By Zachary Rhine News & Feature Editor If someone asked one of their friends if they wanted to go searching for hidden containers in the middle of the wilderness using only a map and/or a GPS, they would most likely be called something along the lines of crazy or insane. However, if they asked their friend if they would like to go geocaching, they would probably receive a better response. The scavenger hunts that would become known as geocaching started in the early 2000’s, when satellites became available to civilians instead of solely the military. Messages boards all over the world began filling with directions to hidden items for people to find. A company known as Groundspeak caught wind of the growing phenomenon and decided to capitalize on it by creating a common website for geocachers to record their adventures and communicate with other geocachers. At the core, geocaching is a real-life treasure hunt. Anyone who owns a GPS and spirit for adventure can participate in the hunt. Hidden containers, also known as geocaches, all have certain latitude and longitude coordinates associated with them, and when plugged into a GPS can be located. Some are as straightforward as that, but others have puzzles and mysteries that need to be solved first in order to locate the caches. The containers all possess a logbook for the geocacher to record that they were there. Some containers also have small trinkets and gift cards in them, placed there by other geocachers. Many of Red Lion’s own teachers and students participate in geocaching. As of the end of September 2015, math teacher Dave Hively has found a total of 3534 geocaches. He’s found a cache in every state from New York to North Carolina, and the furthest he’s gone to find a geocache was Honduras. He jokes that, “I use multimillion dollar technology to search for tupperware in the woods.” Mr. Hively has made geocaching a family event, as his children also enjoy the experience. Hively has also incorporated his love for geocaching into his work. Every year he places a geocache for his AP Calculus classes to solve and find. Mr. Hively also offered some tips for anyone interested in getting involved with geocaching. “Start with the free app on your phone and try to find the easy ones first. There are some standard, basic hides that everyone finds, and they set you up for finding harder hides down the road.” He went on to explain that there are different difficulties and terrain levels that are associated with each of the caches. “It makes for a fun group activity,” continued Hively.
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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.” By Ashlee Galloway Staff Writer On Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, America will be preparing to elect a new President for the first time in eight years, following President Barack Obama’s two consecutive terms. Of the 25 candidates currently running for president, the top runners are as follows: Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders.“Bernie Sanders is the only one that seems like he has a level head on his shoulders,” senior Duncan Keller said, “I mean, you have Hillary Clinton, she changes her viewpoints just to gain followers. She’s trying to appeal to a lot of the teens now…” 12 students were asked to take an informal poll in which they were asked who they would vote for if given the chance. Overwhelmingly, the majority of students voted for Donald Trump over the other competitors. Whether it is his honest opinions, Hollywood status, or simply the fact that “he’s a businessman,” Trump is seemingly the most popular candidate amongst the Red Lion students. Though some students may not necessarily like Trump, they cannot help but to agree with his stand on several political issues. Junior Riley Perkowski weighed in on his stance on the Trump controversy, “I think Trump wouldn’t… he would not end the world. I think that he is not actually going to be in charge if he is in charge. I think he is going to be a figurehead…” Another student, junior Joe Churilla, said that he believes Trump is “obviously” the wrong choice for president, “I would totally say that Donald Trump must not be elected president.” Hillary Clinton, wife of former president Bill Clinton, seems to be very unpopular amongst the student body. “I’m not a fan of Hillary Clinton,” junior Emily Zeidman said. “I didn’t like her husband,” junior Domenick Eyler said. The majority of students polled said they disliked Clinton because they did not feel that her husband did an adequate job in the White House during his presidency. Junior Amanda Clarkson feels that Clinton is the best candidate because she “didn’t agree with most of the things the other people stand for.” Long term Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is currently a top runner in the election, standing high in the ranks alongside Trump and Clinton. Regarding Sanders, “I just think he’s a good candidate. I have a good feeling about this one, ” Churilla said. Jeb Bush, brother of former president George W. Bush, seems to be a reasonable candidate in the campaign, whom most students do not have a very strong opinion about. “I don’t know, the first Bush didn’t have such of a positive impact,” Perkowski said. Whether or not a student has a strong opinion about any of the current candidates, they are still encouraged to get out and vote in November 2016, as this election will have a big impact on their lives and the future of the country. By Adrianna Clinton Co-Editor-in-Chief At 7 a.m., as students and faculty make their way to school, many travel through the square of Red Lion. Almost every day, they notice a peculiar sight in the parking lot of the Lion Pharmacy. Regardless of sub-zero temperatures or humid mornings, Roberto Martinez can be seen almost every morning working out and waving to passing students on buses. “It started with a girl saying hi to me on a bus and becoming my friend,” Martinez recalled. “I have a daughter myself, and a granddaughter. I think kids are the best thing.” Inspired by a special needs student who waves to him on the way to school, Martinez has been returning to the square as a part of his martial arts regimen. Martinez has come to the square to see the kids of Red Lion and to show them that they can be their own person. “There’s nothing wrong with being a person who likes to idolize somebody, as long as it’s good. I do it not to show I’m bad in the martial arts, but to put a positive image out there… I do it as an inspiration, not to show off,” Martinez said. His interest in martial arts began at 10 or 11 years old, when Martinez saw a movie of Bruce Lee. His career then began at 15. “At first, the Hollywood part drew me in. I was young, I didn’t understand it took a lot of hard training to get to that level. But as I grew older in the martial arts, it kind of became a way of life. I live it every day. I still am doing what I did as a kid,” Martinez said. “I’ll probably be doing this until I’m 70 or 80, maybe even longer.” Martinez, 50, practices Gung-Fu, a martial art developed in China hundreds of years ago. His intense workouts, consisting of kicks, punches, and lots of stretching, have garnered a lot of public comment over the past two or three years, earning him the nickname “Red Lion Ninja”, even though he has been taking his martial arts to the streets of Red Lion and Dallastown for over 20 years. His day starts at 4 a.m. when he starts stretching and training in his home. Before he goes to the square, he eats while stretching or doing some activity to prepare his body. “I never sit down,” Martinez said. In fact, his home is set up like a gym. One room houses dummies of all kinds to work on his fighting techniques. In his bedroom, pull-up bars are hung above the door, weights sit on the floor for neck exercises along with bricks covered in rice to harden his hands, and a bag of sand that Martinez punches 300-500 times. Martinez proceeds to the square at 7 a.m., where he often talks to members of the community. “Even at the square when he has his headphones in, he still sees and hears everything,” Martinez’s wife Megan said. He returns a couple hours later to train with a friend, then sleeps for an hour and take a medication to control the seizures that sometimes hinder but never entirely stop his workout routine. The seizures, which began about 16 years ago, have taken away some of Martinez’s motor skills, reading and writing abilities, and if he has a bad one, he’s usually down for two to three days. “Even with all that damage, I never forgot anything about martial arts. It became second nature, like walking,” Martinez said. “Even if you have a disability, you can be whatever you want and achieve whatever you want. I’m still doing martial arts...if I can have seizures and do this, what can you do with a clear brain?” Toward the ends of his days, Martinez does balancing exercises, and at night when he is watching television, he does sit-ups. “This is how crazy I am: I can’t wait to get up the next morning and start all over again. When it’s done, I’m excited for the next day. It’s not an obsession, and not that I want to leave a legacy behind. I feel I have a purpose to show the younger generation that there’s always something better out there. It’s not just about fighting,” Martinez said. Martinez has involved himself in the Red Lion community, as he has taught rape prevention classes and is about to teach a class at the Grace Lutheran Church. He fought on a professional level for five years and never lost before he had to stop. His skills could have potentially taken him to a bigger stage than the Lion Pharmacy parking lot. “We could’ve tried to make a career out of it [martial arts], he had things lined up, but it was just too much of a risk,” Martinez’s wife Megan said. “He’s very dedicated.” Martinez even had his wife training in martial arts for three years. “But then she got lazy on me,” he said. In the rare moments when he is not doing something related to martial arts, Martinez enjoys cooking, Spanish and Chinese being his best dishes. He also works with computers and spends time with his granddaughter. By Raven Rodriguez Staff Writer Many people are finding more money left in their wallets lately as gas prices have dropped. AAA reports also suggest that prices will continue to drop in the summer of 2015 if there are no refinery issues and things stay stable in the Middle East. The gas prices have been rising and dropping over the years. In January, prices dropped to the lowest they had been in six years, with the average price being $2.03 per gallon. Prices rose again and were up to an average of $2.43 per gallon in March, according to an April report by AAA. “I would like to see gas prices continue to go down,” Biology teacher Mr. Jeremy Granger said. “Prices on gas are too high.” Junior Natalie Couret said. “I would hope that they would stay at an exact amount that was cheap.” When crude oil prices go up or down gas prices follow. With changes in the world supply and demand oil prices have been going down. The gas price has a lot to do with demand. For example, during the summer a lot of people go on vacation/trips, with using more gas than a person usually would on a regular basis it causes the demand for gas to spike. There are other small factors to changes in gas prices. With things as simple as competition between gas stations. Competition may not seem like a big deal. But it does happen between gas stations. According to an article from U.S. News and World report from 2011. There could be two gas stations right across from each other and they’d both have different prices for the gas. Competition is however not the only reason that these two gas stations have different prices. One gas station might lower the price in order to bring in more customers. As always, the cheaper the gas the better for the wallet. By Helen Zeidman Staff Writer Every little girl dreams of having the perfect dress for prom. With the help of Student Council, everyone will get the chance to find their fairytale gown. This is the second year for the Lion Queen dress drive, though it is now called the formal fashion fair, since the merchandise is not restricted to prom dresses. In addition to dresses, Student Council also collects shoes, bags, and accessories to give away or consign. The dresses are not limited to prom dresses; homecoming and other formal occasion attire are accepted, too. The fair this year will be expanded to include everything for the prom experience, not just dresses. Last year, the drive was only open to Red Lion students, but this year, anyone can donate, consign, or buy the dresses and accessories. Some dresses will be given away for free and others will be sold for up to $100. “The general idea is that people with less money should be able to get great dresses, too,” Elizabeth Gable, a member on the committee that organized the event, said. Mrs. Jane Dennish, the student council adviser, came up with the idea from the nationwide event, The Cinderella Project. “I thought that it would be neat to provide free prom dresses locally,” Dennish said. According to Mrs. Dennish, Student Council is planning on having a hairstylist, a nail stylist,, and a Mary Kay consultant at the event this year. The goal is to help students figure out how to do the rest of their outfits after they find their dresses. There will also be raffles for various gift baskets at the event with everything from hair tools to makeup. The main goal of the event is to bring people together during the chaotic prom season, not for Student Council to make a profit. “The students make all of the money. It is not like a typical consignment where the business takes a cut of the profit,” Dennish said. “We do it as a service.” “We want to entice mothers and daughters to spend the day together. They can make it a mother and daughter day,” Dennish said. By Allie Thomas Staff Writer Sometimes some things are too good to be true. Especially, recently in Red Lion Senior High School. Already this year, there have been 10 reported cases of theft in school locker rooms, according to Officer Mark Greenly. But those are only the cases have been reported, many others have gone without any further investigation. Most of the objects that have been stolen in the locker rooms are money and cell phones. Officer Greenly summed up the problem recently, “The gym classes do not line up together, so there are a minutes where some kids are in the room all alone and they’re near everyone’s stuff, so it just makes it even easier to steal something without getting caught,” he said. Another problem with theft is sometimes the kids don’t have their - stolen but they lose it, so they report it stolen so that way they don’t get in trouble with their parents, so it becomes a case that has no thief, he said. Greenly reports that he has caught a lot of kids in the act of stealing before. One particular time he remembers specifically was on February 26, he had heard about some kid skipping study hall and going into the boys swimming locker and stealing money. So Greenly set up a chair in the boys locker room after they all had left and waited for this thief to try to make another attempt. Little did he know that Officer Greenly was in there waiting for him, and when he tried to go in there and steal something, Greenly caught him in the act and was able to save someone from getting money stolen. “It’s hard to get students to confess, and that just makes the challenge even harder,” said Greenly. Greenly recommends that students lock up valuables so that way they are not reachable. Then, the criminals have no motive for their madness. By Allie Thomas
Staff Writer It’s very easy to get trapped into a trend when everyone else around is doing it. It’s one thing when it’s all fun like ‘The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge’ or ‘Flappy Bird’, but this is a different type of trend that has started, Vaping. According to Google, Vaping is described as to “Inhale and exhale the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device.” In the past month, administration apprehended three vape pens in the high school. School nurses Kathy Miller and Sherri Taylor explained vaping’s health concerns in a recent interview. Originally designed to help smokers quit cigarettes, vaping is considered dangerous because of the lack of knowledge medical professionals have on vaping. They pointed to the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that it has been linked to cancer, it is not regulated by the FDA, and it contains formaldehyde and other animal carcinogens. Officer Greenly explained that what makes vaping seem so “cool” is how society advertises it. By marketing it and making the “hipsters” make it seem like it’s fun. In addition to vaping some students have been caught for marijuana, and spice, a kind of synthetic kind of marijuana. Just like smoking was once extremely popular then it became less “cool”, Greenly believes vaping will too. “Prevention is tough because kids will be kids,” Greenly said. “Maybe we as a district could make their punishment more strict, and start educating our student population about the risks of it. From his research on this topic, Greenly said, “Just like smoking, it can’t be good for you.” |
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