Category: News

Penn Manor Cheerleaders are Up, Up and Away

Penn Manor’s competition cheer team is flying to new heights this season.

“This will be a big challenge for us, we are competing against teams from all over the state,” said coach Cindy Bachman

Several weeks ago, the competition squad competed for the district 3 championship at Central Dauphin East. “This is the first year that Central Dauphin East has done anything with cheer leading, so this is big,” Bachman said.

The competition went well until Penn Manor’s squad got disqualified for an illegal stunt and 30 points was deducted from their score.

A hush fell over the crowed when the Comets weren’t announced for the first place trophy. The audience could see Penn Manor was by far the best team in that division.

“This is our sixth competition and it was never mentioned on score sheets,” said Bachman.

Penn Manor had a competition at home and had the head judge reviewed their stunts, they were all legal.

So what were the Central Dauphin East judges seeing or mistaking the stunts for?

That question couldn’t be answered and the girls just had to move on.

“It was definitely a shock when we got disqualified at the Central Dauphin East competition, but our team has such a great amount of spirit and talent that for the next competition we will give it our all and hopefully come out on top!”

“It was a shame, because the girls performance was one of the best I’ve seen in awhile,” said Bachman.

The next competition Penn Manor is attending is on January 15th in Harrisburg. As of now they don’t know how many teams are going to be competing against, but its being held in the Zembo Shrine building.

“This should be a very good competition,” said Bachman.

Bachman said they are really working hard and preparing for the championship. “We bumped up the routine, added more tumbling and added doubles in our stunts.”

With one of the most talented competition squads Cindy Bachman has had in awhile she has high hopes for them and expects a lot out of them. This could be one of there better years if not, the best.

This season, 2010-11, is the first year the competitive squad was opened to a wide range of ages. The grades of the girls vary from 8th to 12th, which was a great change from years in the past.  Penn Manor gained a talented athlete, Hailey Spicer, youngest on the team is is a experienced flier and is the best tumbler on the squad. She is a great addition.

Cindy Bachman is very proud of the squad this year, “The girls have been working extremely hard, and they are very dedicated. They want to win this.”

The squad is following their motto, “We’re doin’ it!”

By Tyler Funk and Mary Treier

Plowable Snow Coming our Way

Set your alarm clocks fifteen minutes early tomorrow, slippery travel may cause some quandaries in the early hours.

A low pressure system is coming from the Midwest with little moisture in the air as another low pressure system strides northward up the East coast carrying a lot a moisture.  These two systems are beginning to collide giving the potential for snow over a vast area.

Light snow will begin around 4 p.m. lasting until about 6 pm when the snow will intensify and larger amounts of snowfall will begin to pile up.  Around midnight, snowfall will slow and soon taper off around 3 a.m., according to Eric Horst, meteorologist at Millersville University.

David Bender explains our next weather maker. Photo by Kyle Hallett

“I expect two to five inches by the time this event is over with more accumulations further eastward,” said Horst,  “this won’t be a major storm, it’s just moving too quickly for larger amounts of snow.”

Horst gives this storm a 20 percent chance that six to eight inches will be seen and maybe, if the system is too dry, only two inches will accumulate.

A plow makes their way through the snow. Photo by clallam.net

Further east, up to a foot or more is expected.  Snow amounts fall the further west you track.

The morning commute will most likely see snow covered secondary roads with wet conditions on the main roads.  Plows will be on the move during this whole storm and being careful is the best bet.

As for the rest of the week, cold temperatures will stick around with wind following the snow storm that may cause some drifting.

Get your snow stuff ready, sledding is a real possibility.

By Cree Bleacher and Kyle Hallett

Synthetic Marijuana may not Last Long in PA

The state of Pennsylvania could be on its way to banning synthetic marijuana.

Six states have already made the synthetic marijuana, and many of the chemicals associated with the drug, illegal to distribute and possess. Pennsylvania seems to be following suit. The state’s House Judiciary Committee approved a bill in September making synthetic marijuana illegal. It still has to pass the state Senate, the House of Representatives and get the governor’s signature bef0re it officially becomes a law.

According to the bill, and other states that have already banned synthetic marijuana, it isn’t safe for human consumption and can lead to death.

In a timely signal that synthetic marijuana can have serious consequences, a Shippensburg man crashed his car and injured his passengers New Year’s Day after he smoked K2, a form of the substance, according to police.

If the new bill is passed, the substance and many of the chemical properties found in the drug, won’t be allowed to be marketed even as an herbal incense. Many people have chosen to disregard the fact that the incense’s packaging warns “not for human consumption.”

According to Darrin Donmoyer, Penn Manor’s Student Assistant Program Director, synthetic marijuana is one of the newest drugs being talked about by students.

“It’s legal because it’s so new and the chemicals that they are using to produce it were not outlawed when it first came out,” said Donmoyer. “They’re selling it as ‘herbal incense’ blends.”

The desire to get the high from the drug may lead some to smoke the substance even if other forms of the drug are declared illegal.

The effects of this “fake” drug are headaches, anxiety, high blood pressure, stiff muscles, vomiting, temporary lose of vision, seizures and in some cases non-responsiveness.

“My hope is that students will quickly recognize that it is not a suitable alternative,” said Donmoyer.

He also said that the same help that is offered for other substances is also offered to those who use or are addicted to or are using synthetic marijuana.

The thoughts about synthetic marijuana by some members of the student body showed that many already disapprove of the drug.

“From what I have read, trying that stuff isn’t worth it,” said one student.

“Don’t waste your money…it isn’t worth it,” stated another student.

One student showed major concern towards the health risks.

“It’s even worse than cigarettes because it can put microscopic holes in your lungs after just one use. Imagine using that daily, that would cause terrible lung damage.”

Several students who had previously tried the drug said that it tasted horrible.

Both synthetic and non-synthetic marijuana have proven to be extremely unhealthy and cause adverse affects. But certain side affects from the synthetic version are putting it in the illegal zone with the original.

By Kendall Seigworth and Kim Blake

Fire Drill Disrupts Wrestling Match

Right before a Penn Manor High School wrestling match against Elizabethtown with more than 300 people attending is no time for a fire drill but that’s exactly what happened Wednesday night.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from the high school building.  Fans and athletes from both schools were outside shivering trying to keep warm while temperatures dropped below 30 degrees and a chilly wind made it more uncomfortable.

“That was exciting,” said Jeff Roth, Athletic Director at Penn Manor; “I evacuated everyone from the building. That was the first time I had to do that in 10 years.”

With the wrestling match scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., the crowd of people was still was still outside as police and fire engines started to arrive along with the district superintendent Mike Lichleiter. As the crowd filed out of the school, most were still unsure as to what was going on.

“We were in the middle of a photo shoot and the cop came in and told us all to leave the building,” said Brock Kauffman, a wrestler at Penn Manor.

After standing out in the cold for longer than 45 minutes, people were informed that there was no fire in the high school.

“The fire alarm going off was due to a faulty smoke detector,” said Principal Phil Gale.

The smoke detector that caused this event was in a storage closet close to the nurse’s office which is making some say dust or spiders could have done it.

The wrestling match did not start until 7:30pm., and was not over until 9:45pm.

By Mary Treier

Delay? Early Dismissal? No School? No Way

Waking up tomorrow, turning on the news and seeing that school is canceled due to a lot of snow will be a big disappointment to the students who discover the rumors of snow turned out to be rumors.

According to earth science teacher, David Bender, Penn Manor’s unofficial meteorologist, the district will see a very small amount of snow tomorrow, just a dusting to an inch, if that.

David Bender explaining the chance of large amounts of snow tomorrow not happening. Photo by Kyle Hallett

A low pressure system is creeping in from central Canada, carrying with it only little moisture.  The system will pass just south of Pennsylvania towards the coast. Snow will start falling late tonight where only a dusting will be seen, according to Bender.

“The Great Lakes are the only thing fueling this system right now and won’t flare up until it gets to the ocean,” he said.

The system will become a secondary low pressure system when it reaches the ocean where more evaporation will take place and moisture will build up.  This is when it will crank up and most of the snow or snow squalls will come (morning to early afternoon).

Snow storm in effect gathering moisture from the Great Lakes creating the lake effect snows. Photo by NWS Enchanced Radar

“Areas south of the Turnpike will accumulate a dusting to an inch, but when the system becomes a secondary low and there is something like a high pressure system further out in the ocean to block it,” Bender explained, “more snow will be dumped since the low will hang around longer and strengthen.”

The science teacher continued, “I’ll give it a 20 percent chance at the best for this to occur.”

“I don’t expect a delay or an early dismissal tomorrow,” Bender stated.

This snow storm doesn’t seem too promising but the weather coming next week seems to have more activity with a possibility of snow.

Bender explained that when a system starts out west, dips south toward the gulf and starts up the coast, a larger chance of a bigger snowfall will occur. If the system does not travel far enough south, the moisture will gather further north in the Atlantic ocean and miss Pennsylvania as it completes the rotation coming back into the US.

By Cree Bleacher and Kyle Hallett

Coming soon, to the Mac – Apps

The leader in technology, Apple, changed the world with the introduction of the iPod in 2001. In 2006, they unveiled the iPhone and iPod touch.

iOS, the user-friendly operating system the iDevices are based on, is now influencing the way we use our computers. Ever since software version 2.0 came out, iOS included the App Store. The App Store is a place to download and install new applications for your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.

Soon, the same App Store we have known for hand-held devices is coming to the Mac.

The upcoming Mac App Store. Image provided by Apple Computer.

The current Mac operating system, Snow Leopard, will have support for the Mac App Store. Mac OS X Lion, the upcoming Mac OS, will include the App Store. Like the iOS App Store, it will be a repository for software and games.

The Mac App Store will have both paid and free apps available. The categories will include: education, games, graphics and design, productivity and lifestyle.

As a unified distribution center for applications, the Mac App Store will allow users to browse and select applications without having the hassle of going out and buying software on disks or performing various steps to download and license software from websites.

Apple also made the Mac App Store convenient for developers. Developers who sell applications through the store will be able to pick the price per app and receive 70% of each app sale. The Mac App Store will allow developers to update their apps and submit them directly to Apple, which allows users to easily update their Mac’s applications through the App Store.

On Jan. 6, the App Store will be open. Also, on Apple’s website, the “Downloads” section will be taken offline.

By Nick Joniec

Silent Alarm Not Smart for iPhone Users

Ring, ring, ring… ring, ring, ring; that’s exactly what didn’t happen for some iPhone users whose alarms never spoke on the New Years.

Apple’s famous iPhone and iPod touch failed to wake up their users on the first day of 2011 that left many unsatisfied and asleep.  The glitch was felt around the country and around the school.

Senior Alex Geli came face to face with the alarm glitch not only once but twice.

“I set my alarm (on the iPhone) on Sunday for 12 p.m. so I wouldn’t oversleep since I hardly got any sleep the previous two nights,” said Geli.   “Instead of my alarm waking me up, I awoke by myself at 12:45 p.m.  I was confused because my phone always wakes me up on time and couldn’t seem to figure out what the problem was.”

The iPhone alarm let many people down as 2011 rolled in

Apple told Engadget, “We’re aware of an issue related to non-repeating alarms set for January 1 or 2.  Customers can set recurring alarms for those dates and all alarms will work properly beginning January 3,” the Apple spokesperson said.

On January 1, Apple realized that there had been a glitch with the alarms and noted that it would be fixed by Monday, January 3.  But alarms remained incoherent for the fourth day in a row leaving users fuming.

On New Years day, people were late to work, missed important appointments and flights and overslept.

Many users say not only are their alarms not going off but also their calendar events would not sound.

For some reason, this iOS alarm glitch is not affecting everyone and many believe that the problem is within the software itself.

Apple issued a statement advising many of its phones would not work at the start of 2011 but the warning was, obviously, missed by thousands of customers all over the world.  The glitch effected non-recurring iPhone alarms which stopped working for devices running iOS 4.02, 4.1, and 4.2.1.

This is not the first time Apple phone users encountered a problem.  Back on October 31, the so-called “smart phone” failed to recognize the turning of the clock back one hour (Day-Light Savings).

The alarm that wasn't.

Apple iPhones have had many problems ever since they were put on the shelves and have many questioning how smart they really are.  With all of these malfunctions occurring, Apple is losing the interest of people wanting to buy their product and will have to win back their fans.

Here at Penn Manor, some students and faculty experienced this glitch at the best of worst times.

Technology coach Shawn Canady has a son in the Marine Corps who had to return to San Diego on Sunday.

“I set one alarm for 4 a.m. and my son, Scott Tison, set four alarms for 4 a.m to make it to the airport by 5:15 a.m,” recalled Canady.  “The next day I awoke and something didn’t feel right.  I looked at my clock in surprise and saw the numbers five three zero.  We rushed to finish packing and got on our way to Harrisburg airport.  We arrived to the airport at 6 a.m. to realize he missed the flight.”

Canady’s son got booked on the next flight but instead of flying to D.C. and then to L.A. with a one hour layover, Tison had to fly to Chicago and then L.A. with a 13 hour layover.  Tison’s flight was to arrive at 3 p.m. on Sunday but never got to L.A. until  1 a.m. on Monday.

Canady said, “We have come to depend on these smart phones a lot and when it doesn’t work, it can really throw you for a loop.”

Canady explained that this glitch only happened to non-reoccurring alarms and not ones set weekly or for weekdays.

By Jan. 3, Geli suspected his alarm on his iPhone was not working.

So Geli tried his alarm again on Monday to wake up for school and set two alarms, one at 6:30 and the other at 6:45.

None sounded.

Luckily, Geli set another non-iPhone alarm, the old-fashioned kind,  and was not late for school.

“I have a smart phone, it’s supposed to work and when it doesn’t, I get very irritated,” he said.  “I’m starting to doubt my iPhone.”

Just remember, smart may not always be what it sounds.

By Cree Bleacher

New Year’s Resolutions Run the Gamut at Penn Manor High School

The new year, 2011, is here and it’s time to think about that New Year’s resolution.

It is time to set your goal to bring in the new year. Something that will motivate you to meet your goal by the end of the upcoming year. Many people can reach their goal, however others struggle or just never get to it.

A list posted on www.kcnewyears.com shows some of the most popular resolutions for the year. The resolutions are listed n order of most popular from one to ten. They are, spending more time with family and friends, getting fit, losing weight, quit smoking, enjoy life more, quit drinking, get out of debt, learn something new, help others and get organized.

A resolution list. Courtesy photo from http://www.google.com/imgres

Penn Manor students and staff are preparing for bringing in the new year by setting their resolutions.

“I don’t make New Year’s resolutions because I can never stick to it!,” said senior Cassey Graeff.

“My resolution is to have a definite answer to my future,” said senior Leah Freeman.

“My New Year resolution is to keep a perfect driving record,” said junior Taylor Goldberg.

“My goal is to get a 1.10.00 in back stroke for swimming,” said senior Olivia Rinier

The new year is a time for looking in to the future and setting goals to benefit you and keep you healthy.

“My resolution is to read more and watch less TV,” said administrator Jason D’Amico.

Being fit and getting in to shape was a popular resolution for the administrators at Penn Manor High School.

“I plan to eat healthier and stay in shape this year,” said administrator Eric Howe.

The New Years Ball. Courtesy photo from http://www.google.com/images

“My New Year’s resolution is to get in better shape,” said School Resource Officer Jason Hottenstein.

While some people are setting goals to benefit themselves physically, others are setting goals to help them emotionally.

“My resolution is to not be as stressed and to not worry as easily,” said senior Kristi Rineer.

“My goal is to spend more time with my family and friends,” said administrator Doug Eby.

Many people take resolutions seriously to improve their future and a lot of people set a goal, but fail to follow through with their resolution. Each year the list changes for different resolutions and the number one for people is always changing.

By Allana Herr

White Christmas to Come?

Penn Manor is dreaming of a white Christmas.

As winter rolls along and Christmas approaches, some are wondering if Lancaster can expect snow for the holidays.

Last year, Lancaster had over six feet of snow in total all winter long, making a new county record. This snow blew in just in time for the cheery holiday. This year however, the luck might run short.

“It is certainly cold enough to have snow, but in order to hope for a white Christmas, we need the right storm in the right spot,” said Millersville meteorologist Eric Horst.

“I really want to have snow for Christmas, it just makes everything complete,” said Penn Manor alumni Kirsten Bechtold.

Horst explained that because of the dry winter pattern the East Coast is experiencing, the chances are slim.

“As of now, there are no big disturbances coming to the East Coast to suggest a snow storm,” said Horst.

“if we don’t get snow, I’m gonna be really mad!” said another alumni Jessica Stetler. “Snow just adds to the Christmas spirit.”

Don’t stop wishing though, a small ‘storm’ might be heading this way. Horst explained a very small pattern is making its way towards Lancaster and should be here by the end of the week.

“If it does end up getting here, we can expect maybe one to two inches,” said Horst. “If the weather plays out this way, then yes, we may have some flurries for Christmas.”

“Having a white Christmas makes everything more ‘Christmasy’,” said senior Hannah Willett.

WGAL’s “White Christmas Probability Map” seems to agree with Horst. According to them Lancaster can expect a 25-50% chance of a snow filled holiday.

There might not be a blizzard for Christmas, but snow is a definite possibility.

By Toni Warfel

Remembering Eric Torbert Jr.

A former Penn Manor student, remembered fondly here, died recently in combat during his service in Afghanistan.

Corporal Eric Torbert Jr. courtesy of Lancaster Newspapers

Eric Torbert Jr., was a marine corporal and former graduate of Penn Manor High in 2003.  He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2007.

He died December 18 during combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

He was a combat engineer. His unit was based at Camp Pendleton, California.

He was recently married to Marcelle L. Sebastian Torbert on June 12, 2010.

He was remembered by former Penn Manor High Principal Janice Mindish.

“He wasn’t very outgoing, but he was a nice kid. He never got in any trouble,” said Mindish. “You have to be proud that he was brave enough to do what he did.”

Librarian assistant for Penn Manor Pamela Yarnell said, “The whole thing with Eric definitely makes me worry about my son who’s over there now.”

“When you’re a teenager, you feel invincible. Until you go over seas and do what they do.”

Yarnell’s son, a graduate of Penn Manor in 1998, is a flight engineer for KC10s.

“Don’t forget to worry and think about those guys when they’re not here,” Yarnell said.

Torbert always  enjoyed music and playing guitar, as well as playing in a local band, Whyte Lightning, according to a report in Lancaster Newspapers.

“I remember trying to get him to play basketball for the high school team back when I coached,” said John Erisman, a history teacher at Penn Manor.

Torbert worked as a newspaper carrier for the Lancaster Newspapers, and worked for BP Gas on Centerville Rd., as well as Just-4-Kids Furniture Store, according to Lancaster Newspapers.

Dr. Leichliter, Superintendent of Penn Manor School District, said the family is thankful for all the notes of condolences and is looking for ways to give back to the community in remembrance of Eric.

A memorial scholarship fund is being set up in Torbert’s name that will help high school students further their musical career.

Anyone interested in donating to Cpl. Eric Torbert Jr. memorial scholarship fund please send to: Cpl. Eric Torbert Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund. Susquehanna Bank; 536 Park City Center; Lancaster, PA 17601.

By Jenna Reel and Jessen Smith