November 19, 2010 The Playwickian
The Playwickian
2001 Old Lincoln Highway
Langhorne, PA 19047
(215) 809-6670
playwickian@gmail.com
Editorial Board
Editor in Chief
Tori Hyndman
Managing Editor
Lera Salmon
Business Editor
Dan Coleman
News Editors
Meghan Breitkreutz, Aman-
da Covon and Deanna Zaro
Op-Ed Editors
Becca Erskine and
Jess Thorson
Student Life Editors
Emily Duke, Emeline Jarvie
and Josh Reznik
Special Features Editors
Mel Matyi and
Rachel Rotteveel
Entertainment Editors
Dana Jeffers, Jocelyn Joseph
and Juliette Rihl
Sports Editors
Jon Mettus and Sam Pipe
Expressions Editors
Lexi Rotunno and
Katey Smyth
Photography Editors
Susie Mayer and
Matt Reinhold
Graphics and Art Editor
Mariya Pilipenko
Circulation Editors
Tiffany McMahon and
Ashley Titler
Copy Editors
Brielle Ballantine, Lauren
Driscoll, Joanna Sauer and
Janelle Thee
Archivist
Dann O’Rourke
Office Manager
Karla Onate
Adviser
Tara Huber
Staff Writers
Jill Aaronson, Bill Banks, Katelyn
Begley, Colin Bonner, Danielle Brown,
Mike Brunell, Jess Bussman, Shannon
Byrne, Bryn Conlan, Marmonee
Cooper, Maya Crenshaw, Megan
Fantini, Carly Fario, Sarah Grudza,
Christina Harman, Kieran Hastings,
Jess Heinsinger, Jacqueline Henry,
Mark Henry Jr., Christian Hodge,
Lily Humphreys, Robert Juza, Sabina
Khantsas, Tyler Kitchenman, Corey
LaQuay, Breanna Leedom, Molly
Lichtner, Grant Longden, Francesca
Mancino, Sabrina Matles, Aubrey
McCaulley, Alexis McGuire, Shealyn
Miles, Sean Murtha, Brett Nabit,
Corrine Nelson, Jenna Nelson,
Antonella Pilaras, Juliet Powell, Alyssa
Schnepp, Emily Scott, Mason Shope,
Marissa Silverman, Victor Simmons,
Jess Sooby, Tom Sottnick, Joe Turner,
Meagan Veacock, Ashley Vespe, Julia commentaries are attributed to the author. Such views are not necessarily those of the staff, nor should any
Walsh, Kylie Winkler.
Opinion
L K
AT IT OUR WAY
Harsh critique of local
media coverage
Dear Fox 29 News and the Bucks County Courier Times:
Your recent coverage of the disputes between the Neshaminy
Federation of Teachers and the School Board of Directors has not
been a complete representation of what actually goes on behind
closed doors. The coverage neglects to provide accuracy to the
community who may rely solely on the media’s attention of these
issues. The district, its faculty, parents, and most importantly, its
students, have not been accurately represented through the many
reports that headline the news.
There seems to be confusion by your media outlets when dealing
with this issue, and it seems to confuse many in the community,
because they do not know whom to believe. Beginning this past
June, when the work-to-contract action was first enacted, the school
district has attained much attention over a common issue that has
been seen all over the country.
But why has the Neshaminy case become different from all
the others? It is, in part, due to the constant media attention drawn
to the school. Your presence has at times hindered the day-to-day
operations at the district’s schools. Showing up on school grounds
to interview students who have no idea what is going on is not
professional. Calling students on the phone and baiting them to make
disparaging statements against their teachers - well, that is flat out
unethical.
Both the televised and printed media coverage of the Neshaminy
labor disputes only showcased the negative repercussions of the
actions between the NFT and the school board. The work to contract
has let teachers decide whether or not to attend graduation, back-
to-school night, and other school functions. However, the teachers
who simply worked to contract were scrutinized by the media in
numerous ways. Many teachers were perceived as slackers who did
not put forth any effort in the classroom.
Constantly referring to the lack of homework given to students
is a dead argument. Students in third grade are not expected to be
given hours of homework a night, if they were parents would argue
for less homework. “He had a lot of homework last year and not a
lot this year,” one parent commented in the Bucks County Courier
Times article from Oct. 13.
While it may seem that many students are not receiving homework
in their classes, it is not the case for all students. Homework is still
being given to many students in various college prep, honors, and
AP classes. In fact, some students have complained of too much
homework, staying up until the wee hours in the morning, lucky if
they receive two hours of sleep before school the next day. It makes
no sense to debate what is learned in a classroom either. If a parent/
guardian is not in the classroom they cannot believe every thing their
child reports to them.
The public is being sent mixed messages through the recent
coverage of the ongoing disputes. It seems as if both outlets will
find something negative about the school district. Even when
nothing is wrong, Fox 29 and the Courier Times are finding ways
to put Neshaminy in the spotlight in negative ways. This is often
achieved by the inaccurate reporting of the issues at hand. By merely
referring to the school district as “Planet Neshaminy” in the Courier
Times and often asking “What color is the sky in your world?” on
Fox 29 News degrades the quality of the school district, which is
still highly acclaimed amidst the troubles that are discussed behind
closed doors.
While this is in no way meant to defend either side of the dispute,
this is however meant to clarify the misconception of the students’
point of view of the situation that is lived every day. The students
are the silent heroes in this dispute.
Overall, we do not ask for much, just a few articles and interviews
of true information about Neshaminy School Distrtict would suffice.
Not only has false media made attending school uncomfortable for
the teachers, who are constantly degrated, but even the students feel
uneasy as well. The focus should be on the positive achievements
and activites of the students in the schools, rather than what is
troublesome in the district.
This unsigned editorial represents the majority view
of the editorial board.
Published monthly, the student newspaper of Neshaminy High School is a public forum, with its student editorial
board making all decisions concerning its contents. The student exercise of freedom of expression and press freedom
is protected by PA Code Section 12.9 and the First Amendment to the Constitution. School officials exercise their
right to Prior Review.
The Playwickian refers to the “Associated Press Stylebook” on matters of grammar, punctuation, spelling,
style and usage. Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board. Letters to the editors
should not exceed 300 words. Letters must be signed and of appropriate subject matter. Guest opinions, 500
words or more, will be published as space allows.
The paper reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws
governing obscenity, libel, privacy and disruption of the school’s educational process. Opinions in letters or
opinion expressed in a public forum be construed as the opinion or the policy of the adviser or administration,
unless so attributed.
Page 3
Letter to the Editor
Dear Tori Hyndman,
My name is Marie Rayme and I am in the 10th grade and I
absolutely love the article you wrote in October! I compliment the
structure and the way it related to our everyday lives. “Premature
aging rushes adolescent stage” is true because many teens nowadays
are really overdoing it when it comes to make up. Sometimes they
try so hard it looks like they have masks on their face.
The part of the article I liked the most was when you
mentioned how adolescents watch their older siblings and family
members go off to college and have freedom. They end up
getting jealous because they want the same freedom and they
start to develop and mimic these behaviors they view from afar.
It relates to me in a way because I feel as though I have wanted
to do what my older siblings did but never to the point of wearing
too much make up just to be granted adult privileges.
This article can really open the eyes of some girls in Neshaminy
High School and I encourage you to please continue writing articles
about things like this. This is what Neshaminy girls need to see and
read more often, so thank you.
P.S. Girl, you got talent. Flaunt it babes! Lol.
Sincerely,
Marie Rayme
Sophomore
Cyber-obsessed world
By Becca Erskine
Op-Ed Editor
Before our world grew a keyboard, Wi-Fi connection, and USB
plug, things were much simpler. It may be hard to imagine now, but
at one point in time the human race was able to exist minus the large
amount of technical gadgets that impressively increase the speed and
convenience of communication. With impressively large amounts of
computers and search engines available, our world has turned into a
live, world-wide message board.
America’s favorite communication web site of all time,
Facebook, which was established in 2004, has continued to serve as a
painfully addicting web browser to people all around the world. The
letters often typed into the web address box have become much more
predictable, and if you own a Facebook yourself, you cannot deny
that typing in this particular web address is almost second nature.
Another web phenomenon, Twitter, which is also used by many
internet-lovers, serves as a second way of convenient communication
and is also known to be very popular amongst celebrities. The
common phrase, “Follow me on Twitter,” literally encourages web-
addicts to stalk other people’s everyday plans or thoughts that they
may post for the world to read.
Back in the day, if a person had a question or concern which
they could not answer themselves, their natural reaction would be
to look in the dictionary, or thesaurus. Well, times have changed,
and if you have any problem at all, there is only one thing to turn
to: Google. Google encourages people to slack and depend on the
internet. This ever-popular search engine further encourages people
to highly depend on technology to solve their every day problems.
I cannot be sure that people are aware of the internet’s rein over
us, but if they are not now they soon will be. The internet has taken
our once simplistic world and turned it upside down into a world of
psychotic, internet-obsessed Facebook junkies.
Instead of knocking on a neighbor’s door to pay them a visit, or
sending someone a birthday card in the mail, we now post comments
on people’s “wall,” or more popularly, comment on their “status.”
Why even bother asking out the girl of your dreams in person?
Just relationship request her on Facebook. Are you angry at someone?
Post how much you dislike them as your status. Do you really want
to get under someone’s skin? The best way to handle that would
be to sarcastically “like” their new profile picture. These natural
tendencies have developed in people all around the world, it is the
new way of communication; it involves giga-bites and browsers, but
it is communication at its finest.
The internet’s ridiculously large impact on the world and the way
people communicate with one another has reached an undeniably
concerning level. Will this internet-craze continue to grow and
expand until all of us humans can no longer stare at the screen? Are
we going to be influenced by the web in such a way for the rest of
time? Or has the internet reached its highest potential? Either way,
I cannot answer these questions myself, so Google it. Or better yet,
message me on Facebook and we can talk about it.
Awards
The publication has received recognition
by the Columbia Scholastic Press
Associati in the following years - First
Place: 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980,
1981, 1982, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992,
1993, 1994. Bronze Medalist: 2001. Silver
Medalist: 1995, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2010.
Gold Medalist: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,
2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009.
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