| Quest for happiness: Ending the iPad affair |
By Dan Rzewnicki, Editor in Chief
April 3, 2012
I walked into the Apple store in the Ross Park Mall, immediately awed by the hustling workers and the impressive display of technology. I watched in amazement as one of the workers ordered my iPad from his hand held device. Then as we walked to the front of the store just ...
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| District's website living in the past |
By Matt Grantz, Assistant Editor
April 3, 2012
Technology surrounds us. Nearly everyone possesses and carries a cell phone, Kindles and other tablets and e-readers are becoming more and more common, and the tried and true computer (desktop or laptop) continues to inhabit the homes of a ...
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| Not your regular school science fair |
By Dan Rzewnicki, Editor in Chief
April 3, 2012
I recently competed in the 73rd Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair (PRSEF), becoming the first Leechburg student (according to any living person’s knowledge, at least) to do so.
I spent over six months researching, conducting my experiment and preparing my presentation board. After completing my experiment, which tested the effectiveness of different sunscreen SPFs, I felt pride in my work and confident that my experiment might look better than one of the ...
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| Facing future fears |
By Dan Rzewnicki, Editor in Chief
April 3, 2012
While finishing up another delicious home-cooked meal, I started to discuss something that I feared (I cannot remember what I feared at the time, nor does it matter). My dad then began to tell the story of a sixth-grade special education student in his health class at ...
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From the Editor’s Desk: |
New driving restrictions protect teens from themselves
by Dan Rzewnicki, Editor in Chief
February 27, 2012
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I have heard more than a few grumbles about Pennsylvania legislators tightening laws on teen drivers. Yet, with 11 teens dying in car accidents across the United States every day, these tightened laws may keep teens from being the next statistic.
As of Dec. 27, 2011, Act 81 became part of the Vehicle Code in Pennsylvania. One of the new stipulations limits junior license drivers to one passenger (who is not an immediate family member) during the first sixth months after receiving licenses unless accompanied by parents or guardians. If they have not committed a driving violation or been partially or fully responsible for a crash during the first six months upon receiving their licenses, drivers may then carry as many passengers as they have seatbelts in their car.
Many new drivers have grumbled about these changes, yet adding just one passenger to a car doubles—that’s right doubles—the risk for a crash. That means for every head banging, yelling, texting “friend” we teens add to our cars, we double the risk of crashing and injuring ourselves and our friends.
Contrary to popular belief, the Pennsylvania legislators hope to improve the safety of Pennsylvania’s roadways, not ruin the lives of young drivers. Gov. Corbett and the legislature have addressed a serious need to protect our state’s teen drivers.
Act 81 also requires drivers to amass an additional 15 hours of driving while on their permit. Ten of those hours must be driven at night. Older legislation also sets a curfew for teen drivers at 11 p.m. with the exception of proper documentation of employment or charitable service. Once again, teen drivers often grumble about the “inconvenience” of these night driving restrictions.
According to KeeptheDrive.com, an Allstate affiliated website that hopes to raise awareness about teen driving safety, driving between 9 p.m. and midnight, once again, doubles the risk for a crash. Perhaps the curfew should start even earlier! Despite the drawbacks of ruining the teen nightlife and missing the overtime finish at the last away game, legislators have attempted to boost teen driving safety and prevent teens from becoming one of the tragic 11.
With all the grumbles I have heard about the new stipulations, I have heard just as many people say they plan to ignore these new laws and continue to drive as they had planned.
Will they get caught breaking the law? Maybe. My guess is probably not.
However, we must use our heads before climbing behind the wheel. Despite the setbacks of these new stipulations, they will help to protect our state’s teen drivers.
Furthermore, consider what we risk every time we climb behind the wheel. We not only risk injuring ourselves, but we also risk endangering the lives of our friends and peers. We risk the lives of the man jogging on the side of the road and the mother of four in the oncoming lane. We risk our futures in college and our careers.
Before turning the key in the ignition and gripping the steering wheel, remember the laws put in place to protect our safety. Practice safe driving and follow the laws set forth by legislators.
Encourage friends to follow the teen driving laws, as they may be endangering more people than they realize. Encourage them to visit KeeptheDrive.com to view the cold hard facts about the dangers of teen driving. Encourage them to support tighter restrictions for teen drivers.
Remember that we all can prevent accidents or injuries by slowing down, wearing a seatbelt, turning the radio and cell phone off, and following the laws set forth to protect us—the simple things. We can save our own lives or the lives of those we love. |
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| Law lacks enforcement |
Posted by "Matt Grantz" on February 28, at 7:17 p.m.
Dan, this law is an absolute joke. The majority of this law is unenforceable and was a foolish thing to pass when more pressing issues (the state budget, Marcellus Shale drilling) have to be solved. This law will not be followed except by those few that would follow it anyway, simply by having the common sense not to want to die.
Additionally, while I realize that teenage drivers tend to be stupid and dangerous, what about the elderly? Why not make the elderly take a new test every few years after they turn 65 to ensure they don't kill someone? Do our most esteemed legislators not care about our grandparents?
My theory is that legislators know the elderly would get ticked off and vote said legislators out of office, so it was easier to attack teens who can't vote. Additionally, it might help them pick up a few votes from parents whose response to this law is "awwwwww, protect darling child."
In sum, I wholeheartedly disagree with the majority of your article, though it was well written as usual. |
| Speak Out |
Give Public Speaking students one- to-three minutes of online time to record a message about any topic relevant to teens and the result is a “Speak-Out” message. A “Speak-Out” message is a video opinion that can take the form of a complaint with suggestions to improve the situation, a kudos to a teacher or coach or an informative piece which may dispel rumors or misconceptions. Represented here are this year’s most provocative, most informative and/or best delivered “Speak-Out” messages from some of the students in Denise Cechvala’s Public Speaking classes. |
Beth Mort
Devin Dunmire
Emily Steininger
Jessi Smith
Joe Strellec
Kaitlin Gronski
Kenzie Young |
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Fallacies open door to “real world” |
By Dan Rzewnicki, Editor in Chief
December 8, 2011
Remember your younger days when “playing” meant going outside or using your imagination rather than sitting in front of a video game console and communicating meant talking to someone in person rather than texting? In those days, we ...
[Read more] |
| Technology leads society closer to Big Brother |
By Matt Grantz, Assistant Editor
November 9, 2011
Personal computers, cell phones and GPS units are all relatively new technologies that many of us encounter in our everyday lives. These technologies have both a positive and a negative side. Having read the novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” and then considering the book’s message further as we discussed it in Honors English 12, I believe ...
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| State passes law to discriminate against teen drivers |
By Matt Grantz, Assistant Editor
November 9, 2011
We often hear about teenagers driving dangerously and about teens dying in accidents. While we teens often roll our eyes and shrug our shoulders when we hear these stories and warnings, they are supported by the statistics. While we are shrugging our shoulders, adults leading our government have been ...
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