By Ashlee Galloway Marketing Editor “One day your life will flash before your eyes, do something worth watching.” This quote, which has been voted on by the senior class, represents Red Lion’s strength throughout times of tragedy. Seniors Stone Hill and Nicholas Mankin unexpectedly passed away in June following a car accident in which the vehicle struck a pole. The senior class has voted to honor Hill and Mankin by choosing the colors aqua and yellow to represent their class. The colors were chosen in honor of the two because aqua was Stone’s favorite color and yellow was Nick’s. The senior class also voted on their class song, flower, and motto during a class meeting held on Sept. 22. Class President Jennifer Owrutsky stood on stage, along with the rest of the Executive Council committee members, and presented the seniors with a powerpoint of the various flowers, songs, etc. Of the several different flowers to be chosen from - Forget Me Nots, Hydrangeas, and Carnations - the winning choice was the Forget Me Nots, with a total of 163 votes. During the meeting, Vice President Ian Adler played samples of each of the song choices for the class to listen to before they voted on their favorite. Adler played samples from “I Lived” by One Republic, “Top of the World” by Imagine Dragons, “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, “We Come Running” by Youngblood Hawke, and “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire. The hit ‘70s song “September” took the vote by storm with 60 percent of the votes. The options for class motto were, “One day your life will flash before your eyes, do something worth watching,” “You choose the legacy you leave,” “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” and “Sometimes, your biggest problem is in your head. You have to believe.” Of these quotes, “One day your life will flash before your eyes, do something worth watching,” came in first to a close second by “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” with 65 votes. Forget Me Nots, the senior class flower, will be given to seniors at graduation. Class shirts, which can be ordered from Miss Seitz in A209, will feature the class colors, yellow and aqua. Shirts will also feature the quote, “the tassel is worth the hassle” on the back. In memory of Hill and Mankin, the senior class will be given gold football pins to wear during graduation. Underclassmen will also be able purchase the pins if they wish to wear them.
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By Sarah Cimino
Staff Writer Nurses never know what might happen next. They never really know when someone might need their help or when something bad will happen. And they will have to be at the hospital all night to monitor things. Every single day, nurses will have a new story to tell. While some people like the idea of that other people don’t. It’s hard being a nurse. They get attached to patients, they have to know how to listen very well, and going to school to become a nurse is not easy at all. Sarah Meeks, a nurse at York Hospital, knows that the profession has ups and downs. “Being a nurse is both exciting and scary,” Meeks said. “You have to know what you’re doing.” Regardless, Meeks thinks that nursing is worth all of the struggles you have to go through. “Being a nurse really changes the way you look at the world,” Meeks said. There are a lot of different types of nurses. There are agency nurses who go from place to place for their job, ambulatory nurses who take care of temporary patients who only stay for 24 hours or less, nurse anesthetists who assist the doctors in a lot of different ways, including the hospital room, the surgery room and dentists’ offices. Those are only a couple of different kinds of nurses that someone could choose from. Nurses have to go through school. If someone would want to stay here in Pennsylvania, they may attend school and earn their certification through these organizations: Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, there’s also Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners. According to Meeks, nurses have to be very professional people. They have to know how to keep a straight face and how to keep things serious because it’s hard not to get attached to patients. Also, it’s just a very important and serious job. A lot of students here at Red Lion want to become nurses, for example, sophomore Seirra Skaggs would like to pursue nursing “I like the idea of making people feel better and feel themselves again.” Skaggs said. “I think I would have an amazing life if I become a nurse.” A note from Superintendent Dr. Scott Deisley: It is nearly impossible to encapsulate a life in a few words. It is even more difficult to capture the impact and contributions of Jeff Fix to the Red Lion Area School District. A few days after the senior high prom, Mr. Fix wrote an open letter to the students of the senior high. I think his words best sum up his love for this district and our students.
Dear RLASH Students: I am often asked why I would want to serve on our school board. There are many long meetings, complex issues that must be resolved, balancing our budget with limited tax dollars…and we don’t get paid to do it! But I think I can speak on behalf of the entire board, both past and present, that the opportunity to serve YOU, our students, and assure that you get the best education possible is well worth the effort. We are constantly reminded of the outstanding things you do. Whether it’s your academic accomplishments, the excellence you achieve in music, athletics, and other extracurriculars or the many ways you give back to our community. Mini-THON and the Habitat House are two great examples of how you go way above and beyond what is expected. In my nearly eight years on school board, there have been countless occasions when I have been overwhelmed with pride in your accomplishments, but perhaps never more so than on the evening of April 25th. Each year, you select a Prom Queen and King who always represent the very best of who we are at Red Lion. And this year, you did so again by selecting Lauren Bankard and Cody Woods. Both are great kids and very special people. In addition to being special in the general sense, Cody is uniquely so, and it is not his needs that make him special nor define who he is. What makes him special is the joy, the enthusiasm, and the positive spirit that he brings to school each and every day. Thank you for bestowing both Cody and Lauren with this honor. On behalf of the entire school board, we are enormously proud of your gesture. I believe that we as a school district are perhaps best defined by how well we include our special kids in our lives. In that regard, you have set a very high standard. You are truly the best! Sincerely yours, Jeffrey E. Fix President Red Lion Area Board of School Directors Jeff understood the need to run a fiscally sound district. Although he worked to not raise taxes, he never wanted to give our students less--only more. He valued academics yet recognized the importance of extracurricular activities. He was proud of our facilities from our stage to Horn Field to the Fitzkee Center. He loved to brag about the opportunities that our students have. His 32 years as an unpaid tennis coach speaks to his commitment to our students. In addition to providing our students with a world-class education, Jeff was deeply concerned about uniting the entire Red Lion Area School District. Although Jeff was elected to represented Red Lion Borough, he worked to actively include the other two regions when making decisions. He dreamed of a united district where all students were able to participate equally. He did not like to hear that some students were unable to participate in activities because of a lack of transportation or funds. To that end, he gave freely of his time and energy. Certainly, Jeff loved this school district. He loved serving our students especially as the President of the Board. Truly Jeff represents the best of our school district. The blood that coursed through his veins undoubtedly was Gold and Black. Our district is a better place because of him. By Adrianna Clinton
Co-Editor-in-Chief Inconsistent is perhaps the best word to describe Pennsylvania winters. Sometimes, the Keystone State gets the brutal cold with torrential amounts of snow, other times just the sub-zero temperatures. No matter how bad the winter, however, seniors have to graduate at some point come June, and like the senior class before them, the Class of 2015 had a lot of uncertainty about the date of their graduation. In April, the school board finally set the graduation date to be June 3 at 6:45 PM, with baccalurerate at 7 PM on June 2. The last day for seniors will be May 28. In the future, it is the hope of both seniors and administration alike that the uncertainty surrounding graduation will become a thing of the past, as new programs are being implemented statewide to help eliminate added-on school days. In the event that inclement weather does bring a cancellation in future school years, the school district has applied to the state and has been approved to allow Red Lion to use “flexible instruction days.” This program will allow districts to “employ non-traditional strategies to provide a continuity of instruction on regularly-scheduled school days during which circumstances necessitate an alternative approach,” according to the Pennsylvania Dept. of Education website. This program, currently in pilot stages, could be online or offline; should an element of the districts’ program rely on technology, an equal option will be provided for those who do not have access for whatever reason. Ultimately, the FIDs can help school districts plagued with cancellations to set a graduation date much earlier. By Claire Krackow
Marketing Editor Seniors, it’s the time of year that you’ve all been waiting for! “All that Jazz” is coming to the Valencia in York on Saturday, April 25 at 7 PM. “So we have many different committees. We have invitations, we have decorations, we have gifts and we have food committees,” Senior Class President Heather Jackson said. “We already picked all the food that we want so that’s taken care of, and we have all of our decorations.” The decorations for this years’ prom will be very fitting to the theme (All that Jazz) as there will be pearls and feather boas. “Also, there will be jazz dancers’ from Joelle (Godfrey’s) dance team and we might be offering some sort of payment to them for courtesy,” Jackson said. They will be dancing as the prom court, King and Queen are announced. Voting for prom court took place the week of April 6-10. Tickets were on sale April 1-10 in Mrs. Wiremans classroom, D227. They are $40 per person. Senior class prepares for class trip and graduation while underclassmen move forward with newly elected officers after recent elections.
Taylor Bosley and Bella McCarey Staff Writers Class of 2014: The senior class recently held their prom at the Valencia on Apr. 26. The theme for prom was Vintage Hollywood. After a count of votes, Graeme Nelson and Tara Tolton were crowned Prom King and Queen, respectively. Next on the council’s agenda is their class trip to Six Flags on May 22. The cost of the trip per student is $50. Following the trip is the biggest milestone is any high school student’s career: graduation. The official date is set for June 6 at 6:45 PM at Horn Field, weather permitting. Class of 2015: As the year comes to an end, the Junior Executive Council held their elections for their senior year. This election differed from past ones. Rather than voting being schoolwide, voting was held to just the immediate class council. The results brought in new people for almost every position. Heather Jackson was voted President, Gregg Thibault was voted Vice President, Ellen Weaver as Secretary and Jennifer Hedrick as Treasurer. There are a couple of fundraisers coming up for the Class of 2015 to get involved with. There will be a car wash ticket sale, a sub and sandwich sale, and a possibility of a chicken BBQ. Along with those fundraisers, the class of 2015 executive council is currently designing the senior t-shirts and deciding on the class colors for next year. Class of 2016: The sophomore class of 2016 executive council is ending the year as they had started it with the same positions. Alec Gayrama as president, Ian Adler as Vice President, Grant Fickes as Treasurer and Gabriella Zarragoitia as Secretary. Talks of any new election being held have not yet been discussed said Mrs. Amanda Seitz, Class of 2016 council advisor. There are ways the sophomore class and other classes can help to raise money for their class trip and prom. Fundraisers they are holding currently are the Volleyball Tournament which anyone can get involved with. The cost is $5 for each team. They are also holding a Joe Corbi’s fundraiser. This includes pizzas, cookies, and other treats. Anyone is able to get involved in the fundraiser by picking up a catalogue in A209. The fundraiser money is due to Mrs. Seitz no later than May 14 for any sophomore who chooses to do it. Class of 2017: The phrase “power in numbers” doesn’t always ring true, especially in the case of the Executive Council for the Class of 2017. Consisting of only six members, they have already begun the process of establishing themselves as a council, starting with the assignment of Class Officers and planning a sandwich sale to take place later in April. “We couldn’t exactly hold an election,” Freshman Class Adviser Mr. David Danner said jokingly. “Having only six people respond and turn in their forms makes that kind of hard. So they pretty much just got their positions.” The class officers are as follows: Kynslee Shephard (President), Gillian Orwig (Vice-President), Jake Patterson (Historian), Tyler Varney (Treasurer) and Asia Adams (Secretary). The only other member is Collin Herman-Conrad. “Even though we only have six members, I still have faith that we can get things done,” Shephard said. “And we are hoping to recruit a few more members to add to the mix by the end of the year.” “Being President, of course a lot of responsibility comes with that… He [Mr. Danner] has mentioned that, for now, I will be leading and overseeing our meetings, working with him to organize fundraisers and stuff like that.” By Adrianna Clinton Staff Writer In his 18 years of teaching, Red Lion physics teacher Eric Wilson has never seen schools lose this many days from the wrath of winter weather. As of Mar. 4, Red Lion has lost 12 school days this year due to the worst winter in recent memory, with some of the most recent cancellations brought about by the Nor’easter that dumped over 20 inches in parts of York County, the fifteenth storm this year alone. Though the weather has been tough on local municipalities finding money within their budget to clean up the storms’ aftermath, it has also had a harsh effect on schools and how their teachers teach, especially with the May Keystone exams weighing on their minds. Wilson’s most recent unit in physics on work and power was supposed to take two weeks, but because of the continuous cancellations, it took well over a month to complete. While it has been a “very hard yet new learning experience” for teachers, Wilson is thankful that not only are there no physics Keystone exam, but also that the school board was able to change what remains of this years’ calendar to ensure that students will not be going to school until the end of June (June 30 to be exact, which is Pennsylvania law.) On Feb. 6, the Red Lion school board met, proposed, and approved a calendar that would change the last day of school, pending additional cancellations, which at the time was June 13 to June 6, by instituting the following make up days: President’s Day on Feb. 17, a staff development day on Mar. 7, and Apr. 21, an extension of Easter vacation. The Red Lion school district requires the district to be in session for a total of 182 days, but was amended to meet the 180 day requirement issued by the Pennsylvania Board of Education. Should Red Lion see any more snow days through the remainder of winter, superintendent Dr. Scott Deisley said that they will think creatively, with the worst case scenario being adding 20 minutes to each school day. Going to school for a half day on Saturdays was an option as well, according to Deisley. Despite all the concern over when the last day of school and graduation will occur, senior Katelyn Witmer said these cancellations have not increased her ‘senioritis’ at all. “Sure, the timing wasn’t great to have one of the worst winters we’ve seen in a while fall on my senior year, but I love snow and I wouldn’t change it at all.” The continual postponement of graduation doesn’t upset fellow Chris Knorr too much either; “We can’t get mad about all the days off because we can’t control the weather...we are going to get out eventually.” However, Chance Wonder is antsy about the graduation date, because he leaves for Army boot camp shortly after school ends. “If I lose my graduation after all these years of schooling, I’m going to be upset.” At the Feb. 12 senior class meeting, Mr. Shue addressed the seniors anxiety over their graduation date, saying that the administration is trying to set their graduation date, but a decision cannot be made at this time. Regardless of when the seniors will officially move on from high school and Red Lion, Wilson has said that the school district is in fact “doing [their] best to make sure all students leave with a proper education, hopefully on time.” Hall Talk: Are you tired of the snow days?
By Ashley Zagorski
Staff Writer Distracting. Demeaning. Irresponsible. Immature. These words fly through many minds when the thought of beach balls being bounced at graduation comes into conversation. “Let the ceremony be what it is,” assistant principal Grant Gouker said. “It’s about the graduates.” Beach Balls being thrown around during the commencement ceremony is not a tradition here at Red Lion Senior High School nor is it consistent. Although this distracting behavior has been around as long as graduation has been, it doesn’t happen every year. Unfortunately, as generations change, it happens more frequently. “They are humorous and playful, but a little birdy told me not to be apart of it,” senior Jeremy Brokos said. “They aren’t a big issue unless they are a big distraction,” senior Sarah Amspacher said. “They should be allowed,” senior Wynter Yarish said. It seems as though the graduates are all for beach balls at graduation, as well as parents. Unfortunately, they do not understand the consequences of their disrespectful behaviors. In the letter given to every senior and sent home to every parent, it was clearly stated that if someone is caught with a beach ball they will be escorted out of Horn Field by an administrator. It will be up to them to come in to the office the next week to meet with Mr. Shue and to receive their diploma. When beach balls are flying through the air as someone is giving a speech or receiving their diploma, imagine how disrespected they’d feel. The audience, who is there to commemorate the graduates, are too entertained by the beach balls to pay attention to the students. “Commencement is a big deal. It is a solemn ceremony but a celebration as well. It’s about the students and their accomplishments, there shouldn’t be any distractions,” Principal Mark Shue said. “Beach Balls are for the beach. That’s why they’re called beach balls,” 2013 class advisor Dave Danner said. By Ben Otte
Staff Writer Class of 2013: The graduating class went to Six Flags, New Jersey on May 23 for their senior class trip. According to class advisor Dave Danner, 170 seniors signed up to go. In addition to class trip, the council is also preparing for baccalaureate which will be held on June 6 at 7 p.m. Members of the council will reportedly be reading and speaking during the service. Class of 2014: New class officers have recently been elected to lead the Class of 2014 executive council. Marley Vebares has been elected by the council to fill the position of class president while Connor Green, Mason Zeplo, and Nicole Thivierge will remain in their respective positions of vice president, treasurer, and secretary. The council has recently hosted a dodgeball tournament that brought in $240. Class secretary Nicole Thivierge says, “I’m excited to see all of our hard work pay off this upcoming senior year. There is still a lot to do but I think we’re all looking forward to it.” Class of 2015: The sophomore class just recently wrapped up their Sammy Sandwich sub and sandwich fundraiser that hauled about $800 into the class fund. The council has now also recently taken over the Class of 2013’s duties of selling candy on Wednesday’s after school. “We are very pleased with the progress that we made in fundraising this year,” assistant class adviser Keith Blackwell said. “Our group is growing and I’m excited to see how the participation will benefit our class.” Class of 2016: Ms. Heather Fogell has claimed the position of class advisor for the Class of 2016. Fogell released a statement indicating Miss Seitz and Mrs. Smeltzer will be assisting her in this role. Although no official council has been formed yet, petition forms for interested students have been handed out. “The students I have met so far are driven and upbeat. I look forward to seeing what they bring to the organization,” Fogell said. |
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