Here Comes Trouble – The Story of Carousel Kings

Getting home at 3 am and going to school four hours later is not your typical teenage life. For two Penn Manor students, life has been anything but typical since the formation of Carousel Kings.

CK Guitarist Luke Harvey

The band formed sometime around November 2008 and has never looked back. Members of the band include Penn Manor students Luke Harvey as the lead guitarist and Andrew Zell on bass. Also inlcuded in CK are Solanco graduates Dave Garman on vocals and Kyle Cater playing guitar,  as well as Ephrata High School alumni Max Fasnacht behind the kit.

Appealing to audiences between the ages of 13 to 21, Carousel Kings has managed to tour twice in their band’s short lifetime.

Their first tour spanned two weeks during the summer, with the band playing in eleven different states. Then, in December, they toured in New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts for three days over the weekend, arriving home from their last show at 3am Monday morning. It costs a good amount of money (and sleep) to be in the band- they need to pay for gas, food, shirts, and equipment, just to name a few things.

Zell also explained that the band is going to be recording a full length album in late February, and hoping to release it sometime around May.

“We’re looking to go in to the studio for a week or two to put together a ten track album, which is going to be called ‘Don’t Be Immature About This,'” Zell explained. “I’m really stoked to be recording again and doing more weekend tours, it’s just a blast to go out and play and meet new people.”

Anyone who is interested in hearing the band can listen to them on several internet websites including: MySpace, Facebook, Purevolume, and, according to Zell, they are coming soon to iTunes.

If you like what you hear and want to attend a show, Carousel Kings will be playing at the Chameleon Club on January 29. The show is from 6-10 pm and tickets are $9 in advance. Appearing with them will be Digital Elvis, Bells, Signals the End, Like Wild, and Radioflyer.

By: Tyler Beckley

Tough Economy Leaves 83 Percent of Students Jobless

In such a tough economy, there are few job openings available for teens due to so many men and women being laid off. A part-time job can be very difficult for a teenager, or anyone to find, but there are some who are persistent, lucky, or both.

Penn Manor secretary, Dian Alston, said that approximately 300 work permits or working papers are given out to students in the Penn Manor area a year; this is about 17% of students in Penn Manor.

Ryan Krause, a junior who has been searching for a job for three years, said “I applied at multiple places, but with the economy the way it is, I haven’t gotten any calls returned.”

According to a random survey among Penn Manor students, only eight out of twenty-five students have a job, most of whom have been looking for a part-time job for about two years.

For some, age is a factor. The survey shows that fewer freshmen and sophomore students have jobs compared to junior and seniors.

For some it is because of inexperience, or that the job that they applied for was taken by someone older.

For whatever the reason, part-time jobs are becoming more scarce, making it difficult for teens to pay for gas, car insurance or even to hang out with friends. But there are jobs out there, you just have to be persistent, lucky, or both.

By Michael Stokes

2010: a year for not only new beginnings, but new technologies.

Who knows, flying cars and houses that float in the sky; we may be living like the Jetsons in no time with the new upcoming technologies in the year of 2010.

New gadgets coming out for the New Year

47 inch LG 3D TV: Your average flat screen TV but with a twist

Zach Campbell. Photo by Alex Blythe

A 3D TV
Battery 3D glasses that alternate right and left lenses
Use of film over the screen instead of glasses in some cases.
42-72 inches
Already being marketed
$3,000
Project Natal: The latest gaming technology even more hands free then the Wii.
A controller-free gaming experience
Allows interaction w/ Xbox 360 by camera
Coming out 2010 holiday season
Prices undecided
Nexus 1: Just “Google” it.
Phone made by Google
Touch screen
5 mega pixel camera w/ flash
2X digital zoom
Noise cancellation
480×800 pixel screen
$529 unlocked
$179 with T-Mobile service
Verizon Wireless service is coming spring 2010`
iSlate: A small, flat device with every imaginable technology consumer use.
Made by Apple
Tablet touch screen computer
MP3 capabilities
Internet accessible
Camera
DVD player
Phone
Dictionary
7 in by 10 in
Reported to be about $1,000

With all the hussle and bussle of the new decade, students at Penn Manor are keyed up about the upcoming technologies.
Molly Principe looked over the LG 3D TV and exclaimed, “It would make you feel like you were actually there.” Principe also added that, “Project Natal would be pretty sweet. I’d play that.”
Ryan Wissler also had good feed back about Project Natal, saying that he would play because, “It’d be fun and better than the Wii.”
On the contrary, other students were not feeling as thrilled about the new items.
Eric Gerlach stated his opinion on the iSlate, “I think that it would be annoying to have a touch screen computer. I would rather have an iPhone than an iSlate.”
Despite what students think, the makers of these products are expecting to have a full sellout. Some people say the iSlate will potentially be bigger than the iPhone.

By Alex Blythe and Kim Bowman

Want your cell phone battery to last longer?

You go to make a phone call with your fully charged phone and minutes  later… beep, beep cell phone dead. Don’t freak out.  There are 10 simple things most cell phone users can do to enhance their battery’s performance to continue their talks with their lovers.

1.Turn the cell off.  Obvious, right?

Turning off the power for just several minutes won’t help anything, but it will if you are not going to be able to answer or if you are going to be sleeping. You will receive all your text messages when the phone powers back up.

2. Stop searching for signals.

There will always be places where you can’t receive cell phone signals because of your location. Chances are, your cell phone won’t change its mind and you will never get signal in this location. Your cell phone will keep looking and trying to find signals which can drain a battery extremely quickly. The best thing you can do is to just turn the cell phone off or change the profile to airport mode.

3. Don’t use auto-brightness.

Yes, this is a cool feature and the quality of the screen looks incredible, but the brightness is more then necessary. Manually, put the brightness between minimum and halfway. For phones that do not have the brightness feature and have the backlight feature instead, just turn that off also because, it too, is unnecessary.

4. Try and keep the battery at room temperature.

Batteries have been proven to work longer while at room temperature. Just like you don’t like to be getting nailed by the sun with no protection, it is the same for the cell phone. Also, if the battery gets hot all the time, or gets hot when charging, it might be time for a new battery.

5. Extra features are sometimes excessive and can affect the battery.

The 3g mode can really make your phone run faster for the internet and in general, but if you’re not going to be using the internet today then turn it off. At the same time, if you’re going to be using the internet today then keep this mode on or else you will waste your battery loading new pages. Bluetooth is another thing that should practically always be turned off or set to manual. Most people don’t even know how to use this mode and should be only used for syncing devices or transferring material from one device to another.

If you have made all of these changes and haven’t noticed any type of improvement there are some other possibilities. Check on the internet for reviews on your phone to see if  your model of phone just has a bad battery and it’s time to find a new phone. Another possibility is if your battery might has just been used to much and needs replaced. The average life of a cell phone battery to be consistent is around 2 years.

By  Connor Rowe

Longwood Gardens an Adventure for Twilight students

If you need a little beauty and excitement in your life, come to Longwood Gardens for a visit over the holidays.

Ice skating shows, Christmas lights and warm hot chocolate for those cold winter nights, are just some of the attractions at Longwood Gardens.

Recently, students from Penn Manor’s Twilight program visited Longwood Gardens, and enjoyed the experience very much.

Cyle Williams said, “I enjoyed the garden because there were interesting plants I had never heard of, and I got the chance to learn a lot about them.”

Williams hopes to visit again soon.

A variety of unique plants and flowers can be seen, along with a gigantic conservatory greenhouse filled with exotic plants.  There are also  the glorious  lighted Christmas trees and ponds to throw coins and makes wishes.

For small children here is some great news: they have a room filled with small plants for the children to look at and learn about.

Longwood Gardens is a beautiful place with walkways and trains making their way up to the building.

You can leave the botanical wonderland with more than just memories if you stop in their gift shop.

The lights in Longwood Gardens will on every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the Christmas show is being held until January 10.

Another Penn Manor Twilight student, Collin Shaab, said, “The field trip was fun, the lights were very pretty, the flowers were beautiful, and the hot chocolate was delicious!”

Charles Kauffman agreed, “It was a great adventure,” he said, noting he would like to visit again.

By Damica Gabrielson and Erika Dukeman

The Truth About Band – One Opinion

With the band season now over, it is time to set the record straight.

If there is one thing I can say about band, it is that everyone has the wrong idea about it.

There are basically four major misconceptions about band.

The first: Band is for nerds. While I can not argue that there are quite a few nerds in band (I will not mention names), most of us are actually normal teens, with lots of friends.

Many of the students in band participate in other sports. Some are even ex-cheerleaders.

The second: Band is not a sport. According to dictionary.com, a sport is basically any athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature.

If you came to a practice, you would see band is obviously a sport. We run. A lot. We compete every week end for three months. We endure the hottest days of the summer, the horribly windy days of fall, and the iciness of winter, all in one season.

The third myth: Band is simple. Ask a drummer, band is not a simple endeavor.

For some reason, I highly doubt that many students in our school are capable of running for eight and a half minutes with a forty pound weight strapped to their chests. All the while, maintaining good posture, proper marching techniques, and keeping a steady beat.

The fourth myth and probably most common misconception about band: What goes on at band camp. If you are above the age of ten, then you have most likely seen the American Pie movies or at least heard the classic “one time at band camp…” line.

Let me just say, nothing at band camp is even remotely the way the movie portrays it.

The basic idea of band camp consists of lots of running, drinking a lot of water, sweating, playing music and searching the field to find your exact spot as Mr. Mumma yells over the speakers, “A little to the left. A couple steps forward. Now a little to the right. Okay, there.”

If you have any disagreements, come to Marticville Middle School, the second week of August 2010. You’ll see exactly what band is all about.

By Stephanie Carroll

Dating Age – a Matter of Opinion for Teens

Have you ever heard this directive from your parents?

“You’re just a kid, you don’t understand dating requires a lot more than you think. It’s as simple as you live in my house you go by my rules.”

According to Families.com, a parenting website, the majority of parents say teens should start dating at the age of 16 and up.

But a recent informal poll at Penn Manor high school was conducted, with the question, “what age do you think is appropriate for teens to start dating?” – with dramatically different results.

11 out of 25 people interviewed said between the ages of 12-14.

The recommended ages ran from 7-18.

Chandler Miller, a junior, stated “14, it’s stupid to have a kid start dating at 16 when they can drive and lie about where they are going.”

“Age 10 when they start liking girls, you get more experience at an early age and get better at it,” said Jon Zeigler.

Luke Harvey and Jill Wiley walking to class together. Photo by Miriam Karebu and Kelly Owens.

Misha McIntyre said, “16, because their minds aren’t fully developed before then.”

Brittany Scott said “It varies between girls and boys, but dating on a serious scale should be at the beginning of high school and the parents should know and approve.”

Throughout the poll, male students normally stated a lower age then females did.

Felix Santo Domingo Gonzalez said “13, because curiosity is at its peak. They don’t have the ability to tell between right and wrong.”

Gonzalez explained his first serious relationship started at the age of 15.

“It was definitely hard to balance school and my social life, my grades suffered a lot.” said Gonzalez.

Genny Leonards’ said between the ages of 13-16, “My first serious relationship is now and I’m 16.”

She feels that she is not too young to be in a serious relationship because she learned how to balance school and her social life.

“My grades are actually better now that I am with him because he helps me with my homework,” said Leonards.

Contrary to Leonards’ love story, Gonzalez said, “I didn’t come to school for two weeks straight after we broke up, I just sat and stared at the TV.”

The faculty’s answers were very different from the student’s responses.

“When they’re out of the house,” said Principal Jason D’Amico.

Krista Cox, an assistant principal, responded, “When they’re 18, out of my house and an adult.”

Even though adults and teens may not agree, in the end it’s the teen’s choice.

By:Miriam Karebu and Kelly Owens

Lots of Fun Planned for the Holiday Break

With 11 days of Christmas break, presents will have been given, feasts will have been made, and snow will possibility have fallen from the sky. Not exactly white, a forecast has been made about this Christmas being a rainy one. Although it’s not sure the weather outcome, many people at Penn Manor have plans for their long break:

Juan Cubano – Hang out with friends and “do some crazy sledding stuff.”

Deryk Morales- Playing hockey.

Cree Bleacher- Hanging out with friends and quality family time.

Chloe Reisinger- Probably not play in the snow.

Tiffanie Ray- Going to a couple New Years’ parties and “eat lots of food and candy. Yum.”

Dana Poetzl- “Working at HOLLISTER!”

Suzi Groff- Working, sledding, and making snowmen.

Christy Rhoades- Visit sister and go sledding.

Forrest Lovett- Play basketball, go snowboarding and bake and eat Christmas cookies.

Juan Montez- Relaxing, making igloos and playing snow soccer.

Keith Eshelman-“Cuddling in warm blankets sipping warm cocoa by the fire.”

Christopher Rossi- Catching up on sleep.

Erik Klugh- College applications and snowboarding in the Poconos.

Lakan Rightnour- Working and cheerleading.

Jocelyn Mylin- Musical jam session with family.

Jerad Heming- Playing football.

David Bresh-Cleaning floors for a job.

Ellen Blazer- Watch family open gifts.

Natalie Dell’Esate- News year’s eve parties

Lynn Torbert- Shopping for myself.

By: Alex Geiger

The 12 Days of a Penn Manor Christmas

Most of us are all too familiar with the traditional twelve days of Christmas.  Here at Penn Manor we have our own twelve days of Christmas.

Those who are having a good school season can look forward to the following:

Twelve Popcorn Chickens

Eleven Days of Christmas Break

Ten Big Cookies

Nine Early Dismissals

Eight Double Lunches

Seven Smiling Lunch Ladies

Six Rec Basketball Games

Five Happy Principals

Four Class Parties

Three Mindish Sightings

Two Snack Carts

One Giving Tree

Those who find themselves not having a very good school year may relate to the  following “gifts” of the season:

Twelve Saturday Schools

Eleven Puny Freshman

Ten Disgusting PDA’S

Nine Freezing Classrooms

Eight Detentions

Seven Pawned Class Rings

Six Squeaking Shoes

Five School Fights

Four Stinking Finals

Three Parking Deck Accidents

Two Snickering Girls

One Late research paper

Happy Holidays to All!

By Kimmy Bowman and Tyler Beckley

Christmas Wish List – What PM students want in 2009

Wish lists are a very popular thing during the Christmas season. Many parents insist on their children giving them ideas of what they would like for Christmas. Giving gifts and having a great time with family is what makes the Christmas season jolly.

According to “Radical Parenting”, the top ten gifts to get teens include…

1. A laptop

2. A cell phone (unlimited texting is the only way to go)

3. A digital camera (Ashton Kutcher anyone?)

4. A pet (no iguanas please)

5. DVDs (recent movies, favorite movies, entire seasons of shows such as Gossip Girl, Heroes, Lost).

6. An iPod

7. CDs

8. iTunes/Money/Gift Cards

9. Clothes (sometimes gift cards are a more satisfactory gift)

10. The ultimate gift—Robert Pattinson (for the girls of course) and Megan Fox (for the boys)

Penn Manor students however are asking for something a little different then “Radical Parenting” suggested, much different.Picture 002

“I want a new saddle for my horse,” said Vicky Walton.

Students ask for creative things along with items that are popular this holiday season. Some of these things include an iPhone, iPod touch, digital cameras, and new cars. Tyler Dietrich wants his car repainted, “It’s all scratched up,” he said.

Andrea Groff wants a new car along with Zach Campbell and Matt Flick.  Groff is sick of her car and wants a bigger one, but Campbell just wants a newer and nicer one.

“A new car… a Porsche, I will continue to drive my 95 Buick if I don’t get one,” Campbell said.

Tanner Burkhardt said he wants money, “So then I can go out and buy my own gifts rather than people screwing up.”

Money is a common request during the holiday season so teens can go and buy what they would like or even put it into their savings account. Some teens including Emily Nickel and Chandler Miller have no idea what they want for Christmas. “I have no idea, people have been asking me but I don’t know,” Miller said.

Other items teens in Penn Manor have asked for include…

Clothing

A laptop

Electric Guitar

Sneakers

Mac Book Pro

A Wii

Chocolate

Uggs

North face jacket

Kayak

Kindel

What is a kindel you may ask? A kindel holds multiple books like a library. You can download any book you want and read them on the hand held device. According to amazon.com “A kindel wireless reading device prices at $259.”

“I want an airplane for Christmas,” said Eric Gerlach.

Of course that may not be the one thing all teens want for Christmas but all teens wish for something different. This holiday season children, teens, and adults have their wish lists made hoping to receive these gifts from their friends and family.

By Cassey Graeff