Spring calls for turning a new leaf, and that new leaf includes new clothes, and new music. Here are some albums coming out this spring

Save Rock And Roll by Fall Out Boy

For fans of: All Time Low, Paramore

It didn’t matter what musical direction Fall Out Boy would take, because some fans are always going to be disappointed. This fast paced album that is certainly not rock and roll echoes their Take This To Your Grave roots, but is distinctly power pop. Old and new fans will rejoice for their return.

DEMI by Demi Lovato

For fans of: old Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry

There is no one who can say Demi Lovato does not have talent. Her strong vocals and penchant for writing strong female centric break up songs have shot her straight out of the Disney kid mold to her own persona. Heart Attack is the lead single from the album and has received a lot of exposure on the radio. Anyone can say that Demi has definitely made a name for herself in the music world without the help of Disney.

Golden by Lady Antebellum

For fans of: Taylor Swift, The Band Perry

Lady Antebellum’s full, forward sound is a breathe of fresh air for country lovers everywhere. Their hard work has paid off in the past few years; they’ve received six Grammys and they’ve been “country’s sweethearts” for the past few years.

Ungrateful by Escape The Fate

For fans of: Falling In Reverse, My Chemical Romance

Escape The Fate has already made a name for themselves with over a million records sold worldwide. Their distinct sound has not wavered in the eight years they’ve been together. Even with the departure of bassist Max Green, their emo rock sound is still going strong.

Random Access Memories by Daft Punk

For fans of: Phoenix, Deadmau5

This electronic duo has been around for 20 years and hasn’t strayed far from their distinct techno sound. Lovers of the duo’s grand performances and robot costumes, their antics are always welcome in the electronic music field.

Who is Carly Lubic? You could say Latrobe marching band’s saxophone captain, a band kid, an all around cool kid. Looking at her, you would not be able to tell there is anything wrong with her, and there isn’t. In 7th grade, she found out she had Crohns Disease.

Crohns Disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that usually affects the intestines. Symptoms include cramps, weight loss, fatigue, and loss of appetite, as well as loss of energy. Crohns is a chronic disease, which means there are periods where you experience many symptoms and periods of remission. Crohns affects over 700,000 people, most between the ages of 15 and 35.

Lubic said that she was made fun of when she was first diagnosed. “I had to drink Ensures and go to the bathroom a lot,” says Lubic. “My body was also reacting to the disease, so my hair was turning darker and I was losing a lot of weight.” Losing weight is one of the most prominent symptoms of Crohns Disease.

“Carly has always been a happy go lucky person, and she tried her best to remain that way, despite having Crohns. She’s one of the strongest people I know,” said good friend Jessica Yasher. Latrobe’s band director, Mr. Sheridan, calls Carly an “exceptional student” and said, “Carly is a hard worker in band and she is the life of the band.”

Carly hasn’t had to deal with Crohns alone. Her good friend Maddie Wilson (also a junior at Latrobe) also have Crohns. “Carly just brightens my morning and we’ve become better friends through Crohns. We’ve bonded over our shared struggles and I’m so glad to have her in my life.”

Dealing with just puberty in middle school is hard, but Carly had to tackle her disease as well. In 9th grade, she developed depression, because she hated having a disease that would not go away. At the same time, she discovered her passion for art. “I realized that art helped through the stress of everything I was going through. I also realized that I wanted to go college for Computer Animation.” She enjoys drawing funny cartoons that gives her the laughs she needs when she goes to the hospital. Lubic now aspires to go into the movie or gaming business for animation.

Even though her Crohns has gotten worse (she has to go to hospital every two months for remicade), she expresses her feelings through her art. “Drawing just makes me feel better,” said the aspiring artist. Her friends credit her work ethic and personality as a part of her success of becoming saxophone captain and just an all around happy person.

C’est la vie! Nineteen members of the French National Honors Society, on Friday, April 19, welcomed a new group of students who pledged to always encourage others to explore the French culture and live the life. The new members included level four juniors: Regan Stubbs and Ray Levay; level three sophomores: Jocelyn Cawoski, Kennady Greytak, Katherine Harkins, Laurel Hergenroeder, Serinah Marteilli, Courtney Morrison, Caitlyn Morris, McKenzie Powell, Arielle Schneider, and Regan Simpson.

To be invited into the society, students had to maintain an “A” in French for the first three quarters of the school year and at least be in level 3 french. Another requirement was that students live the society’s motto: “L’homme qui sait deux langues en vaux deux.” This translates to the man who knows two languages is worth more.

“I liked how the French exchange students were incorporated and said the pledge with us, it made it feel official,” said Jocelyn Cawoski, sophomore.

In that same afternoon, junior Jaden T. Johnston received the Excellence in French Award from the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF).  Annually, this award is given to a student who excels in the French language and culture, typically a senior. Jaden took level 4 French over the summer and is currently in AP French putting him in the running as a junior. Jaden has studied French for five years under Mme Zaleweski. “Jayden is a determined student. Anything I teach him, he picks up immediately. He is a natural learner and linguist,” said Zalweski.

In the heart of FNHS, classes extended learning beyond the classroom as they traveled to Etienne and the Melting Pot in Pittsburgh. Etienne, a French performer, teaches students French grammar through catchy lyrics. Etienne’s songs are catchy and his concert is full of excitement. Strobe lights pulsed to the beat of the music along with the students singing along at full volume. Etienne sprinted down the aisles, danced and grabbed students along the way to join in.

After the crazy concert, students raced to the Melting Pot, where they explored the french culture through the common French cuisine, fondue. Participants can cook their own three course meal complete with an appetizer, entree and dessert right at their tables with friends. “I love the dessert at melting pot of chocolate fondue and rice crispies! The experience has taught me that there is more restaurants out there than the usual TGI Fridays,” said Cassidee Knott, sophomore.

The earliest known celebration of Pi Day was in 1988 and was organized by Larry Shaw, who was (unsurprisingly) a physicist. From then on, it spiraled into a holiday, with the House of Representatives passing a resolution recognizing March 14, 2009 as National Pi Day.

Pi Day at Greater Latrobe is celebrated through guest speakers and annual t-shirts. Mrs. Shannon, who manages Pi Day, says that Pi Day was started many years before she came to Latrobe. The celebration of Pi Day originally included poster making from students, making Powerpoints about different aspects of mathematics and now Pi Day includes guest speakers and a t-shirt contest.

The t-shirt contest was started in 2007, when Mrs. Shannon received requests from students to design the Pi Day t-shirts and have the student body vote for their favorite. Voting and designing the t-shirts has become a tradition for Greater Latrobe on Pi Day, with this year’s winner being Heather Fabrey.

Fabrey, a talented senior artist, creatively used a popular ad for inspiration. “I was influenced by the Chick-fil-a ads, where the cow is holding a sign that says “Eat more chicken”, and that prompted my design,” said Fabrey. The design for the t shirt is a Pi symbol that has a piece bitten out of it and is holding up a sign saying, “Eat cake!” On Pi Day, a sea of purple and green Pi Day shirts were seen throughout the school.

Latrobe makes an effort to have different guest speakers each year. This year’s speakers include Mr. Dennis Gyroy, a retired teacher turned self employed contractor; George Nagle, who works at Kennametal; Natalie Mangini, a retired nuclear chemist who also manages Carbone’s restaurant; and two past Latrobe graduates, Carolyn Bryson and Joe Skapura, who work for Alcoa Wheel Transportation Products and Iezzi Construction, respectively.

“What I got out of the Pi Day speakers was the idea that there is a lot more out there for jobs that use math. You can be more than a high school math teacher. The possibilities are practically endless,” said sophomore Emma Rockwell, who was not initially interested in a career in math, but is now considering thinking about it.

Junior Jessica Yasher got to listen to speakers Carolyn Bryson and George Nagle and learned that to succeed in business, you have to put in the extra effort and “make yourself the best by thinking outside the box” so you can be able to enjoy success in your job.

Sophomore LaVeda Sartoris enjoyed hearing about how traveling and math are interrelated, said, “I learned that you can’t compare your achievements to someone else’s standards if you want to be successful.”

Most students enjoyed listening to the Pi Day speakers, but a few students, like junior Adam Sarp, joked about how the pie was the highlight of their day.

“These speakers are here to talk about the importance of math. Some students don’t realize how much math they will be using someday in their careers,” said Mrs. Shannon. Since the math department does not have as many opportunities to take field trips, Pi Day is extremely important to the teachers.

Shannon’s feelings about the importance of math in students’ futures reflect upon the the speakers’ messages. She said, “These guests are coming in to tell the students how important it is to gain as many math skills as possible during your high school years. Math isn’t just about knowing formulas or using a calculator; math skills also involve creative thinking and problem solving.”