1. Electronics company Apple has announced a new line of products that will debut
in the United States this spring.
The one product that has the tech community buzzing? The Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch is a small computer and monitor worn around the wrist. It
comes in three styles: the Standard, Sport, and Edition.
Each style is available in 38mm and 42mm sizes.
The standard is made of steel and costs $549-$1,049. The Sport is made of an
aluminum alloy and is$349-$399. The Edition is made of 14- carat gold and costs
$10,000-$17,000.
The Watch is expected to function similarly to an iPod. However, its applications are designed to be quicker and more con-
venient for use on a wristwatch.
An incoming call can be denied by lowering your arm, or accepted by raising it to your mouth.
An incoming text gains your attention through a tap on the wrist.
Surprisingly, the smaller size of the Watch does not limit the amount of control you have in its apps.
The music app allows you to pause, skip, and adjust volume while still giving you the ability to see what is playing and who
the song is from.
The Watch also specializes as a fitness helper. It keeps track of your fitness stats, such as how long you have exercised, how
many calories you’ve burned, and how many times throughout the day you stood up. Based on that data, it then sets goals to
help improve your lifestyle.
APPLE WATCH
Adam Fellenbaum | Reporter
4/6/15
Apple.
Apple.com
2. New York City public schools will formally observe two
additional holidays for the 2015-2016 school year.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that city schools will close
for the Islamic holy days of Eid al-Adha, also known as the
Festival of Sacrifice, and Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking
the end of Ramadan.
The decision will affect over one million students in the
public school system. Approximately 10% of New York’s
public school students are practicing Muslims.
NYC is not the first school district to observe Muslim
holidays. Districts in states such as New Jersey,
Massachusetts, and Vermont already observe Muslim
holidays.
New York City students already have off school for
Christian holidays such as Good Friday and Christmas,
as well as the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom
Kippur.
NYC schools to observe Muslim
holidays in 2015-2016
Kristin Sprecher | Staff Reporter
NATIONAL
U.S. military veterans commit suicide at double—and some-
times triple—the rates of civilians, with the rates varying
from state to state. The suicide rate of military veterans has
grown annually at more than double the percentage of the
civilian rate, according to a new study published in the Feb-
ruary issue of the Annals of Epidemiology.
Between the years 1999 and 2010, the estimated suicide fre-
quency was 22 veterans per day, or one every 65 minutes. In
2012 alone, however, nearly 6,500 former military personnel
killed themselves.
Experts agree, though, that the actual number of veteran
suicides could be much higher, because of the difference in
the way each state reports suicides.
Part of the problem: there is no uniform national reporting
system for deaths--including death by suicide--according to
Luana Ritch.
Ritch—the Service Members, Veterans and Military Families
Coordinator for the Nevada Division of Mental Health and
Developmental Services—says that reporting veteran deaths,
especially those by suicide, requires a coroner or funeral
director to explicitly label the deceased’s status as “military
veteran.”
According to national studies, some 30% of all veterans have
considered suicide, and about 69% of those veterans were age
50 or older.
A study published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medi-
cine found that, “Combat veterans are not only more likely
to have suicidal ideation, often associated with posttraumatic
stress disorder and depression, but they are more likely to act
on a suicidal plan. Especially since veterans may be less likely
to seek help from a mental health professional.”
In 2009, the Veterans Crisis Line added an anonymous
online chat service, and in 2011 a text messaging service was
added to provide another way for Veterans to connect with
confidentiality.
Veterans and suicide rates
Morgan Keretzman| Staff Reporter
3. School News
GS prom preview
Morgan Keretzman | Staff Reporter
Prom season is just around the corner and—word
is—not everyone is ready.
Most Garden Spot students are wondering, when
is prom? Where is the prom being held? How can
I get tickets? And, what is the theme?
Prom—a formal evening of dinner and dancing—
is an annual tradition for juniors and seniors.
The prom, hosted by the graduating Class of
2016, will be held on May 2 from 5-10pm at the
Eden Resort and Suites, Lancaster. Tickets are
$60 per person.
To reserve tickets, students first must log on to
www.gshsprom2015.weebly.com.
There, students will be asked to provide their
name, their guest (if applicable), and their school
email address for verification purposes.
Once students have signed up on-line to reserve
their tickets, they then must see Mr. Becket in
room 515 to pay for their tickets.
Checks should be made payable to: Garden Spot
High School. The memo line on the check should
read: Class of 2016.
At the time of purchase, students also will have
the opportunity to choose their meals and seating
locations.
Any junior or senior who is bringing a guest who
is not currently enrolled at Garden Spot must see
Mrs. Montagna in the high school office for
paperwork.
The last day to register a guest is April 24. It is
imperative that students meet this deadline.
The theme of this year’s prom is a masquerade,
and the Class of 2016 will provide each attendee
with a mask as a souvenir.
According to the prom website, however,
students also are allowed to bring their own
masks, as long as the masks do not “adhere” to
students’ faces. In other words, students must be
able to easily remove the mask for identification
purposes.
The prom is a school-sanctioned extra-curricular
event, therefore students must be in good
standing in order to attend, and all school rules
apply.
Features at this year’s prom include Mixed-Up
Productions—a team of DJs based out of
Harrisburg—as well as a photo booth, dinner and
dancing.
The Eden Resort and Suites is located at 222 Eden
Rd., Lancaster, just off route 272.
Photo: edenresort.com
4. School News
Review: Garden Spot winter band concert
By Amanda Kings | Staff Reporter
On Feb. 24 the high school band, under the
direction of Richard Fitz, performed its annual
winter concert.
Despite the challenge of having seven two-hour
delays that took away critical practice time, they
staged a marvelous performance, featuring
twelve musical selections.
The band kicked off their concert with the “Star
Spangled Banner,” followed by “Entrance of the
Gladiators,” a Czech military march more
commonly known to American audiences as “the
circus song.”
From there, the show took a somber turn with
selections from American composer Robert W.
Smith’s “The Divine Comedy Symphony.”
The selections—“Inferno,” “Purgatorio,” “The
Ascension” and “Paradiso”—are based on
Dante’s epic poem “The Devine Comedy.”
These songs depicted in music form what Dante
tried to express in his poem: his visions of Hades
and the punishment received there; his journey
through the purifying trials of purgatory; and his
ascension into heaven, where he finally was
accepted into Paradise.
There was a short break while band members
changed instruments, and Fitz introduced the next
piece, “On a Hymnsong,” by Phillip Bliss.
Alex Hershey, grade 12, performed an original
composition for piano entitled “Oranges.”
“Love’s Enchantment” came next, featuring a
trombone solo played by John Redding, grade 12,
followed by “Lux Arumique” and “Ari Varie,”
which featured a euphonium solo by Adam
Fellenbaum, grade 12.
The closing composition was a medley of six
songs from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway
musical “Phantom of the Opera,” a chilling and
moving collection that tied the evening together.
This medley incorporated the musical numbers
“The Angel of Music,” “Think of Me,” “The
Point of No Return,” “All I ask of You” and, of
course, “The Phantom of the Opera.”
The concert was a terrific experience and the high
school band did a fantastic job of performing each
song.
Richard Fitz, conductor
5. In the Spotlight
Juliana Wardle—NYC bound
Megan Hopper | Staff Reporter
If you’ve attended a Garden Spot Performing Art’s
show or a chorus concert anytime in the past six years,
chances are you’ve seen and heard the talented Juliana
Wardle. Wardle, grade 12, is an accomplished singer,
actress, and youth pageant competitor.
Last year, she had audiences laughing at her antics and
her (deliberately) awful-sounding voice in GSPA’s
production of “Singin’ In the Rain”—and audiences
can catch her in her GSPA swan song, April 16-19,
when she brings to life the role of Rosie Alvarez in the
school’s musical “Bye Bye Birdie.”
And now, this talented actress and vocalist has earned
herself a coveted spot at the American Musical and
Dramatic Academy in New York City.
Wardle knows the competition in NYC will be
fierce—and that she’s going to have to work harder
than she’s ever worked for anything in her entire life.
But after so many years of practicing and rehearsing,
she’s ready to chase her dreams of one day performing
on Broadway.
She has fond memories of growing up, listening to her
mom sing songs by Elvis Presley. By the age of four,
she herself was singing along to those songs, and
dreaming of the day when she could perform for
others.
By age six, she was cast in her first musical,
“Christmas Shoes,” at New Holland Church of the
Nazarene. As a direct result of that experience, she
developed a passion for theater—especially
musical theater—and performing in front of a live
audience.
Wardle came up through the ranks of GSPA as a
middle schooler, freshman, and sophomore—and
after faithfully serving in supporting roles and
developing her craft, she earned a lead role in
GSPA’s “The Lottery” during the fall of her junior
year.
The show—based on the creepy and wonderful
short narrative by Shirley Jackson—is about a
protagonist named Tessie, played by Wardle, who
gets stoned to death as part of her community’s
annual ritual.
For those who caught her performance as Tessie in
“The Lottery”—you know that her blood-curdling
scream at the end of the show was worth the price
of the ticket.
One of Wardle’s favorite things about
participating with GSPA is their pre-performance
rituals, especially on opening and closing nights.
In those meetings, the directors—Josh Martin and
Stan Deen—give the cast a pep talk, then everyone
gets flowers, and—right before taking the stage—
the cast has an energetic shake down and dance
party.
Her memories of these traditions on opening and
closing night will always be a highlight of her time
at Garden Spot.
Her least favorite thing about performing is all of
the rehearsing and practicing and preparing. The
rehearsal season, especially for a musical, is long
and exhausting, and it can get tedious to memorize
all of the songs, dialogue, blocking, and dance
routines.
Outside of GSPA, Wardle is also involved in band
and cheerleading, and served as cheerleading
captain this year. She also has performed with
Ephrata Performing Arts Center and Cavod
Academy, New Holland.
6. BEN MYERS:
Q & A
Ben Myers, grade 12, produces electronic music for the internet. His style is best described as a combination of “electronic,
house, dubstep, and a little bit of vaporwave.”
Myers works solo, but also founded a group called “Afterparty,” along with Stephen Zelenak, who graduated from Garden Spot in
2014.
Myers started out playing the drums at age eight, and from there he fell in love with music and continued to pick-up new instru-
ments, including the guitar, bass guitar, piano, ukulele, mandolin, and the saxophone.
Even though he started playing drums at eight, he didn’t start creating original music until 11. He was fascinated by all of the
intricate details and fine-tuning that goes into producing a song.
What are your music influences?
Dillon Francis, Diplo, Skrillex, Deadmau5, Eric Prydz, Tristan, Haywire, Pegboard nerds, My Little Notice, Wolfgang Gartner,
Cashmere Cat, S A I N T P E P S I , Yung Lean, Yung Gud, Drake, Watsky, and Coldplay.
What other genres do you listen to?
Jazz, rock, alterative, and pop.
What other equipment do you use?
Computer, microphone, keyboard, guitar, bass.
How long on average does it take to make one song?
Anywhere between two weeks to two months, because you have to find what sounds good, and have to combine instruments to
find something that is pleasing to the ear.
Why should people listen to you?
I work hard on all my songs, and people’s feedback helps me make
better music.
What are some of your songs that people should listen to
right now?
“Masters of the Dark” by Afterparty
“Atlas” by Ben Myers
“Revolution Remix” by Afterparty
Nik Cramer | Staff Reporter
7. Any iconic made-in-PA food: “Heinz Ketchup. If you can’t acknowledge the sanctity of Heinz Ketchup, I will have to
question not only your taste, but your patriotism. Martin’s potato rolls. No chip can compete with a Herr’s potato chip. What
else? A-Treat cream soda and root beer. Aaahhh—Tastykakes!! I wouldn’t eat a Little Debbie if I were on the brink of
starvation! Give me Tastykakes or give me death! Isn’t that what Patrick Henry said?” – Ms. Martin, English
Beefaroni: “Nothing says fine Italian cuisine like pasta from a can!” – Mr. Schneider, history
BUSINESS NEWS
Kraft & Heinz to merge
SpartaNews Staff | with attribution to Reuters and
Associated Press
A mega-merger is underway between Kraft Foods—the
maker of Velveeta cheese and Oscar Mayer meats—and the
iconic American ketchup maker Heinz. The merger will
create North America's third-largest food and beverage
company.
The combined company will have eight brands worth more
than $1 billion each.
Kraft Food owns and distributes a wide range of products,
from their signature Kraft EasyMac and Kraft Singles to
countless products not bearing the Kraft label, such as A-1
Steak Sauce, Jello-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Miracle Whip,
Philadelphia Cream Cheese and the Planters line of nuts.
Kraft is also the North American grocery distributor for
major retail chains such as Starbucks and Taco Bell.
Heinz—founded in Pittsburgh, Penn., in 1888 by Henry J.
Heinz—owns and distributes a vast web of products from Ore-
Ida frozen potatoes and Bagel Bites to the freezer-section
dinners and appetizers bearing the TGI Friday’s and Weight
Watchers labels.
The combined company will have annual revenue of about $28
billion.
The foods we love—that you just don’t mess with | SpartaNews Staff
On the heels of the news about a merger between US food giants Kraft and Heinz, analysts in the food
industry have started to wonder: what are the chances that some of our favorite foods could see their
recipes altered as the result of this merger or—worse—could be eliminated altogether?
The fact is: there are certain foods that you just don’t mess with. And we mean not one bit: don’t alter the
recipe, don’t buy generic brands that claim to be “as good as” the original, and definitely do not try making
your own homemade versions.
We were curious about the foods that fall under the “Do Not Mess With A Good Thing” category, so we
asked our GS staff what store-bought foods they’d keep unchanged until the end of time.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups: “Nothing else can put such a ginormous smile on my face and a tear of happiness in the corner
of my eye. This sweet perfection is not to be messed with.” – Mr. Falvey, math
Double Stuf Oreos: “Why mess with perfection? No other “sandwich” cookie mixes the perfect amount of chocolate and
cream with supreme dunkability. Imitators need not apply! You won’t find any “Hydrox,” “Chocolate Twist n Shouts,” or
“Newmano’s” in my pantry.” – Mrs. Schneider, history
Fiesta Dogs (The Jumbo Version): “If you’ve never had the chance to experience the 11th tee snack shack at Galen Hall, you
need to give it a go. Quite possibly the best frankfurter you’ll ever taste. Jalapenos, Cheese, and meaty delight…an absolute
party in your mouth!” – Mr. Stern, health
Oreos: “They are America’s favorite cookie for a reason. I’ll admit, when I was a child and they1 took the trans fat out of
them, I was pretty upset. They shouldn’t be messed with at all – all of those fancy flavors they’ve come out with should be
trashed. They should go back to only selling plain Oreos or Double Stuf (and maybe the Triple Double Oreo). No generic
brand can come close.” Mr. Brandt, math
Achenbach’s Longjohn: “Often imitated, never duplicated. Yes, it has a few empty calories in it, but no doughnut, muffin,
or cupcake comes close to such perfection.” Mr. Leister, science & technology
Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst
Photo: heinz.com
8. TECHNOLOGY
Facebook’s new app: nostalgic
or intrusive?
Nik Cramer | Staff Reporter
Facebook is unveiling a new service called “On
This Day.”
As its name suggests, this free app does what it
says: It will show you old posts that you made on
this exact day, either one, two, or several years
ago.
For example, if you posted pictures from a
friend’s wedding on June 8, 2013, then on June 8
2015, Facebook’s new app will bring up those
photos and ask if you want to re-post those
memories to your current timeline.
Facebook says these posts will not be made
public unless you explicitly choose to share them.
Some people, however, are complaining that they
have been automatically subscribed to the free
service without their consent.
Some of those users said that Facebook has
resurrected some horrible and painful memories
for them, as the app randomly selected pictures of
dead relatives or former significant others.
LOCAL BUSINESS
Guitar shop set to open in downtown Lancaster
SpartaNews Staff
A new guitar shop, Tone Tailors, is slated to open
March 26th
at 213 West King Street in the heart
of downtown Lancaster City.
The shop will carry a “boutique” selection of
guitars—most of which are probably “dream”
purchases for the average guitar player. The store
will stock some guitars that start at roughly $500,
while many others will run the price gamut into
the $5,000-range.
Tone Tailors will stock Nash Guitars, as well as
American-made Reverend Guitars, which are
known for their retro designs and unorthodox
construction. The shop will also carry guitar
accessories.
Owners Jon Paul Painton and John LeClair plan
to host workshops and performances in their new
retail space.
Photo: cnn.com
Shop owners Jon Paul Painton and John LeClair
Photo: Lancaster Newspapers
9. health
Too good to be true? Could our coffee actually be “healthy”?
Megan Olson | Staff Reporter
Have you ever wondered if your coffee addiction
could actually be good for you?
New statistics suggest that the antioxidants found
in coffee can offer prevention from several
diseases, including Type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s
disease, liver disease, prostate cancer,
Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis, skin cancer and
more.
Korean researchers studied twenty-five thousand
men and women who drink at least four cups of
coffee per day on a regular basis, and found that
those people were at a significantly lower risk of
developing heart disease.
Drinking about four cups of coffee each day was
also found to decrease the risk of developing
melanoma, a highly dangerous form of skin
cancer.
In other recent studies, coffee has been linked to
reducing the risk of multiple sclerosis; these same
studies suggest that coffee could be neuro-
protective, meaning that it can suppress
inflammation in the brain.
For coffee lovers, all of this is great news,
especially in light of other surveys which have
suggested that there are health benefits to giving-
up your daily cup ‘o Joe.
GS English teacher Mrs. Custer said she thinks
that most foods—even things like coffee—have
benefits, as long as we eat and drink in
moderation. She herself thinks there are some
tremendous benefits to drinking coffee.
Miranda Eckert, senior, says, “I like coffee, so I
choose to believe that it’s healthy for me, and
therefore it may create a placebo effect in my
mind which causes my body to reap some actual
health benefits.”
Some students, on the other hand, were skeptical
about the benefits of coffee.
Senior Alyssa Waite says, “I’m skeptical, but I’m
not totally against it.”
It is important to keep in one thing mind: all of
this research defines a “cup” of coffee as being 5
to 8 ounces, roughly 100mg of caffeine, either
black or with a little bit of cream.
Unfortunately, studies about the benefits of
coffee do not apply to your favorite syrup-
sweetened, whipped cream-covered drink at
Starbucks.
Photo: huffingtonpost.com
HOW MUCH CAFFEINE IS TOO MUCH?
Up to 400mg of caffeine a day appears to be
safe for most healthy adults. That's roughly the
amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed
coffee. Although caffeine use may be safe for
adults, caffeine (in any form, i.e. soda, etc.) is
not recommended for children under age 12.
– The Mayo Clinic
10. SPORTS
NHL playoff preview
Nik Cramer | Staff Reporter
The NHL playoffs are only a few games away—and the
chase for the cup is shaping up to be a great contest. One
thing you can bank on: There will be upsets, loads of
competitive play, and players giving all they’ve got to
have a shot at being number one.
The San Jose Sharks may be out of a playoff spot. The
Sharks, who have been to the playoffs every season for
the past twelve years, may actually miss their playoff
chance this year.
It is possible for the Sharks to get a playoff spot—it’s
possible, but it’s gonna be really hard. They are trailing
by ten points (at the time I am writing this, Fri. Feb. 27)
to the Winnipeg Jets. Now the Sharks have nine more
games ahead of them, if they can at least get six or seven
wins I can see them advancing to the playoffs.
The former Stanley Cup champs, the Los Angeles Kings,
also may not be in the playoffs this year. The Kings are
four points behind, and both Calgary and Dallas are right
on their tail.
The problem for the Kings is that they’re losing easy
games—and losing against teams that don’t have a chance
of making the playoffs is proving detrimental to their
post-season prospects.
Now, let’s talk about the home team: the Philadelphia
Flyers. Right now the Flyers have seven games
remaining, with six of them against eastern teams. The
Flyers are trailing the Ottawa Senators and the Boston
Bruins by nine points. I predict the Flyers will miss—or
make—the playoffs by a slim point or two. Time will tell.
The madness behind March Madness
Caitlin Nelson | Reporter
NCAA Men’s Division I basketball tournament, also
known as March Madness, is a huge event that collegiate
basketball fans all over the nation go crazy about each
spring, thus creating the name March Madness.
The tournament, featuring 68 teams, runs from the second
week in March until the first week of April.
Fans can get in on the action by completing a bracket that
lists their predictions for which team will win which
game, and which team will ultimately win the title of
NCAA National Champions.
In the 79 years that March Madness has been in existence
there has never been a documented perfect bracket.
The NCAA D-I tourney was first played in 1939, the
brainchild of Harold Olsen, Ohio State’s head basketball
coach from 1922 to 1946.
The tournament has been nationally televised since 1969
and it’s become one of the single most popular sporting
events—professional, collegiate or amateur—in the
United States.
There are two different ways to get into the tournament.
The 32 teams that win their conference championship
gain automatic entry.
The teams that don’t win their conference are put before
the selection committee in the hopes of getting an “at-
large bid,” a bid granted by invitation, not by right.
Photo: turnaround.org
11. YouTube Life Hacks
1. Go to www.youtube.com/disco and enter an artist’s name—YouTube will auto-arrange a playlist
based on that artist’s music.
2. Go to www.youtuberepeat.com and enter a song or video title—YouTube will keep your video on
auto repeat.
Pop Culture
YouTube: An Overview
Rachael Whitehouse | Staff Report
In the past nine years YouTube has substantially grown
in popularity, both in the US and abroad. YouTube,
founded in February 2005, didn’t actually hit the maps
until 2006.
On May 21, 2011 YouTube’s daily views hit over three
billon per day. Now, in 2015, it is estimated to be over
seven billion views a day.
In terms of websites with the most hits per day,
YouTube ranks second, just behind Google and one-
step ahead of third-place contender Facebook.
The three YouTube channels with the most subscribers
are “Smosh,” in third place, which specializes in
comedy and has over 19 million subscribers.
In second place is “HolaSoyGerman,” which features
lots of random uploads and viewer questions, and has
21 million subscribers.
The channel with the most subscribers? “PewDiePie,”
which features mostly video games, and has over 35
million subscribers.
Only those with a YouTube account can subscribe to
their favorite channels, but you don’t need an account
to watch YouTube videos, which is what most people
do.
Something that makes YouTube special is its diversity.
YouTube tries to categorize all of its content into eight
basic categories: Popular on YouTube, Music, Sports,
Gaming, Education, News, Live and Spotlight.
Here, in no special order, are some YouTube videos I
think you should check out.
Popular on YouTube: One of the funniest videos
circulating right now is Will Ferrell’s appearance on
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Search for
it under the title “Will Ferrell is Little Debbie.” It is
pretty funny. You’ll probably laugh out loud a few
times, so it’s probably best to not watch it while you’re
in a quiet iSpartan room.
Music: Maroon 5’s new video for their smash hit
“Sugar” is a really cute video, featuring the guys of
Maroon 5 racing across the city of Los Angeles to crash
a bunch of weddings and perform for unsuspecting
brides and grooms. It’s heartwarming and energizing all
at the same time.
Photo: NBC | The Tonight Show
Photo: news.instyle.com
12. Garden Spot
Faculty
New teacher: Ms. Chvotzkin, math department
Caitlin Nelson | Staff Reporter
This year, Garden Spot has a new math
teacher: Katherine Chvotzkin.
Ms. Chvotzkin earned a Bachelor of Science
in culinary arts from Drexel University in
Philadelphia, and her teaching degree from
King University.
Before becoming a teacher she was a
restaurant manager and many of her staff
were high school students. Whenever they
would come into work she would ask them
what they had learned that day at school.
Their usual response was “nothing,” but
when the students did have homework she
was always eager to help them.
After going back to college to become a math
teacher, Chvotzkin soon got a job here at
Garden Spot.
At first she was scared about moving to a new
place where she didn’t know anyone, but it
wasn’t long until she made friends.
“The people here are ridiculously nice,” she
says.
By her own admission, Chvotzkin has always
had an interest in math, saying “it’s like a
puzzle,” and that she loves trying to figure
out how to put the pieces together.
She understands that not all students are
going to love math as much as she does, but
she hopes that her students will not dread
coming to her class every day.
Photo: digitwhiz.com
Ms. Chvotzkin (center) with students in her fourth block class.
Photo: Lindsey Mann
