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Volume 81, Issue 1Quarter 1, 2010

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Inside this Issue

HHS, 3940 Peters Mountain Road, Halifax, PA 17032

Capouillez CrownedHomecoming Queenby Kristen Manchor

Homecoming has been a celebratedtradition in the United States since the1800’s. It is an annual custom foruniversities, colleges, and high schoolsto welcome back former alumni andresidents to their specific school. It’salso a way of pulling together the schooland rallying up current students tosupport their football team.

This year Halifax High School beganits annual homecoming festivities witha spirit week. Throughout the week,nerds, superheroes, Indians, and alienscould be seen roaming the halls. Therewas a unanimous feeling amongteachers that this year’s students werethe most spirited group of students inten years.

The spirit week activities concluded with a pep rally on Friday. The seniorfootball players got special good luck kisses from their moms while thehomecoming court tried to toss marshmallows into a cup on their partners’heads. The pep rally concluded with the annual year cheer and a good luckto the football team.

The homecoming jamboree continued at the football game. Schoolorganizations spotted the softball field as spectatorsentered the Halifax Wildcat stadium. Observers got tosee the show of Tracey Cox adorned in a wetsuit in adunking booth.

The homecoming court could also be seen gatheringon the softball field with continuous smiles on their faces.After getting numerous pictures, the homecoming courtassembled in a parade of elaborate cars to ride up to thefootball field. Awaiting fans in the crowd cheered as thehomecoming court rounded the football field and stoppedin front of the stands.

As the court was announced, one by one, they wereescorted onto the field. Finally the three seniors wereannounced and waited anxiously in the center of the fieldto hear who was queen. All anxiety left when JennCapouillez was announced as the 2010 HomecomingQueen.

When asked how she felt about the night she replied,“I was excited because everyone was cheering for me.Then I was surprised when my name was announced asQueen.” The night’s festivities ended with a dance hostedby the Student Council.

CoD: Black OpsMuffin TopsThe McRibBoys of FallGirls’ SoccerVolleyballCoach KerstetterSpecial OlympicsModularsDaniel NevesTo Hunt or Not to HuntJon and Kate Plus 8Gratz Fair

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Hi-lite StaffEditors:Joshua ConwayBenjamin FeidtVictoria Hogan

Writers:Members of Mr. Ruff ’s HonorsEnglish and Ms. Kelly’s AP EnglishClasses

Photographers:Bethany FetterhoffSeth HarmanDan HebanthalDaniel KoluaDavid ReedKaylin ShoffstallZacharia SeidersMichelle SwabAllison Trutt

Layout:Andrew Sheeler, Co-EditorJeremy Wheeler, Co-Editor

*Special Thanks to theparents who submittedphotographs for this issue

EditorialsBlack Ops Pandemoniumby Ben Feidt

As November 9th approaches, the release date for the highly anticipated godlike game Call of Duty: Black Ops,the world is in utter turmoil. The world’s top scientists are in the midst of creating a time machine to hasten thehorrifyingly long six-day wait. All nations have terminated other actions to join together to try to make this possible.No other event has brought so many countries together; Israel and Palestine, Tibet and China, all have joinedhands in this united, epic cause.

Other giants are tuned in to this milestone in humankind as well. Concerts are being held just to celebrateBlack Ops and the bands and stars performing aren’t “no-name” acts either; when Metallica and Justin Bieber areboth supporting the same thing, you know something’s up.

“I don’t really know what the thing is, but I’m making tons of money!” says teen sensation Justin Bieber aboutsupporting Black Ops. Although all of Justin Bieber’s fans aren’t old enough to legally buy the game, it doesn’tseem to dampen their enthusiasm.

In fact, some people are coming to Bieber’s concert just because of the game such as one nonfan who askedto remain anonymous, “I don’t even like Justin Bieber; I just heard he’d be throwing out copies of Black Ops intothe crowd. So, that’s why I’m here.”

On the other end of the spectrum, metal heads are enjoying the week-long “CODstock” being performed byMetallica, Slayer, and Megadeth to name a few. The head banging musical festival will be held until the 9th to givemusic fans something to do if the whole time machine idea doesn’t work out.

But it’s the individuals who are most excited for this game, although it is much more than just a pastimeactivity.

“This is seriously going to be the greatest day of my life! Getting married?Having children? No way, man, Black Ops is way better,” says thirty year oldgamer, Thurmond Waters. Individuals such as Thurmond are not few and farbetween, either. Across the United States alone, 30% of the male population,around 50 million people, have camped outside their local GameStops ineagerness for the release.

Some have even quit their jobs or skipped school to do so such as JoshFerrari, “Yeah, like, who needs a job if you have the most orgasmic thingever? Give me an Xbox and Black Ops, and I don’t care what else happens,‘cause I’m gonna be the happiest guy in the world.”

Whether or not schools and workplaces should just close their doors theweek of Nov. 9 is still being debated; however, it’s unlikely anybody will begoing out of their house that week anyway, except for the elderly perhaps forbingo night.

While the world may seem to go into limbo on Nov. 9th, rest assured, we’llall be working our way to the 15th prestige level.

As for this lone editor, I’ll see you online. Semper Fi!

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Just Because It Zips, Doesn’t Mean It FitsBy Lexi White

Face it, muffins are delicious. They’re like small cups oflove served to us by grandmothers and bakeries all over theworld. We all love muffins, but the part that you always findmissing are the tops. Nobody can resist a warm sugared muffintop. They’re unexplainable; Just pure bliss. The mere mentionof a muffin top leaves the best of us dazed and drooling.

Now picture your beloved muffin top bursting out of a pairof size 4 jeans. That warm fuzzy feeling instantaneously leavesyour gut and is replaced by disgust and awe. “How couldsomeone of that mass possibly shove themselves in thosejeans?” And “how will those poor helpless jeans make itthrough the day?” These are the questions I contemplate daily.

Because of the recent rise in the need to be thin in society,some girls are starving themselves to fit in to the perfect pairof jeans. Others are still chowin’ down on cheese fries, BigMacs, and milkshakes on a frequent basis and still trying tofit into their jeans from yesteryear. Face it girls, just becauseit zips with twelve of your friends holding up your Big Macbelly, doesn’t mean you should wear your jeans. What goesup must come down and once your friends let go, you have a muffin top that stretches down to your knees.

I can’t even fathom how that is comfortable! Why do we wear jeans that don’t fit? Everybody’s done it to feelsmaller, but really wearing clothes that are too small for you just makes you look like a giant. Appealing clothesaren’t clothes that show your imperfect tummy and extensively long chest crack, they’re clothes that fit. If only wecould get the half of America’s population that is donning that muffin top disguise around their waists to stop andleave the muffin tops to be savored and drooled at atop the warm muffins we love to eat. Good luck America, I’mwaiting.

bun

sauteed onion

lonely pickle

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The Legend ReturnsBy: Courtney Trotman

For those people who happen to be hermits, don’t watch T.V., or don’t have postal service, I wish to inform youthat the wonder that is the McRib is back on the market. That’s right, the legend is back. As McDonald’s puts it,it’s “So hearty, so fulfilling, it sticks to your ribs”. McDonald’sattributes this “rib sticking goodness” to the new and improved97% plastic pork patty. Also contributing to the fulfillingexperience is the reduction of pork in the patty. This delightfulsandwich is sure to be a low calorie treat, having only 3%meat including pork gristle and the occasional chunk of bone(recognized as meat by the company).

The McRib is also back with its oh so alluring rib shape.The corporation once again broke out the company play doughmolds that hold the secret to that magical McRib shape.Nothing (not even the sacred Mcnugget molds) can compareto the iconic McRib structure. Who wouldn’t want to partakein a faux-boned pork nugget on steroids?

If you’re still not sold on this little plastic-y chunk ofheaven, I invite you to glob that tangy gum based McRibsauce on to that delicious lardy bun and maybe throw on achemically enhanced pickle or two. This sandwich sells itself,and I’m lovin’ it.

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Sports and Activities

The Boys of Fallby Jess Howard

0-10. You guys suck. 0-10. Our football team ispathetic. 0-10. How embarrassing. 0-10. It’s therecord that the Halifax High School football teamthought they would never live down. From newspaperarticles to fans, to friends and family, the Wildcatswere constantly being reminded of that dreadful 2009record. But on August 16th, despite the familiar smellof fresh cut grass, mud and sweat, there was alsoan unfamiliar smell lingering in the air…the smell ofhope, determination and victory.

For weeks, the Wildcats busted their butts 3times a day 5 days a week, from sun up ‘til sundown never skipping a beat. After all of the hard work and timespent on the practice field, the 3-a-days seemed to be paying off after the ‘cats took a 35-7 victory over Susquenitaduring their first scrimmage of the year. That victory alone sent a message out to all the doubters and non-believers out there that the Halifax Wildcats were back and ready to play some football. On September 3rd theRollers handed the ‘cats their first and most heartbreaking loss of the 2010 season. “Steel High was definitely themost heartbreaking loss because it was such a close game,” said guard/defensive end Brock Jones. “We definitelyshould have won,” Jones said. Although the 22-33 loss to the Rollers delivered a hard blow to the Wildcats, theybounced back and were ready to take on the Trojans.

September 10th marked the cats’ first and sweetest victory of the season. They defeated the Upper DauphinTrojans 28-27, and this was the start of a 3 game winning streak for the Halifax Wildcats. The cats scooped up twomore wins after UDA, including their first shut out. Defeating East Juniata and Nativity, holding a record of 3-1, therest of the season was looking mighty fine for Coach Ritchie Enders and the new and improved Wildcats. However,devastating injuries brought their winning streak to a screeching halt. Wide receiver Patrick Kushla broke hiscollar bone during the game at East Juniata leaving a huge hole in the Wildcat offense. Kushla’s injury was just thebeginning of some bad luck for the cats. Starting quarterback Mitch Nebrosky was the next victim of injury.Nebrosky’s season was ended by a shocking shoulder injury during the Tri-Valley game on October 1st. Thisforced senior running back Reece Gonsar to give up his goal of achieving 1,000 rushing yards to be the catsquarterback for the remainder of the season. The Tri-Valley game marked the beginning of the end for the Wildcats.Despite each loss, the stands were never empty on the Wildcats’ side of the field. Our boys always had andalways will have full support from their fans, their friends and their families.

Although the cats ended up with a 3-7 record, they didn’t go down without a fight. Our boys played their heartsout each and every time they stepped foot on a football field. The record may not show it, but the Halifax Wildcats

had a lot of heart this season and played every second ofeach game with more passion and determination than thistown has seen in a long time.

Just remember boys, a record is just a number, and onlyyou guys know how much blood, sweat and tears went intoevery practice and every game. What the 2010 Halifax HighSchool football team shared was special; they were friends,classmates, and teammates, but most importantly theywere family. A family that respected all but feared no one.No matter what the outcome, you guys have made us allproud and we wouldn’t trade you for anything.

Kenny Chesney says it best: “It’s knockin’ heads andtalkin’ trash. It’s slingin’ mud and dirt and grass. It’s I gotyour number, I got your back when your backs against thewall. You mess with one man, you got us all, The boysof fall.”

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Girls Soccer Has Great Seasonby Mackenzi Bingaman

From the end of the season last year, the expectations of Halifax’s girl’ssoccer team were already set high. With ten starters returning for the 2010season, Jan Hoffner was pressured to lead her most experienced soccerteam to success. The senior-heavy team also gained a lot of attention andwas stressed with high expectations from the get go; however, nothingcompared to the amount of pressure put on ourselves when the PatriotNews wrote that our small, Single-A team was a “state bid possibility.”

“It was exciting; the pressure put on ourselves definitely motivated usto work harder as a team,” said senior defender, Danell Engle. After thatstatement, no one was expecting an unsuccessful season from the ladycats.

The lady cats confirmed that the hoopla made during preseason waslegitimate from the start of the season. Wiping out the opponents in theSchuylkill league led to their clenching the Schuylkill League Division IIIchampionship. As D-III champions, the team moved forward to the Schuylkillleague playoffs, where they faced a familiar foe, Tamaqua. After the no-show Halifax team was previously beaten 5-0 by the lady raiders, the oddswere against us. Halifax only used this setback as motivation to accomplish

one of the most memorablevictories of the season, a 2-1 winover Tamaqua+ and a chance togain the title as the Schuylkill League champions.

Blue Mountain, however, wanted this title more than Halifax, and beatthe Lady Cats 4-1 in the finals. This was definitely a disappointing loss.

“I wanted to bring home the gold!” said senior midfielder, Amy Jacobs.Unfortunately, another disappointment occurred thanks to a highly

unwanted visitor. Lancaster Country Day entered the Tri-Valley leagueand beat the Lady Cats 3-0. The team’s hopes of winning the TVL werediminished after this previous state semifinalist team killed every teamin the league and stole the title from Halifax.

Even though the lady cats faced huge, disappointing outcomes, theyhad a “sweet” revenge against the team’s biggest rival, Millersburg, aftertwo disappointing losses last year. This helped alleviate the Cats’ painfullosses. It was an “unexplainablefeeling” to senior midfielder, AmyJacobs. Beating them 6-0 orsimply, “putting them out of their

misery,” Coach Jan Hoffner. had requested them to do.Lancaster Country Day again minimized the Cats’ achievements after

the team beat Halifax 2-1 in the district three state play-in game. When thewhistle blew to end the game, our team looked stunned. Being halted soclose from entering a playoff was a very painful way to end the season. Notother Halifax soccer team had come so far. It was especially hard forthose seven starting seniors who were not ready to walk off the field togetherfor one the last time.

“We made a statement in the second half,” Coach Hoffner said after theheartbreaking loss to Lancaster Country Day. But entering State play-offswould have been a far greater statement. After facing two disappointmentsin a row, the Schuylkill League Championship game and the state play-ingame, it is small compensation that the team held an overall record of (14-4-2), broke Halifax girls soccer records, and beat the odds this season.

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Halifax Serves up Some Winsby J.A. Conway

The volleyball team had a successfulseason, by all accounts. The team managedto improve upon its record from last seasonunder first year head coach Jackie Miller,thanks in part to the team’s seniorleadership. The team’s five seniors- JessHoward, Gabrielle Reed, Hayley Miller, LoraDoebler, and Aloni Mauser- accounted formost of the team’s statistics.

The girls started their season off with abang, winning second place at the Big SpringTournament. The team didn’t stop there,however, as they then went on to win sevenof their first nine games. Unfortunately, thismomentum did not carry into the second halfof the season, as the girls lost seven of theirremaining eleven games. One player told methat she wished the team could havecommunicated better and finished theseason stronger.

Even though the team did not finish the season on a high note, they still have a lot to be proud of. Halifax wasable to beat Upper Dauphin both times the teams met, which was one of the goals that the team set before theseason began. Also, the team completed another goal by going to District playoffs, which they were not able toaccomplish last season.

The season was successful for a few of the girls personally as well. Jess Howard had wanted to lead the teamin kills (known as spikes to the casual volleyball fan) this season, which she did by a large margin. Jess had 134kills to go along with her 42 blocks, which also led the team. Gab Reed accumulated the best serving statistics onthe team, and Hayley Miller led the team in assists.

On November 4, the team traveled to Central York High School to participate in a round-robin District playofftournament. The girls won their first game against Lebanon Catholic, but lost their next two games againstReading Central Catholic and Lititz Christian. Even though the volleyball team wasn’t able to advance in Districts,they still had a great season. Good job girls!

Tee Timeby Jenn Capouillez

This year’s golf season teed off at the beginning of September withwarm weather and new head coach Joel Smith. With six new players andtwo returnees, Tyler Sweigard and David Reed, the team was fairly new.

“I am really excited for the season to start; my goal is to have the kidsshow improvement” Stated Coach Smith.

Midway through the season the team played several teams placing mostlythird and fourth place. Against the golfing rivals of Newport our team took a410 while Newport stole a 399, placing us last out of the triple match.

“Although we didn’t win, I had a lot of fun on the team this year. We wereconstantly cracking jokes and making new friends. I was just glad to showsome progress as the season went on” stated player Will Tabb, formally known as “Big Papa Nine Iron”, whichwas the nickname given to him by the team.

At the end of the year the team took zero out of sixteen matches. Tyler Sweigard and Patrick McFadden fromMillersburg traveled to districts on October 8th. Overall the team had a very eventful season and Coach Smith islooking forward to next year’s team.

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It’s Not OverBy Gabrielle Reed

The 2010 fall season is drawing to a close, and for many, this means their sport seasons are over. However,for our cheerleaders it’s just the beginning. Since many cheer all year, from fall to spring, they are nowhere closeto being done.

They are about to enter their winter season, cheering on our wrestlers and basketball teams. Throughout thisseason they also compete in various competitions and activities. They plan on attending two different competitionsthis winter, which means they have a lot of work to do. December 18th they will be attending their first competitionof the year; the District Competition, and hope to be a top competitor.

Later in the season, they will be competing in the Lower Dauphin Competition. Both competitions require atwo and a half minute routine that includes dance, stunting, and cheering. This is one of the most difficult tasks ofthe sport.

The cheerleaders will also be attending the annual Philadelphia Sixers basketball game to perform a pre-game show for the fans. On top of all of their activities, the Halifax Cheerleaders will be hosting their own competitionlocated in our amazing new gym. Unlike normal competitions, their requirements are a little different; the cheer,the dance, and the cheer with a stunt are all scored separately.

After reading this, we can all agree that these girls have their hands full. Their strenuous practices are filledwith difficult dances, cheers, and stunts that many of us could not even think of doing. Much credit is to be givento their coaches and captains for running such a great program. Girls not only learn how to be great cheerleaders,but great people.

I asked one of the captains what she thought of the past season. She followed with, “Our squad has reallypulled together and has come really far since camp over the summer”. To me this statement shows the dedicationof the squad. Good luck, ladies!

Marching Bandby Sarah Scheib

Every Friday night at the football games, we see these people wearing our school colors, black and gold. Theyshow a lot of school spirit, and they work as hard as they possibly can. We watch them play on the field and onthe bleachers. We cheer them on because they are giving their best. Yes you guessed it, it’s the marching band!

Our marching band’s show this year is West Side Story. The show is an arrangement of pieces from the well-known musical, such as “Tonight,” “America,” “One Hand,” “One Heart,” and “Mambo.” You might also rememberhearing them perform their show at the Gratz Fair. The marching band also competes at different schools withdifferent bands. Last year, they had competitions at Hempfield, Ephrata, and Hershey. At Ephrata, they placedsecond, and they made it to the championships in Hershey, where they placed 14th in the Upper Division.

This year, the marching band went to Central Dauphin to perform as an exhibition band at the “Band-a-Rama.”Our marching band and other bands performed in front of an audience. They didn’t play for any trophies or ranking.

I talked to the marching band’s president, who is Carissa Deibler. She is one of two seniors in marching bandthis year. She enjoys being a senior because she feels like she’s in charge and a leader. She feels like theyounger kids look up to her, and she receives more respect. This is Carissa’s second year in marching band. Sheis in the pit and the color guard. In the pit, she plays the bells, tambourine, and the bongos. She also plays thebass drum for the parades. She said the hardest thing for her is memorizing the music.

The members of the marching band put a lot of time and effort into their work. It all starts in the summer atBand Camp (this one time…at Band Camp…). During this week, they have very long practices that last from eightin the morning till about four or five at night. They also have practices after school on Tuesdays from five to eightand practice before the football games on Fridays.

We appreciate our marching band for supporting our school. We enjoy listening to them play at the footballgames and at other events. They get our spirits up and help us cheer for our football players. We thank you for allof your hard work!

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Coach Kerstetter’s 100th WinBy Shane Smith

This season marked an important milestone in Halifax boys’ soccerhistory. Not only did the boys pick up the Schuylkill League Division II title,they also earned themselves the first seed in districts. On top of that, HeadCoach Jeff Kerstetter received his 100th career victory, a truly remarkableaccomplishment.

Coach Kerstetter’s win, however, did not come easily. On September18th the boys’ team travelled to Tri-Valley to compete in what would be anextremely intense game. Coach Kerstetter said he was rather scared goinginto the game, especially because the opponent was Tri-Valley, one of themore challenging teams the boys would face this season, and because itwas an away game.

“I knew it would be a close game, but as it went on I got more confident,”said Coach Kerstetter.

Nine minutes into the game the ‘Cats took the lead when Alex Erdmanscored with an assist from Matt Osenbach. Going into halftime, CoachKerstetter said he was feeling pretty good. That soon changed when Tri-Valley came out of the half and scored within just three minutes of play.

“I was very nervous,” Coach Kerstetter said, “They gained a lot ofconfidence and momentum.” Coach Kerstetter was relieved when GarrettRowe scored the game winning goal, assisted by Anthony Patrick, withjust less than fifteen minutes left in the second half.

When the buzzer finally rang, Coach Kerstetter said a whole burden came off his shoulders: “There was somuch anticipation built up. When that buzzer rang, it felt like all the weight was lifted.” Coach Kerstetter also saidhe didn’t even realize how prestigious of a milestone he had reached until a few days after the game when hereceived congratulatory emails and phone calls from other coaches and past players.

“It was a great game,” said Halifax goalkeeperAndrew Osenbach.

“Both teams played hard.” Coach Kerstetterconcurred, saying it was an awesome game well-playedon both sides. The ‘Cats celebrated their vital win bydrenching Coach Kerstetter with water, followed by teampictures and much rejoicing.

“I’m really glad for him,” said Andrew, “He’s a greatcoach and really deserved the win for all the years ofeffort and dedication he has given to his players.” Nowthat Coach Kerstetter has reached 100 wins he plansto keep going.

“If I reach 200 wins, I reach 200 wins,” he said. “I’mjust having a good time.”

100 and Counting!!100 and Counting!!100 and Counting!!100 and Counting!!100 and Counting!!

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DISTRICTS UPDATE:The guys entertained fans for the last time on their home turf, with a 7-0 annihilation of Lititz Christian. This

allowed the Cats to move on and play one of seven other teams still in districts. Lancaster Country Day was thenext opponent that stood in the way of a district championship. The game started off with LCD getting an earlylead. However, the guys responded with a goal from Anthony Patrick and then another by Alex Erdman to take thelead before half time. Late in the second half, Lancaster Country Day put one away – tying the game up. However,in overtime, Chris Scheib’s goal from Matt Osenbach secured the win!

Unfortunately, the guy’s season came to an end with a devastating 0-1 loss in the semi-finals against HolyName.

Unbeatable: Boys Soccerby Austin Sacks

“The only way of finding the limitsof the possible, is by going beyondthem into the impossible.” This is thequote that you may hear membersfrom the boy’s soccer team sayingbetween classes, at lunch, andespecially on the soccer field. On thefield, time and time again, the teamhas, indeed, stepped up and goneinto the impossible.

It all started back in July atBucknell University where the guysspend four grueling days in the hotsun at a team camp. “We all have alot of chemistry together and are allworking toward the same goal,” sayssenior goalkeeper/captain, DrewOsenbach. At Bucknell, essentialskills are defined and then redefined.

Even though they may only win twoor three games at camp, one mustrealize that the schools beingplayed are triple and quad A. It isplaying these difficult teams thathave prepared the team for the fallseason.

This year has been extremelysuccessful for the boy’s soccerteam, and there have been manyoccasions for celebration. OverLabor Day weekend, the seasonstarted off strong when the teamplaced first at the Bellevilletournament. Not long after, the teamcelebrated Coach Kerstetter’s onehundredth win after the game againstTri-Valley. “It’s really been a reboundseason after last year’s

disappointing season,” says seniorcaptain, Alex Erdman. More recently,the team has clinched the SchuylkillLeague D-II championship. As D-IIchampions, the guys moved on toplay Tamaqua (the runner-up ofDivision I). Another win pushed theminto the Schuylkill League finals!

Unfortunately, on Saturday,October 23, the team suffered adissatisfactory loss against BlueMountain (triple A) in the finals. Theteam’s stunning overall record of 19wins and only 3 loses (13-1 indivision) made them the first seed inPIAA District 3. Optimism is high forthe boys’ postseason. Great job,guys!

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The “Special” Special Olympicsby Rebecca Harman

You may have seen Halifax hosting the Special Olympics three yearsago, but then again maybe you didn’t even notice. This year our schooldecided to go with a different approach. Instead of just having helpers outon the field with the kids, they had everyone in the entire high schoolparticipate, even the teachers. Each discovery created a game, activity, orevent that the kids could play. Some of the different activities the Discoveriesplanned were pumpkin painting, Twister, Ladder ball, and jump rope. Thekids and helpers seemed to have a lot of fun at their Discovery stations.

Overall, this year’s Special Olympics was a success. Everyone had fun,helpers and kids alike. One of the helpers said, “I learned a lot about how todeal with kids and the different school districts and the kids in them.” Theonly aspect that she did not like was that the discoveries came out with somany activities to do, but when the high school students returned to school,the Olympians were left with little to do.

I believe it’s very helpful to combine the three schools (Halifax, Millersburg,and Upper Dauphin) because the kids can interact with other kids that theymay not have met otherwise. The kids also benefited from the older studentsthere as a support system. Meeting their new helpers expanded their socialcircle as well.

Hopefully, we all had a good time helping these kids broaden theirhorizons. In doing so, many of us learned a bit more about ourselves.

The Big Moveby Elizabeth Steffen

We would like to welcome theautistic class to its new room: B10.Mrs. Suhr and Mrs. Bitting-Ellismade the big move this summer fromthe middle school to the high school.They put a lot of hard work intomaking the room look great and themove was very successful. They allenjoy being up in the high school andthink that this move will be verybeneficial. The autistic rooms werepreviously spread out, so highschool students couldn’t alwayswork with their peers. Working in thehigh school allows these studentsto meet their goals and objectiveswhile working with other academicareas of strength.

When asked, “What is it like tobe up in the high school rather thanthe middle school” Mrs. Suhranswered that they have a smallerroom than what they had in themiddle school, special scheduling for

student purposes and theteachers are very helpful andflexible. She also stated thatthe program’s objectives areto give the students the skillsto be independent and to gaincompetitive employment aswell as gaining the socialaspect. The high schoolatmosphere was a significantpart of the move because thestudents can interact withpeers their own age. Also, thestudents will split their classtime between regularclassrooms and the autisticroom.

Overall, the move was verysuccessful! We are very happyto have the autistic room inthe high school with us! Thismove will only make thingsbetter for the students andalso help other students hereas well.

News

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All SchoolEligibilityby Ashley Snyder

It is the one word at Halifax HighSchool that all students dread tohear…Ineligible. That means nodances, assemblies, or sports. Thisnew strategy was brought about bythe principal’s advisory committee inorder to identify the kids that arefalling behind in their classes and toprevent them from failing. Accordingto Mr. Hatfield, it is not meant topunish students, it is meant tomotivate and help them get theirwork done on time.

How do you become ineligible?Well, a student needs to be failingtwo classes, which means a 69% orbelow. In order to become eligible,the student needs to bring theirgrades back up; however, until theydo they may not go to any in-schoolactivities, like dances, assemblies,or pep-rallies. This strategy was putin place to hold all students to thesame standards as athletes. Thegoal of this is to make sure everystudent keeps their grades up all yearround.

Teachers seem to have mixedemotions about the new strategy, butit is too soon to tell whether or not itwill actually work in the long run. InMr. Lahr’s classes, more studentsare interested in getting their workdone in order to stay off or get offthe ineligibility list, but will that bethe case in the years to come? Onlytime will tell if all school eligibilitywill keep students successful andmotivated when it comes to theirschool work.

Modular Classrooms BuildMixed Emotionsby James Seidel

The Modulars - Your very own school away from school

In an attempt to meet the growing demand of space in the high school,the school board okayed buying “modular classrooms” over the summer.While chosen for their affordability and practicality, their spawn hasgenerated buzz all over the school.

“I think they’re pretty nice; I like the A/C,” says one student who askedto remain anonymous.

“They give me a headache,” replies senior Zach. Zach has 3 out of his 9periods in the modules and complains about the light and acoustics. Zachclaims before this year he rarely experienced headaches but now getsthem almost daily.

When asked about the sensitivity level in the modules Principal Hatfieldresponded by saying they are “too white and too bright” and that the schoolis working on “painting the rooms and hallways” for the near future.

Hatfield also added that while there were minor “speed bumps,” he feelsthat it is a big addition to the school. He said instead of having 4 or 5travelling teachers as in years past, the high school has only one. “I feelthat it is a unique learning situation where an entire department is groupedby themselves.”

The new 12th grade English teacher Mr. Ruff agrees with that statement.He stated he liked the “camaraderie and team concept.” His complaints,however, were the lack of storage space and the white walls.

As for Ms. Kelly she admits she “moved out for the A/C.” She was inagreement with Mr. Ruff about the spirit of camaraderie the department hasdeveloped in their newfound isolation but also agreed with him about theeffects of the white walls. Like Zach, she also has some problems with theechoing in her noisier afternoon classes. She indicated that when she voicedher concerns to Principal Hatfield, he was very “receptive and supportive.”

The biggest support for the new home for the English department camefrom the freshman English teacher Ms. Nec. “I like it,” she said, adding,“the air conditioning is sweet, the halls are quieter, there’s more room, andbeing surrounded by my department is convenient.” Her only criticism wasthe complete isolation. She says it can be a hassle when she has to deliverpapers or go to the teachers’ lounge, but, other than that, no complaints.

That’s good, because like it or not, Halifax, these modules are here tostay.

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Chorus ConcertsOn December 5, 2010, the Halifax High School Chorus will present

“Grown Up Christmas List”- a program celebrating the music of theholiday season- at 3:00 P.M. in the high school auditorium. OnDecember 8, 2010, the Halifax Middle School Chorus will present“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”- a spirited program of holidaymusic- at 7:00 P.M. in the high school auditorium. Admission is freefor both concerts. Hope to see you there!

Ruff Returnsto Halifaxby Derek Deibler

Last year, when Mrs. Popchockannounced her retirement, theHalifax Area School District waswithout a 12th grade English teacher.Luckily for us, a young hero namedChristopher Ruff was willing to saveus in our hour of need; Mr. Ruff isnow the Pop. Lit. and 12th gradeacademic and honors Englishteacher.

Mr. Ruff is a native to good oldHalifax. Like most of us, he spenthis childhood growing up in Halifaxand attended school here. He playedon the Halifax basketball and footballteams. After he graduated fromHalifax Area High School, heattended Lock Haven Universitywhere he played on the basketballteam and earned degrees in creativewriting and education. He is currentlyin a Master of Fine Arts program atChatham College.

Before starting his teaching jobhere at Halifax, Mr. Ruff taught atCentral Dauphin East for two yearsand at Newport for one year. Mr. Ruffis glad he ended up back in Halifaxbecause everything is familiar to himfrom his days in high school. He likesall the administrative staff here; healso gets along well with the otherteachers and his students. We allknow that Mr. Ruff loves teachinghere, but if he were to have a differentjob, he would want a career increative writing or fly fishing.

Though he may look intimidatingwith his large stature and slickedback hair, underneath it all he is justlike any other teacher at Halifax: hewants to help you prepare for collegeand whatever you decide to do afterthat. I think that he fits in very wellwith us and that he is happy to beback in Halifax.

Hargenrader Joins the EnglishCrewBy Courtney Trotman

As the seats began toopen up in the Englishdepartment this year,students naturally began toexperience a bit of anxietyafter losing their favoriteteachers. This anxietyproved to be short lived,however, as Mrs. JenniferHargenrader fi l led theEnglish 10 seat.

Mrs. Hargenrader didn’tinitially set out to be ateacher. At first, she pursuedbusiness school and held asecretary job, but she definitely ended up where she belongs. She startedout her teaching career by attending college at NC State and then teachingat Fuquay-Varina Middle School for two years. After 12 years in NorthCarolina, Mrs. Hargenrader moved to Pennsylvania along with her husband,who also happens to be her high school sweetheart, and their three kids.She eventually started substituting at Halifax and decided to teach here fulltime because she liked it here so much.

Some students describe her as being “open, caring, and involved”, whichis very fitting. She’s involved in just about every genre of activity that youcan think of. She makes it clear that she loves hunting and fishing,photography, playing volleyball and, of course, being a dedicated mom toher kids and their sports teams. Cooking is also one of her hobbies, and asa member of her discovery I have to say that I am very thankful for thatbecause her brownies are pretty “killer.”

Overall, Mrs. Hargenrader feels that Halifax has given her a very warmwelcome. As a member of her film class and discovery, I can honestly saythat she is dedicated to her students. I’m glad, as are many other students,that our teaching staff has gained such a bright, open, and dedicatedindividual who will be an inspiration for students to come.

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Ms. Witmer Makes a Pit Stop at HalifaxBy Lora Doebler

Many students go through high schooljust dying to get out and go to college. Wecount down the years, months, and days,just waiting. In college, freedom andendless opportunities await us. Manystudents will go far, far away, while otherswill stay close to home. Many of us evendream of going to another country for asemester or two - you know, to see theworld.

Like us, Ms. Witmer was once a studenthere at Halifax. She had the sameaspirations – to go out and see the world.She followed her dreams with two trips: oneto Mexico for a couple weeks, and one toChile for a semester. She says that thesetrips were truly been life-changing (not tobe cliché) and have helped her to developnot only intellectually, but socially. Shethoroughly enjoyed these trips and

recommends that anyone who is considering study abroad should seize the opportunity. She has used herexperience in other cultures to bring a new twist to the Spanish department at Halifax.

Since her graduation from Halifax, Ms. Witmer has attended and enjoyed 4 years at Millersville University.There, she majored in International Studies of Latin America and minored in Spanish. Though she thought shewanted to be a math teacher when graduating from high school, her ideas quickly changed upon entering college.Ms. Witmer did not, in fact, go to school for a teaching degree. After going undeclared for a year and taking a fewclasses, she found a great passion for the study of international development. She does not plan to make a careerof teaching but has been substituting for Mrs. Crum because of her experience with a second language. Althoughshe will probably continue to substitute occasionally after Mrs. Crum comes back, Ms. Witmer hopes to expandher horizon. She hopes to go to grad school and is thinking about working with immigration refugees and ininternational development.

Many students look at our returningteachers and wonder why they would wantto come back and work in a high school.Ms. Witmer agrees. Though she is enjoyingher time substituting and realizes howrewarding it is, she hopes to someday seea world outside of education. She claimedthat teaching has opened her eyes andmade her realize how much effort is put intostudents’ education. She is realizing howhard it is to be a teacher and is grateful thatshe can still rely on our teaching staff tohelp her along the way. Though she is nolonger a student, she still feels that ourteaching staff is very supportive of her.

Ms. Witmer finds fulfillment in teachingand is enjoying her time here. Mrs. Crumwill return after Thanksgiving Break, and Ms.Witmer will continue with her job at the localSubway; however, she may still substituteon occasion. We hope to see her around,and wish her luck wherever life may take her!

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Hoovdawg in the Houseby Garrett Rowe

If you have gym class or Health 11 this semester you might havenoticed that Mr. Hoover has taken over for the new assistant principalMr. Ansel. Mr. Hoover moved up to the high school from the elementaryschool. Mr. Ansel also started out his Halifax career as a elementarygym teacher. If this pattern continues you may be looking at the nextassistant principal, but definitely not the next baseball coach.

Mr. Brent Hoover graduated from Halifax Area High school and isnot the first member of his family to join the Halifax High School faculty.Mr. Hoover is the son to the assistant athletic director here at HalifaxHigh School, Mrs. Vicky Hoover. He also has an identical twin brothernamed Brian who is currently teaching at Upper Dauphin. Mr. Hooveris also a coach for the Halifax football team.

Mr. Hoover said that he enjoys his new job here at the high school.He likes it more because he gets to have more fun actually playingthe games in gym class instead of spending most of the time explainingthe activities. He also likes his new job more because he does less “babysitting” and is able to give his studentsmore freedoms. Mr. Hoover appears to be fitting in just fine with the rest of the high school.

Even though Mr. Hoover will never be able to replace the great Mr. Ansel, he may come close. However, Mr.Hoover is still making some elementary mistakes according to students enrolled in his 3rd period gym class. Onestudent who wanted to remain anonymous complained that even though Mr. Hoover is a great guy, he doesn’tmeet the high standards set by Mr. Ansel. When asked to further explain the reasons for this accusation he saidthat Mr. Hoover has a problem with picking fair, equal teams so that every kid in gym class has an equal opportunityto win. Another student accused Mr. Hoover of stacking certain teams and showing favoritism. This studentcompared Hoover to a coach who is also the referee of the game and has a son playing in the game. In other wordsthere is a very high possibility that our new gym teacher may be as corrupt as a politician.

With all other matters aside, Mr. Hoover is a great person and as a student, I am very happy to have him forgym class. He likes to have fun, and even though he is not great at picking teams and may be slightly crooked, heis a great gym teacher.

Neves in Americaby Lauren Steffen

In August, the Halifax High School family welcomed the swim trunk-wearing, bubbly exchange student, Daniel Neves. “Neves” as his teammatescall him, comes to Halifax from Rio de Janiero, Brazil. I sat down andspoke with Daniel about what school was like for him in Brazil.

He said, “Where I’m from, the teachers move from class to class, andthe students are always in the same class with the same people. We alsodon’t get to choose our classes; the school does.”

Daniel is living with the Reitz family. He said that it was “a little weird atfirst, but now I’m used to it because they (Reitz family) are very nice people.”

In his spare time Daniel likes to hangout with friends, play video gamesand soccer, watch TV, and sleep when he is tired.

Daniel also says “I’ve never seen before such kindness and generousness (from the people of Halifax).”Though his experience at Halifax is only a few short months, Daniel said he has many things that he will take

back to Brazil with him from our small town such as his much improved English skills, his understanding of the lifeof a typical American, his expierence with his host family, and of course, all of the friendships he has made.

From the little time that I have known Daniel, I can say I enjoy his energetic spirit everyday. It’s also nice havingmy own personal translator in Spanish 4. I would like to wish Daniel the best as he continues his experience hereat Halifax and also when he leaves us to go back to Brazil.

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Ms. Fox Has a New Nameby Cody Sulouff

Some of you may remember Ms. Fox, who was a long-term substitute for Mrs. Howard last year from Octoberto February. Earlier this year Ms. Fox got married to Grant Finkenbinder, making her Mrs. Finkenbinder. She hasnow taken up a permanent residence in Halifax’s business department, teaching Principles of Marketing, You andthe Law, Business Math, and Accounting, 1 & 2. r rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrr

Mrs. Finkenbinder graduated from Middleburg High School, which has now been renamed Midwest. She laterwent on to Shippensburg University, where she graduated with a double major in art and communication. Sheobtained her business background through her communications and public relation courses, and has a master’sdegree in communication studies. fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffffffffffffffffff fffffffffffff ffffffffffff ffffffffff

Mrs. Finkenbinder loves the outdoors; some of her favorite activities are hiking, kayaking and skiing. Herfavorite sport is soccer and she enjoys watching The Office. Mrs. Finkenbinder currently lives on a farm with herhusband, Grant. Besides her teaching job, she helps herhusband out on the farm by driving the tractors and feedingthe farm animals. f fffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

Prior to teaching, Mrs. Finkenbinder has held variousjobs in many different fields. She has worked in web pagedesign, was an intern at the Daily Item, worked at a bridalshop, and was the Capital Area Science and EngineeringFair director. r r r r ffffffff ffff ff r r r rr

I asked a student for a comment on her teaching. Hesaid, “She’s a very nice teacher, she has a good sense ofhumor and her classes are fun, while still maintaining a goodlearning atmosphere.” Mrs. Finkenbinder has a lot to offer,and is a great addition to our school’s business department.

Beloved Security Guard and Friendby Andrew Osenbach

On September 17, 2010, our world saw a great man pass away. Wesley Warfel, or Lee Warfel as we all hadknown him, died at the age of sixty-eight years old. Lee lived a humble life, where he could be seen participatingand volunteering throughout the area. He was employed at Harrisburg Steel for thirty-nine years before he retired.Lee was also a volunteer firefighter for numerous fire companies, which included Powell’s Valley Fire Co, HalifaxFire Dept, and the Carsonville Volunteer Fire Co. Lee won plenty of awards for serving in these fire companies.Moreover, Lee was a Forest Fire Warden for forty five years, served the fish and boat commission for thirteenyears, and was a Wayne township supervisor.

However, to most of us Lee is remembered as a security guard. No matter what sporting event, Lee was alwaysthere rooting for Halifax while performing his duties. Lee served as a security guard for fifteen years.

Mrs. Hoover said that, “Lee was a dependable person who was always willing to serve the school.”Mrs. Boyer also agreed with these statements and added that “Lee made sure the kids came first.” Sometimes

Lee was such a big fanatic that he traveled to away games just to support the team. Both Mrs. Boyer and Mrs.Hoover say that all you had to do was look at Lee, and he’d start to smile.

Personally, Lee will be missed by me because he was my neighbor. Unlike most of the athletes we were ableto talk about things other than sports. We could talk about the deer we saw early that morning, and we’d also talkabout my grandparents quite a bit. My family and I were so close that my mom was over at his house everyday inthe last week that Lee lived. It is definitely going to be different looking to the sidelines and not seeing Lee therewatching and cheering for not only me, but for all the athletes from Halifax.

There wasn’t any person who Lee couldn’t talk to, and if Lee knew you, all you would hear were complimentsand nice remarks. I found it to be quite unique that Lee’s son follows in his footsteps and is a security guard, also. Lee, we’ll always remember you standing there on the sidelines, quietly cheering for the best in all of us. Youwanted to make sure that each and every single athlete was not just the best on the court or field but the best offit too. Thank you, Lee, for your fifteen years of service as our security guard. You will definitely be missed.

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Features

To Hunt or Not to HuntBy CJ Houtz

It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving; to everyone’s delightthere is no school today. Imagine you wake up early in themorning so you can be in the woods before dawn. You haveto grab a quick breakfast and put on your camouflage andgrab your rifle. You walk outside; it won’t be daylight for anothertwenty minutes, so you use a flashlight while walking to thewoods. You feel the cold damp ground as the frost meltsand soaks into the seat of your pants. You sit all day onMonday without seeing a deer. Disappointed, you trudge backto the house with the news of your wasted day. You talk toyou dad, also a hunter, and he says that you can stay homefrom school tomorrow in order to hunt some more.

Imagine, now, that you have never hunted before in yourlife. You awake at ten in the morning on the Monday afterThanksgiving. After looking at the clock and checking yourphone, you think to yourself, “I love Buck Season.” After along day of finishing up the remaining homework you neglectedduring the break, you are ready to go to bed. You awakebright and early on Tuesday, get on the bus or in the car, andyou go to school. When you get there you find out yourfriend is skipping school to go hunting, but you know thenote his dad gives him will say, “sick”, not “hunting”, becausemissing school to hunt is not an excused absensce. Mr.Hatfield frowns upon this lie, saying that if the students werehonest with him, he would not take any action against them,even though he cannot, by law, give them excused absences.

Many hunters agree that the school should have morelocal school holidays for hunting because school and afterschool activities take away from hunting time. They suggestif the school can not provide them with full days off, half dayswould also be acceptable to them.

When students were questioned about the hunting rulesof the school, their opinions differed. An avid hunter wantedhunting to count as an “educational trip,”

However, a non-hunter didn’t think the rules should bechanged, because “it’s the law.”

Both students believed that the administration would bemore lenient toward hunters missing school if the membersof the administration hunted.

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GrGrGrGrGreateateateateatJob!!!Job!!!Job!!!Job!!!Job!!!

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Halifax’s own version of Johnand Kate plus eight?by Lexi White

As a small school, everyone knows all of the hullabaloo aboutrelationships that are circulating within our high school. One of the lessapparent ones is not one of two students, but one of two teachers. Mr.Crum has been teaching at Halifax for the past two years. Within that timewe all grew to respect and appreciate him as our teacher. Students alsoalways love having Mrs. Crum as their Spanish teacher… if she’s not onmaternity leave that is. During 2009, the Spanish classes were tossedaround and confused on a daily basis about which teacher they wouldhave. One day it would be Mrs. Adrian; the next, Ms. Dalton. We neverknew who we were going to have. This year with the birth of Mrs. Crum’sthird child we didn’t know what was going to happen. Thankfully, everythingwas planned accordingly and we have a permanent substitute filling in forher. Mrs. Crum is returning to school after Thanksgiving break.

This year, Judah, the Crums’ third child was born on September 21. Hissister Lilly and brother Solomon are ages 3 and 2. According to Mr. Crum,Lilly likes having two younger brothers. She shows motherly traits towardsthem and definitely likes taking control. Solomon is more like his father inthe sense that he seems more laid back and passive in most situations.Both of the kids are lost if they don’t spend time outside during the day.They are very outdoorsy and love playing. Even though Solomon’s dispositionis more laid back, he loves to run. It’s his favorite thing to do when he’shanging out at his crazy, yet structured, household. Lilly loves to watchprincess movies, but that shouldn’t give you the instant impression thatshe’s a girly girl. She isn’t afraid to get aggressive while wrestling with dadat home.

It’s really weird thinking our teachers have lives and kids at that. Manyof us like to think that teaching is really all that they do. However, it’s hardto shy away from the reality of Mr. and Mrs. Crum’s family. It seems as ifmore than half of it was created since they started teaching! Whether wehave the two Crum’s for classes or not, we all recognize them as the lovebirds of our teaching staff, which is definitely apparent in their multitude ofnew offspring. They claim that they are done having children, but we willsee next year. Who knows, maybe the Spanish kids of the future will beblessed with one constant teacher for the whole year, which given the pastexperiences would be a miracle.

A MemorableGratz Fairby Danell Engle

The festivities of the Gratz Fairwere held September 19 throughSeptember 25 this year. As in pastyears, there were many things toenjoy. There were activities foreveryone at the Gratz Fair such asgames and rides for the youngchildren and a variety of food for thewhole family.

There were a number of differentanimals and farming equipment ondisplay the entire time of the GratzFair. There was also art work fromthe different schools in the areaincluding Halifax. Mr. Crum set up anice display of our high schoolstudents’ art pieces at the fair.

Two of our high school studentswere in the Gratz Fair QueenCompetition. Those two studentswere Lauren Lenker and HeatherMiller. Both girls did great andHeather Miller even won secondplace. In her duties as the runner upqueen, she helped with manyactivities in the Gratz Fair such asthe Demolition Derby where shehelped give out trophies to thewinners along with the queen.Besides her queen duties, Heatherhad livestock in attendance at thefair along with crafts and bakedgoods. Heather enjoyed beinginvolved with the Gratz Fair becauseit’s a great community event, and it’sgood to be involved.

Another way to get involved in theGratz Fair would be to enter theDemolition Derby. If you are a personwho enjoys working on cars andsmashing things, the DemolitionDerby is perfect for you.

There are also many differentshows and performances during theGratz Fair. Some of those activitiesmay include band performances,talent acts, and animal shows.

As you probably already know,there are many activities to enjoy atthe Gratz Fair. There’s great food andgreat fun. The Gratz Fair has a greatatmosphere for people of all ages andis a great community event thatpeople will always remember.

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By Book or by Nook?by Amy Jacobs

One thing stands out clearly when you think about what is different fromthe past, technological advances have been at the forefront of what we aretoday. Instead of having to flip the pages of a book, we can just swipe ourfingers across a touch screen to advance on. Electronic book devices havebecome the hot new item in bookstores. No longer is it enough to go andbuy a book on paper. Now you can just sit in the comfort of your own homeand electronically get new titles on your device to read.

One simple device can hold up to hundreds of titles so its owner isnever without a good read. These eBooks are very easy to take alongeverywhere. Many people use them on vacations at the beach for a goodrelaxing read. They also provide easily accessible books for those travelingon planes.

Some of the options you have for the electronic book readers are theNook, Kindle, and iPad. While all three of these products have similarities,they have some extreme differences. The iPad is the one that is mostapparent to me. Not only does the iPad contain an electronic-like book, butit has so much more. The features seem to be endless, from email tophotos to videos. The iPad is very similar to the iPod Touch only bigger.The iPad’s cost ranges from $499-$829. The Nook is an electronic bookreader and nothing else. It contains 2 GB of internal storage and acceptsan SD card to expand the storage space. The Nook is paired up with Barnesand Noble, which means you can only buy it at Barnes and Nobles. TheKindle is paired with Amazon and ranges in price from $139-$189. It is alsoonly an electronic book reader. It has storage room for up to 3,500 books.

All three of the devices can have 3G service and Wi-Fi access. Thescreen sizes are around the same size. Also the screens are built to haveno glare while being used in the sun. They are all very versatile.

After asking an anonymous source about these devices, he chose theiPad as his favorite choice and the one he would buy although he loves allof the electronic e-books. The reason he prefers the iPad over the Kindleand the Nook is that he likes how it is more versatile, that it is more thanjust an electronic book reader. Also, the iPad has more internal storage.

Mr. Lahr has the Kindle. He likes it a lot because of the fact that it issmall and portable and is able to hold many e-books. He enjoys havingaccess to many titles with just the click of button.

Need MoreSleep?by Ben Feidt

High schools across the countryare changing their starting times andHalifax could be next. Recently,there have been studies that havesupported schools for teenagersstarting no earlier than 8:30 in themorning. This research states thatteenagers are actually biologicallymade to stay up late and sleep in.

Polls have coincided with thesefindings, showing that 60% of teenssay that they are tired during the dayand that 15% of teens have admittedto falling asleep in class. This sleepdeprivation can lead to academicdeficiency, poor social behavior, anddamage to a person’s health.

To support pushing back schooltimes, there was a study inMinnesota by Dr. Kyla Wahlstrom.Dr. Wahlstrom studied the effects ofschools that changed their startingtimes to 8:40 A.M. and foundimprovements in attendance,alertness, and a decrease in studentdepression. Overall, the studentsgreatly benefited from the extra fivehours of sleep per week as it’s widelyagreed that teenagers should begetting eight-nine hours of sleep atnight.

Still, there are valid points onboth sides of this issue. “I can seethe benefit like sleeping in and havingmore time in the morning” saysJordan Trafka, “But starting earlierhelps us get in the routine for whenwe have real jobs.” Sports are alsoan issue as Aaron Zimmermanpoints out “Sports already start prettyearly and end late so athleteswouldn’t have much time at home.There wouldn’t be a lot of time to dohomework, too.”

Students who have jobs may alsorun into problems with this newschedule. Getting out of school at3:30 in the afternoon doesn’t leavemuch time for a job, especially forstudents in sports or otherextracurricular activities.

Despite the encouragingresearch, based on my smallsampling of the school’s students,changing the time would cause toomany issues. Whether or not thehigh school will eventually change itsstarting time to later in the morningis up in the air.

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A Book Review of The Blue OrchardBy Nicole Kelley

Jackson Taylor writes about the life of his Grandmother, Verna Krone, in the novel, BlueOrchard. Set mainly in Harrisburg, Perry County, and our little town of Halifax, Taylor’s novel tellsof Verna’s life as a white nurse working for a black Harrisburg abortionist by the name of Dr.Charles Crampton. Born in rural Perry County, Verna, at a very young age, is pulled from schooland forced to work in order to earn money for her poor family. Verna first begins to work as a farmgirl where her boss takes advantage of her, leaving her pregnant. She returns to her family.Though much tribulation, a successful remedy from a local midwife leaves Verna’s problem“taken care of.”

However, this is only the beginning of Verna’s troubles and her long road to a successfullife. Verna later finds herself as a mistress to a married man and becomes pregnant with theman’s son. She willingly gives her son to her mother to raise, and after many jobs decides toattend nursing school, in hope of climbing out of devastating poverty. Establishing what seemslike a stable career and livelihood, Verna proceeds to marry a drunk who had already abandonedhis children after the death of their mother.

Within this time period, Verna quits her nursing job at the state mental hospital to obtaina more lucrative nursing position with a successful, black Harrisburg doctor who performs abortions.Verna takes care of the women in her own home for two days following their procedures in thedoctor’s office. She carefully monitors the women after their abortions to make sure there are nocomplications.

When the political climate of Harrisburg changes, Dr. Crampton and Verna are no longerprotected by friends in high places. Many hardships come about from her job, causing moreproblems for herself and her family. As Verna’s life spirals out of control, she decides to purchasea farm on Rutter Road in Halifax where her husband will grow peaches for a living. It is here thatshe retreats after Dr. Crampton and she are tried for performing illegal medical procedures.

Pick this book up for the holidays. This true life story will amaze you as soon as youread it not only because of the references to Halifax and the surrounding areas, but also becauseof the compelling story of the scrappy Verna Krone.