Burns swims to success
By Andrew Miller, sophomore
Kristen Burns, Kris to her friends, is an avid swimmer and a very involved student. Burns, a sophomore at CMHS, also enjoys hiking, playing her flute and spending quality time with her family. Not only is Burns an excellent student, but she is involved in community activities such as youth group and the Washington Arts Program. She describes herself as a very neat, persistent, laid back type of person.
Burns’ love for swimming began as a child during her summer visits to Town Park Pool. She was always a recreational swimmer until she found the middle school swim team in eighth grade. Her mom, Lenka Burns, also encouraged her to join the YMCA swim team. Now Kris can be found every Saturday winter morning practicing and working hard towards one of her goals, which is to swim at the collegiate level one day. Alongside her swim career, she is also planning on life guarding this summer at Town Park Pool.
Outside of her water life, Burns is very academic and enjoys school. She has special interests in English and Art with passions for reading, writing and drawing. Burns puts these passions and talents to use by being a member of the Washington Arts Program, where she currently takes drawing and painting classes and by joining the C-M Times Journalism Club.
Also, with Spanish being another one of Burns' favorite classes, she has dreams of visiting Spain someday. While in Spain, she would love to stay somewhere with a mountain top view of the ocean. She and her family enjoy taking vacation, and they take one every other year. A typical Burns vacation would be going hiking in scenic America or taking a trip to the ocean. Burns describes the Princess Cruises in Alaska as “the best vacation ever!”
Burns also loves spending time with her family. She currently lives with her mom, Lenka, her dad, Mark, and her brother, Kyle. The Burns' family favorite way to pass time is to play soccer and video games. Although her parents are some of her best inspirations, Burns says that the person who inspires her the most is her grandma, Frances. “People say that I look just like her. I was even supposed to be born on her birthday.” Burns describes her grandma as “a very warm hearted, saint-like person who would go out of her way to help anybody.” She says that “
The Burns family also includes two Russian Blue cats, Mouse, Kris’s “shy cat,” and Crash, her “box cat.” Kris says that cats are one of her favorite animals along with humpback whales, pigs and elephants. “But if I could be any animal in the world I would be a flying squirrel.” Why? “Well, not only could I climb things easily but I could fly down easily, too.”
2011-2012 C-M Times Journalism Club Offier Bios
Bio - Editor-in-Chief Natalie Paonessa, senior
Natalie Paonessa is a "straight-A" student at CMHS. Paonessa used to play tennis and soccer, she is currently a student ambassador to foreign exchange students. She also loves to ski and play in the snow.
Paonessa joined journalism because she wants to major in Communications. According to Paonessa, “Being in journalism has improved me as a writer in my speed and quality.”
Journalism will prepare Paonessa with information for her to study in college. She wants to go to Ithaca College and major in Public Relations.
Bio - Assistant Editor Emily Hughes, senior
Emily Hughes loves writing, especially in the creative sense. She has written many short stories and is currently working on writing a novel. Hughes also plays varsity tennis at CMHS and is very involved in community service. She currently holds a job at Valley Brook Country Club, but wants to start working at Subway in the near future.
Bio - Assistant Editor Emily Hughes, senior
Emily Hughes loves writing, especially in the creative sense. She has written many short stories and is currently working on writing a novel. Hughes also plays varsity tennis at CMHS and is very involved in community service. She currently holds a job at Valley Brook Country Club, but wants to start working at Subway in the near future.
Hughes decided to join journalism because she loves writing and wants to go to college for Public Relations. Hughe’s college of choice is Duquesne University which has been her "dream college" for her entire life.
After high school, having had a journalism class will definitely benefit Hughes. It will help her with her future in Public Relations and it will help her to continue to write short stories. Hughes loves journalism and is very proud to be apart of the journalism staff.
Along with his involvement with journalism, Carson Fox plays baseball at CMHS, water-skiis and spends lots of time "chillin’." He also works at the Cricket store selling cell phones.
Bio - Sports Editor Carson Fox, senior
Along with his involvement with journalism, Carson Fox plays baseball at CMHS, water-skiis and spends lots of time "chillin’." He also works at the Cricket store selling cell phones.
Bio - Secretary Abby Miles, senior
Fox joined journalism to help his writing ability. Fox believes a being a successful writer will help in the future. For college Fox would like to attend, WVU, Waynesburg or Cal U as he majors in Broadcast Journalism and minors in Business/Accounting.
When high school is said and done, Fox believes journalism will have benefited him greatly. It will help him with his job in which skillful writing will be key.
Bio - Sports Editor Carson Fox, senior
Abby Miles' hobbies include horseback riding, shopping, babysitting and listening to music. She also holds a job at The Spring House, where she maintains a ready smile.
Miles joined journalism because she enjoys writing and thinks the club is a good experience. Abby would love to attend Geneva, Cal U or Bethany College.
While she believes journalism will help her a lot in college, Miles wants to major in Elementary Education and minor in Business Management.
Hoffman studies abroad in Sao Luis
By Natalie Paonessa, senior Ashland Hoffman, a senior from Canon-McMillian High School, is studying in Sao Luis, Brazil this fall semester. Hoffman explores the other country’s culture by living with a host family and immersing herself in the language and habits of most Brazilian teenagers.
Since leaving America in the beginning of July, Hoffman has been living with host mom, Claudia, host dad, Rene, host sister, Andressa and host brother, Joao Victor. She resides with her host family on the island of Sao Luis just off the coast of Brazil. “Andressa, my host sister, has been a huge help to adjusting to the language barrier,” Hoffman enthuses.
Spending almost two months in Brazil, Hoffman finds the hardest adjustment missing her friends and family. “Although it is difficult being so far away from home, I have seen some amazing things,” Hoffman comments about the things she has seen so far like the sand dunes called the “Barreirinhas.” Hoffman explored the “Barreirinhas” in sand cars called “Coopturs” with fellow foreign exchange students on the first week she was there.
Living by the beach is also a perk of Brazilian life, although, she has only got a couple of chances to visit her favorite spot. “I have been too busy with school and Portuguese classes to have any time to enjoy everything available here,” states Hoffman.
Noting the major differences between America and her new found home, Hoffman tells of the forwardness of Brazilian people in their greetings. A Brazilian person greets another with hugs and kisses which is different from the American greeting. Hoffman also finds it strange to be living in apartment building in an urban area compared to her Cecil home. Although it is always warm weather in Sao Luis, Hoffman finds herself missing the fall weather and winter.
Throughout her weeks in Brazil, Hoffman has found the biggest differences in the schooling system. Every day she takes a 45 minute public bus ride off the island bridge to attend her high school. Although she has to take the long trip to the mainland for school, she is able to leave at 12:50. Instead of the students traveling to different classrooms during the day, the students stay in one class where the teacher comes to the students.
“The biggest shock about my new school was having to buy and wear a uniform for the first time,” states Hoffman about her new uniform wardrobe of sweatpants and a T-shirt.
In her free time, Hoffman is experiencing the life as a normal Brazilian teenager. Along with her school work, she participates in an orphanage charity. She is also experiencing the regularities of Brazilian fun like dancing, going to the beach and playing sports. She plans to come back in the middle of December.
