Author: Rose Carlson

News

Collaboration and Learning: Lessons from The 2021 Rock Lititz Career Exploration Day

On Thursday, November 11th, 2021, I was among 12 McCaskey students who had the opportunity to visit Rock Lititz, a production hub in Lancaster county that is world-renowned for its live event services and offers everything from set design to event planning and sound technology. We were greeted by a panel full of experienced professionals eager to share their knowledge and jobs with young people. … Continue reading Collaboration and Learning: Lessons from The 2021 Rock Lititz Career Exploration Day

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Campus Life

Accurate Representation in Theatre: the Mission of McCaskey Fall Play Director Starleisha Gingrich

Image credit: Molly S. Photography In the summer of 2021, Starleisha Gingrich was hired to direct McCaskey’s 2021 fall play. It’s a dream come true for the actor, director, and current education and outreach coordinator of the Fulton Theatre, who has wanted to work at McCaskey ever since she moved to Lancaster in 2015.  “I love directing in general,” says Starleisha, “but directing high school … Continue reading Accurate Representation in Theatre: the Mission of McCaskey Fall Play Director Starleisha Gingrich

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Campus Life

September 2021: McCaskey Perseveres

On Tuesday, August 24, 2021, the entire McCaskey student body came back to school. The conditions were far from ideal: the Coronavirus pandemic, once thought by administrators, teachers and students alike to be a two-week stint, was far from gone. Cases of the virus had been steadily increasing amidst the new and more dangerous Delta variant, and a world that had been mostly maskless just … Continue reading September 2021: McCaskey Perseveres

Unknown's avatarRose Carlson
Arts & Culture, Campus Life

The Unifying Power of the McCaskey Spring Children’s Play

The concepts of empathy, understanding, and learning from mistakes were key elements of the 2021 McCaskey East Spring Children’s Play – both inside the magical world created by the show’s actors and production team, and the occasionally more frightening one outside of it.  Ms. Nolt, the show’s director and a media studies teacher at East, came up with the idea of having four different set … Continue reading The Unifying Power of the McCaskey Spring Children’s Play

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News

A New Force of Nature, or a Classic Case of Sensationalism?

The standard model of particle physics is a widely accepted theory, initially developed in the 1970’s, which dictates that all basic building blocks of matter are governed by four fundamental forces: the electromagnetic force, weak nuclear force, gravity, and strong nuclear force. But scientists at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Batva, Illinois, think they could be on the brink of discovering a fifth force … Continue reading A New Force of Nature, or a Classic Case of Sensationalism?

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Arts & Culture, Opinion

Hollywood’s Fairytale Relationship with Divorce

Mainstream Hollywood always tries to smooth over divorce – whether it be by way of ignoring it completely or mending it up and tying it with a safe, neat little bow. And America eats it up. We love to see our problems fixed and our lives represented as more simple than they actually are.  A prime example of this is the 1998 remake of the … Continue reading Hollywood’s Fairytale Relationship with Divorce

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Campus Life

Dr. Rau: All About Equity

School district superintendent Dr. Damaris Rau is a self-proclaimed advocate for equity. A child of the foster care system and a graduate of St. John’s University,  Rau went from working as a teacher and administrator in the Bronx public school system during the Crack epidemic to working at a school in Greenwich, Connecticut, a town which is widely recognized as one of the richest places … Continue reading Dr. Rau: All About Equity

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News

The Vital Work of the Lancaster Community and Police Working Group

The Lancaster Community and Police Working Group  (CPWG) was formed in 2018 after a video of a Lancaster police officer using a taser on an unarmed man went viral, gaining national attention and sparking local protests. The Lancaster chapter of the NAACP, in tandem with the mayor and the chief of the police, felt it was necessary to form a group that would  review police … Continue reading The Vital Work of the Lancaster Community and Police Working Group

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Campus Life

It’s Official: We’re Going Back

The School district of Lancaster board meeting on Tuesday, January 12, lasted for nearly five hours.  The overwhelming majority of public comments, from teachers, parents, and administrators, and students alike, voiced the opinion that kids need to be back in school for academic, social, and economic reasons. Many invoked the theme of equity: if other schools are in-person, what does it say about us if … Continue reading It’s Official: We’re Going Back

Unknown's avatarRose Carlson1 Comment
Campus Life

Lack of Motivation: Virtual Learning’s Biggest Hurdle

In the state of Pennsylvania alone, over 12,000 people have died due to COVID-19. The nation’s death toll has exceeded 300,000.  Since March 13, schools across the country have been forced to operate in completely virtual environments, bearing the brunt of responsibility while a majority of businesses and establishments are permitted to fully reopen. Many McCaskey students have not set foot in the building since … Continue reading Lack of Motivation: Virtual Learning’s Biggest Hurdle

Unknown's avatarRose Carlson1 Comment
Campus Life, News

School board: Elementary Schools return to virtual for remainder of 2nd marking period

“These are some of the most difficult decisions that I’ve ever had to make in my life,” said Board President Dr. Edie Gallagher at the November 17 School District of Lancaster board meeting. “We receive tons of letters from parents who want their kids to be in school, and from parents who don’t want their kids to be in school. And from teachers who think … Continue reading School board: Elementary Schools return to virtual for remainder of 2nd marking period

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News

A Second Wave of Covid Canvassing in Lancaster City

“Lesson for next time: bring tape.”  It is 11 AM on Saturday, November 14th, and Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace is attempting to affix a COVID-19 awareness poster to the front door of Kiammy’s Grocery + Deli at 76 Howard Avenue.  As part of a continued effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and promote awareness amid an alarming fall increase in cases, the City of … Continue reading A Second Wave of Covid Canvassing in Lancaster City

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Campus Life, News

McCaskey Students Present Before City Council

“We are a dedicated group of young adults working to improve our community and learning how to be successful citizens; teaching that all people, no matter how young, have roles to play in leading the community.” These words, spoken by McCaskey Junior Destiny Ponce at the November 10 Lancaster City Council meeting, perfectly sum up the mission and purpose of the McCaskey Neighborhood Leaders Academy. … Continue reading McCaskey Students Present Before City Council

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Arts & Culture

Elegant, Raw, Striking: Alanis Morissette’s 9th Studio Album Delivers

In the 1990’s, Alanis Morisette was the voice of a generation. Her ‘95 album Jagged Little Pill sold over 33 million copies and at 21 years old, Morisette was the youngest person ever to receive the album of the year award. Her work was fueled by a unique sort of adolescent anger infused with love, pain, and defiance.  It has been 25 years since the … Continue reading Elegant, Raw, Striking: Alanis Morissette’s 9th Studio Album Delivers

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Arts & Culture, Politics

My Uncle’s Experiences as a Foreign Service Officer Overseas

Before he retired, my uncle John Cogdill worked as a foreign service officer at US embassies.  “I was what’s called a criminal investigator. Sort of like an FBI agent-but for the Foreign aid program,” he tells me over zoom call from his house in Bethesda, Maryland. “And so we had to find out if people were trying to steal our money by bribing people to … Continue reading My Uncle’s Experiences as a Foreign Service Officer Overseas

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