By: Alena Imamovic

January 16, 2026

Winter’s bite brings the search for engaging activities for Red Land students. Beat the boredom with different options, from winter sports and scenic parks to enhancing museums and indoor fun. Find ways to stay active, amused, and make the most of this winter season.

To start this winter off, winter sports are a great way to go. One of the top places in Cumberland Valley to go be active during the winter is the Roundtop Mountain Resort. This resort offers hills for skiing, snowboarding, and tubing that provide a fun time with family and friends. These activities also present different options with all levels from beginners to advanced, that way practice is an available option to get better that these winter sports. A plus to go along with this is that “lessons and rentals available for all ages” (Roundtop Mountain Resort). Not only does Roundtop Mountain Resort offer these fun winter activities, but they also have different restaurants with bonfires to stay warm. One of the top restaurants there, Fireside Pub & Grill, “offers great drinks and menu items in a cozy atmosphere with table service” (Roundtop Mountain Resort). That way, relaxing and talking with family and friends after staying active in the chilly snow can be a reward at this entertaining center.

The next destination for Red Land students this chilly season could be outdoor parks. There are quite a few local parks to visit, such as Yellow Breeches Creek Water Trail, and Lower Allen Community Park, which are all located in the Cumberland Valley area. At these parks, Red Land students can go hiking and fishing, walk along creeks, and take their dog to the dog park, which is included in the parks. If a Red Land student enjoys fishing, “Yellow Breeches never has a shortage of trout (mix of stocked and wild trout)” (Yellow Breeches Creek Water Trail in PA | Visit Cumberland Valley). Both of these parks offer nice trails with beautiful nature scenery surrounding the hike. One of the most popular trails in Lower Allen Community Park is the Nature trail, which “is a flat, one-mile loop with interpretive signage highlighting the marsh, Yellow Breeches Creek, and woodland flowers to name a few” (Lower Allen Community Park). That way Red Land students can get some fresh air and remain energetic, even during this cold season. 

To balance out from the physical aspect, exploring arts and culture at the popular Hershey Story Museum is a great way to go. This museum includes interactive exhibits on Milton Hershey’s life, chocolate-making innovations, the town he built, a chocolate lab, and souvenir shops. Who doesn’t like the smell of Hershey Chocolate? This destination is a great place to bring friends and family to go on a “journey through the inspiring life of Milton S. Hershey and learn about the man, his chocolate company, the town that bears his name, and his generous legacy” (The Hershey Story). Not only does this offer a learning experience, but it also gives Red Land students an indoor place to stay warm and visit besides being out in the cold. 

To close this winter activities guide, indoor fun is always a classic activity to do. Coffee shops and the Capital City Mall are fun destinations to visit, especially in the bitter weather. Some local coffee shops include Brew Crumberland’s Best, Starbucks, Cornerstone Coffeehouse, and Camp Hill Cafe. Each of these coffee shops are in a five to ten minute distance from the Lewisberry area. Another coffee shop recommendation is the Good Ground Coffee Company. Not only is this a delicious coffee shop, but it also has a beautiful story where it was created to employ survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation (Good Ground Coffee Company). Red Land students and their friends and family can stay warm and cozy in a coffee shop with a steaming cup in their hands. Not only do these places offer different kinds of coffee, but they offer many other drinks as well. Another way to stay warm and active is shopping at Capital City Mall. The mall offers many different kinds of shops, snack bars, and restaurants. That way staying fun indoors can be an option if being outside in the cold isn’t exactly a Red Land student’s jam.

Staying busy and having fun in the bitter winter can be challenging, but here are some suggestions that can distract Red Land students from constantly doing school work. From winter sports at Roundtop Mountain Resort and taking a hike at local parks, to viewing art and culture at the Hershey Story Museum and going to a coffee shop then the mall are some great options to consider. Ultimately, trying new things, going to new destinations with friends and family, and getting some fresh air can heal the mind in a stressful period during school, and knowing that winter doesn’t have to be depressing is a good way to start.

By: Emily Ritchey and Kylie Kitner

January 9, 2026

Outside Goldsboro PA, there is a nuclear power plant called Three Mile Island (TMI). The plant started operations on September 2, 1974. The plant operated for almost 5 years before its partial meltdown on March 28, 1979, when the second reactor had a cooling malfunction causing the core of the reactor to partially melt. This resulted in the temporary closing of TMI. Fortunately, there was no significant environmental damage done at the time of the meltdown. Since then, efforts are being made to repair and clean up TMI. With the clean up beginning in August of 1979, TMI’s second reactor was deemed irreparable up until October of 1986 when the efforts to repair the second reactor first began, with hopes to reopen one day. Since then, many have put forth effort into the reopening and the projected date of reactivation is 2027.

When TMI melted down in March of 1979, people all around fled, even though the meltdown did not cause any fatalities. The meltdown of TMI caused not only mistrust to rise in the community of people, but it also caused many at the plant to lose their jobs. If people hadn't lost their jobs, then most of them were part of an unofficial evacuation which was mainly local people, causing short term economic hits to tourism and agriculture. This meltdown also caused long term debates about the industry and officials in higher power, some of which are still going on today. 

 TMI’s goal is to restart in 2027 or 2028, working towards restarting the first unit as the Crane Clean energy center. The restarting of TMI, sponsored by Microsoft, will require significantly more investments and regulatory approval to make sure that everything runs smoothly and safely. This job has cost over $1 billion dollars in investment, which is expected to create thousands of jobs, to hopefully help run TMI until around 2054. If all goes according to plan, some of these jobs could be open to Red Land students, like 2024 graduate, Jack Kitner, who after Red Land went to TMI as a union ironworker. However, the plant faces a couple regulatory hurdles, due to the fact that it needs approval from multiple companies before they can make any drastic jumps forward. Students in the same shoes as Jack could have a shot at a career. There is also another unit that is planned to undergo another cleanup process; however, this isn't expected to be finished until around 2038. These dates are not set in stone and can be moved forward or pushed backward.

After researching TMI and all of their future plans, we also contacted 2024 Red Land graduate Jack Kitner and asked him about some of his work days there. He expressed that there has been an ongoing clean up mission since the meltdown that still hasn't been completed, and because of them prioritizing the reopening of unit 1, he doubts the cleanup process will be finished right on time. “Today I rigged cranes and connected steel. I was rigging beam connections and columns. I was 220 feet in the air walking steel beams and climbing columns. We are building a steel structure to hold radiation. They are pulling material out and sending it to labs in Utah to get studied and tested. The unit sells the nuclear material to help fund the reactor,” Jack stated in one of the entries we have from him. Jack is one of many people who paved the way so more people in the future could work at TMI. There are many opportunities for Red Land students and many valuable contributions to be made for TMI’s reopening.

By Sydney Maneely and Ciya Liverman

January 19, 2026

In 2025, there were many ups and downs. Sadly last year we saw terrifying fires run rampant in California, the Ukraine-Russia war continuing into its fourth year, and deadly flash-flooding in Texas. On the upside, many good things happened in 2025 as well. The Israel-Hamas War reaches a tentative peace treaty, there is now an HIV vaccine, and two countries elected their first female presidents. As for Red Land, our football team is finally on a winning streak, prom is becoming inexpensive, and our school’s national ranking is better and better! As 2025 comes to an end, we look forward to everything 2026 has to offer. 

Cloud Dancer is Pantone’s color of the year 2026. It is an off-white, calming color that symbolizes new beginnings and reflections. This color is a great way to start the new year, with a fresh start. 2026 is America’s 250th birthday! Many places are celebrating this big number by reflecting on America’s history. Check out the PA Farmshow where they have a butter sculpture of the Declaration of Independence signing. It is also the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Horse, specifically the Fire Horse. This symbolizes freedom, strength, and moving forward. 

There are exciting things happening in 2026! We can look forward to the Winter Olympics which are taking place in Italy starting February 6th. The Paralympics will take place directly after the Winter Olympics. If you’re a fan of soccer, the FIFA World Cup will be coming back this summer and taking place in the U.S, Mexico, and Canada. There is also the 2026 NFL Super Bowl Game to look forward to with a half time show by Bad Bunny.

Besides sports, 2026 brings us closer to the moon! NASA’s Artemis 2 is launching this spring. This mission will send astronauts into the moon’s orbit, but they will not actually land on the moon. Only weeks away are The Grammys, happening February 1st. This is a big night for pop culture in general, where artists and their works can win prestigious awards. There are also the Midterm Elections coming up this fall. For Red Land Students who are turning 18, this is a great opportunity to vote and share your voice. 

Every year we expect great movies to come out and 2026 is no different. Here are some great movies coming to your screen this year:

• Avengers: Doomsday (Dec. 18th)

• Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31st)

• Dune: Part Three (Dec. 18th)

• The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (Nov. 20th)

• The Devil Wears Prada 2 (May 1st)

• Supergirl (July 26th)

• Scream 7 (Feb. 27th)

• Live Action Moana (July 10th)

• Toy Story 5 (June 19th)

• Terrifier 4 (Oct. 2026)

Many new movies, book adaptations, or long-awaited sequels are coming out this year, so it is the perfect time to hit the theaters with your popcorn or curl up on the couch for a long movie.

But what can Red Land look forward to this year? There are big events coming up in the Spring of 2026. 

Winter formal is February 2nd and this great opportunity to experience a laidback version of homecoming with fun dancing. 

Senior Exit Interviews are occurring February 13th and this is where seniors will be able to show off their post high school plans. 

February 25th-March 1st, we have our Spring Musical! Our production is “Into the Woods” where we see the dark and funny retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairytales. You’ll see some of your favorites like Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and more. 

Prom is getting an exciting new makeover since we are switching venues, cutting dinner, and adding in a mini-golf game. Tickets are $25 instead of the $50 last year. 

Graduation is on  June 5th this year at the Farmshow Complex. Red Land will say goodbye to their senior class and the seniors will finally receive their diplomas after 13 years of school. 

We at the Red Land Newspaper wish you the best in your year ahead. This is Ciya Liverman and Sydney Maneely signing off!

Sources: NBC news, IMDB, Britannica,and  Pantone

By: Sofia Gutacker

January 15, 2026

My mom was planning a trip for my abuela's birthday and when I found I was upset because I couldn't come along. After having various talks with my mom about the trip, she said I could go, but only if  I would tour a college while I was there. I thought that was a pretty good deal, so I immediately accepted. 

When my mom and I first landed, my aunt and uncle picked me up from the airport. They took us to my grandma’s apartment. There, I met about half of my family. We were all around the table eating sandwiches, like we usually do on the day we arrive.

On the second day of the trip, I met up with my cousin Alejandra, whom I hadn’t seen the day before, and we went out to a café with family. Later that day, I saw my cousin Imanol and his girlfriend Pipi, who is a DJ, and we all started bonding over our music taste.

On Tuesday, I went to my uncle Carlos’s house to have a sleepover with my cousin Alejandra. We went out for ice cream and had a movie night. When we woke up, we went to breakfast together, and then I had to go back to my grandma’s apartment because she needed to study for her college finals that were coming up. Later that day, my cousin Imanol picked me up and took me to Pipi’s house, and I hung out with them for the rest of the day.

The first thing we did was play Uno together. After Uno, we had some quick fun in the pool. When we were drying off from the pool, my cousin showed us his magic tricks. He’s been doing magic for as long as I can remember, and he always likes to show me his card tricks. After that, we wanted to get out of the house a little, so we went to a place called República de los Niños. This is a place I used to go to when I visited Argentina as a kid, and I was so excited to go back.

This place has things like a miniature amusement park, buildings with a mixture of Medieval, Islamic, and European styles, and statues of Argentine comic book characters. My favorite was always the statues because there is a statue of my favorite character, Mafalda. After we were finished at the Republic, we went to a café for a drink and a sweet treat, and then we headed back to Pipi’s house. As soon as we got back, we started to play Uno again. After we ordered food, Pipi tried to use her DJ equipment, and I was surprised by how hard it was to use.

The day after, we took a bus to the city of Buenos Aires. Our first stop was to meet up with my mom’s old friend from high school. We went to a place called Mercado de San Telmo. This place is a market that was established in 1897 and is known for antiques and unique food. I had some really good food and walked around the city. I found a part of the city that was dedicated to my favorite comic book character, Mafalda, and I was in heaven. There was so much everywhere, and I was having so much fun.

After looking around, we went to my tour at the local city college called UADE. They didn’t let me take pictures on the tour, so the only photo proof I have is a picture of the QR code I took. The school was very different from schools I’ve seen in Pennsylvania because they had a huge section of the outer patio designated for smoking, compared to schools here where smoking isn’t allowed anywhere on campus.

The next day was my abuela’s (grandma in Spanish) 90th birthday, so we had the whole family over at her apartment. There were 12 people in a two-bedroom apartment, so it was hard to seat everyone, but it was so fun. My whole family was there, and my cousins Imanol and Agustin and their girlfriends sat with me at the kids’ table. To pass the time, we played Uno and homemade Heads Up. We had dinner together and all ate wonderful chocolate cake. The party didn’t end until 1 a.m., which in Argentina is super early for a party to end.

The next day, I went to an outdoor market that always has the same sellers every year, but I still always like going. This time, it was super windy, so all the tents the sellers were under were blowing away and they started closing up. We ended up turning the outing around because we stopped by a cute café, and I had a milkshake. After the café, I was taken to my tia’s house, who is my mom’s sister. They had just gotten a new dog, so I was excited. After meeting the dog, named Fury, we had some awesome homemade pasta and then went back home.

On the next trip, my uncle invited the whole family over for lunch. My uncle has an Argentine grill, so I was super excited because every year he invites us over and cooks on the grill. After lunch, my cousin Imanol told me he brought the Uno cards again so we could play one last time before we left. I played with Imanol, his girlfriend, and eventually my other cousin Alejandra.

On my second-to-last day, my cousin Imanol, my aunt Maria, and my uncle Manuel came over to eat dinner with us because my cousin had finals the next day and couldn’t drop us off at the airport. We ate dinner together, and after dinner my cousin showed us a few more magic tricks. After they left the apartment, my mom and I went to an ice cream shop, and I got the biggest ice cream of my life.

At the airport, my aunt Maria, uncle Manuel, and uncle Carlos dropped us off. Before I left, we made sure to make time to eat at a café one last time before going.

By Broch Rambo

December 17, 2025

Texas is one the biggest states in the USA so that comes with ups and downs,one of which is having to make most of its land into highways to get around safely. The driving is very aggressive; if you want to change a lane you, have to very much fight for it. But getting around can be very confusing, due to the varied amount of roads and highways that are connected to each other.

The big road types, called zippers, can be helpful but also a double-edge sword. With how the zipper is set up it can be just messed up by someone who is too impatient or too slow. The zipper is set in a way where you're getting put into one lane but you're supposed to watch out for the other person. It is supposed to be the right road to go first, then the left road enters next. But people can be impatient so they rush and nearly hit the driver. This road idea could work in Pennsylvania, but many drivers would need to be able to be patient and go one after the other with the car on the left always going first then right; without patience, it could cause a pile up.

In Texas, their highways are very well-designed because drivers can enter from anywhere. Each road can easily get off and on to the highway making it quick and seamless and an easy connection to back roads. The only flaw to the highway's design is that the entry and exit are right next to each other, so if drivers aren't paying attention when getting off, then they can be side swiped by another driver. 

Texas roads are a good visual of how to design a highway. With Texas highways being able to be accessed from back roads, alternate routes make a good design for newer highways. This design could also make it easier for new and experienced drivers to drive onto the highway and immediately back onto a smaller road with ease.

 Maybe this idea can even help with the redesign of I-83, which is under construction, and could create a better way to access to the road. Making I-83 more accessible from back roads could also create an easier path for emergency vehicles to get to more secluded areas. Take notes, Pennsylvania!

By: Reagan Gossard

December 18, 2025

Many people know about it, and many people do not stop talking about it.  The holiday menus throughout different coffee shops seem to create gossip between customers. In some ways, it may not be 100% positive. A sophomore from Red Land High School, Harper Gossard, voices her opinion, “Starbucks is good, but I feel like Dunkin is the same every year.” There tends to be many mixed emotions about the menus. It could be due to the renowned drinks, like the “Pumpkin Cream Chai” that individuals seem to rave about every Halloween, or the holiday bear cup from Starbucks that people would wake up early in the morning for, to make sure they were the first people in line to buy it. Regardless of the holiday, people are going to have different opinions about every item, both positive and negative.

Oftentimes, we hear about the positive aspects of the holiday menus and do not really pay attention to what others have to say about it, and it may not be the most cheerful feedback.  A junior at Red Land High School, Alena Imamovic states, “ I just feel like they could do better. I think they should have a broader selection.” Many individuals say that the menus always have the same options, and to some people this could get tiring. There could also be certain flavors that customers may not like, and these companies continue to put it out every holiday season. Elyse Tatar, another junior at Red Land emphasizes, “I don’t like all the peppermint stuff, I feel like there’s a lot of it.” Businesses might not have an idea about what people do and do not like. These negative opinions could possibly spark new creative ideas, in the hopes of possibly creating different items on the menu.

On the contrary, many people do find the menus exciting and love being able to purchase these items every year throughout the holiday seasons. Annabelle Stonesifer, a student who frequents coffee shops, states, “I like getting holiday coffee more than regular coffee.” Many times there are individuals who can not wait for the holiday menus to come out, because they love the festive items more than the regular ones. There also always tends to be multiple drinks that people like on the menu, and want those items to continue to be on it every year. A senior at Red Land High School, Alia Williamson, says, “But I am a fan of the caramel brulee latte from Starbucks.” Lots of times people love certain flavors, and these companies continue to put them out every year. These flavors help keep customers happy and can make people want to come back to buy these drinks. 

Ultimately, you cannot please everyone when it comes to these holiday menus. There tends to be many mixed emotions throughout the seasons when these items are produced.  Although, feedback can open new ideas and possibilities that can possibly make the menus better.