1. Learn about
the new polar
bear exhibit at
the Pittsburgh
Zoo,
See pages 6-7
See pg. 3
Photo by Jessica Berardino
January 2007
News
Issue 3
2006 Rewind:
What was hot in
‘06?
Photo courtesy of sportsillustrated.com
PT Focus
Signals
Smoke
Volume 38
Senior puts forth extra effort
Rachel Horensky
Co-Editor-In-Chief
A student who
excelled not only in
the classroom, but
on the golfcourse and
in the community,
Danielle Morosco was
awarded the Extra
Effort Award from
KDKA’s Bob Pompeani
on
December
6th.
Morosco was given
the award because
of her achievements
on the golf course,
such as team captain
and state qualifyer.
“I
wouldn’t
have
gotten the award if
it weren’t for Mr. and
Mrs. Kuhn,” Morosco
stated. Her academic
achievements made
her
more
than
qualified
for
the
award. Her 4.2 GPA
and her volunteer
work at PetSearch
also put her above
the other candidates.
“I was honored to
receive this award
and appreciate all
the
support
from
my parents and the
Kuhns,”
Morosco
stated.
Morosoco
was nominated by
her golf coach Dave
Kuhn. Morosco
received a sixfoot
Subway
sandwich,
a
plaque and a
$200 check was
presented to the
school in her
name. The award
was presented to
her in front of the
upperclassmen
on December 6th
by Pompeani. He
was
welcomed
by
the
PTHS
band
and
cheerleaders.
KDKA
filmed
Photo by Carly Reschick
Danielle Morosco accepts her Extra Effort Award in front
of the upperclassmen at a special assembly held in her
honor. Bob Pompeani from KDKA television presented
Morosco with the award and 6-foot Subway sandwich.
Pompeani presenting the award and also took
footage of the students. The coverage aired on
KDKA on Decemeber 14th. Senior Kevin Noone
was asked to introduce Morosco and PTHS live to
the KDKA viewers. After about four takes, Noone
mastered his lines for the introduction.
Coffeehouse 2006: Hot! Hot! Hot!
Taylor Piedmonte
Index
News
Meet new athletic director Mr.Relich.
See article on page 3
Staff Writer
This past December, PTHS
students displayed a variety of
talents in Coffeehouse 2006: Hot!
Hot! Hot! Performances included
original songs, broadway duets,
instrumentals, skits, and many
others. Spanish teacher Beth
Bockstoce directed coffeehouse,
and Angelina Nepa served as
student director.
Held each December in
the cafeteria, Coffeehouse allows
audience members to enjoy
coffee, cheesecake, and other
desserts while being entertained
by talented performers. The hosts
of coffeehouse must make sure
the show runs smoothly while
keeping the audience entertained.
Experienced
thespians
Jerry
Scheller and Natalie Palamides
hosted this year’s performance.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Scheller, who
enjoyed “listening to Natalie come
up with hilarious intros.” Hosting
Coffeehouse was not always easy.
“We had to stay up until 10 o’clock
at night thinking of funny things
to do,” said Palamides.
As
experienced
performers, both Scheller and
Palamides agreed that hosting is
a completely different experience.
“It’s more on-the-spot, there’s no
actual script,” said Scheller. With
set changes occurring frequently
and performance order changing
each night, hosting required a lot
of improvisation.
Performers
and
hosts
weren’t the only ones who
contributed.
Behind-the-scene
efforts by the director, student
director,
tech
crew,
house
manager, and servers helped make
Coffeehouse a success. Junior
Angelina Nepa had many important
duties as student director. Nepa
described student directing as
a very tough job. In addition to
attending every rehearsal, Nepa
helped with the technical aspects
of the production. “I got to paint, I did all of
the brickwork on the backdrop,” she said. Nepa
also helped with ticket sales on the nights of
the show.
Coffeehouse 2006: Hot! Hot! Hot! was
a major success. Attendance was high at every
show, with Friday night’s show selling out. As
always, coffeehouse provided an opportunity
for PTHS students to showcase their wide
range of talents and abilities.
Strings and things: student talent recognized
Renée Wunderlich
Staff Writer
This year’s fall talent show, which took place
on November 30, was one of the most successful
yet. The huge crowd turn out was influenced by a
newly adopted judging system (a panel of high school
teachers).
The prize money,
written on “game show-worthy”
giant checks, added a little extra
Guest writer Drew Han- competition to the event.
cherick tackles the obeA rather shocked trio
sity epidemic.
of string players received the
Full story on page 5
grand prize of $100.00 for their
performance
of
“Symphony
No. 88”, Byron Zajdel and Dan
Urbanowitz on violin and Dave
-Colin
Shepard on string bass. “We
didn’t expect to place at all,
much less in first- it’s nice
to have an event that isn’t
another popularity contest,”
Learn how to handle col-said Shepard. The other two members agreed that
they never imagined such positive student feedback.
lege recruiters.
These three juniors perform in the PTHS orchestra, as
See article on page 8 well as routinely in numerous other ensembles and
musical events such as Honors Orchestra and other
school bands.
Opinion
Photo by Kelsey Hoskins
Senior Corey Grabowski performing his original
song “You Know Who You Are” at the 2006 Coffeehouse.
Vocalists Corey Grabowski and Morgan Joyce, while
performing separate acts, impressed the judges so much that
they couldn’t decide between them, awarding the $75 second
prize to both. “I’m proud to play my own music, and I’m glad
people like it.” said Grabowski, a senior who preformed his
original song “You Know Who You Are”.
Joyce, who sang “Cowboy Take Me Away”,
was a first time performance. “There’s a
lot more variety here in the high school,
especially in this show- not just a bunch
of bands- there are dancers, musicians,
singers…everything.”
With not one, but two drum sets
taking up the PT stage, seniors Colin
McBride and Timmy Reeder took home
McBride, ‘07
$50 and third prize for their act, titled
“Our favorite four letter word is: DRUM”,
which they describe as nothing less than
original. Both drummers are snare players
on the Mighty Indian Marching Band’s Drumline, and incorporated
versions of former field cadences into their performance. “It
was a lot of fun just to get up there and play, and to think we
only practiced once!” said McBride.
“It was a lot of fun just
to get up there and play, and
to think we only practiced
once!”
Sports

2. PT Reference
January 2007
Sun
Mon
Tue
1
NO SCHOOL
Boys Varsity
Basketball vs. USC
7:30
New Year’s Day
7
2
21
Fri
Sat
3
& Diving @ Pine Richland
6:00
15
NO SCHOOL
4
5
6
10
8 Coed Varsity Swimming 9
11 Coed Varsity
12
13
19
20
Varsity Ice Hockey Varsity Basketball Varsity Wrestling
Varsity Wrestling @ vs. West Allegheny @ Trinity 7:30
- Ft. Cherry Duels
Bethel 7:30
9:30
8am
Swimming & Diving vs.
Boys Varsity
Varsity Wrestling @ Seneca Valley 6:00
Basketball @ Moon Baldwin 7:30
Girls Varsity Basketball
7:30
vs. Canon Mac 7:30
Boys Varsity
Basketball vs.
Martin Luther King Jr. Keystone Oaks
Day
7:30Girls Varsity
Basketball @ USC
Girls Varsity
7:30
Basketball @ Steel
Valley 7:30
17
Coed Varsity Swimming
Girls Varsity Basketball and Diving vs. Laurel
@ Baldwin 7:30
Highlands 6:00
Varsity Wrestling
vs. Ringgold 7:30
22
Varsity Basketball Varsity Wrestling
vs. Canon Mac 730 vs. USC 1 pm
Varsity Ice Hockey vs. TJ
8:50
16
23
Varsity Ice Hockey @
Knoch 9:00
28
Thu
Varsity Ice Hockey @
Moon 9:00
Girls Varsity Basketball @
Trinity 7:30Varsity Hockey
vs. Hampton 7:30
14
Wed
Swimming & Diving @
USC 6:00
Varsity Ice Hockey vs.
Greensburg Salem 7:05
Girls Varsity Basketball
vs. Mt Lebo 7:30
24
25 Coed Varsity Swimming
Boys Varsity Basketball
@ Baldwin 7:30
29
NO SCHOOL
18 Coed Varsity
Varsity Wrestling
@ Waynesburg
Central 7:30
& Diving vs. Baldwin 6:00
Girls Varsity Basketball vs.
Bethel 7:30
Girls Varsity Basketball
@ Elizabeth Forward
6:00
Varsity Basketball vs.
Mt. Lebo 730
26
End of 2nd
Report Period
27
Girls Varsity
Basketball vs.
Carrick 2:30
30
Varsity Ice Hockey vs.
South Park 9:05
Varsity Basketball vs.
Bethel Park 730
Coed Varsity
31
Swimming & Diving Boys Varsity
@ South Fayette 6:00Basketball @ TJ
Girls Varsity
Boys Varsity
Basketball vs. USC Basketball @ USC
7:30
7:30
7:30
Bizzare January Holidays
2nd: 55-MPH Speed Limit Day
6th: Fruitcake Toss Day
7th: I’m Not Going To Take It Anymore Day
22nd: Celebration of Life Day
24th: Belly Laugh Day
26th: National Peanut Brit tle Day
18th: Winnie the Pooh Day
29th: Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day
21st: National Hugging Day
30th: Inane Answering Message Day
Smoke Signals
Smoke Signals is produced seven times during
a school year by the students of Media II,III, IV
Journalism and extracurricular staff at Peters Township High School, 264 E. McMurray Road, McMurray PA 15317. Telephone: 724-941-6250 x.5379.
E-mail: sitlern@pt-sd.org.
Commentaries, reviews, and opinion columns
are the expressed opinion of the author and not of
Smoke Signals, its adviser or the Peters Township
School District. Member of the Pennsylvania School
Press Association.
Co-Editors in Chief
Kaitlin Houser
Rachel Horensky
Kara Krawiec
Layout Editor
Catherine McCarron
News Editor
Angelina Nepa
Life & Style Editor
Colleen Counihan
Opinion Editor
Brittany Beyer
Sports Editor
Sean-Paul Mauro
Marketing Editiors
Emily Bigley
Nick Sikora
Staff Writers
Jessica Berardino, Bill
Berry, Emily Bigley, Ashley Czajkowski, Garrett
Dennis, Drew Karpen,
Sean Naccarelli, Chris
Portz, Derek Redding,
Brendan Sikora, Nick
Sikora, Renee Wunderlich
Sudoku, also known as
Number Place or Nanpure, is a
logic-based placement puzzle.
The objective is to fill the grid
so that every column, every row
and every 3×3 box contains the
digits 1 to 9.
The
modern
puzzle
was invented by an American,
Howard Garns, in 1979 and
published by Dell Magazines
under the name “Number
Place.” It became popular in
Japan in 1986, when it was
published by Nikoli and given
the name Sudoku. It became an
international hit in 2005. (From
Wikipedia)
SUDOKU
Layout Team
Megan Enscoe, Katie
Gavlick, Stephanie Gillece, Lisa Lerario,
Adviser
Nicole Sitler
Puzzle by websudoku.com

3. News
A. Czajkowski
J. Berardino
Ashley Czajkowski
R. Wunderlich
Outside
A. Nepa
Unearthly travels
Staff Writer
Space tourism is no longer just a strange
vision of science fiction writers. Although still
only affordable to the extremely wealthy,
space tourism may offer a new, adventurous
type of exploration.
Several billionaire space tourists have
already taken the adventure. Now, private
companies in Russia, Europe and the United
States are competing to become future
leaders of reasonably priced space tourism.
Even though analysts (Space News) envision
space tourism travel to become more and
more popular, development is a slow process.
These analysts stated, “Space hotels are on
the horizon, but until space travel is more
affordable, there will not be a substantial
market for the hotels.”
Virgin Airlines owner and billionaire,
Richard Branson, hopes to start sending
tourist to space between 2008 or 2009 under
his company Virgin Galactic. The tickets will
cost approximately $200,000. With this, Virgin
Galactic customers will receive a two-hour trip
on the “spaceliner”. Half of the voyage will be
spent ascending to a safe altitude in space.
During this time, tourists can experience
weightlessness and observe the Earth
from outrageous views. Then, the tourists
would spend an hour on SpaceShipTwo as it
accelerates to over three times the speed of
sound and climbs to heights well over 62 miles.
The shuttle would then venture back to Earth.
Thousands have already been added
to a waiting list in hopes of retrieving a
ticket for this voyage into outer space. Once
selected, they must go through long months
of cosmonaut training in order to handle the
trip successfully.
Water’s edge
Jessica Beradino
Staff Writer
Pittsburgh
welcomed home two
brand new baby polar
bears. The new bears
were brought from
the Denver zoo; Koda
and Nuke are both
two years old. At this
age, the bears already
weigh 500lbs. Polar
bears last resided
at
the
Pittsburgh
Zoo in 1998. The
zoo purchased these
animals with the hope
to be able to breed
them when they turn
between 8-10 years
old. There are already
two young females
in the Denver Zoo,
and the two zoos
are hoping to help
each other with the
process of breeding
the polar bears. The
Kaitlin Houser
Pittsburgh Zoo has
already
planned
for the polar bear
offspring by building
a birthing den and
five off exhibit holding
stalls.
Zoo
trainers
hoped
that
when
young children come
to the zoo and see the
polar bears they will
want to help save this
endangered species.
In a effort to educate
children, zoo officials
have advertised the
poor eating choices
in fish that the public
makes and provided
a showcase full of
“good” and “avoid”
fish samples. The fish
that are “good” to eat
are the kinds of fish
that are abundant,
well managed and
caught or farmed
in
environmental
friendly manner ;
these include catfish,
tuna and trout. The
“avoid” fish come
from
areas
that
are over fished or
caught/farmed
in
ways that harm other
marine life, including
imported King Crab
legs, swordfish, and
shrimp.
Along with the
polar bears, the Zoo
is hoping to complete
a replica of a Pier
Town by April 2007.
Buildings such as a
Cannery, Sustainable
Seafood
Market,
Towne
Hall,
Gift
Shop, and a Fair Bait
and Tackle Shop will
house the sea otters
and walruses. With
this addition of a Pier
Town to the Pittsburgh
Zoo,
the
Species
Survival Plan group
hopes to inform the
public of the depleting
polar bear population,
so that they would
make a conscious
effort to help save
these animals. Over
the past two years,
79 dead polar bears
have been found in
the Artic Ocean due
to global warming
(Pittsburgh
Zoo
informational packet).
The job of saving
these animals has now
been put in the hands
of
Pittsburghers;
hopefully, they’ll be
up for the challenge.
Relich reveals
The journal Climatic Change is due
to publish a study entitled, “Going to the
Extremes,” which is supposed to expose the
rise of “extreme weather events,” which covers
everything from heat waves to intense rainfall.
Researchers believe that these climatic events
will start causing trouble at the end of this
century and that the overall trend of data
signifies global warming. The United States
in particular is expected to succumb to severe
drought in the Southwest; heavy rains in the
North, and a Monsoon cycle in the Pacific region.
Also beginning at the end of this century, heat
waves will be dispersed erratically.
Taco Bells in Pennsylvania, New York,
and New Jersey are reportedly responsible
for 65 cases of E. coli infection.
Nine
people, including an 11-year-old boy, were
hospitalized. The chain announced that it will
remove green onions, which are supposedly
the source of the outbreak, from all dishes in
its 5,800 restaurants across the country.
New York city “health chiefs” voted to
remove all trans fats from every restaurant in
the metropolis. This ban enforces the city’s
belief that trans fats may be responsible for
heart disease because they increase levels
of harmful cholesterol and decrease levels
of beneficial cholesterol. Several frying oils,
along with some types of shortening, must be
removed from all eateries by July 1 of next
year.
NASA promised to do what it has
guaranteed since the 1970’s: establish a
permanent base on the Moon. The US is
working with Russia and other nations with
space programs to design and construct the
base, which should be in operation in the next
twenty years. Permanent residents will be
able to live and work on the moon by 2024.
The project does have its skeptics. Jeffery
Kluger of TIME magazine recently remarked,
“[The world’s] dreams come to naught: big
plans promised by politicians with no money
to follow them up; big blueprints shown off by
engineers without any constituency elsewhere
in the agency.”
All entries submitted by Angelina Nepa
Co-Editor-In-Chief
New athletic director, Mr. Richard Relich,
brings new enthusiasm to the activities program. With his main focus the students’ needs;
Relich plans to accommodate student requests
for new programs. Students have approached
Relich with ideas for bowling, fencing, crew,
and Equestrian among many others. His second focus is to provide equal opportunities for
boys and girls. Lastly, he wants to meet the
needs of the growing community and to make
sure appropriate facilities are provided. Relich
said that the best part of his job is interacting
with the faculty, coaches, and students.
“A good coach has to be a kind of leader that students are drawn to,” said Relich. Although his job requires long hours and a lot
of communication and small details, including
transportation, he enjoys attending the sporting events. One of Relich’s main reasons for
coming to Peters is because he holds a high
regard for the community. Relich said he
wanted to come to Peters because the community is highly respected, constantly growing, and a trend-setter. Relich sees the future
of our programs expanding and growing.
In his free time, Relich enjoys spending
time with his family. Although his job extends
into the night with attending games, Relich
sets time aside to participate in other activities
like teaching sports management at California
State University to undergraduate students.
Relich took the job as athletic director for Peters Township so he could be closer to his family who lives in Peters. All four of his children
currently attend school in the district.
Relich was an athletic director for five
years and acted as a principal for three of the
five years at West Mifflin School District, before
he decided to come to Peters. In 1993, he took
a job as director of athletics and supervisor of
health and physical education at Mt. Lebanon.
His first job was at Central Green High School
in Waynesburg where he worked as an athletic
director for 8 years. He got his masters in Science /Sports Management at Western Illinois.
He graduated from Washington and Jefferson
College with a degree in Economics. Relich
enjoyed playing collegiate basketball during
college.

4. Opinion
B. Beyer
G. Dennis
“
N. Sikora
Would you Wait in Line for a
Video Game?
“No, instead of wasting time,
money, and brain cells waiting in
line for a game console you could
do something constructive with
your life, like curing cancer.”
Samantha Haskins, ‘08
“If I had $600, I would
do the same.”
Nate Morrison, ‘07
“No, it’s insane and the people
who do it need a life that does
not involve running into poles.”
Mark Hayes, ‘10
“No, I think it’s ridiculous for anyone
to go to extreme measures for a
video game system. Think about all
the time and money you waste; with
those resources you could be making
a difference and doing something
productive with your life.”
Keith Quinn, ‘09
Minimum wage not
so minimal anymore
Kara Krawiec
S. Naccarelli
Sony insanity
Garrett Dennis
Opinion Writer
People were in a frenzy during the
November release of Sony’s Playstation
3, resulting in shootings, theft, and
riots across America. In Boston, a man
waiting in line outside a Wal-Mart to get
the Playstation 3 was shot because he
would not give two robbers his money.
It was obvious to me that these people
were sitting ducks to thieves when they
were waiting outside the store for days
in advance to purchase a $500-$600
item. If you’re going to sit outside a
store with $500 in your pocket, at least
bring a can of mace with you for some
sort of protection. A game system is
not worth losing your life over, contrary
to popular belief.
In Indiana, people almost forced
their way inside Circuit City before it
opened in order to get their hands on
He Said vs. She Said
Nick Sikora
According to Minimum Wage
Facts: Pennsylvania Data, 20% of
households in Pennsylvania earn
between $272 and $587 a week, which
accounts for 11% of Pennsylvania’s total
earnings. However, with the change of
minimum wage it ultimately changed
the total percent of Pennsylvanian
earnings to 14%. This increase helps
not only individuals but also the state
as a whole. Adults are not the only
people that will be affected by this,
students that hold jobs within their local
communities will also profit from this
increase. Total, this increase will affect
9.7% of all Pennsylvania workers.
Since the last increase in the
minimum wage, society has changed,
Brittany Beyer
In the
Go to PPG aquarium and watch the
penguins. Or go to the Waterfront.
Co-Editor-in-Chief
With the rise in the cost of the
standard of living, the demand for an increase
in the minimum wage finally persuaded
Pennsylvanian citizens to vote through the
legislation changing it from $5.15 to $7.15 an
hour. People agree that it was unconstitutional
that someone who works for a living can still
not earn enough to keep them above the
poverty line. With the initiation of the minimum
wage it allows working class citizens to earn a
better living and help people come above that
poverty level.
the PS3. The local police restrained
them, but just the thought of trying
to break in and enter a store in broad
daylight makes me wonder about the
intelligence of people today. If you
didn’t get a PS3 the day it came out,
just wait for a week when more are in
stock and blame Sony for purposefully
having a shortage of the product.
The next incident that makes me
wonder about the sanity of Americans
was what happened at a Wisconsin WalMart. Apparently the store only had
10 Playstation 3’s for sale; so to avoid
a riot they decided to have a game of
musical chairs to determine who got
one. Having about a hundred people
compete for 10 chairs proved not to be
the best idea in the world considering
several shoppers nearly got crushed,
and a 19 year-old knocked himself
out by running into a pole. Attention
The Andy Warhol museum on the
North Side is always fun and Fridays
from 5 ‘til 10 are half price. ($5)
Around the Peters
Basically all PT has to offer is hills,
so sled riding seems like the obvious
activity.
Sleep?
When you have no money?
When I have no money I rely on the
intangibles in life to keep me busy,
like decorating, or watching Christmas
movies with puppet reindeer with
glowing red noses which makes me
wonder how they got his nose to
glow.
Dig through your house for change
and cash it in at Coinstar. If you don’t
come across any change invite friends
over and have a movie marathon.
When you have no form of
Get a ride, usually just trying to
arrange that is enough to be busy for
at least two hours.
Pull out your parka and strap on your
snowshoes, walking is the way to go!
What’s the best way to keep warm?
It’s January, so take your rotting
Christmas tree, hack it up, and light
it on fire. Make sure you unplug the
lights first.
Surround yourself with space
heaters, just make sure to have a
fire extinguisher nearby.

5. 5
Smoke Signals
I’ve got the winter blues
Sean Naccarelli
Opinion Writer
Are you having the blues? Do
you suffer from exhaustion during the
Winter season? This isn’t an infomercial,
so I can’t give you an Esteban guitar
or anything, but I can help you. Well,
you’re not the only one coming from
a town with a lousy football season,
constant rain, and pretty much nothing
to do. The trick to beating the winter
blues is plucking out your fuzzy green
feathers, giving the presents back to all
of the Who’s, and getting your Grinchy
butt out of your house! Consider the
following:
1. Go downtown and look at the lights
and ice skate. If you don’t like that,
you might as well grow a beard, a gut,
and say “Bahumbug!”
2. Go sled-riding. Find the fastest hill
in town, throw some water down it,
and have a phone close by in case of
any sledding accidents; you kids will
be busy for hours!
3. Go bowling. Nothing represents the
holiday season more than a good game
of knockin’ down 10 pins.
4. Drink hot chocolate/tea/coffee/
beverage of choice. Hey, look on the
bright side, if it’s hot, you’ve got plenty
of snow on the ground to cool it down
with!
Internet’s insidious side:
the “death” of Ben Savage
Garrett Dennis
“
January 2007
How do you beat the
winter blues?
“I go snowboarding.”
Nick Pustay, ‘07
“I spend time with my
friends.”
Kaitlyn Stroyne, ‘08
“I drink hot chocolate
with lots of
marshmallows.”
Elizabeth Hammell, ‘10
“I read a book.”
Opinion Writer
including me, believed it. Wanting
Imagine having the power to more information on the matter, I went
make a devastating amount of people on the Internet to investigate. When I
believe
something
Google- searched his
just because one
death, all that came
person says it is“ I was very disturbed by the up were links saying
true. Myspace.com
“The
Supposed
has
granted
thatrumor of Ben’s death.”
Death
of
Ben
power to people and
Savage (Rumor).” I
rumors continue to
soon found out that
spread. Most rumors
Ben Savage was not
– Paige Goozdich, ‘10
come from bulletins
dead, but in fact he
in Myspace.com or
was in the middle
chain e-mails.
of making a movie
On Myspace.com, a bulletin was called Car Babes.
posted saying Ben Savage had died on
“I was very disturbed by the
September 16, 2006 due to a drunk rumor of Ben’s death,” said freshman
driving accident. There was no coverage Paige Goozdich. Many other people
of the death in any papers, news shows, were upset when they thought the star
or magazines; yet a lot of people, of Boy Meets World was dead. When
students found out that the news was
false, some went from upset to angry
that the Internet could start such a
rumor, and others just shrugged it off.
“Oh, whatever then,” said Goozdich.
It’s not like this is the first time
a death rumor was spread via Internet
either. Two years ago people were
talking about the death of Jon Heder,
better known as Napoleon Dynamite.
The rumor was that he either died from
a drug overdose or snapped his neck in
a car crash. Once again the death was
not published in papers; it was simply an
e-mail going around. When Heder was
asked to comment on the rumor for a
news article he said, “Yeah, apparently
America tips the scales
Drew Hancherick
Guest Writer
“I would like
two Big Macs. One
order of Chicken
McNuggests, and
a
large
order
of fries,” stated
the rather large
woman standing
before
me
in
line. “Excellent,”
said the cashier,
paper hat perched
atop an unruly
mass of curls.
“And to drink?”
he
questioned.
“A large Coke,”
replied the woman.
“Make it diet,” she
added, almost as
an afterthought.
I
gazed
in
amazement
at
the rotund figure
in front of me.
Was she serious?
Judging by the look
Mindy Moran, ‘09
of self-satisfaction
plastered on her
face, this woman
truly believed that
she was doing
herself a service by
choosing a sugarfree
beverage.
She
failed
to
recognize that her
“sacrifice” would
be offset by the
several thousand
calories she would
soon
consume
in
her
meal.
This
woman’s
i g n o r a n c e
reflected an entire
generation’s
inability to control
its weight.
According
to the American
O b e s i t y
Association,
or
AOA, one third of
adult Americans
are obese. That
means that roughly
60 million citizens
are
overweight
slobs, more likely
to watch a full
The Wonder Years
marathon
than
pick up a carrot.
Despite efforts to
educate America
about the gross
uncleanliness
and
health
risks
associated
with
obesity,
the number is
increasing. Obese
individuals
are
more likely to
develop
heart
trouble and Type
2 diabetes, and
usually
have
higher cholesterol
than
thinner
Americans. Aside
from these health
risks, overweight
people are usually
badly out of shape
and unable to
experience
the
joy of an active
lifestyle.
With
so many factors
working
against
this disease, how
could a person let
himself
become
obese?
T h e r e
should
be
no
excuse for obesity.
Although genetics
play a factor in
susceptibility, the
AOA states that
the environment
fosters
the
tendency towards
obesity; lack of
exercise, too much
time spent in front
of the television,
and an excess of
high calorie foods
contribute to the
rise of the disease.
However, America
is being educated
on the subject.
Commercials
are
frequently
promoting healthy
foods and exercise.
Fast food chains
such as McDonalds
have begun to
introduce
lowfat items to their
menus. And public
schools
have
attempted to curb
unhealthy eating
at lunch with the
introduction
of
new,
healthier
menus.
How
wonderful!
Now
the
school’s
sodium
riddled,
low-grade meats
can be served
on whole wheat
instead of white.
In
some
cases obese adults
set a bad example
for children.
In
movies and on
television,
the
obese
man
is
always portrayed
as the “fat jolly
guy.”
These
shameless slobs
routinely
use
humor
that
crosses the line
between
selfdeprecating and
self-humiliating.
T-shirts
bearing
slogans such as
“I Beat Anorexia”
and “I Don’t Suffer
From
obesity…
I
Enjoy
Every
Moment of it” are

6. 2006 Re
Fashion Trends
Leggings
Beads
Prints
“My favorite movie of 2006 was Happy
Feet.”
-Brandi Kohne ‘07
Indoor Scarves
Skinny Jeans
Flats
Television Shows
Deal or No Deal
Grey’s Anatomy
Dancing with
the Stars
“My favorite television show of 2006 was
That 70’s Show.”
-Corey Eltshlager ‘07
24
House
Desperate
Housewives
Movies
DaVinci Code
V for Vendetta
Pirates of the Caribbean ll:
Dead Man’s chest
Borat
Superman Returns
“My favorite event of 2006 was my birthday!”
-Bobby Perhach ‘08
Casino Royale
Talladega Nights: The
Ballad of Ricky Bobby

7. e wind
Sports
Girls’tennis winning the PA
State Championship
Baseball’s All-Star Game
held in Pittsburgh
Boys’ soccer advancing the
semifinal rond of the playoffs
Christine Beazely advancing
to States in Cross Country
Football team’s double
overtime win over Keystone
Oaks
“My favorite television show of 2006 was
Heroes.”
-Renee Heldman ‘08
Steelers Winning Super
Bowl XL
Music
Fergie
The Fray
The Pussycat Dolls
Panic! At the Disco
Red Hot Chili Peppers
“My favorite movie of 2006 was Talladega
Nights.”
-Emily Smith ‘07
Carrie Underwood
News
War in Iraq
Democrats winning control
over the House and Senate
Changes on the U.S.
Supreme Court
Sago Mine Disaster
Death of Mayor Bob
O’Connor
Big Ben’s motorcycle accident
“My favorite sports event of 2006 was the
Steelers winning the Super Bowl.”
-Matt Bucey ‘07

8. ro
Sp
extra p int
Em
ily
Bigley
rts
BCS is a mess
Who is going to win the Super Bowl?
the BCS; chaos. The race for dumb about the BCS is that
CT: There are a lot of great teams in the Sean-Paul Mauro
the National Championship it allows the subjectivity of
NFL this year, but with the
became a two-team debate the voters to rule, instead
Sports Writer
recent demise of the Colts, my
between the Big Ten runnerSuper Bowl pick has to go to
of permitting a playoff that
the Chicago Bears. Da Bears
How many years is up and the SEC champion.
Michigan
was would settle everything
had their troubles with Rex it going to take for College
Grossman, but he appears to Football to realize that the Bowl apparently punished for not on the field. Every year,
be back on track. The sign of Championship Series is a joke? having any more games to play voters have to make this
a great team is that even though How many teams have to be while Florida was rewarded type of decision. They
with a National Championship
Grossman was struggling, they robbed from a big time
have to debate who is
still won their division in the bowl game before
better based on “style
twelfth week of the season. college football finally
They have the best defense and adopts some form of
on
Michigan was apparently points”. Based had
special teams in football, which a playoff? The BCS,
who they think
wins championships.
once again, created punished for not having any
a better schedule,
SPTM: Without question, the
most complete team in the NFL
is the Baltimore Ravens. There
is no denying their dominance
this season. If you’re having
trouble seeing them as a Super Bowl
team, just think back to their 27 – 0
demolishment of the Steelers in early
December. The Ravens, along with the
Bears, have one of the best defenses in
the NFL.
However, unlike the Bears,
the Ravens have a steady offense with a
consistent, veteran quarterback in Steve
McNair.
CT: From what I’ve gathered, Da Bears
have just as good of a defensive unit as the
Ravens. And you know how that saying
goes, “defense wins championships.”
Special teams are often overlooked in
football, but they often decide the outcome
of a game. Devin Hester has returned a total
of 6 punts and kickoffs for touchdowns
thus far, a NFL record. When the Bears’
offense was having a terrible game against
the Vikings, the special teams and defense
scored 2 touchdowns and had a safety to
ensure the victory. That is the sign of a
great team.
SPTM: Thank you for making my argument
that defense wins championships. I’m not
sure if you know this but the Ravens have
the number one ranked total defense in
the NFL. Also, no Super Bowl team has
ever won with a bad quarterback, and
that is exactly what the Bears have. You
can win with a good quarterback, you
can win with a decent quarterback, but
you can’t win with a bad quarterback
– which is exactly what Rex Grossman
is. Steve McNair is a good quarterback
who has turned the Ravens’ offense into
a legitimate contender. Rex Grossman is
a bad quarterback who has almost single
handedly lost games for the Bears.
CT: Rex Grossman is not a bad
quarterback. He has more passing yards
and seven more passing touchdowns
than McNair. Grossman is not a Hall of
Fame quarterback, but to call him a bad
quarterback is laughable. In Super Bowl
XL, Ben Roethlisbergers’ quarterback
rating was 22.6, which goes to show it’s not
all about offense when it comes to winning
championships. The Bears defense is very
close to the Ravens defense statistically.
The Bears hold
teams to fewer
pass yards per
game, and only
give up 13.6
points per game,
compared to the
Ravens 13.1.
So it’s not like
the Ravens have
an
amazing
defense
and
Da Bears are
decent.
The
Bears and the
Ravens
both
have amazing
defenses, but I
think the Bears
defense
and
special teams
overall
are
better than the
Ravens.
more games to play while who beat similar
Florida was rewarded with a opponents theyworse,
or how
will
National Championship berth... match up with their
controversy and has
once again sent a
deserving team to a
lesser bowl game.
The University
of
Michigan,
who
finished the season
with an 11 – 1 record
with only one loss
to the number one team in the
country, Ohio State, in Columbus
was left out of the National
Championship in favor of SEC
Champions, Universit of Florida.
Michigan was ranked number
two in the country after their
three point loss to Ohio State.
They were generally referred to
as the second best team in the
country.
However, after USC
beat Notre Dame by 20, USC
leaped Michigan in the rankings
and was set to play Ohio State
in the National Championship.
Then, the unthinkable happened
– USC put a wrench in the BCS
system and lost to UCLA in their
season ender, throwing the entire
system into what has turned into
an inevitable characteristic of
berth by beating mediocre
Florida State and a talented
Arkansas team. Both teams,
Michigan and Florida, have a
legitimate claim for being in
the National Title game. No
one can say that one team
has a better claim for the
other – and this is why the
BCS doesn’t work. In 2001,
Oregon was left out after
being ranked number two in
both of the human polls, 2003
left number one USC out of
the title game, 2004 left an
undefeated Auburn out of the
title game, and now this.
What is remarkably
opponents. The fact
that a team, almost
every single year,
has to be told that
they are not going to the
national
championship
because they didn’t have
enough style, they didn’t
play hard enough teams,
or no one wants to see
them in the National
Championship is ridiculous,
and quite frankly, kind of
sad. The rest of the college
sports world is laughing
at Division 1-A football.
College football needs a
playoff, and the sooner the
college presidents figure
this out, the better college
football will be.
New Year’s resolution recruiting
Chris Portz
Sports Writer
New Year’s Day is over, and college
coaches have made their New Year’s resolution
to build a winning team for the 2007-2008
season. That’s right, coaches are searching
for their next sports superstar, and it could be
you. Colleges are trying to recruit for next year
now, because most of the college fall sports
have ended. Seniors are going to graduate
and college athletes are needed to fill the gaps
in the rosters.
Coaches keep in contact with athletes
whether that athlete likes the school or not.
Athletes are bombarded with calls, letters, and
visits. Some coaches will even visit during
the school day, giving students a break from
their mundane schedules. Humble athletes
find themselves as the center of attention,
to the point where they just apply to get the
salesperson-like coach off their back.
“Students are really looking for three
things: a college they love, a sport they love,
and a price they love,” said Senior John Matthis.
The numerous college visitations, letters of
recommendation, and applications are finally
paying off because students have narrowed the
search down. The task of getting into college
seems less daunting but college coaches are
beginning to sell their colleges to athletes this
time of year. They will share all the positive
aspects of the college and offer scholarships
or extra financial aid for playing on their team
but they also distract students from what they
should be looking for in a school.
Students should concentrate on the
academics, the tuition, and the campus.
Students go to college to learn; it’s school,
even if the coach makes your decision come
down to a sport: “Running in college would
be nice but I’m focusing on academics more,”
said Senior cross-country runner Christine
Beazley. Another important factor in a college
decision is the campus. “You want to be
sure that you are going to a campus that you
love,” said Senior Michelle Rike, a forward for
“Students are really
looking for three things: a
college they love, a sport
they love, and a price they
love”
– John Matthis, ‘07
the basketball team. Once students make a
decision, the college campus is their home for
four years.
The reasons for choosing a college are
different for each individual. Price, campus
life, proximity, academics, and sports the list
is extensive. As in any other case, students
should follow their gut instinct, especially
when playing sports in college. When all is
said and done, the decision comes down to
the student.
z
au
Sean-Paul M
Chris Port

9. ek Redd
er
ing
D
Bill
Be
rry
C
on
no
r
r
Tarwate
ra
Siko
an
Brend
Spring preparation in January
Emily Bigley
Sports Writer
Although winter is in the air and the
fields won’t be ready for another three months,
nothing can stop the PTHS softball team
from preparing for the ’07 season. The girls
fell one game short of a playoff appearance
last season, which only motivated them. “We
compete in one of the most difficult sections in
the area,” said senior Leigha Krivacek. Every
game impacted the outcome of the season.
This season the team won’t go down without
a fight. The team had four seniors graduate
last year leaving a large void to be filled. Last
year’s spring training trip to Disney World
was so successful that the excursion, after
the ’07 trip, will hopefully become a tradition.
This year’s trip will be to Coco Beach, Florida.
Spring training trips provide time for the team
to bond and play games before the actual
season starts.
With four important spots to fill and
very little time, the girls have their position
cut out for them. “We have all the talent, we
just need to use it the right way,” said senior
Kelley Walker. The softball team always has a
talented roster but is rarely recognized for it.
The team plans to work extra hard this year
in order to achieve big goals. “Winning the
section would be a huge accomplishment,” said
senior Jessica Berardino. If the girls won the
section it would be the first title since 1991.
It’s a guarantee that the girls will be working
extremely hard until taking the field on April
1st for the first section game of the season.
Winning games isn’t the only essential aspect
Pitt travels the road to glory
Bill Berry
Sports Writer
The
University
of
Pittsburgh men’s basketball team
enters their fourth season under
the leadership of coach Jaime
Dixon with high expectations
and hopes. They were ranked as
high as number two in both the
AP Poll in the USA Today Poll. On
the court the Panthers are led by
seven-foot senior center, Aaron
Gray. Gray decided to return
for his senior year following a
breakout, 2005-2006 season,
earning All-Big East first team
honors,
Big
East
most
improved player as well as
becoming the first player
in Pitt history to average a
double-double.
In the backcourt, the
Panthers are lead by junior
Ronald Ramon. He is a three
year starter and a great
three point shooter. Ramon is
accompanied by sophomore
Levance Fields and senior
Antonio Graves. Their best
addition to the 2007 roster is
junior Mike Cook, a transfer
from Eastern Carolina who
sat out last season. Cook, at 6’
4” is a versatile player who can
play both guard and forward.
There are numerous
questions
surrounding
the
ability of this Pittsburgh team
to go deep into the 2006 NCAA
Tournament.
Coach
Dixon
and his players are confident
with their mix of skill and
experience. The panthers kick
off their conference schedule
against perennial powerhouse
Syracuse. Until then Pitt will
face top twenty-five opponents
Wisconsin
and
Oklahoma
Settimio takes the court
Rachel Horensky
Sports Writer
Photo by Justin Broglie
As a senior, Jordan
Settimio
wanted
to
end
her basketball career with
great
memories
and
new
accomplishments. So far, she
has superseded her goals and lit
up the court. Settimio is a fouryear Varsity starting guard. She
has been captain for two years
and plans to lead the Varsity
through big games against tough
opponents such as Bethel Park
and Upper St. Clair. The girls’
team started off the season on
a positive note when they won
the Tip-Off Tournament beating
Baldwin and South Park. “I looked
forward to my last season. I hope
to bring home some wins. Our
goal this season was to make
the playoffs,” said Settimio.
She focused on reaching the
playoffs, but her main challenge
as captain was bringing the team
together. Settimio believes that
if the team works together off
the court, they will be stronger
on the court. “Since there are
Jordan Settimio looks to pass the ball to fellow teammate
new girls on the team, we tried
Sara Barna. The Lady Indians defeated Baldwin by a score
of 49-35.
to spend time together outside
of basketball to get to know
each other,” she said. Settimio
also ran the team’s practices team in many close games though the season’s record was
and clinics. Last year, she was a only 8-16. Though she loves basketball, Settimio plans to play
huge contributor to the Varisty soccer at the University of Richmond next year.
9
Smoke Signals
January 2007
SPORTS
BRIEFS
HOCKEY
The team’s current record is 2-6. They will
look to their senior leadership from captain
Chris Papciak who looks to lead the team in
order to rebound from their slide at the end
of November. Upcoming games include West
Allegheny, Hampton, and a rematch against
Thomas Jefferson.
BOYS’ SWIMMING
The boys’ swim team has been practicing to
become a contender in the WPIAL AAA Section 4,
with early morning practices and conditioning
after school. Seniors Chris Graves and Dan
Smith look to lead the boys’ swim team to
victories against opponents: Moon, Upper St.
Clair, Baldwin, and Bethel.
GIRLS’ SWIMMING
Currently the girls swim team is a strong
competitor in the WPIAL. They hold practice every
week and work out in the weight room. On January
18th the section meet with playoff implications is
at Upper St. Clair will be held. Jessica McDade
looks to assert her senior leadership during the
meets. Upcoming opponents include: Moon,
Upper St. Clair, Baldwin, and Bethel.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
The boys’ basketball team is 2-3. The Indians
are getting what they wanted from their big
man, John Matthis, who has been a major contributor. Mark Majoris, Pat Russo, and Kevin
Noone are also key factors. Alex Radke looks
to rebound from a knee injury and is eager to
make an impact.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Girls’ basketball is 5-1. Against Fort Cherry and
Albert Gallatin the mercy rule was in effect; they
beat Fort Cherry (72-35) and Albert Gallatin
(70-31). Twice this year lady Indians have beat
the opposition by at least 20 pts. The girls had
a tough loss against Mt. Lebanon (47-55).
WRESTLING
The wrestling team began training on Nov
13th. Their goal was to be the best-conditioned
athletes on the mat. They had a rocky start
dropping their first match. Upcoming matches
are against Baldwin and Upper St. Clair.

10. PT LIFE
Trend of the month:fashion to match the weather
Colleen Counihan
“The girls look like
they are going crazy.
The guys remind me
of my Jewish heritage.”
to wear only a t-shirt in the wintry outdoors.
Girls need to be less “primped.” The
idea is to forget the prints and frills of summer
and fall and make every outfit a little more
powerful. Runway analyzers are describing
the outfits with adjectives such as “cinch”
and “stiff.” This is a big turnaround from the
autumn’s obsession with pinks or its emphasis
on silhouette.
If there is one trend to keep in mind,
make it layers. Layers are the new take on last
season’s 80’s volume. The difference is that
the largeness is worn throughout the whole
outfit. The idea is to wear thin pieces on top of
each other, which could mean a scarf on top of
a cardigan or a basic skirt over thick tights. It’s
a rather simple technique, but layering can be
overdone. If it takes 5 minutes to remove the
layers, people should know they’ve overdone
it.
“Don’t wear scarves
if you’re a boy. Girlsonly if it’s cold outside.”
-Drew Karpen, ‘07
Models show off the fall and winter fashions of 2006
at the Anna Sui and Alessandro Dell’Acqua shows.
“I like how the 80’s
style and trends are
coming back.”
“Fashion on the runway is wild, too bold
for everday wear.”
-Will Cody, ‘09
Photo courtesy of style.com
Being a citizen of Pittsburgh means two
things: following every move of the Steelers
and giving up the idea of sunny days for three
months out of the year. This phenomenon
causes most people to hide fashion behind
bulgy materials and leave their figures
hanging in the closet. Guys and girls should
be very happy this winter because it is now
fashionable to match the drab colors that paint
their window every morning.
The colors of winter 2007 are
reminiscent of dark, military style outfits and
revolve around army green and chocolate
brown. Even the fluffiest dresses are rarely
seen in colors sans opaque reds or grays that
resemble the salty mush on the ground after
a long night of snow. Guys should dress with
a very masculine mindset. The new male
jean is neither baggy nor tight, and the male
adornments are all about quantity over quality.
To put it simply, it’s no longer “cool” or “strong”
Photo courtesy of style.com
Features Editor
-Kara Krawiec, ‘07
-Heather Sickmund, ‘07
I’d tell you I love you,
but then I’d have to kill you
The Game’s New Beginning
Artist: The Game
Album: The Doctor’s Advocate
Brendan Sikora
Staff Writer
This is the newest album with
beats from The Game, also known
as Jayceon Taylor, Hurricane Game,
or Chuck Taylor. The Game is a
prominent rapper from Los Angeles,
California. He raps about his difficult
upbringing in Compton, California
and how he followed his parents’
lifestyle and became a gang member.
After being shot five times in 2001
and spending three days in a coma,
The Game decided to turn his life
around and become a rapper. Dr. Dre
and Fifty Cent were his mentors and
introduced him to the G-Unit. He left
the G-Unit since he could not agree
with Fifty Cent’s views.
Having an album produced
by Geffen Records instead of his
classic producer Dr. Dre is the Game’s
way of saying he can make money
without Dre. This album proves to
be a platinum seller and has many
new songs that will turn out to be
classics. Entertainment Weekly writer
Muze reviewed the new album and
states, “The rapper’s gruff delivery
juxtaposes nicely with beatsmith Scott
Storch’s ABBA-inspired disco-thump
By Ally Carter
Katie Ellis
Snakes on a plane
Staff Writer
“The
Gallagher
Academy
for
Exceptional Young Women is a fairly
typical all-girls’ school – that is, if
every school taught advanced martial
arts in PE, the latest in chemical
warfare in science; and students
received extra credit for breaking
CIA codes in computer class.”
Cammie Morgan is a second generation
Gallagher Girl and, though she’s only a
sophomore, she’s already fluent in fourteen
languages and can kill a man in seven
different ways (including one technique
with a piece of uncooked spaghetti.)
She’s known as “The Chameleon”; she can
blend in anywhere at anytime, completely
unnoticeable, or so she thought. On her
first undercover mission an ordinary boy
picks her out of the crowd and begins
talking to her, almost blowing her cover
completely. She makes it away safely,
though her partners – and two best
friends – were discovered by the Target
(an unaware teacher) and promptly taken
back to the Academy. Cammie is forced
to make her way back on foot, and finds
that she can’t get this boy out of her head.
The Gallagher Academy has prepared her
for everything, but the one thing she isn’t
prepared for is what to do when she falls
for an ordinary boy who thinks she’s an
ordinary girl.
I’D Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have
to Kill You is the newest addition to my
list of favorite books, and I am eagerly
awaiting the next novel in the series. The
book was extremely well written and I
found it impossible to put it down.
I give this book four and a half out of five
stars!
Taylor Piedmonte
Staff Writer
What could be more hilarious
than Samuel L. Jackson fighting
off a plane-full of vicious snakes?
Nothing, that’s what. This comic
masterpiece satisfied the months of
hype that preceded its release and
set a golden standard for all great
bad movies to come.
Snakes on a Plane is about
snakes…on a plane. Why, exactly, are
there snakes on this plane? I’ll fill you
in. An assassin named Eddie Kim is
trying to kill a witness who is going to
testify against him. So naturally, Eddie
decides to load up the witness’s flight
from Hawaii to LA with an assortment of
deadly snakes. When the plane reaches
30,000 feet, the bloodthirsty snakes are
released upon the planes passengers.
Disaster and hilarity ensue.
Snakes on a Plane is not to be
taken seriously. This movie is to be
taken lightly and appreciated for what
it is, a cheezy B Horror movie with a
ridiculous story, ridiculous dialogue and
ridiculous looking snakes. Each episode
is highly improbable. The anticipation of
what ridiculous event is going to happen
next is what makes Snakes on a Plane
so entertaining.
Snakes on a plane won’t be
competing for any Oscars next February.
It won’t go down in history as an epic
disaster movie, but it’s an amusing
adventure that will entertain an openminded viewer looking for some fun.
Snakes on a Plane: Lives up to
months of internet buzz and delivers
some ridiculous fun. Four stars out of
five stars.

11. Katie Gavlick
Staff Writer
A p p l e
Computers
have
revolutionized
the
technological world.
From the huge success
of iPod music players,
to the new and
improved
Mac
Book
laptops,
and even their
e x t e n s i v e
variety
of
software, Apple
has everything
any hi-tech lover
could ever need.
Nonetheless,
an iPod phone
could put the
cherry on top of
Apple’s
substantial
m o n o p o l i s t i c
company.
Rumors over
whether
Apple
is
preparing to launch
an iPod mobile phone
ended when a patent
submission exposed
Apple working on a
device that would
combine
a
media
player with a mobile
phone. Apple fanatics
and
Wall
Street
forecasters have long
hypothesized the day
Closer from MSNBC)
Apple’s patent
application described
plans for a device that
would mix a cell phone
and a media player. In
depth drawings of the
phone were
submitted
with
the
p a t e n t
application,
but could not
be recovered
from the US
Patent
and
Tr a d e m a r k
O f f i c e ’ s
-Van Baker, MSNBC
website.
T h e
m o b i l e
notorious
for
it’s
confidentiality around handset market is
product
launches, seen as an important
might launch a mobile new growth area for
phone in January at Apple, who dominates
MacWorld, its annual the market in portable
convention. However, music players due to
Van Baker, an analyst the success of their
at Gartner, said such iPod. Apple has sold
an assumption was more than 70 million
doubtful.
“Every iPods since the device
time you get close to first was launched in
MacWorld the rumor 2001. That number
mill and speculation however, is light in
ramp up,” Van Baker comparison with the
market
stated. (Patent Move potential
for mobile phones.
brings Apple Phone
when the company
would move into the
mobile market.
M
a
n
y
observers
believe
Apple,
which
is
“Every time you get close
to MacWorld the rumor
mill and speculation
ramp up,”
Smoke Signals
January 2007
Tiny tinker toys for tots
Chris Portz
Staff Writer
Because
of
Peters
Township
High
School
media
students,
underprivileged
children have had a
Merry Christmas. The
Media
department
participated in the
Toys for Tots program.
The program gives
underprivileged
children
toys
for
Christmas that they
would otherwise not
receive,
and
this
simple gesture made
a huge impact.
Media students
donated over 400 toys
in 2006. Buying gifts
sent students back to
their own childhood.
“Toys for Tots is a
wonderful opportunity
for students to make
a contribution, but
it’s also a fun way
to donate because
people often buy the
toys they enjoyed
as
a
kid,”
said,
photography teacher,
Mrs. Boni. The target
Photo by Nicole Sitler
& Style
11
Board games, beanie babies, puzzles and
books were just a few of the over 400 toys
donated by Media Students to the Toys for
Tots program.
age for this program was infants to age 14.
This was one of the only times these children
have had the thrill of receiving a brand-new
gift.
The Toys for Tots program has been
around for 59 years and delivered 18.5 million
toys to 7.4 million children in 2005. Those who
donated have made a huge impact in many
band of the month:
The EPA
Colleen Counihan, Sean Naccarelli
Features Editor, Staff Writer
Every band
has
problems
with identity.
The
members have to
agree on one lonely
band name as a
group and solidify
their varying sounds
into one single genre.
In the case of the
Peters
Township’s
local group, the EPA,
the boys mastered
the identification part
on the first day of
practice. “We were
trying to place our
music into a genre
and we came up
with ‘experimental
post
aggression,’”
explained the EPA
drummer,
Colin
McBride. This label
transformed
into
the acronym “EPA,”
which has stuck as
their name.
The
band has managed
to coexist for about
a year, despite the
recent loss of two
consecutive
bass
players.
Three of the
band
mates
have
managed to face the
music figuratively and
literally.
Guitarist
Spencer
Edwards,
drummer
Colin
McBride, and guitarist
Nate Hanson unite to
create highly original
sounds that can excite
the ears of many
different music fans.
The boys will trade
off vocals throughout
the show, but they
are
experienced
at
harmonizing
efficiently
enough
to
sing
together.
Colin’s drum work
is
consistently
equivalent to that of
a senior player, unlike
the basic “banging”
heard from most high
school
drummers.
Edwards’ appeal lies
partly in his stage
performance.
He
has the rare ability
to keep the audience
attracted with
kicks and dance
moves without
ever missing a
note.
Hanson
seems to be
the
authority
of the group
while also being
the
balance.
He will call out
the songs to
play and the
rest
of
the
band will follow
uniformly.
He
manages to pick
up lead vocals
at the drop of
a hat and plays
his guitar with a
steady intensity
Photo by Colleen Counihan
throughout the
The EPA plays their music at Dormont Recreational Center. Members include
whole set.
Spencer Edwards, Colin McBride, Nate Hanson, and Chad Kean.
H a n s o n
labeled their music
While the boys of the universally renowned but a normal EPA
as “loud and fast”
EPA strive to develop a bands, such as Sonic show
involves
an
and simplified the
musical career based Youth, Red Hot Chili obvious instrumental
goals of the whole
on deviation from Peppers and the Pixies. flow that goes beyond
band when he said,
musical norms, they They are a mixture of the
independent
“we want to make
proudly
reference musical tastes and members.
music that pushes the
their
songs
with varying personalities,
envelope.”

12. Voices in the Hall
What is your New Year’s resolution?
“To eat a snowman.”
Joe Stepusin, ‘07
“To not die.”
Will Fife, ‘07
“To talk less.”
Rachel Paul, ‘07
“I don’t have one.”
Sarah Rubis, ‘07
Who is your favorite teacher and why?
“I don’t know.”
Tony D’Abarno, ‘07
“Mr. Kochirka ‘cuz he’s
the man.”
Laura St. Clair, ‘07
“Mrs. Gearhart! I love
her!”
Erin Bench, ‘08
“Ms. O’Connor. She’s
the best!”
Jon John, ‘07
How do you dress your snowman?
“Gloves.”
Tyler Simpson, ‘10
“Like a lumberjack.”
Harry McNamara, ‘07
“Like my grandmummymama; then, we
dance.”
“In Burberry”
Rachel Cichowicz, ‘07
Chris Graves, ‘07
What is your favorite snow activity?
“Make snow angels.”
Andrea Smith, ‘07
“Snowboarding.”
Josh Rush, ‘07
“Skinny sled riding.”
Chuck Nettles, ‘07
“Sled riding with
Santa Claus.”
Corey Grabowski, ‘07