Penn Points Online

Cheeseheads vs. the Steel D – a Game to Watch

By Sam Valentin

The palace in Dallas will feature two teams which are arguably the most storied franchises in the NFL. The traditions of both teams go back to the likes of Vince Lombardi, Chuck Noll, and Bradshaw. Between them they both have nine Super Bowl championships.

The lights won’t need to be on in Dallas with all the star power that will take the field at approximately 6:00pm Sunday night. Some players are just trying to make a name for themselves, others have to prove things and even a select few could solidify their place in history.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is playing under much scrutiny ever since he replaced Brett Favre so he could shut down all the doubters with a Super Bowl win.

Ben Roethlisberger is looking for redemption for his mistakes. He is also gunning for his third championship in his seven seasons in the NFL.

“He’s matured a whole lot,” said receiver Antwaan Randle El, who returned to Pittsburgh after spending time in Washington. “And that’s evident from the first Super Bowl he played in to the one he played in 2008. A very different quarterback,” said Randle EL in an interview with ESPN.

Points could become scare in this Superbowl of supercharged defenses, that could reign over the bigger named players. There are sure to be great individual performances by many of the players on both sides of the ball and both teams. The Steelers will bring a variation of their 1960s Steel Curtain defense led by James Harrison and recently named AP defensive player of the year and the anchor of their gritty defense, Troy Polamalu.

688114-super-bowl — Image from foxsports.com.

But the high powered Green Bay attack led by Rodgers and his famed wideouts have finally found the answer to their previous next to nothing running game.

His name Starks, James Starks the low draft pick who has really came up big so far for the Packers.

The Steelers offense isn’t too bad in its own right, though. Led by Roethlisberger and veterans Hines Ward, who has some rumors about retirement after this season, and Rashard Mendenhall who is young but is looking forward to his time to run in the biggest spotlight.

The Steelers could be missing rookie and pro bowler Maurkice Pouncey who has a high ankle sprain and hasn’t practiced all week.

This game could top the previous Super Bowls with well matched defensive and offensive teams.

The players maybe joking around today and just trying to keep their normal routines but come Sunday there won’t be any jokes. Both teams will be all business and surely nervous as they step into the biggest spotlight of their careers.

The Year of the Rabbit

By Sarah Schaeffer

for more by Sarah Schaeffer, follow this link: http://scschaeffer.wordpress.com/

February 3 brought the turn of the New Year in China.

Celebrations including parades, fireworks and dancing will continue for the next 15 days to acknowledge the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar.

The Chinese name every year three different ways, but the most commonly recognized way is with the name of an animal, with this year being the Year of the Rabbit.

new year — Celebrations for the Chinese New Year. Photo by Flickr.

The Chinese believe that persons born in different years have different personalities, similar to the well-known zodiac signs. Those born in the Year of the Rabbit, including celebrities Johnny Depp, Drew Barrymore and Brad Pitt, are said to be talented, well-mannered and wise.

If you’re currently attending Penn Manor, it’s likely you were born in either the Year of the Monkey (1992), the Year of the Rooster (1993), the Year of the Dog (1994), the Year of the Pig (1995) or the Year of the Rat (1996).

An insight into current students’ personalities according to the Chinese Zodiac from chinesezodiac.com:

Year of the Monkey- Monkeys may appear confused, but they are truly creative and intellectual. They are sensitive, but also jokesters. They rarely feel ill and take sick days even more rarely. In relationships, Monkeys take their time to settle down. Famous Monkeys include Johnny Cash, Diana Ross and Rod Stewart.

Year of the Rooster- Roosters are confident, motivated and trustworthy. They are energetic and detail-oriented. Roosters are always active. In relationships, Roosters do not work well with sensitive partners. Celebrity Roosters include Eric Clapton, Yoko Ono and Dolly Parton.

zodiac — The Chinese Zodiac. Photo from newsworld22.blogspot.com

Year of the Dog- Dogs are loyal, organized and helpful. Dogs are easy-going and adaptable. Dogs fight illness easily. Dogs often have trouble in relationships due to their tendency to be anxious and worrisome. Famous Dogs include Naomi Campbell, Madonna and Sylvester Stallone.

Year of the Pig- Pigs are compassionate, generous and entertaining. They are helpful and big-hearted. Pigs often do not have the best health, as they are over-indulgent. Pigs typically do well in relationships because they are incredibly affectionate. Celebrity Pigs include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg.

Year of the Rat- Rats are honest, spontaneous and live in the moment. They are survivors and give good advice. However, they can be tense and aggressive. In relationships, Rats are charming but have a hard time breaking off old relationships. Celebrity Rats include Sean Penn, Olivia Newton-John and Louis Armstrong.

Sports schedule changes due to weather

By Sarah Garner

The following sports events have been rescheduled for today:

Penn Manor Wrestling @ Spring Grove (5:30 pm, 4:15 pm weigh in, bus leaves at 3:00 pm)

Boys Varsity/JV Basketball @ Manheim Township (6:30/8:00 pm)

Boys Freshman Basketball @ Manheim Township (4:00 pm Var, JV/7th grade 4:00/5:00 pm)

Girls Varsity/JV Basketball vs. Manheim Township @ Penn Manor (6:30/8:00 pm)

Girls Freshman Basketball vs. Manheim Township @ Penn Manor (Var. 4:00 pm at HS East Gym, JV/7th grade 4:00/5:00 pm at Manor Middle)

Spring May Come Early This Year

By Alex Blythe –

On February second, Pennsylvania’s longest living groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, did not see his shadow which means an early spring for Pennsylvania. However, Lancaster’s own Octorora Orphie hurried into his burrow after reportedly seeing his shadow.

No matter what groundhog is the authority, it sure doesn’t seem like spring is any time soon this week with snow, ice and freezing rain causing delays and cancellations.

Although the break from school was welcomed by many, the spring will not be quite as bright since all the snow days will be made up by missed vacation days this spring.

The district’s built-in snow days will have to be made up March 21, April 21 and also April 25, cutting Easter vacation to just Good Friday and the weekend.

January 26, when secondary reported to school amid unexpected snowfall and elementary was closed, will not have to be made up at the end of the year.

Not everyone could agree on the benefit of missing school on snow days.

Abby Newport, a senior at Penn Manor stated that “I’d rather go to school during snow days, I wanna get out of school as early as possible.”

Senior Mark Curtin wants a longer summer along with junior Gage Karr who is happy the district is replacing vacation days so far, not adding days to the end of the calendar in June.

But senior, Alyssa Jahnke, held the opposite opinion.

“I’d rather stay home during snow days and go at the end of summer,” said Jahnke.

Hopefully the weather will be nicer in the spring months to come.

Ben Clark Rings the Bell of Success

By Simon Zimmerman

Ben Clark has had many accomplishments in his young life, now he has another.

When the 15 year old Senior from Penn Manor won the Siemens Competition in early December, Clark was also rewarded with ringing the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange.

stock exchange — Ben Clark rings the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Photo courtesy of Siemens

The Siemens Competition is a contention of math, science and technology whiz’s that recognizes their will and strive of research in either one of these fields.

Clark won the $100,000 grand prize for the individual category of the Siemens Competition for his research on how new stars are born. This is a very prestigious award and is regarded as on of Clark’s greatest achievements.

Ringing the closing bell is rewarded annually to the winner of this competition and Clark did not take this merit lightly.

“It was amazing to ring the bell, it is a pretty exclusive group and most people that have done it have been successful in some field,” stated the ecstatic Clark.

Seeing that Clark has skipped two grades in his high school career, qualified for the Untied States Math Olympiad twice, and won the Siemens Competition, success does not seem far out of his future.

Riding the Pine – one person’s account of his year as a benchwarmer

By David Mohimani

As we enter the West York gymnasium I see the old school style court and rims and much to my dismay I see the rock hard bench with which I’ll be sitting on for the next hour or so.

The only hardwood I’m gonna be on all night is the bench. I mean if I’m not going to play at least let me be comfortable. Once I finally got myself situated into a bearable position for the next hour, I had to slide down and found myself sitting on a screw in the wood. Awesome.

Sitting on real wood is a rarity for me. Most gyms have cushioned chairs, but Hempfield’s is the cream of the crop. It’s like putting my butt on a cloud. Penn Manor has decent chairs but they’re just not the same quality as Hempfield’s. It isn’t strange that I’m such a connoisseur of chairs/benches since I’ve been spending the whole season on them. The bench isn’t going to warm itself.

The worst part about sitting on the bench besides the embarrassment is when my 6’6 coach decides to stand in front of me. So for the rest of the game I had to crane my neck to either side just to see. Come on coach, at least let me watch the game. Seriously, I basically just feel like a cheerleader without pom poms.

About five minutes into the game I know if I’m gonna play or not. If we’re blowing the team out then I’ll get in, but if it’s 10 points or so, then I can expect to glue my rear to the chair.

People ask do you feel like you’re wasting my time?

Yes I do, I answer, every night from 6-9.

So why do I play? I’m not sure. I guess because I love it, I guess because I don’t want to quit the sport I’ve been playing since I was a toddler. I think the main reason is because I still hold a glimmer of hope that it will eventually pay off and I’ll get off the pine.

Career Day: A Chance for Students to look into the Future

By Cody Straub –

Tomorrow Penn Manor High School students will get a little taste of what the real world is really like.They will have the chance to listen to anything from a firefighter, to a federal government employee, to a teacher and everything in between.

Tomorrow students will spend the first three hours of school going around classrooms listening to three different professionals talk about their careers.

For two of the sessions students will listen to professionals that they chose earlier this year, and Tom Baldrige, President of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will be the third professional every student hears. He will speak to every class in the auditorium during each session.

Penn Manor holds Career Day each year to help students learn more about the real world, and different jobs. Students will have the opportunity to listen to a presentation and then ask any questions they might have. It allows them to talk to people in professional fields they are interested in, and learn everything about the job.

Penn Manor Ballers Dunk Cocalico – By Stetson Hershey and Connor Rowe

Underclassmen on top of the stat sheet.

Marc Summy, Penn Manor’s leading scorer, continued his trend on Monday night against Cocalico.

In Penn Manor’s 57-39 win over Cocalico, Summy netted 16-points.

Summy’s mindset is to defer to his teammates, but the seniors also look to their swingman to take charge of the game more often.

“The seniors spoke up,” coach Charlie Dietz said, “(they) told Marc, ‘Don’t defer to us. Do what you can do.’”

After scoring a career-high 31-points against McCaskey on Friday, he followed up with a game best 16 on Monday.

marcsummy — Junior Marc Summy has been stepping up recently and giving the Penn Manor boys basketball seniors some help. Photo by Jenna Reel

“It’s a team sport, and I just try to do what’s best for the team,” said Summy, “We’re all trying to work together.”

Jaq Presbery, senior guard, added 15 points and made a game-high three 3-pointers along with senior forward Teon Lee who added a game-high seven rebounds.

Penn Manor struggled early in the game, shooting just 2-11 from the floor in the first quarter. The second quarter started off slow, but an 11-2 run put the Comets back in the game and gave them a three point lead at halftime.

A pair of threes from Presbery sparked Penn Manor as they created more and more separation down the stretch of the second half. Penn Manor improved to 14-4 overall and 10-2 in the section

“We needed to stay focused and play our game,” Summy said. “We played our game tonight, did what we had to do. “This was a very big win. We needed to get our heads back on straight and get back on track.”

Penn Manor will look to capture a win tonight against Township and get back into the winning mode they experienced earlier this season. The last time the Blue Streaks and Comets met was a nail-biter that was concluded in overtime with a Comet win.

After Township, Penn Manor verses Hempfield Friday night in a fight for the league title. If Manor could reach the top spot of the league, they would be in much better shape for playoff seeding.

Marketing and Law Faces Changes

By Jake Shiner and Taylor Groff

Amy Wall’s Marketing and Law class is well known around the school for their sales competitions held during lunch every year, a major reason many students say they take the class.

But that class is now facing changes.

Due to conflicting issues involving federal funding for lunches, the Apprentice PM competition cannot sell during school lunch times.

“We can’t compete with the cafeteria,” said Wall.

This is because of the regulations of the federal funding for the food. Selling at lunch violates part of these rules handed down by the government. This would result in a loss of a few million dollars of funding per year.

“Yes, I’m still doing the apprentice competition but we have to find a different way to do it,” Wall stated, “Were still working on new ideas.”

Cody Welch is a former marketing and law student said he would have still taken the class even with the changes.

“Yes, definitely,” he said.

Cody Welch took Marketing and Law last semester. Photo By Cody Straub

He even threw in an idea about an alternative for the competition.

“Perhaps they could compete with snack cart, selling in the hallways during homeroom,” Welch said. But I feel it would take away from the experience of the class.”

Matt Weidinger, a junior, said that he took the class because of the competition, and was angry when he learned of the format revision.

But not all was lost.

“I took the class because Mrs. Wall taught it,” Weidinger said.

Welch also said the reason the class was one of his favorites was because of the teacher and the students in the class.

It appears that changes to the apprentice competition will be only a minor drawback, as the class in general will remain a fun and educational experience.

Comet History: Do We Know Ourselves as Well as We Think?

One hundred and ten rural square miles.

The Penn Manor School District is one of the largest districts in Lancaster County. With a community population of approximately 32,000, a 5320 student population, and 375 teachers plus 200 non-instructional support staff, one would think that the majority of us knew our stuff about the district. Especially the little facts. As it turns out, that thought couldn’t be further from the truth.

PMHS — The Original Penn Manor High School. Photo by Jenna Reel

We are the Penn Manor Comets, but does anyone actually know why? John Erisman, history teacher and former coach, does. His grandfather and retired bus driver, Spic Erisman, came up with the idea himself.

At the time, school buses were called Gold Comets. It just so happened that the advisor of Penn Manor’s school newspaper was holding a contest to come up with a nickname for the sports teams. So Spic Erisman submitted the “Gold Comets” for the contest. He had a son named Ken who was a junior. Without Ken knowing, Erisman put Ken’s name on the entry form. Ken won the contest and received the cash prize along with a year’s subscription to the school newspaper. Ever since then, the name “Comets” has stuck.

Students around the high school were asked if they knew how our name first came about. The ideas that they came up with were far off.

Math teacher, Jarod Staub, and sophomore and senior students, Mac Evarts and Jere Vital, all hadn’t had the slightest clue.

“Someone thought it was a cool name?” guessed senior Nick Hartley.

“A comet hit our district and named the school after it,” joked Danny Boehler.

Our district name and mascot is not the only thing that Penn Manor students, faculty, and community members are unaware of.

Many of them don’t know things like when the original high school was first presented, how many elementary schools we have, how many AP programs we have, or even the number of sports teams.

Most of those who were asked either guessed or flat out had no idea.

Both were the case for the majority of the questions proposed. The two questions that everyone knew the answer to were the address of the high school, 100 East Cottage Avenue, and the name of our superintendent, Dr. Michael Leichliter.

Everyone guessed the number of townships within the boundaries of the district being between three and six, when in fact there are four.

Penn Manor offers seventeen AP programs. More than 80 percent of those polled said we had thirteen and one person guessed twenty. Only Evarts knew we offered 17 programs.

Another question that no one knew the answer to was when the school was first presented after being built.

“1960’s?” guessed Evarts.

“1943,” said Vital.

“1970,” said Hartley.

All wrong answers. The building was first presented on November 9, 1958.

That could be a reasonable thing to not know, but some of them didn’t even know how many elementary schools the district has.

Only 60 percent of those asked knew there were seven, but had to sit and think about it. Others guessed four, five, and eight.

Penn Manor High School has been known for our block scheduling that has recently been used in other local school districts, such as Hempfield High School. The sad thing is that students are unaware of how long it has been around.

Staub attended Penn Manor and was in high school when the change took place, so he knew the answer.

“1995,” he said confidently.

It was the 1995-1996 school year.

Others guessed the years being in 1998, 2000 and 2005.

It’s been made clear that many people don’t know the little things.

“Penn Manor has grown so much that people lose touch of where we started. It’s important to remember how hard we have worked to become Penn Manor as a district,” said John Erisman.

Erisman, who attended Penn Manor, has children who also go here.

“My kids always ask questions about Penn Manor. My dad taught us well, bleeding blue and gold,” said Erisman.”I was lucky enough to see pictures and hear stories. What my dad taught me, I teach my kids, and it’s my duty to continue the tradition.

“I’ve been part of Penn Manor my entire life,” he continued. “I had a history of family in coaching and teaching and I wanted to be part of that coaching and teaching fraternity. I love Penn Manor, love living here and love being a part of the community.”

Erisman has strong feelings that people who go here or work here should know the school.

“I think its important for us to remember the past. It helps shape who we are as a school, gives community unity and a sense of common spirit. Its awesome to see alumni come back. I can’t see myself teaching or coaching anywhere but Penn Manor,” said Erisman.

By Jenna Reel