Principals Mr. Fowler, Ms. Wright and Su-

Nov / Dec

2019

Volume 1, I
	
ssue 3

STEELER Nation News

FASD Dedication Event

Photo credit:
Kyra Crosby
Farrell Area School District closed out 2019 with a brand-new beginning, the dedication of our newly renovated district. School administrators and student representatives welcomed community and board members, as well as Mercer County Commissioner, Matt McConnell and state Rep. Mark Longieti, among others. FAHS students distributed programs, gave tours and offered opinions to local journalists. The occasion also included a formal ribbon cuting ceremony and reception. Optimism and academics for the fu-
perintendent, Dr. Adams-King open ceremo-	ture were overarching themes of the Sunday, De-cember 15, event.

OneTeam One Dream:

Mission Accomplished, again.

Inside this issue:

Students of the Month / Student Athlete
	2
	
Teacher Spot-lights
	3
	
Planetarium / Holiday survey
	4
	
Art on display / Museum
	5
	
Genetics Confer-ence / MCCC
	6
	
Sports
	7
	
SNN Staff
	8

Photo credit: Mr. Fowler
Principal, Mr. Fowler cuts rib-bon of the HS building.

Mark your calendars:

Dec. 20-Jan. 6—No school Jan. 17—End of 2nd 9 weeks Jan. 20—MLK Day, No school

FHS Football Team and Cheerleaders pose for a celebratory photo after the State Championship Title battle in Hershey, PA. Article on page 7.

Volume 1, Issue 3	Page 1

WYTV Sports: Student Athlete: Melvin Hobson

Winners receive a cash reward of $100 funded by Mr. Ted Pedas. Mr. Pedas has been generously funding this award to Farrell Students for the past 15 years.

October Students of the Month are, from left to right, Tayonna Evans-8, Ronald LaCamera-12, Tamera Slater-9, Jacara Green-11, Cyncere Harden Mann-10, Autumn Scar-bough-7

November Students of the Month are, from left to right, Cailey List (Grade 7, Charles Anderson (Grade 8), Jasean Boat-wright ( Grade 9), Jada Williams (Grade 10), Jada Jackson (Grade 11), Adrian Daniels (Grade 12)

Page 2

By Chase Evans, WYTV Sports
FARRELL, Pennsylvania (WYTV) – Farrell senior Melvin Hob-son was born to be a Steeler.
His grandpa and uncle were standouts on the Farrell football team and now Melvin has carried on that tradition.
He played for Sharpsville his freshman and sopho-more years, then transferred back to Farrell, where’s made quite an impact in just two years.
“It’s not always just about beating up the guy, blowing him back it’s making sure that you know where the ball is supposed to be going and that you can get your guy where he needs to be,” said Hobson.
At 6’3″, 265 pounds, Melvin is one of strongest, yet smartest players on the field at all times. He has great instincts for the game and his technique is what sets truly him apart.
“The mental aspect is a huge part of it,” he said. “Momentum is everything in football and making sure that you have the upper edge however you can is the most im-portant thing about the game.”
Melvin is an All Region lineman and played a big role in Farrell’s undefeated season last year, which ended with a Class A State Championship in Hershey.
“Last year was the 100th season of Farrell football and it was the third time we won states, so I think the num-bers so you enough right there of how rare of an experience it is to have and I’m very grateful to be able to go through it,” said Hobson.
“The ultimate goal is to go back-to-back, just like the 1995-96 team, we want it to be the 2018-19 team back-to-back twice.”
Off the field, Melvin carries a 4.2 GPA and is on track to be valedictorian at Farrell. He plans to play football at the Division 1 level and likely study Engineering.
“I’ve never seen it as a choice, it was always just something that I had to get done,” he said. “I always had to make sure I did everything I could to the best of my abilities. I don’t want to rush out of high school by any means. I want to enjoy this last school year, then we’ll see what happens next year.”
Editor’s Note: Article is reprinted with permission of WYTV, a station operated by Nexstar. You can watch the stations video coverage through WYTV’s Mobile App or web-
site, WYTV.com. This material may not be published, broad-cast, rewritten or redistributed.

Volume 1, Issue 3

tion.
Crossroads, a group home for boys and
His personal goal he sets for himself is
Mr. Myers’ dream vacation is to go to
Our new Guidance Counselor, Ms.
grade. She then moved to Sharpsville until
grades K-12.
Morgan 22, Jack 20, and Casey 14. When
pottery; also, she has a pet ferret named
Educators leading the way at FHS

Athletics guru, Mr. My-ers, in 2nd year at FHS By OMAR STEWART JR.

New HS Guidance Counselor: Ms. Titus

By DAKOTA PETREY

Teaching from the HEART

By JORDYNE SCOTT

Mr. Timothy Myers started teaching
rell last year. Mr. Myers graduated from
Physical Education for the boys here at Far-	Jenifer Titus grew up in Niles, Ohio. She Slippery Rock University and also attended	attended Howland School until the 8th
majored in Physical Education Health,
wanted to become an Art Teacher. To this
the University of Pittsburgh at,Bradford and      graduation in 1987. Growing up, Mrs. Titus Aquatics, Lifeguarding, and Special Educa-         end, she attended Edinboro University and
Prior to teaching at Farrell, Mr. Myers
taught Health and Physical Education at
graduated in 1991. Following graduation, and reflecting on her adolescence, she real-ized that her true calling was to help people
up he wanted to be involved in every sport
back to school. She attended Westminster
girls. What made Mr. Myers want to pursue	with their problems. Thus, she decided to go a career in Physical Education was growing	College and got her Masters of Education. and enjoyed athletics.	Mrs. Titus is licensed in PA and Ohio for
He adds, “Both of my parents were
teachers and it was great to see the influ-	Ms. Titus worked in West Middle-ence they had on their students.”                        sex Area School District for 10 years, and
Mr. Myers is very involved in all things	following that was hired here at Farrell for sports. The team he enjoys watching is our	the 2019-2020 school year. Mrs. Titus’ role very own Farrell Steelers, and loves watch-	here as the Guidance Counselor is creating ing teams from Pittsburgh where he was	and changing student schedules, helping to born and raised.	prepare students for SAT and ACT Test and
What Mr. Meyrs enjoys about teaching	scheduling college visits and state testing. A is interacting with the students to help them     professional goal that Ms. Titus has for the set and achieve lifelong goals. Mr. Myers’	next year is to do her very best in her new teaching style is to try to learn from the	career.
student and to respond in different ways.	As for priorities in her personal

to self-assess every day. That is what helps	life, Ms. Titus has four sons, Michael 22,
you become better, not only as a teacher,
but as a person. Mr. Myers’ philosophy on	asked about her biggest role model growing
discipline is first respect and rapport. Those up, her response was her parents. Mrs. are the keys to succeeding in his class. He	Titus’ biggest pet peeve is lying. The three believes that it is vital to hold students ac-	words that describe her best are honest, countable for their actions. Words that Mr.	generous (time), and artistic. Her favorite
Myers uses to describe himself are positive,      outdoor activity is swimming, and her favor-influential, and supportive.                                    ite movie is White Christmas with Bing Cros-

somewhere that he has never been. Outsid
Cana in the Dominican Republic. Finally,
she carved limestone in college and did
the Caribbean where the water is clear, it is	by. Her dream vacation is to go to Punta of school, you can find him coaching volley-e Mrs. Titus' fun facts about herself are that ball, visiting his cabin in the mountains,
golfing, playing basketball, and swimming.	Fiji.

Volume 1, Issue 3

We would like to welcome back a pillar of Farrell High School who has been sorely missed over the past months, Mr. Cardamon. Mr. Cardamon is our Social Studies Teacher. However, for many stu-dents past and present, he plays the role of father figure, uncle, counselor and so much more. His teaching philosophy is to provide a safe environ-ment where students can share their feelings, ideas, and take risks.

Mr. Cardamon came to work at FHS be-cause he coached football for 10 years and the stu-dents were a “tremendous group of kids.” There-fore, when he graduated from Slippery Rock Univer-sity, he came straight to work in the district as a Social Studies Teacher. Fortunately,for us students, almost 30 years later, he is still an inspiration and motivation for Farrell upperclassmen. He currently teaches both American and World History.

In her 2019 Salutatorian address, former student, Cinnamon Price summed up the admiration that many students have for Mr. Cardamon, “… when I grow up, I hope to have Mr. Cardamon’s kindheartedness.” His greatest strength is the abil-ity to utilize empathy, motivation, and trust with kids. The biggest weakness is sometimes he cares too much and it can be detrimental to his health. He motivates his students to learn by encouraging them to think outside of the box when it comes to history, politics, and traveling. He finds it can be discourag-ing when students do not realize the importance of our history.

Mr. Cardamon’s greatest influence was his Math Teacher at Kennedy Catholic, Sister Margaret. She knew when he needed tough love and that grounded and guided him. His proudest accomplish-ments in life have been raising his children, being a great role model for education and never giving up. The best memory he has is of the Farrell Football Team winning back-to-back State Championships in 1995 and 1996.

Outside of school, Mr. Cardamon enjoys travel, spending time with his family, and being at his camp. Mr. Cardamon’s dream is to visit Calabria, Italy, to meet the Cardomone family.

Page 3

Ted Pedas Planetarium: illuminating and educational holiday tradition

Photo credit: Skylar Cordray

Mr. George Pedas (Planetariam founder’s broth-er), takes a minute from this season’s shows to talk to SNN Staff writer and pose for a photo in the remodeled space.

The Ted Pedas Planetarium, located in Farrell High School and named after its founder, is one of only fifteen of its kind in the state of Pennsylvania. The planetarium

By OMAR STEWART

was built in the late 1960s. Mr. Pedas attended Farrell High School and Youngstown State University. Mr. Pedas was inspired to build the planetarium after studying in the one at his alma mater, YSU.
Mr. Pedas taught in the planetarium for over 30 years. Mr. Pedas funded the planetarium’s dimensional dome programming, equip-ment, upkeep etc. Our 360-degree dome lets the audience see things from different time zones and it can be viewed from all around. Spectators can see galaxies from the past compared to what it looks like in the present day. In addition, the spectator can view galaxies up close or from a distance.
The purpose of the planetarium is to give back to the school and community. Mr. Pedas has been puting on a holiday show for stu-dents here at Farrell K-12. Mr. Pedas’ brother, Mr. George Pedas, directs the show. Mr. Pedas’ recent show in the month of Novem-ber/December is fantastic. The show explains how Apollo was left on the moon and returned information for educational purposes and the importance of the moon and the role it plays in its relation-ship to Earth. Mr. Pedas explained that astronomy is important to learn since it is important to the world. Some local universities that have programs for Astronomy are YSU, Westminster College, and Slippery Rock University.

Spreading holiday cheer: survey results are in!

With break around the corner, you may find Senior, Mercedes Barge, listening to K-pop and reading, while Junior, LaShawn Williams, will be eating dinner at MIDNIGHT and opening her presents in matching pajamas with her siblings.

The Steeler Nation News Staff surveyed the Junior and Senior High School students and staff to find out about our traditions and plans for
this 2019 holiday season.

Not surprisingly, 90% of those surveyed prefer Christmas to Thanksgiving, and with a LONG two-week break this year, it should be a relaxing one! During breaks, stu-dents and teachers alike tend to spend time catching up on lost sleep, visiting loved ones and playing video games. Netflixing and movies are a popular way to pass the time and some of our favorites mentioned are, Home Alone, The Grinch, The Polar

Express, Christmas Vacation, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and The Nightmare before Christmas.

Most of us celebrate the holidays locally and with family, although a few class-mates will be traveling out of town to visit family in Ohio and Mississippi and even a little get away to Niagara Falls, Canada. Fun tradi-tions include gifting “gag” presents, rotating

who puts the star on top of the Christmas tree, and attending various religious services.

One teacher summed up what we are grateful for as, “faith, family, friends and FAR-RELL!” While this sentiment seems to apply to most of those surveyed, Junior, Jailen Roye is also thankful for geting closer to graduation. Also, we cannot talk about the holidays without including the final “F,” FOOD. Our main dish
favorites include, macaroni and cheese, and ham and turkey at the top of the list, as well as sweet potatoes (dressed with marshmal-low!), baked beans and stufing. Our dessert indulgences include pumpkin, apple, choco-late, sweet potato and pecan pies, candied yams, cheesecake, Texas Sheet Cake, and lots and lots of cookies.

Pictured left: Survey participants, thanks!

Steeler Nation News Staff thanks those who participated in our survey and wishes every-one a happy, healthy holiday season, see you in 2020!

Page 4	Volume 1, Issue 3

Artistic Expression

“Art has the role in education of helping children become more like themselves instead of more like everyone else” - Sydney Gurewitz Clemens

Student artwork on display at SRU Art Show

Art students, Marcus Green, Jaylie Green, and Jada Williams had pieces of original artwork accepted and on dis-play at the Annual Juried High School Exhibition at Slippery Rock University in November. Over 300 students submitted

artwork to the show in 2019, from Pennsylvania.
Marcus explains that his piece is inspired by his fa-vorite DC Superhero, Harley Quinn, “Harley is crazy, goofy, and doesn’t care, and I see that in my own personality.”

Photos (by Ms. Munnal), from left to right, Marcus Green shows off entry, Marcus, Ms. Munnal, Jada Williams pose in front of displays, Jada with show entry.

French and Spanish Clubs participate in guided tour of Carnegie Museum of Art
Contributed by: FAITH ZAGOTTI

On Wednesday November 20, French and Spanish Club students visit-ed Carnegie Art Museum in Pittsburgh. The 24 student participants were se-lected based on language grades, effort and atitude in classes. Students also attended a mandatory, 45 minute, learning/information session prior to the travel date. The language clubs funded the field trip with a financial grant from the Carnegie Foundation, which made it completely free to students.
The tour of the museum was conducted by three professional do-cents, each with eight students and a teacher. This allowed the students to have more of an intimate one-on-one experience with art and express their own reaction to pieces being studied.
The field trip allowed students to admire numerous genres of art: Realism, French Impressionism, Cubism and Pointillism. The artists featured on the tour included Van Gogh, Monet, and Signac.
African American photojournalist, Charles “Teenie” Harris was also featured, as the museum houses the majority of the famous Pittsburgh local’s collection of work.
After the tour, the students ate lunch together and did one final walk through of the museum. Many explored the Contemporary Art, as it had not been covered in the docent tour.
The Contemporary Collection of the art museum displayed the weird-er side of art. It featured many perspective photos, a black and white film that was very “avant garde,” and a wonky one way mirror that you could go inside.
Overall, it was a very intriguing experience. It is good to take time to learn and appreciate the history of art and beneficial to so many other areas of study.

Pictured right: CMOA docent challenges students to pose like Degas stat-ue, students pose in front of VanGogh painting and students get up close
to understand Monet’s “Waterlilies” technique.	Page 5 Volume 1, Issue 3

Students attend Genetics Conference

Contributed by: MRS. ALLENBAUGH

Students attended the Sam Rhine Genetics Conference at Upper St. Clair High School on November 12, 2019. Sam Rhine is a leading educator in the field of genetics. It is his desire to “take Biology out of the textbook and see how it works in the real world.”

During the four-hour conference, students learned about the latest in ge-netics advances, hot research areas, ethical dilemmas as technology advances, and career opportunities. Additionally, students learned how scientists are using stem cells from skin to cure diseases, such as Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. An-other interesting aspect of stem cell research discussed was producing “slauterless meat”, or STEMburgers. Simply put, muscle stem cells from cows would be used to make meat in a lab. However, it currently costs $279.00 for one STEMburger!

The second half of the lecture was about CRISPR. CRISPR is a technology used to identify virus DNA so that it can be corrected, modified or edited, in other words, a genetic manipulation. CRISPR has many applications. It can be used by farmers to strengthen their crops and beef up their cattle. It is also being used to cure diseases such as sickle cell anemia.

Mr. Rhine ended the conference with the ethical dilemma that scientist can edit humanity with genetic enhancement. “We can now engineer the human race.”

Our student participants weighed in on the many benefits of the confer-ence, pointing out that the career paths discussed were of particular interest espe-cially to those planning to enter the medical field. One impressive stand out among the many advances discussed was the developing capacity to grow human organs.

Conference participants, Gary Satterwhite, Jailen Roye, Xavier Footman, Brice Butler and Linda Stubbs pose for a picture before travel-ing to Pittsburgh.

Mercer County Career Center: hands-on training appeals to students
By DAKOTA PETREY	Auto Mechanics: Lets students learn to	neurial Development: learn to use common do the following brakes, electrical sys-	business software. Precision Production tems, engine performance, suspension,	Metals: machining and manufacturing.
and steering. Carpentry: hands on with	Protective Services: safety in emergency, power tools, roofing, siding, window	medical, and public safety. Welding: arc installation, and computer aided design..	welding, and blowtorch training. Coopera-Collision Repair: estimate damage, re-	tive Education: firsthand experience in place parts, and refinish/detail. Com-	trade of their choice.
Mrs. Titus states that the Mer-
puter Information Technology: design-
work, students earn hands on skills in
may be considering alternatives to
attending college. Students are able to
ing and maintaining a computer net-	cer County Career Center gives students a computer hardware. Cosmetology: hair	great opportunity, especially those who such as cut and style. Culinary Arts:
a restaurant or hospital. Diesel Mechan-
Nathan McGarry , Sincere Day, Denis Coleman, Die-	learn skills to be able to start a career in	get a certificate or a license, and are able dre Burks and Emadalay Williams stop for a picture	ics: how to pursue a career in hydraulics,	to work at a good job right after high following a productive morning spent at MCCC.	transportation, electrical systems, and	school. Mrs. Titus feels that, "MCCC is an
The Mercer County Career Center is a loca
with young children. Electronics Tech:
computer science and mathematical
concepts. This helps students learn
about today’s wireless world. Health
Care Careers: designed for students
work only with the career center, and it
diesel engine maintenance and repair.	outstanding institution, many companies Vo-tech school here in Mercer County. The Vo-tech l	Early Childhood Education: interacting	allows students to get well-paying jobs". allows students from different school districts to                                                                                                                     Vo-tech student, Lakyah Burns, attend and participate in a career-training path. The                                                                                            states that she likes that the career cen-Mercer county career center offers 15 different pro-                                                                                            ter “teaches you what you’re supposed to
grams.	 who are considering a Post-Secondary	known. This gets you ready for the real Education. Innovation and Entrepre-	world.”

Page 6	Volume 1, Issue 3

By OMAR STEWART

The Farrell Steelers won their second consecutive PIAA Single A, State Championship on December 5, 2019, in Hershey, PA. The Steel-ers overcame their losing streak to the Clairton Bears with a 13-10 win over the Bears on Friday, November 29, to secure their spot in the state title battle.
The journey to Hershey began with a traditional pep rally in the gymnasium and send off by local police and fire department on De-cember 4.
Despite the past defeat (2015) to Bishop Guilfoyle, the Steelers went into the game knowing they could win. The Steelers played with this confidence and remained consistent throughout the match. The game went into overtime and Steelers’ Brian Hilton kicked a field goal to secure the Steeler win. The Steelers beat Bishop Guilfoyle 10-7.
We caught up with several senior players (pictured right) following the game to ask their parting advice to underclassmen. Our athletes offered the following wisdom: “Don’t lose yourself trying to impress others,” Tyrie Hammonds. “Follow your heart, but take your brain with you,’’ Dwight Ravenscraft. “Don’t take your time on the

@cam filmz
field for granted, because you won’t get it back,” JoJo Tarver. “Never underestimate an opponent, you don’t know how determined they may be,” Sayvion Thomas.

Pictured below (left to right): Senior, Brian Hilton blocks a kick, Brice Butler runs the ball, Sayvion Thomas brings down an opponent and Anthony Stallworth and Jaden Harrison show off 1,000 yard award.

@cam filmz	@cam filmz	@cam filmz

Coach T weighs in on Girls’ Varsity Hoop

By JORDYNE SCOTT
With winter sports season upon us, we reached out to Mr. Ed Turosky, third grade teacher and Elementary and Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach. His varsity athletes have been gearing up for season for some months. He explains that a typical open gym involves a lot of skills work, such as dribbling, passing, and shooting. He also offered some insight into strategy, saying that factors that might influence playing time; other than grades, skill sets, and other athletic abilities, is effort and ati-tude. These key components are devel-oped in the off-season and sometimes off the court.
Coaching has made a significant

impact in his life by allowing him to meet many great people, including friendships that will last a lifetime. His strength as a coach is his passion for inspiring kids to do their best. His greatest weak-ness is that his passion for his team and the game can lead to emotional reactions on the court.
The goal for this 2019-20 basketball season is to take one game at a time. Girls opened up their season at the beginning of De-cember with one loss to Cambridge Springs and one win over Oil City on Saturday, December 7. The toughest competitor this season is Kennedy Catholic (KC). When asked for words of encour-agement, coach T offered, “Go hard or go home.”
Coach Turosky reflects on this season’s seniors, Kyra Crosby and Pierra Parker, “These two kids are very special. As are all my players,

they are like daughters to me. I am always impressed with kids that start something and finish it. These two will be successful adults someday. Let’s make this season memorable.”
Coach Turosky’s worst memory was losing in the western semi-final in 2008. He doubts that there is any single best memory because he enjoys every year that he has coached. Coach Turosky’s parents had the biggest impact on his life. Although he grew up in a bro-ken home, his parents were always there to support him. They taught him to work hard. In addition, Coach Turosky finds inspiration in all of the people who doubt-ed him.

Volume 1, Issue 3	Page 7

Proudest moment or accom-
ball
Favorite FHS memory: Watch-
Meet your Steeler Nation News Staff:

Name and grade: Melonn Wells, Grade 12

Name and grade: Jordyne Scott, Grade 11

Name and grade: Dakota Petrey, Grade 11

Name and grade: Omar Stew-art, Grade 10

How long have you been on Newspaper Staff? 4 months

Favorite topic(s) to write about: Fun events

Favorite subject: Geometry, because Mr. Lewis is one of my favorite teachers

Favorite book and or movie: 13 Reasons Why

Proudest moment or accom-plishment: Becoming the young woman that I am today

Work: Popeye’s

Favorite FHS memory: There are many, never a dull mo-ment

Plans: I am writing my first book and, after school, I want to become a counselor.

How long have you been on Newspaper Staff? 4 months

Favorite topic(s) to write about: Teacher Spotlights

Favorite subject: Math, I enjoy working with numbers.

Favorite book and or movie: Criminal Minds and All Ameri-can

Proudest moment or accom-plishment: When I will walk across the stage in June 2021

Extra-curricular and or sports in which you are involved: Student Council and Varsity Basketball

Work: JC Penny’s

Favorite FHS memory: Home-coming Parade and Cap and Gown Committee

Future plans: Join the Air Force

Dream trip: Bora Bora

How long have you been on	How long have you been on Newspaper Staff? 2 months	Newspaper Staff? 1 year 4 Favorite topic(s) to write about: months
Holidays, interviews, anything	Favorite topic(s) to write French, Gymnastics	about: Football

Favorite subject: French, be-	Favorite subject: Math, I enjoy cause it is a different perspective numbers.
and culture.	Favorite book and or movie: Favorite book and or movie:	Creed II
Fifty First Dates because Adam
dad’s worst score in bowling
Sandler is the main character.	plishment: Starting as a fresh-Proudest moment or accom-	man on the football team. plishment: When I beat my	Extracurricular Activities / (161).	Sports: Football, track, basket-

Extra-curricular and or sports in
ing League
which you are involved: Bowl-	ing the 2015 Steeler Football Team go to Hershey while I
Work: Home repairs with my	was water boy.
dad.	Future Plans: Play college foot-Favorite FHS memory: None	ball and study Graphic Design. yet.	Something we may not know Plans: Move south near my	about you: I like to work out, grandparents, become a Physical play video games and hang out Therapist.	with friends and family.

Dream trip: Take my grandpar-ents to Las Vegas

Dream trip(s): Jamaica, Egypt and Alaska

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” ~ Martin Luther

Page 8	Volume 1, Issue 3