Caricatures by Callahan

Jordan Callahan discovered an affinity for art at a young age.

"I always knew I loved to draw," Jordan said. "When I was in the Primary School I would trace stuff from comic books, but I was always fascinated by the guys at the malls and in the parks who could just make a show out of drawing a picture of someone's face in 5 minutes."

Now, as a senior enrolled in AP Studio Art/Drawing, Jordan has developed his drawing skills into an entrepreneurial endeavor, Caricatures by Callahan. He has been drawing caricatures for about three years.

"It is a unique job where I am not fixed to a specific schedule, but whenever a function or party needs an entertainer,” explained Jordan. “I've had the opportunity to caricature at festivals, libraries, theaters, parties, and school functions, like the 2014 Chartiers Valley Prom."

In developing his skills, Jordan took instruction from an artist he knew and started practicing with different types of markers and techniques. With additional instruction at CVHS and encouragement from art teacher Mr. Barzan, Jordan began networking and developing a clientele.

He began by volunteering to draw caricatures at events for schools or theaters.  As his reputation grew, so did the demand for his caricatures services. Now Jordan has been able to turn his hobby into a part time job.

However, success wasn't instantaneous.

"To get to where I am now, I went through tons of paper," Jordan said. "I was drawing face after face and sketching daily while trying to find a style that worked for me.”

“It certainly wasn't easy at the start,” Jordan continued. “I would make glaring mistakes like drawing the chin through the mouth. Practice was one of the most important factors for me."
Jordan also appreciates the help and support he received from his teachers at Chartiers Valley, his art teacher, Mr. Barzan.

“Mr. Barzan really helped me a lot,” said Jordan. “He's always been there to look at my art and suggest opportunities and critiques."



Developing a rapport with his subjects was also a major component in growing as a caricaturist.

"I draw caricatures, which are essentially what I like to call half portrait-half cartoons," Jordan said. "Part of that is carrying on a conversation during the five minutes it takes me to draw a face to learn about a person's interests, habits and hobbies. What's kind of cool is I get to know the people I draw because I'm asking questions and trying to find things to add to the drawing."

Though he is able to charge up to $45 an hour for parties, Jordan finds some of his most enjoyable work comes through volunteering.

"I have volunteered my work with various organizations," he said. "One of my favorites is the Pittsburgh CureSearchWalk. Another is representing CV student Sydney Hawk in the Hope for Sydney events in 2014 and 2015."

Though caricaturing is not something Jordan plans on making a career out of, he would like to continue with it through his college years and continue to grow as an artist. He also hopes to expand his clientele so he can continue caricaturing to help raise money for college.

Jordan also encourages his peers to pursue their talents and interests.

“I believe everyone has gifts and talents and they are meant to be used,” said Jordan. “I would encourage students in this direction; art is a very rewarding field, and if it is something a student has a passion for, it is a sublime opportunity.”

“When I first started drawing caricatures, I had no idea I could make a business out of it,” he continued. “I have learned that hard work and a creative spirit pays off. That's the cool thing about it – if you work at something you love, it could get to the point where you can make a career out of it."

Jordan can be booked for parties and events through his website: www.caricaturesbycallahan.com.

 

Camp Counselor

For senior Adam Atallah-Kugel, inspiration came in the form of a movie when he was 11 years old. After watching The Parent Trap, a 1998 remake of the original 1961 Disney film of the same name where twin siblings separated at birth meet each other for the first time at a summer camp, Adam told his mother that he'd like to attend a sleep-away camp.

After attending Camp Kon-O-Kwee/Spencer in Fombell, PA, as a camper for several years, Adam decided he would take the next step and become a counselor in training (CIT) at the camp run by the YMCA.

"I enjoyed being a camper and felt being a counselor would improve my leadership and social skills,” said Adam. “And, it would be a good way to learn how to take care of kids and be a role model."

Camp counselors are each assigned to different "villages" – or age-groups – based on the camp’s selection process that matches campers with counselors. 

Adam was placed in a village called Juna, which consists of 7-9-year-old boys. Juna campers stay on main camp and participate in the typical main camp day, which begins with flags at 8:15 am. Each day, the village director lets the counselors and campers know what fun activities are planned for that day.

After flags, the campers and counselors eat breakfast before they head back outside to meet up with their program zone groups. These groups consist of two counselors and approximately 10 kids. Program zones are set up in a way that every day is different. Programs such as boating, basketball, fishing, and rock climbing make up the morning activities.

Following lunch and a rest hour, village activities of swimming, zip lining, and hiking fill the afternoon until dinnertime. Following dinner, there may be a camp-wide party or another special activity.

Adam had to arrive a week before the start of camp for staff training where counselors learn leadership and general safety skills. Adam has learned a great deal since becoming a CIT, but knows the learning curve will steepen when he becomes a full counselor next summer. 

One thing he’ll have to learn is how to talk to the kids who are homesick and make them feel comfortable at camp. It’s something he already has a little bit of experience with.

"Once the counselor for our group was out doing something and I had these four kids who were really homesick, so I would play the soundtrack for Interstellar and tell them to focus on the music or try something like counting the stars on the ceiling of the cabin,” explained Adam. “If I was successful in taking their mind off of how bad they wanted to be home, they'd fall asleep in 10 or 15 minutes. Usually, the homesickness hits at night, so if you can get them to sleep, it passes."

Adam really enjoys his role as camp counselor and hopes to continue during the summer while he is in college. 

“A lot of the counselors are college students and I'd like to continue counseling through my college years,” said Adam. “I love the place and love working there and I think it shows leadership skills and also looks good on a resume or college application."

"Helping to take care of a young child and being responsible for them has definitely helped me mature and accept responsibility,” said Adam. “It’s fun and rewarding.” 

Beyond the Border

For four weeks over the summer, senior Kylie Johnson and junior Chelsea Griffith spent a month in Germany where they attended school and absorbed German culture through the Friendship Connection student exchange program.

Kylie and Chelsea each stayed with students whom they previously hosted on visits to Chartiers Valley High School. Kylie stayed in Sankt Goarshausen, a small town on the Rhein River, with her host student, Lisa. Chelsea stayed with her host student, Eva, in Limburg, which is located between Cologne and Frankfurt.

Although they were a bit apprehensive about their proficiency in speaking German at the start of the trip, Kylie and Chelsea found that when immersed in the culture, their skills improved rapidly and dramatically.

"I think I improved my German skills a ton," Chelsea said. "The first few days I was nervous and just sat there feeling confused. But at the end of the trip after sitting in classrooms, I got to the point where I was able to understand about 75 percent of what was being said."

"I'm not fluent in German, but I did improve a lot while I was over there," added Kylie. "I spoke German with Lisa a lot, but the problem was she also wanted to practice her English with me. We would end up having these two-language half and half conversations."

The girls also found German schools to be very rigorous. They also noted that the German students with whom they were interacting spent a significant amount of time studying.

“We'd come home from school and Lisa would tell me watch tv for two hours while she did her homework,” said Kylie.

“When Lisa was here she would say to me, ‘Didn't we have some math homework? Shouldn't we do it?'” continued Kylie. “My grades were actually better when Lisa was here because of that."

"I went to all of Eva's classes, which was difficult at first because I didn't understand as much as I would now," Chelsea said. "English was interesting because they were reading English language novels and writing essays in English.”

“Over here, we speak only German in class, but we're mostly learning words and grammar,” continued Chelsea. “In Germany, they also take multiple different languages. Everything seemed to be more advanced over there."

Outside of school, Kylie developed a love for the town's cafes.

"My two favorite things about my trip to Germany (as silly as it sounds) were visiting the cafe near the school and walking along the Rhein River," she said.

Kylie explained that she also really enjoyed everything about Lisa’s home town. The town was small and Lisa lives on the same street as her school. The girls walked all around town, including to school and cafes. Kylie appreciated not having to get in a car to go somewhere.

Chelsea said her entire trip was full of highlights, but one that stands out was a trip to a World War II hospital with her host family.

“It had everything still there. I learned things about history – things that I've studied, but from a different perspective,” explained Chelsea. “You hear about those things in classes here, but not many people have gotten to see it from that side. The weird thing about that memorial is that it's still functioning as a hospital."

Kylie, who is a Leadership Assistant in German 4 this year, said she would like to encourage everyone who has the opportunity to travel abroad to take advantage of it.

"I had the chance to make many new friends and improve my social skills,” Kylie said. "We visited Cologne and went to some big festivals and a bunch of touristy attractions, but my favorite thing in Germany and what I miss most, is leaving Lisa's house and walking 10 steps to the river, just to sit there and watch the sun go down and then walk down the street to get some ice cream. It was the most fun I have ever had and I hope to have the opportunity to visit Germany and other places in the future."

Chelsea relished the opportunity to experience a different culture, school system, and social scene.

"My host family took me to many different castles, large cities, and even France.  I tried many different types of food that I have never tried before.  And I met friends in Germany that I will have forever, especially my host family. I was learning new things every single day about everything,” said Chelsea. “There is no doubt in my mind that I would encourage other students to take this opportunity. You get to see a whole different outlook on life.  It made me look at everything in a different way."

On a Roll

You may not know it, but Chartiers Valley has a roller hockey program. The team was formed in 2011 by three seventh graders who wanted to play hockey without the expense of joining the district's ice hockey club program. Now juniors, Spencer Carlson, Nick McCullough and Anthony Ferrella have achieved official district club status for the program they started five years ago.

The CV teams (varsity, junior varsity and middle school) play in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Roller Hockey League (PIRHL), which was founded in 1999. The league is host to more than 140 teams at Harmarville Bladerunners, RMU Island Sports Center and Hot Shots Sports Arena in Mt. Pleasant.

The PIRHL was initially established to provide students with the opportunity to represent their high school while playing in-line hockey. The league has since expanded to include younger in-line enthusiasts, offering eight divisions for participants – ranging in age from 5-17. The Pittsburgh Penguins support the PIRHL by providing league information and covering seasonal activities through the Pittsburgh Hockey Network. The PIRHL is a 4 on 4, non-checking league.

"I started playing in an in-house league in 5th grade, but I wanted to play in a school league because all my friends from other schools played for their schools," said Spencer, who led the PIRHL Varsity 2 Division in scoring this year. "I talked to my mother and she and Dan Kopach got together to help organize it.”

It took two years for the program to get approval as an official club sport. Club sports don't receive any financial support from the district, but they are permitted to compete under the Chartiers Valley name.

"Our parents had a bunch of meetings and had to show that an organization was in place to get approval," Spencer said.

The boys also had to recruit enough players to make a team. It wasn’t easy, but Spencer, Nick and Anthony never gave up.

"We had to recruit to get enough players for a team the first year," Anthony said. "We just asked around to see if we could find kids who wanted to play. We put a bunch of flyers up. It's a lot cheaper than ice hockey, so that made it a little easier to get players."

“We only had 7 or 8 kids that first year, just enough for a team," added Spencer

Nick said that even though the program has grown to field teams at three levels, it still struggles with numbers.

"This year we only had nine kids," he said. "Only eight of those are skaters (the ninth is a goalie) and a lot of times kids didn't show up for games. Sometimes we only had two or three subs."

Despite a short bench, the varsity team was able to finish 16-8-5 and earn its first PIRHL playoff berth.

Not only has the program grown at Chartiers Valley, it has grown across the region over the years. There are now 11 teams in Varsity Division 2 and more than 100 teams playing across 14 age/skill classifications.

The team has to pay for its own uniforms, home and away, and take care of its own transportation to and from games and practice time at the Bridgeville Roller Rink, but according to Spencer, Nick and Anthony, it’s worth it. 

"We just like playing the game," Anthony said. "It's a fun sport that doesn't get a lot of recognition, but we really enjoy it."

Members of the 2014-15 team include: Hayden Bell, Tanner Bock, Spencer Carlson, Trevor Dobbins, Anthony Ferrella, Jeff Lakes, Nick McCullough, Nick Pruski, and Walter Wilson.

Brothers Band Together

When twin brothers Christian and Nathan Sosinski decided to form a band during their freshman year of high school, they weren’t sure what would come of it. Now seniors, they have progressed to the point where they are one of the 10 featured groups on the WYEP's first ReImagine CD.

WYEP (91.3 FM) is an independent, member-supported radio station based on Pittsburgh's South Side. WYEP's ReImagine Media project is focused on creativity and empowering teens as they explore creative expression through music. As one of the groups selected to perform on the CD, Christian and Nathan had the opportunity to work with professional producers and record in The Church Recording Studio.

The twins' band, Driven Lifeless, has played at Pittsburgh venues such as Altar Bar, Smiling Moose, and the Mr. Roboto Project in Lawrenceville. The band has also played the Three Rivers Arts Festival and Pittsburgh International Children's Festival. Performing as the opening act for local punk band Misfits at Altar Bar is one of the band's biggest highlights, but the experience didn't come without some anxiety. The band lost its drummer just prior to the gig and had to search music shops to find a replacement.

In addition to sharing their love of music through their songs, the experience of performing live has proved to be an outlet for them to share a positive message with their audience.

"I've learned not to be afraid to help people," Christian said. "Just be yourself, try to help and people will be grateful and love you for it."

Driven Lifeless considers bands such as Screeching Weasel and Green Day as influences of its own punk style. Both Christian (guitar, lead singer) and Nathan (bass, back-up vocals) are self-taught musicians. Brandon Palonis, a student at Canon-McMillan, is the band's drummer. The band plays throughout the year wherever the group can find a booking, performing both covers and original songs. The cut they performed for the ReImagine CD is an original, I Believe.

“I share my love of music with people through song,” said Christian. “I also use music to spread a positive message to all people.”

The band's positive outlook is displayed in this posting from its website www.drivenlifeless.com. The post also reveals how the band chose its name.

"In a world full of missed opportunity, it’s easy to find yourself depressed, and going through life Driven for all the wrong reasons. We have all been there. We believe everyone has the chance to help others and make their life better. To help that lonely person in the corner stand up to bullies and know they count. To help that person who is Driven Lifeless through time without feelings, and let them know they too can have a Driven Life-less the stress, less the bullying, and less the tough times. Reach out, and help someone in need. Just one act of kindness can make a difference in someone's life, and can change the way they view life. I know you believe in us and we believe in you. We can all make a difference in Life, Especially You."

Sports craving leads to career screening

Freshman Michael Guido is turning his passion into on the job training.

As a writer of The Sports Crave since April of 2014, Michael writes sports-related articles and opinions for the upstart sports website that has more than 10,000 Twitter followers. Michael was recently given the title of Manager of Content and Promotion for the site.

Michael’s writing adventure began in April 2014 with an email that actually had nothing to do with, well, writing.

“A couple of months ago, I heard there was a basketball team coming to Pittsburgh, so I emailed the team’s owner to try to find out more,” said Michael.

It turns out the owner of the Steel City Yellow Jackets not only replied to Michael, he stayed in contact, giving Michael inside information and updates regarding the team. Not long after that Noah Miller from Hempfield reached out to Michael via Facebook.

“He thought I was the team’s owner because of my profile picture,” explained Michael. “After he discovered I was just a fan, we kept in touch. A month or two later he asked me to be a part of his website, the Sports Crave.”

Since joining the site, Michael has received crash courses in marketing and promotion. He has also – by his own admission – improved his writing through practical practice. Michael is a credentialed writer for the Steel City Yellow Jackets, a professional American Basketball Association team based in Pittsburgh, and also takes on stories in the four major sports.

“I’ve learned that it’s hard work to be successful and hard work can mean long hours,” said Michael. “I’ve also learned the value of networking.”

As a writer, Michael has been writing articles on a variety of topics, but his main focus is on sports. This experience has helped him realized that sports writing is his passion, but he also has an interest in writing about politics and business, among other things.

Michael is most proud of his article “What’s better: The Arena Football League or the National Football League,” which is his most viewed article to date.

This experience has opened many doors for Michael and provided him with exceptional opportunities.

“I think the highlight of this experience was covering the Yellow Jackets first game,” said Michael. “I sat in the press box, had a broadcast throughout the game and got to interview the players on the court after the game.”

Michael would encourage his peers to look into The Sports Crave (or similar sports websites) if they are interested in journalism and/or sports.

“If you love sports and love discussing sports, then this is an opportunity you should go for,” said Michael.

In addition to his work at The Sports Crave, Michael is also the Assistant Director of Teams of America, a non-profit organization that specializes in increasing awareness and preventing bullying, suicide and drug usage.

Michael’s impressive resume as an entrepreneur, writer and public speaker also includes:

• Manager/writer at The Sports Crave
• Assistant Director at Teens of America
• Co-Founder & President of The Global Crave
• Co-Host at TSC Network 
• Director of Public Relations at the Steel City Football League

After High School, Michael is planning to attend college and possibly major in broadcasting, sports management or sports journalism.

You can read many of Michael’s recent posts at http://thesportscrave.com/author/mike-guido.