SENIOR POLL INFO INSIDE—PAGE 8 Volume 43 Issue 7 April 2010 Freedom High School - 3149 Chester Avenue - Bethlehem, PA 18020 - www.freedomforum0910.wordpress.com Freedom to Become Skinny for 2011 By Tyler Alicea, Layout Editor Freedom has been subjected utes each. ever, it has been made clear to many changes in the past ―We are trying to look for that this would not be a study few years; however, the intervention for enrichment hall. changes administrators have and tutoring,‖ says assistant Principal Michael LaPorta for next year may shock some believes adding a skinny students. It‘s likely that next ―We are trying to look for block will increase productiv- September Freedom will have intervention for ity. Throughout the year he a five block schedule. enrichment and tutoring.‖ has been meeting with every Administrators are strongly - Kim Harper department in the school to try considering adding a fifth and find the commonality in block into the schedule that principal Kim Harper. the successes and failures of will be tentatively known as a The skinny block will be a our school. ―skinny block.‖ The skinny time where students who are ―I take that as a guide for block, unlike other classes, proficient or higher in the our focus,‖ says LaPorta. ―If will be a thirty minute block PSSAs can sign up to go to a this part of our school is bro- that will be used for tutoring specific classroom or activity ken, I need to fix it.‖ and other enrichment activi- for a certain amount of days. Juniors who are not profi- ties. Since another block is For example, the skinny block cient or higher in the PSSAs being added, it is most likely could be used for clubs to the regular four blocks will be meet, gym makeups, and other Continued on Page 2 Photo Courtesy of Neela Saraswati, News Editor shortened by about ten min- productive activities. How- No More Saturday Mail PSSAs to Succeed? By Alexa Curto, Staff Writer By Luisa Marin, Staff Writer It has been said that nei- Back to back testing is what This year there may be no t- ther rain, nor juniors can expect from April shirts but the pressure to do th th th sleet, nor 12 through April 30 . Read- well is still on for the 11 gloom of night ing, math, writing, and science grade class. Because of low would prevent will all be tested with no test scores the school district the mail work- breaks between testing days. is also under pressure, adding ers of the The Pennsylvania System of further to the necessity of high United State School Assessments (PSSA) is scores from the junior class. Postal Service designed to see how well stu- When j u ni or K evi n from carrying dents are doing in their class- Woodring was asked how he th out their du- room. For high school, 11 prepares for the PSSA he said, ties. However, grade is the only grade that is ―Teachers give us PSSA warm recent finan- required to take them, accord- ups.‖ Many students probably ing to the law in Pennsylvania. have completed these warms cial troubles Photo Courtesy of Sean Cassidy, Photo Editor have left the public wonder- If you were a student at ups as well. The school is try- ing if the business can prevail Saturdays, thus reducing the lost an estimated $2.8 billion. Freedom High School last ing to increase all students‘ in the face of a failing econ- total number of delivery days According to the Postmaster year, you probably saw teach- ability to excel on the PSSA omy. In an effort to save to five. General John Porter, the ser- ers with t-shirts that said ―We by giving students skills that money, the United States Over the course of the last vice stands to lose another $5 Believe.‖ These were meant to are necessary to do well. Postal Service, or USPS, is fiscal year, the Postal Service billion during the current fis- inspire last year‘s juniors to do When English teacher Crys- looking to stop deliveries on cal year ending on September well on their assessments. tal George was asked how she Continued on Page 2 Continued on Page 3 Inside This Issue... Steve Jobs to Sue HTC Marijuana Legalization? Countdown to June 4th Wizarding World of Harry Potter April 2010 NEWS—2 Freedom Forum News Editor: Neela Saraswati Continued from Page 1—Skinny for 2010/2011 also have the opportunity to pass tors are unsure about the possible ricular activities may be cut. Ex- the Scantron or become in en- budget cuts that could arise in the tracurricular activities were tem- rolled in GAP to meet the require- next school year. LaPorta believes porarily suspended during the ment to graduate. However, it is that some cuts could be made. school year due to budget woes, likely that these students, and ―We don‘t know what the and some extracurricular activities other students who are not meet- budget impact will be,‖ says La- may not be returning in Septem- ing standards, will be placed in Porta. ―[This] could cause us to ber. The possibility of paying a fee mandatory tutoring sessions dur- increase class size and reduce pro- to participate has been considered; ing this skinny block. grams.‖ however, administrators believe Freedom will also become skin- LaPorta has also said that ath- that it is unlikely. nier in the sense that administra- letic programs and more extracur- Editor-in-Chief Continued from Page 1—No More Saturday Mail Lindsey Anderson affected because of the money 30th if no changes are made. An Postmaster Porter is asking Con- they would save. One less day of News Editor approximate $2 billion could be gress to lift the mandate. Not eve- delivery means that USPS would saved by eliminating a day on ryone has been in favor of the need to hire fewer employees and Neela Saraswati which mail delivery is least; Tues- change. Dan Blair, chairman of that they‘d have to allot for one day and Saturday were cited in a the Postal Regulatory Commis- less day of gas. Thomas says that Editorial Editor January USA Today article as days sion, tells USA Today that elimi- customers have been largely sup- with a particularly light mail vol- nating a delivery day ―impacts portive of the change, and a 2002 ume. Recently, it hasn‘t just been everyone,‖ because the frequency poll of the National Federation of Jasmine Ameerally a matter of certain days of the of delivery would drop an esti- Independent Business members week being light on mail; collec- mated 17%. supports her claim; 61% of sur- Layout Editor tively, total mail volume fell by Tammy Thomas, a USPS em- veyors said that eliminating Satur- over 9 billion pieces in 2008, and ployee in a managerial position at day delivery wouldn‘t affect them. Tyler Alicea the trend shows no sign of stop- the Butztown, Pennsylvania Though it still has to go through ping. branch, doesn‘t see the harm in Congress, Thomas says that Features Editor Since 1983, Federal Law has eliminating Saturdays, saying that there‘s an 80% chance that a 5- required the USPS to maintain a ―everyone would benefit.‖ The day mail delivery will soon be- Dhanu Thiyagarajan six-day work schedule; however, Post Office in particular would be come a reality. Entertainment Editor Natsumi Ishikawa FHS Book Drive Sports Editor Mike McGinty Photo Editor Sean Cassidy Copy Editors Amanda Murphy, Olivia Synoracki Co-Business Managers Mary Harvilla, Abhinav Rangarajan Adviser Karla Erdman Above: Freedom students Brianna Kays, Emily Liuzza, and Kerry Darragh pose with Mr. Stel- lato, Ms. Rodriguez, and a member from the Crossing the Finish Line organization. Many Free- dom students helped out during the two day book fair. Bottom left: Mr. Stellato poses with John Lahutsky. Bottom right: The band, Sandlot Heroes, performs. Visit the Freedom Forum‘s website for more stories, polls, and newspapers in color! freedomforum0910.wordpress.com Photos Courtesy of Sean Cassidy, Photo Editor April 2010 NEWS—3 Freedom Forum News Editor: Neela Saraswati Continued from Page 1—PSSAs to Succeed? Now the big question is: Are FHS Calendar prepares students for the PSSA, asked about what she thought of the juniors ready? Emily Rusack she said that she has them com- the PSSA, she said, ―I feel like says, ―If we are prepared for the plete PSSA warm ups and teaches we don‘t know a lot about them.‖ SATs, we should be for [the test-taking strategies. Freedom Eleventh grader Devon Totani PSSAs].‖ Totani says she‘s not April 12th — PSSA Testing High School is also offering tu- added that she knew ―there‘s a lot ready. Woodring and DiStefano toring after school for students them.‖ The two felt that 11th say they are prepared for the tests. Commences who need more practice. To fur- grade wasn‘t an ideal year to take Most of the juniors don‘t seem ther their comfort when taking the the tests. Rusack said, ―…We worried about the testing. Mrs. April 14th — PTO Meeting assessments, juniors are able to have so many other things to George says, ―I think that as a choose the teacher they want to think about.‖ Junior John DiSte- whole the faculty does an excel- take the tests with. fano was asked the same question lent job preparing the students for April 15th — Senior When Junior Emily Rusack was and laughing, said, ―I love them.‖ success.‖ Community Service Hours Due April 16th — Jazz Festival April 21st — PMEA All- State Festival April 27th — Art Show April 29th — Spring Concert May 4th — Spring Choral Concert May 8th — Prom May 12 — PTO Meeting Photo Courtesy of Sean Cassidy, Photo Editor Disasters Strike 2010 Early more formidable building Like many other Americans, codes, which had been en- Freedom students feel much By Anmol Kaur, Staff Writer A second natural disaster forced for building infrastruc- sympathy for all of the survi- came with the Chile earth- ture after the many earlier vors from both natural attacks, This year, as the world en- ferent tent cities, it is nearly quake of an 8.8 magnitude, earthquakes that occurred in and some students have even tered a new decade, natural impossible to see to all the devastating Chile and leaving the country.