Category Archives: Featured

Salisbury Approves New Backpack Policies

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By Nathan Rolls and Paige Mathieu

The days of backpack prohibition are finally gone. New for the 2016-2017 school year, students are allowed to carry their books and materials through the convenience of a backpack. Backpacks have been used for decades, and it’s about time Salisbury High School hops onto the bandwagon. Students are thoroughly pleased with this new rule, as they can now keep themselves more organized and better prepared for school. The backpack is a necessity for successful, thriving students.

Teachers’ opinions vary on the new backpack policy. One teacher even stated that they should have implemented this policy years ago. However, they are excited to see that students are visiting their lockers less frequently during class. When first considering the new backpack policies, teachers were concerned that the backpacks would block pathways in the classrooms, as well as in the hallways. This raised issues when certain drills came into effect, such as fire drills, intruder drills, and extreme weather drills. As the school year continues, teachers say that their concerns seem to be diminishing.  After a few weeks of thinking of solutions to combat the issue of space, teachers realized that backpacks could easily fit onto something every classroom has, a chair.

Students are also taking advantage of the new policy. Of the students interviewed, all of them are using their backpacks on a daily basis. They say that it is not only more convenient, but also that they feel more prepared for class. The demand to visit lockers because of forgotten materials seems to be less needed, as most students only leave a few textbooks, their lunch, a gym bag, or a sports bag in their personal locker. All students know, that while it is only September still, teachers will start assigning a plethora of homework. One student states that carrying their backpack makes them feel more organized, and grants them the ability to carry all of the work that teachers request.

Salisbury High School is hoping to keep the backpack policy in place for years to come.  However, this year is the trial year, so students should make sure to follow all of the backpack rules, so that they can continue to carry their supplies with ease.

SHS Wins Three Nominations for 2016 Freddy Awards

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By Samantha Perkins

Every year, high schools across the Lehigh Valley area put on musicals and hope their school will be recognized in the WFMZ Freddy Awards, an awards ceremony for high school musical talent that is watched all over the world. Salisbury High School’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was recognized by the Freddy Awards when it scored three nominations on May 12. Seniors Carolyn Boulay, Dane Galbraith, and Abby Garrigan are nominated for Outstanding Small Ensemble Performance for their performance of “The I Love You Song,”  Abby is nominated for Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actress for her role as Olive Ostrovsky, and Dane is nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as William Barfee.

Actors from Belvidere, Freedom, Moravian Academy, Northwestern Lehigh, Saucon Valley, and Southern Lehigh are nominated for Outstanding Small Ensemble Performance along with the three actors from Salisbury. Julia Gross, Jamie Hajduk, and Gabrielle Pedraza are nominated for their performance of “Prologue/Little Shop of Horrors” from Belvidere’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. Mikey Brandle and Kelly Donah are nominated for their performance of “Sue Me” from Freedom’s production of Guys and Dolls. Kylee Jacoby, Annie Karras, and Katie Keller are nominated for “Little Lamb From Alabama” from Moravian Academy’s production of Big Fish. Morgan Moss and Ben Fry are nominated for “Anything You Can Do” from Northwestern Lehigh’s production of Annie Get Your Gun. Meghan Altemose and Lauren Skillinge are nominated for “How The Other Half Lives” from Saucon Valley’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Finally, Chris Smith and Caleigh Schmid are nominated for “If I Loved You” from Southern Lehigh’s production of Carousel.

Abby Garrigan is up against seven actresses from other high schools for the award for Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actress. Other nominees are Abigail Schoepple for her role as Ulla in Dieruff’s The Producers, Talia Johnson for her role as Muzzy Van Hossmere in Nazareth Area’s Thoroughly Modern Millie, Rachel Lawley as Rachel in North Warren Regional’s Godspell, Madison Lahr as Nancy in Northampton Area’s Oliver!, Megan Schmidt as Kate McGowan in Parkland’s Titanic the Musical, Grace Postiglione as Carrie Pipperidge in Phillipsburg’s Carousel, and Lexi Brown as Carrie Pipperidge in Southern Lehigh’s Carousel.

Dane Galbraith is also up against seven other actors for the award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. The other nominees are: Jonathan Cruz as Roger DeBris in Dieruff’s The Producers, Mikey Brandle as Nathan Detroit in Freedom’s Guys and Dolls, Jason Kunzman as Billy Early in Hackettstown’s No, No, Nanette, Tyler Haney as Harold Bride in Parkland’s Titanic the Musical, Luke Simons as Enoch Snow in Southern Lehigh’s Carousel, Clinton Cudworth as Nathan Detroit in Warren Hill Regional’s Guys and Dolls, and Carmelo Santiago as Nathan Detroit in Whitehall’s Guys and Dolls.

Unfortunately, Salisbury did not score a nomination for Outstanding Overall Production by a Smaller School. However, seven other schools did. Allentown Central Catholic was nominated for their production of Cinderella (Enchanted Edition), Bethlehem Catholic for Wonderful Town, Hackettstown for No, No, Nanette, Moravian Academy for Big Fish, North Warren Regional for Godspell, Notre Dame for She Loves Me, and Saucon Valley for Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Five schools were lucky enough to be nominated for the Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical. Bangor Area was nominated for their production of Ragtime (School Edition), Dieruff for The Producers, Freedom for Guys and Dolls, Parkland for Titanic the Musical, and Whitehall for Guys and Dolls. These five schools will be performing a musical number from their respective musicals at the Freddy Awards.

You can watch the Freddy Awards live 7 p.m. Thursday, May 26. Four students from all participating schools will be performing in the opening and closing numbers of the Freddy Awards, including Salisbury’s own David Eckhart, Dane Galbraith, Abby Garrigan, and Jesse Long.

SHS Students Perform at Spring Concert

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By Samantha Perkins

Salisbury High School’s Spring Concert took place May 10 in the SHS auditorium. Concert band, chorus, Descant Get Enough and the jazz band, newly named Give Me Fortissimore, all performed for the public. Parents were greeted at the stage doors by posters of the band and chorus seniors, as it was the Class of 2016’s final concert at Salisbury. Each poster featured a baby picture and senior photo and gave information on the student’s participation in the SHS music program and their plans after high school.

The concert opened with the chorus singing “One Short Day” from the hit Broadway musical Wicked, accompanied by the concert band. The song featured solos from seniors Haley Bergstrom, Kaleigh Bobeck, Sarah Galantini, Abigail Garrigan, Keri Haldeman, Naomi Kuhns, Samantha Perkins and Nicole Sylvester, and freshman Sara Lamana.

Give Me Fortissimore took the stage next, performing “Brass Attack” by Larry Barton, “Play That Funky Music” by Robert Parissi and arranged by Victor Lopez, and “Something” by George Harrison and arranged by John Wasson. “Something” featured senior Matthew Fainor on the alto saxophone.

Once Give Me Fortissimore took their final bows for the evening, the high school’s descant group Descant Get Enough performed. They opened with the song “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen and arranged by Roger Emerson, made popular with the younger generations by being featured in the hit movie Shrek. They followed with “Some Nights”, originally recorded by the band FUN, arranged by Roger Emerson. The song featured solos by senior Abigail Garrigan and juniors Scheccid Alayola, Laura Daher, and Zoe Feller. The descant group closed with “The Chain” by Ingrid Michaelson, featuring solos by Scheccid Alayola and Abigail Garrigan.

After Descant Get Enough, concert band began their performance. Their musical selection included “Relativo” by Robert W. Smith, “A Childhood Hymn” by David Holsinger, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” arranged by Robert Longfield, and “Flying Tigers” by David Shaffer.

The last group to perform was the high school chorus, accompanied by Mrs. Karen Heim. The group opened with “And This Shall Be For Music” by Mary Lynn Lightfoot. Other songs included “Windy Nights” by Cynthia Gray, “Angel In Eternal Flight” by Valerie Webdell, “Put A Lid On It” by Tom Maxwell and arranged by Alan Billingsley, “Shenandoah” arranged by Mark Patterson, “Oceans and Stars” by Amy F. Bernon, “Riversong” by Andy Beck, and “The Cuckoo” by Robert Hugh. “Shenandoah” featured vocal solos from Abigail Garrigan, Scheccid Alayola, and Sara Lamana, and a saxophone solo from sophomore Josh Kim. “Riversong” was accompanied by Sarah Lamana.

After “The Cuckoo”, the entire chorus took a seat except for the seniors performing the annual Senior Song. The Senior Song is chosen by the graduating class every year as a tribute to their years at Salisbury High School and their choral and band director, Ms. Reinecke, and will be performed by the same group at graduation. After Ms. Reinecke delivered a heartfelt speech about the time she had with the Class of 2016, she took a seat and the seniors sang “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King and arranged by Mac Huff.

The concert closed with the song “Flashlight”, originally recorded by Jessie J, arranged by Mac Huff, and made popular by being featured in the movie Pitch Perfect 2. The entire chorus performed and was accompanied by concert band, and the song featured solos from various seniors. The audience was also asked to participate in the song by turning on the flashlight app and raising their phones during the song’s chorus.

Following the concert, seniors remained onstage for pictures and a reception was held in the lobby and at the front of the house for families and friends of the performers. The night was filled with beautiful music and the seniors’ final spring concert is an event they won’t forget.

Horoscope Weekly: May 9 – 15

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By Samantha Perkins

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19) – You’ll find exciting and unexpected opportunities for meeting new people and trying new things at the beginning of the week, which suits your adventurous spirit perfectly. Your week will slow down as it continues, though, and you’ll need to rely on your charms rather than your can-do attitude to make things happen. Even though prom’s going on this weekend, try to make some time for your family. They’d love to spend a few hours with you.

 

Taurus (Apr 20-May 20) – It’ll pay off to be patient on Monday, even if you’re feeling the urge to rush around and make things happen. However, you won’t need to hold back the rest of the week. You’re full of energy and enthusiasm, which could turn out to be an attractive combination. Over the weekend, take some risks and let others know how you feel. Maybe you’ll get that special dance at prom after all.

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Softball Senior Night

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By Shane Wittman

On Friday, April 29th at 8:00 o’clock,  the girls softball team played Saucon Valley at Pates Park for their Senior Night. The girls had a record of 11-4 going into the game, which clinched a district playoff spot. This season, there were only four seniors on the squad: Emily Batman, Rachel Costantini, Sarah Reilly, and Jess Safi.

Prior to the start of the game, the weather was predicted to be a chilly 50 degrees at 8:00. The game itself was clear, but it started raining shortly after it was over.

Before the game began, the senior’s were honored for their participation and the spectators heard about their experiences throughout their season and career. The game started with an exciting first inning and continued throughout the game, resulting in a blowout. The girls’ bats were on fire, and it seemed almost impossible for them not to hit the ball. The girls fielding was also flawless. They had an amazing senior night, winning 15-3. They finished the game in the fifth inning due to mercy rule, which was nice for the spectators, since it started to rain. All the seniors started the game. Batman played first, Costantini caught, Reilly played third, and Safi played left field. Batman was 1-3 hitting during the game, with a single to right field and a HBP. Costantini was 2-3 with two singles, 2 RBI, and a walk.

Senior Emily Batman was excited prior to the game. “It’s crazy to think that this is my last season playing softball for the school.” This year, Emily has been a consistent hitter with many singles and one double. Emily was enthusiastic about the team’s chances to win their senior night game. “As our coach would say, we are going to take their hearts.” Emily’s most memorable moment of her career is being a captain this year. “I’ve been playing softball since I was about 5 years old, so all of my hard work paid off and I got to be a captain this season.” Looking back at this season, Emily has no regrets. She believes her coaches this year are awesome, and the team has been playing softball really well. In the future, Emily plans on taking her talents to LCCC and playing on their school softball team. “Since they don’t have a soccer team and I want to stay active during college, I would enjoy playing softball there.”

Senior Rachel Costantini was excited for the game, but also sad. “I can’t believe it has been four years already.” This year Rachel has batted cleanup and has had many extra base hits, including two home runs and two triples. Rachel believed the team was going to win on senior night, also saying, “we are going to take their hearts.” The most memorable moments of Rachel’s career is being team captain this year and calling all of Morgan’s hits. “I have been playing softball since I was 5, and competitively on a tournament team since I was in high school, so it’s nice to be captain my senior year helping to lead a team I’ve been on for four years.” Looking back over her career and the season, Rachel has no regrets. In the future, Rachel is going to be taking her talents to Lebanon Valley College, where she was recruited to play softball.

Senior Sarah Reilly was not planning on playing softball this year. She played both her freshman and sophomore years, however, decided not to play last year and did track instead. Having Sarah Return this year was a huge help to the team. They did not have a third baseman, so she gladly decided to play that position and has been playing solidly there all year. Sarah believed the girls would win their senior night game and was excited to play. Sarah is going to American University next year, however, does not plan on playing softball there.

This year was senior Jess Safi’s first year playing softball. She decided to come out for the team in February with Reilly. Although she had never played before this year, she took up the sport quickly. She is a team player and believes the softball coach, Jeff, “is the best softball coach I’ve ever had.” Jess played left field during the senior night game. Jess is planning to attend St. Joseph University in the fall, but will not be playing softball for the Hawks.

The senior softball players have brought a lot to the team throughout their four years at Salisbury. Batman, Costantini, and Reilly all played on the varsity softball team as freshmen and have helped to develop the program in the past four years. They will be greatly missed by the entire team.

SHS Twirling Season Ends with Win at Wildwood

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By Kelly Kucsan

This past weekend the Salisbury High School twirling squad had their final competition of the year in Wildwood, New Jersey. SHS is the only world team in Region Two. They received the Jennifer Joy Dilman award for most improved squad because they had the largest score increase in their region. Once again, the team was awarded with the title of TIA Atlantic Coast Champions.

Kalista Hadinger, a freshman on the squad, said that her favorite thing about twirling is the fact that it combines skills from multiple sports in one and you need to master many different skills to be successful in it. She stated that the squad has been doing a lot better than they did last year. Kalista said the most important thing that she learned from her coaches was to focus on what she did wrong and not blame others for her mistakes. Overall, she thinks the team needs to improve on their teamwork skills. “We kind of fought a lot because there was an age gap, but I still love my squad,” she said.  

Junior Alyson Godusky enjoys twirling because she likes being able to challenge herself and she loves performing. Since the twirlers didn’t have any seniors on their team this year, Alyson played that role already and she said it felt amazing to be the main focus of the show, which is why she is extremely excited for her senior year. Something she wishes to improve on is her flexibility. She said, “As a twirler being flexible and a good dancer is very important. If I could be more flexible I could execute more tricks, which would make me a better asset to my team.” Alyson stated that the best thing about going to Wildwood is getting to spend time with her teammates and watching other teams perform, since all of the regions are there.

Alyson’s coaches have taught her many different life lessons throughout her time on the team, but there are a few pieces of advice she has taken to heart. One that has really stuck with her was when Coach Rob told them that “average sucks.” He always pushes the team because he wants them to be better than average, on and off the floor. Also, he always tells them not to perform for him or anyone else but for themselves, because coaches, judges, and the audience will forget a poor performance, but you never will. “Overall, I can say Rob taught me to strive to be the best.” Her most memorable moment this season was when she got her four spin. Alyson is looking forward to improving her skills over the summer and begin next year’s shows.

Salisbury Softball improves to 11-4

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By CJ Wittman

Since the beginning of the season, the softball team has improved from 1-2, to 11-4. Salisbury only lost two more games since the first two games of the season, putting them in second place in the Colonial League West Division. The Falcons set out to improve since the beginning of the season, and that they did.

Their latest loss of the season, Salisbury struggled to hit against the number one team Catasauqua. Catty was able to score a run in the third and fifth, and add three more in the sixth to seal the game at 5-0.  After losing twice to Catty, Salisbury is seeking revenge in the playoffs.

In their matchup against Dieruff, Salisbury took an early 9-0 lead against the Huskies in the first inning. Not allowing Dieruff to score, Salisbury added two runs in the fourth. After leading 11-0, the game ended after the fifth inning due to the mercy rule.  Sophomore Lilia Crouthamel made an impact with four RBI, along with Anna Bishop who added two RBI.  Senior Rachel Costantini added to the score with two RBI as well.  

In the game against Allen, Salisbury jumped up with a lead 10-0 after the first inning. The falcons then added three runs in both the second and third innings. Allen was able to put one run on the board during the second inning. After the third inning, Salisbury was winning 16-1, which allowed for the game to end due to mercy rule. Emily Batman had five RBI and Lilia Crouthamel had three.

In their latest matchup, the girls beat Northern Lehigh 12-3. Salisbury had a slow start and allowed Northern Lehigh to get up 2-0 in the first inning. The falcons were able to put five runs on the board during the third inning with the help of senior Rachel Costantini, who had a three run home run. In the fifth inning, Salisbury increased their lead, adding four more runs to the score board. The sixth inning, Costantini hit a RBI triple, helping the falcons increase their lead even more. Brooke Rogers and Peyton Stauffer both had two RBI for the team.

With an explosion of improvement, the softball team let people know they’re here to win. As five games are left in the regular season and the Falcons hope to keep winning to get ready for the playoffs.

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