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EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Elise Meszaros Serena Audley

Elizabeth Lowman

MANAGING EDITORS

EliseMeszaros Serena Audley

THE STATESMAN 2 OPINIONS

Standardized tests hurt more than help other nations, this is exactly what Ameri-can’s shouldn't be do-ing. I’m going to make a verdict and go with Zhao. We do need standardized tests but nowhere need this many. For instance: the 4Sight assess-ments prepare stu-dents for the PSSAs. There is absolutely no need for this; what we learn in school should be sufficient for any of these exams. Dr. Zhao is right: creativity is being forced aside in the name of academia. Yet, in this chang-ing world, we are going to need creative solu-tions to problems that no other generation has seen before. We are in trouble.

PSSA, 4Sight… the list goes on. Even with the AP exams coming up in May, teachers are pre-paring for it. But I am a writer. I must stay objective. There are considerable advantages to these standardized tests. College credit and scholarships are on the list of benefits. Not to mention that the stan-dardized tests for grad school hopefuls deter-mine whether you get into the college of your choice or not. Supporters of stan-dardized tests argue that it’s actually a posi-tive influence. Included is Richard P. Phelps, author of Defending Standarized Testing, who argues that test-ing is “a systematic means of collecting

information” and can help prospective col-leges/employers have a good background of their candidate rather than relying on a “gut instinct.” No arguing that: getting a 2400 on your SAT means ac-ceptance to basically any college. However, there are those out there who believe that the Ameri-can educational system is oversaturated with these tests. Yong Zhao, Professor of Education at Michigan State University, claims that the tests are poisonous and sti-fle creativity. He says that his son’s strategy was to “stop being creative and imagina-tive.” Zhao says that, with the rising compe-tition of China and

“Welcome, my son, to the machine.” - Pink Floyd No, I’m not a dis-gruntled American high school student just writing about how much these tests ruin lives because I want to “party hardy.” Rather, I’m spot-ting a point of conten-tion in our educational system. It’s constantly being rammed downed our throats—SAT, ACT,

By Liam Barrett

COPY EDITORS Elise Meszaros Serena Audley

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Sam Green Michelle O’Brien

Antoinette Yelenic

ADVISOR Naomi A. Beres

WEBMASTER Ritwik Gupta

BUSINESS MANAGER

Anthony Piccioni

ARTIST Connor Marshman

REPORTERS

Ryan Beveridge Serena Audley

Elizabeth Lowman Anthony Rash Elise Meszaros

Antoinette Yelenic Liam Barrett

Connor Marshman Daria Bisbey

Brianna Bowman

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Rebecca Coopie

The Statesman will publish a factual, informative and entertaining newspaper and wishes to provide a forum for the expression of diverse

viewpoints. The opinions and views expressed in the paper do no necessarily represent the views of the administration, the advisor, or of The Statesman

staff members. The editors, advisor, and administration reserve the right to reject any material that is libelous, obscene, or poses an immediate and material disruption to the educational environment.

The Statesman will print letters to the editor and guest editorials as space allows. Letters must be typed, less than 100 words in length and signed. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit for length. The Statesman will not print obscene or libelous letters. Advertisements that are obscene, misleading, or illegal will not be printed. The Statesman reserves the right to reject any advertisement.

By Serena Audley

Cell phone alerts can jeopardize safety

THE STATESMAN 3 OPINIONS

By Elizabeth Lowman

After the recent lockdown, some TJ students believed it would be a good idea for the school to issue a mass text message to student’s cell phones in the event of another lockdown. At first, I thought this idea would work. However, after talking to Mr. Haselhoff, I changed my mind.

Mr. Haselhoff’s pri-mary concern is safety. In the worst case sce-nario, if an intruder were to actually enter the building, the school would be in full lock-down. Students would

have to hide in areas of the classroom where they would not be visi-ble and remain abso-lutely silent. “If we issued a mass text, and an intruder was passing by a class-room, he would hear thirty cell phones go off at once , revealing where the students are hiding,” explains Mr. Haselhoff.

Misinformation is another issue. “I try to provide as much accu-rate information as I can as soon as I get it,” says Mr. Hassel-hoff. “However, most of the time, I will not have all the details at

the beginning." The principal has to make sure the facts are 100% accurate before sharing them with the students, to avoid speculation and unnecessary panic.

On the flip side, Mr. Haselhoff also realizes students tend to jump to conclusions when too little information is given. “You have to maintain a balance. If there is inaccurate in-formation, or not enough information, students, and parents, will panic,” says Mr. Haselhoff. This is why he will share informa-tion, as soon as he’s sure it’s true. However,

by law, he is not al-lowed to release infor-mation such as the suspect’s name until an official police report is filed, so he will not jeopardize that individ-ual’s privacy.

Due to safety is-sues, concern about accuracy, and privacy constraints, Mr. Hasel-hoff feels it is best to stick with just a gen-eral intercom an-nouncement during a lockdown. After hear-ing all the repercus-sions, such as being unsafe and having the school in a state of panic, I will have to agree.

Cell phone alerts can save lives When the school went into lockdown on March 12th, the staff had a strangely "keep calm and carry on" attitude, refusing to share information with the student body. And while I understand that withholding informa-tion from the student body is a safety meas-ure, this could also hinder safety. In the case of an intruder, safety comes first. There's no argu-ing that. But there is a benefit to keeping eve-ryone informed. During the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, school-wide emails were sent out to

students and staff alert-ing them where the gunman was. Class-rooms were locked and students kept were safe because of these mes-sages. In the end, 32 students were killed and 15 others injured. While the Virginia Tech massacre became one of the most horrific school shooting inci-dents in American his-tory, this alert system may well have pre-vented further deaths. TJ’s lockdown was nowhere near as seri-ous as the one at VA Tech – and I don’t mean to equate them in any way. But in the event of an emergency,

what better way to keep everyone accu-rately informed than, say, a school-wide email or text message? The announcement over Thomas Jefferson High School’s loud-speakers - the "code blue lockdown" in the middle of fifth period - seemed to confuse most of the student body. In fact, the West Jefferson Hills School District’s website has no description or ex-planation whatsoever of the codes, and it makes no mention of the recent lockdown. Senior Antoinette Yelenic described her

experience with the lockdown, stating, "I didn't know if it was a drill or a serious emer-gency," and adding that while she stayed calm, other students in the class were in a panic. I'm not suggesting that students whip out their cell phones in any and every emergency situation. But we do need a better system of information. And the best system could be an alert system over wire-less devices. We are high school students, and we should be treated as such. We deserve to be informed of what's going on in our daily lives.

The “Thrilling

Thirteen” of TJHS:

Mr. TJ’s Competitors

and their theme colors

“T” from Top Left (seniors): Jordan Blasko (yellow), Austin Michalik (purple), and Nick Franczak (green). Down the “T” (seniors): Tony Piccioni (Pens gear), Jonathan Veres (dark blue), and Josh Ambrose (black). “J” from Top Right (juniors): Shoueb Mamoor (pink), Severin Scott (lime green), Asher Williams (grey), Patrick Hall (white), Chris Bredel (orange), Quin-ton Gardner (red), and Adam Miller (baby blue).

By Antoinette Yelenic

On April 21, 2012 TJHS

will host the first annual

Mr. TJ Pageant to sponsor prom.

This pageant will con-

sist of a mix of 13 se-

lected senior and junior boys competing in por-

tions such as casual wear,

talent, formal wear, and

questionnaire.

According to Ms. Cok-

ley, “there were academic

and behavioral standards that had to be met as

well.”

The Mr. TJ judges are

Mr. Haselhoff, Miss Sosanko, and Mr.

Shearouse. In addition to

naming “Mr. TJ”, the judges will award the fol-

lowing titles: “First Run-

ner Up”, “Second Runner

Up” and “Mr. Money Bag”. A bake sale will also

be available in the lobby

of the auditorium for be-fore and after the pageant

and also during the inter-

mission.

Tickets will be $3 for

students and $5 for adults. All tickets will

be $5 at the door.

Doors open at 6PM;

show starts at 7PM.

PROM 2012

Date: May 17, 2012

Time: 8:30 PM

Location: The Grand

Concourse

Cost: $80 per ticket

Help Prom Committee “Rock the

Prom!” Go to http://

www.facebook.com/ShopCentury and

cast your vote for Thomas Jefferson High School! Vote as many

times as you can until April 28th.

“I think it’s going to be

funny, fun, and we’ll see the stars of TJ

shine.”

Ms. Gwenna Cokley

(Prom Committee advisor)

THE STATESMAN 6 fEATURES

Top 5 Prom Hair Trends Prom. That special time of year for high school girls. It can also be a very stressful time when planning that perfect night. Coming from a hair stylists point of view, the hair is always the most crucial aspect of the night. If your hair isn't perfect, the day isn't right. That's where we come in at Mane Attraction Sa-lon. The top 5 hair trends for prom are Ballet Buns, the "Undone" Up-do, Braids, Retro, and Accessories.

For the Ballet Bun look, think Mila Kuniz in “The Black Swan.” A very structured, symmetrical, high profile bun. For the "Undone" Up-do look, this is where the not-so-perfectly-done hairdo comes in. Loose curls hanging out of knots, or just loosely pulled back ponytails. Taylor Swift wears the "Undone" Up-do perfectly. Braids is the third trend this year. Whether it's a statement braid as a headband or suprise braids woven into the up-do. A long loosely curled braid worn to the side compli-ments any one shouldered dress. The fourth trend is the Retro look. This can be done literally or with a modern take on it. Last but not least is Accessories. These can be anything from ribbon woven into an up-do, to an accent flower in a fabulous color. For those who love the glitz and sequins in this spring's trends will love Hair Crystalz. They add just the right amount of spar-kle without the shedding that piles of glitter creates.

No matter what trend works for you or if you prefer to go against the crowd, we at Mane Attraction Salon can give you the best look for this prom season. Our up-do's start at $40 and we also have feathers and Hair Crystalz to add to your look.

Thank you to Alex Hasis, Nicki Benack, and Sara Ihrig for being our models. Styles done by Kristen Bonach. Taking ap-pointments now.

Come in on Teen Tuesdays for an extra 20% off !

THE STATESMAN 7 Sports

Best of Six: TJ hockey’s season highlights

By Ryan Beveridge

The Thomas Jeffer-son Jaguars varsity hockey team just com-pleted their most suc-cessful season in 6 years. Before the sea-son started, the team was moved from the Varsity AA Class down to the Varsity A class due to a decrease in the number of players that tried out for the team.

Coach Bill Crousey warned the team that the competitiveness would be high and to not think that they can stroll right on to the playoffs. He was right in every meaning.

They ended the regular season with 6 wins and 13 losses. But the team was still able to make the play-offs, winning 5 of their

last 9 games and com-ing in as the ninth seeded team. This was the first time the Jaguars have made the PIHL Playoffs since 2007.

They opened the playoffs against the eighth seeded South Fayette Lions on Tues-day, March 13, 2012. Thomas Jefferson won two of their three meetings in the regular

season. Going into the game, they had high hopes of win-ning but still took it seriously, knowing that anything could happen.

They were able to put on their best performance against the Lions with a 9-1 victory and a stellar performance by goaltender Tony Piccioni, who stopped 22 of 23

shots. Forwards Nick Tamburi, Robert Deli-man, and Cap-tain Kyle Miller notched two goals apiece, with forwards Zach Uhlyar, Tommy Kim-mick, and Matt Bowers adding one goal each.

Two days later, they played the first seeded

Quaker Valley Quakers in the quarterfinals. Coach Crousey knew this would be a tough game since QV was 17-1-1 in the regular season and heavy fa-vorites to win the State Championship. Thomas Jefferson came out in the first, scoring twice. Every-thing was going their way. But as they started the second period with a 2-1 lead, things took a turn for the worst.

The Quakers tallied three unanswered goals while TJ did not score once that period. They were still holding on, though, knowing they still had one more pe-riod to keep their sea-son alive. But they could not come back.

They gave it their all, but only one more goal would come from all their efforts. Quaker

Valley scored two more times before the final horn. They had been defeated by a final score of 6-3. The Jag-uars were out-shot 47 to 12 in the game.

Thomas Jefferson’s season was over. The two clubs shook hands and skated off the ice. Two weeks later, Quaker Valley won States without ever being scored on more than twice in one game. Other notable accomplishments were Kyle Miller finishing in the top ten scoring second in goals, Kyle Miller and Ryan LaBar-bera making the PIHL All-Star team, and DJ DeSantis winning the Badger Bob Johnson Award for being the best teammate on and off the ice.

Nick Tamburi (left) passes the puck to Captain Kyle

“Geno” Miller (right) who scores on South Park goalie Ryan Fuchs. Miller finished the season tied for 3rd in

goals with 31. Courtesy of Tom Miller Sports Photog-raphy.

Goalie Tony Piccioni minds the net. Piccioni had a 3.5 GAA and .900 Save Percentage

through 2 playoff games. Courtesy of Tom Miller Sports Photography.

Alternate Captain Ryan Labarbara sprints down the ice during play. Labarbara led

the team in blocked shots and defensive ice time. Courtesy of Tom Miller Sports

Photography.

THE STATESMAN 8 Features

Amanda Kimmick of-fered some solutions to the issues of the park-ing lot. She says, “First, it would be best if they actually painted lines because no one knows where they are supposed to park”. The school may say they cannot afford to add this concern into our budget; however, senior Allison Rothey makes a good point. “They charge us 15 dollars for the parking pass saying that our parking lot will be im-proved, so where ex-actly is our money go-ing”? Senior Tara Rathgber offers her opinion by saying “They need to take that money and im-prove our parking lot conditions. Especially the nonexistent lines and pot holes”. Each student pays their yearly fee of 15 dollars for the amenity of be-ing allowed to drive to school. But is it really an amenity when it is so unsafe? As said before, safety should be top priority at a school; therefore the com-plaints and worries of the students of Tho-mas Jefferson need to be considered.

shares her first acci-dent which took place on TJHS property in the senior parking lot after school was dis-missed. "It was snowy, I guess there was a miscommunication be-cause neither one of us could see due to the set up of the lot. My blind spot caused me to be unable to see the oncoming, speeding car, resulting in a colli-sion." When asked what action the school took because of this accident Amanda laughed and said "They didn't do anything, they simply called the police who told us to just hand it over to the insurance company". The school's first and foremost priority should be the student's safety; however, this is unapparent when look-ing at the parking lot

conditions. No one knows how to properly park in the morning. Without visi-ble lines, it is easy for students to get con-fused and mess up the whole system. This is chaotic and, even with Mr. Corbin's help, stu-dents still park where and how they want. Senior Kristen Fouts says, "If Mr. Corbin wasn't down there in the morning or after school, it would be a huge cluster". Other students agreed with this statement. The lack of supervi-sion is a contributing factor to the disaster we call a parking lot. If more teachers showed their concern and took turns supervising the lot, the seniors would not have as much free-dom and accidents could be prevented.

Along with spring and nice weather comes fast driving and careless students with invincible attitudes. Why is this an issue? Because the senior parking lot at Thomas Jefferson High school is unsafe and very prone for accidents. Whether it’s having trouble parking in the morning between the non-existent lines or closing your eyes and praying you don’t hit someone as you quickly disperse from your parking spot, the senior lot is an ineffi-cient environment for our students to park. Something needs to be done. There have been accidents, re-gardless of their sever-ity, that could have been prevented. Sen-ior, Amanda Kimmick

Parking in the senior

lot each morning

would be difficult

without Mr. Corbin,

who directs students to the un-

marked parking

spaces.

Photo and article by Antoinette Yelenic

Opinion: Where is the money going? Each year, senior students pay $15 for parking passes, but with the less than perfect state of the parking lot, many

students wonder where does it all go?

THE STATESMAN 9 Features

Brown baggers be-ware! Yes, there are “lunch-nappers” at Tho-mas Jefferson High School.

Teja Badami, a Na-tional Honors Society student, recently was a victim of this horren-dous stealing spree.

She said on this is-sue, “This is one of the most preposterous things I have ever dealt with. Who steals lunches?” What is worse, Teja had made

the lunch which was sto-len—adding insult to injury.

Unfortunately, Teja is not the only victim to this issue. Erin Dansevi-cus also admitted to greeting an empty locker before her lunch period. Like Teja, her lunch was mysteriously absent.

For all lunch packers at TJ, the only precau-tion is to stow their meals or have their locker locked at all times—an annoying prospect for students. Some students have

Opinion: “Hide yo’ lunches”

Article and cartoon by Connor Marshman

even taken des-perate measures, getting creative by placing hand sanitizer and other foul tasting products in “decoy lunches” to teach stealers a lesson.

Regardless of your tactics, please hide yo’ apples, hide yo’ cookies, and hide yo’ lunches cause TJ students be taking everything ‘round here.

Our hallowed green halls are no longer safe; students report rise in lunch bag thievery.

THE STATESMAN 10 Features

dominantly Islamic region of the world, and there is no love lost for America or any Westernized ideals by any of these afore mentioned Islamic na-tions. With all of the tur-moil currently taking place in this area, oil prices are going to rise. For instance, the frequent suicide bomb-ings take place in Iraq on a daily basis. Al-Qaeda still has strong roots in certain areas throughout Iraq. De-spite the weakening of their power, “…car bombs and suicide bombers are hallmarks of al-Qaida,” (Mazin Yahya, Associated Press). There was a double-car bombing in the city of Tal Afar in northern Iraq, March

prime breeding grounds for terrorists, particularly Hamas and al-Qaeda. For years now, oil has been one of, if not the most, prominent export of the petro-leum rich region of the world known as the Middle East. Three of The U.S.’s top ten oil suppliers are located in

the Middle East, among them Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Algeria. Needless to say, keep-ing a foothold in this region is a top pros-pect of America. America has achieved just this feat by hold-ing a strong relation-ship with Israel. Israel is lucky to have a sin-gle friend in this pre-

In the Middle East, peace does not seem to be in the cards. What with all the pro-tests, uprisings, and government overhauls, peace seems a far way off. How can this pos-sibly affect how high schoolers go about their day-to-day lives? The fact is, conflict in the Middle East does affect you. The Middle East is a prominent supplier of petroleum to the United States. Therefore, gas prices rise with conflict. With higher petroleum prices comes inflation on related goods; a prominent one being plastic. And, of course, who could for-get the issue of our own nation’s security? Political areas of unrest and violent conflict are

The Middle East FOR

DUMMIES Do suicide bombs thousands of miles away affect me?

By Anthony Rash

In Israel, Gaza and the West Bank between October of 2000 and 2006, there were 167 clearly identified suicide bombings and 51

other attacks. Image courtesy of USA.gov

THE STATESMAN 11 Features the seventh of this year. The countries of Yemen and Syria are in no better shape with government brutality, protesters of govern-ment on every street corner, and human rights violations on both sides. The Syrian government has seen to brutal crackdowns and tanks invading towns, opening fire on civilians. Egypt’s government is also in a state of upheaval following the national shift in gov-ernment. A rise in crime rate has oc-curred, and police bru-tality is not only com-mon, but not punished in a court of law, even when video evidence clearly proves the presence of such. The ongoing con-flict between Israel and Hamas certainly de-serves some recogni-

tion. After the end of a ceasefire, the two blame each other for the lack of renewed peace. Israel counter-attacked a Hamas rocket assault with an air strike. This has now been ensuing for a time now, and Israel has developed an air defense system known as “Iron Dome”. Last, but certainly not least, there are growing tensions be-tween Israel and Iran. “Israel would regard any expansion of nu-clear weapons capabil-ity within its region as an intolerable threat to its survival. As such, Iran’s developing nu-clear program has trig-gered serious concern in Israel…” (Steven Simon, Council on For-eign Relations). With all the ten-sion, violence, and in-stability in this region, oil prices are sure to

rise; and we have seen this lately, with gasoline prices inching ever closer to the four dollar mark. As a direct result, oil based products, such as plastic, which is used in almost every product we use on a daily basis, is going to cost more money to produce. As a direct result, the con-sumer pays more, too; simple inflation con-cepts. With an impending

war involving Iran, a nation that by no means is in love with the U.S. and its closest ally, Israel, Islamic nations may oppose us as well. They are more likely to side with their Islamic brothers in a time of war, than with a Hebrew nation supported heavily by the king of Western thinking. Tensions will only continue to grow. Not to mention that all these areas where violence is ever pre-sent are breeding grounds for terrorists and terroristic activi-ties. This certainly puts our nation’s secu-rity at risk. In addi-tion, the U.S. will un-doubtedly want to back one of, if not its clos-est, ally should a war ensue. So stay informed as to WHY the cost of things are going up. Pay a little attention to the area of the world that is in the highest state of conflict (and has been for thousands of years) in relation to the rest of the world. Graph by Sadie Shoaf

Courtesy of USA.gov

THE STATESMAN 12 Features

Going for gold: TJHS reports on Steel Center Training

Special thanks to Mr. Keith Hartbauer and Mr. Shannon Hinkle for facilitating the visit.

ing facility in the area for students in 10th grade-post graduate studies. CO-OP work is

also utilized at Steel Center, this gives stu-dents the ability to work four days a week, then come to class one day for class. Co-Op stu-dents' grades are based on reports given by their em-

ployers. The public can also get great prices on meat from the cu-linary rotation and various services in

White and blue collar jobs are com-mon, but TJ students are preparing for a little-known type of

job: the gold collar job.

Gold collar jobs require training and skill but do not neces-sarily require a bachelor’s degree. Such occupations in-clude nursing, adver-tising, and cosmetol-ogy. Steel Center

Area Vocational Tech-nical School (SCAVTS) is a train-

the cosmetology rota-tion.

SCAVTS has much less of a discipline issue than most schools. The guid-ance counselor, Mr. Shannon Hinkle,

stated that “Not only is Steel Center much stricter, but students there are doing what

they want to be do-ing, therefore, there is less of a chance that they will act out or disrupt class.”

Students at Steel Center are given

much freedom within their classes com-pared to an average public school. Chances are you won't see anyone re-pelling down a wall or handling large knives here at TJ. Mr. Hinkle

also feels that, at SCAVTS, “you [the student] are trusted. You get to do a lot of things you never

could somewhere else." "Everything we do here is real. Real tools. Real time. Real people," says Mr. Hin-kle. SCAVTS is run

based on rotation classes. This gives each student an ex-posure to different areas within their trade.

"Everything we do here is real. Real tools. Real time.

Real people." -Mr. Shannon Hinkle

By Daria Bisbey

Everything at SCVATS is real with the exception of the above lovely ladies.

THE STATESMAN 13 Features

Photos by Sam Green

Photography

Top left: Josh Lehotsky and Darren Sandstrom

Top middle: Greg Mcintyre

Top right: Taylor Seas and Madison Pinkney

Center: Gunner Fife

Bottom left: Kaitie Dempsey

By Brianna Bowman

As the temperature rises so do gas prices and many teens are looking for a job to earn some extra cash and keep their tanks filled. Whether you love amusement parks, want to work at a restaurant, or you are a shoe lover there are plenty of summer jobs in the area. I and the Statesman have found a few places in our area that are looking for new employees.

Kennywood Park/ Sandcastle: (412) 461- 0500/(412) 462-6666, On-site interviews Monday- Friday 3:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M. and Saturday 10:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M., Kennywood Blvd./Waterfront Panera Bread: (412) 655-8380, Route 51 Rita's Italian Ice: (412) 655-8470, Curry Hollow Rd. Bottom Dollar Foods: (412) 653-3801, Brownsville Rd. Giant Eagle: (412) 655-2344, Mountainview Dr. DSW: (412) 655-7420, Route 51 Ciccanti's Ristorante: (412) 384-7868, Route 51

THE STATESMAN 14 Features

Filling the tank the old fashioned way:

Who’s hiring around TJ? By Brianna Bowman

This week students were just beginning to relax but the juniors were stressed and cracking down on their PSSA Writing exams. As a graduation requirement, each junior must get at least a proficient score on the reading, math, and writing PSSAs. With the thoughts of summer and sun in student's minds, the last thing they want to do is sit in a room for three straight periods, and read passages and write two persua-sive and one informational essays. Junior Alex Hasis explains her feelings regarding the PSSAs. She says, "I think if we were going to take so much time out of the curriculum to concentrate on a standardized test, we should focus on the SAT's. Those are what really get us into college." I completely agree with Alex. While the PSSAs are effective, the SAT's are truly what juniors are focused on in the spring (the same time PSSA's are administered.) In order to avoid budget cuts, students must receive good scores which causes administration to place a large amount of pressure on both teachers and stu-dents. Most students stress over the fact that receiving below a proficient on the PSSAs will cause them to retake the tedious exam as seniors the following fall. Spring time is all about new beginnings and fresh weather, but for juniors, there's that dark cloud looming over their heads until April is over and the PSSAs are completed. Why don’t all students take the SATs as a graduation requirement instead?

Getting Testy: Why the PSSAs are a waste of time

opinion

THE STATESMAN 15 Sports

The Thomas Jefferson

boy’s volleyball team is deep into their regular

season. Coach Staffen and Coach Kelly have

assembled a starting line up that is composed

eager freshman and sophomores, as well as

experienced juniors and seniors. Come out and

support your boys vol-leyball team!

Top right: Sophomore Luke Good prepares to serve to

his teammates.

Top left: The boys assem-

ble for a pre-practice hud-

dle.

Bottom Left: Sophomore Chris Serrao reaches be-

fore spiking the ball into his opponents territory.

MEET THE TEAM

Photos by Michelle O’Brien Photography

Starting Line-Up

Freshman: Sam Mason

Sophomore: Luke Good

Sophomore: Ben Miscavage

Sophomore: Chris Serrao

Junior: Adam Miller

Senior Captain: Connor Kooyers

THE STATESMAN 16 TJ TWeets