_____________________________________________________________________________________

EMAIL US:
challetters@lebanoncatholicschool.org

 

Class fertilizer smells like a winner
~Lauren Faust~

 

One man's garbage becomes another's treasure

Originality is a key ingredient in the recipe of Lebanon Catholic's curriculum. The Introduction to Business class and the AP Environmental Science class is reaffriming that this year. The two classes have been working together to form a fertilizer from a compost for sale project. The APES class made the compost and the Intro to Business class packaged it to sell it at the LC Plant sale in May.
The inspiration for this project was environmental science teacher Mrs. Dori Ludwig's own compost pile at home. Since Mrs. Ludwig feels she has had such a success with her own comost pile at home she thought it would be a good experiment to test at school. "The fertilizer is reat for the garden, and that is why I thought it would sell at the Plant Sale," Mrs. Ludwig said.
As one would expect, the business class was in charge of this business aspect of the project, while the APES clas handled the physical making of the fertilizer. The APES class purchased a comoster from the internet earlier in the school year. The composter was then filled with materials ranging from coffee grounds to banana peels. It sits
Business student Christina Wolfe tries her best sales pitch for the "From Garbage to Garden"
compost on a parent, Mrs. Heather Frattaroli, during the plant sale. Photo by Frau Vojtko
Mrs. Dori Ludwig explains how to turn the composter to the newest APES students
Maria Simmers and Sara Collura. Photo by Frau Vojtko

outside nex to the science wing building and rquires the temperature to stay above 40 degrees.
The composter is to be spun once a day by the APES class. According to former senior Alexis Longarini, the APES class was divided into groups and those gorups rotated weekly with the responsiblity to turn the comoste, this way everybody has a responsibility in making this project a success. "It is fascinating to watch," said former APES class member Sara Kern, as she commented on her love for its "sage green color."
Other than the fact that we get to add to the APES composter," said business class teacher Mrs. Monica Simmers, "our role (the business class) was to design a packaging and advertisement plan as well as learn the skills to market products."
In 2008, the business class project was the selling of LC magnets. The marketing project is a fun and practical way for the students to learn marketing skills. Actualy, Mrs. Simmers inherited the project when she took over the class in mid-year.
The sale project was actually the brain child of of previous business teacher Mrs.Kathy Morrison who said, "We wanted to do a collaborative project that would give the students real world marketing experience." She said, they needed something to market that everyone was unfamiliar with so it would be even more educational and fun. APES teacher Mrs. Ludwig agreed. "I thought it was a good cross curricular project for the APES and business class."
Picking a name for compost was tricky, but according to junior Christina Tinoco, it was funny as well, "Personally I voted for Holy Ghost Compost," said Tinoco "or even the popular yet slightly inappropriate Holy Crap." They finally settled on From Garbage to Garden. The students anticipated the arrival of the plant sale in high hopes that this material could actually sell.
Unfortunately, due to weather conditions the fertilizer wasunable to develop, therefore it was unable to be sold. "We needed a consistent temperature of 40 degrees, and the spring was too cold." said Mrs. Ludwig. "We took orders, but we never took money," says Simmers. "In the end, we had no product to sell, the weaher didn't cooperate."
Although the sale did fall through, some students like Junior Tina Wolfe, still attended the plant sale. "I think the whole experience was good for the business class," even if it was unsuccessful in the end. "We came together with such little time," said Wolfe.
Not only ws this project beneficial to the curriculum but it was a nice compliment to Mother Nature herself. This project taught some students that trash does not need to be thrown away; it can be used n a variety of useful ways.
"This project is good for the environment because it reduces the garbage in the landfill," said Mrs. Ludwig.
As the business class continues to brainstorm and hte APES class continues to fertilze the trash they gather, they both hoped for the big day when the marketing teams could take their efforts to the public.

 

 

Kids try out opposite side of desk
~Hayley Amerman~

A student refereeing a gym class or doing a teachers' paperwork might seem strange, but that is exactly what seniors Hayley Carrangelo and Mike Wolfe are doing in a work studies program. Seniors follow a teacher in subject areas they hope to make their career, acting like an intern.
A student must be selected by a teacher or recommended by the guidance department to do work studies, said vice-principal Mrs. Rose Kury.
The mentor teacher may have the student watch, participate in a class or he may teach the student after school.

The teacher gives up his or her own time to instruct the student. Currently Carangelo is shadowing Mrs. Patti Hower, Wolfe follows Mr. Matt Duvall, and David Fink will be working with Mr. Scott Root.
During a study hall, Carangelo is getting hands-on experience for a career in coaching and possibly health education by assisting Coach Hower in a gym class. She helps set up equipment, referee games, and will soon take part in a health program, which she is particularly interested in.
Wolfe helps Duvall set up computers

and does paperwork during his study hall. He is considering a career in computers and computing programming, and Duvall said, "it'll help him get an idea of what teaching is like."
Fink has not started his music theory class but he wants to follow a career in teaching music, a valuable skill he can obtain from shadowing a music teacher.
Students get a credit for using this opportunity. Mrs. Kury said, "We are unique in that we have the flexibility to accommodate students through the generosity and willingness of the faculty."

 

 

Juniors 'climb every mountain,
ford every stream' in Europe
~Erika Firestone~

Overflowing suitcases of 92 American teens recklessly bobbed up and down the Hobblestone streets of four European Countries for three weeks. Barely an average summer vacation, American Music Abroad gave students throughout Virginia and Pennsylvania (including Hayley Amerman and myself) the chance to experience things that seemed non-existent beyond the television.
Adapting to time change, culture shock, and new foods such as Schweine Schnitzel and drinking Mezzo-Mix, which is a mixture of Cola and orange soda, made being american feel more like being an alien. On the first night, Prater Amusement Park's (second tallest Ferris wheel in the world offered a spectacular view of Vienna, Austria, o r as we learned in German class, Wien, Osterreich. Most kids didn't take advantage F the comfortable beds in the large commercial hotels and quaint places such as the Goldeness Lamm in Dinkelsbiihl Germany because nights were for card games n balconies and watching hilarious shows on German MTV.
The little time spent in France offered a crazy night dancing to techno at a Disko, a morning trip to ancient Chateau (Castle) Konigsburg near Strasbourg, and a sobering visit to Struthof concentration camp where the usually noisy group remained silent as eyes glimmered with tears.
Westendorf , Austria was the highlight for the adventurous among us. Despite the cold, hours were spent atop a glacier, snow tubing and having endless snowball fights with the chorus instructors. While some slept during the day, seven of us climbed the Tyrolean Alps. We encountered the most astounding waterfalls, ran into miniature ponies, and took many wrong turns. Standing at the top of a mountain with its breathtaking scenery surrounding us was one of the greatest and most humbling feelings I've ever had and is something I hope to never forget.
Only a few hours away, the Italian peninsula was bursting with culture. Paying fifteen Euros for a pizza in Riva Del Gardo may sound pricey but after that, Pizza Hut's deep dish will never taste the same. Back alleys of Venice blocked the beating sun that was impossible to escape in the pigeon-infested St. Marks Square. The architecture and beauty of European churches could make any jaw drop with their gold ceilings, saints' relics, and underground chapels.
The concerts we played in — Hayley on the portable bell and xylophone, and I on the trumpet ~ took place all over; in outdoor pavilions in small towns like Dinkelsbuhl Germany , in big concert halls and even on public squares like Villach Square where many would flock to hear the choir singing in Latin. Everyone dressed up in their least wrinkled outfit and learned to waltz on the last night in Vienna, the home of John Strauss, the Waltz King. Three weeks across the sea created friendships and memories to last a lifetime.

 

 

Thoughts from the kids
(compiled by the editors)
Give your thoughts on the Michael Jackson death and funeral.
Jessica Glover: the media definitely overdid his death. When Farrah Fawcett dided just before him, all they did ws put her face of the cover of People magazine and an hour of her life on TV. It was like Michael Jackson took her time to shine.
Deryn Fink: I don't buy the homicide charge against the doctor. If a druggie buys cocaine and dies, do you blame the drug dealer? No, it's called choice.
Megan Lough: They wouldn't have had so many tributes and media coverage for anyone else. It was sad tht he died, but I think it's time to move on.
Evan Zimmerman: MJ is awesome and there should have been more people there, including me.
Hailey Carangelo: I feel bad for the Jackson family but I do think MJ should have been buried sooner. He was toured around, instead of buried in the ground.
Lauren Earle: I didn't watch the whole thing but what I saw was actually pretty good without too many extra frills. I was kind of impressed.

 

 

SAT scores outshine national, state scores
~Jessica Stachura~
   

With 3 hours and 45 minutes of endless answer bubbles and time limitations, the SAT is often seen as the major academic ordeal of high school. Many students worry that they aren't sufficiently prepared for it or that they won't score well on the dreaded test. But comparisons of recent years indicate that pupils of Lebanon Catholic School may have less to worry about.
In the Writing and Critical Reading sections, the average scores for Lebanon Catholic students were significantly higher than the Pennsylvania averages and even the nation between the years of 2006-2008, according to Ms. Karen Stief, the guidance counselor.
Only LC's Math scores were lower than the national average, but they still were higher than state scores in 2007 (PA 499 - LC 507) and 2008 (PA 501 - LC 510). Compared to itself, however, LC's math scores increased 55 points from 2006-2008 from 455 to 510.
Not only did Lebanon Catholic students perform well compared to the state and nation but they performed well against other schools against greater odds. All pupils, no matter their class rank or GPA, are highly encouraged to take the SAT at Lebanon Catholic, said Ms. Stief, despite the fact that one individual's low test score may bring down an entire school's average. Most

  

schools do not give the test to all of their students. It is a bigger achievement to attain high score averages when all levels of students from a school take the test, she said, and at Lebanon Catholic almost 100% of the students take the SAT.
It's impossible to qualify exactly what Lebanon Catholic does to produce such good scores. According to Ms. Stief, it's a combination of being a small school with more individual student attention, having students that take the test more than once, having a large number of students that take the PSAT first in ht sophomore and then in hte junior year, starting in Algebra I in eighth grade to ensure that students will have the math they ned when they take the test, and "strong, motivating teachers" in the classrooms.
Motivation comes from the students as well. "LC traditionally has very academically-driven kids," she said. "Most of our kids go on to college, so they're more motivated to get into college," by, among other things, doing well on the SAT.
With one exception of a slight set-back in the writing section in 2008, in all areas, Lebanon Catholic's average SAT scores have improved from 2006-2008. As Ms. Stief said, "It's something to boast about, but it should be expected of us."

 

 

Volleyball team needs growth
~Bernadette Marco~

Even though the Beaver Volleyball team lost two of its best hitters from last year, they are striving towards improvement this year. Last season the girls struggled, and did not win one game, except for the first District game.
In the girls' season opener the Beavers faced Bible Baptist. Although they lost, Knowles said, "We played a lot better than last year. We're improving on our skills." In order to do this, senior and co-captain Anne Stefonich said, "We need to communicate more."
Their head coach James Knowles said that one of the team's goals this year is "to get better and improve on last year."
Despite the loss of the hitters, they have some important returning players this year in Maria Pavone, Nicole Groh, Reist, and Kate Pastal. The JV captain is Lauren Earle. The other senior is Lauren Gross.
Co-captain Kate Reist said, "We don't get as upset as much as we did last year during games. We all work together to stay focused." Both girls agreed that the Beaver ladies have good team chemistry this year.
Their record at press time, was 2-5. Columbia is an important game they hope to win.

 

 

Editorial
Program targets alcohol at parties
As with other local public school students, the police had, over the past decade or more, caught several Lebanon Catholic students drinking underage and had raided some parties. And if that isn't embarrassing enough, some of those LC raids made front page news. Lebanon Catholic has done little to help reduce the number of students involved in these parties, basically because its hands are tied for off-campus activities and it really didn't know what to do.
Some of these dramatic parties were responsible for deaths in vehicular accidents. Lives of parents who gave the parties were ruined, while students' dreams were shattered as licenses were interrupted and scholarship opportunities were lost.
An attempt at a solution has finally been suggested; one that has been tried before. A "Safe Homes" list is the brainchild of chaplain Father Michael Rothan.
If the parents decide to sign the list they promise two things: that they had "not hosted assemblies of students (under the age of 21) where alcohol or drugs were provided or permitted in the past year," and that they will not do so in the future. This program intends to help parents feel comfortable enough to send their kids to parties without the fear that they will be
  
drinking. Hopefully, it will result in fewerdrinking parties with LC students.Most parents can agree that the moment their child steps out the door, until the moment they walk back through it, they worry about them. Many of these parents discover that their children did, in fact, go to parties with alcohol on hand. This erodes the trust the parents had in them.
Don't question trust if you don't give people a reason to trust you. Does one want to risk drinking and on the drive home unintentionally hit and kill another human being? Many students think that, that will never happen to them, but it has happened to LC students before. Following this plan might help avoid such a tragedy.
The name of this school is Lebanon Catholic; underline the second word. If students can't avoid drink based on community, they can at least be smart enough not to drink based on the beliefs taught here.
Nobody is naive enough to believe this system is flawless. Some students will mock this plan and will break their promise. If they want to drink, they will. The point of this effort is about controlling parties and giving students who don't want to drink safe alternatives and parents peace of mind.

 

Bands tie old with new in rockin' summer concerts
~Morgan Hartmoyer~
Heads were banging and lungs were screaming for the ] entire forty minutes of Taking Back Sunday's set as they played favorites like "Liar" and "Florida". TBS performed ati Philadelphia's The Electric Factory to a sold-out stop on then- '' tour. For once, a concert wasn't about the stars and their look; it was about the only thing that matters: phenomenal music. The only downside was that they hardly played any old songs, seeing as they were promoting their new album "New Again". However, TBS still lived up to its reputation and blew away everyone who ventured out that June night.
Everyone should look forward to and go to see Taking Back Sunday when they return. It was truly a classic, no frills rock concert that deserved more recognition than it received. The band sings: "Splintered but focused, you're good as gold". That night, they truly lived up to that line.

Hours of pouring rain, opening bands, and patiently waiting led up to an eruption of excitement as the re-united band Blink 182 took control of the stage. The sound system was slightly rough due to the stormy weather, so after years of being apart, the band didn't play to its fullest potential. That aside, it was almost impossible not to have fun as band members Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge cracked jokes on stage between busting out their popular songs like "All the Small Things". Eyes were glued to Travis" Barker as he made drumming look as simple as walking. Those who stuck around all night heard a medley of Blink 182's most famous songs from over the years such as "First Date" and "Stay Together for the Kids". The band's fans left Hershey on August 12 with very wet clothing, a feeling of accomplishment, and their rock show hunger satisfied.
~Elizabeth Rakow~
Hundreds of tie dye clad fans of all ages packed Giant Center in Hershey expecting to be entertained on a hot day in July. They awaited the first appearance of Dave Matthews Band. A splash of the song "Shotgun" which was tied in with "Squirm" started the concert off with
a bang as these two lively jams got the crowd ready for a good time. The number that seemed to set the masses off most, however, was performed further into the show. The 1996 hit "Crash into Me" had people singing along and created a relaxed vibe that showed the true appreciation for the music more so than the hype. Those who attended the concert were not disappointed. The band did a great job of lacing the old with the new while throwing in a touch of jazz to mellow a crowd that barely left its feet.

 

 

Flag flew over base in Iraq
Charlotte Devitz helps mother Mrs. Alicia Devitz raise the flag that her father sent to Lebanon
Catholic from his base in Iraq as a thank you for letters from students . Photo by Frau Vojtko
~Mackenzie Leonard~
The flag flying high above the school had once flown in Camp Adder, Iraq. It isn't a secret that Lebanon Catholic supports the troops stationed overseas. For the past several years, students have written letters of encouragement and thanks to the soldiers that are deployed to war. These efforts have not gone unnoticed by the men and women receiving them. This past August, an American flag that was flown in Iraq was sent to Lebanon Catholic by Major Carl Devitz, a soldier serving overseas who is also the father of freshman Charlotte Devitz.
On the night of Open House before school began, Mrs. Alicia Devitz presented the flag to Vice-principal Mrs. Rose Kury. She said she hopes,"the flag is treated with the respect it's due." In late September, there was a more formal small ceremony of the raising of the flag in front of the school with Charlotte Devitz and her mother in attendance and a photographer from The Lebanon Daily News. Charlotte believes that "it's unique to have a flag flown from overseas." Not many other schools can say the same thing that Lebanon Catholic can about the flag they fly.
Mrs. Ruth Fancovic, school office manager, keeps in regular contact with soldiers overseas, because her own son Nicholas Fancovic, also an LC alumnus, is serving in Iraq.
She asked several teachers to have their students write to the soldiers. Mrs. Claire Schneider's 6th graders made birthday
cards for several soldiers, including Devitz. Mr. Scott Root's religion class made cards with supporting messages in them, and Mrs. Marie Travitz's writing class wrote letters to Major Devitz. He was very appreciative of the letters from the students, and sent an American flag from Camp Adder where he is stationed, as a thank you. Other military men who received letters were Capt. Nathan Smith, LtC. Scott Perry, Tsgt. Philip Andrews, and Mrs. Fancovic's son Sgt. Nicholas Fancovic-most in the same unit. They are scheduled to come home in January.Mrs. Kathleen Clark, middle school literature teacher, is Major Devitz's aunt. Although she was not involved in the flag-sending process, she feels "absolutely amazed that there are people in Iraq that know about Lebanon Catholic, and it is such an honor to have a flag sent to us from there."
Many students and teachers were and still are involved in supporting the troops. Mrs. Kury describes it as a "web of kindness" because not just one single person is involved in the process.
In a letter to Mrs. Fancovic, Mr. Devitz described the students' letters as "touching" and said that they cause the soldiers to "feel more confident in our role and our mission when we receive the letters out of the blue."
Receiving this flag definitely sends a message of gratitude to Lebanon Catholic from the soldiers. It shows that the efforts of teachers and students are appreciated. One good turn from someone deserves another in return.

 

 


Writer predicts Series leaders; football players return

Well, baseball fans, as the final stretch toward the 2009 playoffs and the World Series looms ahead, the question now is, "What teams will enter the dance floor?"
This sports writer predicts the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Angels, and the Detroit Tigers, with the wildcard going to the Boston Red Sox, in the American League. The Philadelphia Phillies will take the National League East, the St. Louis Cardinals will dominate the Central Division, and the Los Angeles Dodgers will take the West. The San Francisco Giants will be the wildcard, not because of their offense, but their starting pitching ace Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Randy Johnson, and Barry Zito and their bullpen including all-star Brian Wilson.
The top two teams that will prevail, however, are the Phillies and the Yankees. The Phillies can take their team to the World Series for a couple of reasons. Number one, their starting rotation has improved since the All-Star break. Plus, they acquired left handed pitcher Cliff Lee, who has been stellar since the trade from the Cleveland Indians. Philadelphia's offense led by first baseman Ryan Howard, second baseman Chase Utley, and the new addition to the ball club Raul Ibanez is tops. However, they leave way too many runners on the bases when they need them; they need some timely hitting to knock those runners in. Recent experience as last year's winners in the World Series can't hurt the Phillies either.
Since the break, the Yankees have turned things around. Their offense has caught fire. Their team average through September is .284. This is second best in the American League (.285, Los Angeles Angels). With 226, New York is also leader in home runs in the league. But most importantly, the pitching staff of Joba Chamberlain, C.C. Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, A.J. Burnett, and recently acquired Sergio Mitre, has succeeded in keeping the ball in the park and getting those key double plays.
It is obvious, that in the end, the Phillies will prevail. Possibly the return of Brett Myers into the pen, a role he was accustomed to in 2007 when they won the East Division, will play a role in that. 'In the end, pitching wins games and if the Phillies' staff stays sharp and the bullpen is there to save the day, the Phillies will reign as the 2009 World Series Champs.
Two favorites have made some football news this summer. Michael Vick has returned from his 3 year absence from the NFL and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Brett Favre for the third time came out of retirement by signing a two year deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Surprised, anyone?
Some people think Vick, who landed in jail for dog fighting should be banned from playing football for the rest of his life. Others believe he deserves another chance. Vick served two years in jail, lost everything he had, including his house, and went bankrupt. He went from the top of the NFL to being a common criminal. What he did was extremely heartless, but everyone deserves another chance, and that chance has come with the Eagles. He has served his punishment.
At the end of the last two seasons, quarterback Brett Favre said that he was done playing professional football.. A tear or two by his fans brought him back, and Favre signed with another team. This year he decided to wait until training camp was basically over, to talk about a contract with the Vikings. At 39 years old, he has played 18 seasons in the NFL. Football takes a lot out of a person. Give a younger quarterback and the fans a break, Favre.

 

 

'The Challenge' achieves Special Merit'
Editor-in-chief, Lauren Faust is aware of the award in the background that she must live up to as corrects some news copy for the next edition of The Challenge. Photo by Frau Vojtko
~Liz Decker~

"Whether it was the story about Nate Erway making contact with an author through his school book report or the editorial on cell phone addiction, something stood out to earn The Challenge a First Place with Special Merit this year."
Each year the editors send two issues of their paper to the American Scholastic Press Association in New York to be judged, and for the last nineteen years it has been meriting a First Place . This year the Challenge won First Place with Special Merit under editor-in-chief Aimee Culbert and assistant editors Sara Kern and Rose Mascoli. "The Challenge is a great example of the students' creativity and talent," said vice-principal Mrs. Rose Kury. "The writers seem to have an ability to address all the topics in a very professional manner suitable to journalism."
The ASPA judges the newspaper on content coverage, page design, art and illustration, editing and creativity. This is only the second Special Merit won by the paper. The other win was in 2004 under the leadership of Kasey Arnold. "When we received the results, I didn't even wait for a meeting. I sought the editors out because I was so excited for them," said Miss Gail Vojtko, advisor of "The Challenge.
"The competition is based on a numbering system. This year the paper received 965 points out of 1000. "I was definitely surprised!" said Culbert. "We wanted to get

 

first place, but it was a good surprise to find out we won Special Merit too."The papers that Culbert chose to be judged contained articles about a variety of subjects, from the 2008 political race to the new coach of the soccer team. Many of the reporters were underclassmen. Miss Vojtko said, "I am very proud of my staff -- Aimee, Rose and Sara — and while my editors did a fantastic job, we also have many excellent writers and thinkers on the paper. They deserve every bit of the accolades that they got."
Of course, with every new year, there is room for improvement. The main critique was the blurriness of at least one photo and not enough credit given to the writers. "It's not going to be so much that we have to repair anything, as it is to live up to something," said Miss Vojtko.
The new editors have big shoes to fill. "We're going to work hard to win Special Merit" said new editor-in-chief Lauren Faust. "It's going to be hard, but I know the editors and staff can achieve it again." Culbert said to get Special Merit, "don't be lazy, and work hard."
'They (staff) are deserving of the award," said Mrs. Kury. "Many people mention to me how surprised they are about how well-written (The Challenge) is for a school newspaper." American Scholastic Press Association said, "you have an excellent school newspaper which shows the talent of your editors, reporters, writers, photographer, layout designers and editors."

 

 

 

 

Brawls disrupt, make national news
 at Specter's Town Hall in Lebanon

Town brawls, placing liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats, and even supporters and non-supporters of President Obama on opposing sides is what the town hall meetings on health care have become. As the debate on health care reform sweeps the streets, some Americans are rushing to town hall meetings to find much needed answers. Others, however, are flocking to these events, even sporting weapons, merely to shout down their elected representatives in the hopes that noise will triumph over reasoned debate.
Lebanon can now count itself among the latter, for it has made the national news because of its lack of civility. People from out-of-state called Lebanon citizens "freaking nuts" and "backward and hateful" in The Lebanon Daily News.
Town hall meetings were the beginnings of democracy in this country, but are we destroying their effectiveness? This can be a time that will live in future history books. It should not be about taking sides, but instead about compromising in order to find a cure for our sick health care system.
As my brother and I waited in line on Cumberland Street outside of HACC to see Senator Arlen Specter on a hot day in August, opponents (of health care change or some of the president himself) held signs mocking the proposed reforms as "Obamacare". One woman said that many people present were simply against President Obama and not the health care proposal. What they do not comprehend is that if the President fails in trying to rescue the health care system, Americans fail.
Forty six million Americans currently lack health insurance and with premiums up 1 19 % from 1999, it is a matter of time before companies, especially small businesses, can no longer afford the costs of health care for their employees. We can not wait for another president to fix it. That will never happen; the time is now!
When a woman in line to see Specter expressed her support for reform, she was told to move to a more "socialistic" country. (In fact, the United States has many "socialistic" programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security that work rather well.). She simply replied, "We are all in this together."
Health care reform is not only meant to help the nearly 46 million uninsured Americans but also Americans currently with insurance. High costs affect everyone. Insurance companies are dropping people because of pre-existing conditions. While their CEOs rake in millions of dollars each year, there is not enough money to insure the people who need the coverage.
Another symptom of an ailing system is when the health system of a country as wealthy as the United States can not take care of its own. The United States has long had groups of Medical personnel offering their services to developing countries; now they are finding it necessary to stay in the United States and treat the impoverished here.
The Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps, which provides health services to people in rural areas of the U.S. and the world, recently visited Los Angeles. The doctors and nurses were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who needed their services because they could not afford dental or vision care. Will doctors from other countries someday have to come to help the United States?
As healthy teens, we should not feel this debate is beyond us. The Census Bureau tells us that over eight million American children do not have health insurance. Emergency rooms are often used as a doctor's office for those who have no insurance. Teens with chronic illnesses like diabetes may have discovered that some medicines are not covered by their insurance provider. One day teens will no longer be under their parents' medical plans. They will have to confront the issue directly. Will their inaction now, come back to haunt them later? For these reasons, I was disappointed to observe so few young adults in line to see Senator Specter.

 

Bates, Kleinfelter
shoot for Districts
~Zachary Nash~

"We're defeating teams we should and we have to get better to be in the top half of the section," said Golf Coach Michael Miller. A season record, at printing, of 8-32, does not bode well for the team., but the year has its good points.
Coach Miller said sophomore Bryan Bates, who is in his second year of golf, has quickly become one of the best players along with junior Matthew Kleinfelter. Both boys could be in districts this season, "if they keep improving," said Mr. Miller. Kleinfelter said, "my average last year was one hundred and now it is an eighty-eight."
Bates improved dramatically because "I took many lessons over the summer." The team made personal goals for themselves for the

  

year.To qualify for districts, the team needs to shoot approximately an eighty-five or lower. To have an average in the seventies is Bates' goal.
Kleinfelter hopes stay in "mid- eighties and to qualify for districts," the same goal as Coach Miller. A few players believe that the golf team won't take in enough players to win in league play-offs. Kleinfelter hopes to get into districts but believes there is a good chance he won't. If the team is not playing to its greatest potential, it could be because they have a younger team. There are only three seniors on the team: Ryan Morrison, Zach Arnold and Alex Groh. The newcomers include sophomores Matthew Shirato and Justin Morrison.

 

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________
The Challenge
Lebanon Catholic School, 1400 Chestnut Street, Lebanon, Pennsylvania 17042
__________________________________________________________________________
www.lebanoncatholicschool.org
 Member: American Scholastic Press Association
Send letters to the editor to: challetters@lebanoncatholicschool.org
Phone: 273-3731
Newspaper Staff
Editor-in-Chief: Lauren Faust
Principal: Michele Ambrosia

Assistant Editors: Marykate McShane, Ryan Morrison,
Liz Decker, Jessica Stachura
Vice-Principal: Rose Kury
Advisor: Gail Vojtko
Ad Managers: Lauren Earle, Hayley Amerman, Erika Firestone, Katelynn Reist, Stuart Koch, Valerie Sattazahn
Publication: The Challenge is published five times a year. Unsigned editorials and opinions are the consensus of the editorial staff. Editorials with a by-line are the opinion of the author.
Circulation and advertisement: The entire student body receives the newspaper free-of-charge. Anyone can advertise in the newspaper. Ad rates are available on request. Just call 273-3731 and ask for the newspaper advisor.
Letters Policy: Signed letters and guest writers are invited to contribute their thoughts and opinions. The staff reserves the right to edit any letter for defamation, libel, length or good taste. Writers will be verified before printing.

 

  Home | Administration| Faculty |Athletic Schedule |Curriculum  |Map & Directions |Menu |Monthly Calendar