Getting paid for creativity at such a young age is definitely unusual.
Only 15 years old, a jewelry artist’s called simply “Ceaira” is creating her own jewelry and selling it to the world on Facebook. She calls her jewelry line “Vanilla Mochi”. People may consider her a “Scene Queen,” someone who gets a lot of attention on the internet because of their outlandish looks or abilities.
Ceaira wearing one of her creations
“Making jewelry was something I bounced around in my head for some time because I notice that a lot of people make really cute jewelry and get paid decent for it,” said Ceaira. “Since I’m not old enough to get a job I thought it would be perfect.”
Vanilla Mochi was created on Facebook in March of 2011. Having a little trouble at first she got her friends to model her first designs, so she would get publicity. She also said she had trouble thinking up designs at first.
The inspiration that got the design ideas flowing was a Japanese fashion called Lolita, particularly Sweet Lolita. It deals with lots of pastel colors and certain things that are consider adorable. She wanted to make jewelry that would go well with Lolita fashion. From there on her ideas kept flowing.”
Ceaira’s business is not typical, even for an online business.
Chocolate Chip Cookie
To order from Vanilla Mochi, you have to fill out specific information and send it on a message on Facebook.
To actually get your jewelry you have to pay first and then she will make it and send it to you.
You can either pay with Paypal or money order. She also does custom designs, like a certain color on the necklace.
For copyright reasons, if a customer wants a Pokemon character; she puts it under the category of custom, so no one thinks she claimed it as her own.
Ceaira also customizes the materials that go into each jewelry creation.
“I’m hoping to branch out and have a kind of spin-off brand, more things toward the darker side, like Gothic”
Ceaira does not intend to keep this as a main career choice for her future because she has an interest in alternative modeling.
You can go to Vanilla Mochi’s page on Facebook by:
The latest installment in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean series is sure to send youngsters who anxiously awaited its arrival away happy, as well as older fans, too.
In the same fashion as its predecessors, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, showcases the more mature side of Disney imagination as its rating is PG-13.
Pirates does not disappoint, however, as it is full of action, comedy, and even glimpses of horror.
The only thing missing from the latest addition is most of the leading cast from the previous films.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides movie poster. Photo courtesy imdb
The beloved Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, is still the same old sly, up-to-no good pirate as before. Absent from the movie are Orlando Bloom’s Will Turner and Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann, key components to the first three films.
Director Rob Marshall does a nice job of filling their spaces by throwing into the mix an old, and possibly current, love interest of Sparrow’s, Angelica Malon, played by Penelope Cruz.
Cruz’s almost identical sister but three years her junior, Monica Cruz, played as a body double because Penelope was pregnant during filming.
Other new faces include Malon’s long-lost father, Blackbeared, played by Ian McShane. Captive missionary Philip Swift (Sam Claflin) is also introduced, as is the mermaid he falls in love with, Syrena, played by Spanish-French actress Astrid Berges-Frisbey, who makes her English-language debut.
Returnees include Sparrow’s father Captain Teague (Keith Richards), his former sailing confidant Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally) and his old nemesis Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush).
All in all, the plot structure of the film is well done.
Sparrow has a run-in with Angelica, who reveals herself as his impersonator after the two have a sword match in the back of a bar. Angelica leads him to the ruthless Blackbeard and his crew full of grotesque sailors.
The talk around the world is that a Fountain of Youth exists, thus there is fierce competition to reach it first and reap from its magic.
Because Blackbeard knows of Sparrow’s keen sailing and pirating expertise, he forces him to lead the way in an expedition to find the fountain.
A few escape attempts and a mermaid attack later, Blackbeard’s crew, under Sparrow’s direction, reach the fountain. There, they encounter Barbossa, who is under orders of the British monarchy, and the Spanish who wish to destroy the fountain.
A full-on fight occurs between the opposing forces but somehow in the middle of it all, Sparrow is able to take possession of the two chalices needed for the magic of the fountain to work.
Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) and Philip Swift (Sam Claflin). Photo courtesy novelasymas.com
It is learned that in order for a user to take advantage of the fountain’s powers, a mermaid’s tear must be in the gulp that the user swallows as well as the water of the fountain itself. A tear from the stubborn mermaid Syrena, who was abducted during the attack, was earlier obtained.
Both Blackbeard and Angelica are wounded in battle. Only one of them will be able to survive by the fountain’s powers.
Sparrow, with possession of both chalices, has knowledge of which one contains Syrena’s tear and which does not.
Angelica is willing to sacrifice herself for her father, so she drinks the chalice believed to not contain the tear.
Sparrow always has a trick up his sleeve, however, as he knowingly gives Angelica the chalice with the tear.
Thus, she lives and her father perishes.
The movie ends with a cliffhanger as she reveals that she is pregnant with Sparrow’s child, so there’s no telling what craziness the next installment will entail.
Maybe a future Captain Jack is in the works, complete with his father’s witty, trouble-making spirit.
The beginning of the film was slow and could have picked up a bit so that it’s two hour, 17 mintue run time was reduced. The fun-filled action scenes and whimsical lines made up for it, however, and it definitely delivered.
As the end of the year approaches, seniors are finalizing plans for the next year. Some will head for another two or four years of schooling at a college or university, others will go right into the workforce, but not all seniors are sure of their next step.
A common question heard at senior lunch tables and in the classroom is, “where are you going next year?”
Penn Manor seniors are all curious where everyone is headed, so we went around and found out. Here are results that were attained from seniors.
Seniors get ready for their next big step after high school.
Arcadia University (Glenside, PA)
Veronica Willig
The Art Institute of Pennsylvania (PA)
Sam Adams
Bloomsburg University (Bloomsburg, PA)
Abigail Novak
Cassey Graeff
Julia Rios
Jenna Santaniello
Olivia Hertzler
Auburn University (Auburn, AL)
Robert Henry
Boston University (Boston, MA)
Laura Revelt
Bryn Mawr College (Bryn Mawr, PA)
Mikah Farbo
California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA)
Ben Clark
Catholic University of America (Washington, DC)
Dan Elliot
Chestnut Hill College (Philadelphia, PA)
Kayley Gaukler
Clemson University (Clemson, SC)
Alicia Burns
Coastal Carolina University (Conway, SC)
Maeve Snyder
Consolidated School of Business (PA)
Cidney Rupp
Cornell University (Ithica, NY)
Ande Olson
Career & Technology Center (PA)
Caylin Koser
Delaware Valley College (Doylestown, PA)
Kaleb Long
Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)
Jeremy Vital
Eastern University (St. Davids, PA)
Bryan Hess
East Stroudsburg University (East Stroudsburg, PA)
Holly Mancinelli
Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, PA)
Amy Wagner
Brian Ramsey
Connor Rowe Evan Singleton Emily Hutchinson
Franklin and Marshall College (Lancaster, PA)
Alec O’Rourke
Lars Andersen
Frostburg State University (Frostburg, MD)
Spencer Barnett
Geneva College (Beaver Falls, PA)
Elsie Huber
Jenna Spayd
Grove City College (Grove City, PA)
Peter Ashworth
Harrisburg Area Community College (PA)
Alex Blythe
Allana Herr
Amanda Ackerman
Chassidy Sowersby
Dani Adams
Derek Groff
Dillon Walker
Emmy Hess
Genny Leonards
Jeremy Ostsberg
Kendall Seigworth
Kristi Rineer
Mike Bowder
Mitchell Creasy
Tanner Burkhardt
Morgan Mock
Paige Kuster
Rebecca Irwin
Ryan Mays
Shane Burkhardt
Stacy Smith
Storm Kelley
Taylor Stump
Hood College (Frederick, MD)
Brandon McCormick Jaq Presbery
Houghton College (Houghton, NY)
Austin Groff
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Indiana, PA)
Kyle Hallett
Melissa Martin
Taylor Groff
James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA)
Zach Rayha
Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
Natasha Fletcher
Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA)
Allison Herr
Kutztown University (Kutztown, PA)
Samantha McCrery
Whitney Reno
Lancaster General College (Lancaster, PA)
Riannon Herr
Lafayette College (Easton, PA)
Helen Hutchens
Demetrius Dixon
Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA)
Morgan Fletcher
Lock Haven University (Lock Haven, PA)
Joe Gordon
Cody Goldberg
Mike Liebl
Mansfield University (Mansfield, PA)
Kendra Keuper
Tyler Beckley
Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)
Nick Hartley
Millersville University (Millersville, PA)
Nick Weidinger
Sam Brenner
Alix Mullins
Anissa Gerlach
Alyssa Byers
Lauren Richards
Megan Wilson
Cassie Funk
Wyman Unen
Kira Klaassen
Noah Kuhn
Jacklyn Schmalhofer
Paul Slaugh
Olivia Rinier
Montana Stokem
Clark Habecker
Kaylynne Staub
Cassandra Sweikert
Liz Lawrence
Mercyhurst Brown (Erie, PA)
Suzanne Brown
Misericordia University (Dallas, PA)
Morgan Ream
Jenna Reel
Moravian College (Bethlehem, PA)
Stef Friedman
Ocean County College(Toms River, NJ)
Henry Kohler
Norwich University(Northfield, VT)
Trevor Troup
Penn State Harrisburg (Middletown, PA)
Devin Yecker
Cree Bleacher
Penn State University (University Park, PA)
Corey Morales
Brock Kauffman
Katie Maisel
Katie Breneman
Josh Carle
Mike Gebhart
Taylor Breidenbaugh
Greg Gydush
Bethany Dickert
Penn State York (York, PA)
Bryan Buckius
Alex Geli
Pennsylvania Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences(Philadelphia, PA)
Jeff Bitzs
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (Lancaster, PA)
Andrea Deibert
Amanda Miley
Leah Freeman
Jenna Waite
Pennsylvania College of Technology (Williamsport, PA)
Erika Roop
Pennsylvania Gunsmith School (Pittsburgh, PA)
Chase Miller
Philadelphia University(Philadelphia, PA)
Danielle Warfel
Pulse Paul Mitchell School of Cosmetology (Downington, PA)
Mary Treier
Robert Morris University (Moon Township, PA)
Stetson Hershey
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Shippensburg, PA)
Brian Dunne
Robin Green
Matt Aston
Abby Newport
Slippery Rock University (Slippery Rock, PA)
Morgan Talbert
Temple University (Philadelphia, PA)
Alex Manm
Ariela Contreias
Jessen Smith
Katie Coons
Ella Perry
Willie Chalfant
Emily Land
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (Lancaster, PA)
Evan Shertzer
Daniel Boehler
University of Massachusetts Amherst (Amherst, MA)
Renee Suter
University Of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
Eric Clark Sophia Wushanley
University Of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)
Jesse Graham
Erin Loy
Jessica Cheng
Garrett Young
Mark Curtin
University of Rochester(Rochester, NY)
Mark Christman
University Of Tampa (Tampa, Fl)
Lizzie Pflumm
University Of the Arts (Philadelphia, PA)
Rachel Sherts
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, VA)
Maddy Hess
Virginia Wesleyan College (Norfolk, VA)
Zach Campbell
Washington College (Chestertown, MD)
Caroline Lovett
Washington University (St. Louis, MO)
Ben Crisman
West Chester University of Pennsylvania (West Chester, PA)
Dan Short
Moriah Freeman
Widener University (Chester, PA)
Eric Gerlach
York College of Pennsylvania (York, PA)
Kendal Phillips
Sarah Garner
Work/Career
Jessie Lindeman
Cory Lentz
Kyle Angelo
Rob Fisher
Gabby Myers
Eric Byers
Nesha Stoltzfus
Other
Eric Bear-Year off in Paris, France
Michael Keen- Air Force
Jeremiah Mazzur- Military/Army
Will Tomlinson- Military
Felix Yaliel- Move in with best friend and work
Jordan Lyons- Military/ Air Force
Lauren Ressler- Taking time off
Faith Walauskas- Year off
Ryan -Air Force
Jeff Ford- Army
Mike Stokes- Military
Taylor Smith- Air Force or School
*This is not the entire senior class. If you would like your name to be added to the list with your plan for next year, contact the Penn Points Staff (room 358 in Library) or Robin Green or Laura Revelt.
After reviewing the list we found some surprising statistics, trends and difficult decisions that were made. The most popular school seniors are attending next year is Harrisburg Area Community College or HACC. According to hacc.edu, HACC has six campuses in Pennsylvania including Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Harrisburg, Gettysburg, and Virtual. Of the senior class, at least 23 are going to HACC. The second most popular school is Millersville University, with 19 seniors planning to attend there. According to the poll only 22 seniors are going to attend college in another state.
Of course many of the schools that seniors are attending next year are very good schools, but we found some impressive statistics. Three seniors are going to Ivy League universities next year. Eric Clark, majoring in biological basis of behavior, and Sophia Wushanley are both attending the University of Pennsylvania and Ande Olson is going to Cornell University in the fall.
Olson will be majoring in engineering. He explained how he came to the decision to attend Cornell University.
“My grandfather went to Cornell and it’s a very prestigious school,” said Olson.
Olson and Clark talked of what they thought was required to be accepted at an Ivy League school.
“I definitely needed strong academics, community service and leadership,” said Olson.
“I had a diverse application,” said Clark.
Clark explained he is involved in academics of all subjects, sports, music, church, community service and that he had good SAT scores.
Clark also emphasized the fact that he only applied to the University of Pennsylvania, with early decision, and this allowed him to focus on it.
“I didn’t have to worry myself with back-up schools,” said Clark.
“I put a lot of time and hard work into the application process.”
According to Olson, after he narrowed down his college options to two universities, he chose Cornell through long discussions with his parents.
“It’s probably a better choice for me.”
Clark on the other hand knew he wanted to go to the University of Pennsylvania from the start.
“They’re a good school,” said Clark.
Clark also said that he loves Philadelphia and that it’s a good city location and listed Penn’s multiple clubs, facilities, tennis courts and, not to mention, his girlfriend goes there, as positive aspects of the University of Pennsylvania.
Besides the struggle to balance difficult high school classes, work, sports and staying active in clubs, prospective college students have to face decisions that can take them far away from their family, friends and significant other. College can make or break relationships.
Penn Manor seniors who are now separating next year are the Fletcher sisters. Morgan and Natasha, twins, have been together for over 18 years, since before birth, but come August, Morgan will be attending Lehigh University, enrolled in the business college, and Natasha will be majoring in International Relations at Johns Hopkins University. Morgan will be in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Natasha in Baltimore, Maryland.
Twins who will finally be separated after 18 years. Photo by: Robin Green
“Every day I get asked- you guys are separating?” Morgan said.
The Fletchers expressed the pros and cons of being apart next year.
“I think it’s time that we separate and get our own identities,” said Morgan. “We need some independence (from each other) because we never had it before.”
Natasha listed a few positive aspects as, “Freedom, individualism and we’ll be able to find our own friends.”
“We’re not going to have to help people tell us apart. We won’t have that awkwardness in the beginning of meeting people.”
Morgan applied to nine schools and Natasha applied to six, but they both only applied to one school that was the same. Morgan explained their parents hoped they would go to the same college but that she had doubts from the start of the application process that they would go to that one school they both applied to.
“They understand we have different interests,” said Natasha.
“It’s bad because we will miss each other, because we’ve never been apart,” said Morgan.
Natasha said, “We are getting separated, so that’ll be an adjustment.”
Natasha mentioned other cons of attending different colleges such as not talking or seeing each other everyday, which is what they are so used to.
“We know other twins that said it was extremely hard,”said Morgan
Morgan talked of family friends that are twins who cried their first month apart.
“Then I think they were happy in the long run,” said Morgan. “It was a bittersweet situation for them.”
“I think it will be the same experience for us but not as extreme.”
On the flip side some friendships will be continued as seniors attend the same university next year. Lars Andersen and Alec O’Rourke are both going to Franklin & Marshall College, informally known as F&M, here in Lancaster.
“This was not planned out,” said Andersen.
O’Rourke applied to 6-8 schools and Andersen applied to seven.
Andersen said, “Somehow we both ended up at F&M.
Andersen will be majoring in finance or premed and O’Rourke is undecided.
One word Andersen used for describing his feelings of the two of them going to the same college in the fall was, “apprehensive.”
A con they both expressed of going to F&M is how close it is to home.
“It sucks that its five minutes away from my house,” said O’Rourke.
“We can’t escape the greater Lancaster area, bu that’s also a pro because we already know our way around town,” said Andersen.
Other pros they mentioned were the dorms and that they both have already studied at the school. O’Rourke took two classes and Andersen took one.
“I’m glad our dorm is not a broom closet,” said O’Rourke.
“We’re not going to be in every class together,” said Andersen.
For the most part the two seemed happy to be attending the same school next year and mentioned the conicidence that they will be graduating from high school on the F&M campus.
A senior with unique plans next year is Eric Bear. Bear will be spending the fall semester of 2011 in Paris, France.
“I will be staying with a host family in the seventh district of Paris. I will be studying French Language and Literature at La Sorbonne-Paris, France,” said Bear.
Bear explained that he will be learning French and the culture while there, but he will also be teaching English to French-speaking children in the schools of Paris because of his five years of experience with the French language.
“While I am there I will also be traveling all over France and throughout Europe receiving private tours and sightseeing through the program along with various trips with my home stay family,” added Bear.
The trip is through the CIEE Study Abroad Program: Gap Year. Bear found out about it from Maureen Klingaman, a French teacher here at Penn Manor.
“It seemed like this came my way at the perfect time, and it was just what I needed. The criteria they requested was that the student was a senior taking off a semester in the fall, speaks french, and is a global citizen,” said Bear.
Bear met the criteria because of his years of French and his involvement in Serteen, Boy Scouts, experience with a photography company and his internship at LG Electronics Mobile Communications.
Bear expressed his excitement to go on the trip and what a opportunity it is.
“Usually most students do not study abroad until their junior or senior year (of college), and for me to be able to do this before my freshman year is pretty amazing,” said Bear.
Besides passport and student visa fees, Bear does not have to pay for the trip. He leaves in September 2011 and will return December 2011. He then will attend New York University in the Spring of 2012, double- majoring in International Marketing and Fashion Merchandising with a minor in French.
To all seniors, good luck next year as you carry out your plans and accomplish your goals!
Though those words are foreign to most of us, they are right up Penn Manor sophomore Shadrack Kiprop’s alley.
He exclaimed, “I love America!” in Swahili, with that enormous smile that is very frequently worn on his face.
Kiprop’s life has not always been something to smile about, however, as he has endured some rough times in his young life.
Sixteen-year-old Kiprop moved from Kericho, Kenya to America his freshman year of high school with his mother and two sisters. His sister Olive is 19 and attends Georgia Tech, and his sister Purity is 21 and is attending school to become an LPN.
Kiprop stated that like most people who move to prosperous countries, he and his family moved to America for a better life. Life in Africa was very modest.
Shadrack Kiprop. Photo courtesy Morgan Fletcher
“I lived in a village. I liked it but there’s really nothing. No electricity,” said Kiprop.
“I’d say life was good, but you don’t really have any careers. No opportunities.”
Kiprop explained that his area was surrounded by farmland and his house contained about three rooms. They used fuel and put it on a lamp, which he said became troublesome at times because fuel was expensive and it is hard to share one lamp.
Kiprop laughs at the notion that many westerners have about African countries and their beliefs that wild animals roam around everywhere.
“In my country, there are parks to keep the animals,” he said.
He cites his homeland as a work-in-progress.
“My country was colonized by the British, so it’s a developing country. There are some schools, and people who can get to those schools,” he said.
Kiprop cited English as being among the most difficult things he picked up in his transition to America.
“Speaking English is like the most important thing,” he said. “English was hard because when I went home, no one else spoke it.”
He got a head start in the English language while still in school in Kenya.
“I learned [English] in school, a little bit. We had to talk English all day in school. It was a must to speak it. If you got caught [not speaking it], you might get sent home.”
That was not the only punishment implemented by the one-room school.
“If you made a mistake in class, you got spanked,” Kiprop explained. “You get spanked, you learn not to make the mistake again.”
A dark memory in Kiprop’s life is the time when he was kidnapped as an infant. A housemaid took two-year-old Kiprop away from his family for about six months to another part of Kenya. He was found by a family who reported the incident to the police. Kiprop explained that it was hard to find him because there are no detectives in his homeland.
“The good thing, that I’m thankful for, is that I’m alive.”
The Kiprop’s first stop to America was Texas because it was an affordable place to live. His mother had been in America previously, so she began applying for them to be able to move. About a month later, they moved to Lancaster because there were more employment opportunities and better education.
Kiprop does not watch a lot of T.V. and claims American food to be just “alright.”
He has, however, fallen in love with one thing since his move.
“I love running. I want to be the best, but it takes time.”
Kiprop’s first experience with running was last year, for in Kenya it was too expensive for him to join the program. He has been on the track team for two years and throughout his time has greatly improved in the two-mile race. He hopes to be able to run in college.
Kiprop has also been working hard to fulfill another goal.
His best friend back home in Kenya, Evans Cheruiyot, cannot afford to attend the local high school. He is the same age as Kiprop, but is in seventh grade.
Cheruiyot’s father died when he was young and he lived with Kiprop for many years and they went to school together.
“When I came to America, his mom died, so he’s an orphan,” said Kiprop. “I promised myself me and my mom would raise the money to send him to high school.”
Kiprop started collecting money last summer and hopes to raise the $200-$300 he needs in the next two summers. Some teachers at Penn Manor have chipped in.
Kiprop is unsure whether or not he will ever return to Kenya and stay permanently.
“That’s a tough question,” he said. “I’ll visit and come back to America [to live permanently].”
He does not know what profession he will take on when he’s older. He believes he might want to do something with the government.
“I might try to do something to help the corrupt countries,” Kiprop said.
When told that he is a very nice, caring person, the boy with the big smile and an even bigger heart put on a humble grin and simply said, “I try.”
It’s over, done. Their high school career is behind them forever.
June 2 is the last day of high school for Penn Manor seniors. It’s an exciting, nerve racking time for most. Some are worried about the future, some are giddy with anticipation and some are just taking it day-by-day. But each student has their own post-high school plan.
Okay, the final day isn’t completely serious. Seniors used the last day to recapture their favorite memories, see some in-school friends that they may never see again and to give their farewells to their favorite teachers and administrators. There’s even the classic “lunch clap” that breaks out during the last lunch.
Ben Clark never wants to forget the good times he had at Penn Manor or the friends he made.
“I’ve enjoyed chilling with friends. This is the place you can always come back to, it’s the people you keep up with, stay in touch,” said Clark.
Darius Howard is anticipating his freshman year in college. He is attending Shippensburg University in the fall.
“I’m excited to go to Ship to play football and talk to cheerleaders,” said Howard with a smile. But, he has some concerns.
“I’m worried about injuries and trying to get a starting position,” explained Howard.
Howard will have to balance studies, sports and relationships without dropping the ball. He’s been looking forward to playing football in college his entire life. That should be just the motivation he needs to have a successful college career.
Ryan Mays is attending HACC, then plans to transfer to Temple. Although, he isn’t sure that he can support himself on a limited budget after high school.
“I’m a little bit worried about the financial part of college. Like paying for tuition, books, and student loans after college,” admitted Mays.
Jeremy Vital reads up on what will be his last book in high school. Photo by Penn Points staff
“All I have to do is work hard and everything should work out by itself.”
Kendal Phillips is uncertain about her future. She’s attending York College, but her major is undecided and she has no clue what she wants to spend the rest of her life doing.
“I’m just worried that I won’t know what the next step is,” she said.
But, are they prepared? Can they withstand three hour lectures and the 40-60 hour work weeks? Can they acclimate to the college or work life?
Caitlyn Whirt already has her future already planned out.
“I want to be able to handle all of my classes and prepare for the LSAT (law entree test) and go to law school,” she said.
These questions have been racing through the minds of many seniors who are nervous about their future. However, they realize Penn Manor has done a great job of preparing them. Required community service, resume construction, and other graduation project requirements are part of the preparation the seniors have for the real world.
As the last day comes to an end and cameras flash, hugs are shared, and shouts of joy fill the air. Although, it’s obvious to know inside every rejoicing senior there is that thought of conclusion that sheds a tear of sadness.
Seniors who have met the graduation requirements will be marching to Pomp and Circumstance to get their diplomas at F&M Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Penn Manor girls lacrosse pulled out a victory of 18 to 10 against Seneca Valley (section seven).
Penn Manor was led by Senior Alicia Burns with 6 goals and three assists. Also Maddy Hess helped with four goals of her own.
The Comets are now 19-4 with a great record they plan to continue their winning streak for as long as possible.
Taking a look at the defensive side, Penn Manor’s Kelly McHugh pulled out a strong 14 saves for the girls which helped them keep the momentum throughout the game.
The girls went into halftime with a strong lead of 10 to 4.
The comets will continue into the state quarterfinals Saturday to face District 7’s second seed Siwickley Academy.
Many people lead interesting lives and have remarkable stories to tell.
I absolutely love hearing the life experiences of people from all walks of life, and I am always prompting people to tell me more about themselves and what they’ve gone through.
I’ll admit that sometimes I wish I’d never asked to hear people share something with me, because what they say ends up being just an overrun saga of something they’ve probably embellished a bit.
But then there are times when I hear what someone is going through and I am really moved by it.
Such was the case when I read Nick Charles’ story.
Nick Charles during an early stage in his career. Photo courtesy doghouseboxing.com
Sixty-four-year-old Nick Charles is a sports anchor who has been in the business for 40 years. He has covered almost every major sporting event and was CNN’s first sportscaster in 1980.
Charles has terminal bladder cancer and is living every day very gratefully. He was expected to live 20 months with treatment but is currently on his 21st month.
I have taken an interest in Charles’ story for more reasons than one.
Of course one of those reasons is the fact that the story is extremely sad and touching, but it also serves as inspiration.
Charles has a five-year-old daughter named Giovanna with Cory, his wife of 13 years.
Throughout his journey living with cancer, he has made a collection of videos to leave for his little girl so that she can grow up with a father even when he’s not physically with her.
Nick Charles and daughter Giovanna. Photo courtesy usa.greekreporter.com
Giovanna is very aware of her father’s illness and is staying strong to console her mother who she tells not to worry because ‘Daddy will always be in your heart.’
Charles has an optimistic outlook and is positive that his family will be fine when he’s gone.
He says he’s ready to go home to God as he has endured a lot of pain over the last year and is at a great place presently.
“I can’t believe I feel so good about the last week of my life, but I do … I finally got my life right,” Charles said.
His biggest fear is that Giovanna will be the one to find him.
I also feel a certain connection with Charles as I consider him a career influence. My goal is to become a court-side reporter, and I’m always telling people that I’m going to be the next Pam Oliver.
I happened to stumble across his story by chance as I was leisurely browsing CNN’s website. When I saw the headline regarding Charles, I immediately wanted to find out more so I clicked and watched the heart-wrenching interview.
I’ve watched a lot of Oprah over the years so I’ve seen a lot of sad stories of the struggles and hardships that people face, much like Charles and his family.
I can’t imagine what they’re experiencing as I’ve never been through anything similar, but I know in life it’s only reasonable to expect to hit a rough patch eventually.
I only hope that I can have the strength of little Giovanna when that time comes for me.
Under the surface, a number of people find themselves bitter about the principles of affirmative action.
According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “affirmative action” means “positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and business from which they have been historically excluded.”
America’s history is reflective of the struggles minorities and women have had over time. To reduce the discrimination, certain amendments and rights have been implemented in attempts to provide equal opportunities for all, regardless of race or gender.
The phrase “affirmative action” was first introduced in President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 Executive Order 10925. Kennedy required federal contractors to “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.” In 1967, Lyndon Johnson expanded the Executive Order to include women under the affirmative action requirements.
One of the most controversial aspects of affirmative action is the role it plays in college admissions.
In attempts to increase their minority representation, colleges have employed affirmative action to help match representation quotas.
This practice took form in the 1970s. One of the earliest incidents in which it caused controversy was the case of Allan Bakke.
Bakke, a white applicant, applied to the Medical School at the University of California at Davis, which reserved 16 of its 100 slots for the entering class each year to minority students.
Bakke applied to the school in 1973 and 1974, and both times was denied admission even though his test scores and grades were better than most accepted applicants.
Bakke sued, and his 1977 case, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, is famous because of the decision the Supreme Court reached.
Four members of the court were in favor of Bakke’s argument, and four others were against it. It came down to Justice Powell, who was persuaded by members in favor of Bakke’s case. Thus, Bakke won his case and a door was opened that revealed the nation’s stake in the matter.
May 4th is a historic date in our nation’s history. The passengers known as the “Freedom Riders” just celebrated the 50th anniversary of their journey to the deep South. Their goal was to bring attention to race relations in the racially divided southern states. Instead, they were greeted by a lot of violence and hostility.
The courageous efforts of the riders showcased to the world the horrors of the racial segregation that embodied the South. Whites and Blacks were able to come together in a time when unity meant everything and differences in appearance could be set aside.
It is evident that divisions amongst the races are still present in our nation, however, as there has been a lot of opposition to policies like affirmative action, which are set in place to help eliminate segregation and unify everyone.
President Bill Clinton presented a speech about affirmative action on July 19, 1995. Based on his assertions in the speech, he is an advocate for affirmative action.
“The purpose of affirmative action is to give our nation a way to finally address the systemic exclusion of individuals of talent on the basis of their gender or race from opportunities to develop, perform, achieve and contribute,” Clinton stated. “Affirmative action is an effort to develop a systematic approach to open the doors of education, employment and business development opportunities to qualified individuals who happen to be members of groups that have experienced longstanding and persistent discrimination.”
Clinton cites the fact that at times, affirmative action is used too liberally and unjustly. He also cites the changes that have and are being made to help eliminate these problems.
”When affirmative action is done right, it is flexible, it is fair, and it works,” he stated.
Penn Manor history teacher Todd Mealy sides with Clinton’s notion that affirmative action is effective as it is a policy set in place to benefit individuals who have been excluded from certain opportunities over time. He also cites the fact that it never hurts to reform certain policies.
“Affirmative action is decades old. Most policies that are 40 or 50 years old need change,” Mealy said. “Affirmative action should still be a policy but should be shifted.”
Mealy asserts that affirmative action should focus more on socio-economics and levels of education, with a concentration on working class people.
His move to Penn Manor from the diverse School District of Lancaster was quite surprising, he remembers. In his first faculty meeting at Penn Manor, he remembers looking around and not seeing any variety among the faces.
He believes this should be changed.
“[Penn Manor’s] student body is changing, but the teaching staff is not,” said Mealy. “I think it would be a good idea for the district to start recruiting minority applicants.”
Mealy believes that beneficial connections can be made between faculty and students that look like them. He believes that affirmative action is not in place simply to fill the quota.
Hiram Martinez, Interim Assistant to the President for Social Equity and Diversity at Millersville University, could not agree with Mealy more. Martinez does not believe Millersville University focuses on affirmative action.
“I think the admissions office [at Millersville University] in general works very hard in making sure every freshman class engages with folks of underrepresented groups,” he said.
Martinez believes that rather than practicing affirmative action, the university effectively works to engage its students in activities with others who are not like them.
Rich Brenton, another history teacher at Penn Manor, is not a proponent of affirmative action.
“I understand it in principle, but I’m opposed to how it plays out,” Brenton said.
Brenton believes that our nation should never have gotten in the state of inequality that it has throughout history. He believes that everyone should have the same institutional opportunities and that academic rewards should be given based on merit.
“It’s really, really difficult to legislate equality,” he said. “All men should be created equal, but aren’t.”
Brenton believes that head start programs are better alternatives to affirmative action. He sees it to be more beneficial to find at-risk youth at a very early age and provide them with resources that enable them to be more accomplished and qualified later in life. He cites the fact that this idea will probably never happen, though, as change takes a lot of time to happen.
“We don’t want to commit to it,” said Brenton. “We’d rather put on Band-Aids at the end.”
Long Island, NY has become a crime scene. Women have been prostituting themselves on Craigslist and eventually being spread all over Long Island, piece by piece.
Bodies and bone remains have been discovered all over Long Island from what is now believed to 12 different women, all of whom have previously gone missing.
Investigators have found similarities in the murders that have taken place and have come to the conclusion that there is a serial killer on the prowl.
This unknown person has been contacting women through Craigslist, a network of online communities featuring free online advertisement with sections devoted for jobs, housing, personals, for sales etc.
According to TRCB News, there has been nine victims since December 2010. Four of those nine had advertised on Craigslist.
Although what is not clear to investigators is if there is one killer, or multiple killers using the same area as their burial ground.
Police have no suspect for their case, but according to recent reports from ABC News, authorities are looking at several people some of which may also have connections to law enforcement.
“We want to bring justice to this animal that has obviously taken the lives of a number of people,” said Edward Mangano, Nassau County’s Executive.
According to the New York Time, prostitutes are now worried that their next customer will be a killer.
People all over the world are wondering “who will say what next.”
Numerous people were interviewed and put on stand for the sake of a 3-year-old girl who was found dead, yet the story is unclear on who killed her or how it happened.
Was it murder or was it an accident?
Orlando resident Casey Anthony’s three year old daughter Caylee went missing in June 2008. There were multiple stories in the trial of Anthony on exactly what happened. First the nanny took her and now she drowned in the family swimming pool. The only thing is, she was reported missing a month after her “drowning.”
“How in the world can a mother wait 30 days before ever reporting her child missing? That’s insane, that’s bizarre… The answer is actually relatively simple. She never was missing,” said Jose Baez, Anthony’s lawyer. “Caylee Anthony died on June 16, 2008 when she drowned in her family’s swimming pool.”
There are many things about this case that are making people all over the world so addicted.
According to ABC news, Anthony’s lawyer also stated that her father George Anthony, Caylee’s grandfather, found the body in the backyard pool and disposed of it, leaving evidence to implicate his daughter.
Her lawyer also claims that she was sexually abused as a child and is used to hiding pain, which is why she kept her daughter’s death a secret.
“On June 16, 2008, after Caylee died, Casey did what she’s been doing all her life, hiding her pain, going into that dark corner and pretending that she does not live in the situation that she’s living in… it all began when Casey was 8 years old and her father came into her room and began to touch her inappropriately and it escalated,” said Baez.
He denies ever doing such a thing and said that at this trial was the first time he heard of the drowning theory.
“When I heard that today, it hurt really bad. If I would have known something happened to Caylee, I wouldn’t be hear today,” said George Anthony. “I would have done everything humanly possible to save my granddaughter if what was stated prior really happened.”
Casey’s lawyer states that the reason she kept it inside and didn’t say anything about the death was because of her abuse as a child.
“Casey Anthony was raised to lie,” said Baez. “Sex abuse does things to us, it changes you.”
