Penn Points Online

The launch of “Escalation”- New Call of Duty Black Ops Maps

By Blake Wales –

Guns, Grenades and Gadgets….

Call of Duty Black Ops, one of the top selling, first-person shooter games of all time, is back at it again.

Treyarch and Activison have tried to give their players more variety in their most-played multiplayer mode. They did this by initially releasing the map pack “First Strike,” which gave the players who purchased it four maps – “Discovery” “Kowloon” “Stadium” and “Berlin Wall.”

The pack also included one zombies map “Ascension.” But on May 3, they released “Escalation,” a map pack which supplies players with four additional multiplayer maps and a zombies map “Call of the Dead.”

New Multiplayer and Zombie maps included in the "Escalation" map pack www.videogamewriters.com

One of the first maps you come across in the new pack is called “Stockpile.” This map is supposed to represent an urban village in Russia but also has a Cold War theme because of the middle building which features armaments. The center building in this map is really the heart and the key location. This building features doors that can be operated from inside the building and outside.

The next map is called “Hotel.” This map is a branch from the Cuban hotel in the original map from Black Ops call “Havana.” This map features an operational elevator that allows players to move to different floors of the hotel. This map also provides a lot of places for the players to hide and includes a few flanking points as well.

The third multiplayer map is called “Convoy” which is the scene of an ambush by Soviet forces on a United States convoy.

Snipers will love this map because of the high positions. But this map is also good for “run and gunners” who want to get around the map quickly.

Players battling for the monorail in "Zoo." www.cheatercc.com

The fourth and most favored map by Xbox players is called “Zoo.”

The location is, of course, a zoo. But not just any zoo, it’s an abandoned Soviet zoo. This map features a broken monorail that runs throughout most of the map, an advantage point for players who can advance to this key point.

These maps are available now to Xbox live custumers for the price of 1200 Microsoft points (1600 Microsoft= $19.99). This pack costs the same amount as the first map pack “First Strike.”

If you want to learn more about the zombies map “Call of the Dead” you should download the pack and play it. Hopefully you can survive to talk about it.

Rain, Rain Stay Away, We Only Need One Sunny Day for Spring Fling

By Marc Summy –

Spring Fling is synonymous with rain, wind, thunder and lightening.

Yes?

No?

Sometimes?

“Formerly known as Spring Drizzle,” director Doug Eby wants to clarify that it has regained its proper name of Spring Fling.

With so many school clubs holding court this year, offering fun games, delicious food and homemade music, the organizers are hoping, praying and dreaming of a sunny, dry day. That would be a rare event in the history of the past 10 Spring Flings.

“Deals have been made with Mother Nature to ensure that it won’t rain,” Eby said with a laugh.

Junior Alex Kirk, Eby’s left-hand man, says, “We have checked the Farmer’s Almanac and it looks promising.”

Not so fast.

Sumo wrestlers battled it out at Spring Fling 2010. Photo by Sarah Garner

The Farmer’s Almanac actually predicts for the dates of May 12-15, “fair skies at first for the East then unsettled with showers.”

This year’s Spring Fling is scheduled for May, 13, yes, Friday, the 13.

Penn Manor is holding their annual Spring Fling festival at Comet Field. Admissions is free and it will go from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

In the past five years rain had been the only one regularly attending this event. There hasn’t been a sunny day for the carnival since 2005. The director, Penn Manor principal Mr. Eby, encourages the public to come out no matter what, for dinner, if nothing else.

On the list is Bricker’s French Fries, Dip’ n Dots, Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream and school tents that will be selling pizza, chicken wings and homemade ice cream.

The football team will also be selling chicken BBQ from 10 am until whenever they run out.

In addition, entertainment will be provided. Among the entertainment that will bring people in are the carnival rides, a 68-foot inflatable obstacle course, sumo wrestling, moon bounce, Battle of the Bands, and fireworks.

The fireworks will start sometime between 9:15-9:30.

The agriculture club will be hosting “olympics” which will consist of a bail toss throw, tire flipping and more.

The Young Humanitarians will also have a booth set up for arm wrestling, so grab a friend and get bragging rights for a year.

Speaking of grabbing a friend, there is rumor that there may be a kissing booth. Eby won’t confirm or deny it. He suggests the curious come to Spring Fling to find out.

As of right now, weatherchannel.com’s 10-day forecast states a high of seventy degrees with a sixty percent chance of precipitation.

Make sure you come out and enjoy this event filled night, you don’t want to miss it.

Quiz Bowl Begins “Final Countdown”

By Crystal Bugner & Amber Brenner–

Q: What is the name of the club that answers random trivia questions for an hour every Monday?

A: Quiz Bowl.

The Quiz Bowl coordinator is Sallie Bookman, who is also the Gifted coordinator. The team’s “final countdown” has begun. With the national competition just around the corner, the club is revving their engines for the event while the seniors are putting the brakes on their high school career.

The national Quiz Bowl competition is from June 3 to June 5 in Washington DC.

But the “A team” is mostly seniors this year. The team consists of Lars Anderson, Garrett Young, Helen Hutchens, Morgan Flood, and Anthony Cazillo. There is not a single junior in the club at all. So it would appear to the outside eye that the team next year might be in trouble.

But the club’s seniors don’t agree. Young, whose niche is sports, feels they did well this year, and thinks that the up and coming members won’t have any problems doing just as well, if not better.

That means a lot considering the current team got to the final four in the Westfield Insurance Brain Busters competition this year, a contest consisting of 38 schools.

“Usually we make it to nationals,” said Hutchens a senior on the team. Implying that this year’s sophomores have some very big shoes to fill for next year.

Flood is one of the sophomores, and instead of looking nervous, she has a lot of spirit. Especially when she proudly announced that she wants to beat Penn Manor’s records for quiz bowl.

Flood hopes to continue to start on the “A Team” next year, and she plans to keep up Quiz Bowl in the upcoming years to keep Penn Manor’s legacy going.

She hopes she keeps that legacy. Although, Flood admitted that she really “doesn’t know what to expect” about nationals this year.

Hempfield, L-S Pay-to-Play system worries PM students.

By Matt Ulmer –

Hempfield School District has set into action a pay-to-play system in which students will owe a fee to play sports and participate in extra-curricular activities. Another local school district, Lampeter-Strasburg, is considering the same.

This idea to increase revenue does not fly well with many here at Penn Manor.

Parents with kids in elementary schools playing youth baseball, rec basketball, or rec soccer expect to owe money for their son/daughters participation when they are on club teams, but the students on school teams at the middle and high school have always assumed a fee to play was non-existent.

Well, now all that has changed if you’re a Black Knight.

Junior Basketball Player Marc Summy imagines what it's like to hand off money to Athletic Director Jeff Roth for playing fees.

Not only will students have to pay to use district facilities during the week, they must submit $35 per high school activity and $20 per middle school activity.

The only bright side seems to be the $200 cap for families with multiple kids, and the exclusion of requiring fees from those in the free or reduced lunch program.

This system applies to many clubs, such as chess and jazz club, but excludes yearbook, newspaper, and student council clubs.

Perhaps the biggest change is the cost to use the district facilities. Teams must pay $15-20 per hour for use of the gymnasium and $10 to nearly $20 for the use of fields.

Hempfield School Board vice president Diane Gerlach explained, “We are just trying to recoup our costs.”

Lampeter-Strasburg’s school board voted 6-2 in favor of a similar system. Specific fees on different sports and activities have yet to be determined, but it’s clear they are ready to activate the plan in the 2011-2012 year.

This trend has Penn Manor students questioning their school district’s mindset on the idea.

“I’d probably still play because it’s my sport, but it will take away from underprivileged kids,” said Penn Manor senior and soccer player Julia Rios.

“I would still play my main sport,” said senior basketball player Dan Elliot.

Would students here have to give up a secondary sport? Would they be forced to pick and choose at the school’s expense?

Junior basketball player David Burch said, “I’m not playing sports if I have to pay.”

Penn Manor Athletic Director Jeff Roth knows that tight budgets are changing the way districts operate their sports programs.

“I have a lot of concerns and want to encourage kids to play and not [worry about] the financial constraints,” said Roth.

At least in Penn Manor, athletics will be relatively “free,” Jeff Roth reassured.

“Next year no pay to play,” he said.

That’s good news for now, but who knows what the future holds.

Lacrosse Team gets Playoff Flowhawks

By Cheyenne Weber –

Buzz…Buzz….Buzz

Penn Manor’s lacrosse team logged an impressive 13-3 record and celebrated with identical hair styles, with the emphasis on hair rather than style.

The varsity lacrosse players all got homemade mohawks last night for playoffs, or fauxhawks as many students and teachers walking in the hallways observed.

“It’s a great display of team unity,” said lacrosse coach Erick Dutchess. “If they are willing to look stupid together, then that says a lot about them as a team. Instead of calling it a flohawk though, I would classify as more of a flotastrophy.”

The hair event also touched off a good-natured rivalry between lacrosse players and the baseball team who also had contemplated going for the same team hair style.

lacross mohawks — Brandon McCormick, Spencer Barnett and Zach Campbell sport their team haircut. Photo by Cheyenne Weber

“The orginal idea came from the baseball team, but we didn’t have enough “flow” to do it,” said baseball outfielder Taylor Groff, a senior who added his review on the execution of the mohawk, saying they looked “choppy and unprofessionally done.”

And the baseball team has a shot of getting into playoffs with an overall 8-9 record.

The lacrosse players deny any rumors that they took the idea.

“No one stole nothing from nobody, we stepped up and did it,” said senior lacrosse co- captain Spencer Barnett.

‘They never had mohawks before, so it doesn’t matter,” said junior lacrosse player David Mohimani.

Evidently the lacrosse players didn’t think about what their hair would look like on upcoming senior pictures or for the prom.

“I was mad at the idea of Connor Rowe getting one (a mohawk) at first because of prom but it doesn’t look as bad as I thought it would,” said senior Emily Hutchison, his date for the dance.

Others didn’t really care.

“I ain’t too worried about it,” said Barnett.

Feelin’ good? So is Phelan Good

This is another in an occasional series about people at Penn Manor who have changed themselves for the better.

By Amber Brenner –

Phelan Good, a junior at Penn Manor, knows what he is.

“I’m a fat kid,” said Good, “and I know that. I always have been. I hate exercise and love food. I’m like a human teletubby.”

Good hates sports and even walking fast can knock the wind out of him. He loves his food, and the less healthy the food, the better it tastes to him. He learned his eating habits from his family.

“We loved KFC, smorgasbords and beef burgers. You know the greasy, big, disgusting ones,” admitted Good.

The only vegetables he even remotely liked were carrots, potatoes, corn and peas, only two of which are legitimate vegetables and not starches in the “bread” food group.

Penn Manor student Phelan Good has made big changes in his life. Photo by Amber Brenner

“No rabbit food for me,” Good chuckled, “I like the ice cream that gives you phlegm when you eat it.”

But in February of 2010, something changed his life forever. He almost lost his mother.

“The missus had a heart attack last February,” Good said. “She almost didn’t make it and I love her too much to lose her.”

His mother was rushed to the hospital by her oldest son just a few days after returning from a family vacation in Key West. This was only after describing her symptoms over the phone to her husband, who was at work for PPL Electric. He advised she needed to see a doctor immediately.

“She was feeling fine and the next thing you know… it went down the drain. It hit the fan,” commented Good.

Good was not at home when the heart attack happened. He was at school. When he returned home, he knew something wasn’t right.

“The lights were on, her car was in the drive and the cooking was still hot. I knew something was wrong. I was eating leftover spaghetti when my dad called the house phone. He told me not to worry, which made me worry.”

Good was taken to the hospital by his older sister and her husband.

“It was the scariest moment of my life,” Good recalled, “not knowing whether I was going to have a mother the next day. I cried for the first time in a while.”

His mother was in the hospital for what seemed like a long time, and Good remembers that stretch clearly.

“I spent too many sleepless nights worrying and thinking, ‘What would we all do if anything happened?’ I’m always worrying about those two people,” said Good, referring to his parents.

But his mother made it. She survived. However it was clear to the Good family that changes had to be made in their lifestyle.

So the whole family committed.

The three of them, Phelan, his mother and his father began a revolution in their daily habits and routines.

“We eat stuff like chicken, turkey, rabbit food, fruit, frozen yogurt, fat-free milk and whole wheat bread. The milk is watered down,” Good chortled.

The Good family spends more time outside now. They now walk the perimeters of their neighborhood.

“I definitely feel a lot different. I don’t have to breathe as hard or much now,” said Good,”I’m definitely happier now. I have some good and bad days, but mostly good.”

Good suspects that he has lost weight, but he doesn’t keep track. That’s not what he’s worried about.

“We don’t call it a diet,” Good said with a laugh, “to us, a diet is something skinny people say when they eat next to nothing to lose weight. It might still happen either way, but I’m just trying to avoid a heart attack. I don’t want to be some statistic, so I guess sometimes sacrifice is best.”

Weather Change Horrid for High Schoolers

By Hayden Gonzalez –

April showers bring May flowers.

The beginning of that famous saying turned out to be true. Let’s just see how the predicate turns out.

Throughout the last 30 days or so, there have been several days where it has done nothing but rain the entire day. In April it rains about 3.4 inches every week, but as of this year, we are above normal by 4 inches.

“I hate the rain. It makes me feel like I’m moving rapidly slow,” said senior Henry Kohler.

Many students miss school either because they are sick because of the weather change or just don’t feel like coming to school in the rain.

Feeling like they are being “robbed of summer with all this weather issues that we are having, ” according to senior Noah Kuhn, is one of the many side effects found in the minds, immune system and sleeves – right after they wipe off their nose, that is – that are going around Penn Manor High School.

There are many different medications that you can take to prevent some of the other side effects, runny, stuffy and itchy noses: Zyzal, Claritin D, antihistamines and decongestants. But with the weather being such a disaster, these medications are not going to work at such a fast pace.

Rain has been prevalent over the past week, causing flooding in some areas and, an even more important problem, mold is starting to form.

“Mold is so nasty it makes my stomach turn,” said Francisco Ramos. The green, fuzzy fungi is being seen in a variety of places because of the damp and wet conditions out in the environment.

The flooding has caused more and more mold to grow throughout the Lancaster County region, which in turn, is adding up to the total amount of pollen that is being blown around throughout the day.

“When it rains it makes me feel like I’m down and unable to do anything,” said Alyssa Figueroa, a senior.

Children with allergies are bound to sneeze more than usual, and it also can cause problems breathing for people that have asthma. Every time someone breathes in air from a plant that they could possible allergic to, it could be the start of a very long relationship between the allergy sufferer and the sniffles.

Also, recently there has been severe weather warnings, tornadoes and flooding. In fact, 2011’s month of April was the bringer of the most deaths ever from the natural disaster with the name derived from the Latin word, tonare.

“It is crazy how we (might) get a tornado here in Lancaster,” said Kim Alexander.

Pollens, mold and wet weather come with the package included that come with the fourth month of the year. With that comes sneezing, runny noses and more rectangular boxes with a white flag waving out of it and the letters K-L-E-E-N-E-X labeled on the front around the house.

Penn Manor students will just have to live through these two months. Then, it’ll be summer’s turn to bring something of its own.

Sunburn.

Facebook Users degrading Lancaster County Teens

By- Alicia Ygarza and Cynthia Rodriguez –

“This girl has been with too many guys.”

Anonymous facebook users are creating discriminating pages degrading the most talked about females and males in Lancaster County schools. The males and females can be found under pages called “Pop Jawnts,” “Lancaster Slobes IDGAF,” “McCaskey Ho**,” and “Penn Manor Ho**.”

Tatyana Dejesus, a student at Penn Manor. Found herself on the page “Pop Jawnts.”

Parents whose kids are on these sites feel embarrassed, but as a parent, wouldn’t you feel embarrassed too?

“My mom thinks it’s very childish and immature.She said I should go to the office and report it,” said Dejesus.

Friends and family members of the kids can do something about this.

The report button.

You may use the report button if you believe the picture is inappropriate and also, if a person is harassing you.

Some people do this and some people don’t. But this does work.

Vanessa Marquez, a student at McCaskey High School will attest to its use.

“There was a picture of me someone posted on facebook and I didn’t like it at all. So I reported it and Facebook immediately deleted if from the site,” said Marquez.

This is another case of cyber bullying.

“Cyber bullying” is when a child or teen is threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or is targeted by another child or teen using the Internet or mobile device. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor.

According to stop cyber bullying, “once adults become involved, it is a case of cyber-harassment or cyber stalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyber stalking is never called cyber bullying.”

Cyber Bullying can take hold of a person's life

According to www2.insidenova.com, a 16- year old was charged with computer harassment. He created a Facebook page called, “Stonewall Ho**.” Police say there were pictures of nine girls, all of which had “lewd captions” under them.

According to www2.insidenova.com, “Under Virginia law, harassment by computer is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and/or a fine of up to $2,500. “

These are the steps used in preventing Facebook harassment pages.

According to www.attorneygeneral.gov, these are tactics parents can use in preventing cyber bullying :

Supervising the use of the computer;
Get the computers out of the bedrooms and into a family room or common living area;
Learn about and monitor the Web sites that your child visits while on the computer;
Talk to your children about cyber bullying and encourage them to talk to you if they feel threatened while on the Internet. According to a survey by iSafe.org, 58 percent of kids did not tell their parents when someone was abusive to them online;
Be concerned if your child spends an excessive amount of time online and, if necessary, limit his/her time spent on the computer; and
Have your child fill out and sign an agreement or pledge, such as the ones on this Web site, about safety online.

MLK Speaks From the Grave?

By Alyssa Byers –

Even the deceased have an opinion these days.

After Osama bin Laden’s death, a mass amount of people have enlightened the world with their opinion on the matter. Whether it be through the TV or online, the death of bin Laden has created chatter everywhere. Some celebrate his death, while others find it uneventful. According to Martin Luther King Jr., rejoicing for bin Laden’s death would only add more hate to the situation. But how can King have an opinion on such an incident, let alone anything, while being deceased for over forty years?

“I mourn for the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that,” said King.

mlk — Martin Luther King, Jr. says similar things, but not exact quote. Photo courtesy of The Seattle Times.

The above quote has been circulating through Facebook and Twitter for the past few days, however, King only actually said part of it. In his sermon “Loving Your Enemies,” King wrote a line that begins with “Returning hate for hate…” But the first line about “precious lives” does not appear in the sermon.

“It’s kind of ridiculous that someone would make it seem like it was his. It’s sort of degrading,” said senior Alex Grande.

How then, did this quote come about? A woman said she posted the quote with her own words and after re-postings occurred, her words were blended with King’s.

“Finding out it wasn’t his kind of leads you to think his peacefulness might have been embellished a little,” said senior Toni Warfel.

A spokesman for the King Center said that the quote resembled things King said, but was not his exact words. Even though the quote pertains to the death of bin Laden, King wrote his part back in 1963.

Penn Manor Grads Look to Standout as Senior Stars in Division I Football

By Simon Zimmerman-

Chas Alecxih and Jordan Gibbs have become the big men on campus at Pittsburgh University, returning as starters for the football squad next season.

The two long-time friends have had great success as high school players and continue to make Penn Manor proud.

“Their success sheds great light on the program and brings some notoriety to our football program here at Penn Manor,” Said Penn Manor football coach Scott Lackey.

Alecxih was a starter last season for the Panthers with impressive statistics and commendable leadership.

images-2 — Chas Alecxih puts pressure on quarterback. Photo courtesy of http://1click.indiatimes.com

The 6’6, 280 pound defensive tackle was fourth on the team in tackles and recorded 7.5 sacks during his 2010-2011 season.

Gibbs, on the other-hand, who was not named a starter last season until half way through the year, will be the Panthers starting left offensive tackle.

The left offensive tackle is the most important position on the line because of the crucial need to protect the quarterback’s blind side.

Both of these seniors have been good friends since high school and have been named leaders by coach Todd Graham who is taking over the head coaching job for Dave Wannstedt next season.

“It’s an honor to be called a leader, and I still think I have a long way to go in grooming my leadership,” Said Alecxih. “But again to be called those things by coach Graham is truly an honor and obviously where I came from, that makes it that much sweeter.”

Former high school coach Aron Basile had great things to say about these football stars.

“Those guys worked extra hard and they were there from the start of when our program started to turn around,” Basile said. “Both were leaders in their own ways, Jordan was a quiet leader and used his size and skill to lead the team while Chas was more of a vocal leader.”

As spring practices are coming to a close, these seniors are looking forward to the upcoming season to show Penn Manor, Pittsburgh, and the nation what they are made of.