By: Jenna Salisbury and Winnie Blackwood

The talent show this year, put on once again by Mr. Kolokowski and Mrs. Bagot of the Student Council, was very fun and entertaining.  This year’s hosts, Alex Hollister and Alexis Swatt, were enthusiastic and well put together.  Their attempt at comedy, although more cheesy, was nonetheless funny and good humored. The performances by the students were really good, well rehearsed, and creative.  Everyone had great stage presence, and the entire night went incredibly smooth, which only added to the fun of the night.  Congratulations to the participants on their hard work, especially to the winners of the talent show. 

In first place was Alyssa Pertell, who performed an amazingly written original composition while accompanying herself on guitar.  Meghan Bartlett received second place.  Her performance of a very entertaining acrobatic/dance number that was captivating and different.  With third place was Jill Flansburg, who sang “Angels” by Jessica Simpson.  This showed off her powerhouse vocals and range beautifully.  Along with her in third place was Katlyn Christenson singing “Kiss Me Goodbye,” while being accompanied on piano by Natalie Sponenberg.  The pair did a great job.  Katlyn’s vocals were crystal clear and Natalie’s piano playing and harmonizing were awesome.  In honorable mention was Serena Smith playing excerpts from “My Heart Will Go On”, “He’s a Pirate,” and “Lord of the Dance” on violin.  Her violin playing was great, as well as song choices.  

The Johnstown High School Student Council Talent Show was very entertaining.  There was a tremendous amount of talent this year.  Everyone did an amazing job.  This could have been the best one yet.  Even though two talents couldn’t show; they were missed.  But all the back patting shouldn’t just go to the talent, it should also go to the people who were behind the scenes.  Ms. Fiorenza did a great job with the lights.  Alex Kuban and Noah Western were the technical assistance and were very good at it.  The stage crew (Jonathan Heroth, Joshua Muzzi, and Jason Roth) and their talents could have been an act themselves.  They really knew how to bust a move.  Alex Hollister and Alexis Swatt were amazing hosts, and they cracked up everyone in the audience with their jokes.

By: Winnie Blackwood

One of the rules at Johnstown High School is that no hats are allowed on in the building during the school day.  This rule is really enforced.  Why is this rule such a big deal?  It is just a hat.  It’s not a crime, but many act like it is.

Teachers think that some individuals are cheating from their hats.  How can you do that?  You definitely can’t cheat when you are wearing a beanie.  Others thinks that pupils could have a weapon concealed in their hats.  Again, how can you do that?  You could totally tell if someone had a weapon hidden in their baseball cap.  Another reason is if you are wearing a hat in a building it is considered a sign of disrespect.

There is somewhat of a difference between boys and girls wearing hats.  With boys, wearing a hat inside a building is considered disrespectful, and then they are marked as disrespectful.  With girls it is just like any other accessory.  People do not think it is a sign of disrespect, it is just like an pair of shoes.  But if you let the girls wear hats, then the boys feel like they are being discriminated against.

I think that it should be up to you if you want to wear a hat.  It also depends on your upbringings.  Some parents would be disappointed if their child wore a hat to school, because they want their child to be respectful.  

When it comes down to it, wearing a hat is not harming anyone.  I believe that administration should reconsider this school rule.  However until that happens, when you enter the doors of Johnstown High School you will be required to do so without wearing a hat.

By: Jenna Salisbury, Cat Hladik, and Serena Smith

For this year’s spring musical the drama club of Johnstown High School performed the hit 80′s musical Xanadu.  The musical basically centers around the love that develops between the leader of the Muses, Clio (portrayed by Katlyn Christenson) and aspiring artist Sonny Malone (played by Joshua Muzzi) during the 1980′s.  The production was well rehearsed along with the vocals, especially those of Katlyn Christenson and the Muses.  The other six Muses played by Emory Cato, Alyssa Pertell, Michala Gallt, Isa Pikorn, Alexis Munson, and Helaina Stergas also did a great job in showing off their vocals.  The cast seemed enthusiastic and were entertaining and funny.  The band on the stage (Mrs. Sponenberg on keyboard, Zach Akers on guitar, and Ellen Praught on drums) did a great job accompanying the actors with their musical numbers.  Nice job to all that participated in this production.

By: Cameron Russell

Personally, I remember reading the Hunger Games books when I was in 7th grade.  I still remember them as if I just read them, because they of the long lasting impression they put on you.  Today I can say that I had the pleasure of seeing the movie adaptation.  The movie itself is really great in my opinion, however it’s not without its faults.

The movie is based a young-adult series of books that are known for the dark and mature under-tones, however they could easily be created for a more mature audience.  The books center around a series of “games” that pit kids, under the age of 18, to fight to the death for food for their sections.  Katniss is a girl at the age of 16, who is forced into competing in the games.  After her sister’s name was called to compete, Katniss takes her place.  Besides her is a young man named Peeta, around the age of 17.  From there, they have to fight other kids, the government, each other, and society itself.

The first thing I want to touch on is the filming itself.  This movie is beautifully shot, before the game itself, I myself had a couple of draw dropping moments just because of the beauty of the scene.  There are shots further on that are awe-inspiring, but most of the awe is lost once the games actually starts due to the mostly death and fighting scenes that follow.  The fighting scenes are somewhat poorly done.  I found myself lost at who was who in the fight.  I was mostly lost due to the use of the “shaky cam,” which is self explanatory.  This, in my opinion, is over used in the movie and makes it lose some of the more dramatic tension, but not all tension was lost.  While there are some really good fighting scenes in the movie, but most fall flat.  Additionally, there are some brutal death scenes in this movie, and while it takes quite a lot to make me cringe, this movie does just that.  There are three specific death scenes that made me feel very uncomfortable.

Now, I am not going to spoil anything for those who have not read the books, but I do have to mention this.  Again, there are no spoilers.  I have never ever, in my 15 years of living, cried during a movie, but this movie changed that.  There is a part in the movie in where I shed a tear or two, and I think it’s kind of hard not to.  I really do have to tip my hat off to this movie for doing that.

Two of my favorite characters in the books are Haymitch and Cinna.  At first I really didn’t like Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, but that is mostly just because I pictured him to be a bit older.  As the movie progressed, I found that he plays Haymitch really well.  Cinna is Katniss’s dresser, who makes all her clothes for the parades and interviews, and he is a main motivator for Katniss and makes you feel hope for her.  He doesn’t make as much of an impression as in the books, but his character still stays true for the most part.  Another character that surprised me was Effie, who is the spokesperson for Section 12 and is very over dressed.  I don’t know why, but to me she just came off as very likable.  Mostly every character has a likable aspect; Rue is just plain adorable, Peeta is charismatic, and the list goes on.

Although this movie is two and a half hours long, those minutes fly by.  The movie keeps your attention the entire time, and it never lets you go.  The amazing thing is that it keeps you attention without using musical ques.  For example, when someone gets killed there is no dramatic sound to let you know to feel.  Those emotions, like becoming tense or being shocked, come from the expressions of the people themselves and the screams.  The second half of the movie has you on the edge of your seat until the very end; this movie really knows how to draw you in.  The lack of the musical cues is a nice touch, because it’s not telling people how to feel.

Now I have to get a small point across; this movie is about kids killing each other for the enjoyment of reality television.  This is in every sense morbid and immoral, and if you don’t like that premise then please don’t watch this movie.  There are some deeply disturbing scenes in this movie that I wouldn’t recommend for children under ten, or anyone who has a weak stomach.

The overall design of this movie is no less than amazing.  The sections all look like they are in a state of poverty.  They are all in horribly run down conditions, which make you believe the starving conditions for which they are fighting.  On the other end of the spectrum would be the Capitol, which is beautiful, with amazing pieces of art and sculptures everywhere.  The same cannot be said for the people themselves; everyone in the Capitol region wears very fluorescent colored hair pieces and clothing.  For me, I found this to be somewhat annoying, but I think it’s to show the drastic comparison of the Capitol region and the dark and worn down sections.

This movie is rated PG-13, but it could easily have been R rated.  The movie shows a decent amount of blood, which is weird for a PG-13 rated movie.  It’s not a gory amount of blood, but it’s violence against children.  However, it’s also surprising that it’s not R rated, or at least NC 17, since there are young kids being brutally murdered.

The movie is split up into two main parts; the first half is the training, strategy, and character building.  The first half isn’t as tense, but it might be my favorite of the two.  You really get a feel of the upcoming dread.  There is almost a loss of hope during this part, where you see the other competition and their skills, and the lack there of from some of the others.  The second half is the actual competition itself, and this is what the movie and book are known for.  This is a very tense part of the movie, and this is where all the action and shocks come from.  You feel the tension, but you really feel more dread as you see and hear more and more of the kids dying.  It hits you hard when they display the pictures of the people who died.  However it isn’t all about running from each other, they are also trying to survive from natural things like disease, hunger, thirst, and animals.  Plus they are running from the obstacles that show heads are putting in the game.

I am a huge fan of the books, and I’m just as much a fan of the movie.  People are going to love this movie if they have read the books, and if they haven’t as well.  There are some annoying faults with it, however I am able to look past those to see how good this movie truly is.  This movie will most likely be one of my favorites of the year, and it wouldn’t surprise me if I go see it again in the theatres.

I say: Go see it in theatres for full price!

9/10

By: Jenna Salisbury

Phyllis A. Moore, or Mrs. Moore, at the age of 81 past away on January 14, 2012, while surrounded by family and friends including her husband of 63 years, Henry Moore and her eleven grandchildren, her own children, and even great grand children.  Mrs. Moore enjoyed many honorable pursuits such as church, bowling, arts and crafts, and above all her family.

Phyllis Moore worked as an aide in Pleasant Avenue Elementary School, where I was once a student.  I remember her supervising lunch hour and she always dressed up for holidays and for every occasion, whether it be St. Patrick’s day or Christmas.  She always wore special earrings to go along with the day of celebration.  Mrs. Moore was a wonderful person, and I could tell she enjoyed being around the children at Pleasant Ave.  It kept her moving and going on, and tending to the kids was a way to keep her active as well as doing something she was truly enjoyed.  She taught the kids of Pleasant Ave about respect and about honesty.  I recall, one recess we were supposed to be quiet while we filed out towards the playground.  Of course, as a fourth grader, I continued to talk along with everyone else.  That’s when Mrs. Moore stopped us (she was leading us outside), and she asked calmly who was talking.  Obviously fearing we would get in trouble no one admitted anything except three kids who came out and confirmed they were talking.  Unexpectedly, instead of yelling at them like we expected, she let them off with a warning and let them go play.  She had the rest of us, who said nothing, sit down and watch.  That day we were given a pretty good lesson of honesty, and I thank Mrs. Moore for that.

Mrs. Moore was a great person who really cared about people and loved the kids she aided for at Pleasant Ave, as well as her own community, participating in a sundry of community organizations. A memorial service in her honor was held at the Johnstown Reform Church on Saturday January 21, 2012.

By: Haley Martin

Parade band begins in April, or early spring usually.  This year the parade band is being conducted by the high school’s band and music theory teacher, Andrew Lacoppola.  He will be assisted by Knox band teacher, James Morton.  To participate as a member, you must currently be in sixth grade or older (siblings of members may be in the frontguard).  To participate, you must also be academically elligible.  A “front guard” consists of an American flag carrier, two or more banner carriers, and if there are extra people, a rifle or saber carrier.  The Johnstown marching band consists of percussion, brass, woodwind, and sometimes even colorguard sections.  The parade band is known as, “The Johnstown High School Marching Sir Bills.”  The band is represented by the “flying J.”  Practices are usually on weekdays for aproximently an hour and a half, but that may change this year.  This starts soon, so sign up in the band room today!

By: Carly Blomquist

By: Winnie Blackwood

Now that students are allowed to have their book bags with them during the school day, they need to keep their bags outside of the classroom.  However, keeping bags in the hallway was one of the original problems.  In order to prevent people from stealing when the bags are unattended, the solution currently is to have student hall monitors.  Here are some pros and cons to this new decision.

The pros are that sometimes the bags are being watched.  Like always, when you leave your designated class you need to sign out, and have a pass with you at all times. If a hall monitor stops you and a pass is not in your hand a report will be written up, and you will get in trouble.  While this addresses students roaming the halls, it doesn’t completely prevent the stealing.  Although, some potential theives could be deterred by the fact that the halls are being watched and a close eye is being kept on the classroom sign out sheets.

Along with the pros, there are also cons.  The hall monitors are not watching every little hallway in the school.  That results in bags not being attended to still.  Also vandalism is occurring in the bathrooms, and while the hall montiors can remain vigilant, they cannot prevent these acts from happening.  The same applies to our kleptomanias.

What we need to do is get more hall monitors.  They are suppose to be juniors or seniors who have study hall.  There are tons of study hall every period, and the adminstration should look into seeking additional responsible students who will be able to help with this lack of hall supervision.  

Overall, it is a good change that there are student hall monitors to stay observant and keep a watchful eye on our school.

By: Jenna Salisbury, Serena Smith, and Catherine Hladik

The Johnstown High School’s production of Irving Washington’s haunting classic The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow was interesting.  The set was done wonderfully thanks to the dedicated art students and prop builders, including an authentic looking tree and awesome gravestones.  Also the actors were enthusiastic and their acting was good complete with country accents.  It was an interesting twist to show Ichabod Crane as portly, rather than his traditional gangly and tall appearance as expressed in other productions.  Also the performance of the school children were amusing and well done, as well as the rest of the cast including Katrina Von Tassel, Brom Bones, and Ichabod Crane.  Although the casted Ichabod was unable to attend the play, it was great seeing Mr. Morton step up to the plate and letting the show go on.  Unfortunately we were a little disappointed in the Headless Horsemen attack scene.  We believe it was a bit abrupt, especially since it was part of the climax to the play.  Also it seemed out of place to include the Cha Cha Slide dance in a play set in the seventeen hundreds!  Even if it was meant for comedic effect, there really wasn’t any need to modernize the play, since it has been popular for many years.  The play already portrayed some comedy due to the performance of the illiterate school children and the actors portrayal of Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane.  Also in our opinion, instrumental music would have been a great addition during the scene transitions to make them more smooth and flowing.  All in all, The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow was an entertaining show, and we’d like to say job well done to the cast and crew!

By: Jenna Salisbury

Congratulations to the Lady Bills Volleyball Team for making it to the states semifinals!  Unfortunately the Lady Bills were beaten by the John Glenn volley ball team, the Lady Spiders.  Although the Lady Bills lost, it was still an awesome accomplishment to make that far.  Their dedication and hard work and their incredible victories this season is much to be admired.  On other news, incredible job Meghan Bartlett for being eligible for the New York State swimming and diving championships at the Burt Flickinger Center in Buffalo.  A massive achievement, and her coach believes she is more than capable of being in the top three having improved since her still incredible placement of sixth place last year.  Good luck Barlett and great job to the Lady Bills Volleyball Team.