October 2013 - Shaler Area School District

Volume 42 Issue 1
Student Newspaper Of Shaler Area High School
October 2013
High school welcomes new assistant principal
by Gabrielle Lazzaro
Shaler Area High School is proud to welcome a
new assistant principal, Mr. Thomas Misko, to the
administrative staff for the 2013-2014 school year.
Even though he has only been at Shaler Area for a
short time, Misko already feels at home.
“It is an honor to be here. I’m really fortunate to
be here and work with the administrative team I have.
I’m happy I made this jump,” he said.
Prior to coming to Shaler Area, Misko
worked in two other school districts as a high school
math teacher. First, he worked in his home district
in Dubois, Pennsylvania. Then from 2007 until last
year, he worked in the West Allegheny school district. He decided to make the change to administrator
and received his degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
“I’ve always taken on a leadership role,” Misko
said. “It felt natural for me to go back to school to
take the necessary administrator classes to move into
that role.”
Between working and spending time with his
wife and son, Misko works as a volunteer firefighter. He is a captain so he acts as the “building
principal of the station,” overseeing the people
and equipment that respond to emergencies.
“I’ve done it since I was 18,” Misko said.
“My grandfather was a fireman, my father was
a fireman. I’ve been around the fire department
since I could walk. It’s a family tradition.”
It’s sometimes difficult to fit firefighting
into his schedule, but Misko is more than willing to respond to calls when he can.
“I believe that you should always work on
giving back to the community. It’s my way of
trying to help out, especially if it’s people in
need,” he said.
Right now, Misko is still trying to get
used to Shaler and find his place in the school.
Every school works differently, he said, and he
is looking forward to working with the administrative team and getting to know the students.
“The great parts of the job are meeting Assistant Principal Mr. Tom Misko (Gabrielle Lazzaro)
people, going into classrooms, still being part of
and staff do for the kids. That’s what makes this job
instruction, and seeing the great things our teachers worthwhile,” Misko said.
Project Soap to help
homeless community
by Alexis Werner
In America, 3.5 million people experience homelessness. In Pittsburgh alone, 1,229
single adults and 195 families are homeless.
According to alleghenycounty.us, reasons for
being homeless include substance abuse-22%,
mental illness 16%, a combination of both
40%, AIDS 4%, domestic violence 21%, and
Veterans 24%.
The epidemic that has been a problem not
only in America but all around the world was
recognized by Emma Poveromo at the start of
her sophomore year.
“I was cleaning out Gregg Dietz’s office
at lunch and found a bag full of hotel soaps
Barrel for soap collections (Poveromo)
and lotions. I was thinking about it, and I
decided to put something together to collect
more,” she said.
Poveromo made it her mission to help
those in need who are unable to purchase hygiene products.
This is when she began project Soap.
Poveromo is asking the Shaler community to
donate their products to those in need. She
has put up barrels to collect donations. There
will be two barrels in the middle school and
three at the high school. Every two weeks the
goods will be collected and donated to organizations like Northside Common Ministries
and women’s shelters.
Soap leaders held a contest for people to
create designs for the barrels. A board of students and faculty judged the barrels and decided on Carley Adam’s and Paige Kaiser’s
designs. The Art Honor Society and volunteers have helped to paint the barrels.
Acceptable items to donate include: unopened bar and liquid soap, shampoo, conditioner, razors, shaving cream, face soap,
toothpaste, and toothbrushes. Leaders ask
that you please refrain from donating used
items, towels, or washcloths. Soap kicked
off October 21 and will continue the rest of
the school year. Barrels can be found near
the Activities Office, the main office, and in
the library.
Poveromo started the project out of a desire to help others.
“I want it to work because it helps people that don’t have the supplies I have. I just
want people to be able to wash their hair. I
know it can be tough to get theses necessities, but I think we can help,” she said.
Project ACE brings
iPads to school staff
by Sara Gaskill
This year all teachers have received iPads, and plans are being made for students to receive them sometime in the future.
This is because Shaler has teamed up with Apple for “Project
ACE.” Project ACE implements iPads into schools to enhance
education.
“We have examined the curriculum, perception of academics in the district, as well as researched the latest trends in education. We have shifted our focus to infusing more 21st Century skills into the classrooms, such as collaboration, creativity,
communication and of course the use of technology,” Mrs. Kara
Eckert, Shaler Area Assistant Superintendent, said.
The shift away from traditional books to technology can be a
challenge for a staff of more than 100 teachers at the high school
who have a various levels of knowledge with iPads. So far, it
has gone well.
“I have had great response from veteran teachers saying that
they are more energized than ever to teach because of what this
device can bring to their teaching,” Eckert said. “I have offered
my time to assist teachers in the classroom as a support to implement the device properly.”
As that shift takes place, the focus may be on more technology, but the teacher will still be the primary focus in a classroom.
“The iPad will never replace the teacher. The iPad is a tool
for teachers and students to use to supplement the learning process. Teachers are facilitators of learning. They set the stage for
the content they are teaching, and good teaching occurs when
teachers lead students through their learning,” she said. “(An
iPad) is a tool in the toolbox. It will not be the one and only
method of learning, nor the only piece of technology used. The
device will allow learning to take place and bring the content to
life in a way that hasn’t been able to happen with just the use of
a textbook,” Eckert said.
Whether teachers or students like it or not, the transition to
devices such as iPads is inevitable.
“It has been stated by major textbook companies that in 5-10
years, textbooks will be non-existent. They do not intend to create paper textbooks. How will we deal with that if we are not
continued on page 7
The Oracle
Page 2
October 2013
Shaler dealing with “suds” epidemic
by Margaret Potter
Have you ever noticed that at the
beginning of every school year, you
come down with a sore throat, headache, stuffy nose, and a cough? This
year, this phenomenon is known as the
“Shaler Suds”. Now, we’ve all seen
the SpongeBob Squarepants episode
when poor SpongeBob comes down
with a terrible case of the suds. In this
episode, SpongeBob gets the suds because he left the refrigerator door open
and fell asleep, and the cold made him
sick. But what’s the reason that we’re
all getting sick?
“School starts and everybody is
back together. Also, when students
come back to school their lifestyles
change. They’re waking up earlier, they’re not eating regular meals, they’re under more stress, and they’re not getting enough sleep”, Mrs. Sheuer, the school
nurse, said.
Scheuer said that she has had up to 74 students in her office in one day complaining about being sick, but she also said that this massive amount of students
in the nurse’s office is nothing out of the
ordinary; every school year starts off like
this.
The Suds this year have really affected the students at Shaler Area High
School.
“The suds are a sickness that rocks
the body to its very core,” Senior Sam
Bartsch said.
The Suds not only make students feel
awful, but it also impacts the students’
ability to concentrate on school work.
“It’s hard to learn physics when
you’re constantly coughing or blowing
your nose,” Junior Vince Evans said.
How can we help alleviate our Suds?
“The number one way to prevent
the Suds is to wash your hands well for
twenty seconds, especially before you
eat,” Sheuer said.
Sheuer also suggests that we stop sharing our things, as this easily spreads
germs. She also suggests taking the time to take care of yourself.
Fortunately for the students at Shaler Area High School, Sheuer believes that
we will see a decrease in Suds as the year goes on.
OPINIONS
What the Heck? New colors in the hallways
by Anthony Imhof
ors baby blue and cream. That’s right
Shaler Area, not only is there one new
Walking through the halls of Shal- color on the walls, there are TWO new
er Area HS can be very stressful. Push- colors on the walls. If you had not noing your way through a huge crowd of ticed the baby blue color, I am positive
people, knowing that your time to get that you noticed the cream color next
to class is running out can be aggravat- to it. The two complement each other
ing. Is there a solution to this problem? magnificently, and calm frustrated stuWell stressed students of Shaler Area, dents at the same time.
You may have noticed that only
let the heavy weight of worry roll off of
a
select
section of the hallways have
your shoulders, because the school has
actually
been
re-painted. No, it is not
found just the thing to keep students
because they ran out of paint. It is becalm in the hallway.
Every student of Shaler Area cause they wanted to test how the newly
colored
knows about the
hallways
afinfamous network I am sure you have all
fected stuof hallways on the
noticed
the
baby
blue
dents. If you
main floor of the
walk through
high school. Sharp colored walls above the
the second
corners,
hallways lockers on the second
floor
hallthat look exactly
floor. It only took me
ways,
you
alike, and too many
three
weeks
of
school
to
should feel
intersections are the
significant.
cause of students’ notice them.
You are congrief. Throw a triantributing to a
gular hallway in the
middle of it, and the second floor be- very important study: how baby blue
comes something that even seniors fear and cream colored hallways affect stuto navigate. However, as you are lost dents.
Now I know you are all asking,
in the maze that is the second floor, all
why
did the administration not re-paint
you have to do is look up, and you will
the
walls
Shaler colors?
be struck with a sudden calmness.
“The dark Shaler blue would have
I am sure you have all noticed the
baby blue colored walls above the lock- darkened up an already dark hallway.
ers on the second floor. It only took me We wanted to pick something brightthree weeks of school to notice them. I er,” Royall said.
As for the red, I guess Shaler red
am also sure that you have been wonis
too
aggressive of a color. So the next
dering what the purpose of these walls
time
you
look at the baby blue hallare. A meeting with Dr. Tim Royall
revealed that the newly colored walls ways, take a deep breath and relax;
even if you’re going to be late to class.
were his idea.
The next time you are running
“We were tired of the plain white
walls. They are so uninviting,” Royall through the hallways, dodging all of
the people who have no idea how to
said.
Royall approached art teacher Mr. walk in public, just look up above the
Boyles and his students, asking them lockers at the baby blue and cream
to pick two calm colors that would colored hallways and feel the heavy
complement each other. Boyles and weight of frustration roll off your
his students proceeded to pick the col- shoulders. The walls may not get you
to class earlier, but it might put a smile
on your face. Maybe. Just make sure
you don’t run into anyone as you stare
at the walls. Math electives should
count for math credits
by Emily Matthews
If it sounds like a math class, looks
like a math class, and feels like a math
class, it’s probably a math class, right?
It turns out that’s not always the
case at Shaler. The class Honors Probability and Statistics counts as elective credit, even though students use
formulas and probability concepts
that are also essential in math credit
courses.
Many colleges are now requiring students to complete four credits
of math in high school. That means
if you took Honors Calculus in 11th
grade, like I did, you have to take AP
Calculus Senior year in order to get
your four credits.
Some math oriented people would
excel in AP Calc. I’m not one of those
people. I struggled enough in Honors
Calculus. I just couldn’t get it, no matter how many hours I spent studying
or trying to get help. I wouldn’t be
able to get through AP Calculus without a significant drop in my GPA, another factor colleges look at.
If Honors Probability and Statistics counted towards math credit, it
could be a way for those of us who
don’t belong in an AP math class to
meet the requirements we need for
college.
Honors Probability and Statistics
is not the only class that falls under
the strange elective credit category.
Some science classes, such as Honors
Anatomy and Physiology which is a
full year class and even includes a lab,
are counted as electives. What makes
these classes different from the ones
that do contribute to science credits?
Colleges are starting to change
their admission requirements. It may
be time for Shaler to modify its credit
distribution in order to help students
meet these new qualifications.
The Oracle
Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Anna Cunningham,
Emily Matthews
Staff: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cameron Bildhauer, Emily Daquelente, Sara Gaskill,
Alexander Gercak, Ethan Griffin, Luke Grossman, Anthony Imhof, Justin Jockel,
Summerly Kelly, Gabrielle Lazzaro, Margaret Potter, Jennifer Sheets, Kayla Snyder,
Alexis Werner
Faculty Advisor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Eric Schott
The Oracle is the official student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. Although it is published by
the journalism classes, one does not have to be enrolled in a class to contribute.
Opinions expressed in The Oracle are those of the individual writers.
Letters to the Editor are encouraged and welcome. Any letter intended for publication must be signed, but
names will be withheld upon request. Articles and letters may be mailed to the high school (ATTN: The
Oracle) or emailed to [email protected].
The Oracle reserves the right to condense or omit any letters or articles unfit for publication.
October 2013
The Oracle
Page 3
Studio Art 3 students work on the Memory Project
by Summerly Kelly
The Memory Project is an art initiative in
which high school students all over America
receive pictures of orphans or disadvantaged
children from various countries. The students
paint portraits of the kids and send back unique
and personalized keepsakes.
The project was invented by a graduate
student at the University of Wisconsin named
Ben Schumaker in 2003 while he was volunteering at an orphanage in Guatemala. He
realized the children had very few personal
belongings and had hardly any pictures of
themselves to serve as a memory from their
childhood.
He decided to get high school art students
around the country to paint portraits of the
children to allow them to have a very special
memory of themselves to keep for the rest of
their lives. The Memory Project was officially
born in 2004 and high school art classes have
been taking part in it ever since.
The Memory Project came to Shaler Area
High School several years ago, and has been a
huge hit amongst Studio Art 3 students.
“It was a really great experience…it’s not
like a normal art project,” senior Jess Webb, a
2012 participant of The Memory Project, said.
Students who have previously participated A child recieves Jess Webb’s painting of himself.
in the memory project agreed that it was a very
“I think it gives you a personal connection, seeemotional and humbling experience. ing
that
these people aren’t just people in ads or pro“I loved it…the painting itself was a new
paganda
images that we see of third world countries.
medium for me to explore but afterwards when we
sent it to them and we got pictures back it was a good We see that these are real people suffering from these
feeling…I almost cried,” senior and AP Art student tragedies that are orphans and some whose parents
have died from things like HIV,” senior Ava Puglin
Daela Munoz said.
The Memory Project also serves as an eye open- said.
While the art students spend up to three weeks
er to students, giving them a better perspective on
working
on these projects they are not permitted to
tragedies and poverty throughout the world.
write letters or develop any sort of personal connection with the orphans.
“It’s actually pretty sad,” Munoz said. “The
children may get attached to us…we weren’t
allowed to send a note because they will want us
to adopt them…we could just send a picture of
ourselves to say, ‘this is the artist that painted you.’”
The artists are only permitted to include their
first name in the painting so that the children have
no way of getting in contact with them because they
may try to ask for donations from the students. The artists are also not permitted to display
their portraits on social media sites due to the fact
that, in some countries, it is considered illegal and
the children would be punished.
Although the students were assigned to paint
their portraits based off of the pictures that were
sent in, they were still left with some creative room
to add a personal flavor to their paintings.
“Everyone did their portraits in a different style.
Mine was more of a paint by numbers thing where
the colors blended together and it was more child
like,” Webb said.
Munoz took a more impressionistic approach
and added bright surreal looking colors to her
portrait.
The importance of The Memory Project is
widely recognized amongst students.
“Not only does it help give the students
perspective themselves but it helps the kids realize
that there is someone that will care for them and it
lets them keep a memory of themselves throughout
their lives,” Puglin said.
The charity that Shaler Art Students are
providing for these disadvantaged children seems to
have a profound impact on both the artist and the
child.
“You’re making this kid’s day,” Webb said, “It’s
important to realize how much a simple thing could
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The Oracle
Page 4
October 2013
Titan of the Month
Senior Sam Bartsch a leader in the school and community
by Kayla Snyder
Senior Sam Bartsch has been the
President of his class since his sophomore year at Shaler Area High School.
He is an active member in the Student
Government, Youth Advocacy League
and he works with a lot of non-profit
organizations.
“I’ve done Three Rivers Community Foundation and that group was
Teens for Change, and we had a base
amount of money to give away and we
gave it away to different charities in
Pittsburgh. I also worked with Seeds of
Hope and then Empowerment, which is
women’s rights and then Neper which
is my own,” Bartsch said.
Bartsch has made improvements in
trying to keep the reputation of Shaler’s community set high. He came up
with the idea to build off-grid greenhouses in low income areas in hopes
of helping the community obtain better
quality foods.
“The project is an effort to change
the way that food is produced and consumed in low income areas. So, we
built greenhouses that use natural energy sources like solar panels and geothermal technology to run completely
off-grid, producing its own power and
heat. Then the produce that is grown
there is given to people of the community and it’s completely organic and locally grown,” Bartsch said.
The idea was started when Bartsch
submitted his idea to the Volvo Environmental Program which is a coalition between Volvo and the United
Nations Environmental Program. His
project was chosen from hundreds of
ideas internationally.
Bartsch also aims to teach the
youth to create a lasting impact by
some major duties. His goal as senior
class president is to try to engage as
many students as he can into activities.
“I’ve been president since sophomore year so I figured it’s our senior
year, and it’s really important to have
good leadership your senior year because it’s the last year to win the Homecoming float competition, which we
did, for the first time in, I think, 11 or
12 years. It’s also a time to raise class
funds and plan Prom,” Bartsch said.
Winning the float competition
serves as a huge accomplishment
not only for Bartsch, but for his entire class. Surprisingly, this was not
his biggest accomplishment though.
The accomplishment that he is most
proud involves none other than the
community.
The most accomplished award
he feels he has ever received was a
silver medal at the Jefferson Awards
for Community Service.
“The Jefferson Awards for
Community Service was started
by Jackie Kennedy Onassis and
Sam Beard to commend people
who make fundamental changes in
their communities. It is very prestigious,” Bartsch said
Shaler’s own Youth Advocacy
League has won not one, but two
Jefferson Awards for Community
Service. In spring of 2012, YAL
won bronze and spring of 2013,
they won silver and Bartsch said
this year, they’re going for the gold.
The involvement of community is important in any event, big
or small. In order to be successful
you need the support of the people.
Shaler is one community that has a
huge heart when it comes to those
types of services.
“No matter what function we
have there is always a community
member there that we didn’t expect or
we don’t know that is there to support
us in whatever we do,” Bartsch said.
Bartsch’s motivation and drive
helps him create the projects and services that he has partaken in, but
through everything, he aims to create a
pleasurable high school experience for
everyone.
In the future, Bartsch plans on
studying politics and running for a
government office.
due to this class have
changed his outlook
on life.
“After a few
years reading about
the Holocaust in
extraordinary detail,
becoming
friends
with survivors and
children of survivors,
watching countless
hours
of
video
footage, and trying
--Mr. Nick Haberman
to use all of my
imagination to put
tion, or evidence, all the more emomyself
in
once
unimaginable
situations,
tional because they can see it and feel
it. Haberman and Kriston both admit- I cannot look at the world in the same
ted to having a connection with the way. After devoting a portion of your
material of the class and knew that the life to genocide, there are no more bad
days – nothing I have experienced or
students would develop one as well.
“To study [the Holocaust] is to (hopefully) will ever experience comes
be trumatized. I have nightmares. I close to the “bad” that was the Holohave great difficulty dealing with this caust,” Haberman said.
The class ranges from studying
material,” Haberman said, quoting the
before
World War II, and the problems
famous author, Richard Rhodes.
Jews
faced
in the beginning due to anHowever Haberman realizes the
importance of teaching this class and ti-Semitism, to as far into detail as the
so he continues. He said that the ex- Einsatzgruppen, an underground secperiences he has been able to have tor of the German police who committed mass murders, killing up to 16,886
people in a day. Current events can also
be a part of class discussion, such as
the issues going on in Syria today.
Many students find the class interesting and their reasoning for taking
the class varies.
“My grandma was in the Holocaust
and what we learned about it in history
class did not go as in depth as I would
have liked. I wanted to learn the ins and
outs and have a further understanding
of how and why such a thing was possible, so I took Holocaust class,” senior
Emily Jordheim said.
The Holocaust class has an important lesson behind its entire curriculum; it teaches students about prejudice issues and how far things can go if
people do not speak up against what is
wrong. The class teaches students why
it is necessary to a voice.
“The overall importance is to teach
the unawareness of what happened and
that this kind of stuff still goes on today. There have been quite a few genocides since the Holocaust, and it creates an awareness that you cannot just
stand and watch. There is a point where
you have to step in and take a stand for
things morally,” Kriston said.
Senior Sam Bartsch at his greenhouse in Millvale
serving the community and also introducing environmentally friendly ideas
such as hydroponics and overall education in planting.
“He helps with the Shaler North
Hills Library. He taught them about
hydroponics and planting. I know
what he does in school but sometimes
he does things that I don’t even know
about,” Activities Director, Mrs. Mindy Thiel said.
Besides being heavily involved
with the community, he also carries
Holocaust class emotional for all involved
by Emily Daquelente
The Holocaust class has become
one of the most popular electives to
take here at Shaler Area High School.
The class was originally taught by Mrs.
Mindy Thiel. It is now taught by Ms.
Catlyn Kriston who is currently filling in Mr. Nicholas Haberman’s shoes
for the year. The rise of popularity for
the class was unexpected at first but to
learn about such a horrific event clearly
appealed to a number of people. “One, it is so recent that we have
survivors living within minutes of our
school. Two, it is one of the first terrible events caught on film and photography, so those who have to see it to believe it, can actually see it. Three, it is
so horrific and unimaginable thus it becomes fascinating. How and why could
people bring themselves to do such terrible things to innocent men, women,
and children? But also, how and why
could people bring themselves to survive such terror?” Haberman said.
The fact that there are so many
resources to help students learn and
understand what happened in Europe
from 1939-1945 makes the informa-
“After devoting a portion of
your life to genocide, there are
no more bad days – nothing I
have experienced or (hopefully) will ever experience comes
close to the “bad” that was the
Holocaust.”
October 2013
The Oracle
Page 5
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The Oracle
Page 6
October 2013
Teachers talk about their musical accomplishments
by Ethan Griffin
California for a song writing workshop. He and 13
Most students seem to think that other people were chosen
the teachers of Shaler Area go home out of 1,000 people to
after teaching and do nothing. Believe team up and write songs
it or not, a lot of the teachers at Shaler for three weeks and have
Area are very talented, especially when the chance to share their
it comes to writing and performing mu- music to new audiences.
sic. Outside of teaching, many teachers Shannon has recorded
enjoy playing music, whether it’s an two albums, one of which
all teacher band, a solo performance, is available on iTunes.
or just playing to relive some stress. Music is something that is
Many famous musicians had a his- meant to be shared, Many
tory of teaching. Guitarist and mem- teachers said they enjoy
ber of famous rock and roll band, playing live and getting a
KISS, Gene Simons, was a middle real connection with the
school teacher before making a career audience. They also enjoy
out of music. Art Garfunkel, found- seeing listeners relate to
er and half of the famous Folk rock the music and seeing their Mr. Stearns plays his guitar (Jim Stearns)
band Simon and Garfunkel, taught hard work pay off. Many
Act 80s, began playing when he was
for a while at a prep school before of the teachers have played live shows seven and took lessons all the way to
making music his full time career. at venues such as Mr. Smalls Theater, the end of high school. His first experi Many Shaler teachers began play- Hard Rock Café, Chicago House of ence of playing in a band was in the
ing music at an early age and they Blues and the former Mellon Arena. high school jazz band. Previously he
enjoyed it and progressed over the Mr. McDermott, Mr. Krenn, Mr. only played solo, but now says he enyears. Though not all of the teachers Anthony, Mr. Stivason, Mr. Haber- joys playing in a band. He says he also
said they would want to be a full time man, and retired teacher Mr. Kho- enjoys listening to music and playing
musician, all said it is something that rey are the members of the band just as much.
will always be a part of their lives. Act 80s. The Act 80s mainly play
“Being a musician is something
Mr. Shannon plays guitar, bass, key- charity shows and social events. I appreciate as I get older,” Anthony
board, and sings. Mr. Shannon began Mr. McDermott, who plays the guitar said.
writing and playing music his fresh- in Act 80s, began playing in eighth
Many of the teachers I talked to are
men year in high school at Alldardice grade when he was taught at St. Se- also in a band full time. Being in a band
after growing up in a very musical en- bastians and said he could feel and is like being on a team; you have to
vironment. Shannon says his music is pick out the melodies. He said play- rely on one another. Playing in a band
important but is second when it comes ing the guitar and playing in a band can sometimes be stressful and can alis a great way to release some stress
to his family.
most be a second job, but the teachers I
“Without my family, there is no when you’re doing something you re- spoke with said it’s better when you’re
ally enjoy with friends. He has also
music.” Shannon said
in a band with friends and you’re all
Shannon, who has built up a local been a part of three recorded albums. having a good time and doing somereputation, was recently invited out to Mr. Anthony, who plays keyboard in
thing you all really enjoy. I spoke with Mr. Stearns who plays
guitar in a band, Five Alarm Flood. He
got into music because it was what his
friends were doing and it was just the
thing to do. Mr. Stearn’s band plays
shows about once a month and says he
really enjoys playing to an audience
who is really enjoying the music.
“It’s great playing to an audience
that really gets into the music.” Stearns
said.
Mr. Mangold, who plays a variety
of instruments from saxophone, guitar, and bass, says the saxophone is
his main instrument. He began playing
music around fourth grade and it just
progressed over the years. He plays in
a band full time, Tobacco Road, but is
hired out to play with other bands and
can end up playing up to three nights a
week. He prefers an audience over being in a studio.
“There is a real connection with
the audience; you’re relaying a message to them,” Mangold said.
Mr.Mangold is probably known
by the students as the man behind
Shalerpalooza. He started it five-years
ago when his band was playing at Mr.
Smalls Theater and he decided to have
some student bands open up for them
and it just took off from there.He also
talked about the growing number of
students and the variations in genre.
He says the toughest part of planning
Shalerpalooza is getting sponsors and
selling the tickets; however they get
about 300 people a year. Mangold
hopes of one day selling out Mr. Smalls
Theater for Shalerpalooza.
October 2013
The Oracle
With strike over, most
everything back to normal
by Jennifer Sheets
Headlines such as “Threat of strike
cancels Shaler’s first day of classes”
and “Shaler teachers to go on strike”
had a lot of students jumping for joy
at the thought of an extended summer.
Meanwhile some seniors were worried
about graduating on time.
No matter what the concern, many
members of the community, including
students, supported the teachers as they
picketed.
“The community support was
overwhelming,” Mrs. Melissa Ravas,
a math teacher here at the high school
and president of the Shaler Area Education Association said. “We had families dropping off water and ice, and
snacks and goodies. It was more than
I expected.”
For some, the strike was a blessing.
“I was definitely saved by the
strike because I didn’t do any of my
summer assignments,” senior Hannah
Lavia said.
Summer homework wasn’t the
only concern for most students. Sports
and other activities were also in mind.
Superintendent, Dr. Wesley Shipley,
posted a memo at the beginning of the
strike stating that Homecoming and all
other sporting activities would not be
interrupted. Marching band continued
to have practices, a football game was
still played, and sports practices were
still held even if a teacher who was involved did not attend.
“I felt that it was very important to
get information out as soon as possible
so that the families could plan accordingly,” Shipley said. “I wanted to remain as positive as possible under the
circumstances and be completely honest about the situation.”
Now that the strike has been resolved some other concerns have been
addressed.
Last year, while teachers were still
without a contract, the annual Powder
Puff game did not happen. This year,
the junior and senior “Lady Titans”
will battle it out.
Activities director Mrs. Mindy
Thiel said, “the Powder Puff game is
scheduled for Tuesday, November 26.”
The only remaining signs that the
strike happened is the revised schedule. Several days originally scheduled
as days off will now be school days.
Now the only days off appear to be
those of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and
Easter break. As of right now, seniors
should still get to graduate on time. If it
snows a lot, that could change.
Page 7
Homecoming 2013
During this year’s Game On homecoming, the Senior class’s Pac Man float won
first place. The band’s Candyland float came in second place, ending their threeyear winning streak. The judges’ decision was based on the movement and neatness of each float.
Project ACE brings iPads
from page 1
prepared?” Eckert said. “The landscape of education is rapidly changing,
and in some cases we are behind. This initiative will allow us to take the
necessary steps to providing a quality education with the resources that are
available to all students. We are providing the resources that will align to the
educational trends and resources,”
Initiatives like this do not
come as foolproof. The Los An- This initiative will allow
geles United School District is- us to take the necessary
sued more than 30,000 iPads to
steps to providing a
students. Every student was given an iPad with security software quality education with
that was supposed to prevent the resources that are
them from getting access to anything but the preloaded educa- available to all students.
tional software. That backfired. -- Mrs. Kara Eckert
Several students, within hours of
Asst. Superintendent
receiving their iPad, found a way around the system.
“We could see this thing
coming,” Sarah Bradshaw, chief of staff for District five of the Los Angeles
United School District told ABC News. “So much of this has been rushed and
so ill-thought out.”
Eckert said Shaler Area is doing more planning to make Shaler’s transition yo the iPads is more successful.
“I have researched a lot, and we have spoken with other school districts,
local and in other states, who have implemented an iPad deployment. I
strongly believe your success lies within your pre-planning,” she said. “We
are meeting regularly to discuss issues and how we plan to solve them. There
are many success stories that never get publicity. It is typically the negative
stories that make the news.”
There are still some answers left undetermined, but the district is working
to make sure that the Project ACE stories that get publicity from Shaler Area
are positive ones.
“Our district is committed to changing the culture of learning and transforming our classrooms into innovative spaces. We are focused on this vision,” Eckert said.
The Oracle
Page 8
SPORTS
Girls volleyball excited for playoffs
by Justin Jockel
For the fifth straight season, the Girls’ Volleyball
team advanced to the WPIAL playoffs. Captains Annie Bozzo, Liz Kline and Emily Miller have worked
hard this year with hopes of winning a WPIAL title.
However, it is not just these three players that are
contributing to a sensational season.
“We are a very balanced team and everyone contributes every night,” Head Coach Kristine Ruppert
said.
Ruppert, who is in her 10th year of coaching, has
led Shaler to eight consecutive WPIAL playoff appearances. During that span, Shaler has made six
WPIAL Class A quarterfinal appearances but has not
advanced further.
Last week, the Titans advanced to the WPIAL
quarterfinals after beating Connellsville.
“We will just make sure we prepare for each opponent each step of the way. If we play our style of
offense and maintain our passing and strong defense
we should win,” Ruppert said.
In 2012, Shaler lost to Upper St. Clair in the preliminary round. Although the two teams may meet
again in the playoffs, Assistant Coach Paul Stadelman believes that this year will be different.
“This year’s team is more experienced. Six or
seven of our starters have all been involved in a playoff game and a playoff type atmosphere, so they have
a better idea of what to expect,” Stadelman said.
This year’s starting rotation includes eight players: Liz Rhodes, Annie Bozzo, Liz Kline, Hannah
Bradford, Nicole and Natalie Pilewski, Taylor Bostick, and Julia Bernesser. Laurel Gavin has mainly
played the role of a utility player and can fill in at
two positions when needed. Bozzo and Kline are the
team’s biggest offensive threats.
“Annie is our top hitter and one of our setters.
She provides great leadership on the court. Liz is a
great all around player. She has a very high volleyball IQ and is our top defender,” Ruppert said.
Along with Bozzo and Kline, another captain,
Emily Miller, who has been a captain for four years,
is a great leader and organizer on the court.
Coach Stadelman is not just satisfied with how
the captains play this year, but the whole team effort
as well.
“All the players have stepped up and have served
certain roles and have been crucial and key depending on where we are in the season,” Stadelman said.
Shaler is 9-0 in section play, and 11-2 overall as
of November 7, 2013. The team was undefeated until a loss to North Allegheny in late September. One
reason for the team’s success this year is that they are
very close friends and teammates.
“We are very talented and we get along very
well,” Captain Annie Bozzo said.
Captain Emily Miller also concurs with the fact
that the team is so close.
“This year has probably been my favorite year
because all of us girls on the team are extremely close
and I think other teams underestimated our ability to
October 2013
Tennis team
posts .500 record
by Justin Jockel
Laurel Gavin has mainly played the role of a utility
player and can fill in at two positions when needed.
win,” Miller said.
Although there have been ups and downs
throughout the season, Liz Kline feels that this year
has been successful so far.
“Overall it has been a good, consistent year and I
think that the work we put in this year will pay off in
the playoffs,” Kline said.
However, the team is not satisfied with just making playoffs; they want to make it into finals and
semi-finals, something the team has never done.
“I expect us to be coming strong into the playoffs
and being prepared to win and have the mindset that
we can beat any team,” Kline said.
Although Emily Miller feels the team can go far,
she thinks that it will be a rough adjustment from section play.
“I think it’s going to be difficult because our section is not very competitive and the teams who we
will be playing against in the playoffs are very good.
We are very good too, but it’s going to be very hard
to adjust, but I think we can definitely pull it together
and win,” Miller said.
However, the girls’ volleyball team was able to
pull off a first round victory over Connellsville to
continue their run towards a WPIAL title. The coaches still have high hopes for the team throughout the
playoffs.
“Our expectations are to go far. Coming in
ranked Number 2 right now hopefully means that we
are looking at a WPIAL title match as something on
the horizon that we would like to achieve, but we are
going to take it one game at a time,” Stadelman said.
Senior golfers develop young team
by Anna Cunningham
“We practice all summer, five to six days
a week,” Ochsenhirt said. “You have to be able to
help each other out, develop your swing and learn
The boys’ golf team had a good start to
each other’s games. It is a team sport in some astheir season and hoped to see more improvement
pects.”
throughout the season.
The team is constantly looking for ways to
“We started off a lot better than last year,
improve their playing. Next year they are looking
and broke our previous scoring records,” senior
forward to developing some of the younger players
captain Ryan Ochsenhirt said.
on the team and winning more matches.
Unfortunately for the boys, once school
“We’re planning on working through some
started their playing slowed down. The team’s restuff
and helping the younger guys to improve, Ochcord was 2-8, and they beat North Hills and Butler.
senhirt said. “We’re looking forward to improving
The team is led by Ochsenhirt and three
other seniors, Ryan Byers, Dave Reig, and Cameron their skills and hopefully getting some more wins
next year.”
Bildhauer.
The girls’ tennis team, who was 8-8 this year,
had a very productive season. The team improved
in a lot of areas and, although the team did not
make the playoffs, Varsity Coach Chuck Mura and
Junior Varsity Coach Brian Duermeyer were very
pleased with how the season turned out.
“Every girl improved. Coach Mura and I are
very proud of the strides they have made as players. I am especially proud of the senior class. They
led us within a victory of the postseason,” Duermeyer said.
This year, in the team’s last match, the girls
were unable to beat Woodland Hills which prevented the team from making the postseason. Shadyside Academy and Fox Chapel took the first two
spots, and then it came down to Shaler and Woodland Hills to determine the third spot. Shaler was
unable to overcome Woodland Hills.
“We had all these strategies going into the
match. Our number one girl gave it her all and so
did Taylor Elrick, as well as the double teams,” senior Michaela Golden said.
Despite not being able to beat Woodland Hills,
the team had some encouraging wins throughout
the season beating Penn Hills, Plum, Gateway,
and McKeesport. Senior Larissa Guering played
first singles, followed by senior Michaela Golden
in second singles, and junior Taylor Elrick played
third singles. Although the seniors will be leaving
this year, the team is excited about the amount of
young girls interested in tennis.
“We have a lot of younger girls coming up,
which we are excited about because tennis was not
a big thing when we started, and now we have a lot
of younger people interested,” Golden said.
The team is confident that with the foundation
the seniors laid, the juniors and the rest of the team
will pick up right where they left off.
“The future is bright because of the depth.
Hopefully we can attract more freshmen next
year,” Duermeyer said.
Taylor Elrick is confident in the fact the team
will step up next year and fill in the necessary slots
to make the playoffs.
“Coming up one win shy of the postseason, we
definitely want to perform better next season,” Elrick said.
The coaches love the fact they get to work with
kids and help them learn a sport.
“The tennis program gets boys and girls who
have limited or no experience in tennis, bring them
along, and hopefully by the time they become a junior or senior, they can contribute,” Mura said.
Lady Titan
golfers progress
by Alexander Gercak
This past September the Lady Titian golf
team made strides as a dedicated group of golfers. Despite not having a winning season the girls
made important moves towards improving themselves as a team and looking towards the future.
“We have a young team, mostly freshmen and
sophomores so this year was good for developing as
a team, and for developing the players themselves for
years to come” head coach Mr. Thomas Anke said.
With the close of another season and the prospect
of new and even more successful seasons to come,
this marks an end to another chapter in the Lady Titian’s golf book.
The Oracle
October 2013
Page 9
SPORTS
Boys’ soccer completes season
Football players show
committment to team
by Luke Grossman
Although the boys varsity soccer team did not have a winning season, they certainly had a winning
attitude.
Nick Polito, a senior and one of two captains, had only positive words to say about the team.
“We had a tough season this year. Many ups and downs, but we worked hard and gave everything we
had each and every night,” he said. “Our record does not accurately describe our team. We had some
tough breaks but worked through them and got better because of them.”
The team held their annual Senior Night on Tuesday, October 15th at the turf. Those honored were John
Colarusso, Justin Landry, Robbie Phillips, Nick Polito, and Scott Stuthers. (Photo by Lisa Montini)
Girls’ soccer team is up and coming
by Luke Grossman
Even though the Lady Titan soccer
team has struggled in the past, any Shaler
sports fan should keep them on their radar.
Head coach Chris Catanese says they
are “building” for the future. This year’s roster only had two seniors, and seven freshmen
saw significant varsity action.
“It is always tough being a 9th grader
going against 12th graders. They took their
lumps and made their mistakes. This year will
pay off for this group when they are in 11th and
12th grade,” Catanese said.
One of the biggest first year players
was freshman Josie Fenn. She found her role
in a defensive position and turned into a concrete varsity player as the season progressed.
Unfortunately the team will lose the
senior leadership of this year’s captain, Sam
Bahorich.
“She may be the best leader that I
have had in all my years of coaching,” Catanese said.
Last year she backstopped the team as
the keeper and was selected to the All-Section
team. This year she was moved to defense and
was, once again, selected to the All-Section
team.
While junior Carley Feehan was the
one called upon to replace Bahorich in goal,
all of the juniors on the team will be the ones
expected to replace her leadership. Several
juniors made big contributions to this year’s
team.
Julia Jashinski, Megan Schwartz, Emily Hardek, Lea Wenger, Sam Bagwell, Lexi
Reiser, and Kate Tuite were all positive additions on the field during their junior campaigns.
Jashinski helped Bahorich anchor the
defense. She will be looked upon to fill that
gap that is left when Bahorich graduates.
The team’s top scorers were Hardek and
Schwartz.
Schwartz had big expectations to fill
coming into the season. She was selected as
a WPIAL “Player to Watch,” only one of two
juniors to do so.
“Megan scored against some of the
best teams in the WPIAL, including NA and
Seneca Valley, and showed why she is one of
the best forwards in the area,” Catanese said.
“I think next year is her year to go big.”
It seems as if the puzzle pieces are finally falling together for Coach Catanese and
the Lady Titans, and the season for them to
“go big” is quickly approaching.
Cross Country team finishes season strong
by Anthony Imhof
The Boys and Girls Cross Country Team is nearing the end of its season, meaning that the
WPIAL championship race is rapidly approaching.
“We are in the toughest section of the WPIALs,” head Coach Mike Dusch said. “Some of the
top teams [such as] North Allegheny and Seneca Valley will be there, so it will be very difficult.”
Being in the toughest section of the WPIAL, the team has had a hard time gaining victories.
Throughout the season, the team had not won a single meet, however, this does not mean it was
unsuccessful. While team victories might be scarce, individual victories are where the athletes
truly shine. Dusch keeps track of all the times that each runner completes in a race. This collection
of information showed nothing but improvement.
“I try to see as the season progresses how [the athletes] are doing as far as the times when
they run the races,” Dusch said. “If you look at the information sheet, you can see that overall the
athletes are improving as we go on. For me that’s the number one thing; seeing improvement as
the season progresses. And I definitely see that, not only in the best runners but also in some of the
runners that will need improvement as we go along.”
The team traveled to the WPIAL championships on Thursday, October 24.
“We have already qualified for the WPIALs,” Dusch said. “At the qualifying meet, you’re allowed to take eight, but you only run seven.”
The team ran all seven runners for both the boys and the girls at the championships. Brianna
Schwartz, a junior, broke the course record by seven seconds and took first place for the second
year in a row, while many other runners broke their own personal record for the season.
To stay committed to something you must be able to
see the ideal end result. Whether it’s a scholarship for college,
a marriage in a relationship, or a championship in sports, that
conclusion must seem within reach.
But what if standing between you and that goal was
your classmates telling you that you will never reach it. Next
to them is every media outlet in the area talking about how you
came up short once again. Then, you look down at your phone
and social media is covered with ridicule.
These are just some of the things that the student athletes on the Shaler Area football team face every day.
Senior quarterback Josh Crawford and the Titans have
seen firsthand what that kind of pressure can do to some athletes.
“We have seen some kids quit due to the struggles.
They just couldn’t handle it,” Crawford said.
So how do the players that have stayed true to their
team remain committed even though they haven’t won a game
in 20 some weeks? How is it possible to wake up each morning
and exchange time for homework or friends with practice and
film sessions?
The fact that head coach Chris Siegle’s crew has yet to
win a game could be what ends up making this team extraordinary.
“Our commitment has gotten higher. We have worked
harder [recently] than we have ever worked before,” senior wide
receiver and team captain, Zach Carney said.
Even though a WPIAL Champion trophy might not be
placed in the locker room at season’s end, the team has set a goal
to get the first win.
“The will and desire to win is what brings us back week
after week. We want to be the one that gets to say we got that
first W,” Carney said.
With the season winding to a close and the team becoming desperate, practices are even harder than day one.
The team faced some issues with player commitment
during the season’s infancy, but they believe they have found the
group that can help them reach their team and personal goals.
“The players that have stuck around have that mentality of wanting to win as much as they want to breathe,” Carney
said.
These kids are truly an inspiration having battled
through all of the adversity and continued giving 100%.
“We have to keep fighting,” Carney said. “That’s all
that we can do.”
The Oracle
Page 10
October 2013
The Back Page
Duck Dynasty
by Alexander Gercak
In recent weeks people from
all around the Pittsburgh area
and beyond have been flocking
to Point State Park. Not to see
the famous fountain, which has
recently reopened after almost
four years of renovations, but
to see a rather unconventional
art installation: a giant inflatable
duck?
The duck is a part of a
series of mammoth-sized floating sculptures created by Dutch
artist Florentijn Hofman, aptly
named the “Rubber Duck Project.” The fleet of floating sculptures has been systematically
sent out worldwide to several The duck docked at Point State Park
major cities in Europe, Asia, Aus “It’s an honor to be recognized
tralia, and South America over
on
the
international scene, but the duck
the past six years. The duck arrived in
itself
is
quite a spectacle” Senior ChrisPittsburgh on September 27 and departed on October 20th, our city is the tine Chirdon said.
Run by the Pittsburgh Cultural
project’s first stop on its North AmeriTrust,
the duck exhibition is part of the
can tour. The main goal of the interna“Pittsburgh
International Festival of
tional art experiment is simply to unite
people from all walks of life through a Firsts” a collection of international art
40-foot tall rubber duck, which by all pieces and performances that have never before been exhibited in the United
accounts it has succeeded in doing.
I was lucky enough to get down States until now. However the enthusiasm for the
to the Point on the third day of the
duck
has not been entirely universal.
Duck’s stay in Pittsburgh. The duck
“I hate the Duck! I think it’s stucould certainly draw in a large crowd.
pid
that
all this attention is brought to a
Up and down the Point people clusgiant
piece
of plastic when it could be
tered together taking photographs of
brought
to
things
that matter, like huthe duck, posing for photos with the
duck, and simply gazing at the giant man rights. Also my Facebook and Instagram newsfeeds have been blown up
bath toy. The presence of the duck in Pitts- with Duck pictures” Senior Tim Welch
burgh is something of an indicator that said.
Love it or hate it the Duck has
points to Pittsburgh’s newfound status
certainly
captured the interest of people
as a major international city. Students
both here in Shaler and worldwide.
here at Shaler are taking notice.
SCG
shaler culture grid
What’s the worst
thing you’ve
gotten trick or
treating?
Senior
Lance
Corbett
A leaky
Huggie
Junior
Britta
Moletz
The Bible
Sophomore
Rachel
Beck
Freshman
Noah
Seelye
What is your
best costume
idea?
Legend of
the Hidden
Temple
Contestant
Danny and
Sandy from
Grease
A rock
A cow that
squirts water out of its
udders
A toothbrush
A ninja
What is your
favorite
candy?
CRUNCH
Don’t be a Halloweenie
by Margaret Potter
As Halloween approaches, the number one question on all everyone’s minds is “What will my Halloween costume be?” In my past 17 ½
years of life I have noticed a very frightening trend in the tradition that is
Halloween; no one gets creative with their costumes. There seems to be two
spectrums of Halloween costumes in high school; either your costume is
incredibly inappropriate or incredibly basic. This year, I challenge you all to
think outside of the box and to get out of your comfort zones. I realize how
hard this might be for some of you after years and years of going as vampires, witches, and Snooki, so here a few prime costume ideas.
Since this whole “getting creative” and “thinking outside of the box”
is a whole new frontier and can be very stressful, a group Halloween costume
may be the best choice for you. The term “group costume” means gathering
a group of friends, or friend as the case may be, and coordinate a costume.
For example, if you would like to show off your musical and theatrical side
going as the cast of Les Miserables would be a superb option. How can one
achieve this costume? Simple! Wear torn long dresses, dirt on your face,
tousled or teased hair, and carry French flags. If you’re going to go as the
cast of Les Miserables you’re going to have to play the part. Throughout the
school day, randomly break out into song and then drop dead. A few other
group costume ideas are a group of Hobbits, the cast of Breaking Bad, and
Timmy Turner and his fairy godparents.
If you either don’t like your friends, or have none a group costume
would not be the ideal choice for you. But, there’s nothing wrong with rocking a Halloween costume all by yourself! Over the past few years, there
have been several Kardashian sister Halloween costumes. These costumes
usually consist of tight, short dresses, too much makeup, heels that no one
can walk in, and middle parts in your hair. This year, why don’t you shake
things up a little bit? Instead of going as Kim or Khloe, go as Bruce. For this
costume, you’ll need khaki pants, a polo shirt, two stud earrings, high socks,
tennis shoes, and a remote control airplane. The real key to the Bruce Jenner
costume is all in the face. You will need to have facial expression that is the
perfect mix between “I’m so happy I want to die” and “I’m in so much pain
I want to die”. Also, you have to play the part of Bruce. Walk up to random
groups in the hallway and say something, then everyone will either roll their
eyes and ignore you or just stare at you then ignore you. A few other costume
ideas include a giant duck, Mamma June from Honey Boo Boo, and your
favorite school teacher.
Crazy and creative costumes are not only a great way to make
friends; they are also a great way to show your individuality. Whether you
steal one of these impeccable ideas, or you come up with something all on
your own, you are guaranteed to have a fantastic Halloween. So please, be
your own person this year on Halloween. Because if I see one more poorly
done Snooki Polazzi I’m going to fist pump someone.
Fright Night or the
Scarehouse?
My neighborhood is scary
enough
What do you
carve
into your
pumpkin?
Self-portraits
A face
Reese’s Cups
All of it
Fright Night
Fright Night
A face
Hershey Bar
Scarehouse
A werewolf
What is your
favorite
Starbucks fall
drink?
I wouldn’t
know, I’m
not a white
girl
Pumpkin
Spice Latte
Hot Chocolate
I’ve never
had
Starbucks
Would you
rather rake
leaves or
shovel snow?
I don’t do
physical labor
Shovel snow
Rake leaves
Rake leaves