Vol. 7 No. 3 (January 2017)

BLUEPRINTS GRANVILLE HIGH SCHOOL • GRANVILLE, OHIO • JAN/FEB 2017 • VOL. 7 ISSUE 3

Do protests benefit American democracy?

Club sports teams are the key to getting recruited Caffeine craze sweeps the school “Almost, Maine” Preview blueprintsonline.org

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Letter from the Editor

Photo courtesy of Anna Minton

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he ball has dropped, the fruitcake devoured and the radio station, Sunny 95, has officially stopped playing Christmas music. This can only mean one thing: the holidays and winter break are over. But never fear, the staff here at BluePrints is gearing up for the best year yet. We are rolling up our sleeves and getting excited to make 2017 a happy and productive year.

In this issue, we hit quite a few hot topics for the New Year. First you’ll learn just how important club sports teams are to college recruiters. Then you’ll be able to review the school budget for 2017 and discover exactly where the tax money goes. And to focus on your possible New Year’s resolutions for better health, we delve deeper into how caffeine affects the student population.

Our cover story for this issue is an important and in-depth view of a serious topic. We take a deeper look into the heroin epidemic that has swept through Ohio the past few years. We explore how

Licking County in particular has been affected by this deadly addiction outbreak.

Through this process you will also learn what groups in our community are doing to combat this crisis.

So for the New Year, join BluePrints in our celebration of all that is to come: the good, the bad and the caffeine-induced stress that we all know and love. We hope you gain some vital insight to the world around us and perhaps learn some new tips and tricks to actually stick to your New Year’s resolutions.

Of course we’d like to hear what you think and learn of any recommendations for improvement. Please drop us an email at ghsblueprints@gmail.com. Or, talk to us through one of our social media sites.

You can follow us on Instagram, @granvilleblueprints; Facebook at GHS Blueprints; or on Twitter, @GHSBluePrints.

Anna Minton Editor-in-Chief

BLUEPRINTS STAFF

editor in chief Anna Minton

management editor Morgan Prachar

news editor Hannah Dear

sports editor Justin Thompson

opinion editor Carsten Savage

entertainment editor Emma Naille

features editor Daniel Brnjic

social media editor Megan Coffey

photography editor Dustin Braden

staff

Sydney Bednarski Ashlyn Brockway Mackenzie Chesrown Sam Dunham Mackenna Finley Jordan Gummere Karissa Harris Ava Kunar Lexi Marelli Hannah Musick Jake Purdy Elijah Smith Chris Volzke Riley Vradenburg Cortez Yannie

adviser Mrs. Amy Tolbert

online

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follow us GHS BluePrints GHSBluePrints @granvilleblueprints @ghsblueprints

2 January/ February 2017

CONTENTS BLUEPRINTS • JAN/FEB 2017

OPINION

4 Depression in withdrawl should not be ignored 5 Colleges want to help 5 January is the drag month 5 Finding a job with a busy schedule 6 Do protests benefit American democracy?

7 Social media should be banned

NEWS

8 Ski Club offers new opportunities for students 8 Administration takes action against the use of proxy servers 9 District budget manages complicated needs 10 Licking County heroin epidemic hits to close to home

SPORTS

12 Winter sports quiz 13 Kickers pressured to achieve perfection 14 Denison stays red hot 14 Club sports teams are the key to getting recruited 15 Boys basketball nears final stretch of the season 15 Generals surge to league top tier 15 Former players start their own rec basketball team

FEATURES

ON OUR COVER Do protests benefit American democracy? 6 Club sports teams are the key to getting recruited 14 Caffine craze sweeps the school 17 “Almost, Maine” Preview 20

16 Snow days dissapoint students 16 New student drivers struggle through the snow 17 Caffeine crave sweeps the school

ENTERTAINMENT 18 Healthy resolutions 20 “Almost, Maine” preview

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Depression in withdrawal should not be ignored STAFF EDITORIAL hen it comes to the heroin epidemic and the overarching problem of drug abuse facing society, the most common issue addressed is how to prevent and discontinue the use of these illegal substances. Although these are certainly the logical first steps, they are in no way the end of the war against drugs.

The damage heroin and other opiates wreak on the body does not cease after they have left one’s system. Those recovering from addiction have likely sustained serious damage to their brain’s chemistry.

According to The National Institute of Drug Abuse, people who have struggled with opiate abuse are statistically more likely to have considered suicide than those who have remained drug free. They also reported a clear correlation in the severity of the abuse and the likelihood of suicidal thoughts.

Opiate withdrawal is accompanied by a plethora of unpleasant symptoms. These symptoms include increased anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. According to The American Addiction Center, drug abuse throws off the motivation and reward chemistry in the brain. Opiates act as a synthetic dopamine that disrupts the natural production of the neurotransmitter.

When users form dependencies, the brain loses the ability to create dopamine without assistance. This neurological imbalance leaves victims unable to feel happiness or contentment when use is cut off.

Depression in withdrawal leads to relapse, suicide and other related physical and mental health complications. Despite the severity of these symptoms and the threat that accompanies them, the focus of the media and the general public continues to lie solely on drug prevention, almost completely disregarding the portion of the populace currently struggling with life after addiction. Although drug prevention should remain to be of significance, it is important to also offer education and guidance when it comes to coping with withdrawal and the emotional toll that accompanies it.

With all that they have overcome, those recovering from drug addiction should be

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4 January/ February 2017

cared for, rather than thrown into jail cells.

They should be educated about what they are going through, instead of shamed into the shadows. Considering all the time, effort and resources this country puts into drug prevention education, the same amount of resources should go into addiction rehabilitation. A person’s life should be of no lesser value merely because the fell to drug abuse.

Overdose is not the sole avenue through which heroin and other opiates can claim lives. Even after recovery, withdrawal and depression leave lives at stake. Those lives should not be ignored. Care, atten-

tion and awareness are in desperate need of increase when it comes to life after addiction. It’s time the world sees the side of this war on drugs from which we have consistently turned.

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.

Colleges want to January is the drag month in spring, Easter, the last day of school

BY LEXI MARELLI (‘18) help and beginning of summer, Fourth of July STAFF MEMBER

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s seniors, most of us have discussed the tuition costs of selective colleges with friends, family and strangers. We dream THE SAVAGE’S about attending OSU, JUDGMENT Miami, Harvard or MIT, and the general consensus is that if a student works hard enough in high school, the student—no matter how wealthy or poor—will be able to attend any school in the country.

Yet, the sticker prices for many universities are great enough to intimidate even the wealthiest of families. The average tuition at any American school can range anywhere from about $5,000 to $67,000, making top-tier educations seem like unobtainable luxuries for the ultra-rich, and families often become frightened that a son or daughter will amass hundreds of thousands in student loans.

Throughout the college admissions process, however, I’ve learned that American colleges are much more affordable than they seem at first glance. Denison University, for example, offers about a thousand scholarships to freshmen to enable high-achieving students to attend without worrying about tuition. Harvard, Stanford and Yale offer free tuition to families making less than $65,000. Students from wealthy families do make up the majority of student bodies at ivy league schools, but tuition reductions for low income students should encourage every student in the country that they can attend the school of their dreams with enough hard work.

Students must remember that college admissions officers want passionate students to attend their schools. Their job is to help us through the admissions process, and if you’re qualified and gain acceptance to their schools, they’ll do as much as they can to make sure you can afford the education. If they accepted you, they want you, and if the financial aid package a school has given you is too small, then you should never be afraid to let them know that the package is too small and that even with the assistance, you still cannot afford to attend. Once you do so, you’ll be surprised by the generosity you find.

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anuary is the first month of the year, but it is not a tough act to follow. The months surrounding January are filled with excitement and fun.

December might possibly be the best month of the year. It is packed from day one to 31, with Christmas excitement and the kickoff of the New Year with New Year’s Eve, which is always a big event for students.

On the other hand, February includes Valentine’s Day which is a holiday filled with heart shaped chocolates and pink cards and flowers.

However, in January there is no exciting holiday to look forward to, and it is quite the drag after the excitement of the Christmas season. Not to mention, January marks the middle of winter, when the temperatures are cold and bitter, and the snow is not exciting anymore. At this point in the season, students are longing for long warm summer days, not short, dark and cold winter ones. However the spring season is far out of sight, and there are no signs of spring anytime soon.

Most of the other months have great qualities, like the blooming of flowers

festivities, school dances, or pumpkin patch visits. These all make each month of the year special, almost like their trademark. Summer is a time to be outside and get a nice tan, spring is when gardeners can plant their newest flowers and plants, and fall is when students love to dress up for Halloween and hang out with friends. Winter, especially after Christmas doesn’t have a trademark event or holiday, therefore making it a step behind the other months of the year.

There can still be hope for the month of January. To make it more bearable, planning trips to go sledding or skiing can be fun. Students should take advantage of the snow and enjoy the fun it has to offer.

After all, most of the school’s snow days happen in the month of January. A movie night with hot chocolate is another good way to spend time during this month.

Students can take advantage of lazy days when it is too cold to go outside and do anything. There are many things students can do to make January less of a drag, and maybe turn it into one of the best months of the year.

Finding a job with a busy schedule

BY RILEY VRADENBURG (‘18) STAFF MEMBER’ ost high school students want to get a job to make money for food, shopping, and other activities. However, many of these students participate in at least one sport that takes up the majority of their time outside of school. This makes it so difficult to find a job that would be willing to hire someone with a limited schedule.

As an athlete who participates in sports from May to March, with two of the three sports going on at once, I have little to no time to get a job. In my sport, I practice three days a week, sometimes four, and have games or competitions the other days.

On the other hand, employers do not want to hire students like this due to conflicting schedules. Hiring students with

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limited working time probably feels like a waste of time in training and waste of money.

Parents all over put pressure on their children to get a job, and surrender their only free hours to working. It is mentally and physically draining to devote that much time to school and sports, and then have to put equally as much effort into a job.

It’s not that students don’t want jobs, or do not want to make money, however sometimes having time to yourself when you’re free is a positive time to reflect on current life events and your future.

Parents, I cannot tell anyone how to control their children, however I suggest encouraging your kids to get jobs, but not putting so much pressure on them that would make your students feel poorly.

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The school’s flag flaps in a light breeze (Dustin Braden/BluPrints Photo)

Do protests benefit American democracy?

BY DUSTIN BRADEN (‘17) PHOTO EDITOR ccording to the Bill of Rights, “Congress shall make no law respecting… the freedom of speech… or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

This is how the First Amendment to our constitution describes the government’s inability to restrict our right to represent ourselves with our freedom of speech by peacefully protesting in order to petition our government for change.

While we should all condemn violent protests that cause harm and go beyond expressing our frustration with our government, the right of the people to peacefully protest simply cannot be challenged.

Some may argue that protesting the results of the election will change nothing; however, the right to protest those results is undeniable. Furthermore, with the CIA and FBI investigating whether Russia was involved in ordering the infiltration of DNC email accounts, the frustration among the people with our election system is rising.

By practicing the right to peacefully protest, protesters are given the ability to let off steam, and to release their anger with the election cycle. Without the ability to protest, this anger would build up and could eventually lead to violence and fights in the streets. Peaceful assembly is one of the building blocks of democracy.

You can disagree with the ideals of the protesters, or with their logic and arguments, but in the end you cannot argue with the right of the protesters to do so.

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Yes

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“By practicing the right to peacefully protest, protesters are given the ability to let off steam.”

BY HANNAH DEAR (‘17) NEWS EDITOR ovember 8, 2016 may be a day that remains in infamy for America. The election of Donald Trump marks a turning point in American politics. While some were thrilled with the election of Trump, many people were left devastated because of Hillary Clinton’s loss. This has caused some people to turn to protesting the election. However, I believe these actions are entirely unnecessary.

In 2008 many Republicans were saddened when Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the presidential election. For eight years Republicans patiently waited for the Obama administration to end so that they could have a better chance at putting forth a viable candidate. This election’s primary may not have gone the way many wanted it to go. However, Trump won both the primary and the general elections fairly. This fact desperately needs to be accepted.

I was only ten when Obama was elected, but I was among the Republicans upset about McCain losing the election. However, there were no protests.

There was no dramatic outcry. There was no call for a recount.

A closer look at this election shows that it was not really a close race when it came down to November 8. Trump won most of the swing states. It is the actual electoral college, not the popular vote, that we use to elect our president. These election results must be accepted. There is no reason for a recount and a protest will not revoke the results. The only thing these protests will accomplish is tearing America apart even more. The best way to move forward is through strengthening our nationalism instead of increasing the existing sectionalism.

I understand that the protests are supporting causes other than putting Clinton in office. Feminism is an important cause.

However, Republicans put up with Obama being elected without protests. The Democrats need to realize that protesting will do very little. The real way to make a change is through learning to compromise and cooperate with the other political party. Both parties need to be focusing on uniting the country to truly make America better instead of pushing ahead their own political agendas. America can become a better place regardless of which president we put in office as long as all of America unites to make America great again.

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No

Social media should be banned

BY HANNAH MUSICK (‘18) STAFF MEMBER ocial media is a big factor in many people’s lives. The amount of time and energy we put towards our phones and other devices is incredible.

Social media is a conflicting issue in the world, making it a world-wide issue.

Teens rely on their phones, tv, iPads, computers, etc. to fill their time. Instead of doing homework, exercising or just doing something productive in general, we are glued to the devices that we posses.

Even though apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and many more are used for entertainment and to connect with people around the world, they are a negative influence in lives of many people.

People will snapchat or DM on Instagram and Twitter to get in touch instead of having face-to-face interaction with people. Making this a habit instead of calling someone like phones were originally used for is allowing humans to lack social and communication skills.

The obsession some people have when it comes to social media is ridiculous.

Caring about the amount of likes they get, how many followers they obtain and even what they post and the quality of the

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“Love, love, love it! What a great time!”

Lisa Smith on Dustin Braden’s “Elementary School students visit BluePrints classroom.”

pictures. The materialistic object is controlling more than half of the world and how people live their lives.

Another big negative that social media apps have is the abnormal body image girls and even guys think they should have. Following famous accounts and body image accounts makes especially teens feel uneasy about the way we look and makes us upset about ours and the lives that they are in. It can almost become an obsession keeping up with all the hottest trends and famous accounts that some people tend to follow can effect them in a negative way and even how they see themselves.

Another big negative that can come from social media is the fact we do not really know who we are talking to. Adults always talk about predators behind screens and the famous saying “don’t talk to strangers” is very important especially when it comes to social media. For example, allowing someone that you do not know or never heard of is following you on Instagram, they can see where you live if you put location on your pictures.

Another unsafe quality is they see everything personal we do and who we hang with allowing it to be very easy to track

you down. This is very common when it comes to social media apps considering anyone could make a fake profile and follow you. In many cases they will DM you or ask to hangout. This can result in a dangerous situation.

The counterargument to the debate of whether social media should be banned or not is the fact not all social media apps are bad or useless. Yes, this is very true. There are a handful of apps that can have a purpose for students or business employees.

For example, a business could make an Instagram page and get publicity through that, but the benefits of social media apps is much less than the negatives it contains.

All of these negatives about social media can really have a big impact on changing society and if we decide to come together and ban social media, people all around the world will be forced to interact more and become more creative and intellectual people. This is why social media should be banned.

Even if completely banning social media is not reasonable due to how much the entire world relies on it, the time we spend on it needs to be increasingly reduced as we try to make our nation more non-reliant on social media.

What do readers think about their performance on midterms?

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Percentage of readers who said they aced all of them.

30%

Percentage of readers who said they could have prepared more.

37%

Percentage of readers who said they did well on some midterms.

33%

Percentage of readers who said they definitely failed.

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“This is a great article. Two thumbs up.”

Kyle Zies on Sam Dunham’s “Chris Armstrong embraces new role a team manager.” blueprintsonline.org

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Ski club offers new opportunities for students

BY ASHLYN BROCKWAY (17’) STAFF MEMBER ki club is a great way to make new friends, while experiencing something unique. This club is relatively new, but has a great outcome in how many students sign up every year.

Ski club will be taking place on January 8th and will continue through February 5th (every Sunday for the next month).

Administration takes action against the use of proxy servers

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“It’s not only a great way to have fun, but a great way to stay fit as well.”

The bus leaves at 12:30 to head towards Snow Trails, and will return to the high school at 8:30 p.m. Michael Duncan is the adviser of this club.

Ski Club offers students the chance to learn how to snowboard or how to ski, whichever one is most interesting. However, there was a limit of 50 people per bus, and the school is planning on taking two busses this year.

This year has a new rule, which states that the riders must wear a helmet at all times so the school can prevent further accidents from happening.

Rachel Howe, had been a part of Ski Club her freshman, sophomore and junior year of high school.

“Ski club was a lot of fun!” Howe states. “The lines to get the equipment was never too long, which was nice because it gave the riders more time to ski or snowboard”.

Emily Massey who is a senior this year was a part of Ski Club her freshman year.

“Ski Club was not only fun, but it was quite the challenge,” Massey states. “I snowboarded every Sunday and I could always feel the burn after. It’s not only a great way to have fun, but a great way to stay fit as well”.

There’s a packet in the office that states all the other information involving Ski Club.

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“The public reiteration of this policy became necessary with the increased popularity of VPN and proxy servers amongst students.” (BluePrints Photo/Hannah Dear)

BY MACKENNA FINLEY (‘17) STAFF MEMBER n early November, students logging onto the school Wi-Fi were shocked to find a message condemning the use of VPN and proxy servers in conjunction with the district’s network.

The disclaimer reads,”Please note that all measures to circumnavigate our web filter or firewall policies are in violation of our Network Policy.”

Although the policy may have registered as a shock, it is in no way new to the district.

The internet policy released in the 20112012 student handbook reads, “Software that can be used to compromise security of system software in any way could result in a loss of network privilege and/or other disciplinary action.”

The public reiteration of this policy became necessary with the increased popularity of VPN and proxy servers amongst students.

A VPN, or virtual private network, offers a secure connection to a private network, and can be used to bypass network restrictions and shield browser use from other’s view. Similarly, a proxy server acts as an intermediary server, allowing indirect access to a larger network. Just as with a VPN, a proxy server offers individuals increased personal security as well as a means of accessing otherwise restricted material.

Macey Boring, a senior who previously made use of these servers, commented on the school’s disclaimer.

“I used [a VPN] because the internet

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was blocked,” Boring said.

When prompted to expand on the sites she wished to access, Boring did not merely recite the common list of blocked social media sites.

“ProgressBook is also blocked, so you can’t check your grades,” Boring said, followed by a slew of affirmations from surrounding classmates.

In addition to personal inconvenience, students also have questions to the legality of the school’s network restrictions in light of recently passed net neutrality laws.

However, when examining these laws, it is clear that the school’s policy is not a violation.

Net neutrality laws state that all internet service providers must offer equal access to all content and sources, without restricting access to any sources. What the law does not dictate is an administrator’s right to police the use of a private network.

In fact, Ohio law requires that schools establish a filtering device of software that prevents minors from coming in contact with obscene or harmful materials.

Not only does the school have the right to institute restrictions over what software and applications can be used and accessed in conjunction with their network, but they are under the legal obligation to filter the materials available to the minors using school networks.

Regardless of the legal grounds the school has for this action, it is questionable whether or not the policy will be upheld by students or what next steps the administration will take to ensure the internet safety of students.

District budget manages complicated needs

average of comparable districts which is the distribution of the budget. Perhaps

BY MACKENNA FINLEY (‘17) $63,308).

The other 20% of the budget is the district should spend more on these STAFF MEMBER spread over a wide array of areas. activities. However, one might first want tudents know they want a new District managed activities (the category to consider the district’s outstanding debt field. They now they want new in the school budget that encompasses before considering whether that’s where scoreboards. They now they want school sports expenditures including funds should be placed. new equipment. But do they know where marching band, cheerleading, flag corps, At the close of the 2015 fiscal year, the money comes from? and other related activities) had a total Granville Exempted Village Schools had By the time students reach high school balance of $142,758 on June 30 2015. $30.2 million dollars in outstanding debt. age, the usually have grasped the concept Although this might seem like a signifiThat is nearly $200,000 above their total that money doesn’t grow on trees. Howevcant amount of funds not spent during that net position.

With all the outstanding debt, er, in a district like Granville, positioned it might be easier in a wealthy area with for students to unsubstantial tax revenue, derstand why the it is hard to understand new scoreboard why there isn’t room in isn’t priority the budget for everynumber one. thing.

However, stuIn comparison to dents and parents less wealthy districts, shouldn’t worry Granville’s reliance on about the school’s local revenue is significompetency is cantly higher. The way handling funds. tax distribution works, Debt can manifest the wealthier a district in many forms, is, the less reliant it is including propon state and federal erty loans. The taxes. What this means district’s ability for Granville is that to manage funds over 50% of the budget has even earned comes from local tax them certificates and non-tax dollars. of excellence.

This, of course, causes The school board the school’s financial and the Treasurer state to be largely reliant are more than on that of district. competent when Looking around at it comes to finanall the big houses and cial management. yards, it might still be It’s time that we hard to understand the all put trust in the limitations in the budfact that our tax get. However, what one dollars are going has to understand the 80% of the budget is going towards the staff salaries and benefits while exactly where distribution of this budonly 20% of the budget goes towards covering all other expenses. they need to go. get. In the 2015 fiscal year, 80% of the total school year, one has to consider the vast budget was delegated to staff salaries and number of sports teams that the school benefits, which is logical considering the sponsors. Spread that thin, the money is number of people employed by the school better served flowing into the next year’s as well as the 2014 average educator salary of $59,792 (which is actually below the budget.

Perhaps then the blame would fall on

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Where does the money go?

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Licking county Heroin epidemic hits to close to E home

BY HANNAH DEAR (‘17) AND MORGAN PRACHAR (‘17) pidemics have swept America on numerous occasions. However, few have been as deadly in Ohio as the heroin epidemic.

“The heroin addiction and mental illness problems facing us are severe,” state representative Scott Ryan said.

It may seem strange to think of Licking County as an area for drug problems, but even this rural county is immune.

“The epidemic is severe throughout Ohio - Licking County is no exception,” Ryan said.

However, there must be an underlying cause of the drug problem facing Ohio.

Drug users may have various different reasons they have turned to substance abuse, but one cause that is prominent in Ohio is mental illness.

“I talked to an addiction specialist who said eighty percent of the patients at his facility are dual diagnosis - addiction plus another mental health diagnosis such as anxiety or depression,” Ryan said.

While mental illness is growing in society today it is not surprising that the heroin epidemic simultaneously grew in Ohio. As more people turn to heroin to supposedly solve their problems they also turn to many other substances creating an even larger dilemma.

“It is growing very quickly. It is rapidly evolving into new substances as well,” Ryan said.

In order to solve this ever-growing issue that touches every county in Ohio, the state government is looking to pass new and effective legislature.

“The heroin addiction and mental illness promblems facing us are severe,” said Ryan.

Photo illustration by Dustin Braden.

THE STAGES OF ADDICTION Stage 1: Drug Experimentation Drug experimentation is defined as the use of alcohol or illicit/mood-altering drugs at any time for experimentation by the U. S Department of Health and Human Services. While this experimentation may not seem harmful or abusive, it can lead to a more recreational use, and eventually addiction.

Stage 2: Social Drug Use Social drug use is defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine as the use of any drug or combination of drugs in social situations, or for social reasons.

However, those with strong tendencies to isolate themselves socially may move from experimentation to regular use, without ever reaching this stage.

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“The Ohio House is investigating several avenues to more aggressively attack the problem. The Governor will soon be unveiling the administration’s behavioral health redesign,” Ryan said.

Through targeting mental health the government hopes that they will be able to cut the heroin epidemic down to a minimum.

“It is my hope the house will look to build upon those proposals to increase prevention/detection, access to care, and further engage the public,” Ryan said.

However, the epidemic is not only growing out of the older generations.

Although the numbers are not outrageously high, the 2015 PRIDE survey shows that licking county students are beginning to use heroin at a younger age.

The question surrounding the students first time using, 0.8% of students admitted to using at or before the age of 10 compared to the 0.1% answered for the other ages.

“No human being has ever woke up and said ‘I want to be a heroin addict.’” Bobby Persinger from Pathways of Central Ohio says. “A lot of young people have what I call ‘Superman Complex’ though, meaning they have a sense of invincibility or the idea that ‘nothing bad is going to happen to me’ especially when it comes to substance use.”

The brain is still developing until a person is in their mid-late twenties, the brain

is very vulnerable to manipulation and addiction until the brain is fully developed.

It is incredibly dangerous to use drugs at a younger age.

According to teens.drugabuse.gov heroin effects the brain by connecting to the opiod receptors located throughout the body and simulating the reward center and creating the high that causes people to want more and to use again.

“Having an underdeveloped brain doesn’t bode well for decision-making and rationalization of choices and the general interest in drugs easily leads a young person to using,” Persinger said. “You also have to factor in, access to drugs...young people know who is using/selling/has it and they are curious so they experiment with use.”

At the time the survey was taken 1.2% of students admitted to using heroin within the 30 days before the survey.

As a user continues to abuse the drug the body can become dependent and need more to create the same feeling of the first high, as the use continues the pain of withdrawal becomes greater and greater.

Many sources have reported that the amount of licking county heroin overdoses has doubled as of 2015. Last year Licking County experienced 32 opioid related deaths.

“I would attribute to the access granted by having major interstate highways that traverse our county,” Persinger said.

“It is growing very quickly. It is rapidly evolving into new substances as well”

“When major drug trafficking occurs, there are often pocket communities along the route which experience an increase in drug use/abuse issues.”

After beginning to use the drug, some people continue onto abusing prescription drugs due to ease of access and vice versa.

According to the PRIDE survey students beginning at the age of 6 years old begin to use and abuse over the counter medications located in their homes.

The heroin epidemic is growing every year out of the younger generation in addition to the older generations. While legislation is being passed to somewhat solve this issue, it is the community that must resolve its own problems such as mental illness. If the community comes together to eliminate mental illness, heroin usage should decrease.

Stage 3: Problem Use Problem use can be described as “the use of a psychoactive drug to such an extent that its effects seriously interfere with health or occupational and social functioning”, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

TIMELINE BY ANNA MINTON (‘17)

Stage 4: Addiction and Chemical Dependency According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, drug addiction and dependence has 2 possible componentes- psychological dependence and physical dependence.

Psychological dependence centers around the user’s need for a certain drug in order to function. Physical dependence is when the user develops a “abstinence syndrome or withdrawal upon cessation of alcohol or other drug use”. blueprintsonline.org

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Sports

Winter Sports Quiz

BY JUSTIN THOMPSON (‘17)

How well do you know these winter athletes?

QUESTION 1

Question 9

Who is the shortest starter on the girls basketball team? a) Maggie MichaelSenior point guard who is known for her shot blocking abilities. b) Natalie Houser- Senior shooting guard with a smooth shot from the outside. c) Felicia AtkinsonSenior who makes up for her short staturre with her sound fundamentals.

QUESTION 2

Which basketball player is currently leading the team in free throw percentage? a) Nick Windley: Shifty point guard who takes it hard to the hoop. b.) Teddy Parsley: Lanky senior who shoots a high percentage from the field. c) Jack Lonzo: Gritty left handed junior who goess off of two feet in the paint. d) Cam Crouch: Athletic sophomore who is known for finishing his free throws.

QUESTION 3

Out of their four chances, how many competitions has the competition cheerleading team won this year? a) The competition cheer team hasn’t won this year. b) Twice: The comp team has won two competitions. c) Once: the team has seized one of their three opportunities to win.

Which member of the boys varsity bowling team has the highest average d) Three times: of 189.7?

The team has won three of their four a) Jonathan competitions Meyers- Senior pin-striker known for his bowling prowess. b) Quincy Chanda-Powerful senuio who excels at ball placement.

d) Bradley BankExcellent bowler with a penchant for bowling big games.

What size wrestling shoe does sophomore Joe Rutherford wear?

a) Size 12

The top three point scorers on the Newark Generals, Tyler Schroeder, Luke Stewart and Patrick Chaykowski, have how many points combined?

a) 55 b) 95 c) 125 d) 155

QUESTION 6

Out of all players with at least twenty attempts, which basketball player has the highest three point shooting percentage? a) Nick WindleyThe junior point guard has a smooth shooting stroke. b) Coury RogersJunior sharpshooter who is absolutely deadly from beyond the arc. c) Ben BlanchardSophomore big man with a confident outside shot.

QUESTION 7

How fast can senior swimmer Rowan Moore swim the 100 meter breaststroke? a) Rowan can swim 100 meters in fifty-eight seconds.

How many pairs of running pants does track coach Jim Green have? a) 5 pairs- coach Green owns and wears five pairs of running pants. b) 25 pairs- Coach Green owns twenty-five different pairs of running pants.

c) 100 pairs- Coach b) Rowan can cov- Green has hit the century mark when er this distance in one minute flat. it comes to running pants. c) It takes Rowan fifty seconds to complete this event. d) 250- Coach Green will never d) Rowan can run out of running swim 100 meters in pants with his fifty-two seconds. current collection of 250.

QUESTION 10

Which teacher is also serving as the head wrestling coach this season? a) Keith Mullins- English teacher who is experienced in ground fighting techniques.

b) Size 14 c) Size 15 d) Size 17

b) Derrick Fisher- The latin teacher is an avid wrestling fan who loves to pass on his knowledge.

c) Kyle Bergeron- Math teacher with a history of wrestling and teaching.

d) Sara Sharp- She might not seem like a liekly candidate, but the drama teacher is an exceptional wrestler.

Answers: 1-C, 2-A, 3-B, 4-C, 5-B, 6-B, 7-B, 8-B, 9-B, 10-C

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Photo Credits: Justin Thompson and Dustin Braden

c) Justin RizorWell dressed senior whose fashion off of the bowling alley translates into bowling success.

QUESTION 4

QUESTION 5

QUESTION 8

Sports

Kickers pressured to achieve perfection

BY DANIEL BRNJIC (‘17) AND Buccaneers kicker Roberto Aguayo was drafted in the second round of last years JUSTIN THOMPSON (‘17) draft, this was unusual because kickers are here is no position on a football usually drafted in the later rounds or have field as unheralded as a kicker.

Quarterbacks make the big mon- to walk onto a team. Aguayo was under tremendous pressure to perform and, so ey, running backs score the touchdowns, far, he has failed miserably. After a season and wide receivers are paid to complain in the league, he is already rumored to be about nonexistent pass interference calls. on the chopping block. If Aguayo was a Lineman give kickers a run for their money, the big guys up front only get their quarterback in the same position, his team names flashed on the big screen when their would not give up on him after only one year. Kickers are disposable, especially at holding penalty negates a big play by the the NFL level, and job security is always offense. Lineman however get to be a part in question. of the football fraternity, they are absolute Ohio State kicker Tyler Durbin was behemoths of men who physically fit the hated by Ohio State fans bill of a typical jock. Kickers “Many football for missing two field goals are not part of this fraternity. against Michigan. In the fans share a In most jobs a bit of failure common senti- end he made a field goal is acceptable. You’re usually allowed to take a sick day and ment that kick- late in the fourth quarter to tie the game. The life of a if you occasionally mess up ers are simply kicker is hard. There is no it isn’t the end of the world. not allowed to more pressurised position However, many football fans in all of sport. Football is a mess up.” share a common sentiment that team game. The recipe of a kickers are simply not allowed successful field goal involves to mess up. Quarterbacks throw intercepa good long snap, a good hold and a good tions and are forgiven immediately, wide kick.

Just one bad piece can ruin the kick. receivers drop passes and get thrown to Kickers are still blamed for a missed field the very next play, even running backs are goal even if there is a bad hold or snap. allowed to fumble on occasion. A quarterEveryone wants to be a kicker during the back who completes ninety percent of his week because they don’t have to work as passes or receiver catching ninety percent hard as the rest of the team, but nobody of the balls thrown at him is unheard of. wants their job on gameday. They are So why would do fans expect perfection either the ultimate hero or villain but for a of kickers? Most make the argument that kicker there is no middleground. kickers only have one job. Every other During the AFC Divisional round of the player has to learn a telephone book of playoffs, Steelers kicker Chris Boswell plays, so it only makes sense that they hit all six of his field goal attempts, giving make mistakes. Kickers are simply on the the Steelers their only eighteen points of team to kick the ball through the uprights. the game.

Despite their opponents scoring These fans don’t understand that kicking is two touchdowns the Steelers managed to the most thankless job in the world. When prevail thanks to the foot of their kicker. they are successful, no one pats them It is a sad reality that kickers never on the back because they did what was get the credit they deserve.

Perfection is expected of them. However, when a kicker demanded and anything less is unacceptmisses they are further distanced from able.

They spend hours mastering their their teammates. craft, only to lose their jobs when they get Furthermore, at the professional level in a slump.

No other position in football kickers are the most disposable players carries with it more responsibility and a on the team. The unemployment line higher anxiety level than the kicker. for kickers is filled with talented players who are ready and willing to step into a job immediately. Current Tampa Bay

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Is it fair to expect perfection of kickers?

BY JUSTIN THOMPSON (‘17)

“No it isn’t fair. They are trained regularly but it isn’t fair to expect perfection instead of excellence.”

- Jack Beckerly (‘17) “Yes it is fair.

They have one job that they work on throughout the entire year.”

Brody Ley (‘20) “No, because the odds of them making every kick is really small.

However, I’ll still yell at them when they miss.”

- Daniel Bellofatto (‘19)

(‘19)

“Yes it is fair, they should be able to adapt to the weather conditions.”

-Mitch Kunar blueprintsonline.org

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Sports

Denison stays red hot

BY ELIJAH SMITH (‘18) ust up the hill at Denison the basketball team is off to a historically hot start, at 15-1, Denison is ranked 10th in the nation currently.

With big wins at SMITTY’S Wooster and Ohio SPORTS Wesleyan, Denison is making a statement this season.

Jett Speelman is leading the big red, averaging 19.0 ppg and 5.9 rebounds a game. The Newark Catholic native transferred from Ashland University and is immediately made an impact. His stats this season are remarkable, shooting 50% from the field, 48% from 3 point range and 95.5 percent from the free throw line. A very impressive stat line from the senior, he will need to continue his impressive season for Denison to stay hot.

David Meurer, another senior is the team’s starting point guard, averaging 13.5 ppg. Another Newark Catholic grad, Coach Ghiloni knows where to get talent around Licking County ( their three top scorers are from local schools). Meurer, had a phenomenal game winning three against Ohio Wesleyan University. He is a tough guard who makes big time plays, in his fourth season, he is one of the team’s leaders. If he continues to make plays, this season could be magical for The Big Red. Bret Woolard and Matthew Bauer both average 7 a piece and sophomore Claude Chandonnet averages 6 ppg. Bauer at 6 foot 7, uses his length to get boards, averaging 5.2 rebounds per game. With plenty of talent it will be interesting to see how they end the season.

Denison has a tough couple games coming up in the latter half of the season. They rematch Ohio Wesleyan again on February 1st, who will be looking for revenge after Meuers dagger three in the last matchup.

They have two big home games coming up, they play Wittenberg on Saturday the 28th, and they play Wooster on February 4th. Come out and watch the Big Red try to keep their win streak alive.

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Club sports teams are the key to getting recruited

BY JAKE PURDY AND KARISSA HARRIS (‘17) he debate over school sports and club sports and playing one over the other is long over.

Sports in America are changing at the high school level. It used to be that to get recruited by a division one school all you had to do was stand out for your high school team, today high school teams are becoming increasingly useless from a recruiting standpoint. The club level is where everything counts. Scouts have stopped going to high school games and just wait for club tournaments where the best players are going head to head with each other.

This is true for every sport besides football because club football does not exist. Parents are willing to pay thousands of dollars for their kids to play these club sports because they are desperate for them to get college scholarships as college tuition continues to rise.

In Ohio, lacrosse is a new sport at the high school level. That is problematic for high school players from the state who want to go on to play college. Coaches do not truly know how good a player is if he has only played for the school team because the level of play in Ohio is not as advanced as the east coast states where lacrosse is a mainstay.

The solution to getting recruited becomes playing for clubs, the premier club for lacrosse in Ohio is the Haymakers. Most of their players go on to play lacrosse in college, Granville Senior Thomas Krock is a member of the Haymakers who just committed to play at Ohio Northern.

“You do not get nearly the exposure at a high school game that you do at the big tournaments that we go to in the summer, at one summer game there are anywhere between 10 and 50 colleges ,at your average high school game you might have one scout” said Krock.

It is safe to say that playing at the club

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level will give you more exposure.However, the long drives, hotel stays and thousands of dollars in fees are all potential setbacks for middle class children trying to catch the attention of major scouts.

Most of the time school sports and club sports do not overlap, but that means club sports must replace school sports in another season, making it virtually impossible to be a multiple sport athlete.

Many athletes that play club sports are looking to get recruited to play sports in college. In the case of volleyball, school season is during the fall and there is a winter season as well as a spring season.

Therefore a volleyball player who plays both winter and spring club, is unable to play school sports during the winter and spring season. If there is a way they are able to swing it, it is often difficult to work the two practice and game schedules around each other.

Most weekends for club volleyball players are filled with one, two or even three day tournaments, both in Ohio and out of state.

If a team is good enough to make it to Nationals, their season could even go into summer. It is challenging to play another school sport if it is volleyball that an athlete is passionate about because all their time is filled with practices and tournaments.

If a volleyball player also plays sand, their whole summer is filled.

Yes, a player can still love the sport and play it, but it is often difficult to get recruited to play in college, if that is what they want, because college coaches are unable to come watch players during their school season because they are in season as well. Yes, it is not impossible to get recruited by colleges while playing school sports, but it is very unlikely.

In no way am I saying that being a three sport athlete is bad, because it makes an athlete well-rounded, but based on being recruited to play in college, not playing club sports is a bad idea.

Scouts have stopped going to high school games and just wait for club tournaments

Boys basketball nears the Generals surge to league’s final stretch of the season top tier

BY CHRIS VOLZKE (‘17) he boys’ basketball season is in full swing. Sitting at 8-8 the team only has 7 games left. Those 6 games are very important as far as seeding goes for the playoffs. Justin Thompson and Teddy Parsley are leading this team with the most points per game. Justin is averaging 10.1 PPG and Teddy is averaging 7.8 PPG. The other captain of the team, Will Sharp, should be returning from injury soon and should give the team the edge they need during the final stretch of the season.

Versatile sophomore Cam Crouch has played nearly every position on the court this season. His menacing defensive rebounding and powerful drives in the lane help him to score at high rate. Sophomore Elijah Smith has been a key addition amongst big men. He brings a smooth and rehersed set of post moves that fool whoever is guarding him in the paint. These two will be key players down the stretch for the team.

The juniors have been huge contributors to the team this year, Jack Lonzo and Nick Windley are leading the juniors in scoring and Nick is leading the juniors in defensive rebounds at 1.9 a game. The team is sitting at 5th place in the conference with a conference record of 5-4. There next game is against Licking Heights and they finish off the season playing one of the Aces biggest rivals, Watkins.

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BY JAKE PURDY (‘17) fter a break for the holidays the Newark Generals showed no sign of missing a beat and returned back to where they were three weeks ago; winning.

In a high scoring game, the Generals won at home 6-3 against Hilliard. The win pushed them to number two in the league at 7-2-3 and an overall record of 12-3-4.

Hilliard was a much bigger team but, as expected, the scrappy Generals hung in there. They moved the puck quickly resulting in a fourth minute goal by junior Patrick Chaykowski, who would go on to score two more to finish the night with a hat trick.

After Hilliard brought it even again at 2-2, the Generals buried multiple goals to put the game out of reach. Junior Alex Strouse stonewalled Hilliard in goal, finishing with 28 saves according to the Newark Advocate.

“The reason the offense has taken off is over the course of the season is the chemistry. Each line has really been built up over the second half of the season, we utilize that chemistry to score goal after goal” Said Junior Tyler Schroeder.

Boosted off of a strong defensive performance they scored 4 more goals, led again by Chaykowki who finished with 3 goals and an assist. Three Granville juniors Joe Rapp, Tyler Schroeder and Christian Goebel all added a goal.

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Former players start their own rec basketball team

BY JAKE PURDY (‘17) ports in America are a huge part of our culture in nearly every aspect, socially and economically that has put a huge pressure on kids playing sports today. Today 70% of kids quit sports by the age of 13 (according to CNN). They are quitting because the focus has changed from fun to completely serious with a huge focus of getting recruited to the next level.

The New Albany High School Basketball League is a perfect escape for players who aren’t copncerned with being recruited.

Registration is open to high school age boys who, “wish to play basketball and are not on a high school basketball team” according to the New Albany Parks website.

“Playoffs?” is a team comprised of seniors who used to be on the high school team but have quit because of injuries and a low commitment to the sport.

“I didn’t want to play JV as a junior and I didn’t jell well with the JV coaches” said senior TJ Carney-DeBord who founded the team.

Seniors Sam Dunham, Kyle Otterstedt, TJ Carney- DeBord, Luke Grace, Wyatt Caravana, Thomas Krock and Addison Conway make up the Playoffs? squad Playoffs? is currently 5-0 after Sundays win over Meatball Club 66-11, led by point guard and top scorer Luke Grace.

They have been dominating opponents such as Three Kodak, Saskatchewan Slurpee’s, the Meatball Club and the defending champions Air Norton’s by an average point differential of 16.7 points a game.

There were several reasons to starting the team, the biggest

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Pl;ayoffs? is at the top of the New Albany High School Basketball League in their inagural season in the league. (BluePrints Photo/ Jake Purdy)

being that they have a love for the sport of basketball, but also because they are practicing to win the Seniors vs Staff basketball game, “which we will win” said Thomas Krock who came up with the name “Playoffs?”

Senior Wyatt Caravana was a last minute addition to the team.

“He adds grit to our lineup as well as being our hype man, one clap of those big hands and everyone gets going” said Senior TJ Carney-DeBord.

There are two divisions of 6 teams making a total of 12 teams in the league. Playoffs? has 4 games left and are hoping to continue their perfection.

If you want score updates and exclusive access to team content follow @gvillebball on Twitter. If you are unable to access twitter there are schedule posters hung around the school.

As the season comes to an end I think it is safe to say that the undefeated Playoffs? can drop the question mark from there name. blueprintsonline.org

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Snow days disappoint students

BY CORTEZ YANNIE (‘17) s the winter breeze starts to roll in, and the spectacle of diverse frozen raindrops flutter from the sky; we call this experience winter. Winter is a time of getting together, of having hope; but in the students eyes winter is a time for days filled with snow and without school, but in recent years these dream days for kids have varied over the years.

As we look at present year of 2016, you may notice the outweighing warmer weather that comes in the winter. Then the next day all we get is a steady supply of snow. These variations in temperature are not due to the people being residences to Ohio but due to the fact that the earth is generally getting warmer. The earth is getting warmer due to many reasons, but the main reason is global warming.

Global warming is due to the fact that our atmosphere is rapidly wearing away due to the high levels of carbon dioxide we produce every day causing there to be less protection from the heat the sun produces every day. Weather you believe in it or not, Global warming is affecting the amount of snow days we receive in Ohio and the

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temperature around the world.

In a normal winter where the ground is a snowy wonderland and you’re at home with a day off from school. You couldn’t be happier with your day off until you have racked up to 5 snow days. After you have passed 5 snow days you begin to receive snow day work which each class provides for you to do on your day off.

Although this work is normally easier than the work you receive from a normal school day. The snow day work is more of a benefit than a detriment to us as a whole, because when we go over our limit of snow days and receive snow day work that helps preserve days during our summer instead of making us make up work during the summer.

If we look at the 2015’s winter we will have noticed more of a brisk breeze followed by snow filled fields and skies.

2015 was a big bounce back year when it came to cold days and snow days. We had a day off for cold days and snow days sporadically throughout the winter. Even though for the 2016 winter still left us empty handed in snow days, we can look towards early 2017 due to us having one

two hour delay to start off the new year.

As students we have come to notice that snow is not our best way from getting a snow a snow day. We realized that having extreme cold temperatures has been an effective way to gain a snow day due to the little amount of snowstorms we have had in past two years. Also we often find ourselves contemplating on days we have school why we received any delays or snow days due to excessive cold weather.

The website Snow Day Calculator has become the students most trusted source on the possibility of having a snow day.

Unfortunately due to the constant fluctuation of weather they find themselves dumbfounded that no delay or snow day was presented to them as they scrambled to check their phone in the morning.

Then regretting the hours they decided to binge watch their new show instead of studying the night before for their big test.

For years to come you should count on increased warmer weather resulting in less delays and snow days, and find yourself hoping for a day of excessive cold like the students have for the 2016-2017 scholastic school year.

New student drivers struggle through the snow

BY LEXI MARELLI (‘18) now can be any new driver’s enemy. On Tuesday, December 13th seniors Kyler Torres and Kate Duncan got into accidents due to the weather conditions during lunch time.

Principle Matt Durst made an announcement just before the lunch period that day that seniors should not leave because of the bad road conditions. One thing a lot of people do not always think about is how dangerous it is to drive in the snow.

Snow and ice can cause roads to get slippery, and cause collisions. Each year, new students get their licenses and are on the roads. Driving in the winter for the first time can be stressful.

“I have never driven in the snow before,” junior Grace Petryk said. “I am a little bit nervous.”

Learning to drive in the summer is not as complicated. There is no reason to worry about icy or snowy roads, and it stays lighter longer which makes driving condi-

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tions easier. Being a student driver can be stressful because it is a foreign experience that kids have to get used to. Most teens get into a small collision once they get their license, and winter conditions do not make that easier.

“Sophomore year I was driving in the dark leaving the school, and a car was coming fast and because it was snowy and slippery I almost got into a crash,” junior Melissa Murphy said.

Although driving in the snow can be very tricky, there are ways to help make it a little bit easier for newer drivers.

“When I drive in the snow it helps to stay a good distance away from the car in front of you in case you have to react quicker,” senior Riley Davis said.

Reaction time is very important when driving in winter weather. The roads are slick which makes accidents more likely, and being able to react quickly will help reduce these fender benders.

“It is very important to drive slower than usual when the roads are icy, because

it is much easier to slide,” senior Rachael Shomaker said.

There are even more helpful tips provided by AAA, such as not driving when you are fatigued, make sure your gas tank is at least half full, make sure your tires always have air, accelerate and brake slowly, and always look and steer where you want to go. Taking these precautions will provide a much safer ride this winter.

Along with these helpful tips, driving in the snow can be made easier by keeping calm when a problem arises, and knowing who to call if you get into trouble.

“It is very important that people know the correct tips and techniques when driving in the snow so that they can not only protect themselves from a collision but also the other people on the roads,” junior Christina Harrison said.

Caffeine crave sweeps the school

BY MACKENNA FINLY (‘17) n high schools these days, coffee cups are as common a sight as text books. Millennials are coffee crazed without a doubt, but perhaps more importantly their caffeine intake is off the charts.

With the ever increasing demand for this stimulant amongst students, more and more teenagers find themselves nursing caffeine dependencies.

Junior Kayla Braden is hardly ever seen without a coffee cup in hand. When asked about her relationship with caffeine, Braden did not hesitate to speak honestly.

“I can’t leave without it,” Braden said.

“It’s really bad.”

Braden is far from alone in her caffeine problem. Senior Zack Robertson is also a self-proclaimed caffeine addict. However, Robertson isn’t one to brew a pot of coffee or hit up a nearby Starbucks to get his caffeine fix.

“I drink Mountain Dew,” Robertson said. “Because it’s cheap and it keeps me awake.”

Aside from coffee and soft drinks, there are countless other ways for teenagers to get their hands on caffeine. There are teas, caffeinated waters, energy drinks, pre-workout mixes, and even powdered caffeine and caffeine pills. With all these

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different options, it is no wonder so many teens are hooked.

There is no question that caffeine has reached substantial levels of popularity.

However, there is always the question as to what the substance does to one’s health.

To figure out the biological effects of caffeine, I sat down with Doctor Kevin Finley.

First and foremost, Dr. Finley took a moment to address what a dependency means in the medical community.

“A dependency is to do with physiologic changes in the body that lead to problems if one does not consume it,” Finley said.

To Reach the point of dependency is to reach the point at which one has trained their body to see caffeine as a necessary sustenance, and without it, one might suffer from withdraw.

“One of the more common things that people get with caffeine withdraw is headache and fatigue,” Finley Said.

However, the negative effects of caffeine do not only exist in its absence.

Finley continued by explaining the side effects that might accompany the consumption of large quantities of caffeine.

“It can cause trouble sleeping, anxious feelings, and in higher amounts unwanted weight loss,” Finley said.

Despite all of these negative effects, Finley was not quick to discourage caffeine consumption. When asked whether her thought caffeine dependencies were a real problem, his answer came as a shock.

“I do not think it’s a problem,” Finley said. “I almost never see people coming in for caffeine dependencies.”

Finley did however warn about the use of powdered caffeine, and other more concentrated dosages of the stimulant.

“You can get very concentrated amounts online,” Finley said. “I hear about people that die from misuse of caffeine.”

The next question that arose was how much was too much when it came to caffeine? Dr. Finley could not offer a clear cut answer.

“It depends on the person,” Finley said, “for some three to four cups of coffee is okay. For the caffeine naïve it might be too much.”

When it comes to caffeine, the secret is to listen to your body, so you can tell when enough is enough. There isn’t yet a cry to thrown down our coffee mugs or swear of energy drinks all together. However, it might not be too bad of an idea to take an extra moment to think about whether or not brewing that pot of coffee is worth it.

blueprintsonline.org

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Entertainment

4 ways to make healthy resolutions stick

Stay motivated

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BY ASHLYN BROCKWAY (‘17) AND EMMA NAILLE (‘18) ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR very year thousands of people make resolutions to be healthy and workout more, but many people don’t stick with it. However, some people intentionally chose this type of lifestyle. Some people are able to stay motivated and keep their goals to stay active and eat healthier.

The difference is that people make goals to be healthy, but either never do anything to reach this goal or give up after starting.

It takes a huge level of commitment and motivation for goals to be realized. Those who are successful in being healthy devote a lot of time, energy, and even money into working out regularly and eating well.

These people are able to make lifestyle changes because they stay motivated and do not give up.

There are many people in our community who are staying healthy throughout the year and who have advice on how they stay healthy.

The school’s nurse, Mrs. Varrasso, says “Anything you do to get healthy is good, as long as you are still eating healthy food as well. It is a process to stay healthy, it takes a while to get in this habit and it takes a lot of persistence to keep with this healthy living style”.

Nick Kurek, a Senior who recently underwent a huge lifestyle change to

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18 January/ February 2017

become healthier, believes“you have to eat healthier” in order to get results. He said he wanted to be healthier “to be good with football”. So he started working out “every day for at least two hours a day” so that he could improve on his skills in football and become a better athlete.

Rachel Shoemaker, a Senior cheerleader, said she stays healthy by running and eating well.

“Running does a lot to help keep you in shape. I eat a lot of veggies and try to stay active throughout the day to keep myself in good shape” Shoemaker said.

Alex Eckels, a Senior football player, shared that his motivation to be healthy has to do with athletics.

“My motivation to help me stay in shape was to not only get stronger in the sports I am in, but to protect my joints from injury as well” Eckels said.

Melissa Murphy, a Junior cheerleader says she also likes to run to stay healthy.

“I try my hardest to workout everyday.

Sometimes I come home tired but try to run a couple miles.”

She also gave some advice for those who have trouble staying motivated.

“You have to workout with the right mindset. You have to push yourself when you are in pain or don’t want to workout because that’s when it’s going to payoff the most,” said Murphy.

Tips to stay motivated

1. Start with small changes

It’s very difficult to make an entire lifestyle change all at once, so start by working out a couple times a week rather than everyday.

2. Focus on one thing at a time

If you try to change all your unhealthy habits, you will get overwhelmed. If you want to eat healthier, start by drinking more water and eating more fruit and vegetables instead of trying to cut out whole food groups.

3. Share with family and friends

Sharing your goals with your loved ones will help you keep them because they can hold you accountable. Talking about your success and failures will also help make getting healthy more fun and less intimidating.

4. Don’t beat yourself up

It is inevitable that you will falter in your plan at least once. Instead of making yourself feel guilty for eating a dessert or skipping the gym, accept that you will never be perfect.

5. Get help

If you’re having trouble doing it on your own, you can get professional help. Hiring a personal trainer, seeing a nutrionist and even going to a psychologist can help you have a healthier mind and body.

Source: American Psychological Association

Try something new

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will start to look great after. Vo2 Fitness on Cherry Valley provides boxing classes in classes or private lessons.

Swimming is a very good workout for your whole body and a good way to work out if you are injured. The YMCA has a nice swimming pool that.

Bike Riding is a fun leg workout that you can do in moderation like a nice easy bike ride, or a hard workout going up hills and really working, it all depends on what type of workout you are looking for.

Pilates is similar to yoga, but a little different. All you need is a mat and you are good to go. Pilates is a good way to build strength without putting on all the muscle like with lifting weights, it also helps you with good posture.

Aerobics or water aerobics is a group water exercise to help build strength and flexibility through a cardiovascular workout, do not worried if you do not know how to swim, normally the water only comes up to your waist. Water aerobics classes are provided at the YMCA for their members.

Dancing is a fun way to get moving with so many different forms of dancing.

From ballroom to jazz to hip-hop or even latin there are so many different forms of dancing like salsa or swing dancing.

Get the workout look for your budget

Graphics by Dustin Braden

Workout Tech

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BY KENZIE CHESROWN (‘18) Working out doesn’t have to cost a fortune. There are countless options that avoid breaking the bank.

Fitbits are a popular device that can be found at casual stores like Walmart, Target, and sport destinations. Fitbits are a watch of sorts that keeps track of sleeping patterns, calories burnt, and minutes of strenuous exercise.There are touchscreens and others are waterproof, each different depending on what matters most to you. Some lean toward style while others are more practical.

An app can be downloaded and there the owner can access all the data.

The app store also offers regular workout apps. Here anyone can download an electronic schedule that gives ideas and workouts depending on the goal.

BY AVA KUNAR (‘18)

blueprintsonline.org

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(BluePrints Photo/Emma Naille)

BY KARISSA HARRIS (‘17) umba is an active way to get moving to fast beat music. This Latin-inspired dance workout will feel less like a workout and more like a dance party.

These dance moves will help work your glutes, arms, legs, and core, helping to improve flexibility and overall body strength.

Classes are provided at both the YMCA and at Maximum Fitness.

Yoga is a calm and peaceful way to gain flexibility in your body. A new yoga form, is hot yoga, which performed in a hot room at temperatures around 100 degrees.

Breathe Yoga is a yoga studio in granville behind River Road Coffeehouse and is only $30 for 30 days. They provide many different types of classes from beginners classes to more challenging ones.

Spinning is an alternative work out to biking, it is done on a stationary bike inside with an instructor helping you to get a good sweaty leg workout. Spinning targets your glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, and your core, it can also be paired with upper body workouts. Fly Method Cycle is a location in downtown Granville, that provides spinning classes for all levels.

Kickboxing is a good way to get a good workout while letting out your anger or relieving your stress. You might end up with some bruised knuckles after but your body

Entertainment

“Almost, Maine” tells a tale of turning points Meet the cast

BY MEGAN COFFEY (‘18) SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR A couple of the actors and actresses provide an inside look into the characters they’re bringing to life in Almost, Maine.

“I’m Janette.

There’s a really awkward interaction between me and John Kim’s character. We’re sitting on a bench but we’re sitting really far away from each other.” -Katie Gold “She’s slightly psychotic, which I think everyone is.

It’s really fun to play” -Gabriella Schnaidt

The “Almost, Maine” script held in front of the theater (BluePrints Photo/Megan Coffey).

BY MEGAN COFFEY (‘18) SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR his winter the high school’s drama department will be performing the play “Almost, Maine.”

“Almost, Maine” is a romantic comedy that tells multiple stories about love, loss and life intertwined and all taking place in the town of Almost, Maine.

“John Kim and I are the only recurring characters” said junior Katie Gold.

The play was developed at the Cape Cod Theater Project in 2002. Almost, Maine went on to break box office records and receive critical acclaim.

For example, the New York Times in 2006 said that “Almost, Maine was “a whimsical approach to the joys and perils of romance. Magical happenings bloom beneath the snowdrifts. ‘Almost, Maine’ explores the thunderclap of love and the scorched earth that sometimes follows.”

The town of Almost, Maine is a fantastical town in Northern Maine. The town is unorganized, which leads to much fun in the play.

“The un-organization of the town reflects in the characters,” said junior Kelsey Bittel. They’re [the characters] not quite put together.”

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20 January/ February 2017

The play showcases characters falling in and out of love. Some stories are sad, some are cute, and some are just odd.

Sophomore Claire Duncan said that the “symbolism is off the charts.”

“Almost, Maine” has been produced by over 2500 theater companies in the United States and even some internationally.

The love stories told are heartwarming and comical. They are unusual and fun in the best way.

Junior Kelsey Bittel summed it up: “‘Almost, Maine’ is super spicy.”

“I play Hope. Her name is very accurate and her bubbly, optimistic outlook makes her my favorite type of character to portray.”

-Emma Jernigan “One of my characters is Phil. He’s a very strong man but he’s more focused on helping his family then being a part of it” -Bradley Krak