Casino Night

Casino Night

Mel Videto

On the night of March 27th from 8PM to 11PM, Homer High School’s Student Government will be running their annual Casino Night! It will consist of music, dancing, food, beverages, and most importantly, card games. Such games include Blackjack, Roulette, "Texas Hold 'Em" Poker, Let It Ride, "Pai Gow" Poker, Big Wheel Games, Slot Machines, Go Fish, Uno, Pitch, Spoons, and War. Several tables will be scattered throughout the edge of the gym, leaving the middle of it to serve as the dance floor. Casino Night is a fun, semi-formal event, so ladies, pull out your favorite dress and guys, dress it up with slacks and a button-up shirt. The admission price is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. One free item of food and a free drink are included in the price.

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Pit Band

Pit Band

Ana Shore

Every year in the spring, the high school puts on a musical. There are many ways to take part in the musical including being in the pit band. For the school, the band consists of anyone who wants to play no matter what instrument they know. In a professional band there would typically be a woodwinds section, like flutes and clarinets, a string section, and a small brass section, including trumpets, french horns, and trombones. When professional musicians work on a show, they can be playing the same music for as many years as the show stays popular. It is for this reason that pit musicians usually have another job in the music field.

It is quite different in high school though. The sheet music for the show arrives around two months prior to the debut of the show. From here, there are usually practices after school once a week. During each rehearsal, one or two songs out of about thirty are worked on. In the last two weeks before shownight, pit rehearsals are scheduled every night of the week in the auditorium with the cast. These rehearsals go from 6-9pm as trouble spots are worked on and the music is put together with the cast’s work. It becomes very difficult for everyone involved to stay on top of school work and get a decent amount of sleep the last few weeks. However, the hard work is worth it when everything comes together during the performances!

Semiformal 2015: A Night In Hollywood

A Night In Hollywood

Marleah Dentes

The night of the freshmen and sophomore semi-formal is one of the most highly anticipated and special events of the year. Each year, around late February to early March, the semi-formal occurs after much planning and preparation. In the weeks prior, guys scramble for dates and girls spend a great amount of time searching for the perfect dress as well as deciding on hairstyles and accessories. The sophomore class officers are solely responsible for the preparation and take care of everything from renting tablecloths to spending countless hours on decorations. The sophomore class treasurer, Jenna McMullin, said, “It was a lot of work but it was rewarding.” Most of the decisions about the dance were put in the hands of the sophomore class officers in an attempt to further their individual decision-making abilities. Supervisor Mr. Cortese stated, “We try to teach the kids how to be leaders and not micromanage them.”  

This year the dance was held on the twenty-eighth of February and was based around a Hollywood theme. With the help of many willing volunteers, the gym and lobby were transformed into the epitomione of the Hollywood perception. Decorations included a Hollywood sign in the gym and stars from the Walk of Fame lining the trophy cases. Many students that attended the dance enjoyed these decorations, taking time to walk down the red carpet or take pictures near the lights. Ammerican Photography captured the memories (pictures from the night can be found at http://goo.gl/J7wdDK); many students enjoyed having their pictures taken with their dates or just a group of good friends. What students usually enjoyed most of all is the music and dancing. DJ Philly C provided the music for people to rock out to and many lights that kept the mood energetic and upbeat. Some of the people attending seemed to be able to dance non-stop for the three hours; some still moving by the end of the night with all the enjoyment and entertainment in the world. To many, the three hours flew by in the blink of an eye. Through the many combinations of decorations, music, and excitement, the semi-formal of 2015 was definitely a night to remember.

You must have a Facebook account to access photos: http://goo.gl/J7wdDK

Youth & Government Spaghetti Supper

Youth & Government Spaghetti Supper

Tighe Gugerty

Tonight! The members of the Homer High School Youth & Government club will be traveling to Albany for their annual state conference. Here they will debate proposed bills and argue court cases with over 600 other members who hail from all corners of New York State. To fund this, the Homer club will be hosting a spaghetti dinner on March 9th from 5:30 to 7:00 in the High School cafeteria. The cost is $5 per individual and $15 for a whole family. There will be, as the name implies, copious amounts of spaghetti, an assortment of beverages, and a plethora of desserts. Besides the food, club activities will be discussed, making it a great time to come if one would like to see what goes on in this club.  

Event: Youth & Government Spaghetti Dinner

Date: March 9, 2015

Time: 5:30-7:00

Price: $5 for individuals

$15 for families

Skiing 2015

Skiing 2015

Mel Videto

So far this year, skiing at Labrador Mountain can be classified as good overall. From Friday experiences, the snow has been nicely groomed and compact. Labrador has managed to keep the majority of its trails open and people have been skiing and snowboarding down them like rain down a window during a storm. One should not disregard the fact that in addition to the acceptable snow, it has also been obnoxiously cold. The ski trip was canceled the Friday before the week break in February due to the extreme low temperatures and was cancelled again during the break because of the same reason.

Despite the freezing temperatures, there has been a surprisingly low amount of ice found on the ski trails, much to skiers’ and snowboarders’ delight. However, some ice can be found in random patches along the mountain, but not nearly enough to create a hazard or to prevent effective skiing. The south end of the mountain has mainly been shut down due to lack of snow, but the middle and north sides of Lab have been close to all the way open.

Even though the temperatures have been low and the wind chill has receded into the negatives, it does not prevent most people from skiing or snowboarding. Each Friday, a few hundred people show up to enjoy the mountain and to hang out with friends. This Friday will be our last time skiing at Lab through the school. After two cancellations due to weather, it will be a relief to be on the mountain again. Though some days up at Lab have been bitterly cold, the trail conditions were ideal and the snow smooth, allowing for maximum fun for all.

The February Freeze

The February Freeze

     Joe Settineri

This February has been a frigid adventure, at the least. The combination of cold temperatures and high winds has resulted in many days of bitter cold. Temperatures have failed to rise above 32 degrees the entire month and the snow has began to pile up. The snowfall for Cortland County this year has been surprisingly about average. At the moment, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Homer NY has about 45” of the white stuff on the ground. Currently the snow we have on the ground equates to about 8” of water, which will result in a springtime mess. Compared to previous years, the total snowfall currently on the ground is notably greater. There is about  83% more snow on the ground than last year (which was 8”)  and 74% more than 2013 (12”). Not only is the snow a burden to wade through, but the Town of Homer and the City of Cortland are beginning to run out of space to dump it.

The piling snow isn't the only thing substantial about this month; this February will break the coldest February on record, ever. On February 16th, when we reached a frosty 17 below, we broke the record low temperature of 10 below. This record dated back to 1943 and was similar to the record broken on February 21st when we soared past the previous record of 13 below with our temperature diving to 16 below. Not only have we broken records for daily temperatures, but the average temperature this month has been a cool 9.7 degrees. The previous record, 12.1 degrees, was set 80 years ago, in 1934. The average temperature in Cortland County for February is 26 degrees which makes this year’s February 63% colder than normal. Although I personally enjoy the frigid temperatures, many are struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Fortunately for many, the temperature looks to be on the rise in the up and coming weeks.

*Note- all temperatures referenced are in degrees Fahrenheit

                                                               Works cited

Not available. Wunderground.com. Not available. The Weather Channel LLC, 2015. web. Feb

2015.

Not available. nohrsc.noaa.gov. not available. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

February 2, 2015, web. Feb 2015.