Volume 81: Issue 6

S t u de n t P r i n t s Sylvania Northview High School

The

February 27, 2007

Issue #6

NEWS Pages 1,2 & 3 Art creates bowls for charity page 2

Commons under review Wil l C ousino Sta f f Wri te r A new policy concerning juniors’ and seniors’ commons privilege is being considered for Northview next year.

Upperclassmen have enjoyed the tradition of assignment to a commons period, rather than a study hall, for years. Before former Principal Dr. Kevin Gorman’s tenure, students earned the ability to schedule a commons period based upon grade point average.

A minimum requirement was set not only as a student’s incentive to strive for excellent grades, but also to ensure that those in commons would utilize their time wisely and productively, according to Principal Stewart Jesse.

Now, nearly all juniors and seniors are assigned a commons.

No matter an upperclassman’s GPA, they are shuffled into a crowded commons if they have free periods in their schedule.

“Observing commons periods has given me the impression that a minority of the students use it for anything other than sleeping, eating or talking,” said Principal Stewart Jesse.

Though no definite new policy has been decided upon at this time, Mr. Jesse has been actively discussing the matter with both students and faculty.

It is possible that juniors and seniors in the upcoming years that do not meet a GPA requirement indicating they will effectively use their commons will be assigned a study hall or may follow the “latein, early-out” privilege, according to Principal Committee member sophomore Sweta Rao. “Regardless of their GPA, I think students need the opportunity for a free period during the day. However, the requirement may prove to be an effective incentive for students,” said junior Harsha Patel.

One possible option that has been discussed was to have “late-in” or “early-out” options for seniors with transportation, according to Rao. When a senior carries six classes and a lunch, he or she may schedule two commons at the beginning or end of the day.

These students will be permitted to arrive two periods late or leave two periods early. This concept is in the early stages of deliberation with the Sylvania School Board, according to Mr. Jesse.

“The sophomore class has been looking forward to the free time of commons next year,” said Rao, “It seems unfair that this privilege may be curtailed before we’ve had an opportunity to have it, yet the possibility of leaving school early or arriving late is intriguing.”

No final decisions have been made concerning this policy for the next school year. “It is highly unlikely that the policy will be changed in time for next school year concerning either the adapting of commons, or the “latein, early” out privilege,” said Mr. Jesse.

EDITORIALS Pages 4, 5 & 6 Can a t-shirt promote domestic violence? page 4

Volume 81

FEATURES Pages 7, 8 & 9 What cell phone do you want? page 7

SPORTS Pages 7 & 8 Dance Team heads to competition page 12

Seniors win Olympics Ta r a Pate l Sta ff Wri te r Freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors battled for first place during Class Olympics which started January 29 in lunches and culminated February 2 at a 20 minute assembly.

The seniors won with a grand total of 17 points, followed by the juniors with 14 points.

Student Government organized and carried out Class Olympics, which was planned at their Winter Summit. Members were divided into groups with different tasks from Wacky Wildcats to decorations To rally excitement within the classes, students were given the opportunity to put together crazy outfits for the Spirit Days. These included Superhero Day, Crazy Hair Day, Cowboy Day and Northview School Spirit Day. Due to a snow day on Tuesday, College Sweatshirt Day was cancelled.

“Superhero Day was my favorite, everyone could be really creative when dressing up,” said junior Momo Ngur.

Students racked up points for their classes during the Wacky Wildcat Challenges in lunches. Up to four points could be earned for each game.

The seniors dominated most challenges, but the juniors also succeeded in landing a few wins, according to junior Student Government member Yang Jiang.

Challenges included a toothpick and lifesaver relay, the best imitation of a car sound, a scavenger hunt and a blended burger-slushie drinking contest.

Mimi Sayre ROLLING FOR THE STRIKE is sophomore Akeem Hobson, he got a strike and won the competition.

A school-wide assembly comprised of different events, which students signed up for during lunches, ended the week.

Unlike previous 40 minute assemblies, the events had to be shortened into 20 minutes due to the new school policy.

“The new policy posed a challenge for those planning Class Olympics because we had to find short but fun assemblies, said junior Student Government member Lauren Oberle. “Even though we didn’t get everything in, it turned out pretty

well.”

The assembly started with Human Bowling on scooters where sophomores Akeem Hobson and Ashley Maloney teamed up to win first place.

Limbo immediately followed with an impressive win by junior Robert Hadley.

Participants then stuffed themselves with as much mayonnaise filled chocolate cake possible in three minutes.

Seniors Cliff Lemke and Alex Baidell managed to devour almost

all of their cake with sophomores Amit Goyal and Autumn Michalak closely behind.

“Although the cake tasted disgusting and chocolate got all over my face, it paid off because our class got three points,” said Goyal.

Due to the shortness of the assembly, the scheduled knock-out and tug-o-war were cut. However, “Most Spirited Section” was added, which the seniors won.

For their prize, the ’07 seniors got their year attached to the traditional spirit key.

Cos competition preps students Ye lena Zhernovski y Sta ff Wri te r On January 29 the junior and senior Cosmetology students from Southview and Northview participated in the Sylvania Cosmetology Hairstyling competition at NV under the supervision of Cosmetology Instructor Mrs. Christine Jude.

The competition took place through the Vocational Industrial Club’s of America. VICA promotes professional development, encourages enthusiasm for learning, and recognizes students for their hard work The competition was held for both juniors and seniors but only the first place senior would have the opportunity to compete in a regional competition.

The seniors had to do a cut, color, and technical style on a mannequin.

Students were allotted 45 minutes for the haircut and 30 minutes to match the style of their mannequin to the picture of their choice. The judges also took into consideration safety and sanitation precautions as well as professional attire.

“Although this is a competition, it really helps the cosmetology students prepare for the real world, in which they will have set time schedules and will have to be able to use all of the techniques that the girls learn now,” said Mrs. Jude.

The juniors were also allotted 45 minutes to complete a set, which is a hairstyle done with any combination of rollers, pin curls, waves or twists.

They also had to complete a finished style on the set in 30 minutes. Safety and sanitation techniques as well as appropriate attire were also important elements of the competition.

“The competition was a great learning experience and I didn’t expect to win, I was shocked because there were many good contenders,” said SV junior T’nesha Shubeta.

Judges included several hairstylists from various local salons including Attitudes, Tangles, and David Broadway. Winners in the senior competition included Tiffany McDaniel in first place, Kristen Shock in second, and Jessica Wakeland in third. Junior winners include Shubeta in first place, Marissa Taylor Helberg Matchinski in second, and Emily Musteric in third.

McDaniel will compete in the Regional competed at Terra Technical College STRAIGHTENING A MANNEQUIN HEAD is senior Kristen on February 23. At regionals McDaniel had to style two dolls, one with a cut and Shock. Shock was second in the senior competition. the other with a finished style in addition to taking a test over what she has learned in Cosmetology 2.

2

N EWS

Februa ry 27, 2007

NHS Carnation sale fun for students Tay lor He lbe rg Sta f f Wri te r Every year the National Honor Society sells carnations for Valentine’s Day, but this year, due to the weather, things did not run smoothly. The snow days messed up the selling and distributing of the flowers.

“The snow days created more stress, but we still sold the most carnations we ever have. Other than my room looking like a flower shop for a day, everything worked out fine,” said NHS Advisor Mrs. Fran Borchers.

NHS members sold carnations during lunch periods for a dollar each. The profit made by NHS is used for funding. The buyer of the flower had to write the person’s first and second hour teacher and classroom for distribution purposes. They were also able to write a message if they desired.

Normally students receive pink carnations, but this year the students received red because the pink flowers were not good this season.

“I think the sale really took off this year because love was in the air. I was surprised with the students’ enthusiasm with the snow days interfering with the sale.” said NHS member Mike Pelechaty.

Mrs. Borchers placed an order to the florist for 525 carnations about a month ahead of time.

Carnations were very popular this year and all 525 were sold.

“I liked being able to express my love to people who I care about. I sent about ten carnations.” said senior Chase Yacko.

Carnations were to be sold from Wednesday to the Tuesday before Valentine’s Day, but the snow days delayed the process.

Friday morning NHS members were busy putting the cards on the carnations. It took so long the flowers were not all passed out during first and second hour. NHS had to compensate and called

DELIVERING CARNATIONS IS NHS Vice President Jamie Schaffer to junior Emily Hage during commons. out names during lunches. After seventh period lunch, the leftover flower recipients’ schedules were looked up and the carnations were delivered to them.

Students did not make a big deal out of the mishap, they were happy to even get their flowers, according to NHS Vice President Jamie Schaffer.

“Winter One Acts” draw large audience

Sta ff Wri te r

O pinions E di tor The Drama Club and Drama Boosters put on the “Winter One Acts” on February 3. This spectacular display of acting was done by many students here at NV. Students directed all the one acts, and even one play was adapted by junior Tommy Duvall. The boosters received around $200 in donations, and the plays did very well.

There were four One Act plays that were displayed in the festival. These plays being, “Fifteen Minutes,” “Blood is a Big Expense,” “The Big Dipper,” and “The Laundromat.” These shows were a combination of dramas and comedies. Some students that were featured in these plays were senior Tommy Duvall, juniors Lauren Owens and Kelly Venia and sophomore Allison Dewitt.

The one act, “Blood is a Big Expense” was adapted by Tommy Duvall. It was taken from William Shakespeare’s McBeth, specifically from Act II. “I did a scene for it when we read it sophomore year and I wanted to do the whole act ever since,” said Duvall about why he chose to adapt the Shakespeare tragedy.

Not only was there a lot of participation on stage, but also in the technological aspects of the shows.

The technical directors were senior Rachael Abramson and junior Mallory Apel. There were a total of 20 “techies” and 18 actors in the One Acts.

Practices were held whenever the theater wasn’t occupied by the spring musical Fame or there was available space for rehearsal.

“Even though I advised the one acts, the students were involved in every aspect of the shows.” Said Mr. Wachowiak “From acting and directing to running the tech booth, the students pulled together and put this festival on.”

The performances brought in a large crowd, which surprised the cast and crew since the “Winter One Acts” hadn’t been performed in a few years. When asked about the turnout, Duvall replied, “It was amazing. The crowd was larger than I ever expected.”

Emily Nava r re Sta f f Wri te r Northview students may have noticed an increase in crowded halls and classrooms this year. Now, there are plans for expansion at NV, which is greatly needed, according to Principal Stewart Jesse.

There are plans to add on three to four new classrooms. The classrooms would be used for math and science because the classes of 2010 and 2011 are required to have more credits in those subjects than the current seniors, juniors and sophomores. These classrooms would be added to the second story, according to Mr. Jesse.

Also in the plans is a new, larger band room since the band is too large to fit in the current band room. The new room would be near the current band room.

“We definitely should expand the choir and band rooms because there is not enough practice rooms and people are forced to practice in the halls. A new music room would be very beneficial for musical education,” said senior Kyle Brieschke.

Parking is also a problem at NV. There is not room for many student parking spots. This year, all of the seniors and nearly all of the juniors were able to have set spots. Normally, only about 75% of juniors are able to drive. The new parking lots proposed are in front of the school and more spots by the Little Theatre and band rooms. These new spots would enable all of the juniors to drive, according to Mr. Jesse.

“It is good to increase the amount of parking at NV but putting parking spots in front of the school would take away from the look of NV,” said sophomore Grace Ramsdell.

All of the renovations and additions would be paid for by school funds and would not cause an increase in taxes. The work could possibly begin this summer, according to Mr. Jesse.

Cats planning for Challenge Day Emily Nava rre

K atie Li tze r

Possible school expansions

Meredith Lodge

Challenge Cats has a goal to make a strong, unified community within the student body at Northview. To achieve this goal, the students of Challenge Cats hosts Challenge Day at least once a year for each class that enters NV. March 26 is the freshmen Challenge Day, “It.” They will spend half a day in the gym listening to music, eating food and more importantly talking about common issues students face with the members of Challenge Cats.

“We are excited about this year because it means that every class has gone through a Challenge Day and I would like to think that it has impacted everyone even if the impact has been small,” said Challenge Cats advisor Ms. Katie Mattimoe.

The purpose of Challenge Day this year is to have the freshmen feel like they belong to the NV Community. Unity is the main focus of the activities at Challenge Day. In addition to the unity theme there are other themes that the Challenge Cats want to get across to the students in the freshmen class.

Such as common issues that NV students face on a day to day basis.

While the freshmen talk to other NV students, it is the goal of the Challenge Cats to make it clear to the freshmen that these problems that they face are common and Challenge Cats want to help them overcome them.

Issues talked about at Challenge Day range from bullying to self-esteem. Even though this day is supposed to be a serious time for students to reflect on their life at NV, it is also a time for the freshmen to just have a relaxed and fun day being out of their classes.

“The Challenge Cats want the freshmen to come out of Challenge Day feeling better about being at NV and we would like them to take this day seriously, but have fun with it at the same time,” said Vice President Cam Brown.

These freshmen are the last class, currently, to have gone through a Challenge Day. Every other class had the opportunity to have gone through it in previous years.

“When going to the Challenge Day last year I did not know what to expect, but while I was there I enjoyed it and I was pretty comfortable talking to the group leaders and the peers in my group.

During our talks I actually got to know a few of my group members better so it turned out well,” said junior Megan Ozarzak.

The Challenge Cats are very happy to have gotten through to everyone at NV and has thought it to be very effective. They believe changes can happen if activities like this are being presented among students. “ Challenge Cats will keep doing these activities

Sylvania Northview High School 5403 Silica Drive Sylvania, Ohio 43560 2005-2006 C o-Edi tor s-In- Chie f: Wang Pan & Jackie Zureich Advisor: Sa r ah Flynn News Edi tor: Greg Adkins Fe ature s Edi tor: K ame l Ansa r a & K ristin Win te r s Photo Edi tor: Me redi th L odge Sports Edi tor: Ryan Stansley Edi tori a l Edi tor: K atie Li tze r Busine ss Edi tor: Neno Aou thm an y Sta ff Wri ter s: Me lissa Ben ton, Je ssica Be sset te, Li z z y Breie r, Wil l C ousino, M a x Filby, Jamie H amilton, Tay lor He lbe rg , A sh ley McNair, Emily Nava r re, Ta r a Pate l, Ty le r Puh l, E amonn Reynolds, Ste ph anie Sa l l ah, E li z abeth Strick, M at t Wade, K atie Wambold, Kimm y Ya r k, Ye lena Zhe rnovski y

The Studen t Prin ts is the offici a l studen t-produced newspa per of Sy lvani a North view High S chool. It is distribu ted mon thly at no ch a rge to serve the pur pose of in forming studen ts, facult y, sta ff, administr ation and the Sy lvani a communi t y of curren t issue s.

The m ain goa l of The Prin ts is to pre sen t cover age of even ts in an unbi a sed and accur ate m anner. The pa per a lso re spects the opinions and ide a s of the en tire N V communi t y. Signed let ter s to the edi tor s a re encour aged and should be no longer th an 300 words. A l l let ter s can be turned in to the publications room, E-6. The Prin ts re serve s the righ t to edi t let ter s th at con tain gr amm atica l error s, accur ac y and profane or libe lous commen ts.

The newspa per sta ff is en tire ly re sponsible for the con ten t of the pa per and supports the Fir st Amendmen t to the C onsti tu tion. Unsigned edi tori a ls published in The Prin ts a re wri t ten by sta ff member s, and agreed upon by a m ajori t y vote of the edi tori a l boa rd. The Prin ts is ca re ful ly e x amined by i ts sta ff and adviser prior to publication to preven t incorrect or libe lous in form ation.

The newspa per sta ff doe s not endor se advertisemen ts published in The Prin ts. Advertising specifications m ay be obtained by ca l ling (419) 824 -8708.

The newspa per fol lows the A sso ci ated Pre ss (A P) St y lebook guide line s for punctuation and gr amm a r. The Prin ts is a member of the Nationa l S chol a stic Pre ss A sso ci ation, the C olumbi a S chol a stic Pre ss A sso ci ation, Quil l and S crol l and the Gre at L a k e s In ter schol a stic Pre ss A sso ci ation.

N EWS

Art classes raise money for local food shelters with bowls Kimm y Ya r k

Breakthroughs in psych Meg an Bringe Sta f f Photogr a phe r

Sta f f Wri te r “Empty Bowls” is an international project developed by two Michigan teachers, and provides monetary support for food banks, soup kitchens, and other organizations that fight hunger. “It is really important this time of year to raise money for such organizations because more families and people are going to these shelters because it is so cold,” said Northview art teacher, Mr. Ryan Creech.

The students at Northview participated in the Empty Bowls Full Hearts project, which is greatly appreciated in the community due to the increase in people attending homeless and food shelters.

“When the temperature first dropped, the Cherry Street Mission, had the highest number of people sleeping there in history,” according to 13 ABC. All art classes at NV except 2D and computer graphics participated in the event. The students were given weeks to create their bowls with very little guidelines as to what their bowls needed to look like.

“Many students took the opportunity to express what they enjoy such as favorite colors, shapes, and words,” said Mr. Creech.

NV art classes have participated in the “Empty Bowls Full Hearts” project for two years along with Highland second grade students and also new to help this year were many Lourdes College students.

Also helping raise money for the local charities this year was Principal, Mr. Stewart Jesse.

“I had a lot of fun. I brought in stamps to make a unique pattern,” said Mr. Jesse. He created his bowl to recreate the antidalluvian atmosphere that HP Lovecraft created in his novels. His bowl sold for $60.00 by a Northview parent who gave it back to him. “ I was glad I got my bowl back. After spending so much time on it, I really appreciated the gesture, said Mr. Jesse.

“We had so many choices when creating our bowls that my second year of being involved in this

3

Februa ry 27, 2007

organization I could create two entirely different bowls, said junior Sara Mignon.

Sylvania Rotary gave the organization a very generous grant to cover expenses of the art supplies for the many students involved. “ Having all of the different schools come together for a good cause, I feel, really helped the students not only get in touch with the community but give them a better understanding of how well you can feel after helping the less fortunate,” said Mrs. Seal-Roth.

The bowls were put on display in the Highland cafeteria on February 7 at 2:30pm. “ I choose to go to Highland to look at all of the bowls the students made. I think its a good cause and I wanted to sup-

New driving restrictions on, laws for M a x Filby

Sta f f Wri te r Come this spring sixteen year old drivers in Ohio will face new driving laws as an attempt to prevent distractions. According to Ohio Teen Drivers.org, on April 4, four new driving laws will take effect, the majority of them directed toward teen drivers.

Sixteen year old drivers will only be permitted to have one non-family passenger while driving, making Ohio the 36th state to pass such a law. Sixteen year olds will be restricted from driving between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., with exceptions for work, school activities, and emergencies.

If a 16-year-old is convicted of a moving violation, it will become required that they drive accompanied by an adult until the age of 17. Teens with drivers permits will still be required to drive with a guardian who is 21 years or older.

“I don’t really mind the new laws, said sophomore Martha Fitzgerald, “they might make kids think before piling a bunch of kids into their car.”

Also, all people ages 15 and under will now be required to wear a seat belt. The former law only required children under the age of four to be restrained in back passenger seats, according to the Toledo Blade.

The leading cause of teen deaths is automobile accidents, according to About. com. In 2005, 102 teens were killed in automobile accidents in Ohio, 33 of them were passengers and 69 were drivers, according to the Toledo Blade.

Bill 343, signed into action by former governor Bob Taft, was created to lower this vehicular death toll.

port it.” said junior Devin Anaya. The suggested minimum donation was $10.00 but many reached donations anywhere from $50.00 to $100.00. All sales where then donated to the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) and the Agape Soup Kitchen.

IHN is a network of area churches that house, feed, and transport local families. The Agape Soup Kitchen is located in Salem Lutheran Church and provides two to three hundred meals a week for Toledo area’s hungry. “The outcome of the project continues to increase and we plan on continuing our help with the Empty Bowls Full Hearts organization for many years,” said Mrs. Seal-Roth.

Arizona sex offender poses as teen, attends school E li z abeth Strick Sta ff Wri te r There was a big surprise for residents of Surprise, Arizona when they discovered that a 29-year-old convicted sex offender posed as a 12-year-old boy and attended school for four months, according to the Toledo Blade.

Neil Havens Rodreick II attended the Imagine School and posed as a seventh grade student before getting kicked out for poor attendance. Rodreick, who used the name Casey Price, is about five foot six and 120 pounds which enabled him to pass as a seventh grader.

He also shaved off all of his body hair and attempted to cover up his stubble with make up, according to the Toledo Blade.

Rodreick was caught after attending school for a day in a Chino Valley, Arizona school, which he was also enrolled in.

Rodreick has been charged with forgery and fraud in the schoolenrollment con and assault against a girl. Investigators refuse to say whether he met the girl by posing as a child.

In 1996, Rodreick was convicted in Oklahoma of propositioning a six-year-old boy and served six years in prison.

No students have come forward to accuse Rodreick of molesting them, according to Rhonda Cable a spokesperson for the Imagine School.

We’ve all heard the saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but new information about how the brain works may put this old saying to rest and open up new opportunities for the way we live our lives.

TIME Magazine recently published an entire issue dedicated to the brain, and the new discovers that neuroscientist have been working on. These discoveries can ultimately benefit those with physical disabilities, mental disabilities, those suffering from injury, and even the everyday average Joe. They call it “Rewiring our minds.”

According to TIME, most of the world has been under the impression that an adult brain is impossible to change because it has finished growing and is at its maximum capacity. On the contrary, new innovations overthrow this long known idea and allow us to understand that we have the ability to change our brains structure, function, and even the way it responds to memories and experiences.

Have you ever thought about picking up an instrument, or maybe a foreign language but then you came to the conclusion that it’ll be too hard?

That maybe you’re brain just can’t grasp those kinds of concepts? Turns out your brain deserves a lot more credit than you’re allowing. Experiments from all over the country, and even the world, are proving that the only thing you really need to pick up a new hobby is practice. A Harvard Medical Student, Alvaro Pascual-Leone, recently experimented on a group of people who wanted to pick up the piano. Everyday for two weeks, Leone would sit them down and continuously make them practice for two hours. At the end of each day he would hook them up to a machine that read the activity in their brains while they played there new songs, and each day every single one of the brain’s grew in activity. Simultaneously, Leone also had another group of people listen to the piano songs and mentally practice them but never allowing them to physically touch a piano. Each day he would also hook them up to the machines and it appeared that this group’s brain activity grew just as much as those who were physically playing the piano. Not only is this nice to know for those who want to broaden their horizons but think about the medical possibilities that could come from this.

The idea is that OCD, ADHD, Phantom Limb, mentally disabled patients and more could learn to rewire their brains and to limit the drug use they continually have to bombard their bodies with.

Lets say you suffer from depression, and you just went on a horrible date with someone, automatically you would probably think “I’m never going to find someone” or “I’ll never be loved” but with the ability to re-wire your brain you can say things like “Oh well, it adds to my life experience and really isn’t that big of a deal” and it can not only change your outlook on life but also the physical activity in the positive parts of the brain. Although many drugs can be used to do these same things brain scans are showing that mental thought and therapy raises the activity in the hippocampus(the brains emotional center) while drugs lower the activity there.

Can it be that moods and emotions such as compassion can be a trained mental skill?

According to TIME, you can with the increase of mental thought, mediation, or therapy it can potentially increase the connection between the brains regions and can allow us to feel more, in relation to what we are thinking. The simple task of thinking about happy thoughts can actually physically change the activity in the “happy” region of our brains.

Although these ideas are still too new to know the full meaning and potential, it still offers us a new understanding of how to potentially better our lives.

PAPPOULIS PIZZA 5127 S MAIN ST. SYLVANIA

419.882.6979

OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK 4 PM - 12 AM CLOSED ON MONDAYS PIZZA GYRO PASTA CHICKEN WINGS

4

Februa ry 27, 2007

A

T U O H S out

by Kat ie Litzer Yes, I’m a senior and I ride the bus

*Caution: The ideas expressed in this column are meant to be humorous, they are not intended to offend, make fun of or discriminate against anyone. The column is meant to educate students about the true coolness that encompasses riding the bus. Please read with caution.

I remember the first day of school my freshman year. That fateful day as I trudged to the bus stop I pondered what the years to come would be like. I knew that one day I would not have to stand in the frigid temperatures, waiting patiently for the bus. One day I would have my license. To this day I stand and ponder that same thought. Yes, I am a senior now, and I still take the bus. This may seem like an embarrassment to my seniority, but I believe that riding the bus is my destiny.

We have seen those movies where there is that one lonely and pathetic senior who is still riding the bus. This, however, is not me. You see there is this unmentioned law that is abided by everyone on the cheese wagon. This unwritten set of rules would be that the senior makes all the laws. So I feel that it is my duty to ride the bus and keep all the underclassmen in order.

The bus driver (whose name will remain anonymous) and I have this unspoken connection.

It is like a secret society of secrecy. I have known her longer than anyone on the bus, so there is a sort of favoritism. For example, one day I was getting on the bus after a long rough day at school.

Suddenly, much to my surprise the bus driver lady handed me a candy cane. This was a significant sign of our undying relationship.

People have asked me if there are things thrown at me when I am on the bus. I simply reply and tell them, “that is the most ridiculous statement that I have ever heard in my entire life.”

(See earlier law of the cheese wagon) The senior sets the rules. This to me is the most important reason for riding the bus. Without me the students would constantly be causing mayhem. I am the reason that there is peace and happiness on the bus. If someone is out of line, I let them know. If someone is talking on too loud, I tell them to shut up. If someone has their iPod up too high, I tell them to turn it down. I lay down the law.

My secret stash is also another advantage that I have. My seat (number eight) is fully equipped with my own storage unit, including a fold out vanity, bed, mini fridge, chair and mirror. This makes getting ready in the morning much easier.

This is a very secretive area and if anyone were to find out about it they would be extremely jealous.

In all reality I do not have a “secret stash” but my duffel sized purse doubles as a vanity and I always have my handy mirror in it. I mean come on, it’s not like I’m going to wake up at the crack of dawn to get ready. I just do it on the bus.

Also there is that familiar smell that encompasses all buses. The smell that is not derived from any other smell and cannot be described. This smell is absorbed into the leather seats, the floor, and even the bus driver. It is that smell that you smelled on the first day of school. As you stepped onto the bus in the wee morning hours, suddenly the smell hit you in the face. You were instantly awakened. It is like double shot of espresso, only smellier, and not so delicious.

Another reason that riding the bus is sweet would be that you don’t have to worry about your ride forgetting about you. This has happened to me many a time when I would arrange rides in order to prevent the embarrassment of riding the bus. My ride would constantly “forget” to pick me up. HOW DO YOU FORGET?! You have to pass my house in order to get to school! So now that I ride the bus I don’t have to have the anxiety that someone will forget me. The bus is always there for me. It is warm, cozy and always on time. So what if I have to stand at the corner for 15 minutes in the freezing cold. At least I arrive at school promptly at 7:02 am.

College is something that every senior looks forward to. Not to say that I am not excited about it, but I will miss those early mornings on the bus. Maybe I’ll get my license maybe I won’t. But I will for sure be getting my handy-dandy bus pass. However, It has taken me four years to build up the respect and honor that I get while riding the bus. Next year I will be back at the bottom of the totem pole. If I don’t get my license while in college I plan to just keep taking the bus. The city transit runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week so I’m not really worried.

However, there is one reason that riding the bus is not sweet. During the winter bus-riders have to face the elements in order to get to the bus stop.

For example, last week I bought a swanky new pair of shoes. They were super cute, and brand new. Then, Walking down my driveway I slipped on a patch of ice and fell. It was a bad day.

In conclusion, riding the bus is sweet. I am happy to say that I am a senior, and yes I take the bus. Everyday. I realize that to some it may seem ridiculous that as an 18 year old I do not have my license, and yes it is a pain. But at the same time it is a convenience because I don’t have to deal with paying for insurance or gas. Riding the bus is not something to be looked down upon. It should be thought of as a golden privilege.

OPINIONS

Do K-mart t-shirts promote abuse?

Attitude says it all

Many retailers across the country follow the troubling trend of selling tshirts with tasteless logos printed on them. In today’s rapidly evolving fashion world, many have come to accept or ignore logo shirts featuring subtle innuendo or profane references.

Locally and nationally, K-mart has sold youth t-shirts bearing an illustration in which male and female figures are depicted arguing in the first panel titled, “Problem.” The second panel shows the male pushing an upset female out of the panel titled, “Solved.” In response to the sale of these “Problem Solved” shirts, 50 protesters congregated outside K-mart’s Alexis Road location on January 22 to voice their displeasure with the insensitive slogan, accordi ng to the Toledo Blade. The outspoken members of t h e National Organization for Women and the Take Back the Night Collective lingered in the parking lot, holding signs warning customers of the violent nature of the store’s merchandise. The event’s coordinator, Ms. Pat Rizzi, was responsible for submitting the group’s letter of protest to the store’s manager. Assurances were given that the letter would be forwarded to the company’s chief executive.

Common to many of the protestors was their intimate connection with domestic violence. Rizzi, and others like her, had lost family members to relationship abuse and as a result were shocked by the t-shirt’s insensitivity.

While Rizzi and her cohort demonstrated outside the store for 35 minutes, approximately 40 women were victimized in non-fatal domestic violence across the country, according to statistics from Open-site.org. These staggering figures give a ring of urgency t o the issue at hand: how seriously are domestic crimes and their victims being taken in the United States? And, how do “comical” shirts such as the one previously sold by K-mart fit into the equation?

The tasteless t-shirt lends itself to the perpetuation of our nation’s significant problem with family and spousal abuse. Deeming the t-shirt as “harmless” is just as ignorant as failing to recognize the gravity of a neighbor being abused by her husband.

The problem with the infamous shirt lies not with the fibers of the fabric, nor the dyes forming the crude image. Instead, the attitude of the shirt’s wearer is most dangerous. In principle, the violent crime of striking a woman is being reduced in severity in the consciousness of the wearer. The very fact that someone is willing to purchase and wear the shirt reflects their personal mitigation of domestic violence as a light-hearted matter. Were society as a whole complacent enough to accept the “Problem Solved” shirt, we would have a new problem on our hands.

“The shirts are part of a cultural desensitization that must be addressed,” Deerfield Public School teacher, Carolyn Wilson, told the Blade.

High schools like Northview cannot afford to ignore seemingly insignificant jokes about relationship violence considering 40% of high school girls (ages 1417) report knowing a girl their age that was struck by a boyfriend, according to End Abuse.org. The numbers show women are the biggest victims of verbal and physical relationship abuse. It is time for young men to shrug off the careless and oppressive opinion that it’s ever acceptable to mistreat or abuse a woman.

Though statistics reveal a decline in reports of domestic violence since 1976, as well as reduced mortality figures from spousal violence, these numbers may be misleading. Over one in four women surveyed by the Commonwealth Fund survey in 1998 reported their victimization in a violent assault. The fact stands that many incidences occur in which the victim suffers silently and the perpetrator is free to become aggressive again.

While small organizations such as the National Organization for Women and the Take Back the Night Collective fight to bring awareness of the magnitude of domestic violence can we truly ignore the t-shirt and whole-heartedly embrace their message? Rejecting the shirts and others like them is the first step in the larger battle against violence, a battle that cannot be won if insensitive slogans like the “Problem Solved” t-shirt are apathetically disregarded.

2

It’s just a shirt

Recently, K-mart stores have had to deal with people protesting a particular shirt in their clothing line. The shirt depicts cartoon characters of a woman nagging a man and then the man pushing the woman off the frame with the caption, “Problem Solved.” Some people were offended by this shirt claiming that it supports domestic violence and so they complained to store managers. The shirt wa s briefly removed from racks while it was under controversy but then word came from corporate headquarters to keep selling the shirt anyway.

Other cities heard complaints about the shirt but Toledo was the only location to experience protests and strong opposition.

This whole situation is ridiculous. First of all, it is just a shirt. It is not meant to suggest any ideals; its purpose is simply to amuse. Arguing that it promotes violence is not legitimate because an illustration on a T-shirt is not going to change the behavior of a normally nonviolent person. Violent behavior comes from a person’s character, not from their wardrobe.

Domestic violence occurs because of the disposition of the people, and so banning a T-shirt with violent depictions is not going to change the people themselves. Therefore the T-shirt should not cause such a brouhaha because it has no true impact.

In addition, the protestors are using the sidewalk outside of the K-mart to voice disapproval of the T-shirts being sold because it is public property. They claim their First Amendment right of freedom of speech allows them to say whatever they want about the shirts and the stores selling them. However, if they are free to criticize the T-shirts, then why is the company not able to sell the T-shirts? Is it OK that they can express themselves but people making and/or buying the T-shirts cannot? The activist groups fighting the sale of this T-shirt are setting a double standard by claiming freedom of speech in the process of trying to restrict the rights of others. It is not fair, in fact it is downright unAmerican, to oppress the rights of citizens by telling them what they can and cannot wear as well as trying to dictate what companies can and cannot manufacture and distribute.

Furthermore, the characters on the shirt are just cartoons which implies the humor aspect. The picture purposely does not feature realistic looking people that could be construed as a real life situation. Cartoons are meant to be funny and it is universally understood that they do not present an accurate representation of real life. The protestors obviously are missing this point. Should we then ban Looney Toons because of the violence shown between characters? Those monsters Elmer Fudd and Wile E. Coyote are destroying the delicate minds of children. Give me a break! A cartoon is just for laughs nothing more, they are not meant to have suggestive meanings.

A T-shirt is not going to make the difference between a model citizen and a serial rapist. People who claim this shirt will increase domestic violence are just looking for somewhere to lay the blame.

They are looking in the wrong place. Parenting and the way a child is raised have much more to do with their character than a T-shirt they saw in a store. If parents were doing their jobs and raising their kids in the right manner, a violent cartoon on a T-shirt would not affect them. If parents would talk to their children and teach them the differences between right and wrong and instill moral values in them, problems like domestic violence would decrease whether or not this particular T-shirt is being sold in stores.

“All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you,” said Wayne Dyer, a famous motivational speaker.

- my cents -

Do you think that the K-mart shirts promote domestic violence?

“No, it’s just a t-shirt, if people take it the wrong way it’s their problem.”

- junior Alyssa Vallejo

“Yes, because to solve a problem abuse isn’t necessary, and that’s not what the shirts showing.”

- freshman Luke Fox

“Yes, because the girl is being pushed and is falling, that’s abuse.”

- sophomore Sweta Rao

“No, domestic violence spawns from substance abuse or anger issues, not a t-shirt.”

- senior Jon Hopkins

OPINIONS

Februa ry 27, 2007

NV rumors assessed, answered When a new pri ncipal descended upon Northview, changes occurred and rumors were spread like wildfire. Many questions have arisen this year, including ones about commons, after prom, upperclassmen leaving early, time between classes, and assembly length.

Therefore, as newspaper writers, we decided to search out the truth amongst all the rumors flying around NV. After interviewing the principal himself, Mr. Stewart Jesse, and asking him to give us some answers to the questions everyone had, we felt good knowing that finally these issues were going to be resolved for the NV student body.

Firstly, the question of commons being taken away needs to be addressed. It is official that commons will no longer be available to the average senior or junior next year. An upperclassman will need to have a good grade point average to be assigned a commons. Students who do not meet this GPA standard will be put in silent study halls, according to Mr. Jesse.

“It is the duty of the principal to give the best education to the students,” said Mr. Jesse. And we agreed, commons is obviously not educational for some students. Many people use it as a free period to goof around with their friends instead of doing actual work.

However, it is undecided whether not their will even be silent study halls available to students the year after next.

Hopefully they will decide to keep the same policy. Even when some students do not buckle down and do their work in study halls or commons, they are necessary. When extra-curriculars can be affected by grades students need extra time to devote to their studies in school, so they can focus on performing well after school. Also, students working together on homework or getting help from others during commons is sometimes the best way a person can learn. Taking away that could only make homework even more frustrating.

After Prom was also addressed by Mr. Jesse; he thinks that it is a good idea for many reasons. One is that it is an organized and fun after the dance activity and it doesn’t turn into anything more. Mr. Jesse said that at his past school it used to be a part of prom instead of a separate activity.

This is good news because After Prom is one of the best parts of the whole Prom experience.

Students get to spend the night at NV, which is always transformed into a totally different world.

There are awesome activities to do and fun prizes to win. It is fun for everyone and you do not even need a date. Plus, it keeps teenagers from drinking and partying after prom. It is good clean fun, just as Mr. Jesse said.

5

Adkins

the

EFFECT

Spring is coming quickly now

Meredith Lodge LEAVING SCHOOL FOR POST SECONDARY are seniors Jon Hymore, Brad Domby and Matt Cook. Currently Post Secondary is the only option students have to leave school early.

Many students have also been wondering if students will be allowed to leave school early, instead of staying here when they have multiple study halls. The answer, according to Mr. Jesse, is that if credits and GPA are acceptable, then some students may be allowed to leave school early or come in late. This is awesome. With that policy in place, students could have more time for working or sleeping.

This policy will hopefully go into effect in the near future because Mr. Jesse believes that Sylvania is ready for early dismissal or late arrival. He also hopes that an open campus can be established at NV, but knows that Sylvania is not quite ready for that.

Assemblies are another big concern for NV students. The Homecoming assembly was shortened and so was the Class Olympics assembly.

However, Mr. Jesse says that the assembly time was changed last year, so he had no say in the decision.

He also says that he offered Student Government the option of holding two Friday assemblies, but they declined.

Another rumor f loating around school is

Letter to the Editor It would be redundant for me to comment on the ludicrousness of the article in last month’s school newspaper on the topic of the President’s State of the Union Address. So, rather than “beat a dead hose,” I shall direct my attention toward clarifying the speech’s effect by citing an accurate scientific Gallup poll which defines how Americans think things are going according to the folks.

According to the Gallup poll, 86% are satisfied with the overall quality of life, proving that this is a great country providing more opportunity than anywhere else on earth. 70% believe that if you work hard, you have plenty of opportunity in this country. A negative statistic reveals that 63% think our moral and ethical climate is declining. The internet and an irresponsible media have hit traditional values hard. On the issues front 70% are dissatisfied with how the feds are controlling immigration. If president Bush does not get this message he is flat out deaf. 57% think taxes are too high, even after Bush tax cuts. If the Democrats don’t get that message, they’re deaf. 47% of Americans want more restrictions on abortion whereas 41% like the abortion laws the way they are, so the country is moving in a pro-life direction, not good news for the planned parenthood and the far left. On the financial front, 52% of us feel the economy is good, which is the highest number of the Bush Presidency. 73% of Americans want the government to straighten out the health care mess, most of us don’t want the feds to run the health care, instead we want regulation in this area. We don’t want to be gouged when we are sick. This scientific poll by Gallup is usually very accurate, and also says president Bush’s job approval is at 36%, 61% disapprove, a number which is driven dramatically by the “chaos” in Iraq. It is believed that if Iraq is stabilized, then Mr. Bush will be a more popular president. Iraq continues to define him however, and only a sudden reversal of fortune over there will move the president’s numbers up.

I encourage anyone who questions the accuracy of the Gallup polls to go online and research how they are conducted. Or, you may check out the book from the local library by Frank Newport, Lydia Saad, and David Moore –“Where America Stands, 1997.”

TSP Response After reading over the above Letter to the Editor addressing the “ludicrousness” of my article in last month’s issue entitled “State of the union unifies both sides” I was perplexed. I was not quite sure what exactly was ludicrous about what I had said.

The writer obviously states that he does not agree with what I said, but he never actually says what part of the article he disagrees with. He goes on for a paragraph about mindless statistics that have nothing to do with the state of the union address. He talks once about the Democrats being deaf and then talks about the country “moving in a pro-life direction”, which are two things that I never discussed.

The only point that he brings up that could even be remotely related to my article is when he talks about the situation with the war in Iraq. He says that 61% of the population disapproves of president Bush’s job, “a number which is driven by the chaos in Iraq.” He then goes on to say that if the war in Iraq were stabilized, this number would improve. So basically, he is saying that he agrees with the point that I made that, “The plan to surge in Iraq was disappointing.” It’s nice that he provided the statistics to back up my statement, therefore proving a point that Americans are disillusioned by the Bush Administration, but I still don’t really see how he could think my article was full of “ludicrousness”.

The last point that puzzled me was his defense about where he got the statistics to back up his “position” against my article. It does not really matter where this information came from, because there is no point for it to support. But even if there was, I don’t think where America stood in 1997 has anything to with what’s happening now since it’s ten years later. ~ Jackie Zureich, Co-Editor in Chief. * for a copy of the last issue of The Student Prints please stop by room E-6

whether or not the senior hallway will be allowed to be painted next year and years following. According to Mr. Jesse, as of this year, the senior hallway painting will be permitted as long as students involved submit a proposal at the beginning of the summer to him.

Other tid bit answers we found out was that the time between classes is “perfect”, according to Mr. Jesse and that the senior assembly time is fine. Also that the senior exam policy will remain the same next year because no one has submitted a new proposal to the school board. Exam policy changes for future years will depend on someone submitting a proposal.

Mr. Jesse says that when he sees a problem, he’ll find a solution. So, it’s probably safe to say that there won’t be any new changes coming up. We are definitely relieved to get some of these issues cleared up and hopefully everyone can rest a little easier having clearer knowledge of what is actually going on here at NV with the new transitions. ~Wang Pan and Jackie Zureich, Co-Editors in Chief

We have finally had some snow days, the ground is white, the temperatures are cold, yet Spring is in the air.

Lacrosse season has officially kicked off with Hell Week beginning on February 19. Hell Week is traditionally the first week of practice that consists purely of conditioning. Running outside is cold but it is easy to see the Spring games up ahead. Everyone is excited for the upcoming season and can say, “ Yea, it’s that time again.”

Additionally, the calm before the storm is here concerning college decisions. Final choices have to be made in the Spring and that seems all too soon.

Many colleges will not send their letters of acceptance or rejection until late March and into April. Final decisions need to be made and deposits sent by May 1.

Right now things are calm as we wait to find out where we have to choose from, but that will soon change. For people who are yet unsure of what they want with life or where they want to go, this can be extremely tough and stressful.

Although there is not much to worry about now, the decisions are looming just ahead. We will have about one month after finding out our choices for continuing our education to make a final decision. That is not a great deal of time and there are so many things to be considered in that period.

For seniors, there is not much time left and then we will be heading off to our college of choice and splitting up from the life we have known for the last four years.

Life after high school sounds exciting and many people look forward to it, but sometimes it seems to come too quickly. Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten was that I should enjoy high school as much as I can while it is here because we it will be gone before you know it.

Somebody once told me that this is the time in life where we have the most freedom and the least responsibility so we should make it last as long as we can. Everybody seems to remember their high school years so we should make good memories that will last.

Remember, “Worry is a lot like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but gets you no where,” as said by Van Wilder. Try to relax and enjoy what is left of our high school career seniors. It will be graduation time before we know it.

Assembly length being cut short

Many Northview students have heard that they can only have 22 assemblies. The planned 22 minute assembly schedule was organized many years ago. “Twenty minutes is not long enough for a good assembly,” said senior Jon Sizemore.

Harmony Road Show did not get to sing at the Homecoming assembly because of a time issue. It is not that they weren’t allowed, like most people thought, it was that they could not fit it in the schedule.

Introducing and talking about each candidate didn’t leave time for them to sing.

Most students think that it is Mr. Jesse’s fault that we only have 22 minute assemblies. He said that he, “doesn’t have a problem if students go down early to set up for assemblies”, which means that Harmony Road Show could have sang. If students can go down early to set up then we should also be given a few extra minutes to allow them to sing because they deserve to be part of the assembly.

Not all assemblies need to be longer like most people think. The class Olympics assembly was finished about three minutes early. That just shows that the assemblies should be planned thoroughly to see just how much time is needed. “Having only 22 minute assemblies this year is not worth having them because most students do not want to go,” said senior Kerin Hojnacki The Turnabout assembly this year will also only be 22 minutes. Mr. Jesse doesn’t control what is done at the assemblies; it is up to the advisor of the committee or Student Government. It is up to them to plan the timing of each even at assemblies. This year, if students want to do a skit they are allowed to, just as long as it fits in the time frame. I think each student chosen, as Turnabout king should be able to carry on the tradition at the assembly and have adequate time to do their skits. The only way this can happen is if students take it down to Mr. Jesse and prove that they need the time.

Sylvania Township, City merger important A merger, or combining two cities, has been proposed between the City of Sylvania and Sylvania Township. Sylvania Township was established in 1835. From land within the township, the city of Sylvania was formed in 1960. As of 2002, Sylvania holds a population of 18,670 and the township has a population of 25,583, according to the Sylvania township website.

A recent study by the Urban Affairs Commission, based at the University of Toledo, was conducted to discover what the financial impact would be if a merger between the two areas were to occur.

The study concluded that a merger would aid in economic development of the newly formed city as well as reducing tax rates for many people. Revenues are expected to be around $12 million. This will most likely come from the income place currently placed on city residents that will be expanded to include the township. However, the addition of the income tax will not affect everyone. Those most affected by this tax would be non-residents. This is because 80% of those employed in the township do not actually live within the township limits. Of the estimated $12 million from the income tax, only around $5 million would be paid by those within the township.

The merger would not require the elimination of any jobs and might possibly cause the creation of more jobs.

The only other merger attempt in this area of Ohio has been between Maumee City and Monclova Township. However, the merger proposal was rejected.

It is for these reasons that a merger should be fully supported by all city and township residents, in order to better our community and the lives of everyone living in it.

6

OPINIONS

Februa ry 27, 2007

NV needs to set recycling example for students

Meredith Lodge RECYCLING PAPER PRODUCTS is senior Kyle Ludwig, head of NV recycling for Ms. Bogue. All classrooms can recycle paper using the program.

In a country where the average person produces 4.4 lbs of waste a day, according to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Northview adds to this crime by only recycling paper.

Plastic bottles, batteries, styrofoam trays, paper bags, paper towels, food waste, aluminum cans, etc. are thrown away each day. Where do they end up? In the 500 new landfills that are needed each year in the U.S. Recycling and conservation have been taught to us since kindergarten. Who doesn’t remember lectures on the environment, turning the tap off when you brush your teeth, and the three R’s (Reduce, Recycle, Reuse)?

However, these lectures could be considered hollow and hypocritical because the very system that preached to us in elementary school does not offer adequate recycling in high school.

If recycling was an important issue when we were eight, it is even more crucial now. News on global warming and decreasing water supplies have been making headlines for years. They may seem distant and hard to control, but we forget that recycling is a simple step we can take to reduce these problems.

When new plastic, paper and metal products have to be produced from raw materials each year, toxic greenhouse gases are released and our natural resources become depleted. However, recycling can conserve the amount and energy used and preserve natural resources. For example, by recycling just one glass bottle, you can save enough electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours, according to gogreeninitiative.org.

Schools represent a large sector of waste producers in the country. It is shocking that a place that is supposed to impact the minds and values of students does not set the important example of protecting our world. If students can not look to their school as a model example, how can they be expected to recycle at home?

Instead of spending so much time worrying about petty problems, the school needs to take notice of the thousands of pounds of waste that we dump in landfills each year.

The point of this editorial is not to preach about the importance of recycling; most people

have already heard about that countless times. It is to question why NV is not recycling and to point out an area of our school that could.

The lunchroom is where most of the waste occurs. If you break down a lunch meal, you’ll see that recyclable products such as hundreds of paper bags, plastic bottles and lunch trays are thrown away each day. If our school installed a recycling bin with compartments for paper bags, plastic bottles, and maybe soda cans, students would definitely be able to take two seconds out of their hectic lives to separate waste from recyclable products.

Also, instead of giving students styrofoam trays each day, the school could purchase hard plastic trays, similar to the ones in the mall, which can be reused many times. The cost of washing and buying these trays would be much less than the thousands of trays purchased each yea r.

And, more importantly, we would not be producing so much waste.

One of the big issues of recycling is cost.

However, by recycling, we could reduce the cost of getting our waste taken away. There would be less waste, which would increase the gap between pick up days. The money saved here can be used for recycling.

State Paper and Metal, which currently recycles for Timberstone, charges $75 for pick up every other month and offsets cost if aluminum cans are recycled, according to State Paper and Metal Worker Nate Segall. This would roughly calculate to $375 a year, a relatively small cost for setting a good example and helping the environment.

Many states have implemented laws on school recycling for years. Pennsylvania is required by law to recycle everything on a 13 item list, ranging from batteries to yard waste to aluminum cans, according to the State Department of Pennsylvania.

Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, New Jersey, Nevada, California and Rhode Island all have similar mandatory programs. Why are we waiting for a law to force us to do something we already know is correct, moral and simple?

NV needs to be a responsible institution. Recycling is a simple process, used by many schools across the nation and there is no reason to ignore this crucial concept.

them. I only had one year until college, so I fully supported the idea from the beginning.

I took the attitude of looking at the move as an adventure, a great experience for college, and an outstanding college essay (which it was!).

However, I never fully thought about how tough moving would be.

Walking down the halls of a brand new high school, twice the size of NV, as a senior was not exactly easy. All of the sudden I was a freshman in high school again but with a whole new twist.

I had to find my way around and I did not have a single familiar face.

Luckily the first day was only a half day, which meant no lunch. Considering I had spent the last two years of high school eating lunch in the Publications room at NV, lunch in a huge high school cafeteria with no friends was a horrifying idea. I have never really liked high school lunch, even when I knew people, hence why I hid out in the publications room.

Day two of school came and I had to find someone to eat lunch with. All day I was agonizing over what to do and having horrific thoughts of having no one to sit with. When it came time I just walked up to a girl in my third block class and told her I was new and asked if I could sit with her at lunch.

I ended up sitting with her and her friends the rest of the semester so it worked out.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, in many aspects school and life became more normal each day. Most days, school was school and I didn’t mind being in a new place.

I started to get to know people in my classes and school started to feel normal.

However, there are certain things I just can’t help but miss. One of the hardest things for me to leave was the newspaper staff. I loved being in the Publications room and I loved the people. I considered trying to get on newspaper here, but it would not have been the same. Honestly, I would have probably missed NV more by joining this newspaper staff.

At NV the newspaper gave me such a sense of belonging. One of the reasons I enjoyed the newspaper so much was because of the outstanding advisor, Ms Sarah Flynn.

There are very few days that I don’t miss the people from newspaper (and yearbook).

Another extremely difficult part of moving is my social life, or actually lack there of. When you move as a senior, social groups are already decided. As you know, the group of friends you hang out with doesn’t change too much when you’re

in high school, so for a new senior this is not the best news. Weekends are actually tough when you don’t have people to call up and go to lunch, the mall, or to just hang out with. I am hoping that with the start of tennis season, maybe my social life will pick up.

Moving as a senior has helped me to look at the silver lining of tough situations. For instance, when I go away to school next year I am one step ahead of most freshman in college. Since I have gone through meeting new people as a senior in high school, meeting people in college will be a breeze.

Another great thing about moving, I moved south so winter is no longer the longest season in my life, which is outstanding!

Even though moving as a senior was much tougher than I expected, I don’t hate my parents and I still support the move. I have really learned many valuable lessons and grown up because of it, that may be corny but it is very true.

The way I see it there is no control in what life brings, life can change at any moment so enjoy the ride. ~ Calli Smenner was Co-Editor of the Student Prints last year and moved with her family to Tennessee this past August.

Why are we waiting for a law to force us to do something we already know is correct, moral and simple?

Senior moves to new state, school Walking down the halls at Northview freshman year I would have never thought I would not graduate from NV four years down the road. For those of you who know me, you are well aware that my family and I moved from Sylvania to Knoxville, Tennessee right before the beginning of senior year.

This move has brought on a multitude of emotions ranging from happiness to sadness. Some days are easy and I do not think about how much I miss home while other days are challenging and extremely tough.

My family decided to move for several reasons and a few pieces fell into place making this move the best choice, just maybe not the best time for me.

John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” For me this has never been truer than in the past few months. This move became an idea and reality in a very short time. I never could have dreamed I would have been living in Tennessee just a short time ago, but here I am.

As my parents were making the decision whether or not to make the move, one of their concerns was moving me for my senior year. I very quickly came to realize that my senior year shouldn’t be a factor, this was the best decision for

Letter to the Editor No Violation of Dress Code among NV Cheerleaders

The headline of the Jan. 26 opinion piece stated “Cheerleader’s skirts too short, violate dress code.” It should have read “Understanding differences between dress code and uniform code.” It is obvious that the writer(s) either does not understand the difference between the two or perhaps harbors some underlying resentment toward our NV spirit leaders.

Like any other female student at NV, if a cheerleader were to wear a skirt to school that violates the dress the code, she would find herself facing the same reprimands as any other female students. Cheerleading uniforms, like football uniforms, basketball uniforms and other sports uniforms, adhere to a UNIFORM policy. There are very clear guidelines on what cheerleaders can and cannot wear. For example, midriffs and exposure of belly buttons is prohibited. If the NV cheerleaders were to violate these rules, the team would suffer consequences. Therefore, the NV cheerleaders abide by two codes – the NV dress code AND the Cheerleading uniform dress code.

Thankfully, the writer(s) of this opinion piece acknowledge that cheerleading uniforms “make it easier for the girls to do their cheers at the games therefore the concept that they cannot wear the skirts to the game is not in question” so there’s no need to explain the function of the uniform. But, an argument is made that a basketball player does not wear his uniform shorts and jersey to school on game day so the cheerleaders shouldn’t wear their uniforms to school on game day either. Stop and think for a second about the role of a cheerleader. Her role doesn’t begin when with the first kickoff or the jump ball at the beginning of a game. Her role begins long before that – at pep assemblies for one and game day for another. Her role is to promote spirit throughout the student body and to encourage students to attend these games. When the cheerleaders wear their uniforms on game day, they are performing their role just like any other athlete. Their sporting activity begins with the morning bell on game day, not with the blow of a whistle that night.

The bottom line is to remember that NV has a dress code and the cheerleaders are held to the same standards of this code as everyone else in the school. But, there is also a uniform code for all NV sporting activities, and our cheerleaders are held to these standards as well.

Now that the clarification on dress codes is cleared up, let’s continue to support our terrific cheerleaders and thank them for encouraging participation and spirit among NV students.

Cheerfully, the Northview Cheerleaders

GO WILDCATS!!!!

TSP Response We, the staff at the Student Prints, would like to clarify some points written within the editorial “Cheerleader’s skirts too short, violate dress code.” We never stated that the cheerleaders do not promote school spirit. We believe that they are essential to the student body for this very reason. However, school spirit can just as easily be kept up with longer, more school dress code appropriate skirts or by wearing warm-ups to school instead. School spirit cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be promoted simply by a short skirt. Therefore, one is not needed in order for the cheerleaders to do their job.

Also, by saying that the cheerleaders need to wear certain clothes at school, instead of warm-ups or dress clothes, in order to be spirited or promote spirit is saying that other team sports do not have NV spirit. The swimming team, the hockey team, and every other athletic organization at NV adheres to school dress codes and they are able to be just as spirited as the cheerleaders are in their short skirts. While the cheerleading uniforms adhere to the uniform policy set forth so does the speedo worn by a swimmer and spandex shorts worn by the volleyball team - however if they were to wear them to school they would be in trouble for breaking the school dress code policy. We are simply pointing out that the administration needs to set certain standards for everyone with no exceptions.

As a final note, we would like to reiterate that we believe that the NV cheerleaders serve an important role at NV and that their job of promoting school spirit is essential. However, they need to adhere to dress code policy while in school and wear appropriate outfits. It is our sincere hope that our cheerleaders are trained well enough to promote school spirit without the help of more skin exposure.

Thank you, The Student Prints staff Letters to the editor are always welcome and can be turned in to room E-6 or Ms. Flynn’s mailbox.

F E AT U R E S

7

Februa ry 27, 2007

Cell Phone Mania S P R I N T

LG Fusic

What is the ideal phone for high school students that Sprint offers?

“I would say the Fusic by LG because it is made for a younger crowd. It has the MP3, camera and camcorder, and the web,” said Sales Associate Melissa.

• Sprint Power Vision • Built-in Media Player • Bluetooth • Megapixel Camera • External microSD Memory Card Slot • Interchangeable Faceplates • External Navigation Pad • Picture/Video Mail • Speakerphone • Large Full-Color Screen

What makes Sprint a better company for high school students than other cell phone companies?

“We have special promotions for high school and college students. They can receive credit easier and it is more lenient,” said Melissa.

What makes Alltel a better company for high school students that other cell phone companies?

“Alltel offers my circle, which is when the customer chooses three numbers from any company to receive free minutes to. This offer is included on plans that cost $59 or higher a month,” said Laura.

V E R I Z O N

• Bluetooth • MP3 • V CAST Music • microSD Memory Port • Video/Camera

• Full QWERTY keyboard • Built-in Media Player • Bluetooth • Voice Commands • Camera with flash • Predictive Text • Picture/Video Mail • Broadband mobile link

LG enV • Speakerphone • Text and Picture Messaging • QWERTY Keyboard • VZNavigator • Large internal screen

What is the ideal phone for high school students that Verizon offers?

“Definitely the enV by LG. High school students want to be able to communicate with whoever they want when they want to. This phone is made for texting,” said sales associate Glenn.

What makes Verizon a better company for high school students than other cell phone companies?

“Verizon has overall the best service and reliability,” said Glenn.

• Built in email • AOL Instant Messenger • Bluetooth • Megapixel Camera • Voice Dialing • Memory Card Slot • Hands Free Set/USB cable • Picture/Video Mail • Speakerphone • Large Full-Color Screen

What makes T-Mobile a better company for high school students that other cell phone companies?

“T-Mobile offers myFaves which gives you unlimited calling to any five members on any network, even landlines. We also have cheaper plans than all the others,” said Brandon.

Survey Out Of: Male - 108 Female - 91 Seniors - 41 Juniors - 70 Sophomores - 42 Freshmen - 22

T M O B I L E

Blackberry Pearl

What is the ideal phone for high school students that T-Mobile offers?

“In high school it is all about the students’ image. The Blackberry Pearl has everything and makes a student’s image hot,” said sales associate Brandon.

C I N G U L A R

A L LT EL

Kyocera Strobe

What is the ideal phone for high school students that Alltell offers?

“The Kyocera Strobe because its main use is for texting and IM,” said Sales Associate Laura.

Samsung Black Jack • Microsoft Windows 5.0 Edition • Windows Media Player • Bluetooth • 1.3 MP camera • Voice Dialing • Email & Good mobile messaging • Hands Free Set/USB cable • Picture/Video Mail • Hands free microphone • Microsoft Word, Excel & Powerpoint

When did you get your

First cell12th phone 11th 10

2

No interview was available.

According to the website, Cingular, the new AT&T, offers several different plans.

There are individual, family, and prepaid plans. They also offer text and picture messaging starting at $4.99 if added on any plan. Cingular is the only cell phone company that offers rollover minutes. Any plan that is $59.99 and higher receives Unlimited Nationwide Mobile to Mobile minutes, Unlimited Night & Weekend minutes and Rollover.

According to the website, “The Samsung BlackJack is a slim, stylish mobile entertainment and organizational powerhouse.”

The new AT&T feature offers Cingular customers to receive free minutes to all other Cingular customers and all AT&T customers, including landlines.

Survey Says:

don’t 16

10th 29

Company

TMobile 9

7th 28

8th 39 9th 55

you go through Other 17

Alltel 21 Sprint 29

Verizon 100

have you had total

How many phones six five 4 7

more than six 13

four 13 three 34

one 40

two 52

8

F E AT U R E S

Februa ry 27, 2007

What do you wan t to be when you grow up ?

If you haven’t already caught on, it’s important to realize that high school is the time when most students are expected to think seriously about what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Career pathways are something that Northview uses to help students figure out what type of careers they should pursue.

A pathway is a list of classes a student should take in high school that will help them in pursuing the career or major they have chosen. Even though the counselors use it to help students schedule, many have ignored this tool. The time to choose your future job is getting closer and closer though. So seriously, what do you want to be when you grow up?

This is a tough question right now because of how fast technological advancements are changing the world, thus changing the workforce. Many typical jobs that seem like perfectly acceptable career options now will soon become obsolete. A future problem that some students may have is picking a job that no longer exists in 20 years. Then that person is left with 20 years of useless work experience and no way to break back into the work world.

W hen you’r e pick ing your maj or or future j ob, keep thes e c areers in m ind, bec aus e they are the ones that are most likely to d is appe ar.

Translators: Machines will soon be translating almost everything; they can do it much faster and with fewer errors. Also, it is predicted that even more people will speak English in 20 years than ever before.

Fighter Pilot: Machines are now flying many of these planes instead of sending pilots. Why send a person into a potentially dangerous situation when a machine could go instead?

Grocery Store Cashier: Automatic checkouts and u-scans are popping up everywhere and it’s fairly obvious that this job will soon be gone.

Film Processor: Digital as opposed to film cameras are much more popular because of the technological luxuries that go along with them. People will no longer need to process their film because everything will be digital.

Call Center Representative: New automated voice operators will soon be answering almost all company help center phones, making the use for actual people unnecessary.

Traditional Mechanics: Traditional car mechanics will be obsolete in 20 years because energy efficient cars will be used instead. These cars will operate very differently than the gasoline powered cars driven today. Also, teleportation is an idea that could change the transportation world entirely. Of course that idea isn’t without criticism, but Robert Herman, a management consultant, futurist, and founder of the Herman Group, says, “People looked at planes and said, ‘There’s no way that can fly.’ These things are not outside the realm of possibility.”

Miner: Robots are taking over the dangerous work that once teams of men had to do.

CD store Manager: With iPods, mp3 players, satellite radio, and burned CD’s people no longer have to go to an actual CD store to buy their music. They can go to iTunes, get a burned disk, or even stop over to Best Buy or Target if they have to have the actual CD. CD stores are on the out so there are no future jobs with those.

.T

th a t a re he re a re m any o th er jo bs h. T he se a re su re to stic k a ro un d th o ug ca n be co un te d t a th s er re ca e th f o w fe a lo gi ca l jo lt. o n to wit hsta nd any te ch no

•Poli ti cia n • Ta x C ol le ct or • Ba rb er/H ai r Sty li st •A rtist •Reli gi ou s Lead er •Paren t •S ol di er •Law ye r •Doc to r, N urse •Ent er tain er •Tea ch ers •Law En fo rc em en t O fficia l

With those jobs being lost there is also a huge list of cool new futuristic jobs that are predicted to emerge in 20 years or so. These are some of the careers that might be job options for future young people.

Robot Mechanic The robots currently available for sale in the U.S. mostly clean carpets, filter pools or mow lawns. Eventually, these machines will drop in price, and middle-class families worldwide will be able to buy robotic personal assistants--or companions. Sony already sells the Aibo, a robotic dog, for about $2,000.

Soon, this price will drop and other robots will be availible. Maybe household will even own multiple robots that do a number of household tasks. These new machines could even become as common as typical appliences.

New jobs may even be availible as people will be needed to design engineer and build the new machines as well as repair them and troubleshoot and mechanical problems that will come up as their use becomes mroe commons.

Natural-Disaster Specialist Suppose climate change happens a lot more quickly than expected, the earthquake of the century happens, or a meteorite strikes. If people are on hand to advise and help others, these situations could be handled in the best way possible.

Also, leaders will need advice, and training for cities that are at special risk may be in high demand.

Space Tour Guide Don’t expect giant zero-gravity resorts and orbiting conference centers. But it’s likely we’ll soon be taking trips to space for pleasure and bragging rights. Virgin Galactic, a unit of Virgin Group, is already planning just such a space program. The trips, which cost $200,000, will begin in 2008.

Hydrogen Fuel Station Manager Hydrogen is going to be cost-competitive when gasoline refueling stations are mass-produced, according to a study conducted by Ford. That mass production is going to require new factory jobs. The hydrogen will also be produced on-site, so managers will need an entirely different set of skills than

Dirigible Pilot Dirigibles will revolutionize life in the developing world, according to futurist Joel Barker, author of Five Regions of the Future. They’re relatively cheap to operate, don’t require expensive infrastructure like runways and can stop in midair to drop off passengers or deliver goods.

Hollywood Holographer Movies aren’t a Saturday night staple anymore. A plethora of cheap entertainment options, including the Internet, DVDs and videogames, keep viewers in their living rooms. One solution: holography. Consumers won’t be able to afford, operate or maintain the equipment used with holography at home, forcing them back into theaters for three-dimensional movies, similar, but far more advanced, to the images seen in the Star Wars movies. These types of movies will be entirely in 3-D and they will differ from 3-D movies seen today in the quality of the picture, sound, and special effects Theaters will be redesigned to incorporate special effects and the usual dorky glasses won’t be required to view these movies.

Gene screener In the future, a genetic screen could be as common as a drug test. Employers will need technicians to collect and analyze DNA from potential hires as they attempt to screen out workers with a propensity for drug abuse or other conditions that could interfere with productivity.

F E AT U R E S s prin g

TV

l in eup

Grey’s A n atomy

Continuing to follow the lives of five interns at Seattle Grace Hospital, Grey’s Anatomy, at its third season still maintains its popularity with millions of American viewers.

Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), Izzy (Katherine Heigle), George (T.R. Knight), Alex (Justin Chambers), and Christina (Sandra Oh) are back, along with more drama and suspense than ever before. Meredith and McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) are officially a couple and she is no longer battling with McDreamy’s ex, Addison (Kate Walsh).

Christina and Dr. Burke (Isaiah Washington) are getting married and George and Callie (Sara Ramirez) eloped in Las Vegas. After spending time interning for Addison, both Alex and Addison find themselves falling for each other.

Following the unforgettable loss of Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Izzy’s fiancé in the finale of the second season, Izzy comes back with the eight million dollars he left her, and opens the Denny Duquette Memorial Center. “I like watching Izzy recover from Denny’s death. I also like watching the relationship between Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Izzy,” said Miss Katie Mattimoe.

So far, the third season has seen a fair share of romance and drama, but that is not the only think the audience looks forward to every Thursday. More and more medical cases are brought to Seattle Grace, including the episode with patients having symptoms of the Bubonic Plague.

Another episode portrayed two young brothers attached at the hip all the way to the shoulder. Some patients may have it worse than others, but every surgery you see leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat, waiting and wanting to know what is going to happen next.

Each episode of Grey’s Anatomy holds a thrilling plot that hooks an eager audience wanting to see more. “Because last season was so good, I thought it would be hard to top, but they found a way to make it even better,” said senior Kerin Hojnacki. Grey’s Anatomy is on Thursday’s at 9:00 P.M. on ABC.

Ac e of C a ke s While the Food Network has been on the air for many years, it has been gaining more and more attention with new up and coming shows. These shows range from Rachel Ray’s 30 Minute Meals, Everyday Italian, and Iron Chef America. Even though all of these shows receive good graces in my book, there is one program that simply takes the cake.

Ace of Cakes is a show based on a cake shop in Chicago.

Owner Duff Goldman is the owner of Charm City Cakes and he has changed the image of a typical wedding cake to something that is really a work of art. His not so traditional techniques in the baking field have earned him attention, as well as a hit television show.

The show centers around a typical week of work for the team at Charm City Cakes. Viewers get a behind the scenes look at how every cake is hand crafted and made to order. Customers often send in a simple picture or description of what they would like their cake to look like and the team does not disappoint.

With an average of about 30 cakes a week, you get to see all of the drama and work that each cake holds. Many times, customers will bring in a photograph of something to make a cake out of.

These items can range from houses, to pets, to old automobiles. ` While the job of a receptionist may not seem too difficult, employee Mary Alice has her work cut out for her. Hundreds of e-mails and phone calls pour in each day for her to respond to. Even though things can get tough in a time crunch with the amount of cakes, things always seem to get done and done exceptionally well.

My favorite episode was when the crew had to create a cake that looked like Wrigley Field. The cake was to be made for a big Cubs fan on his 80 th birthday. All together, the cake took over 300 man hours and ended up making everyone very pleased with the outcome.

You can catch Ace of Cakes on Thursday nights at 10:30 pm. Do not miss out on all of the drama and sweet success.

T he O ffic e If your Thursday night consists of lame television, no laughing, and no one liners to tell your friends in school the next day your problems can be solved by tuning into the office every Thursday night at 8:00 p.m.

Steve Carell (from 40 Year Old Virgin) plays the regional branch manager, Michael Scott, at a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

He is a wacky boss who only cares about himself and cares more about being friends with his employees than getting actual work done.

Next on the cast is Dwight Schrute, (Rainn Wilson) the leading salesman for the company and Michael’s right hand man. Dwight takes everyone way to seriously and has many titles including, assistant sensei at his dojo, assistant to the regional manager, and volunteer sheriff at the Scranton police station.

Jim Krasinski plays Jim Halpert, the number two man in charge at the office. Jim’s day usually consists of playing pranks on people, especially Dwight. Some of Jim’s pranks include hiding Dwight’s desk in the restroom, putting Dwights desk supplies in a jello mold, and putting his personal belongings in a vending machine. Jim is also in a triangle of love with his girlfriend Karen and long time crush Pam. “The pranks Jim pulls on Dwight are epic, I don’t know where they come up with that stuff,” said junior, office watcher, Michael Schaffer.

Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) is the receptionist and Jim Halpert’s accomplice in the shananagens they pull throughout the office. Pam is recently broken up from warehouse worker Roy and now founds herself lusting for Jim. Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) plays an intern who recently became a permanent member of the company and is also an executive producer of the show. Ryan’s character is really laid back and tries to avoid everyone in the office including his obsessive girlfriend Kelly (Mindy Kaling).

Angela Kinsey plays a controlling, stuck up, accountant who is in a secret office relationship with Dwight. She keeps the office from going out of control but at the same time is always on people’s nerves because of her strict tone.

Words can do no justice to how funny this show is. Do yourself a favor and tune into the office on Thursdays, at 8:30.

Februa ry 27, 2007

A me r ic a n Idol

9

American Idol has become a very important part of many people’s lives since its premiere in June of 2002, reaching phenomenon status. The premier of Season 6, which aired on January 16, had more than 37 million viewers.

However, the show’s first season was not as successful in the beginning. It was originally rejected by almost all the networks, until FOX put it on as a summer replacement show. By the end of its season, in September, American Idol had generated almost 50 million viewers. Its slot was changed to January and the show’s success took off.

American Idol was created by Simon Fuller, the manager of the Spice Girls and S Club Seven, and it is part of the Idol series, originating from the UK show Pop Idol. Now there are more than ten Idol shows around the world, including Latino Idol, German Idol, and Canadian Idol. Generally speaking, it is a singing talent contest to determine the best “undiscovered” young singer in the country. For the past five seasons, it has created more than a dozen signed stars, who were nobodies before their American Idol stardom.

Kelly Clarkson, the first American Idol winner, has gone on to make two hit records and win two Grammy awards. Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice, Taylor Hicks, Constantine Marioulis, Katherine McPhee, and Christ Daughtry have all gone on to receive signed record contracts and everything else that goes along with it. Jennifer Hudson, who was a contestant in 2004 on the show’s third season, has recently received an Oscar nomination and Golden Globe for her role as supporting actress in “Dreamgirls”. Every other person in the top ten has gone on to somehow contribute to the entertainment business, according to the show’s official website.

Even people with no talent, like UC Berkeley student William Hung, are able to make it big through American Idol. Hung was offered a record deal from Koch Entertainment and a surprise $25,000 check from the Fuse music channel on February 18, 2004. He has gone on to make three records, all of which have sold more than season 2 Idol winner Ruben Studdard’s third studio album, according to a Hung fan website. Hung has also been in two movies, several commercials, and on many television shows.

Hopefully this season will match up to the greatness of the last five seasons, giving Americans fresh stars. So far, the show has been filled with awesome auditions and of course, the not-so-awesome auditions. Simon, keeping up his blunt honest opinion, won’t disappoint the viewers either. And after watching some of the talent unfold just in the first episodes, it is safe to say that this season is going to be even more competitive than ever. There are rumors of Michael Jackson appearing as a special guest, according to NBC news. FOX has not made it official but if it is true then these will be a season to remember. There are also always those unforgettable shocking American Idol moments that are sure to come up.

This season of American Idol is going to be better than ever and it doesn’t matter how repetitive the show is becoming or how stupid and pointless everyone thinks it is, because 40 million viewers say that the show is still awesome. Everyone laughs at the beginning auditions and everyone knows that the 24 finalists left are all great performers. This is what makes American Idol amazing. Thus, the show is entertaining and is just a great way to change up the typical television line-up.

24 Fox’s hit show 24 returns with a bang, literally. Jack Bauer and the Counter Terrorism Unit return for their much-anticipated sixth season. The premiere was a four-hour, two-night thrill ride which all culminated with a catastrophic event.

The show 24 takes the viewer in the day of the life of counter-terrorism. There are 24 episodes per year so every hour episode is an hour in the day. So, each season is one hour in a catastrophic day.

Jack Bauer races against the clock to save the day. The show incorporates the President and his advisors talking about how to handle the various situations.

The show starts up with CTU agent Jack Bauer being released from a Chinese prison because he was to be given to terrorist Abu Fayed, for the whereabouts of terrorist Assad. Assad is believed to be the recent terrorist attacks on America. So, Jack is given to Fayed, but CTU later learns that Assad is denouncing terrorism, while Fayed is responsible for the attacks.

So, Jack and Assad try to track down Fayed. Assad was responsible for previous attacks, but the U.S. has granted him amnesty for helping find Fayed. Fayed helps a nuclear engineer escape from prison to help him hook up the nuclear weapon. Jack has had doubts on whether he could still perform his tasks from now on. He changes his mind once he sees the atomic bomb go off over Los Angeles.

Meanwhile at the White House, President Wayne Palmer uses his two main advisors, Tom Lennox and Karen Hayes. These two advisors really clash in their attempts to handle the situation. Lennox wants to suspend the Constitution so the rights of Muslims will be no more. Hayes wants to keep the rights of everyone, but she is blackmailed by Lennox, so she is forced to resign. President Palmer rejects Lennox’s proposals over and over Jack continues to chase Fayed, because there are supposedly four other bombs. CTU looks at the companies that Fayed has dealt with and BXJ Global is one of them. Jack’s father and brother run this company. Jack interrogates his brother, but gets no answers.

Eventually, Jack’s brother tries to kill Jack’s father and Jack, but this is Jack Bauer we’re talking about so he escapes and goes after his brother. The brother confesses to having that we don’t know about. The father doesn’t want it to get out, so he ends up killing his son in order to keep the plan going.

The show continues with Jack with de-detonating an atomic bomb that Fayed set up. Jack’s sisterin-law is blackmailed by Jack’s father who tells her to take him to a booby-trapped house, in which a couple CTU agents die.

This event leaves us viewers with many questions that will be answered in the upcoming episodes.

Lost Will Kate choose Jack or Sawyer? Will the Other’s secrets be revealed? Will John and Co. eventually find their friends? All of these questions will be answered in the phenomenon that is called LOST. Lost, ABC’s top show returns from a three-month hiatus.

The show will air 16 new episodes with no weeks off. The show’s anticipation is in high gear for its viewers. Senior Matt Page, who shares a striking resemblance to character Sayid Jarrah, said, “I can’t wait for it to start. This is by far the best show on TV.” Last fall, the show left with the viewers asking many questions. Kate and Sawyer were left in cages, while Jack was held in a cell by the others. Ben, the leader of the others, has a tumor on his spine and what is Jack? Oh yeah, a spinal surgeon. So, Jack performs the surgery, but makes a small incision which gives Ben an hour to live. He says he’ll stitch it up when he finds out Kate and Sawyer are safe.

In the much awaited winter season premiere, Lost picks up where they left off. Kate and Sawyer escape to another side on the Other’s island, where they meet up with Russo’s daughter who helps them get a boat back to their island. Jack stitches up the incision and Ben lives. The flashbacks revolve around Juliet, who was a genetics doctor. We learn some information on how she got onto the island. She also reveals that she no longer wants to be on the island.

This new season promises to focus more on connections of all of the characters rather then the Jack, Kate, and Sawyer relationship.

10

SP ORTS

Februa ry 27, 2007

7 swimmers qualify to States Colts

declaw Bears

Wang Pan C o-E di tor-In- Chie f The Boys and Girls Swim Team ended a successful season this past weekend with seven swimmers competing in the State Meet in Canton.

At the end of the season, the swim team tapers to perform their best at the meets that matter: Sectionals, Districts, and States. The idea is to have the swimmers feel their best; taper, coupled with shaving all hair, and wearing newer tighter suits prepare swimmers both physically and mentally.

“Taper is the best part of the season. It’s when practices become gradually easier so that our muscles have time to recover from the brutal practices during the season” said sophomore Zach McClurg.

The Sectional Meet at St. Francis De Sales High School occurred on February 10 and determined those that would advance to the Northwest Ohio District Meet at Bowling Green University.

To qualify for the District Meet, a swimmer has to place in the top 32 fastest times in the district.

Both the boys and girls did very well and many swimmers qualified to Districts. For the girls seniors Katelyn Heath, Meghan Benson, Karen Borysiak and Olivia Culver; junior Emily Gould; sophomores Danielle Hrovat and Katie Koffman; and freshmen Becca Turley, Megan Foster, Jacqueline Barnes, and Laura Guinness all made it.

For the boys seniors Michael Pelechaty, Derek Balogh, Matt Pierzchala, Jason Krajnyak, and Wang Pan; juniors Ben Pietrykowski and Kraig Moellenberg; and sophomores Michael Ward, McClurg, and Nick Pietrykowski and qualified for Districts.

“The dedication that everyone demonstrates on the team is amazing: no one wants to miss a single practice, even when we had a Blizzard warning and we weren’t allowed into the school, we went to the YMCA to practice,” said Pierzchala On February 16, the team traveled to Bowling Green University for the Northwest District Meet. After many hours of competition, NV had a strong showing with the girls taking second place overall and the boys placing third. Balogh placed first in both his individual events, the 200 and 500 yard freestyle, and qualified for the State Meet.

E amonn Reynolds Sta f f Wri te r

Photo Courtesy of Meghan Benson NV GIRLS SWIM TEAM MEMBERS, senior first place diver Stephanie Sallah, freshman Jacqueline Barnes, senior captains Meghan Benson and Olivia Culver, freshman Megan Foster, sophomore Jessica Willard and freshmen Laura Guinness, take the podium at Districts for their second place trophy.

Pelechaty placed second in his 50 yard freestyle race and third in his 100 yard freestyle race and qualified to the State Meet as well. Balogh, Pelechaty, Pierzchala, and Ward also qualified to the State meet in the 200 and 400 yard freestyle relay, placing third in both. Guinness was the only girl to qualify from NV and she did so in the 100 yard butterfly.

Senior diver Stephanie Sallah won the District competition for the second year in a row and competed in States this past Thursday. Senior Bill

Pinnow also took fifth place overall in District competition.

Both Balogh and Pelechaty entered the weekend seeded in the top ten of their respective events at the State Meet. The State Meet took place at the Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio from this past Thursday to Saturday.

“This is the part of the season that really matters; all the hours we put in and all the frustration come to fruition when we compete in Sectionals, Districts, and States,” said Balogh.

Lacrosse back in action Ryan Stansley Sports E di tor

A new year of Sylvania Maple Leaf lacrosse is on the way. The boy’s team is looking for a great season as they get ready to start coming off an 8-6 record last year.

The Maple Leaf’s will start their season off this year in the same traditional manner as always, “Hell Week”.

“Hell Week” is always the first week of the season for the lacrosse players as they condition. The boy’s will do several drills to help warm them up for what they have in store this season which consist of long distance running, sprints, running the stairs, and numerous group activities.

“Hell Week” is known as the most dreadful week in lacrosse for many players but they look forward to getting it over and playing the fastest game on two feet.

“I just can’t wait to get Hell Week over,” said senior Chase Banachowski, “I’m excited for this season but I’m not looking forward to conditioning.”

The Maple Leaf’s have recently added a brand new coaching staff, which includes the former head coach of long time rival St. Johns Titans, Mr. James Reed.

Mr. Reed led the Titans to a state championship runner-up title in 2004. He has also been victorious against the Maple Leaf’s three times out of the past three years and he is looking to turn the tide in the rivalry for the Leaf’s.

“It will be interesting to see what our new coaches have to offer us this year,” said junior Tom Barber “Some of us don’t really know that much about our new coaches but I think we will be just fine this season.”

This year Sylvania has a couple more games to play as well and a few new teams.

These teams range from the club level to division one and are highly competitive.

They include St. Ignatius, St. Edwards, three high schools from North Carolina, and Wooster.

The boys are also making a spring break trip this season to NC where they will play three teams from the Charlotte area.

The boys first action will be on March 10 in a scrimmage against St. Ignatius.

This will be the first time in Maple Leaf history that they meet up with St. Ignatius so it should be and interesting first game according to Banachowski.

As the college football bowl season ended, football fans across America turned their attention to the NFL playoffs. As the final teams from both the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC) were determined, the road to arguably the biggest game in all of professional sports, the Super Bowl XLI in Miami, FL, was officially underway.

This year’s Super Bowl featured the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts. Both teams were out to prove that they belong in the spotlight. The Bears from the NFC battled their way through the regular season and finished with an impressive 13-3 record. With their smash-mouth defense led

by Pro-Bowl linebacker Urlacher and their rookie speedster Devon Hester on special teams, the Bears defeated Seattle and New Orleans in the playoffs.

As the Super Bowl approached, many were questioning whether or not the Bears could rely on their defense to win. Quarterback Rex Grossman had been shaky and unreliable the entire season and had received a great deal of criticism. He would have to change his play if the Bears wanted to bring back the famous “Super Bowl Shuffle” from their 1985 championship season.

Chicago Bears fanatic and Northview High School junior Luke “Big Shot” Hennessy shared with us his opinion on how the Bears would perform.

“Nobody can touch Devon Hester,” said Hennessy. “He is so fast. Lovie Smith will have the boys ready to play on game day. Peyton Manning better be ready because the Bears are hungry. I’ve been waiting my whole life for a Super Bowl ring and this is the year baby!”

From the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts were excited to finally be in the Super Bowl spotlight again. The Colts last appearance in the Super Bowl came in 1971 when they were still known as the Baltimore Colts. Led by arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, Peyton Manning, the Colts were determined this year to bring a championship home to Indianapolis. The Colts finished with a record of 12-4 in the regular season and defeated Kansas City, Baltimore, and rival New England in the playoffs.

Many felt that this was Peyton Manning’s year to win “the big one” and that all his hard work and dedication to the sport would finally pay off.

As Super Bowl Sunday finally arrived, Miami was buzzing with excitement. The Bears drew first blood as Hester ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown and put the Bears up 7-0 in a matter of seconds. On one of the Colt’s first possessions Manning came out shaky and threw an interception to Chicago defensive back Chris Harris. Manning would bounce back however and lead Reggie Wayne for a 53 yard touchdown pass to put the Colts only behind 7-6 due to a missed extra point. The Bears answered the call with a long run by running back Thomas Jones, which Grossman followed with a touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad.

That seemed to be all Grossman and the rest of the Bear’s offense could muster from that point on.

The Colts regained the lead with an Adam Vinatieri field goal and a Dominick Rhodes touchdown run to make it 16-14 at halftime.

After a stellar halftime show performance by the one and only Prince, the Colts continued their steady play. With two field goals from Vinatieri and one from Bear’s kicker Robbie Gould, the score was 22-17 leading up to the fourth and final quarter.

Enter Rex Grossman. With 3:16 left in the game, the quarterback lived up to his “not so hot” reputation and threw a tough pass into traffic which landed in the hands of Colts defensive back Kelvin Hayden. Hayden proceeded to run the interception back for a score to give the Colts a convincing 29-17 lead, virtually ending the Bear’s chances.

Super Bowl XLI ended with both Manning and the Colts victorious. Manning was named most valuable player of the game, completing 25 of 38 passes for 247 yards and a score. This was both Manning’s and head coach Tony Dungy’s first Super Bowl win.

“There’s always next season,” said Hennessy.

MUSIC LESSONS BAND INSTRUMENT RENTALS & REPAIRS 5661 N. MAIN ST. SYLVANIA, OHIO 43560 - 885-2033

SP ORTS

Wrestling finishes strong E amonn Reynolds Sta ff Wri te r

PREPARING TO BEGIN his match is junior Joe Goellnitz.

11

Februa ry 27, 2007

Erin Zeiler

The 2007 Northview Wildcat wrestling team is continuing its dedication and hard work they began at the beginning of the season.

All the running, weight training, and the continuous periods maintaining weight will finally pay off as the wrestlers look to compete in the upcoming Ohio state tournament.

This year’s team is much younger than teams of past years. Seniors Mat Urban, Travis Zipfel, and Scott Boileau have provided leadership for the many freshman and sophomores on the team.

“Our team was really young this year,” said freshman Bobby Callejas. “It was awesome being a freshman on varsity but it was also tough.

Coach T. made sure we never slacked off and kept us working hard.”

So far this season, the team owns a 3-4 record in the N.L.L, with wins over Rossford, Bowling Green, and Perrysburg.

The team competed in their N.L.L tournament this past weekend, placing 6th overall. Urban, Zipfel, and Boileau all qualified for states and will be representing the team proudly.

“This season has been fun,” said junior Joe Goellnitz. “Even though we had a young team, we kept working hard each and every match.”

The team will soon move into Sectionals Saturday February 17th. Following Sectionals, wrestlers who qualify will compete in Districts and finally the State tournament in March.

Girls Basketball enters playoffs

Rugby comes to Sylvania, combines NV, SV students Wil l C ousino Sta f f Wri te r

The rustic, muddy and bloody English sport rugby is finding its way into Sylvania this spring.

Local students, including sophomore Cory Brown, are forming a team comprised of interested Northview and Southview boys.

Football and soccer players had been receiving phone calls over the past month, inviting them to attend a preliminary meeting. The meeting was held on January 30 at Ralphie’s on Monroe Street with free food provided for prospective players.

Brown’s father, Mr. Jerry Brown, has been designated as the head coach, but will be assisted by players from the USA Rugby Team as well as students from Bowling Green University.

“Rugby’s conditioning is like the hardest thing I’ve ever done – it’s harder than football because it centers so much on running.”

- senior Cliff Lemke.

Grace Ramsdell SHOOTING HER FREE THROW against the Perrysburg YellowJackets is sophomore Kelsey McCoy. The girls went on to beat the Jackets.

Me lissa Ben ton Sta f f Wri te r Northview’s Girl’s Varsity Basketball Team has overcome many obstacles this year, including a team of new, young players and injury recovery, while staying at the top of the Northern Lakes League rankings.

The Cats have played their strengths this season, including defense and their ability to see the floor; they have also greatly improved outside shooting since the beginning of the year.

Leading scorers for the LadyKats this year

include senior Ashley Morris, sophomore Paige Maroney, and freshman Olivia Souty. Valuable senior player Nicole Munch is also playing again after recovering from a broken wrist.

The girls finished second in the Northern Lakes League with four players making the AllLeague team; Morris made the first team, Souty made the second team, and junior Karly Kasper and Maroney were honorable mentions. Also, in the District Seven Coaches Association Maroney, Souty and Morris were named honorable mentions and Morris made the All Academic Team.

“I didn’t know, so it was a nice surprise at the end of the season and that the coaches knew who I was,” said Kasper.

NV’s LadyKats secured big wins to take sec-

ond place. They had a very close game against Perrysburg February 8 winning by only two points.

“There has been a lot of diversity this season; we have run into just about every problem imaginable but we overcame them and made them into positive experiences,” said Morris.

The LadyKats continue to practice after school in the NV gymnasium six days a week, focusing on new offenses for tournaments.

St. Ursula was their first game in the playoffs and the girls won 39-21 this last Tuesday.

“Even though we didn’t play very well we played really hard,” said Kasper.

The girls will face Start this Saturday in their second game of the playoffs and must win in order to continue playing this season.

Mr. Brown played on a national rugby team in his youth and hopes to turn his 15 interested athletes into a Sylvania Recreation rugby team. The coaches are likely to be working with the minimum amount of players to field a team.

“If interest improves over the next year or two we’d definitely like to see the team achieve a club sport status at NV,” said Brown.

The players plan to go head to head with teams from Bedford, Perrysburg and Brighton. Most of the games are within an hour’s drive, according to Brown.

“Our season has begun,” said Brown, “We’re conditioning on Tuesday and Thursday nights at Timberstone.”

The season’s duration should be approximately two or three months. Traditional rugby played in England, Ireland and Australia combines the skills that football and soccer athletes in the U.S. would possess; therefore, the coaches are looking for interested players in their off-season.

Official games last 80 minutes, consisting of two 40 minute halves and a brief five minute halftime. With such a long game, endurance is absolutely essential for all team members.

“Rugby’s conditioning is like the hardest thing I’ve ever done – it’s harder than football because it centers so much on running,” said senior Cliff Lemke.

12

Februa ry 27, 2007

SP ORTS

Wildcat basketball finds win after losing streak

Chris Garone RUNNING THE BALL DOWN THE COURT is junior Michael Schaeffer.

M at t Wade Sta f f Wri te r The Northview Boys Basketball team has run

into a buzz saw finishing up the regular season.

With a losing streak that is now up to three games the Cats are looking to win their last two games before the state tournament starts.

NV’s last win came against the Springfield Blue Devils in a trouncing 66-45 victory. Senior Matt Wade led the Wildcats netting 20 points in the victory and seniors Derek Andrzejczak and Danny Jaques chipped in scoring 16 and 11 each.

The Wildcats then faced the Bowling Green Bobcats in a game with serious league title implications. In a close game throughout the Cats were up at half 37 - 36. A run in the third quarter put the Cats up 66 - 59.

Good outside shooting brought BG back and tied the game in the waning moments. A desperation three - point attempt hit for the Bobcats with 2.5 seconds left which ended the Cats hope losing 78-75.

“The BG game was a killer we had that game won and gave it to them,” said senior point guard Chad Weaver.

If the BG game was not tough enough NV had to face last year’s league champions the Perrysburg Yellow Jackets. The Cats were able to keep the game close in the first half, but the third quarter proved to be their downfall as the Jackets pulled away in a blow out.

The next night the Cats were back in action against a city league opponent, the Clay Eagles. A lack in size and outside shooting hurt NV and the Eagles ran away with it 62 - 52. Andrzejczak led the Cats with 25 points.

In the Wildcats most recent game they were matched up against the Anthony Wayne Generals.

The last time the two teams met NV prevailed in an overtime thriller, so both teams were expecting a battle.

NV started off hot and never turned back keeping the lead the entire game but it was not until the fourth quarter when the Cats really turned it on netting 21 points.

Senior Brian Koehl led the Cats in scoring tallying 18 points, Wade and Jaques were also able to crack double digits scoring 11 and 10 apiece.

“It was nice to get a big win at AW to push us into the play-offs,” said Koehl. “If we play like we did against AW we could make a run in the state tournament.”

NV finishes their regular season tomorrow at 7:30 at home.

Dance team preps for competition

Andrea McConnell PERFORMING AT THE NORTHVIEW boys basketball game are junior Sara Andrzejczak, senior Courtney Smith, and Kathy Sipes. The girls performed in competition this past weekend.

Je ssica Be sset te Sta f f Wri te r Along with other sports at Northview that are trying to make it to districts and states, NV’s Dance team is on their way.

About three months ago the dance team qualified to go to states by sending in a video of their dance to the judges who organized the Southview competition.

The team consists of nineteen dancers and will be judged by their routines according to junior Carleigh Pace.

The routines they are performing for competition is their pom, hip hop, and kick routines.

“Practice has become a lot harder and longer,” said Pace, “We

practice more now because competition is getting closer, but it’s a lot of fun and we have a great coach. I’m really excited about competing, and I hope to win and improve our record from last year.”

Last year at states the dance team won first place in the pom routine and second place in the kick routine.

“We are a lot closer as team than last year, which makes us better dancers. Our coach Allison Benya is an amazing coach. She supports the team in every way, she is very helpful and easy to listen to, and that is another reason why our team is so great,” said junior Alana Hatcher.

Their next competition is February 25 at Southview where they are competing for districts. After that they have another competition in Lebanon Ohio on March 3, which is where the state competition takes place.

Hockey enters playoffs, eyes state tourney Ty ler Puhl Sta f f Wri te r Northview had a strong finish to the regular season and hopes to keep it rolling into the playoffs.

The Cats continued their season against rival St. Francis. Freshman phenom George Wilkinson got the Cats on the board first, but St. Francis outlasted NV by scoring two unanswered goals. This loss dropped the Cats to 4 - 3 in the league.

Junior goalie Craig Trego played a great game despite the loss. This would be the last game with senior defensemen Nic Saenz. His departure would be a huge loss for the Cats both on and off the ice.

The next game would be against NV’s biggest rival, Southview. This rivalry applies to all sports, except hockey. There is a season trophy between the schools called the Mayor’s Cup, which goes to the team that wins the season trophy.

This year NV won for the 25th time out of the 31-year history. They beat the Cougars with help from goals by junior Brent Bain, Wilkinson, senior Jon Hymore, junior Cody Bourland, sophomore Nile Culver, and senior Matt Cook came back from injury to score his first goal of 2007.

Wilkinson and junior Tyler Puhl both had three point nights for the Cats. Before the game, the team recognized its seniors: Matt Cook, Hymore, Ian Kelsey, and Saenz.

Bowling Green is known as the premier team in Northwest Ohio. They have won four state titles and have won more district titles than any other team. The Cats were going for an unprecedented seventh straight win over BG. Senior Ian Kelsey made a great pass over the defensemen to the streaking junior Brandon Snead for a breakaway goal. Junior scoring machine Eamonn (Pug) Reynolds scored two goals.

Freshman Mychal Monteith tapped another goal in to increase the lead to 4-1.

The game was capped by a pretty pass from Bourland to Snead waiting on the backdoor for an easy tap in goal. BG added another, but the game finished with a score of 5-2.

Strong play from freshmen defense comprised of Monteith, Jordan Jones, and Brian Wadsworth stifled the BG offense and help NV get the win. Junior Tyler Cook played an excellent game and proved that he was the hardest worker on the ice.

Findlay would be the last regular season game of the year. In the previous meeting, NV squeaked out a 5-4 victory in overtime. This game would be a different story.

Wilkinson got the Cats on the board first with a goal that was deflected by a Findlay defender. In the second period, NV came out and completely overwhelmed the Trojans. Matt Cook, Bain, and Snead all would score two goals to make the score 7-0.

In the third, Tyler Cook and junior Christian Simon both scored single goals to pour salt on the wounds of the Trojans by making the score 9-0. This win clinched second place for the Cats.

NV’s final league record ended up being 7-3 After the last game the coaches voted on all league selections. Brent Bain and Ian Kelsey were chosen to first and second team respectively. George Wilkinson, Tyler Puhl, Cody Bourland, Brandon Snead, and Craig Trego all received Honorable Mention All-League.

NV is seeded second in the District tournament. The Cats upended an undermatched Start team 9-0. In the second round, NV took on Perrysburg. The game started out with a goal from Kelsey that snuck by the goalie.

Sophomore Kyle Hymore popped in two goals and Bain had a single goal to give the Cats 4 goals. The final score ended up 4-2.

They are now advancing to the semi-district finals and will now play Findlay at Tam-O-Shanter on Saturday at 8.

The district finals will be on March 3. NV hopes to return to place where their season ended last year, the State Finals on March 11.