Author: Penn Points Staff

March Madness is Back at Penn Manor

By Cody Straub,  Simon Zimmerman and David Mohimani

Penn Manor High School has a buzz surrounding it. Why? Because it’s that time of year again.  No, not Saint Patrick’s Day weekend. It’s the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, and, as Dick Vitale would say, ” It awesome baby! With a capital A!” March Madness is back, and the students of Penn Manor are ready for the most drama-filled weekend in sports.

With the toss of the basketball at 12:15 on Thursday, March Madness began  with West Virginia vs. Clemson.

Why is everyone so excited for the tournament?  It’s the passion of the players who want to make it to the Final Four in Houston makes this tournament great. It’s for the non-stop basketball, the suspense of not only the games, but if your bracket will be correct.

“When March Madness comes around it feels like a second Christmas,” said junior Alex Kirk.

The Final Four will be in Houston this year.

The game everyone was waiting for was the Penn State vs. Temple game at 2:10 on Thursday. For Penn State fans, it’s a welcome change to see the basketball team making some noise in March instead of just the football team in the fall.

Before the game there was buzz around the high school about being able to witness Penn State basketball in the national spotlight, a very rare occasion compared to its football team.

“I’m excited for it(the Penn State game) because I’m looking forward to watching Penn State basketball for once,” said senior Josh Carle.

Unfortunately  for the Lions and their fans, it was an early exit when they lost to Temple 66-64, on a last-second shot.

Talor Battle led Penn State to March Madness. Photo by rivals.com

Just making the tournament  is a huge accomplishment for  Penn State who is in the tournament for the first time since the 2000-2001 season. The main reason for their return is Talor Battle. Battle averaged 20.1 points per game this season, and made countless big shots to help the team get the wins it needed to get a bid for the Big Dance.

Kirk made a bold and incorrect prediction for the game.

“Penn State is gong to win because of Talor Battle,” said Kirk.

Other students  weren’t as optimistic of Penn State pulling off the upset as a 10 seed over 7 seeded Temple.

“They used up all their magic in the Big Ten Tournament,” said senior Peter Horning.

It looks like all the last second magic was left at home for the Lions.

Even though Penn State had the majority of Penn Manor on their side, because  it’s a battle of two local teams, some were rooting for Temple, and others were indifferent and just excited to watch the local teams square off.

“I was excited to watch the two local teams go at it, I just wanted to see a good game,” said junior James Servansky.

The Penn State-Temple game won’t be  the only game students tune into as the tournament is just getting started, continues all weekend, and the next two weekends as well.

No matter who you root for, March Madness is the greatest time of year for all college basketball fans. So sit back relax and enjoy the madness.

Penn Manor Battles into State Wrestling

By Alyssa Byers –

Fighting for first place is a lot harder than it looks.

Thursday March 10 was the start of the  PIAA State Championships for wrestling. From Penn Manor, Bobby Rehm and Evan Singleton fought to place in the tournament. By the end of the third day, Rehm won fifth place in states. Rehm is the first wrestler to place at states since Ryan Bosso in 2005. Bosso also placed fifth.

“I thought they did very well,” said coach Steve Hess. “They did outstanding.”

Evan wrestles against Josh Duplin. Photo by Alyssa Byers.

Both Rehm and Singleton won their preliminary matches on Thursday. Rehm wrestled Robert Rizzolino of Easton and won 4-2. Singleton took on Alec Gluvna from Corry, winning 7-3.

On Friday, things seemed to take a turn for the worst for Penn Manor. In the quarter-finals, Rehm lost to Zach Mcginnis of Waynesburg 11-8. Singleton also lost in the quarter-finals, 3-1, to Jeremy Reith of Father Judge.

Later in the day, however, Rehm won in the consolation quarter-finals to Kody Young from Punxsutawney 6-3. Rehm would move on to day three, Saturday March 12th. Singleton, however, lost to Josh Duplin from Westmont Hilltop 6-5. Friday was his final day in the tournament.

“It was really cool being up there and it was really cool knowing I was one of the top wrestlers in the state,” said Singleton.

Day three came and Rehm won against Mike Fake from Parkland 12-5. In his final match, Rehm wrestled Devon Litito from Liberty. He lost 7-3. This placed Rehm at fifth.

Bobby wrestles his way to fifth place. Photo by Alyssa Byers.

“I definitely feel like I could’ve done better. I feel like I could’ve been in the state finals,” said Rehm.

This was the last time the boys would wrestle in high school, and were respected for how far they’ve made it.

“You could always want to do better, but it’s a fine line at states,” said Hess.

Marc and Matt’s March Madness Mania

By Marc Summy and Matt Ulmer –

This time of the year brings deja vu and arguments to student sports analysts Matt Ulmer and Marc Summy: March Madness.

Summy: Pitt fans prepare to be disappointed. The Panthers are not consistent enough to make a deep run. Don’t expect them to make it past the third round. Their weakness is big men and Old Dominion.  Since Old Dominion has plenty of bigs, I am picking for them to play each other in the third round.  I don’t think the Panthers will make it out of this one.

Another upset to watch out for is George Mason over Villanova. Although this George Mason team is not as good as the 2006 underdogs who fought their way into the final four, they are going into the tourney with enough steam to send Villanova home. Advancing in the brackets is all about who is hot and on a roll, the Nova Wildcats are 4-8 in their past 12 games while George Mason is 11-1. Enough said.

For my Final Four picks I am going with Ohio State, Duke, Kansas, and Florida. These are all strong teams, hence why they got the number one seed in their region, except for Florida who is number two.

Ohio State vs Duke will be a great game. These are two tough teams who go at it on the floor and have incredible individuals. These Final Four games have a National Championship like feel to them and don’t forget that Duke is last year’s defending championship team, so they will be hungry for another.

The Kansas vs Florida game will be a challenge of course, but I just think the Jayhawks are too good for the Florida Gators. Kansas runs an uptempo game and when you add the Morris brothers and the role player’s three-point shooting, it is tough for any team to stop them.

Look for Duke to meet Kansas in the National Championship game. Although I am a Duke fan I won’t be biased and just have Duke going all the way.

I strongly believe that Kansas will come out on top.  If they play their game, nobody can stop them.

Ulmer: Are you kidding me? George Mason over Villanova.  You people are crazy. Sure, I’m a Villanova fan, but it doesn’t take being biased to realize a team from the CAA with a weak schedule like George Mason to know Nova is going to win. With that being said, it saddens me to accept there is no way Nova is getting past Ohio State.

Out all of all four number one seeds, I think it’s pretty obvious Ohio State is the most lethal and Pittsburgh is the weakest. No team who has lost their first conference tournament game has ever went on to win the National Championship, sorry Pittsburgh. Duke, unless they get Kyrie Irving 100 percent healthy, there will be no repeat this year. Kansas is the only team in my mind that can put up a legitimate fight with the Buckeyes.

Jared Sullinger is the core of the Buckeyes and looks to be dominant enough to get a championship as a freshman.

Any team who shoots 14/15 from the three point range against Wisconsin leads me to think they aren’t collapsing in this year’s tourney.

Freshman sensation and Player of the Year nominee Jared Sullinger and shooter Jon Diebler who hit seven three’s in that game, lead the powerhouse squad.

My Final Four features the Buckeyes, Kansas Jayhawks, Pitt Panthers, and the red-hot Uconn Huskies. My biggest pick was the Kemba Walker-led Huskies over the reigning champs Duke. In my championship match-up i have Ohio State sliding by Kansas in what will be a fantastic game.

Be sure to comment and let the Penn Points staff know how you feel about these two experts’ brackets.

Here is Marc’s bracket:

http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/entry?entryID=1942982

Here is Matt’s bracket:

http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/1228392

Obama Picks all Chalk – Students Don’t Respect

President Obama made his NCAA Mens Basketball Championship picks. And let’s just say he doesn’t take the same risks with his bracket that he does with politics.   All number one seeds.

In fact Obama does not have any seed ranked lower than a number three in his Elite Eight, not to mention no team below a number five seed in his Sweet Sixteen.

President Barack Obama plays it safe in his NCAA bracket. Photo courtesy of the Atlantic.com

Obama favors the Kansas Jayhawks to beat the Buckeyes from Ohio State in the championship game.

Obama has a history of picking all chalk. Last year he also had two number one seeds in the championship game and no lower than number two seed in his Elite Eight.

While Obama may believe that these are the best teams, is picking chalk the easy way out?

“I get disgusted when I see that, that’s never going to happen,” said junior Andrew Herr, referring to the outcome of the tournament.

Obama playing basketball photo courtesy Midwest Sports fan
Obama playing basketball. Photo courtesy of Midwest sports fan

Junior Alec Keck said of people that pick all number one seeds, “They are afraid to take chances.”

When students were told that it was President Obama who had picked all number ones,  their views were not swayed.

“Obama sucks for picking all number ones,” said Herr.

After Keck discovered it was Obama who picked all number ones, he stood by his earlier comments.

“That doesn’t change my mind at all,” said Keck.

While the President’s picks may be predictable, the most important question is – are the picks correct?

Obama has been 50 percent right so far in his presidency when it comes to predicting the college basketball champion.

In 2009 he correctly picked North Carolina and last year he incorrectly selected Kansas, whose team did not make it past the second round.

Obama has better luck this year, when in doubt #1 seeds is not a bad place to start.

PVAAS Predictions Raise Reasonable Concern

By Sarah Schaeffer –

The future for Penn Manor’s PSSA’s does not seem bright, according to the Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System (PVAAS), Penn Manor students are predicted to be behind in their PSSA’s this year.

PVAAS, released for the first time to the public this year, measures individual students’ academic growth over time, specifically through their third and eighth grade PSSA’s, projecting their eleventh grade scores. A growth index number is assigned to each student to predict their growth, with a zero represents a year’s worth of academic growth in a year, a positive number represents more than a year’s growth and a negative number indicates less than a year’s worth of growth.

PVAAS Prediction Chart. Photo courtesy of Lancaster Online.

On Monday, the PVAAS scores were published in local newspapers, ranking Lancaster County’s public schools’ growth predictions. Penn Manor was given a -5.8 in math and a -1.0 in reading. Meaning, basically, that the school district is slightly behind in reading and way behind in math, ahead of only McCaskey and Solanco in Lancaster County.

The chart is also displayed in traffic light colors, green indicating above predicted achievement, yellow meaning predicted achievement and red indicating below predicted achievement. Though Penn Manor is expected to not achieve a year’s worth of growth in either math or reading, the district falls in the red only in math and yellow in reading.

“PVAAS is extremely accurate and an indicator of student growth on PSSA’s over time,” said Dr. Michael Leichliter, Penn Manor’s superintendent.

“I’m disappointed [in the PVAAS results],” said Angela Stiklaitis, head of the Penn Manor math department.

Leichliter also said the high school had not focused in all classes on math like it has in reading. This may provide an explanation as to why Penn Manor’s reading scores are slightly more optimistic than math.

However, the “enrichment” scheduling implemented this year in the high school will, hopefully, positively impact the current juniors’ PSSA scores.

“A combination of enrichment and individual remediation will help [students’ scores],” said said Stiklaitis.

With PSSAs already three days in, the pressure’s on for Penn Manor.

Penn Manor Students Get To Experience New Culture

By Bryan Hess and Stetson Hershey –

Thirteen Penn Manor students will be traveling to Germany this summer to experience what life is like halfway around the world.

German teacher Nadine Smith, is taking some of her more experienced German students back to her homeland to expose the students to the culture.  The students will be leaving for their destination on June 9 and will be staying for three weeks.

Not only will the students be vacationing in Germany, they will be living  full-time with their exchange students for the first two weeks of their stay in the foreign country.

All the German students and exchange students. Photo by Katie Coon

They will also be attending school with them during the week, because in Germany, they have school year round.

“They observe how school works over there,” said Smith.

Even though these students will have to be attending two extra weeks of school, there are a select few who like the idea of going to a school in Germany.

“I’m interested to see what level English they are learning,” said Tyler Keck, a senior and one of the more fluent German speakers according to his teacher.

After the first two weeks, the students will spend the third and final week traveling throughout the country.

One of the destinations will be Smith’s hometown, Mühlberg.

“My parents usually host us for picnic,” said Smith

The students will also be traveling to Frankfurt, Munich, the Bavarian Alps, and Bamberg.

In order for the students to go on the German trip, some money must be raised.

“I’m not a big fund-raising person,” Smith said, “but it must be done so students can go to Germany.”

“We have done multiple fundraisers,” stated senior Kyle White, “I think they were successful.”

German exchange kids with their hosts. Photo by Katie Coons

The fundraisers that were done are a car wash and two candle sales.

“The car wash wasn’t too bad, but I didn’t like selling candles. I’m not very convincing at selling things” Joked junior Austin Rowley.

The students raised about $1,800 towards their experience.

Once the students get to Germany, they all will be participating in a culture show.  The culture show is an opportunity for the students to showcase some of their talents for their German friends.

Each student will be involved in at least one dance, but some students wanted to do something more personal.  Senior Peter Horning will be playing the piano.

Keck, along with senior classmate Katie Coons, will be doing a German dance.

“I’ve been dancing since I was three,” said Coons.

The goal for the students is to use little to no English on the trip.  Although the students will have their exchange students to help translate, the biggest challenge on this trip will be communicating.

In order to speak in all German, they need to keep studying the language.  Many students are achieving this goal by being a part of German club, others go above and beyond and study on their own time.

“I’ve been reading some articles in German,” said Keck.

A five-ten minute presentation will also be made, in German, by each student in front of a class full of German students.  The presentation will be on a topic that is part of the culture that the students live in.

“I’m a little nervous about the presentation,” said Horning.

“The goal of all presentations is to enlighten the students on daily life in America,” said Keck, whose presentation is about sports in America.

These 13 students are putting in a lot of hard-work and preparation for their trip to Germany, but they are all still very excited.

“I am excited,” said Rowley, “I think I will be homesick though.”

“It’s going to be a great way to experience the culture first hand,” said Horning.

PM Nation:Bubble Watch

By Cody Straub and Taylor Groff –

PM Nation is back, and just in time for the greatest sporting event of the year the NCAA Basketball Tournament. After March 13 we will take a look at our last four in and first four out of the Big Dance.

Cody Straub: Here’s my last four in who will have to play to the,new for this year, First Four early next week:  Georgia, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia Tech. I should emphasize that each one of these teams have work left to do in their respective conference tournaments.

Taylor Groff: Well first I would like to say it’s great to be back after the year layoff, but I’m going to have to disagree with some of your picks. I think Tom Izzo and the Spartans are going to fight past Iowa and then squeak out a close game against Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament. Purdue’s going to be State’s statement victory that will give them a good enough tournament resume.   So here’s my last four in: Michigan St., Colorado, Virginia Tech, and Boston College

CS: Are you kidding me, Michigan State should not even be in the discussion for a bid. Everyone is considering them a lock for the tournament, and their resume isn’t even close to one of a NCAA tournament team’s is. Besides Wisconsin and Illinois they don’t have enough other good wins to be considered with a record just above .500. The only reason a barely above .500 team like Penn State is even being considered is because they have a lot of marquee wins. If Michigan State gets in, and Duke gets a number one seed then we know that the committee cares more about the name than the resume.

Tom Izzo looking to guide his per powerhouse off the bubble and into the tournament.

TG: I never said that Michigan St. is a lock I said they are going to need to win at least two games in the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan beat Illinois, Wisconsin, Penn State, Minnesota, and Washington. Oh and your saying Penn State has a lot of marquee wins? THEY BEAT THE SAME TEAMS THAT PENN STATE BEAT! The Spartans are (17-13) and the Lions are (16-13) and as of right now they have a better resume.

CS: I know a loss is a loss but compare Penn State to Michigan State and Penn State has some close losses to teams that Michigan State got blown out against. Michigan State lost by 20 against Iowa, 26 against Wisconsin, and 20 against Purdue. Those aren’t losses of a NCAA tournament team. Every top 25 team Penn State played they lost by 10 or less expect for two games. That shows they can play with anybody, and have a better chance to play a great team close than Michigan State in the big dance, if they get the chance because the committee will just see these games as losses, and see them a similar

Photo from the ClevelandLeader

team to Michigan State which is unfair. Alright moving out of the Big Ten here’s my first four out of the Big Dance: Alabama, Boston College, Michigan State, and Baylor.

TG: Oh okay so now every team on the bubble is going to make a case about them losing by less than the other team that gets in. That’s such a bad point. Every team in the NCAA will be crying about close losses. A loss is a loss sorry, but Penn State doesn’t deserve to make the tournament over Michigan State. My first four out are Baylor, Alabama, Georgia and Missouri St.

CS: I’m not saying the committee will look at these losses I’m saying it’s unfair to compare Michigan State’s losses with Penn State’s. It won’t effect who gets in and not but it should. Looking at you first four out I agree mostly with you except that I think the winner of Alabama and Georgia, who will play in the SEC quarterfinals, will get in.  Not sure that Missouri State should even be considered for an at large bid. They lost their conference championship game, and hasn’t even played a top 25 team. Well that’s all the time we got make sure to tune into Selection Sunday Show to see if our predictions were right.

Woodshop – a Hidden Paradise for Students

By Brandon McCormick & Eric Gerlach –

Woodshop – a little known class – but it’s beloved by many students.

When selecting school courses, not all students opt for the hands-on classes. But there is a select group of students who know what one of their electives will be each year. These students, without question, will have a woodshop class in one of their blocks.  Tyler Dommel, for instance, is a four-year veteran of wood shop.

Tyler Dommel posing with his project - Photo by Matthew Soto

“I took woodshop all four years,” Dommel said, “It will help me (create things) in the future,” said Dommel.

In the upper level classes, students are able to choose what they want to build with teachers, Matt Soto, permission.

Last year Dommel made a coffee table and this year he is making a TV stand. These projects he will be able to keep for a lifetime.

“My most successful project is my coffee table,” said Dommel, “but my TV stand this year will be equally as nice.”

The Cabinetry II class is the most advanced class of wood shop that Penn Manor offers. Some students who take this class joke around to other Penn Manor students that cabinetry II is an AP class, in more specific terms, “AP Wood.”

Kyle Musser has been taking woodshop classes for two years.

“I would recommend this class because it helps you think,” said Musser.

Musser plans to continue taking cabinetry classes to reach the “AP Wood” level.

Soto, the woodshop teacher, claims his favorite part of the class is the creativity and using the machines.

Matthew Soto helps a student cut wood - Photo by Eric Gerlach

“There are a lot of potentially dangerous machine that we need to be skilled in using,” said Soto.

Even with the potentially hazardous machines students use, Soto provides a safe class says Kyle Kann, another four year veteran.

“He keeps a safe work environment,” says Kann. “He runs a tight ship.”

Kann claims the most irritating part of the class is taking the safety quizzes before the students can use any machines. Although he understands the reasoning, everyone needs to be certified for each machine to ensure the safety of themselves and everyone in the shop.

“It’s something hands-on you can do during the day, and I’ll get something to keep at the end of the year,” said Kann.

Since the shop is tucked away in the lowest level of the school some students aren’t even aware of it.

Student working on their woodshop - Photo by Eric Gerlach

“I’ve never taken woodshop,” said Brandon Schuman.

Schuman has decided to stay away from the hands-on class claiming he doesn’t enjoy working with wood. He admits it would be an enjoyable class for some students.

“It gives appreciation for hard work and enhances their ability to be good craftsmen,” said Soto. “They have the enjoyment of making something they can take home with them.”

The class even takes part in “doughnut Friday.”  If everyone is progressing in their project the class enjoys a quick snack before heading off to second block.

Almost all “AP Wood” students agreed, others should take part in this hands on class, although they don’t mind keeping the secret to themselves.

Westboro Baptist “Free Speech” Angers Some

By Bryan Hess –

The Supreme Court decided in favor of Westboro Baptist Church March 2 in a case that is very controversial, like most things in which the self-proclaimed church is involved.

The church is notorious for causing a disturbance at funerals of soldiers that were killed in combat.  They attend the funerals to protest and claim that this is God’s way of punishing the country for its acceptance of homosexuality.  Now, church leaders of Westboro have threatened to protest at the funerals of children who died recently in a Perry County fire.

Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder died while fighting in Iraq.  Members of Westboro found out about the funeral and came to protest.  Albert Snyder, the father of the deceased, decided to press charges against the church.

Initially, the father was awarded $10.9 million.  Then on February 4, 2008, that total was reduced to $5 million.  Westboro appealed the case, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s decision.

Then the Supreme Court decided to take the case.

Although the Supreme Court has sided in favor of Westboro Baptist Church's protests, not everyone agrees. Cartoon courtesy of Politically Illustrated.

This decision surprised many.  It was a lopsided decision of 8-1 in favor of Westboro Baptist Church.  Chief Justice Roberts, who wrote the majority opinion, stated all of Westboro’s actions were protected under the First Amendment.

Ben Baer, a senior, agreed with the decision.  He feels that as long as the church follows all the rules that they aren’t doing anything wrong.

“They should be allowed to voice their opinion,” said Baer.

Westboro Baptist Church has strong beliefs against homosexuality, and believes that all tragedies that happen are because of America’s tolerance of homosexuality.

Fred Phelps is the leader of the church, which consists mostly of family members.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote the dissenting opinion.  He believes that the Church was only protesting to bring attention to themselves.  He also went on to say that there were many other places Westboro Baptist Church could have picketed, but they chose not to because the protest would have probably gone unnoticed.

Tyler Keck, another senior, said he agrees with the opinion of Alito.

“There were plenty of public places for them to protest, there is no reason they had to be at a funeral,” said Keck.

Keck also believed that because Westboro personally attacked the family that they should not be protected under the First Amendment.

No one thought the tragic deaths of seven children in a house fire in Perry County had anything to do with the Westboro Baptist Church.  However church leaders issued a statement announcing they would be holding a protest at the funerals of the children to show the fire was the result of God’s wrath on the homosexuality issue.

The U.S. Senator from Pa., Robert Casey, issued a statement denouncing the planned protest at the childrens’ funeral.

“Westboro Baptist Church’s repeated exploitation of personal tragedy is disgusting,” Casey’s statement read.  “They have protested funerals of troops killed serving their country.  Now it is targeting the funeral of children.  The protesters should stay in Kansas and pray for the Clouse family.  The U.S. Supreme Court may say that they can continue to preach hate, but that doesn’t mean we should tolerate their actions in Pennsylvania.  If this protest goes forward, I hope that the people of Perry County and the Midstate will come out to support the family.”

Microsoft Kinect Sales Skyrocket

By Eric Gerlach & Evan Shertzer

Some people use it for fun, others use it for exercise. Either way, a lot of people are using it

Recently, the Xbox Kinect passed 10 million sale milestone. According to digitaltrends.com, the Guiness Book of World Records has named the Xbox Kinect “The Fastest Selling Consumer Electronics Device.” Within in the first sixty days, Microsoft sold over eight million units.

Two gamers test their skills on the Xbox Kinect - Photo from bytefish.com

At Penn Manor, there are few students that own the Xbox Kinect, like freshman Ethan Barley.

“I used to use it a lot,” said Barley, “it is good for working out and it is a lot better than the Wii. The Wii sucks.”

The Xbox Kinect is made up of a microphone, console, sensors, and 3D camera.  The 3D camera picks up the human’s motion and depth allowing you to control the images displayed on the TV screen.  This new technology was presented and released by Microsoft in November of 2010.

“I’ve played it twice. It was fun and enjoyable,”  said freshman Brad Underkoffler, “I would like to play it again.”

The Xbox Kinect does have a somewhat hefty price attached to it: $150. It may seem like a lot of money to a high school student, but Underkoffler tells us it’s worth it.

“It costs a lot, but it really is worth the money,” said Underkoffler.

The Xbox Kinect and Console - Photo from digitaltrends.com

The Kinect breaks the sterotype that video games are an unhealthy habit for kids. You’ll still get a workout. Multiple Kinect compatable games involving fitness, like The Biggest Loser and EA Active 2, have been published.  These games help players stay active and healthy. And the games are a big benefit for those who are uncomfortable working out in front of others at school or at their local gym. Plus, if the weather doesn’t allow you to go outside, the Kinect allows you to still get some exercise.

“Without the Kinect, I would probably get fat,” Barley said.

In short, its innovative concept and impressive hardware make Microsoft’s newest toy a revolutionary device, bringing new possibilities to the gaming community.