The Paw Print Issue 7

THE DOORS TO BLACK

TOP: 2023 GHS Men's & Women's Federal League Champions.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: Michelle Herdlick

LEFT: GHS Academic Challenge Team after winning their tournament.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: Edgar San Jose

RIGHT: GHS STEM Team wins states and heads to nationals.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: Michelle Herdlick

TRANSITIONING FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE

As young people, most of us like to resist change. We get so comfortable with our current lifestyle that we can’t imagine what another way of life will be like. Most students in high school are dependent on our parents for a lot of things in our livelihood, so the thought of being our own “support system” can be stressful for most of us. How our parents raised us, as well as the hardships we’ve experienced, is a big contribution to who we have become as individuals. When you think about life on your own without parents, some may see nothing but relief and freedom, while others may crumble because they can’t picture life without them. No matter your feelings, your parents will still always be a part of you. What they have taught you in your life, can continue to influence you throughout your own journey. In high school, it’s important to take the time to focus on your individualism. At the end of the day, you are going to have to grow up and learn to be the independent person you need to be for this next chapter of your life.

In college, a student can learn more than just a formal education. You can find the independence that you need. One way college students learn to be independent is by managing time. Many high school students might get their time managed by their parents, such as when to wake up, when to eat, and when to get homework done. Once in college, you can no longer rely on your parents for structure, rules, or academic motivation. Your parents aren’t going to be there for you with these things now, so you have to rely on yourself. Growing up is realizing that you see your family less often, your parents are getting older, you don’t get to talk to your friends as often as you’d like, holidays aren’t exciting as they used to be, there are always things to be done at home, being tired becomes part of your personality, you may never reach the goals you set as a child, and your best may not be enough. Your “kid life” is going to be over in college and that’s something you will have to accept and should start expecting now. You need to focus on yourself, better yourself, and do all the things that will help you become an adult. You aren’t going to have people baby you, like you may be used to, in college. High expectations and standards are going to be set for you and that’s why discovering yourself now is so important. At your college, there will be people from different backgrounds, age groups, cities, states, and sometimes different countries. It’s not going to be the small town that you are used to where everybody knows everybody. It’s going to feel like you were placed on a whole new planet, with new people, and you are going to have to adapt, rediscover yourself, and form friendships all over again. Friendships that may never be like your high school bonds. Some friendships may stay intact, while most of these people, you will never see again. From hanging out every day to catching up with each other every now and then on social media, It’s a difficult thing to think about. 12 years of seeing the same people, forming connections, and building relationships with the staff, just to have all this go away and start all over again.

Instead of stressing over things that will or may happen in the future, start focusing on what’s right in front of you which would be the soon lost friendships and the lasting memories you can create right now. Many of us have an idea on what we want to do with our lives, but how often is this visual picture 100 percent accurate? Hardly ever. Some days you are going to deal with little waves in the ocean, while others it’s going to feel like you were hit by a tsunami. All these bumps in the road can change a lot of things when it comes to your future, so you shouldn’t stress over something that isn’t going to be exactly how you imagined it would be. In your journey, you will have some situations that are temporary and some situations that are meant to be learned from, which if you don’t have the strength to walk away from these things, it may be detrimental; this is when you will be destroyed internally in the long run. Destroyed physically, emotionally, and mentally.

If you still don’t know what you want to do with your life after high school, that is okay. You still have time, but you should still continue living in the moment and learn to be independent. When you do find your purpose, you’re already steps ahead of yourself. You don’t want to be that high schooler when it comes May, you're still relying on your parents to do everything for you. You need to grow up and take responsibility for determining the right paths to get you where you want to be in your future. You should be able to look back on your high school years and be proud of what you accomplished on your own and how far you came. Your high school memories are memories that will be with you your entire life, so living in the moment and making the most of this last semester before you enter the real world is something to be appreciative of.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

JACKSON HALL

DESIGN EDITOR:

MCKENZIE

COLLINSWORTH

MANAGING EDITOR:

RILEY SUMPTION

MEDIA MANAGER:

SOPHIA LOGSDON

PHOTOGRAPHY:

LAUREN STEPHAN

ALYSSA DAVIS

ADVISOR:

NATALIE TANNEHILL

CATHERINE SMITH

SOPHIA SALEY

NINA SUMMERS

IZZY SCOTT

JULES BEYES

STAFF:

KAYLIE DUSKEY

KODY HUNTER

LAUREN LEEMASTER

LILLIAN BAER

LINDSEY REY

NATE CARR

ERIC WOLFORD

MARKO KULINA

The newspaper staff will make every reasonable effort to verify quotations in final approved copy with the individual(s) quoted, in interest of accuracy Copy in the newspaper will bear bylines when, in the opinion of the adviser with the editor’s approval, the writer has earned recognition and running the byline is acceptable journalistically If a newspaper editorial does not bear a byline, it reflects the opinion of the entire staff. A bylined editorial reflects only the opinion of the writer

Viewpoints expressed in newspaper editorials are not necessarily shared by any members of the faculty (including the adviser), the administration, or the board of education.

All letters to the editor of the newspaper must be signed for verification purposes, but the staff may withhold names upon request. Because of space limitations letters of 300 words or less will receive preference, and longer letters may be subject to condensation with the cooperation of the writer The final decision of whether to print a letter rests solely with the staff.

EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT

tannehillnatalie@

OLIVIA PENNINGTON

RHIANA BRUCE

RYAN MUELLER

SELENA SABBAGH

SKYLAR JOHNSON

TAYLOR MCCARTY

NINA MCANNALLY

VIENNA HORVATH

CENSORING TODAY'S EDUCATION CENSORING TODAY'S EDUCATION

Florida imposes laws to limit book and class availability

by Kaylie Duskey

Today’s education system has undergone some major changes in the past few years, specifically in terms of the removal of many topics for a variety of reasons. On Feb. 1, the College Board announced that they would be removing a bulk of their topics and censoring them in their AP course, AP African American Studies. The class is being piloted this year, thus meaning it is only being offered in a select few schools to see if it could be successful. The reason why this change is so scrutinized is because it occurred just a few days after Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, criticized the course so harshly. He threatened to “ban the curriculum”, along with other state officials who claimed, “it is not historically accurate and violates state law that regulates how race-related issues are taught in public schools.”

After this scrutiny from the public, the College Board CEO and the director of AP African American Studies participated in an interview with NPR where the CEO, David Coleman, admitted that, “We began the changes that are being discussed in September of the previous year, led by the committee that is developing the course. There's a

committee of faculty. And those changes were largely complete by December, and we have those time-stamped materials. Far before the governor spoke up, we'd announced that we were going to release the revised framework on the first day of Black History Month, as we did.”

In the new curriculum guide for this course, the College Board removed many black writers that had any involvement with the critical race theory. They also removed many that were associated with black feminism and the queer experience. While removing all of this, they also decided to make the topic of the Black Lives Matter movement optional because of its “emotionally charged content”.

In August 2022, when this course was announced, many were thrilled at the long-overdue class. A student who is a part of such a select few to be able to learn this class in its piloting stage is particularly happy.

“It’s amazing. It’s an honor to be honest to be able to have that opportunity, this opportunity to learn about these things while other people can’t at all,” the student said.

These changes to censor today’s education are also prominent in the topic of book banning. Over the past few years, a popular trend in many school districts and states is to “ban” certain books from being read in public schools. Whether it is due to the racial content in them or the sexuality/religious content, parents and school boards have started purging their school libraries.

A survey was taken where they found out that, “From July 2021 to June 2022, PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans lists 2,532 instances of individual books being banned, affecting 1,648 unique book titles”.

In the same survey, they also found that the state with the most books banned was Texas. Many scholars believe that this is just numerical proof that students are losing their freedom to literature and this sheltering might be detrimental later in their life.

With the recent censoring of the AP African American Studies course and the ongoing epidemic of banning books, today’s classrooms are finally starting to see some reform, but many wonder if this will be beneficial in the long term.

CHINESE SPY KA-BOOM CHINESE SPY KA-BOOM

the government of china deploys a spy ballon over North America

by Eric Wolford

On Feb. 4, 2023, a balloon originating from Beijing, China was shot down by a F-22 fighter jet over the Carolina coast.

"The balloon, which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above U.S. territorial waters," the Secretary of Defense said The balloon fell off the Carolina coast, in very close proximity to Coastal Carolina University.

This balloon, believed to be a spy operation by U.S. officials, continued to break relations between the U.S. and Chinese government. The Chinese government claimed the balloon as theirs; however, they made the claim that it was only a runaway weather balloon and did not have spy intentions.

Many U.S. officials believe this claim was fraudulent in an attempt to cover up China’s true intentions.

The balloon was first detected on Jan. 28, 2023, over Alaska. On Feb. 1, President Joe Biden ordered the balloon to be safely shot down, but the actions were suspended until the balloon reached an altitude above water in order to ensure that there would be no damage on U.S. soil or private landowners.

"Military commanders determined that there was undue risk of debris causing harm to civilians while the balloon was overland," a senior defense official said.

The balloon was shot approximately six miles off the coast into about 47 feet of water. While the balloon was taken down according to plan,

President Biden is taking great criticism from other politicians for what is believed to be a slow reaction. Criticisms include the fact that the balloon could travel over the entire country before it was shot down, and many believe that if it was a spy balloon, the mission was completed before it was taken care of.

"China strongly disapproves of and protests against the U.S. attack on a civilian unmanned airship by force," the Foreign Ministry said. Chinese officials responded with backlash after the U.S. Air Force’s actions. Many explicitly stated that the actions will damage relations between the countries for an indefinite time, and some have threatened retaliation for the actions that they believe to be an overreaction.

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF

by Nina Summers

Artificial Intelligence has started to take over the classroom; specifically OpenAI’s new software, ChatGPT. ChatGPT, Microsoft's partner, is a chat box that takes vast amounts of data mixed with computer techniques to link together words in a human way. The computer absorbs vocabulary terms, context, and lots of information so that it has the ability to create poems, essays, or even news articles within seconds. Some other tech companies have made similar AI softwares that takes human asked questions and answers them in a polished way. OpenAI specifically created a playground setting on their website that allows people to ask prompts and get quick answers. There have been some conflicting reactions about the new ChatGPT website.

The website was released to people in late November, and within a month, it had over one million users. Soon after the public had access to it, it became one out of the fifty most used sites in the world. Elon Musk helped to co-found ChatGPT, but in 2018, he withdrew from the company because he thought the website was “scary good”.

A professor at Northwestern University, Daniel Linna Jr., commented that the AI is not foolproof and can sometimes make mistakes.

"I think there's so much hype around ChatGPT, and tools like this have potential," said Linna. "But it can't do everything — it's not magic."

It was also suggested that ChatGPT makes correctly-sound plausible answers that are actually incorrect. Insider magazine conducted an experiment where they asked ChaptGPT to write an article about a recent news story on a Jeep factory in Illinois. Within seconds the chat box created an amazing, impressive article with many accurate facts; however, it used fake quotes from a Jeep-maker CEO.

Insider explained that, “The quotes sounded convincingly like what a CEO might say when faced with the difficult decision to lay off

“ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI. Trained on a vast corpus of text data, ChatGPT has the ability to understand natural language and generate human-like responses to a wide variety of prompts.

As a conversational AI tool, ChatGPT has many potential applications, including customer service, personal assistants, and educational tools. ChatGPT can engage in conversations on a wide range of topics, from the mundane to the complex, and can provide helpful responses based on its vast knowledge base.

While ChatGPT is a powerful tool, it is important to remember that it is still an artificial intelligence and may not always provide accurate or appropriate responses. Users should be aware of the limitations of AI and use ChatGPT as a supplement to, not a replacement for, human expertise and interaction.

Overall, ChatGPT represents an exciting development in the field of natural language processing and has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology and each other” -ChatGPT

workers, but it was all made up.”

The main issue with ChatGPT is that the software is so good it is hard to decipher if it was written by a computer or human being. Many people will argue the point that AI helps improve the quality of living by doing tasks better than humans could do it. It is arguable that AI can make things simpler and more realistic. Others disagree and believe that AI will reach such advancements that it takes jobs away from humans because the computer can do it quicker and better. It has also been mentioned that AI can cause major privacy risks.

As the hardware starts to become less expensive and more efficient than people, it has started to raise a concerning flag in many people's minds. With AI’s being more intelligent than the human brain and not needing to take sick days, vacation days, or receive pay raises, it may seem like a more reliable source of labor to business owners.

An article by Britanica says that, “48% of experts believed AI will replace a large number of blue- and even white-collar jobs, creating greater income inequality, increased unemployment, and a breakdown of the social order.”

In the classroom, teachers are starting to become more aware of students using AI to generate an essay or assignment for class. While AI has been used to help students, it can also help teachers with tasks such as grading assessments. Taking a positive look, Forbes Magazine tells readers that AI can make learning more personalized to the student since there are many different learning styles. Also, tasks that are time consuming and repetitive can now be done by softwares creating a less stressful environment for teachers and students.

“By succeeding with AI, students should be able to learn better and faster. Adding AI technologies change with the students’ learning process to create an opportunity to educate students of all learning styles,” Forbes said.

HOW DOES AI WORK?

Cognitive Computing

For natural, human-like interactions with machines.

Machine Lear

Automates analytical model building.

Neutral Net

Interconnected units (like neutrons) that process information by responding to external inputs.

Relies on pattern recognition & deep learning to recognize what's in a picture or video.

Learning

Used to learn complex patterns in large amounts of data.

Natural Language Processing

To analyse, understand, & generate human language, including speech.

Computer Vision

GHS LIBRARY GLOW-UP GHS LIBRARY GLOW-UP

GHS library undergoes improvement and promotes new events for all to enjoy

by Taylor Mccarty

Inside Green High School, many things happen in the library. Last year, the Library Media Specialist, Wrenn Nicodemo, created a board for high school students interested in helping out around the library. Nicodemo decided there was something more that this library needed. Some high school students spending their full days in the school decided they wanted to put some of their focus on helping out their student body library. Nicodemo works extremely hard to create a better environment for students to enjoy in the GHS library. In addition to her work at GHS, Nicodemo travels to each building library in the district where she focuses on creating a love of reading.

Last year students could visit the library to sip hot chocolate and destress from midterms. Service dogs visited the library to give students an opportunity to take a break from the stress of studying. Due to the success of last year's event, the Library Board hosted a hot chocolate bar again this year.

Students involved in the Library Board contribute by decorating the library for upcoming holidays, making creative decisions for the use of the space, and planning which books are likely to be checked out most. Students from all grade levels participate in the board, which meets weekly in the library. Sophomore Rhiana Bruce worked on the Library Board this past year and hopes to improve the purpose the library serves for students.

“As a board member, I think the library needs a lot of improvement. I think we’re on the road to making things better and making the library a better place and environment,” Bruce said. In hopes of improvement and more people making their way into the

library, the board has decided to plan many activities later this year.

Students spread announcements via social media and school flyers. Senior Daniella Potts feels grateful to Mrs. Nicodemo for all they've accomplished. “I appreciate the leader Mrs. Nicodemo for helping everyone out with their ideas and doing her best to hear everyone out,” Potts said.

As the library grows in popularity, books are flowing throughout social media and a hashtag has come about on TikTok, #BookTok. Included in this hashtag, influencers introduce their favorite books and make it possible for their viewers to want more. As this trend gains popularity, more teenagers spread throughout high schools are interested in reading books altogether.

The library board introduced new activities in the library for the Valentine’s Day holiday. Mrs. Wirbel, GHS full day librarian, picked out books and led the design of "Blind Date with a Book", along with GHS students Kelsey Ujhazy 26' and Parker Green 24'.

Ujhazy explains, “I was scrolling through Pinterest one day and it was love at first sight. I mentioned it to Mrs Wirbel and she already had the same idea saved to her Pinterest board. I also talked to the library board about this and they agreed and decided this was an amazing idea.”

Included in the “Blind Date with a Book” activity, all genres of books are chosen with the summaries included on the outside of the book to guide you to decide which book to pick by reading only a summary. In these summaries, the best parts of the books are included, just how someone would introduce themself on a blind date.

TOP: Find your perfect match with a blind date. PHOTOS BY: LAUREN STEPHAN

TOP: Overview of the blind date with a book table.

TOP: Display case out in front of the library displaying popular books.

OPENING THE DOORS TO BLACK HISTORY

by Izzy Scott

LOCAL EFFORTS

In celebration of Black History Month Green High School welcomes and encourages students and staff members to celebrate this month of achievement and adversary. In conjunction with All In, each classroom will be participating in a door decorating contest, in which the decorations will promote black history, excellence, and success. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coach Tiron Jester believes celebrating Black History achieves purposes beyond educational value.

“Black excellence needs to be celebrated and appreciated, but it does not take away from other excellence. Excellence is excellence no matter the skin color, religion, belief, and ethnicity,” Jester said.

Black History Month is a time to learn, recognize and appreciate the contributions African Americans have made from past to present.

THE ORIGIN BLACK HISTORY CELEBRATION

This celebration was not initially a month long, but rather a week. In 1926, this time of recognition was known as Negro History Week, created by Carter G. Woodson. In 1969, students a part of the Black United Students organization at Kent State University led several demonstrations and peaceful protests demanded that Kent State University

extend Negro History Week into a month of black history celebrations. Following the approval and change, it became a month-long celebration nationally in 1976, and February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Other countries such as Canada and Germany celebrate in the month of February as well.

MODERN DAY BLACK HISTORY

Changing annually, there is a theme assigned to Black History month. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), founded in 1915 by Carter G. Woodson, now leads nationwide celebrations for black history, as well as established the themes. The first theme was Civilization: A World Achievement and the theme for this year’s celebration is Black Resistance.

To Jester, Black Resistance is “refusing to accept that we are inferior and refusing to accept that we aren't as equal as everyone else. When you look at history itself, there have been tons of contributions to society from African Americans. Whether literature, inventions, in the science realm, etc. you just refuse to accept that African Americans didn't play an important part in history.”

GHS' APPROACH TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH

The combined clubs of All In and Chain Reaction are spearheading this month's celebration here at Green High School. Led and advised by Mrs. Jessica Kraus, All In teamed up with students, parents, and the Diversity Club to determine how GHS should celebrate this year, in a way that makes all students and parents comfortable.

“All In is a club at GHS that creates an accepting place for all. It is a social equity and diversity club that teaches students how to use their voice, and speak up about passions. It is a group of students from all backgrounds who come together to learn how to be allies for each other,” according to All In member Parker Green.

This year, along with the door decorating, All In hosted a family night, where they showed the movie Hariet, as well as played black history trivia games. Advisor Mrs. Kraus is proud to celebrate Black History Month at GHS. She believes it is essential that Green High School celebrates Black History Month.

“I think it's important [to celebrate] for several reasons. For one, it is not often celebrated in suburban schools. If you watch the news and hear people talk, it's often very derogatory towards African American people. They helped develop this nation and contribute things we as a United States cannot do without. It's important for the students here [at GHS] that are black to know that they are celebrated,” Kraus said.

MRS. TIERNEY'S DOOR ROOM 134

MS. PAFFORD'S DOOR ROOM 131

MRS. TANNEHILL'S DOOR ROOM 109

MR. PREISSE'S DOOR ROOM 422

MS. SIGNORINO'S DOOR ROOM 108

by Amy Lin

The Seal of Biliteracy is an award granted by schools, districts, U.S. states or other organizations for students that show proficiency in English and at least one other language. This year, the STAMP assessment to earn the seal will be on Saturday, March 4. The deadline to sign up was Feb. 10, 2023. The test entails a reading, writing, listening and speaking section. All questions are asked in English. In order to earn the seal, students must show English proficiency in at least one of the following ways: earn a 3 or higher on an Ohio state standardized test for high school language arts I and II, earn a 18 on the English section of the ACT and a 21 or higher on the reading section of the ACT, earn a 430 on the English section of the SAT and a 450 on the reading section of the SAT, or earn a proficient score or higher on the Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA). Additionally, students must show proficiency in their other language by either scoring a 4 or higher on an AP language exam or earning an intermediate-high score or higher for reading, writing, listening and speaking on an Ohio Department of Education approved exam, i.e the STAMP test for Green High School. The test is offered for Spanish, German, Mandarin, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean and Polish; however, the seal is also attainable for Vietnamese, American Sign Language and more, along with those mentioned. To take this exam, students must submit a form and test fee prior to the application deadline.

The Green Local Schools English Learning (EL) Program is a system for helping students who are learning English and for their teachers to accommodate any potential needs while learning. There are seven types of EL programs: ESL Pull-out, English-Language Instruction, Contentbased ESL, Bilingual Instructional, Transitional Bilingual/Early-exit, Maintenance Bilingual/Late-exit and Two-way Bilingual. GLS utilizes the pull-out program, meaning ELL students stay in the classroom to learn with native English speaking peers and then get pulled out at a certain time for additional English lessons.

“The goal of the program is to help students be successful in the classroom by improving their English. We work on reading, writing, listening and speaking. The ultimate goal is to service the students until they can sit in a regular classroom with no need for accommodations. They must test in and out of the program using standardized tests,” English Learning teacher Joann Cornelius, who works across all GLS

Benefits of Multilingualism

buildings, said.

Why is it important?

The Seal of Biliteracy provides many benefits; it encourages students to further their language studies and showcases the skills they have gained from learning another language. It may also appeal to college admission officers, future employers and even military recruiters. Additionally, the state of Ohio requires at least two diploma seals for graduation, so this would provide another opportunity to earn one.

Students may become part of the program when registering to attend Green if they declare another language spoken at home and a language barrier is suspected. To discern levels of proficiency, Cornelius tests students according to the Ohio English Language Proficiency Screener (OELPS). To graduate from the program, students must show they have met certain goals based on OELPS scores.

As of fall 2019, 5.12 million English Language Learner (ELL) students were enrolled in public K-12 schools, representing 10% of public school students. According to the National Education Association, this is expected to increase to 25% by 2025.

“There are typically about 170 students in Green speaking another language. There are more than 30 languages spoken! I work with about 40 students individually,” Cornelius said.

While learning another language may seem intimidating, the benefits that come from it outweigh the obstacles one may face in the process. To begin with, multilinguals have a greater ability to connect with others since they can communicate with a wider range of people. This is helpful for those planning to study abroad in a foreign country or even for those who are just traveling. It can also help in advancing one’s career. Knowing another language is one of the top eight skills to have for most occupations, and the demand for multilingual professionals continuously rises. Studies have also shown that learning another language helps with memory, concentration, the ability to multitask, analytical and listening skills, and other cognitive functions. Plus, some may even be able to build a deeper connection to their own family by learning the language of their heritage.

How has knowing another language benefited you?

“Every four years, we take a trip to Pakistan to visit my mothers relatives. Since these three languages are the most commonly spoken in Pakistan, I can understand everyone there. So I guess my parents exposing me to these languages at a young age gave me the ability to effectively communicate with people of my culture.”

- Aaryan Quereshi ‘23

“It allows me to communicate with my grandparents and other relatives. They don’t know English, so being able to speak Chinese eliminates the language barrier between us and gives me opportunities to learn more about my culture.”

-

Ida Zheng ‘23

“Despite it being a love language, Portuguese is kind of brutal. We say things to each other in ways that seem we are being rude when in reality we’re just joking around. This really makes you grow tough skin which I'm grateful to have. People’s comments don’t bother me as much as they would have if I didn't have this extra layer of protection.”

- Julia Jodon ‘23

Meet the GHS Foreign Language Department

Señora Garritano

This year, Señora Angela Garritano teaches Spanish III, Spanish IV, Honors Spanish Grammar/AP Prep and AP Spanish. Garritano formally studied Spanish for eight years and this will be her 23rd year teaching it.

Q. What is your favorite memory involving this language?

A. This is a tough one--because I have so many! But it would have to be the time I spent student teaching in Mexico City and the friendships I formed with my host family and cooperating teacher. Never speaking English, we spent 8 weeks together, working, teaching, eating, sharing, traveling and laughing. I wouldn't trade those eight weeks for anything.

Q. What is your favorite thing about knowing another language?

A. My favorite thing about knowing Spanish is all of the doors that it opens up as I go through life: new friendships, new places, new experiences, and not only that, but all of them richer for the authentic connections that knowing another person's language can make

Señora Popovich

Señora Amanda Popovich currently teaches Spanish I and Skills for Success. She began studying Spanish in fifth grade. This is her 18th year teaching it and her 10th year at Green High School.

Q. What is your favorite thing about knowing another language?

A. Knowing another language opens so many doors and opportunities to not only learn about the language itself but grants so many opportunities to learn about the cultures, history, and people that speak that language. It gives me a perspective not only into the lives of others but provides a unique lens to see how we live and grow as compared to others around the world.

Señora Matisak

Señora Kim Matisak teaches Spanish I through Spanish IV; this year, she is only teaching Spanish II. This will be her 31st year teaching the language.

Q. What is your favorite memory involving this language?

A. My favorite memory was from a high school trip with the Spanish club to Ixtapa, Mexico in 1984. I had only taken 2 years of Spanish at that point, and I was only 15 years old. My Spanish teacher and her husband had their anniversary during the time we were gone, so I went up to the hostess at the restaurant we ate in that evening. I was able to tell her that it was their anniversary, that I wanted them to bring a cake out for her and her husband... and how many years they had been married. My Spanish teacher was so surprised that I could do it without any help. I loved the fact that I got to use my Spanish for something fun ...and a good surprise for my teacher!

Herr Bauknecht

Herr Todd Bauknecht teaches German I through German V. He has taught German for 10 years now and formally studied the language for four years. He works between the GMS and GHS.

Q. What is your favorite memory involving this language?

A. Getting to travel around Germany, driving 200 kmph on the Autobahn, and our class field trips to the Hofbräuhaus with other schools in the area

Q. What is your favorite thing about knowing another language?

A. Getting to communicate with people in German both at home and abroad, it really opens one up to new cultures and ways of thinking

Madame Isaacson

Madame Katie Isaacson currently teaches French III and French IV. She studied French for 12 years, starting in seventh grade, and began teaching the language in 2002.

Q. What is your favorite memory involving this language?

A. When I think back to all the traveling that I got to do thanks to studying the language and now my children get to come along too.

Q. What is your favorite thing about knowing another language?

A. It has allowed me to have friends all over the world and understand other cultures on a more personal level. If we all could try to do this, imagine how kind the world would be!

Monsieur Gustafson

For the 2022-2023 academic year, Monsieur Kyle Gustafson teaches French I, French II, Honor French Grammar/AP Prep and AP French. This is Gustafson’s 10th year teaching French and his eighth year at Green. Like Isaacson, he began studying the language in seventh grade.

Q. What is your favorite thing about knowing another language?

A. Learning another language opens up so many more doors for you. You are way more marketable when you know more than 1 language -- It also allows you to see the world from a different perspective while reading the newspaper or watching the news. Finally, I love to travel and I always have a trip booked. Knowing another language has allowed me to work internationally in the summers when I am not here at Green. These opportunities have taken me around the globe. It's such a great way to see the world for free, and get paid while doing it. It's a win-win!

WHAT DO YOUR MOST USED EM JIS SAY ABOUT YOU?

by Payton Macesich

*Disclaimer: This piece is just for fun, please don’t take anything personally. None of these emojis were chosen based on particular people's usage. After the success of our font piece, The Paw Print Staff decided to continue the trend with a similar concept: what do your most used emojis say about you?

Emoticons were created to express the proper expression with a text in order to accurately convey your message. While helping to express your feelings, they also do give insight to some of your personal attributes. After carefully selecting some of the most popular emojis, here's what they say about you.

If this is your most-used emoji, you’re either in sixth grade or socially unaware. A good ironic usage every once in a while can’t hurt, but overall this one emoji should be left in 2017. Plus, is it really even that funny? Just grow up and use lol.

Mischievous activities… up to no good?

You have an overall good vibe about you. Lots of things to smile about in your life.

You’re not like everyone else, you’re different. #vintage

You’re constantly exposing yourself/ you texted your ex again.

You understood the assignment.

Keep the attitude in check.

You love the finer things in life.

You most likely have either dark or kind of harsh humor.

A classic response, you probably don’t use emojis all that often.

You are as cool as this emoji.

You have a good judge of character; you’re right to be sus.

#pickme

You’re constantly being disappointed.

You think you have superior taste.

You’re a very affectionate and appreciative person.

You have a good self image. dramatic

Constantly trolling people.

People are constantly surprising you in the best way.

Get out of your friends comment section.

Always in need of a favor.

Get out of your friends’ comment section.

You’re always down for the weekend plans.

You’re my mother.

Please delete your lifting story that no one asked to be a part of.

COOPERATIVE BUSINESS EDUCATION

ghs seniors opt for a school to work schedule to learn business practices

MRS. JULI RENSEL

Q. How long have you been teaching?

A. I've been teaching for 30 years. 16 at Green with the CBE program.

Q. What is the most interesting job a student has had in CBE?

A. Burnadad Lice Removal She worked there as a receptionist

Q What do you like to do in your free time?

A. Watch my kid play sports. Watch Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland sports.

Q. If you could have any job besides teaching, what would it be?

A Honestly, I only ever wanted to be a teacher.

by Jackson Hall

Cooperative Business Education. It’s what CBE stands for after all. This unique program is a scheduling option for GHS seniors. The class operates almost exactly as a co-op. Cooperative education provides a structured curriculum that integrates academic studies with learning through real work experiences. At Green, the classroom education centers on business and general employment practices. However, when senior Alaina Knowlton was asked what the CBE program meant to her, she provided a much longer response.

“This program has made my senior year. It was absolutely the right choice for me. The chance to learn vital business skills while working a real job for school credit is a special opportunity. It should not be taken for granted. Besides that, my class is a tight-knit one, and I couldn’t imagine this school year without them. It’s teachers like Mrs. Rensel that make students want to show up for class,” said Knowlton.

Mrs. Juli Rensel teaches and advises the CBE program at Green High School through the Portage Lakes Career Center (PLCC). Typically, a CBE senior’s schedule looks like this: a block class for CBE, a period for a language arts class and a period for mathematics. All of this is usually completed before fourth period ends at 10:38 a.m., which is one of the most attractive benefits of this program, according to Knowlton. Then, an essential component of CBE occurs. The CBE seniors leave GHS to go to work. For the student to remain a part of the CBE program, they must have a part-time job and work a minimum of 15 hours a week. There are also requirements for the types of jobs that students can choose. Each placement has to be approved by Rensel herself as it must qualify under CBE guidelines in coordination with Green schools. Additionally, the student’s employer must also agree to the terms of the program and consent to an employer training agreement. Their work performance is not only a part of their grade but the majority of it.

“I go to see every student at the job site. Every few weeks, I make an appointment with the employer to make an observation of my student. Then, I write up their work evaluation. 20% of their grade is my own evaluation, 40% is physical proof of their completed hours every pay period, then the other 40% is a written evaluation from their employer every nine weeks,” said Rensel on the grading structure for the program.

The approved jobs include some sort of business or marketing element. Rensel mentioned that the typical CBE job has changed since the Covid-19 pandemic. Pre Covid, most of the jobs were known as business internships under large companies such as FedEx and Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority. Whereas, other offices and law firms. However, according to Rensel. Be distribution as well.

CBE students pose for a picture during a school fire drill

PHOTO BY: MS. MILLER

“So the times have chang just cook. They have to as business tasks,” said Rensel on the differing jobs in a post-pandemic workforce. Rensel not only knows her sharp business skills. In spreadsheets, Publisher, math, interviewing and resumes, and resignation letters, credit.

For Knowlton, she realiz Chipotle and Picks on PLX.

"I see what Rensel teaches on how to correctly approach have that knowledge," said Knowlton.

ALAINA'S SCHOOL TO WORK SC ALAINA'S SCHOOL TO WORK SC

"I believe I am learning a lot of valuable necessities for real-life work"

Alaina Knowlton

GHS GYMNASTICS SOARS

team competes at sectionals to end their season

by Jenna Veney

As the gymnastics team entered their 2023 season, they put in hard work and dedication to make this season great. Gymnastics takes a lot of diligence and precision. These girls spend hours a week working on perfecting their routine, learning new skills, and overcoming mental blocks. Don’t underestimate these bulldogs; gymnastics takes one with a great mindset, and these girls have just that.

At the first meet of the year, the girls took third overall at the Golden Eagle Invitational with a score of 123.85. Lindsay Morgan, Menefee, Braxtyn Taliaferro, Burdeshaw all placed, with only competing. They put in their

hard work and set goals in order to do their best this past weekend at sectionals, Feb 18.

“I worked myself to where I competed my floor routine with my full so I was able to score higher at sectionals,” sophomore Braxtyn Taliaferro said.

It is always exciting reaching a goal in any sport, not just gymnastics However, tumbling requires a lot of dedication, special skill, and a whole lot of strength.

“I have been tumbling since I was very young, so it tends to come easy to me but really frustrated when blocks and skills I’m new coach through it all, with everything I have

accomplished in highschool gymnastics has been with all her help,” sophomore Izzy Menefee said.

Coaching a sport, like gymnastics, is a way to continue with the thing you love most. The GHS gymnastic coach relates to that as well.

“Being able to share my love of the sport with the athletes and help them be successful as a team and individually,” Coach Katie Dougherty said.

As the season comes to a close, these girls accomplished many goals they had set for themselves and for their team. Many of these gymnasts are looking forward to what next year has in store for them.

MUELLER'S HOT TAKES FROM NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND

by Ryan Mueller

The NBA had its 72nd All-Star Weekend from Feb. 17 to 19, and I’m here to give you my thoughts. The main events of the weekend included a celebrity game, the skills challenge, the three-point competition, the dunk contest, and of course the All-Star game. While all of these events sound entertaining, the weekend could be summed up as average at best. NBA fans alike tend to agree and find themselves disappointed year in and year out. This is what I believe is wrong with All-Star Weekend

and what could fix these problems.

I want to begin with the skills competition. You might be reading this and thinking, “What’s the skills competition?” and with that question alone, you’ve proved why it needs to be removed from the entertainment roster. I’ll keep it short and sweet: no one cares about a skills competition that involves NBA athletes. We already know they have unbelievable talent - that’s why they’re in the NBA in the first place. Why should I waste my time watching an event targeted towards something that’s fundamentally executed in every NBA game?

Now I want to take a look at the celebrity game, and it should be cut for similar reasons as that God-forsaken skills challenge; no one cares. Sure, the idea of watching some A-list celebrities play each other in basketball sounds entertaining until you look at the roster. The roster featured a few exciting names, like 21 Savage, DK Metcalf, and Calvin Johnson, but once you take a deeper look at who else is playing, you can come to the conclusion that even you have a shot at playing next year. If I wrote out all of the irrelevant celebrities that made the roster this year, my editor would scrap this article. So I’ll just highlight a few of these Z listers. We’ve got Nicky Jam, Hasan Minhaj, Ranveer Singh, Marcos Mion, Ozuna, and THE Alex Toussaint. The overwhelming amount of irrelevance is staggering. That last guy that was mentioned is a Peleton instructor. Yes, you read that right, a workout instructor for exercise bikes made the list of celebrities for the All-Star game.

It’s time for me to tear apart the

dunk contest now, and let me just say that I’m baffled that some of these guys are even playing in the NBA. They had to go grab a player from the G league just to fill a spot, and he won. Mac McClung winning the dunk contest is the only thing keeping this All-Star Weekend from being the worst one yet. The dunk contest used to feature the greatest athletes in the NBA like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, but now current stars are too scared of injury to compete. If the rosters don’t improve, they need to be scrapped.

My solutions to these problems are simple: cut the boring events and replace them with something new. I believe that an entertaining event would be 1v1 competitions, king of the hill style. You can watch your favorite NBA players face off one on one; the winner stays on the court and the loser goes home. In the end, only one All-Star remains. Don’t think this would be entertaining? Tell me you wouldn’t want to see Russell Westbrook face off against Kevin Durant.

The girls celebrate Senior Night.

PHOTOS BY: Lori Morgan Braxtyn Taliaferro '25 competes in the bars category

The team celebrates after a big victory

Lindsay Morgan '25 poses to end her floor routine

A RECORD BREAKING ERA OF

SP RTS

by Marko Kulina

Most generations have one or a few talented athletes that they can speak to their kids about when they get older. But, the generation we are living in today, or already lived through, have seen some of the greatest athletes in sports history. We have seen the likes of one of the most dominant basketball players of all time, Lebron James. We have probably witnessed the best 3-point shooter ever, Steph Curry. In soccer we have seen Messi and Ronaldo take to the stage for years and years. We have seen the ‘Big 3’ in tennis dominate the same platform for ages. Football fans got to witness Tom Brady’s magic hands and golf gave us Tiger Woods. These athletes have set records that will likely never be broken and their times are almost over so it's important we acknowledge their accomplishments. Not to mention the other athletes like Serena Williams, Aaron Rodgers, Serena Williams, Mike Trout, and many others.

Djokovic has won 93 ATP singles titles, including a joint-record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles (tied with Rafael Nadal), six ATP Finals titles, and a record 38 ATP Masters titles. He is the only male player to have won all nine of the Masters' tournaments, and has done so twice.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

Messi is arguably the best player to ever play the game of soccer. His most recent and significant win is his first- ever World Cup this past December in Qatar. Most could argue that this solidifies the argument on if he is considered the "GOAT". He currently holds the record for the most goals and assists for club and country with a total of 1,044 Back in 2012, Messi smashed the record of most goals in a single calendar year when he scored 91 goals in 69 games. He also holds the record number of 7 Ballon d'Or which is the most anyone has.

LIONEL MESSI

To date, Lebron has four NBA championships, four Finals MVPs, four NBA MVPs, 17 All-NBA selections, 17 All-Star selections, the 2003-04 Rookie of the Year award, and three All-Star MVPs as well. James recently broke the all time scoring record, which was originally set by Kareem Abdul Jabar, with the most points ever in the history of the NBA (38,411 points).

LEBRON JAMES

Tom Brady is considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He holds the record for the most regular season wins with 251. Brady holds the record as the player with the most super bowl rings ever (7). He holds both the regular season record, with 89,214 passing yards, and the playoff record, with 13,400 yards, for a combined record total of 102,614 yards.

TOM BRADY

His major victories include the five Masters Tournaments, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Open Championships, and three British Open Championships. With his second Masters' victory in 2001, Tiger became the first golfer ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time. Woods made an incredible comeback from a back injury a few years ago and shows me signs of his career ending.

RHIANA BRUCE

As a student of color, I have experienced multiple racially motivated situations since I started attending Green Local Schools. When I first came to Green, it was definitely a culture shock considering my previous school was very diverse; there was an equal diversity rate among the students, so when I stepped through those doors of GIS, I was honestly intimidated. Since I was young, I didn’t pay too much attention to the fact that my skin was a different color but later on, I soon realized that my race contributed to many situations I didn’t have to be in. Experiencing seventh and eighth grade as a black girl was something that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. No one is perfect and I accept that, but it was heartbreaking to realize that just because of the color of my skin, I have to be looked at differently or get placed under stereotypes that don’t fit the person I am.

An experience that took a huge toll on me was during middle school. A boy was getting upset with me because I wouldn’t move to the back of the bus so he could sit with his friends. I repeatedly told him “no”, that I would continue to sit in the seat I chose. Unfortunately, he got upset and made remarks to me that made me feel less of a person just because I wouldn’t give up a seat on the bus. This felt like Rhiana’s version of Rosa Parks. Another experience I had was when a girl had sent me a video of her and three other girls making fun of me and making many racial remarks about the way I looked and what I wore. At this point, I started to feel that I was the reason these things were happening to me, and I just let people say whatever they wanted. It wasn't until various non-African American students continuously asked me for a pass, confessing they "say the n-word all the time because why should they

not be able to say it if [black people] can'', that I realized this wasn't normal and I didn't deserve to be treated this way.

There was a period of time when standing up for myself was out of the picture. Speaking up was something that was really difficult for me to do when these situations would happen. I didn’t really know what to do, so I would silence myself. From my perspective, I was scared and I didn’t want to say something that could hurt the other person’s feelings. It's my mission to educate those who would like to learn more to lessen racism, but I've learned over time to prioritize people who are open to learning and changing, over people who choose to remain ignorant.

Per all students: freshman year was rough, but I’m glad I went through my hardships because that’s when I got introduced to the GHS club, All In. At the time, I was scared to join a club that talked about racial situations or social injustice because I didn’t want to be judged. I was also scared to talk about topics a lot of people try to hide, such as stereotypes, racists, and undercover segregation that goes on inside the school doors. At the beginning of attending the club's meetings and learning about its purpose, Mrs. Kraus, the club’s adviser, made sure that every meeting was a safe space. She makes it not only a place to feel comfortable, but a place to learn from others. I am now a proud member of All In and have been attending meetings and events for the past two years.

At the end of freshman year, more change was happening and the Diversity Committee board was created after the Black History Month “Soul Food Fest” happened. It blew up largely on social media leaving many

students and parents heated. Mrs. Brown, the head of the diversity board, gathered some students together to talk and address the racial issues with this particular event and the school. Soon later, it turned into a board. Being a part of the Diversity Committee has given me the opportunity to learn how to facilitate harder conversations after attending the DEI workshop that was held earlier this year. Furthermore, the committee has given students a chance to talk with each other and staff to decide ways to mold the school into a more welcoming place. As more people have joined the committee, I can say we’ve really created a family and a support system.

My experience these past two years has been a huge learning and understanding journey. I love being a part of All In and the Diversity Committee because they teach valuable lessons through experience. I love learning new ways to view different circumstances, facilitate hard conversations, and become a leader in the right direction of creating a supportive environment among all types of backgrounds.

how all in had a positive impact on my life

As a senior in high school, there have been many ups and downs throughout the years. I started my freshman year at Hoban because at Green, I surrounded myself with people who weren't a good fit for me, and I ended up getting myself into a lot of trouble. Throughout my freshman year, I thought I had made a lot of friends, but at the end of the day, they weren't who I thought they were.

That February, I decided that Hoban wasn't where I wanted to stay, so I transferred back to Green. It was difficult at first because everyone knew my previous reputation. There were many days that I didn't want to go to school because I heard things that people would say about me and I felt embarrassed. I was disappointed in myself and knew that I needed to change or the next four years of my life would be terrible. I started by surrounding myself with people

OLIVIA PENNINGTON

that I knew would be a good influence on me. Dropping people who I was previously close with was hard, but I knew doing it was the only way I was going to change how I was.

Two weeks after I came back to Green, Covid happened and everyone was quarantined. I have always been a very extroverted person and thought that being inside and not being able to see my friends would be torture. The first couple days were alright, thinking that being stuck in the house was only going to last a couple days to weeks, max. Realizing that this was going to last a lot longer than everyone thought, I wasn't mentally prepared for how intense the situation actually was, and I was hit with a large wave of depression and loneliness. There were many days that I wouldn't come out of my room until my mom called me downstairs for dinner, and others where I didn't come out at all.

During this time, I knew that I needed to change the way I was living, but it was very difficult for me to stay motivated and take initiative. My parents started noticing that I was acting very differently and encouraged me to take a path that was going to lead me towards success. Thinking about their advice, I realized that the change I wanted to make wasn't going to happen overnight and that I would need to take baby steps.

By the beginning of my sophomore year, my parents and I saw major improvements in myself that started off as a couple minor changes. However, I encountered a couple setbacks, each affecting me in different ways. The biggest setback was a result of foolishness on the internet that both hindered, and possibly counteracted, my personal growth and led to severe consequences. These consequences,

while being annoying to deal with at the time, led to my realization that behaviors and attitudes that were made more common in quarantine through social media were not acceptable back in the real-world environment. With that, the rest of my sophomore year I was very careful with what I said, not only in real life but also online.

I started off my junior year with a good vision of how I wanted it to go, but I still made a few mistakes. I used to beat myself up over mistakes or things that I've done wrong, but throughout the years, I've started using my mistakes as ways to grow and become a better person. By changing how I treated myself when I would make mistakes, I became more understanding towards myself, treating myself with the same compassion and leniency I would give others when they made mistakes.

I used to think that being hard on myself would motivate me to do better, but in the end, it made me feel even worse. These mistakes have helped me realize when I'm in the wrong, or thinking about doing something that I'm not sure is the best idea or not. Admitting to being wrong has also always been hard for me, but knowing that I'm in the wrong, whether I admit to it or not, is still better than not knowing that what I'm doing is unacceptable. Self-awareness is an admirable trait to have, not only in high school, but in the real world too. Being self-aware makes me feel a lot more grounded, gives me confidence, and has let me understand things from multiple perspectives.

Now that I’m going to college in a few months, I plan to apply these traits that I’ve learned over these past four years of highschool to continue growing into the person I’m designed to be.

continuing my growth through high school and college

NO LIES ABOUT FRIES NO LIES ABOUT FRIES

by Catherine Smith & Mallory Gearhart

MCDONALDS

Writing a french fry review that doesn’t include McDonald’s classic fries is downright absurd. McDonald's has always had impeccable fries and has maintained this status for years on years. You can always count on McDonald's to provide you with a nice portion of evenly salted warm french fries. No matter the size you order, you are given an appropriate amount of fries to remain satisfied with your meal. If you are ever in need of an on-the-go snack and are craving something salty, pop into a local McDonald's for a serving of french fries that will not disappoint. I give McDonald's french fries 5/5 stars.

McDonald's fries are one of the most iconic and popular fast food menu items. They are widely known for their crunchy exterior and perfect salt ratio. They are also consistently cooked to a golden brown, making them a crowd-pleaser for people of all ages. In addition, the fast food chain has continued to have a cheap and affordable price (medium for $1.79), ensuring that all customers can experience greatness. Catherine couldn’t have said it better, McDonald’s fries are the best- of -the- best and could never be replaced. Like Catherine, I also have to give McDonald's fries 5/5 stars. M A L

WENDY'S

Wendy’s used to be considered a top-tier fast food restaurant, but I think it's fallen off in recent years. Wendy’s fries are pretty simple; they are salty, warm, and have a little bit of a crunch. Wendy’s fries alone are for sure nothing to rave about, but when mixed with a classic Wendy’s chocolate or vanilla frosty, these fries instantly become to die for. For me, a great after-school snack consists of a Wendy’s frosty and a small fry, and I’m satisfied for the rest of the day. Wendy’s fries by themselves get 3/5 stars from me, but I recommend these fries with a frosty for a much better experience.

Wendy’s fries, and overall service, have gone downhill significantly in the last couple of years. I waited 14 minutes for my order of medium fries and a chocolate frosty. Being one of the three people in line, my experience started on the wrong foot. After I had finally received my food, I went home to give it a try. The fries were cold and soggy, with much less flavor than I remember when I was a kid. I tried the fries with ketchup, which was provided, and it made them much more appetizing, but the game-changer was dipping the fries in my chocolate frosty. The sweet to the salty mix was perfect, instantly lightening my mood. Wendy’s fries are mid on their own, but when dipped in a frosty, they’re an easy 5/5 stars.

CHICK-FIL-A

A T

M A L

Ever since Chick-fil-A’s recent revival, everyone has been hooked on their chicken nuggets, and most importantly, their classic wedge fries. I think they are a decent choice when you are in the Belden area looking for an on-the-go snack. However, I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to drive 20 minutes to get these fries. Chick-fil-A is a classic fast food restaurant that typically doesn’t disappoint, but in contrast to the other fries on this list, they need to step up their game to beat the other ratings. With the consideration of their slightly above-average fries, I give Chick-fil-A’s wedge fries a solid 4/5 stars. C A T

Chick-fil-A’s waffle fries are a staple in their menu and are highly praised for their natural potato taste. Although Catherine thinks that a 20minute drive is not worth it, her opinion is ignorant and leaves out the most important aspects of Chick-fil-A’s glorious side dish. Catherine didn’t take into account how rare a good waffle fry is. I couldn’t name a fast food place within 20 minutes of Green, Ohio that has any waffle fries in general, let alone ones that live up to the standards of the famous Chick-fil-A waffle fry. She also forgot to mention the amount of dipping sauces Chick-fil-A offers, making their above-average fries even more delicious and flavorful. Not only would I drive 20 minutes for these fries, but I would also drive that three times in a row to taste a fresh batch of Chick-fil-A waffle fries. I give Chick-fil-A waffle fries 4.5/5 stars easily. M A L