by Brooke Maxson
Flashy lights, paparazzi, Central Park, and Times Square. What city do those images put in your mind? New York City, of course! On March 19-22, among the hundreds of thousands of people walking the streets of NYC was our very own National Honor Society members, along with chaperones. This trip was the perfect reward to the dedication showed by the NHS members throughout the year.
While in New York City, the NHS members and the parents had a great time visiting popular places, a lot of which have names that many of you will recognize. Some places that the members visited were Central Park, Times Square, Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, and mid-town Manhattan. I think it’s safe to say several of us would agree each of these places has its own magic. Even if you haven’t visited, the pictures show you a basic idea of what’s there.
Being high school students, a lot of us light up with the sound of the word “shopping.” Although we may have fun shopping in Adrian, Jackson, Toledo, and other relatively close places, many students that went on the trip agree that New York City beats all. “(My favorite was) shopping and Times Square because I like to shop,” commented junior Jocelyn Elarton. Many other students agreed that Times Square was their favorite place to visit and one reason for that is because of the countless shops everywhere you look. “I like Times Square because it’s the most popular place in the world and I got to eat at all sorts of cool restaurants and there’s ESPN and TVs in the bathrooms. I also liked the Toys R US store,” explained junior Tyler Wilson. “I liked Times Square because there’s a bunch of stores,” echoed junior Elainee Poling.
Another place a number of the NHS kids visited was the NBC store, which was full of items that reflected the shows on the NBC channel. “I like the Rockefeller Center because of the NBC store,” said junior Kayla Clark. One thing you will find if you ever decide to visit NYC is that several of the stores have more than one floor and therefore have escalators. In fact, the Toys R Us has three floors and in the middle stands a giant ferris wheel. “The ferris wheel at Toys R Us was surprising right there because it’s an amusement park ride in a store!” said an amazed Jocelyn.
Apart from the wonderful opportunity to shop til’ you dropped, an additional characteristic of NYC is that it’s full of beautiful scenery, all the way from Central Park to the heart of the city. “(What surprised me the most) was the sheer size of the buildings. When you get out, they’re just enormous,” said still-shocked junior Chloe Hepker. A very well-liked place for New Yorkers and tourists is the top of the rock observation deck, which gives its viewer a view of New York City in its entirety. “When we were on the top of the rock observation deck, I saw just how big the city was and how far it spread out,” said junior Caitlin Farley. “The top of the rock was my favorite. It was really cool; there was a great view,” explained senior Maggie Chisolm.
I can say with certainty that New York City has a lot to offer. People fall in love with different places in this city for different reasons. “My favorite was Broadway because I got to see a show. It was awesome; it was funny,” said Hepker. NYC is famous for its many Broadway shows, but it’s also famous for the huge art museum it holds, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (a.k.a. The Met). “I loved The Met. I enjoy looking at art,” said senior Jessica Beard.
NYC is also very interesting because of the people who have been there and the movies/TV shows that have been filmed there. “Thirty Rock was awesome because that’s where Saturday Night Live is filmed and all those big shows that I love. Those people have been there walking around, so that’s pretty cool,” said excited junior Derra Clark. A good share of the NHS members agreed that Chinatown was very interesting as well. We tend to find people interesting who are different from us and live differently than we do because we do live in this small town of Pittsford. Something else we aren’t very used to is bargaining with the people we buy from, which is exactly what happens very often in Chinatown. “I liked Chinatown because I got to barter,” explained junior Garet Lee. Many places in New York City are so popular because of their history and the learning you can gain from visiting those places. “Ellis Island has so much history there,” explained NHS advisor Trish Weaver.
Going into New York City for the first time calls for a little advice from people who have already been there. Things you may have heard about this place may or may not be true. No matter what, the things of NYC are bound to surprise first-time visitors, as they did for the students here on this trip. One of the first things several of the students who went into Toys R Us said was: “watch out for Geoffrey the Giraffe.” For those of you who don’t know, Geoffrey is the Toys R Us giraffe mascot. When the students said this, they were all referring to the time in which Clark Pelham picked on the guy dressed up as Geoffrey, so Geoffrey gave Clark the stare-down and followed him through the store. This is a funny story and all, but if you visit New York you’ll notice quickly that this city is a very interactive place. The NHS kids learned quickly that if they wanted to take a picture with someone dressed up as something on the street, they were expected to give a donation. “Don’t take pictures of Spiderman because he’ll want you to pay,” said Elainee.
As the stereotype goes, New York isn’t always the safest place. Because of this, security is high. “There was a SWAT team just standing on the corner,” said senior Clark Pelham. “What surprised me the most was the security for Geoffrey the Giraffe!” laughed Elainee. Crowds on the streets are also a major issue at times. “Walk fast and blend in,” advised Caitlin. Here in Pittsford we aren’t exposed to a lot of things that are out there in the world, including many homeless people all at once. “The hardest thing for me was to see the homeless people,” said Mrs. Weaver. “There were also no gas stations!” she added. A few people were surprised that all New Yorkers aren’t as rude as some people make them sound. “People are nicer than I thought they were going to be. I thought they were going to be really mean, but they were pretty kind,” said Beard.
The annual NHS trip this year was successful, a lot of fun, and a big learning experience at the same time. “The trip went very, very well overall. Everyone behaved and it was just a lot of fun,” explained Mrs. Weaver. Whether you plan on visiting NYC in the future or not, the NHS members will assure you that it’s worth your time. There are, of course, other things that the NHS members forgot to mention, including the fact that they all made it on national television on the CBS early show. If you want to see them having a great time with your own eyes, just ask to borrow the tape and watch it for yourself. All of their hard work and dedication to the National Honor Society was paid off in the end and as far as we know, everyone on the trip had a splendid time.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
We’re all in control of our actions
by Mike Fauls
Upon watching a movie in my English 11 class, I’ve had a sudden infatuation with the brain and how it works. Like if you see the word “blue” typed in a red color, your mind says “red” even if the word is blue.
The movie was about criminal minds and why people do certain things at certain times. Whether it’s stress related, or certain instincts just drive our inner being to go nuts, it happens and we really don’t know why. The question is, do we really have control over this?
Some people would say no, it’s just human instinct. I don’t agree with this theory, though. Like Hitler, for example. Was he fully in control, or was he just victim of his human instincts? And, if so, then would a small apology to the Jews in the Holocaust suffice? I could see the conversation now:
Hitler: “Oh, hey, sorry about you guys and the whole genocide thing. I just couldn’t stop my instincts from taking over.”
Jewish people: “Oh, it’s okay. C’mon were having a Batmitzfa for my niece.”
Hitler: “Oh, hey, thanks. Let’s go, new best friend!”
…and they’d skip off into the horizon like in Wizard of Oz.
The example wasn’t to make light of the atrocity the Holocaust was in any way, shape or form, it was simply to illustrate what I think the folly of calling those things “human instincts” is.
The fact is that you don’t have control over everything, it just doesn’t work that way, but you do have control of what your actions are and when you control yourself. If someone were to murder your best friend, he’d still be a murderer. Despite what human instincts took the murderer over, he’s still a murderer, no questions asked. Right?
Upon watching a movie in my English 11 class, I’ve had a sudden infatuation with the brain and how it works. Like if you see the word “blue” typed in a red color, your mind says “red” even if the word is blue.
The movie was about criminal minds and why people do certain things at certain times. Whether it’s stress related, or certain instincts just drive our inner being to go nuts, it happens and we really don’t know why. The question is, do we really have control over this?
Some people would say no, it’s just human instinct. I don’t agree with this theory, though. Like Hitler, for example. Was he fully in control, or was he just victim of his human instincts? And, if so, then would a small apology to the Jews in the Holocaust suffice? I could see the conversation now:
Hitler: “Oh, hey, sorry about you guys and the whole genocide thing. I just couldn’t stop my instincts from taking over.”
Jewish people: “Oh, it’s okay. C’mon were having a Batmitzfa for my niece.”
Hitler: “Oh, hey, thanks. Let’s go, new best friend!”
…and they’d skip off into the horizon like in Wizard of Oz.
The example wasn’t to make light of the atrocity the Holocaust was in any way, shape or form, it was simply to illustrate what I think the folly of calling those things “human instincts” is.
The fact is that you don’t have control over everything, it just doesn’t work that way, but you do have control of what your actions are and when you control yourself. If someone were to murder your best friend, he’d still be a murderer. Despite what human instincts took the murderer over, he’s still a murderer, no questions asked. Right?
Month of fun and games for the elementary
by William Belson
The elementary this month is having a sort of spirit month, except for reading, involving prizes and lots of fun. The month is full of dressing up, competitions between classes, and book fairs, making this arguably the most fun month of the year in the elementary.
One of the competitions that the elementary classes are competing in is the “dog sled race,” which is a race between the rooms to bring in money for the library. The class that wins the competition will receive a reward for their winning effort.
March 11-13, the elementary held a book fair, but that’s not all. “We had a Family Night, which was a huge success, and I made $1,897 and had a profit of over $900 worth of books. It was awesome, and we had a really huge turn out. I am up $200 from last year from just having it three days,” explained Mrs. Schutte, the elementary librarian.
The elementary will be having a dress up week this month--March 23-27 the kids will be taking part in Tacky Day, Hat and Pin Day, Read My Shirt Day, Pittsford Spirit Wear Day, and P.J. Day.
Another part of the March reading month was a question asked to every student based on a story that was read to them during the week. The first question on the first week was; What is the color of a polar bears skin? The question on the second week was; what did the adeli penguins steal from it’s neighbors nest? The question for the third week was, what does the arctic fox live in? The final week the question was, why is an elephant seal call an elephant sea?
The elementary this month is having a sort of spirit month, except for reading, involving prizes and lots of fun. The month is full of dressing up, competitions between classes, and book fairs, making this arguably the most fun month of the year in the elementary.
One of the competitions that the elementary classes are competing in is the “dog sled race,” which is a race between the rooms to bring in money for the library. The class that wins the competition will receive a reward for their winning effort.
March 11-13, the elementary held a book fair, but that’s not all. “We had a Family Night, which was a huge success, and I made $1,897 and had a profit of over $900 worth of books. It was awesome, and we had a really huge turn out. I am up $200 from last year from just having it three days,” explained Mrs. Schutte, the elementary librarian.
The elementary will be having a dress up week this month--March 23-27 the kids will be taking part in Tacky Day, Hat and Pin Day, Read My Shirt Day, Pittsford Spirit Wear Day, and P.J. Day.
Another part of the March reading month was a question asked to every student based on a story that was read to them during the week. The first question on the first week was; What is the color of a polar bears skin? The question on the second week was; what did the adeli penguins steal from it’s neighbors nest? The question for the third week was, what does the arctic fox live in? The final week the question was, why is an elephant seal call an elephant sea?
PHS students ready to travel for spring break
by Chelsie Darrow & Dillon Cooper
Everybody here at Pittsford is anticipating spring break. Now that the weather is getting warmer, students are getting anxious. With nine days off, God only knows what kids are going to come up with to pass the time. Some students are staying here in boring Pittsford; some are going somewhere special to pass the time. Nevertheless, most students are leaving for somewhere warm because they are sick of the blistering cold weather that Michigan possesses.
Sophomore Abbie Brackman is going to down to old-timers country but in a hip place in the peninsula, Panama City. “I’m going to Panama City with my sister’s boyfriend’s family (the Scheadler’s), and my mom and my sisters,” said Abbie. Her plans include tanning, shopping, and doing nothing because that is what everyone else does on spring break! This will be Abbie’s first trip to Panama City, and I’m sure lots of fun things will be going on there.
Junior Sam Nichols is going to Myrtle Beach with her best friend, Allyssa LoPresto. They will be spending their time basking in the sun and having fun. “I plan on laying on the beach the whole time,” admitted Sam. This will be Sam’s first time vacationing at Myrtle Beach and she is definitely looking forward to it.
Another junior, Lauren Stanley, is planning on vacationing down in the Deep South to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. She doesn’t know where else she is going but she knows who is going with her. “Zach (Vanlerberg) and my parents are going with me,” explained Lauren. She plans on swimming a lot and just having good ‘ole fashion fun.
Sophomore Braily Lee is also going down south but she will be more eco-friendly, only traveling to Kentucky instead of Florida. “I am going with Katie Fether and her family,” said Braily. “We are either going up north or we are going down south, Kentucky probably,” she continued to say.
Through all of these “thrill seekers,” there are always the people who express themselves in the peaceful setting of their home. These people are, of course, not going anywhere but are still finding a way to show their outgoing side. Junior Shana June is staying home for spring break but for a good reason. She will be working at the local McDonald’s, earning money while having “fun,” as she would put it. “A lot of my friends are going somewhere, but I am staying home,” said Shana in a very disappointed tone.
Whether you are staying home or going some place far, far away, there is still one thing that is clear…you can have fun almost anywhere, but how much fun is the question.
Everybody here at Pittsford is anticipating spring break. Now that the weather is getting warmer, students are getting anxious. With nine days off, God only knows what kids are going to come up with to pass the time. Some students are staying here in boring Pittsford; some are going somewhere special to pass the time. Nevertheless, most students are leaving for somewhere warm because they are sick of the blistering cold weather that Michigan possesses.
Sophomore Abbie Brackman is going to down to old-timers country but in a hip place in the peninsula, Panama City. “I’m going to Panama City with my sister’s boyfriend’s family (the Scheadler’s), and my mom and my sisters,” said Abbie. Her plans include tanning, shopping, and doing nothing because that is what everyone else does on spring break! This will be Abbie’s first trip to Panama City, and I’m sure lots of fun things will be going on there.
Junior Sam Nichols is going to Myrtle Beach with her best friend, Allyssa LoPresto. They will be spending their time basking in the sun and having fun. “I plan on laying on the beach the whole time,” admitted Sam. This will be Sam’s first time vacationing at Myrtle Beach and she is definitely looking forward to it.
Another junior, Lauren Stanley, is planning on vacationing down in the Deep South to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. She doesn’t know where else she is going but she knows who is going with her. “Zach (Vanlerberg) and my parents are going with me,” explained Lauren. She plans on swimming a lot and just having good ‘ole fashion fun.
Sophomore Braily Lee is also going down south but she will be more eco-friendly, only traveling to Kentucky instead of Florida. “I am going with Katie Fether and her family,” said Braily. “We are either going up north or we are going down south, Kentucky probably,” she continued to say.
Through all of these “thrill seekers,” there are always the people who express themselves in the peaceful setting of their home. These people are, of course, not going anywhere but are still finding a way to show their outgoing side. Junior Shana June is staying home for spring break but for a good reason. She will be working at the local McDonald’s, earning money while having “fun,” as she would put it. “A lot of my friends are going somewhere, but I am staying home,” said Shana in a very disappointed tone.
Whether you are staying home or going some place far, far away, there is still one thing that is clear…you can have fun almost anywhere, but how much fun is the question.
Tech Talk w/ Andrew Schultz
Item: Have you ever wanted to take your laptop with you somewhere, but you’re not good with the touch-pad mouse? Instead you buy a USB mouse to use, but it’s always such a bulky mouse that you
feel embarrassed just to put it into your laptop bag--but wait, it won’t fit. With the new Microsoft arc portable laser mouse, it will be easy because it folds up when not in use and it will easily fit into your laptop bag. This miniature mouse has a small wireless USB plug-in and hides in the bottom of the mouse when not in use. The Arc is compatible with PC or Mac but obviously requires at least one USB port. The Arc has a 30-foot distance to use, scrolling wheel, and battery indicator. The Microsoft Arc will sell for about $30-$40 for the mouse, carrying case, and the manuals.
Andrew’s Take: This mouse will be an excellent addition to your laptop, or even for your desktop; the only problem with this mouse is that there is a side button that is kinda hard to use with the open bottom, but other than that, this mouse is good. If we want to nit-pick, maybe the price could be a little bit lower, like $20-$30 dollars in cost.
feel embarrassed just to put it into your laptop bag--but wait, it won’t fit. With the new Microsoft arc portable laser mouse, it will be easy because it folds up when not in use and it will easily fit into your laptop bag. This miniature mouse has a small wireless USB plug-in and hides in the bottom of the mouse when not in use. The Arc is compatible with PC or Mac but obviously requires at least one USB port. The Arc has a 30-foot distance to use, scrolling wheel, and battery indicator. The Microsoft Arc will sell for about $30-$40 for the mouse, carrying case, and the manuals.Andrew’s Take: This mouse will be an excellent addition to your laptop, or even for your desktop; the only problem with this mouse is that there is a side button that is kinda hard to use with the open bottom, but other than that, this mouse is good. If we want to nit-pick, maybe the price could be a little bit lower, like $20-$30 dollars in cost.
Item: This new item is a household product for all of those gamers out there. Some people have their favorite game controllers, whether it’s the Playstation, Xbox, or the original Nintendo controller. While you’re playing your favorite game, your hands 
start to become sweaty from all of the adrenaline pumping through your veins, and when you’re done, you’re left with sweaty, smelly, and gross hands. Now your can wash your hands without putting down your favorite controller. With new soaps from Etsy and Digitalsoaps, you can wash your hands with your favorite controller and in different soap styles like Olive oil, Coconut oil, Glycerin, and Soy Bean oils. All of these different contents will do different things for your hands while you are still having fun and holding your favorite controller.
Andrew’s Take: These awesomely shaped soaps will keep you busy while your are cleaning your hands and allowing you to keep that great shape in your hands, but with all of the ingredients in this soap it will also keep your hands silky and smooth. But it’s not only the Xbox controllers, it’s also a Playstation controller, Wii, and the Nintendo controllers as well.
start to become sweaty from all of the adrenaline pumping through your veins, and when you’re done, you’re left with sweaty, smelly, and gross hands. Now your can wash your hands without putting down your favorite controller. With new soaps from Etsy and Digitalsoaps, you can wash your hands with your favorite controller and in different soap styles like Olive oil, Coconut oil, Glycerin, and Soy Bean oils. All of these different contents will do different things for your hands while you are still having fun and holding your favorite controller.Andrew’s Take: These awesomely shaped soaps will keep you busy while your are cleaning your hands and allowing you to keep that great shape in your hands, but with all of the ingredients in this soap it will also keep your hands silky and smooth. But it’s not only the Xbox controllers, it’s also a Playstation controller, Wii, and the Nintendo controllers as well.
I
tem: Some people are die-hard Apple fans and some are Microsoft, but if you are the Apple fan and you love your Microsoft Xbox 360, there’s a problem—you’re going to need to run wireless or a cable (and we all know how much trouble a cable can be). But wireless isn’t a bad option if that’s all you have. With Apple’s new Time Capsule you have a Wi-Fi router you can enjoy gaming with a faster connection and you can run your computer’s Internet faster, too. This router has four Ethernet ports in the back panel, one USB, and it’s as thin as Xbox. With this dual-band router you will never experience lag unless your connection is horrible. With a built-in HDD this will also work great for backing up your computer files with the option of a 500GB or 1TB HDD. But the price will break your bank--the 500Gb is $300 and the 1TB is around $500, so it will be expensive.
tem: Some people are die-hard Apple fans and some are Microsoft, but if you are the Apple fan and you love your Microsoft Xbox 360, there’s a problem—you’re going to need to run wireless or a cable (and we all know how much trouble a cable can be). But wireless isn’t a bad option if that’s all you have. With Apple’s new Time Capsule you have a Wi-Fi router you can enjoy gaming with a faster connection and you can run your computer’s Internet faster, too. This router has four Ethernet ports in the back panel, one USB, and it’s as thin as Xbox. With this dual-band router you will never experience lag unless your connection is horrible. With a built-in HDD this will also work great for backing up your computer files with the option of a 500GB or 1TB HDD. But the price will break your bank--the 500Gb is $300 and the 1TB is around $500, so it will be expensive.Andrew’s Take: This is the new generation in Internet connection and gaming connection, and with the dual-band, this will be the best router you can buy unless you are going into commercial grade routers and servers. But overall this is one of the coolest looking routers too; it’s smooth, sleek, and small, so you will never run into trouble with space. The only downside to this router is that it’s $300 to $500; that’s just a little pricey for anyone, in my opinion, but it would be totally worth it if you would use it a lot.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Boys track is on the run for a sixth straight league title
by William Belson
With spring being on the rise it also brings along with it the five-years-in-a-row league champion boy track squad, our Pittsford track stars. The team started its preparations for their season the second week of March.
The boys track squad only lost a total of three seniors from last year, leaving the team still well intact. The track squad though there is a good number of people on the team it is quite young with about eight returning as sophomores and a lot of freshman, and only two seniors. “My expectations are the same as any year; you want to get better every day at practice, work exceptionally hard, represent our school and our community with class, excellence, and tradition, and win the league championship,” said Coach Burger.
This year the track team, though young, is looking forward to having a good season with some of the young but experienced runners. “I think our strengths will be our field events, middle distance, and distance, but our weaknesses will be our sprinters,” said senior Ben Wines. Wines was not alone in his though with them being echoed by junior Steven Rose. “Our distance, middle distance, and field events are always extreme and phenomenal, our distance crew is going to be set with Brent (Smith) and Luke (Irwin), but the league this year has sprinters from all the schools and Pittsford is always lacking in that one great sprinter we never really have,” explained Steven. Down the line, the expectations for this season begin and end with one thing: a league championship.
Though the squad this year is looking for another league title they will keep on working. “We are pretty young; we have mostly freshmen and sophomores, but I think we will be tough in the field events and maybe in the distance,” said Coach Burger.
Will the guys make it six in a row, or will they come out of this season disappointed that for the first time in five years they don’t have a trophy to hoist. The guys are working hard to make sure the latter doesn’t happen.
With spring being on the rise it also brings along with it the five-years-in-a-row league champion boy track squad, our Pittsford track stars. The team started its preparations for their season the second week of March.
The boys track squad only lost a total of three seniors from last year, leaving the team still well intact. The track squad though there is a good number of people on the team it is quite young with about eight returning as sophomores and a lot of freshman, and only two seniors. “My expectations are the same as any year; you want to get better every day at practice, work exceptionally hard, represent our school and our community with class, excellence, and tradition, and win the league championship,” said Coach Burger.
This year the track team, though young, is looking forward to having a good season with some of the young but experienced runners. “I think our strengths will be our field events, middle distance, and distance, but our weaknesses will be our sprinters,” said senior Ben Wines. Wines was not alone in his though with them being echoed by junior Steven Rose. “Our distance, middle distance, and field events are always extreme and phenomenal, our distance crew is going to be set with Brent (Smith) and Luke (Irwin), but the league this year has sprinters from all the schools and Pittsford is always lacking in that one great sprinter we never really have,” explained Steven. Down the line, the expectations for this season begin and end with one thing: a league championship.
Though the squad this year is looking for another league title they will keep on working. “We are pretty young; we have mostly freshmen and sophomores, but I think we will be tough in the field events and maybe in the distance,” said Coach Burger.
Will the guys make it six in a row, or will they come out of this season disappointed that for the first time in five years they don’t have a trophy to hoist. The guys are working hard to make sure the latter doesn’t happen.
PHS juniors spend hours taking ACT and MME tests
by Derra Clark
The ACT is one of the most important tests a student will ever take, and from March 10-12 the juniors took this test, along with the MME. The ACT is a standardized test that colleges look at when selecting students to admit. The MME is a test done by the state of Michigan; by taking the test, students earn scholarships for college and it’s involved in the “grade” schools get from the state. “The ACT itself is important for students to see their achievements, it’s important for the school to see how it’s doing,” said Mrs. Sanderson.
Some students felt they could have organized themselves better. “I really didn’t feel prepared, but the help that the teachers gave really helped a lot,” said Chloe Hepker. Other students found the testing experience to be less than entertaining, “I’ve never had less fun taking a test in a dark room with 60 people,” said Caitlin Farley. Mrs. Sanderson felt the students did very well during the tree-day testing, “The students took it very seriously and took their time,” said Mrs. Sanderson.
All of the teachers did what they could to prepare the juniors for what might be on the test. “Listen to your teachers!” stressed Caitlin. Every year the juniors have to take these tests and, of course, they always feel the pressure. “Get lots of sleep and don’t stress out,” said Chloe to the students who will enjoy the testing next year.
The ACT is one of the most important tests a student will ever take, and from March 10-12 the juniors took this test, along with the MME. The ACT is a standardized test that colleges look at when selecting students to admit. The MME is a test done by the state of Michigan; by taking the test, students earn scholarships for college and it’s involved in the “grade” schools get from the state. “The ACT itself is important for students to see their achievements, it’s important for the school to see how it’s doing,” said Mrs. Sanderson.
Some students felt they could have organized themselves better. “I really didn’t feel prepared, but the help that the teachers gave really helped a lot,” said Chloe Hepker. Other students found the testing experience to be less than entertaining, “I’ve never had less fun taking a test in a dark room with 60 people,” said Caitlin Farley. Mrs. Sanderson felt the students did very well during the tree-day testing, “The students took it very seriously and took their time,” said Mrs. Sanderson.
All of the teachers did what they could to prepare the juniors for what might be on the test. “Listen to your teachers!” stressed Caitlin. Every year the juniors have to take these tests and, of course, they always feel the pressure. “Get lots of sleep and don’t stress out,” said Chloe to the students who will enjoy the testing next year.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Here are the answers to all of your NCAA tourney questions
by Dillon Cooper
It is that time again, where friend, family and co-workers all compete against each other; where Americans use more paper at work than at any other time, just to print off 20 copies of their "possible picks" to win it all. There is no telling who will be dancing high and mighty and who will be stunned by a sleeping Cinderella. There is one thing that I can predict, though--there will be only one team that ends their season on the highest note that you can possibly reach and finish 6-0 in NCAA tournament play, and my job is to show you the most logical picks and the most surprising picks of this 2009 addition of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament!
At the beginning of the season you could ask any stat junkie if he could foresee any three teams from the same conference all receiving three of the top four seeds in the tournament and he would tell you it would be very unlikely, and even if he did pick the possible teams, he probably wouldn't have hypothesized the right conclusion. The fact is that these three teams--Louisville, Connecticut, and Pittsburgh--are not just good, they are great. Not great like Larry Bird's Indiana State team, or the Fab Five from the team the hailed from Ann Arbor, but they have proven themselves to be superior to their opponents. North Carolina deserves as much credit as these three goliaths from the Big East, with the Tar Heels looking to win their second national title in the past half decade. But let’s not forget the other 61 teams inside this tournament and I have selected all of the upsets and the winner of each region from the Midwest to the West to the East and back down to the South.
MIDWEST:
There are only two upsets that I predict in this region. There could be three but I didn't feel comfortable with having the Great Danes of Siena beating that team that's name should not be mentioned (if you were a Michigan fan you would understand it is the team that spells out their state using their arms and hands, acting like total nimrods). Nevertheless, I predict two upsets in this region. The 5th-seeded Utah Utes will fall to 12-seed Arizona, a team that surprised many entering as one of the very last at-large bid honors. Utah will fall under the fatal curse of the 12th-seeded team beating the 5th-seeded team and never has this been avoided; it has always happened at least once a year since the tournament expanded to 64 teams, and this is probably the most predictable "upset." The other is the 10th-seeded USC/7th-seeded Boston College match up. USC, who won the Pac-10 regular season championship, has had some impressive wins. They beat UCLA the first round and just barely lost in the second affair (UCLA is seeded 6 in their region) and they swept the season series against California, including an impressive win against Cal on the road when Cal seemed unstoppable. BC has stacked up an impressive resume also, winning at Chapel Hill and winning against the Dukies, too, but they will not have an answer for their West Coast foe. The winner of this region will be the top-seeded Louisville Cardinals.
WEST:
This region, to me, was the easiest part of my bracket to fill out, with only one upset that is realistic, unless you want to revert back to the 1985 National Championship game when 'Nova beat Georgetown in a huge shocker (probably the biggest upset in the tournament sense the 1966 University of Texas-El Paso Miners beat the heavily favored team coached by Adolph Rupp, the Kentucky Wildcats). But we are not talking about the past or similes here, we are talking bracketology and reality and the reality is going to hit the Cougars of Brigham Young University (BYU). Texas A&M is going to show what the Big 12 is made of, after the Big 12 has been known as one of the many "Sleeping Giant" conferences. The Aggies will win in this lightweight showdown of an eight seed losing to a nine seed, which isn't all that unusual. The winner of this bracket will be the Connecticut Huskies coached by the veteran, highest paid employee in the state of Connecticut, Jim Calhoun.
EAST:
The East bracket is by far the weakest. I have four upsets on my bracket. The biggest one is the Virginia Commonwealth game. I have them beating the high and mighty team from Los Angles, the Bruins of UCLA. It is a six/ eleven match up and the VCU Rams look to advance out of the first round like a previous year when they upset the heavily favored Duke Blue Devils. Another upset is the Minnesota Golden Gophers over the Texas Longhorns. I know it is a long shot by a lot of czars in this sport but Tubby Smith has transformed this team and I expect them to win in a heated battle. The third upset I have marked down is the Tennessee Volunteers over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Vols will win because they have been here before and have excellent players leading the way. The last upset I have pondered on and have had the most difficulty with, and it is the showdown between the ACC and the Big Ten--the Florida State Seminoles and the Wisconsin Badgers. Originally I had FSU down but then I thought if the Badgers stop Seminole junior guard Toney Douglas then they will win for sure, with the next player on the Seminoles’ roster averaging a mere eight points a game. The winner of this region will be another Big East team, and without a question that team will be the Pittsburgh Panthers.
SOUTH:
This division is a very top-heavy region. The lower seeds definitely have a superior advantage against the less fortunate higher seeds. Nevertheless I have the University of North Carolina Tar Heels in the final and winning this region, making it the fourth number one seeded team to make it to the final stage in Detroit.
FINAL FOUR:
The victor of the game against the physical Louisville Cardinals and the blessed-with-height Connecticut Huskies will be Louisville. The Cardinals won their earlier tiff and I expect them to make it two in a row against the Huskies. The other Final Four match-up is the fundamentally sound Pittsburgh Panthers and the bandaged-up North Carolina Tar Heels. Even though Pitt hasn't made the Sweet 16 in a few years, I plan for them to make it to their final destination and play on April 6 against their rivals, Louisville.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
All right, the National Championship is set. An epic showdown against conference rivals that know each other maybe a little too much, but that should lead to a great showdown for the viewers, right? However that game might go, blowout or end in a hail mary buzzer beater, I predict my Louisville Cardinals from the Midwest region and the number one overall seed leading into the tourney to win it all and I look forward at looking at the joy on head coach Rick Pitino's players’ faces when the confetti is flying and they bring out that big wooden trophy and present the Louisville Cardinals as the 2009 NCAA Basketball Champions!
It is that time again, where friend, family and co-workers all compete against each other; where Americans use more paper at work than at any other time, just to print off 20 copies of their "possible picks" to win it all. There is no telling who will be dancing high and mighty and who will be stunned by a sleeping Cinderella. There is one thing that I can predict, though--there will be only one team that ends their season on the highest note that you can possibly reach and finish 6-0 in NCAA tournament play, and my job is to show you the most logical picks and the most surprising picks of this 2009 addition of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament!
At the beginning of the season you could ask any stat junkie if he could foresee any three teams from the same conference all receiving three of the top four seeds in the tournament and he would tell you it would be very unlikely, and even if he did pick the possible teams, he probably wouldn't have hypothesized the right conclusion. The fact is that these three teams--Louisville, Connecticut, and Pittsburgh--are not just good, they are great. Not great like Larry Bird's Indiana State team, or the Fab Five from the team the hailed from Ann Arbor, but they have proven themselves to be superior to their opponents. North Carolina deserves as much credit as these three goliaths from the Big East, with the Tar Heels looking to win their second national title in the past half decade. But let’s not forget the other 61 teams inside this tournament and I have selected all of the upsets and the winner of each region from the Midwest to the West to the East and back down to the South.
MIDWEST:
There are only two upsets that I predict in this region. There could be three but I didn't feel comfortable with having the Great Danes of Siena beating that team that's name should not be mentioned (if you were a Michigan fan you would understand it is the team that spells out their state using their arms and hands, acting like total nimrods). Nevertheless, I predict two upsets in this region. The 5th-seeded Utah Utes will fall to 12-seed Arizona, a team that surprised many entering as one of the very last at-large bid honors. Utah will fall under the fatal curse of the 12th-seeded team beating the 5th-seeded team and never has this been avoided; it has always happened at least once a year since the tournament expanded to 64 teams, and this is probably the most predictable "upset." The other is the 10th-seeded USC/7th-seeded Boston College match up. USC, who won the Pac-10 regular season championship, has had some impressive wins. They beat UCLA the first round and just barely lost in the second affair (UCLA is seeded 6 in their region) and they swept the season series against California, including an impressive win against Cal on the road when Cal seemed unstoppable. BC has stacked up an impressive resume also, winning at Chapel Hill and winning against the Dukies, too, but they will not have an answer for their West Coast foe. The winner of this region will be the top-seeded Louisville Cardinals.
WEST:
This region, to me, was the easiest part of my bracket to fill out, with only one upset that is realistic, unless you want to revert back to the 1985 National Championship game when 'Nova beat Georgetown in a huge shocker (probably the biggest upset in the tournament sense the 1966 University of Texas-El Paso Miners beat the heavily favored team coached by Adolph Rupp, the Kentucky Wildcats). But we are not talking about the past or similes here, we are talking bracketology and reality and the reality is going to hit the Cougars of Brigham Young University (BYU). Texas A&M is going to show what the Big 12 is made of, after the Big 12 has been known as one of the many "Sleeping Giant" conferences. The Aggies will win in this lightweight showdown of an eight seed losing to a nine seed, which isn't all that unusual. The winner of this bracket will be the Connecticut Huskies coached by the veteran, highest paid employee in the state of Connecticut, Jim Calhoun.
EAST:
The East bracket is by far the weakest. I have four upsets on my bracket. The biggest one is the Virginia Commonwealth game. I have them beating the high and mighty team from Los Angles, the Bruins of UCLA. It is a six/ eleven match up and the VCU Rams look to advance out of the first round like a previous year when they upset the heavily favored Duke Blue Devils. Another upset is the Minnesota Golden Gophers over the Texas Longhorns. I know it is a long shot by a lot of czars in this sport but Tubby Smith has transformed this team and I expect them to win in a heated battle. The third upset I have marked down is the Tennessee Volunteers over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Vols will win because they have been here before and have excellent players leading the way. The last upset I have pondered on and have had the most difficulty with, and it is the showdown between the ACC and the Big Ten--the Florida State Seminoles and the Wisconsin Badgers. Originally I had FSU down but then I thought if the Badgers stop Seminole junior guard Toney Douglas then they will win for sure, with the next player on the Seminoles’ roster averaging a mere eight points a game. The winner of this region will be another Big East team, and without a question that team will be the Pittsburgh Panthers.
SOUTH:
This division is a very top-heavy region. The lower seeds definitely have a superior advantage against the less fortunate higher seeds. Nevertheless I have the University of North Carolina Tar Heels in the final and winning this region, making it the fourth number one seeded team to make it to the final stage in Detroit.
FINAL FOUR:
The victor of the game against the physical Louisville Cardinals and the blessed-with-height Connecticut Huskies will be Louisville. The Cardinals won their earlier tiff and I expect them to make it two in a row against the Huskies. The other Final Four match-up is the fundamentally sound Pittsburgh Panthers and the bandaged-up North Carolina Tar Heels. Even though Pitt hasn't made the Sweet 16 in a few years, I plan for them to make it to their final destination and play on April 6 against their rivals, Louisville.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
All right, the National Championship is set. An epic showdown against conference rivals that know each other maybe a little too much, but that should lead to a great showdown for the viewers, right? However that game might go, blowout or end in a hail mary buzzer beater, I predict my Louisville Cardinals from the Midwest region and the number one overall seed leading into the tourney to win it all and I look forward at looking at the joy on head coach Rick Pitino's players’ faces when the confetti is flying and they bring out that big wooden trophy and present the Louisville Cardinals as the 2009 NCAA Basketball Champions!
Weber, Wines place in top four at state wrestling meet
by Chelsie Darrow
The wrestlers were pretty pumped at the going-away assembly we held for them, as they went to the Palace of Auburn Hills for the state wrestling meet. Seniors Ben Wines and Chase Weber, along with juniors Kurtis Brackman and Taylor Hatfield, set out on a tough course early Thursday morning. It was a tough meet for the wrestlers; but it was worth the hard work they put in to get there. Wines and Weber both earned fourth place in state honors for the Pittsford wrestlers.
For the three days at state finals Wines earned a record of 3-2. He worked hard and made it to semi-finals. His hard work paid off in the end when he ranked fourth in the state. “I think what helped me get fourth in the state was working out in the off-season and every Sunday at Hudson,” said Ben. He defeated Josh Rose from Leroy Pine River, Ozzie Ruiz of Kent City, and Josh Boulis of Fulton. Wines decided to go out with a bang since this was his last year to wrestle. He had an amazing season and all the wrestlers will surly miss him. Ben’s record for the entire season was 57-9; he had the most wins out of the whole team.
Chase did his part for PHS, also placing 4th in the state. Weber’s record for the state meet was 4-2. The wrestling team will also miss this great wrestler when the season starts up again next year. “I set some goals in the beginning of the year and I wanted to accomplish those goals. I wanted to have 50-plus wins and earn a top 4 in state. It was my senior year and I wanted to go out on high note,” explained Weber. Weber ended the season by defeating Lanz Miller of Dansville, Michael Wetcher of Saginaw Nouvel, Trevor Atwell of Montrose and Stephan Kemp of Lutheran Westland. Weber had a great season for his last year of wrestling. He earned a 52-7 season record.
Kurtis went 1-2 at The Palace. Brackman defeated Kevvin Dorland of Cass City at state finals. Unfortunately, Brackman lost in the Consolation 2nd round. “I feel like I could have done better, but wrestled my hardest,” said Kurtis. Brackman had a wonderful season, finishing it off with a record of 47-14.
Taylor had a record of 1-2 at The Palace, defeating Shaydon Weaver of Bronson. Hatfield finished a satisfying season with a record of 44-8.
The Wildcat wrestlers had a great season. They were all very happy with their results and worked hard to get them. Any time you make it to the state finals, it’s a wonderful season.
The wrestlers were pretty pumped at the going-away assembly we held for them, as they went to the Palace of Auburn Hills for the state wrestling meet. Seniors Ben Wines and Chase Weber, along with juniors Kurtis Brackman and Taylor Hatfield, set out on a tough course early Thursday morning. It was a tough meet for the wrestlers; but it was worth the hard work they put in to get there. Wines and Weber both earned fourth place in state honors for the Pittsford wrestlers.
For the three days at state finals Wines earned a record of 3-2. He worked hard and made it to semi-finals. His hard work paid off in the end when he ranked fourth in the state. “I think what helped me get fourth in the state was working out in the off-season and every Sunday at Hudson,” said Ben. He defeated Josh Rose from Leroy Pine River, Ozzie Ruiz of Kent City, and Josh Boulis of Fulton. Wines decided to go out with a bang since this was his last year to wrestle. He had an amazing season and all the wrestlers will surly miss him. Ben’s record for the entire season was 57-9; he had the most wins out of the whole team.
Chase did his part for PHS, also placing 4th in the state. Weber’s record for the state meet was 4-2. The wrestling team will also miss this great wrestler when the season starts up again next year. “I set some goals in the beginning of the year and I wanted to accomplish those goals. I wanted to have 50-plus wins and earn a top 4 in state. It was my senior year and I wanted to go out on high note,” explained Weber. Weber ended the season by defeating Lanz Miller of Dansville, Michael Wetcher of Saginaw Nouvel, Trevor Atwell of Montrose and Stephan Kemp of Lutheran Westland. Weber had a great season for his last year of wrestling. He earned a 52-7 season record.
Kurtis went 1-2 at The Palace. Brackman defeated Kevvin Dorland of Cass City at state finals. Unfortunately, Brackman lost in the Consolation 2nd round. “I feel like I could have done better, but wrestled my hardest,” said Kurtis. Brackman had a wonderful season, finishing it off with a record of 47-14.
Taylor had a record of 1-2 at The Palace, defeating Shaydon Weaver of Bronson. Hatfield finished a satisfying season with a record of 44-8.
The Wildcat wrestlers had a great season. They were all very happy with their results and worked hard to get them. Any time you make it to the state finals, it’s a wonderful season.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Resident Evil…FIVE!
by Mike Fauls
To those of you who’ve ever played a Resident Evil game you’ll know why the number FIVE is in all caps in this article and all of my other articles have an appropriate title for the celebration of, you guessed it, Resident Evil FIVE. For those of you who haven’t enjoyed the zombie-goodness of this series of games yet I’m sorry for you. Resident Evil FIVE came out on Thursday, March 12 and I’ve gotta say, it’s pretty awesome. The graphics are spectacular, and co-op is amazing. This game is definitely worth your money even if you’re not familiar to the series. One of the best things about Resident Evil FIVE though is that you can finally strafe. It doesn’t sound like much to you guys out there who’ve never played a Resident Evil game, but honestly this is one of the factors that sold the game to me. It also keeps in touch with a little bit of the whole “survival-horror” factor of the old school games. But just like usual the inventory is a pain and lining up to do a combo move with your buddy is sometimes challenging. But overall this game is awesome and these problems can be easily overlooked. Resident Evil FIVE is definitely worthy of it’s rating: FIVE juicy brains out of FIVE. Good luck and good headshot-hunting to you all.
To those of you who’ve ever played a Resident Evil game you’ll know why the number FIVE is in all caps in this article and all of my other articles have an appropriate title for the celebration of, you guessed it, Resident Evil FIVE. For those of you who haven’t enjoyed the zombie-goodness of this series of games yet I’m sorry for you. Resident Evil FIVE came out on Thursday, March 12 and I’ve gotta say, it’s pretty awesome. The graphics are spectacular, and co-op is amazing. This game is definitely worth your money even if you’re not familiar to the series. One of the best things about Resident Evil FIVE though is that you can finally strafe. It doesn’t sound like much to you guys out there who’ve never played a Resident Evil game, but honestly this is one of the factors that sold the game to me. It also keeps in touch with a little bit of the whole “survival-horror” factor of the old school games. But just like usual the inventory is a pain and lining up to do a combo move with your buddy is sometimes challenging. But overall this game is awesome and these problems can be easily overlooked. Resident Evil FIVE is definitely worthy of it’s rating: FIVE juicy brains out of FIVE. Good luck and good headshot-hunting to you all.
Elementary filled with activities for Reading Month
by Emily Hines
The month of March in the elementary school at Pittsford means Reading Month. There are various activities happening in this month to celebrate reading. Reading is very important, which is why elementary teachers are supporting this month and all of the activities planned.
Something that is going on all month is the participation of every classroom decorating their classroom doors with the theme of the month. “They are decorating their doors because of reading month based on either a book title or something that goes along with the theme. The theme is ‘chill out and read’,” stated Mrs. Cunningham.
The activity of decorating classroom doors is also a favorite of the students. “My classroom door is three polar bears jumping up and down. I liked helping. I liked drawing,” shared 5th grader Jacob Phorps. Reading month is filled with activities that everyone can participate in and enjoy!
Another activity taking place to celebrate reading month was Family Night. Family Night was held in the elementary part of the school and consisted of many activities for even the parents to do. “We had centers located around the building, from the Book Fair to the ‘Make-It/Take-It’ center, to smart board presentations. It went really well; we had about 75-80 people,” shared elementary principal and superintendent Mr. Shaw. Family night was a great idea to bring parents and children closer when it comes to reading. “We were just trying to encourage the parents to read with the kids,” stated Mr. Shaw.
Another important event happening in the elementary this month is the visiting of Mr. Caswell, the local ex-state representative. Many teachers of the elementary classes thought this demonstrated to children how important reading actually is. “It re-enforced to children how important reading is and that somebody important, or even a grown up, would take the time to come and tell a story and talk to them,” shared Mrs. Saunders.
All these events are helping elementary students get excited to read, but it’s not only younger ages that need to do this. It’s important for people of all ages to read and be excited about it.
The month of March in the elementary school at Pittsford means Reading Month. There are various activities happening in this month to celebrate reading. Reading is very important, which is why elementary teachers are supporting this month and all of the activities planned.
Something that is going on all month is the participation of every classroom decorating their classroom doors with the theme of the month. “They are decorating their doors because of reading month based on either a book title or something that goes along with the theme. The theme is ‘chill out and read’,” stated Mrs. Cunningham.
The activity of decorating classroom doors is also a favorite of the students. “My classroom door is three polar bears jumping up and down. I liked helping. I liked drawing,” shared 5th grader Jacob Phorps. Reading month is filled with activities that everyone can participate in and enjoy!
Another activity taking place to celebrate reading month was Family Night. Family Night was held in the elementary part of the school and consisted of many activities for even the parents to do. “We had centers located around the building, from the Book Fair to the ‘Make-It/Take-It’ center, to smart board presentations. It went really well; we had about 75-80 people,” shared elementary principal and superintendent Mr. Shaw. Family night was a great idea to bring parents and children closer when it comes to reading. “We were just trying to encourage the parents to read with the kids,” stated Mr. Shaw.
Another important event happening in the elementary this month is the visiting of Mr. Caswell, the local ex-state representative. Many teachers of the elementary classes thought this demonstrated to children how important reading actually is. “It re-enforced to children how important reading is and that somebody important, or even a grown up, would take the time to come and tell a story and talk to them,” shared Mrs. Saunders.
All these events are helping elementary students get excited to read, but it’s not only younger ages that need to do this. It’s important for people of all ages to read and be excited about it.
Science Olympiad teams show strongly at competitions
by Carley Bruner
New to the competitive arena this year at PHS is our Science Olympiad team. Mr. Cushman and Mrs. Clement have done a wonderful job with the group of young kids interested in science-related things and competing in them amongst other schools. The kids have put many hours of hard work into this. The Science Olympiad teams have only competed 3 times; the first being at Hillsdale College, the second being at Adrian College, and the third being at Western Michigan University.
Both the high school and junior high teams have done really well. The high school placed 3rd at Hillsdale College, 5th at Adrian College, and 8th in regionals held at Western Michigan and the junior high placed last at Hillsdale College, 4th at Adrian College, and 9th at regionals
Students were very glad that they did well in the competition on the 14th. “I think I did pretty well”, proudly stated senior Franny Marino. “I did well; I thought I did horrible, but I got 1st place”, stated 8th grader Beth Kuenzer. On the other hand some of them thought that they did not do so hot. “Not great, but I tried my hardest”, said 8th grader Darrien Bump.
There was a variety of favorites at the competition on February 14th. Everyone enjoyed a little bit of everything but there were definitely some things that topped it off for many participants. “The egg-o-naut launch”, said sophomore Jackie Page. “Competing and the food”, said junior Desirae Swope. “Hanging out with my friends”, said 8th grader Jacob Page. “The award ceremony, I liked to see how the other schools did” stated Kuenzer.
There were a few first places. At the Hillsdale Invitational Katie Saunders and Bethany Kuenzer took the only first place for the middle school in Science Crime Busters, and in the high school, first place’s were taken by Chloe Hepker and Derra Clark in Astronomy, Chase Stratton and Katie Fether in Environmental Chemistry and Desirae Swope and Autumn Buckner in Disease Detectives. At the Tri-County Invitational the only first place taken by the middle school was Saunders and Kuenzer in Anatomy and the high school’s first place’s were taken by Marino and Jessica Beard in Health Science and Derra, Chloe, and Jackie in Picture This. There were no first places taken by the middle school at regionals, but the high school had Stratton and Fether take first in Environmental Chemistry.
There are a lot of different things that the students need to work on if they expect to do well at regionals. Many of them have weak areas that they want to work on so they hope to do better. “Probably knowing diseases for Disease Detectives”, stated Autumn. “Remote Sensing definitely, we could have had five pages front and back of notes, and I was not aware of that,” stated senior Casie Bail.
Mr. Cushman knows that the middle school team can get better for next time, but thinks it was a positive experience for the kids. “I think the middle school did well for their first time but they need to be better prepared. I liked getting the chance to see everyone have a good time. The middle school did place last, but we had eight events that no one participated in, so we automatically got last in all them,” said Mr. Cushman.
The Science Olympiad teams finished out great this year for being a rookie team. The high school finished with an 8th place and the middle school finished with a 9th place at regionals. The high school gladly placed over Litchfield, which was a thing that they wanted to do the most. The middle school placed over Athens, Thornapple Kellogg, and Moline Christian.
New to the competitive arena this year at PHS is our Science Olympiad team. Mr. Cushman and Mrs. Clement have done a wonderful job with the group of young kids interested in science-related things and competing in them amongst other schools. The kids have put many hours of hard work into this. The Science Olympiad teams have only competed 3 times; the first being at Hillsdale College, the second being at Adrian College, and the third being at Western Michigan University.
Both the high school and junior high teams have done really well. The high school placed 3rd at Hillsdale College, 5th at Adrian College, and 8th in regionals held at Western Michigan and the junior high placed last at Hillsdale College, 4th at Adrian College, and 9th at regionals
Students were very glad that they did well in the competition on the 14th. “I think I did pretty well”, proudly stated senior Franny Marino. “I did well; I thought I did horrible, but I got 1st place”, stated 8th grader Beth Kuenzer. On the other hand some of them thought that they did not do so hot. “Not great, but I tried my hardest”, said 8th grader Darrien Bump.
There was a variety of favorites at the competition on February 14th. Everyone enjoyed a little bit of everything but there were definitely some things that topped it off for many participants. “The egg-o-naut launch”, said sophomore Jackie Page. “Competing and the food”, said junior Desirae Swope. “Hanging out with my friends”, said 8th grader Jacob Page. “The award ceremony, I liked to see how the other schools did” stated Kuenzer.
There were a few first places. At the Hillsdale Invitational Katie Saunders and Bethany Kuenzer took the only first place for the middle school in Science Crime Busters, and in the high school, first place’s were taken by Chloe Hepker and Derra Clark in Astronomy, Chase Stratton and Katie Fether in Environmental Chemistry and Desirae Swope and Autumn Buckner in Disease Detectives. At the Tri-County Invitational the only first place taken by the middle school was Saunders and Kuenzer in Anatomy and the high school’s first place’s were taken by Marino and Jessica Beard in Health Science and Derra, Chloe, and Jackie in Picture This. There were no first places taken by the middle school at regionals, but the high school had Stratton and Fether take first in Environmental Chemistry.
There are a lot of different things that the students need to work on if they expect to do well at regionals. Many of them have weak areas that they want to work on so they hope to do better. “Probably knowing diseases for Disease Detectives”, stated Autumn. “Remote Sensing definitely, we could have had five pages front and back of notes, and I was not aware of that,” stated senior Casie Bail.
Mr. Cushman knows that the middle school team can get better for next time, but thinks it was a positive experience for the kids. “I think the middle school did well for their first time but they need to be better prepared. I liked getting the chance to see everyone have a good time. The middle school did place last, but we had eight events that no one participated in, so we automatically got last in all them,” said Mr. Cushman.
The Science Olympiad teams finished out great this year for being a rookie team. The high school finished with an 8th place and the middle school finished with a 9th place at regionals. The high school gladly placed over Litchfield, which was a thing that they wanted to do the most. The middle school placed over Athens, Thornapple Kellogg, and Moline Christian.
Softball team begins season with renewed hope
by Tommy Verdon
Softball season here at Pittsford High School is something that many of the girls look forward to, and the season is here! The first game is April 8.
Softball coach Mr. Irelan is excited for the upcoming season. “Our pitchers will be pitching their third year. Hopefully our pitchers will be strong,” shared Mr. Irelan. But every upside has its downsides as this softball team is not yet perfect. “I think that our weaknesses will be we can’t get out on the field, and we have some positions that are open. We don’t know who will fit into those positions,” expressed Mr. Irelan. Improvements are in need. But Mr. Irelan will keep his hopes high throughout the season. “Improve in every area and win our division title,” are the goals of Mr. Irelan.
Sophomore Jade Smith, is in her second year of softball under coach, Mr. Irelan. The offensive side of the ball is what will be the strong point in her eyes. “So far I think our batting, and probably our throwing. But it’s kinda hard to tell right now,” explained Jade. Every new season means that there will be new and younger players, and that always leads to less experience. “There’s a whole bunch of freshman on the team, so we just got to get better,” shared Jade. This season is going to be long and will require a lot of hard work and determination. “We have 31 games so I hope that we do well and win a lot more games then we did last year,” said Jade.
Junior Nicole Culbert will be in her third year of pitching as a Wildcat. Like Jade, she believes that the offensive side of the ball will be the strongest. “I think that our batting has improved over last year,” claimed Nicole. Having a young team will be the hardest part about this upcoming season. “We have a really young team with all of the freshman that have to come up,” stated Nicole. Last year wasn’t a good season at all, and with all of the improvements that will be made Nicole thinks that winning is most important. “I hope that we can win some more games than we did last year,” explained Nicole.
Junior Amber Stump is very excited to see the softball field again as she and the Wildcats are in need of some more wins and the only way to do that is to show some life on defense. “I think that our throwing has improved, along with our batting,” explained Amber. The worst part is the younger players as they will need some more attention. “We have a very young team,” said Amber. As the new season starts off every team has a new record. “I think that we need to win some more games,” explained Amber.
Softball season here at Pittsford High School is something that many of the girls look forward to, and the season is here! The first game is April 8.
Softball coach Mr. Irelan is excited for the upcoming season. “Our pitchers will be pitching their third year. Hopefully our pitchers will be strong,” shared Mr. Irelan. But every upside has its downsides as this softball team is not yet perfect. “I think that our weaknesses will be we can’t get out on the field, and we have some positions that are open. We don’t know who will fit into those positions,” expressed Mr. Irelan. Improvements are in need. But Mr. Irelan will keep his hopes high throughout the season. “Improve in every area and win our division title,” are the goals of Mr. Irelan.
Sophomore Jade Smith, is in her second year of softball under coach, Mr. Irelan. The offensive side of the ball is what will be the strong point in her eyes. “So far I think our batting, and probably our throwing. But it’s kinda hard to tell right now,” explained Jade. Every new season means that there will be new and younger players, and that always leads to less experience. “There’s a whole bunch of freshman on the team, so we just got to get better,” shared Jade. This season is going to be long and will require a lot of hard work and determination. “We have 31 games so I hope that we do well and win a lot more games then we did last year,” said Jade.
Junior Nicole Culbert will be in her third year of pitching as a Wildcat. Like Jade, she believes that the offensive side of the ball will be the strongest. “I think that our batting has improved over last year,” claimed Nicole. Having a young team will be the hardest part about this upcoming season. “We have a really young team with all of the freshman that have to come up,” stated Nicole. Last year wasn’t a good season at all, and with all of the improvements that will be made Nicole thinks that winning is most important. “I hope that we can win some more games than we did last year,” explained Nicole.
Junior Amber Stump is very excited to see the softball field again as she and the Wildcats are in need of some more wins and the only way to do that is to show some life on defense. “I think that our throwing has improved, along with our batting,” explained Amber. The worst part is the younger players as they will need some more attention. “We have a very young team,” said Amber. As the new season starts off every team has a new record. “I think that we need to win some more games,” explained Amber.
Speech and drama students begin drama with a variety of activities
By Brooke Maxson
The 5th hour speech and drama class has proven to be fun-filled for the first six months. First, were the speeches; Even though they were a little nerve-wracking at times, they went well. Next came the debate portion, in which the class got some excellent points across while expressing their opinions on popular issues, some crucial and some not so important. Recently, the class has started drama, which we all know could get to be very funny at times.
Speaking of funny, the first drama-related activity the students participated in was the reading of the play “The Importance of Being Earnest,” by Oscar Wilde The title may not sound extremely appealing when it comes to humor, but being a speech and drama student, I can assure you it is. The play is about two friends who lead double lives. One of the friends, Algernon, gets tired of the endless city events, so he tells people he’s going to visit his ill friend Bunbury in the country, even though Bunbury doesn’t really exist. The same goes for the other friend, Jack when he gets bored with his country life and goes to the city to have fun, claiming he’s going to visit his lonely cousin Earnest. Bunbury and Earnest only exist when the two friends pretend to be them in the city and the country. Complications are inevitable in that case, especially when two young ladies fall for these men and their fake identities. The laugh-out-loud drama continues as Algernon and Jack each try to maintain a relationship with two girls who aren’t aware they’re leading double lives.
According to speech and drama teacher Mr. Bulgrien, he has plans for the rest of the drama portion of this class. Future plans include reading several plays, acting out parts of them, and watching some movies about those plays. The students will also be writing their own plays and performing them. Mr. Bulgrien says he may have the kids write plays and have other students perform them. Another thing the drama students have participated in in the past is a series of games including party quirks, freeze and justify, and Bibbity Bibbity Bop. Some of these games were learned on the speech and drama field trip earlier in the year at Hillsdale College. They’re a super fun way to practice acting and thinking on your feet. Mr. Bulgrien believes the best part about drama is the opportunity to venture into a world other than his own. “(The best part is) just reading the stories and getting to live the stories. It’s kind of cool,” explained Mr. Bulgrien. Although drama is a load of fun most of the time, one of the most important things is participation. Without it, drama can’t exist. “Sometimes if the students don’t want to act or get into it, it really makes it slow. It gets to be a drag,” said Mr. Bulgrien.
The students in this class are saying “so far, so good.” According to several students, the plays are fun to read. “The plays are good so far,” said junior Erica Church. The plays have proven to create many laughs also. “The plays are just hilarious,” said junior Megan Kemmer with a laugh. The decision to take drama class isn’t just based on the desire to have a lot of fun; it may also be beneficial towards one’s plans for the future. “I’ve always liked acting and that’s what my minor is for college,” explained senior Danielle Seabolt. In this class, silliness is expected and usually appreciated by most people of the class. “You can act silly without being made fun of,” said Seabolt.
Taking speech and drama class also requires an ounce of courage and sometimes a little memorization. Of course, where everything good comes along, also comes the bad. “I don’t like being a character in the play,” admitted Church. Memorizing lines and such is also sometimes a drag, but proves to be worth it in the end. “What I don’t like is having to memorize lines and speeches,” said Seabolt.
If you aren’t in drama class this year and you’re also not a senior, maybe you should look into it next year because it could be beneficial towards your future and a lot of fun at the same time. Maybe it’s just what you need to lure you out of your shell and replace your shyness with a courageous and daring attitude.
The 5th hour speech and drama class has proven to be fun-filled for the first six months. First, were the speeches; Even though they were a little nerve-wracking at times, they went well. Next came the debate portion, in which the class got some excellent points across while expressing their opinions on popular issues, some crucial and some not so important. Recently, the class has started drama, which we all know could get to be very funny at times.
Speaking of funny, the first drama-related activity the students participated in was the reading of the play “The Importance of Being Earnest,” by Oscar Wilde The title may not sound extremely appealing when it comes to humor, but being a speech and drama student, I can assure you it is. The play is about two friends who lead double lives. One of the friends, Algernon, gets tired of the endless city events, so he tells people he’s going to visit his ill friend Bunbury in the country, even though Bunbury doesn’t really exist. The same goes for the other friend, Jack when he gets bored with his country life and goes to the city to have fun, claiming he’s going to visit his lonely cousin Earnest. Bunbury and Earnest only exist when the two friends pretend to be them in the city and the country. Complications are inevitable in that case, especially when two young ladies fall for these men and their fake identities. The laugh-out-loud drama continues as Algernon and Jack each try to maintain a relationship with two girls who aren’t aware they’re leading double lives.
According to speech and drama teacher Mr. Bulgrien, he has plans for the rest of the drama portion of this class. Future plans include reading several plays, acting out parts of them, and watching some movies about those plays. The students will also be writing their own plays and performing them. Mr. Bulgrien says he may have the kids write plays and have other students perform them. Another thing the drama students have participated in in the past is a series of games including party quirks, freeze and justify, and Bibbity Bibbity Bop. Some of these games were learned on the speech and drama field trip earlier in the year at Hillsdale College. They’re a super fun way to practice acting and thinking on your feet. Mr. Bulgrien believes the best part about drama is the opportunity to venture into a world other than his own. “(The best part is) just reading the stories and getting to live the stories. It’s kind of cool,” explained Mr. Bulgrien. Although drama is a load of fun most of the time, one of the most important things is participation. Without it, drama can’t exist. “Sometimes if the students don’t want to act or get into it, it really makes it slow. It gets to be a drag,” said Mr. Bulgrien.
The students in this class are saying “so far, so good.” According to several students, the plays are fun to read. “The plays are good so far,” said junior Erica Church. The plays have proven to create many laughs also. “The plays are just hilarious,” said junior Megan Kemmer with a laugh. The decision to take drama class isn’t just based on the desire to have a lot of fun; it may also be beneficial towards one’s plans for the future. “I’ve always liked acting and that’s what my minor is for college,” explained senior Danielle Seabolt. In this class, silliness is expected and usually appreciated by most people of the class. “You can act silly without being made fun of,” said Seabolt.
Taking speech and drama class also requires an ounce of courage and sometimes a little memorization. Of course, where everything good comes along, also comes the bad. “I don’t like being a character in the play,” admitted Church. Memorizing lines and such is also sometimes a drag, but proves to be worth it in the end. “What I don’t like is having to memorize lines and speeches,” said Seabolt.
If you aren’t in drama class this year and you’re also not a senior, maybe you should look into it next year because it could be beneficial towards your future and a lot of fun at the same time. Maybe it’s just what you need to lure you out of your shell and replace your shyness with a courageous and daring attitude.
Vo-tech allied health program helps PHS students
by Justin Renigar & Jake Richards
If you are looking to go into a medical field of work after high school, then allied health would be a great program for you to get into. The people who run the program are Val Turpin and Jay Radaeough. It is a program that teaches kids the basics of nursing, and there’s no free ride in it. “There is a lot of homework,” said nursing student Meranda Shillingsford.
You learn medical math, you dissect pig hearts, lungs, sheep brains, and you learn to be certified in CPR and Fist Aid. Second year students get to go to the hospital two or three days out of the week and watch a surgery. They also help assist the nurses in the ER. That is called a certified nurses assistant.
The benefits of this program is that after high school, it is easier to get a job as a certified nurse’s assistant because you have experience. “I’ve learned a lot of useful things like CPR and first aid,” said nursing student Caroline Combs. If you want to go to college to become something higher than a certified nurse’s assistant, this program eliminates some college courses you would have to take. If you want to become an EMT, all you have to do is take a test right out of high school, and your chances of getting that job are higher. So a lot of opportunities can come your way out of this program.
If you are looking to go into a medical field of work after high school, then allied health would be a great program for you to get into. The people who run the program are Val Turpin and Jay Radaeough. It is a program that teaches kids the basics of nursing, and there’s no free ride in it. “There is a lot of homework,” said nursing student Meranda Shillingsford.
You learn medical math, you dissect pig hearts, lungs, sheep brains, and you learn to be certified in CPR and Fist Aid. Second year students get to go to the hospital two or three days out of the week and watch a surgery. They also help assist the nurses in the ER. That is called a certified nurses assistant.
The benefits of this program is that after high school, it is easier to get a job as a certified nurse’s assistant because you have experience. “I’ve learned a lot of useful things like CPR and first aid,” said nursing student Caroline Combs. If you want to go to college to become something higher than a certified nurse’s assistant, this program eliminates some college courses you would have to take. If you want to become an EMT, all you have to do is take a test right out of high school, and your chances of getting that job are higher. So a lot of opportunities can come your way out of this program.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Band performs at festival in Litchfield
by William Belson
The high school concert band attended a festival on March 10, which makes it the first festival that the band has attended in over a year. At a festival, the band will do two things: they will play their prepared music pieces, in front of an audience, then they will go to a sight-reading session where a judge will critique them on the songs that they sight-read and played.
The selected songs the high school band performed were Alamo March, Joyant Winds, and Highland Legend. A band professor from Adrian College judged and critiqued the band on the selected songs that were performed earlier. The advice was quite helpful to the band and very much needed to help the band play the pieces better for the festival concert they’ll host at PHS on Mach 17.
The band played fairly well, but they have room for some improvement. “They performed the march (Alamo March) the best. They did a really good job on contrast and style of march. We had a couple of mistakes in the other two songs and things we just need to clean up on for the next concert,” said Mr. Spitler.
Even though it reads that the band did well, they were pretty equal on their strengths and their weaknesses in the performance. “We stayed together well, we could hear each other well. We also stayed in tune mostly together and people were trying very hard, but we have to have individuals take care of their parts,” said Mr. Spitler.
The students of the band were not short on praise of their festival performance songs. “(Our best piece was) Highland Legend because all the clarinet parts came out well,” said senior drum major Jessica Ruder. Freshman Elliott Krasny thought their strength lied in a different piece. “I think the song we did the best was the Alamo March because it is the easiest song we have, so every one can hit the notes and phrase it correctly,” said Elliot. The band’s performers were not all in agreement on the songs that they personally thought that the band did well on. “I think we performed Joyant Winds the best. I like the way that song sounds and the contrast of that song. It is the easiest song for me to play,” explained freshman Michael Hanning.
Though there were no trophies awarded at this festival, our high school band sure learned quite a bit and got a little more practice in before their festival concert in the big gym. This band festival that the band attended is a big help to every one in it.
The high school concert band attended a festival on March 10, which makes it the first festival that the band has attended in over a year. At a festival, the band will do two things: they will play their prepared music pieces, in front of an audience, then they will go to a sight-reading session where a judge will critique them on the songs that they sight-read and played.
The selected songs the high school band performed were Alamo March, Joyant Winds, and Highland Legend. A band professor from Adrian College judged and critiqued the band on the selected songs that were performed earlier. The advice was quite helpful to the band and very much needed to help the band play the pieces better for the festival concert they’ll host at PHS on Mach 17.
The band played fairly well, but they have room for some improvement. “They performed the march (Alamo March) the best. They did a really good job on contrast and style of march. We had a couple of mistakes in the other two songs and things we just need to clean up on for the next concert,” said Mr. Spitler.
Even though it reads that the band did well, they were pretty equal on their strengths and their weaknesses in the performance. “We stayed together well, we could hear each other well. We also stayed in tune mostly together and people were trying very hard, but we have to have individuals take care of their parts,” said Mr. Spitler.
The students of the band were not short on praise of their festival performance songs. “(Our best piece was) Highland Legend because all the clarinet parts came out well,” said senior drum major Jessica Ruder. Freshman Elliott Krasny thought their strength lied in a different piece. “I think the song we did the best was the Alamo March because it is the easiest song we have, so every one can hit the notes and phrase it correctly,” said Elliot. The band’s performers were not all in agreement on the songs that they personally thought that the band did well on. “I think we performed Joyant Winds the best. I like the way that song sounds and the contrast of that song. It is the easiest song for me to play,” explained freshman Michael Hanning.
Though there were no trophies awarded at this festival, our high school band sure learned quite a bit and got a little more practice in before their festival concert in the big gym. This band festival that the band attended is a big help to every one in it.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Time flies for seniors
by Justin Renigar
When you’re young, early in your high school career, you never listen to what older people have to say. I mean come on, you’re a freshman, and you know everything. Yeah, right. People were always telling us that before we knew it, we would be seniors, getting ready to graduate and leave this place. Back then, four years seemed like it was so far away. “I never thought it would happen as fast as it did,” said senior Jake Gier. Now here we are, with only two months of high school left to go.
Your freshman and sophomore years are your biggest years of denial. You don’t even think about graduating, you just think that you’re cool because you’re in high school. I remember being at varsity football and basketball games watching the seniors play and thinking, “I can’t wait till we’re seniors and can play like that.” Well, here we are now, with our varsity basketball team breaking school records. I remember watching the senior cookout every year and thinking that I would never be out there. Then when it happened, I couldn’t believe it came and went so fast.
Your junior year isn’t as bad, but you’re still in some serious denial. You’re now an upperclassman. You get to play on varsity teams and are recognized a little more as a class. You take the ACT and start thinking about colleges. Thinking about your future can play on our minds. “I was nervous,” said senior Ben Wines. Everyone is telling you that next year your going to be a senior and you’ll be gone before you know it. Listen to them! It really is true. I can’t believe how fast it all went by.
Now that we’re seniors the denial is over. We know that we’re going to graduate soon, but at the beginning of the year, one more year still seemed kind of far away. However, that one year has flown. “Yeah, it went by really fast,” said senior Jake Johns. Then senior cookout came around and that’s when I really started to feel like a senior. I think that it hit everyone else when the football season ended. The football players realized that they would probably never play football ever again. Football homecoming was memorable as well. At the homecoming assembly we were the big dogs. We had control of everything.
Now we’re almost at the end of our last basketball season. I think that’s when it’s really going to start hitting people that we don’t have much time left at all. Every event this year has made me realize that we get that much closer every day to saying goodbye to close friends and our old ways. That much closer to becoming our own person and setting our life course out in front of us. So take advantage of your time here. It doesn’t last forever.
When you’re young, early in your high school career, you never listen to what older people have to say. I mean come on, you’re a freshman, and you know everything. Yeah, right. People were always telling us that before we knew it, we would be seniors, getting ready to graduate and leave this place. Back then, four years seemed like it was so far away. “I never thought it would happen as fast as it did,” said senior Jake Gier. Now here we are, with only two months of high school left to go.
Your freshman and sophomore years are your biggest years of denial. You don’t even think about graduating, you just think that you’re cool because you’re in high school. I remember being at varsity football and basketball games watching the seniors play and thinking, “I can’t wait till we’re seniors and can play like that.” Well, here we are now, with our varsity basketball team breaking school records. I remember watching the senior cookout every year and thinking that I would never be out there. Then when it happened, I couldn’t believe it came and went so fast.
Your junior year isn’t as bad, but you’re still in some serious denial. You’re now an upperclassman. You get to play on varsity teams and are recognized a little more as a class. You take the ACT and start thinking about colleges. Thinking about your future can play on our minds. “I was nervous,” said senior Ben Wines. Everyone is telling you that next year your going to be a senior and you’ll be gone before you know it. Listen to them! It really is true. I can’t believe how fast it all went by.
Now that we’re seniors the denial is over. We know that we’re going to graduate soon, but at the beginning of the year, one more year still seemed kind of far away. However, that one year has flown. “Yeah, it went by really fast,” said senior Jake Johns. Then senior cookout came around and that’s when I really started to feel like a senior. I think that it hit everyone else when the football season ended. The football players realized that they would probably never play football ever again. Football homecoming was memorable as well. At the homecoming assembly we were the big dogs. We had control of everything.
Now we’re almost at the end of our last basketball season. I think that’s when it’s really going to start hitting people that we don’t have much time left at all. Every event this year has made me realize that we get that much closer every day to saying goodbye to close friends and our old ways. That much closer to becoming our own person and setting our life course out in front of us. So take advantage of your time here. It doesn’t last forever.
Teachers looking for ways to utilize technology for student achievement
by Derra Clark
The iPod is one of the most popular products of our nation’s youths and it can be useful for teachers’ class lectures. Social studies teacher Mr. Irelan is trying to set up a way to podcast (an audio file that students can download to their MP3 devices) his lectures. “If (kids) miss a lecture, they have a way of making it up,” said Mr. Irelan. Mr. Irelan wants to record one of his economics classes and a government class.
The podcast will be very important if you are absent for a day of school and you miss a lecture or need to make up board work. “I think it’s a really neat idea for students who aren’t here at school; they can listen to the lecture,” said junior Kayla Clark.
It will also be very helpful to Pittsford’s future teachers, “If he does retire, we have the material for a new teacher,” said Mr. Cook.
The downside is that some students won’t make use of the podcast. “I can’t make them listen, it will be to their benefit,” said Mr. Irelan. The idea is nothing but beneficial to the students, as long as they utilize the opportunity.
Currently the plan has hit a snag. Mr. Cook and Mr. Irelan are not exactly sure if and when any podcasting will even happen. “Right now we’re working out the quirks of the iTunes store,” said Mr. Cook. When it comes to the future Mr. Cook has a lot of ideas. “I’d like to get a smart board in every classroom. I’d like to have projectors in every classroom hooked up to the computers so that teachers can interact with the kids online. Also, I’d like to have wireless classrooms,” said Mr. Cook.
No one is exactly sure when podcasting will be put in motion, but everyone at Pittsford is looking to the future and finding new ways to better the education of the students.
The iPod is one of the most popular products of our nation’s youths and it can be useful for teachers’ class lectures. Social studies teacher Mr. Irelan is trying to set up a way to podcast (an audio file that students can download to their MP3 devices) his lectures. “If (kids) miss a lecture, they have a way of making it up,” said Mr. Irelan. Mr. Irelan wants to record one of his economics classes and a government class.
The podcast will be very important if you are absent for a day of school and you miss a lecture or need to make up board work. “I think it’s a really neat idea for students who aren’t here at school; they can listen to the lecture,” said junior Kayla Clark.
It will also be very helpful to Pittsford’s future teachers, “If he does retire, we have the material for a new teacher,” said Mr. Cook.
The downside is that some students won’t make use of the podcast. “I can’t make them listen, it will be to their benefit,” said Mr. Irelan. The idea is nothing but beneficial to the students, as long as they utilize the opportunity.
Currently the plan has hit a snag. Mr. Cook and Mr. Irelan are not exactly sure if and when any podcasting will even happen. “Right now we’re working out the quirks of the iTunes store,” said Mr. Cook. When it comes to the future Mr. Cook has a lot of ideas. “I’d like to get a smart board in every classroom. I’d like to have projectors in every classroom hooked up to the computers so that teachers can interact with the kids online. Also, I’d like to have wireless classrooms,” said Mr. Cook.
No one is exactly sure when podcasting will be put in motion, but everyone at Pittsford is looking to the future and finding new ways to better the education of the students.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Wildcat varsity boys basketball squad caps off a perfect 20-0 season with rout of Hudson
by Justin Fish
Never in Pittsford school history has a basketball team gone 20-0. The Wildcats would make history by beating the Hudson Tigers, 63-42.
There were many things that pushed the Wildcats over the top to win at home but there were some major reasons. “I thought that the really big difference between us and Hudson was the fact that we were in our building. Our crowd was amazing, the students turned out in a big way. I can’t think of many times where there were so many people in this building; it was an electric atmosphere,” commented Coach Burger. “I also think that Hudson is very athletic. They have good shooters, they are big, and I think that is what caused us the problems, but we just fed off the energy, and our intensity level just pushed us over the top,” remarked Coach Burger.
Juniors Seth Weber and Garet Lee combined for a total of 40 points Friday night. Weber led the team with a season high 21 points, and Lee followed closely with 19.
The Cats’ will begin district play tomorrow night (Wednesday, March 11) at 7:30 p.m. in Hudson, against the Tigers again. The winner will play for the district title at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 13.
Never in Pittsford school history has a basketball team gone 20-0. The Wildcats would make history by beating the Hudson Tigers, 63-42.
There were many things that pushed the Wildcats over the top to win at home but there were some major reasons. “I thought that the really big difference between us and Hudson was the fact that we were in our building. Our crowd was amazing, the students turned out in a big way. I can’t think of many times where there were so many people in this building; it was an electric atmosphere,” commented Coach Burger. “I also think that Hudson is very athletic. They have good shooters, they are big, and I think that is what caused us the problems, but we just fed off the energy, and our intensity level just pushed us over the top,” remarked Coach Burger.
Juniors Seth Weber and Garet Lee combined for a total of 40 points Friday night. Weber led the team with a season high 21 points, and Lee followed closely with 19.
The Cats’ will begin district play tomorrow night (Wednesday, March 11) at 7:30 p.m. in Hudson, against the Tigers again. The winner will play for the district title at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 13.
JV basketball Wildcats win final contest of season in closing seconds
by Dillon Cooper
The Pittsford Wildcats, who were coming off of a disappointing free-for-all conference game against the very talented North Adams-Jerome Rams, were focused in on their next opponent less than twenty-four hours from their awkward finish in conference play. Nevertheless the Wildcats would prove to be too much for the visiting Hudson Tigers as they won in overtime, 42-37.
The match would start off on a low key and would only pick up a degree of intensity in the following possessions, with the Wildcats scoring and picking up a good margin (but not a comfortable margin) on the Tigers. Hudson would burn a time-out and come out of the break on a little run of their own to close out the first of five quarters. “The game was a little closer than I expected but we had to play harder,” said freshman Elliot Krasney.
This contest would fall under the old idea of if you let a less talented team keep up with you then they will gain confidence and quickly think that they are in this game and could possibly win the whole ordeal! After the Wildcats steadily built up a valuable lead, it slowly began to dissipate to nothing but a distant memory as the Tigers started to chip away. For Hudson, this game would be very important to them because if they won, and pulled off the upset, they would avoid a very uncomfortable goose-egg in the win column. This game was just as equal in importance for the ‘Cats as they wanted to end their season on a high note and not a three-game skid.
For much of the second half there was a battle of ball control and it was no secret that the Achilles heel was the turnovers! With the Tigers still hanging on for dear life they had a final act of desperation, and with a couple of deuces scored by the opponents in black and orange, Hudson found themselves ahead late. Pittsford would fight off the charging Tigers and battle back to a lead but would fail to hit crucial free throws to put the game out of reach. This disappointment would come back to haunt the ‘Cats like a Friday the 13th phantom. Hudson would make a clutch deep J to put this game into overtime. Pittsford would have to fight off their M-34 rival for one more quarter!
P-ford had four minutes left in their season and they could either spend it as winners or as losers. The athletes in their pure white armor would stiffen on D and become sharp shooting players on the other end, scoring back-to-back triples and building up a insurmountable possibility of a come-back by the Tigers, whose momentum was now favoring the home team. Pittsford would end the game hitting though oh-so-important free shots from the stripe.
There is no doubt the Wildcats had a great season, finishing at 13-7 and 12-2 in their conference. With this win the Wildcats sent the sophomores off on a great note in front of the hometown fans on parents night. From the moment that they took the floor in mid November to the time they walked off the hardwood in early March, one thing is clear: the Wildcats improved through the course of those cold winter months and molded together to form a winning basketball team.
The Pittsford Wildcats, who were coming off of a disappointing free-for-all conference game against the very talented North Adams-Jerome Rams, were focused in on their next opponent less than twenty-four hours from their awkward finish in conference play. Nevertheless the Wildcats would prove to be too much for the visiting Hudson Tigers as they won in overtime, 42-37.
The match would start off on a low key and would only pick up a degree of intensity in the following possessions, with the Wildcats scoring and picking up a good margin (but not a comfortable margin) on the Tigers. Hudson would burn a time-out and come out of the break on a little run of their own to close out the first of five quarters. “The game was a little closer than I expected but we had to play harder,” said freshman Elliot Krasney.
This contest would fall under the old idea of if you let a less talented team keep up with you then they will gain confidence and quickly think that they are in this game and could possibly win the whole ordeal! After the Wildcats steadily built up a valuable lead, it slowly began to dissipate to nothing but a distant memory as the Tigers started to chip away. For Hudson, this game would be very important to them because if they won, and pulled off the upset, they would avoid a very uncomfortable goose-egg in the win column. This game was just as equal in importance for the ‘Cats as they wanted to end their season on a high note and not a three-game skid.
For much of the second half there was a battle of ball control and it was no secret that the Achilles heel was the turnovers! With the Tigers still hanging on for dear life they had a final act of desperation, and with a couple of deuces scored by the opponents in black and orange, Hudson found themselves ahead late. Pittsford would fight off the charging Tigers and battle back to a lead but would fail to hit crucial free throws to put the game out of reach. This disappointment would come back to haunt the ‘Cats like a Friday the 13th phantom. Hudson would make a clutch deep J to put this game into overtime. Pittsford would have to fight off their M-34 rival for one more quarter!
P-ford had four minutes left in their season and they could either spend it as winners or as losers. The athletes in their pure white armor would stiffen on D and become sharp shooting players on the other end, scoring back-to-back triples and building up a insurmountable possibility of a come-back by the Tigers, whose momentum was now favoring the home team. Pittsford would end the game hitting though oh-so-important free shots from the stripe.
There is no doubt the Wildcats had a great season, finishing at 13-7 and 12-2 in their conference. With this win the Wildcats sent the sophomores off on a great note in front of the hometown fans on parents night. From the moment that they took the floor in mid November to the time they walked off the hardwood in early March, one thing is clear: the Wildcats improved through the course of those cold winter months and molded together to form a winning basketball team.
Baseball team starts practice, gears up for season
by Jake Richards
With the weather warming up more and more every day its only a matter of time before the dust on the baseball diamond gets kicked up with the start of baseball season. Even though the boys basketball team is gunning for 20-0 and a long tournament run, it’s not too early to focus on baseball.
Losing four senior players from last year’s team, the team and new head coach, Coach Hodos have high hopes for this season. This year they have a more experienced team coming back with some new players added on. The senior players coming back from last year are Clark Pelham, Chase Weber, Zach Vanlerberg, and Adam Anspaugh, with some new talent coming from senior Justin Fish being added.
The guys are ecstatic about the season and can’t wait to get on the diamond and play ball. “I’m pretty excited about playing this year, it’s my senior year so I figured I should play every sport I can,” said Fish. “We are going to have a sweet team this year” said junior Wesley Smith. “I think one of our biggest strengths is our infield; we are all experienced,” said junior Seth Weber. “We have a lot of solid hitters,” said Pelham. All of them seemed very eager to play and had a positive thought of how their season would turn out.
The team also has a lot of important strengths. “We have a lot of returnees from last year, so the team isn’t lacking any experience. We also have a solid line of good pitchers to choose from too, so that’s a big strength we have, but we are going to have to work on some things. I see us having a really promising season ahead of us,” said Coach Hodos.
With the weather warming up more and more every day its only a matter of time before the dust on the baseball diamond gets kicked up with the start of baseball season. Even though the boys basketball team is gunning for 20-0 and a long tournament run, it’s not too early to focus on baseball.
Losing four senior players from last year’s team, the team and new head coach, Coach Hodos have high hopes for this season. This year they have a more experienced team coming back with some new players added on. The senior players coming back from last year are Clark Pelham, Chase Weber, Zach Vanlerberg, and Adam Anspaugh, with some new talent coming from senior Justin Fish being added.
The guys are ecstatic about the season and can’t wait to get on the diamond and play ball. “I’m pretty excited about playing this year, it’s my senior year so I figured I should play every sport I can,” said Fish. “We are going to have a sweet team this year” said junior Wesley Smith. “I think one of our biggest strengths is our infield; we are all experienced,” said junior Seth Weber. “We have a lot of solid hitters,” said Pelham. All of them seemed very eager to play and had a positive thought of how their season would turn out.
The team also has a lot of important strengths. “We have a lot of returnees from last year, so the team isn’t lacking any experience. We also have a solid line of good pitchers to choose from too, so that’s a big strength we have, but we are going to have to work on some things. I see us having a really promising season ahead of us,” said Coach Hodos.
Friday, March 6, 2009
JV boys basketball lose second (and final) conference game to Rams
By: Dillon Cooper
The Pittsford Wildcats, who were coming off of the wrong side of a blow-out in their previous game, were now at home looking to redeem themselves from their poor performance on Tuesday night and were looking forward to a piece of the conference title! The antagonist in this affair was the North Adams-Jerome Rams. Despite playing hard, the Wildcats would increase their losing skid to two games and pick up loss number seven, dropping the ball in this game by the final score of 54-35.
From the start, the Rams would come out on a rampage, eager to run up an early tally and blow the ‘Cats right out of their own gymnasium. P-ford would find themselves down 6-0, and head coach Mr. Hodos quickly recognized that his team had to get their head on straight and burned an early time-out in this heated battle. Pittsford would come out of the time out and break the full-court press set by the skilled Rams. A fast break had provided a 2-on-1 advantage that lead to the first deuce of the game for the Wildcats. “Their pressure was pretty tight and that made us turn the ball over too many times,” recalled freshman Blake Toner. Pittsford would score some more, but never really catching up to their superior foe.
At halftime you could see the long faces on the disappointed players that wore the bright white uniforms. The ‘Cats would come out of the locker room and step up their game with a physical performance, scoring two quick baskets and stiffening their play on the defensive end. You could tell that the momentum was shifting, until turnovers became the theme of this team. Pittsford would make too many costly turnovers that resulted in points off the fast break, or possessions that ate valuable time off that precious, glowing clock. At the end the Wildcats were disappointed with their efforts knowing that they could have made this game a little bit closer and gave the fans a little more for their money.
Even though the Wildcats lost to the Rams for the second time this season, there are still some things not to frown about. The Wildcats finished second in their conference with only two losses (both to NA-J) and finished with a record of 12-2 in the conference and an overall record of 12-7. P-ford will play their last game tonight against the Hudson Tigers and hopefully they’ll walk off the hardwood and into the locker room as the victors and get that magical, lucky win number 13!
The Pittsford Wildcats, who were coming off of the wrong side of a blow-out in their previous game, were now at home looking to redeem themselves from their poor performance on Tuesday night and were looking forward to a piece of the conference title! The antagonist in this affair was the North Adams-Jerome Rams. Despite playing hard, the Wildcats would increase their losing skid to two games and pick up loss number seven, dropping the ball in this game by the final score of 54-35.
From the start, the Rams would come out on a rampage, eager to run up an early tally and blow the ‘Cats right out of their own gymnasium. P-ford would find themselves down 6-0, and head coach Mr. Hodos quickly recognized that his team had to get their head on straight and burned an early time-out in this heated battle. Pittsford would come out of the time out and break the full-court press set by the skilled Rams. A fast break had provided a 2-on-1 advantage that lead to the first deuce of the game for the Wildcats. “Their pressure was pretty tight and that made us turn the ball over too many times,” recalled freshman Blake Toner. Pittsford would score some more, but never really catching up to their superior foe.
At halftime you could see the long faces on the disappointed players that wore the bright white uniforms. The ‘Cats would come out of the locker room and step up their game with a physical performance, scoring two quick baskets and stiffening their play on the defensive end. You could tell that the momentum was shifting, until turnovers became the theme of this team. Pittsford would make too many costly turnovers that resulted in points off the fast break, or possessions that ate valuable time off that precious, glowing clock. At the end the Wildcats were disappointed with their efforts knowing that they could have made this game a little bit closer and gave the fans a little more for their money.
Even though the Wildcats lost to the Rams for the second time this season, there are still some things not to frown about. The Wildcats finished second in their conference with only two losses (both to NA-J) and finished with a record of 12-2 in the conference and an overall record of 12-7. P-ford will play their last game tonight against the Hudson Tigers and hopefully they’ll walk off the hardwood and into the locker room as the victors and get that magical, lucky win number 13!
You don’t need to travel to have a spectacular spring break
by Emily Hines and Tom Verdon
After weeks and weeks of working hard in school, spring break is just around the corner. Spring break is a time to relax and rejuvenate yourself. If you don’t already have plans to relocate to some exotic locale for spring break, you might just be thinking it’s a whole week to stay up 18 hours a day playing video games and “saving the world,” when in all reality at the end of the game, all you have really done is lost numerous hours of sleep and gained a big cheesy, “I did it!”
Instead of being your “video game hero,” try doing something constructive like taking apart your parents’ car and trying to put it back together again. Your parents have always told you to do something constructive, and this helps you develop your mechanical skills.
If you’re not much of a mechanic, try learning to crochet. When you learn to make more than just a straight line you can join your grandmother in the Red Hat Society and help make blankets for everybody in the community.
A way to earn some extra cash is to help push your neighbor toward that next car purchase by hanging a “For Sale” sign in their car’s window. Everyone always talks about updating his or her vehicle; you never know, your neighbor might have just been talking about updating theirs a few days ago.
Your teachers always tell you to stop being lazy, but if they want you to stop being lazy, why do they use 3.14 when dealing with pi when everyone knows it’s longer than three digits? For the students at Pittsford who like to be a little bit more rounded with their math classes, and/or if you want to impress your teacher, try using your spring break to freshen up on your knowledge of pi by memorizing the first 50 digits of pi, rather than the first 3.
For those of you who are a little more brave, try convincing someone to donate to your “charity;” it may not be legal, but you may get some extra cash. Just remember, you didn’t get it from us.
In Michigan, we get plenty of snow. We get so much snow that some of us may be a little fed up with the winter weather. Instead of using your time on spring break for doing “worthless” activities, work your muscles by shoveling and exercise your sharing techniques by giving your snow to your neighbors’ sidewalks and driveways. They will thank you.
If you can’t get someone to donate to your “charity” or you have no luck selling your neighbor’s car, take your sibling’s favorite stuffed animal to the store and create an entertaining show for yourself as you walk around with the animal wrapped in your arms, loudly saying, “You can’t buy that, put it down!” to your animal. Don’t mind the weird stares from strangers; I’m sure they’ll just be impressed at your ability to discipline your stuffed animal.
For some of us during spring break, we have no transportation to get to grandma’s or the store, and living in the Hillsdale County area, probably most of us live on a back road. For this activity all you need is your hands. Go to an intersection near your house and direct traffic. Everywhere at school and local areas you see signs telling people to serve their community better; here’s a way to do just that.
There are many ways to use your spring break, and these are just a few. We must warn you first, though. Some of these activities may result in little or severe trouble, or getting you yelled at by your neighbors, community, or parents. Take part in these events at your own risk, and have a great spring break!
After weeks and weeks of working hard in school, spring break is just around the corner. Spring break is a time to relax and rejuvenate yourself. If you don’t already have plans to relocate to some exotic locale for spring break, you might just be thinking it’s a whole week to stay up 18 hours a day playing video games and “saving the world,” when in all reality at the end of the game, all you have really done is lost numerous hours of sleep and gained a big cheesy, “I did it!”
Instead of being your “video game hero,” try doing something constructive like taking apart your parents’ car and trying to put it back together again. Your parents have always told you to do something constructive, and this helps you develop your mechanical skills.
If you’re not much of a mechanic, try learning to crochet. When you learn to make more than just a straight line you can join your grandmother in the Red Hat Society and help make blankets for everybody in the community.
A way to earn some extra cash is to help push your neighbor toward that next car purchase by hanging a “For Sale” sign in their car’s window. Everyone always talks about updating his or her vehicle; you never know, your neighbor might have just been talking about updating theirs a few days ago.
Your teachers always tell you to stop being lazy, but if they want you to stop being lazy, why do they use 3.14 when dealing with pi when everyone knows it’s longer than three digits? For the students at Pittsford who like to be a little bit more rounded with their math classes, and/or if you want to impress your teacher, try using your spring break to freshen up on your knowledge of pi by memorizing the first 50 digits of pi, rather than the first 3.
For those of you who are a little more brave, try convincing someone to donate to your “charity;” it may not be legal, but you may get some extra cash. Just remember, you didn’t get it from us.
In Michigan, we get plenty of snow. We get so much snow that some of us may be a little fed up with the winter weather. Instead of using your time on spring break for doing “worthless” activities, work your muscles by shoveling and exercise your sharing techniques by giving your snow to your neighbors’ sidewalks and driveways. They will thank you.
If you can’t get someone to donate to your “charity” or you have no luck selling your neighbor’s car, take your sibling’s favorite stuffed animal to the store and create an entertaining show for yourself as you walk around with the animal wrapped in your arms, loudly saying, “You can’t buy that, put it down!” to your animal. Don’t mind the weird stares from strangers; I’m sure they’ll just be impressed at your ability to discipline your stuffed animal.
For some of us during spring break, we have no transportation to get to grandma’s or the store, and living in the Hillsdale County area, probably most of us live on a back road. For this activity all you need is your hands. Go to an intersection near your house and direct traffic. Everywhere at school and local areas you see signs telling people to serve their community better; here’s a way to do just that.
There are many ways to use your spring break, and these are just a few. We must warn you first, though. Some of these activities may result in little or severe trouble, or getting you yelled at by your neighbors, community, or parents. Take part in these events at your own risk, and have a great spring break!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Addison ends varsity Ladycat hoops team’s season
by Eva Gucker
The Lady Wildcat’s basketball team ended their season Wednesday night in the semi-finals of districts against the Addison Panthers, losing 70-40.
Although the first quarter showed some promise for the Wildcats, Addison’s skill and athleticism was superior and led to the defeat of Pittsford. Stopping Addison from making three-pointers was the major downfall for Pittsford, as the Panthers knocked down 10 from long-range. If the Ladycats gave Addison a chance for a shot, there was a very high chance of scoring. Pittsford’s lack of rebounding also hurt them. “We gave up so much dribble penetration that the Addison guards were able to kick it to open shooters spotted along the perimeter,” said Coach Hoover.
In the second half the Panther’s press caused trouble for Pittsford and led to many turnovers that quickly became Addison points. “We lost a little composure and rushed our decision-making, and that played right into their hands; they really want to force tempo,” explained Hoover. By this point, Addison had increased their lead to 25 and Pittsford was unable to catch up.
Senior Marisa Hamilton led with 15 points, seven rebounds, and five steals in her final high school game. Junior Katelyn Kipfmiller had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Pittsford ended their playoff season against a great team and should be proud to have made it to that point after a great win Monday night over Manchester. “Nothing that happened against Addison can take away from how hard the girls worked all year, the weekly improvement the girls made, or from the huge win against Manchester on Monday,” said Hoover.
The Ladycats finished 9-13 overall, and 8-6 in the league.
The Lady Wildcat’s basketball team ended their season Wednesday night in the semi-finals of districts against the Addison Panthers, losing 70-40.
Although the first quarter showed some promise for the Wildcats, Addison’s skill and athleticism was superior and led to the defeat of Pittsford. Stopping Addison from making three-pointers was the major downfall for Pittsford, as the Panthers knocked down 10 from long-range. If the Ladycats gave Addison a chance for a shot, there was a very high chance of scoring. Pittsford’s lack of rebounding also hurt them. “We gave up so much dribble penetration that the Addison guards were able to kick it to open shooters spotted along the perimeter,” said Coach Hoover.
In the second half the Panther’s press caused trouble for Pittsford and led to many turnovers that quickly became Addison points. “We lost a little composure and rushed our decision-making, and that played right into their hands; they really want to force tempo,” explained Hoover. By this point, Addison had increased their lead to 25 and Pittsford was unable to catch up.
Senior Marisa Hamilton led with 15 points, seven rebounds, and five steals in her final high school game. Junior Katelyn Kipfmiller had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Pittsford ended their playoff season against a great team and should be proud to have made it to that point after a great win Monday night over Manchester. “Nothing that happened against Addison can take away from how hard the girls worked all year, the weekly improvement the girls made, or from the huge win against Manchester on Monday,” said Hoover.
The Ladycats finished 9-13 overall, and 8-6 in the league.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
JV Wildcats blown out by BCSP
by Dillon Cooper
It was game number 18 for the Wildcats, who were looking to improve their overall record to 13-5, and their opponent was one they’d never played before. The foe was the Battle Creek St. Philip Fighting Tigers, a parochial school. Nevertheless, the Wildcats would lose this game, which seemed to be a battle of who was more physical, and P-ford was on the losing end of this battle by the finally tally of 74-44.
The Wildcats would come out nonchalantly and carelessly maneuvering the rock around and eventually the pressure would be too over whelming for the ‘Cats, as they turned the ball over again and again, until St. Phil found themselves up by a significant margin. A couple of jumpers on the other end by P-ford made the game a little closer and with a desperation three made in the final tenths of a second in the first quarter the Wildcats would find themselves down by seven going into the second quarter. The main point of emphasis was to find a man box out and to bump cutters who were invading the paint. “Most of their points came from second-chance points or just lay-ups,” explained freshman Drew McOscar.
The second quarter was where the Fighting Tigers started to increase their lead and keep their clutch on the strangled Wildcats. At half time it was clear that Pittsford didn’t have an opportunity to win this game but they did have an opportunity to lower the deficit and work for the game that was following this one. By the time the fourth quarter came around head coach Mr. Hodos expressed his feelings by setting the starters out the whole last quarter, except for a couple who were called back into the game for a few, short seconds.
Even though the Wildcats were blown-out on the road last night, they will still have an opportunity to win the conference championship, because they won all of the games that they needed to win in order to get where they are, and get some revenge on the team that is probably the biggest rival the Wildcats have and arguably the greatest rivalry in all of the conference—versus the North Adams-Jerome Rams. If the men in blue win tomorrow night, they will share a piece of the crown and be the only team to defeat the mighty Rams!
It was game number 18 for the Wildcats, who were looking to improve their overall record to 13-5, and their opponent was one they’d never played before. The foe was the Battle Creek St. Philip Fighting Tigers, a parochial school. Nevertheless, the Wildcats would lose this game, which seemed to be a battle of who was more physical, and P-ford was on the losing end of this battle by the finally tally of 74-44.
The Wildcats would come out nonchalantly and carelessly maneuvering the rock around and eventually the pressure would be too over whelming for the ‘Cats, as they turned the ball over again and again, until St. Phil found themselves up by a significant margin. A couple of jumpers on the other end by P-ford made the game a little closer and with a desperation three made in the final tenths of a second in the first quarter the Wildcats would find themselves down by seven going into the second quarter. The main point of emphasis was to find a man box out and to bump cutters who were invading the paint. “Most of their points came from second-chance points or just lay-ups,” explained freshman Drew McOscar.
The second quarter was where the Fighting Tigers started to increase their lead and keep their clutch on the strangled Wildcats. At half time it was clear that Pittsford didn’t have an opportunity to win this game but they did have an opportunity to lower the deficit and work for the game that was following this one. By the time the fourth quarter came around head coach Mr. Hodos expressed his feelings by setting the starters out the whole last quarter, except for a couple who were called back into the game for a few, short seconds.
Even though the Wildcats were blown-out on the road last night, they will still have an opportunity to win the conference championship, because they won all of the games that they needed to win in order to get where they are, and get some revenge on the team that is probably the biggest rival the Wildcats have and arguably the greatest rivalry in all of the conference—versus the North Adams-Jerome Rams. If the men in blue win tomorrow night, they will share a piece of the crown and be the only team to defeat the mighty Rams!
Varsity boys hoops teqm moves to 18-0 after thrilling OT win
by Justin Fish
With the final week of the regular season here, the Wildcats have three games, but the first one was a huge one: the once-ranked Battle Creek St. Philip Fighting Tigers. The ‘Cats would come out victorious with another road win by beating them 50-47 in OT.
During the third and second quarter the Wildcats were down at times 3 or maybe 4 points at a time but they would come back in the final 3 minutes of regulation to tie it up at 44-44 off a Garet Lee lay-up to send it into overtime. “I was thinking that we wanted to get the ball in the right peoples’ hands, and execute the play that was drawn on the board. The kids did what we asked them to, they made the plays, and we got it to Garet (Lee) and we tied the game,” commented Coach Burger. Senior Clark Pelham hit a long three-pointer to begin the overtime, and P-ford never looked back.
Pittsford had three players scoring in double figures. Junior Garet Lee had 12 points while pulling down 17 rebounds. Junior Wes Smith continued his hot streak by going 4-7 from the 3-point line, adding 12 points himself. Senior Corey Gamble added 11 and junior Seth Weber had five assists. “I thought we were patient; I thought that we grinded it out; I thought that our focus and tenacity mentally really kind of worked to take St. Phil down,” said Coach Burger.
The Wildcats are two wins from history—versus NA-J on Thursday and Hudson on Friday, both at home. Fill the stands to watch the possibility of a 20-0 regular season unfold.
With the final week of the regular season here, the Wildcats have three games, but the first one was a huge one: the once-ranked Battle Creek St. Philip Fighting Tigers. The ‘Cats would come out victorious with another road win by beating them 50-47 in OT.
During the third and second quarter the Wildcats were down at times 3 or maybe 4 points at a time but they would come back in the final 3 minutes of regulation to tie it up at 44-44 off a Garet Lee lay-up to send it into overtime. “I was thinking that we wanted to get the ball in the right peoples’ hands, and execute the play that was drawn on the board. The kids did what we asked them to, they made the plays, and we got it to Garet (Lee) and we tied the game,” commented Coach Burger. Senior Clark Pelham hit a long three-pointer to begin the overtime, and P-ford never looked back.
Pittsford had three players scoring in double figures. Junior Garet Lee had 12 points while pulling down 17 rebounds. Junior Wes Smith continued his hot streak by going 4-7 from the 3-point line, adding 12 points himself. Senior Corey Gamble added 11 and junior Seth Weber had five assists. “I thought we were patient; I thought that we grinded it out; I thought that our focus and tenacity mentally really kind of worked to take St. Phil down,” said Coach Burger.
The Wildcats are two wins from history—versus NA-J on Thursday and Hudson on Friday, both at home. Fill the stands to watch the possibility of a 20-0 regular season unfold.
PHS sending four wrestlers to state meet
by Chelsie Darrow
Individual Regionals were at Manchester this past Saturday. Senior Chase Weber did very well at regionals; he finished in first place against Calvin Sullins in the finals with a score for the whole day of 3-0! “I feel like I wrestled to my full potential on Saturday,” said Weber. Senior Ben Wines and juniors Kurtis Brackman and Taylor Hatfield also qualified for the state meet. Brackman and Wines both finished 3rd, while Hatfield finished 4th. “I feel I placed where I should have; determination to get to state helped too,” said Taylor.
The MHSAA wresting state finals will be on March 12,13, and 14 and will be at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Hatfield credits “hard work, strength and determination” to the success of these four wrestlers. At the state finals there will be 16 wrestlers in each weight class, which means four from each region. “Your goal is to place, and to win two matches before you lose two,” said Chase.
The wrestlers have high hopes for state finals and Wildcat fans support them all the way!
Individual Regionals were at Manchester this past Saturday. Senior Chase Weber did very well at regionals; he finished in first place against Calvin Sullins in the finals with a score for the whole day of 3-0! “I feel like I wrestled to my full potential on Saturday,” said Weber. Senior Ben Wines and juniors Kurtis Brackman and Taylor Hatfield also qualified for the state meet. Brackman and Wines both finished 3rd, while Hatfield finished 4th. “I feel I placed where I should have; determination to get to state helped too,” said Taylor.
The MHSAA wresting state finals will be on March 12,13, and 14 and will be at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Hatfield credits “hard work, strength and determination” to the success of these four wrestlers. At the state finals there will be 16 wrestlers in each weight class, which means four from each region. “Your goal is to place, and to win two matches before you lose two,” said Chase.
The wrestlers have high hopes for state finals and Wildcat fans support them all the way!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Varsity Ladycat hoopsters upset Manchester to advance in districts
by Eva Gucker
Playing an exceptional game against an unfamiliar team from a bigger, more powerful conference, Pittsford will move on after beating Cascades Conference memberManchester
AgainstManchester Manchester Manchester Manchester had was mostly with ball movement to the inside, but because Pittsford let Manchester
Offensively, Pittsford had great ball movement againstManchester ’s zone early, but really shined when Manchester
Houser played the best game of her career, taking it right at Manchester’s large, physical posts, and scored 12 points. Junior Katelyn Kipfmiller was held under double-digits in points, scoring seven, but more than made up for that by dishing out a team season-high in assists with nine. "We got important contributions from every girl that stepped on the floor, whether it was a timely 4th quarter basket from Alexis Cramer, to Eva Gucker's three assists and four steals, to a clutch 4th quarter assist from Katie Stiver, to Ashley Buckner forcing two loose balls late in the game, to Elainee Poling giving us momentum with a quick bucket to start the game," said Coach Hoover.
Pittsford will go back to Hanover-Horton and play a high-pressure, run-and-gun team in the Addison Panthers. Game time is 6:00 p.m.
Playing an exceptional game against an unfamiliar team from a bigger, more powerful conference, Pittsford will move on after beating Cascades Conference member
Against
Offensively, Pittsford had great ball movement against
Houser played the best game of her career, taking it right at Manchester’s large, physical posts, and scored 12 points. Junior Katelyn Kipfmiller was held under double-digits in points, scoring seven, but more than made up for that by dishing out a team season-high in assists with nine. "We got important contributions from every girl that stepped on the floor, whether it was a timely 4th quarter basket from Alexis Cramer, to Eva Gucker's three assists and four steals, to a clutch 4th quarter assist from Katie Stiver, to Ashley Buckner forcing two loose balls late in the game, to Elainee Poling giving us momentum with a quick bucket to start the game," said Coach Hoover.
Pittsford will go back to Hanover-Horton and play a high-pressure, run-and-gun team in the Addison Panthers. Game time is 6:00 p.m.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Varsity boys hoops team reaches 17-0 after dismantling Tekonsha
by Justin Fish
The Wildcats went on their second-to-last road game of the regular season to take on the Tekonsha Indians. The game didn’t go as planned for the Wildcats as they were behind for portions of the game, but they were able to come out victorious at the end. In a game of controversial calls and inappropriate behavior by one Tekonsha player, Wildcats came out victorious, 59-49.
There were three players scoring in double digits for the ‘Cats. Juniors Seth Weber and Garet Lee each had 18 points, while Lee pulled down 20 rebounds and Weber dished out five assists. Junior Wes Smith also reached double-figures, scoring 14 points while going 4-8 from the 3-point line.
“They (Tekonsha) played really tough zone defense and we didn’t shoot well,” commented Coach Burger. Being this late in the season and still being undefeated is an accomplishment. “I don’t feel any pressure doing that. We never thought about that [earlier in the season]…We have accomplished a lot and our major goal was to win the league championship and we’ve done that. Everything else after we do is just extra…just gravy,” added Coach Burger.
The Wildcats play Tuesday on the road again, taking on Battle Creek St. Philip for their last road game of the regular season.
The Wildcats went on their second-to-last road game of the regular season to take on the Tekonsha Indians. The game didn’t go as planned for the Wildcats as they were behind for portions of the game, but they were able to come out victorious at the end. In a game of controversial calls and inappropriate behavior by one Tekonsha player, Wildcats came out victorious, 59-49.
There were three players scoring in double digits for the ‘Cats. Juniors Seth Weber and Garet Lee each had 18 points, while Lee pulled down 20 rebounds and Weber dished out five assists. Junior Wes Smith also reached double-figures, scoring 14 points while going 4-8 from the 3-point line.
“They (Tekonsha) played really tough zone defense and we didn’t shoot well,” commented Coach Burger. Being this late in the season and still being undefeated is an accomplishment. “I don’t feel any pressure doing that. We never thought about that [earlier in the season]…We have accomplished a lot and our major goal was to win the league championship and we’ve done that. Everything else after we do is just extra…just gravy,” added Coach Burger.
The Wildcats play Tuesday on the road again, taking on Battle Creek St. Philip for their last road game of the regular season.
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