Vol. 3 No. 2

THE TYRIAN
Vol. 3 • No. 2
Mifflin County High School
Friday, February 14, 2014
[email protected]
The MCHS Drama Club presents:
OUR TOWN
TONIG HT & TOMOR ROW!
“Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?—every, every minute?”
A small town, a mundane couple and a simple life. But in the setting of this average town, we learn that every ordinary day holds extraordinary memories to
be made—if only we look for them. The MCHS Drama Club will be performing an out-of-the-ordinary rendition of the beloved classic tonight and tomorrow.
MCHS Auditorium
$4 for Students
$6 for Adults
Show Begins at 7:30
Cold, snow the only consistencies
By TYRIAN STAFF
LEWISTOWN—“We just
can’t get consistency,” mused
high school principal Mark
Crosson after a long day spent
coordinating snow removal and
accident prevention necessitated
by the heavy snow and ice that
hit Mifflin County last week.
After six canceled school
days, nine two-hour delays, and
one early dismissal, the athletic
and scholastic schedules had
been rearranged countless times.
Thus far, 53 sporting events
were rescheduled and eight canceled. Playing up to four or five
competitions a week due to reshuffling takes a toll on athletes’
bodies, and Crosson is concerned
that MCHS athletes aren’t getting
enough rest.
Due to the frequency of the
extreme weather events, MCHS
students and faculty have memorized the recording of the Skylert
messaging system informing
them that school is either canceled or delayed.
It is the time of year for
term papers, and many students
and teachers feel the crunch.
Tyrian photos by FINNIAN SAYLOR
Sophomore Ty Hunter, faced
Coated with a thick layer of ice, piles of fresh snow from back-to-back storms loom large outside the cafeteria after being cleared from the walkways.
with the first of his research paper deadlines, spoke of the negawere rearranged. The final auditions, normally held on
fall off.
tive effect the interruptions have caused. “It affected me Wednesday evening, didn’t conclude till 9 p.m. Thursday. The structural integrity of the building, he added,
negatively because I didn’t have English all week.” Despite the disruptions, Crosson said, “The directors and was not compromised in any way. A cherry picker be
AP test dates, as well as Keystone test dates, deter- students (were) great.”
longing to Kramer’s Tree Service was brought in Thursmined by outside entities, will not change as a result of
Thursday morning, as the ice on the roof began to
day morning and proved to be a great asset in removing
the cancellations and delays.
melt and loosen its hold, yellow police tape cordoned off the ice chunks from the roof. The district also purchased
The inclement weather forced drastic schedule
several entrances of the building.
a broom with a 10-15 foot handle to aid in the removal.
changes for the District IV PMEA Music Festival held
The tape was intended to protect pedestrians from
There is an upside to the down time. Logan Auat MCHS Feb. 5 through Feb. 8. Due to the cancellaice and snow falling off the roof. The snow guards along miller, a senior participating in co-op, benefited from the
tion on the 5th and the delay on the 6th, the performers’
the edge of the roof were not strong enough to hold the
cancellations. “I got more work time than school time, so
practice time was seriously reduced, and audition periods heavy ice and snow, Crosson said, and some had begun to I made more money.”
Perfect pairs: How they knew it was love
Nora Ephron’s romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally” follows the tumultuous 11-year friendship
turned courtship of Harry and Sally. Each major scene transition is a short video of a different married couple sitting on a loveseat, sharing the story of how they met and fell in love. In an homage to
the popular film and the power of love, we asked several of the district’s married couples to share our
loveseat, their love stories, and the secret to their long and happy marriages.
The stories of the Gill/Williams and Schulzes were written by Megan Ingram.
The stores of the Cassner, Moores and Flukes were written by Alana Felton.
LIVE INTERVIEWS
Check the online edition of The Tyrian
soon for the live, videotaped interviews
with our couples.
When Bill Met Pat: The Cassners
LEWISTOWN— He looked across the dance floor, and
there she was, a beautiful girl he had never seen before, standing
among a large group of girls.
Could he get up the nerve to ask her to dance? He had to.
Summoning his courage, Bill Cassner walked up to Pat
Springsteen and, in front of all of her friends, asked her to dance.
“…She was a hottie,” he says, remembering how she looked at
the dance.
He was so taken with her that night that when she said she
was from New Jersey, he began wondering whether his old car
would be able to survive the long trips he envisioned taking to see
her during breaks.
Pat’s first thoughts of Bill? “Finally, here was someone my
size,” she says, someone “easy to dance with.”
Both Pat and Bill were students at Shippensburg University
and went to the weekly dances held on campus but had never
run into one another until that night. They would never have met
under different circumstances; she was a beach babe from out of
state, and he was a local who commuted daily to classes. Pat, who
Heroin
Deadly white
horse running
out of control
By TYRIAN STAFF
LEWISTOWN—When the Pale
Horse appears, its rider’s name is Death,
and hell follows closely behind.
The above is a prophecy from Revelations, but it also has a familiar ring to
anyone who has intimate knowledge of
heroin. Known (among other names) on
the street as Horse, the powerful white
powder can put the user through a personal
hell that all too often leads to death.
The recent, apparent drug-related
death of actor and heroin addict Philip
went to a Pennsylvania school to experience something different, Seymour Hoffman shocked the public.
says she never would have believed she would end up falling in
Hoffman’s death is one of the more than
love with someone who lived close enough to the campus to com- two dozen linked to heroin within the past
mute.
three weeks in the eastern United States.
See And now you know/A3
See A dangerous/A2
PMEA District IV Band Festival
Tyrian photos by FINNIAN SAYLOR
Last week, students from 25 high schools in Pennsylvania participated in the PMEA District IV Band Festival at MCHS Above, the musicians practice under the direction of guest conductor Dr. Jack Stamp from IUP.
PEOPLE
A2—Lewistown, PA
Mission Costa Rica...
By KARILYN ELDER
Special to The Tyrian
COSTA RICA—Warm
breezes, genuine smiles, a grateful
community. Rio Curate, Costa
Rica, is exactly that.
In January, my mom and I
went to Rio Curate with a mission
team.
We left a little late due to the
ice storms on the East Coast but
stayed there from the 9th through
the 19th.
When we landed in San Jose,
California, after a five-hour flight,
we then boarded a bus.
The trip from there would
take us almost three hours to Rio
Curate, which is approximately
the size of Milroy.
We arrived at the church we
were working for and were told
that for the 10 days we were there
we were to build a fence for the
new church going up across the
street.
It didn’t seem like much
work at the time, but we later
found out that it was a bigger task
than it appeared to be.
After dispersing from the
church, we met our house parents,
Charlie and Mina, who lived on
a cute little farm about five miles
from the church. They had cows,
pigs, chickens and, of course,
dogs.
We were to begin our work
by painting metal railing for on
top of the cement walls already
there.
First, we carried 100- pound
cement posts to the spots where
we were going to dig 15-inch
holes with shovels
and then concrete
them in place.
Painting
them was the next
task, and then the
men on the trip
put the barbed
wire up.
As the saying goes, “Many
hands make light
work!”
But don’t
think that this trip
was all work and
no play!
The church
held a rodeo as a
fund raiser for the
new church being
built.
We got to
sit and enjoy the
show after we
cleaned up the
site where it was
being held.
They also
took us to a pineapple plantation
owned by Dole
(If you ever buy
a pineapple that
says Dole 14, it’s
from Costa Rica.)
There were
millions of pineapples, and that’s
not an exaggeration. There were
literally 55,250,000 pineapples on
this 1,700-acre farm!
But that’s not all.
They had one more splurge
for us, the famous La Paz Waterfall Gardens.
Friday, February 14, 2014
enriching experience on the “Rich Coast”
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Clockwise from top left: Karilyn
poses with a parrot, children
gather around a parachute, and
Karilyn helps dig post holes.
There we saw Costa Rican
wildlife consisting of birds, butterflies, cats, and much more.
None of that compared to the
120-foot waterfalls though.
There were at least five waterfalls at the resort, all breathtakingly beautiful.
The scene was absolutely
perfect. It was raining a little,
the mist from the waterfall was
spraying, the dense forest was all
around us—it was picture perfect.
On the 10th day, I missed the
rest of my family and friends, but
I still wanted to stay with Mina
and Charlie and all of the other
wonderful people I had met there.
Going to Costa Rica on that
mission trip was one of the best
experiences of my life, and I will
never forget the people, their
impact on my life or my impact
on theirs.
A dangerous addiction
Resource officer warns of growing heroin problem
Continued from page 1
come in from Western Pennsylvania—it is
out of control in Pittsburgh and has begun
to filter into Altoona and neighboring
Huntingdon County. Haines warns, “You
never know what you’re getting when you
buy this drug. Some is so pure and strong
enters a ‘nod’ period for several hours dur- is much more potent. “Geneticists have
ing which he alternates between wakeful- changed marijuana to produce higher THC
Another 300 users were hospitalized
ness and drowsiness. After taking heroin,
levels. (It) is much more addictive, is more
during that same period.
some people feel secure and emotionally
carcinogenic, and now after using more
But according to Mifflin County
self-contained. Others feel enthused and
and more, you need a stronger high, thus
School Resource Officer Cpl. Rob Haines,
sociable.
moving to heroin,” Haines explains.
the powerful pull of
“Either way,” he says, “there is a
Haines expresses dismay over Colothe deadly drug and
profound sense of control and well-being.” rado’s recent legalization of marijuana
related heroin-induced
The user then falls into a dreamy and
which, he says, has meant more drug users
deaths should be of
relaxed state.
are turning to heroin. “With the legalizano surprise in these
A user’s first euphoria, though, can
tion of pot, it has become more expensive.
parts where heroin has Who are you? Your once happy and energetic friend
never be topped, but the pleasure cenIt is an industry. Now heroin is cheap and
played a prominent
ter of the brain cannot forget that first
easier to obtain. So if marijuana is off the
becomes testy, sullen, hostile, unpredictable.
role in the local drug
time. Therefore, with each use, the drug
black market, you can get a hit of heroin
You’re hanging out with whom? Old friends, even best becomes less satisfying to the user, and
culture for more than a
for a couple of bucks versus a bag of pot
friends, are suddenly forgotten and replaced by others
decade.
eventually it hardly makes a difference.
for $50. So guess what? Colorado now has
who are active in the drug culture.
Mifflin County’s
Even so, the addict still dreams of ex- a heroin problem.”
You need these because? Among his/her hidden posheroin problem drew
periencing the original euphoria and chases
Heroin addiction is almost impossible
sessions are small plastic bags, needles and syringes,
nationwide attention
after it, consuming more and more of the
to cure, and the physical withdrawal sympin 2001 when MSsubstance, yet never reaching that state his toms can be so dramatic that those trying
silver spoons, lighters, scales, small pieces of foil such
NBC aired a two-hour as gum wrappers (perhaps with burn marks), small
mind craves.
to get off the drug
documentary titled
In the
find it hard to stop
balloons, soda cans (or bottoms of cans), cotton balls,
“America’s New Heruser’s
futile
without profesquarter-inch pieces of cigarette filters, pieces of plastic
oin Epidemics: Along
search for eusional help.
straw, shoelaces, rubber bands, rubber tubing.
Comes the Horse.” Bephoria, he runs
Haines
You want to borrow how much? To keep up with the
cause heroin had once
the danger of
observes, “I can
cost of his/her ever-increasing drug habit, your friend
been considered to be
taking so much
honestly say
begins borrowing money.
almost exclusively an
of the drug that
I never met a
Whatever happened to…? iPad, iPod, TV, etc. and
inner-city problem,
it shuts down
recovered heroin
other valuable personal items come up missing—sold
MSNBC turned its
the brain’s autoaddict. This is a
cameras on Mifflin
matic controls,
drug that once
to support a drug habit.
County. The drug’s
and it stops
you start using,
Aren’t you hot in that? Your friend begins wearing
widespread presence in long-sleeve shirts or long pants all the time to cover
telling the heart
you can never
Lewistown, a conserto
beat
and
the
stop.
SUBMITTED
PHOTO
track marks (or he/she may shoot up on low-visibility
vative rural community
lungs to breathe,
“If you’re
Items confiscated in a Mifflin County drug bust.
sites of the body—feet, underarms, etc.—in an attempt
surrounded by a large
resulting in death.
not using heroin,
to hide the marks from others).
Amish population, was
Over the past 20 years, Haines says,
you’re using another drug or medication to
Did you do something different with your hair? Perto the national media
he has seen at least one person per year
take its place.”
sonal hygiene begins to become a low priority, and the
outlet an indicator
whose system had completely shut down
friend who once took great pride in personal appearthat no community is
because of heroin. Had the ambulance not
Recovering addict’s
ance begins to look disheveled, unclean.
immune to the heroin
arrived in time to administer Naxolone,
letter to Haines
epidemic. Through the Do you still go here? He/she arrives late to school,
those people would have died.
documentary, Mif
It is possible to quit using heroin,
misses practices, cuts classes, skips school altogether.
flin County became a
however it is not easy. I used heroin for
You got a what on that test? Once a high-achieving
symbol of rural heroin student, your friend sees his/her grades begin to plumCrime component
about 6 years. I started when I was 18
abuse.
snorting it and then about 6 months to a
met, loses interest in long-range goals and sometimes
According to
Another consequence of heroin adyear later I was shooting it. That continstops talking altogether about the future.
Haines, heroin is not
diction is that addicts often turn to crime
ued until I was 24 years old. It becomes
only still here but is a
to support their drug habits. According
the Master. It takes EVERYTHING from
growing problem. He attributes part of the it can kill the common user as a shock to
to statistics provided by Haines, “about
you. Those 6 years were the most miserreason for its continued presence to the
their system. Others can be mixed with
one-fourth of convicted property and drug able of my life. I put my family through
young heroin users from those documenanything from fentanyl (a synthetic opiate) offenders in local jails had committed their hell and wanted to die every day. After a
tary years who are now supplying the drug to rat poison.”
crimes” to get drug money.
while it evolves into trying not to get dope
to the current generation of users. Haines
sick. The high has come and gone, and it
says, “Those addicts, if still living, are livHow heroin works
turns into self preservation. Nothing else
ing here and hold the chain or pipeline of
Marijuana as gateway
matters. You will steal from your dying
heroin to Mifflin County open.”
Heroin alters neurons in an addict’s
grandfather before you will allow yourself
Within our borders, Haines says, the
brain at various rates, stimulating the
To those who think pot is a safe high, to get dope sick. My saving grace was the
Mifflin County Regional Police Departpleasure center of the brain to a state of eu- Haines says research points to marijuana
Mifflin County Drug Court. I was fortunate
ment has seen an increase in heroin use
phoria. However, the primitive centers of
as a gateway drug, especially when the
enough to be “selected” for the program.
over the past year, and area medical
the brain that control breathing and heart
user begins as a teenager “because expoIt saved my life. I haven’t used heroin for
facilities have been dealing with an everrate are unable to keep up.
sure during adolescence primes the system over two years. It is possible to quit. The
increasing number of heroin overdoses and
After being injected, the heroin is
to crave the chemical stimulation of hard
problem is YOU cannot help your loved
deaths.
converted to morphine, causing a rush
drugs.”
one quit. They have to want to quit. It took
We are not alone. A powerful comwithin several seconds. After the intense
This is even more likely today than it me many years to get to that point. [It] was
bination of heroin and other opiates has
euphoria, Haines explains, the user then
was in the past because today’s marijuana the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.
Signs of Heroin Use: When you
feel the need to ask…
PEOPLE
A3—Lewistown, PA
Friday, February 14, 2014
And now you know the rest of the story, the love story
Continued from page 1
Despite all odds, they not only met but went on to marry
after dating three years. Twenty-one-year-old Pat and 22-yearold Bill exchanged vows on July 22, 1972, a blazing hot New
Jersey day. A family-oriented affair, their wedding was held at
the First Baptist Church in Patricia’s hometown.
Through their 41 years of marriage, the Cassners raised
three children—Molly, Becca and Derek—as well as a menagerie of pets. They had everything from poodles and cats to turtles
and ducks because their daughter, Becca, aspired to become a
veterinarian. Pat was particularly exasperated by the turtle whose
shell she had to scrub regularly with a toothbrush. Their turtle-scrubbing years behind them, the Cassners
keep busy working for the district: Pat is a history teacher at
the junior high, and Bill works in tech support. Their favorite
aspects of working for MCSD are having the same days off, the
same working hours and common friends.
They complement each other well. Pat is a doer. On their
days off, she insists on constant activity. Bill is more laid back,
but he supports Pat’s desire to stay busy and joins her on walks
and trips to the beach.
The pair works well together. When the kids were home,
Pat and Bill teamed up to help them with school projects. Empty
nesters now, they have moved on to other team ventures. A yard
sale scavenger, Pat often brings home doodads; Bill fixes them
up to give to the grandchildren. And they have taken up golf but
confess to being terrible at it.
Despite Pat’s claim that she lacks a sense of humor, Bill’s
favorite memory of her involves her dressing up as Highland
Park Elementary School’s mascot, a penguin.
They attribute the success of their 41-year marriage to the
fact that they never argue, choosing instead to compromise and
trying always to see the other’s point of view. Pat, who values
compassion and understanding, labels herself a “peacemaker.”
Through their ability to reconcile differences and their enjoyment in spending time together, theirs is a happy life.
In looking back, the Cassners explain that when they got
married, times were different than they are today. Most people
they knew got married either directly out of high school or college, and few hardly ever discussed the logistics of marriage.
Pat’s advice to teenagers about dating and beyond is not to
be in a hurry. “Don’t think that the person you are dating now
is ‘the one.’ Experience life first, talk things over before you get
married and discuss issues, especially involving finances.”
Despite the surprise Pat first felt when she realized that
she—who had ventured beyond the borders of her home state
to go to college—would marry a Central Pennsylvania boy who
went to college by day and spent his nights at home, she knows
she wouldn’t be happy with anyone else.
When Dave Met Lynn: The Schulzes
`
Lynn Diller was convinced she was never going to get
married. An independent woman, she grew up in an era that emphasized the ideal that a woman didn’t need a man to be happy.
And she believed that—until she laid eyes on Dave Schulze in
the college cafeteria and saw him looking back at her.
Lynn and Dave exchanged their first words at a fraternity
party held on campus. Laughing, Lynn recalls that party and how
she maneuvered her friends in a circle so they could look over
her shoulder and spy on Dave for her. “I wanted them to check
to see if he was looking at me.”
Dave describes that first glimpse of each other in the cafeteria as “love at first sight,” a feeling he will never forget.
Since that first night, the two have shared many memories. Dave’s most romantic memory of Lynn is of the night she
cooked a homemade meal for the two of them. Neither liked the
food available in the college cafeteria on weekends, so one night
Lynn made him a steak dinner, complete with Brussels sprouts
and apple pie. She prepared the meal in the kitchenette in the
lobby of her dormitory. However, she didn’t have access to all
the traditional cooking utensils and had to improvise using items
lying around the dorm. To roll out the pie dough, she used a
bottle in place of a rolling pin. Dave was impressed.
They wed on a warm summer day in August after a threeyear courtship. In the months leading up to the big day, Dave
confesses that he put little thought into his expectations of the
upcoming ceremony. Perhaps he should have.
His friends, who were in the wedding, had left on a road
trip just before the big day, and Dave was panicked that they
weren’t going to make it back in time. In fact, his friends still
weren’t back when he talked to them the night before the wedding.
The next morning, with his friends having made it after
all and standing there by his side as the bridal music played,
Dave realized he had been thoroughly unprepared for something
else—seeing his bride walk down the aisle in her white gown.
Taking in his huge, panicked eyes and the steady stream of sweat
running down his face, Lynn thought, “He’s going to run.”
Thirty-three years later, the two are still happily married,
something they credit to the honesty, respect and laughter present in their relationship.
They have two grown daughters, Megan and Avery, and a
Brittany spaniel, Blue (whose name came from Megan’s preference for the color).
Their favorite activity to do together is cooking—Dave’s
the griller, especially vegetables—and they love to entertain.
They began working for the school district in 1980, and
they agree that the experience has been great. Their similar
schedules have allotted them ample time to plan family activities
over the summer and during holiday breaks.
Lynn’s dating advice for students emphasizes the need for
mutual respect. Dave stresses the importance of not rushing a
relationship, and pondering for another second or two, he underscores the point: “It can wait.”
When Randy Met Sue: The Flukes
a sign.
They continued without the organ. Following the ceremony, the newlyweds serenaded one another with “Gift of Love” in
front of their more than 200 guests.
They discovered later that due to their huge reception in
the church’s social hall, the circuits had overloaded. The church
had been minutes from burning down. In fact, in the process of
checking the fuses, the pastor burned his hand on the hot breaker
box.
Twenty-seven and a half years later, the two are more in
love than they were that night. Along with their two daughters,
Natalie and Hannah, they have lived a blessed and joyful life.
Ross, who teaches middle school science, was already
working for the school district when Elaine, a high school
emotional support teacher, was hired in August of 1997 after
Being the boss in a relationship isn’t necessarily a good
their younger daughter began first grade. Working for the same
thing. He was the crew leader at a local restaurant. She was one
employer has strengthened their relationship, they say, because
of the crew. Under company policy, dating was not an option for they understand and can empathize with each other, and the sumthem. But unbeknownst to the rest of the crew (or to the commers off afford them time to travel.
pany), Randy Fluke and Sue Baxter were involved in a secret
Their funniest family memory took place on vacation.
courtship. At the time they met, Randy was 28 and managing the During a hiking trip, torrents of rain completely soaked them,
local Hardee’s. Sue was 19 and had just joined his staff.
their daughters, their tents. They tried taking turns drying their
Of their first impressions of each other, Randy in his clasclothes over the tiny vents in their van. Eventually, they gave up
sic, sarcastic style says, “I don’t know, she worked for me”; Sue and drove to a local Pizza Hut where they stood in front of the
is more forthcoming: “I thought he was cute.”
restroom’s hand dryer to finish the job.
Fearing the loss of their jobs if their relationship were
Aside from traveling, they find great enjoyment spending
detected, they drove miles away from Lewistown for their dates. every moment together talking, watching movies, reading on
The forced secrecy, though, added a sense of excitement to
their swing, walking.
their dating as it meant listening in to what their co-workers had
“She is a good listener,” Ross says of Elaine’s most endearplanned for the weekend so they could avoid those places.
ing quality. Smiling, Elaine says that Ross is “good at comfortThey did let a few people in on their secret—they told their ing her.” They credit their happy marriage to joint decisionfamilies who turned out to be quite supportive of them.
making and reliance on the Lord’s direction. Without Jesus as
Although a bit unsure of where they actually went on their their common thread, they agree, their relationship would be
first date, Randy says, “Let’s say the Eutaw House,” remember- incomplete.
ing that one of their earliest dates was at the Spring Mills eatery.
Ross advises teens who are looking for love, “Don’t push
Through their time on the job, they realized that they
it. Change happens, and the divorce rate is so high it is bad to
wanted more than a workplace friendship. Eventually they told
rush.” Elaine encourages teenagers to “have a lot of friends;
their manager who, owning two different businesses, arranged
learn what you like; don’t make commitments until you are
for Randy to continue working at Hardee’s and for Sue to work
older and have experienced things for yourself and you are more
for the other restaurant.
mature.”
Their candlelight wedding was on the cold evening of
January 14, 1984. Randy says the next day was even better—
When Chris Met Tona: The Gill/Williams
that’s when they headed to Las Vegas for their honeymoon.
Randy laughs as he says that when they hit the casinos, he saw a
whole new side of his small-town wife.
The couple recently celebrated their 30th anniversary. In
their three decades together, they raised two children, Sean and
Jessica, along with two dogs, Spike, a beagle, and Callie, their
daughter’s Shih Tzu.
Although both have worked in the district for years, they
didn’t begin working in the same building until Lewistown
Area and Indian Valley high schools combined. He is an English
teacher, and she works in the high school cafeteria.
Since they have come full circle and are again working
under the same roof, Sue laughs and says that she “has to behave
more now.” Randy adds that Sue now better “understands what I
go through.”
Tona Williams was officiating a basketball game at LewOutside of school, they enjoy spending every moment toistown Area High School while on winter break from college.
gether: shopping, attending sporting events and going out to eat. Chris Gill was in the stands, watching the game with friends.
Randy must also enjoy eating in because his favorite of Sue’s
When the game was over and Tona had changed out of her
qualities is her fantastic cooking ability. Sue appreciates that he
stripes, she went to Kirby’s, a local restaurant, to meet up with
always listens to her and that he has a sarcastic sense of humor
her friend Joe and a group of his friends who had also been at
that keeps her on her toes.
the game.
Their family dynamic is rife with Randy’s sarcasm, but
Chris was among the friends in Joe’s group. Seeing Tona,
Randy concedes that Sue is the boss at home. They make deciChris was first drawn to her athleticism, attractiveness and
sions together, though. Both credit their ability to communicate
outgoing nature; his sense of humor and intelligence stood out
and their common faith in Christ as the reasons they have been
to her.
able to enjoy their marriage to the utmost.
Tona had been sitting at the counter on the stool next to
Randy encourages high school students about marriage
Joe, and when Joe got up to go to the rest room, she saw an
by saying, “Marriage is fantastic if you have someone who will
opening. “Move down a seat,” she said to Chris, indicating the
stand by you.” In fact, Randy says that the most romantic thing
empty seat that separated them. When Chris moved over to close
Sue does for him is “always being there for me.”
the gap between them, he closed it for good.
The beauty of their relationship is in its simplicity; spendSoon after this first encounter, Tona and Chris went on
ing the evening together at home is their favorite pastime. They
their first date to the Miller Theater where they watched “Christhave all they need in each other.
mas Vacation.”
By the end of the month, they knew they would spend the
When Ross Met Elaine: The Moores
rest of their lives together.
After several years of dating, they were married on the
hottest day of the summer, Chris wearing a wool tuxedo. It was
an enjoyable and memorable day for them. Everyone in the wedding party drove MG convertibles, a tradition of the times; Tona
and Chris still have two of them. They chose Kirby’s, the restaurant where they exchanged
their first words, to host their reception. As a surprise, Tona’s
sisters and friends serenaded the newlyweds.
Tona and Chris will celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary in June. The couple prides themselves on the deep level
of friendship they share; in fact, they can count on just a few
fingers how many times they have argued. “The relationship is
more important than the argument,” Chris says, and Tona nods in
agreement.
“Wow! Thanks, Grandma!” The words went through Ross
Their sons, Christopher James (CJ) and Tucker, are now
Moore’s mind when he saw Elaine Weller for the first time.
10 and 8 years old, respectively. Chris says that as a family they
The occasion was lunch at his Nana’s house, a lunch he hadn’t
enjoy activities that combine entertainment and stimulation of
been looking forward to. Elaine was the young woman his
the mind, such as playing sports and watching “Jeopardy.”
grandmother was convinced was “the one.” She just needed to
The family also has a plethora of pets, including a house
arrange for them to meet.
cat, multiple barn cats, a horse and a chocolate lab, Harper. Like
Ross was 28 and had given up on dating, but to please
Harper, all of their dogs have been given names from the novel
Nana, he agreed to the lunch. Meanwhile, Elaine, who had also
“To Kill a Mockingbird.”
lost interest in dating, prepped herself for an awkward meal.
This family is not bound by “traditional” roles; everyone
Then she met the grandson Nana Moore was always talking
pitches in to help with whatever needs to be done. Chris often
about. “Ooh, this might not be so bad,” she thought.
does the cleaning, Tona cooks, and they share in mowing the
They know they had sandwiches for lunch, but neither
lawn and coaching their sons’ sports teams.
can remember much else about that meal aside from seeing one
Chris and Tona began teaching together in 1992 at a school
another for the first time.
in Gettysburg before they got married.
After they finished eating, they went for a walk around the
They returned to Lewistown three years later, continuneighborhood. When they returned to the house, Elaine got into
ing the trend of working together, first at Lewistown Area High
her car, intending to head back to work. That’s when Ross did
School and now at MCHS where she teaches English and he
something out of character. He leaned on her car door and heard teaches social studies.
himself say to her, “I have a mind not to let you leave.”
How has working together affected their relationship? The
She had to pull away, but she left her heart behind with
two ponder this question for some time and then concur that it
him. That night, they talked on the phone for three hours. Before saves on gas.
they said good night to each other, Elaine sang Ross a lullaby.
Their advice for students about relationships? Tona readily
He was smitten.
answers, “Don’t settle.” She and Chris agree that the right person
After dating for a year, Elaine and Ross tied the knot
is worth the wait.
on August 16, 1986. As Ross stood at the altar waiting for a
At this point in their lives, the couple has been together for
glimpse of Elaine, the sunlight shining through the stained glass more years than they have been apart.
windows, the pipe organ faltered and died in the middle of the
Tona reflects, “It’s hard for me to remember life without
processional. Then the power went out. Ross wondered if it was him.”
OPINION
A4—Lewistown, PA
Friday, February 14, 2014
Note to self:
How to tie a love knot Take a selfie; it will last longer
We dream about it, watch movies and read books
about it, search desperately for proof that it exists, desire
deeply to experience it for ourselves. True Love. But,
dreams aside, there is the stark reality that nearly half of
all marriages in America end in divorce. So do we even
dare to hope to live and love “happily ever after?”
Somewhere between the Prince and Cinderella and
Kanye and Kim, “love” became synonymous with physical expression. Could it be, though, that True Love is
something else altogether? And that there are those who
know the secret to what makes Love last?
Through the process of meeting and interviewing
married couples who work in the district, I came face to
face with True Love that lasts a lifetime. As the couples
took their turns sitting on the loveseat, sharing their love
stories, some common threads emerged in the otherwise
varied tapestries of their love.
One of them proved a challenge to my very rational
way of thinking—each couple we interviewed had known
within days or weeks of either meeting or dating each
other that they would spend the rest of their lives together.
This kind of knowledge defies rational thinking. There is
no science to it, no numbers, no formulas. They just knew.
The idea of “just knowing” you love someone is startling,
almost frightening.
I hate sappy movies and refuse to read any book that
focuses primarily on “love at first sight” (sorry, Nicholas
Sparks). But, the more I considered it, this immediate
certainty and desire these couples felt for one another
made perfect sense. Love cannot be rational. If it were, we
wouldn’t enjoy thinking about it as much as we do. An illustration of this is the experience of Ross and
Elaine Moore. Ross said he knew Elaine was “the one” the
day they met, and he started to speak and act without realizing what he was doing. Such was the effect she had on
him.
The second thread among the couples’ stories was that
a successful marriage involves compromise, communication and respect. That made sense. How can you truly
love another if you don’t value his/her opinion? Without
respect, marriage is an empty shell of broken promises,
senseless bickering and the fear that one’s spouse may one
day decide to leave over a toilet seat left up one too many
times or a failure to support a football addiction. Chris
Gill, husband of Tona Williams, said couples should keep
this in mind when on opposite sides of an issue: “The
relationship is always more important than the argument.”
The most important thread was of love not merely
being a part of life but a reason for living. Williams said
something that absolutely blew me away: “…it’s hard for
me to remember life without Gill.” Those few words captured the essence of “two becoming one.”
This does not suggest that life begins at marriage. It is
important to find oneself first; as Elaine Moore observed,
“learn about what you like…experience things for yourself…”
Life before marriage is your time of self discovery, so
that one day you might stand before your future spouse
and say, “I know who I am, and I know that you are the
one.”
—ALANA FELTON
By FINNIAN SAYLOR
Tyrian staff writer
Prom night. Couples parade
in, cell phones in hand.
As they enter the cafeteria,
snap! It begins.
Snap! Snap! Snap! Quickly—
before the hair flattens, before the
make-up smudges, before they
look “worn.”
Clustered around a cellphone
screen, friends exclaim, “Delete
that, I look awful!”
Another responds, “No, wait!
I look good!” In the background, the music
pumps, but no one heads to the
dance floor. They have to document their night first.
The DJ waits while the news
feed fills.
Why are we so obsessed with
pictures—furthermore, pictures of
ourselves? According to Oxford
Dictionaries, the 2013 word of the
year is “selfie.” Yup, it’s a word
now, a word that will forever rest
in the pages of dictionaries around
the globe.
Six letters, two syllables,
“selfie” has found its way into the
vernacular of so many people.
The grand unveiling of the
iPhone 4 in 2010, ushered in the
selfie era. Apple introduced, as
they call it, the portrait camera;
a front-facing camera whose
ancestor can be traced back to the
webcam—this was the beginning
of the end. Since the technology
was first introduced, one is hardpressed to purchase a Smartphone
without it.
As new forms of social
media, such as Instagram and
Snapchat, have come to dominate
the electronic realm, they must
attribute their success to their
invaluable counterpart, the selfie
camera.
Instagram has become a
dumping ground for pictures. Photos are no longer shared—they are
“freeloaded.” People post selfies,
pictures of proms past, anything
that will get followers to double
tap.
With the manifestation of
the hashtag “system,” users suddenly have validation to post their
man-crush on Monday (#ManCrushMonday), their personal
physical transformation (#TransformationTuesday; now people
share their own embarrassing
baby pictures, saving mothers the
trouble), a girly crush on Wednesday (#WomanCrushWednesday),
a throw back of a cherished
memory (#ThrowBackThursday).
Let’s not forget flashback Friday
(#FlashBackFriday, in case you
forget to post that precious picture
on Thursday). On Saturday, got to
get your beauty rest because there
will be a self-portrait shoot on
Sunday, #SelfieSunday. I look around the cafeteria on
prom night, and the dominant image is of the glare of LED flash,
the posing and rearranging of
gowns.
Meanwhile, on the dance
floor are the few brave souls
who dare to do the unthinkable:
dance. They will be the ones who
will have actual memories to
associate with the smiles in their
photographs of the evening.
As a generation, have we lost
sight of the value of the night?
Are we exchanging the actual
fun and beauty of the moment
for one more beautiful picture of
ourselves only looking like we’re
having fun instead of having it?
The evolution of technology
is only fantastic until it begins
to erode our culture? As our
cellphone screens become more
important than the “now,” we
begin to lose the value of face-toface interaction with friends and
2014 Region 8 TSA Conference Finalists
PA-BioMedical Essay Contest Engineering Design
3rd Place - Emily Berryman
1st Place - Meagan Bleyer,
PA-Logo Design
Emily Berryman, Kirstie 1st Place - Kirstie Fultz
Fultz, Cullen Kanagy, Architectural Renovation
Paige Laughlin
3rd Place – Meagan Bleyer,
Manufacturing Prototype
Ashley Foltz, Tori 3rd Place - Skylar Bennage, Stewart
Emily Berryman, Courtney Biotechnology Design
Devita, Jacob Foltz
3rd Place -Chance Arentz, Photographic Technology
Kevin Cahill, Kirstie 2nd Place - Paige Laughlin
Fultz, Cullen Kanagy, Promotional Graphics
Paige Laughlin
2nd Place – Tori Stewart
Career Preparation
Transportation Modeling
1st Place - Courtney Devita
2nd Place - Jonathon Chester
Dragster Design
Also competing at the Region 8 TSA
3rd Place – Ashley Foltz
Conference:
Desktop Publishing
Caleb Druckemiller, Andrew 2nd Place - Lauren Naylor
Kline, Alex Kurtz, Myron Mil
3rd Place - Jacob Foltz
liken, Mahesh Pai,
Flight Endurance
Jeremy Stundon, Andrew 1st Place - Kevin Cahill
Traxler
family, and no, the exchange of
Snapchats doesn’t count.
Will the big moments of our
lives be reduced to taking pictures
of ourselves in nice places instead
of making memories in those nice
places?
And for those who were unable to attend promenade, don’t
Tyrian cartoon by Ann Bielski
worry, because the whole thing
will be on replay the next day; just
log onto Facebook, scroll through
Instagram—trust me, it’ll be
there.
Our junior-senior prom will
be held May 10, and many people
have invested many hours into
making it a night to remember.
As you pick up your cell and
prepare to snap away, consider
this line from a song by LeeAnn
Womack: “…and when you get
the choice to sit it out or dance, I
hope you dance.”
Dance.
PMEA Regional Qualifiers
Regional Band Qualifiers
Regional Choir Qualifiers
Faith Galbraith- Flute 1
Sara Munson- Flute 2
Madison Murphy- Flute 2
Megan Ingram- Clarinet 3
Valerie Wray- Clarinet 3
Cassidi Hetrick- Alto
Clarinet
Ashley Foltz- Alto Clarinet
Molly Mank- Euphonium
Molly Dunmire- Euphonium
Lucy Crawford- Alto Sax
Paige Laughlin- Horn 2
Jimi Ruble- Horn 3
Katie LaMarca- Horn 4
Lauren Kavala- Horn 4
Carolyn Harper- Percussion
Emily Curto- Soprano I
Sara Munson- Soprano II
Paige Spicher- Soprano II
Cassidi Hetrick- Alto I
Blake Yoder- Alto I
Lucy Crawford- Alto II
Molly Mank- Alto II
Daniel Knepp- Tenor II
Caleb Greer- Tenor II
Justin Adams- Bass I
Finnian Saylor- Bass I
Jacob Hannon- Bass II
THE LETDOWN
LIST
By HANNAH MABEN
They’re the little things. They come at those moments when we’re
all gas and giggles about something that’s about to happen, only it
doesn’t. Life’s little ironies. The letdowns. Sigh...
• Cold sores
• A broken backpack strap
• Making a special trip to Dunkin’ Donuts and they have everything but
your favorite donut
• Going thirsty because the milk machine ate your dollar
• Double-lab day
• Backlog on the library printer just before the morning bell
• What your freshly straightened hair does when it rains
• Waking up before the alarm
• When you think you finally got a good gift for Christmas, but it turns out
to be socks
• Pushing a door that says pull and vice versa
• When your favorite TV show gets canceled
• A substitute teacher certified in the subject
• Not having a two-hour delay
• Waking up Sunday morning--but it’s Monday
• Google Chrome crashing
• Reference books you can’t check out
• The drain on your wallet as you fill up the tank
About Us
The Tyrian is a student newspaper
published several times a year
by The Sentinel, 352 Sixth St.,
Lewistown, PA 17044.
Tyrian cartoon by Valerie Wray
THE TYRIAN
Established 2011
Publisher
Adviser
Managing Editor
News Editor
Mark A. Crosson
Natalie Love
Alana Felton
Megan Ingram
Office Location
Mifflin County High School
501 Sixth St., Lewistown, PA 17044
Office is open 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday-Friday
Phone (717) 242-0240 Fax (717) 447-2600
[email protected]
Technical Editor
Justin Adams
Creative Editor
Finnian Saylor
LIFESTYLE
A5—Lewistown, PA
Friday, February 14, 2014
From Cinderella’s closet to yours
By CAMERON HASSINGER
and MORGAN WATSON
Tyrian staff writers
made for girls who can’t shop
during regular store hours. Call
Kathy Macchiaverna at (717)
250-0524 or Timi Narehood at
LEWISTOWN—The clock
(717) 348-1170, the founders of
is about to strike midnight,
the organization, for appointment
your glass slipper has just slid
information.
from your foot as your handJust like any other dress shop,
some prince trails after you. The
Cinderella’s Closet looks like the
footmen wait at the door of your
little boutique down the street.
pumpkin carriage, and you look
Suited with mirrors and lights,
down at your white ball gown
there are three dressing rooms and
and think, “What a lovely night.” a pedestal to show off your new
Bipidy-Bopidyfind.
Hours:
Boo. But what if
Dress sizes
Thursdays & Sundays
that dream could
range from 0 to 28
4-6 p.m.
be reality? Where’s
and are arranged
your fairy godmother when you
accordingly. This year, over 300
need her?
dresses lie in store and donations
Bing! She is waiting at Cincome in all through the year.
derella’s Closet. The organization
In the past five years the closprovides gently used prom gowns et has dressed over 600 Cindereland formal dresses to girls free of las. All dresses are cleaned before
charge.
they are hung on the racks and
There is also a limited num- mended as needed. Although most
ber of accessories such as shoes,
dresses are used, some are brand
wraps, purses, and as of this year, new right out of the garment bag.
jewelry. The closet is located in
For the ladies looking for cockChurch Hill at the United Methtail dresses for the Senior Dinner
odist church at 199 Woodland
Dance, there are gorgeous gowns
Circle in Reedsville.
waiting for new homes. The ownHead on into the shop on
ers really enjoy seeing the smile
Thursdays and Sundays from 4-6 on the girls’ faces when they find
p.m. Also, appointments can be
the perfect dress... be that girl!
Tyrian photos by FINNIAN SAYLOR
A student models dresses at
Cinderella’s Closet, an organization
that provides free formal wear to
girls in our community.
Reviews
Hobbit proves epic Flappy bird falls from its perch
By ALEX SMITH
Tyrian staff writer
LEWISTOWN—Through
overuse, “Epic’s” true meaning is
all but lost. Instead of a synonym
for “cool,” it should convey
a sense of enormity, of gravitas. Even so, our long-awaited return to Middle-Earth in “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
can be described only as epic.
From the moment the movie
begins, the audience is whisked
into the beautiful land that Peter
Jackson molded from the backdrop of New
Zealand.
The
breathtaking vistas and
the iconic
soundtrack
from composer
Howard Shore
combine to produce a setting
that can nearly
stand by itself
as a motion
picture experience, and we
haven’t even
talked about
the plot or the
characters yet.
Compared to the first “Hobbit” movie, which was highly
criticized for being plodding at
times, this one is non-stop action
from start to finish.
All of the characters from the
first movie have returned, including the quirky yet courageous
hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (played
by Martin Freeman), the stoic
dwarf prince leading the expedition, Thorin Oakenshield, with a
nuanced performance from actor
Richard Armitage, and of course,
no movie set in Middle-Earth
would be complete without the
wizard Gandalf.
The second installment introduces several new characters that
weren’t present in the first film.
Bard the Bowman, played
by Luke Evans, a heroic human
from the impoverished settlement
of Laketown, will undoubtedly
become an integral character as
the series progresses.
Actor Lee Pace brilliantly
portrays the arrogant Elven king,
Thranduil, with an air of ancient
wisdom.
But perhaps the most influential new character is Tauriel,
a young and reckless Silvan elf
(Silvans are the commoner elves
for those of you who aren’t Lord
of the Rings fanatics) with an
unlikely combination of compassion and battle skills. The most
intriguing component of Tauriel’s
character is that she does not exist
in Tolkien’s novel. She is a complete fabrication of Jackson’s.
Many fans of the book
criticize Jackson for taking such
creative license with the series,
but I think Tauriel fits so seamlessly into the movie that it would
feel as though something were
missing if she weren’t present.
She is one
of only two
females in the
entire “Hobbit” series and
adds a touch
of feminine
compassion in a
world otherwise
dominated by
men.
Surprisingly, my
only complaint
of movie lies
in the special
effects.
Jackson has always
impressed me with his special
effects—as seen in the original
Lord of the Rings trilogy—and
this movie is no exception.
The dragon Smaug is stunningly rendered, and the effects
of the Necromancer are thrilling,
but with such a large-scale movie,
some of the minor details get lost
in the scope of things.
For instance, orcs play an
important role as the numerous
antagonists of the story, but with
so many, the less important orcs
tend to look more like Power
Ranger bad guys than imposing
creatures of evil. However, this is
but a minor criticism.
For those of you who haven’t
seen the first movie or who aren’t
fantasy-adventure fans in general,
this film probably isn’t for you.
However, for fans of the “Lord
of the Rings” or the “Hobbit,”
this movie will leave you holding
your breath, hanging on the edge
of your seat, begging for the next
movie.
Alas, you’ll have to wait
for the final installment of the
franchise; “The Hobbit: There and
Back Again” doesn’t hit theaters
until December 2014.
By TYRIAN STAFF
LEWISTOWN—Why are so many students
flocking around cell phones?
Flappy Bird.
Remember Candy Crush? We don’t either.
The irresistible yet heartbreaking game has
been trending and driving high school students’
stress to a whole new level.
The game is riddled with ads that obstruct
the player’s view while he/she tries to maneuver
through pipes that seem all but impossible to navigate.
So what is it about this aggravating game that
keeps us coming back for more?
It’s the thrill of chasing your high score and attaining bragging rights over your friends and family.
Many students have experienced the heartpounding nightmare of almost eclipsing their high
score only to have Mom call, causing game over.
In the world of swirling high school stress, this
game adds to the madness.
The game generated more than $50,000 in
daily revenue from the sale of ads.
However, the flapping bird has had its feath-
ers clipped. Not only did the game add to the stress
of students, according to the International Business
Times, the rising attention became more than game
creator Dong Nguyen could handle, too. He took the
game off of the market on Feb. 8.
Even though the app has left the app stores,
Flappy Bird is still flying high with gamers—until
it’s knocked from its perch by the next new thing.
Suthar book urges: Hype it up!
By SARA MUNSON
Tyrian staff writer
book and founded a company, all
while attending college.
Suthar has recently selfLEWISTOWN— When
published his first book, “Win No
someone asks a child what he
Matter What.” The book features
wants to be when he grows up,
motivational stories and inspirahe might say a doctor, teacher,
tional quotes.
firefighter, the president....
He gathered his little-known
At a young age, MCHS alum stories thorough research and by
Nihar Suthar
interviewing
aspired to be a
people about
plane pilot.
their personal
He isn’t
experiences. soaring among
With one book
the clouds today,
already out and
but his spirits are
on the shelves,
soaring due to
Suthar has
his new-found
begun working
success.
on another.
He attended
He reNew York Unicently traveled
versity straight
to Australia
out of high
and New
school where he
Zealand to do
enrolled in the
research for it.
liberal studies
In adprogram, but he
dition to his
quickly found
second book,
that his passion
Suthar is curwas business.
rently working on a new busiHe then transferred to Corness venture with a partner from
nell, one of the best undergraduate Columbia University, a company
business schools in the nation.
called Hype Up Your Day.
He is now enrolled in CorHaving grown up in rural
nell’s Dyson School of Applied
Mifflin County before moving
Economics and Management.
to New York City, Suthar could
Since graduating from
see that there were many small
MCHS, Suthar has published a
everyday moments that people
were missing.
He started his company by
posting motivational pictures on a
Facebook page.
The pictures spread
quickly, so he decided to have
Hype Up Your Day trademarked.
The business currently
matches corporate trainers and
speakers with events.
Suthar sends these professionals into businesses to boost
employee morale and bridge
corporate culture. He has also sent
a few motivational speakers to
high schools.
Suthar attributes none of his
success to himself. He says that
his family deserves most of the
credit for encouraging him.
He also recognizes Pramukh
Swami Maharaj (his role model),
and New York for inspiring him.
Through the past few years,
Suthar says he has learned that
absolutely nothing is impossible. His advice to others on how
to hype up their lives is to “Do
what you love. Love what you
do.”
“Win No Matter What” can
be purchased from Amazon in
paperback for $8.09 and for the
Kindle at a cost of $3.03. A portion of all book sales is donated to
Acumen, a New York City charity
that invests in finding solutions to
global poverty.
LIFESTYLE
A6—Lewistown, PA
Friday, February 14, 2014
Healthy living doesn’t mean dieting, and dieting doesn’t have to mean broccoli and
carrots. Cut the fad diets; you really can’t lose 10 pounds in 10 days. Eating and living
“healthy” isn’t just calorie counts, measuring cups and treadmills; it’s about eating all five
food groups, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and consciously making the change—
when given the choice, to reach
for the apple instead of the potato
chips. The inches around your
waist and the numbers on the
scale aren’t the most important
factor. The best reward is your
feeling of accomplishment.
Tyrian photos by FINNIAN SAYLOR
The Tyrian staff put together a day of healthy eating with all food
groups deliciously represented.
A DAY OF HEALTHY EATING
Breakfast—600 calories
Banana: 105 calories
Blueberries: 1 c. 85 calories
Orange juice: 1 c. 110 calories
Oatmeal: 1 c. 300 calories
Lunch—647 calories
Turkey wrap: 302 calories (contains: 3
turkey slices (120 cal) low-fat cheese
(76 cal) tomato (6 cal) olive oil mayo
(45 cal)
Low-fat blueberry yogurt: 160 calories
Apple: 95 calories
Granola bar: 90 calories
Dinner—510 calories
1 serving of carrots: 52 calories
1 serving of tomatoes: 16 calories
1 serving of romaine lettuce: 5 calories
1 serving of Greek yogurt: 140 calories
Ranch dressing: 2 Tbsp. 160 calories
Dinner roll: 87 calories
Light butter with canola oil: 1 T. 50
calories
Snack (not pictured)—230 calories
34 pretzels
Dessert –173 calories
Chocolate ice cream: ½ c. 140 calories
Raspberries: ½ c. 33 calories
Total calories in the day—2160
Teenage men should eat more.
Five poses, fifteen minutes—make it fit!
A long day of school and practice can leave us worn and stressed. All we want is fifteen
minutes to ourselves, but the stack of books in our backpack taunts us, and we think
of the hours we will spend hunkered over a desk finishing math problems.
A mere 15 minutes of yoga can make the difference. Our stress
levels can drop, and our overall well-being can increase.
Yoga can ease depression, anxiety, pain and insomnia, most
of which are common in high school students. Yoga also
has another fantastic benefit: long-term health. Improving our
balance and flexibility can do wonders. Bad posture, bad balance. Sitting hunched over our desks, texting while walking,
sitting in front of screens. If we were meant to look like a
question mark, we would have been born that way. Having bad posture day after day could
possibly change our skeleton, and it will weaken our muscles. As young as we are, we can’t
afford to have weak muscles and a hunched-over skeleton; we need to be strong to be prepared for years to come. Yoga can strengthen our muscles and make our brain more alert.
Fifteen minutes is all it takes. Yoga can help improve range of motion and flexibility which
can protect our bodies from injury. Lack of flexibility is a major cause of most injuries. Every
sport involves physical activity: running to reach the finish, sprinting to get the tackle,
sliding to stop the ball. And even off the field: running to beat the bell, climbing the stairs,
thrusting heavy backpacks. Just 15 minutes—just 15.
Tyrian photos by FINNIAN SAYLOR
LIFESTYLE
A7—Lewistown, PA
Friday, February 14, 2014
Neutrals are in--finish out winter in style
With neutrals, you
won’t blend into
the crowd. In a sea of
color, black and white
is a beacon of simplicity. Keep your
pieces in the same
color families;
try adding some
sparkle or fur
to elevate the
look.
Tyrian photos by FINNIAN SAYLOR
DIY; Beads and Fabric
1. Get an old button-up shirt and beads to
match.
2. Using a needle and thread, apply the beads
to the placket in a random order, ensuring
that all of the fabric is covered.
3. For best results,
hand-wash.
Tyrian photos by FINNIAN SAYLOR
SPORTS
A8—Lewistown, PA
Friday, February 14, 2014
New coaches on hardwood, at poolside
By SELENE MCCAFFREY
Tyrian staff writer
begin to believe in their abilities.”
The Tyrian recently caught
up with the coach. The results of
LEWISTOWN— In the off- that Q & A follow:
season this year, the lady Huskies Q: Where did your interest in
began their basketball training not the game come from?
on the court taking shots but in a A: Started playing Church League
classroom taking notes.
Basketball at the Burnham
Their new head coach,
YMCA in the early 70s…Played
28-year veteran Roger Herto,
in 1976-1980 at Kishacoquillas
explains, “BasHigh School…
ketball is an
Co-Captain my
extension of the
senior year
classroom,” and
Q: What are
his coaching
some of your
style reflects
most memohis philosophy
rable moments
that what the
from your
team does tocoaching days?
gether prepares
A: Too many to
the players for
count… Best
the future just
season recordas much as the
wise was 2001
classroom does.
when the IV
This is a
Girls advanced
homecoming
to the Final
of sorts for
Four in the
Herto who put
State...farther
Tyrian photo by FINNIAN SAYLOR than any female
in 26 of his 28
years as a coach
sports team in
here in the Mifflin County School the history of IVHS. Some of my
District.
favorite moments are at practice,
Herto began his coaching
helping the players to develop
career as the JV coach when
both on and off the court.
Kishacoquillas and Chief Logan
Q: What were your goals commerged to form Indian Valley.
ing into the season? For the
After two years, he moved up to
future?
Varsity coach, a position he held
A: ...To improve from game to
till the program ended with the
game, and to get into the postmerger of IV and Lewistown. He season. For the future we want
spent the next two seasons at
to be a consistently successful
Bellefonte before coming here.
program both on and off the
“In all, I have coached over court. We want to bring girls
1,000 PIAA games,” he says.
basketball back to where it was
Herto’s emphasis this season in this county for about a 20-year
has been on team play and the
period. I want these players to
mental aspects of the game. He
experience what it’s like to be a
promotes a “Believe and SucTop 20 team in the state year in
ceed” atmosphere—if you have
and year out.
faith in yourself, you will meet
Editor’s Note: As of press time,
your goals: “It’s an awesome
the girls are 11-9 and must win
experience when you see a player one more game to advance to
gain confidence in themselves and post season play.
Q: How did you plan to meet
these goals?
A: Like all goals, they don’t just
happen by themselves. You need
to write them down, develop a
plan, and then work harder than
others are willing to, and dream
more than others think is possible.
We started our “off the court
notebook sessions” this past summer/fall and will be continuing
them next off season.
Q: Coming into the season what
were your expectations?
A: That from watching video of
the previous season we needed
to dramatically improve defensively... finishing above .500 and
getting to the post season was
a realistic goal for this team to
achieve.
Q: What are the strengths of
this year’s team?
A: Adaptability. I have been very
impressed with their willingness
and commitment to change from
what they were used to... Practices were quite different from what
they were used to, as well as the
“x’s and o’s” of how we defend
and run our offense. I also enjoy
their work ethic at practice and
desire to improve.
Q: What was the biggest challenge this year?
A: Meshing together a few players from last year’s team with
a new group of players was my
biggest concern. Also, we have
5 seniors, of which 3 of them
have spent the last 5 years with
another coach, and making sure
they were onboard with what I
wanted to do was very important... In addition, developing
depth at all positions is needed.
Ideally I like to regularly play at
least 8 players, especially with
our demanding schedule in the
Mid-Penn Conference. To this
point, we have only been able to
go 6 or 7 deep, and I hope that
over time that will change.
By EVIN HARTSOCK
Tyrian staff writer
often come down to the last two
swimmers with the outcome hanging in the balance.
LEWISTOWN—The
Coach says that meets have
district’s new swim coach, Amy
been exciting.
Houtz, has been swimming for as
She loves competing against
long as she can remember.
top schools in the state at the Mid
Her parents put her in swim Penn level because it gives both
classes when she was about two
her and the swimmers valuable
years old.
experience for future seasons.
She enjoyed those early exAlthough the competition
periences in the pool and contin- can be rough at times, our swimued to swim throughout her high mers have been able to qualify
school years in Juniata County,
for not only district times, but
participating in YMCA leagues. also Mid Penn times at meets,
Beyond high school, Houtz
something that Houtz views as a
swam for a brief period at Allegh- significant accomplishment.
eny College but said sports at the
Houtz believes that the future
college level demanded too much of the program looks bright.
time on top of a busy course load. Through helping out with the
Prior to
YMCA swim
coaching in
leagues, which
Mifflin County,
have longer
she assisted in
meets and are
coaching the
more competiYMCA teams
tive than high
on which her
school, she can
two daughters
recruit younger
swim.
children who
Houtz bewill have more
came interested
experience
in coaching
when they
swimming
finally arrive at
after she had
the high school.
been teachOne very
ing at the high
important point
school level for
Houtz stresses
some time. for those who
She currently
SUBMITTED PHOTO don’t know
teaches social
much about
studies at the junior high. swimming is that it is a sport you
She is also very passionate about can participate in throughout your
the sport and wanted to get more entire life, unlike sports such as
involved in the program to build it football or basketball which have
up for current and future genera- a limited time span for participations of MCHS swimmers.
tion because of wear and tear on
Her favorite event to watch
your body.
her MCHS swimmers compete in
Houtz encourages more
is the 400 freestyle relay.
people to try swimming because it
Houtz said that in recent
is a great sport to compete in, and,
meets this has been the most
so far, no cuts have been made in
entertaining event because it is
the program, giving everyone an
a very competitive race that has
equal opportunity to participate.
It’s official: MCHS teachers call the shots
By MARK AUKER
Tyrian staff writer
wanted to stay involved with the sport of
basketball, and it was a way to earn spending money in college.” She referees four
LEWISTOWN—In athletics, there
times a week on average—high school
must be order, and that order is the result
boys and girls basketball games, along
of making sure the rules of the game are
with women’s college basketball (Division
kept and enforced. That’s where referees
II and III).
come in.
Williams enjoys officiating because
Regularly, four Mifflin County High
it keeps her busy, helps
School teachers don the black and white
her to stay current with
stripes, grab their whistles and call the
all the rule changes every
games as they see them.
year and to keep in shape.
English teacher Tona Williams, phys Some big games Williams
ed teacher, George Miskinis, physics
has officiated include four
teacher Raymond Hoppel, and learning
(PIAA) state championsupport teacher Kathleen Yarger officiate
ships and the Third Round
high school, and some college, sports.
of the NCAA DIII tournament (Sweet Sixteen). Her
KATHLEEN YARGER
most memorable moments
in officiating include her
Kathleen Yarger has been officiatsecond state championship
ing swimming and diving for four years
game with her best friend,
through the PIAA. She began her officiat- and her most recent state
ing career at the YMCA while her three
championship because her
children participated in the Y league.
boys were there. Williams
Yarger says, “I have never tired of be- stresses that “Everybody
ing in the pool watching swimmers.
makes mistakes, includ“After my children graduated from
ing referees… In fact, if
high school and college, where they had
a player hadn’t turned the
continued to swim, I missed attending
ball over earlier in the
meets. That is when I decided I wanted to game, or if he/she had
become a PIAA official.”
made a free throw or lay
Yarger usually officiates one to two
up that he/she missed, the
times a week during the season. She
game would have turned
referees at high school meets, district and out differently. So it’s
regional championships and state champi- hard to pin a win or loss
onships.
on a referee when one
“I enjoy watching the swimmers
thinks in terms of a team
compete and the pool atmosphere,” she
or player and the mistakes
says. For Yarger, the biggest challenge of
they made throughout the
officiating is trying to watch all the swim- course of a game.”
mers at once.
She has officiated regular season dual
GEORGE MISKINIS
meets and loves watching close meets with
strong individual performances that can
George Miskinis,
win the meet for a team.
MCHS head football coach, also knows a
Yarger is a proud supporter of our
thing or two about basketball.
Mifflin County swim team and is pleased
The referee of seven years was a
that the team is getting so much support
four-sport athlete in high school, and the
year after year.
quarterback for East Stroudsburg in his
college days. Miskinis became certified
TONA WILLIAMS
with the PIAA in Harrisburg at the State
Officials convention.
Tona Williams is an English teacher
He got his start officiating in the local
by day, basketball referee by night. The
YMCA league. He officiates at the junior
PIAA referee of 27 years played basketball high and high school levels.
and ran cross country and track and field
In Miskinis’ opinion, the biggest
at Chief Logan High School. She attended challenge to being a referee is being able
Bucknell University where she participat- to trust your partner to see what you don’t.
ed in cross country and track and field.
Miskinis says, “The hardest call is the
She says she decided to officiate
intentional foul – and then determining
because she “missed playing the game. I
whether it was flagrant or not.”
Miskinis tries to call the games as
though he is the coach on the sidelines.
He’s a firm believer that the game must be
called at the level the players are playing.
RAY HOPPEL
Ray Hoppel can talk about not only
Clockwise from top
left: Ray Hoppel,
Kathleen Yarger,
George Miskinis,
Tona Williams
and intensity.
His fondest memory of officiating is
calling a basketball game that went into
five overtimes. Hoppel says, “Even though
the game was not a playoff game, the intensity of the fans, coaches and the players
was really something.”
The hardest call he has ever had to
Tyrian photo by FINNIAN SAYLOR
SUBMITTED PHOTO
SUBMITTED PHOTO
science, but baseball and basketball as
well. For 18 years Hoppel has been calling
blocking fouls and strikes. Hoppel played
baseball (relief pitcher/utility infielder) for
Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
He explains that to become PIAA
certified, you must score at least a 75% on
a true and false test. Then you must join a
local chapter of officials.
Hoppel became an official to stay
with the sports that he once played. In basketball season, Hoppel is put to work three
to six times a week, but on the diamond he
umpires about two games a week.
Although he enjoys officiating all levels of basketball, he prefers boys varsity
matches because of the high level of play
Tyrian photo by FINNIAN SAYLOR
make was giving a technical foul to a team
for not having a player in the score book.
Although he had done this several times,
this particular foul was with 30 seconds
left in the game and proved to be the deciding factor in the game.
In Hoppel’s words, “We get the play
right, in my opinion, 95% of the time. We
do work very hard on our craft.”
Hoppel encourages more people to
get into officiating. It allows you to stay in
the game and earn a little extra cash on the
side, he says.
Through the fan criticism, the stressful calls and the challenging rulings, there
is much pleasure to be taken from officiating.