8 The Panther PressFriday, October 4, 2019 People & Places

Volume 14 Issue 1 October 4. 2019

The 2019-2020 Homecoming Court: Abbey Passilla, Chloe Luchanski, Aaron Brown, Oliver Smith, Kaylee Mulligan, Matt Posego,Katelyn Young, Kenny Kiser, Madison Mondi, Max Ravenscroft, Karley Price, Alex Kightlinger. Learnabout them on Pages 4-5.

HOMECOMING 2019

Homecoming Schedule of EventsFriday, Oct. 4

6 p.m. Community tailgate and dinner in parking lot. Join Us!6:30 p.m. Homecoming ceremony, crowning of King and Queen8 - 11 p.m. The 5th Quarter at Common Grounds (Grotto Park)

Saturday, Oct. 57:30 - 10 p.m. Homecoming Dance $8 per person and $15 per couple

Doors open at 7:20 p.m. Tweet your #hoco2k19 photos

@PantherPressSHS

Follow us on Twitter @PantherPressSHS and Instagram at pantherpressshs.

This issue proudly sponsored by the Pantherian Key Club!

By Nick Archacki andMeadow CampbellMANAGING EDITOR ANDOPINION EDITOR

The theme for thisyear’s homecomingdance is “Roaring 20s.”The classic theme refersto almost a century agowhere the world was adifferent fashion andstyle universe.

If you’re familiar withthe 2013 film “The GreatGatsby” the film flash-backs to the 1920s, andthis era will be reflectedin the scenery and styleof this year’s dance.

Ticket prices have in-creased this year, buteach will come with twodrink and snack vouch-ers.

National Honor Soci-ety and Key Club will beproviding tasty treats forstudents to indulge in,free of charge. Like pre-vious years, your 2019-

2020 Student Councilwill be providing thesong selections. Addi-tionally, a photo boothstation will be providedfor students who wish tocapture favorite memo-ries from the event.

Student Council, Na-tional Honor Society, andKey Club have investedtime and resources tomake sure the dance isone to remember. Makesure you come out onSaturday from 7:30 - 10p.m. Tickets will be $8per person and $15 percouple. Be prepared tolook like the amazing atthis year’s homecomingdance.

Student Council Chroni-cles will be included in eachissue of the Panther Pressthis year, brought to you byStudent Council officersNick Archacki (Historian)and Meadow Campbell(Public Relations Coordi-nator).

Student Council Chronicles

Have a great Homecoming!The Saegertown High School Pantherian Key Clubmeets every Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m.All are welcome!Are you in?

By Camryn TrzeciakSTAFF WRITER

Changes have beenmade to the libraryschedule so that studentshave more time to visitthis year.

The library will beopen for students in themornings from 7:45 a.m.until the first period bellTuesday, Wednesday,and Thursday. In addi-tion to being open allday on Tuesdays throughThursdays for classes,the library is also openduring the Lunch Plustime and the first half ofWINN period for stu-dents to read, check outbooks, or work on proj-ects. Students wishing tovisit the library duringLunch Plus or WINNcan ask their teacher.

Mr. Mike Brenneman,who has taken over thelibrary this year, is en-joying his new position.

“I like interacting withthe students, and it isfun,” Brenneman said.

In addition to more ac-cess, students can expectother changes in the fu-ture.

The library is in theprocess of being remod-eled, beginning with

new furniture to make itmore comfortable, andpainting the walls hasbeen proposed.

According to Mr.Brenneman, the libraryis the place to be: “Comeget books and maga-zines, or come hangout.”

Library open for business with extended hours

contributed phtoStudents filled the library during Lunch Plus onWednesday.

Congratulations andgood luck to all the Home-coming Court. To be hon-est, congratulations toeveryone in this audito-rium.

You all have workedand achieved great thingsin your own way.

Some have more mem-ories to savor than others,but everyone here is in theprocess of creating sweet-ness in their lives and inthe lives of that will even-tually become rewardingmemories.

The idea of cominghome should be specialand comforting.

After being away forany length of time, com-ing home is a good feel-ing.

I am always humbledby the opportunity to ad-dress the incredible com-munity of SaegertownHigh School.

Each time is a greatfeeling; a feeling of com-

ing home.Homecoming, along

with coming home, is acelebration of a commu-nity.

Many of you will moveaway following gradua-tion for various reasons;you will be successful, andyou will enjoy your newcommunity or “home.”

At key moments in yourlives, however, this homewill fill your thoughts andyour hearts.

It is then, that these mo-ments, these memories,and these connections youmake while you are here atSaegertown will brightenyour bad work day or liftyour soul when it seems

things are crumbling. The moments created

here, especially duringHomecoming Week, willbe etched into the greatmoments library of yourbrain.

Your involvement andSaegertown pride drivethose memories.

It may seem difficult to

fathom now, but lookingback on your time as partof the SHS communitywill be the cause of broadsmiles, deep laughs, and afeeling of comfort.

Indulge yourself in allthat Homecoming has tooffer, and share your goodtimes with our commu-nity.

Homecoming meansmore than crowning aqueen and king or attend-ing a sporting event.

It provides an opportu-nity for every componentof our school to come to-gether.

Celebrate this school,your friends, your class-mates, your teammates,your teachers, and thestaff.

Lift one another up.Take pride in all of thetremendous achievementsthat make SaegertownHigh School an extraordi-nary place.

Wise words: Excerpts from Mr. Wise’s 2019 Homecoming Message

Lauren Haylett/SHSStudents celebrated Homecoming Week with blue and gold at the pep rally on Oct. 3

The Panther Press is published once a month either inhouse or at the Meadville Tribune. The publicaton and its

authors have won multiple awards from organizations suchas PSPA, PNA, Pennsylvania Press Club, and the North

West Pennsylvannia Journalism Competition. The publica-tion belongs to the Pennsylvania School Press Association

and the Journalism Education Association.

7The Panther PressFriday, October 4, 2019This & That2 The Panther Press

Friday, October 4, 2019 Opinion

The Panther PressFounded 2006

Published Monthly18079 Mook Road, Saegertown, Pa. 16433

Nick ArchackiManaging Editor

Stacey HetrickAdviser

Sam ShelenbergerEditor-in-Chief

Kaitlyn KozallaSenior Publication Editor

Panther Press Staff 2019-20News Editor-Dayna WoodruffFeatures Editor-Amanda CrowlOpinion Editor-Meadow CampbellSports Editors-Josh Weaver and Brady GrecoWebsite Editor-Emma ShenkSocial Media Editors-Kylie Beck and Sydnee BowersoxDesign Editor-Sam HetrickPhoto Editor-Julian PerryMultimedia Editor-Nathan CampbellPanther Paw Editor-Camryn TrzeciakCareer Center Correspondent- Autumn AtkinsStaff Writers-Josie Deeter, Michael DeJohn, Genny Gajdowski, Hailee Gregor, Paisley MangoldBrennen McWright, Jake Reisinger, NathanSamuels

WRITE US!Letters must be typed and 300

words or less. Sign your letterand drop it off in room 215.

The Panther Press acceptspaid advertising and sponsorsemail niarchaki@psdmail.org

for more information.Find us Online!

www.thepantherpress.com

@PantherPressSHS

@pantherpressshs

“Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech or of the press...” - From the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

By Sydnee Bowersoxand Hailee GregorSTAFF WRITERS

“Let 5 take the number1 girl to HOCO ‘cuzyou’re a catch.” This ishow senior AlexKightlinger (above)asked senior DaynaWoodruff to homecom-ing under the lights at thelast home game.

Kightlinger came upwith the idea when heoverheard Woodruff andher friends talking specif-ically about a footballgame proposal, and hetook it from there.

Kightlinger’s advice toany other student askinga girl to homecoming isto “get close with herfriends, and ask them forhelp because they willknow her better, becauseguys are dumb.”

Woodruff noted that

she kind of had an idea itwas coming, but it didn’tmake it any less special:“I was surprised andhappy. It was the firsttime this has happened tome, so it was exciting.”

She answered the pro-posal a “yes” and a hug.

Junior Matt Nale(below) surprised juniorCassidy Boylan at the Al-legheny Invitational crosscountry meet.

He showed up with asign that said, “I would be“XCited if you ran tohomecoming with me”along with flowers and apersonalized Nike boxfilled with her favoritecandy and treats.

“I didn’t ask her as herboyfriend. I asked her asher best friend,” Nalesaid.

Boylan said, “I wassuper impressed with hiscreativity.”

Hoco proposals make memorable moments

HOCO NO GO? The dance

contributed photo

By Josie Deeter andLenon CampbellSTAFF WRITERS

We surveyed 334 stu-dents to find out whowould be, and whowould not be, attendingthis year's homecomingdance.

Sixty-three percentsaid they would be at-tending, 26% said theywould not be attending,and 11% said they mightbe attending.

So what will the stu-dents be doing if theyaren’t attending thedance?

Many students didn’thave an answer, but forthe ones that did, answers

varied. A few of the students

were going to a friend’shouse to have their ownget-togethers.

Others plan to attendsports events, travel, or

just spending time withfamily. Of those who saidthey were not planning toattend the dance, mostsaid they would be goingto the homecoming gameon Friday night.

contributed photo

The Sign of the TimesThere’s something different in the air at Saegertown

this year, and the Panther Press staff has caught the scentof it. It’s pride. Our pride is growing.

“You wish you were a Saegertown Panther” has beena saying here for several years, but it sometimes seemedlike something was missing. Maybe we had an identitycrisis or weren’t quite really sure who we were.

Enter the PENNCREST Pride Project; gym, hallway,and men’s bathroom renovations; and new signage.We’re pretty excited about it. You might even say that itmakes us a little emotional.

Last year we saw students and staff come together tostrip wallpaper, paint, and renovate the Panther Hallwaywith some help from the United Way and local profes-sionals.

Then on July 9, something amazing happened. Wewere given a sign. A huge sign that cannot be missed asyou turn up Mook Road toward the building. A sign thatannounces proudly and loudly that we are SaegertownHigh School.

The new sign has become a focal point for pictures likethe one on the front page of this issue, and that meanssomething.

Class of 2020, you are the first group of seniors to haveyour homecoming memories captured in front of the newsign. It’s a sign of the times in Pantherland.

And we’re not done yet. Let’s keep rolling rightthrough the downstairs hallway renovation and into an-other PENNCREST Pride Project this year.

The Panther Press would like to officially recognizeall who contributed to last year’s projects and officiallyencourage everyone else to get involved this year.

-THE PANTHER PRESS

Paisley Mangold/SHS

Congratulations to the AP Scholarsfrom Saegertown for 2018-19

Oliver Smith, Kaylee Mulligan, DaynaWoodruff, Ashley Wenzel, Max Raven-

scroft, Gabe DeYoung, Glenn Ferry, DustinSteiger, Will Phelan and Kassie Boyd. Read more about them at thepantherpress.com

Senior release has re-turned this year in a big waywith the hybrid blockschedule.

On Thursdays, seniorswho qualify can leaveschool after sixth period at1:40 p.m. To be eligible,seniors must have no atten-dance or discipline issues,no zeroes, be passing allclasses, and not be neededfor intervention/extensionperiod.

This is great for moraleand gives seniors a reason togo above and beyond withtheir behavior and academ-ics.

Mr. Chris Greco, who isin charge of monitoring theprogram said, “It’s going

flawlessly so far. Studentsare being held accountable.”

With that kind of en-dorsement, why wouldn’twe extend the privilege tojuniors?

Our sister school Maple-wood has already made thismove. In a recent interview,Maplewood Principal KenWolfarth talked about thepositive overall benefits thatjunior release has brought tohis school: “Of the 58 stu-dents who signed up for it,52 have earned the right toparticipate.”

Wolfarth noted that the

program encourages stu-dents to “turn in their papers,get to class and stay out oftrouble.” Clearly, Wolfarththinks the program is mak-ing a difference at Maple-wood.

And the same would betrue here. Senior release hasalready proven itself as aworthy incentive atSaegertown and our sisterschool has extended it tojuniors, so I believe it is justcommon sense to expandthe program.

Principal Tom Baker isnot opposed to the idea. “Wewill be having an adminis-trative meeting to discussthis. More to follow.”

So stay tuned, juniors.

Junior release may be on the wayJake Reisinger

Staff Writer

By Nathan CampbellMULTIMEDIA EDITOR

What songs will yoube hearing at the Home-coming Dance? Songslike “Truth Hurts” byLizzo or “Bad Guy” byBillie Eilish are appreci-ated, but with radio sta-tions playing them everyhour, most people be-lieve they’re overplayed.

With rising socialmedia sites like Insta-gram and Snapchat,there’s no reason whythis year’s homecomingshouldn’t have an in-credible playlist.

Other apps like TikTokand VSCO have broughtundiscovered artists andsongs into the main light.

Starting with the clas-sics Generation Z grewup with, “Hey Ya!” byOutKast is a well-knownsong that is often over-looked.

Rihanna blew up dur-ing this decade, dominat-ing the radio for years, sosongs like “Live YourLife” by T.I. featuringher are a no-brainer.

Almost any AmyWinehouse song wouldfit the “Roaring 20s”theme with her jazz-in-fluenced sound.

For those who still lis-ten to that early 2000semo bands, “MiseryBusiness” by Paramoreis something that every-one loves to listen to, oreven the iconic “Sk8rBoi” by Avril Lavigne.

The song that definedmusic of the 21st cen-tury, some might say, is“TiK ToK” by Ke$ha, apopular song that peoplewould love to hear sinceit relates to the app of thesame name.

Some undiscoveredsongs and artists includeConan Gray, who makesmusic with a more relat-

able teenage angst thanother, more popularartists. “Crush Culture”is his latest breakoutsong and is sure to getpeople dancing, plus, itoriginally broke outthrough a meme.

“Checkmate” is one ofhis singles recently re-leased that will get theheartbreakers pumped.

Student Council offi-cers Meadow Campbell,public relations coordi-nator and Nick Ar-chacki, historian, areworking on the playlistfor the dance.

“We’re incorporating alot of the older songs butalso incorporating tophits,” Campbell said..“There’s a little country,there’s a lot of variety.”

‘Lot of variety’ in the HOCO playlist

Youtube

Youtube

Mr. Stephen Roesch is ex-cited to be teaching biologyand math enrichment thisyear at Saegertown. He hastaught previously at nineschools, instructing studentsin grades 5-12.

Roesch is very passionateabout teaching. He sharedthat explaining things topeople makes him feelworthwhile, and he wants tomake things meaningful ormemorable for his students.

He believes in an ener-getic and positive attitudein the classroom. The rea-soning behindthis is hesays itmakes hisstudents en-gaged andmorewillingto learn.

Roesch’s hopes for this yearare to help his students dotheir best and see what thePanthers are really about.

Ms. Ashley Corvin is re-placing Mrs. Papinchak forthis year in art. She comesfrom Bald Eagle Jr. Sr. HighSchool, where she also taughtart.

She attended EdinboroUniversity, majoring in arthistory and art, and she re-

ceived her de-gree in arteducat ionfrom Penn

State. Corvin

has beenteachingfor sevenyears.

So far at Saegertown, sheloves how supportive theteachers are and how talentedthe students are.

Corvin shared that she’sbeen an artist “Forever.” Sheloves watercolor.

Corvin is currently makinga colored pencil piece of the“Adventure Time.”

She is excited for studentsto try Inktober, an internetchallenge where contestantshave different prompts every-day that must be drawn usingink.

New physics and scienceteacher Ms. KathrynThomas has taught previ-ously at McDowell andUnion City. So far, she saysSaegertown has been her fa-vorite because the students aremore responsible and en-

gaged. Ms. Thomas likes teaching

because she feels that she ishelping to make a change forthe future. Thomas wants toplant the seed or ideas intostudents’ heads.

Beforeteaching, sheworked at acompound-ing facilitymakingcustompharma-ceuti-cals.

Herhobbies include reading andlistening to audio books. Sheenjoys watching superheromovies and dirt track racing.She also likes golfing.

Over the past three years,she has hosted a golf scram-ble for her close friend whodied.

She has raised $10,000 sup-porting various charities. Sheshared that her door is alwaysopen for science questions.

Mrs. Sydney Wehrer, for-merly known as Ms. Pol-lifrone, is a learning supportteacher at both the elementaryand junior high. She grew upand still resides in Erie. Her

hobbies are coaching softballin Erie, reading, going shop-ping, and playing with herdog. She also plays videogames with her hus-band for fun.

She de-scribes herselfas “creative,caring, andpassion-a t e . ”We h r e rbecame at e a c h e rbecause it runs in her family.

She is adapting well toSaegertown: “So far, I lovehow welcoming all of the stu-dents and teachers have been.It can be hard being a first-year teacher and moving be-tween two schools, but I feelso supported by everyone.”

She received her bachelor’sdegree in Early Childhood andSpecial Education from Gan-non University in 2016 andher master’s in Multiple andSevere Disabilities in 2018.She was married on Sept. 28.Congratulations, Mrs. Wehrer!

6 The Panther PressFriday, October 4, 2019

Sports 3The Panther PressFriday, October 4, 2019

News

Brady GrecoSPORTS EDITOR

Bob Dylan’s lyric“Times they are A-Changin” certainly ap-plies to Saegertown.New schedule, newbleachers in the gym,and new faces in frontof classrooms.

One of the most chal-lenging changes,though, has been thenew parking and bus sit-uation.

In August, the facultyand students found outthat student driverswould be parking in therear of the school whilethe faculty and staff

would park near thefront office entrance.

The changes weremade based on a trafficstudy conducted by thePENNCREST trans-portation office thissummer. The rationalewas to lessen the con-gestion and make entryand exit of the parkinglots safer and more effi-cient.

Senior Josh Weaverfeels that it’s convenientfor him to park in theback lot, “I am okaywith parking in theback, because the park-ing lot is closer to mylocker, and I can get to

class sooner.” Although Weaver

likes the parking situa-tion, he added, “I hatethat the parking lot iscongested around 8 a.m.and that we cannot getinto school until 7:45.”

English teacher BillHetrick feels that park-ing out front is for thebetter. “All of the fac-ulty have to go throughthe office, so that is onepositive this year,” Het-rick said. He added,“This is the safest bet.People like to complain,but everything is an ad-justment.”

For bus riders, the

drop off point has beenthe major change. Inprevious years, studentswalked up from the ele-mentary (wherever theirbus was parked in theline-up).

Now the buses dropthem off directly in front

of the office entrance. Freshman Camryn

Tzeciak approves of thechange: “I’m pretty sat-isfied with how the busriders don’t have tostroll from the elemen-tary school to the highschool anymore.”

Students and teachers adjust to parking and bus changes

By Josh WeaverSPORTS EDITOR

The atmosphere of thishomecoming game is tentimes more intense thanthat of a regular game.

According to freshmanplayer Henry Shaffer,“The game should bepretty lit, pretty hype.”

Saegertown’s fan sec-tion is always loud, buthomecoming is a differ-ent animal. This supportwill be key for the Pan-thers as they take on theMercer Mustangstonight.

The Mustangs currentrecord is 2-4, whileSaegertown remains 0-6.

Some people say that

in a homecoming game,a record doesn't matter.

The Panthers are hav-ing another tough season,one hampered by the lossof key player and seniorcaptain Reese Larson,but senior Nathan Barnerhas stepped up as his re-placement to fill the void.

As for the rest of theteam, they are “ready togo out and put everythingon the line for eachother” according to sen-ior captain AlexKightlinger.

The ten seniors on theteam have mixed feelingsabout the game.

Everyone is happy tobe playing in front of thebiggest crowd of the year,

but in the back of theirminds, they know this istheir last chance to winon homecoming night.

Coming into tonight,both teams are on a los-ing streak and trying toturn things around.

Saegertown is lookingto pick up a big win notonly for themselves, butfor the community.

“Our goal is to go outand play football the waywe know how to play it,”junior Jake Reisingersaid.

The team has shownflashes of greatness attimes this year, and theyare coming off lastweek’s game where theyscored 24 points against

Cochranton.“Play as one unit on the

field,” Coach James Wolf-gang said. “We’ll be fine.”

Tonight’s game has

something that no othergame has during the year.Homecoming adds extraadrenaline to the mix.

Panthers ready for homecoming match with Mercer

Lauren Haylett/SHSJacob Reisinger scores a touchdown during the gameagainst Cambridge on Aug. 30

contributed photo

By Nick ArchackiMANAGING EDITOR

At the beginning of the 2019 golf season, PanthersCoach Brian Hanley had more doubt than normal for thefirst time in five years. “I didn’t think we were the bestteam going into the season, but that doesn’t mean I didn’thave high hopes.”

Rising to the challenge, the Panthers took care of theiropposition this year. They won 4 of the 6 region mega-matches and finished the season as champions by winningtheir eighth consecutive Region 3 title, the most consec-utive titles in Region 3 golf history.

Sophomore Dylan Flinchbaugh was in the hunt all sea-son to win Region Player of the Year, but ended up justshy, finishing runner-up to a player from Conneaut Lake.Although Flinchbaugh didn’t win the award, both he andSaegertown teammate Nick Archacki earned automaticberths to the District 10 Individual Championships by fin-ishing second and fourth in region averages.

The Panthers weren’t the favorites to win this season,but they showed their dominance to reign supreme onceagain on the region high school golf podium. “I am proudof the way they didn’t give up when they were tied aftertwo mega matches...we had good senior leadership,”Hanley said.

The District 10 Individual and Team Championshipwill be contested today at the Meadville Country Club.Flinchbaugh, Archacki, Andy Hasychak, Carson Jones,and Max Fuller will represent Saegertown. If the Pantherswin districts, they’ll advance to regionals.

Flinchbaugh and Archacki will compete in the individ-ual division also, but with one exception. The score thatFlinchbaugh and Archacki shoot today will count towardsboth their team and individual scores. Today, they holdtheir destiny in one round of golf, not two.

Panther golfers win eighthconsecutive region title

Four new teachers grace the halls of Saegertown

With reporting from: NathanCampbell, Michael DeJohn,Sam Hetrick, JulieAnn Perry,Lennon Campbell, Josie Deeter

By Emma ShenkSTAFF WRITER

The girls varsity CrossCountry team has not lost arace this season. They areon the run for the Region 3title. “I think my varsitygirls are as good a team asI've ever had,” Coach BillHetrick said. “They arevery solid this year.”

Hetrick currently has 33runners on his roster, hislargest team ever. As ofpress time, the varsity girls’record is 6-0 and the boysare 3-3.

On Oct. 1, Saegertownhosted its only home tri-meet with CambridgeSprings and Cochranton.Sam Hetrick and PaigeFuller both came in secondplace.

“I was excited, but alsoupset that I didn’t beat Eliz-abeth Kline from Cam-bridge,” Fuller said.

For the ladies, key per-formers are Paige Fuller,Maddie Mondi, KarleighSteiner, Karley Price, andCassidy Boylan.

Back in 2009, the girls’varsity team went unde-

feated. CoachHetrick noted,“It's been 10years since Ihad an unde-feated team ora Regionchampion forthe girls.”

The girlsare trying toqualify forStates whichhappens onlywhen youplace first orsecond at Dis-tricts, the lastweekend ofthis month.

The boys’varsity teamis led byf r e s h m a nSam Hetrickand juniorNathan DeYoung. Hetricknotched his first invita-tional win on Sept. 28 atCochranton, and he is onpace to be a state qualifier.

Coach Hetrick noted that“the boys are workinghard,” and will representtheir school proudly at Dis-

tricts.The team’s next race,

their final tri-meet, is atRocky Grove (withCASH, as well) on Oct. 8.

The Region 3 champi-onship invitational will behosted by Rocky Grove onOct. 19.

Varsity girls XC running for region title

contributed photoSophomore Paige Fuller is the lead runneron the girls undefeated team. The student parking lot is now in the back of the

building as part of the many changes this year.

5The Panther PressFriday, October 4, 20194 The Panther Press

Friday, October 4, 2019Homecoming 2019: The Roaring Twenties Homecoming 2019: The Roaring Twenties