Finals: Waiting Until the Last Minute

Sitting on the computer, idly jumping around from email folders, to chat windows, to website inboxes, I check the clock. It’s only six I tell myself, and I continue to goof off when I have other objectives in the back of my mind.

Procrastination has always been one of my weaknesses, and it follows me through every school year, no matter how much I promise myself I will discard it. It’s astonishing how I always make myself miserable with loads of homework the night before it’s due, yet I never change this habit.

I usually distract myself with simple activities, or I just simply don’t do my work because I don’t feel like it. Why I would rather lounge around on the couch and watch reruns instead of getting my homework done is a question I cannot answer.

I guess there is a lazy side of me that has lead me to wait until ten the night before a project is due to finally start working on it. It gives me good motivation when I know I only have an hour left, I suppose.

So this weeks topic of procrastination? Studying for finals.

The final week of the first semester is already here, and I find myself rushing around to get assignments finished, and eventually, to find spare time for studying. All of this is at the last minute, of course.

So, as I was watching TV and sitting at my computer, I forgot to include my school work into my multitasking. My mind was telling me “you should be studying” until I finally ignored the nagging concern and allowed the noise of the TV to drown out any interest I had left in possibly getting my work done before I needed to go to bed.

It never works though, and as any student with the same habit will understand, it isn’t an easily curable trait to fix either.

I believed I could eliminate this constant waiting-until-the-last-minute illness by making a pact with my friend at the beginning of the year. We agreed that both of us would do our work before anything else.

She succeeded. She was working on her homework last night, while I was bothering her by sending her constant instant messages, complaining about how I didn’t want to do my homework, or study. I spend more time complaining about doing the work, than actually getting it done. In this aspect, I fail.

By Samantha St.Clair

Rent

The Tony award winning musical “RENT” is coming to Lancaster.  The musical will premier in February and run through March at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theater, 510 Centerville Road in Lancaster.

“Rent” tells the story of a group of closely knit friends that struggle with love, drugs, and AIDS in the Lower East Side of New York City.

Cast members include: William Bailey (Angel), Brie Cassil (Mimi), Kaitlin Doughty (Maureen), Chris Anthony Giles (Collins), Andre Jordan (Ensemble/Angel understudy), Colte Julian (Roger Davis),  E. J. Marotta (Mark Cohen), Cheyenne Nelson (Ensemble/Maureen Understudy),  Michael Stiggers, Jr (Ensemble, Collins/Benny Understudy), Calvin Thompson (Benny Coffin) t

The Dutch Apple will also be showing “Big River” in May and the beginning of June, which will be a great resource for the English department and students studying classic literature.

Bu Damien Oswald

To Homework or not to Homework?

Students dread it on a daily basis. It lurks in our backpacks, hidden in the brightly colored folders we use to organize our subjects. It silently waits, longing to be completed.

Of course, I’m speaking about homework.

Homework is something that most, if not all classes are assigned. It generally consists of a page or two of extra work that the assigning teacher could not find a way to fit into the 90-minute block of time allotted for each class in school. Be it math, science, English or history, you can be sure that you will be on the receiving end of an array of to-be-completed assignments.

The problem with homework is simply this- students aren’t doing it.

As students reach different points in their lives and assume new responsibilities, they are forced to set aside more and more time each evening to take care of new obligations in the six or seven hours they have after school, besides taking care of their homework. Generally speaking, 20 percent of students have jobs after school.

One example: Luke Harvey works from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.  three days a week. After speaking with him, he informed me that on most days, his homework goes undone.

“I just don’t have the energy to come home and do more work,” says Harvey.

Asking a student to set aside time to complete a few problems after school does not seem like an absurd request- until you take the time to factor in just how much time a student who works after school actually has.

For example, I am a working student. I get home from school at approximately 3:15. After sitting down my backpack and getting in the mail, it probably is about 3:25. From that point on, I will start to cook myself a small dinner, which probably takes me about 20 minutes to cook, and another ten or fifteen to eat, taking me up until 4:00. At 4:00 I will get prepared for work by changing into my uniform, shaving, brushing my teeth, and the like. Assuming that takes another fifteen minutes, I have now arrived at 4:15 p.m.  Heaven forbid I run into any delays in that process, because I have to leave for work at 4:30, and that leaves me with a whole 15 minutes of free time before I slave away at Lancaster’s best grocery store until 10 p.m.. In those 15 minutes, am I expected to complete all of my allotted homework assignments for the night? The answer is yes, I surely know that when I get home from work, I’ll be more than ready to go to bed and get a good night’s sleep, and consciously ignore my homework.

As it stands, I can safely say I’ve completed about 20 percent of my homework assignments for the year. Is this because I am a bad student, or because I don’t care about school?  Neither, not in the least.

It raises the question, is homework even worth assigning?

Is the time of the students who do complete the work being wasted? Even more so, is the teacher wasting their personal time by grading only a handful of assignments each night, only to find out that the students who did complete their homework did not score high on the tests, because their homework was not efficient in teaching them the necessary concepts?

With 90 minutes in each block of school time, why do teachers find it necessary to assign homework? I can surely understand the idea behind it, especially in classes such as science or math, when perhaps the best way to learn something is simply through repetition- but the truth of the matter is that teachers still require homework to be completed. If someone feels that they have a convincing grasp on a subject, should they truly be required to take home an assignment that they probably won’t complete, and lose points in the class on an assignment based upon a subject they are proficient in? I don’t think so.

So no, in short, I am not asking for the abolishment of homework. I am asking for our teachers and faculty to consider the prospect of making homework worth fewer points, or perhaps even making it optional, rather than to rid of it completely. Sure, we all need some practice from time to time, but should we be penalized for not having the time to practice?

Andrew Zell

New Parking Pass Procedure

For the first time in Penn Manor history, the Penn Manor School District is charging high school students twice a year for their parking passes to use a spot in the school parking area.

In the past year, parking passes cost $20 to use the parking area for the entire school year-unless they were revoked for poor attendance or misconduct in school.

Starting this year, students will be forced to buy two parking passes, one for the first semester and another for the second. What’s interesting is that the school district didn’t cut the cost for having to pay twice.

"Mercedes" Photo by Robert Henry.

Instead of  $10 a pass per semester, the district has decided to make the cost for the passes $20 a semester. Although the school provides a safe parking area for students to park their vehicles.

It has come as a surprise to students, especially in the economic times that our society is in today.

Some students are very upset about  the new system for the parking passes.

Ryan Wissler said, “it’s freaking outrageous.”

Vaughn Stetler and Jenna Reel also had the same opinion as Wissler towards the parking passes, agreeing that it is absurd to be doubling the cost for a year of parking at the high school.

Where does all of the money go for the parking passes?

Since the increase in cost for this year, students could be wondering where the extra money is going. If the high school’s 300 parking spots in the parking area were rented-the gross income of the venture would be $12,000 dollars, twice as much as was raised in previous years.

School resource officer Jason Hottenstein said he thinks the control of parking passes  is a good way check up on students’ grades and  attendance.

Now, school officials can simply check a student’s behavior before the parking pass is distributed at the beginning of the second semester, thus decreasing the amount of parking pass revocations and making it easier for school officials to keep track of students that are worthy of the parking passes, said an administration member.

Another official reason for the distribution of parking passes twice a year is to allow students who just got their license to have the opportunity to purchase a space.

Also, students that are on spring sports teams in the past were not able to get parking passes due to the cluster of students that had already gotten their parking passes.

By Patrick Miller

Walker’s Weightlifting Record may be Best in the World

Dillon Walker is Penn Manor’s (and the world’s) own record-setting athlete.

Walker is the strongest pound-for-pound power lifter in the 123 lb. weight class at Penn Manor.  But his efforts have been recognized way beyond the walls of this school. 

Walker has been lifting since his seventh  grade year.

Recently, Walker unofficially broke a world record here in the Penn Manor weight training room. The previous world record was set at 358.2 lbs. Walker tore through that record with a 365 lb. deadlift and he continues to keep adding the weight to the bar.

Dillion Walker weight lifter.

This spring, the Penn Manor junior is going to Moscow, Russia for a world weight-lifting competition and hopes to get the gold medal for the U.S.  and break the world record – officially.

“I commit all my success to Russ McDonnell,” Walker said.

Walker comes from a generation of weight lifters.  His dad and his older brother have lifted for many years and are still lifting.   His older brother, Zane, has broken previous records in the deadlift, squat and all-together weight, but the younger Walker has already broken his older brother’s deadlift record.

“When he lifts, it’s like magic” one classmate commented, earning Walker the nickname “Harry Potter” in the weight room.

He plans to continue lifting until he can’t lift any more.

By Tyler Keith

Cost of Owning a Car is too Expensive for Many Students

Do you own a car and have to pay for your gas and insurance? Have you ever run out of money and been unable to drive? Well, that seems to be a concern for many students at Penn Manor.

Out of six students interviewed at Penn Manor, all six of them had to pay for their insurance and gas on their own without their parent’s help.

Jenna Reel, a student at Penn Manor said, “yes, I think that my parents would help me if I really needed the help, but I’ve never needed it. I earn enough money to make it every month.” Reel is one of the lucky ones.

According to Allstate Insurance Company, the cost of insurance is higher for teens because they have a higher chance of getting into an accident. The prices vary by gender. Males have higher insurance rates than females, because statistically they get in more accidents than females.

Kevin Tolle owns his own car and also has to pay for his insurance and gas. Tolle explained it was not difficult for him to come up with the money.

“No, I work a lot,” Tolle said.

Insurance rates for teens can be as low as $75 to more than $2,000 per year.

Insurance Rates are Skyrocketing Affecting Teen Drivers

According to superpages.com, there are several ways to lower your insurance rates as a teen. By choosing not to drive a sports car or driving a not-so-nice car, rates can be reduced drastically. Another way to lower rates is to get the student discount by earning good grades.

Chandler Miller, a junior at Penn Manor whom does not have her license nor permit, said, “I think that kids should have to pay for some of the insurance, because if their parents just hand their kids a car and pay for everything then the kids will learn to not care.”

Macon Kirtoey has to pay for insurance and gas, but his dad gave him a car. He said it can be hard to always get payments  in on time.

Kirtoey added “it sucks” when explaining he had to pay for his insurance and gas.

Most teens look forward to driving on the open road with their friends without a care in the world. Most of them don’t think about the fact that they will have more expenses once they get their license. Insurance companies are trying to keep the insurance as low as possible, but it will probably be very affordable.

So, next time you are driving with your friend, offer them a couple of dollars for gas money and other expenses, because it really could make a difference for them.

By Kelly Owens

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

School Fights: Still A Problem, But Down at Penn Manor

Each year in American high schools, 35.5% of students report being in a fight at school, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Here at Penn Manor High School, like most high schools, this issue is a reality.  Already this school term there have been a number of fights in the halls and cafeteria.

But despite the presence of the problem, Principal Philip Gale believes fighting is less prominent than in previous years.

Ga
Penn Manor principal Philip Gale is confident physical violence is decreasing. Photo by Emily Brody

Gale said, “It’s usually something that’s been brewing for a while.”

Fights can be started by rumors. As Gale explained that it’s generally a matter of “he said this versus she said this.”

Gale explained that Facebook and Myspace often play a role in stirring up angry emotions.

That actually happened to one Penn Manor junior.

“I was talking to [his] friend on Facebook, joking, but [he] took it seriously,” Zach Miller recalled. “Then I heard he made fun of my pink pants.”

Soon after that conversation, Miller was involved in a fight.

Zach Miller talks about the fight he was in this year. Photo by Sarah Schaeffer

Major injuries are not a common result of Penn Manor fights, Gale said.   Most injuries are minor –if they exist at all.

Along with Gale, assistant principal Eric Howe noted,  “(the violence) is down from last year.”

Howe believes what keeps fighting at bay in a building of 1,800 kids is the cameras used in the halls, because “there’s really no where to hide.”

Howe thinks having Officer Jason Hottenstein, the school’s resource officer, has helped. If things get way out of hand, Hottenstein has the ability to look at matters from a legal standpoint.

Howe gives credit to the staff of Penn Manor High School for being consistent with their discipline of students caught up in fights.

Besides cameras, Hottenstein and consistent consequences, good behavior is attributed to the students themselves.

“Our kids do a great job.” Gale said.

By Sarah Schaeffer

Soccer Stars in the Classroom – not Just on The Field

Last year’s girl’s varsity soccer team worked hard both on and off the field.  After having a successful season on the field with a record of 15-6-1, the team also was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for the seventh consecutive year.

Nancy Stehman. Photo by Lindsey Ostrum

The requirement of this club is to have a team GPA of at least 3.25, and the team earned a 3.847, the highest a girl’s soccer team at Penn Manor has ever earned.

Coach Zapata felt that, “[The team] always worked extremely hard, and they choose to play 12 months a year, so I know they like to play.”

Mr. Zapata. Photo by Lindsey Ostrum

However, senior Ambria Armstrong said all the hard work did come at a price.

“It was definitely a lot of work, and I really had no free time. It was pretty much school, soccer, homework and sleep.” She also stated that her hardest class to maintain an A in was AP Literature.

Coach Zapata believed being a part of the soccer team was a motivation to keep their grades high, “It was more of an expectation from the staff. Keeping their grades up is something we tell the girls about a lot.”

Ambria Armstrong. Photo by Lindsey Ostrum

This is also a new achievement for our school. This is the first time the girl’s soccer team has had the highest GPA out of the seven schools in the league.

Congratulations to the following members of the girl’s varsity soccer team:

Ambria Armstrong

Katie Breneman

Kayla Drexel

Shannon Henry

Rachel Hess

Brittany Lapp

Nancy Stehman

Ashley Vellucci

Veronica Willig

By Lindsey Ostrum and Mike Nitroy