By Becca Wise

When you take some of the smartest students at Phoenixville High School and give them some of the hardest problems to solve and tasks to achieve, what happens? They rise to the challenge, overcome it, and achieve success. The members of Phoenixville’s Physics Olympics team recently competed in a competition. They impressively finished 3rd in a mystery lab which dealt with DC circuits and RC circuits. They also received 4th place in Physics Pictionary, which can be assumed to be much more complicated and in depth than drawing a dog with your eyes closed. Other events included a mousetrap-jumping event and a Popsicle stick catapult.

So what exactly does being involved in Physics Olympics entail? The group is students working with one another to solve problems, mostly through trial and error attempts. President Cj Vaile explains it as, “taking the concepts learned in class and applying them to the different events that take place at the competitions”. The team practices Wednesday’s before school and Friday’s after school in Mr. Jennings room for a few hours. The night before a competition, practice tends to last longer than normal, sometimes until about 6 at night. This allows the team to be fully prepared come time for the competition. Competitions take place on Saturday mornings from 8-12pm. The results from the last competition put the team in fifth place and they have one competition left. This is a great accomplishment considering that Phoenixville is one of the smallest groups at every competition.

Anyone who takes physics is more than welcome to be a part of the team. Everyone can be an asset to the group in one way or another. If interested, Cj says that “[he’d] strongly encourage anyone thinking about it to come be involved”. Congratulation goes out to the whole Physics Olympics team for their success in the season so far and good luck in your final competition!

By: Rebecca McCulloch

Art Club is a great way for students to get creative and show off their talent. The club is open to anyone interested and welcomes new members. While the club is mostly just an open club, it does require some commitment. For the most part, there is a core group of people who are involved. They include: Hannah Kirkner, Erin Hulse, Brett Williams, Grant Bouvier, Nicole Dobson, Michelle Madsen, Rachel Grob, Allie Chang, Gina Dellapenna, Emmet Crowder, Katie Benner, Sarah Cummings, Martha Stephens, Marlee Padmore-Schultz, Riyadh Elboubkri, Matt Fagan, Brianna Davis, and Liz Jones. Mr. Turley, the advisor of the club, asks the members to try to show up regularly and show dedication to the club.

Every year the club has a communal project for the whole club to work on. This year the club’s project is to paint murals around the school. So far they have all created their mural designs and are about a quarter of the way done the actual mural. In Art Club, Mr. Turley allows them to work on their own individual projects, but for the most part they work on their murals. Mr. Turley feels that it is best to have the club members work on a collective project, and they all seem to enjoy it.

Overall, Art Club is a great opportunity for students to get together and work on art projects. If you’re interested in getting involved in Art Club they meet every Tuesday in Mr. Turley’s room right after school , weather permitting. So if you want to get publicity for your artwork get involved in art club!

By Nicole Risell

You’ve probably seen all the flyers around the school about the dance club. But have you ever thought about who is responsible for this new addition to the long list of PAHS clubs? Well, that girl’s name is Tierra Bryant, a senior here at Phoenixville. Tierra grew up in Norristown and is close to her father and grandfather. She is an only child. Tierra started dancing when she was two years old. She does ballet, hip-hop, and she participated in point for about two years. Her favorites are hip-hop and break dancing.

If Tierra looks familiar to you, it might be because you saw her in the Dogwood Pageant in 2008. She did a self-choreographed reggae dance. Tierra is proud of her experiences in Dogwood because “I actually did what I wanted to do, which is to perform for people,” she said. Tierra wasn’t scared during the pageant and was really happy about that. The girls in the Dogwood pageant formed a family-like bond and became close with their advisors.

Tierra said she came up with her idea for dance club simply because she loves dancing. The club is off to a slow-start, but Tierra is staying optimistic. She defines the club’s goal as “…performing for and in the school.” The club meets Mondays and Wednesdays after school at the downtown Civic Center until 4 PM. The club is made up of mostly juniors and seniors who are break-dancers and some are just beginners. The club’s time is spent learning dance routines.

After high school, Tierra plans to go to a college with a dance program. She plans on having dance be a big part of her life. If there is not a dance club at her college, she plans to “start an entertainment club, like singing, dancing, and acting,” she said. After college, she wants to pursue dance as a career. Tierra would like to dance in a company or entertainment group.

Tierra is really making a name for herself here at Phoenixville. She could very well turn into a famous dancer, singer and actress. If you ever see Tierra in the hallway, give her a wave or ask her about dance club. You could even join in! Who knows? You could see her on Broadway in a couple of years!

By Jon Wheel

When most people hear the name Mr. Burns, they usually think of the evil and selfish leader of the Springfield Power Plant in The Simpsons. But there is another Mr. Burns you should know about. Phoenixville Area High School’s AP Government and Contemporary American History teacher, Mr. Burns, has used a combination of amusing sarcasm and frustrating cliffhangers to become a student favorite here.

Mr. Burns’ desire to become a teacher came well before coming to PAHS as a teacher. He attended nearby Radnor High School, where he met an inspirational teacher who influenced him to become a History teacher, Mr. Holt. He was very passionate and inspirational, not to mention a Vietnam War veteran.

After attending Radnor, Mr. Burns went to Penn State University, main campus. He also looked at major universities, such as the University of Maine, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Maryland. He decided to go to Penn State because of his love of Penn State football and the fact that his brother attended the school as well. After going to Penn State, Mr. Burns went to West Chester University to get his Master’s degree in History. It was after that he was placed here as a student teacher with Mr. Kraynak, who “taught [him] the ropes” and gave him guidance. The fact that Mr. Kraynak let him teach class right away was also helpful. He has now been a full-time History teacher here for 11 years.

If you ever step into Mr. Burns’ classroom, you will quickly notice his fondness for sports, Philadelphia sports to be specific. He has been a fan of Philadelphia sports “as long as [he] can remember,” so it was a huge relief for him to see the Phils bring home a title, since it had been 25 years since Philadelphia had seen a championship. He claims he knew the Phillies would win, saying “they had more desire to win” and “they were more desperate.” Even after the Phillies’ victory, he has not forgotten about the amazing playoff run made by the Eagles.

Outside of school, Mr. Burns does a lot of travelling. Whether it’s a three-hour drive to see a Penn State football game or a lengthy flight across the Atlantic, he spends his summers finding new places to go. “Every summer [he and his wife] try to go somewhere cool.” In class, he tells stories about the distant countries he has visited, which are always interesting. His most recent trip was to Pasadena, California, to see the Rose Bowl, in person. He said it was a beautiful place and an amazing experience. He also hopes to “go back there next year for the national championship,” implying that he expects to see Penn State in the BCS Championship Game next year.

Whether Mr. Burns is threatening to fail you for rooting against his Philly teams, or saying his trademark “you never know,” he is one teacher you will always remember. His goal is to get his students ready for college, and he is doing that…and more. He gets students academically ready for college, but connects with us and makes it easier than any college professor ever could.

By Ryan Tigro

It is easy for students and parents to go to the YMCA and see the occasional lap swimmer or the teenagers out for fun, but what about the Phoenixville High School Swim Team? The fledgling program is looking great this year after its first victory last year and many more since. Coach Dan Weinstein and Coach Ty Bailey return to lead the group to new depths and lengths in the pool. Seniors Luis Fuentes, Matt Heverly, Mike Reeves, and Kyle Taylor look to guide the young team along with freshmen captain Joseph McErlean. On the girls side the team is anchored by seniors Emma Cordes, Nora Gerstenberger, Allison Haslip, Ruth Jasienski, Kathleen Mizii, Rebecca Porter, and Anneleise Sifford. Freshman captain Amanda Sierzega also makes strong contributions.

So far this year Phoenixville has had 15 swimmers qualify for the district meet and hope to have many more before the season ends. Matt Heverly, proclaimed “Beast of Beasts,” has qualified in 10 of the 11 events that he has competed in this year, and the only event that eludes him, the 400 freestyle relay with teammates Joe McErlean, Junior Ed Newman, and Kyle Taylor, is only 1 second off district pace.

Coach Weinstein is ecstatic with the turnout this year, stating “Despite losing key seniors last year, the future is bright! Our team keeps getting bigger and bigger. We had a lot of freshman come out this year, including our freshman captains Amanda Sierzega and Joe McErlean, both of whom qualified for districts already.” Coach Weinstein is also pleased with Senior Becky Porter, Junior Alexis White, and Sophomore Brittany Rohall. He boasted, “These girls are district qualifiers in several events, and are all extremely versatile, capable of winning any event we put them in.”

Though the swimming team may be young, the talent is extraordinary. They continue to get better each year and are proud of their numerous members that have qualified for districts and the many more that will. Be sure to show support for the team at their last home meet February 10th against Perk Valley, at 3:45 at the Phoenixville YMCA!