March 15, 2016 Volume 3 Issue 7 the GROVE GAZETTE
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March 15, 2016 Volume 3 Issue 7 THE GROVE GAZETTE Selinsgrove Area High School Student Newspaper In this issue: Forensics Team Qualifies Forensics March Madness By Maegan Bogetti Holiday News The Selinsgrove Forensics Speech and Debate Japanese Exchange team has been busy lately with tournaments -- tourna- Sports ments that proved opportune for two Selinsgrove debat- Student Profiles ers who made the final cut to the national competition in My Turn Sacramento, California in late May. At the National Catholic Forensics speech events that highlight public speak- League (NCFL) National Qualifier Tourna- ing or writing skills to intense, fast-talking ment hosted at Shikellamy High School on debate, the team has endless potential. March 5, the public forum debate team of Students do not have to be a professional juniors Isabel Bailey and Sydney Reib- debater to join the team either, as the fo- schied ranked in the top five overall, earn- rensics adviser, Mrs. Bunting-Specht ing them a tick- (along with et to California. team members) can provide Bailey information and and Reibschied answers to spent the day questions. debating a topic revolving Joining around United the team offers States military many benefits: presence in improving writ- Okinawa, a Jap- ing and re- anese island search skills, located in East- Photo by Brittany Bunting-Specht shaking out ern Asia. With The three public forum debate teams at the National Qualifi- nervousness in four rounds of er tournament. From left to right: freshman Zach Frey and public speaking, Maegan Bogetti, juniors Sydney Reibschied and Isabel Bai- competitive ley, and seniors Aidan Finnerty and Zach Lentz. and even aca- debate demic opportu- throughout the day, the girls worked hard nities for the future. Some Selinsgrove for their place at the prestigious tourna- former team members have attended top ment. Reibschied stated that she and Bai- colleges and universities such as Schreyer ley “were very emotional when they an- Honors College at Penn State, Wellesley nounced [their] names as qualifiers.” College, and Oberlin College, just to name a few. Other Selinsgrove students have been hard-working participants on the In the past four years, students team as well. At the State Qualifiers host- have qualified to attend the NCFL National ed in Danville on February 20th, two public Tournament in Philadelphia, Chicago, Fort forum debate teams, one parliamentary Lauderdale, and Sacramento. To Reib- debate trio, and two duo dramatic interpre- schied, it is beneficial because “it is the tation teams represented Selinsgrove. perfect mix of academics and fun, and it combines a social aspect with current Joining the speech and debate events.” team definitely has its benefits—and there are events that appeal to everyone. From The Grove Gazette is a student organized newspaper. If you are interested in working for the Grove Gazette as a writer, editor, or pho- News Editors: Savanna Foor & Dan Napsha tographer, please join us during the first half of lunch on Thursday, Sports Editor: Angelo Martin March 31st in Room 222 for our Opinion/Editorial Editor: Isabel Bailey next meeting. You can also email Mr. Switala at wswitala@seal- Graphics Editor: Lindsey Trusal pa.org if you cannot make the meeting. Page 2 March Madness Saves Lives By Liz Whitmer Each year 40 million people fill out Thursday, March 17th. Each round of the brackets betting on which team they think tournament is worth an escalating amount will win the NCAA Division I Men’s Basket- of points, so choosing the later round win- ball tournament, also known as March ners helps more than just getting the first Madness, in the hope of winning honor round correct. and glory. The average American bet placed on each bracket is $29, but the Selins- grove chapter of the National Honor Soci- ety (NHS) is only asking for a donation of $5 to enter a bracket in our school’s con- test; however, 100 % of the money collect- ed is being donated to the American Can- cer Society. The American Cancer Socie- As if donating money to a chari- ty provides hundreds of millions of dollars table cause and bragging rights for choos- each year to fund cancer research and ing the correct winner is not enough, Na- treatment. tional Honor Society is also offering prizes to the top three winners. The following Anyone attending, working, or local businesses have donated gift certifi- knowing someone at SAHS will be able cates and prizes for the winners totally enter a bracket choosing the one college nearly $300: Texas Roadhouse, Bounce basketball team out of 68 they believe will Away, Burger King, Sunset Skating Rink, win it all. The winner of the NHS bracket Villa Teresa, Rocco’s Pizza, Country challenge will be announced the day after Creamery, Red Robin, Rita’s Italian Ice, the National Championship game on April KFC, Auntie Anne’s, Dairy Queen, and 4th. Weis Markets Brackets can be found in the As spring approaches, many main office, library, cafeteria, outside of people will start to think about their March Room 222, or from any NHS member. A Madness brackets, so instead of entering person merely has to choose the winner of a bracket with another group, submit one each game on the bracket and then turn through National Honor Society to help a their sheet in with a $5 donation to Mr. charitable cause and support local busi- Switala (in Room 222) by 12 noon on nesses. Luck of the Irish: A Quick History By Nia Thomas Though a widely celebrated holi- the holiday was simply celebrated as a day in America, the true origin of St. Pat- religious tradition. The New York City St. rick’s Day and why it is celebrated as a Patricks’ Day Parade came into effect in holiday are often cloaked in mystery. 1762, when a disgruntled group of Irish soldiers joined to march down Broadway. The holiday is based on the pa- tron Saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. While In Ireland the holiday is regarded most of his youth is unknown, his adult- as a religious festival. On this day, first hood has been well documented. Believed celebrated in 1903, the most widely used to be born outside of Ireland around 400 form of celebration was a parade. The AD, the young saint was captured in his parade lasted for one day, with more mod- youth and sent to work in Ireland as a ern parades lasting as long as five. slave. Saint Patrick's Day is also littered It is believed that about six years with traditions. One of the most popular later he escaped to Britain, which is where traditions is heavy drinking. During the first he found his religious calling. After training celebration in Ireland, the people were with the St. Germaine in France, Patrick prohibited by law to drink on this day (a had a dream that he was being called law that wasn't lifted until the 1970's). The back to Ireland, to convert the Gaelic tradition is believed to have come from the country to Christianity. By the end of his fact that on March 17th those who observe life, believed to be March 17, 461, St. Pat- lent are allowed to abandon their observa- rick was a legendary figure for his ortho- tion. dox writings and for myths that have popped up in their wake. It has also become a tradition to wear green. The idea of wearing green The first documented celebration came from the belief that St. Patrick used of this day was in Boston in 1737, to cele- a green clover in one of his sermons to brate the large community of Irish immi- display the Holy Trinity. This is also why grants who were once believed to have people wear shamrocks on this day. lost their roots. On this first celebration, Page 3 Foreign Friends Returning to the ‘Grove By Kiana Brubaker Exchange students from Japan This year there will be five female will be arriving on Sunday, March 20, exchange students, and one male: Riko, 2016, to experience Selinsgrove’s every- Nana, Minako, Minori, Erika, and Masaya, day culture. respectively. They will be brought by two chaperones, Yoshi and Koz. The chaper- Since 2002, when the Japanese ones will stay with faculty, while the stu- exchange program was first established, dents will stay with the families of Selins- many of our students have been given a grove students. unique cultural experience. The program promotes a cultural exposure that comes Paige will be hosting the ex- in many forms -- students visiting Japan, change student Nana Ogawa. To intro- hosting visitors, or merely interacting with duce exchange students to American cul- one of them. ture, Paige’s family takes them to a varie- ty of locations in the area, including Sus- Junior Paige Hepner has experi- quehanna University, a local farm, the enced all of these situations. She opined, mall, and a Hershey Bears hockey game. “It’s neat in both regards because you not Comparatively, Americans also have a only get to learn about their culture, you very different diet than the Japanese, so also get to see how our culture and cus- to introduce them to local favorites, host toms compare to those that they have.” families like Paige’s, choose to cook pop- ular Pennsylvania Dutch dishes. The main goal of having the ex- change students visit America is to pro- When the exchange students are vide them with a glimpse of our daily life. visiting, Selinsgrove students are encour- The students will be visiting from March aged to interact and start up a conversa- 20th to the 30th, though they only will be tion with them, rather than just staring at attending our school on the 21st, 22nd, and them from afar.