Imagine yourself feeling anxious as you wait for your name to be called. Your hands are sweaty and your heart is pumping at a thousand beats per minute. When your name is finally called, multiple hands clap in unison as they recognize and acknowledge your academic achievements and induct you into a society. This society is known as the National Honor Society, which highlights students who do well academically as well as showing the four pillars that define the society.

On January 17, 2020, 24 new members were inducted into this organization. Before a student can get into NHS, they must first get an NHS invitation and this is the first step of the induction process.

“In November of the school year, Mr. Stull and I run the GPAs for juniors and seniors…students need a 3.85 GPA for this year,” said Mrs. Jenna Sheaffer (Faculty). 

This is one part of the criteria that everyone cannot meet, but the advisors have discussed a change that can impact the inductees for next year. 

“Next year, the GPA is going to go up since the weighting  system might change,” said Sheaffer. “We have discussed with Mrs. Troutman of maybe allowing the top 15% of the class to apply for NHS. Because we didn’t change the weighting system this year, we invited 40 students to apply. This doesn’t show how the inducted members are a selected group of students.” 

If a student reaches the GPA requirement, they must also reflect the four pillars that define NHS.  

“Everyone meets scholarship (that’s the 3.85). Character is the harder one to talk about because we want students who are well-rounded and nice people. The other two are service and leadership,” said Sheaffer. 

Once students fill out the application, the induction process is determined by the Faculty Advisory Committee, who help decide who is ultimately inducted.

“There’s one teacher from the four main subjects – Math, English, Social Studies, Science,” said Sheaffer. “Then we have Mrs. Johnson who does the pool area, and Mrs. Martin from the tech/art department, and both Mrs. Troutman and Mr. Bradley helps out.”

In some cases, there is a limit to how many students get in, so not all applicants may get in the first year. At this point, the committee has to choose the best candidates.

“It’s a goal to have all four pillars, but no one is perfect, so there are times where we take things into consideration,” said Sheaffer. “For example, someone could be at school 15 hours a day and not have as much community service hours so we try to weigh the pillars.”

When the final decision is made, acceptance letters go out to the parents of those students who got accepted. From here, the parents often decide whether they tell their kids or they try to keep it a secret.

“It was very exciting to hear that I got into NHS,” said Colby Starr (11). “I get to see all of the hard work that I put in over the years and how it finally paid off.”

After the acceptance letters go out, the induction date has to be set and from there the planning process for the ceremony takes place.

“The planning of the ceremony gets stressful sometimes because you are planning a school-wide event and you have to tell teachers and we have to send out an alternate schedule,” said Sheaffer. “Mrs. Amsley does all of the RSVPs because we need them to hold seats in the auditorium of all the family that’s coming. We also throw in a cookie and punch snack time afterwards, so Mr. Stull and I have to order the food. Then we have to set up the stage with the chairs, the podium, and the table with the candles…Mrs. Blair irons all of the covers for us.” 

At the beginning of the induction ceremony, Mr. Samuel Dickey (Faculty) started off by thanking the people who put the event together. Then he invited Nicholas Alfree (12) to the podium to read off the names of the newly inductees and explain what they are a part of both in and out of school. 

“I did a mission trip with my church and I helped out at retirement homes by playing the guitar and playing games with them,” said Kierra Griffith (11). “It was important for me to get into NHS because I value my academic achievements and I want to help people as much as possible.” 

Once all of the new members have been introduced, Kamari Moser (12), Sarah Kimmel (12), Paige Hartman (12), and Megan Rummel (12) explained what each of the four pillars mean. After they spoke, they lit a candle to represent each characteristic.

           Finally, Mr. Rodney Benedick (Faculty) had each member repeat the NHS pledge. The ceremony ended with pictures being taken and a follow up snack held in the cafeteria. 

On May 14, 65 students from James Buchanan High School participated in the Senior Awards Ceremony. At the ceremony, students were given a numerous awards that had varying amounts of money. In total, there was an estimate of $200,000 in awards that were given out to students.

At the ceremony, 175 awards were offered from the school and local businesses in the area. There were a couple of awards that did not deal with money. Amber Clark (12) received the Violet Clark award in honor of her sister.

“…The person who gets that award is supposed to exemplify everything that Violet stood for and being like a younger sister, that was something that she put onto Amber,” said Olivia Harmon (12).

In order for students to receive these awards, there is a certain criteria that a student must meet to qualify for the award. Things like career path, where a person lives, and GPA all are considered when choosing winners.

“The first main criteria is to fill out the universal application,” said Mrs. Mary Cristofano (Faculty). “[…] We eliminate those who do not fit the criteria, and then we look at the student’s need and how they represent the purpose of the award.”

For some students, getting an award, especially the Glazier award, was something that students were most anxious about. This award gave 17 students $2,361 dollars each.

“Towards the end when they were giving out the Glazier award, I felt nervous because only the top 20 people get it…” said Emily Newman (12).

The amount of money that was given to students will help pay for tuition as well as other necessities for college.

“I will be using my money for board and room because (F&M) gave me a full tuition college scholarship, and it will help pay for my books,” said Kelsi Parson (12).

Mr. Dickey ended the ceremony by acknowledging the students who came and received awards for their achievements throughout high school. With one last cheer, the proud parents of 65 students applaud for the Class of 2019. 

During the winter season, the snow covers the ground and the bitter cold fills the air. As the month of February begins, sculptors start to prepare for an upcoming event in Chambersburg: Ice Fest. This event allows sculptors to show off their artistic skills as they carve their designs into ice blocks, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Before any carving can begin, there has to be ice blocks. Days before Ice Fest, sculptors have to supply themselves with their own ice. They have special machines called Clinebells which shapes the blocks of ice.

“Each Clinebell makes 2 of the 300-pound blocks, which takes about three days to make one,” said apprentice Seanna Cookus. “There is a motor inside of the clinebells that keeps the water going. They keep moving the ice each day so that you can get a clear block of ice. If you don’t have the pump and the motor running then you get cloudy blocks, which can break really easy.”

Once the sculptors have the ice, they can finally begin their creations. The amount of time it takes to make an ice sculpture depends on the amount of ice they plan on using.

“Ice sculptures can take from fifteen minutes to days,” said Mitch Schrader, an experienced ice sculptor.  “It all depends on what I’m carving and how much detail there is in the design.” 

For Schrader, he decided to remake an Ice Swan Throne that he designed back in 1987. He started carving at 5:15 on Thursday, January 31 and planned on having it done later that evening.          

Besides Schrader, there were other sculptors who were also beginning their masterpieces. Some businesses in the Chambersburg Area were starting to display their ice sculptures that other sculptors made.

When it comes to carving the ice, there can be some problems that affect their designs. Nonetheless, the sculptors find a way to persevere through them.

“Temperature is our biggest enemy,” said Cookus. “When it starts to warm up, it’s not as easy to carve because the ice can crack really easily.”

At Ice Fest, sculptors cannot wait to see how their designs will turn out. Even though it takes time for a block of ice to transform into a masterpiece, the long haul pays off in the end.

“I like interacting with the people and make people happy, especially little kids, ” said Schrader. “I’ll usually always stop if the kids are five or under, and they are showing interest in [the sculpture] and interact with them”

In the end, many people come together to see the ice sculptures and interact with others for a time of laughter and enjoyment.

The days until Christmas are dwindling, which means that New Year’s is just around the corner. On December 31, many people will be having parties with friends and family. They will stay up until midnight in order to celebrate the upcoming year. New Year’s resolutions are often made on the last day of the year to set goals for people that they want to follow through on for the upcoming year.

Life can get pretty busy, which can make it hard to stick with a New Year’s resolution. The goals made on New Year’s Eve may be followed for a certain amount of time, but more likely than not, they are often forgotten.

“One of my New Year’s resolutions was to be more motivated and get on top of things,” said Kortney Atherton (10). “This was really hard to keep because I procrastinate a lot, and I have so many things to do at one time.”

When people do not follow through with their goals, they get into a mindset of stopping their New Year’s resolution.

“My resolution in the past was learning how to cook,” said Ayla Maun (9). “It’s been an on and off thing like sometimes I would want to cook all the time, and other times I just don’t care.”

One thing that people wish they can do is to go back in time to a certain event and change the outcome of it. When it comes to past New Year’s resolutions, people can learn from their mistakes and try to do better in the future.

“If I were to go back in time, I would take it more seriously and try harder to keep my priorities straight,” said Atherton. “I would also try to be more organized with what needs to be done and not let myself brush things off until the last minute.”

People tend to have a lot on their plate with school or work throughout the year. With that being said, it can be hard for people to accomplish their New Year’s resolutions.

“Most of the challenge is just being consistent and not getting lazy,” said Maun. “I would get distracted, and then I won’t focus on my goals like I’m supposed to.”

Resolutions that were made in the past might not have been fulfilled, but a couple of tips could help you to accomplish your objectives.

       1. Make Small Goals

Instead of going all out and making big plans, try and be realistic. If you feel that you will not be able to stick with your goal, then try to start small. Once you can do the small goals, then you can move up to more complex goals that could eventually lead you up to your ultimate goal.

“If your New Year’s resolution was important for you to make it a goal, then it is probably important enough for you to follow through with it,” said Maun.

       2. Make an Outline of Your Goal

Making an outline can help keep you on track of your goal. One thing that you can do is try to make some time in your schedule to work on your New Year’s resolution. When making an outline, you can plan out how much time you will work on your objective. This technique helps you to stay organized and focused on what you need to accomplish.

       3. Get Other People Involved 

Doing things by yourself can be challenging because there is no one to make sure that you follow your New Year’s resolution. With a friend, you can help motivate each other.

“Friends will be there to tell you to keep going when you feel like giving up, and you can do the same for them,” said Atherton. “I feel that it would work so much better with the support from each other.”

       4. Reward Yourself

Sometimes people do not feel like doing anything but sitting down and watching TV. By putting the temptations aside for 15 to 20 minutes, you can reward yourself after you attempted to pursue your New Year’s resolution. At the end of the day, you can feel great about your success and still have time for yourself.

       5. Always Have Confidence

Confidence plays a big role in this because as you keep putting yourself down, then chances are you will not want to pick back up with your goal. The whole purpose of New Year’s resolutions is to challenge yourself. If you stay positive, then this helps serve as adrenaline to keep on pursuing your goals.

“Don’t give up and stick with your resolution even though you might want to,” said Atherton. “Don’t tell yourself that you can’t do it. Some New Year’s resolutions can really change your life for the better if you stick with them.”

More times than not, people tend to not follow through on their new year’s resolutions. These tips might be able to help you to stick with your objectives for a longer period of time. New Year’s resolutions can be considered as a challenge, but if enough effort is put into them, they could be considered as accomplishments.

The popcorn is popped, the fire is lit, the blanket is laying on the couch, and the television is on. It is finally time to catch up on the latest episode of Stranger Things, but the show is not being watched on cable TV; it’s on Netflix.

According to Netflix Media Center, 1998 was the year when the official Netflix website was first launched. During this time, Netflix was a DVD rental and sales website. Almost twenty years later, Netflix has movies and TV shows that can be streamed to multiple devices and includes the most recent and up-to-date content. In 2017, Netflix hit 100 million members from viewers across the nation. Netflix is becoming more popular, which causes more people to switch from cable TV to Netflix. This begs the question: Is Netflix taking over cable TV?

“I think [Netflix] has taken over TV because a lot of people don’t like advertisements anymore, and they would rather pay to not view advertisements,” said Kendra Martin (12).

There are people who have both cable TV and Netflix, which they use to watch their favorite shows and programs. A survey was given to 50 students at JBHS and asked if Netflix or cable TV is better. From the results, there was a higher percentage of people who preferred Netflix over cable TV.

“I only have Netflix and not cable TV,” said Faith Mitchell (11). “It’s just more convenient for some people because with Netflix, you can watch it whenever you want and all of your seasons are on there. Plus, it’s cheaper.”

Compared to the vast majority of people who like Netflix, Skylar Garlick (10) prefers cable TV over Netflix.

“One thing that I like about cable TV is that you can record movies and tv shows if you are not home,” said Garlick.

People choose Netflix over cable TV because of what features it contains. These features benefit their viewers, which allows them to have a satisfying experience.

“A lot of people have Netflix, so since it has all of the newer shows it’s just easier and more convenient,” said Mitchell. “For cable, you have to wait for commercials and with Netflix, you don’t have to.”

On the contrast, the features that Netflix has may not suit the viewers. For example, when it comes to TV shows, Netflix is not always up-to-date with the latest episodes.

“Unlike cable TV, you have to wait like a year for Netflix to release new seasons,” said Garlick. “Most of the time on cable TV, they release an episode each week.”

Ever since Netflix has been released, it has gained more viewers. Since the number of Netflix viewers has increased over the years, the way people watch TV has been impacted.

“Netflix tends to be a brand new culture to teenagers and the rest of the world,” said Martin. “It’s a faster, cheaper, and easier way to watch the shows you love…making it important for teenagers who want what they want.”

Ever since Netflix launched its first website, the number of viewers has grown over time. From the survey that was conducted, the results show that the vast majority of students would choose Netflix over cable TV. From the evidence given, it is evident that Netflix has taken over cable TV for many students.

Gallery|4 Photos

Senior picture of Mrs. Rebecca Miller (Faculty) when she graduated at James Buchanan in 1995.

After graduation, students go off on their own to make new memories with new people and, more times than not, go to new places. Every so often, there will be some students who tend to stay back or come back to their hometown to start a career. At James Buchanan High School, there are some individuals who have gone here to school and now have started their careers.

Mrs. Rebecca Miller (Faculty) and Mr. Kevin Gustafson (Faculty) are only a couple of people who attended high school at James Buchanan. None of the faculty members planned on coming back to high school and work here.

“It was one of those things that just kind of happened and it was almost like a domino affect,” Miller said. “The door will open here and a window will open there and things happen all of a sudden just by luck.”

During their high school Careers, Miller and Gustafson were both involved in sports and clubs. Miller played basketball and was on the Yearbook committee. Gustafson played football, basketball, and track. He was also involved in National Honors Society. Being a part of activities has played a big part in their high school careers.

“Academics and athletics were my full time jobs while I was in High School.” said Gustafson.

As time moves forward, changes tend to happen. Some of the events at school altered or faded out. Twenty years later, Miller still remembers having an event that she always looked forward to at the end of the year.

“One thing that I really liked when I was a student was FAD Day,” Miller said. “It stood for free academic day where there was like all of these field trips that you could choose from. You could go to Baltimore, you could go to a Pittsburgh baseball game; You could go to the mall, or to a bowling alley. It was a school day, but you picked a field trip that you would want to go on.”

James Buchanan still celebrates school spirit, but back then, they had different events than what we have now. Participation in high school was considerably higher than what it is today.

“This school district used to have Color Day/Week,” said Gustafson. “Each class would be responsible for decorating a hallway with a theme.  At the end of the week, parents/community members would come into the school in the evening and walk through the building so they could admire all of the decorations.”

Nowadays, there are aspects of school that changed drastically. Technology has played a big role in formulating school work.

 
“The technology integration has been significant from having a few computer labs to now having all students with laptops.” said Gustafson.

Academically, there have been more class opportunities given to students who were thinking about going to college.

“The chance to get college credit has changed a lot,” said Miller. “Like the HCC dual enrollment and the Mon-Alto classes; I don’t remember any of that.”

Over the years, the school itself has changed with updates. Despite this, the attitude of the  student body have stayed the same.

“Some teachers say that kids are different,” said Miller. “I think kids are just like kids from twenty years ago. They still have the same things that they worry about and things that make them laugh. People are people and I don’t think that part has changed a lot.”

All-in-all, former students who are now teachers remember James Buchanan as the same as today except for minor differences. Both Miller and Gustafson have fond memories they acquired while attending high school at James Buchanan.

There are so many diverse countries around the world – China, Puerto Rico, Argentina, the UK (also known as Great Britain), and so on. Some people from these countries come to America to start a new life. As fate would have it, Mrs. Marie Donahoe (Faculty), came from the UK to America to continue teaching students.

Donahoe lived in York City, which is in the northeast of the UK. During her time there, she worked at a Further Education College in Grantham to teach learning support students. Donahoe and her husband lived in the UK for about ten years until they both decided to come to America.

“My husband was from Chambersburg and when we got married we were living in the UK,” said Donahoe. “Then he decided that he missed all of the cheeseburgers, hotdogs, baseball, football. So he told me ‘Why don’t we give this a try?’ and I agreed.”

Donahoe lived in the United States for six years before she decided to go get the citizen’s award.

“I like it here in the United States,” Donahoe explained. “I want to remain here and I want to work here. I love teaching and I love the job that I currently have. I love doing what I do for a living. I did not want to put my job into jeopardy by not becoming a citizen.”

On the day that Donahoe went to take her citizen’s test, she had the feeling of “butterflies in the stomach.”

“I was a little bit nervous mostly because you are in the hands of the government. I had to pay money in order to apply for the citizenship award, which isn’t cheap,” Donahoe said. “For me to blow that in an interview answering, ‘Who takes over for Mr. Trump if he was to resign?’ would be very frustrating.”

Besides being anxious about the test, Donahoe said that she was happy to have passed.

“My citizen’s test was actually fun. The lady who interviewed me was really nice and easy going. She wanted to know quite a bit about England and Britain,” said Donahoe. “She gave me the test and she asked me six questions in all which I guess I got all correct, so by the time I got to the seventh question she was like ‘You’re good’ and put the test away. For the most part, they were very straight-forward questions and it helped that I had some practice tests to help me study.”

Even though Donahoe is legally considered as a United States citizen, she sees America as a new home that has different aspects of life compared to the UK.  

“The UK and the United States are pretty much similar in landscape and cultures. The major differences are that here, things are very spread out whereas the UK is a little bit compact,” Donahoe explained. “The difference between the rural areas is that there is a lot of public transport, such as bicycles, trains, and a lot of walking in the UK, unlike in the United States where people normally drive to get around. Students who go to school will usually walk to school, but sometimes they do take buses on occasion.”

According to Donahoe, the school structures are alike in the UK and in the United States, but the requirements for graduation are different.

“Kids can leave high school at the age of sixteen and go onto college, which is like a community college here, if I were to compare it to the United States,” Donahoe said. “You basically end up graduating with the equivalent of a GED.”

Schools in the UK end at a later time and the education being taught are different compared to the United States.

“The education over there [in the UK] is career-oriented, whereas here it is subject-oriented,” said Donahoe. “When you go to college, you have to take the liberal arts, whereas in the UK you do not have to do that. For instance, for my degree, I didn’t have to take math classes or psychology classes. Timewise, the UK starts at around nine in the morning because they have a national curriculum and then we usually end at around 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon.”

According to Donahoe, the food in the United States is unhealthy compared to the UK because we have more greasy and fatty foods. Her all-time favorite snack that she misses is the fish and chips. Food in the UK is considered healthier because their foods are made from local ingredients.

Being a part of the UK culture, Donahoe has aspects that she will cherish forever and try to restore in her family here in the United States.

“I will miss the tradition of Sunday lunch in the UK. Sunday lunch was when your family came together at one person’s house and you would have a lunch that would be similar to Thanksgiving in the United States,” Donahoe said. “This would occur every Sunday. When we came to the United States, I tried to keep one aspect that came from my life in the UK and add it to the life I have now in the United States.”

6:30 a.m – 7:00 a.m. – Strawoet arrives at the office between 6:30 and 7:00. Before Strawoet starts his day, he looks at the schedule to see which sports have games and where. If there are away games for that day, he takes care of the transportation for those teams. Afterwards, he gets the early dismissals ready so that they can be announced in the morning for those specific athletes. He tries to make sure that all of the fields are ready and touches base with the maintenance staff that the fields are getting aligned.

7:30 a.m – 11:30 a.m –  During this time, the director’s office is normally empty. Mr. Strawoet is rarely at his desk because he is always on the move, always prioritizing with making sure that everything is moving smoothly.

11:35 a.m – 12:15 p.m. – During this time, Strawoet gets his lunch break when he is scheduled to do lunch duty during period 4/5. Sometimes, he does not have time to get lunch because he is doing something else, which can be rescheduling games or any number of responsibilities.

Strawoet deals with the cancellations of the different sports games. He has four different weather maps on his phone. If there is inclement weather happening at the locations of the games, there will be a discussion with the other school and coaches. If the games are home, then he will have to consult with maintenance.

“It is very hard to judge whether or not to cancel games due to weather,” Strawoet said. “But in the end, it is all about the health and safety of the kids. We want our athletes to be healthy and injury-free and if that means we have to cancel a game, then that is what we will do.”

12:20 a.m – 3:15 p.m – After lunch, he may go back to his office to take care of a couple of things before he leaves his office once again. Sometimes, he will check with the coaches to make sure of the game times so that they both are on the same page. Strawoet has to make sure that there are officials for the events and makes sure that he has paychecks for them.

After school until 8:00 p.m. – Strawoet prepares the menu for the concession stands for the home games. This means the beverages and the snacks in the stands are all prepared. Then he moves on to get the press box ready. He has to make sure that there is help at the home games to take tickets.

8:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – At this time, Strawoet makes sure that the next day’s games are all organized. Then he goes to the fields and makes sure they are all cleaned up and ready to go for the next day before he leaves to go home.

9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Finally after sporting events held at the high school are over, Strawoet gets in his car to go home to his family. He gets as much sleep as possible in order to be ready for the next day.

“My day seems pretty hectic at times, but the nice part about my day is that every day is different,” Strawoet said.

Strawoet is the first one to arrive at the fields and the last to leave. His days can be somewhat chaotic when there are quite a number of tasks on his plate, but he likes what he does and he wishes to continue as long as he can. He cherishes his job and everyone he connects with.

There are countless superstitions in which people around the world believe. Some are knock on wood, black cats or birds, Friday the thirteenth, et cetera. There is one superstition that is known for this month: the Ides of March, or March 15. This superstition comes from the events surrounding historical leader Julius Caesar. Throughout March, Mr. Troy Hillwig (Faculty) and his 6/7 period students read the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar to celebrate the Ides of March.

The play, Julius Caesar, was written by William Shakespeare. According to History.com, this term comes from the “ominous warning from the smoothsayer telling Caesar to not go to the capital.” Nowadays, March 15 is known as a solemn day filled with a negative connotation. Patrick Hicks (10) and Kylee Long (10)  do not believe in the Ides of March.

“I think for story-telling purposes that the Ides of March are unlucky for Julius Caesar because it works as a plot device,” Hicks said. “But in general I don’t have any superstitious feelings about the Ides of March.”

“If I lived back then [during Julius Caesar’s time period] maybe I would have believed in the Ides of March, but not really now.” Long said.

Compared to the students, Hillwig has a different opinion on the Ides of March.

William Shakespeare’s writing is more traditional than the writing students are used to today. According to Shakespeare Online, Shakespeare wrote comedies, histories, and tragedies. Julius Caesar is a tragic story about how Julius Caesar “fell” from power. To Hicks, Julius Caesar is pretty easy to follow along.

“Julius Caesar is a very interesting story and overall I enjoy it. So far, I like in Act II the speech that Brutus gave about why Caesar must be overthrown and I think it is very powerful,” Hicks said.

There are students who catch on to stories and plays very easily, but for Long, it took some time to comprehend.

“I think that it is kind of confusing, but so far, it has been okay because Mr. Hillwig explains it very well and I think that most of the people in class are getting it,” said Long. “My favorite part in the play is when Cassius was explaining to Brutus why he should battle Julius Caesar for his power.”

To Hillwig, Julius Caesar is very detailed with it’s difficult language. He said that Shakespeare challenges everybody, including his Honors students. “I like for the Honors classes to be able to really analyze and detail the play and it is something that hopefully makes them think about the language and Shakespeare and have a better understanding of the play.”

Back in the days when schools were different, students would use textbooks and pieces of paper from their notebook for their classwork. Some schools have started to lean toward technology, instead of using paper as classwork. At James Buchanan High School, there are many students that carry a laptop from class to class and not have to worry about carrying heavy textbooks home all the time because technology has improved over the years, the teaching style of some teachers altered.

“Most of what we do in class is online,” Ms. Nicole Myers (Faculty) said. “For most of our resources, I use Google Classroom to post assignments, I will use Actively Learn as one of our reading sources, and then Membean for all of our vocab.”

For Mr. Matthew Riegsecker (Faculty), he did not have to change his teaching style as much compared to Myers.

“We try to mix things up,” Riegsecker said. “The resources I use varies from the SmartBoard to their Chromebooks, to their textbooks, simulations, notes, projects, etc.”

Technology has improved over the years. Students use technology every single day, whether or not they are in school. Technology has been something that has adapted to everyday life, and now it has been implemented in schools.

“For one thing, technology is really quick,” Myers explained. “If I have one of those spur of the moment ideas, I do not have to run around and have it printed off and copied and stapled. I can push it out from Google Classroom through their Chromebooks.”

“I think that we have a district with a 1:1 initiative where students have Chromebooks. So we are expected to embrace that and also try to implement technology as much as we can,” Riegsecker said.

When classes are using technology, the textbooks tend to be out of sight. Some teachers like the idea of being able to find the textbooks online, while others think that having them in the classroom is still just as good.

“I have one book that I looked at my first year here. I use a couple of resources from it, but anything that’s in that book I can find online at this point,” Myers said. “I don’t like that much about textbooks at this point, but I will use the textbook if I run out of ideas.”

“The textbooks have a consistency in the information that is being presented to the students,” Riegsecker said. “We can all be on the same page as far as the content they are being delivered.”

The generation that kids are growing up in is different compared to the ways of their teachers. Students, on one hand, have a better understanding of what is going on and they have adapted to the way technology is used. Some students prefer having their classwork on paper, while others like the idea of having their classwork on their Chromebooks.

“I prefer the Chromebooks over the textbooks,” Danielle Barnhart (11) explains. “You have so much more information at your fingertips as opposed to carrying and lugging around like five textbooks.”

“I like textbooks because, especially for Math and History, whenever you are using them they are right there and you can flip the pages while you are doing your homework,” said Shaelyn Kaiser (11).  “I feel like our technology can kind of be unreliable.”

As students go from grade to grade, they will have other teachers that have either similar or different teaching styles to other teachers they have had in the past years. Because teachers don’t follow the same teaching styles, students start to adapt to the way teachers teach.

“I like most of the teaching styles,” Barnhart said. “I especially like the Ag classes because they are not exactly lecture style, but instead, they are more interactive.”

“I think that my favorite teaching style is lecturing,” Kaiser said.  “I like listening to things and I tend to listen by ear, which is the way I learn the best. I prefer everything to be physically in front of me because I always know that it [textbooks] is going to be there when I need it.”

Technology plays a role in formulating our future. In the late 1900s into early 2000s, technology was not nearly as complex as what it is now. During these years, teachers were starting to see the technology beginning to develop. When Myers was in college, she did not have the same technology students at James Buchanan have now. She was not taught how to use technology in her classes. It wasn’t until she started teaching at James Buchanan when she finally started to pick up on the idea of using technology within her classroom.

“Now I know more about technology and all that I do with it and I do not know how I would ever go backwards at this point,” Myers said. “Here, we have Chromebooks and we have this and we have that and I would eventually make it all work. I will never look back because it is way better.”

In the cafeteria, there are students in the lunch lines and at the tables. With all of the students in the cafeteria, there are many conversations going on simultaneously. As the students get in the lunch lines, the lines get longer and longer. Finally after waiting in line, students take their lunches back to their seats, and begin to devour their tray filled with goodies. It does not take long for the trays to be completely empty, but it does take time to prepare the foods that will be served on the trays.

“We normally start making lunches around 8:30 and then we are done by 10:45,” Rhonda Lyons (Staff) explained. “The lines are split up, so in between lines, we prep food for the next line. When we are low on food, I will plot it down on a record sheet and write down how many I started with and how much I will add next time.”

Not only do the meals take time to make, they must also follow the guidelines that are required by the Food Service Department. Those guidelines are very thorough and contain the essentials needed in every meal.

The lunch ladies normally make the lunches, but Adam Carlson (Faculty) is the one who manages the lunch program to the way that the district wants it to run.

“Complete meals have to be under one thousand four hundred milligrams of sodium,” Carlson said. “Fats needs to be less than 35% of calories, 80% of our offerings have to be whole-grain rich, with the exception of our pizza doughs, and vegetables are contained in every school-meal lunch.”

“Basically what I do is I plans out the menus, plan the schedule for the staff, implement the recipes needed in the lunches, and provide culinary training.” Carlson said. “I try to keep up with trends in the food service. I usually read Food Service Director Magazines and find some ideas in there. Once I find some ideas, I will try to add them to our school.”

Carlson tries to come up with ideas of his own, but he is always open to suggestions made by students who have their own thoughts on what they would like to see on the menu.

“I like the fish taco because it is really healthy and tastes really good,” said Gabe Bard (11). “One thing that I would like to see on the menu would be grilled chicken. Grilled chicken is a healthy food and I believe the kids at JB should eat healthy. Plus, who doesn’t like grilled chicken?”

”I like the jacked-up fries because it is very creative,” said Mason Younker (10). ”It’s like nachos and fries mixed together. I think that our school has a bunch of good choices, but if I had to pick one thing to be added to the lunch menu, then it would be steak since steak is a good source of protein.”

In order to have school lunches, we have to have money. “On estimate, the Food Service Department spends around $600,000 to feed students in one school year.” said Carlson. “In one school year, we will make a little over $1,000,000 in revenue.”

The school cafeteria is where people convene together and socialize with their peers. During lunch, it is the one place where students and staff can enjoy themselves.

“I like my job. I started at the middle school only working four hours a day,” Lyons said. “Eventually, I came up here and now instead of working four hours a day, I have a full-time position being the kitchen manager.”

Outside, the leaves have fallen: their colors have changed to red, yellow, and orange. The air has a cool brisk feeling and as you go inside the house, the aroma of the food occupies the dining room as mom and dad, grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and cousins converge at the dinner table. The diversity of food loads the table to the point where there is no table left to be seen. It is that time of the year where family comes together and spends quality time with one another, the holiday where people give thanks for what they have.

According to History.com, the first Thanksgiving came about when “passengers from Plymouth, England boarded on a ship called, the Mayflower.” The article stated that they wanted to “travel to the new world where there would be new opportunities.” Once the settlers landed, they made alliances with other tribes that were also on the land. The alliances would “eventually help them with their crops.” Finally, in November, they celebrated their “successful feast with their alliances” that would later be called the First Thanksgiving.

There are quite a number of things families do on Thanksgiving. Families either stay at home and have people over, go to houses of friends and family, or even travel to different cities, states, or to different countries. The main idea is that families try to get together and spend time with each other.

Thanksgiving is now a tradition that Americans follow. It has been around for over 400 years. Now families have their own traditions that they follow during the holidays. Mr. Troy Hillwig (Faculty) Emily Horst (9) and Janiece Grove (12) explain their experiences during Thanksgiving.

“Normally, we get together with my parents and siblings for a feast on Thanksgiving Day,” Mr. Troy Hillwig (Faculty) explains. “My family also likes to get together with our best friends over the break and share stories. Although, for the first time ever, this year we are spending Thanksgiving Day in the Outer Banks!”

“We usually toss the old pigskin around,” Hilwig said. “We also might throw in a game or two of Uno for money. Finally, there is usually a bit of football played and watched. ”

“We would all sit downstairs and watch Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade, with my grandma, while my parents would start making dinner,” Horst explains.

“We would also help with some of the dinner such as peeling potatoes and ripping the bread for stuffing,” said Emily Horst (9). “After we finished eating we would help clean up and play card games. Some games that we play would be Phase 10, Dominoes, Uno and Jenga.”

“My family goes to my aunt’s house for the Thanksgiving meal at lunchtime,” Janiece Grove (12) said. “We always turn on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade while we are getting ready. After the meal we always look at Black Friday deals, tell hunting stories, and the boys play football.”

Everyone has that specific food that they like to eat during Thanksgiving. Mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce, rolls, pickled eggs and beets, and pies for dessert. There are numerous options to choose from.

“My favorite is the mashed potatoes because my dad makes the best ever! There is no other mashed potatoes that tastes that good,” Horst said.  

“I love the stuffing. It is my grandmother’s recipe and she always makes it perfectly!” Grove said.

“I have to go with stuffing,” Hillwig said.

“There are two types of stuffing: wet and dry. The one thing about stuffing is that it has to have gravy on it. Every time I had stuffing, it was perfect every time,” said Hillwig.

There are different rationales on why people celebrate Thanksgiving: to become closer with family or finally have a chance to relax and enjoy all of the things treasured in life.

“Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and be thankful for what we have been given,” Grove said.  “For my family and I, celebrating Thanksgiving is our way of really acknowledging all that the Lord has provided for us.”

“I am most thankful for love, from God, family, church family, friends, because life is meaningless without love.” said Grove.

“Thanksgiving is a time to spend with your family, getting to bond with them, and giving thanks to things that we would usually overlook. The environment is very fun, warming and everyone just gets along so well. It’s one of my favorite times of the year where my family is all together and we all get to celebrate together,” Horst explains.

           “First, it is a tradition. I can remember travelling to Western Pennsylvania as a child and celebrating Thanksgiving,” Hillwig said. “Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks for the all the wonderful things we have; frankly a lot of places around the world do not have the same opportunities and amenities as we do.”

“I feel so thankful and blessed to have a beautiful wife and two amazing children.  I am thankful for my wife and kids and our health. I am not uber thankful for the dog, Crosby.  However, I am not going to hold a grudge. And I will do my best to make him a part of the family.”

November 23 is one day where families and friends come closer together to share their love and gratitude. Even though people have different activities they do on Thanksgiving, in the end, they all have similar reasons why they celebrate Thanksgiving.

At school, you learn the basic subjects: Math, Science, History, English. There are some subjects that students excel in. These subjects may or may not play a role in students’ careers. There are many opportunities given to students that allows them to choose the right classes for their career. Franklin County Career and Technology Center, also known as Career Tech or FCCTC, offers classes that help students prepare for their future occupation.

Career Tech is considered a communal school that offers undergraduates a ‘hands-on experience’ through a specific line of work that students are interested in, such as nursing, veterinary assisting, cosmetology, and mechanics. Students from six different school districts attend, Tuscarora being one of them. This opportunity is offered to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Elena McNulty, 10, and Tia Campbell, 10, decided to apply for Career Tech.

During their freshman year, McNulty and Campbell talked to their guidance counselors about applying for Career Tech. They first heard of this opportunity from meetings that were held at school. There is an open house that takes place in November which students can attend to see what  is offered from Career Tech. If students are interested, they have to go through a small process first.

“Students have to fill out a form online through the Career Tech website,” guidance counselor Mrs. Brenda Ford (Faculty) said.

“Once students fill out their online application, the Career Center will make a list of students who have applied.” Ford said.

The process does not end with just an application, though.

“Students will then have to have an interview with one of the representatives from Career Tech,” said Ford.

“During the interview, they will ask a couple of questions and, by the end of the interview, the student will know whether or not they have been accepted into their program.” Ford said.

During the interview process, both McNulty and Campbell were a little anxious. They did not know how their interview would go, but were relieved to know their ending results.

“I was not expecting the interview to go the way it did,” Campbell said. “I only had to answer two questions and then I was told that I was accepted.”

McNulty and Campbell were both excited to be a part of the Career Tech community. They wanted to be better prepared for the future that awaits them.

“I have always wanted to be a nurse,” McNulty said. “Career Tech gives me a head start on the career I want.”

“I am studying to be a nursing assistant,” explained Campbell. “The Allied Health Shop at Career Tech helps me out tremendously.”

There are quite a number of students who attend Career Tech, which allows them to be in a well-rounded atmosphere.

“The one thing that I like most about Career Tech are the people,” Campbell explained.

“They are very likeable and easy to get along with. The teachers try to answer questions as best as they can. They are really helpful in the way they teach us.” said Campbell.

Like any typical school, there is work that students have to accomplish. They have a lot of studying to do and students have to keep up with every assignment given.

“I am not in favor of having a lot of work being assigned, but it’s one of the many challenges, which is my favorite part about Career Tech,” McNulty explains.

“I like a challenge every once in awhile. The way we learn our materials is different because it is more workshop and application than just reading from a textbook.” said McNulty.

“I normally stay up late to study for tests the next day,” Campbell said.

The Career center promotes lifelong learning and prepares students who may need a secondary education. Their goal is to further help undergraduates achieve new knowledge in their field of study. Students use hard work ethics and dedication to help themselves in the long run of their education.

More information is available through the FCCTC website at http://www.franklinctc.com/

The expenses of college are enough to overwhelm students. And they take every opportunity they can to earn money to pay for those extra years of education. There is one scholarship in particular that not only helps you financially, but it also helps students go through everyday life unlike any other award.  

The Lenfest Scholarship was founded upon by H.F (Gerry) and Marguerite Lenfest, who prospered in the oil industry. Because of their wealth, they decided to give money back to the community, especially to students. They came up with the LenFest Scholarship to help students make it to college. The goal was to take kids from rural communities and introduce them into rigorous academic pursuits.

James Buchanan High School is one of the many schools found in the rural areas of Central and Southern Pennsylvania. Two students from JBHS applied for this Scholarship: Nicholas Garbinski, 12, and Renee Sollenberger, 12.

Garbinski and Sollenberger are both very active throughout the school, participating in many extracurricular activities.

Garbinski is part of the Swim team, Cross Country team and the Wrestling team, along with being a part of the JBHS Band. 

“I am currently looking into engineering…” said Garbinski. “Not sure what kind yet, but I would either go for civil engineering or chemical engineering.”

Sollenberger is an athlete in basketball and volleyball. In addition, she is the secretary for the graduating Class of 2017. Like Garbinski, she is also a part of the JBHS Band.  

“I am majoring for something in the sciences…” Sollenberger said. “Either biological engineering or just biology.”

Sollenberger and Garbinski heard about Lenfest from their school counselors during their junior year. They both decided to take the challenge, but there was a lot of work and effort that was ahead of them.

“There are three different rounds that each student applicant has to go through,” guidance counselor Mrs. Lynn Troutman, Faculty, explained.

“The first round is when each applicant gives the basic information about themselves and then they write a short essay,” said Troutman.

“If they make it to the next round, they receive three long essays and they must get teacher recommendations along with a counselor recommendation. The third round is when they do an interview with different universities.”

They do not find out whether or not they make it as a LenFest Scholar until the end of May. 

The toughest part about applying for a college or for a scholarship is the wait and the results. Sollenberger and Garbinski started to feel a little anxiety awaiting the results.

According to Sollenberger, “I was not the first one to find out about my results. My dad opened the letter before I got home from practice because he really wanted to know what the ending results were.”

“Once I pulled out the letter, I felt so relieved. All of that hard work paid off. I told my mom (who at the time, already knew about it) and she said that dad already told me. The biggest surprise was when he came home with flowers in his hand.”

“When I found out that Renee got her letter and she got in, that’s when the nerves started to settle in because I did not get the letter yet,” Garbinski said.