By Sheena Byham, sports editor
Infographic of the Week: Netflix v. Hulu
Entertainment
Footloose Auditions kick off FCCT’s upcoming performance
By Dustin Steiger, arts and entertainment editor
As the month of March draws to a close, the French Creek Community Theatre (FCCT) is preparing to perform “The Wizard of Oz,” starring Belle Snyder, Zach Hansen, Jonathan Merritt, and Dustin Steiger.
The show will be held at the Maplewood Elementary School auditorium starting at 7 p.m. on March 29-30, and March 31 at 2 p.m. Tickets and more information can be found at www.fcctheatre.com, or by calling (814) 373-8892.
In addition to this, FCCT has opened up auditions for their next show, “Footloose.” While the first day of auditions has passed, there’s still another chance to join the show.
Any interested performer between the ages 12-22 is welcome to audition this Thursday, March 14 at 7-9 p.m.
Those who don’t get a starring role are still welcome to join the cast for ensemble and dance. More information and audition packets can be found at www.fcctheatre.com.
Valentine’s Day is over, but rom-coms are forever
By Bree Snyder, staff writer
Everybody loves a good rom-com whether they’re recovering from a recent heartbreak, feeling particularly lonely or are just in the mood to laugh.
Romantic comedies are light-hearted movies containing a humorous plot line revolving around romance. Though they are often referred to as “chick flicks” and dismissed as senseless and dull, rom-coms appear to be making a comeback in pop culture.
Is there a better way to spend a cozy night in with your significant other than settling down with a good rom-com?
That being said, finding a good rom-com in an overly saturated genre can be tough. Below are several lists that detail the best of the best.
According to ‘Rotten Tomatoes,’ the best rom-coms of all time are as follows:
- It Happened One Night (1934)
- The Big Sick (2017)
- The Philadelphia Story (1940)
- Roman Holiday (1953)
- My Man Godfrey (1936)
According to ‘Seventeen,’ the most anticipated rom-coms of 2019 are:
- What Men Want (out February 8)
- Isn’t It Romantic (coming out Feb. 14)
- Five Feet Apart (coming out Mar. 22)
- Aladdin (coming out May 24)
- All The Bright Places (currently no release date)
According to ‘Rotten Tomatoes,’ the best rom coms currently on Netflix are:
- Lovesick (2015)
- Catching Feelings (2018)
- Lust Stories (2018)
- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
- Tramps (2016)
Valentine’s Day Pawdcast: Blind Date
Infographic of the Week: Chapstick Connoisseur
by Claudia Fetzner, photo editor
‘On Applebee Pond’ will soon debut at Saegertown
By Samantha Thomas, staff writer
A group of juniors and seniors from Saegertown High School have been working to introduce a research-based curriculum known as ‘On Applebee Pond’ that uses puppets to teach children positive and applicable life skills to elementary school students.
Saegertown elementary students will soon be learning positive life skills from the On Applebee Pond puppets shown above.
Designed by the Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission Inc., this program is designed to teach young children about social skills, the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and peacemaking through eight charismatic puppet personas.
The puppet characters will be portrayed by seniors Madison Morgan, Dustin Steiger, Stephanie Polach and Mykenzie Connally, and juniors Oliver Smith and Carson Jones. Advisor Susan James and her students will be performing at the elementary at a date yet to be determined. She emphasizes the importance of teaching kids social skills at a young age.
“I think it’s important to help teach the kids in a relatable and captivating way that they can understand and enjoy,” Steiger said. Steiger, along with five other students, were recruited by Assistant Principal Kylene Koper.
According to Mrs. Kelly Burke, who taught the curriculum at Maplewood, each of the eight puppets were handmade by retired seamstresses. Arnold, the farmer who introduces and concludes each lesson, is joined by Tadpole, Buddy Beaver, Clayton Crab, Handy Gander, Freddie Fish, Merrie Mermaid, and Bull Frog. Each character has a unique personality that will help teach students valuable lessons. To learn more about the program, click here.
Did Thanos kill you?
By Dustin Steiger and Sam Shelenberger, arts and entertainment editor and broadcast director
On January 9, Panther Press members Dustin Steiger and Sam Shelenberger released a survey to discover which members of the student body survived ‘The Snap’ from Avengers: Infinity War. Click here to find out who lived and who died.
Did you survive the snap?
WARNING: Contains spoilers for Avengers Infinity War
It has been 7 months since the release of Avengers Infinity War, and fans are still shocked by the ending. With half of the universe dead at the hands of Thanos, Panther Press staff members Dustin Steiger and Sam Shelenberger would like to know who at Saegertown High School survived the snap. Please take 5 minutes to fill out this survey.
Holiday Pawdcast 2018
French Creek Community Theater packs the house at Disney World
Saegertown students Dustin Steiger, Rachel White, and Blake Hamilton performed at Disney with a group from French Creek Community Theater over the Thanksgiving break.
By Dustin Steiger, Arts and Entertainment Editor
Roughly six months ago, the student performers of French Creek Community Theatre (FCCT) began training for “Team Disney 2018,” a special opportunity to perform as a show choir on Saturday, November 24 at Disney Springs. The young actors and actresses involved with FCCT were more than excited to show Orlando what they had. As Thanksgiving Break began, the students, including Saegertown students Blake Hamilton, Rachel White, and myself, made their way to Florida.
As a proud FCCT performer myself, I can personally say that the experience was absolutely exhilarating. The group arrived and checked into Disney’s All-Star Music Resort a couple days before the performance, which gave us a couple days to get familiar with the parks and to explore. On Friday, November 23, the group attended two “Workshop” sessions, which gave us the opportunity to discover the process that Disney performers and voice actors go through first-hand.
For the first workshop, we learned and performed a dance routine for the Disney song “I Have a Dream,” and for the second workshop, we recorded voice-overs using footage from the Disney movie “Frozen.” While exploring the parks and attending the workshops were certainly amazing, the real highlight of the trip came from the Team Disney 2018 performance on Saturday.
With the hot sun beating down on us, we arrived at the Marketplace Stage in Disney Springs and crowded backstage, where we waited anxiously. After the group said a quick prayer, we were introduced by the announcer and walked on stage to find the seats filled, with a large number of people standing behind the seats in order to watch. With every song we performed came rounds of applause and smiles from the audience. The show lasted about a half an hour, with the group performing fourteen total songs, including popular Disney tunes such as “The Circle of Life,” “I Just Can’t Wait to be King,” and “Colors of the Wind,” as well as a few Broadway hits, such as “One Short Day” from the musical Wicked and “Seasons of Love” from the musical Rent.
“I one-hundred percent won’t (forget this),” said Jonathan Merritt, FCCT performer and a former Saegertown Panther. “(These are the) best years of my life.”
“This theatre is my family,” said Rachel White, “and I can always count on them. I will always remember the adventures.”
