To dance or not to dance?

By: Janese Watson

Everyone does something they love at least once in life, whether it’s a sport, hobby, or maybe even walking the dog. There are always pros and cons for those things. Dancing is a perfect example. Being a dancer, you develop many good things in life, but lose some too.

            Have you ever noticed dancers to be more outgoing, very entertaining, and always will to do anything to make someone laugh? Dancing does that to you. To be a dancer you have to be able to change moods from left to right in your dances. You have to act really happy in one dance and as if you’re sad in another. Being able to do that so easily makes it easy to be loud and outgoing in front of other people, creating a better environment and happy life.

            Like every sport, dance keeps you very busy. In some cases it’s a good thing to keep you out of trouble, but sometimes it can be too much. If dance is something you want to take seriously, you have to be ready to sign your life away. Dancing keeps you fit and makes it easier to adapt to many things. Did you know that most sports use dance moves in stretching and warm up routines? Football players are told to take ballet classes to help their balance and strengthen their legs. Lynn Swann, a former Pittsburg Steeler and 2001 inductee in the Pro Football Hall of Frame, claims his ballet training greatly improved his athletic skills and helped him become a better football player.

            Dancing also has a positive effect on self-esteem. Being a dancer, no matter what you look like, you always feel pretty. Dancers wear a lot of makeup, fake eyelashes, red lipstick and use a full can of hairspray on their hair. It’s like you’re in a movie when you’re on stage. It also great knowing that people are watching you wishing they could do what you do.

            Dancing is an amazing sport, but nothing is perfect. There are downfalls that dancers have to live with. It is extremely expensive to dance; all studios are different, but an average monthly cost would be $350. There are a lot of random expenses when dancing that also run up the cost. Costume quality matters and a single costume could range from $50 to $1,000! In order to be a dancer, you have to be willing to empty your pockets for it.

            Despite all the positive health benefits of dance, there can be some negative impact too. You are sore every day to the point where it changes the way you walk. By the age of forty you will feel like you’re eighty due to bad knees and bad back from dancing. In a study by Dona Krashnow, psychological stress and perfectionism was examined in three groups of young elite performers: ballet dancers, modern dancers, and artistic gymnasts. Similar to the adult population, a high incidence of injury was found for all three groups. Results revealed a greater number of hip injuries in young ballet dancers and gymnasts than typically found in the adult population. The sooner you plan to quit working out, the sooner your body will tighten up and shut down. That’s why it’s important to keep dancing every day. Once you start, you can’t stop. There are a lot of pros and cons with dancing, but overall it is a great sport.

Seckman fall sports

By: Janese Watson

            Not enough people know about every fall sport at Seckman, so The Prowl interviewed coaches to see what kind of new information they could share with the public. Some of the answers you wouldn’t expect and some are probably what you would have imagined.

            For instance, did you know that the Seckman boys’ soccer team has scored 20 goals this year thus far? They practice everyday on the main field and are working to perfect their quick passing and drills. Soccer is a sport where you have to be consistently organized, but without breaks to reset. A compliment that is most often said to the boys is that they never quit and always feel they are in the game. That is a wonderful quality to have. Coach Bookstaver was asked what he would do if soccer was taken away from Seckman and his reply was: “It would be extremely disappointing to take the opportunity to play and develop away from students who hope to play beyond high school.” He couldn’t have said it any better. Good luck to the boys in the Suburban West Conference, as that is their toughest competition. Seckman soccer is amazing and only getting better.

            A lot was found out about the girls’ golf team. Did you know our Seckman gold team has beaten Fox seven years straight? These ladies practice four days a week at Pomme Creek Golf Course or sometimes even the driving range. Their way of working out is walking the entire golf course, which could get lengthy. “Our golf team has been told they are the friendliest to play,” says Coach Kennedy.  Seckman golf has also said they admire every sport at Seckman. The girls’ golf team is a true success story here at Seckman High School.

            A sport at Seckman that is not talked about as much as it should be is girls’ volleyball. Coaches Artinger, Eplin and Ehlmann helped fill in blank pages. Artinger informs us that the most challenging thing for a volleyball team is playing together as a team. It is 100% a team sport. Most would agree with Artinger because that is usually the best way to win. Seckman volleyball practices are everyday from 2:50-5pm at the high school and focuses on their weaknesses from previous matches. Artinger was asked about hardworking players and she said, “We have many players that work hard, but I would have to say Hannah Arras and Leah Blocker are some of our top girls who put their heart and soul into each practice and game. They always give 100% every time they play and are great leaders on the court.” Seckman volleyball’s toughest opponent is Lafayette High School. However, as long as the team works together and gives it their all, they could win state this year. Good luck girls!

            Cheer has always been a hard sport. Seckman varsity cheer is something everyone likes. They are always giving spirit and cheering on our football team. At their last camp, the ladies took home first place and, on top of that, the leadership award! “The girls never fail to have a great time together,” says Coach Wingo. People often complement this team’s skills and how the girls are always nice. Some people call cheer easy, but, as Coach Wingo would say, “You lift weights, but they lift people.” Seckman Cheer makes us proud.

            The final fall sport at Seckman that was interviewed was the Seckman varsity dance team, also known as JagSwag. Ms. Como shares the amazing opportunity to teach this group of girls with Kelly Stevens. JagSwag was brought to life three years ago when Kelly was first hired. Ever since then, magical things have happened. In 2012, JagSwag went to nationals for the first time ever and brought home a second place trophy. In 2013, the ladies earned fourth and, in 2014, JagSwag again came home with a second place trophy, losing first by less than a point. As far as this year, Coach Kelly said, “We have had this dream for three years, but this year will be it. This year JagSwag will get those Jackets.” This is a group of girls that never give up no matter how hard things get. There is constant improvement in the girls and endless friendships. The best thing about JagSwag is not only are they nationally ranked, but they also get along with everyone. They practice every day after school for two hours in the Café to perfect their dances. Good luck to all the girls at nationals this year.

Standardized testing

By: Bella Dalba

            For twenty million high school seniors, the end of summer indicates the beginning of the most stressful event of their lives: applying to college. Yes, most of the deadlines for regular decision are in January, so why worry in September? Well, if you’re applying to a school with an acceptance rate higher than 40% (typically state, community, and public colleges), you could afford to wait until the January 1 deadline. If you’re applying to a more selective institution, however, November may be your only opportunity for admittance. When competing against 30,000 other applicants during regular decision, most of who are valedictorians and salutatorians that sport flawless academic records, excessive amounts of both extracurricular and volunteer activities, and have been training for the SAT for years, what possible advantage could you gain over them? It ultimately comes down to how well you scored on a standardized exam. But why is standardized testing so important in the first place? Many studies indicate there is a correlation between your ACT score and your success within a more rigorous academic environment.

            The SAT and ACT were never meant to be exact measures of intellectual preparedness. In 1959, University of Iowa education professor E.F. Lindquist launched the forerunner to the contemporary American College Test. Intended to be a competitor to the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the ACT was designed to assess students on practical knowledge rather than cognitive reasoning. Primarily administered in the Midwest, the test was constantly altered to compete with the SAT, which ultimately led to the development of benchmarks. Benchmarks are scores on the ACT subject-area tests that represent the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher, or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher, in corresponding freshman courses. Based on a sample of 214 institutions and more than 230,000 students from across the United States, the benchmarks are median course placement values for these institutions, and, as such, represent a typical set of expectations.

College admissions policies have been shaped by these research-supported “prediction models.” Studies compiled data generated by students during high school, seeking the combination which had the highest indicator of predicting their success in college. In some of these studies, conducted by Noble & Sawyer and published in 2002, ACT composite scores have been shown to be a better predictor of college GPA than high school GPA. This is especially true at higher levels (3.25 and above), where a high school GPA of 4.0 is not a strong predictor of a college GPA of 3.25 or above. However, composite ACT scores (combined with high school GPA) are a stronger predictor of college success than the ACT subtest scores. Guidance Seckman High School counselor Keith Mayer agrees: “Generally, kids who score above a 26 on the ACT are more successful in college than those who score lower.”

Using ACT scores as a component of college admissions seems well supported in the research, but the system relies heavily on high school teachers. Though ACT scores can be highly successful in predicting future success in college, students’ performance on the ACT is largely determined by the courses students take during high school, and the high school they attended. In most studies, high school GPA has been shown to have a higher “predictability contribution” than ACT scores. The efficacy of combined high school GPA and ACT (or SAT) scores as a predictor of college success is much stronger for groups of students (e.g., all students within a particular grade point range) than for individual students. In essence, important individualistic differences, such as perseverance and other non-cognitive qualities, also play a role in a student’s future college success. When asked her opinion, Seckman High School ACT preparation teacher Stefani Fesi said, “I’ve had kids with a 3.0 GPA get Bright Flight, and others with a 4.0 score 25s. It just depends on the student’s work ethic, their teachers, and their natural ability.”

Due to this controversy, universities are continually revoking their standardized testing requirements. The Dean of Admissions for Bates College, William Hiss, led the study which tracked the grades and graduation rates of students who submitted their test results against those who did not over a period of several years. Hiss’ data showed that there was a negligible difference in college performance between the two groups: only 0.05 percent of a GPA point set “submitters” and “non-submitters” apart, and the difference in their graduation rates was just 0.6 percent. With multiple studies offering evidence to both support and condemn the dependability on ACT and SAT scores, and the mounting pressures on students to perform well under strict testing conditions, should colleges be forced to disregard standardized testing altogether? Does it even the playing field for all applicants, or favor those who can afford test prep?

 

Five fun do-it-yourself gifts

By: Sadie Raddatz

Do you have a special someone in your life? Someone who you care a lot for? Have you ever just wanted to do something special for that person so they know how much you care, but don’t know how or where to start? Well, here are some homemade gift ideas that you can make yourself. These ideas are affordable, but may be time consuming. However, being able to make something that will make that special person smile makes it worth the time. It’ll also be something that they will want to show off and tell all of their friends about.

Crayon Project

Needed: crayons, a blow dryer, newspaper, and a canvas.

1.      Lay down some newspaper.

2.      Put canvas down.

3.      Remove wrappers from crayons.

4.      Arrange the crayons on the canvas.

5.      Add any kind of details.

6.      Glue crayons down so they remain still.

7.      Use blow dryer and heat up the crayons.

8.      Continue to heat the crayons until they are melted just the way you want.

You can easily customize it to whatever you want, by adding a phrase, quote, or a picture, making this gift a good one for a best friend.

Deck of Cards

Needed: A deck of cards, some string or yarn, and a hole puncher.

1.      List 52 reasons why that person is important to you.

2.      You can type them out and print it off or just write on the actual card with a sharpie.

3.      If you decide to type, make sure they are big enough to read, but can fit on the card.

4.      Glue or write your reasons onto the cards.

5.      Hole punch the cards.

6.      Run yarn or string through the holes and tie a pretty bow (sturdy enough not to come undone).

This is a great gift for a boyfriend, girlfriend or maybe even a friend. It gives exactly 52 reasons why that person means something to you. For most of us, sitting down and thinking of 52 reasons can be pretty difficult, so it makes the gift even more special.

 

Customizing the Small Things

Needed: Object to customize, items to do the decorating, hot glue, and time.

1.      Acquire something that means a lot to that person, like some headphones or a phone case.

2.      Now decorate the item you have acquired for that person. Use hot glue to customize it!

This project shows that you listen and pay attention to something small and customized it. You gave it that special something that makes it even more special. With headphones, you can get yarn or string and cover it, or take a black phone case and add studs or jewels.

Memory Box

Needed: A box and items of sentimental value to remind you of fond memories.

A memory box would consist of a box that has something from a meaningful memory in it, like your first trip to a beach together. You could put some seashells you collected that day. It could also just be full of memories, like ticket stubs from dates at the movies, sporting events or concerts. All you need is a box. A shoe box would work or you could get a nicer one from a local hobby store.

Photo Album

Needed: Photo album, pictures, glue, and accessories.

1.      Take all the pictures off your phone or camera and print them off.

2.      Arrange them how you want in the album.

3.      Glue or place the pictures down.

4.      Accessorize and decorate.

Thanks to camera phones a lot of people are talking a lot of pictures and selfies with their significant other! Well, this is a way to remember the times that were shared with each other and how your relationship and both individuals have progressed.

These are just a few ways that you could express your love or appreciation for someone, or even cool projects you could do for yourself. These projects show that you spent time making something very special for that person. It shows that you remember the good times and these projects could show how much you actually care for that other person. More ideas can be found through Google or on Pinterest, of course.

Animal crackers no more?

 

By: Josh Leach

 

Animal crackers have been a favorite childhood snack since the Nabisco Company began production in 1902.  However, the company may need to retire several of their iconic animal figures within the next 12 years.  Tigers, bears, hippos, elephants, giraffes, and lions are all either classified as endangered or threatened.  Environmentalists are witnessing a plummet in the populations of these animals.  Gone are the warnings of rare South American butterflies dying out, because the devastating effects of habitat destruction, over hunting, pollution, and climate change are now more apparent than ever as the most well known species face extinction.

Just how desperate are the world’s animals?  Well, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation has surveyed nine subspecies of giraffe.  Their populations span from the Masai giraffe at 37,000 to the West African giraffe at a mere 300.  According to National Geographic, “Only about 3,200 tigers can be found in the wild today—a far cry from the iconic cat's situation a century ago, when 100,000 tigers roamed vast stretches of the Asian continent.”  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believes only 500 grizzly bears are currently living in North America.  Most shocking of all, only 250 lions are left in West Africa.  These animals are always the first to be introduced to young children, but soon they will no longer exist.

The vast majority of people in the world are ignorant of this oncoming disaster.  When asked how many tigers are living in the wild, Austin Hill said, “Around four million.”  He was close to the general consensus of Seckman students, which estimated the world’s tiger population at a million.  They were shocked to discover how close tigers actually are to extinction (only 3,200 left).  In fact, some biologists claim the genetic diversity in a population that small is simply too low for the species to recover.  Inbreeding has already become a huge issue in environmental preserves.  Hopefully, the probable extinction of these big cats will finally bring the severity of this situation to the attention of the public.

People are wondering how to prevent the continuation of the sixth mass extinction in the earth’s history.  Humans have accounted for the extinction of thousands of species since the beginning of civilization.  Josh Kurosz believes, “We should take whatever measures are necessary to conserve our vital resources.”  Ways to end this environmental catastrophe have been tiresomely repeated for over two centuries.  Plants and animals require space to live, and suburbanization has progressively eliminated forests and grasslands.  Furthermore, consumerism has destroyed rainforests to create disposable milk cartons, and mines have ripped into mountains to make soda cans.  Pollution is the greatest of all threats.  School buses emit 270 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer.  A student’s trip to school can release pounds of pollution.  Climate change has been responsible for four out of the five greatest extinctions in the planet’s history.  Carpooling, recycling, reusing materials, and countless other environmentally friendly options exist.

The future is up to everyone alive today.  The human race must redefine its place in the world.  If mankind continues to exert its will over the natural world, then there will soon be nothing left to lord over.  People must make up their minds on whether they want to live in a world completely bare of natural beauty.  Will animal crackers be the only thing left to remind future generations of what they have lost?