VOLUME 14, ISSUE 2 “HOME OF THE PHANTOMS” NOVEMBER 2017 “Radium Girls”: So good, it’s lethal Written by: Logan Perrone With the school year whizzing by, it is again time for the Phoenixville Area High School’s fall play from the PAHS Theatre Guild. This year’s production is “Radium Girls,” a story about women from PEOPLE (pages 2-3) the twentieth century who paint watch dials, unbeknownst that the Mary Adams radioactive paint was damaging Lee (Colin Proctor) giving Roeder their health. The story follows the (Alek Wasserman) and Mrs. Roeder Carlos Shultz life of Grace Fryer (senior Julianita (Rachael Hesse) some bad news Vlad) both inside and outside the about a friend. Xandra Coleman factory. In the director’s chair Photos: Mike Lantzy once again is Mr. Craig Tavani, Ms. Sketch along with Mrs. Mimi Ballantine (page 4) producing. NEWS “Radium Girls” Camphill village marks the end of a This year’s poster design was hiatus of serious done via contest format with the Phantom Station drama productions winning submission coming from from Director Ta- senior Malia Edney. NHS inductees vani, who will be at the helm of his THANKSGIVING Lee (Colin Proctor) discusses the SHOUT-OUTS (page 5) future of the Radium Corp. with Mr. and Mrs. Roeder (Alek Wasserman Giving thanks!! and Rachael Hesse) OPINIONS (pages 6-7) Marvel comics Ask the Nurse A Graduation Gown Point—Counterpoint Radium girls work painting watch dials (in the foreground Grace and Irene, played by ENTERTAINMENT Julianita Vlad and Ocean Swomley. (pages 10-11) Background girls include Camryn Lydon, Sophie Sullivan, and Geena Sterritt). “Silicon Valley” “Labyrinth fourteenth production at PAHS. advantage. “It’s hard to find a play personality. “There's a lot of di- 7:00 p.m., and Sunday the 18th at Some of his previous credits in- with not just a few, but many good mension to my character. There 2:00 p.m.. Tickets can be pur- Hollow Knight clude “Great Expectations,” “The female roles,” Tavani mentioned. are scenes where I am the compa- chased at pahs.seatyourself.biz or Green Bird,” and of course last What makes “Radium Girls” ny president, and there’s the at the door. The cost is $7 for stu- “Ninja Warrior” year’s “The Taming of the Shrew” unique is the story’s timeline and scenes at home where I showing dents and $10 for adults. (pages 12-13) which were all more light hearted. character development through- my emotions,” Wasserman said. “I think it has a very good mes- SPORTS “Radium Girls is a show Mrs. out the production. Grace Fryer is With its touching story, bits of sage to spread,” Wasserman said. Girls’ Soccer Ballantine showed me a few comedy, and standout cast, there “I think it’s going to be a very Tom (Noah Horton) brings food to is surely something in “Radium moving show.” This year’s show is Girls’ Volleyball his fiancée Grace (Julianita Vlad) Girls”to be enjoyed by all. “I think shaping up to be one of the best and her sick friend Katherine the audience will enjoy the drama Director Tavani and the Theatre Boys’ Soccer (Xandra Coleman). the most. There are a lot of heavy Guild have ever brought to PAHS, moments—serious moments that and they can’t wait to see you Philadelphia Eagles will touch the heartstrings of the there! audience,” Vlad said. FOR FUN Dr. Von Schococky (Brennan The show runs Friday November Becker) showing Roeder (Alek Speak Out—pgs. 8-9 16th and Saturday the 17th at Wasserman) that his hand has turned black due to of the radium. Horoscopes—pg. 14 Thanksgiving quiz— pg. 15 “We do not have to years ago,” Tavani said. “We’ve accept injustice. We can been considering doing it for a fifteen years old at the beginning while.” The play does have it’s of the show, but ages as the plot use our powers as comedic moments, but does its progresses. “It’s interesting be- best to stay on a serious note cause at the beginning she’s very consumers to influence throughout the majority of the naive...” Vlad said. “She has to acts. mature and face the fact that she the practice of those Traditionally, “Radium Girls” may not live much longer.” who would wish to profit presents a large number of char- Junior Alek Wasserman plays the acters with only a handful of ac- company president Mr. Roeder - from our patronage” - tors. The large number of female the man responsible for the girls’ speaking parts played to Tavani’s illness - who has many sides to his Katherine Wiley, “Radium Girls.” *PEOPLE* Mary Adams: Leaving her prints on PAHS Mary is equally busy Written by: outside of school; in The seniors in Marching Band enjoy Senior Night. Meghan O’Neill her free time, she trains young dogs to be service dogs. Her family is part of a club that fosters puppies while they participate in various Seeing Eye dog training cours- es.They started the program in 2014 after they saw a presentation of service puppies. After a long and tedious certification pro- cess that took nearly half a year for her first Senior Mary Adams is everything you’d puppy, they became authorized puppy expect a devoted student to be; she’s dedi- raisers. cated to her studies and her multiple ex- “We knew right away that this was some- tracurricular activities. Outside of school, thing we wanted to be a part of,” Mary however, Mary does something that sets said. her apart from her peers: her family trains These dogs go through rigorous condi- young puppies to become service dogs. tioning to make the Currently, Mary is train- cut for the job, and the ing a six month old Ger- Irma and her brothers (Ivon, Ion, Irma). most trivial points in these dogs’ develop- they are in service whenever they wear family. Photos courtesy of Mary Adams ment is their young- their vests: they’re not allowed to be pet in On top of the constant flow of service est years. Mary helps social places unless their owner gives per- pups in training, Mary has a former dog to provide these mission, and they must obey commands at trainee who wasn’t quite ready for service pups with a loving all times. At fourteen months, the dogs named Nolan, a cat named Rex, and her environment and a leave their foster families and are tested to current service puppy, Irma. She lives with family that’s willing enter the official training program for her mom, dad, older sister Michelle who to train them, both in goes to Temple, and training school and at home. A fellow dog trainer poses with “I’m currently raising Mary (right) and her training my fourth puppy and dog, Irma. I have loved every moment along the younger brother Mark way,” Mary said. who is in tenth grade; she The program spans also has an older brother from the time the puppies are brought into Matt who currently lives man shepherd named Irma. their foster family’s home until they are in New York. In her free At school, Mary is an extremely active just over a year old. These pups begin their time, which is incredibly student. She is an active member of the training extremely young, starting at only limited, Mary likes to Phoenixville Band; she plays the flute in seven weeks old. The meticulous process relax and chill out. She the Concert Band and is also a member of consists of attending puppy training ses- plans to attend college the Color Guard squad. She is a section sions, where the pups attend obedience and wants to focus on leader with sopho- training courses with the business. more Tyler Martin, other dogs in the program. Mary’s schedule may be and is responsible Six months after the start hectic, but she loves for supervising of their training, the pups training the dogs to be other color guard are “vested,” and they the best service dogs they members and be- obtain semi-official status can be. She’s passionate ing in charge as young service dogs. about helping these dogs whenever the When vested, the dogs are develop the skills they instructor isn’t expected to act as though need to be mature and present. She is also Seeing Eye dogs. If the dogs make the cut, helpful for service. She is committed to they leave their foster family and begin the president of This is Irma the day Mary performing her best in her academics, the their training. If the dogs fail, they can be the Library Club, got her (June 23). She was band, Color Guard, and as a trainer. Her sent to work as police dogs, bomb-sniffing and participates in 7 weeks old. job may be *ruff*, but Mary’s up for the Book Club. dogs, or they can be adopted by the foster challenge. Carlos Shultz: New to Phoenixville, used to success Written by: Carlos transferred to Phoenixville for his Timothy Kopera sophomore year after spending his fresh- man year at Conestoga High School. “The teachers [here] are really nice … I really like the environment,” Carlos said about PAHS. His favorite subject in school is math and currently his favorite class is Algebra II. Compared to Conestoga, Carlos said that he feels “like more of a part of It’s not very often that a school can boast a the cross country team here.” top-five cross country runner in its district. Last summer, between his freshman and It’s even less often that the runner is a sophomore years, Carlos began seriously sophomore with incredible potential due training for cross country and track.