Volume 86: Issue 6

SYLVANIANORTHVIEW VOLUME85 ISSUE6 01252011

THESTUDENTPRINTS ASSEMBLY 02

CUTS 07

Proposed cuts destroy district

BASKETBALL 10

STRICK SPEAKING TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION is senior Jim Park. Park spoke on behalf of the Harmony Road Show along with NV’s entire music program at the public forum held January 14.

UPCOMING AFFAIRS>> JANUARY25

girlsbasketball v.anthonywayne

JANUARY29

boysbasketball v.bedford

DECEMBER3 boysbasketball v.clay

JANUARY29 hockey v.stjohns

FEBRUARY1 latestart

FEBRUARY1 girlsbasketball v.springfield

FEBRUARY3 wrestling v.springfield

FEBRUARY5 girlsbasketball v.southview

FEBRUARY11

JDRFcupidshuffle

FEBRUARY11

boysbasketball v.anthonywayne

A.STRICK COEDITOR Y.PAPADIMOS COEDITOR

The Sylvania Board of Education announced its proposed plan for $6 million in budget reductions January 10. The proposed operating levy in November was defeated which forces the district to deal with a $7 million loss over the next 12 months. The last operating levy was passed in 2004.

“The 2004 levy has not expired, but it does not raise enough revenue to support programs and services and thus the need for another operating levy,” said Superintendent Dr. Brad Rieger. Along with that, the district’s total property value has decreased severely over the last two years. This resulted in over $700,000 less collected for the district in the 2010 fiscal year than in the 2009 fiscal year.

A final contributor that led to the proposed cuts was a decrease in

state funding. The forecast assumes that the state of Ohio will reduce funding by 10% for the next fiscal year. There is a potential for this funding to be decreased even more potentially 20% which would lead to an additional 1.2 million reduction, according to information provided by the Superintendent’s office.

The Board proposed $6 million in cuts because the five year forecast For more, see “CUTS” pg. 3

School wide Cupid Shuffle to fund juvenile diabetes M.HAWLEY

STAFF

Everyone knows the “Cupid Shuffle.” It has a special dance to go along with it and it tells you what to do right in the song. You may know it because it was widely played at dances, especially back in junior high. But on February 11, Sylvania Med Tech is bringing this line dance back.

Every year the Health Occupational Students of America (HOSA) Professional Club supports a teen related issue, according to Mrs. Pat Johnson.

“This year we chose the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). There have been many walks for diabetes, but never a shuffle. We will post our shuffle on Youtube and challenge other schools to beat our numbers and help support diabetes and hold their own Cupid Shuffle,” said Mrs. Johnson.

This school-wide Cupid Shuffle is an original idea from the Sylvania Med Tech.

“At my daughter’s wedding they did the Cupid Shuffle and it looked so cool with everyone doing it in unison, so I decided to use the idea with a good cause. I want to get 1,000 people doing it in our gym when we hold the shuffle,” said Mrs. Johnson.

“I really hope everyone gets involved. I want this to lead school spirit and this will eventually help with other school activities. We want this to make a difference in the lives of teens with Juvenile Diabetes,” said senior Ashley Yeager.

There will be an all school assembly on February 11 to benefit the JDRF. The assembly will include a DJ, music, balloons and confetti galore.

Everyone who wishes to participate in

HAWLEY PURCHASING A WRISTBAND from senior Jenna Johns is junior Katie Pizza. The wristbands are students’ “ticket” to enter the Cupid Shuffle assembly that will be held February 11 at NV. All proceeds from the assembly will go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. the assembly must pay $2. There are also t-shirts available in assorted colors for $8. You also get a “Cure Diabetes” bracelet for admittance to the dance.

The tickets are on sale from now to January 28. If 700 students participate, Northview may be able to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records.

The event will also be video recorded and put onto Youtube for everyone to see.

Junior Alex Blackford is a student at NV who has diabetes. “I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes the

summer before freshman year. When I first found out I had diabetes, I did not know how to deal with it. I had to change my diet and lifestyle,” said Blackford. “After a few months of struggling, I figured out how to control it and make things easier. There is no known cause for type 1 diabetes. When I was first diagnosed, I was taking four shots of insulin a day, but now I only do one shot a day. I have a meter to measure my blood sugar and I have to prick my finger three to five times a day.”

Student of the month

Congratulations “name here”- Student of the Month has been posted on the marquee in the front of Northview twice this winter.

For three years Principal Mr. Stewart Jesse and several students, teachers and other members of the administration have chosen a student every month, but this year is the first it has been presented to the student body.

“I go around and talk to different people, asking who is really succeeding,” said Mr. Jesse. The goal is to find a senior who makes a difference in NV every day. Mr. Jesse is not the only one who picks the seniors but other administrators have the option to choose as well.

The student that is chosen goes to a luncheon for the Sylvania Chamber of Commerce and receives a certificate as well. They are entered for a chance to win a scholarship, and get their picture in the newspaper. So far this year, the student of the month has been given to seniors Yianni Papadimos, Abbey Strick and Serena Chang.

“Being selected as student of the month was a huge honor,” said Papadimos. “I try to be as involved in school as possible and getting to meet the men and women involved in our community made for a worthwhile afternoon.”

-Libby Headman

NV news going digital

The morning announcements will soon be going digital.

The announcements will be streamed through teachers’ Smart Boards every morning, according to Principal Mr. Stewart Jesse.

“In a way, I’m excited for the video announcements but then I’m nervous. Yianni (Papadimos) and I like to mess around while we do them with Mrs. [Molly] Mayers in the main office and we have a fun time,” said senior Brittney Von Stein, one of the announcers.

“It’s a good idea, I am totally for it if it will be informative,” said social studies teacher Sam Melendez.

Some of the negative aspects of video announcements are longer announcements and more visible mistakes.

“I am for it if it helps more students get the message of announcements, but against it if it just takes up extra time,” said science teacher Eric Keller.

The new announcements are the creation of junior Chris Johnson.

“Introducing and starting video news at NV will, in my opinion, help students better understand what is happening around school,” said Johnson, “and hopefully get more students more involved around NV by using an up-todate manner that students can relate to.”

-Jack Melick

NEWS

02

Captains gather for assembly Seniors choose Prom theme M.JACOBS

BUSINESS

The race to pick the perfect Prom theme began the week of January 13 as the Senior Class Government began choosing possible songs, one of which the dance will be centered around.

Senior Class Government asked other students around the school what songs would be best in their opinion. The list was long but the Class Government officers were able to cut it down to five songs using the process of elimination, according to Senior Class Government Member Mary Grace Fitzgerald.

“A big deciding factor was if the songs were appropriate and well known” said Senior Class Government President Nicole Hobbs The senior English classes chose from five candidates: “Drops of Jupiter” by Train, “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, “How Far We’ve Come” by Matchbox Twenty, “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield and “Good Riddance” by Green Day. “I thought the songs that they chose were kind of depressing, but ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ was the best choice,” said senior Ilyse Golding.

Seniors are awaiting the unveiling of the final Prom theme song, which is typically released in early February, according to Ms. Jodi Hess.

KOFFMAN TRYING TO KEEP a mini football from falling with their faces are senior Emily Due and junior Katie Musteric. Due and Musteric are cocaptains of the Girls’ Dive team. If teams dropped the ball they had to stop, do 10 jumping jacks and return to the spot where the ball fell.

A.MILLIRON STAFF

When walking into the gym, the energy was high for the Winter Sports Assembly. Music was played throughout the assembly and the crowd was loud. The captains of the hockey, dance, wrestling, cheerleading, swim and dive, and basketball teams competed against each other after an acrobatic display from the gymnastics team.

In the first relay, the captains had to dribble and shoot a basket, shoot a hockey puck, and jump rope forwards and backwards. The second relay forced the captains to run with a sports ball against their partner’s face without letting it fall.

In the final relay, the captains raced to drag their partner around the gym on a towel.

“The assembly could have been done better since it was a little out of control but overall it was a good one,” said senior Adam Simpson.

Senior Sam Federman, co-captain of the Boys’ Dive team, shook things up a notch when he decided to strip down into his speedo for the second relay. The crowd went wild and the assembly ended on a good note.

“I thought the beginning went well but since some events dropped out we had a lot of extra time that we had to fill,” said senior Nick Dorner, “The Business Tech class helped us a lot, though, with setting up the gymnastics mats.”

“Due to the low interest in the Winter One Acts, we only wanted at least three scripts,” said Zielinski. “I’m disappointed that we could not have them this year, but hopefully next year the Drama Club can pull the Winter One Acts together.”

After various deadline extensions, the Drama Club ran out of time to reschedule and prepare the show. In addition, the Winter One Acts’ delay would have caused conflictions with Cat’s Meow.

“It is very unfortunate that the show was cancelled,” said junior Erin Owens. “It was a great

opportunity for both theater and non-theater participants to play the field and try something new.”

“I’m upset about the Winter One Acts being cancelled because I wanted to try out this year,” said sophomore Sydney Froelich.

“It doesn’t affect me as a performer active in theater,” said senior Kaylie Martinez. “However I’m sad that I won’t get to see them.”

“I feel sad because I enjoyed watching the One Acts,” she said. “They made me laugh.”

Art Club One act play festival dropped bleaches B.THOMAS t-shirts OP/ED

K.MCCOY

STAFF

Art Club took tye dying to a new level of fun on January 6. About a dozen Art Club members brought different types of dark colored clothing to bleach during one of their meetings.

Only Art Club members were able to participate in the activity, if they paid their dues, according to art teacher Mrs. Terri SealRoth. The students used stencils, cue tips and tape to make designs with the bleach.

“It was really cool and so unique to see everyone make their own design,” said senior Katie Simrell.

The bleach was in a spray bottle and after being sprayed on the shirts, it took action almost instantly. Though the bleach made marks right away, the clothes took some time to dry.

“The bleaching t-shirts was a great success,” said Simrell.

This is the first time the Art Club has bleached t-shirts and they hope to continue the tradition in following years. Due to the huge success, part two took place January 13. Art Club members have had more unique projects along with this one. Other projects Art Club wants to try later in the year are card and jewelry making, according to Mrs. Seal-Roth.

“I hope to let the kids do more projects that they won’t do at home,” said Mrs. SealRoth.

The Drama Club has cancelled Northview’s annual Winter One Acts production due to low interest from the student body. The decision was officially announced January 5 during the Drama Club meeting.

Only one full script was turned into the Drama Club officers, according to Drama Club Vice President, senior Amber Zielinski.

Musicians move into new rooms M.PORTERFIELD STAFF

As Northview band students walked down the chilly hallway towards their new room, opinions erupted through many students’ minds.

On December 20, volunteers (both parents and students) helped move instruments and equipment from the old band room into the new one. The new room, equipped with new lockers and practice rooms, is considered by many to be much bigger than the old room with many advantages, according to band director Mr. Eugene Bohland.

“It’s fantastic. The practice rooms are out of the way but easy to access and we finally have enough uniform storage space,” said senior Jacob Watson.

Becoming organized in the new room has proven to be a bit stressful to not only the students, but to the teachers as well. Instruments had to be organized from a huge pile in the old room into individual lockers with locks to match, according to Mr. Bohland.

“I’m really stressed with moving into the new band room. Moving has been extremely difficult because it’s still not finished, boxes are everywhere. The students

Powazki THE NORTHVIEW CHOIR ROOM emptied as students, parents, and teacher Mrs. Dawn Kingman made the exodus to their new and almost finished room. Students wrote on the walls of their old room in order to say goodbye. have been wonderful with helping out though,” said Mr. Bohland.

Problems with instruments being stolen have been resolved due to the new security of the lockers.

“In the old band room my music would be missing and people would mess with my instrument,” said senior Danny Florez, “which is why I like the new lockers.”

Though the band room is usable, there

are still many unfinished aspects. The lack of acoustic pads has caused some echoing, which can alter the sound of music being played by the students. Another issue is the dust caused by the ongoing construction nearby, according to Mr. Bohland.

“The band room is spacious, but it looks foggy,” said junior James D’Onofrio.

Mr. Bohland had to cancel class on January 7 due to safety concerns of too much dust being inhaled.

Students will remain in the new room for band class until the construction is completely finished.

New choir and orchestra rooms are also on their way to being finished.

Students have begun going to class in these new rooms as well. All music students share the same issue of having to practice around the construction in unfinished rooms.

NEWS New NV athletic facilities wait on funds from district

PAPADIMOS THE BOYS LOCKER ROOM awaits impending improvements along with the weight room. Northview is in line to receive funds from the 2008 bond that also has funded the new Performing Arts wing. The amount of money that NV will receive is dependent on the amount of money spent on finding a new location for Central Elementary.

A.STRICK

COEDITOR

All year students have become very familiar with the sights and sounds of construction.

The 2008 bond, known as Issue 33, funded all of the construction that has been happening throughout the year at Northview and other Sylvania schools.

NV is in line to receive more money from the bond to improve its athletic facilities, according to Principal Mr. Stewart Jesse. NV will not know how much money it will receive until the new location of Central Elementary is finalized because the amount will depend on how much is spent on the Central Elementary location search, according to Athletic Director Mr. Chris Irwin.

“It’s really just a holding pattern, all we can do is wait and find out what we have to work with,” said Mr. Irwin. There was a 40-acre lot near Forest Lakes/Stonybrook and Villa Farms neighborhoods that was under consideration to be the new site but a high-pressure natural liquid gas underground pipeline on the site was a concern, according to Sylvania Schools Superintendent Dr. Brad Rieger.

Cuts

(Continued from page 1)

submitted to the Ohio Department of Education reported a negative cash balance of $9.4 million on June 30, 2012. If a new levy is passed it will provide around $3.5 million, which brings the cash deficit just below $6 million, according to information provided by the Superintendent’s office.

“The Sylvania Board of Education has not decided when to go back to the voters,” said Dr. Rieger in regards to the next operational levy. If the levy is not passed another $3 million in cuts will need to be made, according to Dr. Rieger. For a complete list of the current proposed cuts, see page 7.

The pipeline starts in Sarnia, Canada, runs through the Sylvania Community and ends in Green Springs, Ohio, according to Dr. Rieger.

“During our initial analysis of the property, the pipeline’s owner, Dome Oil/BP, did not express concerns about building a school at this preferred site,” said Dr. Rieger.

“Several months later, representatives from Dome Oil/BP requested that a school not be located at the site because an accidental leak or rupture in the pipeline during the construction phase or after the school was built could lead to a catastrophic incident,” said Dr. Rieger in a recent letter to parents of Central Elementary students.

The district’s Construction Management Team has been investigating the issue along with Dome and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

The backup site for Central is land already owned by the district north of Timberstone Junior High and with the current events the district is leaning in that direction. Unfortunately, the most recent floodplain maps show that part of the Timberstone site now lies in a floodplain.

The problematic pipeline also runs parallel to the site, but it is significantly farther away, according

to Dr. Rieger.

The improvements that NV would like to make to their athletic facilities include new locker rooms, adding on or replacing the weight room and building a new office for the athletic director closer to the athletic facilities.

“The improvements we would like to make are in a priority list. That’s how we will decide what is going to be done - starting with locker rooms, then the weight room then the new athletic director’s office,” said Mr. Jesse.

The improvements are a necessity, according to Mr. Irwin and will eventually happen. The current question is just what we will be able to get now and what we will have to wait for.

“I’m confident that all of these things will get done, really the only thing I’m not sure of is the timing,” said Mr. Irwin. “The board and Dr. Rieger understand that these are necessary improvements.”

The Construction Management Team and Sylvania Board of Education is continuing to work to finalize the new location for Central Elementary as soon as possible, according to Dr. Rieger. It is only then that NV will know how much money it will receive for its athletic facilities.

January 13, the board held a special public forum at Southview for anyone in the community to voice their opinion and/or give suggestions.

Around 1,000 Sylvania residents attended the forum and over 40 of those residents spoke. Many Sylvania school students defended organizations and classes that they belonged to that faced being eliminated including Northview Harmony Road Show and Exploring Careers in Education.

“The students who will be affected most by cutting this program [Exploring Careers in Education] would be the current juniors and students who may have taken the course in the future,” said Mrs. Wanda Snyder. “It may not have the highest number of students, but they are successful. The program is viable.”

Teachers and parents spoke about potential solutions that the district may have overlooked.

The forum began at 7p.m. and did not end until 11p.m.

The Board of Education convened the next day to discuss their proposed plan and the suggestions and opinions that were voiced the night before. They will vote on the final cuts sometime in February.

03

Students make All-State Bands

Several students of the Northview Band have been accepted to perform in different AllState Bands. Senior Julia Hage was accepted to the Ohio University Honor Band, The Ohio State Honor Band and the Bowling Green State University Honor Band. Senior Rianne VanDervoort was accepted to the BGSU Honor Band. Junior Blayne Weddington was accepted to the OU Honor Band and the BGSU Honor Band. Senior Ted Garey was accepted to the BGSU and the All OSU Fair Band.

“Honor Band is a weekend deal and you practice your piece while you stay on campus.

At the end of the week you rehearse for state, district or college judges,” said VanDervoort.

An Honor Band usually consists of advanced music students.

“Being in an Honor or Fair Band does look good on college applications,” said Band Director Eugene Bohland. High school students are required to audition in order to be accepted into Honor Band. The piece is recorded and listened to by judges. After being accepted, students stay on the campus; get a new piece of music to practice and play in front of judges.

“It was the best time ever. I had so much fun. One I went to held a dance for the kids one of the nights,” said Hage.

A Fair Band is much different from an Honor Band and requires students to stay on campus over the summer, which Garey did for two weeks this summer at OSU. The All OSU Fair Band reunited January 10 to play for the governor’s inauguration.

Hage and Weddington went to the OU Honor Band January 7. Hage also performed in OSU’s Honor Band January 14. The four band members attended BGSU’s Honor Bands the weekend of January 21-23.

-Katelynn McCoy

Junior fund raiser matches students Ever wonder who your perfect match is? Northview students can help support the junior class by purchasing a match making survey that will give them suggestions of other NV students that they would be compatible with. Like conventional dating services, a company will review the surveys and match each student with a few other NV students.

During the week of February 14, students can purchase a survey for $2. Half of that will go to the junior class Prom fund, according to Mrs. Fran Borchers, Junior Class advisor.

The hope is that results will be returned to NV in time for the Turnabout dance. This would be a way to help students decide on their perfect date.

“I think people will like it,” said Junior Class Government member Savannah King.

“I’m just sort of concerned about what will happen once the results are out. I wonder how people will react. And I’m sure people will turn in answers as a joke and couples will do it to see if they’re matched. It might be amazing, but it might also be disastrous.”

With every survey administered, there is the possibility that results may not be entirely accurate. However, if students keep that in mind and are careful not to take the results too seriously, this has the potential to be a fun fund raiser for the Junior Class.

“This match making service is sure to spread the love,” said sophomore Chad Singer.

“It would be a great chance to learn more things about people that you never really knew before,” said sophomore Brianna Coulter.

“We have done this in the past,” said Mrs. Borchers, “but we like to do it every two or so years so that the population changes.”

The last time NV used the match making company, only about $65 was gained.

However, in the previous year, NV made about $650. Such revenue would greatly help the juniors fund their Prom for next spring, according to Mrs. Borchers.

-Stephanie McCaskey

OP/ED

04 TOPTENTHINGS Winter sports assembly excites TOCUTINSTEAD

OFTEACHERS

10DESKS What happened to circle time?

LUNCH09 Bigger breakfast, better day.

08HOCKEY Clearly no one goes to their games, nor plays that sport

YEARBOOK07 Who wants to remember this year?

06ALL SPORT GEAR Imagination caps on!

RUNNING WATER05 How about walking water?

Let’s slow it down.

04PAPER Stuck in the stone age?

FRESHMEN03 Everyone needs a year to discover themselves.

02ALL STUDENTS They take up too much money and space.

THELet’sSCHOOL01 just start from scratch, huh?

Christmas is more than just presents “Doesn’t anyone know what Christmas is all about?” This exasperated cry from Charlie Brown in the timeless Christmas special really captures the latest of my dilemmas.

Upon waking up on Christmas morning, I, like the rest of Sylvania, hurried downstairs to open all of my presents. Once my family’s hour of traditions was over, we settled in to spend the rest of the day together.

Call me a Jesus freak, but on Christmas day I actually did read the part in the Bible where Jesus is born, and I watched the traditional Christmas movies that teach the ideals of the holiday.

Of course, the point that I am going to try to make is not that every person should praise Jesus on Christmas. I am normally very reserved about my religious beliefs. However, seeing the majority of Facebook statuses on Christmas day resembling something like “Listening to my new iPod Touch while on my brand new Macbook Pro in front of my new 45’ Sony flat screen!” forces me to let out an exasperated cry much like Charlie Brown.

I understand that giving and receiving presents is a Christmas tradition and I am not saying this shouldn’t be so. However, I do not understand how it has become the whole point to Christmas. Was I the only one that grew up going to Sunday School? Going to the Christmas Eve service at church? I highly doubt that, given the fact that many students came to Northview from St. Joes.

It is unsettling to me that bragging about how awesome presents are is what Christmas is all about now. Since when is Christmas such a commercial holiday, like Valentine’s Day? That is not how it should be.

When I expressed my frustration to one of my friends their reply was “Yeah, everyone should know that Christmas is all about being thankful for what you have.” Needless to say, my frustration only increased. I was unaware that Christmas and Thanksgiving were the same thing.

There is a real meaning to Christmas, an extremely important one to the Christian faith. Jesus Christ, the man who died on the cross for everyone was born on December 25, that is why Christmas is celebrated. Whether you believe in him or not, without the biblical stories of Jesus’ birth this holiday would have never come into existence.

Fresh snow on the ground, beautiful decorations everywhere and entire streets blanketed with Christmas lights make the Christmas season beautiful. This is not supposed to come across as preachy, everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. Christmas and all of the festivities that we love would not be here if it weren’t for Him. -Ally Yocom

KOFFMAN LEAPING OVER senior Jake Martinez is senior Colin Quinn at the Winter Sports Assembly. The boys showed their acrobatic skills alongside the LadyKat Gymnastics team. Winter Sports captains were showcased in the assembly. There were many relays and games for the captains to compete in that included many of the winter sports.

The winter sports assembly was spirited and hilarious compared to Northview’s previous assemblies, which failed to excite students.

“The assembly was a good way to bring the school together and raise NV school spirit,” said sophomore Chad Singer.

The assembly was great from the dance team’s upbeat performance to senior Sam Federman running around in his Speedo.

“Clearly, there’s a lesson to be learned from this. The amount of spirit at an assembly is inversely proportional to how many people choose to wear clothes,” said Federman. “It takes guts, but it has to be done.”

All the students involved in the assembly really made it enjoyable to watch and made kids want to cheer and participate.

“Sam Federman was amazing. He made the assembly one that I will not forget. I thought the assembly went really well,” said senior Adam Simpson.

The spirit was high at the assembly and it ran smoothly without problems. The speakers were loud and clear so everyone could hear what was

going on unlike in other assemblies.

“I thought it was a lot better than last year.

They had better music, more involved activities, and even people in the stands were getting involved,” said sophomore Mandy Binz.

The assembly started with the band playing the alma mater and stunts from seniors Jenelle Nearhood, Jake Martinez, Colin Quinn, Jessica Seiler and sophomores Kelsey Gilmore and Megan Matrisciano.

The captains of winter sports teams participated in relays pertaining to each sport.

“I think it is really fun to watch all of the different sports captains competing against each other during the relay races. I not only got to laugh and have fun, but I also got to see who the captains for each winter sports team are,” said sophomore Stephanie Duwve.

The dance team performed and the cheerleaders led the school in the “sizzle”, a cheer introduced by senior Yianni Papadimos.

“The dance team worked really hard on the assembly performance. We hope that everyone liked it. It was a lot of fun performing it,” said

Dance team member, sophomore Morgan Rondinelli.

While most students find assemblies to be boring and pointless, there has been a lot of positive feedback from students.

“I thought the assembly was a success. It was a lot better than most assemblies, and I think it really got people excited about winter sports,” said Federman.

The assembly really pumped up the students for the upcoming games that weekend.

“I wish that the hockey team would have won,” said Simpson.

Hopefully the assemblies will continue to be as spirited as this one and maybe become even more spirited with the participation of the student body.

“It was a lot better than last year. I liked how they had really different activities for the captains to do. It was also really funny to watch and see some of our friends out there too,” said sophomore Rachel Donnelly, “I hope the next assembly is just as funny.”

- Caitlin DeGross

Swimming in phys ed not as beneficial as it could be When done properly, swimming can be one of the greatest cardiovascular workouts. The problem is in Northview gym classes, swimming is not done properly.

“Students use the class for physical activity,” said sophomore lifeguard Darren Sheffield.

“When they are asked to swim laps, they don’t know how to properly do the strokes. It would be nice if we could offer an Intro to Swimming Class.”

If you were to walk in on a gym class using the pool, you would probably see a handful of kids walking around the pool because they have decided swimming just isn’t worth it. You would see another handful of kids dunking each other and just having a good time. You would only see a few kids taking their laps seriously. If kids really wanted to swim laps they could join the swim team.

“Every time we swim, I see an increasing number of students sitting in the stands watching,” said sophomore Spencer Clement.

Another problem is that not all kids know how to swim. So if they don’t swim to avoid embarrassment they are losing points.

“I have run into this problem a couple of times,” said gym teacher Mr. David Briggs. “I allow them to stand in the shallow end because getting in the water is half the battle of swimming.”

I agree that we should utilize the pool when we have gym class, but maybe use it in a different way. Instead of swimming laps, classes could play games such as Marco Polo or sports like water polo in the shallow end so even people who can’t swim can still participate and earn their

PAPADIMOS LAYING PLACID is the NV pool. The pool is where physical education classes spend some of their class time swimming. Many students sit out from this activity. points. Students would receive the same amount of exercise and teachers would probably see an increased number of students hopping in the pool on swim days.

“I’d be okay with swimming if we could find a way to make it more fun,” said freshman Kooper Carter.

Mr. Briggs has already started to use this strategy in his gym classes.

“We do a lot of laps, but we also do water

polo and we are going to do a relay race. The race will have events such as jumping off the diving board, getting a ring from the bottom of the pool and making a water polo goal,” said Mr. Briggs.

Another solution could be testing kids swimming levels. The kids at the higher levels could swim laps while the lower level swimmers could learn the strokes. This would help to solve the problem of kids not knowing how to swim.

-Drew Crandall

OP/ED

05 a tale

Pay-to-Play up to $200 per told sport, from $125 per year by an With the levy not passing, and $6 million needed to get out of debt, Sylvania sports have been placed on the endangered list. After the board meeting on January 10 pay to Play will be increased from $125 for the year to $200, and students are now required to pay this for every sport they play. Athletes must pay this fee to participate in the sports. For someone who plays three sports, it is going to cost them $600, without paying for spirit wear and equipment. For families that have more than one student that will add up to a lot of money.

“The price is unreasonable, some people come here because we cannot afford private school, but now we cannot even afford sports,” said sophomore Lia O’Donnell. Athletics are still going to need to make money sometime during the year.

This raise in price is really going to hurt Northview athletics. With the economy not in the greatest condition, most people will not be able to afford to pay $200 per sport.

Some truly great athletes will be unable to play sports, which may not give them a chance to play what they love participating in. Sports are also a way to relieve stress. Now, some people will not have a good way to de-stress themselves after school.

This significant decision is not final; the board of Education is going to vote on these suggestions in February. Hopefully the Board will not agree with the Pay to Play suggestions.

High school Pay to Play is not the only thing being affected. The fees to participate in clubs will be going from $35 to $50 per club.

In the Junior High level, athletics will be going from $65 to $100 and additional fees will be going up.

There is not much room to solve this problem, but it is a reality that we must face and it must be fixed. If they raise the Pay to Play to $200 but make it a one time fee like the current situation things would be more reasonable.

Another solution would be lowering the price to around $75 and charging that for every sport.

Either way, the school would be making money –

by David Aldrich

POWAZKI POWAZKI PRACTICING ON THE BEAM is senior Jessica Seiler. Due to the Pay-to-Play cost in- crease, some NV athletes may be unable to afford and participate in sports. not as much as what has been suggested – but it would be a more affordable solution.

“I think a lot of people will not be playing sports next year because of the Pay-to-Play

increase and that is not fair to those students who want something fun to do after school,” said sophomore Alyssa Kruger.

-Libby Headman

Students question exam policies

Exams are always the most dreaded part of said Mr. Jesse. “So teachers are required to take attendance for 180 days. Not requiring an exam the year. Students try to remember a semester attendance and it is necessary for students to period is a day not in session, leaving us with 179 days instead of 180. worth of concepts for a huge final test. This is not come in for all exams.”

Confused? I was too. Students are still coming Presentations are a nice alternative to taking the case for all classes, though. Some classes do in for exams and teachers are still taking not have a final test, but instead a final attendance for the 180 days. Why should project. Students put something together those of us with projects have to suffer to reflect on the semester and then they I’M IN PHYS ED. WE SHOULDN’T for two hours in a class that we already present it to the class. received our exam grade for?

In order to have enough time for all HAVE TO WRITE A PAPER ABOUT “I’m in Phys Ed. We shouldn’t have presentations, teachers will start before HOW WE WORK OUT. WE to write a paper about how we work out. exams. This is the case for sociology We should actually work out,” said junior teacher Mr. Mike Czerniakowski.

SHOULD ACTUALLY WORK- OUT. Madison Decator. “Even if we finish the “I used to block out the entire week -MADISON DECATOR, JUNIOR paper, we still have to sit in the gym for an before exams for presentations, and then hour and a half. It’s gym, should we really not require them to come in for the exam have to sit there for the exam period?” period,” said Mr. Czerniakowski. “But With the budget cuts, not requiring exams I didn’t realize what I was doing was actually a test. But who wants to waste their time sitting wrong.” in a class they do not have anything to do in? I those periods would save money as well. If a If a student has a final project and presents know I do not want to sit in a classroom for two teacher has no exams, let’s say, fourth and fifth before the actual exam period, should they hours when I have already presented and even period, they could save energy by not coming in until the end of fifth and leaving the lights off have to come in for the actual exam period? received my grade.

Many students do not believe they should have “It would be really nice to not have to come while they are working.

Almost everyone dreads exams. Let’s try to to. However the school policy says otherwise, in,” said senior Jenny Bell.

However, the state of Ohio requires school make it better by cutting how long we actually according to Principal Mr. Stewart Jesse.

“As of right now, the policy does state the must be in session for 180 days, according to Mr. have to be in school for them.

-Savannah King school is operating like a normal school day,” Czerniakowski. As a result, teachers have to take

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Co-Editors-In-Chief: Abbey Strick and Yianni Papadimos Advisor:Sarah Huey News Editors:David Aldrich & Mamie Silver Features Editors:Ally Yocom & Amanda Metcalf Sports Editors:Addison Hirschfeld & Alexa Kalanquin Opinions Editors:Kelsey Pomeroy & Bridget Thomas Arts & Entertainment Editor:Estar Cohen Business Editor:Margot Jacobs Staff Photographer:Jack Melick Staff Cartoonist: Katie Simrell Staff Writers:Mary Grace Fitzgerald, Aurora Milliron, Savannah King, Charlie Garey Molly Porterfield, Skylar Rose, Drew Crandall, Caitlin DeGross, Jennifer Deng, Morgan Hawley, Libby Headman, Meghan Keene, Katelynn McCoy, Stephanie McCaskey, and Blake Miller

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, and Quill and Scroll.

I did not want to write this. If I could have my way I would never have to talk about what it is I am about to devote the following paragraphs to. I feel however, that it is too pressing a problem to ignore and that I might as well express my disdain for it once and for all. I am of course talking about snow.

By snow I do not mean the Canadian reggae star or the drug called cocaine. I am referring to the precipitation that falls during the winter months and causes all sorts of maladies and overall grief. There are very few things that truly annoy me to the core of my being, but snow is the very worst of them. It has no upside, and causes nothing but mild sadness and glumness.

Driving in winter is not good. Any problem I have ever had with a car has happened during the winter. Driving during the summer is much better, except for when the air conditioning goes out, or when the sun gets in my eyes, or when the steering wheel is too hot to touch, or if the power steering fluid runs out or if the car breaks down. Maybe not all my car troubles come during winter, but it certainly does not help.

Snow also brings about one of the worst household chores known to man: shoveling the driveway. It never seems bad at first. I head out with all the best intentions, planning to clear every speck of snow off the driveway, thinking it will look like a beautiful work of This optimism is short-lived however. art.

Soon driven over spots of snow and patches of ice hinder my goal of total snow removal. My shovel gets stuck in them every five seconds, causing me to exclaim curses and swears just as often. I end the task feeling downtrodden with my spirit broken. My last shoveling excursion was probably the low point of my year so far.

One claim in support of snow is the school cancellations that it causes. However, one to five days off a year is not enough to make a weather event necessary or likeable.

Plus it leads people to become superstitious, telling others not to talk about it or it will not happen. This reminds me of how Voldemort is called “You Know Who”, and the thought of the Harry Potter books makes me even more miserable. It is especially dangerous to tell this to young children. The idea that what they say can influence the weather will lead young kids to think they are almost all powerful, and inflate their egos even more.

Some might use sledding or playing in the snow as a plea to keep snow around. I am too old to sled though. Children can find other things to occupy their time with, they can use their imaginations or just watch TV. I feel that my concerns should trump the fact that some people might have to live without snow. This could even lead to new innovations. Perhaps a person could invent something like a snowless sled, and mudmen are always an option to build, even though that sound perfectly awful.

There are also numerous positives to snow being eliminated from the Earth. There would be so much more salt with which to flavor foods with. Dog droppings would be so much easier to find and dispose of during wintertime. The best thing of all would be that snow pants would become irrelevant and no longer would tall children have to be embarrassed and uncomfortable because of the lack of snow pants in their size.

I really feel that snow is a more pressing problem than some people realize, but I know I am not alone. The whole global warming scare was a good sign that there are at least some people who are working to decrease the likelihood of snow plummeting to the Earth, but it seems that it will not be enough.

Being 18 now I will soon be able to vote.

Any candidate I vote for will have to run on a firm anti-snow platform, or pro-rain if they want their campaign to remain positive. I don’t care if they are Democrat, Republican or Whig as long as they try to solve the peculiar institution known as snow.

I probably should conclude on a more positive note, maybe take comfort in the fact that I don’t live in Alaska, but I cannot.

Maybe I will one day have a change of heart, or maybe subconsciously snow is actually a metaphor for something else, and once I deal with that issue my problems with snow may fade away as well. I guess I could just move to a warmer climate, but that doesn’t solve the entire problem. It would be like solving procrastination by just not starting anything in the first place. Wait, maybe snow really is a metaphor.

06

Violent video games should be limited

When walking through the halls, you are likely to hear Call of Duty (COD) or any other wartime game being talked about. You most likely heard many different things about how people waited in line for the midnight release of COD Black Ops. This was brought out on a school night, so how were students able to get enough sleep for the next days learning?

This is just one example of how war-based games are taking over kids’ lives.

“Video game violence can be played too much and could actually lead into the real world,” said junior Ryan Keesecher. “Video games are okay, but I could never sit and stare at a screen for hours.”

Over winter break while driving home I witnessed three little boys outside “shooting” each other. What has happened to playing soccer, football, or other less violent games? I think war and gun games and toys are taking over our society, and making violence seem fun. I cannot deny I have had my own few minutes playing the popular game COD - I did enjoy it - which frightens me even more.

If these games and toys continue to rise, we could likely see the violence increase in relationships.

Children at a young age should learn to handle problems verbally, not violently. With all the violence going into people’s brains, when in a tough situation, they are going to act how they are most comfortable, which could be violence. With high school students playing these games at what seems to be many hours a day, they can become distracted. Also students at this age are faced with many difficult situations, and may not

k n o w how to handle them.

Students have homework, or at least I do and exams were just finished, so how do students have time to play games like COD? The answer is they do not, and grades will be dropping.

“I play on average eight hours a week,” said sophomore Aaron Paparocki.

These days you hear about physical fights breaking out between elementary level students, and when walking around a group of middle school students, you are likely to hear a few “f-bombs.” I do not completely blame the change in behavior on video games; there are other factors that come into play, but I do believe that war -related activities are a huge contributor.

I’m not trying to whine and complain about the use of these games, and tell you to stop playing the games, everyone needs something to relieve their stress, and everyone does something different.

I do think that the amount of time, or the picture they are displaying is not a good one, and either the vision needs to change, or the amount of time playing these games needs to decrease. I have not figured out a solution for the amount of time, I simply cannot tell you to play for only one hour; I’m not your mom.

Take this article as a wake up call to all you people who spend 20 plus hours a week, I mean seriously that is unreal. The whole issue here isn’t the amount of time on video games, but the type of games. If you play war like games every day for hours and hours, you are more likely to remember this behavior, and use it in your everyday life. There are other types of video games out there, that don’t involve killing people and acting like you are a soldier involved in a war.

We don’t need violence, its nothing good, and it leads only to bad things, so take this wake up call, and try to change your ways.

-Libby Headman

OP/ED Recent fundraisers show selflessness of students

It seems that the spirit of giving has taken over the halls of Northview, and I for one am impressed with the display of generosity by my fellow students. As evident in the recent fundraisers NV has sponsored, students and parents have been more than willing to dig into their pockets for a good cause.

In December, NV sponsored a homeroom drive in which students were asked to bring in various items to be donated to Sylvania Area Family Services. I was skeptical as to whether the drive would be effective, simply because I figured that people would forget what they were supposed to bring by the time the due date came around.

It turned out that I was mistaken, and I have never been happier to be wrong. A whopping 23 homerooms not only brought in plenty, but were able to gather all 14 items on the list. Overall, the collective student body donated hundreds of items, so many that it took three cars to bring the donated goods to their destination. Because of that generosity, many families were able to have the necessities that we, as relatively privileged people, often take for granted.

Another great example of student participation was the Second Annual Benefit Ball, in which all proceeds went towards a scholarship fund in honor of Morgan Duris. Besides the 59 people who bought tickets for the dance, others donated money during lunch periods, raising a combined total of $1000 for the fund.

Even though many people could not attend the dance itself, I was happy to see that this didn’t stop students from donating to a worthy cause.

Finally, I must mention the Blood Drive, a true display of selfless giving if I have ever seen

VOLUNTEERING TO GIVE BLOOD is junior Seth Hittler. The Blood Drive was a great example of how willing NV students were to volunteer their time for a worthy cause.MELICK one. I know the prospect of being prodded with a needle does not sound appealing to most people and I figured that maybe a hundred students would donate blood, at the most.

Apparently, I underestimated the number of generous students we have here at NV because 217 of them signed up to donate, not to mention all of the National Honors Society members who volunteered to work the drive. The opportunity to eat really good food and get out of class aside, I

think that this shows how willing the students of NV are to give what they have to help others.

In the end, I discovered that the student body, as a whole, is much more generous and selfless than I previously believed. There is nothing greater than people coming together to support a great cause and to help others in need. I can honestly say that I am proud to be a Wildcat.

-Kelsey Pomeroy

For most seniors, a frequently asked question is usually “where are you going to college?” A senior should be proud of the college they plan to attend, but lately people’s reactions to my proud answer have been rather upsetting.

I want to go to The University of Toledo. It’s a wonderful university for many different reasons, but time after time people say things such as “why would you ever want to go there?” The way people ask these questions are in a manner that suggests that I’m selling myself short, or assume that I didn’t get in to any other schools.

To set the record straight, UT has over 100 majors, according to collegeboard.com and offers five types of degrees (certificates, associates, bachelors, masters, and doctorates).

The school is extremely affordable and gives scholarships fairly. If you keep good grades in high school and put effort into the ACT, then chances

are you can earn yourself a decent scholarship just by doing your work.

UT also has appealing assets such as co-ops, an honors program, ROTC for the Army and Air Force and Division one sports. UT also accepts AP credits, has pre-professional majors and has a 90% acceptance rate, according to collegeboard. com The high acceptance rate may make it seem that the University lets any student in, and that those with lower grades are the majority who are accepted, but the truth is the average GPA for those who enrolled in 2008 was a 3.13, according to utoledo.edu.

Also, to get directly accepted into the premedical, pre-dental or pre-veterinary programs students must have a GPA of a 3.2 and an ACT score of a 25 or a 1150 on the SAT. For those students who worry that UT isn’t a

good enough school, the numbers show that it’s a very qualified university.

UT is a great college and people should be proud of their hometown college instead of judging those who choose to go there.

Only seniors know what it feels like to have to make a choice on where to go to college, and if you’re a senior that knows that UT isn’t the place for you, then good for you. I, and many other seniors and seniors before us, want to go to UT. I happen to love Toledo and the many things that UT offers. So next time someone says they’re planning on attending UT, don’t give them “the look” and make any assumptions about their financial status or that they didn’t get any other acceptance letters.

Be proud of them, because they chose a university that has solid academics and sports.

-Alexa Kalanquin

I’m so glad that I’m graduating this year.

No, it is not because I’m “so ready to get out of here,” but because the Northview that students will attend next year will be nowhere near the one that I have attended for the last four years.

During my high school career, I have become accustomed to a wide variety of classes, extracurriculars and teachers. Recently, the Superintendent released a plan to cover the $6 million that the district needs. From NV, around 20 positions were proposed to be cut.

After all of these proposed cuts, the halls of NV are a flurry of emotions. Many students are taking the cuts personally.

“My favorite teacher found out that her position was cut today and when she started to cry, it just broke my heart. She’s the best teacher and she doesn’t deserve it. None of the teachers do,” said junior Natalie Forrester. Positions will be cut by seniority.

I think that the saddest part of all of these cuts is the fact that NV will severely suffer. NV is an “Excellent” school. Seriously, that’s what we were rated by the State of Ohio last year. I know that all of these cuts will affect that ranking.

Recently, during my AP US Government Class, Mr. Perry Lefevre told us a story about how a man from out of town was considering taking the position of Superintendent for Toledo Public Schools in 2007. He really liked the area and was very interested in the job. He said he would take it under one condition: his daughter must be able to attend NV. His request was based on the fact that NV had the highest number of Advanced Placement classes in Northwest Ohio.

His request seems like a small one, but it is customary for a superintendent to live in the area that he or she is in charge of. The candidate for

superintendent was not allowed to live in Sylvania so that his daughter could go to NV. He did not take the job. That is a school district to be proud of.

All of the cuts that were presented will create larger classes (according to the Proposed Budget Reduction Plan the average class size will be 28).

I know that I have at least one class that is close to that size this year. With so many teaching positions being cut, I fear classes will end up being even larger than expected next year.

system. The entire time the speaker discussed how to improve our already excellent school system. If the proposed cuts are put into effect, I believe that every point he made is honestly useless because over the next few years, we will be trying to recover from these cuts and get back to where we have been instead of trying to reach a higher level of excellence. My point is, our school system is our pride and joy. It is what Sylvania is using as a selling point. These cuts will only compromise that.

The fact of the matter is, the operating levy was not passed and there is nothing that can be done about that now. What can be done is to pass the next levy. If this levy does not pass, $3 million of more cuts will need to be made, according to Superintendent Dr. Brad Rieger.

The people of Sylvania need to realize that not passing this levy is not an option.

The city of Sylvania depends on its school system and the school system depends on this levy. A newspaper staffer suggested to me that to get the levy to pass, the district should threaten taking away public transportation.

Many private school students depend on Sylvania transportation to get to school along with Sylvania public school students. That way, passing the levy is important for all of Sylvania, not just to families involved in public schools.

This may seem drastic, but the situation has become such.

Another option is to ask for more than the $4.9 million that is proposed to be on the next levy. That way, if passed, perhaps all of these cuts won’t be necessary.

Nearly everyone is already feeling the effects of these cuts and if you have not yet, I can promise, you will.

-Abbey Strick

Students should be proud to attend UT, not ashamed

Proposed budget cuts bring about change to NV

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EMOTIONS ASIDE, I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE CUTS ARE BEING MADE FOR A REASON. “Obviously I understand how hard the cuts will be on NV, 95% is personnel. Administrators are taking pay cuts. I don’t want a single teacher to be cut but the reality is that we face a gigantic deficit,” said Principal Mr. Stewart Jesse.

Emotions aside, I understand that these cuts are being made for a reason. The district does not have the money it needs to operate, especially since the recent operational levy was not passed.

It really upsets me that the Sylvania community did not put passing this levy at the top of their priority list. Recently, I attended a meeting for the Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce. There was a speaker who was part of a group working to better the Sylvania area. Their focus was to encourage businesses to move into Sylvania and their main selling point was our great school

FEATURES

CUT HERE

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07

By Ally Yocom and Amanda Metcalf

Information provided by Mr. Stewart Jesse and the Sylvania Schools Proposed Budget Plan for the 2011-2012 School Year.

Our seniors have a unique opportunity here to make a difference in Sylvania. Now that most of them are 18, they can vote for the levy. At Northview, we try to teach our students to help others and to volunteer. As the levy may not directly effect them, our seniors have the opportunity to do something that may not have any self benefit whatsoever. Seniors can take advantage of this and selflessly help out Sylvania.

-Mr. Jesse, principal

1 Counselor at NV

4 Math at NV

.67 Physical Ed. at NV

4.5 total 7.5 total

3 Science at NV 3 English at NV

6 total 6 total

1 Special Ed. at NV

1 total

.83 total

.67 Spanish at NV

1.67 total

5 total

know?

Sylvania is known for its outstanding school system, and many people move here for that reason alone. If the school district has to go through these drastic changes, it will no longer be so famous. Sylvania will lose many of the things that set it apart from other school districts in the area. In such a small town like Sylvania, all we really have going for us is that our schools go above and beyond for our students.

Once that is lost, families will not move specifically to this city as often as they do now.

These cuts are not only going to change Sylvania Schools, they could change Sylvania.

wThe double block math classes to help students who struggle will not be offered at all.

The average class size will increase to be 23 students.

Playground paraprofessional hours will be reduced and aligned.

Teachers’ lives

deppifl upside

down by cuts S.ROSE

STAFF

wVarious clubs and programs will not be available for students.

wThe OGT Academy fee will increase from $25 to $100.

wClass advisors, equipment manager, weight room supervisor, certain assistant coaches and JV coaches will no longer have positions.

wRoutes for busses will be reduced and restructured, stops in the same neighborhood will be consolidated.

wThe snack shack will be eliminated next year and all lunch prices will increase by 25¢.

wClass sizes will average out to be 28-30 students. This is the first time NV has had an expected average that high. wWith the reduced number of teachers, fewer electives will be offered next year. wFlexible schedules will be offered for upperclassmen, they may be allowed to arrive late or leave early based on their free periods.

Student council will not be at elementary level.

The hours of all office aides will be reduced and aligned.

The remaining two GATE positions will be eliminated, fifth grade students will no longer be offered the once-a-week pull out program.

1 total

The Pay to Play fee will increase next year from $125 per school year to $200 per sport.

For a student that plays a sport in each season, as many do, they will have to pay $600 a year. If the levy would have passed, the parents of those students would have to pay less than that in the increased taxes. That fee could double or triple for a family with two or three athletes. $1200-$1800 for just being able to play a sport is a lot worse than a few hundred dollars in extra taxes.

wGraduation requirements will be reduced from 23 credits to 22 credits. Reductions are in elective and computer-based technology credits.

wSome AP courses will be taken away and only offered every other year.

22.5 positions will be cut including math and reading intervention, GATE, counselors, and special and general education.

A structured math intervention program will not be offered, only one reading intervention teacher will be at each elementary.

.67 total

.33 Fine Arts-Music at NV

3.5 Career Tech at NV .5 French at NV

did you

2 total

1.34 total

.5 Fine Arts at NV

know?

did you

2 Social Studies at NV

”

wSummer school fees will increase from $140 to $200, plus an extra $25 for PE. wSaturday school will no longer be held on Saturdays. It will be moved to a weekday after school. wThe participation fee for clubs will increase from $35 per year to $50 per club.

18.5 positions will be cut including special education, GATE, librarians, counselors, Family Consumer Science and others.

With the elimination of GATE, students will have differentiated instruction, subject-level acceleration and gradelevel acceleration.

The average class size will increase to be 26 students.

Office aide hours will be reduced and aligned.

The Pay to Play fee will increase from $65 per year to $100 per sport.

The club participation fee will increase from $15 a year to $25 a club.

With no librarians, library activities will be coordinated by a resource consultant, similar to the one used at the elementary.

It was easy to see on the day everyone found out which positions were proposed to be cut: everyone is going to miss the teachers that may lose their jobs. But while the school district is undergoing monumental changes, those teachers are forced to figure out how to keep a steady paycheck for next year.

Teachers at Northview received letters January 10 explaining that their positions may be cut next year in a proposal put before the board that evening.

Mr. Neal Ellis has been teaching Chemistry at NV for five years. His wife is a substitute teacher and the two of them are expecting twins in June. If his position is eliminated, he would be unemployed with no insurance and two newborn babies to pay for. Despite his situation, what he cares about most is how negatively the cuts will affect NV next year.

“I’m worried about the sizes of the classes,” said Mr. Ellis. “Having class sizes this high will make labs extremely unsafe.”

Another teacher at NV that received a letter about her position being eliminated was Mrs. Sarah Rhine. Mrs. Rhine has been teaching Psychology at NV for four years.

“I feel sad, not because I am losing my job, but because I cannot do the one thing that I love, which is teaching students,” she said. Last year Mrs. Rhine’s position was cut at the end of the year. But at the last minute, Mr. Dave Budas took a job at McCord Junior High School, so Mrs. Rhine was able to come back and teach at NV. “I have been through this situation

before, so I know what this feels like,” said Mrs. Rhine. She agrees that if all of the cuts go through exactly the way that they have been proposed, NV wouldn’t be the school that it is today. Mrs. Rhine has great support from her husband who, thankfully, is employed.

“It’s not until something so severe such as this happens that the students at NV really realize how good they have it,” said Mrs. Rhine. “All of the teachers love what they do and are in it all for the students.”

Exploring Careers, a program at NV that has advanced many students into the teaching field is now up for elimination. Mrs. Wanda Snyder has been teaching Exploring Careers for nine years and Early Childhood for ten years. She is very sad about the situation but is thankful that in the end she will still have a job because of seniority.

“This program makes a difference in my students’ lives whether they like it or not. They will be prepared for the future,” she said. “Exploring Careers has been successful in giving the high school students experience for teaching.”

The last teacher that I was able to talk to was Mrs. April McGough. Mrs. McGough is my personal favorite teacher.

Ever since freshman year, I have always gone to her for math help in B7. She is helpful because she knows how to teach at my pace and from all of the latest Facebook statuses, tons of students agree with me.

“Mrs. McGough has helped me many times the day before a math test,” said junior Drew Gross. “Bottom line, she definitely needs to stay at NV.” If the math help in B7 is cut, how are students supposed to get extra math help? More importantly what will Mrs. McGough do if she is removed?

If Mrs. McGough’s position is cut, then neither she nor her husband will have full time jobs and they will lose their health insurance.

Mrs. McGough is trying to stay positive because she knows that God will never give her more than she can bear. Her husband has been very supportive and the students have had a great influence on her attitude.

“I will no longer be able to impact kids which is what I love to do, if the cuts go through,” she said.

All in all, nobody wants to see their favorite teachers leave. This not only has an impact on our lives, but the whole Sylvania community as well.

08

FEATURES

resolutions

commitment intention

decision pledge

determination

molly

In high school, many people acquire labels. Mine has always been “quiet girl,” which I agree with, so I challenged myself to talk to at least one new person everyday as my New Year’s resolution. When I began to think about what I should do for my resolution, this was the first idea to come to mind. People often tell me I’m too quiet or not assertive enough, which isn’t reassuring information. I often worry about college and how I will handle interviews along with making new friends at a brand new school.

The first day of my resolution adventure, I talked to a student that I had sat close to for most of the semester and hadn’t talked to for that whole amount of time. I asked myself why I had been so afraid to talk to someone who seemed so nice and talkative. Though I tried to make excuses for my reasoning, I couldn’t reach a solid answer. So then I thought, “What do you have to lose?”

Though the conversation I had with this student was very short and casual, it sparked a possible new friendship, and now I feel more comfortable knowing one more person in that class. After that small conversation my confidence seemed to be invigorated and I craved for more opportunities like the one I just experienced.

Another issue I had been dealing with was the fear of confronting teachers and asking questions for I was afraid of sounding stupid or annoying. After I began talking to my teachers and becoming acquainted with them, I realized how easy it was to talk to them. Believe it or not, teachers are actually more like us than we realize. This came as a surprise to me but helped me relate and become more comfortable with asking questions, which ultimately lead to better understanding and improved grades.

Soon enough I was saying “hello” to random people at Subway and smiling at students in the hallway that I had never seen before. With every new conversation, my confidence boosted and my self-esteem heightened.

I had come to a simple conclusion that I really should have known all along; people are not as scary as they seem to be. I’ve found that even my school experience has improved because I’ve found the confidence to raise my hand and ask questions along with asking fellow peers for homework help. My challenge to the rest of you “quiet people” is to take the simple risk of talking to one new person every day. The results of taking this challenge may really surprise you.

david

I never make New Year’s resolutions. I can barely get things that other people tell me to do done, such as homework, let alone set additional goals personally. I cannot even finish things I want to do for fun, like watch all the films that have won the Best Picture Oscar. So resolving to do something to better myself would be a challenge. However this year I decided to try it, and started to exercise.

I do not exercise much; in fact it would not be inaccurate to say I do not exercise at all. I could say that it is because I am busy, but really I am just lazy. It is a new year though, and now is as good a time as ever to change.

I have tried exercising sporadically throughout the years, and over the summer I mapped out a route of a couple miles around my neighborhood that I can walk/jog through. The fresh air is nice. I also plan on starting to lift weights, but have been hindered by the fact that I cannot figure out how to get the bench in my basement into an active position.

The first few days of my quest to live a more healthful lifestyle went well. It was cold, very cold, but I stuck to it-for about three days. Then the snow started to fall during my planned walking times and I didn’t go. This could be m y general laziness settling in again, but for now I’ll just blame it on the snow and the fact that my portable radio is broken.

I do not know if I will continue to stick to this resolution. To be truthful, I probably won’t. Maybe I will though, maybe this will be the year that I really accomplish a not mandatory goal, if not exercising then perhaps I could get around to watching those movies.

Resolutions. Some people get excited to make them, others shudder at the word alone. As stubborn high school students who think we’re always right, it’s hard for us to admit that we need to make a change. Here at TSP, we decided to face the ugly challenge of making new years resolutions, and the results weren’t as scary as we had imagined.

WHY WE

EXAMS by jennifer deng

the tilized u y l e v i am ct tween ex You effe e b k a e r the te b usly by o i ten minu c a r g hat given so id you c d y l n o periods Not ver the ration. eacher o t r administ u o y t you with test, bu e h t and bond f o ly level oped wel l e v e d difficult d le upon an ery sing v e n o reflected s ion arnia, out opin plored N x e , thoughtl l a es, in C H hree tim t m o o painting r h ies, the bat ria cook e t e f a went to c th worth of tions wi 6 a $ s r t e h v g n u o bo g c still -changin ds, and n e i r had life f r ning of you he remai t r o f each one p left. to slee you had t had time a h t s ute nine min

During the free time aft er you completed your tests, you realized you had the per fect opportunity to practice your drawing skills or write cool poems. Your fantastic doo dle work was seen by an on-loo king artist/poet who just hap pened to be wandering the halls of the school. Your piece was published, sold, and now you’re a multimillionaire.

perseverance

morgan

New year’s resolutions are almost a tradition among most Americans. Everyone resolves to lose weight, exercise more, eat better, or a combination of the three.

Although, with as good as intentions as they seem, people usually do not stick with them for more than two weeks. This year, I am aiming to break the status quo. My new year’s resolution is to undergo a “body boot camp”.

I am not going to pull a Victoria Beckham or Mary-Kate Olsen and stop eating all together, I just want to crack the whip on my eating habits. I am aiming to cut out the junk and replace it with healthier solutions. I am also upping my weekly exercise routines to get in shape.

At the grocery store, it is extremely difficult not to lunge for the two liters of pop and bags of sour cream and onion chips. With a more hesitant reach, I go for Special K chips and Slim Fast bars. This is a very hard move when I am used to coming home from school and pigging out on whatever I can lay my hands on. Now I must fight the urges and rise from the couch and get moving.

Gaining a more “resolution worthy” body and lifestyle, you cannot just rely on eating better. I am trying to exercise more as well, and cheerleading five times a week doesn’t always cut it. I work out about twice a week at Shadow Valley, but it takes a lot of motivation to drive all the way to Airport Highway after a long day of school, homework, and practice. A gym membership closer to home would be an easier, cheaper, and gas saving way to get motivated to workout.

I am sure everyone has been in my place when you’re sitting at home on a Sunday afternoon, just munching on some chips.

That is called “boredom eating”. Many have this syndrome when there is nothing better to do and you just feel like you’re hungry, but you really aren’t. Let me tell you first hand, it takes a lot of will power to kick this habit of boredom snacking.

And if you know me, I am certainly not one to have will power, so let me reassure you, if I can do it, you can do it.

After putting myself through “body boot camp” for three weeks, I can already notice a difference in my overall being. I feel better and I carry myself better with more confidence knowing that I have changed my lifestyle for the better. I encourage everyone to pick up that New Year’s resolution from about a month ago, dust it off, and give it another go. I promise you that you will be happier with yourself once you follow through with doing something good and healthy for yourself.

Exam week. It was a horrible week, right? It was absolutely terrible; everybody completely dreaded it. As the weeks of second quarter passed and the countdown of the days neared zero, your body cringed and you began the long cycle of melting down. Sure, exam week wasn’t the finest or the most electrifying week you’ve ever lived. But out of the 52 weeks in a year, you may find unexpected reasons to put the week on your Top 10 - fine, Top 40 Best Weeks of the Year list. Come on now, at least one of these reasons has to apply to you!

If you were one of the blessed people who only had to take an exam the first of the three exam periods of the day, you got the once-in-ablue-moon chance to see what the world looks like at 9am in the morning (trust me, only a small fraction of high schoolers have had the opportunity to experience this great morning sensation...at least since graduating middle school).

eople essed p l b n u e ng and f th beginni e one o e r h e t w t u a o shed ke If y hall me s to ta y m d a u x t e s d a t you ith who ha at leas , e day w n h e t e w f t o s. As n be end g skill ently i n i i n t e c v a n o u and your so c ving yo actice i r g p y o b t , you ked got ” glare rds wal t a e w i d u E q . e “b Mrs g “yes, assurin nds the e e r i r e f h t r matter you her ile. No o give m t s d ” e g d n n i dy ialize prete and stu to spec g e n e s i o k o r h o c y in th ou I’m w in hand ssion y e e f m o o r c p l what ice wil s pract future. in, thi

While takin g your math exam, you s pent a second or t wo thinking about who i n the world derived pi.

At that moment, for whatever reason, you suddenly realized th e meaning o f life. It ha ppens.

You got reacquainted with a long overlooked friend: gr aphite. While you two were working together side by side, you re alized that your pencil is one of the most important characters in your life, and you really can’t live without it/him/her.

Now your bond has blossomed an d your relationship has evol ved into “best friendship.”

A&E

WINTER WATCH

Few other reality shows are as highly anticipated as American Idol, which manages to combine humor, celebrities and the everpopular search for undiscovered talent. It has transformed regular people like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood into international superstars and rekindled the idea that there is true talent out there waiting to be found.

Season after season, millions of Americans have tuned in to the show, some of which are interested solely in watching the hilarious and sometimes o u t r a ge o u s auditions process. I expect that this year will be no different.

One thing has changed this season, however: the judging panel.

The original team of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul (who left last season) has been altered since Cowell chose to step down as a judge in order to pursue his own talent search show.

Instead, singers Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler will be joining Jackson on the panel.

Lopez, a superstar in her own right, will be the “new Paula,” which is a much-needed improvement. Abdul was often hesitant to tell the truth, usually opting to comment on the contestant’s wardrobe instead of actually critiquing their singing.

I was happy (at first) when she was replaced by Kara DioGuardi last season, but that happiness quickly turned to annoyance.

DioGuardi had none of Paula’s sweetness, but was extremely full of herself and basically repeated whatever Randy said. Being a singer JLo knows the music industry well, so she is capable of spotting talent when she hears it and she combines Paula’s polite nature with her music industry know how.

The second new judge is Steven Tyler, who can be considered a true rockstar, as he is the lead singer of Aerosmith. I do not know much about him (besides the fact that he has a ridiculously huge mouth) but I have high hopes that he will provide some entertainment value to the show; not that it needs it.

Upon joining Idol, he said, “I’m ready to bring some rock to this ‘roller’ coaster and show these kids if they have the dream, the talent and the drive, they will be the next American Idol.”

Although Season 10 of American Idol will most likely get huge ratings like every season before it, I cannot get around the fact that Simon Cowell will no longer be there to provide his signature callous, yet honest criticism of the contestants.

Besides the auditions, which always guarantees a laugh, he was the only reason that I continued to watch Idol, simply because I could never predict what he was going to say.

Only time will tell whether or not his absence will affect the quality of the show. At the very least, we can watch the auditions and laugh mercilessly at someone else’s misfortune.

Idol aires Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8p.m.

- Meghan Keene

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HIGH SCHOOL

J.DENG

STAFF

“Wait, is that what high school really is like?” chuckled my mother diffidently after watching the movie Easy A. I had rented the movie after hearing from peers that it might be able to replace having to read the Scarlet Letter for English (just kidding, Mrs. Borchers, I would never think about not reading an assigned book). To my dissatisfaction however, not only did the movie have absolutely no wisdom to offer me about the Scarlet Letter (well, actually, it completely revealed and thus ruined the plot for me), but it instigated a very awkward conversation with my mother.

Easy A is a movie about a young teenage girl who lies about having sex once, lies about having sex again and quickly finds herself tumbling into a series of favors for her male peers that result in her earning the title of “slut.” My mom had watched the teen film and wondered if the movie actually reflected some of the truths of high school life. The movie portrays the girl’s school as a gossip factory, in which rumors spread with the snap of a finger. Inaccurate accounts of stories about the girl are heard by every student on campus Via text, phone call, IM and word of mouth.

My mom expressed her concern; she wondered whether the dog-eat-dog world image that Easy A portrayed reflected real high school life. Her query made me think: movies frequently

09

The winter season not only brings snow, the New Year and winter break but it also brings in many new television shows. Some shows have season premiers while others are starting up for the first time.

“I love all the winter TV show premiers,” said freshman Ruth Chaban. “My winter nights are never boring because there’s always something good on that I can watch.”

One brand new show is Paula Abdul’s new dance series, Live to Dance. The show premiered on January 5 at 8p.m. Unlike other dance shows that are on TV, the dancers can choose to perform in groups. The groups can have as many members as needed or like most shows, dancers can also choose to perform solo. The styles can range anywhere from contemporary to jazz to hip-hop and many other dance styles.

On the show, there are three judges that decide each dancers fate; Paula Abdul, who used to be a judge on American Idol, Travis Payne who worked on Michael Jackson’s movie This Is It, and former Pussycat Dolls singer/dancer Kimberly Wyatt.

“Paula Abdul is way too nice to be a judge,” said sophomore Sam Good. “She should have stuck with being a judge on “American Idol.”

The contestants are judged on their over all capabilities as dancers. The judges vote individually on the performances. If the judge was impressed by the routine, they give the dancers a “gold star.” If the performance failed to impress then the judges give the dancers a “red star.” If the dancers receive at least two gold stars, they are saved and are able to stay on the show and perform again. It is not all up to just the judges though. Viewers are able to call in and vote for the performance that they enjoyed the best. The show is aired on Wednesday nights on CBS. - Kelsey Pomeroy

portray high school life unrealistically.

So here is my view. Sure, the movies are really good at illustrating extreme stereotypes, but they are not all that accurate. We as the student body do not break out into spontaneous song and dance every time something exciting happens like in High School Musical, nor do we plot to claw each other’s eyes out when we supposedly “stab each other in the back”, as depicted in Mean Girls.

High school -at least NV- is civilized. The student body occupies itself with more than gossiping, backstabbing, revenge planning and regrettably, singing.

Easy A depicts high school most differently in the aspects of the values of the students, the character of the student body and the environment created by the teachers and the school campus.

If a foreigner were to come to the United States and watch a handful of high-school related movies, she would think that students in the U.S. go to school primarily to party and socialize. Movies like Easy A depict students as drama-crazed, social-life-obsessed freaks. While students are in class, movies show them daydreaming about their significant others or about the fight supposedly happening after school. Rarely do they accurately portray the real values of the good portion of the student body. Whether movie producers believe it or not, students care about school. As students, we value good grades while in Easy A, kids can not seem to focus on anything related to learning.

Real life proves that for the most part, high school

students are attentive during class and concerned to learn the material.

Not only do movies inaccurately portray the values of the typical student, but they erroneously illustrate the character and personality of the student body as a whole. According to Easy A, the student body is supposed to be “clique-y” with “jocks” and “eccentrically religious people” and “math nerds.” Although I cannot speak for other high schools, I think I am correct when I declare that the members of the NV student body do not particularly care to separate themselves into exclusive friend groups and label themselves a “clique,” nor do they care to title themselves or their peers with stereotypical names.

The environment of school overall is much different in real life than described by movies.

In Easy A, the school campus is shown to be more the size of a college than of a high school.

Additionally, movies portray teachers as imbeciles who are out to get the students. At NV, however, teachers and students interact and form good relationships.

In essence, it is important -as well as refreshing- to recognize that movies are extensively inaccurate at depicting real high school life. Movies are movies; they are only going to make money if they go for the stereotypes.

So, looking past all the stereotypical blunders and inaccuracies, and looking past the awkward conversations with my mother, Easy A definitely made my “Facebook Favorite Movies” list.

MUSIC ON THE SCENE WITH ESTAR COHEN

Mary Halvorson Trio & The Robinwood House

I have witnessed the unforgettable. Mary Halvorson, Weasel Walter and Peter Evans – live, free form jazz that might have literally blown the roof off of Robinwood Concert House January 5, if physics would have allowed it.

I walked down Robinwood Street, admiring the architecture of Toledo’s Old West End, excited yet uncertain of the night ahead of me. I knew little about the Robinwood House.

Although it is open to the public, it does not provide a typical concert-going experience and is well kept secret among popular venues like Ottawa Tavern and Mickey Finn’s. In fact, the home of Gabriel Beam blends in quite nicely with the other houses on Robinwood Street. Looks can be deceiving.

I was greeted by Beam in his front hallway.

He encouraged me to take a seat in the front sitting room directly to my left or help myself to some food in the room opposite.

Immediately, I felt safe from Winter’s harsh temperatures in the kindness of this stranger.

I took his advice by making myself at home in

one of approximately twenty chairs set up in the cozy quarters. I sat by the fireplace and I realized I would not be missing any musical action that night. The setting was ideal - an intimate and comfortable space that would allow the audience to connect with the musicians and vise versa. So, I was impressed by my surroundings; great. Then, the music began.

The whole time I was admiring the house, I had failed to fully realize what was happening right in front of me. Opening act, C.R. Kasprzyk was setting up his equipment comprised of such gadgets as a hot griddle, a teakettle, an alto saxophone, a laptop and a block of dry ice.

Avant-guarde at its finest, the sounds produced during the set were unlike anything I had heard before. For example, Kasprzyk used forks to scrape against the dry ice, looping the noise through his lap top and distorting the sound. There were no breaks in the music, the set lasting forty minutes. There was a surreal quality about the music. It was clear that Kaspryzk had a vision and clearly expressed it through suspense,

climax and release.

There was a brief intermission before Mary Halvorson’s New York – based trio began, and for good reason. Honestly, I needed to collect myself after experiencing the awesomely strange previous set. But, come to find, this was useless.

When Walter began by carelessly tossing and dumping a bag full of noisy percussion gadgets on to the floor, I knew I was not about to hear a typical jazz trio.

There is one phrase to best describe what I experienced next – musical explosion. The thing about free form jazz is that it is difficult to understand and can be easily dismissed as noise by the common listener. There is no simple melody to hum along with, or a single rhythm to tap your toes to. In fact, I even watched one man as he walked out of the concert entirely after only the first song.

The people who remained, however, were taken on a musical journey. The amount of energy conveyed by Halvorson, Evans and Walter was incomparable to anything I have seen before. I

could hardly contain myself. As Walter jumped up and down, flailing his drumsticks and ruthlessly pounding on his cymbals, I did the same (minus the drum kit, of course). The man behind me had hysterical outbursts of laughter every time Evans would perform an unfathomable solo. I heard sounds that night I never knew a guitar, trumpet and drum kit could create. It made me insane, but in the best possible way.

The concert completely altered the way I view music. A song can be simple. It can have a charming hook and be stuck in your head for days and that is nice. But, it can also be so entirely different than that. The Mary Halvorson Trio produced something so incredibly substantial that night that I felt something along the lines of euphoria. I let Halvorson know that, too.

“Your music was like having every emotion I have ever felt released from my body simultaneously in one giant eruption,” I said.

She smiled, chuckled and said “thanks.”

And the night was over.

-Estar Cohen

SPORTS

10 Hockey

faces old rivals

LadyKats atop NLL ranks

D.CRANDALL STAFF

After starting off with an undefeated league record, the Northview Hockey team took its fair share of lumps over the holiday season battling their way to a 4-4 record in two tournaments.

The team headed to Cleveland on back to back weekends to see how they matched up against some of the top teams in the state.

Over the first weekend the Cats took part in the Padua Christmas tournament. In the first game the Cats beat University School 5-4. Next, the team defeated Lake Catholic 6-2, but went on to lose their night game 4-6 against St. Edward.

The loss eliminated any chance for NV to play in the championship game. The Cats then played Padua in the consolation game and lost 4-7.

“The tough schedule gives us a challenge and will help us get ready for the state tournament,” said senior Drew Korn.

The next weekend, the team headed back to Cleveland for the St. Ignatius Holiday Invitational. In the first game they faced Gilmour, NV controlled much of the game but failed to put the puck in the net resulting in a 1-2 loss. The Cats rebounded nicely the next morning with a 5-2 win over Erie McDowell.

That night NV took on St. Ignatius, in a rematch of last year’s State Championship game. St. Ignatius made the most of their chances and took a 5-1 victory with senior Ryan LaPlante as the lone goal scorer. The team once again settled for a consolation game beating Erie McDowell 3-0.

“They got a quick couple of goals and we just gave up,” said senior Ross Roberson.

The Wildcats finally returned home the next weekend for senior night. NV dominated all aspects of the game beating Centerville 6-0.

Junior Phil Bowles recorded the shutout. “It is always nice to get a win for the seniors,” said freshman Jake Koback The next night NV took on St. Francis in a battle for first in the Northwest Hockey Conference. The Knights took an early three goal lead, but despite NV’s attempts at a comeback from sophomore Drew Crandall and senior Nolan Culver it was not enough as SFS made the final score 5-2.

The team then traveled to another tournament in Pittsburgh. In the first game NV defeated BG 3-0 and turned around and beat North Allegany the next morning 2-1. That afternoon the Wildcats faced a highly skilled Upper St. Clair team and handed them a 6-3 loss. The win moved NV into the Semi-Finals against Gilmour. For most of the game NV was in control, but once again the Cats were unable to take advantage of their chances. With the score tied at one, the game went to a shoot out, where the Cats fell 0-1.

“It was a tough battle. They just got the better of the bounces and came out on top,” said Bowles.

HENDERSON

BARRELLING INTO THE PAINT is sophomore Lauren Yurjevic. The LadyKats produced a great showing against the City League’s Whitmer as they trounced the Panthers 77-34. The win prepped the Kats for their league showdown against Perrysburg January 14.

The Jackets proved to be no test for NV and the Kats vaulted themselves into first place in the NLL after defeating Perrysburg 56-40.

Junior Miriam Justinger led the way for the Kats, tallying 18 points.

A.KALANQUIN SPORTS

The Northview LadyKat Basketball team charged through the mid season by snapping the quivering St. Ursula Arrows with a 71-47 victory.

Leading the team to the win were juniors Skylar Rose, Jessica Jessing and Miriam Justinger who led in scoring with 19, 14 and 13 points respectively.

The LadyKats’ strong upperclassmen and deep bench contributed to their success.

“We knew we had to come out hard and take it to them,” said Jessing.

However, coming off the win, the team began their next game flat against Central Catholic December 22. The team could not recover from their slow start and suffered a 47-53 loss.

“We are a better team than [CCHS]. We should have won that game,” said senior Mary Grace Fitzgerald.

The upsetting loss fueled the LadyKats to train hard for their next game against Start, a team that is ranked second in the state and is also ranked nationally. The LadyKats fell behind in the first half of the game, but found a spark in the second half.

The strong fight back was begun by Justinger, who led in scoring with 19 points. However, the

comeback could not seal the win for NV, and they lost 45-57.

“I definitely thought that we battled with them, not many teams can do that,” said Rose.

“Next time we play them it will be a closer score.”

The Kats shook off the loss and focused on the rivalry game ahead of them against Southview.

The girls faced the Cougars at SV January 7 and were evenly matched until NV pulled away in the fourth quarter.

Once again Justinger was a lead scorer with 11 points, along with senior Valerie Sohasky who also tallied 11 point and senior Katelynn McCoy who had eight. The Kats won the game 40-30 mostly due to the team’s composure at the line and hustle in the final quarter.

“It always feels great to beat the cross-town rival,” said Jessing. “It wasn’t our best game, but awesome to win.”

The LadyKats showed no mercy January 10 against Whitmer, with an overwhelming 77-34 win. The Kats’ full-court press was too much for the Panthers to handle and led to their demise.

The key scorers in the game were Justinger with 21 points, Rose who scored 16 points and Jessing who tallied 11 points.

The girls’ kept their winning mentality in their NLL rival game against Perrysburg January 14. With a competitive atmosphere in the

gymnasium, the Kats had a tough physical battle against the Jackets. NV’s impressive free throw shooting proved to set them apart from their opposition. Justinger tallied 18 points and was 10 -10 from the line. Also aiding in the Kats’ victory was Sohasky with 13 points and McCoy with 8 points, who was 6-6 in foul shots.

The Kats’ clean execution sent the Jackets home all but buzzing. The 56-40 win put NV first in the NLL standings, as they now control their own destiny for the league title.

“We were prepared well with a good scouting report and we knew we had to step up and be physical,” said senior Tori Busby. “We were happy with the way we played, but we know we have a long way to go to accomplish our goal of winning another NLL title.”

Next the LadyKats faced the Rossford Bulldogs January 18, in the midst of exam week.

NV struggled to maintain focus and Rossford controlled most of the first half.

The Kats rallied back however, and proved that composure at the foul line is an ace in their back pocket. The team was 18-27 from the line, with Justinger once again leading in scoring with 15 points. Rose and Sohasky buried 9 points each and led the LadyKats to their 39-32 win.

“We weren’t focused,” said Rose. “It was a great lesson learned, we can’t ever overlook a team.”

SCOREBOARD!

Many winter sports have taken off at Northview with league standings from both ends of the spectrum.

Here are some mid-season updates on the scores from Wildcat and LadyKat teams.

65-47 69-44 85-41 64-25 71-47 47-53 45-57 40-30 78-34 56-40 39-32

56-46 12/3 Clay 40-42 12/11 Rossford 12/18 Anthony Wayne 54-65 42-57 12/21 Perrysburg 46-78 12/23 Bowsher 45-80 12/28 Central 1/5 Bowling Green 62-74 42-51 1/8 Southview 77-54 1/15 Rossford Springfield game postponed

by mary grace fitzgerald

12/18 12/18 12/19 12/27 12/28 12/28 12/29 1/7 1/8 1/14 1/15 1/15 1/16

hockey

Lake Catholic St. Eds Padua Gilmour Erie McDowell St. Ignatius Erie McDowell Centerville St. Francis Bowling Green North Allegany Upper St. Clair Gilmour

6-2 4-6 4-7 1-2 5-2 1-5 3-0 6-0 2-5 3-0 2-1 6-3 1-2

wrestling

Overall (4-2)

Anthony Wayne Bowsher Maumee Springfield St. Ursula Central Start Southview Whitmer Perrysburg Rossford

Overall (14-7-2) League (4-1)

Overall (9-2) League (6-0)

12/3 12/6 12/10 12/17 12/18 12/22 12/30 1/7 1/10 1/14 1/18

Overall (2-7) League (1-5)

girls basketball boys basketball

12/11 12/16 12/23 1/6 1/14 1/20

1st of 13 Northwood 34-33 Maumee Anthony Wayne 40-31 46-34 Rossford th 9 of 14 Perrysburg 22-37 Perrysburg

gymnastics 1/8 Southview

11th

1/17 P-burg, Whitmer, 4th

Notre Dame

SPORTS

11 Boys’ Bball punishes Bulldogs Big 10 A.HIRSCHFELD SPORTS

A struggling Northview Boys’ Basketball team looked to gain their first league win December 21 at home against league powerhouse Perrysburg.

The Yellow Jackets are historically one of the best teams in the Northern Lakes League and lived up to their reputation against NV. The Cats were defeated 42-57.

“Well they are good, they are like robots,” said senior Jacob Sturt. “They don’t miss, they don’t mess up, and they all look the same.”

The boys attempted to bounce back against Bowsher just two days later. Tempers flared late as senior Jake Severson received a technical foul after shoving Bowsher senior Justin Neptune into his own bench.

Frustration from NV was a result of the score as the Cats fell 46-78.

“We came out flat against Bowsher and they really took it to us,” said Severson. “We were down by like 30 at half and I think our emotions got the best of us as Joey walked off the court and I got a technical foul.”

NV bumped heads with another City League foe December 28 as they took on Central Catholic. The Cats struggled to keep up with the Irish and fell 45-80.

NV tried to get back to their winning ways January 4 against the Bowling Green Bobcats. BG came out on fire, but the Cats were not

discouraged. NV found a way to stay close with one of the top squads in the NLL, but eventually could not keep up with the hot-handed Bobcats. NV would lose the game 62-74.

“We just couldn’t stop the Brown brothers,” said Severson.

Rivalry week followed and the Cats skipped across town to Southview in an attempt to tame the Cougars.

NV was led by sophomore sensation Connor Hartnett who buried 21 points.

The Cats struggled to break the press and were finding it difficult to make buckets behind the arch. Against these odds, the squad made a fourth quarter comeback to force the game into overtime. SV dominated the extra period, and NV was sent home with nothing but the sour taste of “so close” as the Cats fell 42-51.

“It was a good game,” said Sturt. “A wise man once told me that basketball is a game of centimeters, and we were an inch off.”

The boys’ offense exploded like a firework on the Fourth of July against Rossford January 15. NV allotted for 77 points against the Bulldogs. Severson, yet again, found himself on the wrong end of a technical foul after allegedly kicking a Rossford player in the face.

This time however, frustration was not due to the score as the Cats soared to their second win of the season beating Rossford 77-54.

“I didn’t deserve that technical,” said Severson, “I got a bad reputation and all those refs are out to get me.”

dives into big bowl failure

B.MILLER

STAFF

MELICK

FIERCELY ATTACKING THE BUCKET against a Rossford player is senior Jacob Sturt. NV defeated the Bulldogs 77-54, despite senior Jake Severson’s technical foul for allegedly kicking a Rossford player in the face.

NFL faces possible halting A.HIRSCHFELD SPORTS

For about 23 weeks during the fall and winter, the focus of so many American sports fans’ eyes are zeroed in on the National Football League.

Many people, myself included, spend their Sundays, and occasional Thursday and Monday nights, glued to the television screen as some the world’s most elite athletes compete in the brilliant game of professional football.

Unfortunately, this element of our culture is being jeopardized because of, essentially, the item that drives Americans most, money.

The collective bargaining agreement between the owners and the players’ union expires in March. Collective bargaining, in general, can be defined as the process where workers and management negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Without an extension of this contract before the start of next season, the NFL will lock out the players, resulting in cancelled games. Plain and simple, there would be no NFL next year.

Speculation has risen that this agreement will not be reached in time because of many constituents that are of great debate between management and the players. Some of these factors include salary cap negotiations and the option of extending the regular season to 18 games, rather than the current 16 game schedule.

As in any business dispute, compromise will be essential in finding the solution to this problem. However, neither side has shown signs of budging in terms of giving in to the other party’s wants. This fact has many fans dreading a 2011 fall without the NFL. In the case of a lock out next season, the owners would be in much better shape than the players. The broadcasting companies that air NFL games throughout the season have agreed to pay the NFL the same amount of money next year as they do any other, regardless of whether games are being played or not.

The NFL distributes this cash each year to the teams’ owners. From there, the owners use this source of money to pay their players according to their individual contracts. A lock

out would result in the players not getting paid and the owners’ wallets getting thicker as they pocket the greatest source of team income.

This does not mean that the owners are being negligent in hopes of there being a lock out next season. Too many profitable opportunities would disappear if this dilemma would indeed result in a lock out.

The dispute between players and owners is essentially a fight between millionaires and billionaires. Minimum wage for players in the NFL is significantly into six figures. The players and owners would both survive without NFL games next season, but would the fans? The professional game of football is a huge part of our society and fans like myself cringe at the idea of not having an NFL next year. In some cases, whole communities are tied together through their favorite NFL teams. The real losers in the case of a lock out would be the average fan, not the wealthy owners and freakishly talented athletes.

As I sit at home on Sunday afternoons next fall, I hope that my favorite NFL players aren’t doing the same.

OSU players barred for receiving improper benefits B.MILLER

STAFF

The Ohio State Buckeyes will have a rough start to the 2011 season as five juniors will be suspended the first five games. These players include quarterback Terrelle Pryor, left tackle Mike Adams, running back Dan Herron, receiver Devier Posey and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas.

“Ight, they’re going pro,” said junior Josh Davis.

The five Buckeyes were suspended for receiving improper benefits from a Columbus tattoo parlor that date as far back as two years ago.

The players have also sold jerseys, championship rings and various other rewards.

“They should be allowed to do it. It’s their stuff,” said senior Jake Sturt.

The most highly scrutinized player is Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl MVP Pryor. He has been linked to selling his sportsmanship award from the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, his 2008 Big Ten Championship Ring and the gold pants each OSU player receives after defeating Michigan.

Pryor and the rest of the players will be forced to pay back to charity all of the money they received, which, for Pryor, adds up to be $2,500.

“If you’re going to give that stuff up, then you should sell it for more money,” said

junior Brandan Rachwell.

OSU will be strongly affected by the suspensions in the early season as their schedule includes a trip down to South Beach on September 17 to take on the Miami Hurricanes, a home game against a tough Michigan State team on October 1 and, as soon as the suspended players come back the following week, they have to travel to Lincoln to take on the newest member of the Big Ten, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

“They will be just fine,” said junior Chris Jablonski.

With Pryor’s suspension, the starting quarterback for the first five games will be junior Joe Bauserman or Under Armour All-American Braxton Miller.

Miller is from Huber Heights, Ohio where he led Wayne High School to the Division One State Championship and lost to Lakewood St. Edwards 34-28.

Buckeye fans are hoping that he can be the potential replacement for Pryor for the next four years.

“The 2011 season is Braxton Miller’s year,” said senior Darrin Hughes.

Many Buckeye fans have been angered by the suspensions since it was the players’ belongings that were sold, however, the NCAA and coaches warn their players over and over again that they will be punished if they are caught receiving improper benefits. Even Gym teacher Mr. David Briggs, as a track runner at Indiana University, remembers being told what you can and cannot do.

“They should know better, they have been told plenty of times,” said Mr. Briggs.

The 2010-2011 bowl season was not one to remember for the teams in the Big Ten Conference as they combined for a conference record of 3-5. The Big Ten as a conference was also completely outplayed by the alleged best conference in college football, the South Eastern Conference in bowl games.

“The SEC showed the Big Ten how to play football,” said junior James Aponte.

The bowl season started out strong for the Big Ten as Iowa defeated Missouri 27-24 in the Insight Bowl. After that Illinois completely obliterated the favored Baylor Bears in the Texas Bowl by a score of 38-14, the Big Ten had gotten off to a 2-0 start. However, on January 1, the Big Ten had its most embarrassing day in postseason history, especially for Michigan and Michigan State.

“The Big Ten was just straight up brutal in bowl games,” said senior Gabe Jones.

The new year started off with losses by Northwestern and Penn State. Northwestern faced off against a highly talented Texas Tech team in the TicketCity Bowl without star quarterback Dan Perca. The Wildcats nearly upset the Red Raiders with their late fourth quarter rally, but lost 38-45.

“Big 12 offenses are the best around,” said senior Tyler Schinharl.

In the Outback Bowl, the all time wins leader in Division one football, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, faced off against Florida’s Urban Meyer who was set to coach his last game as a Gator before resigning. The Nittany Lions were driving down the field late in the fourth quarter to try to take a lead before PSU’s freshman quarterback Matt McGloin threw his fifth interception of the game to Florida’s senior safety Ahmad Black who returned it for an 80 yard touchdown to seal the game at 3724.

“Joe Paterno needs to finally retire,” said sophomore Jason Bylica.

Michigan and Michigan State were out scored 101-21 by their opponents on January first and it even led to the firing of highly scrutinized Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez.

Rodriguez had a combined record of 15-22 and a sluggish Big Ten record of 6-18 in his three forgettable years in Ann Arbor. He also led the Wolverines to their worst season ever in 2008 as they went 3-9 and led one of the worst defenses in the nation in 2010. His win totals only increased by two each year which was not enough to keep his job in Ann Arbor, especially after the flat out dismantlement of the Wolverines in their 14-52 loss to Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl.

“Rich Rodriguez is gone now. They are about to win three straight national championships,” said senior Adam Simpson.

The MSU Spartans had their highest win total in school history with 11 wins as the team went to play the defending national champions from the SEC, 9-3 Alabama. Alabama had under performed a lot during the regular season and it seemed that they took all of their anger out on the lowly Spartans in the Capital One Bowl.

The Crimson Tide took an early lead and never looked back as they destroyed MSU on both sides of the ball in their 49-7 demolishment of the Spartans. It seemed like MSU head coach Mark Dantonio learned yet another lesson from his former mentor at MSU and now Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

“They did well all year and sucked in their bowl game,” said senior Ben McClurg.

The Big Ten ended the day with its representative Wisconsin facing off against undefeated Texas Christian. The Horned Frogs got off to a 14-13 halftime lead and then scored again early in the third quarter to go up 2113. Late in the fourth, the Badgers drove the length of the field with junior running back John Clay and scored with sophomore running back Montee Ball. The Badgers however, failed to complete a two-point conversion, which eventually led to the team losing 19-21 and a combined conference record of 0-5 on January 1.

“They didn’t play their kind of game,” said junior Allen Scharfenberg.

On January 4 however, the Ohio State Buckeyes stopped some of the bleeding for the conference as the team defeated its first ever SEC opponent in a bowl game. The Buckeyes stopped a late rally by the Arkansas Razorbacks as junior defensive lineman Solomon Thomas intercepted junior Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallet to win the game 31-26.

“Every blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while,” said junior Spencer Georgetti.

SPORTS

12 Wrestling stays tough on the mats S.ROSE

STAFF

Wrestling, a team at Northview that has currently stepped its game up. The Wildcats are 4-2 so far this season and with this convincing record the players are determined to finish strong, according to senior captain Billy Sargent.

“Coming in dead last place every year starts to get old,” said Coach Luke McKinley, “We have dedicated workers that want to get better.”

The Wildcats have already defeated last year’s Northern Lakes League champion Anthony Wayne 40-31.

“We have a lot of potential talent and the type of kids who want to succeed in life,” said Sargent.

The toughest competition will be against Perrysburg this season because of their talent and experience, according to Sargent.

Some of the success of the team is attributed to the intensity of their practices. With coaches constantly yelling, the atmosphere on the mat is quite vehement. The wrestlers are very focused on learning and getting better during practices.

“We are always giving one hundred percent at practice because it will prepare us for hard matches,” Sargent said.

At the end of each practice the boys do conditioning which consists of cardio workouts and a lot of jumping drills, according to Sargent.

The Cats have defeated multiple league opponents including Maumee 34-33 and Rossford 46-34.

“We’ve been winning a lot, so we have been taking it easy on our teammates at practice,” said senior captain Tanner Newland.

The boys suffered a close loss to Bowling Green that unfortunately ruined their chance at a perfect record.

“Practice will be so much harder now but we are determined to make a come back,” said Newland.

ANGELL

DOMINATING HIS OPPONENT is junior Brian Elden. The battle between these little guys proved to make a big difference in the outcome of the whole match. NV defeated Maumee on a close call, 34-33. Earlier in the season, NV placed first out of 13 in the Northwood Invitational and also placed fourth in a field of 14 at the Perrysburg Invitational.

Swim, Dive team find success at leagues Y.PAPADIMOS

COEDITOR

Inclement weather attempted to snow the Wildcat Swim Teams out of several aquatic showdowns, but ultimately could not succeed in drowning their spirits. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams have been continuing their rigorous practices without regard to the flakes collecting inch by inch outside the Sylvania Schools Natatorium.

The Cats suited up on the night of January 6 to take on the challenge that Port Clinton had to offer. Both schools swam to win, however Port Clinton, with their reputation as a marine powerhouse, clinched the victory.

Notable times included sophomore Molly Wheeler who swam the 100 Meter Freestyle and the 200 Meter Individual Medley. Wheeler went a 1:05 and a 2:49, respectively.

The Wildcat swimmers were preparing for their next meet in the pool against timeworn rival Southview. Yet, on the afternoon of February 11, an unfortunate snowstorm struck the area canceling all after school events, leaving the meet to be rescheduled for January 21.

That weekend, the Cats headed to the Bowling Green State University Natatorium in hopes of grabbing golden glory in the Northern Lakes League Championships. ­­The girls’ team, being relatively young, proved strong and pulled

through with third place.

“We did really well at NLL’s for only having seven guys,” said senior co-captain Ben McClurg.

“I was pretty surprised because we have a lot of inexperienced swimmers.”

The boys, despite having only seven eligible swimmers and four divers, truly shocked spectators taking second place. The 11 individuals found their way to the top as underdogs, beating favored Perrysburg and Bowling Green along the way.

“It felt good to see everyone on the team do so well. We’ve got some really strong swimmers and some incredible divers,” said senior co-captain Yianni Papadimos. “Perrysburg had beaten us by

one point twice in the past two years. It felt good to finally put them in their place.”

The Wildcats were supposed to dive into battle with Shawnee on January 19, yet snow again got the best of both schools as conditions were deemed unsafe for travel.

Last Friday, however, the Cats had their chance at SV, a meet which many were looking forward to.

“I’m very confident in the girls’ team, especially after we took third at NLL’s,” said senior co-captain Lydia Grum. “Both teams have been working hard at practice and incorporating lots of lactic sets. They make us give all of our effort. It gets the best out of us.”

BLEACHER FEATURE:Northview Superfans MG.FITZGERALD STAFF

A new group of fans has come out of the student section at the LadyKat basketball games. Seniors Nick Dorner, Dan Graeff, Ken Bodie, Jason Jacoby and Ryan Perry have been to every home game, and lots of away games for the LadyKats. They refer to themselves as the “G-Unit” because “it’s a cool name,” said Bodie. Each game the boys come up with a new idea of how to attract attention.

“We come to the games because the girls need us,” said Jacoby.

“We come to the games because we need the girls,” said Graeff.

During the away game at Southview, the girls saw a crowd that was larger than most home games. To add to the excitement of the rivalry game, and the large crowd, it

was senior Tori Busby’s 18th birthday. The boys took advantage of this special day and made shirts that recognized her birthday.

“I love it when G-Unit comes to our games.

Especially Captain Ken, he made my day,” said Busby.

On another occasion, Dorner, Graeff, Bodie, Jacoby, and Perry all wore tank tops, flip-flops and sun hats. The reason for this attire is still unknown, but it was much appreciated by the LadyKats because it was a low attendance game.

“Naturally, I coordinate all of my outfits to be the best dressed,” said Graeff.

“There’s not always a huge crowd at the girls games, and we figured they needed the recognition as well as the boys team. We also wanted to make the girls laugh, and get on BCSN with our ridiculous outfits,” said Bodie.

“We don’t wear ridiculous outfits,” said Jacoby. “That’s how we usually dress.”

The boys also encourage their favorite NV coach, Jerry Sigler.

“We love Coach Sigler, he’s our second favorite part of the game,” said Bodie. “We love when he laughs and recognizes us.”

Coach Sigler enjoys the boys’ cheers, and said that he’s never had a fan club outside of tournament time.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Coach Sigler. “It’s always more fun with people in the stands.”

When the first five players from the Northview Boys’ Basketball team step on the court, seven superfans almost always join them.

Seniors Addison Hirschfeld, Matt Babcock, Josh Kleinert, AJ Mehling, Ryan Darah, Luke Armstrong and Zach Ryder display their

enthusiasm by yelling for the boys. These faithful fans follow the team to away games, and are front row at the home games. Not only are these devoted supporters the loudest people at the games; they are without a doubt the most vibrantly dressed.

Sporting practice jerseys from former players, they arrive at each game with positive attitudes and high spirits. They start cheers, harass referees, and of course encourage the Wildcats.

Even though they are there to support NV, the tape on their jerseys and the chants that they begin are usually directed at one player in particular; senior Jake Severson.

“My fans are the best fans in the world,” said Severson, “They taught me everything I know.”