A Green Thumbs Up for Sustainable Farming

Chartiers Valley senior, Alyson Finnerty, is taking her passion for food to the next level. Alyson had the opportunity to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Sustainable Farming and Food Systems Pre-College Program.

This week-long intensive program introduced high school students to sustainability, systems thinking, social justice and agricultural leadership and food systems – both local and nationwide. With a combination of theory and hands-on experiences in this program, students had the opportunity to learn more about where their food comes from and their personal impact on the food system.

“It was amazing. Overall it was a fantastic combination of in-class work and field work. We got to get our hands dirty but also learned what we were doing while we were doing it,” Alyson said.

Alyson was hoping to gain more experience with sustainable agriculture to help her determine if it might be something she would like to pursue in the future. Now that she’s had this experience at the Sustainable Farming and Food Systems Pre-College Program, she believes it’s a career path she’d like to pursue.

The program participants were busy all day with classroom learning from 9 am to 12 pm and field and farm work from 1 pm to 4 pm.

“Our days were filled with adventure! Each day my classmates and I would wake up, walk to the dining hall and then make the dash across campus to Paige Laboratory,” Alyson explained. “During classroom learning hours we discussed the building blocks of sustainable agriculture, food inequality in America, the role of government in agriculture and organic growing practices.”

“In the afternoon, we put on our work boots to venture out to one of the many organic farms we had the pleasure of harvesting and learning from. These included Fungi Ally (mushroom farm), Simple Gifts (organic vegetable/ herb farm), the UMass student experimental farm, the UMass permaculture gardens and the UMass organic farm,” Alyson continued.

During her stay, Alyson had had the opportunity to work in the fields at Simple Gifts Farm. There we harvested purple/ orange carrots and onions for the weekly Community Supported Agriculture they distribute.

“Near the end, I marveled at our product,” explained Alyson.  “With lots of work and passion, we had an organic gold mine of food for the entire community to share.”

Alyson also had the opportunity to meet students who are currently enrolled in the Farming and Food Systems program and get a firsthand perspective on their college experience and career goals.

The experience taught Alyson a lot about creating a sustainable food system.

“We were talking about the core of sustainability for a lot of the time we were out there – the three main components are ethics, environment and economy. There are 50 million starving people in the U.S., but 40 percent of all the food that the U.S. produces is wasted, which is horrifying to me. It's not that we don't have enough food; it's just that it's not in the right places.”

“We talked about reusing the food that would be discarded as scraps, like distorted vegetables that can't be sold can be distributed to a homeless shelter, food bank so it can be distributed. Or even composting it rather than just throwing it away. Composting can add nutrients to the soil, making it richer so the next crop grows better. Starving people aren't going to be put off by the shape of the food. They just want something to eat,” added Alyson.

“I learned that doing something you morally and ethically agree with and still making enough money to live comfortably is possible!  Happiness by means of personal fulfillment is so much more valuable than an illusionary happiness that relies on possessions,” said Alyson.  “I also learned that I want to study sustainable agriculture in college!  When I came upon that realization, I was so relieved!”

Alyson has big plans for her future and she’s willing to take the steps necessary to reach her career goals.

“I won't be able to buy a plot immediately after I'm done with school, so to start off I'll likely work on an organic farms in the west and try to team up with a couple local schools to try to integrate programs involved with healthy foods and how to grow them,” she said.

Alyson’s advice to current students trying to decide on a college major is to try out things that interest you.

She explained, "If you're a student who is looking into majors, but don’t know which direction to steer, trying a program on the subject is always a good idea!  Get hands on experience before you commit to something you have not gotten the chance to explore!  For me, it made all the difference!”     

Fighting Flames for a Brighter Future

When things heat up, Corey Weir accepts the challenge – flames and all. The Chartiers Valley junior is a participant in Kirwan Heights Volunteer Fire Department’s weekly training program where he works towards becoming a volunteer firefighter.

This program provides fire simulations and other safety training exercises to prepare future fire fighters to approach any situation skillfully.

“The fire department would have control of abandoned houses and we would smoke the houses out, practice searches and practice forcible entry,” said Corey. “Other times we just practice fundamental things like advancing a hose line.”


Corey said the program is challenging, but it also has its perks.

“It is hard work and you must be able to work with other people because you have to rely on them,” explained Corey. “It is a great activity to be a part of because it is fun, requires a lot of hard work and you have the opportunity to save lives once you turn 18.”

Although Corey is training hard, he will not be able to fully participate in all the responsibilities of a volunteer firefighter until he turns 18.

“I can go out on calls with the department, I'm just limited in what I can do until I'm 18. I can't go into a burning building. I'm not allowed to use the power tools on scene for say a car accident, but I am allowed to use those tools for training purposes,” he explained.

Along with that, the department has business meetings in addition to firefighter training to get trainees familiar with all facets of a volunteer fire department.

Corey decided to join the Kirwan Heights Volunteer Fire Department training program to complement his Law Enforcement career goals.

“I've wanted to join a fire department for a while now. I started in September of 2014 and plan to continue for [a few] years.” said Corey.

Currently he attends Parkway West Career and Technology Center to accelerate his career path while attending CVHS.

“I'm [going to Parkway] more for the training. I'm not really looking at a firefighter career path,” said Corey. “I am looking at a law enforcement career path, but I do enjoy the idea of being able to help people out on my own time.”

Corey isn’t the only one in his family who is passionate about helping others.
“On my dad's side of the family there are a lot of uncles and cousins that are part of a fire department in Somerset,” he said.

As for certifications, the fire department offers many exercises and training opportunities, but Corey can only receive formal certifications at Parkway.

Looking forward, Corey believes this training has opened many doors for him to help others in the future.

“[I like] being able to help people. That's the biggest thing for me,” he said. “I enjoy helping people and being prepared to save them if that ever needs to happen.”

Making the Goal

Long odds don't intimidate Natalie Wasielewski or Annie Katonka. The juniors were among seven girls from the Mid-Am District (PA, OH, IN, KY, and WV) to be extended invitations to the USA Hockey National Development camp in St. Cloud, MN in July.

With only 35 Division I Women’s Ice Hockey programs in the country and 18 full scholarships available, an invitation to the camp usually puts players on the radar to be scouted by college hockey coaches. The July camp was the second week-long national camp for Natalie and the first for Annie. Both have been playing since they were 5 or 6 years old and reached the quarterfinals of their age group’s national tournament last year as members of the Pittsburgh Pens Elite Girls team.

Playing for an elite travel team, on the road many weekends during the season, can be a grind mentally, financially and physically,.

"There are no open ice checks in women's hockey, but that doesn't mean it's not physical," Annie said. "It's a lot harder than people think. They know football and men's hockey are tough, but we're traveling every other weekend. It seems like we're always gone and having to catch up on school work. There's a lot of driving to tournaments. And then on the ice, we get beat up a lot. It's much more challenging than people give us credit for."

Although the skill level is high at the elite league level, it's nothing like what the girls faced at the development camp.

"Every single girl is so good that it's very competitive," Natalie said. "The hardest part of the camp is probably going through all the skill sessions before we start team practices and playing games. It's pretty physically demanding. By the end of the day I'm beat. You can see in people's faces by the end of the week that they're pretty tired. I think it just shows you that this level is more competitive and because of the skill level, participating gives you a higher level of expectation. Everybody who attends is a first liner on their amateur teams."

"It's not all on the ice," Annie added. "We worked out, did team bonding activities, and attended seminars. I learned what it takes to take your hockey game the next level and many other tips on hockey."

"Some of my favorite memories included hanging out with friends before and after an ice session and playing the games," Annie said. She then went on to explain that since all the girls attending the camp were already strong fundamentally, there were a lot of team-based activities that were focused on developing mental aptitude and learning to play in a system.

Both Annie and Natalie said they felt that they improved as players during the week.

"I felt I was definitely a better player at the end of the week because I played with some highly skilled players throughout the week," Annie said. It made it more challenging to go up against players at that level. I had to step up my game and that's why I feel I improved. Everyone around you develops and when you take your game up a level everyone around has to match you."

"The high level of hockey is what I remember most," Natalie said. "I see improvement in my game because of the camp. While I think most of the contact from colleges comes from my amateur team, the recruiters do keep aware of who has been invited to and attends the camp."

The girls also felt that there was much to be gained off the ice as well. Both said they grew socially because everyone was initially strangers thrown into a melting pot.

"It was fun to stay in the dorms," Annie said. "I roomed with someone I never met before, so it was cool getting to know people from other parts of the country and learning about their lives and home towns. My roommate was from Boston and her accent was funny to me and mine was to her. It was a good mix of cultures."

"I made some really good friends that I talk to all the time," Natalie added. "Some of the girls I keep in touch with are from Minnesota and New Hampshire. We're all different, but we have the hockey in common, so that helps us open up."

Each player has had contact with colleges and hope for an opportunity to play at the Division I level, but that's not the end of it. Seminars at the camp gave insight to the opportunities available to the girls. A college education is an important factor. Looking towards the future, Penn State is one of Natalie's top schools. Annie hopes for a D-I shot, however she's open to playing D-III at the right school. There will be national team opportunities and further down the road, the possibility of playing for National Women's Hockey League that formed this year.

"I would definitely encourage more females to get into hockey,"Annie said. "Work hard at it and amazing things can happen."

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.