INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

SHINY

DINER????

2

MRS. COOLEY 7

SPORTS 9

REFUGEE

DEBATE

10

WORD SEARCH 13

BLAISE HOSTER 14

ANONYMOUS 16

Seeing Red

Christmas trees, presents, snow, and

Starbucks’ red cups with little Christmas deco-

rations. All are awaited traditions during the

holiday season. However, Starbucks has upset

thousands of holiday lovers this year with their

plain cups. Instead of intricate white designs,

the famous coffee company has gone stark red.

They say it is supposed to “Welcome all of our

stories.” Many made complaints criticizing it

as "political correctness” gone overboard; even

going as far as saying that Starbucks is trying

to destroy Christmas. This is all. Over. A cof-

fee cup.

I am a coffee lover at heart, and I en-

joyed the little details on the greatly anticipated

cups. However, they are not that important.

Multiple religions other than Christianity are

practiced in the United States, so why not ap-

peal to them too? They are constantly sur-

rounded by Christmas throughout the season,

so they deserve to not have the holiday shoved

in their face. The plain red cups may not be

much of an acknowledgement , but it’s a start.

Starbucks is mostly doing this for pub-

licity. “Political correctness” is a hot debate in

today’s news, so why not stir up some contro-

versy by joining in? Christmas is probably the

best selling holiday of the year with its presents

and seasonal

flavors. The

cup change

was just to

gain interest

and increase

sales. So let’s

stop talking

about it.

Please.

Elizabeth Clement ‘18

Media Manipulation

The media reserves an in-

credible power to spread knowledge

throughout the country. This power

should be used to enlighten citizens

on foreign affairs, natural disasters,

and developing controversies. It

should be used to constantly update

the people on any and all wars and

inform citizens of all government

activity. Instead, the media wastes its

ability by focusing on vapid topics,

such as the Kardashians. That family

has offered nothing to this country.

What have they done? Also, why

should we care that Lamar Odom

overdosed in a Nevada brothel, while

terrorist groups such as ISIS are plan-

ning mass murders every single day?

Odom overdosing on cocaine and

sleeping with prostitutes is not even

remotely newsworthy. I honestly hate

the fact that I even know of his activi-

ties; it is not my business what a grown

man decides to do with his life.

In addition, who cares that

Bruce Jenner is now Caitlyn Jenner

when people have been making trans-

formations like that for years without

fame as their motivation? In

this day and age, being

transgendered does not mat-

ter. Caitlyn is not news. Peo-

ple need to stop giving their

attention to mindless “news”

and begin caring about true

news. This would be far

more possible if the media

would stop sensationalizing

trivial topics. Olivia Roth ‘17

Pantherette Starbucks and the Kardashians: Newsworthy ?

HOLIDAY ISSUE

VOLUME 55 , ISSUE 3

12 / 23 UGLY

SWEATER DAY!

PANTHERETTE PAGE 2

The Pantherette is published by students of Schuylkill Valley High School, Leesport, Pennsylvania, 19533 Advisor: Heather Barrett Secretary: Lindsey Zimmerman Editor-in-Chief: Bella Ciervo Treasurer: Daisy Grace Executive Assistant: Meghan Steffey Sports Editor: Evan Whitmoyer Administrative Assistant: Callie Watmuff Technical Editors: Tabitha Stoudt and Bailey Miller Junior Editors-in-Chief: Olivia Roth and Cecily Godfrey Sophomore Editor: Ellen Robinson Contributing Pantherette staff: Brent Hoffert, Angel Martinez, Kevin Cook, Ben Moody, Kyle Dimovitz, Va-lerie Yoder, Sophie Goad, Angie Tota, Claire Burkert, Adriana Popa, Alysa Bainbridge, Seth Pine, Kylie Brown, Kacie Jones, Bethany Schlott, Amber Walters, Zachary Pepe, Jackie Marusiak, Dan Behler, Brynna Haupt, Liz Clement, Mary Brooks, Donald Ballou, Jasmine Stoudt, Courtney Hatton, Mitchell Moyer, Lily Whitmoyer, Charanya Birabaharan , Jessica Visbisky, Lucy Johns

On behalf of the Pantherette Staff, we would like to thank Mr. Bucks and the printing press for the pub-lishing of our newspaper!

On March 9, 2015, Leesport said goodbye to the restaurant sitting on the corner of Route 61. According to The

Reading Eagle, The Leesport Family Restaurant, formerly

owned by Mohamad Salloum, was purchased by the TJ Res-

taurant Group Inc. of Allentown for $500,000. Demolition

was scheduled to take a week.

The new, nameless building is slated to become a 1950’s

style diner. David M. Kleckner of Kleckner Laucks Archi-

tects designed the diner. Kleckner also designed the Route 61

Diner. Bill Vardaxis, Allentown restaurateur and principal in

the restaurant group, said the diner will have “lots of granite,

stainless steel, and neon.” The diner sits about 30 feet above

the previous restaurant, and it features 157 seats at counters, tables, and booths, a large salad bar, and all the trademarks

that come with Vardaxis’ diners. It will resemble the Starlight Diner in Trexlertown, which Vardaxis also owns. Among

Vardaxis’ collection of diners are the Fifth Street Diner

in Muhlenberg and the VIP Diner and American Res-

taurant in Pottstown.

Greg Ciatto and Ciatto Construction have been

hired to construct the diner. Construction started around

April, and it was expected to last about six months.

Ciatto has worked with Vardaxis before, as Ciatto built

the Starlight Diner. Watch for their sign, which will

soon be erected by Bartush Signs of Orwigsburg.

Route 61 Shiny Diner Ellen Robinson ‘18

PAGE 3

SV SNAPS!

Spotlight on Lindsey Zimmerman By Courtney Hatton ‘19

School, extracurricular activities, and working at a dairy farm may seem a little busy, but Lindsey man-

ages it all! The farm complex is about 20 acres, and it is located in Mohrsville. It has been in her family for

four generations. She works about 15 hours a day. With that, comes the responsibility of milking 300 cows a

day; though, they own 500 total. Milking the cows is a long process. The process begins at 5:45, and it ends

around 10:30 or 11:00. The process is done twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Royal is Lind-

sey’s favorite cow; she’s a line back (a type of breed). The biggest worry of dairy farming is dealing with state

regulations and ensuring all the livestock remains healthy. Lindsey is involved in the 4H Club, which showcas-

es livestock among many other things. Lindsey’s favorite part about the farm is, “the space; there's so much

land. I could go wherever.” Even though she is a good sport about it,

her least favorite thing is never being able to stay clean.

In school, Lindsey is involved in:

-Pantherette as a secretary and dedicated member since freshmen year

-Literary Magazine as Treasurer

-PYEA

-bowling team

-Class of 2017 as secretary/treasurer

-Dairy Princesses as Dairy Ambassador

-4H Club (Northern Berks) as secretary

Plus, she stays on top of her grades. Her favorite activity that

she does is bowling. Her two favorite classes are History and English.

She says that sophomore year was the best year so far. With all of Lindsey’s responsibilities, she seems to have

a strong grasp of time management. However, she admits it is hard to find free time, and life does get stressful.

With school, the farm, and Lindsey’s extracurricular activities, she has a busy, but interesting life.

Sydney Foster working hard.

Left to right: Hunter Knepp, Angel

Martinez, and Justin Madenford

Playing a card game: Claire Burkert.

Hunter Mountz, Daniel Behler, Thomas

Becker Madison Kepner, and Zach Spatz

PANTHERETTE PAGE 4

Alteras is a metal/post-hardcore band from Ohio. The members consist of Jacob Clasen (vocalist), Jordan Wooley

(guitarist), Michael Dulay (guitarist), Zack Orr (bassist), and Seth Donchess (drummer). Thanks to Alteras’s band man-

ager Nicholas Mishko, Zack Orr’s dad, Rick Orr and my mom. I was able to interview Alteras via email. Their manager

forwarded all my questions to the band and Jake Clasen (lead singer) emailed me back his answers.

Question: How old are you guys? How long have you guys been making music? What type of music genre would

you say you guys are?

Jake 22, Jordan 23, Zack 24, Mike 24, Seth 18. We’ve all been doing this the majority of our lives, between

the five of us we average about 10 years of being musically active. We say post-hardcore/metal, but we tend

to extend out of that into genres like rock and alternative.

Question: What inspired you to start making music? Who is your musical inspiration?

Music is has been a pivotal part in all of our lives. We all started writing and per-

forming music when we were young and never stopped. We have a ton but just to

name a few: Bring Me The Horizon, Pierce the Veil, August Burns Red, and Ar-

mor for Sleep.

Question: How did you guys meet?

All of us actually went to the same high school; Jordan and I (Jake) were close

throughout school. We both met Mike who joined the band who was close to

Zack all through school. I actually met Seth in high school; he was a freshman

when I was a senior. It wasn’t until after he graduated that he joined the band.

Question: What is the reason behind the naming of Alteras?

Alteras is actually a Latin word meaning “you change”, our message is that we all change throughout our

lives and that it’s something you should embrace. The world needs change and only together we can become

it.

Question: When is your next album coming out? Any tours coming up?

We’ve just released our new album Grief on iTunes, Spotify, etc. We’re looking to record another album in

the upcoming year (2016), so hopefully it’s not too long before we drop some-

thing post-Grief! We have some stuff in the works for winter and summer.

Question: Weirdest fan experience?

I can’t say I’ve ever had one, all of our fans mean the world to us.

Question: Who is the most serious in the band? Who is the prankster in the band?

While we all are pretty light-hearted and goofy, we all are very serious about

our music especially when we need to be. Honestly, I can’t pinpoint one of us.

We’re pretty much the worst towards one another, but it’s all in good fun!

Question: Any siblings? Where are you guys from?

In the band, no. However, we all have siblings outside of the band. All of us are from Austintown, Ohio.

Question: What’s your favorite song you guys have made?

That’s a hard one, I have a strong connection to everything that we’ve written, but I guess if I had to pick

one song, it’d be ‘Could Ever Love’ off our new album Grief.

Question: What was the hardest song to record? What’s the hardest song to play live?

Definitely the most difficult song to record for me had to be ‘Scars’ from Grief. It’s in a funky key and the

INTERVIEW WITH: Alteras by Theresa Stup ‘19

PAGE 5 VOLUME 55 , ISSUE 3

key harmonies in the chorus were really tricky! Hardest songs to perform live have to be ‘Everything You

Wanted’ off of Grief. It’s fast with lots of varied vocals with very little room to breathe. Usually holding the

last scream of the song makes me see stars; I even blacked out once. It was pretty awesome.

Question: What’s your favorite song to play live?

Favorite song live for me is a tossup between ‘Everything You Wanted’ and ‘Broke’, both off Grief. They’re

both really heavy and I absolutely love to bait chaos in the pit.

Question: What’s your favorite tour or band memory?

My favorite memory with the band is performing with all the guys at a house show we played on Halloween

this year. The turnout of people to see us was incredible. Due to some stuff going on in my life at the time, it

was a truly an emotional roller coaster for me on stage. I laughed, I cried, it was unforgettable.

Question: How do you deal with being away from family when you go to record music videos and such?

We always keep in touch. Phone calls, FaceTime, and text definitely come in handy. Communication is cru-

cial to being away from the ones you love.

Question: How long does it usually take to record a song?

Completely depends on the song, it actually took us 2 full weeks to record Grief and 1 full week to record

Shapeshifter.

Question: Did you play sports or do

any clubs?

I was a state semi-finalist in Duo

Interpretation for my high school’s

Speech & Debate team. It sounds

impressive, but all I really did was

pretend to be a girl with one of my

best friends.

Question: Is there anyone you would

want to collaborate with in the future?

Everyone. I love the idea of collabo-

rations in music. Bringing alterna-

tive minds together in music always

has an incredible result.

Question: What social media do you

have?

We mostly use Twitter but we also

have Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr!

Question: Do you have any advice for fans that are being bullied or going through a hard time?

Tell someone, anyone. If you are having any issues, it’s important to voice them, even if it’s just to vent about

them. We as a band ask all our fans to talk to us if they feel they have no one else to turn to; anyone can

email us (anonymously if you so wish) at alteras.help@gmail.com. No one should ever have to go through a

difficult time alone.

Question: Any advice for your fans still in school?

Stay in school, follow your dreams, and always finish what you start. No one has ever gotten anywhere by

taking shortcuts in life.

PANTHERETTE PAGE 6

Tradition, pride, and spirit are embedded in everyone at Schuylkill Valley High School (SVHS); these char-

acteristics are especially prevalent during Homecoming Week. This year, Pajama Day kicked off the week. Follow-

ing Pajama Day was Tie-Dye Tuesday, Red and Black Wednesday, Hawaiian Thursday, and on the day of the pep

rally and Homecoming game, Pink Friday.

An assembly announced the Spirit King Winner, Rhett Rob-

inson, and allowed the Homecoming Queen candidates to an-

swer three questions in front of the school. The Spirit King is

decided by the candidate who has the most positive money by

the end of a grueling game of Penny Wars. Each candidate

had previously chosen a charity and the Spirit King Winner is

given the total money collected from Penny Wars given to his

charity. Spirit King, Rhett Robinson, donated the fourth high-

est total in Penny War history to the tune of $1061.84 to

March of Dimes.

The annual pep rally, led by the Spirit King, consisted of

marching band performances, routines from the cheerleaders,

and a relay in which students from each fall sport competed

against each other. The Queen, Cailynn Chase, was an-

nounced Friday at halftime of the football game in which the Schuylkill Valley High School Football team faced

the Wyomissing Spartans.

The following day, Saturday October 24, SVHS held its third annual class induction known as the Pride of

Schuylkill Valley. All inductees were chosen because of their dedication to SV and/or their outstanding accom-

plishments and will be immortalized on SV’s Wall of Fame. The Class of 2015 inductees consist of Mr. Lee Pottei-

ger, Mr. Robert “Bob” Jones, Mr. LeRoy Seip, Mr. Wayne Huey, Mr. Stuart (Stu) Reese, and Mr. Toby Lentz.

Mr. Potteiger graduated from Ontelaunee Vocational School in 1941. He received a degree in both Ac-

counting 1 and 2 from McCann School of Business and served in World War II. Potteiger’s military service result-

ed in a good conduct medal, 6 Bronze Stars and 1 Bronze Arrowhead. Mr. Jones graduated from Penn State Univer-

sity with a B.S. and M. Ed. University of Virginia. Jones was an active volunteer at Schuylkill Valley High School

for over 40 years. Also a participant in local functions, Jones had several titles throughout Leesport such as a Co-

Chairman of the Bicentennial and Sesquicentennial Celebrations and one of the three founders of the Leesport Lock

House Foundation.

A member of the Muhlenberg High School Hall of Fame and Berks County Chapter Pennsylvania Sports

Hall of Fame, Jones served multiple authoritarian roles such as a coach and member of the Schuylkill Valley

School District Board of School Directors. Mr. Huey graduated from Schuylkill Valley High School in 1962 and

earned a B.S. at Pennsylvania State University. Huey has two State Track & Field Championships. He chaired the

United Way fund drive for Lehigh County and co-chaired a fundraising effort to build a new medical pavilion for

Paoli Hospital. Huey serves on the Board of Directors for Royal Bank America and the Paoli Hospital Foundation.

Mr. Reese is Valedictorian of the Class of 1973 for Schuylkill Valley High School. He earned a B.S. in Gettysburg

College and MBA at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. Reese graduated with High Distinction and was named

an Edward Tuck Scholar at Dartmouth. He is a Chairman and CEO of the MassMutual Financial Group. Reese also

serves on several boards such as the board of The Appalachian Mountain Club and Boards of Leucadia. Mr. Lentz

graduated from Schuylkill Valley High School in 1995 and earned a B.S. in the United States Naval Academy and

M.S. from Georgia Institute of Technology. Lentz served 4 tours on the USS Maine (SSBN-741) as the Chemistry

and Radiological Controls Assistant and Tactical Systems Officer. he also served as several other positions and cur-

rently serves as Engineering Manager fro Stellar Energy Americas, Inc..

Each inductee was honored after being presented in the ceremony with a plaque that states his name and a

few achievements. The plaques will be hung in the lobby in Schuylkill Valley High School next to other members

of the Hall of Fame recognized in previous years.

Pantherette is extremely proud to point out that this article was originally published in The Hamburg Item.

RECAP of HOMECOMING By Olivia Roth ‘17 and Bethany Schlott ‘17

Getting to Know Mrs. Cooley! Meghan Steffey ‘16

Everyone knows Mrs. Cooley, and she knows practi-

cally everyone here in this high school. However, Pan-

therette wanted to sit down and find out a little more be-

hind the bright smile and willing attitude that helps hold

things together here at SVHS.

How long have you been teaching? I’ve been here for 15 years here at Schuylkill Valley, I

never left. I only went one day to Muhlenberg and my

daughter would say hi to me and all of her friends too, but

my son, Harrison would just look past me while all his

friends would say “Hey, Mrs. Cooley!” I bonded here and

I never left even though I went home with the key!

What inspired you to become a teacher? I have always enjoyed working with kids and teenagers.

Have you ever thought about a different career? No, I was a mom at home for many years; my daughter

was ill and needed care first, so I came back 15 years ago to Schuylkill Valley. Fifteen years ago I was lying in bed re-

covering from herniated disk back surgery, and I saw them advertise on the TV about the shortage of substitute teachers.

BCIU put out a call asking anyone with a Bachelor of Science degree could come and teach at BCIU. You would go

through the guest teacher training and you could come back and substitute in our schools.

When I came here , I was in for Family and Consumer Science because I thought it was easy since I was a mom. We had

a fire drill that day; it was so crazy that I accidentally went home with the key the school provided me! I was so embar-

rassed I made my husband come up the next day and return the key. Because I was a volunteer for years with my kids, I

ran church activities, girl scouts, community volunteer, I had a background that served me well for coming here. After

15 years, I feel like I almost have my teaching degree; I really don’t, but you’d never know it, would you?

What do you think is the best part of your job? The variety of my days. Some days, like today I didn't know who I was going to be until this morning. I could be in mu-

sic one day, I could be in art the next. It would drive other people nuts but it's good for me.

What do you hope to achieve as a teacher? First of all, I have to follow through the lesson plan that the teacher has left for me. I have to execute that. I think the

kids can find me accessible if they are having a bad day. I can tell them where to go where they can get help. I hope to

always keep order in the class but each day is so different you never know. But overall, I just hope to have a good day,

have a good successful day that we follow the teacher's plans. Hopefully, we don’t have a lot of disciplinary problems.

How do you want your students to perceive you? I hope my students perceive me as understanding and accessible; they can come to me with a

problem, and I will get them to the right stop. Yet, they also know that I follow the school

rules so that we don't have a problem. They know me with phones, they know what to expect

with me.

Mrs. Cooley has three adult children, Lauren 35, Harrison 32, and Tyler 27. She lives in

Muhlenberg Township with her husband, Brian, whom she has dated since she was 16. Her

hobbies include reading, shopping for antiques, collectibles and vintage items. These items

are featured as inventory in their Adamstown shop. She grew up and attended schools primar-

ily in Maryland, and her favorite quote is “To thine own self be true,” from Hamlet. She says

that her father always instilled this quote in his children , often applying it to their lives.

Schuylkill Valley certainly benefits from Mrs. Cooley’s ability to multi-task and super orga-

nized methods. She is always engaged in helping the students, teachers, administration every

minute of the day, but if you know Mrs. Cooley, she does it with a smile and enthusiasm.

PANTHERETTE PAGE 8

Dangerous Teenage Trends Tabitha Stoudt ‘16 Jasmine

“The Wild Years,” also known as the teenage years. Once you hit that age of 13,you are considered a

teenager. Today some teenagers do some unusual actions that could lead to death. There are some dangerous

activities trending these days.

One thing that teenagers decide to do is plank. You mean that thing to work out? Lay on your forearms

or have your hands on the ground and just “lay” there? Not necessarily. Teenagers balance themselves on ob-

jects, lying face-down with stiffened arms and legs, and then

their buddy takes a picture and posts it on social media or any-

where on the internet. Some kids have gone to the extreme of

planking on rooftops, vehicles, or escalators. These are danger-

ous places where no one should attempt to be on top. People

have even gone to the extreme and planked on top of police

cars, ATM machines, on an airplane between the above lug-

gage holders, a check-out counter, on top of non-moving lawn

mowers, tree limbs, balconies, and bridges. In 2011, a 19-year-

old, named Alexander Hart was convicted of a “planking”

spree. Hart was charged with $303 fine. In May of 2011, an

Australian man plunged to his death by planking on a balcony

in Queensland at about 4:30am. As you can see, planking is

death friendly.

Another dangerous trend teenagers are fascinated by is

vodka eyeballing. About 5 years ago, when this trend became popular, teenagers began to pour vodka straight

into their eye . Many ask what is the purpose of “vodka eyeballing,” the simple answer is to get drunk. Teenag-

ers want to get drunk without having the smell of alcohol on their breath. Studies show that participating in

vodka eyeballing causes long-term damage to your eyesight and even blindness. Dr. Cindy Tromans says.

“Vodka eyeballing is like pouring bleach in your eye - it's extremely painful.”

“Five minutes in Heaven”, “Blackout”, “Flatliner” and, “The Knockout Challenge” are all names for

the choking game. Kids stifle their friend or themselves just until they cut off the airway until one of them

feels a euphoric rush. This “fun” game can cause irreversible brain damage — and sometimes even death. In

2008, the Centers for Disease Control identified 82 cases of probable deaths from 1995 to 2007 as a direct re-

sult of the game. Some strangle themselves with a belt, a rope or their bare hands; others push on their chest or

hyperventilate. Kids participate in the choking game for the high, which can become addictive. Others do it

because it's “cool” and risky. Three minutes without oxygen to the brain causes a person to suffer brain dam-

age. Four and five minutes without oxygen could result in death. Some teenagers were alone for as little as 15

minutes before someone found them, and it was already too late.

Another trend that teenagers are doing is I-dosing. This internet craze has teenagers listening to down-

loadable MP3s that are said to have the effects of getting high on actual drugs. The tracks last anywhere from

five to thirty minutes long. The tracks consist of binaural beats, in which the tone of one frequency is played

into the right ear and a slightly different frequency is played in the left ear. Teenagers go to a website, down-

load some I-dosing tracks, slip on some headphones and cover their eyes with a rag or towel and drift into the

world of “digital highs.” Some of the tracks are named after drugs, for example, cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy,

opium, and heroin. When listening to these tracks, the teenager starts reacting like he or she is on drugs. For

example when one teen listend to I-dosing track named “cocaine”. She got really cold and her hands and feet

would twitch. She began to move her hands from down by her side to up at her chest area. Then her lips started

shivering like she was cold. When the track was turned off ,she snapped right out of the “high,” the predicted

reaction to all I-dosing tracks.

All of these trends are extremely dangerous. Just because they are new and different does not make

them glamorous. Experts want everyone to be aware of these trends and to watch for warning signs to prevent

tragedies. They recommend getting authorities, school officials, parents, and possibly even professional coun-

selors involved.

Indoor track is a modified version of the track and field events held outside every spring season outdoors. The sprints are

50m instead of 100m and discus is not included. However, SV’s indoor track team has a group of strong athletes who work

hard during the indoor season, considering practice is held in a hallway. I’ve asked a few athletes involved in indoor track,

questions to see how they feel about the upcoming season. By Claire Burkert ‘16

The swimming teams at SV have big goals for this season. The

boys team hopes their relay teams qualify for districts. The girls team is

looking to win the district title. Seniors Ben Moody and Jacob Bashore for

the boys and seniors Valerie Yoder, Alyssa Martinez, Aritte De la Rosa for

the girls hope to lead the team to achieve these goals.

The bowling teams also have high expectations for this season.

The team has more members than normal and hopes the new members will

help improve the team from last season. Seniors Ethan Moquin and Bran-

don Gift are the only seniors on the team. Liz Clement, Mike Dailey, and

Kacie Jones will also be key to the success of both the boys and girls teams.

The outlook for the high school wrestling team is pretty good. De-

spite the overall youth of the team this year, everyone on the team is ready

to learn and work hard to improve. When asked about the team’s goal this

season, senior Kyle Dimovitz said, “The goal is to win. To do so we must

go to hard competitions and tournaments. The only way to be the best is to

wrestle and beat the best.” There are no other seniors other than Dimovitz,

so leadership also comes from many underclassmen, including Jethro Solomon, Carlos Altamirano, George Limberiou,

Teddy Limberiou, and Joel Orlando.

The boys basketball team looks to improve on last year’s season. Senior team captain Aaron Schlegel said, “

Our goals would be to make playoffs, prove that our team is just not a pushover team, and to represent Schuylkill Valley

well.” The team has a lot of experience and looks to use that to their advantage on the court. Schlegel, along with sen-

iors Kyle Worrell, Jacob Stahl, Emmanuel Civil and Cameron Scarpaci, hope to bring SV boys basketball back to its

winning ways. The girls basketball team is extremely young this season. 12 of the 22 players on the team are fresh-

men, and many receive playing time on the varsity squad. The will actually be able to make multiple substitutions with

the relatively large amount of girls on the team. In past seasons, the varsity team would only play with five or six play-

ers in the rotation, which allowed for very few substitutions during the games. The coaching staff has changed from last

season as well. The new head coach is high school teacher Mr. Bagenstose. New assistant coaches Mr. and Mrs. Chillot,

along with elementary school teacher Mrs. Horne, form the coaching staff. Other teachers, including Mr. Hornberger,

help the coaching staff sometimes. The team and new coaching staff hope to have a fun and successful season. Seniors

on the team include Madison Zimmerman, Estefany Paez, and Gabrielle Knowles. The team’s main goal this season is

to have a better record than the SV boys basketball team. By Evan Whitmoyer ‘16

What does indoor track mean to you?

Brett: It is a fresh start to a new season and makes me more

excited for the outdoor season.

Sophie: Way to stay in shape for the spring.

Joe: To get competition experience for outdoor season and

throw new personal records.

Sammi: I can start working hard to achieve my goals in the

spring season as a jumper.

What do you plan to accomplish this year dur-

ing indoor track?

Brett: Run new personal records and do my best as an athlete.

Sophie: To stay in shape and run a faster time in the 800m.

Joe: Hopefully break the school record and to win Indoor State

Title in shot put.

Sammi: To jump 16 feet or above.

What is the best/worst part about in-

door track?

Brett: Best- To just run track because it is my

favorite thing in the world.

Worst- Indoors is only 3 months long, if that.

Sophie: Best- Good workouts to stay in shape.

Worst- Shin splints.

Joe: Best- Not freezing outside.

Worst- The wooden circles they have at

meets are so difficult and slippery to throw in.

Sammi: Best- Training along side with some of

my best friends.

Worst- Coach Reinert’s step circuit workout.

What’s Happening this Winter?

PAGE 10

In September, 2015, President Obama announced that the U.S. would take in over 10,000 Syrian refu-

gees. Since the announcement, 31 state governors have refused to allow Syrians to immigrate to their states.

Unfortunately, the President ignored their beliefs, and over 200 immigrants have since been placed in the

United States. Syrian immigrants should not be allowed to migrate to the United States.

First off, let’s get this straight. We are not racist people. Yes, America was built to help others. But ac-

cepting Syrian immigrants causes a major problem both securely and economically. Take illegal Mexican im-

migration, for example. Many people are against this because the immigrants come to the U.S., take jobs

away from hard working men and women who have paid their dues and lived here their entire life, and they

get free education. This is a burden for the taxpayers. Now, the current administration wants to bring in a

load of refugees, give them citizenship, and let them take our jobs! Refugees naturally don’t have much when

they come to a new country. Thus, current taxpayers will be paying for their land, housing, and food until

some point. This, of course ,will just plunge this country deeper into that dark abyss of debt that we have

ourselves in. With jobs for the refugees, comes unemployment for U.S. citizens. Think of families, sitting on

the streets, starving, begging for money because their parents lost their jobs due to the fact that the jobs are

being filled by refugees.

Then there’s safety. Does anyone around here not remember 9/11? There were reported attacks on a

German woman from a gang of Syrian refugees. September 11, 2001 marks the anniversary of the horrible

day in which nearly 3,000 innocent people were killed because a terrorist group decided it would be

“honorable” to fly planes into buildings. Do we want that to happen again? Do we want to see families

ripped apart because we wanted to be “friendly” and not “betray our American values”? (A quote from Pres-

ident Obama, on his opinion of our being against refugees.) Just watch 8:46 on Netflix, a film by Jennifer Gar-

gano about 9/11. It brings a more humane side to the tragedy. Do you want that to be your family? In addi-

tion, Germany has been taking in refugees as we all know, but what is the outcome? What’s the “thanks”

that Germans get for allowing these people in? Raping and beating of women and children. Women now

sleep with their clothes on in the areas of the refugee camps and if they have to walk to the bathroom they

will not go at night for fear of being raped. Do we want this to come upon the US?

It has been argued that, “Should we have refused Jewish refugees during the Holocaust?” That is a

very good point. However, it should be pointed out that there was little concern for the Jewish population of

Germany, Poland, and The Netherlands containing possible terrorists and violent criminals. On November

13, 2015, a group of ISIS terrorists attacked Paris, killing 130 innocent people. One of the terrorists, Salah Ab-

deslam, is believed to have escaped to Syria. What’s to stop more people from posing as Syrian refugees, dis-

guising themselves , and then entering the U.S. and try to destroy innocent citizens. The recent shootings in

San Bernardino California leaving 14 people dead shows how easily this happens.

The bottom line is that, yest, helping people is nice. However, this country cannot continue to help

people who could jeopardize our safety and wellbeing. At some point, our nation make difficult decisions to

protect our safety. If accepting large quantities of Syrian immigrants is absolutely necessary, then we should

take strong precautions to prevent acts of terror-

ism.

One Side: We Must Protect Our Own Seth Pine ’17 and Mary Brooks ‘18

A DIFFERENT VIEW - Two opposing editorials square off on the controversial topic of Syrian Refugees. Please note that these opinions and argu-

ments do not reflect or represent Pantherette’s position as a whole with a regard to this topic.

Sources: http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/30/europe/paris-terror-attacks/index.html

http://www.alipac.us/f19/german-pregnant-woman-attacked-muslim-refugees-326082/

ANOTHER SIDE: So Much for “This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land” Bella Ciervo ’16 and Daisy Grace ‘16

Arguments against allowing Syrian refugees into our country are rooted in fear, and this fear is over-

powering the voice of an argument’s concrete facts.

Let’s clear some common misconceptions:

All Syrians have terroristic motives.

Refugees are fleeing for their lives...not so they can come bomb the U.S.

Most refugees are trying to ESCAPE terrorism, too. Most of them are fleeing from places caught

in the midst of the bloodthirsty Syrian Civil War. To give you an idea of how dangerous the con-

ditions are, over 13 countries have been bombing Syria over the past 4.5 years (Newsweek). No

wonder these people are trying to find refuge.

51% refugees are under 18 years old

39% of those are under 11 (Mondoweiss.net) ...does that scream “terrorists” to you?

Refugees undergo an intensive screening process before admittance into the U.S., and this

process is intensified for Syrian refugees. The chance that a terrorist will be admitted into the U.S.

is very slim (Time).

Out of the 859,629 refugees admitted into the U.S. since 9/11, only 3 have been arrested for

terrorist activities. No attempts were successful (CATO). Allowing Syrians into the country will cause another 9/11.

Allowing these people into America will not inevitably result in a crisis similar to 9/11. This

drastic conclusion is drawn from false correlation.

Where is the rationale behind this conclusion? Syrians will rape and kill United States citizens.

First of all, America harbors rapists as well. Proving to be a devastating truth of our world,

rapists exist in all countries. By incriminating all refugees just because of one instance of rape,

we’re labeling an entire group based upon the actions of one person. Just as not all Germans are

Adolf Hitler, not all Syrians are rapists. One person does not dictate the intentions of an entire

group. The refugees will steal our good American jobs and push us further into debt!

No. They will earn their jobs just as we should be doing. Many of the refugees are skilled, in-

telligent workers who are willing to pull their own weight.

Is it the case that they get “your” job because they go out and earn it while you are complain-

ing?

There is no price on human lives.

Labeling all Syrian refugees as terrorists, without ever attempting to view the situation from their

side, incriminates an entire population. One person does not dictate the actions of an entire group.

Can we really just sit idly by when we know humans are desperate for a safe haven that we can pro-

vide? Or does the existence of a suffering people outside of the United States not hold enough prior-

ity to regard them as humans? Furthermore, when people compare refugees to swarms, it dehuman-

izes them. They are humans, and we should feel a moral obligation to save them from their hellish

realities.

In the spirit of the season, we asked a couple of SV students about what traditions they do around

the holiday season. Here’s what they said:

“For Thanksgiving, I ate three Thanksgivings.” -Claire Burkert ‘16

“We always go to my Nana’s house to celebrate and eat with our cous-

ins.” -Kaylee Swain ‘17

“Fakes Giving” -Noah Romig ‘18

“I bake sugar cookies with my grandma for Christmas.” -Luke Williams

‘18

“My family and I go up to my grandparents’ cabin, and we celebrate all

of our festivities on Christmas Eve.” -Kara Unger ‘18

“On Christmas Eve, my family on my dad’s side gets together, and we eat Polish food and have a game

night!” -Chloe Dracha ‘18

“On Thanksgiving, we all get together and play games, watch home videos, and have a sleepover. And

the day after, we always go bowling.” -Jessie Shomo ‘19

“My Christmas traditions are to go get a tree with family, decorate the tree, listen to Christmas songs

and make gingerbread houses. And get into the Christmas spirit.” Bridgette Bennett ‘19

Holiday Traditions

New Concussion Movie Could Change the Way Fans View the NFL By Brynna Haupt ‘17

The NFL will not like Christmas this year. Will Smith stars in the film Concussion, a true story about Dr.

Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian pathologist, who faces an uphill battle in exposing the NFL about the effects football has

on the brain. Most have heard about former football players being diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy

(CTE), a progressive degenerative disease caused by repetitive blows to the head, and how much their lives fall apart

because of CTE. Junior Seau, Mike Webster, and Frank Gifford are among

the notable names of deceased NFL players that had CTE. Former Steelers’

lineman, Justin Strzelczyk, drove himself to a fiery death down the wrong

side of the freeway in 2004. He was 36. Javon Belcher, a former Kansas City

linebacker, committed a murder-suicide. He was 25. This movie portrays the

ugly back story of the concussion crisis in football, and Omalu’s relentless

pursuit to bring light to it. However, the NFL is bent on keeping brain trauma

issues under wraps, rather than face the issue head on; the league doesn’t

want the public to know that their sport might have caused former players to

go crazy enough to kill themselves. Omalu must go through the trials and

tribulations any doctor would in bringing about a new scientific theory, par-

ticularly one that goes against a multi-billion dollar machine and an organiza-

tion that "owns" a day of the week, such as the NFL. The company distrib-

uting the film, Sony Pictures Entertainment, has actually admitted to soften-

ing the film from its original form so as to not run any more afoul of the NFL

than this film already does. The film premieres worldwide on Christmas Day.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/

article47491030.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/

Mary Brooks ‘18

I U O T M C N Q C L Z W E P D U I R X Z G

C L H M E Y O C Z P Y J A J D E L S G O D

E N F X N R V F F A C O R V X J A F C I B

S S T Z X H E O W R R S M P S G D O C C Z

K V O I S T M O U K C T U N A Q L E H U Y

A C K P L D B T S A K L F M N D T R K W S

T B E V E N E B E C E I F R T E I B O G L

E D T W D A R A V Y T U S Z A S X N A S L

J A Z V D L A L O B A Q X I T W S L Q L E

Y E N R I R V L L V L D A M T C E O J N B

L R E E N E Q I G I O Y A A D Z K I J W H

F B E I G D T C P R C S R B Z N D D Q Y G

G R R N R N H G N E O G N A T N B T O E I

V E G D H O P E E B H Y V H U P A G E B E

S G R E U W W W Y M C D Z E E N D W N L L

W N E E V Y H X Q E T H O L I D A Y K I S

M I V R E I S I V C O Y N K N O G J S Z M

F G E A T F R G I E H V W X S F W F O Z J

W N R E K T F L J D U L W Z T R K U Q A V

O N E Z O R F O C R I N A M W O N S V R H

H H Q T H A N O B N H J V P I Y T T U D I

BLIZZARD

CHRISTMAS

COLD

DECEMBER

DOGSLED

EARMUFFS

EVERGREEN

FOOTBALL

FROZEN

GINGERBREAD

GLOVES

HOLIDAY

HOT CHOCOLATE

ICE

ICESKATE

IGLOO

JANUARY

KWANZAA

NEW YEAR

NOVEMBER

PARKA

QUILT

REINDEER

SANTA

SLEDDING

SLEIGHBELLS

SNOWMAN

SNOWY

WHITE

WONDERLAND

WIN

TE

R W

OR

D S

EA

RCH

B

y T

abit

ha

Sto

udt

‘16

They never really tell you how to do it. They just expect you to know how to. No training, no nothing. You're just thrown into this predicament called LIFE, where you have so much re-sponsibility and you have no idea how to manage it all.

They teach you time management but do you think they actually prepare you. NO, they don't. They don't even tell you what you will have to manage because the truth is that YOU don't even know what YOU have to manage. Yeah, sure, you can sit back and say you do but do you actually? Tell me. Name EVERYTHING that you have to manage and have to know. Bet you can’t.

Growing up they teach you to enjoy life while you have the chance. That comes back to bite us when we grow up and become adults and still try to live by it. Yeah, sure, every once in awhile it is nice to ignore all your responsibilities and come back to them later on but is that mature? Will it backfire? That is the real question.

Management by Cecily Godfrey ‘17

PANTHERETTE PAGE 14

Rolling through the hallways with blinking lights… Blaise

Hoster is quite a force to brush past. Anyone who knows her knows

that she is fun, funny, and truly active. Of course, some people might

not realize that Blaise’s wheels don’t prevent her from racing

through her teenage life with enthusiasm and optimism, while she

achieves major goals along the way.

How long have you been in a wheelchair?

Since 5th grade. Would you like to share the reason on why you are in a wheelchair?

I have a muscle disorder called HSP. Henoch-

Schonlein Purpura. Throughout your years in public school, have you encountered any

difficulties?

Yes, like getting to classes on time. Do people move out of the way for you in the hallways?

Yes and No. Does the SV staff do a well enough job of accommodating for your disability?

Yes. Do you do any activities or sports someone wouldn’t think a person in a wheelchair would do?

I play sled hockey, I am on the SV bowling team, and I hunt. Do you notice any person that gives you dirty looks due to the fact that you are in a wheelchair?

No dirty looks, but I do get stares. What do you plan on doing in your future?

Go to college. So at the risk of exposing TMI, I’m sure you have horror stories of disrespect and miscommunication in public

bathrooms regarding handicap stalls... Care to share?

A lot of people use them and I am just waiting there. Then they come out and they are like “Oh,

sorry.”

You are almost at the age of driving, what do you think of that? Driving handicap and handicap parking?

I’ll have to use hand controls to operate the gas and brake pedal. Also, I’m very excited to

drive. As for handicap parking, I don’t want to get a handicap plaque. I believe I am capable of

parking far away and getting to my destination. Has anyone disrespected you or your wheelchair? Anyone just come up and touch your chair?

Some kids come up and push me and I don’t know who they are but it doesn’t bother me. What is it like to be in a wheelchair?

I don’t feel confined. You are never truly confined, well you are but you are not if you know

what I mean. Do you ever say “Why me?” or get angry, sad, etc.?

In the past I have felt upset and depressed; I have had episodes. As I got older I realized what I

have to deal with and deal with it. Will you ever walk again?

Yes I will. What are some of your best accomplishments so far?

Finishing 2 - 5Ks on a hand cycle and joining a sled hockey team. What advice do you have for other, younger kids coming through the high school with a disability?

Just don’t worry what other people think just worry about yourself and everything will be fine.

Blaise Hoster Tabitha Stoudt ‘16

PAGE 15 VOLUME 55 , ISSUE 3

Complete this crossword within 24 hours? Stop by and show Mrs. Barrett in F109 for a holiday treat!

Happy Holidays!

Artwork by Angel Martinez ‘16

Chase N’ Harmony Hi, everybody! We’re Chase n’ Harmony, and we’re new around here! From now on, we’ll be writing our very own advice column in

the Pantherette. For starters, here are some guidelines to follow when submitting questions:

Questions should be appropriate in length (i.e. no giant paragraphs)

All questions should be Anonymous. Any questions with names will be discarded. Also, if you are asking for advice on a particular

person, please do not mention their real name. If you must say a name, use a fake name.

Questions may be dropped off to Mrs. Barrett personally at any time. They may also be placed in her mailbox in the high school

office, or in the envelope outside of her room.

Questions should not be of an inappropriate nature (i.e. no swearing, inappropriate content, etc.)

All submitters will be kept anonymous. Mrs. Barrett will be the only one who knows the identity of the submitter (if you give it to

her personally. Obviously she won’t know who you are if you put it in her mailbox.). Even we are not told.

We will do our best to answer all questions we receive. However, there is no guarantee that all will be able to be answered.

Submissions will be more fun if you sign it with a creative name! (i.e. Confused Carl, Debby Downer, etc.)

CHASE: She’s just a little too cautious.

HARMONY: I am not!

Oh, and our true identities will be kept secret, too. It makes it more fun that way.

Other than that, everything is fair game! Feel free to ask us questions about anything like school, friends, teachers, family, and anything

else you’d want advice on! Enjoy, and we hope to hear from you soon!

Question 1:

Dear Chase n’ Harmony, I don’t really know what to do. I feel like one of my teachers is showing favoritism to certain kids in my

class. They’re always called on, they get good grades, even though they don’t try anymore than I do. And I’ve noticed that when I or

someone else asks a question, the teacher isn’t as kind as she is when one of her favorite students asks the question. What should I

do Chase and Harmony?

Signed: Outraged Oscar

Dear Outraged Oscar, Ok, so first off thank for asking this because this isn’t something many of people would ask on their own. Now to business, no one

knows for sure if said teacher is showing favorites, only the teacher does, but as a student who has felt what it’s like to see this in action

and have been the one on the butt end of the stick, I know how you feel. However, I highly doubt the teacher would fake grades for the

students they like, seeing as that can cost them their job and their reputation, but the other actions the teacher does can point towards

favoritism. All you can truly do about this issue is ask the teacher about this, or report it to another teacher or a higher up school em-

ployee and encourage others to report about this so it isn’t just a “he said she said” debate. I hope this helped, even just a little!

Chase

I agree with Chase. It would be pretty hard to cover up giving students fake grades (not saying I don’t believe you.) I’m going to say

exactly what my pal Chase said. Go to the teacher. Nothing can be solved if you don’t speak up. And if you don’t feel comfortable go-

ing to that teacher, (because let’s face it, that conversation might feel a little awkward,) go to Mr. Sasse or Mrs. Drake, or one of the

guidance counselors. They can be a great help, and they can give you advice on how to approach the teacher, so you don’t seem out of

line or disrespectful. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us in our next issue of the Pantherette.

Harmony

Did you know that

Diamond Boyer ’18

and Kahlan Tripp ’17

are our Schuylkill

Valley diving divas?

Question 2:

Dear Chase n’ Harmony, I’ve had a boyfriend since the fifth grade. Things started out great! We played kickball, he gave me his

Tastykakes; the normal fifth grade love stuff. But now that we’re in high school, and his shoe size is 14, things have gotten a little

rough. Let me start off by saying this. He does not understand the concept of hygiene. Every time we hang out, there is this fester-

ing odor of dying fish in the room. However, whenever I tell him that he should, you know, take a shower, he gets all angry and says

that he is perfectly fine! How can I make him smell better Chase/Harmony?

Signed: Tastykake Tammy

Dear Tastykake Tammy,

Thank you very much for your letter. First off, I TOTALLY understand your point of view. However, I don’t think there’s much you

can do about his stench. At a certain point in a boy’s life, he hits that awesome stage called puberty. And the smell is just something

that comes along with it. However, here’s my advice: next time you feel the need to bring his aroma up, do it gently. Boys, like girls,

have feelings, and you certainly wouldn’t like it if he came right out and said you stunk. After you nicely tell him he could smell

more pleasant, if he still gets angry, calmly tell him the benefits of bathing. It’s healthier, and it will make him more enjoyable to be

around. If he still refuses, then when he isn’t looking just spray him with a little Febreeze. I can loan you a can if you want. Problem

solved!

Harmony

Ok, so coming from a guy, I know how he feels, funny part is I already went through the whole “don’t shower for a couple days” in

middle school, thankfully I’m better, but honestly the only hope I see is sneak up on him each and every day and spray him with a

can of cologne. Seriously now, it could be hard to get him to see as to why he should shower, but just explain your reasoning to him

and ask him kindly to shower more often. If he doesn’t pull the “Do it for me?” card, works every time on me to be honest. I hoped

this helped at least a little bit.

Chase

What keeps you sane during the Holiday season each year?

Mr. Heffner- My family

Mr. Horrell- The perspective that his life is pretty awesome compared to many in the world

Mr. Maurer- Wrestling

Mr. Sasse- I know some families drive each other nuts, but my family keeps me sane through all the holidays!

Mr. Smith- Staying away from the Black Friday sales, shopping at small businesses, buying presents on eBay and Etsy- delivered to

the door, getting ample rest

Mrs. Drake- Being with friends and family and online shopping! Cannot stand malls this time of year!

Ms. Kauffman- Getting to sleep in for a few extra hours!

Mrs. Koehler- The internet because of how easy it is to shop online

Mrs. Koller- Organization

Mrs. Musket- Start my shopping early; enjoy the joy of watching my daughter through her wondrous, innocent spirit of the magical

season

What are your favorite traditions? Mr. Heffner- Watching National Lampoon’s Christmas vacation

Mr. Horrell- Family meals and football games on TV, Super bowl food and fun

Mr. Maurer- Family meals and gatherings

Mr. Sasse-My favorite tradition with my parents and brothers is the “Finding of Victor the Vulture.” This is a Christmas tradition

that involves Halloween costumes and a ransom note. Now that I have children, my favorite tradition around Christmas time is our

own “Polar Express.” My wife and two daughters get snacks and hot chocolate and drive around the neighborhoods looking at

Christmas light displays. We also sing along with Christmas songs during our drive. I hope to continue this family tradition well

into my daughters’ teenage years so they can be “so embarrassed by their dad.”

Mr. Smith- Getting our Christmas tree and setting it up in mid-December, baking chocolate chip cookies, getting together with fam-

ily members on the Holiday break; we also make an annual trip to New Holland Sales Stables in honor of my late father-in-law

where we pick up “farmer calendars.”

Mrs. Drake- Watching Charlie Brown Christmas with her family, helping her family prepare meals, giving back to the community

and donating to shelters.

Ms. Kauffman- Going to Christmas Eve Church service with her family! Silent Night by the candle light brings tears to her eyes

Mrs. Koehler- Her entire family goes to Christmas Eve service, and then out to dinner, her father reads The Night before Christmas

to her kids, checking for Santa, her kids get up at a ridiculous hour on Christmas morning

Mrs. Koller- Family Christmas Eve Church service; potato filling at Christmas dinner;, traditional PA Dutch pork & sauerkraut on

New Year’s Day

Mrs. Musket– The day after Thanksgiving was the day her family would always decorate the tree; she got to open one gift on

Christmas Eve; and she would go to her grandparents after Christmas Eve service.

Holiday Survey

Lucy Johns ‘18

How did you learn

about this scholar-

ship program? “I heard about OYW

(Outstanding Young

Women) in school

and Mr. Mogford re-

ally encouraged me

to audition.”

Explain what the

Berks Outstanding

Young Women is. “OYW (Outstanding

Young Women) is a

scholarship program

for senior girls. Audi-

tions are held in May

and each girl must

meet the basic requirements; at least a 3.5 GPA and be

involved in your school. The audition begins by compet-

ing against girls from your own school to see who moves

on to compete with girls from schools all over Berks

County. The first part, or the Preliminary, is when judges

evaluate academics before even seeing participants. Then,

for the actual audition there is a two minute talent, which I

choreographed a dance for, a fitness routine which was

taught before the auditions to every participant and an in-

terview which are basically questions about current

events.”

When did practices start to get you prepared for the

audition? “Practices started in August and were held almost every

Sunday from 1p.m to 5 p.m. All participants learned the

same fitness routine and we practiced a presentation and

solos individually.

When was the show held? “The show was held October third at 7p.m. There were 20

girls, one from each school in the county and each girl

was judges on academics, 10 minute interview, fitness

routine, talent and presence.”

Who received first place? How did you feel about it? “First place went to a participant from Tulpehocken. In

my opinion, she earned the win.”

Angie Tota ‘16

Favorite Holiday Beverages By Mitchell Moyer ‘19

Eggnog: Madison Davidson

Kendra Zimmerman

Callie Watmuff

Leanna Ramos

Izzi Velgara

Hot Chocolate: Brett Sigoda

Lauren Stephany

Savannah Stevens

Matthew Maggario

Anna Bunnick

Joe Quigley

Anikin Glassmire

Other: Luke Innis, milkshakes

Bailey Miller, punch

Maddie Zimmerman,

chocolate milk

Schuylkill Valley’s Outstanding Adrianna Popa! How do you feel about this entire experi-

ence? “This scholarship program was a very good expe-

rience because I got to meet new people in a sup-

portive environment. OYW (Outstanding Young

Women) encourages girls to be true to themselves

and beautiful from the inside out. I like that it's an

organization that preaches morals and values be-

cause in today’s culture many women are only

judged on appearance”

Would you like to say anything else to the

girls who think about participating? “I would encourage every junior girl to think

about auditioning.”

Schuylkill Valley is excited to welcome and

introduce Ms. Wang to the close-knit community that

the school embodies. Ms. Wang is the new Chinese

teacher from the Hebei province of China. Ms. Wang

will live in America for the present school year with

other Chinese teachers who like her, are also from

China visiting to teach American students Chinese.

She attended school at Wuhan University in China

where she enjoys, playing badminton, watching mov-

ies and shopping. Her favorite things about America

are chocolate and ice cream, in which we have in

abundance of. When asked what shocked her most

when she arrived in America Ms. Wang responded

that we also have bad traffic like China and was also

astounded that we also have to wait in line to pur-

chase tickets. Ms. Wang’s first impression of Ameri-

ca was that the country was beautiful and that all the

people were all friendly and smiling all the time. As

much as Ms. Wang likes America she does especially

miss the dumplings back from her home. Above all

Ms. Wang is eager to work with her students this

year where she believes them to be extremely active

and creativity. She thanks her students for trying their

best to understand her English and their genuine in-

terest in her language and culture. “I like all my stu-

dents very much! <3” Welcome to Schuylkill Valley,

Ms. Wang! Lindsey Zimmerman ‘17

Ms. Wang

yield: 48 SQUARES prep time: 10 MINUTES total time:

4 HOURS, 10 MINUTES

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with alumi-

num foil, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the

finished fudge out.

Melt the peanut butter and butter together in a

large bowl. Stop the microwave and stir the mixture

every minute until completely melted and smooth.

Remove from the microwave and stir in the vanilla

using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Add

the confectioners' sugar and stir until completely

combined. The mixture is very, very thick and re-

sembles cookie dough.

Press the fudge into prepared baking pan,

smoothing the top with the back of a spatula or

spoon. The top will be somewhat oily. Cover tightly

with aluminum foil and chill for at least 4 hours or

until firm. Cut into pieces and enjoy.

source: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/10/29/peanut-butter-

fudge/

NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER SQUARES

By Kacie Jones ‘17

On the Friday of Spirit Week, Cailynn Chase was announced as the Homecoming Queen for

Schuylkill Valley. Here’s a few words from her regarding the event::

What does it mean to you to be homecoming queen?

It’s an honor because people have faith in me. To do what? I'm not quite sure.

Were you excited?

I was in shock and halfway to tearing up.

How do you want your reign as homecoming queen to influence the school?

In my term as queen, I would hope that the student body can learn a sense of friendship and com-

munity.

What are you looking forward to most in college?

Not having a car, being able to walk around, just being more studious.

A Message from Our Queen By Bella Ciervo ‘16

Calendar for December

8th - 7:30 PM High School Holiday Concert - HS Aud.

12th - ACT

13th - Ice Cream Day

17th - Wright Brothers Day

23th - Christmas Ball

Late December - Early January

24th - 3rd - Winter Break

2nd - Motivation and Inspiration Day

5th - Whipped Cream Day

14th- District Orchestra Festival

15th - PRESIDENTS’ DAY (No School!)

Farmer’s Almanac Winter Predictions~ Bailey Miller ‘17

DECEMBER 2015: temperature 35° (3° below avg.

north, 1° above south); precipitation 2.5" (0.5" below

avg.); Dec 1-3: Sunny, mild; Dec 4-10:

Periods of rain and snow north, showers south; Dec 11-

13: Sunny, mild; Dec 14-19: Snow showers, cold; Dec

20-23: Sunny, cold; Dec 24-26: Snowstorm; Dec 27-

31: Rain, then sunny, cold.

JANUARY 2016: temperature 27° (3° below avg.);

precipitation 2.5" (0.5" below avg.); Jan 1-5: Sunny;

cold, then mild; Jan 6-13: Snow showers, then flurries,

very cold; Jan 14-17: Periods of rain and snow; Jan 18-

26: Snow showers, very cold; Jan 27-31: Rain and

snow showers, turning quite mild.

Winter will be colder than normal, with precipitation

slightly below normal. The coldest period will be in the

middle part of January, with other cold periods in mid-

and late December and early February. Snowfall will

be near normal in Pennsylvania and above normal else-

where in the region, with the snowiest periods in late

December, mid- and late January, and early and mid-

February.

PREPARE YOUR UGLIEST OF SWEATERS FOR WEDNESDAY THE 23RD!

It will be a day to gaze upon hideously knitted

attire!