The Hempfield High School Unified Track and Field Team will be competing in the Georgelis Law Firm Stadium on Tuesday, April 23 at 4:00 p.m. The student-athletes on the Unified Track and Field Team have been training hard in preparation for this meet against Warwick High School and Conestoga Valley High School. Please come out and support the members of the Unified Track and Field Team! Go Black Knights!

Mr. Brossman, 11^th grade principal, discussed Pennsylvania’s new “Safe2Say Something” anonymous reporting system. Students learned how to look for warning signs and signals, act on the information, and then say something to create a safer, healthier school and community. Students can continue to use our existing reporting tools, but also have a new tool for anonymous reporting through a statewide system launched this year.

Anyone can submit an anonymous tip via the Safe2Say Something mobile app (available for iPhone or Android), website, or by phone at 1-844-SAF2SAY. The tip is sent to a Crisis Center that is staffed 24/7 and tips are then directed to school officials or 911 dispatch as needed.

View the complete Safe2Say presentation delivered to students here. 

The assembly concluded by discussing a lockdown drill that will occur schoolwide next week, in conjunction with the East Hempfield Township Police Department, and by practicing an evacuation of the Performing Arts Center (PAC).

On Monday, Hempfield High School welcomed a group of French students and their two teachers who were visiting the High school for the day with their Hempfield host students.

Through the program Horizons du Monde, which the French Department has worked with for the past 6 years, Hempfield and Warwick students hosted the French students for 7 days total in their homes. At French club, students participated in an Easter egg hunt (Chasse aux oeufs) and then had a cultural comparison discussion of American and French popular expressions. 

Two Hempfield High School and Lancaster County Career & Technology students took home medals during the SkillsUSA Pennsylvania State Leadership & SKills Conference April 10-12 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. Shawn Splain, Grade 12, placed third for Cabinetmaking, and Diamondli Lopez, Grade 12, placed first in Medical Terminology.

SkillsUSA is a national student organization that develops employability, participatory and leadership skills to complement the occupational skills developed by students in technical education classrooms or work-based learning sites. SkillsUSA is an integral part of approved technical education occupation programs.

Congratulations to Shawn & Diamondli!

On Friday, April 5, after two weeks of intense preparation, students from the Principles of American Law class successfully presented their case New Columbia v. Chris Archer as their culminating third marking period project. This particular case involved a college fraternity president who was charged with criminal homicide after a pledge was killed during a fraternity-sanctioned event.

New Columbia was represented by an outstanding legal team comprising of Seniors Morfyus Cannon, Alicia Hill, AJ Taylor, Sarah Stambaugh, Rob Williams, and Junior Mac Clarke who were charging the defendant with first degree homicide, hazing, and providing minors with alcohol. Testifying for the Prosecution was Senior Jordan McFadden, who represented Tyler Johnson, the vice-President of the Gamma fraternity, and Juniors Christina Peachy, who represented Pat Smith, a close friend of the victim, and Syd Warren, who represented Dr. Alex Richards, an expert young adult psychology and gang mentality.

Chris Archer was portrayed by Senior Paul Ovadek, who was defended by attorneys Seniors Ethan Bickel, Chase Richards, Bradley Roth, and Juniors Max Acker, Morgan Barto, Alize Woodard, and Autumn Zodet. Testifying for the Defense were Seniors Jenna Hernandez, who represented Dr. Jordan Mitchell, an expert witness on the history of the universities of the New Columbia area and the fraternity in question, and Nicole Costrello, who represented Jessie Thomas, the Dean of the university in which the legal question took place. 

The Honorable Judge Mellinger, Esq., presided over the court, with Senior Grant Doehring serving as Bailiff. True to the right of Due Process of Law as set forth by both the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, both legal teams presented their cases to a Jury of their peers of twelve Hempfield High School students. Serving as the Jury were Seniors Seth Constine, Tim Forry, Riely Good, Chris Grubb, Julia Koger, Chase Mathias, Patrick Noonan, Cooper Younger, Amaya Williams, Junior Darryl Pegg, and Sophomores Michael Agadis and Catherine Mollitor.

After presenting both sides of the case, the jury deliberated for nearly an hour before coming to a verdict. Using only the evidence presented in a court of law, the jury found Chris Archer not guilty – a monumental achievement for the defense team! Regardless of the outcome however, all students were elated to have had the opportunity to engage with a truly unique experience that portrays a cornerstone of both the American legal system and civic engagement.