February 2008 - Central Cambria School District

CENTRAL CAMBRIA
HIGH SCHOOL
V O L U M E
1 ,
I S S U E
4
M A R C H
2 0 0 8
The Voice of Six Students
-Brittany Tusing
The Trident: the Voice of Central Cambria. Pfft…what a lie! Pathetically, after
being reduced to a mere after-school activity, our school newspaper has fallen from a
sure-sellout to a questionable document. Until about a week ago, the staff wasn’t sure
they were going to continue the newspaper. One member claimed she was going to
give up unless others began making some decisions—so that is just what they did.
In the absence of the rest of the staff, who were busy either in other clubs or chatting it up in the Aud with their friends, three staff members—plus a morallysupportive Mrs. Duncan—decided they needed to make some big changes. After a big
decision to keep it going again, the trio brainstormed the idea of making The Trident
more of a magazine than a newspaper. The students had to think: what do our peers
want to read? Realizing that lots of pictures and interesting, relatable articles were just
what they needed to be printing, the staff decided to revamp the ole Trident.
Brittany Tusing, at a nearly
empty newspaper meeting,
is one of the few who has
stuck it out.
Newspapers, which are usually fairly large, tend to have many less pictures than a magazine. Magazines
tend to have fewer articles than newspapers. With fewer than eight members still on the staff, the crew cannot be writing long, drawn-out, heavily-researched articles on every event in the school. Instead, they should
be writing one to two large articles on important issues, and then small articles on local happenings.
This is what the staff has decided to turn The Trident into. If enough students are not interested in the
newspaper, then the ones who are interested must make the best of the situation. (continued on page 15)
“Glory Road”
- Lauren DiBacco
IN THIS
ISSUE
Winter Formal
New Books
Saying you’ll accomplish something and actually
4
7
Groundhog’s
Day
8
Drug Vaccine
9
Ask the Editors
Life According
to Lauren
11
13
14
boy’s efforts
taking action to reach your goals are two entirely differ- cannot be
denied.
ent things. However, the CCHS Boys Basketball team
knows how to combine the two and create a much
They played
sought after concoction—success. Members of the boy’s
their hardest
basketball team have been promising their coach, Steve
and for that
Traino, a district title for years, and finally, this season
alone they
his players delivered.
are winners.
Capturing the district title could not have come
Winter Sports
the state, the
Michael
about in a more triumphant year. The boys have
Gowen was not disappointed with his team. In fact he
worked hard to perfect their skills all season, and the
praised them. “I’m so proud of my team. This is some-
district title is a further illustration of their hard work
thing I’ll always remember. I’ll tell my kids and my
and dedication. Not only did they manage to win the
grandkids. This is just a good team. We got along like a
district title, but they also won themselves the Laurel
brotherhood. I’m going to miss it.” Well one thing is for
Highlands Championship. Although they fell short
sure Central Cambria won’t be forgetting this
against General McLane, the top-ranked AAA team in
“brotherhood,” anytime soon! Congratulations on all
your accomplishments, boys!
Page 2
Student Life
Sick Students
-Julie Mastrine
Perhaps it originated at formal. An arm around the
shoulder for a photo, slow dancing, fast dancing, shared
drinks, an exclamation of, “You look so good!” followed
immediately by a hug. Maybe you crashed next to five
other people at your best friend’s
after-party. All seem to be
strong contributors to the infection.
The week after, it came in
like a strong wind, sweeping
through the halls of Central
Cambria. It left few survivors. It
was an extreme cold, or perhaps
the flu. The symptoms rarely
varied: a persistent cough, sore
Dom DeYulis gives a
thumbs-up to his health.
throat, vomiting, dizziness, high
temperature—once you had it,
you could be knocked out for a week. In one day, Mrs. Aurandt reports visitors to the nurse’s office reaching the 50s.
Absentees were through the roof—students ended up in
study hall (without complaint, mind you) because of the
lack of substitute teachers, and the vast amount of sick students gave new meaning to the phrase, “Do it in your
Widespread illness the week of January 21st-25th
left many classrooms nearly empty.
sleeve!”
Some students got
lucky—after the
three-day formal weekend,
their sickness
kept them out
for the rest of
the week, only
to be followed
by yet another
three-day weekend.
“It’s like I made my own vacation,” joked senior Mitch
Blackwell, who was also a carrier of the disease and stayed
out for the entire week.
Others were less enthusiastic, such as junior Brittany
Tusing, as she pessimistically stated, “I’m going to be way
behind on schoolwork. And it’s inevitable—you may think
that if you haven’t gotten sick yet, you won’t—but you
will!” So maybe it was just a normal, mid-winter epidemic. Maybe you should carry hand sanitizer to formal
next year. Or maybe you should just take up residence in a
plastic bubble and wait out the epidemic.
Flashback
-Lauren DiBacco
While trying to organize the hundreds of old newspapers, I came across an interesting article from nearly thirty
years ago. All the way back in 1979, our school’s newspaper held a different name—the “Blazon.” The below article
sparked my interest, and I hope you find it as entertaining as I did. As for all of the potential thieves lurking in our hallways, times have changed and it will take more than a powerful punch to break through the careful watch of Buddy.
AV Room Burglarized
-Lynn Ferrighetto
“Thirty seven hundred dollars worth of A.V. equipment was stolen from our school, Thurs., November 29. The burglar presumably entered the building after breaking a window in rooms D101 and D102. Equipment was stolen from
both the A.V. room and Miss Pauley’s room. The missing included a Kodak 600 camera, a thirty-five millimeter carousel
slide projector and a storage bag for headsets. Video tape equipment was also stolen. The burglary is assumed to be committed by someone familiar with the school.”
Student Life
Page 3
Artist In Residence: Lynne Magee
-Julie Mastrine
“I wasn’t interested in playing with dolls,” Lynne explains. “I wanted to make clothes for the dolls, or build a
house for the dolls. …I was more interested in the creative
aspect of it.”
Students in Ms. Irwin’s Art classes recently got a
chance to work with a professional watercolor artist.
Through the Artist-In-Residence program offered by the
Lynne also explained why watercolor is her favorite
Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Ms. Irwin is able to
medium, saying that she loves the
choose from a range of artists
“transparency” of the colors, how
to visit and work with her
they “melt” and “flow” and “do
students. By the time students
[their] own thing.”
have gone through the fouryear Art program, they will
“[With watercolors], you can
have had exposure to four difbuild from what’s already there,”
ferent types of artists. Because
she says.
of this year’s new painting
As for her art, she has different
class, Ms. Irwin selected waviews.
tercolor artist Lynne MaGee,
who visited the art room for
“It gets to the point where you
two weeks during the month
have to make it your own. You
Students in Art class.
of December, working with
can’t try to be like someone else;
students on self-portraits.
you need to do your own thing.”
Students in other Art classes that are not solely based
on painting received an exposure lesson, in which Lynne
spoke about her work. Students learned that Lynne is a
practicing watercolor artist who hails from nearby Altoona. Having attended a liberal arts college, where she
studied a plethora of art-related fields, she settled into her
job as an art teacher for seven years before quitting in order to be with her children. Unable to bear the thought of
her life without creative expression, she set up a studio in
her house and spent her spare time painting there, and has
made a living through her paintings and the Artist-InResidence program ever since.
As some of the art students explained, Lynne got her
message across quite well:
“I’m no longer afraid to work with watercolors since
she came in,” senior Alli Edmiston says. “She helped and
explained things; I actually liked my final project!”
Brittany Ullrich, also a senior, seconds this notion, saying, “I liked how she taught us and showed us different
kinds of watercolor [techniques], like wet-on-wet or weton-dry.”
“If we had any questions, she would actually come over
and help us,” states senior Leah Schofield. “She would tell
Lynne has always had a vast interest in art, as her back- us how to actually make [our work] better.”
ground may suggest.
ATTENTION SENIORS!
A flyer will be sent home within the next few weeks concerning Senior Wills. The Senior Will booklet is a chance
for Seniors to figuratively “will” items, inside jokes, and other sentimental items to friends, past and present, here at
Central Cambria. Wills will be accepted by e-mail or hand-written from March 17th until April 1st, with no exceptions
being made. Please make an effort to turn in your Will and money early or on time to any newspaper staff member or
Mrs. Duncan, so they can begin typing them. Thank you.
Student Life
Page 4
Winter Formal
The annual winter formal was held on Saturday, January 19th. At
7:30 pm, students packed into the commons area—dresses on, flowers
in hand, camera ready. They mingled,
snapped photos, compared dates, and
picked at the food.
Tara Brodish, Lindsey Overdorf, Kelly Miesko,
Torie Brodish, and Craig Cruley
l a nd
ren Noe gs
a
K
r
io
Sen
ittin
Lacee G
Junior
Soon enough, a pile of heels appeared around the corner of the D
wing, and the dance floor became a
mass of moving teenagers and flashing
neon lights. Some took a break for
Melissa Natcher, Ali Terndrup,
water or a professional photo (provided
Leah Bearer, and Chessa Ritchey
by Henry King), but for the majority of
those three hours, everybody just let loose.
Seniors Marlana Malcotti and Drew Klezek
Juniors Jo
rdan Pate
rson and C
hris
Myers
Senior Wall
This year’s senior wall is almost officially completed. Tommy Orgis, Ali Terndrup, and Cait Sowers, all seniors themselves,
painted a blue sky, city scenery, and a brick wall with “Class of 2008” written in graffiti-style. To finish it, all seniors will sign
the bricks. Tommy and Andrew Hollis summed up the wall in one word: “serious,” while Jake Kozorosky, who observed while
Tommy put the finishing touches on the wall, thinks the project is “cool.”
PAGE
5
Entertainment
Page 5
Lights, Camera, Action: Broadcast 101
-Lauren DiBacco
“Good morning CCHS, today is (insert
date).” Sound familiar? It should, unless
of course you are still half asleep when
the morning news starts, and if that is
the case, I don’t know what to tell you
other than to get a little more rest! I am
sure that many of you believe that the
morning news is just about all we broadcasters do, but there is definitely more
than meets the eye. Not only do we provide the latest information to the student
body, but we also write, produce, and
edit various news programs that we have
created. The news is just one of the
many aspects we have to be familiar
with. The final product that all of you
witness every morning is the result of a
long time coming, and the broadcasting
classes’ efforts are something to be admired.
First and foremost, the morning news
is run by Mrs. Hostetler’s 5th period
Broadcast Journalism class. The class is a
recent addition to our school’s course
catalog, and was originally suggested by
However, with Mr. Mazz’s technological
savvy and Mrs. Hostetler’s journalistic
techniques, we’ve managed to come a
long way from the first day of school.
After learning how to use all the equipment and setting up our very own news
station, we are finally ready to rock and
roll.
Ms. Burda. Not only was this a brand
new course, but it also had some pretty
tough requirements. The whole point of
the class is to provide the school with a
professional morning newscast. That’s
right; no poor posture, no sloppy clothing, and above all, no inside jokes. We
have to maintain a professional, crisp
appearance, which is not always the easiest thing to do whenever technical difficulties occur, and fellow broadcasters try
their hardest to make you chuckle. Not
only did we face the difficulties of maintaining an image, but we also had to
learn how to use and run the equipment.
While re-vamping the news has
been a tremendous undertaking, it has
also been extremely rewarding. Drew
Klezek likes to stroke our ego, and states,
“I guess you could say we’ve become a
small scale WJACTV.” Drew’s right; in a
sense we have become a full functioning
news station, and that in itself is quite
impressive.
Although we have come a long way,
our work is far from over. Next in the
works we will be launching our very first
newsmagazine, and hopefully it will have
a great reception throughout the student
body. I guess when it comes down to it,
things can only keep looking up from
here.
Strikers Strut the Streets No More!
-Lauren DiBacco
Well, it’s official; no more reruns, no more reruns, and most importantly no more reruns. That’s right, America no longer has to subject their
minds to brain-depleting reality TV shows because on February 12th a miracle occurred. The writers set their pickets down and decided to get back into
the studio. After 100 days of protest, the writers finally decided enough was
enough, and as we speak they are feverishly writing scripts in the studios. It
would appear that the end of the strike wasn’t just a blessing for viewers, but
the economy as well. It was projected that if the strike would have continued the economy would have suffered a $2.5 billion dollar economic deficit. Our economy didn’t need the writers
to move us closer to what seems like an inevitable recession, but nonetheless, audiences can now rejoice, as in the
coming weeks our beloved TV shows will be returning. Hallelujah!
Page 6
Entertainment
Where in the World…?
-Brittany Tusing
“Why can’t one-fifth (20%) of Americans locate the US on a World map?”
“I personally believe that U.S. Americans
are unable to do so because, um, some people, out there in our nation don’t have maps
and uh, I believe that our, I, education like
such as uh, South Africa, and us, the Iraq,
everywhere like such as, and I believe that
they should, uh, our education over here in
the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should
help South Africa, it should help the Iraq
and the Asian countries so we will be able
to build up our future, for us.” – Miss South
Carolina, Lauren Caitlin Upton
For Miss South Carolina, this was quite a
difficult question. However, many who
heard this humiliating speech were laughing so hard at this poor girl’s answer that
they failed to realize what the question
waswas asking. Is nobody else shocked at
the fact that roughly one-fifth of our country doesn’t know where they currently are?
Personally, I find this to be a shocking statistic, considering roughly 85% of Ameri-
Where’s my
map?
maps…”). Third-world countries are full of people without
maps, but America is the richest
country
in the world, so why would maps
cans
be in short supply?
Upton really had no more to discuss on
the subject matter. Is it possible that school
standards are too low? Any person capable
of reading a map should be able to locate
their own country. If one in five people
cannot do this simple task, something must
over the age of twentybe wrong with the school system.
five have graduated from high school. If
Perhaps the issue isn’t the education, but
Social Studies classes are required classes for
the attitude of Americans. Are we so ignoany high school student, wouldn’t that, plus
rant of the world that we don’t bother lookgeneral knowledge, increase that percenting at our country or others on a map? Are
age? The United States is the third-largest
we so narrow-minded and blind to world
country in the entire world. It’s not difficult
issues that we can’t imagine there even
to find on a world map: there are only
being other countries out there except for
seven continents and the words “United
the great and powerful U. S. of A.? It would
States of America” are usually printed in
be interesting to see the statistics of what
large, clear letters across the page.
percentage of people from other countries
Miss Upton thought this had something
can find the United States on a map and
to do with a lack of maps (“…um, some
find their own country.
people, out there in our nation don’t have
Horoscopes
One of your
listen for a while. It’s time for you to really
brothers or sisters is
pick up on what your people are saying
Aquarius (1/20 – 2/18)
causing way more
because it should explain everything.
Your social energy is making you itchy
trouble than usual
Taurus (4/20 – 5/20)
for new contacts, and you may find yourtoday. If you’re an
On most days, balance between your
self surprised by whomever you end up
only child, then the
connecting with. There’s no need to worry own needs and those of your friends or
opposite could be
family, but right now, it’s all about you.
about how it works out, though.
true – and you could
Whatever you think is most important is
find yourself bored
Pisces (2/19 – 3/20)
what you need to take care of right away. out of your mind.
It’s the perfect day to clean out your
Gemini (5/21 – 6/21)
Leo (7/23 – 8/22)
room, or at least some part of it – making
—Kelly Miesko
It’s a good time to kick back and think
room for new stuff yet to come. Your mind
is pretty ruthless right now, so you should about whatever is going on in your life. It
doesn’t have to be all that serious – in fact,
be able to let go with ease.
you’re better off if you can relax and get
Aris (3/21 – 4/19)
on with it comfortably.
Are things getting more confusing?
Cancer (6/22 – 7/22)
There’s an easy answer: stay quiet and just
You shouldn’t have to argue very hard
today – lots of people are going to take
your side right away. That’s a good feeling,
but make sure you’re ready to follow up
words with some action!
(continued on page 15)
Entertainment
Page 7
New Books for the New Year
-Mrs. Duncan
If you haven’t been to the library lately, then you are
missing all the new books that have arrived. From classics,
to new series, to Accelerated Reader titles, there is something that is sure to catch your attention. Below are some
lists and descriptions of new books that you’ll find in the
library this month.
Maybe you are a senior this year
and would like a challenge. Maybe
you are in upper level English
classes and think you should be
reading books with a little more
merit than Hatchet. Or maybe you
are just sick of all the books about
high school drama. If any of these
sounds like your attitude towards
reading right now, then you may
want to try reading a classic. Although there are already several in
the library, we have acquired A Yellow Raft in
Blue Water by Michael Dorris, which is the account of three generations of Indian women forced
through hardships, trials, and tribulations of their
lives, along with To the Lighthouse by Virginia
Woolf, a look into human nature and how people
change that all begins with a trip to the lighthouse.
Next, the library has received the continuation
of another much-loved trilogy and a new mystery
series for the reader who has read everything. First, if you
had the chance to read Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier, an intriguing book about teens who can use their
magical powers and die young or not use them at all, yet
know that they are they’re being wasted, then you’ll be glad
to know that the trilogy is now complete with Book II,
Magic Lessons, and Book III, Magic’s Child. Second, the
newest series available at the library is by adult mystery
writer Alexander McCall-Smith, who is now on the seventh
book of his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, which is
also the title of book one. This series introduces us to Precious Ramotswe, the only female detective in Botswana.
Although the African setting is very different from the
background of most detective novels, don’t be fooled into
believing these books are not for you. You will be intro-
duced to new plots, new people, new ideas, new everything.
It doesn’t hurt to try the first book to see if you’ll like the
series.
The next set of books are a mismatched sampling of some
new titles that have absolutely nothing to do with each
other, except they all sound like good books.
•
Sharon M. Draper’s newest book, Copper Sun, follows
Amari, a fifteen-year-old black girl, from her capture in
Africa through her journey and slavery
in the United States. Imagine being
fifteen and given as a gift to a plantation
owner’s son. This is just a small piece
of Amari’s struggle.
•
Walter Dean Myers is back with
another must-read title, What They
Found: Love on 145th Street. This is
actually a compilation of several short
stories into one book, like a rope woven
from many strands. At least one story
will get you thinking or, perhaps, change
your mind.
• Red Glass by Laura Resau describes the
heart-wrenching story of choosing between
two families, the one you’ve always known
and the one you’ve always wanted.
•
Although you’ve probably already read a
novel about a girl with an eating disorder,
Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos is told from a different perspective, the girl’s brother. He describes how her disorder is
impacting his family and himself.
Those of you that have been waiting for a new memoir to
accompany Girl, Interrupted and Living at the Edge of the
World have been given Girlbomb: A Halfway Homeless
Memoir by Janice Erlbaum. At fifteen, Janice would rather
run away from home and face the streets of New York than
the world within the walls of her family’s apartment. Follow her through her experiences to see if it is all worth it.
All of the books described above are Accelerated Reader
testable. If a book is not in the library, you can always have
it put on reserve for you when it comes back. These are
only a few of the new titles available, so be sure to stop by
and check out the new bookshelves at the front of the library for something that interests you.
Page 8
Groundhog’s Day!
-Amanda Shaheen
February 2nd is an exciting day in
the land of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. For in the morning, around
7:25am, the world’s most famous
groundhog, Phil, will reveal if we are
to suffer through six more weeks of
hoodies and getting up an extra ten
minutes early so you can brush the
snow from your car and let your windows defrost, or if we can rejoice in
knowing that flip-flops and real sun
tans are right around the corner.
But, as suggested by many, is the
whole affair rigged? Is poor Phil
just another defenseless animal
subjected to animal cruelty? Or is
Phil a trusted friend, waiting year
round for his shining moment on
February 2nd? Do you think that
his prediction is just as valid as
Jim Burton’s on any given day
(especially when Jim says that
snow is not in the forecast
and you look out of your window to
see your house as it would be at the
center of a shaken snow globe)? Above
all, what is your prediction for Phil?
Will the lights shining upon him be
enough to make him see his shadow, or
not? Here is what many of your fellow
schoolmates think:
Timmy Myers said, “Punxsutawney
Phil is by far the coolest groundhog
ever! But, it is obvious that every year
the same thing happens and he sees his
shadow. The whole thing is rigged.”
Maggie Taylor would be appalled at
Timmy’s thoughts because her response is, “Yeah dude, Groundhog’s
Day is the next best thing since PopTarts. How can you not believe in
Punxsutawney Phil? You are basically
dumb if you don’t believe in him, he
Community
never did anything to anyone to deserve being doubted.” A skeptic Sam
Kemock says she does not believe in
Groundhog’s Day, stating, “It’s rigged!
It’s ridiculous that the only reason they
show his shadow is because they don’t
want to look stupid. Because, if they
say he doesn’t see his shadow, the
snow comes anyway, they look like
idiots and Phil looks like a liar. Now,
they don’t even pretend that he doesn’t
see his shadow, because we all know
at Central Cambria, due to the overwhelming beliefs that Phil is a fraud.
Sara Passarella said she doesn’t believe
in Phil because his predictions are
never right. Kelly Miesko is also not a
friend of Phil; she made this evident
when she stated: “I don’t believe in the
prediction, but I think the groundhog
will see his shadow because of all of
the lights shining down on him.”
Don’t feel bad for Phil though, he does
have some friends here, as Jordan
Paterson said, “I believe Punxsutawney Phil is always correct
with his predictions. There are
not going to be six more weeks of
winter, therefore he will not see
his shadow.” Cait Sowers said, “I
think Phil will see his shadow and
there will be more winter, because winter didn’t really start
until mid-January, as opposed to
mid-November. Heather
Punxsutawney Phil—friend or fraud?
Mazenko disagreed by saying,
that he always sees his shadow.” Fel“Phil will not see his shadow and there
low skeptic Becky Dugan doesn’t bewill be an early spring. YAY!” Mr.
lieve in Punxsutawney Phil, either.
McHenry gave great reason for his preWhen asked if she believed in Phil, she diction by saying, “Phil will see his
said, “No, I don’t believe in Punxsushadow because we haven’t had
tawney Phil. There are hundreds of
enough winter yet and the snowmobilpeople around him with torches and
ers haven’t been able to snowmobile
camera lights. He is bound to see his
yet.”
shadow with all that illumination. Der
As you can see, Phil’s validity and if
da der!” Animal activist Mike Gowen he will see his shadow or not is a hot
would cringe at the thought of torches debate. In the event that Phil is not
being around defenseless Phil. Mike
freed by animal activist Mike Gowen
said, “Phil is lame and he is mistreated.
or if his spirit of Groundhog’s Day has
I am going to call PETA right now!” If
not been crushed by the skeptics here,
Mike does not succeed in freeing Phil
he will once again rise to glory on Febby February 2nd, he predicted that Phil
nd
will not see his shadow, because Mike ruary 2 by telling us no more snow!
At least that is the way things would
hates winter and is anticipating the
go if I had any say in it. Happy
arrival of spring.
It seems as if Phil is not loved here Groundhog’s Day 2008!
Community
Page 9
A Cure for Drug Addiction?
-Julie Mastrine
The topic of drug addiction is a controversial one. Many
believe that the problem is simply a mental one that can be
solved through therapy and
willpower. Others, however,
will argue that addiction is a
medical problem rooted in
the genes. Scientists who
believe this have been hard at
work for the past decade,
A new vaccine could prevent
developing a vaccine that
addiction to hard drugs such as
would prevent addiction to
cocaine.
such dangerous substances as
cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin—and they are exceptionally close to success.
Doctors Thomas and Therese Kosten, spouses and professors at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, have developed
and successfully tested a tricky cocaine vaccine. Because the
molecules of most hard drugs are so tiny, they can slip past
the immune system, unchecked and undetected, and make
their way to the brain, where they will proceed to induce
the euphoric feelings that get most users hooked. By attaching a larger cholera protein to cocaine molecules, the im-
mune system can be prompted to recognize the drug and
create antibodies against it, thus destroying the cocaine before it ever reaches the brain. If users never feel the affects of
the drug, they will not become addicted to it.
“At some point, most users will give in to temptation and
relapse, but those for whom the vaccine is effective won’t get
high and will lose interest,” says Dr. Kosten.
A 300-person trial has yet to be approved by the Food and
Drug Administration, but some predict that within one year,
the vaccine, known as TA-CD (“therapy for cocaine addiction”) will be perfected. This could lead to the immunization
of children. The drug, however, is currently not designed for
prevention, but for existing abusers who wish to avoid relapse. Still, with the cost of drug-related crimes, accidents,
health care costs, and lost earnings hitting $484 billion a year
in the U.S. alone, to even immunize former abusers would be
a huge step in the fight against drug addiction.
So, as food for thought, picture a world without drugs. No
more juicy gossip about celebrities in rehab, no more “have a
hug, not a drug” ribbons at school, a decrease in family issues, psychological problems, and crime. Think of all the
things that $484 billion could be better spent on, anyway…
Groundhog’s Day: The Aftermath
-Amanda Shaheen
Due to the delayed publishing of the January newspaper, one could say that my intriguing article about
Groundhogs Day turned out to be a bust. But, perhaps
you were hibernating on February 2, 2008 and are still
unaware of Phil’s mind-shattering discovery.
Mr. Phil himself did indeed see his shadow in the
early morning hours, predicting six more weeks of
blustering winds and heaps of snow. To all of the skeptics here, Phil would say, “How do you like me now?”
as we indeed experienced a cold February. So, keep
those hoodies and ice scrapers around for a few more
weeks, Central Cambria.
Thanks a lot, Punxsutawney Phil!
Page 10
Entertainment
Class Secrets
-Sloane Shearman
For this piece, I promised anonymity, because what you’ll all realize is—everyone has a secret…
“I secretly love making fun of…who do I make fun of? Everybody.”
“I was going to send someone the meanest candy gram in the world… but I didn’t want to ruin their Valentine’s
Day.”
“Sometimes I wish I was someone else. I actually know who I would be if I had half the chance.”
“I have a crush on almost every senior guy. Seriously.”
“When I’m doing homework, I turn on the E! channel (…and I’m a guy).
“I don’t find anyone in our school attractive.”
“I think I’m in love with Mrs. ------.”
“If my mom knew what I was doing Saturday night, I’d be in a convent right now.”
“I pretend I don’t know what’s going on in math so I can ask her for help.”
“I love carrots.”
“There are a lot of people I don’t dislike, but don’t particularly like either. And I get fed up with having to be nice
to people all the time!”
“I love watching those fat camp shows on MTV. I don’t know why… I just love watching obese people exercising.”
“People think I’m happier than I really am. And that’s a lot of pressure.”
“I cheated on her.”
“I still watch Disney channel on a regular basis...and Nickelodeon, too. Including the baby shows.”
“I get tired of being excluded from things because I don’t drink.”
“I feel like everyone else is always three steps ahead of me.”
“I burned my date out of my formal pictures!”
This will be a regular feature in the following issues of The Trident. Please feel free to anonymously submit
school-appropriate secrets; there will be a box in the library.
It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times: The Best and
Worst of 2007
-Kelly Miesko
For the lighter side of 2007, poplicks.com had us covered.
The best story that one man lived to tell was determined to
2007 can be counted as a good or bad year, depending on
be that of Ben Carpenter, from Michigan. In 2007 his electric
who you ask. It was good year for the Democratic presidenwheelchair accidentally got jammed in the grill of a semi, and
tial candidates, and it was a bad year for American Idol hopehe ended up going down the highway for several miles at 50
ful Sanjaya Malakar. Who determines the best and worst are
mph before police finally were able to alert the truck driver.
generally the public, or those who participate in “Best and
Also, the most wonderful thing about the iPhone was considWorst of 2007” votes.
ered to be having only one device to listen to music, read the
According to bloggingstocks.com, the best company of the web, and talk to people.
year was Google, which beat out Apple and Coca-Cola by
The worst things of 2007 were slightly more visible, with
51% of the votes. The hottest gadget of the year was the
iPhone, which took 47% of the votes, besting Nintendo’s Wii. having the most blatant miscarriage of justice at the top of the
The best restaurant chain was determined to be McDonald’s,
who completely revitalized their menu and provided investors with great returns.
list. Scooter Libby served not a day in jail for lying and ob-
Along with the technological side of 2007 come the bad
things. The same website had the celebrity most likely to
lose it all as Britney Spears. She received 52% of the votes,
just barely besting former NFL star Michael Vick. The most
hated company of 2007 was said to be ExxonMobile, which
just barely beat Wal-Mart in second place. The most annoying money personality was ex-con domestic diva Martha
Stewart, with Mark Cuban coming in second place.
iPhone was not being able to cut and paste text, not being
structing a CIA leak investigation involving major breaches of
national security. Also, the least wonderful thing about the
able to play games or record tasks, and having to switch to
AT&T. And finally, the worst hip-hop battle was considered
to be between
Kanye West and
50 Cent.
Sports
Page 11
“I Wish My Ankles Weren’t So Skinny!” -Mike Leary
-Brittany Tusing
Although the competitive Track and Field season has not officially begun, the team is already busy training. Excited members have been practicing on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. They have been using new core
strength training techniques taught to them by Rob Davis of the Green Bay
Packers. The coaches, Mrs. Ridgeley,
Mr. Ridgeley, Mr. Miller, and a new
throwing coach, are all excited and
hoping for another successful season.
Not about to let a rainy afternoon go to
waste, the Track team moved practice indoors.
Are Vicky Brumbaugh and Amber Latterner
running forward, or backward? You’ll never
know.
The team strengthens their arms in synchronicity.
Seymour Strikes Again
Coaches Association Champion-
-Lauren DiBacco
ships’ 3,000-meter indoor run. She
While most people stowed
also was able to set a new state re-
away their running shoes for the
cord with a remarkable 9:54 finish.
winter, one athlete never even let
Seymour recently signed with
the dust accumulate. Carly Sey-
Duke University, and it goes with-
mour’s impressive winning streak
out saying that she will continue to
didn’t hibernate for the winter ei-
expand her legacy for many years
ther. In fact, she went on to cap-
to come. Congratulations Carly and
ture her 5th state championship at
good luck in this year’s upcoming
the Pennsylvania Track and Field
Should we just call her “The Beast?”
track season!
Sports
Page 12
Spotlight on Local Skater: Trevor Malloy
-Brad Smith
Stance: Regular
Trevor Malloy is a sixteenyear-old who has been skating
for the past four or five years.
He got into skating because of
his older brother Zach. Trevor
said that it looked like fun and
he wanted to try it out. He did,
and the rest is history. He lives
in Ebensburg and usually skates
with Jake Kozorosky around the
heavily during the summer.
When asked what his favorite
shoes are, he said the Nike 6.0s
because they have held up the
longest and they are his current
skate shoes. I asked him why
he skates and I got the answer
that I had predicted—it keeps
area. Trevor says that Bishop
him out of trouble by keeping
Carroll High School is his favor- him occupied. Plus, while othite place to skate. Although
ers were out causing trouble, he
there are many places to skate would be too tired to do the
there, the cops usually patrol it same.
Swimmers Make a Splash at Districts
-Lauren DiBacco
yard IM and
the 100 yard
The Central Cambria boys and girls swim teams
breaststroke.
headed to Penn State Universities Natatorium for
The boys re-
the district meet. The teams had a remarkable year
lay teams
and at districts their hard work and dedication
faired well.
shined through with 25 of them swimming per-
In the 200
sonal bests. On the girls side, Renee Risaliti made
yard medley
the podium for the 200 meter IM, placing 3rd. She
relay Blake
also placed 8th in the 100 yard butterfly. In the 100
Bussard,
yard backstroke, Marlana Malcotti placed 13th, and
Anita Balough placed 12th in the 100 yard breaststroke. Marlana Malcotti, Renee Risaliti, Anita Balough, and Corey shirk also snagged 7th in the 200
yard medley relay.
On the boys side Branden Kupchella placed 5th
in the 100 yard backstroke and 9th in the 100 yard
Cory Henry,
This is what happens when you stay in the water
too long.
Branden
Kupchella,
and Adam James captured 10th place, and in the 20
yard freestyle relay Branden Kupchella, Adam
James, Keith Henry, and Blake Bussard placed 9th.
Both the boys and girls teams had a great season
butterfly. Blake Bussard got off to an excellent start and placing at districts further showcased their talents. Congratulations ladies and gents!
his freshman year, and placed 7th in both the 200
Editorials
Page 13
Ask the Editors
Dear Editor,
How long does it actually take to get to the center of a Tootsie
Pop?
Or better yet...how many licks does it take?
-Inquisitive Ponderer
Dear Ponderer,
Your question is not uncommon. In fact, it dates back to 1970,
when the first Tootsie Pop commercial ran. It featured this exact
predicament. The answer is widely varied, as many scientific studies have been conducted to solve this everlasting riddle.
Students at various schools and universities have conducted ex- A blueprint for the Licking Machine.
periments, ranging in complexity from volunteers sacrificing their
time to have a Tootsie Pop and record the number of licks, to an advanced licking machine modeled
after the human tongue.
This licking machine counted 364 licks. In other words, if you take one lick of a Tootsie Pop each
day, by the end of the year, you would have finished it.
When done the old-fashioned way, with volunteers counting the number of their licks, tallies
ranged from 144, 252, and 411 licks.
The answer to this age-old question may never be certain. Perhaps you should try it out for yourself?
-Julie
Sound of Drums
-Tim Owlsley
Thump Tha-Thump: Listen it’s getting closer; can’t
you hear it? That incessant beating?
Thump Tha-Thump: You have to know what it is,
right? No? Then I’ll tell you.
Thump Tha-Thump: It’s the sound of drums. It
harkens war, hate, death, and destruction.
Thump Tha-Thump: Politicians spurring them on,
making them beat faster and louder.
Thump Tha-Thump: Keeping the populace afraid
and keeping them in office.
Thump Tha-Thump: To the corporations, it’s the
sound of profit.
Thump Tha-Thump: They make their fortunes making weapons and cleaning up the mess when the battle is done.
Thump Tha-Thump: But for us it is a call, a call for
us to fight. To be their pawns, while they play the
tune.
Page 14
Editorials
Life According to Lauren: Senioritis—The New Sensation That’s
Sweeping the Nation
- Lauren DiBacco
Oh, the horrid, or not so horrid, effects of a little disease seniors like to call “senioritis.” What exactly
is senioritis? Well, I believe that the best definition can be found on the popular website: urbandictionary.com. This trendy dictionary states that senioritis is, “A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors.
Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track
pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and
sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences,
and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a
phenomenon known as graduation.” Wow, that sounds like an
accurate description of the majority of the seniors gracing our
hallways. Whether or not “senioritis” is a real disease is debatable, but I am sure that if you asked any senior in America
they would tell you it is a very real and “crippling” affliction.
While senioritis may seem like an enjoyable disease the bigger
question is could the affects be damaging.
Now, when I say damaging I don’t mean it is going to
Seniors Mike Gowen and Melissa Natcher, aplead to a premature death. On the contrary, I am merely asking
pearing Senioritis-free.
if the laziness to which we’ve become accustomed throughout
senior year could possibly transfer over into college. I mean think about it. Seniors across the nation have
become so accustomed to not studying, and the only reason they show up is to get their graduation tickets. Is
it not plausible to say that this lack of work ethic could create a major problem once college responsibilities
come knocking? The bigger question is why the classes we are taking are so easy. I mean many seniors are
still making the honor roll without doing their homework, or even picking up a book for that matter. How is
this possible? Perhaps we are all secretly geniuses, but I think the more reasonable answer is that our classes
are just too easy. It seems that once we have reached senior year we are magically exempt from hard work.
It’s as if we are being rewarded for our years of toil and sweat. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not in favor of
having hours of homework, but I do think we should actually be doing something to earn our grades. Showing up for class should not qualify you for the honor role! The simplicity of our classes is not the only problem. When it comes down to it, the biggest culprit of academic laziness is ourselves. Seniors everywhere are
giving themselves a pat on the back, and a nice “break” from the realm of academics. Well, newsflash, while
a break is nice, in the end the real world always comes back. This is one occasion where when the real world
sets in again, we’re going to be smacked with the consequences, and hard.
While the majority of seniors seem to take an extended vacation, there are some that still try to challenge themselves. They strive to “learn something new every day,” and spend a great deal of time on their
studies. To those that decided to rise above the stereotypical senior, I applaud you. Once next fall roles
around you will be better off because of your valiant study habits. For those of you who are still on that extended vacation, perhaps you should think about coming back. Graduation is still a few months away, and
better late than never, right?
Continued Articles
Page 15
The Voice of Six Students
(continued from front page) This creates a problem, though: the measly staff
of six, maybe seven, students (we really are not sure who is still considered on
the staff) is comprised entirely of juniors and seniors. This year, it is fine for the
juniors to write the newspaper, as well as make the Senior Will booklet. However, next year, who will be there to make a Senior Will for the seniors?
Furthermore, if this year’s juniors do not participate next year, who will be
there to teach any underclassmen how to do the job? On behalf of the entire
staff, I think it would be incredibly upsetting to be the first class in over ten
years who hasn’t had a Senior Will booklet.
Any students who are interested in newspaper should speak to either Mrs.
Duncan or any of the members of the newspaper staff. Whether you are interested for next year, or are interested in helping out with the Senior Wills, your
input is always appreciated. In addition, you are always welcome to submit guest articles, creative writing, or anything
else you’d like to see in the paper—even if you do not have the time to join the paper. –B. Tusing
The library has been looking pretty empty these
days...
Horoscopes
(continued from page 6)
Virgo (8/23 – 9/22)
People mostly think you’re pretty reliable, but
every now and then you bust out with a surprise
move that gets them wondering. Today brings a big
splash, and you should totally have fun with it!
Libra (9/23 – 10/22)
course, but today is more about your deeper impulses.
Sagittarius (11/22 -12/21)
You’re at your best among groups of people today, whether you’re leading them or not. Find a few
new people to drag in your circles – it’s always fun
to learn about folks.
You have quite an eye for design and decoration,
and you should make use of it today. You have
plenty of good energy, too, so you should be able to
take care of any problem you see.
Capricorn (12/22 – 1/19)
Scorpio (10/23 – 11/21)
too much – just do what you think is right.
Let your unconscious mind direct your actions –
unless it seems to be pointing you over a cliff!
There’s always a place for common sense, of
-K. Miesko
You’re the first to speak up or act out when
things get weird today, and your leadership sets the
tone for how others respond. Don’t think about it