Techies Day

By Charles Hanlon

Have you ever wondered what job opportunities there are in the field of technology? Have you ever felt the urge to program a computer? Have you ever dreamed about working with animation and webpages? If you answered yes, then Techies Day is the trip for you.
Techies Day is an annual event run by the Chester County Intermediate Unit sponsored by the Innovative Technology Action Group of Southeastern Pennsylvania to help students explore the technology field. This year, on October 8th, a group of 14 students attended Vanguard in Malvern. Vanguard is a local business and investment firm. The bulk of their business is “virtual,” which naturally requires a lot of computers. Vanguard is the largest employer in Chester County, servicing almost 12,000 jobs.
The day began with an introduction from the main presenter, Damian Pizzo, Manager of
Vanguard Web Technical Support Services. Mr. Pizzo showed the two student groups (Phoenixville and Coatesville) around the building of 45 Liberty Blvd which features cubicles, group work areas, usability test areas, and an amazing lobby that features fountains and neat architecture.
One of the highlights of the tour included the demonstration of usability testing. This is where customers get to try out new software. Testers are shown the Vanguard website and asked to do simple things like create an account or search for information. Testers make $150 per visit, and all they have to do is say whether or not they found their experience to be easy and why.
After the tour of the building, Mr. Pizzo brought us to the presentation room. He made a short presentation about Vanguard. Some topics of the presentation included the Founder, Careers at Vanguard, and Vanguard’s mission as a company.
Lunch was supposed to be served after Mr. Pizzo’s presentation. Unfortunately, lunch was running late. The presentations about different parts of the company that were supposed to be after lunch were bumped forward.
Thankfully, lunch eventually came. One of the best parts of the entire trip, lunch consisted of a Caesar salad bar, twelve boxes of pizza (Plain, Pepperoni, Sausage, and Pepper/Onion), and cookies and brownies for dessert. With plenty of food to spare, the students were encouraged to go back for seconds, and thirds. I happilly obliged!
After lunch, Gina Puzo held a hands-on group exercise. As an information architect, Ms. Puzo organizes information to make it easily accessible for everyone. To exemplify this, we were given animal crackers and we had to sort them according to different personas (made up people). The exercise was edible, and we went home with more than a few bowls of animal crackers.
This concluded Techies Day ’08. The highlights of the trip included Animal Crackers, lunch, and some really neat goodies. I look forward to the next Techies Day trip. To get involved, see Mr. Barron, Secondary Instructional Technology Specialist in his office in the library.

Who’s that new teacher in the hall? (pun intended)

Not only do the freshmen have to acclimate to a new school and being on their own, but so does new English teacher Mrs. Hall. You might recognize Mrs. Hall because she was here last year student teaching for Ms. Levin. Mrs. Hall explained, “I really enjoyed student teaching for Mrs. Levin. It helped me get to know the students and all the teachers in the English Department. By working here I don’t have to get used to different grading system, which helps me a lot.”
While growing up Mrs. Hall lived on an eighty six acre farm not too far away in Bloomsburg Pennsylvania. She lived there with her parents and her two brothers. Her high school was a lot different from PAHS. It was a small high school called Benton High. She had thirty kids in her graduating class. Even though it was small, Mrs. Hall was all about extracurricular activities. She participated in tennis, threw javelin on the track team, and she was the editor in chief of the school’s newspaper and yearbook. She was also a part of student council and the ecology club. When she wasn’t participating in school activities she enjoyed roller skating. “Not inline skating, I would never do that. There must always be four wheels on the ground,” she explained.
Mrs. Hall always knew she wanted to become an English teacher and work with youth, but before she took on teaching as a long term career she wanted other experiences. After attending Bloomsburg University Mrs. Hall joined the AmeriCorps VISTA program and moved to New Mexico for three years. She worked with disadvantaged youth in job training and GED tutoring. After that Mrs. Hall moved to Washington State and became a counselor for the mentally ill. In 2003 she attended Westchester University to get her Master’s degree. While she was at WCU she became interested in health education. She spent a year before getting her second Master’s degree at Villanova being a Drug and Alcohol Prevention Specialist for Chester County. Mrs. Hall explained, “The only reason I didn’t want to be a teacher at first is because my father always wanted me to be a teacher and I wanted to be rebellious and do something else.”
While attending Bloomsburg University there was a professor by the name of Dr. McCully who taught English. Dr. McCully had such an inspiration on Mrs. Hall. She explained, “Dr. McCully was the first teacher that I ever had who made me believe that teaching English could make a difference in the world. I feel that if a person can read and write well then they will have more opportunities in their life.” Perhaps due to her favorite college professor, Mrs. Hall does not only teach here at PAHS, she also teaches courses in Memoir Writing and Grant Writing at Delaware County Community College.
Here at PAHS, Mrs. Hall teaches a new class called Success in High School. This is a course that freshmen take to acquire better study skills that will help them throughout high school. She also teaches ninth and eleventh grade English. The academy is a big help to all ninth grade English teachers. “My favorite part about the academy is the fact that we get to combine classes and I get to work with the Global Studies teachers with all the research projects,” she stated.
When Mrs. Hall isn’t here at school teaching she lives with her husband and her two mini hamsters named “Little Dudes.” Mr. and Mrs. Hall enjoy playing basketball and they really enjoy playing the Wii. When Mrs. Hall gets some time to herself she enjoys reading the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer.
Mrs. Hall’s favorite thing about teaching is how much fun she gets to have while she is working. “I’m very happy with my decision to become a teacher because I get to laugh every day.” As much fun as it is, the biggest challenge is all the paperwork that she has to do. It’s a big step going from a student teacher to becoming an official teacher. Last year Ms. Levin took on all the papers to grade, and it was a big shock to Mrs. Hall when she had to do it all herself. Her main goal for this year is to make sure that all her students do well. She also hopes to eventually come in the morning without a cup of coffee, and to survive this year on her own. So if you spot Mrs. Hall in the hall, wish the her best of luck as she starts her journey as a teacher.

The New Freshman Academy Gets Positive Feedback

This school year has brought the addition of the Freshman Academy, about which many teachers seem to have positive feedback. The Freshman Academy gives freshman the attention necessary to have a successful transition from middle school to high school. The academy has four teams within it, which allows the teachers to coordinate their plans. Ms. Levin (a freshman English teacher) really enjoys the setting and feels that she knows the students better than before. The teachers are also better able to give students the help they need.
The Academy hasn’t been easy to initiate, as there have been many obstacles and limitations. For the teachers, time has been the most restricting aspect of the Academy. They try to get together and coordinate lesson plans, but this takes extra time. It’s difficult for the teachers to plan each week and match each lesson for English, history, science, etc. The class scheduling issue early in the year was another obstacle for the academy teachers, but they were able to overcome this predicament.
With the addition of the Academy also came the new mandatory elective (for freshman only) called Success in High School. The title of the course may soon change to “Freshman Seminar” to give the course the weight it deserves. The course is designed to give students organization, research, and note taking skills. Currently, the freshmen are working on a Middle Eastern Project which involves doing research in the library, interviewing, and creating a podcast. They are also teaming up with technology coordinator Mr. Barron to create the podcast.
It seems as if the teachers are enjoying the Academy, but the true test is the students’ response. The freshmen gave the academy mixed reviews, but most agreed that it seems to be getting better. One student, Alix Cangialosi, said of the academy, “[In the past] I haven’t been able to study well, but I’ve finally found a study skill which is really helping me.” Ms. Levin feels that the Academy has made the students’ transition from middle school to high school easier. She also thinks that the students feel especially comfortable asking questions and problems because they have her for class so often.
The program has been created to give students basic building blocks and a foundation for high school. They have been taught how to use Noodle Tools for research so they know how to use this resource all through high school. This will help teachers in future years skip directions on how to research and use programs like Moodle, Noodle Tools or Destiny, to name a few.
From a teacher’s perspective, Ms. Levin feels that this class “makes the students more confident and successful.” She is able to create stronger relationships with the students by getting to know them better. Overall, it sounds like the Freshman Academy is a program in the process of becoming a huge success. For me personally, freshman year was difficult and it is nice to see the staff getting involved and helping make middle to high school a smoother transition.

Race and Modern Society: How equal are we?

An editorial by Jacob Unson

In the years since the relative success of the historic American Civil Rights Movement of the late 20th century, we have --or at least claim to have—made great strides in racial equality. Gone are the days of segregated schooling, separate facilities for whites and blacks, and our armed forces are made up of a diverse mix of people from different ethnicities. In the same vein that America is considered a “melting pot” for all sorts of people and cultures, ethnic, religious, and racial diversity is part of what it truly means to be “American.” Yet something still bothers me. Speaking as a Filipino expatriate, I still get the feeling that somewhere, on a certain level, we are still divided and separated, and I feel the basis for it is race. The evidence can be subtle and not easily noticeable, but the proof is there. We go about our daily lives, mostly unaware of the ways in which we are not truly equal. For most Americans, there still exists a level of prejudice and racism that we are less than willing to admit.
Let us start with one of the most talked-about groups in America today. Hispanics and Latinos are quickly becoming a major part of our country’s population. Yet they are often portrayed --especially by the conservative media-- as scoundrels, criminals, and ne’er do-ells whose intent seems to be to undermine our country. In truth, many of them just want to seek a better life than what they can find in their home countries in order to support their families back home. Lack of jobs, industry, poor conditions, and barely enough pay just to get by are all root causes for these people to try to get on American soil, where the pay is sufficient enough for them to support their families. True, undocumented immigration is prohibited by law, but these immigrants are by no means evil. However, all we usually hear about are the bad seeds that occasionally pop into the country rather than the hardworking people who are trying to support their families. This limited point of view only reinforces negative stereotypes that anyone who fits a certain profile and speaks Spanish as their mother tongue is automatically an illegal immigrant, and should not be trusted or treated with respect.
This is the wrong attitude to take, and we cannot forget that there are hundreds, if not thousands of communities of upstanding, hard-working Latino-Americans whose allegiance is to the United States of America; not to Mexico, not to Guatemala, El Salvador, or any Central or South American nation that may or may not hate the United States’ guts. We have students in our school who share a similar heritage, hailing from countries like those mentioned above. Sure, they speak a language that we have a class specifically dedicated to learning. Sure, they have different customs than we do. Let us not regard them with ignorance and masked hatred. Instead, we must make an effort to help them feel welcome and at ease. Be friendly to these students whose ambition is similar to that of their non-Hispanic peers: to get a good education so that they are prepared for the professional world and perhaps make a difference in the community.
Moving on, we have Arab-Americans in our society. Compared to other ethnicities, Arab-Americans aren’t as numerous as African-Americans or Hispanic-Americans. In fact, because they do not have a legitimate separate race status as mandated by the government, their often-light complexions cause most Arab-Americans to fall under the category of “White American.” One might be surprised to learn that Ralph Nader, a well-known American politician, is actually Arab-American. His parents are Lebanese, and one of his native languages is Arabic, which he has spoken since childhood in addition to English. Yet when most people think “Arab,” they see images of crazed extremists firing AK-47’s into the air while chanting Islamic litanies, mobs of angry Muslims burning American and Israeli flags, and suicide bombers who are willing to kill themselves for their cause. This portrayal of Arabs and Muslims has been with us ever since the early 1970’s, when Western nations suddenly came under attack from terrorist groups such as Black September, a Palestinian extremist group responsible for the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. It is because of these events that we have such a negative view of Arab-Americans and Muslims. 9/11/01 did not help matters, causing many Americans to attack or discriminate against innocent Arab-Americans and Muslims. Were it not for the actions of then-Secretary Of Transportation Norman Mineta, a Japanese-American who had been interned during WWII, Arab-Americans may very well have been treated with further hatred and undue scrutiny, not unlike that of Japanese-Americans during WWII.
It would be wrong, ignorant, and especially stupid to assume that Arabs are Muslims, and therefore are terrorists hell-bent on destroying the country. This is simply not true. There are Arab-Americans that indeed worship Christianity, as is the case for a considerable number of people who are of Lebanese descent. If one looked at the kinds of people coming from Israel, one would find that a number of them are Palestinian Israelis, not so much Jewish Israelis. Both, however, practice Judaism. And for those of you who have seen Super Size Me, by the wonderful Morgan Spurlock, I would recommend his most recent work, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? for a better view of how people in the Middle East truly feel about Americans. You might be surprised to learn that the majority of Muslims aren’t committed to the destruction of America and its western allies, and that they just want to live the kind of lives we do, to send their children to school and make sure that their families are well-provided for. So before you panic upon seeing a person who is Arab, or of Arab descent, getting on same flight as you, think clearly. Don’t let your judgment be influenced by what you see in the media.
Finally, we have Black, or African-Americans, perhaps the most numerous minority next to Hispanics. They have perhaps one of the most tumultuous histories in our country, having been subjected to slavery, segregation, racism, and rampant prejudice. Until the civil rights movement in the latter half of the 20th century, African-Americans lived under the oppression of racist white Americans, and this was most prevalent in the southern states, where extremist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan have flourished, threatening the lives and families of Blacks everywhere.
Thanks to the civil rights movement, however, much of restrictions placed on Black Americans nearly half a century ago are long gone, and Black Americans everywhere freely and peacefully coexist with people of other races and color. Many Blacks serve in our armed forces alongside Whites, a scenario made possible by the signing of Executive Order 9981 by President Harry S. Truman, who compelled the military’s units to integrate. Today, we have a black presidential candidate who may very well be the first non-white president. Indeed, we have come a long way since the last century. But for Black Americans, there may still be some necessary action to take before they can truly be free of any stigma plaguing them.
One common stereotype today for African-Americans, especially those of the current urban generation, is that the majority of them come from the ‘ghetto’, invoking the image of an undesirable neighborhood rife with crime and violence, the inhabitants themselves being equally violent and rude, and that to allow these people to move out of the ghetto would be to poison our peaceful suburban neighborhoods. As if this weren’t enough, there are Black Americans in this country who could care less about what the civil rights movement did for them, but as soon as they are in trouble with the law, they immediately claim racism on the part of the prosecution. One scenario where this is a problem is if, in a school, a White student is harassed and bullied by a Black student. However, when the White student acts absolutely in self-defense to prevent further harm to himself or herself, the Black student claims the White is racist, and as a result of the administration attempting to be politically correct, the White student is suspended. Is that fair? I don’t think so. I’m not saying all Black people are guilty of this, but the actions of a few can reflect badly on the many. For this kind of ignorance to stop, people on both sides of the issue need to take action. Whites need to see that a person of a different color and race will not automatically ruin the reputation, security, or sanctity of their surroundings. No matter what their color, race, or religion, new neighbors should always be welcomed and treated with the same respect you would want to be treated with in return. Blacks, in return, should do all they can to erase the notion that people of their race and color are not trustworthy, and in addition to that, remember that it is equality --not preferential treatment— that was the goal of the Civil rights movement. Be proud of your heritage, but don’t use it as leverage or a crutch to make things go your way.
I realize that what I may have said here is bound to offend some of those that are reading this. If you have any questions, comments, or arguments, drop me a message at unsonjacob@purplepress.org. If you wish to argue with me, however, or voice your opinion, please present it in a civilized, intelligent, professional manner, in the same way I created this editorial. Confrontation will lead nowhere, and playing into a stereotype would not help matters. Remember, what I said here is my opinion. Think for yourself. I may not be right on all counts, but I do what I can. Hopefully, you, the reader, will have gained some valuable thoughts from what I have said in this piece.

Decision 2008: An Election of Pioneers

As the November Elections that will decide our nation’s next president and vice president approach with ever-increasing imminence, there is no doubt we will be seeing more and more of the candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties campaigning for the vote and support of every single eligible American citizen. This year’s players are exceptionally unique. For the Republicans, there is Vietnam War veteran and former P.O.W. John McCain, a Senator for Arizona, and his running mate, Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who if elected, will be our nation’s first female Vice President. For the Democrats, you have Senator Barack Obama from Illinois, a young candidate with fresh ideas for considerable political, economic, and educational reform, gunning to be America’s first Black president. His running mate, Senator Joseph Biden, is a Scranton, PA-born senate member from Delaware, who has extensive experience serving as the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, which helped bring U.S. assistance and intervention during the Bosnian War. Whichever side you choose, remember that both parties will be responsible for our country’s future. A few votes can make all the difference.

More Obscure Holidays to Celebrate…until next school year

Well it’s finally May, and you know what that means- a whole month meant to commemorate vinegar, Navajo code talkers, bikes, and correct posture. National Backyard Games Week is 19th -26th. So go outside and play FOUR SQUARE, kick ball, red rover, capture the flag, man hunt, hide and go seek, duck-duck goose, and any other fun-filled outdoor activity. As for the rest of May and June…
May 28th- Today is the day of rhetorical questions. If someone asks you a question, you have to answer it with a rhetorical question (a question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion and not to elicit an actual reply, such as WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?) Rhetorical! Questions! Day!
May 30th – Here’s to all of the kids that never got to go to space camp as a child. To those who watched Legends of the Hidden Temple, and saw the winning team get the glorious prize of a week long session at NASA Camp at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after successfully going through the temple, here’s your holiday! You’re never too old for space camp on National Make Your Own Space Camp Day. Have your own space shuttle missions, eat freeze-dried food, make your own Gravity Chair by tying bungee cords to a tree or something of that sort, (I am not liable for any injuries), and wear white jumpsuits to school.
In other news, June is Accordion Awareness Month [so we can be aware of how neat accordions really are], and National Soul Food Month. June 2nd-6th is the first annual International Wear Neon Clothing to School Week, and June 7th-14th is National Clothesline Week ANNNDD David Bowie Appreciation Week.
June 9th- It is in fact Donald Duck Day on this brilliant Monday, which is celebrated internationally, even in Finland. The popular rumor that Donald Duck was banned there because he didn’t wear pants, is actually completely wrong [unfortunately]. On this day, watch obscure Donald Duck movies from the 40’s, like Donald Duck Gets Drafted (I kid you not. Hopefully it’s the older version of Ernest In the Army?)
June 12th- It’s the day to celebrate your very own favorite machine, whether it’s the Gravity Chair, the Clapper to turn on and off your lights, the vacuum sealer, or anything. Today is the day to appreciate these ground-breaking inventions, and ponder how boring life would be if they never existed – it’s National Machine Day!
June 13th- Today it’s the only Friday the 13th in 2008, and ironically also the same day that we seniors graduate. It’s also National Juggling Day, which makes this day even more amazing. Fun things to juggle with: cutlery, Snack Packs, and so on and so forth.
And that, my friends, brings us to the end of the year. But for a limited time only, I will include a list of holidays to celebrate in the summer. They are as follows…
July 4th- Prop a Boom-Box on Your Shoulder Day
July 27th- Take Your Houseplant for a Walk Day
July 28th- Singing Telegram Day
August 2nd – National Mustard Day
August 8th- Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbor’s Porch Night
August 17th- The Meaning of “is” Day

Posted by
Andrea Purcell

Suck On This! – Madonna’s Hard Candy Proves To Be Everything But Sugarcoated

“See which flavor you like and I’ll have it for you/come on in to my store, I’ve got candy galore,” are the opening lyrics of the song “Candy Shop,” from Madonna’s 11th studio album, Hard Candy, which has proven to be a hit amongst both critics and fans alike. Released on April 29th, Madonna has used this album to collaborate with such prominent acts as Timbaland, Danjahandz, Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, and Kanye West, displaying a plethora of fresh catchy and innovative sounds, while still remaining true to her classic roots. On the chart-busting “4 Minutes,” featuring Mr. Timberlake himself, Madge and JT sing an upbeat “We’ve only got four minutes to save the world,” referring to the length of the single. The song “Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You,” co-written by Timberlake, resembles that of Justin’s former hit “What Goes Around…Comes Around,” an enticing invitation to the remainder of the album. Although Madonna clearly uses such collaborations to keep her image current and up to date, the teamwork proves to be engaging and interesting. Not only does the album have a modern sound, but audiences are familiar with the works of counterparts Timbaland and Danja, thus helping to improve upon the album’s quality. Among the other good songs on Hard Candy is the song “Give It 2 Me,” which declares Madonna’s wild persistence as the ‘material girl’ that we all know and love through lyrics such as “Give me the bassline and I’ll shake it/Give me a record and I’ll break it.” The song “She’s Not Me” proclaims her reign as the queen of pop when she sings, “She’s not me/She doesn’t have my name/She’ll never have what I have/It won’t be the same.” Furthermore, the songs “Heartbeat” and “Incredible” demonstrate Madge’s ability to pen a good dance song, while the songs “Miles Away” and “Dance Tonight” tone things down to a slow, but steady beat. Admittedly, I find Hard Candy to be more enjoyable than her last album Confessions On A Dance Floor, but both sound relatively similar. Although her new image proves entertaining, nothing can top her 80’s persona as the “virgin bride,” rolling around seductively on the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards. It is expected that Madonna will tour in honor of Hard Candy, so I encourage you to go pick up her new album, whether it be the regular version, or the deluxe version that features the bonus track “Ring My Bell” as well as remixes of the songs “4 Minutes” and “Give It 2 Me.” And if you’re lucky enough, grab some tickets to any of her upcoming shows. I promise she won’t disappoint. By Dani Moore “See which flavor you like and I’ll have it for you/come on in to my store, I’ve got candy galore,” are the opening lyrics of the song “Candy Shop,” from Madonna’s 11th studio album, Hard Candy, which has proven to be a hit amongst both critics and fans alike. Released on April 29th, Madonna has used this album to collaborate with such prominent acts as Timbaland, Danjahandz, Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, and Kanye West, displaying a plethora of fresh catchy and innovative sounds, while still remaining true to her classic roots. On the chart-busting “4 Minutes,” featuring Mr. Timberlake himself, Madge and JT sing an upbeat “We’ve only got four minutes to save the world,” referring to the length of the single. The song “Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You,” co-written by Timberlake, resembles that of Justin’s former hit “What Goes Around…Comes Around,” an enticing invitation to the remainder of the album. Although Madonna clearly uses such collaborations to keep her image current and up to date, the teamwork proves to be engaging and interesting. Not only does the album have a modern sound, but audiences are familiar with the works of counterparts Timbaland and Danja, thus helping to improve upon the album’s quality. Among the other good songs on Hard Candy is the song “Give It 2 Me,” which declares Madonna’s wild persistence as the ‘material girl’ that we all know and love through lyrics such as “Give me the bassline and I’ll shake it/Give me a record and I’ll break it.” The song “She’s Not Me” proclaims her reign as the queen of pop when she sings, “She’s not me/She doesn’t have my name/She’ll never have what I have/It won’t be the same.” Furthermore, the songs “Heartbeat” and “Incredible” demonstrate Madge’s ability to pen a good dance song, while the songs “Miles Away” and “Dance Tonight” tone things down to a slow, but steady beat. Admittedly, I find Hard Candy to be more enjoyable than her last album Confessions On A Dance Floor, but both sound relatively similar. Although her new image proves entertaining, nothing can top her 80’s persona as the “virgin bride,” rolling around seductively on the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards. It is expected that Madonna will tour in honor of Hard Candy, so I encourage you to go pick up her new album, whether it be the regular version, or the deluxe version that features the bonus track “Ring My Bell” as well as remixes of the songs “4 Minutes” and “Give It 2 Me.” And if you’re lucky enough, grab some tickets to any of her upcoming shows. I promise she won’t disappoint. Posted By Dani Moore

A student’s take on Grand Theft Auto IV

Sirens blare. Gunfire erupts. The police are after you, for a myriad number of reasons. Perhaps you shouldn’t have broken into that expensive sports car in full view of the police. Maybe you shouldn’t have shot that random motorist, even is he/she was on her cellphone and ran you over. And running from that cop right when he was about to cuff you was probably a dumb move. It doesn’t help that you’re in the country fresh off a Ukrainian cargo ship with no Visa. Glock 17 drawn, you duck into an alleyway, estimating that you’ve moved well away from the search radius of the police. As the sirens fade, you breathe a sigh of relief as you put your Austrian-made nine-millimeter handgun away. Looks like you got lucky, again. This situation isn’t something you had in mind when you pictured “The American Dream,” is it?
Certainly, it’s not something that Niko Bellic, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV, imagined when coming to Liberty City in 2008. His cousin, Roman, had been sending him e-mails stating that he was living the good life with women aplenty, a stable of sports cars, and a mansion. In reality, Roman is living in the ethnic Hove Beach community in the Broker section of Liberty City, running a small-time taxi depot. His ‘mansion’ is a run-down studio apartment under the El tracks. This harsh reality is one of the central themes in Grand Theft Auto IV, specifically, stepping into the shoes of an immigrant in search of prosperity in the land of opportunity.
Grand Theft Auto IV has been anticipated with much excitement for some time now. Both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 have the processing power to accommodate the sheer massiveness of the redesigned Liberty City, and the result is a completely interactive environment rendered beautifully in real time. Game physics are certainly no slouch here. Car damage is more realistic, with bodywork crumpling exactly where impacted. Too bad no one wears seatbelts in Liberty City. Too often, players and NPC’s (Non-Player Characters) alike will drive at high speed and mistakenly collide with a pillar or similar stationary object and fly through the windshield in an explosion of glass and get tossed as far as a whole city block from the site of collision. Even the helicopters in the game are realistic; smack your main rotor against a solid object for too long, and you’ll find yourself falling to the ground like an anvil.
Back on ground level, much like in real life, there is no car that is inaccessible to Niko. Want that flashy sports car? So what if it’s locked? Pressing the button to enter a vehicle will make Niko try the doors on the vehicle in question. If it’s locked, he will use his elbow to smash the window, unlock the door from inside, and then enter the vehicle and start it up by hotwiring it. Don’t do this with police nearby, though, or else you start taking incoming fire from them. If you absolutely must get into a gunfight with anyone, you can engage them from the comfort of the driver’s seat with complete aiming capabilities, meaning that drive-bys are no longer just a matter of “spray and pray,” but rather, actually aiming at your targets. On foot, you can choose to make incapacitating shots at your target by aiming at your target’s arms or legs. Even when you’re not shooting or driving, simply exploring the city (provided you have legal access to all the islands) is an adventure in itself, with realistic travel time. It takes nearly an hour to get from the eastern end of Liberty City to the western end by car, to say nothing of several hours on foot. Add the option of going on an online crime spree with friends in multiplayer, and you have yourself one crazy fun game.
Of course, such realism has drawn the ire of critics, deeming Grand Theft Auto IV and games like it as “murder simulators,” a phrase not entirely unwarranted, but also an overreaction. Playing games like GTA IV will not influence a player to murder someone in real life. If anything, it’s what keeps players from doing so, since the virtual world of New York-style Liberty City lets one take out all his or her frustrations from real life on in-game enemies. Besides, GTA IV now features consequences for your actions. Letting people live or die when you are forced to choose between the two will affect what happens later in the game. Plus, one cannot forget the situation Niko is in. Both he and his cousin Roman came to America in search of prosperity. What they found were streets paved with blood and violence rather than gold. The two must work their way up from the ground, but in Niko’s case, the work he must do is often less-than-legal, adding more to the skeletons in his closet as a former Serbian soldier in the Bosnian War. Unlike previous games in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV helps you empathize more with the characters in the game as you watch them go through their trials and tribulations. One particularly emotional point in the game is a mission known as “Roman’s Sorrow.” Threatened by the Russian Mafia, Niko and Roman must escape from Broker (the game’s equivalent of New York City’s Brooklyn section) for an indefinite amount of time. Unfortunately, when they go to retrieve their belongings (including an engagement ring Roman was planning to propose to his girlfriend with), it is too late to do so: The Russians have already firebombed both their apartment and Roman’s cab depot. The two leave Broker, with Roman in tears and anguish for good reason. After all, how would you feel if everything you worked so hard to achieve went up in flames, never to be seen again? As you can see, this game has the most gripping storyline thus far in the series.
In short, Grand Theft Auto IV has managed to be more in-depth than its predecessors. Grand Theft Auto IV is no longer simply a mindless smash-and-grab hullabaloo of violence, guns, homicide, and vehicular theft. Taking in $310 million on the very day it was released, the sales record is indicative of the sheer popularity of the much-anticipated game, kicking Halo 3 (what kind of square plays that anymore, anyway?) off of the “First week sales” throne. Because of the large amount of Xbox 360 owners and the somewhat more marginal PlayStation 3 owners (like myself), Grand Theft Auto IV has already made more than $500 million in worldwide sales. So let anti-gaming gorillas like Jack Thompson and Lyndon LaRouche (you might want to Wikipedia the latter just to find out how much of a nutjob this guy is) beat their chests. I’ll just tune them out while I’ve got virtual police on my back

Posted By
Jacob Unson

Forgetting Sarah Marshall: A Movie You Won’t Soon Forget!

Romantic comedies. The bane of every guy’s existence. No self-respecting guy wants to sit through some movie loaded with lovey-dovey, romantic scenes that tries to redeem itself through some “funny” one-liners that we all know only women think are funny. At least that’s what I’ve come to expect from this type of movie. Needless to say, when I went to go see Forgetting Sarah Marshall with my girlfriend, Lindsay, I was ready to maybe get a few laughs at some of the jokes throughout the movie, if I was still awake.
Much to my chagrin, I was completely wrong about my expectations for this movie. Although there were still all of the cheesy romantic scenes that guys have come to hate, the movie was surprisingly funny. The storyline follows Peter Bretter (played by Jason Segel), a composer for a hit crime scene TV show starring the one-and only Sarah Marshall (played by Kristen Bell), who just happens to be Peter’s girlfriend. However, after being in the spotlight together for a few years, Sarah Marshall breaks Peter’s heart with a devastating, and hilarious, break-up. When Sarah delivers the news to Peter, he drops his towel, leaving him standing naked, in disbelief. She explains to him that she is “tired” of their relationship, but we find out later in the movie that she has been cheating on him for some time.
After the break-up, Peter sinks into a depression and eventually goes to Hawaii in order to clear his mind. But despite Peter’s attempts to get away from his lost love, he soon discovers that Sarah Marshall is staying at the same hotel as he is, and to top it all off, she’s with her new boyfriend, the crazy musician, Aldous Snow. The plot continues with Peter trying to find new love with one of the hotel employees, Rachel Jansen (played by Mila Kunis) while simultaneously trying to forget Sarah Marshall.
Although the plot is very similar to many other romantic movies (i.e. a bad break-up leads to pursuance of a lost love interest), the cast of this movie was a very surprising and impressive aspect of it. Hilarious actors like Jonah Hill from Superbad and Jason Bateman from Juno and Arrested Development make cameo appearances and keep the audience laughing the whole time. Even obscure characters in the movie like Aldous Snow, played by Russell Brand, are surprisingly funny.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is easily one of the best romantic comedies I’ve ever seen, but it definitely wasn’t the best movie I’ve ever seen. Although the jokes and the comedy in the movie are very funny, the plot still leaves something to be desired. It seems as though the director had a plan for creating the movie, but ran out of time when finishing it. The ending of the movie feels rushed, and leaves the audience wanting to know more. Overall, I would give this movie an A-, and encourage everyone to go see it.
I would recommend this movie to anyone that likes funny movies and I would definitely recommend it to any guy that wants to take their girlfriend to a movie that isn’t just like most, unimaginative “love” movies. Forgetting Sarah Marshall , I’m sure, will give
anyone a laugh.

Posted by
Tim Fritz

Art Centerpieces for Relay for Life

SHIZZZAM! BOOM! GLITTER TIME! Kermit and Miss Piggy, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Winnie the Pooh and Michael Jackson, and more came to Phoenixville High School ……in art form, anyway! Some of our high school students created centerpieces for the Relay for Life weekend on May 2nd 2008 that featured many Hollywood stars.
The students who are majoring in art each designed a special centerpiece for the survivor’s dinner, which started off the Relay for Life on Friday May 2nd. With the Relay theme of “Lights, Camera, Action- HOLLYWOOD,” the students, Ms. Saponaro, and Mr. Turley decided they would have these pieces represent an actor or actress from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the survivors dinner there were around 400 people present, so these students created about 50 to 60 different centerpieces! All of the art teachers in the district pitched in to this event and created something (placemats, wall decorations, etc.).
With a time span of three weeks to complete this project, all of the students worked very hard to make these pieces amazing. Ms. Saponaro explained what materials were needed make the centerpieces. She said, “They used foam core, papier mache, glitter, Adobe Photoshop (on the computer), and vellum to just name a few.” Some of the many students who created pieces were senior Rachel Kinback, senior Lauren Tassoni, junior Erin Hulse, senior Andrea Purcell, junior Jen McAvoy, and junior Ruth Jasienski.
Senior Rachel Kinback was very creative and made a centerpiece of Kermit the frog and Miss Piggy. Kermit is serenading Miss Piggy with a banjo atop of a lily pad. Rachel said, “I always liked Kermit and Miss Piggy, so I decided to make them. I also jazzed it all up and added glitter too!!” It took her about two to three weeks to make this amazing piece. She said, “I really wanted to do this for the Relay because it’s such a good event to contribute to.” Rachel finished her Kermit and Miss Piggy piece so quickly that she had enough time to create two other pieces, Casablanca and Elizabeth Taylor. She said, “I enjoyed this project because I could work with different materials that I can’t work with when we do other projects.”
Another artist, Ruth Jasienski, decided to make the pole from Singing in the Rain with Gene Kelly dancing and singing with an umbrella. She explained, “Ms. Sap and I thought it would be a good idea to do Gene Kelly because it is an oldie that people probably know and it’s also a goodie!” Ruth wanted to contribute to this project for two reasons: one, to get a good grade on this project and in the class, and two, because it’s a good, well-known event and she wanted to contribute to it.
I went to the Relay on May 2nd and I checked out all of the pieces; they were amazing! During the night on Friday May 2nd, all of the centerpieces had little lights in them which made them glow beautifully in the night. Tickets were sold at a stand for people to win and take them home. All of the students who contributed to this event did a wonderful job and the artwork looked stupendous, but most of all, it represented our school in such a great way!

Posted by
By Becca Furr

Grand Spaghetti Dinner for Jesse Chew

On Friday, June 6th, a spaghetti dinner will be held in the Phoenixville High School Cafeteria to raise money for Jesse Chew, a former student at PAHS who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. The food will be prepared by Carrabba’s Italian Grill, and is sure to be delicious. Also, music will be provided the PAHS music department. The theme of the dinner is “Hold the Rope,” which is symbol of Jesse’s “climb” to a healthy recovery. Tickets are $10 ($5 for children under 10). Tickets can be bought at the Central Administration building, and/or Maygan Henzie and Rebecca McCulloch, both juniors at the high school. The dinner is their senior project, but all of the money raised will go to Jesse’s family to help pay for his cancer treatments. This event is a way for you to support Jessie and his family not only with your money, but also with a positive attitude about Jesse’s condition. It is a chance for us to come together as one big Phoenixville family and do something to help out a fellow graduate of the high school. I hope to see you all there!

Posted by
Lindsay Burgess

PAHS Eagle Scouts: The Highest Perch on the Boy Scout tree

If one were to look up “Eagle Scout” on Wikipedia, one would learn that the term refers to “A Scout with the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since 1911, the rank of Eagle Scout has been attained by more than 1.7 million young men.” Recently, seven students here at the high school have become part of this elite group. This is not an easy task, because ascending through the many ranks of scouting requires hours upon hours of completing numerous tasks and projects. The following students earned their place with their required Eagle Scout projects:
Senior Colin Small was responsible for mapping a cemetery in Malvern, specifically an area containing the graves of persons dating back to the time of the Revolutionary War. The main difficulty he encountered in the project, said Colin, was that “I signed up to do it really late, and you have to do [all Eagle Scout projects] before your 18th birthday. I was out there every day working.”
Senior Jay Howson did a project similar to that of Colin by performing maintenance on an area of the same cemetery that held the graves of people that were interred in the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. “Gravestones that are a hundred years old are really hard to read,” said Jay.
Senior Matt Pelligrino restored the Time Capsule circle in Reeves’ Park, which contains the town’s bicentennial time capsule, buried in 1976, which is scheduled for excavation in the year 2076. Matt’s biggest challenge was the weather. He said, “I had to plant bushes and stuff like that, and it was getting to the late part of the fall [season], so I had to get everything done before the frost hit.”
Senior David Celentano took on a rather large task (fortunately, not alone) of restoring the theater and administration building in the Valley Forge National Historical Park. “It was difficult getting all the people working on the project signed off, because when you’ve got people working [on government property], everything has to be made legitimate, or you know, the Secret Service comes after you,” commented David.
Senior Matt Kunz performed a public service by labeling storm drains with “No Dumping” signs to prohibit dumping of leaves and other objects like trash into them. According to Matt, the hardest part of the project was not the execution, but the planning. He explained, “I’d say the hardest part [of the project] was gathering people together for the project… the main difficulty was making sure that people showed up and knew what they were doing.”
Senior Mike Kassel restored the beverage building of the Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Company, where guests can rent out the space for parties. The difficulty of the project apparently lay in the expense. He commented, “It was difficult because it was pretty expensive to do; I had to do a lot of fundraising… my dad and I hired a few contractors to help [us], so for all the manual labor I didn’t know how to do, they taught me how to do it.”
Senior Zach Johnson helped to expand the existing parking lot at the Phoenixville Area YMCA, which used to be little more than a dirt circle. Thanks to his efforts, it looks neater now, with an 11-space gravel parking lot. Zach said that the project resulted in over 200 hours of work. Zach said, “I had about twenty people total helping me on probably about six or seven weekends, and at the end it was like 234 hours total by everyone’s working hours combined.”
Indeed, it was not entirely easy for these students to perform these projects, but David Celentano provided these words of wisdom: “No matter how huge and wide an obstacle is, if you have your eyes on your goal, you can achieve anything.”
So should you see any of these fellows in the halls, congratulate them on a job well done! These guys have certainly performed a great service to the community.

Posted by
Jacob Unson

Boys’ Tennis: The Undefeated Streak Continues!

Going undefeated for one season is definitely a commendable feat, but Boys’ Tennis makes that seem easy with their 194-0 winning streak in the Pac-10. This year’s team was able to hold a good overall record this season, going 11-3 (8-0 Pac-10). Coach (and mayor of Phoenixville) Leo Scoda considered this to be a building year with a young team, which makes it even more exceptional that they were able to continue their record.
With the loss of five seniors, like top doubles team Wanzell Flemming and Pat Womer, second doubles player Kevin Foedinger, and top singles players Kyle MacCelland and Tom McAvoy, it’s easy to see that Coach Scoda was unsure of how this season would turn out. Luckily, there were plenty of underclassmen who were able to take their place and do a great job. The line-up began with Steve Tassone, a sophomore, holding down first singles, followed by junior John Reading and senior Ranney Moran playing second and third singles. Junior Steve Ng and senior Colin Small played first doubles. Yusuf Brown and sophomore Mike Potts started the season playing second doubles. Senior Brian Tassone and junior Mike Reeves played third doubles, but sometimes rotated into second doubles. Finishing at fourth doubles was senior Matt Feldman and freshman John McInally. The captains this season were seniors Colin Small and Brian Tassone, who were the only seniors to play varsity last year.
Overall, this season was a success. “Although the team did take some lumps in the beginning of the year,” as Coach Scoda put it, “they were able to come back even stronger.” The team played in a Kiwanis tournament early on in the season at Arthur Ashe Tennis Center on March 19th and 20th. Despite the team’s third place finish, they were able to learn from their mistakes. It was a great prep for the season and helped the players to grow closer as a team. The team started out rather inexperienced, but over the season they improved greatly and proved themselves to be a dominant force. As the season went on they learned how to work together and work as a team. One of the most enjoyable experiences was the April trip to Sea Colony Delaware to compete in a tournament.
Recently, the boys’ tennis team played in districts and won their first match, defeating New Hope 4-1. The season ended going against the defending AA state champions, Lower Moreland. They put up a valiant fight, but lost 0-5. At singles districts, Steve Tassone reached the quarterfinals. Over the course of the season Assistant Coach Mr. Zittel noticed huge improvements in Steve Tassone. “He should be the league champ next year,” noted Zittel. Then, at doubles districts, Steve Tassone and John Reading were able to reach the semi-finals before losing a tough match to the #1 seeded Lower-Moreland team.
Next season definitely looks promising with many of the varsity team members returning, as well as a huge crop of talented JV players including Kyle Taylor, Kyle Eldridge, Shane Holland, Brian Schanzenbach, James Churgai, Adam Leggieri, and team clown Drew Pilcicki. Coach Scoda said, “Unlike this year, we will have a nice veteran season next year.” It won’t be a season devoted to “filling in” and “rebuilding,” but rather will consist of mostly the same players. Overall, great job this season boys, and good luck next year!

Posted by
Rebecca McCulloch

Phoenixville: Enjoying the Last Laugh!

“Phoenixville is the armpit of the Main Line”… “Phoenixville?! Something’s wrong with the drinking water out there [cue hearty chuckle]”… “They don’t have teeth in Phoenixville.”
Hopefully, no one has ever uttered something this rude near you, but if such brainless insults have been directed at you and your town I suggest a devilishly witty comeback as the order of the day. I mean, come on, ‘The armpit of the Main Line?’ It’s just ridiculous, untrue, and rude!
I’m sorry to say that my ingenious imagination did not make up these ‘eloquent’ insults. They are taken verbatim from ‘upstanding’ (and surely jealous) citizens of neighboring communities.
My parents were told “Something is wrong with the drinking water,” and “Phoenixvillians are all toothless,” when they decided to move here 15 years ago. In the “Phoenixville is the armpit of the Main Line” case, I overheard an elderly teacher saying this to his class of 3rd graders years ago…in Phoenixville!
The good news is that these remarks aren’t recent; at least 12 years have passed since they were uttered and (as we all know) over the past few years the town has undergone an exciting renaissance and renovation. The benches and lampposts have been painted blue, the sidewalks redone, murals created, and numerous new cafes, bookstores, restaurants, and boutiques now line the streets. Also, the high bridge is finally being replaced (and will be closed until 2010), new homes are being built (and bought), and even the school systems have greatly improved!
But perhaps the biggest change is simply this: people are talking! Yes, talking about us: little old Phoenixville!
My mom is a hair-stylist in West Chester, and when she used to tell people she lived in Phoenixville she would receive responses like, “Where is that, exactly?” or, “Oh…That’s nice.” Now, however, people will tell her, “Oh yeah, Phoenixville! My husband and I go to the Colonial Theater every month! It’s great!” or, “I just ate at The Black Lab last week for First Friday…the food was fantastic, and the music was awesome!…I’m definitely going back!”
All this recognition is exciting, and I think it’s time we opened our eyes and realized that Phoenixville isn’t as boring and dull as we often complain it is: especially for a small town.
I’m tired of some people saying how boring Phoenixville is, and that there is nothing to do here. We’re close to King of Prussia, Philadelphia, and Exton, which is great in itself, but there’s also tons of new stuff to explore and discover here! New shops and restaurants are opening all the time. I was informed just the other day that a new restaurant, Spiedie Bistro, opened where the old Domino’s Pizza used to be by the Colonial Theater. I can’t wait to try it out!
There are tons of other delicious restaurants and eateries to attend, including Iron Hill Brewery, Majolica, La Creperie, Columbia Bar and Grille, The Black Lab, Artisan’s Café, Irish Joe’s Café, Molly McGuire’s, Los Mariachis, Nudy’s, Philadelphia Pretzel Company, Phoenixville Mansion House, Steel City Coffee House, Tyler James Pub, Brown’s Cow, Eliza’s Bakery, Cheese!, and of course all the other pizza shops and other places I’ve forgotten.
New restaurants are in the works as we speak. As it says on philly.com/inquirer, “Pat Ryan, whose Ryan's Pub is a favorite among twenty-somethings in West Chester hopes to commence business at his newest pub this spring adjacent to the Colonial Theatre. And Ron Morrison, president of Main Street Cafe, looks toward an early March unveiling of Baxter's Saloon & Eatery in the historic Superintendent's Building on Bridge Street, across from Iron Hill Brewery.”
There are other shops and restaurants that you may have overlooked. I’ll only mention a few. First of all, Wolfgang Books. Seriously, this place is amazing. It looks like the perfect movie set for a remake of the romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail! It can be hard to find because it’s a second story shop (the entrance is to the left of Earth Mart), but if you take the time to go up the 26 stairs and check it out, you’ll definitely be impressed. It has beautiful hardwood floors and bookshelves, and there is a quaint, comfortable reading room which hangs over Bridge Street with a great view!
Speaking of Earth Mart, be sure to stop in there too. It’s new, unique, and has a variety of products including home décor, jewelry, groceries, clothes, and much more! As their website says, their products are “organic, recycled, sustainable, fair trade and locally produced… [they’re] good for you AND good for the environment.” So if you want to start living green, Earth Mart is the place for you!
Let’s not forget; not every town has its own movie theater. The Colonial Theater is great because it plays a variety of films you won’t see in normal chain theaters and has some excellent concerts. It’s close, it’s famous, the atmosphere is unique, and it’s cheaper than other theaters.
There are also some special Phoenixville events including The Farmer’s Market (which takes place every Saturday morning next to the Family Dollar), the annual Firebird Festival, Blobfest, and First Fridays. In case you don’t know, First Fridays are held the ‘first Friday’ of every month and are super fun and busy, especially in the summer when musicians and performers line the street and all the stores are open ready for business.
Obviously our star (or perhaps bird) is rising after decades of negative press, so let’s all realize it and continue supporting the downtown institutions so they stay here. That way, “toothless” Phoenixville can go on having the last laugh!
HYPERLINK "http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/chester/nabes/20080228_Renaissance___la_carte.html?imageId=6874102" Molly McGuire’s
Inside Wolfgang Books
Colonial Theater
Performance at First Friday
Performance at First Friday
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/chester/nabes/20080228_Renaissance___la_carte.html
Needless to say our star (or perhaps, bird) is rising
“Majolica brings what could be described as a little bit of South Street and Brooklyn's Park Slope to a borough that has worked hard to escape the fate of many former steel towns.” Inquirer Suburban
Majolica: A familiar name that dares to be different
Catherine Quillman INQUIRER SUBURBAN STAFF
http://www.majolicarestaurant.com/Reviews.html#LeBan

Restaurants (Majolica, Iron Hill [also in West Chester],
-ocean earth wind fire (massage)
122 Bridge Street in the vibrant heart of Phoenixville, PA
-Hipster Home 22 South Main St
Phoenixville, Pa 19460
-Colonial Theater
-Tiny Hineys

Posted by
Grace Farrell
Editorial - Phoenixville