Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Fall Ball 2015

Fall Ball 2015
Molly Burhans

Every year, Homer High School’s International Club puts together a halloween dance, known as the Fall Ball. This exciting event is open to all Homer High students. Mrs. Zimmerman is the supervisor of the club and says that they have been putting the dance on for as long as she can remember. Everyone is encouraged to wear a costume, and prizes are given to people with the best costume, most creative costume, etc. This year, the club has a large amount of prizes donated from local establishments such as Coffee Mania, Dunkin Donuts, Frosted, Rili Bubble Tea, and many more.

Mrs. Zimmerman and all of the students involved in International Club start planning for the dance weeks in advance and take a lot of time preparing in order to make this dance one of the best of the year. Students go to local businesses and ask for the prize donations, and they make treats that are included with the price of admission. The club also does all of the decorating and they work to make sure that the dance runs smoothly. There are many exciting activities going on throughout the dance as well, such as the costume contest. There also may be a pumpkin carving contest in which you enter your name, and if it’s drawn you will get to participate in the contest. This dance is a great way to celebrate Halloween and have a good time, so come and join the fun!

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas
Skyler Powers

Halloween is just around the corner and this brings many fun activities along with it.  However, this also can pose as a dilemma for some unlucky folks.  Many of these activities require costumes.  Whether you are trick or treating, going to a cool Halloween party, or even attending Homer High School’s annual Fall Ball, chances are you will need a costume.  But being the procrastinating fellow that you are, you realize that you haven’t put together a costume yet.  If you are in this situation, you are lucky because I am here to help with some awesome costume ideas that can be put together quickly and still steal the show.  So without further ado, let’s get started!
The first costume idea is for those Instagram lovers and hashtag spammers alike.  Take a plain t-shirt of any color and use adhesive letters or masking tape to spell out the word “Thursday” on the front of the shirt.  Next, wrap the lower half of the shirt with a bandage but make sure not to cover up the letters.  For an ultra-realistic costume, constantly moan to others about your aching back.  What are you?  You are Throwback Thursday, commonly referred to simply as #TBT.  
The next option is for someone who likes books and, ideally, doesn’t need to use their hands much.  Just take one or two catcher’s mitts and then glue a piece of rye bread to each mitt.  This may confuse those who aren’t familiar with classic American literature, but you are referencing J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye.  You could also always throw in some existential angst for effect.  
The next idea is a quick and simple one that is best for those arrogant clean freaks out there, but anyone can pull this off with the right materials and attitude.  Start with a plain t-shirt of any color and then simply glue several sponges to your shirt.  Then, as I hinted at, act as arrogant as possible.  You could even throw in a mirror which you should constantly stare into.  What are you?  You are “Self-Absorbed.”
Up next is a good ole play on words.  Once again, you will need a plain t-shirt of any color.  Then open up an old World Atlas or that new one that you got for Christmas that you’ll never use, not even when you travel to Timbuktu.  Next, take out your handy dandy scissors and cut out a section of a map that features several countries. Pull out your glue and glue the map to the side of the T shirt, but only to the side of the T shirt.  Glueing a map to any other part of the shirt would ruin the costume.  If you have followed the instructions, you should be a countryside.  
This next idea will satisfy even the most casual costume wearers.  This is a super convenient option for trick or treating since the weather can be unpredictable.  All you need is any pair of pants as long as they have pockets.  If you play the guitar, this will be even easier since the second step requires you to glue several guitar picks to the outside of your pockets.  What are you?  You are a pickpocket.  
For this sharp costume idea, you’ll need to pull that black shirt out of your closet that you never wear.  Don’t worry though, this shirt will still be wearable when Halloween is over.  Now, you may have to go out to the store and purchase some white duct tape if you don’t already have it but that should be all you need.  I hope you also have a fork lying around; a plastic one is best but I suppose a stainless steel one or even a genuine silver one will work too.  Just create dashes in a line going up the middle of your shirt with the tape and tape your forck under one of the dashes.  It should look like a road with a fork in it or, in other words, a fork in the road.  
I’m afraid we have come to the last costume idea on this list, and it may confuse some of you modern people.  You may be too young to know what I am talking about, but there was a time before selfies were a thing.  I know, crazy right?  Back in those days, people would flaunt all of their filtered beauty through a different method.  That’s right, I’m talking about self-portraits.  Now don’t break out your paints and pastels yet and don’t worry if you are a horrible artist.  This requires no artistic ability, but I think I should give the disclaimer that there are no filters available.  Everyone will see your real face which is a big change from those Instagram selfies which are Vignetted to death.  All you need for this “portrait-perfect” costume is a snazzy picture frame; a gold one will add a vintage feel but if sleek and modern silver is your thing, that will work too.  Then just use your hands to hold the frame in front of your face and voila, you are your own very self-portrait!

Well folks, I hope this list of clever, last minute costume ideas has helped you.  No one wants to show up to a party wearing a bedsheet or trick or treating with sweatpants and a pillow case.  With these awesome ideas, you can look absolutely amazing and impress and/or confuse your friends, family, and everyone else.  Halloween is a day that you can be whatever you want: a superhero, a supervillain, a supermodel, or your favorite catchphrase.  Don’t waste it!  And who knows, if you use one of these suggestions, maybe you’ll win the Fall Ball costume contest!

Living with Type 1 Diabetes

Living with Type 1 Diabetes
Alyson Witt

What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes is a chronic condition that is common in adolescents and experiences about 200,000 to 3 million cases a year. This disease occurs when the body does not produce insulin due to damaged cells from the pancreas. Insulin is required in order for cells to take in sugars, produced from the carbohydrates that we eat, from our bloodstream. When there is too much sugar in your blood, it's known as a high blood sugar, and a low blood sugar is when there isn't enough sugar in your blood. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can include increased thirst and hunger, fatigue, or blurred vision. Type 1 diabetes differs from type 2, which develops due to irregular eating habits, lack of exercise and a poor diet. In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still produces insulin although it can produce less over time when compared to the pancreas of one without diabetes.

Is there a cure and what treatments are available?
Although there is no cure to permanently cure diabetes, there are many treatments available. When diagnosed, lab tests and imaging are required to develop a treatment plan suited to your needs. Treatments aim to maintain healthy blood sugars (ranging anywhere from 85-150 mg/dl), regular blood sugar checking (monitoring), insulin dosage, diet, and exercise. Insulin is given mainly through shots or through a pump. Shots are given whenever food is eaten in order to cover carbs or when blood sugar is high in order to bring it down to a healthy level. Also with shots, you must take a shot of Lantus, a type of man-made insulin, at night to stabilize you throughout the night. With a pump you take less shots and, therefore, have more freedom than if you used solely shots. The pump requires you to change a site every three days but it's also more reliable and easier to control than the shots.

What's it like living with diabetes?

When I was diagnosed in June 10, 2010, it brought about a major change in my life. I had to learn how to take care of my body in order to keep it healthy. Through many late nights and many visits to the doctors, I have gained a better understanding of how to manage my diabetes. Living with diabetes is hard, you're constantly fighting for your life and often you are limited to many things. Shots and site changes are painful and you're often asked to explain what you're dealing with to people, which can get tiring. But through all of it, you have to keep fighting and stay strong. This is my plan.

JumpStart 10: Sophomore Class Field Trip

JumpStart 10: Sophomore Class Field Trip
Reed Cleland

Homer’s entire sophomore class took a field trip, known as JumpStart 10, on Tuesday, October 20th. This trip aimed at giving high schoolers a preview into the college world. JumpStart 10 is a program sponsored at SUNY Cortland, where the event was also held. The entire Cortland County district, seven schools in all, came together in a day full of informative workshops. The day was sectioned into three tracks; each track had a variety of workshops. The first track was based on what to expect when getting ready for and applying to colleges, and it contained workshops such as “Let Your Strengths Guide You” and “Getting Ready For College”. The second track addressed social aspects such as “The Power of Advocacy” and “Superhero, Villain or Bystander: It’s Your Choice”. The third track encompassed a variety of career workshops such as “Trending...Hot Jobs in Central New York,” “Careers in Journalism,” and “Careers in Welding.” There was something in it for everybody, and everybody returned to school having learned something new. Many thanks should be given SUNY Cortland for providing seven schools with both lunch and raffle prizes and for hosting the event in general! Also, congratulations to Homer’s sophomores for being superb representatives of our school!

Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Homecoming Hype

The Homecoming Hype
Marleah Dentes

With the beginning of the school year came the events that make up homecoming and a surge of pride and support for the Homer Trojans. Each year, the week leading up to the football game is spirit week; themes for each day of the week contribute to the sense of unity and satisfaction students feel. The events encompassing homecoming also include a pep rally the day before the game, a parade an hour prior to kickoff, and a dance immediately after the game.

This year, Homer played the Skaneateles Lakers on October 2nd at seven o’clock. In preparation, banners were made for the parade, activities were organized for the pep rally, and many people worked very hard this year to make homecoming a success. Spirit Week happened from September 28th to October 2nd and students participated tremendously in order to raise school spirit for the big game. Monday was tie dye day, Tuesday was twin day, Wednesday was rockin’ sock day, Thursday was america day, and Friday was bleed blue day. The pep rally was on on Thursday, October first from seven to nine at night. It had a DJ, plenty of food, and a kickball game. The class with the highest attendance, the senior class, received one-hundred dollars for their class and one-hundred dollars for a charity of their choice. This year, the theme for the banners, which made an appearance in the parade and during halftime at the game, was greek mythology. In each grade, members of student council chose a mythical creature and gathered as many people as possible from their class in order to create the best banner they could. This year, the junior class won the banner contest with their creation depicting Poseidon. Overall, homecoming for 2015 was a huge success.

Homecoming Court

Homecoming Court
Marleah Dentes

This year’s Homecoming was a huge success. Many people look forward to not just the homecoming football game, but also the annual crowning of a new Homecoming King and Queen. Last year, Lucy Connery was crowned as queen and Anthony Basile as king. The candidates on this year’s list were very promising; the students on the court were generated from a staff vote on the entire senior class. For homecoming king, the candidates were Ryan Aylesworth, Nate Cottrell, Mark Currie, Tighe Gugerty, Beck Lundeen, David Perfetti, Joe Settineri, and Ryan Wainwright. As for homecoming queen, the candidates were McKayla Crawford, Kennedy George, Abby Gray, Jordan Laundry, Sophia Pizzola, Molly Ulrich, Karlee Vanwagenen, and Carolyne Yonta. The homecoming court was introduced at the Pep Rally and the winners were announced during halftime at the homecoming game. A big congratulations goes out to Carolyne Yonta and Ryan Wainwright for their victory as Homecoming Queen and King.

Youth and Government

Youth and Government
Neil Malakar

Youth and Government is one of the many extra-curricular activities offered by Homer High School and it focuses on politics and law. Y&G is unique because of the opportunities that it presents to students and its value as a medium of expression that allows them to discover new interests and expand their horizons.

First of all, the structure of the club mimics that of the state government’s Judicial and Legislative branches. Those who choose to join the Legislative Branch draft “bills” on a topic of their choosing that they will learn the ins and outs of and be able to defend. They will get to present these bills at the New York State Conference in March. Those who join the Judicial Branch are given a criminal case, and they will act as attorneys on one side of the dispute and present their formal case at the conference mentioned above. Each group has its own unique benefits and idiosyncrasies, but the beauty in each can only be determined by its beholder.

The New York State Youth and Government Conference is held every year in March at the Desmond Hotel in Albany. It is a truly awe-inspiring experience, as it gives an idea of the grand scope of this nationwide organization through the number and diversity of the other young people there. The conference is also where one presents the bill or case that one spent the last few months perfecting and rehearsing. These orations actually take place in the State Capitol building, in the courtrooms and assembly rooms that are used by state officials.

Homer’s Y&G group meets on Thursday nights at 7:00- 8:30 at the Cortland YMCA. Even if you are only slightly interested in what the club has to offer, why not stay for a bit and see what goes on? It will definitely be worth your time.