R&W OCT09

First News

2 R&W October 2009

JUNIOR SCHOLARS EARN SEMIFINAL STATUS Even though juniors Julia Davis and Alex Bankes earned National Merit Semi-Finalist Scholar Awards with PSAT scores firmly in the national 99 percentile, their work is not finished. Now, their SAT scores, school activities and letters of recommendation will determine if they reach Finalist status. Both students will be notified if they have earned the coveted scholarship level sometime in March 2010. They are two of only 16,000 students who took the PSAT/NMSQT in October of their junior year and have qualified for the top honor. Bankes speaks for both seniors when she says, “I am honored to receive such recognition and to represent BHS at this level.” According to principal Daniel Bomono, the last BHS student to earn Semi-Finalist status was three years ago.

by seth loff

PUBLICATIONS EARN MULTIPLE HONORS Although the R&W earned its 19th Gold Award from the PA School Press Association in the past twenty-one years, adviser Sam Bidleman was just as satisfied with the Silver Award earned by the school’s art and literary magazine Prometheus. “Our student editors put out our best effort in years,” says Bidleman. “The judges complimented us on our writing and art, but having so few contributors kept us out of the gold rating.” Several 2008-2009 journalists won individual awards for their writing, design and photography. Gold Award winners and the number of recognized entries include: former editor in chief Alane Presswood (2), Julia Davis (2), Hillary Drumheller (2), Briana Yablonski (1), Adam Roberts (1), Matthew Sokoloski (1), Michael Koch (1) and Courtney Sabo (7). Sabo’s seven Gold Awards are the most ever earned in one year by a BHS journalist. Silver Award winners include: Courtney Sabo (3), Meghan Ashford (2), Morgan Lee (2), Luke Klingler (2), Andrea Fronsman (1), Richard Rhodes (1), Anthony Sainclair (1), Antonia Hunsinger (1), Maggie Bauman (1), Aaron Diehl (1) and Hillary Drumheller (1). Last year’s staff members also earned four PA Newspaper Association Keystone Awards for excellence in writing and design, were chosen to present at the PSPA state convention and were selected to interview state governor Edward Rendell. Staff photographer Aubryanne Wadena was selected to participate in the EnVision summer photography program at Western Kentucky University. Wadena was chosen from thousands of national candidates for the one week scholarship which included daily workshops, extensive photography assignments and critiques and hands-on experiences with Nikon digital cameras and lenses. “We had a great year,” admits Bidleman, “but this year’s staffs are also expecting the best.” Last year’s editors were Alane Presswood (R&W) and Megan Smith, Richard Rhodes, Shyanne Shaffer, Casey Ward, Josh George, Cheyenne Halye, Jessica Lane and Briana Sienkiewicz (Prometheus).

by seth loff

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY GOES GREEN National Honor Society (NHS) president Julia Davis planned a year’s worth of events around a Go Green theme. Members will participate in various activities that involve the community while helping out the environment at the same time. One specific activity is the Ecolympics in which each Junior Honor Society member will team up with four or five

by seth loff

Seniors Julia Davis and Alex Bankes await the results of the National Honor Scholarship Award.

others to participate in various activities that are specifically designed to help the environment. The theme will also be applied in the annual Super Saturday program scheduled for January and February. At the end of the year, first year adviser Rachel Molette will judge the projects and the team deemed the most creative will receive the “Green Medal.”

8Statistics

novels will be read by each member of Book Club this year.

AROUND THE SCHOOLClass of 2011Junior Class officers and their committee are planning their float for the Homecoming Parade this Saturday. Class of 2012 Sophomore Class officers can sign up for re-elections between October 19 and 22. October 22 is election day. Drama Club Director Timothy Latsha announced that The Sound of Music has been selected as this year’s musical production. Tryouts will be held on November 3. ForensicsVeteran members are working with new members, explaining the nature of debate and covering the basics of each format used in the upcoming competitions.

Student CouncilOfficers and members planned Homecoming Week as so: •Monday - Twin Day •Tuesday - Team Unity/Costume Day •Wednesday - Tie-Dye Day •Thursday - Rent-a-Senior Day •Friday - Spirit Day, king and queen crowning at the football game •Saturday - Parade, dance

by seth loff

Photos by Morgan Lee

2010 Homecoming Court members include: Charles Frankllin, Julie Carpenter, Matt Tombasco, Jared Sosnoski, Carlyn Ball, Jack Breisch, Rachael Wardrop, Alex Davis, Alexis Knorr, Mason Aungst, April LaBelle, Jocelyn Schultz, Nika Ceretta and Brett Rhone.

Vaccine Proves Effective

3

After a preview this past spring, the H1N1 (swine) flu has returned this fall, and school districts across the country are taking steps to prevent its spread. H1N1 is

a respiratory disease caused by the type-A influenza virus that commonly infected pigs and rarely infected humans. Pennsylvania has had about 2,000 confirmed cases; however, only a few deaths due to H1N1 have been reported. In the past month, more than 75 BHS students have been out of school with flu-like symptoms that potentially could be caused by the H1N1 strain. Many students thought with so many people at the Bloomsburg Fair, the spread of the flu would worsen. Some, however, believe that the week off was beneficial. “I hope it got better and gave a chance for the custodians to get the school cleaned and disinfected and gave kids who are fighting something off a chance to get better over the break,” says Amy Weaver, health room faculty member.

PREVENTION IS THE BEST DEFENSE Prevention is key to fighting the virus. Simple everyday steps to prevent the spread of influenza include not touching your eyes, nose or mouth and avoiding contact with anyone who is sick.

Geisinger doctor Joseph Weader suggests covering coughs and sneezes with the elbow instead of covering with the hands. Proper handwashing also is key.“There aren’t going to be hand sanitizers in BHS hallways for a lot of reasons; one is if you wash your hands properly, it is unnesessary at this time,” says assistant principal Stephen Bressi.

STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK Although prevention is important, it is not always possible. When a student’s temperature is more than 100 degrees, he or she must be sent home for at least 24 hours. Because H1N1’s symptoms are almost exactly like the symptoms of the common seasonal flu, doctors will test a patient for the particular strain and prescribe antiviral medications. Vaccines, which will be avaliable this month, could help prevent students from contracting the virus, and there are sites to register for the H1N1 vaccine. “Vaccines now are coming in one shot instead of three, and it works as effectively as the three,” says Weader. However, the H1N1 vaccine will not work against regular seasonal flus.

With close interactions and crowded classrooms, the H1N1 flu is causing a commotion among both students and faculty.by cara mensinger

“No because I don’t think swine flu is as bad as the normal flu, anyway.”

Stefan Szilagyi(10)

“I have mixed feelings about it. I don’t want to get it, but at the same time, I’m not overreacting about it.”

Katherine Knorr(11)

“I’m not really worried about it because I have other things to worry about in my life.”

Diane Cruz(11)

Are

you

conc

erne

d ab

out

H1N1

(sw

ine)

flu?

colle

cted

by

cara

men

sing

er

PREVENTION IS KEY, MEDICAL EXPERTS SAY

ADDING UP THENUMBERS

44,555The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States continues to rise.

779At this time, the number of deaths caused by swine flu remains low compared to confirmed cases.

6,222Wisconsin has the most confirmed cases in the United States.

26.7%The probability of contracting the swine flu is expressed with percentages. People from ages 5 to 24 have the highest percentage, which means they are at greater risk.

Statistics as of 10.5.09

Photos by Cara Mensinger, illustration by Courtney Sabo

collected by morgan lee, features editor

[]

Troubling Times

4 R&W October 2009

WHERE IS THE STATE BUDGET?

WHO

IT’S

AFF

ECTI

NG

Teachers State troopers Men & womenWithout a state budget, teachers in certain school districts are at risk of not being paid.

Many state policemen go to work every day and come home with a paycheck to support their family.

Men and women across PA who are funded by the state are cutting back on their spending and trying to earn extra money to support themselves and their families. co

llected

by

hilla

ry d

rumhe

ller, n

ews ed

itor

5

While officials of the state house recently passed legalization of table games for the state’s casinos, teachers, state employees and their families are feeling the consequences of another action by

the state government. Already, state employees including some teachers are not being paid due to the lack of a state agreement that made PA the last in the nation to finalize its 2009-2010 budget. Thankfully, we are under a condition right now that teachers in our district don’t have to worry about not receiving their salary at this time, according to school district business manager Michael Upton. He adds, “The school budget itself is not affecting the school district. We have tax revenue coming in, so we were able to buy all the supplies, to provide all the transportation and to pay all the salaries.”

DISTRICT WATCHING THE BOTTOM LINE Even with a million dollars of debt from the high school and elementary school renovations, it has not affected regular school expenses. “Currently, nothing has been deleted [from the school budget requests]. We’re monitoring costs, and things have been delayed, but they were not essential items,” says Upton. Not everyone is as lucky or as well-prepared. Dr. Wanda Mandell, Danville State Hospital psychologist and mother of sophomore Cassandra Mandell, did not receive a paycheck for six weeks, and her personal crisis was also shared by her

employer. “Discharges are slowed down because case workers don’t have money for gas to visit the patients and help get them ready. Once the [state] budget passes, these issues should be resolved,” says Mandell. By law, the state and districts were required to have their budgets passed by June 30 of this past summer. “We met our requirement, and they didn’t meet theirs. We can be penalized for not meeting ours,” says Upton, who feels strongly about how the state budget is being handled at this time.

WHY IS THE BUDGET AGREEMENT SO LATE? So, what is the holdup? Governor Ed Rendell’s Chief of Staff Todd Roup points out that many factors came together to make the 2009 budget particularly complicated. “It is always more difficult to pass a budget in a recession,” says Roup. “We started with a three billion dollar deficit and had to cut spending even further to meet revenue projections, which are flat for the foreseeable future. We did not want to raise the income tax or the sales tax in a recession. Budgets are much easier to pass when there are sufficient revenues and programs can be fully funded.” For now, the state house, the senate and the governor’s office remain in a three-way stalemate that won’t bring relief any time soon. Financial experts estimate that once the state does pass a budget, it may be months before the approved cash makes its way to school districts and other state agencies. Everyone hopes that will not be too late.

As of today, October 12, 2009, the state budget has officially been overdue 104 days, a milestone that has long ago moved the state’s residents from talk to discussion to outrage.

“They’re handling it very poorly because it’s late.”

Blake Rankin(10)

by lauren ball

“I think it’s unfortunate that they couldn’t get their job done.”

Rachel Mollette(French teacher)

“I don’t even know anything about the state budget.”

Nathan Reibsome(11)

“I think they are playing politics, and it seems to me that it’s the Republicans vs. the Democrats. It has become a financial expense of the people.”

Don Traugh(POD and Economics teacher)

What are your reactions to how the government is handling the state budget?collected by lauren ball

Hunters Government workers Businessmen StudentsThe state government could pass a budget that includes new regulations on hunting laws.

Government officials go to work every day under pressure to try and produce a state budget.

Many businessmen may not be able to have as many sales when state funded families are not receiving a paycheck.

Students may not have the same specialties, and their schools may be affected.

Illustrations provided by Cody Mead, photos by Andrea Fronsman

[]

Delightful Harmony

6 R&W October 2009

Senior Matthew Day began his musical career on the drums, but in the sixth grade switched to the bassoon, a more unique instrument that plays either bass or tenor registers. He continues to play because of the friendships made by performing, and he plays for the school band as well as the District Band and Regional Orchestra.

Every Monday evening, junior Rachel Boy plays her double bass with the Bloomsburg University Orchestra. She practices for three hours with the rest of the high level instrumentalists. Her interest in double bass began in the sixth grade when she joined her school’s orchestra in North Carolina. “It makes me feel important,” says Boy, who plans to continue playing through the rest of her high school years.

Cody Mead takes a quick break from playing the pipe organ at Bloomsburg First Presbyterian Church. Sophomore Cody Mead has been playing the pipe organ since he was thirteen and is now one of the featured organists at Bloomsburg First Presbyterian Church. After only two years, Mead has reached the level needed to play the Aolian-Skinner in

Boston, the ninth largest organ in the world. Mead’s interest for the pipe organ dates back to his childhood. “When I was little, the only church I ever went to had an electric organ,” says Mead. “The only place I’d ever seen a real pipe organ was in an animated Halloween movie; I thought pipe organs were fake.” However, during a trip to his grandparents’ church, Mead realized how naive his conclusion really was. Once Mead heard the sounds of a pipe organ, he knew he wanted to play this enormous instrument. Before taking the next step, Mead needed an instructor. Bloomsburg First Presbyterian Church organist Harry Martenas gladly took him under his wing, a time when progress came easy to Mead. “He’s been almost exclusively self-taught. I throw him a hint every once and a while,” says Martenas. “He’s made remarkable progress.”

MEAD HAS THE NEED TO SUCCEED This development of skill is the result of Mead’s discipline. “I usually practice two or three hours on Wednesday and anywhere from two to four hours on Sunday at the church, then at least 45 minutes on my keyboard at home every day,” says Mead. This may seem extensive, but Mead explains, “When playing, I pretty much lose track of time. My internal clock shuts down because I get so into it.” Mead is aware of the way his music impacts an audience. “My favorite part about playing is when somebody hears me playing who hasn’t heard me before, and I can sort of knock their socks off and make it enjoyable for them.”

WHAT’S NEXT? Although still young, Mead is already planning his future. After high school, he hopes to attend college at the West Minster Choir College and study organ performances in liturgical music. This will aid his ultimate goal of establishing a career playing the pipe organ at St. Mary the Virgin in New York City or the Church of the Advent in Boston. With all this development in only two years, the future for Mead looks bright, and his career in playing the pipe organ remains promising.

A deep monotonous note echoes through the church, quickly followed by hundreds of others, all shaping a beautiful melody. by adam naessig

INST

RUM

ENT

INTE

REST

Sby

mor

gan

lee, fea

ture

s ed

itor

Matthew Day poses with his bassoon in front of a banner awarded to the band at the Atlantic Coast Championships in 2003. The band room is where Day has spent first period every day since his he was a freshman.

Rachel Boy holds her double bass and bow in her living room.

Organist Cody Mead is not the only student who plays an uncommon instrument.

BRINGINGLIFE TO

HIS MUSIC

Photos by Morgan Lee

[]

Perfect Production

7

Killer Soundennifer Ralston worked as the Supervising Automated Dialog Replacement (ADR) Editor for the HBO hit mini-series Generation Kill. As ADR Editor, Ralston worked with the actors’ voices. “My job was to listen to each actor’s

performance and gauge whether or not it would sit in the final mix with all the other sounds and be believable by sounding like it happened on location.”

EARLY INTERESTS IN MOVIES Ralston knew she wanted to work with movies when her mother took her to see Star Wars when she was just six years old at what was previously the Capitol Theater on Main Street. “At first, it was the visual fix; I was drawn to spaceships and monster makeup. As I got older, I became interested in writing and making movies,” says Ralston. While attending BHS, Ralston’s theatrical interests continued, and her creativity separated herself from other students. “She was uniquely funny and creative,” says Ralston’s teacher and tennis coach Sam Bidleman. He remembers when Ralston turned a split tennis ball into a talking mascot for the team. Ralston’s imaginative differences were also apparent when she decided to intern at WHLM during her junior year. After high school, she continued working with sound while she attended New York University Film School majoring in Film/TV/Radio Production. Since college, she has worked on over sixty movies and shows, which led her to Generation Kill, her most recent and successful production. “It feels really good to be recognized, especially in a field which doesn’t get recognition every day,” says Ralston.

EMMY NOMINATION After spending months traveling between Los Angeles, New York City and South Africa for Generation Kill, Ralston found out she was nominated for an Emmy along with eleven of her

co-workers. “Most days aren’t that exciting,” Ralston says of receiving the nomination. However, at the awards ceremony, that moment was topped. “Standing on the Nokia Stage in front of a crowd of about 4,000 people was surreal. It was uncomfortable, fun, entertaining, and awkward all at the same time,” says Ralston of the ceremony. “The Governor’s Ball afterward was the most well-planned event I ever attended.” Ralston hopes to be back on that stage receiving a second statue for her next HBO project Treme, a show about New Orleans and the afterlife of Hurricane Katrina.

by brittany karpinski

Although Bloomsburg seems far away from the neon glow of Hollywood, one 1989 BHS graduate knows how it feels to be in the spotlight, and her talent is as golden as her recently won Emmy.

BHS graduate Jennifer Ralston relaxes with her Emmy Award during a visit at her mother’s home in Carroll Park. Ralston will soon be back to work with a new HBO project set in New Orleans.

The Emmy statuette was selected in 1948 from a design suggested by television engineer Louis McManus. The statuette of a winged woman holding an atom has since become the symbol of the Television Academy’s goal of supporting and uplifting the arts and science of television: The wings represent the muse of art; the atom the electron of science. Each statuette weighs in at four and three-quarter pounds and is made of copper, nickel, silver and gold. Each one takes five and one-half hours to make and is handled with white gloves so fingerprints are not left behind.

Photo by Andrea Fronsman

7

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J

Lending a Helping Hand

8 R&W October 2009

The Keller Family is financially sponsoring this young boy named David.

Nate Keller is lifted by a Rwandan girl during a schoolyard game.

Freshman Talia Sainclair gives a ride to Rwandan Belise during this past summer’s mission trip to Rwanda.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

The Republic of Rwanda in east-central Africa

is bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. It is commonly called “The Land of a Thousand Hills.” Rwanda is also one of only three

countries in the world where endangered

mountain gorillas live.

9

Can a country, haunted by ghosts of genocide not a quarter of a century old, rise from the ashes of hatred and restore prosperity? Yes, say some students.by meghan ashford

Sarah and Johnny are two children living at the Urukundo Home for Children.Nate Keller is lifted by a Rwandan girl during a schoolyard game. Mission group member Neil plays a card game with residents of the children’s home.

In April, May and June 1994, a genocide stained Rwanda with the blood of an estimated 800,000 mostly Tutsi citizens. The spark that ignited the killings was a controversy between the Tutsi and ruling Hutu

party. Now, fifteen years later, some citizens of Rwanda are reassembling the shattered pieces of their once hostile yet stable lifestyle with aid from America. After a first trip to Rwanda in March 2008 accompanied by his son and freshman Nate, Ed Keller knew he had stumbled upon something great, possibly something that would not only rebuild what he saw as the absence of gratitude in the mentalities of Americans but also rebuild a nation. While there, the pair met countless people, all of whom were extremely content with their lifestyles – lifestyles that would not have a place in American society. “It’s amazing because the people are so happy with what they have, which isn’t a lot. You would think they would not have a reason to wake up in the morning,” says Nate.

SPREADING THE WORD Upon returning to the U.S., the Kellers convinced some community members of the importance of their work in Rwanda. “I knew Nate and his Dad went, and I wanted to go. Nate’s dad talked to my mom about it on the eighth grade field trip,” comments friend and fellow missionary Talia Sainclair. Lisa and Nicholas Keller, freshman Michaela Martz and Sainclair joined the veterans as they flew back to Africa in June 2009. The travelers arrived at the Urukundo Home for Children,

a family-like housing complex made up of boys’ and girls’ homes and a guest house, where the group stayed.

REASON FOR THE MISSION The main goal of the trip was to interact with people. Waking at about 5:45 a.m., their day-to-day responsibilities included feeding the babies, walking the children to school, helping to build a wall that separated a soccer field from traffic and basically getting to know people who may be distant geographically but are very close emotionally. Some days, the team was without running water. They had to wait four days before showering and had to forgo the use of makeup and hair products, which are banned in Rwanda. While these challenges presented some difficulty, the trip dug deeper than the surface. “The kids didn’t care that that you weren’t wearing makeup or that your clothes were from Sal Val; they just wanted to be with you,” Sainclair reveals. Seeing “Muzunga” or a “white man” in Kinyarwandan, the native language of Rwanda, is a blessing, so when Americans came to Urukundo, the people there shed tears of joy. “When you see an American in Rwanda, it means hope,” explains Ed. And when the group left, everyone wept together. “It felt like I was leaving my own children,” Lisa claims. The students involved were also profoundly moved by their experience. As Sainclair puts it,”[The trip was] probably the best thing that ever happened to me.”

BY THE NUMBERS

Population

Life expectancy

GDPper capita

Annual-crop land fraction

Total fertality

rate

Country

Flag

U.S. Rwanda

9.72 millionpeople

306 millionpeople

50.5 years78.1 years

5.25 children per female

2.05 children per female

$234.32per year

$41,770per year

45.56%18.01%

collected by gavin pellitteri

[]

Photos provided by Talia Sainclair, cover illustration by Briana Yablonski

Player CoachAll State Experiences

10 R&W October 2009

Former All-State center midfielder and current high school English teacher Michael McGarry has already brought back an old school attitude that includes intense practices, runs up the three blocks

of Spruce Street, and a game day attitude that focuses on winning. But the job will not be easy for McGarry, who assisted former coach Rich Shannon for four years but who admits that lack of experience is something on his mind. “Being young, I don’t have a background of coaching to draw from, so I have to draw from my own experience playing,” says McGarry, who led his high school team in assists his sophomore through senior year and led King’s college in assists for two seasons. However, experience is not everything. Athletic Director Bill Perkins knows that McGarry has potential. “He’s going to have his growing pains just like all young coaches. The thing that has helped him was that he was under Rich Shannon, who was pretty good, and he played for Bernie Wolfe, who was a teacher here, and he was pretty good [as a player]. All of those experiences should help him become pretty good [as a coach].” McGarry has already made an impact with his players. “I love playing for coach,” says senior striker Nate Long. “He’s really stern and strict, but he gets the job done for the team.”

FEELING THE PRESSURE But if McGarry has been successful in one area, the challenge of taking over a high caliber program, one that hasn’t known defeat for some time, certainly hangs over McGarry. “There’s certainly that pressure of tradition. I certainly felt it as a player then, having my coach saying, ‘We’ve never had a losing season, and you’re not going to be the first,’” says McGarry. “Now it’s my turn to be the one telling the players, ‘You know guys, we’ve never had a losing season.’” Perkins knows McGarry will rise to the occasion, but he senses the real pressure is on another group. “It all depends on the players, whether they want to do it, and that’s a lot of hard work and sweat and doing the things necessary to getting any sport to that level,” says Perkins. Every coach wants to have a good impact on their program, and McGarry is no different. “Maintaining tradition is important, but doing things my own way, bringing a different look to the program, a different attitude to the program is part of my goal.” At the very least, the newest varsity coach wants to “instill in the guys that soccer is just a game,” a lesson that will stick with them long after their playing days.

The boys’ soccer program has set a lofty standard of excellence, and the newest varsity coach wants to continue what he started as a player.by casey ward

Sketching his team’s future

McGarry’s StatsHigh School1999 All-State1998-2000 Led team in assists1998-2000 First Team All Star

CollegePlayed for Kings College 2003-20042003 and 2004 led team in assists with 7 both years2003 totals: 4 goals 7 assists 15 points 2004 totals: 4 goals 7 assists 15 points2003 and 2004 MAC All Star team 2003 and 2004 MAC All-Academic Team

Photo illustration by Morgan Lee

[]

newWhy So Many?

11

team memberson just eight different teams

Coaches are ecstatic. “I always like to have more players. I don’t believe you can have too many,” says girls soccer coach Doug VanBrunt, who went from dressing just 17 players last year to this year’s squad

of 22. The girls soccer team isn’t the only one feeling the boom of more athletes. This year, the football team has more players than ever in the past eight years under head coach Larry Sones. “Numbers are up about ten more kids than the average numbers in last five years or so,” says Sones. Freshmen aren’t the only ones contributing to the increase. Boys soccer coach Michael McGarry states, “You get to your junior or senior year, and you almost want to be more involved and leave your own mark.” Athletes from a growing middle school program want

With a freshmen class of 145 students, a slew of upperclassmen and recent athletic successes, Bloomsburg coaches aren’t having a problem suiting up athletes. In just the fall season, eighty-eight new members have come out hoping to be a part of a winning program.by tyler lunger

to continue their success in high school. “We had a strong junior high program for a few years now,” says cross country coach Robert Coy, who sees that as another part in the increase in numbers.

WINNING, A MAJOR MOTIVATOR Some believe the recent success of Bloomsburg athletics also plays a roll in the increase in numbers. “Success breeds success,” says Coy. However, Sones feels potential athletes need more than just the desire to be a part of success; they need to have the drive and work ethic. These larger numbers allow more intense practices. More players strive to break into the starting line-up makes starters work harder to maintain their spots. “Internal competition, as long as it’s healthy, is a good thing,” says Coy.

McGarry is always looking for players who hustl. He doesn’t allow walking on the field. “It’s nice having the numbers to back up threats of benching players,” says McGarry. Along with players pushing each other, larger amounts of players let teams do more drills, scrimmages and set up game situations. Depth is always nice to have on a team, but injuries affect all teams at some time or another. Coaches rarely complain about depth. McGarry simply says, “Injures and sickness always effect teams. More players, more options.” The only question remaining is whether or not the larger number of participants will result in increased playoff appearances and postseason honors.

BY THE NUMBERSBoys Soccer

Field HockeyCross Country

Girls SoccerFootball

GolfGirls Tennis

24

2512

1743

1013

25

3522

2246

821

Roster sizes by year

Cheerleading 11 11

2008 2009

With an increase of ten BHS runners and large numbers in other high school programs, the beginning of a cross country race has become a sprint as runners jockey for the best position going into the narrow first turn on the Bloomsburg University course.

Photo by April LaBelle

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Motivation

12 R&W October 2009

PUMPED UP

Photo by Morgan Lee

13

For many varsity athletes, excitement does not strike until minutes before they step onto the field. “I usually get pumped for games right before I am about to play,”

explains girls soccer midfielder Christina Gulliver. Gulliver attributes her excitement to a pregame routine that helps her clear her mind. “When I am in the right mindset, I feel like a different player,” she says.

Focusing on the game and her role on the field, Gulliver lets the warm-up music, large crowds and a simple change in setting help her feel the rush she needs to play well in big games. “When we play up at the university, I play harder because there are larger crowds, and I love to play under the lights.” The difference in male and female athletes is surprisingly minimal. Defensive lineman Michael Recla does everything possible to get psyched for each Friday night. “Listening to loud music, wearing the same socks for every game, and the intense atmosphere gets me jacked for games,” says Recla. Unlike Gulliver, Recla says the crowd size doesn’t play a role

We asked field hockey coach Chuck Baker, “How do you prepare your players for the big game?”

collected by matthew

sokoloski

How d

o y

ou g

et p

sycHed

For a

game?

Carlyn Ball, cross country

“I listen to my iPod, and I am only concentrating

on my race.”

Charles Franklin,football

“Spaghetti dinners with the team on Thursday nights get me pumped

for Friday nights.”in his performance. “I just concentrate on the game; the crowd doesn’t affect me,” he says. Recla says he plays hard every game because he thinks spectators definitely can tell if he or the team is not excited. Like Gulliver, Recla has a small pregame tradition, but this involves the entire team. “Every Friday after school since freshman year, most of the guys go to Steph’s Subs,” says Recla. Coaches also play a role in getting their teams pumped up for games. One coach, however, says his role is minimal. “Energy is contagious,” says girls soccer coach Doug VanBrunt.

He says it is the team’s responsibility. “A player steps up and starts screaming, and then everyone

joins in,” explains VanBrunt. Like Recla, VanBrunt thinks no

matter whom the opponent, it should not affect the

team’s adrenal level. “They definitely play better

when they are pumped. I think it helps them feel that they can go into any game and win,” says VanBrunt. While practice plays an important role in every teams’ success, it seems a little excitement can make a difference in

players’ successes.

“I try to stress to the team that with our record being undefeated, we have a definite chance to win our league and our district titles. The chance at a district title should be enough for our team to get

excited for every game – to know that they have a chance to do something that any other field hockey team in their high school’s history has never done before.”

Some athletes and coaches are crediting teams’ successes to more than just hard work and practice. by ilea franklin

Alexis Knorr,field hockey

“We sing and dance together as a team in

warm-ups.”

Brittany Karpinski,girls soccer

“By listening to intense warm-up songs and

putting my lucky headband on.”

John Sheehe,golf

“The music on the way over to matches

and Bressi’s pre-match speeches.”

Luke Klingler,boys soccer

“The team goes to the corner flag, the captains

give motivational speeches, and then we say The Lord’s Prayer.”

Darby Minter,tennis

“During warm-ups, the team gets together and

gives each other positive encouragement.”

Games that countBOYS SOCCER: October 14 at Shamokin.

Bloomsburg tied Shamokin 1-1 earlier this year.

GIRLS SOCCER: October 15 at Southern Columbia. The soccer team looks to avenge its 3-0 loss from earlier this season.

FIELD HOCKEY: October 19 vs. Central Columbia at Bloomsburg University. The cross-town rivalry continues.

FOOTBALL: October 23 at Hughesville. Both teams return more than six starters on both

sides of the ball.

Best of the rest

aQ collected by matthew sokoloski

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Photos by staff

R&W

The R&W is the magazine serving the students, faculty and administration of the Bloomsburg High School community, written, designed and published by the Journalism I and II classes.

Views expressed in the R&W represent those of the writer, not necessarily those of the high school. Unsigned commentary represents views of the Editorial Board.

Find us on the web @ http://my.highschooljournalism.org/pa/bloomsburg/bhs

Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bhsredwhite

The R&W is printed by the Press Enterprise,3185 Lackawanna Avenue,Bloomsburg, PA 17815Kathy Malkoskie, PE Customer Service Representative

Letters PolicyThe Editorial Board welcomes all comments and letters. Please sign and send all letters to room 215 or our online address: bhsredwhite10@gmail.com. The Board does not condone abuse deviated from the subject matter directed at one or more individuals.

PA School Code 22 Chapter 12.9Students have the right to express themselves unless the expression interferes with the educational process, threatens serious harm, encourages unlawful activity, or interferes with individual rights. School officials may not censor material simply because it is critical of the school or its administrations

The R&W is a proud member of the Pennsylvania School Press Association.

news Senior Editor Hillary Drumheller

Associate Editor Anthony Sainclair

features Senior Editor Briana Yablonski

Associate Editors Andrea Fronsman, Morgan Lee

sports Senior Editor Matthew Sokoloski

Associate Editor Luke Klingler

photographySenior Editor Morgan Lee

Associate Editor Andrea Fronsman

art/designIllustration Editor Briana Yablonski

Production Editor Courtney Sabo

staffWriters Meghan Ashford, Lauren Ball,

Eddie Harper, Brittany Karpinski, Seth Loff, Tyler Lunger, Cara Mensinger, Adam Naessig,

Gavin Pellitteri, Mary Ragone, Casey Ward

Editor-in-Chief Courtney Sabo

Adviser Sam Bidleman

ommentaryHowever, with a virus that has created quite the scare

and an endless discussion about a tanking economy, everyone seems quite pessimistic about these, our best years. This first issue tries to put all of it into

some perspective: our fears, our successes, our challenges, our opportunities. We are told that swine flu is not much worse than the seasonal flu, yet we hear about it every day. Wash our hands, cough into our elbows and make sure we adequately rest ourselves. Instead of running to the nurse for every sneeze, shouldn’t we be already following these basic rules of hygiene on a daily basis? Like the swine flu, we never stop hearing about the economy, recession or a missing state budget. And although some of our families are being directly affected, others are not – yet. We can do our share to help our parents in these tough times. Maybe we only need to be reminded of the struggles of Rwandan students and families to realize that our lives are not tragic. Yet around us, accomplishments and achievements can drown out even the worst of times. Cody Mead became interested in and started playing the organ only two years ago. He is now a talented musician who enjoys his hobby enough to travel around the country sharing his gift that we can celebrate with him every Sunday at the local First Presbyterian Church. Jennifer Ralston continued working with sound after her first internship at WHLM when she was just a junior in this high school. Twenty years later as an experienced sound editor, she won an Emmy and is looking forward to her next opportunity. More students are participating in sports than in recent memory, and those on the boys soccer team have a role model in first-year head coach Michael McGarry, who is sharing his experiences as both a successful high school and college player. So, we have a choice. We can allow the shadows of pessimism to overwhelm our lives and allow despair and depression to dominate our every moment, or we can do something to make sure this is indeed our best year. Make success a goal. Get involved. Share your talents. Making a difference in this world does not require a lot of money but often can be accomplished with optimism and perseverance because clearly, they can go a long way.

As high school students, we are told that we are now living the best years of our lives. C

a personal view by editor Courtney Sabo

I worked for the first time in my life a few weeks ago at the Fair. I was an employee at Grotto Pizza, and it was quite the experience. During the first few days, the lines were fairly short. As the week progressed, more and more people showed. Numerous customers asked for food that was not even on the menu. Some requested sausage on their cut, which was reasonable mistake, but when a 10-year-old boy ordered pasta and then a cheeseburger, I could not help but laugh. I even found out that I have a new ability – hearing and understanding those who had nearly a whole gyro or Vince’s Cheesesteak in their mouths as they ordered five slices of pizza. Seriously, it takes skill since the people sound like South Park’s Kenny. After a long week of saying, “Can I help somebody?” and a shirt that will forever have pizza stains, it was well worth the satisfaction when I received a handful of cash from my very first boss.

Something to Say

14 R&W October 2009

ommentaryBloomsburg High School 1200 Railroad Street Bloomsburg, PA 17815 October 2009 V87 N1

Just saying

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Illustration by Courtney Sabo

ommentaryStudent Opinions

15

ommentaryjust Asking

Q. “With a new curriculum coordinator in the district, what course would you add and why?”

OUR MOMENT OF ZENBECAUSE WE ARE ALL UNIQUE

OUR FAVORITE IMAGE OF THE MONTH IS WORTHA THOUSAND WORDSTaking my first cross country photos was a little more than nerve-wracking. I’d never attended a cross country meet before, let alone walked in the middle of the course to snap a photo. By watching these runners, I gained respect for what they do: run a ridiculous amount in a short period of time. I captured the many emotions of the runners as they glided through the first lap and as they struggled through the last. In this photo, Zach Mrozek leads a Vo-Tech runner at the beginning of the race.

Katie Fest, 9“I think I have a colorful personality, so I like to dress colorfully to reflect that.”

ALECJANEZIC

“Chinese because it’s the most common language in the world.”

LYDIAHEIER

“German just because I want to learn to speak the language.”

APRILLABELLE

“I want an astronomy course because it’s one of those courses that is different but you know everyone would be interested in it and still take it.”

Kaylin Bragas, 9“I got my shoes at Rue 21. When I saw them, they looked really cool. I can be crazy, so they represent me well.”

Mary Schlaugh, 12“I enjoy making things, and I’ve always wanted to make a backpack I was proud of.”

Hope Lawton, 9“My shirt was a Christmas present. I like it because it’s different, and I don’t like dressing as everyone else does.”

collected by hillary drumheller, news editor

by andrea fronsman, photography editor

collected by briana yablonski, features editor

collected by anthony sainclair, news editor

Photos by staff

& Nothing Else Matters

16 R&W October 2009

UNBOXED

LG BL40Phones have advanced during the past decade, but the world hasn’t seen anything similar to this new piece of technology from LG that will be released later this month. The LG BL40 has an HD LCD 4-inch widescreen, which is perfect for watching movies on the go. The price has not been determined.

VIRTUAL ANT FARMBandai, a Japanese toy making company, has come up with one of their most creative things yet: a virtual hand-held ant farm that costs $87. Users can interact with their ants by giving them virtual food such as grains of sugar, salt, fruit and worms without the mess. Users also have the ability to control when and how ants make their nest by choosing when to provide them with the pebbles.

ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS AND SMILING FACESIf you want healthy done right, the Prana Juice Bar and Namaste Cafe is the place to go. Fresh fruits are blended right in front of you to assure the freshness of your drink, and with the variety of items on the menu, anyone’s taste buds can be satisfied. Not only are the drinks wonderfully prepared, but the interior has a genuine homey feel. No wonder – all of the pieces of artwork adorning the walls are from local photographers and painters, and the crystal lamps decorating the tables are handmade by owner Shawn Kehs. The color of the interior walls sets a tranquil mood, as do the smiling faces that greet you when you walk in. Although Bloomsburg is a small town, a good experience is waiting for you at the Prana Juice Bar and Namaste Cafe.

by morgan lee, features editor

Prana Juice Bar and Namaste Cafe’s surrounding plants and colorfullness brightens East Main Street, and it looks just as environmentally friendly on the outside as it is on the inside.

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

Nike Training Club

Stay in shape with Nike Training Club. You can create workouts and drills, keep track of them, and then compete against your friends.

Shazam

Find the name of that song you cannot identify in seconds. Put your iPhone up to the source of the music, and it will display the song’s title, artist and even an option to buy the song.

Band

Want to make some music in your free time? Play around with different instruments including the piano, drums, and guitar. You can then combine all the music and create a song.

With over 70,000 applications in Apple’s App Store, you can find almost anything you want. Not all of them are games used for wasting time, and many apps are free. Here’s a look at four apps we thought you would find interesting.

Remote

Use your iPhone or iPod Touch as a remote that controls your computer and/or Apple TV. The remote also works with Wi-Fi, so you can control playback anywhere within a wireless range.

MIMO MINI USB MONITORLooking for that extra bit of display on your computer? The Mimo mini USB monitor runs only off of a USB cable that connects directly to a computer. It is the perfect size for IM, widgets or even email. This

monitor, weighing only 1.3 pounds, is lightweight

and portable. The Mimo monitor does not require any extra video cards.

by eddie harper

by mary ragone

a look at the new stuff

Photos by Courtney Sabo