PMMU Places Top 3 in CBA Championship

By Laura Myers-

With screaming fans and lots of blue and gold it would almost seem as if it was a sporting event. But fans came out to support the Penn Manor Marching Unit during their championship performance and congratulate them for their five first place wins, one second and third at championships. All in all it it was a priceless season for the PMMU.

They went up against 18 other bands, on their “home” field of Chryst at Millersvilles Biemster stadium for the season ending championships.

“Championships was a very successful day even though a lot of people were expecting first place, third place is still awesome,” said drum major Tim Deubler, about their Nov. 6 competition performance.

“I think we were probably expecting to not get third,” said director Tom Mumma. “I think if we had gotten second, I think that would probably have been less surprising. Just because we were coming into championships in second place, and we had our best show at championships, and so we figured our score would increase, which it did, which was good. I guess maybe (I’m) a little surprised we ended up third.”

Their show, “Insurrection” was a three-part performance that told the story of serenity, war, and regret. PMMU placed third with a score of 93.15, with six tenths of a point separating them from second place.

“It’s frustrating and feels good at the same time,”  said Mumma.  “It’s better than getting third, and totally being blown out of the water by the bands that beat you. It’s very close, which is good but on the same token you go back and say ‘aw man where could we have picked up those six tenths worth of points,'” said Mumma.

PMMU competes in the Liberty division which is made up of 18 bands in the Cavalcade of the Bands Association. But for championships they competed in the “Liberty Open” division along with nine other bands.

“The reason they separate them is they take the best of each of those classes and they put them in the top which is called “open,” and the bottom group is called “A.” And then there are groups who don’t even make it into that,” said Mumma. “It’s just a way of separating the really good bands from the okay bands as far as their skill level so that there are different levels for championships,” said Mumma.

This year Championships were held at Millersville, in years past championships had been held at Hershey stadium. Rarely has a Championships been held at Millersville.

“I definitely felt like we still had the upper hand,” said drum major Mike Helwig

“It was fabulous being here being at home. There were a lot of fans here, more so then we’ve had a Hershey, which was really fun. The fact that it was our own field made us feel more comfortable,” commented Mumma.

Even without the “Comet Crazies,” family, students, alumni, and other PMMU supporters went wild as PMMU marched onto the field.

“We got tons of support it was crazy how loud everybody was when we came on (to the field),” said Helwig.

Although many think it’s all about wining, PMMU band members see it a different way.

“We didn’t come out to championships to beat anybody, we wanted to have our best show, and we did. And we were really hoping our show would be the best show of the night,” said Mumma

“We run a program here that our competitors, the people we compete against are ourselves,” said Mumma.

Overall the season was a success for the unit.

“I’m really proud of our third place win because it’s the first time we made the top three since 2000 and I’m really glad it’s one of my years that we started getting really good again,” said Helwig.

“Definitely the best year, in all the years I’ve been involved which has been nine years we’ve never gotten higher then fourth, so third place is pretty darn good,” Deubler.

“It’s a great way to finish the end of our season and our high school senior year” said seniors Kelly Herr and Kayla Laukhuff.

“Both on and off the field we had a great season,” said Herr.

“Groups  like Hatboro and Southern have been doing this for 20 years this is my eighth year here and were already making them nervous, so absolutely I have no doubt in my mind that we could be a championship band sooner than later,” said Mumma.

If  you missed the show check it out here to see PMMUs performance at Manheim Township. The third place comes as a bittersweet end to the season, all can rest easy as the “war” is over.

“I don’t know if we’ll be a liberty band next year, but if we are I’d say look out because we’ll be trying our hardest,” said Helwig.

 

All photos courtesy of Kristen Deubler.

No More Glory for Old State

By Kyle Musser-

No JoePa, no respect, no recruits.

With allegations for child molestation against former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky the Nittany Lions recruiting for 2011-2012 may take a toll.

Joey O’Connor an ESPNU 150 offensive tackle from Windsor, Colorado was the first official decommit for Penn State.

“It was definitely a decision I had to make,” O’Connor said in an i

nterview with ESPN.  “I just didn’t know what would happen.  The best interest for me now is to explore my options.  The whole situation is tragic.  My heart goes to the victims and families.  They’ll be in my thoughts and prayers.”

Penn State fans here are not optimistic about how the situation will turn out.

With the recent problems at Penn State some people are turning against the school. Photo by openlibrary.org

“Why go to Penn State to play football if Joe Paterno isn’t there and if their whole coaching staff is going to wiped out? I think that’s why players are decommiting,” said Dylan Weber a Penn Manor senior.

An unofficial visit to Penn State in July captured O’Connors heart and his commitment.

He also had offers from Arizona State, Arizona, California, UCLA, Colorado, Utah, Washington State, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Penn State had 16 commits and six four-star prospects prior to the Sandusky allegations.

Although O’Connor isn’t going to become a Nittany Lion, he believes everything happens “for a reason.”

After Paterno was fired is when he made his official decision to decommit.

With the firing of Joe Paterno Penn State is losing top recruits. Photo by pennlive.com

Just only meeting Joe once, O’Connor said, “It was still tough to see Paterno go.”

“It’s hard to see that happen to him because I got to meet him and talk to him even if for a couple short hours,” he said in an interview with ESPN.  “I felt he was a genuine person and the coaches are genuine people.  It breaks my heart to see that that’s the way it had to happen.”

O’Conner isn’t the only big recruit Penn State is losing though.

J.J. Denman, a four star, 6’6″ 310 pound offensive tackle has also decided to decommit as well.

Denman, a four-year Pennsbury High School starter, is ranked No. 117 overall and 18th among offensive tackles in the Class of 2012 by Scout.com.

In a comment on pennlive.com a blogger agreed that, “This one hurts when you consider the O-line (Offensive Line)  is an area that needs size and improvement. They still have a nice class in verbals but I hope the on-going offensive issues don’t chase any more away.”

Denman also had offers from Connecticut, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Louisville, Boston College, Maryland, Michigan State, and a few others.

“I had been there in the spring and watched their offensive linemen,” said the senior in an interview with Philly Sports. “When I went back, I could see how much those guys had improved. That told me that I would get the most out of playing at Wisconsin.”

Not only is Penn State losing high profile recruits, but also respect and fan loyalty.

Only 24 hours after the firing of head coach Joe Paterno, ticket resale value went down by almost 20 percent.

“It was tough to let the people at Penn State know about it,” Denman said in the same interview. “They’re good people. I just had to do what’s best for me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kim Kardashian’s Wedding Real Or Fake?

By Jena Lacock –

Thirty- one year old business woman Kim Kardashian profited $18 million off her wedding to Kris Humphries in August.

Seventy-two days later, Kardashian filed for a divorce from the 26-year-old basketball player Kris Humphries, who was blindsided when he heard the news on TMZ,  just like many students here who watched the wedding or tune into reality shows.

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries kissing at their "fake" wedding. Photograph by abc news

Some said their split was just a matter of time.

But the real story would be if the whole wedding was fake, and just business, nothing else.

Makes one question if all reality TV is staged. Doesn’t reality mean real life? Guess not.

“Reality TV isn’t reality,” says senior Matt Ulmer.

“I think a lot of it is pre-staged,” said athletic office assistant Cindy Bachman.

Reality TV shows often share a similar story line close to regular television dramas.

“It was pretty much an arranged marriage right from the start,” one source says, that is close to the Keeping Up With The Kardashians production.

Apparently Kim was just looking for a husband and wasn’t really into Kris. Once Kim got to know him, she realized they were not a good match.

“She knew weeks before getting married she didn’t want to do it,” claims Kim Kardashian’s former publicist Jonathan Jaxson.

“My dad knew it was going to end because she was married before, and it ended in a divorce,” noted freshman Tori Valentin.

The whole wedding might have been a hoax and a publicity stunt that turned out to be a good money maker due to high ratings.

It makes a lot of sense because in the show Keeping Up With The Kardashians, you saw the couple fight, and Kim had no intentions to make New York her new home.

Kris Humphries spotted not wearing wedding ring after working out. Photograph by globalgrind.com

The whole relationship seemed rather forced, especially in hindsight.

“Reality TV is all scripted, and I think they got married just for the money,” stated junior Bobby Goss.

According to E! news, they are threatening to cancel Kardashian’s new show, Kim and Kourtney take Manhattan. So now she is trying to save her marriage.

Kim flew to Minnesota to see her husband in a last effort to try to make her messy marriage work.

The couple had a four-hour meeting with their pastor, Joel Johnson. The pastor helped the two put a lot of issues out on the table.

However the marriage is in the public eye and seems to be taking a toll. TMZ reports that reconciliation between the two is so “up in the air.”

If E! decides to drop her reality show, she would lose millions of dollars. The divorce could end up being fake too.

“I think the whole wedding was really stupid because she basically used Kris,” exclaimed junior Maddie Rohrer.

 

School Board Members Visit High School

By Becca Frankford–

Dr. Mike Leichliter and four other school board members visited Penn Manor this Thursday for a  perspective on what Penn Manor students are thinking.

Penn Manor's school board members visit the high school

The meeting took place in the chorus room,  with the nine school board members. After being introduced, the board members split up to talk with members from the various clubs that meet throughout the school. Every club was represented by at least one person, whether it was the president of the club or just a member. Some clubs there included NHS, student council, Do-Something club, journalism, chorus, band, FFA, and more.

“What are some strengths of Penn Manor?” Rich Frerichs, the head of the school board asked the students.

“I like the amount of diversity… there is so much to offer,” one senior said.

“Our school has so much to offer, and when the middle schoolers come in, there is something for them,” another junior added.

A question was directed by Frerichs toward sophomores to find out if Penn Manor did well getting them ready for high school and how the school can better prepare them for their future.

The students in the group said they really enjoyed the opportunity of being able to be in a club of their choice and meeting every week.

“Do more to advertise the clubs,” one sophomore suggested.

They all agreed that when the eighth graders come to the high school orientation they are told how they are going to be prepared for the 21st century, the dress code, teachers, core classes, and sports teams, but there is hardly any information on clubs they can join.

The students also thought that if they had a representative from every club go to the middle schools and inform middle schoolers on what different clubs are offered that can benefit their high school experience. Suggestions were made to include the lists of clubs and activities that are offered and include contact person, email, blogs, etc. in the course selection books that are given out each year.

Underclassmen take a benchmark test which decides whether or not they must go into remediation or enrichment based on their scores. The issue of our school failing and not making adequate yearly progress struck a debate on whether or not the school should get rid of enrichment.

“I am really strong on academics. It really breaks my heart to not make AYP,” Frerichs said.

“The reason our school is failing is because of the various sub groups that are held to the same standards as the rest of the student body and when they fail the PSSAs everyone is affected,” students said.

“It wasn’t taken seriously… seniors are losing time doing enrichment,” a Penn Manor junior commented on enrichment schedule and classes.

A student council member mentioned that all the enrichment schedules are messing up with the chances to meet for student council. Other comments were made that when students are in a club but have enrichment, they can’t go to club. More concerns were directed to the loss of homeroom and the benefits it had to completing make up work and homework.

“There’s people all over the place.. its ridiculous,” a student commented on how math teachers are covering English classes and vice versa.

“A lot of flaws in the current system… a lot of flaws,” one junior said.

In the attempt to understand and connect with Penn Manor students, Frerichs asked, “If you’re running the schools, how do I make it better?”

Students suggested that there needed to be more consequences for their actions.

“Remediation should be a consequence,” a girl said.

Suggestions varied from having teacher evaluations, to having designated enrichment and club days. When voting on the teacher evaluation, there were 11 yes and 1 no.

The chance of cutting down classes for a dwindling budget was considered. Cutting out classes from each area of academics was thought to be a good consideration so no one area is cut more then another. No classes have been cut as of yet.

 

 

 

PETA Even Gets its Paws on Mario

By Julia Norton –

Mario is an amusing video game character created by Nintendo that has been around since 1981. He can be seen in over 200 video games today and has served as harmless entertainment for people of all ages. However, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has begun to see it differently.

Mario wearing a bloody tanooki suit on PETA's website. Photo courtesy of: exophrine.com

PETA is more than disgruntled with the recently released game, Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS, where the popular character can be seen wearing a tanooki suit.

Tanooki are Japanese raccoon dogs that are commonly hunted for their fur. Mario wears the skin of a tanooki in order to fly throughout the game.

On their website PETA explains, “When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use whatever means necessary to defeat his enemy – even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers.

“Tanooki may be just a suit in the game, but in real life tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing a Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it is OK to wear fur,” says PETA.

A graphic and alarming video can be seen on their site of multiple tanooki being beaten, tortured and killed. By posting this video, PETA hopes to enlighten people about how these animals are treated and that it is unnecessary to kill them. They want people to understand the severity of this issue and realize that it is not something that should be joked about in a video game or anywhere else.

Also on the website, PETA has created a graphic version of the Mario game where the character can be seen wearing a disgusting, bloody suit with the head of a dead tanooki. The tanooki can be seen running after Mario, hairless, attempting to reclaim his fur. Anyone can go onto the website and play the fun, yet terribly disturbing, game.

“When people learn that millions of innocent animals are beaten, boiled, hanged, and electrocuted for their fur every year; that each fur coat, each piece of fur lining or fur trim, and each fur cat toy represents the intense suffering of dozens of animals; and that furriers intentionally mislabel the fur of cats and dogs as fur from other species or as faux fur—then every decent human being will want to go fur-free,” the organization writes on the controversy of wearing fur.

While PETA sees this as a totally legitimate thing to make an issue out of, some people see it differently.

“I think PETA is filled with [idiots],” said one Penn Manor senior who wishes to remain anonymous. “They probably have good motives with everything they do, but they definitely tend to cross boundaries and exaggerate everything.”

Whether people view this as PETA taking it too far or not, the skinning of tanooki is not an issue that should be taken lightly.

Breaking the Ice: Hockey Games the New Top Attraction?

By Alex Kirk –

Imagine sitting in a chilly, sixty-degree arena on cold metal bleachers watching people skate around on a frozen swimming pool. Sound like fun?

Penn Manor fans walk the stairs at the Lancaster Ice Rink. Photo by Lauren Pironis

Penn Manor fans seem to think so.

Some go just to watch their friends, others go for the excitement. Which ever the case, Penn Manor fans have found a new favorite high school sport to watch.

“They’re action packed and suspenseful.  There is never a dull moment,” said Emily Eddowes, a Penn Manor senior who attends the ice hockey competitions.  “They’re really fast paced so you can really get into the games.”

Lately, the Comet crowd has filled the stands at the Lancaster Ice Rink.  About 20 students attended the first home game of the season on November 16.  Some had been to hockey games before and already knew how exciting they could be.  Others had the pleasure of experiencing the thrilling attributes of the game, such as breakaway saves, speeding slap shots and brutal knockout hits, for the first time.  They all left the rink after the game sure that they got their money’s worth.

Word spread fast around the school between students and teachers about how enjoyable the hockey game was.

The next home game was Friday night.  Within two days, the student attendance was more than double the previous number at almost fifty kids.

“I think the support from the fans this year is awesome,” said goalie Braden Kruger, a senior on the team.  “A lot more people are coming out and making noise and that only helps the players on the team play better and want to do well at the games.”

Comet fans rink-side. (From left to right) Senior Lauren Pironis, Phys. Ed teacher Billie Jo Atkins, senior Janelle Musser. Photo by Lauren Pironis

The ice hockey team never had quite as large a fan base before.  Previously, they had trouble getting people to come watch them play.

“I never had friends playing on the team before, but now I have players like (Kevin) Reinhart and Braden to watch,” said senior Simon Zimmerman. “It never really appealed to me before I guess.”

The lack of attendance could also be linked to the fact that their home rink is somewhat of a far drive to get to, and their games are typically scheduled late at night and there is a $3 admission fee.

None of these reasons, however, seem to be stopping the eager fans now.

“I will definitely be going to all the upcoming home games,” exclaimed Sara Bennis, another senior hockey fan at Penn Manor.

The ice hockey team has a current record of two wins and two losses.  They are constantly growing as their relatively young team continues to strengthen.

Senior skater Jessie Capanelli (center) receives congratulations from friends after game. Photo by Lauren Pironis

This year’s team is, in fact, a young group.  Their roster is made up of 15 players, 11 of which will be returning next season.  They are:

Returning seniors – Jessie Capanelli and James White.

Returning juniors – Derek Good, Jason Green, Kevin Reinhart, Nick Young and Matt Gue.

Returning sophomores – Nick Cirko, Ryan Pryzbylkowski and Danny Duvall.

New additions to the 2011 squad – seniors James Frese and Brad Kruger, juniors Zack Plank and Deryk Morales and freshman Austin Dittenhafer

The Comets are coached by Chuck Green, Greg Plank, Ralph Reinhart and recent Penn Manor graduate and former player Garth Bolin.

The next home game is at the Lancaster Ice Rink Wednesday Dec. 7 at 8:30pm against rival Lampeter-Strasburg.

 

 

 

 

Penn Manor Senior ‘Dodges’ College Fees With Lacrosse Scholarship

By Eric Schlotzhauer –

College expenses are never cheap and mostly everyone will graduate with debt, but sometimes you get to bypass all of that for being dexterous at sports or academics.

Alex Cummins, a Penn Manor senior, has been playing lacrosse since he was in fifth grade and now plans on going to Florida Tech for lacrosse.

Alex Cummins plays a little bit of offense as well due to his potential to move up field and his body size. Photo Credit: Hutch Graphics.

Cummins plays defense and wields a 6-foot long pole when he is on the field.  You might see him towering over his offensive opponent due to his staggering height of 6’2″ and 195 lbs.

Florida Tech is known for its marine biology program according to Cummins.

“I am majoring in marine biology which is fourth in the country,” said Cummins.  “It is a really interesting topic to major in.”

Even though Florida Tech wanted Cummins to play on their lacrosse team, he still had to apply.  The applying process was made a lot easier because of their interest in Cummins’ lacrosse skill.

“I got the acceptance letter before I even finished the application,” said Cummins. “I was only half way done with my essay.”

Other scholarships were offered to Cummins during his decision process, but FIT had its perks.

“With the scholarship that I am getting, I have a full ride to almost any state school,” noted Cummins. “It is also really close to the beach which is cool. Florida Tech has a 98 percent job placement which also drove me to go there.”

FIT would be the most expensive school out of all the colleges Cummins considered.  Between transportation and out of state tuition, it would be almost double the cost of any state school.

Alex Cummins throws a check during one of the Varisty lacrosse games. He is known for his stick checks. Photo Credit: Hutch Graphics

“Florida Tech offered me the highest scholarship and they have better sponsorships than half the D-1 schools (Warrior, Brine, Nike),” added Cummins.

FIT first saw Cummins play at one of the many tournaments that he participated in through his later years of high school.

“I went to a lot of tournaments to get recruited,” said Cummins. “I play on club teams such as Blue Mountain and Brine National.”

Florida Tech is a D-2 school, but he considered schools in Division 1 and 3 as well.

“I was also considering colleges like Jacksonville, Rutgers and Virginia Military Institute.”

This time next year, Cummins will be participating in his first season of lacrosse for FIT.  D-2 lacrosse is a much faster pace than high school’s, but he is confident he has prepared enough throughout the eight years of lacrosse.

“To be recruited, it takes a lot of practice, countless emails to coaches, plenty of effort, a will to be good, the want to workout, and a lot of tournaments and traveling,” advised Cummins. “I continuously perfected every aspect of my game to get where I am at today.”

 

Millersville 250th Anniversary ends with a Bang

By Taylor Goldberg –

The Millersville community is cordially invited to the Millersville 250 Anniversary Grand Finale.

“Is it a big birthday party for Millersville,” said Penn Manor Assistant Superintendent Pollock. “It is an event for the whole family to come out and enjoy.”

Millersville is celebrating the special 250th anniversary of the town’s original land purchase. John Miller founded Millersville in 1761. Millersville was originally called Millersburg and was later name Millerstown before becoming Millersville in the 1800s.

Photo courtesy of Millersville250.org

To celebrate 250 years of the community, The Millersville Historical Society, Millersville Lions Club and the Millersville Woman’s Club are sponsoring events that kicked off back in March and continue through the end of December. There have been a variety of activities and events that attracted all ages. Events included: art, music, dance, exhibits, parades, community celebrations, and so much more.

The kick-off event took place in February. Dancing through the Decades, included dancing, food and beverages, an historical photo display, a fashion display from the two centuries, a special cake prepared by Carlo’s Bakery (aka TLC’s The Cake Boss of Hoboken NJ) and fireworks.

In April, Millersville held an Exhibit Opening Reception. The public was invited to see bottles, furniture, oil paintings, garden equipment, WWII items, Boy Scout items, police badges, historical records, trolley items, cigar boxes, publications, postcards, ribbons, photos, clothing and business ads/marketing items.

Summer events included  a children’s ballet – Swan Pond held at Manor Middle in May. In June, Lancaster County Firemen’s Parade saluted the 100th Anniversary of the Millersville Fire Company. And in July the community celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Lions Club Pool.

Birthday Cake Sketch of the 250 Anniversary of Millersville

Come fall Millersville’s Got Talent competition started auditioning contestants. Along with the annual Millersville Parade. Beginning of November was round 1 of the Got Talent competition and the Finale was held 2 weeks later. Millersville students, faculty, staff, community members and residents competed for a grand prize of $500.

Penn Manor senior Alicia Ygarza competed in the Got Talent competition. She sang “Fever” by the famous Elvis Presley.

People who are interested can celebrate the Millersville 250 Anniversary Grand Finale on Nov. 27 starting at 2:00 pm. The event takes place at Turkey Hill Experience. 301 Linden Street, Columbia, PA. Admission for children ages 4 and under is free. Admission for everyone else varies. It is $4 for just cake and ice cream and $12 for the tour, cake and ice cream.

This day they will be featuring Penn Manor’s Brass Quintet, balloon sculptures, tours and a photo booth (including a Turkey Hill cow backdrop). The closing presentation starts at 3:00 pm. Following the presentation will be a special cake and ice cream.

Also, stick around for the special unveiling of the Turkey Hill’s new ice cream flavor—the Swan Swirl, in honor the 250 anniversary.

According to Pollock the ice cream is vanilla and contains fudge swirls, marshmallow bits and chocolate chips. “It was really good!” she said.

Lets give it up to the first 250, and the next 250 years to come.

Red Headed Racism Rears its Ugly….

By David Burch and Brandon Schuman –

They’ve always been the object of ridicule.

And at Penn Manor it is no different as this bold but small group of students has experienced an age-old prejudice against them or, more exactly,  their hair color.

Red.  Orange.  Auburn.  Carrot top.

Red heads tend to stick out because of their pale skin and auburn to orange hair. You can pick one out a mile away. They’ve been discriminated against for centuries. During the Dark Ages, Gingers were abused and sometimes even killed because the color of their hair was considered to be evil. The question is, why?

“What’s up Ginger.”

“Look at that Day Walker.”

“No wonder it’s hot in here, look at his hair.”

“I’m not a Ginger,” said Penn Manor senior Joey Jackson, “I’m a Day Walker, there’s a difference.”

Apparently there are different species when it comes to red heads.

Penn Manor senior Kara Overmeyer claims, “By definition, I am a Ginger.”

Kara Overmeyer's red hair makes her stand out in a crowd. Photo by Brandon Schuman.

When people refer to “Gingers” they are talking about people with very bright red hair, pale skin like that of a polar bear, and freckles that look like a child’s connect the dots game gone wrong. They are also known as the pure bred.

The term Day Walker pertains to red heads, however do not have all the characteristics as a Ginger. They either have just the reddish hair, pale skin or freckles, not all three.

Red heads, Day Walkers and Gingers all throughout the world have to deal with discrimination just because the color of their hair. Penn Manor is no different.

An anonymous student stated, “I don’t mind them as long as they don’t talk to me.”

“I’ve been called a couple names before,” said Overmeyer, “like Red Robin and Freckles McGee.”

“There have been some instances of emotional bruising,” said Penn Manor senior Ginger Aaron Sellers.

Sellers claimed he has heard fellow Red Head Joey Jackson  called “Ginger Jackson” by a teacher whose identity will remain anonymous due to possible repercussions.

Gingers are also accused of having no souls. Hundreds of years ago, red heads were considered to be “of the Devil.”  Even an episode of Comedy Central’s South Park, made fun of red heads, depicting them to be, in fact, soul-less.

Reknowned Ginger science teacher Erick Dutchess had this to say about South Park:

“When the creators of a nationally syndicated television show have the audacity to create an episode centered around the premise that Red Heads (Gingers) have no soul, the feeling of discrimination is palpable.”

Anonymous stated, “I believe everything on South Park, so yeah, they don’t have souls.”

Anonymous also states that he/she has witnessed Jackson and Sellers being treated maliciously and abusively solely based upon the fact that they have red hair.

Red heads of all shapes and sizes get abused during the school day.

“I’ll bring the hammer down if I see Gingers getting harassed in the school,” said Dutchess.

This discrimination needs to come to an end. We as a people cannot move on unless we all get along.

Sellers says it all when he said, “We’re people too. We have feelings too.”

Occupy Protesters Should Go Home

By Alex Kirk –

“Good try, Occupy.”

In numerous cities all over the United States, crowds of protesters have brought tents to set up camp in major parks and other public grounds. According to the New York City General Assembly, they claim to be using their constitutional right to peacefully assemble on public space in order to “create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.”

But what do they expect to happen?

Penn Manor senior Alex Kirk

The protesters say they have been victimized by major corporations, claiming that they have extracted the wealth from the people and the Earth.  They say “we are now in a time where corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments.”

The “Occupy” organization has done a fair job of gaining publicity and letting their protests be known, yet they offer no logical solution to the problem they have wasted so much effort presenting.  Nothing has been done to answer the protests because there is no realistic option to solve their pleas.

The United States of America is a nation founded on the principle of a free-market economy. The Constitution does not allow the government to eliminate any corporation on the terms that they “keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media” or ” block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.” Both are forms of competition in the business world and competition is a key part of a market-system that runs on private businesses.  The government cannot control businesses without violating the Constitution and the corporations will not give into any demands simply because there are people exercising their rights by camping out in tents.

With the outbreak of violent crimes at camps in major cities requiring police force, the government is becoming less and less inclined to do anything to help the sorry protesters.

They have used many catchy slogans in attempt to be heard, such as “The 99% will not be silent!” and “We are the 99%.” As protesters continue to camp out despite the approaching harsh, winter months, they should deeply consider taking shelter someplace warm and changing the slogans to: “Time to pack it up, 99%.”

As their efforts remain unsuccessful, protesters should really consider finding a nice, warm place to stay for the winter.