Journey through two yearsFreshman to sophomore

By Tim Cho

TABLE OF CONTENTSNovember 2012 - More teens affected academically by less sleep NEWS

December 2012 - Neshaminy’s Wonderland STUDENT LIFE

January 2013 - North Korea threatens aggression against the U.S. NEWS

March 2013 - Future of Play being determined in the next Electronic Entertainment Expo

ENTERTAINMENT

June 2013 - Freshmen reflect on their first year: Past memories, future dreams for newcomers to

high school STUDENT LIFE

October 2013 - ‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ sparks attention ENTERTAINMENT

December 2013 - Jennifer Lawrence: The new role model every girl should have ENTERTAINMENT

February 2014 - ‘Karmin’ gains fame as tour heats up, brings tour to Philadelphia

ENTERTAINMENT

March 2014 - Annual face-off between students: Gym Night returns to Neshaminy NEWS

April 2014 - Neshaminy teahcers run through rain, wind: Philly Love Run finds Neshaminy determined

to cross finish line NEWS

PHOTOSPage 5 - MISSILEPage 6 - SONYPage 9 - NATIVE AMERICAN FACEPage 11- JENNIFER LAWRENCEPage 12 - ‘KARMIN’ CONCERTPage 13 - NESHAMINY TEACHERSPage 13 - NESHAMINY TEACHERS

GRAPHICSPage 8 - FRESHMEN REFLECTIONSPage 9 - NATIVE AMERICAN SUNPage 10 - ‘CATCHING FIRE’Page 14 - GYM NIGHT

Neshaminy’s Wonderlabnd On Dec. 14, Neshaminy will hold its own wonder-land. It will be a night of wonder, fun, and cheers; the fresh-men will definitely have a blast. The Winter Wonderland-themed formal will draw in crowds of freshmen. The doors open at 6:30, but there will be people already lined up. The dance will be held in Gym 3, where the entire gymnasium will be decorated in wonderland colors – various shades of blue and white. Downstairs in the cafeteria, food will be served for those who have worked up an appetite by dancing all night long. Freshmen President Abby Bedesem will be there, as well as Principal Bob Mueller and advisor Kathy Winchester. Bedesem said, “If you have ever been to a middle school dance, you would know they are more laid back and include all grades of the middle school. The freshman dance is more of a formal type where ev-eryone gets their best dress and it is mostly for just the 9th grade.” Looking back to middle school dances, there is an obvious difference between middle school and high school dances. One of the most obvious is the kids. Dressing up and going with a date seems so adult-like. At the middle school dances, the guys go play basketball, and the girls talk amongst themselves. This dance is just the beginning though; being only freshmen year, the ninth grade class has many more dances to look forward to. Next up is the sophomore dinner dance, then the acclaimed proms. Freshmen are sometimes viewed only as the rookies of high school, but they must be commended for adjusting to high school decently. They understand how the rules work most of the time, and they try to fit in. The Freshmen Formal is just one way they try to be like all of the older kids. However, this year the Formal is a few months early, making its debut in December, and not in the spring. Planning a formal after being elected Freshmen President sounds difficult, but Bedesem said, “Because we have never done it before it was a little nerve-racking at first, at least for me, but it was nothing we couldn’t handle. Even though it is earlier, which gave us less time to plan, we still got everything done that we had to and everything is running smoothly.” Despite the early date, she and the grade officers took control, and they planned the entire formal from scratch. The president had help from many; her advisor, the principal, and the other officers in her grade as well as older grades all lent a hand. Her role is not the single leader, but the leader of all the freshmen. She planned this early formal with the assis-tance of others, what the theme should be, when it should be, the dress code, the food to be served, and who’s allowed to come. “The role that I play along with the other officers of the 9th grade is obviously coming up with a theme, getting all the decorations together, selling tickets and of course setting

up the day of. Even though I do have the title of president we [all the officers] do everything together and have had a lot of help from our older officers who are help guiding us through the whole thing. Everyone puts in to help make it a success.” The freshmen will be amazed as they enter the gym, adorned with shades of blue and white, vivid lights, and music. It will be a night to remember.The Freshmen Formal will not be forgotten because it marks a milestone for the growing freshmen. It marks the beginning of growing up and maturity. “I think the formal kind of symbolizes what you said, growing up and maturity. This again is our first real ‘formal’ so it’s a new experience for everyone. I’m hoping it will be a lot of

fun for everyone who attends and is a great way to start off everyone’s high school experience,” said Bedesem. With the way the Freshmen Formal looks so far, Bedesem doesn’t need to worry about her fellow class-mates’ high school experience.

“...great way to start off everyone’s high school ex-perience.”

Winter is coming and so are less hours of sleep. The problem is that some students are already going to school without any sleep. Despite the conse-quences of getting no sleep, students are still insistent on losing sleep and as a result suffering. The most obvious of the symp-toms of not getting sleep is, “Unable to focus or stay awake and alert,” Sharon Gianni, Psychology teacher at Neshami-ny High School said. If students did not sleep during the night, they would have a difficult time focusing on the exhausting torture that is high school. Despite the numerous amounts of students that walk into the high school every morning with mugs of coffee, many still show signs of lacking sleep such as “falling asleep in class, trouble focusing, irritable [behavior],” guidance counselor Casey Rodgers said. Just imagine attempt-ing try to endure Advanced Placement United States History in first period with no sleep the previous night—horrid to just think about but even worse to expe-rience. To combat the evils of all-night-ers it is recommended that students “Set a cut-off time, preferably an hour before bed, turn off the TV and put the cell phone on silent. Facebook and Insta-gram will still be there in the morning,” A.P. Psychology teacher Erin Markey

said. The many distractions available to teenagers today pose an increasingly dangerous threat to their sleeping habits, and as a result they struggle the follow-ing morning. According to the University of Michigan, “20 percent of students sleep during their first two hours of school.” Furthermore, not only will students face trouble staying awake, but they will also face difficulty staying healthy. “Long-term lack of sleep could have more detrimental side effects such as increased levels of cortisol (stress), anxiety/depression, cardiovascular health and mental acuity,” Markey said. There are many ways to stay healthy while getting sleep easier though. One way is to eat more healthy foods. “B-complex vitamins and ome-ga-3 fatty acids are some of the most energy-boosting nutrients available,” an article by Meredith Melnick on Huffing-

tonpost said. A major cause of lack of sleep and worse health is the consumption of caffeine—soda, energy drinks, coffee, and tea. They increase the speed of the cells inside the body and as a result keeps the body functioning beyond its

normal limits. “Cut the caffeine,” Markey said. But the reason for getting more sleep is mainly contributed to the different aspects of life that are affect-ed. Academically, lack of sleep results in difficulty focusing on school-work; socially, irritable and moody behavior can be caused by losing sleep. Of course, the most important reason for getting more sleep is because a lack of it can lead to a worsening of the physical health. “Physically you are fatter if you do not complete the proper sequence and stages of sleep nightly.”

More teens affected academically by less sleep

“Cut the caffeine.”

My first published article in The Play-wickian set the standard for my future work and I always looked back to this as a reference to the quality of work I am capable of.

A great way to delve into interactive jour-nalism. I put myself into the scene, but I didn’t enjoy as much as I thougth I would. I learned that I pre-fer to stay behind the scenes and stare as things happen.

North Korea is a devastated communist country filled with suffering people and abusive rulers. Due to recent events, North Korea can now also be called a threat to the United States as well as its neighboring countries. On April 12, 2012, North Korea’s missile test resulted in failure. The missile landed in the sea west of South Korea. The missile was meant as a tribute to the 100 year anniversary of the country’s founder, Kim Il Sung. After the failure, the North Korean government vowed to continue their missile testing. But now, they are coming closer to their goal. South Korean officials have concluded that the Dec. 12 missile had the capability to travel 6,000 miles, able to strike the United States mainland, ac-cording to a CNN news article written by Paula Hancocks and Greg Botelho on Dec. 24. This missile launch could genuinely be for space exploration, but the U.N. thinks otherwise. They believe that their tests are a way to improve their missile capabilities, and they do not want North Korea possessing powerful and effec-tive missiles. Chin Hee-Gwan, a North Korean expert at South Korea’s Inje University told the Associated Press that, ”He is a young yet powerful leader both domestically and internation-ally,” able to deal with issues in and out of his country. Unlike his father Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un is confronting outside powers. He is defying the U.N.’s orders of not proceeding with their missile tests, and they cannot do anything yet. But why do they continue with the tests even when the U.N. is trying to shut it down? Neshaminy freshman Sara Greenleaf said, “Because North Korea wants to do whatever it wants to do. They are an independent nation.” They do not have to follow the orders from the U.N., but if they don’t they will lose even more of the little support they are receiving as well as be even less trusted. As of now, the U.N. is condemning the North Ko-reans for launching their Dec. 12 missile, and now they are proceeding to prepare for another missile test. “They may want to appear threatening especially be-cause they already have a limited nuclear capability, and then appear to be more reasonable when they ratchet back their rhetoric,” history teacher at Carl Sandburg Middle School, Bernard Fishman said. “Perhaps this is a ploy to get the UN to lift sanctions?” Fishman also said, “We have the capability of striking back at a country even after we’ve been hit with a first strike (with nuclear missile submarines, for instance). This is exactly the doctrine that kept us and the Russians from World War III. It is called “MAD”, Mutually Assured Destruction. The real threat that we should be concerned about is if the North Kore-ans furnished a small nuclear device to any number of terrorist organizations.” North Korea’s strongest ally, China, is in a difficult position. Dean Cheng, researcher at the Chinese Political and Security Affairs at the Heritage Foundation said, “What they have is a giant hammer. They could hurt North Korea by shutting down all economic relations and trade, but that would

likely generate a large number of refugees, something the Chi-nese aren’t interested in.” If the U.N. takes action in stopping North Korea, China has no choice but to take part. According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, China has launched defensive missile program to intercept any incoming enemy missiles. “The Xinhua News Agency reported that the Chinese armed forces performed a land-based midcourse mis-sile interception test.” There is trouble stirring in the Korean peninsula, and no one knows exactly what may come of it. Whether it be space exploration, or preparing for nuclear warheads, the world is prepared to take immediate action against North Ko-rea.

North Korea threatens missile aggres-sion against the U.S.

In the modern world of entertainment, video games are a cornerstone to their customers. Competition for the best console has led to a campaign of companies to improve and enhance what they already have. As the Electronic Entertainment Expo nears, the an-nual computer and video games trade fair, at the Los Angeles Convention Center draws near on June 11, many fans are wondering what gaming companies will unveil to continue their success. Microsoft’s Xbox 720 has many fans excited, while Nintendo has their fans eager for new 3D material and HD remakes. Alongside them, Sony has released information about their new Playstation 4. The Xbox 720, while no information has been given away by Microsoft, has been under much speculations for its rumors of upgrades, better graphics, smoother speeds, better downloads, and “twin GPUs to display 3D outputs – where each chip is rendering a different angle of a scene to generate the 3D effect,” according to James Rivington of TechRadar. Nintendo is planning to have many new releases, such as “The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD”, “Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem”, “Mario Kart Wii U”,a new 3D Mario, and a new Super Smash Brothers that is simulta-neously being made for the Wii U and 3DS, according to an Examiner article written by Will Holden. However, the PS4 has its own bragging rights. The PS4 will feature many new features such as social media ac-cess and a much more powerful console.There is the 8GB of memory, “highly enhanced” PC Graph-ics Processing Unit, eight 86x64 cores and a state of the art graphics processor, while the PS4 controller, the “DualShock 4” will have enhanced rumble, reduced latency, a touch pad, headphone jack, and a new Share button that will allow the player to record videos of their gaming achievement and up-load it to their social media site. Another feature is the “cloud”, a new system in Sony that will allow players to download and play games on their smartphones or tablets with the PlayStation app. With this cloud system, players can download a game while on a road trip, and come home with the game ready to play. Yet another feature is being able to play previous titles on the PS4, mean-ing PS One games can be played on it as well. “It will make cross-platform utilities much more ef-ficient, but will be plagued by crippling bugs and will not be widely used until software patches that address the most glar-ing problems are released in the following weeks/months,” Freshman John Angeline said. Freshman Michael Keiper said, “The Playstation 3’s biggest problem was its lack of social features, as it was for the 360 and Wii. Sony has an advantage since there is no other external devices that can be used in conjunction with the Wii U. Time will tell whether or not the same can be said for the Xbox 720.” Freshman Riley Grimes said, “I think it will be good for the gamers because all the consoles will be trying to be better than the competition, and cheaper.” With the race to being the strongest and most popular gaming console, the fans will benefit from the fight to improve and enhance the con-

Future of Play being determined in the next Electronic Entertainment Expo

soles. Dave Perry, founder of cloud gaming platform Gaikai said, “What we’re creating is the fastest, most powerful gam-ing network in the world” according to a ComputerandVideo-Games.com article written by Tom Ivan. Grimes stated what he was most excited for, “The large decrease of lag,” while Keiper stated, “The Playstation 3’s online was a barely living joke, but new features such as sharing gameplay and spectat-ing friend’s games make the system launch a lot more excit-ing.” Angeline added, “I am looking forward to all the games now possible with the Playstation’s upgraded hardware, along with possibly smoother online multiplayer.” As of now, it is safe to assume that the PS4 appears to be improved, upgraded, and enhanced to a high degree. It sounds appealing so far, but with E3 coming in June, who knows exactly what can unfold in the world of gaming? The war for quality gaming still continues, but it is the gamers that will benefit from it.

A refreshing breath of air for me, this was my break from the news stories I wrote about previous to this. I let my in-ner gamer shine, and I had no qualms about getting into the specifics.

I loved this article for a few reasons. One was that I contacted my middle school his-tory teacher, and

another was that this was an issue that was dear in my heart.

Summer is right around the corner, and the spotlight is on the seniors as graduation and Senior Week looms over Ne-shaminy. However, one group of students is especially overlooked. The newest edition of Neshaminy High School, the freshmen, is not to be ignored as summer draws closer. It’s their first year at the high school, and they had quite the experience. With a brand new system to adjust to, new time schedules, new classrooms, an entirely new building, new teachers, and new faces, high school has definitely been a wake up call to the youngest students of Ne-shaminy. For freshman Rebecca Halfpenny, high school has helped her, “see who my real friends are and really just learn a lot about myself along the way.” Of course, there are a lot more stresses that are handed to them as well. Freshman Tyler Dyas said, “I would say the Keystones were the most stressful part of this year.” On the other hand, freshman Collin McCarthy said, “The most stressful part for high school besides my Spanish class is just keeping your sanity. I mean we wake up at 5 am, spend eight hours in this building and just before you start thinking the walls are going to cave in on you, you manage to escape to a large yellow limo that takes you back to your safe room you call home just to wait for the same thing to happen again the next day.” Freshman Cora Burns said, “I’ve lost a bunch of friends that I thought I would never lose, I’ve had less free time and I’ve been under a ton of stress.” Stress from grades, friends, extracurricular activities, personal life struggles, and the usual teen-age problems are all part of the high school package. However, high school isn’t just doom and gloom; it has its bright sides. Burns said, “The huge variety of activities you can be a part of is my favorite part of high school. You can go do something you love, meet other people who love to do it as well, and not be judged.” Sophomore Rob Clark did give a few heads up, “For one, you get your first AP class (shout out to Houseman), but more importantly, sophomore year is probably the least stressful and expectation-filled of the four years. Enjoy it cause it’s actu-ally pretty fun, just get involved!” In a year of fresh starts, new friends, and more fun, it’s hard not to like the first year at the high school. Events like the Freshmen Formal, Gym Night, and Dodgeball Tournaments have helped make this year a great start for the freshmen. But despite these amazing events, the freshmen year faced obstacles. Probably the most impactful of any was the first few months of the new year. From sitting with them at lunch to seeing

them in the hallways, each and every one of the passings of our fellow students has made an impact in the freshmen grade. The first year at the high school was filled new friends and great classes, and when the favorite team of year passes, trag-edy strikes. It affected every group at Neshaminy: the students, teachers, staff, and administration. But most of all, it affected the brand new students.

When disaster struck in Massachusetts, Matt Cruz became Neshaminy’s symbol of hope and recovery. His girlfriend Crystina Tierney was at his side through the entire journey, and still is today. As a freshman, she was heavily impacted, from within herself and from her friends and family. She too, became a symbol of hope, “knowing everyday he fought just to stay alive for almost two months I knew I could stay strong for him. So in other words if he could do it so can I.” Since we were young, we were taught values like respect and kindness and yet as we grew up we saw less and less of these values and more and more of bullying and resentment. Freshman Sarah Roberts said, “The bullying. It’s terrible. We’ve lost great kids this school year and have had way too many attempts all because of bullying.” Obviously, high school isn’t easy, but the freshmen have quickly adapted to it. It’s just a matter of time before they’re looking forward to Senior Week as well. Freshman Kirsten Magas said, “we don’t have much time to enjoy it before it’s over and we’re all grown up.” Being a freshman is tough, but with difficult challenges comes great fun. Adjusting to a brand new system can be in-timidating, and it’s no wonder that, “Many freshmen feel anxious about coming to the high school because they’re not sure what to expect,” said the Guidance Department. But despite a challenging first year, they have learned a lot from their freshmen experience. Freshman Forrest Filiano

said, “I’ve learned that not everyone I meet is trustworthy, but those who are should be kept very close.” Freshman Tom Farrell said, “High school has made me feel more mature and me realizing what I want to do with my life.” Freshman Adin White also said, “I’ve been thinking about the fact that I need to get my stuff together. It’s not a game anymore.” Indeed, high school isn’t a game anymore. It’s time for them to move up one step, to utilize what they learned, and to be-

come part of Neshaminy High School community. They started at the

bottom, and now they’re here ready to take on the next year of high school.

“I’ve learned that not everyone I meet is trustworthy, but those who are should be kept very close.”

Freshmen reflect on their first year: Past memories, future dreams for newcomers to high school

“The most stressful part for high school besides my Spanish class is just keeping your sanity.”

This final article of my fresh-men year of high school jour-nalism embodied my progress throughout the year. In this article, I saw the potential I am capable of and the quality of work I can produce. I learned the value of deadlines,

being prepared for the right in-terview with the right person, being on time to a meeting and the magic of Photoshop.

When I saw this article, I knew that stepping from a journalist to an editor was a worthwhile decision.

In one year Out the other

‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ sparks attention

A year-and-a-half ago, a spark was lit. Jennifer Law-rence took over the world with the movie release of “The Hunger Games.” Back to the big screen, the cast of “The Hunger Games” have captured fans’ attention once again. Following the end of the first book’s plot with Katniss Everdeen, played by Lawrence, and Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson taking separate paths, Catching Fire begins with Ever-deen and Mellark returning to their desolate home of District 12. These winners of the 74th annual Hunger Games are thrown back into the Arena, and more is learned about the arena itself than originally revealed. “I’m most excited about the scenes in the arena because they are so intense and I want to compare what I visualized to what the director created,” junior Julie Hemmingway said. With Everdeen becoming the beacon of hope against the cruel government, President Snow, the leader of the political regime that is the Capitol, uses the victors of the previous Hun-ger Games as the pool of the contestants for the every 25 years Quarter Qwell. The only female victor from her District, Everdeen is automatically chosen and her companion and co-victor Mellark volunteers, and thus begins their return to the Capitol for another fight to the death. Shocked and horrified, the family and friends of the cho-sen are forced to watch as their loved ones reenter the Arena for possibly their last time. The idea of the Hunger Games themselves are appalling yet at the same time intriguing because, “the idea is so appalling and unusual, that it interests the viewers to see how the fictional government came into existence; we, as the viewer, can compare our reality with that of the characters,” English teacher Amanda Henry said. Fans and critics have many things to say, but the common opinion is that Catching Fire is, “Easily the most sophis-ticated and thoughtful franchise film of 2013, Lawrence’s adapta-tion of the second novel in Suzanne Collins’ young adult series is all-things-to-all-people entertainment, a follow-up that intensifies the first film’s thrills while simultaneously developing its characters and, even more crucially, expanding its themes,” according to The Playlist. Many are praising Catching Fire as a step-up from the first of the series, and the morale is high for all fans. The movie is just, “The book literally put on screen, which will delight fans to no end,” The Hollywood Reporter said. Catching Fire is bound to be a “darker, more mature film,” according to The Independent. A different plot with twists and turns within the Arena, Everdeen is bound to still use “her bow

and arrow to explosive effect.” Fans and critics have many things to say, but the common opinion is that Catching Fire is, “Easily the most sophisticated and thoughtful franchise film of 2013, Lawrence’s adaptation of the second novel in Suzanne Collins’ young adult series is all-things-to-all-people entertainment, a follow-up that intensifies the first film’s thrills while simultaneously developing its characters and, even more crucially, expanding its themes,” according to The Playlist. Many are praising Catching Fire as a step-up from the first of the series, and the morale is high for all fans. The movie is just, “The book literally put on screen, which will delight fans to no end,” The Hollywood Reporter said. Catching Fire is bound to be a “darker, more mature film,” according to The Independent. A different plot with twists and turns within the Arena, Everdeen is bound to still use “her bow and arrow to explosive effect.”

This was a great way to beign the year off—writing about a topic I am very aware of and love. It was a strong start to my first year as an editor of The Playwickian

“...the most sophisticated and thoughtful franchise film of 2013”

Welcome back to school!

Heightens the anticipation for what’s to come in this series

Jennifer Lawrence has been in the spotlight of popular culture for quite some time now, but she has been in action for much longer. Many view her as a beautiful actress, some view her as an inspirational individual refusing to conform to Hollywood expectations, and some see her as a role model to look up to. Lawrence, who is known for being proud of her un-Hol-lywood style, has inspired many for her refusal to fit the image of a typical Hollywood actress—high heels, long dresses, size zero pants. She told US Elle that, “I don’t want little girls to be like, ‘Oh, I want to look like Katniss, so I’m going to skip dinner.’ I was trying to get my body to look fit and strong — not thin and underfed.” The modern expectations of “thin equals beauty” has given young fans the idea that to be attractive, they need to be thin. Lawrence has as a figure being true to herself. “I’d rather look chubby on screen and like a person in real life,” she said to South African magazine Marie Claire. Tripping up the stairs on the way to receive her Best Actress Award during the Academy Awards and giving reporters her middle finger afterwards were two examples of her acting, “like a regular person,” sophomore Paige Kaufmann said. According to HollyScoop, Lawrence was first discovered at the age of 14 in New York by a, “passer buyer,” and made her first on-screen appearance in Devil You Know. She moved to Los Angeles to start her career with a minor role in Cold Case. She then was in The Poker House and The Burning Plain in the same year. Her rise to fame was in 2010 when she starred in Win-ter’s Bone, which gave way to The Beaver and X-Men: First Class. In 2012, she starred in The Hun-ger Games, and no further explanation of her fame from that point on is necessary. All in all, she started at a young age and as a result, she knows of the expectations and the image of a woman she is being pres-sured to meet. “The world has a certain idea. We see this airbrushed per-fect model,” she said during a discussion with Yahoo! She knows of the social expectations, yet she stands strong against them. A fresh breath of air in Hollywood, she has been attract-ing attention for her talents as an actress and for her sense of what is right. “They [shows like the Fashion Police] put values in all the things that are wrong and that it’s okay to just point at people and call them ugly and call them fat and they call if fun,” she told Yahoo! The “Katniss Everdeen” Lawrence portrayed is a coura-geous, strong, independent and witty heroine while Hollywood has

proven to influence its women to flaunt their

bodies for fame; the ex-ample Lawrence is setting

for her fans is superb. “Listen up and take points if your name rhymes with Smiley,” The Guardian Express said.

It’s evident to say that Lawrence has taken Hollywood by storm. She gathers more and more loyal fans with her charisma and above all else, just how “down to earth,” as Kaufmann said, she is. “She is the kind of woman young girls should aspire to be,” online magazine Babble said. She is a true role model for the growing world her fans live in and it seems as if everybody can’t get enough of her. “Let’s hear it for Jennifer Lawrence!”

Jennifer Lawrence: the new role model that every girl should have

On Jan. 31, the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia experienced a night of Karmin’s Pulses tour. The duo-group, Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan, began as two college kids and ended up as the famous fiancé and fiancée. Both from small suburban towns, they met at Berklee College of Music. Their musical chemistry for music led to a romantic chemistry as they fell in love while falling into the world of making music. Karmin released its first album, “Inside Out,” in May of 2010. In April of 2011, they released their cover of Chris Brown’s, “Look at Me Now” on YouTube and gained immense popularity, leading to an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “On Air with Ryan Seacrest.” Soon afterwards, their fame grew as they gained more fans. Now they have embarked upon their “Pulses” tour that began on Jan. 29 in Baltimore, Maryland and made its way through Millvale, Pennsylvania and eventually to Philadelphia on Jan. 29 at the TLA. They performed fan favorites, ranging from “Acapella,” to a new single in their upcoming album, “Pulses.” Noonan shook the crowd with his multiple trombone solos while Heidemann sang her heart out. For the two hours they had with their Philadelphia crowd, they had their fans on their feet jumping and singing along the entire night. With an electric atmosphere, pounding bass and cheering fans from toddlers to old-timers, each song became increasingly more vigorous. Popular songs from other artists were even mixed in—literally. Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” was incorporated into “Too Many Fish,” resulting in a deafening cheer from the crowd. Even by the end of the night, Karmin showed no signs of stopping. Every good thing has to come to an end and eventually Heidemann gave her farewells to Philadelphia. “I wish I could live here; the people are so alive,” she told Noonan. The mutual love between her and the crowd could not be ignored. Yet, the lights dimmed and the two of them left. After chants of, “Karmin! Karmin! Karmin!” they made a return to sing two more songs, “Look at Me Now,” and “Brokenhearted.” They brought one of their fans from the audience onto the stage and Heidemann rapped alongside the lucky fan in “Look at Me Now,” while Noonan gave everything his vocal cords could possibly give in “Brokenheart-ed,” a song of how he and Heidemann met. From there, the couple left and did not return, despite the crowd’s urging for an encore. The lights flashed back on and the TLA quickly emptied. South Street was oblivious to the night Karmin had. What began with a spirited crowd ended with a congregation of voice-dead fans as the Pulses tour became no more in the city of brotherly love.

‘Karmin’ gains fame as tour heats up, brings tour to Philadelphia

“I wish I could live here.” “the people are so alive”

I loved this topic. J-Law is one of, if not the biggest, celebrity crush I have. She

will always be the Holly-wood star I quote in my

daily life, which made writing this article

about her very easy and natural for me.

“down to earth”

“I was trying to get my body to look fit and strong— not thin and underfed.”

Another opportunity for me to be directly in the scene. I loved this band and I was motivated to keep on working on this article to the very end.

Another year, another chapter to be added in the history books of Neshaminy. The 61st annual Gym Night was just as intensely exciting as any other. This year’s theme of “Across the Board” took Neshaminy through the various board games that both participants and observers cherished throughout their lives. Despite the raging rivalry between the Blue Team, students with last names ranging A—K, and the Red Team, students with last names L—Z, Neshaminy pride mingled with student unity. The eight teams, 2 per grade, performed their dance exhibition for the audience and judges hoping that they would tri-umph over the other team. The Blue freshmen, responsible for the board game of “Guess Who?” were led by Megan Campbell and Zach Boop against the victorious Rachel Sufrin, Chad Wiatrowski and the Red freshmen, in charge of “Mouse Trap.” Power couple Abby Bedesem and Daulton Fox brought the Blue sophomores to victory against the Red sophomores, piloted by Olivia Zaino and Eric Shaefer. “Monopoly” was led by Madison Dierolf, Cale Kitchen-man and the Blue juniors. They defeated the Red juniors, with the theme of “Chess,” led by Ben Matzke and Madison Murray. Lastly, the Blue seniors took on “Candy Land” with Ton Do-Nguyen and Kylie Dumke, vanquishing the Red seniors’ “Clue,” with Addie Sufrin and Nick Zaino as captains. The color captains, responsible for the overview of their respective team, were led by Danielle Donlon and Jeremy Diamond for the Blue Team; Calli Vasilarakis and Ryan Sheplock representing the Red Team. Despite Blue’s victory breaking the Red’s two year streak, captains on both teams hold no hard feelings; they held only the highest respect for the students they led and the ones they competed against. Red junior captain Matzke held no grudges even though he tasted defeat because, “I don't mind that we lost, I had fun and I'm pretty sure everyone on my team did. We are a family,” he said. Nonetheless, Gym Night brings together Neshaminy students through competition, but by the end of Saturday night’s performance, the only emotions felt were the ones felt by Blue sophomore captain Bedesem—“ I was happy, sad, relived and especially tired!” Happy, because Gym Night is an unforgettable event that highlights the high school journey at Neshaminy. Sad, because participants and observers must wait another year until Gym Night returns. The participants, especially the captains, felt relieved that the hard work needed to make Gym Night what is it is over for now. The captains are sure to agree with Do-Nguyen when he said, “It's so stressful but so rewarding at the same time, and in the end, I can say that it was such a huge part of what makes my high school experience so special.” While “Across the Board” rolled the dice in favor of Blue Team, every participant pulled through the late nights rehearsing their dances, through the exhausting after-school practices and through the final moment as they wait for the call to enter onto the gym floor to present their long-awaited product.

Gym Night returns to NeshaminyAnnual face-off between students

Neshaminy high school is one of the few schools in the region that has a school-wide event like Gym Night and Red Team color captain Calli Vasilarakis described it as, “one of if not the greatest experience I had in high school and I would not trade it for all the money in the world. It was so amazing and a lot of fun and I'm so grateful to have had the experience!” Gym Night brings together students from any and every aspect of Neshaminy. For better and for the worse, Gym Night is guaranteed to exhibit the true meaning of Neshaminy pride among students, teachers, staff members, parents and community mem-bers. The freshmen have just tasted what Gym Night offers, while seniors now only have an aftertaste of their “unforgettable” memories they shared with each other, as Matzke wistfully said. Do-Nguyen, known for his sensational version of Be-yoncé’s “Countdown,” had a pearl of wisdom for the future Gym Night participants—“Just go out there and own the moment. Work it. What would Beyoncé do?” To his fellow Red senior captains and color captains, he had a few parting words. “Dani, I love you so much and I'm so happy with what we were able to accomplish out there. Jeremy, you've been the perfect addition to our team and a perfect color captain. Calli and Ryan, it's been a fun ride with you guys!”Gym Night may be over, but the memories it has and will forge has just begun for seniors and freshmen alike. Gym Night director Amy Geruc led yet another successful Gym Night and loved it because, “I love the memories that are created.” Geruc’s last words to her seniors as Gym Night director are, “Never forget the memories. Gym Night is a unique event that many schools admire and want to duplicate.” All of the captains faced various obstacles, but produced another awe-inspiring year. To Vasilarakis, this year may have been the last one for her, but has no regrets of embarking upon a journey alongside her fellow seniors. “I'll always remember all the great times we had together.”

On a short deadline, I finished this article for the backpage of The Play-wickian. Despite the short notice, I am extremely proud of how I covered the most anticipated event in my high school; Gym Night is more than a competition, it is a way for every student to become a part of a school-wide cooperative event.

“...one of if not the greatest experience I had in high school”

Red vs Blue“I’ll always remember all the great times we had together.”

Neshaminy’s Dance Team and 43 Neshaminy teachers, led by World Language teacher, Cara DeLorenzo-Palka, and Maple Point English teacher, Stacy Flaville-Boop-partook in the Philly Love Run on March 30. They were among nearly 10,000 participants that ran from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and made their way through Center City to a loop along the Schuylkill River on Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. and back to the finish at the Art Museum. Despite the relentless rain, the runners braved the weather and completed the 13.1 miles through the streets of Philadelphia. Training after school every week, while taking personal time to prepare themselves, the Neshaminy teachers worked together to get ready for the big day. “To prepare for the half-marathon, several English teachers (Abbee Thomas, Tara Huber, Jessica Cohen, Jenn Mann, Kim Aubrey, Kim Kelley, Kristen McCreary, and Suzi Drake) and I would work out twice a week after school together,” English teacher Kate Livingstone said. The Dance Team, with Melissa Bauerle as its adviser, accompanied the teachers. While the teachers ran, the students gave moral support and cheered on the runners as they trekked through the miserable weather. Bauerle was, “…proud of the Dance Team because even through the awful weather, they were smiling and encouraging everyone that passed them.” English teacher and Interact adviser, Suzi Drake was among those who did not run but still did her part in lending a hand. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to participate in the Love Run because of a broken ankle, but I did take on the challenge as a motivational tool to try and be healthier. I [went to the marathon] to cheer our team on and I was so inspired by their determination despite less than ideal weather.” For Livingstone, the Love Run runs with a deep meaning-- “My best friend passed away four years ago. She would always run marathons because she believed in challenging herself to be her best. I wanted to run this in her honor.” Honor in the highest form: carrying on for those who cannot anymore.

Running to support the Philadelphia school districts, and to demonstrate how people almost twice the age of students were and still are able to complete an achievement that few are able to accomplish. “We all have a role to play in helping the next generation of Philadelphians succeed,” Philadelphia Mayor, Michael Nutter, told cgiracing.com. The 43 teachers and Dance Team demonstrated selfless work: running 13.1 miles through a downpour to show their support for the Philadelphia education system. The event raised $20,000 for the Philadelphia Education Supplies Fund.

Neshaminy teachers runs through wind, rainPhilly Love Run finds Neshaminy determined to cross finish line

My last published article of The Play-wickian reflected the end result of my two years I had in this newspaper. I loved

writing about teachers I knew that ran through hor-rendous conditions to show their support for the Phila-delphia school districts. I loved everything about this topic, and I think that’s evident in this article.