Prom-Goers Escape Sc s Escape Sc s Escape School Gym for ...

Mete rChronicle
Produced by the students of the Montrose Area Junior/Senior High School
Volume 21, Issue 6 Montrose Area School District
May 2006
Students
Students
of of the the Month
Month
Shannon Elbrecht/Meteor Chronicle
Richard Coy, Grade 12
Rotary Student of the Month
“[Richard] is very hard working,
especially with his involvement
in the Read Across
America program. He also receives
good grades in both the
Vo-Tech program and here at
school.”
Mrs. Mary Beth Ohmnacht
Guidance counselor
Junior high Students of the
Month for February include
(back row from left) seventh
graders Elijah Washburn and
Samantha Robinson and eighth
grader Brittany Bartok.
March’s Students of the
Month (front row from left)
are seventh graders Emily
Hardy-Shephard and Andrea
Hinds and eighth grader Robert
Volk.
...................................................
Dates
Dates
to to Remember
Remember
May 9
Senior High Chorus Concert
Auditorium 7 p.m.
May 13
CVES PTO Dance Recital
High School Auditorium
7 p.m.
May 16
Junior High Choral Concert
Auditorium 7 p.m.
May 27
Junior-Senior Prom
Rosemont Inn
Bed & Breakfast
E. Davenport/Meteor Chronicle
May 29
No School—Memorial Day
Pr Prom-Goer Pr om-Goer om-Goers om-Goer s Escape Escape Sc School Sc hool
Gym Gym f ffor
f or ‘Enc ‘Enchant ‘Enc hant hanted hant ed Ev Evening’ Ev ening’
By By Chelsea Chelsea Hall Hall
Hall
Staff Reporter
Representative of this year’s
prom theme, the Rosemont Inn
Bed & Breakfast will become
an “enchanted escape” from the
high school gym May 27.
“I think this year’s prom is
appealing since it’s off campus,
and [it] will make our senior year
more special,” said senior class
vice president Khayla Shearer.
“This change is for the better
[because] it will attract more
people to a school event, and
[having prom at a bed and
breakfast] seems more formal.”
Senior class president Erica
Smith thinks that changing the
Elizabeth Davenport/Meteor Chronicle
location of prom is great and will Juniors, seniors, and their guests will attend prom off campus for the
turn out to be fun.
first time in several years at the Rosemont Inn Bed & Breakfast in
“It’s nice to have prom Montrose May 27.
somewhere different than the
high school since we’ve been are sitting rooms, bathrooms, select food and eat it at tables
here all of our lives,” said Erica. and a living room; dressing on the inn’s porch.
“I think it will work out well, and rooms will also be open so that Parking accommodations
people will have a good time.” students may freshen up, are yet to be determined.
The inn will be closed to according to Miss Mulligan. “The Rosemont makes prom
other guests on prom weekend. DJ Ryan Bombard, a much more classy and elegant,”
The entire first floor of the MAHS alumnus, from radio said Miss Mulligan.
bed and breakfast will be station Wild 104.1 will supply “I think [the prom theme is]
available to prom-goers as well the music for dancing at the very majestic sounding,” said
as a large tent outside where prom.
senior Nate Sives. “It reminds
guests may dance, according to MASD’s food director me of Aladdin. It’s pretty cool
senior class co-adviser Ellen Betsy O’Malley will provide a that we’re ‘escaping’ from the
Mulligan.
buffet of finger foods, desserts, school for [an] ‘enchanted’
On the first floor of the inn and beverages. Guests may evening.”
..............................................................................................................................................
Prep Prep Class Class Prepares Prepares S SStudents
S tudents f ffor
f or S SSAT
S
By By By FF
Francesca F Francesca
rancesca Edgingt
Edgingt
Staff Reporter
To study or not to study?
That is the question juniors ask
themselves as the dates for the
SAT approach.
To the delight of eleventh
and twelfth grade guidance
counselor Mary Beth Ohmnacht,
many juniors are not
choosing the latter. Mrs.
Ohmnacht helps students
prepare for the test by
providing free test preparation
booklets, and an SAT prep
class started April 1 at the high
school to also assist students.
The class was taught by
Mrs. Kimberly Davenport
(English) and retired Elk Lake
math teacher Charles Denkenberger.
The four-week
rancesca Edgington-Giordano
on-Giordano
class met Saturday mornings
for three hours at a time.
Juniors were charged $85 for
the course and received
lessons in the content of the
test as well as in proper
techniques for taking the SAT.
The testing environment of the
SAT is completely different
from what students are used
to, said Mrs. Ohmnacht, so the
class is geared toward
allowing students to practice
taking the test.
“The biggest advantage of
taking this course is that
students should walk away
from it knowing what to
expect when they take the
SAT,” said Mrs. Davenport.
Brandi Devine/Meteor Chronicle
Substitute teacher Kimberly Davenport helps prepare students for
the SAT during a Saturday prep course at the high school.
Juniors usually take the
SAT two or three times, and it
is best to prepare for about a
month before the test,
according to Mrs. Ohmnacht.
This, along with purchasing a
practice book from
Collegeboard.com for
$19.95, is how junior Lance
Elliott is preparing for his SAT.
“[The SAT] worries me
because I don’t want to score
low and not get into college,”
said Lance.
Another MAHS junior,
who wishes to remain
anonymous, said he did not
study for the test the first time.
His score was a 1,662 out of
a possible 2,400. On his
second SAT, he scored a 1,900
after studying for the essay
and critical reading sections.
Now he is preparing for a
third SAT by studying for
every section in hopes of
scoring a 2,190 to match the
score his cousin earned on his
SAT. His goals are high
because he wishes to use his
SAT score to win scholarships
and alleviate the financial
burden of college on his
parents.
The SAT course is
designed to prepare students
for the test and more.
“This is a place of
preparation where [students]
come to prepare for the
future,” said Mrs. Davenport.
Student
Student
Handbook
Handbook
Changes
Changes
Approved
Approved
By By Angel Angel Mock
Mock
Staff Reporter
A number of revisions to
the 2006-07 Student
Handbook were approved
by the school board at its
regular monthly meeting
April 3.
The revisions include
changes in the dress code
and student driving
regulations as well as cell
phone use, food sales, late
bus regulations, tardiness,
early release, and visitors to
classes.
• Any cut-up clothing or
any attire that bears holes
higher than three inches
above the knees is
prohibited.
• A student will lose
driving privileges if a
member of the community
contacts the school in
complaint of hazardous
driving on the student’s way
to or from school, and the
administration can confirm
the complaint.
• Cell phones may be
carried during school hours
but must be kept in the
students’ pockets or purses
and must be turned off.
• Students are not
permitted to sell items for
personal profit.
• Students must sign up
during lunch mods to use the
late bus, and students who
are riding the late bus home
may not go off school
grounds after school.
• A student who is late for
homeroom must report to the
auditorium or late room until
the morning announcements
are finished.
• If a student must leave
school early, a parent or
guardian must sign him or
her out. Students are not
permitted to use cell phones
or pay phones to make
arrangements to leave early.
• Before taking a visitor to
classes, a form must be filled
out and signed by the
principal.
The Student Handbook is
reviewed annually, and
changes must be approved
by the school board. All
parents and students must
sign a paper verifying that
they have read and
understand the handbook.
“[I] don’t anticipate the
changes causing a great
effect on the daily life of the
students,” said Superintendent
Mike Ognosky.
“Most of the changes were
enacted during the year, and
now the handbook will more
accurately reflect those
changes.”

PAGE 2 MAY 2006 METEOR CHRONICLE
News
Me Meteor Me eor Chronicle Chronicle Wins Wins A AAwards
A ards
The Meteor Chronicle staff won 10 awards, including Best Overall Newspaper, at
the sixth annual Tom Bigler Journalism Conference at Wilkes University April 7. Two
prizes—first and second place—were awarded in each of seven categories in addition
to best overall. The Meteor Chronicle took six first-place awards for news, feature, and
opinion writing; sports and news/feature photography; and page layout and design. Three
second-place prizes were won in sports writing and sports and news/feature photography.
All but two of the 10 awards were earned by individual staff members.
Photo Editor Elizabeth Davenport
won first place in the
sports photography category
with a tennis photo of junior
Ashleigh Hinds (Issue 1) and
second place in news photography
with a photo of Amanda
Lass and her photography (Issue
1).
Co-editor in Chief Melinda
Zosh won first place in the news
writing category for “Students
Become ‘Angels’ for Others”
(Issue 2), which presented a personal
reflection on Key Club’s
Feed-a-Friend project. She also
won first place in the news/feature
photography category wth
the picture that accompanied
“Hula Helps ‘Flowers’ Blossom”
(Issue 2). The picture showed a
young girl practicing dance routines
as she gazed into a mirror.
Health Health and and W WWellness
W ellness
a a Priority Priority at at MASD
MASD
By By By Kait Kait Woodward
Woodward
Staff Reporter
One-third of children and
teenagers in America are
overweight or obese, according
to the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey.
Type 2 diabetes is at an all time
high among U.S. children.
Schools nationwide are
trying to lower those numbers.
Beginning with the 2006-07
school year, MAHS students
will find soda, ice cream, and
other high-calorie and highsugar
foods replaced with
healthier options, compliments
of the school district’s new
wellness policy, which is now
required by federal law.
The Child Nutrition and
WIC Reauthorization Act
requires every school district
that receives federal funding
for food programs to instate a
wellness policy by the first day
of school after June 30, 2006.
These changes will occur over
the next three years, according
to the policy. All or most of the
changes will be implemented
by the new Wellness Committee,
composed mostly of
district staff members. Its
charge is to suggest new ideas
for ways to make the changes
necessary because of the
newly required wellness policy.
The committee also wrote the
policy for MASD.
“[The Wellness Committee
is] not here to solve the
problem [of obesity]
ourselves,” said school nurse
practitioner Jean Hollister.
“We’re here to be part of the
answer.”
The wellness policy is
supposed to help lower the rate
of childhood obesity by
modifying the environment that
children spend the most time
in, said Mrs. Hollister.
The district-wide policy will
create a number of changes in
students’ daily lives. For
example, refreshments at class
parties will be changed from
cookies and soda to something
healthier, like fruit and 100
percent fruit juice, according to
Miss Betsy O’Malley, MASD
Supervisor of Food Services.
No soda will be sold in vending
machines, and snacks will not
contain sugar as the first
ingredient.
Also, food may not be used
as a reward under the new
wellness policy, which means,
for instance, that no teacher
may give a student food in
recognition of a correct
answer.
However, school lunches
will not change much since
most of the foods sold now
meet the guidelines anyway,
said Miss O’Malley.
The wellness policy has
been approved by the school
board but also needs to be
approved by the Pennsylvania
Board of Education by July 1.
Life
............................................................................................................................
“Life As We Know It” is a year-long series devoted to informing teens
As We Know It... and the community about some of the issues teens face.
Data released in 2001 by the
National Center for Health Statistics
states that half the marriages of
brides age 18 and younger end in
separation or divorce within 10 years
as opposed to brides age 25 or older
where half as many marriages end.
Junior Shawna Geertgens and
husband Charles Geertgens are
proving the statistics wrong so far.
Engaged in May 2004 and
married less than a year later,
Shawna and Charles are the parents
of an eight-month old daughter
Alexis.
“[We are married for two
reasons:] First, we wanted to get
married, and I was also pregnant,”
said Shawna. “The only thing is that
our marriage came a few years
earlier [than expected].”
Their early marriage and new
baby caused some challenges for the
couple.
“We had to move to a bigger
place, which meant that we needed
more money,” said Shawna. “[I
don’t have] enough time in a day to
do everything. For example, my
home looks like a pig lives in it.”
Photo Provided
Senior Amber Cunningham and fiancé Jimmy Harris are one of the few MAHS
couples who will take their relationship to the next level through matrimony.
Amber and Jimmy are planning a June 17 wedding at Salt Springs State Park
in Franklin Forks.
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Clarissa Plank won first
place in the opinion writing category
for her commentary “To
Protect or Pry?” which criticized
President Bush’s spying policies
(Issue 4). She also won first
place in the feature writing category
for “Students Use Science
to Create Toys” (Issue 3), which
focused on IONS Club members
interacting with elementary
students through hands-on experiments.
Teen Marriages Present Challenges, New Experiences
By By Sarah Sarah Sarah Leonard Leonard and and and Kathryn Kathryn Rypkema
Rypkema
News and Features Editor and Staff Reporter
Opinion Co-editor Patrick Bayer won second place in the
sports writing category for “Snow-boarding: Skiing with a Twist”
(Issue 4). The story examined the history of the sport and also
portrayed MAHS snowboarders’ opinions of the their personal adventures,
including the risks and dangers. He also won second
place in sports photography for his snowboarding photo of junior
Andrew Bookin (Issue 4).
Charles has a great job, said
Shawna, but their family also relies
on WIC, food stamps, and the food
bank to get by. She also has to have
someone to watch Alexis during the
day. “I’m fortunate that my
husband’s mother is willing to take
care of her while I’m at school and
Charles is at work,” said Shawna.
Because of her daughter,
Shawna has had to set aside her
social life and her future plans.
“I can’t go to college because
of Alexis,” Shawna said. “I can’t just
go away and leave her with
anyone, so I still don’t know
what I’m going to do….[I
am] not able to go to parties
[or] able to do whatever I
want…because I always
have to think about what is
best for Alexis.”
However, for senior
Amber Cunningham, who is
planning her June wedding
to fiancé Jimmy Harris,
academics aren’t a concern.
The two plan to attend
Towson University near
Baltimore, Maryland, in the
fall.
“Actually it’s an amazing
thing to be planning a
wedding and have so many
people around you who love
you and are ready to help,”
said Amber. “The process
has been absolutely painless.
From getting the dresses to
picking out invitations, we,
knock on wood, have not hit
any road bumps so far. We usually
do our planning on the weekend.
[My] senior year isn’t that hard
either.”
Junior Dana Black, who is
planning her wedding to senior
James Welch, said her wedding
plans have not affected her school
work either.
“It hasn’t hurt my academics
since I do it outside of school,” said
Dana. “At certain times it adds stress,
such as when we have so much to
get done in a certain time. [We are]
trying to get [the plans] done before
he leaves.”
James will leave for Air Force
basic training in Texas the first week
of July. Dana also plans to join the
Air Force, and the two will marry
after she graduates and before her
own basic training.
“I’ll miss him a lot [next year],
but we’ll get through it,” said Dana,
who plans to stay in touch by letters
and phone calls.
When Dana graduates, she can
request to live at the same base as
James, she said. Once they are
married, they will be put in the same
house. The two also don’t have to
worry that James will be sent
overseas, leaving Dana behind.
“If I get shipped out, she will
come with me,” said James. “[The
military] doesn’t like to split up
families.”
All the couples believe they have
made the right decision to get married
this early, they said.
“I am absolutely certain that this
is the right time,” said Amber. “Age,
to us, isn’t really a factor at all.
“My fiancé Jimmy and I had
always said that we would not get
married until after we graduated
from college. There is this
unspoken rule in America today that
the ‘right time’ is after college, and
we were going to honor that.
However, after Christmas we were
laying out our lives and discovered
that the time to get married was
now, as crazy as everyone was
going to think it was….”
“People need to realize that just
because we’re young, that doesn’t
mean we are making a mistake,”
said Dana. “We trust each other
more than anything else.”
In the end the right time to
marry isn’t about statistics for these
couples. It comes down to commitment,
communication and
honesty, they said.
“Honestly, I truly feel we are
an exception,” said Amber. “I would
say that Jimmy and I are an extreme
minority who are actually ready to
get married before college. [To]
anyone else considering getting
married in high school, I give this
advice: Relationships are not just
about love; they are also a huge
responsibility not only to yourself
but to your partner as well. It takes
a lot of work. The divorce rate gives
every marriage a 50/50 chance of
success; the number is even lower
for young couples. You’ve really got
to know where you’re going and
what you want out of life. I would
sincerely advise [most teens]
against it.”

PAGE 3 MAY 2006 METEOR CHRONICLE
News
When When Did Did W WWe
W e Stop Stop Being Being Kind?
Kind?
Meteor Meteor Chronicle Chronicle investigates investigates bullying, bullying, harassment,
harassment,
int intolerance, int olerance, alleged alleged de deterioration de erioration of of empath empathy empath y in in MASD
MASD
MASD MASD T TTee
T ee eeter- ee erer-Totter tt tter tt er ers er s Ov Over Ov er Bullying Bullying Pr Problem Pr oblem
By By Melinda Melinda Zosh
Zosh
Co-editor in Chief
He walks down the hall,
minding his own business.
Bam! He is shoved from the
side, catapulting him into a locker.
Someone yells, “Hey, there’s
the Communist!” Laughter
ensues.
But it’s not a laughing matter
for Alan, a sophomore, who is of
Russian descent.
“There are a lot of kids that
are picked on in this school, and I
happen to be one of them,” said
Alan. “I’m picked on because of
my race.
“When I was younger, my
reaction was always to fight back.
Things like that always stay in the
back of your mind. At one time I
was depressed. I started picking
on people myself. [I] got into a big
fight, and the cops got involved.”
Alan eventually stopped this
behavior and instead tried to
understand why some people
tease or harass others.
“[My mom and I] talked about
this before,” said Alan. “People
who [pick on others] could have
been picked on [themselves]
before or had a bad family life.
They could just say stuff out of
instinct.”
Junior Sandy feels that people
in Montrose do not know how to
deal with new, different-looking
people. She has a Muslim friend,
Jaime, who moved out of MASD
in sixth grade. Although she
misses her friend, Sandy said she
would not want her friend to move
back to Montrose because she is
He expected the first day of
school to be thrilling. After all, he
was now a sixth grader—“king of
the hill,” “top dog” as they say.
He expected to see his friends,
the red slide up on the hill, and, of
course, the usual math equations.
But the first day of school
brought something else, something
he never would have expected, a
thought he never would have
imagined.
“At the beginning of the year,
[kids in my grade] called me a
‘faggot’ because a kid thought I
[had] touched his butt,” recalled 12year-old
Timmy. “I would be picked
on when a teacher left the
class…[especially] at lunch and
recess.
“I couldn’t concentrate on my
school work [because I was being
bullied], and I didn’t want to come
to school anymore.”
Some of the kids who tortured
Timmy at the beginning of the year
said they did so because they
themselves were being picked on.
One of the boys said he had a
basketball thrown at his face during
an outside game at recess, and the
other was bullied because of his
style of clothing.
“I wore black pants and
chains,” said sixth grader Alan.
“Kids would walk past me in the
hallway and [intentionally] hit me
with their shoulders and call me a
‘retard.’ I was angry….Even after
I stopped wearing chains, they’d
say bad words.…”
Alan said he was fearful of
letting an adult know of the
harassment he was receiving, but
when the teasing didn’t stop, he
told Lathrop Street Elementary
Principal Greg Adams about the
situation.
“I didn’t want to tell anyone
[that I was being picked on]
because I thought it would go
away,” said Alan.
Timmy and Alan are not lone
victims. According to Mr. Adams,
at least several other students at
Lathrop Street have complained
of being bullied by other
students.
Mr. Adams held an all-school
assembly Feb. 24 to deal with
what he called “the worst year in
five years of bullying” and to
make students aware that there is
“no tolerance” for bullies. Mr.
Adams also reviewed the rules
(See Bullying, Page 4)
Teasing, easing, T TTaunting
T aunting T TTest
T est S SStudents’
S tudents’ Emo Emotional Emo tional Limits
Limits
By By Sarah Sarah Leonard
Leonard
News News and and Features Features Editor
Editor
By By Abby Abby Warner
Warner
Staff Staff Reporter
Reporter
Lathrop Street Principal Greg
Adams has said the bullying this
year in his school has been the
worst he’s seen in five years.
The buzz among some high
school students is that bullying,
racism, and intolerance are
common in school and getting
worse.
So the obvious question is,
“What’s to be done?”
“Until all people have reached
the understanding that even if
someone is different, he/she is
still your equal, then intolerance
is a problem, and racism,
prejudice and bullying—whether
they be focused on race,
ethnicity, wealth, or social
status—will exist,” said
Superintendent Mike Ognosky.
Junior Andy Bookin believes
the problem is too complicated
to be completely fixed, but
efforts can still be made.
“Ultimately, you’d have to
*Editors’ note: To protect the
privacy of those interviewed,
names have been changed.
Elizabeth Davenport/Meteor Chronicle
Lathrop Street fourth graders Holly Andre (Mrs. Lathrop’s homeroom),
Seneca Lewis (Mrs. Reidy’s homeroom), and Christina Cobb (Mrs.
Jurchak’s homeroom) eat lunch together in the cafeteria April 21. To
encourage students to mingle and get to know each other better,
Principal Greg Adams recently changed the rule that required students
to sit with their homerooms at lunch.
.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
*Editors’ note: To protect the privacy of those interviewed, names have been changed.
afraid of the way people might treat
Jaime.
“There’s so many white people
in Montrose and not many
ethnicities,” said Sandy. “I don’t
think people in Montrose would
know how to react to a Muslim
coming here….She wears certain
clothes because of her religion. It’s
something new to them.
“It upsets me because I know
[Jaime] on a personal level, and I
know that if she moved back here,
they would judge her.
“Maybe people here should be
a little more open-minded when it
comes to people of different
cultures.”
Sandy is not the only one who
feels that local people are too quick
to judge others. When freshman
Anne was in seventh grade, she
Math Math Has Has Solutions. Solutions. Does Does Int Intolerance?
Int olerance?
change people’s views, and that’s
always hard,” said Andy. “Some
sort of presentation would be
helpful with a guest speaker or
something that would educate
students about how much
prejudice affects people of
another race or background.”
Intolerance can be defeated
when all parties are involved, said
Mr. Adams.
“A child’s upbringing is what
influences [his] views, and that’s
something a school can’t combat.
That’s a fact,” said Mr. Adams,
“but [to fix this issue], everyone—teachers,
support staff, and
parents—needs to be involved.”
This idea of a unified effort
is shared by Mr. Ognosky.
“We all are responsible—the
educational system, the family
units, the community leaders, and
leaders of local government, the
businessmen—we all must play
a role in dealing with the problem
through our actions,” said Mr.
Ognosky.
The key to reaching a solution
is recognizing the problem and
getting people to take part in the
process, according to Mr. Adams.
“First, you can’t pretend [the
problem] doesn’t exist,” Mr.
Adams said. “The number one best
thing to do would be getting adults
and students on board.”
Andy agrees with the studentside
of this proposal.
“Some students are the source
of the problem,” said Andy. “It’s
in the hands of the other students
to be the solution.”
But is it realistic to expect a
student to stand up to another
student and let him/her know that
bullying is hurtful and intolerance
is, in Principal Jim Tallarico’s
words, “ignorant”?
“It’s not realistic to expect
everyone [to stand up] only
because people are scared they’ll
get picked on for speaking up,”
said senior Dan Stranburg.
Psychology teacher Eric
Powers believes it’s realistic to face
suffered the sting of slander as
rumors were spread about her.
“[People] said I was a lesbian
with my best friend,” said Anne.
“They would say, ‘Why don’t you
get a room?’ in the hallway.”
Unfortunately, the rumors
returned this year after a
discussion about sexuality came
up in a class.
“I spoke up,” said Anne, who
was dating a boy at that time.
“They started rumors that I was
bi[sexual]. This high school is the
worst for rumors.”
Anne, like Alan, tries to
understand her tormenters and
ignore them rather than confront
them.
(See Teasing, Page 4)
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
the problem but not necessarily
alone.
“It’s easier to look the other
way than it is to take the risk of
becoming a target themselves,”
said Mr. Powers. “It’s realistic to
expect a student to set high
standards for himself and others,
but it may not always be realistic
to expect a student to address
bullying and intolerance alone.”
So how should students take
the first steps in standing up? Mr.
Powers stresses that the approach
is key.
“When it becomes necessary
to speak out in defense of
someone, it’s important to remain
calm, refrain from expressing an
‘I’m better than you’ attitude and
avoid confrontational or
aggressive language and
behavior,” said Mr. Powers. “If
students work together and hold
themselves to the same standards
that they apply to others, then
many issues such as these will go
away.”
“People stopped being kind when
they got absorbed in what style
of clothing was in. In the 1900s
people had handmade clothing.…It
wasn’t about what you
wore. It was about your
personality, and now no one
cares about personalities; it’s
about where you buy your
clothes, or how pretty you are.”
Brianna Gieski
Grade 11
“For me it’s more of an issue of
when did we start being so rude?
We’ve always had mean
people.…[The actions of] being
rude and disrespectful are what
we’re starting to put on a pedestal.
The media has such a huge
impact on the way we look at
things [and] the way we act.
Television shows have
popularized picking on people,
pointing out differences and
laughing at other people. In a lot
of ways, the media has replaced
the family in terms of influence.”
Eric Powers
History teacher
“It’s like this quote that says
automobile racing began when the
second car was made. People can
say that the recent generations
are apathetic, or there’s an attitude
of rebellion in our country, but it’s
always been here. From the time
the second person came around,
there’s been unkindness based
on instinct for survival
overcoming desire for kindness.
That doesn’t mean there is no
kindness in the world, just that
[being unkind to one another] has
always been here; it’s a part of
life we have to learn to overcome
and grow from.”
Eleni Konstas
Grade 11

PAGE 4 MAY 2006 METEOR CHRONICLE
News
Don’t Don’t F FForge
F orge orget orge t t tto
t o Dodge
Dodge
By By By Sarah Sarah Beebe
Beebe
Staff Staff Reporter
Reporter
Physics teacher Bill Host prepares to throw a dodge ball at the opposing team at the
first annual MAHS Dodge Ball Tournament sponsored by the senior class March 25.
Faculty in the foreground include (from left) wood shop teacher Randy Miller, metal
shop teacher Jim Fluck and history teacher Kevin Kloss (back to camera).
“Dodge. Duck. Dip. Dive.
Dodge.”
These were some of the
instructions from players at the first
annual MAHS Dodge ball
Tournament on March 25. The two
organizers of the senior class
fundraiser, president Erica Smith and
vice president Khayla Shearer, were
surprised by the unexpectedly large
turnout and community response.
“Until a week before the
tournament, we thought we only
had three teams,” said Khayla.
“Once we realized more people
By By By Shannon Shannon Elbrecht
Elbrecht
Staff Staff Reporter
Reporter
Junior Nick LaBarbera placed
third in the “Multimedia”
category of the NEIU 19 regional
round of the Pennsylvania State
High School Computer Fair April
6 at the Career Technology
Center in Scranton.
Nick entered a PowerPoint
presentation on the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor. The
presentation included music,
information about the attack, and
other special effects.
“[Pearl Harbor] was one of
the examples given on the
directions for the contest,” said
Nick. “I thought it would be cool
to make a PowerPoint with
planes that drop bombs.”
Two other projects from
MAHS were entered in
competition but did not place.
Sophomore Steve Cole
entered a logo he had designed
for the high school’s
Geocaching Club into the
“Graphics Design” category.
The other project was
entered into the “Information
Based Web Page Design”
(Teasing continued from Page 3)
were interested, we knew we’d have
a bigger turnout, but not near the
turnout we actually had….Many
people from the community came
just to watch. It was a great time.”
Forty-five teams of five or more
people per team competed in the
tournament. Each team member
paid $5 to enter the event, which
ran from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The idea for the tournament
started with a senior class meeting
in February.
“The senior class decided in a
class meeting that they wanted to
LaBarbera LaBarbera Places Places Third
Third
in in Comput Computer Comput er Compe Competition
Compe tition
“I think they just need
something to talk about,” said
Anne. “They spread rumors
because they know it hurts people.
Being popular in high school is a
big deal to them. I think they [pick
on me] for amusement.”
Letting off steam in her journal
helps Anne to cope with the
rumors, she said. She tries to
ignore the people who hurt her,
and they “sometimes…just find
someone else,” she said.
“If you let someone know that
they hurt you, they will do it more,”
said Anne. Freshman Marnie has
also suffered the pain of rumors.
After she moved here from
Binghamton in October, she
almost immediately became the
subject of hurtful comments.
“People here called me a
lesbian, [told me] that I’m fat, that
I’m not wanted here, that I should
go back home,” said Marnie.
“They throw notes in my face and
call me names.”
“First, I ignored them. Then I
went to guidance a few times.
Then I didn’t come to lunch for a
while,” said Marnie, who
eventually moved to a different
table in the cafeteria.
Her mother called assistant
principal Russ Canevari for
intervention. He said that if her
tormentors did not stop, he would
get the state police involved, said
Marnie.
Photo Provided
have a dodge ball
tournament,” said
Khayla. “We set the
tournament up, and
then many of the
seniors helped us
referee, announce the
games, and take
registrations.”
As plans for the
tournament
developed, Khayla
and Erica thought of
another way to raise
money at the tournament.
“We decided that
we wanted to sell Tshirts
to commemorate
the first
annual tournament,”
said Erica. Red shirts
with “Montrose
Dodge Ball Tournament” on them
and the five D’s of dodge ball—
Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, Dodge—
sold for $10 each.
Refreshments and two raffles
earned the class additional profits.
In all, the seniors netted $2,500 to
be used for senior class activities.
An additional byproduct of the
tournament was more spirit in the
school, according to some
spectators.
“I had a good time, and so did
other people,” said junior Scott
Jones.
Elizabeth Davenport/Meteor Chronicle
Junior Nick LaBarbera proudly displays his awards received for his
PowerPoint presentation in the Pennsylvania State High School
Computer Fair April 6 in Scranton.
category by Cole and sophomores
Jason Delaney and
Brandon Simon. Their project
was a Web site they designed for
the Geocaching Club.
According to computer
teacher Bridgid Petorak,
approximately 150 students
from NEIU 19 schools
(Lackawanna, Pike, Sus-
quehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming
counties) competed in eight
categories at the competition.
“It was the first time we
entered this competition, so it
was a good learning experience
to be able to see what kinds of
projects other schools are
putting together,” said Mrs.
Petorak.
Some students, like freshman
Aaron, say they are the subject of
friendly teasing, but that it doesn’t
bother them too much.
“My friends…they call me
things like ‘fat boy’ or ‘chubby,’”
said Aaron. “I know I’m fat. I’ll
admit it.”
However, sometimes people
cross the line.
“Other people just take [the
joke] too far,” said Aaron. “They’ll
just keep picking and picking and
picking….When I’m sticking up
for someone else [who is being
teased], the only thing [the tormentors]
have against me is that
I’m fat. I say, ‘Yeah, I know I’m fat.
Do you have anything else against
me?’”
(Bullying continued from Page 3)
against bullies as outlined in the Bully
Busters Handbook. Bully Busters is a
national program designed to decrease
and punish bullies.
“Making fun at someone else’s
expense makes you a bully…,” Mr.
Adams said to Lathrop Street’s fourth
through sixth graders. “You have a
right to an education at this school.
You need to stand up to bullies and
say, ‘I’m done.’”
When he attended Choconut
Valley Elementary, fourth grader Chris
was teased relentlessly for five years
and pushed forcefully on playground
slides. Now, he is targeted less at
Lathrop Street, according to his mother
Andrea.
“[When Chris attended
Choconut], this boy on his bus
threatened to beat Chris up because
the boy liked [one of Chris’s] girl
friends,” said Andrea. “He would come
home really upset.…”
Choconut Valley Elementary
Principal Chris McComb said bullying
is “not a large problem as a whole” at
Choconut, and when such cases are
reported, the problem is immediately
handled.
“We do have instances where we
speak to kids about behaviors that
would fall within the definition of
bullying,” said Mr. McComb. “We take
these things very seriously and make
sure that these things will not be
tolerated.”
According to high school Principal
Jim Tallarico, bullying within the high
school is very “isolated,” and as in
Chris’s case, often students bully
others because of arguments dealing
with members of the opposite sex.
“The biggest problems we face
deal with teenage relationships. [Kids
at this age] can be very insecure [when
it comes to relationships],” Mr.
Tallarico said. “There is very little
aggression at MAHS, and it’s a
pleasant surprise.”
According to Mr. Adams, bullying
is characterized not only by physically
hurting one another but also by verbal
harassment/teasing and even cyber
bullying.
Since the assembly, Mr. Adams
has allowed children to mingle in the
cafeteria instead of sitting with their
classes. He hopes to encourage
students to get to know each other
better. He has also visited every
classroom in the building to discuss
the issue of bullying and harassment.
“I want you to feel proud of this
school. You can’t do that if you’re
turning on each other….We’re losing
focus on why we’re here, [and] we’re
here to learn,” said Mr. Adams. “[You
might be] heading down a path you
don’t want to go down.”
Physical education teacher Ellen
Mulligan has seen rampant bullying
in the years she has taught at MAHS,
but she says it has intensified in the
past five years, and the effects can last
“years beyond high school.”
“One of my students who
graduated 19 years ago says she still
remembers the mean things said to her
in high school,” Miss Mulligan said.
“Words can be extremely hurtful….The
things kids are being made
fun of for are atrocious.…Kids think
they’re joking, and they don’t see the
long term effects.”
At the beginning of the school
year, Miss Mulligan witnessed a
seventh grade girl being teased simply
because she had asked a question. She
said girls have called each other names
such as “skank;” she feels bullying
has become the “fashionable” thing
to do.
“Kids have become desensitized….The
kids that are being
bullied are kids that mind their own
business,” Miss Mulligan said. “The
classic bully [is] insecure
himself….There are intelligent, good
kids thinking [teasing] is okay, and it’s
not.”
Eighth graders Kim and Amy said
they witness these acts of bullying on
“Bullying is a problem until it doesn’t
exist [anymore].”
Ellen Mulligan
Physical education teacher
a daily basis in their classes, and often
teachers are blind to these acts of
“discrimination.”
“The teachers make fun of [one of
my classmates]; the teachers feed off
[the way other students] act toward
[my classmate],” said Kim. “Some kids
are more academic, and a teacher makes
fun of [a student] if his mom calls the
high school.”
Amy said teachers and the
administration don’t see bullying in the
same light, nor do they witness it on
the same level as students do.
“[If students are] joking with one
another, teachers see that as bullying,”
said Amy. “The teachers and principals
insinuate [certain kids are bullies when
they’re really not]….They don’t see
the total picture.”
Both girls feel the teachers are role
models to students, and if they see
hurtful teasing, they need to be the
ones to cease these actions.
“[Bullying] needs to come to the
teachers’ attention….If they stop
[these acts], bullying will lighten up,”
said Amy. “[The problem] needs to be
brought out…,or it will just keep going
on.”
Miss Mulligan feels “bullying is a
problem until it doesn’t exist.” Peer
mediation is one mechanism to solve
this problem, but it’s no longer as active
in the high school as it once was.
“It’s [the teachers’ job] to educate
and to [instill] responsibility.…At least
50 percent of bullying occurs in the
halls and cafeteria,” said Miss
Mulligan. “We need to emphasize
tolerance.”
Science teacher Patty Smith said
cyber bullying is becoming a
widespread dilemma not only at MAHS
but also in neighboring schools.
“[According to the] Luzerne
County district attorney, there was a
boy within that vicinity that was
accused of being gay,” said Mrs. Smith.
“[Students at the boy’s school] created
a MySpace account (to appear as
though it was the boy’s account)….He
was being tormented.…He shot
himself [while] he was on the phone
with his girlfriend and mother.”
Mrs. Smith believes cyber bullying
is just as damaging to individuals as
classic bullying.
“Bullying has been around
forever,” said Mrs. Smith. “Internet
chat rooms are becoming so
prevalently used by high school
students [because] they spread the
word more.”
Timmy said he is not picked on
nearly as often, and he understands
why certain kids take part in this act.
“[The people who bullied me] were
people that cut [me] down to make
themselves feel better,” said Timmy.
“[Since the assembly] I don’t [really]
get targeted anymore….I was afraid to
tell [before], but now I’m not afraid.”

PAGE 5 MAY 2006 METEOR CHRONICLE
Dribbling, Dribbling, Blocking, Blocking, Ball Ball Handling
Handling
Field Field Hockey Hockey Basics Basics Begin Begin in in Elementary
Elementary
By By By Cathy Cathy Cathy Knapp Knapp
Knapp
Staff Reporter
“[CVYAA is
happy to announce
that it will be offering
field hockey for the
first time this spring,”
said the posting on
the MASD Web site.
Junior high field
hockey coach Kim
Fruehan proposed
the idea of
introducing field
hockey at a
Choconut Valley
Youth Athletic
Association
(CVYAA) board
meeting in January.
The sport was
approved in
February.
“The skill level of
our opponents
showed years of
practice,” said Coach
Fruehan, “while this
was the first or
second year of play
for our players. So…I began to
consider the possibility of starting a
youth program.”
The elementary field hockey
program started April 10 and will run
approximately six weeks, according to
the president of CVYAA, Karl
Wimmer. Practices are Mondays and
Wednesdays, from 5:30-7 p.m. at
Choconut and consist of learning basic
field hockey skills, followed by games
played against other teammates.
The program is available to all
students in grades three through six in
the school district, including children
who are home-schooled.
“…Having the fundamentals of the
Gym Gym Make-Over Make-Over Progresses
Progresses
By By Autumn Autumn Carpenter Carpenter
Carpenter
Lathrop Street Editor
Eight Art III students traveled to
Lathrop Street Elementary School
March 10 and 24 to help physical
education teacher Jill Kimsey finish
Cathy Knapp/Meteor Chronicle
Field hockey coach Kim Fruehan (right) demonstrates
one type of blocking that is not allowed in field hockey.
Frank Fruehan, a fourth grade student at Choconut,
assists his mother.
Autumn Carpenter/Meteor Chronicle
game when you are younger makes
[playing the game] that much
easier…when you get to high school,”
said freshman Madison Legg, who plays
field hockey for the Lady Meteors.
Legg, as well as other high school
players, assists Coach Fruehan in
instructing the younger students.
“I joined field hockey because my
mom [Eudonna Legg] talked about how
much fun it was,” said Legg.
Younger players have taken up the
sport for similar reasons.
“I was told about [field hockey by
my cousin],” said Brittany Heartman, a
sixth grader from Lathrop Street, “and I
thought it was pretty cool and [that field
CHIP: Safety Net for Parents
By By Autumn Autumn Carpenter
Carpenter
painting a mural on the gym wall.
Seniors Ronda Gregory and
Chrystel Suter and juniors Christine
Brown, Candis Burrell, Abbie Evans,
Scott Jones, Gabby Printz
and Jenna Rajnes helped art
teachers Jen Lupole and
Cathy Regan complete a
mural that Mrs. Kimsey had
started almost two-and-ahalf
years ago.
“Before the mural, the gym
was painted tan and yellow,
which was more like an
institution than an
elementary school,” says
Mrs. Kimsey.
“I got my inspiration from
scrapbooking stickers called
“Me and My Big Ideas.” I
put my ideas on an overhead
projector and traced the
hockey] was interesting.”
“I watched it before, and I
thought [field hockey] would be
fun,” said Sarah Howell, another
sixth grader from Lathrop Street.
While CVYAA’s field hockey
program is co-ed, the high school’s
JV and varsity teams are comprised
of only female members.
“The body of athletic directors
[has] decided not to let boys
participate in girls’ sports at the
District 2 level,” said athletic
director Joe Gilhool. “[However,]
the official vote will be taken at the
LIAA (Lackawanna Interscholastic
Athletic Association)
meeting on April 19.
“I will vote against boys and girls
playing together for field hockey.
I think it is a huge liability for any
school to let this take place in any
contact sport.”
Despite the disagreement over
letting boys play field hockey,
Coach Fruehan still supports a coed
program at Choconut.
“…We are including boys to give
them an opportunity to play a really
fun sport,” said Coach Fruehan.
“…A number of the boys who are
interested want to play because they
enjoy floor hockey and/or ice hockey.
As field hockey is the next closest
sport offered through CVYAA, I am
happy that we are offering a sport
that can accommodate their interest.
“I believe that youth programs
such as soccer and basketball have
been instrumental to the success of
the high school teams,” said Coach
Fruehan, “[and] it is my hope that
the program will act as a ‘feeder’
program for the high school [field
hockey] teams.”
Lathrop Street Editor
One million children are reported missing each year, according to the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth
Foundation, sponsors of the Child Identification Program or CHIP.
This program is available at different locations within Pennsylvania where volunteers take fingerprints,
photos and videos, and DNA samples of children and give them to parents to be kept in case of an emergency.
The children’s fingerprints and DNA samples are used for identification while the videos and pictures are
formatted for Amber Alert.
“If, God forbid, a child ends up missing, [these materials] give authorities so much more to [work with],”
said Lathrop Street principal Greg Adams.
Lathrop Street Elementary hosted the CHIP program during its Open House April 27. The program will be
repeated at Lathrop Street May 19 from 6-9 p.m. The program will also be available at Choconut Valley on May
11 from 6-9 p.m.
images onto the wall.”
“[Lathrop Street art teacher
Lori] Keihl and I began painting
on weekends and holidays but had
to stop when the high school
needed the scaffolding for the
murals they were having painted,”
says Mrs. Kimsey. “This brought
the painting to a stop, and by the
time I got the scaffolding back, the
gym was being used on the
weekends for basketball and other
activities.”
Mrs. Regan recalls Mrs.
Kimsey saying that in the two
hours the students worked, they
saved Mrs. Kimsey 14 hours of
work on her own.
The mural still requires touchups
that will be finished by Miss
Lupole and Mrs. Regan at their
earliest convenience.
CVES CVES ‘Sails ‘Sails int into int o Spring’
Spring’
By By By Caroline Caroline Jones
Jones
Choconut Valley Editor
Music from the “seaside
cakewalk” and the laughter of
children washed through
Choconut Valley Elementary
School’s gymnasium during the
PTO’s annual spring fair April 1.
An estimated 1,000 people,
including children, parents,
teachers, school staff, and
volunteers, were “Sailing into
Spring,” eating food, playing
games, and winning fake money
that could be traded for prizes.
The “Sailing into Spring”
theme coincided with the PTO’s
“Sail into Success” membership
drive theme, said this year’s spring
fair coordinator, Beth Weaver, a
learning support aide. Mrs.
Weaver also coordinated the 1999
spring fair.
During the winter Mrs.
Weaver’s father, Joe Taylor, built
the wooden games for the fair from
donated materials. Other years,
games had to be rented for the fair,
according to Mrs. Weaver. This
year’s games will be stored until
next year’s fair, and in the meantime,
community members may borrow
them.
Other attractions at the fair
included the cakewalk, for which
cakes and other baked goods were
contributed; an inflated slide,
donated by Dan Ricci’s State Farm
Insurance Agency; and an inflated
castle, donated by the Choconut
Valley Youth Athletic Association
(CVYAA).
Lots of help was needed for the
fair, so letters were sent home with
Little
Little
V VVoices
V oices
students, asking for input from
parents.
“Help is the hardest to get,”
said Mrs. Weaver. “[I received] a
lot of support from [Principal]
Chris McComb.” PTO president
Charm Giangreco, clerical aide
Jaquie Meehan, and learning
support aide Lisa Frey also played
major roles in running the fair.
Mrs. Meehan worked in the
kitchen, serving and monitoring
food donated by local stores and
bought gift certificates to places
such at Wal-Mart and Price
Chopper. The kitchen alone raised
almost double the amount of
money earned at past fairs,
according to Mrs. Weaver.
Mrs. Frey was in charge of
raffles for the fair. Letters were
sent to various businesses, asking
for donations, and 64 prizes were
offered, the largest number of raffle
prizes the CVES spring fair has
ever had, said Mrs. Weaver. Prizes
included family picture packages
from Craige’s Photique, an
autographed jersey from the
Binghamton Senators, gift cards
and gift baskets and much more.
Profits from the fair will be put
into the PTO treasury and used
for projects such as the sixth grade
send-off.
“In my opinion, the PTO is a
vital part of the school community,”
said Mr. McComb. “They
serve as a way for parents to get
involved in activities which
directly benefit the children of our
school.”
“April April sho shower sho er ers er s bring
bring
May May flowers, flowers, but but but what
what
do do do Mayflowers Mayflowers bring?
bring?
Pilgrims!”
Pilgrims!”
If you were a pilgrim on the Mayflower,
and your ship were blown off course,
where would you want to land and why?
Autumn Carpenter/Meteor Chronicle
Caroline Jones/Meteor Chronicle
“I would really like to land in
the Bermuda Triangle to prove
that people really can survive
there.”
Brenton Warner
Fourth grade
Lathrop Street
“China. I want to go to Nepal
and get some Chinese food!”
Robert Purdy
Third grade
Choconut Valley

PAGE 6 MAY 2006 METEOR CHRONICLE
Editorial
.............................................................................................
Scheduling Scheduling Conflicts:
Conflicts:
Misunderstandings Misunderstandings Breed
Breed
Confusion, Confusion, Misconceptions
Misconceptions
There seems to be some
miscommunication between the
guidance department and some
students over the scheduling process
in the high school. For instance,
students wonder how their schedules
are put together, and why some
students are placed in classes they
didn’t request, while other students
seem to be taking general classes as
an easy way out. Still others are
confused and curious about what
electives they should take that will help
the most with their futures.
In February the guidance
department begins to compile a list of
the classes that will be offered during
the next school year. Counselors visit
English classes in April to give
scheduling presentations to students,
explaining such things as graduation
requirements, sequential classes, and
new courses.
“If you’re looking at college,” said
junior and senior guidance counselor
Mary Beth Ohmnacht, “take CP
[college prep classes] and a strong
academic [course load]; take as much
science and math as possible. Even if
you’re not going to college, [they] may
be needed for tech schools. [Guidance
also] recommends four years of a
language but absolutely two to three
[years].”
Following the guidance
presentations, students complete
proposed schedules, and conflicts,
such as a student wanting two classes
that are taught only once a day during
the same period, are resolved by
guidance and the principal.
Further problems arise when
students turn in their schedules late or
not at all. According to Mrs.
Ohmnacht, approximately 20 students
in each grade level do this every year.
If a student turns in his/her schedule
late, it throws the whole process off
because many classes have already
been filled. Those who do not sign up
for classes are given schedules
arranged by guidance.
Some students complain about
being put in classes they did not
request. Scheduling conflicts like the
above are one reason. Another is class
size.
Some classes are cancelled if
students show little interest. Other
students will not make it into advanced
placement classes because too many
students elect the class. Teacher
recommendations and grades
determine inclusion in AP classes. In
Montrose Area Junior/Senior High School
Editors in Chief..........................................Matt Douglas
Melinda Zosh
News/Features Editor..............................Sarah Leonard
Opinion Editors..........................................Patrick Bayer
Brandi Devine
Arts & Entertainment Editor....................Clarissa Plank
Sports Editors........................................Steffany Jahnke
Emily Merrill
Burgundy Shelp
Lathrop Street Editor........................Autumn Carpenter
Choconut Valley Editor...........................Caroline Jones
Photo Editor....................................Elizabeth Davenport
Adviser................................................Mrs. Sandra Kaub
Printed by Mulligan Printing Corporation
place of preferred classes that are
unavailable, guidance will look at a
student’s interests and give the
student the closest class. For instance,
if a student has taken Art I and cannot
be placed into a class that he/she
signed up for due to some conflict,
guidance may place the student in Art
II despite his/her not requesting the
advanced class.
Some students are at a loss to know
what electives to take to best prepare
for their college majors. Tests such as
ASVAB and DAT used to be given to
students to help them identify their
interests and abilities and determine a
career direction. However, because
mandatory PSSA testing takes
significant class time, the career tests
have been limited to freshmen.
Freshman and sophomore
guidance counselor Angie
Nebzydoski meets with all freshmen
during their study halls to help them
decide career directions based on an
interest profile test, which she
administers. The test is given to only
freshmen because scheduling does
not allow sophomores a study hall, so
they would have to be taken out of
classes to take the test. If students
wish, however, they may go to
guidance and take the test on their own
time.
There are also misconceptions
about taking general classes. Some
students believe that general courses
are an easy way out, that they can be
lazy and take general math, for example,
when they are perfectly capable of
college prep classes. However, in
reality, students cannot pick and
choose class levels. The way the
schedule is set up, a student must take
a majority of the same level courses in
order for his/her schedule to work out.
Scheduling can be a complicated
process at best, and students need to
be thoughtful in their course
selections. One improvement we might
suggest to the guidance department
is additional career counseling for
sophomores, a follow-up to the
freshman interest profiles.
Many sophomores have a clearer
idea of the careers they wish to pursue
after high school than they had a year
or two before. Because the last two
years of high school are so important
in preparing students for their futures,
some follow-up advice would be
helpful to point sophomores in the
right direction in terms of course
selections.
Meteor Chronicle
Opinion
Brandi Brandi Devine
Devine
Opinion Co-editor
“Why
aren’t you
up for
school?”
Through the years technology
has been used to help
people in a myriad of ways,
from advancements in computers
and medicine to stronger
relationships through better
communications. Now technology
has taken another step
to help saves lives.
Scientists have long studied
salamanders to understand the
animal’s ability to regenerate
lost limbs. In an astonishing
development, scientists have
reproduced a human organ by
observing salamanders regrowing
limbs.
The Boston technique
involves taking healthy bladder
cells from the patients and
seeding them on collagen in a
laboratory to reproduce for
several weeks before surgically
attaching the cells to the
patients’ original bladders,
according to a recent article in
the Press & Sun-Bulletin.
The first home-grown organ
was transplanted in 1999 at
Children’s Hospital in Boston.
With this breakthrough, the
50 High School Rd. Montrose, PA 18801-9507 (570) 278-3731
news@montroseareasd.k12.pa.us
Emily Adams, Alek Anderson, Sarah Beebe, Rick Buckley,
Shannon Elbrecht, Francesca Edgington-Giordano, Emily
Gow, Courtney Haggerty, Chelsea Hall, Sophie Hinkle,
Carly Hull, Scott Jones, Matt Kellum, Cathy Knapp, Eleni
S. P. Konstas, Angel Mock, Gena Rapisardi, Kathryn
Rypkema, Cassy Thomas, Kelly Travis, Abby Warner,
Aerika Weed, Kait Woodward
The Meteor Chronicle is a student publication researched, written and
produced by members of the newspaper staff named above. The unsigned
editorials on this or other pages of the Chronicle are written by the editors
in chief or a designee and reflect solely the opinion of the newspaper staff.
Letters to the editor are welcomed and will be published as space allows.
Letters must be signed although names will be withheld upon request. The
Chronicle reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all
letters are subject to laws governing obscenity, libel, privacy, and disruption
of the school process as are all contents of the newspaper. The editorial
policy of the Meteor Chronicle is available upon request.
EDITORIAL CARTOON
“I’m sick. I’ve
got spring fever!”
Shades of Gray
Organ Regrowth
Exciting But Scary
possibilities for saving lives
became much greater. To be
able to grow an organ and
give it to someone who might
otherwise die is an amazing
thing.
While some may think that
rebuilding the human bladder
is not as amazing as a heart
or a pair of lungs, it is
definitely a start. Seven
young people’s lives have
been amazingly improved so
far by this advancement.
For children and teenagers,
the transplant, according
to testing, can reduce
leaking from their bladders.
For some kids and teens, this
new advancement can mean
a new social life. No more
wearing diapers or fearing
that they will wet themselves.
Now they can worry about
the normal things kids fret
about like figuring out what
they will do with their futures.
At such a young age, they
should not have to worry
about whether they need to
change their diapers, or if
their bladders have leaked and
stained their clothes.
The rebuilding of a bladder
has laid the groundwork for more
advancements. With this first step,
scientists are working to rebuild
more complex organs. One day,
if we are lucky, scientists will be
able to save a life by rebuilding
or regrowing a heart.
It seems strange to me,
growing or reproducing an organ.
What are the risks? Can a body
reject these reproduced organs
just as they can reject a
transplanted organ? Many of
these things will not be known
until scientists actually use more
of the organs.
The advancements are
exciting, but they are scary at the
same time. They are so new and
different to us. In the meantime,
we can only wonder where these
advancements will take us.
Modern science has come a
long way over time. There is
plenty of room for error in this
medical breakthrough, but it is
something that could make a
huge impact on all of our lives.
...........................................................................
Corrections
The staff of the Meteor Chronicle regrets
the misreporting of the following information
in Issue 5:
Student of the Month Shelbie Gorton is in
eighth grade.
CYO stands for Catholic Youth Organization.
...........................................................................
Letters to the editors
are welcomed!
They may be e-mailed to
the newspaper or dropped
off in Room 17.

PAGE 7 MAY 2006 METEOR CHRONICLE
Opinion
Patrick Patrick Bayer Bayer
Bayer
Opinion C0-editor
Another Voice
They go to high school, sential to leave high school family or friends or how
graduate around age 18, go and go to college right much money students think
off to a four-year college away? What is wrong with, they can earn from jobs later
and then get jobs. This is the say, taking a year to attend on.
typical schedule for what a community college part- Also, many students don’t
seems to be the “right” way time just to take a course even end up working in the
to do things for many young or two or simply going to field they majored in. In fact,
people. However, going to work after high school? Not according to the University
a traditional college right everyone at age 18 is ready of California, 50-70 percent
after high school may not be to go off to school, and of students change their ma-
in everyone’s best interest, there are many alternatives. jors while in college. Ac-
despite the pressure stu- Some may not offer somecording to a U.S Departdents
feel from many one as much money later in ment of Labor study con-
sources that this is the only life, but will money guaranducted in 1994 of college
path.
tee happiness?
graduates from 1993, only
Many teens are told, During the high school 56 percent were working in
“You must go to college to years students deal with so the fields they had majored
ensure you have a job,” or many pressures from sports in. It is nearly impossible for
“It’s important to get good and other extracurricular any of us to tell where we
grades, so you can get into activities to school work to will be five, 10 or 20 years
a good college.”
tests such as the SAT. in the future.
I have felt many of these These only make it harder Leaving for college right
pressures to decide my fu- for teens to make decisions after high school fits some
ture sooner than later. Be- about life past high school. people perfectly, but not eving
unsure of my path after According to a scholareryone is the same. It is im-
high school, I have presship search engine, portant for all of us who are
sured myself and spent lots FastWeb.com, only 66 per- nearing the end of high
of time worrying about cent of students pick their school to spend time figur-
what to do. I feel as if I must college majors based on ing out what we want our
choose now, or I will miss career possibilities. Other lives to be like and not what
opportunities.
factors include influence or the world or anyone else tells
Why exactly is it so es- pressure from teachers, us.
..............................................................................................................................................................
By By Caroline Caroline Jones
Jones
Choconut Editor
Many people feel the
need to share their opinions
when it comes to
controversial topics such as
MySpace.com. However, a
feature writer cannot.
The front page of
March’s issue of the Meteor
Chronicle carried a story
about the potential dangers
of MySpace. It was a
feature story intended to
make both students and
parents aware of some of
the risks of irresponsible use
of this popular online
communication Web site.
Authorities say predators
can easily learn the
whereabouts of teen users
by searching their names,
their schools’ names, or their
ages on MySpace.com.
The difference between
an opinion story and a
feature story is that an
opinion piece expresses the
views of the writer or the
group he/she represents.
A feature story, on the
other hand, contains facts
Wh Why Wh y Can’t Can’t College
College
Decisions Decisions W WWait?
W ait?
MySpace MySpace Ar Article Ar ticle
Creat Creates Creat es
Contr Controver Contr er ersy er sy
the journalist has uncovered
and comments from sources
who are knowledgeable
about the topic.
The purpose of a feature
story is to inform readers of
what the writer has
discovered in his/her
research of the topic an
editor has assigned.
Junior Melinda Zosh, coeditor
in chief of the Meteor
Chronicle, has been criticized
for her feature about
MySpace in the March
issue. She has been accused
of being a hypocrite because
she has her own MySpace
account. Her article has also
been deemed biased by
some readers because, they
say, the article presents
mostly negative aspects of
the site.
The fact that Melinda has
a MySpace account is
irrelevant to the feature
article she was assigned to
write. None of her personal
opinions were included in the
story because her views
were of no importance to her
assignment.
Melinda’s story was said
to have lacked balance due
to the angle of the story: the
potential dangers of
MySpace accounts. Of
course, that was the purpose
of the article in the first
place. “MySpace Dangerous,
Addicting” was not
intended to introduce readers
to MySpace but rather to
warn MySpace account
holders of the possible
hazards if the Web site is
improperly used.
Those who use MySpace
irresponsibly make themselves
vulnerable to predators,
which apparently
thousands of young people
across the United States
have done, according to
authorities.
The Meteor Chronicle
staff hopes readers will learn
more about MySpace and
consider carefully whether
such accounts are appropriate
for them.
ROVING REPORTER
Elizabeth Davenport/Meteor Chronicle
“Were ere the the English English and
and
math math preparations preparations for
for
this this y yyear’s
y ear’s PSS PSSAs PSS As help- helphelp- ful? ful? Wh Why Wh y or or wh why wh y no not?” no t?”
“Yes, they were helpful. I felt
that the math sessions were
most helpful to me.”
“They weren’t helpful to me
because we don’t have to take
them for two years, and half
the stuff we haven’t gone
over, and the other stuff was
all basic.”
Bridget McNamara
Grade 9
................................................................
“I thought that the math
preparation was helpful
because the teachers were
there to teach us how to do
problems and what was
expected of us.”
Caitlyn Burnett
Grade 11
................................................................
Mike Harlost
Grade 11
Heather Yonkin
Grade 11
“I didn’t find [the preparations]
helpful, mainly because many of
the things we practiced had no
impact on what we were
actually doing. It was just a
random test.”
................................................................
Brittany Roeller
Grade 11
................................................................
“The PSSA practice was
helpful because it showed you
how to do certain problems that
maybe you wouldn’t have
known how to do [otherwise].
The PSSA workbook showed
examples, gave tips, and stated
definitions that would prepare
you for the test. Also, the PSSA
math workshop was helpful
because it focused on certain
questions that most of the
students need help with. With
all of the help we’ve received,
I predict test scores will rise.”

PAGE 8 MAY 2006 METEOR CHRONICLE
“I’ve been an artist all my
life,” said junior Gabby Printz.
Ever since preschool Gabby
has worked with different forms
of art, especially painting.
“My grandma was an
artist,” said Gabby. “I took
lessons from her.”
When Gabby was a child,
her grandmother, Shirley Printz,
taught a community art class
through the Novato Youth
Center in California. Gabby
started painting while
attending those classes.
For Gabby art is more than
just a job or a class. She uses
art to relieve her built-up stress
from school.
“[Art] is relaxing. I get all
this pent-up creative energy,
and I have to let it out,” said
Gabby. “Art for me is a way to
get my thoughts and ideas
across.”
Art teacher Cathy Regan
believes Gabby owes her
success to experimentation.
“[Gabby] experiments with
a lot of different material and
uses different techniques,” said
Mrs. Regan. “She’s constantly
trying new things. She uses most
of the material I have to offer.”
Gabby’s artwork is inspired by
many different things.
“Everything I do is somehow
creatively inspired,” said Gabby.
“My grandma has been my
biggest artistic influence.”
Gabby constantly tries to fit art
into her hectic schedule.
“[I do art] whenever I have the
time, particularly if I have some
creative urges,” said Gabby.
In February Gabby was named
a semifinalist for the Pennsylvania
Governor’s School for the Arts.
The Governor’s School, to be
held at Mercyhurst College in Erie
June 25-July 29, provides an opportunity
for gifted sophomores
and juniors across Pennsylvania
to further their art experience. If she
becomes a finalist, Gabby’s course
of study will be visual arts.
Arts Arts & & Entertainment
Entertainment
Featured Artist
Ar Artist Ar tist Sk Sketc Sk tc tches tc hes Her Her W WWay
W y t tto
t o Success
Success
By By Scott Scott Jones
Jones
Staff Reporter
Patrick Bayer/Meteor Chronicle
Junior Gabby Printz works on an abstract acrylic painting in her Art III class
April 14. Gabby is awaiting word on her acceptance into the Pennsylvania
Governor’s School for the Arts, which will be held at Mercyhurst College in
Erie, Pa., June 25-July 29.
first-cut,” said Gabby, “because The only other time one of
that’s the biggest step.” Mrs. Regan’s art students
In order to be considered for qualified for the Governor’s School
the Governor’s School, Gabby for the Arts was approximately five
submitted a portfolio of her work years ago when Talissa Mehringer
along with a narrative statement was a finalist, according to Mrs.
and application. On April 2 she Regan.
traveled to Kingston, Pa., where “[Governor’s School] is a very
she was interviewed by a drawing difficult thing to get into,” said
instructor and asked to provide an Mrs. Regan.
on-site drawing of imagery that re- Gabby’s two favorite mediums
flected a poem. Gabby will find out are sketching with pencil and
if she is a finalist in early May. acrylic painting. She is currently
Gabby says 1,600 students working with other Art III students
applied to the Governor’s School on a canvas project that illustrates
for the Arts this year, 238 of them texture. The canvas projects will
in visual arts. Only 60 people will be displayed in the art wing at the
be finalists for visual arts. high school.
“I feel really good about it,” “[The canvas project] is an
said Gabby, “because the hardest acrylic painting,” said Mrs. Regan.
part is over.”
After high school, Gabby plans
According to Mrs. Regan, to pursue a career in international
Gabby was well prepared for relations.
competition.
“A lawyer for an art museum
“She [had] a well-rounded would be the perfect job [for me],”
“I was really excited when I got portfolio,” said Mrs. Regan. said Gabby.
.............................................................................................................................................
Tools of the Media Puzzle
...................................................................................
These media-related words appear in the puzzle backwards, forward and diagonally.
N B K R A H X U V X E H W B T
Y C L V E R O D Z D I E N S N
M E I U A T M R I J I A I S R
E D N T E B A T R V B N B I O
N R I E Y S I E E O O S E T C
E N O D C N C R H G R B L C P
G L S C G S P R A T X N B O O
V I T O S G G T E R J V U M P
J V M S Y L O V I E R U O O R
H X L T L R A A F M N B D D S
P E H U P Y C C M E R O T C A
E R Y M G A C T I O N V N O A
A T M E P R O P O S S S U I Y
M I C R O P H O N E U D T F B
J E C N A M O R J H U M S M I
Created by Autumn Carpenter with Puzzlemaker.com
ACTION
ACTOR
BLUESCREEN
COSTUME
DIVA
EDITING
ENEMY
HORROR
MICROPHONE
MUSICALSCORE
POPCORN
PREVIEW
PROP
PROTAGONIST
RATING
ROMANCE
SCENE
SITCOM
STUNT DOUBLE
THEATER
Sounds, Sounds, Sets Sets & & Stars
Stars
By By Clarissa Clarissa Plank
Plank
Arts & Entertainment Editor
MOVIES OPENING MOVIES OPENING
Opening May 5
Mission: Impossible III
Ethan Hunt’s Impossible Mission Force Team returns for its next
covert mission.
Alpha Dog
A 19-year-old drug dealer in Los Angeles holds his friend Jake’s little
brother hostage when Jake runs out on a debt.
Poseidon
The shipwreck of a luxury cruiseliner…a struggle among survivors.
Who will battle their way to safety?
May 19
The Da Vinci Code
If you were hooked by Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code, this is
the movie you’ve been waiting for. It starts with a murder that leads to
a trail of clues that could unravel a secret that has been kept for ages.
See Know Evil
A group of youths from a juvenile corrections facility are assigned to
renovate an old hotel, but a crazed serial killer is living in the top floor
of the building.
The King
After being honorably discharged from the Navy, a twenty-one yearold
travels back to Corpus Christi, Texas, to seek the father he has
never met.
May 26
X-Men: The Last Stand
At Professor Xavier’s school for “gifted” students, the struggle to
foster goodwill among ordinary humans and powerful mutants
continues.
DVD RELEASES
May 2
The Family Stone
Last Holiday
Modern Romance
May 16
The Producers
The White Countess
Napoleon Dynamite
Crimson Tide
Enemy of the State
Con Air
May 23
Cheaper by the Dozen 2
May 2
CD RELEASES
10,000 Days by Tool
Pearl Jam by Pearl Jam
May 9
BOOK RELEASES
Stadium Arcadium by Red Hot
Chili Peppers
May 9
Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes
Returning home to recuperate after a run-in with a New York taxi, Anna
finds surprises waiting for her. This story follows her family’s strange
and funny escapades as they prepare for her sister Rachel’s wedding.
But as Anna deals with her private-eye sister, an ill-mannered
neighborhood dog, and Rachel’s wedding, Anna’s husband stops
answering her e-mails.
May 15
Dead Watch by John Sandford
Politics and murder: Bowe, an ex-senator, disappears after denouncing
a rival who might be running for the presidency. Detective Winter is
under great pressure to discover the facts when Bowe’s charred corpse
is discovered, shedding light on a tangled web of scandal and lies.
The Man of my Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld
If you’ve ever felt naïve about love, you’ll empathize with Hannah.
She’s in college before she has her first date. When she sees Henry, she
knows from the first moment that he is her soulmate. But this romance
might be impossible.
May 22
Dark Side of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon
A disgraced reporter tries to regain credibility by following up a tip
about a serial killer. But things get weird when the cat she adopts at a
local shelter turns out to be a shape-shifting vampire slayer.
At Risk by Patricia Cornwell
When a Massachusetts district attorney suggests the idea of using
DNA technology to solve an old case, new violence erupts.
Sources: Yahoo!Movies, BarnesandNoble.Com, Amazon.com

PAGE 9 MAY 2006 METEOR CHRONICLE
Arts and Entertainment
Clean Clean or or Obscene…
Obscene…
Lyrics yrics Inf Influence Inf luence T TTeens
T eens
Cassandra Cassandra Thomas
Thomas
Staff Reporter
You walk into the store and
browse through the CDs. You
glance at a CD that has an
“explicit” sticker, a warning to
listeners that the CD contains
foul language, innuendos, and/
or possibly offensive lyrics.
Wal-Mart is one of the stores
that does not sell CDs that
have explicit content.
“Negative lyrics” is a
phrase that refers to lyrics that
mention drug use, rape,
racism, violence, perversion,
hate, sadism, and intolerance
of other religions, according to
rockwisdom.com. The feelings
in this music are usually
ones of anger, frustration,
rejection, and despair.
Parents, educators, musicians,
and others have long
debated whether negative
lyrics influence teens.
Freshmen Ashlie Clapper and
Dan Salsman said negative
lyrics don’t influence them.
“It’s just music,” they
said. On the other hand,
freshman Katie Maroney said,
“I like music, and it influences
my life.”
Choral director Scott Zim-
merman agreed.
“In my opinion, music can
resonate with something inside
anyone,” said Mr. Zimmerman.
“That’s why it’s
often referred to as ‘the
universal language.’”
According to the American
Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry, some
music does influence teens to
do drugs, drink alcohol, and
participate in other inappropriate
behavior.
A November 1997 court
case between Raymond
Kuntz of North Dakota and
the group Marilyn Manson
also suggests that negative
lyrics affect teens.
According to a Michigan
newspaper, Mr. Kuntz sued
the band after his wife found
their son dead in his room
from a bullet wound. His
headphones were still playing
a song by Marilyn Manson,
reflecting on Satanism,
atheists, and suicide.
“I failed to recognize that
[he] was holding a hand
grenade [the CD], and it was
live,” said Mr. Kuntz. “It was
going to go off in his mind.”
.............................................................................................
Guest Guest Pianist
Pianist
Accompanies Accompanies Chorus
Chorus
By By Aerika Aerika Weed
Weed
Staff Reporter
Patrick Bayer/Meteor Chronicle
Guest pianist Richard Van Auken rehearses Testament of Freedom with
the senior high choir in preparation for the choir’s concert May 9.
In early December at a
Christmas celebration in
Montrose, choral director Scott
Zimmerman met Mr. Richard
Van Auken, who was an artistteacher
at Moravian College in
Bethlehem, Pa., for 30 years
and a visiting instructor at
Lafayette College in Easton,
Pa. Mr. Zimmerman talked with
Mr. Van Auken about trying a
musical composition called Testament
of Freedom with the
MAHS senior high chorus. The
idea sparked Mr. Van Auken’s
interest because Testament of
Freedom is a lengthy, difficult
piece for high school students,
according to Mr. Zimmerman.
As a result of their conversation,
Mr. Zimmerman invited
Mr. Van Auken to come to
MAHS to accompany the chorus
at its May 9 concert.
Testament of Freedom, a
24-minute piece with four parts,
was composed by Randal Thompson
in 1943. The lyrics
were taken from the writings of
Thomas Jefferson.
Since March 24 Mr. Van
Auken has gotten to know the
chorus members during three
two-hour rehearsals.
“The chorus members are
giving their all, and that is what
they need to be able to do for a
good job in this concert,” said
Mr. Zimmerman.
“I think that it will be hard
for [the chorus members] to
sing Testament of Freedom,”
said freshman choir member
Jessica Dawes. “I admire [Mr.
Zimmerman] for being willing to
try it.”
The choral concert May 9
at 7 p.m. is open to the public;
there is no admission fee.
CRITIC’S
CRITIC’S
O
R
N
E
R
Kate, Marcus, Lisa, Jack,
Rachel, Stephen, and Jennifer: the
O’Malley family…and they aren’t
even related.
In her O’Malley Series, awardwinning
author Dee Henderson
has created a family out of seven
people who had no one else to turn
to. When the characters were children,
they met at an orphanage
called Trevor House. Later they
decided to become their own family.
Each had his or her last name
legally changed to O’Malley. The
O’Malley Series begins over 20
years later when the seven are no
longer children but still a family.
Six books comprise the series;
each of the books finds one
O’Malley the main character. Jennifer
is a part of each of the novels
as her “brothers and sisters”
learn to cope with the sudden news
of her cancer.
The first novel, The Negotiator,
deals with Kate O’Malley. She
finds herself in an extremely dangerous
situation when somebody
begins sending her black roses.
Possibly the same person blows
up a plane and frames Kate. Now
she must find the guilty person
with the help of FBI agent Dave
Richman with whom she develops
a romance.
The Guardian, the second
novel in Henderson’s series, is
about U.S. Marshal Marcus
O’Malley, who falls in love with
the only witness to the assassina-
By By Clarissa Clarissa Plank
Plank
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Ferrets, doves and chinchillas
aren’t the usual family pets.
MAHS seniors Joel Stafford
and Amber Cunningham know
the surprises and benefits of
choosing a pet other than a cat
or dog.
Amber and her fiancé, Jimmy
Harris, acquired a surprise pet in
April 2005 when she saw a bird
hanging around outside her
family’s house.
“Petricia, or “Pete,” was
outside in a tree,” said Amber.
“At first we thought that she was
just a really friendly morning
dove. We took her inside, but after
doing some research on the
Internet, we found out that
morning doves don’t do well in
captivity, so we released her.”
Suspense, Suspense, Murder Murder, Murder
Lo Love: Lo e: the the O’Malle O’Malley O’Malle
Series
Series
By By Emily Emily Adams Adams
Adams
Staff Reporter
tion of a federal judge. He is responsible
for protecting her from
the assassin, who wants her dead.
The third novel in the series is
called The Truth Seeker. Forensic
pathologist Lisa O’Malley investigates
why so many women are
disappearing and then found dead.
U.S. Marshal Quinn Diamond tries
to protect her along her dangerous
pursuit of the killer.
Book four, The Protector, introduces
Jack O’Malley as a
firefighter whose district has become
the target of an arsonist.
Former firefighter Cassie Ellis
thinks she has seen the arsonist,
and this puts her life in peril.
The fifth novel in the series is
entitled The Healer. Rachel
O’Malley is a trauma psychologist
for the Red Cross. After a
school shooting, Rachel must figure
out how to help the children
cope with the trauma. She must
also learn to deal with her own
stress because the murder weapon
is missing, and there is a child who
witnessed the shooting. The challenge
is to get him to talk about
what he has seen.
The last novel in the O’Malley
Series is called The Rescuer. Paramedic
Stephen O’Malley is on the
run from his life and his family
while trying to deal with a tragedy
that haunts him. Along the way
he falls in love with lifelong friend
Meghan Delhart and finds himself
caught up in a mystery that could
Unusual Unusual P PPets
P ts A AAttract
A ttract Curious Curious Owner Owners Owner
But that wouldn’t be the last
time Amber would see the
friendly bird.
“A week later, [Pete] kept
coming around,” said Amber.
“She actually flew into Jimmy’s
car. We did some more research
and found out that she is not a
morning dove but a cousin: a ringnecked
dove. She has no natural
perception of danger, so it’s
amazing that she stayed alive for
so long.”
Amber took the dove into her
home and researched the proper
habitat for her new pet.
“She’s really easy to take care
of, and she’s not messy at all
[unlike] other birds,” Amber said.
Amber kept Pete for two
months before she decided to find
put her life in danger.
Henderson has an amazing
way of incorporating action, mystery,
suspense, romance and even
humor into every story. She also
adds an extra element into her
novels as the characters learn what
it means to have faith and to trust
in a God that none of them really
wants to know.
The stories are set in modern
time, which adds to their appeal.
“Bookbug on the Web” sums up
the series with its review of The
Negotiator: “Dee Henderson again
takes us on an intense ride. With
an eye toward detail, she has created
an exciting, suspenseful story
that is immensely believable….The
result is a book that
keeps the reader totally involved
from beginning to end.”
Danger in the Shadows, the
prequel to the O’Malley Series,
has won the RITA Award, the
highest national award that can be
presented for romantic fiction. It
has also won the National Reader’s
Choice Award and Bookseller’s
Best Award.
Whether interested in romance,
action, suspense, drama,
or mystery, the O’Malley Series
is perfect for everyone from
young adults to grandparents; the
plots of the O’Malley Series contain
so many twists and turns that
one can enjoy the books over and
over. Every reader will love being
a part of the O’Malley family.
her pet a friend, a male dove
whom she named Gabe.
“They’re the perfect kind of
bird,” said Amber. “They’re really
docile, and they’ll just sit on your
finger, and you can pet them.
They are very affectionate, and
they won’t bite or fly away.”
Joel first met his companion
eight years ago when he chose a
white ferret, Bret, at a pet store.
“[I chose a ferret] because it
was just a different animal,” said
Joel. “I had always wanted one.
It was just so different from a dog
or a cat. Whenever [Bret] got
playful, he’d hunch his back and
start jumping sideways,” Joel
recalls of Bret, who died March
25. “He used to steal dog food
and hide it under my dresser.”
Photos Provided
Senior Amber Cunningham (left) and her two ring-necked doves, Pete and Gabe; senior Joel Stafford’s
ferret, Bret; sophomore Brittany Delousia (right) and her miniature horse, Buck.

PAGE 10
Featured Athlete
MAY 2006
Sp rts
La La Mont Mont Se Sets Se ts T TTone
T one f ffor
f or Me Meteor Me eor Sof Softball Sof tball
By By Emily Emily Merrill
Merrill
Sports co-editor
When junior Sam
Mont is thrilled
La Mont walks to the
with how much
plate, she moves the
stronger she is
bat from her left to
this year.
her right hand and
“I am happy
takes a practice
with the season
swing. Once situated
because I hit
in the box, she
the ball a lot
“windmills” the bat in
more this year
her left hand and
than I ever did
readies for the pitch.
last year,” La
The dictionary
Mont said.
defines dedication as
The softball
“committing oneself
team plays two
to a certain thought or
or more games
action.” La Mont,
a week, some-
known to her
times as far
teammates as
away as Mid
“Sammie,” has done
Valley School
nothing but dedicate
District, but
herself to the game of
softball does not
softball for as long as
interfere with
she can remember.
her grades, La
“I commit myself
Mont said.
by coming to every
Elizabeth Davenport/Meteor Chronicle “If I were a
practice and every Junior Sam La Mont goes for a ground ball May 20 at a game procrastinator, it
game,” said co- against Delaware Valley.
would be a big
captain La Mont. “I
deal, but since I
always keep a pos-
keep up on my
itive attitude.”
to do something, she does it,” school work and study all the
La Mont, who plays second said Finch.
time, I don’t have a problem
base and left field, said that “[La Mont] is a good team with school work,” said La
softball has always been a huge leader, and she helps out a lot Mont, whose role models in
part of her life.
when there is any kind of softball are the members of the
“When I was little, I wanted confusion with the younger U.S. softball team.
to play T-ball because it girls,” said sophomore Andy “ I look up to the [U.S.] team
seemed like a really fun thing King.
because it has always been a
to do,” said La Mont, “but then Having her parents’ support huge dream of mine to play on
softball turned into Little helps La Mont’s game a lot, she that team one day,” said La
League, and then I just played said, and makes her strive to Mont, “so each girl who is
all the time.”
become a better player. [chosen for] the team I look up
“Sam is very dedicated to “My parents come to every to because [she deserves] a lot
softball and is a hard working game that they can and support of respect.”
athlete,” said Coach Kim me 120 percent,” said La Mont. According to Finch, La
Forys.
“Their encouragement makes Mont brings an excitement and
La Mont, daughter of Tom me keep my head up high even passion to the game that lifts
and Brenda La Mont of if our team isn’t winning the everyone’s spirits.
Montrose, is known to her game.”
“[La Mont] has taught me
teammates as a role model. Though the softball team has to have fun with the game and
“[La Mont] is always so lost nine games and won only be proud no matter what
energetic, and when she is told one game (at press time), La happens,” said Finch.
..............................................................................................................................................
Bending, Bending, not not Breaking
Breaking
By By K KKelly
K elly T TTra
T Tra
ra ravis ra vis
Staff Reporter
To increase flexibility,
power, strength, and speed,
according to Coach Ellen
Mulligan, the boys’ tennis
team is using a new technique
at the beginning of every
practice.
“[Dynamic stretching is]
something different from
traditional stretching,” said
Coach Jeff Cornell. “[In
dynamic stretching], we play
games such as picking up and
catching the tennis ball in
different ways. It keeps up
the boys’ heart rates to an
aerobic level.”
Dynamic stretching involves
moving parts of the
body while gradually
increasing reach, speed of
movement, or both, according
to Coach Cornell. It
also consists of controlled leg
and arm swings that take
athletes to the limits of their
range of motion. In dynamic
stretches, there are no
bounces or jerky movements.
One form of dynamic
stretching is slow, controlled
leg swings, arm swings, or
torso twists, said Coach
Cornell.
First, the team warms up
by running and stretching to
improve muscle strength,
flexibility, and durability,
ultimately helping prevent
injuries throughout the season,
according to junior Andy
Bookin. Before matches,
players do a ten-minute
warm-up, practicing ground
strokes, volleys, overheads,
and serves. Once they’re
ready, players start match
play, ending practice with
games such as King of the
Court or O-U-T, where
players compete against each
other by practicing returning
each other’s volley.
“It helps me with
conditioning,” says senior
Mike Whitney. “Rather than
just stopping and stretching,
[we] keep moving and
running and do things that
stretch you out.”
Activities involved in
dynamic stretching include
shuffling while crossing the
arms, suicides, high knees,
grapevine runs and having a
partner shuffle and reach
down for a rolled tennis ball,
according to Bookin.
“Dynamic stretching has
helped the team and me
both,” said Bookin. “Our
overall fitness has improved,
thanks to stretching our
muscles in movements often
used in match play.”
By By Shannon Shannon Elbrecht
Elbrecht
METEOR CHRONICLE
Team eam Member Members Member
Behind Behind the the Scenes
Scenes
Staff Reporter
Whistles blow and starting
guns fire. Athletes spring into
action: sprinting, jumping, pinning,
scoring. Friends, family,
and coaches watch these athletes
in anticipation and excitement.
Who will score the next
goal? Who will win the 100meter
dash? Who will pin
whom?
What many of these spectators
don’t realize is that what
happens on the field or court is
only half the story. The other
half is the organization and behind-the-scenes
help a successful
sports team needs. The individuals
responsible for this
organization are the sports managers.
Juniors Leanna Allis and
Amanda Klein manage the JV
and varsity boys’ soccer teams.
“[We] keep the books during
the games, keep track of the
soccer balls, bring [the players]
water, and keep the medical kit
filled,” said Klein.
Juniors Danielle Michielini
and Brandi Devine are the varsity
wrestling team’s managers.
Their obligations to the team
are to mop the mats, keep score,
and make sure the medical kit
is kept in order, according to
Michielini.
“We do a lot of work and
put in a lot of time,” she said.
Allis and Klein were approached
by the former boys’
soccer team manager two soccer
seasons ago. She was
graduating, and the team
needed managers to replace
her. Allis and Klein have been
the managers ever since.
“I enjoy hanging out with my
friends on the team and my best
friend [Klein],” said Allis. “I also
enjoy being able to be outside.”
Michielini has been the
wrestling manager for two
years because she has a lot of
friends who are involved in
wrestling, she said.
Some people don’t understand
some of the roles of a
team manager, said Allis.
“People don’t think we do
anything, but we really do,” she
said. “People don’t understand
that being the manager can be
fun. We get to hang out with
our friends, and we have actual
obligations on the
team....We are part of the
team.”
Varsity boys’ soccer head
coach Dennis Newhard says
that his team managers have
helped him fulfill his duties as a
coach. Managers’ participation
eases stress on him and allows
him to focus more on the game
and his players.
“Managers play a very important
part for our soccer
team,” Coach Newhard said.
“First of all, they assist me in
the paperwork that goes along
with every sport, such as physical
papers, equipment lists, etc.
They also are my communication
between the athletic director
and me when I’m down on
the field. If I need to get a message
to the athletic director or
a custodian during practice, I
can send one of the managers
up to the high school with the
message.”
Junior Burgundy Shelp, a
participant in both field hockey
and track, understands the valuable
roles of sports managers
but can see that many other students
do not.
“I think that the members of
teams don’t realize what the
managers do,” said Shelp. “The
athletes know that someone
takes care of the fundraisers,
clothing orders, and even the
uniforms, but they don’t know
their fellow classmates take
care of this, and they also don’t
realize the amount of work it
is.”
“[Team managers] are not
looked upon as part of the team
by most people,” said Coach
Newhard. “I try to encourage
my players to look towards the
managers as part of the soccer
team because I feel they are a
valuable part of my team.”
.............................................................................................
Elizabeth Davenport/Meteor Chronicle
Junior Patrick Bayer reaches for a ball during warm ups for a
tennis match against Abington April 6. The Meteors were
defeated 0-5.

PAGE 11
MAY 2006
Sports
METEOR CHRONICLE
Lady Lady Me Meteor Me eor eors eor s Slam Slam Dunk Dunk One One More More f ffor
f or the the R RRecords
R ecords
By By Gena Gena Rapisardi
Rapisardi
Staff Reporter
The basket-
“The stands “I knew we had a good
balls have been
were very team this year,” said senior
put away, the uni-
sparse [at the Amanda Lass. “We just
forms turned in.
beginning of the needed to come together as a
Focus has shifted
season],” Miss team and work hard.”
to the spring
Mulligan said. In addition to working
sports at MAHS,
M i s s hard, head coach John
but the memories
Mulligan’s Cherundolo says getting a
of this year’s
teammate and good placement (first seed) in
girls’ basketball
sister, substitute the District 2 tournament
team will not soon
teacher Kim- bracket helped.
be forgotten.
berlyDaven- “[The placement] gave us
This season’s
port, also played a first round bye and gave us
Lady Meteors
on the 1979 [time] to work hard on condi-
basketball team
girls’ team. tioning and on post-season of-
went where only
No one fenses and defenses and to
four other girls’
would come to prepare for opponents,” said
teams have gone
the games at the Coach Cherundolo.
before: to the sec-
beginning of the This year’s team had many
ond round of state
season, Mrs. star players on it, including se-
playoffs.
The above photo from the 1979 ACTA depicts that year’s varsity girls’ basketball team, which was the Davenport said, niors Chelsey Parvin, Ashley
The last time District 12 PIAA Class AA champions. This is the only MAHS girls’ basketball team to have won a but at about Jones, and Lass, according to
the Lady Meteors district championship.
mid-season, “ev- Coach O’Reilly.
qualified for the
ery seat in the “Parvin attracts attention
second round of
house was on the floor to free up other
playoffs was three years ago. nervous,” said Miss O’Reilly. career, also played on the girls’ filled.”
players,” said Coach O’Reilly.
Before then, the girls went “As a player, I was always un- basketball team that pro- “People were really into “She’s smart and works hard.
to the second round in 1996, certain of my skills. Quesgressed to the second round of the girls’ team,” said Mrs. Her post moves are wonder-
1995, and 1980. Both the 1995 tions would run through my state playoffs in 1979, becom- Davenport. “We had the ful. Jones is just tough. She
and 1996 seasons were mind like, ‘What if I can’t ing the first girls’ basketball whole town behind us. It consistently took the ball to
coached by physical educa- break the press? What if I team from Montrose to do so. was nice [to be supported].” the basket.
tion teacher Ellen Mulligan; [shoot an] airball?’ But as a For Miss Mulligan, going to This year’s Lady Meteors “[Lass] wasn’t the high
the 1979 and 1980 years were coach, you realize that turn- states as a player was similar attracted a lot of attention, scorer, but she did what had
coached by former assistant overs and missed shots are to making states as a coach. even more than in years past, to be done,” said Coach
principal and physical educa- going to happen in every “As a player, [going to according to Miss Mulligan. O’Reilly. “She was a great
tion teacher Jackie Shaw. game—even on a profes- states] was my ultimate “It’s an honor to say that defender. She [was also a
One member of the 1995 sional level. As a coach I dream,” said Miss Mulligan. I was on a team that went to star] for the example she left.
team, biology teacher Teri wasn’t as nervous because I “All I wanted to do was go to the second round of states,” When you needed points, she
O’Reilly, became the assistant knew that this group of girls the ‘big dance.’ As a coach, I said junior Caitlin Ely. was the sparkplug.”
coach for this year’s Lady we had were hard workers, wanted [the players] to have Team members said that Miss Mulligan says that the
Meteors.
and if they made turnovers or that experience and know what advancing to states was not experience of advancing to
According to Miss missed a shot, they worked it felt like [to go to state play- surprising to them. Ely said states will be unforgettable for
O’Reilly, the environment of hard to get the ball back in offs].”
she knew the team had po- this year’s Lady Meteors.
state playoffs felt much dif- their possession.”
Miss Mulligan said when tential.
“This year’s team should
ferent when she was a player Miss Mulligan, the first fe- she played for the high school “We were a team,” said be proud,” said Miss
on the court compared to a male basketball player in team, the support from the Ely. “We played as a team, Mulligan. “It’s an experience
coach on the sidelines. Susquehanna County to score school and community was and anyone on any night could that will stay with them for the
“As a coach, I [was] less 1,000 points in her high school much different.
have a good game.” rest of their lives.”
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
ATV, , Dir Dirt Dir t Bik Bike Bik e Racing Racing R RRequire
R equire Skills, Skills, ‘P ‘Passion’ ‘P assion’
By By Emily Emily Gow Gow Gow and and Emily Emily Merrill Merrill
Merrill
Staff Reporter and Sports Co-editor
When some people think of
dirt bikes and ATVs, they often
connect them with riding
through the woods or on trails
around their homes. For senior
Chris Cheney, however, this
equipment is more than just a
way to spend an idle
afternoon—it is a way of life,
literally.
When Cheney graduates in
June, he will begin the process
of becoming a professional
motocross racer. First, he must
prove himself to become an
“expert.” Next, Cheney must
earn points by winning races to
apply for his “pro” license. The
American Motorcyclist
Association will then decide if
Cheney is “fast enough” or
“good enough” to receive a
“pro” card.
“My dad [Jeff Cheney] got
me started [in racing] when I
was young because he has done
it all his life, and it’s a fun sport
to do, so he wanted me to start
racing,” said Cheney.
Cheney placed first in
amateur championships when
he was age eight, nine and ten
years old at Loretta Lynn’s
dude ranch in Tennessee. The
greatest challenge now for
Cheney is winning a national
championship again. He hopes
to qualify and place in the
championship.
Winning a race is not always
easy. In a normal race, there
are often over 40 other racers,
but Cheney does not mind this
extra competition.
“It adds excitement, and it’s
fun to battle with the [40]
people,” said Cheney.
Racing dirt bikes is popular
among teenagers, and Cheney
thinks he knows why.
“[I believe the reason racing
dirt bikes is such a hit among
teenagers is] for the adrenaline
rush,” said Cheney. “It’s not
that expensive to race at a local
race.”
Two other MAHS students
also race. Seventh grader
Zachary Lupole participates in
motocross and scrambles, and
eighth grader Jesilynn Henry
races her ATV in drag races.
In a scramble, the racer rides
through the woods, and in
motocross, he/she races on a
track, according to Lupole.
Like Cheney, Lupole’s
father is the reason he began
racing. As his father rode, he
watched him, and when Lupole
was about four, he decided he
wanted to try a dirt bike himself.
He began racing his dirt bike at
five or six, he said.
The hardest part about riding
the tracks is the big jumps, said
Lupole. It’s difficult to watch
the other racers make the jumps
and then miss them himself, he
said.
“It’s a challenge to beat the
obstacles and win the race,”
Lupole said.
In a normal race, there are
often over 40 other racers.
However, Lupole likes the
additional competition because
there is a better chance of his
earning a prize.
“It’s fun because it is a
challenge,” said Lupole.
However, racers have to be
into the sport and learn how to
handle the jumps to do the sport,
according to Lupole. Having a
passion for the sport is the most
important quality to staying with
it, according to Lupole. He
learned that lesson by going to
all the races.
“If you don’t have [the
passion to do it], …you’re just
going to give up,” Lupole said.
“If you don’t have fun with it,
you might as well give up.”
Lupole raced in the Mud and
Snow Scrambles in the Tri City
area (New York) on Nov. 27,
where he finished in first place
against some six other racers.
“[Winning first place is] really
cool, and you hope to win the
next week,” said Lupole.
The best part about racing his
dirt bike is “just riding,” Lupole
said. Henry started racing much
like Lupole. When she was 12,
her father asked her if she and
her brother would like to practice
riding the ATV. They both said
yes, and she has stayed with the
sport ever since.
Henry enjoys everything
about the sport, she said.
Racing is fun, and it is
something she is good at,
Henry added.
In ATV drag races, girls
race with the boys, and that is
not always easy, according to
Henry.
“[The greatest challenge is]
trying to beat the boys,” she
said. “It’s a challenge, and I like
more of a challenge.”
The boys are faster, and
they get mad if they are
beaten, according to Henry.
So to Henry, winning first
place over the boys feels
“really good!”
For Henry, the greatest thrill
about racing her ATV is being
out there. When she is sitting
on the sidelines, watching
everyone else race, it makes
her want to race, she said.
One reason Henry thinks so
many teenagers enjoy riding
ATVs is that “it’s really the
only thing you can drive.”
Racing has helped Henry
learn about herself, she said.
“[Racing has taught me]
you have to be confident in
yourself,” she said.
ATVs are expensive to
race, according to Henry. She
said paying for all the parts
needed for the ATV can cost
hundreds of dollars.
Racing dirt bikes can also
be expensive, according to
Lupole, if the rider buys all the
items the professionals do, but
if a rider buys the average
equipment (riding gear, boots,
and goggles), it is not expensive.
Racing sponsors can help
with all the expenses, said
Lupole. He used to be
sponsored by Oakley, makers
of sports equipment such as
sunglasses, goggles, and
watches, but when his Oakley
goggles were stolen, the
company no longer would
sponsor him, Lupole said.
Henry said she has never
had a sponsor although last
summer she was approached
by a company whose offer she
declined. Sponsors go to the
races and watch to see who is
good enough to be worth
supporting, said Henry. Lupole
said racers have to go places
and show how they have done
in order to attract sponsors’
attention.
Cheney and his father are
sponsored by North American
War Horse, which sells
motorcycles and dirt bikes. The
sponsor provides them with
motorcycles, dirt bikes, and
discounts on clothing.
“I won’t rely on it for an
income,” said Cheney. “It’s
more like just to have fun.”
In addition to racing,
Cheney’s plans for the future
are to become a mechanic and/
or to design race tracks.

PAGE 12 MAY 2006
Sports
METEOR CHRONICLE
Steffany Steffany Jahnke
Jahnke
Sports Co-editor
We all know her: the stereotypical
soccer mom with kids in the back
seat of an SUV, rushing them to practice;
sitting on the sidelines, rooting
for her children; giving them all the
loving support they need. Or is she?
Not all parents have the time to
be at every practice, and they
shouldn’t be expected to be. We
applaud “soccer moms and dads”
for their sacrifice and devotion, but
sometimes support goes too far.
There are overbearing parents
out there who want their children to
win at any cost—never mind
whether they’re having any fun.
Case in point: A girl tries her best at
soccer, performing every kick to
near perfection, but her father on the
sidelines tells her only what he thinks
she’s doing wrong, over and over,
as though she doesn’t already know
her mistakes. The two yell and argue
over the pressure of his shadowing
her every move and hanging
over her. The frustration supersedes
the fun that high school sports are
By By By Richard Richard Richard Buckley
Buckley
Staff Reporter
“To hit a pitcher’s pitch is
the hardest thing to do in any
sport,” said varsity baseball
coach Todd Legg. “The
hardest thing to do is hit [off] a
pitcher.”
To assist batters in
developing their swinging
techniques, the fifth annual
baseball hitting clinic was held
March 11 in the front and back
gymnasiums at MAHS.
Proceeds from the clinic helped
the varsity baseball team fund
its March 17-18 weekend in
Lancaster, Pa., for a series
against a team from Oxford,
Pa.
The clinic was divided into
morning and afternoon
sessions. Coach Legg and
most of the varsity team
players set up the gymnasiums
with hitting stations.
The stations helped batters
deal with different game
SPORTLIGHT
Commentary
Parents Parents of of Athletes:
Athletes:
Suppor Supportiv Suppor tiv tive tiv e or or Ov Overbearing?
Ov erbearing?
supposed to be all about.
Not all parental pushing is bad,
of course; sometimes a student athlete
needs a little nudge from a parent
to reach for a higher level. Parents
should be involved. It’s a wonderful
feeling to see your parents in
the stands and to go up to them after
a meet or match and have them
be proud of you. Some MAHS parents
even leave the stands to help
with bookkeeping and running food
stands at every game. These parents
are vital parts of athletics at
MAHS. They are supportive, helpful,
and greatly needed. We applaud
them for their dedication to their
children’s sports and all of their assistance.
With this constant help, however,
comes a danger of dependency.
This is not always the case, but seeing
your parents at every game, away
and home, and then all of a sudden
not seeing them there because of another
commitment is a strange feeling
of loss, according to one Me-
teor athlete.
It’s also hard on coaches when
parents get too involved in their
children’s sports careers. When a
parent approaches a coach about his
child’s playing time or even goes so
far as to go over a coach’s head to
talk to the athletic director or principal
without the coach’s knowledge,
there is a big problem. Coaches deal
with these situations often. Dilemmas
frequently arise from such outbursts,
which only add to the drama
of high school sports.
To all of those supportive parents
out there, thank you. You make
athletics fun for not only your own
children but also every other child
on the team. Your assistance is valued,
and every supportive comment
you make boosts team moral.
However, there are those “pushy
parents” who only hurt the team and
break down an athlete’s enjoyable
experience in high school sports.
Sports are about fun. Without
the fun, why participate?
Cardio Cardio Room Room Underutilized Underutilized by by the the Public
Public
By By Burgundy Burgundy Burgundy Shelp
Shelp
Sports Co-editor
Trac rac rack rac k A AAchie
A hie hieving hie ving Goals
Goals
By By By Carly Carly Hull
Hull
Staff Reporter
“When I started track freshman
year, I didn’t know what to expect.
I just tried to have fun,” said fouryear
track member Khayla Shearer,
a senior. “I got really good coaching,
and I started to get good at it, and I
took it from there.”
Shearer’s goal was to enjoy her
sport; she gave little thought to the
future.
“I just kind of went into it like,
whatever happens, happens. Just
have fun,” said Shearer.
Other track members share
Shearer’s view.
“Now I’m a lot more serious
about doing track compared to my
first year,” said four-year track
member Chase Devine, a
sophomore.
Several other experienced track
athletes say they had no idea what
their sport would hold for them
when they started.
“I expected to be fast and good,
[but] I didn’t even think of states,”
said four-year track member Tara
Chiarella, a junior.
“I haven’t gotten as far as I’ve
wanted to,” said Devine. “I have high
expectations.”
Now Chiarella, Devine and
Shearer are reaching for higher goals.
“[My goals for this year are]
breaking the school
record (5:12) in the
mile, winning districts,
[and] placing
in states,” said
Chiarella.
“[My goals are]
to make states in
pole vaulting and
have a really good
4 x 800-meter relay
team because a lot
of freshman girls
came up that are
really talented this
year,” said Shearer.
“[My goal for
this year is] to run a
sub five mile,” said
Devine.
Not only are the
older track athletes
setting and trying to
reach goals for
themselves but also
they are helping
younger track
members reach
Clinic Clinic Puts Puts A AAthle
A thle thletes thle es Int Into Int o Swing Swing of of Things
Things
goals that they are trying to reach,”
said Chiarella.
“[My goal is] to find what event
I’m best suited for,” said three-year
track member Hannah Cronk, a
freshman.
“[I want] to learn to pole vault
and to build up my endurance for
the middle distance,” two-year track
member Marion Huntley, a
freshman, said.
Track coach Eric Powers is
confident about this year’s team.
“I’m really excited about this
year’s team,” said Coach Powers.
“I’m very optimistic that we’ll have
a lot of success. Our freshman and
sophomore numbers are very good,
and we have a good amount of upperclass
leadership to help them along.”
Athletes agree.
“I think this year’s team has a
lot of talent,” said Shearer.
“We have some really great
athletes,” said Chiarella. “When we
have to come together for meets
[and other things], we do it.”
Everyone helps each other when
needed. There is always good
support from team members.
“We’re close and we help each
other and cheer each other on to
achieve our goals,” said Huntley.
Since the beginning of the school
year, the high school’s cardio room
has been available for public use on
Mondays and Thursdays from 6-8
p.m., according to physical education
teacher Eric Stallings, who
monitors the room on public nights.
However, few people have utilized
the room.
“I think the lack of the cardio
room use is due to people not knowing
about it,” said physical education
teacher Kim Forys.
According to health teacher
Mike Dooley, the cardio room supplies
its users with the machines that
will provide a full cardiovascular
workout. For example, one may run
a mile on one of the elliptical machines,
which takes approximately
20 minutes. Treadmills, stair steppers
and bikes are also available.
Mr. Stallings said the environment
on the public nights is comfortable
for those who prefer to
work out among fewer people.
Kathy Wheaton, Montrose, uses
the cardio room every time it is open.
“I think it’s excellent,” said Mrs.
Wheaton, because there is a variety
of equipment, and the room isn’t
very busy, plus it is free. She also
appreciates using the machines in
winter to avoid running in the cold.
Mrs.Wheaton said she would
use the cardio room in the summer
if it were open; she wishes there
were more nights open for public
use.
Since she pays taxes, Mrs.
Wheaton said she is happy for the
benefits that she can get from the
room.
Chris and Patti Jo Caterson,
Montrose, also use the cardio room
on a regular basis.
During the winter both Mr. and
Mrs. Caterson used the cardio room
before they attended basketball
games. Mr. Caterson said the cardio
room is a blessing because he has
lost weight and lowered his blood
cholesterol.
“I think it’s an underused asset,”
said Mr. Caterson, who uses the
cardio room instead of an area gym.
“I think it’s great because the
equipment is in good condition, it’s
free, and the room is convenient,”
said Mrs. Caterson. “I’m just surprised
more people haven’t used it.”
The availability of the cardio room
this summer is yet to be determined.
their goals.
“I try to encourage
the people
I see because they
all have their own
Elizabeth Davenport/Meteor Chronicle
Senior Carrie Fischer attempts to jump 4’10” in
the high jump event at the track meet against West
Scranton April 11.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
situations, such as if they were
in an inning with two strikes
against them, and they needed
to use a method called “choke
and poke.” This method
requires hitting any ball that is
thrown near the strike zone.
Batters have to choke up on
the bat and just poke at the ball
with the bat to avoid striking
out. In the front gym was a
station where batters hit small
wiffle balls. This helped the
batters with eye coordination.
In the back gym a cage was
set up with a live pitching
machine in it. This helped
batters get the bat around in
time to hit fast-speed pitches.
Coach Legg demonstrated
correct batting stances and
hitting techniques to practice
during the clinic. He also gave
athletes fun ways to remember
various hitting techniques. One
Richard Buckley/Meteor Chronicle
Junior Doug Wiser (left) shows LathropStreet sixth grader Christopher
Jordan how to perfect his batting stance during a drill at
the baseball hitting clinic held at the high school March 11.
example is “elbow to midget.”
This technique shows batters
how to bring their elbows to
their waists.
“[The clinic] is a neat
experience for kids,” said
Coach Legg, one of three
coaches at the clinic.
Susquehanna baseball coach
Jamie Smith and Mountain
View softball coach Dave
Jagger also attended.
“I definitely feel that it
helped me with my swing,”
said seventh grader James
Churco from MAHS. “It gave
me confidence.”
Zack LaRue from
Mountain View liked the
batting cages the best;
however, he had some fears
about being in one for the first
time.
“I was nervous because I
didn’t want [the ball] to hit
me,” said LaRue.
Fifth grader Molly Williams
from Mountain View also
attended the clinic, the first girl
ever to attend the clinic,
according to Coach Legg.
Over 200 athletes have
attended the clinic in its fiveyear
history, said Coach Legg.
“I think [the clinic] was a
good idea because it’s going
to help kids on the baseball
team win games,” said Churco.