volume 1, issue 6 mercer area middle-high school spring...
TRANSCRIPT
Mercer Area Middle -High School
On January 12, 2013, Mercer Area High
School inducted one new member into the
Athletic Hall of Fame. Mia (Adair) Forman may be one of the greatest track and field
athletes in Mercer High School history.
Mia was a four-year letter winner and a
three-time PIAA state qualifier for the Mercer Girls’ Track & Field team.
As a freshman, Mia qualified for the
District 10 Championships in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter
relay, and the long jump, helping the
Mustangs to a 2nd
place finish at the District 10 meet at Oil City High School.
Mia finished 2nd
in the long jump and
qualified for the PIAA State Track and
Field Championships, becoming the first freshman in school history to compete in
the State Championships at Shippensburg
University.
During her sophomore season, Mia
established a school record in the 100
meter dash. At the District 10 Championships, she finished 3
rd in the 100
meter dash and was a member of the 400
meter relay team that finished in 3rd
place,
just missing a trip to the PIAA State Championships.
Mia set school records in the 200 meter
dash, 400 meter dash, and the triple jump
during her junior season. She finished 2nd
in the 400 meter dash, 3
rd in the 200 meter
dash, and 6th in the triple jump at the
District 10 Championships. Competing at
the PIAA State Track & Field Championships for the 2
nd time in three
years, Mia finished 13th in both the 200
and 400 meter dash.
As a senior, Mia was named the most
outstanding performer in the running
events at the Lakeview Invitational. She finished 1
st in the 100 meter dash and
triple jump, 2nd
in the 200 meter dash, and
was a member of the 2nd
place 400 meter
relay team. She helped lead the Mustangs to a 6
th place finish at the District 10
Championships, finishing 1st in the 200
meter dash, 2nd
in the 100 meter dash, and 3
rd in the triple jump. At the PIAA State
Track & Field Championships, Mia
finished 3rd in the 200 meter dash and 4
th
in the 100 meter dash. Upon graduation,
Mia held or shared seven (7) school
records in girls’ track and field (100m,
200m, 400m, long jump, triple jump, 400m relay, and 1600m relay. She
currently still holds the school record in
both the 100 and 400 meter dash.
Volume 1, Issue 6
Spring 2013
Mia (Adair) Forman Joins Mercer Athletic Hall of Fame I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Mustang Newsletter
.
Robotics Team 2
PMEA Region I Band 2
Mercer Speech Team 3-4
HOPE Award 5
PRIDE Award 5
Honor Roll 7-8
Students of the Month 9
Showcase of Talent 10
Equus 11
Distinguished Graduates 11
Athletics 12-13
Attention School Program Comes to Mercer
Attention School is a school alert system
that simultaneously sends text and email
messages to previously enrolled contacts ensuring that important messages are read
in time. Attention School alerts everyone
simultaneously, no more waiting for the radio station to give the delay/cancellation
listings or wait for your school’s name to
scroll onto the bottom of your TV screen.
To sign up for the text alert service, text
short code 99000; keyword: Mercer to
automatically enter into the text alert distribution list. To sign up for email alerts
visit the Mercer district homepage and
select the “Sign Up: Attention Schools” option from the left-hand menu bar. This
like will direct you to the online sign-up
page.
“Upon graduation, Mia held or shared seven school records in girls’ track and
field.”
“There were 57 robots from states such as Connecticut, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.”
Mustang Newsletter Page 2
Mercer Robotics Program Travels to Auburn University
The Mercer Robotics Team participates in
the BEST robotics competition. The competition began in September where the
team learned the game for the year and
received materials. This year the game was
“Warp XX” and the team had to build a robot that climbed a 10 foot pole to
distribute materials. The game was based
upon the idea of space elevators for transportation in space. The Mercer robot
was named I.V.E.E. which stood for
Interatmospheric, Versitile, Economical,
and Elevator.
As part of the BEST competition the team
must design and build a robot to play the
game, publish an engineering notebook, create a marketing presentation, create a
marketing display, fundraise, have school
spirit, complete outreach demonstrations, and so many other tasks.
The first round of competition was at
Grove City College in October. There were
22 schools from Pennsylvania and Ohio. Mercer earned 1
st place in Marketing
Display, 2nd
place in Engineering
Notebook, 3rd place in Presentation, and 2
nd
place in School Spirit. I.V.E.E. earned 2nd
place as a robot and the Mercer team
won 2nd
place BEST school. This earned
the Mercer team the right to compete at the Region’s Nationals at the University of
Auburn in Alabama.
This competition began on December 1,
2012. There were 57 robots from states such as Connecticut, Louisiana, Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. At this
competition Mercer received 8th place in
Marketing Presentation, 15th in Marketing
Display, and 15th OVERALL.
The Mercer Robotics Team would like to
thank their sponsors for their support and for funding the trip to Alabama. Due to the
generosity of the following people and
organizations we raised close to $10,000 in only three weeks. As a result, the students
were able to travel by bus and stay in
Alabama for free. Thanks to:
Mercer American Legion, Nordson
Corporation, West Central Jobs, Mercer
Rotary, WAE Balancing Inc., RTI
International Metals, Optimist Club, Walt’s Grocery, Mercer Forge Corp.,
Mercer Pizza Joes, Mercer Physical
Therapy, and Gabany’s Inc.
PMEA Region I Band Performs at Mercer High School
On March 7th-9
th the Mercer Bands hosted
the PMEA Region I Band Festival. Junior
Lindsey Miller qualified for the festival at
District Band in Butler in January and will
audition for a spot in the All-State Concert Band and Wind Ensemble. Joining Lindsey
in the band are Andrea Sajewski (flute),
Kyle Strain (alto saxophone), Angie
Moose (trumpet), Russell Stone (trombone), and Dakota Hinton
(baritone). Congratulations to these
students! The festival included over 120
students from the PMEA District I and District V. The guest conductor was Dr.
Shelley Jagow from Wright State
University.
Hallway Shines Light on Senior Postsecondary Plans
Do I want to go to college? Where do I want to go? What should I major in? As
the winter months fade away many seniors
are asking themselves these same questions. Beginning in March, students
will see the hallway to the cafeteria
decorated with pennants from a variety of
colleges, universities, and career paths. When the seniors of Mercer High School
decide their destination of study, a marker
will be placed near the pennant. This will enable students, faculty, and visitors to
recognize and congratulate students as they
take their next steps beyond Mercer.
Mustang Newsletter Page 3
Inside Story Headline
Strong Season for Mercer Speech Team
It has been a strong season for the speakers
of the Mercer Speech Team. Led by
advisor Mr. Hugh Ringer, the speech team has consistently performed at a high level
for the duration of the year.
On January 12, 2013, the Speech Team
placed second in sweepstakes at the 8th
Annual North Allegheny Invitational. Over
215 students from 30 high schools in
western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia took part in the four-round
tournament. Six Mercer speakers received
trophies for placing in the final rounds of
their chosen events. Maddie Hessmann placed 1
st overall in international
extemporaneous. Senior Teresa Morin
earned 2nd
overall in international extemporaneous. Mercer’s lead duo team
of Andrew Roseman and Orion
Anderson won the second place awards. In dramatic interpretation, Kendra Walker
recorded a third place finish. Sophomore
Ian Ollila placed sixth in humorous
interpretation.
On January 19, 2013 the Speech Team
placed fourth in sweepstakes at the annual
Pine-Richland Invitational. Over 275 speakers representing 28 high schools in
western Pennsylvania and northern West
Virginia took part in the day-long competition. Four Mercer speakers won
awards. Senior Teresa Morin won the
tournament championship in
extemporaneous speaking. In dramatic performance, Kendra Walker earned a
third place finish. Fellow sophomore Ian
Ollila won third place in humorous interpretation. In original oratory senior
Cole Handerhan finished in sixth place.
On January 26, 2013 the Speech Team
took first place in sweepstakes at the 39th
Annual Invitation Events Awards
Tournament sponsored by the Mercer
Rotary Club. The event attracted over 220 speakers from 16 schools in western
Pennsylvania. Senior Teresa Morin won
top honors in the United States extemporaneous division. Freshman Ryan
Hamilton placed seventh overall in that
same division. In poetry interpretation
Mercer seventh grader Madeline Rowe
earned second place honors. Eighth grader
Elizabeth Ludwig won the third place award for original oratory. Senior Anna
Conner won the fifth place medal in
oratory while sophomore Anna Garner
had a sixth place finish, and freshman Emily Kirila placed seventh overall. In
duo interpretation Andrew Roseman and
Orion Anderson earned a fifth place finish while Samantha Booher and Sarah
Johnson placed sixth. In international
extemporaneous speaking juniors Maddie
Hessman and Ryan Micsky won fifth and sixth honors. In dramatic interpretation
sophomore Kendra Walker won fifth
place honors while freshman Janalyn
Miklas placed seventh overall. Sophomore
Ian Ollila placed sixth in humorous
interpretation.
On February 8th
and 9th
the Mercer
Speech team placed second in speech team
sweepstakes, trailing only powerful
Wheeling Park High School. Four Mercer speakers advanced into the final rounds.
Senior Teresa Morin won her third
consecutive tournament championship in extemporaneous. Mercer junior Maddie
Hessmann was awarded 8th overall in the
same category. In prose interpretation senior Sarah Johnson won the fourth
place trophy. The duo interpretation team
of Orion Anderson and Andrew
Roseman placed sixth.
On February 24, 2013 the Mercer Speech
Team opened up the post-season
competition by qualifying thirteen of its speakers to the PHSSL state tournament.
First and second place winners in nine
individual speaking events earned the right
to compete at the state tournament, scheduled for March 22 & 23 at
Susquehanna University. Mercer speakers
recorded an impressive overall performance, capturing twelve of eighteen
available qualifying slots in District I. The
team qualified at least one speaker to state in all nine events. Mercer sophomore
Kendra Walker qualified for her second
consecutive state tournament with a first
place finish. Freshman Janalyn Miklas finished strong in the same event and will
be heading to the state competition with a
second place finish. Sophomore Anna
Garner turned in her best performance of the season to win first, while teammate
Emily Kirila earned the second place
award in informative and persuasive speaking. In persuasive speaking Anna
Conner and Cole Handerhan placed first
and second and will make their second consecutive trip to state in the persuasive
event. Senior Teresa Morin captured her
fifth consecutive tournament title in
commentary and will be making her fourth consecutive trip to the state tournament.
Junior Maddie Hessmann won her fourth
tournament title of the year in extemporaneous. In duo interpretation the
senior team of Orion Anderson and
Andrew Roseman won their second
tournament title in as many weeks. Andrew was a state qualifier last year as well.
Three other Mercer students will advance
to the state-level competition as a result of their second place finishes. In poetry
interpretation senior Mary Rudge turned
in her best performance of the year. Junior Bradley Thompson earned second place
honors in prose interpretation. In humorous
interpretation sophomore Ian Ollila battled
vocal problems to finish second and advance to the state competition.
On March 2, 2013 the Mercer Speech
Team won the Catholic Forensic League Erie Diocesan championship. Mercer
qualified 13 of its speakers to compete at
Mustang Newsletter Page 4
Speech Team (cont.)
the CFL’s 61st Grand National
Tournament, scheduled for Memorial Day
weekend in Philadelphia. The Mercer team
captured 12 of the 22 available speech
qualifying positions. In dramatic performance Janalyn Miklas turned in her
best performance of her two-year career.
Sophomore Ian Ollila will make his second straight trip to CFL nationals.
Sophomore Kendra Walker finished third
in dramatic interpretation. In original oratory Anna Conner won her second
consecutive post-season championship.
Senior Cole Handerhan won second place
honors in the same event. Sophomore Anna Garner earned third place overall in
original oratory, making a clean sweep for
the Mercer Speech Team in that category. Junior Maddie Hessmann won the
Diocesan championship in extemporaneous
while Teresa Morin placed fourth to
advance to her third straight CFL championship. In declamation sophomore
Sarah Miller earned first place honors
while Sabrina Yassem earned second and freshman Ryan Hamilton earned third
place. The duo interpretation team of
Andrew Roseman and Orion Anderson continued their outstanding performance
by winning another tournament
championship. Two mercer speakers
placed as alternates to the national tournament in their events. Junior Ryan
Micsky in oral interpretation and freshman
Emily Kirila in original oratory will serve as those alternates. Please check the future
newsletter to monitor the continued
success of the Mercer Speech Team.
Trout Grow in Mr. Rust’s Biology Classroom
Mr. Luke Rust reports that the 9th grade
biology classroom has been participating in
a practical application of a biology lesson.
The class has been raising trout eggs since November and currently have about eighty
“fingerlings” that are between 1.5-2” in
length. The matured trout will be released
sometime in late April or early May. In a
true example of learning beyond the
classroom, on March 9th Mr. Rust
accompanied freshman Derrick
Thompson to the Trout Unlimited banquet
at the Radisson Hotel in West Middlesex.
Mustang Newsletter Page 5
Honoring Outstanding Professional Educators
The Mercer Area Middle-High School Student Council created the HOPE Award
in 2011 to recognize the appreciation that a
student has for the adults that have a strong impact and influence on their lives.
Students complete a nomination form by
selecting either a teacher, advisor, or coach
that they feel his deserving of this recognition.
In the month of February the Student
Council awarded the HOPE Award to the band teacher, Mr. Travis Weller. It is the
second time in as many years that Mr.
Weller has earned this acknowledgement. Mr. Weller was nominated by two
students, Cody Nespor and Cullen
Taddeo. Cody said” Mr. Weller is always
willing to help me with any and all missed problems I have. In the last month I have
been going to Mr. Weller daily for help
preparing my honors band audition music. Mr. Weller has never turned me away or
told me that he is too busy. He always
makes time in his schedule to help his
students.” Cullen stated, “No other teacher has treated his students and peers with as
much respect
and fairness as Mr. Weller. From my seventh grade year to the present I haven’t
seen him say or do anything unreasonable
or unfair in the slightest. He answers his students’ questions respectfully and is
always willing to lend assistance be it
musically or other.”
In the month of March, the Student
Council awarded the HOPE Award to math
teacher, Mrs. Cindy Gilmore. It is also the second time in as many years that Mrs.
Gilmore has earned this achievement.
Clearly, our students feel passionately about their teachers. Mrs. Gilmore was
nominated by eighth grader, Miranda
Wimer. In the nomination form Miranda
stated, “I nominated Mrs. Gilmore because she is a really nice person. I can talk to her
as a friend, not just as a teacher. She is a
really good teacher and knows what she is talking about. She is also very fair with
what she does. Mrs. Gilmore is my favorite
teacher ever.”
Peer Recognition In Displaying Excellence Award
Students have the opportunity to recognize
the hard work and achievements of their
fellow students through the PRIDE Award. This stands for Peer Recognition in
Displaying Excellence. This is the first
year that this award has been made
available to the students. Nominating students can pick up a form on the Student
Activities bulletin board and submit their
completed forms to the main office. Student nominations remain anonymous,
even after the winners have been selected
by the administration.
Hannah Schmid has been selected as one of the February winners. Hannah’s peer
stated, “Hannah is always so sweet! She
always has a positive attitude and is always helping people. Hannah is a boss
basketball player and always supports her
team.”
Carley Caruso has been selected as a
fellow February winner. Carley’s peer
stated, “Carley is always extremely nice to everybody. She is the kind of student that
you can always go to with a problem that
will be kind and not judge you. She can
always be counted on and is a hard worker.”
Erica Peters received the PRIDE Award
for the month of March with a nomination that stated, “She is always nice to everyone
in all of her classes. She shows respect to
her peers and her teachers. She is also there
for any student who needs help, academically, or for any other reason.”
Taylor Carson also received the PRIDE
Award for March. Her peer stated, “She is always so peppy and energetic. She has a
ton of school spirit and is very supportive
when it comes to Mercer events. She loves to cheer and she does a good job at it.”
Mustang Newsletter Page 6
PMEA District V Junior High & Freshmen Band Fest
Congratulations to the following Middle School Concert Band members who will
represent Mercer at the PMEA District 5
Junior High Band Festival: Abby
Grabigel (alto saxophone), Hailee
Ostapko (French horn), Briana Jarrett
(trombone), and Elizabeth Ludwig
(baritone). Congratulations to the following Freshmen band members who
will represent Mercer at the inaugural
PMEA District V Freshmen Band Fest:
Janalyn Miklas (oboe), Jordyn
Buchanan (clarinet), Sami Metts (bass
clarinet), Kyle Wamboldt (alto
saxophone), Alex Roman (trumpet), and Chris Majonek (tuba). The festival will be
held at Beaver High School on March 26th.
Guest conductors include Mr. James Berry
from Slippery Rock University, and Dr. R. Tad Greig from Westminster College.
Class of 2018 Raises Funds for Sandy Hook Victims
In the month of February students walking in the hallways may have noticed a flyer
advertising a fundraising campaign. The 7th
grade glass officers, under the direction of Mrs. Nicole Walzer, have decided to raise
funds to help the victims of the tragic
December 19th shooting in Newtown,
Connecticut. Seventh grade class officers
have been actively involved in trying to collect donations. The organizers of the
fundraiser asked for coin donations from
the Mercer student body. Mrs. Walzer reported that through this fundraiser the
seventh grade class was able to collect
approximately $50.00. This money will be
used to help in Sandy Hook’s recovery.
Middle School Students Enjoy Crossfire Tournament
On Wednesday, February 27th the Mercer
Middle-High School Student Council
hosted a crossfire tournament in the high school gymnasium from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Middle school students were encouraged to
participate by signing up in teams of 8 or 10 students. This is the third consecutive
year in which this tournament was held.
For those new to crossfire, the game is
very similar to dodgeball, but each team is
responsible for protecting two bowling
pins. The team that has both of their pins
knocked over OR loses all players loses the game. The 2013 Crossfire Tournament was
won by Hunter Kastor, Paige Gressley,
Hailey Glass, Abbey Thompson, Kayla
Eves, Zack King, Kaiden Seelbaugh,
Nathan Knopp, and Eric Gawne.
Congratulations to all participants. The
Student Council was able to raise approximately $130.00 that will be used
for future student programs.
Mercer Senior Places Second In Scholarship Contest
Senior Rachael Hoge was named as the first runner-up in the 2013 Tom Holden
Memorial Scholarship contest. In order to
participate in this opportunity, Rachael had
to submit a 30-second public service announcement for a non-profit
organization. She chose her topic to be
about the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania. With more than 150
applicants from western Pennsylvania and
eastern Ohio, Rachael’s performance was recognized as one of the best. Five students
were named runners-up and received gift
baskets and plaques. The scholarship
contest is sponsored by WKBN Caring for Our Community, Huntington Bank,
Dunkin’ Donuts, Boardman Medical
Supply, Window World, and Mr. Rooter. The finalist’s public service
announcements will be broadcast
sometime in March.
Mustang Newsletter Page 7
Honorable Mention—2nd Marking Period 7th Grade
Jordon Baker Harmony Barkley Evan Daugherty
Ethan Godfrey Max Hamilton Gina Kelly Brittany Parrish Tera Porterfield Dylan Reno Justin Reno
8th Grade
Allison Bright Kayla Eves Bryanna Fedorchak Rachael Gilkey Megan Parker
Robert Rickard Mackenzie Templeton Miranda Wimer
9th Grade
Samantha Carr Haley Gault Kylee Hollowell
Meghan Kowalski Laura Shaw Reina Smith Emily Thompson
10th Grade
Sierra Aites
Kaitlyn Brest Ryan Carlson Trevor Ference Carly Geary Shane Glaser Makenzie Guidace Molly Hancock
Tara Hinkson Dakota Hinton Rachel Latsko Matalynn Shealy Nicole Young Andrew Zitko
11th Grade
Erika Berger Nathan Carlson Leslie Colonello
Shannon Conner Sean Dixon Emily Garrett Walter Haines Madeline Hessmann Brooke McCullough Justin Moon
Austin O’Baker Nicole Redmond Erica Schoen Bradley Thompson Jahkiel Wall Kaitlyn Zelman
12th Grade
Orion Anderson Samantha Briggs Benjamin Chapman
Anna Conner Meghan Conner Tiffany Goehring Dakotah Habbyshaw Sarah Johnson William Juergens Dominic Lengyel
Cody Mason Briana Phillips Tiphani Spaulding Jessica Stewart
Honor Roll—2nd Marking Period 7th Grade
Andrew Boggs Andrew Brinker Jessica Cameron Robert Carson Autumn Coryea Rachel Gerber Sierra Hess Austin Hesselgesser Erin Martin Legend McIntyre
Erin McQuiston Liam McQuiston Bradley Metts Kayley Patterson Cassidy Pears Anna Shacklock Demitra Skoofalos
Lane Snyder 8th Grade
Rachel Bish Hannah Bunger
Britney Edwards Kaylynn Foore
Samuel Garner Eric Gawne Haylie Glass Erica Peters Kelsey Swartz Morgan Winland
9th Grade
Amanda Addicott Aubrie Angermeier Travis Duffield Alyssa English Sierrah Gibson Austin Hall Christopher Majonek Dakotah McFarland Christopher Micsky Kaitlyn Nemeth
Jacob Schmid Alexa Stanton Taylor Zacherl
10th Grade
Rodney Brant Rachael Chapman
Brayton Edwards Daelyn Gilson Aundria Gregory Quentin Hinkson Nathan Kroll
Ian Ollila Rory Patterson
Zachary Peck Tessa Peters Jonathan Scheidhauer Kaitlyn Shipton
11th Grade
Ryder Amon Kirstin Borden Monique Brown Dakota Bussard
Taylor Carson Maureen Kennell Lindsey Miller Amy Ruhlman Ryan Thorn
12th Grade
Daniel Anderson Paige Austin Alexandria Bratnik Nathan Brest Brian Kirby Breana McManus Grant Metts
Daniel S. Miller Mercedes Moore Rebecca Perna Austyn Piepenhagen Jessica Province Jacob Richards Haley Rodemoyer
Andrew Roseman Tony Setterberg Lynn Swartzbeck Rochelle Vandyke Shelby Welch Sara White
Mustang Newsletter Page 8
Honor Roll—2nd Marking Period 7th Grade
Morgan Addicott Austin Billingsley
Mason Borowicz Emily Bright Claudia Brown Anna Brunson William Chess Dalan Ealy Iana Ellis
Rose Gigliotti Mary Hogue Brianna Jarrett Emily Kimes Justin Labarge Katherine Lewis Brittany Marano
Caitlyn Mattocks Sierrah McFarland Natasha Mcnulty-Miller Annie Miller Logan Mills Michael Morneweck Carlene Murray Anna Robertson Madeline Rowe Cole Ruffo Marcus Ryder
Hannah Schmid Kaitlyn Schupp
Katherine Shaffer Ashley Shoemaker Jenna Taddeo Ian Titus Sarah Turton Joshua Wamboldt Madeline Wansor Christopher Zacherl
8th Grade
Marah Buchanan Jaime Burdette
Alexandria Denny Abby Grabigel Paige Gressly Jon-Carl Hostetler Kelly Jarrett Bethany Juergens Elizabeth Ludwig
Noah McLaughlin Lindsay Nemeth Hailee Ostapko Grace Ruhlman Genevieve Schupp Katherine Timashenka Alexander VanWoert
Brittany Watson Brock Watson
9th Grade
Levi Bequeath Jordyn Buchanan Kaitlin Conner
Arielle Hall Ryan Hamilton Megan Lang Timothy Lang Trent Leonard Hannah McElrath Janalyn Micklas
Noah Minarik Tyler Moronski Mark Peters Jeremiah Robertson Raymond Schur Sean Strain
Derrick Thompson Natalie Titus Kyle Wamboldt
10th Grade
Kaylee Banco Hannah Bowersox
Logan Clarke Adelyn Cook Tiffany Corvino Sarah Evans Bryant Fortenberry Colt Garing Anna Garner
Julia Hile Charles Hoffman Adam Hoge Matthew Juergens Zachary Kroll Margaret La Barge Katelyn Love
Mathew Manbeck Sarah A. Miller Taylor Moon Andrea Sajewski Benjamin Shaffer Melissa Shoemaker Angie Sipe Rachel Stine Lindsey Vandyke Kendra Walker Alexis Weinel
Kaitlin Wiggins 11th Grade
Rebecca Adams Alexis Arkwright Laura Bequeath Kira Conner Ian Ebling Christian Jones
Luke Leonard Erin McLaughlin Ryan Micsky
11th Grade (cont.)
Angie Moose Joshua Mounts
Cody Nespor David Orum Dalton Robinson Rebecca Shaffer Elizabeth Smith Sarah Stevens Kyle Strain
Elijah Strausser Cullen Taddeo
12th Grade
Daisy Bowersox Gillian Brandes Nathan Breese
Amanda Cameron Carley Caruso Heather Davis Cole Handerhan Hannah Harris Rachael Hoge Breanna McCarthy
Teresa Morin Kaitlynn Mostard-Smith Katie Platt Ashley Ryder Viktor Rymiak Alexander Shaffer Dee Shollenberger
Cody Smith Katherine St. Pierre Peter Timashenka Marissa Waterloo Julia Weller Heather Woods
Mercer Chorus Performs Spring Concert May 7th
The Mercer Chorus will perform at 7:00 p.m. on May 7
th in the auditorium. Seventh
through twelfth grades will perform
featuring Middle School Chorus, Concert
Choir, Chamber Choir, Show Choir, and many solos from the senior class members.
Many songs will be performed including
Idol Encores, Tico Taco, You Make Me
Feel So Young, Musiks Empire, The
Ballad of Sweeney Todd, Hey There Delilah, and the Angus Dei. Time of Your
Life by Greenday will be the senior song.
Come and enjoy this concert of over 200
talented vocalists at Mercer High School.
Mustang Newsletter Page 9
Mercer Students of the Month- March 2013
Each month the staff at Mercer Middle-High School has the opportunity to
nominate a student which they feel
exemplifies Honor, Excellence, Respect, and Determination. For the month of
March the staff has selected five recipients
for this honor.
Sarah Johnson was nominated by Mrs.
Gaston. The nomination stated, “Sarah is
constantly working on art projects in the
classroom where she has studied art for the last 5 years at Mercer High. She continues
to do research on subject matters and the
various art techniques. Sarah is always challenging herself in art and is a great art
student who can be relied upon to do her
work and help others. She is a pleasure to have in the art room.”
Kevin Minner was nominated by Mr.
Edney. The nomination stated, “Kevin
takes pride in his school work and being a Mercer student. Kevin strives to do the
best that he can. This is a great attribute.
He gives 110% every day. Kevin is one the most polite gentlemen in this building. He
is a young man who shows respect to peers
and adults. Many times, I have heard from
teachers who say that Kevin is a great student. He is engaged in his learning and
fun to be around. Kevin goes the extra mile
to be prepared for his classes and assessments. He frequently asks for more
practice with pre-algebra concepts. Asking
questions is something that Kevin does and his peers could learn from that.”
Sam Moury was nominated by Ms. Kara Thompson, a student teacher. The
nomination stated, “Samantha
demonstrates a wonderful work ethic and is always so cooperative in class. She also
has a wonderful personality and positivity
that is contagious. She always tries her best, even if it is something that she’s not
particularly fond of. Overall, Samantha is a
wonderful member of the classroom
community.”
Katherine Shaffer was nominated by Mrs.
Sibenac. The nomination form stated,
“Katherine is an excellent student who demonstrates a love for learning. She is
always prepared and puts her best effort in
all her assignments. I really enjoy having Katherine in my class.”
Rochelle Vandyke was nominated by Mr.
Walter. The nomination stated, “Rochelle clearly demonstrates the HERD principles
each and every day in the classroom. She
always comes to class with a positive attitude and a willingness to work hard and
do her best. This is shown in her
willingness to volunteer to read aloud in
class and her ability to contribute thoughtfully in class discussion. She also
showed an incredible work ethic when
completing her research paper. Rather than choose an easier novel, Rochelle chose to
analyze Jane Austen’s Emma with
stupendous results.
Student Council Raises Awareness for Heart Health
Working with the American Heart Association the Mercer Middle-High
School Student Council has designed a
week-long program to raise student awareness of making healthy heart
decisions.
On Monday the theme is What Not to Eat. The students will see flyers and posters
that highlight the dangers of popular fast
foods that are harmful to a person. On
Tuesday the theme is What to Eat. The students will see flyers and pamphlets that
promote healthy food choices that facilitate
a strong heart. On Wednesday the building
will be encouraged to wear red, the symbol of Heart Disease Awareness. That same
day, students will have the chance to
participate in a crossfire tournament in the HS gym from 7:00-9:00 p.m. On Thursday
the students will see flyers and pamphlets
that promote physical exercise and an active lifestyle. On Friday the students will
be asked to wear a red ribbon or button that
recognizes the lives of those that lost to
heart disease. Also, students will have the opportunity to purchase a red shirt from the
American Heart Association for only $10.
All proceeds will benefit the AHA.
Mustang Newsletter Page 10
Report Cards Sent Home April 11, 2013
On April 11, 2013, the Mercer Middle-
High School students will be receiving
their report cards for the third marking period. These grades will be distributed
during Homeroom. These grades are a
reflection upon various assignments, tests,
quizzes, and performances throughout the
marking period.
If you have questions about the grades of
your student, please do not hesitate to
contact the main office at 724-662-5104. If you would like to schedule a parent-
teacher conference with a specific teacher,
or a group of teachers, please contact the
Guidance Office.
Chamber Choir Hosts Showcase of Talent
On Friday March 15th the Mercer Chamber
Choir hosted a talent show to showcase
various student talents. Each member of the Chamber Choir was responsible for a
specific component of producing program.
Those responsibilities include everything from program design, stage decorations,
lights and sound, stage crew, directors, and
even the selection committee. This two
hour event was guided by the emcee work of Orion Anderson and Ben Chapman.
Students in grades 9-12 performed a
diverse array of individual and group talents. The following student performers
showcased their talent on the evening of
the talent show:
Vocalists: Will Juergens, Matt Juergens,
Sami Metts, Emily Thompson, Laura
Bequeath, Janalyn Miklas, Angie
Moose, Mindy Brown, Taylor Carson
Mercer Art Show Scheduled for May 21st Mrs. Pat Gaston would like to announce
that the Art I, Art II, and Advanced Art
students will be displaying their art work on Tuesday, May 21
st in the High School
Library from 6:00-8:30 p.m.
Vocalists: Lindsey Miller, Laura
Bequeath, Mike Handerhan, Ben
Chapman, Andrew Roseman, Viktor
Rymniak, Cody Smith
Dancers: Marissa Waterloo, Kaitlin
Wiggins, Liz Smith, Tara Hinkson
Instrumental: Janalyn Miklas, Kyle
Strain, Ian Ollila
Literature: Bradley Thompson and
Maureen Kennell
Comedy: Kendra Walker, Colt Garing,
and Sabrina Yassem
Artistic: Breanna Monaci and Tessa
Peters
Rap Battle: Maureen Kennell and Mindy
Brown
Baton: Rachael Hoge and Becca Adams
Mercer County Career Center Students of the Month
Students that attend Mercer High School
have the opportunity to attend the Mercer County Career Center during their 10
th,
11th, and 12
th grade year (depending on the
program of study). There were four Mercer students that received the Student of the
Month award at the MCCC for the month
of February. They are Sierra Aites
(Cosmetology), Michael Aites (Auto Mechanics), Dakota Gallo (Carpentry),
and Stephanie Suhrie (Computer and
Office Technology). In the month of March, there were an additional four
Mercer High School students that earned
the MCCC Student of the Month Award. They are Ryder Amon (Electronics),
Kirstin Borden (Carpentry), Josh Gilkey
(Carpentry), and Josh Brothers (Building
Trades). Congratulations to all of these students!
Student artwork is constantly on display
throughout the building. Please consider
attending this event which recognizes the collective hard work that has been put into
these various artistic projects
Mustang Newsletter Page 11
Mercer High School Equus Program By Mrs. Lynn Boal
Mercer High School is known county wide
for the quality of its arts programs. The
bands and choruses are always recognized for the variety and difficulty of the
programs that are presented. The musicals
and plays are a delight for all who attend. Students in the elementary school benefit
from numerous concerts presented by these
groups. The Speech program has received
national recognition and frequently excels in competitions across the state. The
Spring Art Show highlights the work of
students in grades nine through twelve and showcases some amazing talent. But
Mercer has another treasure in its chest of
artistic endeavors.
For the past forty years the students of MHS have produced a literary magazine
which features the literary and artistic
talents of the students. The booklet which contains about 20 drawings or photos and
several poem or short stories is unique in
that it is totally a student publication, led by a group of upperclassmen from the
editorial board. They meet twice a year to
select the material from the variety of
submitted works. Once the artistic pieces
are selected, the editors decide the placement of the material. They consider
the effectiveness of the work and how it
fits into the overall theme of the magazine. Students then select the color and design of
the cover and write a dedication for each
edition.
The printing of the Equus is celebrated with a premier where the original works
are displayed and the literary pieces are
read. An appetizer or dessert reception is held in conjunction with the literary
evening. The magazines which are locally
printed by Rafferty’s are offered for sale to
the general public and can be purchased at school or at the public library. Each
contributor receives their own copy.
Please consider joining us for this special
event in May.
Mercer High School Recognizes Distinguished Graduates
For the past thirteen years the hallways of
Mercer Middle-High School have paid homage to the accomplishments of former
Mercer graduates. On their way to the
cafeteria every student passes through a
gauntlet of photographs and commemorative plates known as the
“Mercer Distinguished Alumni Hall of
Fame.” Many innovators, industrialists, and humanitarians have graduated from
Mercer High School. Here is a look at
three outstanding Mercer graduates.
Thomas Cunningham Cochran graduated from Mercer in 1896. He was
admitted to the Mercer County Bar in
1903. He served eight years in the U.S. Congress and was a member of a number
of committees, including ways and means.
Mr. Cochran was an official delegate from the U.S. Congress to the Inter-
Parliamentary Union. He attended
conferences in Paris in 1927, Berlin in
1928, Geneva in 1929, London in 1930, and an observer in Oslo in 1939 and
Washington D.C. in 1953.
John Armour Bingham graduated from
Mercer in 1832. He was admitted to the bar in 1840 and entered a private practice in
New Philadelphia, Ohio. He was a member
of the U.S. Congress and a special judge
advocate in the trial of the conspirators in Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The
House of Representatives appointed him as
one of the managers in the impeachment proceedings against President Johnson in
1868. He was also appointed the first
American minister to the Imperial Court of
Japan.
Dr. Anne Little Wedemeyer graduated
from Mercer in 1955. She earned her
medical degree in 1962 from the University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine. She fulfilled her internship,
residency, and fellowship at University of Minnesota Hospitals. She has served in
American clinics in Germany, been a
member of the University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine and had a private. practice in cardiology in Pittsburgh until
1997.
Mustang Newsletter Page 12
Strong Season for Mercer Girls’ Basketball Team
After a disappointing basketball season for
the Lady M’s in 2011-2012, the girls’
basketball team showed major
improvements this year. This young team will return next season with experience and
the majority of their starting lineup.
Playing against tough competition, the girls only suffered eight losses this season
(16-8). It is also important to point out that
three of those eight losses came at the hands of Sharpsville High School. Led by
coaches Aaron Cook and Crystal
Angermeier, the young team was able to
compete at a high level for the entire season.
During two different points of the season,
the Lady M’s went on a 5-game winning
streak as well as a 6-game winning streak.
The team worked well together throughout the season. Coach Cook attributed this
success to the dedication and time spent
together during the offseason as well as practice. He also thanked the junior varsity
for pushing the varsity squad in practice
and raising the level of play. Graduating at the end of this year, the following seniors
will be missed by the Lady M’s: Ashley
Ryder, Analise Whenry, and Rochelle
Vandyke.
Spring Sports Athletic Schedule
Beginning in early March, the spring sports
representing Mercer High School begin practice for the final season of the
academic year. Even though the snow has
lingered, the students have been preparing
for the weather to break. By practicing in the gymnasium, stairwells, hallways, and
fitness center the teams will be ready for
the spring season. Here is a list of the athletic schedules for 2013:
Middle School Volleyball
March 5th @ Hickory 4:00 p.m.
March 7th vs. Grove City 6:00 p.m.
March 12th vs. Sharon 6:00 p.m.
March 14th @ Rocky Grove 4:00 p.m.
March 19th vs. Wilmington 6:00 p.m.
March 21st @ Slippery Rock 4:00 p.m.
March 26th @ Greenville 6:00 p.m.
March 28th vs. Jamestown 6:00 p.m.
Varsity Track (Boys and Girls)
April 2nd @ Wilmington 4:00 p.m.
April 4th vs. Lakeview 4:00 p.m.
April 9th @ Grove City 4:00 p.m.
April 12th @ Cal U Invite 3:00 p.m.
April 16th vs. Reynolds 4:00 p.m.
April 20th @ Hermitage Invite 8:00 a.m.
April 23rd vs. Kennedy/Farrell 4:00 p.m.
April 27th @ Franklin Invite 8:00 a.m.
Varsity Track (Boys and Girls) cont.
April 30th vs. Sharpsville 4:00 p.m.
May 3rd @ Pine Richland 3:00 p.m.
May 7th vs. West Middlesex 4:00 p.m.
May 11th @ Mercer County Invitational
May 18th @ District 10 Meet
May 24th @ PIAA State Championships
May 25th @ PIAA State Championships
Varsity Baseball
March 25th vs. Conneaut 3:30 p.m.
March 27th @ Grove City 4:00 p.m.
March 29th @ Rocky Grove 4:00 p.m.
April 1st vs. Jamestown 4:00 p.m.
April 3rd @ West Middlesex 4:00 p.m.
April 5th @ Sharon 4:15 p.m.
April 8th vs. Hickory 4:00 p.m.
April 10th @ Commodore Perry 3:00 p.m.
April 15th vs. Reynolds 4:00 p.m.
April 17th @ Wilmington 4:15 p.m.
April 22nd vs. Sharpsville 4:00 p.m.
April 24th vs. West Middlesex 4:00 p.m.
April 26th @ Lakeview 4:15 p.m.
April 29th vs. Sharon 4:00 p.m.
May 1st @ Hickory 4:15 p.m.
May 3rd @ Kennedy Catholic 4:00 p.m.
May 6th vs. Commodore Perry 4:00 p.m.
Mustang Newsletter Page 13
Spring Sports Athletic Schedule (cont.)
Varsity Softball
March 25th vs. Conneaut 3:30 p.m.
March 26th vs. Kennedy Catholic 4:15 p.m.
March 29th @ Sharpsville 4:15 p.m.
April 2nd @ Slippery Rock 4:15 p.m.
April 4th vs. West Middlesex 4:15 p.m.
April 6th @ Reynolds 4:15 p.m.
April 9th vs. Lakeview 4:15 p.m.
April 11th vs. Sharon 4:15 p.m.
April 16th @ Jamestown 4:15 p.m.
April 20th vs. Slippery Rock 4:15 p.m.
April 23rd vs. Wilmington 4:15 p.m.
April 26th @ Lakeview 4:15 p.m.
April 27th @ Hickory 11:00 a.m.
April 30th @ Sharon 4:00 p.m.
May 2nd @ West Middlesex 4:15 p.m.
May 4th @ Commodore Perry 11:00 a.m.
May 6th vs. Reynolds 4:15 p.m.
May 7th vs. Jamestown 4:15 p.m.
May 14th @ Wilmington 4:15 p.m.
May 16th vs. Grove City 4:15 p.m.
Improved Season for the Mercer Boys’ Basketball Team
During the past winter sports season the Mercer Boys’ Basketball team showed
signs of improvement from the previous
season. After beginning the season with an impressive 3-1 record the Mustangs faced
difficulties. Losing nine of their next ten
games dealt a shock to the young
basketball team. However, these athletes did not give up and finished the year strong
against tough competition, achieving
victory against Greenville, Sharpsville, and
Cochranton. Unfortunately, the Mustangs
were not able to defeat the excellent programs of West Middlesex or Lakeview.
Finishing the season with an 8-13 record
the Mercer Mustangs showed a great deal of improvement and resiliency down the
stretch. After experiencing a brief slump,
the team was able to hold their heads high
and finish the season with pride. Next year the team will lose seniors: Viktor
Rymiak, Danny Miller, Michael
Handerhan, and Nathan Brest.
Congratulations on a hard fought season.
Important Dates
April:
3rd—Third marking period ends
4-5th—Prom registration
10th—Report cards issued
12th
-13th—Speech Team Desserts Show
17th—National Honor Society induction
22nd
—School Board meeting
May:
1st-2
nd—Junior signup for Cedar Point
3rd—Progress reports due
8th—Academic Awards Evening
10th—Grand March
10th—Junior-Senior Prom
14th—Class Officer election
20th—School Board meeting
21st—Equus Premier/Art Show
22nd
—Spring Choral Concert
24th—Student Council election
Questions? Concerns?
Please contact the Mercer
High School Office at
724-662-5014