F AIRFIELD A REA H IGH S CHOOL
T HE K NIGHT ’ S V OICE V OLUME 1, I SSUE 2
D ECEMBER 9, 2015
F AIRFIELD H ONORS V ETERANS BY
S PECIAL P OINTS OF I NTEREST :
B AILEY R OBERTS
Every year on November 11th, the middle school student council puts together the Veterans Day breakfast. "This has become a wonderful tradition at the Middle School, and we look forward to welcoming the veterans every year," says Mrs. Weber, Middle School Principal. Eight lucky eighth graders, Maya Feuerstein, Braden
Merryman, Kendra Miller, Jared Mitchell, Desiree Salisbury, Christopher Shaffer, Hayley Wagner, and Eli White, read poems they had written about the importance of our war veterans. High School student Stacy Roser read a poem written by one of our war veterans.
Photo students get creative on a field trip The top movies and music from the year, in review An honest review of Mockingjay, Part 2 Taiwan's upcoming election, and how it may affect us.
Along with poetry reading, there was patriotic musical entertainment by the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade chorus and high school chorus, directed by Miss Patsy Mills. It is important to remember and recognize and celebrate our heroes, each and everyone of them.
Winter sports schedules FFA takes a road trip to Kentucky
I NSIDE THIS ISSUE :
FAIRFIELD DRAMA DEPARTMENT SHOWS US “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE” BY MAUREEN LYTLE This year’s high school play was It’s A Wonderful Life, an adaptation from the 1946 film. The final shows were November 13th and 14th. This year’s production was intended to be a different play. Over thirty people auditioned, so it was changed to It’s a Wonderful Life to accommodate the large number of participants. However, less
people than anticipated stuck with the play (roughly 30 people in total). The cast and crew had to work together to create the best production possible with the limited resources they had. As most Fairfield productions do, it came together beautifully. The audience adored it, saying they could really tell the cast truly became a family while working on this project together.
Graduating seniors this year include Allisa Baker, Erin Briggs, Ricky Whitmore, Bix Bannon, Isac Vanmetre, Jon Weikert, Noah Hoffman, Brittany Stahle, Haleigh Bowen, and Lindsey Boutin. It was directed by Marci Kozak and Catherine Mentzer. Backstage help was directed by Joe Whitmore.
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M USIC AND M OVIES THAT R ULED 2015
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M OCKINGJAY , P ART 2 R EVIEW
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W INTER S PORTS S CHEDULES B IG
ELECTION ON THE LITTLE ISL AND
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T HE K NIGHT ’ S V OICE
HEAVENLY TIMES AT DEVIL’S DEN BY MAUREEN LYTLE Mrs. Werntz took her photography classes took a trip on November 18th. They went to Devil’s Den in Gettysburg. This famous rock formation that once protected American soldiers was used as a backdrop and a prop for these young photographers. Mrs. Werntz even made funky edits of some of her favorite turkeys. Check it out!
COMICS CORNER BY MR. REYNOLDS
V OLUME 1, I SSUE 2
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ENTERTAINMENT
MUSIC AND MOVIES THAT RULED 2015 2015 brought us some new entertainment that filled theaters and personal music devices. One film that is to be released in theaters soon is Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This is part seven to the Star Wars franchise. With the popularity of the last six movies, it seems that this movie will draw attention of many viewers who have an interest in the franchise. This should provide an exciting conclusion to the year in entertainment.
BY
BLAZE GRAFF
The film that made the most money this year was Jurassic World, made by Universal Entertainment. It earned a total of 652 million dollars. Second to Jurassic World was Avengers: Age of Ultron, which earned a total of 469 million dollars. As of November 30th, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part Two had been in theaters for ten days and had made a remarkable 198 million dollars, moving into eighth place for the highest grossing movie of the year. Many films are still to be released in what is left of this year. These films should attract many audience young and old.
2015 also gave us some great music. “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson, featuring Bruno Mars sold 2,120,000 copies so far. This song has been lighting up dance floors ever since its release early in the year. Coming up behind “Uptown Funk” is OMI’s “Cheerleader, selling 1,370,000 copies since its release. The year in music may be most remembered for Adele, whose album, 25, sold 3.38 million copies in its first week. This is the highest album sales ever recorded, shattering modern day sales in the era where digital streaming rules.
N OTHING CAN P REPARE YOU FOR THE E ND : A MOCKINGJAY , P ART 2 R EVIEW BY A LLISA B AKER Before we talk about the movie, we need to discuss a few aspects of the book. Mockingjay, by popular opinion. is considered the weakest book in The Hunger Games series. Most complaints revolve around the issues Katniss is facing, such as PTSD and depression, and the book doesn’t shy away from showing all of these issues in detail. And of course, the stupid love-triangle that keeps popping even though there are many more important issues like, oh I don’t know, the WAR? Yeah, Suzanne Collins, please stop all the action for stupid high school melodrama. Personally I didn’t mind the details of Katniss’s mental issues. It added a level of realism and made her more relatable and sympathetic. Considering that it was a central point in the book, I was surprised that they glossed over it in the movie.
Another overall problem with this film is the pacing. Film adaptations of young adult novels need to stop splitting the last movie into two parts. It was fine with Harry Potter, but they did that because the average Harry Potter book is heavier than a refrigerator. Mockingjay is only 390 pages, which would be incredibly easy to make into one movie. Mockingjay Part 2 felt like the audience was thrown right into the climax. The movie had too much occurring throughout, compared to Part 1, where they blew up some stuff, and that’s about it. The movie starts out revealing that Peeta’s memories have been hijacked by the Capital so that he is against Katniss. Katniss is understandably upset, so she goes to District 2 to help rally support for the rebellion against Capital. While there,
Katniss is shot, giving off the illusion that she is dead. These first few scenes are rushed, the movie then quickly goes into what was the climax of the book. Katniss goes to the Capital on a mission to kill President Snow. As they go through the Capital, they reach several pods (devices that activate horrifying traps). One goes off resulting in the death of Boggs. Later, the group travels underground in the sewage system. A group of mutts comes to attack them, the design of these mutts is just awful. They look like the nondescript aliens from every alien movie ever. In the book, they are described as “white, four-limbed, about the size of a full grown human… with long reptilian tails, arched backs and heads that jut forward.” (Collins, 2010 p. 309). The raptors from Jurassic World painted white
SPOILER ALERT! and slightly taller would’ve been more accurate. The mutts kill Finnick, further proving that as soon as a tortured character is happy, they must immediately die some noble death. After this fight the group hides in an old hunger games stylist’s shop, and there they come up with a new plan. The group joins a crowd of refugees going to the President’s mansion, where gunfire ensues from the rebel side. Parachutes containing bombs are released, killing Prim. After Prim is killed in the book Katniss goes into a deep depression, and she even attempts suicide, but in the movie Katniss is almost nonchalant about it. If Prim is said to be the only person Katniss is sure she loves, shouldn’t she be more broken? Continued on p. 4
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Politics
T HE K NIGHT ’ S V OICE
BIG ELECTION ON THE LITTLE ISLAND: THE IMPORTANCE OF TAIWAN'S UPCOMING ELECTION BY EMERSON BANNON On January 16th, Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, will be holding its general election. You may not of heard of it, but its election will still have have huge consequences for the US. Background info on Taiwan is in the text box. The nationalist KMT is the current ruling party, and is suffering from dismal approval ratings and a late-game candidate, Eric Chu. He didn’t really want to run, but the KMT dumped their previously candidate, who made prounification remarks about Taiwan and China. In Taiwanese politics, the goal is to not want to unify or seek independence, and maintain the de facto independence which has served them well over the years. The KMT President also recently had the first meeting with the mainland leader since the Civil War, and while it signaled an important step towards improved relations, the people weren’t fond of the President's performance. This only drew more distinctions between the KMT and opposition DPP, which the more liberal, pro-independence party, whose
candidate, Tsai Ing-wen, is the current frontrunner. She is leading in the polls by a very comfortable margin, and has been likened to a “Taiwanese Elizabeth Warren”. The DPP’s moderated, but relatively pro-independence rhetoric has lead to some tension and warnings from mainland China about the consequences of seeking independence. This becomes an issue when you consider the US-Taiwan relationship. Though the US does not officially recognize Taiwan as independent, it maintains interests and relations through the American Institute in Taiwan. The US is also Taiwan’s biggest military supplier, and just a few days ago, a bill was introduced to move two Navy frigates to Taiwan. With China foreshadowing conflict if the current frontrunner wins and maintains the pro-independence rhetoric, Taiwan’s strong relationship with the US, especially militarily, could lead to more tension in the already volatile East China Sea, or bring us into military conflict with China.
Taiwan is a large island of 23 million people off the Chinese coast in between the Pacific and South China Sea. It has its own military, government, foreign relations, and is a relatively wealthy nation. It has almost no international recognition as an independent country, mainly because of China. During the Chinese Civil War in 1950, the nationalists lost, and fled to Taiwan, still claiming they were the true Chinese government, while the Communists ruled over the rest of China. Taiwan itself had a history divided between the Portuguese and Spanish in the 1500s and 1600s, then mainland China until the First Opium War, and then the Japanese until the end of World War 2. Taiwan began ruling itself under the nationalists, and nationalists and communists to continued to claim sovereignty over all of China, including Taiwan. The US handled Chinese relations with Taiwan until the 70s, and China has kept other countries from officially recognizing Taiwan as independent since. Taiwan has not officially made independence attempts either, since the nationalists claim there is also a single, unified China, but they are the rightful rulers of it. Taiwan, unlike the mainland, has been a democracy since the mid 90s, and this is going to be their 5th national election.
MOCKINGJAY, FROM PAGE 3 Katniss discovers the rebels are responsible for Prim’s death, thus leading to the end of Gale and Katniss’s friendship since he designed the bombs. Katniss begins to understand that Coin is more of a threat than Snow, and instead of shooting Snow, she kills Coin. Katniss is then sent back to District 12 with Haymitch, and later Peeta.
human beings. That’s why it was a big deal when they got together at the end. Together they put the pieces back together and were still messes, but they had each other. Peeta didn’t just come in and *poof* Katniss was better. When a person has been starved, forced to kill other children in a game show, involved in a terrifying mind game with the President, entered in the killing game show again, The epilogue was honestly the sweetest and witnesses their little sister being thing ever; I think I got a cavity. The whole ending glosses over the issues Peeta blown to bits, they generally are VERY and Katniss have; they are both messes of MESSED UP. There is no boy on the
entire planet who has existed now or ever who can make that go away. I get it; it’s fiction, but in this work of fiction the author made a point to make the mental health issues crucial to the plot, so glossing over them is dumb and takes out a level of sincerity and realism in the movie. Overall the movie is okay. It has its problems, yes, but as movie adaptations go, it is fine. It’s not going to be on my list of favorite movies, but I’m not going to become violently ill every time I see it either.
V OLUME 1, I SSUE 2
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SPORTS
MARK YOUR CALENDARS TO SUPPORT KNIGHTS ATHLETICS Winter sports are in full swing. On the next few pages you’ll find the schedules for this season’s sports teams, so you can fill the gym and cheer on our student athletes.
BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL Fri Dec 11 7:30PM Tue Dec 15 7:30PM Fri Dec 18 7:30PM Tue Dec 22 7:30PM Mon Dec 28 7:30PM Tue Dec 29 TBA Tue Jan 5 7:30PM Wed Jan 6 7:30PM Fri Jan 8 7:30PM Tue Jan 12 7:30PM Fri Jan 15 7:30PM Sat Jan 16 12:15PM Mon Jan 18 7:30PM Wed Jan 20 7:30PM Fri Jan 22 7:30PM Wed Jan 27 7:30PM Thu Jan 28 7:30PM Fri Jan 29 7:30PM Tue Feb 2 7:30PM
Delone Catholic High School Bermudian Springs High School York Catholic High School Biglerville Middle School/HS Christian School Of York Christian School Of York Littlestown Senior High School McConnellsburg High School Hanover High School Delone Catholic High School York County School Of Technology York Country Day School Big Spring High School Bermudian Springs High School York Catholic High School Biglerville Middle School/HS York Country Day School Littlestown Senior High School Hanover High School
Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym York Catholic High School Gym Biglerville Middle School/HS Pitzer Gym-High School Christian School Of York Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Delone Catholic High School Sheppard Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Big Spring High School Gym Bermudian Springs High School HS Competition Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Littlestown Senior High School Gym Hanover High School HS Gym
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SPORTS
T HE K NIGHT ’ S V OICE
WINTER SPORTS - GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL Fri Dec 11 7:30PM Tue Dec 15 7:30PM Tue Dec 22 7:30PM Mon Dec 28 6:00PM Tue Dec 29 TBA Tue Jan 5 7:00PM Fri Jan 8 7:30PM Tue Jan 12 7:30PM Fri Jan 15 7:30PM Sat Jan 16 11:15AM Wed Jan 20 7:30PM Mon Jan 25 7:30PM Wed Jan 27 7:30PM Thu Jan 28 6:15PM Fri Jan 29 7:00PM Tue Feb 2 7:30PM Thu Feb 4 6:30PM
Delone Catholic High School Bermudian Springs High School Biglerville Middle School/HS Christian School Of York Christian School Of York Littlestown Senior High School Hanover High School Delone Catholic High School York Catholic High School York Country Day School Bermudian Springs High School Waynesboro Area Senior High School Biglerville Middle School/HS York Country Day School Littlestown Senior High School Hanover High School Veritas Academy
Delone Catholic High School Sheppard Gym Bermudian Springs High School HS Competition Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Christian School Of York Gym Christian School Of York Gym Littlestown Senior High School Gym Hanover High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym York Catholic High School Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Biglerville Middle School/HS Pitzer Gym-High School York Country Day School Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym
V OLUME 1, I SSUE 2
SPORTS
WINTER SPORTS - BOYS VARSITY WRESTLING Fri Dec 11 3:30PM Sat Dec 12 9:00AM Wed Dec 23 7:00PM Mon Dec 28 TBA Tue Dec 29 TBA Thu Jan 7 7:30PM Thu Jan 14 7:00PM Fri Jan 15 2:30PM Sat Jan 16 7:30AM Tue Jan 19 7:00PM Thu Jan 21 7:00PM Thu Jan 28 7:00PM Fri Jan 29 5:00PM Sat Jan 30 9:30AM Wed Feb 3 7:00PM
Carlisle Area High School Carlisle Area High School Biglerville Middle School/HS Chambersburg Area Senior High School Chambersburg Area Senior High School Bermudian Springs High School Hanover High School
Carlisle Area High School Gym Carlisle Area High School Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Chambersburg Area Senior High School Gym Chambersburg Area Senior High School Gym Bermudian Springs High School HS Competition Gym Hanover High School HS Gym
Catoctin High School
Catoctin High School
Catoctin High School
Catoctin High School
Littlestown Senior High School York County School Of Technology Delone Catholic High School
Littlestown Senior High School Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym Fairfield Area High School HS Gym
TBA
Fairfield Area High School
TBA
Fairfield Area High School
Kennard-Dale High School
Kennard-Dale High School KD Main Gym
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Fairfield Area School District
F AIRFIELD A REA H IGH S CHOOL 4840 Fairfield Road Fairfield PA, 17320
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FFA HITS THE ROAD BY BETTY BELT (GUEST WRITER) This year nine students from our very own Mason Dixon FFA went on an exciting weeklong trip, along with students from FFA chapters at Biglerville and Northern. Our trip started with us all piling onto a charter bus the morning of October 26th. Our first stop was the Cyrus McCormick Museum in Raphine, Virginia. Cyrus McCormick invented the first reaper that revolutionized the world of agriculture. Next, we stopped at Luray Caverns in Natural Bridge, Virginia where we saw beautiful natural rock formations and received “cave kisses” from stalactites. We then went to Virginia Tech’s Beef Facility where they raise different types of beef cattle for their ag department. On Tuesday the 27th we left our hotel and traveled to the Virginia State Fish Hatchery in Marion, where they raise different types of fish to stock nearby and not-so-nearby waters. Then we left Virginia and headed into Tennessee where we ate lunch at the Bush’s Baked Bean Museum and participated in a tour that provided the history of the Bush’s Baked Bean (and no, Duke wasn’t there). We stopped to drop our stuff at the hotel and got ready for the Hatfield and McCoy dinner show in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Wednesday we spent walking around the National Convention in Louisville KY, then watched the first session
of the Convention where we learned about this year’s convention theme to amplify our FFA experiences and our impact on the community. On Thursday, we toured the convention center then watched a hypnotist show held at the convention. The following day we went to a corn maze with a small country farm store at BiWater Farms. The final day, Saturday, we watched the American degree ceremony, where two students from the FFA chapters that we were traveling with got their American Degree, the highest honor in FFA awards. We arrived home around 11 pm.