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THE SIGNAL
www.indians.k12.pa.us/thesignal
...quarantine/graduation edition!
June 2020: ed. V
By Megan Roman, staff writer
Due to COVID-19 the seniors of 2020 are forced
to have their senior year ended early along with not hav-
ing a traditional graduation. These kids were forced to
start preparing for their futures earlier than they thought.
When asked, most of them are very upset about their
senior year ending early. Senior Gabby Greager said, “I’m
more upset than anything because I’ve worked so hard for the
last 13 years just for my senior year to be shortened. I can’t
even graduate with the people I’ve known since kindergarten.”
The early ending
Another senior, Chloe Yoder, said, “I feel as if even though
we didn’t get to nish it out, the school is doing their best to give us
a good ending. It’s sad but we still have a whole future ahead of us!”
Senior Gabe Burns is “ not upset about gradua-
tion and is just waiting to be able to start trade school.”
The seniors are now getting ready for whatever they’re
doing in the future. Some are taking summer classes or do-
ing extra work to get ready for college; others are just trying to
have the best summer they can. “I’m just ready to move on and
work towards the future I want,” said Andrew Nelson, a senior.
The SAHS Girl’s Basketball team celebrating a victori-
us win.
(Above) The SAHS
Senior Competi-
tion Band and Color
Guard Members hon-
ored in a march at
the nal TOB compe-
tition of the season.
(Left) SAHS Football
players and Cheer-
leaders at the an-
nual award banquet
posing with their
plaques.
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NEWS
By Caycee Kalinoski, staff writer/layout and design editor
Local seniors may have lost the end of their senior year due to
COVID-19, but members of the greater Shamokin community have done their
best to soften the blow. Started by Lisa Scicchatano, of Coal Township, the
Facebook group “Adopt a Shamokin Area (and Surrounding Areas) graduat-
ing senior”, has become a place for seniors to be appreciatel eir community.
Parents of seniors (or senior students) are encouraged to post photos
and information about their high school careers. Seniors are then “adopted”
by members of the community and are given a gift, such as candles, candy,
and soaps, among other fun items. Scicchatano has also featured a number
of give away contests in the group, having seniors post photos and memo-
ries for the chance to win a prize donated from a member of the community.
Scicchatano has also featured a number of give away contests
in the group, having seniors post photos and memories for the chance to
win a prize donated from a member of the community. As of May 14, the
group contains 1,651 members and is open to all seniors in the area.
Senior students “adopted”
by community members
By Sydney Rhoads, staff writer
Calling it a “huge disappointment,” Europe trip coordi-
nators Mr. Ty Crossley and Mr. Stephen Keller, announced the
COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to postpone this sum-
mer’s trip to England and Scotland until the summer of 2021.
Superintendent Chris Venna supported the decision
“100%” and also gave permission for this year’s seniors who
are currently enrolled in the trip to be part of next year’s trip.
The “Scots, Bards, and Brits” adventure involves the Shamokin
Area group ying from the United States to London, Stratford, and York
in England, and Edinburgh, Scotland, before returning home. Some of the
activities will include a tour of London and visits to a British museum,
Christchurch College, Shakespeare’s birthplace, and Edinburgh castle.
UK trip postponed until 2021
A mobile screenshot of the “Adopt a
Shamokin Area ... Senior” Facebook page
By Gianna Sinopoli, staff writer
Volleyball, obstacle courses, and swimming
were among the fun events planned for the second an-
nual Autism Day, which would have been held April
24 at Shamokin Area Middle/High School. Sadly, the
coronavirus lockdown put an abrupt halt to this won-
derful event.
“This day gives kids the opportunity to be
themselves and not have to t in with the ‘normal’ life-
style,” said Mrs. Kapushinski, Autism Day organizer,
earlier this spring. Autism Day sparked interest at our
school when the Special Education Department was in-
vited by another school to its Autism Day.
COVID cancels annu-
al Autism Day event
Shamokin Area’s event consists of many sensory activities and also volley-
ball, obstacle courses, and swimming. Activities take place in the stadium
and the road behind the school. Shikellamy and Mount Carmel were invit-
ed to attend. The district-wide event also oered volunteer opportunities
for students. T-shirts sold in anticipation of the Autism Day celebration
were made available at the food distribution days and times at the Annex
during the closure.
Are you an SAHS student returning next year? Send your summer memo-
ries to [email protected] to be featured in our next edition in the Fall!
2
SENIOR STATS
During the month of April, The Signal asked the 2020 seniors
to participate in a poll via social media. The Signal is proud to
present the results of our 2020 Senior Quarantine Questionnaire!
Inoformation, graphics, and layout by Emma Dailey
Seniors who provided their future plans:
Emma Laughlin - attending West Chester University and ma-
joring in Actuarial Science
Raven Depeal - Temple University, Majoring in Theater Technol-
ogy
Cheyanne Wolf - Bachelor’s degree in Elementary
Education with a minor in music at Hobe Sound Bible College!
Dennis Cole - Rosemont College, history
Sophie Rossnock - Attending Lock Haven University to major in
Sports Administration
Chloe Yoder - Susquehanna University, psychology
Destiny Jones - Cedar Crest College and majoring in nursing
Jazmyne Homan - Getting my CNA
Tori Moser - Work and taking care of my daughter
Victoria Brabitz - Cedar Crest College for nursing
Amber Klinger - Phlebotomist training
Nathan Grimes - attending Penn State University to study bio-
medical engineering on a pre-med track
Madelyn Donahue - Business major at Bloomsburg
Makayla Moroskie - Real Estate
Katelyn Zawalick - Cedar Crest College, Secondary Education
Social Studies
Emma Dailey - Cleveland Institute of Art - Double Major Illustra-
tion/Game Design
Da’sir Lovelace - Trade school, auto-collision
Jasmine Scandle - Villanova University, Biochemistry
Ashley Ponatoski - Susquehanna University, Biomedical Sciences
Dalton Bower - Find local work
Molly Stevens - Susquehanna University
Emily Slanina - Lebanon Valley College, physical therapy
Kaila Moore - Cosmetology School
Kyra Sanders - I want to go to vet school! I got accepted to Wil-
son, and will be attending as a Equine studies major.
Kathryn Slotterback - Manhattan College, majoring in Political
Science on the pre-law track.
Abbey DiOrio - Cedar Crest College to major in nursing and
hopefully become an RN
Cherie Martin - Slippery Rock University, Philanthropy & Non-
prot Management
Megan Wywadis - Thaddeus Stevens, Electrical Residential and
Maintenance.
Jasmine Slodysko - Attend Wilkes University as a nursing major
Holly Fegley - Kutztown University for Copyright and Patent Law
Sarah Kratzer - Triangle Tech, carpentry
Mason Filarski - Electrical union
Maggie Bowers - Susquehanna University, Pre-Law and Psychol-
ogy
Sheyenne Moore - Cedar Crest College for Nursing
Danielle Hinkle - I plan on attending Harrisburg University if
Science and Technology! I’m majoring in Integrative Science
with a focus in Forensics! I want to be a Forensic Pathologist
Joshua Dombrowski - Full-time Freshman at Wilkes Univer-
sity majoring in Biochemistry and Pre-med
What would you
put in your gradu-
ation time capsule?
(anonymous answers)
“All the notes I’ve passed in
class”
“My down payment for se-
nior week :( “
“Probably a note describing
quarantine and photos of me
and my friends”
“Books and my weird draw-
ings.”
“All of my sheet music”
“Pictures with my closest
friends, some rosin, bob-
by-pins from color guard, and
a mask.”
“A bottle of krazy glue”
“A face mask, roll of toilet
paper, and a copy of Animal
Crossing New Horizons”
“My volleyball warmup shirt,
my musical playbills and pic-
tures of me and my friends.”
“My Signal press badge and
pictures.”
“All of my honor band pins
and SkillsUSA 1st place pin.”
“A mask, my senior photo, a
picture of the class together.”
3
SENIOR SNAPSHOTS
During the month of April, The Signal asked the 2020 se-
niors to submit their favorite memories, either via photo, or
anonymously via written response. Here are their responses!
“During the rst week of school, Abby Doss had her brand
new NC State water bottle with her at lunch. The bell rang
so we were rushing to get out of the cafe, she then pro-
ceeded to grab the bottle by the lid and it came o. Wa-
ter went all over the table and we didn’t know what to do so
we both ran out with our other friend Ashley Ponatoski.”
“I really enjoyed being on Prom Committee. Making the Titanic, painting,
listening to music and choosing some for prom, (getting out of class for the
week lol), just everything about it really. All of the sporting events. The Class
of 2020 has taught/showed me so much. I’ve learned who real friends are,
I’ve seen true talent, I’ve seen it all. The Class of 2020 are amazing in every
way. I’m denitely sad school had to end the way it did, but I’m more excit-
ed to see everyone overcome this and start their lives in the real world. If it’s
going to college, going to the Army or any other branch, starting a family. I
can’t wait to see it all. I’m proud of my class. I love the Class of 2020. <3”
“Nothing made my senior year
more than being in band, cho-
rus, orchestra, and musical
with all of my closest friends.
But what we all unexpected
was the quarentine. I would do
anything to be back in school,
but this is denitely a story
worth telling in the future.”
4
SENIOR SNAPSHOTS
“One of my favorite memories this year
is actually from AP Chem class. We spent
half of the class explaining to Kramer
how to spell chilly because he spelled it as
“chilli” on his powerpoint. Basically any
day in that class was a good memory!”
“Every day from my rst period class in Mrs.
Feese’s room was guaranteed to bring some
epic moment. There are too many great mem-
ories from that class alone to pick just one.”
“Bringing in my infamous chocolate chip marshmal-
low brownies every year for my birthday!! If you were
in any class with me, you should know about them. :)”
“When Mr. Hollenberg ruins Telaysia and my dance par-
ty in home room” “Student Sections” “Musical Opening
Nights” “A brick fell through the ceiling in Mr. Bailey’s class”
5
FEATURES
Farewells from The Signal’s senior sta members
Emma Dailey (Layout and
Design Editor, Art Editor)
Hello all, my name is
Emma Dailey and I am responsi-
ble for formatting all of the stories
and photos, and the editing of said
photos in The Signal that you’re
viewing right now! It feels strange
typing this out myself and format-
ting my own writing for once, haha.
When the class I original-
ly requested for 5th period wasn’t
available, my best friend Cay-
cee mentioned that she was tak-
ing a new course oered during
that time slot. I decided to join
Mass Media on a whim so that
I would not have a study hall.
Little did I know, over the course of one cra-
zy school-year, I would come to invest hours upon
hours into this ambitious project of revamping the once
semi-defunct school newspaper. I was lucky enough to
learn a little bit of Adobe InDesign CC during a sum-
mer art residency program in Baltimore, which coin-
cidentally was the program the class had access to.
It is very fullling to arrange the stories
and articles written by my classmates, as well as
uplifting photos that exhibit the very best, happi-
est, and accomplished moments of my classmates.
I hope the very best for the future of this
publication, and I very much hope that the school
and community continue to support it. I would
love to see more printed editions in the future!
Thank you Mrs. Rhoads for doing such a great
job teaching this class as well as managing the pub-
lication. You are an amazing teacher and adviser, and
have encouraged your students to do great things!
Katelyn Zawalick (Staff Writer)
For me, the last four years have been
insanely eventful, from joining band, color
guard, and musical, to meeting new peers and
teachers that have changed my life forever.
Freshman year I joined color
guard, band and the musical, and I end-
ed up becoming friends with some of the
most amazing people I have ever met.
Sophomore year I joined cho-
rus and was able to take a trip to see
Wicked in New York City, which has al-
ways been my favorite place on earth.
Junior year was incredibly event-
ful, and will always be my favorite. Seeing
Fall Out Boy with one of my best friends,
performing Les Miserable, seeing Frozen
on Broadway, and even going to Disney!
Denitely the best year of my life so far.
Senior year, for what it was, had
a lot of excitement. Performing in Her-
shey Stadium, going to Philadelphia to see
The Nutcracker, being a part of the school
newspaper. I’ve been lucky enough to
even have a wonderful group of friends.
I guess what I’m trying to say is
that: I wouldn’t be who I am today if I didn’t
have these wonderful (and not-so-won-
derful) experiences. Thank you to every-
one who took part in these last six years.
To all of the underclassmen: get out of
your comfort zone; there are so many
amazing experiences waiting for you!
Angelina Schaeffer
(Staff Writer)
Thank you for
teaching me so much,
both things that I can
in school and things
that I can use in my
life. I’m going to miss
all of the fun times,
and all of the people I
got to share them with.
Nicholas Zimmer-
man (Staff Writer)
Thank you so
much for all of the great
memories in High School!
It was such an honor to
be a student of the dis-
trict. I will miss all of
the teachers, sta and the
lower classmates. Thank
you for a great journey!
6
FEATURES
Farewells from The Signal’s senior sta members (cont.)
Kathryn Slotterback (Staff
Writer)
When I originally joined The
Signal, I didn’t know what to expect. I
had been asked to join and immediate-
ly jumped at the chance to experience
what journalism is like, as I plan to go
into politics and wanted to see rsthand
how the media can paint a picture. I
got all of that, and more, and am ex-
tremely grateful to the opportunity Mrs.
Rhoads and the district provided me.
This paper helped broaden my
writing style, and forced me out of my
comfort zone, but it also gave me the
chance to work with some amazing and
talented people. We all became a part of
something bigger than our-
selves, and I hope we showed ev-
eryone in Shamokin how great
this paper is and can grow to be.
Thank you so much, Mrs. Rhoads,
for putting up with me for the last
three years, and seeing that this
would give me the opportunity to use
my writing skills and strong political
opinions to work for the communi-
ty. I’m going to miss you - and all of
my classmates - so much, but I wish
everyone luck on their future endeav-
ors and hope The Signal lives on.
Raven McCaffery (Staff Writ-
er, Photography Editor)
Thank you for the new experiences
I got to learn. Thank you to all of my
teachers who haven’t given up on me
throughout the years. Thank you for
all you have done to help us get out
senior experience in as much as you
could. I am thankful to be a gradu-
ate from Shamokin Area High School.
Caycee Kalinoski (Staff Writ-
er, Layout and Design Edi-
tor)
Thank you Mrs Rhoads for helping
with The Signal and allowing me to
spend many hours a day in your room!
And to my buddies in Layout and De-
sign Jeremiah and Emma, I will dearly
miss cram days and playing Snake :^)
A copy of the calendar from the SAHS website showing the many events cancelled this May.
BUCK - A - LINE
Congrats everyone! We did it. Class of
2020 woo! - E. Dailey
Stay golden everyone! - anonymous
_
2020 hit us harder than we could’ve imag-
ined, Here’s to ghting hard and doing
great things! -anonymous
Guys let’s go geocaching - Josh B.
7
EDITORIALS
Higher education, higher results
By Kathryn Slotterback, staff writer
In today’s world, in order to get what is consid-
ered a “good” or “meaningful” job, you need an education.
Whether that be at a trade school, or a university, higher ed-
ucation beyond a high school degree is a requirement to be
able to bring in a livable income and be more than a “low
skilled” worker. However, as the cost of a degree begins to
outweigh the benets of getting it, it becomes an unreach-
able goal for minorities or low income people to achieve.
Thirty years ago, the cost of a public, four year university
was -in today’s dollars - $3,360 per year. Now, that same degree
costs more than $10,000 per year in tuition and fees and more than
$21,000 per year with room and board. Meanwhile, median hourly
wages for college graduates have risen by less than $1 since 2001,
when adjusted for ination. The promise of higher pay has not
materialized for recent college graduates, who have been taking
out more and more in student loans to keep up with the skyrock-
eting cost of tuition. This has led to a generation of young people
unable to start families, buy homes, and follow their dreams.
With a generation drowning in debt, and another about
to follow, why aren’t more people talking about publicly fund-
ed higher education? They pool risk as widely as possible,
where regular loans put all of the risk on the individual. The
costs are spread across the population, ensuring a stable fund-
ing base. This would encourage people of all income levels
to attend school without the deterrent of cost or risk. School’s
would have less incentive to admit more wealthy students
because their funding would no longer come from tuition.
A system like this would depend on taxes. Depending
on how those taxes would be collected would inuence whether
the systemwould be regressive or progressive. By collecting the
taxes from income, it would be more progressive as it would re-
quire even those attending private schools to pay to support the
public system, as they are statistically more wealthier. It would
also place limits on how much schools can stay in school for-
ever and not get a degree. But, as in any system, there are al-
ways people who would do that. However, students would be un-
der risk as they wouldn’t be going right into the workforce and
missing that income. They would also still be in charge of living
expenses and textbooks. For low-income students, this could be
covered with scholarships or federal grants, making college vir-
tually free and feasible for those who need it. It would still be
an investment, but one that is collective rather than individual.
There are also concerns that it would lower the qual-
ity of the education, which is certainly a possibility. With any
change, there is going to be a negative outcome. But, for many
institutions, it could actually increase the quality. It could redi-
rect funding from buildings and sports to learning and teaching.
It could increase the number of low-income, but high-quali-
ty, students from being shut out of getting that education. By
change being written o due to the possibility of it decreasing
the quality of education, we are going to continue to have a sys-
tem that abuses the students it’s supposed to work for. We will
be stuck with a system that is unjust, expensive, and unsustain-
able, just people people are afraid of what could come out of it.
Better funding for colleges is a subject that needs to be
discussed. Our current system is ruining the lives of millions of
people every year, and is going to lead to worse consequences
than those brought by properly funding schools. Expanding op-
portunities, and thus the quality of life for people, is important and
should be brought to national attention. Moving towards a sys-
tem of free public higher education might just be the best option
we have for improving the horrible way we nance college now.
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
Review\ Informational Guide
By Paige Shofer, staff writer
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order Is a brand new game for the
beloved Star Wars franchise set in between Star Wars: Revenge
of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope with a new character
named Cal Kestis and BD-1 and shows how they both help each
other when they need it. Star Wars : Jedi Fallen Order has one of
the best showcases of how a friendship can develop, and when
things may seem tough, you always nd a way to keep moving.
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order also showcases a charac-
ter customizer (sort of) where you can change BD-1’s paint, the
way the ship called “The Stinger Mantis” looks, and Cal’s outts
and poncho. You also can customize your lightsaber at various
points of the game as well as the color of the saber. You can
explore the galaxy visiting planets like Zeo, Dathomir, Boga-
no, and Kashyyyk as the three main planets to travel to. After
completing the main story, you can even travel to Illum as the
fourth planet that you can unlock in game. The game can be
saved at a checkpoint called “Meditation Points” where not only
can you rest, but you can also gain abilities through skill points.
BD-1 can scan various items to give you tips on ene-
mies, the plot points of the story, and information of the plan-
et. Not only can BD-1 do all of that, he can jump in boxes to
help you nd materials, ponchos, dierent jackets, and dier-
ent builds for your lightsaber. BD-1 can get various upgrades
throughout the maps like the Scomp Link for BD-1 or dierent
force abilities. I feel that Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order is a great
game, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Cal and his friends!
Still from gameplay of Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order (Attributed to EA)
8
FEATURES
By Hannah Hess, staff writer
Normally, you can nd almost anything at your local grocery
store but since the outbreak of the pandemic it is hard to nd com-
mon items. So to substitute those things, some people have been get-
ting creative and spicing up their normal meal plans like eating pick-
les and macaroni and cheese instead of a bland and boring meal.
To change up his regular boring snack/dinner foods fresh-
man Corey Sosnoskie has been eating pizza rolls with queso blan-
co dip. Others are snacking at unusual times freshman Sophia Sien-
kiewicz has been eating Spagettio’s at two o’clock in the morning.
Grace Donahue, freshman, has been chowing down
on pizza. A Shamokin citizen substituted Bisquick pan-
cake mix for our to make Macaroni and Cheese.
Fortunately, the school district has been provid-
ing food pickups since the schools closed back in March. Stu-
dents have had the opportunity to eat school meals thar are provid-
ed by the district and handed out at the Annex by teachers and sta.
It is also fun to play with your food as
well as change it up every once and awhile.
Crazy quarantine foods
Blame “Rona”
Mr Styer: I cry a tear, I miss you so much. Stay strong, seriously
we've grown so much together and I know everybody's potential. I'm look-
ing forward to great things from each and every one of you. What you're
going through is actually going to make you stronger, as much as you
might be bored, this is going to make us appreciate each other more. I see a
lot of great things happening in the future with each and every one of you.
Mrs Kelchner: The Class of 2020 is motivated, intelligent, fun, multi-tal-
ented, sociable, and extraordinary young men and women who had a senior year
roller coaster ride, especially at the end. Just stay true to yourself and you will suc-
ceed at whatever you put your mind to. I wish you the BEST of LUCK and you will
truly be missed. It won’t be the same at Shamokin Area High School without you.
Mr. Kramer: I wish you all the luck in the world, seniors. Remember
moving forward that you are in charge of where you go next. The next 10 years of
your life are gonna y by really fast. Think about where you want to be 10 years
from now and make it happen and let nothing get in your way. We are proud of you.
Miss Schlacter: I’d like to say that this senior class is one of the best
classes of students I’ve taught since I’ve been here at SAHS. They all have such
big personalities and have been so much fun to work with throughout their high
school career! Although their senior year has brought some unforeseen challeng-
es, I believe everything happens for a reason. This senior class is RESILIENT-
and even under the worst circumstances, they've proven that they still have the
power and drive to achieve and succeed. They will be greatly missed but are o to
tackle the next phase in their lives! Good luck and congratulations class of 2020!
Mrs Shaer: The Senior Send o...oh my...I have thoroughly en-
joyed my time getting to know the Class of 2020. I had the majority of you
during your 10th grade year in my Ancient History I class, and then a few
of you again in Ancient History II and in homeroom. I specically remem-
ber from 10th grade your positive attitudes, your abilities to make me laugh
when I was having a rough day, and your go with the ow attitude. Little
did we know that these three characteristics would become so important in
dealing with your nal days at Shamokin Area. As you go from Shamokin
Area, keep your positive attitudes, laughter, and exible attitudes. You will
be missed terribly, but know you always have someone rooting for you, al-
ways, in your journey through life. Be Well and Congrats to the Class of 2020!
Teacher farewells for the senior class
By Ashlea Oakum, sta writer
Unless you’ve been under a rock since
March, you should be well aware of the corona-
virus outbreak that has swept the globe. Deemed
COVID-19, this pandemic has brought many chang-
es into our lives and vocabulary. When Webster
Dictionary publishes its next edition, it’s more than
likely we will see a few of these terms included.
First things rst: “Corona.” Before this
year, you might have thought of the famous Mexi-
can beer or even Rapunzel’s kingdom. Now, it’s
dened as the modern plague. Other names for it
include “COVID-19”, the ocial medical term,
or a slang term “Rona.” Typically when someone
uses “Rona,” they’re likely using it in a way to
make the coronavirus seem like a person. For ex-
ample: “Rona really messed up everything!” or
“Now we gotta wait even longer because of Rona.”
Most of us are in a period of “self-isola-
tion,” which is pretty self-explanatory. However,
this is commonly mixed-up with the term “quar-
antine”. Quarantine is self-isolation for people
who may have been exposed to the virus, whereas
self-isolation is keeping yourself away from oth-
ers to prevent yourself and others from catch-
ing it. Sadly, both words result in loneliness.
The arrival of the stay-at-home laws have
introduced a (somewhat) ecient way of safe com-
munication- Zoom. Zoom is a popular video calling
site that’s being used by schools, companies, sports
teams and musical casts, friends, and everything else
in between. Of course it isn’t the only video chat site
out there, but it’s certainly zooming its way to the
top of the popular charts. And by the way, the term
Zoom-bombing is used for an unexpected or unwanted
person, who shows up univited to your planned Zoom.
With the majority of us on a “coronacation” --
a vacation from the outside world -- many others are
WFH (working from home). Essential personnel such
as grocery store workers, healthcare professionals,
mechanics, farmers, manufacturers, and postal ser-
vice employees are are going out into the public daily.
To guarantee their safety, many are wearing PPE, or
“personal protective equipment” that includes masks,
gloves, face shields, and other disposable coverings.
Have any scoops for this sum-Have any scoops for this sum-
mer? (Other than ice cream, mer? (Other than ice cream,
of course!) Email stories to of course!) Email stories to
with any summer stories with any summer stories
for our fall edition!for our fall edition!
9
FEATURES
By Kait Dunn, staff writer and 2020 graduate
For the longest time Shamokin Area seniors have had many
dierent traditions, such as spray painting the rock wall out front
of the school, planning a big class prank or going to senior week in
Ocean City, Maryland and hanging out on the beach with your best
friends. Sounds awesome, right? But for this year's class of 2020 se-
niors, it all came to an abrupt stop. With the Covid-19 pandemic,
the senior class is still praying for all of these traditions to happen.
As of right now a lot of big senior milestones and accom-
plishments are already being held virtually. Graduation is being held
virtually on June 11. Baccalaureate and the awards ceremony are
also being held virtually and everything will be streaming through
Shamokin Area TV. Prom is also on hold right now but there are
three new dates -- June 26, July 10, and August 14 -- being looked at.
The senior class will still be trying to celebrate all these traditions
in any way they can. Right before school shut down seniors were starting
to come up with class prank ideas. A senior class prank never got ocially
planned though. Sophie Rossnock, class secretary, said that “a couple ideas
were thrown around, but we never really started talking about them a lot
because we thought we had more time to plan one.” Throughout the year
seniors were talking about dierent types of pranks they could do and when
would be a good time to do them. Since school has closed for the remainder
of the year, unfortunately, there will be no senior prank taking place this year.
One of the biggest traditions that take place each year is spray
painting your name on the rock out front of the school. Since this tradi-
tion takes place outside the senior class will still be able to participate in
this one. Most seniors will paint their names a day or two before grad-
uation or on the day of graduation. While some seniors have already
painted their name on the wall other members of the senior class are
looking forward to being able to carry on a big tradition. Chloe Yoder
is one of the senior class members who already painted her name on the
wall. She said, “I think it’s a great tradition that only Shamokin has and
it was always something I looked forward to doing when I graduated.”
Another fun tradition is senior week. While seniors are plan-
ning on graduating June 11, a lot of the seniors have plans to pack up on
June 15 and head to Ocean City, Maryland for senior week. While most
of the seniors are staying right on the boardwalk on 4th or 5th street,
some seniors are staying on 5th street behind the boardwalk and others
are a little bit farther down the boardwalk. I talked to a handful of se-
niors who are planning on going to senior week and they all said that
they were reading news articles on opening dates of the beach, board-
walk and hotels and praying that places would be open in time to go.
The beach is already open to the public, but as of right now the opening
date for all hotels and the boardwalk is May 22. All of the seniors I got
a chance to talk to still had their hotel reservations and are still plan-
ning on going to senior week as long as everything opens before June 15.
The class of 2020 has had a stressful last couple of months. Every-
one is doing their best to stay positive and be grateful for what is still able to
happen and everyone is still praying for some of the biggest and most excit-
ing events to still be able to take place this year. Hopefully everything works
out in everyone’s favor. Congratulations Shamokin Area Class of 2020!
Senior Traditions: Students
are coping and ‘praying’
The Interact Club donated $125, their pro-
ceeds from the Valentine’s Day carnation sale,
to the school library to purchase new books.
According to advisers Miss Angela Rock and Miss
Caitlin Schlachter, the club made similar donations to Au-
tism Day and the Shamokin Area Mini-thon with funds
raised from the previous purple and white carnation sale.
“We sold 225 owers to students and sta,” ex-
plained Rock about the most recent sale. She added that Flow-
ers From the Heart, Mount Carmel, provides the carnations
for all of the club’s ower sales throughout the school year.
Members of the club presented Mrs. Michelle Ke-
hler, a ninth grade English teacher who operates the school
library and is in charge of ordering books, with the check af-
ter school on Feb. 26. Mrs. Kehler was grateful for the mon-
etary donation. She added that students and sta are wel-
come to donate new and “newer” books to the school library.
Members of the Interact Club who gathered to present a mone-
tary gift to be used to purchase new books to the school library
are, rst row, from left, Abby Johnston, Alexa Bainbridge, Kelsie
Scott, Erika Bellinger, Diana Martinez, and Leann Johnston; and
back row, from left, Jasmine Scandle, Seth Hart, Carter Kramer,
Chloe Kalman, Sophie Sienkiewicz, and Emily Smith. (Photo by
Raven McCaffery, staff writer)
Interact Club donates to library
Freshman Samantha Stancavage poses in front of the Minithon
poster in the high school hallway, originally scheduled for April
24th, 2020, but now cancelled.
10
SPORTS
By Joe Masser, sports writer
Jersey Shore boys’ basketball team defeat-
ed Shamokin in the District 4 quad A quarter-nal game.
Shamokin held a 12 point lead at halftime but Jersey
Shore came out in the second half on re. Shore won 69-56 end-
ing Shamokin’s season. The Indians nished 16-7 on the year
losing 4 out of their last six games. Looking forward to next year,
the Indians will lose three key seniors Joe Masser, Matt Schic-
catano,and Mason Filarski, who are leaving big shoes to ll.
By Megan Roman, staff writer
Shamokin Area’s swim team’s athletic season came
to an end with the team placing fourth at district competition.
Freshman Anthony Feudale, juniors Megan Roman, Gabby
Doss, Madison Bridy, and Seth Hart, and seniors Gabby Greager
and Abby Doss all participated at Districts on February 26-27.
Feudale placed 10th in the 200 yard freestyle and 10th
in the 500 yard freestyle; Roman placed seventh in the 200 yard
IM and 5th in the 100 yard buttery; Gabby Doss placed second
in the 200 yard freestyle and rst in the 100 yard breaststroke,
and qualied for states in both events; Bridy placed 10th in the
100 yard freestyle and seventh in the 100 yard breaststroke;
Hart placed seventh in the 100 yard breaststroke; Greager
placed 14th in the 100 yard backstroke and 11th in the 50 yard
freestyle; Abby Doss placed rst in the 200 yard IM and rst
in the 500-yard freestyle, qualifying for states in both events.
The girls’ 200-yard medley relay placed
fourth and the 200-yard freestyle relay placed sec-
ond. Both relay events would have been moving to
the State competition prior to coronavirus closures.
The team placed fourth overall at Districts. States
were scheduled to be held on March 13 and 14 at Bucknell
University, but were canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Bulldogs end Shamokin’s season
Pandemic forces
end to swim season
A lookback at what was
In lieu of the lack of sports stories due to COVID-19, The
Signal is proud to feature photos of SAHS student ath-
letes before their season was unfortunately cut short.
11
JACOB ALVORD
CONNER ANASCAVAGE
BRYCE ANDERSON
OCEANA APOLLO
LILY AVANS
DYLAN BAINBRIDGE
SARA BANEY
DAMION BAUMERTS
MATTHEW BELLIS
NATHANAEL BENSINGER
DALTON BOWER
MARGARET BOWERS
TESSA BOWMAN
RIVER BRABITZ
VICTORIA BRABITZ
TIA BRESSI
NICHOLAS BROSIUS
ZONRIA BROWN
GABRIEL BURNS
PAIGE CAMPBELL
JOHN CARL III
ABIGAIL CHARRIEZ
DENNIS COLE JR.
OLIVIA COLLER
SHYANNA COLROSS
BIANCA COTTERALL
JOSEPH CURRAN
EMMA DAILEY
RAVEN DEPEAL
ABBEY DIORIO
JOSHUA DOMBROWSKI
MADELYN DONAHUE
ABIGAIL DOSS
ANDRU DRUCKENMILLER
CHEYENNE DUCHARME
KAITLYN DUNN
SAMANTHA EBERSOLE
JNAYA ELAM
DEVEN ELLIOTT
BRANDON ENGLAND
JAYCE FAGERSTROM
JERYN FAGERSTROM
SHANE FAWCETT
HOLLY FEGLEY
MASON FILARSKI
THOMAS FIORI
JARED FOREMAN
TATE FREDERICK
HEATHER FUGLIO-RANSOM
DYLAN GALLAGHER
BENJAMIN GINCK
GABRIELLE GREAGER
JARED GREEN
JORAY GRIFFITHS
FINAL FAREWELLS
The following is the ocial list of all 2020 graduates of SAHS as well as the class
song. ower, and quote. Best of luck to all seniors and their future endeavors!
NATHAN GRIMES
BLAKE HARTZEL
CALLEN HERB
AZUSENA HERNANDEZ
DANIELA HERRERA-CHAVEZ
DANIELLE HINKLE
HUNTER MYERS
SIERRA NEIDIG
ANDREW NELSON
ABAGAIL NICHOLSON
RYAN NOLAN
CONNOR NYE
MORGAN NYE
BROCK PANCHER
WOLFGANG PEARSON
GIOVANNY PEROCIER
NATHAN PERSING
ZACHARY PHILHOWER
KAYLA PIETKEWICZ
ASHLEY PONATOSKI
JOHNATHAN RAINIER
APRIL REIGLE
CHARITY REIGLE
JOSHUA RICH
LUIS RIVERA Jr.
ABBY RODMAN
SOPHIE ROSSNOCK
ALEYNA RUSSELL
WILLOW SAMUELS
KYRA SANDERS
ADAM S ANDRI
JASMINE SCANDLE
ANGELINA SCHAEFFER
MATTHEW SCHICCATANO
KOLTON SCHOLL
SHELBIE SCHOLL
SEAN SEDDON
RACHEL SHADER
TELAYSIA SHAFER
ANDREW SHULTZ
ISIBELLE SIENKIEWICZ
AURORA SKEANS
EMILY SLANINA
JASMINE SLODYSKO
KATHRYN SLOTTERBACK
GARRETT SMITH
HANNAH SMITH
PEYTEN SMITH
SAVANAH SMITH
STEPHEN SMITH
ALYSSA SNYDER
MOLLY STEVENS
JACK SURACE
ALYSSA SWARTZ
MASON TAPIA
HUNTER THARP
MYAH THOMPSON
EMMANUELLE TIRU PEREZ
EMMA TOMCAVAGE
KIRA VALLATI
RHIANNON VLOCK-KOGUT
JONATHAN WASHUTA
BAILEY WHEARY
LOGAN WILLIAMS
LOGAN WILLIAMS
CHEYANNE WOLF
MEGAN WYWADIS
KAYLA YADLOSKY
SHEN YEAGER
CHLOE YODER
KATELYN ZAWALICK
DESTINY ZIMMERMAN
NICHOLAS ZIMMERMAN
TRAVIS ZIMMERMAN
CLASS
FLOWER:
TIGER LILY
CLASS
QUOTE:
“Chase
your dreams
but always
know the road
that’ll lead you
home again.”
CLASS
SONG:
5 More
Minutes
by Scotty
McCreery
Time rolls by the clock don't stop. I wish I had a few more drops. Of the
good stu, the good times. Oh but they just keep on ying. Right on by l
ike it ain't nothing. Wish I had me a pause button
Moments like those Lord knows I'd hit it
And give myself ve more minutes. At eighty-six my grandpa
said there's angels in the room. All the family gathered 'round
knew the time was coming soon. With so much left to say I
prayed Lord I ain't nished. Just give us ve more minutes. Time rolls
by the clock don't stop.
Lyrics from Five More Minutes
12
CLASS
COLORS:
PURPLE/
WHITE
