2011 November

Volume 45 Issue 3

November 2011 45 Years

Freedom High School - 3149 Chester Avenue - Bethlehem, PA 18020 - www.fhsforum.com

City Champs “We did this for you.”

Mr. Jason Roeder The Bell Count The Freedom football team defeated Liberty High School, 45-42, on Nov. 5 for the first time since 2002. This historic win also allowed the Patriots to advance to the District playoffs for the first time since 2008. Freedom football’s final record was 8-3. Let’s go Pates!

6-5 LHS

Hurricane Season is Over

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Freedom’s Bathroom Woes (p. 3) Bullying at Freedom (p. 4) “Little Shop of Horrors” (p. 6) Spirit Week Photos (p. 7) Freedom Bonfire (p. 8) FHS v. LHS Recap (p. 12) Visit www.fhsforum.com for more news and photos.

Photos by Tyler Alicea / Editor-in-Chief and Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

2 News The Freedom Forum A Publication of Freedom High School Bethlehem Area School District 3149 Chester Avenue Bethlehem PA, 18020 (610) 867-5843 www.fhsforum.com

Editor-in-Chief Tyler Alicea News Editor Luisa Marin Editorial Editor Julie Boylan Features Editor Ashley Eichlin Entertainment Editor Courtney Barrow Sports Editor Mike McGinty Pates‟ Post Editor Amanda Molinaro Centerspread Editor Mackenzie Liberatori Photo Editor Andrew Mattei Layout Editor Haroon Ahmad Web Editor Krystal Domin Assistant Editors Anna Thomas Faarah Ameerally Ryan Shaikh Adam Duser Zach Ward

Adviser Mrs. Karla Erdman Principal Mr. Michael LaPorta Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy For our editorial statement and corrections policy, please go to www.fhsforum.com/about.html Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!

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The Forum

November 2011

Modern Warfare Turns to Cyber Warfare is not quite to the point where America can cause a nuclear explosion through enemy comIf you ask the average person puters with a few strings of code. what he thinks cyberwarfare is, Instead, cyberwarfare focuses and he will probably tell you more on the technical aspects of something along the lines of vir- war, such as controlling enemy tually sending a picture of a air-defense systems. bomb to the enemy.

Libya was close to being the Of course modern technology first country to experience cyberwarfare from the United States. The main target would have been the Gadhafi government’s air-defense system. The Obama Administration seriously considered utilizing cyberwarfare to take down the Libyan air-defense system before the Americans led the strikes on Libya.

Flickr.com / SFU Public Affairs This would have potenBy Thomas Nguyen, Staff

tially entailed hacking into the Libyan government’s computer networks and severing military communications in order to stop missiles aimed at NATO warplanes.

Although the theory seems simple enough, the process is actually rather time consuming.

It would involve skilled computer specialists with a much greater understanding than that of the likes of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. For example, a key part of the process is to probe around for possible entry points in order to insert codes that would wreck the system.

The plan was ultimately rejected in fear of introducing the world to a new form of warfare.

The U.S. decided to save cyberwarfare for another time because

a lot of pressure would result from being the first to use it.

The Obama Administration was also unsure of whether or not they had to report the cyber attack to Congress. Under the War Powers Resolution, any act in which forces are introduced to “hostilities” must be reported to Congress where they can make the decision to keep them in there after 60 days. The administration argued that there were no forces actually being sent into Libya, therefore it would be legitimate.

In the end, the Obama Administration decided to use conventional tactics by, disarming the missiles in a successful mission.

What Gadhafi Left Behind

By Navea Frazier, Staff

On Oct. 20, the world was shaken with news of the death of Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi.

According to CNN, the selfnamed “Brother Leader” was captured by rebel Libyan forces near his hometown of Sirte and was pronounced dead around noon Libyan time. Surrounded by speculation and accusation, the leader’s death has proven to be a hot topic amidst news and social media. However, many wonder how the death of Gadhafi will affect the ongoing civil tensions throughout Libya.

With more name variations than one could fit in a bag, Moammar Gadhafi throughout his reign as a major Libyan political figure has garnered a number of polarizing views. As a young man in his

twenties, “Colonel Gadhafi”—who in actuality acquired the rank of Lieutenant—assisted in the coordination of a bloodless coup d’etat against the Libyan royal family in 1969. Gadhafi reigned as the country’s head of state until 1977 and remained an essential figurehead of the Libyan political scene for the next thirty years.

Gadhafi was viewed by many as a great leader, one who pioneered multiple aspects of Libya’s social, economic, and political programs; as the author of The Green Book, Gadhafi’s howto guide to running a country, the ruler focused Libya on the ideologies of a direct democracy.

Gadhafi gained a number of supporters in the western and eastern hemisphere alike, developing relationships with political leaders such as former Russian president Vladi-

mir Putin and former South rant for the arrest of Gadhafi African president Nelson for his crimes against humanMandela. ity. With this and pressure Yet Gadhafi received nu- from NATO, Gadhafi went merous criticisms for his into hiding, and by October methods of ruling. As news 20, the dictator was dead. website France24.comreports, Many are wondering what Gadhafi was accused of fun- the next steps are for the citineling money into the hands zens of a ravaged Libya, yet of his family and other Lib- with the death of Moammar yan government officials. Gadhafi behind them, only Many also grew weary of time will tell.

Gadhafi’s opposition of OPEC and his numerous attempts to purchase weapons of mass destruction.

By the beginning of February 2011, rebel protests were readily occurring throughout Libya, and a full-blown civil war had erupted. Violence and opposition ensued, and by late June the International Criminal Flickr.com / NSW Community News Network Court issued a war-

Rosie Kaur Steel Level

Baljit Kaur Steel Level

Kim and Rick Giamportone Steel Level Interested in sponsoring The Freedom Forum? Stop by room 210 for a form or email our adviser at kerdman@bethsd.org.

Corrections It was incorrectly reported in the Oct. 2011 issue that Liberty High School opened in 1992. Liberty opened in 1922.

Trevor Watlington‟s name was misprinted in the Oct. 2011 issue as Trevor Wallington.

Housenick for the Home Sick

By Zachary Ward, Asst. Pates‟ Post Editor Bethlehem Township may not stick out to its residents as being particularly rich in history or splendor, but as it turns out, there is a diamond in the rough, hidden in our own back yards.

Our own piece of Bethlehem’s roots lies nestled on Christian Spring Rd. off of route 191 in Bethlehem Township.

The Johnston-Housenick Estate is an 88 acre conservation and ecological wonderland constructed by the former vice president of Bethlehem Steel and former Mayor of Bethlehem Archibald Johnston. He modeled the structure of the estate on European designs and plants which were incorporated it into the species of vegetation and the architectural elements.

Today, the mansion, and the lands that make up the estate have been handed over to Bethlehem Township for what Vicky Bastidas, an expert on the estate, said were “ educational, conservational, and research” reasons.

However, in recent months, Bethlehem Township has looked into the possible conversion of the historic estate into a public park, an apartment complex, or even a strip mall. During a commissioners meeting in early October of this year, the board voted in favor of ratifying the master plan and dissolving the counsel that had looked over the estate up until this point.

The development of this land surely came to the disappointment of many. As the

board voted to dissolve the Housenick committee many spectators who were in opposition of such a move rose from

their seats, heads hung low in utter defeat. A land as rich in history and biodiversity as this, is surely a tragedy to see go.

Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

Editorials 3

The Forum

November 2011

What‟s that Smell?

By Flannery Johnston, Staff One might shrug off the idea of discussing bathrooms with another, while it may not even come to many people’s minds, but the bathrooms at Freedom are worth discussing.

Some students have been having issues with the bathrooms, no matter which grade or which bathroom. These problems range from a low amount of soap, doors that are not doing what they are designed to do and simple maintenance issues that are caused by the students themselves. Bathrooms are not as exciting as gossip, but aspects might shock you more than teenage drama itself.

Soap is a big issue in the bathrooms. The bathrooms are con-

stantly running out of soap, and at the end of the day, many are left with only water with which to wash their hands. Sometimes the bathrooms will even go days without having soap. Sure, people could bring their own hand sanitizer, but not having soap in a bathroom seems unsanitary and abnormal.

In addition, the doors in some of the bathrooms don’t allow for much privacy. How? Not all of the doors lock. Kids have stated that they feel “violated” because others have walked in on them while they were using a stall. Students should not feel selfconscious while they are behind a closed door, and

Daryl Tweed / Staff

they should not need someone to stand in front of their door for them so no one barges in on them.

In the girls’ locker room, the sink was clogged for over a month with hair. This kept people from wanting to use that sink for weeks. It is unclogged now, but nothing for sure says that it will not be clogged again for another month.

The cause for this is most likely the massive amount of girls doing their hair at the beginning and end of every gym class, along with the sports teams. If everyone would be more

aware of the consequences of their actions, we could all hopefully avoid the sight of giant hair ball clogged water.

Bathrooms at most stores and restaurants, etc. are not the nicest places, and Freedom’s are far from the worst; they are just not exactly a place in which you’d want to spend a lot of time.

All in all, if people could just be aware, the bathrooms might not be in the state they are in now and they could actually end up being clean and even become some of the more sanitary rooms in Freedom High School.

Note from the editor: This editorial is not criticizing the custodial staff of Freedom, but instead, the messy students of FHS.

Circle Time Comes to Freedom

By Kirat Randhawa, Staff You have probably noticed that there are many changes at the school including new staff, clubs, and even daily classroom activities like “circle time.”

“Restorative Practices” is an activity that takes place every Monday and Friday in each block. It seems that the main purpose of this weekly exercise is to get to know your classroom peers and to have a better understanding of your classmates’ and teachers’ thoughts.

Does everyone seem to agree or follow along with this schedule? Not at all. In fact, I have seen numerous teachers not follow along with this schedule.

This activity is not the best idea in the world as it can clearly be a distraction from school work, and other impor-

tant things, like the concentration level of students during class.

When each student is persuaded to confront their class about the issue of that particular circle time session, he or she may not be in a comfortable situation. It does not make any student open up about their feelings or communicate with their teachers about the classroom environment.

Honestly, the truth is, students just do not care. They have other important things on their minds that they would rather talk about, such as things outside of the classroom.

Making students talk about school twice a week, in every class, is a waste of time. It annoys the teachers just as much as it does the students.

However, I do think that if everyone put in a little more

are getting from circle time, it is heading right down the same road.

Who can really say that every Monday and Friday, in every class have circle time which include long, detailed, productive discussions? The answer is few.

If the school wants the students to communicate more with their teachers, they need to think more along the line of students mind. Something that would spark up the student’s interest, and get the people of Freedom High School talking.

Adam Duser / Asst. Photo Editor

effort, circle time could be successful, getting the students and staff to actually put in the effort is the difficult part.

Freedom High School has offered other ideas that have not lasted, such as the Pate Block, and with the feedback teachers

Apple Unleashes Some „Siri‟ous Business

By Andrew Sinai, Staff Apple once again captured the minds of millions with their release of the iPhone 4S. Interestingly enough, the new iPhone 4S failed to inspire a large portion of critics and Apple enthusiasts, including myself.

After sixteen months, this was all that Apple, the king of modern technological advances, had come up with? Many expected a fully redesigned iPhone 5 that redefined a mobile phone’s capabilities. This version did not have any changed hardware on the outside, which was a major disappointment; however, the software inside turned out to be awe-inspiring.

At the core of the new iPhone 4S is iOS 5, a mobile operating system that Apple updates periodically for iPads, iPods, and

iPhones. This version has a notification center that reveals a collection of updates with a single swipe down of your finger.

You can now also buy a new iDevice and never have to connect it to a computer at setup.

Another intriguing feature added in the recent update is Siri, a voice-controlled system that helps you complete various tasks. It is currently only available on the iPhone 4S. Siri is much more powerful than any other previously conceived voice system, as it can type emails, remind you of activities, and even answer more opened-ended questions such as: “What is there to do in town this weekend?”

In my various tests, Siri became accustomed to my voice rather quickly and had a nearly 100 percent success rate in un-

derstanding my commands; however, in louder areas such as the Apple Store, it had trouble even registering my voice. Additionally, it occasionally had difficulty connecting to the network to find answers.

Barring that, the possibilities

documents, pictures, and music through the “cloud.” For example, if you began typing an essay on your Mac or PC, it would be wirelessly sent to all of your Apple devices. This allows for easier work while traveling and more productivity.

Yet, to keep up with the new releases of Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich update and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5, Apple needed to come up with something that lifted the bar in the technology world.

Despite its cool features, the iPhone 4S, though undoubtAdam Duser / Asst. Photo Editor edly a solid product, did not with Siri are basically limitless accomplish that. Instead, it and can easily shorten the time merely keeps up-to-date with needed for daily activities on the competitors with a distinctly your phone.

Apple twist of simplicity.

But perhaps the most exciting new feature of the entire system is iCloud, a truly remarkable system that syncs all of your

4 Editorials

The Forum

November 2011

Beat Back Bullying at Freedom

By Logan Handwerk, Staff In the past few years bullying has become a widely discussed subject and a sensitive topic for many.

The majority of students in today’s society have been bullied at some point in their lives.

According to a Yale University’s 2010 study, 2.7 million students are being bullied each year, and 2.1 million students are taking the role of the bully.

Bullying rates have increased drastically in the past two years due to the popularity of social networking websites. Over half of young people have been bullied through their cell phones or over the Internet.

Seventy-six percent of the bullied have never told an adult.

The causes of bullying are wide and varied.

The three leading causes of bullying are physical abuse by a parent or guardian, victims seeking revenge, and an attempt to raise their own self-esteem.

One hundred and sixty thousand students miss school each year to avoid being bullied.

In October, the anti-bullying month, Congress passed the “Dignity for All Students Act” which requires all public schools to implement antibullying measures by July 2012.

At Freedom, there is an abundance of bullying. Freedom, as well as all other schools, needs to take control of their bullying problems before it is taken to an extreme one day, such as the events at Columbine.

Even though the administrator

plays a key role in preventing bullying, the students are the deciding factor.

Students make the choice to bully because they think that everyone will take it as a joke, or if the bully is also a victim, it gives them the right to do the same to others.

Freedom has founded its own anti-bullying club called The Anti-Bullying Task Force, led

by Ms. Jennifer Maholick, who is responsible for bringing “Rachel’s Challenge” to Freedom.

Also, Freedom has implemented restorative practices to help students come together at the beginning and end of each week.

So, how do we control bullying?

There are many ways to con-

trol bullying. One classic way is using strict consequences. Bullies should be given detentions, suspensions, and depending on the level of abuse, expulsion.

Another way is to teach proper assertion to students who are the victims of bullies.

Victims will remain victims because they will take insults without asserting themselves.

Students should be taught that when confronted with a bully, they should stand up for themselves in an appropriate manner.

The most important way to prevent bullying is using family education. If families model to their children that treating others how they would like to be treated is right, they would learn to do the same.

So I leave you with this question: will you sit back and pretend bullying does not happen, or will you stand up and make a difference?

Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

Rise of the “Fasians”

By TJ Singh, Staff More often than not, Indians are excluded from being called Asians.

India is clearly on the continent of Asia, so why does society not classify Indians as Asians?

Are Indians not included in this category because they do not have the fair skin and the “Asian” eyes?

If Indians are not Asians, then what are they supposed to call themselves? Should Indians start being referred to as the fake Asians? Fasians?

Even if “Indian” is a sufficient enough label to call Indians, what about people from Pakistan and Afghanistan?

Does everyone really know how to differentiate between ethnic backgrounds by just look-

ing at someone? Must everyone from a non-Oriental part of Asia be referred to by their nationality alone? And if they do, can they pronounce all the names such as “Pakistani,” “Afghanistani,” or “Tajikstani?”

It is way too difficult to differentiate and even try to pronounce half those names.

Indians cannot just pretend they do not hear people say, “They are not Asian; they are Indian!” during conversations. It can actually get a little bothersome.

It is not bothersome because Indians are not allowed to be called Asians; it is actually bothersome because the constant nagging of being told that Indians do not look like Asians is frustrating.

No one ever said that in order to be an Asian you had to look a certain way. Is that not racial

profiling? What if there is a child in China with big blue eyes and silky black hair? Is that child not allowed to be called an Asian because she does not qualify?

Also, it can be a little difficult for Indians to decipher what someone actually means when they say, “Asians are so smart,” because they do not even know if they are being included in the term “Asian.”

Should Indians wait for someone to say, “Asians and Indians are so smart,” to know for sure?

Considering the fact that India is located on the continent of Asia, I believe that that alone shows why Indians should be called Asians.

In fact, India has been located in Asia ever since Asia was formed.

If Indians absolutely cannot be considered Asians, then what do

they fill out on the SATs or the PSSAs when the only viable options are Asia n/ Pacific Islander or Other?

And considering that India is in fact attached to the continent Asia, Indians are definitely NOT Pacific Islanders nor should such a huge race be thrown in the “Other” category.

Indians should not be told that they are not Asians if they have

Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

no other category to be put into.

Either they can be Asians or fake Asians. Take your pick.

Dear Mom: Hands Off My Computer!

By Grace Mao, Staff Televisions and computers have become a part of everyday life for most high school students. But while screen time can be wonderful forms of entertainment and education (I mean, we all watch the Discovery Channel, right?), there have always been concerns about the harmful effects of excessive screen time.

I, for one, come home every day and spend the rest of the night on the Internet without a break, save for dinner, piano, work, and sometimes a quick jog.

And as the Internet has sadly become my social life, it pains me greatly to admit that I

am sure the amount of time I have spent in front of the screen has had some harmful side effects on my overall productivity.

Most high school students would tend to agree with me.

Due to multitasking—I would rather not call it procrastination!

—I probably use the computer about five percent for homework and 95 percent for other stuff.

As for the television, I rarely watch it unless “Glee” or “The Vampire Diaries” is on.

However, I am aware that

others spend most of their lives vegetating in front of the television, whether for football games or “Call of Duty.”

And yet, my grades still remain high, I run every other day, and I am not allowed to go out with my friends anyway.

So there really is not much of a problem if you look at it that way.

It is not the excessive amounts of media exposure we are subjected to that is harmful, but the wrong kinds that fill our brains with nothing but hilarious and mindless “Jersey Shore” quotes.

All in all, there would be no reason for a parent to limit his or her teen’s comor television Photo Illustration by Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor puter

time if it is not adversely affecting their grades, social lives, or health.

Since the consequences are different for everyone, it should be up to the parent to decide what standards he or she wants his or her children to keep.

Not maintaining the 4.0 GPA? Cut down the Internet time.

Becoming obese? Limit the television time, as well as the potato chips.

However, take into account that your parents will not be there to restrict you for long; sooner or later, you will need to set your own boundaries and know what works for you.

It is that simple.

But it is time to stop arguing over whether screen time is good or bad, and start to accept it as part of our environment like the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.

The Forum

November 2011

Entertainment 5

Big Woody‟s Hits B-Town

By Kirat Randhawa, Staff Writer Black and white checkered tiled walls. Bright red booths.

TVs at every table. Great, traditional food. Long, classic sports bar. Does any of this sound interesting to you? Then maybe Big Woody's is the place for you!

Big Woody's, located on Easton Avenue, just opened a couple months ago and is al-

ready booming with customers.

The restaurant could very well be stiff competition for last year’s hit, the Hibachi Grill.

Big Woody's offers a variety of all American traditional food: hamburgers, BBQ wings, pizza, and French fries. Every weekend, customers sink into the cozy red booths, eat the mouthwatering appetizers, and watch the latest game.

While the Hibachi Grill is a family-oriented restaurant, Big

Woody’s is more of a place for young adults to hangout. Families are more than welcome to come; however, the environment isn’t tailored to young children.

Sitting in the clean, openspaced atmosphere, one may feel the fresh, new smell of the sports bar. Having friendly waitresses check up on their patrons now and again is comforting.

Big Woody's includes TVs in the bathrooms, brightly colored

walls, signs plastered everywhere, and excellent service.

The Hibachi Grill is a one of a kind buffet of Chinese food, whereas Big Woody's offers traditional, American food and a different experience.

The best part is that one is of-

fered the option of socializing at the bar or sitting calmly in a private booth. Big Woody’s offers the best of both worlds.

The wait for a classy, exclusive sports bar and grill with great entertainment is over.

www.bigwoodyspizza.com

Don‟t Feed the Plants

By Mrs. Karla Erdman, Adviser Imagine watching Danny Youngelman feed Greg Adams’ body parts to a plant.

Well, not really, but it did happen in the play “Little Shop of Horrors.”

The musical was presented by the Freedom Theatre Company from Nov. 9 - 13. With a cast of 29 singing actors and numerous crew members, the Theatre Company, directed by Ms. Jennifer Wescoe, delivered a phenomenal performance. The Company accomplished this great task in only seven weeks of planning, learning, rehearsing, and implementing the intricate musical.

The signature song “Little Shop of Horrors” sung by street savvy girls Ronnette, Crystal, and Chiffon (Navea Frazier, Leslie Duarte, and Melanie Gomez) started the crowd humming along which continued throughout the play. It was all uphill from there.

The musical, based on the 1960s movie of the same name, features Seymour Krelborn (Youngelman), a geeky orphan living on Skid Row who is taken

in by Mr. Mushnik (Adam Conti), owner of Mushnik's Skid Row Florists. The business is slowly going bankrupt; that is until Seymour develops a new breed of plant that resembles a large venus fly trap, one that grows larger by feeding on h u m a n blood.

Seymour does not share his secret with anyone, not even coworker and crush Audrey (Kate Dawson) even though he named the plant Audrey Two (Dimitri Mitchell; Steph Perez; Dustin Baughman) after her.

The new plant revitalizes the run-down florist shop, but continues to need more human blood. Finally, the plant becomes so large and reveals to Seymour that it can talk. A talk-

ing plant? Oh yes, my friends, and it tells Seymour that as long as he continues to feed it, it will make all his dreams come true.

mour decides to do something about it, but how to finish Scrivello off? Scrivello makes that easy by inadvertently overdosing on the nitrous oxide. Not knowing how to dispose of the dentist’s body, Seymour feeds it to the plant.

Unfortunately, fame and fortune rule Seymour; thus, he must continue to feed the plant. The plant ends up eating Mr. Mushnik, Audrey, and eventually Seymour himself, ending with “Don’t Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor Feed the Plants” sung by the But how is Seymour going to Company. keep his secret safe and his plant Youngelman and Dawson alive? Enter Orin Scrivello, filled the auditorium with beauDDS (Greg Adams), Audrey’s tiful song, while Conti’s and abusive boyfriend.

Adams’ character portrayals Scrivello, known for abusing garnered hearty laughs throughlaughing gas and torturing his out the aisles. patients with his cruel and unNow, don’t get me wrong. The usual dental practices, hurts entire cast can belt out a song Audrey for the last time. Sey- that sounds way better than

some of the music on the radio, and that is what always makes the $10 admission worth it. The showmanship of the Theatre Company is so entertaining, you can’t possibly pass up the opportunity to see a production.

The range of abilities among all the actors is incredible.

It would not do to forget to mention all the assistance needed to pull off such a production. Ms. Wescoe and her crew are fortunate to have set designer Rafael Salazar and student set designer Stephanie Perez, vocal director Nancy Shumaker, costumer Dory Benninger, sound and lighting designer Anthony Forchielli, student choreographer Dedrea Becker, and student lighting technician Josh Solivan. These people work behind the scenes with student crew members, teachers and parents to create a production worthy of Broadway.

It is a tribute to Freedom High School to have such a talented group of individuals working together to provide such wonderful entertainment to the community.

Bravo!

Fame By Camera: The Women of YouTube

By Faarah Amerally, Asst. Entertainment Editor YouTube is one of the many marvelous time wasters for students.

The site allows students to sit in front of their computers for hours watching mindless and entertaining videos made by just about anyone and completely ignore school work.

The site has thousands of talented channel owners who have left people thinking and/or laughing; however, a number of these people are extremely talented ladies.

Jenna Mourey, the famous YouTube phenomenon, celebrity, comedian and go-go dancer, created her “JennaMarbles” YouTube channel on February 16, 2010.

Her channel remained fairly unknown until July 9, 2010 when she uploaded a video entitled “How to trick people into thinking you’re good looking.”

The video accumulated for the band Boyce 22,790,855 views as of Avenue, alongside August 24, 2011.

Tiffany Alvord, a Mourey appeared on the fellow YouTube art“Ellen” show as well as ist. many other Internet They recently sources, making her and teamed up with acher hilarious videos well tress Shenae Grimes known. to create a music Another YouTube sensavideo in support of tion is Megan and Liz, an anti-bullying.

American pop girl band These ladies have composed of fraternal twin come a long way in sisters, Megan and Liz the music industry Mace from Edwardsburg, thanks to YouTube.

Tbseblog.com Jenna Mourey, also known as “Jenna Marbles” is a Michigan.

Musicians and They are lyric writers popular YouTube star among teenage girls. comediennes are not and artists, and Megan is the only ones who also a guitarist. the band went on YouTube on make it.

The dynamic duo gained their August 3.

Michelle Phan is an American popularity on YouTube when In 2011, the sisters had a make-up artist who posts makethey posted their first videos in cameo in Justin Bieber's docu- up and beauty tutorials on You2007. mentary movie, “Never Say Tube, sometimes under her first In the summer of 2010, they Never.” channel “ricebunny.” met with The Summer Set, a One of the Mace sisters’ vidShe is the first and only video boy band from Scottdale, Ari- eos appeared in a fan montage spokeswoman for the French zona. Their cover of "Teenage during the movie. make-up line Lancôme.

Dream" by Katy Perry with The sisters have also appeared Phan attended Ringling ColBrian Dales and Josh Gomez of on one tour as an opening act lege of Art and Design and Mas-

sachusetts College of Art and Design, but did not graduate.

Phan joined YouTube on July 18, 2006 and has created over 150 videos.

In November 2010, she reached over one million subscribers and became the most subscribed woman on YouTube.

In addition to giving make-up lessons, Phan has also modeled in several magazines through YouTube.

Youtube has been a place of growth for normal women to broadcast their talents on the Internet.

There is no question what a little courage and a quality camera can get you in the modern day.

6 Centerspread

Photos by Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor Photo spread by Tyler Alicea / Editor-in-Chief

The Forum

November 2011

Photos by Tyler Alicea / Editor-in-Chief and Breanna Mahoski / Yearbook Photo spread by Tyler Alicea / Editor-in-Chief

8 Features

The Forum

November 2011

Taylor's Turtle Shell Backpack

By Simona Topuzovska, Staff Many people are seen roaming the hallways with bizarre, childish backpacks, including Hannah Montana, Spongebob, My Little Pony, and even a turtle shell.

Senior Taylor Autenrieth (A.K.A. the girl with the turtle shell) gives the inside scoop on why she and her friends wear these bags.

Autenrieth says that high school students enjoy wearing childish backpacks because it simply makes them feel like a kid again.

At this age, people are expected to take on more responsibilities. Soon enough, many will be off into the real world living the real life.

Wearing childish articles re-

mind users that behind all the work, responsibility, and stress, they are still kids.

Obviously, the shell backpack represents the shell of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

Autenreith's favorite ninja turtle is Leonardo, the blue turtle. Her favorite quality about this backpack is that it is extremely comfortable, and it can be used as a pillow.

"It's so fun to turtle backpack turtle spin on it!" says Autenrieth.

The turtle backpack turtle spin is when Autenreith has the backpack setting on her back while sitting on the ground.

Once she is in this position, she pushes off the ground with her hands until she gets "enough momentum" to spin around very fast for a long time.

Autenreith has a video on

YouTube for people that shows the true meaning of “Turtle Backpack Turtle Spinning.”

Just go to youtube.com and search “Turtle Backpack Turtle Downtown” and select the second video. This video is from the popular vlogstar Jenna Marbles.

The only downside to this super cool backpack is that it is not very spacious; it can barely fit a few notebooks.

However, this does not stop Autenrieth. She continues to wear it, feel childish, and Turtle Spin as much as she pleases.

Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

High Flames with High Spirits

By Nainjot Singh, Staff What do you get when you combine lots of wood and school spirit? The annual Freedom High School bonfire.

As students arrived near the softball fields, they saw a mound of wood stacked up 15 feet high. Students who attended the bonfire for the first time and those returning were amazed and felt it was a pretty sight to watch.

“Wow,” said freshman Brady Hill. “[The bonfire] was pretty amazing. I expected a lot, but, I am even more amazed.”

With the Bethlehem Fire Department on guard, the fire was lit a little after 7:30, and continued until 9:00. With flames that were up to 20 feet high, many Freedom students enjoyed the

warm and cozy night.

For some students, the heat was a little more then they could handle. “[The fire] was so hot,” said freshman Jordan Reyes.

Some students even spent most of their time playing football or socializing away from the fire because they could not handle the heat.

Some students, however, withstood the heat, and enjoyed the excitement of the night.

“Let’s Go Freedom” chants were repeated again and again, and the cheerleaders also elevated the level of excitement with their cheers.

Playing along was the Freedom Band, filling the sounds of

their wonderful music into the sky. Teachers and students were amidst the huge pack of people that came to show their Free-

erty shirt that was placed at the top of the pile of wood.

Many students laughed.

Freshman Jaden Lee Watkins said, “Burning the Liberty shirt showed everyone what our football team had in mind. I guess it worked.”

It definitely worked because the next day Freedom High School’s football team went on to beat Liberty High School, 45 - 42. Many students believe that the bonfire triggered this enormous win over Freedom’s rival team.

Whether or not that is true cannot be certain, but one thing is absolute. The Freedom High School football Adam Duser / Asst. Photo Editor team burned Liberty at the dom support. Also attending bonfire and on the football field. were families and friends of Freedom alumni.

Noticed by many was the Lib-

Accepting the NaNoWriMo Challenge

By Luisa Marin, News Editor Nov. 1 marked the date where thousands rushed to start the madness.

It had nothing to do with submitting Early Decision/Action applications for college. On the contrary, it was the start of writing season for the NaNoWriMo enthusiasts.

NaNoWriMo stands for Na-

Nanowrimo.com

tional Novel Writing Month.

Nov. 30 is the deadline for members to submit a novel which has to be 50,000 or more words.

The website is meant to provide the participants the necessary tools like a tracking device so the writers can know if they are falling behind with their word counts and how much they should be writing.

Additionally, the website provides pep talks from different published authors. The pep talks provide inspiration for those who are stuck or feel lost in their writing.

Once people sign up for “My NaNoWriMo,” they get email updates and words of encouragement. They can also meet other writers who are participating. For friends who participate, they can follow each others' progress and read a sneak peak about each others' books.

Sponsors for NaNoWriMo include participants who donate money and corporations. Storyist Software is one of the sponsors and their developer was a participant of NaNoWriMo who managed to win the NaNoWriMo contest four times.

To win in NaNoWriMo, one must meet the word count quota before 11:59 pm on Nov. 30.

For the Youth Writers Program, sponsors like StudentPublishing.com and CreateSpace are offering every YWP winner a free proof copy of their manuscript.

One novel in one month is no easy task especially for those who are in high school. However many students are willing to accept the challenge for the thrill it provides.

Even at Freedom High School students like seniors Abigail Deely, Emily Marchese, and William Sampson are willing to

add the insanity of NaNoWriMo to their busy schedules.

Sampson completed his third NaNoWriMo. The first year, he entered because of his friend, but it was such an incredible experience he had to do it again.

Sampson enjoys the challenge.

“Whether professional or a first timer, the push NaNo gives is enough to get a first draft completed,” he says.

Sampson believes that writing is a journey and with NaNo, “you can create something that

is your own and special.”

Sampson adds that the forum on the website allows writers to discuss their stories and “bounce around ideas.” The best part is that NaNo acts as a community and the Municipal Liasons have kick-off parties, check-ins, and “Thank-God-It's All Over” events.

All over Freedom, there may be NaNo writers hidden. Beware because they are dedicated and have a deadline.

Features 9

The Forum

November 2011

Vo-Tech Provides Culinary Practices

By Julie Boylan, Editorial Editor For many high school students, the most cooking experience they receive is in a nine-week home-economics course.

For junior Gaven Klipple, however, intensive culinary training is just a short walk past the tennis courts.

Klipple is a student at the Bethlehem Area VocationalTechnical School (Vo-Tech) in the Culinary Arts cluster

where he works in the culinary arts and event planning program. The Vo-Tech is a technical school specifically designed to give high school and adult students the tools they need to be professionals in the workforce.

Every day for third and fourth block Klipple walks to Vo-Tech from Freedom for his culinary classes. During those classes, he is in the kitchen cooking either for learning purposes or catering for various functions.

“Basically, what happens is people come to us and tell us what they want and we make it,” Klipple says. “We even have business cards.”

In addition, students’ work is sometimes featured at the Vo-Tech cafeteria. Klipple, for instance, was featured for a barbeque sauce he was experimenting with that “turned out pretty good.”

While Klipple is on the culinary tract now, he hadn’t always planned to go to VoTech for culinary arts.

“Last year, I decided to go to Vo-Tech because my brother went,” says Klipple. “I took a rotation where you did four classes, [and] then picked one you liked.”

Klipple found that the class he liked best was the culinary class. “It is a lot of fun,” he says.

The goal of a Vo-Tech education is to prepare its students for a career in the real world. At the completion of the program, students take Student Occupational Competency Achievement Test to measure the student’s mastery of the occupational skills achieved at the end of the program. They are also able to qualify for the Pennsylvania Skills Certificate and the National Restaurant Association ServSafe certification.

Klipple can testify to the career-oriented atmosphere, saying that the program “definitely prepares students for a career.”

While Klipple says that he likes cooking, he doesn’t know if he really wants to go into the culinary field.

Regardless, the culinary classes Klipple has taken at Vo-Tech are there to support him if Klipple may decide to pursue, and they certainly puts a twist on the typical highschool coursework.

Hannah Sigafoos / Special to The Freedom Forum

Sunday School in School

By Nainjot Singh, Staff For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.—John 3:16 Fellowship. Discussion.

Prayer.

These are defining aspects of Freedom High School’s Bible Club—a club that stud-

ies the Christian religion.

The Bible Club at Freedom High School meets once a week on Wednesdays to discuss the meanings and importance of the Bible, so that students in this club can understand more about the Bible and the religion of Christianity.

The adviser for Bible Club, Mr. Chris Jones, encourages the members of this club to take more part in their faith.

These students do play an active role, as they were the ones who started this club.

According to Mr. Jones, Bible Club can sort of be related to Sunday School, or Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD).

“The only difference is that Bible Club is not any particular church, and anyone is welcome, no matter what religion the student is.” says Mr. Jones.

Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

Freshman Hannah Arnold says, “I feel that Bible Club really brings all of us together. We look forward to going to Bible Club, and it’s something that’s important in our lives.”

The Bible Club believes that learning the history of their religion is very important.

They also believe the events in the Bible are relevant to the present.

Outside of school, the Bible Club sponsors various activities like See You At the Pole.

See You At the Pole is a nationwide project in which students and the staff will get together at the flagpole and pray for the school. This project was held on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011. Many students and teachers met together at the flagpole to pray for their peers and teachers.

Senior Julibeth Lanzot says, “I think that’s very bold of them to do, especially in public at a high school.”

Helping the community, praying for their peers, and studying the religion of Christianity is what the Bible Club is all about.

The Bible Club motto says, “Anyone is welcome. We would love to share our views and thoughts of Christianity with other students.”

Seven Billion People, One Big Responsibility

By Erin Ogozaly, Special to The Freedom Forum A landmark in Earth’s history was reached at the end of last month.

According to the UN Population Council, the total human population on Earth was predicted to hit a record of seven billion people by the end of Oct. 2011. With the occurrence of this population landmark comes a wave of new consciousness of responsibilities.

As humans, it is necessary to control the population so essential resources, such as food and water, are not reduced.

News media, has, in response, started anew the debates surrounding the possibility of governments enacting population controlling policies.

While it is a good thing for these news agencies to debate about potential population controlling policies, they have neglected to make a crucial point about what the existing seven billion people can do to help the environment and stop the strain that has already been created on the Earth’s resources.

It is more important to inform the people of the power that they have to help the environment and make big results.

People have the responsibility to make changes to their lifestyles so that we can ensure a healthy planet for future generations.

“Leave something better than you found it,” is the Green Team motto.

Make the parts of the world you touch better parts of the world, one way or the other. The team challenges others to start that change and to not be ashamed of it.

Take the extra time at lunch to put bottles and cans in the recycling bins and call out others who are not doing the same. Tell the teacher who leaves his or her classroom and does not turn the lights off that he or she should turn off the lights.

Most of all, know that these changes are something that cannot occur without everyone's participation. Everyone can actually make an impact.

Anyone who is interested in making the world a better place should come to room 160 after school every Wednesday for weekly Green Team meetings.

Illustration by Willem Ystama / Staff

10 Pates’ Post

Ask Fabio!

Advice Column

How to Deal with Social Network Annoyances In this day and age, everyone has a Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Youtube, or Formspring (and for those holding on to their roots, Myspace and Xanga) account.

While many of these sites do offer oodles of procrastination goodness, there are many annoyances when dealing with your “friends.”

How does one go about dealing with these annoyances without giving up his or her social identity?

One other annoyance that plagues the Internet (and more recently, the halls of Freedom) is the use of the hashtag.

While it was created as a tool to help organize conversations on Twitter, the hashtag is now being abused and used in every social media platform on the face of the Earth. There is no reason at all to use a hashtag on Facebook or, even worse, in conversation.

Despite this, it is becoming more common to hear in the hallway “#swag” being said by various students exhibiting excessive amounts of tomfoolery.

There is no direct solution to this problem; however, I do believe we should fight fire with fire in this scenario. This is why we should institute the hashtag “#hashtagsarentforFB.” In addition to hashtag misuse, another social networking woe that plagues the Internet is the unfortunate amount of Farmville and other “-ville” notifications.

While it is possible to block notifications on Facebook from certain applications, unfortunately there is a high chance that two more will pop up in your news feed in the amount of time it takes to block the infamous application.

If you have a high number of “friends” who are avid Farmville players that spam your news feed, I recommend you find a new set of “friends.” If you are a Farmville addict, please contain the addiction and only share the notifications with your fellow farmers.

What was once a procrastination haven is now becoming a realm full of simple annoyances.

So next time you go online, make sure that you are not an offender of any of these grievances. If you are, I highly encourage you to bring the palm of your hand to your forehead, because the rest of the Internet will not be thanking you.

The Forum

November 2011

Man of the Month: Patrick Davis

By Kate Dawson, Staff

change of environment.”

Even though Davis is new to Freedom, one can already see his impressive resume.

Patrick is on Freedom’s

This month The Freedom Forum would like to highlight a freshman you may not have had the pleasure to meet yet.

His name is Patrick Davis, and not only is he a star athlete, performer and student, but he is also just an all around nice guy. It is rare to find him without a smile on his face, and even rarer to hear him say anything negative at all.

If you are looking for a good friend or just a friendly face, you’ll definitely find one with Patrick.

As most of us know, the transition from middle school to high school is not always easy, especially when it comes to making your presence known and not just falAndrew Mattei / Photo Editor ling into the sea of faces.

But with a humble smile, baseball team and in the ski Davis says, “I like Freedom a club. What you might be surlot more than East Hills. It is a prised to hear is that he also nice big school, and it is a excels on stage in the Theatre

Company.

He may have been playing baseball since he was four, but as early as elementary school, Patrick says his music teacher

recognized him as a talented singer and got him involved in a Pennsylvania Youth Theatre production of “A Christmas

Carol.”

Davis says, “In elementary school, my mom always talked about how I should grow up a well rounded kid.”

Aside from being a first basemen, outfielder, skier and leading man, Davis also takes all honors classes and has big plans for the future.

“I really would like to go to Notre Dame, I would want to go for mechanical engineering and take a minor in theatre,” says Davis. “I also want to play on the baseball team.”

All in all, Patrick Davis is a determined young student who is heading towards great things. With his talent and dedication, I am sure he will accomplish all he plans to. You can see Patrick later in the year during baseball season on the Freedom baseball team. We wish him the best of luck in all his endeavors!

Freedom Families Celebrate T-Day

By Ashley Eichlin, Features Editor Thanksgiving is a day in which Americans take time to think about what they are thankful for; however, how Thanksgiving is celebrated varies from household to household.

Most families who celebrate Thanksgiving will spend a day with close family members.

The family will end the evening by digging into an enormous meal, which includes stuffing, various vegetables, and the traditional Thanksgiving turkey.

Popular celebrations follow long with how senior, Jennifer Stone, celebrates Thanksgiving with her family. Stone spends the day in New Jersey with her entire family. The Stone family spends the day cooking the turkey and preparing foods for their Thanksgiving dinner. At dinner time, the Stone family serves them-

selves “buffet style.” They set up multiple tables loaded with yummy foods.

Stone said, “Personally, I only eat the turkey; I don't eat anything else.”

However, Stone adds “lots of gravy” to her turkey. Before the Stone family digs into their Thanksgiving meal, each family member, at the table, will state what they are thankful for.

Senior Abby Cooke spends her Thanksgiving in a similar fashion.

The Cooke family travels to York, Pennsylvania every year to celebrate the fall holiday.

Cooke said, “[York] is in the middle of nowhere.”

In York, Cooke celebrates Thanksgiving with her mom's side of the family. Cooke clearly remembers her past Thanksgivings, including last year's Thanksgiving where it was a quite memorial holiday.

She spent her vacation with choir on a trip to Nashville,

Freedom’s National Honor Society chapter is holding a sneaker drive.

Please donate your sneakers (in any condition) in the main office, gym, 145, 207, or 227.

Tennessee. During her stay, Cooke experienced dinner in the attic of a restaurant.

“It was freezing,” Cooke said in regards to the attic environment.

Unfortunately, Cooke was unable to spend time with her family on this holiday; however, she spent time with her choir friends.

“Spending time with my friends instead of my family was a lot of fun,” Cooke said.

For freshman Pierce Giamportone, Thanksgiving is not taken as seriously. However, this is not to say that the Giamportone family does not enjoy themselves. Typically, Giamportone spends his Thanksgiving at a family member's house. The house varies depending on the year. There, Giamportone is greeted warmly by his family.

“Thanksgiving is a time to see your family,” said Giam-

portone. While Giamportone's Thanksgiving seems fairly ordinary, there is one aspect that makes the Giamportone stand out from other families.

Due to the fact that the Giamportone family is vegetarian, they do not have a turkey.

However, they still manage to enjoy their meals without this traditional meat.

Illustration by Willem Ystama / Staff

Sports 11

The Forum

November 2011

Big Things for Boys‟ Basketball

By Samantha Lutz, Staff Basketball season is still about a month away, but at Freedom High School, the Patriots are getting a head start and preparing for the 2011-2012 season in order to make a comeback from last year’s season.

A handful of the team has fourth block class with Coach Joe Stellato, PE Athlete. This class gives the players an opportunity to focus on basketball for a whole period, instead of a regular gym class, which allows them to prepare for the upcoming season.

“We're expecting an excellent season with our key players and newcomers,” Stellato said.

Stellato expects big things for returning key players Joe Lo-

coco, Jarrod Dilts, Jordan Young, Derike Chiclana, and Nyreef Jackson.

Newcomers such as Tajmire Flood, Maceo Connor, and David Williams are also expected to be contributions to the team.

An overall record of 274 completed their summer season. The team participated in Stellar, the largest tournament in the country, and Freedom placed third.

Also, in the Allentown summer league and the Sportfest Tournament, the results were two first place finishes.

The 2010-2011 winter season ended with a record of 8-14.

Comparing that record to the one of summer, it is

obvious that improvements have been made in the offseason.

Last year, the Patriots consisted of mostly juniors and were always playing teams with more senior leadership.

The Pates may had been at a disadvantage then, but this year is different.

Can Coach Stellato and the Freedom Patriots keep up what they accomplished in the summer? Or will the upcoming season be a repeat of last year? Only time will tell.

Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

A Passion Like No Other

By Nainjot Singh, Staff Working hard and being a team leader are some aspects of Quinn Ackerman that are displayed on his second home, the soccer field.

As a sophomore, Ackerman was a forward on the Freedom High School varsity soccer team.

Ackerman, who has been playing soccer since first grade, has always thought of soccer as a learning experience, and he feels that he can always do better.

“I did good this season, but I know I could’ve done better,” said Ackerman.

Other Freedom soccer players describe Quinn as energetic, skillful, and passionate for the

game.

“He [Ackerman] works hard, and he knows how to distribute the ball well,” says Mr. Karl Peters, soccer coach.

Ackerman plays soccer in and out of school. Though he plays for Freedom’s varsity team, Quinn also plays for the Prussia Soccer Club, a challenging club team that competes all over the region. Ackerman likes the competitive atmosphere of the club team, too.

“It’s hard at first,” says Quinn.

“Then you keep trying and trying, and you come out on top.”

Ackerman rates Freedom’s season as “decent,” and he knows that the team could have done better.

“Injuries really slowed us down., said Ackerman.

Ackerman describes soccer as

“the main thing in [his] life.”

It is a passion like no other.

His entire life has been focused around the sport of soccer.

Before every game, Ackerman watches his favorite player, Ronaldhino, and listens to pregame music.

“I always watch Ronaldhino before a game...always,” said Ackerman.

Ackerman also has a word of advice to incoming freshmen and other players who want to tryout for the Freedom Soccer team next year.

He wants athletes to know that keeping their grades up and staying out of trouble is important if they want to play varsity sports in high school.

Ackerman can certainly see himself continuing to play soccer after high school and maybe

even establish a career in the sport that he loves so much.

With such a passion, one can

most definitely agree that Quinn Ackerman has great potential on and off the field.

Andrew Mattei / Photo Editor

Cardinals Fly in the World Series

By Ryan Shaikh, Asst. Sports Editor The St. Louis Cardinals won this year’s World Series in epic fashion playing the maximum of seven games against the Texas Rangers.

This year's series was the first to be decided in seven games since 2002 when the Anaheim Angels won.

The St. Louis Cardinals are also the first wild card team to win the World Series since the 2004 Boston Red Sox. With all of the history that took place during this year's World Series aside, the action on the field was just as fascinating.

The Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals reached the World Series with the success of their offense, which was needed because the pitching was short of remarkable.

The St. Louis Cardinals' pitching staff, led

by Chris Carpenter, had a 4.05 earned run average, and the Texas Rangers' pitching staff, led by C.J. Wilson, had an ERA of 4.32.

With pitching a nonfactor in this series, each team’s lineup needed to pick up the slack and score as many runs as possible to win each game.

Also important in any playoff series, let alone the World Series, is mo mentum which seemed to shift back and forth throughout the series.

The two major games in this series were games three and five.

During game three, the Cardinals offense, led by a slumping

Albert Pujols, exploded. Pujols alone went five for six with three homeruns and six RBIs leading the Cardinals to a 16-7 victory, which made the series two games to one.

the dugout phone between the Cardinals manager, Tony La Rusa, and its bullpen. During the eighth inning, the manager called for two pitchers, Marc Rzepczynski and Jason Motte, to warm up, but the bullpen coach warmed up Rzepcynski and Lance Lynn.

This was pivotal because when La Rusa called for Rzepcynski as a relief pitcher, but when he sat him down and called for the team’s closer Motte, Lynn came out and gave up the two game winning runs.

St. Louis created a must win situation for games six and seven, which they did, Flickr.com / David Herholz giving the Cardinals their Game five, on the other hand, 11th World Series title of all was the complete opposite. time.

Some might say that it was the largest managerial meltdown in postseason history.

The meltdown occurred over

12 Sports

The Forum

November 2011

Johnston Serves the Competition Freedom's girls’ tennis team had an excellent season this year and made it all the way to the District 11 AAA semi-finals.

A main contributor to the team's success was freshman, Flannery Johnston, who went 18 -3 as a freshman.

Johnston was the team's number three player this season as a freshman.

Although she said it was a good feeling being the third spot, she does not think it is entirely about age, and "it's about the time you've put in and how hard you're willing to push yourself," Johnston said.

She also related the age factor to professional tennis noting that Maria Sharapova won Wimbeldon when she was only 17 years old.

As far as pressure goes, Johnston thinks the pressure almost leveled itself out.

"It was more pressure in the sense that I was taking on this, band, and schoolwork all at once, but less pressure because I knew I had three more years to play," Johnston said.

She also said she matured in a way and "didn't feel the way a freshman feels at the pep rallies, it was like I'd already passed that stage."

With three more years to go, Johnston has set high goals for

herself.

“I want to win the LVIAC tournament like I did this year, except at the #1 spot, not the #3 spot,” said Johnston.

She also wants to work hard enough to perform better in district playoffs in future years and avoid being eliminated in the first round like this year.

Her ultimate goals are "to win LVIAC again, win districts, and get the opportunity to go to the state championships in Hershey.

I also would hope to be helping my teammates improve, and make them feel like part of a family," said Johnston.

Also, practicing seniors, Marielle McIntyre who went to the state tournament this year, as

well as being partners with Julie Boylan, who was the team's number two player, made Johnston bring her A-game to the table.

Johnston was encouraged by the senior leadership on the tennis team, too.

She said after her and Julie had lost in districts, McIntyre gave her a hug and told her "not to be upset; you're a freshman; you have three more years."

Because of that, Johnston left with her head held high.

In addition, playing with Julie Boylan made Johnston realize parts of her game she did not strategize before.

Johnston also said, "Val was very encouraging because she

always played on the court next to me, and whenever I was down she could help pep me up.”

Johnston is also in the band and a runner who could not be on the cross-country team because of tennis. However, "there's always track," Johnston said.

Adam Duser / Asst. Photo Editor

By Mike McGinty, Sports Editor

Liberty Falls in Football Shootout

By Greg Adams, Staff This season’s FreedomLiberty football game can be summarized in three words: expect the unexpected.

For Freedom, there were a lot of unexpected elements in the last game of the regular season, and the season in general.

No one would have believed that Freedom’s first victory in nine years over its Bethlehem rival would be led by a junior quarterback, or that a Patriot team known this season for its solid defense and heavy dependence on its running game would allow 42 points and score four touchdowns through the air.

On Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011, these surprises led to a victory for the Patriots that set them up for a post-season playoff run.

Senior James McCarthy of Liberty and junior Brian Uliana of Freedom both showed their

talent and did a lot for their teams as the quarterbacks.

The two grew up playing on baseball teams together at City Line Little League, and it was interesting to see two childhood friends competing against each other as intercity rivals.

Liberty’s senior quarterback James McCarthy eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for rushing during the game, a milestone that is difficult for a high school running back to achieve, and especially rare for a high school quarterback.

Freedom’s junior Brian Uliana proved he could also make big plays on the run, but relied more on his arm to defeat the Hurri-

wide receiver Frank Bucsi, who has proven to be a consistent and reliable player on both sides of the ball thro u g ho ut the season.

“It felt good to not only be able to do it for my team, but also for everyone who played Tyler Alicea / Editor-in-Chief has for Freedom canes. over the years and was cheering Brian Uliana threw for over us on,” Bucsi said of his per250 receiving yards and four formance touchdown passes over the Senior Okezie Alozie had a course of the game. defensive and an offensive On the other end of all four touchdo wn for Freedom. touchdown passes was senior Both teams used explosive

plays and quick offensive drives during the game. Freedom and Liberty each found the end zone during their opening drives in under five plays.

Although each team played amazing offense, the game came down to the final minute.

With the score tied and the ball in Freedom’s possession, Sean Wrobel (junior) set up to kick a 35-yard field goal that would prove to win the game for the Patriots.

“The celebration was short lived after the kick,” Wrobel said.

This was because after the field goal their was still time left and the junior kicker still had to execute a difficult squib kick to eat up the clock and secure the win.

In the final two plays after the kick, Freedom made a great defensive stop that has seemed to be the team’s signature this season.

Patriots Prove Successful at States

By Mike McGinty, Sports Editor Every varsity sport in Freedom High School has goals, whether they be individual or team goals, and they all have one final goal in common, the PIAA State Championships in Hershey.

It is very rare for a school to produce a state championship team or a state champion; however, only two months in to the school year, Freedom High School has sent two athletes, from their respected sports, to state tournaments. Marielle McIntyre and Nathaniel Palmer both qualified for the State Tournament.

Marielle McIntyre qualified in girls’ tennis singles, after going undefeated in the regular season and winning the District 11 AAA Girls’ Tennis Singles Championship.

"There are only 16 girls in the entire tournament," McIntyre said before the tournament. "My expectations aren't too high though, and I'm excited just to experience the state playoffs.

However, I'm obviously going to try my best and win."

However, McIntyre lost in the first round to Taylor Perz in two sets of the state tournament, 6-0 6-1.

Freedom's girls’ tennis coach, Mark Sigmon, simply put it that Marielle McIntyre had a bad day.

Sigmon told The Morning Call that "she [Marielle] just had a bad day. She had a good draw, and if she had played her normal game, she could have beaten her."

In other news, Palmer qualified for states in boys’ crosscountry.

Palmer has been one of Freedom High School's best runners

ever since he entered high school. He even qualified for the state cross-country meet as a junior last season.

This season Palmer was undefeated in the regular season and the Lehigh Valley Conference Champion.

However, at the District meet Palmer slipped and fell, which made him come in 2nd place.

Similar to McIntyre, Palmer

Adam Duser / Asst. Photo Editor

did not perform his best at states either due to a side stitch.

Palmer ended up placing 90th, which did not live up to his goal of medaling (the top 25 medal at states).

However, Palmer said that without the side stitch, he would have placed in the low 40s.

Palmer also enjoyed the experience of states for his second time.

Compared to the last year, Palmer said that "this time around I knew to eat better the day before, get more sleep..."

Palmer also added that he "was more familiar with the course and knew that a ton of kids die after the hills start."

This backfired however, and Palmer ended up getting boxed in between around 280 people.

He also noted that "there was a ton of shoving, and one kid was almost pushed over a fence and down a 50 foot cliff."

Although they were not state champions and may have not lived up to their full expectations, Marielle McIntyre and Nate Palmer certainly have been outstanding representatives for Freedom High School athletics and had wonderful seasons to look back on with pride.

Janice Lavranos / Staff