Silver and gold DECA-rations Freedom’s DECA chapter shows up competition Emily Majors Business Manager On Dec. 5, 13 students went to Crowne Plaza Hotel to compete at the District II Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) competition. Competing against approximately 130 students from North Allegheny, Aliquippa, Beaver County
DECA Results First place Emily Allego Jamie Croll Ryan Gray Tippin Harkins Emily Majors Jen Wallis
CTC, Ambridge and PA Cyber, Freedom students took the stage with six first place winners, six second place winners, and one fourth place winner. “I felt very surprised and shocked when I was called onto the stage,” Ryan Gray, Vice President of Freedom DECA chapter said. “The competition was very intense, and I felt sure the other kids would win.” The students had to take a general marketing test along with their cluster test. Each category had a different cluster ranging from marketing to business management to logistics. After lunch there was a dance going on while the students had to participate in role plays.
“It was terrifying sitting across the table from a person who works with marketing and business almost every day,” Gray said. “But my judge was really nice, and it ended up going really well by the time I was done.” Once role plays were done, the students convened for the awards ceremony. The top three kids in individual events and the top two teams would continue on to states. The states competition will take place Feb. 27, 28 and March 1 at Hershey, PA. Comments? E-mail Emily at emajors@freedomarea.org
In this issue...
Christmas spirit at the band concert Page 3
Second place Austin Bailey Breanna Barnes Brandon Barnhart Stacey Wallis Dereck Majors Louis Dubovi
Fourth place
Photo submitted
Josh Leasure
Freedom ended the Dec. 5 DECA competition on a victorious note.
Caroling, K-9s and construction
Learning how to make longdistance relationships work Page 9
School board ends year with December meeting Lauren Dubovi Staff Writer “Jingle Bells,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “We Wish you a Merry Christmas” were the songs performed by Robbie Raso, Josh Battaglia, Derrick Skinger, Zack Malinak and Nathan James from Freedom’s Barbershop chorus to open the board meeting on Thursday, Dec. 6, bringing a Christmas feeling to the atmosphere. The singing was followed up by
the presentation of the district’s Christmas card designed by Junior Niki Vargo. The card will go out to local committees, other districts and teachers. Mr. Timothy Dadich later congratulated the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) team stating that, "Not only did they do well, they destroyed the other competition." Mrs. Maureen Hawk spoke to the board about the issue with Mr. JC Summers and some of the bad publicity the district received over the last
few weeks. In response to the event, Dr. Jeffrey Fuller said that the board will be working with the local law enforcement agencies to show the Freedom students and faculty the K9 units that can be used to find drugs and discuss the consequences of drug use. He also said the K9 units will perform random drug searches in lockers in the near future.
See SCHOOL BOARD, page 2
Girls’ basketball starting with improvements Page 12
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FHS Press
December 21, 2012
New gym teacher School board Morgan Greco Social Media Director With the resignation of physical education teacher J.C. Summers, Freedom is on the hunt for a new replacement Mr. John Cindric currently holds the position as interim gym teacher. He recently took over Summers’ classes. He hopes to keep the job until the middle of January, when the interviewing process should be concluded. Although Cindric is the current physical education teacher, he graduated with a degree in history and secondary education. He said it’s not what he thought he would end up doing, but is grateful for the opportunity anyways. “I may apply for the position,” Cindric said. Before Cindric was given the opportunity to take over the job, he also substituted for other teachers as well. “I enjoy working here; it’s different,” Cindric said. The quest to find a new physical education teacher is on.
Comments? E-mail Morgan at mgreco@freedomarea.org
From PAGE 1 Athletics were also discussed at the meeting. The board accepted Mr. Frank Hernandez’s resignation as Freedom’s head football coach. “It was a lot of different things [that helped him decide to resign from the position].” He wants to be able to focus on other things in his life such as his new position as assistant principal, his new baby and his continuation of getting his doctorate degree. It was also brought to the board’s attention that there were about a dozen high school girls interested in having a tennis team. Mr. John Rosa will be investigating the possibility of the team becoming a reality. Dan Engen of VEBH Architects reinforced what he said at the last meeting; VEBH wants to hire engineers for land surveying. There will be a public meeting for the commuLauren Dubovi/FHS Press nity Jan. 15, 2013 at 7 p.m. in the Middle School auditorium about the Above: The district Christmas card by Junior Niki Vargo was preproposed layout; the community is not sented by Dr. Fuller. Below: The meeting began with members being only welcomed but encouraged to go serenaded. to ask any questions they have about the layout proposal. Comments? E-mail Lauren at laurendubovi@freedomarea.org
Spike in Freedom’s social media Anna Patsch
Photo & Design Editor Watch out! Freedom High School is moving into the future! Over the past few weeks, some of you may have noticed different Freedom High School entities showing up on your favorite social networking sites. Twitter and Facebook are all abuzz with the latest Freedom High School news, thanks to the FHS Press and the FHS Bulldog Bark. Mrs. Kristen Milanovich’s multimedia classes and the Print Media Workshop class have now been putting their information on the web. In order to share information faster, the FHS Press started Twitter and Facebook accounts operated by none other than the FHS Press social media director, Morgan Greco. “Social networking is important because it helps spread our news outside Freedom High School,” Greco said. Facebook and Twitter accounts are easier to use and allow for a wider audience. More students are checking their Twitter feed than picking up the daily newspaper. These student-run accounts are responsible for keeping Freedom students updated on the latest FHS news. Facebook and Twitter give Freedom the opportunity to expand their audience. Print Media isn’t the only class taking advantage of social networking.
Milanovich’s multimedia classes are taking to the Internet with their informative Twitter account, The Bulldog Bark, run by Milanovich’s Emerging Tech students. “Mrs. Niedbala actually came up with the idea when she and I were talking about the first bonfire getting cancelled and getting that type of information out to students, faculty and others who may be interested,” Milanovich said. “In today's technological society, information needs to be instantaneous,” Milanovich said. Every social media site comes with risks as well as rewards. “People, including students, need to be careful what is posted on social networking mediums. Many colleges, universities and even potential employers use social networking to gauge a person's character and integrity. It is important to always be aware of your surroundings and your actions in the event something is posted about you,” Milanovich said. Be sure to stay updated with the lasted FHS news by checking out the FHS-Press Facebook page as well as the FHS-Press (@FHSPress) and Bulldog Bark (@fhsbulldog) Twitter accounts.
Comments? E-mail Anna at apatsch@freedomarea.org
FHS Press
December 21, 2012
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Rocking your stockings Band and chorus host Christmas concert Courtney Schreiner Asst. Sports Editor On Monday Dec. 17, the high school concert band and chorus performed their annual Christmas concert. By playing favorites such as “Deck the Halls” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” the band and chorus prepared everyone in the audience for the holiday season. “My favorite part is when the audience gets involved and looks really happy… It’s a great way to spread Christmas cheer,” percussionist Ally Wolf said. Sophomore Maura Lehocky, a member of the chorus, agrees. “It felt like [the audience was] really in the Christmas spirit with us,” she said. The band had been working hard to prepare for this event. “[The band] spent long hours of hard work and after school practice to make sure we could play everything,” Wolf said. Along with the band members, those students involved with chorus put in a lot of time to do their best in the show. “We gave up our AAP time to get our music just right, sometimes repeating the same song three or four times until we got it right,” Lehocky said. “But we always have a good time [practicing].” Even eighth graders got to show off their singing talents this year. Since there is no longer a middle school choir, middle school students are now part of the high school’s
choir. In a special number, these students had the chance to feature their talents in the high school show. Besides being part of the concert band, some students also participated in the jazz band. “The 'Sugar Plum Rock’ song was my favorite,” Senior Kevin Herbert said. Herbert enjoys being able to hear himself and other members stand out from the rest of the band. Freshman Louis Dubovi, who plays alto saxophone in the jazz band, likes being a part of it because he “really enjoys all jazz music.” As part of the show, Dubovi had a solo in “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow.” “I was really nervous about my solo, but I felt confident because I had practiced it for so many hours,” Dubovi said. This year, some of Freedom’s barbershop group, called the “Barbershop Boys” also made an appearance. “It felt awesome to be able to [sing] at the concert,” Sophomore Josh Battaglia said. “We have been practicing for about three to four months, so it felt great.” Closing with an audience participation number of “Happy Holidays/ White Christmas,” the band and chorus students ended their concert on a high note by bringing merriment to everyone in attendance. Comments? E-mail Courtney at cschriener@freedomarea.org
More than standard Hope Ruckert Asst. Features Editor When everyone received their report cards from the first nine weeks, there was also a letter included in the envelope from Mr. Chris Bennett and Mr. Timothy Dadich. This letter informed students and their parents that on Dec. 4 and 5 the students of Freedom Area High School would be taking the math section of the Keystones. The Keystones are similar to the PSSAs, though the PSSAs are no longer being administered to students. On Thursday, Nov. 29, Dadich made an announcement on DTV informing us that passing the Keystones does not determine whether or not you can graduate your senior year. However, he made it very clear that the school needs to join together and do well on
these tests as a whole. “These keystones are meant to verify that the students have acquired standard-based content at a level of proficiency,” Bennett said. The only students that were exempt from taking these tests were seniors and those who had already taken these exams and received proficiency. The teachers have explained to their students that even though these tests aren’t a determining factor in whether they graduate or not, they are meant to show what their strengths and weaknesses are. This will help the teachers see where each of their students need help and help them succeed in class. Comments? E-mail Hope at hruckert@freedomarea.org
Courtney Schreiner/FHS Press
Freedom’s chorus spreads holiday cheer with their performance of a traditional “Carol Medley.”
FHS Press
STAFF EDITORIAL:
About time for tolerance
As we look back upon the Civil Rights Movement, we view the citizens who picketed with signs depicting racial slurs as wrong and something of the past. After the movement, current society believes in equality, yet we don’t practice what we preach. In 50 years, our generation will be the one looked down upon for disrespecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transexual (LGBT) rights. The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal,” but apparently homosexual men are not equal because they are not treated as such. In today’s society, we see protestors holding signs outside of gay marriages. Who is to say that sexual orientation dictates what a marriage means to the individual? LGBT rights are in the same category of women’s rights and African American’s rights. The true issue here is that regardless of beliefs, these are human rights. Everyone remembers the Chickfil-A fiasco from earlier in the year-something that could have easily been avoided. Not agreeing with the matter
does not excuse hate on the public or the establishment’s side. There are ways to express beliefs without being hateful; you can have your opinion as long as you are respectful. Another equality issue that is still prevalent is women’s rights. Though the rights of women have been improved greatly, there are still some areas that need to catch up in for improvement. Salary equality is one of the major issues for women’s rights. According to the Washington Post, women make 77 cents for every dollar made by her male counterpart. The 13 cents per hour that she is not making truly adds up. This leads to a $431,000 lifetime wage gap, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Though a woman could have the same qualifications as a man, she still earns less and has a lesser chance of getting a high-paying job. If we are preaching equality, women should get equal pay for equal work. Discrimination is a serious issue, and if you aren’t part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
FHS Press — Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief: Sarah Choflet editor@freedomarea.org Managing Editor: Taylar McCoy Asst. Managing Editor: Alexa Yanyanin managing@freedomarea.org Copy Editor: Gigi DeWeese copy@freedomarea.org News Editor: Amanda Hryckowian Asst. News Editor: Evan Stiger news@freedomarea.org
Features Editor: Jon Bittner Asst. Features Editor: Hope Ruckert features@freedomarea.org
Sports Editor: Desiree Davis Asst. Sports Editor: Courtney Schreiner sports@freedomarea.org
Newspaper Adviser: Mr. Aaron Fitzpatrick afitzpatrick@freedomarea.org
Photo & Design Editor: Anna Patsch photo@freedomarea.org
Web Editor: Emily Majors web@freedomarea.org
Business Manager: Emily Majors ads@freedomarea.org
Social Media Director: Morgan Greco socialmedia@freedomarea.org
Staff Writers: Lauren Dubovi Brianna Haglan laurendubovi@freedomarea.org bhaglan@freedomarea.org Contributing Artists: Evan Stiger, Gigi DeWeese, Amanda Hryckowian Multimedia Teachers: Mrs. Kristen Milanovich Mrs. Valerie Marburger
Section Flags: Christian Edder, Morgan Calahan, Tristan Cumberledge
Editorial Policies: FHS Press is the official student newspaper serving students and staff at Freedom Area High School, in Freedom, Pennsylvania. The views presented herein are not representative of the school, faculty, or administration; they are solely the views of individual student writers. The staff editorial is written based on the majority opinion of the student editorial board. The newspaper accepts and strives to publish signed letters to the editor under 250 words, which can be sent to editor@freedomarea.org. To submit comments, questions, or press releases, or to purchase advertising in the paper, e-mail fhspress@freedomarea.org, or contact Mr. Fitzpatrick in Room 112.
Evan Stiger/FHS Press
My Life as Lex: the first Noelle For many people, the only reason they wake up each morning during the month of December is because of Alexa Yanyanin the exciteAsst. Managing Editor ment of Christmas approaching. For me it’s more than that. It’s also my birthday month! I was brought into this world Friday, Dec. 8, 1995, at 10:27 a.m. I was born a little under three weeks early; my expected arrival date was Christmas. My mom couldn’t get enough of the fact she was going to have a Christmas baby. Her lovely idea? Let’s name her Noelle. If you have the privilege of knowing my mother on a personal level, you know she obsessed with French things. Of course she couldn’t have her daughter’s name be just plain old Noel. She needed to put some flair on it, so why not spell it like the French do? Needless to say, Mom got her way and my name is Alexa Noelle, spelled the French way. Birthdays are my thing. I know everyone’s birthday and always make sure to bring in a special treat for them on their day. This year, I’m turning the big 17. Usually on my birthday, I take a
“personal day.” AKA, skipping school. I stay at home, relax and do my best to avoid the crazy “Happy Birthday” posts on Facebook. This year, my birthday was on a Saturday. I’m rather upset that I didn’t get my “personal day”, but I did get to spend the day in Pittsburgh with my best friend. This isn’t the first time I’ve done something exciting for my day. From my first birthday until around my tenth my mom has made it apparent to throw extravagant parties for me each year. Every party has had a theme, special types of food and a different activity each year. For the last seven years, I’ve done my own thing. I usually take a day trip somewhere, go shopping, or like last year, get a tattoo. Unlike most teenagers hounding their parents for their first tattoo, mine comes with great symbolic meaning. It’s scripture, and every time I look down at my foot, whether it be now or when I’m 80, the ink will still be very special to me. So while everyone else starts out their December just being excited for Christmas, I start out waiting for my birthday to arrive, then I throw myself into all the Christmas mumbo jumbo. Comments? E-mail Alexa at ayanaynin@freedomarea.org
FHS Press
December 21, 2012
Get to know a golden ager I have recently noticed that our generation does not appreciate our senior citizens. I know that there are some of you Lauren Dubovi out there Staff Writer who love the elderly, but for those of you who do not, have you ever spent any time bonding with them? I’m here to tell you I love senior citizens, and I’m proud! When it comes to grandparents, everyone appears to love their own. That would be where my love for the elderly originates: my grandparents. Maybe you love yours because they buy you a cool Christmas present every year or because you spend time together learning new things such as driving, hunting or baking. But what about all of the other people their age? Why do you not like them? Sure some drive slow on occasion, but I do too, so stop complaining that it is always them. I am surrounded with the coolest senior citizens ever on a daily basis— my neighbors, the Springers. The Springers have and are living such remarkable lives and have many stories to prove it. Mr. Dennis Springer was a Marine stationed in the Suez Canal in Egypt, worked many different jobs and eventually opened his own business. Since he was young, he has had a lifelong passion for horses and won many competitions roping calves. Mr. Springer has inspired my love for horses, and I will never be able to thank him enough for it. Mrs. Janie Springer is a phenomenal artist; her artwork is displayed through their whole house. The Springers are also very generous and allow us to use their property for almost everything: hunting, fishing, riding their horses and walking our dog. In return, we help them out when needed. I also love having the elders at my church to talk to every week. Elderly simply isn’t the right word because these people are really just “seasoned citizens.” They are like the sweetest, wisest teenagers you could ever meet; they are always so full of life. One couple in particular that I look forward to seeing every Sunday morning would be Dave and Kay Allen. They are so much fun to talk to even if it’s just a small conversation about how our weeks went. They
make me feel like I am the most exciting person in the world. The Allens believe it is important to “enjoy life because time goes by so fast.” The Allens were my inspiration to tell you how much I love the seasoned citizens because of the youth that they can find in their age. Over several generations, many things have changed. There weren’t cell phones, computers or iPods. Automatic cars were not nearly as common as they are today. Mr. Springer once told me that he and his friends in the Boy Scout troop would go out in the woods in the summertime. They would camp out for a while and come home whenever they felt like it without the worry of being kidnapped. Similarly, Dave and Kay drove around and didn’t worry about locking their car doors because it was a safer time period then. Not only are our elderly friends full of cool stories and great advice, but they have many talents including: sewing, cooking, baking, gardening as well as some that they may not be able to do anymore due to old age. Maybe they were a star athlete in high school and college. They probably have great experiences they can share with you. My maternal grandmother has done a considerable amount of sewing throughout her life and even made my mom’s senior prom dress. If I could learn to sew like that, I think it would be the coolest thing ever. Another thing I find so fascinating about many people in the older generations is that they have really interesting collections that they take a lot of pride in. For example, Dave collects model trucks, Kay has a collection of some 300 glass slippers and although it’s not as specific, Mr. Springer has a nice collection in his basement of his hunting accomplishments including a stuffed bear, deer heads and even animal rugs. Elderly people are by far the most fun and wise people you can talk to. Even if they are a Carl Fredricksen from the movie Up, they could open up if you pester them like Russell. Fellow classmates, staff and readers, I challenge you to find someone to talk to who is a few generations older than you, not including your parents. I guarantee you will appreciate the knowledge that older generations have and possibly learn a cool story that you will want to share with a friend.
Comments? E-mail Lauren at laurendubovi@freedomarea.org
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Satirical Santa Each year, whether you know it or not, your privacy is destroyed. There is a man who Taylar McCoy has been Managing Editor c a u gh t breaking into billions of homes, stealing your nourishment and trying to leave small unwanted knickknacks. Victims slave over the stove for countless hours and the “jolly” old geezer leaves trinkets not worthy to be used as compensation. When seen, he was said to be wearing a red jumpsuit and a pair of large black boots along with black leather gloves to hide his fingerprints. The suspect is reportedly an older gentleman who has a beard similar to the likes of a ZZ Top band member. He is supposedly stalky and robust from eating a diet of victim’s cookies. Officer Jacquelyn Froste reports, “He rides by horse and buggy
so that he can’t be tracked by license plate. This cookie bandit must be stopped.” The nature of his crimes is heinous. “He gone and stoled my cookies, and alls he left was this wooden train whistle under my mommy’s ficus,” 5 year-old Sophie Wells said. “I’m allergic to wood, and I ain’t even got no milk to drown my sadness. He took that too,” Wells said while weeping into her mother’s arms. Sophie’s mother, Theresa Wells, said, “That man stole my child’s snack food and innocence. All I heard that night was a man’s voice repeatedly calling me an inappropriate name from the living room.” Police report that the man in question is Mr. Chris Cringle, also known on the street as “Santa Claws.” Please report any information on Cringle’s whereabouts to your local police department; children’s happiness depends on his immediate capture.
Comments? E-mail Taylar at tmccoy@freedomarea.org
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FHS Press
December 21, 2012
How to spend Christmas break
Rudolph Review
Christmas break is usually full of friends, family and fun. It is a great break from the stressful school year for both teachGigi DeWeese ers and students. FreshCopy Editor man year was when I needed this break most after the realization of just how much effort is required to excel in high school. I am sure many freshmen can sympathize with this, especially those who consider school their top priority. No one wants to do any kind of homework over Christmas break; isn’t it so much easier to play video games? But with midterms right around the corner, everyone could use a few extra hours of studying. Many underestimate just how important midterms are. “Why should I spend any of my precious time studying? It’s not like I study for other tests, and I do just fine!” Did you know that midterms and finals create a fifth nine-weeks in terms of your overall grade for the year? Every 10% on the midterm is equivalent to 1% overall grade for the year. That might not seem like much, but if you do poorly on the midterm and finals, that percentage starts to add up and can have a big impact on your grade for the year. “Well it is my freshman year, why should I care about how I do? Can’t I pick my grades up later?” I won’t lie to you, yes, you can pick your grades up later. But if you are already in the mindset of “fixing things later,” you will be playing a long and difficult game of catch-up when you realize just how important having good work
We’ve all seen the classic Rudolph movie, and we can all agree that it’s a film everybody should watch at least 3 times Jon Bittner in his or her Features Editor life. For those of you who haven’t seen it (anyone from not Earth, because every human has seen this movie), here’s a run-down. Basically a rednosed reindeer is born and outcasted. One part makes me want to cry every time I watch is when Rudolph is bullied. There are only two things that make me cry: vegetarians and hazing reindeer. All Rudolph wants to do is play some reindeer games, like Monopoly, but they kick him out just because he has a red nose. If someone got kicked out of gym class because they were abnormal, I bet there would be some Saturday detentions personally signed by Mr. Timothy Dadich. Anyway, Rudolph gets bullied out of his reindeer games, and he runs away. Did you hear that? He ran away! Poor Rudolph. What gets me is that in the movie, he is only like a year old at this point. Whoa, Jon relax, he is one year old in reindeer years, so that’s about 13 human years, right? Oh, okay, well that makes me feel a little better, but either way those other reindeer were mean. So Rudolph runs away at the same time the little dentist elf runs away. The elf’s name is Hermey, and he runs away because he gets bullied just like Rudolph. Hermey has a regular nose though; he gets bullied because
ethic pays off. School isn’t going to get any easier, and doing well in school without working for it isn’t achievable for most. On the other hand, you can’t stress out too much if midterms don’t go as planned. If you are expecting to get an A for the year, but you get a 70% on your midterm, that only takes off 3% of your total average. To be on the safe side, you should definitely prepare for these exams, but it isn’t the end of the world if you miss a few points. I am the kind of person that spends almost all of my free time doing school work because I like to push myself my hardest and truly enjoy learning. My freshman year, I was so worried about how I would do on my midterms because there are a lot of tests and projects in a very short amount of time. The best advice I can give to anyone is to pay attention and do the work when it is assigned, and the midterms will be a lot easier. By waiting until the last minute to start studying, you are setting yourself at a real disadvantage. No one needs to spend their entire break slaving over homework and studying for countless hours. Christmas break has the word ‘break’ in it for a reason. However, if there is a project due, and you already have all the information needed to complete it, why not get an early start to avoid stress later? Christmas break is 264 hours long. I think everyone could spare a few of those hours preparing for something that can have a significant impact on the rest of their life.
Comments? E-mail Gigi at gdeweese@freedomarea.org
he wants to be a dentist and not make toys. So these guys run off together and are gone for a whole year. During their time away they meet a whole slew of creatures. First they find this explorer guy, and he is a real character. The three of them then find the abominable snowman, who’s a big scary creature they have to run away from. After they run away from the snowman, they stumble upon the Island of Misfit Toys. This is basically an island filled with toys that no one wants. Of course Rudolph and Hermey have to help these toys find a home. So Hermey, Rudolph and the explorer go back to the North Pole to tell Santa Claus about the island. When they get back, Rudolph finds out that his family went looking for him, so he has to go and find them. Somehow he just knows that the abominable snowman has them, so he goes there, and the explorer basically sacrifices himself for the group. At this point the whole group goes back to the North Pole and it is Christmas Eve, but it’s snowing so bad that Santa has to cancel Christmas. Go ahead and guess how it ends, I bet before you even read this article you knew how it would end. Am I right? I knew I was right. Anyway, Rudolph saves Christmas with his shiny nose, and he goes down in history. Hey wait if he went down in history how come we didn’t learn about him in AP U.S. History yet? Explain that one Mr. Langelli!
Comments? E-mail Jon at jbittner@freedomarea.org
Q&A: What do you want for Christmas?
Caitie Bohach “I want a heated blanket for Christmas.”
Josh Battaglia “I want to be in the December issue of the FHS Press!”
Jen Wallis
Michaela Muron
Andrew Baker
“I want my house to be finished.”
“I want an iPhone”
“All I want is socks and underwear.”
December 21, 2012
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FHS Press
Dezz Sezz: Gift-buying gives me grief Christmas is a special time of the year full of cheer and spending time with family and the people Desiree Davis you love. But one Sports Editor thing we can’t forget about is giving and receiving. Nothing makes me feel more amazing than giving the people I care about gifts from my heart. The problem is that this isn’t always easy. I get headaches thinking about what I’m going to buy for my family even though I know them so well. I could just go out to Walmart and pick up the prettiest shirt I see for my mom. For me though, that just isn’t enough. I always feel like my gifts have to be personalized. “What would she like: lotion or perfume? What did he just tell me he wants? Was it a video game or CD? What is their favorite color or movie? Can I make it with my own hands or do I have to spend money
How much money do I spend?” The questions go on and on in my head, and it doesn’t even begin the first of December. I start thinking about gifts sometime during the summer by trying to pick up hints the person leaves me. The tricky part is wondering if they asked their parents for that certain thing; it isn’t like you can just ask
them if they did because that makes it obvious. Christmas presents aren’t the only gifts I struggle with finding; birthdays are hard, too. Gift ideas are especially hard to come up with if the person’s birthday is near a gift-giving holiday. In my case, this is my problem for three of the people closest to me.
Being that I am already terrible at coming up with a single gift, having to think of two presents makes things extra tough. One thing I don’t want to do is give an un-thoughtful gift to someone I care about most. I can’t stand when my sister or best friends don’t know what they want. I wonder sometimes if they do that to me as a test; if I don’t make them happy with their present then I don’t know them well enough Luckily this year hasn’t caused too many headaches. When I’m out, I like to search for things people would love – and this could be anything from anywhere. I get excited when I know exactly what I’m going to get everyone on my Christmas list The best part is how happy my loved ones are after seeing what I got for them. Then come the hugs making me feel so warm inside and as though I did a good deed. Right now, all I’m looking forward to is seeing their faces light up with joy as they tear open the wrapping paper. Comments? E-mail Desiree at ddavis@freedomarea.org
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FHS Press
New kid, new school, new life
Dakota Jones Contributing Writer
Bei ng new is a big topic lately. W e s e e posts a l l over
social media sources saying how cool it would be to be the new person in a new school. It’s different for everyone; depending on the person it could be fun or sometimes could be nervewracking. The people I have talked to about being ‘the new kid’ have told me the same thing; “being new isn’t fun,” “walking around in an unfamiliar place isn’t cool,” “everyone looks at you like you’re some kind of creep.” I come from a military family that has been in the force since I was around eight years old. I know first hand how it is to be the new kid at school. I have moved at least 15 different times and have been to at least 10 different schools in my lifetime, moving for military and non-military reasons. It can be scary, but also fun. I promise you it does not get easier; no matter how many times
you move, the thought of making a fool of yourself still runs through your head. On the other hand, getting to know new people and surroundings is always a great adventure. When I first moved to Freedom and asked my peers their feelings about new faces, many said they love meeting new peo-
ple.
The consensus at Freedom seems to be that having new people around and getting to add new people to the school to make friends with is exciting. “It’s very exciting to get to know
December 21, 2012
Letter to the Editor someone you have never met before. It turns out to be a big deal in school and that’s all people ever talk about for a month straight,” Freshman Caley Miller said. It makes me happy knowing people are so accepting of newcomers. I was extremely scared of how everyone would feel about me; I hardly knew anyone when I first moved here. The friends I did have were seniors, so I knew I wouldn’t be keeping those friendships for long. I didn’t understand the different school system, and I was nervous that people were going to laugh at me when I got lost or would look confused. So far, Freedom High School has been a great experience. People here are very kind and are much different from the people at my old school. They treat me with respect and like me for who I am. This is a very outgoing school. I fully intend on staying here until I graduate. Comments? E-mail Dakota at djones@freedomarea.org
Dear Editor, In the latest issue of FHS Press released on Nov. 21, a proposal of the new district layout was released. This layout was proposed at the presumably eventful and productive school board meeting held on Nov. 8. This layout encompasses the ideas and hopes of all members working to create Freedom’s fantastic new campus. Regardless of the many opinions buzzing around Freedom at this time, it is safe to say that the plans are exciting and a little more real, with the new proposed layout. The layout that was discussed at the recent board meeting seems as though it would utilize the maximum amount of space our current, finite campus has to offer. I think that if this were to be the draft that soon became our new campus, most denizens of Freedom would be extremely thrilled. This campus would be a fantastic use of space and really create a great atmosphere for all students now and in the future. A different, but not unrelated, topic was also discussed at the board meeting. This topic entails the possibility of competitive cheerleading coming to Freedom; yet another great possibility for the future of Freedom athletics. This undoubtedly excites the many fervent cheerleaders, young or old, that strive to excel in their sport. It goes without saying that a wider range of extracurricular activities, along with a grand, opulent campus will intensify school spirit throughout the Freedom as well as throughout the community. Sincerely, Jacob Beckey
Have opinions that need to be heard? Submit your thoughts to editor@freedomarea.org, and you could see your letter appear in the next issue of the FHS Press!
Beauty standards across customs Each December, an event takes place that leaves men drooling and women envious. Runways, high Sarah Choflet heels and Editor-in-Chief expensive lingerie flood television sets across America as the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show airs. After watching this annual production, women’s selfesteems plummet as the nation ogles over seemingly-perfect models. After looking around at school, work or even the community, it is blatantly apparent that not every women has a perfect hip-to-waist ra-
tio framed by long, thick hair and a pearly-white smile. Though people may not know it, fitting into a pair of size zero jeans is not the goal of the female gender across the globe. In the West African country of Mauritania, the opposite holds true for women. Jutting hip-bones and flat stomachs are the opposite of the cultural view of beauty. In this traditional country, young girls are actually sent away by their families to gain extreme amounts of weight in order to find a husband. Rolling layers of fat accompanied by plentiful stretch-marks does not mean laziness or unhealthy lifestyles in this part of the world; these traits mean a female is wealthy enough to be provided for, and is therefore desirable to the opposite sex.
It may seem strange that the taboos of our country are sought after in others, but very often, we are stuck looking through a cultural lens when it comes to beauty. What is attractive to one culture may be repulsive to another, but women in particular get trapped in the idea that they have to look a certain way to be wanted or accepted. Just because cultural perceptions may vary, it does not mean that one culture is less guilty of pressure than another. Not every woman is made to have a flat stomach or curves, just like every man isn’t made to have washboard abs or broad shoulders. The simple fact that beauty can be held so differently between two cultures shows that not every person views attractiveness the same. Don’t
feel inferior because your body isn’t perfect or supposedly worthy of a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show; beauty is culturally subjective. The most important goal to keep in mind is confidence and happiness. Of course, striving to be healthy is important, but eating 500 calories a day to be thinner is not healthy in the least. Understand that we’re not all supposed to look like carbon copies of one another. Most importantly, be comfortable in your own skin; you never know who will find you beautiful.
Comments? E-mail Sarah at schoflet@freedomarea.org
Across:
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December 21, 2012
Christmas Crossword
1. In what country was the first tree decorated? 3. “Every time a bell rings an angel gets his _____.” 5. Santa lives here 7. The only reindeer whose name starts with “P” 9. “Deck the halls with ______ of holly.” 10.“_____ Christmas” is the most popular Christmas song 11. What state has a town named Santa Claus?
Cut out the completed crossword and submit to Mr. Fitzpatrick to be entered into a gift card drawing during the volleyball assembly today!
Down: 2. Who was the first president to decorate the White House at Christmas? 4. Santa’s little helpers 6. Ileostylus micranthus is the scientific name for what holiday plant? 8. “Jingle Bells” was originally written for what holiday? 12. What was the gift on the eighth day of Christmas?
Long-distance relationships are possible Does distance really make the heart grow fonder, or does just the idea of distance break said Brianna Haglan heart? L o n g Staff Writer distance relationships are often feared by couples so close. The thought of being away from the one person who makes each day worthwhile can be frightening to most in serious relationships, but, is there really anything to fear from long-distance relationships I would love to say that those kinds of relationships are a breeze, a walk in the park or easy, but I’d be lying. The truth is that they are extremely taxing on the heart. This is not to discourage those who might be entering into this sort of relationship, but to warn them of what lies ahead. The ‘long-distance’ part of the term long-distance relationship can mean many things. That distance may equate to mere miles apart or on a grander scale, continents apart. The
distance is never the hard part; it’s the fact that the couple is no longer together physically that is scary. It’s this space between two people that defines how dedicated they are to one another. Two people who undoubtedly value each other’s presence will not l e t g o of
what they have just because of the inconvenience it poses for them to take a train, bus, car, or plane ride to see each other. From my own experience, I have taken about 10 trips to Gettysburg,
many of those being long car rides and cramped bus trips, to see my boyfriend of two years. After over a year of being longdistance, it has become easier to plan visits to see each other and arrange for transportation. But that doesn’t mean it still isn’t challenging in other
ways. Emotionally, long-distance relationships can be what ends a perfectly good connection. Say you have one person who is always around. You two are always together,
going to the movies, doing homework and never leaving each other’s side. When that person goes away, it can be very sad and lonely for both people. Even though both physical and emotional stress are a major part of long-distance relationships, they are manageable. Whether it is a friend, family member, boyfriend or girlfriend who is moving away, never give up on the strong connections you make with people, despite whatever crosses your path. It kills me to see perfectly good couples break-up just because they don’t think they can handle being so far away from each other. If anything, distance lets you see how committed your significant other is to you. A bit of a cliché, if it was meant to be, let it. However, don’t end a relationship based on distance because you are scared of what might happen. That’s the point: it might happen. There is no guarantee, so take a chance.
Comments? E-mail Brianna at bhaglan@freedomarea.org
FHS Press
BOYS’ BASKETBALL:
Bring on the competition Alexa Yanyanin Asst. Managing Editor With the regular season fully underway, the boys’ basketball team is learning to make great strides of improvement as a group as well as individuals. With the addition of new players alongside veterans and a change in section, the boys are hoping to give Freedom something of which to be proud. “We need a huge, loud student section this year. With our potential, I think the bigger the crowd, the better we will play,” Senior Sam Beckey said. Senior captain Nick Schwab is extremely proud of the progress he and his fellow teammates made thus far in the season. “We have a lot of shooters, but we still need to improve on the little things that will help us tremendously throughout the rest of the season,” Schwab
said.
Senior TJ DiCiero feels that the only direction the team can go is up. “I think if we decide to go on outings as a team or have team dinners, it can only make us closer and improve how we play together,” DiCiero said. Each day they get better and better; they never give up. It’s great watching them grow as a team and as individuals,” Assistant Coach Nate Langelli said. He is also most proud of the effort and motivation the boys bring to to the table. The boys are prepared to face any team and whatever it has in store.
Alexa Yanyanin/FHS Press Comments? E-mail Alexa at ayanyanin@freedomarea.org
ICE HOCKEY:
Unique winter sport
The basketball team gathers their hands in a circle before the first tournament of the season.
INDOOR TRACK:
New training friends this season
Alexa Yanyanin
Desiree Davis
Asst. Managing Editor
Sports Editor
Although Freedom does not have an ice hockey team, students still dedicate their time during these winter months to the sport. Ice Hockey incorporates many skills that one may not be used to, due its main component: ice skating. To play ice hockey everyone knows you not only need to be able to ice skate but be fairly good at it too. It takes a lot to be able ice skate and balance at the same time all while trying to keep your endurance up; not to mention needing tremendous upper and lower body strength to succeed. Junior Nate Lundy has been around the sport his entire life. “Hockey is just as physical as football, if not more. It is one of the fastest played games in the world because of its constant movement. No huddles needed to set up plays.” Lundy said. Lundy said the highest achievement ice hockey has brought him was winning a state championship with the Quigley Spartans. “The only thing that could have made that experience better would have been if I was wearing a Freedom jersey.” Lundy said. Junior and first year player Andrew Ward says that not having an ice hockey team here upsets him greatly. “I’m the type of person who is big on school spirit. It bothers me that I can’t wear my school’s colors while playing.” Ward said.
There will be a major change in practicing this season for the indoor track team. Because Beaver Area High School has track members interested in running the indoor season, but no indoor track team of their own, they will be joining Freedom this year. There is a twist; even though the two teams will be coached together, they will be competing separately. This seems to be unfair logically, because if a team is coached the same, they will compete the same. It is just as if half of the Freedom indoor track team ran, threw or jumped against the other half of the team. Even though this is odd, this change is making some of the Beaver athletes excited for this season. “I’m really looking forward to have the opportunity to train with and compete against Freedom in winter track this season because I know Freedom is good competition,” Senior
Comments? E-mail Alexa at ayanyanin@freedomarea.org
Zeesha Braslawsce from Beaver Area High School said. On another note, the cold weather plays a big part in practicing. The pole vaulting mat is all covered up. Because of this, they have to practice in the gym at Geneva College along with some kids from other schools. All of the other events are practiced outside. This is mostly because running can be done easily outdoors. Hurdlers, sprinters, throwers and longdistance runners stay after school until approximately 4 p.m. The throwers usually go outside, depending on wind. If it isn’t an outside practice, they go inside for technique. Unlike outdoor track, the only throwing event is shot put. For someone like Senior Richelle Fuller, it is different because she usually competes in shot put and discus. “Only doing one event for indoor is really rough because there are so many throwers, so you could either be throwing first or waiting for hours to
throw,” Fuller said. Losing one of her events leaves her with a single one, but it doesn’t faze her. Working hard at practice makes the meets worthwhile. Fuller enjoys “seeing her throw go farther than what she has thrown before.” Even though this is a time for work and focus, fun is not illegal. “During practices we usually talk and joke around about the different exercises that we have to do, and at the meets we cheer for our teammates and eat food,” Senior Kelsie Matlick said. She said that meeting new friends and seeing them during the outdoor season “makes the competition less stressful.” Matlick enjoys going to meets and meeting new people, as do a few of the other members, including Sophomore Nate Lewis, who is excited to see his friends and pole vault with his fellow teammates. Comments? E-mail Desiree at ddavis@freedomarea.org
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WRESTLING:
Weeks of hard work and preparation for the season Courtney Schreiner Asst. Sports Editor Beginning their conditioning before the season started and now practicing every day, the wrestling team is looking forward to a new year full of wins. The wrestling team has been preparing for weeks for the upcoming season. Every day, you can find members in the weight room after school. The team even works out and
trains on the weekends to improve as a whole. With so much practice, there has to be some fun involved, too. “Every day before practice, we carpool together and go to Pine Run [Market]. Most of us don’t have money, but it’s still fun to just hang out together,” Junior Lane Ward said. Although the team is anticipating a successful season, there may be some obstacles it will have to face.
“We’ll probably be outnumbered by the other schools this year,” Ward said. While other schools usually have as many as twenty wrestlers, Freedom has around ten to fifteen. On top of that, head coach Mr. Jim Covert could be out due to the fact he and his wife are expecting a baby. The wrestlers have come a long way in practices. “The underclassmen are a lot more dedicated now, and we hope to do well this season,” Senior
Boe Bonzo said. There is a lot to look forward to this year for the wrestlers. The goal for Bonzo is to place top five in the state. Ward said he would like to “finish the season without another knee surgery and win at least 25 matches.” Comments? E-mail Courtney at cschreiner@freedomarea.org
SWIMMING:
Swimming with love and commitment Desiree Davis Sports Editor The swim team’s first meet was held Dec. 10 against Beaver Falls and Cornell, and they are feeling ready to go for this season. Before the first meet, there have been many practices to prep the new and old members. Most of the swimmers drive themselves to practice, but the others catch a bus. They have to wait at the school until their bus is done with its own route. This is a huge setback for these few, though, because the other swimmers are already in the pool and warming up. Practice is important to some members of the team because they push each other, which is Sophomore Josh Battaglia’s favorite part of practice. The practices consist of a warm up, workouts and a cool down. The warm up is a 1200 yard swim, which is 24 laps to one end of the pool and back. The workouts are where practicing swimming techniques comes in, such as sprints, different strokes and flip turns. The cool down allows the swimmers to relax after a hard practice. The team is bigger and better this season because they managed to round up more guys and girls. Some of them are brand new to the team and
others are returning for more. The boys’ team is their teammates. This special support comes from bigger than the girls’, which is unique to the Freeworking hard at practice and being closely knit by dom team because most other teams are the exact the love for swimming. opposite. Comments? Desiree at Another uncommon aspect of Freedom’s swim ddavis@freedomarea.org team is the coaching because, “[Coach Bill Layton] is more of a father character,” Battaglia said. Layton not only supports his swimmers, but anyone who is interested in joining. Teamwork is huge. Even though swimming seems to be more of an individual sport, there is still no “I” in “team.” The swimmers on the relay teams prove this. There are four athletes per relay team, and they have to be on the same page mentally because they must be able to count on each other. The swimmers do their best to help each other out before a big race. The athletes not Anna Patsch/FHS Press on the relay team don’t just sit around and watch either; they Freshman Dane Mathesius catches his breath after a are right on the deck cheering on tiring practice.
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Student-Athlete Biographies
Nick Schwab
Joanne Barlarmas
Favorite memory of your sport: “Making the ‘Rain Squad.’”
Favorite memory of your sport: “Making cookies at Coach Joe’s house for Christmas.”
Hobbies other than your sport: “Just hanging out with friends.”
Hobbies other than your sport: “Being with my family and hanging out with friends.”
Favorite memory of your sport: “Winning the Central Valley match my first year wrestling for playoffs.” Hobbies other than your sport: “Hanging out with friends and playing football in my backyard.”
Favorite season: “Fall because the weather is the best.”
Favorite season: “Winter because I can go sled riding in the snow.”
Favorite season: “Summer because there’s no school.”
Future goals: “I’m going to go to Robert Morris for business and possibly play a sport.”
Future goals: “To attend college to become a nurse and hopefully play a sport.”
Future goals: “Go to Slippery Rock University and study history or become a special education teacher.”
Tyler Cousins
Sam Schweinsberg
Favorite memory of your sport: “Slamming my head against the wall in Beaver Falls freshman year and still won the race.” Hobbies other than your sport: “I’m a Boy Scout, I sing with the barbershop with K.K., part of stage crew and part of the band.” Favorite season: “I would have to say either spring or fall because it’s not too cold out but it’s still warm.” Future goals: “To swim in the Olympics, that’s my biggest goal.”
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL:
Tricky section and improvement Evan Stiger Asst. News Editor Sports teams often look back at their pasts as references to their progress. The girls’ basketball team is certainly looking to improve on their past. The season began with the New Brighton Tip-off Tournament, where the girls faced off against New Brighton and Rochester. While they didn’t win either game, it wasn’t a complete loss for the team. “It went a lot better than last year… we improved a lot,” Senior Maddi Lewis said. This improvement means a lot in light of the competition. New Brighton and Rochester were both playoff contenders last year, but the girls “kept up with them,” Lewis said. Hopefully, the girls can keep up and possibly surpass this energy in future games. “I think we just need to hustle all the time,” Lewis said. According to Lewis, improved hustle helped the team win against Laurel Dec. 11. Energy will be a key component if the girls want to make it to playoffs this year. According to Head Coach
John Kaercher, playoffs are the “ultimate goal.” However, this won’t be an easy task. “It’s a tough section from top to bottom,” Kaercher said. The girls are looking to face off against schools including Our Lady of Sacred Heart (OLSH) and Avonworth in their fight for glory. So far, the new head coach has proven beneficial for the team this year. “He doesn’t let us goof around,” Sophomore Madi Daubenspeck said. Kaercher’s strict attitude doesn’t allow the girls to slack off during practices or at games. This year, attendance and participation in games is absolutely mandatory. The team’s focus on teamwork also won’t hurt their chances at success. “We’re more of a team than we were last year,” Sophomore Casey Spieler said. “We work together a lot better, on the court and off.”
Alexa Yanyanin/FHS Press Comments? E-mail Evan at estiger@freedomarea.org
The basketball team prepares for their first game of the season.