Music Department Goes to Kennywood
By Ruby Westrick
May 24, 2023
This year, the Junior High music department went on a field trip to Kennywood for Education Day. Everyone had their favorite Kennywood rides, foods, and games.
Many rides are at Kennywood, but it’s very surprising that lots of people had the same favorites. The most suggested rides at Kennywood were The Steel Curtain, and Phantom’s revenge. The Steel Curtain is a fast paced and twisted roller coaster that goes upside down 9 times! The Phantom’s Revenge is also a roller coaster and is one of the fastest in Pennsylvania. It’s amazing how far roller coasters have come.
For the next trip, students have reflected on what we should change up for the next time, to make the trip even better. Ideas for this include going earlier so they have more time at Kennywood, more buses so that it’s less crowded, and making sure groups stay together.
Students also enjoyed exploring in groups together, rather than going as a whole class. There are more ride options, less time waiting in line, and you can choose who you want to hang out with.
Many agree that going to Kennywood was a huge privilege, and everyone enjoyed hanging out with friends, playing games, and trying new rides. Overall, most people that attended this field trip agree that it was a success.
How COVID Changed the Movies
By Jack Duchesneau
It’s 2023, COVID isn’t dominating headlines in the news, the pandemic was declared over, and vaccines are in the hands of everyone that the distributors can reach. And yet, COVID still has an influence on everyday life, although not as strong of a grip it once had. One area in which the pandemic has had a long lasting impact is the entertainment industry.
Every industry that wasn’t integrated into technology had to adapt in the pandemic, and if they couldn’t, they had major problems staying alive. One of the most affected of the multitude of corporations was the film industry. Nearly every aspect of how people watch was affected in some way, whether it was replaced or reworked.
Before COVID, people would line up hours before a big premier of a movie; now, most people just wait for it to come to Disney+ or Netflix. Polls show that roughly 55% of people tend to watch at home, while only 32% go to theaters. The other 13% would pay to see it immediately– but at home. To put it into perspective, roughly 5,201,000,000 people watch movies, 2,860,550,000 of them watch movies from their couch, in 2019 (Pre-Covid), 1,228,000,000 people went to the theater, and 1,100,000,000 people watched from home that year. That seems good but if you do the numbers, that’s 55% of people watching from home in 2022, compared to a 47% percent in 2019. That means there was an 8% increase in watching from home, even though 3,073,000,000 more people watched movies in total. That’s 8% less money to theaters around the country, which are mostly staffed by 16 to 23 year old workers.
Now, there may be another reason for this decline, and that’s because, well, movies aren’t that good anymore. One of the most beloved producers, Marvel, used to make it rain at the box office, but the latest Marvel movie, Ant Man Quantumainia, got 47% on Rotten Tomatoes and an average 3.5 out of 5 fan score. With some of the top producers dying, it doesn’t help that every year the big Disney movie is a badly made live action remake, with the latest release, Pinnochio getting a disastrous 29% on rotten tomatoes.
With bad movies and streaming services, movie theaters are suffering, but there is hope. The recent movie Avatar: Way of Water made $2.32 billion with a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 4.4 out of 5 fan score. Director James Cameron is planning on releasing more movies in the series. This could be the jumpstart the post-pandemic movie theater needs.
The Coronation of A New King
By Lauren Watkins and Kate McKelvy
May 24, 2023
Due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III was crowned as King of England on May 6, 2023. In a coronation ceremony many items are worn by the new King or Queen, each of these items have a different meaning. Many entertainers including Katy Perry performed at King Charles coronation. The coronation of any King or Queen is important since it is the day they are officially crowned the ruler of England.
In a coronation there are five items that will be worn by the Prince or Princess to become King or Queen. These five items are The Coronation Spoon, The Imperial State Crown, St. Edward Crown, The Sovereign’s Scepter with Cross, and finally The Sovereign’s Orb.
The Coronation Spoon is used to anoint the new ruler with holy oil. The Imperial State Crown is placed on the new King or Queen’s head after the ceremony to wear as they walk out of Westminster Abbey, this crown is also worn on ceremonial occasions, such as the Opening of Parliament. St. Edward Crown is only used for the crowning of a new ruler, it is otherwise kept in the Tower of London for display. The Sovereign’s Scepter with Cross is given to the King or Queen to remind them to be merciful and caring of their people. Finally The Sovereign’s Orb is placed on the monarch’s right hand by a Bishop and then told, “Receive this orb set under the cross and remember that the whole world is subject to the Power and Empire of Christ our Redeemer”.
After the Coronation of King Charles there was a very large celebration of the new king. In this celebration many different entertainers performed including, Katy Perry, Lionel Richcie, and the 1990’s boy band Take That. The King and his wife Camilla enjoyed the coronation celebration at one point even getting up to their feet swaying with the music. The celebration also included a pre-recorded message from “Top Gun” star Tom Cruise, a surprise appearance from Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog.
The Coronation is recognized all around the world because of how fascinating it truly is to see. England along with the rest of the world is excited about what the future holds for England’s new King.
AI Gets Even More Intelligent
By Jack Duschesneau
April 5, 2023
AI (artificial intelligence) homework help just got a big upgrade. To recap, AI homework is when homework is solved by a specialized software, then giving you the answer. In the last article Chat-GPT was a chatbot specializing in giving answers to prompts in fields such as coding, essay writing, and can have a one-on-one conversation with a person. SInce then there has been a new iteration in the GPT family named GPT-4, a fitting name as it’s the fourth installation in the series.
GPT-4 is four times as powerful as Chat GPT and has over two times the dataset size, basiccaly a library of accessable information, and scored marginally higher on specialized tests, such as the bar exam for lawyers, LSAT, GRE, and many SAT and AP level college exams, than Chat-GPT did. GPT-4 has the ability to process images with this new iteration, as well as having a set of processable words eight times that of its predecessor.
With over twice the power would come twice the use; however, OpenAI, the software’s developer, has put more restrictions on how people could access it, by putting it behind a 20$/Month paywall. Great progress is being made everyday for the better in the field of AI.
The “Permafrost Virus”
By Connor Fleming
April 5, 2023
Recently it has been discovered that there is something called a “zombie virus” that was frozen in deep ice. The zombie virus was discovered in 2014 and about 7 new samples have been gathered in February for research purposes. The viruses were found in a thick layer of permafrost in Siberia. The scientist took these viruses back to labs and revived them. The public is panicking about this because they have been given little information and are fearful that now revived, the virus may become another pandemic. The scientists have explained that even though the possibility of this virus spreading at the moment is very low, there is always a possibility and they are doing all they can to keep their testing safe and secure so that it can’t spread. Scientists are sure to explain that this virus is being very undervalued by the people because they are scared of the virus getting out. The virus was classified as an amoeba virus and they have little to no answers out to the public yet. The viruses are estimated to be 30,000-50,000 years old.
The public is very upset about scientists trying to revive viruses and saying that something dead should stay dead. Scientists have a very good reason for bringing the viruses back. The reason is there are possibly many more of these viruses in the permafrost and they need to see what they do and how they can affect our society. They hope to learn and understand these viruses. At the rapid rate of climate change these viruses could thaw and revive themselves which would wreak havoc on the world. This is one of the many huge reasons that scientists are really pushing for, and fighting against climate change.
Pope Francis Recovering
By Kaylee Higgins
April 5, 2023
On April 2, 2023, Pope Francis was discharged from a Rome hospital after being treated for Bronchitis. Pope Francis held a Palm Sunday Mass. While in the hospital Pope Francis was given antibiotics for his bronchitis.
Palm Sunday’s Mass is one of the longest services on the Church’s calendar. The Pope was in his white clothing with red vestments placed over his coat. He was sitting in a chair under a canopy set up in the square.
Participants of Mass were carrying palms or alive tree branches.
Pope Francis’s last public appearance was in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday. He was taken to the hospital after feeling ill the same day.
His voice sounded strong as he opened the Mass, but his voice was quickly strained. Despite the hoarseness, Francis read a 15-minute-long homily.
Pope Francis would like to thank everyone for the participation and prayers.
All in all, The Pope held a great mass and is okay from his bronchitis.
Biden Approves the Willow Project
By Liam Hunter
April 5, 2023
On March 13th, 2023, President Biden approved the Willow Project. The Willow Project is a plan proposed by an oil company that goes by the name of ConocoPhillips. This company is one of the top five polluters in the oil and gas industry. The passing of the Willow Project allows ConocoPhillips to drill oil on public land in the state of Alaska. The Bureau of Land Management claims that they can produce over 614 million barrels of oil over the course of thirty years.
Everyone is impacted by this project. From people who live in Alaska, to people all around the world. ConocoPhillips is profiting off of this oil while those in Alaska have oil drilling in their backyards. Not to mention, the excessive amount of pollution this could cause. Over a thirty year period, this project could cause up to 239 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equal to 51 million gas powered car emissions added to the Earth.
Voters are a bit confused with Biden’s choice to approve this bill. In his 2020 campaign he mentioned his plan of trying to eliminate climate change and pollution yet, in 2023 he is doing the exact opposite. It has been mentioned by various politicians that this project will bring in a large sum of revenue and provide thousands of jobs, possibly being the reason Biden approves the Willow Project.
On March 13, 2023 the Willow Project was approved by President Biden. They’re are many downsides for the Earth but many upsides for the economy and those who need jobs. The Willow Project has many conflicting opinions, but it has been officially put into action.
Bank Failures in California
By Kate McKelvy and Lauren Watkins
Bank failures are rare, so when they happen it is a shock to everyone. A recent and shocking bank failure example is The Silicon Valley Bank.
A bank is a privately owned business that allows you to make deposits and loans. A deposit is money people leave with the bank knowing that they can get it back anytime. A loan is money borrowed from the bank and that the person taking the loan must pay back. Banks use money in deposit accounts to give other people loans. This money is paid back into the account by the bank. Banks can also invest their money in whatever companies they think are good investments. In other words a bank works by people depositing their money into a savings account which the bank then uses to make loans to other people and businesses in your town. The bank makes their money off of the interest on the loans they give out.
Common ways for a bank to fail could be that they put too much money into one business and that business does poorly, nobody wants to invest in that bank and they don’t have enough money to give loans out, giving out bad loans and investments, giving loans to people who don’t end up paying them back putting money into startups, poor management, telling investors to invest in startups that don’t end up doing good.
A recent example of this is the bank failure in Silicon Valley failed due to one main cause. They had invested into the U.S. Government Bonds. The value of these bonds went down when the government accumulated interest, costing the bank a lot of money. The bank management were the ones who decided to make the investment in the bonds which was a risky choice. The Bank completely collapsed when its investors took out all of their money.
Local School District Ends Strike
By Ruby Westrick and Jane Porter
Recently, in the Penns Manor School District, teachers went on strike after months negotiating with the district over a new contract All classes were canceled beginning on February 27th. The strike ended on Thursday March 9th 2023.
The Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) regional advocacy coordinator Annie Brioche says, “Our members don’t want to be on strike. We want to be in the classroom and we understand that parents share that frustration as well, because they want their kids to be in the classroom. So our goal is not to be here on the picket, it’s to be in the classroom teaching our students.”
One of the main issues was health care coverage for the spouses of teachers employed in the district. The district explained that it experienced an increase of almost 13% in health care costs, or $237,000 over the previous year, and predicts an increase greater than 12 percent “in a few months which will result in an increase of $250,000.” According to the district, the major “stumbling blocks” were early retirement incentives and health care.
On Thursday, March 9th, a tentative deal was reached between the teachers and the school district, which means they still have to vote.
The Penns Manor Education Association Facebook page stated, “We look forward to returning to our classrooms with our students tomorrow (Friday)! Thank you for your patience and overwhelming support. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Strange Weather Patterns
By Lauren Watkins
March 10, 2023
The weather across the United States has been all out of order recently. In California, there are blizzards and in Pennsylvania the highs have been in the sixties. The weather has been very unusual recently.
The blizzard in California has put everyone across America in shock as fifteen feet of snow was dumped in California. The property damage done by this snow storm was around one billion dollars. Residents in El Dorado County had to call for emergency service assistance to get out of their homes since many were not equipped for this storm. Many are still trapped in their homes from the amount of snow blocking doors. This bizarre snow storm is setting records for snowfall in California. The death toll in California for this snow storm is only thirteen. Which is very little in comparison to other storms in the past.
The weather in California is not the only strange weather happening in America. The weather in Pennsylvania has been unusually warm for March. The high temperatures have peaked at 64 degrees fahrenheit. For Pennsylvania, this weather is very warm for the beginning of March.
This weather has people questioning whether snow is going to be seen much on the east coast, and more on the west coast in the next few years due to global warming.
The Willow Project Explained
By Liam Hunter
March 10, 2023
The Willow Project is a project presented by a company called ConocoPhillips. ConocoPhillips is a company that produces natural liquids and gasses and they are based in Houston, Texas. The goal of this project is to drill down into the Alaska crust and retrieve the stored petroleum at five different sites. If this project is approved by President Biden this would be one of the biggest oil fields America has seen in decades.
The Willow project is very controversial due to its potential environmental impact. Those opposed to the project believe that this proposal would be horrible for the Earth. Natural gasses alone already harm the Earth but this project is on an even larger scale. This excessive amount of pollution would just speed up the pace of how quickly our ozone layer is depleting.
However, those who support the project point to its potential energy production. The Willow Project would supply roughly 180,000 barrels of oil per day. If predictions are made using this scale, officials predict that this project would be around 1.5% of all oil production, which is a lot in such a small span of time.
A response to this project is due by the end of the month and most of this decision falls on President Biden. Many environmental groups have urged Biden to reject this bill immediately but he is still weighing out the pros and cons. This movement doesn’t align with Biden’s previous positions on climate change and the environment.
Overall, this is a big decision and this decision will determine a lot for the future of Earth.
American Attacked In Mexico
By Connor Fleming
March 10, 2023
On March 7th, 2023, two Americans were found dead after a violent kidnapping in Mexico. On March 3rd, a group of four Americans arrived in Mexico and were driving in a white minivan. Shots were fired at the van. An innocent Mexican woman lost her life in the crossfire. Investigators are still trying to figure out the cause for the kidnapping, but they think it was mistaken identity.
The American tourists were held at gunpoint and forced to comply if they wanted a chance at keeping their lives. Over the course of three brutal days, the kidnappers forced the Americans into many different places to confuse the rescuers efforts. They were found on March 7th in a wooden shack/house in Matamoros, Mexico, scared for their lives.
One of the two victims was found dead in the building and the other was found outside of the building. Two of the tourists survived. One was unharmed, and the other had three gunshot wounds in the leg, which were not fatal. So far one person has been arrested, a 24 year old who was watching over the building the victims were being held hostage in.
Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodword were the two victims that sadly lost their lives in the kidnapping. The two survivors are Eric Williams and Latavia McGee. Eric Williams was shot three times in the leg but when found was put into the hospital’s care. His wife was contacted by officials and later by Eric himself, who reassured his wife to finally let her know that he was safe. . Latavia McGee, also known as “Tay”, was found unharmed other than minimal scratching and bruising from being tossed around during the kidnapping. Latavia was also the cousin of Eric Williams and a mother to five. She had traveled there to get cosmetic surgery.
IJHS Students Participate in County Band
By Stella Empfield
February 13, 2023
The Indiana County Band concert was held at River Valley high school on Thursday January 19th, and Friday January 20th. Students in the Indiana County Band worked very hard to prepare five pieces of music for friends and family.
Eight schools from Indiana County brought selected members of their middle and high school bands to perform. The schools include : Indiana, Purchase Line, Penns Manor, United, Marion Center, Homer Center, River Valley, and Seeds of Faith. The middle school band performed five pieces with the first one being the Star Spangled Banner to open the concert. The second piece they performed was called March from First Suite. The third piece was called When the Wind Whispers, the fourth piece was called Haunted Clocks, and the fifth piece they performed was called Prehistoric Suite.
The middle school guest director was Mr Jake Kearney. He is a guest band director from Forest Hills. The guest high school band director was Dr Zach Cheever. He is the IUP marching band director. There were about 100 middle school instrumentalists and about the same for the high school band. The Indiana County Band was hosted by ICMEA (Indiana County Music Educators Association). The host band director was Mr Adam Bukosky, who is the band director at River Valley High School.
A very special thanks to all the band directors in Indiana County that made the festival possible.
War in Ukraine One Year Later
By Aubrey Hunger
February 13, 2023
As most people know, Russia started invading Ukraine on February 24 2022, in what has become a year long war. Here is an update on some of the key events of the war, so far.
On November 17th 2022, CNBC reported that over 100 missiles were launched from Russia on Ukraine. This date marked the largest missile strike in the war so far. Firefighters were working to put out fires after two residential buildings were hit in the Pechersk district of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
On December 19th 2022, CNBC announced that a Russian drone attacked and took the power supplies in Kyiv. Russia unleashed 35 self-detonating drones on Ukraine in the early hours of a Monday morning as many people slept, damaging infrastructure in and around the city capital, Kyiv.
On January 6th 2023, CNBC announced a Russian 36 hour-crease-fire, which began at noon Moscow time, which was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Orthodox Christmas holiday on January 7th. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the cease-fire, calling it a move designed to allow Russian soldiers time to rest and get reinforcements.
On February 1st 2023, CNN announced that Russian troops attacked the residential area of Kramatorsk with a missile. They think at least 8 apartment buildings were attacked and one building was completely damaged. At the time of the attack it was reported that there were three people dead and about 20 people wounded.
In conclusion, it is coming up to one year and there is no end to the war in sight.
Artificial Intelligence: Your New Homework Helper?
By Jack Duscheneau
January 20, 2023
As you might have heard there are now websites and phone applications that do your homework for you. These have been around for a while, however now they are able to do more sophisticated things: writing essays in your style, showing you the work needed to do a more advanced math problem, etc. With these new options more students will have a better way of cheating and dismissing not only doing the work legitimately, but also missing out on the practice for tests, LinkIts, and even the PSSAs.
ChatGPT is an AI made for writing essays, poems, translation, revising code, and of course, chats. ChatGPT has two branches with different functions, InstructGPT and ChatGPT, again. InstructGPT takes a prompt or instruction, and does its best to carry it out. Here is an example of an InstructGPT prompt, “Write a story about a tree.” And here is a ChatGPT prompt: “Explain how a computer works to a 9 year old.” You can have any essay or story written and even have it written for you, and all you have to do is select things to change. ChatGPT can also do this with barely a trace for your teacher to find. Luckily there are detectors for knowing if a GPT wrote the essay or not such as this.
AI:R Math is an AI that takes a photo of a math problem and solves it for you. What makes it different from a calculator, however, is that it shows the work needed too. The AI, named AI:R MATH, while not as varied as the GPTs, is an intriguing process. It started by taking a scanned image of the problem and, if needed, breaks down the word problem. It then proceeds to solve the problem and calculates the steps needed to document as well.
Morals and rules have been in question since the introduction of AI generated material around essays, stories, and art. Unfortunately AI materials have reached the school scene, but with the surge of AI generators thankfully the detectors for AI materials are keeping up.
Who Was Barbara Walters?
By Liam Hunter
January 20, 2023
Image courtesy of StyleCaster
Barbara Walters was an American journalist known for her television interviews of very well known people. She was also known for her presence on various informational television shows. Walters was born on September 25, 1929 and recently passed on December 20, 2022.
After Walters graduated from Sarah Lawerence College in 1951, she was hired assistant to the publicity director at NBC where she gained some experience writing and producing. Soon after in 1961, she was hired as a writer for the Today show and only appeared on television every so often to do a feature story. In 1964 promoted to a position known as “Today Girl” that was a little bit more involved with the television aspect but at this point she wasn’t considered a host. In 1974, she was named the co-host of the Today show with Hugh Downs. The next year she won an Emmy for her presence on the Today show. In 1976, she signed a 5 year contract with ABC. This contact made her the first woman co anchor on an evening network news program. This contact also stated that her salary would be a whopping million dollars per year which made her the highest paid journalist at the time. This was pretty big during this time period being that she was a female journalist.
In 1978, she left the Today show and the next year she was a correspondent on a show called 20/20. 20/20 had 60 minute episodes and they were about real life murder investigations. In 1984, she was promoted to co-host with Downs on 20/20 on which she stayed on until 2004. During her time on 20/20, she had her own little show called Barbara Walters Summer Special which premiered in 1976. On her show she would interview popular people at the time. In 1977, she created a show called The View where a group of women shared their opinions on relevant topics. She received 2 Emmys in 1982 and 1983 for “Best Interviewer.” Walters also wrote an autobiography which was published in 2008. Her autobiography Audition was about her private and public life as Barbara Walters.
Mrs. Walters passed away on December 30, 2022 in her home in New York with her family. Her health had been declining so it hadn’t been a huge shock when she had passed. In 2010 she had to undergo surgery to fix a faulty heart valve. After the surgery a scan was taken of her heart and she was told that her chances of being alive in two years were about 50%. In 2013, Walters had fallen and cut her head open, because of that she had to get stitches. During her recovery she found out that she had chicken pox which she did recover from. It was also revealed that a separate incident occurred in 2013 where she had fallen into the arms of one of the stage crew and they had to call one of the paramedics. In her final couple years she also was battling severe memory loss. Barbara Walters was an icon in the journalism industry. She preserved and came so far in her career. Barbara was a very strong woman and always wanted to write or on television. Even with her health struggles she continued to preserve and do what she loved.
Taylor Swift Ticket Glitch
By Ruby Westrick and Katherine McKelvy
December 20, 2022
If you’re a fan of Taylor Swift, you may have heard of the huge ticket let down. Hundreds of Taylor’s fans were outraged, and very upset when Ticketmaster, the site that was used to sell the tickets, started to glitch, increasing wait times for ticket purchases, and leading to many unhappy fans.
What could’ve led to this? Ticketmaster glitched because of a mad rush that ensued led to 2 million tickets being ordered, and demand went up so high that it overwhelmed the site and caused many people to be ticketless. This was the most tickets ever sold for an artist in one day.
It also may have glitched because of “bot attacks” which overwhelm the site with way too many requests for tickets.
Considering this, Taylor Swift isn’t too happy about this either. Taylor expressed being amazed by the fact that so many people wanted tickets to her show, but she is very irritated that they had to go through so many “bear attacks,” to get them. She stated this on instagram, also promising that she and her team were reassured that the situation could be handled.
If you want a ticket now, you’d better save some money up, because some of the lowest prices of tickets are between 500 and 3,000 dollars each.
Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year
By Aubrey Hunger
December 20, 2022
wondered what the PA teacher of the year is?
The National Teacher of the Year Program looks for teachers who have the respect and admiration of their students. The teachers earn this reward and respect by serving as role models for their students and always having the best interest of their students in mind. It started in 1952 as a project by the Council of Chief State School Officers. It is a twelve step application process, first they submit an interview then they submit a video recording of their teaching episode that shows effective instructional techniques. Finally they announce the PA teacher of the year award.
The PA teacher of the year for 2022 is Ryan D. Hardesty. Hardesty got awarded for being the teacher of the year because he puts in the hard work and dedication. “ It’s our students who push us to be better, to be more creative, to build connections.” Hardesty is a Social Studies teacher at Blackhawk School District in Beaver County.
Mauna Loa Blows Her Top
By Lauren Watkins
December 20, 2022
Have you heard about the eruption of Mauna Loa in Hawaii? In this article you will read about the warnings from the US Geological Survey, the history of the volcano, any damage that the volcano’s eruption caused, and why this eruption is so important.
The eruption of Mauna Loa on November 27, 2022, is not the first eruption of this volcano. Mauna Loa has erupted a total of 33 times in the past. These past eruptions have had severe effects on the island and have taken years to fix. This volcano is known for its deadly eruptions and crazy amounts of volcanic ash.
The eruption did not immediately put any towns in danger, but the US Geological Survey (USGS) warned citizens that they may have to evacuate. The USGS also told citizens that lava is not currently dangerous but it can be very dynamic and the flow of the lava can change rapidly. The USGS told the public to stay away from the volcano because the lava is shooting up to 200-300 feet up into the air. Hawaii is also under a volcanic ash advisory from the amount of ash that this eruption is producing.
You might be surprised by this, but as of now, Mauna Loa’s most recent eruption has caused little to no damage. It has caused no deaths and no injuries so far. The property damage caused by Mauna Loa’s eruption is minimal. The eruption has not threatened any lives yet, the only thing that this eruption has threatened is observatory devices used to observe the volcano.
You may now be asking, why is this eruption so important? The eruption of Mauna Loa is important because it is helping construction workers and engineers to plan for future building projects and how they can build the buildings in a way that eruptions won’t harm the homes and offices. It is also important because this specific volcano has not erupted in 40 years. That is important because scientists now get to learn more about this volcano
Hunting Season in Full Swing
By Stella Empfield
December 5, 2022
Hunting is a fun way to get outside and enjoy nature for many people. A few years ago, the state changed many laws for hunting season. Many hunters enjoy the new change as they get more days to hunt.
For many years, the first day of rifle season began on the Monday after Thanksgiving. In 2019, the state passed the law to change the first day of rifle season to the Saturday after Thanksgiving. They changed it because on Monday, many people have to work and miss the chance to go out and hunt. Now, you get two extra days to hunt. Also in 2019, Tom Wolf signed a bill passing the law to be able to hunt 3 Sundays in a year. The three Sundays that hunters were able to hunt this year were November 13th, 20th, 27th, 2022. Many hunters in Pennsylvania like the ability to hunt on Sundays. It gives them a better opportunity to get out and enjoy nature and wildlife.
In Pennsylvania, there were 930,815 total paid hunting license holders. The total increase of hunting license, tags, permits and stamps were 2,646,720. 90%. The US hunters aged 16 years and older that are male, represent 10.3 million people and 8% of the total US population. In contrast, only 10% of hunters are female. That’s about 1.1 million people and not even 1% of the US population.
In conclusion, there are a lot of hunters not only in our county, state, but in our country. There are many that really enjoy getting out in the various weather conditions, early in the morning, to enjoy the natural beauty and wildlife.
The History of Black Friday
By Kate McKelvy and Lauren Watkins
November 15, 2022
One of the biggest shopping holidays is coming up, Black Friday. Have you ever wondered what the history of Black Friday is? In this article you will learn when the first Black Friday took place, why it is named Black Friday,and the history of the “other Black Friday.”
Black Friday is traditionally the Friday after Thanksgiving. It is a day where people go to buy their Christmas presents, since everything is on sale. Black Friday is not actually an official holiday. It used to be a day where workers would call in sick so they could have a four day weekend. Black Friday also marks the first official day of Christmas shopping.
Black Friday has an interesting history. The reason for the name “Black Friday ” was because stores would be at a financial loss (in the “red”) until the day after Thanksgiving, when they went into the “black” because of holiday shopping.
Another idea of the day’s origin was that on Black Friday, November 29, 1975, stores were so chaotic that the police named it “Black Friday”.
History also may have more negative interpretations, that Black Friday refers to a day much darker than the American shopping holiday. The term has also been used to refer to the day the U.S gold market crashed. But this Black Friday was not the day after Thanksgiving. It happened on September 24, 1869, when the notorious Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk decided to buy as much of the nation’s gold stock. They’re hope was that once they bought all of the gold that it would drive its price up, and then sell it for a high price but that didn’t happen. Instead it sent all of Wall Street to free-fall into bankruptcy.
In recent years another myth has surfaced. This myth claims that Southern plantation owners could by slaves at a discounted price the day after Thanksgiving. While there are no evidentiary facts to back this idea, it is a reason that some people boycott the American shopping holiday.
In the 1960’s the city of Philadelphia changed the title to “Big Friday” to move away from the negative connotation the Black Friday had given the holiday. This title didn’t stick and by the 1980s even Philadelphia went back to Black Friday.
In a world where prices of almost anything have been inflated, discounts and sales still come to shoppers’ rescue once a year, on Black Friday!
Bye Bye to Daylight Savings Time?
By Stella Empfield
Daylight savings has been around for decades, but now it may be coming to an end. In 2020, the American Academy for Sleep Medicine called for the abolition of daylight savings. Daylight savings is said to disrupt the body’s natural clock, could cause an increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular events, and could lead to more traffic accidents.
Daylight savings first started in 1918. Benjamin Franklin first came up with the idea in 1784 as “An Economical Project.” The concept is credited to George Hudson, an entomologist from New Zealand, who in 1895, proposed a two-hour time shift so he’d have more after-work hours of sunshine to go bug hunting in the summer. In WWI, the idea was resurfaced as a way to save energy. The concept was so that everyone would spend more time outside and not inside with lights on, therefore saving energy.
The law “to save daylight” was passed by Congress in 1918. After the war, the state governments were left to decide if they wanted to continue with the time change. Then, after WWII, it was again left with each state to decide if they wanted to keep daylight savings.
Only 21 percent of Americans said they were looking forward to the end of daylight saving time coming up, while 34 percent said they weren’t looking forward to it; 38 percent said they didn’t care.
Lets interview some students from Indiana Area Junior High and see what they have to say about daylight savings coming to an end.
Caliana Hauck (6) said that she likes getting more hours of sleep.
Conor Harper (6) said that he is aware of daylight savings coming to an end but never really thought about what he thinks of it.
Chase Russell (7) said that he is sad that he is going to lose an hour of sleep.
Charlie Dotts (7) said that he never really knew about daylight savings.
Spenser Hillsberry (8) said that he is ready for more daytime.
Joelin Sheinwald (8) said that he doesn’t really know much about daylight savings but he wants it to end.
Darius Webb (8) said that he really didn’t know that it was coming to an end.
Many people don’t realize that daylight savings is coming to an end. The senate passed the idea of daylight savings coming to an end on April 5, 2021. The state will “fall back” at least one more time, as daylight saving time officially ends at 2 a.m. on Nov. 6. Pennsylvania will return to daylight saving time on Sunday, March 12, 2023, then will stay permanent.
Veterans Day
By Samantha Aljoe and Aubrey Hunger
Veterans Day is to honor all people who served in the armed forces during both war and peace times. Roughly 1.5 million people have risked their lives fighting for our country. We honor veterans by remembering their sacrifices, saying thank you, and appreciating what they have done to protect American freedoms. Currently there are 750,000 to 850,000 men and women serving in the US military.
Veterans Day became a holiday on May, 13 1938, through Act 52 U.S. Code 87a, but it was originally called Armistice Day. It was called Armistice day because it marked the one-year anniversary of the temporary cessation of hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany during World War 1. The holiday was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 to honor veterans of World War II and the Korean War as well. Veterans Day is celebrated to recognize the people who fought. Nick Lampson said, “There is nothing nobler than risking your life for your country.” Also Roland Hewitt said, “ I joined the military to protect and serve our country from foreign and domestic enemies.”
An interesting note about Veterans Day is that it is also about recognizing the animals that helped in our nation’s wars. For example, in World War I, horses, donkeys, and even camels, carried food, water, ammunition and medical supplies. Dogs and pigeons carried messages. Canaries were used to detect poisonous gas, and both cats and dogs hunted out rats in the trenches. Even though they were not fighting like the human soldiers, they played an important role in America’s military success.
In conclusion Veterans Day is a day to honor all who have served and fought, as well as the animals which served as well. Thank you Veterans!
Colony Collapse Disorder
By Jack Duchesneau
October 11, 2022
The bees have been dying, and no one knows why. Here’s what you need to know. In 2006 beekeepers started reporting the mass disappearance of worker bees, leaving behind lots of food and a few female bees to take care of the young bees and queen. This is a huge problem as just in the past year 39% of bee colonies have died due to lack of worker bees. There are no confirmed reasons for the problem, called Colony Collapse Disorder (or CCD), however there are alot of suspected reasons.
Many suspect a combination of Varroa mites, the chemicals used to fight them, as well as the viruses they transmit. Varroa Mites are very small, brown-red colored, tick-like parasites that attach and feed off of adult bees and cause impaired flight performance. Eventually a combination of the mite and the diseases it carries kill the bee. Varroa mites often spread across hives over the course of 3-4 years
Known as neonicotinoids, some pesticides are also harming bees by causing navigational problems and slower learning speed, which both decrease productivity of the bee, as time goes on it builds up and after paralyzing it the neonicotinoids eventually kill the bee. Bees are suffering from neonicotinoids because as a pesticide it’s sprayed on plants and flowers, this get it on the pollen and nectar, making it poisonous for bees
Colony Collapse Disorder is happening all over the world and lots of countries are doing their part to help find a cause and cure for this phenomenon.
Monkeypox– what exactly is it?
By Carmen McAdoo
October 11, 2022
Have you ever wondered what is Monkeypox? Monkeypox is a disease that can make people and animals very sick. Even though The disease is named Monkeypox the disease’s source is still unknown. Not only is Monkeypox carried by monkeys but it is also carried by other animals like African rodents. The most notable symptom of Monkeypox is a painful rash that looks like blisters or pimples. Not only can monkeypox spread to humans but it could also spread on animals. Despite the name, monkeys aren’t to blame. The disease was identified in a group of research lab monkeys in 1958. Part of the concern is how quickly monkeypox is spreading across countries where it doesn’t typically occur. For example, cases in the U.S. have grown more than 5,000 in the span of a few months. Researchers have found some vaccines to help cure monkeypox but they are still trying to figure out a good way to help cure the sickness that is going around the world.
The Reign Comes to an End
By Jane Porter
October 11, 2022
Queen Elizabeth II reigned for seventy years and two-hundred fourteen days! Her first day as queen was June 2, 1953. There were fifteen prime ministers during her reign.
Recent events in England involving Elizabeth II’s death have been streamed into the whole world. Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022 and had lived a wonderful, exciting life. The Queen was born on April 21, 1926. She had four children whom after her reign would take her place in royalty. Her eldest son, Prince Charles became the new king immediately after her passing. Her only daughter Anne is now 16th in line for the throne. Her second son Prince Andrew is now 8th in line for the throne. Elizabeth’s youngest son Prince Edward is now in 13th line for the throne.
The Queen was known for her love of corgis. In total she had more than 30 corgis throughout her lifetime. She had loved corgis ever since she was a child. A funny thing about her is that she had two birthdays! She was born in April, but that is usually cold so she celebrated her birthday for the nation on another day in June! Queen Elizabeth II swore in a new prime minister, Liz Truss two days before her passing.
As you can see, Queen Elizabeth II lived a wonderful life. Elizabeth was known for her fashion sense, and she was never seen without a handbag. She had an unspoken communication between herself and her staff, so different placements with her handbag meant different meanings. Apparently when she placed her handbag onto a table that meant that she wanted to leave the event within the following five minutes. Queen Elizabeth was very funny, kind, fashionable and loving. She will be missed by both the citizens of England as well as people around the world.
Beware of Cyber Attacks
By Addison Porter
May 4, 2022
Over the past decade cyber attacks have gone up 300%. From individuals and small businesses to large companies and corporations, all have been affected by cyber attacks. Cyber attacks negatively impact business growth, and potentially can harm the nation. Because of technology advancements it’s getting easier and easier for hackers to create a data breach or even hack a system.
The term “hacking” first appeared in the 1970’s, but became more popular in the 1980’s. In 1983, the movies like “Wargames” and “Tron” involved story lines about characters hacking into computer systems, which introduced the idea of hacking. Later that year some teenagers hacked into major computer systems from Los Alamos National Laboratory to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
After these first hacking attempts Congress passed many bills on cyber crimes, but that didn’t stop hackers from launching cyber attacks. From the 1980’s to now hacking has been an issue in some of the biggest corporations and companies. It’s important to know the different types of hacking and how to prevent it.
Hackers are usually put into three different categories: Black Hat Hackers, White Hat Hackers and Gray Hat Hackers. Black Hat Hackers are the “bad guys” in hacking; they find ways to get into computer systems, find where the weakest part of the computer system is and finally hack the system. White Hat Hackers are the “good guys” who try to prevent the other Hackers from hacking. Gray Hat Hackers are in between– they find problems in the computer system but don’t harm or hack, but they do it for good. Unlike White Hat Hackers, Gray Hat Hackers often reveal the problems and what they do publicly.
Hacking can occur on an individual person’s device too. Protecting oneself from hackers is important and necessary to make sure personal information is safe. Some ways to thwart hacking include updating software–hackers will look for weaknesses and patches in the software. People should also use stronger passwords; it’s easier for a hacker to hack into common or repetitive passwords.
In conclusion, hacking can occur anywhere at any time. It can happen to anyone from big companies to your own phone. It’s important to stay secure and make sure your information is safe.
Thank A Bus Driver
By Connor Fleming
May 4, 2022
Almost every school student has had to take “Yellow Limousine” at some point in their life. For many students this is their main transportation to and from school. But the only way that buses can get to and from school are because of bus drivers.
Like school districts around the country, Indiana Area School District is facing a shortage of bus drivers. Since 2017 bus drivers resignations went up over 5%. One of the most common reasons for bus drivers quitting is because of student behaviors on the bus.
Indiana students should be appreciative and know how to treat their bus drivers. Most bus drivers say, “Good Morning” or “Hello” and “GoodBye” or “Have a good evening”. Sadly, the most common response to this is an eyeroll, a scoff, or students just ignore them.
A proper response is not only common decency, but it can also brighten someone else’s day. Some ways you can do to be kind to your bus driver are just a simple “Hello” or when you leave you could say something like “Thank you”. Some bus drivers have stopped saying these things because of how rude people are. When asked if the students he encountered are kind, PJ Flick, the bus driver of Bus 124, responded with, “Once you get to know them, yeah! The new generation is just so much different and kids have changed a lot!”
Some ways you should not respond to your bus driver is ignoring them or complaining loudly to your friends that you’re gonna be late or just saying unkind things. One thing that is very disrespectful to the driver and the passengers is being very loud on the bus especially in the morning! Hopefully you have learned how to show some respect to your bus driver.
Vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court
By Liam Hunter and Addison Porter
Photo courtesy of vox.com
A new supreme court justice has been nominated. Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr on February 25, 2022. Jackson is nominated to take the place of retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Breyer announced his retirement and it is the President’s responsibility to find a suitable replacement for whoever retires from the Supreme Court.
Jackson is the first black woman to be nominated to the Supreme Court. There have been two African-American males and five female Supreme Court justices but Jackson would make history for being the first African-American female justice. Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court justice to be nominated was picked by President Lyndon Johnson in July of 1967. The first female Supreme Court justice was nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, and her name was Sandra Day O’Connor..
Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson was born in Washington D.C but grew up in Miami, Florida. Judge Jackson loved the law ever since she was in preschool. While her father was tackling his law school homework, she was sitting next to him doing hers – coloring in coloring books. Throughout her childhood, Jackson was a high achiever. She was a speech and debate star who was later elected student body president at Miami Palmetto Senior High School. When she told her school counselor she wanted to attend Harvard, the counselor told Judge Jackson not to set her “sights so high”. She not only attended Harvard for college, but also graduated from Harvard Law School. All these things and more led up to the person she is today.
Judge Jackson has much experience in the field of law. Jackson was Justice Breyer’s law clerk so she knows alot about how to be a Supreme Court justice and what this responsibility entails. Ketanji was also a public defender. A public defender is someone who defends those in court who can’t pay for a lawyer. Public defenders are paid by the government and they help those who can’t obtain a lawyer themselves. Ketanji would be one of the first federal public defenders on the Supreme Court. Jackson was also the Vice Chair of the U.S Sentencing Commision. The U.S Sentencing Commision is an independent agency of the judicial branch. They study, develop, and analyze the policies of the federal court. This agency is an information space for all things surrounding federal crime and sentencing. Jackson was also nominated by former President Obama to be a district court judge. She has also been a judge on the U.S Court of Appeals for the Washington, D.C. circuit since 2021.
Judge Kentaji Brown Jackson has a lot of experience and a really good track record. She is an inspiring person and has accomplished so many things in her life to get to this point. She is an inspiring woman to many, making her a great candidate to be a Supreme Court justice.
Crisis in Ukraine
By Liam Hunter
March 18, 2022
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. In the days leading up to February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin had more than 150,000 troops lining up against the Ukrainian border. This sent red flags to the people of Ukraine. People of Ukraine are massively affected by this invasion.
Putin started sending missiles toward Kyiv (the capital of Ukraine) and many other populated cities in Ukraine. Russia began to bomb schools, a maternity ward, and even bombed a nuclear power plant.
Putin states that he feels Ukraine is part of Russia. He does not think that they should be their own country. Many people in Russia don’t support Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. Russian people have protested against his decisions and now face jail time. The people of Russia are also negatively affected by the invasion. Countries that disagree with Putin have made sanctions against him. A sanction is a threatened penalty for breaking a rule or law. Economic sanctions and the removal of Russian banks from the international banking system means that their currency has declined rapidly. The goal of putting sanctions on somebody is to punish them from all angles until they stop.
The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has made statements stating that he will stay to defend his country and he will not back down. Many people that are in Ukraine have chosen to stay in their homes and defend themselves. On the other hand though some people have fled to neighboring countries, including Poland and Romania and many other countries near Ukraine. People all around the world stand with Ukraine. This is being shown through online posts, protests, and many other mediums.
Putin’s actions seem to go against the spirit of the United Nations Charter. The UN Charter includes the rules for how disputes are settled between countries. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine goes against the idea that nations must settle disputes peacefully. Most people around the world strongly disagree with his decisions and would like for Putin to discontinue his war on Ukraine.
Many people were affected during this war. In addition to the devastation faced by the people of Ukraine, this war could cause issues for American people as well. Russia is a major producer of natural gas and oil (about 10% of the world’s production). This conflict has resulted in gas prices continuing to rise to historic levels.
One fear is that this war could become bigger and include more countries. China has close ties with Russia. If China were to insert themselves into this situation it could become a big problem. If Putin were to invade NATO countries then it would end up being a bigger problem than it already is. NATO is an alliance. If someone attacks a NATO country then other countries would fight back on behalf of whatever other NATO country that was attacked. If Putin decided to attack a NATO country he would be attacked by many countries that are in NATO, to include the United States.
In short, this conflict between Russia and Ukraine affects many people and many fear that the war could intensify or expand. The hope is that this will end soon because it negatively impacts the whole world. Russia and Ukraine continue to fight but the whole world is hoping for this war to end.
Brief Timeline of Modern Ukraine
By Ellie Coleman
March 18, 2022
- 1922 Ukraine became part of the Soviet Union
- 1986 World’s largest nuclear accident happened called Chernobyl
- 1991 Ukraine gain freedom from the Soviet Union (Russia)
- 1996 Ukraines adopted a constitution ( Their government is republic)
- 2014 Russia attacks Ukraine killing more than 14,000 people
- 2019 Volodymyr Zeleskyy got elected to be Ukraine’s president
- 2021 Russia’s soldier say they are doing “large-scale exercises”
- 2022 Russia attacks Ukraine again (leading us to now)
March is Women’s History Month
By Stella Empfield and Addison Porter
March 18, 2022
During the month of March, people around the world celebrate Women’s History Month. Since 1987, Women’s History Month has honored women in history, culture and society throughout the month of March. Women’s History Month started with a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California in the first week of March. “Women’s History Week” spread around the country and in 1981, President Jimmy Carter declared that National Women’s history week would start on March 8.
Every year there is a new theme for women’s history month. This year’s theme is “Women Providing health, Promoting hope.” This theme is a tribute to women in healthcare and frontline workers during the ongoing pandemic. Caregivers and healthcare workers have gone through so much, so this year’s theme is dedicated to women in healthcare and women of all cultures who have provided healing and hope now and through history.
Sub Shortage Hits Schools Across the Nation
By Jackson Matty
March 4, 2022
Substitute teachers are an often overlooked essential part of the school system. They take over the teaching duties for teachers who can’t be present. It seems like there is an endless supply of substitutes, however an ongoing “substitute shortage” is wreaking havoc at every school district. The question is, why is there a sub shortage?
The substitute teacher shortage is part of an overall shortage of workers that has hit just about all businesses and industries. The problem first arose back in 2020. Covid-19 had just been discovered. Many businesses were forced to close during quarantines and many people stopped working. Since then, not all people have gone back to work, which caused an issue for businesses finding employees. The government stepped in and increased unemployment compensation, so that people who didn’t work could still make it. The problem started to affect school districts as well. Due to the shortage, school districts have been doing everything they can to be able to hire substitutes, including raising pay and lowering job requirements.
The problem has not slowed down since. It has only gotten worse. When asked if it was more of a challenge this year to find substitutes than past years, Mrs. Hill commented, “I have actually not noticed a big change in the sub situation this year over past years. We have a building sub assigned to us that we are able to utilize when necessary. That has been a change since January and has been very helpful.”
A question that leaves many wondering is if the substitute shortage will ever end. Mrs. Hill commented on whether or not she thinks the substitute shortage will end. “I think that being a substitute teacher is a very difficult and demanding job. It is not easy to step into a classroom of students who are used to things being done or taught a certain way and trying to maintain those norms. A lot of our substitutes are looking for full time teaching positions so when they find a full time job they are no longer available to sub. Subbing does not provide a guaranteed income for people either, so for those reasons I think that our substitute list will always be changing and I don’t think that will ever change.”
Substitutes are also affected deeply by this issue. For substitutes, it can be a challenge to work in a school right now. Long-term English substitute Mrs. Brooks spoke about a challenge she has faced since coming to work at a school. “One challenge I face as a substitute is not always being in the loop. There is a lot to learn about how the schools, teachers, schedules, testings, trainings, and technology function. Thankfully, my students and other teachers have been so incredibly patient and helpful. That makes all the difference!”
There are some positive things that come from teaching at a school. She also shared the most positive aspect of her job.“The most positive aspect of my job? The students! I enjoy getting to know them and sharing life with them. I enjoy their jokes and questions. I enjoy reading their poems and essays. I enjoy growing and learning together.” Mrs. Brooks also commented on if she thinks the substitute shortage will end. “Yes, I do think the sub shortage will end. Life has a way of working these things out.”
In conclusion, the substitute shortage is a big issue everywhere. It has raised many problems and questions as to whether or not the shortage will end or not. While it may not completely go away, it can be navigated and not be as big of a problem as it once was.
St. Patrick’s day Explained
By Stella Empfield
March 2, 2022
Have you ever wondered how St Patrick’s day got started? St Patrick’s Day became a holiday on March 17, 1737, when more than two dozen Presbyterians who had emigrated from the north of Ireland gathered to honor “St. Patrick.”
St. Patrick led an interesting life. He was born in 386 A. D., and didn’t make his way to Ireland until Irish pirates kidnapped him at age 16. From there, he started his journey to converting the Irish to Christianity and becoming an Irish patron saint. St. Patrick was known through folklore for having chased away snakes in Ireland, thus protecting townspeople from the mysterious creatures and sending them to the sea. However, Ireland is surrounded by icy water and would have been the last place for these cold-blooded reptiles to live. It’s much more reasonable to think that the “snakes” that St. Patrick was a representative of the Druids and Pagans in Ireland since they were considered evil.
Many people celebrate St Patrick’s day by going to parades, listening to Irish music, and eating foods that originated from Ireland. Some popular foods that some families eat on St. Patrick’s day include corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, and Irish soda bread. Some people also love the limited edition Shamrock Shake at McDonalds. Many families also cook green pancakes for breakfast.
How Are Snow Days Decided?
By Ruby Westrick
March 4, 2022
Students often wonder how it’s decided whether the school will call a “snow day” or a 2 hour delay. Who makes the decisions and how are those decisions made.
According to Mr. Mike Travis, icy roads are a reason we may have snow days. “In all cases, safety is our first concern,” says Travis. He is in charge of transportation for the district, and also helps decide if school will be delayed or canceled.. ¨Part of my job is to monitor weather forecasts from websites and local television stations.¨ He says.
Students also often wonder why the school has 2 hour delays? Usually a 2 hour delay is called to give time for plowing and salting the roads to make them safe for cars and buses. By about 5:00 in the morning, highway authorities are being contacted for information about the roads such as PennDOT, Armstrong Township, and White Township. Mr. Travis mentioned temperatures too. “One of the more challenging decisions involves temperatures.”
“Mr Vuckovich and I, along with other school administrators, try to make our decision by 5:30 am, in order to make notifications before buses leave for their trips,” Mr. Travis says. “Our notification process uses automatic phone calling, social media and websites, and local radio and television stations.” It’s important that this decision is made in time so the buses know whether to take kids to school or come two hours later or not at all.
Celebrating Black History Month
By Liam Hunter and Connor Fleming
February 25, 2022
Black History Month is celebrated each year during the whole month of February. It is an official government approved holiday. African-American or Black History Month was first officiated to be a real US holiday back in 1976 by former President Gerald R. Ford. It took a long time for this important holiday to be approved even though many were celebrating and educating themselves during Black History Month long ago.
The holiday was created by an African-American man whose name was Carter G. Woodson. Woodson first created “Negro History Week” in 1926, which was a week that was meant to give light to African-American history. “Negro History Week” was also created so that schools would be given an opportunity to talk to their students about Black History. The idea of just having a week was then expanded to a month and that’s how Black History Month was created.
A commonly asked question is why Black History Month is in February. The reason Black History month is in February is because both former President Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass’s birthdays were in February. Lincoln is important because he helped with the freeing of many slaves when he was President. Douglass is also very important because he was a former slave but he was an activist and a public speaker. He was a leader of the abolitionist movement, which was the public movement to end slavery.
The point of having a holiday dedicated to Black History was so you can educate yourself. Even if you just learn a fact then you have celebrated Black History Month. To learn about Black History you may want to watch a documentary that involves Black History, read a non-fiction book about an experience someone had during times of slavery, and there’s much more that you can do to learn about African-American History.
Black History is a very overlooked thing but it’s just as important as any other history. It’s important to be knowledgeable on things that surround this topic because understanding is the key to ending racist ideas. I challenge you to learn just a little bit about Black History!
Kids in Wells– It’s a Real Thing
By Andrew Russell and Kate McKelvy
Have you ever heard someone joke about a kid in a well? Well, that happens in real life. In early February, a five-year-old boy named Rayan fell down a well in Morocco. It took a rescue team, made of 100 people, four days to rescue Rayan. He was trapped under a rock and bruised all over his body. On the fourth day, when the team got to him, he was badly hurt. During a surgery after his rescue, he died. The King of Mococo, Mohammed IV, sent a message to the parents of Rayan telling them he mourned the death of their son.
This is not the only case of a child getting stuck in a well. There have been others. Another well known story of a child getting stuck in a well was Baby Jessica, as people called her. Baby Jessica fell into a well in her aunt’s backyard in Midland, Texas, on October 14, 1986. On October 16 she was finally rescued. She lived, only losing one toe. She is unfortunately unlike so many others who die during the rescue.
Both of these stories prove how dangerous things that people tend to overlook, like a backyard well, can be. The best advice is to be aware of what is happening around you and watch where you step.
The Importance of the Spring Equinox
By Addison Porter
February 10, 2022
As March is getting closer, spring is getting nearer, most people don’t know how the next season occurs or what happens not just on earth, but how the sun rotation predicts when our seasons change.
The term equinox is from a Latin word meaning “equally night and day.” Although the equinox doesn’t make the daylight hours even, it gets closer to the solstice (which is when both day and night are even).
The spring equinox occurs when the sun crosses the equator going South to North. This starts off spring in the northern hemisphere of the globe. After the equinox occurs, the hemisphere shifts toward the sun, increasing in both the temperature and the hours of daylight until the solstice in June.
The spring equinox can be confused with the winter and summer solstice because they both depend on the sun. The solstice comes from the Latin word; “Sun to stand still” which can relate to the sun’s position. When the solstice occurs on June 21, the solstice will last the whole day, and the sun will be the farthest away from the earth’s equator and the day and night hours will become equal. Unlike the Solstice, the Equinox won’t last the whole day because of the exact timing when it passes the equator.
During the spring Equinox there are many traditions, but one of the most popular is balancing an egg upright. Although any day an egg can stand upright and an Equinox won’t affect the egg’s balance, during the spring Equinox an egg represents the balance of the sun and earth, or night and day.
The Spring Equinox will occur on March 20, and then on September 22 it will transition back to fall. The Equinox is important all around the world, not just on the northern part of the globe but on the southern hemisphere too, reversing the effect it has here. We all look forward to Spring and the Equinox gets us even closer to the warm weather ahead.
Local Sledding Destinations
By Janie Stubbe
February 10, 2022
Looking for a place to go sledding that is nearby, but not your next-door- neighbor’s yard? Well, here are a few ideas for sledding opportunities in the Indiana area.
Several IJHS students shared their favorite sledding sites. “I like to go sledding with my family at Seven Springs,” said Jane Porter (6th grade). Lilly Puffenbarger, (6th grade), told us “I go sledding with my family and friends at Great Wolf Lodge.” Ransym Wheeling, (7th grade) commented that “I like to sled in my backyard with my friends.” Samantha Martin, (6th grade) added “I usually go sledding with my family at College Lodge.”
Since there are so many places to go sledding in Indiana and so much snow, there has to be lots of places to buy sleds, right? Some places to buy sleds locally are Lowes and Walmart. Most plastic sleds cost about 5-40 dollars.
Sleds come in many different styles, each with their own advantages. Toboggans are like the mini-vans in the world of sledding and can carry multiple people, which can increase the downhill speeds and the fun. Saucer-style sleds are great for one or two people, while foam sleds are ridden by a single rider laying flat on their belly.
Sledding is a fun activity to do when snowy weather arises. Sledding is the perfect social occasion for friends and family to get together. While all the kids race down the hill, the adults can catch-up or hit the hills themselves!
What’s With This Weather?
By Adrianna Cammarata
February 10, 2022
Have you ever wondered why the weather can go from sunny to snowy so fast? Across the nation winter weather patterns have been unpredictable.
Forks, Washington had more rain in 90 days than Las Vegas has had in 13 years. There’s more than that. In January, a huge blizzard hit one of Hawaii’s big islands and it claimed to get 12 inches of snow.
The cause of this weird weather? Out west, a jet stream has been stuck, “That means low pressure on one part of the stream is bringing rain to the Pacific Northwest, while high pressure hovering over about two-thirds of the nation produces dry and warmer weather.” said meteorologist Brian Hurley.
In Fort Walton Beach, Florida, it snowed unexpectedly on January 3, 2022. Snow in Florida doesn’t happen often, so it was a surprise to lots of people, even people that don’t live in Florida.
As in weather for Indiana, Pennsylvania, Last year in the month of February we got 6.5 inches of snow. So far this month Indiana has received more than three inches of snow making it likely that it will be a higher total than last year.
COVID Boosters available for kids ages 12 to 15
by Liam Hunter
COVID numbers are currently rising in Indiana, PA, as well as the rest of the United States. All Americans have been affected by this pandemic. Heading into 2022, the number of positive cases skyrocketed. After a period of trials, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have now made children 12 to 15 eligible for the Pfizer COVID 19 booster shot..
The CDC states that 12-15 year-olds are eligible for the booster 5 months after their initial vaccination series. Studies show that COVID 19 boosters help boost immunity when it comes to Omicron and other variants. The CDC also says that those people who contract COVID having a booster will prevent severe illness. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky states, “We now recommend that all adolescents aged 12-17 years should receive a booster shot 5 months after their primary series. This booster dose will provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.” Currently the only booster that is available to kids under 18 is the Pfizer booster. To schedule a COVID 19 vaccine or booster, go to the website vaccines.gov, and follow the instructions.
Vaccines and boosters are heavily recommended by the CDC. There are many places in the community that provide the Pfizer booster. Students may want to think about looking into getting a vaccine or booster not just for your own health but also your community’s.
Halfway Through the Year
By Ellie Coleman
January 24, 2022
The second Quarter is almost complete and grades are going to be in. Students are checking their grades to make sure they are posted and passing. Why is it time to start looking more often at grades in PowerSchool? Why is the start of the third quarter a little different than others? Well, not only does this Monday mark the end of the second quarter, but it also marks the end of the first semester.
A new semester means there will be a lot of new changes. For example, if a student had gym class they now would have Computer Concepts or Exploratory Language. Also, just like every other quarter the shorter specials change. The shorter specials are Art, Music, Tech-Ed, and Family Consumer Science. So people should check PowerSchool for not only their grades, but also for what class they have next. If someone did not know how to look on PowerSchool for what class they will have next they can look by scrolling down on the page that it automatically opens to.
Some good habits for someone to start for the new quarter are doing homework, making a schedule, and looking at and trying to improve one’s grades. If someone wanted to improve their education and grades they would not only want to start doing their homework, if they have not already been doing it, but also to get a study buddy or a small group of buddies who are in a lot of their classes.
When students have so many classes it can get overwhelming so keeping track of projects, due dates, tests, and daily homework can help lead to success. Planning ahead for homework and big projects can help get it all done without doing it all at the last minute. Organizing school supply or even figuring out when to go to your locker can help students arrive on time as well.
Sleeping can help students focus on what they need to do. Sleep may be hard for some people. In fact, the average person does not get enough sleep. Turning off cell phones for an hour before bedtime can help many people fall asleep quicker. An hour before going to sleep people should read or do something relaxing so they can calm down before bed. The military method, which is a good way to fall asleep fast, is to relax the whole body, exhale and think of a calming image.
Most students don’t like homework and students often fail to complete their assignments. Some things that help people do their homework are selecting a quiet place to work, not waiting until the last minute, making flash cards, and talking to others for help or to review. During Flex is also a good time to work on homework or other school work.
January 6th – One Year Later
BY GABI ISENBERG AND EMMA PALMER
January 24, 2022
On January 6th, 2021, what started as a protest of election results ended in a deadly attack on the United States Capitol building. Several lives were lost that day and on the anniversary of the attacks, Americans were called to remember all those who sacrificed their lives for our country.
In 2020, Former President Donald Trump lost the presidential election to current President, Joe Biden. There were many arguments over whether these election results were accurate or not. Disagreements over this matter occurred between politicians, journalists, and even the citizens of America. A group of civilians who disagreed with the election results protested on the stairs of the Capitol building. It quickly escalated. People were smashing windows and doors to gain access to the inside of the Capitol building at the same time that members of Congress were attempting to certify the election results.. When the rioters entered the building, they were pictured breaking into offices of politicians, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. It was a dark time in the nation’s history, and many students at IJHS remember the impact it had on them.
“I was in my bed doing school and then my dad came home and turned on the news and he [said], ‘Come downstairs. You need to see this.’ I was confused.” said Ali Genchur (8)
“I was sitting in my grandma’s house doing school and then I heard my grandma yelling upstairs. I watched it on the news with her.” said Oliver John (8)
IJHS students may not be able to vote yet, but they still have an opinion on politics and our world. It is important for students to understand the severity of the attacks on January 6th, 2021 so that history does not repeat itself.
Little No More
By Ellie Coleman
December 8, 2021
The Little Mermaid is coming to town. Students are talking about the school musical. Who doesn’t want to see singing crabs and mermaids? Drama director Mrs. Kessell is working with Mr. Karcher and Mr. Rummel to put together this Spring’s musical.
This year the auditions are on December 15 and 16 for the cast (on stage). If someone wants to be in the cast they would have to go to both because one is for singing and the other is for acting. However, if someone wanted to be in the crew (stage/ lights) they would come for auditions on December 17th. For the cast there are 25 roles. If somebody did want to do either they would have to sign a sheet which is in room 123 to put in a time that works for them to be able to audition on the 15th and 16th or the 17th.
The roles include Ariel, the main character who is a mermaid who wants to be a human; Eric a human prince who gets saved by Ariel; Prince Eric’s British guardian; Flounder, Ariel’s best friend who is a fish; Scuttle, a seagull; King Triton, Ariel’s father; Sebastian, a crab who is an advisor to King Triton and Chef Louis, the French palace chef. . Other roles include the villains Flotsam and Jetsam, who are both eels and Ursula’s lackeys and Ursula, the banished Sea Witch and sister of King Triton, who is the main villain in the story.
Just like to watch musicals or are a huge fan of The Little Mermaid and looking to support your school? Come to see The Little Mermaid on March 11th and 12th, 2022 at 7pm and Sunday, March 13, 2022, at 2pm. Tickets prices for the show will be students $5, adults $7, and children 0-5 are free. Spending time with family is awesome and it is great to have something to talk about. The Little Mermaid is a great connector for families. Someone`s family could watch the original movie and then the musical and talk about how well they did and their favorite parts of the musical.
Protectors become Destroyers
BY GABI ISENBERG
November 22, 2021
Masks have become a point of contention in this day and age. They have both positive and negative effects. One cause of concern, though, is how students across the nation have been using their masks lately.
TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms among teenagers. With around 1 billion users to date, it is one of the most influential apps around. TikTok is mostly used to post videos of users doing specific dances to songs, but “trends” or “challenges” are also posted. One challenge that was recently an issue for schools was the “devious lick” challenge. To “hit a devious lick”, students were to steal things from their schools and post a video of it on TikTok. This caused a lot of damage to IJHS. Students pulled the soap dispensers off the walls in the restrooms and attempted to flush them down the toilets, flooding the bathrooms and in some cases, the hallways.
There is a new challenge on TikTok now – the “mask string saw” challenge. This challenge includes taking a string of a disposable mask and rubbing it back and forth on the back of a plastic chair, creating friction and ultimately cutting through the plastic of the chair. There are also videos on TikTok that show people cutting through pens, pencils, and a variety of other objects. Some IJHS students were influenced by this challenge, and cut through the backs of chairs all around the school. The biggest amount of damage was done in the LGI/107, where a part of the chair was cut out (see picture below).
Dr. Minnick commented on this terrible challenge. He said in a statement:
“I believe this school building is a blessing. I believe the people that care for it by cleaning it, making sure that the classrooms, halls, restrooms, and cafeteria are clean. By making sure the pool is safe, the heat and air conditioning are working properly, and that our furniture is cared for are only a few of the responsibilities our maintenance crew oversees. If everyone does their part in helping us take care of our school, our school will be all that much nicer and more comfortable for all students now and in the future!”
Students also shared their take on this matter. Austin Schawl (8), is the Student Council President and he commented, “The school or you is going to have to pay for the chair you cut and they could press charges or fine you. That’s destruction of property.”
Graham McFarlane (8) shared that, “The chairs are very expensive and if you have a half broken back on it, it could cost thousands of dollars.”
Addison Fry (8) also mentioned, “It’s stupid because you’re going to get caught and you’re going to have to pay for it.”
In an effort to make a positive change in the school, Mr. Edmondson and a group of students came up with a TikTok challenge of their own. The November compliment challenge challenges students to complement one another on their internal traits. Teachers will keep a tally of how many heartfelt and kind compliments they hear in the month of November. Students with the most tallies will win a prize.
IJHS is a beautiful school, made possible by the incredible maintenance staff. Destroying it is not only wrong, but it is unfair to the future generations that will learn in this school. Let’s all do our part and keep this building beautiful not just for us, but for others.
Local Veterans Day Traditions
November 10, 2021
By Liliana Manzi
As Veterans Day is nearing, there are many ways that people commemorate the holiday. Some people attend or participate in the Veterans Day parade, while others spend the day hanging with family and having barbecues. Regardless of how one chooses to spend Veterans Day, it is important to remember that this is a day to honor our active duty soldiers and military veterans.
The Veterans Day parade is a tradition for many families in Indiana County. The parade is on November 11 and officially begins at 11am to represent the end of hostilities in World War I. Many people have or have had a family member or family friend in the military, so this is a way to honor their service
Another local tradition in honor of Veterans Day is the The InFirst Bank Veterans Marathon, Half Marathon and Marathon Relay. The race is directed by teacher/coach/advisor Candice Lockard and her husband Al Lockard. The race this year is on November 7 and will have an estimated 350 runners. The Half Marathon and the Marathon Relay are open to any age but runners have to be 18 or older to participate in the Marathon. Each year the marathon raises about $25,000 for local veterans.. In the 10 years that the race has been going on the race has raised more than $125,000. There are more than 25 businesses and 80 volunteers who donate their money and time to the race. All of the race proceeds go to the Western Pennsylvania Veterans Relief Fund, which then provides financial support to local veterans in need. If you would like to find out more about the race visit www.veterans-marathon.com.
Many people know veterans who have served and are serving. Grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles and cousins are some of the ways that people know veterans. It is important to
appreciate every man and woman who has or is serving in the military. Happy Veterans Day everyone!
Supreme Court Supports Student’s First Amendment Rights
BY GABI ISENBERG
November 10, 2021
Most of IJHS is familiar with social media. It’s used to share fun experiences, cute photos, and everyday news about life. It’s usually used as a good source of socialization. However, what rights do students have to free speech on social media platforms when criticizing school districts?
Brandi Levy, a 14-year-old student at Mahanoy Area School District in Mahanoy City, PA, tried out for her high school’s varsity cheerleading squad and for a right fielder position on a private softball team in 2017. She didn’t make the varsity cheer team and she didn’t get the spot she wanted on the softball team. Brandi went to social media and she posted a picture of her and a friend holding up their middle fingers with the caption “f*** school f*** softball f*** cheer f*** everything” on her Snapchat story. This picture was seen by students on the cheerleading team. Those students were upset about the picture and went to the cheerleading coaches, who went to the school principal.
The coaches and principal decided that since Brandi used profanity in regards to a school-sponsored activity, they had the right to suspend her from the junior varsity cheerleading squad, which she did make. The athletic director, school principal, superintendent, and school board agreed and suspended her from the team – for a full year. The Levy family took this to court arguing that the suspension was a violation of Brandi’s First Amendment rights because she posted it off of the school campus and did not mention the name of the school itself or even the school district.
In a four-year-long legal battle, this case was finally taken to the Supreme Court. The case was argued on April 28, 2021, and decided on June 23, 202l. The court ruled in Brandi’s favor. Although Brandi has long since graduated, this was still a win – not just for her, but for all students’ freedom of speech. However, the Court’s ruling still left the door open for school districts to discipline students for online activities that “fundamentally disrupt student learning.” Though the Court supported the student’s right to free speech in this case, students should still be mindful that what they post on social media has consequences.
IASD Makes School Lunches Free for The 21-22 School Year
By JACKSON MATTY-
October 29, 2021
For the 21-22 school year, all students enrolled in the Indiana Area School District can get their school lunches free of charge.
Due to COVID- 19, lots of things have changed, and of the major changes over the past two years is that the school district and Chartwells are making lunches free for the 21-22 school year. Starting last year, school lunches were made free for the 20-21 school year, but many people were online. Now, since most students are back in-person, they can take advantage of free lunches. By making lunches free, it helps the students out by not worrying if they have money in their account or not. Students still need to pay if they want extras, such as snacks, drinks, etc.
When asked how they felt about lunches being free this year, 8th grader Claire Manna thinks that it was a good decision. “COVID-19 has affected lots of people in many ways, including financially. Not having to pay for school lunches is one less thing parents have to worry about.” “It’s a good thing the school district decided to do that.,” said Jeanice Hill.
In conclusion, regardless of whether students pack or buy, a free, delicious lunch is available for all students.
Let’s Make Some Noise
BY: STELLA EMPFIELD
October 29, 2021
The IJHS Spirit Band is up and marching! Led by Mr. Zach Karcher, many musicians have joined Spirit Band this year! Mr. Karcher hopes that Spirit Band teaches the rewards of playing in the community, along with playing at football games to add in school spirit. Several students from the high school also come down to IJHS to support Spirit Band.
The Spirit Band has four performances scheduled. They have already performed at a 7th and 8th grade football game and will perform at the 8th grade football game on October 27th. Spirit Band is also scheduled for a side by side performance with the IHS marching band at the last varsity football home game on October 29th. The last performance of the year will be played in downtown Indiana on 7th Street, where they will play Christmas carols on November 19th.
The songs the band plays are called “band cheers” or pep tunes that the audience recognizes. Some of the songs that are played include: “Go Go Go,” “We Will Rock You,” “Go Indians Go,” and the school fight song called “Cherokee.”
Many students like making music and this year approximately 40 musicians signed up for IJHS spirit band! Sixth graders Abby Broad said that her favorite song to play is “Chrerokee.” Abby plays the trumpet along with a bunch of other trumpet players. Abby wanted to sign up for Spirit Band because she thought it would be fun to play with some of her friends after school.
Another sixth grader, Mackenzie Brown, said that her favorite song to play is also “Cherokee.” Mackenzie plays the trumpet as well. Mackenzie wanted to sign up for Spirit Band because she wanted to learn how to play more challenging music.
Skyelyn Newell is a sixth grader who plays the flute . Her favorite song to play is “Go Go Go.” She joined Spirit Band because it sounded fun to be able to get to go to football games and play with the band.
Finley Stewart is another sixth grader who plays the saxophone. She said that her favorite song to play is also “Cherokee.” She joined so that she could enjoy the band’s music along with playing.
Sixth grader Ty Allison’s favorite song to play is “We Will Rock You.” Ty plays percussion, most specifically bass drums for Spirit Band. He signed up for Spirit Band because he was bored and wanted something to do after school.
Finally Sadee Bowditch is a sixth grader in the visual ensemble. Her favorite song to twirl flags to is “Cherokee.” Sadee twirls flags as well as batons. Sadee signed up for visual ensemble because her older sister influenced her and she thought it sounded fun. Many other students are involved with visual ensemble too.
With three performances left, there is still time to come on out and support the students in Spirit Band!
Busing Woes Plague Sports Teams
BY LILY MANZI
October 15, 2021
Sports teams in the Indiana Area School District have faced some additional challenges this year due to the problems with providing busing. Some sports teams have missed games or meets because there was not an available bus or bus driver.
The Cross Country team missed two of their meets and was late to many practices. In one instance the bus didn’t come to pick up the team to take them to practice until plans had already been changed. Angelo Gentile (7) from the boy’s cross country team said, “I think this needs to be solved. In one scenario, we have the cross country team sharing a bus with the soccer team and it is way too crowded.”
Bus overcrowding also came up in many other interviews. The Cross Country and Soccer teams are often cramming into the same bus going to their practices at S&T Arena. Many kids are trying to fit 3 people into a seat along with their backpacks and sports bags. Addison Fry (8) said that “The buses for other sports teams were not being filled to their full capacities and they could have fit more people or another team.” Maddy Bauer went along with this by stating, “There are teams who are not getting where they need to go and are missing meets and games.”
Boys soccer players Charlie Manzi, Connor McGowan, Ethan Chuhran, and Jack Lehman all agreed that the situation was unfair. Many others agreed that it was very chaotic on the busses. Ethan Chuhran (8) followed this by saying, “We always have to ride the bus with many people from other sports.” Jack Lehman (8) added, “There aren’t any busses.” Even though there are over 20 players on the boy’s soccer team they constantly have to squeeze into busses with other teams.
Girls Soccer players Jayla Peterson, Marlie Mangold, Sydney Anderson, and Jocelynn Higbee were also all in agreement about the fact that busing was an issue. Peterson said, “I think our team should have our own bus with our own things to do instead of sharing the bus with people we may or may not know.” Marlie Mangold (7) continued this by saying, “They should not give one bus to one sports team and not give one to another.” Sydney Anderson (8) added on to this by commenting that “ certain people get the bus before the girl’s soccer team and we have missed many games because some people had to get the bus before us.” Sometimes teams have to share busses to meets or games with other sports teams or teams from the high school. As sports seasons move into winter, hopefully this issue will be solved.
Robotics Club Kicks It Into Gear
By STELLA EMPFIELD AND EMILY FERARRO
October 15, 2021
Students at Indiana Junior High have a new option this year to develop their STEM skills– Robotics Club! Mr. Dolges and Mr. Herrington are the Robotics Club teachers and this is what they plan on doing this year.
Mr. Dolges will be teaching how to design, build, and compete with 6-pound robots.
He also stated that the club will be doing competitions around April or May 2022 and plan on inviting other surrounding school districts to join in on the competitions. The students will learn about robotics, design, teamwork, and most importantly applying STEM skills.
Mr. Dolges said that he is excited to see all of the students come up with their creative ideas and compete while having fun. He wishes all of the participants good luck this year and wants them to try their best!
Mr. Herrington will be teaching the designing process, materials properties/selection, electricity/circuits, and machining. Along with Mr. Dolges, he will also be entering his class in the competitions. The skills that they will be learning include: teamwork, English skills, science skills, math skills, materials that are given, machining, electrical circuit designing and writing.
Mr. Herrington is very excited to see their final, battle ready bots.
Students are also excited about the Club. Joshua Reed (7) said he is most excited to start “building the robots.” Jacob Allen (7) said he wanted to join the program “to start building robots.” Mitchell Rend’s (7) experiences in Tech Ed class influenced him to want to be a part of this new program at IJHS. Laura Keppich (6) said that she is excited to be a part of this program because she has always loved building things.
As this new program reaches IJHS, it shows just another way our students and teachers are striving to enrich themselves and others.
Eisenhower Relocates to IJHS
BY LIAM HUNTER AND RUBY WESTRICK
October 15, 2021
On April 16, 2021, there was a devastating fire at Eisenhower Elementary School. The fire resulted in tragedy for some classrooms, but students were soon back in school at Horace Mann and the Junior High. This year, the students and teachers of Eisenhower are all working at the Junior High.
Eisenhower teachers have had to make adjustments due to the fire.. Mrs. DeOre said, “When it happened it was really shocking.” Mrs. Anderson stated that, “It was devastating,” but added,“I love how my principal and administrators kicked into action to get a plan together, so we wouldn’t miss school and be behind the rest of the district.”
While missing their old school, some teachers saw some positives in the switch from Eisenhower to IJHS. Mrs. DeOre said that she feels really great about being at the Junior High and that it’s a nice building. “Everyone has been very nice and welcoming to us,” said Mrs. DeOre. “I have to say the AC is a bonus,” said Mrs. Anderson. She added, “I love seeing former students and colleagues in the halls. It brings a smile to my heart.”
Eisenhower students have also had to adjust. Mrs. Anderson said, “At first, they were intimidated by the size and all of the stairs, but they handle it all just fine now.” Mrs. DeOre also mentioned that her students enjoy having their own lockers.
In conclusion, even though there was a horrific fire at Eisenhower Elementary School, there were still many pros to the move from Eisenhower to IJHS. It was initially tough for the students and teachers of Eisenhower to switch over to the Junior High. It is very devastating that the fire at Eisenhower has occurred, but hopefully soon Eisenhower will be back and better than ever.
Crimson Arrow 