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The Chariot Edition 5 March Edition 2019

For high school juniors, the time has come to start focusing on standardized testing. Summer is almost here, and senior year will creep up on us before we know it. Now is the time to start taking the SAT if you haven’t already and to start studying. When preparing f o r t h e S AT, t h e r e a r e m a n y approaches. Some students wing it, some use tutoring, and others don’t know what will work best for them yet. For busy students, I’ve found SAT prep websites and apps to be effective as well as easy. Here are five that will help you out!1. Khan Academy. Khan Academy, in partnership with the College Board, personalizes your SAT prep. College Board sends your PSAT and previous SAT scores, and Khan Academy creates a study plan that fits your strengths and weaknesses. And as both an app and a website, it is easily accessible at anytime.2. Daily Practice For The New SAT. This app has it all. From daily questions to practice tests, students will have no trouble finding a study method within the app that fits their style. (Continued on pg 5)

Maggie Ferrandino proposes a question, are beanbag chairs worth the purchase? pg

Jocelyn Reber argues for a later starting time for schools. pg 3

Read about the rise of a Wyomissing legend: “Swamp God” pg 4

5 SAT Prep Websites and Apps

That Will Actually Help You

by Emily Murrill

August Smychynsky tells us about the new art form of Photoshop. pg 4

With the Oscar season wrapping up with the award show airing on February 24th, many people have stopped discussing what they believed got snubbed or overlooked for an award. However, it’s blatantly obvious that a popular category of movies has a lways been ignored around award season: horror.

With horror at i ts height currently, it’s strange to see that only one movie of the genre was nominated for an award th is

Oscar season. A Quiet Place, directed by John Krasinski and released

in April of 2018, was up for Best Sound Editing, a technica l award that makes perfect sense in terms of the film, which follows a family forced to stay quiet when their world is filled with aliens with heightened hearing.The film lost to Bohemian R h a p s o d y , a Q u e e n biopic following the rock band and their success in t h e s e v e n t i e s a n d e i g h t i e s . I t w a s

disappointing to see the only horror movie title present at the award show lose to the popular film, but it’s certainly not the first time.According to an article by The Hollywood Reporter, only six horror movies h a v e e v e r b e e n n o m i n a t e d f o r B e s t Picture: The Exorcist, Jaws, The Silence of the Lambs, The Sixth Sense, Black Swan, and Get Out. While arguments can be made about whether or not some of the those titles are pure horror movies (they all possess horror elements, from suspense to gore), it’s still shocking to see the low number of horror titles

The Injustice Horror Movies

Face

by Riley Dauber

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A s a s e c o n d semester senior, I say with full confidence: Whoever said senior year breezes by, was certainly too sleep deprived to think straight. This year has brought me a plethora of sins and virtues. We build up the expec ta t i ons o f how smoothly it should run paired with the abrupt, yet manageable anxieties, of after school plans. But I hardly think that any sort of lecture on how senior y e a r p l a y s o u t i s legitimate. So here are my

tactics in the battle of senior year.

Right off the bat, this can be applied to even the night before the fi r s t d a y , p l a n accordingly. Packing heavy is just as bad as p a c k i n g l i g h t ,

approximate what you are going to need and pair it with a few things you want. Bringing a water bottle and your device is not usually all you need,

but it’s your last year here, y o u d o n ’ t w a n t t h e mistakes of looking and feeling like a seventh grader. As you begin to ease into the year, find time to reassess your n e c e s s i t i e s , a n d d o enough to get by without

t h e stresses of going too far. Take your time with things you enjoy, and do well, but p r i o r i t i ze : You won ’ t always have everything

finished on time. Your teachers will understand this. Kindness is key in these sorts of things, send a heartfelt email explaining your situation and an a p o l o g y f o r a n y i n c o n v e n i e n c e . T h e y understand the pressures you’re under, they’ve been through it too. Calm down and eat a favorite snack, watch a show, or even take a small nap. Speaking of which, my second word of advice.

Be careful with your sleep schedule. There is the critical period of senior year where you are just as tired, if not more, than your seventy-year-old grandparents. Schedule time in your day for the naps you are going to need; there is going to be a lot of them. At the same time, don’t stay up too late. (Continued on pg 5)

The Illegitimacy of Senior Year

and How to Combat It

by Sophia Stroumbakis

Sweet Ride One popular ice cream hangout is called Sweet Ride, and it is located between the West Reading Drug Store and Sweet Surprises on Penn Avenue. Sweet Ride is an ice cream parlor with a lot of room for seats and tables, but it also has a cozy soda shoppe vibe associated with it. The building has more seating than Cold Stone, and it has a lot of different types of seat ing, such as two counters, tables in the center, tables outside, and a party room filled with

tables and chairs. Part of the reason customers are drawn to it is because it has room for a lot of customers, and it also has a variety of products. Not only do they offer tons of different flavors, but they also sell pints, cakes, and ho l iday spec ia l s . They have ice cream cakes for H a l l o w e e n , Va l e n t i n e ’s Day, Easter, a n d o t h e r p o p u l a r holidays that can be made to order with a choice of flavor, crust, and toppings. Along with specials for different holidays, Sweet Ride also hosts special events in their party room l i ke b i r thday par t i es ,

National Ice Cream Day events, and others where the customers are greeted b y f r i e n d l y f a c e s throughout the day. On an o rd ina ry day w i thou t parties or events, they have a treasure chest filled with card games and board

games to play with at t h e t a b l e s .

Although they have all these p o s i t i v e aspects, the o n l y downside is that it often

has a lot of customers. This

modern ice cream parlor with a vintage

twist draws customers in every day to enjoy each other’s company and a cold treat that never goes out of style.

Cold Stone Creamery Cold Stone Creamery, located near the Target shopping center, has been in business since 1988, while Sweet Ride only opened about three years ago. The friendly workers associated with Cold Stone allow you to grab a plastic spoon and sample their flavors, in order to choose the perfect flavor for you. Not only are they known for their del icious ice cream, they also have a case of ice cream cakes to the side of the counter. The location of Cold Stone is v e r y c o n v e n i e n t f o r customers who are out shopp ing , due to i t s proximity to Target and the surrounding stores. (Continued on pg 3)

by Alex Hoffman

Sweet Ride vs Cold Stone: Who

Will Win?

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Whi le the idea o f having later school start times just seems like a common and popular option among teenagers, parents and other sleep specialists are beginning to see the positive results in a later start time. The c u r re n t a n d m o s t common school start time for high schools is between the hours of 7 am and 8 am. Teens are already the least likely to meet their needs as far as sleep because of poor j u d g m e n t s i n e v e r y d a y s l e e p habits. Many other factors are built into a teenager’s life that affect the quality of sleep that can be ensured each night.T e e n a g e r s a r e a l r e a d y g o i n g through a series of biological changes at this stage in their lives which affects mental health and adds stress to their bodies. The internal clock of a teen’s body creates the pattern of going to sleep later and, in result, waking up later. F o r e x a m p l e , teenagers are usually going to sleep around 11 pm and then are expected to wake up for school which starts at 7:30 am. This would put a normal wake up time around 6:15 am, only allowing for about 6-7 hours of sleep, resulting in 2-3 hours

less than what is needed.

Because most t e e n a g e r s a r e a l r e a d y s l e e p deprived, taking away hours o f sleep each night c o u l d c a u s e a

series of health effects and other physical complications. This cou ld i nc lude no t be ing a ler t dur ing school when students are expected to be engaged in learning, d r o w s i n e s s w h i l e driving and putting not just themselves but others as well, subtle h e a l t h p r o b l e m s i n v o l v e d i n s l e e p

disorders, and more. Students and young adults should not be put at these risks due to the demand ing schedule of a high school education.The life of a teenager is usually packed with most of the day being taken up by school hours, plus homework, jobs, sports, and other e x t r a c u r r i c u l a r activities. Most people don’t recognize the fact that while students t r y t o p r i o r i t i z e education, they also try to have a life outside of t h e p r e s s u r e s o f s c h o o l . S o c i a l demands have a great

effect on a teen’s life and certainly puts sleep at the bottom of the list. Many see sleep as something for the weak and not as a necessity in o rd e r f o r y o u t o f u n c t i o n t o y o u r f u l l e s t a n d b e s t p o t e n t i a l . S o m e believe it is a strength to be able to keep p u s h i n g t h o u g h school work in order to mainta in good grades. Because of t h e w a y t h e s e s c h e d u l e s a r e planned with back to back activities and c o n s t a n t r u n n i n g around, this gives

more reason to have t o m e e t t h e r e c o m m e n d e d amount of sleep.One way teenagers can increase the amount of sleep they get each night i s b y b e t t e r m a n a g i n g t h e i r time. Because we can not cont ro l society and the way it functions as to where and when

important events, work, and school will be taking place, it is only easiest to better handle what teens do with the “free” time t h e y h a v e . T h i s possible solution runs into problems when w e t a k e i n t o cons iderat ion the outside pressures that teens face that cause t h e m t o t r y a n d balance a decent social life during their free time. As a result, many should support the possible change in school start times to further benefit the education of typical high school students.

Sleep Deprivation and School

by Jocelyn Reber

(Continued from pg 2)This creamery offers seating inside and outside to enjoy their ice cream any time of the year. Cold Stone Creamery doesn’t have as much room in its shop as Sweet Ride has, but the combination of smiling workers and the variety of flavors draws customers in every day.The Final Word When asked which ice cream shop they prefer, Emerson Gagnon responded, “Sweet Ride because I love their Graham cracker ice cream, and I love the decor and location.” Grace Diehl also replied with, “Sweet Ride because I feel like the atmosphere is more family and friends centered with the games they offer and the large eating area. Also, they have water sitting out so I don’t need to ask them for some.” According to popular opinion, Sweet Ride is a more welcoming and pleasant place to enjoy ice cream and the company of family and friends.

When we are young, we dream of one day being able to drive. The idea of being able to get into a car and drive yourself wherever you want just seems so fascinating to you when you don’t even know how to properly ride a bike. However, as many of us start to get our permits and our licenses, we are realizing there is one part of driving that we never seemed to notice before: how stupid other people can be on the road. Whether they’re driving too fast, too slow, too reckless, or just driving like an idiot, there are many ways others can drive incorrectly. Even though it’s never us that make the mistakes (I know how you all think, I’m one of you), we have to lead by example. So sit back, relax, and let me educate you on the worst possible things you could do while driving. The first driving faux-pas is driving too slow. Emma Esterbrook, a Wyomissing Senior, explained that what makes her most frustrated on the road is, “When people in the passing lane are driving under 70.” For those of you who don’t drive (or might not know proper driving etiquette), the passing lane on a highway is strictly meant for those who are, shocker, trying to pass other cars. By driving slowly in this lane, you are not only making other people’s commute less enjoyable, but you are also just being a jerk. (Continued on pg 7)

Idiocy on Wheels

by Kaylee Quinter

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Wyomissing’s 2019 senior class houses a talented rapper widely known as Swamp God. A joke turned into reality one Friday night w h e n 3 s e n i o r s collaborated to create one of the best songs Berks County has ever heard. W i t h a s i n g l e s o n g , “Friendzone”, Swamp God propelled himself into music stardom, at least l o c a l l y . W y o m i s s i n g students young and old listened in awe as the high pitched rapper belted his lyrics over a catchy beat. Little did they know a whole album, filled with iconic features, was on the way. After the release of “To Save the Swamp”, nearly every Wyomissing student fell in love with the musical sensation. Not

only did Swamp God gain popularity, but a wide variety of featured artists on his album did as well. Names such as Lil Tico, Lil Oullie, and Swaggy Nolster 939 rang through the halls of Wyomissing Area High School nonstop for weeks fo l lowing the a lbum’s November 18th release.Praise for Swamp God and h i s m u s i c i s a d a i l y occurrence in and around W y o m i s s i n g . F e l l o w W y o m i s s i n g s e n i o r Dominic Flowers claims “ S w a m p G o d i s t h e g r e a t e s t r a p p e r SoundCloud has produced to date.” S i n c e t h e success o f h i s fi r s t a l b u m , S w a m p G o d released t h e h o t t e s t E . P. o f

the holiday season, “A S w a m p y C h r i s t m a s . ” Along with the ogre loving rapper, fan favorite artists like Lil Oullie, Kosmo, and Joe Crow returned to spread holiday joy to fans near and far. “A Swampy Chr istmas” a lso gave S w a m p g o d t h e opportunity to work with who he refers to as his favorite feature art ist, Green Boy Butch, for the first t ime. Green Boy Butch, along with every o the r a r t i s t t ha t has collaborated with the one and only Swamp God, appreciates the vibes

e m i t t e d while they reco rd i n the studio, or as artists fondly refer to it as “the S w a m p . ” “A l though the studio setting was a n automobile,

Swamp made me feel right at home.” was Green Boy’s immediate response when asked about his time in Swamp God’s studio.S i n c e t h e C h r i s t m a s album, Swamp God has been relatively quiet with his music releases. Behind the scenes, he has been working day and night on new music for his loyal fans. A lot has changed in h i s m u s i c s i n c e t h e “Friendzone” days. Swamp God’s vocals have been toned down quite a bit and the quality of the auto tune and beats used in his s o n g s h a v e g r e a t l y increased. “The fans aren’t ready” the “Jungle Fever” rapper exclaims when asked about his upcoming a l b u m “ B u r m e s e Illuminati”. As Swamp God continues to work tirelessly o n h i s m u s i c , a l l o f Wyomissing stands behind him waiting with bated breath to see what the rapper has in store.

by William Mengel

The Rise of Swamp God

To “photoshop,” as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, is “to alter (a photographic image) d ig i ta l ly us ing Photoshop image-editing software.” In general , Photoshop is everywhere. W h e t h e r i t b e a d s , Ins tagram photos , o r mov ies , var ia t ions o f photoshop are involved in jobs and personal lives a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y. However, my experience lies within a mysteriously-publicized high school yearbook of my Journalism teacher, Mr. Stanchek,

from about 15 years ago. I searched his high school and his graduation year only to find his photo on the first result of my Google search; it was edited and cropped to my h e a r t ’s c o n t e n t . A h , Co lone l Sande rs . An American culinary icon, fake veteran, and I guess my Journalism teacher, too. I shared the photo with him, of course, and received a positive review from both him and the staff o f W y o m i s s i n g A r e a J u n i o r / S e n i o r H i g h School. I immediately fell in love with cropping his photos onto Blackbeard and Ned Stark of Game of Thrones, among others.The process begins with selecting a photo to crop.

Then, you “erase” the background and any other small details you want removed from the photo. This step is the most important, as you must be able to perfectly cut out part of the photo so the re m a i n i n g c h u n k fi t s p e r f e c t l y i n t o t h e background. That leads i n t o t h e n e x t s t e p : selecting a background. In the case of my Colonel Sanders creation, I would have to take the cropped photo of Stanchek’s head and place it on a new background, which just so happened to be a very senile Colonel Sanders. After placing the adjusted p h o t o o n t o a n e w background, you can add o ther fea tu res l i ke a

mustache or glasses. If y o u d o w a n t t o a d d features, you must save the adjusted-photo-on-new-background picture and treat the features like you treated the adjusted photo. Simply crop and “erase” the photo, then add it to the previously saved background and move it around so it fits within the whole picture.It was until recently after my Photoshop reign of terror that the question donned on me: Could Photoshop provide too m u c h p o w e r t o t h e creator? I spent several class periods creating my Stanchek masterpieces, but could I take it too far? (Continued on pg 6)

The Gift of Photoshop

by August Smychynsky

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(Continued from pg 1)Plus, Daily Practice For The New SAT was created by the College Board, which means that i ts format wi l l be extremely similar to the actual test. 3. Ready4 SAT. Not only does this app have daily questions, it has many other helpful features as well. There a r e l e s s o n s that will guide you th rough the entirety of the test, as well a s p r o v i d e information on the average test scores for many universities.4. The Princeton Review. T h e P r i n c e t o n R e v i e w website is well known for its abundance of practice tests. For many students, this method can be the most effective way to study. While

some courses and practices do cost money, they can get you the preparation you need.5. PrepScholar. This online course does not just help you study for the SAT, but it also carries courses on the

ACT, GMAT, and GRE as well. If you are

considering your testing options, t h i s c o u r s e could help you decide which test would be right for you.

The SAT can be a stressful topic to

think about. But now is the time to start taking action and to find your ideal studying method. These online courses will help you prepare in a personalized and easily-accessible way. Hopeful ly one of these methods will work for you!

(Continued from pg 1)Of the six titles listed, only two (Black Swan and Get Out) were made after 2010. T h e t w o fi l m s , unfortunately, did not win Best Picture their years, but the Academy awarded Natalie Portman for her per formance in Black Swan with a Best Actress Oscar, and Get Out earned Best Original Screenplay.Nowadays, horror movies get thrown a technical nomination or two, but nothing more. The main re a s o n t h e A c a d e m y seems to ignore horror mov i es seems to be because of their small appeal. Most of the movies nominated are dramas, a film genre most people enjoy from time to time. However, the horror movie gen re as a who le i s

something a lot of people ignore because of the sca re fac to r, l ead ing audiences to enjoy the nominated dramas that critics adored.Another issue with the Academy is that they tend to favor indie darlings over summer blockbusters, voting for films that no one a c t u a l l y s a w. H o r ro r movies, especially the ones released in October, make bank, and while box office totals don’t make a movie great, it gets people watching the film. But

instead of applauding jump scares, violence, and gore, the Academy falls head over heels in love with a t w o - h o u r s l o g o f a dramatic romance.The low number of horror m o v i e s r e c e i v i n g n o m i n a t i o n s s e e m s strange because some of the best scary flicks are released in October, which is the start of Oscar season. Most movies n o m i n a t e d c o m e o u t during October, November, and December, so blaming the release date of a horror

fi l m

doesn’t seem right either.H o r r o r , e v e n

though the genre is often criticized and frowned upon, is currently at its prime, with films including scares and gore but also making a statement. For e x a m p l e , G e t O u t d i s c u s s e d r a c i a l discrimination by including suspense elements and a killer storyline that keeps the audience guessing (maybe that’s why it won Best Original Screenplay.)

M o r e h o r r o r movies like Get Out need to be recognized around Oscar season because they aren’t just full of jump scares and cheap effects; they discuss important topics and have necessary themes that need to be shown in films nowadays.

(Continued from pg 2)Eleven or twelve o’clock is u n d e r s t a n d a b l e w i t h e x t r a c u r r i c u l a r s a n d homework, but never put four or more all nighters in t h e w e e k . T h e y g i v e absolutely no benefit. Like I said earlier, your health is more important than a ten-point assignment. If you don’t know the information by midnight, you are not going to get it by two. The best thing to do in those cases is to make the last thing you do the night before and the first thing the morning of studying. It will be fresh in your mind, and the information will settle a little during the n igh t . Bu t more than anything, my biggest tip to you is to enjoy the year.I’ll be honest, I really am not the biggest advocate towards the pleasures of

senior year, they are few and far between. But there is a different sense of self getting into your first college or having your career in place. Now, with the first semester over, the anxiety of first s e m e s t e r g r a d e s h a s incinerated. Remember to see your favorite places with your favorite people because it’s rare to have your whole life remain the same. Senior year is the calm before the s to rm, so don ’ t s t ress yourself out too much.

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Home furnishing magazines and websites often advertise perfectly arranged bedrooms that teenagers secretly all wish t h e y c o u l d c r e a t e themselves. The room is always color coordinated a n d o f t e n i n c l u d e s i n t e res t i ng p i eces o f f u r n i t u r e t h a t d r a w c o n s u m e r s i n t o t h e advert isement. Among these interesting pieces of furniture, there is often the infamous bean bag chair. The bean bag chair has constantly been popular among children due to their unconventional shape and exciting filling that makes sitting in a bean bag chair more of an event rather than just taking a seat.I myself was victim to one o f t h e s e c o m m o n advertisements featuring a fluffy bean bag chair in the

corner of the room. As I sat uncomfortably on the seat to my desk in my bedroom I was strongly drawn to the idea of purchasing a bean bag chair myself. Although I would be leaving for a college in a year, making a d d i c t i n g a d d i t i o n a l furniture to my room to only move out of in a year s l ight ly impract ica l , I couldn’t help but feel a need to buy that bean bag chair immediately. Rather than making an impulse purchase and possibly regretting the waste of money later, I decided to hold off and think about buying this bean bag chair and instead take time to evaluate bean bag chairs.Obviously the bean bag chair has benefits that appeal to everyone. Each bean bag chair consists of different features from material to shape. There are several materials that could be the cover of the chair, arguably the most important part. A soft blanket like, cotton, several faux furs, and velvet, each

coming in different colors all of which are incredible comfortable provide the surface you will come in contact with so the style is incredibly important. The plush like texture of the bean bag chair as a whole provides a place to sit that is more comfortable than a chair but will not make you want to sleep like when sitting in a bed. The bean bag chair is the perfect medium for wanting to be comfortable but also still having the option of being productive. A variety of s izes are avai lable to choose from to appeal to eve ryone f rom young children wanting to watch tv, to couples looking to sit comfortably together. For the environmental cautious people out there, bean bags are often made of shredded memory foam which helps to reduce the amount of trees being cut down compared to typical chairs made of wood. While the composition of a bean bag chair l imits deforestation in a small

way, the materials that are used to create a bean bag c h a i r a r e i n c r e d i b l y durable, providing a lost lasting investment. These materials last for long periods of time and take a lot of wear and tear to finally become unusable.   Overall bean bag chairs come in styles for everyone so why not buy one?The price of a bean bag chair is arguably the only negat ive aspect when considering purchasing a bean bag chair.   These luxury chairs tend to be a little pricey so researching your options is the primary way to make a intelligent p u r c h a s e . T h e p r o s outweigh the cons to purchasing a bean bag chair when the only con is t h e p r i c e w h i c h c a n become irrelevant due to some researching.To this day my bean bag c h a i r i s m y f a v o r i t e investment due to the c o m f o r t a b l e p l a c e i t provides for anything from watching Netflix to doing hours of homework.  

Beanbags: Are They Worth It?

by Maggie Ferrandino

(Continued from pg 4)Most definitely. I could easily edit Mr. Stanchek’s yearbook to fit any sort of p i c t u r e , i n n o c e n t o r graphic. In the words of Stanchek himself: “People get good at it and can edit a lot of things and can make people think things and can manipulate ideas.” Even with an affinity for Photoshop, I couldn’t agree more. If someone had gotten their hands on the photo, they could have easily adjusted it to fit anything. Now, would I e v e r l e t S t a n c h e k ’s reputation possibly get harmed? Absolutely not.

These theoretical situations contribute to the fact that Photoshop is a dangerous tool. However, Photoshop i s usua l l y used i n a lighthearted manner and only a small percentage of Photoshop fanatics use it w i t h b a d i n t e n t i o n s . Photoshop is an overall great source for some comic relief, and I hope the practice continues for years to come.

“The Commodore” August Smychynsky Media-Photoshop

2019

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From Mini-THON Friday into Saturday, and Songs for Celia on Sunday, the first weekend in March was packed with pediatric cancer support! Originally scheduled for three in the afternoon, Songs for Celia was moved to noon to a c c o m m o d a t e t h e unexpected snow. This d i d n ’ t e ff e c t t h e overwhelming number of f a m i l y, f r i e n d s , a n d community members from

coming to show their support for Celia and her family. The event featured a two and a half hour show of singing from

d r a m a c l u b c u r r e n t members and alumni who sang some of Celia’s favorite songs, from the B r o a d w a y m u s i c a l

Newsies to Dear Evan Hansen, songs from the p o p u l a r m o v i e T h e Greatest Showman, hits such as Journey’s “Don’t S t o p B e l i e v i n g ” a n d Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song”, and much more, all for Celia. You may have seen the blue t-shirts around school which were b e i n g s o l d d u r i n g in te rmiss ion to ra ise money for Celia and her f a m i l y , a l o n g w i t h concessions, and raffle tickets. We hope Celia and the Cosent ino fami ly enjoyed the afternoon of music, and a big thank you to all who showed their support.

(Continued from pg3)People who have places to be might need to pass the slower moving cars to get to their destinations on time, and by you hogging up the passing lane, you are making their lives a lot harder than in needs to be. If you want to go exactly the speed limit or slower, stay in the normal lane. Save the rest of us our sanity. The next mistake you should never make as a driver is going too fast. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Kaylee, you just told me not to drive slowly, now you’re telling me I can’t drive fast?” And the answer is no, I am not telling you you can’t drive fast. If there is no one in front of you, and you want to risk getting a speeding ticket, by all means feel f ree . Bu t i f t he re i s someone in front of you, you should not be riding their tail end, or as Junior Jocylen Reber calls it, “When they’re up your

butt.” Not only is this extremely annoying, but it is actually quite dangerous for you. If that person would need to jam on their brakes for who knows what reason, you would have less reaction time in order to not rear end them. This is especially true on the highway, as the higher speeds mean the more serious an accident could be. As Mr. Stanchek, a W y o m i s s i n g E n g l i s h teacher explains, the worst people are, “People who come right behind you in the passing lane. Like I’ll g e t a r o u n d t h e c a r whenever I’m ready. Thank you.” So take my word on this one, the last thing you need as a new driver is to jack up your insurance rates

because you rear ended some woman on the way to Wawa. The last unspeakable act you should never commit on the road is lacking all r e s p e c t a n d s p a c i a l awareness. Now what can this look like? Well, there are many different ways you can commit this sin against nature. Yanelis C o n t r e r a s , a j u n i o r, explains, “When it’s a two way street and the car expects you to stop so they can pass when both of you can fit through the street. They just lack spacial awareness.” It is a well known fact that if you are on a two way street and a parked car i s blocking part of your lane, you have to wait for the

ca rs i n t h e

opposite lane to pass before do, as you most likely have to go into the other lane to pass the p a r k e d v e h i c l e . B y breaking this rule, you face the risk of running head on into oncoming traffic. Another way you can break this rule is by passing behind moving cars. Clayton Frymoyer, a senior, explains that one of the worst things a driver can do is, “When I’m pulling out of my driveway and a car passes behind me.” Driving behind a moving vehicle is not only dangerous, but it is also just straight up rude. So do us all a favor, and watch where you’re going. At the end of the day, driving a car is a big deal. T h e l i v e s o f y o u r passengers, your fellow drivers, and yourself are at stake. So be safe, and show us why the state of Pennsylvania decided to give you that license.

Songs for Celia: A Recap

by Ashley Dasika

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