June 2010 - Abington School District

abington.k12.pa.us
SPECIAL SENIOR ISSUE
The Abingtonian
June 2010
Abington Senior High School, Abington, PA 19001
Vol. LXXXIX, Issue 8
June 2010
18 and published
By Zach Baum
Last month I was able to sit down and interview Chelsea Teich, the Abington senior who managed to write and publish
a novel, The Persian Rug, before graduating. Writing and publishing a book is hard enough as is, but to do so while still a
teenager is simply phenomenal. So just how did she do it?
Teich decided she wanted to write a book when she was thirteen, so she began and finished the manuscript that summer.
As a self-described artsy girl, Teich felt that working on a novel was just another creative project for her to take on. Of course,
when she had finished her manuscript, she had no idea how to publish a book, so she browsed the library, took note of the
publishers in the books there, and contacted their websites. Many of them turned her down. It was not until four years later,
with help from the Writer’s Market Service, a website that helps writers publish their stories, that Ithaca Press accepted her
manuscript.
The Persian Rug is not a history of Middle Eastern carpets; it is a dark fantasy novel set in the mythical kingdom of
Laaven, home to incompetent kings and ancient civilizations. The story revolves around the imminent invasion from the Phall•Nal Empire from the North and what the citizens of Laaven are willing to do to defend their home - along with the quest
undertaken by Maveree, the all-knowing, booze drinking seeress cursed to remain ten years old for eternity. With its varied,
imaginative settings and descriptive characters, The Persian Rug has oft been compared to Tolkien’s work. Unsurprisingly,
Teich admits that she grew up reading a myriad of books by the esteemed aforementioned author.
The Persian Rug is the first in a series of five planned novels, and while Chelsea Teich could certainly make a living as a
writer, she says that she still doesn’t really know what she wants to be when she grows up.
A new kind of
Holden
Caulfield
By Kelsey Hughes
Lotteries for funding
By Danielle Harding
Last year, the United States government spent roughly $3.4 trillion on all affairs and activities within
the government. With new programs such as the health care reform, the amount of money spent by the
government is likely to increase. But where will this money come from? The average American already gives
thirty percent of his or her salary to pay for taxes, and increases in taxes are a sure-fire way to cause
resentment among the American people. So why not think outside of the box and use other methods of
raising money, like establishing a country-wide lottery or raffle to help pay for a portion of the cost of
government programs?
Lotteries have been in America since 1612 and have been used to fund various government projects
over the years. Even George Washington and Thomas Jefferson used lotteries as a way to fund armies and
public projects. Before taxes, money generated by lottery sales was used to fund the construction of
schools, roads, and bridges. In fact, between 1790 and the start of the Civil War, lottery proceeds funded the
construction of about three hundred schools, fifty colleges, and two hundred churches.
The lottery is a nearly foolproof way to generate money because if the prize is large enough, people
will continue to play for the chance of winning that large prize. For those lotteries that involve the drawing
of numbers, there is a less than one in fourteen million chance that a person will win. Despite this, people buy
lottery tickets even in a poor economy. Last year, the Michigan Lottery sold $2.4 billion worth of tickets, and
in 2007, the Georgia lottery sold over $3.4 billion worth of lottery tickets.
So why not use another large lottery in order to help generate money for government projects?
Although it would not cover all government spending, a lottery might save taxpayers millions of dollars.
Why bring more grief to the American people by raising taxes when, even in a poor economy, people are
willing to spend money in the hopes of winning a fortune?
“I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn’t try to sleep with
people even if they could have. I need to know that
these people exist.”
Charlie yearns for someone to talk to, so he writes
letters to someone he only calls ‘friend’ and details his
life exactly as he sees and feels it. The Perks of Being
a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a novel following the life of a boy on the brink of adulthood. Charlie
has just begun his first year at high school, he is struggling to deal with two very significant deaths in his
life, and he is too introverted; he thinks extremely unconventionally and demonstrates a thought process
much more developed than his maturity, which tends
to get him into trouble. Charlie is a wallflower; he likes
to observe everything and everyone and use them to
create his own theories on life. His English teacher,
who takes a deep interest in him, inspires him when he says, “Sometimes people use
thought to avoid participating in life.” Charlie strives to ‘participate more,’ and
shortly after, he makes friends with some seniors, Patrick and Sam, for whom he
soon develops feelings. With the help of his new friends, he experiences unfamiliar
things and encounters fresh faces, thus slowly enabling him to mature. As the book
develops, Charlie discovers bits and pieces he never knew not only about himself
but his childhood, his family, and his new friends. His revelations occur as he
struggles with and contemplates ideas centered on death, depression, and abuse in
all of its forms.
The book truly pays homage to The Catcher in the Rye. Readers follow along
as Charlie evolves in the course of one short year, piecing together fragments of his
life as he looks back on the confusing times of his childhood, attempting to figure
out why he is the way he is. Those moments where Charlie is simply trying to
process all that he sees and feels are some of the most memorable parts of the book.
At one point, he reflects, “I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that. That you wanted
to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist.
Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get
like this. That’s why I’m trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning.”
Charlie puts feelings into words in an original, thought-provoking way. I would
recommend this book to anyone desiring a short yet profound and provocative
novel.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Last Wordlink pg. 2
Yogurt?
pg. 2
Your Health pg. 3
Senior List
pgs. 4-6
Editor Letters pgs. 6-8
abington.k12.pa.us
The Abingtonian
2
June 2010
Editorials/Features
Restaurant Review: Instant Amore
By Paul Tershakovec
The classic Italian dinner scene is warm and familiar. The table roars with laughter and the whole family talks between mouthfuls of antipasti. As the pasta and other
courses, which grandma has been preparing since the morning, roll around, the plump, mustached, balding father directs the dishes to each member of the family from his
place at the head of the table with the occasional, “Mangiare! Mangiare! Eat! Eat!” The grandma sits down, telling her grandchildren that if they don’t eat, they won’t
become big and strong. They, who had been merely moving their pasta around with their forks, immediately eat with great fervor. The father talks to his brother loudly and
his mother scolds him and the whole family laughs again, soaking in the merriment. Welcome to Pasta Fazool!
Although the above family is fictional, Pasta Fazool is, in fact, a family-run restaurant and the love and care exemplified by this imaginary grandma creating each
mouthful of each dish of a multi-course meal is alive and well at Pasta Fazool’s Hatboro location. Upon sitting down, the waiter hands out menus. He is immediately ready
to answer any questions and offer suggestions. The waiter’s suggestions, however, are almost unneeded since any dish this restaurant offers is superb. Most importantly,
the tomato sauce prepared at Pasta Fazool “tastes just like grandma used to make.”
While any choice on the menu will satisfy, a few dishes truly stand above the rest. To begin, Involtini di Malanzane offers a small taste of the house specialty tomato
sauce. This sauce tops thinly sliced, lightly breaded eggplant rolled with ricotta cheese and topped with parmesan, all baked to steaming perfection. While we waited for
the main courses, we passed the time ripping and dipping Pasta Fazool’s Italian bread into a dark, flavorful olive oil with orange zest. The bread, which is brought in from
Brooklyn, crunches crisply when it is ripped, yielding a soft middle, perfect for soaking up sauce. This bread rivaled the unique quality of that found at the South Philly
institution, Sarcone’s Bakery.
As the waiter placed the entrées on the table, the smells enveloped me and the song playing in the background, “That’s Amore,” took on new meaning for me. The
first dish, the pasta special, was flawless: cheese tortellini with sautéed chicken breast and portabella mushrooms in a roasted red pepper and portabella mushroom sauce.
The skill in the restaurant’s kitchen was demonstrated in this dish because each flavor of the dish was distinct yet
blended perfectly in each forkful. Following, the mark of a great chef is his ability to prepare the simplest of dishes
with such artistry that these dishes become true masterpieces. As such, Pasta Fazool’s culinary magnum opus
was the house specialty spinach lasagna. This layered pasta was filled with béchamel cream and spinach and
topped with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Unlike other lasagna I have tried, Pasta Fazool’s spinach
lasagna’s filling is light, smooth, and gloriously creamy, without the typical ricotta cheese texture.
Even though I was nearly filled to the brim, the waiter’s inquiry about dessert was too good to pass up. To
finish this delightful meal, I sampled an espresso
and Pasta Fazool’s tiramisu, prepared in-house. It
was light and sweet—a wonderful complement to
the espresso.
Eating a meal at Pasta Fazool at a table covered with a red-and-white-checkered table cloth,
surrounded by black and white photographs of famous Italians and Italian-Americans, the authentic
Italian atmosphere is complete. Whether the diner
By Nikki Hess
is eating alone, with another person, or a large group,
entering this restaurant immediately makes him or
Hey word puzzle-lovers! Frustrated
her feel as if he or she is part of the restaurant family.
by Sudoku? Here’s a new labyrinth of letters to discover. You play by creating a
To enjoy a meal at Pasta Fazool, visit:
link of compound words from the first
804 South York Road
word all the way to the last. The first and
Hatboro, PA 19040
second words link to make a compound
267-282-5442
word, like in the example: Guitar and string
connect to make guitar string. String links
with band to make string band; then band
and camp link to form band camp. Some
of the words even have letters filled in to
help you out.
Word Link
Let them eat yogurt
W
WO
O RR D
D LL II N
N KK
Hey ladies, want yogurt? No? Well that’s too bad, because yogurt wants you. I cannot stand the everlurking yogurt commercials. Turn on your T.V., day and night (mostly day, unless, of course, you are watching
Lifetime), and you will find them. Two women just, you know, hanging out on the couch in a totally relatable
manner, wearing their comfortable yet trendy sweats, and eating some sort of low-fat yogurt gimmick. Take the
annoying Yoplait commercial, for example: “This is like shoe shopping good. This is like long massage good.
This is like first-kiss good. This is like not having to stand in line for the ladies room good!” YES! Stuff I, as
a woman, can generically relate to! In another commercial, we
find our token girlfriends, of the target age 18-35, sitting around
at a wedding in their bridesmaid dresses devouring some
good old yogurt. It’s “Who in the world serves yogurt at
their wedding?” good! Or take the woman on the phone just
excitedly chatting it up with her gal pals. “There’s no way
that you’ve been eating Boston cream pie and apple turnovers and you’re still losing weight!” Oh, but it’s even better
than real food! It’s yogurt!
Let me tell you something, Yoplait. Yogurt will never,
ever, be a suitable replacement for pie. Don’t get me wrong, I
like yogurt. I even think it tastes delicious when served with
granola. However, I am so tired of ads targeting women, bombarding them with promises of weight loss with their “light”
foods. Ads like this contribute to the message to women that
food is not your friend, but rather a weight loss mechanism.
Food is wonderful; it is the fuel that keeps us alive. Chocolate cake, spinach, and, yes, even yogurt, should be enjoyed
with gusto. And if you want to wear a pair of comfortable, yet
trendy sweats while doing so, well, that’s up to you.
__E__
_P___E_
__ON_
T__
_A_C_
_O_E
W
WO
O RR D
D LL II N
NK
K
By Gabrielle Noone
HOUSE
ALONG
Last Month’s Solution: KNEEDEEP-SLUMBER-PARTY-ANIMALHOUSE-HUNTER-GATHERER
abington.k12.pa.us
June 2010
The Abingtonian
3
Editorials/Features
Standardizing students
By Melissa Diamond
During their already tests-and-quizzes-filled school years, high school students are subjected to a deluge of
standardized tests, including the PSAT’s, the SAT’s, the ACT’s, the PSSA’s, and the AP exams. These types of
standardized tests are detriments to the American school system. Tests are supposed to be a tool to assess a
student’s understanding of what he or she is being taught and to compare the student’s progress to that of other
students. Standardized tests are also used to gauge the quality of education schools are providing. The primary
issue with standardized tests like the PSSA’s is that they not only fail to serve their intended purpose, but also
actually lower the quality of education that the students taking the test receive.
Standardized tests have a major impact on students, whether it determines the funding their school receives,
or the colleges into which they are accepted. Yet all of these tests only provide a narrow snapshot of a student’s
talent and a school’s quality. This snap shot does not even cover all major school subjects. Furthermore, any
inferences that might be made about schools and students become distorted by a student’s test-taking abilities.
Many SAT classes teach students that if they do not know an answer they should pick B, the most commonly used
answer bubble. Knowledge like this, and other “test-taking skills,” can greatly alter students’ scores; yet it does not
reflect student knowledge of a subject, nor does it have any real world applications. What standardized tests truly
do is waste valuable class time in order to prepare for these inane tests. Instead of teaching their valuable subjects,
teachers are forced to waste time teaching students how to take a test. At the junior high, my teacher used an entire
class period going over how to fill in bubbles. Additionally, standardized tests encourage more superficial thinking.
A study by the Journal of Educational Psychology shows that students who just copy down information, guess a
lot, and skip the difficult parts of tests do better on standardized tests than students who engage in learning, ask themselves questions about what they are reading, and
relate what they are reading to things they have learned in the past. It is unacceptable that these tests reward students with a more shallow approach to learning.
There are alternatives to standardized testing to judge students and schools. The two major alternatives are portfolio-based assessments and performance exams.
For portfolio-based assessments, each student has a portfolio that contains an example of every concept he or she is required to learn that year. For example, a student’s
English portfolio might contain a thesis paper, a short story, and other selections of different writing styles. Portfolios better reflect how well a student is performing, and
they provide a wider scope with which to judge a student. A performance exam, on the other hand, is a sort of project a student must perform in each class based on skills
and information he or she learned in that class, as opposed to skills learned to take a test. For the sake of comparing students and schools, states can determine what a
portfolio must contain, or what the performance exams of each subject are instead of creating standardized tests that fail to prove much anything about schools and their
students.
Rock ‘n’ read
By Brittany Lloyd
It is an undeniable fact that our generation seems to have lost the desire to sprawl out under the shade of a tree and
escape into the calming realm of fiction. Indeed, the dramatic decline of quality literature in recent years has made it
difficult for young readers to find a book worth picking up and delving into. Nevertheless, Matthew Quick’s latest novel,
Sorta Like a Rockstar, is sure to delight and inspire bookworms of all ages.
Throughout the novel, Amber Appleton is portrayed as the type of girl everyone can relate to regardless of
personal background. Despite the adversity she endured growing up, as the child of a homeless alcoholic, Amber is the
embodiment of hope. In between school and work, she spends her time writing Haikus for lonely veterans, hosting
dance-offs at elderly homes, and transforming Korean immigrants into soul-singing divas. However, when a series of
tragedies strikes close to home, Amber must come to terms with the secrets she has been hiding inside, in addition to
relearning what it means to have faith.
This coming-of-age tale is filled with witty dialogue, vividly portrayed characters, and a spunky sense of individuality that is guaranteed to thrill. People will laugh one moment and cry the next while journeying along with Amber
Appleton and her rag-tag group of companions as they learn the ultimate lessons of hope and faith in humankind. Sorta
Like a Rockstar brilliantly captures the essence of “good vs. evil” and will leave readers feeling motivated to truly live
life. It is certainly the perfect book to crack open one warm spring day.
Yes we can...be healthy
By Allie Baurer
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and summer is here at last. Soon we will no longer be walking around the hallways; we will no longer be occupied with
schoolwork. In mere weeks, we will no longer spend an entire day in class followed by after school practice of some sport. Time will be on our hands, and we will be free
to do as we choose. As a result, we tend to grow lazy - not just mentally but physically as well.
I will admit that it is extremely tempting to lounge around in my air-conditioned home watching reruns of Entourage and Sex and the City. The idea of sprawling out
on my couch with a bowl of ice cream in one hand and the remote control in the other is highly appealing. Nevertheless, these inert activities are more detrimental to me than
one would think. They lay the foundation for a lifelong pattern of lethargic habits. This must be stopped! Now I know that it is called summer vacation, but that does not
mean our bodies will be tricked into believing that just because the weather is warmer, they can excuse our sluggishness. In fact, our bodies will react to what we do, or more
prevalently do not do, to them with regards to exercise; this increases our risk of ultimately leading an unhealthy lifestyle. However, hope can be found for even the most
slothful of us, so have no fear. A myriad of options exist, and just a few are listed below:
-Join a community sports team for the summer: you could make new friends while participating in physical activities; it would not even seem like exercise
-Get a job at a summer camp: playing with and looking after little kids requires such an extraordinary amount of energy that the body is getting a workout as an
outcome
-Take swimming lessons: swimming is one of the best sports/activities for your body because it works several muscles simultaneously, and as a bonus, keep in mind
that when you finish swimming, you are not soaked in perspiration
-Walk to/in/around the park, your neighborhood, etc.: although walking does not burn as many calories as running, you are still getting quite the workout, and
burning more calories than you would if you were sitting; the point is to get up off the sofa and get out
-Go for bike rides: biking is a great means of exercise because it works various muscles in the legs, which burn fat, and it also builds endurance
In addition to exercising, you should make nutritious food choices. For example, substituting potato salad at a barbecue with pasta salad saves a fair amount of
calories and fat - as does opting for a small cup of water ice rather than a large Misto. It is crucial to remember that moderation is key, so it is okay if you want sprinkles on
your ice cream, or if you are in the mood for a cheeseburger. Just make wise decisions and aim for balance in both eating and exercise. Be healthy and enjoy your summer!
abington.k12.pa.us
4
The Abingtonian
Senior
June 2010
Decisions
Name
Plans/College/University
Tomy Abdul-Razaq Montgomery County Community College
Ayne Adams
University of Maryland-Eastern Shore
Michelle Adshead Temple University
Daniel Agnew
Undecided
John X Ahn
Penn State University Abington
Courtney Allen
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Joseph Alvey Jr.
Montgomery County Community College
Ashley Amaker
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Berkeley Amons
Penn State University
Jenna Andalis
Kutztown University
Marquis Anderson Penn State University
Thaddeus Andraka Temple University
Thomas Anello
Eastern Tech
Pascale Anty
Montgomery County Community College
Lydia Appianing
Temple University
Charles Azuelos
Lafayette College
Eung Jin Bae
Montgomery County Community College
Giavonna Banner
Ursinus College
Ruth Barnard
Montgomery County Community College
Madeline Bates
Temple University- Honors
Whitney Bates
Penn State University
Allie Baurer
Penn State University
Lydia Baxter
Muhlenberg College
Kimberly Begley
West Chester University
Andrew Bellinger United States Army
Adam Bender
University of Pittsburgh
Alayna Bennink
Boston University
Carlie Bennink
James Madison University
Emily Benson
High Point University
Zachary Bevans
Montgomery County Community College
Anne Bilker
Temple University
Kimberly Black
East Stroudsburg University
Kristen Boettcher Villanova University
Daniel Boff
George Washington University
Chad Borger
Albright College
Abigail Bosley
Penn State University-Honors
Nia Bradford
West Chester University
Blake Bradley
Undecided
Adam Bratzler
Mechanic
Michael Bray Jr.
Montgomery County Community College
Brigitte Britt
Temple University
Shawn Brock
East Stroudsburg University
Heidi Brooks
West Chester University
Jared Brown
West Chester University
Sarah Bugay
University of Pittsburgh
Donna Cain
Undecided
Salvatore Calderone Montgomery County Community College/Temple
Aracelis Cardoso
Undecided
Eleazar Cardoso
South Plains College
Celestia Carpitella Bucks County Community College
Richard Carr
Temple University
Rachel Carter
Temple University
Jonathan Cashman Montgomery County Community College/Phila. Univ
Hannah Chai
University of Pittsburgh
Sara Chapla
Johnson & Wales University
Helen Chin
Temple University
Christine Chiodo
Temple University
Ethan Chodosh
Temple University
John Choe
Undecided
Maureen Cianfarini Laboratory Institute of Merchandising
Mia Ciasullo
Penn State University
Christina Ciganik
Penn State University
Andrea Clabbers
Penn State University
Brittany Clarke
University of Maryland
Olivia Clark
Franklin & Marshall College
Brittany Clauson
Penn State University
Teresa Coates
Temple University
Joel Coelho
Montgomery County Community College
Thomas Coffee Jr. Stanford Brown College
Alexandra Cohen University of Michigan
Jesse Cohen
Penn State University-Harrisburg
Brandon Collier
Liberty University
Jillian Comer
University of Maryland -Honors
Katelyn Cooper
Lehigh University
Zachary Cooper
Temple University
Shanita Cooper-PageEastern University
Stephanie Copeland The U.S. Air Force
Edward Costello
Montgomery County Community College
Courtney Cox
Gettysburg College
Samuel Coyle
Boston University
Kadiedra Crawford Virginia Commonwealth University
Kelsey Crawford
Penn State University
Andrew Crockett
Drexel University
Marcello D’Amore Penn State Universtiy
Jeremy D’Elia
Penn State University Abington
Chad Dan
Temple University
Brittany Darden
West Chester University
Kyle Davidson
Rider University
Kevin Deal Jr.
Albright College
Jaclyn Deegan
Bloomsburg University
Ellen DeKalb
Shippensburg University
Nicholas Demaio
University Technical Institute
Nicholas DeMarzio Montgomery County Community College
Emily Deni
Tyler School of Art
Gregory Devoe
Temple University
Chelsea DiMascio University of Delaware
Nicholas DiSandro Kutztown Universtiy
Kiersten Dominic
Penn State University Abington
Katherine Donlick SUNY-Cortland
Kevin Donnelly
Montgomery County Community College
Kyle Dougherty
Montgomery County Community College
Amber Dow
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Brendan Doyle
Northeastern University
Emily Doyle
SUNY-Cortland
Hayley Doyle
Maryland Institute College of Art
Jessica Elliot
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Keanen Ellison
West Chester University
Caitlin Enderle
Townson University
Courtney Enderle Lehigh University
Lovell Faison
Jean Madeline Institute
Natalia Fallas
Cornell University
Hannah Farabaugh Drexel University
Tamara Farnell
Johnson College
Rose Feldman
Massachuesetts Institute of Technology
Amanda Filmyer
Bryn Mawr College
Nicholas Finlan
Undecided
Heather Fisher
Montgomery County Community College/Temple
Monica Flood
Penn State University
Jason Fouch
Carnegie Mellon University
Holly Fowle
Temple University-Honors
Heather Frey
Traveling
Earl George
Montgomery County Community College
Joseph Gilbride
Temple University
Daniel Girgenti
Drexel University
Gia Gladden
Philadelphia University
Joshua Glass
Drexel University
Michelle Glynn
College of Brockport
Jeremy Goebel
Hussian School of Art
Joanna Goldblatt
Shippensburg University
Richard Gonzalez Jr. West Chester University
David Gordon
University of Tampa
Iryna Goudimiak
Duquesne University
Dashia Gray-Davis Temple University
Eboni Gray
Penn State University Abington
Raun Gray
Villanova University
Victoria Grochowaski
Montgomery County Community College
Zachary Guendelsberger
University of Maryland
Phillip Hagstotz
Catholic University of America
Julie Ann Haldeman Dartmouth College
Wesley Harris
St. John’s University
David Hartman
LaSalle University
Thomas Hartsough Temple University
Honora Hegarty
Continuing Modeling Career
Bianca Heilman
Ithaca College
Rachel Henninger University of Rhode Island
Michelle Herbert
C. H. I. Institute
Valerie Herrmann
Universtiy of Delaware
Andrew Hesdon
Penn State University Abington
Nicole Hess
University of Michigan-Honors
Ryan Heun
Mansfield University
Elese Hiergesell
Community College of Philadelphia
Melanie Highbloom University of Wisconsin
Kristen Hinkin
Moravian College
Brittany Hirsh
West Chester University
Lauren Hofer
Penn State University
Aryanna Hunt
Arcadia University
Nicholas Iannuzzi Montgomery County Community College
Chelsea Incognito Penn State University
Christine Inwek
Pennsylvania Army National Guard
Shanelle Jackson
Laboratory Institute of Merchandising
Jakub Jarnik
McGill University
abington.k12.pa.us
June 2010
The Abingtonian
5
Senior Decisions
Chris Johnson
Cooking School/Work
Peter Johnson
Montgomery County Community College
Bernard Jones
Penn State University Abington
Joseph Jones
Hofstra University
Alix Joy
Temple University
Brian Joyce
Montgomery County Ccommunity College
Monet Joyner
Community College of Philadelphia
Hye Ra Ju
Temple University
Matthew Juliano
Cabrini College
Thomas Kain
Widener University
Rebecca Kane
Juniata College
Ashley Kearney
Penn State University Abington
Rebecca Kestel
Bloomsburg University
Aujala Khan
Penn State University Abington/University Park
Addison KleinbrahmPhiladelphia University
Emily Knihnicky
Duquesne University
Tara Knysh
Montgomery County Community College
Daniel Krohnemann Penn State University
Crista Kieffer
Penn State University
Hyun Sunny Kim
Temple University
Jessica Kim
West Chester University
Samuel Kind
University of South Carolina
Genevieve Kittredge University of Scranton
Juliet Klinman
Temple University
Alyssa Korn
Elizabethtown University/Thomas Jefferson University
Veronika Kulchitskaya
Travel in Europe
Vladyslav Kunov Penn State University
Scott Kuzmicki
Seton Hall University
Ian Lambert
Penn State University
Dylan Lawsin
Penn State University
Michael Lazovich Montgomery County Community College
Linh Le
Temple University
John Lee
Temple University
Mimi Lee
Temple University
Emily Leer
Villanova University
Crystal Lehrman
LaSalle University
Mai-Liis Lehrman Manor College
Christopher Lennen Montgomery County Community College
Gregory Leon
Penn State University
Malorie Letcavage Brandeis University
Gary Levin
Temple University
Jong Lim
New York University
Gordon Lin
Temple University
Marcelo Llanos
Haverford College
Elizabeth Leonard Maryland Institute College of Art
Justin Lomas
Work
Ashley Long
Undecided
Caleb Loper
Undecided
Benjamin Loss
Gwynedd Mercy College
Matthew Louridas West Chester University
Sarah Lowry
Shippensburg University
Keeshaan Lowry-Smith
Montgomery County Community College/Work
Graham Lyman
Temple University-Honors
Patrick MacNamara Temple University-Honors
Daniel Magida
Emory University
Jeffrey Magida
University of Rochester
Matthew Magiera Temple University
Earlissa Marable
Lincoln University
Nicholas Marcucci Full Sail University
Caroline Margolis Suffolk University
Katherine Markham Boston University
Asil Martin
University of the Arts
Jessica Mason
Temple University
Samuel Matthews Temple University
Ethan Maxey
Juniata College
Jayme McAleer
Temple University
Imani McCormick
North Carolina Central University
Gina McCoy
West Chester University
Ryan McCracken
Undecided
Maeve McDermott American University- Honors
Kaitlyn McElhinney Grove City College
Bailey McFadden
Bloomsburg University
Tiara McKinney
Undecided
Steven McLaughlin University of Pittsburgh
Maxwell McNally
Penn State University
Kyle McNamara
Universal Technical Institute
Melissa Meehan
Montgomery County Community College
Andrew Mellace
Work or Military
Joseph Metzinger LaSalle University
Isabella Meyer
York College of Pennsylvania
Hailey Miller
University of the Arts
James Miller
Undecided
James Miller
Shippensburg University
Monica Miller
Temple University
Rachel Miller
Temple University
Timothy Mines
Temple University
Andrea Pia Moffa LaSalle University
Daniel Molz
Universal Technical Institute
Matthew Monheit Massachuesetts Institute of Technology
Daniella Monterosso
Manor College
Chi Hwan Moon
Temple University
Michael Mullen
Union College
Matthew Muller
Lafayette College
Brian Murphy
Montgomery County Community College
Adam Myers
Arcadia University
Kyle Nagel
Montgomery County Community College/D.C.
Makenzie Newman Undecided
Leam Nicholaides Mission Trip in Mexico
Charles O’Brien
Montgomery County Community College
Sarah O’Connor
Penn State University
Karima O’Neill
University of the Arts
Michael Ogbuehi
Eastern University
Joshua Owens
Montgomery County Community College
Gerry Ovide
Temple University
Donald Nettleton
Hopkins Ford
Garrett David Page Penn State Universtiy
Laura Parks
Messiah College
Francis Palazzolo
Gettysburg College
Nataliya Panochko LaSalle University
Kimberly Parsons Montgomery County Community College/Manor
Stephen Peacock
Grove City College
Chelsea Pearce
Undecided
Jacob Pederzani
Undecided
Eric Pedicone
Montgomery County Community College
Kristy Peronace
Kutztown University
Lauren Perretti
Kutztown University
Margaret Grace Pfender
LaSalle University
Maria Pfender
DeSales University
Julia Pfender
DeSales University
William Pfister
Temple University
Andre Piquion
Central Piedmont Community College
Christopher Platz
University of New Haven
Asha Poles
Hampton University
Nia Prater
Temple University
Giuliano Presta
Philadelphia University
Nicole Pronzato
West Virginia University
Rachel Quinn
Temple University
Robert Raben
Penn State University
Gretchen Raisch
Work
Richard Rambo
Hofstra University
Jacob Rasmussen Temple University
Kevin Regan
Kutztown Universtiy
Ryan Remely
Penn State University
Anjenae Richardson Shippensburg University
Devon Richardson University of Pittsburgh
Nina Rivera
Minneapolis College of Art & Design
Nolan Rivers
Penn State University
Sheri Roberts
West Chester University
Sean Rogers
Temple University
Victoria Rogers
Montgomery County Community College/West Chester
Kathryn Rohrback LaSalle University
Nicole Romanczuk Bloomsburg University
Thomas Roscoe
Penn State University
Robert Rozansky
Brown University
Sara Rubin
Princeton University
Timothy Ryan Ruch Drexel University
Alexandra Rufo
University of Delaware
Anthony Rufo
Northeastern University
Allison Ryan
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Philip Sabella
LaSalle University
Daniel Safford
Temple University
Brandon Salzman Lehigh University
Angelina Sanchez Temple University
Jason Saruya
University of Maryland-College Park
Zachary Saurman Enlist in U.S. Navy
Robert Saylor
Undecided
Justin Scarborough Eastern University
Amy Schafer
University of Florida
Scott Schwartz
Penn State University-Abington
Julie Seidman
Temple University-Honors
John Senger
Penn State Abington
abington.k12.pa.us
The Abingtonian
6
June 2010
Senior Decisions/Letters
Dong Seo
Penn State University
Matthew Seydel
Police Academy
James Shannon
Universal Technical Institute
Benjamin Share
McGill University
Sean Sheridan
Montgomery County Community College
Carly Shelton
Elizabethtown College
Evan Shillington
Drexel University
Randy Slosburg
Penn State University
Amanda Smith
University of California San Diego
Justin Smith
Temple University
Rebecca Smith
Alfred School of Art & Design
Moobin Son
Temple University
Yoo Son
Cosmetology
Jacob Spak
Montgomery County Community/West Chester
Carly Spector
West Chester University
Sean Staerk
Gettysburg College
Shar-ron Stallings Bloomsburg University
Jackson Staples
Shippensburg University
Max Staples
Full Sail University
Amy Sternberger
Philadelphia University
Brian Strauss
University of Richmond
Lucia Sweeney
University of Arizona
Olivia Sylbert
St. Joseph’s University
Alina Szuch
Ithaca College
Elijah Tawwad
Full Sail University
Jennifer Teitell
Ithaca College
Justin Tennenbaum Emory University
Paul Tershakovec Johns Hopkins University
Karl Anton Thallner Boston University
Andrew Thayne
Temple University
Adam Thomas
Undecided
Danielle Thompson Cozenovia Colleg
Andrew Thomson Universal Technical Institute
Jessica Tolton
East Stroudsburg University
Taylor Tolton
Kutztown Universtiy
Perri Tucker
Fashion Institute of Technology
Marc Van Dorick
Lock Haven University
Brittany Vaughn
Undecided
Sage Vega
Montgomery County Community College
Nikola Vidnovic
Northeastern University
Angela Vitelli
Penn State University
Aarti Vyas
Montgomery County Community College
Monique Waldner East Stroudsburg University
Laura Wall
Gwynedd Mercy College
Charles Wallace
Penn State University Harrisburg
Jessica Warren
University of Pennsylvania
Laura Weiner
Tyler School or Art
Nicole Welsh
Mansfield University
Sabrina Wendel
Drexel University
Chloé Werner
Lafayette College
Kenneth Evan Wiest Elizabethtown College
Christian Wiley
Millersville University
Matthew Wilfred
University of Rochester
Darrell Williams
Undecided
Elizabeth Wilson
West Chester University
Alexander Winstead Undecided
Sarah Wittenberg Clearwater Christian College
Tyler Woerner
Bloomsburg University/Penn State University
Casey Wombough West Chester University
Stephanie Wyjadka Shippensburg University
Ji Yeom
Bryn Athyn College
Hannah Yohe
Kutztown University
Julie Zar
University of the Arts
Zhenni Li Zhang
Undecided/Work
Tyler Zimmerman
Juilliard School of Music
Victoria Zucker
St. John’s College
Sports: a year in review
By: Chris Gerhardt
Although the Phillies did not bring
another parade to Broad Street giving students another unofficial day off like they
did last year, this past school year can still
be considered a success in terms of school
and local sports. Many Abington teams enjoyed victorious seasons, from the girls’ tennis team winning their first Suburban One
League Championship in six years to the
girls’ basketball team winning a PIAA District One Championship to the girls’ lacrosse
team winning their fourth straight league
championship to the boys’ lacrosse team
winning their fourth straight league championship, all of which came in undefeated
league seasons. These examples just scratch
the surface in terms our school’s athletic
accomplishments for this past school year.
Teams were not the only ones to prosper, as
several individual Ghosts experienced success in their respective sports, making our
school proud with their exceptional performances. Some noteworthy individual feats
include junior golfer Ben Cooley advancing
far into the regional competition, senior basketball player Emily Leer reaching the milestone of 1,000 points scored in her Abington
career (one of only a handful of Abington
players, male or female, to ever do so), senior Sara Rubin setting a new school record
for the pole vault, and junior Leah Nugent becoming the first American to ever win
the 400-meter hurdles at the Penn Relays. These individual achievements will definitely have a lasting impact on the high school’s history books.
Local sports teams also delivered, with the Phillies reaching the World Series
for the second consecutive year and the Flyers making an unbelievable playoff run
to return to the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1997. With any luck, next year will
be just as full of athletic accomplishments for our Ghosts and favorite Philadelphia
sports teams as this past year.
Your Sports Editor,
Chris Gerhardt
Senior sendoff
By Allie Baurer
Dear Abington Senior High,
Thank you. I can honestly say that the past three years have been the best
years of my life. You have provided me with wonderful teachers, entertaining classes,
an outstanding education, and some of the most amazing times overall. The lessons
that I am taking away with me - both in school and in life - have been and will remain
significant to me. The collection of memories I have acquired over the years is the
best going away present I could ask for. Although you challenged me beyond belief
and pushed me to my breaking
point at times, it worked; I came
The Abingtonian did not receive senior plans from those
out stronger and wiser than beseniors not listed above.
fore. I am going to miss you tremendously, AHS. I am going to
miss receiving “Singing Valentines” on Valentine’s Day. I am going to miss those pep rallies that showcased our school
pride. I am going to miss those highly amusing morning announcements. I will miss all the aforementioned and more,
and I promise I will not forget you. Brave New World the Musical will never escape my mind. I will always remember
being randomly chosen to sit on the bleachers behind Barack Obama when he delivered a speech in Schwarzman
Stadium. My memories of the annual musicals, creative class projects, intense discussions, school dances, fundraisers,
football games, and everything in between will stick with me forever. So thank you, AHS, for granting me a solid
foundation to build upon in my life here on out. Regardless of the frustration endured, the “T” mosh pit, and the
inconsistent classroom temperatures, I could not have asked for a better high school experience. You will most
certainly be missed.
Your Features Editor,
Allie Michelle Baurer
abington.k12.pa.us
June 2010
The Abingtonian
7
Letters from the Editors
End of the year letter
By Esther Katro
The tip of the pen etches its mark onto the paper. The cool ink runs over this naked paper, dressing it with the mundane words of laughter, joy, misery, and sorrow.
These papers assemble to form the book of my junior year. The writing on each page tells the story of the
hardest year of all twelve years of my education. I started the year with an overwhelmed feeling, but as the year
began to unfold, each page became easier to turn. I really had no idea what to expect this year. I had heard
about the nightmares of countless equations in honors physics, the tedious SAT classes, and I really had no
idea what to expect from the brand new course of AP English, offered for juniors. As I turned each page, the
crinkling sound of the crease built to the suspense of finding out what happens next in the story on the
following page. As I free fell down the roller coaster at physics day, I came to realize that physics is all around
us, the SAT is conquerable, and I learned more in AP English than I have in any other class. I also finally got
to go behind the scenes of AMP TV and star as the duplicitous Becca Node, in “Don’t Step on Cecil.” I
experienced Abington history by making Amp T.V’s first futuristic music video, pranking Mr. Quigley with Dr.
Fecher and Detective Scarborough, being a part of our girls tennis team and coming in third in the state,
speaking at Abington’s very first H20 summit, and to top if off , I felt the cold rush of the 2010 blizzard.
Throughout the whole year, the Abingtonian has been there each month to deliver the news. In many
ways the Abingtonian has been the book of my junior year. Each issue brings out highlights of the year. I
remember working late, being the perfectionist that I am, on trying to make each article flawless. The school
news is what each student and administrator looks forward to. While this year has definitely been the hardest,
it has also been the most rewarding. I cannot wait to see what senior year has to offer, and everyone will
certainly hear more about it through the Abingtonian- each word eloquently flowing after the other, opening
up a world of color to the reader, even if the words themselves are engraved in black. I look forward to entering
another chapter into my book as a senior next year, and continuing my role in the Abingtonian.
Your News Editor,
Esther Katro
Goodbye letter
By Nikki Hess
Dear Abington,
Before I even set foot in the senior high, I knew high school wasn’t going to be easy. I’d heard terror
stories about the T, demonic teachers, and 11th grade physics, so needless to say, I was a bit anxious during
the summer before my sophomore year. Yet once I entered the high school, I soon realized that it was not so
bad after all. Of course, I was checking my new schedule every other millisecond and hoping like crazy that
I would make it to all of my classes on time, but I somehow managed to find my way around just like
Abington’s preceding generations, and I met some really great people along the way.
As a voracious sophomore eager to fatten my resume for college, I joined every club that was even
mildly interesting. I took incredible notes in class, participated in every extracurricular activity that I could
find (especially volunteering,) and did everything I could to find my niche in Abington Senior High. I even
wrote for the Abingtonian once or twice; little did I know that my decision to do so would have a huge impact
on my high school experience. I met teachers who changed the way I thought about things, and I even
learned that I’m not so terrible at math after all.
In these past three years, I have learned a great deal about myself and the world around me, and I owe
that to Abington. As an editor and active member of the newspaper, I learned that people at any age can be
forgetful or lazy, while others are incredibly reliable or passionate about what they do. As a student, I
discovered my love for English and languages, which are the areas I wish to cover in college. As a friend, I
realized that there is no such thing as the “perfect friend,” and that you have to accept your friends for all of
their good and bad qualities. Moreover, you have to appreciate your own talents and flaws in order to
succeed in the real world and surround yourself with great people.
In essence, this letter is a goodbye to Abington. It is a thank you for everything this school and the
people within it have done for me, and it is my written submission of gratitude to the Abingtonian and those
with whom I have worked. Our school paper, along with the people and clubs at Abington, taught me
valuable life lessons that I will undoubtedly remember forever. Although Abington and I have had our ups
and downs, I wish the school and everyone who is a part of it the best of luck. I know that I will be successful
in years to come, and I owe a great deal of my confidence to the school that was there to guide me along the
twisted, winding, and yet, rewarding path of my teenage years.
Your Co-Editor-in-Chief,
Nikki Hess
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR FINALS!!!
abington.k12.pa.us
The Abingtonian
8
June 2010
Letters from the Editors
A few final words
By Robbie Rozansky
It’s funny. I have not even left yet, but for the past couple of months, I have felt an odd sense of premature nostalgia. As I walk
home from school and pass by the vacant courtyard, I see myself on the field, sliding to catch a Frisbee during Student Involvement
Day; I hear the chatter of my friends as we head to physics, joking about precisely how much shorter the diagonal path across the
courtyard is than the breezeway route, based on a 45-45-90 triangle (yes, we are nerds). Strolling through an empty hallway has a
similar effect; a peek into room 136 recalls soaked lab coats and goggles after a brutal deionized water fight—which Mrs. Brown does
not in any way condone—and the darkness of 240 is brightened by images of Mr. Saylor climbing onto a desk, demonstrating the
might and superiority of the eponymous character in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The past can seem to be, as Faulkner puts it, “a
huge meadow which no winter ever quite touches.” I would not say that I look warmly upon every one of my high school experiences,
but sometimes we do not realize that we are creating gems of memories until they are far behind us.
My work with the Abingtonian has been a defining feature of my high school career. I spent my sophomore and junior years
with the paper writing features, namely, album reviews. I enjoyed trying to capture the sounds and put them on the page, so that the
music played through my head as I reread my own words. During these two years, I would eagerly await each Abingtonian issue, and
when it finally came, I would riffle through the pages to find my own article in print.
I am glad that I spent my senior year as one of the Abingtonian’s editors-in-chief. I look fondly upon the two seats in the library
where Nikki and I have spent hours laying out the paper, and I have grown to love the aesthetic aspect of the publication, tinkering
around with the placement of the articles and pictures until we have the perfect front page. It has made me happy to come to the
monthly meetings and see the crowd of writers who share my appreciation of journalism, to distribute the papers and watch how
excited students are to flip through each month’s issue.
Putting out the Abingtonian takes effort on the part of many individuals.
Nikki, it has been wonderful working with you. You are an extraordinarily talented writer, a fantastically nitpicky editor, and a
truly dedicated leader—all qualities that make you a perfect Editor-in-Chief.
Esther, Maeve, Allie, and Chris, I am glad that our editing staff was such a colorful bunch of personalities. Thanks to all of your
hard work and ideas, each issue of the Abingtonian was filled with an extremely diverse assortment of interesting, well-written
material that made reading the paper a pleasure.
Mr. Saylor, you have been invaluable, mentoring us this entire year and helping us achieve our full potential as members of the Abingtonian. I also appreciate the
personal interest you took in each of us, and I enjoyed our chats about life after every Thursday meeting.
Mr. Wrigley, you made the daunting task of publishing the paper manageable,
and fun as well. In addition, you can work wonders with PageMaker, a newspaper
layout program seemingly from the bowels of hell.
Paul “Eugene” Tershakovec. You were always by my side flooding the school
with flyers for upcoming meetings and lugging around the box of freshly printed
papers for delivery. Your contribution, as one of our Point/Counterpoint writers and
our restaurant reviewer, is truly commendable.
And finally, the most important members of the Abingtonian are the writers.
Without you, we would have nothing to publish. We were thrilled to see around
ninety writers attend the first meeting of the year, our largest meeting in the paper’s
history, and as the months have passed, your ranks have remained strong (especially
the sophomores). I have really enjoyed editing your stories, because you are such a
talented group of people with a vast range of interests.
Abington High School is an amazing place. Be sure to appreciate the little
things—the locker conversations, the quirky teachers, and those darned “T’s”—
because you will miss them when they are gone.
Your Co-Editor-in-Chief,
ABINGTONIAN
2009-2010
Robbie Rozansky
Published by:
Abington Senior High School; Abington, Pennsylvania
On behalf of the staff
of The Abingtonian we
would like to wish the
class of 2010 the best
of everything.
May all your dreams
come true.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Editors-in-Chief: Nikki Hess & Robbie Rozansky
News Editor: Esther Katro
Editorial Editor: Maeve McDermott
Features Editor: Allie Baurer
Sports Editor: Chris Gerhardt
Writers:
Kelsey Hughes, Zach Baum, Danielle Harding, Paul
Tershakovec, Gabrielle Noone, Melissa Diamond, Brittany
Lloyd, Allie Baurer, Chris Gerhardt, Esther Katro, Nikki Hess,
Robbie Rozansky
Advisors:
Mr. A. Saylor, Mr. R. Wrigley
Administration:
Dr. J. Fecher, Mr. R. McCuen, Ms. D. Heaven, Mr. E. Johnson