Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Peer Leadership at NHS

Stella Kelley and Chloe Miller
Staff Writers

In the first six weeks of the 2017 school year, 22 junior and senior peer leaders conducted meetings every Thursday during freshmen Exploring the Non-Western World class periods.
 During the sessions, they instructed students on adjusting to the many challenges they may face throughout their high school years. Throughout these six weeks, peer leaders covered topics from academics and activities to peer pressure and decision making. Additionally, peer leaders met once a week with their advisors, Ms. El-Turky, Mrs. Reeder, and Mr. Olszewski, to discuss any problems faced during group sessions and what worked well when addressing certain topics.
 Senior peer leader Laura Nagg noted: “Overall, even with many new peer leaders, this fall session went smoothly and the freshmen cooperated really well. During meetings, there were never any major problems or conflicts that came up, and from what I’ve heard all the peer leaders really enjoyed their groups.”
 Although groups have said goodbye and reminisced on their favorite fall session memories, it’s not over for New Hope’s peer leaders; this spring is the second session, in which meetings will take place with eighth graders. During these meetings, juniors and seniors will mentor students as they leave middle school and prepare for freshman year. The spring session is a bit shorter than the in-depth fall session of Peer Leadership, but that does not mean groups won’t be as close-knit.
 Senior and seasoned peer leader Shayna Berman remembers her spring session last year: “Despite it being shorter we were still able to create relationships with them and make the transition to high school easier.”

 Sophomores and juniors have the opportunity to apply for Peer Leadership at the end of the year.  

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Holiday Season is Right Around the Corner

Devin Bock and Claudia Kolinchak

This year, Nov. 23 brought the start of the holiday season: family, friends, shopping, and great food. With Thanksgiving already behind us, the holiday season is in full-swing.
 Besides giving students and teachers a break from school and work, Thanksgiving is commonly viewed as the commencement of the Holidays. It is the time everybody’s been waiting for, when it is socially acceptable to start decorating for the holidays and, for some, even listen to Christmas music.
 Thanksgiving is well known for its hearty menu and quality time with loved ones. Families spent countless hours and even days preparing food for the upcoming Thursday to feed their families and friends. From warm mashed potatoes and savory turkey, to sweet pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream and cinnamon; the Thanksgiving Feast was sure to exceed its high expectations. People traveled miles, sometimes even cross-country, to come together to eat food and spend time with their relatives.
 Once the clock struck midnight, and a lot of the time even before that, Black Friday madness began. The best deals on the newest trends and technologies were available for a limited time only, and people camped outside or stores, like Best Buy, for hours before the doors opened.
 Traffic near shopping centers on Black Friday is even more chaotic as the malls, and this year was no exception. One New Hope shopper, Olivia Keenan, states, “Two people almost hit me trying to cut in front of me in traffic lines and it took me fifteen minutes to leave the parking lot”.
 This was prime time for the holiday gift search, but in order to get the best deals, shoppers must have the shopping endurance to spend hours store-hopping and waiting in long checkout lines. From now on, however, it’s smooth sailing until Christmas or Hanukkah, and it’s nice to be prepared with gifts which were purchased for great prices.

 It’s time to “Deck the Halls” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” because before you know it “Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town”!

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

"My Fault"

"My Fault"

It’s all my fault,
You did nothing wrong.
I am the reason that it fell apart.

It’s all my fault that what you said made me sad;
And it’s all my fault that your jokes make me mad.
It’s all my fault that you make me cry
It’s all my fault that you always deny,
The fact that you hurt me because how could you, right?

You tried your best and it’s all my fault that it wasn’t enough
You only said what was true and it’s all my fault that I wasn’t tough
Tough enough to handle the truth,
That I was just too complex for you.

You did nothing wrong, you’re perfect with no flaws
And it’s all my fault that you proved me wrong.


Scary nights unite the community

Bernadette del Prado
Staff Writer

New Hope-Solebury started off the Halloween weekend with the annual Haunted Woods event. The event is organized by the high school student government and gathers students from grades 9-12 to decorate the woods near the school’s track for the halloween season. The three-night fright fest was held from Oct. 26 to 28, advertised for all students, faculty, and community members to attend.
Each grade was assigned a different section of the woods, which was then decorated to fit individual themes. This year however, the students decided to collaborate together, and have the decorations follow a cohesive theme. The students embellished the forest with spray-painted ornaments, fake bones, torn tarps, and music that successfully transformed the woods into a New Hope nightmare.
“I could tell there was a lot of effort put into the event with the fog machines and the lights. I was really impressed this year.” said Junior Class President Larissa Borys.
Since the beginning of construction, planning the Haunted Woods has been under question. Rumors have circulated in the past about the woods being taken down for new campus infrastructure. Students reacted to the rumors quickly, and this became a huge upset within the community. Fortunately enough, the rumors were false. The successful event carries on its legacy with its great scares and impeccable student teamwork. The Haunted Woods continues to bring the high school together and enhances support from the local community.