PEOPLE:

Veronica Perez Flores

Luke Deni

Jake New

Mitchell Gibson

Jennifer Weber

Mr. LaLuna

Nick Degen

Cameron LaPorte

NEWS:

JROTC program

Danish & Italian exchange

PAHS service projects

PAHS honors veterans

Broadway show

OPINIONS:

Animated Films

Marvel Movies

Top 5 Anime Shows

Ask the Nurse

ENTERTAINMENT:

Counter Strike

Curious Incident

Halestorm

No Fixed Address

Horoscopes

Fall Personality Quiz

PAHS SPORTS:

Cross Country

Girl’s Soccer

Girl’s Volleyball

VOLUME 12, ISSUE 2 “HOME OF THE PHANTOMS” November 2015

“The Green Bird”: Fall fantasy

Laughter, confusion, and love play major roles in everyone’s lives. They also come to life in this year’s fall play “The Green Bird.” Originally written by Carlo Gozzi in 1765, “The Green Bird” is the sequel to “The “Love of Three Oranges” performed at PAHS in 2007. When the play was first produced 250 years ago it was still a part of the fading commedia dell'arte period, which was the art of performing with masked faces which forces the actors to perform more with their bodies. Resurrect-ed by playwright Hillary DePiano in 2007, she rewrote the classic so it could be per-formed without the use of masks. Under the direction of Craig Tavani, along with the addition of sophisticated sword fights and an abundance of characters, the art of commedia is brought back to life once again at PAHS with Hillary DePiano's 2015 adaptation of “The Green Bird."

The story revolves around King Tartaglia, played by senior Mark Wisely, and his Queen Ninetta played by junior Ellie Chit-tick. Ninetta is pregnant with twins when the king is called off to war in the north, forc-ing him to leave his beloved and their unborn children for eighteen years. While he is away, evil exposes its ugly head. The henchmen Smeraldina (junior Cali Mulzet), the previous story’s evil witch Fatamorgana, disguises herself as the king’s deceased mother and

takes over the kingdom, banishing the queen and the newborn heirs. One of the evil queen’s commands is for the king's advisor, Pantalone, played by senior David D’Ardenne, to kill the king's children if he wants to keep his life. Instead, Pantalone hides the infants and takes them into the forests where they are raised by clowns Truffaldino (senior Josh-

ua Bush) and his wife Franceschina (junior Kaleigh Hartson). Upon the king's return he is cursed by the new queen to fall in love with the first woman he sees, which turns out to be his own daughter, whom he believes to be dead. As the plot con-tinues to unfold audi-ences are left wonder-ing if the noble king will be able to regain his throne.

With its dramatic ups and downs audiences can be assured that there will never be a dull moment in the play. People will find it hard not to enjoy the show due to its broad comedy and hypnotiz-ing fantasy setting. “Hopefully they will have an emotional connection,” said Mark Wisely. Something that makes this play magnificent is its complexity. For example, senior Nick

Degan who plays Calmon, King of Statues, is the narrator who remains on stage for the entire performance. He has one of the hard-est tasks to fulfill because, he said, “For one I’m not a statue,” and he has to recite para-graphs of lines. Another interesting element is the use of “zannis.” These characters physi-

cally create the set with their bodies, forming any structure from the king’s castle to the forests.

If you plan on coming to see this show you are surely in for a good laugh. Thanks to our amazing director, Mr. Tavani, you are sure to be entertained. He said the audience “will leave laughing, even if they are confused at times.” Come see the year’s fall fantasy here at PAHS on Friday Nov 20 at 7 pm, Saturday Nov 21 at 7 pm, or Sunday Nov 22 at 2 pm. You can reserve your tickets online at www.pasd.com (via the Seat Yourself link), or buy them at the door.

Written by: Ze’Aira Boggess

Cast and crew of “The Green Bird”

Photo: Mr. Lantzy

There are many extraordinary stu-dents here at Phoe-nixville that often fly under our radar.

While their achievements may often go un-noticed, they continue to make lasting con-tributions to our high school. Senior Veronica Perez Flores, PAHS’s Student Government president, is one of them.

You may recognize Veronica from the foot-ball games selling retro sportswear, or from the Veterans Day program proudly speaking about the heroic efforts of our veterans. She’s the first person you meet when you are buying Chick-fil-a sandwiches at lunch. However, there is so much more to Veronica than her role as Student Gov-ernment president. She’s an honor stu-dent who is taking AP Spanish Litera-ture, AP Spanish Language, AP Psychol-ogy, and Calculus for her senior year. To add to her busy workload, she’s a mem-ber of Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), National Honor Soci-ety, and the founding member of a Latino youth group that’s focused on immigration rights.

Veronica’s family consists of her mom, her dad, her younger brother Edwardo (ninth grade), and her younger sister Jocelyn (seventh grade). She also has a Chihuahua mix named Bobby. Her fami-

ly is originally from Mexico and moved to the United States when she was one year old. However, they moved back to Mexico for a period of time during which Veronica attend-ed a private school. At six years old, her fami-ly made their final trip to United States and moved here to Phoenixville. Although she was a year younger than her classmates, Ve-ronica began second grade at Barkley Ele-mentary.

Veronica said she first got involved in Stu-dent Government her sophomore year when “Mr. Coyne encouraged me to run for vice president.” She served as vice president for her junior year, and then for her senior year, she said she “decided to run for president because I already had the skills, leadership,

and experience.” Her role as the Student Govern-ment president is to make sure that all the clubs and activities are active in the school community and to organize various programs such as the Veterans Day ceremony. “Basically, you have to be the ambassa-dor of the school,” Veroni-ca stated. Veronica’s fa-vorite part of being the Student Government president is that she gets to be seen as a leader.

A new program the Student Govern-ment is planning for this year is the Senior Impact Awards. “A senior student gets to nominate one teacher that has impacted their life,” said Veronica, “and there’s going to be a dinner where only the student and the teacher can attend, and the teacher can receive an award.”

Along with being the Student Govern-ment president, Veronica is a member of HOSA here at Phoenixville. For the people who may not know what HOSA is, it’s “a group for students that want to go into the health care field, and we have state competitions each year,” Veronica explained. Veronica plans on running for state delegate this year, as each HOSA group has a state delegate,

and would represent ten peo-ple. “So depending on the number of people in a group, that’s how many state dele-gates there are,” Veronica said.

Over the past summer, Ve-ronica also created a Latino youth group that emphasizes immigration rights. The main focus is to advocate for the passage of the Pennsylvania Dream Act, which Veronica

explained “would ensure tuition equity to students who don’t have citizen-ship but have lived in the state.” Veronica said that because some students

don’t have citizenship in the United States, they currently have to pay out-of-state tui-tion to attend college.

After graduating high school, Veronica plans to attend college with the intent of becoming a nurse practitioner. She’s current-ly looking at Villanova University, Immacula-ta University, Alvernia University, and West Chester University. Although Veronica’s achievements may have flown under the radar here at Phoe-nixville, she’s destined for greatness. Wheth-er it will be in a hospital, or on the steps of the Capitol building, Veronica Perez Flores is sure to make a difference in the likes of many people.

Written by: Paige Oustrich

*PEOPLE*

Luke Deni does everything

Most of us would consider our lives to be busy. With clubs, projects, and various other responsibilities, it often seems as though our teenage years revolve around school and what happens because of it. However, many of us don’t do half of what junior Luke Deni does every day. From community service, to academic events, to sports, Luke participates in so many different clubs and events that even he doesn’t know how he does it all.

Luke’s busy schedule starts the moment he gets to school. With five different AP classes currently on his plate, he has to work hard to keep up his good grades. It’s no surprise that this has resulted in his membership in the National Honor Society, something he feels proud about. He especially enjoys the com-munity service aspect of it, as he said it makes him “[feel] like I’m helping people.”

Luke’s favorite subjects tend to be science related, as they explain how the world works. Because of this, Luke has participated in Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS), a science competition hosted every year by Penn State University where students have to design, perform, and then present an experiment to a panel of judges. It was “probably one of the best decisions I ever

made,” he said. Last year, Luke received a perfect score and placed first in regionals for his experiment which tested the effectiveness of different radioisotopes to see if they could be used in radiation therapy.

Since freshman year, Luke has been a part of Mini-THON, an event that raises money for children with cancer. As one of the business committee directors, he is in charge of secur-ing business sponsorships and managing donations from surrounding companies. “Each year, some of [the directors] get to go to the leadership summit, and if we’re lucky we actually get to go to the Hershey Medical Center and see the lives that Mini-THON and THON are affecting,” Luke said. “It’s really influential to see that we’re directly impact-ing people and that we’re actually saving lives and helping to find a cure.” Aside from helping out kids at Mini-THON, Luke has

built houses with Habitats for Humanity for people in the United States who couldn’t afford them, has helped out at the Special Olympics with Federal Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and recently has joined Phantom Ambassadors.

Luke is also a part of Model U.N. He finds the faux conferences fun, especially as they allow him to travel to different cities all across the country, hang out with old friends and make new ones from different schools (and sometimes even different countries!). Learning about the social, economic, and political policies in different countries is also interesting to him. Luke’s life isn’t all academia. This past sum-mer, he joined the PAHS Cross Country team. He stated that he wasn’t a “person that nor-mally gets up and runs,” so he doubted he’d be able to do well in it, but “Mr. Winters, a man that really inspired me throughout the season...pushed me to do it.” It’s more than just running, Luke said - he’s learned to work hard and has made many lifelong friends through cross country.

Outside of school, what little free time Luke has is spent around what he finds most im-portant in life: family and friends. He’ll often attend his sister Jamie’s (senior) softball games, and he likes to hang out with old friends and make new ones wherever possi-ble. He says he likes to get to know a lot of different people, because “you never know how that bond’s going to affect your life.”

Luke said he enjoys making “different con-nections with all different kinds of people” in order to “to find the good in everyone,

because everyone has amazing qualities that make them unique.”

After high school, Luke hopes to pursue a career in the sciences. Specifically, he wants to study pediatric oncology: a branch of med-icine that deals with the diagnosis and treat-ment of children with cancer.

“Success is being able to help yourself and other people,” Luke stated. If that’s the case, then he’s already far down the path to suc-cess, having done much for the community and improving himself all the while. With his intelligence, eagerness to help others, and his constant drive to succeed, Luke’s future is sure to be a bright (albeit busy) one.

PAGE 2 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

Written by: Cailin Robinson

Veronica Perez Flores: Natural-born leader

Veronica (first row, center) at a state competition for HOSA.

Veronica with her younger sister Jocelyn.

Photos courtesy of Veronica Perez

Max Seaman, Naiha Ashraf, Enola Hihi, and Luke Deni pose at last year’s PJAS competition.

Luke Deni and alumna Sarah Reed pose in a picture to celebrate Mini-THON.

Photos courtesy of Luke Deni

Every star starts some-where. For sophomore Jake New, it’s here in Phoenixville. Jake New, future rap sensation, is getting ready to release his first album, and ac-cording to Jake, “It’s go-ing to be big.”

Jake started writing rap music at the age of 13, but only began producing his music this year. When talking about his older music Jake said he “just threw [his songs] away” and that it was not until this year when he began “actually completely making them and finish-ing them.”

Jake explained that the inspiration for his album, “New Dreams,” is to counter societal challeng-es and social stereotypes. He said, “This year I was like - you know what? Things need to change and there is

stuff wrong with society and I’m going to change it with this album.” It’s refreshing to see that with his first album Jake already has sizable aspirations and goals for his music. Jake is getting ready to record his album at a professional studio, and plans to release it in late December, early January on iTunes

and SoundCloud. Out of all the nine songs in his album he is most excited for his song “Squad” featuring his friends such as Vince Moffa, and Dorian County. When Jake is not writing music he likes to spend his free time fishing and playing with his younger siblings, Claire (8) and Dylan (12).

Jake also plays football and lacrosse, while finding time to study hard and get good grades. This year Jake’s favorite class is Mrs. Shaw’s Biology class where he is excited to learn about different types of animals and how they function. One of Jake’s dreams is to take the information that he learns in biolo-gy and become a sushi restaurant owner in Florida who “makes bank.”

How does he do it all? Where does he get the time? Jake said that the only way that he is able to succeed is by gaining inspiration from his idol, J Cole. Jake ex-plained that he likes J

Cole not only because his music is amazing, but also because he “talks about

real life,” something Jake inspires to do with his own music.

Without a doubt Jake has an exciting and bright future ahead of him, no matter what he chooses to do with his life. Make sure to look out for Jake’s album on SoundCloud and iTunes.

Written by: Gabrielle Dato

*PEOPLE*

PAGE 3 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

Mitchell Gibson: His goal is to deny yours

On the very rare occasion that you see junior Mitchell Gibson in school, he’d proba-bly strike you as just another student. Howev-er, you’d never guess that he is one of the top hockey players in the country. Mitchell Gib-

son is reaching for the stars and going for the goal in the game of hockey. Mitchell has been playing hockey for 11 years. He began his hockey career at the age of five by attending free skates at Center Ice in Oaks, PA. He was a lefty who held his stick wrong, so his dad suggested he play goalie. The rest is history.

After years of training, injuries, and experi-ence on the ice, Mitchell has found himself on one of the top hockey teams in the nation. As the goalie for the Junior Flyers U18 team, Mitchell has trav-eled to numerous sites across the country to play and helped his team earn a spot in the National quarterfinals, only to lose to the number four team in the nation in Buffalo, NY, this past winter.

Constantly traveling to places like Michigan and Boston for weekend-long tournaments, Mitchell barely has free time. On the rare occasion that he finds himself with a couple of extra hours, Mitchell enjoys watching Netflix, especially “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office,” and, naturally, the movie “Miracle.” Mitchell also en-joys spending time with his brothers, Jon, a freshman at Quinnipiac University, Drew,

a freshman at PAHS, and his English Bulldog, Stan. In addition, he enjoys vacationing and playing hockey with his best friend Caelan Briere, son of über famous Flyer, Danny Bri-ere. Mitchell is an avid fan of Kiel Patrick James and dubs himself a “Lulu addict” be-cause he can almost always been seen sport-ing a piece of Lululemon attire.

In April and May of 2015, Mitchell was drafted onto two junior hockey teams: the

Sioux Falls Stampede from the USHL (United States Hockey League), and the Erie Otters from the OHL (Ontario Hockey League). “The USHL is where you go before you play college hockey and the OHL is where you go if you want to play profes-sionally,” Mitchell ex-plained. “If you go to the OHL, then you don’t go to college. If you go to the USHL, then you still have the college option.” Being drafted into the USHL is no small feat. Going to the USHL can help a player secure a spot on one of the top division I hockey teams in the country, which is something that Mitchell plans to do. In fact, Mitchell’s goal is to play

in Sioux Falls, depending on his development within the next year.

Mitchell accredits his success to his coach-es of nine years, Chris Economou, and Eric Hoffberg, his mental toughness coach. Although Mitchell Gibson is already a semi-pro, he still has some words of wisdom for younger players trying to achieve their dreams. Mitchell says, “Always be motivated to make yourself better and embrace the grind.” We wish Mitchell the best of puck, I mean luck, in all he does.

Written by: Sophia Kopko

Jake New: Future sensation

Jake’s “New Dreams” album cover that was taken in Cape May ,New Jersey.

Jake holding a Striped Bass he caught in the Schuylkill River.

Photos courtesy of Jake New

Mitchell prepares to block a shot.

Long time friend, Caelan Briere, on vacation with Mitchell in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Photos courtesy of Mitchell Gibson

David Tomeo poses for a photo with Mitchell after the Warren Strelow National Goaltending Camp in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

PAGE 4 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

*PEOPLE*

Every senior has a busy schedule to juggle, what with applying to colleges and keeping their

grades up in their last year of high school. Now, imagine having to organize a 12 hour dance marathon event that takes a year to plan, keeping up with honors and AP course-work, and fostering animals in your house. This work load and more is what senior Jen-nifer Weber is taking on in her last year at PAHS. That is, when she is not off traveling the world. Jennifer Weber has been a part of the PAHS Mini-THON club since her freshman year. Mini-THON is an an-nual 12 hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon, benefitting the Four Diamonds that raises money for chil-dren with pediatric cancer. Jennifer was just a dancer her freshman and sophomore years, taking on her first leadership role her junior year when she earned the role as head of the events committee. She wished to have a bigger role in the preparation of the event, and was honored when she was asked by the advisor, Mr. Rutchauskas, to be the overall head this year.

Being the head of the club, Jen is responsi-ble for the five other committees. Once Feb-ruary rolls around, she will also have to start

recruiting dancers for the event. “The num-ber of dancers has progressively grown by 50 each year, so we are expecting about 200 dancers,” Jennifer stated. As the date ap-proaches, the workload seems to increase with it. Collectively, our school’s Mini-THON has raised $35,150.40. Their goal this year is to beat last year’s total of $14,286.24.

Her passion for the cause came from her family. Both of her parents studied at Penn-sylvania State University, her mom being an actual dancer in the THON event, the larger scale of Mini-THON that originated at Penn State. Her two older siblings, her brother

Zack and her sister Erin, attended or attend Penn State and are active members in organi-

zations that help run THON. “The impact that it makes is bigger than you would think. You don’t understand fully until you see your donation at work,” Jennifer stated. Both Jen and her family are always excited each year to see the grand total both THON and Mini-THON’s from schools everywhere have raised for the cause.

Along with Mini-THON, Jennifer is also involved in the school clubs Phantom Ambas-sadors and National Honor Society. This, plus her AP and honors workload, keeps her busy most of the week. She also works at a chil-dren’s daycare center, ABC 123 Early Learn-

ing Center, caring for kids from ages in-fant to nine. On her days off, her jobs do not end. At home, her family often cares for foster kittens from Chester County SPCA. “We foster kittens and socialize them until they’re old enough and or well enough to get adopted,” Jennifer ex-plained. This process is something both Jen and her family have been involved in since she was 11.

Jennifer does have some free time in the summer, when she does most of her trav-eling. On family trips, she has visited Ja-maica, the Dominican Republic, and Puer-to Rico. Due to her love of travel, Jennifer decided to get involved in the program

People to People, a student travel organiza-tion. This added Australia and Costa Rica to her list of countries visited. She loves to see the different cultures and learn about other countries. “You don't know what you have until you see what other people don't have,”

Jennifer explained.

Along with her travel plans, Jennifer does have college in her future. She hopes to ma-jor in something in the area of Psychology or Social work and counseling. As for her place of study she is unsure, but, Penn State is defi-nitely in the running.

Jen definitely has her hands full this last year at PAHS with her classwork and club work. Between her AP classes and work out of school, she is sure to have a bright future. Be sure to look out for the Mini-THON event in February. With Jennifer Weber in charge, it is sure to be a success.

Written by: Julia Boyle

Mr. LaLuna: Exactly what you’d expect

When an English teacher comes to mind, the stereotype is a thin, pale dork who basically spends all his/her time reading and analyzing

literature. Well, new PAHS English teacher Mr. LaLuna is here to change that misconcep-tion… he’s not pale. And he plays the tuba. And “Magic The Gathering.” Yeah he’s a self-proclaimed dork, but he’s one of the coolest dorks in the school.

Mr. LaLuna had a happy childhood growing up in New Jersey attending Whippany Park High School. He then attended college, first at University of Delaware and then at Villa-nova where he got his Masters in Education. He now lives in East Falls, technically North-west Philadelphia, with his girlfriend, who is going to medical school, as well as their three pet rats: Camembert, Cosette, and Cleopatra. Now you may wonder what made Mr. LaLu-na decide to get some pet rats, and his deci-sion was simple… it was his girlfriend's idea. They wanted to get a caged pet, and had accidentally killed several fish in the past, so his girlfriend decided to try out rats, and so far it’s going well.

Now living in East Falls, every morning he makes the 50 minute trip to Phoenixville for school and drives home during rush hour, which many would consider a pain. “There’s a good deal of traffic,” said Mr. LaLuna “but I don’t mind it too much because I consider it me time and it gives me time to listen to podcasts such as “This American Life,” “Freakonomics Radio” and “The Slate Politi-cal Gab Fest.”

When he finally arrives home, he doesn’t do much besides come up with lesson plans for the next day, but in the off chance he has free time he enjoys running, reading and watching movies. “My goal is to watch three movies a

week,” he said, with some of his favorites being from Hayao Miyazaki, Stanley Kubrick and Wes Anderson.

Now being an English teacher, Mr. LaLuna obviously enjoys reading and analyzing litera-ture, with his favorite author being Thomas Hardy and his favorite book being “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville. He also enjoys works by the famous and influential American authors Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft. He enjoys the fact that this year he gets to teach literature that he wanted to teach such as “Beowulf” and “Macbeth.” He also enjoys the stu-dents in his classes, especially some of the thought-provoking things that they say.

Now if he wasn’t a teacher you may be wondering what he would be doing… Well, he’d probably be working at a museum, where sadly the exhibits don’t come to life. He did consider becoming a publishing editor, but the job is highly competitive and he said he’d have to move to New York City.

For his future, Mr. LaLuna said he hopes his “life will go downhill from here.” As for his aspirations he said, “I have no aspirations.” This is obviously a joke, and that's the appeal of Mr. LaLuna. He has a

great sense of humor and is just an all around cool guy. Whether you have him for a class, or you see him in the hall thinking he’s a stu-dent, when you get to know him you won’t regret it… especially since he’s a vegetarian and his breath smells fantastic due to the fact he brushes his teeth three times a day.

Written by: Shayne Gasser

Jennifer Weber: School leader and world traveler

Jennifer (center) at the leadership summit for Mini-THON with the other Mini-THON student Leadership Coun-cil members.

Jennifer volunteers at a daycare in Costa Rica.

Photos courtesy of Jennifer Weber

Mr. LaLuna with his rat Camembert.

Mr. LaLuna after the Philly Half-Marathon in 2014.

Photos courtesy of Mr. LaLuna

PAGE 5 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

*PEOPLE*

Throughout Phoenixville there are many “average joes” who blend in the crowd. Sen-ior goofball Nick Degen is, by no standard, an “average joe.” Nick is a member of the choir, Vocal Ensemble, and a leader in Theater Guild. The combination of his eclectic per-sonality and sublime voice are just two of the driving characteristics that define Nick De-gen. Nick started singing in choir when he was in the fourth grade. However, very few people know that Nick was actually tone deaf before he started singing in choir. Before he started singing he decided to pick up guitar, which helped him decrease his tone deafness. Nick has been able to utilize his talents and has been extremely successful with singing. Nick’s voice has earned him a place as mem-ber of the Vocal Ensemble since the tenth grade.

But Nick isn’t a one trick pony. He is also a leader of the Theater Guild, and has been since the winter of 9th grade. His good friend Braden Bowdish persuaded Nick to come out and give Theater Guild a try. As a shy kid, Nick was uncertain if he would like the Thea-ter Guild. After his first few meetings with the Guild, Nick thought, “Okay, this is pretty

fun.” Nick was able to overcome his shyness, showcase his ability to the Guild and earn major roles on the stage. The spring on his tenth grade year, he played George in “The Drowsy Chaperone,” and in the follow-ing year in eleventh grade, Nick per-formed as Herbert Pocket in “Great Expectations.” When it comes to performing on the stage Nick has faced his fair share of challenges. “I’ve always been a shy sort of person when it comes to actually performing something,” Nick said. “When it comes to talking to a class or acting like a goof ball I’m generally pretty okay with that.” Despite his initial fear Nick has managed to silence

his demons and perform confidently on the stage. In this year’s fall play “The Green Bird” Nick is playing King Calmon, better known as King of the Statues. He is the narrator of the play. Playing King Calmon hasn’t been a cake walk for Nick. “It’s a lot of lines,” Nick ex-plained. “I’m on stage for longer than the play is running.” Nick struggled with getting into the character's head, and the script’s unusual wording also troubled him, but he expects to have these issues ironed out before the play begins. Nick enjoys other hobbies outside of school. He loves video games and says he probably plays too much of them. His favorites are “World of Warcraft” and “Counterstrike: Global Offensive.” Nick also enjoys hiking. He once hiked 35 miles of the Appalachian Mountain trail over three days, and also takes frequent hikes through

Valley Forge. But aside from exploring on a local level, Nick

has also traveled all over the globe. Just to name a few places, he has been to Trinidad, Grenada, Poland, Amsterdam, and Austria. To add to the already impressive list, this sum-

mer he is staying in Italy with his family, where he will be renting out a Villa.

Nick has the hopes of attending a university within the area. He plans on continuing to sing in choir as he furthers his education. Nick Degen has the ability to entertain people in a way very few people can, and PAHS is looking forward to what the king of statues has in store in “The Green Bird” and in future performances.

Written by: Sean McGinnis

Cameron LaPorte: A meme among men

I want you to ask yourself this: have you ever seen a god? Have you ever talked to one in your life? Actually, you have probably seen him in the hallways of PAHS, currently living in the form of high school junior Cam-eron LaPorte. Believe me, he’s more than the average man.

Cam was raised by his two parents, Debra and Steve, and lives with his two brothers, Sam, who is five years older, and Alex, who is five years younger. Cam also has two cats, which he said somehow don't really have proper names. “We never really gave them names once we got them, so we just ended up calling them ‘guy cat and girl cat,’” said Cameron. In Cam’s free time, he does a variety of things, such as working on his school work and working at his job. Cam works at his par-ents’ business known as “Your Safe Child” which helps police find missing or abducted children. Cam’s part in this is helping in the assembly of kits that contain materials neces-sary to find missing children. Like anyone, Cam also enjoys spending time with his friends. Cam does a wide range of activities with his friends, such as having bonfires or recently scaring the bejeebies out of small

children on Halloween. This year, Cam has also been a part of Student Council, French Club and Model U.N. Cam enjoys school for the most part and one of his favorite classes this year is Intro to Foods. He said he considers it “a good break” and an interesting change of pace during the day. “I really regret not taking it these past two years. It certainly acts as an excellent way to switch up the mundane nature of an aver-age school day,” he said. Some of Cam’s favorite TV shows include such shows like “Rick and Morty” and “Orange is the New Black,” which he binge watches as soon as the seasons come out. He said, “I didn’t really think that I would be into ‘Orange is the New Black’ when I saw it plas-tered on the front page of Netflix. However,

it got me hooked within the first few episodes and I couldn’t stop.” He also adds that “Rick and Morty is a solid show; I enjoy anything in that weird realm of satirical hu-mor,” Cam noted.

For the people that don't really know who Cameron is, he's a real funny guy. Even if you have a small conversation with him, you’ll see why he’s so funny. “I’ve thought about this before,” said Cam. “I don’t really know why it is. It might have something to do with the way I talk? I’m not really sure to be honest.”

Cam used to find a lot of his humor within the product from the internet, known as memes. A meme,

by definition, is a humorous picture about really anything such as WWE all star John Cena or the cook Guy Fieri. Even if you don't know Cam, you may have seen him walking down the hall in a bright pink Carlton shirt or any number of his multi-ple Pepe the frog shirts (other popular memes). While he may have really been into ‘memes’ and has meme apparel, he says he’s grown more distant than he used to be. He said, “last year, my group of friends and I were ironically into memes. As in, we didn’t actually like them, but made satirical jokes towards them. However, for about a month or so, we were un-ironically into them (namely Pepe) and that’s when things got bad. That’s when, for my birthday, I was given three shirts with Pepe on them.” Nowadays,

however, he’s much less into memes than he used to be. “Looking back upon that time, I cringe a little bit. I’m not about to let a solid shirt go to waste, though,” he mused. To conclude, Cameron LaPorte is probably one of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet. He may seem like an ordinary guy from afar, but he is surely more than meets the eye. If you ever have the opportunity to be blessed with his god-like presence, give him a handshake, ask him how his day is going, and even give him a nice warm hug. He’ll give you a good laugh in no time.

Written by: Michael Vargo

Nick Degen: The man behind the statue

Cam wearing his Carlton shirt in all its glory.

Cam finding the formula for the perfect meme.

Photos courtesy of Cameron LaPorte

Nick Degen exploding with excite-ment in “The Drowsy Chaparone”

Photo: Mr. Lantzy

Nick “rocking” it as King Calmon

Photo: Mr. Lantzy

Nick being a goof.

Photo: Lauren Hoffman

You see the blue uniforms in the hallways every week, but just what is it that these uni-forms represent? This year, Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) has made its debut at Phoenixville Area High School, and the program is already making an impact on the high school and the wider community through various leadership and service opportunities. Fundamentally, the JROTC program is com-posed of elective classes in which students learn about aerospace science on Mondays and Tuesdays, leadership on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and health and wellness on Fridays. In The Science of Flight, students have learned the physics and physiology of flight, as well as aviation weather, and Citi-zenship, Character, and Air Force Tradition covers material such as etiquette, and moral and ethical issues. This course and the corre-

sponding extracurricular activities have the goal of developing “citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community,” said Colonel Baldi, the program’s head. The grades that JROTC students receive are bro-ken down into three cate-gories: aerospace educa-tion, leadership education, and the most visible aspect of JROTC, the uniform. Students receive official Air Force-issued uniforms, exactly the same as active duty members (except for the JROTC shoulder patch), and are upheld to the same grooming standards as the Air Force. Boys’ hair must be off the ears and neck, girls’ hair must be in a bun, and all ca-dets must meet basic hygiene standards.

Some students’ uniforms include unique ribbons and ranks. Ribbons are issued for different accomplishments; for example, 29 cadets received ribbons for participation in a

summer leadership academy with North Penn’s unit, and a select few of these stu-dents received an additional ribbon for their contributions to an outstanding flight. Others earned ribbons for participation in the Ba-taan Death March memorial hike in Valley Forge, a 14-and-a-half-mile hike to com-memorate the suffering of American troops in the Philippines in World War II. In addition to these distinguishing ribbons, cadets can earn ranks for the potential that they have for future achievement. Colonel Baldi said, “You get ribbons for things you’ve done, and you earn rank for the potential you have to help contribute to the Corps of Cadets down the road.” Outside of the classroom, the Corps of Ca-dets coordinates and manages all of the events that the unit partakes in. Headed by group commander Owen Carney, and deputy group commander Ethan Romano, both sen-iors, the Corps is a “leadership laboratory, where you actually go do what you’ve learned,” Colonel Baldi stated. Each squadron has officers for different categories such as

finance, logistics, and public affairs, giving many cadets op-portunities for leadership expe-rience. It’s part of what makes the JROTC program unique, as “There’s not many other places where you’re gonna get oppor-tunities like I have [as group commander],” Carney stated.

In order to carry out their mis-sion, JROTC members partici-pate in a multitude of communi-ty service activities. For exam-ple, in the beginning of the school year they acted as guides for parents at back-to-school night. More recently, the unit organized and carried out three color guard presentations for Veterans’ Day on November 11th. PAHS witnessed one of

these at the Veterans’ Day assembly, but outside of school cadets traveled to two senior centers in Phoenixville and Malvern to honor veterans via color guard. The color guard will also be spotlighted at a Philadel-phia Flyers game this season. Additionally, the JROTC program will head a Toys for Tots drive during the upcoming holiday season. “We’re just trying to help out the community and become better people at the same time,” Carney said.

The most impressive aspect of the wide-spread service participation is that it is large-ly voluntary. Cadets are only required to participate in five JROTC extracurricular activities per year and log 30 hours of service total, but the students are on track to signifi-cantly exceed that mark, as the group total to date is well over 200 hours already.

The rest of the year looks exciting for Phoe-nixville’s JROTC students, with trips planned to McGuire Air Force Base and the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Overall, the program provides excellent experience with leadership and service to anyone look-ing for it. Beyond flight science, “the program in general teaches everyone leadership skills, and how to be independent and think on your feet,” said junior Lana Brock.

Written by: Kelly Kopera

*NEWS*

PAGE 6 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

The Danish Invasion Part II: With a side of Italian

Behind the uniform: Air Force JROTC at PAHS

Remember last year when PAHS hosted some Danish stu-dents? Well, in Octo-ber more Danes

returned this year, and this time along with some company. For the first time, PAHS was host to a group of Italian exchange students, in addition to ten Danish exchange students from Svendborg Gymnasium.

The ten students from Denmark visited PAHS for a week and shadowed ten students here. English teacher Ms. Speckhals was the one who coordinated their visit while hosting a Danish teacher at her house. In addition to seeing and experiencing a week in an Ameri-can school, the students also took a trip to Philadelphia to see historical sights and walk around the Reading Terminal Marketplace. They also had the opportunity to check out our football team in action.

It was quite a week for them to arrive, since PAHS students were in the middle of Spirit Week. They were able to get a good look at our school spirit while they were here, includ-ing seeing each grade dress up in a different color and attending the pep rally at the end of the week. A few of the visiting students

commented on how different school here is compared to a Danish school. Rasmus Ras-mussen noted the clear line between teach-ers and students, whereas students and teachers are closer to being equals in schools in Denmark than in America.

Not only was our school system new to them, but how we do things in day to day life was new to them, too. “Everything in America is bigger. When you go grocery shopping you have to choose between 200 different varie-ties of the food,” said Astrid Franke. Their hosts had plenty of fun getting to know the Danish students and even learned a few things about Denmark. “We had a great time; it’s fun to see America through their eyes. And it is wonderful to build new friendships,” said Ms. Speckhals.

Almost as soon as the Danish students got on their flight home, a new set of exchange students took their place. The following week, PAHS had a group of 28 Italian ex-change students and two teachers visit our school from Castel del Piano, near Grosseto, Italy. It was the first time PAHS had been a

host to students from Italy.

They arrived on Homecoming weekend, so they got to check out the tailgate, football game, and the Homecoming Dance. During their stay here they got to see a fair share of America, too, visiting Washington DC for a day and seeing plenty of memorials and fa-mous sights like the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall. Later, the group took a trip to Philadelphia where they did things like recreating the Rocky run at the steps of the Art Museum, and visiting places like Inde-pendence Hall and Love Park. “We tried to make sure that their trip here was filled with activities,” said Spanish and German teacher Mr. Joy, who coordinated the Italian ex-change.

With as well as the exchange went this year, you can expect it to make a return next year. If you have any questions or are interested in hosting or going on an exchange, talk to Mr. Joy in D-6 or Ms. Speckhals in F-10 for more information. It’s safe to say Phoenixville left a pretty good mark on the Danish and Italian students after the exchange.

Written by: Benjamin Armstrong

JROTC students JR Piazza, Marc Erb, Ethan Romano, and Cole Dempsey pre-pare for the color guard presentation on Veterans Day.

Photo: Mrs. Weinstein

JROTC students pose during a color guard presentation at the Homecoming football game.

Photo courtesy of Lifetouch

Danish exchange students Rasmus Rasmussen, Christian Skalshøi, and Astrid Franke.

Photo: Benjamin Armstrong

*NEWS*

PAGE 7 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

On November 11th, the PAHS Student Government held its annual assembly honor-ing veterans in the community. Members of the student government: President Veronica Perez, Vice President Chloe Outstrich, Secre-tary Dakota Graham, and Treasurer Natalee

Serwatka all presented this year’s theme, “The Saga and Legacy of World War II.” Prior to the assembly beginning, the JROTC cadets presented the American flag in or-derly fashion. The veterans were honored during the presentation and a brunch was held for them afterwards. They were given a small gift and student written letters to

thank them for their years of dedicated ser-vice.

“The group started preparing for the annual event back in May,” said history teacher Mr. Coyne. “I am more of the shepherd who

guides the students. They come up with ideas and work behind it all.” During the event, two World War II veterans, John Ferko and Ernest Coccia, spoke and answered selected ques-tions about their experi-ences in combat, which undoubtedly touched many.

Along with the presenta-tion, the choir and band

were also featured and played a couple of numbers including the Armed Forces medley. The Vocal Ensemble also performed an ar-rangement of the National Anthem along with a performance of “The Impossible Dream” from the Concert Choir, featuring soloists Josh Bush and Jordan Mudd. Junior band member Zach Lindley also played “Taps” on his trumpet.

As usual, the annual assembly reminded the student body to greatly appreciate those who serve our country and most importantly, America’s veterans.

Kicking off this year’s theme of “Hope for Service,” the high school organized service-oriented events that benefitted the commu-nity and its students. While sophomores and juniors were taking the PSATs on October 14th, freshmen and seniors volunteered to help around the school and Phoenixville community. Some went off campus to clean up the landscape at

the local Freedoms Foundation. Others re-mained at the school to paint signs for the Play 4 the Cure football game.

On October 28th, students, faculty mem-bers, high school clubs and sports teams participated in the “Safe Trick-or-Treat” at the high school by giving out candy to the younger Phoenixville community and ele-mentary school students. Organized by physi-cal education teacher Mr. Youngblood, this was the first year the school planned the event which the community and families could partake in. Safe Trick-or-Treat was a full two hours in the evening. The kids of the Phoenixville community and families dressed up in costumes in spirit of the holiday and received candy from various clubs and sports tables as they meandered

around the high school. The night was spooky success with a number of families and children in attendance, filled with smiles and ex-citement.

As a follow up to the first student service day, some students took time out of their day off to volunteer for a second school ser-vice day. On Novem-ber 2nd students,

administrators, and teachers also participat-ed. Service projects included painting the Iron Works CrossFit gym, preparing bags of food to deliver to families, and doing out-door clean up at Green Valleys Watershed Association in Pottstown. “I believe service days show the community that we’re working together as a school to improve it in any ways that we can,” said junior Katie Sullivan.

When walking down the hallway near the gym and trainer’s room many may have no-ticed the painted purple, white, and black walls, which were completed by the art teachers and service day volunteers.

“Service day shows that the school and its students want to repay for the all service the community has done,” stated art teacher, Mrs. Spina. Future service projects are in mind for the betterment of the school and community, as the “Hope for Service” days were a positive experience for all.

Written by: Alaina Deleone

PAHS, at your service

Written by: Alaina Deleone

PAHS honors Veterans

High school science teacher Mr. Phipps, junior Alex Seidel, senior Lainey Michaud, and sophomore Pey-ton Graham paint the Iron Works CrossFit Gym at the service day on November 2nd.

Photo: Mr. Zittel

Freshman Vanessa Rodriguez and junior Kendall Beatty give out candy to the kids of the Phoenixville commu-nity at the Safe Trick-or-Treat.

High school math teacher Mr. Leinhauser, seniors Corey Bird, Matt Palubinsky, and Alec Beiswinger putting in work as they remove the ancient Phoenixville Area Middle School sign.

Senior Ben Kramer and freshman Josh Fabian gathering leaves at the Free-doms Foundation day on October 14th.

Photos courtesy of the yearbook staff

Directed by Mr. McAdams, the band plays the Armed Forces Medley along the choir with great American pride.

Photos courtesy of the yearbook staff

World War II veterans, John Ferko and Ernest Coccia, stand next to Mr. Coyne answering questions about their wartime experiences.

*NEWS*

PAGE 8 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

Broadway Show and vocal sensations!

NHS Induction

Fall is a time when wonderful things take place, one of those things being Phoe-

nixville Area High School’s annual Broadway performance by the PAHS Choir and Vocal Ensemble which took place on October 21. This wonderful performance was put togeth-er by Choir Director Dr. Randi Carp. She not only conducts the choir, but she also picks the music, and teaches the music and the choreography that goes along with it. Her hard work, along with the dedication of those

involved in the show, never fails to impress audiences every year. The school’s choir and Vocal Ensemble has come a long way, growing in more ways than one. In size it has gone from around just 50 students to about 140 in just the span of a few years. It has also grown tremendously in terms of talent and achievements, being arranged based on vocal development. Stu-dents practice every day during their sched-uled period along with an additional three to four hours outside of school. All those hours of practice show time and time again as the year goes on. Dr. Carp said, “I think we have unbelievably talented and motivated kids.” Senior David D’Ardenne described the Broadway Show: “It’s a

mix of concert and big number hits from Broad-way. There are some

such as ‘The Impossible Dream’ from ‘Man of La Mancha’ where we might be standing on risers

while the soloists sing on the apron. But in huge production numbers such as ‘Run Free-dom Run’ from ‘Urinetown’ we might be dancing around stage singing about freedom and glory. Old and new Broadway is present. From ‘Man of La Mancha’ to ‘Legally Blonde’, we’ve managed to hit everything under the sun.” D’Ardenne had a powerful solo called “Betrayed” from the musical “The Producers” by Mel Brooks. He said, “It was a fun song to sing, and has always been one of my favorite parts in a musical.”

The Broadway Show left a warm feeling in the hearts of those fortunate enough to see it. From beginning to end, the energy and emotion poured into the show could be felt by everybody in the theater. Soloist Lindsey Fitting, a sophomore in the choir, performed the beautiful ballad “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel. Her gentle voice flooded throughout the auditorium, coating the audience with a humble calmness. “I chose this song because musically, it’s simple, but it’s so emotionally heavy that it’s honest and moving,” she said. Other numbers like “Step In Time” from the classic movie “Mary Poppins” gave a the audience a jolt of energy with its visual com-plexity and entertaining choreography. Ac-cording to Dr. Carp, “There is a really huge variation in the music, so there is something for everybody.”

Written by: Ze’Aira Boggess

On Wednesday, October 14th a ceremony was held in the PAHS auditorium to induct the new members of the National

Honor Society. Please congratulate the new inductees.

Elizabeth Hussin Grace Kiernan Kelly Kopera

Christian Lehning Bethany Light

Matthew LoPolito Amanda Monachelli

Alyssa Neppach Ryan O'Neil

Veronica Perez Flores Kaleigh Quinnan Natalie Rubino

Max Seaman Alexander Seidel Mackenzie Smith Katherine Sullivan

Jack Thompson Matthew Tweedie

Quinn Vollmer Katherine Wilhelm

Jessica Anthony Naiha Ashraf

Kendall Beatty Derrik Bell

Carly Bonner Joshua Bush

Elizabeth Cavan Madeleine Cooke Geraldine Corraro

Kylie Crovetti Sarah Dathe

Madison Davis Alaina DeLeone

Luke Deni Emily Fabius Anna Florio

Carly Goldberg Lauren Hoffman Emily Holmberg Carlee Horgan

******************

National Honor Society

Oath:

I pledge to maintain high

scholastic standing, To

endeavor intelligently

and courageously

to be a leader,

To give of myself freely

in service to others, and

to hold a fundamental

and worthy an

untarnished character.

In so doing, I shall prove

myself worthy of a

place in the

National Honor Society.

******************

President Olivia McGinnis speaking at the NHS induction.

Alexander Lindley inducting Alaina DeLeone.

Jessica Anthony shaking the leaders’ hands.

Vice President Kathleen McErlean lighting a candle for the ceremony.

Photos courtesy of Lifetouch

The closing number with everyone, called “Goodbye” from “The Producers”.

Sophomore Lindsey Fitting during her solo “And So It Goes”

Photos: Lifetouch

Vocal Ensemble doing “Step in Time” from “Mary Poppins”.

*FALL PLAY PICTURES*

PAGE 9 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

Renzo (Jake Gould) and Barbarina (Xandra Coleman) reflect on their regal beauty.

All photos: Mr. Lantzy

Pantalone (David D’Ardenne) wonders about Tartaglia’s (Mark Wisely) infatuation with Barbarina .

Smeraldina (Cali Mulzet) plots with Brighella (Alek Wasserman)

A forest of Zannis

Cast List

CALMON.......................................... Nick Degen

STAGE HAND................................ Shane Gasser

RENZO................................................ Jake Gould

BARBARINA............................. Xandra Coleman

TRUFFALDINO................................ Joshua Bush

FRANCESCHINA........................ Kaleigh Hartson

TARTAGLIA..................................... Mark Wisely

NINETTA.......................................... Ellie Chittick

PANTALONE.......................... David D’Ardenne

SMERALDINA.................................... Cali Mulzet

BRIGHELLA............................. Alek Wasserman

POMPEA........................................ Julianita Vlad

THE PRINCE.................................... Noah Bloom

FATA SERPENTINA........................ Mary Zeleski

THE GREEN BIRD................. Alexandra Proctor

Ensemble

Alexis DiMauro Rachael Hesse

Matt Duff Colin Proctor Charlie Swomley

Kyra Bernotas Hayley Barvitskie Katie Winkler

Shay Comiskey Hannah Kappenstein Frankie Reo

Rachel Nolen Ashley Bozzo Alison Buck

Chelsea Colket Sharon Edelman Lauren Hoffman

Directed by .................................................... Craig Tavani

General Factotum....................................... Mimi Ballantine

Theatre Guild Advisor........................................ Tine Tavani

Combat Choreography............................... Kimberlie Cruse

Sound and Lighting Design............................... Jesse Ercole

Stage Manager......................................... Michele McCaleb

Behind the Scenes

Students:

Choreographer Ellie Chittick

Props Mistress Emma Griffiths

Production Assistants Emma Griffiths, April Gingrich

Artwork Charlotte Jennings

Lights: Drew Gibson, April Gingrich

Stage Crew Nikki Myers, Camryn Dobey

Spotlight Tech Vanessa Rodriguez

Adults:

Set Construction Jeff Howson, John Griffiths

Sound Operator & Effects: Marcus Tavani

Costuming Phyllis Feldpush, Lauriel Wisely ,

Kelly Barvitskie, Amanda Swomley,

Rand Coleman, Suzanne Hartson

Calligrapher/Custodian/Finder of Stuff Becky Mahon

The disenchanted prince (Noah Bloom) meets Barbarina (Xandra Coleman)

Francheschina (Kaleigh Hartson) and Truffaldino (Joshua Bush) get advice from Calmon, King of Statues (Nick Degen)

The Green Bird, played by Alexandra Proctor, ponders a situation

PAGE 10 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

*SPEAK OUT!*

Though Google attributes the invention of the selfie to 19th Century photographer Robert Cornelius, teenagers have taken this popular picture-taking trend and made it a phenomenon. We’ve watched selfies go from MySpace profiles to Snapchats, until even our grandparents know what they are. To portray the wide variety of characters in

our school, we told the best and brightest selfie-takers only this: “Give us your best selfie!”

Mr. McAdams

Mr. Curley

Enola Hihi

Rodrigo Campos

Lauren Hoffman

Mrs. Weinstein...and a cheetah

Romina Broglia

Dillan McCants Mr. McNaughton and his class

Scott Armstrong

Mrs. Murphy and Finnegan

Mrs. Frost and family

Matt Copeland

By: Carly Goldberg and Julia Yancik

PAGE 11 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

*SPEAK OUT!*

Though Google attributes the invention of the selfie to 19th Century photographer Robert Cornelius, teenagers have taken this popular picture-taking trend and made it a phenomenon. We’ve watched selfies go from MySpace profiles to Snapchats, until even our grandparents know what they are. To portray the wide variety of characters in

our school, we told the best and brightest selfie-takers only this: “Give us your best selfie!”

Kat Wilhelm

Ethan Romano

Mr. McNaughton and his class

Tyler Baker

Julia Jones

Diana Nemceff

Jennifer Otero

Mrs. Davies and her daughter

Nassir Allen-Niblack

Samantha Comas

Mrs. Frost and family Mrs. Rusanovschi and family

Sheena McGibboney

Mr. Carucci and his wife

Mr. Youngblood and daughters

I remember watching “Skyfall” in theatres and boy, what a ride, with motorcycles driv-ing on rooftops and the reveal of James Bond’s backstory, a story that compelled audiences. It was indeed one of my favorite movies that year. Yes, “Skyfall” was popular among moviegoers in 2012, but recently 007’s new adventure “Spectre” came out and no one seemed that excited. Instead, the buzz is around “Captain America: Civil War,” coming out next year, as well as other future Marvel movies to come such as “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” I am overwhelmed with the amount of Marvel superheroes that are receiving so much hype, yet how many of the movies are lacking in quality.

In 2014, there was a plethora of superhero movies with X-Men, Spiderman, Captain America, and Guardians of the Galaxy. Twen-ty Marvel superhero movies have been re-leased in the past decade, and the numbers are growing. Fifteen more movies will be released in the next three years. Other studi-os that produce great films are often over-shadowed by Marvel’s big blockbuster movies.

As the number of Marvel films rises, the quality declines, as shown in recent films, such as “Iron Man 3” and “Thor: The Dark World.” To pump out films and make money, Marvel Studios has been focusing on the connectivity of their films rather than coher-ent plot or character development. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” seemed promising with the repercussions of creating a killing machine, Ultron. However, not much charac-ter development was shown due to amount of time taken up by CGI action sequences, and references to past and future films.

The worst problem is that there is no end to Marvel’s overarching story. Thanos, the comic book version of “God,” is the big baddie of this MCU (Marvel Cine-matic Universe). This is obviously the greatest challenge the Avengers will face. So after the heroes win, what next? It seems like the proper place to end the story, but Marvel is already planning for a Phase Four. It’s not impossible that a Phase Five, Six, Seven could be in the works. Already, this

sounds exhausting to many moviegoers, plus with the added bonus of having to watch all the Marvel movies for backstory, no single Marvel movie can stand on its own. They’re all so connected, it’s one big story. Also, if people do see Phase Four, the believability that our heroes are in danger is low. The Avengers literally beat “God” earlier, so why should this mediocre villain be a problem? Low sense of danger means that we don’t care for our protagonists, and therefore, we don’t care about the characters at all.

However, Marvel Studios is still equated to produce high quality movies, despite the many flaws. Therefore, movie studios that are often overshadowed by Marvel’s success are emanating techniques used by Marvel. DC Comics, rapidly losing popularity, has launched a movie universe of its own as its scrambles to form its own “Avengers” (Justice League) to gain back audiences. After credit scenes have become more prominent as well, making them part of the norm, rather than the magical treat they once were.

Listen, I know Marvel can still make some good movies. But audiences will not keep buying tickets to these CGI action-fests if the quality does not improve. There will be a time where people will just become tired of this “Cinematic Universe” and just ignore it altogether. However, it’s not too late for Marvel to change its course. If Marvel releases fewer films, starts to focus more on the stories, the characters, and give their films the ability to stand alone from the rest of the MCU, then perhaps Marvel movies can return to their former glory.

*OPINION*

PAGE 12 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

Written by: David D’Ardenne

Imagine meeting the emotions that exist in your head, adventuring across the ocean in search of your family, or meeting the love of your life on a crazy adventure searching for glowing lanterns. All of this sounds fun, right? This is the magic that animated movies bring to life. So why do some people think you have to be young to enjoy them?

As kids, we all grow up with a love for ani-mated films and cartoons. They take us on amazing adventures with all types of people, animals, and creatures. You can soar with dragons and superheroes, or swim with talk-ing fish and mermaids. However, as you grow up, your movie taste starts to change. Those talking creatures are swapped for real life

actors. Eventually, it seems that we reach an age where watching animated movies is weird or babyish. Why is that exactly?

Most animated movies have moral messag-es in their plot, whether it is as simple as being kind to all you meet, or a bit more

complex like accepting the dif-ferences of others. While some say that these messages are to help kids learn right and wrong, I feel that these messages are not just aimed at kids, but apply to both teenagers and adults as well. In fact, it seems that chil-dren seem to be better at ac-cepting differences of others, and that the adults and teens could learn a thing or two.

The story plots also depict relatable situations to teens. How many teenagers in life dream of finding that special someone? I bet many girls and guys in this school dream of having that romantic moment under the lights, like Rapunzel and Flynn from “Tangled,” or having that special dance, like Belle and the Beast in “Beauty and the Beast.” The movie “Inside Out,”

centers on the emo-tions that exist inside our heads, and how they affect us in our daily lives. It shows how eleven year-old Riley is

growing up and feeling different emotions. No matter what age you are, everyone has to deal with the different emotions you experi-ence in life. You get angry at times, as well as sad, and scared, and you learn to deal with them. This movie teaches everyone that it’s okay to feel sad or angry and you should talk about that.

Even animated movies coming out soon have some teenagers buzzing. A new Peanuts movie is set to come out November of 2015, bringing a new twist on the beloved comics. There are a lot of people excited about the new movie “Finding Dory.” This sequel to the beloved animated classic “Finding Nemo,” focuses on Dory, who is reuniting with her family. Teens all over are already making plans to see it in theaters, and it isn’t coming out until June 17, 2016!

And we can’t forget about the timeless

musicals that include all of our favorite songs, from the classics like “The Lion King,” with “Hakuna Matata,” to the new favorites like “Frozen,” with “Let it Go.” No matter what our age, we love to sing along with the movies. You know almost every teenager out there has at least one “Frozen” song in their music library.

Overall, animated films just make us happy. If you’re having a bad day, or luck just isn’t on your side, it always feels good to curl up on the couch with a classic. They give us charac-ters that we remember for the rest of our lives.

I don’t know who came up with idea that animated movies are reserved only for kids, but I would have to strongly disagree. I’d much rather pull out an animated classic then go see one of the new films coming out that lack the same magic. So next time you're having that movie night, pull out one of those animated favorites. I won't judge, and neither should anyone else.

Marvel Movies: Not a “Marvel-ous” spectacle anymore

Animated films: Not just for kids! Written by: Julia Boyle

Cinemas will be supersaturated with super-heroes due to Marvel’s Phase Three lineup .

Flynn Rider and Rapunzel enjoy a romantic moment from “Tangled.”

Emotions Disgust, Joy, Anger, Sadness, and Fear from “Inside Out.”

Marlin and Dory from “Finding Nemo.”

*OPINION*

PAGE 13 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

Animation has existed for decades around the world. One of the most popular types of anima-tion is Japanese animation, also known as anime. There are many anime series and in this article I will recommend my five favorite animes.

5. Yu-Gi-Oh (1999 Toei Version)

This was not any of the Yu-Gi-Oh shows released in the U.S. and to this day is only available in Japan. However, it has an unofficial sub and all 27 epi-sodes have been uploaded by fans on YouTube under the name Yu-Gi-Oh Season 0. The show itself is the closest adaption of the manga and has a darker overtone at times compared to the other shows. I prefer the stories done in this show than the other ones a lot, along with the charac-ters. The only problem with the show is that it ends at the manga’s seventh volume out of thirty-eight volumes. The rest of the volumes were done with the 2001 anime Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters which was done by a completely different studio. I like this show for the characters, action sequenc-es, and the fact that it is closer to the manga.

4. Black Butler

This is another anime that has multiple shows. These being Black Butler, Black Butler II, Black Butler-Book of Circus, and Black Butler-Book of Murder. Only the first two are part of the same

continuity, while the last two are part of their own even though all shows share the same voice actors for the Japanese and English dub. Black Butler is set in England during the Victorian Era and focus-es on Ciel Phantomhive. Ciel is a twelve year old child who is head of the Phantomhive manor, owner of a toy company his parents owned till they died, and the head of England’s crime under-world. He is an orphan who lives with his servants and his very able butler Sebastian who is in fact a demon. Ciel made a deal with him two years be-fore the anime begins to find the leader of the cult that killed his parents and burned his manor

down. Because the show is set in the Victorian Era it uses events in that era of England. One example is that they have a few episodes about Ciel and Sebastian trying to stop real life serial killer Jack the Ripper. The show has a well-done characters and story arcs which make it enjoyable.

3. Hellsing Ultimate This was a series of OVAs (Original Video Animation, aka Straight to DVD/Blu-Ray Cartoons) based on the

manga Hellsing. There was another Hellsing anime before it, but it went away from the original story and is gener-ally hated by Hellsing fans. Also like Black Butler they share the same voice actors for both dubs. The story of Hellsing Ultimate is about a secret organization in the English govern-ment known as the Hellsing Organi-zation whose job it is to kill vampires that threaten the safety of the coun-try's people. Their main hunter is the vampire Alucard. Alucard has been working with them for an unknown amount of time but is trusted by them. The main story focus-

es on the organization preparing for war against an unknown army of the undead for the first five episodes. I find the show to be fun to watch for the action sequences which are just awesome and for the character of Alucard. I should note it is really violent and gory and should only be watched by those who can handle that.

2. Attack on Titan

This show is set in a world where the remainder of humanity hides behind a set of walls from giant monsters called titans that resemble humans. The human race itself has lived through one-hundred years of peace till one day when the wall is broken by a much larger titan. The story of Attack on Titan focuses on an group of young adults as they are trained by the world army to fight back the titans. During training and missions, more twists and turns are revealed that start to raise many questions about just what the titans are and where they come from. This is also one of the most disturbing animes out there since you see the titans eat people. The anime focuses a lot on the emotions of characters in the series and their problems. I like this anime a lot for the characters and visuals.

1. Death Note

The show follows college student Light Yagami when he picks up a notebook on his way home called Death Note. After opening the book up, in it he finds a section called How To Use It which states “The person whose name is written in this book shall die.” After Light tries it out with a criminal’s name and they die he discovers it is real. This is one of those shows where the less said about what happens, the better the experience is.

The characters, storyline, and visuals are the rea-sons I think this is the best anime ever.

Written by: Brandon Wassmer

Dear Nurse Manley: Recalls of everything seem to be on the rise. I am afraid to pur-chase toys for fear they may harm a little person. Our school’s HOSA Chapter-Future Health Professionals is having a drive for Toys for Tots and I am at a loss on what to get. Signed: A Babe in Toyland

Dear Babe: You are right to be concerned over toy purchases these days. Many toys do have printed warnings on them with age-appropriate warnings on the packaging. The

right toy can help build imagination and coordination. However, the wrong toy may do more harm than good. In 2011, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimated that ERs across the country treated 262,300 toy-related injuries, with

most under the age of 15. The most commonly injured part of the body is the face and head. Therefore, Prevent Blindness America has declared the month of December as “Safe Toys and Gifts Month” with the intent of educating any-one who is purchasing toys how to make the best decisions. They have put together some toy-buying and gift-giving tips. Read over these and choose a toy gift for the Toys for Tots Campaign, run by the HO-SA-Future Health Professionals group at your school!

· Read all warnings and in-structions on the box. · Ask yourself or the parent if the toy is right for the child's ability and age. · Avoid pur-chasing toys with sharp or rigid points, spikes, rods, or dangerous edges. · Check the lenses and frames of chil-dren's sunglasses; many can break and cause injuries. · Buy toys that will withstand impact and not break into dangerous shards. · Look for the letters "ASTM." This des-ignation means the product meets the national safety standards set by the Ameri-can Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). · Avoid toys that shoot or include parts that fly off. · Gifts of sports equipment should always be accompanied by protective gear (such as a basketball along with eye goggles or a face guard with a new batting helmet for base-ball or softball). · Don’t give toys with small parts to young children. Young kids tend to put things in their mouths, increasing the risk of choking. If the part of a toy can fit in a toilet paper roll, the toy is not appropriate for children under the age of 3. · Do not purchase toys with long strings or cords, especially for infants and very young children as this can become wrapped around a child’s

neck. · Always dispose of uninflated or bro-ken balloons immediately. According to the CPSC, more children have suffocated from them than any other type of toy. For more information on safe toys and gifts for chil-dren, including the PBA Safe Toys Check List, please preventblindness.org/safe-toy-checklist, or call Prevent Blindness America at (800) 331-2020.

Written by: Nurse Manley

Ask the Nurse

Top five best anime shows The Purple Press is written, edited, and produced by the Phoenixville Area High School Journalism class (Period 3).

Advisor: Mr. Zittel

Layout editor: Jenna Powell Staff: Benjamin Armstrong, Ze’Aria Boggess, Julia Boyle, David D’Ardenne, Liam Darcy, Gabrielle Dato, Alaina DeLeone, Lindsey Fitting, Shayne Gasser, Carly Goldberg, Kerry Halloran, Kelly Kopera, Sophia Kopko, Sean McGinnis, Bailey Meyer, Erin Morris, Paige Oustrich, Cailin Robinson, Juan Sanchez, Michael Vargo, Brandon Wassmer, Julia Yancik

The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the writers and don’t necessari-ly reflect those of school administration and/or faculty members.

If you have a comment, question, or concern about the paper or you wish to submit an article to The Purple Press please e-mail Mr. Zittel at zittelj @pasd.com.

Yugi Mutou from Yu-Gi-Oh.

Nurse Manley, Natalee Serwatka, Dillan McCants, Hailey Conway, Abby Sims, and Jess Bugh stand next to an empty Toys for Tots box.

Photo: Julia Boyle

“HE’S ON THE BAL-CONY AT 50 HEALTH” your team-mate yells to you as he loses a crucial battle. It’s all up to you. The rest of your

team is gone. There’s only five other people in this abandoned town and they’re all trying to kill you. Your team has fallen silent, allow-ing you to hear the enemies. The bomb has been planted and you only have 25 seconds to defuse it. You walk through apartments, throw a smoke grenade on the bomb site and push in. You only have 15 seconds… There’s no time to hunt the enemy team so you pick up the bomb and start defusing. You can hear the enemies coming… “Why didn’t I buy a defuse kit?!” you ask yourself. The enemies start shooting into the smoke. You just need to hold on for a little bit longer… 5… 4… 3… 2... Victory! You defused the bomb, winning the round for your team!

“Counter Strike: Global Offensive” or “CS:GO” is a multi-player first-person shooter made by Valve. “CS:GO” has several game modes such as Arms Race and Casual, but the most popular game mode is Competitive. There is no single player or actual plot to the game.

Competitive, the game’s most popular game mode, is a best of 30 rounds game

where each player starts with a starter pistol and $800 to spend on gear such as armor (which allows you to take more damage), a defuse kit (which allows you to defuse the bomb more quickly), or other weapons. Five players start on the Counter-Terrorist and five players start on the Terrorist team. After 15 rounds, the teams switch. If you eliminate a player, you earn money, but how much money depends on what weapon you’re us-ing. For example, if you eliminate someone

with a Nova (a shotgun), you will earn $900, but if you use the AWP (a sniper rifle), you will earn just $100. If your team loses, you will receive just $1400 at first, but every round that your team loses in a row you will earn a few hun-dred dollars more. It is a fairly compli-cated system, but it is basically like this: the more good you do for your team, the more money you will get. The more Competitive games you win,

the higher you will be ranked. Arms Race is a respawn game mode where with each enemy you eliminate, you get a new weapon. The first to use every weapon in the game wins. Casual competitive is just like Competitive, but you don’t have to buy armor or a defuse kit and the games are best of 15.

“CS:GO” has lots of other interesting fea-tures. It has community servers which are games that can be modified as much the owner wants. If you want to fight zombies, you can do it on a community server. If you have an idea for a game mode, there will already be a server that has made it.

Another interesting feature of the game are skins and cases. You can earn skins and cases through playing the game (or you can buy them) and decorate your equipment. If you open a case, you can earn lots of different skins, some are rare, others are not. You can also do missions that help you level up and get special skins after games. Valve often

release updates releasing new skins and knives. In a recent update, they added “Shadow Daggers” to the game.

Overall, I would give “CS:GO” an A+ rating. I have played every FPS from “Goldeneye 007” to “Titanfall”, and this is probably the best I have played yet. “CS:GO” takes much more strategy than other FPS games. Unlike most other games, who wins the games doesn’t just depend on who has the best aim- it depends on who has the best strategies and who knows the game better.

In Broadway’s Barry-more Theatre, an enormous, glowing coordinate plane covers all sides of the black stage. I thought

at first that this surprising set was more ap-propriate for an advanced math class than a theatre. The grid serves as the set for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” and turned out to be a perfect envi-ronment for the poignant play.

The show takes place in the mind of Christo-pher Boone, a fifteen-year-old mathematical genius with an unusual way of thinking. (It is not specified whether he is on the Autism spectrum, or has Asper-ger’s.) When his neighbor’s dog is murdered, Christopher attempts to solve the mystery. His detective work strains his relationship with his father, and unveils secrets about his deceased mother.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” was written by Mark Haddon in 2003, and adapted into a play by Simon Stephens. It opened at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2012, and was brought to Broadway in October 2014. The show’s original star, Alexander Sharp, broke records by winning the

Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play, being the youngest actor to do so.

It was an absolute thrill to see this extraordi-nary show. As a fan of the book, and having read the play, I was anxious to see the script in action. It did not disappoint! The dialogue

flowed smoothly during Christopher’s non-chronological retelling of events. The ensemble of actors sat around the perimeter of the stage, ready to play a passing neighbor or a distant relative. I worried that such use of the ensemble would be distracting, but it added to the concept of it being Christopher’s narra-tion.

Christopher (Taylor Trensch, convincing as a teenager even at age 26) was played with deep authenticity and intense emo-

tion. It was obvious that the actor understood the character thoroughly. He handled intense moments with poise, and comedic moments with expertise. Christopher is onstage for the entire show, and Trensch’s performance in the vocally and physically demanding role

carried the production.

The supporting cast was equally im-pressive, particularly Christopher’s beloved teacher Siobhan (Francesca Faridany) and his single father (Ian Barford). They conveyed the difficulty of their struggles with Christopher to the audience with an enrapturing intensity.

As previously mentioned, the set is extraordinary. Featuring a giant grid with lights, furniture, signs, doors, and screens built into it, the technology is astounding. It reflects Christopher’s analytical point of view, his love of math, and how his way of thinking is

completely logical to himself, though per-haps not to others.

“Curious Incident” definitely deserves its Tony Awards for Best Play, Direction, Scenic Design, Lighting Design, and Leading Actor. It has mastered the balance between comedy and drama, and is a must-see for everyone, not just fans of the stunning novel.

Written by: Kerry Halloran

Written by: Carly Goldberg

*ENTERTAINMENT*

PAGE 14 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

Is “Counter Strike: Global Offensive” the greatest FPS ever?

“Curious Incident” on Broadway: An exceptional adaptation

A Picture of a Counter-Terrorist and his Teammate waiting for enemies to round a corner.

A player inspecting his AK-47 that has a Vulcan skin on it.

Grade: A

Author: Mark Haddon (novel), Simon Stephens (play adaption)

Director: Marianne Elliott

Current Stars: Tyler Lea, Rosie Benton, Andrew Long, Enid Graham

Where to see it: Currently on Broadway

Grade: A+

Publishers: Valve

Available For: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and Mac.

Genre: FPS

Rating: Mature

Tony-winner Alex Sharp finding myste-rious letters.

The cover of the latest edition of the book.

All hail Halestorm

It is a beautiful day in October. You are going about your day normally, in school or at work, when all of a sudden you hear a

scream. You look around and can’t find your friend anywhere. She was standing next to you a second ago, but has seemed to vanish into thin air. You soon find out that 140 mil-lion other people have suddenly vanished as well. Is it God? Aliens? Did they never exist at all? This is the premise for HBO’s series “The Leftovers.”

Taking place in the small suburb of Mapleton, New York, “The Leftovers” chronicles the lives of those who have lost their family and friends in the Departure, when 2% of the world’s population suddenly mysteriously goes missing. This is an isolated event, but no one knows why it happened or if it will occur again. Some believe that they were taken to heaven, but most people cannot agree on a viable explanation. Though most people have tried to forget the event and move on with their lives, there is a group of people dressed in white that

aim to constantly remind every-one of the event. Known as The Guilty Remnant, they constantly smoke cigarettes, follow people around town, and have vowed to never speak again. They do this as a constant reminder to others of what has happened.

The show mainly follows the life of Kevin Garvey (Justin The-roux), the sheriff of Mapleton. Sheriff Garvey does not lose any family members in the Departure, but the event takes a toll on his family. His wife Laurie Garvey (Amy Bren-neman) leaves the family to join The Guilty Remnant. Gar-

vey’s daughter Jill (Margaret Qualley) and son Tom (Chris Zylka) are upset by the Departure, while also grieving over their mother leaving them. There are many other subplots in the show that follow the lives of different people in Mapleton. One of the most prominent subplots follows Nora Durst, a woman who

lost her husband and both children in the De-parture.

Season 1 has many twists and turns and the finale will leave you asking more questions than before. The constant cliffhangers provided by the show have stirred up many fan theories. Though being left with a

new question at the end of every episode can be frustrating, it keeps the show fun and interesting and makes it all the more worth it to watch. Season 1 proved that “The Lefto-vers” will keep viewers on the edge of their seats for many seasons to come. Season 2 began on October 4th, and made several changes from the first season. Though

the Garvey family is still in the spotlight, the location and supporting characters make a big change. The Garvey family moves to a town called Miracle, Texas that claims to have zero departures. Though I will not spoil the show for you, I highly suggest that you watch it. Make sure to catch up on Season 1 if you have not al-ready, and tune in to “The Leftovers” every

Sunday on HBO.

Are you tired of the same old same old songs on the radio? Sick of the typical pop songs that are no less than constantly drum-ming in your ear? Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying I’ve never enthusiastically blasted “We are Never Getting Back Together” in the car for a whole summer, but I prefer the sound of a hard rock band that brings some-

thing new to the table. No not Nickelback, but Halestorm. Halestorm, a York, Pennsylvania-based band, is living the dream of a brother, a sister, a drumset, and a keytar (yes, a key-tar). Members Arejay and Elizabeth Hale started the band as 10 and 13 year olds, playing original songs in bars and at local festivals. The two of them, plus their dad on bass guitar, released an EP (a short al-bum) in 1999 called “(Don’t Mess with the) Time Man.”

In the next few years, Elizabeth, now known as Lzzy, put down the keytar and learned to play the electric guitar. Halestorm added members Josh Smith on bass and Joe Hot-tinger on guitar. They were signed to Atlan-tic Records for their first professional EP

“One and Done,” a live recording of a professional performance in 2005.

Three full length albums into their career, Halestorm has set numerous records. They are the first female fronted rock band to have back to back number one hits; “Freak Like Me” on “The Strange Case of…” in 2012, and “Apocalyptic” on “Into the Wild Life” in 2015. The song “Love Bites (So do I)” received a Grammy in 2013 for Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance against highly ac-claimed bands such as Anthrax and Iron Maiden.

Halestorm does not play it safe by any means. Very few current rock bands are

able to stick with the actual hard rock sound AND stay relevant. There are many examples of bands that have “gone mainstream” in recent years, choosing relevance over staying true to rock. Halestorm is an example of keeping old school rock alive, while putting their own twist on it. In an interview with MTV, Lzzy describes their sound as, “powerful rock and roll. We have a lot of classic rock influences, but the music never feels dated. It’s got an old school feeling with a modern edge.”

Their third, and most recent album, “Into the Wild Life” is my personal favorite because there is a clear influence of eighties rock on some tracks, which is difficult to find in

new music. There is a broader range of sub-ject matter (a.k.a. not just a bunch of love songs). Lzzy is able to showcase her out-standing voice on most of the album, but I do have one complaint. The production of the album distorts her voice too much on tracks such as “Mayhem” and “Scream,” which I find highly unnecessary because she is so talent-ed. In spite of that minor flaw, it is a great album. Some of my favorite songs are “Amen,” “Sick Individual,” and “What Sober

Couldn’t Say.”

Halestorm is definitely worth a listen if you’re look-ing for new music that rocks. I don’t think you have to be a huge fan of rock to like them, but if you are, you’ll love them. If you have no clue where to start, begin with album “The Strange Case of…” It has a variety of styles from metal, to pop rock, and even coun-try. There’s a little some-thing for all music listen-ers. The full album is availa-ble for free listening on YouTube, and it can be pur-chased on Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play.

*ENTERTAINMENT*

PAGE 15 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12; ISSUE 2

Written by: Julia Yancik

Written by: Lindsey Fitting

“The Leftovers” leaves you hanging, keeps you coming back

Grade: A+

Channel: HBO

Time: Sundays from 9-10pm

Creators: Damon Lindelof, Tom Perrotta

Justin Theroux as Kevin Garvey.

The people in white at a meeting.

Grade: A+

Notable Songs: “I Miss the Misery,” “Amen,” and “Freak Like Me”

Full length Albums: “Halestorm” (2009), “The Strange Case of…” (2012), and “Into the Wild Life” (2015).

Joe Hottinger, Lzzy Hale, Arejay Hale, and Josh Smith pose with their Grammy.

Lzzy Hale rocks out on stage.

*SPORTS*

PAGE 16 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

Both the Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country teams at Phoenixville

had successful seasons this fall. In the PAC championship, the boys finished third in a tie with Perk Valley, and the girls finished fifth. The teams had PAC records of 4-5, and 2-7 respectively.

The Phantoms were led by Coach Winters, in his fifth year as the head coach for the boys and second as head coach for the girls, as well as assistants Mr. Sprenkle, Matt Chiappetta, and Maria Winters. The team included seniors Brandon Chang, Liam Darcy, Sean McGinnis, Mike Shaw, Dylan Smiley, Andy Tran, Aaron Westerman, and Mitch Gartner on the boys’ side, and Erin Morris, Chloe Oustrich, Brenna Daugherty, and Ra-chel Bierly on the girls’ side.

Going into the season, the boys’ team had lots of experience, translating to high expec-tations. “We had a lot of good returning talent and a lot of competition over the top seven spots,” said senior Liam Darcy. The result was the most successful season in dec-ades, as they finished third in the PAC and sent two runners, Sean McGinnis and Dylan Smiley, to states. Both of them also received All-PAC honors. “On the boys’ side, finishing top three and beating teams we’ve never

been able to in years past was huge – but not some-thing we didn’t think we were capable of,” Coach Winters said.

The girls’ team was less expe-rienced, but was still able to have a very competitive sea-son. Junior Natalee Serwatka earned an All-PAC award and finished only ten places from a spot in the state championship, all in her first year. “There was a lot of athletic talent that came out throughout the sea-son…we had a lot of girls really step up and perform well,” said senior Erin Morris. The girls’ team’s impressive performance is indicative of future successes. “Finishing 5th [in the PAC] was a huge performance and really put us way ahead of schedule in terms of where I thought we might be at this stage of the game,” Winters stated.

Throughout the team’s many endeavors this fall, certain races were noteworthy because of both their short-term results and their long-term implications. The first race of the sea-son against Great Valley in the Route 29 Series set the tone for the rest of the season on both sides: the Phantoms had gone down against Great Valley in most years past, but this year the boys pulled out an impressive

win, taking the top two spots, and the girls had a competitive race despite a close loss to the Patriots. Additionally, invitationals at Penn State and Lehigh University yielded lots of personal records and lots of fun for the team.

While high places in the PAC and two state qualifi-ers are indeed very im-pressive, the most unique thing about Phoenixville’s cross country squad is the

close-knit team atmos-phere. It’s something you can’t quite find anywhere else: “[College is] a very different at-mosphere because they’re trying to win…Mr. Winters makes it

fun. It’s an atmosphere where it’s like ‘just go out there and do the best you can,’” said senior Sean McGinnis. Morris stated that as she moves on to college she’ll miss “all the little things that we did as a team,” referenc-ing trips to Hog Island, pasta dinners, and team barbecues. Despite losing many talented seniors, Phan-tom Cross Country has a bright future. For the boys, sophomores Christian Schaaf, Jack Armstrong, Aaron Hin, and Zack Kleppe will be returning with the experience of running

varsity this year, as well as junior Natalee Serwatka and sophomores Emma Visnov, Emerson DeBlasis, and Victoria Wright on the girls’ team.

The returning underclassmen won’t stop with the triumphs of 2015; next year the team will be hungry for more wins and per-sonal bests, as Coach Winters advises them to “train hard, and dream.” Keep an eye out for Phantom XC next fall, because their success this season will not be the end of their legacy.

Written by: Kelly Kopera

Rounding out an-other successful sea-

son as the two time Frontier Division Champi-ons, the Lady Phantoms Soccer Team con-cluded its season with an overall record of 12-7, and a PAC record of 9-4. The team rose above expectations and walked away from the season with solid wins, a larger communi-ty following, and greater confidence for future seasons.

Coaching a third season for the Lady Phan-toms is Coach Tim Raub, who previously

coached with the high school girls’ soccer program at Boyertown for eight years. He said that despite losing “five very dedicated and hard-working seniors,” the entire team carried their weight through the season and still excelled.

“We have some really talented sophomores; and my ‘Core Four’, who are the four players who came in as freshman and have started each season,” said Raub. The Lady Phantoms also performed well defensively with holding center midfielder Kaitlyn Casiano, defenders seniors Sarah

Weston and Kaitlin Schneider, junior Sophia Kopko, sophomore Kelli Olsson, freshmen twins Sean and Lila Tuckman, and senior goalkeeper Lainey Michaud. Along with a strong defense, the Phantoms also had great team speed. Juniors Dakota Graham (outside midfield-er) and Julia Brown (central midfielder), soph-omore Jesi Rossman (central midfielder) and freshmen Gabrielle Per-rotto (striker) and Leeza Galli (wing midfielder) provided the speed to go with the goal-scoring for the Lady Phantoms this season. Seniors Me-gan Olsson (outside midfielder) and Liv Ellis (central midfielder), and sophomore for-ward/central midfielder Kennedy Feindt provided key depth off the bench.

Although the Lady Phantoms didn’t fare as well in the postseason as anticipated, the girls played several standout games. They won one of only two victories Phoenixville earned in the Route 29 series against Great Valley by a score of 3-0, and their 3-1 victory over Pope John Paul II ultimately earned them the title of Frontier Division champions. The team was defeated by eventual PAC champion, Boyertown by one goal in the

semifinals of the PAC Final Four tournament. In the District 1 Class AAA tournament, the Lady Phantoms were defeated in the first round by Neshaminy, 4-0.

This season’s captains were seniors Michaud, Weston and Schneider, as well as Kopko and Casiano. “As captains we were responsible for making sure everyone’s mental state was there for game day,” said Michaud.

Prior to the season, the cap-tains learned to lead and set goals for the team to achieve.

“We were also in charge of getting everything prepared, and exciting the team before games,” stated Weston.

To maintain such a close bond, the girls spent time throughout the season doing team building activities and get-togethers. “In our system,” stated Raub, “each part must work together and at its highest potential if we are going to succeed.” Their team spirit was evident on and off the field.

Ultimately, the Lady Phantoms never went down without a fight. “To see this young team come together with their backs against the wall and rally to win the division is very special to me,” said Raub. With the current talented underclassmen, the future of the Lady Phantoms is bound for greatness.

Written by: Alaina DeLeone

Phoenixville Cross Country lives the dream

Lady Phantoms’ Soccer repeats as Frontier Division champions

Senior goal keeper Lainey Michaud prepares to punt the ball out to her teammates.

Photos courtesy of Lifetouch Junior Kaitlyn Casiano goes in for a header .

Junior Sophia Kopko hustling to take a free kick.

Seniors Dylan Smiley and Sean McGinnis smile with their awards at the Spiked Shoe Invitational at Penn State University.

Photo: Mr. Winters

Junior Natalee Serwatka races towards the finish line.

Photo courtesy of Lifetouch

*SPORTS*

PAGE 17 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

The Phantom Girls’ Volleyball Team showed an improved record from last year’s PAC record of 0-8, and 3-17. Thanks to the helpful coaching from PAHS Math Teacher Mr. McNaughton, the team managed to achieve

a personal best record of 2-8 in the PAC and 6-16 over-all.

The varsity lineup was a balance of experience and new additions to the team. Freshman Keara Hennessey was setter and seniors Na-talie Dependahl and Cecilia

Bauer were the outside hit-ters. Seniors Mackenzie Smith and Sabrina Hennessey played as middles, while freshman Romina Broglia was

an opposite and junior Tessa Lochetto was the libero. Mr. McNaugh-ton and Ms. Yancik were the team’s coach-es this year. Ms. Yancik had no prior experi-ence with volleyball, but she picked it up easily. Every sports team is not without their strengths and weaknesses. One of this year’s team strengths was having ex-perience, with four seniors who had all previously played at the varsity level. “Our weakness was our inexperience

playing at a higher level in general,” said Coach McNaughton. Most the teams they played against had players who did volleyball year-round.

Bauer and Smith were the team captains, and the other seniors were De-pendahl, Sabrina Hennes-sey, Brandi Hennessy, Jenna Powell, and Kayley Burnett. Responsibilities of the captains include su-pervising and helping with practices, plus making sure the team is ready before a game. The team is in its fourth year now and seems it will continue with growing interest in the sport. Each year the team’s win total has shown improvement as the team grows and develops.

Captain Cecilia Bauer feels that “[The team did] a lot better, considering our record was better than any year we’ve had. This is

probably our best year we’ve had since all our seniors basically started

so after playing for four years we’re at our peak.” A major win for the team was against Owen J. Roberts, which marked their first PAC win ever.

Cecilia Bauer was the team’s greatest asset, ending her year with a respectable .297 kill percentage. Then there’s freshman Romina Broglia, who played on the varsity level de-

spite being in her first year of high school. “I feel very accomplished to play with other girls who are on such a high level and I can’t wait for more years to come and to keep on improving,” she said.

This off-season the team plans on really improving their physical tools, in addition to doing some team bonding activities and fundraisers. Things are setting up for the volleyball team next year, and with continued dedication and effort they’ll reach a new best record once again next season.

Written by: Ben Armstrong

Will the Eagles fly their way to victory this year, or will they miss the playoffs again? Last year the Philadelphia Eagles had a 10-6 record and they finished second in the NFC East Division. Last season they did not do that bad, but still did not make the playoffs.

In the preseason the Eagles were looking good with a three game win streak and one loss, leaving Philly fans feeling confident for the upcoming season. However, the season started off with a two game losing streak.

Now the fans are disappointed because cur-rently they are 4-5 and tied for second with the Redskins.

One big reason for their losses is that the offense is doing terribly and quarterback Sam Bradford is doing awful. His accuracy is off, and passing straight upfield so often does not help much because it makes it him more liable for interceptions. So far he has a total of 10 interceptions. He needs to step up his game a lot if the Eagles want to start winning. Not only did Bradford throw 10 intercep-tions, but he has also been sacked 13 times with four fumbles. With running back LeSean McCoy now on the Bills, the Eagles are left with DeMarco Murray, and Ryan Mathews. Mathews should be the starting running back. He averages 6.1 yards per carry, outplaying Murray. Jordan Matthews, the Eagles’ primary wide receiver, only has two touchdowns and a ligament injury. Rookie Nelson Agholor is out with an ankle injury.

Last Sunday the Eagles played the Miami Dolphins . After the previous week's win against the Cowboys, fans were certain that they would crush the Dolphins, being in last place in their division. However, the Dolphins stunned the Eagles 20-19, leaving fans dis-traught and disappointed. Sam Bradford went out in the third quarter after a hard hit by Chris McCain. Bradford injured his left shoulder and sustained a concussion. Second string quarterback Mark Sanchez threw an interception in the end zone late in the fourth. Talking about throwing the game away, literally. Although Caleb Sturgis made a 37-yard field goal to get the Eagles within a point, if Jones didn't intercept that ball, the Eagles most likely would have won. Bradford had a great start with leading touchdowns in their first two possessions. This was the most points, 16, that the Eagles have had all season

in the first quarter. DeMarco Murray did pretty well, as he ran 61 yards with 22 carries and 6 catches for 58 yards. Ryan Mathews also sustained a concussion in the third quar-ter. This leaves the offense in a bad position with two of their key players out.

The Eagles play the Buccaneers this Sunday at 1 p.m. The Buccaneers have the same exact record as the Eagles, 4-5. I think the Eagles are going to lose this week again because Bradford will not be playing in the game. If the Eagles do happen to win it will make them 5-5 and in second place. No matter what, the Eagles will have to win next Thurs-day against the Detroit Lions. The Lions are horrible at 2-7 and in last place. If the Eagles can go 6-5 it will most likely push them up to first place depending on how the Giants do. I think the Eagles will fly on the road to victory this season and make it to the playoffs this

year.

However, the Eagles need to step their game up a lot if they even want a chance at the Super Bowl. Mark Sanchez, now starting QB, needs to make more precise and on-time throws. Caleb Sturgis, the kicker, can not miss a field goal from 32 yards away. That is unacceptable. Their running game has not been too good either. Mathews being injured does not help at all. De-Marco Murray needs to show what he is made of this Sunday. Other than those few things the Eagles are generally do-

ing well and could even have a chance to win a ring this year for the first time in Eagles’ history!

Written by: Mateo Diaz, Correspondent

The Eagles’ road to victory

PAHS Girls’ Volleyball reaches new heights with improved record

Sabrina Hennessey spikes against Spring-Ford, while Coach McNaughton watches behind her.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Lantzy

Natalie Dependahl prepares to re-ceive the ball while Mackenzie Smith, Cecilia Bauer, and Romina Broglia cover her.

Photos courtesy of Lifetouch

Mackenzie Smith serves the ball.

Linebacker Connor Barwin’s helmet gets knocked off while sacking the Dolphins’ QB.

Mark Sanchez scans the field for someone open.

DeMarco Murray pushes away Neville Hewitt on a run.

ARIES: (March 21 - April 20)

Be very careful this month. Venus and Jupiter are nearing alignment, which means rage and frustration are in store for your future. Be careful to watch your temper because you may unleash a fury of rage upon your acquaintances. You will be able to control this temper by meditating reg-ularly and frequently smelling lemons.

This month: Tell the security guard how nicely he smells.

LIBRA: (September 24 - October 22)

Found within your own star chart, Neptune will align with the sun, bringing a possible chance of sudden and

explosive joy to your close friends and relatives. After all of your sacrifices in your life, you will now experi-ence feelings of tireless ambition. You may also not

want to step on a crack. Rumor is you may break your mother’s back.

This Month: You will wake up with Donald Trump hair.

Taurus: (April 21 - May 21)

Pluto enters your star chart, which means peacefulness, and calmness should be on the way. Be sure to take this mindset and settle any disputes or conflicts in your family or friends’ lives. You should be sure to take advantage of this period by getting a study hall pass, taking a relaxing trip to the library and catching up your reading.

This month: Do not tie your shoes at all on Tuesdays.

GEMINI: (May 22 - June 21)

As Neptune begins to leave your star chart, you will begin to experience happiness as a loved one will make a reappear-ance into your life. Be sure to appreciate this loved one for as long as they stay for they could possibly leave you at any moment of the day. Be sure to tell them what qualities they have that makes them great.

This month: Ride downhill in a shopping cart.

CANCER: (June 22 - July 23)

Jupiter’s moons are in the core of your star chart, mean-ing you will be easily distracted. Be sure to maintain your focus during classes. Be aware of any people that begin to drift into your life because they will be toxic. Keep them out of your life and maintain focus by eating copious vegetables.

This month: Watch continuous amounts of high school fencing competitions.

LEO: (July 24 - August 23)

Your celestial map is getting turned around and every-thing in your life that was consistent will now change and become irregular. Even though at first change may not seem like the best thing, it could actually end up being. So be sure to take this in stride, because change may be for the good.

This month: Use bubble wrap as a pair of shoes this month.

VIRGO: (August 24 - September 23)

The stars will align this month in your star chart, which means you will have a surge of power, strength and speed as you will destroy anyone who decides to block your path. Take advantage of this power because this may not happen again for a while.

This month: Go swimming with a tuba.

SCORPIO: (October 23 - November 21) This month you will truly be in power. Pluto will become a

planet again and align with Neptune, shining a light on

yourself and enveloping you in blinding rage towards

your school staff. You also may experience the feeling of

missing a beloved pet or pet figure, even if you do

not own one.

This month: You will become an addict to MTV Cribs.

SAGITTARIUS: (November 22 - December 21)

From all of your struggles on the past, you will be reward-

ed with Mars aligning with Earth in your star chart, bring-

ing mass amounts of joy and hope into your life. Also, be

on the lookout in case it starts raining breakfast foods

such as pancakes, waffles, eggs and even the

fan favorite, syrup.

This month: Give Mr. Coyne a high five and a firm handshake.

CAPRICORN: (December 22 - January 19)

All planets past Venus will align in your star chart, bringing judgement day upon you and your closest pet. Fortunate-

ly, your ever flowing rays of hope will protect you and your pet. However, if your pet name starts with an “i” or

“o”, they are doomed.

This month: Cut the cheese in public.

AQUARIUS: (January 20 - February 18)

This will be a very hard time for you, as you will face

some of your greatest challenges. You’ve worked hard

for everything you've done and it is time to prove to your

peers that you are a champion. Get ready for a rage in

the cage match on Sunday with John Cena and The Un-

dertaker in a super slam.

This month: Wear crocs going into your local Wegmans.

PISCES: (February 19 - March 20)

From the alignment of Mars, Neptune, and the moon, your star chart will bring you indescribable feelings of love for your local milkman, with a possible chance of free milk. The alignment may also bring you cheese if

you're really nice to the local milkman along with a side of corn puffs for a balanced breakfast.

This month: Brushing your hair will become more of a difficulty than it should be.

PAGE 18 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

BY: Sean McGinnis & Mikey Vargo

PAGE 19 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

Scoring: Add up the number of times you chose each letter, then check your results below.

If you answered mostly A’s... You are the classic Halloweener! This is your favorite holiday and from October 1st to the 31st you are adorned in Halloween decor. You’re that house that

turns the front yard into a local attraction and gives out king-sized candy bars. The TV in your living room is rarely ever switched from ABC Family, and you have the Halloween movie

schedule printed out. No one does Halloween better than you!

If you answered mostly B’s... You are the Avid Football Fan. In your mind, there are only three seasons in the year: preseason, regular season and playoffs. You have your favorite team’s

entire schedule memorized and Buffalo Wild Wings on speed dial. The fall is the most exciting time and you make plans based around the game times. You only wear the colors of your

favorite team and have a shrine dedicated to your favorite player. Fantasy Football is life and you know you will win the $70 jackpot this year.

If you answered mostly C’s... You are the Netflix & Chiller. Eating, sleeping, and binge-watching TV series is the only lifestyle you want to live, especially when the days are getting shorter

and the temperature is dropping. For you, the fall is just pregame for the winter where you plan to hibernate in your bedroom and burn your retinas from the glow of your laptop. While

you are active and social in the summer, autumn is a time to close yourself off from society and become more in touch with TV characters. You develop strong emotions and connections

to actors and feel more heartbroken over fictional deaths and relationship failures than real life tragedies.

If you answered mostly D’s... You are “That Guy.” You are the definition of averagely average and could not care less about what time of year it is. Every day is the same and you are

perfectly okay with that. You put minimal effort into each day and avoid exerting any more energy than necessary. Wow, the trees change colors. So fascinating. Your only real concern is

how you plan to avoid engaging in conversation with estranged relatives at Thanksgiving and how to politely tell your grandma you do not want to eat her cranberry sauce.

If you answered mostly E’s... You are the Turkey Fanatic. You live for food and there is no better time to celebrate the greatest foods to ever exist than in the fall. Thanksgiving is your

version of the New Year and you envision fireworks as soon as you lay eyes on the dinner table. The contents of your plate revolve around the massive pile of mashed potatoes, and

although you like to add as much food as possible, nothing can touch. You have eating Thanksgiving dinner down to a science and no one can tell you otherwise. You have a special pair

of stretchy sweatpants reserved specifically for this meal in order to consume the maximum amount of food.

Which fall personality are you? Scientists have created a series of multiple choice questions

based on everyday activities to most accurately determine your autumn persona. Take this

quiz to find out which category applies to you most.

1) How do you celebrate the first day of fall?

A. Carve a pumpkin while watching “American

Horror Story”

B. Have a football catch

C. Cuddle up in your fave blanket and start a

new TV series on Netflix

D. Nothing. It’s just like any other day.

E. Drink a gallon of apple cider in under three

minutes.

Written by: Kerry Halloran & Erin Morris

2) What is your favorite food?

A. Candy

B. Buffalo Wings

C. Popcorn

D. A slice of white bread

E. A Thanksgiving feast

3) What do you do for fun this time of year?

A. Go trick-or-treating

B. Monitor your fantasy football team

C. Chill

D. Sleep

E. Perfect your favorite mashed potato recipe

4) How do you decorate for fall?

A. Cover the front yard in spooky decorations

B. Hang a flag with the logo of your favorite

football team

C. Put soft blankets EVERYWHERE

D. Why would I decorate for fall?

E. Accent your home with pumpkin, apple pie,

and turkey scented candles

8) What do you do before you go to bed?

A. Eat excessive amounts of candy to induce a

food coma

B. Cry that the Eagles lost again

C. Binge-watch the remaining episodes of your

favorite TV show

D. Floss your teeth

E. Eat cold turkey from last night’s dinner

7) What is your favorite color?

A. Anything glow-in-the-dark

B. Your favorite football team’s colors

C. Red

D) Who cares?

E. Orange, yellow, brown, maroon - festive

autumn colors

6) What do you wear in the fall?

A. Halloween costumes

B. Football jerseys

C. Pajamas

D. A gray hoodie

E. Kitchen apron

5) What do you do when the doorbell rings?

A. Hope it is trick-or-treaters and grab candy to

give out

B. Wait for your friends to invite themselves in

to watch the game

C. Invite them in to watch a scary movie

D. Pretend you didn’t hear it and hope they go

away

E. Pray it is the UPS guy dropping off the new

china you ordered

PAGE 20 THE PURPLE PRESS VOLUME 12 ; ISSUE 2

Keri Marini is a senior here at PAHS. She loves to spend much of her time creating art and stay-

ing active. Keri participates in tennis, winter and spring track & field, and Phantom Ambassa-

dors. In addition, Keri teaches gymnastic classes to kids at the Phoenixville YMCA. This year,

Keri is enrolled in AP Studio Art, Drawing and Painting, and Art History. She enjoys creating art

in a variety of media, and has recently begun to explore her new-found interest in portraiture.

After high school, she plans on attending college to major in Art Education. She currently has a

senior internship at Barkley Elementary and the Phoenixville Area Middle School helping with

the art classes. Keri is excited to share her love of art with younger generations.

Coffee

Longwood Gardens

Embroidered Portrait

Lily Pads

Landscape

Shoe