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Smoke SignalsDec. 2014/Vol. 6 Issue 2
Photo by Jessie Fairbanks
Happy Holidaysfrom
Smoke Signals
Volume 6 Issue 2Peters Township High School
264 East McMurray RoadMcMurray, PA 15317
724-941-6250www.ptmedia.net
The Editors
Nicole Spindler Print Editor-in-Chief
Kassianna Politis Print Editor-in-Chief
Olivia Glod Web Editor-in-Chief Sports Section Editor
Karen Richtar Web Editor-in-ChiefSports Section Editor
Natalie Rihmland Layout Editor-in-Chief
Maria Hoge Layout Editor-in-Chief
Nicole Folino Business Editor-in-Chief
Life and Style Section Editor
Bailey Fink Business Editor-in-Chief
Natalie Leven Special Features Layout Editor
Madi StartOutside the Bubble and
#Connect Section Editor
Brenna Woodside Student Work and Content
Section Editor
Vanessa Scoulos Entertainment Section
Editor
Nicole Beichner PT Focus and People Features
Section Editor
Layout Staff Samantha Abraham Jessie Fairbanks Caitlyn Lawrence
Riley Gillespie Maille O’Toole Kelly SalaRebecca Schake
Staff WritersNora BarczakCaroline BaumgartEric BlattAnna ButtergereitAndrew Byrne
Julia CasciolaNicholas ChapmanKelly DastaNate DoughtyEmily Fornof
Marissa GlovierAbigail GordonJennifer HolcombeReilly McGlumphyAngela Roberts
Peyton StartAbby TarwaterLily TarwaterMeah Watson
Table of Contents
PT Focus 5
7
9
11
12-13
14
16-17
18
20
22-23
Sports
#connect
Life & Style
People Features
Entertainment
Student Work
Outside the Bubble
Holidays Around the World
Mr. PTHS
From PT to Broadway
Ebola Decimates the Youth of West Africa
Tradition of Winning
Spicing Up the Holidays
24Teacher 101
On the Ice with Adam
Alavi
PTHS Gives Back
Ceramics
Mr. Kuharcik
PT Focus// December 2014PTHS
Coffeehouse, the annual variety show that Thespian Troupe 185 holds in the cafeteria, showcases the talents of the student body including singers, musicians, dancers, and actors. It will be held on December 18, 19, and 20 in the cafeteria. This year the theme is Once Upon a Mug.
Coffeehouse is hosted by seniors and four year Troupe members Kylie Marshall and Sebastian Hymson. The job of the hosts proves to be fun and challenging.
“I tried out for host because I thought it looked super fun and this year was my last chance to go for it,” said Marshall. “It is a lot of thinking on your feet, which is always difficult, especially in front of an audience.”
The majority of the students who tried for coffeehouse were singers. Senior Ally Ruggieri is performing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” making it her third year singing in Coffeehouse.
“My favorite part about singing is hitting all the notes and giving a good performance. I tried out for Coffeehouse because it’s a good opportunity to perform with your friends,” stated Ruggieri.
There are a variety of talented musicians including Faultline, a first-time jazz band. The group is performing a cover of “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.
“We had always talked about starting a band, but Will was
Once Upon a MugKellyDasta|StaffWriter
Two years ago, PTHS won the Trib Total Media’s Lip Dub Competi-tion. This year, the Media Department is attempting to replicate their success again. 800 students from various clubs and sports gathered together in early November to record this year’s Lip Dub, and the final product that was submitted for the competition on November 7. Stu-dents should forever be proud of it. Even though the Lip Dub was a success, the words that could be used to describe the first take would be absolute chaos.
“It was like being eaten alive,” said senior Greg Oleynik referring to the first take.
Oleynik was mauled by the sheer enthusiasm of the football team as they
took off to the gym. He played a vital role in the Lip Dub, carrying the speaker so that the singers could hear the words they were to be “dubbing.” Because of Greg’s near death experience, senior Kylie Marshall and sophomore James Curry were unable to hear, or know the beat of the music for that matter. Oleynik managed to recover but Marshall and Curry ended up repeating the same verse over again.
While arriving at the library, the door that freshman Mara Rayburg was supposed to open was locked. Yes, locked, during this “one shot” event. Walking past the band, senior Mario Mastrangelo was unable to hear the speaker as the band was playing The Booty Drop in what sounded like full blast, leaving Mastrangelo a verse behind. When approaching the silks after Brenna Schuler performed her casual eight back flips, the PTHS ROWDY RED sign that the cheerleaders made was not even set up. In fact, it looked as if it was folded in half, completely illegible. At this point it seemed that it would be a real challenge to try and complete this in one take with only
Lip Dub BloopersNateDoughty|StaffWriter
Photos by Nate Doughty
10 minutes left in the school day. Despite the first take being di-
sastrous, the second one was the complete opposite. All of the problems mentioned before managed to fix themselves, and the result was something utterly amazing. The countless hours that the video club put in, as well as the hours of many others spent in planning this tremendous event was impressive. It could not have been pulled off without them. Thanks to ev-eryone that participated in this year’s suc-cessful Lip Dub, which truly showcased school spirit. WE ARE PT!
the one who actually brought us all together. When we formed the band, we wanted to test our limits and try something new,” stated junior Matthias Campion.
Junior Emily Waterson and sophomore Becca Gailanella are performing a duet dance to “Feeling Good” by Michael Buble. They have both been dancing since they were three and this is their first time in Coffeehouse.
“I love to dance because it lets me express myself without talking because I’m awkward when I talk,” joked Waterson.
Coffeehouse also features many actors in monologues and skits. Juniors Lauren DiCello and Nikki Wall are performing a skit from “The Parent Trap.” In the scene two girls at a summer camp discover that they are long lost twins from divorced parents.
“This is my third year in Coffeehouse,” said DiCello. “We chose the skit because it is a familiar movie that most people seem to enjoy and recognize immediately. I love seeing people who don’t normally enjoy theatre sitting in the audience.”
Every year the Thespian Troupe seniors put together a skit and song. Their skit, “Disney Princess Intervention,” is written by them. It features the girls as Disney princesses talking about their problems. The song they’re performing is “Mama I’m a Big Girl Now,” from Hairspray.
“The senior skit gave me an opportunity to experience a different realm of theatre because I’ve always been on tech working behind the scenes rather on the stage,” said senior Matt Hilzendeger.
Photo by Mrs. Barefoot
layout by rebecca schake 05
“No Shave November” is a campaign dedicated to fighting prostate cancer. The main goal of the month is to embrace the hair that we have and hair that the cancer patients are losing. Funds raised in the US are directed to programs run by Movember, Prostate Cancer Foundation and the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Together, the three channels ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programs in the areas of awareness, education, and research.
Overall, the event highlighted unity of the senior class and its commitment to helping others. Student council was able to donate over $700 to the organization Movember because of the event.
“The creativity of the members of student council has really shined through during the planning of the event,” said Student Council sponsor Mr. Brado. “Students donated everything from the posters to the cookies and the Penguins tickets that were raffled off.”
Senior Cheerleader Caitie Lawrence was in charge of creating the show-stopping group dance. She considered the specific talents of the contestants and created an easy to learn dance that only required one rehearsal.
“I was so pumped when Vanessa asked me to help. It was cool to see everyone come together and brainstorm new ideas,” Lawrence said. “Everyone had a unique contribution.”
Senior Nate Doughty was crowned Mr. PTHS on Saturday, November 22. This revamped PT tradition featured fourteen contestants representing the diversity of the Class of 2015.
The boys were introduced and asked spontaneous personality questions. After, the boys performed their talents, votes were counted, and Doughty was proclaimed the winner after the intermission.
He took the audience by storm with his talent of dramatically reading the hit song “I’m Sexy and I Know It.”
“It was an honor to be crowned,” Doughty said. “It was a great evening and I’m so glad that we were able to raise money for men’s cancer.”
Other highlights of the night included the “Napoleon Dynamite” dance by Jake Bruker, Skateboarding by Eric Blatt and Daniel Krajovic beating his personal plank record. Krajovic was able to hold his plank for an astonishing 25 minutes.
“It was evident that the girls put a lot of time into the night.” said Krajovic. “The night was truly great and I am so glad I was able to participate.”
Photos & background by Kelly Sala
VanessaScoulos|EntertainmentEditor and NicoleBeichner|PTFocus & PeopleFeatures Editor
Photo by Samantha
Bayer
Sports// December 2014PTHS
College playoffs are here. For the first time ever, the NCAA has attached a playoff system to college foot-ball. Now, teams are pres-sured to prove their skills on a whole new level by fac-ing other big-name teams in these games to win the Col-lege Football Playoff National Championship trophy pre-sented by Dr. Pepper. The new playoffs
are causing heated debates amongst the Peters Township student body and faculty. Ev-eryone has their own unique
opinion on their favorite top ranked team. “The new playoff
The Competition is Fierce: College FootballNicoleFolino|BusinessEditor-in-Chief
Photos by Nicole Folino
After a string of unsatisfying second place finishes in playoffs past, the Peters Township Varsity AAA ice hockey team finally captured the Penguins Cup last season with an inspiring run that showcased the talent, hard work, and passion each player pos-sessed. The Indians took down their rivals, the Bethel Park Blackhawks,
by a score of 4-2 to skate away with the title. This season, led by captain Carter Ekberg and assistant captains Brady Cochrane, Sam Barnes, and Chad Wyatt, the team looks to achieve similar success with a target painted on their backs.
“We do have greater expectations this season because every team we play wants to beat us,” junior defenseman Matt Tylenda said. “The games will be more competitive. We have to raise the bar from last year.”
Love for the game unifies and drives a team to perform at the highest level. Hockey, as much a mental game as a physi-cal one, inspires a passion in its players unmatched by any other sport. The Indians display that passion every time they step out onto the ice. Most of them developed their love of hockey from
Indians Look to Build on Last Year’s SuccessKarenRichtar|WebEditor-in-Chief
a very young age.“I was born in Canada so I was basically born in skates,”
Cochrane said. This season, the Indians will have their passion put to the
test once again. Bethel Park will be searching for an opportunity at revenge and the Canon-McMillan Big Macs will also pose a threat to the chance of a Penguins Cup repeat and a shot at state champi-ons for the Indians.
“There are definitely higher expectations, but we’re just trying to ignore it and play our style of hockey,” said Cochrane.
They are off to an incredible start. The Indians sit at sec-ond place in the PIHL standings and have only suffered one loss this fall to the first place North Allegheny Tigers.* With help from the return of talented forward Adam Alavi**, the Indians will look to polish off a spectacular regular season to precede the playoffs.
“Our only goal is a state championship. Nothing less,” Ek-berg stated.
The players know they cannot do it alone, though. Sup-port and guidance from coaches, family, friends, and fans has also been key to the success of the hockey program.
“We would like to thank everyone who has supported us in the past. For those who haven’t, if you come out and watch our team, you will want to come back,” Ekberg said.
*as of November 25, 2014**see people feature section for more on Alavi’s return
concept is a great a d d i -tion to c o l l e g e football. It really p r o v e s t h e ranking
system to be true and shows why the top ranked team de-serves their title. My bet is on Mississippi State; they’ve been playing quite amazing this year,” junior Neil Olade stated. This new and im-
proved competition concept will consist of two rounds of playoff games and then the overall championship. Com-petitors in these playoffs consist of the top four ranked teams which are selected based off of the strength of schedule, head-to-head results, comparison of results against opponents, championships won, and an abundance of other factors. Psychology teacher
Mr. Kuhn said, “The playoff system was desperately needed, but I would rather see a full scale playoff system like bas-ketball rather than the current playoff system of only four se-lected teams based off of the se-lection committee’s rankings. I know it may be time consuming and not practical, but it would be most fair.” Although there is
some controversy due to the structure of the playoffs, al-most every college football fan is anxiously awaiting them. The playoffs create a more appealing football atmosphere by giving even more incentive for fans to root for their teams. “The final four will
be Alabama, Mississippi State, Oregon and Florida State. My money is on Alabama. They lost one game and now they will use this as motivation to win play-offs. ROLL TIDE,” said sopho-more Nick Buttgereit. The fact that every
game counts in this year’s regu-
lar season has created a tense atmosphere. Fans are rest-lessly anticipating the New Year’s back-to-back-to-back triple headers. The two playoff semifinals will be played on New Year’s Eve and Day, along with four other premier bowl games. “Florida State is go-
ing to win. They are the only team in the top four that is left undefeated and will stay unde-feated,” senior Eric Blatt said.The debate of the best college
football teams has stirred up attention not only within the bubble walls, but the nation as well. The champion-ship, which will be held on Monday January 12, will decide who the true winner is.
Photo by Molly Campbell
Layout by Riley Gillespie 07
A Tradition of WinningReillyMcGlumphy|StaffWriter
Photos by Mrs. Harrison and Caitie Lawrence
For the first time in 25 years, PT Men’s Soccer ended their season as both WPIAL and PIAA state cham-pions. The last time the boys went to Hershey for states in 2008, the team walked away with silver medals. This year proved to be very different.
“The main difference between this year’s team and past years is the chemistry that our team has,” senior Jonathan Sion stated. “Everyone has a close relationship which made a difference in our team’s success.”
The championship game was held on November 15 at Hershey Park Stadium. It was a frigid 28 degrees, but that didn’t stop the student section from being rowdy. They chanted “Let’s
go PT” as the team took the field. “Going into the game, we knew it was going to be a battle. I believed it would take
some time to settle into the atmosphere. At halftime, we knew we could win this game and were confident in ourselves,” senior captain Nicco Mastrangelo said.
PT dominated the first half with a 6-1 shot on goal advantage. Even with the shot ad-vantage, the Indians went to the locker room in a scoreless tie.
Fifty-seven minutes into the match, Nicco capital-ized off a cross from his brother, Mario. This put the Indians up one to zero. The entire team raced to the sidelines, sliding to the ground and shooting their “arrows” into the crowd. Five minutes later, Mario scored a matching goal off an assist from Nicco.
One minute later, the Great Valley Patriots tallied their first and only goal of the night. In a span of only eight minutes, all three goals of the game were scored.
For the final seventeen minutes of the game, PT changed their strategy and played a more defensive style. The Patriot’s offense came alive, but the PT defense proved to be too much for them.
As the final whistle signaled the end of the game, PT came out on top with the final score two to one. In the WPIAL and states playoffs, the team did extremely well in capitalizing on their scoring oppor-
tunities. The offense scored 30 goals, but the defense also stood their ground by only letting in two goals. The Indians success has been a team effort.
Winning states was a huge success for the team, but winning back-to-back WPIAL titles against their rival USC may be even greater.
The USC game started on a high note. With twenty-three minutes remaining in the first half, Nicco Mastrangelo scored off a corner kick. Three minutes later, Nicco scored again from an assist by his brother Mario.
“Scoring gave us a huge advantage. Getting a lead early always puts the other team on their heels,” said Nicco Mastrangelo. Jonathan Sion started the second half with a perfect shot to keep the Indians ahead, 3-0. A few minutes later, USC fouled
in the box to give PT a penalty kick. Junior Matt Massucci studied the shot and then accurately placed the ball in the back of the net. “On my penalty kicks, I pick out my spot and try not to make eye contact with the goalie so he can’t psych me out,” said
Massucci.USC tried to bounce back and scored a goal shortly after. That didn’t affect the Indians. Once again, they scored from a shot
by Mario. USC appeared to be stunned after losing their second straight WPIAL title following a successful regular season. “The key to our defense is communication, teamwork, and dedication. The three of us, (Marisa, Harrison and myself),
worked as hard as possible all season and we work great to-gether. With communication, we know we are always on the same page so there is little room for error. We are also great friends which helped us be successful on the field,” senior Jake Valley said.
Goalie Josh Deyarmin appreciated all the hard work his teammates have displayed this season.
“We couldn’t have accomplished this without each and every player. There is nothing more I could have asked from my teammates,” said Deyarmin.
#connect// December 2014PTHS
Winter Holiday TraditionsJenniferHolcombe|Staffwriter
In a township where everyone seems alike, the winter holidays unveil the divergent, proving not all holidays are the same. Take a look at Christmas around the world on page 16 of the news magazine. These Peters Township students infuse their cultural traditions during the winter festivities.
The gifted students at Peters Township are finally getting the recognition that they deserve. Ranging from awards in academics to athletics, Smoke Signals would like to recognize these talented teenagers. An astounding fourteen students were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Pro-gram for placing among the top 34,000 students in the nation in relation to PSAT scores. Of the four-teen, six were named semi-finalists: Matt Gummersbach, Daniel Krajovic, Mary Kate Pritz, Nicholas Roberts, Roy Wang, and Delaney Wehn. PT is also stealing the spotlight; junior Charlie Meyers, who will attend this year’s Thespian Conference, will perform various 1920’s tunes as part of the All-State Show. This is an exclusive honor.
Only ten thespians are selected to take the stage and Meyers’ audition was enough to convince them that he was perfect for the role. While boy’s soccer has dominated the headlines lately, the golf, tennis, and cross country teams have also had newsworthy success. Boy’s golf recently finished their season undefeated and collected a WPIAL title. It is their eighth WPIAL victory in the last twelve years. Both boy’s and girl’s golf found success beyond the WPIAL competition; golfers Alec Stopperich, Ben Morgret, and Mia Kness all reached the PIAA individual finals. Kness became a PIAA western region champion after her most recent victory. The doubles team of Megan Hixon and Jennifer Holcombe served up a WPIAL win for girl’s tennis. Hixon and Holcombe followed up that victory by placing third in the PIAA tournament. Cross country members Nick Wolk and Chloe Grzyb were chosen to travel to Hershey to compete in the PIAA finals after finishing in the Top 15 individuals in the WPIAL competition. Be sure to congratulate these high-achieving students for their incredible accomplishments the next time you pass them in the halls.
PT AccomplishmentsKarenRichtar|WebEditor-In-Chief
Photo by Manasi Jadhav
Carla Goldsmith 9 Each year Carla and
her fam-ily celebrate Hanukkah. Her fam-ily gathers around the table each
night to have a Hanukah feast. The school’s holiday break usually begins when Hanukah ends. This gives the Goldsmith family the opportunity to trav-el over the holidays. They get to embrace the spirit of Ha-nukkah in places most Jewish people do not. One year, the Goldsmith family even vis-ited Puerto Rico. “Around the holidays, we try to pick a new place to visit around the world. This year we will visit Spain,” commented Goldsmith.
Megan Hixon 11 Megan celebrates an American Christmas. This in-cludes watching her favorite movie “White Christmas” with her dad and decorating the tree. Megan decorates more than just the branches; her family makes sure to decorate underneath with a unique version of the North Pole. They bake treats for her friends. “Spending time with my fam-ily and en-joying the holiday at-mosphere is my favorite part of winter break,” says Hixon.
Raashmi Krishnasamy 12 When asked what her favorite holiday memory was Raashmi instantly explained Diwali day, an Indian celebra-tion held in November. On Diwali, Raashmi and her fam-ily usually go to the temple and celebrate with friends. They light off fireworks to signify the victory of light over darkness. Raashmi’s favorite memory of Diwali day was when she trav-eled to India. “We lit sparklers from midnight the previous day until five the next morning and went shopping on Diwali day,” recounted Raashmi.
Kenna Kuehn 12 Kenna’s holiday tra-ditions can be traced back to her Polish background. “Be-cause my dad’s side of the fam-ily is 100% Polish, we’ve been making Kiel-basa from an old crank machine for genera-tions.” Kenna and her family get together and decorate the tree and make sausage. “It’s important to remember my Polish background and cele-brate it with family around the holidays,” said Kuehn.
All Photos Submitted
Layout By Caitie Lawrence 09
Caitie Lawrence visits
West Virginia University
Anna Buttgereit visits
Syracuse
Mitch Hammer visits John Carroll
University
Becky Moshier visits University of Michigan
Sebastian Hymson visits
Columbia University
Julia Brugger, Marissa Brugger, and
Alyssa Salley visit Pennsylvania State
‘Tis The Season To Determine The FutureAnna Buttgereit|StaffWriter
Between heavy workloads, club meetings, and sports practices, most students’ schedules are jam-packed. It’s hard enough to squeeze in much needed sleep and a little bit of free time on weeknights. Seniors have one more element to add to this equation: the college application process. High school seniors from across the
nation share the fear that one application may determine their future.Most seniors would concur that the college search is not as easy as they anticipated. Size, location, and academics are all included in the endless factors to consider during the selection process. Student ath-
letes face the added pressure of comparing athletic programs. To better capture the stress that accompanies determining a student’s future, 100 PTHS seniors were surveyed about the factors that made colleges more or less attractive to them. 29 percent listed athletics as the most important factor when considering a school, while 42 percent of the
students valued academics as their first priority. The greatest source of anxiety for students throughout the process is the uncertainty of
being accepted by their top choice. About 60 percent of the students who completed the survey have a definitive number one choice. However, the rest were still unde-
cided or wanted to wait and weigh their options. “My top choice school is a reach school because after all my hard work throughout high school, especially during junior year, I wanted to prove my intelligence to myself and others by taking a long shot,” said senior
Noah Fornear.When students were asked a size preference, 46 percent said they pre-
ferred a large campus. This study showed that a rural campus is preferred over an urban campus and the majority of students
polled chose a private school over a public university. Overall, the importance of location and size of a school is dependent
upon the individual. “I looked more at the urban versus rural aspect rather than
focusing on size. The college’s location and whether it was near an urban atmosphere was probably one of the most crucial factors I took under consid-
eration throughout choosing which schools I liked the best,” said senior Sydney Artman.Once the college hunt begins, students truly realize the overwhelming amount
of choices to factor into one, big jumble of an equation. The possible
combinations to take in account seem infinite. Throughout the next few months of this
season, we wish everyone the best of luck in their
choices. Remember: hardworking, deter-
mined students succeed wherev-
er they may go.
Life & Style// December 2014PTHS
Gifts For the BAEMadiStart|#ConnectandOutsidetheBubbleEditor
Don’t Snow Your Day AwayNoraBarczak|StaffWriter
Photos by Madi Start
It is that time of year again when students go into hi-bernation during the bitter days of winter. In a township where the salt trucks are unfortunately very good at their job, two-hour delays and snow days are scarce. However, there are those rare moments when the snow falls at just the right hour in the early morning. Students peek out their windows to see the streets completely covered with that fresh snow. They turn on the television, using their hands to block the bright light from catching their eyes. They stand there half-asleep looking for their school at the bottom of the screen, just to miss it and have to watch the entire list of schools from the beginning. Finally, the phone begins ringing which is like music to their ears, and it is a victory for the students. They have the day off. With the feeling of pure happiness, the question of what to do lingers in the minds of many.
Snow days should not be a day wasted. They can be adventurous, entertaining, or a day to catch up on homework. The most important thing to remember is to have fun. With these exciting ideas for a snowy day, it will be an unforgettable winter. The majority of students in high school want sleep more than anything. However, sleeping all day is boring and sometimes people wake up more tired than they were before. Instead of sleeping away a snowy day, friends can get together to have a holiday movie marathon and drink mug after mug of hot chocolate. They are still able to relax and take it easy. They
can even stay in their pajamas all day if they want to. Then there are those snow bunnies. They love any-thing that has to do with snow. For these individuals, they can go sled riding in their backyard, or better yet, take a ride out to Sunny Slopes in South Park and spend the day sled riding with friends. A group of people can make a trip to Seven Springs or Hidden Valley and do some skiing for the day. They can also go ice skating around the tree downtown or at a local ice skat-ing rink. As for those guys who play hockey, pond hockey is another enjoyable way to spend a snowy day. Some individuals may think that snowball fights are only for young kids, but being able to pummel a friend with a solid ball of ice is one of the best satisfactions. A group of people can split up into different teams and keep score. Who-ever loses has to buy Chipotle or Moe’s for everyone.
Snowmen – is there a need to say anything more? Frosty will be gliding over to Jack Frost’s house with this idea. Go outside with neighbors, friends, or family and build a snow-man. They can have contests such as who built the best snow-man, who built the snowman the fastest, or whose snowman lasts the longest. Anything can be done with some snow and a group of people, but please stay away from turning the snow yellow.
With the holiday rush, time just seems to slip away. It can be a struggle to buy that special someone the perfect gift they deserve. Don’t stress out yet; with a little help, find-ing the perfect gift will be easy. The holidays are about showing love to those important to you in your life. So remember: it is the thought that counts, not the actual gift. Giving a gift that someone actually likes is abonus.
When shopping for that special guy in your life, keep their hobbies in mind. An engraved pocket knife is a good route to take if they are handy. Things Remembered at the South Hills Village Mall has a great selection to choose from. If they are usually late, a cute gift idea could be a watch. Macy’s sells G-Shock watches, which are extremely durable yet fashionable. G-Shock watches are perfect for a laid-back guy, plus it might make him more punctual. If he is heading off to college next year, buy him spir-it-wear from his dream school. Any senior guy would love this gift idea. For music fanatics, go to Brookstone or Best Buy and purchase some portable speak-ers. They will love to show them off when they are hanging out with their friends. If they al-ready have portable speakers,
you can’t go wrong with some new headphones. Girls can be hard to buy for, so take a close interest to what they like. A Pandora bracelet would make any girl happy. Pandora sells thousands of different charms so it won’t be hard to find one that suits her. If your girl usually finds herself watching old reruns of Cake Boss or Gossip Girl, buy her a Netflix subscription. It is the gift that keeps on giving. If she is a fashion guru but you don’t want to buy her clothes that she won’t like, buy her a purse or wallet from her favor-ite brand. If her favorite band or singer is coming to Pittsburgh soon, buy her concert tickets. Concert tickets are basically a two-in-one; they are a gift plus a date. She won’t be able to thank you enough for this ador-able gesture. Sometimes when
a relationship has just started, it feels too soon to go spend a lot of money on her. A nice picture frame with a picture of both of you in it is a sweet idea. You could also just treat her to a nice night out, maybe take the T to Station Square and eat at a restaurant.
Red Velvet Cutout CookiesIngredients•1 cup butter•1½ cups powdered sugar•1 egg•1-2 tablespoon red velvet emulsion•1 teaspoon vanilla extract•1 tablespoon dark chocolate cocoa powder•¼ cup melted chocolate chips (Ghirardelli 60% cacao)•3 cups flour•2 teaspoons baking powder•1 tablespoon dry buttermilk•1 teaspoon salt
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, mix in red velvet emulsion, va-nilla, cocoa, and melted chocolate. Blend in flour baking powder, dry buttermilk, and salt. Mix until dough pulls away from paddle and begins to form ball. Roll out on floured surface. Cut into de-sired shape with cookie cutter. Bake on Parchment lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for 7-9 minutes.
For Icing•2 cups powdered sugar•2 tablespoons water•1 tablespoon corn syrup•one-two-teaspoon red velvet emulsion•2 teaspoons dark chocolate cocoa powder
Mix until smooth and pipe on cookies with #4 tip
Ingredients•1 package (13 oz) Pillsbury™ Ready To Bake!® SHAPE® Christmas tree sugar cookies•3/4 cup vanilla frosting (from 1-1b con-tainer frosting) •Sprinkles Heat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies as direct-ed on package. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. For each sand-wich cookie, spread 1 tablespoon frosting on bottom of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; press together gently. Roll cookie sandwiches in candy sprinkles to cover edge of frosting center. Store loosely covered. 12 sandwich cookies.
Ingredients•6 eggs (room temperature)•1 cup sugar•½ cup Mazola oil•½ cup melted margarine•1 teaspoon vanilla•1 teaspoon lemon•1 teaspoon orange•1 teaspoon Anise•2 ½ cups flour
Beat eggs well. Add sugar and beat until thick and lemon color. Add oil, margarine, and flavorings; mix. Add flour, mix until smooth. Use teaspoon to spoon mix onto hot Pizzelle iron.
Nana’s Pizzelles
Baking cookies is a good way to get in the holiday spirit and not let these magical moments slip away. Grab a friend, your sister or brother, your boyfriend/girlfriend, a neighbor, your mom or dad, your cat; basically anything that lives and breathes, and make a holi-day memory that will last longer than the delicious treats. Then, spread the love by sharing your creations with friends, family, or even strangers. Giving cookies to the elderly or underprivileged is a great way to spread the holiday cheer. Whether you’re Buddy Valastro or the worst chef in America, bake some memories to last a lifetime. It doesn’t matter if your cookies turn out like the black soul of the Scrooge. It’s the process and the fun that matters. Don’t have a favorite recipe? Check out these delicious cookie recipes for baking prodigies, the cooking impaired, and the family pleaser. This first tasty treat is meant for all you overachievers out there who love to take everything to the next level. If you are looking to impress, this delicious recipe is the perfect choice. It’s so involved it would make even Martha Stewart jealous of your baking abilities. These yummy cookies take a steady hand and a ton of patience. After the batter is made, cut out the cookies into cute holiday shapes like a snowflakes. After the cookies bake, ice them to make them into the perfect treat. Go on you go-getters and get to making some tantalizing snowflakes. Don’t have a gift for baking? No worries. This sugary sensation of a cookie is bound to impress without all the fuss. It’s basically fool proof. You could be known for burning water and still make these addictive cookies without a hiccup. Remember, if making PB&J sandwiches is a difficult task for you, this treat is your sole hope for an edible baked good. However, no guarantees anyone will want to try your tasty treats given your shady history of being unable to make Easy Mac. We all have them, those family recipes that are so good they will never go out of style. I have my fair share coming from a big tra-ditional Italian family. Featured below is a recipe that my family fondly refers to as Nana’s Pizzelles, even though we call my grandmother, Grandma. If you’re looking for a traditional Christmas cookie that is sure to please the entire family, this is the recipe for you. Whipping up a batch of these yummy Italian delectables is sure to evoke memories to last.
Bring the Cheer
Layout by Kelly Sala 11
MarissaGlovier|StaffWriter
Christmas Tree Sandwich Cookies
Photos by Marissa Glovier
Junior Class’s Veterans Fundraiser
Along with NHS and Interact, the Media Department has reached out to make this
Christmas special for children. Through the US Marine Corps’ Toys For Tots organization, the Me-
dia Department collected new and unwrapped toys for children within the community. The objective of Toys for Tots is to give less fortunate children a message of
hope during this special time. “The holiday season brings such a separation between those who have and those that don’t. When people who have can
share with those who don’t, everyone ben-efits,” said media teacher Mr. Bastos.
As many people may have seen, there has been a box out in the front of
the school to donate goods and necessities to veterans overseas. The goods are being sent via
Operation Troop Appreciation and will arrive during the holiday season. Junior Ian Gautschi, who led the project, said, “Raising supplies to
send overseas is the least we can do for the people who give up so much, it’s impor-
tant we support them any way we can.”
The Interact Club is preparing for their third annual
Christmas Giving Tree Project. The club receives the wish lists from kids all over the
region through the organization Community Ac-tion Southwest. The students get the opportunity to be Santa to this group of children in need. Interact
President, Kenna Kuehn, got to see the reaction from her gift first hand, as she ended up volun-teering with the little girl who received her gift.
“I was her Santa and best friend all in one package,” stated Kuehn.
PT Gives BackThe holiday season is a magical time, no matter what you celebrate. However, there are people in the world whose holidays are not full of the happiness and hope that many are accustomed to. PT students aim to change that through a variety of projects. They are reaching out to spread the holiday cheer to those who do not have the opportunity to experience it otherwise, which is a better feeling than any present under the Christmas tree could give.
Media’s Toys For Tots
Operation Troop Appretiation
Christmas Giving Tree Project
NHS Operation Christmas Child
The Interact Club is preparing for their third annual
Christmas Giving Tree Project. The club receives the wish lists from kids all over the
region through the organization Community Ac-tion Southwest. The students get the opportunity to be Santa to this group of children in need. Interact
President, Kenna Kuehn, got to see the reaction from her gift first hand, as she ended up volun-teering with the little girl who received her gift.
“I was her Santa and best friend all in one package,” stated Kuehn.
The spirit of the holiday
season is all about giving. Well, also heaping piles of cookies, but mostly giv-
ing. Volunteer work helps those in need, and will make you a more selfless person. Junior Bailey Fink
volunteers every year with the Salvation Army, during the second week of December. She heads downtown with her aunt and the U.S. Airways Do Crew to help give gifts to less fortu-
nate children in the Pittsburgh area. The U.S. Airways Do Crew is a part of the Community Relations program through the U.S.
Airways that is dedicated to performing community-based projects on a monthly basis. They operate in cities all around America. The
program Fink participates in picks, sorts, and wraps toys paid for by the Salvation Army. The toys are given to kids who don’t usually get presents on Christmas. “The first year that I volunteered, I didn’t
realize that I was only supposed to get one or two small gifts for the children, so I ended up grabbing big Barbie Dream
Houses with piles of clothes and extra Barbies instead of a teddy bear like I was supposed to. Let’s just say
the coordinator was not too happy with me,” said Fink.This winter, Fink is bringing
her youth group with her to volunteer.
The National Honors Society kicked off the holiday season with “Op-eration Christmas Child” on November 6. Over 150 students showed up to help
put together gift boxes for children around the world. Students were able to make an overwhelming 263 shoeboxes, all of which will bring smiles to children in need this
holiday season. “It was fulfilling to know that my service impacted little
children all around the world,” said senior Raashmi
Krishnasamy.
PT Gives Back
Layout by Natalie LevenWritten by Emily Fornof and Andrew Bryne
The holiday season is a magical time, no matter what you celebrate. However, there are people in the world whose holidays are not full of the happiness and hope that many are accustomed to. PT students aim to change that through a variety of projects. They are reaching out to spread the holiday cheer to those who do not have the opportunity to experience it otherwise, which is a better feeling than any present under the Christmas tree could give.
Salvation Army
Operation Christmas Child
Christmas Giving Tree Project
People Features// December 2014 PTHS
14
Although many students are wandering through the halls in a highly caffeinated, sleep de-prived state, hopefully some may have come across an unfamiliar face this year. A new addition to the high school’s staff is Mrs. Stawartz. Stawartz took over the position of the newly retired business, computers, technology, information (BCIT) teachers, Mrs. Lane and Mrs. Veltri. Mrs. Stawartz is very excited to be teaching BCIT in the district. She has been teaching for nine years and is impressed with the student body at Peters. “The students of PT possess a positive attitude, motivation, and school spirit that I have never seen before in my nine years of teaching. It really has made it an absolute pleasure to come to work each day,” said Stawartz.
Currently the Junior Varsity girls tennis coach, Mrs. Stawartz is an avid sports fan. When not playing with her son Troy or teaching BCIT, she loves to sit back and relax by watching sports, especially baseball. Mrs. Stawartz hopes to become involved in coaching other sports throughout her teaching career. With the end of the first quarter and winter break right around the corner, throughout the school it is apparent students are suf-fering from a lack of interest in their classes and homework. Mrs. Stawartz however, provides a few tips to stay on task. “Whether it’s for a class or exam, preparation is the key to success,” said Stawartz. “Looking beyond high school, this tip can be applied to almost all aspects of life, providing students with a foundation for success.” In addition, balancing time effectively is another skill necessary to succeed throughout high school and college. “The balance between school, extracurricular activities, and a social life will go a long way,” said Stawartz.
MadisonFritz|StaffWriterWelcome, Mrs. Stawartz
Photo by Abby Tarwater
Walking through the science wing, students may have seen an unfamiliar face. It is Mr. Albright, the new science and math teacher, who is determined to be the best teacher and role model possible for his students. “Setting an example for students that they can hope-fully look back on as they grow and mature is very important,” stated Albright. “For me personally, some of my high school teachers were my biggest role models, and I look to be able to be that for my students.” Albright has specific goals for his first year at Peters, especially gaining a positive reputation throughout the school. “I’d say my number one goal is to develop relation-ships with my colleagues and students,” stated Albright. “To gain the respect of my fellow professionals and students is es-sential in me becoming the best teacher I can be.” This is not Albright’s first teaching job, having already been a long term substitute Biology teacher at Westmont Hill-top School District in Johnstown, PA. After teaching there and experiencing various other schools, he has expressed how im-pressed he is with Peters. “It still surprises me to this day the respect and deter-mination that all of the students here at Peters have,” said Al-bright. “I’ve been at many different schools from my own high school, through observations, student teaching, and last year
AbbyTarwater|StaffWriter
at Westmont, and the work ethic and overall great attitudes of the students here is very impressive. It provides an amazing work atmosphere and makes coming to teach rewarding and fulfilling.” Albright has expressed how his former job has prepared him for his career here. “College up to this point has obviously been my biggest means of preparation, but I can honestly say that teaching for a full year has been the biggest help,” stated Albright. “There are things no amount of classes and advice can help you with, without the experience in the classroom. ” Mr. Albright has also gotten involved with the extra-curriculars by becoming SADD’s new club sponsor; this has al-lowed him to connect with students of all grades. “I wanted to be involved here at the school, and I thought SADD was a great opportunity for me in my first year. As a member of SADD in high school, I also had an under-standing of the club itself and its goals,” stated Albright.
Albright’s Bright Future
Photo by Becca Schake
Layout by Maille O’Toole 15
On the Ice with Adam Alavi Senior Adam Alavi is back at Peters Township for the rest of the school year. Alavi received an amazing opportunity and was out of ‘the bubble’ for the duration of the first nine weeks. Alavi was in a town called Sault Sainte Marie in Michi-gan; he was playing junior hockey for the Soo Eagles in the NAHL (North American Hockey League). Describing his overall experience, Alavi stated, “It was cool to be in a new school and playing for a novel hockey team.” While in Michigan, he and a roommate lived in family quarters. “One of the things that I miss the most was the family I stayed with. They were the nicest and most caring people ever,” commented Alavi. His return to the bubble was the result of an injury: a sprained ankle. Although Alavi’s experience in Michigan had to come to an end, he was thrilled to finally be back at PTHS.
NicoleSpindler|PrintEditorinChief
“It is cool to be back for my senior year; it was nice to see all the people I grew up with and I am pumped to play hockey for Pe-ters Township again,” remarked Alavi. Even before winter approached, hockey season was already under way. Alavi expressed his hopes for this year’s season. “I’m hoping to win the State Championship again just like last year’s team and go undefeated.” After graduation, he does not have plans anytime soon to stop playing the sport he loves. “I want to try playing in the junior league again hopefully while staying healthy,” said Alavi.
Photo by Molly Campbell
BrennaWoodside|StudentContentEditorSchake Shares Hanukkah’s Significance
W h i l e C h r i s t -m a s is just a r o u n d the cor-ner, there is also
another important holiday ap-proaching: Hanukkah. Senior Rebecca Schake shares her tra-ditions, memories and explains the significance of Hanuk-kah. “The significance of Hanukkah is getting my fam-ily to come together, and re-member the victory of the Jew-ish people fighting against the Greeks,” stated Schake.
Hanukkah recognizes the success of the Jewish people fighting against the Greeks in the Maccabean War. After the war, a ritual cleansing and re-dedication of the Temple oc-
curred. According to Jewish belief, an oil lamp was expected to burn for one day. But mirac-ulously the oil lasted for eight days instead, which is why there are eight days of Hanukkah.
“When I think about the Festival of Lights and lighting the menorah, I think pure hap-piness, gift giving, and celebrat-ing my faith,” stated Schake.
Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, starts on the 25th of Kislev, the third month in the Jewish calendar that typi-cally occurs in November and December. The 2014 Festival of Lights begins at sundown on December 16. It includes games, prayers and festive food. During Hanukkah, a menorah candle is lit each night for eight days representing the miracle of the oil lamps. Menorah in He-brew is Hanukkah. The ninth candle in the middle is called the Shamash, which means
helper, because you light that candle first then use that candle to light the other ones. The Me-norah is put by the window to remind others of the miracle that is being celebrated.
“Growing up lighting the Menorah candle was usually lit by my mother. Now, I get the opportunity to light the candles and also read two prayers,” stat-ed Schake.
On the first night of Ha-nukkah, the candle to the far right of the menorah is lit. On the following night, a second candle is lit to the left of the first one. Each night of Hanuk-kah, a candle is lit, moving from right to left. By the end of the holiday, all eight candles are lit. Additionally, Becca has other customs that she and her family celebrate.
“A Hanukkah tradition for me is baking latkes each year, which is one of my favor-
ites, especially with apple sauce on top,” stated Schake.
Latkes are a potato pan-cake; they are significant be-cause they are baked with a lot of oil which represents the oil lasting for eight days. Becca also likes to eat jelly filled do-nuts which are called sufgani-yot.
Another tradition of Schake’s is going to Temple Emanuel of South Hills on the first day of Hanukkah. Aside from the festivities and prayers, many families will exchange gifts with one another after lighting a candle.
Submitted Photo
Photo by Creative Commons
Pittsburgh
Holidays Around the World
Denmark
Germany
Latin America
In Nova Scotia, a small group of masked mummers appear in neighborhoods. They go from house to house ringing
bells, seeking candy, singing, and dancing. In Quebec, fami-lies decorate their homes with Nativity scenes and attend
midnight mass. After church, they are served pork pie and small meatballs. Now that we are leaving the great white
north, let’s head over to Spain and so forth.
Canada
SpainA common tradition in Spain is for families to eat their main meal of turkey stuffed with truffles on Christmas Eve before a midnight church service.
After mass, people walk through the streets playing guitars, beating on drums, and lighting
torches. Time to say Adios to Sevilla, and ciao to mamma mia.
ItalyIn Italy, hundreds of different Nativity crib scenes
are displayed during the holiday season. It is tradition to put the cribs out on December 8
but Italians do not put baby Jesus into the scene until December 24. The Feast of Seven Fishes was brought over to America in the 1800s from south-ern Italy. We are sorry to leave Rome, but onward
to the Parthenon’s home.
Germany is famous for its Christmas markets where people sell Christmas foods and orna-
ments. In addition, the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree in Germany traces back to the Middle Ages. Hurry along now as we are in full
swing, we must now enter the land of the Viking.
Christmas in Tivoli is a widespread tradition in Copenhagen, Denmark. Tivoli is an amusement park that is filled with holiday decorations such as wooden
houses, snow covered trees with bells, Christmas lights, Santa’s reindeer in their pen, and more. The
story of Tivoli has now been told, now we are heading to the Russian cold.
Many parts of Latin America have different traditions. For example, in El Salvador, the sound of fireworks means its Christmas time. In Venezuela, children leave their shoes
out to receive presents on January 6, Three Kings Day. However, Old Man Christmas, or Viejo Pascero connects Latin American countries around Christmas. Now that we have concluded our vacation, let’s bring it home to
Steeler nation.
If you want to learn more about holidays around the world, Pittsburgh is a great place to start. Go to PPG
Wintergarden and observe the Spirits of Giving Around the World exhibit. This is a holiday tradition that every
Pittsburgher should experience.
Come take this journey and travel around the world this holiday sea-son. It is important to understand other cultures as it allows for you
to appreciate various customs. Let’s begin our travels in Canada.
Written by Kassianna Politis
Layout by Natalie Rihmland
China
Holidays Around the World
Denmark
Germany
Australia
Greece
India
Russia
ItalyIn Italy, hundreds of different Nativity crib scenes
are displayed during the holiday season. It is tradition to put the cribs out on December 8
but Italians do not put baby Jesus into the scene until December 24. The Feast of Seven Fishes was brought over to America in the 1800s from south-ern Italy. We are sorry to leave Rome, but onward
to the Parthenon’s home.
Instead of receiving presents on Christmas, Greek children get their gifts on St. Basils Day or New Years. A popular tradition that occurs on this day is the bak-ing of a special bread called Vasilopita. A coin is hid-den somewhere within the bread. Whoever discovers the coin is said to receive good luck for the duration of the year. We have to depart Greece, a land so fair,
for the sweet smell of apple strudel in the air.
Christmas in Tivoli is a widespread tradition in Copenhagen, Denmark. Tivoli is an amusement park that is filled with holiday decorations such as wooden
houses, snow covered trees with bells, Christmas lights, Santa’s reindeer in their pen, and more. The
story of Tivoli has now been told, now we are heading to the Russian cold.
In Russia, Christmas is normally celebrated on January 7 because the Russian Orthodox Church uses the old
Julian calendar for religious celebration days. Some people refrain from eating on Christmas Eve until the first star
has appeared in the sky. Despite the importance of Christ-mas in the Russian church, New Year’s is perhaps valued
higher in Russian society. On this day, Father Frost brings presents to children. Leaving Russia and all, soon we will
be passing China’s Great Wall.
The Chinese do not typically celebrate Christmas. However, those that do call their Santa Sheng dan lao
ren. He fills the children’s stockings with gifts from the wicker basket he carries. Their big celebration is Chinese
New Year or Lunar New Year. Now that Chinese New Year has come to an end, let’s travel to India with Raashmi, my
best friend.
In India, people celebrate a holiday called Diwali during October and November. During the holiday, homes are decorated with lights and lots of food is
made to be eaten. There are five main days of Diwali. The holiday originated from the epics of Ramayana,
Rama (Vishnu’s incarnation), Sita (his wife), and Laksmama (his brother). In India, oh how it flew, time
to hop over the equator like a kangaroo.
Since the holiday season in Australia occurs in the summer, the residents will forever dream for a white Christmas. To make up for the lack of snow during Christmas with a popular tradition called
Santa Run. Every year, Australians dress up as Santa Clause and run in order to raise money for
local children in need. We took a look at the Santa Run; now let’s go have some Latin American fun.
Come take this journey and travel around the world this holiday sea-son. It is important to understand other cultures as it allows for you
to appreciate various customs. Let’s begin our travels in Canada.
All Photos Submitted
Entertainment// December 2014PTHS
Awesome and Awful Annual Christmas TunesLilyTarwater |Staff Writer
Holiday Bucket ListKellyDasta |Staff Writer
The holiday season is finally here, and it is time to start celebrating. Do not sit around on the couch. Get up, and have some holi-day fun. This list contains perfect ways to celebrate. Get started checking off those activities, and make sure to check it twice.
Wrap Presents- This is the season of giving, which means it is the season of presents. Instead of buying a bag, buy nice wrapping paper with holiday colors and designs and wrap them the old fashioned way. Make sure to top the present with a shiny ribbon.Write a Letter to Santa- The holiday season is the perfect time to ask Santa for the items you have been wanting all year. No one can ever be too old for toys. Make sure to address it to “The North Pole” and put it in the mailbox.Sled riding- Snow is what turns a dreary winter backyard into a winter wonderland. After a snowfall be sure to grab a sled and head to a hill. If the yard is flat, head to a neighbor’s house with a hill or to a local golf course. Most importantly make sure to experience the thrill with friends.Watch Holiday Classics with the Family- Instead of the usual sitcoms and sports games on television settle down with the family and watch a Holiday movie on TV or DVD. Perfect classics include Rudolph, Elf, Frosty the Snow-man, “A Christmas Story,” “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”, “Home Alone,” “Charlie Brown Christmas,” and many more.Kiss Someone on New Years- After the season for kissing under the mistletoe has passed, there is still a holi-day opportunity for romance. The minute the clock strikes midnight, a great way to start the new year is with a kiss. It could be a way to start a new relationship, or with a long-time significant other. If it is with just a friend, a kiss on the cheek can never hurt.
Creative Commons
During the holiday season, students enjoy Christmas music to build up their festive spirits. Along with Christmas trees and gingerbread lattes, Christmas music seems to be everywhere. However, not all songs are worth listening to every year, and for some it is shocking they ever became popular.
Many find some Christmas songs irritating, but they are ultimately modern classics. Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé are both creating songs that are a blend of upbeat and cheesy without being overly obnoxious. They are creative with powerful vocals and original lyrics. While they are not brand new, they still sound fresh every year.
Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” is one song that gets better with every listen.
Every year when the Christmas season rolls around, people look forward to hearing this everywhere. It has been the most played Christmas song on the Billboard charts since its release in 1994, and it does not look like that will change anytime soon. People have tried to cover it, but it will always be Mariah’s. A recent song that is destined to become a classic is Michael Bublé’s “Cold December Night”. Michael Bublé’s album, “Christmas” contains mostly covers, but is a true standout. Bublé’s voice was made to sing Christmas songs. While many people are still unaware of this instant classic, it has been gaining popularity in retail stores. While the lyrics are certainly cheesy, it is very sweet and contains tunes everyone can enjoy.
While some songs are perfect to add to the Christmas
behavior, Bieber doesn’t seem like that sweet kid everyone used to know. This is definitely a song to skip this year, along with his rap effort, “Little Drummer Boy”.
“Last Christmas” by Wham! does not seem too irritating, until it has been listened to more than ten times in a week. The 80’s production is out dated, overplayed, and sort of depressing. Does it even have anything to do with Christmas? “Christmas” could be replaced with Thanksgiving, Easter, or Valentine’s Day and it would have the same meaning.
cheer, some are loathsome and deserve to be skipped. “Santa Baby” by Madonna is not a completely terrible song, but everyone has covered it. Between Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Michael Bublè, so many people have tried to add their own original twist to the song, and failed. It is whiney, obnoxious, and kind of creepy. It certainly does not do anything to put people in the Christmas spirit. This is a song that needs to be off the radio forever.
When Justin Bieber was everyone’s dream boy in middle school, girls found his song “Mistletoe” sweet and romantic. Listening to it now, it is shocking that anyone was obsessed with him. After he says “shawty” ten times, it is exhausting to listen to it. Especially after his recent
18
Photo by Lily Tarwater
layout by Abby Gordon
The goal of most “theater nerds” is to make it on the big stage. While predictions are being formed about which thespian could make it to a Broadway tour now, Dan DeLuca is accomplishing it. DeLuca, a 2010 alum, can be found leading the 1899 Newsboys Strike as Jack Kelly, the lead role in the 2011 Broadway hit Newsies. DeLuca and the cast are currently touring North America. They performed in Pittsburgh from November 25 to November 30. “All the support and love I have felt and the people that have reached out to tell me how excited or proud they are is really awesome,” DeLuca said. During his time in the high school, DeLuca spent countless hours on the PTHS stage. While at Peters, DeLuca was a member of Thespian Troupe 185, which led him to achieve his goals of performing on the Broadway stage. After high school, he attended a two year musical theater program at Collaborative Arts Project 21 (CAP21) in Manhattan.
“Dan was in the thespians actively in ninth and tenth grade, but when he was a junior he went to Pittsburgh Musical Theater. Sadly, he had to leave all of his friends, but he knew this was what he wanted to do,” stated his mother, Mrs. DeLuca.
“The troupe gave me a lot of support and opportunities. I was able to perform in front of the whole township which was a big self-esteem booster, it gave me a lot of practice,” revealed DeLuca. DeLuca took a break from his busy schedule to return home for Thanksgiving. He was able to spend the holiday season with his family and the cast. The cast was also able to spend time Black Friday shopping together, making their time in Pittsburgh more memorable. “We were most excited to see the roof go off of the Benedum when Dan took his curtain call at the end of the show. It was amazing,” remarked Mrs. DeLuca. After auditioning for almost two years, DeLuca landed his dream role. He has performed with the Newsies cast since October when the tour kicked off in Philadelphia. The show follows a newspaper delivery boy, Jack Kelly, through the hardships of late nineteenth century New York. The “newsies”, young New York boys that try to sell papers on the streets, are outraged when the prices of the newspapers they deliver increases. As a result, they go on strike. “Working for a company like Disney is a dream come true; the fact that Alan Menken is my boss just blows my mind,” DeLuca said. Newsies is a dance heavy show, which requires a a lot of rehearsing. Surprisingly, the cast started rehearsals in September, one month before opening night. Seeing the show no one would have guessed the cast had only been performing together for two months, but doing a show eight times a week is the best practice. “I’m constantly prepping myself for the show. It’s the most physically demanding thing I have ever done in my entire life,” stated DeLuca. Every actor has their traditions before they step out onto the stage; DeLuca is no different.
“I have an essential oil called Valor that warriors used to smell before going into battle. I consider this show a huge physical battle,” disclosed DeLuca. Newsies has a powerful message while keeping things family friendly, which is why it is DeLuca’s favorite show to have performed in. He was extremely excited to bring the show to the Benedum because that was where he saw his first show. The Benedum made DeLuca realize his passion for theater and he got to share that with the rest of Pittsburgh. “When I stepped onto that stage all I could think was ‘holy crap, this is happening,’” DeLuca revealed. Every person has a dream, and DeLuca is living his on Broadway. His performance was exceptional and the energy the audience brought was electrifying. DeLuca and the rest of the cast deserved every standing ovation they received. The Pittsburgh audience was the biggest crowd Newsies has ever played for, displaying how supportive the city is of DeLuca. “Do whatever it takes, follow your passion, don’t be a jerk, but really fight for it,” Deluca said. “As cheesy as it sounds, follow your dreams because it can happen.” 19
Photo by Rebecca Schake
BaileyFink|Business Editor-In-ChiefFrom PT to Broadway
20
Outside the Bubble // December 2014PTHS
“I think the crazy feminists, the loud minority, give feminism a bad name,” said senior Vanessa Scoulos. Scoulos’ comments represent the majority of high school students’ perceptions of feminism.
UN Women, along with other feminist organizations, have helped define gender equality and raise awareness for women’s issues without exclusively
impacting teenagers’ perceptions of feminism. In a survey conducted by the news magazine, 68% of students did not consider themselves feminists. Two stu-dents even asked what it means to be a feminist. However, the same percent-age believes that gender inequality is an issue that needs to be addressed. It was unanimous that men and women should receive equal pay for the same work,
which substantiates the dictionary definition of feminism as the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. However, 30% of the survey participants
interpreted feminism as a method to “attack” men and boost female morale.
While common perception is that feminism is an activist campaign promoted by women as a plea for attention, most feminist organizations only have a primary goal of gender equality.
United Nations created UN Women to promote the “He For She” campaign, stating that gender equality is not the focus of the oppression of women, but more importantly an issue concerning
basic human rights. The creation of the hashtag #HeforShe allows people to display to their followers
He For She Equals WeOliviaGlod|WebEditor-In-Chief
on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, that “gender equality is not only a women’s rights issue, it is a human rights issue that requires participation.” UN Women also promotes “He For She” through the endorsements of celebrities, such as teen pop star Harry Styles and influential actress Emma Watson.
As reported by UN Women and United Nations Development Programme, predominately women earn only between 70-90 percent of a man’s salary for the same work. In addition, throughout the entire globe, 30% of all women have reported to experience violence, both physical and/or sexual. The fascinating part of this fact is that it refers to the idea that these acts have been committed by an intimate partner, not necessarily the stereotype of some unfamiliar stranger but someone they may have trusted on a personal level. Finally, approximately 800 women die daily while pregnant or in labor due to causes that are preventable, but do not receive enough attention.
In a UN press conference, Watson addressed the necessity of men being involved in the campaign for gender equality. “How can we affect change in the world, when only half of it is invited or welcomed to participate in the conversation?” Watson said. She noted the emphasis of males unwillingness to come to terms with mental illness because it made them appear less masculine and personal witnessed accounts of the value of being a father decline in modern society.
“Women are not the only ones who are allowed to be dissatisfied with their position or role in this world. For it to only be a concern would imply more inequality than is actually present,” said senior Sam Barnes.
Campaigns such as “He For She” are not “attacking” men. Instead, feminists strive to raise awareness to global issues that concern all humans.
Layout by Maria Hoge 21
Fourteen thousand four hundred and thirteen. That is how many human beings have suffered from the Ebola virus in West Africa. Of this number, 20% are children. However, this percent does not even begin to capture just how many chil-dren have been indirectly affected by the contagion. Almost 4,000 children have lost at least one parent to Ebola since August. They do not have the chance to say good-bye or even a body to bury – the Liberian government decreed that all Ebola victims must be cremated, as the disease is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. Upon a death, medical personnel close off the patient’s home and often burn their belongings. Honest efforts to contain the disease have left hundreds of recently orphaned children without homes. Or-phanages have been filled past capacity and have begun to reject children. These children face the threat of death as they are shunned from their communities and families under the fear and stigma sur-rounding Ebola. Those not orphaned from the disease still feel its effects. As health care facilities falter and shut down under the strain of the outbreak, children suffer and even die from treatable diseases. At the start of the Ebola crisis, Africans blamed the vaccines and halted their children’s
Ebola Decimates the Youth of West AfricaAngelaRoberts|StaffWriter
regular vaccinations. Before the illness, 97% of babies were routinely vaccinated. This figure has taken a nose dive to 27%. Now, thousands of children have the potential to succumb to preventable diseases.
As cross-border trade is halted in many areas, the already strained food system begins to crumble. More than 200,000 people struggle to feed themselves and this number could rise to 750,000 by March 2015. As a result, hundreds of children face hunger and malnutrition.
Schools in the affected areas have been closed for months, severely damaging countries with already ground-level literacy rates. Past crises have shown that whenever a child is pulled from school, she or he is ex-tremely unlikely to return. Children without proper schooling are more at risk of future exploitation and child labor.
American students are oblivious
The quaint community of Hamilton Township, located in East Berlin, PA, has been the victim of massive theft. Not far from the Pennsylvania/Maryland border, 2,500 people call this town home, including the thieves who stole stop and speed lim-it signs from the area. The thefts amounted to almost $3,000, the replacements of signs cost around $100 to replace. Local scrap yards were informed and were told to watch for the stolen signs. Police believe the motive was to scrap stolen metals for cash. Ad-ditionally, the police contend that some of the items are probably being used as home decorations around the homes of the thieves.
The world record of the fastest bicycle was “blown away” by French native, Francois Gissy. At Le Castelle racetrack in the South of France, Gissy flew to 207 miles per hour in 4.8 seconds, only traveling 820 feet. Designed by Gissy’s friend Arnold Neracher at Exotic Thermo Engineering said that the bike is fueled by highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide. Racing a Ferrari F430 Scuderia that used all of its 650 horsepower was no match for the rocket powered bike. Gissy has future plans for a much larger bike, called the “Spine Crusher,” to achieve 249 miles an hour in less than two seconds.
One hundred year old Eleanor Cunningham of Howes Cave, New York, spent her birthday wish skydiving. This 100 year old wonder woman acquired the hobby at the ripe age of 90. Her partner, Dean McDonald, explained that Mrs. Cunningham was the oldest partner that he’s ever sky dived with. Cunningham’s doctor believed that she was more than capable of skydiving at her age, and even gave her official written consent.
to the far reaching affects of the crisis. The American Red Cross reported that they have only received approximately 1,000 dollars in individual donations for Ebola relief efforts while they received more than 85 million dollars in response to Typhoon Haiyan.
“The reason why people aren’t do-nating is because it isn’t affecting our coun-try anymore. We did not start to care until it began to affect us. Ebola may not be our concern now, but if we don’t help the people in Africa soon, it will become our concern,” said sophomore Joseph Belfiore.
Nevertheless, hope is not lost. Le-gions of organizations are actively support-ing Ebola victims and their families in West Africa. UNICEF is working with Liberia to train mental health and social workers to provide traumatized children with help. Save the Children is helping child welfare committees refer abandoned children to ap-propriate services. ChildFund International opened the first Interim Care Center which provided a safe place for children during quarantine periods.
However, these nonprofits are struggling to meet the demands of the thou-sands affected by the Ebola virus. They des-perately need donations to continue to save children’s lives.
What in the World?NicholasChapman|StaffWriter
Erica Thompson, 12
Mitch Fitzgerald, 12
Megan Strazisar, 10
Mandi Bertocci, 12Meghan Bastyr, 12
Alex Belack, 11
Ceramics students have been slaving over the kiln and pottery wheel to create vases and sculptures. They are excited to display their talents and express themselves through an activity that they love.
“Ceramics is my favorite period of the day. It’s so calming,” said sophomore Brenna Taylor.
Keep Calm and Clay OnAngelaRoberts|StaffWriter
Meghan Zadrozny, 12
Marissa Wickstrom, 12
Alex Belack, 11
Phil Quinn, 11
Rachel Hino, 12Nusta Garnica, 11
Carley Abbio, 12Layout by Jessie Fairbanks
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Teaching 101: Mr. KuharcikInvest yourself in a diverse range of hobbies and interests. Every day, I try to do something that challenges me mentally, artisti-cally and physically. I’m constantly broadening my horizons and developing all aspects of my life. This may include reading a long-forgotten classic, practicing an instrument, attending a re-hearsal, or spending time working-out. It’ll leave you tired by the end of the day, but you’ll be glad to have lived a day that mattered.
I’d rather have somebody disagree with me than have somebody tell me they don’t have an opinion. Get invested! Read the news-papers, get involved in your school community, and be aware of social changes and movements. Change will not come if we al-ways wait for somebody else to take action; we have to be the driving force and a propellant for progress in our own lives. I think it’s important for students to know that they can make a difference; having a passion is the first step. Find your voice and use it!
My high school English teacher wrote in my senior yearbook a quote from Hamlet that has stuck with me my entire life: “This above all: to thine own self be true.” It’s important to live the life you were meant to live; be proud of your quirks, your zaniness, and your uniqueness. It’s a sad testament to our times that so many adolescents struggle with their identities and acceptance in high school. Be proud of who you are; celebrate the unique-ness of your character. The knowledge that makes you different today will be what others love about you in the future. It gets better.
One thing I think about when I come to work each day is the im-pact I may have on students that I’m not even aware I’m making. The same thing is true for students – you are somebody’s role model and you don’t even know it. Somebody is watching and looking up to you, and with that comes a great responsibility. Be aware of how your words and actions not only dictate and shape the world around you, but somebody else’s world too.
I never leave home without a toothbrush or a Pez dispenser. Beyond that, have an open mind and a willingness to try new things, explore different aspects of your character, and develop new interests and ideas. Before telling yourself you can’t, or im-mediately saying no to ideas that scare you, allow yourself a sec-ond to think about the possibilities. We are equipped for great things as humans – be brave enough to give new ideas for your life a chance!
Lesson One: Be well-rounded
Lesson Two: Be a participant
Lesson Three: Be who you were meant to be
Lesson Four: Be somebody’s role model
Lesson Five: Be prepared for whatever life brings you
Layout by Samantha AbrahamPhoto by Nate Doughty
