Winter Part I, 2018

Early Winter Edition, 2018 Issue Two

Mr. Dave Oertner checked off bucket list items last summer in various spots of the world. Pictured above with his NLTT cracks jokes
girlfriend, Lynette Ouna (third from left), he spent time in the Maasai Village. Below, one of the more modern without the net
‘wonders of the world’ stands next to the tallest building ever built — the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Improv Night taught being
Super Dave goes on safari prepared to have no preparation

Longtime NL science teacher checks off bucket list items during summer excursion By Cydney Krause
Staff Writer
By Jamie Knerr
Editor in Chief Lights… Troupe… Improv! Northern Lehigh
Theater Troupe held its annual Improv Night in
What is the number-one thing most people the high school auditorium, Nov. 3. Anyone could
hope to accomplish in life? There are obvious an- attend as long as the attendee was willing to pay $5
swers like being successful, being happy and hav- for an enthralling two-hour show.
ing wealth. An even more popular check on the
bucket list, though, is to travel the world. For Even the members who were on the side of
Northern Lehigh High School science teacher Mr. the platform were entertained by their peers. And
Dave Oertner, that became a reality this past sum- remember, none of the actors and actresses have
mer. any of these characters and scenes planned. Hence,
the word improv.
For more than two weeks, Mr. Oertner had
the chance to travel to multiple countries in East- In the beginning, members would practice
ern Africa (Kenya and Nairobi) and part of the improv at every rehearsal with exercises like Annoy-
United Arab Emirates (Dubai). After a 16-hour ing Bus Stop, Liar, Actor’s Nightmare, Mannequin, etc.
flight, Mr. Oertner, accompanied by girlfriend
Lynette Ouna, began in Dubai – the business hub Trivia battle raged on
of the Middle East. Scholastic Scrimmage

“We spent some time exploring the city, By Michael Martineau
looking around at the architecture,” Oertner said Staff Writer
of his trip. He also visited the Burj Khalifa, the
tallest building in the world, which stands 2,722 Earlier this year, the NL Scholastic Scrim-
feet tall. “We went up to the top of the Burj Kha- mage team traveled to PBS39’s studio in historic
lifa, and it was absolutely awesome because you Bethlehem to compete against Panther Valley.
could see everything. Then on the way back down Led by none other than mathematics extraordi-
there were a bunch of activities going on around naire Mr. Lehtonen, Scholastic Scrimmage is an
the building. There were huge water fountain dis- academic challenge similar to Jeopardy -- although
we get to answer questions, not answer in ques-
tions.

The team typically travels to a handful of
weekend competitions held at local high schools,
in addition to the televised appearance.

To explain more about the program, three of
our star members -- Andrew Bowman, Cole
Cheesbrough, and Shayla Smith – answered some
questions about their experience with Scholastic

LOOKING AHEAD to ISSUE #3: MUSICAL PREVIEW, MORE TEACHER RECHARGE, FARBER/FREW, ‘BEEF’, AND MUCH MORE...MID-FEBRUARY!

Page 2 The Slate

Student Council Scoop: Holidays are here Testing brain skills
against the competition
By Jamie Knerr able to provide their children with gifts. If
Editor in Chief you are interested in contributing to this Northern Lehigh Trivia Soldiers — Cole Cheesbrough, Ivan Zheng,
fundraiser, please contact a member of stu- Michael Martineau, Andrew Bowman.
The holiday months are something dent council.
many of us anticipate. Snow starts to fall, Scrimmage.
we have a break from Student council is very busy through- Why did you join Scholastic Scrimmage?
school for the holidays, out the holiday season, as A: I joined Scholastic Scrimmage my freshman year. I joined be-
and we are able to spend we also run the local Toys
time and celebrate with for Tots campaign for cause I've always enjoyed trivia, and my family has always told me I
our families. NLHS. Toys for Tots is a have more useless niche information in my head than useful infor-
national organization mation. I competed in the quiz bowls at Southern Lehigh and Salisbury
Most of us scramble founded by the Marine and have been an alternate and full-time member at our PBS events.
to find the perfect gift for Corps in 1947. Locally,
our sibling or best friend. we host the campaign that C: I joined because I wanted to do something that would be chal-
However, some people in benefits children all over lenging but still fun. The feeling was amazing.
our community aren’t the country.
fortunate enough to be able to spend mon- S: I joined because of you. It’s been something I’ve been interested
ey buying gifts for others. Northern Lehigh In December, there are large white in and wanted to try since I was a sophomore, but I had just never
High School’s Student Council runs the boxes (with the Toys for Tots) logo placed brought myself to do it.
Adopt-A-Family campaign during the in various areas around the school. The
months of November and early December Marine Corps is looking for new, un- What is your favorite memory from Scholastic Scrim-
to raise money and supplies that can be wrapped toys that can be distributed to mage?
donated to these families. local families in need. This campaign is
very important because it is another way for A: Looking back on the four years I've been with the team, my
Each year, our school is given a list of our school to give back to those less fortu- favorite memory is of the junior ‘dream team’ at Salisbury. Michael
items children in our community would nate. Donations were collected throughout Martineau, Ivan Zheng, Aaron Rudolph and me. We made up the B
like to have for Christmas. Since the par- December. team that year and made it to the semi-finals, out-performing our A
ents can’t afford to buy these things, we team counterparts.
raise money and buy the toys or necessities American Education Week was held
that these kids need. the week of Nov. 12-16. This week high- C: My favorite memory would be the first time my team won a
lights the importance of our education sys- match at the PBS competition.
Student council runs this campaign to tem, and thanks the teachers for their con-
ensure that every child in our community tinuous hard work at making our school a S: Our team won the first round I ever competed in, which was
can experience a nice holiday season. This better learning environment. really cool. I was so proud of the team, and of myself.
campaign is very important because not
only does it bring joy to area children, but Happy holidays from NL Student Is there anything you would like to add?
it relieves those parents from not being Council! A: Scholastic Scrimmage has been an amazing experience and I
would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
No scripts, no problem C: Scholastic Scrimmage is one of the best activities that I have
ever been a part of.
Northern Lehigh High School They would get familiar with how the exercises would go S: I’m so happy to be a part of Scholastic Scrimmage. I like the
1 Bulldog Lane and/or the actors/actresses around them. Regardless, friendly competition and I especially enjoy being able to compete along-
Slatington, PA 18080 everyone had to put effort into the scenes, no matter side my friends.
610-767-9832 ext. 1243 how difficult they seemed or awkward they became. Even As captain for the televised team, I greatly enjoy Scholastic
though some were weird and definitely pushed bounda- Scrimmage. I joined in sophomore year because of my involve-
[email protected] ries, we were laughing and having a good time no matter ment with the elementary school counterparts: Sixth Sense and
what. ACE Team. My favorite memory occurred last year, when the
The Slate Staff TV team coordinated their introductions to include a shout-out
Everything was as rehearsed as improv goes. We [the to the Sultan of Spice himself, Guy Fieri.
MANAGING ADVISER participants] only knew what exercises we were a part of While Scholastic Scrimmage is a challenge, it is also in-
Mr. Christopher Barnes and who we were doing it with (besides our wonderful tensely fun. I have had a blast flexing my brain with my fellow
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF performance of Miss Piggy – ask Mason McGowan). seniors on the team, Shayla Smith, Andrew Bowman, Ivan
Jamie Knerr Zheng, and Cory Hammond. I would suggest that any student
SPORTS EDITORS During Improv Night, the audience was also a very who is even remotely interested to check it out. Also, be sure to
Katie Guelcher, Brianna Schuck important part of the scene about to be performed. tune in to PBS39 this spring to view our thrilling match against
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Panther Valley!
Ava Rosario They gave ideas to what the members were going to
COMMUNITY EDITOR pull out of their pockets, literally. The show included a
Dylan Kuntz couple of different scenes where audience suggestions
ADVERTISING MANAGER were the only resources used.
Michael Martineau
ADVERTISING CONSULTANT Audience members also participated in Expert Inter-
Kristen Guelcher
STAFF & CONTRIBUTING WRITERS view. The friends, parents, and families asked the expert
on stage about their “awe-inspiring” invention. The
Administration catch? The expert had no idea what they had created, so
any answer to a question was more of a skillful, quick-
SUPERINTENDENT witted response.
Matthew Link
ASST. TO THE SUPERINTENDENT Every laugh and happy tear was a true victory. These
Dr. Tania Stoker games are just as fun to you as they are to us. It’s reward-
PRINCIPAL ing to get to see a happy audience and we were happy
Robert Vlasaty that they didn’t waste their money.
ASST. PRINCIPAL
Tanya Simms Check out the next Slate for a preview on this year’s spring
musical, “Bye Bye Birdie.”
The Slate is proud to be the voice of Northern
Lehigh High School. It is printed by The Times
News of Lehighton. We thank you for reading
and please pass it on!

The Slate @theslatenews Page 3

Decking the Northern Lehigh Halls Never too late for

Cat Shelly and Trent Herman, Student Council members, got the library hallway in the new traditions
spirit — much to the dismay of an unnamed, grumpy, Grinchy Slate adviser.
By Trent Herman might not come together other
Staff Writer times of the year like they do
during the holidays.
The holidays are coming
up and as they say, “It’s the This can be the littlest
most wonderful time of the thing like a family watching a
year.” This might not special movie on Christmas
always be the case,
however. Many peo- Eve or even just
ple choose to cele- decorating the
brate the holidays by house while listen-
watching Christmas ing to classic holi-
movies, baking, day music.
Christmas caroling,
decorating the tree, etc. Many of us look
forward to the holi-
However, a tradition can days and spending
be anything you want it to be time with our families and
and most importantly, some- doing the things we do as tra-
thing that you do annually ditions every year. But, we
when the holidays roll around. should also remember the peo-
ple in the world who don’t
Traditions are special and have families, people who
are something that should be don’t have the money for gifts,
kept alive and made known. people who are alone for the
Perhaps a tradition is the one holidays, people that lost loved
thing holding a family togeth- ones or who are going through
er. If this is the case, the family

Page 4 The Slate

Discovering different cultures across the globe

plays outside.” pletely content and happy, because Mr. Oertner described a peculiar sce- not be his last. He plans to travel
While Oertner had only spent it’s the only thing they’ve ever ne he had gotten to experience. back to Kenya in the spring for a
known. A day after Mr. Oertner had “While waiting in traffic, you’d have family wedding. During retirement,
two days in this city, his time was not landed in Kenya, he took a small tons of people walking up and down he has thought of staying in Kenya
wasted. During this part of the trip, plane to spend three days exploring the middle of the highway trying to during our winter months. Kenya is
he was able to watch a World Cup the Maasai Mara -- a national reserve sell the most random items to make also not the only place he will be
soccer game from a nearby watering to witness first-hand the wilderness money. Most things weren’t small, traveling, as his goal is to explore
hole and got to know a lot of locals that lives along the Tanzanian bor- simple pieces to sell either.” He had many places in our country and to
in the process. der. once seen a man trying to sell an old see as much as possible. Mr. Oertner
Monopoly game, along with other has one piece of advice for all of his
“It was funny actually, because “The first night we were able to odd items. students: “Travel as much as you can
at the watering hole you could still watch the sunset, which was pretty and enjoy every second!”
see the Burj Khalifa and the whole awesome.” “There are poor areas, but there
building lit up with lights that spelled are also many modernized areas with The bucket list will be grateful.
out ‘GOAL’ when England had Another exciting yet scary expe- shops and villages. Many places
scored their first goal,” Oertner said rience that Mr. Oertner said he will are also starting to use solar ener-
of his experiences. His second day in never forget is having breakfast along gy.” While the U.S. has seen mod-
Dubai was spent out in the desert a creek and watching hippos walk ern areas like this for decades,
where he took part in “most of the only 15 feet away from him. Most of countries in Africa are just start-
touristy things.” the time traveling through the re- ing to build upon these founda-
serve was spent exploring the savanna tions of an economically stable
He was able to ride a camel, [a grassy plain in subtropical regions] society. Advances in this country
drive over dunes, and end his day and seeing wildlife most people only
with a dinner on the sand. Mr. Oert- get to see in pictures or at zoos. are becoming their basics, and in a
ner’s favorite part of his short, yet matter of time, cities like Nairobi
eventful, trip to Dubai was the archi- “Our last day at Maasai Mara we will be just as developed as New
tecture. “The architecture of the city were on safari and there was a pride York or Los Angeles.
was absolutely incredible. It’s like of lions about 30 or 40 feet away
New York City, but it’s brand new. from us. Right in front of our car, While this was his first trip
There’s also a lot less people around about 20 feet away, a lion was eating to Kenya, Mr. Oertner says it will
for a large city.” a zebra.”
(Top): Mr. Oertner and his girlfriend, Lynette, pose with their new camel buddy who took them
After Mr. Oertner’s time in Du- That experience was one of Mr. for a ride before dining in the desert. (The camel was not invited).
bai, he took a short flight to Kenya to Oertner’s favorite parts about the (Middle): Super Dave towers over one of the biggest huts from the Maasai Village. The huts,
stay for the rest of the trip. Kenya, as trip. However, lions and zebras were which are built by women, have a grass roof, a dirt floor, people sleep on animal skin, and
he described, is a “completely differ- not the only exotic animals he saw in there is no running water.
ent culture.” Travelling along mostly the reserve. (Bottom): Lynette and Mr. Oertner pose with their driver and his apprentice in the Dubai de-
dirt roads in the city, he was able to sert. “We drove the dunes in a four-wheel-drive vehicle on the way to our dinner in the de-
see how many families lived. “It was strange. You would be sert,” Super Dave said. “It was a bit scary, exhilarating, and somewhat nauseating, as we flew
sitting eating breakfast and monkeys up and down on the dunes.”
“There’s really nothing there. would walk up to your table, or birds
Most homes have no electricity, with would be stealing food off your plate. Check out bonus photos of Mr. Oertner’s wild safari at
the exception of some small solar Then you could look off to your side our Instagram page! @theslatenews
panels. There really isn’t any running in a creek and you could see the croc-
water. Families over there live a very odiles just sitting in the water.”
tough life.”
After Mr. Oertner’s short visit
Mr. Oertner described this part to Maasai Mara, he spent the rest of
of his trip as “very eye-opening, see- the trip exploring Kenya and its capi-
ing how others live,” due to common tal, Nairobi. He visited local restau-
amenities like fresh water, food on a rants, met with friends and family,
plate and a warm house seeming like and got the opportunity to experi-
luxuries in that section of the world. ence a completely different culture.
Similar to American society, Kenya One thing that stuck out to Mr.
has different levels of wealth in its Oertner about exploring and shop-
economy. However, Mr. Oertner de- ping in the Nairobi towns was,
scribed a “great divide” between the “everything over there is a bargain. If
rich and the poor. you see something you want and you
don’t want to pay what’s marked,
“There are areas that are very everything is up for discussion.”
modernized and developed cities like
we have over here. Then you keep Mr. Oertner explained along
driving down backroads into small with this that their society is run this
villages, and you start to see shacks way because most families are willing
[no bigger than a tool shed] made of to earn whatever they can to provide
metal and built to hold an entire for their loved ones. He was also able
family.” to witness this driving down roads in
the city.
The biggest take-away for Mr.
Oertner, however, was the fact that “They don’t have a very good
even though many families didn’t road system, so if there’s a road that
have many possessions to show for isn’t still made of dirt, it’s a very
themselves, they were always happy. small two-lane highway. Because of
The people living in Nairobi under- this, traffic was always horrible. It
stand their way of life and are com- could take an hour to drive five
miles.”

However, while stuck in traffic,

The Slate @theslatenews Page 5

Prepping for the

big college leap

By Michael Martineau mined to spend four academic Carnage, formally known as Cletus Kasady, is a Marvel Comics villain who
Staff Writer years away from home, you are not made his debut in Feb. 1991 in Amazing Spider-Man issue #361. However,
only picking a college to study at, before Kasady became Carnage, he was a psychotic serial murderer, who
Fellow Seniors: take a deep but a town to live in. Here, there blamed his homicidal tendencies on a traumatic childhood. For instance,
breath. In a few months, this will are three main categories colleges he was born in an asylum for the mentally-ill, was presumed dead for his
all be over. Underclassmen: buckle can be placed in: rural, suburban, first 19 minutes after birth and supposedly experienced hell during said 19-
up. I am referring to the daunting and urban. minute period. Kasady obtained his super-villain powers while imprisoned
task of applying to colleges. for the murders he had committed. He was cellmates with Eddie Brock,
Next, you’ll need to consider better known to most as the super-villain Venom, at the time. One night,
This process is different for programs universities offer, both the Venom symbiote, the source of Brock’s powers, crawled through the
every student, and some bypass it regarding your major, and extracur- barred window of the cell in an attempt to free Brock. As it was doing so
altogether. Despite these differ- ricular. Finally, gauge factors such a small amount of the symbiote dripped onto Kasady’s recently-cut hand
ences, one truth remains for every as cost of attendance, acceptance and mixed with his blood to form an entirely new symbiote
student that is nearing the end of rate, and anything else you deem called...CARNAGE.
his or her secondary education: we important.
are about to face big changes. Let’s Modernizing traditions
break it down step-by-step. Each university has its own
pros and cons, and it can be over- rough times. at any time.
To begin this journey, stu- whelming to keep track of all these. These people don’t experience Also, doing the smallest nice
dents must start by evaluating In order to do so, I turned to a free
themselves. Here, you have two online college preparatory service: the joy others do around the holi- thing could change someone's day.
main goals. Decide what you want days because of the burdens put on As a community and a school, we
to study, and where you want to Niche. An account on Niche lets them by life. They also don’t gener- should be there for one another be-
study that. Generally, the former you view college profiles in an un- ally have the most wonderful time of cause you never know what someone
derstandable way. In addition to the year. This could very well be the is truly going through at any point
goal is the most subject to change, most depressing time for these indi- in time.
and the hardest to reach. Start by this, you can read reviews of viduals.
asking yourself questions like, the colleges, and see how you Although some have a magical
“What am I good at? What do I stack up against other stu- It’s important to reach out to holiday season, many others do not
enjoy? What am I curious about?” dents who apply to that friends and family not only during and at times what people really need
school. Another great re- the holidays but anytime of the year is a friend or a family. So, going into
Finding answers to these ques- source students have at their because life is unpredictable. We the holiday season, I encourage eve-
tions may not be entirely cathartic, disposal is their guidance may never know what could happen ryone to choose kindness and make
but you will certainly narrow your counselor. Mrs. Lanshe and that your modern holiday tradition.
options. Begin to look online, and Mrs. Chruscial are highly
find majors and careers that match knowledgeable in this area,
what you’ve found. Take note of and can offer amazing advice
findings that stand out, because to students undergoing this
you may begin to see a pattern that process.
leads to ‘the one.’ Remember that
most students change their major Now, students will have
in college, so this decision is not a list of potential colleges to attend.
permanent. How many do I apply to? That is a
difficult question to answer, but
Now that you’ve found at least there is a general formula to follow.
one major or career that interests Students should try to balance be-
you, we can address the second tween applying to schools they
goal. Where are we going? would like to go to, but may not be
accepted to, with schools that they
There are many factors to con- will most likely be accepted to, but
sider here, and more self-evaluation are perhaps less preferable.
to be done. First ask, “Where do I
want to live for four years?” It may This can apply whether a stu-
be that you want to live at home for dent applies to three schools, or 20
some or all of that four-year period. schools.
In that case, community college is a
fantastic option. If you are deter- There are many ways to inter-
pret this rule, as well as exceptions,
but keeping this in mind will point
you in the right direction. Students
should also consider the number of
applications they are willing to
complete, and the fee to apply.
Once again, your guidance counse-
lor is a great resource here, and
should be able to guide you further.

At this point, we have caught
up to where most seniors are in this
process: applications. Depending
on the number of schools you ap-

Page 6

‘Apocalypse’ Mental health is the invisible
did not end barrier to happiness, peace
the world
By Brianna Schuck sion. Contrary to some ignorant Something that people fail
The world only seemed to explode for a Staff Writer to acknowledge is that no matter
brief moment. Then the smoke cleared, the arguments, depression does exist. what age, maintaining mental
wound healed, and all went back to normal As a teenager, one topic People, typically adults, like to health is always important, and it
with a bonus lesson rising from the ashes. most people clearly always ignore push off mental health, more is something that will follow you
is mental health. More im- than likely because when they when you’re young, graduated, or
Our ‘maiden’ issue that was unleashed portantly, most people do not were children, mental health was even well on your way past mar-
in late October earned rave reviews from stu- even know what mental health is as rare as shin splints. However, riage. As young kids often strug-
dents, faculty, administration and communi- and what all falls under its cate- in a generation where everyone gle, adults tend to juggle just as
gory. There are many different can view each other’s profiles at much. Typically, depression and
ty members, and rightfully so. While The variations, but knowing at least a any hour, it is important to take anxiety gather at a young age,
few is very essential so you know these things into consideration. although you can always develop
Slate has been around for many decades, it what to look for. them due to experiencing a trau-
was recently renovated with an invigorated matizing event.
regime. An excited staff of editors and writers For example, one might
had the energy to prepare all the Bulldog think mental health is simply As many kids struggle to
news that’s fit to print, and a sarcastic but being in the right state of mind, find themselves throughout mid-
motivated English teacher who is brand-new but even that is confusing. De- dle school, they often feel lost,
to the high school but no stranger to the pression, anxiety, confidence, alone, and depressed. That natu-
journalism world had taken over. Somewhere shyness, traumatizing events, and ral, gut feeling is one that no one
in his seven years of experience as reporter- so many other things are all clas- could truly, ever understand.
turned-editor, our wacky managing adviser sified as mental health. During that time, that person
forgot that mistakes will happen -- as they will
anywhere in life. One of the most common
pieces of mental health is depres-
While the pages were read, then edited,
CGI is convenient, but overdone
then read again, the word ‘Apocapalypse’ had
one too many syllables and some extra let- By Owen Levan-Uhler One: A Star Wars Story, to making turistic worlds, and your movie is
ters. (Sincere apologies to Kristen Guelcher, Staff Writer entire movies like Disney/Pixar’s just a drama with good acting
instead of good fight scenes, it
whose article experienced the oops). C’mon… we all know Henry Coco. Utilized correctly, CGI can still probably has CGI in it. It
The managing adviser’s heart sank, his Cavill had his moustache all be an amazing tool that helps tell just probably isn’t used in a way
throughout the filming of Justice the movie or TV show’s story. you’d think. For example, 2013’s
blood pressure soared and, with the pages League. His lip looked so bad. Without CGI, many shots, or
already sent to be printed, the world came Think of all of the movies that even whole scenes of movies The Great Gatsby contained near-
crashing down. Oh, the humanity. (Oh, you’ve seen in the past year. would not be possible, or if possi- ly 1,500 digitally-aided shots that
please). Now, depending on what kind of helped recreate Gatsby’s mansion
movies and what genres you’re ble, very expensive. But on the and the aesthetic of roaring 20’s
There were silver linings to this gram- into, I can guarantee you that other side of the story, you get
matically-gloomy cloud: 1. It was on the last nearly every one of those movies the jumbled mess that was the Long Island. But just because The
page; 2. it was a tough-looking word to begin contains Computer-Generated
with, and 3. chances are the reader’s eyes did Imagery. Transformers franchise. Great Gatsby included this much
not even catch it. But after the perfectionist Even if you watch a movie CGI doesn’t mean that took
crybaby’s would-be tears dried up, the gloomy For those of you that don’t away any value of the story. If
cloud lifted. We pick up the pieces, we dis- know, Computer-Generated Im- that has no action scenes or fu- anything, it just added to the
cern what was really important and we march agery, or CGI for short, is the movie, which is what CGI is
on. computer animation that does meant to do. But with many
anything and everything in Holly- movies, CGI, whether excessive
Our regime’s inaugural issue of North- wood these days, from designing
ern Lehigh High School’s journalistic voice characters’ facial structures like or just bad, can distract the view-
screamed loud and clear: There are a lot of for Tarkin in Lucasfilm’s Rogue er and ever make the story less
paw prints to leave behind and we are just believable.
getting started. Please enjoy these pages, offer
the staff a kind word, pass the paper along to A prime example of this is
someone at home, and prepare for more.

Missteps will happen but we get up and the
world keeps spinning.

The Slate @theslatenews Page 7

Adding ‘Anger Management’ to the Media connects,
divides voices
curriculum could help with self-control
By Kristen Guelcher
By Shayla Smith Unfortunately, therein lies a noticeable Staff Writer
Staff Writer struggle. Verbal judgement is the substitute
for open expressions of care and compassion. On average, teenagers spend about nine hours on
“Speak when you are angry, and you will Judgement is noticed, and then ignored. This the internet per day. Yes, that is correct -- about 38 per-
make the best speech you will ever regret.” is evident everywhere, including within this cent of the day. Media takes a huge part of teenagers’
high school. See the problem? lives today and not always for the better.
The speaker may be unknown, but the
connotation is what ultimately needs to be The fire is seen, but is not extinguished. The social media today plays a huge part in our lives
recognized. Anger is an emotion. Emotion is Maybe, though, there is a way to prevent the from social media to television. All these things have
power. If it weren't for emotions, what would flames from burning in the first place. changed the way the world works and how people think
humans have as inspiration to do anything at in the past decade alone.
all? We act on them, and whether the action I asked the students of NL for their opin-
is good or bad is left totally up to us. The Media has made the jobs of people so much simpler
stronger the emotion, the stronger the action, ion on a possible solution: How would you feel in the past 10 years in terms of communication. Now
the stronger the impact. with the touch of a screen, you can send a message to
about enrollment in an anger management class? anyone across the globe in seconds. It’s also significantly
Anger is power, producing the most pas- Sophomore Claudia Cozzi: "I think it easier to spread the news through television and social
sionate flames that rage hotter than any fire. media these days.
It is quite possibly the most influential emo- would be beneficial to kids who need it. They
tion there is. It is the igniter of envy, the fuel would be able to learn how to control their As long as you’re connected to the internet, you’re
to forge lies, and the cause of many crimes. It anger at a younger age and hopefully won't constantly getting informed with what is going on in the
is the backbone of broken relationships, re- have as much of a problem dealing with it in world whether it is relevant to you or not. The media
venge, and murder. their adulthood. helps people feel connected and more united with social
media and the use of phones.
Why else would we do these things? Senior Andrew Bowman adds to this: “I
Thus, it is important that everyone is educat- think it could be a helpful elective. I think the Along with the positive things that the media does
ed on techniques to control anger. The innate class would be useful in keeping kids on the for us, it brings a lot of negativity. Before all the media,
ability for people to stabilize themselves in right path and keeping them from doing society didn’t have to deal with all the struggles cyberbul-
times of hardship is often taken for granted. something they might regret in the future.” lying. It has opened up a whole new world of things that
Newsflash: We are all different. We are indi- our youth have to be informed about. Anyone can say
viduals. Michael Martineau, a senior, said: whatever they want, whenever they want, and that can
“Many students in high school are dealing cause loads of controversy.
For those that find the balance harder to with ever-changing emotions and stressors,
maintain, it is especially frustrating when and some may not know how to handle these. From the public to politics, there is always a big con-
their actions go misunderstood or disregard- I feel it would be most effective if implement- troversy happening in the media. It seems that every day
ed. It is very important for people to ed as an optional program, rather than a someone says something new that makes everyone mad
acknowledge and understand each other's course. Early on in high school, I would've on social media. No one is ever happy in social media
differences. certainly benefited from such a program.” and someone is always mad at someone else.

Ian Rigby, another senior: “Anger man- To make matters worse, all this drama in the media
agement is a very important life skill that I causes people to be addicted to their phones. People are
feel a lot of people simply do not learn. It constantly refreshing their Twitters, seeing what “fake
would be helpful to kids to learn to manage news” others are talking about now. Faces are glued to
their anger in a helpful, healthy, and non- screens when a celebrity breaks up with their significant
destructive way, especially because not every other or when any sort of inconvenient drama breaks
kid is in the best home environment. It is out. Videos with overly dramatic titles always get the
important that this skill be taught in schools. most views when videos that try to spread kindness are
It could be added as a unit to the curriculum constantly overlooked. People even go as far as to create
of a mandatory course so that all students fake feuds with others and say false information just to
learn about it.” get views and attention.

That may just be the best road to follow. A majority of drama in the media is actually fake,
I spent three days in a youth rehabilitation just because people have the excessive need for attention.
unit. I still can’t believe how much I learned. The media has more material than ever now. People are
Coping skills, social skills, and so much about
cognitive distortions. I probably could have

Time to almost ‘adult’ with college applications

ply to, and the application formats they accept (a complete what you ask of them, and be courteous tion, it is entirely out of your hands. Be prepared to
shared application versus a proprietary one), the along the way. Speaking from my own experience, receive some letters of rejection, but keep in mind
workload may be heavy. Make sure to read schools’ this time in the college application process is the that you did your best, and if you played your cards
requirements for their applications, and the associ- most stressful, but it is almost over. Hang in there, right, you will get in somewhere.
ated deadlines. The best way to tackle this is to seniors.
work a little everyday, and give yourself time to re- When you finally do get your application
view your work. Do not wait until the deadlines to What should seniors expect in the coming back, and you are fortunate enough to have some
months? Unfortunately, it involves waiting and choices, you will have some time to decide. Lever-
submit the application! Also remember to give rec- rejection. Most applications don’t come back until age the resources that were previously mentioned,
March, so for two months seniors may be inclined consult with your parents, and perhaps visit the
ommenders (teachers and other advisors) time to to hang on the edge of their seats in anticipation. schools you were accepted to. Best of luck!

Keep in mind, once you submit your applica-

Page 8 The Slate

Maddie Seier, Shaina Mazzocca — Trevor Amorim and Rebekah McGeehan. Olivia Romig and Lexi Meckes.
played hard for the sophomores.
Photo courtesy of Brianna Schuck

Photos by Gary Meckes (unless otherwise noted)

Hailey Evans avoids the senior defense. Katie Yesik (alongside Lexi Meckes) donned the gold pants
but the juniors took home the bragging rights.

Stories lurk behind everyone’s saddened eyes

may seem OK. They may laugh at the could have changed things forever. that serious alone. type of situation.
lunch table, read aloud in class, or Mental health is not something Fitting in and making new Being aware of mental health is
even tell amazing stories about their
life. But what people around them that should be taken lightly. From a friends isn’t always the easiest task. something very important. Everyone
may not know is that they recently personal aspect, I try to lend a help- Instead of laughing at someone or needs a friend or just someone they
lost their home, they thought about ing hand to everyone, but not just an putting someone down, be kind. can turn to. I know I would not want
harming themselves, they wished “I’m here if you need me” type of Some people may be so traumatized to be alone, and I am forever fortu-
they had the courage and strength to hand. I want everyone to feel accept- that they are sensitive to tone of nate for everyone who surrounds me
commit suicide, their dog passed ed for who they truly are and who voice, and some people may even be with support, as I try to do the same.
away, they lost a family member, or they want to be. I want people to so used to people being rude that Next time you see someone you
so many other tragic events that know that even if it is just one per- even sarcasm hurts. If you are aware know or maybe don’t know, just tell
son, I will be that one person that of that, you can comfort them in this them you got their back, and think
will always be there. No one should type of situation, or maybe even try
ever have to go through something to avoid getting yourself into this about joining Aevidum, too. (More on

Aevidum in a future Slate).

The Slate @theslatenews Page 9

Senior Dress-Up Day Participants: Madyson Josh Satterlee, Edge Kroll, Nate Keller, Jack Ligenza, Nick Stinson Coincidentally, Anthony Bardelli
Sterner, Emma Schmoyer and Hailey Kar- and Preston Kemery kept the school grounds safe. didn’t even know it was dress-up
powich. day.

Abby Merkle, Molly Wilk, Jamie Knerr and Katie Guelcher. Moses (Mason McGowan) is hopefully pray- Jackie Hollenbach and Dan Grayson
ing for longer shorts on Officer CJ Davies. brought Space Jam back.

Technology-filled stunts/effects become a distraction

the Special Editions of the original end of Return of the Jedi, he even cre- tained an insane amount of CGI, movie together. But CGI is so useful,
ated a whole new scene with the help from the aforementioned Tarkin and ultimately, an artistic tool. Art-
Star Wars trilogy. When the original of CGI. Giving that it was only 1996- facial editing to the enormous space/ ists and designers use Computer-
1997 at the time, the effects didn’t ground battle in the film’s third act. Generated Imagery to create whole
Star Wars movies were released, look all that good, which took away This was combined, however, with movies that are often more interest-
George Lucas didn’t get to make the from the experience that made those Disney’s authentic practical effects, a ing and beautiful than live-action
films the way he imagined them look- compelling plot, and good acting. films.
ing, for the technology was not ad- movies original in the first place. Lu- And although many people thought
vanced enough for his vision. But cas also applied this technology to his the CGI used to bring Tarkin to life Medical professionals use CGI
with the rise of computer-animation prequel trilogy, which started in was distracting, I thought it blended to help treat their patients. CGI is
in the late 90’s, he went back to the 1999. By then, with a bigger budget sometimes used to map out a part of
original trilogy and started to weave and better developed technology, the very well with Rogue One’s aesthetic, a patient’s body, or display a develop-
CGI into it. At first, he was going CGI of those movies looked some- and that none of the CGI in the film ing medical procedure or tool in
back and fixing things that needed what tolerable. But still, there was took away from the story, which is ways that could help someone. CGI
fixing, like the black and fuzzy lines way too many digital effects and not sadly what happens with other films. isn’t just something that makes the
around spaceships as a result of the enough practical ones (practical ef- Hulk a big green giant , or makes
green-screening at the time of filming fects being effects that are real and So, is CGI a useful tool or just explosions look better. It is an amaz-
the movies. not made digitally), which still took ultimately distracting and excessive? ing technology that can be used in so
away from the experience of those It can be either. CGI in movies will many ways. With the good it helps to
Then he started putting in addi- movies. be portrayed the way people making cultivate on imagination, we can
tional creatures and taking others out the movie want to see it, or have to maybe forgive DC for not doing such
and extending shots until it came to That is what most movies come make it depending on budget sizes a good job on Henry Cavill’s mous-
the point that he was changing the and time limitations. And CGI can tache editing.
appearances of entire scenes. At the down to - Is the story good enough? be distracting when there isn’t a good
Many movies that heavily use CGI enough story or acting to keep the

are good, like Rogue One, which con-

Page 10

Reagan Pender runs away with the competition

XC star finishes record-setting season with senior year still to come

By Katie Guelcher
Sports Editor

While entering her freshman-year cross country The support system assembled! (Left to right) Volunteer assistant Ms.
season, NL junior Reagan Pender knew that there Case, head coach Mr. Oertner, Reagan, Athletic Director Mr. Geist
was only room for improvement. A runner since sev- and Assistant Coach Mrs. Lori-Beth Guelcher.
enth grade, Reagan, at the time, was suffering from
an injury and had even considered not continuing to
run cross country.

“I really just thought I would run and go on
with my life. I did not see it as something that would
give me success, just something to stay in shape and
allow me to hang out with friends,” Pender said.
Looking back on her freshman season, Pender had
run solid times, but it was nothing that would pre-
pare her for what was about to come next.

Pender had all the more reason to continue
with the sport at the end of her sophomore season --
her outstanding breakout year, placing fifth out of
54 girls at the Colonial League Championships. She

Run, Reagan, Run! So she did.

NL football loudly improves after silent season

By Brianna Schuck does not believe the year was a gardless of the outcome, last year outcome that night. Even for the
Sports Editor waste. “Even at the end of last year, was one of building. coaches, they took the time to sit
being 0-10, it never really felt like we down and really evaluate things.
Going into the 2018 season, had lost control,” Coach Tout said. “We knew we had this year’s Coach Tout said, “I told our kids at
the NL Bulldogs football team had “We were so competitive in games. I seniors as juniors being a bigger class the end of the year and even before
one goal in mind: improvement. give a lot of credit to our seniors last coming back. It was kind of the that. A lot of times as a coach, you
After coming off an 0-10 season, few year.” theme of the offseason. Obviously measure when you know you have a
people on the outside believed they you’re 0-10, there’s not going to be a decent amount of starters back like
would bounce back. However, the Coach Tout believes that re- lot of expectations, but our goal was- we did this year. Let’s say a team is 4
players had something else in mind. n’t to win a game or two; we wanted -6. If you are able to go from 4-6 to 7
to see a pretty substantial turn -3, if you are able to have just three
After they were tired of being around, and I thought that was a more wins from one year to the
known as the “losing school,” the great job by not only our seniors but next, that’s a monumental increase.
team knew they needed to work our entire team.” It’s a great job. If you put it in that
harder than previous years, and they perspective, we went from not win-
knew winning was the mission. As Not only did they win one ning a game to winning half of our
the seniors often say, they wanted it game, which technically would have games. We were very proud and hap-
more. been an improvement, but they cut py with that.”
their deficit in half, and they proved
They instilled a work ethic to that Bulldog football is more than Of course, winning just one
the underclassmen and made sure just a record. game would have been better than
they gave it their all; that way, the the previous season of none, but
underclassmen would pick up on Last year, the Dawgs worked winning more than a few was the
that work ethic and would work just hard, but they moved in silence. goal. If success and improvement
as hard. They showed up, put in work, and was going to be an option, they
left. This year, it was more than that.
Even though the Bulldogs went They were a family, and they had
0-10 last year, that coaching staff each other’s backs regardless of the

The Slate @theslatenews Page 11

The roads to college are paved with signed intentions

Northern Lehigh senior athletes recently signed letters of
intent to attend specific college programs in the fall.
Clockwise from top left: Amber Cieri with parents Kelly
and Mike Cieri (field hockey at Cedar Crest College);
Calista Smoyer with parents Ryan and Alana Smoyer
(rifle at West Virginia University); Olivia Romig with
mom Lynette Romig (field hockey at Fairleigh Dickinson
University); Madison Posivak with mom Michelle and dad
Eric Walters (field hockey at Slippery Rock University);
Luke Eitner with mom Heather (baseball at Wells Col-
lege). Good luck, Bulldogs!

Record-setting season for the Reagan runnin’ machine

Last season, Pender crushed placed sixth out of 216 girls. Pender
is now tied for Northern Lehigh
our own high school course High School’s best female finish at a
state cross country race. This record
then placed third out of 98 girls at record with a time of 20:33. was first set by Lisa Dorshimer back
the PIAA District XI Champion- during the 1992-93 season. Reagan
ships. Her third-place finish quali- This season she was able to hopes to hold the new record next
fied her for the PIAA State Champi- year.
onship race in Hershey, where she beat her own time and once
was able to finish with the incredible Her greatest achievement thus
place of 48th out of 227 girls. again set a new record. On far has been placing sixth in the State
Championship Race. “It’s so unbe-
“Between freshman and sopho- Oct. 9, she set the record lievable that I still haven’t wrapped
more year, I was practicing a lot my head around it. Being able to
more. I was diligently waking up with a time of 19:54. That is win the league and district titles are
before the heat of the summer and my close seconds though. All of the
making sure I got my workouts in,” not the only record she set things I have been able to achieve
she said. “I also had a lot more moti- during the league season are also so
vation. The track season that I had this year. On Sept. 27, she important to me,” she said.
freshman year really helped me. I
was able to win my first race, and the set another new record while This season has been more than
feeling I had could not be compared Pender could ever expect. It was ob-
to the normal feelings I had experi- running the Palmerton High vious that all of her hard work, train-
enced after a race. I really wanted to ing, and dedication over the years
keep that feeling for as long as I School course, located on has paid off after each race. Next
could.” year, Pender is looking forward to
Blue Mountain. “the challenge of defending the
It was the end of a phenomenal, league and district titles. I’m also
yet unexpected sophomore year sea- This year has been noth- looking forward to competing with
son. some new competition, as well as
ing but exciting for Pender. some old.”
After earning a variety of incred-
ible achievements, she was excited On Oct. 16, Pender placed Her goals for next year consist
for what opportunities her junior of placing in the top 5 at the State
year would hold. Before the start of first at the Colonial League Championship race, even though she
this year’s season, the girls’ team had believes top 3 would be a dream.
been reclassified from AA to A. This Championship with a win- Pender is at the stage where she is
was good news to Pender, giving her nearing the end of her high school
a better chance for more success. ning time of 19:57. She then career. That being said, she would
love to attend a school that prioritiz-
At the first invitational race of went on to once again win es this sport. It is safe to say that she
this season, Pender earned a second- is in it for the long run.
place finish while running her per- Proud parents Shelly and Richard Pender provided the PIAA District XI Cham-
sonal best for the season, 19:07. Her support from the sidelines. pionship race on Oct. 24
success only continued and increased with a winning time of

19:14. This meant that

Pender would once again

throughout the rest of the season. have the opportunity to run in the

During the second race of the sea- PIAA State Championship race.

son, she once again placed second “I had lots and lots of nerves. I

out of 108 runners. She then contin- think about all the outcomes that

ued to win race after race. can happen if I mess up,” said

“I love that running cross coun- Reagan, when asked about what goes

try takes almost all of my stress away. through her mind before the start of

I love being able to just run and not a race. “I also mentally prepare my-

have to worry about anyone or any- self to race against the competition,

thing for an hour,” she said. “It’s the how I can get ahead of them at cer-

best feeling in the world. A bad day tain points.”

can turn into a good day after a At the State Championships,

workout; that’s what I love.” Reagan ran a fantastic race and

Page 12 The Slate

The Slate @theslatenews Page 13

Patriot Club, Part 2: Unfolding the flag’s meaning

By Dylan Kuntz and the proper care makes America as great as it is. The
Community News Editor colors of the flag are especially mean-
of the flags and ingful and symbolic. White symboliz-
The Northern Lehigh High es purity and innocence, red symbol-
School Patriot Club was founded for proper flag ceremo- izes valor and bravery, as well as
many reasons, but the most im- blood, spilled on home and foreign
portant of those reasons would be ny. Also, support- lands, and blue symbolizes justice,
the caretaking of the high school’s vigilance, and perseverance. Along
American and state flags. Before the ing the community with the colors come the stars and
club was created, certain Northern stripes.
Lehigh staff members were tasked and school through
with caring for the flags. The stars symbolize Heaven
various events like above and the goals that humankind
However, giving a select few hopes to accomplish, as well as the
students this responsibility is a great food banks, appre- American states. The stripes them-
way to get them more involved in selves are meant to symbolize rays of
both the school and the country. ciation dinners, sunlight, and since there are 13, they
This also gives students an oppor- represent the original 13 colonies
tunity to learn about flag etiquette, and posting flags that declared independence from
meaning the proper way to fold, dis- England.
play and handle the Stars and on gravestones of
Stripes. The folding of the flag itself is
Veterans. It is good also very important. Every fold has a
“The Patriot Club was created meaning behind it, and each fold
to give students an opportunity to for [the students’] must be precise.
foster their patriotism as well as the
opportunity to volunteer their service personal growth The first fold is a symbol of life.
to the school and community,” said The second fold is a symbol of our
club adviser Mr. Scott Gerould. and development,

Dylan Kuntz, Luke Wackley and Ryan Lynch attended the recent appreciation and
recognition for the
Veterans Day ceremony downtown, speaking at 11:11 a.m. on freedom we have
November 11th — reminiscent of the Armistice that ended through the sacrifice
World War I. of others, to gain

There are many important as- more perspective
pects of the Patriot Club such as about the larger things in life, learn
holding yourself accountable for your to plan, work with and lead in tasks
conduct, fostering leadership within that support others.”
yourself, seeking to take on more
responsibility, performing flag duty Every feature on the U.S. flag
symbolizes something important
about our country -- something that

Improvement was the goal and the mission was accomplished

weren’t going to short themselves When asked about placement don’t hear their names a whole lot, quality, so it was hard to decide who
and be happy with a win or two. and ending the season, Coach Tout but we definitely relied on them a lot deserved what. But then, the word
They were going to leave a mark, and had a lot to say, and a lot to be proud the last three years and we’re definite- “outstanding” was thrown in the
that is exactly what happened. of, too. ly going to miss those guys. It is no- front, and it changed the name of
ticeable when you have a lot of three- the game.
Unfortunately, the outlook did “Especially coming back.. It was year starters.” Those guys did a great
not look so good this year. Coach a good way to end the season. Realis- job protecting their quarterback, This year, most awards were
said, “It was one of those years where tically, our school enrollment is on a Gage Hunsicker, and Coach Tout handed out to seniors. Dominic Ban-
football was just a bit of a crap shoot bit of a decline, and I think we are had nothing but good words to speak dle, senior, received Outstanding
in the way the playoff season works. much more comparable to Palmerton on him. “Gage at quarterback, just Offensive Lineman; Justin Paul, sen-
In some sports, it’s mandatory if you right now, but we are playing a classi- being in that position for one year, ior, received Outstanding Offensive
have a .500 record that you’re a fication up. I think it was a good way he did a really good job. This was Back; Caleb Wanamaker, senior,
playoff team, in which we would to end the season against Palmerton, probably the best we’ve thrown the received Outstanding Defensive Line-
have met that requirement. There’s because that is kind of where we fit ball the last few years. We’re really men; and Zach Moyer, junior, re-
some years with that not being a re- right now, as a 2A school. And to see going to miss him, there and at cor- ceived Outstanding Defensive Back.
quirement that you don’t need to Palmerton, who would have been in nerback.”
have a winning record to get in ei- the 2A District Finals the last two When Coach Tout listed off the
ther. I wish this group would have years, to playing against a team that Even though the Dawgs worked names of the captains this year, Zach
had some type of playoff berth availa- size that is comparable to us, I think hard, not even the league wanted to surely made that list, too. Overall,
ble to them because I think the East- that is not so much a statement, but I recognize them for their accomplish- the captains for the 2018 season were
ern Conference would have been a think that’s where we would have ments. But if there were to be one all- Gage Hunsicker, senior; Caleb
good fit for our guys this year. had a chance, in the District final in league recognition, Coach Tout sure- Wanamaker, senior; Damion Rodri-
2A, had we fallen there, but we just a ly knows who he would pick. “None guez, senior; and Zach Moyer, junior.
“Unfortunately, the way it fell a few boys over the numbers.” of our guys made all league at any
works, the District Playoffs had eight level, and I felt the biggest shame was What’s ahead for NL football?
teams last year and it looks like eight Of course, all of these wonder- Damion Rodriguez. He is a tight end With the seniors leaving this year,
teams will get in next year; but this ful accomplishments would not have and linebacker and I felt he had an Coach Tout says, “I think we will be
was the odd year when they switched been reached without a select few awesome caliber year. Unfortunately, very comparable next year to this
it to four, and we would have been guys. Coach Tout feels as though he did not make that team, but I year. That’s the expectation. We
the sixth seed. It would have been many of the seniors work hard, yet thought he should have. I think he’s graduate a group of good guys; a lot
nice for our guys to get in, but overall their work ethic and accomplish- one of the better players in our of guys who played for us. We’ve got
I think it was a really good turna- ments are often undermined and go league.” the junior class and sophomore class,
round for us.” unnoticed. “I felt a number of our and even the freshman class, we have
guys were standout players that we Even though no one received a lot of guys, with our numbers, who
Even though they didn’t make it are going to miss a lot. Guys that do any all-league awards, Coach Tout had to play. I’d like to see us take the
to the playoffs, breaking even was not get enough recognition are Dom- handed out a few of his own at the next goal, which is to get into the
very rewarding. inic Bandle and Caleb Wanamaker. 2018 Fall Awards Night. Each player playoffs. I think that’s a good expec-
They’re the guys in the trenches; you had their own strength and amazing tation for next year.”

Page 14 The Slate

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ goes deeper than just hits

By Ava Rosario With famous hits like “We Are the
Arts & Culture Editor Champions,” “We Will Rock You,” and
many more, it’s unlikely to find some-
Whether a Queen fan or a simple one who can’t sing along.
movie-goer, Bohemian Rhapsody will be
sure to rock you. The Queen craze never Queen mixed genres and tech-
seems to disappear, and the recent re- niques that brought a new and unique
lease of Bohemian Rhapsody only cata- sound to 70s arena rock. Freddie’s mu-
lyzed it. sic and personality had a diversity that is
hard to imitate, making his impact even
Music enthusiasts, critics, and greater. He was a representative and role
many in between waited eagerly for the model for a variety of demographics.
biopic to hit the screens, and audiences
were pleased. Rotten Tomatoes shows a Up until his last day, he expressed
surprising 62 percent from the critics the energy and effort that he was known
and a well-deserved 91 percent from the for. Even now, he is honored and ad-
fans. Why the nuance? The answer goes mired for his craft – his inspiration
deeper than just the movie. seemingly endless.

It’s no wonder the movie had such Bohemian Rhapsody was able to take
an impact on the audiences. Sure, the Freddie’s presence in the world and turn
cinematic synergy and well-known cli- it into an emotion-packed rollercoaster
max may have played a part (Mercury for the audience. With the struggle of
died of AIDS in 1991), but ultimately, labels accepting them, the creative pro-
the story of Queen and Freddie Mercury cesses of their many hits, and the ever-so
is what captivated viewers. -iconic Live Aid performance in 1985
that took place on two continents and
The movie gave a poignant over- was broadcast worldwide, the movie was
view of the struggles the band faced a nostalgic experience for fans and an
while conveying an inspirational mood equally stirring one for everybody.
that everyone could be touched by. Most
importantly, the movie offered a peek Freddie’s title as a legend was en-
into the journey of the legendary front- forced; his perseverance through every-
man. thing, from judgment to sickness
showed that he never held back. The
Freddie’s influence in the music movie is only a reminder that fearless
industry is said to be unlike any other. truly lives forever.

Our country — right or wrong The future’s uncertainty
looms for all seniors
belief in eternal life. The men and women who
third fold is made in hon- have made this country By Madison Hoffman But even when you do fig-
or and remembrance of great. Staff Writer ure it all out, you are still faced
the veterans who gave a The tenth fold is a trib- with much uncertainty.
portion of life for the ute to fathers. They have At first, hearing the ques-
defense of our country. given their sons and tion What do you want to be when Will this be the right thing
The fourth fold represents our weaker daughters for the defense of our coun- you grow up? wasn’t that daunting. for me? Will I like doing this for
nature. In trusting God, we turn to Him try. We said whatever it was that a career and for the rest of my
in times of peace, as well as in times of The eleventh fold, for the Hebrew week and changed it daily. Now working life? Am I going to be
war for His guidance. The fifth fold is a citizens, represents the lower portion of that we are almost fully grown, able to make enough money to
tribute to our country. the seal of King David and King Solo- it’s horrifying to hear that famil- support myself?
mon and glorifies the God of Abraham, iar question.
Stephen Decatur once stated, “Our Isaac, and Jacob. The one big question to ask
country, in dealing with other countries, The twelfth fold, for the Christian I think, as teenagers, there is yourself is if you are happy doing
may she always be right; but it is still our citizens, represents an emblem of eterni- a lot of pressure to figure out what you are doing. Hopefully,
country, right or wrong.” ty and glorifies God the Father, the Son, what we are doing for the rest of you know a bunch about what
and Holy Ghost. our lives. Some of us have known you want to do so you know if
The sixth fold is for where our When the flag is completely folded since we entered the world but, you’ll like what the job entails. If
hearts lie. We use our heart to pledge (the 13th fold) the stars are uppermost, for most of us, it takes a while. you enjoy your career or think
allegiance to the flag. The seventh fold is reminding us of our national motto, “In you will, then it’s definitely worth
a tribute to our Armed Forces. It is they God We Trust.” There is a ton of im- In fact, most of us still are pursuing. But what if you think
who protect our country and our flag portance linked to the American flag. It respectfully clueless. I feel like you'll like it and then later on
against any enemies. The eighth fold is a isn’t just a symbol for our country, but a this makes the “aha” moment of down the road you realize the
tribute to the one who entered into the tribute to all those that served in order realizing what you want to do so opposite. That’s fine, too.
valley of the shadow of death so that we to make it as great as it is. The next time much better. It took me a while
might see the light of day. It is also to you see the flag, think about its signifi- but after all these years of chang- My mother is in her 40s and
honor mothers, for whom it flies on cance and about those who gave every- ing from one thing to another, I still has no idea. That is the great
Mother’s Day. thing to achieve that. think I got it. thing about life… You can change

The ninth fold is a tribute to wom-
anhood. Their faith, love, loyalty and
devotion provide the character of the

The Slate @theslatenews Page 15

Out with the drab and in with the Bardelli

Fashions come and go, disappear and re-emerge with the ever-evolving planet

By Anthony Bardelli race of vanity. However, as the need become a melting pot with two strik- simple to make. What made each
Staff Writer for expression marches on, a divide ing senses on each end. person distinct, the first development
tears apart the world of fashion: old in personal style, was the detail they
As the gods are regal and beasts versus new. When one inspects the clothes painstakingly wove. The choice of
display extravagance, mankind has of decades previous, a continual pat- color signified your taste and rank in
desired physical splendor. It is a fact of life that things tern emerges in dress; a uniformed society. It was a fundamental hall-
change and how people style them- individuality. It takes no significant mark of individuality to dress in the
Since the ascension of human selves too shall change. amount of investigation to see how most extravagant clothes you could
culture, we have sought to adorn clothing has been, and always was, afford to stand out.
ourselves with the trappings of mag- On one side there are those the same in different cultures with
nificence nature has. From the color- who prefer classical clothes (now con- few changes for masculine and femi- A worldwide competition had
ing of clothes to the bearing of pre- sidered formal) and those who prefer nine figures over time. Dress was, at begun to see who could be the most
cious earthen glamour, personal cul- trendy eye-capturing looks. After a base level, drab.
tural expressions have always been a thousands of years of evolution, the
intermingling world of fashion has Much as a mold, clothing was

Happiness transcends monetary rewards A warm welcome Student Council and Aevidum members joined forces to greet students in the
lobby recently with a “Good morning” and free hot chocolate. Paige Craddock
your mind. There is the fear that you love it but you end up being so in love Adding ‘Anger’ would be advantageousand Katelyn Verba were popular greeters that morning.
end up getting a useless degree that ends with it that you couldn’t imagine your
with you wasting a bunch of money but life without it. These are variables that
that’s OK, too. But what happens if you you will never know the answer to until
like what you do but choose something they happen. That’s the other thing
else just because it pays more money and about life, though. It’s unpredictable.
then ultimately end up being miserable. You never know what’s going to happen
These are some risks worth pondering. and that’s the exciting part of it.

Consider what’s best for you and, This isn’t about pursuing your ca-
overall, your happiness should come reer -- it’s about pursuing happiness. It’s
first. Not your family’s, not your about following your dreams. For the
friends’, not your dog’s. It’s all about sake of this article, I am referring to a
dream that involves your career because
what you feel is the best fit for you. If that can shape how the rest of your life
you are that worried about money then goes, as well as everything that you do in
try to go into something that is similar high school and college.
to what you want that will still make you
happy instead of something that will It is also a big struggle for us during
make you a lot of money but unhappy. this time of our life. We need the en-
couragement now, not when we have
If you can find something that already said no to our dream career. But
makes you both happy and rich, then by all means, if your dream is to see the
good for you but not everyone will find world and explore, do so.
success. You could be really passionate
but still not make it as big in that field. Nothing is stopping you except you.
Your life can be so exciting and full of
Or you could think that you’ll like joy if you just follow your dreams and do
your career but you don’t know if you’ll what makes you happy.

Media limits could foster serenity

continually worried about numbers of youth of today. learned even more if my release wasn’t so early, due to the conclu-
views and likes and nothing but numbers Media has shaped the world we live sion that it wasn’t actually necessary for me to be there. But that
which is not a good mindset to have. was all it took: Three days.
in today. Without it, we wouldn’t live in
If people limit the time they spend the same society as we do now. While me- And notice, the three main focuses of my stay all go hand-in-
on their phones and on social media, I dia has its great advantages, it can be hand with anger and emotion management. If added to the cur-
believe the world will be more peaceful. If made even more useful with people riculum, anger management with a focus on those things could be
people would just take their eyes off the spending less time focused on the drama an efficient and insightful experience, much more than so many
screen for a few more minutes a day to and more people focused on actual prob- students may assume. In a world where we are constantly learning
appreciate the world and the people lems in our society. The use of media will things that get us down, being taught ways to combat the negativi-
around them, there will be less drama and never diminish, but we can make the me- ty might just be what students need. It could be the start of a posi-
it will have less of a bad influence on the dia more useful in years to come. tive change of the minds and perspectives of growing students,
which is essentially a growing change of the future.

Page 16 The Slate

Hi, I’m Cody: Burying the deadname to feel alive

By Cody Grabarits ty inside, like someone had just feel like I matter. It makes me feel you to call them something and/or
Contributing Writer ripped my heart out of my chest. It like I actually have a place in the they prefer certain pronouns, respect
feels like a stab wound in my body, a world, that people care how I feel, them. Respect what they ask. Maybe
Names are important. There’s gaping hole in my body that’s bleed- that people actually want to respect it doesn’t seem like the biggest deal,
no denying that. It’s the easiest and ing and draining me of life. me. but it will honestly make that per-
best way to give people identification. son’s life a whole lot easier.
As many know, I’ve changed my own Each time I hear it, it’s another My name makes me feel proud-
name. stab wound. It makes me feel insig- er of myself. My name is something I It’s not always the easiest
nificant and small because someone chose and it gave me control over an change, but apologize and move on,
I have also had multiple people didn’t care enough to bother to re- aspect of my life that I feel like I trying your best for future instances
ask why I picked the name I did. No spect me. It makes me feel like no don’t have much control over in the that you talk to them or about them.
one had blatantly asked me, but no one cares about what I feel like and first place. It makes a bigger difference than you
one has ever really understood why I what their words can and will do to may think.
had decided to change my name and me. Some advice: if someone asks
why hearing my “deadname” is al-
most like a knife in my chest. Hearing someone that knows

We were all called names in that my name is Cody and still calls
school. Names that maybe we didn’t
necessarily like. We could even have me by my deadname, and usually femi-
nicknames that our parents gave us nine pronouns without trying will
that make us cringe every time we ruin my day, no matter how good a
hear it. day it was before. It can send me spi-
raling down into a whirl of dysphoria
Hearing my deadname is worse in a matter of seconds.
than just cringing or being sad be-
cause someone called me a mean I changed my name so I don’t
name. Hearing it makes me feel emp- have that as much. Hearing people
call me Cody and masculine pro-
nouns empowers me. That makes me

It is no longer unfashionable to be old-fashioned

elegant. The competition found new signers and what innovations they is better has long since raged, but is sense of fashion, by our perception,
patterns, dyes, and sewing techniques at its height now after centuries of they too are people with unique aes-
making fashion even more distinct made, not how special the clothes intermingling cultures and all human thetics. The melting pot that fashion
despite a uniform template. were. Only the latest from the great- imagination can conjure. Old fash- is blurs as old garments take on a
est will suffice and lay the ground- ion is at its heart, timeless, from an new, chic design and progressive
Even the threading was unique, work for styles to come. It is a culture
and what accessories you carried with of the masses where all age where to look one’s best, one styles venerate the old’s detail.
you spoke volumes. Every detail must can appreciate the same wore the most they could, resembling What matters is what one wears
be perfect from color to fabric as clothing and bask in the royals. New fashion too desires to
well. majesty of their peers’ look one’s best, but within the sim- and how he or she owns it. Work it.
style choices. The trend plicity of the clothe itself. Each has Fashion speaks who somebody is to
Old fashion, thus, has come to still lives on today from its time and place in society and what the whole world. It has been the
be the inner-self’s luxurious expres- head-to-toe as the newest one wears should not be a point of dream of humanity to look their
sion through clothes no other pos- creations are sought af- judgement. We must all remember best, and choice of clothing is just
sessed. ter. that even though some have little another way everybody tries to ap-
pear good.
Then came a cultural reform Modern society has
that overswept the world. Simplicity evolved into a mixture of
suddenly dulled the world of fashion. old and new fashioned.
The very same patterns people Everyday we quest for
adored lost their luster. They became unique designs, clothes
garish. Tacky. Miraculously, an explo- that fit our tastes much
sive new age revived by the hidden like our ancestors trav-
want for glamour happened. The eled for and what design-
new age of fashion -- high fashion -- ers wish to invent. Each
had begun. From the 1950s onward and every one has favor-
designers flooded the world with ide- ite clothes they flaunt
as. Clothes had a life to them again with pride. We diversify
which countercultures and popular and conform to creators
culture wore proudly and developed at the same time. Wheth-
into unique styles. Though mass pro- er one is old or new fash-
duction made millions of outfits, ioned, on some level everybody ap-
new fashion had a completely differ- preciates clothing.
ent approach to individualism. Indi-
vidual uniformity. It is said by old fashions that the
newest fads are lesser, informal, and
Brands became fluttering ban- without any form of respectability.
ners for youths to fly, and the colors New fashions say the old are uptight,
they chose their own personal gold. restrictive, and cold. Both are neither
New-age fashion belonged to the de- correct nor incorrect.

The eternal debate about which