May 2008 - Abington School District

abington.k12.pa.us
May 2008
The Abingtonian
Abington Senior High School, Abington, PA 19001
Vol. LXXXVII, Issue 8
May 2008
Battle of the Sexes: Are you tough enough?
By Erin Metzinger
It was a battle of strength and intelligence. It was a battle of who could find their
shoes and eat pie the fastest. It was Key Club’s
second annual Battle of the Sexes. Students
came prepared, wearing everything pink and
blue they could find as they entered the gym
on Wednesday, April 22nd, ready to answer
that never ending argument, who’s better:
boys or girls?
This project was run by Key Club and benefited the building of a sensory trail at Special
Equestrians Stable. Special Equestrians is a
therapeutic riding facility for special needs
children. The sensory trail will be a riding trail
for the kids that will stimulate all five of their
senses and provide them with a more inclusive riding experience. There will be a water
fall, a raised garden for the kids to pick from
as they ride, wind chimes, a riding hill to help
improve their riding skills, and more.
Students tested their knowledge as they
were quizzed on how well they knew the opposite gender. Girls were asked questions such
as, “Which sports team would you expect to
play at Wrigley Field?” while guys were asked,
“How many seasons has American’s Next Top
Model run?” Students also scrambled to find
their shoes and tie them first. A more skilled
activity included the balloon shave where kids
tried their best to completely shave a balloon
without popping it. The game “shark” included teams of girls and guys attempting to
all fit onto a piece a cardboard while trying
to make it across the gym. The human knot
tested flexibility when kids tried untangling
themselves from each other.
Other activities included who could dress
up in clothes the fastest, passing a hula hoop
through a chain of students, and knock-out.
Students stuffed their faces during the pie eating contest which resulted in many chocolate- and whipped cream-covered faces. Perhaps the greatest test of strength and most
anticipated event was the tug-of-war. Every
student participated as they used every
muscle they had to try to win. Whoever won
the tug-of-war would win for the night. In the
end the boys prevailed and beat the girls by
only a few points. The final score was 16-13.
Snacks, drinks, and t-shirts were sold to
help the Special Equestrian cause. Key Club
members plan to hold a work day at the
riding stable to provide further assistance on
May 18th. Key Club thanks all of the teacher
chaperones who helped with the event including Mr. Kummer, Miss Martinez, and Miss
Muller. Hopefully, next year’s Battle of Sexes
will give the girls a chance to take back the
victory!
J-prom!
By Steph Smith
On Saturday, April 12th, 2008, Abington
Senior High School juniors attended their annual dance – junior prom! Students arrived in
the gym fully decked-out in long and short
dresses! Boys mainly wore suits and had ties
that matched the color of their date’s dress.
This dance really had no dress code; Soph Hop
girls mainly wore short dresses, where as at
prom girls usually wear long dresses; this dance
had a nice mix.
The gym was fully decorated with tons
of balloons, lights, and even a disco ball! The
set-up of the gym was a little unusual; this is
because the DJ booth was located to the
right of the gym instead of straight ahead,
but this allowed more space for the dance
floor! The DJ played lots of popular songs including “Low” by Flo-rida, “See You Again”
by Miley Cyrus, and “Pop, Lock, and Drop It”
by Huey. There were also plenty of snacks for
the class to enjoy, which helped satisfy any
hungry dancers!
Overall, the dance was a huge success,
thanks to the junior class council and their
leaders!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Physics Day Wrap-Up - Page 2
Point/Counterpoint - Page 3
Teenage Love - Page 4
The Wait-List - Page 5
Advice with Sara - Page 6
Black Keys Review - Page 6
Mr. Garry - Page 7
Café Lombardi - Page 7
Losing & Baseball - Page 8
Sports Corner with Yale - Page 8
abington.k12.pa.us
The Abingtonian
2
e
Key Club: the
shape of things to
come
By James McDonald
Although the school year is coming to a close, the new Key
Club Board is just getting started. On February 27th, I, James McDonald,
was elected president; Jacob Feldman, vice president; Barb Trunk,
secretary, Andrew Slade, treasurer; and Adrienne Smallwood, editor.
Those are the five elected officer positions, but there are twenty-one
other executive board positions as well.
I am so excited for this group of people, and I know that next
year will be incredibly successful – not to mention tons of fun! The new
board members have already taken on big projects like Battle of the
Sexes, Bowling for Darfur and the Girl’s Lock In, and this is only in the
first few weeks of their taking office! If you like doing community service and having fun with your friends, this upcoming Key Club year is
for you.
Be sure to join Key Club next year, lest you get left out of an
amazing time.
A fun day for all
By Jill McCoach
It seemed like everyone
had a great time at Physics Day
on April 18th at Six Flags Great
Adventure. After weeks and
weeks of anticipation for juniors
and seniors, the big day had finally arrived. The day was full of
rides, games, food, perfect
weather, and of course, Physics! As the park came into view,
everyone got excited, and the
buses were filled with chants
and screams. Students flooded
off the buses to meet their
friends and lab groups. With our lab gear in hand, we entered
the park and got started right away. The plan was to finish
the lab as quickly as possible, and then do every ride, going
from one end of the park to the other. Despite a few malfunctions and technical difficulties on rides such as Superman, Nitro, and Kingda Ka, students didn’t let those hold them back.
They waited until repairs were made and got right back on.
Since it was such a beautiful day, students were able to ride
one roller coaster after the other. Unfortunately, that dreadful
time of 5:45 P.M. approached, and it was time to return to
the fountain to meet everyone and head back to the buses.
Overall, the day couldn’t have been any better, and it was a
fun and enjoyable experience for all.
s
Word Link
By Laura Pempkowski
Hey, word puzzle-lovers! Frustrated by Sudoku? I’ve made
a new labyrinth of letters to discover. You play by creating a link
of compound words from the first word all the way to the last.
The first and second words link to make a compound word, like
in the example: Guitar and string connect to be guitar string.
String links with band to make a string band; then band and
camp make band camp. Some of the words even have letters
filled in to help you out.
Answers to last month’s puzzle:
Pirate - Treasure - Chest - Hair - Clip - Board - Meeting
- Place - Setting - Up - Town - House - Party
ROCKING
___ O ___ ___ ___
R ___ ___ C___
___ ___ E ___ ___ I ___ G
D ___ W ___
___ ___ ___ ___
___ V ___ ___
K ___ ___ ___
JOY
W
WO
O RR D
D LL II N
NK
K
For this new Key Club year, these other executive board positions are
as follows:
-Sophomore director: Emily Crosette
-Service to Community Chairs: Laura Wall and Julie Powers
-Kiwanis Family Liaisons: Erin Metzinger and Alex Cohen
-Hugs and Hopes/Ronald McDonald House Chairs: Erica
Chandler and Darcela Llanos
-Service to the Environment Chairs: Alina Szuch and Emily Doyle
-Read and Lead Chairs: Casey Wombough and Adam Pardes
-Special events coordinator: Jill Casey
-Webmaster: Ryan Sailor
-Youth Serving Youth coordinator: Shannon Reilly
-Scrapbook editor: Jen Teitell and Sarah Bugay
-Public Relations: Maeve McDermott
-Senior director: Steph Smith
-Junior director: JulieAnn Haldeman
-Historian: Nina Rivera
w
W
WO
O RR D
D LL II N
NK
K
N
May 2008
abington.k12.pa.us
May 2008
The Abingtonian
3
Point / Counterpoint
Topic: Patriotism
With liberty and justice for some
By Shannon Fairorth
From the time that they are still immersed in the world of naptime,
until the culmination of their secondary education, the youngest of
the citizens are expected to verbally assert their loyalty to their governing body each and every school day. Still developmentally incomplete and susceptible to even the most seemingly innocuous of influences, they declare the bonds of their nation to be indissoluble, and
its people drunk off the sweet wine of equality and autonomy. They
affirm their and the country’s faith in God. In unison, their words sound
drone-like, an unquestioned exercise in blind fealty. No, I speak not of
North Korea. The picture that I paint is free of smoky Habanos and
pseudo-Prime Ministers of southern Africa. This is the land of the free
and the home of the brave, America.
In a supposed Mecca of democracy, it is surprising that the Pledge
of Allegiance even exists. Our very foundations are rooted in contesting authority. How is it that we can expect Americans to vow to be
faithful and steadfast when our forefathers themselves formed a government composed of free speech, unadulterated press, and the
ability to call the president an incompetent fascist without being
thrown, trial-be-damned, into a jail cell? The Pledge of Allegiance is
about as patriotic as the Patriot Act. It is not the embodiment of our
values; rather, it is their contradiction, distorted by a fuzzy topcoat of
red, white, and blue.
When Francis Bellamy first penned the Pledge in 1892, it is doubtful that in the phrase, “with liberty and justice for all,” he was attempting irony. Regardless of his intentions, however, how this line
can be said with a straight face and steady voice is beyond me.
Liberty and justice for whom, exactly? For the million-plus displaced
by Hurricane Katrina and shunted aside by the government? The
people denied the basic human right of marriage due to their sexual
orientation? Perhaps the boon of American munificence pertains to
non-citizens as well, such as those tortured (sorry, waterboarded –
not the same thing) at Guantanamo Bay. More likely, “all” refers to,
as it always does, to financially-secure straight white Christian men,
such as (no shockers here) Bellamy himself. These words are no more
than an imaginary standard to which our country has repeatedly
failed to live up to.
As disconcerting as the introduction and closing of the Pledge
of Allegiance may be, possibly the most troubling excerpt lies closer
to the middle. In 1954, over two decades after the original author’s
death, “under God” was margined in as an effort to further distinguish ourselves from our Communist foes. What can be said of the
minute addition? I hardly know where to begin. It is an irrelevant
zeitgeist of the mid-20th century. It does not cross, but rather demolishes, and spits upon Jefferson’s wall between Church and State. It is
offensive to the agnostic and atheists, as well as anyone who does
not subscribe to major monotheistic religion. Its advocates may offer
the vagueness the aforementioned God as a pacifier, claiming that
it mentions no specific religion, and therefore upholds the spirit of the
First Amendment. However, this takes for granted the millions who
believe in many gods, or none at all. Still, the true danger of these
words does not lie in the ambiguity of their phrasing; it is their implications that the basis of our system is built upon anything but our
own inherent knowledge of right and wrong. It opens the doors for
legislation proposed not for the good of the American people, but
the peace of mind of fundamentalists who shall not rest until every
abortion clinic is permanently inactive, every middle school biology
textbook preaching the gospel of creationism, every Islamic Middle
Eastern country forcibly enlightened by our own godly ways. One
nation under God? God, I hope not.
Francis Bellamy claimed that the Pledge’s purpose was to teach
obedience to the state as a virtue. But where lies the virtue in obedience of any kind, particularly to the state? As Americans, it is not
merely our right, but our duty to question and fight to the fullest of
our abilities what we see as wrong, whether this makes us petulant
children or shining crusaders. The fact remains that however much
God is or is not involved, there is no liberty and justice for all. And
certainly, as long as we still pledge allegiance, there never will be.
These Colors Don’t Run
By Marc Joseph
This issue of point-counterpoint will be short, concise, and to the
point. Moreover, I am sorry to say that some people, particularly the
avid supporters of my erstwhile opponent, will find it offensive, and
for that, I can only apologize in advance…but the words must be
said.
As of this summer, our country is two hundred and twenty years
old, yet our flag has been to many places. It flew over the Rio Grande
when Zachary Taylor led five thousand American troops in a bloody,
desperate battle against twenty thousand Mexicans…yet despite the
odds, it still flew. It flew at Tripoli, when the charge of twenty brave
United States Marines rallied an army and won our first war. And it
continues to fly over Normandy, the lonely guardian of the 9,387 men
who refused to let freedom die on the beaches and wire that fateful,
fateful June day.
The flag does not represent President Bush. It does not represent
a war in Iraq. It stands for something completely different.
Freedom. Liberty. Justice and Equality. And more than that, more
than any other thing it may represent, it flies as a reminder to us all of
the forty five million men and women who have served this country
in war and peace…and the million who did not come home.
So next time you refuse to honor the flag because it is “a violation of your religion,” or some other reason, know that you are trampling on your ancestors’ dreams. You are dishonoring the soldiers who
fought, and continue to fight, for your rights. And you are spitting on
the dead, who did not live to see the dream preserved.
Know that I hold you in contempt down to the deepest recesses
of my soul…and I fear what happens to a country when her own
people don’t remember the sacrifices her sons and daughters made
for freedom.
I would like to finish with a quote:
“It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of
the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of
speech.
It is the soldier, not the organizer, who has given us the freedom
to demonstrate.
It is the soldier
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who gives protesters the right to burn the flag.”
-Charles M. Province
abington.k12.pa.us
The Abingtonian
4
May 2008
E d i t o r i a l s
Seriously, guys, that’s so gay
By Shannon Fairorth
It has been one month since the heartbreaking shooting of Lawrence King, 15, and
I find myself wondering: why did I only hear
about it today? And, more pressingly, how is
it that my means of discovery was not a network news station or the New York Times, but
an invite to a commemorative group via
Facebook? Yes, the media has had several
pressing issues to which it needed to attend –
sex scandals to expose, political smackdowns
to incite, whatever’s going on with Britney –
but since when is a school shooting fodder
for no more than a few local papers? A fourteen-year-old kid whipped out a gun in the
computer lab and shot another boy, just a
year older, dead in the head. Why aren’t we
being nagged about our IDs, drilled on how
to hide during an attack, assembled in the
auditorium, and lectured on school safety?
Oh, right, because Lawrence King was murdered for being gay. I forgot.
Better known by his friends as Larry, King
was one of the rarest of all creatures: a middle
school student with the courage to be what
he was, regardless of the taunts, the stares,
the ostracism. Openly homosexual and feminine in his personal gender identity, he often
wore makeup and girls’ clothing to school,
where he was routinely picked on by the boys
in his class. As reported days later by the Los
Angeles Times, King’s regular display of eye
shadow and heels was “freaking the guys
out,” according to fellow eighth-grader
Michael Sweeney. And herein lies the very
heart of the issue. King was not killed by a
bullet; he was killed by homophobia.
The thing is, at least to some degree, we
are taught from an early age to be sensitive
toward each other’s differences. Sure, our
government assumes that anyone who has
ever been inside a mosque is rallying for Al
Qaeda, and we spin weight issues into blockbuster comedies without the blink of an
equally corpulent eye, but in general, it can
easily be argued that society encourages
persecution based upon neither race nor
creed nor pants size. Sexual orientation, however, is an entirely separate matter. Our president pushes for a constitutional ban on samesex marriage. The church tells us that they’re
hell-bound sinners. Turn on the TV, and gay
men are a joke, parading around like
liquored-up debutantes. So what other message are the youth of the nation supposed to
learn besides one of intolerance and contempt?
Although both men and women can be
homophobes, it is absolutely no surprise to
anyone that Lawrence King was tormented
and then executed by boys. Nothing riles up
a bunch of pubescent male adolescents like
someone defying their code of masculinity,
flaunting his self-decided amnesty from the
world of footballs, action movies, the Dallas
Cowboy cheerleaders, in their very faces. It’s
maddening, it’s threatening, and when
Just something to think about
By Laura Pempkowski
Teenage love can be defined by many
words: great, stupid, magical, impractical,
true, unrealistic, confusing, dependable, or
any other adjective. Whether you are in a relationship, envying one, claim to be in love,
think you actually are in love, wish you were
in love, just have a best friend…everyone
knows what love is. Or do we?
You see couples in the hallway, or have
a friend who is dating someone and you hear
them say, “I love you.” Maybe you say, “I love you,” to someone. But
how can we be sure that we are truly in love? Is love defined by how
you feel for a person or is it how that person makes you feel? How
sure are we that we remain ourselves, unchanged by the person we
have met, that we claim to love? How can we be sure that the
changes we’ve undergone are now a true part of who we are and
shape us into this loving new person? Is that love?
Honestly, I don’t think anyone knows the answer for sure. I mean,
how can anyone put a value, a meaning, a predetermined definition on an emotion?
So when you hear people say “I love you,” do they mean it? In
my opinion, it doesn’t matter what you think about how someone
else feels, for the reason that no one can define love. It’s personal.
But if you believe in true love, what are the odds that meeting
your true love in high school is possible? Statistics show that less than
two percent of high school sweethearts marry, and never divorce.
But I mean, really, out of everyone…in the entire state…the
country…the world…all six billion people; you have found your one
true love in your math class? Let’s be realistic.
Loving someone and saying that you love them is perfectly
healthy. But sticking to it, and going to the extremes that life without
them isn’t possible, or maybe you need to stay together throughout
college, or that you’re going to get married, are only detrimental to
both parties involved.
So in our youth, love and be loved – it’s the best feeling in the
world, I think. We’re young; it’s time to explore all the wonders in
love that life has to offer. I guess love is the combination of losing
yourself, but finding some of it in someone else; being dependable,
and being able to depend on someone else; growing as an adult,
but also giggling at childish things, and knowing that someone always has you in mind. So, sure, say you’re in love. You’re just finding
the balance between being swept off your feet, and staying down
to earth. It’s just something to think about.
you’ve got the rest of America on your side,
it’s justification. So when Lawrence King
asked Brandon McInerney to be his Valentine,
McInerney was not alone in his disgust. The
media was behind him. Religion was behind
him. His friends were behind him. Even the
President of the United States was behind him.
He may have held the gun, but in pulling the
trigger, he was not alone.
A decade has passed since the murder
of Matthew Shepard, a young political science major at the University of Wyoming. He
was robbed, tortured, then tied to a fence
and left for dead. Killed, like King, for what
he was, whom he loved. It has been ten
years, and what progress have we made?
Harsher hate-crime laws have been enacted,
perhaps, but regardless of whether or not
three years are added to McInerney’s sentence, Lawrence King is still gone. The road
to equality is not paved with statutes and legislation, but rather with what lies within our
hearts. I truly believe that one day my grandchildren will look back upon these times the
same way in which our generation sees the
Jim Crow South, with incredulity that such intolerance could ever have existed so freely.
One day homophobia will go the way of racism, crawling into dimly lit corners, surfacing,
unwelcome, only in the darkest of times.
Maybe that will be the day when I see Larry
King on Fox News.
The beds with the lights
By Chelsea Marion
I think I was just about eleven years old when I had asked my
mom if we could go inside the store with the “beds with the lights.”
Those beds were like nothing I had ever seen before. They were cooler,
brighter, better than my boring old white mattress, and I wanted
one...badly. I begged my mom for one because I was sure that I’d
be the only kid on the block with a glowing bed. So when she said
no, insisting that those unhealthy beds weren’t for people like me, I
was mad, not to mention confused. Thus began my fascination with
tanning beds.
I am sure you’ve all noticed the sudden pigmentation in the skin
of the students, mostly females these past months, as prom season is
getting closer. All natural of course because you know, how often
rain clouds of April naturally give skin a nice glow of all shades pink,
red, and orange. Rain clouds can do that, right? While I am not so
sure about the whole rain cloud thing, I can tell you this: many girls
and boys alike have this false conception that somehow being tan
makes you more attractive. Though it may be true that the slight tint
of color in your skin may make the highlights in your hair brighter, or
that new yellow dress you just bought look a thousand times better,
it is also true that keeping your skin its natural tone is just as beautiful!
So what if your highlights don’t look as good right now, you will be
saving yourself a possible case of skin cancer and a definite future of
wrinkles and bad skin. It is really important to take this into account,
I mean REALLY take this into account because I know you’ve all heard
it before, yet still choose to ignore the inevitable. If your health truly
mattered to you as much as you think it does, then you would listen.
Allow me to give the statistics. By just tanning once a month or more,
you increase your chances of developing melanoma by fifty-five percent! Think about this, perhaps you have cases of skin cancer in your
family history, and you already have a twenty percent chance of
getting it without being in the sun or a tanning bed; if you do decide
to tan, you now have a seventy-five percent chance of obtaining
some form of skin cancer. And that’s a hefty price to pay for highlights or a dress.
Now I am not saying you have to stay inside, and shield away
from the sun for the rest of your life, but I will say this: be more cautious. I get it, I really do, society has portrayed the image of being tan
as being beautiful, and you know what, maybe sometimes it is. But
here’s the thing to remember, if it’s winter your skin is meant to be
paler, and if it’s summer (which it is not quite yet, though I know we
all may wish it is), your skin will naturally pick up a little color; just
don’t force it, and let nature run its course.
abington.k12.pa.us
May 2008
The Abingtonian
5
E d i t o r i a l s
Always bet on Brown
By Alex Kuczynski-Brown
In sports, to win it all is often just the beginning. When a team
brings home a championship to a parade-starved city, nothing can
match the initial sense of uninhibited euphoria. That is until the thrill
wears off, and everyone sets their sights on repeating the triumph
next year…and then again, as conversation turns to sustaining a dynasty that mirrors the 1996-2000 New York Yankees or the Chicago
Bulls team that dominated the NBA in the 1990s. On the other hand,
individual sports are all about the pursuit of records – from Sampras’
14 to Nicklaus’ 18. Once is never enough, and there’s nothing an
athlete resents more than being labeled as a “one-slam wonder.”
The sporting world is ruled by one universal expectation: keep winning.
There is, however, one notable exception to this standard, and
it comes in the form of horse racing’s marquis event – the Kentucky
Derby. Winning the Derby is something that can define your life; win it
once and no one can ever take that away from you. It’s the hardest
thing to do in sports, and it all starts with a horse.
While just gaining entrance into the Kentucky Derby field is considered an accomplishment in itself, the task doesn’t get any easier
from the starting gate. For one, a jockey must navigate an overcrowded 20-horse field on a mount that is running 1 ¼ miles for the
first, and most likely only, time in its career. Furthermore, the horses
have never before been exposed to a crowd like the one that descends on Churchill Downs that first Saturday in May. All walks of life
are on display in this sea of 157,000+ spectators – from the chaotic,
oftentimes drunken, atmosphere of the infield, to the more subdued,
dignified setting of Millionaire’s Row. Old Money, New Money, and
everything in between.
As it has been for the past 134 years, the pageantry and tradition of the Kentucky Derby was in full effect on Saturday, May 3rd, as
evidenced by the hats, mint juleps, singing of “My Old Kentucky
Home,” and of course, the horses themselves. These Thoroughbreds
are the world’s ideal athletes. Consider the New Balance ad campaign that poses the question “There are two motivations in sports.
Which is yours? For love or money?” and then look at these horses
that race simply for the love of running.
Surveying this year’s field, there was no shortage of compelling
Derby stories, all of which were brought to those of us watching at
home by NBC Sports’ broadcasting team of Bob Costas, Tom
Hammond, and former jockey Gary Stevens. The favorite, Big Brown
(named after UPS), was attempting to remain undefeated in four
starts and become only the second horse in history to win from post
position 20. His trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr., caused quite a stir at Churchill
Downs when a week before the race he boldly predicted that
“Brownie” would run a big race, and remarked that he hadn’t seen
any other horse that could beat him. But as Bob Costas and company kept reminding us, in the words of Muhammad Ali, “It ain’t
bragging if you can back it up.” For Dutrow, this race very well could
have been all about redemption. Throughout his life he’s battled his
own demons of drug use and addiction that only worsened following the murder of his former girlfriend and mother of his daughter ten
years ago. At one point business was so bad that he had to sleep in
his barn at Aqueduct, and he has been suspended on numerous occasions for medication violations when his horses tested positive for
banned substances.
Then there was Eight Belles, the only filly in the field, trying to
become the fourth horse of her gender to capture the Derby and the
first since Winning Colors in 1988. Hoping to pull off an upset was
Gayego, owned by Carlos Juelle and Jose Prieto, Cuban-born men
who faced hardship and suffered under the Castro regime. Dr. Prieto
was held as a political prisoner for five years, and Juelle spent two
years working in a labor camp; both moved to Spain before relocating to California, where they are now living the American dream.
Making his return to Churchill Downs with Visionaire was Michael Matz,
who two years ago came to Kentucky and saddled a horse by the
name of Barbaro for the Derby. Bob Black Jack was originally sold by
his breeders for $4500; to call that a bargain would be an understatement, because prospective Thoroughbred racehorses with proven
bloodlines oftentimes sell for upwards of $1 million. They call it the
sport of kings for a reason; you have to pay a king’s ransom to own
a racehorse.
Setting the early pace in the Derby were Bob Black Jack, Cowboy Cal, and Recapturetheglory; they were stalked by Big Brown,
who broke cleanly from his post position and ran 5-6 horses wide for
most of the race before taking the lead coming out of the final turn.
Requiring little urging from jockey Kent Desormeaux, Big Brown accelerated down the stretch and cruised to an easy victory of 4 ¾
lengths. He defied history by becoming the first horse since the filly
Regret in 1915 to win the Derby after only three career starts, and in
doing so lived up to his trainer’s prediction; Rick Dutrow’s apparent
arrogance was thus revealed as nothing more than confidence in his
horse.
It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.
Unfortunately, this Kentucky Derby will be remembered as one
of triumph and tragedy. The unrestrained excitement and jubilation
of Kent Desormeaux’s family and Rick Dutrow’s company was juxtaposed by the sight of Eight Belles, the second-place filly, collapsing
after the wire. Memories of the late superhorse Barbaro came flooding back as the world looked on. This time around, however, there
was no opportunity for Dr. Dean Richardson to perform another lifesaving surgery. Eight Belles suffered two compound fractures in her
front ankles and had to be euthanized on the track, only moments
after running the race of her life.
With her passing, the debate over Thoroughbred racing has resumed, as it did two years ago when Barbaro shattered his right hind
leg. On one hand there’s PETA and other diehard animal activists
condemning the sport as inhumane and calling for the suspension of
Eight Belles’ jockey, while those of us with a more objective approach
can recognize what happened as one of the harsh realities of a sport
in need of reform. The fact that many breeders are breeding for speed
and not durability, combined with the physical demands of racing –
1000 lb three-year-olds running on legs as fragile as icicles – seems to
make injury inevitable.
Nevertheless, in the wake of tragedy it is important to look toward the light: Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby in dominating
fashion, and all hands point to him being the first horse in 30 years to
capture the Triple Crown. He should be able to win the Preakness
Stakes handily, it being 1/16th of a mile shorter than the Derby. The
Belmont, with its grueling 1 ½ mile distance, is more difficult to handicap. So many horses in recent history (War Emblem, Funny Cide, and
Smarty Jones come to mind) have been poised to end the Triple
Crown drought, only to come up short in New York. But as they say,
“That’s horse racing.”
The W-list
By Maddie Abel
By April 1st, most college-bound seniors at Abington Senior High
School had heard back from the admissions offices of institutions
across the country. Some were ecstatic, some disappointed, and
many struck by the seemingly arbitrary system which had enveloped
their lives since the beginning of their junior year. There are three possible options that awaited the students as they opened the ominous
envelopes: accepted, rejected, or wait-listed. The first, obviously, inciting the most positive reaction, the second starting a stream of
distress and anger. Then there is the third option: wait-listing. “What
in the name of College Board does that mean?” many students asked
themselves, and read further into the emotion-mixing letter.
Wait-listing, as asserted by admissions officers, is a “positive reaction” to the student’s application. However, due to limited space
at each college, and exacerbated by the record-breaking number
of applicants this year, a wait list is compiled of students who are
almost – but not quite – good enough. As the colleges begin to hear
back from accepted students, whose decision deadline is May 1st,
they reevaluate the wait list and start the application process, more
or less, all over again. Supposedly, there is no order to these wait lists,
although many students believe there are at least categories with
some sort of ranking. Students on the waitlist hear back sometime
after the May 1st deadline, even as late as June – and herein lies the
complexity that is wait-listing. Wait-listed students must decide on a
college by May 1; therefore, they have to pick somewhere among
the places they were accepted, and send in a deposit of at least a
couple hundred dollars. Then, if accepted to a school at which they
were previously wait-listed, they must make the decision between
staying on the same path, or switching to a different college in June
and sending a considerable amount of money down the drain. This
issue causes many students who are accepted off the waitlist to decline the offer and attend the college they chose in May.
The college admissions process has certainly become more and
more difficult for students everywhere. With a strong emphasis on
standardized testing as well as general well-roundedness, many students find it a very stressful process. Wait-listing overall is a system
that helps the colleges but only stresses out the seniors even more.
Nevertheless, the seniors can taste the end and are more than ready
to leave Abington and move on to bigger and better things – despite several changes of plan along the way.
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By Allie Baurer
They are cleverly disguised in labels that present sense-stimulating
titles. They are falsely displayed by pictures that showcase colorful fruits and
vegetables. They are marketed with descriptions that provide unkept promises. What are “they” exactly? The aforementioned are all the foods in the
market that are being advertised as healthful and beneficial, but the truth
is really quite the opposite.
It seems like most consumers see an item on a shelf that appears to be
healthy and enjoyable, so they purchase it. That is their first mistake – not
reading the information on the product. I know it sounds improbable to
have enough time and patience to actually examine the food because
when most people enter a grocery store they simply want to find what’s on
their list, throw it in their cart, and be done with it. However, the nutrition
facts on the back of the product are there for a reason: they inform the
consumer of the contents of that which he or she is about to put into his or
her body. In other words, they provide the nutritional value of the food.
These facts tend to come off as needing to be decoded, but they are
actually a lot easier to figure out than one may think.
The first fact given is the serving size, which can be defined as the
suggested amount of the product that the average person should take in.
The servings are how many of those serving sizes there are in the product.
Follow me so far? This is where it starts to get a little tricky. A number can be
found next to the word ‘calories,’ and this number represents the number of
calories for the entire box, bag, or whatever. Here comes the fun stuff. The
total fat is the complete amount of fat in the serving size, not the whole
package. The same applies for the amount of sodium, carbohydrates, sugars, protein, vitamins, etc. as well. The daily value of total fat is recommended at 65 grams. Sodium should be no more than 2400 milligrams a day,
protein should be around 50 grams, fiber should add up to about 25
grams…you get the point. Pay attention to these numbers so that you’ll be
less inclined to delude yourself with poor choices.
Although some foods may appear to be healthy options, they might
just be another device businesses use to get consumers to buy their product. Don’t fall into this trap! Remember that the truth is in the nutritional
information. Listed below are some of the most deceptive foods/drinks,
which should be avoided:
Abingtonian Advice
Q: I’ve seen a handful of my friends get really hurt by the people
they are with: cheaters. Why do people cheat? And what do you do
to ease the pain? A lot of my friends ask me for help, and I just don’t
know what to say because it’s never
happened to me. What should I do?
A: Being the age that we are makes
staying in a relationship with just one
person all that much more difficult.
Infidelity is one of the most devastating things that can happen in a relationship. Do people cheat because of
something wrong in the relationship,
or is it something deep inside the
cheater’s personality that leads them
to stray? If a cheater cheats on one
partner, will he also cheat on the next?
Can you ever really trust a cheater?
Should you even try? When it comes
to cheating there are no easy answers.
I hate to be the bearer of bad
news, but cheating can happen to
anyone. Being cheated on by a person you love and trust is incredibly hurtful. To answer your first question, why people cheat, there is no one reason why people decide to
do something that can leave deep scars on the victim. Most cheaters seem to know what they did was wrong but never admit to it.
Sadly, there is not a right or wrong answer to your first question. People
cheat because, well, a lot of people our age don’t know what they
want.
And now to your second question, what do you do to ease the
pain if you’re cheated on? If you are cheated on, don’t blame yourself. The only person at fault for cheating is the person who did it to
you. I wish there was one answer for this question as well, but honestly all the answers lie within yourself. One thing you can do is surround yourself with the people who love and care about you, your
family and friends. If you stay with the person who did this to you, you
are in fact cheating yourself out of the happiness and respect you
deserve.
Good Luck,
Sara
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-Vitamin Water: With a name like “Vitamin Water” one would think
that it would be the most nutritious beverage in the world. Unfortunately,
each one of these colorful drinks has around 125 calories and a fair amount
of sugar in it.
-Dried Fruit: Despite the fact that at one time these mango strips,
banana chips, etc. were actual fruits, they can no longer be considered so.
During the drying process, manufacturers add loads of sugar to the fruit. A
single serving of dried mango strips (6 strips) contains 130 calories. Half a
cup of banana chips holds a whole 218 calories.
-Energy Bars: Though energy levels may be boosted, sodium, sugar,
and caloric intake will also go up. Promax Cookies N’ Cream Sports Bars, for
example, hold a whopping 290 calories each.
-Canned Soup: Surprising as it might be, canned soup can be one of
the worst foods for the heart. It isn’t necessarily the calories that do the
damage (Campbell’s Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup has only 110 calories
per cup); the enormous amount of sodium is what turns this food bad. That
same soup contains 890 milligrams of sodium for just the one cup. That’s 37
percent of the recommended daily value of sodium! Progresso soups offer
healthful options including reduced sodium, low fat, or 100-calorie soups,
and they come in a wide variety of flavors.
-Sugary Cereal: Perhaps it seems like it’s fine for cereal to be sugary
because it is being eaten early in the morning, so it will create energy in the
body. That assumption is false. Certain cereals, particularly those directed
toward kids, have so much sugar that heart rates can increase from regular
consumption. Fifteen grams of sugar are in a serving of Froot Loops. To
avoid this extra sweet mess, try a cereal made from whole grains like Special K (4 grams of sugar), Cheerios (0.8 grams of sugar), or Total Whole Grain
(5 grams of sugar).
-Canned Fruits: Even though some of these fruits are offered in water
or juice as opposed to syrup, they are still high in calories and sugar. A single
serving of Del Monte canned peaches holds 100 calories. One is better off
sticking with a raw peach (a large one is 61 calories).
-Frozen Meals: They are convenient, satisfying, and pretty tasty, so
they can’t possibly have negative effects, right? Wrong! What they lack in
calories they make up for in sodium. Be very careful when choosing a frozen
meal.
The bottom line is this: do yourself a favor and read all the nutritional
information. Calories could be conserved, proneness to disease lessened,
and other health risks diminished. That black and white print on the back of
the box may be small, but it is far from negligible. After all, it could wind up
saving your life.
CD Review: The Black
Keys’ Attack and Release
By Maeve McDermott
Akron’s Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, otherwise known as
the Black Keys, teamed up with Danger Mouse (the mastermind producer behind Gnarls Barkley) to record their fifth album, “Attack and
Release.” The result, at first, is catchy, dark, and satisfying enough but
sounds like just another White Stripes CD. Multiple listens prove, however, that Attack & Release deserves more credit than just a Jack
and Meg rip-off.
The Black Keys’ sound is unique in that it resists classification as
simply being “rock” or “blues” or “indie” – it features bluesy folk, R&B,
retro soul, and Southern roots-rock and still manages to seem coherent. The Keys sound raw, powerful, and authentic on Attack & Release, Danger Mouse’s masterful production striking the perfect balance between homespun and over-processed. The lyrics speak of
stones where hearts used to be, psychotic girls and streetwalkers,
and ramblin’ ways, much in the tradition of bluesy lost-love themes.
The addition of banjos, organs and flutes to the tracks complement
the Keys’ gritty, tense guitars and Auerbach‘s immensely soulful voice.
The Black Keys made very smart decisions in terms of this album,
and the results prove to be excellent. So although the guitar melody
on “I Got Mine” sounds remarkably similar to the White Stripes’ “Ball
and Biscuit,” the Black Keys manage to differ by incorporating a minutelong psychedelic-soul interlude (and a melody) into their track. The
drums on “Strange Times” may sound Meg White-esque, but Patrick
Carney’s style is more than pile-driving thumping, as illustrated through
his subtle hip-hop rhythms on numerous songs. Besides, Auerbach may
not have the guitar prowess of Jack White just yet, but he has more
soul in his voice than Jack ever will.
The Black Keys play in Philly at The Electric Factory on Friday, May
16 th.
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By Sarah Nyirjesy
Meet Mr. James Garry, one of the American
Studies I teachers at Abington Senior High. He has
actually been teaching here for nine years but
originally taught World Civilizations. Mr. Garry says
that he prefers American Studies since the students know more about the subject coming into
the class and are therefore more interested. When
I asked why students should want him as a teacher,
Mr. Garry responded, “I’m fair. I try to make things
interesting and relate it to life today. Also, I pick
out the most important information to teach, and
I won’t waste time on minute details that you
won’t need to know unless you’re on Jeopardy
someday.”
A graduate of Abington Senior High himself,
Mr. Garry sees the similarities from now to when
he attended. He claims that he could still see
people who match up to their previous counterparts, such as the jocks and other groups. When
asked if he thought it was weird teaching at the
same high school that he attended Mr. Garry responded, “It is kind of odd that I’m spending my
whole life in the same building.” Besides just teaching, Mr. Garry is also the co-sponsor of student
council with Mr. Banks. “The senior teachers are
very bitter,” says an animated Mr. Garry in reference to the ongoing rivalry between the American Studies I and II teachers.
I also discovered some more personal things
about Mr. Garry. Apparently, he and his wife were
in the same gym class in high school, but they didn’t
really know each other, except once when they
met after he hit her with a hockey puck. They now
have two children, Patrick (whose name should’ve
been Jackson but this was stolen by Mr. Morissette)
and Madison (named after the president, of
course). Mr. Garry’s favorite ice cream flavor is
mint chocolate chip and his favorite president is,
surprisingly enough, Andrew Jackson. In addition,
Mr. Garry loves country music, especially Toby
Keith.
If Mr. Garry were president he said that he
would lower taxes right away and also try to allow
local governments to make more school-related
decisions. His pet peeves are texting, not only in
class but also in general, and people who complain about things but don’t get involved or try to
change them. His favorite self-made quote is (in
reference to American Studies) “Eighty percent
of this class is reading the book. So if you’re not
reading then what are you actually doing for this
class?”
Most upcoming sophomores should want Mr.
Garry for the sole reason that you get to listen to
Dave Matthews Band as part of the lesson one
day in class. Mr. Garry’s final advice to students
planning to take AP American Studies is “Read
the book, don’t procrastinate, be super organized
since it is a two year course, and coursenotes.org
is not a substitute for reading your book.” As his
current student, I recommend that you take his
advice and the year will be easy. Mr. Garry has
been at Abington since eighth grade and will probably be here a while longer.
The taste of Italy in
Horsham
By Paul Tershakovec
Philadelphia is known for its multicultural food and exquisite cuisine.
Downtown, Chinatown offers anything from Americanized fried dumplings
and egg rolls to authentic marinated jellyfish with sesame seeds. In South
Philly, one can walk down the Italian Market and smell the rich and wonderful aromas of South Philly pork and the somewhat offensive smell of Claudio’s
delicious mozzarella. This distinct Italian taste is not bound in only South
Philly. Italian cuisine has spread all over Philadelphia and into its suburbs.
Café Lombardi’s epitomizes this exported Italian cuisine. This relatively
small restaurant in Horsham serves an assortment of different pastas, seafood, veal, and other dishes in a myriad of different sauces. When looking at
the menu, the customer may initially be overwhelmed by all of the choices.
However, by effective narrowing of choices, making a selection becomes
quite easy.
First, an educated customer should split the entrée list into parts according to sauces. Lombardi’s offers different sauces, such as marinara,
white wine, tomato, vodka cream and their house special, rosa sauce. After
deciding on a sauce, the customer’s decision-making process becomes
much easier. Depending on sauce preference, the customer may be able
to choose from dishes with chicken, veal, seafood, or perhaps a combination.
My personal favorite, rigatoni arcobaleno, embodies the rich
Lombardi’s taste in one dish. This dish consists of rigatoni with jumbo shrimp
and lump crab meat in a light rosa sauce. The rigatoni sits on a large white
plate, smothered with generous amounts of creamy, pink rosa sauce, succulent chunks of crab meat, and shrimp.
After the customer eats his or her way through the mounds of pasta, a
surplus of sauce remains. To remedy this gastronomic conundrum, one must
only utter the words, “Could we have some more bread, please?” Once the
dish is wiped to a sparkling white, the waitress takes your plates and asks if
you would like to see what desserts are available. The obvious answer is
spouting from your mouth after not even a second’s thought, so the waitress brings the dessert tray.
On a typical day, Café Lombardi’s offers your share of sorbets. Next to
the sorbets, is the traditional Italian dessert, the cannoli. After the cannoli,
there is Lombardi’s moist, espresso soaked tiramisu. All of these choices are
evenly matched, but if it is not a typical day, Café Lombardi’s will serve the
most glorious dessert, which consists of a ball of half chocolate, half vanilla
ice cream covered in a chocolate shell, with wet almonds in the middle.
This small dessert will give even the most discriminating dessert critic a
glimpse of dessert heaven.
To get the full Café Lombardi’s experience, go to:
294 Horsham Road
Horsham, PA 19044
Their summer vacations
By Jacob Feldman
This summer, many of our teachers will have fantastic adventures. Here’s the inside scoop on what a few of them are doing:
Mr. Saylor will embark on a 60 city, 60 night, 60 concert tour. Set to begin in Asbury Park, NJ, Saylor will travel across the nation by van until he finally
meets the Boss. Ms. Jack will be writing a dictionary/book entitled The Official Jacklish to English Dictionary: All You Need from Ahhh to Zingamadingdong;
it will hit bookstores this summer and will be sold in both regular and pockaburse sizes.
The Science Department will be working on an intellectual study of the effects of gravity…all summer long…researching…
Coach Martinez will host the inaugural session of Camp Good ‘N Uf. Although the camp is lacrosse-centric, there will be classes for players and
coaches on intimidation, preparation, inspirational speeches, and victory dances. The camp will also feature Coach Franko, who will teach important
lessons on Foot-bahl.
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Sports Corner with Yale Minn:
Anno Catuli:
006299
Renaissance Man
By Jacob Feldman
There are three ballparks in the
United States that are unique: Fenway
Park, Yankee Stadium, and Wrigley Field.
Together, they make up the last three
ballparks that have not sold their corporate naming rights. Yet while Wrigley Field,
named after the original owner of the
Cubs, William Wrigley Jr. (owner of the
gum company), hangs in the balance,
the story will go unnoticed because of
the Cub’s unfortunate claim to fame.
This year will mark a milestone in professional baseball, at least according to
the media. After one hundred years of
futility, which includes a sixty-two year
span without going to the World Series,
the Chicago Cubs will once again rise in
the sports world and grasp everyone’s
hearts as the “lovable loser.” While many
will find the Cubs endearing this year and
will root for them to win not only the NL
Central Division, but also the World Series, Philadelphia fans should try to keep
this “milestone” in perspective.
For one thing, this “record” is hardly
an accomplishment in the art of losing.
The Phillies hold the MLB Record for the
longest time taken to win their first World
Series at ninety-seven years (The Cubs won
the World Series in 1907 and 1908). The
Phillies also hold the record for the most
consecutive losing seasons, accomplishing the feat of fifteen consecutive losing
seasons not just once, but twice during
the team’s history. They also became the
first professional sports franchise to lose
10,000 games. And it’s not just the Phillies:
the Curse of Billy Penn has kept all of the
major sports teams from winning any
championships since 1983. All of our
teams have been mired in futility.
Also, the Windy City is not one full
of woe. While their Curse of the Billy Goat
has kept the Cubs from winning a World
Series, it has not stopped the Chicago
Bulls from winning six NBA Finals in eight
years, the Bears from winning Super Bowl
XX under Mike Ditka, or even the Chicago
White Sox from winning the World Series
in a 2005 sweep. Their “curse” has not
even kept the Cubs from being successful; in fact, the franchise recently won
their 10,000th game!
So, while the media may glorify their
losers, remember that no baseball team
can lose like our Philadelphia Phillies.
After a heartbreaking 10-6 loss to the number one team in the state, Dan Geating
speaks with an optimistic attitude. The heartbreaking loss came after losing their starting
goalie in a pre-game warm up to a hand injury. The fact of the matter is that the Boys’
Lacrosse squad is deep, running with a nationally ranked team, which played its starters for
the entire game. Their record (as of 4/23/08) of 8 wins and 3 losses leaves me with the impression that these Ghosts are headed towards postseason glory.
There are numerous talented players on this versatile lacrosse roster. The reason I chose
to interview Dan Geating was that he happened to be conveniently sitting at the lab table
next to me when I came up with the idea of writing an article on this unappreciated AHS
team. Don’t get the wrong idea, though; there is much more to Dan than meets the eye. On
the basketball court, his point-guard skills are credible, creating fast-break opportunities after every turnover. In the classroom, Dan (aka “Squid”) is able to dissect cats with graceful
and precise maneuvers. I digress, though. Dan, most importantly, plays a key role on Abington’s
Varsity Lacrosse team.
Yale: What position do you currently play for the Varsity Lacrosse team?
Dan: I am playing mid-fielder right now. But I have played Attack and Defense before.
Yale: I know this is only your first year on the team. How many years have you played
before coming here?
Dan: About seven years.
Yale: Every athlete has some memory that has left an imprint in their athletic careers.
What was your special memory?
Dan: Last year my former team played Sallies, who was the reigning state champ in
Delaware. We were picked to lose by a lot, but we were able to pull an upset. (They won by
two goals.)
Yale: What is your favorite move to pull on defenders in a tight situation?
Dan: A left handed shot on the run.
Yale: Where are you headed next year after graduation?
Dan: Probably down on Virginia Beach, at Virginia Wesleyan College.
Rebuilding Abington Girls’ Soccer
By Alyssa Kress
No matter who you were, a player, coach, or spectator, you felt the energy at the
Abington Girls’ Soccer game at Pennsbury on April 1. I whispered to a teammate, “We’re
beating Pennsbury!” It did seem to be a strange thing to say. The Abington Girls Soccer team
was beating a team that we had lost twice to in the previous season by a large number of
goals. Well, we didn’t win that game. A Pennsbury penalty kick in the last few minutes of the
game and a goal in overtime led to a loss. But the attitude on the bus ride home wasn’t sad
and dejected; instead, it was positive and optimistic. No, we hadn’t won, but we were
close. We played hard and a few unlucky things happened. For the first time in many years,
maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to be a female soccer player at Abington Senior High
School.
After over two weeks of games, we have one win. But to our team, it isn’t about the
number in the wins column. It’s much more than that. It’s about rebuilding a broken team.
This year, we have focused on playing smart soccer. It’s about more than stamina and ball
skills. It’s about searching the field for that perfect pass, moving to support your teammates,
blocking off your opponent, and most importantly, effort. And to help the rebuilding of our
team is the addition of a large group of freshman. Last season, we barely had enough girls
for both varsity and JV teams. But this year, we have two solid teams, with a majority of the
players being underclassmen. Their energy and enthusiasm has been a huge asset to the
team, along with the leadership and guidance of the upperclassmen.
Leading up to the season, I constantly heard remarks beating down the girls’ soccer
team. Maybe we felt like we had something to prove to everyone, but we came out with
fire in our eyes. So maybe that fire was diminished a little as the losses continued, but we will
continue to fight until the last game of the season. Maybe we’ll still have one win in that
column after the season, but no matter what, I will continue to say that our season was
successful. Despite what the doubters say, we learned to work together as a team and
found a way to have a chance in beating some tough teams. That’s what rebuilding is
about, and we have definitely established a strong foundation to build upon in upcoming
years.
ABINGTONIAN 2007-2008
Published by: Abington Senior High School; Abington, Pennsylvania
Editors-in-Chief: Alex Kuczynski-Brown, Travis Pollen
News Editor: Steph Smith
Editorial Editor: Laura Pempkowski
Features Editor: Rachel O’Neill
Sports Editor: Jesse Golaszewski
Photographers/Cartoonists: Adam Glickman, Fränc Luu
Writers: Julie Powers, Jill McCoach, Caroline Mills, Shannon Fairorth, Marc Joseph, Rob Verderame, James McDonald, Melanie
Highbloom, Jacob Feldman, Sam Gerhardt, Juliette Augustin, Gia Gladden, Alyssa Kress, Sara Small, Erin Metzinger, Nikki Hess, Chelsea
Marion, Yale Minn, Sarah Nyirjesy, Liz McGarry, Maddie Abel, Allie Baurer, Maeve McDermott, Paul Tershakovec
Advisors: Mr. A. Saylor, Mr. R. Wrigley
Administration: Dr. R. Burt, Mr. R. McCuen, Ms. D. Heaven, Mr. E. Johnson