Vol. 5 No. 3 (February 2015)

blueprints Volume 5, Issue 3

February 2015

The Truth about tobacco PLUS:

~What to do about college? ~How to measure a year ~Coffee vs Tea ~The Interview Review ~Galavant

Follow us online! blueprintsonline.org

www.blueprintsonline.org 1

Letter from the editor BluePrints 2014-15 Staff Editor-in-Chief Julia Lerner

Entertainment Editors Regan McCroskey Adriona Murphy

Features Editor Brittany Cline

News Editor

Destiny Braden

Opinion Editor Anna Minton

D

ear, well, everyone.

New Year, new me. Am I right, or am I right? And by that, I mean “someone please invent time travel so I don’t actually have to deal with the second semester of my senior year.” If I hear one more adult who I have literally never spoken to before ask me about my “future,” or “what I’m doing with my life,” or “you know you can’t major in watching Netflix, right?,” I may actually scream. Why don’t people ask me relevant questions any more, like what my favorite color is? At least, that’s the sort of thing people asked me when I was five. (It’s purple, by the way).

At least I sort of know what I’m doing, though. College, man. College. Simultaneously the most exciting and the most terrifying thing anyone will ever prepare for. It’ll definitely be a change from life in the ‘ville. I can’t wait, but at the same time, I’m not sure if I’m ready to leave just yet.

This whole year has been a year of reflection for me, filled with aching moments of nostalgia, happy moments of

2 BLUEPRINTS FEBRUARY 2015

Photo by Ben Barkett

remembrance, and the fleeting feeling of regret, as I think about everything I haven’t accomplished in my short time at Granville High School, and just how shockingly ill-prepared for college I am.

So, here we are. Just four incredibly short months from graduation, and I’m sitting inside a classroom, pondering my very existence (at least I don’t need to take a cigarette break).

So, fellow seniors, sit back, relax, and enjoy not actually having to do work.

You’ve already applied to college, with the assistance of our ever-so-helpful guidance counselors, you’ve done all the legitimate work that needs to be done (for now), and you’ve got nothing better to do than embrace the the remainder of our senior year.

Eat pizza, go snowboarding, read a book. Don’t do drugs, don’t start smoking, eat your green vegetables, stay in school. You’re almost there.

Sincerely, Julia Lerner @julialwashere Blueprints Editor-In-Chief

Sports Editors Nic Mork Trevor Steyn

Layout Editors

Maggie McGonagle Dakota Smith

Photographer Ben Barkett

Artist Nick Bygrave

Business Manager Luke Bauer

Staff Members

Kaeli Frahn Paige Griesse Austen Miller Emily Pitcher Alex Templeton Barrett Williams

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OPINION Page 4: Staff Editorial: Smoking Page 5: Staff Opinion: Coffee vs. Tea Page 6: College Preperations NEWS Page 8: Smoking in Granville

SPORTS Page 10: Top sports moments of 2014 Page 11: Skiing vs Snowboarding Page 11: Why we should have turf Page 11: Mork’s Sport Report

FEATURES & ENTERTAINMENT Page 12: Nostalgia Page 13: Ten Foods I Will Never Eat Page 14: Pizza Cucinova Review Page 15: How to measure a year Page 16: Ask Macey & Millie, Ask Andy

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STAFF EDITORIAL

THINK

All across America, it’s not that hard to find teens smoking. Whether it’s outside school, at their house, or, more specifically to Granville, outside of CVS; there is a common trend lately of kids using tobacco products.

There are really 3 different reasons that people seem to be smoking more. The first one is that teenagers think it will make them look cool. Guys think it gives them that “bad boy” look and girls think that puffing smoking out of their moths will make them more attractive. The truth? It doesn’t work. I hate to break it to you all, but inhale toxic black smoke into your lungs and then spitting it back out again isn’t exactly on my “Top 10 Most Attractive Qualities” list. You are not James Dean. You cannot pull it off.

End of story.

Some kids smoke because they see all of their guardians doing it. This reason is the most understandable, but should be the least effective. I mean, you see how tobacco is affecting those around you. Just listening to the gravely voices and throat scratching coughs should be enough to send any sane person running for the hills.

The last reason, and probably most compelling, is peer pressure. Everyone wants to fit in. Everyone wants to be liked, and what better way to come about that than doing what other people tell you to do?

The answer to this is simple; don’t let others dictate what you want to do. If you

By Nick Bygrave let other people bully you into doing something you don’t want to, you’re essentially letting them bully you into giving away your free will. If your friend won’t talk to you because you don’t smoke, you might want to re evaluate what you were doing being friends with them in the first place.

All in all, there is no good reason to smoke. Tobacco products can give you lifelong health issues, as well as completely

drain you bank dry. So next time, think before you reach for the lighter.

EDITORIAL POLICY Blueprints, Granville High School’s newsmagazine, is published by students in Journalism. As a forum of student expression, the goal of Blueprints is to provide the high school students’ perspective on relevant issues concerning the school, the community and the world.

Editorial decisions are based on timeliness, relevance and appropriateness. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are not necessarily that of the entire staff, student body or school. Letters to the editor will be published as space allows. Blueprints does accept advertisements; however, the staff reserves the right to withdraw ads.

What do you think about smoking?

“Not only is smoking and tobacco use not good for you, but it is extremely expensive.”

-Senior Jessica Jones

4 BLUEPRINTS FEBRUARY 2015

“If you smoke, you’re making bad life decisions, and I don’t like you.”

-Senior Anya Cohen

“Tobacco use is stupid. It’s addictive and bad for you.”

-Junior Ally Guiher

Photos by Regan McCroskey

READER OPINION

COFFEE VERSUS TEA

coffee:

I

BY ADRIONA MURPHY ’m just going to come out and say it: coffee is better than tea. I will admit, tea has its advantages. The main one, and really only one, being it’s a healthier alternative to coffee. But if you’re looking for something to warm you up (or cool you down in the summertime), give you a jolt of energy, and something that has a lot of options, coffee is the way to go. There are so many different types of coffee.

You can get it get frozen, iced, or hot, with thousands of different combinations and flavors. Coffee is full of caffeine, which is perfect for those painful, early mornings after late night cramming sessions. If you don’t need that caffeine, you can get decaf so you’ll get the great taste of coffee without the caffeine.

According to the MedicalDaily.com, researchers have found that coffee might even reduce the likelihood of Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, different types of cancer, and even assist people with asthma by relaxing their airways and making it easier for them to breath.

The amount of caffeine in coffee is even said to reduce migraines and headaches, not increase them, because it restricts blood vessels in the brain. There are even essential nutrients in coffee. According to authoritynutrition.com, coffee contains vitamin B2, vitamin B5, Magnesium, Potassium, and Manganese.

Contrary to popular belief, coffee does not increase or cause you to develop heart disease. Any excessive amounts of caffeine can cause elated blood pressure, but coffee alone does not cause you to have high blood pressure, especially if you drink it regularly.

There are even studies that say coffee cause reduce the risk of heart disease and even have a 20% decrease in the likelihood of stroke.

Coffee has several health benefits and is still able to taste great no matter what time of the day or year. It provides a change of pace from the sometimes bland, bitter taste of tea. It gives me a jolt of energy on those slow, early school mornings. I would much rather drink coffee than tea any day.

TEA:

T

BY BRITTANY CLINE ea is the most consumed drink and is far better than coffee for so many reasons.

It has so many benefits to drinking it, whereas coffee just simply wakes you up. There are a variety of flavors and many different types of tea, but coffee has mainly only one type and only one primary flavor.

According to The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide, Tea originally came from China and was used as a remedy to cure the ill.

The seven main types of tea include black tea, green tea, oolong tea, yellow tea, white tea, post- fermented tea and chamomile tea.

The several different types are for many different purposes and can also be used for medicinal purposes. Each type has such a distinct and delicious flavor that is much more satisfying than plain coffee.

Only three percent of tea as a whole is made up of caffeine, whereas coffee has about two to three times that, according to Today.com. Simply by switching to tea, it can lessen the amount of headaches, interferences with sleep and reduce indigestion.

Tea is comprised of little amounts of different nutrients similar to caffeine such as stimulants, xanthines, theophylline, and theobromine. Black and green teas have essential nutrients in them which is crucial for daily necessities. They contain natural caffeine as opposed to a lot of artificial caffeine to wake you up, but later resulting in a crash later in the day. It has also been stated that black and green tea have a possibility of preventing cancer due to the polyphenols and the antioxidants which are found to result in cancerfighting minerals. Alzheimer’s disease and obesity are also thought to be prevented when tea is consumed.

According to Today.com, tea is calorie-free. It is all natural, does not contain a trace of calories and is quite satisfying. Along with not containing calories, tea is known to increase ones metabolism.

Tea, according to Today.com, can aid in building stronger bones as a result of several valuable phytochemicals. By drinking tea, it can be beneficial to teeth health, along with building stronger bones. Tea contains fluoride which prevents plaque from forming and is also an unsweetened drink, which can assist in daily routines for healthier mouths.

www.blueprintsonline.org 5

College Monopoly:

BY BRITTANY CLINE, JULIA LERNER, REGAN MCCROSKEY, & ADRIONA MURPHY

J

{

Heres everything you need to know about applying, getting accepted, the horrors of applications and what alternatives students are exploring.

}

Brigham Young University

University of Alabama

Get Out of Jail Free: College 101

Northwestern University

By Julia Lerner, Adriona Murphy

DEFERREDGO DIRECTLY TO JAIL

ust the other day, huge numbers of seniors finished submitting their final college applications. After slaving over common app for long hours with their mother’s judgmental glare boring a hole into the back of their head as they click the final “submit,” button, it feels like a massive weight has been lifted right off their chests.

Until they get their credit card statement back, and realize that they spent a couple hundred dollars. At about $80 an app, the things really add up.

And then after you pay anywhere from two to twelve different schools to send you ridiculously thin envelopes with single sheets of paper that say “we’re sorry…,” you have to pay one of them ridiculous sums of money to teach you things you probably already know.

Did you know that, with the average cost of a college education today, you could buy about three private islands scattered across the eastern seaboard? So someone please tell me, why the HELL would I go to college when I could be lounging casually on the sandy beaches of my dreams?

On “The Private Island Marketplace,” an online page dedicated to the sale of private islands, there are close to 30 listings of islands, all lower in cost than the $200,000 I’m spending on my college education.

Over the past 30 years, the cost of college has skyrocketed, and student debt has officially topped $1 trillion in the United States. Surging over 500% since 1985, students are scrambling to pay, getting jobs at younger ages, taking out more loans than ever, and still struggling with debt well into adulthood.

And in the next 30 years, the cost only going to get higher. A number of websites are projecting the cost of college for students graduating in 2031 to be close to $100,000 for public universities, and just over $300,000 for private universities.

So again, why on EARTH am I going to college, and not just buying an island?

And this is where so many people decide that college isn’t right for them, because it’s not worth the high cost. Unfortunately for us, this necessity is priced as a commodity, leaving people unable to pay for it. However, studies show that college grads make approximately 98% more per hour than non college graduates.

Don’t think college is right for you? That’s alright. Personally, I think I’m going to go the Island route.

However, there are several other alternatives to going to college.

Some students go straight into employment if they already have a job lined up. This usually occurs after they went to some sort of trade school program, like C-Tec. Many students take this route in order to save up money to pay for college or are going into a family business.

Military is another popular option. In that situation you would contact a recruiter who would guide you through the entire process. You would also need to take your ASVAB test for placement into a military field, following that, you’d need to schedule your basic training and the day you plan on officially joining the military. If you are deciding between college and the military, ROTC programs and the National Guard are good options to attend college while focusing on a military career.

A lot of students consider taking a gap year where instead of heading straight into college, they put it off for a year. Sometimes these students work to make money to put towards college, travel, or take time to themselves to prepare for the college experience. What often happens is the question of what if you take a year and decide you don’t want to go to college. Then that’s okay too! If you take a year off and decide that

Ohio State University

6 BLUEPRINTS FEBRUARY 2015

Bowling Green State University

College ApplicaUniversity of tion Due! Mississippi Pay $80.

University of North Carolina

Tulane University

Emory University

Ashland University

Boston University

Lawrence University

College 101:

The guidance counselors never came around to the classes and helped students search for college options, so when Granville started this, she was thrilled.

Stated by Raffay, the best time to take the ACT and SAT depends on the math the student is enrolled in. Considering that the tests focus on geometry and algebra II, it is necessary to at least have a full course of algebra II in order to succeed on the ACT and SAT. The best time to apply to a college depends on what time of year they take applicants, according to Mrs. Raffay. Some colleges offer early admission, while some do not. It is essential to know whether the college the students are interested in applying to offer the option to admit earlier.

Pace University

Beloit University

the college process, however for the ones that have, tend to have an idea of what colleges they have in mind. Katie Stanley remarked that she has started the college process and by doing so, she knows what kind of school she wants to go to, along with ones in mind with information still unknown. She said that with keeping up with school, it is hard to continue searching.

According to guidance counselor Mrs. Raffay, College 101 is initiated to influence the students on beginning the process of college searching and helps them along the way.

“College 101 is very much beneficial in that it can help decide what college the students are interested in” said Mrs. Raffay. She also said that when she went through high school, she never had anything like this.

University of Cincinatti

College 101 is utilized to aid juniors in beginning the college process. This method is proven beneficial and can help the students find colleges of which match their interests. While some students do not believe that College 101 is beneficial in any way, most believe that it can assist in giving an extra push to start the process.

Junior Katie Stanley stated that she was greatly influenced by the college process because it narrowed down her choices and gave her ideas of where she wants to go and insight towards the type of school that she is interested in. “College 101 is quite beneficial because I have learned about the types of locations and sizes of different schools that interest me” said Stanley.

Many juniors have yet to start

College Visit!

By Brittany Cline

W ai tli ste d

Notre Dame

maybe college isn’t the right step for you at that time, then that’s alright.

“I’d say we have about 8% of students pursuing an alternative from the traditional 2-year or 4-year college,” Said guidance counselor Ann Raffay. “I’m very happy that we have such a high percentage of students planning on attending college. However, some students feel like they’re applying because they feel it’s the next logical step instead of looking into something that might be a better fit for them.” However, you should make sure you have some sort of backup plan in place to assure you will have some sort of security if you plan on taking a long term break from college.

“A gap year is a really personal decision, so I make sure not to influence a student’s decision to do so. As guidance counselors we make sure they have some sort of plan in place instead of being stuck in this sort of flux where they’re not sure what they’re going to do,” said Raffay.

Ja il:

College Kalamazoo Applications Late: University Don’t Pass Go & Do not collect Financial Aid www.blueprintsonline.org 7

The Truth About

TOBACCO

BY LUKE BAUER, DAKOTA SMITH, MAGGIE McGONAGLE, PAIGE GRIESSE, AND NICK BYGRAVE Photos taken by Luke Bauer, Maggie McGonagle and Dakota Smith 8 BLUEPRINTS FEBRUARY 2015

A

lthough smoking has been painted in a negative light for the past decade, it hasn’t stopped people, including the younger generation here at Granville High School, from continuing to do so. This habit still captures the addiction of about twelve percent of the US population.

Smoking has still managed to stick with our younger generation and elders even after they have heard the gut wrenching statistics that revolve around smoking.

It causes cancer, emphysema and heart disease; all of which can shorten life span or even kill.

Today, smoking is restricted or banned in almost all public places, and cigarette companies are no longer allowed to advertise on TV, radio and in many magazines.

Unfortunately, usage by these generations continues.

Not only are adolescents still smoking cigarettes today, but unfortunately more tobacco products have been added to this list. These new products include cigars, ecigarettes, hookahs and chewing tobacco.

Studies have shown that nearly 1 in 4 male high school students and 1 in 5 female high school students were found to be active users of some type of tobacco product according to the American Cancer Society.

Smoking among the younger generation is clearly a problem, but we wanted to take a closer look inside our own community. Is smoking really an issue in Granville? Matthew Durst, the current principal of Granville High School, sat down to answer some questions.

Durst informed that there have been ten instances in the past four years involving smoking and tobacco on school property: three in 2013/14, four in 2012/13, zero in 2011/12, and three in 2010/11. These instances are not solely specific to the act of smoking, but also posession of any type of tobacco product. According to the Granville High School student handbook, the consequence for these instances is a three day out of school suspension. Based on these collected figures, it appears that smoking in Granville schools is not a significant issue. Unfortunately, there is more to the story than the facts compiled by the school.

Durst went on to explained the difference between tobacco use and substance abuse, and how the school must handle the

situations.

Tobacco use is specific to tobacco, meaning things like chewing tobacco and electronic cigarettes (e-cigs), while substance abuse involves all illegal substances, such as marijuana and alcohol. A violation of the substance abuse policy results in a ten day out of school suspension, involvement of law inforcement, and potentially stronger legal punishments.

In the last couple of weeks, reports of students smoking in the school bathrooms have been made. This discovery has the school district cracking down in an attempt to assure the no use policy is carried out on school property.

“The first step to helping this problem is increasing supervision,” said Durst.

Durst also told us that a complaint from parents comes about once a year regarding smoking on school grounds, but clarified that technically the reported area is not on school property, but in the woods behind the school. Parents also claim that things are going on during late arrival, though nothing has been proven.

In addition, there are multiple accounts from students themselves pointing out students who have partaken in smoke related activities, but very rarely can these be proven. It is evident that this problem is much more difficult to get a sense for than many realize. It is a secretive practice for many, and rarely can anything be proved.

“

In another study performed by the American Cancer Society on middle school students, a shocking 7% admittedly used some form of tobacco. These facts are shocking, and tobacco usage has steadily worked its way into the school system.

In a poll conducted by the BluePrints staff, it would seem as if there was no tobacco problem in Granville High School, as only three to four people out of 100 had admittedly tried some form of tobacco, but many students suspect otherwise.

So we ask ourselves, why do young people still smoke today when they know of the severe health and legal risks?

The answer is a variety of different reasons. Some think it looks cool, others start from examples set by family members, or simply because their friends do it and they don’t want to feel left out. In fact, peer pressure is one of the leading causes of adolescent tobacco usage according to the American Cancer Society.

Unfortunately, the younger generation doesn’t realize that while they smoke to “look cool,” they are about to subject themselves to one of the most potentially deadly and addictive substances that can be purchased over the counter.

Smoking has killed millions with its awful long term affects, and the younger generation needs to understand these awful outcomes. It is the responsibility of the younger generations to say no to smoking.

Nearly 1 in 4 male high school students and 1 in 5 female high school students were found to be active users of some type of tobacco product.”

-American Cancer Society

www.blueprintsonline.org 9

XLIX S uper Bowl XLIX happened last week and it was debatably one of the best Super Bowls of all time, although the ending of the game might take away from the quality of the game. As everyone knows the Seahawks had a first and goal from the five yard line and Beast Mode Marshawn Lynch ran it down to the one yard line.

Then the play heard around the world happened as Nic’s Sport the offensive coordiReport nator called a bump n run short screen inside the hash marks.

Now I am not arguing that Carroll and his staff made a good call because that obviously is not true. I am trying to offer a new perspective on what happened. Carroll said after that the reason they did not run is because the Patriots were in their goal line formation while the Seahawks still had three wide outs on the field.

Even with the situation, the Seahawks still should have run. Lynch averaged four yards per carry during the Super Bowl and to think he wasn’t going to be able to get in with at two, maybe three, tries from the one is idiotic.

What I am arguing is the play call was not as bad as the play that Malcolm Butler was good. There have been 96 plays from the one yard line this year in which a team passed the ball and none of those 96 have ended in an interception, although those teams did not have the best running back in the league Beast Mode in the back field.

Malcolm Butler was an unknown player out of Western Alabama. His pro day was not attended by any pro scouts because it fell on the same day as Alabama’s pro day.

Butler had just made a bad play on a crazy catch by the Seahawks he said after the game that if the Patriots lost he would have blamed it on himself. Then came second and gold when Butler read Wilson and saw the screen coming and ran to the goal line and somehow beat the receiver to the ball and made the play of the game.

The play call by the Seahawks was just plain stupid, but in my opinion the play by Butler should outmatch what the play call was.

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TOP FIVE

SPORTS

MOMENTS OF 2014 T

BY AUSTEN MILLER he year 2014 was chalk full of amazing sports moments that shocked the world.

Peyton Manning broke multiple NFL records, the United States shocked the world at the Sochi Olympics, and Lebron James made an announcment that will go down in history in the world of sports. Not to take away all of the other amazing moments of the year, but the top five are undisputable.

5. Mr. 509

Future hall of fame quarter back Peyton Manning broke the all-time passing touchdown record in the NFL, with 509 total. A simple screen pass to tight end Demaryius Thomas broke Brett Favre’s previous record of 508.

4.TJ Oshie makes game winning shootout goal against Russia in 2014 Winter Olympics

When the United States was scheduled to play Russia in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, many thought it would be a repeat of the movie Miracle, staring Kurt Russell, although not as exhilarating, it did peak excitement when the game was still tied at the end of overtime, sending it into shootouts. In the eighth round, Oshie beat Russian goaltender Sergei Bobvrosky to score the game winner, with a score of 3-2.

3. Clint Dempsey scores goal in US world cup opener in first minute of game

In the 2010 World Cup, the United States had previously lost to Ghana in the round of sixteen, making this game personal. It was certainly VERY personal to captain and midfielder Clint Dempsey, who scored the first goal of the game in the first minute and twelve seconds of the game, igniting a flame in the national team as they went on to win the game 2-1.

2. The Spurs beat the Heat in game 7 of NBA finals After being defeated in a seven game comeback in the 2013 finals, the San Antonio Spurs had unfinished business with the Miami Heat. Led by rookie Kawi Lennard, the Spurs defeated the Heat in seven games to clinch their 5th championship in the franchises history.

1. The Return of the King

The greatest sports moment of 2014, was the announcement that Lebron James would be returning to play the remainder of his career in his home state of Ohio with the Cleveland Cavilers.

Photo by Kenny Warren

SKIING VS. SNOWBOARDING

W

BY PAIGE GRIESS inter is full of many opportunities which include, ice-skating, building snow men, drinking hot chocolate and decorating Christmas cookies. But the most popular winter activities seem to be skiing and snowboarding. The question we all ask ourselves is which one is better and why? How can we persuade other people to pick one? Lets look at the pros and cons of each of the winter festivities.

Skiing seems to be the easier of the two to learn. Knowing this most parents tend to start their kids out with skiing, simply because it’s easier for their kids to get the hang of. Skiing is a lot like walking where you use independent leg movements to move, thus making it easier. Plus there are two skis making it feel more natural once you get the hang of this after practice slopes you practically can ski down and all around a mountain. Although it may be the easier one to pick up there are cons. Each time you walk you must take your skis off and walk very uncomfortably in your boots, your poles are a pain to carry and on top of all that you have to manage carrying your skis too which makes this more difficult, which can totally make you look less cool.

When most people hear the word snowboarding, automatical-

L

ly the first word that comes to mind is “awesome” or “cool.” These people are right, snowboarding is a skill that is very useful and nice to have. The rush that you feel as you’re going down the slope, and passing everyone is absolutely unbelievable. In most people’s opinion, being on one board is better because it gives you a challenge, and a plus is you don’t have to worry about hauling two skis around. Although snowboarding may be awesome, snowboarding is a long and bruising process to learn. It takes multiple tries to finally get the hang of the swaying motion and having both feet clamped onto one board. But once you are comfortable with this, it is definitely the more enjoyable of the two.

Both of these activities are fun, time-consuming skills to learn that are definitely worth it. The question of “which one is better” is hard to answer because there are great parts of both of them. If you’re looking for a quick easy learn to get out on the slopes, skiing would be the way to go. But if you want a little of a challenge and the thrill of moving down the slope on one board, snowboarding is for you. Either way your winter will be enjoyable with either of the activities.

wHY WE SHOULD HAVE TURF

BY DAKOTA SMITH et’s gaze across Licking County, into the schoolyards of the ten schools in our league. What we will find are that seven of the ten teams in the Licking County League have facilities with turf fields and nice stadiums; Granville is one of three without.

If we had a turf field at the high school, both girls’ and boys’ field-sports teams could practice on the same field without it being ruined by cleats throughout each season. Although the initial cost would be quite high, the maintenance fees would go down and fewer staff members would be needed to care for the facilities.

Many students and athletes agree that turf has been a long-awaited addition to help improve practice and game conditions. It improves competition by creating a standard of play that provides equal game play experiences across the county.

“One of the biggest disgraces in Granville history is us not having turf,” and “I wonder why our athletic director decides to get new scoreboards each year and not update our facilities” an anonymous senior stated. He believes it degrades our school socially and makes us look bad as a whole.

If we had turf, our sports teams would play better, we would spend less money in the long run, and our school would be at the same level as other schools in our league.

www.blueprintsonline.org 11

TOP

5

I

books you read IN

high school

When taking an informal poll with seniors, the five books they enjoyed the most were:

1. Of Mice and Men

“It makes students question their morals,” Shannon Murphy said.

2. The Things They Carried

“It was eye-opening and intense,” Alec Chesrown said.

3. The Kite Runner

BY DAKOTA SMITH AND MAGGIE MCGONAGLE n high schools across the country, students constantly complain about the books they are assigned to read. Grades drop due to students not reading, and their lack of interest. Teachers and parents alike complain to students about the low grades.

Though this is true, there are a few books that students actually enjoy reading.

Most students said that their grades were significantly better when reading these books because they had an interest in the material they were reading. However, most people would have liked less quizzes and more projects/ in-class activities.

The top 5 books in high school could also be the best of our lives, so let’s enjoy it while we can.

“It was interesting. I learned a lot about Afghani Culture,” Zane Abraham said.

4. The Last Lecture

“It was really interesting to see a different person’s point of view,” Matthew Jardell said.

5. The Great Gatsby

“It was great to see how true love can last over time, even though Daisy was a cheating scumbag. She claimed she loved him, but let him take the fall for the woman she hit while driving his car, which ended in his death and she didn’t even care,” Tyler Thomas said.

A rambling on nostalgia:

BY NICK BYGRAVE 1:56 AM. ell it’s 2 AM, so obviously it’s time to talk about nostalgia.

Flashback to 2002.

Today is going to be another good day.

For the third day in a row, Mom is making scrambled eggs with cucumber slices and carrots, featuring a ketchup smiley face and lettuce for hair. It’s 9 AM, so Zaboomafoo is going to be playing on the TV on top of the refrigerator in 30 minutes. Perfect, I’ve got enough time to finish my LEGO set, again.

I like this one: it’s a two story Police Station with jail cells and searchlights. My parents are convinced I’ll be an architect, and have told all their friends that, too. I built and destroyed it twice the night before, so I have to rebuild it to destroy it after Zaboomafoo.

Later today, I’ll go to the beach, like have every single day for the past two months of summer vacation. I think I’ll try to convince my mom that getting a dog is a good idea.

Isn’t it beautiful? A little snapshot of a time where the most difficult thing in the day was

W

12 BLUEPRINTS FEBRUARY 2015

whether I wanted leftovers or spaghetti.

Now, I’m not and never will be an architect, my still-built LEGO sets are collecting dust and so is my enthusiasm. Coloring turned into Algebra, LEGOs turned into iPhones and smiley-face lunches turned into hastily packed sandwiches. Basketball went from a game to a sport, a play date means something else entirely and passing notes turned to texting. Exercise was a byproduct of playing tag, and “stupid” was a bad word.

Dinosaurs were still alive in our heads, Santa came every Christmas and waking up early wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but rather our favorite thing. A person was your best friend because you had the same shirt, and a girl was your crush because she could do a summersault. In case you don’t feel distant enough, Zaboomafoo has been off the air for 14 years.

But why look back? Why not look to the future with optimism and high hopes?

Well because the future is scary now. College degrees are no guarantee of a job, and you’re starting to have to do things on your own. The future is uncertain and the past is

familiar. That’s the key. When looking back you know what you’re going to get. You can’t reminisce about things that haven’t happened yet, but you can laugh like hell about that thing that you can’t talk about that happened in 4th grade.

Have you ever seen an advertisements from the ‘50s? A blender was considered space-age and a car was styled with fins and chrome and big engines. “What a time to be alive,” they must have thought, “and the only thing better than today is tomorrow.”

They imagined flying cars and trips to Mars and self-tying-ties or something like that.

And while we still look forward to these things now, it’s for a different reason. Back then, we wanted to go to Mars because we might meet little green people, but now we explore our solar system trying to find a planet that can sustain life for when we can’t use this one anymore. Our view of the future is dark and polluted, as it should be.

But doesn’t that just kind of suck? Yeah, it does. But, oh, well. It’s 2:44 now, I’m going to watch Zaboomafoo on YouTube and eat Cap’n Crunch.

Ten foods I will NEVER eat: H

BY REGAN MCCROSKEY ere we all are, a few weeks after the holidays and heading into Valentines Day. We all know the next month will be filled with roses, kitschy hearts, and an abundance of chocolate. So usually we look forward to all the delicious foods we love, but what about the ones we don’t? Here are my top 10 least favorite foods of all time, for really any season of the year.

1. Sauerkraut.

My mom used to make it all the time. I always knew when she was having some. It reeked all through our house. She would buy it in mass cans too. But when she found it that absolutely no one ate it in our house except her on occasion, she stopped wasting her money on it.

2. Biscuits and Gravy.

It’s probably the weirdest mixture of breakfast food I’ve had. The gravy has milk, flour and pepper. There’s no taste to it, and it always taste too heavy for me.

3. Green Bean Casserole.

Ew. Whenever I see a green bean casserole, it always looks soggy and the color looks drained from the green beans. The bread crumbs in it always taste old.

4. Mushrooms.

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A huge letdown

Interview:

I can’t tell you how many pizzas, sandwiches and soups those little things have ruined. I have never liked them, and I never will. They taste squishy when you heat them up and they’re tasteless when you eat them raw.

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5. Olives.

Green ones, black ones, whatever color they are, I won’t eat them.

Once I ate a piece of pizza with olives on it, so I thought “I’ll just try something new!” And I gagged after the first bite of olive. They make me sick and angry.

6. Spinach.

It turns my teeth green, and the little healthy greens taste like dirt.

Some people put spinach in their smoothies, because it’s better for you. But I’ve had a spinach/fruit smoothie before, and I’m sorry, but vegetables don’t belong in your fruit smoothie. It’s like adding barbeque sauce to chocolate cake. They just don’t go together.

7. Oatmeal.

Probably the heaviest breakfast food I’ve ever had is oatmeal. It’s mushy, oddly colored, and always way too hot or too cold. Yes, it’s very filling, but not in a good way.

8. Summer Squash.

I really don’t know why I dislike this. It’s just too squishy for me.

9. Sugar Daddies.

Please, give me a piece of candy that tastes like overly sweetened Carmel, breaks my teeth and its name sounds like a gold diggers dream come true. Enough said.

10. Fruitcake.

You would think that fruit would actually taste pretty good in cake.

But unfortunately it really doesn’t. Whoever came up with fruitcake probably wasn’t completely sober in the kitchen.

BY ADRIONA MURPHY he last few months has been filled with hype and news about the new comedy movie, “The Interview,” starring Seth Rogan and James Franco. The excitement and intrigue only increased when Sony pulled the movie from movie theaters, On Demand, and DVD after a threat apparently occurred due to the plot of the movie where the two main characters are enlisted to kill Kim Jung Un. However, the movie is available to rent on iTunes, Google Play, Xbox and YouTube through their movie page. So, out of pure curiosity, I decided to rent it.

To say I was disappointed was an understatement. It has its moments and there were a couple really funny scenes. But they were rare and even those moments weren’t anything to be impressed with. “The Interview” was just like any other Seth Rogan or James Franco comedy, except worse.

I will admit, the plot was interesting (who would ever in their right mind make a movie about killing Kim Jung Un) but that was the only interesting part

about it. The dialogue was subpar and the acting was, for the most part, below average.

I had high expectations for the movie because I usually like Rogan’s and Franco’s films, but this tried to take a very serious topic and make it funny. It failed in doing that.

It was entirely way too long for the amount of content that it really had. I could see it maybe being successful as a shorter comedy film but for being almost two hours long, it was just a waste of time.

If you like mindless comedy, then, yeah, you’d probably really enjoy this movie. It was a lot of fluff and nothingness, like most comedies nowadays, but at least those are, usually, really funny.

The Interview seemed like it was almost trying too hard to live up to expectations that it was probably never going to reach. The movie did become one of Sony’s most downloaded movies, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a good movie. For as much hype as the movie had, it was a huge letdown.

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BY EMILY PITCHER ocated in the booming little town center, Easton, and also a new location opening up in Columbus, lays the home of Pizza Cucinova. Based off of the delicious flavors of Naples, Italy, Pizza Cucinova serves up only the best pizzas with the freshest and most modern ingredients.

This new style of pizza is considered to be just like a Chipotle or a Piada. First, you chose from a variety of Pizza Cucinova’s specialty pizzas or you can create your own.

Then you can watch as talented pizza makers create the pizza by hand. The coolest thing about this pizza is that it’s made with gourmet ingredients as well as its placed in a wood-fire that is cooked to perfection in just minutes.

Pizza Cucinova is the ideal place for anyone: it’s a family-oriented, casual joint. If you are a pizza lover, going to Pizza Cucinova is a must. The place first off, is absolutely

beautiful, completely decorated with modern wood accenting. The people who work there are incredibly friendly and very helpful, you can really tell they enjoy their job. I find that to be a very important aspect of a restaurant. The service at Pizza Cucinova is fast and rewarding; the employees are very eager to make your experience the best.

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Pizza Cucinova Pizza Cucinova is the ideal place for anyone.

One of the best things I think about Pizza Cucinova is the unlimited options you have when creating your pizza. The “build your own” option, where you actually choose what goes on your pizza, is my favorite because you can make it your own way and you see what goes on your pizza and you have a choice, where at California Pizza

Kitchen you can only choose from 3 or 4 different pizzas that are premade.

Another thing about Pizza Cucinova that I really like is the location and the price. Located further away from all the hubbub of Easton, Pizza Cucinova is tucked away in its own spot, with its own parking lot which I find to be a huge plus, especially considering that Easton is always very packed and parking is very hard to find.

My own personal experience at Pizza Cucinova was delightful. I went with my close family and my boyfriend. There was no line when we arrived so we got good service and close assistance. The employees were very helpful and provided us with everything we could have needed. I ordered a pepperoni pizza and it was amazing, it was cooked to perfection. I am really looking forward to my next visit at Pizza Cucinova and I hope this has inspired many to consider going.

ASSASSIN’S CREED UNITY: Customizable, crystal clear and creative

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BY BARRETT WILLIAMS ssassin’s Creed Unity,” is a free roam role playing game set during the French Revolution, is the newest installment of the “Assassin’s Creed” series. It takes place during the French Revolution. It has a very in-depth plot line that is easy to follow and easy to get into.

The main quest line takes a while to complete, which makes the game worth purchasing. It isn’t fast and easy; it is long and fun and you really can get into the game without it ending abruptly.

But when you do complete the main quest line there are many more side missions you can complete, also you can do side missions with people online if the mission is too difficult for you to complete on your own.

You can customize your character by changing his weapons, clothing, color of clothing. You can buy new skills, upgrade weapons and so much more. You can buy clothing with more armor or buy weapons with more damage.

The game play itself is great. Everything is crystal clear and looks real. You can scale walls and jump from building to building,

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which makes it easier to get to your desired mission faster. You can also take out a target by jumping from a building to perform an air assassination.

In the game you play as a character named Arno, who was taken in by a man named Missure Delesair after his father was killed. He grows up knowing nothing of what his father was really involved in but once he is blamed for the assassination of Missure Delesair, is determined to find out the truth. While serving a sentence for a crime he did not commit, he meets a man by the name of Pierre Bellec inside prison. Bellec tells Arno how he knew his father.

Later, Bellec explains to Arno that he and Arno’s father are part of what he calls the Creed. Arno and Bellec become close as they serve out their jail time, they hatch a plan to escape from prison.

After they escape from prison Bellec invites Arno to come to the Creed headquarters to become an Assassin. Arno decides to go to the Creed to join them, after he completes his initiation he asks the Grand master if he can investigate Missure Delesair’s murderer, the Grand master accepts Arno’s request and he starts his journey, and you start the gameplay.

Galavant “Extraordinary”

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BY BRITTANY CLINE alavant is a new musical TV series on ABC in a fairy-tale land, following a man named Galavant on his journey of finding his “happily ever after” once again, after the evil King Richard stole his love, Madalena. The show runs an hour long per episode and is scheduled to have eight episodes in the first season, while filling in the off season of “Once Upon a Time.”

The first episode aired this past Sunday and was a hit among the majority of the viewers. With Joshua Sasse as Galavant, the show could not fail.

He is a very good actor and a wonderful singer as well. Along with Sasse, Timothy Omundson, who plays King Richard, was outstanding. He is the most entertaining character and re-

ally carries the show during the song and dance instances.

Although the show had its good moments, the show began to unfold with very little explanation about what it was about and I believe that viewers could have found it confusing as to what was going on. The characters sort of jumped right into the scenes and failed to give any background information or even what the characters were trying to accomplish.

The music, written by the amazing Alan Menken, who wrote all of your favorite songs growing up, for Disney, wrote every song for this series. The song and dance sequences were very organized; however, scenes had lag time between.

The scenes began with few details, leading viewers unaware of what is happening and started doing minuscule things like shuffling through papers or adjusting the saddle on their horses. This led to the awkward silent moments between dialogue.

The character’s renaissance-

resembling garments stood out and worked quite well with the time period of which “Galavant” was set in. They also added to the feel of the era of which King Richard reigned and makes you feel as though you went back in time.

Unfortunately, the show will only last until “Once Upon a Time” continues airing new episodes once again, but may return if the reviews prove good enough to follow “Once Upon a Time.”

With these downfalls, the show still managed to be better than the live plays like “The Sound of Music Live”! and “Peter Pan Live!” and had much more positive reviews and a plethora of fans than the live shows as a result.

“Galavant” is an extraordinary series and will continue to intrigue the audience as the episodes continue.

HOW TO measure A YEAR

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BY ANNA MINTON verywhere you look, people are all trying to sum up 2014 in the easiest way possible. Whether it’s by the Russia- Ukraine crisis or the newfound tolerance of gay-marriages, everyone is trying to do a recap of the past year. The big question is, however: How do you do it?

There are plenty of different ways to go about summarizing 2014. One way is to go over everything horrible that happened.

This might be the easiest path to take. No one can disagree that a lot of terrible things happened in 2014. You could talk about the Ebola crisis, or the Malaysian airplane disappearance, or the kidnapping of 276 girls in Nigeria, or the death of Robin Williams, Maya Angelou, Philip Seymour Hoffman,

and Joan Rivers… the list goes on and on.

But what do you get out of this approach?

Other than an extremely depressing list that could give any sane human being nightmares, not much really.

Or, if you’re going for the more optimistic approach, you go look at only the good things that happened in 2014. While this one’s a bit trickier, it’s much more gratifying. You can look at the Winter Olympics, or the intentions for improved relations with Cuba, or the newfound tolerance of gay-marriages…. and that’s about it. Ok, while this list may not go on and on, it’s a heck of a lot happier than the previous summary. This method can give you a more positive outlook on life, but it may not give you a realistic one.

The final way to sum up 2014 is to focus on the little things, versus the big things.

Everywhere I’ve looked, people are focusing on celebrities and politicians, and what happened in their lives. Instead of focusing on what effected millions of people, why not take a closer look at what happened to just one person? Someone made a friend.

Someone got married, and someone else got divorced. A tiny child started kindergarten, and a not-so-tiny child started college. A person was hurt, and a person was healed. Someone died, and a child was born. While this might not be the most interesting way to study 2014, it’s the most important way. This way, the world can be reminded that there are other ways to measure a year.

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DEAR MACEY, DEAR MILLIE

Dear Macey and Millie, I’m wondering how to get over the post-holiday blues. The holidays are over and the school year is just now halfway over!

The fact that Christmas music is still played and pine needles still assault my feet when I walk in my living room doesn’t help.

How do I get out of this depressing mood?!?!

Sincerely, The Grinch

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totally get where you’re coming from!

Personally, I just set up random things to look forward to and get really excited for them. Whether it’s something small like saving chocolate for after school and having Netflix ready to doing something absolutely crazy like wearing your favorite socks!!!!

You shouldn’t think of school as being only halfway over, you should think of it as OH MY GOSH IM ALREADY HALFWAY DONE! Good luck!

-Macey

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agree with Macey. Set up small goals to look forwards to, like a late arrival days or a Monday off. If you have little goals to look forward to, then you cant be bogged down by the massive amount of time left before spring break. Or, you cant give youself little treats, like go out to eat everyone Wednesday, or do some random ctivity every weekend. That way, you constantly feel like you’re rewarding yourself!

-Millie

ASK ANDY

How should I ask my Valentine to be mine?

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ebruary 14th has been dubbed the day to show your love by hallmark for another reason for you to buy their cards. It is supposed to be a day in which one spends a lot of money on cards, flowers, and chocolate. It is a silly holiday, but if you do decide to participate then you need to do it the right.

If you have known the person a long time or you have been dating and they are expecting a gift from you then you pretty much have to go big or you’re dead. So if you are in this situation then you could do something personal like scrapbooking your time together build her a boat; or you could just blow a bunch of money on chocolate, flowers and a new car.

Now if you are an admirer of someone from a far then you need to handle this in a different way. Try not to be that super creepy guy that you are admiring from so far away that she doesn’t even know you exist. Bring up some casual way to help put the thought of you into her head when you surprise her confessing your love to her on Valentine’s Day. You really need to tip toe the line when getting her a Valentines gift because you want to impress her but at the same time not get her expectations up for the future.

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