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Showing posts from August, 2016

Outdoor and Environmental Clubs merge

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Clubs and activities are an essential part of the high school experience. Lampeter-Strasburg is no different with clubs for every student's interests. Some clubs overlap each other with similar goals or purposes. The Outdoor Club and Environment Club are good examples of this. The purpose of the Outdoor Club has been to promote a healthy and active lifestyle for students by providing opportunities for outdoor educational, recreational and stewardship activities so that students may gain a greater appreciation for a variety of outdoor activities and earn a greater appreciation and respect for our natural world. Therefore, it seemed only fitting that the Environmental Club would be a perfect partner with the Outdoor Club to help promote a great appreciation and respect for preserving and protecting our natural resources. This year, the newly-formed Outdoor / Environmental Club hopes to attract members who wish not only to enjoy outdoor activities, but also help to ensure that

Three L-S cheerleaders nationally ranked by Universal Cheerleading Association

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Every year the Lampeter-Strasburg cheerleaders spend four days refreshing skills, learning new techniques, and gathering innovative material for the upcoming seasons. For the past three years, Universal Cheerleading Association (UCA), staff have come from the local area to instruct the girls at “home camp.” But this year was different. This year the squads--Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Junior High--traveled to the largest cheerleading camp on the East coast, Pine Forest Family Camp, for four days. Four. Very. Long. Days.  Fourteen hour long days to be exact. But what could keep a cheerleader busy for fourteen hours a day? The L-S squad after their final performance. Between Game Day Class, Dance Class, Safety Awareness Class, Stunt Class, Pep Rally Class, Sidelines Class, Private Coaching with our Ravens’ Cheerleader Eugene, an occasional meal, Leadership Training, Evaluations, Pyramid Class, and some fun special events the days were packed full.  But don’t worr

New ag teacher proves that welding and engines isn't just for boys

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Less than two decades ago, the agriculture department at Lampeter-Strasburg High School consisted of three male teachers. Today, its two women—Mrs. Holly Oberholtzer and rookie teacher Mrs. Janae McMichael—that run the department. Mrs. Janae McMichael. McMichael replaces 40 year agriculture education veteran Mr. Steve Smith who retired in June. But just because McMichael is a first year teacher don't think she is new to the field of agriculture. McMichael grew up on a functioning, generational dairy farm where her family still raises broiler chickens and 150 acres of crops. McMichael says that her passion for agriculture was discovered early on. She first became involved in 4-H and then later in high school became active in the Garden Spot FFA, the L-S chapter of the organization. That's right! McMichael is a proud L-S graduate. Many will remember her though by her maiden name, Janae Herr. Over time McMichael's "passion for agriculture" turned into a

'Arsenic and Old Lace' coming to the L-S stage

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Cary Grant, in the movie version of Arsenic and  Old Lace, discovering his aunts are murders. Arsenic and Old Lace. A seemingly random combination of two objects but in actuality the Lampeter-Strasburg Thespian Society's fall play. The 1940s story of a newly engaged young man uncovering the dark secrets that reside in his crooked family’s past will take center stage November 10-12. The story begins with Mortimer Brewster proposing to his neighbor, Reverend Dr. Harper’s daughter, Elaine Harper. She excitedly accepts, so Mortimer leaves on a trip to share the happy news with his family. While visiting his two aunts, Abby and Martha Brewster, and Uncle Teddy, he discovers that his highly regarded and beloved by all family, are crazed yet proficient serial killers. The surprisingly comedic play also features the outrageous delusions of Teddy Brewster who believes he is actually Teddy Roosevelt. He believes he is digging graves for and burying the bodies of his courage

L-S Girls' Tennis narrowly triumphs over Country Day

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Despite relentless heat, Izzy Mazaheri finds victory with helpful advice from Mrs. Susan Rettew.  At the Lampeter-Strasburg tennis courts on Friday, a three and a half hour duel between Lancaster Country Day and L-S ended in a 4-3 victory for the Pioneers. This was in sharp contrast to L-S crushing Penn Manor 7-0 on Wednesday.  An early doubles win came from the duo of Izzy Mazaheri and Erin Harnish, helping put L-S on the board. Sarah Capoferri and Larson Kessler delivered clutch singles wins despite the relentless heat.  Lauren Rettew, after a long and exciting couple of sets, was able defeat her opponent and give L-S its much-deserved win over Country Day. This was a difficult match for the home team, and the final score reflects that. The rivals appeared evenly paired during the opening doubles matches, but most of the singles matches were a different story. However, Rettew’s was the grand finale. The slow, consistent styles of both her and her opponent made for bo

Girls' tennis starts strong with 7-0 sweep over Penn Manor

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Sarah Capoferri and Larson Kessler won their doubles match with a score of 8-1. This past Wednesday marked the first day back to school for students at Lampeter-Strasburg. Although many of the girls on the tennis team were not enthusiastic about this return, they were eager for another reason. It marked the first official match of the season. Excited to start strong, the team defeated Penn Manor 7-0. As usual, the match started off with doubles games. Sarah Capoferri and Larson Kessler quickly won with a score of 8-1, with Izzy Mazaheri and Erin Harnish winning 8-0 shortly after. The doubles game consisting of Lauren Rettew and Sami Williams took a little longer. The pair was initially losing, but with Lauren's strong hits and Sami's powerful volleys, they came back to win 8-4. The singles games, played by Sarah, Lauren, Larson, and Izzy, were just as successful: Every single set was won either 6-0 or 6-1. The hard work the girls put forth during preseason

Football Preview: The Passing of the Torch; And the End of an Era

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The 2015 season saw the Lampeter-Strasburg Pioneers post an impressive 9-3 season. What does the 2016 season hold for the team? Coach John Manion prepares the team for the next play. Keys to Success Rely on the run game; put the workload on experienced senior running backs Shane Lawler and Chad Gaudino. Lawler is coming off of a 726 rushing-yard season in which he found the end zone 10 times on the ground, and once through the air. Gaudino is also a threat on the ground, but largely through the air, with 489 receiving yards in the 2015 season. After a scrimmage against Lancaster Catholic where L-S had 129 rushing yards and only 45 passing yards, it appears Coach John Manion is going to go with a more run-heavy approach. Most Important Game In my opinion, the most important game for L-S this year is undoubtedly the October 7 homecoming battle against Solanco. Coming off of two tough losses to Solanco last season, including one in the District 3 Class AAA quarterfinals, L-S

L-S student attends Lancaster Mike Pence rally

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Indiana Governor Mike Pence Several presidential campaigns have visited Lancaster County in the past. President Ronald Reagan came in 1984. George W. Bush came in 2001. Bernie Sanders came just last April. On August 9, I had the privilege of attending a Mike Pence rally at the Lancaster Host Resort. Pence is currently the Governor of Indiana and running mate of Republican nominee Donald Trump. One of the first speakers was David Dumeyer, Chairman of the Lancaster Republican Committee. He told a rowdy audience, “There are two things we love to grow here in Lancaster: agricultural crops and Republican victories.” Local and statewide candidates also spoke, including Keith Greiner, Scott Martin, and Otto Voit. After several minutes of waiting, Gov. Mike Pence walked onto the stage and received a standing ovation from the crowd. It was a bit surreal to witness in person what would normally be seen through a television screen. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to sit in the s

Westphal joins high school administration as assistant principal

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High School Assistant Principal Mrs. Michele Westphal Image courtesy of Anne Harnish Each school year brings something new. One of those new things is providing the Lampeter-Strasburg High School students with a bubbly, knowledgeable, and passionate new a ssistant principal.  Mrs. Michele Westphal is coming into this position with not one, but three Master’s degrees. She is currently pursuing her doctorate and seems eager to expand her knowledge of teaching and administration.  Westphal started off as a math teacher at Manheim Township, and when asked why she preferred a principal position over teaching in a classroom, she emphasized that she wanted to impact a larger group of students. But impacting over 1,100 students is no easy task. How does she plan to do it? She explained that she wants to be accessible and visible to the students whenever she can. Her secret to developing the perfect relationship with her students is to mentor them. It’s essential to balance the

Eagle Scout candidate hopes to get ball rolling at Martin Meylin

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Martin Meylin Middle School students enjoy the privilege of a lunch recess. Unfortunately for many, according to Lampeter-Strasburg junior Ryan Fahnestock, that's "standing around in a parking lot...doing nothing and getting in the way of staff and parents trying to leave/enter the lot." Fahnestock isn't one to simply complain about a problem. He wants to alleviate it. His plan is to construct a Bocce Ball court.  Martin Meylin Middle School students out at recess. Image courtesy of Anne Harnish.   Fahnestock is a Life Scout from Troop 393 in Lancaster, PA. The construction of the Bocce Ball court will be his Eagle Scout project. Fahnestock says, "My project will provide another activity that will benefit the students during recess, along with the existing  Gaga Pit  installed by another member of our Troop." He also thinks that it "will also help to solve some traffic issues around the school campus." In addition, the Bocce Ball C

LS News seeking new writers and photographers

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Did you know that last year LS News received thousands of views, likes, and shares every week? You could be apart of something bigger than yourself. We are seeking new writers and photographers for the school year. Write for us once or every week. Whatever fits your schedule and interests. Join by filling out this short application.  https://goo.gl/W5dbJK