January 2023

Alumni-only STEM conference provides outlet

LEANNAH MESSENGER Editor-In-Chief

MADISON SANDERS

News Editor

On the snowy and icy morning of Dec. 23, 2022, Freedom Area High School held its first ever Alumni-only STEM conference. The goal of this conference was to provide an outlet for alumni to network with each other, share their career paths and projects they are working on. All the while, they were able to catch up with their peers and find out what everyone has been up to.

Starting off the morning with coffee and conversation, the alumni gathered in the high school auditorium. They began with short introductions to catch everyone up on where they are in their lives, and then they got into the individual presentations.

“When the alumni come back, they spend almost all of their time dedicated to our current students, and they just don’t get any time to network, find out what other alumni are doing or even meet other alumni. And so it has been suggested year after year that we should have an alumni-only

science conference and after last year, everyone was very forceful and said we just need to do it, so that’s what we did,” Dr. Brian Wargo said. There were several individual presentations like alumni Andrew Baker on Adhesion at the Nanoscale, Jacob Beckey on Quantum Information Science and Josiah Dubovi on the Electron Microscope. Each presentation gave the group of alumni a better understanding of each person's career paths and allowed them to make connections amongst themselves to future their careers and/or education.

“The networking is beneficial with the ability to contact those who are older in certain fields you want to go into. With that you can get help with learning how to go about getting a job, paying off loans or even getting paid more to go to school if you're still in school,” alumni Alexis Surenda said, “It was nice to get to talk to older graduating classes being as though I was the youngest graduated class there and to see what different people have accomplished or the different paths they took since leaving Freedom.”

Looking towards the future, the alumni and Dr. Wargo look forward to

the science conference in the spring. This will be the seventh annual high school science conference, and many alumni choose to come back to watch student presentations, give their own and help students in any way they can. Being available to talk to or network with the alumni during the science conference provides students with connections and support for their futures.

“The one thing that we know is that the alumni love to help our students, turns out the alumni also love to help other alumni, and it’s been absolutely synergistic. Everyone’s excited [for the upcoming conference],” Wargo said.

District plans to make changes to 9th grade classes

CALLA REYNOLDS

Asst. Editorial/Copy Editor

Starting in the 2023-2024 school year, the district plans to provide the freshman class with a new course opportunity; high school exploration. This course will provide upcoming freshmen the chance to discover the experience of different elective classes offered by the high school. It will be replacing Mr. Nicholas DeFrancesco’s current computer applications course, which is planned to be moved down to the middle school.

The initial idea was introduced by Mr. Steven Mott, high school principal. Since computer applications was being moved down to the middle school, Mott was looking for credit course ideas to fill the gap in the schedule.

“Every year we are constantly trying to add new courses for students. We are looking into students’ interests, and students’ needs.” Mott said.

In addition to considering new course possibilities, the school looked into what types of classes could be offered that would benefit the

underclassmen most. That drew together the idea of high school exploration, which is divided into four pieces. The class consists of Freshman Fundamentals taught by Ms. Andrea Niedbala, Introduction to Art taught by Ms. Kaylee Haggerty, Introduction to Woodshop taught by Mr. David Badamo and Introduction to Media Design taught by Mr. Nicholas DeFrancesco. Every four weeks, the freshmen will cycle through the different classes.

“We wanted to take what students

were learning in computer applications and continue on with that” Mott said, in regards to specifically the introduction to media and design. Mott added that this class will benefit students if they plan on taking a class offered by Mr. Jesse Gagich, or a Freedom Focus course run by Mr. Aaron Fitzpatrick.

Although the high school exploration course plans on highlighting certain elective choices, freshmen still have the ability to take their usual two elective classes atop of the new course.

With the addition of this course, graduation requirements for upperclassmen have been a concern. Mott stated that the class, “will not impact current seniors at all.” For underclassmen, graduation requirements are expected to alter, but for reasons besides high school exploration. The number of credits required for graduation, that number being 28, will still be the same.

“Some classes are brought forward by teachers, some classes are brought forward by student interest. There are a lot of these things we look into when we plan on building a new class,” Mott said.

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Looking at each other, Ms. Maria Porter’s ninth grade history class work with each other on an assignment.

Alumni stand in Dr. Brian Wargo's room after a day full of presentations and fun with old classmates.

Brigette Richard/FHS Press

Photo Submitted

New repairs, future action to refine appliances underway

CHASE GRABLE Asst. Sports Editor

Roofing, heating and cooling systems have been a topic at Freedom Area High School for years; whether this is rumors of air conditioning, roofing improvements or other school repairs. As the high school begins its endeavors in the new year, they have sought to resolve some of the discussed repairs in the school.

For starters, the high school was looking to repair roofing. There were appliances on the roof that would continuously not function properly, which would cause classrooms to be subject to the harsh weather of the outdoors, especially during the winter months. One person that has stepped up to the plate in hopes of resolving these issues is the director of buildings and grounds, Mr. Gary Mortimer. For quite some time now, Mortimer has been trying to resolve issues with our roof to prevent drastic temperature changes in our classrooms, as well as open up a plethora of opportunities for other building improvements.

“For starters, the roof fixes will not actually fix the temperature conditions in the school themselves,” Mortimer said, “These fixes will act more as an envelope of other opportunities for

future improvements for the building as a whole.”

Mortimer and his team work all throughout the day finding problems, devising techniques to eliminate them and then actually carrying out the mission.

What exactly are these opportunities? Heating and cooling systems could be a future addition to the high school, but before that happens, the school needs to make sure that the roof and other fixes are intact.

“The future plans for the building are not necessarily my line of work, but again, what we are working on opens up more possibilities to new systems,” Mortimer said. The future plans for the building may not be known to the general student body at this point in time, but there is at least hope for the future of our building. To even begin working on such procedures, the foundation must be laid down in a strong manner.

These possibilities, along with the current fixes with the roof, can directly affect the students in a major way. Updated heating and cooling systems will not only help the building maintain a stable temperature, but will also keep students comfortable as they try and complete their work throughout the day.

“The temperature in our school

Freedom High School continues to figure out the best course ofaction to repair the roof, which will effect heating cooling in the school. Students see these effects during winter months, and with a surge of colder weather.

is something that I have always noticed, and especially during the hotter months of the school year I find myself getting distracted from my work because I am trying to find a way to cool down,” junior Hayden Bender said. “I always wished we had

air conditioning, but until that time comes, I am just going to have to deal with the cards I have been dealt.”

MADISON SANDERS News Editor &BRIGETTE RICHARD Asst. News Editor

HIGH SCHOOL AWARDS SECOND

T.H.I.N.K. AWARD

Ms. Samantha Circle was awarded the second high school T.H.I.N.K. award. The award stands for five different qualities, showing that the teacher is tenacious, helpful, inspirational, notable and knowledgeable. Circle received the award from freshman Colton Blank and junior Josephine Brenckle.

FIRST FLEXIBLE INSTRUCTION DAY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR HELD

On Jan. 25, all three schools in the district had their first virtual instruction day of the 2022-2023 school year. The administration had called this the night before due to a snowstorm that was expected to hit Freedom, and other surrounding districts hard. All three schools started their day at 9:00 AM and ended at 2:30PM, to help older students be able to take care of younger siblings.

NEW NHS MEMBERS INDUCTED

On January 19, current National Honor Society (NHS) members and new advisor Mr. Kenneth Dickey inducted 23 members into Freedom’s NHS chapter. The students inducted were the following: Vera Armenio, Logan Bickerstaff, Wyatt Boyer, Josephine Brenckle, Alexa Davis, Colten Ditmore, Emma Falk, Chase Grable, Alyssa Grunnagle, Cassidy Harris, Jenna Haskey, Alyssa Imhoff, Megan Jones, Logan Larrick, Daisy Lewis, Brenna McIlvain, Madison Meyer, Stephan Pagani, Jayda Pawelkoski, Aiden Pournaras, Skylar Scobbo, Bella Wiand and Kaylynn Young.

JANUARY STUDENTS OF THE MONTH AWARDED

The high school awards Students of the Month for January 2023. This month's theme was Perseverance. The students awarded were freshman Emma Ward and Jalen Mohrbacher, sophomores Lacey Shiring and Jake Hilberry, juniors Vera Armenio and Robert Valentine and seniors Joey Rinere and Jacob Aland.

Leannah Messenger/FHS Press

FEATURES

Seniors take action to prepare for their futures

As many watched the ball drop on New Year’s Eve, seniors realized it has officially become graduation year. With college classes starting in the fall and deadlines arriving fast, many are planning out what they want to major in, where they want to further their education or what they want to do with their future. 2023 is a year full of new beginnings and seniors look eagerly towards their upcoming graduation and the prospects it brings. New beginnings can look like anything. For example, students attend universities, the military and trade schools.

ETHAN GIEBEL

Senior Ethan Giebel is planning on attending the University of North Florida to study computer science. He determined this because Freedom offered an Amazon-sponsored python

coding class and he took it and became interested.

“I’m looking forward to the warm weather and going to the beach,” Geibel said. Geibel is preparing by keeping his grades up to earn scholarships.

BRANDI BONZO

Senior Brandi Bonzo is attending Penn State University to major in Biochemistry. Bonzo came to her decision because she plans on going to graduate school to eventually get her PhD in Infectious disease.

“I’m preparing by taking classes that will help me. I’m looking forward to meeting new people,” Bonzo said.

ANNARAY HATT

Senior Annaray Hatt is planning to attend the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) and then transfer after two years to Penn State University. Hatt plans to get her RN, LPN and CRNA. Hatt is preparing by saving money, applying for

scholarships and figuring out what she needs to get ready for.

“I determined this because when I was job shadowing, I really enjoyed it and could see myself doing it when I am older. I am looking forward to accomplishing my dreams and goals. I am also looking forward to meeting so many new people in college,” Hatt said.

While going to college is popular, there are many other ways to further education. This includes trade school and work experience. Many students plan on taking advantage of these options as well.

MASON SWAB

Senior Mason Swab is planning to work at Penn Power as a lineman. Swab has been interested in this for a while.

“I am looking forward to getting a good job and graduating,” Swab said. He is preparing by applying to the training for the job.

Senior Luke Gazdik is planning to further his education in electrical. He plans to start an apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Gazdik decided on electrical because it will always be needed.

“I’m looking forward to learning new things and starting my career with things that interest me,” Gazdik said.

While there are many months until college classes begin, everyone is preparing for new beginnings. Moving away to college, or joining the workforce can bring changes that students will have to prepare for. Many students are looking forward to furthering their education and learning what they want to pursue in the future.

Martin Luther King Jr. made everlasting impacts on Pittsburgh citizens

Throughout the mid 1950s to his death in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. actively advocated for social justice for black Americans nationwide. He is most recognized for his “I Have a Dream” speech, and also for being the reason behind the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Although his work was broad, it had a great impact on the history of black individuals in the Pittsburgh area, and countless people around the world.

King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up in a predominantly black town due to the heavy implementation of segregation. When he was 15, he was admitted into Morehouse College, where he

studied law and medicine. Most of his passion for racial justice started here, when Morsehouse’s president,

Dr. Benjamin Mays, spoke out against racial injustice. Taking Mays’ message to heart, King began to understand

the racially-motivated discrimination that spanned throughout the nation. He later moved to Montgomery, Alabama - a white-dominated citywith his wife, Coretta Scott, and their four children. In less than a year of living there, the Kings family was introduced to the closing of a large legal case about racial inequality; Brown vs. Board of education. A year later, in 1955, renowned Rosa Parks, secretary of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), refused to give up her seat on the Montgomery bus to a white passenger. She was then arrested. Out of rage, activists orchestrated the Montgomery Bus Boycott, electing King as the official spokesman. After 381 days, the Supreme Court acknowledged the issue on

LUKE GAZDIK

Wes Candela Photography LLC/Creative Commons

Holding his arm out, Martin Luther King Jr. prepares to give a speech to a large crowd.

MIKALAH SMITH Features Editor

Photo by: Post Focus Photography

Photo by: Laura Cherock Photography

Photo by: Tracy Shaffer

Photo by: Mary White Photography

Photo by: Kelly Szalinski

GIEBEL BONZO HATT SWAB GAZDIK

inequality, ruling racially-specified seating on public transportation as unconstitutional. From henceforth, King was acknowledged nation-wide as a social justice icon, and later, a pacifist.

King’s impacts in Montgomery spread rapidly throughout America, reaching the city of Pittsburgh itself.

On November 22, 1966, King traveled to Pittsburgh to deliver a speech at the University of Pittsburgh Student Union. While there, he managed to

inspire a young college student, Tim Stevens, to become a civil rights activist himself. When King tragically died merely 18 months later, Stevens and his fraternity brothers spoke about his death at Chatham University, stating that, “Unbeknownst to me there was a professor from the graduate school of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at Pitt…I happened to be the one who led the conversation, and he was so impressed with how I facilitated the conversation that he offered me a

fellowship to GSPIA at Pitt. Indirectly, I owe my graduate school to the death of Dr. Martin Luther King,” according to Positively Pittsburgh.

Another Pittsburgh student, Ralph roctor, took inspiration from King himself. Working with Stevens, the two advocated for same equality in the city. Decades after knowing King, Stevens became the chairman to The Black Political Empowerment Project, a project he founded. Proctor, with civil rights engraved in his heart,

Getting to know our teachers better

wrote multiple books on racial equality and civil rights movements as a professor at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC).

Overall, King’s impacts on civil rights is broad. He was the reason behind the Supreme Court ruling on unconsitutional bus seating and the reason behind the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Yet, his work impacted the lives of many individuals in countlesscities, including the lives of Pittsburgh citizens both black and white.

Every day, students go in and out of their classes. Just like students, every teacher is different, whether it is their class subject, method of teaching or in their own lives outside of school. Students form relationships with their teachers for many different reasons. Sometimes getting to know your teachers and who they really are can help make their courses and class work more enjoyable.

MS. CIRCLE

Many students know Ms. Samamntha Circle as a teacher in the science department. Her courses mainly consist of biology. Circle is very popular amongst the students. She was even the January T.H.I.N.K Award recipient, the T.H.I.N.K Award is an award students vote on for a

teacher to receive each month. Circle has been a teacher for about 3 and a half years. Outside of school, Circle enjoys playing with her daughter and going on walks with her, and she enjoys spending time with the rest of her family as well. Circle also likes to read and crochet.

MS. GIAMMARIA

A teacher who is very well known amongst the students is Ms. Heather Giammaria, and not because of her class, but because of her clubs. She sponsors a lot of clubs like Book Club, Debate Club, Drama Club, Freedom Sozo and Pep Club. Many students like to refer to Giammaria as “Gia”, a nickname to shorten her last name. Giammaria is a teacher in the English department. She teaches English 12 along with classes like Performing Arts and Creative Writing. She has been a teacher for over 10 years. She enjoys hanging out with her family,

reading and playing video games. Giammaria likes to travel to Edinboro, Pennsylvania, as well, for a family vacation spot.

MS. HOMA

Ms. Linnea Homa is a teacher in the science department. Homa teaches biology classes and anatomy classes. Homa has been teaching for about eight years. She enjoys the outdoors, and likes to likes to hike, bike and ski. Homa is even the Ski Club sponsor. She also enjoys going to the gym. Many students describe Homa to be a very quiet and kind teacher.

MR. LANGELLI

Mr. Nathaniel Langelli is a teacher who students would describe as always being upbeat and ready for class. He has no problem cracking a couple of jokes during class to make his students laugh. Langelli has been a teacher for 14 years, 11 of them at

Freedom. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys watching his kids play sports like soccer and basketball. His family likes to play on their Nintendo Switch, and healso is a fan of racket ball. Langelli and his family like to travel to the beach, specifically the Outer Banks in North Carolina. He and his wife also plan to take their daughters to Disney World soon. Langelli teaches a History CCBC class, Psychology and Secret Societies and Scandals.

Every student knows that when they go to a class they are taught and mentored by adults who show an interest in the topic they are learning about. Sometimes it is important for students and teachers to get to know each other to make working and learning more fun and interesting.

PAIGE YOUNG Editorial Editor

CIRCLE GIAMMARIA HOMA LANGELLI

First responders risk their lives for others

MADISON SANDERS News Editor

LAINEY TUSZYNSKI PR/Marketing Director

There is always a factor of unpredictability in everyday life. The world runs on risk and reward. In most cases, these risks and rewards are minor. However, first responders experience this concept on an extreme level.

When first responders clock in for their shift, they go in with the knowledge that they could be risking their lives at any moment. In a matter of seconds, a person’s life can change. On Monday, Jan. 2, the Brakenridge area experienced this firsthand during a fatal shooting. The altercation left one officer dead and another officer injured. The suspect was later pronounced dead after a car chase and exchange with the police.

Police officers heavily prepare for situations they may encounter. This starts in the police academy. There, they go over how to drive a patrol vehicle and the importance of getting to a call safely, so they can help the people who need their help. They also learn how to respond to specific events like an active intruder or active threat situation. To prepare for that, police officers attend an annual multi-department training session. This training informs them as to how to safely clear

a house, how to safely search, and how to de-escalate situations. De-escalation is how to calm down people when they are worked up, angry and acting violent.

“You don’t know what you’re going to get into. Safety-wise, we try to get as much info from our dispatch as possible,” Officer Rick Jones said, “We want to know prior to when we arrive at that residence so we know what we are looking into. After de-escalation when we get there, we can see what we have and we can work as a team from there.”

First responders, of every kind, work as a team to attend to the needs of the people in distress. Most people rely on first responders in times of emergency. These stressful times call for responders to get to the call as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, if they can not arrive safely or remain safe during the emergency, they will be unable to help anyone else.

“If we put ourselves in unnecessary danger, or reckless danger, we are not going to be able to help anybody. When it comes down to certain situations, we are going to put a victim or somebody involved in that situation’s safety before our safety,” Officer Greg Pullen said.

This selfless mindset is exhibited by many first responders. Even so, these individuals also are concerned with their own safety. It is very important for them to keep a very vigilant awareness of their surroundings and take into account who is

there. They are required to keep their head on a swivel and constantly look and know what is going on around them to ensure their own safety.

No matter what, the goal of every first responder is to help those in need. Once the job is done and the first responders take off their uniforms, they get to return to their life outside of the job. These individuals have lives of their own and families to return to at the end of their shift just like any other person in the workforce.

“Our main goal, as a police officer,

is that we want to go home to our families at night. That’s the most important. It’s the number one thing in all our heads is that we are going home at the end of our shift so we can be with our families,” Officer Jones said.

Internet influences trends, trends influence people

MEGAN EVANS Copy Editor

After the holiday season, lots of people received gifts; lots of which were influenced by recent trends. When looking around, it can be noticed that many people have or do similar things. From water bottles, clothes, music, shows and more, many are inspired by popular trends.

Social media plays a big role in influencing people. When scrolling on Instagram or Tik Tok, kids see things that are popular. Slowly, they start seeing other people around them who own the items or participate in trends. Then, they want to jump on the bandwagon and buy whatever the current trend may be. Even if they aren’t participating for the purpose of fitting in, they still are participating in the trend, which spreads it even further.

“When I see things on the internet, sometimes it makes me want to buy it,” senior Megan Jones said.

Additionally, seeing a famous influencer or celebrity on the internet with a certain object can spark a sense of longing.

“Sometimes influencers on Instagram and Tik Tok make items more appealing. I’ll see girls on my

feed with pretty colored shoes, clothes and room decor, and sometimes I’ll buy similar things,” senior Finley Paxton said.

Internet trends can be a wide range of things. In the summer of 2019, a certain aesthetic called the “VSCO girl” was very popular. VSCO is a social media app where people can post and edit photos, and many people

were inspired by it. It became trendy to wear bright colors, pastel colors, large tee shirts, scrunchies, friendship bracelets and decorated Hydro Flasks. The motto, “save the turtles,” and being overall eco-friendly became popular.

“Back in 2019 when VSCO girls were popular, I liked the VSCO girl vibe. I made a couple of friendship

bracelets and bought a reusable water bottle,” Paxton said.

Other internet trends can be specific to television shows. People post thoughts and opinions about shows, and this brings a lot of attention to the shows. Some even make edits on Tik Tok with clips from different shows. When someone’s feed is full of content about a certain series, they probably will watch it to know what the “hype” is all about. Without their knowledge, the internet influenced those people to participate in the current trend.

“I saw clips and edits of “Ginny and Georgia,” and I thought it looked good. So, I started watching it,” senior Sydney Beringer said.

Another trend on the internet is haircut styles. There are many different styles for boys and girls. A recently popular haircut for boys is the mullet and for girls, curtain bangs. People can appreciate hairstyles that they see and try to mimic them.

Some think that following internet trends can be a lot of fun, while others think it is unoriginal. However, whatever one may feel about trends, there is no denying that they are prevalent in society.

Lainey Tuszynski/FHS Press

Stanley Cups, water bottles that fit in cup holders, are a recently popular internet trend among teens and adults alike.

Illustration: Megan Evans/FHS Press

In order for police officers to become a part of the force, they have to attend a full-time academy for around eight months. Becoming a police officer takes many hours of training and dedication in order to ensure that they can help people to the best of their abilities.

Less screen time allows fulfillment and focus

KAYLEE OSTROWSKI Photo Editor

The typical person has about 16 hours of time awake each day, and many work or go to school for about 6-8 of those hours, leaving them with a small amount of time to themselves. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teenagers between 15 and 18 spent about 7.5 hours on some kind of media device daily. That’s nearly half the time they are awake, spent in front of some kind of screen. With a new year underway, it is about time people take a hold of their own lives and no longer allow screens to control them.

“I think people could spend less time mindlessly scrolling, and more time doing other things,” senior Mason Geibel said.

Lessening screen time use isn’t always an easy task as entertainment media, especially social media, can be highly addictive. TikTok, in particular, is an app that has become extremely popular. A study by Brown University found that users spent an average of 46 minutes daily on the app and opened the app 8 times throughout the day. TikTok's feedback loop releases dopamine to the users, and an endless scrolling effect can keep users engaged for hours.

“I try not to go on TikTok too much

because that’s the biggest problem for sure. I caught myself starting to scroll and immediately put my phone away,” senior Edna Arredondo said.

Other students utilize screen time limits in order to limit their time on certain apps they find to be detrimental, but even following limits can be difficult.

“I hit ignore twice a day on my screen time limits for Snapchat and TikTok, but I have been trying to stop,” senior Brandi Bonzo said.

Limiting screen time can be beneficial for various reasons. It re-aligns focus and allows for more beneficial use of time.

“I think the importance of less screen time is having more time to do other things that do not involve other technology. Most screen time in my experience has not been very beneficial to me. It would be more beneficial to read a book or go outside rather than scroll through TikTok,” senior Connor Tavern said.

Activities outside of scrolling on a phone or binge-watching a show will leave individuals feeling more fulfilled and focused. If one has a difficult time breaking away from their phone, it may be beneficial to curate their social media feed to include their interests. For example, if one wants to exercise more, they may want to flood their feed with workout content.

“Finding other things to do

instead of scrolling, like reading or baking, helps me stay off my phone,” Arredondo said.

Other students find that physically putting their phones in a different room is beneficial to their focus.

“Whenever I put my phone in another room, I get 100% more efficient with what I do,” senior Vincenzo Fiorenza said.

Keeping one’s phone away from them is a crucial part of getting work done. It is extremely easy to use social media as a way of procrastination, and when social media is limited there is

much more efficiency.

“I notice I can finish things much faster when I only focus on my homework. I feel like my work is better when I can just focus on just that one thing,” Arredondo said.

Moreover, limiting screen time can be a strenuous task, but it is crucial to focus and gain new hobbies and skills. Limiting screen time does not have to be drastic, just cutting back screen time for an hour or two can allow for a healthier and more productive life.

Checking one’s screen time can help them reflect on how much time they are spending on their phone and how the time can be used more beneficially.

Kaylee Ostrowski/FHS Press

Technology’s place in classrooms

From the invention of paper and the creation of the typewriter to modern-day marvels, technology has always had its flaws and drawbacks. A question that plagues the minds of students and staff is how to best educate students who have unlimited knowledge directly at their fingertips. Teachers agree that technology, such as computers and cell phones, are great resources to have available. However, many issues arise when technology is taken advantage of. Though teachers want to give students the freedom to use their phones, it can be difficult to do so when a large number of students use them to cheat on both classwork and tests, or simply misuse technology.

There are plenty of uses for technology in the classroom. Aside from the standard schoolwork, some teachers have students use phones for activities. They may be required to take pictures, scan QR codes, record videos and audio or even use Slack, an app that allows students to directly messages their teachers and classmates, as a means of communication. Some teachers allow students to use their phones for recreational purposes during downtime in class if they finish assignments early. The inappropriate use of phones leaves teachers with two options; take all

phones and punish every student, or let students keep their phones at an increased risk of cheating.

When students abuse their privilege of technology it forces teachers to take them away making the classroom a more dull and more paper-based environment that few students enjoy.

This puts the power into the hands of the students. In order to gain increased phone usage and privileges in class, they must become more trustworthy and reliable as well as overall become better decision-makers. Students can easily become frustrated with one another. One student’s poor decision-making can cause an entire class to lose privileges and miss out on enjoyable activities.

Many teachers are out of options when trying to control cheating and plagiarizing. Before students complain about not being able to use phones in their classes, they need to take a second to reflect on the actions of their

Christopher Denkovich/FHS Press

peers and themselves. Before simply googling answers, students should try asking for help. They can ask both the teacher and a classmate for clarification. There is also designated tutoring time for students to get help when they need it.

In order to make classrooms as enjoyable as possible while also maximizing student learning and growth, staff and students need to work together in order to use technology as a means of enrichment and not as a distraction or a means of cheating. The only way for students to get the result they desire is to hold both themselves and their friends accountable for their choices, as well as not let themselves be put into a position where they need to cheat. Students have to focus on keeping track of all assignments and getting help where it is needed in order to put their classmates and themselves in the best position for their future.

Negative news affects readers

Murder, assault, theft and disease. With attention-grabbing headlines attracting more readers, popular news sites have resorted to publishing negative news articles or clickbait with drastic headlines to coerce readers into watching or reading further. What many mainstream news sites fail to consider is what kind of impact publishing negative news has on their readers. The consumption of a constant stream of news that is almost exclusively negative can have serious consequences.

According to the National Library of Medicine, consuming too much negative news can lead to an increase in distress, anxiety and depression. Despite its negative effects, negative news ropes in viewers like no other. As humans, we are biologically programmed to look for any possible threat or harm that could come to us. It makes sense that flashy and scary headlines grab attention and hook viewers to read more. This calls to question whether or not the views are worth the risk. Should mainstream news companies go out of their way to put viewers at risk for views?

Though the over-dramatization of

news is comparable to lying to readers, making news entirely positive is an impossible task. No one should expect news outlets to only publish positive stories with fairytale endings. What many viewers need is nothing more than the truth, presented in a way that allows readers to be informed and not threatened. When readers constantly feel threatened by overexaggerated news when there is no change or cause for concern, it creates a “boy who cried wolf” situation. Whether news is under or over-exaggerated, unrealistic situations presented as truth make the facts harder for viewers to decipher. An excellent example of this was throughout the COVID-19 pandemic during prime lockdown. Depending on which news source readers followed, they were either presented with horrible stories about thousands of people dying, information describing the virus as a complete hoax or a fair mix of the two. How should readers know what to believe when sites tasked to deliver the truth all say something different?

An easy solution would be to have news sites find other ways to pull in readers besides pulling on their emotions of fear and worry. News sites, if desperate or in need of views, should try different methods to gain more attention than competitors.

Some possible solutions would be to improve their journalistic integrity by consistently telling the truth, and the full truth. It doesn't matter how eye-catching a headline is if the reader can not trust the source.

No one benefits from frightening and negative news. Viewers can suffer from increased anxiety, depression and distress when surrounded by it. The news sites become less reputable the more they frighten readers when there is no cause for concern or need to do so. The best course of action for everyone is to honestly represent the severity of every story. The world is full of uncertainties. Many unfortunate and frightening events happen more often than they should. These events should without a doubt be covered and reported on, even if they are negative. However, a surplus of other wonderful things takes place every day in the world. These events should not be taken for granted or unrepresented because they have a chance of bringing in fewer views. These are the stories that need to be publicized and spread so that news outlets can have positive effects on their community instead of negative ones. Overly published negative news helps no one, choose to spread kindness when kindness can be spread.

Freedom Area High School

1190 Bulldog Drive

Freedom, PA 15042

www.fhs-press.com • @fhspress

MISSION STATEMENT

The FHS Press is the official student newspaper serving students and staff at Freedom Area High School, in Freedom, Pennsylvania. The principle goals of this publication are to thoroughly and accurately inform the Freedom Area School District community and to document and preserve the history of Freedom Area High School.

DISTRIBUTION

The FHS Press is a monthly print publication, distributed to students and staff on the Freedom Area School District campus and to the community at a number of local businesses. If you would like to display or distribute the FHS Press at your business, please submit your request via email to fhspress@freedomarea.org, and our staff will do its best to accommodate.

EDITORIAL POLICY

The views presented herein are not representative of the school, faculty or administration; they are solely the views of individual student writers. The unsigned editorial board story represents the consensus of the entire student Editorial Board. It is the policy of the Freedom Area Board of Education that the FHS Press and its affiliated website reproductions have been established as forums for student expression and as voices in the uninhibited, robust, free and open discussion of issues. It is the aim of the Editorial Board to represent a variety of viewpoints with fairness and equity.

SUBMISSIONS

The FHS Press accepts and strives to publish signed letters to the editor under 250 words, which can be sent to fhspress@freedomarea.org or submitted electronically at fhs-press.com. The FHS Press is a public forum and accepts story ideas, stories, photos and art submissions from all Freedom Area High School students. All publication determinations are at the discretion of the editors. To submit comments, questions or press releases, email fhspress@freedomarea.org.

ADVERTISING POLICY

Because the FHS Press exists in a public school setting, we maintain high standards for the content and types of advertising we accept. General guidelines appear below; however, FHS Press reserves the right to reject any advertising on any grounds, as deemed appropriate by editors, the newspaper adviser or the school administration.

Generally Accepted Advertising:

■ Locally-operated businesses, charities or institutions with a legitimate interest in reaching students

■ Colleges, Universities, the Armed Services and businesses seeking to recruit graduates

Government entities seeking to inform students about a program or promote responsible decisions

Students or faculty members who wish to communicate an appropriate message to the student body

Prohibited Advertising:

Any product or service not permitted on school grounds, or not legally available to all of our students

Any advertisement designed to deceive readers Ads designed to influence public opinion on controversial or highly political issues

Any product or service deemed inappropriate for any reason by the advisor or school administration

Submitting Ads:

We accept correctly-sized ads in a variety of formats, including TIF (TIFF), JPEG (JPG) or GIF, or printed ads/business cards, which we can scan; however, to ensure high-quality prints, we require all ads to be at least 300 dpi (resolution). Ads should be emailed to ads@freedomarea.org with specific information about dates scheduled to run, as well as whether the ad is complete as is or if it requires design work by our students.

Ad Design Services: Students will design ads to your specifications, within the limits of software and training available. If you provide an email address, we will gladly provide proofs of the ad if you request them below. Proofs are considered approved if modifications are not requested within two days.

Ad Placement Requests: Due to our small size, we can’t guarantee a specific page/location for your ad.

UPDATES & CORRECTIONS

New information may be published at is arises. Verified print inaccuracies will be corrected in the next print publication. Verified online inaccuracies will be corrected as they are discovered.

JOINING OUR STAFF

Production of the FHS Press is a collaborative effort by students enrolled in Print Media Workshop, Freedom Area High School's advanced journalism course, available to sophomores, juniors and seniors. While staff positions are reserved for students enrolled in the course, all students are welcome to work with our staff to contribute stories, photos, artwork, etc. Each newspaper print issue is planned near the beginning of each month and is published near the end of each month, with several rounds of edits taking place in the interim. Students interested in contributing to the FHS Press are welcome to join the staff for any planning meeting and are encouraged to contact any member of our staff for an up-to-date meeting schedule If you are interested in becoming a part of the FHS Press staff by enrolling in Print Media Workshop, please contact Mr. Fitzpatrick or visit room 226 at any time.

OUR STAFF

Leannah Messenger

Editor-in-Chief (Print) Christopher Denkovich Managing Editor (Print)

Ana Shipman Editor-in-Chief (Digital) Luke Snavely Managing Editor (Digital) Madison Sanders News Editor Brigette Richard Asst. News/Business Manager Mikalah Smith Features Editor Skylar Scobbo Asst. Features Editor Paige Young Editorial Editor Calla Reynolds Asst. Editorial/Copy Editor Troy Pawlowski

Sports/Copy Editor Chase Grable Asst. Sports Editor Megan Evans Copy Editor Kaylee Ostrowski

Photo Editor

Photo Editor Lainey Tuszynski PR/Marketing Director

Janey Parks

Aiden Pournaras Staff Writer

EDITORIAL BOARD

Christopher Denkovich Chase Grable Leannah Messenger

Kaylee Ostrowski

Janey Parks Calla Reynolds

ADVISER

Mr. Aaron Fitzpatrick, M.Ed., MJE afitzpatrick@freedomarea.org

Brigette Richard Skylar Scobbo Ana Shipman Luke Snavely Lainey Tuszynski Paige Young

Freedom Area High School, Room 226 (724) 775-7400, x581

AFFILIATIONS

Don't be defined by other people

LEANNAH MESSENGER Editor-in-Chief (Print)

Life is an endless game of “what if (s)…” and “if only I’d (s)…” and lots of “why did they think of me like this (s)…”. Every person is surrounded by a cloud of self-doubt, and many constantly seek approval from others. But when seeking approval, people tend to put themselves in a “box”. Made up of self-created walls, people look to conform to the ideas others may have for or of them. This leads to, yet again, another endless loop of self-deprecating doubt.

Hearing other people define how we see ourselves and letting those thoughts rule our brains can be detrimental. The childhood saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is truly just a saying, because words, in fact, do hurt. These words can feel like stones being thrown at a lake, and their effect can be more than a ripple. One has to focus on not letting others define their self-worth. You can not let someone define who YOU are. This is no small feat, because everyone has had the notion of fitting in and making sure others are comfortable drilled into their brains from a young age. It

is hard to break that mold and focus on oneself. But in order to be better and more hopeful for the future, one must find a way past the words and make their own definition of self.

Self-worth is the internal sense of being good enough, worthy, and

Is it worth it?

have low self-esteem themselves. Our brains are wired to make fast judgments of our surroundings and those around us and most people do not spend a lot of time thinking about how that judgment may affect someone else. Taking time to stop and working on understanding a situation or person can be helpful.

Let other people think and act how they want. No one can control anyone else’s opinions or actions, but one can choose to not care; not letting others' labels and opinions shatter one’s self-image. Practicing positive affirmations and working on a positive mindset is one step in the right direction. Other steps can be as simple as working on mental health and making sure to set goals and prioritize them. Practicing gratitude and understanding self-worth is also extremely important.

belonging. This can sometimes be a hard concept to work with, but it is necessary. Every person is worthy of love, support, and being treated with respect. People who decide they want to define someone else’s self-worth by bringing them down most likely

Playing sports may do more harm than good

ANA SHIPMAN Editor-in-Chief (Digital)

Crowds cheering and booing, referees always making the “wrong call” and gross food you will regret later is just part of the charm of going to watch sporting events in person. Many people anxiously crowd their televisions to appreciate sports, and to watch highlights of their favorite plays and such. Sports are very interesting to watch, however, is the world’s consumerism of sports doing more harm than good? Is pushing players to their limits physically and mentally just for a fun few hours justifiable?

Average sports viewers have seen many injuries in their days, ranging from a bloody nose or a sprained ankle, all the way to career-ending injuries, such as, torn ACLs, blown knees, neck injuries and a variety of other horrible things.

A scare for many may be the fact that rookies or new players could possibly get a career-ending injury. What would the player do in that situation? Even injuries that may seem meaningless, such as a concussion, may debilitate players and force them to retire. This may seem hard to believe, but it was a harsh reality for Adrian Coxson. Rookie receiver for the Packers back in 2015, attended the training camps and received a major concussion, leading to his retirement.

His injury was so severe that one more blow to the head could have resulted in death.

Although the majority of the injuries in national sports are not career-ending, many are anxietyinducing and sometimes life-threatening. More recently, Damar Hamiln, the safety on the Buffalo Bills, went into cardiac arrest after a legal hit. Thankfully, Hamlin recovered quickly and is doing well. Although it does not seem to be the case for Hamlin, many players may become depressed or may show signs of mental illness when injured.

“While most injuries can be managed with little to no disruption in sport participation and other activities of daily living, some impose a substantial physical and mental burden… the psychological response to injury can trigger or unmask serious mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and substance use or abuse,” ncaa.org stated.

Not only do players reveal symptoms of various mental illnesses during or after an injury, but it may also just be down on the field, or on the court. Multiple players have been more and more candid about their dealings with anxieties and depressions brought on by the sports and the intensity of it all.

“You can easily get depressed. Usually, if you play sports, you think

that one match or one game is very important, and when you lose it, you think your whole world is over,” tennis player Naomi Osaka said.

The idea of there not being any more sports teams is simply outrageous. While physical injuries may be hard to control, mental illnesses are easier to be confined and controlled. Some ways to help could be for teams to start looking into therapists for their players, injured or not. This could even increase their gameplay.

From clevelandclinic.org, they

Working towards not letting others define oneself is not as easy as 1, 2, 3. However, taking the first step is always the best option. Everyone deserves their own definition of self-worth, un-tarnished by anyone else, and purely self-based. Try asking yourself how you would describe yourself in one sentence, and go from there.

state “I think at a very basic level it’s [mental health issues] a distraction,” says Dr. Sacco, “At the very minimum, if your mind is full of other things, then it can just be a distraction.”

Whenever a player is not there 100% mentally, they may as well be physically injured. Injuries are so frequent in sports that many may wonder if sports really mean that much. Although sports may be fun to watch it may not always be worth it.

Luke Snavely/FHS Press

Illustration: Megan Evans/FHS Press People can let themselves be defined by others and their words; counteracting this can sometimes be difficult.

Multiple sports include very dangerous injuries, this does not exclude younger leagues.

Wrestling team earns section title

Looking toward playoffs

RICHARD Asst. News/Business Manager

The varsity wrestling team has been working hard, practicing and competing throughout these few months. The team has been able to come out on top, and they have been very proud of their accomplishments.

On Jan. 7, the team hosted the Ed Driscoll Midwestern Athletic Conference (MAC) Tournament. They placed sixth out of the 16 teams in the tournament, beating 10 other teams. They went through different rounds of the championship and consolation rounds trying to advance to the highest place they could.

At the end of the tournament, junior James Couch and sophomore Jason Shiring placed fifth overall. Making it to the third place round, senior Tanner Millward and junior Ryan Kredel both lost by a decision, making it a defeat for both. In the championship finals round, freshman ZeShawn Williams also lost by a decision with a score of 7-1.

They practiced and looked back on the tournament and prepared for the 2023 South Side Beaver Quad on Jan. 11. Out of the four participating teams of Freedom, Ambridge, Blackhawk and South Side Beaver, Freedom came out on top with a record of 2-0, beating both South Side Beaver and Blackhawk. In the match against South Side, Freedom took the win with a score of 51-12. Sophomore Jordan Delon and senior Matthew Schultheis both had pins, giving the team six points each. Williams had won by a decision gaining the team three points. In the next round against Blackhawk, Freedom gained 63 points to Blackhawk’s six points. Schultheis

and Millward, Kredel, sophomore Gavyn McCray, Shiring and Williams each pinned their opponents. Delon had also made a win through a decision, which gainedthree points for the team. Overall, the team placed first out of the four teams.

“The beginning of the season was going pretty rough. Our record wasn’t all that great to start things, but then we started to get back in the groove and we came back and won the section title. We have been wrestling well; we just have a few spots to fill, but once we do, we will be good,” Gavyn McCray said.

That next week, they continued preparing and practicing. Then, they took on Central Valley and Ambridge during the 2023 Central Valley Tri-Meet on Jan. 18. In round two of the tri-meet, the team went up against Ambridge and came out with a score of 72-6. Schultheis, Millward, Williams and Kredel both had gained pins earning the team a majority of the points. The rest of the points had come from the forfeits by the other team. They went on to round three of the meet, beating Central Valley by a close score of 48-30. The team was led by Schultheis, Millward, Trenton McCray, Kredel, Gavyn McCray and Williams, each gaining a pin for the team. Freedom secured the win and received first place for the meet.

After beating Central Valley and Ambridge, the team won the title for 2023 section champions. The team has been working hard, and has been preparing for upcoming matches. They have been working on coming out on top, and continue to rise up.

TROY PAWLOWSKI Sports/Copy Editor

Similar to last year’s historic season for the Bulldogs, the girls basketball team keeps steady with racking up an impressive record. They are top of their section and looking at making a playoff run this year. As of Jan. 20, their record stands at an impressive 12-1, their only loss of the season being against Keystone Oaks on Dec. 22, by a close score of 47-60. In this game, Julia Mohrbacher scored 30 points, and Shaye Bailey scored 15 points.

The team holds practices almost every day of the week, which helps them have time to prepare for their upcoming opponents. They run different drills each practice, each one sharpening their skills in specific scenarios. These practices reflect their record of 12-1 and show how much work the team is putting in to be the best that they can be. As the team advances to playoffs in a few weeks, their practices will run for slightly longer and they will practice their important plays on the court.

On Jan. 5, the Bulldogs took on the Rochester Rams at home. This game was a rivalry game, so the gymnasium was packed with fans and families from both teams. Early in the first half, the Bulldogs took the lead, and they held control of it until the end. Mohrbacher scored 24 points respectively, and Bailey scored 13 points in the game. The Bulldogs came out on top with a final score of 46-33. Both Bailey and Mohrbacher are captains this season and have been very successful so far.

Another notable game so far this season was on Jan. 17 against the New Brighton Lions at home.

The Bulldogs beat the Lions with a dominating score of 68-11, improving their record that day to 11-1. In this game, both Mohrbacher and Bailey each scored 21 points respectively. In this match, Mohrbacher surpassed her 1000th point milestone during her career in basketball at Freedom. This is a monumental accomplishment for a high school basketball career, and Mohrbacher’s family, friends and teammates rallied around her.

“It was an incredible experience for me, a surreal moment after all the years of hard work that I put in,” Mohrbacher said. “It was pretty incredible, and it was amazing for all my friends and family to support me. It is something that I will never forget.”

Last year in the playoffs, the girls team won games until the WPIAL finals against North Catholic, where they fell short by a few points. They automatically qualified for PIAA state playoffs, and the Bulldogs kept winning games until the state final, also falling short by a few points against Neumann Goretti.

As the team heads towards the end of the regular season, all the staff members and players are getting prepared for action and hopefully another similar deep playoff run like last season. Even though the team lost most of their starting lineup since they were mainly composed of seniors, the girls have played well so far this season, and look to better themselves every day moving forward with their new lineup.

“I enjoyed spending time with my teammates and bonding over the season this year, especially with all the new members that joined and all of the underclassmen,” senior Megan Evans said.

During a game against the Rochester Rams on January 5th, junior captain Shaye Bailey shoots to increase their lead.

Troy Pawlowski/FHS Press

During a match against Ambridge in the Central Valley tri-match on Jan. 18, freshman ZeShawn Williams works on getting his opponent on his shoulders.

Paige Young/FHS Press

BRIGETTE

Girls basketball team builds upon impressive record

Young players take over modern sports

AIDEN POURNARAS Staff Writer

All sports change and evolve throughout time. In many professional sports, younger generations of players seem to be taking over and leading at their level of play. In the past, younger players have been outshined by those who have already been playing for quite a while. However, the tables have turned throughout recent years, as young people in every sport are excelling.

In the National Hockey League (NHL), with a solid new generation of talent, some of the newest players in the league are some of the best. For example, Cale Makar, a 24-year-old defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche, has proved himself to be one of, if not the best, defenseman in the league due to his incredible knack for scoring, producing offense and putting up very impressive stats. He is quickly becoming a face of the league and is even being compared to all-time greats such as Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey. Another great example of a young star in the NHL is Jason Robertson. At only 23 years old, Robertson is one of the top leaders in goals and points in the current NHL season. The best example of a young player taking over the NHL, or any sport for that matter, is Connor McDavid. Since his rookie season in 2015, McDavid has been a powerhouse in the league. For the past six seasons in the NHL, he has been at least top two in points every year, as well as currently leading the league in points this season. McDavid has proved that

he is currently the best player in the league, at only 25 years old. At this rate, he is likely to go down as one of the best players in the history of the NHL and the sport of hockey itself.

“I think the new generation of talent in the NHL is abundant and they are showing a lot of promise. Of course, I think you still need a veteran presence on the team, but these young guys are truly showing they can hang with the best,” senior Luke Snavely said.

There have also been many players of a younger age performing at all-star levels in other sports, such as the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL). Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA has become one of the best players in the league at the youthful age of 23 years old. Dončić is already breaking records set by NBA Hall of Famers,

High hopes for season

and is currently leading the league this season in points per game. In the NFL, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, Joe Burrow, has shown that young guys can compete just as well, if not better than, more experienced veterans. In just his third season in the league, Burrow led his team to the Super Bowl finals. Even though they came up short, Burrow’s performance has proved that players of a lesser age and experience are able to do great things in professional sports.

Younger players that are not yet old enough to play professionally are even taking over their sports. Many prospects are showing their readiness to compete and dominate at the next level. Perhaps the most exciting example of this is Connor Bedard, who plays for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Bedard, at only 16 years of age, was top five in points in the WHL during

Bocce team works towards season with many wins

The bocce team has put in hard work and dedication during practices and finally got to apply it during the new season's games. The players did this by giving the games their all and helping each other along the way. Each player contributes through their own unique strengths within the different aspects of the game. With new members, there comes the challenge of learning the strengths of each player and using this knowledge for game strategies.

“We have a lot of new members to the team. I think the team's biggest strength is their ability to work together. They all listen really well to each other and they all show good leadership,” Head Coach Ms. Kennedy Carnahan said, “The season is going well so far. I hope that we will be able to make it to the playoffs in late February, but we will have to wait and see.”

As the season continues, the team is striving to improve by incorporating

more practice into their preparation for upcoming games. Players have quickly learned that the floors of gyms can really be challenging to play on. Many gym floors are uneven. When the players roll on their turn, the floor sends the balls in all different directions. This added challenge is something that the team can not prepare for. They will need to travel to other school districts for games and will not be able to determine how to best play on that court prior to games. However, the practices still allow the players to get more familiar with the game in general, practice on their home court and get to know each other better. During games, the players talk to one another as they wait for their turn to roll.

“I think they are all becoming friends outside the team. We did a disability event where they got to work together. We are also doing a March Madness event so that they will be able to work together for that too,” Carnahan said.

At the end of March, the bocce team will be participating in a “March

Madness” style of tournament. The tournament will be held all day in the gym. Players will compete in singleelimination games. Each team will consist of four Gen. Ed. students and one of Ms. Carnahan’s students. This tournament will be used as a fun way for the players to practice their skills together.

the 2021-22 season. This season, now 17 years old, he is currently leading the league in points. This feat is even more incredible due to the fact that this is being done against players up to 20 years old. Bedard’s talent became even more recognized when he competed in the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship, otherwise known as the World Juniors, where he represented his home country of Canada. The World Juniors is an annual tournament where the best players from each country under the age of 20 compete to win for their hometown. During this tournament, Bedard had 23 points in seven games, leading his team to a gold medal. These points were the most ever recorded by a Canadian player in this tournament. As a 17-year-old, he broke records set by some of the greatest hockey players of all time. Bedard is one of the most anticipated players in NHL history.

Many cases of young players excelling in sports have even been seen locally at Freedom High School. Sophomore Jordan Delon led the boy’s soccer team in scoring during the 2022 season. Another example is freshman Garrett Drutarosky. Drutarosky was the starting kicker for the Freedom Bulldogs Varsity Football team during the 2022 season, which is a tough position to fill for such a young player. These players have shown how important underclassmen and young players are to high school sports and sports in general.

“The best thing about bocce is being able to spend time with the students of Cafe 116 and learning how unique everyone is. I think if we really work for it we can go further than we did last year. Our team has a lot of potential this year,” junior Brenna McIlvain said.

Kaylee Ostrowski/FHS Press

Lainey Tuszynski/FHS Press

During a scrimmage against Shenango on Jan. 9, the team came together during a timeout to discuss a plan of action and give the players encouragement.

LAINEY TUSZYNSKI PR/Marketing Director

Sophomore Jordan Delon chases after a loose ball. Delon led the boys soccer team in scoring during the 2022 season.

Road to recovery Basketball team gets through hardships

Damar Hamlin recovering after resuscitation on field

ANA SHIPMAN Editor-In-Chief (Digital)

Winning and losing is something that many people need to become accustomed to. Although the boys basketball team has faced hardships, their team has small accomplishments within each game. Ensuring they all keep a positive attitude during the game is so crucial.

“I just do not think about it at that moment, it all comes to me after the game, win or lose. I focus on my team and myself during the game, and think of what we need to improve on,” senior Silas McCullough said.

On Dec. 20, McCullough scored the majority of the points within the game, with a total of 11 out of 32.

Even though the team may not win every single game they play, these small accomplishments keep the team in an upbeat mood, being able to tell people that they scored the majority of the points or have an amazing defense that game is so crucial to keeping a positive attitude.

Another difficulty on the team is injuries. Senior Nicholas Paganini and multiple others on the team know all too well about this topic.

With Paganini’s leg injury and Hartley’s hand injury, it has affected their playing time and their expectations for the 2022-2023 basketball season.

“It was really rough to have to miss almost the first half of my senior season, especially because I had to

miss all of my sophomore season due to an injury as well. I still went to all of the practices and games to support my teammates, but I would’ve much rather preferred helping them on the court,” Paganini said.

In spite of the fact that the boys have faced their complications, many students constantly come and show their support. Just like the Friday night lights during the football season, the student sections have fun themes. A few include “Country,” “Pajamas,” “Construction” and “White out.” A few of the boy’s main supporters include seniors Adam Wright, Grace Lane and Brandi Bonzo. As well as multiple juniors, sophomores and freshmen.

Supporting the team is crucial, hearing the cheers and the viewers get excited during the game allows the boys to keep a positive attitude, winning or losing.

“It is important to support our team and come watch them because of the memories you can get. You should always support your hometown team and watch them play. Especially because it is always a good time when the boy’s team gets a win and watching them get the win is exciting,” Wright said.

In spite of their record, the boys’ truly love the sport and they enjoy playing as a team.

“My favorite part of the game is just being with the team and watching us all work together and try to get better,” senior Austin Coll said.

It is Monday Night Football time, and you are watching an intense game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals. Part-way through the first quarter, the ball was passed and Tee Higgins sprinted upfield as Damar Hamlin bolted from his position to make the tackle. Higgins’s helmet contacted Hamlin’s chest like a ram. It was a routine and legal play, until it wasn’t. It was a game that very much mattered to many watchers as well as players, and then it didn’t.

Friends and teammates of Hamlin watched teary-eyed as he lay nearly lifeless on the field. America saw him be resuscitated by the medical professionals that were nearby. Emergency sports physicians pumped his chest with air in the hope that this wouldill not be the last of him. He was driven off the field in an ambulance as watchers from all across America hoped that he wouldill be okay. Relief didn’t hit people until the recent statement, “He is currently listed in stable condition and continues to make significant progress in his recovery,” was released from Kaleida Health.

Seeing the impact this had on Hamlin himself and how deeply invested people were in the case and progression of his health, has really made people think about what may have happened if medical professionals were not near at the time of the accident. What would have happened to this beloved player if rescue was not sent as soon as humanly possible? People may not want to think about the horrid things that may have happened as a result, but that does not make it any less real or possible.

The most important people that are on the field during sports games may be the people who are the least paid. The life-saving medical responders are needed for the well-being of players during life or death situations like this one. These professionals are not the stars of the show and may not be paid at all without the actual sport, but without having them on the sidelines could have been critical, for Hamlin as an example. In an archived radio recording from that Monday night game, the importance of the medical responders is shown.

“If they get out on the field and they sense that this is a significant emergency, then they will give a hand signal in addition to the radio signal. It's basically an all-call, meaning everyone come,” reporter Allen Sills expressed.

“Monday, everyone did, including a rarely needed code leader,” responded Tom Goldman.

On Jan. 9 Hamlin was released from intensive care at University of Cincinnati Medical Center and was flown back to Buffalo, where he was transferred to Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute to continue his treatment. Football lovers across America could finally take their sigh of relief after getting news that Hamlin was awake and in a stable condition after the horrifying scene people watched as he fell into cardiac arrest the previous Monday, Jan. 2. The condition of Hamlin is continuing to improve as he has been recently active on social media and is on the lengthy road to recovery.

Senior Nathan DiNardo plays as point guard on Dec. 6 against Chartiers Houston.

Ana Shipman/FHS Press

Pittsburgh native and University of Pittsburgh alum, Damar Hamlin, attempts to make a tackle in the 2018 Dr. Pepper ACC Championship.

2018 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship #ACCFCG" by ClemsonTigerNet is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

JANEY PARKS Photo Editor

Hockey team builds stronger bonds

SKYLAR

SCOBBO

Asst. Features Editor

As the season continues, the hockey team is beginning to form closer bonds with one another. Although many upperclassmen played on the same team for at least a year, the freshmen are new. Not only are these players new but so is the head coach. Coach Noah Yerdon was an assistant coach last year, however this is his first year as head coach. Coach Yerdon is a Central Valley graduate and played for the Central Valley Hockey team. He went even further and played for the Steele County Blades in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) as well as the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL).

“I would say my favorite part about coaching Central Valley would be that I am able to give back to the program that helped me become the player and person I am today, and knowing myself and the coaching staff are able to have a positive impact on the kids and help them learn, grow and develop into better athletes and human beings,” Coach Yerdon said.

Shaping the team and getting them ready to play can be a struggle without the needed chemistry. The season is now more than halfway through. Having many practices throughout the year has helped the

team find what works best for them.

On Dec. 15, the team played Carrick at home, and the team fell with a score of 8-1. On Dec. 22, the boys traveled to Ringgold, but unfortunately lost by a score of 11-5 after a tough fight. Junior Aiden Pournaras scored 2 of the team's 5 goals. Pournaras is currently leading the team in points. So far he has accumulated 9 goals and 5 assists.

The team took a week's break over the holidays. However, they were back in no time on Jan. 2nd. They played Neshannock for the third time this season, losing by a score of 9-2. At the game, junior Chase Grable got an

SPORTS SHORTS

LUKE

PENGUINS FALL IN WINTER CLASSIC

On Jan. 2, the Boston Bruins hosted the Penguins at Fenway Park for the 2023 NHL Winter Classic. Along with the hockey game, the outdoor extravaganza featured performances by The Black Keys, Bell Biv DeVoe and even an orchestra. The game did not fare so well for the Penguins though, as they lost 2-1 and starting goaltender Tristan Jarry suffered a right leg injury. Trying to overcome a six-game losing streak in the beginning of January, the Penguins hope to make a reappearance in the playoff picture.

PENGUINS CAPTAIN SIDNEY CROSBY MAKES ALL-STAR GAME

On Jan. 5, the NHL announced Sidney Crosby has made the All-Star Game, which is set to be played on Feb. 4. The league named one player from each of the 32 teams, while the remaining spots will be determined by a fan vote. This marks Crosby’s ninth All-Star appearance in a rejuvenating season for the 35-year-old captain.

STEELERS END SEASON, SHY OF PLAYOFFS

On Jan. 9, the Steelers needed some luck on their side as they headed into Week 18 for their last game of the season against the Cleveland Browns. To make the playoffs, the Steelers needed a win over the Browns and both a New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins loss. Despite a 28-14 Steelers win and a Patriots loss, the Dolphins prevailed in their game, ending the Steelers’ playoff hopes. Despite this, the team finished with a winning record of 9-8, meaning the head coach Mike Tomlin has still never had a losing season with the team.

HARRISON, HINES SHORT OF NFL HALL OF FAME 2023 CLASS

The Pro Football Hall of Fame did not choose the two Steeler nominees, linebacker James Harrison and wide receiver Hines Ward, as finalists for the 2023 Hall of Fame draft class. The Pro Football Hall of Fame did select 15 players as finalists, only five of which will be inducted. Harrison and Hines will now have to wait till next year for another chance to be memorialized as one of the NFL’s all-time greatest players.

PIRATES LISTED TOWARDS BOTTOM OF MLB POWER RANKINGS

On Jan. 1, the MLB released their way-tooearly power rankings for the upcoming season. Finishing with a 62-100 record last season, the Pirates were listed as 28th out of 30 teams. Fortunately for the Pirates, the team did earn the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft, which will benefit their future. But for now, MLB analysts don’t see the Pirates making the playoffs anytime soon.

GEORGIA WINS CFB CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

On Jan. 9, the Georgia Bulldogs took on the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs in the National College Football (CFB) Championship Game. The Bulldogs were 13.5-point favorites over the Horned Frogs, who were not even ranked coming into the season. In what some considered to be a David vs. Goliath battle, the Bulldogs demolished the Horned Frogs, 65-7, to win a back-to-back title. This 58-point differential was the largest in CFB history for a bowl game.

assist and scored one of the team's two goals.

On Jan. 12, the team hosted their senior night in recognition of their five seniors. They played Trinity in a very intense game. Neither team had won a game yet, and the stakes were very high. Both teams played an incredible game, never losing sight of the end goal. Luckily Central Valley was able to pull through a win with a score of 5-3. Pournaras scored one of the team's five goals, and also got an assist.

Pournaras was also selected to play in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL)

All-Star Game. At least one player gets picked from each team. The game was held on Jan. 29, at Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

“I am very thankful for the opportunity to play in the All-Star game because I get to represent my team and play with the best players in the league,” Pournaras said.

Although the season has not ended yet, the coaches have begun to look ahead to next season. Having only five seniors, the team will still have a good majority of their players returning next season. With the coaches now having a better understanding of the team's strengths and weaknesses, they can spend more time focusing on the things that need improving.

“Coming into this year we knew we were going to have a young team. But coming into next year we’ll have a good returning core that now has a good amount of experience together… and can help the younger players coming up…and ultimately lead us back to the playoffs,” Coach Yerdon said.

Looking forward , the boys will play their last home game of the season against Wilmington on Feb. 9th. Their last game will be away against Bishop Canevin on Feb. 16. Be sure to come out and support the boys for their last two games of the season.

Scoring a goal, Aiden Pournaras (top right) gains the Central Valley hockey team another point. This was the fourth goal of the game on Jan. 12 against Trinity.

Skylar Scobbo/FHS Press