Mr. Greco, Greg Bras, Eric Brocious, and Layne Chatfield competed in the sac race at the Seawolves game.

Mr. Greco’s Anatomy classes were taken out to the ball game on May 15. The seniors in each class went to the Erie Seawolves game (AA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers) to analyze the physiology and anatomy of the players’ bodies. The Seawolves took on the Reading Fightin’ Phils. The game the day before was rained out, so the squads played a doubleheader. The Seawolves won the first game 3-1 and lost the second game 7-6. “I really enjoyed the games, and it was a fun experience overall. We were also able to see professional athlete’s bodies in motion,” said senior Tyler Dangel.

By Liam Dawson and Corey Lilly

Greco's Geckos (Brendan Byham, Seth Allen, Dan Kozubal, Meredith Merrit, and Carolyn Bristow) won first place in the Crawford-Mercer County Envirothon competition.

“We came, we saw, we conquered,” said senior Seth Allen. Wednesday May 8, Saegertown’s team, Greco’s Geckos (seniors Seth Allen, Carolyn Bristow, Daniel Kozubal, and Meredith Merritt) took first place in the Crawford-Mercer County Envirothon competition. Saegertown sent three teams which competed in a field of 28 teams from both counties. The Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers (juniors Hunter Ford, and Cari Vogt, and seniors Corey Lilly, and Liam Dawson) took fourth place of 15 teams in Crawford County.

Enviro-thon is an academic competition that challenges students to test their skills in several environmental sciences including aquatics, forestry, wildlife, and soil. The competition also features a current issue category that changes every year. This year’s current issue was based on grazing of animals and how it affects the environment.

The Geckos will continue on to the state competition that takes place at Juniata College in Huntingdon County on May 21-23. If they take first at the state level, they will advance to the national competition at Montana State University, which will be held August 4-9.

Burt is looking for a home for the summer.

By Angela Randall and Lexi Reisinger

Staff Writers

Burtruccio Beneditti, an average sized guinea pig, lives in the seventh grade hallway in Ms. Boyce’s room. Burt arrived at the beginning of this school year.  Mrs. Henry got him as a class pet when she was teaching sixth grade last year and decided that he should move up with the class when they came to seventh grade. Luckily, Ms. Boyce was kind enough to take him in. “I love animals, and he is easy to take care of, so I was perfectly okay with it! The students take care of him during tutorial too. We all work together to make him happy,” said Boyce. On long weekends when no one is around to take care of him, students take him home. According to the students, Burt is a very kind pet, especially when he was a baby, but with his old age approaching, he likes to keep to himself, and many students are fond of him. Burt is looking for a home for the summer. If you’re interested, contact Ms. Boyce in  room 133.

Chris Courson

In celebration of National Poetry Month, PennLake National Writing Project conducted a poetry contest for all grade level students in Pennsylvania. Six Saegertown juniors submitted entries, and Chris Courson took first place in the grade 10-12 division, winning $20 and a certificate.

Courson’s inspiration for the poem came from his experiences and memories of fellow student Jordan Shaffer. “The poem translated to paper pretty easily. I had a couple drafts, but the final draft came quick and easy. I plan to spend the $20 on gas for my car,” Courson said.

Senior Luke Carter takes a break during his four hour “runathon” on May 4, at Woodcock Dam.

8 a.m. on a Saturday morning is an odd time for high schoolers to be excited, or even awake.

Yet, on May 4, the Saegertown Cross Country team, along with many other volunteers, gathered at Woodcock Dam for the Ninth Annual Out-Run Cancer run. Prior to the event, the participants went around the community getting flat donations or per mile donations.

Throughout the four hour time period (8 a.m. to 12 p.m.), runners logged a total of 302 miles and raised an estimated $1500. Half of the money from the event supports the Cross Country team, while the rest is donated to the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute in Meadville.

“Fuzzy’s [John McMillen] mother has been battling cancer for a awhile now, and she was the special emphasis this year. I take fighting cancer personally. You have to get angry at something to beat it, and now I’m angry,” said cross country coach Mr. Bill Hetrick.

As the #manhunt came to a close, the United States sat together in anticipation. When CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, all reported the final suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was in custody, it was already old news (to tweeters that is). Throughout the whole four-day manhunt, Twitter was the main hub for breaking news. In fact, during the whole hunt, Twitter users had access to on the scene videos, pictures, and links to other information way before TV news stations even had the chance to get started. Furthermore, @BreakingNews, @BuzzFeedNews, and many other Twitter feeds were about ten minutes ahead of all the major news stations on updates to the manhunt. “Twitter kept me far more interested and informed than any other media outlet ever has. The unfiltered fluidity of it is amazing,” said senior English teacher, Mr. Bill Hetrick.

Even during the early stages of the investigation, when the FBI released photos of both of the suspects, within moments the pictures were all over Twitter. “Have you seen these people? If you have any information about these suspects please call 1-800-***-****.” In this way, Twitter allowed the population of the United States to be informed who the suspects were and what to do if they saw them. Now there was not just the FBI working to catch the criminals, but the entire United States.

It is undeniable that Twitter was the heart and soul of this manhunt. Every step. Every twist. Every breaking news. 140 characters or less were instantly shared with everyone. Bit by bit, instantly, the story was told on the scene. Twitter has created thousands of on the scene “journalists.” Is this good or bad? Only time will tell. Memorable Tweets from April 19 included: “Twitter right now is like one big family sitting in the living room watching #manhunt together,” and “So this is going to end on a boat, on land, in a city named Watertown.”

By Brendon Paden and Andrew Robison

Spring turkey season started with a bang on Saturday April 20 for those who hold a junior hunting license. Two juniors at Saegertown High School, Tyler Walters and Drew Durasa, started the 2013 turkey season off right by doubling up on two long beards. Durasa and Walters  have been getting up at 5:30 every morning before school to scout these birds behind Durasa’s grandparents in Cussewago. “We have put a lot of work into getting these birds. I’m just glad to see it finally pay off,” said Walters. The duo got into the woods at 5:45 a.m, braved the wind and snow, and bagged their birds at 7 a.m.