1. Smoke Signals
PTHS
December 2007
Volume 39, Issue 3
Students’ Charity Gives Hope to Third-World Country
Photo by Mady Dietrich
S e n i o r E m i l y Yang
k i n d l y d o n a t e s h e r o l d s h o e s t o t h e N a t i o n a l H o n o r S o c i e t y ’s s h o e d r i ve , w h i c h b e n e f i t s c h i l d r e n
living in the Dominican Republic. Drop boxes were placed in each school throughout the district to help support this worthwhile cause.
Grant Burkhardt
A
News Editor
t Peters Township High School, where every turn brings new
drama or chaos, cheerful news is sometimes hard to come by. So
much so, that when a student witnesses a Samaritan feat, he might
just glance over it. High school students are often egotistical and
oblivious, making every selfless act much more important. However:
Andrew Paul is giving back.
Andrew Paul is recognizing world need.
Andrew Paul is changing the stereotype.
Paul has organized a district-wide shoe drive for underprivileged
children in the Dominican Republic. From October 30th until December
19th, boxes will be placed at the Recreation Center as well as in classrooms
throughout the district in order to collect gently used shoes for “Roberto’s
Kids.”
As the name suggests, “Roberto’s Kids” is a charity started in honor
of Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente as an
organization that looks to improve conditions for children all over Latin America.
Paul and his girlfriend, Jessie Smith, have organized the drive, placing
boxes at every school in the district. The two juniors, working with the National
Honor Society at the high school, have worked for the past month to ensure a
successful drive for the Dominican Republic and other areas of Latin America.
Why the Dominican Republic?
“[The Dominican Republic] is
an area of extreme poverty.” “Roberto’s Kids” has chosen the most
poverty-stricken areas of the country in which to donate the shoes.
“As of right now I’ve collected 2,500 [shoes] that are packed
and I have at least another 500 waiting to be packed.” Paul noted, “I’m
unsure of what the final count will be since the shoes are still pouring in.”
“The realization of how well we have it here really comes alive
doing work like this,” said Paul. “Charity work gives an opportunity to better
the life of someone else in the world and gives you a thankful attitude.”
Last year, Paul coordinated another charity drive for Latin America. He
collected gently used baseball equipment – shoes, gloves, etc. – and sent them
to areas of need. As a high school baseball player, Paul knows the importance of
having resources to be able to play the game. He added, “When the kids were being
fitted for their spikes for baseball, they didn’t know their shoe size because they
didn’t even own a pair of shoes.”
The success of this
caring teenager should inspire
others to follow his lead. In fact,
the entire community should
watch and learn from Andrew
Paul’s act of charity; he has a
bright future ahead of him. Paul
would like to thank everyone
involved; “I literally had people
call me from all around Pittsburgh
wanting to make donations.
Most importantly, I want to thank
all of the people who took the
time to donate their shoes.”
Junior Andrew Paul
proudly
relishes in the success of the district
wide Shoe Drive that he organized.
This is the second fundraiser Paul has
developed to benefit “Roberto’s Kids”.
Photo by Emily Correal

2. Peters Township High School Reference
PTHS
December 2007
Sunday
Monday
Britney Spears’
Birthday
3
Wednesday
Tuesday
it
Let
2
December 2007
Smoke Signals
Snow
B.V. Ice Hockey vs.
Chartiers Valley 8:50
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
4
Santa’s List Day...We hope
your on the “Good” List!
5 Hanukkah Begins
6
World AI
DS
Awareness Day
13
14
15
G.V.Basketball vs. Bethel B.V Basketball vs. Bethel
7:30
Park 7:30
G.V. Basketball vs. Mt
Lebo 7:30
7
2
B. V. Basketball vs. Mt.
Lebo 7:30
8
B.V. Basketball vs. Mars
3:00
9
10
11
12
16
Boston Tea Party,
1773
17
18
19
20
21
B.V. Basketball vs. Oliver G.V. Basketball vs. Shaler B.V Basketball @ Shaler
High School 7:30
7:30
TBA
22
23
24
26
29
Mississippi
became the 20th US
State
B.V. Ice Hockley vs.
Greensburg Salem 9:30
25
No School!
Christmas Eve
30
Bake Cookies Day
Christmas
Poinsettia Day
27
Kwanzaa Begins
No School!
28
No School!
Winter
Solstice
No School!
31
New Year’s
Eve!
No School!
Boxing Day
S a y Happy New Year
In 10 Different Languages!
Chinese (Mandarin) - Xin nian yu kuai
French - Bonne année
German - Gutes Neues Jahr
Hawaiian - Hauoli Makahiki Hou
Hebrew - Shanah tovah
Italian - Buon Capo d’Anno
Norwegian - Godt Nyttår
Polish - Szczesliwego Nowego roku
Spanish - Feliz Año Nuevo
Russian - S Novym Godom
Holida y M az e!
Smoke Signals
Smoke Signals is produced eight times during
a school year by the students of Media II, III,
IV Journalism and extracurricular staff at Peters Towship High School, 264 E. McMurray
Road, McMurray PA 15317. Telephone: 724941-6250 x.5379. E-mail: sitlern@pt-sd.org.
Commentaries, reviews, and opinion col-
umns are the expressed opinion of the author
and not of Smoke Signals, its advisor or the
Peters Township School District. Member of
the Pennsylvania School Press Association.
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Ashley Czajkowski
Renée Wunderlich
LAYOUT EDITOR
Katie Gavlick
NEWS EDITOR
Grant Burkhardt
FEATURES EDITOR
Angelina Nepa
OPINION EDITORS
Alex Egan
Brian Lewis
SPORTS EDITOR
Bill Berry
Jordan Dent
MARKETING EDITORS
Brianna Lutes
Shelby Miller
STAFF WRITERS
Andrea Briggs, Emily Estep,
Gina Nepa,
Taylor Relich, Bridget
Stasenko, Katie Ellis,
Averi Clements, Paige Burris, Mady Dietrich, Stephanie Nitschmann, Stephanie
Cotugno, Ian Jackson, Dana
Hoelle, Melanie Hoffman,
Brendan Sikora
LAYOUT TEAM
Katie Gavlick, Kaylin Zawicki, Emily Correal, Shelby
Miller, Brianna Lutes
ADVISER
Mrs. Sitler
http://www.benjerry.com/assets/images/fun_stuff/holidays/winter_holidays/present-maze-easy.gif

3. News
PTHS
December 2007
Smoke Signals
Stephanie Cotugno
Media Department Reaches Out to Children
3
Staff Writer
For the past seven years, as a school, have
donated thousands of toys to the U.S Marine Corps
Reserve’s national foundation Toys for Tots. Every
holiday season, from October through December,
the U.S Marine Corps Reserve begins their mission
of collecting new, and unwrapped toys so they can
be distributed as Christmas gifts to needy children
in communities throughout America. Each location of
the Marine Corps in the communities of the United
States acts as a sponsor as they conduct this successful nationwide campaign. The primary goal of
Toys for Tots during every wishful holiday season
is to deliver a new toy to every child whose parents
cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. This
also gives these children a message of hope that will
motivate them to grow into responsible, productive
patriotic citizens and strong leaders of their own community. “Every child deserves a toy for Christmas,
and I really like how Toys for Tots makes that happen
for the children in America,” said junior Andrew Paul.
The school has been promoting the great
deeds of Toys for Tots since the new millennium. Every year around the holiday season, the determined
Media Department sets up cardboard boxes in the
rooms of the high school to receive toys from students and faculty members that will be donated to
the cause. Peters Township comes together every
year motivated to succeed in helping needy children
across America experience the joys of Christmas
by playing an active role in the foundation. “We as
a department enjoy doing this campaign because
it gives us an opportunity to work with our community through Peters Township Community Television
to provide local families in need with gifts for their
children,” stated Robin Frick, a media teacher at
the high school. The foundation believes in the development of one of our nation’s most valuable resources, the children of the world. This foundation
is not only a way to help others, but it also unifies
all members of a community by bringing people together for a common cause three months each year.
The Toys for Tots Foundation was founded
in 1947 by Colonel William L. Hendricks. Hendricks
and his wife, Diane, established the idea of giving
back to people after the holidays in 1947 when the
couple collected 5,000 toys for their own community.
The Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and
immediately expanded it into a nationwide campaign.
On average, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation collects about 19 million toys valued at a total $42.9 million dollars every year in the United States. Since its
establishment in 1947, Toys for Tots has distributed
more than 370 million toys over 173 million needy
children. The foundation is also expanding with its
558 active communities participating in the campaign
every year, which covers all 50 states, the District
of Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Wal-Mart: Low Prices at a High Cost
Andrea Briggs
Syntax Editor
Wal-Mart is known for
having the best savings around,
but these prices come at a high
cost for those who make and sell
their products.
The commercials that
air on television about Wal-Mart
portray the store as a great environment with even greater deals.
However, for employees, the atmosphere is less than welcoming. A
large number of female
workers have spoken
out, saying that men
are promoted faster,
and are generally paid
more than their female
counterparts. There
have even been reports
of business meetings
being held at the Hooters restaurant chain. While over 72% of the
workforce in Wal-Marts is female,
only 10% of the managers are
women.
Even for the male
employees, things aren’t always a
dream. The average pay for sales
associate is $8.23 an hour for
annual income of $13,861 - if an
employee were to work 40 hour
weeks with no sick days. The
current poverty line for a threeperson family is just over $17,000.
The difference is significant, over
$3,000 a year. Considering that
Wal-Mart rakes in nearly $200
billion yearly, it would cost them
very little to increase wages so
that employees may live just
above the poverty line. Its higherranking
businessmen
make
millions of dollars, but ordinary
employees barely make enough
to survive.
Even
the
workers
overseas aren’t safe. Chinese
factory employees work under
harsh conditions, sometimes
locked into the factory and forced
66% of the people they hire.
Even though not nearly enough
employees are covered, the ones
who are in the program might as
well not have it at all. The average
Wal-Mart worker must pay 7-25%
of their annual salary just to cover
the premiums and deductibles.
There are times, however, when
Wal-Mart opens its heart and
pays for medical treatment for its
employees - but
then turns around
and asks for the
money
back.
Former employee
Deborah
Shank
was in a horrific
car accident that
caused
severe
brain damage and called for nearly
$500,000 in medical bills. After
Wal-Mart paid for everything under
her healthcare plan, they sued her
husband for all the money they
had provided, plus the interest
that would have compiled during
the three years that Deborah’s
rehabilitation took place. This is
not outside their boundaries; in
fact, it is not unusual to see terms
in many healthcare plans that
say the company has every right
to ask for the money recovered
by an injured person. However,
Wal-Mart put the welfare of the
company over the welfare of a
human being, and that isn’t right.
“Wal-Mart put the welfare of the
company over the welfare of a human
to work under the threat of being
fired. They are paid $0.23 per
hour, well under the Chinese
minimum wage of $0.31. Overtime
hours go unpaid, and the average
employee works an 80-hour
week. Wal-Mart imports much of
its merchandise from China – so
much, in fact, that if Wal-Mart
were its own separate country, it
would rank fifth in China’s trading
partners, ahead of Germany, the
UK, and Russia.
Healthcare is a major
issue for this company as well.
Only 43% of its 1.39 million
US employees are covered by
healthcare, compared to the
average company that insures
Top 10 Toys to Give This Christmas:
Photo by Nicole Sitler
Junior Sam Higgins does her part and contributes two toys.
The Media Department donated over 411 toys to the US Marines’ Toys for Tots Foundation in 2007.
What In The
World?
Boys and girls around the world were
disappointed one by one as their eleventh
birthdays came and went with absolutely
no word from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But fear no more small
children; Elwood “Bunky” Bartlett, a Pagan
priest, won roughly $49 million dollars from
his local lottery, and is planning to open a
school for witches. The school will be for
college-aged students but is not just for
those who want to become more learned in
the art of Wicca; those that honestly want
to study witchcraft are more than welcome
to attend as well. The real question is, will
the headmaster be as sweet as Dumbledore or as wicked as Snape?
Everybody on the ground! This is a…
ketchup? Two masked men ambushed a
supermarket employee in England as he
was taking cash to the bank by throwing
two large bags filled with ketchup onto the
employee’s windshield. The robbers didn’t
get away with much, though – they only
managed to keep 400 of the 140,000 euros that the employee had on him at the
time.
First rule in hunting: never leave your
gun lying on the ground – your dog may
step on it and shoot you in the leg. Iowa
native James Harris did just that and was
hit in his left calf by more than 120 birdshot
pellets. Incidentally, this isn’t an uncommon
occurrence in Iowa; according to Alan Foster, a spokesman for the Iowa Department
of Natural Resources, hunters get shot by
their dogs “a couple times a year”.
The pigeon population in New York
has always been overwhelming. In the
past, vendors and residents would lace
their birdseed with arsenic to help suppress the overcrowded species. Councilman James Odd believes that this is an inhumane way to deal with the pigeons. His
solution? Birth Control. The drug has not
yet been approved for the birds, but the
odds look good; a similar project for geese
was given the OK just weeks before.
Compiled by Katie Ellis
LEGO Mindstorms | Rubik’s Revolution by Techno Source | FurReal Friends | Hannah Montana Singing Doll by Play Along |
| Guitar Hero 3 | Webkinz by Ganz | iDog, iCat, iFish | Transformers Toys by Hasbro | Barbie Girls by Mattel | Pleo Dinosaur

4. 4
Features
PTHS
New Feature
Appears in
Smoke Signals
Here at PTHS, where the drama
is so prevalent, we have very skillfully observed certain individuals,
engaged in more-than-just-friends relationships, are experiencing difficult
situations- most of which cannot be
resolved with a simple “I’m sorry.” We
get it-you are obviously going to marry
your high school lab partner/locker
buddy/ride home/late pass/third hand
…really, we do. However, we also
understand that these “friendships”
come with their fair share of tears,
drama, and heartbreak.
This is where we come in.
We are not promising overwhelming
success, but we have seen every
sappy, romantic movie ever made
and can offer a third party opinion
(assuming you have yet to consult
your parents). We are concerned,
fellow students who just happen
to possess a gift of advisement to
those unfortunate couples who feel
their high school love life is slipping
away. However, even though we
like to think we are geniuses, we
cannot possibly know who is having
a problem or what the problem could
be.
This is where you come in.
You are our inspiration. You are
the only source that we have. You
are the reason we are starting this
monthly column. You worry us, and
your stories are needed. So, write
to us. Drop-off boxes will be located
in the guidance office and in the
library.
We also understand that,
by writing to us, you are being very
brave, so we are going to keep this
column completely anonymous.
However, we would like you to
know when we are answering your
question in the newspaper, so we
have come up with what we think
is a very efficient system. Next
to each drop-off box, we will have
question forms where you will be
able to discuss your problem, state
your gender, and come up with a
creative name with which we will
identify you (Desperately Confused,
Hopeless Romantic, Passionately
Loveless, etc). We would also like
to keep this anonymous on our end
as well. We are not going to print
our names. This is for us to know
and for you to wonder about.
We want to reassure you,
the writer, that we are not going to
simply critique and gossip about
your problems. We are writing
this column because we feel that
it needs to be written. With the
already enormous high school
workload that you are dealing with,
relationships should be your safety
net, not the source of more stress.
We really do want to help, so give
us some ammunition. We promise
to take our best shot.
GO
figure
Giving
December 2007
Smoke Signals
Untapped PT Resources Speak
Angelina Nepa
Features
It seems like school has
been getting more and more
difficult in the past few weeks,
especially since teachers are
trying to cram in extra work
before the holidays.
Your
situation may seem hopelessmaybe you can’t get a good
grade on a paper, tons of
math problems are piling up,
and you’re too stressed to
function. What many students
do not realize is that PT has
a few resources that can
help you out, even if they
aren’t always conventional.
Need help with a paper?
Have a previous English
teacher read it before you turn
it in. The same goes for college
essays. Given enough notice,
most teachers would be happy
to offer constructive criticism.
Get your rough draft done
early and hand it off for proofreading.
Having trouble in pre-calc?
Mathnasium is a great local tutoring
service. They have teachers that can
help you with any kind of math, no
matter how challenging. It’s not the
kind of place that tries to help kids
pass, it helps kids get A’s. And the best
part- no appointments are necessary;
you can show up whenever you want
as long as you pay a monthly fee.
Their website claims that “Children
don’t hate math. They hate being
confused and intimidated by math.
With understanding comes passion.”
Some
teachers
care.
Chances are the teacher you respect
the most will be willing to talk to you
about anything that’s bothering you.
Teachers would rather you work
through problems with them than
show up with random late work. As
Mrs. Kocan advocates on her website,
“Strive for excellence, not perfection!”
OUT
What’s Your Favorite Toy?
Andrew Nixon ‘08:
My favorite toy is my Shox 360.
Keith Quinn’09:
Legos. Yeeeeaaah!
Writers’ Strike: Is It A Curse or
Blessing?
Emily Estep
Staff Writer
After a long day are already in repeats. that students are very in
of school, sports, extra- This isn’t to say that they touch with their television
curriculars, and chores, don’t have new episodes schedules. Most students
Candyland.
everyone deserves to to present, it just means found it difficult to pick
watch the new South the network or producers only one show they’ll
Park or Grey’s Anatomy. support the strike. Even miss. Freshman Alyssa
Some students may if they don’t support the Trier stated, “I have a
obsess about TV more strike, they only have so very strict schedule, and
than others; however, many unaired episodes I would die if I missed
we can all agree, seeing filmed before they run one of my shows.”
In
fact,
the
a new episode of your out, and no one is there
favorite show is an to write a new one. average student watches
Are
students TV or movies for about
exciting event. The new
Desperate Housewives really so attached to four hours a day. Is this
is the perfect way to end television that this will really time spent wisely?
a weekend, and who affect them? As it turns “TV is not always a bad
doesn’t love the NBC out, it does greatly. When thing, it’s a good way to
McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys.
Thursday night line-up fifty students were asked stay updated on current
of My Name Is Earl, 30 about the show they events,” said sophomore
Rock, The Office, and would be missing most, Brad Trylko. On the other
different hand, there are plenty of
Scrubs? Unfortunately, twenty-five
television, and the world television programs were mindless TV shows like
as we know it, is in named. Leaders amongst Tila Tequila and I Love
danger. On November the poll were Hannah New York. Perhaps, a
Desperate writer’s strike is just what
7, the Writer’s Guild Montana,
of America went on Housewives, and The we need. It will give us
strike. This includes all Office. “Every Thursday time to get ahead on
writers for American film, I used to look forward our school work, get in
television, and radio. to watching The Office, touch with an old friend,
What does this mean to without new episodes and more importantly,
us? No new episodes. on, my Thursday nights finally catch up on those
My football.
no
meaning,” old episodes of House.
Shows such as The have
Office, Two and a Half sophomore Anni Keffer
Men, and Grey’s Anatomy explained. It seems
The amount of
In London,
cards sold during
Consumers spent a
the holiday season
think
would fill a football
plan
it is nicer to give a
total of
people are expected
field ten stories
to buy their
gift rather than giving
to go bankrupt
high, and requires
holiday gifts on
during
a gift card or gift
as a result of
the harvesting of
sale.
the Holiday season.
certificate.
over-spending at
trees.
Christmas.
Laura Karras ‘10:
Grant Kocher ‘10:
Tyler Martik ‘11:
10,000
300,000
37%
$438.6
billion
32%

5. PTHS
December 2007
Features
Picking the Perfect Coat
Comedy and Tragedy: Under Construction
Photo by Renee Wunderlich
Junior and senior thespians of Troupe 185 gather together
at the Pennsylvania State Conference to sing, dance, and
celebreate the art of theatre.
Alex Kocher as Jonny, Annemarie Hall as Harper,
and Angelina Nepa as a female opera singer.
Natalie Palamides was awarded as being the most
dynamic actress by the professional judging panel.
The members from the Troupe also sang “For
Now” from the popular musical “Avenue Q”. The
piece was directed by Drew Caliguire (who will serve
as Peters Township’s chair member for next year’s
Conference) and choreographed by Christine Ghetto.
“Festival is always amazing.
You
meet so many talented people who share your
interests,” said Ghetto,
“I’ve realized that,
although I’m really enjoying my senior year, I
wish I was a junior so I could come back again.”
While there were no puppets present,
this spunky and inspirational version of the
song looked deeply into the fact that nothing
in life (exempting death and taxes) is forever.
Those who attended Festival in addition to
the student thespians were Karyn Kuhn, Sponsor,
and Mr. Barry Wood, the Troupe’s founder.
Mad About Fashion By Mady Dietrich
Renée Wunderlich
Co-Editor-In-
The Peters Township High School’s Thespian
Troupe 185 recently participated in the Pennsylvania
State Conference (also called Festival). The event
serves as a yearly display of high school drama
productions, including solo and duet performances,
short skits, one acts, musical selections, dance
features, various workshops, and even full-length
plays. Hosted by York Central High School in York,
PA, Peters was the oldest Troupe in attendance. The
event’s theme, “Building Character”, was illustrated
through the many student chair members decked
with hardhats and tool belts.
“State Conference is the greatest experience
known to mankind. Period,” stated senior Eli
Diamond, Troupe Historian. Eli also served as this
year’s representative chair, and director of the One
Act “The Least Offensive Play in the Whole Darn
World”, written by Jonathan Rand.
The play featured seniors Natalie Palamides
and Jess Ward as two comically conservative
hosts of an off-kilter infomercial. The plot centered
on the magical ‘Script Cleaner 500’. With all the
controversy over high schools performing plays
and Broadway musicals, the Script Cleaner 500
is guaranteed to wipe away all content dubbed
‘inappropriate’. The piece constantly made fun of
the bloody scenes in Shakespeare’s Romeo and
Juliet, the topic of “relationship indecency” in the play
‘Angels in America’, and just about every aspect of
the Broadway musical and blockbuster ‘RENT’.
The cast consisted of: Natalie Palamides as
Shelly and Jess Ward as Alice, the hosts, Carl Mitchell
as Roma/Dennis, Drew caliguri as Williamson/Mark,
Nate Meyers as Linqk, Caitlyn Roberts as Tybalt,
Eli Diamond as Mercutio, Samuel Rodgers-Melnick
as Roger/Warren, Kyle Bloser as Abraham/The
Falling Chandelier, Jackie Deily as Benvolio, Renée
Wunderlich as The Page/The Surgeion, Tomas Raugh
as Romeo/Jason, Laura Sunday, Gina Wagner, and
Alexa Baxendell as the ‘Toga Girls’ (chorus), Christine
Ghetto as Medea, Jessica Rothaar as Frankie,
5
Nothing is more stressful than getting out
your winter coats and not have a single one fit.
Some may look so old you wonder if they could
pass for vintage. These are some simple pointers
that will help you find the perfect coat. First, pea
coats, puffed jackets, and vests are good for the
warmer winter days, and fur jackets and jackets
with the higher necks are very popular and will
also keep you warm in the cold weather.
This season’s pea coats are bigger than
ever. Pea coats that poof or flow out, according
to ‘Elle’ magazine, are very high in fashion and
are seen all over. You can top your pea coat off
with a medium sized belt strapped around your
waist to add a ‘street chic’ look. Pea coats with
the high neck and large buttons going down the
front are another smart choice you could make
this season.
If it is a warmer day and you want
something that’s not as hot and bulky, you could
try a vest. You have seen them, the big, colorful
jackets that are in stores now. If you like the puffy
feeling of a large coat, you could get the jacket
with the longer sleeves. To
be more fancy, you could
go for the fur coats. There
is no specific popular color
this season. My advice is
the brighter the colors, the
more you will stand out in
the crowd.
Skinny scarves
are no longer popular.
Warmth has taken over
this season with the huge,
bulky scarves that keep
you warm on the snowy days. The scarves that
your grandma knitted for you will come in handy
this season. Even make a gesture and ask her
to knit you one. You will earn brownie points from
the grandparents and also look fashionable.
Review: Hot Chocolate Review
Hot for Hot Chocolate
Melanie Hoffman
Staff Writer
What’s the best way to warm up this
winter? Try grabbing a cup of hot chocolate.
After testing three of the most popular coffee
shops in Peters Township: Starbucks, Giant
Eagle’s Market District, and Farmhouse Coffee,
I’ve ranked each place’s hot chocolate. In order
to do this, I ordered the same exact drink– a small
hot chocolate with skim milk and no whipped
cream. Farmhouse Coffee had by far the best
hot chocolate. The texture was smooth and the
chocolate was delicious. It wasn’t over done at all
and had the perfect mixture, unlike Giant Eagle’s
Market District, whose hot chocolate was more
like dark chocolate, giving it a bitter taste and
grainy feel. However, once it was stirred up, the
texture softened and it was much easier to drink.
This was almost exactly like Starbucks, only the
consistency never got better. They’re known for
the frappuccinos and lattes for a reason, the hot
chocolate was awful. The chocolate tasted like it
had been ground up with coffee, then poured into
a cup. All in all, the best hot chocolate around
here was at Farmhouse – and the price was great
too, at only $1.80 for a small cup. This was a nice
break compared to the same size cup at walletbreaking Starbuck’s $3.50 and Market District’s
$2.50. For a nice break from the cold, curl up and
relax with Farmhouse Coffee’s outstanding hot
chocolate.
Warm up with the Best Cocoa
on the Block
Bridget Stasenko
Staff Writer
A classic winter pick-me-up, hot chocolate is
popular all around, but who has the best? I traveled
to three well-known coffee shops to test out just how
good their hot chocolate was. I went to Starbucks,
Giant Eagle: Market District, and Farmhouse coffee. Starbucks was my first stop. I thought their hot
chocolate was overpriced, especially for the quality of
it. They charged a whopping $3.50 for a small cup. It
tasted as if it had gone through a coffee filter. It was
very bitter, as though they used dark chocolate to
make it. I personally didn’t like it. However, it tasted
a little better than the Market District’s. When I got
my cup of cocoa from Giant Eagle’s Coffee Shop,
it wasn’t even hot, and it was very thin, like a water
substance. Giant Eagle’s price was a little lower,
coming in at $2.50 for a small cup. The chocolate all
sunk to the bottom, making the first half of the drink
not sweet at all and the second part overpowered
by chocolate.
Lastly, I tested out The Farm
House. At a cheap price of $1.80, I got one
of the best hot chocolates I’d ever tasted.
It was the perfect temperature, and the
consistency was just right. I even got the
option of marshmallows or whipped cream
on top with a chocolate drizzle. It was the
perfect drink to warm me up on the cool
November day. If you want the best hot
chocolate, I suggest Farmhouse Coffee.
Loco for Cocoa
Emily Correal
Staff Writer
Some people go crazy for hot
cocoa this time of the year. If you are one
of these people, I will hook you up with the
best places to find the hot chocolate you
crave. If you have a sweet tooth and want
a flavorful blend of cocoa, you can’t go
wrong at the Farmhouse. At a reasonable
price, your taste buds will thank you
while you sip the warming refreshment,
topped off with cold whipped cream and
chocolate drizzle. For those of you who
enjoy a screaming hot, semi-sweet blend,
Starbucks is the way to go. It may be a
little more costly then other places, but
you can always be sure your cocoa will
be hot and you can get it quickly when
you are in a hurry.
Finally, if you like your cocoa semiwarm and not too strong, swing by the
marketplace. Their hot chocolate is light
and will go great with a treat from the
bakery. So next time you are going loco
for a cup of cocoa, remember my advice
and go to the place that best suits you
and your taste buds.

6. Let The
Christ
Ligh
Alex Egan
Opinion Editor
It’s the day after
everyone knows it’s
that? Because every y
running around like Sa
to help our parents put
The truth is, it isn’t
put up when it really
season. It’s that warm
taking a ride down the s
seeing all the different
every house. It’s sort
makes you feel like a l
of holiday cheer, and
The American trad
been shared since the in
all know it’s become m
Every year we witness m
reindeer, luminescent S
strands of tiny bulbs stru
of the average American
more and more competiti
Communities have seen e
on the door, to the Clar
No matter how litt
lights get, they still spr
neighborhood. Sure, Ch
than decorations - it’s
helping those in need.
the lights just make the

7. ere Be
tmas
hts
Thanksgiving, and naturally
Christmastime.
And why is
year around that time we’re all
anta’s little elves being forced
t up the Christmas decorations.
t until after the lights have been
starts to feel like the holiday
m, fuzzy feeling we all get while
street on a cold December night,
t Christmas lights at each and
of a magical feeling, one that
little kid again. It’s the feeling
it all begins with the lights.
dition of Christmas lights has
nvention of the light bulb, but we
much more than just a tradition.
manger scenes, wreaths, light up
Santas, icicle lights, and colorful
ung across trees in the front yard
n home. Neighbors are getting
ive to see who has the best lights.
everything from the simple wreath
rk Griswold winter wonderland.
tle or over the top Christmas
read holiday cheer all over the
hristmas is about so much more
s about family, generosity, and
But I think everyone can agree:
season that much more festive.
Photos by Alex Egan and Melanie Hoffman

8. 8
Opinion
December 2007
PTHS
Smoke Signals
Stinky Steelers
Brian Lewis
Opinion Co-Editor
The Steelers are currently one of the most
overrated teams in the NFL. Despite all the
hype and hoopla surrounding them, the Steelers really have not had an impressive win all
year. Yes, they did defeat Cleveland twice,
but other than that the record is very shoddy.
This includes losses to former Steeler’s
offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt in
Arizona, and another to the Denver Broncos.
Of course, we can’t forget about the ineptitude the Steelers showed in their loss to the
New York Jets, or the absolute shellacking
the Steelers received at the hands of Tom
Brady and the New England Patriots. Even
their victories have not been as impressive as
those generated by the New England Patriots
or the Indianapolis Colts. A 3-0 win as time
expired against the winless Dolphins showed
just how far this team has fallen since its
miraculous Super Bowl victory two years ago.
Perhaps nobody is as big
of an example regarding the lack of
ability on the Steelers team as much
as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Although Big Ben played an important
role in the Steeler’s run to the Super
Bowl, the past two years have shown
Katie Ellis
that he may not be the second coming
of Terry Bradshaw that everyone
thought he was. To me, Roethlisberger
seems to be nothing more than a
caretaker, a guy who just hands
the ball off to Willie Parker without
needing to do much else. He is not a
that the Steelers have one of the most loyal
fan bases, and consistently pack the stadium
despite weather conditions that are somewhat lacking. In addition to stadium revenues,
the team receives a substantial payment
from the NFL to help cover expenses. Now I
understand that the Steelers are not the New
“Of course, we can’t forget about the
ineptitude the Steelers showed in their
loss to the New York Jets.”
pure passer in any sense of the word
- almost any time the Steelers are
forced to throw the ball, Roethlisberger
throws a crucial interception that
demoralizes
the
entire
team.
One of the most troubling aspects of the
Steelers is the lack of effort by the front office to retain key players. Many people have
heard about the much-publicized turmoil
regarding a contract extension for offensive
lineman Alan Faneca. In 2006, the Steelers
ranked in the bottom half of the league in
total payroll. This is puzzling, considering
York Yankees, but can’t they at least put some
money into the team? Although the entire
team does not have to be made up of highly
paid stars, there are certain players that need
to be kept. Despite the fact that some stars
such as Troy Polamalu and Hines Ward were
signed to long-term deals that is not enough.
Another issue with these
Steelers is their inability to win on the
road. Currently every loss has come
away from home in stadiums that
are not extremely hostile. All of these
games have shown the Steelers to be
Gift Cards: Facts, Figures, Ugly Truths
ineffective at holding onto the ball,
and playing with the potential that they
show when at home. This hurts the
Steelers more than anything because
the road to the Super Bowl will involve
several road games. Their most recent
game against the Patriots proved that
the Steelers do not have the mentality
to withstand the difficulty of playing
on the road in the NFL. Unless Coach
Tomlin is able to correct this pressing
issue, the Steelers will always be
a second-tier team in the NFL.
Although the Steelers are
currently leading the AFC North by
a mere two games, times are not
as rosy as they seem. In the past
few games, the team has struggled
to eke out two wins against inferior
opponents, while getting picked
apart by the premier team in the
AFC, the New England Patriots. It
may be that the only guarantee the
Steelers have made over the past
few weeks is that they will be sitting
at home come the end of January.
Lack of Library
Space
Melanie Hoffman
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Gift cards are a quick and easy way to provide something for
everyone on your list, but they’re not always the best gift, nor are
they always appropriate. Your relationship with someone plays
a large role in determining the kind of gift you should purchase
and how much you should spend on him or her. There are pros
and cons to both gift cards and gifts. Here are some things that
should be taken into consideration before you buy something:
While shopping, it’s important to keep your target audience
in mind; shopping for a teenager requires a different mindset than
when shopping for an elderly grandparent. As most teens don’t have
a serious job, cash and gift cards may be the best bet. Gift cards
also provide an easy way to provide gifts for everyone on your list,
including schoolteachers and other adults, such as tutors or piano
teachers. For adults, gift cards from upscale restaurants like Bella
Piatto or the Capstone Grill are always a good idea, while teenagers
can appreciate gift cards from Best Buy, Target, or clothing stores like
American Eagle or Abercrombie and Fitch. However, if you’re shopping for a close friend or relative – parents, grandparents, siblings
– it’s better to hand-pick something. These gifts should come from
the heart and a generic gift card doesn’t always give the impression
that a lot of time and effort was spent trying to find the perfect gift.
There are dangers to purchasing a gift card. Before you pay ten
to twenty-five dollars for the card, be sure that there is no expiration
date on it and that there is no fee for using it later. Visa gift cards,
for example, begin to deduct $4.95 a month after six months if the
card hasn’t been used. It’s your money; don’t let it go to waste.
American markets rack up over eight billion dollars in unused gift
cards every year, and most of it goes straight into the stores’ pockets. For the most part, companies will advertise if there is no charge
for unused cards – it’s better for business. Another downside to
gift cards is the lack of freedom that they provide. “When you give
someone a gift card, you’re basically saying ‘here’s your present,
but you can only use it in this specific place and it’s only worth this
specific amount of money,’” stated sophomore Sam Fortna. And
there’s always the problem that the amount that is given is too
much or too little; if the buyer wants a sweater that costs twenty
dollars and you’ve given her a fifteen dollar gift card, she still has
money coming out of her own pocket. Then again, if you give a
twenty-dollar gift card and the recipient wants a game that costs
$18.99, there’s money left on the card that now goes to waste.
While gift cards are a good idea in the long
run, be sure to think twice before purchasing one.
Fishtank:‘Tis the Season
By Renée Wunderlich
Student frustration keeps
rising due to the lack of space in the
library for the most important people
in this school: the students. Libraries
have always been a quiet place to
study and work, until recently. Now it’s
almost impossible to get into the library
because of the classes being taught in
both the main library and lab.
Passes have been cut off for
many study halls as a result of vandalism
to the computers. Although it is a
problem, it is not fair to completely shut
out those who wish to do work in the
library. It is also unfair to allow certain
students library access everyday, while
others are rarely able to go.
Senior Allison Auld complained,
“There have been multiple times when
I needed to type something or use a
computer in the library, and there are
no passes or no room.”
“I don’t see why we can’t use the
computers in the library if there is a class
in the lab,” said junior Sam Higgins.
Period one study halls are in an even
bigger predicament considering the
Career Resource Center is now closed
that period.
Thank goodness for Mrs.
Morriston, allowing some students to
have emergency passes on occasion.
She’s saved many grades, but there
should not be wasted space in our
library, let alone classes filling it up
constantly. When asked about the
space problem in the library, Mrs.
Morriston responded by saying, “The
only way to fix the present situation is
by not allowing teachers to access the
library either.”
Students who are willing and
able to work should be able to do just
that.

9. December 2007
PTHS
Opinion
Gifts Under
$50 Guide
9
Inside our “Politically Correct” World
Stephanie Nitschmann
Staff Writer
Dana Hoelle
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of www.coach.com
It’s that time of year again
and Christmas is right around the
corner. You slept through Black Friday,
shipping prices on websites are rising
by the minute, and you hardly have any
money to buy an expensive present.
Do you want to buy the perfect gift
on a small budget? If you answered
yes to this question, then you need
to follow the “gifts under $50” guide.
For Girlfriends: The best gift
to give your girlfriend is something
thoughtful, and gift cards are not
thoughtful. Vera Bradley purses are
a great gift to give. What girl doesn’t
love a designer purse? There are
six different items to choose from
that are under $50. The Mini Hipster,
Sherry, Katie, Tote, Amy, and Maggie
are all examples of purses that range
from $27-$50. These bags come in
different colors and patterns. Another
gift to give your girlfriend is a Coach
wristlet. It is just as thoughtful as giving
a Coach purse but not as expensive.
The Bleeker signature wristlet and
Chelsea signature wristlet are $48, so
they are ideal gifts that fit your budget.
For Boyfriends: Guys are hard
to buy for. So when picking the perfect
gift for them, think of things that they will
actually enjoy. You can never go wrong
with getting him clothes. Find out what
store he likes first. You can get two
shirts for $20 at Champs, and Hollister
is having a t-shirt sale, one for $12.50.
When you are shopping with these
sales you always get a lot for a little.
For Parents: You want to
get your parents something that
is appreciative and is meaningful.
Relaxation is the key to making parents
happy. So when shopping for their gift,
consider getting them a gift card for
a massage. At Geno Levi’s, a thirty
minute massage costs $25. If you buy
two massages for both of your parents,
it will be exactly the right amount of
money that you’re allowing to spend.
Your parents will be happy that you
were thinking of their needs when you
give this to them Christmas morning.
For Siblings: “Anything my
sister gets me I will like. It’s the thought
that counts,” said junior Brooke Wilson.
There is a wide range of things you can
get your siblings for Christmas. Clothes,
DVDS, and video games are only a
few examples of what you can get
them. As Brooke’s sister said, anything
you get your sibling they will like.
For Friends: At Sephora,
they have Philosophy shampoo and
body wash. It ranges from $16-$20
and the scents are incredible. “My
friend purchased me the Philosophy
shampoo and it was amazing! I was
never so grateful for something I put
in my hair,” said sophomore Stephanie
Lusk. If you are still confused as to
what to get your friends, it is okay to
resort to gift cards. If you don’t know
what to get them, just give them a gift
card so they can pick something they
like. In the end, you’ll both be happy.
Christmas is a time for
giving and if you follow this guide,
you will be sure to give the people
you love the perfect Christmas gift!
Having
politically
correct
things surrounding us everywhere
brings comfort in the way that we
cannot be offended by anything. This
craze also has a negative side. It
creates an illusion of what people
and the real world are actually like.
One part of being politically correct is using
phrases and words that will not bring offense
to anyone. Have you ever
heard a person address
someone who can’t hear
as being visually oriented
instead of deaf? Or someone who isn’t tall being
called vertically challenged instead of short?
At this point, these terms
might seem a little ridiculous to include in our everyday vocabulary, but at
the rate that the “politically correct” movement
is going, hearing these words and phrases
no longer seems like such a stretch after all.
when organizations wanted to change
the beloved character of the Cookie
Monster on Sesame Street to the
Vegetable Monster, to spread the image
of eating healthy food and making
the right decisions when it comes to
dieting. The most recent goals of these
organizations trying to stress the point
of being politically correct is to make
the legendary Santa Claus lose some
considered politically correct. Real life
was not intended to be perfect and by
sheltering people, especially growing
kids, from problems we have today and
being polite in an over-the-top kind of
way, it takes away from the reality of
things,” said sophomore Laura Karras.
In a way, our society turns its
back on its problems and points fingers
at absolutely everything else to blame.
The issue of obesity
has become a serious
problem over the recent
generation. Instead of
facing the problem head
on and making more
serious changes, such as
cutting down the number
of fast food places in
an area, organizations
choose to point their
fingers at characters like Santa Claus,
as the cause for such problems. The
generations before ours grew up with
a chubby Santa Claus and a cookingeating Cookie Monster and obesity
wasn’t a serious problem at the time.
Obesity and some of the other
issues our society now faces are the
problem of the individual. If a person
decides to go to a fast food place on
a regular basis, that’s their choice, not
Santa Claus or the Cookie Monsters.
“The group claims that by Santa being
overweight, the point of controlling obesity
isn’t being stressed enough to children.”
Addressing things in a
politically correct way has gone beyond
just words. Pictures used in school
books, entertainers on T.V. shows, and
even some characters from our favorite
pasttimes are all feeling the pressure
to give into the new “politically correct”
world. The revolution started to gain the
public’s attention once organizations
hurried to make changes with the media.
A prime example of this is
Gina Nepa
weight and say, “Ha Ha Ha” instead of
the commonly known jingle, “Ho Ho Ho”.
The group claims that by Santa being
overweight, the point of controlling
obesity isn’t being stressed enough
to children. Also, the word “ho” holds
several meanings in today’s society
and one of those meanings can be
interpreted negatively towards women.
Although associations mean
well when they choose what to change
next and make politically correct,
many people think it has gotten
out of hand. “I personally think it’s
ridiculous that everything has to be
School Sports: Separate But Equal
Staff Writer
PT has always been known for its variety of recreational activities and overly energetic pep rallies. Controversy arises,
however, as the true meaning behind these pep rallies is
established. Students scoff at the school headline attention and pep assemblies being solely focused on football.
Recently, two girls from varsity tennis won the PIAA Class
AAA State Girls Doubles title, but minimal focus was given.
At the very least, a pep rally could have been assembled to
honor the winning boys varsity soccer team for its victory in
the PIAA Class AAA Championship game. Students question these decisions and why the school focuses on football.
“The whole thing is stupid,” explained sophomore
Carly Ellis. “Our football record is horrible.” Truth be
told, various other sports teams have been winning
championships left and right, but the entire school prospers
over the win of one football game. “I don’t like the fact
that girls’ sports are less represented,” added sophomore
Danielle Dolcich. Agreeing with Dolcich, a recent broadcast
from www.nikewomen.com tries to highlight the bias that
women face while on the athletic field. On www.nikewomen.
com, Tamika Catchings, a famed WNBA player, explains that
“It’s not a boys thing, it’s not a girls thing, it’s a skills thing.”
Next time, before we raise our arms in celebration of a win
on the football field, let’s look around at all of the other star
sports teams nipping us in the bud. Pucks are shot into nets,
baseballs are slammed across the field, and slam dunks are
proclaimed. Let’s put equal consideration into the unbelievable effort that these various teams have put in. Go, PT!
SHE SAID
HE SAID
Alex Egan
Christmas
What do you want for Christmas most this year?
Brian Lewis
Pittsburgh Steelers season tickets.
What’s your
To get into my first choice college. And of
course, a new pair of Ugg boots.
favorite thing about Christmas?
Snowboarding, decorating the tree, and
seeing my cousins.
Everything! The lights, the snow, the
Christmas carols, the holiday cheer… I love
it all!
What does your Christmas
Eating, sleeping, and being merry.
break consist of?
Eating, sleeping, Seven Springs, and having
a grand old time with my friends.
What’s your favorite Christmas
I am going to have to go with Elf.
How do you
movie?
You’ll shoot your eye out! You’ll shoot your
eye out!!! (A Christmas Story)
celebrate the holidays?
Eating waffles on Christmas morning and
visiting with relatives.
Parties with friends and family of course!

10. Sports
10
01
IAN
IAN
JACKSON
Smoke Signals
01
Extra TAYLOR
Point RELICH
Averi Clements
Staff Writer
IJ: T.O. is the greatest athlete currently on this planet,
let alone the best wide receiver in the league. He led
the NFL in receiving touchdowns last year, even while
playing with a broken bone in his hand. He is the best
combination of strength and speed and he runs the
best routes also, he is the best player in the league
and the best receiver.
The girls’ basketball team has made huge
progress – they’ve turned their record around from
being 9 and 16 to 15 and 9 in just one year. Correal
says that much of this success is due to the team’s
foot speed and firm defense. She believes that the
IJ: I agree that Moss is a great receiver, but
second best nonetheless. Owens brings more
to the table than just touchdowns, celebrations,
great catches, popcorn, and great suites.
The guy is the second best blocking receiver
in the NFL according to an SI player’s poll in
2006(behind Steeler, Hines Ward). He also is
dedicated to winning. Moss’s dedication has
been questioned many times, while T.O.’s hasn’t
and never will be.
IJ: The Cowboys are the second best team in
the league and obviously don’t have the same
power as the Patriots, but T.O. is a better player.
It is plain and simple; he makes his teammates
truly shine. He may not always get along with
all his teammates, but it is usually tough love.
He has made below average quarterbacks such
as Tony Romo actually become superstars,
while Randy just cries if he doesn’t have a star
throwing him the pigskin. Donovan McNabb
has never had stats like he did when he was
throwing to Owens. The only receiver in history
better than Owens was his mentor, Jerry Rice. I
guarantee somewhere Jerry is smiling knowing
that he helped T.O. become the best.
combination of great teamwork and the girls’ individual
talents has helped them get as far as they have.
“I see us going deep into the playoffs this season
for the first time in a long while,” she remarked.
The team’s future is not the only one that looks
bright; Correal plans to continue playing basketball in
college.
“There
are a lot of division
colleges looking at
me, and I’m going
to visit the ones
I’m interested in,”
she said. Correal
is going to attend
a school that fits
her
academic
needs as well
as basketball. Even though she will be moving on
from high school in under two years, Correal will take
many memories from her experiences, especially the
team’s victory against Bethel Park this year. They
had never beat them before. “The celebration when
the buzzer sounded was priceless,” she recalled.
“I see us going deep in the playoffs this
season, for the first time in a long while.”
-Emily Correal, junior
TR: I don’t really know what to say to such
delusional praise of an athlete, but Randy
Moss is definitely a better receiver. He can
make the big plays when it counts. When
he was in Oakland, he didn’t have a good
quarterback to get him the ball. Now that he
is with the New England Patriots and their
pass-happy offense, Moss has scored 19
receiving touchdowns in 13 games. Anyway,
Moss is also faster than T.O. and is a more
integral part of his team’s offense.
TR: Moss’s dedication has been questioned
when the teams he has been on have had
any other talent around him. T.O. has also
had trouble in the past with his team play. All
he did when the Eagles were struggling was
blame Coach Andy Reid and his quarterback
Donovan McNabb. To throw away all other
statistics, whose team has more wins this
season? I am far from a Patriots fan, but that
statistic speaks for itself.
Emily Correal: She Shoots, She Scores
Junior Emily Correal is as much a part of the girls’
basketball team as the team is a part of her. Since she began
playing the sport in third grade, Correal has had many accomplishments. She lead the high school team in scoring and
rebounding in her first two years at PTHS. Among many awards,
she has received the MVP award for the McGuffey tournament and was the All-District player as both a freshman and
sophomore. During WPIALs, she was named the
All-Section player and was
among the Fabulous Five.
However, her proudest triumph was when she won
the Observer Reporter’s
Player of the Year award
as a Sophomore. Correal
credits her accomplishments to her dedicated
father. “My dad helps me
so much by giving me tips and coaching me whenever he gets
a chance. It is great to have that support. He and my mom
never miss a highschool game or AAU tournament,” she said.
Who is the NFL’s best wide receiver?
December 2007
Jordan Dent
Holiday Conversation: Sports Movies
Sports Co-Editor
As my family sat around
the turkey, mashed potatoes, and
other fixings of another absolutely
delicious Thanksgiving dinner,
I realized the need for more
interesting conversation than just
memories that consisted of “…well,
back when we were in ‘Nam…,”
and “…yet another time I had to
bail out my little brother.” So, as
everyone was wiping their eyes
from the laughter, and going back
for their second helping of pumpkin
pie, I very casually brought up the
subject of the greatest sports movie
ever made. It’s a pretty safe bet that
no one was expecting that to come
up at that specific moment, but
everyone definitely had their own
idea of which movies were the best.
I got pretty much the
same
responses
from
my
dad, grandfather, and a few of
my uncles.
The list included
Hoosiers, a classic, Caddyshack,
naturally, and of course, a Rocky
or two had to be thrown in there
somewhere. However, as far as
absolutes go, Bull Durham and
The Natural took the top spots.
My younger siblings and
cousins gave me a very typical,
unoriginal,
of-course-they’re-onthe-best-sports-movies-ever-list list.
Remember the Titans (a movie that
actually deserves to be in the top
five) made this list, as did Invincible,
which is all right if you are a Mark
Wahlberg fan. Miracle was also
suggested, which is another one
that would make anyone’s top 10.
Am I spotting a trend? Perhaps
Disney’s sappy makings of inspiring
true stories that tell of a teams’
hardships and how they work
together to overcome them? It gets
better. We Are Marshall and Glory
Road topped off the U-10 (under-10)
list of best sports movies ever made.
Once
I
reached
the
brainstorm of my uncle and other
grandfather, I was finally starting to
get some creativity. I’m not saying
that I necessarily agree with them,
but at least they were thinking
outside the box. First, Rudy. I know
many people disagree, but I think
Rudy is a great movie. Slap Shot
TR: Everything you said in that last paragraph
was totally wrong. First of all, how can
you say T.O. makes his teammates better
when he single-handedly ripped apart the
Philadelphia Eagles franchise? I think your
comment about Moss crying if he doesn’t
have a star quarterback is the other way
around. Tony Romo could not be considered Ian Jackson
in any stretch of the imagination “a below
Staff Writer
average quarterback”, and T.O. did not have
anything to do with his rise to stardom. The
Last year the Peters Township Boys Basketball
NFC is so bad that without Owens, I think team struggled throughout the season. They finished with
a poor record and didn’t really even compete with many
the Cowboys would still have 14 wins
of their opponents. This year promises to be different.
The team has the core of last year’s players
IJ: I don’t ever want to hear that kind of talk
returning as well as some new additions. The main
about Terrell Eldorado Owens again (yeah that reasons that this year will be different are: Nick
is his real middle name. Pretty sweet huh?). It is Wilcox is another year wiser and more dominant
totally uncalled for. No comment on the Eagles than in the past, JD Adamsky will get a lot of playing
situation, but what did Romo ever do without time throughout the season, and this year’s seniors,
T.O.? You may say he never had the chance such as Pat Russo, will continue to play steadily well.
Wilcox was named as a player to watch by
or whatever, but I can guarantee you he would
the Observer Reporter after last season. They were
have never had as much
correct; Nick is off to a dominant start this season. He
success
without T.O.
has led the team to a 5-0 record, with a team high 176
catching the dead ducks
points and a clutch, buzzer beating shot to win one
that he throws. If T.O. had
of those games. He was awarded the Player of the
Tom Brady and played in
Week for his play in the first week of play this season.
the Patriot’s offense, he
Nick is the leading junior on the team,
would have at least 35
alongside Steve Radke, and will be counted on
touchdowns.
to be a valuable leader to the younger players.
One of those players includes sophomore Corey
Wilcox, Nick’s little brother, who is constantly full of
jokes. Coach Gary Goga, who is being recognized
around the area as a great young coach, leads the
team for his third season. He fully understands
the type of talent and potential this 2008 team has.
“I really like the talent we have this year. I have
had talent in the past, but this team is looking really tough,”
Goga stated confidently. “But they need to stick together
and work hard, if they want to have a successful season.”
Wilcox gives the Indians a player who is not
afraid to drive to the hole, but also has the ability to knock
was another proposal by the duo,
along with Chariots of Fire. I heard
Rocky for the second time, and they
put Field of Dreams in the number
five spot. Again, I don’t agree or
disagree with their list, however I
must give them props for thinking
of movies that my under-10 league
has never even heard of before.
I was surprised that I didn’t
hear a few titles that I figured that I
would, the first being The Sandlot,
which is a personal favorite of mine.
Another movie that wasn’t mentioned
was Friday Night Lights, which, in my
opinion, is one of the best football
movies ever. The Mighty Ducks
wasn’t brought up either, and even
though it maxes out as far as clichés
go, it still has a pretty good story.
I suppose the moral of my
story is, when an awkward silence
arises or you’re sick of hearing dumb
stories for the trillionth time, bring
up the subject of the best sports
movies ever. You are guaranteed
to hear from everyone and have
a few laughs while you are at it.
Nick Wilcox: Ready to Shine
down the outside shot. He is great at slashing through traffic
and attacking the rim. That ability will give the team a great
inside-outside combo when Nick is in with a good big man.
It is hopefully going to be a superb season for
the team this year. They may have enough talent to
finally remove the
perennial losing
from the minds
of students. Will
they make that
happen? With
a great player
like Nick, they
have the ability
to do that and
much
more.
“I hope
we can pull out
many big wins
this
season
against
our
section rivals,”
Nick told me.
“Individually
I
am aiming for
around twenty
points per game,
but only to help
the team win.
I think we can
Photo By: Emily Estep
make the playoffs
Junior Nick Wilcox practices lay-ups. Wilcox
for the first time
leading the team in scoring with 25 points.
since
2000.”

11. Sports
Taylor Relich
PT Soccer- State Champs Once More
Staff Writer
We all knew the team was good, but it
was just a matter of time until the whole state
recognized us as a force in high school soccer.
Peters Township added another chapter to its
illustrious soccer history with a 2-1 overtime win
against Downingtown West. After falling behind
1-0, PT rallied in the second half. Mark Majoras
scored the tying goal on a pass from Tim Hutchins
with 7:09 left in regulation. In overtime, Shane Pruitt
shot the winning goal on an assist by Nick Wilcox,
to boost the team to their first AAA state crown.
11
Sports
Briefs
Boys’ Basketball
6-0, 2-0 in Section
1st place in WPIAL
Wilcox- 25 points
For Coach Bob Dyer, this championship was both a return
to state gold, as well as a return to Hershey for the fourth
time. Dyer was on the Peters 1988 state championship team,
as well as the 1989 team that shared the state championship
with Great Valley High School. He was an assistant coach for
the 1998 team who lost in the final game of the state playoffs
to none other than Downingtown. “This last time for me was
very special because as I have gotten older, I have come to
appreciate the memories that myself and the team will hold
forever,” said Dyer. Through the years, there have been
many changes to the PIAA soccer championship. According
to Dyer, the state championship has become much more
prestigious and the level of talent has definitely been raised.
This state championship has not come
without hard work though. Coach Dyer said that
the team had a specific approach to this game.
“We wanted to make sure that our players knew
as much about the other team as possible, and we
kept distractions to a minimum.” Dyer explained
that the goal throughout the playoffs was to
make each game seem like any ordinary game.
Coach Dyer said, “The reason the team
went so far in the playoffs is that in every game
someone else stepped up.” Shane Pruitt, the
team’s most highly recruited senior said, “In the
state final, everyone played their best, given the
conditions.” The Indians overcame pressure,
expectations, and most importantly Downingtown
West. The soccer team was recognized by the
December 2007
Girls’ Basketball
5-1, 2-1 in Section
2nd place
Correal- 20 points
Wrestling
Photo By: Emily Grisnik
The Indian soccer team finished the season with only two losses, and won
the 2007 State Championship held in November at Hersheypark Stadium.
Washington County Commissioner’s Office.
The team’s
juniors look forward to another championship- caliber season
next year, but living up to this year’s expectations will be no
easy task. “It was nice to celebrate and be recognized,” said
junior Nick Wilcox, “but we have to focus on next season now.”
0-1
Swimming
Season starts in January
The Steelers Give Back
Bill Berry
Sports Co-Editor
Christmas is a time of giving,
and professional athletes are taking
the opportunity to lend a helping
hand. All across the country they
are using their million dollar salaries
for good, by giving back to the less
fortunate. But no team contributes
more than the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Steelers
quarterback
Charlie Batch is one of the
strongest supporters of charity. His
foundation, The Best of the Batch,
benefits local children
from the Homestead
area. Batch provides
underprivileged
kids
with opportunities to
play sports, go on
field trips, and attend
educational programs.
This year he will
receive the Jerome
Bettis Award for Humanity and
Community Service for his work in
providing local kids with a better
chance to succeed.
Defensive End Brett Keisel
recently hosted the 65 Roses Sports
Auction to benefit kids with cystic
fibrosis. Keisel took a personal
interest in the cause because some
of the members of his family had
been affected by the life threatening
disease. “To have the support of the
Steelers and the players, and that it
means that much to them to take time
out of their day and do this means
the world to us,” said the director of
Western Pennsylvania’s chapter of
the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Pat
Joseph (steelers.com).
Deshea Townsend, Hines
Ward, Heath Miller, Carey Davis,
and Anthony Madison donated their
time to the Light of Life Rescue
Mission over Thanksgiving. The
players had the chance to help
Also helping out Children’s Hospital
were Health Miller, Matt Spaeth,
James Farrior, Clark Haggans, and
Carey Davis. They took time to
sign autographs, take pictures, and
interact with patients.
The
National
Football
League also gets into the giving
spirit. The NFL donates $30
million of airtime to the United Way
Foundation to broadcast their public
service announcements. The PSAs
feature athletes such
as Shawn Merriman
and DeShea Townsend
who volunteer their
time free of charge.
Their messages of
hope reach 120 million
viewers every week.
If
more
athletes
recognize
their responsibility to the community
and give back the world would
be a better place. Hopefully, the
Christmas spirit will inspire more
and more athletes to take an active
role in their communities. “The
more that you can do, you should.
If we can bring a smile to their face
just by showing up and having a
conversation with, it’s the least we
can do,” said Deshea Townsend
(espn.com).
“The NFL donates $30 million of airtime to
the United Way Foundation to broadcast
their public service announcements.”
prepare Thanksgiving dinner, sing
Christmas carols, and talk with the
less fortunate.
The Steelers have had a
strong connection with Toys for
Tots. Charlie Batch held a drive in
Homestead to benefit local children,
and the Steelers’ organization teamed
up with the Marines for a Toys for Tots
drive in early December. Linebackers
Clark Haggans and LaMarr Woodley
held their own toy drive to benefit
Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital.
Hockey
7-2-0
14 points
1st place
Indoor Track
Meets begin in January
Boys’ Soccer
CongratulationsState Champs!
Girls’ Tennis
Congratulations to Emily
Palko and Julie StroyneState Doubles Champs!

12. Voices in the Hall
PTHS
December 2007
Smoke Signals
What is your favorite holiday song?
Melissa Carbonara and
Brighid Knoll ‘08
Ron Massari ‘09
“’I Won’t Be Home For Christmas’
by Blink-182”
“Mr. Antonelli’s DNA Replication
song”
Anni Keffer ‘10
“Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”
Karen Jackson‘11
“Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
What’s your strangest holiday tradition?
Valerie Lang ‘08
“My parents hide a pickle ornament in our
Christmas tree and whoever finds it first on
Christmas day gets an extra present.”
Jenna Simmons ‘09
Robert Lois ‘10
“My family opens our gifts on
Christmas Eve”
“I write love letters”
Luke Cellini ‘11
“My cousins sprinkle ‘Reindeer
dust’ on the front yard.”
What the Teachers Have to Say
Mr. Whalen
“Once I was done unwrapping
Mr. Maize
my stocking, I would put it on my
“’Silent Night’, because it brings
foot and wear it the rest of
out the true meaning of Christmas.”
the morning.”
P
T
Mr. Compeggie
“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’,
because it’s my daughter’s favorite
song”
Minute
the
Mrs. Kocan
“Um, finding a pickle on the tree.”
Pete Ross
‘08
What was your best Christmas ever?
When my brother fell off the tree, while he was trying to decorate
it.
What was the best gift you’ve ever gotten?
Stenger in a Santa Suit
What was the best gift you have ever given, and to who?
Tube Socks for my mom
Do you have any Christmas traditions?
Leaving cookies for Santa Claus, and a rose for Mrs. Clause
What is your favorite Christmas movie, why?
Bad Santa
What is your favorite Christmas carol, why?
Feliz Navidad
Sean Connors
‘08
What was your best Christmas ever?
I’ve never had a good Christmas.
What was the best gift you’ve ever gotten?
Can Opener
What was the best gift you have ever given, and to who?
I don’t give gifts.
Do you have any Christmas traditions?
No
What is your favorite Christmas movie, why?
Home Alone
What is your favorite Christmas carol, why?
Run, Run, Rudolph, because Mikey D said so.
12