here - Wyomissing Area School District

1
The Chariot
MARCH 2015
FREE
Mini-THON 2015
Teachers Honored
in Annual Event
EDITION 5
By ALEX SHIELDS
and ABBY WAXLER
When you hear that an estimated 16,000 children will be
diagnosed with some form of
cancer in 2015, the fact has quite
an impact. Fortunately, some
cases may be discovered early.
These kids are treated and after a
long fight, back on their feet living out great lives. Others won’t
be so lucky and will tragically
lose their fight. No matter the
battle fought, one thing always
remains the same: these kids
don’t let cancer stop them from
living the lives they know they
deserve.
Unfortunately, pediatric
cancer can be a difficult battle
monetarily as well. Medication,
treatment, psychological needs
and travel expenses pile up to
create a bill that even the most
fortunate of families can struggle
to afford. For that reason, families can be glad a foundation like
the Four Diamonds Fund exists
today to relieve the financial burden and emotional burden cancer
causes. Started by Charles and
Irma Millard after the death of
their son Christopher in 1972, the
Four Diamonds’ mission is to,
“conquer childhood cancer by
assisting children treated at Penn
State Hershey Children's Hospital
and their families through superior care, comprehensive support,
and innovative research.” Thanks
to events such as Penn State’s
THON and Mini-THONs such as
ours, the Four Diamonds is able
to ensure that these families receive the aid that is necessary.
More than just money or research, the Four Diamonds provides comfort to families dealing
with such difficult and often tragic circumstances.
The outcome of Wyomissing’s Mini-THON goes
well beyond the amount of money raised. Families across the
region will feel the impacts of our
efforts. Our Mini-THON is so
special because we are helping
kids that, in just their first few
years, have gone through more
hardships than some of us will
ever go through in our entire
lives. Raising as much money as
Correction:
The previous print edition listed the year as
2014. It was, in fact, 2015 and the seniors
will, in fact, be graduating this year.
Hazardous Parking
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of driving
through the high school parking lot at 7:15 in
the morning, you know that there are problems with the drop-off system. PAGE 2
possible, knowing it is going to
such a worthy cause, and even
meeting families who benefit
from the money we raised more
than makes up for the long, painful hours on our feet. We can
find motivation in reminding
ourselves that the exhaustion
some of us felt, struggling to stay
awake in the final hours of the
event cannot compare to the
struggles these kids and their
families are going through. Being able to help such inspirational
kids is an absolute honor.
Often we can walk away
from a Mini-THON without remembering that the primary focus
of the event is on Pediatric Cancer; after all, those of us organizing the event wanted to ensure the
night was filled with fun and
entertaining activities. Yet, it is
important to remember that after
all the fun – and all the hard work
– we raised over $30,000 which
will have a tremendous impact on
people who desperately need our
help. Everyone who attended the
event, or gave any contribution –
(Continued on Page 7)
Advice Column
When your life at the high school gets super
serious, the experts are here with creative
solutions to your problems.
PAGE 4
Opinions
Because if there’s one thing you need, it’s
more people giving you their options . Don’t
worry. We’ve got you covered. PAGE 3
By BRETT DRIBEN
Buzzers and Balances. Math
and “Macbeth”. Kilns and Robotic Copter Drones. From
much needed Electronic Balance
in the high school’s Science
department to Tablets for a Math
Program at WREC, Wyomissing
Area Education Foundation has
funded grants in support of an
array of subjects across the district. As budgets become ever
tighter and funding for extras
dries up, WAEF has picked up
the slack.
As spring comes peeping
out from behind snowy clouds
and this school year draws to
close, it is once again time for
WAEF annual “Toast to the
Teachers.” This series of events
provides not only an opportunity
to honor the teachers that make
education so enjoyable, but also
to help fund the tools the use in
their classroom. It’s a “win-win
situation,” said WAEF director
Karen Moser, “We celebrate
teachers, raise money, and give
back to the very teachers and
students that attend the events.”
Continuing a tradition started last year, the first “Toast” is
being organized by the WAEF
Student Committee, a volunteer
group of high school students.
On Friday, May 1, 2015 from
6:00 to 8:00 pm, you can come
to the Wyomissing Stone House
for the “Mad” about Science
Celebration and join WAEF for
an evening of “experimenting”
delicious appetizers, desserts and
beverages, while socializing with
terrific teachers of Science at
Wyomissing JH/HS. The price is
$15 Adults and $5 for Students
(Continued on Page 7)
Sudoku
This time there’s
four, count ‘em, four
Sudoku. And for
those of you who
really enjoy Sudoku
and/or squinting at
small numbers,
here’s another one.
PAGE 8
Meanwhile, at the High School...
Parents enter on Cambridge
Avenue and start their treks
through the parking lot. The first
unofficial (and illegal) drop off
zone is by the roundabout at the
flagpole. Parents “pull over,” but
still block the main part of the
By PAIGE GARAPOLA
road, making it difficult for passAnd DEMI KUCZALA
ing cars to get by. After their
children get out of the
How parents are supposed precious
car,
the
parents
often pull back
to drop their kids off:
into
the
lane
without
fair warnThe school rule on parent
use of a blinker.
drop-offs in the mornings is that ing orContinuing
through the
the cars must enter the parking lot parking lot, we on
reach
our next
on Cambridge
illegal drop
Avenue, go all
spot. Outthe way
side the new
through the
gym, you
parking lot,
will again
and stop only
find yourself
when they
trying to get
reach the senpast parents
ior parking lot.
who are
This is where
hardly
the kids should
teachers line up to get to the pulled over.
get out in a Parents, students, and
high school .
This marks
timely fashion
the
start
of
a
building-long
line
in order to reduce traffic and al- of parents lined up to let their
low senior drivers to get through kids out. Instead of continuing to
to their parking spots. Then, the the actual door, the parents stop
parents are supposed to continue in random spots and cause chaos
through the parking lot and exit in the parking lot.
on Evans Avenue.
As students trying to get
How parents actually drop through
the lot to our parking
their kids off:
spots, it can be very frustrating
Hazardous
Parking
to wait 15 minutes for adults that and send them out to all of the
are disregarding the district’s parents in the district. The rules
rules. Coming around the final that are supposed to be followed
turn to get to the student spots, are common sense, but still people
parents stop in spots that are have a hard time following them.
difficult to get around, and then
To ensure a successful droppull out without regard to cars off do not stop in the middle of
that are trying to pass.
the street, continue moving with
traffic, do not
Possible
pull off to the
solutions:
side for any
Accireason or at
dents are
any time, only
going to ocstop by the
cur if someentrance in
one does not
the senior
stop the chaos
parking lot,
that goes on
and always
in the parking
lot. Parents do Few parents actually drop of their kids in the use your
blinkers. One
not have the
designated unloading zone as shown.
other solution
courtesy to
even turn on their blinkers when would be to not enter the school
they are done illegally dropping area at all and just drop your kid
off their kids. Needless to say, off on the side of Evans Avenue.
this could cause some serious All of the kids will be fine walkissues. To get through the morn- ing an extra 100 feet into the
ing commute to school success- school.
It is up to both the adminisfully and in an appropriate manner there needs to be a solution trators and the parents to come up
to the issues in the parking spot. with a reasonable solution to deThe school has already crease chaos in the parking lot.
asked that a police officer sits in Overall, this will also improve the
front of the school and direct level of safety for students traveltraffic but that area is only where ing through the parking, which
the problem begins. The admin- should be a priority of the administration needs to set firm rules istration.
The Cafeteria: The Heart and Soul of Our School
By EMMA NUGENT
The cafeteria. A beacon of
light. A safe haven for kids after a
grueling 5 or 6 periods of frying
their brains. Most people look
forward to lunch, for it’s a time to
relax, talk with friends, and most
importantly, refuel with delicious
food. Most students pack or, if
they do buy, complain about the
quality of the food. While the
food may not be gourmet, it’s still
fairly good, not to mention edible
and assembled by the caring
hands of our underrated lunch
ladies.
One of the most common
complaints of the students at Wyomissing Area High School in the
cafeteria is the quality of the food.
Most students are used to homecooked meals, and, while those
are desirable, the cafeteria is responsible for serving around
roughly 900 kids, so you can’t
expect grade A meals. The lunch
ladies try their hardest to make the
food good enough for us, getting
here at the crack of dawn to start
their rigorous process. There are
always vegetables and fruits
lying out for you to grab and
large cases full of water and
milk. They also provide us with
a large array of choices, so if
you’re unhappy with one option,
you can check out the others.
Some other options provided besides the main meal are
types of hot sandwiches, such as
meatball subs or chicken cheese
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steak. Across the lunch room is
the cold cut deli. There’s even
salad bar with over a dozen
choices of toppings and even
premade ones as well, some with
meat for those who are looking
for protein, and a few more without for vegetarians.
While it’s hard
enough to prepare
one type of meal
for 900 kids, imagine preparing 4
other meals as a
backup option as
well. For the
amount of time the
staff is given to
prepare us a meal,
they do a pretty
good job. And
while the food may
not taste the best, it
is nutritious and edible.
While many people aren’t
too fond of the food, they adore
the lunch ladies. It’s not hard to
see where they’re coming from
either. When you walk into the
cafeteria or to the morning concession stand in the lobby, they
always greet you with a smile and
a warm welcome. One particular
lunch lady, who I’m sad to say I
never learned her name, always
asked how I was doing and how
my day was going, making the
start of the day much better.
The employees of our school
aren’t too thrilled to be here this
early either, yet these dedicated,
culinary artisans always manage
to have a smile on their face. They
always answer any questions we
have and point us in the right
direction if we’re lost and confused. The lunch ladies are severely underrated and treated
poorly by us students, yet they
still treat us with respect.
So, next time you go to complain about how awful the lunch
is, or how rude you think the staff
is being, think about how hard it
must have been for less than a
dozen ladies to prepare this meal,
and appreciate it. While the food
may not be the best in the world,
the people and the amount of effort put in may as well be.
58 Feet of Terror: The Breezeway of Death
By TIERNEY BANCO
Has this ever happened to
you?
You’re the average Joe, just
minding your own business in the
four minute time zone between
classes. You have to walk quickly
towards your next class; it’s at the
opposite end of the school. The
most convenient way is to walk
directly through the breezeway
and straight down the hall. Great
plan, right? One problem though.
Everyone in school had the
exact same idea at the exact same
time!
All at once, people from
every possible direction jam into a
terrifying blob of anxious students
all trying to get through. You’re
stuck in the middle and now need
to spend two out of the three remaining minutes between classes
going a very short distance.
The true issue with the
breezeway lies in its disproportionate measurements compared
to the maximum number of students who can squeeze in there.
By my definition, the breezeway
goes from the start of the stairwell
closest to Mr. Gallagher’s room
(hereby referred to as the main
stairwell) to the opposite end of
the stairwell that will take you
down to the vending machine
room of the cafeteria (referred to
here as the cafeteria stairwell).
According to those standards, the
breezeway is exactly 58 feet.
But it’s not the length that is
a problem, it’s the width.
The breezeway’s width is
rather inconsistent throughout its ing the “busy breezeway time” I
short distance. From the section can almost guarantee a stampede
of the breezeway leading from and at least a few broken arms.
around Mrs. Jordan’s room to
I’m not exaggerating. There
the cafeteria stairwell, there is 10 is hardly a current Wyomissing
feet, 8 inches of room. Then the soul who does not have a
students must funnel into the six Breezeway horror story or been
foot frame doorway. Thankfully, affected by the massive crowd.
the width widens to 12 feet, 5 My own story came on the first
inches allowing for much more day of seventh grade. I was a
room (not really). However, the tiny little sevie walking down the
art case cuts this width down to main stairwell. Being unused to
10 feet, 4 inches. As soon as the the crowd flow, I was unpreart case stops we return to 12’ pared when I was shoved from
5’’. The
behind and
rush to get through the breezeway at the end of the landed on
library doors Theday
literally packs the hallway from wall to wall.
give us the
the student
most room,
in front of
a full 17
me: a rafeet. But
ther anthen we go
noyed senback to 12’
ior. Thank
5’’, right
goodness
before we
he was
get to funnel
there or I
into another
would’ve
6 foot doortumbled
way. The
down the
remaining part of the breezeway stairs...but that’s not the point.
is a lovely, tightly spaced 10’
Every day students dealing
4’’, directly in front of the busi- with the Breezeway trouble end
est stairwell in the school.
up late. Camryn Carwll said
Yes, I am well aware that recently, “I had to walk back to
fire codes dictate these doorways my locker to get something,
as a requirement, but, in the which maybe added thirty secwords of Mr. Beck, “Get rid of onds to my walk to class. But
those doors and we have no because of the traffic in the
problem.” The funneling of hun- breezeway, I was still extremely
dreds of teenagers into a six foot late because I got stuck.” Carspace, then widening only to men Heinly goes out of her way
have them funnel once again all the time saying, “If I don’t go
only results in crushed arms in the breezeway I try to avoid
against heavy backpacks. In fact, the traffic but I always get stuck
if someone shouted “FIRE” dur- around 2nd period. But more
3
importantly, I can’t go to my
locker.” Maddi Bickel stated the
thought that goes through everyone’s mind, saying, “I hate when
they (being everyone) push on my
backpack because it is not going
to do anything.”
Whenever I walk during busy
breezeway time the first thought
that comes to mind is “Why in the
world did they design it like this?”
Thanks to Mr. Beck, a Wyo alum,
I got a little history lesson.
He was in high school in
1993 when the problematic hallway was constructed. Floor plans
of the school from this time period show that the library was previously located in the middle section of science, math, and English
department wings (where Mr.
Delp and Mrs. Santoro’s rooms
are now). I learned that the bottom-level of the breezeway
(leading from the bottom of the
main stairwell to the entrance of
the cafeteria), had been there
since 1965. In order to walk from
the old part of the school to the
new part you had to walk down to
the bottom-level, walk across, and
walk up another stairwell on the
other side.
While I’m sure that yet another stairwell in your day would
be very taxing on your already
tired self, this breezeway is the
better option. Keep in mind that
back in 1993 the class sizes were
around 90 students, not the 150ish average size that we have
now. Sadly, we must continue to
struggle through the daily avalanche. Word of advice: plan out
your walking strategy and avoid
the breezeway during time of
maximum capacity.
Building School Spirit: Putting the “U and I” in Uniform
By JAILENE DIAZ
School uniforms should be a
must, not only in Catholic Schools
but in most public schools too.
Uniforms are beneficial in a lot of
schools and help the students feel
united as a school, as well as disciplined. Going to school means
you have to look respectful and
decent.
Amelia Rothermel, a sophomore in Wyomissing High School
explains, “Having uniforms help
with the dress code policy.” Basically, uniforms help prevent inappropriate clothing. Inappropriate
clothing can cause distraction and
it is not the right attire people use
to go to a place where you learn
and need to be respected as an
individual. For example, people
won’t take a guy serious if he’s
wearing jeans down to his knees.
If a girl is wearing attire that
shows a little too much skin,
people won’t respect her as
much as they would if she were
wearing a formal uniform; such
as a formal collar shirt with
skirts and leggings, or even
wearing color coordinated tshirts with khaki pants.
So why is having a school
uniform a benefit for you exactly? As Megan Conlin stated, “No
one can make fun of what you’re
wearing, and it saves you time in
the morning.”
People can’t make fun of
those who cannot afford brand
clothing, or don’t have the latest
trend of certain clothing. Having
school uniforms can eliminate
certain cliques that are based on
their looks, how rich they are, or
what they wear. Thus, making
students and family feel as if
there’s equality actually going
on. Kids shouldn’t have to feel
left out or bullied by what
they’re wearing. Having school
uniforms can prevent things like
this from happening. It gives
people a sense of belonging and
some school pride.
As Conlin stated, having a
school uniform can save you a
little extra time in the morning.
You don’t have to be rushed
trying to look for your clothes or
spend time at night before going
to bed, trying to figure out what
you’re going to wear for tomorrow. All you have to do is grab
your washed uniform, put it on,
and voila, no more time spent
rushing in the morning.
School uniforms within a
public school can also improve
security. So for example, in an
extreme circumstance, if a trespasser enters the school building,
everyone would automatically
know that the trespasser is not
supposed to be in the building.
People will be able to easily identify whether or not there is an
intruder in the school just by what
they’re wearing.
Overall, having these ensembles is just a better idea overall.
Security would be improved for
the benefit of everyone. Having
school uniforms would be a lot a
safer, not just for the teachers
having to worry about dress code,
but for the students as well. Uniforms help them feel a source of
equality, it saves students time in
the morning, and wearing uniforms has the students seem like
respectful young adolescents.
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Opinion
Which Water
Wizard Wins?
By AVERY HOLT and
KRISTEN HAFER
Water. This essential compound “H2O” makes up about 71%
of the very planet we live on and
can be found at a potable state in
practically any building across
America, whether it be in bottle
form or streaming from a ‘water
fountain’. The average person
drinks from 9-13 cups of water
each day, originating from about
490 different water brands. All of
which are competing to be the
“best water company” with the
purest water for their consumers.
Popular bottled water brands
competing in the U.S. market are
Deer Park, Acadia, Aquafina,
Dasani, The Water Guy, Poland
Springs and Nestlé Pure Life.
However, how can one go about
the process of deciding which
water company to buy from? How
do we know which one will
quench our thirst beyond compare? With the advice from Avery
Holt and Kristen Hafer, maybe
you will be able to come to your
senses regarding which water
bottle you SHOULD be purchasing.
Avery: I’m going to make
this short and sweet. In Berks
(Continued on Page 7)
Fly Eagles Fly
By JUCHE JACKSON
and SAM WEAVER
It has been complete anarchy
in Philadelphia since the start of
NFL free agency. Some people
have called it a quote- damn outrage -unquote and others have
embraced the radical approach
Coach Kelly has made. Juche
Jackson and Sam Weaver discuss
the big names being brought into
the city of brotherly love and most
importantly, if the money will pay
off in the season.
The discussion is going to be
based off of three questions that
have been going around the sports
world non-stop. We will answer
each question in order.
1) Yes the Eagles are different, but are they better?
Juche: There is no real an-
The thoughts and opinions expressed here are
those of the author alone and do not necessarily
reflect the views of Mr. Stanchek, The Editors of
the Chariot, or any relevant kittens.
The Ultimate Guide: Finding the Perfect Roommate
By MADDI BICKEL and
CARMEN HEINLY
Deciding what college you
are going to is an exciting moment. The next step after this
decision is finding the person
you are going to live with at this
school. Schools have many different methods of finding a
roommate. Some have random
selection, quizzes that match
people, and/or an option to select
your own roommate. Facebook
is a prime location to search for
your future roommate. Most
schools create Facebook pages
which you can join; on these
pages you can read others’ posts
about themselves or make posts
of your own. If you see someone
who you think you would get
along with, you can message
them and see if they’re interested.
There are several ways to
find a roommate for future college students. You can take the
more traditional approach and
fill out a survey, or you can connect through social media, which
is what most people do. This
approach lets you connect with
your future roommate on a more
personal level, but there are
some drawbacks. These days
teens tend to exaggerate their life
on social media which is something to be mindful of. Do not
swer to this question because we
are in the off-season. However, I
think that they are making the
correct steps to be better. I like
the fact that defense is finally
becoming a priority. It is no
secret that the defense was horrible, specifically the secondary. I
am fully convinced that former
cornerback
B r ad l e y
Fletcher
will get
beat off
the ball
and Mossed
by 325 lb. defensive
tackle Vince Wilfork. Cary
Williams likes to hug receivers,
get on their backs for a piggyback ride, or grab jerseys like a
tug of war rope so thank goodness he is gone as well.
Sam: No one can deny the
choose a potential roommate
based on the amount of Instagram likes they receive. Instead
use social media to get a general
idea of the person, and get to
know them by simply contacting
them. If you don’t think you two
would get along, it’s not a hard
bullet to dodge. The easiest way
to get out of that situation is to
explain that you are looking to
room with someone else, but you
look forward to seeing them on
campus.
One habit that is difficult to
avoid when looking for a roommate is judging them by their
appearance. It is in our humannature to look for someone who
is attractive; attractiveness signifies health, strength, and the idea
that they are fun to be around.
Morally, it is best to overlook
any pictures the person may have
posted and examine the personality traits and habits they have
described themselves with. This
is a difficult thing to do, but you
may be better off if you judge a
potential roommate by the kind
of person they are as opposed to
how they dress or how pretty
their hair is. Just because someone is good looking does not
mean they will be a fun person to
live with.
Some traits are necessary to
address before committing to
live with someone for a year.
fact that the Eagles are different
in many aspects on both sides of
the ball. Trading LeSean McCoy
for Kiko Alonso really showed
the fact that Chip Kelly was
going to stress the improvement
of his defense. The defense that
was ranked 28th out of 32 teams
in the league, allowed over 375
yards
p e r
game.
They
have
introduced new
corners to the
team, both players
from the legion of boom from
the Seattle Seahawks. With these
adjustments on defense I think
that the Eagles defensive unit has
improved dramatically.
Juche: I do like the pickups
Future college freshman should
ask their potential roommate what
their sleeping schedule is like,
how neat or messy they are, how
much they value grades, how
often they like to go out, and what
kind of activities they plan to
participate in when they get to
college. If any of these traits contradict each other, you may be
better off searching for someone
who has more similarities. In most
cases, there are so many people
going to the college, at least a few
thousand, that you are bound to
find someone who you will get
along with well enough to live in
a couple hundred square feet together.
Deciding who to spend your
entire college career with can be
overwhelming. The idea of spending almost the entire day and
night with someone that you have
yet to meet is stressful, but there
are a few pieces of advice you
need to follow to put your mind at
ease. A roommate may sound like
a heavy commitment, but if you
two simply don’t get along, most
universities are very accommodating. You can easily switch roommates. Depending on where you
go, there are thousands of students, if you don’t end up becoming best friends with your roommate, don’t get discouraged. As
long as the two of you are civil, it
should not be a problem.
they have made on defense. Despite his injury, Alonso shows
great potential and has a natural
instinct for the ball. With respect
to the great veteran linebacker,
Demeco Ryans is 30 and is naturally losing some steps so a young
rehabilitated Alonso would make
a great fit on Kelly’s team (again).
The secondary is looking promising with cornerback Byron Maxwell bringing his talents from the
Legion of Boom to the BirdGang
also. Another former Seahawk
defensive back, Walter Thurmond
III, will be coming to Philly from
New York. Like Alonso, Thurmond III will be joining his former coach (not much of a coincidence I know).
Juche: On the offensive end, a
super running back committee
named the Legion of Zoom has
been assembled. The superteam is
made up of this past season’s
(Continued on Page 8)
Ask the Experts: For When Life Gets Super Serious
By MEGAN CONLIN and
AMELIA ROTHERMEL
Inconsiderate Parker Ignores Unsaid Rules
Dear Experts: Every day I
park on Evans Avenue next to the
same people. There are no set
spots but there is an unwritten rule
that everybody parks in the same
spot everyday, but yesterday
someone was in my spot. I had to
park all the way down by the pool
and I was almost late. I want to
ask the person to move out of my
spot, except there is not set rule
and I’m not sure who this person
is. What should I do? - Puzzled
Parker
Dear Puzzled Parker:
We’d love to help you with your
problem! One extremely helpful
tip we can give is this: place a
camera in the front of one of your
friend’s cars and at the end of the
day watch the footage. When you
see who has been parking in your
spot, ask them about it. If they
begin to deny parking in your
spot, whip out your camera and
show them the proof. Yes, this
may seem extreme but do you
want your parking spot back or
not? When you confront them,
make it friendly at first; you don't
want to intimidate them. Let them
know that you are not trying to
make it a bigger issue than it is,
but you deserve that parking spot.
***
Brazen Strategy Helps
Reveal Sneaky Cheaters
Dear Experts: in English
class I sit next to someone and
I’m not sure if they’re cheating
off of me or not. When we get
our tests back, we have a lot of
the same answers and they never
do their homework. I don’t want
to start a problem if there isn’t
one but I don’t want to be caught
cheating. What do I do? - Flustered Freshman
Dear Flustered Freshman:
We know some people may tell
you to just cover your paper, but
they aren’t the experts. We suggest that you answer every question on the test wrong. Talk to
your teacher about intentionally
failing the test and find out if
you would be able to retake it.
When the tests are handed back
check to see if your suspect also
had a failing grade, and if so
confront them or ask your teacher if you can switch seats. Confronting them usually works best
because it gives you the chance
to get your anger out. Make sure
that when you are taking the test
you make it easy for them to see
your answers.
***
Socially Unconscious
Mom Ruins Life
Dear Experts: my mom
packs me the same food everyday and puts a note in my lunch.
I think that it’s sweet but my
friends have started making fun
of me. I play along with the joke
because I don’t want them to
know it bothers me, but my feelings are actually really hurt.
How do I make them stop?
- Pestered Packer
Dear Pestered Packer: We
understand your issue and have
come up with a solution about
the food in your lunch being the
same everyday. You and your
mom should have a system
where you can request ideas
regarding what foods you would
like her to pack. This will spice
up your lunch and keep your
friends from thinking you have
the same boring routine everyday. Now for the note: you obviously want to keep receiving
them every day, and an easy way
to get your friends to stop making fun of you is to have your
mom sign the notes “your girlfriend,” so your friends think
that you’re a player. They will
respect you more and get off
your back.
Ask the Experts appears monthly,
distributed by Chariot Features Co. Incorporated Syndicate and Friends. Please email
your problems to [email protected] (but only if they’re super
serious). We’re serious if you are.
Standardized Tests: Who Can’t Wait for Keystones?!
By MADDIE FEEMAN
If a student is asked about
standardized testing, most likely
their answer will be negative. But
do students ever think of the positives? Usually the answer is no.
Believe it or not, there can be
positive outcomes to taking a
Keystone test. The seemingly
endless preparation for the Algebra 1, Biology, and English Keystone tests can be worthwhile to
the students taking them. Keystones do in fact have benefits and
the students who disagree with
them are not looking at the entire
picture. Because even though the
months of preparing is irritating,
getting a good score and using the
information that students learn
from the test after high school is
benefiting them.
Students dread the 90 minute
test, and most of them automatically think that it will be a waste
of their time. Envisioning that
they will not benefit from a good
score before they even enter the
testing room is not the way to
look at Keystones as a whole.
However other students are
trying to understand how important the Keystones are. Leon
Powell, a sophomore, says,
“They give us extra motivation
to work harder so we can pass
our classes, and the test, to graduate.” While teachers are not
only helping everyone master the
skills needed to pass the test,
they are preparing students for
the future. Students often ask
their teachers, “When will I use
this in my life?” But what students may not realize is that the
content on the Keystone test will
be used after high school and
college. Yes, after college a student probably won’t have to find
the hypotenuse of a right triangle
by using the Pythagorean Theorem, but things like scatter plots
will appear a lot after graduation
day. The content presented needs
to be studies so, as students,
everyone must remember these
things when they need them as
an adult. Even though some are
only thinking about how their
score will affect them immediately, others are realizing that the
content on the Keystones will be
around forever.
Many students
at Wyomissing
agree that
Keystones
mainly benefit kids for
p o s t secondary school, Megan Conlin
says, “You have to take standardized tests to get into college.
So taking Keystones gets everyone used to the format and time
limit of tests like the SAT’s and
ACT’s.” Kids often get bombarded by the stresses of those
big tests, especially knowing that
these scores define what their
life will be like after high school.
Because students have to take
Keystones, things may be a little
easier, and maybe less stressful,
for them during the SAT.
5
Tumbling Down
a New Path
By MEGAN LEAGANS
Almost all social media sites
have the same general trends that
overlap with each other. If you
see one popular post on one site,
it’s typical that you’ll see that
same post slightly adapted on
another. While Facebook is more
commonly used by adults and
Twitter is more commonly used
by teenagers, both are mostly a
medley of random posts that serve
little to no purpose in the grand
scheme of things. But Tumblr
isn’t like all the rest.
Created in early 2007 by
David Karp and now owned by
Yahoo!, Tumblr is a social media
site that allows users to produce
their own blog. You can title your
blog, choose a theme or even
make one, follow other blogs and
make your own posts. In a way,
it’s similar to any other social
media outlet because you have the
freedom to post whatever you
want, there are famous accounts
and there are trends throughout
the website. But Tumblr isn’t
necessarily only a composite of
useless posts that devote nothing
to the greater good of society.
Simply put, Tumblr could be
classified as a hybrid of social
justice and liberal policies. The
trending posts on this site are all
(Continued on Page 8)
While looking towards college and adult life is commendable the results of the tests could
greatly influence the way that the
student learns, and where the student will go in life. A sophomore,
Emma Nugent, says, “It tests our
knowledge and lets us see how
much we have improved.” Learning how much a student has improved over the course of their
preparing for the Keystones
can help them strive to
achieve their goals of a
passing grade. And getting a passing grade on
the Keystone can, in
turn, help students be motivated to
achieve their goals of better
grades after high school.
Standardized tests may be
lengthy and depressing, but the
content on them will be a benefit
in students’ lives after both college and high school. Especially
the information from the Keystones. Even though most students
may not enjoy taking these long
tests, we will learn that the many
hours spent preparing will be
worth it.
This is Not the Issue You’re Looking For
By MARK GOLDBERG
A while back we finally got a
trailer for the upcoming Star Wars
episode VII. By far the thing that
everyone complained the most
about was the cross guard lightsaber handle. This seemed to be the
only thing everyone talked about.
However, it is not as stupid as
many people make it out to be.
First off, I should address the fact
that any protection is better than
none. What I mean by that is that
there is no large reason not to
have a cross guard. The only
thing it would then do is make the
handle slightly heavier. The cross
guard would also still be useful in
fighting magnaguards, who use
electrostaffs. You might remember them as General Grievous’
guards in Episode III. Since electrostaffs are basically lightsaber
resistant material with electromagnetic pulse generating tips, a
cross guard would stop it. Speaking of lightsaber resistant material, it is a real thing in the Star
Wars universe. This could be
what the cross guard is made out
of, allowing it to block lightsabers
as well. A third reason that the
handle would not break is addressed in the Colbert Report.
His theory is that the lightsaber
blade goes throughout the whole
cross guard. This would also
keep the lightsaber cross guard
from being cut.
However, it is also possible
that the cross guard is not made
for defense. No, I’m not going
to say that it would be good for
offense, because it wouldn’t.
I’m talking about a third use. If
you look at the blade in the trailer it looks a bit shaky. This is
characteristic of an unstable
lightsaber. Maybe the sith lord
(yes I am technically assuming
that he is a sith lord, but give me
a break) had no one to teach him
how to build a lightsaber. He
also may not have enough material to build a perfectly up to date
lightsaber. This would mean
that he might need to add a few
less effective components. The
cross guard could just be a way
for the lightsaber to cool down.
In the end, we just don’t
have enough information yet to
make a judgment. Instead we
should spend our time complaining about the things in the trailer
that have no explanation such as
what I guess is a R10 astronomic
droid (the thing with R2D2’s
head and a soccer ball for a
body). There is no way that
thing could go up stairs much
less fix a spaceship!
Cross about the Cross Guard
By MARK GOLDBERG
A while ago the Star Wars
Episode VII trailer came out. It
showed the worst creations from
Lucas Films ever (Note: jar-jar
does not count as a creation the
same way people don’t call
chemical waste creations): a
cross guard for a lightsaber. In
battle, cross guards are used to
keep your opponent’s blade from
sliding down your blade and
cutting your hand. However,
this is not helpful for a lightsaber. Your opponent’s blade
would just go through the blade
emitter and cut your hand anyway. The cross guard would
also add more weight to the handle. This may not seem like a
problem to some people, but
normal swords are made to have
the blade the same weight as the
6
handle. However, lightsabers
can’t do this as the blade has no
mass. This is why non-force users have trouble using lightsabers.
Making the handle heavier would
offset this balance even more than
it already has. Colbert from the
Colbert Report said that the blade
must divide at the cross guard
meaning that an opponent could
not cut
the cross
guard.
However,
lightsabers are
not built
in such a
way that
this can
happen.
To get
this to
work,
something would have to change
the direction of the lightsaber into
three streams. Since no material
can change the direction of a
lightsaber, Colbert’s plan would
not work. Even if he were right,
the metal on top of the cross
guard would be a waste of material (though the bottom would be
useful as it would keep the sith
lord from sliding his hand onto
the blade).
Alexz Johnson’s Let ‘Em Eat Cake Covers Every Aspect of Love and Heartache
By NOELLE FROMUTH
For music fans who are looking for something new that features great talent and meaningful
lyrics, Alexz Johnson’s new album is right for you! Her second
album since Voodoo in 2010, Let
‘Em Eat Cake exceeded the expectations of many fans who donated to her through the crowdfunding website PledgeMusic.com, Her campaign, which
was 156% funded, allowed her to
not only make an amazing album,
but give the fans that helped her
many special treats from signed
postcards to house concerts.
If you don’t know who Alexz
Johnson is, there is a chance that
you may have seen her before.
She played Jude Harrison, the
lead, on the TeenNick show Instant Star from 2004 to 2008, and
she also sings the current theme
song for its sister show, Degrassi.
You may also know her as Erin in
the movie Final Destination 3.
(She also inspired Demi Lovato to
become a singer, so that’s pretty
cool.)
The album opens with the
soul-filled “Heart Like That,”
giving it a fun and exciting start.
Next comes the song that the
album is titled after, “Let ‘Em
Eat Cake”: a message to all of
her haters, who were not kind to
her as they were waiting for the
album to be released. Sometimes
when she promises new music
by a certain date, she asks for
patience since she needs more
time to make
the album
sound exactly
how she wants
it to. This
makes many
fans angry,
because they
get tired of
waiting for
music that was
supposed to be
released months ago. Unfortunately, many people do not realize that Alexz is an indie artist,
which gives her the freedom to
make her music the way she
wants. While it may take longer,
it allows her to release a better
quality product that she can be
proud of. It may not satisfy all of
her fans, but thankfully Alexz
doesn’t let any of their nasty
tweets or comments bother her.
Other notable songs on the
album are “Cologne,” “That
Pain,” and “Ruthless Love.”
“Cologne,” a fan favorite, tells
the story of a kindling romance.
The song is accompanied by a
music video that she filmed
while she was on tour to promote
the album. (I
had the pleasure of seeing
her in Philly
for the last
show of the
tour, and she
was AMAZING!) “That
Pain” is my
personal favorite. It is upbeat
and has a great message about
heartbreak: “Chains, stones to
the ground. Nothing’s there to
hold you down,” is the message
in the chorus, reminding listeners
that one bad relationship won’t
hold them back. Songs that shed
a positive light on break-ups can
provide healing, and that’s something that everybody needs.
“Ruthless Love” shows of Alexz’s
amazing vocal talents. It’s impossible to listen to this song without
being shocked by the high note
she hits in the final chorus. And
no, she is not auto-tuned. She
sounds better live than she does
on any recording.
The album closes with “I
Will Fall In Love,” a song that
provides hope for anyone who is
still looking for that special someone. It is a positive ending to an
amazing and emotional album.
You can download Let ‘Em Eat
Cake on iTunes or Alexz’s website (AlexzJohnson.com). On her
website, you can also purchase a
signed physical copy of the album
for only $15! I would highly recommend checking it out. Don’t
just take my word for it; my
friends all agree with me, since I
have forced her music on all of
them at one point or another. If
you are looking for new music
that takes a spin on traditional pop
music, I promise Alexz will not
be a waste of your time.
Laxmi’s Grille:
Deliciously Spicy
By MEERA JAGADESAN
If you’re looking for a good
restaurant on a weekend for take
out or to sit down, Laxmi’s Grille
is a perfect choice. From the appetizers to the chai, the food is
overall delicious. To start off with
a meal, you need
a delicious beverage. If you have a
sweet tooth, a
mango lassi is a
perfect choice. A
lassi is an Indian
drink that is similar to a smoothie
and is made with
yogurt to cool
down the spice of the food yet to
come. Some of the appetizers
could have been better but if you
pick the right ones they are out of
this world. The favorite of the
appetizers is the vegetable samosas, a small mix of spices and
vegetables wrapped in a deliciously, flaky dough. The dish is perfect for sharing and a great little
snack before your main meal. As
for the main part of the meal,
there are so many options which
are also organized by type of meat
to make it very easy to pick. To
eat a delicious meal, there is a
few options that are surprisingly
healthy or a coffee that is spiced
to taste similar to chai.
The service is very quick
and friendly. Even when it is
busy, they take your order very
carefully and ensure you have
everything served correctly. All
of the food comes out in order
starting with rotis with chutney
with the rest following promptly.
The check also comes out as
soon as it is
needed. Overall the service
was very attentive and
accommodating.
Being one of
the very few
Indian restaurants in Reading, Laxmi’s has become very
popular. It is a smaller space so a
recommendation is to definitely
call for a reservation first during
dinner hours. For the lunch
hours, the restaurant became
attracted many working in the
area so it is suggested to get
there very quickly to grab a table. With great food, service and
atmosphere, Laxmi’s Grille has
earned five stars from Indian
food lovers. So next time you’re
looking for a nice and quick bite
to eat, think of Laxmi’s Grille.
Eye Candy: So Bad It’s Good
By CAMRYN CARWLL
Cheesy reality shows, old
movie reruns, and occasional
music videos: these are the things
MTV is known for. And yet, the
Music Television channel
has recently been delving
into the realm of scripted
television dramas. From
the very popular Awkward. to the far less than
popular Happyland, MTV
has been trying to make a
name for itself as a credible dramatic channel.
The most recent
pitch for MTV has been
the show Eye Candy.
With childhood actress Victoria
Justice, who was reviewed as one
of the worst actresses on a children’s TV show, as the main character, the show was set to be a hit,
right? Well, not exactly. Eye
Candy begins with a difficult
plotline that is nearly impossible
to follow. But, I will do my best
to summarize.
Meet Lindy. Lindy is an
internet hacker whose younger
sister was kidnapped four years
prior to the beginning of the
show. Following her sister’s
disappearance, Lindy goes on a
mad hunt to find her sister using
all of the resources she can find,
whether they’re
legal or not so legal.
Her methods lead to
her being arrested
and placed on probation, which is
lifted at the beginning of the show.
The officer credited
for arresting her is
Ben, a man she had
fallen in love with
prior to him arresting her. Lindy forgives Ben for
his actions and they make up, but
all to no avail because he dies.
Sorry for the spoiler, but it’s
from Season 1 Episode 1 so it’s
not too much of a shocker.
During Lindy’s first night out
following her probation, she
makes an account on Flirtual, an
online dating site. On this site
she meets three eligible bache(Continued on Page 8)
7
(Continued from “Water”)
County, there are a wide variety
of water companies to choose
from. My top two come down to
Deer Park and Acadia. Both
have a refreshing taste to them,
unlike Dasani which tastes like
straight up tap water. If you want
Dasani water, I
suggest you just
stick your mouth
under a faucet because it’s basically
the same thing. My
good friend Bradley
Ganster refers to
Deer Park as the
most patriotic of all bottled waters or, “America’s water”. Although this is true, Deer Park is
not as economically reasonable
as Acadia water is. Acadia is
about 15% cheaper than Deer
Park water is, making it the more
intelligent choice. Since Acadia
has equally great taste as Deer
Park but is also cheaper, it is the
most dynamic water.
Kristen: The selection of
your everyday water bottle
shouldn’t be all that difficult if
you learn the simple pros of
Deer Park water. First thing’s
first, it’s the realest! (Literally.)
The Deer Park brand
consists of 100% natural spring water. Every drop of Deer Park
Water comes from
carefully selected
spring sources, captured at the source,
and are continually
replenished. Drinking
water is a simple way to stay
hydrated and healthy and drinking refreshing Deer Park Brand
100% Natural Spring Water is
the best path to take. If you’re
one of the athletes at Wyomissing and you’re trying to be
in the BEST bodily condition for
your upcoming competition, you
basically have no other choice but
to get hydrated with some Deer
Park water. In addition, beverages
make up 21% of the average
American’s calories. Deer Park
Brand 100% Natural
Spring Water have zero
calories, along with a
clean, crisp taste and all the
benefits of proper hydration. Not only does Deer
Park bottled water give the
consumer satisfaction, it
also benefits the environment by making their water
bottles with 50% recyclable
plastic! If Wyomissing’s Environmental Club needs a new project
for school, why not get the environmental healthy water bottle!
Better yet, start serving us Deer
Park water bottles in the cafeteria
for a refreshing gulp of water after
being engaged for several hours in
Wyomissing’s education. Freshman Megan Masano states “I can
taste the freshness of Deer Park
water as soon as I take a sip.” Do
you want to feel the same sensation that Megan feels? Buy Deer
Park water.
Are you tired of your water
not tasting pure enough? Or have
you not yet fulfilled
the empty hole in
your heart of
finding the
perfect tasting
water? Don’t
just go out and
buy the first
water bottle
you see. Instead, buy the
brand that will be most beneficial
to you. With the help of Avery
“water wiz” Holt and Kristen “the
real water wiz” Hafer, we’re sure
you have come to see which water
bottle is the right one to purchase.
(Continued from “Mini-THON”)
time or money - has done their
part in fighting pediatric cancer;
and that is absolutely something
to be proud of. We all came
together to make a difference in
the life of a
child
fighting
can cer ,
with that
our love
for Wyomissing
has grown
exponentially. Who
knows?
When in a few
years there’s a cure for cancer,
you can all say you helped make
that happen.
(Continued from “WAEF”)
K-12 and
you can pay
in advance
or show up
at the Stone
House the
night of the
event and
pay at the
door.
Don’t miss this opportunity
to celebrate your favorite teachers!
(If you would like to join the
WAEF student committee and
assist WAEF in planning yearly
events, you can submit a brief
letter of interest in the WAEF
mailbox in the athletic office or
email Karen Moser directly at
[email protected])
(Continued from “Eagles”)
leading rusher Demarco Murray,
former Chargers’ running back
Ryan Matthews, and the small but
mighty Darren Sproles. The backfield has a great combination of
power, speed, and receiving skills.
2) Does Chip’s madness
make sense?
Sam: When the Eagles traded LeSean McCoy and Nick Foles
I thought Chip Kelly was crazy.
Nick Foles had a 15-9 record as a
starter (NFL.com) and helped
produced one of the most high
powered with the help McCoy…
who was traded to the Bills. My
intial reaction was to give up on
the upcoming season for Eagles,
but like most Eagles fans the proceeding moves by Chip Kelly
helped us see the light. Demarco
Murray was one of the best running backs in the league last year
by rushing for over 1,800 yards.
The best part about this acquiring
Murray is that he was from Dallas, so not only did we take him
for our offense but we have him
now so our defense doesn’t have
to deal with him. All of the moves
in free agency are starting to make
sense to Eagles’ fans.
Juche: At first, no one
could get what Kelly was trying
to do. Some responses to Kelly’s
moves sounded like, “Are you an
idiot, why trade McCoy?” and
“Good God why is this man
doing this to us?” but the pieces
of the jigsaw puzzle are starting
to form. For once a Philadelphia
team is being radical and making
changes to win! A Philly team
not being cheap for once? That’s
insane. Kelly is getting aggressive and demands a great secondary and not one elite running
back, but three. I think I can
respect Kelly’s moves so far.
Yes, the quarterback situation is
iffy along with a receiver but
with the moves Kelly has made
so far, I’ve decided to simply
just shut my mouth and watch
him find that diamond in the
rough that can lead the offense.
3) Are they now a serious
postseason contender?
Sam: I think a serious postseason contender is an understatement. Chip Kelly is ready to
take his team from an average
team to an elite team that is a
Super Bowl contender. Getting
Murray, Matthews, Maxwell,
Thurmond, Brafford, and other
notable players really changed
the face of the Eagles and for the
better I believe. If the Eagles are
as successful as they were in free
agency in draft they will surely
be a Super Bowl bound team.
Juche: I’m excited to see
what the Eagles have in store
this year. With the way the NFC
East is looking this year, I believe they are able to create their
own destiny. However, I believe
that having a strong defense will
take them from being good to
being great. Yes, having an explosive offense seems great on
the scoreboard however, we have
seen a constant pattern of offensive powerhouses like Manning’s Broncos and the Colts
falling to phenomenal defenses
in the postseason. You can ask
the Superbowl 49 champion
Patriots or even the Superbowl
48 champion Seahawks about
how they won the Lombardi
trophy and they will simply tell
you, “Defense wins championships.”
(Continued from “Tumbling”)
current events and it’s extremely
easy to catch up on all points of
view of something that happened
around the world in a matter of
minutes. Tumblr doesn’t just focus on the major stories that are
covered by networks like CNN
and NBC; I have learned many
things about smaller, lesser
known countries and read stories
that are hidden in the depths of
news webpages or only highlighted on local news stations.
One thing that I was exposed
to on Tumblr is feminism. While I
will not go into the specifics of
the feminist movement, I have
come to the realization that feminism is viewed, talked about and
treated extremely different on
Tumblr than it is on other social
networks, like Twitter. Twitter, as
a whole, has actively decided to
look at only the extreme, stereotypical side of feminism. If I had
only learned about feminism on
Twitter, I would view this movement in a completely different
light. Being surrounded by Twitter accounts like
@MeninistTweets, whose sole
purpose is to mock feminism,
and to see this account’s incredible amount of support, it would
only make sense to partake in the
“fun.” But Tumblr has countless
posts that focus on the basic
principles of feminism, those of
which do not include having an
undying hatred toward the male
species, like wage equality because a woman only make $0.70
to every $1 a man makes.
There is also no character
limits on posts on Tumblr. This
allows users to take as much
time, energy, and space as they
want to accurately tell a story or
explain a situation. It is encouraged to publicly display your
opinions on different topics.
Take the Michael Brown case as
an example. In the heat of this
story, Tumblr was drowning in
long opinion posts and pictures
of what was happening in Ferguson. I was constantly seeing
posts about this story from regular users, while on Twitter I had
only seen tweets about it from
verified accounts, those of which
were people who were either
politicians or worked in the news
industry. The only time I had
seen tweets from the majority of
my peers were right after the
shooting happened and right
after the grand jury’s decision
and prosecutor’s statement were
released… I hadn’t seen anything else about the case in between that time.
Tumblr is an underrated site
that is not nearly as popular as
sites like Twitter and Facebook.
It is unfortunate that many people are not exposed to the pros of
being a part of a network like
this because it enlightens users
on controversial issues.
8
(Continued from “Eye Candy”)
lors (one of which describes his
job as “liking fast cars”) and is
one her merry way home when
she gets a message from an unknown number clearly stating that
someone is watching her. Insert
crazy serial killer who murders
matches on Flirtual.
This serial killer, for some
reason, is obsessed with Lindy, so
she enlists the help of some old
friends and enemies to help find
the murderer. This help includes
George, another hacker; Tommy,
a police officer and Ben’s former
best friend; Sophia, her roommate; and Connor, Sophia’s other
best friend who hates Lindy but
still pulls all of the stops to help
her.
With a crew that fine on the
hunt, the Flirtual killer is meant to
be found in days. Right? Of
course not, then they couldn’t get
a full ten episodes out of the spotty and obvious plotline.
While the premise of Eye
Candy seems fresh and appealing,
the show itself has some major
issues. The main issue being consistency. There are a multitude of
storylines that the Eye Candy
writers simply dropped once they
were introduced. From people that
die and are never searched for, to
romances that are developed and
ignored, and characters that are
established and forgotten, the
show has completely abandoned
almost too many storylines to
make any sense.
Despite its many downfalls,
Eye Candy also has some redeeming qualities. While the storyline
is spotty at times, the entire premise of the show is pretty cool.
When the murderer is revealed
(Episode 9, no sooner, no later), it
does come as a shock to the audience. The show also has some
witty comedic relief in George,
the hacker who, at one point, describes the average mattress as a
“water bed” of sweat. With the
impressive soundtrack and light
twist on a heavy plotline, Eye
Candy definitely isn’t a complete
and total flop. The show is definitely worth a spot on a rainy
weekend to-do-list.