Mercer Area Middle -High School

On January 12, 2013, Mercer Area High

School inducted one new member into the

Athletic Hall of Fame. Mia (Adair) Forman may be one of the greatest track and field

athletes in Mercer High School history.

Mia was a four-year letter winner and a

three-time PIAA state qualifier for the Mercer Girls’ Track & Field team.

As a freshman, Mia qualified for the

District 10 Championships in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter

relay, and the long jump, helping the

Mustangs to a 2nd

place finish at the District 10 meet at Oil City High School.

Mia finished 2nd

in the long jump and

qualified for the PIAA State Track and

Field Championships, becoming the first freshman in school history to compete in

the State Championships at Shippensburg

University.

During her sophomore season, Mia

established a school record in the 100

meter dash. At the District 10 Championships, she finished 3

rd in the 100

meter dash and was a member of the 400

meter relay team that finished in 3rd

place,

just missing a trip to the PIAA State Championships.

Mia set school records in the 200 meter

dash, 400 meter dash, and the triple jump

during her junior season. She finished 2nd

in the 400 meter dash, 3

rd in the 200 meter

dash, and 6th in the triple jump at the

District 10 Championships. Competing at

the PIAA State Track & Field Championships for the 2

nd time in three

years, Mia finished 13th in both the 200

and 400 meter dash.

As a senior, Mia was named the most

outstanding performer in the running

events at the Lakeview Invitational. She finished 1

st in the 100 meter dash and

triple jump, 2nd

in the 200 meter dash, and

was a member of the 2nd

place 400 meter

relay team. She helped lead the Mustangs to a 6

th place finish at the District 10

Championships, finishing 1st in the 200

meter dash, 2nd

in the 100 meter dash, and 3

rd in the triple jump. At the PIAA State

Track & Field Championships, Mia

finished 3rd in the 200 meter dash and 4

th

in the 100 meter dash. Upon graduation,

Mia held or shared seven (7) school

records in girls’ track and field (100m,

200m, 400m, long jump, triple jump, 400m relay, and 1600m relay. She

currently still holds the school record in

both the 100 and 400 meter dash.

Volume 1, Issue 6

Spring 2013

Mia (Adair) Forman Joins Mercer Athletic Hall of Fame I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Mustang Newsletter

.

Robotics Team 2

PMEA Region I Band 2

Mercer Speech Team 3-4

HOPE Award 5

PRIDE Award 5

Honor Roll 7-8

Students of the Month 9

Showcase of Talent 10

Equus 11

Distinguished Graduates 11

Athletics 12-13

Attention School Program Comes to Mercer

Attention School is a school alert system

that simultaneously sends text and email

messages to previously enrolled contacts ensuring that important messages are read

in time. Attention School alerts everyone

simultaneously, no more waiting for the radio station to give the delay/cancellation

listings or wait for your school’s name to

scroll onto the bottom of your TV screen.

To sign up for the text alert service, text

short code 99000; keyword: Mercer to

automatically enter into the text alert distribution list. To sign up for email alerts

visit the Mercer district homepage and

select the “Sign Up: Attention Schools” option from the left-hand menu bar. This

like will direct you to the online sign-up

page.

“Upon graduation, Mia held or shared seven school records in girls’ track and

field.”

“There were 57 robots from states such as Connecticut, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.”

Mustang Newsletter Page 2

Mercer Robotics Program Travels to Auburn University

The Mercer Robotics Team participates in

the BEST robotics competition. The competition began in September where the

team learned the game for the year and

received materials. This year the game was

“Warp XX” and the team had to build a robot that climbed a 10 foot pole to

distribute materials. The game was based

upon the idea of space elevators for transportation in space. The Mercer robot

was named I.V.E.E. which stood for

Interatmospheric, Versitile, Economical,

and Elevator.

As part of the BEST competition the team

must design and build a robot to play the

game, publish an engineering notebook, create a marketing presentation, create a

marketing display, fundraise, have school

spirit, complete outreach demonstrations, and so many other tasks.

The first round of competition was at

Grove City College in October. There were

22 schools from Pennsylvania and Ohio. Mercer earned 1

st place in Marketing

Display, 2nd

place in Engineering

Notebook, 3rd place in Presentation, and 2

nd

place in School Spirit. I.V.E.E. earned 2nd

place as a robot and the Mercer team

won 2nd

place BEST school. This earned

the Mercer team the right to compete at the Region’s Nationals at the University of

Auburn in Alabama.

This competition began on December 1,

2012. There were 57 robots from states such as Connecticut, Louisiana, Alabama,

Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. At this

competition Mercer received 8th place in

Marketing Presentation, 15th in Marketing

Display, and 15th OVERALL.

The Mercer Robotics Team would like to

thank their sponsors for their support and for funding the trip to Alabama. Due to the

generosity of the following people and

organizations we raised close to $10,000 in only three weeks. As a result, the students

were able to travel by bus and stay in

Alabama for free. Thanks to:

Mercer American Legion, Nordson

Corporation, West Central Jobs, Mercer

Rotary, WAE Balancing Inc., RTI

International Metals, Optimist Club, Walt’s Grocery, Mercer Forge Corp.,

Mercer Pizza Joes, Mercer Physical

Therapy, and Gabany’s Inc.

PMEA Region I Band Performs at Mercer High School

On March 7th-9

th the Mercer Bands hosted

the PMEA Region I Band Festival. Junior

Lindsey Miller qualified for the festival at

District Band in Butler in January and will

audition for a spot in the All-State Concert Band and Wind Ensemble. Joining Lindsey

in the band are Andrea Sajewski (flute),

Kyle Strain (alto saxophone), Angie

Moose (trumpet), Russell Stone (trombone), and Dakota Hinton

(baritone). Congratulations to these

students! The festival included over 120

students from the PMEA District I and District V. The guest conductor was Dr.

Shelley Jagow from Wright State

University.

Hallway Shines Light on Senior Postsecondary Plans

Do I want to go to college? Where do I want to go? What should I major in? As

the winter months fade away many seniors

are asking themselves these same questions. Beginning in March, students

will see the hallway to the cafeteria

decorated with pennants from a variety of

colleges, universities, and career paths. When the seniors of Mercer High School

decide their destination of study, a marker

will be placed near the pennant. This will enable students, faculty, and visitors to

recognize and congratulate students as they

take their next steps beyond Mercer.

Mustang Newsletter Page 3

Inside Story Headline

Strong Season for Mercer Speech Team

It has been a strong season for the speakers

of the Mercer Speech Team. Led by

advisor Mr. Hugh Ringer, the speech team has consistently performed at a high level

for the duration of the year.

On January 12, 2013, the Speech Team

placed second in sweepstakes at the 8th

Annual North Allegheny Invitational. Over

215 students from 30 high schools in

western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia took part in the four-round

tournament. Six Mercer speakers received

trophies for placing in the final rounds of

their chosen events. Maddie Hessmann placed 1

st overall in international

extemporaneous. Senior Teresa Morin

earned 2nd

overall in international extemporaneous. Mercer’s lead duo team

of Andrew Roseman and Orion

Anderson won the second place awards. In dramatic interpretation, Kendra Walker

recorded a third place finish. Sophomore

Ian Ollila placed sixth in humorous

interpretation.

On January 19, 2013 the Speech Team

placed fourth in sweepstakes at the annual

Pine-Richland Invitational. Over 275 speakers representing 28 high schools in

western Pennsylvania and northern West

Virginia took part in the day-long competition. Four Mercer speakers won

awards. Senior Teresa Morin won the

tournament championship in

extemporaneous speaking. In dramatic performance, Kendra Walker earned a

third place finish. Fellow sophomore Ian

Ollila won third place in humorous interpretation. In original oratory senior

Cole Handerhan finished in sixth place.

On January 26, 2013 the Speech Team

took first place in sweepstakes at the 39th

Annual Invitation Events Awards

Tournament sponsored by the Mercer

Rotary Club. The event attracted over 220 speakers from 16 schools in western

Pennsylvania. Senior Teresa Morin won

top honors in the United States extemporaneous division. Freshman Ryan

Hamilton placed seventh overall in that

same division. In poetry interpretation

Mercer seventh grader Madeline Rowe

earned second place honors. Eighth grader

Elizabeth Ludwig won the third place award for original oratory. Senior Anna

Conner won the fifth place medal in

oratory while sophomore Anna Garner

had a sixth place finish, and freshman Emily Kirila placed seventh overall. In

duo interpretation Andrew Roseman and

Orion Anderson earned a fifth place finish while Samantha Booher and Sarah

Johnson placed sixth. In international

extemporaneous speaking juniors Maddie

Hessman and Ryan Micsky won fifth and sixth honors. In dramatic interpretation

sophomore Kendra Walker won fifth

place honors while freshman Janalyn

Miklas placed seventh overall. Sophomore

Ian Ollila placed sixth in humorous

interpretation.

On February 8th

and 9th

the Mercer

Speech team placed second in speech team

sweepstakes, trailing only powerful

Wheeling Park High School. Four Mercer speakers advanced into the final rounds.

Senior Teresa Morin won her third

consecutive tournament championship in extemporaneous. Mercer junior Maddie

Hessmann was awarded 8th overall in the

same category. In prose interpretation senior Sarah Johnson won the fourth

place trophy. The duo interpretation team

of Orion Anderson and Andrew

Roseman placed sixth.

On February 24, 2013 the Mercer Speech

Team opened up the post-season

competition by qualifying thirteen of its speakers to the PHSSL state tournament.

First and second place winners in nine

individual speaking events earned the right

to compete at the state tournament, scheduled for March 22 & 23 at

Susquehanna University. Mercer speakers

recorded an impressive overall performance, capturing twelve of eighteen

available qualifying slots in District I. The

team qualified at least one speaker to state in all nine events. Mercer sophomore

Kendra Walker qualified for her second

consecutive state tournament with a first

place finish. Freshman Janalyn Miklas finished strong in the same event and will

be heading to the state competition with a

second place finish. Sophomore Anna

Garner turned in her best performance of the season to win first, while teammate

Emily Kirila earned the second place

award in informative and persuasive speaking. In persuasive speaking Anna

Conner and Cole Handerhan placed first

and second and will make their second consecutive trip to state in the persuasive

event. Senior Teresa Morin captured her

fifth consecutive tournament title in

commentary and will be making her fourth consecutive trip to the state tournament.

Junior Maddie Hessmann won her fourth

tournament title of the year in extemporaneous. In duo interpretation the

senior team of Orion Anderson and

Andrew Roseman won their second

tournament title in as many weeks. Andrew was a state qualifier last year as well.

Three other Mercer students will advance

to the state-level competition as a result of their second place finishes. In poetry

interpretation senior Mary Rudge turned

in her best performance of the year. Junior Bradley Thompson earned second place

honors in prose interpretation. In humorous

interpretation sophomore Ian Ollila battled

vocal problems to finish second and advance to the state competition.

On March 2, 2013 the Mercer Speech

Team won the Catholic Forensic League Erie Diocesan championship. Mercer

qualified 13 of its speakers to compete at

Mustang Newsletter Page 4

Speech Team (cont.)

the CFL’s 61st Grand National

Tournament, scheduled for Memorial Day

weekend in Philadelphia. The Mercer team

captured 12 of the 22 available speech

qualifying positions. In dramatic performance Janalyn Miklas turned in her

best performance of her two-year career.

Sophomore Ian Ollila will make his second straight trip to CFL nationals.

Sophomore Kendra Walker finished third

in dramatic interpretation. In original oratory Anna Conner won her second

consecutive post-season championship.

Senior Cole Handerhan won second place

honors in the same event. Sophomore Anna Garner earned third place overall in

original oratory, making a clean sweep for

the Mercer Speech Team in that category. Junior Maddie Hessmann won the

Diocesan championship in extemporaneous

while Teresa Morin placed fourth to

advance to her third straight CFL championship. In declamation sophomore

Sarah Miller earned first place honors

while Sabrina Yassem earned second and freshman Ryan Hamilton earned third

place. The duo interpretation team of

Andrew Roseman and Orion Anderson continued their outstanding performance

by winning another tournament

championship. Two mercer speakers

placed as alternates to the national tournament in their events. Junior Ryan

Micsky in oral interpretation and freshman

Emily Kirila in original oratory will serve as those alternates. Please check the future

newsletter to monitor the continued

success of the Mercer Speech Team.

Trout Grow in Mr. Rust’s Biology Classroom

Mr. Luke Rust reports that the 9th grade

biology classroom has been participating in

a practical application of a biology lesson.

The class has been raising trout eggs since November and currently have about eighty

“fingerlings” that are between 1.5-2” in

length. The matured trout will be released

sometime in late April or early May. In a

true example of learning beyond the

classroom, on March 9th Mr. Rust

accompanied freshman Derrick

Thompson to the Trout Unlimited banquet

at the Radisson Hotel in West Middlesex.

Mustang Newsletter Page 5

Honoring Outstanding Professional Educators

The Mercer Area Middle-High School Student Council created the HOPE Award

in 2011 to recognize the appreciation that a

student has for the adults that have a strong impact and influence on their lives.

Students complete a nomination form by

selecting either a teacher, advisor, or coach

that they feel his deserving of this recognition.

In the month of February the Student

Council awarded the HOPE Award to the band teacher, Mr. Travis Weller. It is the

second time in as many years that Mr.

Weller has earned this acknowledgement. Mr. Weller was nominated by two

students, Cody Nespor and Cullen

Taddeo. Cody said” Mr. Weller is always

willing to help me with any and all missed problems I have. In the last month I have

been going to Mr. Weller daily for help

preparing my honors band audition music. Mr. Weller has never turned me away or

told me that he is too busy. He always

makes time in his schedule to help his

students.” Cullen stated, “No other teacher has treated his students and peers with as

much respect

and fairness as Mr. Weller. From my seventh grade year to the present I haven’t

seen him say or do anything unreasonable

or unfair in the slightest. He answers his students’ questions respectfully and is

always willing to lend assistance be it

musically or other.”

In the month of March, the Student

Council awarded the HOPE Award to math

teacher, Mrs. Cindy Gilmore. It is also the second time in as many years that Mrs.

Gilmore has earned this achievement.

Clearly, our students feel passionately about their teachers. Mrs. Gilmore was

nominated by eighth grader, Miranda

Wimer. In the nomination form Miranda

stated, “I nominated Mrs. Gilmore because she is a really nice person. I can talk to her

as a friend, not just as a teacher. She is a

really good teacher and knows what she is talking about. She is also very fair with

what she does. Mrs. Gilmore is my favorite

teacher ever.”

Peer Recognition In Displaying Excellence Award

Students have the opportunity to recognize

the hard work and achievements of their

fellow students through the PRIDE Award. This stands for Peer Recognition in

Displaying Excellence. This is the first

year that this award has been made

available to the students. Nominating students can pick up a form on the Student

Activities bulletin board and submit their

completed forms to the main office. Student nominations remain anonymous,

even after the winners have been selected

by the administration.

Hannah Schmid has been selected as one of the February winners. Hannah’s peer

stated, “Hannah is always so sweet! She

always has a positive attitude and is always helping people. Hannah is a boss

basketball player and always supports her

team.”

Carley Caruso has been selected as a

fellow February winner. Carley’s peer

stated, “Carley is always extremely nice to everybody. She is the kind of student that

you can always go to with a problem that

will be kind and not judge you. She can

always be counted on and is a hard worker.”

Erica Peters received the PRIDE Award

for the month of March with a nomination that stated, “She is always nice to everyone

in all of her classes. She shows respect to

her peers and her teachers. She is also there

for any student who needs help, academically, or for any other reason.”

Taylor Carson also received the PRIDE

Award for March. Her peer stated, “She is always so peppy and energetic. She has a

ton of school spirit and is very supportive

when it comes to Mercer events. She loves to cheer and she does a good job at it.”

Mustang Newsletter Page 6

PMEA District V Junior High & Freshmen Band Fest

Congratulations to the following Middle School Concert Band members who will

represent Mercer at the PMEA District 5

Junior High Band Festival: Abby

Grabigel (alto saxophone), Hailee

Ostapko (French horn), Briana Jarrett

(trombone), and Elizabeth Ludwig

(baritone). Congratulations to the following Freshmen band members who

will represent Mercer at the inaugural

PMEA District V Freshmen Band Fest:

Janalyn Miklas (oboe), Jordyn

Buchanan (clarinet), Sami Metts (bass

clarinet), Kyle Wamboldt (alto

saxophone), Alex Roman (trumpet), and Chris Majonek (tuba). The festival will be

held at Beaver High School on March 26th.

Guest conductors include Mr. James Berry

from Slippery Rock University, and Dr. R. Tad Greig from Westminster College.

Class of 2018 Raises Funds for Sandy Hook Victims

In the month of February students walking in the hallways may have noticed a flyer

advertising a fundraising campaign. The 7th

grade glass officers, under the direction of Mrs. Nicole Walzer, have decided to raise

funds to help the victims of the tragic

December 19th shooting in Newtown,

Connecticut. Seventh grade class officers

have been actively involved in trying to collect donations. The organizers of the

fundraiser asked for coin donations from

the Mercer student body. Mrs. Walzer reported that through this fundraiser the

seventh grade class was able to collect

approximately $50.00. This money will be

used to help in Sandy Hook’s recovery.

Middle School Students Enjoy Crossfire Tournament

On Wednesday, February 27th the Mercer

Middle-High School Student Council

hosted a crossfire tournament in the high school gymnasium from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Middle school students were encouraged to

participate by signing up in teams of 8 or 10 students. This is the third consecutive

year in which this tournament was held.

For those new to crossfire, the game is

very similar to dodgeball, but each team is

responsible for protecting two bowling

pins. The team that has both of their pins

knocked over OR loses all players loses the game. The 2013 Crossfire Tournament was

won by Hunter Kastor, Paige Gressley,

Hailey Glass, Abbey Thompson, Kayla

Eves, Zack King, Kaiden Seelbaugh,

Nathan Knopp, and Eric Gawne.

Congratulations to all participants. The

Student Council was able to raise approximately $130.00 that will be used

for future student programs.

Mercer Senior Places Second In Scholarship Contest

Senior Rachael Hoge was named as the first runner-up in the 2013 Tom Holden

Memorial Scholarship contest. In order to

participate in this opportunity, Rachael had

to submit a 30-second public service announcement for a non-profit

organization. She chose her topic to be

about the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania. With more than 150

applicants from western Pennsylvania and

eastern Ohio, Rachael’s performance was recognized as one of the best. Five students

were named runners-up and received gift

baskets and plaques. The scholarship

contest is sponsored by WKBN Caring for Our Community, Huntington Bank,

Dunkin’ Donuts, Boardman Medical

Supply, Window World, and Mr. Rooter. The finalist’s public service

announcements will be broadcast

sometime in March.

Mustang Newsletter Page 7

Honorable Mention—2nd Marking Period 7th Grade

Jordon Baker Harmony Barkley Evan Daugherty

Ethan Godfrey Max Hamilton Gina Kelly Brittany Parrish Tera Porterfield Dylan Reno Justin Reno

8th Grade

Allison Bright Kayla Eves Bryanna Fedorchak Rachael Gilkey Megan Parker

Robert Rickard Mackenzie Templeton Miranda Wimer

9th Grade

Samantha Carr Haley Gault Kylee Hollowell

Meghan Kowalski Laura Shaw Reina Smith Emily Thompson

10th Grade

Sierra Aites

Kaitlyn Brest Ryan Carlson Trevor Ference Carly Geary Shane Glaser Makenzie Guidace Molly Hancock

Tara Hinkson Dakota Hinton Rachel Latsko Matalynn Shealy Nicole Young Andrew Zitko

11th Grade

Erika Berger Nathan Carlson Leslie Colonello

Shannon Conner Sean Dixon Emily Garrett Walter Haines Madeline Hessmann Brooke McCullough Justin Moon

Austin O’Baker Nicole Redmond Erica Schoen Bradley Thompson Jahkiel Wall Kaitlyn Zelman

12th Grade

Orion Anderson Samantha Briggs Benjamin Chapman

Anna Conner Meghan Conner Tiffany Goehring Dakotah Habbyshaw Sarah Johnson William Juergens Dominic Lengyel

Cody Mason Briana Phillips Tiphani Spaulding Jessica Stewart

Honor Roll—2nd Marking Period 7th Grade

Andrew Boggs Andrew Brinker Jessica Cameron Robert Carson Autumn Coryea Rachel Gerber Sierra Hess Austin Hesselgesser Erin Martin Legend McIntyre

Erin McQuiston Liam McQuiston Bradley Metts Kayley Patterson Cassidy Pears Anna Shacklock Demitra Skoofalos

Lane Snyder 8th Grade

Rachel Bish Hannah Bunger

Britney Edwards Kaylynn Foore

Samuel Garner Eric Gawne Haylie Glass Erica Peters Kelsey Swartz Morgan Winland

9th Grade

Amanda Addicott Aubrie Angermeier Travis Duffield Alyssa English Sierrah Gibson Austin Hall Christopher Majonek Dakotah McFarland Christopher Micsky Kaitlyn Nemeth

Jacob Schmid Alexa Stanton Taylor Zacherl

10th Grade

Rodney Brant Rachael Chapman

Brayton Edwards Daelyn Gilson Aundria Gregory Quentin Hinkson Nathan Kroll

Ian Ollila Rory Patterson

Zachary Peck Tessa Peters Jonathan Scheidhauer Kaitlyn Shipton

11th Grade

Ryder Amon Kirstin Borden Monique Brown Dakota Bussard

Taylor Carson Maureen Kennell Lindsey Miller Amy Ruhlman Ryan Thorn

12th Grade

Daniel Anderson Paige Austin Alexandria Bratnik Nathan Brest Brian Kirby Breana McManus Grant Metts

Daniel S. Miller Mercedes Moore Rebecca Perna Austyn Piepenhagen Jessica Province Jacob Richards Haley Rodemoyer

Andrew Roseman Tony Setterberg Lynn Swartzbeck Rochelle Vandyke Shelby Welch Sara White

Mustang Newsletter Page 8

Honor Roll—2nd Marking Period 7th Grade

Morgan Addicott Austin Billingsley

Mason Borowicz Emily Bright Claudia Brown Anna Brunson William Chess Dalan Ealy Iana Ellis

Rose Gigliotti Mary Hogue Brianna Jarrett Emily Kimes Justin Labarge Katherine Lewis Brittany Marano

Caitlyn Mattocks Sierrah McFarland Natasha Mcnulty-Miller Annie Miller Logan Mills Michael Morneweck Carlene Murray Anna Robertson Madeline Rowe Cole Ruffo Marcus Ryder

Hannah Schmid Kaitlyn Schupp

Katherine Shaffer Ashley Shoemaker Jenna Taddeo Ian Titus Sarah Turton Joshua Wamboldt Madeline Wansor Christopher Zacherl

8th Grade

Marah Buchanan Jaime Burdette

Alexandria Denny Abby Grabigel Paige Gressly Jon-Carl Hostetler Kelly Jarrett Bethany Juergens Elizabeth Ludwig

Noah McLaughlin Lindsay Nemeth Hailee Ostapko Grace Ruhlman Genevieve Schupp Katherine Timashenka Alexander VanWoert

Brittany Watson Brock Watson

9th Grade

Levi Bequeath Jordyn Buchanan Kaitlin Conner

Arielle Hall Ryan Hamilton Megan Lang Timothy Lang Trent Leonard Hannah McElrath Janalyn Micklas

Noah Minarik Tyler Moronski Mark Peters Jeremiah Robertson Raymond Schur Sean Strain

Derrick Thompson Natalie Titus Kyle Wamboldt

10th Grade

Kaylee Banco Hannah Bowersox

Logan Clarke Adelyn Cook Tiffany Corvino Sarah Evans Bryant Fortenberry Colt Garing Anna Garner

Julia Hile Charles Hoffman Adam Hoge Matthew Juergens Zachary Kroll Margaret La Barge Katelyn Love

Mathew Manbeck Sarah A. Miller Taylor Moon Andrea Sajewski Benjamin Shaffer Melissa Shoemaker Angie Sipe Rachel Stine Lindsey Vandyke Kendra Walker Alexis Weinel

Kaitlin Wiggins 11th Grade

Rebecca Adams Alexis Arkwright Laura Bequeath Kira Conner Ian Ebling Christian Jones

Luke Leonard Erin McLaughlin Ryan Micsky

11th Grade (cont.)

Angie Moose Joshua Mounts

Cody Nespor David Orum Dalton Robinson Rebecca Shaffer Elizabeth Smith Sarah Stevens Kyle Strain

Elijah Strausser Cullen Taddeo

12th Grade

Daisy Bowersox Gillian Brandes Nathan Breese

Amanda Cameron Carley Caruso Heather Davis Cole Handerhan Hannah Harris Rachael Hoge Breanna McCarthy

Teresa Morin Kaitlynn Mostard-Smith Katie Platt Ashley Ryder Viktor Rymiak Alexander Shaffer Dee Shollenberger

Cody Smith Katherine St. Pierre Peter Timashenka Marissa Waterloo Julia Weller Heather Woods

Mercer Chorus Performs Spring Concert May 7th

The Mercer Chorus will perform at 7:00 p.m. on May 7

th in the auditorium. Seventh

through twelfth grades will perform

featuring Middle School Chorus, Concert

Choir, Chamber Choir, Show Choir, and many solos from the senior class members.

Many songs will be performed including

Idol Encores, Tico Taco, You Make Me

Feel So Young, Musiks Empire, The

Ballad of Sweeney Todd, Hey There Delilah, and the Angus Dei. Time of Your

Life by Greenday will be the senior song.

Come and enjoy this concert of over 200

talented vocalists at Mercer High School.

Mustang Newsletter Page 9

Mercer Students of the Month- March 2013

Each month the staff at Mercer Middle-High School has the opportunity to

nominate a student which they feel

exemplifies Honor, Excellence, Respect, and Determination. For the month of

March the staff has selected five recipients

for this honor.

Sarah Johnson was nominated by Mrs.

Gaston. The nomination stated, “Sarah is

constantly working on art projects in the

classroom where she has studied art for the last 5 years at Mercer High. She continues

to do research on subject matters and the

various art techniques. Sarah is always challenging herself in art and is a great art

student who can be relied upon to do her

work and help others. She is a pleasure to have in the art room.”

Kevin Minner was nominated by Mr.

Edney. The nomination stated, “Kevin

takes pride in his school work and being a Mercer student. Kevin strives to do the

best that he can. This is a great attribute.

He gives 110% every day. Kevin is one the most polite gentlemen in this building. He

is a young man who shows respect to peers

and adults. Many times, I have heard from

teachers who say that Kevin is a great student. He is engaged in his learning and

fun to be around. Kevin goes the extra mile

to be prepared for his classes and assessments. He frequently asks for more

practice with pre-algebra concepts. Asking

questions is something that Kevin does and his peers could learn from that.”

Sam Moury was nominated by Ms. Kara Thompson, a student teacher. The

nomination stated, “Samantha

demonstrates a wonderful work ethic and is always so cooperative in class. She also

has a wonderful personality and positivity

that is contagious. She always tries her best, even if it is something that she’s not

particularly fond of. Overall, Samantha is a

wonderful member of the classroom

community.”

Katherine Shaffer was nominated by Mrs.

Sibenac. The nomination form stated,

“Katherine is an excellent student who demonstrates a love for learning. She is

always prepared and puts her best effort in

all her assignments. I really enjoy having Katherine in my class.”

Rochelle Vandyke was nominated by Mr.

Walter. The nomination stated, “Rochelle clearly demonstrates the HERD principles

each and every day in the classroom. She

always comes to class with a positive attitude and a willingness to work hard and

do her best. This is shown in her

willingness to volunteer to read aloud in

class and her ability to contribute thoughtfully in class discussion. She also

showed an incredible work ethic when

completing her research paper. Rather than choose an easier novel, Rochelle chose to

analyze Jane Austen’s Emma with

stupendous results.

Student Council Raises Awareness for Heart Health

Working with the American Heart Association the Mercer Middle-High

School Student Council has designed a

week-long program to raise student awareness of making healthy heart

decisions.

On Monday the theme is What Not to Eat. The students will see flyers and posters

that highlight the dangers of popular fast

foods that are harmful to a person. On

Tuesday the theme is What to Eat. The students will see flyers and pamphlets that

promote healthy food choices that facilitate

a strong heart. On Wednesday the building

will be encouraged to wear red, the symbol of Heart Disease Awareness. That same

day, students will have the chance to

participate in a crossfire tournament in the HS gym from 7:00-9:00 p.m. On Thursday

the students will see flyers and pamphlets

that promote physical exercise and an active lifestyle. On Friday the students will

be asked to wear a red ribbon or button that

recognizes the lives of those that lost to

heart disease. Also, students will have the opportunity to purchase a red shirt from the

American Heart Association for only $10.

All proceeds will benefit the AHA.

Mustang Newsletter Page 10

Report Cards Sent Home April 11, 2013

On April 11, 2013, the Mercer Middle-

High School students will be receiving

their report cards for the third marking period. These grades will be distributed

during Homeroom. These grades are a

reflection upon various assignments, tests,

quizzes, and performances throughout the

marking period.

If you have questions about the grades of

your student, please do not hesitate to

contact the main office at 724-662-5104. If you would like to schedule a parent-

teacher conference with a specific teacher,

or a group of teachers, please contact the

Guidance Office.

Chamber Choir Hosts Showcase of Talent

On Friday March 15th the Mercer Chamber

Choir hosted a talent show to showcase

various student talents. Each member of the Chamber Choir was responsible for a

specific component of producing program.

Those responsibilities include everything from program design, stage decorations,

lights and sound, stage crew, directors, and

even the selection committee. This two

hour event was guided by the emcee work of Orion Anderson and Ben Chapman.

Students in grades 9-12 performed a

diverse array of individual and group talents. The following student performers

showcased their talent on the evening of

the talent show:

Vocalists: Will Juergens, Matt Juergens,

Sami Metts, Emily Thompson, Laura

Bequeath, Janalyn Miklas, Angie

Moose, Mindy Brown, Taylor Carson

Mercer Art Show Scheduled for May 21st Mrs. Pat Gaston would like to announce

that the Art I, Art II, and Advanced Art

students will be displaying their art work on Tuesday, May 21

st in the High School

Library from 6:00-8:30 p.m.

Vocalists: Lindsey Miller, Laura

Bequeath, Mike Handerhan, Ben

Chapman, Andrew Roseman, Viktor

Rymniak, Cody Smith

Dancers: Marissa Waterloo, Kaitlin

Wiggins, Liz Smith, Tara Hinkson

Instrumental: Janalyn Miklas, Kyle

Strain, Ian Ollila

Literature: Bradley Thompson and

Maureen Kennell

Comedy: Kendra Walker, Colt Garing,

and Sabrina Yassem

Artistic: Breanna Monaci and Tessa

Peters

Rap Battle: Maureen Kennell and Mindy

Brown

Baton: Rachael Hoge and Becca Adams

Mercer County Career Center Students of the Month

Students that attend Mercer High School

have the opportunity to attend the Mercer County Career Center during their 10

th,

11th, and 12

th grade year (depending on the

program of study). There were four Mercer students that received the Student of the

Month award at the MCCC for the month

of February. They are Sierra Aites

(Cosmetology), Michael Aites (Auto Mechanics), Dakota Gallo (Carpentry),

and Stephanie Suhrie (Computer and

Office Technology). In the month of March, there were an additional four

Mercer High School students that earned

the MCCC Student of the Month Award. They are Ryder Amon (Electronics),

Kirstin Borden (Carpentry), Josh Gilkey

(Carpentry), and Josh Brothers (Building

Trades). Congratulations to all of these students!

Student artwork is constantly on display

throughout the building. Please consider

attending this event which recognizes the collective hard work that has been put into

these various artistic projects

Mustang Newsletter Page 11

Mercer High School Equus Program By Mrs. Lynn Boal

Mercer High School is known county wide

for the quality of its arts programs. The

bands and choruses are always recognized for the variety and difficulty of the

programs that are presented. The musicals

and plays are a delight for all who attend. Students in the elementary school benefit

from numerous concerts presented by these

groups. The Speech program has received

national recognition and frequently excels in competitions across the state. The

Spring Art Show highlights the work of

students in grades nine through twelve and showcases some amazing talent. But

Mercer has another treasure in its chest of

artistic endeavors.

For the past forty years the students of MHS have produced a literary magazine

which features the literary and artistic

talents of the students. The booklet which contains about 20 drawings or photos and

several poem or short stories is unique in

that it is totally a student publication, led by a group of upperclassmen from the

editorial board. They meet twice a year to

select the material from the variety of

submitted works. Once the artistic pieces

are selected, the editors decide the placement of the material. They consider

the effectiveness of the work and how it

fits into the overall theme of the magazine. Students then select the color and design of

the cover and write a dedication for each

edition.

The printing of the Equus is celebrated with a premier where the original works

are displayed and the literary pieces are

read. An appetizer or dessert reception is held in conjunction with the literary

evening. The magazines which are locally

printed by Rafferty’s are offered for sale to

the general public and can be purchased at school or at the public library. Each

contributor receives their own copy.

Please consider joining us for this special

event in May.

Mercer High School Recognizes Distinguished Graduates

For the past thirteen years the hallways of

Mercer Middle-High School have paid homage to the accomplishments of former

Mercer graduates. On their way to the

cafeteria every student passes through a

gauntlet of photographs and commemorative plates known as the

“Mercer Distinguished Alumni Hall of

Fame.” Many innovators, industrialists, and humanitarians have graduated from

Mercer High School. Here is a look at

three outstanding Mercer graduates.

Thomas Cunningham Cochran graduated from Mercer in 1896. He was

admitted to the Mercer County Bar in

1903. He served eight years in the U.S. Congress and was a member of a number

of committees, including ways and means.

Mr. Cochran was an official delegate from the U.S. Congress to the Inter-

Parliamentary Union. He attended

conferences in Paris in 1927, Berlin in

1928, Geneva in 1929, London in 1930, and an observer in Oslo in 1939 and

Washington D.C. in 1953.

John Armour Bingham graduated from

Mercer in 1832. He was admitted to the bar in 1840 and entered a private practice in

New Philadelphia, Ohio. He was a member

of the U.S. Congress and a special judge

advocate in the trial of the conspirators in Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The

House of Representatives appointed him as

one of the managers in the impeachment proceedings against President Johnson in

1868. He was also appointed the first

American minister to the Imperial Court of

Japan.

Dr. Anne Little Wedemeyer graduated

from Mercer in 1955. She earned her

medical degree in 1962 from the University of Pittsburgh School of

Medicine. She fulfilled her internship,

residency, and fellowship at University of Minnesota Hospitals. She has served in

American clinics in Germany, been a

member of the University of Pittsburgh

School of Medicine and had a private. practice in cardiology in Pittsburgh until

1997.

Mustang Newsletter Page 12

Strong Season for Mercer Girls’ Basketball Team

After a disappointing basketball season for

the Lady M’s in 2011-2012, the girls’

basketball team showed major

improvements this year. This young team will return next season with experience and

the majority of their starting lineup.

Playing against tough competition, the girls only suffered eight losses this season

(16-8). It is also important to point out that

three of those eight losses came at the hands of Sharpsville High School. Led by

coaches Aaron Cook and Crystal

Angermeier, the young team was able to

compete at a high level for the entire season.

During two different points of the season,

the Lady M’s went on a 5-game winning

streak as well as a 6-game winning streak.

The team worked well together throughout the season. Coach Cook attributed this

success to the dedication and time spent

together during the offseason as well as practice. He also thanked the junior varsity

for pushing the varsity squad in practice

and raising the level of play. Graduating at the end of this year, the following seniors

will be missed by the Lady M’s: Ashley

Ryder, Analise Whenry, and Rochelle

Vandyke.

Spring Sports Athletic Schedule

Beginning in early March, the spring sports

representing Mercer High School begin practice for the final season of the

academic year. Even though the snow has

lingered, the students have been preparing

for the weather to break. By practicing in the gymnasium, stairwells, hallways, and

fitness center the teams will be ready for

the spring season. Here is a list of the athletic schedules for 2013:

Middle School Volleyball

March 5th @ Hickory 4:00 p.m.

March 7th vs. Grove City 6:00 p.m.

March 12th vs. Sharon 6:00 p.m.

March 14th @ Rocky Grove 4:00 p.m.

March 19th vs. Wilmington 6:00 p.m.

March 21st @ Slippery Rock 4:00 p.m.

March 26th @ Greenville 6:00 p.m.

March 28th vs. Jamestown 6:00 p.m.

Varsity Track (Boys and Girls)

April 2nd @ Wilmington 4:00 p.m.

April 4th vs. Lakeview 4:00 p.m.

April 9th @ Grove City 4:00 p.m.

April 12th @ Cal U Invite 3:00 p.m.

April 16th vs. Reynolds 4:00 p.m.

April 20th @ Hermitage Invite 8:00 a.m.

April 23rd vs. Kennedy/Farrell 4:00 p.m.

April 27th @ Franklin Invite 8:00 a.m.

Varsity Track (Boys and Girls) cont.

April 30th vs. Sharpsville 4:00 p.m.

May 3rd @ Pine Richland 3:00 p.m.

May 7th vs. West Middlesex 4:00 p.m.

May 11th @ Mercer County Invitational

May 18th @ District 10 Meet

May 24th @ PIAA State Championships

May 25th @ PIAA State Championships

Varsity Baseball

March 25th vs. Conneaut 3:30 p.m.

March 27th @ Grove City 4:00 p.m.

March 29th @ Rocky Grove 4:00 p.m.

April 1st vs. Jamestown 4:00 p.m.

April 3rd @ West Middlesex 4:00 p.m.

April 5th @ Sharon 4:15 p.m.

April 8th vs. Hickory 4:00 p.m.

April 10th @ Commodore Perry 3:00 p.m.

April 15th vs. Reynolds 4:00 p.m.

April 17th @ Wilmington 4:15 p.m.

April 22nd vs. Sharpsville 4:00 p.m.

April 24th vs. West Middlesex 4:00 p.m.

April 26th @ Lakeview 4:15 p.m.

April 29th vs. Sharon 4:00 p.m.

May 1st @ Hickory 4:15 p.m.

May 3rd @ Kennedy Catholic 4:00 p.m.

May 6th vs. Commodore Perry 4:00 p.m.

Mustang Newsletter Page 13

Spring Sports Athletic Schedule (cont.)

Varsity Softball

March 25th vs. Conneaut 3:30 p.m.

March 26th vs. Kennedy Catholic 4:15 p.m.

March 29th @ Sharpsville 4:15 p.m.

April 2nd @ Slippery Rock 4:15 p.m.

April 4th vs. West Middlesex 4:15 p.m.

April 6th @ Reynolds 4:15 p.m.

April 9th vs. Lakeview 4:15 p.m.

April 11th vs. Sharon 4:15 p.m.

April 16th @ Jamestown 4:15 p.m.

April 20th vs. Slippery Rock 4:15 p.m.

April 23rd vs. Wilmington 4:15 p.m.

April 26th @ Lakeview 4:15 p.m.

April 27th @ Hickory 11:00 a.m.

April 30th @ Sharon 4:00 p.m.

May 2nd @ West Middlesex 4:15 p.m.

May 4th @ Commodore Perry 11:00 a.m.

May 6th vs. Reynolds 4:15 p.m.

May 7th vs. Jamestown 4:15 p.m.

May 14th @ Wilmington 4:15 p.m.

May 16th vs. Grove City 4:15 p.m.

Improved Season for the Mercer Boys’ Basketball Team

During the past winter sports season the Mercer Boys’ Basketball team showed

signs of improvement from the previous

season. After beginning the season with an impressive 3-1 record the Mustangs faced

difficulties. Losing nine of their next ten

games dealt a shock to the young

basketball team. However, these athletes did not give up and finished the year strong

against tough competition, achieving

victory against Greenville, Sharpsville, and

Cochranton. Unfortunately, the Mustangs

were not able to defeat the excellent programs of West Middlesex or Lakeview.

Finishing the season with an 8-13 record

the Mercer Mustangs showed a great deal of improvement and resiliency down the

stretch. After experiencing a brief slump,

the team was able to hold their heads high

and finish the season with pride. Next year the team will lose seniors: Viktor

Rymiak, Danny Miller, Michael

Handerhan, and Nathan Brest.

Congratulations on a hard fought season.

Important Dates

April:

3rd—Third marking period ends

4-5th—Prom registration

10th—Report cards issued

12th

-13th—Speech Team Desserts Show

17th—National Honor Society induction

22nd

—School Board meeting

May:

1st-2

nd—Junior signup for Cedar Point

3rd—Progress reports due

8th—Academic Awards Evening

10th—Grand March

10th—Junior-Senior Prom

14th—Class Officer election

20th—School Board meeting

21st—Equus Premier/Art Show

22nd

—Spring Choral Concert

24th—Student Council election

Questions? Concerns?

Please contact the Mercer

High School Office at

724-662-5014