New Hope Students Prepare to Swarm Doylestown Chipotle

On November 7, 2014, well-known fast-casual mexican restaurant, Chipotle, will be opening a new location 569 N. Main St. in Doylestown, PA. Awaiting the opening, New Hope students are anxious to try and compare the food and atmosphere of this new location to other locations close by. 

When the creator of Chipotle, Steve Ells opened his first restaurant, he thought it would be the last. Although they are now considered a chain with over 1,300 locations, Chipotle still dedicates themselves to remaking the fast food industry through their “Food With Integrity” principle. 

Between their tasty food, fast and friendly service and overall atmosphere, Chipotle has become a favorite eating destination for students of New Hope-Solebury School district. Unfortunately, the closest venue in the past has been the Warrington Chipotle, located in the Valley Square Shopping Center, which is approximately a 25-40 minute drive, depending on traffic.

Now, with the opening of the Doylestown Chipotle, which is estimated to be about a 22 minute drive from school, students can cut down on the time and gas it takes to get to one of their favorite restaurants.

Students Prepare for Halloween

With October 31 approaching rapidly, students are now finalizing their costumes and making their plans for the nights of Halloween and mischief night. This year, Halloween is on a Friday, which gives students much more freedom in terms of making plans and celebrating the holiday. We asked the students of New Hope what their plans for the two nights were and the responded with the following information.
  13% of students were looking forward to mischief night more than they were looking forward to Halloween. 87% of students are more excited for Halloween out of the two nights. From this information, one could infer that mischief night will not be largely participated in by the students of New Hope. Still,families should be cautious of trespassers, and mischievous activities occurring on Oct. 30. We wish all students participating in mischief night a safe evening, and we warn all others and their families to be alert.
  The vast majority of the school will be participating in Halloween in some way, being that only 2% of students answered saying that they did not have any plans for Halloween. 70% of students planned on attending a Halloween party, 20% planned on going trick or treating, 8% planned on handing out candy to trick or treaters, and 2% said they were doing nothing.
  During the school day, students are being asked to dress up in their Halloween costumes to “scare away drugs” for the finale of Red Ribbon Week. Of all of the students asked what they were dressing up as for Halloween, 30% of students were wearing a scary or Halloween themed costume. Regardless of whether or not an individual’s costume is scary, students should dress up to show support for Red Ribbon week and to be spirited on the holiday.
  This year there are many fun activities that you can do, and many other peers to celebrate the holiday with. No matter how you chose to celebrate, have a fun, safe, and spirited Halloween.

New Regulations End Popular Food Sales at NHS

Anna Sirianni

Staff Writer

 Students are chattering about a rumored new law that affects New Hope-Solebury High School. This law has prevented the sale of certain snacks during the school day.

 The Future Business Leaders of America’s pretzel sales, National Honors Society’s snack stand, Junior Class’ Donut Wednesdays, and more clubs’ popular food sales were all abruptly halted for the 2014-15 school year due to the new rule. The infamous law, enacted in June 2014 by the United States Department of Agriculture, is taking course under terms to create a, “Healthier School Day.”

 National regulations have been set regarding the nutritional aspects of foods sold as fundraisers, or any foods not sold during a lunch period from the school itself. The rule remains in place for 30 minutes after the end of every school day; at NH-S, this is until 3 p.m. Among several other specific regulations, snack items sold must have equal to or less than 200 calories and be either rich in whole grains or have a fruit, vegetable, dairy product, or protein as its first ingredient. These requirements eliminate the existence of many annual food sales at NH-S.

 The junior class student government is scrambling to raise funds for Prom 2015, and is considering off campus fundraisers that don’t occur during school hours, such as last year’s Chipotle fundraiser, or a Five Guys fundraiser. Fundraising tactics involving food have proven to be most popular among students.

 National Honor Society President MacKenzie Cavanaugh believes that the “Healthier School Day,” is overall “beneficial to our school,”  but the NHS was “given no advance notice of these policy changes...we have to scramble to find other ways to fundraise. We are also left with all our extra snack stand supplies that we are now no longer allowed to sell."

 The law does, however, allow each state to designate a set number of days when school fundraisers can occur that do not follow the determined health guidelines.

 Cavanaugh states that, “students are going to eat junk food no matter what, especially since the vending machines are still operating just down the hall."

 The USDA’s new rule may be somewhat beneficial, but it isn’t solving any major problems regarding student health.

 Cavanaugh, along with her classmates, are questioning if the United States government should have such a substantial role in students’ health, since it already holds a strong stance on what schools provide for lunch. Whether or not it is politically ethical to interfere with snacks being sold in school, New Hope-Solebury must cope with the USDA’s “Smart Snacks in Schools” regulations for the 2014-15 academic year and beyond.

A New Fall Tradition for NHS?

Chloe Verwiel

Staff Writer

  It was a busy week at New Hope-Solebury High School. However, the week was coming to an end on Saturday Night, with the homecoming dance. Before the big dance, there was one last event: the Fall Fest. From 11 to 3, in the field next to the stadium, student government held their first annual fall fest. Each club and team was in charge of setting up a booth. There was a huge variety in the stands. Some did food sales, selling foods such as baked goods, pretzels, and caramel apples. Meanwhile, other groups held activities. Guests could decorate pumpkins, smash pumpkins, or try to win a pet gold fish. These were just some of the many things that people in the community could pay to participate in. “There were a lot of good stands and it was a great chance for all the clubs to raise money. Hope the tradition continues next year,” commented Bailey Hendricks. All the money raised went to whichever team was running the booth. Overall, it was a fun way for teams and clubs to raise money.

  Meanwhile, the junior class was having a fundraiser of their own. High school students were getting intense at the volleyball tournament. Three courts were set up on the field for the eleven teams to battle it out. At the end of the event, New Hope Fitness was crowned the champions. Fall Fest turned out to be  an exciting day for the students and community of New Hope-Solebury High School. Everyone had smiles on their faces while fundraising and had a great time!

New Hope’s Best News, Now Online

Lexi Anderson

Staff Writer

 Between groundbreaking world news to exciting local stories, the New Hope Solebury Lion’s Tale covers it all, and now with the online news website, access to the school’s paper has never been easier.   

  New Hope Solebury High School’s journalism students are hard at work covering all the best stories. But have you ever missed picking up the paper? Or maybe you want to browse through the stories on our new one to one devices? Luckily, our paper is available online. Readers have all access to the Lion’s Tale via the high school’s website. Simply go to www.nhsd.org, click high school under the “school” tab, and finally click on the newspaper picture located on the left side of the screen. Claire Dougherty, a member of the Lion’s Tale Staff, is excited over the website and states that, “it’s great and really convenient.” Staff writer Savannah Herring continues with the positivity by saying “all the latest stories will be posted on the website as soon as they’re ready,” a reassuring thought. Navigate through the different topics: news, features, opinions, arts & entertainment, sports, videos, and polls. There’s sure to be something that draws your attention. It’s a great new advance for our Lion’s Tale.

New Hope's First Annual Fall Fest Set to Replace Homecoming Parade

Mackenzie Garvin

Staff Writer

Over the past few years, New Hope-Solebury High School has held a parade on the Saturday morning of homecoming weekend featuring the school’s sports teams and clubs. Due to the recent cancellation of this year’s parade due to a lack of student interest and money for security, NHS Student government has created the idea of Fall Fest.

While the parade honored the students and faculty of New Hope-Solebury, the Homecoming Parade also created an event that the entire community participated in and enjoyed. Fall Fest is another event we can hold in order to bring the members of the school and the community together.

Weather depending, Fall Fest should be held outside on the main street soccer field where people can walk around to the different student run stands and activities. Some stands that will be included is the selling of hot chocolate, face painting and a volleyball tournament.

Homecoming is a week filled with fun events that aims to celebrate the start of a new school year. This year, homecoming is starting on Monday, Oct.13, and ending that Saturday, Oct. 18, with a dance starting at 7 p.m.

Plenty of Spirited Activities Set for Homecoming Week

Toni Suler & Bailey Jaronski

Staff Writers

 It's the start of a new school year, which means homecoming is right around the corner. October 12th is Homecoming Week, which means special activities will be happening each day!

 From intense sports matches to a laid back, friendly volleyball tournament on the weekend, Homecoming Week will be a fun-filled experience. To start off the week, field hockey has a 7 pm night game against Jenkintown.  Also on October 14th, the Girls’ volleyball has a home game against Mast Charter. Girls’ soccer takes on Christopher Dock at 7 pm  at home on the 15th. The week is not over yet; Boys’ soccer  plays against Princeton Day School on home turf at 6 pm. Last but not least, the boys’ football ends the week with a home game at 7 pm. With the week over, students will now get to enjoy weekend festivities. On Saturday, Oct. 18, there is a volleyball tournament at the high school from 11 am to 2 pm. Friends can get together to form a team to challenge their classmates in a game of volleyball. Then kids will go home, shower, and rest up so they can gain energy for the Homecoming Dance later that night from 7 to 10 pm (located in the middle school gym).

 Homecoming week is a time for students to get back into the swing of a new school year and bond with their fellow classmates. Make sure you go out and participate in the festivities! After all, it’s supposed to be an exciting week!

Indian spaceship orbits Mars and surpasses all other Asian nations in space exploration

Max Wagner

Staff Writer

On Dec. 2, 2013 India became first Asian nation to successfully launch a spacecraft that broke through Earth's orbit on its way to the red planet, Mars.

 On Sept. 24, 2014 India’s $72 million mission achieved its goal to orbit Mars. India triumphed in its first interplanetary mission, placing a satellite into orbit around Mars, catapulting the country into an elite club of deep-space explorers that includes the United States, Russia, China, and Elon Musk.

 Scientists broke into wild cheers as the orbiter's engines completed 24 minutes of burn time to maneuver the spacecraft into its designated place around the red planet.

 While this is a remarkable achievement for the nation of 1.2 billion. India, which possesses almost 1/7 of the world’s population, is still a low income country with an average wage of less than $400 per year. From a financial standpoint, the mission was the cheapest ever as Indian scientists relied on technologies they had used before and as Earth 2 Orbit’s Amaresh Kollipara said to NPR: “It’s essentially buying a Honda Civic versus buying a Mercedes S-Class.” The Indian craft has fewer cameras than the type of craft NASA would use.

EVERYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG WITH YOUR NEW SCHOOL DEVICE:

Katie Hunt & Rachael Zucker

Staff Writers

With the start of a new school year, comes new beginnings. This year, all of the students attending the New Hope Solebury High School have received brand new computer-laptop hybrids. With this new upgrade, students have to be cautious about how they treat their new device. Here are the top 7 things that can go wrong with your new school device, according to the high school tech department.

#7 Scratches

Scratches happen more often than not but they are no major threat to your device. Although they may be unappealing, there is no fix for scratches. If you have not yet scratched your computer, you may want to buy a slip to protect your computer from future damage.

#6 Slow Internet

Slow internet is a pain but it seems to be happening more frequently. Normally, when the internet is slow its because too many people are on one site. There really isn’t any quick fix to this problem except to log off the site and try again later.  

#5 Connection Issues

Sometimes the tablet and the keyboard won't connect properly. Either the keyboard won't sink with the tablet or the tablet will freeze and everything comes to a hault. Luckily this problem has an easy solution: detach the keyboard from the tablet then reattach it or you can just restart your computer.

#4 Mouse Pad Jams

Some people at NHS have experience mouse pad jams or when your mouse just disappears off your screen. Just like #5, there is a simple fix. The mouse seems to only disappear when using Chrome, so simply just exit out of Chrome then open it back up and your mouse should appear again.

#3 Screen Cracks

1% of the new NHS devices have been either received cracked or have been cracked since the beginning of the school year. This is probably the hardest and most time consuming problem you could have but the high school tech department is working on ways to have your device fixed in 5 days instead of the normal 2 weeks its been taking for most people to get their devices back. The main way to prevent your computer from getting cracked is to buy a case or a slip to protect it from damage when its in your school bag.

#2 Audio Glitches

Audio glitches are a driver issue and are becoming a more common issue among many students at NHS. Unlike the other problems you may face, there is no simple fix that you can do yourself. The tech department can restore the sound through the driver and will be returned to you in about 30 minutes.  

#1 Sticky Keys

Keys getting stuck is the number 1 most common problem the tech department has seen all year. 10% of the new devices tended to have “sticky keys”. Although hitting your keys hard may unjam them, most of the time you will need to turn it into the tech department for repair. On average, if you turn your keyboard in the morning, you would get it back by the end of the day.

Oh Snap! - Government Cracks Down on Soft Drinks

Gabrielle Lehotay

Staff Writer

Say goodbye to the lunchtime sugar rush. Snapple is no longer served in lunchroom cafeterias because of the new health law passed by the federal government.

Back in 2010, President Obama had signed into law the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. The wellness policies and free lunch access the act enforced came just after the Federal Government passed a new group of laws enforced by the USDA themselves that required the food that schools served to be healthier.  

While these laws have been in place for over four years already, its effect on the public has seemed minimal so far. This though is really due to Michelle Obama having spent the past few years focusing on the private sector, where she’s been building relationships and business agreements with the big food companies and their retailers, getting them to agree to her initiative to put healthier food into schools. Now, the last four years of effort are starting to show.

Three big beverage companies, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper Snapple Group, have finally buckled to the new taxes imposed on them. This included a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar sweetened drinks in New York and a two-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar sweetened drinks in Philadelphia. 

Because of the pressure this was putting on these companies, they have decided to come together in a three-year partnership to cut down on the number of unhealthy drinks sent into schools. 

This effort has already led to an 88% decrease in calories from beverages put into schools since 2004. This ‘Clean on Calories’ initiative also makes companies put the calories on the front of the bottle in an effort to help kids become more aware of what they’re eating.

This will be a drastic drop in income for these companies who in the past had made millions of dollars a year selling in schools to kids, but under the pressure of taxes and the movement that has taken a huge hold on the country, measures are finally being taken to make the food served in schools healthier.

US Intervenes in ISIS Situation

Dan Doherty

Staff Writer

 As the second day of fall sets on the United States, our national defense struck Syria 47 times with bombs from the air and water. From the sky and the sea, the United States targeted Raqqa and other ISIS locations. An “imminent attack” against the US from ISIS was supposedly suspended because of the actions of our defense as well as several other countries (Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, etc.). Reports from the government indicate that key military bases, control centers, and members of the ISIS organization were eliminated during the night of September 23. The US government went into Syria with the mission show that they always have an upper hand against terrorist groups, as well as to capture bases that were taken from us in recent months.  

Neither letter nor agreement was given to the Syrian government asking for permission to attack the group on their homeland. Although, Syrian officials were informed through American counterparts that an attack on ISIS was coming and some areas in Syria may be targeted.

A large controversy about  is that the White House authorized this mission without the consent of the Congress. The White House says that the mission was authorized under a previous consent of Congress, giving them the right to bomb Al Qaeda. Peter Beinart said in a statement, "It was one thing to attack in Iraq, where you had a government that wanted us to, but Congress did not vote for U.S. airstrikes in Syria, and we don't have a government requesting us to do that."

We must keep America safe, but most do so under the constitution.

Mystery Behind Malaysian Air Flights

Bailey Hendricks

Staff Writer

 Malaysian Airlines has undoubtedly been experiencing a series of complications throughout the past year.  Flight 370 was, which traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, went down mysteriously, Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, and most recently Flight 198 had to return to the airport only 40 minutes or so after take off when reports of a fuel or engine fire came in.

 Many have claimed that the most recent mishap, the loss of fuel and return to the airport, is a common occurrence among airlines and is only world news because of the company’s prominence due to recent headlines. Questions are being raised as to the number of accidents that Malaysian Airlines is experiencing and whether or not this is becoming too much of a common occurrence for the company.

 Families who lost passengers on board the two planes are still coping with the loss of loved ones, especially those who have yet to know what happened to their family members because they were lost in the mysterious disappearance of flight 370.

 Claims have been made as to what happened to the flight; however, no wreckage or trace of the plane has been found to prove any of the theories. Flight 17, shot down over Ukraine, has yet to be investigated in depth because of the very risky surroundings in the war-stricken area. As for the most recent incident, it was only a minor scare for those on board. Malaysian Airlines was lucky not to have lost anymore lives, adding onto the already gruesome numbers totaled from the past two accidents.

Mr. Malone Solves Senior Lunch Struggles

Spencer Tinkel

Editor in Chief

 After a week of debate and frustration, the Senior Class of 2015 has found a new location to enjoy their lunch: the faculty lunch room.

 It is a “senior privilege” to have the opportunity to eat lunch anywhere in the school. However, many members of the Class of 2015 wanted to stay put in the High School Cafeteria. The only issue with staying put, however, space. It only took one lunch for all of  the Seniors to be kicked out of the High School Cafeteria, displacing Senior students to the halls near the auditorium.

 “It was never the same. The atmosphere, the people; it was not high school. Something had to be done,” senior Matt Mazza commented about the situation.

 Immediately, members of the Class spoke to Mr. Malone about their displeasures regarding their new lunch environment and Mr. Malone pledged to make the situation better. First, Mr. Malone had tables brought into the area near the auditorium so that, at the very least, a comfortable lunch could be eaten.

 “We greatly appreciated the tables. It showed that Mr. Malone was willing to make some changes and help us out. However, there was a fundamental issue with the tables in the auditorium. That cafeteria feel just was not there, and if I was still hungry after my meal, I would have to walk all the way back to the cafeteria. It just did not feel right,” an exuberant Matt Steele had to say.

 Then Mr. Malone did something that seemed, at first thought, to be impossible. He secured the faculty room in the cafeteria as a haven for the Class of 2015. Now, seniors can enjoy their lunch, with a room all to themselves, while still being in the cafeteria.

 As Andrew Bove put it, “it’s the best of both worlds. We have our own space, but we can still enjoy our meals in the cafeteria. What else could you ask for?”

 Clearly the Seniors are content with their eating situation, and who knows, maybe Senior classes of the future will continue to eat their lunches in the faculty room.  

The Search for the Pocono Killer

Chris Brady

Staff Writer

On September 12, in the Poconos, a man shot and killed a police officer at the Blooming Grove Pennsylvania Police barracks. This act of violence quickly landed him on the FBI’s most wanted list. Since then, Pennsylvania police have locked down close by neighborhoods to hunt for the alleged killer. Police are strongly advising that people stay in their houses, while they shut down roads in an attempt to catch the killer.  

Allegedly, the man responsible for the crime is Eric Frein, who fancies himself as a survivalist. Frein took the life of Cpl. Byron Dixon, and wounded Trooper Alex Douglass. Police surrounded Frein’s parent’s house, where he was believed to be in hiding, this past Saturday morning. The cops came ready for action in armoured vehicles and bulletproof vests. The fatal and wounding shots were reportedly fired at 6:40pm on Friday, Sept. 19, outside the police barracks in Blooming Grove Pennsylvania.

It is believed that troopers are narrowing in on Frein,as they are now only searching in northern Monroe County near the border of Pike County. Residents of the area are scared to go out, some can even see police in the woods searching for Frein, who has now been hiding for 10 days, and is known to be armed with a high powered rifle, with the intent of killing any officers that come his way.  

Some schools have been closed, roads blocked off, and people are experiencing complications with getting to work. With troopers in bulletproof vests, armoured vehicles, and helicopters buzzing around, the Poconos is in a state of worry and confusion. Although it is believed by Governor Corbett that Frein is only after cops, many families are still concerned, and the effects of the search are taking a toll on people. Some are planning to evacuate if the search drags on, attempting to return to normal life as quickly as possible.           

 

Enterovirus Hits PA

Brooke Black & Lauren Mangano

Staff Writers

A fatal respiratory disease, enterovirus D68, has been striking kids all across the country this summer and has now infected four children in Pennsylvania due to its extreme contagiousness. As of Sept. 25, one death has been reported of four-year-old Eli Waller of Hamilton Township, N.J.

 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed a total of 538 people in 43 states and the District of Columbia with respiratory illness caused by the virus thus far. Going to school in a closed environment gives the virus an easy way to spread, which is a reason why it has been so common among children.

 The enterovirus starts out like a common cold but can turn more serious quite quickly. Some symptoms includes fever, body aches, coughing, sneezing, skin rash, and runny or stuffy nose. In some cases, the virus can also cause problems with breathing, especially for those with asthma. Most of time, children are hospitalized for four to six weeks but some cases resolve themselves in a little over a week. Many intensive care units have been treating over 80 children per month.

 Officials say they believe there are thousands of unreported cases because most parents assume it is just a cold. But if kids continue to go to school sick, the disease will continue to spread.

 “Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t require hospitals and labs to report the enterovirus, public health officials may never know the true scope of the outbreak,” according to Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser.

 Doctors advise that as soon as you start coughing or wheezing, to seek medical help. There is no specific treatment for the virus, but precautions can be taken. To protect yourself you can wash your hands, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, cover your mouth/nose when you cough and sneeze, and stay home when you are sick.

Introducing the Class of 2018

Madison Walsh

Staff Writer

 Incoming freshman are always an important part of starting out a new school year. Between hearing out the new voices that now make up a large portion of our school, or getting to know this class individually when it comes to integrating grades, an introduction is always helpful when opening up to new chapters in life, or in this case, New Hope-Solebury High School.

 After interviewing a number of freshman students this year, a pleasant census was attained throughout the sample as a whole.

 The entire sample altogether seemed very excited starting out freshman year. Between being given more freedom and the opportunity to meet new people, this class seemed eager to jump right into things. “Just within the first few weeks of high school,” responded freshman Erica Brennan, “I’m already looking forward to school events and being given the freedom to do so much more than in middle school.” Another student, Jake Zimmerman, stated, “I’m excited to be given tablets in high school!” A number of people also reported being excited for the opportunity to be able to efficiently go through their freshman year with the help of these one to one devices.

 This 9th grade class also are coming into high school with a number of ideas to bring to the school in order to make their four years here much more efficient. “I think that it would be nice to get more people involved and joining clubs,” Nicolette Cosmas reported. A number of other freshman also concluded that getting updated water fountains would be helpful in wanting to stay hydrated throughout the day, and ready to participate in sports after school. Another idea brought to the school was by student Thomas Detlefsen. “The map added in the front of school for the freshman is extremely helpful so far,” he stated. “I think that by the time the second semester comes around and we need to learn where more classes are, additional maps around the school would be helpful in order to get to class more efficiently.” Lastly, another helpful suggestion was added in by Nils Dahlin, reporting that it would be nice to not only get Jamie Hollander for lunch but possibly Spatolas. I agreed with this observation, being that Spatolas could provide options for a more general group of people, and would most likely be extremely more affordable than the costs of Jamie Hollander for lunch.

 So far, as it seems, the freshman have received a welcoming vibe from the rest of high school this year. Every student reported back positively with their outlook on upperclassman and staff in helping them to adjust to the new school and feel welcomed making new friends. Additional reports came from Thomas Detlefsen again, stating that “Although the workload seems to be a bit more than last year, it is to be expected and seems like a reachable goal throughout the school year.” Nils Dahlin also reports that, “High school so far seems pretty chill. It’s much more diverse than in middle school,and friends groups seem to be much more spread out as well.” Even new student Christy Ditommaso said, “The people in New Hope seem to be a lot nicer than the kids in my old school.”

 Overall, this grade seems eager to jump right into things. Between the social aspects and making a difference in the community, every student seemed more than eager to get involved. Both personable and interesting, the freshman class of 2014 should be on your list to get to know!

First Ebola cases diagnosed and treated in the United States

Hannah Mui

Staff Writer

The 2014 Ebola outbreak has become the largest Ebola outbreak to ever occur. Originating in Guinea, the outbreak has now spread to other countries in West Africa such as Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. As of Sept,14, there has been a total of 5,347 cases of Ebola, but only 3,095 laboratory confirmed cases according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Death tolls are continuing to rise, surpassing 2,630 because of the inability to treat patients in West Africa.

 Ebola is a rare and deadly virus that causes bleeding inside and outside the body. As the virus spreads through the body, it damages your immune system and internal organs. Eventually, Ebola causes the amount of blood-clotting cells to drop, which results in uncontrollable bleeding.There is a period of time between the infection of the patient and the time that they finally experience symptoms. It can be spread from person to person by skin contact and bodily fluids. Ebola cannot be spread through air, water, or food.

 Countries in Africa that are experiencing an active outbreak have been screening all passengers on planes for Ebola. Although many West African countries are screening passengers to ensure Ebola does not spread further, the examiner may not be able to catch passengers who have recently been infected. During the short incubation time that infected patients they are able to get on planes and spread it by visiting countries.

 Patrick Sawyer, a 40-year-old lawyer, was infected with the virus while working in Liberia. Sawyer and one other aid worker were brought to the U.S. for treatment. Sawyer was in Liberia caring for his sick sister who had Ebola, although he did not know at the time. He is one of the first Americans to contract the virus.

 Currently there are no vaccines for Ebola that have been put through human trials. Some treatments have been tested on animals and been proven effective. American aid worker, Rick Sacra, 51, has recently been released from three weeks of isolation at the Nebraska Medical Center. There Sacra received an experimental drug called TKM-Ebola and two blood transfusions from another American aid worker that survived the disease. Doctors believe that the blood transfusions will help infected patients fight off the disease.The best thing for someone to do who is experiencing symptoms of Ebola is to see a doctor immediately.

 Recently the CDC has confirmed the first case of Ebola in the United States.Thomas Eric Duncan had traveled to Liberia and arrived back in the U.S. on Sept, 20. The CDC Director, Thomas Frieden addressed the public about the individual with the virus. Duncan began to experience symptoms a few days after his arrival back in the U.S. When Duncan first visited the hospital, he was sent home under the belief he only had a mild fever. A few days later he was admitted into the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

 After those few days of experiencing the beginning of symptoms, Duncan came into contact with dozens of people. Duncan’s family including his wife, child, and two nephews have been kept in their apartment where Duncan was ill. CDC officials are working on identifying people that came in contact with Duncan, So far, the virus has been contained to the Duncan family.

Guidance Helps Students Prepare for College

 Justin Batra & Sam Lombardi

Staff Writers

 With the new school year beginning to unfold, it is important for students to know what they need to do to have a successful high school career. Naviance sessions for seniors have concluded, and now that applications are being sent out, the students should begin thinking more about their career after high school; however it is still important to focus on studies, as colleges look at grades through the senior year too.

 While the seniors are wrapping up their high school lives, some of them are also using their experience to help prepare the freshman class through peer leadership. These sessions are continuous for the first few weeks of school to help address important topics and ease the freshmen through the transition from middle to high school. The freshmen will also have a field trip to the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology on the same day as the PSAT for the sophomore and junior class. These events will take place on Oct. 15, and the PSAT scores will be available in mid-December. The trip to MBIT will allow the freshman class to explore career options, while the PSAT will help prepare students for the actual SAT; as stressful as it may seem, the practice tests are very beneficial and will help ease your anxiety.

 This year, an optional ACT/SAT hybrid will also be administered, Sign ups can be found on the school website, so be mindful of the registration. If you have taken the SAT before, try using “My College Quickstart”, it will help you improve on the specific SAT sections you need to improve on. Also, all throughout November college representatives will be visiting New Hope to speak about their campuses and more information of the specific college. Sign up through Naviance. Lastly, Senior night is coming! The date is currently to be determined, so keep an eye out for that.

New-Hope Solebury Moving Away From Tradition

Karli Burns
Staff Writer

Homecoming weekend this year will be the week of Oct. 13. It will feature an athletic game every night during the school week including a football game that Friday where the homecoming court will be announced, followed by Fall Fest and the homecoming dance on Saturday Oct. 18.

However, this year New Hope Solebury is moving away from tradition. The annual homecoming parade typically scheduled on the Saturday of homecoming weekend has been canceled. The parade incorporated all fall and winter sports. Each team walked with a banner that represented their team throughout downtown New Hope. Due to the school’s lack of funds for the parade, not enough police were able to be hired to run security/directing traffic when they shut down roads which came to a cost of $1600. Without this, the parade would not be able to run smoothly.

“The annual Friday night fireworks that typically took place during the summer were cancelled this year. The fireworks profit helped aid our funding for homecoming and without that money the school was forced to cut back,” said by Junior class president Anna Sirianni. Students worked the parking lot during the Friday night fireworks and collected a parking fee of ten dollars. This money was used to fund the homecoming parade.  

In place of the homecoming parade there will be the Fall Fest from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. which is a festival filled with games that are run by the individual fall/winter sport teams. During the festival there will also be a Volleyball tournament which will raise money for prom.

This change will allow athletic teams a chance to interact with the community and raise money for their team. Hope to see everyone there!

Oh Snap

Gabby Lehotay

Staff Writer

Say goodbye to the lunchtime sugar rush. Snapple is no longer served in lunchroom cafeterias because of the new health law passed by the federal government.

Back in 2010, President Obama had signed into law the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. The wellness policies and free lunch access the act enforced came just after the Federal Government passed a new group of laws enforced by the USDA themselves that required the food that schools served to be healthier.

While these laws have been in place for over four years already, its effect on the public has seemed minimal so far. This though is really due to Michelle Obama having spent the past few years focusing on the private sector, where she’s been building relationships and business agreements with the big food companies and their retailers, getting them to agree to her initiative to put healthier food into schools. Now, the last four years of effort are starting to show.

Three big beverage companies, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper Snapple Group, have finally buckled to the new taxes imposed on them. This included a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar sweetened drinks in New York and a two-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar sweetened drinks in Philadelphia.

Because of the pressure this was putting on these companies, they have decided to come together in a three-year partnership to cut down on the number of unhealthy drinks sent into schools.

This effort has already led to an 88% decrease in calories from beverages put into schools since 2004. This ‘Clean on Calories’ initiative also makes companies put the calories on the front of the bottle in an effort to help kids become more aware of what they’re eating.

This will be a drastic drop in income for these companies who in the past had made millions of dollars a year selling in schools to kids, but under the pressure of taxes and the movement that has taken a huge hold on the country, measures are finally being taken to make the food served in schools healthier.

Malaysian Airlines Mishaps

Bailey Hendricks

Staff Writer

 Malaysian Airlines has undoubtedly been experiencing a series of complications throughout the past year.  Flight 370 was, which traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, went down mysteriously, Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, and most recently Flight 198 had to return to the airport only 40 minutes or so after take off when reports of a fuel or engine fire came in.

 Many have claimed that the most recent mishap, the loss of fuel and return to the airport, is a common occurrence among airlines and is only world news because of the company’s prominence due to recent headlines. Questions are being raised as to the number of accidents that Malaysian Airlines is experiencing and whether or not this is becoming too much of a common occurrence for the company.

 Families who lost passengers on board the two planes are still coping with the loss of loved ones, especially those who have yet to know what happened to their family members because they were lost in the mysterious disappearance of flight 370.

 Claims have been made as to what happened to the flight; however, no wreckage or trace of the plane has been found to prove any of the theories. Flight 17, shot down over Ukraine, has yet to be investigated in depth because of the very risky surroundings in the war-stricken area. As for the most recent incident, it was only a minor scare for those on board. Malaysian Airlines was lucky not to have lost anymore lives, adding onto the already gruesome numbers totaled from the past two accidents.

Scotland Votes No On Independence from UK

Nicholas Damarodis

Editor in Chief

 

After an intense campaign throughout Scotland, voters went to the polls on Sept 18 and rejected a referendum for independence. It was a hotly contested vote, with turnout higher than any other time in modern Scottish history. While many Scots are delighted to hear that they will stay part of the UK, there is a sizable minority who are deeply saddened at losing the chance for independence.

The historic vote, which had an 85 percent turnout, ended up being a close race. At the end of the night, 55 percent of the 3.6 million voters chose no while 45 percent voted yes. Although there were no exit polls to tell what the outcome would be, many analysts presumed that the vote would be quite close. After initial results came in however, news channels and websites quickly moved towards a no vote. Shortly after 5AM Scottish time, the BBC predicted that the no vote won the referendum.

Originally, the race was supposed to be an easy win for the no side. A few weeks before the election, polls started to indicate a shift towards the yes side, raising concern around the world what an independent Scotland would do to both the UK and the global economy. Once one poll came out actually giving the yes side a majority, Scottish leaders and volunteers started to campaign full force to get out their supporters and reach out to the very few undecided voters that were left. By the time election day came, everyone in Scotland was talking about the election and turning out to the polls to vote.

There has been discussion of moving Scotland out of the UK for decades, but the formation of the referendum vote was finally decided in 2012, when UK leaders agreed to allow a Scottish referendum on independence in 2014. Much of the support for this vote came from the Scottish National Party (SNP), a political group in Scotland that has been doing consistently well in local and national elections. Party leader and First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond helped to create the referendum and the planning for an independent Scotland if the vote was to pass. He conceded the vote the next day, saying thank you to the “1.6 million votes for Scottish independence,” and pointing out that the SNP would work further to help give Scotland more political rights in the future. Salmond also resigned from his position, taking place in November.

David Cameron, Prime Minister of the UK and a strong advocate for the no side, was extremely relieved after hearing the results. During his speech to the nation after the referendum, he said he was “delighted” over the final outcome, but also knew that there were many frustrated Scots as well. “We hear you,” was Cameron’s reply to the independence supporters, who caused a major shake up in the political structure of the UK. He pointed out that there will be changes and Scotland, in due time, will receive more autonomy.

It was a race and voting night like no other, where millions of people voted and watched the result of an independence vote on live television. Social media played a vital role in the vote, with the referendum being one of the most discussed events on twitter through the hashtags #indyref and #ScotlandDecides. In addition to the pure historical nature of the referendum, 16 and 17 year olds were able to vote for the first time ever, giving the youth of Scotland a first vote like no other.

Scotland will remain part of the United Kingdom for now, but there is clearly a need for greater autonomy in the region. Scots are frustrated with the leadership of their current nation, and although many are relieved to see the result, leaders in London will have to find ways to appease the Scottish people. For now, though, the United Kingdom will stay together.