Gifts from Garnet Valley: A big success Bachelor Auction shows you

Jaguar Journal
the
Issue No. 3
In this Issue:
Gifts from Garnet Valley: A big
success
Rachel Ruger
Staff Writer
The iPad
Pg. 3
Haiti
Pg. 4
January 2010
One day a year, children wake up early in the
morning and rush to see what
the jolly man in red and white
has brought for them. Parents
smile at the delight of their
children, happy to see them
so overjoyed. But, not every
household is so fortunate. In
some houses, children go to
sleep on Christmas Eve, expecting Santa to bring them
gifts while they sleep, but
when they wake, their parents
are forced to explain that Santa has had to skip their house
this year. Of course, no parent
wants this job. For this reason,
the Peer Counselors stepped
in to assist these parents who
could not afford gifts for their
children, thus creating Gifts
from Garnet Valley.
Every year, the nonprofit organization City Team
Inc. collects gifts for local
families who would otherwise
go without gifts for their children. Last year, Mr. Longo,
successful. With the money
collected, the peer counselors
took the time to personally
shop for the presents listed on
the advisor for Peer Counselors, discovered the organization and thus began “Operation Christmas Child” at
GVHS; this year the program
was called “Gifts from Garnet
Valley.” Just like last year, the
collection was been extremely
the children’s Christmas lists,
and even after the completion
of the canned food drive, Garnet Valley was able to deliver.
Beginning with a goal of 100
children, Garnet Valley ended
up providing gifts for 110 children from 30 different fami-
Probably the most entertaining bachelor of the night
was Marcellus Irving. When
he stepped onto the stage, he
ripped off his shirt, making
all of the girls in the audience scream. He flexed his
muscles and told the audience he wanted dumbbells
for Christmas. For $100, he
was sold to Kristin Loughery.
Dressed like Happy Gilmore
in a Bruins jersey and holding a golf club, Mark Onorato
posed for the audience as
“Party in the U.S.A” played
in the background. When
asked about the type of girl
he would like to marry, he responded with a smirk, “a girl
I could love five to six days
of the week.” He was sold to
Carly Plasha for $30. Asad Ali
and George Gray came out as
a pair, dressed in all black and
sunglasses. The one thing that
Gray would tell Obama is that
he is “doing a great job,” and
Ali said that his favorite event
of his childhood was learning
to do the moonwalk. Gray
was sold to Kristyn DelloBuono and Ali was sold to Chloe
Glynn. Julian DiGiacomo was
sold to Alex Arbiz for $70.
Mike McGrath wore a
silver shirt and told the audience that he would like to be
a contestant on Who Wants to
be a Millionaire. He was sold
to Tori Mitros. Ryan Woods,
wearing all black, said that he
would rather have a kangaroo
than a koala and was sold to
Tori Murphy for $100. The
“mystery” bachelor, Adam
Mondell, came out looking
shy and wearing jeans. For
$100, he was sold to Maura
O’Neill. Jack McInernry wore
a red vest and said he would
rather fly than stop time.
Alexa Macchia and Kayla
Centone bought him for $65.
Xavier Gibson told the ladies
that his ideal date was dinner
under a starry night sky and
his favorite pick-up line is,
“Baby, your feet must hurt
because you’ve been running
through my mind.” He was
sold to Sarah Bernstein. Matt
Scherer, looking preppy in
khakis and a sports jacket,
was sold to Marissa Manto.
Joe Marino said that he
preferred talking to texting
because he likes to “get the
girl’s reaction.” For $110, he
was sold to Leah Snyder. Jake
Dickerson, our homecoming
king, came onto the stage in
a fedora and vest, lip-synching Tom Jones’ “It’s Not
Unusual.” He was sold for
$95. Jason Geytenbeek wore a
cowboy hat and did some impressive beat boxing. Sienna
DePietro bought Tim Tuoni.
Grant Woodworth, adorned
in glasses and a scarf, walked
onto the stage to The Dark-
lies, making up a whopping
10% of all the gifts City Team
Inc received.
The Peer Counselors
would like to thank all of the
teachers, faculty, and students
who participated in collecting
money for these underprivileged children. Of course, the
collection could not have been
so successful or even possible
without the tremendous effort put in by Mr. Longo, Mrs.
Frost, Kelsey Baumes, Gab DeFranceschi, and all the members of Peer Counselors. Next
year, they hope to increase the
number of children adopted
because no child should have
to go without gifts on the most
wonderful day of the year.
Bachelor Auction shows
you can buy love
Cecilia Gallogly
News Editor
College
Pg. 6
Powderpuff
Pg. 8
News........................1
Features...................2
Editorials.................6
Sports.......................8
Garnet Valley
High School
552 Smithbridge Rd.
Glen Mills, PA 19342
On Thursday, November 19,
GV held its annual Bachelor
Auction to raise money for
the Class of 2010. The ladies
of the valley had the opportunity to bid on twenty-two
bachelors who would carry
their books for a day, accompany them to Nifty Fifty’s,
and be their date to the Snowball Dance.
First on stage was senior
Dave Schwartz, dressed in a
white fedora and pinstripe
suit. As a tribute to Michael Jackson, he wore one
white glove and danced to
“Thriller.” He insisted that
he would rather get caught
singing in the mirror than
spying on his crush. Up next
was Matty Borromeo, dressed
in a hula skirt and Hawaiian
shirt. He described himself
as “chill” and “honest” and
told the audience that his
perfect profession was a
belly-button model. Matty
was sold to Kelsey Smith for
$45. When Andrew Carpenter
stepped onto the stage clad
in a sailor’s outfit, the audience erupted in laughter. To
the delight of the ladies, he
threw himself on the stage to
do some push-ups and was
sold for $45. Mike Lanam,
who was sold to Alexis Shaw,
said that if he had a million
dollars, he would give it to
charity.
ness’ “I Believe in a Thing
Called Love” and was sold
for $95 to Alex Brown. Kevin
Veltri walked onto the stage
and stunned all of the ladies
with his “majestic hair flip.”
He got some laughs when he
told the audience that his favorite movie was The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Carla Pugh bought him
for $120, the highest bid of
the night. Finally, Pat Fedena
walked onto the stage with
the assistance of Julie Keyes
and Kelsey Smith because he
had surgery two days before.
He was sold for $120.
Overall, the auction was
entertaining for all in attendance and deemed a success
by the Class of 2010 representatives.
2
Features
Jaguar
Journal
the
Editorial Board
Lauren Woodard
Editor in Chief
Annie Brown
Managing Editor
Cecilia Gallogly
News Editor
Morgan Perry
Features Editor
Estella Obi-Tabot
Editorials Editor
Kim Trageser
Asst. Editorials
Alex Morris
Layout Editor
Michelle Zhou
Layout Editor
Managing Staff
Noopur Sahay
Advertising Manager
Julie Keyes
Photography Editor
Heather Arters
Advisor
Comments? Questions?
Email the
Jaguar Journal at:
[email protected]
Issue No. 3
Postal Service nearly discontinued
“Dear Santa” program
Michelle Zhou
Layout Editor
Remember the days
of writing letters to Santa
Claus and telling him your
Christmas wish list? You
might have even been
elated to receive a reply
letter from one of “Santa’s
helpers.”
The United States
Postal Service (USPS) had
a program called “Dear
Santa” in which kids across
America would write their
Christmas wish lists and
address them to “Santa
Claus, North Pole.” These
letters would then be given
to volunteers who would
write back to the children
as “Santa’s elves.” Well,
this past holiday season,
things were done a bit differently.
The Postal Service
discontinued the program
in many postal offices as
a way to ensure children’s
safety and privacy after a
registered sex offender in
Maryland tried to participate in the Dear Santa
program. Although not
discontinued completely,
changes were made to
guarantee safety. Anyone
who wished to participate
in the programs had to go
through a series of strict
screenings. Post offices that
ran the program went so
far as to replace children’s
names and addresses with
codes only recognized in
their computer system
before allowing volunteers
to answer the letters in
order to protect the children’s information. These
restrictions, however, did
not apply to privately run
programs.
The many post offices
that did not participate this
past season were instructed
to shred the letters received
in order to protect the privacy of the children. These
actions definitely did not
brighten people’s holiday
spirits.
However, one small
town’s outrage made the
Santa letters happen. The
Dear Santa program has
been run annually in North
Pole, Alaska since 1954. A
volunteer here was able
to work out a deal with
Postal Service officials in
which letters would be ad-
More Than a Game: The
Soundtrack
Kristin Scribner
Staff Writer
Released earlier this
fall, More Than a Game is
a documentary-based film
set in Akron, Ohio that
chronicles the lives of five
young players and their
high school basketball careers. Amongst them is future NBA sensation Lebron
James, a player whose instant popularity jeopardizes everything the team has
worked for. As depicted by
the title, the purpose of the
film is to show audiences
the true meaning of unity
and brotherhood, as well as
the sacrifices and adversity
that they as a team faced.
What better way to
complement such a powerful story than with a good
soundtrack? Featuring
tracks from some of the
biggest hip-hop artists out
right now, the album provides a complete spectrum
of different sounds and
emotions. The soundtrack
itself illustrates the many
ups and downs of being
part of a team.
Songs like “Drop It
Low” by Ester Dean and
featuring Chris Brown,
“King on Set” by T.I. and
Young Dro, and “I’m Ballin” by Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em
supply the upbeat and fun
side of the story with more
of a lightheartedness that
makes for good energy and
dance music. The songs
“Forever”, “We Ready”,
and “Go Hard” depict the
motivation and work ethic
needed to accomplish and
achieve goals. These tracks
in particular bring the
intensity and pump-up factor that portray the athletic
mindset. “Forever”, a collaborative single released
for the film by Drake,
Kanye West, Lil Wayne,
and Eminem, combines
four of the hottest rappers
in the industry to create
an extremely catchy and
creative song.
Mary J. Blige’s “Stronger” and Jay-Z’s “History”
are both refreshing additions to the CD; they’re
slower songs, but equally
powerful lyrically. Both
have an inspirational feel
and give a soothing sense
of achievement. Similarly,
“Top of the World” by
Rich Boy and featuring
Chili Chil holds true to its
title with its upbeat and
victorious vibe. While
there seems to be a com-
dressed to 101 Santa Claus
Lane, North Pole, Alaska.
By doing so, it allowed for
a definite address, so the
volunteer group known
as Santa’s Mailbag could
continue their good deeds
by running their own program. The volunteers were
pleased to be able to avoid
strict program regulations administered by the
Postal Service, since their
program was independent
from the USPS. And most
importantly, amidst all the
uncertainty and chaos, kids
received their letters from
Santa after all.
mon theme throughout the
soundtrack, Jared Evan’s
“Frozen” is on the sadder
side as it tells about struggles and hardship. Finishing off the album is the
lighthearted to pumped up
and from saddened to inspired. Each and every one
of the songs put together
basically sum up every
aspect of what you should
Hulk of all collaborations,
“If You Dream” featuring
ten different artists including Tank, Tyrese, Jordin
Sparks, Omarion, Faith
Evans, and JoJo among
others. The touching and
inspirational song itself
does justice to the entire
album and serves as the
perfect finish.
The true essence of
music is the emotion
you get out of it and this
soundtrack shows just that.
The CD takes you from
get out of watching the
film. This album is definitely recommended to fans
of hip-hop and rap as well
as those who can relate to
such a story. However, be
warned: it certainly lives
up to its explicit sticker.
3
Features
January 2010
My New Year’s resolution is…
Brittany Fowler
Staff Writer
An anonymous person
once said, “A New Year’s
resolution is something
that goes in one year
and out the other.” On
New Year’s Eve, many
people have long and
intriguing conversations
about what they want
to change in their life or
about themselves for the
New Year. The upcoming year, untouched,
provides for a perfect
opportunity to make a
change. However, after
a few mere months most
return to their old habits of the previous year.
New Year’s resolutions
are major changes that
need to be achieved in
small pieces; otherwise,
they will not be achieved
at all.
For instance, the top
New Year’s resolution is
to start living a healthy
lifestyle and lose weight.
In order to try to achieve
this goal, many people
join their local gyms
and start to attend on a
regular basis, making
the gyms a little more
crowded than usual.
Though the additional
volume of people may be
bothersome, regular gym
attendees do not fret for
they know within a few
months the crowdedness
of their gym will return
to normal with perhaps a
few additions.
Soon the “new and
improved” New Year’s
resolution holders will
lose sight of the reasons
why they proclaimed to
lose weight and fail to
assimilate exercising into
their regular lifestyles.
Motivation levels decrease and are replaced
with mini mid-year reso-
lutions such as “I’ll lose
weight for my daughters’
graduations,” or “I’ll get
in shape for summer.”
Often times, these are
not kept either, but are
at least more reasonable
to achieve. Smaller goals
like these in fractional
time frames are easier to
pursue compared to a
whole year of change.
This idea of breaking up a resolution into
smaller increments of
time applies to every
New Year’s resolution
made. Take for example,
the second most popular
resolution: managing
money. If the person
simply states “In 2010,
I’m going to manage
my money better,” the
resolution is set up to
fail, for that is merely a
statement; it is the “how
factor” that counts: if
the person states “In
2010, I’m going to manage my money by saving
this amount each month
and opening a bank account,” that person has a
better chance of achieving his or her goal. Thus,
the resolution is enforced
monthly and easier to
mange compared to a
yearly goal.
Statistics show that
simply stating a resolution does not and usually will not bring about
success. Multiple statistics showcase that only a
low percentage of people
actually are successful
with their resolutions. In
order to make this percentage increase, people
must change their resolutions in ways that are
more realistic and manageable. A New Year’s
resolution is a lifestyle
change and should be
supported with reasons
why a change should
happen in order to bring
about success. Simply by
achieving smaller goals,
a person will ultimately
achieve the greater goal.
In order to be successful with New Year’s
resolutions, the “how
factor” is crucial. If
smaller resolutions are
made pertaining to the
actual resolution, success will be inevitable.
As long as the reasons
behind the resolution are
not forgotten and achievable goals are set, there
will be triumph. A New
Year’s resolution is not a
temporary change; it is
a permanent change of
Apple’s newest product: The iPad
Alex Morris
Layout Editor
The buzz surrounding Apple’s newly
announced, the iPad, has
been palpable. Leading
up to the announcement date, countless
fake pictures, alleged
leaks, and endless online
speculation could be
found. Finally, in a press
conference on January
27th 2010, Steve Jobs, the
CEO of Apple, revealed
the iPad to the world.
The press conference was held on the
same date as the State of
the Union address, and
actually generated more
online mentions than
the president’s address.
Jobs, before revealing the
iPad, said that the device
must do some key things
better than smartphones
and laptops, i.e. surfing
the web, sharing content,
etc. The iPad falls within
the category of a tablet, a
very portable computer,
running either full computer software, or using
a specialized operating
system. Typically they
are touch screen or use a
stylus.
The hardware of
the iPad has been compared to that of a large
iPhone. The multi-touch
screen measures 9”,
and the device weighs
only 1.5 pounds. The
device runs the same
operating system as the
iPhone. The iPad relies
completely upon its
touch screen, the keyboard popping up on
the screen when needed.
Jobs showed many of the
iPads uses throughout
the press conference.
The device is capable of
internet browsing, email
checking, music playing
(using built in speakers), word processing,
photo sharing, chatting
with friends through the
internet and more. The
device can also use all of
the apps the iPhone can,
along with soon-to-be
developed apps specifically for the iPad.
Critics have received the device with
mixed views, many leaning towards the negative.
The largest complain
seems to be that the iPad
is “just a big iPhone.”
The lack of flash in the
browser, which enables
computers to watch
videos, among other
purposes, has been a
central complaint, along
with the devices lack of a
camera. On the positive
side, many have been
saying that the iPad
will bridge be useful for
those who wish for an
ultra-portable device
with the power of a laptop.
The device uses
either wifi or a 3G signal
to connect to the internet. You can buy plans
with AT&T for the 3G
capabilities. Priced at
$500 to $829, depending
on how much memory
you want and whether
you want wifi or 3G
capabilities, the iPad will
be hitting stores in late
March.
4
Features
Issue No. 3
New Moon Movie Review:
Thoughts on the new movie
Lauren Murphy
Staff Writer
The wait was over.
When the clock struck
midnight on November
19th, eager fans flocked to
the movies and squealed
as one of the most anticipated movies of the year
unfolded on the huge
screen before them. And
all throughout the movie,
those dedicated fans had
their eyes open, focusing
intently on the plot and
yes, also on the hot shirtless guys. “Twi-Hards”,
they’re called. These are,
in other words, obsessive
Twilight fans. It was the
night that many of them
had waited for for weeks or
even months. Let me say
that they weren’t disappointed in the least.
New Moon is the next
movie in the Twilight Saga.
It is a follow-up to Twilight, last year’s box office
hit that grossed approximately $192 million in the
United States alone. Twi-
light has been described as
an “action-packed, modern-day love story between
a teenage girl and a vampire”. In New Moon, this
story continues.
Teenager Bella Swan
(Kristen Stewart) is heartbroken when her boyfriend
(who just so happens to be
a vampire) Edward Cullen
(Robert Pattinson) unexpectedly leaves in order to
protect her from dangers
that would obviously be
prominent in a supernatural world. Bella occupies
herself by putting herself
in mortal danger because
she sees an illusion of her
beloved appear before her
when she engages in high
risk situations. Her childhood friend Jacob Black
(Taylor Lautner) also helps
to mend her broken heart.
Together, they renovate
two motorbikes, which
help Bella take her mind
off of her worries. She
$26 million. Over $70 million had been made at the
end of the day on Friday,
breaking box office records
for the highest grossing
opening day. New Moon
also holds the record for
the number one advanced
ticket seller of all time, according to Fandango.com.
Amazing!
To any girl under the
age of 21, myself included,
this movie satisfied every
qualification of a spectacular show. There was
something for everyone.
Whether you like romance,
action, adventure, violence or drama, there was
something for you in this
movie. It is a classic story
of forbidden romance with
an exciting supernatural
twist that will have you on
the edge of your seat.
However, it is understandable that this series
may be boring and of little
interest to some. The truth
is that if you are over 21 or
happen to be a male, this
is not likely to be a movie
that will hold your attention for very long. Sure,
there are many Twi-Hards
that are well out of their
teenage years and there are
still a few males who find
this series intriguing. But
most fans are tween/teen
girls.
Yet through my eyes…it
was epic. Powerful. Passionate. Gripping. Exciting. Dramatic. Entertaining. Intense. Funny.
Suspenseful. Riveting.
And exceptional.
way possible. 6ABC, CBS3,
and NBC10 have all posted
links to the websites of
organizations like the Red
Cross and Shoes2Share
intending to encourage
viewers to donate either
money or materials to the
victims of the quake.
What and where can
are collecting food and
water, shoes, blankets, and
medical supplies. You can
donate your time as well.
Organizing or sorting
materials are simple ways
to help, and Shoes2Share
is located right in Elsmere,
Delaware. The American
Red Cross is in need of
volunteers, accepts dona-
sponsored bake sales during lunches; all proceeds
go towards the Haitian
relief effort.
We are blessed to live
in the country that we do,
a country which has given
us comforts and amenities beyond anything Haiti
knows. We are overindulged and generally self–
serving. So, why do we
hesitate when something
like this disaster occurs?
What is our excuse?
you donate? Although
monetary donations are
greatly appreciated, organizations like Shoes2Share
(conducting Operation
T.H.E.R.E. or “The Haitian
Earthquake Relief Effort”)
tions, and has encouraged
citizens to give blood.
Right here in our Garnet Valley High School
community, the National
Honor Society and the
Speak Up club have both
comes across a previous
foe that is determined to
make her meet her demise, but she survives
due to an intervention
by a large and somewhat
terrifying pack of massive wolves. The secret of
the Quileute wolf tribe is
revealed to Bella and she
becomes introduced to a
whole new world she had
never known about before.
Meanwhile, a miscommunication leads to an intense
climax that could quite
possibly change everything
Bella has ever known…forever.
So, obviously, history
was made.
Not surprisingly, New
Moon’s earnings exceeded
$140 million the opening
weekend just in the United
States. Yes, you read that
right. It was the third highest grossing opening weekend. Midnight screenings
Thursday night made over
How can we help Haiti?
Lauren Woodard
Editor in Chief
This past month saw a disaster of monumental proportions strike the poorest
nation in our hemisphere:
Haiti. Located next to the
Dominican Republic in the
Caribbean Sea, Haiti was
struck by an earthquake
with a 7.0 magnitude on
the 12th of January. An
intense aftershock with a
magnitude of 6.1 followed
on the 20th of January,
creating panic. Death toll
estimates jumped from
over 100,000 people to
more than 150,000 in less
than two days.
The reaction to the natural disaster was immediate: the United States sent
aid soon after learning of
the earthquake and President Obama announced
that $100 million would
be sent as part of the U.S.
humanitarian effort. Navy
and Marine units from the
United States were immediately dispatched to
Haiti, while world nations
and organizations amassed
monetary aid.
Reporters flooded the
small Caribbean nation,
setting up camp among
survivors in Port–au–
Prince. Correspondents
described the devastation
and called for aid, though
perhaps most compelling was the video posted
online featuring CNN
correspondent Anderson
Cooper throwing down his
video camera and rushing
forward to pull a Haitian
boy to safety after he was
hit in the head with a brick.
Other stories of heroism
and hope have floated out
of Haiti over the past few
weeks: fifteen days after
the earthquake struck, rescuers pulled a sixteen year
old girl from the rubble.
Since the disaster, many
Haitian orphans have
been flown to the U.S. to
be adopted into American
families.
But, how can you help?
Too often, young people
use their youth as an
excuse not to get involved
in issues, whether it be on
a local, national, or global
scale. Age or inexperience
should not stop anyone
from helping out in any
January 2010
Contest
ART & WRITING
CONTESTS
Do you love ART, PHOTOGRAPHY or WRITING? Are you interested in local HISTORY?
Would you like to win $250?
If you answered YES to any of
the questions above, why not
enter the ART or
WRITING CONTEST
sponsored by the Concord
Township Historical Society?
Pierce-Willits House
Headquarters of Concord Township Historical Society
Create an original painting, drawing or photograph that depicts an historical site in Concord
Township OR Write about our early history.
Visit www.concordhist.org or see Ms. Bucci, Ms. Knox
or Ms. Arters for contest rules and entry form. Entries
must be submitted by March 19, 2010.
5
6
Editorials
Issue No. 3
To go...or to stay? A note to
our seniors...
Morgan Perry
Features Editor
To go...or to stay?
That is the question on
most seniors’ minds
around this time of
year. Each has probably
received one or more
acceptance letters and is
still waiting to hear from
the rest of their application pool. As more and
more admissions decisions are released, seniors all over the country
are faced with the tough
task of choosing which
school is right for them.
Do I want a small school
or a large one? What do I
want to major in? Do the
colleges have my major?
There are a multitude
questions that a student
must ask himself when
deciding where to begin
the journey towards the
rest of their life.
One of the largest factors in deciding where
to go to school is simply the location of the
campus. There are more
colleges in the United
States that one can even
wrap their head around;
some close to home
and some far away. For
Garnet Valley seniors,
the choice can seem even
harder. Garnet Valley
has this certain niche
that holds people here
forever. Students graduate, go to colleges like
West Chester, Temple, or
other state schools, and
come right back to live
and raise their families
in Garnet Valley. There
are students in the building right now who have
the same English teacher
their Mom or Dad had
twenty years ago and
there have been a handful of teachers at Garnet
Valley who also attended
Garnet Valley. My boss
constantly makes fun
of the district because
“no one ever leaves”. So,
why does Garnet Valley
have the ability to keep
a close knit community
that constantly supports
athletics, extracurriculars, and academics. But
I’d like to let you in on a
little secret - there’s more
out there.
Yes, it may seem that
Garnet Valley is the only
place you will want to be
for the rest of your life.
You love it here, right?
You love the teachers,
the football team, the
community - everything. But being young
is about taking risks, is it
not? There are so many
towns, cities, states, and
countries that we have
yet to explore in our
close knit community of
Garnet Valley. College
is a place to learn about
yourself and to find a
way to do what you love
for the rest of your life.
Sure, you might be happy right here in Garnet
Valley, but you’ll never
know what could have
been if you don’t get out
of here and explore what
else the world has to offer.
So, when that acceptance letter comes
from the University of
Miami, or Ohio State, or
University of Arizona,
don’t rule it out. Keep
an open mind. Miami is
the spring break capital
of the world, Ohio has
a great football team,
and maybe you’ll enjoy
not having to deal with
snow in Arizona. Try
out a new lifestyle...see
where it takes you. College is going to put you
on the path that you will
follow each and every
day...so choose wisely.
you add more of yourself
into your application,
you’re not just being
looked at as a number.
It really does make you
stand out in a pool of
a bunch of other appli-
but it does have satisfying results. I’m now at a
college freshman to be. I
got accepted into my top
choice school, all by doing my best in school and
adding that extra spice
senioritis get the best
of me. If there was a
fast forward button, I
wouldn’t dare to press
it. I’m going to enjoy the
remainder of my senior
year.
cants wanting the same
spot as you.
Yes, applying to college is a long and quite
time consuming process,
to my application. So,
now it’s one big party for
me. Well, not exactly…I
still plan on trying my
best and not letting my
us right where we are?
Let’s be honest, we
have a pretty nice school
here. Our cafeteria and
auditorium are some of
the best in the state. We
have awesome technology; there are computers
are in every classroom,
multiple computer labs,
and Mac labs for art and
technology students.
Our homecoming and
post prom traditions are
admired and praised
throughout the county,
along with many other
events that the high
school hosts. Our sports
teams are continuously
growing and improving
- with district champions
in football, swimming,
lacrosse, and many other
sports. We have over
forty student–run clubs
and activities - with
one of the most active
Student Councils and
largest musical theatre
programs in the state.
It’s a large district, but
Applying to College: A Senior’s
Point of View
Lexie Anderson
Staff Writer
I have always been a
pretty good student.
I’m always good about
turning in my homework
and completing projects.
But, I was never good at
was the test taking. This
is what really terrified
me when I started filling out my first college
applications. My grades
weren’t the best because
of those horrible test
taking skills. I always
tried the best I could, no
matter what the outcome
was. Yet, I still had some
doubts when I started
applying to college.
“Applying to college.”
Those may be terrifying
words to high school
seniors today. In my
own personal experience, those definitely
were terrifying words.
If you’re an underclassmen, believe me that the
party is over when you
get to senior year. Oh…
you thought that senior
year is when the party
begins?
When I started applying to colleges, I did
it early (even before my
senior year started.) Applications aren’t really
as scary as your parents
or guardians may perceive them to be. I put as
much of my personality
into the essays as I could
and I sent in everything
that my colleges were
willing to accept. I
wrote plenty of essays,
adding extra personality
to my application and
also adding in extracurricular activities. I also
contacted a few teachers
who I thought would be
willing to write a letter
of recommendation for
me. Remember, when
7
Editorials
January 2010
Texting: A Lament
Annie Brown
Managing Editor
Weekday mornings at a
little before seven, I board
my bus, walk down its
aisle, and plop down next
to one of my best friends,
who is conveniently also
my neighbor. We exchange
morning greetings and a
few perfunctory comments,
and then not a word more
is spoken between us during the rest of the bus ride
to school.
Instead of communicating to me, the person who
happens to be sitting right
next to her, my friend prefers to talk to her boyfriend
via text messaging. And
call me old-fashioned, but
I think this is downright
rude. After all, she’ll see
her boyfriend in person
in five minutes; this is the
only chance she’ll have to
interact with me throughout the day.
Don’t get me wrong:
it’s not her boyfriend that
bothers me. The texting
does. And I echo the sentiments of generations older
than I that texting is tampering with good communication.
For starters, it seems
as if no one really knows
when it’s actually appropriate to text. I hear all too
often stories of girlfriends
breaking up with boyfriends and boyfriends
breaking up with girlfriends by the simple, yet
hurtful method of texting.
In such a situation, one
person uses texting to take
the easy, cowardly way out
of an undesirable situation
while the other person is
badly hurt emotionally.
Furthermore, text messages
seem to offer little, if any,
information as to why the
breakup has occurred.
It would be foolish of
me to say that the troubles
with texting lie exclusively
within our own generation.
Even the generation of our
parents has lapses in texting judgment. I’ve heard
countless stories of parents texting their children
during class. Appropriate?
I think not. Disruptive?
Definitely.
Of course, without parental interference, thumbs
go wild under school desks
as students text each other
during lectures and even
tests. And at home, studies are affected as well.
How can students expect
to accomplish any studying when their concentration is interrupted by the
incessant vibration of their
phones? These students
don’t seem to make the
connection between their
lagging grades and their ad
nauseam text messaging.
The effects of texting on
the English language are
also troubling. As someone who has always been
enamored by the written
word, it troubles me to
read the written language
that has evolved from
texting. The abbreviations
used just mutilate words,
ruining their meaning and
aesthetic. It takes a learned
individual to be able to
decipher the codes of texts.
One has to be familiar with
hundreds of abbreviations. This learning, however, seems backwards.
Shouldn’t we be building
up our use of language
rather than knocking it
down?
As practical as the
abbreviations and vowel
removals can be (and I admittedly use some of them
when I resort to texting), it
worries me how this might
be affecting how people,
especially those our age,
write. It seems as if most
students are already not
up to par with their writing skills and it makes me
wonder if texting is further
compromising these skills.
If such is the case, then this
could be detrimental to the
individual. In the job market of today and tomorrow,
there will be more educated people competing for
fewer jobs. And those who
cannot write effectively
should not expect to be
able to compete in such a
job market.
I myself cannot truly say
whether or not texting really will impact our writing
abilities and how that will
thus affect us; I can merely
speculate. However, time
for sure will be able to tell,
but we must remember
that we cannot turn back
time. Thus, we as people
must work to preserve
our writing and commu-
Why 3D needs to go away
Alex Morris
Layout Editor
In recent times, 3D movies have been nearly as
common as regular “2D”
movies. Blockbuster
movies like Avatar have
been applauded for its
amazing 3D visuals.
With several new bigname 3D movies looming in the future, this
looks like a trend that
won’t be leaving soon.
Even TV is getting in on
the 3D action, with dozens of 3D enabled televisions being release, and
even segments of award
shows, like the Grammys, being broadcast in
3D. Even some video
games are going to be released in 3D. The reach
of 3D goes across every
technological front.
Nothing is sacred.
The technology behind
3D is fairly simple. Our
vision works by our eyes
taking the two slightly
different images our eyes
see, and turning them
into one. Using this,
moviemakers can use 3D
glasses to allow our eyes
to perceive what we’re
viewing to be 3-dimensional. But here’s the
biggest problem with the
technology. What if you
don’t have vision in one
of your eyes?
I fall into this category.
I was born with Optic
Nerve Hypoplasia in my
right eye, which translates into that my optic
nerve didn’t develop
properly. As such, I can
barely make the facial
features of people 5 feet
in front of me in this
eye, let alone see what is
happening on a movie or
TV screen. Luckily my
left compensates for me,
but this still is a problem
when it comes to 3D
cinema.
My first experience
with 3D was in Disney
World, at the Bug’s Life
ride. You watch a short
3D movie, while getting sprayed with water
and having your seat
go bump and all sorts
of things that go along
with what you should be
watching. And I didn’t
get it. All I got was a
movie that gave me a
headache that I had to
watch while wearing
uncomfortable glasses
that made everything
dark, along with getting
random sprayed with
water. My parents were
very quick to realize that
my eyesight prevented
me from experiencing
the ride properly.
And now with all of
these big-name movies
coming out, I am left
at a crossroad. On one
hand, I can just ignore all
these movies and hope
I’m not missing out on
much. On the other, I’ll
be subjected to headache inducing movies
and probably sub-par
storylines. This 3D fad
needs to stop. Over 10%
of the population cannot
experience 3D. We are
a bitter 10%. Money is
being poured into this
technology that we can’t
even experience. Movies
should be able to appeal
to everyone, without
leaving out any particular group.
And though I may sound
like a skeptic now, I bet
that 3D isn’t even all that
good. It used to be a
gimmick, its still a gimmick, and it will stay
a gimmick. Until this
technology can be done
without using glasses,
it won’t be able to move
out of that area. So until
then, 3D needs to go
away.
nication abilities and the
English language so as not
to be victims of the potentially adverse affects that
texting may cause.
8
Sports
Issue No. 3
Powderpuff Football Game 2009
Simone Cuccurullo
Staff Writer
Every year, Garnet Valley celebrates the joy of a
little healthy competition
through the Powderpuff
football game. As tradition
follows, the senior girls
play verses the junior girls
in a student coached, 40minute flag football game.
This year, the heat was
on as the suspense and determination grew throughout both teams’ practices.
The junior players and
coaches were equally convinced that this would be
the year the seniors were finally shut down. As many
students know, the seniors
are always the expected favorite, considering the fact
that almost every Powderpuff game in the past has
ironically been won by the
senior team.
As if this wasn’t controversy enough, more drama
began when the players
started to inquire whether
or not this year’s game
would be “tackle” football.
With confusion in the air,
the coaches had both teams
practice tackle methods
and skills without knowing
if they would be used in
the actual game.
This concern went unanswered until the very last
moment; right before kickoff, flags were handed out
by the referees. For some,
this was a relief, and for
others a disappointment.
So without opposition,
the game was played, but
that certainly was not the
end of the debate regarding this year’s face-off. The
score stayed even for a
good portion of the game,
with the lead bouncing
back and forth between
teams. Despite efforts
made by senior players
Nicki Spina and Brianna
Fecondo, the junior’s surprisingly did an excellent
job at keeping the score
even. At one point very
close to the end of the
game, the juniors took
a prominent and hopeful lead with memorable
plays by Gia Bertone,
Emily Wenger and Haley
Lamborn. But apparently,
it was not enough. The
score board “mysteriously” decided that it was
the seniors who were in
fact ahead. At the end of
the game, it was the Class
of 2010 who took home
the W. Whether or not
the score was true to the
actual game, no one will
know. But the tradition of a
guaranteed senior win was
definitely followed.
The Best is yet to come
for GV Ice Hockey
Dylan Santamarina
Staff Writer
The Garnet Valley High
School Ice Hockey team
had a rough start this year,
losing six of its first seven
games, with one tie to
Penncrest along the way.
However, the Jaguars have
brought new life into the
season during their past
few games. Led by Head
Coach Paul Costa, Captain
Mike Byrne, and alternate
Captains Chris Richardson,
Mark Onorato, and Josh
Fouraker, the Jags tied Ridley, the second ranked team
in the league, with a score
of 6-6 on Friday, December
4th. The gifted forwards
Brian Boyle and Brian Ely
both had impressive games,
as each of those fierce
offenders tore apart the
opposing defense, scoring
two goals each. Following
the tie on Monday, December 7th, the team lost a
tough game to Radnor. In
this 6-4 loss, Boyle again
skated his heart out, doing
all he could for the team as
he racked up another two
goals in the game. After
the gut-wrenching loss, the
ice hockey team gave up
yet another heartbreaker to
Springfield, the first ranked
team in the league, on the
14th of December.
Mike Selverian, the tight
gloved goalie, frustrated
the opposing offense as
he blocked an unheard of
thirty seven shots and only
allowed two goals. The
Jags lost after Springfield
scored with only fifteen
seconds on the clock, giving them the 2-1 win.
In their last game
against Marple-Newtown,
the determined ice hockey
team put on a show as the
Jags tied the Tigers, 33. Once again marksman
Brian Boyle lit up the ice,
tying the game with two
seconds left with his second goal of the night. Now
with the record of 0-8-3,
Garnet Valley is looking for
its first win against Radnor,
hoping to get revenge from
their previous meeting.
The Jaguars are still in the
hunt to make the playoffs
this year depending on the
outcome of the remaining
games. Mike Selverian
says “This team is only getting better. With all of our
weapons, I know we are
going to make the playoffs, so watch out Central
League, here we come!”