscles.admitted to using Team
BRITTON BIXBY
Staff Writer
While most guys lift weights
to get girls or prepare for a sport,
but for Luke Cuculis, lifting
weights is the sport.
Cuculis
started
lifting
weights for sports, such as track,
but when he noticed how rapidly
his body was responding to the
weight training, he began to
wonder if he could be a professional bodybuilder.
No, that's not a joke, and if
you've see Cuculis in the hallways, you realize just how seriously he takes it.
He began training with Mr.
Hostetter at Gold's Gym during
his sophomore year, and
although he no longer trains
with Mr. Hostetter, he frequents
Gold's Gym with Dallastown
graduate Mark Haynes, who
also aspires to be a professional
bodybuilder.
While most students are
sleeping in on the weekends,
Cuculis is up bright and early
and at Gold's Gym by 7 o'clock.
Looking at most bodybuild-
MuscleTech supplements when
he needed that "extra edge", but
he was very clear that he has
never and will never use
steroids, and no supplement will
do anything "very amazing."
Diet is very important, however. Cuculis also insists on eating every three hours, but during the 16 weeks before a contest, Luke's diet is restricted to
the same foods every day: chicken breasts, brown rice, tuna, egg
whites and cottage cheese.
Sounds delicious!
Cuculis became a champion
before most bodybuilders. He
was the Overall Teen Champion
at the York Natural Show, which
is a showcase of bodybuilders
who do not use supplements. He
also finished second in the Jr.
Men's category, which is all men
under 23.
The funny thing about it is,
Cuculis only 17! To put things in
perspective,
Arnold
Schwarzenegger, governor of
California was 18 when he won
his first title. Cuculis has big
plans for his future in bodybuilding, and based on what he's
already accomplished, the sky is
the limit.
sport young kids participate in.
Spending around 2 hours per
day, 3 days per week training.
The pressure to quit seemed
harder to deal with then the
practices themselves as many of
Brzostowski's middle school
friends went to other sports and
she was left training in the gym.
"When I was younger my
school friends never understood
why I couldn't just skip a practice and go to a football game, so
I always hung out with my gym
friends because we had the same
priorities," said Brzostowski.
But even with the pressure
and stress from family and
friends, she never faltered.
Lauren rose quickly in levels,
one per year, then two years in
levels 8 and 9, and 3 years in
level 10, the highest level of competition (with the exception of
Olympic).
She was being noticed for
her exceptional performances in
meets across the nation including Missouri, Florida, Arizona,
Ohio, and North Carolina.
Winning
many
prestigious
awards such as a second place
finish in the all-around competition at the state meet last year.
And finally this year, all the
hard work, countless sacrifices,
and many injuries have paid off
in many ways for this now "college bound" gymnast.
When it came time to chose a
college to attend, Brzostowski
received scholarship offers from
many different schools, including:
Pittsburgh,
Auburn,
Western Michigan, Iowa State,
West Virginia, University of
Iowa and North Carolina State.
After looking at the schools and
their gymnastics programs
Lauren decided she fit in best at
Auburn University, located in
Alabama.
"I love it there. The coaches
are extremely nice, the girls
THE BEACON
Lauren Brzostowski sports the Auburn University logo. She
signed a letter of intent to Auburn on a full gymnastics
scholarship. Photo By Toni Lozzi
were so welcoming, they had my
major (she planes to study fashion merchandising) , there is
great weather and they had the
best gymnastics record. It couldn't have been more perfect," said
Brzostowski with a smile.
Her new head coach Jeff
Thompson seems to think the
exact same , "Lauren is one of
the best beam workers that we
have ever signed to date. We are
excited to start work!"
When thinking about finally
reaching her goal of not just college gymnastics but receiving a
full scholarship Brzostowski
couldn't help but cry.
"Looking back my gymnastics journey has been nothing
but painful (physically and mentally) and time consuming. But
now, the feeling I have receiving
a full scholarship I wouldn't
trade it in for anything,"
remarked Lauren with a smile,
"the only hard thing now is to
decide what car I want to get!"
DALLASTOWN FOOTBALL
ALL-STARS
Pictured Left to Right: Steve Cottrill, Bobby Bowers, Jim Bagnall, and
Mike Baker sport their South all-star jerseys. The Wildcats were on the
winning South team. Photo by Mrs. Hartman
THE BEACON
SPORTS
December 2006
WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW
BOYS BASKETBALL
The 2006-2007 boys' basketball season is looking promising. With nine
boys who are extremely close on the Varsity team, getting along won't be a problem.
The Wildcats achieved their first win of the season against Garden Spot in
the York Suburban Tip-Off Tournament.
Lead by a tough group of coaches, Rexroth, Smeltzer, Gould, and D.
Rexroth, the team has great opportunities to learn from experience. Head
Coach Mr. Rexroth has been coaching Varsity for 15 years with a total of 21
overall years.
With five returning letter winners, the boys have a strong starting team.
The returning letter winners this year include Dylan Hoffman, Evan Jones,
Eddie Ward, Chase McGowan, and Kevin Frisby. All five returning letter winners are also the team starters.
Junior Chase McGowan commented on his thoughts for the season, "This
season should be a lot of fun because the guys are all really close, and we're all
ready to show the competition what we've been practicing."
When asked about his outlook for the season Coach Rexroth replied, "We're
looking forward to a successful season because of team chemistry and team
defense."
This season, the Wildcat Boys Basketball team has three major rivals.
These rivals include Red Lion, York High, and West York.
The Wildcats and the Lions will face off on December 20th.
WRESTLING
Junior Zach Oberlander puts a move on an oppenent at the
Nazareth tournament. Photo by Toni Lozzi
The playbook for the girl's basketball team is going to be from a new mind
this season. After Coach Shaffer resigned, for personal reasons, the lady cats
had a coaching position to be filled.
In any sport finding a knowledgeable and fitting coach can be an extreme
hassle.
After going through the options they found something in Mr. Gerber. He
could be seen around the halls every now and then last year, arranging driving
time for Dallastown students.
Before most of the teachers here at Dallastown began teaching he was a
coach long ago for boy's basketball. He also coached baseball as well.
Most recently he has been in the dugout for the baseball team here at
Dallastown as an assistant coach.
His knowledge of the game and his crazy personality gave the sports director all the perks he needed.
"He knows a lot about the game and uses some weird sayings about things,"
commented sophomore Brett Weller.
Many coaches have clichés and Coach Gerber has many and uses them
often. "He likes to say Dance in the paint, when referring to rebounding," said
Senior Jamie Gemmill.
The coaching change, and a huge vacancy to fill, left by graduates will leave
the Wildcats searching for the team, as a whole to step up.
"Right now the team is young and we will get better as the season goes
along", said Weller.
The Cats play at rival Red Lion on Wednesday December 20th. Be sure to
come out and support the girls and hopefully leave with a victory.
SWIMMING & DIVING
Sophomore Emily Slobodian races to the finish in the 100 meter butterfly against Governor Mifflin last season. Photo courtesy of yavarsity.com
Dylan Hoffman (right), Kevin Frisby (left) lead the Cats to victory over
York Catholic. Photos Courtesy of YAvarsity.com
Dallastown High's wrestling teams are revving up for another great season.
Coach Gable is preparing to lead the wrestlers to victory, like he has for the last 18
years.
Gable will be assisted by Coaches Striebig and Myers.
Last year, Dallastown competed in the PIAA State Team Tournament at the Giant
Center and finished the season in the top 6 in the state.
Although the Cats lost several seniors to graduation including state place winner
Justin Myers, the team is still looking for success this season.
Coach Gable says, "All I expect is continual improvement. Every year is different,
but I'm never disappointed."
There are many returning letter winners who look forward to wrestling every year.
Senior Justin Scott, who has been a varsity starter since his freshman year,
describes his love of wrestling by saying, "I like the rush you get from it. It's a lot of fun.
Plus, you get respect when you do a good job."
Senior Brad Ladd is a returning state qualifier and will be wrestling 285 lbs. for the
Cats this season.
Ladd says, "Wrestling is special because it is an individual sport. You compete
against your opponent and against yourself."
At press time, the Wildcats had already placed 4th in the Nazareth Tournament,
beaten Spring Grove in their opening dual meet, and won the team title at the Manheim
Township Tournament.
Other important match-ups this season will include a match with Red Lion on
December 19, a trip to Reno, Nevada, for the Reno Tournament of Champions, and an
end of the season dual meet with a strong South Western team on January 20.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Coach Gerber (right) leads sophomore Jess Eckard and the girls basketball
team going through a drill at a recent practice. Photo by Nate Leakway
Dallastown Swimming and Diving should continue their winning ways in
the 2006-07 season. Led by veteran head coach Mr. Howley, the Cats have
already defeated Governor Mifflin and Central this season.
The swimmers left their mark on District III with the Governor Mifflin win
and a close loss to perennial powerhouse Cumberland Valley.
The Wildcats have a slew of returning letter winners including seniors
Steve Croucher, Steve Douglass, and Jordan Habbershon who were a part of the
state qualifying 200-freestyle relay team last season.
Other contributors for Dallastown should be sophomores Emily Slobodian
and Tori Shearer.
"Our team has really strong unity this year and that will push us through
and make us a competitive team in the league," says Croucher.
In addition to the swimming events, the Dallastown divers are expected to
have a successful season as well.
State qualifier Zane McLain returns for his senior season with his eyes on
another trip to the state meet.
According to diving coach Mrs. Turnbull, "Our divers look very strong and
they will be hard to beat in the league."
Big meets for the Wildcats include York Suburban and Spring Grove.
9
10 December 2006
CONCERT
REVIEW
Ballerina’s Big Move
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THE BEACON
is my dream," France said
Common Enemy and Sophomore Emily That
with a smile.
Her skills were obvious
Leftover Crack Rock
France will be to many close
friends and family,
Dallastown
as France has held lead roles in
going to a different
countless performances, includ-
KATY BALDWIN
Staff Writer
On Thanksgiving evening, I
headed to the Championship in
Lemoyne to see two bands:
Common Enemy and Leftover
Crack. The driveway of the
Championship curved under an
old bridge, giving the venue's
new location a sketchy appearance.
The parking lot was littered
with teens and young adults
dressed up with piercings, tattoos, and studded clothing. Most
of them were smoking a
cigarette while they waited outside for the show to begin.
It was a few minutes past
7:00 when Common Enemy was
ready to play. The lead singer
yelled, "We are Common
Enemy!" into the microphone,
but the microphone didn't work.
So he fiddled with the equipment for a minute, got the microphone to work, and the show
began.
Fast-paced drumming, agitated guitar playing, and a mixture of screaming and singing
was how Common Enemy played
their set. They encourage crowd
participation, which involved
circle pits, crowd surfing, and
sharing of the microphone.
After their 30-minute set,
some of the crowd migrated outside for fresh air. A few of them
even stayed outside during the
next two bands' performances.
When Leftover Crack was
ready to play, the room was
filled with fans, who were all
highly anticipating the first
chord. This band has gotten
kicked out of many clubs and
venues in New York, where they
originated.
The singer enjoyed giving
speeches to the crowd on his
view of society, and before every
song the band played, he told the
audience what message each
song contains. For example,
"Gang Control" is a display of
their dislike for authority, mainly police.
Halfway through the set, the
guitarist became irritated with
the singer and almost walked off
the stage. But the confrontation
was temporarily resolved, so the
band continued to play. They
even played a few songs from
their new album that will be
released in March.
Everyone was disappointed
when Leftover Crack was finished. We wanted more loud
music accompanying the highpitched, scratchy voice of the
singer.
I think Leftover Crack's performance continues to improve
each time I see them. This having been the third time, it had
been much more entertaining
than the previous two occasions.
All my favorite songs were
played, crowd participation was
high, and the dispute between
the band members were all factors of their greatest show (so
far).
If you're up for obnoxious
people, an over-heated room,
and being in mosh pits with really sweaty (and sometimes shirtless) people, I would highly recommend going to a Leftover
Crack show the next time they're
in town.
kind of school this
ing the ever popular Nutcracker.
"Emily is amazing. You
January
can't explain how beautifully she
TONI LOZZI
Staff Writer
While many Dallastown students will be relaxing on their
weekends in January, one talented sophomore will be dancing
her nights away in Philadelphia.
On January 19, 2007
sophomore Emily France will be
making a big move to Center
City, Philadelphia to attend The
Rock School, a prominent dancing academy.
Dancing has been in
France's life since her mother
enrolled her in dance at the
young age of 3. Experimenting
with various dance genres,
France has found that she enjoys
ballet most. However, after
being dedicated to the hectic
schedule and grueling practices
for years the thought of dancing
began to become too much for
France to handle.
"I really hated it but my
mom made me stay in."
remarked France
There was however a
turn of emotion around the age
of 13. France finally realized
how much she had fallen in love
with ballet. After her passion
for ballet had been ignited she
began going to famous ballets
such as Giselle and the
Nutcracker quite often.
"I really became serious
about it and decided I was planning on dancing professionally.
dances and how graceful she is.
I love watching her." said sophomore friend Talia Russell.
Although her talent has
built her up for great things, the
move came quite unexpectedly.
Attending a dancing school has
been a dream of France's and
was made a reality this past
summer when a director at her
studio approached her about
signing up for a class. She was
thrilled to learn that a few
weeks later that she had not
only been accepted, but was
being given a full scholarship for
her amazing talent.
Her
schedule
will
become even more intense once
France begins her schooling. At
France's current dance studio,
Lancaster School of Ballet, she
practices 5 days and 15 hours a
week. Her new schedule at The
Rock School has upped her workout to about 7 days and 20 or
more hours a week. In addition
to her strenuous dance schedule,
France will also have school
classes to focus on.
A typical day will be
dance for a few hours in the
morning, then school all day,
and dance once again at night.
Nervous, like most
would be, France is excited and
up for the challenge.
"You can quit the school
at anytime, but I will most likely
be there for the rest of high
school," said France with a
smile.
Sophomore Emily France shows off one of her many ballet
moves that she has learned over the years. Photo Submitted
Electronic Excitement
The new PS3 s and nationwide on November 17, but
the actual number may have
Nitendo Wii s are been as low as 125,000 due to
delays. Most York
sure to be on the production
top
stores only received anywhere
of students wish lists
from 5 to 12 systems; in fact, KMart never even received their
this holiday
expected shipment due to the
KRISTINA CALTAGIRONE
Staff Writer
While many students may
have Sony's PlayStation 3 and
the Nintendo Wii at the top of
their wish lists this holiday season, it's hard to tell how many
will actually receive either of the
two.
Sony set a goal for
400,000 PS3's to be released
CHECK OUT
THE CATTY
SHACK
COUPON TO
THE RIGHT!!!
shortage.
While the PS3 costs
approximately $600 for those
willing to wait in line, bidders
were paying well over $1,000 on
e-Bay, a well-known auctioning
website. The Nintendo Wii,
which
was
released
on
November 19, remains the less
pricey of the two, weighing in at
a mere $249.
Many people lined up
outside major retailers, such as
Circuit City and Wal-Mart days
in advance of the systems'
releases. Only a handful of
Dallastown High School students were able to play the new
consoles since their releases, let
alone own one or both of them.
One did not find Junior
Sri Talluri lined up outside a
store or placed on any waiting
lists, but sitting at home on his
computer. Talluri ordered his
PS3 on e-Bay for about $1,800.
Also included with his system
were a few games and controllers. While he anticipated
the arrival of his shipment, he
was still able to play the PS3
numerous times at Circuit City.
He states, "It's just like
when new phones come out; you
want the best one with the
coolest features. That is why
there is such a craze with these
new systems."
Jonny Allen, also a
junior, has been meaning to purchase a Wii system since its
release, but has not had "enough
time or money to buy one yet."
There truly is a high
demand for these gaming consoles, but not a large enough
supply. Especially with the holidays coming up shortly, consumers will have to work hard to
obtain a system and in return,
play even harder. Of course, followed by more work in order to
pay off their debts!
A Love of Band and Bond
THE BEACON
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
all about," he says, telling
Dallastown s ownwas
why he thinks the new movie is
one
of
the best since the origiMr. Dougert is
nals.
obsessed with
Daniel Craig, who is the new
James Bond, was another of Mr.
007.
Dougert's favorite components of
JEREMY SPRINGMAN
Staff Writer
Almost everyone has had a
certain character they have
always sought to emulate, a
paramount character that, to
them, has always been the
embodiment of "cool".
For band director Mr.
Dougert, this sensational personality has always been the
timeless character, James Bond.
"When they mention a new
bond coming out, I always like to
do a little research," he said.
It's easy to tell by his enthusiasm that Dougert considers
James Bond serious business.
Whether its books and movie
trivia, actor chronology, release
dates, or the rarity of collectable
memorabilia, Dougert knows his
Bond, and he is no apathetic
observer. He is nothing short of
a Bond connoisseur, and his
expertise is accompanied by
strong opinions about all things
Bond, especially the newest film
in the Bond saga, Casino Royale.
Dougert was obviously very
pleased with the Casino Royale
and the new actor that plays
Bond.
"James Bond is an assassin;
you gotta remember that, he's
not a nice guy. With this new
movie, they really go back to the
roots of what Fleming's Bond
the new movie. Craig was given
the nickname the "blond Bond"
by skeptical Bond fanatics who
didn't think he could live up to
the legendary Bond image, but
Dougert hails Craig as the best
Bond since his personal favorite,
Sean Connery.
Dougert also cites Casino
Royale's lessened reliance on
unbelievable gadgets to aid in
the action scenes as another of
his favorite things about the new
movie, which he says has been a
growing trend in the Bond films
for the past two decades.
Dougert's love for James
Bond has been almost literally a
life-long affair.
Starting with a father-son
trip to the movies when
Goldfinger came to the local theatre, he has been obsessed with
the Bond image since the age of
five, and says he hasn't missed a
Bond film's opening night since
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
opened in 1969.
Dougert is obviously a dedicated James Bond fan, but he
has taken his admiration for the
character a step further.
The entire basement floor of
his home is filled with an extensive array of posters, board
games, action figures, models,
watches, replicas and anything
and everything relating to
James Bond.
Oh, and what James Bond
collection would be complete
Mr. Dougert owns many collectible pieces dedicated to the
action hero. Photo Submitted
December 2006
11
BRITTON BIXBY
Staff Writer
Casino Royale
This life-size replica of is just one of the many pieces of
James Bond memoribilia that Mr. Dougert owns. Photo
Submitted
without a one to one scale bust of
Sean Connery, set atop a mannequin, dressed to kill in a tuxedo, with a pistol at the ready.
What kicked off this grand
collection was an unexpected gift
from a colleague that brought
one of his favorite child-hood
toys back into his possession.
The toy was a James Bond
doll that his friend had found at
a flea market. Dougert had
owned an identical doll as a
child, and this relic began his
search to acquire all the bond
paraphernalia he could.
The item that truly started
his collection, and the item that
he still maintains as his favorite
collectable, was a mint condition, still in the box Sean
Connery James Bond doll, just
like the one he owned as a child,
and just like the one his friend
gave him.
In the light of the attention
any newly released Bond film
receives, Dougert's labors have
not gone un-noticed or unappreciated.
His collection has made him
the subject of two separate interviews for the York Daily Record.
The most recent interview was
conducted was done a few weeks
before the release of Casino
Royale, and an article was published the day before the movie's
release.
The article mentioned several Bond fanatics from the area,
but focused most of its attention
on Dougert because of the quality and size of his collection. The
article was titled “Collection
Royale,” and can be found in the
archives at ydr.com. The website also hosts several interesting pictures of Mr. Dougert and
his collection.
James Bond logo
www. google.com
Mr. Dougert’s collection is enough to make even the most avid James Bond fan jealous. His collection includes items from
the earliest Bond movies to the most recent ones. Photo Submitted
James Bond is, and will
always be an icon.
That being said, over the
past few years, Bond became a
little too iconic, to the point that
it seemed every movie was the
same.
Thankfully, a new Bond has
come along to shatter the image
of everything you thought James
Bond was supposed to be.
In Casino Royale, Daniel
Craig makes his stellar debut as
the newest James Bond. He has
no invisible car, no jacket that
becomes a 10X10 tent with the
push of a button, no laser watches, and no space ships.
All James Bond has now is
sheer killer instinct and a
swelled head to match.
Casino Royale is a long overdue direction change for the
Bond franchise, and I anxiously
await Craig's future additions to
the Bond library.
Borat: Cultural
Learnings of America
for Make Benefit
Glorious Nation of
Kazakhstan
Even if you haven't seen
Borat: Cultural Learnings of
America for Make Benefit
Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,
you've certainly heard the
movie's name in the news nonstop over the past few weeks.
In this film, British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen travels
America posing as a reporter
filming a documentary for his
country Kazakhstan.
Baron Cohen dupes unsuspecting Americans into appearing in his "documentary" and the
Americans in the film often
appear phony, idiotic, or ethnocentric.
For that reason, Borat may
be the funniest movie I have
ever seen.
The fact that everything in
the movie is real adds another
level to the humor that couldn't
be duplicated in any other film.
12 December 2006
DALLASTOWN SPOTLIGHT
THE BEACON
CBS NEWS at DHS
JENN SCHIFANO
Features Editor
On Thursday, December 7th, a news crew from CBS arrived at Dallastown to tell the story of the
Volunteer Club and The Support the Troops Campaign.
Cameras captured students filling boxes to send overseas. this project was called “a party in a box,”
and the boxes contained everything a soldier needs to celbrate the holidays.
The boxes were sent to Mrs. Stock’s daughter, Melanie Stock, and her company which is stationed in
Afghanastan. Be sure to look for the segment on CBS, which will aire sometime in late December.
I’M
REALLY EXCITED
MRS.
MCKINNEY
THAT
IS FINALLY
GETTING HER WELL-
DESERVED AND LONG
OVERDUE RECOGNI-
“THIS
TION FOR ALL THAT
- TORRY TYLER
Mrs. McKinney, the Volunteer club
advisor, received gratitude for all
the hard work she put into the
Support the Troops Campaign. She
was moved to tears when Volunteer
Club members were interviewed.
Photo by Andrew Lyter
THIS
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-MRS. JAY SPEAKING ABOUUT
MRS. MCKINNEY
COMMUNITY
IS PROUD.
SHE DOES.”
TOGETHER AND BRING
MORE POSITIVE PRESS TO
KIDS IN GENERAL.”
- DR. FAUTH
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KATIE FISHER
“HAVING
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THE CAMERA!”
-
SARA WAGGONER