Features – Planet Wildcat

Seniors Experience Once-in-a-Lifetime Trip to Italy

January 16, 2020

Italy—a place of enchanting landscape, exotic architecture and artworks, full of history and culture. While some spend years dreaming of visiting this flamboyant country, last summer, seniors Trina Barcarola and Noelle Orehek had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take an abroad trip to Italy. From June 23rd to July 5th, Trina and Noelle traveled to Italy with a program named Pro-Rome, a catholic touring group for high school students. They traveled with twenty-seven other girls and visited multiple holy sites in Rome and Siena in Tuscany. “I wanted to deepen my spiritual life in the place where Catholicism thrives,” Noelle explained. The girls saw many symbolic religious pieces and visited famous sites such as the Colosseum, the Vatican, and even Lake Bolsena. “It was a really awesome opportunity,” Trina...

Background Music with Schoolwork: Great Satisfaction or a Distraction?

Rachel Tuman, Staff Reporter

January 16, 2020

Music is everywhere. It is on televisions, public transportation, stores, and even in doctor’s offices. There is practically unlimited access to any genres of music due to this increasingly digital age. When it almost seems that there is no escape from this distracting pandemonium, many people, specifically students, look to music for peace of mind: a satisfaction. Ludwig van Beethoven famously once said, “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.” As a famous composer, his music is still very influential in academic settings. In fact, many people play his music while in...

Reflections: The Anxiety of College Application Season

Sydney Peet, Staff Reporter

January 1, 2020

Fall and winter of senior year - notoriously a time of writing application essays and deciding on which major to apply to. All around the country, high school seniors are grappling with the seesaw between adolescence and adulthood. These students have been preparing for this time since entering high school, so what’s the endless anxiety for? Well, I can’t speak for other students, but I can testify to the assault of emotions I have been feeling since senior year began. I thought I was so prepared to apply to schools and take off running from high school, but as my deadlines are fast approaching,...

Beetle Juice Inspires Art Students

Adelaide Treibley, Staff Reporter

December 27, 2019

As of mid-October the Western Wayne High School Art Department has been working on a few new projects to help get ready for when the school opened for trick or treating on October 31st. A group of students led by Maggie Millon spent much time throughout the days preceding Halloween to make decorations that will go up near and in the library as well as outside of the LGI. These decorations were then placed out for all students and staff to see and enjoy. Some students even helped out in handing out candy to the children on the 31st. Most of these decorations are inspired by the movie Beetle Juice which led to some very creative and stunning decorations. The decorations range from painted posters to ghastly gravestones. Maggie is pictured painting a close up of the character Beetlejuice. A small group of these stud...

Just Spit It Out! featuring Andrew Oudshoorn

Nicholas Valentin, Staff Reporter

December 18, 2019

Nicholas Valentin, Reporter - Hello, Andrew, I’d like to skip the niceties and go straight to the questions. Andrew Oudshoorn, Senior- Alright, let’s get to it. NV- First question: I’ve noted that you are drum major for our Marching Band, so how did you first get your trumpet? AO- Well, I’ll make a long story short. An old trumpet- A graduate of our school, that is- gave it to me since he didn’t need it anymore, so I got mine for free. NV- Interesting. Alright, next question: If you could turn into any animal, what would it be? AO- Probably a snake, because I could sne...

Positivity Projects Reign at WWHS this Year

December 6, 2019

There is a lot going on in Western Wayne High School. With the beginning of the new school year there was some evident, significant changes that had been made in the school. This past month Western Wayne High School students had the option to paint their parking spaces for the price of $25. Senior, Gary Geinitz, was one of the many students to take advantage of the opportunity. Gary’s spot is marked with a very large American Flag. When asked what his influence was, Gary exclaimed, “My patriotism! It took six hours of hard work and two+ gallons of paint but its FREE PAINTING! It was well ...

In Step with Multi-talented Senior Ezra Tetreault

Courtney Petrilak, Staff Reporter

December 6, 2019

Full name: Ezra Moses Tetreault Age: 17 years old Grade: 12th Family: Kevin (father), Patti (mother) and Gabby (sister) Extra Curriculars: Football, Track and Field, FBLA, NHS, Student Council, CATS Club, and SADD Three words describing himself: Leader, Aspiring, Genuine Bio: Ezra is an extraordinary young man. In his youth he has already achieved many amazing things, from FBLA Vice President, to NHA President, and even Student Body President, while also juggling his grades, his sports, and his friends and family. Ezra is a man of many words who is well carried with a good head on his shoulders. Q: What are your biggest accomplishments? A: My biggest accomplishments are being elected Pa FBLA First Vice President, being Varsity Football Captain, and National Honors Society Present. ...

Meet Band Director & Music Educator Elaine Ort

Rebecca Boots, Staff Reporter

May 2, 2019

Mrs. Ort is the band director and band teacher for Western Wayne high school and middle school and does well at it. Though she moved around a lot, she graduated from Oak Mount Regional High School in Massachusetts and moved here in 2003 for Marywood University. Rebecca Boots had an opportunity to ask her a few questions. This is what Mrs. Ort had to say: How did you come across Western Wayne? “When I moved to Pennsylvania, when I went to college at Marywood.” What is something most students don’t know about you? “I am the oldest of five kids.” What do you enjoy most about what you teach? “I enjoy looking for the ah-ha(!) moment.” What are some of your favorite things? 1.book/ The Fellowship of the Ring 2.song/Rainbow Connec...

Art Teacher Justin Hayden Inspires Students to Experiment

Shailyn Pugh, Staff Reporter

February 11, 2019

Art teacher Justin Hayden was not always planning to become a high school art teacher. He did, however, have an interest in art. Mr. Hayden took Art Foundations in 9th grade with Mrs. Marie Ostrowski, a former teacher. He recalls a piece that he still favors from that time, “I created a pastel drawing of a rhino. Mrs. Ostrowski told me to work green into the rhino’s back. I thought that was really strange to do to an animal that is grey. As a result, this was the piece that launched my interest in art.” Mr. Hayden was understandably upset when his beloved piece was, unfortunately, misplaced in an art show. However, he continues to remember it as he now teaches the techniques that he first found to be “strange.” He explained, “I do this in order to teach them that in order to understand and use color prop...

IN STEP WITH SENIOR PAIGE BARILLO

Courtney Petrilak, Staff Reporter

January 22, 2019

Q: How would you describe your cross country and basketball careers? A: “My cross country and basketball career started all in middle school and continued throughout high school. I actually ran my first three mile race when I was in fourth grade, and that’s what really sparked my interest in running. I also participated in biddy basketball in elementary school and then up until sixth grade. When I got to high school my love for sports really started to grow more and more.” Q: What was your biggest accomplishment during this time? A: “One of my biggest accomplishments during my sports career was making it to states during my freshman cross country season. This was really exciting for me because I was only a freshman and qualified to race at the state competit...

Sophomore Visits the PA Farm Show, Steers for a Good Time

Celeste Orchard, Staff Reporter

January 22, 2019

Recently, sophomore Matthew Stone had attended this year's annual Farm Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He went with his father, John Stone, and his sister, Makayla Stone. Farm Show is a yearly event for the Stone family, and they travel to Harrisburg from their family farm in Hamlin. In the comfort of a luxury hotel, Matthew and his family stay at the Farm Show to care for their livestock. According to Matt, his week is full of early mornings, grooming the cows. “We normally wake up at 4 a.m. and start out each day by washing the cows fully,” Matt said. Extensive care is put into the vanity of the cows and their hair so that they look nice when being shown. At this popular event, they show their beef cattle that they raise at their home, Stone Valley Farm where they also raise lamb. Matt's favorite part...

Girls Lead Members Proud to Empower Peers through Projects

Mrs.Jessica McLaughlin, Public Relations Officer

January 21, 2019

“Empowered women empower women. Help a “sister”- you just might save a life.” The Western Wayne Girls Lead Club used this quote for a sticker on a treat bag they gave out to high school students during lunches for homecoming this fall as one of their club projects.