Delonews

by Mary Burke This school year marks an unprecedented time in Delone Catholic’s history, in which students had the opportunity to attend school from their own homes. Due to the spread of COVID-19, schools all across the country, including Delone Catholic, were closed to contain the virus.  This led to the new and innovative installation of remote learning for students and teachers. For part of the third quarter - and the entirety of the fourth quarter - of the school year, students worked on assignments, tests, and homework using their computers from home. Such a unique and uncertain time called for a unique way of learning and teaching: thus, online learning became the new norm for students everywhere.  The method has both benefits and drawbacks, but is necessary for such an unpredictable time. Teachers and students alike found themselves adjusting to an entirely new environment of education.  “School is a motivating environment for me, but my house is not,” says

1. What has been the most challenging aspect of distance learning for you? C.Sneeringer: "I can't believe how much I miss having to occasionally shush my students!  And teaching with no one in the room feels like I am talking to myself - it is SO much better to have students present so that you can see the excitement when they understand and (on RARE occasions) the confusion when they don't understand something I've said." J. Gadow: "N ot being able to do hands-on science together with the students" K. Hammar: " The amount of time that it takes to create materials each day." J. Fuhrman: "I miss the sounds of the school - lockers opening and closing, footsteps in the hallway, the bells and of course, the voices of my students and colleagues! Teaching from home is just so much quieter than teaching at school." J. Reed: "Staying organized and trying to find a work/home balance." R. Pinkos:  &qu

by Maria Elser They often say that Junior year of college is the very best since, as a student, you have finally learned how to balance work with fun, yet the pressures of Senior year and finding a job have not set in.  In my Fall semester, I was certainly experiencing the truth of this statement; where schoolwork got stressful, my friends always knew how to lighten the burden. We spent equal time working hard with our courses and doing fun things like playing beach volleyball, going to Lincoln Diner on random weeknights, and going to dances. Even studying was transformed into hilarious hangout time as my friend, Mariah, and I had late night homework parties in our living room. As Spring semester approached, I was expecting much of the same, and for the first month or so, I was right. The Spring semester of my Junior year was one I have been greatly anticipating for the past few years. Not only did I have fun friend time to look forward to, but this was also the semester

by: Abigail Sutphen Last season, the girls were able to win the gold in the state championship, despite getting second in districts. This storybook ending seemed very possible again this season, but unfortunately, the team would not have the opportunity to find out.  “I think we’ve started off the season great so far,” said Brooke Lawyer, Delone Catholic senior and basketball captain. The girls’ team lost four seniors from last year who were key players and great assets on the court.  A key loss was height advantage. Last year senior and current York College of Pennsylvania girls basketball starter, Bradi Zumbrum, was a main priority in the girl’s offense.  “Last year our offense revolved around the post players, so we worked the ball in and out a lot,” says Lawyer, “This year, we lost most of our height. So we have an advantage in speed but a disadvantage in rebounding. We play more of a 5 out offense because our team consists of a lot of shooters.”  The team con

by: Jacob Pantalone Image courtesy of Hanover Studios In the fall, Delone Catholic had aired one of its most unique plays yet. Tales of Poe was a performance that included many of Edgar Alan Poe's poems and stories.  Senior Hannah Poppek, who was the student director of the production, played many roles in the play including her biggest contribution the Narrator in “The Mask of the Red Death.” She originally did not try out for the role of the narrator, but instead wished to be the Young Lady because of her background in dance. The director said otherwise, and since she already had a lead role and suggested that she be the Narrator instead.  The part was a new experience for her, she had never played a “creepy character”, so she took extra time with her director to learn her lines and fit more into her sinister role.  Since Poppek was the student director she was in charge of organizing practices and getting things ready for the play. Practice would consis

by: Abigail Sell                            “Failure didn’t define us” Summer Nelson captain of the Color Guard team said.  This phrase may not mean much to you, but for the Color Guard team this single phrase meant everything.  Color Guard is a sport that is not widely talked about at Delone Catholic but should be.   This team of four girls radiated resilience.  To say that the team had a winning season would be a lie, but to say that these girls pushed through the struggles to do the best they could, is nothing short of the truth. “It was the championship competition”  Summer said, “and we weren’t expecting much.”  The color guard had competed in previous competitions and had placed last every time.   “When it was time for awards I was already standing up to receive the award for twelfth place, but when another team was announced for twelfth place I was shocked, I think the whole team was” Nelson laughed.   “And the funny thing was, as I went to sit down we were all

by Brooke Whiteleather Sophomore Alaina Rongione started twirling at the young age of three. Image courtesy of Delone Catholic  Rongione said “I just picked up the baton and then coach started teaching me.” She has been in multiple competitions including globally. According to  Rongione, baton twirling is a sport in which a person manipulates a metal stick while performing an artist routine. Considered to e be similar to rhythmic gymnastics, however, a baton isn’t an instrument used in that style of gymnastics.   Rongione’s mother worked as a coach in the gym that holds baton twirling,  Rongione stated that while she was little she would “wander around the gym picking up batons that were bigger than I was” she said that she fell in love with the sport watching all the twirlers perform and seeing her mother coach.  When asked what her greatest accomplishment was  Rongione said that she had been to World Championships and won multiple gold medals. In past conversa

by: Kelsie Alexander Taekwondo is a Korean Martial Art that includes being flexible, doing high kicks, spinning kicks, jumping kicks, fast kicks, and head-height kicks.  Sophomore Brooke Whiteleather has been doing Taekwondo since second grade and started because she loved Mulan. Now, she tested for her third- degree black belt in February and she is getting the opportunity to go to Korea this year.  This summer, she and her team will be doing seminars and compete in the World Taekwondo Culture Expo in MuJu, Korea The third-degree black belt shows that she has a grasp on the involved task and that they show a great amount of experience through the years of her participation and extreme effort in Taekwondo.  Brooke’s favorite part of Taekwondo is competing, which she began doing three years ago when she joined the club competition team. Whiteleather said she enjoys this part of the sport, because she gets to train with other people.  The worst part of Taekwondo