Volume 20, Issue 7 May 2005 Montrose Area School District

Produced by the students of the Montrose Area Junior/Senior High SchoolMete Chronicler

ScholasticTeam membersJames Cain, GinaC h e r u n d o l o ,Shane Jones,Kaitlyn Kurosky,Carol Stevens andJohn Watts repre-sented the North-eastern Educa-tional Intermed-iate Unit 19 at thePennsy lvan iaA c a d e m i cCompetition heldin the chambersof the PA Senateand House ofRepresentativesin the stateCapitol in Harris-burg April 22.

The teamhad qualified forthe state champ-ionships afterdefeating 27schools from fivecounties in North-east Pennsylvania in theScholastic Bowl lastNovember.

In competition against 24teams from across Pennsyl-vania, the Meteors finished“pretty much in the middle” atstates, according to teamadviser Eileen Baessler.

“We practiced once aweek in Mrs. Baessler’s room

Scholastic TeamCompetes at StatesBy Patrick BayerStaff Reporter

Artist Presents Award at CapitolBy Sarah LeonardNews and Features Editor

Junior Elizabeth Daven-port walked into the capitolbuilding in Harrisburg May 4,knowing next to nothingabout what she was to dothere.

She had been invited topresent the Catalyst Awardin the form of her artwork,entitled “Summer of Devo-tion,” to PA Senator RobertMellow of Peckville as partof the tenth annual Pennsyl-vania Arts in Education Day.Liz is the first Montrose stu-dent to ever attend thisevent.

Every year the Pennsyl-vania Council on the Arts(PCA) honors a senator whohas aided the cause of artsand arts in education, sayslocal PCA program coordi-nator Judith Roth. The actualaward that is presented is apiece of art made by a stu-dent from the senator’s dis-trict, she says. With the helpof art teachers Cathy Reganand Jennifer Lupole and art-ist-in-residence Earl Lehman,Liz’s art was chosen frompieces produced in the

River Inspires ProjectBy Shannon ElbrechtStaff Reporter

school’s Art II and Art IIIclasses.

Liz’s quality of work, her“interesting arrangement ofshapes,” and her use of ma-terials is what made her artstand out from the others, saysMrs. Regan.

“She has a real sophisti-cated sense of style,” saysMrs. Regan. “[She has a]mature outlook in putting com-positions together.”

“Its beauty [is what stoodout to me],” says Mr. Lehman,“[but] it was hard to pick one[piece] because [all the art-work] is beautiful.”

As an assignment forMrs. Regan’s classes last fall,students were to produce a“flag” that represented one ormore parts of themselves, us-ing various materials and tex-tures. Mr. Lehman describesthe flags as symbols, “a ve-hicle on which to hang ideas,”he says.

Liz’s flag is abstract andis comprised of materials suchas burlap, paper, and paint, she

(See Artist, Page 3)................................................................................................................................................................................

(See Scholastic, Page 2) (See Project, Page 3)

PHOTO COURTESY OF EILEEN BAESSLER

Seniors (back row from left) Shane Jones and JohnWatts and (front row from left) James Cain, CarolStevens, Kaitlyn Kurosky and Gina Cherundoloof the MAHS Scholastic Team visited the Capitolin Harrisburg April 22 to compete in the Pennsyl-vania Academic Competition.

to prepare,” said Carol. “It’sdifficult to practice for acompetition that requiresknowledge, so we just tried topractice questions we [didn’t]know the [answers to].”

The questions asked atstates were mostly academic onesas opposed to pop culture,

In mid-April, eighth gradegeography students completedtheir class project about theSusquehanna River. The dayafter assignments werecompleted, American Rivers, anational non-profit conservationorganization dedicated toprotecting and restoringAmerica’s rivers, announcedthat the Susquehanna River hadtopped its list of the mostendangered rivers in the UnitedStates.

American Rivers hasreleased its list annually since1986. The list does notnecessarily consist of the mostpolluted rivers in the UnitedStates but rivers that are mostthreatened and the rivers’significance. According toAmerican Rivers, the biggestthreats for the Susquehanna aresewer pollution and damconstruction.

Eighth grade geographyteacher Tom George says thatwhen the list was released, heand his students searched theInternet for the reasons theSusquehanna River is rankednumber one.

“It kind of annoyed me thatpeople can’t take care of [theriver] better,” says eighth graderJulia Villanella. “Maybe peoplearound the area should be moreconscious.”

Eighth grader Amos Lyonsaid the project helped him learna lot more about the river.

“Just focusing on [the

river] for so long and havingeveryone talk about it helped meto learn more about it,” saysAmos.

Mr. George said the idea forthe Susquehanna River projecthad evolved from a book he hadread called Susquehanna: Riverof Dreams by Susan Q.Stranahan. The book includesgeneral information about theriver and also stories thatStranahan gathered from peoplewho rely on and live near the river.Mr. George offers this book tohis students to read during theirresearch for the river project. Mr.George has done this project onand off for five or six years.

“[The project] is more of adiscovery approach,” says Mr.George. Each geography classis assigned a different region ofthe river, and then each studentin that class is given a specifictopic to research. Topics rangefrom pollution to recreation in thatregion.

After completing theirresearch, students write papersabout their topics. Then eachclass is split into three groups.One group is responsible forcreating a map of its class’sregion, another group compilesthe individual topics into one six-page class newspaper, andanother group sets up a displayof what it believes are the mostimportant parts of the class’sregion.

Junior Elizabeth Davenport accepts an award of appreciationMay 4 from the Honorable Sandra Major for Elizabeth’spainting to be displayed in the Capitol in honor of PA SenatorRobert Mellow of Peckville, PA.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EARL LEHMAN

Dates to Remember

June 5

BaccalaureateMAHS auditorium

6-9 p.m.

June 3

Last day for seniors

June 10

Early dismissal11:30 a.m.

Graduation Stadium/Auditorium

6 p.m.

June 13

Last day of schoolEarly dismissal

11:30 a.m.

StudentCouncil Elects

Leaders

New officers for 2005-06 include (from left) jun-iors Nick Staats, treasurer;Meghan Hewes, co-secre-tary; and Nate Sives, presi-dent; and sophomoreKristen Hohn, co-secre-tary. Not pictured is sopho-more Melinda Zosh, vicepresident.

E. DAVENPORT/CHRONICLE

Junior HighStudentsHonored

April Students of theMonth include (back rowfrom left) seventh graderNick Bicknell and eighthgraders Anna McNaughtand Steven Bartholomew,(front row from left) eighthgrader Kristy Birchard andseventh graders Maken-zie Dearborn and DebraHimko.

B. DEVINE/CHRONICLE

PAGE 2 METEOR CHRONICLEMAY 2005

News

“Life As We Know It” is a yearlong series devoted to informingteens and the community about some of the issues teens face.Life As We Know It...

It’s not another fad diet orweight-loss plan: The origins ofvegetarianism can be traced backto as early as 60 A.D. and arelinked with ancient Easternreligions, according toAbout.com.

The vegetarian movementgained momentum in the mid-nineteenth century. The numberof vegetarians in the United Stateshas risen from one percent in 1997to 2.5 percent in 2000, accordingto a national Zogby poll.

“I became a vegetarianbecause I was eating sausage forbreakfast, and I realized that it wasonce a living, breathing creature,and I vowed never to eat [meat]again,” said eighth grader NikkiPrintz, who has been a vegetariansince the age of nine and has beena vegan since February.

“I became a vegan becausethere are a lot of health risksinvolved with eating dairyproducts,” said Nikki, “and a lotof farms are not very nice to theiranimals, and I just don’t like that.”

Vegans are the strictest typeof vegetarians. They do not eator wear anything that originatedfrom animals.

Lacto vegetarians avoidmeat but eat dairy products suchas milk and cheese. Ovovegetarians avoid meat and dairyproducts but do eat eggs. Lacto-

ovo vegetarians avoid meat buteat both eggs and dairy products.

People become vegetariansfor a number of reasons,according to About.com,including ethics (because ofconcerns about animal cruelty orthe environment), personal health,or aesthetics (they just don’t likemeat).

Anna D’Andrea, who runsthe Self-Discovery Wellness ArtsCenter in Montrose, has been apracticing vegetarian forapproximately 20 years.

“For me [becoming avegetarian] was part of aphilosophical shift in con-sciousness,” said Ms. D’Andrea.“Before I became a vegetarian, Iused to raise, butcher, andprocess my own meat in anattempt to move away fromcommercial meat usage. Oneday…I realized that I could nolonger inflict that much sufferingon a living creature, and I gaveup meat altogether.”

The process of becominga vegetarian can be easy ordifficult, depending on theindividual.

“At the beginning [becom-ing vegetarian] is hard,” said Nikki,“so you have to go slow. But afterawhile, you develop like anallergic reaction [to meat]–youjust don’t like it.

Being a vegetarian aroundmeat-eaters can be difficult, butwhen it comes to meal time atschool and at home, Nikki saidthat her parents respect her choiceby making vegetarian meals “allthe time.”

Tenth grader EthanShumacher, who has been avegetarian all his life, said that thehardest part of being a vegetarianis “dealing with the school foodbecause they make a lot of meat.But I just get salad or peanut butterand jelly.”

“It used to be difficult to findnon-meat choices [in rest-aurants],” said Ms. D’Andrea,

Envious People Not Only Ones ‘Seeing Green’Vegetarians Veg Out to Stay Healthy, Environmentally Friendly

Sample VegetarianMeal Plan

Sources: www.vegsoc.org; www.vrg.org; About.com; www.vegetarian-nutrition.info;

“but recently, most restaurantshave selections for vegetarians.”

Some people worry that avegetarian diet is tasteless, but bothNikki and Ms. D’Andrea disagree.

“Anyone who tells you thatvegetarian food [is bland] is justlying to you,” said Nikki, “becausevegetarian food is tastier, moreflavorful, and healthier than meatis.”

“Vegetarian food can beprepared with any of the spicesthat are used in meat-based diets,”said Ms. D’Andrea. “The com-plaint [that vegetarian food isunsatisfying] can be corrected byvariety and preparing foods thatare filling and satisfying, based ona combination of proteins.”

Another common concernis that without meat, one mightnot be able to find enough proteinto supplement a proper diet.However, according to theInternational Vegetarian Union,“Dietary studies show theadequacy of plant foods as thesole source of protein…”

“The equivalent of meatprotein, or complete protein, isachieved by combining wholegrains (wheat, rice, corn, millet,etc.) with legumes such as avariety of peas and beans,” saidMs. D’Andrea. “Also, today there

By Clarissa PlankStaff Reporter

Breakfast:

1 cup oatmeal with cinnamon,2 tablespoons raisins, 2 table-spoons wheat germ; 1 cup fat-free milk; 2 slices whole-wheattoast with jelly; 3/4 cup orangejuice

Snack:

1 medium apple2 graham crackers

Lunch:

1 cup lentil soup; mixed greensalad with tomatoes and fat-freedressing; carrot and green peppersticks with salsa; 1 whole-grainmuffin; water with fresh lemon

Dinner:

1/2 cup marinated bean salad(kidney, garbanzo, and greenbeans); 1 cup pasta tossed with1 teaspoon olive oil, garlic, andbasil with a sprinkling ofParmesan cheese; 1/2 cupstewed tomatoes and okra; 1/2cup steamed broccoli with lemonjuice; 1 slice Italian bread; 1/2cup fresh fruit salad; flavoredseltzer water

Snack:

Bagel with jamwww.housing.umich.edu/services/dining/vegit.html

(See Vegetarian, Page 3)

“I became a vegetarian because I waseating sausage for breakfast, and Irealized that it was once a living,

breathing creature...” Nikki Printz, Grade 8

MASD Remembers Morgan PotterBy Melinda ZoshNews and Features Editor

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“Sensitive.”“Caring.”“Funny.”Words used to describe

2003 graduate Morgan Pottershortly after his death.

“He was a giver and wasgenerous with his time andknowledge…selfless,” says banddirector Suzanne Bennici.

During Mrs. Bennici’s firstyear at MAHS, Morgan vol-unteered to show her around theschool, she says, never expectinganything in return.

He would often go to theband room during his lunch hourto help with computers andwhatever else needed to be done,according to Mrs. Bennici.

“Morgan picked things upright away…He was a quietleader behind the scenes but wasintegral to the success ofeverything,” says Mrs. Bennici.

In 2003 Morgan re-arranged the MAHS alma mater,taking the original 1928 versionand arranging it into a bandorchestration and auto har-monizing it so it could be usedfor all band instruments.

“Morgan used a computerprogram that would fill out thechords for the music based uponthe melody and chord symbolshe put in,” says chorus directorScott Zimmerman. “Once he had

all the notes being usedin the chords, he wasable to arrange parts forthe different instru-ments.”

According to Mrs.Bennici, the current sixthgrade move-up programwas organized byMorgan as well.

“In spring 2003Morgan re-did theprogram…He wasinstrumental in helpingwith the program and thetemplate, which we stilluse,” says Mrs. Benicci.

During his highschool years, Morganwas involved in studentcouncil, Key Club, andband, but he was mostactive with technology atMAHS and the United MethodistChurch in Montrose.

“Morgan re-wired thechurch and did the lighting,” sayssubstitute teacher Marie King.“When there was a fire hazard,he set up four dozen fire alarmsand had the kids do fire drills...He[was] a talented, funny youngman.”

Morgan helped create andlead the Computer Club duringhis junior and senior years of highschool, and he was instrumentalin the development of core

technology infrastructure and thedeployment of hundreds ofcomputers, according totechnology coordinator CraigOwens.

“He always lent a hand toteach someone how to dosomething, diagnosing and fixinga problem or bringing issues tomy attention that I otherwisewouldn’t have noticed,” says Mr.Owens. “He understood theauditorium sound and lightsystems better than I ever will.”

Big on traditions, Morgan

designed the cover of the 2002yearbook.

“Morgan was the historianof the school…His ideas weretradition-oriented” says yearbookadviser Lori Lass. “He was proudof the heritage, and his coverdesign will forever be arecord…Whenever anyone seesit, it will always be identified withMorgan.”

“It is a really neat feeling tosee my design on the cover ofthe yearbook,” Morgan wrote ina survey for the ACTA staff in2002. “I hope the other studentswill learn a little of Montrose’s richhistory from it…I feel thatstudents should learn the almamater and school history.”

Freshman Nate Oleniaczsays he is thankful he becameclose with Morgan during hisseventh grade year.

“I was glad that I took theopportunity to get to know[Morgan] and become friendswith him,” says Nate. “I’ll neverforget Morgan and what he didfor our school.”

“Morgan had a uniqueability to make those he interactedwith attempt to be better people,”says Mr. Owens. “He brought outthe best in others by setting anexample of hard work anddedication, persistence, problemsolving and genuine selflessness.”

Class of 2003 alumnus MorganPotter proudly sports his seniorclass T-shirt.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LORI LASS

said Carol. “One was about thebook The Joy of Cooking—really random stuff.”

The winning team atstates from Emmaus HighSchool, in Emmaus, PA, wasone of only a few publicschools to place ahead of theMeteors. Some team membersfeel that private schools havean advantage over the publicschools.

“Private schools treat[scholastic competitions]differently,” said Carol.” Theyprepare rigorously. [Being] oneof the few public schools thatwere [at states], we werehonored to compete with theprivate schools.”

Although private schoolsdid perform well at thecompetition, the top threeteams were all from publicschools, according to Mrs.Baessler.

Team members felt goodabout their performance atstates, according to John.

“Considering how manyschools there were, and thatmost of them were privateschools, we performed abovepar,” said John.

“[I was] very pleased forthem,” added Mrs. Baessler. “Iwasn’t disappointed.”

Other Scholastic Teammembers who did not competein Harrisburg include SeanJones and Brian Perry.

(Scholastic continuedfrom Page 1)

METEOR CHRONICLE MAY 2005 PAGE 3

Features

are many ready-to-eat sourcesof protein based on soybeans,such as tofu, tempeh,soyburgers and soydogs, aswell as protein powders.”

A vegetarian diet is low insaturated fats and may helplower the risk of heart disease,obesity, cancer, and diabetes,according to the Nutrition

(Vegetarian continued from Page 2)

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Whales? Ducks? Sharks?Not the usual high schooleducational field trip. However,for IONS Club members, theirtrip to Boston was the firstovernight trip of manyexcursions.

Club members are notstrangers to trips, especially to theelementary schools. Ask a fifthor sixth grader from Choconutor Lathrop Street, and he/she willtell you about the uniqueexperiments with lava lamps anddensity bottles, for example, thatmembers of the club haveperformed with them.

Adviser Debbie Lewiswanted to end this year with herfirst overnight trip as a teacher atMAHS. During an IONS meetingearlier this year, a quick searchon Google for nearby sciencemuseums yielded the Museum ofScience in Boston.

“Whale watching waschosen at random as somethingfun to do when we first startedlooking for a trip that includedsome science activities,” saysMrs. Lewis. “Seniors JustinMarbaker and Kyle Adriance saidsomething about whales jokingly,and it just built from there.”

At the beginning of the year,the club started raising money fortheir experiments and equipment.Several pies and many cookieslater, the IONS Club had raisedfunds; however, the tripamounted to approximately $200per person, way over the IONS’budget.

Justin was in charge ofsearching for specific activities forthe Boston trip. At the start, theplan was to take a charter bus.Since funding, however, wasinsufficient and interests varied,a select group of 18 clubmembers and six chaperonessqueezed into three Suburbans.Participation in the trip came downto first come, first served.

Walkie-talkies were the mainmeans of communication withinthe caravan of Suburbans that leftthe high school before dawn April28.The lead Suburban soonbecame “Mother Goose,” and herfollowers, “Rubber Ducky I” and“Rubber Ducky II.” Seniors Nickand Becky Harasymczuk andLarry Lundy manned the walkie-talkies.

Six hours and three stateslater, the Suburbans rolled into

IONS Trip a ‘Blast’ By Steffany JahnkeSports Editor

Boston. First stop: BostonMuseum of Science where thestudents viewed an Omni filmentitled Forces of Nature. AnOmni film is projected on half ofa spherical theater wallsurrounding the viewers, givingthem the illusion that they aredoing the action being projected.Club members then explored themuseum’s many exhibits,including ones on astrology,mathematics, and electricity.

To round out their trip, thestudents took a historic tour ofBoston on an authentic WorldWar II DUKW (duck), a truckwhich can be submerged tobecome a boat.

“I had a blast,” says Nick.“The tour of the city was a firstfor me, and I’d never seenFenway Park.”

The group also made itsway by subway to the “Cheers”restaurant in the historic QuincyMarket.

“My favorite part of the tripwas simply walking around thecity and seeing the Quincy Marketand Thaniel Hall,” says seniorKaitlyn Kurosky.

After a late night Pizza Hutdelivery to satisfy any leftoverhunger, groggy members woketo a four-hour whale-watchingtour. Though the watchers didn’tactually see any whales, they didspot a few signs of whales suchas air blows from a finbackwhale, the second largest animalon earth. Only a few memberswere hesitant to get off the boatafter a bumpy ride on rough seas.They still hold passes to go backand attempt to get another lookat whales; however, somemembers are reluctant to actuallyuse them.

At the Boston Aquariumstudents learned about jelly fish,sea lions, turtles and other aquaticspecies. During another moviein 3-D at an IMAX theater,students learned a turtle’s viewson sharks and other sea life asthe animals appeared to comestraight towards the audience asthough one could touch them.Several in the theater tried.

“I think the trip was a hugesuccess, and everyone had agood time,” says Mrs. Lewis.“The nice thing was some kidsdid stuff they’d never done beforeand saw things they haven’tseen.”

says. She used shapes andcolors that reminded her ofthe summer in 1996 when herbaby brother died and thechange her family wentthrough during that time.

“The project had spe-cial meaning to me,” saysLiz.

She had no idea, how-ever, that the project wouldbecome something special,she says. Her framed art-work will be hung in theCapitol as part of SenatorMellow’s permanent art col-lection.

At the Capitol Liz metseveral government officials,including the HonorableSandra Major of the Houseof Representatives and Lieu-tenant Governor CatherineBaker Knoll. She and herfamily toured the Capitol af-ter her presentation.

(Artist continued from Page 1)

“It was like we had special treatment,” says Liz.“[Those at the Capitol] made us feel right at home.”

S e n a -tor Mellowwas unableto attend theevent, so Lt.G o v e r n o rK n o l laccepted theC a t a l y s tAward fromLiz on hisbehalf. Lizreceived aCertificateof Apprecia-tion fromRepresenta-tive Major.

“It wasan amazingexperiencealtogether,one that Iwill remember for years,” says Liz.

Department of Andrews Uni-versity.

“Most health organi-zations, such as the AmericanCancer Society, the AmericanHeart Association, and theAmerican Diabetes Association,are now recommending a dietcloser to vegetarianism,” saidMs. D’Andrea.

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(Project continued from Page 1)

Junior Elizabeth Davenport’s painting wasinspired by her baby brother. The title for thepiece “Summer of Devotion” came from thecombination of the meanings of her brother’sname, Patrick, and her own.

PHOTO COURTESY OF E. JEANNE MULLIGAN

Students must also writepoems about the SusquehannaRiver and letters to familymembers, informing them aboutthe river. These, along with thenewspaper articles, are workedon in English teacher Bill Walker’sclasses as well as in Mr. George’sroom to incorporate both Englishand geography skills.

Students earn bothindividual and group grades fortheir participation in the project.

Mr. George says the projectallows him to teach a variety ofskills on a smaller, local level. Thenhe can help the students applywhat they have learned to large-scale issues.

“[The project] has moreinterest to the kids,” says Mr.

George. He also thinks it’simportant for students to learnabout the river because it is asignificant body of water, andpeople have so much of an impacton what happens to the river.

“[The project] opens upyour eyes to what is really goingon in your town and county…andall around you,” says eighth graderKari Yonkin.

“While visions for the futureof the Susquehanna may notalways be in harmony, the fact thatso many people are thinking of theriver is a good sign…Themundane daily decisions made byall who live within its vastwatershed will determine the futureof this beautiful river,” writesSusan Stranahan.

Tom BarnesMAHS

Science Department34 years

Farewell to MASD Retirees

Beverly LeggChoconut Valley

Cafeteria17 years

Don CunninghamMAHS

English Department33 years

Ellen BurnsLathrop StreetKindergarten

34 years

Mary SperingChoconut Valley

Kindergarten20 years

George HowanitzLathrop Street

Sixth Grade31.5 years

Trudyann RobertsonMASD

Food Service Supervisor24 years

Jack McKeeMAHS

Physical Education33.5 years

Chris BuffingtonMAHS

Computers33 years

Larry OtisMAHS

Driver Education32.5

Doug WilcoxMAHS

Principal20.5 years

Carla WintersMASD

Director of Educational Services32 years

Sue BurchLathrop Street

Cafeteria14 years

Carol HallamMAHS

Secretary24.5 years

PAGE 4 MAY 2005 METEOR CHRONICLE

Seniors

For senior SeanJones, rising to thetop and doing well inschool was always apriority for him.Amid tennis andother activitiesthroughout highschool, Sean willgraduate second in hisclass.

“I didn’t set outand decide I wasgoing to [becomesaluta-torian of myclass],” says Sean. “Iset a goal for myselffrom a young age todo well in school, andI achieved my goal.”

Part of thetennis team since hisfreshman year, Seansays academics werealways his toppriority. Doing well academicallywas “simply a matter of timemanagement.”

“My mom and mygrandfather [always] pushed meto do well in school,” says Sean.“[They] were happy when theyfound out my class rank…andcontinued to encourage me.”

Besides juggling tennis withacademics and other activities,Sean enjoys playing video gamesfor recreation and reading novels.

Sean will attend theWharton School of Business atthe University of Pennsylvania tomajor in business with a minor inEnglish. Sean says he has noconcerns about advancing to thenext academic level.

“I think Montrose has donea good job of preparing me sociallyand academically for my future,”says Sean.

Over the years Sean hasbeen involved with the MAHSScholastic Team, studentcouncil, National Honor Society,

Varsity Club, French Club,French National Honor Society,AP Club, and IONS Club.

“He was an excellentmember of the Scholastic Team,”says adviser Eileen Baessler.“He’s an excellent student, andI’m thrilled he’s going toWharton, the best undergraduateschool for business…[It’s] awonderful opportunity for him.”

Although Sean plans tomajor in business, he says hisfavorite subject in school hasalways been mathematics.

“I enjoy math because it’slogical, and it builds onitself…Everything fits toge-ther,and it’s structured like that,” saysSean.

Son of Candace Jones,Montrose, and Luis Jones,Syracuse, Sean says his mom hasalways encouraged him the most.

“My mom always taughtme to be persistent, deter-mined,and deliberate about whatever Ido,” says Sean.

Jones EarnsSalutatorian SuccessBy Melinda ZoshNews and Features Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF K. LABARBERA

Class of 2005Valedictorian Kate LaBarbera

LaBarbera Rises to Top of ClassBy Melinda ZoshNews and Features Editor

Valedictorian KateLaBarbera has alwaysbelieved academics comefirst. Her sophomorebrother Nick says she’sbeen this way for as longas he can remember.

“I wasn’t surprisedwhen I found out Kate is[valedictorian]…neitherwas my family,” says Nick.“[Achieving this level ofsuccess] is just what weexpect from her.”

Kate says that herfamily members haveinfluenced her the mostthrough elementary andhigh school.

“My parents havealways encouraged me,”says Kate. “They told meto do my best [and to] workhard and be dedicated [inwhatever I do].”

Kate, daughter of Tonyand Linda LaBarbera ofMontrose, plans to attendDrexel University in the fall tomajor in biology.

“I want to do medicalresearch when I get out ofschool,” says Kate. “I alreadyhave a job through Drexel’s

Pennoni Honors College doingresearch in the summer aftermy freshman year.”

Kate’s high schoolactivities include varsity soccer,basketball, track, Varsity Club,AP Club, National HonorSociety, French National HonorSociety, IONS Club, Art Club,and Key Club.

“I liked playing sports in

high school…I like doingthings with my friendsand just relaxing,” saysKate.

One of Kate’s favoritehigh school momentswas winning the District2 basketball champ-ionship in hersophomore year.

“All the hard work[finally] paid off [whenmy team] won thedistrict championship,”says Kate. “I was happyat that moment [in myhigh school career].”

According to Kate,her most challengingcourse in high school isAP calculus.

“I have to work thehardest in calculus,”

says Kate. “I tried a little harder[because] calculus is a hardsubject in itself.”

One of her biggestachievements is NEIU #19Scholar of the Year. Now she’sadding valedictorian to her list.

“It’s what you put into[learning and success inschool],” says Kate. “If you tryto learn, you will.”

When senior DustinPalmer graduates this June,he will have come to school2,340 days over 13 years.From kindergarten throughtwelfth grade, Dustin hasachieved a perfect attendancerecord.

Each year twelfth gradeEnglish teacher EileenBaessler awards $100 to anysenior who has achieved per-fect attendance in his/her se-nior year. In her 30 years ofteaching, Mrs. Baessler saysthat to the best of her knowl-edge, Dustin is the first toachieve 13 years of perfectattendance. The attendanceoffice also does not recall thelast person to achieve perfectattendance.

“If I heard that someonewent to school every day, Iwould probably think theywere a geek,” says Dustin.“But I don’t think I am be-cause it has helped me be-come a more responsible per-son. So it was worth it.”

Dustin credits his persis-

tence to his mother’s encour-agement to go to school.

“My mom always mademe go to school because shewanted me to get the besteducation that I could,” saysDustin. “After ninth grade, I

Palmer Achieves No LessThan Perfect Record By Luke Smith

Opinion Editor

Class of 2005Salutatorian Sean Jones

PHOTO COURTESY OF S. JONES

decided to make it a per-sonal goal to keep goingwith the perfect atten-dance.”

Dustin says he islucky to have had goodhealth. However, he didnot escape chickenpox,but the disease struckhim in the midst of sum-mer vacation one year.

As for other ill-nesses, Dustin says hehas never come downwith anything such asstrep throat, bronchitis,or pneumonia, but hesays he did have a closecall one evening when heendured a head wound.

“I hit myself with ahammer,” Dustin sayswith embarrassment. “Ihad my head stitched that

night, and I showed up toschool the next morning. Ididn’t want to go, but Ishowed up.”

Next fall Dustin will at-tend Penn Tech to become anelectrician.

Experience, travel, andeducation are some of themotivators that have led sevenseniors from the Class of ’05 tojoin the armed forces.

Matt Lopez will leave July13 for Great Lakes, IL, for basictraining in the U.S. Navy.Traveling and seeing the worldover the next four years promptedMatt to join the Navy.

“I thought it would be agood experience,” says Matt. “[It]would be something different.”

Also joining the Navy areDillon Crisman, Kyle Teets andShane Jones, who says he wants

S. ELBRECHT/METEOR CHRONICLE

Senior Dustin Palmer enters thehigh school less than three weeksbefore he will graduate with a per-fect 13-year record of attendance.

to become a nuclear engineer.“[I became interested in the

military] because it will pay myway through college, and this ispretty much my only option toget training for becoming anengineer,” says Shane, “[and]also because of the traveling so Ican leave this little corner.”

Also looking for assistancewith college is Shane Kalpokas,who will enter the Army’s ROTCprogram at ShippensburgUniversity next fall and major incriminal justice.

Continuing in her brotherWill’s military footsteps, DeuaTraver will leave June 16 forArmy National Guard basictraining at Fort Leonard

Seniors Look to Militaryfor OpportunitiesBy Sophia KonstasStaff Reporter

Wood, MO. Deua, whosebrother is in the Army, isinterested in becoming agenerator mechanic.

“[Being in the military is]something I’ve always wantedto do, and it will help pay forcollege,” Deua says. “All of themen in my family prompted myinterest in going into the military.”

Senior Anthony Gasperjoined the U.S. Army over a yearago as part of its Split-OperationProgram. He says he hopes tomake a career of the service. Hecompleted basic training at FortJackson, SC, last May andworks as an administrativespecialist.

“I’ve always wanted to bein the military since I was a littlekid,” says Anthony. “I just likethe job.”

Creative ProjectsCover Many Interests

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(From left) senior Amanda Stewart, eighth grader Nicole Lavo andsenior Casey Tullar pose with pugs during Mrs. Eileen Baessler’sninth period English class May 9. Casey and Amanda took theirpugs, (from left) Sandy, Mac, and Roxy, to school to present theirtreasured pets as their senior-year creative projects. In Mrs.Baessler’s senior classes, students are asked to do end-of-the-yearprojects that reflect their interests or topics they care deeply about.Projects this year ranged from lawn mower racing and cookouts tospeeches and kayak demonstrations.

ELIZABETH ZAPPE/METEOR CHRONICLE

METEOR CHRONICLE MAY 2005 PAGE 5

Adriance, Kyle – Monmouth Univ. (NJ), Business managementArielly, Joshua – UndecidedBajkowski, Jeremy – Broome Community College, EngineeringBarrett, Anthony– Motorcycle Mechs. Inst. (FL), Motor. repairBennett, Joshua – WorkforceBirchard, Chantal – Keystone College, BusinessBohn, Adam – Penn Tech, Heavy machinery/Diesel mechanicsBoll, Keith – Penn Tech, Graphic communicationsBoyle, Beverly – Morris Community College, NursingBrand, Nicole – Bloomsburg Univ., Sec. educ./communicationsBranning, Stephanie – Broome Comm. Col., Early childhood educ.Brewer, Sean – Undecided, Criminal justiceBrown, Erika – College Misericordia, UndecidedBrownlow, Tyler – UndecidedBurgh, Thomas – Bloomsburg University, Business managementBush, Katie – Keystone College, Forensic biologyCain, James – Wilkes University, History/Pre-lawCarden, Laura – Mansfield University, Secondary educationChapman, Heather– FL Col. of Nat. Health, Paramedical estheticsCherundolo, Gina – Penn State Main, CommunicationsClapper, Mary – TravelColvin, Danielle – High-Tech Institute (FL), Computer technologyConklin, Rachel – Keystone College, Elementary educationConway, Rachel – Luzerne County Comm. College, PsychologyCook, Eric – Workforce, Web hosting/DesignCordes, Kelli – Broome Comm. Col., Human services/Liberal artsCrisman, Dillon – U. S. NavyCronk, Jonathan – Kutztown University, Communication designCunningham, Donald – Keystone College, Sports managementCutsogeorge, Rachel – Broome Community College, UndecidedDepue, Samantha – WorkforceDepue, Thomas – Wilkes University, PharmaceuticalsDeWitt, Jonathan – Mansfield Univ., Music performance/educ.DiBiase, Joseph – East Stroudsburg Univ., Physical educationDonato, Ashley – Penn State Hazleton, Atmospheric sciencesEveritt, Seth – WorkforceFinch, Jamie – Mansfield University, Elementary educationFlynn, Julie – Broome Comm. College, Early childhood educationFowler, Coral – High Tech Institute, Graphic designFruehan, Justin – UndecidedGasper, Anthony – U. S. Army, Airborne infantryGeertgens, Charles – WorkforceGere, Caleb – WorkforceGerhard, Jason – Workforce, CarpentryGillingham, Lacy – Luzerne County Community College, NursingGoldsmith, Brady – Mansfield University, Music educationGould, Sarah – Keystone College, UndecidedGow, Stephanie – Penn State Hazelton, Elementary educationGrier, Bryan – Undecided, PsychologyGroll, Courtney – High-Tech Institute (FL), Computer networkingHarasymczuk, Nicholas– York College Sport mgmt./Pre-lawHarasymczuk, Rebecca – York College, Public relations/Advertis.Hawk, Richard – Johnson College, Automotive technologyHenry, Eric – Monroe Community College (NY), Bus. managementHitchcock, Aaron– Luzerne County Comm. Col., Auto technologyHolbert, Elizabeth – Liberty University (VA), MissionsHolinej, Christopher– Univ. of Sciences Phila., PharmaceuticalsHollister, Samantha – Mansfield University, NursingHoman, Kathryn – Luzerne County Comm. College, UndecidedHoneyford, Thomas – Johnson College, Machine tool technologyHoppe, Carin – University of Scranton, Forensic nursingHorn, Jacob – University of Pittsburgh, Civil engineeringHotchkiss, Lydia – Duquesne University, EntrepreneurshipHowell, Nathaniel – Workforce, Procter & GambleHuff, Justin – Wilkes University, Chemistry/Pre-medJemmott, Catherine – Edinboro University, NursingJones, Sean – University of Pennsylvania, BusinessJones, Shane – U. S. Navy, Nuclear powerJordan, Rebecca – Southern Utah University, Classical languagesKalpokas, Shane – Army ROTC/Shippensburg Univ., Crim. justiceKelly, Tyler – Trident Tech (SC), Business managementKessler, David – Penn State Main, Aerospace engineeringKissell, Jordan – Penn State Altoona, UndecidedKoziel, Sheena – Keystone College, Art

2005 Class Officers

Jeff SnyderPresident

Larry LundyVice President

Nick HarasymczukTreasurer

Melanie LoomisSecretary

Class of 2005 Prospective GraduatesEditors’ Note: The appearance of names in this list does not guaruntee graduation.

“You get more respect fromthe teachers.”

Rachel Conway

“Getting to know peopleand making really awesome

friends.”

Carol Stevens

“Playing soccer for the firsttime on a huge field.”

Adam Poodiack

“The Advanced Placement tripto Washington, D.C., becauseit was awesome and the best

trip I ever had in my life.”

Matt Oberg

“What was the best thing about high school?”BRANDI DEVINE/METEOR CHRONICLEELIZABETH DAVENPORT/METEOR CHRONICLE SENIOR ROVING REPORTER

Kurosky, Kaitlyn – Temple University, Communications/TheatreKurpiela, Vanessa – WorkforceKwitoski, Kimberly – Keystone College, AccountingLaBarbera, Katherine – Drexel University, BiologyLavo, Justin – Bloomsburg University, UndecidedLoomis, Melanie – Penn State Main, CommunicationsLopez, Matthew – U. S. Navy, AviationLundy, Larry – Monmouth University (NJ), Criminal justiceMachir, Ryan – Undecided, Music educationMahler, Hannah – Mansfield University, UndecidedMarbaker, Justin – West Virginia University, Sports managementMarsh, Dana – UndecidedMayes, Ryan – Broome Community College, UndecidedMeehan, Jessica – Elmira College, ChemistryMillard, Joshua – Keystone College, Elementary educationMillen, Caroline – Binghamton University, UndecidedMiller, Trina – Undecided, NursingMower, Jennifer – WorkforceMullin, Tara – Bloomsburg University, Special educationNatalie, Dana – Undecided, ArtNichols, Christopher – WorkforceOberg, Matthew – Dickinson College, Political scienceOnuska, Thomas – Univ. of Scranton, Secondary educ./Pre-lawOverfield, William – Cecil Comm. College (MD), Bus. managementPalmer, Dustin – Penn Tech, Electrical technologyParvin, Jacob – Penn Tech, Heavy equipment technologyPeck, Samantha – Broome Community College, Human servicesPerry, Brian- Penn State Main, ChemistryPersing, Valissa – Shippensburg University, Secondary educationPhelps, Charles – Workforce, Custodial servicesPipher, Brandon – Bloomsburg University, Secondary educationPoodiack, Adam – UndecidedPreston, Daniel – Penn Tech, Electrical technologyProof, Alison – Mansfield University, Elementary/Special educ.Puzo, Daniel – WeldingRafferty, Kristie – UndecidedRobinson, Sierra – Indiana Univ. of PA, Psychology/CriminologyRogers, Michael – Penn Tech, Information technologyRombach, Brandon – Broome Community College, RadiologyRose, Casey – Lincoln Tech, ElectronicsRoszel, Jeanne – Bloomsburg University, RadiologySchneller, Ehren – St. John’s University, Actuarial scienceShort, Christopher – Undecided, Carpentry/MasonrySmall, Elisabeth – Baptist Bible College, Music educationSmith, Lucas – St. Bonaventure University, JournalismSmoker, Hannah – Davis College, Bible studySnyder, Jeffrey – University of Florida, Pre-medSpolar, Rocky – Penn Tech, Civil engineeringStanis, Christopher – Rotary exchange to FranceStevens, Carol – Penn State Main, Business managementStewart, Amanda – Broome Community College, Elem. educationStoddard, Kyle – Penn Tech, UndecidedStone, Daniel – Workforce, Tread ShopStrohl, Joshua – WyoTech (PA), Hot rod fab./Bus. managementTeets, Kyle – U. S. Navy, Heavy equipment operationTempleton, Bethany – Temple University, UndecidedTompkins, Cassandra – Workforce, CosmetologyTraver, Deua – Army National Guard, Generator mechanicTravis, Kristen – Bloomsburg University, UndecidedTullar, Casey – Slippery Rock University, Business managementTurner, Amanda – Penn-Tech, NursingTyson, Ashley – Workforce/EducationUnterkoefler, Kristin – Broome Comm. College, Criminal justiceVanness, Jessica – Penn State Main, BioengineeringVanT assel, Ryan – Penn State Hazelton, Electrical engineeringVavrina, Molly – Undecided, DentistryWalter, Andrew – Keystone College, Visual artsWatts, John – Rochester Inst. of Technology, Computer scienceWebb, Tamra – Broome Community College, Criminal justiceWells, Eric – Motorcycle Mechanics. Inst. (FL), Motorcycle repairWhite, Brittany – UndecidedWhittenberg, Ivy – UndecidedZappe, Elizabeth– St. Bonaventure University, Journalism

PAGE 6 MAY 2005 METEOR CHRONICLE

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Corrections

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CCCCCAAAAARRRRRTTTTTOOOOOOOOOONNNNN

Opinion

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Editorial..........................................................................................

Meteor Chronicle

The Meteor Chronicle is a student publication researched, written and pro-duced by members of the newspaper staff named above. The unsigned edi-torials on this or other pages of the Chronicle are written by the editors inchief or a designee and reflect solely the opinion of the newspaper staff.Letters to the editor are welcomed and will be published as space allows.Letters must be signed although names will be withheld upon request. TheChronicle reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and allletters are subject to laws governing obscenity, libel, privacy, and disruptionof the school process as are all contents of the newspaper. The editorialpolicy of the Meteor Chronicle is available upon request.

Editors in Chief.......................................Elizabeth Zappe Matt Douglas

News/Features Editors.............................Sarah Leonard Melinda Zosh

Opinion Editors...............................................Luke Smith James Cain

Arts & Entertainment Editors........Gina M. Cherundolo Tom Onuska

Sports Editors.....................................Nick Harasymczuk Steffany Jahnke Burgundy Shelp

Lathrop Street Editor.........................Autumn CarpenterChoconut Valley Editor............................Amber LattnerPhoto Editors.............................................Brandi Devine

Elizabeth DavenportAdviser................................................Mrs. Sandra Kaub

STAFF

50 High School Rd. Montrose PA 18801-9507 (570) 278-3731 news@montroseareasd.k12.pa.us

Patrick Bayer, Justin Coy, Shannon Elbrecht,Ronda Gregory, Carly Hull, Caroline Jones, Eleni S. P.

Konstas, Sophia Konstas, Kaitlyn Kurosky, Larry Lundy,Clarissa Plank, Katheryn Rypkema, Andrew Walter

Printed by Mulligan Printing Corporation

Montrose Area Junior/Senior High School

Removing the Blindfold

The reality of thisschool year’s coming to anend has yet to set in. I trulydon’t feel like a soon-to-behigh school graduate.

Knowing myself, Imight actually wake upJune 11 expecting to walkthrough the doors of thehigh school again. (Itwouldn’t be the first timeI’ve tried to go to school ona Saturday).

I have noticed a fewthings in my four years atMAHS and my time in partsof the “real world,” somethings I want to bring to theattention of my peersbefore I lose my chance.

Soon enough thegraduating seniors will belost in the bustle of life,some of us in college,others at work or in themilitary. I myself have hada taste of the world beyondSusquehanna County, and Ican safely say the air isclear out there. There are

no stereotypes, no cliques;the world is less superficialthan TV and movies makeit seem.

Kids shouldn’t worryabout what clothes or musicis in style to be cool. We aremore than just the labels onour jeans and the color ofour hair. Each of us is ahuman being just the sameas the next person, and noone should be treatedotherwise. We need to stepoutside of our comfortzones to realize thatdifference doesn’t meandeficience.

Occasionally I haveheard people disparage ourschool. Their attitude isunfounded. Our time in highschool is what we make it,good or bad. If anything,we should be proud to saywe succeeded and not takeany of what we havelearned for granted.

Without MAHS, Iwouldn’t have the home

base of friends and supportthat I need to strike out onmy own, and I think thesame may be true for a lotof seniors. The people wehave made life-longrelationships with here willalways be the backbone tohelp us move forward withlife.

My generation isgrowing into mature adultsmore and more each day.We make our owndecisions. No matter whatelse may come in the livesahead of us, MAHS willalways be part of the pastwe have grown up in thatdefines who we are.

I owe everything I amas a successful journalist tothe teachers, parents andfriends who have supportedme and my writing.

I thank everyone whohas helped me remove myown blindfold to see thepotential I have and theperson I truly am.

Thirteen Years andAll I Have to Show Is...

Everything I AmBy Elizabeth Zappe

Editor in Chief

As this school yeardraws to an end, so does achapter in “Meteor history.”

MAHS principal DougWilcox finishes his last yearin the MASD, and he writesthe final sentences in aninspiring story he so humblycreated.

From the moment in2001 when Mr. Wilcox tookthe reigns as principal of thejunior/senior high school, hehas been a leader and rolemodel for students and thecommunity. Perhaps themost accurate description ofhim is a “world-classeducator.”

Mr. Wilcox has a wayof connecting with everystudent in some way. He isa very personable guy whoalways has a “goodmorning” for anyone hepasses in the hallways. Forsome students, Mr. Wilcox isnot merely a principal but afather-figure whom they canlook to for help andguidance.

Serving in his capacityas principal, Mr. Wilcoxsomehow always finds timeto get involved with all areasof the school. That’s nosmall task, considering theprincipal is responsible forthe education of some 950students, a job which literallytakes hundreds of hours andvaluable time away fromfamily. For this wecommend him and expressour gratitude that he has beena part of all of our families.

It’s rare in today’ssociety to find a person whois willing to sacrifice his time,energy, and life to put othersfirst. Although there areothers who do the same, Mr.Wilcox has done so withouthesitation. He has dedicatedhis life to us without a secondthought, and students,

faculty, and staff see thisselflessness.

During the four yearsMr. Wilcox has served asprincipal, he has trans-formed what it means tohold that position. He hasput his own unique twist onthe job. We believe histrademark is integral to theeducational process notonly at MAHS but alsothroughout the district.

At the end of this year,our “Meteor family” willsay farewell to a trulyinspirational man. How-ever, this also means thatstudents will see a brandnew face on the first dayof school next year.

Whoever the nextprincipal may be, he/sheshould be of a similardemeanor as Mr. Wilcoxand bring his/her ownunique ideas and traits tothe job. He/she should alsobe able to devote his/herfull energy to our schooldistrict and be able toconnect with the students,faculty, and staff.

Perhaps most import-antly, this person shouldpossess an open mind andestablish a dialogue withthe student body.

If there is any doubtabout the type of individualMAHS needs as its newprincipal, one need not lookfar for an exceptionalexample.

Looking forward toJune 10, the senior classwill not be the only onesgraduating. Mr. Wilcox willalso begin a new lifechapter.

We wish him all thebest in his much deservedretirement. We also hopethat he will remain anactive and guiding voice forour school district.

MAHS GraduatesClass Act

Eighth grader Lukas Boraskiwas misidentified

in a skateboarding photo.

Freshman BrittanyWaldron was misidentifiedin the Dance Team photo.

Johanna Reed is a sophomore.

Mr. Ken Gould representsRegion 3 on the MASD

Board of Education.

Editors’ Note: The staff of theMeteor Chronicle regretsmisreporting the followinginformation in Issue 6:

Andrew Walter

After 20 years in the school district,Mr. Wilcox finally gets his diploma. Guessit takes some people longer than others.

Didn’t yourson graduate

just a fewyears back?

METEOR CHRONICLE MAY 2005 PAGE 7

Opinion

ROVING REPORTER

Based on inquiries and somestatements from both taxpayersand parents regarding recent is-sues of the Meteor Chronicle, Ifeel it necessary to write a re-sponse.

It seems that a very smallnumber of “adults” and a smallnumber of students feel there aresome articles that should not ap-pear in our school district’s news-paper. Concerns are that sometopics are too informative on is-sues that society does not wantto hear about or deal with.

Let us go back to the his-tory and the birth of the Chronicleand the rules that apply to the stu-dents and teacher who overseethe journalism classes that are theheart and soul of the paper.

The rules were verysimple—the paper could not runany articles that singled out forcriticism any individual or groupof individuals by name. The staffcould write articles that affectedour students, staff, taxpayers andschool board if they were mean-ingful and honest, open-mindedand ethically correct.

The articles in question bysome contain real issues of im-portance to our students. Thesearticles will not be censored justbecause some do not think thesubject matter is age appropriate.We need to continue to give ourstudent journalists the ability toown their work and to take re-sponsibility for the accuracy ofthe information they present.

The board has closelymonitored the topics and infor-mation provided in the articlespublished.

Some have said we shouldnot have allowed certain contro-versial information contained inthe paper because it offendedthem. They believe that we shouldhave stopped the presses, cut ar-ticles and mandated that the pa-per only provide informationabout our schools and what ishappening within them. Theywant the district to censor thecontent and turn our heads onissues our students believe areimportant to others in the schoolor in the community.

We will not, nor shouldwe, censor the content of the pa-per. There is no need to censor ajournalism class that has showngreat respect for the rules estab-lished for them as young adults.

They have produced anaward-winning newspaper forour community to read and en-joy. It represents our schooldistrict’s philosophy on educa-tion and our belief that given theopportunities to excel with hon-est, open communication, onecan achieve greatness.

We raise our hats to Mrs.[Sandy] Kaub and the journal-ism classes for their outstandingefforts in providing a great news-paper to our community, studentsand staff of the Montrose AreaSchool District.

Ken Gould, President MASD Board of Education

Board EncouragesResponsibility,Not Censorship

I have a comment aboutthe senior class’s flamingoflocking.

I think it is a very uniqueidea for fund-raising, and itshows a lot of school spirit.The only problem is that somestudents don’t have respect

Vandalism Destroys School SpiritLetter to the Editors

for the recipients of theflockings.

I ordered a flocking formy daughter, but before sheeven got to enjoy it, it wastorn down. It is shameful thatsomething that involves suchschool spirit and participation

is ruined by a senseless act ofvandalism.

I would hope this lettermakes students realize that thegivers and receivers deserverespect for the time andmoney put into it.

Eighth grader’s mom

AnotherVoice

Apple, I do believe that it istime to say “goodbye” to youreducational career in MAHS. Youdo not seem to fit with the staunch,controlling standards of the P.C.world. You are an individual andare thus cursed.

Some have stated thatWindows computers are ingreater use globally and are thusmore common in the world, andthat students should be exposedmore to what they are likely to seein the workplace. There is sometruth to this. Windows computersare bought in greater numbers; thatcannot be argued. What can beargued, however, is their quality.

Apple computers are bydefault more expensive than P.Cs.This is not due to some desire bythe corporation to make moremoney; rather, it is based on qualityand service. This principle iscomparable to a car. Are you morelikely to get a “beater” car for alow price or one that is of higherquality for a greater price? Multiplestudies by J.D. Power andAssociates and the Wall StreetJournal have shown the latter.

I have yet to hear nearly asmany complaints in the publicabout Apples as P.Cs, especially inthe area of technical support. Largenumbers of P.C. users tell storiesabout horrible tech supportproblems. Apple users, con-versely, rarely if ever need tech

support. On the rare occasionwhen support may be needed,most will speak of the superiorquality of Apple technical support.

The few Apples remainingin the school district are a fewyears old yet run more stably thanthe newest P.Cs. This is nocoincidence. Many P.C. usersexperience the “Blue Screen ofDeath” at least monthly. Appleusers are not subject to thissudden crash due to a lack ofsystem resources.

Apple computers havetended to adopt advancingtechnology earlier than othercorporations do. The USB(Universal Service Bus) andfirewire ports were both adoptedmuch earlier on Apples than onP.Cs.

A point of interest here isthat originally the Macintosh G3could not be bought on thecommon market for quite sometime after its completion. This isprimarily because it was used bythe military due to its stability andits near impregnable securityarchitecture.

Some argue that Apples areslower than their P. C. relatives.This is the megahertz myth, theidea that a larger number of hertzin a processor equals a greaterprocessor. Apple openly states itsactual processor speed in actualrunning conditions as opposed tothe idealistic numbers of Intelmachines. In multiple tests,

“slower” Apple computers haveprocessed information muchmore quickly than P.Cs. Appleprocessors handle information ina way different from that of Intelor AMD processors, and thisleads to quicker processing.

The new graphic artsdepartment at MAHS uses flat-screen P.Cs. The New YorkTimes’ graphics department usesApples for their superior graphicalability as do most major graphicalfirms. As a side note, flat-screenmonitors do not offer nearly thecolor range or quality of thetraditional CRT monitors that arestill used with graphical Applecomputers.

To receive higher quality,one must pay higher prices.

It is the end of the schoolyear and the end of Applecomputers in the district. Is theproblem money? This is likely acontributing factor. It seems tobe irrelevant that Apples’ cost-quality ratio is superior to that ofP.Cs. Perhaps it is irrelevant thatmany high-ranking colleges suchas Yale, Princeton, and MIT useat least some Apple computers.Perhaps irrelevant also is the factthat a fair number of studentsactually prefer Apples, let aloneteachers who do.

Goodbye, Apple, my oldfriend. We shall speak again soon.May you find your educationalresting place at a lowly Yale orPrinceton.

‘Goodbye, Apple,My Old Friend’

J. W. CainOpinion Editor

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Board Bytes

Montrose Area Class of 199015-Year Reunion

Saturday, September 3, 2005American Legion, Elk Lake, PA

We are looking for alumni and addressesto plan an evening of fun with old friends!

Contact Krista (Sheffler) Naylor: 570-967-2230 quad@epix.net

orBrenda (Linaberry) Frystak: 570-278-9466

frystak@dfnow.com

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“What will be the coolest thing about being a senior?”

Derek Sydlosky, 7th

“The best thing aboutbeing a senior will be that

I’m going to get outin 180 days.”

Eric Strohl, 7th

“I’m looking forwardto senior prom.”

Ed Darling, 7th

“It should be drivingbecause I won’t haveto put up with people

on the bus.”

Brooke Cook, 7th

“Getting out of schoolbecause you arestarting your life.”

Meggie Vaccaro, 7th

“I think it will be funto pull senior pranks.”

ELIZABETH DAVENPORT/METEOR CHRONICLESHANNON ELBRECHT/METEOR CHRONICLE

PAGE 8 MAY 2005 METEOR CHRONICLE

Arts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentArts & EntertainmentArts & Entertainment

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CRITIC’SCRITIC’SCRITIC’SCRITIC’SCRITIC’S

By Andrew WalterStaff Reporter

‘Staircase’ Has Its Ups and Downs

Imagine finding yourdream home at an unimaginablylow price. Equipped withriverside views, a boathouse andlarge backyard, it has everythinga family of five would want. Oh,by the way, six people weremurdered there the year before.

Amityville, Long Island, isthe setting of both the book andmovie entitled The AmityvilleHorror. According to the bookby Jay Anson, the Lutz family—George, his new wife Kathy andher three children— move into112 Ocean Avenue on Dec. 18,1975. Twenty-eight days later, theLutzes flee from Ocean Avenuein terror, never to return for anyof their possessions.

One year earlier, RobertDefeo had murdered his parentsand four siblings within the wallsof 112 Ocean Avenue. Defeoclaimed voices from inside thehouse had told him to kill hisfamily members.

Upon further inspection ofthe house by the Lutzes andothers, including local clergy, thehouse was discovered to havebeen built on an Indian burialground. This, along with a bloodred room not included in theoriginal floor plans, added to thepublic’s and church’s suspicionof demonic infestation at 112Ocean Avenue.

According towww.crimelibrary .com, thehouse attracted many onlookers,

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By Autumn CarpenterLathrop Street Editor

including paranormal research-ers like Dr. Stephen Kaplan, nowdeceased, who proved many ofthe book’s “occurrences” to beoverly dramatic. The Lutzes

have also come forward, sayingthat some of the eventsdescribed in the book did notoccur.

I understand that moviesbased on books are never exactlythe same as the book. A moviehas to be dramatic enough todraw in and hold viewers’attention for two hours or so atone time whereas a book’sreaders may choose when andfor how long they want to payattention to words on the pages.

When I entered the movietheatre, I understood that thedrama I was about to see mostlikely would attempt to scare theaudience, especially since BradFuller, the producer of TexasChainsaw Massacre, had donethis film too. But I was in for asurprise: The “occurrences”described in the movie are sounbelievable that they are more

laughable than frightening.The book describes moving

objects, tense emotions, andunpleasant effects these “occur-rences” such as a black form fol-

lowing one of the boys into thebathroom, had on the threechildren. The movie ignores theinexplicable events. For example,within the first week after movingin, Kathy finds all the toiletscovered in a stinky, blacksubstance. Because of shorttempers that George and Kathycannot account for, Kathy blamesthe children for the unknownblack material. None of this is evenmentioned in the movie.

I can deal with missingdetails such as toilets turningblack, but when even the layoutof the house is wrong, I just can’thandle it anymore. In the bookGeorge experiences cold spells.For some reason he can never getwarm. The book speaks of hismoving from the wood stove inthe living room to checking theoil heater in the basement in search

Amityville FilmDisappoints Horror Fans

of warmth. In the movie, boththe woodstove and the oil heaterare located in the basement whereGeorge later moves into to escapethe cold.

Similarly, the discovery ofthe strange “red room” isdifferent in the movie. In thebook the room is found whenGeorge and Kathy look in thecellar for a space to turn into apantry. In the movie, Georgefinds the room when he movesinto the basement where he justrandomly decides to take asledge hammer to thefoundation wall.

Another discrepancy in themovie is the portrayal of George.In the book George is moody andexperiences strange phenom-enon.

After he realizes hisinappropriate behavior, Georgebecomes a protective parent tohis step-children, even going asfar as having the three sleep inhis bed so he can watch themfrom a chair. In the movie Georgeis harsh, treating the childrenpoorly and verbally abusingKathy.

I could go on and on andon about the inconsistencies inBrad Fuller’s film. If the movieand book are separated, each hasstrengths and weaknesses as onemight expect. Overall, the bookisn’t a scary horror story, andthe movie is beyond belief evenfor the supernatural.

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Chess ClubOrganizes

A new Chess Club forstudents in grades 7-12meets after school everyThursday in the distancelearning room. Interestedstudents should contactsophomore Dan Williams orMr. Craig Owens for moreinformation. Players are encouragedto take their own chess setsto club meetings, and mem-bers would also welcomechess-set donations.

The “occurrences” described in themovie are so unbelievable that they

are more laughable than frightening.

MMUto Visit

Disney World

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By Caroline JonesStaff Reporter

ANDREW WALTER/METEOR CHRONICLE

Junior Elizabeth Davenport (far left), seventh grader LarissaHilgner and senior James Cain perform in a scene of Up theDown Staircase at MAHS April 30.

Imagine, if you will, a staffchange at MAHS:Sophomore Eleni Konstas sits inthe principal’s chair, senior GinaCherundolo is the tough-as-nailsdisciplinarian, and juniors Liz Dav-enport and Matt Douglas are thenewest additions to the Englishdepartment. These are the rolesthe student actors played in theDrama Club’s recent productionof Up the Down Staircase, a playwritten by Bel Kaufman andadapted by Christopher Sergel.

The setting of the play is the1960s in the crowded, intercityCalvin Coolidge High School. Theheroine is the lovely Sylvia Barrett(played by Liz), the newest En-glish teacher at CCHS. This naïveteacher is soon overwhelmed bymemos, messengers and otherassorted bits of madness. Thestory follows her struggle to teachthe kids at this school and thetemptation to just give up and worksomeplace else. In the end, how-ever, she is compelled to stay andgive these kids guidance and aneducation.

Senior James Cain’s perfor-mance as the “rebel without acause,” Joe Ferone, shines in this

play, though to be honest, he saysthat the role wasn’t that muchof a stretch for him.

Gina had the audience inher pocket as the power-hungrydisciplinarian J.J. McHabe. Sheacted as if she owned the stage,and the audience seemed to feela genuine fear as she stalkedacross the stage, intimidatingteachers and students alike.

Although these were by farnot the only great performancesin the play, some of the charac-ters seemed one-dimensional.Only the stereotypical side ofsome of the characters shonethrough. For instance, if a char-acter was meant to be mean, he/she was mean only; if one wascaring, he/she did no wrong.Several of the students’ charac-ters felt a bit dated, like the typi-cal cool kid who owns the class,or the shy kid who’s reallysmart–however, this may bemore the fault of the playwrightthan the actors.

Costume design was inter-esting, with a neverending sup-ply of floral print dresses, suitcoats, and the all-purpose bluejeans, which never go out of style.

I noted that students were wear-ing hats in school without any vis-ible retribution from the otherwisevigilant Ms. McHabe. This maybe due to the fact that most of thecharacters were played by fe-males, and they did their best todeepen their voices, cover theirlong hair and act tough. It is quiteironic that in Shakespeare’s time,women’s roles were played bymen, and now the roles have beenreversed.

Stage design was veryunique, thanks to technology di-rector Craig Owens and artteacher Cathy Regan. The stagewas set up with the far “wall” ofthe classroom representing suchthings as a P.A. system and a sug-gestion box for the students. Thiswas as ingenious as it was infuri-ating because, according to sev-eral viewers, it confused them to no end as the uses of the wall changed continuously.

Overall, the production seemed rushed due to missed cues and botched lines, which suggests thatthe actors perhaps needed just a little more time to rehearse their lines. Regardless, the play had its shiningmoments and great quotes.

My favorite part of the entire play was the dialogue between Joe and Sylvia when he tossed the latepass on her desk:

“That’s no way to hand it to me,” said Sylvia.“My aim’s bad,” replied Joe.Then Sylvia told him to take the toothpick out of his mouth and his hands out of his pockets. He

asked her which he should do first! That’s just comic gold right there.

The MAHS March-ingUnit (MMU) is off to WaltDisney World in Orlando, FL,June18-27. The MMU willplay in two parades, one inUniversal Studios and theother in Walt Disney World.Musical selections will include“Spitfire” and “Brass Explo-sion.” In addition to perfor-mances, band mem-bers willvisit water and amusementparks.

PAGE 9MAY 2005METEOR CHRONICLE

By Gina M. CherundoloArts and Entertainment Editor

Hink Pinks: MoreThan a ‘Name Game’for Seventh Graders

As the sun set, sophomore Cat Caterson snapped the photo above of thehorizon near her house in Bridgewater Township. Cat mainly photographsnature and takes photos for the MAHS Varsity Club.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAT CATERSON

Caterson Captures Nature, Emotion

Seventh grade readingteacher Mary Jeannette Kellyisn’t just teaching the classics.She has brought a commonword activity to MAHS that’staken the junior high by storm:Hink Pinks.

Hink Pinks, as they areappropriately named, are wordpuzzles. A cleverly worded clueprompts the reader to solve atwo-worded (or rarely, a three-worded) rhyme. Each word hasone syllable, two syllables (calledHinky Pinkys), or anycombination of several syllables(Hinkety Pinketys, etc.). Forexample, the Hink Pink “ahideout with very littleheadroom,” written by ReneéOleniacz, is a “short fort.”

“My mom used to play iton car trips,” says Mrs. Kelly.“I thought the kids would havefun with it, and I thought it wouldbe a nice segue to learningpoetry. [Hink Pinks] employgrammar and language skills.”

Students were taught a“mini-lesson” on Hink Pinks inMarch and were assigned thetask of writing several of theirown. Mrs. Kelly selected at leastone from each student to makea packet, and the students wereassigned to solve them.

“[Creating Hink Pinks]involved a lot of writing, and itmade me think,” says ZacConrad, who wrote the HinkyPinky for “a person who lives ina basement:” a “cellar dweller.”

By Gina M. CherundoloArts and Entertainment Editor

The GreenwichConnection

By Andrew Walter Staff Reporter

MAHS Band Concerts:May 31: Junior/senior high school band concert, 7 p.m., Auditorium

June 3: Jazz band concert, 7 p.m., Auditorium; Awards ceremony following

Concerts Near and Far:June 3: The Killers will come out of their cage and do just fine at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia

June 18-19: Also at the Electric Factory Modest Mouse will be “floating on”

Holy WARPED TOUR! Punk bands from all over creation will be touring this summer well, all overcreation. My Chemical Romance, Something Corporate, Motion City Soundtrack, Thrice andDropkick Murphys, will join old geezers like the Offspring and MXPX. And to top the icing on thissweet “punk” cake, they will be at the Ford Pavilion at Montage Mountain Thursday, August 11. Get yourmosh rags on–it’s gonna be a great summer!

For those of you with a little more metal in your blood, OZZFEST will be at the Tweeter Center in Camden,NJ, on July 19. Bands slated to rock the stage this year include Rob Zombie, Black Sabbath, KillswitchEngage, Black Label Society, and In Flames.Peace out.

Some students enjoyedcreating the brainteasers to providepuzzlement to their fellowclassmates.

“I liked writing challengingpuzzles to confuse my friends,”says Erin Caterson.

Caroline Link agrees: “It wasfun trying to figure out all myfriends’ Hink Pinks.”

Meggie Vaccaro liked theHink Pinks for a different reason.She says that on several occasions,the Hink Pinks had more than oneanswer, and she liked how peoplecame up with different answersfor the clues. For example, shesaid the responses for the HinkPink “our national bird” included“regal eagle” and “legal eagle.”

“[I think] the Hink Pinkswere fun because we didsomething different,” says ChrisStevens, who wrote the Hink Pinkfor “an overweight feline,” a “fatcat.”

Mrs. Kelly also says that shesent some of the Hink Pinks thatthe students had written to herdaughter Leah (MAHS class of’03), who is attending college inVirginia and majoring in secondaryeducation in English. Leah had toprepare a lesson plan for a class,and she taught Hink Pinks.

“[Leah’s students] becameso engrossed [in Hink Pinks] thatthey requested the answers,” saysMrs. Kelly.

“[Hink Pinks are]challenging, but still fun,” saysseventh grader Brittany Bartok.

Flip-flops: Old Style Making New Tracks

Trendsetters

They were originally madefrom leather, sometimes withwooden soles, attached to the feetby leather thong straps, and wornby the Greeks, Africans, Asiansand Egyptians.

“Someone I know calledthem thong sandals,” sayssophomore Danielle Michielini.

Flip-flops (thong sandals)have been around for thousandsof years. They are now beingworn for many different reasons.People in ancient times wore flip-flops strictly to protect their feet.Now people of all ages wear them

By Brandi DevinePhoto Editor

as an accessory as well as a footcovering.

“Flip-flops are cute andcomfortable...,”says sophomoreChristine Brown.

Both guys and girls wearflip-flops although some peoplethink the sandals are moreappropriate for girls. Guys worethem in ancient times.

“I personally think that it’sfine if guys want to wear flip-flops. Do whatever makes youhappy,” says a sophomore boy.

For a sandal that used tobe worn only as protection from

hot sand or from public showers,flip-flops have come a long way.

They come in an endlessarray of colors—red, blue, pink,green, yellow, polka dots,stripes—and in several styles,such as flip-flops with kitten heels,a heel that measures anywherefrom a quarter inch to an inch,platform heels, beads, fur, etc.

“You can wear them withanything…,” says sophomoreDanielle Mayes.

Flip-flops prove the saying:“What goes around comesaround.”

Featured Artist

Test your skill in solvingthe students’ Hink Pinks below.

1. A phony reptile2. An impolite man3. Female royalty with an unpleasant disposition4. Vehicles from a distant planet

1. Fake snake 2. Rude dude 3. Mean queen 4. Mars cars

.......................................................................................

History teacher MaryAnn Cunningham’s class-room is decorated withmore than just posters andplants. On her podium arepictures of petunias, lupines,and impatiens from hergarden, photographed bysophomore Cat Caterson,one of Mrs. Cunningham’sformer students.

“I take a lot of picturesof her flowers because sheloves them,” says Cat.

“People enjoy [thephotos], so I decided to putthem up [around theroom],” says Mrs.Cunningham. Sure enough,her podium has a poster onit entitled “Cat’s Corner.”

Six years ago, Cat says,friends of her family, whoown a photographybusiness, introduced her tophotography.

Cat specializes innature photos and candidsports shots. She is one ofthe main photographers forthe Varsity Club, takingmany of the sports photos

which are used forprograms and an end-of-the-year slideshow to beshown during the VarsityClub banquet later thismonth. “Mr.Gilhool [MAHSathletic director] waslooking for someone to doa presentation and takepictures for the VarsityClub banquet, and Mrs.Bennici [MAHS banddirector] recom-mendedme,” says Cat.

Cat admits she isalso a fan of nontraditionalphotographic style andrejects “staged photos.”

“I like to capture acertain emotion with thepictures I take,” says Cat.

“I don’t make peoplepose for photos; I find itunnatural. I don’t know ifI really have a style orfollow anyone else’s. If I likeit, I shoot it. I don’t alwaysthink about what angles andsuch to shoot from—it justhappens.”

Cat prefers using digital

cameras because of theconvenience, she says. Hercamera of choice is theCanon Digital Rebel.

“I like using digital[cameras] so you can view

the picture after taking it andmake adjustments,” says Cat.

Cat uses photo editingsoftware, such as AdobePhotoshop, to tweak her art.

“There are certain

elements in aphotograph that youcan’t control,” saysCat. “But Photoshopcan turn a good pictureinto a great picture.” Cat has alreadythought about careerplans and whichcolleges to attend. Sheis considering RIT orPenn State to major inphotography and Webdesign, with a possibleminor in businessmanagement. “I’d prefer to openmy own business,”says Cat, “but I’d befine working forsomeone too.” Cat also haspublished some of herpictures on onlinesources. Cat says thatthe Internet is a “good

way to show yourphotographs” to others.

“Art should uplift thesoul to a higher level,” saysMrs. Cunningham. “[Cat is]a neat photographer, and weshould display her work.”

MAY 2005 METEOR CHRONICLEPAGE 10

“...the teachers becausethey helped me get through

seven years of school.”

Leah Cronk, LS

“...recess because [in thehigh school], we have

to sit and work all day.”

Gina Jacoby, LS

“What I willmiss most

aboutelementaryschool is...”

“…how everyone istogether in our classes.

When we get to the highschool, we won’t seeeach other as much.”

Stacie Rihl, CV

It started with one littlenote…

“It started out that I wantedto apply what I learned in college,but it evolved as an outreach toevery child to show them thatthey have the power to make adifference and do have a voice,”said Choconut Valley secondgrade teacher Leslie Hoal.

This “outreach” is signlanguage, but the repercussionsof the new language Mrs. Hoalteaches go beyond the annualsecond grade sign languageshow, said senior BeckyHarasymczuk; they reverberatein the heart of every child.According to Mrs. Hoal, the goalis to instill power within eachindividual who enters herclassroom.

Not everyone can sing ordance or act, but nearly everyonecan silently move his/her hands,she said. Through this simple actof learning to sign, Mrs. Hoal saidshe has seen confidence growfrom deep within her students asthey are introduced to issues thatother people face.

“I like sign languagebecause it shows I care aboutpeople who can’t speak any otherway,” said second grader AbigailCapwell.

When the students firstenter her class, Mrs. Hoal focuseson developing them into secondgraders by giving them time toadjust to new demands.

Following this introductoryperiod, she begins teaching thembasic sign language, includingfinger-spelling, the Pledge ofAllegiance, patriotic songs, andverbs such as “sit,” “walk,” and“be quiet.” Teaching sign languagealso allows her to expand on

Sign Language GivesStudents Another ‘Voice’By Amber LattnerChoconut Valley Editor

science lessons such as helpingthe students better understandhearing and vibrations.

After Christmas break Mrs.Hoal begins preparations for herannual sign language show. Shepicks a theme and thenincorporates various songs thatrelate to the topic. Past showthemes have included the LionKing, inventions, and Broadway.This year’s show, however,begins with just one littlenote…and then two…and thenthree…and so the melodycontinues as people (“notes”)begin working together to achievebeauty like music from notes ona page.

The show is based on theidea that individually, people maynot possess all that is necessaryto achieve a great task, but byworking with one another andaiming for a common goal,amazing things can be

accomplished. Such songs as“Listen to the Music” by theDoobie Brothers and “WildAngels” by Martina McBride willbe heard.

Shows will be performednear the end of the year, said Mrs.Hoal. Two will be done duringthe day for students, and oneevening performance will begiven for parents. Mrs. Hoal saidshe is excited about theperformances and is proud of thework that her class has devotedto making the programs asuccess.

It may have started out withone little note…but according topast second graders, Mrs. Hoal’sprogram has been so much morethan that. Students like Beckyagreed that learning sign languageinstilled within them a lastingappreciation for all different kindsof people and the courage to standup and have a voice..................................................................................................................................

Lathrop Street secondgrader Troy Ely placed first in the11th Write and Illustrate Your OwnPicture Book Contest sponsoredby Susquehanna CountyHistorical Society & Free LibraryAssociation.

Four local libraries comprisethe county system, and eachholds its own contest. Troy wonfirst place in the kindergartenthrough second grade categoryfor the Montrose library.

After two months ofpreparation, Troy entered hisnon-fiction book entitled TheGreat White Shark. He says afterhe read a book about sharks, hefound them “really interesting.”

“I usually draw aboutsharks,” says Troy, “[but] I neverwrote a book about them.”

Troy started writing hisbook in January as a creativewriting assignment in secondgrade teacher David Wood’sclass.

“I think [winning thecontest] is an awesome rewardfor [Troy’s] hard work,” saysMr. Wood. “It’s a good end forhis work.”

By Autumn CarpenterLathrop Street Editor

Ely Places in Local Contest

As the end of the yearapproaches, sixth grade studentsat both Choconut Valley andLathrop Street will experience anarray of events, including dances,trips and award/graduationceremonies.

Lathrop Street students willhead to Hershey Park May 26,and Choconut Valley students willvisit Knoebels June 9. Thestudents of Lathrop Streetfundraised throughout the year tohelp pay the cost of their trip.Choconut Valley funding camefrom the school.

“Some of [the money] camefrom the students; some of [themoney] the district paid,” saidLathrop Street secretary ConnieBirchard.

Although the locations willdiffer, at both schools amusementparks are the one event moststudents look forward to.

“[Sixth graders] are the onlyones who go to Hershey,” saysMrs. Birchard. “Sixth grade is thebig trip.”

“[I’m looking forward to]the trip [to Knoebels] because Ilike amusements parks, and we’llhave freedom when we gothere,” said Choconut Valleystudent Matthew Hohn.

“[I’m looking forward toHershey Park] because we getto go there with our friends andgo on all the rides,” said BillyStrandburg from Lathrop Street.

Both elementary schoolswill hold end-of-the-year dances.Lathrop Street’s Fun andFarewell dance is June 3, and Mr.John Adams will DJ; ChoconutValley’s dance with a tropicaltheme is June 8.

“The dance has been a longtradition at Choconut Valley,” saidprincipal Chris McComb. “In myopinion, it is a great opportunityto get together as a group, bothstudents and faculty, to celebrateour students’ taking the next stepin their educational jour-ney…seventh grade.”

“I was anxious forKnoebels, but [I’m not] anxiousfor the dance because I don’t likedancing,” says Choconut Valleystudent Kyle Rogers.

“In the beginning of theyear, the guys started asking thegirls out to the dance,” saysDrusilla Potts from ChoconutValley.

“[The dance] will [kind of]be fun, but I think Hershey Parkwill be more fun,” says LathropStreet’s Alex Lewis.

Sixth graders at ChoconutValley will be a part of a school-wide awards ceremony June 10.Graduates will receive certificatesof completion. After theircompletion of sixth grade,students at Lathrop Street willparticipate in a graduationceremony June 13. Severalawards will be given out at bothschools, including PresidentialAcademic Excellence Awards andthe Klein Award for students whohave displayed outstandingcitizenship.

“I think the awardsceremony is the most importantbecause every student in theschool will be there,” saysMatthew.

[The graduation ceremonyis important] because we’regoing on to high school,” saysLathrop Street student BriannaHollenbeck.

SixthGraders

to CelebrateBy Kaitlyn Kurosky

Staff Rerporter

Accordingto the library’sWeb site, 80picture bookswere entered intothe contest fromacross the county.

The bookswere divided intothree categoriesaccording to theauthors’ gradelevels. All par-ticipants willreceive Certif-icates of Partici-pation and com-ments from thejudges at anaward ceremonyto be held at theMontrose Theatrein June.

Each first-place book will behardbound andplaced in theentering libraryafter being circulated throughoutthe county, according to the Website.

Troy says he is excited to

“…the nice teachers, theeasier work, and not havingfinals to take every year.”

Kyle Rogers, CV

Elementary News

Second graders (from left) Wyatt Kuhr, Ramona Miller,David Gardner, and Mychael-Rose Raymer rehearse fortheir sign language program to be performed for studentsand parents at Choconut Valley.

PHOTO COURTESY OF J. PUZO

Lathrop Street second grader Troy Ely dis-plays his book entitled The Great White Shark.Troy won first place in the 11th Write andIllustrate Your Own Picture Book Contesthosted by the Susquehanna County HistoricalSociety & Free Library Association.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID WOOD

see readers’ reactions to his book.“[My book] has stuff in it

that [readers] might want toknow,” says Troy.

MAY 2005METEOR CHRONICLE PAGE 11

There was once a timewhen athletes worked hard topeak during their senior years inhopes of being recognized by topcolleges for their standout highschool performances in theirrespective sports. But times havedefinitely changed, and recruitinghas leaped to a whole new level.

Today, high school athleticssimply are not enough; that is,unless one attends the numberone high school for his/herparticular sport. Club sports andsingle sport athletes are becomingthe trend, and unless one joins thetrend, attending a college that isexceptional in one of his/hersports and playing for that schoolare highly unlikely.

Not only has the courseone takes in developing as a playerevolved but so also has therecruiting process. Official visits,or campus visits for the highschool athlete paid by the collegecoach, were once regarded asgreat tools to entice prospectiveathletes. But those types of visitsare limited to seniors, and as therecruiting game is being initiatedearlier and earlier, to someuniversities these visits are nolonger the deciding factor to theirrecruitments.

Not every college, ofcourse, is jumping the recruitinggun. Division II and III schoolsoften do not recruit as heavily asDivision I programs, and mostDivision I schools have not yetgot caught up in the “recruitinggame.” But schools with eliteathletics programs are moreinvolved in such activities than thegeneral public could ever imagine.

For example, women’ssoccer programs at universities

By Amber LattnerChoconut Valley Editor

Editors’ Note: The following commentary is based uponobservations of the author in her investigation

of universities and their athletic policies.

College Recruiting:Cards in Your Hands

such as Notre Dame, NorthCarolina, Indiana University, andPurdue (just to name a few),scout players as early as theirfreshman year of high school.Their recruiting for the class of2006 is nearly complete. That’sright, some juniors have alreadyverbally committed to suchcolleges to play sports.

Honestly, I wish I were oneof those chosen few soccerplayers who as juniors alreadyknow where they are headedafter high school graduation. Butat the same time, how confidentabout those decisions can mostteenagers be in only eleventhgrade? Often junior girls have nothad the opportunity to actuallyvisit college campuses, butscholarship money provokesthem to commit.

Furthermore, because therecruiting game is starting soearly, and the competition forcolleges to gain access to thelimited number of “elite” athletesis becoming very intense,colleges have begun recruitingoverseas. Elite women soccerplayers from Canada, althoughlimited in number, are beingsought because the competitionthere is not yet as great.Teenagers from foreign teamsare being selected and givenscholarships to Americanuniversities to play sports.

Athletics and the recruitingprocess are one big game, andif played correctly, one has thepotential to hold a handful ofaces. But in our ever fast-paced,instantaneous society, waitingfor the right cards to fall intoone’s hands may leave a playerwith few chips on the table.

Senior Justin Lavo, a four-year MAHS baseball player,started playing the game at agefive when he joined a tee-ballteam in Choconut. Since thattime, Lavo has become one ofthe standouts for the Meteors.

“As a three-year starter,Lavo has lots of experience atthe varsity level,” says headcoach Todd Legg. “He isprobably one of the best, if notthe best, shortstop in ourdivision.”

Lavo, son of Mike andRoxanne of Brackney, says thathis dad, a.k.a. Big Mike, hasplayed a big part in his baseballcareer, always pushing him todo better in the sport.

“I think my dad is thebiggest reason why I do so wellin baseball,” says Lavo. “Healways played as a kid and hasalways encouraged my brotherand me to play as well. Ipracticed with him and my olderbrother Brian [MAHS ’03]before I began playing baseball.”

“[Lavo is] the most reliablefielder on the team,” says seniorBill Overfield, a pitcher and thirdbaseman for the Meteors. “Youcan always count on him tomake big plays.”

According to Coach Legg,Lavo’s greatest strengths are hisfielding skills and his experienceat the plate. With a battingaverage of .219, Lavo hadearned two doubles and sixRBIs at press time with only oneerror on the season at shortstop.

“At the plate, he won’treally hit the homeruns, but he’llhit the ball to a spot where hecan get on base,” says CoachLegg. “He knows where thestrike zone is and won’t usuallyswing at anything outside of that.

Lavo: ‘Reliable’ and ‘Patient’By Larry LundyStaff Reporter

He also has quick hands andpatience. With these he can waitfor the ball to get to where hewants it over the plate before heswings.”

Senior co-captain DanPreston, an outfielder, pitcher, andthird baseman for the Meteors,agrees with Coach Legg.

“Lavo is a good teamplayer, one of the few playerswho puts the team beforehimself,” says Preston. “I haveconfidence in him at the plate andon the field. When the ball is hitto him, it’s a pretty sure out.”

Lavo says the thing he likesmost about baseball is the factthat in order to be successful inthe sport, one must rely on histeammates to do their best.

“I like the trust that youform with the other players whenyou’re on a team,” says Lavo,

who plays school ball in the springand [American] Legion baseballin the summer and participatesat a baseball clinic in Endicottduring the fall and winterseasons. “You have to rely onthem a lot, and it’s important thatyou trust each other. And whensomething exciting happens onthe field, like a batter hits the ball,it’s pretty cool to work togetheras a team to get that guy out.”

Lavo will attendBloomsburg University ofPennsylvania next fall where heplans to pursue college baseball.

“Lavo is going to be a hardplayer to replace next year,”says Coach Legg. “Hitting wise,he needs to improve from justgetting on base to hitting homeruns. But on the field, he’s apretty solid athlete with the skillsand talent needed to succeed.”

For today’s athletic events:girls’ varsity softball away versusValley View at 4:30; boys’ varsitybaseball away versus Valley Viewat 4:30.

For this weekend’s athleticevents: boys’ varsity baseballaway at Dunmore at 11 a.m.—bus at 8; girls’ varsity softballaway at Dunmore at 11a.m.—busat 8; varsity track…..

Anything sound similar?This year the boys’ and girls’

varsity baseball and softball teamshave identical game schedules,allowing the two teams to travelto games together on one bus.

According to athleticdirector Joe Gilhool, this methodhas been used in years past withthe two teams, but this year thedistrict decided to make anotherattempt, and so far it has beensuccessful. The school districthas saved money, especially with

By Nick HarasymczukSports Editor

Baseball, SoftballTeams Share Rides

the escalating cost of gas.Each team has the same

scheduled start time, but the lengthof each game varies, dependingon the pace of play.

“[Traveling with thebaseball team] works out okay,”says senior Amanda Turner. “Thesoftball team has to wait a lot,though. The baseball games takemuch longer than our [softball]games do.”

According to Mr. Gihool,the current league the baseball andsoftball teams play in will berealigned once the current two-year cycle is completed, which isnext season. The realignment willallow players to compete againstteams located within SusquehannaCounty, therefore decreasingtravel time and distance.

Whether or not the teamswill travel together next year is stillundecided.

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Featured Athlete

Sp rts

The boys’ tennis team willundergo some changes nextseason. The team will graduatefive seniors this year, three ofwhom have held multiple varsitypositions. Despite the loss, headcoach Jeff Cornell says he hasconfidence that the youngerplayers on the team will be readyto step up and play at the varsitylevel.

“We have some very goodJV players who will be playing atthe varsity level next year,” saysCoach Cornell. “We have a goodgroup of younger players whowork well together.”

Although next year’s teamwill be young, most of the playershave experience behind them.

“Most of the playerspractice during the off-season, andsome play at Binghamton Tennis

By Elizabeth DavenportPhoto Editor

Senior Boys’ Tennis ShoesNeed Filling

Center duringthe winter,”s a y ssophomorePatrick Bayer,who playsvarsity.

C o a c hCornell saysthat his goalevery year is toteach studentshow to playtennis and tohelp them im-prove theirstrategy and technique. Hisyounger players, he says, areeager to learn and always readyto play.

“The team has the potentialto be a winning team next year,says Coach Cornell.

Senior Justin Lavo hits a ball to left field during baseballpractice at MAHS May 13.

ELIZABETH DAVENPORT/METEOR CHRONICLE

Junior Dave Kimble serves a ball during warm-ups for a match against Scranton Prep May 3.The Cavaliers defeated the Meteors 0-7.

E. DAVENPORT/METEOR CHRONICLE

Seniors Brady Goldsmithand Sean Jones were co-captainsthis year. Mr. Cornell is unsurewho will replace them.

“In my experience, mostleaders surface during their senioryear,” says Coach Cornell.

SportsPAGE 12 MAY 2005 METEOR CHRONICLE

SPORTLIGHTCommentary

As I sit down to write mylast “Sportlight,” I think aboutwhat it is I could write. Whatissue in the sports world do I wantto take the time to talk about inmy final column? Steroids? No.The NFL draft? Nope. Howabout the NBA playoffs? Boring.How about Tiger Woods, theMasters champion? No way—even I wouldn’t talk about golfin a commentary.

I really don’t want to bemushy and write a sob story,thanking everyone I’ve knownthroughout high school. Oneparty that I do want to thank,however, is YOU, the reader.When I became a member ofthis staff almost four years ago,I never dreamed that I’d haveso much fun writing about sports,and my column would not be aspopular as it is today without theconstant support of the readers.

Every topic I write about

So Much Left to Say, So Little Timerelates to the community, eitherlocally, nationally or morecommonly both. My opinionshave been solely mine, and Istand behind everything I havewritten. I’d be lying if I saidnobody has ever disagreed withme over the past three years, butI must say the support I’vereceived has been awesome.Most people do not know howdifficult it is to come up with aviable, relevant topic to write twoto three pages on every month.People have, for the most part,been very open-minded when itcame to my columns.

One group I could rely onwhenever I was in need of atopic was my good old personalfavorite sports teams, theMinnesota Vikings, New YorkMets, and Orlando Magic. Youcan see how depressing andstressful my life has been by justreading those names. Only theVikings would not turn in theirdraft pick within the allotted timelimit and have a kicker go perfectduring the regular season and

then miss a 30-yard field goal thatwould have sent the Vikings tothe Super Bowl in 1998. Andthen there was the fluke go-ahead touchdown the Eagles gotagainst Minnesota in this year’splayoffs when the ball bouncedoff three different players andwas caught for a score.

Only the Mets could claimone of the top three payrolls overthe last three seasons and haveno playoff appearances to showfor it. Only the Magic would fieldgreat players such as Shaq andTracy McGrady and never wina championship. I could alwayscount on my teams to comethrough for me—whenever Ineeded to lament, I would justopen the sports page.

There is one issue,however, that I would like todiscuss. It’s about an athlete whoplays a sport that is currently outof season. Terrell Owens, thePhiladelphia Eagles’ All-Starwide receiver, has recently madenews by demanding that hiscontract be renegotiated and he

be paid more money—as if theseven-year $48 million contracthe signed last year and the $10million upfront aren’t enough.

Yes, he had a great yearlast season and displayed aheroic performance in the SuperBowl, but he just needs to quitcomplaining and play! TheEagles did make the SuperBowl—but they LOST. UntilOwens has something to flauntand brag about, he needs to keephis mouth shut and focus onbringing the Vince Lombarditrophy to Philly.

Who knows what is goingto happen next in the everevolving world of sports. Onething is for certain: I’ll alwayshave something to say eventhough I won’t be able tocommunicate my opinionthrough the Chronicle. I’m notworried, though. I’m leaving thesports section in the very capablehands of Steff Jahnke—a GreenBay Packer fan who has herown views of the sports world,and Burgundy Shelp—a field

hockey player who will be sureto assert her opinions in the paperover the next several months.

In closing, thanks toeveryone on the staff of theMeteor Chronicle. These pastfew years have been anexperience that I’ll never forget.Thanks to my mom and dad forforcing me to take journalism myfreshman year. The skills that Itake away from this class areinvaluable to me and will be anessential part of my success incollege.

Thanks to all of the Meteorathletes. It has been a blastcovering you for the past fouryears. Seeing athletes excel intheir sports has been reallyrewarding.

But most of all, thanks toall of the readers! Whether I talkto you about my column inschool, or if you’ve never metme before, thanks to you fortaking the time to bring“Sportlight” into your lives. Ihope that you have enjoyed theride as much as I have.

Not many people get thechance to participate on collegesports teams without being“walk-ons” (people who try outfor a college sports team at thebeginning of a certain sportsseason).

However, this year nineMAHS seniors have beenrecruited, awarded scholarships,or already accepted to collegeteams.

Heading off to BloomsburgUniversity in central Pennsylvania,seniors Justin Lavo and TaraMullin will play baseball andsoccer respectively in college.

Lavo says the demands ofparticipating on a college baseballteam are “commitment” and“dedication.” He says he is “verypleased” to be able to play on acollege team and is ready to workhard.

“Dedication” and “hardwork” are what Mullin believescollege soccer will require. Shesays she “can’t wait” to playsoccer and expects to “give it herall.”

Senior Bill Overfield willattend Cecil Community Collegein North East, MD, on a partialbaseball scholarship that will payhalf of his tuition. He says baseballwill take up a lot, if not most, ofhis free time, but he is “thrilled tobe able to play at the next level.”

Participating in softball atKeystone College in La Plume,senior Kim Kwitoski says sheknows that she will like playingsoftball in college.

“You are playing with peoplewith more talent, and you knowthey are people who actually wantto be there and are playing it forthe right reasons,” says Kwitoski.“[It will be] different than highschool because you are used toplaying with the same people, but

By Burgundy ShelpSports Editor

Senior Athletes Preparefor College Sports

in college you play with talentedpeople, and people give 100percent to keep their spots.”

Dedication and hard workare what senior Erika Brown isexpecting when she goes toCollege Misericordia in Dallas, PA,this fall and participates in theschool’s basketball program.

“[It is] exciting and a littlescary, more intense, [and] morecompetition,” says Brown.

Heading off to MonmouthUniversity in New Jersey in thefall, seniors Kyle Adriance andLarry Lundy will participate intrack and field.

Adriance was recruited andawarded an academic and athleticscholarship. He says track willtake a lot of his time and a lot ofhard work.

“[I am] really excited and alittle nervous of competing withDivision I athletes,” saysAdriance, who expects to devote

all of his spare timeto training for trackand traveling all overthe East Coast.

Also awardeda scholarship forathletics andacademics, Lundysays playing in acollege sport will bedemanding. Therewill be practicesevery day, yearround, but he ishappy about beingable to participate ina college sport.

“I expect towork my butt off incollege, to work hardthrough the summer,fall and the rest of theyear,” says Lundy.

At t end ingPenn State Hazelton

in the fall, senior Ryan VanTasselwill play soccer. VanTassel sayshe is excited to participate, but hesays, “The first week I’m goingto puke every night at practice.”

VanTassel says being inshape and having athletic abilityare the demands of college teamplay.

Senior Nick Harasymczukwill attend York College ofPennsylvania in York this fall, andhe will play golf. He says athleteshave to be able to budget their timeto get their work done on time tomaintain a high GPA, and theyhave to be competitive on theteam.

“[You have to] proveyourself coming in,” saysHarasymczuk, who says he isexcited and looking forward toexcelling in college golf. “[My]expectations [are] to perform[well] and get to know the teamand coach and stay on [the] team.”

States Require Athletesto ‘Rely on’ Own SkillsBy Tom OnuskaArts and Entertainment Editor

The time has come. Trackathletes will test their skills againstcompetitors from acrossPennsylvania at the statechampionship at ShippensburgUniversity May 27-28.

“Districts are really theplace where you get to perfectyour technique and prepare tocompete at states,” said seniorLarry Lundy, whose events areshot put and discus. “You haveto work to be the best in yourevents.”

Track athletes say they arehave worked extra hard this yearto make it to states, and in somecases that effort will make all thedifference, according to headcoach Eric Powers. This year thefirst-place finishers at districts willnot be the only ones guaranteeda spot at states. Due to a changein qualifying rules, athletes whocome in second and meet the statequalifying mark will also competeat states.

“The change in qualifyingcould potentially make a bigdifference for some of ourathletes who compete in toughevents with a lot of other fastkids,” said Coach Powers. “Our

athletes have a greater chance ofmaking it to states and placing,but the change will not affect thema great deal.”

Those athletes who wentto states last year and are readyto compete again are not payingmuch attention to the newqualifying rule but rather workingto better themselves, accordingto senior Kyle Adriance. A statequalifier and third-place finisherin districts for the high jump lastyear, Adriance said that the surestway for any athlete to competeat the state level is to train allseason and rely on his/her skillsin the event he/she is planning tocompete in.

Lundy concurs. Hewrestled this year and said hetrained harder for track season,giving him more endurance andleaving him more time to perfecthis skills at the discus.

“It is only natural that notall of our athletes will place atstates, although they certainlyhave that potential,” said CoachPowers. “They have worked hardall year long, and I am sure ourathletes can compete with anyoneelse at the state level.”

BURGUNDY SHELP/METEOR CHRONICLESenior Larry Lundy will participate intrack and field at Monmouth University inNew Jersey next year.

Chris Snee’sPUNT PASS AND KICK CONTEST

Ages 7-14

July 3, 12 p.m.Montrose Area High School

Registration materials at Pennstar and PNBor at www.UnitedwayOfSusquehannaCounty.org

Registration deadline May 31

Sponsor: United Way of Susquehanna County

..........................................................Sports Editor

Nick Harasymczuk