It’s difficult, especiallyin our society, to understand thehardships that other people areforced to face. During AfricanAwareness Week, January 22 toJanuary 25, Key Clubdemonstrated just how little othershave through as many meanspossible.

Tuesday, the first day ofthe program, was dedicated tomaking Greater Latrobe HighSchool conscious of the childsoldiers in Uganda. Postersdecorated the halls and videosplayed in the commons area tomake students aware of theInvisible Children. The InvisibleChildren get their name not onlybecause they disappear from theirvillages, but also because theirchildhood is virtually nonexistent.These children are ripped fromtheir homes and are brainwashedto kill innocent civilians. Anyresistance to become soldiersresults in beatings and killings.

On Wednesday, KeyClub hosted guest speakerBenjamin Ajak, who lived throughthe atrocities in Darfur, Sudan. Atjust five, Ajak watched his villageburn to the ground and his parentsget murdered. He shared hisexperience of walking thousandsof miles, forced to eat mud anddrink his own urine to survive. “Idon’t regret it, I don’t feel sorryabout it,” he said. A curiousstudent asked how in the world hefound the will to survive, Ajakimmediately answered, “Fear. Iwas afraid of death.” Ajak spenthis whole childhood with dangerat his heels; danger from his owngovernment, but the story heshared was not depressing, butrather one of triumph andmotivation. He lived everydaywith the goal of seeing the next,never taking anything for grantedand always looking towards thefuture. “He seemed genuine andhonest. He went through a lot anddidn’t fabricate anything,”

commented senior Zack Ray. On Thursday, GLSHS

experienced a pretend AIDSepidemic. When the day began,four students, juniors MauraBainbridge and TheresaBaughman and sophomores JuliaDeFabo and Tessa Eline wore ared X on their face to symbolizethat they had AIDS. Anyone theytouched was marked with an X.By the end of the day, no circle offriends, no lunch table, and noclassroom was exempt from theinfection. Although the real AIDSvirus is not spread simply byphysical contact, thedemonstration proved how fastAIDS can spread when people arenot educated, specifically inKenya where 1.3 million peopleare infected. In conjunction with this event,Stephanie Pompeila, the daughterof teacher Mrs. Pompeila, came onJanuary 16 and spoke to somesocial studies classes about herexperience in Kenya with a UNinternship. Pompeila explained tostudents the cycle of child labor inKenya: if they take a child out ofwork, the child won’t have anymoney to eat for the day. Thiscycle can only be broken withfunding from projects such as theone that she is working on wherefamilies are paid to send theirchildren to school. This is the onlyway that children can be educatedand eat a meal a day.

African Awareness Weekraised funds and consciousness forInvisible Children, the genocide inDarfur, and AIDS in Africa tostudents at GLSHS. Key Clubopened up our eyes to thesuffering of people in lessfortunate countries. “I think it’simportant that people realize howmuch is going on in the world,”said Maura Bainbridge, anorganizer of the event. “Outside ofour stupid high school problems,people have real things to worryabout.”

February 8, 2008 131 High School Road Latrobe, PA Volume 85 Issue 8

Key Club hosts African Awareness WeekJulia DeFabo

Intern

MensLacrossebecomesschoolsport

National authority challenges educators andcommunity members to meet global standards

As of January 15, GLSHSstudents will now have the chance tocheer on another spring sports team.The boys lacrosse club will bejoining the other spring sports suchas baseball, girls lacrosse, volleyballand track, however this year they areactually being considered a teamsport as well.

For the past three years theteam and their parents have beenbattling to get the school board toapprove boys lacrosse as an officialteam sport. The difference between aclub sport and a team sport is thatclub sports must secure their ownfunding. “Without the parentsfinancial support, there most likelywould be no team,” said Mr. Monzowho was a key player in getting theteam approved.

Once the league wascreated, the team needed to convincethe school board to approve them asa team sport, because without theirapproval the team could not competein the WPIAL league. “It wasdifficult to explain the team’ssituation regarding the urgency forschool recognition in such a way thatall of the members could understand.Since it was obvious that all of theteams in the WPSLA (Western PA.Scholastic Lacrosse Association)were going to join the PIAA. If wedidn’t get school recognition, mostlikely the guys lacrosse team woulddisband because we would not beable to play teams that were inPIAA,” said Mr. Monzo.

Another actively involvedparent, Mrs. Thornburg said, “Mystrategy was to put together alacrosse team who could functionindependently by generatinginterests, funds and staff. Thenapproach the board with somethingthey could take seriously.” With alltheir well organized arguments the

Mary MaattaStaff Writer

Photo by: Angela Repko, Photo Editor

KEY CLUB With the help of Key Club members high school students made African necklaces during African Awareness Week. Overall the week wassuccess and the students of GLSHS learned a great deal about the struggles of Africa.

In 2007 Greater Latrobe Senior HighSchool was praised with several awards. USNews and World Report placed GLSHS in thetop ten percent of schools in America, andMicrosoft praised GLSD’s use of technology.However, Dr. Willard Daggett believes, "Thisupcoming graduation class will be the leastprepared of any graduating class."

Daggett, President of the InternationalCenter for Leadership in Education, addressedfaculty from GLSD, Derry, Greensburg Salem,Eastern Westmoreland Career, TechnologyCenter, and St. Vincent College plus localbusiness leaders on Friday, January 18, 2008 inthe Greater Latrobe Senior High Schoolauditorium. “My goal is to motivate schools tomake changes,” said Daggett.

Daggett acknowledged the reasonstudents will be the least prepared starts withPSSA tests. “You have permitted PSSAs tobecome the end line of education,” saidDaggett. Since PSSA tests are a concrete wayto measure success, schools are teachingtoward the test. More topics are being coveredbecause the concepts might be on the test. “We

are so focused on the PSSA that we don’t havetime to cover other topics. We need to find away to streamline our curriculum to meetPSSA requirements and make PSSA thestarting line not the end line,” said Mrs.Pompelia, Math Department Head.

Daggett said, “[We] are confusingobedient students with motivated students. If astudent comes to school, sits quietly, takesnotes, and passes the test, we are satisfied.”The students are being force fed informationthen asked to regurgitate it during tests.Schools are becoming devoid of creativity andinteraction. Daggett said, “Your schools havebecome museums.”

According to Daggett, the first step isto reassess school curricula and cut down onthe range of topics. Schools should look morein-depth at selected topics and relate the topicsto the outside world. "Every student in everyclassroom needs to raise his hand and say,'When am I going to use this?'" He preached,“Relevance makes rigor possible.” If a student

Mike DeFabo Editor-in-Chief

GLSHS students inspireelementary students

On Thursday,January 17, Senior HighStudents were invited intoBaggaley Elementary Schoolto be a part of a surpriseassembly. This “PepAssembly” implemented anew system to reward goodbehavior policy, based onpositive role models andrewarding good behavior.“Baggaley Bucks”, wascreated to encourage thestudents to be good by givingstudents rewards forcompleting certain tasks. Thepositive role senior highstudents are to play in thelives of the students atBaggaley’s coincides withtheir mission statement to“foster an environment ofrespect, responsibility, andreliability where all involved[students] feel a sense of pride

and accomplishment.”GLSHS students

that attended the pepassembly include Jake Gibasrepresenting the football team,and Carmella Stanko, Meganand Morgan Stouffer whoamong the cheerleaders thatattended the assembly. “Forthe elementary age, a rolemodel who they could look upto is absolutely essential assetto shape the character for therest of their lives,” said Mr.Tom Turnbull 6th Gradeteacher at BES. BaggaleyElementary School hopes thatthis new system of rewardinggood behavior and positiveinfluence will serve as adeterrent to bad behavior.

On January 11, a fewdays before Baggaley begantheir “Baggaley Bucks”

program, students at GLSHSstudents attended BaggaleyElementary School for a“Meet and Greet” program.Students at BaggaleyElementary have theopportunity to have a pen pal,which is a student from theSenior High school. Theprogram lasted from 9-11a.m., giving the studentsenough time to see each otherafter spending so much timewriting in letters. The studentsparticipated in activities to getto know each other whilehaving fun at the same time.Junior Michelle Dudzenskisaid, "The kids really enjoyedmeeting us, they were excitedand had fun. When I finallygot to meet the person I hadbeen writing to for a while I

Courtney Briggs and Brian NoelStaff Writers

Math Departmentholds annual food

driveBeyond long division

and algebra in the classroom, themath department adds to thecommunity outside of theclassroom. The annual fooddrive donates to the SalvationArmy from Tuesday January 8 toThursday January 13.

The food drive is a wayfor Greater Latrobe to collectfood to donate to the SalvationArmy. The drive was startedtwenty years ago by Mr.LoCascio. It used to be heldduring Christmas, but it has beenchanged to shortly afterChristmas. Because theSalvation Army receives manydonations before the holidays,the amount of food dwindlesafter Christmas. The extra foodis needed the most after theholidays. By holding the fooddrive, the math department isgiving students a way to giveback in a simple but effectiveway. “The food drive is great toparticipate in because the itemscollected go towards people whoare less fortunate,” said juniorLauren Stout.

The food drive alsoprovides the students to showtheir kindness for those who do

not have the same opportunities.“Donating is a great way ofhelping families in need, anddemonstrates the level of careand compassion that studentshave towards the less fortunate,”said junior Jake Ulishney.

The math teachers plusother faculty collected food.Students could bring in anythingin cans, sealed boxes, and bags.Students brought the food inthroughout the six days andmany were rewarded with bonuspoints for their contributions.“I’m not giving bonus because Iwant to help grades, but becauseI want to help the community,”said Mrs. Pompelia. “There aremuch more important things inlife than math.” The food wasplaced along the downstairs Shallway. It was shown off bycutout stars with contributor’snames adorning the wall behindit.

The math department’sannual food drive for theSalvation Army provides manyopportunities for students. Itallows students to do somethinggood for their community andthink about their math classesfrom new viewpoints.

Anna SylvesterStaff Writer

From good to great

continued pg.2

continued pg.2 continued pg.2

22 February 8, 2008February 8, 2008

NewsNews2/83:00 Café Band Sub Sale

2/11PSSA 11th Grade writing assessments

2/126:55 am S103 PA Math League7:00 Foreign Film Series

2/13PSSA 11th Grade writing assessments

2/14CSC Heart Fair

2/15PSSA 11th Grade writing assessments

2/16Pancake Breakfast for Latrobe Rockdown

2/18Snow Make-up Day (Students have school)

2/195:30 Boy’s Basketball Peffer Tournament

2/203rd Quarter Academic Referrals Due5:30 Boy’s Basketball Peffer Tournament

2/215:30 Boy’s Basketball Peffer Tournament

2/225:30 Boy’s Basketball Peffer Tournament

2/238:00 am Wrestling Duals Tournament2/25Tickets for Rockdown go on sale. Limited number available.Week of 2/25 Winterfest

Upcoming E

vents

NewsIn-Brief

English and Music classes extendlearning beyond school wallsStudents from Mrs.

Kubus’ AP English andComposition class attended afield trip at the CarnegieMuseum of Art and the Chihulyglass exhibit at PhippsConservatory on January 30,2008. The field trip was open toonly 40 students on a first comefirst serve basis.

At CMOA the classwas guided through a 90 minutegallery tour. The studentsparticipated in interpretiveanalysis of the 20th and 21stcentury art work. The studentswere broken into groups andtaken around to different piecesof artwork where they wereasked to give their opinion inwhat the artist was trying toportray. At the end of the guidedtour the students chose a pieceof artwork and completed anindividual analysis includingtopics on subject matter, form,context, and content.

After CMOA theywere taken to Phipps

Conservatory to view theChihuly Exhibit, a traveling

glass exhibit installed withinthe gardens. The studentstraveled through rooms filledwith plants where glasssculptures were placemeticulously within them. Thesculptures and gardensprovided nice photoopportunities.

“The field trip givesthe students the opportunity toapply analysis to somethingother then written works,” saidKubus. Students who take theAP English and Compositionclass are familiar withanalyzing essays anddocuments. The students usedwhat they know from analyzingessays and applied it analyzingpieces of art.

January 31, 2008 Mr.Tourre’s Chorus classesattended a showing of SweeneyTodd the Demon Barber ofFleet Street at the BenedumCenter. Sweeney Todd, whichwas recently adapted into amovie by director Tim Burton,

is a Tony Award-winningmusical focused on the centralcharacter Sweeney Todd. Themusical gives the students theopportunity to watchprofessionals perform. Thebasics of performance are givento students in class, but it is anew experience to view theprofessional singers and actorsat work.

“It was nice to watch.It was obvious that it was doneon a lower budget, but the

actors did a really good job”said junior Cara Marrero.

Both of these fieldtrips provide a learningexperience for the students inattendance. The AP Englishfield trip gave students anopportunity to view art outsideof the school in an analyticalmanner while the chorus whoperforms songs on a highschool level were able to view aprofessional performance andapply it to themselves.

Kaitlin ZurawskyStaff Writer

Winterguard CompetitionsOn Saturday January

26, 2008 the Greater LatrobeWinterguard participated intheir first competition at PennTrafford High School. Theycompeted against GatewayHigh School, West AlleghenyHigh School, Mars HighSchool and, Kiski Area HighSchool in the scholastic Aclass., and they capturedfourth place with a score of51.8.

On SaturdayFebruary 2, 2008 theWinterguard also participatedin the WGI Pittsburgh regionalat Norwin High School. Thegirls competed against thirteen

other schools, finishing intwelfth place with a score of50.5. Breakfast of Champions

For the month ofJanuary, seniors Emily Butinanominated by Miss.McLaughlin from the Mathdepartment, AJ Freednominated by Mrs. Olecki-Leeper from the social studiesdepartment, Annie Perrynominated by Mrs. Stallingsfrom the English department,junior Candida Sylvanianominated by Mr. Murrayfrom the English department,sophomores Brooke Barnhartnominated by Dr. Wynek fromthe science department,

Megan Monack wasnominated by Mr. Tourre fromthe music department.

National Art Honor SocietyField Trip

The National ArtHonor Society is traveling toPittsburgh on Friday March 7,2008. They will visit to twomuseums the Mattress Factoryand the Andy Warhol museum.After this all day field trip thestudents are going to enjoydinner at the South SideWorks.

Art To WearOn Friday January

25, 2008 students who

participated in Art to wearprogram put on a fashion showat Latrobe Art Center at aluncheon. Before the show, theteachers explained thedifferent ways of tie dying,then as each student came outthey introduced them. Thestudents who participatedwere seniors Katie Barchesky,Ashley Fisher, CameronKniffen, Brittany Murvine,Liz Nicely, Emily Walters,Kylie Whitfield, Josie Wright;juniors Bridget O’Boyle,Florine Labarre, AnnePenrose,Candida Sylvania,Kaitlyn Tryon; sophomoresJulia DeFabo, JessicaDonitzen, Lauralee Markle,

Ali Morelli, and MeganNicely.

Pie Day Pi Day, hosted by the

math department, will be heldon March 14. A t-shirt designcontest was held to pick awinning design for this year’sshirt. The contest began lastyear. Anyone was able tosubmit a design. A few mathteachers vote on somefavorites, and then anothergroup such as the mathdepartment or theadministration picks thewinner. Compiled by: Brianna Saddler,

Staff writer

Photo by: Courtney Briggs, Staff Writer

Junior Abby McIlnay observes the Chihuly Glass Exhibit.

enjoys what he learns, he will be able to go farbeyond his capacity. Daggett gave the example ofhis grandson’s first grade class. The high schoolfootball coach taught the youngsters that eachfootball play was like a math problem, completewith angles and percentages. Angles andpercentages are fifth grade topics. Daggett’sgrandson learned math far above his capacitybecause he was motivated and applied what he waslearning to something he enjoyed. He challengedteachers to apply school work to real lifesituations, like the football coach had done.

One way of relating information is toteach it across disciplines. Currently, if a student isstruggling in math he is taken out of study hallsand electives and put into a second math class(Integrated Math) to improve his PSSA scores.Similarly for English, art and music courses arereplaced with a Language Arts Enrichment class.

Daggett believes that instead of taking the studentout of the classes he enjoys, teachers shouldsimply employ math principles in other fields.Daggett knows that teachers are hesitant to acceptthis advice. “History teachers will say, ‘I’m aHistory teacher. I want to teach History.’ Frenchteachers say, ‘I’m a French teacher. I want to teachFrench.’” Daggett said. To promote moreinterdisciplinary learning, Daggett suggestseliminating departments. Instead of all the Englishteachers grouped together and the Math teachersgrouped together developing individual curricula,a Math teacher, an English teacher, a Scienceteacher, and a P.E. teacher should all work togetherto develop a single objective. Not only do students enjoy interdisciplinary study,neurologically they learn more. When a studentlearns information in one class, he develops asingle pathway in the brain. At test time when a

student forgets the information on the pathway, heis out of luck. However, if a student learnsinformation across many fields, he has severalpathways to the same information. Come test time,a student will figure out the problem rather thansimply regurgitating information. Daggett gave theexample of his drive from Pittsburgh to Latrobe.He had a list of directions to Latrobe, but he onlyknew one way. However, one road was blockedand Daggett was lost. People that knew the areasimply found another way to the same destination.If students know many routes to the sameknowledge they will be figure out the answers.

Now what? How will schools change tobring students into the modern era of education?Social Studies Department Head Mr. Pratt said, “Inthe Social Studies department we are taking amore global focus. For example, the WorldCultures class is becoming a more issue-basedclass rather than history-based.”

In math Mrs. Pompelia said, “Daggettsaid that taking a student out of the classes he

enjoys and putting him in a second math doesn’twork. I think it would be great if we couldincorporate math into art like he suggested.”

Although some departments are lookingto make changes, Daggett warns that changes maynot be immediate. “It takes months of arguing tosimply change a bell schedule. There is nothing inyour curriculum that wasn’t there 30 years ago.”Assistant Principal Mr. Krehlik said, “I thinkwe’re playing by the rules. We have an obligationto see that our students are proficient…If weweren’t doing such a good job, I would be morewilling to make changes. But because we’re doingsuch a good job [GLSHS] doesn’t want to justmake changes to make changes. We need to lookinto the facts before we make quick decisions.” Sowill Greater Latrobe School District continue tolive in the past? Will students continue to be forcefed or will they learn to think? Will teacherscontinue to train obedient students or will theyteach individuals? Will the class of 2008 truly be,“the least prepared of any graduating class?”

school board did take them seriously and theybecame a team sport.

Now that guys lacrosse is an officialschool sponsored team, expectations have beenraised. Junior Nick Monzo said, “I’m expectingthis season to be much different, and I’m veryexcited. I think I can speak for most of the guysin saying that we feel like we have something toplay for.” However even with the approval fromthe school board, the team will still be playing inthe Parks and Recreation program until the 2009season. In the recreation league, the teams playother teams based on common skill level. Once

the team joins the division next year they will havetough competition. “As a part of theWPIAL/PIAA, they will most likely be in adivision based on geography more than skill level;it will be more of a challenge. With official schooldistrict recognition and with a very high interestlevel, it is hoped that more younger players willparticipate,” said Mr. Monzo.

With high hopes for the seasons to come,the guy’s lacrosse program is on the rise. Now thatthe team has the school board’s support, they needto gather a group of loyal fans to come cheer themon against their tougher opponents.

continued from pg. 1

continued from pg. 1

Guest Speaker Willard Daggett proposes changes of improvement

Boys lacrosse approved

was excited myself and they had a lot to talk about." Dudzenski enjoyed the opportunity to meet a newfriend who idolizes her.

The high school students in the program are part of the “Life-Span Learning.” This classallows students to gain experience in communicating with people of all ages. Baggaley Elementary isvery close to GLSHS making it easy for students to meet and interact.

Baggaley is a school built for opportunities, and students are always involved in activities.From getting to know students to rewarding students for good behavior, Baggaley Elementary schoolis still adding more programs for their students.

GLSHS students inspire BES studentscontinued from pg. 1

Sports Sports 33 February 8, 2008February 8, 2008

Ice Hockey

The Latrobe Ice Cats upped theirrecord to 17-1. The Cats defeatedPeters Township by a final score4-3. Goals were scored by JeffJoeRegula, Zack LaDuke, MikeMcCurdy, and Neal Henderson.This win put the Ice Cats into afirst place rank within the state.The Cats are back in actionMonday February 11 againstSouth Park who defeated the Catsand gave them their only loss ofthe season.

Girls Basketball

Tonight, the girls basketball teamenters the first round of theAAAA playoffs against OaklandCatholic. Tip-off is set for 6:30P.M. at Penn State-Alleghenywhere both teams have identicalrecords of 14-10. This match upshould shape up to be a greatgame.

Boys Basketball

The boys basketball team is alsoin action tonight where they takeon Pittsburgh Central Catholic.The Cats enter the playoffs with a16-8 record as Central Catholic is19-4. The game is scheduled totake place immediately after theconclusion of the girls game atPenn State-Allegheny.

In the final matchup of sectionplay the boys team overcame a 17point deficit to defeat Hemfield64-62. Jeff Yunetz scored his1,000th point during this contestand became the first junior inschool history to achieve thisgoal.

WildcatSportswire

Matt ZittSports Editor

Varsity Hockey(17-1) as of 2/7/08

Wrestling(3-5) as of 2/7/08

Girls Swimming(3-0) as of 2/7/08

Boys swimming(1-2) as of 2/7/08

Boys’ Basketball (16-8) as of 2/7/08

Girls’ Basketball(14-10) as of 2/7/08

Justin DownsStaff writer

How will Crosby’s injury willaffect the outcome of thePenguins’ season?

LaDuke: Missing SidneyCrosby, the Penguin’s leadingscorer and captain, for 6-8weeks could be a huge setbackfor the Penguins current run forat an Atlantic Division title andhigh seed in the EasternConference playoffs.However, Crosby’s high anklesprain can’t not get in the wayof the Penguins lofty goals forthis season. They are going tohave to find a way to win biggames without their most valu-able offensive weapon inCrosby, who was tied for sec-ond in the NHL with 63 points(20 goals, 43 assists).

Everyone is going tohave to elevate their play, butthe two players who will haveto play very important roleswithout Crosby in the lineupare Evgeni Malkin and TyConklin. Since the Pens havelost their top scorer, they aregoing to have to look to thenext best, Malkin, for theiroffensive fire power. He iscurrently tied for the eighthmost points in the NHL with 63(28 goals, 35 assists). SinceCrosby is injured, Malkin hasdefinitely taken on the duty ofgenerating great scoringchances for the Penguins. Inthe first two games withoutCrosby, Malkin has scoredthree goals and one assist.However, Malkin is going tohave to play better if thePenguins plan to stay in con-tention for an Atlantic Divisiontitle.

I also think thatPittsburgh will need great goal-tending from Ty Conklin, inorder to keep winning withoutCrosby. Since getting his shotto take over for another high-ankle- injured Marc-AndreFleury, Conklin has posted anoutstanding 12-3-2 record withtwo shutouts. Because thePens won’t be generating asmuch offense without Crosby

in the lineup, they will have torely on a better defense and itall starts with strong goaltend-ing from Conklin.

Baloh: Sidney Crosby is obvi-ously one of the main reasonswhy the pens have been suc-cessful in the first half of theyear. I think the pens survivethe Atlantic Division race andsome how stay on top goinginto the playoffs, but it willdefiantly be tough. The Pensare going to need all the helpthey can get from their veter-ans Sykora and Gonchar.Currently, the Pens stand in2nd place nipping at the heelsof arch rival New Jersey Devilsas they are behind by only 1point. But, it could get worseas the Pens need to find waysaround the Crosby injury. Foronce I truly believe we will seewhat Malkin is made of as he isput in the toughest position ofall. He must step up his gameand become a better all aroundplayer making him not only ascorer, but also a big time play-maker. Not only him, but therecent call up from WilkesBare Scranton are going tohave to produce as this is thereNHL debut, but we can onlyjust watch and see what goeson.

The Pens, talent wise,have what it takes, but thequestion is can they do it with-out the NHL’s top vote All stargetter in the league. It comesdown to coaching, MichelTerrian will really have tobuckle down and keep his teamfocused and fresh down thestretch and into the playoffs.Like I said, the talent is therebut is the heart there? No ques-tion that this obstacle can beovercome, it’s just going totake a lot more than playinggood hockey, it’s going to taketheir best hockey.

Ryan LaDuke and Tyler BalohColumnists

Face Off

Dylan NoweJunior• Gp - 20 Mpg - 23.6 Ppg - 7.2 • Rpg - 6.5 Apg - 2.3 Bpg - .5• Fg% - 50.5 Ft% - 66.1

Mike McCurdyJunior• Gp - 17 Goals - 18 Assists 31• Points - 49 Ptspg - 2.88 Ppg - 4 • Pim - 6 PIHL All-star selection

13/36 14/36

Ryan LaDukeColumnist

On the Ice The Greater Latrobe Icecats, ranked

number one in the state, have a strong hold on firstplace in Class AA with a 16-1 record. Our 10game winning streak is the longest in the leagueand we don’t plan on losing anytime soon. Withplayoffs just around the corner, we need keep ourmomentum rolling in order to make a true run at aPenguins Cup Championship. However, stayinghealthy has been a big priority as the playoffsdraw near.

Injuries will usually break a team’ssuccess, but it hasn’t affected us as much becauseof our team’s depth at every position. However,just the like wounded Pittsburgh Penguins, wehave had other players step up their play and makebig contributions on our team. The biggest con-cern starts between the pipes with all star goal-tender Nick Loyacona out with a sprained wrist.Luckily, he has only missed one game and wedon’t think he will have to sit out anymore.Nevertheless, we have a very good backup in sen-ior Curtis Colainne. Senior forward IsaacPrichard missed one game due to mono, and jun-ior defenseman Brody Aukerman missed twogames due to tonsillitis and an injured hip flexor.Junior forward Mike McCurdy was unable topractice for a little bit because of a pulled groinmuscle. Fortunately, McCurdy, Latrobe’s leadingpoint getter with 46, did not miss any game time.Also, junior forward Jeffjoe Regula was absent fora 6-0 victory against Moon on January 14 becauseof illness. I am currently done for the season dueto shoulder surgery, but it won’t hurt the team aswe have many players capable to fill my role likejunior forward Neal Henderson. Once our healthbecomes a little more stable, we should be evenbetter and more explosive as a team.

One of the more recent and mem-orable games was a gritty match-up against a goodMontour hockey team. Latrobe’s senior night washeld and everyone always gets a little extra firedup for their last game, especially our fans. Notonly were the stands packed with parents, rela-tives, teachers and all the people associated withGreater Latrobe hockey, but the student sectionwas filled and ecstatic for the game. There wasn’ta person in the whole entire arena who couldn’thear them especially seniors Sam Gaten and MattRellick along with junior Bobby Price. The thun-

der sticks booming, fans shouting, and Latrobestudents mocking Montour after every big hit by aLatrobe player was a huge distraction for theSpartans.

Our team has a very talented groupof seniors and they were recognized for all of theirhard work and dedication throughout their hockeycareers at the Senior Night Ceremony before theMontour game. The seniors include: defensemanBen Battaglia, goaltender Curtis Colaianne,defenseman Logan “Log” Dominick, forwardIsaac Pritchard, forward Jeff Rossi, defensemanJeff Smail, and forward Alex “Two-Fo” Stahl.Each senior skated under the tunnel of sticks of theplayers from Latrobe’s Freshman, Junior Varsity,and Varsity teams, got a picture with their parents,shook the hands of the administration, and hadtheir achievements read aloud to the crowd.

The fans got their money’s worthin this back-and-forth, action packed game, but inthe end Greater Latrobe pulled out the 6-4 victory.Less than five minutes into the game, four goalswere scored to make it a 2-2 tie. Latrobe’s firsttwo goals were scored by Stahl and Aukerman.The game consisted of a lot of big body checks asMontour was a big, physical team. The Icecats’next three goals were all scored by JeffJoe Regula,the team’s leading goal scorer, to give the kid a hattrick. However, the Spartans also scored twogoals to keep it a close game at 5-4. In the thirdperiod, we capitalized on the power play as soph-omore defenseman Josh Harris was able to findthe back of the net. For the rest of the game, wefended off the feisty Spartans to capture the win.The senior night atmosphere was unbelievable andit was a game that our seniors will never forget.

Another one of our recent and significantvictories was against arch-rival GreensburgCentral Catholic. Once again we were able to geta hat trick from Latrobe’s superstar JeffJoeRegula. The Icecats other goals were scored byTyler Baloh, Jeff Rossi, and Mike McCurdy tocompose a 6-3 victory over GCC.

These two victories were crucialand should propel us to make a big move in theplayoffs at a state championship.

Compiled by Ben Battaglia

Wildcat Cardbook

Could the Penguins nagginginjuries ruin their playoff run?

Opinion Opinion 44 February 8, 2008February 8, 2008

Chit ChatValentines Day

Carmella Stanko Columnist

With Valentine’s Day, February14, just around the corner,everyone is talking about whatto get that significant others.Nervous boys frantically searchfor the perfect gift to make. Thestore shelves are lined withheart-shaped boxes of chocolateand teddy bears, the cards filledwith mushy love sayings.However, most of these giftswill go un-purchased becausemodern day girls want more.Girls are no longer impressedby simple things like a romanticdinner, complete with chocolateand a card. Instead they wantTiffany’s Jewlery and diamondsand expensive material things.High school girls even wantpromise rings that cost hun-dreds of dollars and they willnot be satisfied with anythingless.

Call me old fashionedliving in a “material world,” butsince when have we girls gottenso greedy? All we want ismore, more, more. This exces-sive wanting could prove prob-lematic unless one happens tobe dating a millionaire, which inhigh school the chances areunfortunately slim to none.

The true meaning ofValentine’s Day is blurred andin danger of becoming extinct.Valentine’s Day was neverintended as a date on which toexchange expensive materialitems, but rather was created togive a couple the opportunity toexpress their love. All humanbeings deserve this chance, nomatter what their financial sta-tus is.

This year, dare to bedifferent and mix things up abit. For example, don’t feelobligated to purchase expensiveearrings, necklaces, and rings.Instead, try any of the followingsuggestions. Create an originalcard with a cute personalized

message or poem. A photo ofyou and your mate in a fancyframe is always well received.Mixed CD’s of your favoritelove songs will suit any person-ality. One can never go wrongwith chocolate, and lots of it!A stuffed animal that your datecan cuddle with make an excel-lent gift. Watch a romanticmovie together, like theNotebook or A Walk toRemember, in the comfort ofyour own home. Movies suchas 27 Dresses and PS I LoveYou are now in theaters. Girlswill love any chick-flick youchoose. Try preparing a home-cooked meal and dessert.Favorites include an entree ofspaghetti with meatballs fol-lowed by a chocolate cake.Weather permitting, plan anoutdoor adventure such as anight of star gazing, remember ablanket and hot chocolate. .Any plans involving just thetwo of you will prove romantic.

Well, I will admit guysare expected to make the mostromantic gestures, but ladiesdon’t be afraid to give thesesuggestions a try as well. Afterall, your man keeps you happyeach and every day, why not dothe same in return?

Obviously winningover a girl does not require anempty bank account as today’ssociety suggests. Much moretime, thought, and love goesinto preparing a meal and craft-ing a homemade card than doessimply purchasing a necklace.If your relationship is trulybased on love, the woman willunderstand and appreciate thisfact. So, this Valentine’s Dayvow to stay true to the originalmeaning. Illustrate love towardyour companion using ideasstarting from your heart. Asalways remember, chocolate isthe key to most girl’s hearts.

Around the world Heath Ledger

Fans and movie-goers alikemourn the death of HeathLedger. "Heath Ledger died asthe result of acute intoxicationby the combined effects of oxy-codone, hydrocodone,diazepam, temazepam, alprazo-lam and doxylamine," saidEllen Borakove, the spokes-woman for the medical examin-er in a public statement. Heathtook on many roles in his shortlife ranging from a gay cowboyin “Broke Back Mountain” to aheroin addict in the movie“Candy” based off of a Bob

Dylan song. Perhaps myfavorite movie role was in “ThePatriot” where he played a sol-dier in the Colonial army duringthe Revolutionary War. There isno doubt that we have lost avery good actor as well as aconfused young man.

Deforestation in Brazil

The Amazon Jungle is thesource of much world’s oxygen,and farmers in Brazil are“deforesting” the area. Overone thousand square miles havebeen cleared since August. Notonly is this area a producer of a

large quantity of oxygen, but italso houses some of the mostfascinating creatures on earth.The recent destruction of jungleis down compared to the past, atleast that is what the Braziliangovernment claims. At this rateit will not take long for thewhole forest to be gone andturned into pastures for cattle.

Palestinians breach Egyptboarder.

Since Wednesday January 23Egyptian police forces havebeen trying to control the mass-es of Palestinians flooding from

the Gaza Strip into Egypt, butthey have failed in their attemptto reseal the breached border.Helmeted officers with dogsused batons to beat the hoods ofEgyptian cars offering rides toPalestinians seeking refuge nsout of walking range. Dozens ofEgyptian guards pushed theirway through the crowds but didnothing to halt the thousands ofPalestinians moving over thewreckage of a metal wallbrought down by explosives aday earlier.

Voicebox

The staff of The High Post is committed to serving the student body of GreaterLatrobe Senior High School. The opinions page contains the ideas and views of individu-als and does not represent the views of the staff, advisor, or administration in its entirety.

The High Post is a public forum for student expression, therefore any studentwho wishes to create dialogue concerning an issue may do so by submitting articles orLetters to the Editor in room C-109. In order to uphold the integrity of the publication,The High Post reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar, style and availablespace. Submissions should not exceed 300 words.

Advisor: Mrs. Renee Stallings Administration: Dr. Georgia Teppert, Mr. Steven LoCascio and Mr. Chad Krehlik Printed by the Latrobe Bulletin

Section Editors

News Editor- Samantha ServiceFeatures Editor- Courtney Furwa

Sports Editor- Matt ZittOpinions Editor- Stephanie Sior

Photo Editor- Angela Repko Distribution Manager-Ian KishAd. & Prod. Mgr.-Nick BaughBusiness Manager-Chris James

Editorial Policy

Who would you want tohit you with Cupid's

arrow?

The High Post 2007-2008 Editors-in-Chief

Amber Biddle and Mike DeFaboStaff

Tyler Baloh, Ben Battaglia, CourtneyBriggs, Joe Ferlin, Justin Downs,Ryan LaDuke, Pat Lynch, Mary

Maatta, Brian Noel, Angela Repko,Brianna Saddler, Natalie Schade,

Andy Smithhammer Carmella Stanko,Anna Sylvester, Kristina

Wiggins,Lindsey Yelenic, KailtinZurawsky

Patrick LynchColumnist

IssueGiveaway:

Congrats toNicole

Smolleck!Come to

room C109 toclaim your

prize! Infograph complied by Andy Smithhammer, Staff Writer

Critic’s CornerDirected by Jon

Turteltaub, National Treasure:Book of Secrets is the sequel tothe first National Treasure.Nicholas Cage stars asBenjamin Franklin Gates, anintelligent treasure hunter, whohas new information about thediary of John Wilkes Booth.When one of the 18 missingpages from the diary is present-ed by a man in the crowd dur-ing Ben’s presentation, hisgreat-great grandfather,Thomas Gates, is accused of

contributing in AbrahamLincoln’s tragic assassination.After discovering that hisancestor is innocent, Ben isdetermined to prove the accu-sations false. He and his part-ner, Riley Poole (Justin Bartha)follow an international chain ofmysterious clues that lead themfrom Paris to London andeventually back to America.When Ben discovers that heneeds more information from aprivate book that is held in theWhite House, his only choice is

to kidnap the president. CanBen prove his great-greatgrandfather innocent and clearhis family name?

This movie was not asintriguing as the first NationalTreasure. The storyline couldhave been better I think byadding more descriptive detailsespecially in the beginningwhen the information about theassassination was given. Ibelieve that not as much timewas devoted to making thismovie as interesting. The pro-

ducers figured that because thefirst movie was a success thatcoming out with a secondwould sell tickets. Nothing inthe movie really jumped out atyou or surprised you. However,most of it was easy to under-stand and follow. I also thoughtthere were certain parts thatwhere appropriately humorous.Overall I thought NationalTreasure: Book of Secrets wasan average movie. I giveNational Treasure Book ofSecrets 2 stars.

Ben BattagliaColumnist National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Patrick LynchColumnist Call of Duty 5

After three titles set inthe war torn battlefields of thepast, the developers of thegame Infinity Ward gamingincorporation is taking a veryrelevant and modern approachwith Call of Duty 4, the bestshooter of 2007 hands down.No developing company hashad more success in recreatingthe tension and terror of a bat-

tlefield than Infinity Ward.With titles like Medal of Honorseries the first title developedunder the Infinity Ward label,they had cemented their reputa-tion as one of the most talenteddevelopment houses around. “Cod 4’s” graphics are capti-vating one of the best lookingXbox 360 games around. Whilemost war games seem to be

missing certain features withtheir game options Cod4 hassingle player campaigns andmultilayer that are both satisfy-ing and complete for a totalgaming experience. The moveto a modernized setting makesthe game fun for all types ofgamers, you get to use high-tech sophisticated weapons todefeat your enemy, and serious-

ly there is nothing wrong withthis game. Call of Duty 4 isamong an elite list of gamesthat will be talked about foryears to come, or until the labelout does itself once again witha Call of Duty 5.

Compiled by Lindsey Yelenic, Staff Writer

“Sendrell Croft… my girlfriend.”-Glacy Jones, junior

“Lindsey Yelenic”-Jeff Kerila, junior“Probably, Glacy

Jones”-Connor Bert,

sophomore

“Lauren Taylor”-Maura Bainbridge, junior

“My boyfriend…Zack Pope”-Lauren W, sophomore

“Ryan Sheckler.”-Heather McMahan, junior

“Shia Labeouf”-Meghin Kerila, sophomore

“Jessica Alba.”-Spencer White, junior

“Katie Ferguson.”-Bobby Price, junior

“Halle Berry.”-T.J. Bultala, sophomore

“Brett Farve.”-Angela Schock, senior

“Amber Mondock”-Zach Bush, junior “Brad Pitt”

-Katie Capets, senior

“Vanessa Minnillo”-Ryan Rullo, junior

“Nick Jonas”-Katie Blank, Sophomore

Cartoon by Brianna Saddler

InternsJulia DeFabo

Spencer Varadi

Valentine’s Day is right around the cornerand some search for the perfect their spe-cial someone. In Issue 8 of the High Post,the results from this survey are compiledinto an infograph of the student’s opinion.This infograph can offer some ideas forthe last minute searcher.

What will you get your Valentine?

Feature Feature 55 February 8, 2008February 8, 2008

If you asked anybody who knows Liz Perrone to describeher they would probably say that she is full of energy, cheerful andcaring. Liz is all of these things. She is a girl from the city, NewYork City, turned small town who loves to help in anyway she can.“I miss my family in NYC and the attitude of the people there butpeople here are a lot kinder and simpler,” said Liz.

Liz is the president of Key Club, a club known for selflessacts. She has participated in bell ringing for the Salvation Army,helping out with the Hobgoblin Hikes and aiding in nursing homesthroughout the community. “If I ask her to do something, she isright there and gets it done,” said key club advisor, Mr. Synder.

Liz keeps on top of her grades and makes them one of hermain priorities which allows her to be a member of the NationalHonor Society. “My uncle always says, ‘Pay now play later’,” saidLiz. As a part of NHS, she volunteers her time after school to tutorthird-graders at Mountain View Elementary School. She can doanything from listening to a student read to helping them with testsand directions. “Tutoring younger students is always interestingbecause they have so much energy and enjoy learning andbecoming better at a subject,” said Perrone “When I see a kidunderstand and do the work on his own, I know I did somethingright.” Not only does she help younger students she helps toimprove the work of her peers writing styles as the “Perspective”section editor for the Serendipity magazine .

The Latrobe Rockdown, an event that benefits the ArnoldPalmer Pavilion, as well as the high school publications is yetanother event in Liz’s life. Although she will be working as amember of Serendipity, she will also be there because she is a partof the Organizing Chair committee. She is working hard to organizethe events of the competition segment which includes a dime toss,eating contest, scavenger hunt and obstacle course for the LatrobeRockdown’s mini competitions which will take place on March 7-8.

If all these activities aren’t enough, Liz also finds time tohelp with Sunday school at her church and take part in youth group.With her youth group she helps organize food drives andfundraisers for under privileged people. In the summer of 2005 sheattended a mission trip to Mexico with youth group. In Mexico theybuilt a functioning orphanage. They worked with the children doingskits and crafts. Whether she is working with children or planning a huge event likethe Rockdown, Liz Perrone is always trying to help out people inneed. She is involved in many clubs and groups that devote extratime to lend a hand. Perrone is a student with not just personal goalsfor herself but aspirations for others as well.

Not So Shady:Liz Perrone

Natalie SchadeStaff Writer

Senior Spotlight: Josh Pratt

Thursday Night Film festival

After attending thePennsylvania Governor’sSchool of Excellence seniorLauren Taylor had the chance tobring some of the knowledgeshe acquired at the prestigiousfive week program back to theLatrobe community. Thestudents who attend agovernor’s school programmust put together a civicengagement project to sharetheir new found wisdom withthe community.

“I found that what Ilearned at Governor’s schoolwas really fulfilling, inspiringand awakening- and while Iknow that I still have a lot todiscover [on the global scale], Istill want to share what I doknow,” said Taylor. As a part ofher civic engagement project,she put together a Thursdaynight film festival at the CSC.The films deal with world issuesthat Taylor feels need to be

addressed. “Our planet is reallybig, and it is easy to forget whatis happening across the globe. Ihope that these films serve asoccasional reminders,” saidTaylor.

Along withenlightening on global issues,the videos gave audience

members a new appreciation ofwhat they have in their lives likea place to live, an education andtheir families. “I also hope thatwhen people see the films theyrealize how different theirlifestyles are from a lot of

people’s and recognize thethings in life that are really,truly, universally important,”added Taylor.

Mr. Saveikis said, “Ithink that these are things that’sneed to be seen and heard.They’re issues that need to betalked about. I don’t think that

the media gives it enoughvoice.” Through these videosTaylor is able to shine light onthe issues that the media won’t.

About forty studentsshow up every Thursday towatch these movies. One of the

movies shown on January 17,God Grew Tired of Us wasabout a group of boys thatescaped a civil war in Sudanand came to live in America. “Itwas very deep. Words can’teven explain what they wentthrough,” said junior Bree Piper.By watching the video, studentswere able to gain anappreciation of how good theirlife is. “Nobody wouldunderstand what they wentthrough but the video helped meunderstand it better,” said Piper.

Through these videosTaylor is able to shine a light ona series of crises that need to bedealt with. “Lauren is doing aterrific job at showing peoplethe films. It’s nice to see youngpeople take up causes like that,”said Saveikis. The students willbe able to spread the knowledgethat they learned from thevideos and make a change in theworld.

Mary MattaStaff Writer

Wright works to save the environment

In today’s fast paced world, notmany people care about helping theenvironment. Mrs. Carole Wright is oneperson who is trying to change that.

Wright teaches life science andearth and environment. She grew up inVermont, and graduated from St. LawrenceUniversity in Canton, New York with adegree in biology. She then went to SaintVincent College for her teachingcertification.

She has also helped the Capstoneclass on two major projects. Capstone is anintegrated course focused on environmentalscience but all major subjects are includedin the class. They will be restoring the

stream bank at Rotary Park, andcoordinating a recycling program for theentire school. She is working to help securegrants for the stream bank project. Theywill be directing the flow of water awayfrom eroding areas while providing superiorhabitats for creatures in the water. Her earthand environment classes will be helpingwith the project, by helping to install thenatural stream design. The Capstoneclasses worked with Mr. Richter, Mrs.Wydareny, and Mrs. Wright to apply for agrant to pay for the project. The grant isstill in the evaluation stage.

To bring real life situations into theclassroom, Wright also invites guest

speakers to comeinto the school.The speakers sharehow their fieldsrelate to theenvironment. OnJanuary 22, Wrightinvited JonKaufman fromShavers CreekE n v i r o n m e n t a lCenter in StateCollege to discussbirds of prey andsong birds.Kaufman brought agolden eagle, threeowls, and a red tailhawk for thestudents to view.Wright has also in

the past invited a range of people such asBrian Viniski, from the state forestry office,who spoke about forest fires and EllenKeefe, from Westmoreland Cleanways, whotaught about composting with worms.Other assorted guests were Dave Kellerfrom the PA Fish and Boat Commission andApril Clause who brought informationabout reptiles and amphibians.

Outside of school, Wright is anenthusiast of deer and pheasant hunting.She has been hunting with her husbandsince she moved to Pennsylvania in 2001.“I enjoy being outdoors, so I thought that Iwould give hunting a shot. My favoritehunting memory was shooting my first buckon the last day of rifle season in 2004,” saidWright. “A ten point! Yahoo! We workedto catch up with it all day…and finally I wassuccessful.”

Other activities she takes pleasurein are sailing, golf, tennis, biking, hiking,and snowshoeing. When she isn’t outside,she devotes her time to her son, Hunter,who was born April 16, 2007. “He is thecoolest.” said Wright. “Hopefully he willenjoy the outdoors as much as I do.”

Mrs. Wright is an exceptionalteacher and role model for her students.Throughout the activities that sheparticipates in with her earth andenvironment classes, she is caring about theenvironment and teaching others to care.The environment around us is somethingthat we need to think about and Wright issetting a good example by serving the worldaround her.

Anna SylvesterStaff Writer

Kristina WigginsStaff Writer

Lauren Taylor shares her Governor's School knowledge and brings about global awareness in the Latrobe Community

Nickname Pratt

Describes self as Relaxed

Job Smart Parts Referee

Hardest class The Latrobean yearbook

Music (bands genres radiostations)

Modest Mouse and mostlyindie bands

Greatest challenge Finishing all my college stuff

Hero? Someone you look up to? Steven Colbert

Dream Date Jessica Alba and Samm Trainer

Hobbies Paintball

Proudest moment Getting into Duquesne

Dream vacation Senior Week

Dream career Attorney

Dream Car 350z

Qualities you admire in aperson/ wish you had

I wish I was more interesting

I found that what I learned atGovernor’s school was really fulfilling,inspiring and awakening.

- Lauren Taylor, Senior

“

”

Outdoor lover, Mrs. Wright, works in and out of school to educate otherson saving the environment

Forensic team members JakeUlishney, Marla Sacks, andClay “Donx” Long compete inthe the National Qualifiers forLincoln Douglas debate atGLSHS. Junior Marla Sacksqualified for states and seniorLauren Taylor qualified fornationals. State qualifiers forthe speech forensics events willbe held Wednesday, February13 at Trinity High School, andNational qualifiers will be onFebruary 23 at Hempfield AreaHigh School.

GLSH Hosts Local Forensic Competition Mike DeFaboEditor in Chief

Autumn Russell, Nicole Wajdic, and Leah Lohr took their graduation project to a new level.For their project,the girls planned a hypothetical wedding. The girls picked a theme “Lost ina Moment,” which is a song by Big and Rich along with theme colors red and white. Theywent through the steps of a regular wedding, buying invitations and picking a date. Next, theychose dresses and cakes. For most of the presentation they simply explained prices andprocedures, but for the visual presentation they made a real wedding cake. Their actual grandtotal for the wedding was $30,704.55, which is double the price they predicted.

How to Plan A WeddingProject By: Leah Lohr, Autumn Russell, Nicole Wajdic

Seniors Jeff Rossi, Brock Stone, Jeff Smail, Alex Stahl and junior Nick Loyaconna developeda very unique idea for their graduation project. Titled as “The Lab”, together they revampeda 1950s cabin located on Rossi’s property. They began by stripping the existing structuredown to basics by removing the walls and flooring. Then they renewed the space by puttingin new walls, electrics, carpeting, and tile flooring. The process took two years, but most ofthe house was completed in last few months. The finished space now has two complete roomsand a loft space. This overhaul idea was inspired from the group of friends themselves. Fortheir presentation the group talked about the process of renovating the cabin. “Its sweet weactually finished something we started, it’s going to be fun to actually use it have a place togo and hang out there,” Rossi said.

The LabProject By: Nick Loyaconna, Jeff Rossi, Jeff Smail, Alex Stahl

On January 18 in the Center for Student Creativity Seniors Zack Conway, Bree Larkin, IssacPrichard and junior Aaron Grey performed a student production of Jason Robert Brown’soriginal musical “Songs for a New World.” Seniors Cady Walter, Olivia Cimba, and JustinDowns made guest performances, Josh Helfferich took the photos for the cast advertisements.They worked together to develop their own spin on the musical. The students prepared for theevent for three months, organizing, advertising, choreographing moves, changing certain songsand cutting out measures to avoid high notes since the music was very challenging to masterboth vocally and on the piano. During the presentation Larkin reflected on the project saying,“Instead of having a director telling me what to do I was able to bring my own taste to the musicand movement. It was nice.” The production benefited Compassion International which helpsthe impoverished. They raised a total of $200, with eighty people in attendance. They are beingasked for repeat performances.

Songs for a New WorldProject By: Zack Conway, Aaron Grey, Bree Larkin, Issac Prichard

Seniors Natalie Schade and Courtney Furwa decided to make their project about Relay forLife. In their presentation they had a poster with facts about the cause and a picture slideshow, showing events that take place in the relay and leading up to the relay itself. Theychose this project for a very special reason; as Courtney is a survivor of cancer. The girlshave been participating in this cause for five years, have their own team which has wonmany awards for exceptional fundraising, and have raised over $25,000. The team has beenactively involved with the event for 5 years. Members of the team include GLSHS seniorsAmber Biddle, Emily Butina, Jenny Fyalkowski, Erica Hixson, Elizabeth Nicely, LeslieSchade, Emily Schmizzi, Kirsten Schwartzel. Courtney has been in remission for five years,and as of March will be considered cured.

Relay For LifeProject By: Courtney Furwa and Natalie Schade

Bench. Squat. Curl. Senior Darrick Dominick had the intentions of a “Weight TrainingRoutine” for his Senior Project. He showed information to advisors Mrs. Fennel, Mrs. Keyserand even Dr. Stavisky in the Weight Room to showoff some technique for his ability to liftand his strong interest in it. “I have been weight lifting since the eighth grade, and when Imoved here from Toledo, Ohio my junior year I noticed a drastic change in my footballability because of it.” If continuing plans of playing college football, Darrick will defiantlyput his workout routine to use.

Weight Training RoutineProject By: Darrick Dominick

How many times have you heard someone say “I’m going to build a half-pipe?” Two studentsactually did built one from scratch. Seniors Alex Halferty and Ryan Kissell constructed ahalf-pipe for their graduation project. The process included making blueprints for planningand then buying the wood and constructing the half-pipe. The foundation was made usingconcrete blocks. They built it in Halferty’s back yard behind his garage. “I like to skateboardso Ryan and I just decided to do it two years ago,” said Halferty. Now his back yard hasturned into a popular hang out spot since the half-pipe was built. “I set up a table and chairsby it and kids come over and just hang out by it,” he said, “Now it’s a sweet hang out spot.”Their project not only was a great graduation project idea but they can use it to skate on now.Kissell’s experience in designing and constructing helped the team of two in their task. UsingHalferty’s yard and love for skateboarding and Kissell’s knowledge of wood, the tandemteamed up in accomplishing not only a successful graduation project, but providing endlessentertainment for them and their friends.

How to Build a Half PipeProject By: Alex Halferty and Ryan Kissell

“Living with Autism” a graduation project by Senior Katie Etling displayed the impacts ofthe disease. The focus of Etling’s presentation was the NHS School of Western Pennsylvania,a school specifically for the autistic. Etling showed her personal experiences living with afamily member diagnosed with autism through the use of a video focusing on NHS, a powerpoint presentation covering the disease of autism, and a poster displaying photos of Etling’spersonal involvement at NHS. The research Etling did for her project will help her in herfuture for she is interested in pursuing a career in psychology. The most challenging part ofcompleting the project for Etling was, “Finding a way to present the broad topic specially, Ikept on wanting to add more aspects to the project.”

Living With AutismProject By: Katie Etling

Prom is on every girl’s mind months before the actual event even comes around. After all there’splenty to fret about concerning prom including the date, the dress, the shoes, the hair, themakeup, the ride, and the after party. To begin the prom madness season, seniors JessicaCelesnik and Ashley Fisher organized a prom fashion show for their graduation project. Aboutfifty people attended the event held Friday January 18 in the Center for Student Creativity.Required for admission, the guests brought two non perishable food items, a whole trunk loadof food was donated to the Westmoreland County Food Bank. Fifteen prom dresses weredonated by M’Kayshas for the night of the fashion show. They were modeled by students ofGLSH including seniors Lauren Taylor, Rebekah Baker, Jennifer Harold, Katie Barchesky,junior Rachel Garmond, and sophomore Tessa Eline. Along with the show Fisher and Celesnikorganized ten raffle baskets filled with donations from local businesses. They collected a totalof eighty dollars from the raffles.

Prom Fashion ShowProject By: Jessica Celesnick and Ashley FIsher

Since their sophomore year, Richie Kucera and Mike Roach have been involved with theAmerican Red Cross club for Mrs. Kubus. It involved a lot of hard work such as grantwriting, teaching and working with younger kids before they could actually have fun; “TheZoo Trip.” They explained how they took 34 underprivileged, academically motivated fourthgrade students from all three elementary schools to the zoo. Looking back on this experience,they said it was very rewarding in many ways. “Going to the zoo is a great time, the kidsreally enjoyed it” said Richie. They turned the trip into a power-point/DVD presentation toshow the success of their hard work.

The Red Cross ClubProject By: Mike Roach and Richie Kucera

“Long Road to Shippensburg” was a scrapbook presentation about the 2007 Girls SoftballTeam from Rachel Eaglehouse, Jocie Eaglehouse and Kristin Shmucker. They explained howteam-bonding was an issue, because let’s just say we all know how a group of 30 teenage girlsare. The girls said they overcame that issue when reaching their goals to winning sections,then WPIALS, as well as first Runner up in the State. The tremendous support from everyonein the city for all 27 games gave them a lot of confidence, and earned spots at a city counselmeeting and a school board meeting. The girls said it was a life-time experience they wouldnever forget.

Road to ShippensburgProject By: Jocelyn Eaglehouse, Rachel Eaglehouse, Kristin Shmucker

Written By: Courtney Briggs, Staff Writer Written By: Ben Battaglia, Staff Writer

Written By: Kristina Wiggins, Staff Writer

Written By: Kristina Wiggins, Staff WriterWritten By: Kristina WIggins, Staff Writer

Written By:Lindsey Yelenic, Staff Writer Written By: Megin Kerila, Intern

Written By:Megin Kerila, InternWritten By:Megin Kerila, Intern

Written By: Kristina WIggins, Staff Writer

Pictured in the background are seniors GavinDunlap, Collins Carlin, and sophomore Jake Penzeraof the band “Revenant.” On January 21, 2008 thegroup played in front for a crowd 25-30 for theirsenior project. Check them out on Purevolume.comand YouTube.

Graduation projects are required for allstudents in GLSD, in which they present acomprehensive project in a both written and oralpresentation that exhibits their knowledge acquiredthroughout their schooling. Members of the schoolboard and community were invited to sit in ongraduation projects.