Facebook may affect

your job status- page 5

PT Hockey:skating down the

competition- page 11

$25 Starbuck’s Gift Card word

scramble- page 9

Inside the Historic Inaguration of President

Barack Obama- page 3

InsIde

February 2009 • volume 40 • issue 04 • Peters townshiP high school

Smoke Sign al s PetersTownshipHighSchoolteachersre-ceivedagrantfromClassroomsfortheFuture,orCFF,auniqueprogramthattakesontheinitiativetotransformhowstudentslearnbyprovidingtheirclassrooms with advanced technology. With theworldrapidlyprogressingtechnologically,thecom-munity isalsointheprocessofadaptingtotheseexcitingshiftsinordertoenhancethequalityofstu-dentlearning.Thetimehastocometoupgradetheoutdated and inconvenient chalkboards to inter-activewhiteboards,overheadprojectors to laptopcomputers,andVCRstowebcams.TheCFFcom-mitteeexpectsthemodernequipmenttobereadyforstudentuseforthesecondsemester. Funded by a state grant of more than$200,000, CFF ensures that it will render fundsoverthenextthreeyearssothatallhighschoolsinPennsylvaniamayparticipateinthisprogram.CFFissupplying240 laptops,aswellaswhiteboards,cameras,andprojectorstobeinstalledintheclass-rooms of teacher volunteers. These participants(Mr.Cervenak,Mr.Demascal,Mrs.Groninger,Mrs.Kocan,Mrs.White,Mr.Redilla,Mr.Hitchens,andMr.Luxbacher)attendedonlinetrainingclassesandreceivedfurthertraininginthesubject.Mrs.Morris-tonservesastheirCFFcoach.Dr.Hajzusisalsoinvolved in theprogram,attendingCFFmeetingsandevaluatingteachersusingvariousdesignedin-struments.Withthistraining,teacherswillbeabletoincorporate“onlinelearning”techniquesintotheirclassroomsusing theBlackBoardsystem.This isasoftwaresystem thatallows teachers todeliverclassroomcontent via the Internet.CFF teachersDougCervenak,ErinBoni,andChrisHitchenspi-lotedtheBlackBoardprograminthe07-08schoolyear. “The CFF program is efficient because it gives usaccess tomoreequipmentand tools toutilizetechnologyinclassrooms,”ErinBoniremarked.“Itwill also benefit by improving student loaning.” The faculty stronglybelieves that introducing thecon-ceptofcyber learningwillhelpstudentstransitionintocollegeandpost-secondaryeducation. “Itwillbedifferenttoadjusttothesechang-es,butIknowitwillbeworthitwhenIgoofftocol-lege,”saidjuniorColleenLugar. By upgrading technology, students havetheopportunitytoreceiveafuturisticeducationandteachers have a chance to experience an addedconvenience to theclassroom.TheCFFprogramcontinuestomakegreatstridesastheytransformthe way students learn at Peters Township HighSchool.

PTHS Embraces Classrooms of the Future

Kaitlyn Richertstaff writer

Congratulations Dance Team!

All photos submitted by Mrs. Deliere

OnFebruary1,TheVarsityDanceTeamcompetedintheNationalChampionshipsatWaltDisney World and brought home the third placetrophy.Fromacrossthecountry,theUDANationalDanceTeamChampionship,oneofthemostpres-tigious championships in the nation, brings thebesthighand juniorhighschooldance teams tocompete.Therewereanestimated10,000specta-torsinattendance,andoutofsixty-oneteams,thePTHSdanceteamshined.ThecompetitiontookplaceatDisney’sWideWorldof Sports Complex located at the Walt DisneyResort inOrlando,Florida.Dance teamsstrivingto reach thenational levelareevaluatedatUDAsummercampsinordertoqualifyforthecompe-

tition. In2008,approximately threehundredhighschoolsandAllStardance teamswereselectedtocompeteattheNationalDanceTeamChampi-onship.Theteamscompeteindivisionsbasedonteamsize,grade/agelevel,andcategory(jazz,hiphop,pom,andhighkick).BarbaraDeliereandNiqueDelierearetheteam’scoaches,andseniorLaneySmithcaptainsthevar-sityteam.“I’mreallyproudofeveryone.Weworkreallyhardasa team,andhavebeenpracticingsincelastApril,”statedseniorLeahNobers.“Ourdedication was definitely rewarded.” ThecompetitionwillbefeaturedonESPN,andwillbebroadcastedonSunday,March1at2:00pmreachingmorethan90millionhomes.

Dance Team Wins 3rd Place at National Championships

Stephanie Cotugnonews editor

NEW

S

FEAT

URES

OPIN

ION

SPOR

TS

1 2

Dr. Seuss Born 1904

3

If Pets Had Thumbs Day

4 5 6 7

8

International Women’s Day

9 10 11

Worship Tools Day

12 13

Uranus Discovered

1781

14

Albert Einstein Born

1879

15

Ides of March

16 17

St. Patrick’s Day

18 19

First Day of Spring

20 21

22 23

National Puppy Day

24 25

Waffle Day

26 27 28

29 30 31

Marc h 2009

February 200915 16 17

World Human Spirit Day

18 19 20 21

Clam Chowder Day

22George

Washington’s Birthday

23 24 25 26

National Chili Day

27 28

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

reference� February 2009 Smoke Signals

SmokeSignalsisproduced

eighttimesduringaschoolyearbythestudentsofMediaII,III,IVJournalismandextracurricu-larstaffatPetersTowshipHighSchool,264E.McMurrayRoad,

McMurrayPA15317.Tele-phone:724-941-6250x.5379.

E-mail:sitlern@pt-sd.org.Commentaries,reviews,

andopinioncolumnsaretheexpressopinionoftheauthorandnotofSmokeSignals,its

advisororthePetersTownshipSchoolDistrict.Memberofthe

PennsylvaniaSchoolPressAssociation.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRenée Wunderlich

ASSISTANT EDITORAndrea Briggs

LAYOUT EDITOREmily Correal

MANAGING EDITORKatie Ellis

NEWS EDITOR

Stephanie Cotugno

FEATURES EDITORSDana Hoelle

Bridget Stasenko

OPINION EDITOREmily Estep

SPORTS EDITORTaylor Relich

MARKETING EDITORSShelby Miller Paige Burris

STAFF WRITERSGabrielle Brinsky, Amy

Burzotta, Averi Clements, Conor Jackson, Ian Jack-

son, Colleen Lugar, Monica Paterra, Kaitlyn Richert,

Matt Schilling, Matt Sikora, Bethany Suchy

LAYOUT TEAMShelby Miller, Paige Burris,

Taylor Miller

ADVISORMrs. Sitler

Smoke SignalS Valentine Connect-the-Dots

What In The World...?.

CompiledbyKatieEllis

news �Smoke Signals

Hines Ward Uses Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber

WithSuperBowlXLIIIasmotivation,SteelerswidereceiverHinesWardmadetheconsciousdecisiontobeginusingahyperbaricoxygenchambertoaidhisrecoveryfromasprainedknee.Wardtookseriousprecautionsandboughttheoxygenchamber,whichcancostasmuchas$15,900,andbegantouseitinhishome.Foronehouraday,number86sitsinthechamberwhileitpromotestheproductionofredbloodcellsandaccelerateshishealingprocess.

After seeing remarkable differences in therehabilitationofhisinjury,Wardhasbecomereliantontheoxygen chamber, as it aids the treatment of infection byenhancing white blood cells and potentially germ-killingantibiotics. Additionally, the oxygen chamber doesn’tdecrease his energy, allowing the professional player torecoverwhilestillparticipatinginNFLgames.Byspendingtimeinthechambereveryday,Wardisallowinghisbodytostimulatethegrowthofnewbloodvesselsinthelocationswithreducedcirculations:hisinjuredknee.

Stephanie Cotugno news editor

February 2009

“Ithinkit’sgreatthatHinesWardtookcontrolofhissituationandmadethebestoutofhisinjury.Heworksreallyhardandstrivestosucceedinhisperformance,”saidseniorEmilyBoccardi.

WardwentthroughextrarehabilitationonhisrightkneeinpreparationforSuperBowlXLIIIthattookplaceonFebruary1 inTampaBay,Florida.Hisrightknee, injuredin the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game, has a slightMCL(medialcollateralligament)sprain.Tocontinuehis healing process, Ward had the chamber shipped toTampa for a strenuous week of rehab before the game.Alongwiththeoxygenchamber,Wardalsoicedhiskneeeverythreehours.

“It’scool to thinkhowdevotedHinesWard is toplayingwell,”statedseniorA.J.Metz.LeadingtheSteelerswitheighty-onereceptionsfor1,043yards,thisseasonhasbeenhisbestseasonstatisticallysince2003.HinesWardis the Steelers’ career leader in receptions, yards, andtouchdowns,andhistalentproveshisdevotion.

Sickening SalmonellaGabrielle Brinsky

staff writer

OnJanuary20,2009,historywasmade. In thepresence of an estimated 1.5 million Americans, the first African-American president, Barack Obama, took office in the United States. Most found it nearly impossible toescapethemediacoverageofsuchanhistoricevent.Asinvigorating as watching the event on television was, itcanbeassumedthatmanyviewerswishtheycouldhaveattended.PTHSjunior,BenWest,wasfortunateenoughtobepresentattheinauguration.

ApassionatesupporterofPresidentObama,Westsaysthebestpartoftheexperiencewasactuallyseeingithappen.

“I jumped on board with the campaign a yearand half ago. And now, I was finally witnessing what I wantedbeforemyveryeyes.Asforthenextfouryears,I’m

lookingforwardtoseehowObamadealswiththeworld’sproblems.”

West’sdaybeganatsixamwhenhewokeandbeganthelongtrektotheCapitalBuilding.Hethenwaitedfortwohours,inthecold,inthelinetotheentrancegate.Thelinealonewasasignofwhatwastocome.

“Whenyoulookedtowardsthecapital,therewasnograssvisible.Everyspotwascoveredwithpeople,eventhestatues,”Weststated.Next,theyhadtogothroughasecurity checkpoint and find a spot with a good view. A half anhourlater,theceremonybegan.

“Asfortheceremony,itwaskindofanti-climacticbecauseitwassocold.Butwesaw[Obamaswearingin]and left. We saw Bush’s helicopter flying away on our way back.”Weststated.

Inside The InaugurationEmily Estep opinion editor

If there was any benefit to watching the inauguration at home, it was escaping the cold. “It wasfreezing,”Westsaid, “Idon’t thinkpeoplecangrasphowcolditwas.Still,thefactthatsomanywerepresentdespitetheweathershowshow importantPresidentObamaandwhathestandsforistopeople.” According to West, the inauguration was notexactlyperfect.The temperatureswerenotexactly ideal,lineswereendless,andattendeescouldn’theareverythingveryclearly.Evenso,Westwasgladthathewent.“Itwasan amazing experience to be with all those people andwitnesssuchanhistoricoccasion. Iwouldgoagain inaheartbeat; itmakesyoufeelstrangelypatrioticbeingthatclosetothecapitol,”hesaid.

This year’s annual musical is entitled“LittleMarySunshine”withbook,lyricsandmusicbyRickBesoyan. It isasatiricalmusical,whichpokes gentle fun at the musical genre, whichwasmostpopularonBroadwayattheturnofthecentury: the Operetta!! The entire production isbeingdedicatedtothe1930’sfilmteamofJeanetteMacDonaldandNelsonEddywhopopularizedtheOperetta in eight major musical films for MGM.Theshow’sdirector,Mr.Wood,hasbeenanavidMacDonald-Eddyfansincethe1950’s. This funny musical will feature hilariousperformances from Drew Caliguiri as Big Jim,KelseyBozeasLittleMary,HarrisonBuzzattoasBilly, Lindsay Bayer as Nancy, Erika Hubbell asErnestine,WesleyGrollasOscar,HardyKernasChiefBrownBear,andDavidRobbinsasYellowFeather. The Forest Rangers are portrayed byTyler Deiley, Marco Femiani, Justin Gaab, Kyle

Musical Dedicated to Film StarsMr.Wood

guest writer

Gramling, Cole Marks, John McGovern, EvanMcIntyre, James Northrop, Tom Norton andBen West. The young ladies from EastchesterFinishingSchoolareportrayedbyLynnseyGarlick,Annemarie Hall, Elizabeth Hammell, StephanieHammell, Meghan Fitzgerald, Sarah Leech,AngelaMikec,KatieSchultz,EllieStanchakandBrookeTenison.

AssistingMr.WoodareMrs.DonnaFox,Orchestral Director, Mr. Dave Walsh, TechnicalDirector, Mrs. Caryn Kuhn, Thespian Troupesponsor, Linsey VanNewKirk,Assistant Director,Taylor Laster, Stage Manager and Mr. RyanPerrotte,ChoralDirector.

ThemusicalwillbestagedThursday,March5,at7:00PMandFridayandSaturday,March6&7at7:30PM.Ticketswillbeonsalefor$5.00forstudentsandseniorsand$7.00 foradultsat thedoorforallperformances.

InternationalgroupssuchastheCenterforDis-ease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Food andDrugAdministration(FDA)have foundhealthdangers inpeanutproducts.ThesegroupstracedsalmonellabacktothePeanutCorporationplantinBlackely,GA.Theyfoundoutthattheplantknewtheirproductscontainedsalmonella,butstillcontinuedtoshipthemerchandise.Recordsshowtwelvepastsalmonellaoutbreaksatthisfacility.

“ItisinconceivablethattheFDAorthestateof Georgia allowed a plant like this to operate,”commented Seattle personal-injury attorney BillMarler in a Scientific American website.

The state reviewed the plant and neverfoundatraceofsalmonella,buttheFDAconductedan inspection and quickly found strands.The FDAfoundtwostrandsofthebacteriaaswellasafourthstrand, which is linked to 501 illnesses and eightdeathssinceSeptember.Youngchildren,theelderly,and people with weak immune systems are thevictimsathighestrisk.

“One-fifth of the ill people are under age five,” authorities told New York Times.

The inspections uncovered many hiddenhealth hazards that could not have had simplyhappenedovernight;thefactoryhadbeeninhorriblecondition forawhile.TheGeorgiaFoodPlantwasstilloperatingwithmoldgrowingontheceilingsandwallsand longgaps in its roof.TheGeorgiaStateAgriculture Department found grease residue, dirtbuildup,dirtysurfaces,andgapsinwarehousedoorstheperfectsize for rodents toenter.Ahugehealthdangerintheirfacilitywastherustresiduethatcouldeasily enter into finished or unfinished products. After receiving news of contamination and safetyproblems,theplantdidnottakeontheresponsibilityof cleaning up the firm.

FDAmemberMichaelRogerssaid,“Theplantclearlyviolatesagoodmanufacturingpractice.”

Salmonellaisadangeroussickness;insomecases,itrequiresantibioticsorevenhospitalization.Symptomsincludefeverandabdominalcramps.Theinvestigating organizations are still looking into theplantandwhattodoaboutit.TheFDAsentoutmanyrecalls for crackers and products with this peanutbutter.ThemostcaseswerereportedinNewYork,Pennsylvania,Virginia,Tennessee,andMissouri.

Inhighschool,everyonechecksFacebookconstantlyinordertobeupdatedontheirfriend’srelationshipstatus;thewholeschoolknowsthesecondacouplebreaksup.Nowimaginethatyourhusbandofsixyearspostedamessageannouncingyourdivorce–beforehetellsyou.That’sexactlywhathappenedtoEmmaBradyofBlackburn,England.Sheclaimsthattheywerenothavinganyrelationshipproblems,anddidnothearofthedivorceuntilherbestfriendfromDenmarkcalledtoseeifshewasallright.

Kentuckythepenguinisafraidofwater.He’stheonlyoneof24penguinsattheSaffordshirezoowhorefusestogetintotheicypoolhabitat,andforagoodreason:11-year-oldKentuckywasborn“abitofarunt”andhashadamoltingproblemforhisentirelife.Hisfeathersaren’tasthickastheotherpenguins’.Hewalksaroundontherocksinsteadofswimmingwithhisfriends,providingendlessentertainmentforthepatronsoftheEnglishzoo.

China has officially banned “non-accredited personnel” from acting as medical personnel on television and internet websites. At least 12“doctors”havebeenfoundsellingfakemedicineunderfalsenamesonvarioustelevisionstationsacrosseasternChina.Earlierin February, five men were arrested for selling a fake diabetic drug that has been linked to the death of at least two people.

AHinduorganizationisplanningtolaunchanewsoftdrinkmadeofcow’surine,whichisconsideredsacredinmanypartsofIndia.ManyHindusconsidertheurinetohavemedicinalpropertiesandoftendrinkitduringreligiousfestivals.Theproductwillbesoldnationwide,buttheyarehopingtobreakintotheinternationalmarket.

features� February 2009 Smoke Signals

SpeakOUT

“MikeGlod”

- Kathleen Brown Senior

“Claudia”

- Steven Wagner Junior

“HeathLedger”

- Kayla Graniger Sophomore

- Matt Subosits Freshman

WHO IS yOUR IDEAl VAlENTINE’S DATE?

Taylor Miller

staff writer

Everyone has felt outof place at one time or another,but imagine going to an entirelydifferentcountrywherenoonereallyunderstandsyou.IgaveMoldovanforeign exchange student, juniorPasha Guranda, a chance toshare his views on our world. TM: How does PTHS compare to your school in Moldova?PG: PTHS is more fun becausethere are so many more peoplemy age. My school in Moldovais considered big, but there areonly about one hundred kids. TM: What is your overall impression of the people in the US after spending some time here?PG: I find that people are generally the same here as the people inMoldova.Americansallappreciatethevaluesofintegrityandhonesty. TM: How does this compare to what you have been told?PG:IhavebeentoldthatAmericansare more egocentric, care a lotabout money, and are totallyignoranttotherestoftheworld.IamluckyIdidnotmeetanyofthese“minuses” of America. Everyone

saysit’sbecausePetersisa“bubble.” TM: What do people in Moldova think of Americans?PG: The first and biggest group of people hates almost everything aboutAmericans. They are influenced by post-Soviet ideas and still think thereis a hidden political fight between America and Russia. (Moldova is asatellite country of the USSR) The

A World Away: An Interview with Pasha

“JessicaSimpson”

secondgroupismuchsmallerandlovesAmericans.Theyenjoythecultureanddotheirbesttogetoutoftheirmotherland. TM: What kind of extra curricular activities are you in?PG:Idosportsandforensics(debate).I’ve never seen people take sports soseriously before. Especially football;it’s very brutal. I will always rememberthe emotions of the first football game I ever saw against Baldwin. The guys’commitment is really amazing. I didn’tknowthatseventeenandeighteenyear-oldguyscouldtakesomethingsoseriously. TM: How does American culture compare to that of Moldova?PG:Thelifestylehereissobusyyoucanspendthewholedaydoingfunimportantthingsandattheendofthedayrealizethatyoudidnothing.Americanmallsarelikeaparadise.Youcanfeel thewholepowerofAmerican in themall inUSC.It’s sophisticated, it smells good – it’slikeasmallAmerica.Ithinkit’shardforAmericans to realize what excitementI feel each time I enter the mall. TM: Do you look forward to going back to Moldova?PG: I very rarely feel homesick. I feelbadwhenIrememberhowlifeisathomecomparedtohereintheUS.Still,someAmericans are not satisfied with that.

FebruaryisAdoptaShelterRabbitMonth,sowefocusonhelpingourfour-leggedfriendsinneedatPittsburgh’sAnimalFriends non-profit, no-kill shelter for dogs, cats, and rabbits. WithManyAmericanshavingtocutbackonspending,petsareoftenseenasanunnecessaryexpense.Housingforeclosuresalsohavemanyownersfeelingobligatedtodumptheirfurryfamilymembers.Anestimatedsixtoeightmilliondogsandcatsaloneareabandoned;leftinthestreetswithnomeansofshelter,food,orcompanionship.Sadly,threetofourmillionoftheseanimalsmustbeeuthanized.Andwhileitisimpossibleforno-killshelterslikeAnimalFriendstosaveeachabandonedanimalinthearea,thevolunteersandstaffhavehelpedplaceover2,200dogs,cats,andrabbitswithlovingfamilieseachyear. Inadditiontotheshelter,AnimalFriendshasanarrayofotherprogramsfromobedienceclassesandpet-assistedtherapytoalow-costspayandneuteringservice.Theprofessionalsattheresourcecenteralsotakepartinlocalanimalcrueltyinvestigationsandrescues. AnimalFriendshasrecentlyreceived“pawfulls”ofpublicity,includinganappearanceontheToday Show(NBC)andarticlesin the Wall Street Journal and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. And yes, they’re on both Facebook (you can “become a fan”) andYouTube. Ifyou’reinterestedinadoptinganewmemberintoyourfamily,wanttospendtimevolunteeringattheshelter,orjustfeellikemakingadonation,visitwww.thinkingoutsidethecage.org.

Beyond the Bubble: Animal Friends No-Kill Shelter and Resource Center

Renée Wunderlich

editor-in-chief

Monica Paterra

staff writer

Save yourself a trip to the video store, becauseBlockbuster has a brand new way of receiving On Demandmoviesthroughthecableonyourtelevision.Blockbusterhaspartneredupwith2WireMediatoprovideaboxconnectedtothetelevisionthatwillallowthesignaltobetransferredintoaviewableformat. “Fasterthanittakestomakepopcorn,yourmoviewillbe ready,” said Jim Keyes, Blockbuster chief executive officer, inaTechNewsWorldinterview. Thisnewalternativetoviewingmoviesismuchmoreconvenient, andalsohasa rather lowcost.Customerswhodecide to buy twenty-five rentals for $99 will receive a DVD player for free. The wide movie selection that BlockbusterOnDemandprovides,willbeaccessibleforthirtydays,oncedownloaded,butassoonasaviewerbeginstostartamovie,

Blockbuster to Offer Videos On Demand

viewing time for that movie will only be available for twenty-fourhours.Extramovieswillcostbetween$1.99and$3.99perrental. Although the widely popular service Netflix has had the topspotwithonlinemovie rentals,Blockbuster isexpectedto surpass Netflix due to its ability to receive recently-released videosratherthanhavingtowait twoor threeyears.Also, theyprovide a different type of technology for the download that isthought to be superior to that of Netflix. “Youmighthaveheardalotaboutstreamingcapabilities[quickerdownloading].Wethinkprogressivedownloadisahigherformofstreaming,forthefollowingreason:Itreallycomesdowntoquality,” said Keyes. “The reality is that even if a home hassufficient bandwidth, streaming requires always-on connectivity. Downloadneedsonlyaone-timeconnection.”

Photo by: Amy Burzotta

�February 2009

Smoke Signalsfeatures

Colleen lugar

staff writer

FA

sh

ion

Bethany Suchy

staff writer

Althoughwearestillinthewintermonths,it’snottooearlytostartthinkingaboutspring.Whilefall2008 was filled with deep, dark colors such as blue andpurple,springof ’09willmostlybeimmersedinlight,brightcolorsalongwithneutrals.Thedarkbluesandpurpleswillbelightenedtopalaceblueand lavender. Lemonyellowanddifferent vibrantgreenswillalsobeseenontherunways.Accordingto Pantone, the worldwide color standard leader,these spring colors will “provide optimism andstability” for a spring wardrobe. Pantone is themostwidelyrecognizedcolorstandardintheworld,and is used as an important tool in the fashionindustry. Bright and bold prints will be extremelypopular this spring and even into the summer.Patterns ranging from polka dots all the way toparrot like prints from iconic designers such asDianeVonFurstenbergandPeterPilotto. The spring styles will be a revival of theseventies and eighties. Don’t throw away lastsummer’sjumpsuits,fortheywillbeeventrendierthisspring.Otherthingstolookforarepencilskirts,tubularminidresses,sheerbandagedresses,andjerseycroptops.Embracethefrillsandlaceoftheseasonandbesure to layer clothes.Mixneutralcolors with something bright to create a very in-stylelook.

Spring Fashion

Andrea Briggs

assistant editor

Social networking sites such asFacebook and MySpace may be a great waytokeep in touchwith friendsandshowoff themore interestingaspectsofyour life.However,manydon’t realize thatwhat theyputon theremay been seen by more than their closefriends. Employers are now beginning to lookonFacebooktoscreenoutpotentialemployees,and what they find may be held against you. AsurveybyPonemonInstituteshowedthat 23 percent of hiring managers use socialnetworking sites to do background checks onjob candidates, and 35 percent use Google tolookupotherinformation.Thispracticeisn’tonlyreserved forbeforesomeonegets the job; justaskthebankerwholosthis jobafterphotosofhimpartyingonasupposedsickdaysurfacedon his Facebook profile. Colleges are also joining in on the

Facebook May Affect your Status

your Heart and Cheerios: They Are Compatible

WehaveallheardthatCheerioshasthepowertoloweryourcholesterol,butdoesitwork?Heartdiseaseisthenumber-onethreattothehealthofwomeninAmerica.Institutereportsthatoneinthreedieofheartdisease.Letstreatourheartsrightandmakeacommitment toeatmoreCheerios. Oats, as a core ingredient, powerCheerios. Think of oats as a sponge, soakingup the cholesterol in your system. Cheeriosare made with one hundred percent naturalwhole grain oats, and is the only coldcereals proven to lower cholesterol build up. A clinical study proved that eating two1.5-cupservingsofCheerioscerealdailyforsixweeksreducesbadcholesterolaboutfourpercentwheneatenaspartofadietlowinsaturatedfatandcholesterol.“IloveCheeriosandaftereatingthemforbreakfasteveryday,mydoctorsaysmycholesterol is lower,”Stated juniorBethHerder. Cholesterol is a bully when it comes toyouandyourheart.Itisawaxysubstancethatisbuiltupbyeatinganimalproducts.Thisnuisanceclogsthearteries,andisknowntoputatollonyourhealthbycausingstrokesandheartcomplications. However,itdoesserveapurposeinthebody to an extent. It helps us to create certainhormones and plays an important role in thenervous system and the brain. Every day, ourbodiesmake800 to1,500mgof cholesterol tokeep us healthy. Beyond that, we should notbe consuming more than 300 mg of it daily.Dairy products such as cheese and yogurtare high in fat, and when not eaten in variety,

they may raise your cholesterol levels. With soluble fiber being the key ingredient in lowering cholesterol, eatingthe three cups a day of Cheerios will onlyprovide three grams, which is simply notenough to provide a substantial amount ofprogress.Itwouldbeanextrathreehundredcalories, not including the milk. If the low-cholesterolCheeriosdietwere towork,youwould need to watch the incoming sourcesof cholesterol to help your heart that youare consuming. Eating Cheerios alone isnot the best way; It is just not practical forsomeone to replace two meals a day withabowlofCheerios foranentire sixweeks. Ifyouwanttodoyourheartafavor,eating Cheerios is a good start, but donot solely depend on them to lower yourcholesterol.Themosteffectivewayisstilltominimizetheamountofanimalproductsyoueat. Meat, eggs and cheese are beneficial in moderationandprovidenutrients,butifyourserious about lowering cholesterol levels,do your heart a favor and try cutting back.

OnecupCheerios0mgOnecupskimmilk5mgOnelargeegg210mgEightouncesyogurt5mgThreeouncesshrimp150mgOneouncecheddarcheese30mg

*Recommended no more than 300mg of cholesterol intake daily

Betweentheoutrageouslylowtemperaturesandterriblewinterconditions,two-hourdelaysandcancella-tionshavebeenacommonoccurrence.Suchdaysmaybeexciting,butsometimesthewinterbluescantakeatollonyourmood.Whentheroadsarebadandyou’restuckinthehouse,sometimesthereisnotalottodo.If you are feeling down during the win-ter months, you are not alone. The sadness that some people may feel dur-ing thewintermonths iscalledseasonalaffectivedis-order (SAD). This condition affects twenty percent oftheAmericanpopulation.Peoplewhohave thisdisor-derarealwaysdepressedinthewintertime.Theyfeelliketheyhavenoreasontodoexcitingthingsorevencontinuewiththeirdailyroutine.Othersymptomsincludeover-eating, over-sleeping, and extreme exhaustion. To fix this disorder, bright light therapy and a dietchangehavebeenproven tohelp.However, tan-ningbedsarenotconsideredbright lightsandshouldnotbeusedfortreatment.IfyourcaseofSADismoreserious, a doctor may prescribe medication to helpwith the recovery process.Also, setting a goal, suchas losing weight for summer or a house project, cankeepyouoccupiedduringthecoldmonths.Sometimes,planning a vacation to a hot spot could be the cure.Options are endless to keep yourself busy. The first thing isgettingcaughtuponsleep.Whenthereisatwo-hourdelayorcancellation,itwouldbebesttogetwellrested;agoodnight’ssleepisn’tcommonforhighschoolstu-dents.It’sagoodideatogetcaughtuponworkwhenschooliscancelled.Forexample,gethomework,collegestuff,andcleaningdone.Ifyouwouldliketomakethisafunday,thereissledriding,watchingmovies,orjustre-laxing.However,Ifyouwouldliketogetbrowniepointswithyourparents,youcouldalwaysshovelthedriveway.You can make a day off school very productiveand exciting if you are feeling the winter blues.

Bridget Stasenko

Features editor

Wash The Winter Blues Away

Facebookscreenings.TheeducationalcompanyKaplanconductedastudyof500colleges,and10 percent of the admissions officers used socialnetworkingsites toseewhat theycouldlearnaboutanapplicant.Shockingly,38percentof the officers said that their impressions on the studentswerenegativelyaffectedafterviewingtheir online profiles. “My profile is set to private, so no one can see my information but my friends,” saidjunior Katie Ellis. While setting information toprivateorrestrictedmaykeepout theaverageuser, thatdoesn’tmake it safebyanymeans.Thirty-threeTwitteraccountswerehacked intoearlier in January, including an administrator’saccount,andMySpaceisinfamousfor itspoorsecurity. Additionally, Facebook states in itsprivacy policy that it reserves the right to sellyourpersonalinformationtoprivatecompanies.

We asked 50 boys the following question:

How MucH is Too MucH To spend on Your ValenTine?

22% 18%

8%

6%

18%28%

48%

4% 6%

42%

We asked 50 girls the following question:

What Would You RatheR Receive foR valentine’s daY?

Ian Jackson

staff writer

Valentine’sDay is themostcom-

mercialized holiday. Christmas is bad,

but Valentine’s Day? Are you kidding

me?WhenIthinkValentine’sDay,Ithink

Victoria’sSecret.Ithinkthebigsecretthat

Victoriahasbeenkeepingalltheseyears

is that she secretly created Valentine’s

Day;theysellmoreintimateunderwear

on Valentine’s Day than any other day

oftheyear! Flowers are all over the place

on Valentine’s Day. I think that’s kind

of cool – flowers smell good and can

really spice up a kitchen table. They’re

stillstupid.Yes,Ihavecommittedthesin

ofbuying flowers forgirls,but itnever

turnsouttobeagoodinvestment.Val-

entine’sDayshouldbereservedforsin-

glepeople. I,sadly,stillwouldn’treally

gettocelebrateitatthispointinmylife,

butsinglepeopleshouldcelebrate:they

don’tdealwith the stressofa relation-

ship. TosumupmythoughtsonValen-

tine’sDay,Iwouldliketoletyouknow

thatmygirlfriend(orsomethinglikethat)

receivedatextmessagethatsaid“happy

valentinesdaybtw”.That’sit.Thatisit.

Thenagain,shewasn’taroundSaturday

orSunday.Iguessyoucouldsaywecel-

ebratedFriday,butnotreally.

NowI’membarrassed.

A Boy’s View of Valentine’s Day

Did You Know...?

85% of all Valentine cards are bought by women

15% of Americans send flowers to themselves on

Valentine’s Day (Men, too!)

For every six men looking for love, there are only five

women who are looking as well

904 Numbers have been nationwide since 2002

39% of Americans choose a dozen red roses as their

flowers of choice

WhenIthinkaboutValentine’sDay, I imagine someone specialsweeping me off my feet. In realitythatdoesnotalwayshappen tome,butit’sstillnicetohaveanoccasion-algesturefromsomeonethatshowsthattheycareaboutyou. Every Valentine’s Day, I enjoyspending itwith theypeople I love.MydadalwayscomeshomewithSar-rischocolates,andmyfriendsandIusuallyexchangecards.Thisdaydoesnotrequireyoutospendtimewithaboyfriend or girlfriend. Having funwithyour friendsand family is justasenjoyableasspendingitwithasig-nificantother. Valentine’s Day to me meansthat you show everyone you careabout how much they really meantoyou.Sowhensearchingforagiftforsomeone,somethingextravagantisn’talwaysnecessary;asimplecardisalwaysgreatlyappreciated.

Dana Hoelle

Features editor

A Girl’s View of Valentine’s Day

Iris–GooGooDollsCollide – Howie Day

Wonderwall-OasisAmazed - Lonestar

HeyThereDelilah–PlainWhiteT’sI Don’t Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith

BleedingLove–LeonaLewisYou & Me - Lifehouse

BlesstheBrokenRoad–RascalFlatts#1: My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion

Top Ten Best Songs for Valent ine’s Day

50%

20%24%

6%

We asked 50 people the following question:What is the Best RestauRant foR valentine’s daY?

g

Every February, l o ved ones exchangeflowers,candy,andgi ftsi nthenameo fSain tVa l en tin e . February has l o ng been amonth o fromance ,bu tthehisto ryo fVa l en tin e’sDayandi ts focused sain t are su rrounded inmystery.Sowhydowece l ebratethisho lidayandwhoisthismysterioussain t? Acco rdin g to histo ry. com , various l e g -endsexisttocontendthero l ep layedbySain tVa l en tin e . One parti cu la r l e g end states thatVa l en tin ewasap ri estinRomedurin gthethi rdcentu ry.WhenEmpero rClaudiusI Ic laimedthatsin g l e men were more efficient so ldie rs thanso ldie rs with fami li es, h e out lawed marriag efo ryoungmen–hispotentia lc ro po fso ldie rs.Va l en tin ehowever,defiedtheempero randcon -tinuedtocondu ctmarriag esfo ryoung l o ve rssecret ly.Va l en tin ewaso rderedtobeexecutedon cehisactionsweredis co vered .A notherl e g -endsuggeststhattheho lidayisce l ebratedinmid -Februarytoremembertheanni ve rsaryo fVa l en tin e’sdeath .

El sewhere ,nationssu chasGreatBri t-ainandFran cebegantoce l ebrateinbeginni n go fthese venteenthcentu ry,undertheimpres -sionthatFebruary14thwasthefirstdayo fbi rds’matin gseason–therefo re ,i ts hou ldbeaday fo r romance.Va l en tin e’s g reetin gswerepo pu la r as far back as the midd l e ages, ande ventodaytheho lidayranksthesecondla rg -estcard - sendin gho lidayo ftheyear.U l timate ly,thetraditio no fthemostromanti cdayo ftheyearp rog ressaswepus hi n to2009.

Valent ine’s Day Through the DecadesKaitlyn Richert

staff writer

Did You Know...?

85% of all Valentine cards are bought by women

15% of Americans send flowers to themselves on

Valentine’s Day (Men, too!)

For every six men looking for love, there are only five

women who are looking as well

904 Numbers have been nationwide since 2002

39% of Americans choose a dozen red roses as their

flowers of choice

What is the Best Valentine’s Day

Movie?

“A Walk to Remember”Senior Nicole Provident

“My Bloody Valentine”Junior John Brindley

“PS, I Love You”Junior Anna Wassilchalk

“Date Movie”Sophomore Justin Gompers

“The Notebook”Sophomore Dani Hume

“300”FreshmanTyler Sheldon

Iris–GooGooDollsCollide – Howie Day

Wonderwall-OasisAmazed - Lonestar

HeyThereDelilah–PlainWhiteT’sI Don’t Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith

BleedingLove–LeonaLewisYou & Me - Lifehouse

BlesstheBrokenRoad–RascalFlatts#1: My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion

Top Ten Best Songs for Valent ine’s Day

The WeddingThe Perks of Being a Wallflower

Tuck EverlastingTwilight

A Walk to RememberThe Great Gatsby

Pride & PrejudiceGone with the Wind

The Notebook

#1: Romeo & Juliet

Top Ten Best Books to Read on Valent ine’s Day

opinion�February 2009 Smoke Signals

He SaidIan Jackson Amy Burzotta

She Said

Amy Burzotta

staff writer

Inadequate Role Models

Matthew Sikorastaff writer

MichaelPhelpshaswon fourteenOlympicgoldmedals.ShiaLabeoufhaswonelevendifferentawards,includingtheRisingStaraward,BestActor,andadaytimeEmmyforhissuperbactingskills.TyPennington is the host and carpenter on ExtremeMakeover:HomeEdition,givingfamiliesinneedthechancetostartoverwithanewhomeandlife.Mi-leyCyrus,theincrediblypopularstar,hasmillionsoffansandmillionsofdollarsforheractingandsing-ing.However,doallofthese“inspirational”and“suc-cessful”peoplereallydeservethecredittheyhave?MichaelPhelpsisasuccessful,record-breakingOlym-picgoldmedalist.Accordingtowww.cbsnews.com,onDecember29,2004,Phelpswaschargedwithdriv-ing under the influence. On January 31, 2009, he was caughtsmokingmarijuana.Heroic?Idon’tthinkso.Shia Labeouf starred as Louis Stevens on thepopularDisneyshowEvenStevens thatairedun-til2002.Manypeoplelovehisperformancesinhismovies such as Transformers and Disturbia. Sixyearslater,onJuly27,2008,thisstarwaschargedwith a DUI This was horrible for his reputation.TV host Ty Pennington changes the way

underprivileged families live. But onMay7,2007,hewaschargedwithaDUIandpaida$5,000bailaccordingtowww.usatoday.com.“Ilovetheshow.IwasverydisappointedwheneverIheardthathereceivedaDUI.Iwassurprised because I didn’t think he’d ever dosomethinglikethat.”statedjuniorKelseyBoze.Ifyousay“MileyCyrus” toaroomof tenyearolds,they’llscreamabouthowmuchtheyloveher.However,recentlyshehashadmanyphotoscandalsofherselfdoingnumerousinappropri-atethings.Whatmessagedoesthatsendtoherfans?Thatit’sokaytodotheseimproperacts?These stars believe that they can get awaywith anything, because they are famous. Thisisnotthecase.Peopleaspiretobelikethem,these “inspirational” people are sending thewrong message. The things they did were in-excusable,and theygotoffveryeasily.Thesestars need to understand people look up tothem,andtheyneedtogettheiractstogether.

What gift would you want to receive?What gift would you want to receive?

Gift CardsChocolate

Who do you want to spend it with?Who do you want to spend it with?Chad ocho cinco

My dadIf you could go anywhere on Valentine’s Day

where would you go?Burger King

If you could go anywhere on Valentine’s Day where would you go?The Capital Grille

What’s your best Valentine’s memory?In the fifth grade at St. Louise, my box won the ribbon for funniest box and ever since I’ve had this false sense that

I’m funny.

In the elementary school, when we made the boxes and everyone had to put cards

and candy in them

What’s your best Valentine’s memory?

Inoneyear, theaverageperson sees about 20,000 com-mercials.That’sabout333hoursofcommercialsayear.Televisionisthebestprovenwaytoadvertiseaproduct.Thepricesofproducingcommercials and buying airtimedependonthechannelandpop-ularityof theshow that isairing.Thecostofproducinganationaltelevision commercial goes forabout $350,000. Lower produc-tion commercials cost is around$1,000. In 2008, a thirty-secondSuper Bowl commercial sold forabout $2.7 million. This year’sSuper Bowl commercials weresold for a minimum of $3 mil-lion.Thisisnotamajorincrease,and due to the slow economy,not many companies wanted toadvertise this year. Many of thecar corporations and FedEx donot have the funds to pay for

these commercials, and sincesales are down, they do notfeel the need to waste money.Oneofthebiggestsurprisesre-sultedfromtheDoritosadcam-paign,whichheldacontesttoseewhocouldcreatethebestSuperBowl commercial. The winnerof theUSATodaypollgetsonemilliondollars if hiscommercialis the most popular one aired.The Doritos “snow globe” adwontophonors,surprisingmanypeople; for the past ten years,Budweiser has taken first place. Budweiser has a professionalcommercialproductioncompanythatmakesallof theirads.Thetwo brothers that won the USATodaycontestwereonalowbud-getandstillmanaged todo theunthinkableandbeatBudweiser.Now companies are wonderingifitisevennecessarytohavea

professionalproductioncom-panymaketheircommercials. ThelocalfavoritewasthenewPolamalucommercial,aremakeoftheoldCoca-Colaad with “Mean” Joe Greene.The “Budweiser Clydes-dale Rescues Love Fromthe Circus” took second andthe “Budweiser ClydesdaleLearnsNewTrick” tookthird.Bridgestone’s “Mr. and Mrs.Potato Head Nearly Crash”took fourth, and Doritos“Crunch Gives Man SuperPower” took fifth. Surprising-ly, the Polamalu commercialwasgivenseventeenthplace. According to statisti-cians,itisstillworththemoneytoadvertiseduringtheSuperBowl,evenintoday’seconomy.

Is it Worth the Money?

Val ent in e’s Day

Toseecommercials regardingchari-ties inAfricaor Indiaarecommon in today’smedia.Celebritiesareoftenshownendorsingsuchcharitiesorevensponsoringonesoftheirown.Whilealloftheseorganizationsaretre-mendous,raisingmillionsofdollars for thoseinneed,manyAmericansare ignorantof thepovertyinourownbackyard.Over50studentswere recently surveyed at Peters TownshipHighSchoolregardingtheawarenessofpov-erty in Appalachia. Four out of every five stu-dentswerenotawareofthepoverty,andsomedidnotevenknowwhereAppalachiaislocated. Appalachia, a mountainous regionof the eastern United States, stretches fromsouthernNewYorkdown toAlabama.HometosomeofthepoorestpeopleinAmerica,thecentralareaofAppalachiaintheheartofthemountainscanbecompared toa thirdworldcountry. Poverty, chronic depression, tooth-lessness,andhighratesofdrugusehauntthelivesofoverhalfamillionpeople.Theaver-agefamilyinthisareamakesapercapitain-comeoflessthan$1,000ayear,accordingtowww.arc.gov,andmanyliveintrailers.Theedu-cationtaughtinschoolsispoor,andthemajorityofteenagersdonotgraduatefromhighschool. There is no happy ending for thelarge majority of the Appalachian people.Those born into poverty, die in poverty. The awareness of the poor qual-ityof life inAppalachia is importantbecausetheseareour fellowAmericanswhoaresuf-fering. We take for granted our health, edu-cation, homes, and families because wewereall born intoa stableenvironment.Un-fortunately, some people were not as lucky. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Jonh-son brought attention to theAppalachian re-gion and since then, many improvementshave been made. The ARC was created tobuild roads and provide government fund-ing,andcreatejobs.Whileprogressisbeingmade, there is still much work to complete. Interested in helping the peopleof Appalachia? Many non-profit organiza-tions have been formed to raise money forthe region. One of the larger charities is theChristianAppalachian Project (CAP) gathersfunds for children and provide food, cloth-ing,andtoystofamiliesthroughoutthearea.

Forgotten AmericaBethany Suchy

staff writer

�opinionFebruary 2009 Smoke Signals

Taken

M o v i e R e v i e w s

By: Emily Estep, Opinion Editor

Taken, thestoryofaretiredspytryingtogethisabducteddaughterback,grabstheaudi-ence’sattentionbeginning,middle,andend.LiamNeesonplaysaself-described‘ex-preventer’whoistryingtobuildabetterrelationshipwithhises-trangeddaughterwhenshe iskidnapped.Manycriticsarecomparingittothe“Bourne”trilogybe-causeoftheintenseactionthroughout.Thiscom-parison really shows off the highlight of the film: Taken somehow managed to make 56-year-oldactorLiamNeesonintoabetteractionstar thanactorshalfofhisage,all inamere91minutes.

Rated PG-13

CoralineRated PG

Directed by Henry Selick (The Night-mare Before Christmas), Coraline is almost ascreepy and almost as good. The film centers on a little girl, Coraline, who has just moved toanewhome,hasnoreal friends,andis ignoredby her parents. Fortunately for her, she stum-bles across an alternate universe where all ofthese things are the exact opposite. She sub-sequently becomes more and more attached tothis world, and begins to find it difficult to control. The major flaw of Coralineareits3-Deffects.Theextra dimension brings nothing positive to the film, adding only a shade of darkness, nausea, anda couple more dollars to the price of the ticket.

Slumdog MillionaireRated R

Arguably the best film of the year, Slumdog Millionaire has already won numer-ous awards, and been nominated for the BestPicture of the Year. It features the adventuresandthelovestoryofayoungIndianboynamedJamal, a ‘slumdog’ who has just miraculous-ly won the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The majority of the movie occursthrough flashbacks, where the audience learns why Jamal knew the answer to each questionon the show. In addition to its absorbing story,Slumdog Millionairehasabrilliantscore,beauti-ful fresh faces, and promises to make viewersfeelgoodaboutthemoviechoicetheyjustmade.

Renée Wunderlicheditor-in-chief

Can you crack the coffee code? Unscramble the letters to spell out the phrase and be entered into a drawing to win a $25 gift

card to Starbucks.*

Fishtank: In lieu of Snow Days

*Submit your answer with the cutout below to Mrs. Sitler in room A114 to enter your name into the drawing.

’

THIS CUTOUT MUST BE TURNED IN WITH YOUR ANSWER TO ROOM A114

IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE STARBUCKS GIFT CARD!

NO CUTOUT = NO QUALIFICATION!

UNDERREVIEW who is the best football team in the ncaa?

sports10 February 2009 Smoke Signalssports10 Smoke Signals

“Whenaplayerhastenpointsinatleasttwocategories.”

Liz Cronin ‘09

UNDERREVIEW What is a double-double?

“Well,Iguessadoubleandadoublewouldbeaquadruple,right?”

“Whenaplayerhasmorethantenintwowaysinbasketball.”

Clayton Evans ‘12 Zach Malanos ‘09

NowthattheeuphoriaoftheSuperBowlisover,MarchMadnessseems right around the corner. Atthisstageintheseason,everybodyis talking about teams like Uconn,Pitt, North Carolina, and WakeForest;andrightfullyso.Theteamsthat really get looked over are themid- majors (a college basketballjunkie’stermforasmallschoolfroma small conference that is goodenough to make an impact in thetournament).Ihavepickedfivemid-majors from different conferencesthat have the ability to knock off abigconferencepowerhouse.

Gonzaga; any collegebasketball fan who is worth theirsaltknowsthename.AlthoughtheyplayintheWestCoastconference,where they have only two difficultopponents (St. Mary’s and SanDiego), they play a rigorous outof conference schedule each year.This year’s edition of Gonzaga’sschedule included formidable

5 Mid-Majors to WatchTaylor Relich

sports editor

opponents such as Tennessee,Oklahoma State, and Maryland.The Zags sport wins in all of theabove-mentionedgames,althoughthey have close overtime lossestothenow#1UconnHuskiesand#10MemphisTigers.

Wenowgo toAtlantic10,aconference that isnotorious forproducingstrongmid-majors.TheA 10 champs this year will mostlikelybetheXavierMusketeerswhoareundefeated in theconferenceand hold a 21-5 overall record.Xavier’s showcases thus farinclude big wins against Virginia,Virginia Tech, and Memphis.The Musketeers are coached byPittsburgh-native and former Pittpoint guard Shaun Miller. This isMiller’sfifthyearasheadcoachatXavier,andheboastsanall-timerecordof113-43there.ItisnotonlythecoachingthatmakesXavieracontender intheBigDanceeveryyear;theyhaveaverydeepbench

despitetheirlackofseniors.Davidson is a small school

from the Southern Conferencethat burst onto the scene duringlast season’s NCAA tournament.They are 22-5 overall with a 15-2 record in their conference. TheDavidsonWildcatsare ledbyrisingstar Stephen Curry, who averagesalmost thirty points per game andhas led his team to dramatic winsagainstWVUandNCState.

RobertMorrisisateamthatyou might think I put in this articlesimply because they are local, butquite the contrary. RMU is flyingunder the national radar becausethey are in the NortheasternConference, which has historicallynot been a very strong conferencein the tournament. The Colonialshave only lost two games in theirconference so far, despite a non-conference schedule where theywere somewhat shaky. Beforeconference play started, it looked

like another typical Robert Morrisyear, with a winning record but noNCAA bid to show for it. Despitethumpings from teams such asXavierandPitt, theColonialshavevirtually run the table in the NEC,routinely beating teams by 15 to20points.RobertMorris isaprimecandidate for the first round upsetinMarch.

The Hilltoppers of WesternKentucky are another team thatsprangontothebigstagelastMarch,anditlooksliketheyarepoisedforanother run. You might remembertheir unpredictable successivewinsagainstDrakeandSanDiego,boosting them to their first SweetSixteen in thirty seasons. Withlast year as a platform, they haveknocked off well-known programssuchasGeorgiaandLouisvilleintheearlypartoftheirschedule,andare12-3intheSunBeltConference

The latest in the WWEConor Jackson

staff writer

Everyyear,theSuperBowlcomestoaconclusionandtheProBowlisplayedaweeklater. TheProBowl is interactivewithfansallowingthefans to choose which players to be sent to Hawaii but the Pro Bowl lostsomeofitslusterbecauseit’snolongerbeingplayedinAlohaStadium.

The2010ProBowlhasbeenmovedtoDolphinStadiuminFlorida,andwilloccurtheSundaybeforetheSuperBowl.TheNFL’svotetochangethetimeandplaceoftheProBowlisn’tveryidealfortheplayers.

“I just thinkyou takeaway fromeverything theProBowlmeans,”said Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. “I don’t understand it all.”(NFL.com.)Viewersdon’t favor the ideaofmovingthegamefromHawaiieither.77%offansthatrepliedtoapollonNFL.comstatedthattheywouldprefertheProBowltostayinHawaii.

“Although it may bring more festivities to the two weeks leadingup to the Super Bowl than just Media Day, having the Pro Bowl playedbeforetheSuperBowlwillnotonlytakeawayfromtheteamspreparationbutwillalsocut theattendanceofplayersplaying in theProBowldue toall themissingSuperBowlplayers,”saidseniorJakeNowe.NowecouldbecorrectbecausenoplayerwouldgiveuppreparationtimetoplayintheSuperBowlfor theProBowl. There isamajordifferencebetweenaringandafancyhotel.

Even now, evidence of the Pro Bowl’s lack of appeal is startingtoshow; tickets for the2009ProBowlsoldmuchslower thanusual,withroughly5,000ticketsleftonthemarketasofJanuary29,2009.Theticketsare normally sold out by the first few days on the market. Selling at forty-five dollars for the cheapest seats, the Pro Bowl is starting to lose its appeal. TheSuperBowlhadnoproblemswithsellingout,evenwithsomeof theticketsrisingto$1,000.

Dependingonhowfasttheticketssellnextyear,thelocationofthePro Bowl may continue to change. Maybe these all-star games are justlosingtheircharm.TheplaceandtimingoftheProBowlmightnotbetheproblem, but we will find out in less than a year.

Pro Bowl Moving to MiamiMatt Schilling

staff writer

The excitement of WorldWrestling Entertainment (WWE) hasbeen fueled by the addition of newmatchesandrivalries.Withsuperstarssuch as John Cena, Randy Orton,Triple H, and Shawn Michaels, theWWE has obtained large fan bases.RandyOrtonhasprovenhimselftobethebiggeststarinthegroupbywinningthe Royal Rumble and having a titlematch at Wrestle Mania. With JohnCena being the World HeavyweightChampion, it will be a hard feat foranyotherwrestlerbeathiminNoWayOut.

With its famous eliminationchamber, theNoWayOuteventwillmostlikelybeoneofthemostpopularpay-per-view programs of the year.This match features six wrestlers,includingtwothatbeginthematchintheringandfourthatwaittobecalledinatanygiventime.After3-5minutes,adooropensatrandomandanotherwrestler is added to the two alreadycompeting in the ring. This processcontinues until all of the men arereleased.Wrestlersareeliminatedbypinfallorsubmission.“IwillnotcomeoutanythingbutthewinneratNoWayOut,” said John Cena (www.wwe.com). There is another elimination

chambermatchforSmackdown.TheSmackdown wrestlers include Edge,Triple H, Big Show, Vladmir Kozlov,JeffHardyandUndertaker.TheRawwrestlers include wrestlers JohnCena, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, and Mike Knox. Thewinner of these matches will contestforachampionshipatWrestleMania.

The rivalry between brothersMattandJeffHardycontinuestoragein Smackdown. This was especiallydemonstrated at the 2009 RoyalRumble, when Matt hit Jeff with asteel chair and cost Jeff the WWEChampionship Belt. The suspectedreason for the incident was Matt’sjealousyof his brother,whowon theWWEChampionshipin2008. InRaw,RandyOrtonishavingtroublekeepinghisjobafterhepuntedWWEchairmanVinceMcMahoninthefaceandknockedhimout.“Thereasonwhy I did it because I struggle withIED: intermittent explosive disorder,”saidOrton(www.wwe.com).

With the never-endingcompetition that takes place on themat, the WWE will continue to be agreatsourceofentertainmentforfanseverywhere.

B o y ’ s B a s k e t b a l l

G i r l ’ s B a s k e t b a l l

W r e s t l i n g

S w i m m i n g

I n d o o r T r a c k

S p o r t s B r i e f s

11February 2009 Smoke Signalssports

Smoke Signalssports

W h a t i s y o u rg o a l t h i s s e a s o n ?

G i r l s B a s k e t b a l l

W r e s t l i n g

S w i m m i n g

I n d o o r T r a c k

S p o r t s B r i e f s

The hockey team is no stranger to success.The teamhaswon thePenguinsCup in2002,2003,and 2005, and were PIAA State Champions in 2002and 2003. The past few seasons haven’t held up tothe strong reputation of success the program hasmaintained,but2009hasbeenadifferentstory.

The 2009 team came into the season withhighexpectations.HeadcoachRickTinglehadmanytalentedplayerstoworkwithanduptothispointintheseasontheyhaveallplayeduptotheirpotential.LedbyColinFawcett,JakeAchenbach,DaveRigatti,andcaptainDrewWilliams,theteamhasstartedtheyearwithastellar12-5-1record,whichisgoodenoughtogivetheteamthetopspotintheirsection.Alltheearlysuccesshasn’tgottenintotheplayersheadsthough.

“We have played really well up to this point.Wehavewonsomegames,butwestillhaveseriouswork to do,” junior Kevin Hough said. “This seasonisn’toveryet.”

The team has played well, but some playersindividuallyhaveexcelled.SeniorColinFawcett,wholeads the team with twelve goals and twenty points,made the PIHL All Star Game, along with fellow

Skating Down the CompetitionIan Jackson

staff writer

seniors Dave Rigatti and Drew Williams. Thethree seniors had a good time in the exhibitionandenjoyedtheopportunityofplayingalongsidesomeof thestars theyhavegrownaccustomedtoplayingagainst.

“TheAllStargamewasagreattime.Itwasagoodexperience formeandmy teammates,”Fawcettstated.“Itwasanhonortobeoutontheicewithmytalentedpeersandjustgettomessaround.”

Allthesuccessthusfarintheseasonhasbeengreat,butthisteamhasgoalsthatgomuchfurther than succeeding in the regular season.Thisistheyeartheteamexpectstogetbacktothe type of success its predecessors had.Thatmeansreturning toglory in thepostseasonandcapturingthePenguinsCupandpossiblyaPIAAStateChampionship.

“Weareasolidgroupofguys.Wehavehigh expectations for ourselves,” Captain DrewWilliamsconfidentlyproclaimed.“I thinkwecangofarthisyearandIknowmanyoftheguysinthelockerroomfeelthesamewayIdo.”

(20-2-0)

“TowintheWPIALchampionship”.

-RyanCrawl

(13-9-0)

“TowinaWPIALtitle“.

-EmilyCorreal

(10-8)

“Topinkids”.

-MattSikora

Boys (11-1)Girls (11-1)

“Tomakestatesindividuallyinthe100breaststrokeevent.”

-SarahMcDade

“Towinamedalattheindoor state final heldatPennState.”

-ChristianBransetter

B o y s B a s k e t b a l l

Football WithdrawalAveri Clements

staff writer

CaptainDrewWilliamsgivesapregamespeechtotheteambeforethegameagainstThomasJefferson.

They say that time flies when you’rehavingfun,butforfootballfans,time doesn’t fly – it simply disappears. However, after the Super Bowl, timereappears…and it stops.SundayandMonday nights that were once spentscreaming obscenities at a televisionarenowspentdoingsuchcrazytasksashomework.Onemightevensinksolowastobefriendlytoafanofarivalteam.And while it all seems okay at first, the bittertruthisthatthelackoffootballwillinevitablytakeitstollonfansacrossthecountry,rearingitsuglyheadintheformofanannuallyoccurringpsychologicaldisorderknownas‘FootballWithdrawal’.While the disease itself can only becured by the onset of the next year’spreseason games, there are ways toreducetheseverityofitssymptoms. Upset Social Life: While theoff-season may not affect a true fan’srelentlessdesire to talkabout football,thesamemaynotbetrueforhisorherfriends. But fear not, communicationrookie, for there are online discussionboards designed specifically for such

predicaments.Inboththeon-andoff-seasons, fans everywhere can talkabout games, roster changes, andteamdramabymoremodernmeans.ThemostpopularSteelersdiscussionboard can be found at www.steelers.com/fanzone/mboard, but fans ofother teams can find their own online community by browsing the team’swebsiteorusingasearchengine. Gameday Cravings: Whenoneisusedtodevotingmultiplenightsa week to watching football, suddendisruptionsbroughtonbytheendoftheseasoncancauseproblems inneuralfunctioning(orsoitseems).However,thereareseveraloptionsthatonemayexploretoeasethetransition.TheNFLNetwork,offeredbyseveral televisioncompanies, is the ailing football fan’sdreamcometrue.TheNFLNetworkisjustwhatitsnameimplies:allfootball,all the time.Thesolutioncanalsobefound online through youtube.com ornfl.com, where multiple videos of game highlightscanbeviewedforfree. Excess Free Time: With an

average of twelve to fifteen hours perweekspentwatchingfootballduring the season, the time leftoverafter theseason’sendcancause problems for someonewhose life revolves around thesport.Themostproductivewayto fix the problem would be to apply for a job at a sportinggoods shop, which, in additionto encouraging work ethic, willalso provide a bit of spendingmoney–perfect forbuying thatridiculously overpriced SuperBowl hat-shirt-DVD package.If the adrenaline rush is whatmakes football appealing, onewould also be advised to takeup a school sport of his or herchoice. Although serious,FootballWithdrawalisnotalife-threatening condition. With theright resources, even the mostdesperate fan can find small comfort before the next race totheSuperBowlbegins.

Where did you two meet?

Track; we were both coachesWho wears the pants?

Depends. We share the pantsHow long have you been married?

Two and a half yearsWhat are the biggest pet peeves

about each other?

Him: She doesn’t do dishesHer: He doesn’t cook

Most memorable vacation?

Taking three and a half weeks to drive cross country to California

Teacher MinuteWith THE PINTOs

The PT MinuteHow long have you been dating?

Two yearsWho wears the pants in the relationship?

We don’t wear pantsWhat color are her eyes?

HazelHow did you two meet?

Same group of friendsWhat’s the cutest thing she’s ever done for you?

She brought me a monkey for my surgery

Senior Jack Hareza

How long have you two been dating?Two years

Who wears the pants in the relationship?Me

What’s his favorite color?Green

Where did you go for your first date?Jack’s house

What’s the most unique thing he has done for you?Jack made me go through a scavenger hunt around his

house and asked me to prom at the end!

Senior Stephanie Cotugno

If you could date any celbrity, who would it be?

“David Beckham” “Kim Kardashian” “Simon Cowell” “Helga G. Pataki”Freshman Madison Creehan Sophomore Angelo Toscano Junior Alisha Johns Senior Jace Cavanagh

If you could create your own candy heart, what would it say?

“I love tacos” “Be mine” “I don’t know” “Paula is perfect”Freshman Zach Partyka Sophomore Caitlin Relich Junior Anthony Gatto Senior Paula Simmons

What do the Teachers think?

“Vincent Lacavalier” “Read my mind” “Troy Polamalu” “Happy Valentine’s Day”Mrs. Sirano Mr. Suszynski Mrs. Morriston Mr. Compeggie

Voicesin theHall

Couples edition

Winter Formal January 2009

Winter Formal January 2007