Congratulations to the National Merit Scholarship Final ists: Melanie Abeygunawardana Raghu Vaddempudi Alexis Waché Kevin Zhang Raymond Zhao Feb. 16: Biology Olympiad Open Exam Feb. 17: Staff Inservice No school for students Feb 20: Presidents Day No school for students Feb 25: Regional Science Bowl March 10: Jarrett Nature Center Green Up March 12 23: PSSAs March 16 18: Key Club Convention at Penn State March 25: Children s Show, 2pm and 6pm, Honk Junior RED & BLA RED & BLACK EVENT CK EVENTS March 5: Chess Tournament Mario Kart Wii Skateboarding Competition March 6: Ping Pong March 7: Cul inary Competition Pool Night (6:30 PM) March 8: Bouldering Wall Vertical Wall Hacky Sack Field Events March 9: Academic Bowl Glee Competition Gym Night (6:30 PM) Several art students were hon- ored this past month by the Pennsylvania State Education Association as part of the 25th Annual “Touch the Future” High School Student Art Show. The “Touch the Future” show began as a memorial to commemorate NASA’s “teacher in space,” Christa McAuliffe, who died aboard the Challenger space shut- tle in 1986. “The exhibit allows art stu- dents to shine, and allows for future artists to be celebrated,” said Lynne Pribis, one of the show’s chairpersons and an art teacher from Upper Dublin High School. “Kids are being honored for what they are doing, who are not necessarily the most athletic.” “Touch the Future” has grown to be one of the most prestigious juried art shows in the region. Just eight years ago, the show had roughly 12 high schools partici- pate and the exhibition was held in a small gallery in nearby Spring House. That number has more than doubled today and is growing each year. This year’s show was judged by Barbara Suplee, Ph.D., an art education and art therapy professor at the University of the Arts. Students displayed immense creativity and were judged in the following 14 categories: Printmaking; Jewelry/Metals; Fiber Crafts; 2-D Mixed Media; Digital Imaging and Computer Graphics; Traditional Silver Print; Acrylic, Oil, and Watercolor Painting; Color and Black & White Drawing; Sculpture; 2-D Design;and Digital Photography. A winner from each of these cate- gories was chosen, along with “Best of Show” honors and a second and third run- ner-up. Awards and monetary prizes, donated by MER/PSEA and totaling $1,500, were presented to the win- ners at an awards reception on February 12. The organization will also provide compensation to a student who agrees to sell his or her artwork to MER/PSEA for permanent dis- play in the regional office. According to art teacher Lori Gallagher, “We are thrilled to see others outside of our school acknowledging the high quality work our students create here at H-H. Our students work extremely hard and are deserving of the honors they receive.” This year, 12 students from our school who completed their artwork between January 2011 and January 2012 were selected to display their artwork in the show, representing nearly each category mentioned above. Three students, Class of 2011 graduate Alexis Chun, current senior Allison Shaftel, and current jun- ior Kate Miller, received first place honors in their respective categories. Senior Meghan Reilly, who qualified as a finalist for her col- ored pencil drawing “Sunflowers,” noted that it was an “absolute honor to be selected out of all of the extremely talent- ed applicants.” Reilly also added that she was extremely grateful for Ms. Gallagher’s assistance, with both the creation of her art- work and the submission process. Fellow finalist senior Silvia Chon echoed Reilly’s sentiment, stating that she was also extremely hon- ored for the opportunity to dis- play her artwork in the show, and looks forward to participating in the Montgomery County Community College Art Show and the High School Art Show, both later this year. The “Touch the Future” exhibit will be on display at Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists (MCGOPA) at SPP Galleries in Conshohocken. The exhibit will be open to the public, free of charge, February 4 to 26. Guests are welcome to view the exhibit during the gallery hours, which are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. More information can be found by call- ing 800-492-2727, or by visiting www.mcgopa.org. The Fault in our Stars Book Review Read about John Green s latest novel Entertainment, p.5 Internet Censorship Quest ioning the future freedom of the Internet In Depth, p. 6 7 Senioritis Seniors lose motivation as June approaches Features, p.12 News 2-3 Entertainment 4-5 In-Depth 6-7 Sports 10 Activities 11 Features 12 Spotlights 8 Editorials 9 HAT H C Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School’s THE AT Volume 81, Issue 5 February 2012 Member of the National Scholastic Press Association News Briefs Sean Raymond Business Manager, ’13 The following students were selected to dis- play their artwork at the 2012 “Touch the Future” Art Exhibit: • Allison Shaftel (1st place) - “Sleepless State” • Alexis Chun (1st place) - “Variegated Leaves” • Kate Miller (1st place) - “Line Mosaic” • Silvia Chon - “Angelina” • Katie Leary - “Pencil Portrait” • Meghan Reilly - “Sunflowers” • Haley Manchon - “Blueprint of Pizza” • Danielle Pearl - “Jewelry/Metals” • Savannah Schultz - Untitled • Zoie Davis - Untitled sculpture • Jennifer Fuguet - Untitled sculpture • Carolyn McHugh - “Self Portrait” Art students shine at PSEA art show Silvia Chon (right) hard at work in the art gallery, where she spends most of her time. Her piece “Angelina” is being honored in the “Touch the Future” Exhibit. Meghan Reilly’s “Sunflowers,” done in colored pencil, will be hon- ored in the “Touch the Future” Exhibit. PHOTO BY LORI GALLAGHER PHOTO BY LORI GALLAGHER
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Rai believes that any questionable depiction of sacred, religious figures would cause conflict between Christians, Hindus, and Muslims in India. But
how reasonable are the proposed parameters?
PHOTO COURTESY OF AP WIRE
PHOTO COURTESY OF AP WIRE
How Students Spend Time Online
IN-DEPTH THE HAT CHAT - FEBRUARY 2012 7
Many governments have seri-
ously considered internet censor-
ship. With all of the vulgar content
online nowadays, it would seem
logical to censor some material for
the sake of minors. Internet censor-
ship is also used to solve the issue
of online piracy. Governments are
now targeting torrent sites that
allow anyone to steal copyrighted
material. However, internet cen-
sorship is not the answer to our
problems. Censorship can limit
informational resources for people
nationwide and can also negatively
affect international relations.
In today’s day and age, the
world is dominated by technology.
It serves as our main form of com-
munication, while providing a way
for people to access information
and news about the world. If news
is being controlled by the govern-
ment, the people have no way of
knowing what is really going on.
Without access to knowledge
of the outside world, any country
can become easily manipulated by
their government. If people do not
know what is happening in the
world, they become vulnerable to
government propaganda. For
example, in North Korea, one of
the most strictly censored countries
in the world, only positive feed-
back about the country is available
to the public. Any material that
expresses a negative or disapprov-
ing view of the government is cen-
sored.
Censorship also inhibits free-
dom of expression, especially on
an international level. In the
United States, freedom of expres-
sion, as written in our constitution,
is accepted as a right, while in
other countries it is viewed as a
privilege that is not always provid-
ed. In China, numerous media
companies have been shut down
and many employees have been
punished for expressing them-
selves in a way the government did
not approve of. In Cuba, internet
access is closely monitored by the
government, and only people who
support the government are
allowed to post material on the
Web. In Syria, if a person were to
express his or her opinion about
the government online, he or she
would be arrested. Also, everyone
that uses public inter-
net is required to use
identification; failure
to do so could result in
arrest. The real prob-
lem is that freedom of
expression could be
taken away by these
extremes of internet
censorship.
The dangers or the
effects of censorship
on the World Wide
Web in the United
States or elsewhere
should be acknowl-
edged. The main pur-
pose behind censorship
would be to block any
inappropriate material
and to prevent online
piracy. Ostensibly, however, cen-
sorship has taken on a whole new
meaning. Although censorship
might block vulgar material or pre-
vent illegal downloading, it also
deprives citizens of knowledge
concerning the world around them.
This makes them vulnerable to
exploitation and also put
their freedom of expres-
sion, a tenant of American
values, at risk.
Laura NewmayerStaff Writer, ’14
Internet blackouts beyond borders
How much time do we spend online?
Internet censorship also affects students. Students especially need access
to the knowledge the internet provides access to, but even schools censor
their internet according to CIPA (Children's Internet Protection Act).
PHOTO BY GENEVIEVE PILCH
H H Student Opinion on SOPA/PIPA
Question
Do you want to know more?
YES NO
http://internet censorship:right or wrong?
SPOTLIGHTSTHE HAT CHAT - FEBRUARY 20128
For many, moving to a differ-
ent state may seem like a very
intimidating experience, espe-
cially before the start of senior
year. However for senior Raven
Brown, it is anything but. While
most people in her position are
forced to make new friends and
get used to a brand new school
would be rather sullen, Brown’s
upbeat and quirky personality has
made her experience at our
school quite enjoyable.
After moving to Horsham
from Tennessee last spring,
Brown had time to adjust to her
new surroundings before begin-
ning her senior year. Although
she misses the southern hospitali-
ty, consistently warm weather,
and her old friends, there is one
thing about Pennsylvania that she
particularly likes. “I really like
the snow,” said Brown. “We did-
n’t get to see much in Tennessee.”
Despite only being at our
school for a short amount of time,
she has made an impression on
much of the school population.
Whether through her hysterical
one-liners, her color-coordinated
outfits, or her one-of-a-kind
southern accent, Brown certainly
does not go unnoticed. Brown
has a tendency to blurt out hilari-
ous witticism completely out of
the blue, one of her most notable
being, “If you don’t shave your
armpits during No Shave
November, you will die from
Hairy Armpit’s Disease.” When
asked why people find her so
funny, she said, “I think it’s
because I have a humorous per-
sonality. But I think it might be
because I have the moves like
Jagger.”
Brown also uses her clothing
style as yet another way to make
herself stand out. She takes color
coordination to a whole new
level, making sure everything
from her shoes to her earrings are
in perfect harmony. “You have to
coordinate,” said Brown,
“emphasis on the ‘coor.’ You
have to make sure that your
accessories, clothing, and shoes
match at all times. If they don’t
match, the fashion police will
come for you.” To simplify the
process, there is a rule of thumb
that Brown lives by to make sure
her outfits are always fresh:
“Keep it cute or put it on mute.”
Once her tenure at our school
ends in June, Brown wishes to
attend Howard University in
Washington, D.C. to study law.
She later hopes to become an
entertainment lawyer, specializ-
ing in representing celebrities.
Until then, Brown plans to con-
tinue living her life in
Pennsylvania to the fullest and
making herself stand out among
her peers. With her hilarious and
bubbly personality, unique out-
fits, and her unmistakable
Tennessee accent, Raven Brown
is undoubtedly the only ten I see.
That’s so Raven
Although the weather is not to her liking, Senior Raven Brown
enjoys her time in our school after having moved from Tennessee last
spring by making a name for herself through her humor and fashion.
Luke GragliaStaff Writer, ’14
By integrating himself into
tight-knit organizations, includ-
ing the swim team and the theatre
department, freshman Alan
Sonntag has quickly found a
place for himself at our school.
He has been involved with these
activities since middle school.
Sonntag began swimming in
sixth grade, and now, as a mem-
ber of the swim team, he com-
petes in the freestyle and breast-
stroke. Along with the competi-
tive aspect of swimming,
Sonntag recently took part in a
well-known swim team tradition:
each member of the boys’ team
bleaching his hair. He said, “I
don’t mind the color, but I liked
my brown hair better.”
Sonntag owes his involve-
ment in theatre to fellow fresh-
man, Ali Pollock. “She con-
vinced me try out in eighth
grade,” he said. Despite having
only participated in theatre for
about a year, he has secured a
spot for himself in the theatre
program. Sonntag played a secu-
rity guard in the fall comedy,
Noises Off, and will be taking
part in the spring musical,
Legally Blonde.
“I’m happy to have a part as a
freshman,” Sonntag said of his
role in the spring production. He
will be portraying Nikos, the
pool boy who testifies against
Brooke Windham.
Sonntag said of his perform-
ing abilities, “I’m a triple threat,
except without the dancing.”
Even so, it is extremely impres-
sive for a freshman to be given a
named role in a production, and
he looks forward to performing
in the show. “It’s my favorite
musical,” he said. Also among
Sonntag’s favorite musicals are
RENT and The Lion King.
Like many others, Sonntag
admires the work of actor
Morgan Freeman; however, he
does not wish to pursue a career
like Freeman’s. Instead, he
would like to be an elementary
school teacher, because he enjoys
working with young children.
“I like arguing and proving
people wrong,” Sonntag said. In
addition to being involved with
sports and the arts, he briefly
belonged to the debate team. His
love for debating was spurred by
his favorite movie, The GreatDebaters.
Sonntag believes he possess-
es an innate “awesomeness,” and
he also describes his personality
as very “charming.”
Be charmed by Alan Sonntag
in our school’s production of
Legally Blonde: The Musicalfrom April 12 to April 14.
Kelsey DoolStaff Writer, ’14
Swimmin’ and singin’Sonntag Style
Freshman Alan Sonntag charms his peers with his bleached blonde
hair and his lively performances on the stage.
It seems that people are
always expecting expensive
things to just fall into their laps;
for sophomore Ryan Ellis, this
became a reality.
On January 8th, Ellis received
quite a shock when a large televi-
sion tore from its wall mount and
fell onto him during a robotics
club meeting.
“It sort of hit me in the back
of the head and my shoulder,”
said Ellis. “I didn’t know what
was falling; I was busy working
on something, so I just put my
arms out. I thought it was the
DVD player or something – not
the television. I didn’t know what
to do, I was just sitting
there...holding it.”
Since the nurse was not avail-
able over the weekend, members
of the robotics team found Ellis
an ice pack to hold over his head,
neck, and shoulders. He escaped
the incident with minor bruises
and scrapes on his forearms.
Ellis has yet to be contacted
by any administration officials
regarding the incident.
The reason for the falling tel-
evision is unknown, though Ellis
believes that it must have come
loose from the wall.
“No one touched it or any-
thing,” Ellis said. “It just sort of
happened.”
Although he does not know
the real reason why the television
fell, Ellis said “I don’t think that
it was human error – I mean, no
one expects [a television] to fall.
I’m not putting blame on anyone,
it was just a weird thing. It might
have been put in better, but I still
don’t blame anyone.”
Though Ellis wrote a
Facebook status regarding the
incident later that same evening,
the news really disseminated
after teachers were sent an email
telling them to move any objects
out from under their televisions
for the time being. Some teachers
then informed their students,
many of whom came to Ellis ask-
ing him how he was doing.
After the incident, many stu-
dents noticed adjustments being
made in classrooms.
Junior Eric Loper noticed
straps being placed on a televi-
sion in one classroom, though he
does not know whether or not
they were being readjusted or
added to the equipment.
“They had to go and check,
obviously they don’t want one to
fall on anyone else,” Loper said.
Though it is an unexpected
incident, senior Sandy Kim can
understand how such an incident
could have occurred.
“I always thought that the
straps on the TV were nothing
compared to the heaviness of the
TV itself…they’re all so old, and
heavy.”
When asked, the Amigo staff
said, they are not sure how exact-
ly it occurred.
“For our part, we secured
them all for the future,” said head
Amigo Ray Onderko.
The technology department
declined to comment.
TVs are falling
Ryan Ellis is wary around televi-
sions after a television fell on him
during a robotics meeting.
Bridget Reed MorawskiCo-In-Depth Editor, ’12
PHOTO BY LINDSAY GUIM
“HERE’S TO THE NIGHT”
PROM FASHION SHOWSunday, March 4, 2012
HHHS Auditorium & Cafeteria
Dresses, tuxes, limos, accessories, flowers, hair andmake-up! See all the latest fashions, styles, and colors,
featuring samples and demonstrations by dozens of localvendors!
Get coupons for discounts on your prom gear! Enter for achance to win awesome raffle
baskets. Student tickets $5 in
advance/$7 at the doorAdult tickets $10
1pm Vendors and demonstra-tions
3pm Fashion ShowAll proceeds benefit the HHHS
Post Prom Party FundPHOTO COURTESY OF AP WIRE
Work it gurl
PHOTO BY LINDSAY GUIM
PHOTO BY BRIDGET MORAWSKI
Wikipedia is central to the
Internet. Like Google and
Facebook, Wikipedia is hallowed
and sacred. It is commonly read
by various users for different pur-
poses. Some users are just bored
and feel like reading something
interesting, and others use it to
copy from for English papers
due the next day.
However, the sixth most visit-
ed website in the world has its
own problems. This website is
user-friendly and accessible. It is
probably the easiest website to
freely alter information, which is
what makes it well-known and to
many people, particularly teach-
ers, unreliable.
As of January 2012,
Wikipedia is home to 3.8 million
English language articles, written
by 100,000 consistent and anony-
mous contributors. No account is
needed to write or edit Wikipedia
articles. Sometimes you can find
contributors’ biographies at the
top of the page; perhaps to pro-
vide validity.
Article vandalism is
Wikipedia’s main problem.
While the most controversial and
most-viewed articles are moni-
tored constantly, lesser-known
areas can be edited without
notice.
It took all of five minutes for
my ‘corrections’ to the Cats page
to be noticed. However, some
creative editing on the List of
Kings of Cimmerian Bosporus
page lasted almost a day.
Hopefully a high school student
writing an essay on the Bosporan
Kingdom found my insights on
Emperor Jarvan the Third useful.
The next day, I tried again,
only to reach a ban page. My
reign of terror was over.
Wikipedia goes through great
lengths to protect its reputation.
Its volunteer staff is relentless.
Questionable pieces of content
are marked with the characteris-
tic [citation needed] tag. Trying
to pull a fast one over the website
is next to impossible.The science
journal Nature stated,
“Wikipedia comes close to
Britannica in terms of the accura-
cy of its science entries.”
Needless to say, EncyclopediaBritannica was not pleased, and
the editors issued a swift rebuttal.
Nature released a point by point
counter.
We are afraid of Wikipedia. It
is a public library on a massive
scale. It is almost too easy to use;
something that frightens older
generations, who cannot keep up
with technology’s advancement
and speed. Wikipedia did not
even exist in their days; primary
sources were the initial way to
go, whereas today, Wikipedia is
just a click away.
However, as teenagers, who
say we cannot live without it, it
seems surprising that
Wikipedia’s one-day SOPA-
protesting blackout went by near-
ly unnoticed. Perhaps regular
Wikipedia users did not need the
website that day by chance, or
maybe users do not actually need
the website as much as they
claim.
It is impossible to deny the
impact Wikipedia has had on the
Internet and society today, but it
might soon come to an end.
EDITORIALS
Tony MeiStaff Writer, ’13
9
Only time will tell
Teens waste a considerably
large amount of their time every
day using devices such as cell
phones, computers, TV’s, and
iPods. This generation’s obses-
sion with these objects is increas-
ingly apparent as many teens
sneak in text messages between
and in classes. Technology has
become an integral element of
their lives, and increasingly so.
The degree to which most
people rely on technology has
become extreme. Even for the
most basic needs, people, espe-
cially teens, will turn to their
devices, such as the dependable
calculator, for help. They have
become overbearing distractions
in and outside the classroom.
Most teens, when asked,
would not warm up to the idea of
becoming technology-free, even
for a little while. This is under-
standable considering that they
do most of their communication
through their electronic devices;
without them, they would actual-
ly have to meet with someone
face-to-face, or perhaps even
write to them using a pencil.
These high-tech devices are con-
sidered prized possessions and
are not likely to be let go for
years to come. Upgrades and new
applications are constantly made,
which add onto teens’ insistence
to keep their technology as
opposed to giving them up even
for a few days.
So when ninth grade English
teacher Dave Thomas, first spoke
about going nine days without
technology for 100 bonus points,
it is not surprising that his stu-
dents were not initially enthusias-
tic about the idea. It would be dif-
ficult to separate themselves
from their beloved devices, but
those who went through with it
would be rewarded.
Conveniently, the week that
the challenge occurred was finals
week, so in addition to receiving
100 bonus points upon comple-
tion of nine days, the students
would also be more focused on
their studies. The challenge
would provide a good excuse for
students to depart from their elec-
tronic devices.
Though the act of relinquish-
ing technology is not widely
done, it does have some obvious
benefits. For example, students
would have more time to get
work done for school. They
would be able to fill the time that
would otherwise be used for pro-
crastinating on Facebook with
actually enjoyable activities.
With all of these benefits of being
technology-free, why not try it?
Technology has been over-
used by teens in the last few
years. If teens did not rely on
technology as much, they would
be much better off. Even if they
are not getting extra credit in a
class for being technology-free, it
is still worth it to take a break
every once in awhile. When stu-
dents are without electronic
devices, the only mediums of
communication available to them
are speaking or written letters.
Whether students do or do not
like writing letters, going without
devices will give them a reason
to start writing them. Emailing is
another practical means of com-
munication as well. Abandoning
technology for a few days is
clearly a beneficial idea, as
exemplified by the freshmen of
Thomas’ English class.
Rachel LightstoneStaff Writer, ’15
Protesters try to put an end to SOPA’s attempts against Wikipedia.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AP WIRE
A nine-day detachment from cell phones can result in many rewards with or without 100 bonus points.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AP WIRE
A technological experiment gone right
EDITOR
EDITOR
COPY EDITOR
DESIGN EDITOR
BUSINESS MANAGER
FRONT PAGE
NEWS
MEGAN RAYMOND
BRIDGET MORAWSKI
HAYOUNG YOO
JULIE CARLIN
BRENDAN KARRAS
CAREY JOHNSON
TYLER MARTIN
SILVIA CHON
LINDSEY MULLER
MOLLY G. MULLIGAN
PAT MCATEER
SEAN RAYMOND
DANIELLE MOORE
BRIANA STELZER
TONY MEI
CARLY LYON
LUKE GRAGLIA
LISA PATRICK
BEN LEBOFSKY
ALEXIS WACHE
STEPHANIE BERGAN
RACHEL LIGHTSTONE
KELSEY DOOL
SAM SCHWARTZ
LAURA NEUMAYER
ROCKI SCHY
RAGHU VADDEMPUDI
JENNA GOULD
GERNWOO PAK
ERIKA EXTON
MEREDITH LIGHTSTONE
The Hat Chat is a public forum published by thestudents of Hatboro-Horsham High School, andfunded by the Hatboro-Horsham School Districtas well as advertisements.
Unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of themajority of the Editorial Board, not necessarilythose of the administration, faculty, or studentbody. Signed articles represent the opinion ofthe writer and do not reflect The Hat Chat as apaper.
Any student may respond to any editorial orarticle in letter form. The Hat Chat reserves theright to refuse any request that it deems inappro-priate to its mission. It is the duty of the newspa-per to correct false information in print as soonas possible.
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Editorial PolicyThe Hat Chat StaffEditorial Staff
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IN-DEPTH
EDITORIALS
ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
ACTIVITIES
FEATURES
SPOTLIGHTS
BOARD EDITOR
CONOR MCATEER
STEVE GROSS
MELANIE ABEY
MEGAN RAYMOND
SEAN RAYMOND
EMILIA YU
ALLIE LAWLOR
KEVIN ZHANG
ADVISER TERRY MORISSETTE
PHOTO/TECH EDITOR
LINDSAY GUIM
STAFF
GENEVIEVE PILCH
THE HAT CHAT - FEBRUARY 2012
Four senior athletes have
signed their letters of intent to
play a sport at a collegiate level.
This group of girls join eight
other Division I signees from our
school.
Carly Black will be attending
the University of West Virginia in
the fall. Black is arguably the
most gifted athlete in the school.
She will be playing soccer for the
Mountaineers.
Kellie McGoldrick will be
playing soccer for the University
of New Hampshire Wildcats.
McGoldrick was a dominating
force in the midfield for the Lady
Hatters.
Rachel Riemenschneider will
be swimming for St.
Bonaventure. She has been the
team MVP of the Hatters for the
past two seasons.
Madeline Wagenfeld will be
attending St. Joseph’s University
to play field hockey. Wagenfeld
was a second team all-state selec-
tion in the past season.
Congratulations, ladies!
SPORTSTHE HAT CHAT - FEBRUARY 2012
February Top Hat
Tevin KirbyYear: Senior
Sport: Shot Put
Tevin Kirby lives by the
words of his good friend Matt
Kane “chase perfection, but be
conscious of your inevitable
failure.” As Kirby enters his
final spring track and field sea-
son at our school, Kane’s words
strike Kirby even harder, who
is pursuing perfection in his
favorite field event: the shot
put.
Kirby has been dominant
throughout the winter track sea-
son, where he has accumulated
huge wins at the Shot Put Night
in the Valley and the Glen Mills
Invitational. He qualified for
the Meet of Champions and,
more importantly, the State
Championships meet held at
Penn State University at the
end of February. His best throw
of the season was 52 feet, 4
inches, about a foot and a half
shy of his spring track seed for
the PIAA Championships.
While Kirby’s performanc-
es thus far may seem “perfect,”
he admits that the winter track
season does present some limi-
tations. For throwers, it is hard
to practice their throws since
they are confined to small hall-
ways. They are forced to prac-
tice technique as opposed to
actually throwing, although he
concedes that it is good practice
for the spring season.
Kirby is more than an ath-
lete, though. He is personable
and friendly and combined with
his athletic prowess, he is the
total package. In 2011, Kirby
qualified for the PIAA Track
and Field State Championships
but missed the medal podium.
“I was disappointed to come
home without a medal, but just
the experience and the effort
put into making it [to the meet]
in such a short amount of time
was incredible,” Kirby said. He
also added “If I have a bad
throw, I brush it off, try and fix
the mistakes, and keep it mov-
ing.” He is a living representa-
tion of Kane’s words and
proves to be a powerful role
model for younger athletes.
Kirby, who is also a mem-
ber of Partnership and the
Black Student Union, believes
he is “coachable.” “Just listen
to your coach and use their
guidance. You might be sur-
prised,” said Kirby.
Kirby is optimistic about
the spring season. “We have a
handful of amazing athletes and
we are in great shape for the
spring season,” he said. He is
hoping to return to the state
championship meet and take a
place on the medal podium.
Good luck and congratula-
tions on being awarded the
February Top Hat, Tevin!
Sports Updates
The boys’ basketball team
lost a tough game 44-40 against
CB West on February 3. This
game was of utmost importance
to the Hatters, who recognized
Seniors Bobby Bruno, Chad
Gill, Paul Haggerty, Dillan
Schindewolf, Amrit Singh, and
Mike Vogel. Mike Brown and
Zach Quattro scored 13 and 10
points respectively, in their
effort against West. With the
win, CB West secured a first
place finish in the Continental
Conference. The Hatters fin-
ished their regular season with
a win over North Penn on
February 9. Senior Chad Gill
said the best game of the year
was against CB East because of
the team’s “domination of
defense.”
The boys’ bowling team
finished the season by handing
Norristown their only loss of
the season with a 3-1 victory.
Tyler Crews won the Boy’s
Overall Individual
Championship this season for
the American Division of the
Suburban One League. Crews,
who was not expected to bowl
this season, came back to the
Hatters and was a dominant
member of the team. He
bowled a 736 against
Pennridge, the top score in the
league to date.
The girls’ bowling team had
their best game of the season
against Norristown. Katie
McLendon recorded a high
series. The team improved
throughout the season, which
was a goal set from the begin-
ning. Congratulations to sen-
iors Tara Krauth, Katie
McLendon, and Riley Renn for
a great season!
The last Hatters ice hockey
game is Thursday, February 16.
Manny Billones and Pat Durkin
have led the team on offense. In
14 games, Billones scored 27
goals for the Hatters. He is
ranked eighth in the Suburban
One League SHSHL scoring
leaders list.
At a recent meet, the girls’
winter track team took third
place in the 4x200 at Lehigh
qualifying for the Meet of
Champions. The team consist-
ing of Lauren Brophy, Taylor
Hays, Emmy Magnant, and
Quinn O'Donnell will try to
qualify for States at the Meet of
Champions. Quinn O'Donnell
also qualified for the Meet of
Champions in the long jump.
Wrestlers Connor Bodnar,
Zach Tuerke, and Jason
McLaughlin contributed to the
team against Quakertown with
falls along with Luke Kwon,
Lex Ludlow and Daniel
Adelsberger with wins. Thanks
to our seniors Daniel
Adelsberger, Cahar Kose, Lex
Ludlow, and Mike Marnoch for
a great season!
The boys’ and girls’ swim
teams will compete at the
Continental Conference meet
February 17-18. Stay tuned for
details regarding the district
competition.
In the Continental
Conference, Hatboro-Horsham is
forced to compete against local
powerhouses such as North Penn
and Souderton regularly.
Unfortunately, our school is over-
shadowed by these teams in most
sports. While there have been
some beacons of light for the
Hatters, this winter season has
been much of the same story.
One such team is the Lady
Hatters basketball team who,
despite their best efforts, cannot
knock off some of the top teams
in the area.
“It’s been rough,” senior
Christina James said. The
Hatters, known throughout the
league for their tough play, fin-
ished 6-16 overall and 3-9 in the
league. There was some serious
talent opposing the Hatters and
they were not able to hold off
teams who post up to 60 points
per game, like Upper Dublin and
Central Bucks South. According
to Carly Bixler, the Hatters “just
haven’t been able to make shots
this year.” However, the Lady
Hatters were able to improve
their team’s play throughout the
season and notch some key victo-
ries.
Pennridge is one school in the
Continental Conference who con-
tinually matches up to our school
and athletes. In recent years,
Pennridge has been dominant in
girls soccer and was our only for-
midable competition in the
league (that team went on to
place second in the state tourna-
ment). The same can be said
about our girls’ basketball team
compared to theirs. On January
31, the Hatters took on the
Pennridge Rams on their senior
recognition night. In one of the
best games of the year, Hatboro-
Horsham won 58-51, with 26 of
their points coming in the fourth
quarter. Bixler scored eleven
points in the fourth quarter to pro-
pel the Hatters to a win. This par-
ticular game “was one of the
highlights of our season. We
played very well,” Christina
James said. The Hatters fell to the
Rams 56-41 in early January,
showing their improvement in a
few short weeks.
The Lady Hatters will be los-
ing key senior leadership going
into next season. Captains Carly
Bixler, Lindsey Day, Christina
James, and Emily Marvin
accounted for most of the
Hatters’ points. Bixler averaged
about twelve points per game,
making her the most dominant
force on offense. These senior
captains have maintained their
composure throughout the sea-
son, which is a valuable asset to
the team. “We are just trying to
set good examples for the
younger players, win or lose,”
Carly Bixler said after a late sea-
son game against William
Tennent.
While this number of girls
lost to graduation may be star-
tling, there is hope for the Hatters
next year. Tori Waddington has
had a few breakout moments
throughout the season. Her
aggressive style of play was best
seen in a late season win over the
Upper Moreland Golden Bears.
Waddington scored seventeen
points and had fifteen rebounds
in a 58-53 victory. Against
Tennent, Waddington came off
the bench and scored ten points.
The Hatters can also count on
junior Heather Lutz (who contin-
ually scored for the Hatters) and
sophomore Lauren Jester for
some varsity experience next
year. Christina James has confi-
dence in the team next year.
“They will progress a little each
year; it takes time and practice,”
she said.
Throughout the entire season,
the Lady Hatters have formed
close bonds. After games, they
enjoy getting something to eat
and hanging out together. They
have made sure that this season
was fun, no matter the outcome
of individual games.
Carey JohnsonSports Editor, ‘12
Carly Bixler, a dominating force of the Hatters’ offense, drives to the
basket in a non-league game against William Tennent in early
February.
10
PHOTO BY GENEVIEVE PILCH
COURTESY OF MONTGOMERY MEDIA
Carey JohnsonSports Editor, ‘12
PHOTO BY
GENEVIEVE PILCH
Hatters athletes commit to Division I schools
Girls basketball has strong performance at senior night
Four senior athletes will take their talents to Division I schools throughout the country. Athletes (from left
to right) Madeline Wagenfeld, Kellie McGoldrick, Rachel Riemenschneider, and Carly Black have been
representing our school in their respective sports for at least three varsity seasons.
PHOTO BY GENEVIEVE PILCH
Throughout most of the year,
we love our school and our
classmates, but for one week out
of the year, the student body is
split into two halves and pitted
against each other in a battle for
supremacy. The teams are repre-
sented by the school colors. The
Black Nightmare consists of all
students with last names begin-
ning with A to K and the Red
Avengers encompass the rest of
the names, beginning with L to
Z. This year the Black
Nightmare and the Red Avengers
will be led by four generals
along with several captains. The
Black Team’s generals are Jackie
DiPietro and Dom DeFazio,
while the Red Team will be led
by seniors Julie McKay and
Casey Saverio.
These generals will lead their
teams through several games and
challenges through the week
beginning with chess, “Mario
Kart Wii”, and skate boarding
on March 5. The festivities con-
tinue with the ever-popular ping
pong event on March 6. March 7
marks the culinary event and
pool night at Simmons. Pool
events include the obstacle
course, gladiator, the inner-tube
relay and King Fisher.
The annual Red and Black
pep rally is the next day which
includes the rope climb, knock-
out, arm wrestling and bad-
minton.
Finally, Red and Black cul-
minates with Gym Night which
is filled with extremely popular
events like the obstacle course,
Simon Says, the dance competi-
tion, speed pyramid, and tug-o-
war. At the end of the competi-
tion the team that has been
awarded the most points will be
the victors of the Red and Black
competition for 2012 and will
have complete bragging rights
until next year.
This fantastic, hilarity-filled,
pleasantly aggressive battle is
one of the highlights of our
school’s calendar and students
are already excited to represent
their team. DiPietro Black team
general, said, “We’re looking for
the three-peat!” Red Team gen-
eral, Julie McKay, responded
with equal enthusiasm.
“Hopefully this year will be dif-
ferent. We’re looking for a win
but either way it’s always fun.”
The events are set, the gener-
als are ready, and soon the play-
ers will be in motion with the
Black Nightmare seeking their
title from last year and the Red
Avengers hoping to win the
glory and bragging rights they
narrowly lost. Let the games
begin!
The end of the first semester
in January marked, for most stu-
dents, a welcome break from the
fervent studying and stress of
final exams. However, the mem-
bers of the Model United Nations
club spent their four day- week-
end representing our school, as
well as distant nations, at the Ivy
League Model United Nations
Conference (ILMUNC) in
Philadelphia. Model United
Nations, known as Model UN, is
an academic simulation of the
United Nations an organization
founded after World War II to
advance efforts of international
peace, security, and cooperation.
Each year, club advisor Saul
Flieder brings our school’s Model
UN to ILMUNC at the Sheraton
Hotel in Center City. ILMUNC is
one of the largest conferences for
high school students worldwide,
hosting over 3,000 students in its
most recent 28th annual session.
Students spend weeks research-
ing their assigned nation before
attending the conference as
ambassadors to work with other
nations in a general assembly, an
economic and social council
committee, a specialized agency
and regional body, or a crisis sim-
ulation. 15 delegates from our
school represented Uruguay,
located in South America, and the
Central African Republic on nine
different committees, including
the Disarmament and
International Security (DISEC)
committee, the United Children’s
Fund (UNICEF), and the
Assembly of African Union
(AAU).
Senior Jason Malamut took
part in a special crisis committee
as a member of the Spartan cabi-
net during the Peloponnesian War
against Athens. His committee
faced crises such as a slave revolt
and an attack from Persia that
occurred numerous times during
the conference, including after
midnight. Malamut said, “You
never knew what would happen
next, so you had to work very
quickly and be prepared for any-
thing”.
Junior Meredith Lightstone
represented Uruguay in the
Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization. Her three-
year involvement in Model UN
has made an impact on her global
paradigm. She said, “I’ve gained
a broader perspective of the
world. Living in the suburbs does
not directly expose our student
body to global issues, so it is very
easy for us to become uncon-
cerned with what happens outside
our country's borders.
11THE HAT CHAT - FEBRUARY 2012ACTIVITIES
Competing Across The Nation Red and Black: coming back
On February 7 about thirty
students from our school took
the American Mathematics
Competition, or AMC, during
third and fourth period. Seven of
these students are eighth graders
who are currently taking
Accelerated Geometry at our
school. These thirty students are
among the 200,000 who partici-
pated in the the AMC throughout
America.
The AMC is a test designed to
determine the best and brightest
math students in the country.
Although it has three versions-
the AMC 8, 10, and 12, our
school only offers the AMC 10
and 12. The AMC 10 can only be
taken by students in grades 10
and below, while anyone can
take the AMC 12. The basic dif-
ference between these two tests is
that the AMC 12 features more
advanced questions. However, a
higher score is required on the
AMC 10 in order to move onto
the next exam.
The test following the AMC
is the American Invitational Math
Exam, also known as the AIME.
Only the top 5% of students who
take the AMC 12 and the top
2.5% of students who take the
AMC 10 make it to the AIME.
The AIME is the farthest that
any student from our school has
managed to get. Many kids have
made it their goal to go farther
and some, though, have gotten
close, no one has succeeded.
From the AIME, the top 500
students move onto the United
States of America Math
Olympiad, also known as the
USAMO. The top 12 students
from the USAMO are invited to
go to the International Math
Olympiad, which is held in a dif-
ferent country every year. This
year, those 12 students will be
headed to Argentina.
Our school’s math club advi-
sor, Robert Lochel, has a differ-
ent approach to preparing stu-
dents for the AMC than teachers
at most other schools. First of all,
Lochel does not believe in simply
giving old AMC tests to kids and
having them work through the
tests. Instead, he searches for
problems that he believes will
interest students and talks
through how to solve them. “I
think that kids are more likely to
really get into solving the prob-
lems if they’re really interesting
and we can have a conversation
about how to solve them, ” said
Lochel.
For this reason, Lochel wants
students who are truly interested
in math to take the AMC, so that
they find personal value in doing
the work. “If a student improves,
and that is their goal, then good. I
don’t really care what the scores
are, as long as everyone feels
improvement,” said Lochel.
However, Lochel encourages
any students remotely interested
in math to join him early so that
they can get a feel for the types of
questions used in the AMC.
Many students are intimidated
and do not take their first AMC
until junior year, and are then dis-
appointed by their score because
they were not prepared properly
for the AMC.
Sophomore Sam Schwartz
took the AMC last year and took
it again this year. A week and a
half before the test he still had not
decided whether to take the AMC
10 or 12. He said that his goal for
this year was, “to do better than I
did last year.” Schwartz’s goal is
consistent with most students
who chose to take the AMC.
It may be late to join for this
year, but if you are interested in
math problems, especially if you
are currently a freshman, consid-
er taking the AMC next year.
We are still looking for the
first Hatboro-Horsham student to
make it to the USAMO.
The Red Team hard at work preparing a poster for Red and Black.
PHOTO BY SILVIA CHON
H-H represents at ILMUNC
Erika ExtonStaff Writer, ’14
Carly LyonStaff Writer, ’12
Rocki SchyStaff Writer, ’13
Through Model UN, however, I
have been encouraged to become
more aware of what is hap-
pening around the globe, whether
that be violence in Syria or cor-
ruption in Russia.” Co-head dele-
gate and senior Michelle
Andronov added that her experi-
ence is more than a simple col-
lege resume builder. “I discov-
ered early on that Model UN was
one of my passions, and was a
club I wanted to stick with in high
school, “ she said. “I’ve grown
since my freshman year and am
able to debate without caving into
anyone else in my committee.”
As attendees of ILMUNC
since the 1980s, our school has
consistently performed well.
Andronov said, “All of our dele-
gates did a great job, especially
our new members. They have all
come very far and I am so proud
of the hard work that they put into
our club.”
This year, co-head delegate
and senior Alexis Waché
received an honorable mention
for his representation of Uruguay
in the World Health Organization
committee.
The small but passionate
group of students involved with
this club are able to take part in a
worthwhile organization promot-
ing greater awareness and interest
in issues affecting our future.
Students study diligently for this prestigious mathematics examina-
tion
Our school’s Model UN club recently attended the 28th annual
ILMUNC conference in Philadelphia.
PHOTO BY MEGAN RAYMOND
Photo Courtesy of AP Wire
THE HAT CHAT - FEBRUARY 2012 FEATURES12
Every September, a new class
of students takes their place as the
school’s leaders. Every year,
however, there is a change in atti-
tude for many of these seniors.
They neglect their homework,
studying, and projects. They take
more “mental health” days.
The cause of all this?
“Senioritis,” claimed senior Eun
Shim, who describes it as “an
inevitable disease; a part of the
circle of life.” And unlike the flu,
the illness is the same year after
year. According to senior Mariah
Duff, it annually “infects almost
the entire senior class and brings
even the most motivated students
to wish school was over with
already.”
The disease is sometimes
detrimental; it can certainly cause
consequences much more long-
lasting than those of the flu.
Senior year is hugely important
for most students, who must
make major decisions that will no
doubt affect them for years to
come. A lower GPA. is a com-
mon symptom of the disease,
which, in the view of senior Mary
Kate Holman, does not “just
affect people who have been
accepted into college,” like
Holman herself. “The senior
class,” she said, “has been in the
high school for four years and
every year we are closer to adult-
hood and knowing that…we are
all itching to get out and explore
what is out there.”
With all of this in mind,
schoolwork is naturally not the
first priority of a typical senior.
senior Eoghan Brennan was frank
in stating his opinion on the mat-
ter. “The average student is in a
plethora of classes that they don’t
care about,” he said. “It’s become
so hard to care with graduation
right around the corner.”
Duff shares this attitude,
though her class choices may not
reflect it. “My top choice college
only requires two years of a lan-
guage and two years of math, yet
I am currently in Spanish IV and
BC Calculus. Knowing this, I’m
not as motivated as I usually
would be to overachieve in those
classes,” she said.
Despite the obvious changes
in the habits of usually “academ-
ically driven” students, many,
like senior Allison Shaftel, still
doubt the actuality of senioritis.
“It’s really just an invented phe-
nomenon that allows people to
excuse themselves from neglect-
ing their their school work and
responsibilities,” she said, citing
psychology teacher Mr. Kunz.
“Everyone is tired and burnt out
by the end of the year, but there’s
really no excuse to stop caring.”
Fellow AP Psychology stu-
dent Brennan, on the other hand,
“has a pending patent that would
define senioritis as a legitimate
psychological epidemic.”
Perhaps this would raise aware-
ness of the disease, which does
not have any known cure.
Shim maintained that
“senioritis is only curable by an
unnatural phenomenon known as
‘The Graduation,’” which “can
only be provided by D.Wills per-
sonally, in the form of a piece of
paper with the patient’s name
inscribed in it.”
Though the future after this
day is uncertain, it is indeed
bright for the seniors, most of
whom will attend university. In
the Bennan’s view, however, a
hopeful future is not completely
dependent on grades. “The fact of
the matter is that if I don’t do my
homework, I’m not suddenly
going to be out of options,” he
said, listing community college
as just one of many alternatives.
If Brennan, who claims that
he has had senioritis since junior
year, is truly the most severely
afflicted, seniors still should be
optimistic about what lies ahead;
even Brennan, who “cannot do
homework for more than five
minutes,” is definitely going to
college. His story demonstrates
that students do not have to be
overachievers to do well after
high school. Life after graduation
is incredibly promising for the
majority of seniors, even if they
have taken Ferris Bueller up as a
role model.
Meredith LightstoneStaff Writer, ’13
The yearly epidemic rears its ugly head once more
Senior Eun Shim exhibits the effects of the “inevitable disease” called senioritis; his pose mirrors that of Ferris Bueller’s. He carelessly awaits
the “unnatural phenomenon” which he defines as “The Graduation.”