Volume 83: Issue 6

The

STUDENT

Sylvania Northview Volume 83 Issue #6 February 3 3, 2009

Prints Science Olympiad preps for Solon Invitational

PEEK INSIDE Girls basketball continues strong page 21

page 3 FEATURED STORY

Class Olympics rally NV spirit

2 Bomb threat clears Burnham On Tuesday 20 a suspicious package addressed to Sylvania Schools’ Assistant Superintendent Scott Nelson, arrived via the US Mail. After opening the outer wrapping of the package the box was found covered with duct tape.

As a result the Sylvania City Police were called on to the scene, according to Superintendent Dr. Brad Rieger.

The Police determined that the manner in which the package was wrapped was suspect, thus necessitating a call to the Northwest Ohio Bomb Squad and a precautionary evacuation of the Burnham Building.

There were approximately 40 employees and 20 preschool students evacuated from the building between 11-12:30 p.m.

The bomb squad x-rayed the box and finding nothing suspicious opened it, revealing a gift from a well-wisher.

“Given the acts of violence that periodically occur against individuals in leadership positions, it was prudent to follow the suspicious package procedures,” said Dr. Rieger. Sylvania School District employees are trained to identify and handle suspicious mail after incidents several years ago when the country was hit with anthrax in mailed letters and packages. The protocol is to call the police and seek their guidance about how to handle the package, according to Dr. Rieger. ~Yelena Zhernovskiy

February 3, 2009

NEWS

One Act rehearsals begin Staff Writer Northview theatre students get to play in and direct the upcoming 2009 Winter One Act Festival, opening the weekend of February 6.

This year’s show will feature the talents of multiple students in seven original works. The One Acts include Escape from the Home by Michael Stebing, Intense Drama While Hanging 10,000 Feet in the Air! By Sarah Hammye and Sierra Roby, Killer in Blue by Michael Spinks, Smoke by Estar Cohen, Techie: Life in the Tech Booth

by Alexis Hall and James D’Onofrio, Theistic Therapy by Yianni Papadimos, and You Can’t Have Theatre Without a Little Bit of Drama by Sarah Fatemi.

Based on the quality of his work, Yianni Papadimos was asked to prepare his work early in order to take it to the Northwest Ohio Area Theatre Conference, according to Theatre Director Mr. Don Wachowiak.

“I’m so thrilled at how far the cast has come. It has been such a long journey since I wrote the show in October,” said Papadimos, “so many people have put effort into Theistic Therapy, that I can hardly call it my show anymore. And, frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Students were required to submit their work for review; all of the plays were accepted for the show.

The next step was casting; auditions

Sam Weisman LETTING OUT THEIR EMOTIONS during a therapy session, are sophomore Jimmy Park and juniors Breanna Randolph, Hannah Dickerson and Shannon Parcell.

The group is rehearsing their One Act play, “Theistic Therapy,” written and directed by sophomore Yianni Papadimos, centering around all the problems of the Greek Gods. were held where students performed something for all of the directors and playwrights. Afterwards “they negotiated over which student was cast in their own play,” said Mr. Wachowiak.

Some of the performers were double and triple cast.

The final preparation was practice; due to no set-up times, it was left up to the students to make sure they had times set up to rehearse. Until the

week of the show, performers had to practice wherever they could find room, according to Mr. Wachowiak.

“The One Acts are a great opportunity for everyone to get involved in theatre,” said Emily Holshoe, the lead actress in Smoke.

The show is open to the public on both Friday and Saturday nights at 7 pm in the Little Theatre. Tickets will be available at the door for $5.

The Diary of Anne Frank cast is chosen Features Editor The first entry has been completed: the cast and crew of Northview’s spring play, The Diary of Anne Frank, has finally been chosen.

After two days of auditions on January 26 and 27, 12 NV students made the cut to act in this historical drama.

Junior Breanna Randolph will play the lead role of the now-famous diarist Anne Frank. Sophomore Yianni Papadimos and junior Courtney Tipton will portray Mr. Otto and Mrs. Edith Frank respectively. Peter van Daan, Anne’s love interest, will be played by junior Andrew Szczerba and Peter’s

often argumentative parents, Petronella and Hans, will be played by juniors Emily Thomas and Alex Gibson. Senior Adam Cesarz was cast as the eccentric dentist, Mr. Albert Dussel and junior Kate Mutchler will play the role of Margot Frank, Anne’s older sister. The group’s only connections to the outside world, Mr. Kraler and Miep, will be portrayed by sophomore Jim Park and junior Paige Luther.

“I’m excited,” said Cesarz. “I’m anxious to find out how it will all go.”

Rounding out the cast of 12, are senior Patrick Richardson, junior Michael Stebing and sophomore Viktor Barricklow, who will play the Nazi officers who eventually discover the

secret Annex, where the families hid for over two years.

Twenty-two crew members were also chosen, many of whom will help with costumes, props or lighting.

“This is my last senior show,” said senior props crew member Allison DeWitt. “I’m excited to be in it.”

The cast will be performing the newly adapted stage version of Diary, by Wendy Kesselman, which has additional text included as compared to the original written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, according to advisor Mr. Don Wachowiak.

The cast will start rehearsal on February 9 and practice consistently until opening night, April 23.

To add historical accuracy to the play, the group will undergo a week of Holocaust education. Several NV teachers and even a professor from the University of Toledo will be teaching the cast about the realities the families and the rest of the world had to endure during the Nazi’s reign of terror.

“I hope to be able to do history justice with what we present on stage,” said Mr. Wachowiak.

The Diary of Anne Frank will be performed at NV’s Little Theatre from April 23 to the 25 at 7:30 p.m. and a matinee performance will be held on April 26 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets for adults are $8 and student or senior citizen tickets cost $6. All seats are reserved.

NEWS

February 3, 2009

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Science Olympiad prepares for Solon Staff Writers Room D10 is bustling with hopeful Olympians on Friday afternoons.

Instead of lifting weights and drinking protein shakes, Northview’s Science Olympiad Team has been training in different ways: by researching, building, and memorizing various scientific material. With their first competition weeks away, NV’s sweater-vest-clad team has continued preparation in hopes of duplicating last year’s success.

The team, in its second year running, is off to a good start, with the addition of 15 more students, and having started preparation months before their first competition.

“Last year we created the team after winter break,” said advisor Mr. Andrew Roth, “so we’re definitely more prepared.”

A typical meeting consists of a few short announcements regarding bookkeeping and scheduling, followed by individual work in each student’s particular subject matter, which can range from building tasks, labs, writing

prompts, and written tests. Most events are accomplished in teams of two, but in many cases, a group of students is behind the final product.

“Science Olympiad gives people a chance to compete in whatever their interests are,” said president, junior Connor McEwen, “it’s the only scientific activity at NV.” The team is led by Mr. Roth, who teaches AP, honors, and regular chemistry, but who is available to help students in a variety of fields.

“Some events are harder for me than others, like astronomy,” said Roth. “but I can usually help here and there, especially with brainstorming or problem-solving.”

Officer positions are held by president McEwen and seniors secretary Sweta Rao and treasurer Misha Muqaddam.

These three were selected last year by the graduating seniors, along with Mr. Roth. They are joined by roughly 30 other students, including four freshmen.

“We’re the underdogs on the team,” said freshman Jennifer Deng, “but the experience is still fun and interesting.”

The team will flex its science muscles for the first time at the Solon Invitational on February 7, where everyone is able to

Sam Weisman PREPARING FOR THE Science Olympiad are juniors Athreya Rajan and Haley Armstrong. Science Olympiad has added 15 more students to the team this year. compete. Based on performance at this competition, overall attendance and effort, the top 15 students will represent NV at Regionals, on March 17 in Lima.

If the team places in the top seven at Regionals, they will advance to States, held on the Ohio State Campus in Columbus

on April 18.

“We’re hoping to have as much success as we did last year at Regionals and our ultimate goal is to once again qualify for states,” said Roth, “with all the work students have put in so far, it looks like we have a great chance.”

Inauguration draws crowd of 1.8 million Staff Writer With the promise of hope and change, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.

The ceremony, which took place at the Capitol, started with the procession of various individuals such as President Obama’s cabinet members, the Obama and Biden families, former presidents and vice presidents, VP Joe Biden, and President Obama.

Chairperson Dianne Feinstein of the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies opened the ceremony with a short speech, followed by a prayer led by Pastor Rick Warren. Shortly after the prayer, Aretha Franklin sang “My Country Tis of Thee.”

Biden was then sworn in as VP, administered by Justice John Paul Stevens, as the Marine Corps Band played “Hail to the Chief.”

Surrounded by his wife, Michelle,

and his daughters Malia and Sasha, Obama was sworn in as President, which was performed on President Lincoln’s Bible.

Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath, but Roberts recited part of it incorrectly. Obama stopped, and waited for Roberts to restate that specific part of the oath.

As Obama finished reciting the oath, becoming the first African American president, the crowd on the Capitol and on the Mall, the stretch of land between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, began chanting “Obama!”

Obama then gave a powerful speech which lasted 17 minutes. In his speech, he spoke not just of the foundations of this country and the hardships the nation must face, but also the promise that America has.

Obama also spoke of revoking the policies of the Bush administration, the “greed and responsibility” which led

our country into crisis.

“I have a lot of hope for the future of the U.S. with Obama,” said sophomore Viktor Barricklow who watched the inauguration from home. “ I think Obama will do a great job.”

It is estimated by ABC News that about 1.8 million people crowded into the Mall to witness the historical event.

It will never be known for sure, as there was no way to count the number of people.

President Bush then left Washington for the last time as president. The Obamas saw off the Bushes as they left in the presidential helicopter for the last time.

The Obamas then attended a luncheon in the National Statuary Hall of the Capitol. The lunch, which was expected to last about one hour, was delayed when Senator Ted Kennedy (Democrat-Massachusetts) suffered convulsions and was taken by ambulance

to the hospital.

Eventually, the Presidential Parade began. The parade route started at the Capitol and lead up to the White House and the Presidential Review Stands.

The parade had over 13,000 participants, with at least one act from each state. According to the Toledo Blade, the Ohio State Marching Band was the entry chosen from Ohio.

Inauguration Day was concluded with the traditional Presidential Balls.

There were ten official balls this year, with the theme of “Renewing America’s Promise.” The Obamas made an appearance at all ten.

Inauguration Day was filled with celebrations, but on Wednesday, President Obama began to face the problems of the nation.

“I’m waiting to judge Obama’s Presidency,” said senior Ali Sayre. “I will base it on what he accomplishes in office.”

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NEWS

February 3, 2009

SPADE continues strong Staff Writer Northview’s speech and debate team continued their strong season of competitions, squeezing in one more tournament before winter break.

The Perrysburg tournament was held on December 20. Junior Courtney Tipton was awarded firstplace in Dramatic Interpretation for the second time this year. The team of junior Elizabeth Schwartz and senior John Boudouris placed third in Public Forum, and senior Adam Cesarz and sophomore Viktor Barriklow, placed third in Humorous Duo for the first time. “It was definitely a shock,” said Cesarz. “But we proved that we had the power to place and I’m glad I joined the team this year.”

The team was supposed to resume their season after winter break on January 10, but due to bad weather, the Whitmer tournament was cancelled and could not be rescheduled.

The Sylvania Invitational was hosted by NV and Southview on January 16-17, right after exams. Parents and students spent every day after exam week preparing, bringing in food and setting up NV’s building, which would be hosting the speech tournament (SV held the debaters).

Being one of the larger tournaments, Sylvania has five rounds of competition, with a semifinal and final round for those who qualify. The tournament started on that Friday at around 4 pm and ended its first half at 9 pm, resuming the next morning at 8 am and finishing near 5 pm, giving people time to transport to SV for the awards ceremony at 6

Staff Writer

Sam Weisman SENIORS JENNIFER POST and Kelly King prepare after school for the next Speech and Debate Tournament. At the Notre Dame Academy tournament, they were tournamnt champions. pm. Unfortunately, about four schools had to cancel due to the cold weather; however, about 30 schools were still able to compete.

“The tournament went well,” said the team’s coach, Mr. Joe Drouillard.

“It was very cold, but everybody still seemed to have a good time.”

The team of senior John Boudouris and junior John Holler took 4th place in Policy debate, along with the team of seniors Sam and Alex Gross, who qualified to semifinals for Policy debate.

The team of senior Andrew Muehleisen and junior Elizabeth Schwartz broke to octafinals for Public Forum debate, and junior Sarah Fatemi qualified to semifinals for Impromptu speaking.

Boudouris also took 4th place for the Best

Speaker award.

“Placing was awesome,” said Sam Gross. “Sharing the honor with my brother made it that much more special.”

On January 24, the team competed at Notre Dame Academy. Individual awards were handed out first. In the Speech category, Tipton took 6th in Dramatic Interpretation, junior Haley Nelson placed 2nd in Original Oratory, Barriklow and Cesarz placed 5th in Humorous Duo. As for debate, the top three Public Forum teams who placed, consisted of all NV students; junior Jacob Justinger and Schwartz placed 3rd, Gross and Gross took 2nd, and seniors Jennifer Post and Kelly King became the tournament champions for the event.

SMART Boards fill NV classes Co-Editor in Chief Many Northview students are being greeted by a new piece of technology in their classrooms.

SMART Boards, also known as interactive whiteboards, are changing the way teachers present information to their students.

Rocket Club preps to qualify for TARC

Currently, there are 30 SMART Boards spread through all of the different departments in the school according to Principal Stewart Jesse. Fifteen other teachers have already received approval from Mr. Jesse to get a SMART Board.

In order to receive a SMART Board, the teacher must submit an application which details their current use of technology, how they would use the SMART Board in their class, and whether

or not they would use it frequently. Also, they must agree to take a basic SMART Board class to learn about the tool. An advanced class is optional.

“SMART Boards allow the teacher to use different types of media in the classroom in a more streamlined way,” said Mr. Jesse.

All teachers at NV will eventually receive SMART Boards according to Mr. Jesse.

As exams have passed for Northview students, Rocket Club continues to prepare for their qualification round for the Team America Rocket Challenge (TARC).

TARC is the national competition for high school students to try and build the best rocket possible. The contest is held in Washington D.C. in May, according to club advisor Mr. Ed Schwerkolt.

To qualify for the national competition, they must first qualify in March. A senior judge from the National Association of Rocketry will judge each team hoping to qualify.

The goal to reach the finals is to obtain a height of 750 feet and to be airborne for at least 45 seconds, according to junior Jessica Sharp.

They also must carry an egg and return it safe back to earth. The top 100 that are the closest to the goal make it to Washington D.C. Ten people of the 15 currently signed up for Rocket Club are working on the qualifying rocket, according to Mr. Schwerkolt.

The egg is used to simulate a human in space. The trip for the rocket must not be too violent or the egg will crack. The egg is also used in many different experiments by different rocket agencies as a fill-in for humans.

“We are working hard to prepare our rocket and hopefully our results in qualifying will show our hard work,” said Mr. Schwerkolt.

TARC began in 2003 to mark the 100 year anniversary of flight, but due to the high level of interest in the event, it became an annual event.

Rocket Club finished in 39 position out of 100 teams last year, according to the official website of the event.

NEWS

Choir sings at Madrigal dinner Staff Writer The Northview ACapella Choir and Harmony Road Show brought the medieval times to the future on December 14 at the Clarion Westgate Inn in the Libbey Ballroom .The Madrigal Feaste was performed by the choirs for $25 a person. Since NV only hosts Madrigal once every two years, it was the first time the production was experienced with NV’s choir director, Ms. Dawn Gallahue.

“A lot of hard work was put into it and every bit of it paid off,” she said.

The students started practicing the music in October. The same songs were all performed at another concert on December 18.

The play itself was a slew of comedic skits including songs, music, characters, and a dance ensemble, which was a new addition to the performance, choreographed by one of Southview’s directors.

Students arrived as early as 1pm for a pre-show rehearsal. The first show ran 4:30-6:15 pm, and the second show ran from 7:15-8:45 pm, according to Ms. Gallahue.

The show was about a Royal Banquet taking place in 1470. The three main speaking roles were the gestures played by juniors Alex Gibson, Sia

From across the Pacific Ocean comes a new and diverse holiday, the Chinese New Year.

On January 7, the Sylvania Schools sponsored a ceremony to welcome in the Chinese New Year. The event was held in the Northview Little Theatre.

Many people may believe that the Chinese New Year revolves around fortune cookies and dragon parades, however there is much more to the holiday and the ceremony showed that.

The Toledo International Youth Orchestra (TIYO) performed, playing eight songs that exemplify the Chinese culture. A few of their songs they played

LadyKats deliver 1000 cookies Staff Writer

Noel Luther MEMBERS OF THE NORTHVIEW ACAPELLA choir dressed up in medieval-style costumes and sang songs from that time period at the clarion Westgate Inn. DuFour, and senior Ashley Pifer. The two knights were played by juniors Andrew Szczerba and Michael Stebing, along with three pages portrayed by seniors Noelle Romberger, Carey Gray, and Laura Wendt, and senior Sarah Federman as the princess. Ms. Gallahue herself played the queen.

In between skits, NV students gave instrumental performances. Senior Andrea Darmakasih entertained with

the harp, Gibson played the violin, and senior John Michael Durback played the guitar. Engel, junior Jennifer Yerks, and senior Kristin Wilson formed a recorder trio.

Students left to unload at NV at around 10 pm, according to Ms. Gallahue.

“I’m very proud of the students,” she said. “They should be proud of themselves too.”

Chinese New Year hits NV News Editor

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February 3, 2009

were, Xiang Jiang Springtime, Chinese Lullaby, and Night Blossoms Shining Beneath the Silvery Moon, according to junior Haley Armstrong.

“I had a great time performing at the Chinese New Year celebration ,” said Armstrong, “I hope I have the chance to do it again someday.”

After the TIYO’s performance there was a presentation on traditional Chinese arts.

There were two people who performed their talents. The first, Geng Xiaodong, demonstrated Chinese Kongfu, and the second, Li Rui, played a piece of music on a bamboo flute.

The second half of the production showed off the Chinese programs at both NV and Southview. The students enrolled in the Chinese classes performed

the song Beijing Welcomes You, which was heard during the Olympics this past summer.

“In my opinion my students did a very good job,” said Chinese teacher Wenli Zhang, “I’m very proud of what they’ve accomplished.”

The students also had a great time performing Beijing Welcomes You, according to junior Chinese student Kate Schmidt.

“It was really fun to be able to show of our Chinese singing skills,” said Schmidt, “I love everything about the Chinese culture and it was great to share our knowledge with others in the audience.”

When all the acts were finished punch and cookies were offered to the people who watched their production.

Santa Claus, his reindeer, and the Northview LadyKat Basketball team brought cookies in packages and carols in their hearts to the Sunset Village Retirement Home.

Early on December 21 the LadyKats met at senior Paige Maroney’s house for a quick run down of the game plan.

“All of a sudden, I looked at the door and Santa Claus with his big old belly and LadyKat practice jersey walked in,” said senior Stephanie Rentschler. “We all started dying as Santa Claus, a.k.a Olivia Fouty, walked through the kitchen.” Fouty had decided to surprise the guests by dressing up as Santa Claus for the special holiday occasion.

After a quick breakfast, the Kats began to sort the cookies that they had each brought along to deliver.

“All 28 girls brought three dozen cookies. So that’s just over 1,000 cookies the girls delivered to residents,” said Mrs. Lisa McCoy, mother of two LadyKat players.

Once the cookies had been placed in gift bags, the Kats practiced the traditional Christmas carols such as Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bell Rock, and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.

Upon their arrival, many residents found great joy in getting their pictures taken with “Santa” as the Kats caroled.

Among the many residents, the team was fortunate to meet Coach Jerry Sigler’s mother. Also the team got a chance to meet Jillian Fowler, a woman of 108 years in age and still living strong. Despite her age, according to Sunset Village staff, Fowler still enjoyed going out to dinner and playing cards.

After two hours of filling the halls with joy, the LadyKats and Santa left the resident home, leaving behind smiles and appreciation.

“Overall it was a huge success for this being the first time,” said Coach Sigler. “ I have a really good feeling we will want to do this again.”

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February 3, 2009

OPINIONS

Should exam days include two hour delays or early dismissals?

Winter break is a time for relaxation, a break from school, and spending time with your friends and family. y. But all that enjoyment soon fades away way as you return to school and get a reality ality check: exams. This is something every ry student dreads when returning from winter break. The only good part about exam week is getting out of that boring elective you somehow w happened to get placed in and d of course early dismissal.

Who doesn’t love get-ting out and then going out to o lunch with your friends? It’ss nice to get some exams out of the way and then have your whole day ahead of you. But what if, instead of an early dismissal, students udents would be able to have a two o hour delay? I love sleeping in as much as the next person, but I think students udents will use their time better if they hey get out early. They would have time to come home and study before they go to work or practice.

It seems that whenever Northview has a scheduled two hour delay students seem to stay up later because they get to sleep in the he next morning; I know I’m one of them.

The same would go for exam week; students would then cram throughout the night becausee they would be able to sleep an extra ra two hours.

I think it’s better that students dents just wake up at the normal schedcheduled time for school to get their exams over with. Many students that work or are in after school activities know that it can be hard to come home from work, practice or club meetings and jump straight into doing homework.

If NV had the two hour delay schedule with exams, students would be able to come home, study for a bit then go off to practice or work. By the time they get home the last thing on their minds is cracking open a book to study. With an early dismissal, students are able to come home, relax, and then study before most of their activities.

If we start two hours later, the busses will have to be out twice in the morning. Th They will have to pick up th he elementary kids h the at th he normal times h the and d then the high sch ho ool kids school and d that jjust ust u

Oh, the joys of a two hour delay. Just the idea of sleeping in makes me happy.

The extra sleep makes me feel refreshed and ready read to face the busy day of school ahead.

So why not have two hour delays during exams? Sleep is said to help people in various ways, which becomes even ways more important as they prepare for sometimes pre 100-question exams. More 100 sleep would equal better sle grades on exams. gr The extra two hours would help students w focus and those of us fo who cram at 3a.m. know w the harsh reality of an th aalarm clock going off at 6:30a.m., jolting us out of 6: our peaceful slumber. My ou ninth hour psychology n

class even discussed that the best time to memorize something is right before you fall asleep.

Everyone tells students to eat a good breakfast before exams, it has become quite cliche. Maybe if students were actually awake enough to understand how to turn on the oven to cook scrambled eggs or if our eyes were open enough to find a bowl for some Captain Crunch cereal, we might actually eat breakfast. This again is another reason why more sleep would be lovely.

Another issue with the current schedule is that now we get out two hours early, creating a break between our ending time and sports practice times. Ending at the usual time would keep practices right after school, not two hours later.

Getting some extra sleep and being done at the same time as usual would make for a better exam schedule. ~Kristi Kopaniasz

Sylvania Northview High School 5403 Silica Drive Sylvania, Ohio 43560 2008-2009 seems likee a hassle.

Since we are trying to o become incre aasingly increasingly eco-f ffriendly, eco-friendly, was stting all wasting thatt gas on trips doesn’t two tr d seem to be a step in the right direction.

Some of the bus drivers also work in the cafeteria, according to Mr. Jesse, which means if we were on a delayed schedule kids wouldn’t be able to get breakfast before exams because the cafeteria workers would be picking up the elementary kids.

Even though sleeping in is nice, it would be a lot easier if NV stuck to early dismissal after exams. Sometimes change isn’t always for the better.

-Jordan Tomase

Co-Editors-In-Chief: Max Filby & Elizabeth Strick Advisor: Sarah Huey News N Editor: Haley Hofbauer Photo Editor: Sam Weisman Features Editors: Haley Nelson & Yelena Zhernovskiy Sports Editors: Alexx Klein & Joe Mehling Opinions Editor: Sarah Squillante Business Editor: Jackie Walz S St Staff Writers: Katherine Chang, Taylor Dreps, Sarah Fatemi, Mary Grace Fitzgerald, Nicole Hobbs, Ad Adam Jurski, Katie Koffman, Kristi Kopaniasz, Nicole Mangas, Kel Kelsey McCoy, Andrew Miller, Yianni Papadimos, Cody Ramm, Abbey Strick, Jordan Tomase, Nick Wineland, Ally Yocom Photographer: Halie Langhals The Student Prints is the official student-produced newspaper of Sylvania Northview High School. It is distributed monthly at no charge to serve the purpose of informing students, faculty, staff, administration and the Sylvania community of current issues.

The main goal of The Prints is to present coverage of events in an unbiased and accurate manner. The paper also respects the opinions and ideas of the entire NV community. Signed letters to the editors are encouraged and should be no longer than 300 words. All letters can be turned into the publications room, E-6. The Prints reserves the right to edit letters that contain grammatical errors, accuracy and profane or libelous comments.

The newspaper staff is entirely responsible for the content of the paper and supports the First Amendment to the Constitution. Unsigned editorials published in The Prints are written by staff members, and agreed upon by a majority vote of the editorial board. The Prints is carefully examined by its staff and adviser prior to publication to prevent incorrect or libelous information.

The newspaper staff does not endorse advertisements published in The Prints. Advertising specifications may be obtained by calling (419) 824-8708.

The newspaper follows the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook guidelines for punctuation and grammar. The Prints is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Quill and Scroll and the Great Lakes Interscholastic Press Association.

OPINIONS Column

A Perspective On Politics

By Max Filby Memories etch themselves into the minds of people for the rest of their lives. Everyone can recall a moment in history, remembering exactly where he or she was and what he or she was doing.

However, several teens and adults alike will not be able to express this sense of historic recall concerning President Barack Obama's inauguration. When the first African-American president was sworn in, changing history as we know it, students were falling asleep in classrooms and working adults were rushing to take a lunch break.

Luckily this year, Sylvania students had the day off due to a "Wind Chill Day," occurring on the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. day.

“I was happy with the day off,” said senior Ali Sayre, “I felt like I actually new what was going on when I watched the oath.”

But what if students hadn't been graced with this free day to sit back and view history in the making? The majority of students and faculty probably would have never seen more than the evening news highlights of the inauguration of our 44th president.

A national holiday, ("Inauguration Day") should have been created decades ago in order to ensure students, teachers and working men and women that they would be able to enjoy Obama's inauguration when it happened. Clips on YouTube and social networking websites are no substitute for missing such an historic moment in our nation's history.

At Northview, a place where technology seems to date back to the dark ages (except for the infamous Webwasher and the allmighty SMARTboard) students hoping to catch at least a glimpse of the presidential inauguration would find themselves completely unable to do so.

Several outdated and broken TV sets have trouble broadcasting Channel One News, let alone another newsworthy station.

So then why not watch the inauguration via live streaming video on the internet in your classroom? This task becomes virtually impossible with Webwasher blocking every video player on the World Wide Web. Therefore, a national holiday is the only way to ensure an opportunity for students and teachers to witness such spectacles like the 2009 inauguration.

It does not matter weather you're a diehard Republican or you still think Hilary Clinton deserved the presidency. When coming across Obama's inauguration in a history book, what would you rather say to yourself? "I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when that happened," or "ha-ha, I remember seeing a clip on YouTube where the Supreme Court Justice messed up the oath."

As for me, I was sitting at my kitchen table, eating a slice of pizza for lunch.

February 3, 2009

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People value money instead of each other

Money isn’t everything. How many times have you heard that phrase before? Sure, you can use it to buy necessities and the more money you have the more you can spend on frivolous items, which is why many peoples’ ears perk at the thought of saving. But what happens when money does become everything?

This Black Friday, an unfortunate event took place outside of one of the Walmart stores in Long Island, New York. A Walmart employee was trampled and killed under a sea of people trying to enter the store. According to reports, few shoppers decided to stop and help the 34-year-old who died; they were too busy literally taking the door off of its hinges to get inside. A woman who was eight months pregnant was injured, as well as several other people being pushed and shoved around.

It’s no big secret that holiday seasons are used to coax people into their stores announcing numerous specials and big deals.

But when a person dies or is injured in the midst of a chaotic rush simply because others wanted to save a few dollars on a piece of junk that will just be sold for half the price at next year’s neighborhood garage sale, then people’s priorities are messed up. According to reports from Fox News, people refused to acknowledge the dying man or the injured people and instead yelled excuses for their savage behavior.

Has money really become more valuable than a human life? So what if you save 20% off of a flat screen TV? The same garbage is still going to be on the shelves at Walmart a week later, just a few dollars more expensive.

Money has seemed to be a problem since the dawn of time. Gamblers, players, and prostitutes have been around since before Rome was built. We always claim we want to “learn from the past” and that “history should never repeat itself”, but 2,000 years later, we’re still dangling pieces of green paper in front of desperate people who will do anything for the sake of instant gratification.

Where do you think reality television finds

all of its contestants? Who knew that many people would be willing to gain a reputation as a promiscuous person or a moron, just to get money right away?

It’s equally as horrifying to know that people nowadays still marry for money, hinting towards the male gold-digger who married Donald Trump’s ex-wife for a whopping four months. He clearly must have thought he was marrying George Washington instead of a woman who is 20 years his senior.

Whatever happened to the values of human beings, such as the fact that if a person works hard, their money will come in time. Instead, people decide to take the easy way, using poor moral decisions to get what they want right away, unaware of how their immediate acts will affect them in the future.

We don’t need to be in a war with another country, there’s a war going on right here in every store in America.

Sure, the kids of the parents who savagely argued and fought for the last Guitar Hero may have been happy when they received their gift, but what are they learning? Beat someone until they’re black and blue to you get what you want. Knowing that your parents did the same thing eliminates the guilt, which causes the repetition of a vicious cycle of being impulsive and rude.

What separates us from animals is selfcontrol and the scenes displayed at various stores are barely civil. As humans, it is our job to evolve and create a life that we can enjoy.

As humans, we all deserve to live life to the fullest. But some peoples’ greediness should not interfere with the lives of others, especially when someone’s life was wrongly ended.

The world just needs to calm down a bit, breathe in life, and see that existing isn’t just about what car you drive, labels you wear, or how much money is in your pocket; it is about enjoying the time you have on this earth as much as you can, while still having respect for others. ~Sarah Fatemi

Whatever happened to the values of human beings, such as the fact that if a person works hard, their money will come in time?

8

February 3, 2009

OPINIONS

Should NV implement block scheduling?

Nine subjects a day may seem a little overwhelming. Some feel that trying to squeeze in nine periods a day hinders learning by rushing lesson plans.

Many believe that 41 minutes is just not enough. The question then surfaces; will block scheduling cure these problems?

It may seem logical that four classes a day will solve problems of rushing and therefore allow learning to reach a maximum. But in reality, block scheduling would do just the opposite.

Having only four periods a day will ill only heighten the problem of minimal al learning. Students learn material by constant review every day. Daily review w in a particular subject enables better er learning and memory. Having a class ss only two or three times a week would ld only work against this idea. With block ck scheduling, class material would not be reviewed as often and students would ld be more likely to forget newly learned ed lessons. This in fact would prevent stuudents from grasping concepts and reemembering new material.

How can one fully gain knowledge ge if the material is not reviewed every ry le day? One cannot. It can be comparable sto mastering any language. One masters the English language by speaking, g, reading, and writing English every day. ay.

It is this everyday exposure that allows ws English-speaking people to truly master er the language. This same idea applies to o learning math or science. New concepts must be taught every day in order to maximize learning.

Learning school subjects is also a gradual process. Gradual learning enables one to truly comprehend and become "fluent" in a subject. A step-by-step approach to teaching would encourage better memorization and maximize education. Trying to teach double the material in one day would only make it more likely for students to forget class studies.

Block scheduling may seem like a more sensible alternative to the rushing of lesson plans, but would only create larger problems in regards to student learning. Inconsistent review of subjects would hinder the ability of a student to fully comprehend school subjects since a student would easily forget new material. A gradual step-by-step type of learning coupled with the idea of every day review would truly enable students

to be fully educated.

This can be analogous to speaking English. As a child, one learns to speak, write, or read a few words until eventually, one can fluently do all of the above.

In reality, adults and high school students speak the English language without difficulty due to the fact that we have been constantly learning more and more about our language for most of our lives. For a high school student, that is approximately 11-14 years of growth in the English language.

Would a high school student be able to

speak English fluently if he/she were only allowed to practice the language every other year?

The answer is no. This is also evidenced in learning languages at school.

Many foreign language teachers admit that even after years of studying and majoring in their respective languages, they are no experts in the foreign language they teach. "Even though I’ve been speaking the French language for 13 years, I still have to continue practicing French everyday in order to maintain up to date and fluent,” said French teacher Ms. Kim Gogel.

Block scheduling appears to be attractive at times, but in the end, would only create more problems than it would solve. ~Katherine Chang

Nine 41-minute periods fill the dreaded weekdays of all Northview students. Within such a short time period, teachers are forced to stuff as much material as they can into one class, then send their students home with leftover reading and note-taking that wasn’t finished in class, not to mention practice problems, online work, and studying. About half of students’ classes are required academic courses, so even for students with a reaso reasonable class load, homework for aall their academic classes in on one night can seem overwhelmi overwhelming. It becomes even more difficult for students who are involved in extracurricular act activities.

Both teachers and students reap the disadvantages of a nine-period schedule, in which long tests must be split into two days, lec lectures must b e cut short, and aafter-school time must be split between seveeral subjects.

There isn’t a Th day that most students experistude when teachence w ers’ instrucers tions on h o m e w o r k haven’t been cut off by that familiar bell.

A block scheduling system, in which students attend four periods a day, every other day, is the perfect way to combat these problems while preparing students for a more college-like atmosphere and exposing them to the long testing environments like those of the ACT and SAT. Some schools utilize a block scheduling system in which students have four classes per semester, but another method designates four classes to a day and then alternates back and forth.

This would be the most beneficial due to Advanced Placement courses and in maintaining student motivation. Semester block scheduling forces students to cram all their AP classes into first semester and then nearly relearn this material

before the official tests in the spring. It is also detrimental to students to be without math or a language for an entire semester, in which work must be constant in order to maintain success and progression.

Most teachers are in favor of block scheduling because it allows them to complete a full lesson plan without rushing. They are able to cover topics completely and delve into material that requires in-class discussion. Choppy classes inhibit certain lessons due to all the stopping and starting. Short classes may also hinder teachers from individualized help that could be accomplished if given a little bit of extra time.

Students, however, groan at the possibility of extending our already seemingly long periods. An hour and a half is undoubtedly a long time to spend sitting in a desk, but the advantages of long classes overshadow the brief soreness of one’s behind.

Students who have become accustomed to only listening for 41 minutes may have difficulty adjusting to a college class lasting an hour or more. Extended classes also prepare students for the testing conditions of the SAT and ACT which last several hours.

Most importantly, fewer classes per day would result in less homework each night and give students two nights to complete assignments before the next time their class reconvened.

Alternating between classes each day would also provide the variety that some students need to stay motivated.

Five days a week of the same schedule can make the week seem long and tedious, but knowing that tomorrow’s classes will be different than today’s may make school more manageable.

With NV’s current schedule, students switch classes eight times a day.

Five minutes in the hallways adds up to 40 minutes a day that students could be learning. Schools on a block scheduling system waste only 15 minutes of the day’s time out of class. More time in class means more material covered and more learning.

Although it would be difficult at first to completely overhaul NV’s schedule and adapt a block scheduling system, it seems it is the only way to revamp the rushed schedule we currently have. ~Sarah Squillante

OPINIONS

February 3, 2009

9

Sports favored over others in school The administrators at Northview tend to play favorites when it comes to giving proper respect to sports. They have the tendency to give more mainstream sports like soccer or football more recognition than other sports. You would easily find Principle Mr. Stewart Jesse or Athletic Director Mr. Chris Irwin at one of the soccer or football games while other sports like tennis, golf, and cross-country struggle when it comes to gaining respect.

“It’s not fair that we work just as hard as all the other sports and we get very little recognition even though we made it all the way to States. Our sport is just as important as any other sport,” said Cross Country Varsity Team member sophomore Mackenzie Reeves.

Both Girls and Boys Cross Country Teams were undefeated in the Northern Lakes League going into the NLL meet.

No administrators from NV were present at the meet, according to junior Jacob Barnes. Each team ended up winning their respective races and it was the first time in school history that it happened.

“There was a very good chance both teams would be NLL champs. The administrators should have been there

to witness it,” said Barnes.

At plenty of football games you will be able to find at least one of NV’s head honchos enjoying the game. Despite the football team’s record this year, they still attended their games quite frequently and supported them.

According to junior Jessie Coyle, they did support the Girls Tennis Team at a few of their matches but they did not attend as much as they did soccer or football games. “The Girls Tennis Team took third in the NLL, but no administrators were present at the match,” said Coyle.

In addition, the Boys Soccer Team received a whole assembly when they made it to States last year. Though reaching the State level in soccer is definitely a great honor and should be celebrated, other teams that make it to the state level do not get a whole assembly just in their honor. The Boys Cross Country Team made it to States four years in a row, but never once received an assembly solely in their honor.

“I wish Girls Golf would get more notice. I feel like after our successful season and winning NLLs for the second year in a row, nobody knew or cared

about Girls Golf. It made our achievements seem unimportant,” said junior Brooke Darah. “We work just as hard as other sports and we made it all the way to districts which is like regionals for other sports. Everyone, except for our parents, did not seem to care.”

When an athlete is awarded first team all-Ohio, they get the privilege of having their picture put on the wall in the lobby in front of the main gym. Nick Esbin, who was a senior last year, was awarded First-Team All-Ohio by placing 11th place at the 2007 State CrossCountry Championship, according to ohsaa.org. His picture is not hanging in the lobby.

In order for a cross-country runner to have their picture displayed, they must win the state meet, according to Barnes. Why is it that other athletes who achieve that same honor get to have their picture in the front lobby, but a cross-country runner who obtains the same honor, does not? There is no legitimate reason for why a runner should not get that same honor.

Junior Meredith Wagner received First Team All-Ohio this fall by placing 12th place at the State Cross-Country

championships in Columbus, according to ohsaa.org.

Since she did not win the meet, her face will not be hanging in the lobby even though she received the honor of being first-team all-Ohio. “I mean I think its kind of ridiculous but each sport has its own set of requirements, so I guess it is only fair,” said Wagner.

In defense of the administrators, they do a good job of supporting the athletics as a whole at NV. Mr. Jesse personally can be heard over the announcements urging the students to attend the Girls Soccer Games and congratulating the girls for their successes.

In addition, Mr. Irwin was at the state meet in Columbus to watch the Girls Cross-Country Team participate there, according to Reeves. It is understandable that they cannot be present at every game, meet, or match but the important ones, such as NLL’s, they should support them by attending; especially if the team is most likely going to win.

Administration should give equal respect and treat each team with the same importance. Athletes work very hard at what they do and administrators should equally support them.

Winter weather leads to snow days After the big snow storm that hit the Sylvania area and most of the mid-west, Superintendent Brad Rieger sent out an e-mail to the teachers and other administrators explaining the requirements and situations that are necessary to call a cancellation or twohour delay.

In summation, Dr. Rieger explains how a day usually goes when there is a storm or a chance of bad weather. He wakes up around 4 :15a.m. and makes a call to the director of transportation, Joe Kahl, who drives the main roads in the Sylvania area to determine of they are safe for the buses and cars to navagate.

Dr. Rieger also contacts Alan Bacho, the director of facilities and operations.

He, too canvasses the district. Sylvania School’s grounds crew provide additional accounts on the weather.

Just before 5:45a.m., Mr. Kahl touches base with Dr. Rieger to inform him of the latest assessment.

For additional input on the situation, local

and national weather forecasts are factored into the decision. By this time, the decision is made to cancel, delay or stay open.

Also, when the weather is extremely cold like it has been recently, sylvania area transportation is contacted because some for the older busses may have trouble starting.

It is also a hazard to have children waiting outside to be picked up by a bus, because of the temperature.

Timing and type of the precipitation is often the key to the choice whether school is delayed, closed or open. ‘‘An inch if snow accompanied by patched of ice that arrives in the predawn hours can delay school more readily than six inches of snow that accumulates the previous day’’ writes Dr. Rieger.

The same scene of events unfolds with fog. There may be very thick fog around the school, but none in some of the neighborhoods that are farther away.

The opposite may occur as well.

The next step, after determining if the roads are safe or not is to contact the press. Sylvania School’s director of communications, Nancy Crandell, informs the local news stations, websites, and radio stations of the decision.

School districts in Ohio are allowed five calamity days that include weatherrelated issues and mechanical failures.

Once the five days have been used, students are required to make-up the instructional time in June.

Dr. Rieger ended the letter by writing ‘‘When weighing a less than clear cut weather situation, I will always put student safety first.’’

Although these precidents have reduced the number of accidents that always accompony winter storms, I believe that some things should change.

More streets should be assessed before the final decision is made. For example, some of the main roads in my neighborhood are rarely, if ever plowed.

This makes it very difficult for my dad

to leave safely for work early in the morning. This is also a problem for the busses and cars that are making their way to the schools.

Also, some of the neighborhood roads that are farther away from the school that do not get inspected could have more snow collected than that of the closer roads.

We should be given more calamity days becuase if the weather is bad for more than the given number of days, we shouldn’t be punished by taking time away from our summer.

Or the hours we are in school could be added up to a minimum number of hours set by the State. Since we are in school longer than some other districts we could then balance out our over use of snow days.

It is not the student’s fault that the weather has caused school to be cancelled. Our summers should not be cut short by the bad weather. ~Mary Grace Fitzgerald

10

February 3, 2009

OPINIONS

Too many SMART Boards at NV Some teachers don’t need, misuse or abuse them Technology is taking over the world and has finally launched its newest weapon at Northview: SMARTBoards.

“Combining the simplicity of a whiteboard with the power of a computer, the SMARTBoard interactive whiteboard engages students and audiences around the world,” according to the SMART Technologies website.

The SMARTBoard is connected to the teachers’ computer and then projects the computer screen onto the whiteboard.

However, this is not just a whiteboard with dry erase markers. Instead, when you write on the SMART Board with the special pens it is then displayed on both the screen and the computer.

This is just one of the many features of the SMARTBoard. It can also be used to play movies, put notes up, show websites and many other features.

Altogether, the SMARTBoard is a useful resource in the classroom. The issue at hand is whether every classroom needs one of these costly tools.

One classroom in particular that does not need their SMARTBoard is in the art department. Art is meant to

be a hands on learning environment.

Although you can write and even draw on the SMARTBoard, it is not the same as using the materials yourself. It can be useful for showing examples of artwork, but rarely are examples shown since students are required to be creative and come up with their own ideas instead of just copying.

Also, one must wonder if all teachers who have a SMARTBoard have acquired the knowledge to work their SMARTBoard. One NV teacher has been seen repeatedly bang on their SMART Board because the teacher did not know how to properly work it. Fortunately, a student in the class knew how to fix the problem.

Overall, SMARTBoards are a great addition to the classroom learning environment. However, some classes do not need this technology and some teachers do not know how to use it. Proper education about SMART Boards and a stringent selection process need to be enforced in our school before purchasing this costly piece of equipment.

Sam Weisman JUNIOR CODY BRANT draws on the SMARTBoard during one of his classes.

SMARTBoards have become a common teaching tool in most classrooms at NV. However, some teachers do not know how to use their SMARTBoards and have to rely on students to show them how. Other teachers do not need their SMARTBoards due to the nature of their classes. Both problems need attention from the administration before purchasing the costly teaching tools.

Retraction

Papadimos apologizes for Twilight con Twilighters: I have wronged you.

As you may know, within the last issue of Northview’s The Student Prints, I wrote an article pertaining to my dislike of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight and the atmosphere it has created at NV. Some horrible things were said involving the series’ plot and characters. Dry your tears, because I was wrong. Bella, Edward, Alice, Jasper, and the rest of the Cullens only flapped their bat wings in one direction: right into my heart.

Over winter break, my sister Alexa, against my will, dragged me (quite literally by the hair) to the movie theater in order to make me sit through two hours of the filth that I despised so.

Oddly enough, I did not have to sit very much at all, because most of my time was spent on the edge of the seat.

Yes, I actually liked the movie and yes, I

would see it again.

Upon the article being published, I had only read roughly three-fourths of the novel. It would seem that I had been p re d i s p o s e d to disliking it because of my assignment (to write “the con” about Twilight).

After this incident at the movies, and I mean within ten minutes of our arrival home, I immediately broke open Alexa’s copy of New Moon and began reading.

Somewhere, somehow, a fire had been lit inside of me and I needed to know

what happened next in the saga. Most people would consider this an acceptable response.

However, my family seemed n e r v o u s when they discovered that the night after starting New Moon (24 hours later) I had finished. They seemed to be even more distraught when on that same night I began reading Eclipse.

Though I have no recollection of said event, at one point I apparently responded to my sister’s invitation to

Dry your tears, because I was wrong. Bella, Edward, Alice, Jasper, and the rest of the Cullens only flapped their bat wings in one direction: right into my heart.

join my family in the living room with an abrupt, “Shut up. I’m reading Twilight stuff.” Now, close to a month later I have finished Breaking Dawn and learned to play Bella’s Lullaby on the piano (for that I tip my hat to sophomore Alexa Kalanquin).

Am I disgusted with myself? Yes. Am I enthralled at the same time? Heck yes. Again, I would formally like to say it: I am sorry. To the Twilighters for being cruel, to the Men Against Twilight for letting them down, to Miss Jennifer Crosely for attacking her organization, and to senior photo editor Sam Weisman for doubting her wisdom to begin with.

Edward Cullen may be a stupid, shiny Volvo owner, but he’s certainly one that has me waiting to see what he will do next. ~Yianni Papadimos

FEATURES 11 Top 5 Worst Gifts of 2008 February 3, 2009

Now, all of you know that after winter break is the time to show off your sweet new gadgets and gifts that you received, but that is not what this article is about. What we will be doing g is showcasing the worst, goofiest and downright craziest st gifts of 2008, in no particular order.

What better way y to say I love you than sending someone a Staph infection? With Drew Oliver’s GIANT T microbes you can send them any stuffed plushy y disease from Anthrax to West Nile! Each of thesee oversized ailments sells for only $7.95 each.

Welcome to yourr b briefing 009, your mission is to take down as many y ccoworkers as possible, your weapon: thee USB U missile launcher. Be stealthy and remember, if i you’re caught, we don’t exist. The USB missile llauncher shoots Nerf-like missiles right from your own computer at y people or an arch nemesis. It connects to your h n USB port and features 360-degree horizontal es 36 rotation, 45-degree vertical rotation and a six-meter firing range for the ical sixreasonable price of 29.99.

Take no prisoners.

Puzzles, fun yet most drive you very close to insanity, especially if you’re not fully awake. Alarm clocks: no one likes them; they’re annoying and loud. So what was this crazy person thinking when they combined puzzles and alarm clocks

into some titan of frustration? No one knows. The Puzzle Alarm Clock hurls four interlocking pieces into the air while blasting you with a loud siren at the previously selected time. Oh and the best part is that the siren doesn’t stop blaring until you put all the pieces back together. What a great way to start off the day.

Footsie pajamas were our favorite apparel come Christmas morning.

Now even your Uncle John can wear them during his mid-life crisis! Jumpin Jamerz makes adult sized footsie pajamas in assortment of patterns and sizes, these fashionable patterns include rubber duckies and hockey players.

Your feet will never be cold on those chilly mornings anymore, but you will still look like a ridiculous four year old.

Now, for the holy grail of horrendous gifts, the epitome of evil presents, they call it the bacon wallet.

Now I like bacon as much as the next person and wallets, well where would we be without them? But together the two are about as attractive as a naked mole rat.

Who seriously thought that would be a decent gift? It’s like combining mustard and ski boots, it just makes no sense. ~Nick Wineland and Ally Yocom

TIYO plans trip to Tanzania Staff Writer The Toledo International Youth Orchestra (TIYO) combines all of the best string players in the metro Toledo area to play together on one stage.

TIYO was founded in 2000 with the help of conductor Yang Kun Song.

It was founded to bring the best string players in Northwest Ohio and have them travel to other countries to play with other youth orchestras. They play western compositions, but also feature Chinese pieces.

There are two Northview students who are currently in TIYO. Juniors CJ Wendt and Haley Armstrong are the only two returning NV students to play this year. Senior Andrea Darmahkasih, juniors Neal Cousino and Katherine Chang, and sophomore Serena Chang were all part of last year’s orchestra.

TIYO had a concert on Wednesday,

January 7 where they played numerous pieces with most having a Chinese theme.

“I was happy to show our knowledge in the Chinese pieces to all the people that came to watch,” said Armstrong. Their next concert will be held to help raise money for a new children’s hospital.

One thing that the members of TIYO do is travel to other countries to perform with other music students and learn about musically historic places in those countries. They travel to sister cities of Toledo, as they are connected by the Sister Cities program. This program helps bring sister cities together and help each other with various gifts to each other.

Over spring break of 2008, TIYO traveled to Germany and Poland for two weeks. There, they visited many historical sites and were able to play with music students there.

“I really enjoyed going to Europe as I was able to meet and socialize with all of the locals,” said head concertmistress Armstrong.

In 2009, they have planned on a trip to Tanzania in Africa. There, they will try and raise funds for a new music

school for the kids.

“There will be a smaller group of people going to Africa compared to the Europe trip, but I am looking forward to better understand the culture of Tanzania,” said Armstrong.

12

February 3, 2009

FEATURES

Seniors win 2009 Class Olympics;

What do lumberjacks, country clubs, and bubble gum pie have in common? They are all a part of Northview’s Class Olympics. Throughout the week of January 26, classes at NV battled it out through a series of Wacky Wildcats (WW) to see which class would come out on top.

January 26 was Sports Day. Sports fanatics showed their pride by wearing their favorite team’s colors. The halls of NV were flooded with polyester as Ohio State, Michigan, and various other team jerseys were worn.

The WW for the day tested student’s agility and involved a plastic football to coincide with the Sports Day theme. Students had to spin while keeping their forehead on the top of a bat. Then, in their dizzy state, throw five plastic footballs into various holes with different point values. Whoever scored the most points was the winner.

The senior and freshmen classes were tied at the end of the first day with 12 points. The junior class was close behind with 11 points while the sophomores fell short with seven points.

“The Wacky Wildcat was fun. I almost killed myself, but my expert skills at dizzy-ball-throwing came through in the clutch for the ‘W’,” said sixth period winner, senior Jordan Keefe.

On Tuesday, argyle and cable-knit sweaters swarmed NV as students got into the spirit of Country Club Day. Unfortunately, actual props were not permitted but students, such as senior Amit Goyal, showed his class pride by wearing his golf caddie uniform.

To continue the country club theme, the WW included the obvious: golfing. Students had to use a golf club and attempt to make it through a course to get a hole-in-one. The first person to score a hole-inone was the winner.

At the end of Tuesday, the junior class pulled into the lead with 24 points, with the freshmen falling short with 23 points. The seniors had 21 points while the sophomores were behind with 18.

“Once upon a time at a golf course not too far away, I was a faithful caddie,” said Goyal, “When students think of Country Clubs, they don’t often think of ‘the little guy’ so I am reminding them.”

Wednesday was supposed to be Dress Like a Teacher Day, but school was cancelled due to a winter storm.

“I was really bummed we didn’t have school,” said junior Alex Melick, “My dress like a teacher day outfit was awesome. People would have thought I was Ms. Sarah Petersen’s twin.”

The WW was suppose to be spoofs off the television show “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” Students were going to be tested on their knowledge from first grade.

NV halls were filled with flannel and plaid, as Thursday was Lumberjack Day. Some students even wore fake beards to get into character. To follow with the spirit of the day, the WW was a flapjack toss. Two people from each grade were chosen to participate.

One person was given a spatula and had to flip mini pancakes onto their partner’s plate.

At the end of Lumberjack day, the juniors clung onto their lead with 36 points. The senior class pulled into second place with 34 points with the freshmen class close behind with 32 points. Unfortunately, the sophomore class lagged behind with 27 points.

“Lumberjack Day was awesome. Flannel is really cool,” said sophomore Margot Jacobs, “I wish I was a real lumberjack.”

Friday was NV Spirit Day. The girls dressed in gold for a gold rush while the boys dressed in black creating a black out.

“I thought the black out/gold rush idea was really nifty. I really enjoyed seeing everyone showing their school pride,” said sophomore Aurora Milliron.

The WW for the Spirit Day was the WW that was

FEATURES

February 3, 2009

13

juniors come in close second

S Sophomore Haley Egbert smiles during the bean bag toss.

S Students search for face paint and wigs to decorate their classm mates as the Joker.

Sophomores Erika Parton and her partner Kaylie Martinez grab S ssome Cheerios as they win the cereal limbo game.

Sophomore Omar Badawi searches for bubble gum in a blueberry S p pie.

supposed to be on Wednesday: the spoof off of “Are you smarter than a fifth grader?” Students were asked various questions from first through fifth grade.

They were questioned on subjects such as first grade chemistry and state capitals.

“I am smarter than a fifth grader . . . and David Elliot,” said sophomore Mel Worley.

Going into the final assembly, the juniors were in the lead with 46 points with the seniors hot on their tails with 45 points. The freshman had 38 points and the sophomores had 34 points.

At 1:53p.m. on Friday, the NV students piled into the gym as music played to get the energy pumping.

All the choirs then sang the school alma mater.

The opening game was a twist on a normal beanbag toss. Two people from each grade were already chosen and one had to put on a helmet that has a basket attached to the top of it. The other person stood on a chair with their back to their partner. The person with the helmet ran around trying to catch the beanbags, as their partner standing on the chair tossed them over their head. The freshman won.

Next was the “Why so serious” face paint relay, which is a spoof off of the Joker from the movie, Dark Knight. Two people from each grade were chosen.

One person had to run to the middle of the gym

and dig for lipstick, a wig, and face paint in a pit filled with newspaper. After finding them all, one partner made the other look like a joker. Ms. Sarah Huey, Mrs. Kara Curran, and Ms. Sarah Petersen voted on who won by holding up “10” or “9” and so on depending on which one they thought looked most like the Joker.

Seniors Sam Weisman and Emily Moran won the event scoring 24 points.

The next event was the bat spin relay. Each grade had four representatives participate. They had to keep their forehead on the top of the bat as they spun around eight times. While so dizzy, they had to run to the other end of the gym and pass off the bat to their partner. The junior team of Brendan Connelly, Josh Watkins, Nick Connelly, and Chris Ryan were victorious. The seniors came in second place.

After the bat-spin relay was the Bubble Gum Pie Contest. One person from each grade raced to find a piece of bubble gum in a pie that was filled with starburst and whipped cream. Senior David Navarre was the winner because he was the first to find the bubble gum and then blow a bubble. Junior Olivia Fouty came in second place.

Throughout the week, students voted on what favorite WW would be the final event of the assembly.

It was between bobbing for apples, Hanging Donut

game, Cheese ball-Shaving cream game, and the Yogurt game.

The Hanging Donut game was voted the winner.

Right after they were told to start, the seniors bit their donut off the string and it fell to the ground.

It was close between the juniors and seniors, but seniors Stephanie Rentschler and Kelsey McCoy ended up victorious.

Cereal Limbo was the next event on the agenda.

Students from each grade did the limbo as they attempted to grab the cereal stuck to the limbo stick with their mouth. The junior class was eliminated first. The seniors were eliminated second and then the freshman were next. The sophomore class ended up winning.

After a exuberant and spirit-filled week, the senior class ended out on top with 65 points for the second year in a row. The junior class placed second with 60 points and the freshman placed third with 52 points. Unfortunately, the sophomore class came in fourth with 48 points.

“I am just oh so pumped that we won our senior year,” said senior Kristin Wilson, “I trained hard and long just for this week. I practiced my agility and worked on my skill. It all paid off in the end.” ~Nicole Mangas

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February 3, 2009

FEATURES

Are energy drinks dangerous?

Changes made in early graduation requirements Staff Writer Senior year brings the reality of real life, but for some ome seniors that reality will come a little faster. Graduating early rly sounds like a good idea but for the graduating g classes after this year this might not be an option. ust To graduate early students must talk to their counselor before the first quarter of their senior year and d they must have written and signed permission from their parents.

After that they have a meeting with the principal.

“I usually ask what their future plans are cipal and the reason they want to graduate early,” said Principal Stewart Jesse. hing “I want to make sure they will go on to do something positive after graduation.”

Another criteria is a clean disciplinary record.

“If they can’t behave appropriately with supervision

they will have a harder time in real life,” said Mr. Jesse.

Seniors must have credit in all previous quarters and meet all requ requirements.

Except for senior English, which is a full year class, seniors can take an online ccourse or find various ways to get that cre credit.

Nova-net online courses are no longer an opti option because students can’t use it early, it’s only for students that fail and need to make up the class.

E Even though second quarter will have less seniors seniors, they are still part of the school.

They are allowed to attend their g graduation ceremony, Prom, Turnabout, and the Senior Awards Assembly.

H However once a senior leaves they are not eligible for extracurricular activities like spor sports.

“E “Even though Turnabout isn’t a seniors only activity I still let them attend,” said Mr. Jesse.

of effects may be dangerous. People who drink such concoctions cannot realize how much they have actually th cconsumed and do not feel impaired.

After the stimulant effect deteriorates, the depressant effects of the alcohol will remain and could cause vomiting in during sleep or respiratory depression.

It is still unclear how dangerous these drinks really are and what long term side effects they will bring in the future for today’s addicted youths. If you want more energy try drinking plenty of water and getting an adequte amount of sleep.

Blog about what you’ve read www.sylvanianorthview.org

You can feel it, your eyes are getting heavier and heavier as you begin to drift into sleep, only to realize you have hours of homework left to do. The Mountain Dew and Pepsi has worn off, it’s time to call in the heavy artillery, so you frantically search for an energy drink, and with the variety out there you have plenty of choices such as Red Bull, Monster, 180, Adrenaline Rush, Full Throttle, and 5 Hour Energy, just to name a few.

You have probably already guessed that energy drinks aren’t the healthiest choice of beverage, but they do the trick and you assume that they can’t be that bad, right?

Well guess again, because these drinks can be deadly to your body.

According to Brown University, these drinks may contain as much as 80

a boosted heart rate and blood pressure (sometimes to the point of palpitations), dehydration of the body, y, mood swings, insomnia,, and anxiety attacks, according to Brown University.

Even the Food and Drug Administration admits that a lot of the ingredients in energy drinks are not fully tested by themselves, let alone after they have been mixed. In addition, the side effects of energy drinks mixed with other substances such as other caffeinated drinks, drugs or alcohol are also untested.

The new fad for college students is energy drinks and alcohol. Since energy drinks are stimulants and alcohol is a depressant, the combination

go to:

Staff Writers

milligrams of caffeine, the equivalent of a cup of coffee, as compared to the 37 mg in a Mountain Dew, or the 23 mg in a Coca-Cola Classic.

Most drinks contain even more than 80 mg, such as a regular Rockstar has 160 mg of caffiene and this doesn’t include even more amped up versions such as Rockstar Roasted which has 225 mg of caffiene.

This can lead to many adverse effects considering the recommended daily consumption of caffeine for teens is 100 to 200 mg and 200 to 300 mg for adults.

Energy drinks contain caffeine (obviously), but they also contain large amounts of guarana and taurine.

Guarana is a central nervous stimulant, so it produces the same results as caffeine but much stronger and taurine is a substance that we naturally get from foods that contain vitamin B6, but by drinking energy drinks people can overload which can have toxic results.

Effects of some energy drinks include

click on: - activities - The Student Prints Link - NV’s Newspaper page - Classroom Blog

FEATURES

15

February 3, 2009

TSP Political guide:

an inside look at President Obama’s cabinet

Countless Americans have unlimited hope for Barack Obama’s future as President of the United States. But honestly, how much do we really know about his plans for the future? How many of us have a clear idea of who Obama has picked as his cabinet members to help shape the future of America? Well, to help all of us hopeful Americans out, here’s a guide to some of Obama’s cabinet picks: who they are, what they’re good at and what they will do to help our country.

Sec. State: Hilary Clinton

Who is she?

Clinton is a Democrat and Senator from New York. She was also the Democratic Nominee who ran against Obama for the party’s position to run for President. At age 61, Clinton was also the former first lady during her husband Bill Clinton’s administration.

How will she help? Clinton will deal

with foreign affairs and use her experience as first lady to create amicable bonds with other nations. At these times, America’s international image needs to be revamped and Clinton needs to work to fix this image.

What is she good at?

With so much experience, Clinton will be practiced at making smart decisions. Clinton has her degree in law from Yale University and is known for being able to diffuse conflict. Also, Clinton heads many charitable foundations and has a positive international image

Secretary of Defense: Robert Gates

Who is he? As the Secretary of Defense during the later years of former President George Bush’s administration, Gates, 65, is a Republican. He has worked with President Bush to control the war in Iraq since 2006.

How will he help? Gates will help Obama create a final solution to end the war in Iraq. He will use his experience to help formulate a plan.

What is he good at? Gates has worked for the CIA and various intelligence groups. He was

also the president of Texas A&M University and has earned various degrees, like a Ph.D. in Russian and Soviet History from Georgetown University. He will use all this experience to create the most safe exit plan from Iraq. Gates is an incredibly smart man and will use all his training to assist the new President.

Secretary of Secretary of the Treasury: Homeland Security: Timothy Geithner Who is he? Geithner, 47, is the President and CEO Janet Napolitano of the New York Federal Reserve. He has also worked very closely with President George Bush’s Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson, in the past.

How will he help?

Having real-life experience in the middle of Wall Street, he will be able to create realistic solutions to today’s problems. He understands the detailed workings of America’s economic system, while also having experience running a company. Geithner will work to slowly rebuild our economy and productively change the way America’s banks function.

What is he good at? He knows how to run a company and create plans to

weather economic difficulties. Obama called him “uniquely suited” for the position of Secretary of Treasury and Geithner will know how to work well for his country.

After working for President Clinton and having a Master’s degree in Advanced International Studies from John Hopkins University, Geithner will have the experience necessary to dig America out of this economic crisis.

White House Chief of Staff: Rahm Emanuel

Who is she?

Napolitano, a 51 year-old Democrat, is the current Governor of Arizona, serving her second term.

How will she help?

To protect our borders from illegal immigration and terrorist attacks, Napolitano will call for tougher border enforcement.

She will deal with the issues of illegal immigrants already living in the United States as well.

Who is he? Emanuel, 49, was a Democrat Representative from Illinois from 2003 to 2009 and is What is she good at? Napolitano is known for his abilities to fundraise and organize projects. known for her common sense and abilHow will he help? As the senior aid to the President and as the cabinet’s most important mem- ity to make sound decisions. She has

ber, Emanuel will be Obama’s right hand man. He will supervise the White House staff, the President’s schedule and decide who will meet with Obama.

What is he good at? Emanuel is known for his combative style of speech and his ability to gar-

ner support and funds for various projects and bills. After receiving a degree in Speech and Communication from Northwestern University, Emanuel is known for his great ability to communicate across bipartisan lines.

her law degree and was a U.S. Attorney, which allows her to make intelligent, lawful decisions.

All information and photos of cbs.com ~ Haley Nelson

16

February 3, 2009

Arts & Entertainment

Winter shows come back with LOST travels beyond high expectations “Hopefully when everything pans out, especially over the course of season five, you will realize that we’ve been doing things in past seasons that have been leading up to this event,” said Lost co-creator genius JJ Abrams in an interview with EntertainmentWeekly.com. WHAT DO YOU MEAN ARE YOU AND CO-CREATOR DAMON LINDELOF THAT BRILLIANT? I think so.

In the season premiere entitled “Because You Left” on January 21, the opening scene took viewers to somewhere in the 1970’s with Marvin Candle, the possible Dharma Initiative leader, drilling and finding electromagnetic radiation that can control time travel. If viewers thought that part of the scene was the biggest shocker the real kicker came when Daniel Faraday, a man from Charles Widmore’s freighter, showed up in the past working as a driller. Then the Oceanic Six, Jack, Kate, Aaron, Sun, Hurley, & Sayid, learn from Ben that everyone who did not leave the island will die there if they do not return.

We later learn that this is because the island is “jumping in time,” going from one time frame to another - but the survivors never entirely know what time frame they are in.

The most knowledgeable freighter folk about time travel is Faraday - who appears to have traveled in time before. He also talks to past-Desmond about returning along with the Six in order for present-Desmond to remember this and realize what he has to do. This leaves the other three freighter folk - Charlotte Lewis, Miles Strom, and Frank Lapidus. Lapidus, the helicopter pilot who was supposed to fly 815 months before, flew the Six home last season and is now off the island. Strom is now a possible candidate for Candle’s child that we saw at the beginning - which would add the twist of having a Dharma history. Lewis had said last season she was on the island to “find where she was born.” Is there more to these four characters’ past? Clearly.

This leads up to the second episode, “The Lie,” which aired immediately after the premiere. This episode focused more on Hurley and Sayid’s storyline of trying to return, or not to return, to the island. Sayid was knocked out by a tranquilizer - shot by an assumed Widmore employee. This leaves Hurley to tend to Sayid and make the right decisions but starts off badly when he gets his picture taken holding a gun covered in blood, which is actually ketchup from a fastfood run.

Leave it to Hurley to screw things up. After a hallucination (or is it a ghost?) of Ana Lucia telling Hurley to be careful and not get arrested, Hurley flees to his parents’ house where soon after the police set up a stakeout.

The should-be-100-pounds-lighter-by-now survivor then buckles under the pressure and tells his mother the truth about the island in two minutes flat. Uh oh.

Before Sayid was dragged to the hospital by Jack, he had told Hugo to not trust Ben and do exactly the opposite of whatever Ben says. In typical Lost fashion, Ben

creepily shows up at Hugo’s house, of course without knocking, to tell Hurley to go with him in order to reunite the six. In typical Hurley fashion, he listens to Sayid and runs out the front door where the cops are on guard and gets arrested flashing a triumphant look at Ben still inside. At this point, I am yelling at the TV, “WHY DIDN’T YOU LISTEN TO ANA LUCIA?” Yet again, Hurley ruins life.

The end of the episode takes the show to a dark place where a hooded woman is working with computers and tools. Doing what? Who knows, but clearly something to do with the island and time travel. Ben shows up asking for “more time” because “he lost Reyes tonight” (as in Hurley). The woman takes her hood off to reveal it was Mrs. Hawking - the woman who worked at the jewelry store from the pivotal season three episode “Flashes Before Your Eyes” where she tells Desmond that destiny will always correct itself. Coincidence? I think not. Mrs. Hawking says they only have 70 hours and if they can not

return, in that time, “Let God help us all.” WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? After a grueling week-long wait, Lost returned into my life January 28. This episode entitled “Jughead” was Desmond-centric and cut right to the chase in the opening flashback scene with him running around at an Asian seaport searching for a doctor. Why? PENNY’S IN LABOR. On their boat, a baby boy is delivered to the onand-off-but-perfect-for-each-other couple. We learn they have named their child Charlie - after the heroic survivor who’s death scene always puts you into an emotional meltdown.

Going back to present time (?), Desmond and Penny are discussing the consequence of her father finding them while Desmond searches Oxford for Faraday’s mother.

He does not give in and promises Penny he will be done with the island once they find her. Once arriving at Oxford, the secretary claims that there are no Faraday employees in the computer database. Knowing that this is untrue because of his visit to Daniel during last season’s VERY important and setting-up-the-audience-for-seasonfive episode “The Constant,” he goes into a locked door in the Physics Department which ends up being the same

room as the rat Eloise’s time travel experience.

Long story short, Widmore was funding all of Daniel’s research - but Faraday ran away to the States after an assumed to be time-travel-gone-wrong experiment. A more-mad-than-I-am-having-to-wait-a-week-for-a-newepisode Desmond storms into Widmore’s office demanding for information.

He is given the address to Faraday’s mother who is in Los Angelos (WOAH SO IS MRS. HAWKING) as long as Desmond keeps Penny safe from Ben. If you recall Ben’s creepy-as-ever late night visit to Widmore’s suite (while sleeping like a baby) to tell Widmore “the rules have changed” and that Ben will kill Widmore’s daughter Penny as Widmore killed Ben’s not-even-real daughter Alex. (Cue irrational smoke monster anger).

Back to the island. The two men who Juliet, Locke, and Sawyer now are holding captive, speak Latin and Juliet says it is because they are an Other - just like her - and the language is mandatory for all members to learn. The United States Army landed on the island and the Others got all cranky and overprotective of the island and killed them all, burying their bodies. We learn the survivors are now experiencing the island circa 1950.

The survivors find the Other’s stolenfrom-the-army camp and guess who?!

RICHARD ALPERT. That dude never ages.

Jughead ends up being a bomb planted on the island by the army and the Others do not know what to do about it.

Locke talks to Alpert about being the present-time-appointed-by-Ben leader and tells Alpert that if he does not believe him, then to visit Locke when he will be born in the future in two years. So THAT’S why Richard was at the hospital the day of Locke’s birth and why he visited young-boy Locke but failed the test when he did not choose the compass. YES, A QUESTION WAS ANSWERED! This scene ended with the island moving in time yet again resulting in the Others, their camp, and the bomb disappearing. Are they in the past, present, or future?!

AHH I HATE THIS PART (but love it so much at the same time). Oh and by the way - am I the only one who does not care about Charlotte frantically dying?!

But do not fret - Lost gave us a run for our money with five minutes left in the episode. You know that man with the English accent who had a gun to Locke’s back before Richard called him off? Richard called him WIDMORE. Charles Widmore?! (Cue freakout). YES, CHARLES WIDMORE. CHARLES WIDMORE WAS AN OTHER IN THE 1950’S PRIOR TO BEN. Anyone else feelin’ a new storyline coming on?! And this is EXACTLY why we all love Lost.

For now, Namaste.

Lost airs Wednesdays at 9p.m. on ABC. Catch up with episodes from past seasons for free at ABC.com. ~Elizabeth Strick & Guest Writer Nick Ansara

Arts & Entertainment

17

February 3, 2009

drama, laughs; entertains all Doctors of Sacred Heart return to Scrubs What do crazy janitors, steak night, and a lifetime supply of muffins have in common? The only possible answer could be the hit TV show Scrubs. One can’t even begin to imagine the heartbreak, devastation and anguish we felt when it aired its final episode last year.

Of course, JD and Dr. Turk didn’t let us down. Scrubs has returned for another season and this could only mean one thing: a major celebration was in order.

Last year, after the seventh season of Scrubs, NBC cut off the show to the dismay of Scrubs fanatics. Thankfully, ABC picked it up and saved the happiness of millions of distressed Americans.

As soon as we saw the first commercial for the new season, it took a while for us to sort things out. In the nightmare that was now our life, we had to pick up the broken pieces and move on without our beloved show.

Seconds later, the calendar on our phones were marked on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 The Best Day of Our Lives. We started pulling out all of our old Scrubs jokes and quotes, considering they were no longer a thing of the past. The anticipation kept us awake at night and we could only imagine what the genius writers of our favorite show would come up with to top the previous seasons.

The blessed day came closer and closer and our thoughts were consumed with everything Scrubs. We wrote Scrubs over all of our papers, notebooks, and folders. The theme song was on repeat on both of our iPods and we continued to count down the days.

Finally the beautiful day came. Quickly, we set up our TVs to record the show so we could watch it every day for the next month.

Things we love about Scrubs 1. The Janitor 2. JD and Turk’s Pranks 3. Turk’s and Elliot’s handshake 4. JD’s fantasies and internal thoughts 5. Dr. Cox’s rants 6. The theme song 7. Sam and Izzy 8. Steak Night 9. Appletinis - lite on the ‘tini’ 10. Elliot’s hair 11. Huggsies 12. Flashbacks to college 13. JD and Turk’s bromance 14. Rowdy

15. The Todd 16. Ted’s anxiety 17. Brinner 18. Hide the Saltine 19. Airbanding 20. Nurse Roberts 21. Snoop Dawg Intern 22. The fabelistic morals that JD always narrates 23. The Janitor’s squirrel army 24. Carla’s constant advice and gossip 25. “Who has two thumbs, a funny voice, and doesn’t give a crap? Bob Kelso!”

~Katie Koffman and Abbey Strick

Scrubs is on ABC every Tuesday night at 9 PM.

Lost & Scrubs photos courtesies of abc.com

The Bachelor gives single father a shot at love The last episode of last year’s season of The Bachelorette was severely heartbreaking for me. Since the beginning of the season I had wanted Jason Mesnick to win and when DeAnna picked Jesse, the snowboarder, in the last episode instead of Jason, I was very upset.

So when commercials started to air for this season’s The Bachelor and I saw Jason’s face pop onto the screen, I absolutely freaked out. The gorgeous single father of an adorable little boy risked it all to find happiness with DeAnna. Although that was taken from him, he now has another chance to find the love of his life.

Since the show started on January 5, Mondays are my favorite day of the week. I can’t wait to get home from basketball, take a shower and get ready to watch the exciting and mesmerizing show that begins at 8 pm.

The first episode went as expected, 25 single women, most of them beautiful; had the chance to impress Jason and get picked to move onto the next round. I definitely had some first impressions about many of the girls.

There were some single moms, a few decided she was not in Malibu for the stalkers, a couple girls I suspected to be right reasons, and chose to go home. promiscuous, and some that I thought Jason then had two girls to eliminate, and chose to make Sharon and Raquel would be great for Jason.

The first impression rose was a big pack their bags and head home.

January 19 brought upon more deal, but Jason chose to give it to Nikki, who seemed like a nice girl. When it drama and excitement on the show. Two was time for the rose ceremony, the girls girls got an individual date with Jason, thought they had voted to eliminate which ended in one girl getting a rose Megan, but to their surprise they actually and one getting sent home.

Stephanie was surprised when her voted to keep Megan on the show. daughter, whose J a s o n birthday was that handed out the day, showed up for remaining roses a day of fun with and eliminated her and Jason. Jason the people he did not think he was enjoyed his time with compatible with. the two and gave Renee with the Stephanie a rose. “vision boards” Natalie went on an went home along amazing dinner and with the drunk concert date in Las Photo courtesy of abc.com Vegas but got sent woman and a few other crazy ladies. home for not having enough in common During the second week, two lucky with Jason. women got the chance to go on a one on The group date was with eight other one date with Jason. Some of the women girls and they all fought for individual hardly got any time with the bachelor at time with Jason while making projects all before the next rose ceremony. Lisa for a good cause. Lots of bickering and

arguing happened among the girls before the next rose ceremony, where Erica and Kari were eliminated from the show. Both were devastated.

Emotions rose to a new high on January 26 as there was one individual date, one group date, and one 2 on 1 date.

Lauren received a rose on her individual date where she and Jason had a campout at his house.

The group date consisted of the girls and Jason going on set of General Hospital. Many girls got on-air kisses with Jason which caused drama at the party afterward.

Nikki then got eliminated during the two on one date because Jason felt she may have been holding back and not opening up to him.

More drama came when Jason didn’t hand out the last rose at the ceremony, eliminating three girls that night. He said “I can’t give out the final rose,” and sent Megan, Lauren, and Shannon home. All of the girls were shocked, and now only five remain to fight for Jason’s heart The Bachelor airs every Monday at 8 pm on ABC. ~Chelsea Ulmer

18

February 3, 2009

Arts & EnTERTAINMENT

Hot movies during a cold winter Seven Pounds directed by Gabriele Muccino is the latest emotional drama to hit theaters. Starring Will Smith as imposter IRS agent Ben Thomas, Seven Pounds ponders the idea of just how far a Good Samaritan can go.

Smith is committed to changing the lives of seven different strangers, after a fatal car accident kills seven people, including his wife. By impersonating an IRS agent, Smith is somehow able do track down seven deserving people who really need a break.

Although the rough movie plot is far-fetched and confusing, Smithís outstanding performance makes Seven Pounds worth seeing.

After helping seven different people, unexpectedly falling in love, and exploring a strange fascination with box-jelly fish, Seven Pounds ends in the scene it began with. Smith is shown contacting the paramedics about a suicide.

Seven Pounds is a confusing yet emotional drama with plenty of twists that keep the viewer guessing right up to the closing credits.

With five Golden Globe Nominations and rave reviews rolling in from critics from The New York Post, Elle, and The Rolling Stone one can hardly resist going to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

While the 2:47 movie will test your patience, it’s definitely worth the long viewing time. Benjamin Button is not just your typical run of the mill love story; it’s a story about life.

Benjamin Button tells the story of a man who is born old physically but mentally is a baby. As time progresses mentally he gets older, but physically he gets younger. This in itself is enough to make a great storyline that keeps you guessing until the very end. The narration is done through a journal kept by Benjamin Button during his life. The whole time you’ll be asking yourself what’s going to happen next.

The movie takes us on the twisted journey that is Benjamin Button’s life.

Of course, he is like everyone else, too. He deals with lost love, family, and basic responsibilities such as getting a job plus the added responsibilities he has because of his condition.

Benjamin Button feels great joy and great pain in his life which I’m sure we can all relate to. I would recommend this movie to anyone and everyone that I know. It is packed with action, mystery, suspense and romance.

You will immediately fall in love with Benjamin Button and find yourself leaving the theater wishing you knew him for real. See it for yourself and you’ll agree The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is worth every second.

Based on the non-fiction novel by John Grogan, Marley and Me tells the story of the Grogan family and their dog named Marley. Marley is not the typical family pet. He is a powerful, monstrous animal that constantly finds his way into trouble, eats, and destroys everything in sight.

The story begins with newlyweds John (Owen Wilson) and Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) starting a new life, moving to Florida, finding new jobs at South Florida papers as journalists, and buying a house. As a birthday present, John buys Jenny a puppy. He names the dog Marley after the singer Bob Marley who he heard on the way home from picking up the puppy.

The movie follows the life of the Grogans and Marley over a span of a decade- through Marley’s destruction, the expanding Grogan family, John’s work, and moving to a new home. Marley is such a badly behaved dog, and yet viewers are able to quickly grow fond of him.

The novel Marley and Me was very captivating and often tied in the bad behavior of Marley more into the story of the family. Unfortunately, the movie seemed to focus more on the family and less on the dog.

Even through this, Marley is able to bring a lot of comic relief to the movie, sometimes relieving the movie of its slower parts of the plot.

Marley and Me is a lighthearted comedy that is worth seeing. Dog owners will especially appreciate the story and the bond between the Grogans and Marley.

History buffs, rejoice! The movie Valkyrie will keep you guessing up until the final moments. Based on actual events, Valkyrie is about a plot to assassinate Hitler and overthrow the Nazi regime during the end of World War II. Tom Cruise flawlessly plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, an officer in the German army. It is one of his best works along with Risky Business and Mission Impossible. The plot to assassinate Hitler and take over the government is not fully revealed right away but instead unfolds through the movie. This creates a sense of suspense that will keep you intrigued until the last moments of the film.

It is truly amazing how close this group of “traitors”, including their ring leader Stauffenberg, was to truly succeeding in taking over the Nazi regime. A close attention to detail, such as the patch over Stauffenberg’s eye, his loss of his right hand and two fingers missing on his left hand, help illustrate such a captivating story.

From the start, the movie grabs your attention with the pledge to Hitler that was required to serve under him. It truly sends shivers up your spine. The only downfall to the film is that the outcome of the movie is already known because Hitler ultimately ends his life by committing suicide.

Full of action, drama, and suspense, this movie is one that you will want to watch time after time.

Arts & EnTERTAINMENT

February 3, 2009

19

New video games countdown From the terribly awful to the terrifically awesome

Know what new games are purchase worthy, which to skip This game is pretty awful overall, but it has some positive qualities. Lets start with the bad ones. First of all, the graphics are terrible. It looks more like a poorly made GameCube game than an X-Box 360 game. The gameplay is so simple that you can master the game within an hour of playing. Plus there is no gun selection whatsoever. You can only carry one primary gun and a pistol at a time and there are only a few weapons to choose from. The melee move is extremely overpowered and stuns the enemy, which gives you extra time to kill the zombies, which only take one good shot to kill anyway. You can only play the game 10 hours at most before beating it, but you will be glad it is over anyway. Since there are no modes outside of the campaign, there is nothing else to do with the game. But if you want to have a little mindless fun splattering zombies brains everywhere, this is a good game for you. I wouldn’t recommend this game to serious gamers, but if you are a buffoon with no standards on games, I would say go for it.

Left 4 Dead

Gears of War 2

This is a well made game that is fun to play.

The fact still remains that it is the same exact thing as the original Gears of War. Everything from the weapons to the gameplay is pretty much identical to the original. Oh, wait, now you can cut through spider webs! What a huge difference! What a joke. The campaign mode is amazing, yet it doesn’t make up for the awful multiplayer and X-box Live modes. I would not buy this game, especially if you own the original, but it is worth a rent.

the names of the players are not in the game. It is easy to download the names in NCAA Football 09, which makes the game seem more like the real thing. If you enjoy sports games, I recommend buying this game.

Fallout 3 A sentence that sums this game up, “What do I do next?” There is so much to do in this game, with numerous quests and a map that never seems to end. You could compare this game to Oblivion, yet it is different. One of my favorite aspects of the game is the ability to choose between doing good and bad things that reflect on your karma. Yet, the best part of the game is the fact that it always makes you want to come back for more. Negatives would include odd graphics at times, poor gun fighting, and a frustrating radar. The most frustrating part of the game is when you have to run to a location. It takes ten minutes and you get attacked every 30 seconds by annoying mutant animals that want your blood. Yet, Fallout 3 has so much to offer. I would buy this game without even hesitating, it’s lengthy gameplay will last you a long time.

NCAA Basketball 09 Finally, EA sports created a good basketball game. The player motion is not jerky like the March Madness series was before and the graphics are very smooth. It is almost like the more realistic 2K series had a baby with the March Madness series, and slowed the game down. It looks very realistic overall and has several modes to keep you busy for a while. There still are some awkward defensive and shooting movements in the game that negate from its value, along with a poor substitution system that can be troublesome. Yet I recommend buying this game, not only for sports fans, but for anyone who appreciates a well made game.

Dead Space Call of Duty: World at War The new Call of Duty has stunning graphics, great online play, and a fun campaign. It has new modes from Call of Duty 4, including zombie mode, in which you have to fight off several zombies in an enclosed room. Personally, this game is not among my favorites because it is basically just a clone of the Medal of Honor series and can sometimes be very frustrating.

However, if you do not own Call of Duty 4, I would recommend buying this game for it’s online play alone.

NCAA Football 09 This game is Madden 09 with different teams and players. EA Sports once again managed to rush another game by taking all of the Madden material and duplicating it into NCAA Football 09. Yet, the game is very visually pleasing and is great for college football fans. One of the problems I usually have with NCAA games is that

This game is awesome. It is by far my favorite new game out right now.

Dead Space is graphically stunning, and the shooting aspect of the game is perfect. There are several different breeds of enemies that are unpredictable and make you jump out of your seat in surprise. Another great thing about the game is that it allows you to purchase and upgrade weapons throughout the game, something that most of the other shooters above do not have to offer. The radar system is clear and lets you know where to go and what to do, which takes the frustration out of the game. The only negative quality is the fact that there is no online play, which is very disappointing. Personally, I love third person shooters, but maybe they could create an option to switch into first person to make certain players more comfortable. However, this game is worth every penny for any gamer.

All photos courtesy of Wikipedia.com ~Andrew Miller

20

February 3, 2009

SPORTS

NV swim teams dominate NLL meet SWIMMING THE BREASTSROKE in the Medley Relay against Southview is senior Captain Zach McClurg. The boys Medley Relay took first, McClurg also won the 100 meter breaststroke and helped lead the boys to a narrow margin of victory over SV.

Staff Writer The Northview Swimming and Diving team heated up in the dead of the winter with a Northern Lakes League win for the boys and third place at NLLs for the girls.

The Swimming and Diving team had NLL’s two Saturdays ago. Southview was winning by a few points before the boys breaststroke, which featured three NV swimmers seniors Zach McClurg and Nick Pietrykowski, and junior Daniel Rhollans who all swam and placed well. Doing so helped them catch up in the point’s race with SV. The men also had a come from behind win in the 200 freestyle relay consisting of junior Ryan Coutts, senior Mico Cordero, Pietrykowski, and junior Ben McClurg. Adding to all the strong finishes was senior Michael Ward who showed power and endurance, by winning all of his events but one.

The girls did well overall, but were out swum by their fellow NLL swimmers taking third behind Bowling Green and Perrysburg.

On January 2 the teams faced SV

photo by Halie Langhals

and had their senior night. The girls easily won with first place finishes from juniors Laura Guinness and Megan Foster and seniors Danielle Hrovat and Katie Koffman. The boys eeked out a win by only three points securing their domination over SV again.

A strong senior class leads both teams including captains Zach McClurg and Ward. The girl’s captains are Hrovat and Koffman.

Both teams are preparing for sectionals which qualifies them to district competition in February, the

culmination of the season for some, according to Coach Sarah Huey.

“Last year at Districts I swam a 1:03 in the 100 breaststroke, but this year I am hoping to go :59, that’s a large improvement but I feel healthy and up to it,” Zach McClurg said.

Boys basketball hopes to end on high note Sports Editor The Wildcat basketball team is in mid season but are still looking to hit on all cylinders. Despite big wins against Northern Lake League foes Springfield and Rossford, the Cats find themselves struggling in league rankings.

“This season has been a real rollercoaster ride for us. I think we can make a late run though,” said senior Devin Simon.

The Cats took a break from the NLL season to play Central Catholic High School. The Cats tried to keep up with the speedy city league team but were unable to stick with them the whole game. The team fell to the Fighting Irish 54-42. Senior Stephen Vizina led the team with 14 points.

The team then traveled out to Anthony Wayne on January 6 to take on the Generals. The Cats led at halftime but were outscored 20-9 in the fourth quarter and lost the game 49-44. Senior Ryan Yockey led the Wildcats with 15

points.

“It was a rough third quarter for us, but we played an overall strong game.

We need to finish this season strong,” said senior Tripper Northrup.

The Cats were looking for a turn around game and they hoped that the Rossford game would do the trick.

Live on the BCSN, the Cats downed the Bulldogs with a hard fought 64-60 win.

“It was a big win for us, hopefully we can keep this momentum going,” said Simon.

Next on the schedule was Bowling

Green. The Bobcats played an all round solid game never letting the Wildcats get too close. NV tried for a late run but came up short losing 50-41.

After a tough loss at BG, the team needed help in the NLL standings and a win against Anthony Wayne would do the trick. The Cats thrived off the home crowd and played well in all four quarters defeating the Generals 56-54.

“We played well, it was tough but we pulled it out,” said Northrup.

The Cats played at Perrysburrg Friday night.

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Girl’s Basketball keeps winning Staff Writer The LadyKat Basketball team started the season with a huge win against the defending Northern Lakes League champion Anthony Wayne Generals.

The Kats have since made their mark with more wins and an impressive battle against a USA Today fifth ranked team in the nation, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, over the passed few weeks.

The Kats easily overcame Bowling Green 68-43. Senior Stephanie Rentschler led with 16 points.

The following night, NV challenged last year’s Division 1 State Final Four participant, the Central Catholic Irish.

NV posted a huge 61-54 win. Fouty lead all scores with 25 points.

December 19 , NV played the Maumee Panthers. NV walked away with a 72-33 win. NV’s Sohasky led with 16.

Ten days later, the LadyKats traveled to play the Cloverleaf Colts.

NV came back from a 17-point deficit and tied the game at 55. A buzzer beater gave the Colts a 57-55 win. Sohasky lead NV with 15.

The Kats started off the New Year on January 3 as they played the Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame Cougars. MND has won the last three State Championships in a row. NV fell behind MND 41-20 by halftime. MND defeated NV 59-47. NV’s Sohasky lead with 14 points and senior Kelsey McCoy added 12.

Although a loss, the Kats were not too discouraged, “I think we did great against them. Let’s face it they’re fifth in the nation for a reason,” said senior Katelyn Dobson. “We never gave up. If we play like that good against everyone, watch out.”

Next was the annual Southview vs Northview game. Both teams were tied in second place in the NLL, being (3-1).

At the half, NV had a slim four-point edge. However, outscoring the Kats 12-4 in the third quarter, SV defeated NV 4338. Fouty led the Kats with 13 points.

NV’s record became (3-2) in the league.

Next the LadyKats thrashed Bowsher in a 66-22 non-league win.

On January 16, NV played the Springfield Devils. NV easily won 5735. Fouty lead scoring with 12 points, Hannah Small and McCoy with 11 each.

OUTSTRETCHING HER HAND is senior Stephanie Rentschler trying to win the tip-off against Anthony Wayne.

The Lady Kats have gone 2-0 against the Generals this year.

The Generals are the defending Northern Lakes League Champions in 2008. photo by Sam Weisman

The next night at home, NV posted 63-53 victory over the Findlay Trojans.

Fouty posted 17 points. January 20, NV traveled to Perrysburg. Despite attempts

by NV, the state ranked Jackets defeated the Kats 42-32, in a disappointing loss.

NV fell to a (4-3) record in the NLL. Fouty led scores with 15 points.

Next, the LadyKats crushed the

Generals 46-35. NV improved to a (5-3) record in league play.

Last Tuesday, NV played at Bowling Green and slipped by with a 71-67 overtime win. Fouty led with 23 points, Rentschler and McCoy added 13 and 10 points.

They play again tonight at home against Maumee.

Dance team spices up b-ball halftimes with jazzy moves Staff Writer The dance team continues to rev up basketball games with upbeat performances during halftime.

“Because we have most of the same returning members, everyone gets along really well and we perform better because of it,” said senior co-captain Jessica Bennett.

Choreographed by Bennett, the other co-captain junior Melissa Rondinelli, and head captain senior Danielle Snyder, the dance team revealed new dances to “Yeah” by Usher, “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga, “Fireman” by Lil Wayne, and “Disturbia” by Rihanna.

Adding a twist to “Disturbia”, the girls dressed in ripped-up clothing, smeared makeup on their faces, and messed up their hair to coerce with the lyrics of the crazy-but-fun song.

“This year has been my favorite year so far,” said junior Sia DuFour, who is a third-

year dance team participant. “We have so much fun at practices—I love the songs and dances, and I am excited for the rest of this year.”

Practices normally run from 5:30-8:30 on Mondays, Tuesdays 5-8, and 4-6:30 on Fridays, led by the captains and dance coach Kelly Szparka. Practices normally start out with a 15-20 minute warm-ups of stretching, crunches, pushups, and jumping jacks, according to Bennett.

Next, they begin to practice their routines.

Currently, the team is working on a dance to a mix of five Britney Spears’ songs. This is included in preparation for their two upcoming competitions, including one on February 21 in Findlay, and one in March at Central Catholic High school. The team is also scheduled to perform at the winter assembly on February 6.

“The dances this year were a lot of fun to perform,” said Bennett. “I’ll be sad when it comes time for the last game. The whole experience of my past four years on the team was a lot of fun.”

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February 3, 2009

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Brett Favre Greatest quarterback ever or too old to play?

Sports writers, ESPN analysts, and football fans in general have been criticizing the man who made professional football what it is today, New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre.

First of all, nobody has any right to question the single greatest quarterback in the NFL’s history. He has broken more records than any other quarterback, some of which will never be re-broken.

Favre has thrown for an amazing 464 touchdowns in his career, smashing the old record by 46. He also leads the NFL in passing yards and the most completed passes with 5720.

In addition to all of these impressive records Favre has broken, he has also won three consecutive MVP awards in the ’95,’96,’97 seasons, the only person to ever do this. If that is not enough proof of how gifted Favre is, he also won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 1997. Favre contributed to this win with two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown, humiliating the New England Patriots 35-21.

“Brett Favre is a superhuman among mere mortals, we should all bow down to him and attempt to soak up his greatness,” said senior Nick Messinger.

No team really has much of a chance of victory with a great leader like Brett Favre against them. He is one of the most durable players to ever play in professional sports, with 269 consecutive starts. He played through injuries including his back, side, knee, hamstring, ankle, and a concussion. Favre also played with a broken thumb through 10 grueling games. At the age of 39, this veteran is still able to play through pain and has the reputation of being one of the toughest men in sports history.

Favre is as loyal as he is durable, staying with the Green Bay Packers for 16 seasons. The only reason he left the Packers organization is because the General Manager Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy were too bullheaded to realize what they were letting go. They soon found out that their new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers was not the answer to their problems. Rodgers led the team to a horrible record of 6-10 in one of the worst divisions in the NFL. Maybe they forgot that just a year ago, Favre had catapulted the Packers to 13-3 and got them all the way to the NFC championship game. McCarthy and Thompson will enjoy the playoffs this year from their couch, eating popcorn and crying to their wives, questioning why they let Favre go.

The main thing that people are saying about him is that he is “washed up and should quit” and “he ruined

the New York Jets season.” Let me remind you of what he did this season. He did not ruin the Jet’s season, in a matter of fact he is the main reason that the Jets

even had any wins in their first 12 games, throwing 20 touchdown passes and accounting for a large part of the Jet’s offense.

Some people would blame him for the last five games because of the numerous interceptions he threw, but keep in mind that the Jet’s defense collapsed and their running game was shut down, forcing Favre to throw in tough situations. He saved the New York Jets. In 2007, they ended their season at 4-12 without Favre. This year they finished 9-7 and were one game away from the playoffs, a drastic improvement.

So Brett Favre is washed up? I think not. He is the single best quarterback to ever play the game and his numerous awards and records prove this. You should never question a legend and a legend should leave the game when he is no longer able to perform at the professional level. Favre obviously still has the skills to continue in the NFL for the time being. So if your going to tell the greatest player in football history that he needs to retire, you should check your facts before spouting off. ~Andrew Miller

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There is no arguing that Brett Favre is one the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. However, he is also one of the oldest and warn down players to ever play. His latest act of aging was a second half season melt down, in which he threw nine interceptions in three games. His arm strength is beginning to deteriorate and his teammates are beginning to turn on him. He is washed up and should never have come back this season and should not come back next season Brett Favre gave a very tearful “I’m retiring” speech last summer and then signed with the New York Jets late last summer to try a comeback. It started off like he would ride into the sunset with Jets and go out on top. But then a little thing called age set in and cost the Jets the playoffs and possibly more. Even his Jets teammates don’t want him back. Multiple players have come out on record and ESPN.com expressed their disgust with Favre. He got tired and weak late into the season and blew his chance of having any respect as a quarterback in today’s game.

Favre joins the list of Michael Jordan, Emmit Smith, Roger Clemens, and Magic Johnson. All these athletes dominated their respected games in their hay day, however each of them played way past their prime and tarnished their reputations as the greatest to ever play.

No doubting the man has had a Hall of Fame career but whenever fans and analysts talk about Brett’s’ career there’s always going to be “Remember when he came back and played for the Jets, he fell apart.”

I’m writing a letter to Brett myself, a please retire and stay that way letter. If you have any other ideas please let me know.

Dear Brett, If you cannot understand why you should retire listen up, you’re old, your arm is weak, you’ve lost leadership skills, and your own team doesn’t want you back. Retire, stay retired, and join ESPN to be an analyst like all the other old players. ~Joe Mehling

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Cheerleaders keep basketball games lively Staff Writer You walk into the boys basketball game. The guys are warming up. You can feel the intensity. The Northview Wildcat spirit is looming in the air. You already know this will be a great game. Warm up’s over and the team is ready to be introduced. Then, the NV cheerleaders come out. When every teammate’s name is called, the cheerleaders cheer and perform stunts. The freshman, junior varsity, and varsity teams cheer at their respective basketball games and practice three times a week.

“The cheerleaders always pump me up and make me want to have more school spirit,” said sophomore Margot Jacobs.

“At the games, our job is to try to get the crowd pumped up for the team and to cheer the guys on,” said sophomore cheerleader Ally Holding.

When the crowd is failing to keep the team pumped up the cheerleaders are always there to keep things spirited and fun.

“At the games, our job is to try to get

the crowd pumped up for the team and to cheer the guys on,” said sophomore cheerleader Ally Holding. Many people don’t appreciate the hard work and dedication these girls put into what they do. They practice three times a week every week and cheer at every single boys basketball game. Usually there is around 2 or 3 basketball games every week which means a lot of cheering.

Fortunately the girls love what they do.

“Cheerleading this season has been really fun, the team has done a great job of pumping up the crowd,” said cheerleader junior Alex Melick.

Competition is one of the things the squad is really good at according to Holding. This year, the girls have taken a break from competition but Holding is optimistic that they will be ready next year to win more trophies. Outside of school and games, the girls participate in a lot of charity work including Cheer For the Cure.

“We like to try to help out the community and be a part of things,” said Holding.

You can see the NV cheerleaders at the next boys basketball game at Perrysburg this Friday.

Sam Weisman JUNIOR CHEERLEADERS Erika Parton and Taylor Simmons keep the crowd pumped up at a game. The cheerleaders practice three times a week and cheer at two to three basketball games per week. This year, the team took a break from competition but are hopeful about competing next year.

Wrestling team struggles; remains hopeful Staff Writer The Wildcats wrestled their way into some individual success this season, yet have struggled to win as a team.

On January 15, NV squared up against one of the best teams in the NLL, the Maumee Panthers. They did not wind up winning the match, but gave it a good shot.

“We put up a good fight, but we were overpowered by their experience, we are a very young team,” said senior

wrestler Alex Ritzenthaler. the same as a pin. Their combined points Their next meet was against were not enough to conquer Rossford, Rossford on January 22. Senior Nathan and the Wildcats ended up losing 46-28.

Wisniewski contributed immensely, The following day they began the winning by Perrysburg major decision.

Invitational, A win by which extended decision is through the next worth eight - senior Rudy Severhoff day as well. The points, which is invitational had more than a normal win. many teams present, and NV needed Senior Eric Brown, sophomore Jake to wrestle to the best of their abilities to Martinez, and Ritzenthaler all won by place high. forfeit, which is worth six points apiece, NV wrestlers taking top spots

“I think we have enough talent to finish strong,”

include Brown, who took second in the 160-pound weight class, Ritzenthaler, who took third in the 140-pound weight class, and Martinez, who took fourth place in the 112-pound weight class.

Even with these great individual performances, the Wildcats finished low on the totem pole of teams.

With only a few weeks left to their season, the Wildcats do not seem to be giving up quite yet. “We hope to end our season with some wins, I think we have enough talent to finish strong,” said senior Rudy Severhoff.

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February 3, 2009

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Hockey looks to fi nish strong Staff Writers The Northview Hockey team started off winter break with two games in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Cats played Mt. Lebanon on December 13 for their first contest. Northview showed little bright spots other than a lone goal from sophomore Josh Cole. The Cats were heavily defeated 7-1.

The following day, NV played Bethel Park. The game was a tight thriller with goals from Cole, senior Matt Duvall and a season first from senior Jake Thornton.

After a scoreless overtime, the game was decided in a shootout. Only senior Kyle Hymore scored a goal and the Cats suffered their third loss of the season, according to NorthviewHockey.com.

On December 19, the team traveled to Cleveland for the Padua Invitational hosting the state’s strongest teams. The first game was against defending state champions St. Edwards. Hymore had a pair of goals and Duvall added another.

Despite strong play, the Wildcats fell 6-3.

The following morning, December 20, the Cats faced off against powerhouse University school. The Preppers came out flying and didn’t let down, defeating the Cats 5-0. Later that day, the Wildcats played the tournament host, Padua.

Junior Mark Hall and Duvall contributed with goals of their own and sophomore Nolan Culver continued his strong play and added his first and second career goals. Senior Nile Culver also scored on a penalty shot that boosted the Cats moral, leading them to a 5-2 win.

NV ended the tournament against Lake Catholic on December 21. Junior Shane Wheatley, Hymore, Nolan Culver, sophomore Tyler Harding and Cole contributed with goals, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback, losing 7-5.

On December 26, the Cats traveled back to Cleveland to participate in the first annual St. Ignatius Holiday Invitational. In the first game, the team manhandled St. Charles 10-0. Sophomore Drew Korn netted his first career goal to help the Cats win. NV played the host St. Ignatius on December 27. Junior Jordan Jones scored the only goal for the Cats

Sam Weisman SENIOR CAPTAIN KYLE HYMORE dices up the Findlay defense in league play. Hymore led the Cats past the Trojans 5-1. and as a result, the Cats lost 6-1.

That evening the Wildcats took on Culver Military Academy. With a win, NV had a chance to advance into the championship game. The Cats played their best game of the season despite a lone goal by Nile Culver. However, the Cats’ efforts weren’t enough to get them into the championship game, losing 2-1.

On December 28, NV played in the constellation game against St. Charles.

The Cats showed sluggish play and were not on top of their game. Duvall scored two goals and Wheatley and sophomore Aaron Booth contributed one goal a piece in the win.

The Cats traveled to Findlay to play in the dreaded Ice Cube on January 2.

The stands were packed with Findlay fans and NV fans hoping for a win. The Cats had another off game and fell to the Trojans 3-2 in a thriller to open up the 2009 year.

At the end of the game, emotions ran high and got the best of both teams, resulting in a brawl. No suspensions were given out and the Cats were already looking into the future, taking on the Titans January 9.

“Christmas break was tough for the team. We played some of the best Ohio and Pennsylvania teams and were not playing up to our full potential,” said

senior Jordan Keefe.

After a very good week of practice, the team played St. Johns in a back and forth thriller. Hymore contributed with two snipes as well as a goal by Cole.

Sophomore Matt Stevenson showed strong play in the net, but again, the Cats lost in league play 4-3.

For the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, NV traveled to Meadville, Pennsylvania to take on Mt.Lebanon and Lasalle. The Wildcats also played defending Ohio state champions, St. Edwards.

The first contest on January 16, Northview played Lasalle. The team continued their struggles with an 8-1 loss. Junior Anthony Holley’s hard work finally paid off with his first goal of the season, but it wasn’t good enough for a win.

On January 17, the Cats took on Mt. Lebanon who defeated the Cats 7-1 earlier in the season. Harding netted a power-play goal to start the scoring for the Cats. Duvall scored another goal to bring the Cats closer to a win. Thornton scored a goal to tie up the game and send a momentum shift towards the Cats side for the first time in the game.

Hymore scored a one-timer slap shot to seal the deal. The Cats got their revenge and defeated Mt.Lebanon 4-3.

Later that night the Cats faced off against defending state champions St. Edwards. NV came out flat and couldn’t gain any momentum to propel them to victory. They fell 8-0 ending there up and down weekend.

On January 23, NV kicked off the weekend against the Saint Francis Knights. Duvall and Hymore contributed with one goal each and the Cats won 2-0.

The Findlay Trojans came to Tamo-Shanter looking to sweep the Cats in league play on January 24. With fierce play from freshman goaltender, Austin Gryca, NV heavily defeated Findlay 5-1.

Goals were scored by freshman Brent Easton, Hymore, Harding, and Nile Culver.

“We had a solid performance but there is still room for improvement,” said Harding.

Winning both games moved the Cats from last place to second and their record improved to 10-12-2.

“We came together as a team this weekend. I believe we gained some confidence for league play,” said Nolan Culver.

Their next game was against St. Francis on January 30 at Tam-o-Shanter.

According to Napierala, the best is yet to come.