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JHS STUDENTS PROVE TO BE BUSINESS SAVVY

By: Alyson Kelly

The FedEx Ground Junior Achievement Titan Business Challenge Regional Competition: just another competition for three drummers of the JHS Marching Band, Nelson Gosnell, Jordan Ruiz, and Andrew Wilcox. After all, music is their game and being the best in percussion is their name; albeit different than the accustomed band competitions, the Junior Achievement Challenge proved to be no different to these teens that are used to giving their best efforts at all times. The boys brought to this competition the determination that they typically exhibit during the band season and it paid off, as Gosnell, Ruiz, and Wilcox not only entered this JA Business Challenge, but brought home the win for Johnstown High School in the form of brand new laptop computers and a place in the Grand Championship event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

On March 11, 2010, twenty-eight teams of three students each from the Somerset, Cambria, and Indiana counties traveled to the IUP main campus to compete in the Junior Achievement Titan Business Challenge. The challenge itself entailed engaging in a simulation of the running of a futuristic business; participants had to make decisions such as which stocks to invest in, when to buy and sell those shares, and how high the prices for their product should be in order for consumers to purchase the item so that the industry could make a profit. Students, who were forced to use their math and logic skills to be a success in this world of business, were permitted to practice the simulation online individually in order to prepare for the competition. The JHS team was formed by Ruiz, who had heard about the event and received permission to compete, and Mr. Richard Capraun, the web design teacher at JHS, agreed to be the chaperone. Says Capraun of the competition, "This was a great challenge for our students in a real world simulation. They learned a lot about being a CEO of a business." Adds Wilcox, "It was a pleasant surprise to find out that we had won, but, more importantly, we gained a lot of knowledge about investing and budgeting, a skill that's really going to be useful after we graduate high school."

Sophomore Jordan Ruiz and seniors Andrew Wilcox and Nelson Gosnell are all members of the JHS Marching Band and the indoor percussion team. Ruiz plans to continue his education at a university yet to be selected. Gosnell, who is a member of the tennis team in addition to the band, plans on attending Slippery Rock University in the fall, and Wilcox, also involved in the JHS Key Club and Eagle Scouts, will be continuing his education at the University of Pittsburgh. Although none of the three plans on majoring in business at college, the skills needed to survive in the corporate world which they acquired during this competition will undoubtedly prove necessary in their daily lives.

The Grand Championship Event that the JHS has earned the right to participate in is being held at La Roche College in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. When asked about the upcoming challenge, Gosnell said, "We're all extremely excited to go to Pittsburgh and show what we can do. We plan on doing Johnstown proud in this competition." Ruiz confirms this hope, exclaiming, "We're going to dominate!" Spoken like a true Trojan.

THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS AT PLANET ICE

By: Alyson Kelly

It has always been an aim of the Johnstown High School Key Club, being a community service organization, to lend a hand to people in our community by either participating in fundraisers or helping to deliver encouraging messages to people that could use a little pick-me-up. It then should come as no surprise that the Key Club offered to aid in the execution of the final round of short track speed skating for the Special Olympics in Cambria County being held at Planet Ice in Johnstown on February 23. The mission of the Special Olympics is to empower individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities by providing them with an opportunity to become fit and to engage in competition with their peers. In addition to the events that took place at Planet Ice on February 23, other competitions such as skiing took place at Blue Knob Ski Resort and Hidden Valley Ski Resort, while the figure skating contests were held at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena.

The Key Club volunteers helped in the efforts at Planet Ice by assisting the skaters in prepping for their races, aiding in the bleacher seating, escorting those competing from the locker room to the ice, and interacting with skaters who were waiting for their race to begin. According to the volunteers, most of the skaters that participated seemed to be affected by Down Syndrome, a chromosomal disorder that involves a variety of birth defects ranging from characteristic facial features, intellectual disability, heart problems, and other overall health issues. Those afflicted with the disease are more likely to develop heart and intestinal defects, hearing and memory loss, infections, thyroid problems, and leukemia; it is one of the most common genetic birth defects, affecting 1 in 800 babies a year in the United States. In addition to skaters with Down Syndrome, others had disabilities such as blindness.

The first thirty or forty Key Club members that signed up to assist with the Special Olympics were permitted to attend, and one such member was Deanna Sanders, a sophomore at Johnstown High School who is her class representative for the service organization. When asked to give her opinion on helping with the Special Olympics, she indicated that she felt very inspired by the determination of those with disabilities, saying, "For me, helping out people afflicted with mental and physical disabilities was a great learning experience. The competitors were outgoing and fun to be around; they proved to be extremely talented and caring as well. By helping with this event, I felt that I was doing a service for those less fortunate than me." Sanders expressed an opinion that is likely held by all those who were involved, and the Key Club is thankful for the opportunity to be able to assist with the Special Olympics.

"PINK THE DOC" AT JHS

By: Alyson Kelly

Breast cancer awareness has become a lofty goal of more and more institutions across the nation as the epidemic heightens throughout the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 186,467 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States in the year 2005 alone. Far from merely being a national statistic to be recorded for posterity, this tragically high number of cases indicates that breast cancer can and does affect everyone. Increasing the awareness of breast cancer has proven to be the key to raising money for a cure for the disease, helping women around the world to recognize their symptoms, and to treat the cancer in its earliest stages. In addition to business corporations, medical research foundations, and the typical charity organizations, establishments of education have proven not to be immune to the giving spirit that entails helping those afflicted with the disease, and Johnstown High School has not been excluded from this admirable movement.

Taking the cue from the charitable attitude displayed by the volleyball team earlier in the school year, the JHS girl's basketball team, along with the opposing rival team Bishop McCort, decided to raise money to increase breast cancer awareness during a game earlier in the month. The Lady Trojans gathered donations for the breast cancer awareness fund from teachers, parents, and neighbors in the weeks leading up to the big game against McCort; around $600 was collected between the two schools. The JHS gym was decked out in pink paraphernalia, the color of breast cancer awareness, for the game, and the JHS girls sported pink warm-up shirts as well. Although the Lady Trojans gave a valiant effort during the game, their efforts came up short against McCort, losing 53-41.

Freshman member of the JHS girl's basketball team, Hannah Chilcot, raised about $50 of the total $600 for the breast cancer awareness fund by collecting donations from various teachers. Involved in the school's Key Club and also a member of the volleyball team, Hannah thoroughly feels that the money is going to a good cause, saying, "I felt really good about the whole thing, raising money for this disease that affects so many families in, but not limited to, Johnstown High School. It was a pleasure to be able to help in this way."

A Win for The Challenge Program

By: Alyson Kelly

Community service, academic achievement, academic improvement, attendance. Four important criteria in the game of life that nevertheless get downplayed, especially in the day to day lives of today's adolescents. Luckily for current and future generations, a program dedicated to the promotion of these values has been created to improve the future of individual students as well the nation in which they live.

The Challenge Program, Inc. was founded by Johnstown native and CEO of MTS Technologies, Inc. Dan Perkins in 2003 as a way to give back to his community. The Program focuses on awarding cash amounts to students who excel in community service, academic achievement, academic improvement, or attendance; because of this incentive, high school pupils across seven counties of southwestern Pennsylvania are now even more motivated to perform well in school. Success in school by today's generation, maintains Perkins, promotes a better future for the entire country.

The Challenge Program, a nonprofit organization, was recently awarded with $51,000 by the Wal-Mart Foundation to Assist with Programs that Encourage Student Achievement to aid in providing these cash incentives to sixteen area high schools. The check was presented in a ceremony to Mr. Perkins on December 16, 2009, at Conemaugh Valley Senior High School before students, past award winners, school representatives that included students from Johnstown High School, and local officials. Conemaugh Valley High School, which graciously hosted the press release of these new funds, gave a superb band performance that preluded the formal presentation of the grant and provided those in attendance with refreshments afterwards. Noted speakers included one of the Founding Executive Directors of The Challenge Program Barbara Grandinetti, the marketing director of the area Wal-Mart's, representative of the Education Department of Pennsylvania Mitch Agurs, and the founder of the organization Dan Perkins. In addition, two Conemaugh Valley High School students who have been awarded with cash incentives by The Challenge Program in the past briefly spoke of how the money helped them to pursue service and academic goals around the world.

In addition to these Conemaugh Valley students, two students from Johnstown High School who had been awarded with cash from The Challenge Program in the previous years were present that day as well. Richard Agurs and Katie Kovalchik won money from the program for academic improvement and community service, respectively. Kovalchik, now a senior planning to attend Penn State, was given the money during her sophomore year in high school and stored it in a savings account. Says Katie, "I greatly appreciated the money that The Challenge Program gave me as an award for my hours of community service. I'm glad that Mr. Perkins is closer to his goal of making the program national by this new partnership with Wal-Mart because I feel that it really does encourage students."

Dan Perkins has plans to make The Challenge Program a national organization in the future, and the new partnership with one of the largest retailers in the world is, he feels, a huge step towards making that dream a reality. After accepting the over-sized check made out to The Challenge Program for the amount of $51,000, Mr. Perkins made an acceptance speech that described his dedication to the development of today's youth. Speaking directly to the high school students in attendance that day, Perkins said, "I will be watching you."

JMS Teacher Honored

A Middle School teacher, Carrie Andraychak, is Pennsylvania’s Middle School Advisor of the Year. The award is one of the highest honors a student council advisor can receive. “Ms. A,” as she is known by her students, is an art teacher as well as a student council advisor. She first was honored as District 6 Middle School advisor of the year and then was named as the state advisor of the year at the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils conference in Philadelphia.

“Ms. A” has been an advisor at Johnstown Middle School for more than 10 years. ‘She has volunteered countless hours to the JMS student council and her work has benefited many charities and other organizations in the entire community as well as in the school,” Darren Buchko, Middle School principal, said. Student Council member and JMS 8th Grader Ethan Hasselbauer is grateful for the dedication that Mrs. A shows to the organization and to the student members. “Mrs. Andraychak is a great role model, and she teaches us the importance of giving back to the community,” Stated Hasselbauer.

GJSD Board Recognized

The Pennsylvania School Board Association is recognizing Greater Johnstown School Board directors for “donating time and talents for the betterment of public education” in the community.

The awards were a highlight of School Director Recognition Month in January. Those honored and their years of volunteer service as of the date of the end of their current term are: Raymond Arcurio, 19 years; Vincent Arcurio, 8 years; John Berzinsky, 12 years; Thomas Dadey, 4 years; Edward J. Mikesic, 12 years; Kimberly Murray, 8 years; Eugene Pentz, 8 years; Daniel Tomak, 4 years, and Richard Unger, 12 years.

Board President Richard Unger stated that he and his fellow directors were honored when Superintendent Dr. Barbara Parkins presented each of the members with a plaque at the January Board Meeting. “I am truly proud of the work that we have accomplished together. Our schools continue to make strides toward academic excellence, and we have been able to accomplish many great things without burdening property owners with a tax increase,” stated Unger.