SWIMMING SENIORS SHED TEARS DURING THEIR LAST HOME MEET

Indiana Area Senior High School

SWIMMING SENIORS SHED TEARS DURING THEIR LAST HOME MEET

By JENNY TODD

IHS Swimming seniors have just participated in their last home meet. This is an unimaginable day that sadly has to come for every senior athlete.

Swimming is a physical sport but it also holds a place in the mind. Countless hours of staring at the bottom of a black lined swimming pool is something you take head on. Imagine doing this for every single day of your life.

Most of the seniors have been swimming for longer than just their high school years. Maggie Bennett, Anna Margita, Hunter Fanella, Leah Amsler, Abby Killam and Loughlin Pagnucci have all spent many years swimming on the local YMCA team aside from highschool. Bernadette Buchanchag was the only new swimmer to the highschool her freshman year. Senior night was quite surreal for them. Imagine looking around at kids that you have known for years, have raced, argued with and loved all come to an end.

When swimming, one of the main things you are always told is “this is your family, you will see these people more than your own parents.” That stands the truth when it comes down to it: who do you have to see when you’re having a bad day or good day, your teammates. Walking away from the sport is hard but leaving behind family is harder.

I talked to senior Anna Margita who said “It is very hard for me to walk away from this sport and I can’t imagine not getting back into the pool next year.” This is something that the other seniors agreed with. That surreal feeling doesn’t go away. When asked if Anna thinks she’s going to regret anything about the sport she said “I regret not being in the moment and wishing that the end date would come faster. The time really flew by and I can’t believe it has gone this fast.” That seems to be a feeling that everyone relates to, even students who aren’t in a sport but the saying “life goes fast” lives true.

The only senior boy Loughlin Pagnucci said “My favorite memory has been all of the success that we have had over the past four years, especially beating Mt. Pleasant to win the section sophomore year and beat Laurel Highlands to win the section junior year, as well as winning the West A invitational this year.” This quote truly brings out what it means to be on a team. Loughlin’s favorite memory was not a race he individually won, but something the entire team was able to accomplish. Even though it is not a team sport exactly anyone would do anything for their teammates.

Senior Hunter Fanella has been swimming for 12 years. That is more than half her life. She said “I have been swimming since I was 6 years old, so this sport has grown with me. I have made so many friends and memories through this sport, and knowing that all of that will be behind me is sad. I’ll miss the practices, meets, and memories I’ve made. My favorite memory is going to states at Bucknell with my relay and enjoying our time there. it’s pretty hard, I have been doing it for 2/3 of my life so making an adjustment to not doing it will be difficult. I’ll miss the friends, the workouts, the racing, and the memories I made.” The number of hours she has put in has been truly inspiring and shows a lot about not just her but everyone’s character to persevere through tough times shows how truly successful this group of seniors will be.

The IHS swimming seniors Leah Amsler, Maggie Bennett, Bernadette Buchanchang, Abby Killam, Hunter Fanella, Anna Margita, and Loughlin Pagnucci are definitely going to have a hard time walking away from something they love. They will soon be able to share a memory with each other.

The IHS swim team will compete in WPIALS, on March 3 and 4th. Good luck to all the swimmers attending. Your hard work will pay off!

You May Also Like...

Athena Club reboots at IHS

By Gabi Isenberg After being taken off the club list this year, Athena Club is being revived at IHS. New English 10 teacher, Mrs. Deanne Magolis has dedicated time and effort to restarting the women’s leadership organization for the school, which will meet once a month on Wednesdays during tenth period. Previously advised by Mrs. Juart, Athena Club is a community service organization based largely around women. IHS’s Athena Club is a branch of Athena International, a larger group of members who live by the eight principles of ‘enlightened leadership’: live authentically, learn constantly, build relationships, foster collaboration, act courageously, advocate fiercely, give back, and celebrate. Mrs. Magolis, a new addition to the IHS faculty, is advising the club this year. At Lincoln Memorial University, she was a member of the university’s Athena International organization. She expresses, “My goal is to lead lessons for our members on the Eight

December 18, 2024

Green Team brings awareness to mental health in IHS

By Ella Mosco IHS’ Green Team is comprised of a select group of individuals who dedicate their time to take on leadership roles in creating and implementing activities to bring awareness to mental health in IHS. Green Team’s initiative is to spread mental health awareness and end the stigma that follows it. Members of the team work to plan activities to support and educate students and make them feel less alone. Green Team is a smaller group of individuals who are involved in The Green Bandana initiative. This is a larger organization where students wear a green bandana and vow to help students in need and give them someone to talk to or direct them to their counselor. Miss Cassidy Black is the faculty advisor for Green Team, who accounts for many responsibilities such as helping with the logistics of planning and facilitating school communication. The Green Team also works

November 26, 2024

IHS welcomes new attendance officer Mrs. Anderson

By Emma Buterbaugh IHS students are giving a warm welcome to Mrs. Brittany Anderson, the newest attendance officer. She comes to IHS from Eisenhower and Horace Mann Elementary. She worked there until this year and moved to the senior high when this job opened. The IHS community is very excited to learn more about her. Mrs. Anderson was raised here in Indiana and graduated from IHS in 2012. She plans to have a positive impact on our school and hopes to create the same kind of atmosphere that she was exposed to. Mrs. Anderson comments, “School attendance is so important, so I hope to help create a positive environment and be a friendly face for IHS students in the attendance office.” She currently enjoys our IHS community sharing, “I love it here at IHS. The students and staff have both been so welcoming.” Creating a positive and welcoming environment has

November 15, 2024

Raising money, awareness, and school spirit: IHS Leadership Seminar 2024

By Gabi Isenberg IHS Leadership is back this year, planning influential events for the community and IHS students alike. MiniTHON, a teacher luncheon, and fun tenth period activities are just a sample of the efforts Leadership has made to bring a variety of opportunities to the IHS community. Leadership Seminar is a group formed by members of the senior class, all of whom hold leadership positions in organizations and clubs throughout the school. The 2024-2025 seminar class is composed of 27 students from the graduating class of 2025. The organization supplies students with beneficial opportunities. Senior and Leadership member Tim Birch expresses, “Leadership is a great environment that builds my leadership skills and will allow me to connect and collaborate with other leaders…[it] also helps generate ideas, as there are many other leaders working together.” These ideas are useful when forming committees to focus on particular events that Leadership plans

November 12, 2024

Mrs. Magolis joins IHS this school year

By Hayden Yankuskie Deanne Magolis, more formally known as Mrs. Magolis, taught at Brookville Area School District for 3 years, then Homer Center School District for 17 years, before joining the IHS community at the beginning of the 24-25 school year. She is an English 10 teacher. Mrs. Magolis taught in Brookeville as an elementary teacher for grades five and six, then at Homer Center to teach Literature and English for grades seven and nine. She taught Media Communications for grades 9-12 as well. In addition, she taught marketing and journalism. Mrs. Magolis has lived in Indiana, Pennsylvania, for the last 20 years. Before that, she lived in Pittsburgh as well as Steubenville, Ohio. Mrs. Magolis attended Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, on a full scholarship for volleyball. Her position was a middle hitter and she played all four years she attended the school. During her time there, she

November 1, 2024

New English teacher joins IHS: Miss Kukula

By Samantha Aljoe Miss Amy Kukula is a new addition at Indiana Senior High School. She is the new 9th grade English teacher. Miss Kukula went to the Cook Honor College at IUP, where she majored in English education and dance. Miss Kukula brings many new perspectives to IHS. In Miss Kukula’s classes, she has a prize bag and whoever’s name is picked either gets to sit in a comfy seat or get a Jolly Rancher. Miss Kukula said she chose to do that because when she was a student teaching at Marion Center, that teacher used tickets for prizes and Miss Kukula took that system to her own class. Miss Kukula commented on her teaching career at Indiana so far. “Teaching so far has been awesome. Indiana is a great school. I really like the different classes I get to teach and the other teachers I get to collaborate

October 23, 2024

The High Arrow

Indiana Area Senior High School

Sports

SWIMMING SENIORS SHED TEARS DURING THEIR LAST HOME MEET

By JENNY TODD

You May Also Like...

Athena Club reboots at IHS

Green Team brings awareness to mental health in IHS

IHS welcomes new attendance officer Mrs. Anderson

Raising money, awareness, and school spirit: IHS Leadership Seminar 2024

Mrs. Magolis joins IHS this school year

New English teacher joins IHS: Miss Kukula

Athena Club reboots at IHS

Green Team brings awareness to mental health in IHS

IHS welcomes new attendance officer Mrs. Anderson

Raising money, awareness, and school spirit: IHS Leadership Seminar 2024

Mrs. Magolis joins IHS this school year

New English teacher joins IHS: Miss Kukula