highpostonline.comMay 2013 Volume 90, Issue 10

The High PostA Publication of Greater Latrobe Senior High

National Honor Society celebrate student success

Alex Davis acesWimmer test for full scholarship for Saint Vincent College

Senior Hanna Green was recognized as YWCA High School Sports Teen of the Year. Green was an outstanding run-ner for both the indoor and outdoor track team. Throughout the past two years, she has been able to break personal and school records. She is ranked state-wide and nationally for the 400 meter dash. She will con-tinue to run throughout her college career at Vir-ginia Tech University.

The High Post2 • News

The High PostGreater Latrobe Senior High

School131 High School Road Latrobe PA

15650May 2013

Volume 90, Issue 10Editorial BoardAbbey Machesney, Patrick Repko, Katharine Stallings, Ben Vavick, Maria Yokopenic

Staff Andrew Armstrong, Jenna Baughman, Connor Belak, Nick Blake, Madeline Bucci, Jessica Buchman, Jamie Crow, Anying Guo, Anneliese Kail, Brandon Larkin, Krista Lawrence, Savanna Mitchell, Izzy Peagler, McKenzie Powell, Julianne Rosa, Jake Stallings

AdvisorsMrs. Renee Stallings

Administration Mr. LoCascioMr. KrehlikMr. Shivetts

Printed by the Latrobe Bulletin

Editorial PolicyThe staff of The High Post is committed to serving the student body of Greater Latrobe Senior High School. The opinions articles contain the ideas and views of individuals and do not represent the views of the staff, the advisors, or administration in its entirety. The High Post is a public forum for student expression; therefore, any student who wishes to create dialogue concerning an issue may do so by submitting articles or letters to editors in C109. In order to uphold the integrity of the publication, The High Post reserves the right to edit the submissions for grammar, style, and available space. Submissions should not exceed 300 words.

Cover photo by Mr. Anthony Mehalic

Senior Adam Drake donates blood to Red Cross during Greater Latrobe’s blood drive. On March 15, 2013 Greater Latrobe’s Red Cross Club held a blood drive. 70 students participated in the dona-tion of blood. Many students donated blood during the blood drive. Photo taken by Jamie Crow

Maddy Bucci, Reporter Helping someone who is in need can be as simple as donating something that people may take for granted, like our blood. On Fri-day, March 15, Latrobe’s Red Cross Club held a blood drive from 7:45 until 1:00 under the expertise of Mrs. Deb Rost, school nurse. Compared to the 130 students who signed up last year with 89 pints of usable blood collected, this year only 70 donors had the op-portunity to give blood. The blood collected at Latrobe’s blood drive is sent to Johnstown for processing and then is distributed to needy patients throughout the local area. Sometimes a student wishes to donate blood can’t for various reasons to ensure saftey to all. Beacuse of a recent tattoo, a low he-moglobin count, an illness, or being out of the country within the past year can cause alarm, a person may be turned down from giv-ing. Senior Chris Larkin was turned away when he showed up to the drive with a stuffy nose. Donating blood can be very beneficial for a donor and a recipi-ent. “Donors have the satisfaction of knowing that, at worst, they are helping someone with a distinct medical need, and at best, are saving a life,” said Mrs. Linda Kubus, advisor of the Red Cross Club. “What donors overlook is that they are sometimes saving lives.” Many students were eager to donate and to behold that satisfac-tion. “I did it last year, and I like it,” said senior David Coleman as he waited in line to donate. Senior Jacob Pawlowski donated a whole pint more than the mini-mum amount of one pint issued by the Red Cross. “I just thought it was a good idea, and I could handle it,” said Pawlowski After her donation, junior Sarah College said, “I feel great. It’s good knowing that I helped somebody out.” Junior Nikayla Payne made her first donation at Latrobe’s Blood Drive this year. “It was definitely something I’ve never done before, so it felt great to donate!” said Payne. Payne’s mother is a frequent donor to the Red Cross, and she felt like it was her place to donate as well. “I want to be able to help somebody out if they need it,” said Payne.

Red Cross Club holds a blood drive

GLSHS celebrates Pi DayAnying Guo, Reporter On Thursday, 3.1415926, the Greater Latrobe School District is celebrating Pi Day. Pi, as most high students know, is a math-ematical constant ( π ). Some overheard comments in the hallway have been, “What is Pi Day?” and “Why are we making a big deal of it?” Some would be surprised to know this self proclaimed “geek holiday” isn’t just for math fanatics. The earliest known celebration of Pi Day was in 1988 and was organized by Larry Shaw, who was a physicist. From then on, it spiraled into a holiday, with the House of Representatives passing a resolution recognizing March 14, 2009 as National Pi Day. Pi Day at Greater Latrobe is celebrated through guest speakers and annual t-shirts. Mrs. Shannon, who manages Pi Day, says that Pi Day was started before she came to Latrobe. The celebration of Pi Day originally included poster-making from students, mak-ing powerpoints about different aspects of mathematics and has evolved into a day for guest speakers to share the usage of math, student-designed t-shirt contest and of course the eating of Pi, not cake. In 2007, Mrs. Shannon received requests from students to design the Pi Day t-shirts and have the student body vote for their favorite. Voting and designing the t-shirts has become a tradi-tion for Greater Latrobe on Pi Day, with this year’s winner being Heather Fabrey. Fabrey, a talented senior artist, creatively used a popular ad for inspiration. “I was influenced by the Chick-fil-a ads, where the cow is holding a sign that says “Eat more chicken”, and that prompted my design,” said Fabrey. The design for the t- shirt is a Pi symbol that has a piece bitten out of it and is holding up a sign saying, “Eat cake!” On Pi Day, a sea of purple and green Pi Day shirts were seen throughout the school. Latrobe makes an effort to have different guest speakers each year. This year’s speakers include Mr. Dennis Gyroy, a retired teacher turned self-employed contractor; George Nagle, who works at Kennametal; Natalie Mangini, a retired nuclear chem-ist who also manages Carbone’s restaurant; and two past Latrobe graduates, Carolyn Bryson and Joe Skapura, who work for Alcoa Wheel Transportation Products and Iezzi Construction, respec-tively. “What I got out of the Pi Day speakers was the idea that there is a lot more out there for jobs that use math. You can be more than a high school math teacher. The possibilities are practically endless,” said sophomore Emma Rockwell, who was not initially interested in a career in math, but is now considering thinking about it. Junior Jessica Yasher got to listen to speakers Bryson and Nagle and learned that to succeed in business, you have to put in the extra effort and “make yourself the best by thinking outside the box.” Sophomore LaVeda Sartorisenjoyed hearing about how travel-ing and math are interrelated. She said, “I learned that you can’t compare your achievements to someone else’s standards if you want to be successful.” As students enjoyed listening to the Pi Day speakers, a few students joked about how the pie was the highlight of their day. “These speakers are here to talk about the importance of math. Some students don’t realize how much math they will be using someday in their careers,” said Shannon. Shannon knows the importance of mathematics in the world. She said, “These guests are coming in to tell the students how important it is to gain as many math skills as possible during your high school years. Math isn’t just about knowing formulas or using a calculator; math skills also involve creative thinking and problem solving,” said Shannon.

News • 3The High Post

Dr. Piraino leaves his Paw Print on GLSD as he makes new impressions at FR

Katharine Stallings, Editor-In-Chief Dr. Gennaro Piraino, Assistant Superin-tendent of Curriculum and Instruction in the Greater Latrobe School District is leav-ing his post to become the Superintendent of the Franklin Regional School District. Prior to becoming an administrator in Greater Latrobe, Piraino was a learning support teacher at Greater Latrobe’s junior high school. After teaching for five years, he became the assistant high school principal. After another five years in this position, he served as the principal of Baggaley Elemen-tary and the Director of Elementary Educa-tion before moving into his role as Assistant Superintendent. Before these great achievements, Pi-raino was a student in the Greater Latrobe School District. Through his school years, he developed a deep appreciation for the community and the district. His decision to volunteer with Special Olympics during his junior year in high school helped Piraino make his decision to become a special education teacher. “At that point in my life, my focus wasn’t academ-ics. I was intensely focused upon social and athletic aspects of school,” confesses Pi-raino. However, as a senior in high school, some of his teachers and coaches personally assisted him in attaining a greater apprecia-tion for learning and the importance of setting high personal expectations. After breaking his elbow during his senior wrestling season, Mrs. Scherer, a for-mer English teacher in Greater Latrobe, was able to inspire Dr. Piraino to begin apply-ing himself as both a student and not only an athlete. “I had a teacher who pushed me

to recognize my academic talents and capabilities,” said Piraino. Looking back on all of the personal inspirations, Piraino reflected on the mentors that he had as both a student-athlete and as a professional. Piraino both wrestled and played football throughout his high years. When asked which he preferred, Piraino said, “I loved both. However, I loved wrestling the most. It has been a passion throughout my entire life.” Being a wrestler, Coaches Tom Har-

bert and Marc Billett left impressions on his life. They pushed him to be a better person, a better student, and a better

athlete than he was the day before. In terms of football, his primary men-tor was Coach Lou Hart. According to Piraino, “He was always that guy who told me the honest truth and was all over me when I needed it, yet I always knew that he loved me and wanted the best for me. He was someone that I could talk to about anything.” When he first became a teacher and ad-ministrator at Greater Latrobe, Dr. Stavisky was the superintendent, Mr. Andrighetti was the high school principal, and Mr. Ko-zusko was the junior high school principal. Working with these successful leaders in his early years provided Piraino with great role models to provide important encour-agement and mentorship. “All three of them had monumental impacts on my early years as an educational leader,” proclaims Piraino. However, Piraino said that there are also many colleagues, board members, and community leaders who have impacted him as a leader and a person. Dr. Piraino also recognized Dr. Stavisky and Mrs. Swigart as important professional mentors. “Mrs. Swigart and Dr. Stavisky have different leadership styles, but both are very strong leaders.” Piraino recognized Stavisky for his extraordinary ability to work with the community, build personal relationships with all stakeholders, and to establish a clear vision. He cited Swigart’s ability to establish challenging goals and getting stakeholders to also own the goals and take actions that enable these plans to become a reality. Leaving Greater Latrobe was a hard decision. Piraino said, “First, you have to

understand how much I love Latrobe. I still love Latrobe and I will always love Latrobe! It was more a professional decision to ac-cept an outstanding opportunity.” Although Piraino will be moving out of Latrobe, he will always consider Latrobe as his home-town. Seventeen years at Greater Latrobe are slowly coming to an end. “In reflecting upon my career, I would characterize my experiences within this school system as an opportunity to live a personal dream,” said Piraino. Piraino is very proud of the many events and initiatives that he was able to be part of in Greater Latrobe. Upon leaving this community, he describes his emotions as grateful for his opportunities in Greater Latrobe, melancholy about leaving his alma mater, and a strong sense of optimism and excitement for the future. Becoming the superintendent at Frank-lin Regional, Piraino does not intend to stray from his core values and beliefs. Learning many things from Greater Latrobe, these experiences will continue to influence his future experiences. Piraino stated, “I will continue to focus on provid-ing students with an education that extends beyond the four walls of a classroom. Our focus will be on excellence in the three A’s, the academics, the arts, and the athletics. It is important for students to have high quality experiences in all areas. Latrobe is a progressive school system and I believe that Franklin Regional is as well.”

Mr. Porembka, Director of curriculum & learning“My new role will allow me to work with all the stu-dents and teachers in the school district.”“As a former coach in the district, I will be excited to see the completion of the Athletic/Wellness Complex behind the Senior High. As an educator, I look for-ward to seeing the classroom of the future.”

Dr. Teppert, Asst. to the Superintendent “The goal is for GLSD to have continuous growth in the student achievement levels.”“A big change is that I will be actively involved in the secondary curriculum and instruction. I will continue my personal responsibilities (Human Resources) but assume many new responsibilities involving 7-12 cur-riculum.”

As Dr. Piraino moves forward, his vision, his wisdom and

the established programs will

continue to im-pact the future

“He was always very approachable, helpful, and supportive of the pro-grams in the FACS department. I wish him the best in his new en-deavor as Superintendent!” -Mrs. Tanya Gaudino, Family & Consumer Sciences

“Dr. Piraino has served the district well. He is a Latrobe High School graduate and truly gave back to our district. He was very supportive of our staff and we wish him well at Franklin Regional. He will be missed and I am sure he will be suc-cessful in his new position. Best of Luck!”-Mr. Greg Fenton, English

“Dr. Piraino has been a strong sup-porter of mine. I would not be where I am today without his sup-port. From the days I worked with In-school suspension students to my time in the classroom he has been an invaluable guide. “-Mr. Todd Simpson, Social Stud-ies

“Dr. Piraino and I went through the Teacher Induction program to-gether our first year here at Latrobe. He always had a vision of where he wanted to go in education and we are now watching him achieve an-other one of his goals. Although it won’t be with Greater Latrobe, I know he will experience great suc-cess as a Superintendent at Franklin Regional. Dr. Piraino always treat-ed me as an equal and was nothing but supportive of me and the Busi-ness and Information Technology department. I wish him the best of luck!” -Mrs. Michele Butler, Business

Carrying the Tradition

Dr. Gennaro Piraino says his final goodbye to Mr. Patrick Murray on Friday, April 21, 2013 as his last day in the school district. Photo taken by Jessica Buchman

Compiled by Julianne Rosa, Reporter

Compiled by Katharine Stallings, Editor-in-chief

The High Post4• Features

French Speaking Students Test Skills in Quebec

22 French students visit the St. Joseph Oratory in Montreal.

On Wednesday, March 27, 22 students and chaperones left from GLSH at 6 am. Almost 12 hours later they arrived in Montreal, Canada and met a local tour guide Frederic Kirouac who shared insights like the le market de freche. Over a course of four days participants visited monumental sites such as the 350-year-old Notre Dame Basilica, Place Montréal Trust, “Le Coeur De Montréal” where the group explored the underground portion of Montréal and Canada’s Chasse Au Trésor. The group also visited sites like La Sucrerie De La Montagne, or sugar shack, the “Parc Olympique” which held the 1967 summer Olympics and the “Biodôme” which is home to 200 different species of animals. Visiting Quebec was more than just an opportunity to get out of the house during spring break. The trip wasn’t just about seeing the national landmarks of Canada or tasting the sweetness of the sugar shacks. The trip challenged students to apply classroom knowledge to successfully win a scavenger hunt. Groups had to tell directions and ask questions of the locals. Visiting the city gave students the opportunity to get the cultural experience and practice their French, without having to cross the ocean. Going only north to Montreal brought the French culture close to home with fun times, great food, wonderful experiences and memories, that are unique and everlasting.

Maria Yokopenic, Editor-In-Chief

What are your plans for spring break?

“Working, sleeping, reading, and hanging out with some friends.” Hayley Simpson, Senior

“I’ll probably be watching the NCAA tournament all week.” Ray Levay, Junior

“I’m going to try to snowboard as much as possible while the con-ditions are still good!” Josh McIntyre, Senior

“I’ll be spending my spring break in the wonderful town of Latrobe HAHAHA just kidding I’m getting the heck out of here and going to the beach and having more fun than you sorry.” Morgan Wano, Junior

What was your favorite part of Spring Break?

“Going to Buffalo Wild Wings with my friends.” -Dominique Senic, Sophomore

“Going to my Grandma’s.” -Suzy Cope, Junior

“I saw ‘The Book of Mormon’ in Pittsburgh.” -Lindsey Anna, Sophomore

“I went to the Green Day concert.” -Connor Boyle, Junior

“I asked my girlfriend to prom!” -Jake Bentley, Junior

“I went to Canada! Eh?” -Cassidee Knott, Sophomore

“I just sat at home.” -Alec Hoopes, SophomoreCompiled by Anneliese Kail, Jamie Crow, Reporters

Regan Stubbs, 11, Aaron Fish, 11, Kelsey Komisak, 11, Sara Scekeres, 12, Cassidee Knott, 10, McK-enzie Powell, 10, and Lane Loughner, 10, enjoy the Maple Sugar Farm filled with French dancing.

Stephanie Smith, Victoria Watson, Sara Scekeres, and Aaron Fish sit chilled on a hay wagon pulled by two 2000 pound Percheron horses. The wagon took the group on a tour of the sugar shacks of Montreal. The group then enjoyed a typical Québécois fare.

Photos courtesy of Madame Zalewski, McKenzie Powell, Reporter

The High Post News • 5

Jamie Crow, Reporter Paying for college can be a stressful thing for some students, but not for Alex Davis. Davis is the winner of the Wimmer Scholarship, a full scholarship to St. Vincent College worth $120,000. 200 students from varying districts were nominated by the high school principal to take the test. Five were de-clared winners, and one was Alex Davis. Davis won a full scholarship, as well as payment for his room and board. The test was a rigorous in many aspects of knowledge. “It was so ridiculous. I walked out of there thinking that I was nowhere near the top five,” said Davis. There were three sections of the test: An essay on the ‘finer things in life’, a second section devoted to eight math questions, which took almost an hour to com-plete, and a final section of ‘general knowledge’

questions which were essentially logic based ques-tions based on scientific readings. The five winners were notified by phone call before Christmas, almost like an early gift. “At first it didn’t really register,” Davis said. “I was shocked and it had to sink in.”

Davis is an excellent and intelligent student, and the scholarship isn’t the only proof. Davis’s close friend, Jacob Pawlowski, speaks very highly of him. “He definitely puts time and effort into being where he is today,” Pawlowski said. “To take that test and receive such high score. Wow.” According to Pawlowski, Davis has

worked throughout his high school career. “[He has] always been a good student, and

he’s always excelled. He always understood instantly -- it’s almost as if he has a photographic

memory,” said Pawlowski. Alex Davis’s academic achievement in winning the Wimmer Scholarship prove to Greater Latrobe that we have incredible talent in not just the arts and athletics, but academics as well.

“At first it

didn’t really register,”... “I was shocked and it had to sink in.”-Alex

Davis

Alex Davis Wins Academic Award

Jessica Buchman, Reporter “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expres-sion and knowledge” Albert Einstein once said. Teachers are remarkable, engaging, patient and committed. Five teachers from Greater Latrobe High School have been recognized through The Great Teacher Recognition Program by former students who are now attend-ing Saint Vincent College. Among those receiving awards, Mrs. Kelly Echard has taught Probability and Statistics, Trigonometry, Academic Geometry, and AP Statistics. She was se-lected by Jessica Vittone for her willing-ness to help and explain and teach. Seth Schick honored Mr. Jon Mains for his “awesome personality and mo-tivation to make him a better student.” Mr. Mains is from C’02 at Saint Vincent He has taught Academic Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Algebra IB, and Academic Algebra II at Latrobe. Mr. Robert Saveikis nominated by Rabia Uddin says that he is an “amaz-ing teacher”. He has been teaching at Latrobe for eleven years, and he is also a graduate of the C’94. Mr. Saveikis has taught Current Issues, World Cultures,

Global Studies, and AP Human Geog-raphy. Jimmy Singer nominated the English, Multimedia, and Publications teacher for “acting as an advisor throughout the years.” Mrs. Renee Stallings known for her unique and individualized style of teaching is a graduate of the C’90 of Saint Vincent College and GLSD. Mrs. Rebecca Snyder was honored by Jessica Kissel. Mrs. Snyder has been teaching at Greater Latrobe Senior High School for 15 years. She has taught Academic English, AP English Literature and Composition and Film Media. She was the former PA State Teacher of the Year. Jessica nominated Mrs. Snyder for her “inspiration and influence to major in English just like her.” “Teaching is a wonderful profession and Saint Vincent College recognizes the important role teachers play in the development of youth,” Br. Norman once said. Mr. Saveikis is proud to know that he makes a difference in the students of the future. He said, “I try to bring the truth to the real world and I never know how people will take it. It’s such an honor to be recognized as a great teacher.”

Saint Vincent College FreshmenRecognize Excellence of GLSD Teachers

Teachers

Ms. FennellMs. Hager

Mr. LoCascioMr. Mains

Mrs. MihalcoMs. Riebel

Mr. RohrbaughMr. SaveikisMr. ScaffardiMrs. SnyderMr. Snyder

Mrs. Stallings Mr. Wetzel

Freshmen 2013

Ben BissAlex Davis

Christina DoudsJack Findle

Brittany GarmanDerek HileMatt JodisEric Karnes

Josh McIntyre Lance MetsgerRon Monack

Jacob PawlolskiSteve SannerMary Yeckley

SVC Alumni & Future Graduates

6 •Sports The High Post • 7

Athlete: Hanna GreenGrade: 12Sport: Indoor TrackEvent: 400m Claim to Fame: First place at the Tri-state Champion-ships setting a new record. Second Place in her heat at the New Balance Indoor National Championships, 17th overall. Second place at the PTFCA Indoor State Championship.Players Thoughts: “No matter how well I do, I al-ways want to do better. I push myself to be the best I can be and I go into my races with confidence that if I give it all I’ve got, I will be the first one on the track to cross the finish line,” Hanna Green

Athletes: Francie Fazzini, Hanna Green, Allison LaDuke, and Gina KovacevicGrade: 12, 12, 11, and 10Sport: Indoor TrackEvent: 4x400m RelayClaim to Fame: First Place at the Tri-state Champion-ships.Players Thoughts: “I think we are all inspired by Hanna Green, and plus Marcus Smail’s pep talks are inspirational to not only the whole relay team but the whole indoor track team,” Gina Kovacevic

Athletes: Allison LaDuke, Francie Fazzini, Gina Kovacevic(alt), Maddie Mueseler, and Hanna GreenGrade: 11, 12,10, 10, and 12Event: 4x400m RelayClaim to Fame: 11th place at the Pennsylvania State Championship meet.Players Thoughts: “Our team has been successful be-cause we work hard at practice and push each other to stay motivated so we can improve,” Allison LaDuke

Athlete: Zack ZavatskyGrade: 11Sport: WrestlingWeight Class: 160 lbsClaim to Fame: Bronze medalist at the P.I.A.A. State Championships.Players Thoughts: “Keeping my focus through the years, training hard and en-joying the toughness of the sport has lead to my success,” Zack Zavatsky

Athlete: Luke PletcherGrade: 9Sport: WrestlingWeight Class: 106 lbsClaim to Fame: Gold medalist at the P.I.A.A. State Championships.Players Thoughts: “All the extra practices and lifts that I have gone through have really helped me the most,” Luke Pletcher

Athlete: Gina DeFrancescoGrade: 11Sport: Girls SwimmingEvent: 500m Free RelayClaim to Fame: Second Place at the W.P.I.A.L.S, 5th place in the P.I.A.A. State Championships.Players Thoughts: “Prac-ticing constantly and be-ing determined knowing that all the hard work pays off in the end has helped lead to my success,” Gina DeFrancesco

Athletes: Kayla Owens, Gina DeFrancesco, Maddie Hoopes, and Monica Sowinski Grade: 11, 11, 12, and 10Sport: Girls SwimmingEvents: 200m Medley Relay, 400m Free RelayClaim to Fame: Fourth place at the W.P.I.A.L.S. in the 200m Medley Relay, Second place at the W.P.I.A.L.S. in the 400m Free Relay, 4th place in the P.I.A.A. State Championships in the 200m Medley Relay and 5th place in the 400m Free Relay.Players Thoughts: “The four of us are really good friends and we realized we had the potential to be fast and good so we have really worked hard to become good,” Sopho-more Monica Sowinski

Athlete: Monica SowinskiGrade: 10Sport: Girls SwimmingEvents: 100m Free Relay, 200m Free Relay Claim to Fame: Second place at W.P.I.A.L.S. 100m and 200m Free Relay, 6th place in the P.I.A.A. State Championships in the 100m Free Relay and 9th place in the 200m Free Relay. Players Thoughts: “My team is always there to mo-tivate me and I owe a lot of my success to them,” Monica Sowinski

Athlete: Kayla OwensGrade: 11Sport: Girls Swimming Events: 100m Breaststroke, 200m IM Claim to Fame: Third Place at W.P.I.A.L.S. in the 100m Breaststroke, Second place at the W.P.I.A.L.S. in the 200m IM, 5th place in the P.I.A.A. State Cham-pionships in the 100m Breaststroke and 3rd place in the 200m IM, both a new school record. Players Thoughts: “Set-ting little goals for myself each day and setting a bigger long term goal for myself that the little goals help lead too. Keeping the long term goal in mind each day helps me push through obstacles that set me back and encourages me to get back up and try again,” Kayla Owens

Athlete: Maddie HoopesGrade: 12Sport: Girls SwimmingEvents: 100m Fly, 100m FreeClaim to Fame: 28th place in the P.I.A.A. State Championships in the 100m Fly and 13th place in the 100m Free. Players Thoughts: “The motivation of my team-mates has led to my suc-cess,” Maddie Hoopes

Greater Latrobe students leave their “pawprints” at states

Compiled by Connor Belak, Reporter

Indoor Track

Girls Swimming

Girls Swimming

Girls Swimming

Girls Swimming

Girls Swimming

WrestlingWrestling

Indoor TrackIndoor Track

Photos taken by Abbey Machesney, Editor

Photo courtesy of Allison LaDuke Photo courtesy of Allison LaDuke

The High Post8 • News

Bringing ‘Em HomeVietnam class honors those fallen with ceremony at Vietnam Wall

Thirty people of the 2013 Vietnam class accompianed by local veterans look toward the Washington Memorial from inside the Lincoln Memorial.

The Bring ‘em Home project allows the students to connect with a war that they only read about in history books or heard bits and pieces of at family gatherings. By experienc-ing the emotions through the veterans, a student gains insight into a personal survivor’s memo-ries . Mr. Wetzel “hits home” by focusing the project on sol-diers from the local area and/or graduates of Greater Latrobe. Spending weeks researching an adopted soldier, the class members found out all they could to humanize the names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, in Washington DC, which they visited on March 20, 2013. Each student etched the name of the soldier they had chosen to bring home in a personal and touching moment. Bringing the etching home was also bringing a part of the veteran home, an honor to their sacrifice for our country and their community. This experi-ence brought the class and the veterans together emotionally and physically, because of the solemn appreciation for those who served, and for those who tragically had fallen.

Andrew Armstrong, Editor An inaugural ceremony connected two generations of soldiers, at the Vietnam Memo-rial. Col. Bill Lozier, a regular and proud supporter of this trip, came along with current duty sergeants Brandan Fassl and Corrie Bigalow, and his father Vietnam naval veteran Bill Biga-low. Senior Travis Ungvar-sky led the procession carrying the wreath with Sgt. Fassl both Bigalows, and Lozier following. The class was spread out around the memorial and each student “fell-in” as the procession passed them, meeting in the middle of the wall. Sgt. Fassl voiced mili-tary drill with conviction as Bill Bigalow, gave a tearful, “Rest in peace brothers.” Mr. Wetzel called for a moment of silence, which left a sense of awe from every bystander. A trip like this brings the experience of war and its story to a personal level, not a mention in a textbook to be fol-lowed by a test. Students leave this out-of-the-classroom-expe-rience with a new insight of war, seeing the emotional long-term effects, and having an appre-ciation for history by bringing home not only an etching but the exposure of this event. The donors, sponsors,

and veterans understand the worthiness of the monetary and timely investment for the sake of posterity through the young adults.

Mr. Wetzel and his daughters take a brief moment to write a note of thanks to the fallen soliders before the ceremony at “The Wall.”

Junior Colton Govi takes advantage of the book of names provided to locate an individsual on the wall.

John Wetzel, son of Mr. Wetzel pauses to reflect on those fallen at the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

A guard paces in military precision at the Tomb of the Unknown Soliders, on a chilly March day.

Juniors Asa Ford, Alex Deglau, amd Zack Sarnese look on as they watch the ceremonial “Changing of the Guard” at the Tomb of the Unknown.

Nick Kantoris, senior etches the name of his fallen solider at the Vietnam Memorial (below), upon return the etchings are displayed on Wetzel’s Vietnam wall (above).

Photos courtesy of Andrew Armstrong, Editor

The High Post Features•9

In Junior English classes students have finished the novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Some readers admire the book and

put it in their list of favorites and others simply despise it. How do you feel about the book?

”The book was pretty good even though I don’t like reading much.”-Cody Lawrence, Junior

”I absolutely hate this book. Chris McCandless is a selfish person and what he did to his family was completely wrong. ”Ben Lauro, Junior

”I hated the book. I wish Krakauer would’ve written a book about the other three explorers, instead of Chris.”-Alex Powell, Junior

”It’s an OK book. In all seriousness, why would someone go out into the wild to only end up dead?”-Carly Lubic, Junior

”I think the book is okay. At first I thought it was stupid, but as I continued to read the book I started to realize why Chris went into the woods.”-Danielle O’Barto, Senior

”It was exciting to read, but jumped away from the story a lot. I related to Chris as well, because of my desire to be independent and to travel.”-Tristan Stape, Junior

”I think Chris’s story was a good one to tell and it has touched many people’s lives. The experiences he went through made me realize how lucky we are to have everything we do.”-Caleb DePree, Junior

”I like the book but it’s not something I’d read in my spare time.”-Nick Eller, Junior

”I liked Chris’s story but I didn’t like when Krakauer would talk about himself.”-Josh Smith, Junior

”I love this book. I think the way Chris went out on his adventure to find himself was a bold move. I think Krakauer did a really good job bringing his story to life.”-Brett Vallorani, Junior

Junior English Classes go Into the Wild

Brandon Larkin, Reporter In January of 1993 Outside Magazine published an article called “Death of an Innocent” written by Jon Krakauer, that tells of Christopher Johnson McCandless who abandoned his life as a college student at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia for a life on the road. Chris made his way to Alaska, where he entered the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley, and after four months of survival, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. Throughout the next three years, Krakauer became obsessed with McCand-less’ story. He tracked down any information on the young man and ventured along McCand-less’ path. In 1996 Krakauer had gained enough information to publish a New York Times best-seller about the man who was Chris McCandless. The academic juniors also took the journey of Chris McCandless through the study of this literary non-ficiton. Into the Wild is a detailed expansion on the 9,000 word article Krakauer wrote, as 9,000 words just simply was not enough for the anomaly that was McCandless’ life. The book includes the stories and perspectives of many people McCandless impacted on his odyssey and tales of men who came before Chris that share his adventuring spirit, so the junior readers were able to take a peek into the mind of Chris Mc-Candless. Academic English III teachers use Mc-Candless as a modern example of the transcen-dentalism ideology of Thoreau and Emerson. McCandless followed Thoreau’s work “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience” and considered it his moral responsibility to go against the laws of the government; burning all of his money and his social security card, breaking several laws (hitchhiking, trespassing, etc.), and doing exactly what he wanted, when he wanted. Students came to an understanding of Thoreau through the story of McCandless. McCandless very much captivated by Leo Tolstoy , admiring how he had forsaken his life of riches and privilege for one among the poor and needy people of the world. As the juniors experienced ITW, they also undersstood the beliefs of the writers of the past. Krakauer received hundreds of letters writ-ten about Chris. What Krakauer described as, “not a few of the letters heaped opprobrium on McCandless-and on me, as well, the author of the story, for glorifying what some thought was a

foolish, pointless death.” (70). One of the letters read, “Entering the wilderness purposefully ill-prepared, and surviving a near-death experience does not make you a better human, it makes you damn lucky.” (71). Some of the students under-stood the perspective of readers. “I didn’t like the person Chris was or how he behaved” and “Although I like Krakauer’s methods of organiz-ing the novel, the story of Chris McCandless was pointless.” These were anonymous overheard comments. Some teens tend to understand McCandless’s attempt to escape. Others fail to understand that the story is not just simply about a kid who ended up dead because of his reckless decisions; it is an example of a transcendentalist’s beliefs who gave anything, even his life, to reach his desires of spiritual enlightenment throughout his existence, which is a goal which most people strive to achieve. The students of the junior class have done many different things to attempt to get into the mind of Chris McCandless. Simple things like the socratic seminar, in which a group of stu-dents discuss a particular aspect of the novel or even more in depth projects like a prezi presen-tation, where the students must createa multi-media presentation that investigates meaning of an epigraph, the main idea of the chapter, a summary of a chapter, and actual journal entries or other sources. Many students have used these projects to learn more about Chris and to become just a little bit more transcendentalist.

Mrs. Butler

Accounting I, Account-ing II, Entrepreneurship,

Latrobean Layout II, Buisness essentials

5 bonus points on test, quiz, or deadline

expires: May 10 One coupon per person and must present cou-pon with test, quiz, or

deadline.

Junior Johnny Saunders flips through his novel to answer a question during a socratic seminar. The philosopher, Socrates, believes that discussion is the highest level of thinking.

Mrs. Stallings

Academic English III Multimedia Journalism I Multimedia Journalism II

5 bonus points on test, quiz, or deadline

expires: May 10 One coupon per person and must present cou-pon with test, quiz, or

deadline.

The High Post10• News

Anneliese Kail, Reporter An incentive for getting good grades means than just mak-ing an impressive report card. Stu-dents who are serious about school-ing and grades can be inducted into the National Honor Society, sponsored by Mrs. Pompelia. She has been in charge of the entire NHS program for the past thirteen years. The program includes those who demonstrate excellence in character, scholarship, leadership, and service. The NHS is a league of determined students who are able to maintain a 3.70 or higher cumu-lative grade point average through the first and second quarter of the junior or senior year. Students who have been recognized as having done this, fill out a form and are reviewed by the faculty, which is then checked over by the NHS Faculty Council. After the student is cleared, they are inducted into the league in a spring ceremony. 75 students were inducted this year making a total of 142 students ovewrall. Once students have been inducted they are expected to acquire at least 20 service hours through participation in various ac-tivities that uphold the standards of character, scholarship, leadership, and service. A few of these activi-ties include tutoring students in the senior or junior high during study halls or after school on Wednesdays at the elementary schools through the Study Buddy program. Mem-bers can also volunteer at the food bank, and hold a food drive, to collect food that will be donated. In the past NHS has raised funds for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti and also collected toys for children who wouldn’t have any-thing for Christmas. The latter was particularly enjoyable for senior NHS member, Bryce Kramer. “ My favorite project was when we helped raise money and donate gifts for two little kids to give them a full Christmas.” said Kramer. “We have a lot of service opportu-nities that can actually be kind of fun to get involved with, and get to know other students, and just to be leader within this school,” Mrs. Pompelia stated.

Aside from the tutoring, fund raising, and drives, there are plenty of chances to get in a few service hours. Students can also participate in helping out at the elementary school Quiz Bowl, working at Overly’s, or volunteer work in the community. Another activity that NHS members partake in for the last 30 years is the annual spring field trip. Recently, the students have been going to Chicago. The Chicago trip included going to a Bull’s game, various restaurants and other tour-ist based places. Newly inducted junior, Emily Echard, poised to become the secretary next year was very happy at the opportunity. “I am honored to be a part of the Na-tional Honor Society,” she said, also adding, “I am grateful to be the secretary of this prestigious group.” Echard had nothing but good things to say about the induction ceremony itself saying it was well organized which made the experi-ence extra special and she enjoyed the fact that the officers were in-stalled during the actual ceremony. “I don’t think that any other group in the high school makes getting a position that special where it is shared with family, friends, and faculty members,” she stated. The league is designed to help out with more than just a student’s resume. “We’ve certainly had students that just join to put it on their resume,” Mrs. Pompelia admitted.“I like to think of it as just more of an opportunity by being a member, not as a resume builder,” she added. Bryce Kramer believes that he benefits from NHS, “You get a lot more com-munity involvement and you get to help people out.” he said. While acknowledging that the program looks nice on an application, Mrs. Pompelia said she hopes the stu-dents will take away the satisfaction of helping others more than the desire to look good on a piece of paper. “To me it’s an opportunity for students to be encouraged to develop those qualities that they have of leadership and service,” Mrs. Pompelia concluded.

NHS includes grades and community service

Ask her to Prom, in a unique way

Fallon Morella

Maggie Baugh

Nikayla Payne

On March 15, 2013 Latrobe and Derry competed in the Dunkin’ for the Dominican charity event, held at Latrobe highschool . For the third year in a row the two schools chose a charity to support. This year, the Dominican Republic and their need for clean drinking water became the focus. At the event, the cheerleaders and the basketball players switched roles. The event raised $3,054.47 through 50/50 tickets, concession stand items and a bas-ket auction , for the purchase of sand filters. +

Dresses, tuxedoes, hair and make up, photos and dancing, Prom season is here. Prom is a way for guys to show their creative side and sweep them of their feet by asking them to the dance in the cutest ways possible.

Krista Lawrence

The High Post Paw Prints•11

Paw PrintsKatie BrinkerSeniorWhen I was 10, I wanted to be: Nurse

The song/group that always gets me on the

dance

floor is: Baby Got Back

People would be surprised to know that: My

boyfriend is one of my best friends

My quirkiest inherited trait is: My ex-tremely curly hair

My favorite thing about Latrobe is: Jessica

Buchman and Maggie Kisick

My passion is: Living a fun-filled life

I’m deathly afraid of: Snakes, Clowns and

Death

My celebrity crush is: Ryan Guz-man

In 5 years I would like to: Start a family

My most embarrassing junk food is: Doritos

My favorite quote is: “Shoot for the moon,

even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.”

My number one thing on my bucket list

is: Climb the Sydney Harbour bridge

Greater Latrobe High SchoolMarissa Miller JuniorWhen I was 10, I wanted to be: Ortho-pedic Surgeon.

The song/group that always gets me on the dance floor is: Kerli

People would be surprised to know that: I’m

into fashion.

My quirkiest inherited trait is: I put things in

a “safe” place, and then forget where the safe place is. (Runs in women)

My favorite thing about Latrobe is: The people.

My passion is: Music.

I’m deathly afraid of: Spiders

My celebrity crush is: Uhm..In 5 years I would like to: A college degree in fashion.

My most embarrassing junk food is: Cream cheese and bologna. (Try it, it’s pretty good!)

My favorite quote is: “We need a ladder

touch the stars.” -Taryn Bleckley

My number one thing on my bucket list is: To go to Ocean City.

Drew HannaSeniorWhen I was 10, I wanted to be: Aero-space engineer

The song/group that always gets me on the dance floor is: Macklemore

People would be surprised to know that: I like peanut butter, jelly, and cheese sandwiches.

My quirkiest inherited trait is: Things I find funny.

My favorite thing about Latrobe is: The history.

My passion is: Snowboarding

I’m deathly afraid of: Iguanas.

My celebrity crush is: Faith Hill

In 5 years I would like to: Be graduated col-lege with a job.

My most embarrassing junk food is: Fig-newtons

My favorite quote is: “Don’t let them get your goat.”My number one thing on my bucket list is: Go to Australia

Andrew VoloshinSeniorWhen I was 10, I wanted to be: Eleven.

The song/group that always gets me on the dance floor is: “I wrote this by Patrick Star”

People would be surprised to know that: I have

a nest.

My quirkiest inherited trait is: I’m a raptor.

My favorite thing about Latrobe is: Still look-ing.

My passion is: Calling it a day.I’m deathly afraid of: Dan Clark’s driving.

My celebrity crush is: Taylor Swift

In 5 years I would like to: Set up Meadway with a nest of his own.

My most embarrassing junk food is: Junk food is never embarrassing.

My favorite quote is: “Wumbo! You

know, I wumbo, you wumbo, he she me wumbo, womboed, wumboing, wumbology.

The study of first grade Sponge Bob!” -Patrick Star

My number one thing on my bucket list is: To go to Ocean City.

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” - Norman Vincent Peale