knight crier 2016 print edition

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INDEX

JUNE 2016

50 First DaysNPSD TurNS 50 iN 2016

The Knight Crier

North PeNN high School - laNSdale, PaFront image courtesy of Lansdale Historical Society

June 2016The KnighT Crier

NEWSNPSd celebrateS 50th aNNiverSary Madison Wiernusz

Over the past 50 years, North Penn School District (NPSD) has only grown. The whole district is currently eighteen schools strong, including thirteen elementary schools, three middle schools, a high school, and an alternative school.

“North Penn School District’s capacity to provide for our students has grown immensely,” shared NPSD Superintendent Dr. Curt Dietrich “As times have changed, so too has our approach to providing the education and the resources.”

Throughout this year, to celebrate all that North Penn has become, the NPSD Educational Foundation and NPSD Alumni Association worked in cooperation to host various events to unite the North Penn community.

“In a lot of different ways, it’s been about celebrating and hosting events that people could really get behind,” remarked NPSD communications supervisor Christine Liberaski.

Since this special year marks a new chapter for the NPSD, it’s the appropriate year to start new traditions. At the beginning of this school year, Knights of Honor was introduced. The program was designed to “recognize [notable North Penn community members, former staff members and alumni] who have made a significant contribution to the school district, community and/or their chosen career, and therefore bring great honor to NPSD”. Recently, an anonymous committee reviewed the nominations and selected five inductees:• June Browne, community member and former NPSD reading specialist• James Finnemeyer, class of 1964, community member, former NPSD teacher and director

of student activities• Stephen Frederick, former NPSD community member, teacher, principal and Marching

Knights Director• Davis Giersch, community member, former NPSD teacher and choral director• J. Michael Haynie, class of 1988, Vice Chancellor of Syracuse UniversityThe inductees will be honored at a ceremony on November 23, 2016. That night, the

Knights of Honor concourse will be unveiled, and it will “serve as an interactive tribute to our honorees today and for years to come.”

Along the lines of new experiences, the Foundation and Alumni Association worked with the Lansdale Historical Society to plan the first ever North Penn painting night. The community was invited to put a unique spin on Vincent Van Goh’s Starry Night panting, for they had the opportunity to paint North Penn under the stars.

Among these new traditions, the older ones have not been lost but rather adapted.

Back in the fall, the school district brought back the classic Thanksgiving Day football game between Lansdale Catholic and North Penn held at North Penn’s own Crawford Stadium. To coincide with the 50th, alumni were invited to play in the game. Each quarter featured a different generation of football players from both of the schools. Even though North Penn couldn’t overcome Lansdale Catholic, it was still a memorable game, especially since it brought back a once popular tradition.

“With the alumni football game in particular, we restarted a fond tradition that we believe will continue to bring the community together for years to come,” explained Dietrich.

The next game will be held on November 24th, 2016– the day following the Knights of Honor induction ceremony. Putting a spin on another great North Penn tradition, instead of hosting the typical Bus to the Future, where community members visit North Penn High School, the district hosted the Bus to the Past. On this bus ride, community members bussed all around the NPSD to visit the elementary, middle, and high schools.

John Strobel, a North Penn graduate, developed the program through and through. He too went along for the ride, sharing key stories along the way that allowed the community members to understand what it took to make the North Penn School District what it is today.

To wrap up the 50th festivities, a birthday party will be held for the school district on July 1, 2016. At the Educational Services Center (ESC), a mural will be unveiled along with a timeline to detail the growth of the school district. Overall, this will be a reminder to all where NPSD has been, where it is, and where it is headed.

Though the Educational Foundation, Alumni Association, and Lansdale Historical Society headed most of the celebration, none of it would have been possible without the cooperation of many volunteers.

“We had a volunteer committee that helped us plan and organize events,” mentioned Liberaski. “That’s what helped make it possible and their support at the events is very much appreciated.”

With the end of this monumental year in sight, all look to the future to catch a glimpse of all of what North Penn has to offer in the future.

“Quality, caring teachers are at the heart of the excellent education we provide and always have been, but how we teach is ever changing,” remarked Dietrich “I am extremely proud that our plans for the coming years, off the heels of our 50th anniversary, are to roll out a technology integration plan that will give our students individual access to laptops while in school and at home. That is surely a huge change for North Penn.”

With that change, the district will surely keep up with the rapidly changing world, and it will surely make the district better than ever before. Here’s to another fifty years, North Penn.

tuNe iNto carl aNd the hamiltoNeS natalie Wright

Talent can be defined as a special natural ability or aptitude that a person possesses. Here at North Penn, there is so much talent flowing around the hallways, and sometimes it goes unnoticed and other times it shines.

Six juniors have let their musical talent shine. They call themselves Carl and The Hamiltones, and their music has been recognized throughout the community. The band plays a variety of Jazz from Big Band Swing to 1970’s Jazz-Fusion. The group is comprised of Carl Hamilton on drums, Aparna Mukerji on keyboard, Zach LaValla on bass, Jimmy Dooling on trumpet, Braden Alderfer on saxophone, and Antonio Magalbaes on guitar.

The members were introduced to their instruments while in fourth grade as they joined their elementary and then middle school jazz bands, under the direction of school faculty, Jeff Miller, Ted Heller, Robert Kennedy, and Dave Orehowsky.

About two years ago, a shared interest in jazz music led to the formation of this band. They begged Penndale Administration to let them play during Penndale’s Blue and White Day. Ever since then, the band practices every Sunday night in a cramped bedroom at Hamilton’s house.

The members all currently play with the North Penn Navy and Columbia Jazz Bands under the direction of Dave DiValentino and Peter Neu. Several members are also mentoring Jordan Wehr’s Gwynedd Square/Inglewood Elementary Jazz Band by attending their practices to work with the students on perfecting their performance skills.

This past summer, the band was booked to perform at the Lansdale Farmers’ Market where they picked up quite a fan base. While strolling around the market, people of all ages stopped by to listen to the music they were playing. Some said that they “added a really nice atmosphere to the market” and others commented that “they were so good, they had people dancing! It’s so cool to see teenaged kids playing the classics like Glenn Miller.”

Prior to their gigs at the Farmers’ Market, Zach LaValla’s father set up a gig for the group to perform in at the Stabler NeuroRehab Center’s Dedication ceremony featuring former U.S. Representative Patrick J. Kennedy.

At their final performance of the season in late September, the band was approached by three businesses inquiring about potential bookings throughout the upcoming months. For starters, Brittany Pointe Estates has booked performances for early 2016 and a local winery is interested in engaging the band for some Saturday evening gigs.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of the musical tradition that I love,” shared bandleader, Carl Hamilton.

June 2016 The KnighT Crier

mikey oScar FiNdS taleNt oN Stage Kee Min

With a sea of people in front of him, Mikey Oscar looks around with a rather nervous glance. He turns to Mr. Daniel Tumolo, his Comprehensive Music Technology (CMT) teacher, who gives him a nod of approval. The guitar riff begins, the drums go off, and Oscar raises the microphone to his lips. He closes his eyes and, with a smile, dives into the song.

“Performing is my key to happiness,” declared Oscar.

The senior musician has had plenty of opportunities to perform in North Penn High School because of his involvement with chorus, his own band, and CMT.

“CMT is comprehensive music technology,” Oscar explained. “It’s a class where you take bunch of kids who play instruments and stuff like

that, put them in the same room, and see what happens. We do a lot of covers and perform at like the winter concert, and at the end of the year, we get to perform in lunchrooms. It’s kind of like the School of Rock and I think it’s one of the coolest things the school does actually.”

Besides his performances with chorus and CMT, Oscar’s band had the opportunity to play at this year’s Winter Ball.

“[Class of 2017 advisor] Mr. [Chris] Frey came up to me about a month prior [to Winter Ball],” remembered Oscar, “and he knew about our band. He came up to me and said ‘listen, I’m really interested in what you guys can do,’ so we tried out.”

“It was the one of the best experiences I’ve ever had show-wise because I can say that my first show with my acoustic band was at North Penn, at Winter Ball. Not many bands can say that and I think it was one of the best opportunities I’ve ever had. Nerve-wracking, but after the first song, it went well.”

Despite his success as a performer, Oscar was a late bloomer.“I didn’t start singing until about two years ago,” explained Oscar. “I was just listening to

the music and I started singing to myself and I could hit the notes that I didn’t think I could. So I started doing more and more and practiced a lot. I started to put myself out there more and it was still nerve wracking but I think it was worth it because I love it now.”

Overcoming his delayed entrance to the world of performance, the senior is not afraid to push himself to be on the stage. He was previously involved in Block Nine, a rap group formed by four North Penn students, and looks forward to continuing perform in his current band, Orvilla. As his reputation and confidence grow, Oscar looks to continue his musical journey beyond high school.

“I actually [had] people come up to me and told me to audition for Berklee and all these other music schools,” laughed Oscar. “Random people were telling me that I should go to college for this. I wasn’t intending on it, but the more I think about it, more people push me to do it. They’re going to push me further than I can ever go myself. Them telling me that I should do that, to me, is a sign that I should put myself out there more. I want to pursue this as long as I can, no matter what it takes, [no matter] how much money I have to spend, I don’t care.”

Through it all, Oscar has kept his focus.“My goal as a singer is to make people happy. I’ve been told I make people happy when I

sing, and that makes me happy to know that.”“I think performing just takes me out of the comfort zone. Nowadays, people are focused

on homework and school work, but when I’m on stage, with a microphone, or when I’m singing in general, it takes me away from being a nobody to somebody.”

However, perhaps the biggest fans of Oscar are also some of the biggest motivations that drive Oscar to continue to pursue his goal.“My father was also a musician,” commented Oscar, “but he never got as far as I did. He keeps pushing me. He told me the other night that he was proud of me and just told me to keep going. I love all my supports from my friends and family. Just last month, I’ve gotten so much support from random people who would come up to me and say things to me. If it wasn’t for those supporters, this wouldn’t have happened.”

With eye oN techNology, bauer lookS to Future aFter FirSt year aS PriNciPal steph Krane

Todd Bauer is not scared of change. By the end of his first year as principal of North Penn High School, this statement should not come as a shock to students, teachers, and Bauer’s fellow administrators, all of whom have felt the impact of an ambitious new principal who is determined the change the culture of a building within five years. From giving the green light for the SGA to hold its first annual MiniThon to increasing the presence of technology in the classroom, rare is the person who spends time in the building and does not notice at least one change from previous years.

For Bauer, that means that, so far, everything is going to plan. “They say that trying to change a culture takes five years; I think we’re more than 20 percent

of the way there,” Bauer said in a mid-May interview. “I can walk around the building right now and I believe that there’s a drastic change from September until now. People might not see it because it’s been gradual, but I really believe that we’ve been making some progress.”

While most of his changes have taken place behind the scenes, Bauer also takes pride in fulfilling the ceremonial part of his duties. Whether on the sidelines of football games every other Friday night in fall (alternating with his schedule of weekly doctorate courses) or on stage for a brief cameo in the spring musical Once Upon A Mattress, the new principal has established himself as a presence in the high school community. But after just one year, it has become clear that Bauer’s legacy will be more than that of attending after school events.

During the 2015-16 school year, both teachers and students noticed a push towards the increased use of technology in the classroom. Already this year, there have been multiple faculty seminars dedicated to encouraging the use of internet-based learning programs in all subjects, from math to gym classes. Many students have logged in to and used Google Classroom, software that helps bring instruction closer to the one-to-one ratio that is the ultimate goal of educators.

“My goal from the start of year was to increase student engagement. I believe that learning now is a participatory culture; kids need to engage in their learning,” Bauer stated. “[The material is] not something that is spoon fed to [students] anymore and [they] sit there and learn from a lecture. I want kids to be engaged. I heard someone use the metaphor the other day that you need to let kids play in their playground. Students are comfortable with technology and they’re engaged by technology- just walk through the hallway and look at everybody on their cell phones. I believe that we need to meet students where they are and leverage their learning according to technology.”

Bauer is not alone in his goal of moving towards a more digital based classroom environment. Next year, all district middle school students will be provided with their own personal laptop for classroom use.

“I think that [the year after that] every student in [the high school] will have a laptop they are carrying around,” said Bauer. “That is certainly representative of higher learning… in college, you sit down in class and everybody opens their laptop. It’s not enough about putting computers in kid’s hands… you need to work with teachers to help utilize technology through Google Classroom and web based learning. You don’t go to college now and not use an online platform such as Campus or Blackboard, and I think we’re in a better place now than we were in September for getting students ready for that.”

In addition to changing the way technology is used, Bauer is also continuing to change the way the Home Office system is run. Beginning the 2016-2017 school year, there will be three Home Offices organized by grade, as opposed to the current system of five Home Offices assigned to students alphabetically. Bauer is also looking into changing the current ninth period system.

“I absolutely see the purpose in ninth period, and I think it’s valuable, but I have to wonder if there’s a better way we can do it,” he said.

For all his high ambitions, though, Bauer has not lost sight of the reason for all of these changes: the students.

“One of my goals is to make a student’s day every day, even if it’s just one kid,” he said.That focus on individual attention, whether in person or through the use of technology, is

turning out to be a cornerstone of the Bauer administration. “We certainly have a long ways to go,” Bauer admitted, “but I want [North Penn] to be

a place where kids want to go to school and have fun while learning and doing [activities outside of the classroom], and I think we’re headed in the right direction.”


Sarah boWer gettiNg Schooled iN rocktyra gWalthney

Between school, work, homework, and friends, it is understandable why some people don’t get very involved in our school and in our community. For North Penn junior Sarah Bower, however, that is definitely not the case.

On top of seven hour school days, Bower juggles North Penn chorus, women’s choir, the musicals, plays, and thespians, where she is the visual coordinator. That is just her in school activities.

Outside of school, Bower is a member of the School of Rock in Fort Washington; there she plays keyboard, bass guitar, and sings.

“I started theater when I was four, mainly because my mom wanted me to try everything as a child,” said Bower, “I started Theater and Kids camp when I was five. My first play I was the lead in Little Red Riding Hood, and I remember being scared of messing up in front of the parents.”

She performed in her first musical when she was in 3rd grade called Dear Edwina. She started keyboard and singing lessons when she was seven, but had a hiatus until she picked them up again when she was ten. She started bass guitar lessons when she was eleven.

She started her School of Rock in fifth grade because of family friends, especially her mother who thought she would excel because she was never afraid to be on stage.

Bower is a part of School of Rock’s regular program and the house band that includes 15-20 auditioned kids who perform around the community. The group also goes on a weeklong tour in the summer. Last year, the band traveled to New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont.

“From then on, I got more involved in theater at different programs around my community. I fell in love with being on stage and all of the friends I made who enjoy it as well.”

Since she started at the high school, Bower has been a part of Once in a Lifetime, Titanic, As You Like It, and Once Upon a Mattress.

“Theater has helped me improve on my public speaking and talking to people in general. Being in theater has made me more comfortable in my skin. It’s been a great outlet for me to show my emotion, and find people that are just like me,” said Bower.

Trying to keep all of these activities straight would make anyone’s head spin, but Bower

has learned one of the most valuable lessons you can acquire in high school: time management.

“My School of Rock program understands when I occasionally have to miss a lesson or rehearsal due to play practices or choir rehearsals/performances. They always find ways to work around it to try to find times that are more convenient for me. Between all of that and balancing school work, that’s where it gets a little tough. Some nights are better than others yet I always find a way to make sure I get all of my homework done. High school is definitely a great way to develop good time management skills.”

As for Sarah’s future after high school, music is definitely going to be a part of her life.“Honestly, now, I’m leaning towards music performance or music education,” remarked

Bower “My music teachers have made such an impact on my life personally and musically that I would love to do that for others. I also love kids, and want to do music for the rest of my life, and those occupations seem like a good way to incorporate both.”

It is never too late to get involved in school. If you are thinking about joining any theater clubs or musicals, as scary as it may be, Sarah can assure that it is well worth it.

“If you’re looking to get involved at the high school, the music and theater programs are the best place to start. They are all such welcoming and fun loving people. When you audition for the select groups, the directors understand that you may be nervous, but just remain as calm as you can and do your very best because at the end of the day, that’s all you really can do. When starting an instrument you may have to go through a couple before you figure out which one is good for you, but once you find “your” instrument, you will fall in love. The biggest advice I can give for that is to stay with it, practice hard, and try your hardest. Picking up an instrument is hard and all you need is time and motivation.”

eNtrePreNeur Peter laureNS takiNg big StePS iN the buSiNeSS World Cydney lee

Sneakerhead culture has been booming since the mid-80s when the infamous Air Jordan line of shoes was released as hip-hop music began to evolve. The upsurge of these signature basketball sneakers became relevant amongst sneaker collectors, while the hip-hop movement gave them their street cred and inspired a variety of colorways and designs. But besides looking good on foot, an extensive sneaker collection can also look good to your bank account.

North Penn senior, Peter Laurens, turned his love for sneakers into a lucrative business.

“When I was fourteen or fifteen, I wanted more money to buy shoes and I was looking at shoes that I wanted on eBay and they were four or five hundred bucks, but that wasn’t going to fly with just mowing the lawn anymore,” expressed Laurens. “I originally looked into getting just a regular part-time job, applied to a couple [but] never heard back. So I decided to start buying and seeing what would happen if I tried to sell [the sneakers] after on eBay.”

After a few failures, Laurens soon began to learn the ropes of sneaker-buying and reselling.“I failed a couple of times definitely, but once I started to figure out what shoes to get, how

to get them, what they went for, and the whole process, I realized that it was a valid business idea,” said Laurens.

Starting off as a hobby, he soon turned his passion for sneaker-collecting into a legitimate business and is now an entrepreneur at the mere age of seventeen. Laurens is the proud owner of Established III, an “all-in-one web store that offers the hottest footwear” in brands including: Jordan, Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, and Asics. Not only does he sell footwear, he also sells the latest apparel, accessories, video games, and other “gizmos”. Established III is completely registered as well.

“[My parents] are definitely very supportive” he said. “I’ve proven to them that it’s a valid, legitimate business. At first they were like ‘what are you talking about?’, but after a couple of sales they caught on and now they’re very supportive. They help me with releases when I’m in school, stuff like that. I do have some close friends that I kind of work with [as well].”

Not only is Laurens an entrepreneur, he is also has a key role in North Penn’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) here at North Penn.

“I’m currently president of FBLA. Last year I was co-treasurer and this year I decided to take up the president spot to help lead the club.”

Much of Laurens’s business knowledge comes from his involvement in FBLA. Despite not advancing in the regional competition, Laurens submitted his business to the national level where he, along with a dozen other North Penn students, traveled to Chicago, IL to present at The Launch Pad at the national leadership conference last summer.

“There [were] twenty-five businesses, including myself,” explains Laurens “[and] we had to create a presentation describing our business [and] some of our numbers. We pitched our business to some current business leaders [who] were either current entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs and after that they asked us some questions. [We] then got to go around to different mentors and ask them current problems that we’re facing with our business.”

These experiences allowed Laurens to learn about practicality and different techniques on how to legitimize his business. Since then, he believes that Established III has vamped up into a legitimate business considering its current registered status.

This fall, Laurens plans to attend Temple University to study marketing. As for the future of Established III, Laurens is considering transferring it back into a hobby when he goes to college.


For kyle kucaS, hiS hobby aNd PaSSioN iS No bull Madi peyton

For most, eight seconds is about how much time it takes to check a phone or answer an easy multiple choice question. But not for Kyle Kucas; these eight seconds are spent gripping for dear life on the back of 3,300 pound bull.

Kucas started off as an observer, far from the physical aspect of rodeos. Watching his friends who competed in these events became the gateway for Kyle’s newly found pastime.

“Two of my buddies used to ride bulls and I liked watching them. A couple of them wrestled steers and what not so I just started going over there and helping out. It was really fun so I decided to try it myself,” Kucas explained.

A two year vet to the rodeo world, Kucas wasn’t always the confident rider he is today. His first time was a bit nerve-wracking but he had no problem hitching himself up on the bull.

“I was pretty scared,” Kucas admitted. “A lot of my friends said that they day you’re not afraid to get on a bull is the day yoursz_img_1953 should stop riding. So I mean I was a bit nervous but I kinda cowboyed up and went on and got him rode.”

Ever since bull riding has become a dedicated venture for Kucas. Naturally, his parents support him in his endeavor but not without some fear from an anxious mother.

“My dad thinks it’s cool,” said Kucas, “but my mom’s nervous about it. She films me so she always says it’s happening through the camera lens, so it’s on TV it’s not actually happening.”

In the future, Kucas hopes to become more actively involved in competitions for Professional

Bull Riding or PBR, consisting of eight events: All- Around, Bull Riding, Bare Back Riding, Team Roping, Tie Down Roping, Steer Wrestling, Saddle Bronc Riding, and Barrel Racing.

“I only compete in Bull Riding and Steer Wrestling. Right now I’m starting to rope but not competing with that yet.”

Throughout his training, Kyle has spent countless hours on perfecting his riding and wrestling, with a current record of 5.10 seconds on a bull. Even though he has seen his fair share of the ground, getting back up and going at it again speaks for his determination.

“It definitely takes time to get the techniques down. You need to really pursue it. You won’t get your eight seconds on the bull without practice. I go to New Jersey every other Sunday to this bull riding school, Luck of the Drawl. Pretty much I just get on his bulls and ride them all day,” Kucas explained.

Being up close and personal with animals that weigh close to a ton has its dangers. In hopes to avoid injury, Kyle makes it a priority to have on proper riding gear in the arena.

“They’re just starting to come out with a helmet made for bull riders. Right now I’m just using a regular hockey helmet and of course chaps. I also wear this TK vest which is hard plastic in the front and back so that if the bulls step on me they just kind of slide right off.”

Even with these safety precautions, however, Kucas has had his fair share of scuffs with the bulls. Having had “a broken hip, two concussions, a broken wrist, and a dislocated finger,” he has faced various injuries but still continues to pursue his passion.

“Right now it’s just a hobby and I have fun doing it. For the future I do want to own my own dairy farm.”

Whether it’s practicing or competing, Kyle Kucas is one busy rodeo guy. During the school day, he is one of the 3,000 other back pack toting students. But at night, he is Cowboy Kyle: trading algebra and biology for bulls and steers.

NP Jazz baNd takeS taleNt to the birthPlace oF Jazz aNd blueS tyra gWalthney

The North Penn Jazz band recently had the unique opportunity to travel to America’s birthplace of jazz and blues: New Orleans.

Conducted by middle school band teacher David DiValentino, the group had the honor of performing alongside big names in jazz at the annual Jazz Festival.

“In May of 2015, the band won the Steel Stacks jazz band showcase in Bethlehem, and we were afforded the opportunity to open up for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band,” explained DiValentino. “The leader of that band, Gregory Davis, also books acts for the New Orleans jazz fest. He invited the band to play as the first high school band from outside of New Orleans to ever perform at the festival.”

On Thursday, April 28th, the Jazz band took to one of the ten stages the festival had arranged. The group performed “an hour set, including eleven songs, on the Zatarain’s/WWOZ Jazz Tent” in front of a crowd of almost 800.

“Looking out and seeing all of the people in the crowd was like ‘wow, we’re actually performing in front of that many people.’ It was amazing,” remarked senior jazz band member

Andrew Mikida.Aside from the festival itself, the band also held a collaborative concert with NOCCA, a

local New Orleans creative arts high school. The two schools performed for each other and then played a few tunes together.

Before any of their performances, the band had plenty of time to explore the historic town of New Orleans. They truly took advantage of every opportunity, and that made it a truly fulfilling trip.

Although it is unknown whether or not the band will be asked to perform there again, this year’s trip was one that none of the members or DiValentino will ever forget.

“We were able to take a few tours around the city including the French Quarter, Louis Armstrong Park and Congo Square, and Jackson Square. This is one of the oldest cities in America and the birthplace of jazz and blues in America. We all were able to hear a concert at Preservation Hall, which is one of the oldest jazz venues in the country. We visited the WWII museum, which was astonishing, and we also took a jazz dinner cruise on the

Mississippi River. We were able to see many live musicians performing at various locations, and our students actually sat in and played with some of them. The students were able to hear professional musicians from all over the world, as well as immerse themselves in the food and culture of New Orleans. The trip was truly inspirational.”

“Looking out and seeing all of the people in the crowd was like ‘wow, we’re actually performing in front of

that many people.”


luNchtime aNd loNg liNeS: my day aS a caFeteria Worker Madison Wiernusz

There’s no word other than overwhelming to describe the feeling that comes over a person when a herd of hungry high school students starts forming long lines in the cafeteria.

I experienced this firsthand, for I had the opportunity to see the cafeteria from the other side of the lunch line. Instead of being served lunch, I was serving lunch to my peers.

I discovered that the North Penn High School cafeteria can be best described as organized chaos because workers are

constantly moving around trying to do their job as fast and efficiently as possible. Standing around is a rarity in that kitchen because there is always something to do, from filling to cleaning, from the start of lunches to the end.

Willa Walters, a NPHS food service employee, understands the importance of their routine, saying that “it’s all a puzzle that comes together in the end. Everyone just has to do their job.”

As Bonnie Carter, a NPSD substitute cafeteria worker, put the chicken tenders on the tray, I scooped six pierogies on to the tray. I also served the green beans to the students upon request.

At the start of the school day, only a handful of cafeteria employees are in the kitchen, including Carol Begley, manager of the NPHS kitchen. Begley oversees the cafeteria from breakfast to lunch, assuring that everything is prepared for the colossal amount of students.

Third period, before the lunchtime rush, more employees arrive, and it’s all hands on deck. Someone is preparing the food, someone is stocking the juices and milks, someone is stacking trays, and overall everyone is doing something to help out. Throughout my time in the kitchen, Bonnie Carter, one of NPSD’s substitute cafeteria workers, acted as my mentor as we worked as a team to provide lunch. While she managed the chicken tenders, my job was to scoop exactly six pierogies onto each tray and at the same time keep track of the green beans.

To me, this tasked seemed pretty manageable since I have experience from my time working behind the deli at Wawa. I figured that if I could handle the summertime Saturday lunch rush, then I could handle this responsibility. Once the students started to roll in for lunch, though, it was a whole other story. Suddenly, I felt like I wasn’t moving fast enough.

Carter assured me though that I would “get used to the fast paced environment soon enough,” but I still felt like everything just kept moving.

After the first lunch period, I thought I would have a second to catch my breath, but it was quite the opposite. I prep as much as I could before the next lunch.

Soon enough, it was then time for the next rush of students, and the process began all over again. As each period went by, I found myself getting used to my role in the kitchen; however, by no means did the job get much easier. I was stressed because I constantly felt like I was holding up the line. But, there was always someone around to help me out because everyone was always asking to see if I needed anything.

The whole staff was genuinely nice to one another, it created a positive workplace. My temporary co-workers definitely made the job enjoyable.

By the time all of the students were fed, I was hot, sweaty, and tired. I could not even begin to imagine what it is like managing that line alone because I discovered that it definitely requires some intense concentration and skill.

The final part of my job was cleaning up the kitchen so that it was ready for the next day. As I washed the counters and swept the floors, the only thing that I could think was that teenagers are very messy. It took me about fifteen minutes to sweep just my side of the lunch line.

According to the staff, the line is left messy almost every day. Most students are not mindful when going through the line, so if something drops, they have no clue. Other students, however, intentionally make a mess, especially with the bent silverware, in an effort to be funny.

“Most students are not appreciative of the work that gets done back here,” said Begley, who has witnessed rowdy students in lunch line before.

Whether or not it’s intentional, it’s the cafeteria staff who are left to clean up the students’ messes. Students need to be more aware and respectful when going through the lunch line because, overall, it is just not fair to the staff. If anything, the students should be making their job easier,not harder.

“The [students] are usually more interested in what’s on their phone or in their earbuds than what I am serving,” said Carter.

This was made obvious from behind the counter because the common trend among the students was to grab a tray without making eye contact or saying ‘please’, ‘thank you’, or ‘have a good day’. It was annoying to witness this because I experienced firsthand how hard everyone works to make the lunch happen. I know that the workers deserve more than nothing from the students.

Not every student contributed to this trend, however; in each lunch there were a handful of appreciative students.

If more students had the opportunity to witness all of the hard work that is put in behind the scenes on a daily basis in order to make lunch possible, then there would most definitely be a new found appreciation for the cafeteria staff.

But, students should not need to see the work in order to be appreciative. All students that pass through the lunch line should automatically smile or say ‘hello’ to the workers because any support from the students helps the staff help each other. I can assure that it will make their day just a little bit better.

JeFFrieS, deviNe homecomiNg royalty Madi peyton

North Penn’s spirit didn’t fail to shine bright on Friday, October 9th for the annual Homecoming festivities, even though rain and a tornado warning started off the evening.

Back for the fifth year, the Pregame Party was hosted by the Student Government Association (SGA) for students to come out and get pumped for the Homecoming football game. With music, cookie corner cookies, and food catered by Cav’s, the event proved to be popular among students, despite being held in the cafeteria instead of the usual courtyard venue.

“I really like the music and the games. I’m having a lot of fun supporting the North Penn team,” said senior Bryce O’Dell.

Uniting a school of over 3,000 students posed no problem for the SGA.“The hardest part is getting the message out to students but this year I really think we did a

good job getting the word out via social media,” Solomon commented. “We always appreciate the people that come out and we know that they have a good time. The rain hit us hard at the beginning but we just moved things inside and I really think that sometimes helps unites people since they are all together in one place.”

After the Pregame Party, students filed into Crawford Stadium to await the big half time reveal of the 2015-2016 Homecoming King and Queen. The stands were filled with students, families, and alumni alike to partake in this traditional North Penn event.

Katie Solomon and fellow SGA member, Katie Swanson, introduced the Homecoming Court as each member made their entrance on the field dressed to the nines. Jake Bell and Hannah Alexander took second runner up for King and Queen, while Owen Nakatani and Dominique Mosley took first runner up.

Taking the crowns for Homecoming King and Queen were Chris Jeffries and Jamie Devine. “It feels great to be in front of 3,000 students, I can’t even describe it. I feel blessed.” King

Chris Jeffries said while proudly sporting his North Penn Football jersey.“This is so overwhelming. It’s

a great feeling to be recognized. I just want to thank everyone who voted. I think everyone deserves to feel special and dress up, and I’m just really happy right now,” said Queen Jamie Devine.

Following the crowning was a victory for the Knights Football team over Souderton with a score of 39-14. Overall, October 9th began and ended with North Penn spirit, showing the true meaning of Homecoming.


EDITORIAL

iS trumP really the SmarteSt iN the room?Kate Knab

Among other things, Donald Trump is undeniably a business man. He’s also loud, sometimes rude, and most definitely not “politically correct.” For most of his campaign trail, it would appear that way too. In the turbulent wake of rash statements and seemingly questionable policies, Trump’s name has inadvertently become synonymous with the heated discussions of Republican debates, and confrontational is decidedly not

an ideal trait when running for president. So why are his numbers in the polls only going up?For any business man, the most important key to success is the knowledge that he’s the

smartest person in the room. Smart people know how to get what they want, but so far, Trump has the country convinced he’s just a conservative with more than enough means to put his money where his mouth is. But depending on the lens his policies are looked through, there’s actually a method to Trump’s madness. Leading a country takes much more than a pretty face; Warren G. Harding’s term as president is proof of that. But as Trump has yet to put on any presidential airs, he’s going to have to rely on what he’s good at, and that has always been business.

Throughout his campaign, he has made statements that suggesting all Muslims be banned from entering the United Sates. On the surface, it’s an outrageous, racist statement to make, and the media wasted no time in telling him so. But shift gears for a moment to consider the concept of negotiation. There’s a really nice motorcycle for sale, gently used but functional enough to provide a thrill. It’s for sale, but at a ridiculously high price. However, there’s a phone number inscribed as well, an open invitation to try a hand at negotiation. After talking to the family who owns the bike, the buyer is able to lower the price. The family makes some extra cash while the buyer walks away feeling rewarded with his new motorcycle. Everyone leaves satisfied. The seller is Trump, making his demands at an exorbitant level. The buyer is the American public who want nothing more than to rein Trump in, but yet – they like the concept of owning a motorcycle, only more so on their terms and a little less on the seller’s.

Trump is an American, and as an American, he is familiar with the First Amendment which details the freedom to practice any religion. To ban practitioners of Islam would be an egregious violation of the constitution, and close to, if not impossible, to accomplish. Consider that perhaps Trump doesn’t want to actually ban every Muslim. Or even if he wants to, he knows that he can’t. Instead of starting out reasonable, he chooses to negotiate, decreasing the risk that comes with beginning on middle ground; that is to say, no progress would be made towards defeating terrorism because each push on Trump’s part would equal shoves of protest from the American people.

And what of this great wall meant to be the ultimate panacea for illegal immigration? Based on Trump’s previous remarks, it’s fair to assume that he means a literal wall to rival that of China’s. But assuming Trump is still the smartest person in the room, he also still has more cards up his sleeve. The immigration wall doesn’t necessarily have to manifest itself in the form of a physical blockade, rather a firewall of sorts – it’s not visible, yet it protects hard drives from viruses. In other words, border control can be tightened, tracked, and closely enforced.

Above all, Trump’s loud mouth does grant him one thing: people will always listen. Even if citizens do not necessarily agree with all that Trump brings to the platform, he voices the concerns of the average person on topics that have kept politically correct candidates otherwise mute. Trump knows that a stagnant economy is doomed, just as America will be should it continue under the same policies. He stands for action, and though unfortunately bombastic in his delivery, he offers the strategies and has the motives to point American in a different direction. As mentioned before, the business world is Trump’s ideal playground, but most would argue that the real world cannot be run as one giant negotiation. The interesting thing about Trump’s campaign is he’s proving that just maybe it can be. “Making America great again” is surely no small task, but Trump is proving to be a very big contender.

claSSroom eNviroNmeNt StiFleS creativitydevin Welsh

Is it not a primary goal of education to take what is taught in school and apply it to the outside world? Most people who have been in a middle school or high school classroom have heard the phrase ‘when are we ever going to use this in the real world,’ muttered harshly under the breath of a frustrated student or mutinously shouted in front of the class, often to the dismay of the teacher. That question, though it may be dismissed quickly by the teacher via loosely connected ‘real world examples’, is not one that should be overlooked.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, imagination (n.) is creative ability; the ability to confront and deal with a problem; the thinking or active mind. Ideally, imagination by that definition is something that should be promoted daily in education, especially in a country like the U.S. that lauds and even idolizes the innovative minds of people such as Apple co-founder and Pixar pioneer Steve Jobs. The youth should be instructed to innovate and learn to think for themselves, rather than simply memorize the required information to perform well on tests. Too often, however, students that are part of an education system based largely, if not entirely, around points and grade point averages may lose sight of that primary goal of education.

Patti Kinsey, an English teacher at North Penn, has taught her fair share of students during her lengthy teaching career and has witnessed a shift in education. “One of the things that I think we’re missing in education, is that we’ve changed the focus,” said Kinsey. “And we’ve changed the focus more to extrinsic motivation rather than intrinsic motivation. Education for a lot of kids has been like this series of jumping through hoops to get these external rewards.”

Take, for example, a multiple choice test (which in hindsight should’ve been called a limited choice test, but that’s an editorial for a different day). Students are conditioned to absorb the information provided by the teacher quickly so that it can be recalled, regurgitated, and forgotten by the time the test is over. The multiple-choice format leaves little room for alternate, yet equally correct thought processes, and often forces the test-taker to choose the best option, without allowing him or her to explain why the answer is truly best. While it is true that on many occasions there is no discrepancy between the given choices, the multiple-choice format essentially limits options.

According to a study conducted by Professor Kathrin Stanger-Hall of University of Georgia and published on the site of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (the entire study including all statistical results can be found on the site), there is significant evidence that points to the hinderance of multiple-choice testing.

“The purpose of this study was to assess whether a multiple-choice-only exam format might hinder the development of higher-level (critical) thinking skills in introductory science students. The answer is a convincing yes,” she said emphatically.

This issue is present even in our very own North Penn High School. Students are rewarded with being able to score well on tests rather than being praised to absorb and apply the information. If a student achieves an ‘A’ average in every marking period in a class that has a final exam, they have the ability to exempt themselves from it, therefore removing the responsibility to actually learn the information taught in the course. However, there has been talk of abolishing the final exam exemption policy, presumably for that very reason.

“Education is learning to think independently, learning to own the material,” Kinsey adds.Knowing how to properly take a test is not something to bat an eye at though, it will

help students progress from secondary education to higher learning. But if the student is taught that there is a reward for simply holding onto information long enough to ace the test, there isn’t enough pressure to actually learn the information so that it may be applied to something useful. The American education system would do well to incentivize more creative, less direct forms of teaching the youth, promoting innovation, rather than continue to manufacture multiple-choice-test-taking robots.


demarteleire’S 500th career victory Kee Min

When the North Penn Girls’ Basketball team came out victorious against Garnet Valley, 62-44, it was more than just another late season victory: the team’s 26th victory of the season marked coach Maggie deMarteleire’s 500th career win.

Junior Jess Huber paced the team with 18 points, including four three-pointers, while senior Mikaela Giuliani came up big and put up 12 points while coming up with five steals. The Lady Knights started off slow, laboring to a 13-8 lead after a first quarter full of sloppy plays and turnovers. Both teams struggled to keep possession of the ball, but neither team could capitalize on other side’s mistakes.

However, North Penn woke up in second quarter, pouring in 23 points to finish the half with a 17 point lead. Huber and fellow junior Sam Carangi combined for 15 points to propel the Lady Knights to a big lead.

“I think our defense starts everything,” explained Huber. “So our defense started it off and our offense was fueled from the defense.”

Once they took the lead, the team never looked back, finishing off the Lady Cougars 62-44.“I thought we executed the game plan really well,” said Huber. “It was the determination

that led to our win.”“I’m really excited,” added Giuliani. “We came in here and we did exactly what we wanted

to do. Everyone played together and we played really well so it was a good win.”

While NP dominated the game, deMarteleire pointed out that the team could always improve.“We had a lot of turnovers for the whole game,” stated deMarteleire. “We are going to need

to clean that up.”In a previous meeting between these two teams this season, the Lady Knights were the

victors, winning by 34 points. This, however, did not affect the team heading into the game.“We don’t like to think about the games in the past,” Giuliani noted. “You never know how

the team’s going to play.”After the game, the celebration ensued and deMarteleire was honored by

her team and the community for her 500th career win. She was presented with balloons and a collage of pictures from her team.

“I’m pretty emotional,” laughed deMarteleire, “for all the support and stuff. It’s really nice.”

The NP coach was embraced by many members of the community who attended the game. Despite being overwhelmed by the crowd for her individual milestone, she did not forget to credit her partners through her journey.

“I coached a lot of great kids, and it’s all because of them,” praised deMarteleire, “and my husband has been a wonderful support and I would not

have done this without him.”Her players also had no shortage of praise for their coach.“She’s a great coach,” declared Huber. “She’s one of the best coaches I had and she really

cares about you. She really wants you to succeed as an individual and a team,” said Huber.“I am honored to have had her as a coach for past four years,” Giuliani weighed in, “and it’s

really exciting to be able to experience this with her.”

aS Society becomeS ‘tech-dePeNdeNt,’ School techNology iNcreaSeSMiKaela Mosley

Technology plays a big part in millions of lives, as, according to Daily Mail, the average person spends 8 hours and 41 minutes per day on electronic devices. It’s biggest influence seems to be with teenagers who are in school six hours a day.

At North Penn High school, technology plays a large role in the daily agendas of almost all of its 3,000 students. Each morning, droves of students pour into the library, and most, if not all, are using the computers.

“In February, when there were only 20 days of school, we averaged 870 students per day and 17,400 students for the month. Last year, over 97,000 students visited the Independent Media Center (IMC) and we hope to have over 100,000 visits this school year,” explained librarian Mrs. Stormy Vogel.

Having access to the technology in the library and the knowledge of how it all works contributes to students’ abilities to master tasks much easier. Multiple studies show that having access to technology increases motivation and self-esteem, technical skills, accomplishments of more complex tasks, and more collaboration with peers.

“The overall effect of having technology in the library is the ability for anyone to access information at any time,” said Vogel “Students and teachers now rely on technology for teaching and learning. Much of the information the library offers is through electronic resources (databases, ebooks, websites, etc.) It is important that libraries offer these resources.”

The library has become a crucial part of the high school, as students come to use many different resources that the library offers.

“It is important to have technology in school so that we can teach students how to use it. Locating, accessing, evaluating and synthesizing information is critical to learning. Some students may not have access to electronic information outside of school, so it is important that they are able to access information while they are in school,” Vogel added.

Technology is a necessity in highly visited places like the library and in more interactive places like the

classroom.“One of the purposes of technology is to make a task more efficient or effective, and that

applies to tasks in English class as well,” shared North Penn English teacher, Mrs. Lisa Lawler informed “Some of my students use technology to communicate with one another about their writing and to gain peer feedback. Students use my website to download documents or access resources. Online databases help students gain access much more quickly to literary criticism, and the internet can be a wonderful source of information about grammar, writing, history, etc. Technology can help engage students in review games and activities and allow students to interact with one another and share discussions about literature or writing beyond the classroom and school day. There are many ways to use technology to aid communication and knowledge, and I think if used for that purpose, it is always effective.”

In addition, technology in places you wouldn’t expect as much like the health classes have become a big help as pertains to feedback and grading.

“One of my favorite ways that the technology use in health has benefitted me as a teacher is when students are taking an assessment. Students receive instant feedback on each question, and students can easily monitor their progress and grade after every question,” Health and physical education teacher, Mrs. Kathryn Grunmeier commented. “In the past, students would typically have to wait for me to grade tests and wait until the next class period to go over answers and explanations, but now with the instant feedback and explanations, there is

no waiting and class time is also saved.”Overall, technology is a necessity to have in and

out of school, for it provides a way to expand people’s communication and knowledge of the world around them.

As information and intellectual exchange have become almost instant, students can use ever changing technology to interact with other students anywhere in the world which aids in the students engagement at all times.

“Our society is becoming more technology-dependent, so I definitely believe it is necessary to help prepare students for real world applications,” Grunmeier added “Kids are constantly hooked to the latest apps and trends, so for us teachers to incorporate different ways of learning and engaging our students is imperative. Students are more interested when there is a new or different way of learning or assessing information.”

“I’m pretty emotional,” laughed deMarteleire, “for all the support and

stuff. It’s really nice.”


NP SayS goodkNight to Pediatric caNcerMadison Wiernusz

From the Dab to the Whip to the Quan, North Penn students pulled out all of their best dance moves as they danced the night away for the kids at North Penn’s first ever mini-Thon.

Since October, the North Penn Student Government Association (SGA), headed by president Katie Solomon, has been working tirelessly in cooperation with the Four Diamonds association to properly plan and execute mini-Thon. The group split into event chairs and six different committees – entertainment, PR an social media, morale and spirit, finance, sponsors and hospitality, and special events – in order to spread out the duties and get everything accomplished as efficiently as possible.

The students were overseen by SGA advisers and North Penn teachers Kyle Berger and Amy Young, but ultimately the students organized everything on their own.

“This event from the beginning was completely student run. A lot of events at North Penn are run by the students, but the advisers have their hands in it from the beginning,” explained Berger “We let the leadership team just kind of run with it. They took care of every detail, and from October to now, they put in a lot of work.”

To kick off the evening, before officially standing up, the students heard from the associate director of the Four Diamonds association, Leigh Anna Hilbert. She explained the formation and mission of Four Diamonds, shared the stories of some families whom the organization has helped, and thanked North Penn for hosting such an impactful event.

North Penn alumni, currently Penn State University students, also spoke at the beginning, including Nicole Garritt (’14), Jenny Apple (’13), Derek Viscusi (’12), and Colleen Wood (’12). Each one explained their participation in Penn State’s Thon, talking about their respective committees and some of the sick children and their families whom they’ve had the privilege of helping.

“It was touching to hear stories of fighters,” remarked senior mini-Thon participant Jessica Phillips “It was heartwarming to know that our money raised will go to children and families who need it most.”

After the opening remarks, the event was carefully scheduled with mostly dancing, including an original line dance every hour on the hour. The night was broken up, though, with various games that pitted students of different grades against each other. Some of the activities included ‘Don’t forget the lyrics’ (similar to a riff-off), volleyball, dodgeball, and mat ball.

“For me personally, getting to run the line dance with my fellow captains and committee members was amazing, and we had so much fun creating the dance and showing everyone,” said Madi Peyton, one of three captains of the spirit and morale committee.

In between all of the dancing and games, seven junior and senior guys competed to be crowned Mr. Mini-Thon to take the place of the now extinct Mr. North Penn. After three question and answer sessions, a group line dance, and a modeling show, students took to the twitter polls, and ultimately voted senior Alex Van as Mr. Mini-Thon.

Throughout the night, many North Penn teachers and faculty volunteered their own time to chaperone the event. North Penn principal Todd Bauer and North Penn School District Superintendent Curt Dietrich paid a visit to the event in the wee hours of the morning. Dietrich, made sure to attend because this event is a “dream come true for [him]” after he attended Penn State University himself.

“This is absolutely awesome what we are doing here at North Penn. For years I attended Thon [at Penn State], and I thought ‘wouldn’t it be great if North Penn High School would do a mini-Thon?’ When I heard that we were going to do one this year, I was really ecstatic and thrilled, and that’s why I got up this morning to come here – to support everybody,” explained Dietrich.

At the end of the ten hour marathon, everyone was exhausted, so there was great excitement when the word was given to finally sit back down, but no one lost sight of the reason all of this happened.

“To all of the people at the mini-Thon, thank you so much for staying on your feet and having great spirits the whole night,” shared another captain of the spirit and morale committee senior Katie Swanson “It means so much to us from captains to have such great people dancing

and fighting for childhood cancer.”To close out the night, all of the chairs and committee members gathered on stage to

announce the total amount of money raised for the kids. As a whole, North Penn raised a total of $35, 141.64 to donate to Four Diamonds to aid in their fight against pediatric cancer. This number is outstanding considering most first year mini-Thon schools typically raise anywhere between $5,000 – $10,000.

“It’s so impressive to me that kids care about other kids with cancer and raise money for kids and families going through this situation,” expressed Dietrich “It reinforces how awesome our students are and that there are so many good people in the world.” Ultimately, North Penn’s first ever mini-Thon was a success not only because it aided in the fight against pediatric cancer, but because it also brought together the North Penn community – students, teachers, and faculty alike.

“Seeing North Penn come together is always a good feeling,” described Solomon “Without everyone’s help, the impact that we have made in the lives of those fighting pediatric cancer would not have been possible.”

“Without everyone’s help, the impact that we have made in the lives of those fighting pediatric cancer would not

have been possible.”


RETIREESStoried teacher, couNSelor retireS Madison Wiernusz

46 years after the start of his teaching career, Mr. Bill Travers of the North Penn College and Career planning center retired on April 15th. Travers began his educational career by accident, for when he first worked in a school he was only a traffic monitor and it was only to make some extra money for college. That experience, however, made him realize “[he] kind of like[s] this”, and he could see himself working with students.

In spring of 1970, Travers was offered a teaching position at North Catholic High School, where he was the assistant football coach and eventually the head coach. At the front of his classroom, Travers had a quote that read “We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time”, and he preached that to students and athletes alike. Over the years, Travers found connections between teaching and coaching, and that helped him excel in both positions.

“[Teaching and coaching] were totally the same to me,” explained Travers “[In school] we tend to focus and dwell on the people doing well, whereas I thought in coaching you focused on everybody. So, I thought everyone was important. There’s an expression [in coaching] – you’re only as good as your weakest player. Well, I kind of took that as a teacher. I was always concerned that everybody was doing well.”

When teaching his athletes, Travers had the ability he had to see his students in a different light, a way he never saw them before. In the same way, Travers realized that his student athletes saw him differently as well.

In 1981, Travers left North Catholic, but continued teaching and coaching at Bishop Egan High School. Despite his solid job at Bishop Egan, when the football head-coaching position opened up at North Penn in the spring of 1985 Travers pounced on the opportunity. After an extensive interview process, Travers was offered the job.

“In those days, if you didn’t have a teacher’s contract, then you didn’t go [to work]. So, Labor Day comes, and [the teachers] didn’t have a contract, so we didn’t go to work. [Everyone] didn’t go back to school until the middle of October,” explained Travers “We had a terrific football team coming back, and we lost our first three games. They told us on a Tuesday, after not practicing for a month, that we were going to play a game. So, we had to get ready.”

Despite the rough year, Travers stayed with North Penn, and he continued to do what he loved. Then, fifteen years later, Travers “shifted over to the ‘dark side’ with [his] degree in counseling, and [he] became a counselor.”

The transition within the system proved to be easy, and that is due to his teaching history. Travers understood how to effectively interact with both students and teachers.

“I thought the advantage I had as a counselor is I had been a teacher. When students were complaining about a teacher, I could take it 50/50. When I first became a counselor, I had a relationship with most of the teachers, so it made it easier for me to go the teachers, and I think it made it easier for the teachers to come to me.”

Whether he was talking to a student, teacher, or other faculty member, Travers loved everyone he came into contact with.

“The real positive things are the people you work with and your students,” said Travers “[North Penn has] great maintenance staff here, secretaries, parent volunteers, and kids. They have all been great. It’s all been good.”

More than anything, Travers loves that he’ll have a lot more time for family and for himself. With the recent addition of twins, Travers now has seven grandchildren to occupy his time. On top of that, he dreams to attend all men’s and women’s NCAA championship events.

“The day after Labor Day, when everybody is going back, at 8 or 9 o’clock I’m taking a beach chair, and I’m heading to the beach” joked Travers “I’m going to get out my cellphone, take a couple of pictures, and send them saying ‘hope you’re having as much fun as I am.’”

No matter how much he’ll be happy without a truly demanding job, Travers knows whole-heartedly that it’ll be a harder adjustment than any

he’s dealt with in the past.“[I’m] going to miss it, and [I] know that. Every place you ever go, you know you’re going

to miss it, but you just move on,” said Travers. “[Plus], when you leave, it’s an opportunity for somebody else to come in and grow. That’s the way I look at it.”

Going back to the quote plastered on his first classroom’s wall, Travers said he would now have to modify it because “I was definitely in it for the long haul. It definitely was a good time. It was all good.”

americaN hiStory teacher retireS Madi peyton, Madison Wiernusz and steph Krane

Every teacher dedicates their life to seeing their students succeed. With that passion, however, comes a time when a teacher must move forward and leave the world of education. For social studies teacher Bill Berardelli, that time has come.

“I’ve been teaching here at North Penn since 1987,” reflected Berardelli. “My first 7 years here I was involved in the swimming and water polo program, which were some of my most meaningful years in the building. It was a really special time in my career here.”

Berardelli has an extensive swimming background, swimming for his high school before moving on to the pool at West Virginia University. Given this background, getting involved with the swim team at North Penn was an easy transition. When Berardelli received the coaching job at North Penn, he found that it “made [his] life meaningful” because to him, “it was all about giving back.” Handling both a teaching and coaching position, however, proved to be no small feat for Berardelli, but looking back, he is grateful to have had the opportunity.

“Well, you’re a lot busier teaching and coaching,” said Berardelli when asked about adding coaching to his schedule all those years ago. “My day started at 5:20 AM and then I wasn’t getting out of here until around 7:30 at night. Inevitably, work follows you home with lesson planning and grading so my days were very long. But for the time I was lucky enough to be a part of it, it was such a great experience.”

Though he had a love for both coaching and teaching, there came a time when he had to focus on only one. Ultimately, he chose teaching. Despite his departure from the pool, Berardelli was happy to focus on teaching social studies, a passion of his since a young age. For that, he thanks his “inspiring teachers who were mentors” and brought “different lessons to life.”

Berardelli’s passion for teaching and his students is evident both during school hours and after. He displayed high enthusiasm during lessons, and he also worked tirelessly after hours to make sure the students were well equipped to learn.

“I’ve always said the mark of a good teacher is how they work when no one is watching. I think the thing that stands out about Mr. Berardelli is that he is 100% all the time,” remarked

fellow teacher Bob McCreary. “I have so much respect for him and his work ethic. His dedication to the craft of teaching is admirable.”

When asked what he was going to miss the most about teaching, Berardelli said “I’m definitely going to miss the interaction with my students and colleagues. The joy of when a lightbulb goes on and someone understands an aspect of culture a bit better is amazing. I’ve gotten a tremendous joy out of working with my students,” said Berardelli.

“I will absolutely stay involved,” he said. “I’ve always had a great appreciation for the talent in the building so I will be coming back to see that. Whether it’s sports or arts, it’s all wonderful. I know I’m the type of person that needs to stay busy. If I found the perfect job or calling, it would involve some type of meaningful work and yet it would be something more laid back. I’m confident I’ll figure it out and find something that works for me.”


SWimmiNg aNd diviNg State title caPS ePic WiNter SPortS SeaSoNKevin Manero

There is little debate that the North Penn Swimming and Diving program can be categorized with many terms: storied, rich, successful, perennial powerhouse, dynasty, and champions are words that, over the last several decades, have been every bit appropriate in describing what has been accomplished in the waters at 1340 Valley Forge Rd.

While the history is rich for the Knights and Maidens, it has been 26 years since the Maidens have been able to brandish the banner that comes with the pinnacle of high school achievements, a team state championship. But on March 17th, in a moment that put an exclamation point on North Penn’s 2016 winter sports season, the Maidens returned to glory, capturing the PIAA Class AAA State Championship. Head coach Matt Weiser is quick to recognize the leaders behind this year’s squad.

“The group of girls this year were certainly special. In particular, the four senior leaders and captains led this team in all aspects. Leah Brown, Aimee Baur, Erin O’Neill, and Marie Yacopino were just fantastic. Their experience (all had been to States at least 3 times) carried us over the top,” Weiser explained.

Yacopino’s gold medal diving performance combined with strong performances from senior swimmers and young Maidens, such as freshman Maureen Boland Bitner were enough to give the Maidens 243 total points and the first place finish.

In addition to technique, athletic ability, and competitiveness though, Weiser also understands the importance of this team staying very much centered throughout the season.

“They were able to stay cool and collected throughout the year and championship season. Not one time all year did I bring up that we had a chance to win States. They knew it and they wanted it. Not only speaking of just the seniors, this was definitely the most talented group of freshman to come in a long time also. A combination of experience and leadership brought it back to NP,” reflected Weiser.

Over a long, grueling swimming season, and an even longer offseason, there are bound to be moments when a coach recognizes the possibilities that could be in store by season’s end.

“I knew right before Christmas break (after the Upper Dublin meet) that the team was going to be special. I didn’t see State Champs at that point, but I knew we had a shot,” Weiser said. “Once we swam in the Wilson Relays (January 16), and won 8 of 10 relays, I felt even

better about our chances. The previous few years, we were lucky to win a relay or two. To completely dominate that meet against the competition there really showed our strength.”

Back in 1990, when the Maidens last raised a championship banner, their head coach was Selma Robinson. Robinson has since retired from teaching, but the pull of NP athletics has brought her back as the Assistant Athletic Director, and for her, this championship was special.

“It was a very proud moment for me to see the girls’ team presented the state championship trophy at Bucknelll University two weeks ago. I understand what it takes to win a state swimming and diving championship. Not only do you have to have phenomenal athletes on your team, but your coaches also need to know how to train the athletes to perform at their optimal level at the state meet,” Robinson explained.

Having been through the rigors of the Pennsylvania swimming world, Robinson also understands the scope of winning a state title.

“This is not an easy task to accomplish. The coaching staff was on point. The swimmers and divers competed at the highest level and met the challenge. To be honest, by the second

day of competition North Penn had the championship in their hands. It was so fun to watch!” a proud Robinson reflected.

For Robinson, swimming is definitely a family affair. Her daughter Molly swam for the Maidens before moving on to Wagner College. And now, in a new role as an assistant coach Molly Robinson became the next of Robinson line to be there for a state title.

“On a personal note, I was thrilled to have my daughter, Molly, have the opportunity to be part of a great experience.,” Selma said. “I looked forward to her sharing stories about the day to day training and their preparation for the

championship season. She loved working with the girls.”While it may be easy to get swept up in the results of the 2016 team, Weiser knows that

both he and his swimmers are only a part of the much bigger picture of success for the swimming and diving program at North Penn. He was only a young kid when the Maidens last brought home a state crown, but Weiser is well aware what it has taken in the past to build champions at North Penn and what it still takes today.

“To me, it feels like we got the programs on the right track to be successful not only this year, but in the future. There are a lot of people who contribute to a State Championship, and it starts with the development of NPAC and streamlining it with the high school team. Both Jeff [Faikish] and I developed the right culture for NP to succeed in Aquatics- water polo, swimming, and diving. We are one team, and that’s the way the kids see it now. I personally just feel fortunate to be along for the ride. So many people made this happen- I just had a small part in it,” Weiser stated.

SuPer boWl chamP returNS home Cydney lee

It was a normal Wednesday afternoon at North Penn High School . . . students roaming the halls and teachers lecturing their classes. But that quickly changed as students began whispering and snapping their necks to get a peek at a man who had just walked in. This tall, polished man sporting an embroidered Nike “2016 Super Bowl 50 champion” quarter zip shirt with a number “8” stitched on the front, was North Penn’s very own Brandon McManus.

The North Penn class of 2009 graduate and now Super Bowl 50 champion tiptoed into the high school sporting his winner’s gear as he made a surprise visit to his alma mater. McManus, who is the kicker for the Denver Broncos, contributed 10 of his team’s total of 24 points, helping to defeat the Carolina Panthers 24-10.

“I prepared my whole life,” he expressed. “I played in two seasons leading up to that game to get myself ready. I didn’t feel very nervous at all for the game. I just knew once I got the first kick out of the way, I should be good. If it came down to me at the end of the game I [knew I] was going to be excited and ready for that opportunity.”

Leading up to Super Bowl 50, North Penn showed their pride and support for McManus by selling bright orange t-shirts with his number “8” printed boldly on the front and back. The hallways were then flooded with orange as students and staff district-wide rocked their homemade jerseys on “Brandon McManus Day”, which was celebrated on February 5th, the last school day before the big game.

“[The support] was very paramount,” McManus professed. “I couldn’t thank the community enough and everybody for buying the t-shirts and showing the support. I definitely saw all of your messages and tweets and Facebook posts about it. I can’t thank them enough. Just to have the support back home, it means a lot of people are rooting for you and it does put

a little pressure on you to not let them down. But games [with] that magnitude, you kind of need some added pressure. I definitely wanted to succeed and perform well for everyone back home and hopefully I made [the community] proud and helped celebrate this Super Bowl win with them.”

Not only is he now a Super Bowl champion, but McManus is also the founder of the Anti Bully Squad (ABS) campaign. In a world where bullying is omnipresent and comes in all forms, ABS’s mission is to “create a permanent solution to bullying through education, awareness, and prevention”. In gratitude to his valuable cause, the North Penn Student Government Association (NPSGA) presented him with a check for $2500 to go towards his charity.

“Thank you very much,” he stated. “I got a lot of tweets about the photos of you guys raising the money [selling] the t-shirts. I definitely felt a lot of support out there in California and I want to thank all [of] you guys for having the initiative to come up with that idea and help raise some money for my foundation in which we could greatly use. Thank you again.”

McManus, who says the experience is still so surreal to him, feels honored to have a crucial part of the Denver Broncos organization, especially on the night of February 7th. He believes that his individual, as well as his team’s accomplishments, won’t hit him until they receive their rings in August.

“Just watching the confetti come down and having my family up there to help support me and enjoy that moment with me was something special that I will never forget,” said McManus. “I’m excited to continue the journey with my wife and I’m looking forward to hopefully hoisting another Lombardi Trophy and having a long career in the NFL continuing to perform at a high level . . . hopefully playing until I’m 40 [so] my kids can enjoy me playing in NFL games.”

“I knew right before

Christmas break that the team

was going to be special.”


decoNStructiNg the myth oF “black Privilege”eriC beideMan

Recently I took a trip to the south and was confronted by the undeniable truth: race relations in this country aren’t where they need to be. Like, even close to where they need to be.

In Tennessee, I was confronted by an umpire who was all too willing to strike up a conversation with me about how in 1863, during The War of Northern Oppression (The Civil War), my ancestors did wrong by his ancestors, who were fighting for southern pride. It took everything in me to not snap back at him and correct him; “They were fighting for the proliferation of slavery.”

150 years after Appomattox Courthouse, the south still refuses to recognize that the Civil War is over, as well as the fact that the Confederacy fought it to continue the most evil institution ever implemented in this country.

This man went on to explain to me that a black outfielder whom we had just played against, was only good due to his “inherent athletic ability.” Now, I’m not entirely sure if he meant to say that the athleticism came from the fact that the kid was black, but that is how it came off. And that is also a common way for modern day racist white Americans to discount the athletic achievements of their black brethren. Needless to say, I nearly vomited when I heard this.

This “inherent athletic ability” is just another example of black privilege.What is black privilege you ask?It’s a new idea emerging with white Americans unaware of racial divides. This is the idea

that it is not white people who have inherited privileges in this country, it’s black people.“Black History Month is an example of black privilege,” said Drew Domalick, a prominent

conservative activist and Green Bay native in a March 31, 2016 interview with CNN “If we had a White History Month, that would be viewed as a racist holiday.”

The emerging idea is that blacks aren’t so much victims of racism as they are of special treatment – which is utterly false. The U.S., for all of the great things we have done, is also responsible for the worst mistreatment of different ethnic and racial groups among any first world power. We have gone from slavery, to “Paid Slavery,” to Jim Crow laws, to institutional and systemic racism and now the newest racist trend is writing black problems off as being another example of blacks complaining even though they are “privileged by the system.”

However this idea of black privilege is not necessarily a new one. In 1875, Congress passed legislation that banned all discrimination against former slaves in public places. However in 1883, the Supreme Court found the law to be unconstitutional. It was struck down as an infringement on state’s rights (yee haw). Justice Joseph Bradley stated in the majority opinion that “there must come a time when blacks cease to be a special favorite of the laws.”

Mind you, this decision came 18 years after the abolishment of slavery. The majority of blacks in this country were former slaves. The U.S. did almost nothing to help blacks get on their feet and assimilate into society. As well, this decision led to the creation of Jim Crow laws, which weren’t crushed until 1965, 100 years after the abolishment of slavery, and only 50 years removed from today.

To this day, the effects of such oppression can be seen in the black community. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the wealth of white households is 13 times the median wealth of black households. Black children represent 18% of the nation’s preschool enrollment. Job applicants with white-sounding names are 50% more likely to get called back for an interview than similarly qualified applicants with black-sounding names. And prison sentences for black men are nearly 20% longer than those of white men convicted of the same crime.

But these numbers are inconsequential, right? Blacks certainly have advantages. They possess an unfair athletic advantage, remember? Statistics aren’t even needed to prove that black privilege isn’t real. You can simply use your eyes. If being black is such an asset, why do many whites consistently move out of neighborhoods, churches, and schools when too many blacks move in? This is a phenomenon called racial tipping, and it is very real and observable.

David Horowitz, author of the book, “Black Skin Privilege and the American Dream,” says that “The fact that white people are better off is not a privilege; it’s earned. It’s not white privilege that’s preventing them from doing better,” he says, “it’s their behavior, such as their inability to build more intact families.”

To those who subscribe to it, such as Horowitz, black privilege is everywhere. To them, Barack Obama, President of The United States of America was even a beneficiary of black privilege. The belief that Obama, an inexperienced senator from Illinois, would not have been elected if he wasn’t black.

Many don’t see white privilege as a bad thing, after all, not all advantages are earned. Height is an unearned perk. Good looks are an unearned perk. So being born white should be no different. As well, this idea of white privilege isn’t something that always holds true. After all, being born to an impoverished rural white family does not come with the perks that being the son of Jay-Z would come with.

However, the statistics prove that the black community deals with living behind the 8 ball much more. More than a quarter of blacks in this country are living in poverty, compared to less than 10 percent of whites who live in poverty.

And then we get to affirmative action. “How can we be privileged when we don’t benefit from affirmative action,” you can almost see a middle aged white man with his ‘Make America Great Again’ hat on whining in response to this. The only problem is, whites do in fact benefit from affirmative action programs. They just don’t realize it.

Take for example, the GI Bill. Following the Second World War, the U.S. enacted the GI Bill to pay for college education and many other financial expenses for veterans. White veterans.

These exclusionary bailout and assistance programs have been a common thread in American history. The financial aid and land grants that the U.S. gave to 19th century homesteaders, FDR’s New Deal policies that lifted the nation out of the Great Depression but were kept from blacks. The list is long.

The idea of black privilege is a cop out for whites who think that they are being targeted as the ones responsible for the plight of the blacks. It is a desperate and feeble attempt to get out of recognizing that we still have race problems in this country, and also a good way to get out of having to really do anything to combat the issue. Plain and simple. This idea needs to be nipped in the bud, and quickly. If it’s true that the rest of the world looks to us for as a model society, maybe we should try to combat our race relation problems, instead of acting like they don’t exist.

trumP cloSe to d.c. mailiNg addreSS devin Welsh

Following the Indiana primary, many Americans believe, according to a new CNN/ORC poll out Monday May 2nd, that the general election will be a showdown between bombastic billionaire businessman Donald Trump and the former First Lady, (former) NY Senator, and (former) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The sentiment of the American electorate was displayed during the primary election in Indiana on Tuesday, May 3rd. 53% of the GOP voters favored Donald Trump, securing him an additional 51 delegates and the title of Presumptive GOP Nominee. Trump’s big win was seen as more of a tragedy for the Cruz and Kasich campaigns as they then removed themselves from the race, leaving the real estate mogul to be the last GOP candidate standing.

It was a common belief among Americans that Donald Trump was a joke that wouldn’t last through the Republican primaries. Then when he started winning, many believed the RNC would find a loophole to block Trump through a contested convention. But now, after Cruz and Kasich’s swift departure following the Indiana primary, Trump will undeniably be the Republican candidate that will go up against either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton in the general election.

Speaking of the Democrats, Bernie pulled off a narrow victory in the Hoosier state with about 53% of the voters’ support, granting him 44 delegates. That is well and good, however with 47% of the voters, Hillary took away just 5 fewer delegates at 39, with an additional 7 superdelegates (or unpledged delegates) supporting her. After the series of voting that took place in the North East on April 26th, there was a 307 delegate gap between the battling Democrats, and after Sanders’ triumphant Indiana victory, he had narrowed that difference by a whopping 5 delegates.

However, much like several SNL skits have depicted in the past, the former NY Senator has been on a bit of a losing streak with the most recent losses including Kentucky and West Virginia. She did however manage to seize a slight victory over Bernie in Oregon. Her total rests at 1,774 pledged delegates (with 521 unpledged superdelegates), while Bernie’s total has climbed to 1,482 pledged delegates and 41 superdelegates. As of May 17th, the delegate difference among the Democrats is 292.

Though Clinton’s lead may seem insurmountable, the Vermont Senator is holding onto hope, and for good reason. On June 7th, California, a very liberal state, will vote and with 475 delegates to give, they could drastically shape the outcome of the Democratic race.


SWaNker eNterS hall oF Fame dante Watson

The Pennsylvania Track and Field Hall of Fame was established in 1995 to honor and recognize individuals who left their mark in the prestigious and storied track and field history. Each year a committee comprised of more than a dozen coaches, officials, and journalists, select six to twelve athletes, one coach, one contributor, and one distinguished alumnus to be inducted. Of those who are set to be inducted this year, is North Penn legendary Track and Field Coach Mr. Richard A Swanker.

“It is very humbling. One doesn’t go into coaching to receive accolades. I have been very fortunate in my career to have been recognized for my team’s accomplishment,” Swanker said.

On February 28th, Swanker was inducted into the Pennsylvania High School Track and Field Hall of Fame, at the Pennsylvania State Track Meet. Coach Swanker has been a coach of North Penn Boys and Girls Track and Field for 34 years. During that time, he earned the PTFCA Coach of the Year honor five times. He started coaching the boys team from 1982 to 2005, which included 16 undefeated outdoor seasons, a Penn Relays Distance Medley Relay title (2002), four District I team titles (1984, 1992, 2003, 2005), and a PIAA state team title (2002). He also has been an influential assistant by coaching the girls team since 2005.

“From the very first athlete to win a dual meet event, win an individual league title, win the first league championship, win the first district individual champion, win the first District team title, the first Penn Relay heat win, the only Penn Relay Championship of America win, the first Individual State Champion, to my only State Team Championship, to the National Championships. Every EVENT is a defining moment in a Coach’s career,” Swanker reflected. “I can tell you that becoming the head coach of North Penn Track was a milestone and then turning the Track program over to Coach Jones upon my retirement was another.”

Swanker, who many refer to as “Swank”, is also a proud alumnus of North Penn, and receiving this recognition as such makes it that much more sweeter.

“I have always had a great amount of pride in North Penn athletics. As a track athlete at North Penn my coach was the legendary Coach Crawford. The history and legacy of North Penn track began with him. In High School I was part of the twenty-two straight league championships which began years before me and ended a few years after I graduated. Coach [Jim] Crawford use to say, ‘you know you have a good team when the athlete you have to beat to win a league title lines up next to you every day at practice.’ I will always have tremendous pride in North Penn athletics.”

In addition to being a legendary track coach at North Penn, Swanker also is a retired Health and Physical Education teacher. At one point he taught student-athletes how to live a healthy lifestyle, as well as, teaching them how to be successful athletes on the track.

However, since his retirement from teaching, Coach Swanker has kept himself busy, as he took up the role of Executive Secretary of the Track & Field Coaches’ Association of Greater Philadelphia (2004-present), as well as, a PIAA District I Chapter Interpreter (2009-present). He also was a PIAA State Championship Meet Official for Pole Vault (2010-2011), Javelin (2012-2014), a PTFCA State Indoor Championship Meet Official for Pole Vault (2004-2014), as well as, a Penn Relays Honorary High School Boys Referee in 2008.

“Coaching is all about commitment and time. To be successful you have to be committed to your team, doing everything that you can to get the team prepared. Since my retirement I seem to be as busy as I was when I was teaching and coaching,” Swanker noted. In 2007, Coach Swanker was named to the North Penn Hall of Fame for the successes he had at the school at the time. Now set to be inducted into the Pennsylvania Track and Field Hall of Fame this February, another accomplishment has been added to the long resume of Swanker. Swank knows the ropes of coaching, starting in 1982, and it has been quite a journey.

the guide to high School SlaNgKate Knab

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears… because this week I’m breaking down language to the nitty gritty. Most languages that we hear and speak today are descended from Latin, but as everyone knows, Latin is dead and Americans are lazy. So in a bizarre union between etymologies and negligence comes an entirely new sect of inane verbiage spoken by the apathetic youths who care more than they pretend to admit. But for those who aren’t savvy with the pretentious amount of SAT lingo I just dropped, (jargon of the elitist English nerds if you will,) I’m talking about slang – the hand slapping, glance swapping, ideal hallway communication method of high schoolers all across the country.

As I am one of those people who spends an obscenely embarrassing amount of time on urban dictionary for someone under the age of thirty, I figured there had to be some sort of ingenious hack to keep up with the cool kids.

There isn’t. Instead, I have a charming compilation of slang words that, for some inexplicable and

entirely unintentional reason, can be separated into a vague assortment of categories for the rest of us mere mortals to try to understand.

This first category is probably the easiest to pick up on and relates perfectly to the idea that kids today are just lazy af. In fact, that’s an example right there. I know what you’re thinking, but it really does not stand for ‘as farmers.’ A majority of slang that kids toss around is just an abbreviation or acronym of the actual word or phrase. ‘Sus’ stands for suspect, or suspicious. The same goes for ‘sketch,’ as in, your future starts to look a little sketch if you start drinking your science experiments in fifth grade. When you hear someone shout “bae!” in the hallway, it’s not that teenagers have suddenly developed an irritating affinity for the ocean’s murkier cousin. ‘Before all else’ just happens to conveniently pass for a real word when in acronym form. It’s used to describe boyfriends, girlfriends, best friends, and Chipotle.

Then you have slang descended from memes. Before I continue, memes are senseless internet generated images and phrases that kids have a fondness for revamping and redistributing depending on their purpose. We have Instagram to thank for #goals, which has been used to describe anything you remotely want to aspire to, literally or ironically. It has become absorbed into our daily conversations sans the hashtag, but it still more or less means the same thing. Such is the origin story of ‘what are those?!’ which began as a Vine and attacked shoes. I think it is safe to say that ‘what are those?!’ has transcended the victimizing of poor shoe game to include anything deemed as ridiculous as the people who say it. Soon we’ll have an epidemic of ‘who are you?!’ and memory counseling.

The next category seems harmless, but that’s why it’s so savage towards people who don’t understand it. Normal, everyday words and phrases take on a negative connotation when used with the right inflection. If you’re ever stopped by a “girrrrrrrl, you drawling!,” it’s not because the confronter thinks you’re artistic. You could have your colored pencils firmly in hand, but that’s still not what it means. It’s the 2015 equivalent of “girrrrrrrl, you tripping!,” and if you have to ask, then you’re definitely tripping alright… on your face. Then there’s ‘out of pocket,’ which I’ve always taken to mean as a method of payment. My generation would beg to differ. I’m out of pocket for even considering that, because when you’re out of pocket, you’re out of line. And why is it that every teenager everywhere is suddenly thirsty? Water fountains are in every pod! If only I were talking about water. This kind of thirst is all about hormones and desperation if you catch my drift. Finally there’s the slang that has no foundation. It is merely the product of an intense situation. For example, there’s no feeling more powerful than when you know your eyebrow game is slaying. On point just doesn’t even begin to describe them. I know it, you know it, so it’s time the world knows it. Thus the term ‘on fleek’ is born. It typically describes eyebrows, but people have been branching out, using it to give voice to happenings usually too great for words. But the new word sparking some hot interest is ‘lit.’ While it technically is already an actual word, lit is an adjective of epic proportions. It’s used to describe an event or thing that’s ‘turned up,’ or ‘popping,’ as in, “This week’s edition of Kate’s Korner was so lit! I can’t wait to read more next week!” Stay tuned, North Penn. And keep it lit.

“It’s the 2015 equivalent of ‘girrrrrrrl, you

tripping!,’ and if you have to ask, then you’re

definitely tripping alright… on your face.”


Mr. and Mrs. brian and Mary FaiKishHow long have you two been together?Dating since October 1992, working on 24 yearsHow did you two meet?Mr.: We met in college actually. We both attended IUP and in September of ’92 we met and started dating like a month later.Mrs.: He was actually Mr. Gilmer’s roommate. I worked with Mr. Gilmer in communications so we ended up meeting through Mr. Gilmer, so Mr. Gilmer is kind of our ‘matchmaker.’Do you ever feel uncomfortable if you hear a student talk about your significant other?Mr.: We don’t really have much overlap. But even if it did come up, no I wouldn’t be uncomfortable at all.Mrs.: We’ve had maybe 3 students in common. I’m

involved in communications and Mr. Faikish is a science teacher so we really don’t see the same students.

Do you ever assist each other with lesson ideas?Mrs.: The only thing I help him with is technology, always. He’s always asking me questions so I can assist him with that.Mr.: Let’s just say I have become better at technology because of her. Or maybe I have become worse...Mrs.: He claims elves live in our house. He’ll fall asleep one night and wake up and things will be all finished. Wonder how that happened.

How has working at North Penn benefitted your relationship?Mrs.: I think it’s given us a united front. I didn’t go to North Penn and he did, he’s always bled blue and so I came here with him. I think it’s influenced us where we believe in North Penn and we spend a lot of time here. We’re both dedicated to the community so I think that bond has definitely made our relationship stronger. This is our home.Mr.: It’s neat both being here. We both love North Penn. I’m really involved in the Aquatics Club and Mrs. Faikish with NPTV so we both have different opportunities here at North Penn that we might not have had elsewhere.Mrs.: Our scheduling for the year also works out pretty conveniently. During the school year, my hours are more flexible so I’m able to take charge of our children whereas he has his summers off so then it kind of flips. It’s worked out perfectly that we also come in at different times so I can get the kids to school in the morning when Mr. Faikish is in the building by 6 a.m. and then he can get them in the afternoon.Mr.: Also all of our kids go to North Penn so our schedules mesh with off days and things like that which is really nice.

Mr. and Mrs. dave and aManda FraneKHow long have you been together?

13 years this JulyTell me about how you met each other. Was it through work or before. . .?

Mr.: We met in college and her roommates and my roommates kind of hooked it up. Mrs.: Yeah like his roommates and my roommates were friends. They got us together on kind of a date.

Do you feel uncomfortable if you hear students talk about your significant other?

Mrs.: I always hear positive things, I don’t hear negative so it’s not uncomfortable . . . it’s more of a proud moment. [I] feel good about it.

Mr.: I hear more positive things too, no doubt. It’s funny with her and I [because] this place is so big... 3rd floor K pod. I say this to everyone all the time, I’m in 2nd floor F pod and the pool so just moving around the building, there would be no reason for me ever to just come up to the 3rd floor. So we rarely pass or see each other whereas other places you maybe would.

Do you ever help each other out with lesson ideas?Mr.: Absolutely. Just recently a lot of the teachers are really pushing towards ‘Google Classroom.’ We’ve been messing around with it at home... back and forth, all the time.Mrs.: Definitely. I’ll ask him like ‘what do you do for like grouping students?’ or just some ideas to mix things up. Not necessarily the content but the delivery of it. So even with the computer and sending out different technology lessons, how we would deliver our material whether it’s PowerPoint or Google Classroom, we definitely are feening off of one another.

Talk a little bit about how working at North Penn has benefitted your relationship.Mr.: She started at Upper Dublin High School and when our daughter was born, we were at the benefits fair. The school runs this one time benefits fair where you can reallocate insurance and different things like that, sign up and one of the HR people at the time almost kind of recruited her because she was certified in chemistry and biology and that’s a key thing [in] flexibility with scheduling here. They were like ‘why isn’t she teaching at North Penn?’ So we literally went home and weighed the pros and cons of being on the same schedule, being in the same school, and the pros far outweighed the cons.Mrs.: Yeah I can’t think of any negatives quite honestly. It’s always been positive. Being on the same schedule, just having that same work day has been really good like we both realize that waking up in the morning as early as we have to and getting the kids out, we can’t go to bed too late so we’re on that same type of schedule and even going home we’re both ready to eat dinner.

Mr. and Mrs. robert and Christine MCCrearyHow long have you been together?15 years, married for 13Tell me about how you met each other. Was it through work or before. . .? Mr.: It was through work. I was teaching in K pod and a couple of my students were not doing very well in class and so their counselor came and talked to me about it and that’s how we first met.Mrs.: Yeah because at that point he taught a required senior class and this was before e-mail really took over so in order to talk to somebody or communicate with somebody you had to go find them. So I trekked up to K pod second floor, 214 I think, and that’s how I met him. Because [at first] they told me he was a baseball coach and when I went to the baseball

field, I couldn’t tell the difference between him and the players so I wasn’t sure which one was the coach so I had to go to the classroom.

Do you feel uncomfortable if you hear students talk about your significant other?Mrs.: In the beginning when we were first dating and we kept it a secret, nobody knew. Basically when we announced our engagement, people were like ‘WHAT, I didn’t even know they were dating’ so we were very protective in that time. So he was the baseball coach and when people get cut they’re upset so I definitely had players and parents at that time not so much upset with him but with the situation so that was a little difficult. That’s pretty much the reason why I changed my name because I needed people to know that I was a McCreary, related to that McCreary, so people wouldn’t feel that I was hiding something”Mr. “I haven’t really had any problems. I don’t think I’ve ever been in an uncomfortable situation where someone has been talking specifically about her. There’s always gonna be venting among the teachers about different departments in the building, one of them being guidance, and so I know how to separate that. It hasn’t been a problem for me at all.

TWO PEAS IN THE PODS


Do you ever help each other out with lesson ideas?Mrs.: We do, especially with the AP Psych and how our kids are often examples. Course selection I think sometimes. . .in the very beginning.Mr.: I think it has been helpful for me to hear kind of her side of things as a counselor so that if there is a student who has a question or doesn’t know the answer to something, I have a little bit more of the background as to what happens in her world and so I think I can be more helpful sometimes to students in that regard. . .or at least I’ve heard her talk about the process that the student is going through a challenge.

Talk a little bit about how working at North Penn has benefitted your relationship.Mrs.: We wouldn’t have one if we didn’t so. . . But because we’re working in education it’s not like we’re working at a factory, we work with people and everybody has emotions so there’s so much more but I think at the end of the day if you like who you work with and you like the job you’re doing, it’s so much easier to come to work.Mr.: I was always raised to believe that no job is perfect and North Penn is not perfect so I think comparatively speaking, we’re in a very good situation. We like the people we work with and there’s always gonna be conflicts in any job but I think we’re very fortunate to be here.

Mr. and Mrs. pat and lauren brettHow long have you been together?Since March of 2012How did you two meet?Mr.: We actually did meet through work. When I was interning in D103 in the fall of 2009 under Bill Travers, Mrs. Brett came down to the home office and he introduced us.Do you think working in the same building makes for easier conversation outside of work?Mrs.: We try not to talk about work

at home because otherwise that becomes your whole life. He has his caseload of students and I teach some of his students so if we brought all that home it would just be constant.Mr.: I think the fact that we have both coached in this building has definitely contributed to our conversation at home. It’s more about what happened at practice and the different players instead of aspects of our jobs.

Do you ever feel uncomfortable if you hear a student talk about your significant other?Mr.: I can’t remember if we were just dating or we were engaged, but I had a kid come down and start ranting about Ms. Budweg. I know I had a picture of her in my office and you know I could’ve said get in line or tell me something I don’t know but it just comes with the territory. You have to understand that we aren’t both teacher so it’s a different situation. You just have to roll with it. Mrs.: I think it’s a lot better since we’re married since my last name is Brett so kids can put two and two together. Before that, kids would just off handedly say ‘Oh I have to go see my guidance counselor Mr. Brett’ and I would just kind of laugh at their complaints.

Do you ever assist each other with lesson ideas?Mr.: Absolutely not,Mrs.: I would never ask him to give me any sort of math help, he is a horrible math student.Mr.: One of the great things about marrying my wife is that she is incredibly talented in math and she can do all the bills. She could probably rob me blind. But I do think it goes back to the coaching. Since we both coached basketball we could ask each other about different plays or strategies. We both have different experiences that we could share and help each other out with.

How has working at North Penn benefitted your relationship?Mrs.: We have a good group of friends here that we can spend time with outside of work. There are also a lot of times where we can come to work in one car now that neither of us is coaching this season. However sometimes I don’t see him during the day. The building is so big so there are days where we won’t speak or run into each other at all. In that sense, it can be almost like we work in different places.Mr.: I think one of the benefits is that we both leave at around the same time and can go home and spend time with our daughter. We also both have our summers off which is a very nice benefit of both being in education.

Mr. and Mrs. Jason and Katie CurleyHow long have you two been together?8 years, October 14th 2008 was our first date.Mrs.: We dated for 6 years and got engaged on my birthday actually. It was February 28th, 2014 and then we got married a few months later.How did you two meet?Mrs.: We met here at North Penn. Mrs. Brett and I had just started to get to know each other and she had the brilliant idea to introduce us at an after school get together. We ended up meeting at a faculty tailgate before one of the football games and then had our first date a week after.Do you think working in the same building makes for easier conversation outside of work?Mr.: I’m a fairly quiet guy so I think the fact that we share experiences in the high school does make it easier to have conversations outside of school.Mrs.: As of recently, we’ve had more students in common as well so we will sometimes ask about

their different strengths in our classes and how well they’re doing. Chemistry correlates with math really well so if I know that they’re struggling in Mr. Curley’s math class then I know how to adjust in my chem class.

Do you ever feel uncomfortable if you hear a student talk about your significant other?Mr.: The funny thing is I don’t typically get uncomfortable. I know Mrs. Curley for who she is so if sometimes talking good or bad it doesn’t bother me.Mrs.: I don’t think either one of us are disliked by our students so it’s not really common for us to hear negative things, at least not to our faces. Plus they know we’re married so they’ll put two and two together after reading ‘Curley’ all the way down their schedules between the double labs with math and chemistry. When I hear students talk about other teachers, I just normally try to remind them that I know that person and they should probably be careful about what they’re saying.

Do you ever assist each other with lesson ideas?Mr.: I think we do. I co-teach with another teacher in the building and we are always throwing ideas around so a lot of the time I’ll tell Mrs. Curley what we are doing. We definitely are very open about different suggestions and ways to help each other out.Mrs.: He’s much more into the technology aspects like Wikispaces and Google I’m not real familiar with them. So usually if I have questions he’s the first person I’ll ask. Now my students keep asking me to play Kahoot; they’ll say to me ‘Well Mr. Curley plays Kahoot’ and I just laugh.

How has working at North Penn benefitted your relationship?Mrs.: It’s nice to come to work together definitely. Even though we’re probably more closely situated in the building, we really don’t see each other during the day. But after school it’s nice to have someone to go home with to vent to if you had a bad day and you can relate to each other a lot easier.Mr.: Having the same circle of friends is a big plus. We’re all teachers from the high school so those are the people we tend to spend time with outside of school. Without North Penn, we wouldn’t have met all the great people we know now.Mrs.: Again, it’s nice that our teacher friends know what’s going on with our lives in work and they can understand what we’re talking about. It definitely strengthens the bond between all of us. It’s a nice community within a larger community.


SaNderS WiNS 2016 Simulated coNveNtioN iN laNdSlide vote steph Krane

On January 5th and 6th, while the temperature outside hovered in the mid-20s, over a thousand North Penn High School seniors and juniors gathered in the auditorium for two days filled with political discussion, debate, and deliberation. The Simulated Convention, held every four years since 1976 when it was started by then-SGA advisor Mr. James Finnemeyer, returned to the auditorium once again this year, transforming North Penn into a hub of political thought ahead of the upcoming November 8th presidential election.

The first day of the event started out with opening remarks from NPHS principal Mr. Todd Bauer, who acted as the “Mayor of Towamencin” for convention purposes. In his first year in the North Penn community, Bauer seemed to understand the opportunity that the convention held for students.

“I don’t know how many of you will have the opportunity to do something like this ever again, unless you participate in a real convention,” Bauer stated in his speech.

After Bauer spoke, convention organizer and government teacher Mr. Brian Haley took to the microphone, outlining the intent of the next two days to the auditorium full of students sitting with their history classes beneath hand-drawn state flags.

“The two parties that dominate our system today can’t seem to get it done,” declared Haley, before explaining that the convention would operate under the fictional “Millenial Party,” a departure from the tradition of simulating the process of either the Democratic or Republican party. Working under the image of a bulldog, the focus of the party is to give a voice to a younger generation that feels disconnected from modern day politics, explained Haley.

Following Haley was guest speaker Wendy Melchior, a speechwriter for Marco Rubio’s campaign and the mother of a current North Penn senior. Using music as a metaphor throughout her speech, Melchior urged all of the student delegates to embrace this convention because “this is an experience that you can’t buy.”

The highlight of the first day of the convention was the “open-mic” caucus portion, during which students (acting as delegates from their respective assigned states) were invited to go up to any of the six microphones stationed around the auditorium and speak about issues outlined on the Millenial Party platform.

Every issue discussed, from raising the minimum wage to controlling ISIS to legalizing marijuana, brought passionate, articulate students up to the microphone to state their opinions. Leaving no doubt that this was, in fact, the Millennial Party, many delegates advanced their opinions using statistics they had looked up on their phones just moments earlier.

“That’s the world we live in,” Haley later addressed the auditorium, in reference to the use of smartphones to do immediate research on topics. “I’m glad you all are taking advantage of that.”

At the end of the discussion of each topic on the platform, delegates participated in a Parliamentary vote, with the winner determined by the audible popularity of “I” and “nay.”

“I think we need a political convention like this because we need more political participation,” said Millennial Party member Etienne Ayoub, who at times donned a blonde wig and impersonated Donald Trump. “People say ‘I don’t care about politics’, but [they] should care.”

For Mr. Brian Haley, who has been teaching at North Penn since 1999 and involved with the Mock Convention since 2000, the passion that was shown by many students is the ultimate goal of these two days and the culmination of months of hard work.

Preparation for the event, Haley explained, started during the previous school year, when he meet with the principal just to get the convention on the calendar. When

the school year began and the student planning committee became involved, the preparation was practically nonstop.

“October, November, December, up until 10 o’clock last night, we were working to get it together,” said Haley.

As the first day of the convention drew to a close, undeterred by an unplanned fire alarm that went off during a lunch period, students and convention organizers went home to prepare for day two of the convention, which focused on nominating a presidential and vice presidential candidate.

Wednesday marked day two of the event and began with a speech by 1997 North Penn graduate Chris Manero, who teaches high school Social Studies at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School and who was sworn in to his position on the Plymouth Whitemarsh council a week before the convention. Like most other guest speakers, Manero stressed the importance of young people getting involved in politics.

Also present for the second day of events was former Social Studies teacher and SGA adviser Mr. James Finnemeyer, who started the Simulated Convention back in 1976.

“What we tried to do back in 1976… we’re sitting here in 2016 and it’s still happening,” said Finnemeyer, who mentioned that he was watching live coverage of the Convention on North Penn Television the day before he came to witness this year’s event in person.

“We get so caught up in the required curriculum, to be able to take a break and say ‘we’re going to take time and we’re going to listen to each other…’ I wish every high school in this country was able to do that,” said Finnemeyer.

The final guest speaker of the convention was PA Representative Todd Stephens, who took to the podium to explain the importance of local politics on student’s lives.

“At the local level, people have no idea what we do,” admitted Stephens. “But if you contact your local representative, they have to answer directly to you.”

Following a break for lunch, the day then quickly moved on to the highlight of the Covnention: the nomination of a presidential candidate. When the time came for states to go up to the microphones and state their nominations for president, it quickly became apparent that not even Donald Trump campaign manager Etienne Ayoub’s reciting of “Humpty Trumpty built a great wall, Humpty Trumpty deported them all” was enough to sway the young crowd away from Democratic upstart Bernie Sanders. Sanders won the nomination

with 587 votes, with his closest opponent Donald Trump garnering only 73 votes. The convention also nominated social studies teacher Mr. Steven Henry as vice president in a narrow victory over Snapchat celebrity DJ Khaled.

Despite the vice presidential antics at the end of the Convention, those participated in the event were grateful for the opportunity to look at politics in a different way.

“I’ve really enjoyed learning more about [politics] and having mature conversations about it,” said senior Rachel Darde, whose class was representing Indiana.

Permanent Convention chair Katie Solomon echoed that sentiment, saying that she enjoyed hearing her classmate’s stances on issues.

“Kids I’ve never seen since elementary and middle school, and kids I’ve never seen before, [seeing them] say their feelings, what their opinions are… you get some insight on some people you’ve never met,” said Solomon.

Event organizer Brian Haley walked away from his fifth Simulated Convention content with the passion shown by delegates at the microphone and hoped that students would continue to think about politics beyond the event.

“That’s the only reason why we do this, to get people thinking and acting on issues and politics,” said Haley. “I’m certainly not going to reach a thousand kids. But if I can reach as many kids as I can with the energy and the spirit and the interest in politics, then I consider [the Convention] a success.”


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UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGHMILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY

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UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLANDUNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

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MCCC

All information featured is a result of the 2016 NPHS senior survey. Any changes made after publication are not reflected on this list.


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MCCCUNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS

NORTHAMPTON COMMUNITY COLLEGEWORK FORCE

TEMPLE UNIVERSITYMCCC

TEMPLE UNIVERSITYTEMPLE UNIVERSITY

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CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITYKUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ALBRIGHT COLLEGEMCCCMCCC


MILITARY SERVICEEMPIRE BEAUTY SCHOOL


TEMPLE UNIVERSITYKUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

WORK FORCEVILLANOVA UNIVERSITY

MCCCNEW YORK UNIVERSITY

CONTINUING EDUCATIONWORK FORCE


TEMPLE UNIVERSITYARCADIA UNIVERSITY

MILITARY SERVICETEMPLE UNIVERSITYWILKES UNIVERSITY

MCCCMCCCMCCC

WORK FORCEMILITARY SERVICE


MCCCSWARZKOPF HAIR DRESSING ACADEMY



BISHOP’S UNIVERSITYTEMPLE UNIVERSITY

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WORK FORCELA SALLE UNIVERSITY

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UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-DULUTH WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY

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MCCCFAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY

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DRExEL UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

MCCCAUTOMOTIVE TRAINING CENTER

KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY MCCCMCCC

MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITYLEBANON VALLEY COLLEGE

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITYPENN STATE UNIVERSITY

MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART


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MCCCVIRGINIA TECH

MILITARY SERVICEPENN STATE UNIVERSITY


WIDENER UNIVERSITY BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY

MCCCMILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY

EAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY DRExEL UNIVERSITY

MCCCWORK FORCE

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGHVIRGINIA TECH

URSINUS COLLEGEUNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

MCCCMCCC

LIBERTY UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

MCCCEAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY

TEMPLE UNIVERSITYGEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

MCCCEAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY

MCCCUNDECIDED

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTONJOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

WORK FORCEMCCC

KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY MCCCMCCC

PENN STATE UNIVERSITYLASALLE UNIVERSITY LA SALLE UNIVERSITY


DRExEL UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA


MCCCUNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

MCCCPLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSTIY

WHEATON COLLEGEWASHINGTON COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGHTEMPLE UNIVERSITY

MCCCRUTGERS UNIVERSITY

INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA UNDECIDEDUNDECIDED

UNIVERSITY OF MAINEKUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVENELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGHEMORY UNIVERSITY


GWYNEDD MERCY UNIVERSITYMCCC

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITYTEMPLE UNIVERSITY

PENN STATE UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

MCCCWIDENER UNIVERSITY

WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH


UNIVERSITY OF DELAWAREMCCC

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGOUNDECIDED

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGHUNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGHJOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY


WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITYSOGANG UNIVERSITY

S U N Y/STONY BROOK UNIVERSITYMCCC

CONTINUING EDUCATIONPENN STATE UNIVERSITY

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SENIOR GOOD BYESMadison Wiernusz, Co-editor in ChieF-george Mason university

At sophomore orientation, I walked into Public Speaking class and Mr. Manero shouted “TRIFECTA!” He taught my sister and coached my brother so I was the third (and final) Wiernusz that he had the pleasure of knowing. I knew it was going to be interesting. I couldn’t be happier because he taught me more than I could ever thank him for. To the best adviser, Mr. Manero, thank you for being a great mentor, for giving me the opportunity to serve as editor, and for teaching me that a ‘C’ is, in fact, average. You pushed me to do my very best –“never be afraid to go above and beyond, Madison Wiernusz” – and I will never forget that. To Kate and Kee – I don’t know what I’d

do without you, you’re tremendous staff writers but even better friends. To my fellow PA Keystone Press Award winner, Steph – I wouldn’t want to split my bagels or sing Follow Me with anyone else. I’m glad that I served as co-editor next to my best friend. To the Core 4, I’m so lucky to have had you throughout high school. Thank you for reading my articles (most of the time) and for being my absolute best friends. Finally, to my family, thank you for believing in me…and sharing my articles on Facebook. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything without your support. I am truly grateful for all of the opportunities North Penn has offered me, especially the Knight Crier. It’s a bittersweet ending, but I’m excited to start my journey next year at George Mason University to study communications. #squaddeepfortheKC

steph Krane, Co-editor in ChieF- penn state universityWhen I was in eighth grade, my sister came

home with the Knight Crier’s end of year print edition and told me that I should get involved with the newspaper in high school. Fast forward four years, and here I am, trying to put into words something about my time at North Penn to go in the back of the print edition I’ve spent countless hours working on as an editor. Over the past three years, the Knight Crier has allowed me to do things that I never would have imagined myself doing. I’ve written roasts about elves on shelves, convinced people that a high school musical was taking place in a pool, and wandered around the streets of Lansdale, desperately trying to find North Penn groups to interview before the start of a parade. Looking back at my high school years, I don’t have a lot of regrets. Being involved in school, through both the Knight Crier and Theatre, has given me the privilege of having a lot that I’m going to miss. I’ll miss editing an award-winning news site with Madi, my best friend since the days of seventh grade pre-algebra. Remember, “follow me, everything is alright…” I’m going to miss emails from Kate Knab at 11:30 on Monday nights with the subject line “The Korner…” I’m going to miss seeing Kee Min, who is by far the best thing I’ve gotten out of two years of News Journalism class, every morning. I’m going to miss spending 9TH periods with the NPTV, trying to keep myself together on camera for thirty seconds. I consider myself lucky to have so many things that make saying goodbye so hard. For the Knight Crier Update, I’m Steph Krane. #squaddeepfortheKC

Kee Min, staFF Writer- teMple universityAfter two years of grueling staff meetings, my

Knight Crier career has finally reached the end of its last chapter. I gained tons of real world experience that I might run into in professional environment. From interviewing many different people and covering a variety of events, I had the chance to be like a real journalist, bringing smiles to the faces of people who are being spotlighted. Just like the real world, I also realized that the connections you make with people are your biggest asset. Relationships you have with other people are absolutely crucial, especially in the communication fields, and I learned that you must build strong bond with those you work with to get the opportunities you need. It’s who you know, not what you know. Lastly, perhaps the sweetest of these bittersweet memories, I made some pretty great friends here. To my fellow seniors Kate and Madi, I am very thankful that I got to be so close with two of the friendliest, funniest people I know, and I can only wish our paths cross each other again. Of course, I have to give a special shout out to a special someone who never failed to put a smile on my face every morning, my beautiful girlfriend Steph Krane from the Knight Crier update. It’s been a journey folks, and I just want to recognize all the incoming staff writers and graduating seniors. Just remember, a C is average.

Kate Knab, staFF Writer- arCadia universityHonestly, I didn’t really want to write one of these

senior goodbyes because I hate it when things get too real. But as I also don’t want to leave you all with an awkward picture of me accompanied by a blank space, I figure I might as well put something meaningful down one last time. It took a lot of persuading on fellow staff writer Kee Min’s part to convince me to take Knight Crier, but I’m extremely glad he did it. I ended up working with the most amazing editors ever: Madi and Steph, I hope you guys only continue to grow in your awesomeness. This class has pushed me out my comfort zone but also has allowed me to stay in

my korner, so I can’t argue with the results. I’ve met so many interesting people, from fellow classmates to community members thanks to being a part of the Knight Crier staff, and I’ve developed even more as a writer. I wouldn’t have wanted to start or end senior year with any other class. Best of luck to all of the other graduating staff members, and thank you, North Penn, for all that you’ve taught me to do and to be.

devin Welsh, staFF Writer- drexel universityApproaching the end of both my senior year and

my time as a Knight Crier staff writer, I’m feeling all sorts of strange feelings. I’m excited to finally graduate and start attending Drexel in the Fall, but at the same time, no one is going to listen to me talk about politics like you guys, the readers. In my short time with the Knight Crier, I have met some awesome writers as well as some awesome people (there’s definitely some overlap there). They have helped me grow as a writer and they rarely yell at me for occasionally going past my deadlines. I know for a fact that the Knight Crier is going to be missing a certain special something once this group of seniors leave, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Manero will have little trouble, if any, pulling together another solid group of writers.


kate SayS ‘See you later’Kate Knab

Well North Penn, I never thought this day would come. It seems like just yesterday when I sat down in front of my computer one slow Monday night, way too late to start anything serious. In fact, I was just content to muse over my back to school day options, thinking it would be much easier to handle as a boy in this khaki colored era. Back then, the only goodbye I had to face was with summer, and while it was bittersweet, I knew we would be reunited within a couple of months. Usually I wrote summer a nice letter, stained it with a couple of salty tears, and tucked it deep into the recesses of my mind with my country music playlists for nine months. But this time around it’s a little different, because despite our inclinations to name people after seasons, that does not mean people are, in fact, actual seasons. When we say goodbye, there is no promise we’ll meet again when the leaves change, or the snow falls, or the sun shines. People, I’m quickly beginning to realize, are not constants, which makes this whole business of a final farewell a lot more complicated. But never fear, North Penn, because I still have one more guide up my sleeve.

I’ve always hated goodbyes as a principle. Where is the ‘good’ in leaving someone behind? Unless of course, said person is A) crazy, B) an axe murderer, C) Justin Bieber (yes, it IS too late to say sorry!) or D) all of the above, I have a big problem with the word itself. It sounds so final, right up there with farewell, conjuring images of elegant lads and ladies stepping into their carriages waving their handkerchiefs as they drive off into the sunset never to look back. I’m not sure about the rest of you, but my high school years are not something I want to wave off daintily into the horizon. Sophomore me would cringe for this, but high school was fun! And while some part of me is ready to move on, that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.

That’s why I’m a supporter of “see you later.” The phrase makes a commitment about as intense as remembering to feed your fish (and, if you’re like me, you know that’s not a very strong guarantee), but it’s much better than finality. Who are you to define later? Later could be five minutes from now while you go to lunch reading your Knight Crier print editions. Later could be five months from now because your siblings friends followed you to the same college. Later could be five years from now when someone calls the number you wrote down in a library book coincidentally titled Love in the Time of Cholera. Though sometimes our definitions of “later” don’t necessarily coincide, life has a funny way of making sure we keep our promises. It allows for fluidity where we may not always want it, but after all of us walk at graduation and all the grad party balloons are set free and all college classes are in session, hopefully somewhere nestled in a corner of your hearts you’ll remember the small promise you made to the boy who convinced you Disney princesses were missing out, to the teacher who almost had you believe calculus would be worth it, to the friend whom you turned to when the rest of the world seemed to have lost its mind.

But I suppose the true difficulty in saying goodbye lies not in the act itself, but in how well you handle walking away. Gatsby proved it was dangerous to dwell on the past and Orpheus was punished for his desire to look back, and that is not to say we haven’t all done things in high school we’d rather forget. To erase completely the influences of the people throughout high school, or any chapter of your life really, seems to me an egreious mistake in judgement. The people we leave behind remain with us through the nuances they’ve imparted, from the way you hold your pencil to the notes you take in the margins. These things leave an impression, these people make memories, and no one can tell you that you cannot take them with you. We’ll all be saying goodbye to certain aspects of ourselves once June 9th has come and gone, but it would do you all well to remember your high school experiences have equipped you to give your futures a very confident hello. I may not see you next week, North Penn, but keep your heads up and your smiles bright, and I’ll be sure to see some you again soon.

dante Watson, staFF Writer- east stroudsburg universityBeing in the Knight Crier was a great experience for me

this year. I learned a whole new style of writing that will help me in the future. It also got me out of the comfort zone that many of us as young journalists have. Although it required a lot of effort, and at times I didn’t feel like writing, I still managed to exceed my expectations. I am proud of the writing that I did, in terms of quality, and I look to carry that over into college and beyond. Special thanks to Mr. Manero for all his help and criticism throughout the

year, as well as, for pushing me to write more when I didn’t want to. It’s been real KC!

Madi peyton , staFF Writer- penn state universityI still can’t believe my time at North Penn is coming to

an end. Having been my home for the past 3 years, I will truly miss many facets of this school and the people in it. I have had the opportunity to get involved in numerous clubs and school activities, from the show stopping North Penn Dance Team to being on the Spirit committee for our first ever Mini- THON to this very Knight Crier. Honestly, I have to thank my mentor, Mr. Manero, for igniting my love of English and convincing me to write for the paper. Both his English class and public speaking class were unforgettable experiences. Every day I still manage to learn and laugh, a winning combination between education and having a good time doing so. Though I can’t wait to see what Penn State will bring me in the fall, leaving North Penn High School is very bittersweet. I’m excited to continue my love of reading and writing as I go on to major in Secondary English Education. Maybe one day I will return to North Penn, this time as an English teacher. See you at department meetings Mr. Manero!

eriC beideMan, staFF Writer- WilKes universityIt has been a year of ups and downs, trials and triumphs,

successes and failures. I’ve written articles that were lauded and praised, and others that drowned in red ink. I have to thank Mr. Manero for all of his help this year, pushing me to be the best writer that I can be and take on the hardest and most difficult pieces. I have to thank our editors for their tireless work updating the website and steering the staff in the right direction, the direction of a successful, productive, informative newspaper. I have to thank Morgan Brett for helping me out in the fall with our

high school football bracketology piece. I have to thank latecomer Devin Welsh for coming in and helping me out with the political columns and articles for the Knight Crier. And last but not least, I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to thank my fellow staff writer Madi Peyton for writing the ‘he said she said’ articles throughout the year. Thank you to everyone in the KC family, thank you to the readers, the subscribers, and my family who reads me religiously.

Cydney lee, staFF Writer- syraCuse universityTo be honest, I only took Knight Crier because I wanted to have Mr. Manero again. I

had him for honors English my junior year and I thought he was a really fun yet rigorous teacher, which in my opinion are essential teacher qualities. Looking back, I’m glad I took Knight Crier because it exposed me to the world of news journalism. Covering various sports and events and writing about my fellow peers helped me to become more involved and aware of diversity here at North Penn. Despite the workload and pestering urgency to publish new stories, Knight Crier was a semi-fun class. I also became the photographer for some time so that was fun since I got credit for my pictures as well my articles. Overall, this year has been fun and I recommend Knight Crier to anyone who doesn’t mind writing on an almost weekly basis.


Knight Crier staFF:steph Krane

CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

Madison WiernuszCO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

eriC beideManSTAFF WRITER

ryan brysonSTAFF WRITER

tyra gWalthneySTAFF WRITER

Kate KnabSTAFF WRITER

Cydney leeSTAFF WRITER

Kee MinSTAFF WRITER

MiKaela MosleySTAFF WRITER

Madi peytonSTAFF WRITER

dante WatsonSTAFF WRITER

devin WelshSTAFF WRITER

taylor WooleySTAFF WRITER

natalie WrightSTAFF WRITER

Mr. Kevin ManeroKNIGHT CRIER ADVISOR

speCial thanKs to:erin g. CreW

PRINT EDITION SPECIALIST

gary Coppola21ST CENTURY MEDIA

Mr. todd bauerNPHS PRINCIPAL

Mr. Kyle bergerNPHS ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR

the north penn CoMMunityLOYAL READERS AND SUPPORTERS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION

the north penn sChool distriCtPROVIDERS OF A FIRST CLASS EDUCATIONAL ExPERIENCE

knight crier 2016 print edition

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