Music program curtailment leads to furlough
Enrollment Decline causes concern (page 2)
Courses to be redistributed for next school year Hannah Shumsky hshumsky@freedomarea.org
Music program curtailment leads to changes in Freedom Area School District.
students may see their teachers teaching different classes next school year. While no classes are planned to be eliminated as a result of the curtailment, some courses will be need to be realigned or redistributed among other teachers to make up for the furlough. The music department teachers and any other teachers involved in the course rearrangement will meet after the school year has ended to determine the best solution for arrangement. “Here at the high school, we are trying to make sure there’s as little impact on our programs as possible and, looking at the scheduling, we will be able to keep band and chorus intact more or less as they happened
Brianna Frashure /FHS Press
At the May 14 Board meeting, after the School Board came out of executive session, they approved a district-wide music program curtailment, or reduction, which will result in one part-time music teacher being furloughed due to a district-wide enrollment decline. As a result of the furlough, courses in the music department will be redistributed to fill other teachers’ schedules. “The curtailment means that the district will be reducing the size of the Music Department by [one half] of a position. Unfortunately, that means that Mrs. [Hillary] Frankenstein, middle school general music teacher, will be subject to furlough from her position,” Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Fuller said. After Frankenstein’s furlough, there will only be three music teachers in the district: Mrs. Jennifer Newman, Mr. Rob James and Mr. Keith Kovalic. FASD’s student population has decreased by 160 students over the last five years, which was the reasoning for the curtailment. “We do not anticipate that there will be any other impact to the music department,” Fuller said. Although the curtailment and furlough will take effect on June 30, after school is out for the summer,
this year. The big change will be in DTV, which will most likely be moved to another [teacher’s] schedule,” FHS Principal, Mr. William Deal said. “The Freedom Area School District has always had an incredibly strong music program,” Fuller said. “Although the loss of this position is a difficult situation, we still have very high expectations for our music program. This was a very difficult decision to make. Despite this reduction, the Board and Administration are fully supportive of the department and the students it serves.”
Bomb threats plague FASD
Investigation on middle school bomb threats leads to restrictions Michelle Keith mkeith@freedomarea.org Brianna Frashure bfrashure@freedomarea.org
Over the past two months, the Freedom Area School District has been plagued with bomb threats. The threats began in the high school and have caused many unnecessary academic interruptions. Shortly after the threats at the high school began, the middle started receiving similar threats. On May 4, 7, 11, 12 and 18, the middle school received bomb threats during school hours and causing more academic interruptions. At press time, there was a total of five threats that occurred in the middle school. All threats were written on objects within the middle, leading administration to highly believe these threats are being created by a student or a small group of students. “It’s getting annoying leaving class every other day it seems, for these immature bomb threats,” Eighth grader, Tanner Boyer said. Bomb threats are an incredibly serious offense. FASD is working alongside local police, Beaver county
emergency management, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Forensic Handwriting Specialists in order to help identify the creator(s) of these threats. FASD administration intends to prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law which potentially includes criminal charges, payment of restitution and school expulsion. On May 15, Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Fuller released a public statement regarding the threats and the investigation. “As of [the afternoon of Friday, May 15], our investigation into these incidents has been concluded. We anticipate that a significant set of charges will be filed in the very near future,” Fuller said. This was thought to be the end of the threats however, with the middle school suspect(s) out of school, another threat was found in the middle school on Monday, May 18, leading school administration to believe more students are involved in this crime. “It is clear that we have a student or students who are not thinking about the possible consequences of their actions when deciding to write statements such as these in our schools,” Fuller said.
NHS hosts Relay (page 4)
To combat these unnecessary threats, administration has put in place strict restrictions on bathroom privileges and movement throughout the schools. Some of these restrictions include enforcement on signing out to use the restroom and not being allowed to go at the change of classes. With the most recent threat, severe restrictions were put into place for bathroom and hallway usage. Students’ were not allowed to leave classrooms without an escort and an adult has to check the bathroom before and after the student uses the restroom. The person or persons doing this crime can ensure to be punished to the full extent because of the trouble caused. “When we identify the person or persons responsible for today’s threat it is possible that they will face multiple felony charges for each time the school was evacuated due to their actions,” Fuller said.
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FHS-PRESS
see THREATS page 2
NEWS
2
FHS Press
May 27, 2015
Enrollment decline on the rise FASD student population decreasing Raylen Welling rwelling@freedomarea.org
Freedom Area School District has been suffering from enrollment decline in recent years and is predicted to continue to see a drop in numbers. While the new construction project has left many hopeful for growth in the district, statistics from recent years and projections for the future leave room for concern. “Enrollment in the district is most definitely declining,” Superintendent Dr. Jeffery Fuller said. In the 2010-2011 school year, the district total was 1,604 students. At the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year there were 1,444 students enrolled in the district. That is a decrease of more than 160 students in 5 years. The number is even smaller now as some students are no longer enrolled for this school year. “A 160-student decline across the district is a significant impact. It’s 10 percent of our population. If we lose 10 percent of our population, there won’t necessarily be a 10 percent corresponding reduction in staff and services, but there likely will be some sort of reduction in staff,” Fuller said. “There is some impact from students going to charter schools,” Fuller said. According to Fuller and projected enrollment numbers, enrollment is projected to continue to decline, and in 5 years, the district will suffer approximately another 80-student decline. At press time, the number of students enrolled for kindergarten in the 2015-2016 school year was around 80. In the 2010-2011 term, 115 kindergarten students were enrolled. This shows that the problem is not only coming from students moving toward other options, but also that the
district itself isn’t bringing in as many students. There are hopes that the new elementary school and one campus set-up of the district will be a draw for new students, but not all problems stem from the school district. Many factors to consider also come from the surrounding communities that make up the district. “I think by doing what we’re doing now, with the consolidation and bringing everybody onto campus, it sets us up in a better way to be able to maintain our programs and services. And to share services down into the elementary program so that we can start to look at additional opportunities and how we can do things differently for kids,” Fuller said. New schools and opportunities could also bring new interest to the
district. “I think the new school is going to be a selling point or a draw for what’s going on,” Fuller said. Cranberry Township, which is part of the Seneca Valley School District, borders New Sewickley Township, but has a much higher population density. In fact, new townhouses are currently being constructed in Cranberry Township just before the border of New Sewickley. Seeing all of this construction makes one wonder why there isn’t as much development occurring in New Sewickley. “I think part of the reason is that in Cranberry Township and Zelienople, for the most part, there are municipal services there in terms of city water and city sewage that we don’t have in the vast majority of New Sewickley Township… So I think
Baccalaureate: An annual high school tradition
“I believe that God is needed in everybody’s life, and they need to know that He will be with them after they graduate from high school. Because I care about the kids, I feel a blessing will make that complete,”
Students, staff and administration are beyond frustrated with these repeating threats. Fuller encourages all students to step forward with any information they may have to help put an end to these unnecessary
and immature threats. If the threats continue, administration has considered options for the lost time. “If necessary we will also consider adding constructional days to the end of the school year to make up for
loss constructional time at the middle school,” Fuller said. “It doesn’t take great courage to stand up for what is right. If they know who is responsible or observe someone writing threatening messages, they must share that
THREATS continued
Freedom alumni Zac Malinak performed at the baccalaureate in June, 2013.
Freedom High School Secretary, Mrs. Ellen Hill said. All seniors and Freedom students are encouraged to attend for a night of reflection before graduation, marking the first step into the adult world. “The baccalaureate is a sendingforth service. It’s for a population of students who want that religious aspect in their graduation ceremonies, and I am grateful that I am in a community and school district that supports this for our students,” Freedom High School Principal, Mr. William Deal said. The 20th annual baccalaureate service will be held on Tuesday, June 2 at 7 p.m. in the Freedom High School auditorium.
Photo Submitted
Freedom Area High School has held a baccalaureate ceremony for many years, and the tradition continued in 2015. Each year, as seniors await their moment to take the stage on Freedom’s football field for the last time, the baccalaureate, which is a non-denominational, intimate and quiet version of commencement ceremony, remains another event that students attend before graduating. Many students may not know what a baccalaureate entails, but it’s a time to reflect on the previous years of high school, and look towards the future.Faculty members, alumni and other community members may offer advice to the new seniors, and it’s also an opportunity for musical talents of the Freedom students, faculty and
community members to be displayed. Festivities also include an invocation and benediction from local pastors around the Freedom School District. This year, the festivities include musical selections from the “Your Story Band,” which includes Seniors Ryan Edder and Josh Battaglia. Freedom alumni Zac Malinak will be singing “Being Alive” from the Broadway musical, “Company” and Senior Ashley Malinak will be performing a duet with Junior Lara Pavlick titled “For Good” from the Broadway musical, “Wicked”. Senior Robert Raso will be performing “Ave Maria,” a well-known art song written by Franz Schubert. Senior Rylie Barnes will be singing “My Heart Will Go On,” made popular as a track from the movie, “Titanic.” Refreshments will also be served in the lobby at the end of the program.
Lara Pavlick lpavlick@freedomarea.org
that has a significant impact on why the population is staying east of the county line, but I don’t know that for a fact,” Fuller said. While municipal services and different benefits available to those living in Cranberry Township may cause people to choose to move there, their growing population should not be our biggest concern. The true problem is the population decrease in this area. “I think that, by and large, our population is decreasing in this area as people move away to find jobs and things like that. As the economy starts to come back in Beaver County and Western Pennsylvania, which it is, I think those numbers will start to turn around some. But, for now we are projecting a continued decline,” Fuller said. According to Fuller, a continuous decline in student enrollment would lead not only to a possible reduction in staff, but also in the programs that are offered by the district. One concern often brought up with enrollment decline is the possibility of a merger. School mergers are not unfamiliar to Beaver County residents, who saw this happen in 2009 when Center and Monaca merged to become Central Valley. In years past, discussions to combat Freedom’s enrollment decline included redistricting by possibly absorbing the Economy Borough or merging with neighboring Rochester. However, Fuller does not believe there will be a viable solution like this in the near future. “I don’t anticipate [a merger] happening, but is it possible? Sure, anything is possible,” Fuller said.
information. Freedom is better than this type of behavior. Our students are better than this.”
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FHS Press
May 27, 2015
DECA students travel to ICDC Brianna McKee bmckee@freedomarea.org
DECA finalists pose at Magic Kingdom.
Photo Submitted
After months of studying and hard work, DECA students traveled to nationals where they competed with over 18,000 DECA members from across the U.S. and around the world. Nationals, also known as the International Career Development Conference or DECA ICDC, were held in Orlando, Fl. this year. “[Places] such as Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, Korea and China participate in ICDC,” Freedom Area’s DECA sponsor, Mrs. Beth Majors, said. DECA has many different business-related categories that students can compete in at the district, state and national levels. Some examples include the Business Services Operations Research, Business Buying and Merchandising and Marketing Management Series. “I was in [the category] called “Business Services Operations Research” and I was in this category with Junior Louis Dubovi,” Junior Dereck Majors said. Majors was among seven students who made it to the national level. Of the seven students who attended ICDC, four of them, working in groups of two, wrote manuals. The categories they wrote the business manuals for were Business Operations and Fashion Merchandising and both had to create a corresponding presentation to present to judges. The other three students attended leadership workshops during their time at ICDC. The judges would then
they could do to fix said problems in their manual. The other group competing consisted of Sophomore Maddie Edder and Senior Zach Kugel, who competed in the “Fashion Merchandising Promotion Plan” event. “[Kugel and I] created an 11 page manual of a seasonal plan for the bridal shop Ribbon in Beaver. We made it to nationals because we placed third in the state with our manual for the Fashion Merchandising Promotion Plan,” Edder said Each year, there are some very outstanding students who work very hard for achievement. This year, Ryan Gray was a big help for the sake of Freedom Area School District. “[This year] Pennsylvania won an award for advocacy and Ryan was part of the team to achieve this,” Mrs. Beth Majors said. Although daytime hours at ICDC were spent attending workshops or working hard in competition, DECA students were able to do some activities in the evening. “My favorite part of the trip was definitely just getting to spend time with the whole DECA family one last time. We had a lot of fun together just like we did last year in Atlanta. My least favorite part was finding out that Zach and I didn’t make it to finals to compete for a national title,” Edder said. It was an achievement for DECA students to make it to nationals. Although made it to finals to compete for a national title, plans for furthering their achievements is in the works.
ask questions about the manual, and the students would need to answer quickly without hesitation as that is what they are being judged on. “The most difficult thing we had to do was to put our thirty page manual into words to be able to present it to the judge,” Majors said. “The objective of this year’s [manual] was to find generation gaps in customers and find solutions of how to open more services to under serving generations,” Majors said. His goal was to find what age groups his business was over or under serving. He and Dubovi found problems in the business and explained what
Student of the Month and H.O.P.E. Award Sixteen students and one teacher recognized for March and April
March’s Theme:“Resillence” “Helps Me With Technology”
From left to right: Mrs. Ellen Hill, Junior Vince Rose, Sophomore Marissa Cardosi, Freshman Andrew Fleissner, Sophomore Brett Hartsock, Senior Dakota Pander, Principal William Deal, Not pictured: Mia Vogel
April’s Theme:“On the Track to Success”
Mrs. Andrea Niedbala Ninth Grade English Teacher From left to right: Mrs. Ellen Hill, Kaitlin Shvach, Jon Kaercher, Michaela Barkley, Timothy Hampe, Morgan Stewart, Dean Ward, Destiny Ebert, Ryan Kaufman, Principal William Deal
May 27, 2015
FHS Press
Wishes do come true Freedom’s Relay For Life raises more than $20,000 for the American Cancer Society Hannah Shumsky hshumsky@freedomarea.org
Michelle Keith/ FHS Press
On May 2, Freedom’s National Honor Society (NHS) hosted a Disneythemed Relay For Life, a community event where 23 on-site teams, 228 participants and 21 cancer survivors came together to raise money for the American Cancer Society. While the participants and teams walked the track for several hours, they celebrated survivors, remembered loved ones who lost the battle or are still fighting and were encouraged to continue the fight to find a cure. “Relay [For Life] is a very fun event that can bring people together to support a cause that has touched us all in some way,” NHS President and Event Chair, Senior Raylen Welling said. “The NHS organizes a lot of different projects throughout the year to get community service hours and, rather than hosting a lot of small events, we thought it would be really cool to put all our time and efforts into one really big event that could have a really big impact.” NHS members were broken into several committees, including fundraising, advertising, entertainment, ceremonies and luminarias, in order to prepare for the Relay. Teams started to walk around the track at 4 p.m. From that time onwards, at least one member from each team was required to walk throughout the duration of the event. At 4:45 p.m., everyone gathered in the home bleachers for the opening ceremony. Opening speeches were made by Welling and Survivors Committee Chair, Senior Kaitlin Shvach. “By walking this track tonight, you are joining forces with millions of people worldwide who want to save
Cancer surviors walk the surviors lap during the Relay on May 2.
lives. We want to finish the fight,” Welling said. Following the opening speeches, everyone lined up around the football field to applaud those who have battled cancer and won their battle as the survivors walked around the track while holding a banner that included the event’s slogan, “When you Wish Upon a Cure.” “I was amazed at the way everyone pulled together to help this cause. I am thankful for all the support and well wishes from my community,” Freedom Middle School and High School Nurse, Mrs. Bonnie Adams, who’s currently undergoing chemotherapy, said. “We grieve for ones we lost, support the ones battling the disease and rejoice at those who have won the fight against cancer.” Following the initial Survivors Lap, any caregivers to those who battled cancer then joined the survivors and the second lap. On the third lap, everyone stepped onto the
track and walked together. To remember loved ones who lost their battle to cancer or are still fighting cancer, luminarias were also sold by team members to fundraise. The 184 luminarias, which had the names of loved ones written on them, spelled out the word, “DREAM” on the football field. At 7 p.m., everyone gathered in the home bleachers to remember those who have lost the battle to cancer while Luminaria Chair, Junior Brianna Frashure, gave a speech during the Luminaria Ceremony. All team members and chaperones walked the track in silence before going onto the field to get a closer look at the luminarias as specially-selected music played in the background. Just after 10 p.m., everyone gathered together as Ceremonies Chairman, Junior Brittany Bionda, closed out the night with her speech. Following the speech, everyone took one more lap on the track together
before going home. “This has been an extraordinary day. Our students and staff have really come together in the community to put on an amazing event to raise funds for the fight against cancer and I’m very, very proud to be part of the Freedom community that’s taken up this fight,” Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Fuller said. At the May 13 wrap-up assembly, it was announced that the event raised $22,377.98. “[All of the money raised] will go to the American Cancer Society and we will find a cure for cancer,” NHS Sponsor Mrs. K.C. Hastings said. “It goes [to] whatever they need. Some of the money just provides rides for people who don’t have rides to their treatments and things like that.” Team members raised money by asking for donations from friends, families, organizations or businesses, selling items at the Relay or planning fundraisers. NHS members also hosted a penny drive at Freedom Area Middle School that raised almost $1,000. Since the event raised over $20,000, FHS Principal, Mr. William Deal and FHS Assistant Principal, Mr. Ryan Smith got pied in the face at the assembly by every team captain. Previously, Deal, Smith and Fuller each had their hair sprayed purple when the event met the $2,500, $5,000 and $15,000 goals, respectively. After this successful Relay For Life, Hastings said that there will be plans for NHS to organize another Relay For Life at Freedom in the future. “We will definitely make this an annual event,” Hastings said.
FASD teachers recognized for hard work Emily Allego eallego@freedomarea.org Jamie Croll jcroll@freedomarea.org
Gudzan, Majors and Gigl win Golden Apple Award.
“It is for teachers who are dedicated to their profession and who stand out,” Gudzan said. These three teachers were chosen to be nominated by the administration, as well as the members of PAC. “It means a lot knowing that I was nominated by the administration, that they thought enough of me to nominate me,” Majors said. The administration had to
Emily Allego/ FHS Press
This year, three teachers from FHS were nominated for the Golden Apple Award. The teachers nominated were Mr. Ed Majors, Ms. Katie Gigl and Ms. Ruthanne Gudzan. On Friday, April 24, Mrs. Linda Keener and Officer Tom Liberty pulled the teachers from their classrooms and told them they needed to report to the lunchroom. “I was terrified, [Mrs. Keener] didn’t tell us where we were going, she just said come with me right now,” Gudzan said. Once the teachers got to the lunchroom, they were handed a certificate and told that they were nominated for the Golden Apple Award in front of all the students in A lunch. The Golden Apple Award is something given to teachers who are very devoted to their job. Nominees must really care about students and want to give them the best education possible.
write, for each teacher, a letter of recommendation in order to be nominated for the award. Then the choice was up to the organization behind the Golden Apple Award to decide who would win. This award, sponsored by The Prevention Network and CLASS Academy, wants to recognize teachers who possess four qualities: dedication to students, school spirit, positive influence on colleagues and
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some trait that makes them unique. They looked for recommendations in grades K-4, 5-8 and 9-12 that demonstrate all of those qualities. Not only were teachers from the high school nominated, but so were teachers from Freedom’s middle and elementary schools. “Each school nominated three elementary, three middle school and three high school [teachers],” Gigl said. The ceremony to announce the winners was held on Wednesday, May 13. The celebration was held at the Prevention Network building in Baden and nominees were served orderves for their accomplishment. None of the high school teachers won, but they were all very honored to have received the nomination. “It’s phenomenal. I’m super honored and it’s easily one of the biggest compliments I’ll receive in my lifetime,” Gigl said. “All of the hard work and tears that I’ve put into everything I do is not going unnoticed so it’s nice to feel appreciated,” Gudzan said.
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FHS: Year in review
FHS Press
May 27, 2015
Deal and Smith reflect on school year Joey Pail jpail@freedomarea.org Reilly Collins rcollins@freedomarea.org
Mr. Deal and Mr. Smith answer questions during FHS Meets the Press.
Brianna McKee/FHS Press
The beginning of the 2014-2015 school year brought about many changes for FHS and its students. Some of these changes were anticipated with Mr. Timothy Dadich, FHS’s former principal, resigning from his position at the end of the 2013-2014 school year; other changes were not foreseen. Mr. William Deal, former principal at Berlin Brothersvalley High School, filled Dadich’s vacated position a day before the start of the school year. His main plan for the year was to observe what was working well for the school and what improvements could be made to benefit students and staff in the future. Next year will be about implementing the solutions to the inefficiencies he has found this year. Some changes, including iPad cart availability in some classrooms, are already being tested to see if they benefit the student’s learning experience. As of right now, it’s uncertain whether students will continue to use them in class next school year or in following years. The iPads are only being used as a test, and it’s uncertain whether students will be able to utilize them again next year or in the following years. When Mr. Frank Hernandez, former high school assistant principal, was hired as the middle school principal, Mr. Ryan Smith, former lead teacher at the middle school, took over his position. “Having the experience down at the middle school and having some sort of interaction with all
of you [previously], it has been an honor just to see the maturity process in the last three to four years. It’s been wonderful and has been a great transition because of that,” Smith said. Over the course of the last four years, FHS has seen three principals and three assistant principals, but it looks as though Deal and Smith aren’t planning to continue this trend. Deal just bought a house within the district, and Smith grew up within the Freedom School District, which indicates they both have reasons to stay. “I do actively want to show all of you and the community that this is a place that I want to personally invest in and plan to be here, and it also shows that, if I didn’t believe in what we were doing, I wouldn’t send my own child here,” Deal said. Though this year has been full of transitions, Smith and Deal had many positive takeaways from
FASD news in brief
the year and the student body. “Just that sense that everybody takes everyone else under their wing and just kind of helps out paired with the level of care, giving and maturity are some of the things that I think sets us apart,” Deal said. Deal is excited to finish up his first year in Freedom. He is also anxiously awaiting the annual tractor parade on the last day of school. He has stated that he wants to participate in the parade as long as he is able to drive a John Deere. “[The most unique thing you have in Freedom is] the tractor parade, because it is just hysterical and I can’t wait to be a part of it. I’m so excited for it,” Deal said. Both Deal and Smith have future plans for the district that they would like to see come to fruition in two very different aspects of the school. Deal would like to see improvements in our technology department because he feels we aren’t currently fully realizing the benefits we have, being a one-toone laptop school. Smith, on the other hand, would like to see more strides be made to positively enact more pride in the school, including having a larger student section at athletic events. With so many changes taking place throughout the year, Deal and Smith have established a good working relationship that allows them to stay calm instead of getting overly frustrated when dealing with events such as our recent bomb threats. As this year winds to a close, FHS students and staff can be prepared for more future changes and ideas from Deal and Smith in upcoming school years. The upcoming years look promising with two administrators that plan to better the district without leaving anytime soon.
Points of interest from May board meetings Hannah Shumsky hshumsky@freedomarea.org
MANCINI AWARDS
Freedom Drama Club’s production of “West Side Story” was nominated for 11 Mancini Awards. The Freedom Drama Club was nominated for “Outstanding Overall Production,” “Outstanding Overall Performance,” “Outstanding Technical Execution,” “Outstanding Choreography,” “Outstanding Ensemble,” “Outstanding Vocal Ensemble” and “Outstanding Community Engagement.” In addition to the group nominations, four students were nominated for their performance. Senior Robbie Raso, who played Tony, was nominated for “Outstanding Leading Actor;” Senior Maura Lehocky, who played Anita, was nominated for “Outstanding Leading Actress;” Senior Nathan James, who played Riff, was nominated for “Outstanding Supporting Actor” and Senior Ryan Edder, who played Action, was nominated for “Outstanding Noteworthy Individual.” Nominees were invited to a Nominees Reception on May 17 at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland, Pa. Freedom was also asked to perform “Gee, Officer Krupke,” featuring the Jets, at the awards ceremony. “It’s sad that the whole family will not be up there with us,” Edder said. “Other than [that], I am very excited to perform at the Mancini’s and show a portion of Freedom’s ‘West Side Story’ to the parents and kids of different districts.” The awards ceremony will be held at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center on May 30 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be bought online, over the phone or at the door for $10.
LEAD TO LEARN
After a year-and-a-half-long contract with Lead to Learn, a program where coaches came into classrooms to observe and advise teachers on new instructional strategies, FASD will not renew the contract for next year. “When Dr. [Jeffrey] Fuller and Mrs. [Noriene] Plate had their budget discussion with the Board [the May 14] Board meeting, they indicated that [Lead to Learn] was not in the budget and that contract wouldn’t be renewed,” FHS Principal, Mr. William Deal, said. The contract will expire at the end of the school year. “It was a very expensive contract and, while we really liked the service that we got out of it, given the financial state of the district, it was just one of those things that I think the administration and the Board felt couldn’t be continued,” Deal said. As more students and teachers got more comfortable with the program throughout the year, Deal noticed growth and progress. Despite the end of this program’s contract, this is not the end of the this growth. “What’s going to happening now, moving forward, is, because the contract’s not being renewed, that puts some of the responsibility back on Mr. [Ryan Smith and I, as the principals in this building, to sort of carry on the training or carry on the expectations that were in place with Lead to Learn so, we want to continue growing in those areas,” Deal said. “We’re not done; we’re going to carry it on, just a little differently.” Next year, Deal and Smith, as well as several academic coaches will continue to make sure that these strategies will continue into future school years.
BOARD MEETING
REPORTS: ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Mrs. Beth Majors and her robotics class students have been fixing one of the basketball shooting machines that was not working. The class plans to have this project completed before the end of the year. The baseball team has shown an interest in going to Florida next spring for a training trip. More details will be announced once the feasibility of this trip has been determined.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRESS UPDATE
As of May 14, elementary school construction was scheduled to be at 66 percent completion, but was actually at 65 percent. Ceramics, paint, ceiling grid, lights and drywall have all been a work in progress on the first floor while, on the second floor, taping, ceramic flooring and restroom preparation have been occurring. Two change orders, which included the rerouting and extension of an emergency overflow drainage system as well as changing the type of insulation at the west wall, were approved at the May 14 meeting.
DIRECTOR GROUNDS
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New concrete pads have been installed at the baseball and softball field. Aluminium bleachers are also going to be installed; this date will be decided once the bleachers arrive. Concerning the shot put event, the gravel base and finish have been completed.
February 27, 2015
FHS Press
January 31, December 20,2014 2013
FHS Press
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EDITORIAL:
The meaningless media blindfold Media values profit over reporting news FHS Press Staff fhspress@freedomarea.org
As major news corporations line up to reveal the latest celebrity affair, immensely important news is being overlooked. Despite other imperative news occurrences, many news corporations choose to feature less significant, yet more popular news stories. News like natural disasters, successful charity events and uplifting stories are traded for reports on the latest celebrity affairs or other useless things such as “the dress that broke the Internet.” Thanks to the sensationalizing of popular media, unimportant stories and celebrities whose claim to fame is unknown or meaningless, people may fail to care about the relevant news. For most, this style of gossip news is more relevant and entertaining. In other words, people love to talk poorly about others or be excited or worried, and the news has taken advantage of that. Even when meaningful events occur, and the news as a whole chooses to cover that subject, it’s often overshadowed by a lesser news story. The news network itself is blameless; they’re simply trying to keep up with the times. If a news network chooses to feature solely relevant news, its viewer numbers would surely drop.
The media, in a sense, is filtered based on what the people want to see, and, therefore, has to adapt and cover both meaningless and relevant news. “There are several factors at work in the media,” Bill Vidonic, writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune said. “The media field has become more crowded, clamoring for our attention constantly, so some [other news networks] focus on “fluff” to rise above the noise and grab our attention.” It’s understandable that news corporations find it pointless to report on news no one cares about, but this presents a problem. As people stop caring, and that news coverage fades
away, it’s forgotten. This means that the news story is heard less than ever, and, in turn, the people care even less. This kind of hard hitting news is often placed on the back shelf because it does not impact the reader directly. The shrinking of media staff additionally contributes to the lack of real journalism. “Media cannot take the time or resources to focus on hard-hitting, investigative journalism as was the norm at one point,” Vidonic said. For the most part, people tend to care most about news that has a direct impact on their lives. Unfortunately, however, many news corporations
believe that in order to be relevant, the story has to be tragic, negative or scandalous. “It is a bad reflection on our society, the amount of negative news that is shown,” Principal Mr. William Deal said. In today’s world, social media has become a readily available and easily accessible news source. Unfortunately, these news outlets are even more susceptible to the wants of the people, and often neglect important details due to character restrictions. The reliability of the source can also be called into question, as any individual on Twitter can post what they call news. News on a local news channel is usually researched by a team of media specialists, although that is not to say news is not biased just like social media. Because the opinions of many influence the media most see, it’s their duty to shape the media coverage. If a person doesn’t like a particular news story, it’s best to pay no attention to it. This sends the news company a message, telling them that people don’t want to see this. The news company is simply catering to the people, and if the people demand more hard hitting news, they will surely see a change in their stories.
Interview opens eyes to transgender community Star comes out with gender identity struggles Gracie Hutchison ghutchison@freedomarea.org
of the LGBTQ community lead their lives. As people under the laws of our wonderful country, we’re all entitled to our own opinions. Though, we must realize, there is a fine line between spreading our beliefs and spreading hatred. Whatever opinion you have of the gay rights movement, make sure you choose your words carefully, remembering that we are all just striving for peace. As the transgender community finally gets their well-needed recognition for their current issues, I am left with but one question: Why did we wait for Bruce Jenner to bring these issues to light?
Photo courtesy US Embassy
On Apr. 24 at 9 p.m., the highlyanticipated Bruce Jenner interview, led by Diane Sawyer, aired on ABC. What was said in that interview took social media, news sources and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community by storm. Bruce Jenner, the patriarch of the Kardashian-Jenner family, came out, after months of speculation, as a woman. “My brain is much more female than it is male. But, that’s what my soul is,” Jenner said. Each member of the KardashianJenner clan is a superstar, and one of them coming out as transgender opens many people’s eyes to the issue. According to transgenderlaw. org, approximately 2-5 percent of the U.S. population consider themselves transgender or struggle with other forms of gender identity. The statistic is shocking for how little people acknowledge their current issues, the violence and the discrimination they face for being who they are. Eighty-three percent of people transitioning from male to female
reported verbal abuse for their gender transition, and 37 percent of those transitioning from male to female experienced physical violence as well. Violence and hatred is unfortunately only the beginning of some of the struggles transgender people face regularly. Things as small as pronoun usage and going to the bathroom are critical to someone who identifies as transgender or struggle with gender identity. Calling someone by something other than their preferred pronoun can lead to serious confidence loss for them. If you don’t know the preferred pronoun, be free to ask. Asking shows that you acknowledge their feelings and wouldn’t like to hurt their self-esteem. Another critical thing, and something that’s currently a very hot topic in the news, is the debate over a transgender person using the restroom of the gender that they aren’t biologically. Some people complain about feeling uncomfortable having to share a bathroom with someone who is technically the opposite gender. The debate focuses on whether people should use the bathroom with the gender they identify with, or the
gender they were born as. To that, I say, if you really care that much about the genitals of the person in the stall next to you, you have some issues you have to sort out yourself. Gay rights have been heavily talked about recently due to the upcoming Supreme Court ruling and also with the current “Right to Believe” campaign in Indiana. I recognize that many people do not, and may never, agree with how members
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FHS Press
Nine papers and an endless amount of memories Editor-in-chief reflects her time with FHS Press Brianna Frashure bfrashure@freedomarea.org
At the end of my sophomore year, I chose to make a decision that would impact my life in more than one way. I chose to step up as editor-in-chief of the newspaper to further my love for journalism and all the craziness that comes with it. Since I was young, I have loved writing and looking at newspapers. It is a real passion of mine. I grew up around people interested in journalism and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have had the urge to pursue it. When I entered high school, I always looked at the newspaper and read what funny article came out that month or what interesting topic was being reported on. It was something that really interested me. I was thrilled and excited to pursue something that I had always loved. Granted, I wasn’t prepared for the lack of sleep, crazy deadline days or the early morning push to submit the paper but I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. Taking on this responsibility pushed me to be a better person. My entire life, I have been a very independent person, and I followed the motto, “the only way it will get done, is if I do it myself.” Quickly, I learned that the “motto” I had kept in my head, was no longer valid. There is no possible way to put out an entire newspaper or yearbook without the help of many. With 29 students in Print Media, things can get hectic, but it’s one of the best feelings knowing you can rely on other people when you need help. I cannot recall the amount of times I had to last-minute email people asking for help because I had to submit the paper the following morning. This has
been one of the best parts of working alongside such a large group of people. When working with such a large group of people, some of the best work can come out of them. Last year, an article was written and with the right placement, headline and content. The article sparked the interest of many students throughout the school. People all over the school were talking about an article published in the newspaper. I remember thinking, “this is so cool,” because people were actually reading what we wrote. But it wasn’t until this year that I learned the power the press and the influence our school newspaper has on the areas surrounding it. Because of some of the things published, actions were being taken to better improve our district. It was one of the best experiences seeing how much a simple newspaper can do to a group of people and school district. I also didn’t realize how proud I would be to see the newspapers each month. Granted, I love when the papers come in each month and I loved looking through the publication and rereading the work that every single person in PMW had a hand in making, but you will never know how much pride you put into your work until you get an email that it has won an award. When I opened the “secret” American Press Association email and saw that the FHS Press won first place, I cried. Shocker, I know. I was so overwhelmed with joy that all the work that goes into PMW was finally paying off. It was such an accomplishment to see the joy of not only me but the people around me and the hard work people put into the newspaper. For those of you who don’t know, PMW isn’t your average class. You don’t sit in class for 85 minutes, leave
and move on with your day. For me, it is something I take everywhere. Whether it is at work, at my house or just in my head, Print Media is always on my mind. It’s like my brain is wired to function like that. I constantly wanted to make sure we were making the best publication. If it weren’t for a few people, I think I would have gone crazy a long time ago because of how stressed out I had become. To my mom, I cannot describe how thankful I am that you sat and listened to me every day at any hour of the day for a whole school year. Whether it was a good day or bad, you were always there to listen and give me advice. Even though by now, you’re probably annoyed, I am still extremely grateful. To Gracie and Hope, thank you for the constant reminder that I’m not crazy and the weird, but wonderful friendship we have. If it wasn’t for our countless trips to get Hibachi, Chipotle or even our yogurt dates, I would have exploded. I thank you two a lot for always keeping me calm, well most of the time, and always having my back. I appreciate all the things you did for me this year. To my fellow PMWers, I want to thank all of you for making this year special for me. The amount of laughs, jokes and pure craziness that went on in room 226 I will honestly never forget. It means a lot that each one of you took the class and always helped when it was needed. Your help was much appreciated and I cannot wait to see what the next year will bring us. Finally, to Mr. Fitzpatrick, first and foremost, I’m proud of you for putting up with me all this time. If I were you, I would have lost it a long time ago. Thank you for putting up
May 27, 2015
with my thousands of emails, layout issues, last minute fixes and craziness all year. I give most of my love for journalism to you. If I wasn’t for Print Media, I probably wouldn’t be pursuing an English and Journalism degree. You have taught me so much this entire school year and I cannot put it into words how thankful I am to have you as a teacher. Even though I make fun of you, you are probably one of the best teachers I have ever had. Although, I would love to make that up, I mean every word. You have taught me patience, to never give up on anything and to always keep moving forward. Thank you so much for listening to me at seven in the morning and sometimes until after midnight with the paper. I am truly grateful. Although, my time here at FHS is not coming to an end, my time as editor-in-chief will be. I cannot wait to watch the publication go even further next year. To whoever takes on the position next year, I wish you the best of luck. I cannot wait to help you and help the publication grow into an even better paper. To the student body, I thank you for reading the publication and supporting something that not only means a lot to me, but to a lot of other people. We appreciate the support from every single one of you. This has definitely been the most stressful year of my life, but it has also been the best. I cannot wait to see where FHS Press goes from here.
Blast to the past
My day in the elementary school Natalie Price nprice@freedomarea.org
Photo Submitted
Given the opportunity, most people would take the chance to travel back in time, which, in a sense, is what I got to do on “Bring Your Child to Work Day” this year. I decided to go to work with my dad at the elementary school, where he teaches physical education. I thought I would just sit back and watch the little kids have their fun, but throughout the day I started to have fun too. To start off the day, my dad and I had bus duty. Once the buses started pulling up to the school you could already hear the sound of excited students. Kids in grade levels kindergarten up to sixth grade came running out of the buses. They were actually excited to be at school and couldn’t wait to get inside. Which, from the perspective of a high schooler, seems a bit odd. Once bus duty was over, it was time to go inside and get ready for the gym classes to begin. The first class of the day was the kindergarteners. As soon as they stepped into the gymnasium, they were all screaming and running around at full speed. As
they bounced off the walls, I thought that it was humanly impossible for them to continue to maintain that high energy for the rest of the period. I was proven wrong. The next class to come in was a group of first graders. This is where I learned my lesson for the day. This class, much like the kindergarteners, mainly just ran around and played their own little games together. The most common games had to do with zombies and a lot of imagination. At some point throughout the class, I realized there was a little girl sitting by herself on the bleachers. When I went over to ask her why she wasn’t playing, she told me that she had no one to play with. So that’s when it hit me that instead of letting her be excluded, I took it upon myself to play with her. The lesson I learned was that it doesn’t matter how old you are compared to someone or how “cool” you are, you can still play a game with them. I can’t even describe how happy I felt when the little girl hugged me and told me that I made her day just by doing something as simple as including her in a game. Small things to you can make a big impact on
someone else. Then we took a break from gym class and ate lunch. After being recognized by some students we had already had in class, I decided to sit with them at lunch. Listening to some of their conversations and actually taking part in the talks reminded me
of myself in elementary school and how much I actually missed being a little kid. The second half of my day was even more fun compared to the first half. The last few classes of the day, we played dodgeball. Again, just the thought of dodgeball made me flashback to little Natalie in elementary school because it was my favorite game to play in gym class. Surprisingly, fourth, fifth and sixth graders put up quite a fight. I know you’re already wondering, and no I didn’t throw my hardest against the little kids, but I did throw hard enough to get them out. I wasn’t going to hurt them, but I wasn’t going to just let them win either. I can honestly say that even though it got very competitive between teams, everyone remained good sports. I have never had that much fun in a long time and would honestly call it one of my best days ever. I am extremely thankful to have been able to take a day to be a little kid again. So the next time you get the chance, I strongly suggest you let yourself be a little kid again, you won’t regret it.
May 27, 2015
FHS Press
Getting connected and now saying goodbye Michelle Keith mkeith@freedomarea.org
Three years ago, I was just another shy girl who moved to FHS. I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to make friends, especially in a school known for its tractor parade and high percentage of people related to one another. I didn’t grow up here all my life, my ancestors haven’t farmed in New Sewickley for generations and the thought of not being welcomed in my new community made me nervous. This was not the case however, and after my first halftime performance I became known as the “fire girl.” Baton twirling has been a huge part of my life and the reputation for twirling fire has definitely stuck over the course of the past few years. However, I also became known for something new. My junior year I decided to take the Print media workshop class. Many of my friends from band recommended the class and the teacher, Mr. Aaron Fitzpatrick, who teaches the FHS PMW class. I have always been interested in journalism, but through some miraculous twist of fate, I ended up becoming the managing editor for the FHS shawnee yearbook during my junior year and focused more on the yearbook side of Print Media, rather than the newspaper end of class. Under the direction of Fitzpatrick and former Editor-in-Chief, Lauren Dubovi, I began to spread my little photography wings and fell in love with photography and all things yearbook. The print media class isn’t for everyone. It is however, made up of some extremely talented, hard working and dedicated students who put more time into this class than all their other classes combined. While the class sounds a little intimidating it’s by far my favorite class I have ever taken. The satisfaction and pride that comes with seeing your name in the byline of an article or experiencing the reactions of people with their new yearbook is truly an amazing feeling. Over the summer, Fitzpatrick, current managing editor Junior Dereck Majors, and myself spent a week at Gettysburg college and attended yearbook camp. At this camp, we learned so many new design and yearbook tips that we choose to bring back to Freedom. This meant a lot of changes from the previous yearbooks. The biggest change in our 2015 yearbook was determining a consistent theme throughout the entire book. FHS is a small community with less than 500 students. Despite this, the FHS has more technology available to the students than almost any other school district in Beaver county. This technology and the amount of students who are involved in multiple activities sparked the idea for the 2014-2015 yearbook theme. I determined that what made FHS so special from other schools was the amount of connections both technologically and personally that can be found around FHS. Hence the “Get Connected” theme was born. While the transition to a new
style of yearbook was a little rough at times, the end product turned out better than I could have ever dreamed. I’m incredibly thankful for the photoshop skills of Michael Fricke and Grace Hutchison along with the rest of the print media staff. Many members of the print media staff went above and beyond by staying at school with Fitzpatrick and I for hours on end. I would especially like to thank Seniors Emily Allego, Jamie Croll and Raylen Welling for helping to keep me sane amongst the all the craziness of yearbook deadlines. Print media has given me a creative outlet to share what is important to me with my classmates and community. This past year has been incredibly stressful balancing advanced classes, yearbook deadlines and all my other activities. There have been numerous days where I came to school at 7am and not leave until 10 p.m. I’ve attended hundreds of sporting events and while I cannot claim to be the least bit athletic, I’ve become a huge supporter of all FHS athletic teams. From a spectator’s point of view, seeing how hard these athletes work in a game or match is one thing. Taking a picture and capturing the determination and willpower these athletes display, despite whatever the scoreboard may read, is completely different though. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to capture these special moments on film and display my pictures for all to see. Without the amazing students and staff at FHS I would never have had the opportunity to find my love of photography and journalism. Thank you to my family and friends for putting up with my stress this past year and supporting me every step of the way. I would also like to thank the entire student body and Freedom community for welcoming my family and I over the past 3 years. A big thank you to everyone who has kept me company and let me interview them during the events I’ve reported on. Most importantly I would like to thank Fitzpatrick for being so incredibly dedicated to Print media and for all he does to help his students and the PMW publications succeed. I can’t explain the amount of days I would come in stressed, and the relief I would feel when Fitzpatrick said to not worry because he had a plan. Without his support, motivation, knowledge and time, the FHS press and Shawnee yearbook couldn’t possibly be as high of quality. Good Luck to Dereck Majors, Grace Hutchison and the rest of the Print media staff next year. I’m so happy I’ve gotten the opportunity to work with you these past 2 years and I can’t wait to see what you guys accomplish in the upcoming years.
Protesting the right way: peaceful Marley Hoko mhoko@freedomarea.org
Everyone wants to take a stand and make a difference in the world, but it doesn’t necessarily need to come in the form of violence. Nelson Mandela once said, “When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.” What people don’t realize is that being an outlaw can be peaceful. A non-violent protest has been defined as “the doctrine, policy or practice of rejecting violence in favor of peaceful tactics as a means of gaining political objectives.” In history, there have been countless peaceful protests. Whether it be for women’s rights, gender and marriage equality or any movement led by Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr., they were all done in a peaceful manner. Everyone involved took a stand for what they believed in, without the intention of using violence, and they made a huge impact on society. Back then, it seemed like people cared more about one another and cared about making a difference for the better. Today, that’s not the case. Just take one look at the news. There are all of these riots: Baltimore. Ferguson. Westboro Baptist. All of these are protests, but they don’t have the same intentions. People being harassed, property destroyed, buildings burned to the
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ground, innocent lives lost, people committing crimes because they’re angry or just joining in so they aren’t left out. This isn’t what a protest is about. It shouldn’t be about hate, yet that’s exactly what it has become. The very thing that King and Mandela strived to avoid has become the downfall, when in reality, it’s an easy fix. Mandela had a theory that people respond to how others relate to them. “If you approach them on the basis of violence, that’s how they’ll react. But if you say, ‘We want peace, we want stability,’ we can do a lot of things that will contribute towards the progress of our society.” In a world where people are going to respond more to something done peacefully rather than by people becoming violent, why is it even a question on which to choose? These are the current events that kids are growing up with, living and seeing on a daily basis. If hate and violence is all they’re seeing, than that’s all they’re going to know. They aren’t going to know how to deal with situations other than with the use of violence. Is this the environment they need to be in, or do they need to be in one modeled like the past? We can’t end violence with violence. There are other, more peaceful, options. Just like Bob Marley once sang, “ Get up, stand up: Stand up for your rights! Get up, stand up: Don’t give up the fight!”
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Privacy vs. Security
FHS Press
Is our security worth letting the government into our private lives? Carly Park cpark@freedomarea.org
Many of us remember the day Edward Snowden, former National Security Agency (NSA) member, revealed that the government was watching everything we did, from phone calls to emails to Internet search history. People were, and still are, livid about the situation. They claim that it infringes upon their rights called upon in the First and Fourth Amendments. To recap, Snowden, then 30, worked for the NSA and discovered trace files of private conversation between citizens and foreigners to the United States. He fled, June 9, 2013, to Hong Kong to avoid arrest. The government filed against Snowden with the 1917 Espionage Act for “unauthorized communication of national defense information” and “willful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorized person” (Washington Post, 2013). The 1917 Espionage Act, passed in June 1917, involves penalty terms for those who interfere with military, specifically recruitment of new members. This concern was raised around the time of the World War I. In a 1919 case, Schenck v. United States, Congress reinforced their law to state that legislation, which may not be acceptable in ordinary circumstances, could be enacted when faced
with a “clear and present danger” (United States History). The government viewed Snowden as a terroristic threat for leaking such sensitive information to the public. The NSA had assumed its rightful power to be collecting said information after the USA Patriot Act was passed in 2001, six weeks after Sept. 11. This act was forced by the Bush administration to revise the original national surveillance system. The Patriot Act increased government authority to generally “spy” on US citizens while simultaneously reducing the checks and balances systems to keep the judicial branch in line. Four different areas, specifically, improved greatly for the government and their ability to spy. It granted a broadened allowance on record searches, secret searches, intelligence searches and the “trap and trace” method (ACLU). The American Civil Liberties Union defines the “trap and trace” method as an expansion to a Fourth Amendment exception that allows for spying. The problem is this: how comfortable are we, as students or citizens of the United States, with allowing the government to blindly record and keep a database on all of our personal information? For some of us, that’s a lot of record. We can be caught tweeting, facebooking, snapchatting and instagramming every day. The NSA now has a record of every single thing you’ve ever done with your
social media or phone in general. “I feel that us [sic], as Americans, personally have the freedom that we should be able to do what we want in private,” Sophomore Jarrett Boyd said. He, like many other Americans, believes that we should feel safe and secure without the government having to watch every single thing that we do. On the other hand, senior history teacher Mr. Nate Langelli feels like the government is doing no harm. “I understand the argument people make for the privacy issue, but for me personally, I’m more the mindset [that] I have nothing to hide so it doesn’t really bother me that way,” Langelli said. These two viewpoints vary drastically. The issue is, though, does the government truly have the right to be watching us, even if we pose no threat? As of May 9, 2015, Congress finally came to a decision marking the NSA’s actions as illegal under the Patriot Act, the same one which was originally used to justify the program. Section 215, which states that searches of private information must be approved by the attorney general, expires this upcoming June. Appellate Judge Gerard E. Lynch argues that the NSA program “exceeds the scope of what Congress has authorized” (CNN Online). Congress is now divided on whether to continue with the NSA spying program or to end it completely.
Apple looks to shut down Spotify Breanna Leasure bleasure@freedomarea.org
Millions of people use Spotify. Spotify is a service that allows you to stream music. You can buy premium and essentially it allows you to download music onto your computer, laptop, phone or electronic device. If you do not use premium, you can choose the songs you download but do not have the choice in which one plays. It also allows ads to play in between songs. With Apple coming out with a
new streaming service, called Beats Music, they are looking to cut out any competitors by any means. Apple has been encouraging labels in the music industry not to renew their licenses with Youtube or Spotify. It appears that Apple wants to get a leg up in the music industry. If Apple succeeds in shutting down and killing Spotify, there will be an overall of 45 million people looking for a new music streaming service. 15 million of those 45 were willing to pay for premium with spotify, and may be willing to pay for another music service which
Dude, that’s my car
A look into the similar car choices at FHS Travis Hryckowian thryckowian@freedomarea.org
As we grow up, we gain more responsibilities. One of those being the capability of driving ourselves to and from school. Keep in mind that we only have so much to spend on a car. We also need something that is efficient and helpful to our daily tasks, whether it be a car or a truck. When you bring all of this into consideration, many of us end up driving the same cars. If you were to take a walk through our upper lot at the high school, you would see an assortment of different types of vehicles: cars, trucks, SUV’s, vans, etc. One of the popular choices is the
Ford Escape. With it’s small size and efficiency, many students seem to find it as a good first car. It’s affordable to drive and has enough space to carry any extra bags or people you may need. It also has an overall crash test rating of 3/5 stars and offers four wheel drive. “We chose our Escape because we were looking for something that had four wheel drive and something that would be safe. What I like most is that it has pretty decent gas mileage,” Senior Mariah Forsythe said. Another, slightly obvious, choice is the Dodge Ram or Ford F series. Considering our geographical location, many students live in areas where a pickup truck is essential. Such an option offers less fuel
May 27, 2015
Another Congress member, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, argues in response to Lynch saying that people misunderstand the NSA. He claims that the belief everyone has of the NSA continuously going through the information they collect is wrong. The Congress is planning to pass the USA Freedom Act in response to the expiration of Section 215. This new act would “kill” the NSA’s dragnet collection of files and data. Furthermore, warrants will be required for any personal or private information to be collected from phones, computers or other electronic devices. “I’m fine with the Patriot Act but the NSA doing illegal activities I’m not OK with. So, if [information] was obtained illegally, I would say they shouldn’t be able to use it,” Langelli said. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell sides more with Rubio and is currently pushing to have the Patriot Act reauthorized. President Barack Obama, as well as about half of Congress, believes that the NSA program is necessary to keep us safe from terrorism. The real question is, how much of our privacy and freedom are we willing to give up safety? Do we really need the NSA recording and having data on every event of our personal lives via phone or Internet will truly protect us from an out-of-country threat?
could allow Apple to gain money. This is yet another source of income for Apple. With Apple already being a well-known name brand for their iphones, Mac laptops, iPods, iPads and new watches, this could very well be a new trend to have Beats Music as your music streaming service. Jeffrey Camp, a Spotify user who has had it for about a year has decided to quit because of a major bug with the service. After having spent hours downloading thousands of songs onto his device, it erased all of the
songs. Due to this happening to him multiple times, he has decided to quit Spotify and go in search of another music streaming service. Bugs are a big inconvenience, a big possibility is that Apple come out with the Beats Music service, and have a major bug. Such as the one that spotify had with erasing all of your downloaded songs, Apple will have to be careful and watch for any of them. This is another worry that both Apple, Apple users, and potential users could fear.
efficiency, but offers more cargo space and more power when needed. Both choices offer a 3/5 crash test rating, with four wheel drive. “Over the last two school years, the most popular vehicle among students would be either the Dodge Ram or Ford F-150, lift kit included,” Officer Tom Liberty said. The most popular choice is the Ford Ranger. The Ranger offers enough cargo space without compromising size. It also offers a fuel efficient choice for someone who still wants the capabilities of a truck. The Ford Ranger offers a 4 ½ out of 5 crash test rating, also with optional four wheel drive. “I picked my Ranger because it’s good on gas, easy and cheap to work
on, and it’s 2.3 liter engine runs no matter how hard I push it,” Senior David Miller said. Some of the other popular car choices include the Chevy Cavalier, Geo Tracker, Pontiac Grand Am and Chevy Equinox.
FHS Press
May 27, 2015
FHS Press — Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief: Brianna Frashure editor@freedomarea.org Managing Editor: Brittany Bionda managing@freedomarea.org News Editor: Reilly Collins Asst. News Editor: Hannah Shumsky news@freedomarea.org Features Editor: Gracie Hutchison Asst. Features Editor: Lara Pavlick features@freedomarea.org
Copy Editors: Breanna Leasure, Brianna McKee Business Manager: Raylen Welling business@freedomarea.org Newspaper Adviser: Mr. Aaron Fitzpatrick afitzpatrick@freedomarea.org
Sports Editor: Marley Hoko Asst. Sports Editor: Devin Daley sports@freedomarea.org
Photo and Design Editor: Emily Allego photo@freedomarea.org
Art Director: Olivia Jansen art@freedomarea.org Asst. Art Director: Michael Fricke
Social Media Director: Carly Park socialmedia@freedomarea.org
Contributing Artists: Breanna Leasure
Web Editor: Nick Schreiner web@freedomarea.org
Section Flags: Reilly Collins, Lara Pavlick, Maddie Edder Staff Writers: Peter Korman, Zach Kugel, Maddie Edder, Micki Friend, Sara Skinger, Joey Pail, Michael Fricke, Travis Hryckowian, Dereck Majors, Michelle Keith, Lea Gualtieri, Jamie Croll
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, email fhspress@freedomarea.org, or contact Mr. Fitzpatrick in Room 226.
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BASEBALL:
Dominating the diamond Baseball finishes up the season Jamie Croll jcroll@freedomarea.org Emily Allego eallego@freedomarea.org
Jamie Croll /FHS Press
The baseball team wraps up their season as the school year comes to an end. With a record of 4-10 in the section and 6-11 for their overall season, the boys proved to have worked hard and improved from the previous year. “We didn’t have the season we hoped for, but we improved from last year and hope to improve for next year and just keep getting better,” Freshman Jason Norman said. Juniors Anthony Thompson and Brad Eckman both knocked it out of the park with a first home run of the season for Thompson and a second of the season for Eckman. The following day, Apr. 29, the team played a home game against Fort Cherry. Freedom defeated them with a score of 13-3. After coming off a strong win, the team was motivated to stay on their winning path in order to make it to playoffs. “We started off strong, but towards the middle of the season we lost our fire. We picked it back up in
students were at the game to cheer on and support their peers. Unfortunately, a 6-5 loss meant Freedom was out of the running for playoffs. With playoffs no longer in range, the team will have to wait until next year for another try. “We were very respectable and competitive this season. Five of our section games were losses by one run. Flip those games around and we might have been in playoffs, and possibly battling for the section crown,” Head Coach Dan O’Leary said. Even though the season has now come to an end, many of the players are eagerly anticipating next year’s season. Many of the players will keep working on their skills during the summer and fall, playing in recreational leagues. Next year, seven of the players will be seniors and the team is hoping to be even stronger than they were this season. The team is already beginning to think about what they need to do to better themselves for next season. “I think for next year we just need to keep the intensity up the whole season because we have the skill to be a great team,” Norman said.
Junior Evin Dicieio fields a ball at third base during a baseball game against South Side.
the end and had a lot of close games,” Norman said. For one player, the end of this season brings the final moments of being a member of the Freedom baseball team. Senior Night was held on May 4 at the home game against New Brighton. Senior Matt Moeller, being the only
senior on the team, walked with his parents down the side of the field and stood in front of his teammates. Then, he played his final home game as a bulldog. The stakes were high for this game, because Freedom had to win it and the following one in order to earn a spot in playoffs. Many Freedom
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE:
NFL punishments deflate beginning of Patriots 2016 season Patriots face punishment for deflating game balls in playoffs Devin Daley ddaley@freedomarea.org
New England Patriots’ Quarterback Tom Brady faces the harshest of the penalties brought down by the NFL.
the same punishments. Supporters of the league’s decision claim that the Patriots cheated thereby jeopardizing the integrity of the game just as someone who uses PEDs would be doing. However, the cheating isn’t the only reason for the harsh suspension, as the NFL has cited Brady’s lack of
USA Today Sports/ Greg M. Cooper
The reigning Super Bowl Champions, the New England Patriots, are facing an abundance of penalties for their deflating of footballs to give themselves a competitive advantage during the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. The punishments that have thus far been handed down are a $1 million fine for the organization, the loss of two draft picks, including their first pick in 2016, as well as a four game suspension for their franchise quarterback Tom Brady. Opinions on the harshness of these penalties towards the organization, especially Tom Brady’s suspension, are greatly disputed. Many supporters of the Patriots and Brady believe that Brady’s involvement in the scandal didn’t warrant the four game suspension that the league handed him. These people see the four game suspension as the same punishment as someone who uses a performance enhancing drug, or PED, and don’t believe Brady’s actions are worthy of
cooperation with the investigation. The most prominent part of this is his refusal to disclose text messages between him and the team managers who were in charge of the inflation of the footballs being used. Another factor that went into the length of the suspension was Brady’s continuing denial of having any knowledge of the
deflation of the footballs. The NFL’s investigation found otherwise. “The report established that there is substantial and credible evidence that you were at least generally aware of the actions of the Patriots’ employees involved in the deflation of the footballs and that it was unlikely that their actions were done without your knowledge,” NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent wrote in a letter to Brady explaining his suspension. Whether or not Brady admits to knowing about the deflation of the footballs there is no doubt if he had been playing with properly inflated footballs before he would have definitely noticed a difference between those and the footballs in question. Brady’s denial of having any knowledge as well as his refusal to cooperate has made his level of guilt almost indisputable. Whether or not Brady had any knowledge of the deflation of the footballs the Patriots organization is having yet another Super Bowl tainted by controversy.
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BOXING:
‘Match of the century’
The highly anticipated Mayweather Pacquiao match disappoints Devin Daley ddaley@freedomarea.org
World Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather fought Manny Pacquaio at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2.
to counteract Pacquiao’s punches. A major factor throughout the fight was the fact that every time it looked as though Pacquiao had gained the upper hand in the fight, Mayweather would grab him and almost hug him until the official told him to let go. This was efficient in muffling Pacquiao’s explosiveness that comes when he’s
GETTY IMAGES
On May 2, boxing saw its biggest match in a great number of years as Floyd Mayweather took on Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas for the World Welterweight title. This is a matchup that had been long awaited by boxing fans, as Mayweather and Pacquiao are regarded as two of the best boxers in recent years. The expectation for this fight was large, but whether or not they were realistic, or if it was just a way to make money of their names before they begin to mean nothing is a question that still needs to be asked. The match, for the most part, didn’t live up to the expectations, for it was efficiently 12 rounds of Mayweather dodging Pacquiao’s punches. Both fighters were trying to fight in a way that benefitted them; however, their conflicting mindsets made for a less entertaining match. The left-handed Pacquiao came out slow in the first round, but got to his quick aggressive fighting style, in which he delivers a lot of high power punches, quickly in the other early rounds. Mayweather, on the other hand, wanted to use his strong right hand and defensive style
able to throw a flurry of hard punches. The story of the early rounds was that Mayweather was successful in not letting Pacquiao connect with his powerful left hand and using the hug to get out of bad situations. The second half of the fight was full of Pacquiao desperately trying to sway the judges’ votes and Mayweath-
er countering Pacquiao’s aggressiveness with nicely-timed jabs. As the match wore on, Mayweather seemed to look more and more passive as it was clear he was in the lead on the judges’ scorecards. Mayweather won a few decisive rounds in the second half and seemed to coast to his 48th victory to push his record to 48-0. With one judge voting 118-110 and two voting 116-112, Mayweather won the fight by unanimous decision. The fight wasn’t what many fans had hoped it would be, largely because both of these men are years past their primes, making this fight more about the money than the actual fight. However, despite his age, Pacquiao looked much slower than many had expected and it can largely be contributed to the fact that he was fighting with a torn rotator cuff, which was disclosed after the fight. This injury had surely affected Pacquiao’s ability to fight aggressively in a large way, as it is a very significant injury. The result of the fight, however, is unchangeable, as Mayweather is still the Welterweight champion and is refusing a rematch with the largelyregarded number two of the world.
SOFTBALL:
One team, one dream A look at this season and at next season Peter Korman pkorman@freedomarea.org Zach Kugel zkugel@freedomarea.org
The softball season has come to a close, and the girls have much to be proud of. In the past few weeks they have overcome unfavorable climate, poor attendance and tough opponents. In addition to the win, one of the most memorable nights of the season happened just days beforehand. This was the softball team’s senior night. Senior Night took place on Tuesday, April 28. The team’s four seniors, Jessica Palak, Kristy Sturgess, Carly Schroeder and Alexis Shingleton were all honored on this
night. The team faced Olsh on this night, and, after a long fight, ended up with a loss. Since it was Senior Night, that was the last home game played by the girls. However, an unprecedented event happened for the softball team’s season that night: one of the seniors, Alexis Shingleton, hit a home run. “It was really exciting to think once I hit the ball, that it could possibly be my first home run ever. As I rounded first, almost to second, I watched the ball hit the ground on the other side of the fence. It was comforting to know that I reached my season goal and that I succeeded in doing so on my senior night,” Shingleton said. Not only was this Alexis’ very first home run, but it was also the softball team’s first (and only) home run of the
season. Looking back, the girls had an enjoyable season filled with memories. For the seniors on the team, they utilize the skills and comradeship that they gained from the sport for the rest of their lives. “Softball taught me to have mental toughness and to move on from my mistakes. Although softball was not particularly my favorite sport, I truly enjoyed every second on the field with my team,” Jessica Palak stated. The seniors have faith that the future of the team is in good hands with future players and Coach Bill Boggs. “For the future [of the FHS softball team], I have high hopes that the girls will continue to improve and eventually get to win the section and
go onto WPIAL playoffs. I believe that Bill Boggs is a good coach that knows what he is doing. I know he will continue to work hard to turn the program around for the upcoming freshman and hopefully continue to coach for many seasons to come,” Palak said. The softball team has high hopes for the next season and the future of the FHS softball team in general. With conditioning in the winter to working with the middle school team, they plan on getting even more wins during their next season.
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TRACK and FIELD:
The final leaps and bounds
Track members explain their improvements and how they prepare for competition Sara Skinger sskinger@freedomarea.org Olivia Jansen ojansen@freedomarea.org
Danny Conrad and Jarrett Boyd start a race at the track meet on April 15.
ual qualifiers meet. You have to be in the top eight at that meet in order to advance to the WPIAL finals at Baldwin.There were two qualifiers for AA which were in Shady Side, North WPIAL Qualifiers, and South Side, South WPIAL Qualifiers. The top five out of the 16 students go to states automatically and three individuals, if sixth, seventh or eighth place qualify in terms of meeting the time requirement, then they will advance.
You can have a total of 8 students who can go. The students who qualified for WPIALS are Trevor Adams for shotput and discus, Brenton Harrison for javelin and high jump, Tina Davis for 100 hurdles, Joey Pail for the pole vault, Jarrett Boyd and Danny Conrad for the 800, Josh Kugel for the 400, the boys four-by-four which consists of David Montgomery, Jarrett Boyd, Zach Kugel and Josh Kugel, the boys four-by-eight which consists of Zach
Marley Hoko/FHS Press
From achieving a personal goal to beating a high school record, the track team has accomplishments to show for their work throughout the season. “Over the course of the season, I got my javelin throwing form down, which is a realistic goal for the first year,” Sophomore Madeline Kiefer said. Reaching personal goals can give students the momentum and optimism needed to achieve more challenging goals like breaking a school record. Senior Tina Davis was aiming to beat the high school record for the 100 hurdles and came very close. Her numbers were 16.25 when the record is 16.14. Even though she didn’t achieve her goal, Davis continues to work hard and stay optimistic. “The goal is so close to happening that we can taste the WPIAL medals already,” Sophomore Avery Sayre said before the competition. To qualify for states you have to qualify for WPIALS. First, there is an individ-
Kugel, Avery Sayre, Danny Conrad and Jarrett Boyd. “I have been running since July to prepare,” sophomore Jarrett Boyd said. With WPIALS on Thursday, May 14, the team prepared in any way they could. From running for months to practicing every chance they got, the Freedom Area Track and Field team perspired tried their best to pull out a win at WPIALS. “WPIALS went well [however] we wish that we went to states for the 4x8, but we medaled and got 8th place,” Sayre said as he returned home from the competition. The results from the WPIALS are that Trevor Adams placed second in shot put and third in Discus, Brenton Harrison placed second in high jump and sixth in javelin, Jarrett Boyd placed fifth in the 800, Tina Davis played seventh in 100 meter hurdles, and the relay team for the 4x8 finished eighth place. Also, by finishing in the top five, Brenton Harrison, Trevor Adams and Jarrett Boyd qualified to compete next week in the PIAA state Track and Field championships at Shippensburg.
HORSE RACING:
Racing for the Triple Crown
American Pharoah’s pursuit of one of sport’s rarest feats Devin Daley ddaley@freedomarea.org
Stakes. American Pharoah’s jockey for the two races, as well as the upcoming
Espinoza’s failure to win at Belmont is not unique, as 23 horses in the past have won the first two
American Pharoah beats out Dortmund and Firing Line to win the Kentucky Derby on May 2.
Belmont Stakes on June 6, is Victor Espinoza, who is riding for his third shot at the Triple Crown. Espinoza has had two previous Triple Crown bids come short at Belmont. Both War Emblem in 2002 and California Chrome in 2014 had won the first two legs with Espinoza at the reigns, both of which ended up failing to complete the feat of winning all three races.
legs of the Triple Crown only to lose the final race. The Belmont Stakes is unique as it’s the longest of the three and usually features many horses that didn’t run either of the previous two or the Preakness, making them much fresher for the Belmont. American Pharoah will face these exact challenges as it looks forward to its chance to engrave its name into
Cindice Chavez/Eclipse Sportswire
The Triple Crown of horse racing is one of the rarest and most sought after prizes in the sporting world. Only 11 horses have ever completed the task of winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes all in just over a month. This year, American Pharoah is the one who is eligible to try for the crown. American Pharoah won the 141st Kentucky Derby on March 2, beginning his quest for the coveted crown. Despite a torrential downpour before and during the race, which resulted in a muddy track, he went on to win the 140th Preakness Stakes on May 16 by an impressive seven lengths. Pharaoh did well to not let the weather bother him as he dominated the Preakness. He faced 20 other horses in order to win the derby, which is far more than the seven he faced in the Preakness Stakes. American Pharoah is owned by Ahmed Zayat, who has owned many horses that has run in the Triple Crown races. However, American Pharoah is his first horse to ever win the Kentucky Derby. Zayat has had horses finish second three times in the past decade, but Pharaoh changed that trend by winning not only the the Kentucky Derby, but, now, the second leg of the triple crown: the Preakness
the history books on June 6. American Pharaoh will surely be the favorite going into Belmont, as his dominance has earned him this right. However, whether or not American Pharoah is capable of winning the Belmont Stakes can be brought into question.This is because the Belmont has a much longer length than the first two legs of the Crown and its one-and-a-half-mile track is something that is rarely seen in the United States these days. Due to the lack of longer tracks in the U.S., it will be hard to judge Pharaoh because he will not have had much experience in longer distance races. What can be judged is how well Pharoah ran the first two legs and, if his dominance continues, there is a legitimate Triple Crown candidate this year.
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EMILY ALLEGO
Senior will: Joey Pail, I bequeath you the responsibility of keeping the swag in the saxophone section. Caiti Chaney, I bequeath you the job of throwing things at Ben Wright (Left) during band camp. Michael Fricke I bequeath you to just stay funny and keep entertaining everyone in PMW. Grace Hutchison, I bequeath you the responsibility of taking buzzfeed quizzes instead of doing your work in PMW. Favorite high school memory: When I fell out of my chair in calculus and the next class Mr. Majors taped onto my chair: “ WARNING LABEL: Be careful using this chair incorrectly may result in serious injury or even death.” Teacher quote: “It is only going to get worse from here,” Mr. Majors
ANDREW BAKER
Senior will: I bequeath my percent error to Stuart Skolgsholm. I also bequeath my “logic” to him. Favorite high school memory: Anything that happened at Costa Rica, Holiday Valley or the Florida trips. Advice for underclassmen: Take as many math and science classes as you possibly can. Miss most about high school: Wargo, Saludis, and Stu. Most influential teacher: Dr. Wargo, because he sparked my love of science.
PATRICK BAKER
Senior will: I bequeath my golf skills to Tyler Logan and Anthony Thompson. Teacher quote: “Patty and Beckey, put that down, please!” Miss most about high school: The close-knit community and not seeing the same people every day. Most influential teacher: Mr. Fitzpatrick, because he introduced me to my true love, golf. Also, Ms. Kaplin for keeping such great order in the lunch room. Advice to underclassmen: Be sure to make the most of everything that you do. The four years go by way faster than you think they will.
JERICHO BARKLEY
Senior will: I will leave my ability to look stylish in socks and sandals to Mr. Fitzpatrick. Favorite high school memory Meeting my awesome and inspiring friends. Most influential teacher: Aaron Fitzpatrick, because he was so enthusiastic no matter
making it through high school. They have always been there when it came down to school/ college related things and even when I just needed someone to talk to.
MADISON BOYER
the circumstances. Advice to underclassmen: Don’t slack off.
RYLIE BARNES
Senior will: I bequeath my wisdom and open mindedness to Taylor Poliak and Caitlin Shaffer. You both will go so far in life and I am so proud of the achievements you both have made so far in high school. Keep it up. Favorite high school memory: Spending time with Caitlin Shaffer, Taylor Poliak, Kylee Wingrove, and just laughing at the most idiotic things. Teacher quote: “Every day we have the opportunity to practice maturity,” Mr. Langelli Most influential teacher: My most influential teacher was Mrs. Giammaria because not only did she help me in Performing arts but she is also someone who gives great advice about out of school things and genuinely cares about every one of her students.
JOSH BATTAGLIA
Senior will: I will be passing on my Renaissance personality to my dear band/football players Jon Blinn and Michael Kieth. My good looks will be passed down to someone who will need them, Ian Moraine State Park. Although my good looks will be going to Ian, I will be giving Hunter Giles my singing abilities. But on a serious note, any leadership skills that I have acquired through any activities, school related or not, will be passed down to Maddie Edder, the closest underclassmen and friend I have to calling a sister. I would also like to pass on peace and righteousness to everyone, especially Brianna Frashure. I would like to pass on stressfree confidence to Ralph Cordes. And finally, I would like to pass
on any strength, will power and faith to all who feel weak. Favorite high school memory: My 16th birthday in Sophomore year fell on a Friday night football game and we won against New Brighton putting us into the playoffs.
JAKE BECKEY
Senior will: I bequeath my handwriting to the young man that needs it most: Stu. Favorite high school memory: Traveling to Spain, France, and Costa Rica with my friends under the supervision of one of the most talented Spanish speakers I have had the pleasure of knowing, Miss Gudzan. Teacher quote: “Just keep going,” Dr. Brian M. Wargo
DRAEK BOGGS
Senior will: I give up my corner back spot on the football team to Michael Keith. Do your thing on the field next year. Favorite high school memory: All the memories that I made throughout four years of football. Teacher quote “Hi everybody. I’m going to come around and check your homework,” Mr. Majors
MEGHAN BOHACH
Senior will: I leave my sense of responsibility to my brother because I know he has the ability to do well and succeed. Favorite high school memory: Making it so far in playoffs during soccer season. Teacher quote: “We have five minutes left; let’s start a new lesson,” Mr. Majors Most influential teachers: Picking between Mrs. Majors, Mrs. Lasko, Mrs. Hartman, and Mr. Majors would be hard to do. Without these four teachers I would have had the hardest time
Senior will: I bequeath my witty colorful personality to Mackenzie Moldovan. I bequeath my outgoing cheerleading moments to Linsey Moldovan. I bequeath my smart attitude to Brittany Bionda. Favorite high school memory: Cheering every friday night for the last four years and the crazy things that have happened out on the football field with my favorite cheerleaders. Teacher quote: Mr. Majors, ”I don’t have tissues for you but the sand paper will do.” Most influential teacher: Mrs. Porter because no matter the work load she gave us, she always made sure that we could do it. She never gave up on us and always made us laugh. Her take home tests were always the best.
ZACH BUERKLE
Senior will: I am passing the leading of marching band warm-up stretches to Josh Cushing. Keep them going. Favorite high school memory: Every moment on stage as Chino in West Side Story. Teacher quote: “Just keep going” or “AAH! My strength!” Both Mr. Wargo’s words. Miss most about high school: The people that I’ve met and bonded with in the past four years. Most influential teacher: Mr. Wargo taught me that it isn’t always about the answer. Sometimes, the way you got there is more important.
MORGAN CALAHAN
Senior will: I leave my exemplary graphing calculator skills to Mr. Majors. Now I can turn one on. I leave my ability to keep boyfriends in line to Michaela Barkley. Favorite high school memory: I would say the high school dances because although at times they were super uncomfortable and awkward as dancing isn’t my forte, I learned to have a blast. This was because I witnessed the fantastic dancing skills of my date Jericho Barkley, who continues to show me up with his mad two-step skills. Most influential teacher: My most influential teachers were Mrs. Milanovich, Mrs.
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I bequeath my sassy-ness to my cousin Kimmi, although she has a long way of school to go, shes definitely going to need it. Teacher quote: “I gave up coffee for lent. Therefore I can’t drink any because Jesus will love me less!” Mr. Deal Advice to underclassmen: My best advice for underclassmen would definitely be to take in everything all your teachers say and do for you because they do care about you and want you to succeed in life. It may be hard to do at first but these 4 years of your life with fly by and your teachers will influence your decisions more then you may realize.
MAURA EVANS
Burger, Mr. Majors, and Mr. Fitzpatrick because without them, I would probably not be following my aspirations. Their encouragement was truly crucial in my decisions and I couldn’t be more thankful.
NICK CHARLOVICH
Favorite high school memory: Having fun with my friends during musical practice. Advice to underclassmen: Always try your best in your academics. Most influenial teacher: Mrs. Barr. She is always willing to help me out if I have a problem.
MACIE CHESS
Favorite high school memory: Being involved in VITAS Paws Pals; It was a rewarding experience. Acknowledgements: “Please do well and make an honest attempt to succeed.”-to Hannah Teacher quote: “Africa is not a country! It is a continent,” Ms. Gigl Advice to underclassmen: Try your hardest and know when to take assignments seriously. It may not always be fun, but being responsible is what you must do in order to be successful.
CAROLYN CONEDERA
Senior will: I leave my love for talking to Kat Korman, my mad woodshop skillz to Mason Velemirovich, and my enthusiasm for class discussions to my favorite teacher Mr. Langelli. Favorite high school memory: My favorite memory is when I first transferred to Freedom in 10th grade and Josh Johnston let me touch his beard. Most influenial teacher: I would have to say that the teacher who influenced me the most was Mrs. Haggerty. She
helped me realize that I want to do what I love and continue making art after high school.
proud and work your butts off. Most important have fun with it.
DANNY CONRAD
Favorite high school memory Going to final four in state playoffs with the best soccer team ever! Miss most about high school: All the teachers because they really do a great job with us! Advice to underclassmen: Enjoy high school because it goes by so fast. High school nickname: Madi
Senior will: I leave the boombox responsibilities at meets to Jarrett Boyd and Avery Sayre. Favorite high school memory: Winning the WPIAL championship for the 4x800 meter relay my sophomore year. Teacher quote: “It’s all just a game,” Dr. Wargo
JAMIE CROLL
Senior will: I bequeath my organization skills to Devin Daley because, well, have you seen his backpack? I bequeath one last majorette two-turn nod to Caitlin Shaffer, although she won’t need it, because she’ll be an amazing leader next year. I bequeath my love for band to Emily Bozza because I hope she makes as many great memories over her years as I did. Advice for underclassmen: Get to know the people in your grade and join clubs and sports because you will make a lot of great friends and memories. Most influential teacher: My most influential teacher was Mr. Majors. I had him as my math teacher for 3 out of my 4 years in high school. He has taught me so much and made me realize my passion for math.
CHELSEA CUSHING
Advice for underclassmen: High school really isn’t as bad as it may seem. It flies by and before you know it you are graduating and going off to college. Miss most about high school: I will miss being around all my friends and the teachers. Acknowledgements: To the flags, make all of us seniors and prior flag members
MADI DAUBENSPECK
TINA DAVIS
Senior will: I bequeath my hurdle skills and speed to Skylar Corfield. You are my hurdler and mini me. You stuck with it and I am so proud of you. Keep pushing and running strong and you will continue to be outstanding. Also, I bequeath all the sunburn I got from track and my strong calve muscles to Mr. Smith and Shep because they deserve them. If it weren’t for you guys, Smith and Shep, then I would have never gotten so far in my hurdling career and my goals. Thanks for everything. Favorite high school memory: Making the game winning goal against Sewickley Academy in the soccer playoffs and how far the soccer team got this year. Advice for underclassmen: Don’t listen to the “Worry about your grades your junior and senior year because that’s when colleges look at you and pay attention to your grades.” That’s a huge lie because your GPA matters all through high school and you never know what classes you need until you know what your career choice is. Do well in those classes and do your homework.
MARISSA DECANIO Senior will:
Senior will: I leave my carefree attitude and a zip-lock bag full of goldfish to my favorite freshman, Courtney Lavalle. You’re still a young one and even though we won’t be in school together anymore, I’ll always be here for you. I’ll miss our funny texts and dramatic talks at lunch and seeing each other in the hallways every day. Favorite high school memory: Meeting a random group of kids in my votech class who ended up being some of my best friends. Teacher quote: “Everyday we have the opportunity to practice maturity,” Mr. Langelli Advice for underclassmen: Don’t get involved in drama, go with the flow, and be yourself.
HANNAH FEHIR
Senior will: I give and bequeath to my dedication, perseverance and passion to all four of my younger siblings Connor Fehir, Landon Fehir, Madison Fehir and Tenley Fehir. I hope high school is an enjoyable and memorable experience for all of you. Favorite high school memory: Volleyball bus rides & performing arts field trips Advice for underclassmen: Learn from your mistakes & don’t ever take a second for granted. Most influenial teacher: Mrs. Giammaria, she has always believed in my potential and pushed me to reach whatever goal I set for myself.
AMANDA FISCHER
Senior will: I am leaving my band cage, who was passed down to me by my brother, to whoever can get it first. I leave my love of twirling to Michaela Muron because she will make an amazing caption next year and I will miss her very much. Favorite high school memory: Being able to do a fire duet every Friday night with my best friend. Teacher quote: Mr. Majors, “Its only gonna get worse from here.” Advice for underclassmen: Always be respectful and nice to your teachers because they deserve it and care about you. Do not slack off all four years, it is
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never to late to change and get better grades. Lastly never give up, just because you are not the best at something does not mean you are not succeeding in your own way
BREANNA GUERNSEY
Acknowledgements: Mr. Bennett was a big help through my four years. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him. Teacher quote: Mrs. Martz would say in ninth grade “You only have four years left live it.” Favorite high school memory: My favorite memory was freshmen seminar with Morgan an Nikky, we did more talking then listening. Most influential teacher: Mrs Bovard was the most influential teacher for me, she always was a help in chemistry and helped me with my math.
MARIAH FORSYTHE
Acknowledgements: To my little brother, Camron, enjoy your last 3 years in high school. Concentrate on school more and make lots of memories with your friends.You are such a great person and will do such great things in the future. To the junior cheerleaders (Madi Kopac , Daisy Ward , Rachel Mazzetti , Madyson Thompson), thank you for making my senior year a great one. You each contain something special and I can’t wait to see everything you overcome within the next year. Good luck on your senior year. Most Influential teacher: Mrs. Folmar has been the Most influential teacher to me because she is nothing but loving and supportive towards me. She makes Freedom High School such a great place.
MICKI FRIEND
Advice to underclassmen: DO YOUR HOMEWORK! It just makes everything so much easier. Also, become friends with your teachers because they will help you if you need it. Teacher quote: “If it was easy, it wouldn’t be good,” Mr. KK Miss the most about high school: I will miss band and chorus and miss my friends who have become my family. Most influential teacher: Mr. KK was my most influential teacher because he pushes me to be responsible and actually believes that I can be.
TARA GARDNER
Teacher quote: Mr. Majors: “A student called me a two-faced liar last period.”
over before you know it.
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JESSICA HARDING
Maura: “Mr. Majors, you’re not two-faced!” Mr. Majors: “Oh.. I guess I’m just a liar then.” Most influential teacher: Mr. Majors was the most influential teacher I had while at Freedom. He always pushed us to do our best, even if we struggled at different aspects of math. He was always there for help when you needed it and never hesitated in going above and beyond to make sure that you understood concepts. I hated math until I had Mr. Majors as a teacher.
COLLIN GILARNO
Senior will: I bequeath my beautiful looks to my brother Carson along with my soccer and skiing skills. Teacher quote: “If you help me and join the technology crew for the Wizard of Oz play I will buy you a candy
bar,” Mrs. Milanovich Favorite high school memory: My favorite high school memories was either doing the “West Side Story” musical this year because I had an absolute awesome time, or Homecoming week. That was one of the funnest things I have ever been involved with in high school! I am extremely grateful to have made such great memories with such great people.
RYAN GRAY
Advice to underclassmen: Focus on the things that matter most to you in life, and don’t let the roadblocks that others put up slow you down. Work toward things that will help you succeed in your personal life and future careers, and keep in mind that there are people, be they teachers, parents or your peers, who will have different views than you. Respect those views, but know that if the path you have taken works for you, just keep going. Most influential teacher: Mrs. Majors has had a positive impact on my life over the course of my High School career. With her help, I was able to develop my business and leadership skills through DECA. In particular, she pushed me to run for a DECA State Office and assisted me in running our Chapter here at Freedom. Thank you Mrs. Majors for your support and guidance, it’s meant the world.
MORGAN GRECO
Senior will: I bequeath my fashion senses to my sister, Haley, as she will most likely steal all my clothes when I’m at school anyways. Favorite high school memory: Being on the homecoming court is probably my favorite high school memory. Getting to spend time with old friends and getting closer to new ones made it such a memorable experience. Advice to underclassmen: Work hard, but most importantly, make the best of however much time you have left. It’ll be
Acknowledgements: I couldn’t have done it without Mrs. Fontaine, Mrs. Barr and Mrs. Boyd. They are the only reason why I am graduating; if they were not there I wouldn’t have come as far as I did. I couldn’t have made it without my dad pushing me. I couldn’t make it without my sister either because she was there when I had no one. She helped me and encouraged me along the way. Teacher quote: My favorite teacher quote would be “sit down and get to work.” Favorite high school memory: My favorite high school memory would be my friends and the teachers. I say this because the teachers are always in a good mood and they are always there to help when you need them they want you succeed and do great and they cheer you on along the way they don’t leave you stuck. They push you but its for your own good.
JARED HARTLE
Senior will: I bequeath my perch to Paige Velmirovich. Advice to underclassmen: Be quieter, it makes the life of upperclassmen more enjoyable. Most influential teacher: Mrs. Majors because she helped me get in touch with my feelings. Freshman self: Worry less about tomorrow and more about today.
AMANDA HERZOG
Senior will: I bequeath my $5 Disney food card to Emma. May you never be able to use it. I also give the tuba cushion to Mason Velemirovich. Have fun as section leader. Teacher quote: “Do you like your house? WOULD YOU LIKE IT ON FIRE,” Ms. Gigl Favorite high school memory: On my birthday this year, Madi K, Aaron S, and I all went to volunteer at the Festival of the Trees. It was a such a fun night, and I was reminded how amazing my friends are. Most influential teachers: Mrs. Hasting/Hartman. Both hold a very tight space in my heart, and have helped me in
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many ways. From AP Calc to life decisions, both of these ladies have done so much for me.
TRAVIS HRYCKOWIAN
Senior will: I bequeath my goofing off in band to Jacob Moldovan and Michael Keith. Teacher quote: “Take what you can get,” Dr. Wargo Advice to underclassmen: Don’t stress out over high school. Teachers in the past might have told you how “terrible” it can be, but it’s not. High school is the best part of your educational career. Make the best of it while you can. Most influential teacher: Mrs. Milanovich. She has always helped me out with any questions or issues. She always gives me positive insight and believes in me.
JOSH JOHNSTON
Advice to underclassmen: Take high school seriously. It’s a lot different from middle school, and it’s something we all have to do. High school will set you up for life after graduation, so be prepared. Most influential teacher: Mrs. Giammaria, because she was more of a friend than a teacher. She always helps out when you need and she has a sense of humor. Being in her class was just a fun time for everyone. Miss most about high school: Being able to see my friends on a daily basis.
RYAN KAUFFMAN
Senior will: I bequeath my passion for mathematics to Stu Skogsholm, Aaron Scheider, and Louis Dubovi. I’m confident that all of you will do well in Calc 2, but best of luck anyway. Favorite high school memory: Among my favorite high school
FHS Press
memories are the meetings of physics club. Before the advent of that club I had never previously had an environment that was specifically dedicated to expressing scientific and philosophical thought. When I walked into the first couple meetings, I had a feeling of community on a level that I never previously had and that I hope continues for many more people in the future. Most influential teacher: I judge people’s influence on me by how much they change my perspective on the world around me. By that metric, Dr. Wargo was my most influential teacher in high school. Before I took physics, I had considered science as a career but had been told many times that the career was only worth it for the money. This, I later found out, isn’t true at all and by the time I was acclimated to Dr. Wargo’s class I realized that I truly have a passion for science and mathematics.
MICHELLE KEITH
Senior will: I give my majorettes to Michaela Muron, I know you’ll be a phenomenal captain. I give my feature twirler position to my sister Melissa Keith because I have no doubt that you’ll outshine me on the field next year. I give my optimism, friendliness, and ability to make good decisions to my brother Michael Keith. And lastly, I give my pride and joy, the Shawnee yearbook to Dereck Majors, Grace Hutchison and Joey Pail. Advice to underclassmen: Get involved! Go to sporting events and participate in activities. You will meet a ton of new and incredible people who will make going to school each day fun and exciting.To the freshmen: No matter how often you’re labeled as a “bad class,” know that some of you (too many for me to list) are amazing people who will go far in life. Don’t try
to be anything less than great because of the reputation you may have now. It takes time, but by the time you graduate, I pray that you guys are known as one of the best classes to graduate from FHS.
LUKE KIEFER
Favorite high school memory: The cross country and track buses as well as prom. Really anything that allowed me to spend time with my friends and didn’t involve school work. Advice for underclassmen: Strive for greatness in everything and never give up, but also be reasonable and take things one step at a time. It takes a lot of hard work to reach a real goal and it will not happen in a day. Most influential teachers: I don’t know if there was one particular teacher that influenced more than others. I think all teachers influenced me in their actions, whether it was making me want to be more like them or less like them. I certainly had favorite teachers such as Mrs. Porter, Mr. Langelli, and Mr. Majors that helped me excel in school and be the best that I could so those would probably be the most influential of the teachers that I had.
PETER KORMAN
Senior will: To all underclassmen: I know you all think you’ve got it tough now, but that’s nothing. Consider yourselves lucky, because things are going to get much more difficult. Teacher quote: “My personal favorite inquisition was the Spanish inquisition. If you’re going to do it, do it right,” Mr Wargo Advice to underclassmen: When choosing classes, think ahead. Something may seem appealing, but, without proper forward-thinking, you might set yourself up with more than you
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can chew. Miss most about high school: While I know I’m going to see my friends in the future, I’m going to miss the regularity of our meetings. School provided a way for me to regularly see my friends, but it’s likely that our meetings aren’t going to be quite as frequent in the future.
JOSH KUGEL:
Senior will: I leave the leg of the 4x400 team to Herman Avery Sayre. Advice to underclassmen: Take all the honors and AP classes you can to help prepare yourself for college. Teacher quote: “You’re killing me,” Mr. Smith
ZACH KUGEL
Senior will: I bequeath my ability to make a mean burrito to Stu “Chipotle” Skogsholm. Most influential teachers: I love all my teachers equally and I am appalled I am being forced to choose between them. Miss most about high school: The people
JOSH LEASURE
Senior will: I leave all my swag (which is a lot) to my little sister, Breanna. Favorite high school memory: Robotics competitions and spending time with my friends. Teacher quote: “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Ms.Gigl Most influential teacher: Mrs. Majors, because she is the advisor for all the clubs I have ever joined, also I had her 7 times throughout high school.
MAURA LEHOCKY
Senior will: I bequeath my good grades to Emily Bozza just in case she may need them. Favorite high school memory: The Wizard of Oz musical that I
took part in. Advice for underclassmen: Do whatever you want to do and be yourself. Most influential teacher: My most influential teacher was Mr. Atkison. He was always able to be a teacher but also a friend. Miss most about high school: I will miss the musicals the most.
NATE LEWIS
Senior will: I give a little bit of my laziness to any underclass that needs to take a night to have no responsibilities. Teacher quote: “That mass,” Mr. Wargo Most influential teacher: Wargo, he really makes you rethink your opinions.
ASHLEY MALINAK
Senior will: I wish to give Olivia Jansen my confidence to continue singing. I know sometime you may doubt yourself but deep inside you really are a great singer and I want you to have that confidence. Favorite high school memory: My favorite memory is when I was in my myths, legends, and folk lore class with Mrs. Shultz. My friend Kelsey and I sat next to each other. Well, we were assigned a new project for Greek mythology and Kelsey got Zeus and I got Hera. So when we presented our Gods, we both started acting like a married couple since Zeus and Hera were married. I never laughed so much in one day. Advice to underclassmen: Don’t let anyone stop you from what you want to do. If you have a dream, reach for it. A secret passion, chase after it. You control your future, don’t let anyone stop you from creating a
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beautiful future.
Fontaine.
LANE MANKEVICH
HOPE NUZZO
Teacher quote: “Weight lifting every day will make you good at football,” Mr. Hernandez Favorite high school memory: When the track 4x4o0 team frolicked through the flowers at Central Valley. Most influenital teacher: Brian Michael Wargo for being such an outstanding young man. He was my inspiration to Rise as One. Miss most about high school: If there is anything that will surely break my heart when leaving FHS it is saying good bye to the squad and the way all of my friends looked at me when I walked into class...
MATT MOELLER
Senior will: I leave the deed to my house to Corey Sterrett. Teacher quote: “Does everyone got on their glasses?” -Bert Pickard Miss most about high school: BPF
TAYLOR MORROW
Teacher quote: “Stay in school and Stay out of trouble,” Mrs. Fontaine Favorite high school memory: The freedom lip dub was the best memory ever. Most influential teacher: Mrs. Fontaine, because she under stood me better and I would be failing my classes and she would find me and yell at me to get to school and get them up and she is my favorite teacher i wish she was my big sister. Miss most about high school: The teachers and most of all Mrs.
Senior will: I want to leave my optimism and happy attitude to Brianna Frashure, smile more and have fun because I can’t think of anyone else who deserves it more. I leave my sarcasm and little witt that I have to Grace Hutchison, you honestly don’t need it but I can’t imagine anyone else understanding the significance of it. I want to leave my faith and confidence to anyone that needs it. Most influential teacher: Mr. Fitzpatrick by far, he never gave up on me. He knew about my hardships and pushed me to not let them define me. He truly was an amazing teacher and a loyal friend and I will miss him. Teacher quote: “It smells like shift over here,” Mr. Fitzpatrick.
JOEY PACE
Teacher quote: “Do what you want to do in life, and don’t let me even stop you.” Favorite high school memory: Me going to the MCJROTC for my senior year and going to Hawaii. Advice to underclassmen: Don’t give up, and do all your homework. Most influential teacher: Mrs. Hartman because she would not only help me during school or in the classroom but also personal problems as well.
JESS PALAK
Favorite high school memory: Every moment spent on the field or in the gym with my teams. Most influential teacher: Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Porter and Mrs. Milanovich - They are always positive and there when
I had a problem whether it was an issue in school or a personal problem I was dealing with. They have all put up with my attitude at one point or another and still continued to be great teachers.I think they have made me a better person and also made school more enjoyable.
DAKOTA PANDER
Acknowledgements: A lot of my teachers throughout my years of high school had a huge impact. They always believed in me and pushed me to my best. Favorite high school memory: Involved with Catfish Tournaments. Advice to underclassmen: Actually pay attention and do your work because you will regret it later. Try to have as much fun as you can because when you have fun time will fly. Most influential teacher: Mrs. Niedbala, she was always there for me and I couldn’t thank her enough for everything. She’d help me with studies to home life. Does more than the title “teacher” with no questions asked.
ISABELLA PAYTAS
Senior will: I bequeath my attitude and sassy-ness to Hannah Kosela and Courtney Lavalle. You’re going to need it to get through high school girlfriends. Advice to underclassmen: My advice for underclassmen is to push yourself to do good in school and make every second count because it goes faster than you think. Favorite high school memory: My favorite high school memory was cheering for the football and basketball teams every season. I’m going to miss cheering and
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FHS Press KAYLEIGH ROBERTS
Favorite high school memory: Running and seeing “snakes” on the road with Gigi DeWeese. Also, November 16, 2012 was a pretty great day thanks to someone named Evan Stiger. Teacher quote: “It only gets worse from here.” Mr. Majors Miss most about high school: I will miss laughing, crying, and hating life with my friends.
CARLEY SCHROEDER
my teammates so much.
BREANA PETROCELLI
Senior will: I leave my brother, Johnny, my work ethic because he is very smart and just needs to try a little harder. Favorite high school memory: When the Wrestlerette bus broke down on the way to a match. Advice to underclassmen: Everyone says this but I encourage all of you to get involved. There is always something to do for someone and getting involved in clubs and activities will gain you new friends and memories. Most influential teacher: Ms Gigl because she sparked my interest in history. I never really enjoyed History before I had Ms. Gigl for class and her excitement and enthusiasm made History become my favorite subject.
KELLY PFIEFFER
Senior will: I leave my specific talent of helping Josh L.(or his successor should he leave one) with a unique assignment to Kristy Fiscus because she knows what this means. I also leave the table I sit at in the morning with Ashley Malinak to Olivia and Trish. Favorite high school memory: I don’t have a specific favorite memory, its more of a general one from my white 4 last year in International Business and Global Marketing. We would move the desks into fun patterns, tease Raylen and lock each other out of the room until Mrs. Majors came with her keys to open the door as well as make fun signs still posted in her room. Advice to underclassmen: Remember to do your work in between all the fun you have. Its also you who makes that fun by trying things and having a willingness to move around responsible plans to fit in fun.
CASEY PRELL
Senior will: I leave Emma Cumberledge and Jodie Willis my ability to jam out and drive at the same time for all the car rides they will have to enjoy without me. To Michaela Muron, I leave my laugh so that
she may be able to laugh through the hard times. I leave my sister Bailey my love of pictures so that she may photograph everything I may not be able to be there for. Favorite high school memory: Soccer sleepovers and team dinners with the soccer girls and dancing underneath the Friday night lights and on stage with so many talented people. Most influential teacher: Gia because she had not only been an amazing teacher and taught me so much about hard work, dedication, and life, but she has also been an amazing friend that has taught me so much about myself. Teacher quote: “Gun A. Gun B.” -Wargo
COREY PRICE
Senior will: I bequeath my top notch Spanish speaking skills to Ms. Gudzan, because I know she needs them much more than I do. Teacher quote: “I like eating bananas cause they ain’t got bones” - Mr. Pickard Favorite high school memory: The Costa Rica trip. Getting to see the way another country lives and what it’s like was just an amazing experience. Aside from that, all the BPFs. It’s just great to get a bunch of people to come together for something. Advice to underclassmen: Surround yourself with positive people who support you, not people who will lead you towards negativity and could care less about you.
ROBBIE RASO
Senior will: Leaving something meaningful doesn’t necessarily mean a tangible item, so I bequeath the advice to always work hard to all of my underclassmen friends from the Band and Drama Club. Favorite high school memory: Performing on Freedom’s stage in various roles. Teacher quote: “If it was easy, it wouldn’t be good” -KK Miss most about high school: Performing in the various activities such as Marching Band and Drama Club.
Senior will: I leave my name, Schrodizzle, to my brother Austin in hopes that he does great things on the stage and on the field. I leave my softball dedication to Squats and Bruiser in hopes that they lead the team to a section win next year. Favorite high school memory: My favorite high school memory was when I had my first game in high school that I was a starting pitcher. It felt good knowing that as a sophomore my coach and team thought I was good enough to be the pitcher and we ended up winning the game. Miss most about high school: I will miss getting to be in clubs and sports with my friends and getting to participate in all kinds of events with them. I will also miss all of my amazing teachers and how much they have done for me.
KATELYN SCOTT
Senior will: I leave my dictatorship to Emma Cumberledge and Courtney
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Moran. You guys will make great captains for this upcoming school year. Favorite high school memory: My favorite high school memory was being in Disney with the band. While we were marching it rained on our parade. That’s something i will never ever forget. Most influential teacher: My most influential teacher is Mrs. Giammaria. I’ve had her as a teacher for 4 years and she is always there when you need to talk and is a terrific teacher. Teacher quote: “Hey cyber,” Mr. Langelli.
LAUREN SCOTT
Senior will: I leave my calm temper to Emma Cumberledge and Courtney Moran because they will need it to be successful flag captains. Favorite high school memory: Preforming in Disney World in the Magic Kingdom in a thunderstorm. It was the funnest parade I have ever done. Teacher quote: “What is ‘talking’?” Mr. Fitzpatrick Miss most about high school: I will miss getting to see my friends and teachers everyday. Advice to underclassmen: Have fun and participate in as many things as you can.
RILEY SESSIE
Acknowledgements: Mr. Langelli - you have given me many opportunities to be successful for the two years I have had you for history. you have shown me how to be respectful.
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what you have to do, time will go a whole lot faster than you will expect. Most influential teacher: Mrs. Barr because she is very caring to me and she has helped me a lot throughout my whole 4 years in high school.
RAYLEN WELLING
(although, I will admit I need to work on it a little more...) you have been one of my favorite teachers throughout my experience here at FHS, I would just like to say THANK YOU Most influential teacher: Mr. Hernandez was the most influential teacher in my high school career. He was the most influential because he always pushed me to do my best and never accepted no for an answer. Teacher quote: “Alright Yunz” - Mr. Saludis
SAM SHARPLESS
Advice for underclassmen: Enjoy everything about high school while you can because believe it or not there are going to be times when you miss it. Most influential teacher: Mr. Wargo because he makes you see school in a completely different way. Miss most about high school: I’ll miss being able to see all of my friends everyday because there are some that are going away that I will not be able to see as much.
ALEXIS SHINGLETON
Favorite high school memory: Being 2nd in the WPIAL and 4th in the state for soccer. It was truly a great experience and the team grew extremely close. It is by far my favorite high school memory. Miss most about high school: Playing sports and the friendships that I made on the teams. Most influential teacher: Mrs. Milanovich, she has educated me in school but provided me with valuable life lessons.
KATIE SHVACH
Senior will: I give my Fridays to Michael Keith. Favorite high school memory: My favorite high school memory was study hall with Kayleigh Roberts freshman year. I also
enjoyed the band trip where I was introduced to Sam Deane who saved us all from a fire, making Raylen, Michelle, Laura, and I run down 10 flights of stairs to safety. Advice to underclassmen: Be nice to each other. Honestly, no one actually wants to be here so try to be civil to one another. But seriously DON’T BE A JERK. Also keep in mind that your grades do actually matter.
KELLY STASCHAK
Acknowledgements: Marley - To my greatest best friend in the whole wide world. I’m gonna miss you so much, through all the fun that we have had during soccer and just in general. Mr. Fitzpatrick - Well, you got me to actually enjoy reading, so you got that. For always being there and challenging me to do better in everything that I do. In projects always expecting the best, especially in the documentary that we did. For just being one of the greatest teachers at Freedom. Mrs. Milanovich - Freedom Fortune 500 is the greatest class that I have ever taken, while it is a lot of hard work, we have had some fun times making T-shirts. I will never forget everything that you have taught me. Teacher quote: “Go away kid I have work to do,” Mrs. Hartman
KRISTY STURGESS
Senior will: I bequeath my position as Senior Drum Major to Brittany Bionda; I’m positive that she has the abilities to lead the band as she has shown me in these past two years. I also bequeath the position to Maddie Edder. She is becoming a fantastic Drum Major and she will be a very successful leader of the band. Go Big Red. Teacher quote: “Time to break out ol’ Lucky,”
Brian Wargo Most influential teacher: My most influential teacher was both Mr. Saludis and Dr. Wargo. The reason why these two are my most influential teachers are because they pushed me to realize my true passion for science and have helped me decide what I want to do with my future. Favorite high school memory: My favorite high school memory is marching in Florida with the band or going to Costa Rica.
DEREK SULLIVAN
Acknowledgements: I like to thank my teachers that I had from the past for getting me this far, we’ve been good friends for a while and I am going to miss all of this. I also want to thank all of my classmates (the kids I’ve been good friends with and the kids I haven’t talked to yet) for letting me have a great time with them. I have learned a whole lot from all of you guys and had a lot of fun and I am going to miss it all. Advice for underclassmen: If you keep working hard and do
Senior will: I bequeath my ability to stand up for myself and my self confidence to Lea Gualtieri. Most influential teacher: Miss Gudzan was my most influential teacher because she shared her love for the Spanish language with me. She is so kind and caring, and she loves what she does more than anyone else I know. Miss Gudzan’s classes have influenced me so much that Spanish will be one of my majors in college. Miss most about high school: The fantastic staff. The staff members at FHS are some of the most caring, compassionate, and kindhearted people I have ever had the honor of knowing. Favorite high school memory: Setting off the fire alarms with Mariah Kerr while doing our Physics long term project.
LUCAS YECK
Senior will: I bequeath to my buddy Camron Forsythe the black mamba. Make sure she keeps soaring. I bequeath to Jake Pinkerton leadership of the football team. Its your team now buddy and I am expecting big things out of you. We have been playing together for many years now and i’m sad our football days are coming to an end. Love ya bro. Teacher quote: “Think of your essay like a skirt, its got to be long enough to cover the topic but short enough to keep it interesting,” Gia Favorite high school memory: My favorite high school memory was making playoffs in football my sophomore year. We were the first team to make it in about ten years and it was a great feeling knowing all our hard work in the off season paid off and we got to prove people wrong.