Volume 84: Issue 4

Th e

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Sylvania Northview HS 5403 Silica Drive Sylvania, OH 43560

No vember 24, 2009

Student Prints Sylvania Northview

Volume 84

Issue 4

Construction begins at NV

Photo by Laura Guinness

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NEWS

November 24, 2009

Improvements come to NV, Cats other district school buildings meow auditions held

By HALEY NELSON

Co-edit or

By DAVID ALDRICH

St aff writ er The senior show Cat’s Meow is continuing to develop now with it’s talents selected. Auditions for the show, which will be organized and performed by members of the senior class, were held on November 11 and 12 until 4:45 p.m.

Students auditioned for performing roles for the show. Running the auditions were the show’s directors, including the Executive Directors Athreya Rajan and Sarah Fatemi and Ms. Magee Wilson and Mrs. Kathy Jensen. The Technical Director, Alexis Hall, selected the technical roles.

Everyone who auditioned will be used in the show in some way according to Rajan. The show will include several skits written by students as well as individual talent acts and several chorus lines which seniors could sign up for.

“This year is different because we will have a male chorus line, a female chorus line, and a mixed chorus line,” said Rajan.

Students auditioning for an acting role performed a monologue. People wishing to display their talent during the show performed for the show officers. Around thirty five people tried out in total over the two days according to Rajan.

About 50 people will be involved in the show either as a performer or in a behind the scenes role according to Rajan.

Rehearsals began last week. The show will be performed on January 8 and 9.

Changes are evident around the Sylvania City School District due to construction implemented through the passage of the 2008 bond levy.

At Northview, 45 parking spaces have been added to the front parking lot by expanding onto the grassy hill area. Due to the expansion of the Fine Arts Wing into the parking lot by the hill, more spots were a necessity in the front, according to Assistant Superintendent Mr. Scott Nelson, head liaison for the Levy projects.

“I love the new parking lot,” said NV Principal Mr. Stewart Jesse. “Previously, visitors had no place to park and now anyone can find room for their car.”

More renovations will begin at NV March 1, notably, the reconfiguration of the Fine Arts wing and science classrooms.

Renovations will begin with the excavation of the ground to prepare for the Fine Arts wing foundation, which will be one of the first visible changes in the area. Walls and fencing will be going up shortly after, however the Fine Arts area parking lot will be generally unusable. Bigger changes will occur over the summer, according to Mr. Nelson.

Construction of two new science classrooms, to be added at the end of D-Hall across from Mr. Andy Roth’s current classroom, will begin at the end of the school year. Another science classroom will be added in the courtyard.

“The rooms are going to be much more user friendly for teachers and students,” said Mr. Roth. “It is going to be wonderful to have more rooms ready for effective science teaching and ready for labs.”

Laura Guinness RENOVATION OF THE FRONT PARKING LOT added 45 new spaces to the area. The parking lot is one of many new changes to come to NV, along with the upcoming construction of a new Fine Arts wing, new science classrooms and renovated bathrooms.

Around the district, even more construction has been underway.

“The foundation is pored and the walls are up of the new Hillview Elementary school,” said Mr. Nelson. “We have made great progress.”

Renovations have begun at Highland Elementary School and more work will begin at the new Maplewood Elementary School in March.

Some of the biggest changes in the district will be occurring at the Burnham Building.

“The Central Offices will be moved from December 12 and 13 and from the 19 to the 20,” said Mr. Nelson. “We will be moving by department to the location at 4747 Holland Sylvania Road.”

The new central offices, although a

new name has yet to be chosen, will open December 12. The Burnham Building on Erie will be demolished in January and demolition work will continue through March, according to Mr. Nelson.

However, the district is not forgetting the Burnham Building and the 84 years it has served the Sylvania community and students. The “Back to Burnham” Community Open House celebrated Burnham as both a building and a high school from a historical perspective November 1.

“Tours were held at Burnham and other commemorative activities were held at the building,” said Mr. Nelson. “Those who attended looked at old yearbooks, shared stories with old classmates and had the opportunity to buy commemorative items.”

A sock hop fundraiser dance was held at the building November 14, another activity held to commemorate the Burnham Building.

As for NV, the levy has made great changes to the campus.

“The school has certainly been made much nicer,” said Mr. Jesse. “There is a lot more parking space and it will be wonderful to have fully equipped science classrooms.”

NEWS

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November 24, 2009

Cos juniors begin work with customers PEACE proj. creates chalk Edit orial s edit or inspiration at Highland

By SARAH FATEMI

The junior cosmetology students got their chance to work with real customers for the first time November 5.

Since only the seniors had been working on paying customers, the juniors shared their excitement of being able to finally experience the next step, according to cosmetology instructor Mrs. Christine Jude.

“We normally practice on mannequins,” said junior Sierra Sowers. “For the past two months, we have been training to do hair and nails.”

The three-period class which the students attend every day includes book work as well as various training in cuts, updos, hairstyles, and manicures. Out of the 47 students who applied for cosmetology last year, the 17 who made the cut “are very talented”, according to Ms. Jude.

“They did awesome on their first customer-service day,” she said. “They had eight clients, some being walk-ins, and they were more comfortable than normal.”

One of the students able to work on a customer for her first time was junior Lara Meyer, who completed a roller-set that took around 40 minutes.

“It was nerve-wracking at first, but really cool,” said Meyer. “Once you’ve had your first customer, you are pretty much set. I enjoyed the experience of working with other people as opposed to just mannequins.”

The money made from customerservice day is normally used to buy salon

By ALEX CARTER

St aff writ er Highland Elementary got a surprise when Bill Geha’s PEACE project showed up at their doors with a lot of chalk and a big idea on October 13.

PEACE, protecting every abused child everywhere, is an organization who offers help and support for children suffering from an abusive relationship.

The PEACE project was started in 2007 by 14 kids at Northview and in two years has become an international organization more than 38,000 members strong.

For an hour, kids in the program

Laura Guinness WORKING ON HIS DAD, during Donuts for Dads, is junior Kevin Storer. Juniors were able to put their skills to the test for the first time on November 5. essentials. The cosmetology students are also learning the positions of working in a real salon. Jobs that they rotate every two weeks include job manager, receptionist, trash-cleaner, and others.

“What’s amazing is that these students come in here knowing nothing and can easily create an up-do,” said Mrs. Jude.

The juniors have a competition on December 7, where they will have the opportunity to win a plaque.

They will learn how to color hair in January and wax in the spring. Many of the juniors choose to continue with Cosmetology after they graduate, according to Ms. Jude.

Orchestra kicks off fall with concert

By BRIDGET THOMAS

St aff writ er The Northview Chamber and Concert Orchestras kicked off the fall classical music season on November 11 performing at Start High School. Local music lovers attending the festival not only included NV’s musicians, but the Southview, Maumee and Start High School orchestras as well.

“The concert went wonderfully,” said Mrs. Pam Thiel, director of both NV orchestras. “I was proud of all my students.”

The Chamber Orchestra performed two pieces, including Brandenburg Concerto

No.3 by J.S. Bach, and American Reel by Kirt Mosier. The Concert Orchestra also performed two pieces, including La Folia by Corelli and Ashlin, and Lullaby by Hofeldt.

“It was fun playing with the different orchestras and to compare them to ours,” said senior violinist and concert mistress of Chamber Orchestra.

“Brandenburg was difficult specifically for our orchestra, because each section had to always be on top of their part,” said Armstrong.

Junior cellist Elliot Greive also thought Brandenburg to be a difficult composition.

“It was really challenging, but worth it because it was fun to play,” he said.

“Everyone had a great time at the

string fest,” according to sophomore violist Katie Warpool.

“Lullaby was my favorite piece because we had to shift into tough positions, which made the music challenging and fun,” said freshman violinist and concertmaster of Concert Orchestra, Chad Singer.

Being director of two orchestras, standards must be set, according to Mrs. Thiel.

“My main goal for Chamber Orchestra was to be able to pull off the most technical piece, Brandenburg,” she said.

Mrs. Thiel plans to carry on improving both orchestras. “I will keep my standards high and continue to push my students to meet those standards.”

“The kids had a lot of really nice things to add to the sidewalk.”

- Skylar Ros e, s ophomore and Highland elementary kids grades 1-5 wrote inspirational and positive words all over the sidewalk in front of the school.

Sophomore Skylar Rose said, “The kids had a lot of really nice things to add to the sidewalk, positive words that you don’t hear everyday, like ‘respect’ and ‘you look good today’, it was really nice to see little kids being so positive”.

The students left early in ninth period to be able to get to Highland before school let out so that the rest of the school would be surprised when they walked out and saw all the chalk.

When the rest of the students got out of school they were delighted to see the mural on their sidewalk, according to Rose.

“The way each PEACE project kid interacted with the elementary kids was amazing,” said Geha, “It’s all about respect”.

The PEACE project kids plan on doing more of these projects soon.

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November 24, 2009

UNICEF helps Africa and Asia with hunger problems

Environmental science classes participate in watershed program

Half of all children under five years of age in South Asia and one third of those in sub-Saharan Africa are malnourished. Children who are starving are likely to develop physical, mental, and social disabilities, such as heart disease and diabetes. They need a healthy diet in order to develop and grow properly, according to Fox News.

“I am so thankful that I have food to eat,” said sophomore Brooke Snead.

Many African and Asian children are suffering from hunger and starvation, according to UNICEF. UNICEF is the convention on the rights of children, which works to establish the rights of children worldwide. Poor nutrition is the number one killer of these children. The cause of malnutrition is poverty, since many families do not have the money to buy food, according to UNICEF. “If we try, I think we can do so much better in trying to do something about starvation in different countries around the world,” said freshman Emily Gross.

Nutrition supplement programs have given kids in Africa and Asia vitamin A and iodized salt to help treat their hunger. ~Meagan Moyer

NEWS

By ELIZABETH MASSON

St aff writ er Northview’s environmental science classes recently got down and dirty in the Ten-Mile Creek, using their test results to compare water quality all over Northwest Ohio.

On November 20, a group of 2025 students and environmental science teacher Ms. Michelle Bogue attended the University of Toledo, along with other local schools, for the Student Watershed Watch Summit, an area-wide water quality conference and competition. This group composed NV’s chapter of the Student Watershed Watch.

“We participate in an area-wide Student Watershed Watch program to help the Environmental Protection Agency collect data about area creeks, streams and rivers. We also help monitor water flowing into Lake Erie,” said Ms. Bogue.

Chemical and biological tests were originally run on the creek by all Environmental Science classes October 14. Chemical tests included measuring for pH and dissolved oxygen levels, while biological tests focused on the collection and identification of macroinvertebrates.

The purpose of running the tests was to monitor water quality so that if something was wrong, the EPA could be notified, according to Ms. Bogue.

“My part for the tests outside was collecting water. It was neat watching other groups perform their tests,” said senior Kayla McCoy. After test results were collected, students had the option of joining the SWW

Michelle Lorenz PRESENTING HER INFORMATION and explaining the Q values of the 10 Mile Creek is junior Margot Jacobs while senior Kevin Butts films her. The video was used in the opening of the Watershed presentation for UT. team, in order to begin brainstorming ideas for the Summit presentation. The team was open to all juniors and seniors currently taking or who had taken environmental science.

“Once we got our results, we started brainstorming ideas, and then everyone chose what they wanted to be a part of,” said senior Michelle Lorenz, who helped film and put together the final project.

Students met roughly three times a week to prepare and the presentation consisted of a video that shared their test results, which was frequently interrupted by infomercials that highlighted water

quality factors, according to Ms. Bogue. A poster display and a display area were also created for the presentation.

During the conference, students gave and listened to presentations, attended workshops on water quality and compared research with other schools.

The Summit consisted of 20-25 SWW teams from the Maumee and Ottawa watersheds as well as some schools from around the Toussaint River, ranging from elementary to college level. Other local schools with SWW teams include Central Catholic High School, Bowsher High School, and UT.

BEYO n D v Fort Hood attacked from within

By ALEXA KALANQUIN

St aff writ er The nation was informed of one of the most deadly rampages at a United States military base in history November 5. Major Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly shot and killed 13 soldiers and left 31 wounded at an Army base in Texas. Fort Hood, located halfway between Austin and Waco, is the largest active duty armored post in the US, according to foxnews.com Hasan, a Virginia Tech graduate and licensed psychiatrist for the army was upset about his approaching deployment to Afghanistan according to Colonel Terry Lee, a responder at the scene. Hasan apparently opened fire inside the base’s Soldier Readiness Center, a building used to prepare soldiers awaiting deployment, located just 50 meters away from a graduation ceremony where some 600 people were gathered. Hasan was restrained before he was able to reach any other buildings. He was armed with two weapons and shot at random according to cbsnews. com His motives are unknown, but officials have evidence that Hasan cleaned out his room and sold pieces of furniture before he took the lives of the 13 soldiers.

“It’s disturbing that the soldiers were harmed at their base which is supposed to be a safe place,” said junior Mackenzie Reeves.

Hasan was not among the soldiers left dead, but is currently in stable condition. In regards to the tragedy, President Obama said, “Its difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas.

It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil,” according to cnn. com.

A memorial service was held at the base November 11 to honor the fallen soldiers.

November 24, 2009

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Dog warden retires after pressure from media, county commissioner

By MARGOT JACOBS

St aff writ er Tom Skeldon, Chief Dog Warden, resigned from his duties Thursday after being pressured for weeks, finally succumbing to the scrutiny of the media.

Skeldon’s resignation will be put into effect on January 31 after 22 years of working as the warden.

“My leadership of the dog warden department has become an increasing distraction to this community,” Skeldon said in a letter to the county commissioners, according to The Toledo Blade.

This past year, over 61% of all dogs that were brought to the Lucas County Dog Warden, were euthanized, according to The Toledo Blade. Skeldon is responsible for the decision of the euthanization.

In 2007, an outspoken group of local citizens complained to the commissioners about the high number of dogs being euthanized. These citizens created a petition because they felt so strongly about the issue. They sent their five recommendations to Skeldon and he failed to put any of these suggestions into action. The group decided to take another step and send these suggestions to the commissioners of the city of Toledo, according to The Toledo Blade. They voiced their ideas of how the dog warden could improve the situation.

Ben Konop, a Lucas County commissioner, saw these recommendations concerning the policies and procedures at the pound and spoke to other commissioners and proposed that the dog warden be fired. The demand for having the warden fired from the pound was rejected by various commissioners.

Skeldon has been pressured for weeks by various dog advocacy groups and the Dog Warden Advisory Committee, a county appointed overseeing committee. All of these groups have been complaining about the low adoption rates and the high killing rates, according to The Toledo Blade.

Konop stated earlier this week that if he didn’t get the votes to fire Skeldon, he would fight to reorganize and attempt to downgrade the duties of the warden to only law enforcement responsibilities. He will also attempt to lower Skeldon’s salary, according to The Toledo Blade.

Margot Jacobs CUDDLING WITH THEIR DOG, CHEWY, are seniors Brendan and Nick Connolly.

Many dog owners like these students were happy to see the warden resign Thursday.

“The objective would be to strip him of his duties of anything to do with adoptions or public outreach,” Konop told The Toledo Blade.

In 2008, 2,483 dogs were put down and there have been 1,800 dogs killed so far this year, according to The Toledo Blade.

About 183 puppies that were all under three months old were euthanized in the last 11 months. Lucas County’s adoption rates from 2008 are much lower than other counties in Ohio.

In Wood County 82.6% of all adoptable dogs are adopted, according to The Toledo Blade. Where only 13% of the dogs in 2008 at the Lucas County pound were adopted.

“I feel like dogs are beautiful, majestic creatures whose presence should be cherished. The dog warden is taking away the opportunity for young children to obtain a sweet, caring companion,” said senior Brendan Connolly.

Various groups, such as 4 Lucas County Pets, have created petitions in the effort of firing Skeldon from his job, according to The Toledo Blade.

“Nothing will change while [Skeldon] is there,” said Tamara Ernst, the Co-Founder of 4 Lucas County Pets. “He’s given a really really bad name to Lucas County. I have people from other counties asking me,

‘Why isn’t this guy being fired?”

Just two weeks ago, Skeldon told The Toledo Blade “They can come at me hot and heavy, but I’m not going to stop doing my job.”

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November 24, 2009

EDITORIALS

Transfer students deserve better parking Trudging through knee-deep snow in sub-zero weather is something I love to do. I hope that all the transfer students love this too because December is quickly approaching and their journey through the arctic to the front of the school is coming.

Most students who travel to a different building during the school day park in the back of Northview. Walking around to the front of the school is about a five to seven minute hike, depending on how fast you walk. Now imagine walking that in snow and with bitter winter wind hitting your face. Those conditions make the five to seven minute walk seem like 20.

It’s not just the fact that walking to the front takes a long time and wastes class time, but in the winter transfer students are going to have to deal with soaking wet pant legs and the risk of catching hypothermia. I don’t know about other transfer students, but I’m not about to pull out my winter snow boots just to walk around to the front of the school when there are doors right next to where I park.

Having to walk around to the front is a complete waste of valuable class time. Some students have a travel period, but my schedule did not allow that and I have a class after traveling. Frankly, I don’t want to miss 25 minutes of my class everyday.

What I don’t understand is why transfer students who park in the back of the school cannot go through the back doors. How are we a security risk when we attend NV? If the administration was really worried about security, why couldn’t they just have someone stationed at those doors when transfer kids arrive at NV? If there was someone placed at the back doors they could easily check student IDs and verify that the student does in fact go to NV, thus allowing students to get to their classes at a reasonable time.

Unless the administration is going to give every transfer student a parking spot in the front of the building, students should not have to walk around in the bitter chill of the winter months. Transfer students should be allowed to walk in the doors closest to where they park especially when it’s freezing cold outside and especially if they have a class that they need to get to.

-Haley Hofbauer

ENTERING THE BUILDING THROUGH THE FRONT ENTRANCE IS senior transfer student Katie Bartlet. No matter how far away they park, NV and SV students are required to use the front entrance.

Abbey Strick

Dog Warden’s removal was long overdue Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon succumbed to media pressure A week ago, it was clear that the Lucas County Dog Warden was creating controversy with his ethics and morals.

According to many, he needed to resign.

It seems the public’s call for action has finally been heard, as of this past Friday, Chief Dog Warden Tom Skeldon’s final day in office will be December 31.

Over the past few months as Chief Dog Warden, Skeldon had been called out on multiple occasions. One thing these complaints had in common was their cry for change. Skeldon should not have been in a position of power. Especially one that put animals’ lives at risk.

Skeldon’s removal from office has been long over due. His methodology both disturbs and induces nausea. Under Skeldon’s watch, the number of dogs being put down far outweighed those adopted.

It may have had something to do with his policy.

If a registered dog was picked up, an owner had 14 days to claim it. However, if one’s dog was unregistered, an owner would have only three days to retrieve it. After this given time, the dog would

become the property of the Dog Warden, according to his office. That fact alone is chilling.

How does a dog become registered?

Owner’s must pay a $25 fee made to the Lucas County Dog Warden’s Office. Since the program is not state funded, they make

However, there have been incidents where dogs do not get such a grace period.

Earlier this year, the Warden tranquilized a man’s dog outside of the man’s own home. The 10-pound, two-yearold dog died shortly after. This “accident”

Under Skeldon’s watch, the number of dogs being put down far outweighs those adopted. It may have something to do with his policy. their money by blackmailing Toledo area dog owners.

According to their website, the Dog Warden “enforces Ohio laws that protect the public from canine-related problems.”

It really is a great slogan, but they should change it to, “Pay $25 or we’ll just kill your lost dog faster.”

is what led to the Warden Advisory Panel, which has met regularly since its March formation. They called for change from Skeldon, yet he seemed unresponsive.

It would appear he wanted nothing in his stagnant system touched. This included his policy that all pit bulls (whether they are puppies or adults) be put down if found.

Some called this wonderful, such as the truly gleeful group known as “Dogsbite. org.” They awarded Skeldon the title of “Dog Warden of the Year” for his efforts to “prevent horrendous pit bull maulings.”

That is something along the lines of killing babies who look like they could grow up and commit murder. This may seem outlandish, but the comparison is true. It should be mentioned, according to Sandusky’s Injury Board blog, that Dogsbite.org is the nation’s only dog bite advocacy group.

Attempts to dethrone Skeldon had been made before. Only two weeks ago, Commissioner Ben Konop brought up his dismissal. However, he was outvoted by the dream team of Commissioners Pete Gerken and Tina Skeldon Wozniak, the Chief Dog Warden’s first cousin.

Tom Skeldon has held his position since 1987. In regards to his resignation, one can only thank the higher powers.

As to how he managed to keep his position for so long, no one can tell.

It leaves one to wonder, did Tina have anything to do with it.

EDITORIALS

November 24, 2009

Having trouble on Facebook?

Follow these steps for success Facebook is undeniably the largest game of modern tag to date. And what is really fantastic about the whole thing is that almost everyone has the ability to play.

All you need is an internet connection, an immense amount of spare time and the motivation to prove that you are, in fact not socially awkward, but have the ability to befriend thousands upon thousands of people. Here are some helpful hints on how to become a top player on the fastest growing social network sensation since myspace.

Be sure to...

1. Make yourself look cool. If you have a FB fancy, you must keep in mind that if misused, the site can be as hurtful to your social standing as it can be helpful.

If used correctly, however, your general ranking as a cool person can and will sky rocket (see Compare People, tip 12). My recommendation as a “FB Pro” is to ask yourself before any posting whatsoever, “Will this be beneficial to my image?”

Follow this rule and I guarantee you will become a FB master in no time.

Create a good first impression.

I am talking about none other than the legendary “profile pic.” Choose a flattering photograph in which you are the main focus of attention. Using the crop tool on the site can be very beneficial, cutting out any unnecessary people or “deadweight.” Also, if you are interested in having your pic really stand out, consider using a photoshop program. Adjusting the brightness and contrast levels can add an element of spunk while switching over to black and white creates a more classic feel.

Construct a decent biography or “bio.”

This is where you will be developing your persona and is CRUCIAL to FB success.

My advice is to stay with what is popular.

Research the target population in which you are trying to befriend and emulate their favorite activities, music, television shows, movies and books. Being different has yet to get anyone anywhere. Do not stick with what you know, but with what everyone else likes.

Use the status. You want people to know what you are doing at all times. Once again, make sure you only post things or plans that are cool. Share-worthy items range from seeing popular musicians in

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concert or going to an awesome party. The status can also be used for sharing your feelings with the FB community. If you are having a bad day, make sure to express it. This is a wonderful source for gaining sympathy and a quick confidence booster.

On a side note, be aware that not everyone will always like what you have to say or post. Fortunately, there is the option of deleting any negative comments.

Befriend all sorts of people, whether you know them or not. Do not limit yourself with certain networks. Schedule time specifically for friend adding and do not be picky in this aspect of the site. It is important to keep in mind that the point of FB is to make new friends and accumulate as many as possible Play tag. If you are unaware of this common FB terminology, you have much work to do. To tag someone on FB is to take a photo that a friend is in and label or “tag” them in the image. Tag friends, but more importantly, tag yourself. It is important to be seen and the more pictures you are in, the better. However, be wise in the pictures you do tag yourself in because they appear under your photos, easily accessible to everyone. Make sure they are complimentary photos. Avoid pictures with family or pets.

Research top videos on the internet and post them on the news feed. It is critical to immerse yourself in the now. Keep up on trends and keep people laughing. Funny cat videos or popular YouTube hits like, “Sittin On Da Toilet” are key. If you have more than three people “like” a video or link, you know you are doing well.

Be a good friend. Return comments and like other’s postings as well. Allow yourself ample time for this and it will surely pay off, making you a more likable and relatable FB buddy.

Strike up a conversation. Facebook Chat is a great way to get to know your friends and what they are all about. If you are unsure of what to talk about, do a background check on the person’s page.

Draw information from their bio and then casually bring up a favorite film or hobby, ensuring appreciable conversation.

Make use of applications. Join in on the fun that is a constant in Farmville, a virtual land where agriculture is the coolest of the cool. Or, if farming isn’t really your deal, take a quick quiz. which will allow you to

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test your wits or as the “app” states, and I assure you I have not made a grammatical error in the following slogan, “Find out your smart or stupid.” This is clearly a credible source.

Become a fan. There is nothing more likable than someone who is a supporter of good causes or is a fan of hope or thunderstorms.

Compare people. This is a superb application that will enable you to get a glimpse of how others perceive you. Check your statistics often. It is the perfect way to test how well you are putting these tips to use.

Avoid...

Looking desperate. Do not plague someone’s wall with comments if they are unresponsive. Remember that this blow off is not private. It can be viewed by the entirety of the FB world, ultimately lowering your “cool factor.”

Official FB relationships. Making a relationship publicly known will decrease your chances with the opposite sex. Keep your options open. FB is the ultimate dating site and you never know who you might meet and when.

SPAM. By posting the same thing over and over, you are risking your account being disabled by FB authorities. This is the WORST. Being without FB for only a few days could be very damaging. Wall comments will pile up and you will appear to be a bad friend, unable to reply. I repeat, DO NOT SPAM. Follow these simple guidelines and become one of FB’s finest. Of course, this dedication may draw time away from other, lesser aspects of life...light of day, exercise, personal hygiene...but, these minor drawbacks in no way measure up to the rewards of seeing the little red flag pleasantly pop up at the bottom right corner of your computer screen, a notification of victory unparalleled by few other feats.

And although there are clear winners and losers on FB, there is no definite end to the game. This boundless time period paired with useful portable devices such as the IPhone creates a limitless experience.

You could be playing for literally the rest of your life and I do strongly recommend this, for with FB, the fun just never has to end.

-Estar Cohen

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7 Spirit grows at Northview For a few years, it seemed as though spirit at Northview was at an all-time low.

Very few people dressed up for spirit week, assemblies were almost as quiet as study halls, and fan turnout to games was almost nonexistent. Fortunately, there’s been a recent increase in student morale. There hasn’t been a 180 degree turn around, but there has certainly been improvement.

Student Government has been working hard to instill a little more spirit within the study body and the students have been doing their part as well. With the reinstatement of senior vs. junior Powder Puff football, the school had the opportunity to bond together in a friendly competition and get revved up before a big game. The bonfire had a surprisingly high turnout as well, and it seems like something that will become more popular as the years go on.

The administration has become significantly more lenient in their decision-making (a girls-only football game and a large-scale fire would have been unimaginable last year at this time) and that has allowed for new events to be planned while creating a higher morale among students in general.

The administration was also responsible for the spirit assembly the day of the NV-SV game. Although it ended a little early, the drumline and cheerleaders seemed to keep students entertained and encouraged them to come out to the game more so than previous year’s assemblies. Even though we were in the away stands and it got a little rainy, tons of NV fans still supported their school that night. Especially since our football team had a rough season, it says a lot about our optimism when students are still willing to support.

NV’s very first Benefit Ball will be held on December 11, creating yet another event to bring students together and raise money for a charitable cause.

We may not achieve success in every aspect of school life, but we certainly have accomplishments and students to be proud of. Although it would have been ideal to have four years of excitement and student unity, at least the class of 2010 can graduate with the knowledge that they were responsible for starting a few new traditions and hopefully, turning things around at NV. -Sarah Squillante

8 EDITORIALS Combination of work and school take a toll on students, hours over the top November 24, 2009

School, work, homework, sleep, repeat four more times. This sounds like many Northview student’s schedules for the weekdays, with only a slight change for the weekends.

As if teenagers don’t already have enough on their plates, (grades, parents, college, their future, etc.) a part-time job adds more stress to their lives.

With seven hours spent each day in school, some kids can work up to seven more hours each night at their job, which leaves inadequate time for homework and sleep before they wake up for school the next morning.

Similar to most things in life, there are pros and cons to having a part time job. The most obvious advantage being that you get paid for all of your hard work. Of course, you also gain a sense of responsibility, acquire social skills, and get a taste of what the real world is like before you reach college.

But the disadvantages of having a part

time job can often outweigh these benefits.

Students can find themselves studying into the early hours of the morning for a test the next day because of their lack of free time. While their grades may not suffer, a student’s health and personal life might be damaged.

Sleep is something that everybody needs in order to stay healthy. And even though students can maintain their grades while having a part time job, they often cut out many hours of needed sleep. After sleeping for around six hours each night for an entire week, some harmful effects can happen to a person’s body.

Inadequate sleep can impair your vision, make you physically ill, and even cause you to gain weight, according to buzzle.com.

Part-time jobs can also take a toll on relationships. Working students rarely get to spend time with their friends outside of school, so many friendships end because they simply never talk anymore. Family

members even become distant because teenagers are never home, and when they are home they are working on school work.

Maintaining grades and working a part time job would not be too hard if teachers understood how much students have to do. When teachers assign a group project to their classes, they often underestimate the amount of time it will take if the group actually wants a decent grade.

A project that a teacher says can be finished in a week can in fact be finished in that amount of time if students work on it for multiple hours each night. Students that who don’t have a job typically don’t even have that much time to spend on it.

“It all comes down to how much you value it, like how much you value work, how much you value school, and how much you value playtime, said senior Ben Miller.

Also, tedious homework assignments, such as 40 math problems or a four page packet of questions to answer in Spanish

will not be done as well as they should be. If the student does not have the time to finish all of their homework, then they will hastily try to finish it before they go to bed.

The recurring problem in school is that each teacher does not take into account how much homework a student may get from every other teacher they have.

Teachers will give out long assignments and expect them done when a student already has hours of other homework ahead of them, on top of working that night.

Students need to be recognized for how much they actually accomplish. Most of the hard work that they put in seems to go unnoticed and definitely unrewarded.

In an economy where some students need to have a part-time job, teachers need to realize that school is not the only thing on our minds. Teachers should give more time for longer assignments so that students can do adequate work.

-Ally Yocom

Remakes of classic songs disgust listeners Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin; these are some of the most famous names in music. They created some of the best music and have a lot of talent.

So why do modern bands insist on ruining their classic songs by remaking them?

Shinedown somehow managed to turn an utterly amazing classic rock song into a poorly sung rock ballad. It was actually surprising how bad their cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” is. Shinedown’s lead singer, Brent Smith, covered up the fact that he could not sing the song correctly by singing in that infamous raspy voice that most ‘rock’ bands use these days.

You know, that voice that nearly anyone can pull off and sound decent singing in, without having to hit the notes right.

Unable to match the phenomenal vocals of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant, Smith sang shortened notes in a horribly forced and choppy way. The worst part of the song is handsdown the chorus. Almost all of the notes are off and he somehow made it incredibly boring.

John Mayer succeeded in making one of Jimi Hendrix’s most famous songs sound like every other song he has ever written: whiny and unbearable. The

guitarist’s poor imitation was matched with Mayer’s already questionable singing to produce a terrible version of “Bold As Love”. While I was listening to Mayer half-whisper into the microphone, I was anxiously waiting to see what he did with the guitar solo in the song. Needless to say, I was disappointed again. The solo started out okay, but it was downhill from there.

It sounded unorganized and the guitarist’s talent could not come close to matching Hendrix’s. Why Mayer thought he had the talent to cover one of Hendrix’s songs makes no sense to me; Hendrix is arguably one of the best guitar players of all time.

No one should try to put their own twist on one of his songs ever again.

I am not even sure where to start when discussing Limp Bizkit’s performance of “Behind Blue Eyes” by The Who. I could hardly wait to turn off this song because of my sheer boredom from this song. Their lead singer, Fred Durst, sang in complete monotone and bored me half to death.

Durst once again continues the tradition of singing in a raspy voice to masquerade his lack of talent. The song consists of a guitar and some odd instrumentals that immediately sound out of place. The

worst part was in the middle of the song a voice comes on and repeats “Discover L-IM-P”. If you were trying to inform us of who to blame for making our ears bleed, congratulations Limp Bizkit, you did it in the corniest way possible.

When I turned on NOFX’s cover of “Hotel California” by The Eagles, I was unsure of what song I was even listening to. By introducing horns and a fast tempo, the beginning vaguely resembles any part of “Hotel California”. In this annoying ska version, the lead singer attempts to sound like Don Henley, but ends up sounding like a pre-pubescent girl. Yet, what doesn’t make any sense at all is that they completely cut out the lyrics to the chorus.

The chorus consists of only instrumentals, which happen to be terrible. The verses abruptly begin and end with a hurried chorus of a mix of horns and absolutely no rhythm. This was a poorly put- together song that should not even be able to be called a cover.

The poor remakes of great music continue when Sugar Ray ruined a famous Steve Miller Band song by adding that horrible cheesy 90’s sound to it. With an odd techno beat and terrible vocals, Steve

Miller Band’s “Abracadabra” is ripped to shreds. The song alternates between a normal singing voice and a voice with an electronic touch to it. You would think that this would cover up any mistakes the singer made, but he was flat during the entire song and even changed some of the notes because he was unable to sing them, an act that is never okay.

Of course, I saved the best for last with Godsmack’s horrifying remake of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times”. First of all, a Led Zeppelin cover should never be made. It should never even be thought of. It is pretty much impossible to make a better version of any of their songs. But Godsmack tried to when they gave this classic song a hard rock twist. Above the instrumentals, I was just able to make out the lead singer basically growling the parts of the song he could not sing. Godsmack added a horrible grunge feeling to this song and completely destroyed it.

The bottom line is anything that is a classic should not be messed with. The original version is always the best and the remake is just a pathetic attempt at trying (and failing) to one-up the artist.

-Ally Yocom

EDITORIALS

9

November 24, 2009

Administration cracks down on volunteer requirements; guidelines updated, changed What exactly constitutes volunteerism? The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as the theory, act or practice of giving services, rendering aid or assuming an obligation without material or monetary payment.

While this definition gives the term volunteerism a very formulaic feel, it essentially means that anyone who donates time to help is a volunteer. This broad definition leaves an array of activities to be considered volunteerism, at least in theory.

Recently the administration has been cracking down on students for submitting volunteer forms that they consider to be invalid. Students have received rejection notes back after turning in volunteer hours declaring their volunteer efforts are “not considered volunteer.”

It has long been in practice at Northview to credit those who display volunteerism by rewarding them with volunteer hours. The process involves filling out a volunteer form that describes and validates his/her volunteerism in

order to accumulate hours for the student’s transcript or resume. In theory, any sort of volunteering that helps an organization or person should be accounted for in a student’s total volunteer hours.

“I wrote on my volunteer sheet that I donated time at my church office for my minister, volunteered at a bible camp, and set up equipment for church services,” said senior Nate Miklovic. “But, they told me it was not considered volunteering.”

What exactly does the administration see as volunteering?

There are the usual forms of volunteerism such as tutoring, cleaning up trash around the school or working at a soup kitchen. But other unconventional forms of volunteering exist and should be valid.

Some students donate their time and effort to help out with Sunday schools and services at their church or give musical lessons for free. If these students are “giving services, rendering aid, or assuming an obligation

Allowed Non-Profit organizations

Religious choir, band serving

Organizations that have special programs in place

Youth orchestra

Camps

Pit orchestra

Religious organizations

Participant in a race

Office or teacher aide

Medical office help

Non-Profit musical performances

Helping family/neighbors

Working sporting events

Extracurriculars

without material or monetary payment”, why are they denied credit for volunteer efforts?

In Miklovic’s case, his volunteer efforts aided Student Prints his church and Sylvania Northview High School gave service to 5403 Silica Drive Sylvania, Ohio 43560 c h u rc h g o e r s .

2009-2010 Yet, he was Co-Editors-In-Chief: immediately Haley Nelson & Sarah Squillante Advisor: Sarah Huey denied credit News Editor: Haley Hofbauer Photo Editor: Abbey Strick w i t h o u t Features Editors: Katherine Chang & Yianni Papadimos consultation.

Sports Editor: Alexx Klein Opinions Editors: Sarah Fatemi & Adam Jurski Business Editor: Kristi Kopaniasz So why Staff Writers: David Aldrich, Alex Carter, Estar Cohen, Mary Grace Fitzgerald, the sudden Addison Hirschfeld, Margot Jacobs, Alexa Kalanquin, Nicole Mangas, Elizabeth Masson, crackdown?

Amanda Metcalf, Aurora Milliron, Megan Moyer, Kelsey Pomeroy, Molly Porterfield, Harley Rohrbacher, Skylar Rose, Mami Silver, Bridget Thomas, Brian Wadsworth, Ally Yocom In the past, volunteer hours The Student Prints is the official student-produced newspaper of Sylvania Northview High School. It is were given distributed monthly at no charge to serve the purpose of informing students, faculty, staff, administration and freely without 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. much discretion Signed letters to the editors are encouraged and should be no longer than 300 words. All letters can be turned to what the into the publications room, E-6. The Prints reserves the right to edit letters that contain grammatical errors, vo l u n t e e r i n g accuracy and profane or libelous comments. The newspaper staff is entirely responsible for the content of a c t u a l l y 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 careconsisted of, fully examined by its staff and adviser prior to publication to prevent incorrect or libelous information. The according to newspaper staff does not endorse advertisements published in The Prints. Advertising specifications may be counselor Ms. obtained by calling (419) 824-8708.The newspaper follows the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook guidelines for Jodi Hess. punctuation and grammar. The Prints is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and Quill and Scroll.

Students were Th e

Disallowed

turning in volunteer hours for extracurricular activities and for working at profit organizations.

“Kids were turning in volunteer hours for things they were earning recognition for,” said Ms. Hess. “That’s not considered volunteering and we can’t give hours to those students.”

It is understandable that the administration questions whether these described volunteer efforts are actually valid, since sadly, some students have a different agenda and are trying to accumulate unmerited volunteer hours.

“Volunteering became more about accumulating volunteer hours rather than giving service to an organization,” said Ms. Hess. “It’s a fine line we have to draw and we encourage students with questions to stop by and ask.”

Yet, the volunteer form requires the student to leave contact information regarding the place or organization they volunteered. The administration should contact the given

organization or leader to validate a student’s efforts, rather than denying her volunteer efforts first.

I am by no means suggesting that the administration should not check up and validate a student’s volunteer form.

It is important to only credit those who perform aid and services for free to be given volunteer hours and the administration has made a good change by reviewing volunteer forms more carefully. However, the administration should not draw the line narrow mindedly.

Other forms of volunteerism exist outside the conventional ideals. As long as students’ described efforts aid and provide service to an organization or person, their efforts should be considered volunteering. In the future, the administration should continue to question volunteer efforts, but become more openminded about what constitutes as volunteerism.

-Katherine Chang

10 Global warming over-hyped Global Warming is a hot topic (pun intended). There are extremists on both sides of the spectrum, those hugging trees and those hugging buildings. So, the question is: Is there middle ground on this very controversial topic? Yes, there is.

Let me start off by saying that global warming is not, I repeat, not, the common misconception that temperatures are rising because some people refuse to recycle.

Shocking, isn’t it? Phew, no more late nights spent wondering when everyone’s going to turn into a fried crisp because the world is heating up uncontrollably.

“I think global warming is overexaggerated. The media makes it more than it actually is,” said junior Halle Foss.

Global warming is an increase in carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere and it is very real, according to sciencejunkie.com.

The problem is people seem to have this delusion that carbon dioxide is horrible for the earth. It isn’t. Actually, carbon dioxide is essential to the make-up of the earth, according to sciencejunkie.com; we would not be able to survive without it.

Nonetheless, too much of anything is never a good thing, so even if this carbon dioxide stuff were detrimental to the planet (which it is not), it is safe to say that humans are only contributing to about 3.4% of the demise of the atmosphere, according to sciencejunkie.com.

People need to understand that there must be balance between taking care of the earth and going overboard on this global warming scare tactic.

No, the atmosphere is not going to wither away because of those that refuse to recycle, but that does not mean taking care of the earth is not important. Recycling will preserve natural resources for generations to come and will reduce the cutting down of rainforests, as the resources for packaging and other products will be taken from natural environments.

“It’s all the things we learn in first and second grade: turn off water, shut off lights, recycle things that can be recycled,” said science teacher Ms. Michelle Bogue.

Basically, recycling is important, but it will not, no matter how many glass bottles or aluminum cans are thrown in the recycling bin, end global warming.

-Mamie Silver

COMMENTARY Later start time is needed for student health, success

November 24, 2009

Just about every high school movie includes a scene depicting students arriving at school on a typical weekday morning.

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and everyone is cheery and wide-awake; just what the mornings here at Northview are like, right? I think not.

Like most high school students, my day starts at around 5:30 AM, when I am obligated to roll out of my warm bed and face the day, or rather, the inky-black darkness. After eating a breakfast that I am certainly not hungry for (and who would be hungry that early in the morning?) I get ready and hurry outside to catch my bus, which comes rolling down the street at 6:40 AM. From 7 AM on, I sit in the cafeteria and try to keep my eyes open as I wait for my first class to begin. When the bell rings, my peers are zombies, sleepwalking

through the seemingly endless hallways, only wishing that they could just go back to sleep. I ask you now, are such early mornings really necessary?

High schools, including NV, should start at a later time. Frankly, 7:35 AM is just too early for students and teachers to be at school. The attitudes of the students at NV on late-start days are evidence of that; they are more awake, more aware, and are generally in better moods than on regular school days.

Studies and research have shown that it is beneficial for high schools to push start times back, even just by half an hour, according to The School Start Time Study.

This study, conducted by two Minneapolis schools, shows that a later start time helps students in more ways than just giving them an hour or two of extra sleep. The study showed that, on average,

THE PEA NUT GALLERY

how do you feel about the dog warden’s resignation?

“I’m happy because I like dogs and I want them to live.”

“I have mixed feelings. I’m sad that so many dogs were not able to be adopted but on the other hand it was his job to protect us from stray dogs.”

-Mrs. Fran Borchers

teens lose about two hours of sleep per night because of such early school start times.

It also proved that starting the school day at a later time showed a decrease in high school drop-out rates, depression, and a boost in the students’ grades as well.

Not convinced yet? Well, research has also shown that elementary school-aged kids need far less sleep than teenagers.

Wouldn’t it make more sense for younger students to start school an hour or two earlier to give us teens more time to snooze?

So, there you go. School starting just a little later would be extremely helpful to students by improving grades and providing us with the sleep that we so desperately need, and really just make a whole lot more sense. Honestly, isn’t it time for a change?

-Mamie Silver

-s enior Michael Dors ey

“I’m glad. He’s a liar and a fraud.”

“I believe what the dog warden was doing was cruel because he wasn’t giving the dogs a chance to find a home.

I’m glad he’s gone.”

-junior Ily s e Golding

-s enior Cody Brant

FEATURES

November 24, 2009

11

Courtney Engineering Tech Prep seniors build wind turbine, pour foundation Tipton named student of the month

By SARAH FATEMI

Edit orial s edit or Northview senior Courtney Tipton was selected for BCSN’s October Student of the Month.

Tipton applied in early October and was notified by her counselor, Ms. Melissa Archibold, towards the end of the month that she had won the $1,500 scholarship. In order to be considered for the scholarship, Tipton had to fill out an application, receive teacher recommendations and write an essay regarding her career goals.

“I would like to go into the field of medicine,” said Tipton. “(and) perhaps become a physician.”

“I was very surprised to have won the scholarship, yet very excited.”

-Courtney Tipt on, Senior She is now eligible to be selected out of the eight Students of the Month for Student of the Year, to receive $16,000. Tipton said she will most likely use the $1,500 for tuition or books.

“College is expensive,” she said.

“I was very surprised to have won the scholarship, yet very excited.”

Tipton was also featured in the Student of the Month commercial for October which was shot during a school day and shows her actively participating in school.

“Shooting was a bit nervewracking but it turned out to be fun,” said Tipton. “The first time I saw my face pop on the screen was strange and exciting.”

Halie Langhals POSING WITH THEIR WIND TURBINE is the Engineering Tech Prep II class.

The students have been planning the wind turbine since last school year.

Halie Langhals OBSERVING HIS CLASS’ WORK is senior Alex Kruger.

By ADDISON HIRSCHFELD

St aff writ er As you drive down Silica, on your way to school perhaps, you may see an unusual sight perched atop the Northview hill. The Engineering Tech Prep II class at Northview built a wind turbine to experiment the benefits of two different types of alternate energy sources. The giant metal turbine was constructed at the top of the Northview hill in hopes to save energy and money, according to senior Torrence Garland.

“We are putting up a 60 foot pole,” said Garland, “It’s pretty big.”

The class, which consists of all seniors, had been planning this project since the last school year.

“Last year we experimented with solar panels, so we decided to stick with alternative energy sources this year,” said senior Tony Holley, “It’s pretty much solar versus wind.”

The class hopes to discover which of the two energy sources is produced more in Northwest Ohio, according to senior Alex Kruger.

The wind turbine will hopefully be a money saving project.

“It’s a good idea but it’s not going to pay itself off for a while,” said junior Nick Irmen, “As long as it works, money will be saved.”

Irmen’s physics class, taught by Mrs. Wadas, was there to observe and learn the day of the construction. If the energy produced by the wind is abundant, then less money will need to be spent on other energy sources according to Irmen. Either way, the students are excited for this project to get going.

“This is going to be a great landmark for the city of Sylvania,” said junior Luke Armstrong.

The students aren’t just excited for the outcome of their project; they are anxious as well.

“I feel like I am sitting on a box of nails. It hurts really bad, but when it’s all over it’s going to feel really good,” said Kruger.

Michelle Lorenz Michelle Lorenz

PREPARING TO PLACE THEIR CREATION IN THE GROUND are Tech Prep students.

PROPPING UP THE TURBINE is senior Torrence Garland.

12

FEATURES

November 24, 2009

Turkeys Across A D iffe re n t Pe rs pe c t ive o n

Tur k e y Aro u n d the Wor ld Truthan, Gans, Kartoffel und Kranzkuchen can only mean one thing: Thanksgiving at the Carters!

Now unless you can sprechen die Deutsch, you’re probably extremely confused. No problem! All of these words are German Thanksgiving (or Erntedankfest) foods and I’ll be your special Thanksgiving translation guide this year to help you figure out how a variety of cultures celebrate Thanksgiving.

But first, we need to start with a little world history lesson about Thanksgiving. Forget everything you think know about the holiday because it’s all going out the window.

The first official day of American Thanksgiving was only just declared in 1941 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, according to history.com.

Although various types of Thanksgiving have been celebrated all over the world for many years before then, 1941 was when Thanksgiving really gained its name. The popular story that we’ve all heard of with the Indians making peace with the pilgrims is a bunch of junk and there isn’t even any reliable proof to support those claims, according to german.about.com.

The first Thanksgiving on American soil was actually in 1576, celebrated by English explorer Martin Frobisher in what is today Baffin Island (contrasting

by A le x C a rte r

the popular Indian/Pilgrim story which was reported to have happened in 1623 in Plymouth Colony).

But anyway, back to multi-cultural Thanksgiving. Truthan, Gans, Kartoffel and Kranzkuchen are only fancy German names for turkey, goose, potatoes and ring cake, which are all delicious components of our yearly Thanksgiving meal.

Erntedankfest in Germany is usually celebrated on the first Sunday of October and is a full day ordeal that includes a mass, according to festivals. iloveindia.com. Yeah, we don’t do that part. Most German-Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November, just like the rest of America.

In China, the August Moon Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month of their calendar. The celebration is three days long, according to festivals.iloveindia.com. On these days, the moon is believed to be the roundest and brightest and the Chinese celebrate its beauty. Known also as the Women Festival, the Chinese festival is a night when lovers confess their love to each other to celebrate the fertility of women, according to thanksgiving.org.uk. The popular dish on Chinese Thanksgiving is moon-cake, a soft bread with varying types of filling according to personal preference.

“During the Chinese moon-fest, I always get really excited when my mom

5403 Silica Dr. Sylvania, OH

The NV CAFE 5403 Si l i c a Dr. Sy l va n i a, OH

brings home moon-cake,” said sophomore Jennifer Deng. “It’s so delicious.” l, known as In Rome, the harvest festival, Cerelia, is held in honor of Ceres, the goddess of Corn. On October 4, all the Romans get s, music and together for a day of games, foods, parades for an all day and night celebration.

This ancient harvest celebration is probably the hanksgiving oldest surviving celebration of Thanksgiving being that it was around while the Romans still believed in gods.

But don’t think we forgot about all gan’s. Irish you McDonald’s and McFinnigan’s. hanksgiving Thanksgiving is next. Though Thanksgiving Day celebrations still haven’t reallyy caught on in Ireland, Irish families all acrosss the United h traditional States still celebrate the day with Irish foods. Glazed Corned Beef, Lamb Stew ds on senior and Reuben Casserole are all foods e.

Meaghan Mick’s Thanksgiving table. ’s is always “Grandpa and Grandma Mick’s They always so fun,” said senior Megan Mick. “They have traditional Irish foods and it’s always delicious.” n American Thanksgiving is essentially an ally like it celebration; there’s nothing really anywhere else in the world, not even in our ot a melting British counterpart. America is not ause of the pot, but rather a salad bowl because way everyone has retained their own cultural background.

American Thanksgiving can mean ans, it’s all anything, from moon-cake to gans, b a fork and delicious and it’s all a party, so grab dig in!

FEATURES

November 24, 2009

the Nation

a Tra di t io n a l A m e r ic a n Ho li da y e sy k r a cob u T h e a rg o t J t o fm o s & M s t p a di o o Ri a n n i Pa e h T by Y

A bowl of mashed potatoes. A plate of cranberries. Sweet potato casserole.

These dishes and so many more can be seen strewn about the Thanksgiving table.

However, all these dishes seem to merely frame the artistic masterpiece at the table’s center: the turkey.

It is not often that we consider where our holi day poultry finds its beginning.

Looking past the oven, the fridge, and the grocer, one may ask, “Where did this turkey actually come from?” This holi day season, we questioned the unquestionable.

We found the root of the turkeys.

The Albright Turkey Company has suppli ed many Ohio grocery stores with turkey for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. They are owned by the Bowman & Landes Turkey Farm, which has been operating for over 60 years. On their 2200 acre property, the company raises 60,000 turkeys just for the holi day season in Ohio.

“I certainly feel blessed to be a part of Thanksgiving and Christmas for many homes in Ohio,” said Carl Bowman of Bowman & Landes. “It is the wonderful people we deal with that keep me going in what I do.”

The process of raising these holi day fowl starts with a baby turkey or poult.

When they have matured enough, the young turkeys are moved from their barn to a fenced outdoor environment.

The heavy fencing is used as the birds’ “protection from predators such as fox, coyotes, owls and stray dogs. Until the turkeys adapt to their outdoor environment, high flying birds and airplanes tend to make the birds nervous,” said Bowman.

The turkeys at Bowman & Landes receive a blend of grains grown right there on the farm. Corn, wheat, and soybeans are all fed fresh to the growing turkeys.

Also, when possible, turkey compost is used to fertili ze the fields that then grow more food for the turkeys. It is very much a “turkey cycle.”

When the male turkeys (toms) and female turkeys (hens) reach 20 and 17 weeks old respectively, they are then prepared for grocers and shipped out. “Turkeys by law have to be kept above 26 degrees Fahrenheit to be sold as fresh,” said Bowman.

No matter which holi day you plan on celebrating this winter season, chances are you will find a turkey on your table. While it sits next to the cornucopia and across from the pumpkin pie, you can now look at your centerpiece and think: I know your story.

13

14 Count Me In ...

S T S O C e h T Money

FEATURES

November 24, 2009 The Student Prints will be continuing their Count Me In Series focusing on high school drug and alcohol use and relating stereotypes, in collaboration with the Sylvania Community Action Team. This series will focus on the individual in regards to stereotypes and substance usage; personal opinions and student ideas will be shared within Count Me In.

AMOUNT

COST

8 Beers

$6 total

2 vodka bottles

$30 total

USAGE

MONTHLY/ YEARLY $

Over one week

$48 m/ $576 y

Once a week

$120 20 0 m/ m/ $1,440 $1 1,4 440 y

1 gram $17 per Used in n1 marijuana gram week

$68 8 m/ m/ $816 y

3 ecstasy pills

$30 total

Used in 1 week

$120 m/ $1,440 y

5 Adderall pills

$10 total

Used in 1 week

$40 m/ $480 y

Money and Drugs:

HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY?

Medical

the teen Alcohol use stunts e, the brain. For exampl brain’s hipocampus of the d, negatively growth is inhibite memory and affecting a teen’s ability to learn.

Ecstasy can caus e a perso to easily n die from d e h y d r and hype ation rthermia .

B rain damage is a reali ty, with depressi on and m emory lo ss as serious s ide effec ts.

Alcohol usage contributes to youth suicides, homicides and fatal injuries more than any other factor. It is the second leading killer of teens. ty, ads to anxie le a n a u ij r Ma n in d depressio n a is s o h c y ps g also a leadin is t I . s r e g a teen Growth of r. e c n a c g n cause of lu ith s stunted w e m o c e b in the bra e. arijuana us increased M

Managing Smoking: You need NICOTINE GUM and NICOTINE PATCHES

1 PACK OF GUM (110 pieces) needed per month: $562.20 if you can quit in one year, 1 BOX OF NICOTINE PATCHES (10 patches) needed per month: $323.04 if you can quit in one year.

Alcohol/ drugs: Your only option is REHAB

The average REHAB FACILITY costs $10,000 to $40,000 for a one month stay, according to a National Treatment Services Survey.

The ultimate price is losing one’s life.

Drug and alcohol abuse is the second leading killer of all teenagers and the repercussions can be fatal.

Overall, there may be no options left.

Count Me IIn

THE BENEFITS DO NOT SEEM TO BE

SO OVERWHELMING, BUT THEN AGAIN...

“Life is RAW MATERIAL. We are artisans. We can sculpt our EXISTENCE into something BEAUTIFUL, or debase it into ugliness. IT’S IN OUR HANDS.”

-Cathy Better

~ Haley Hofbauer and Haley Nelson Information courtesy of the American Medical Association, anonymous sources and investigation.

FEATURES

15

November 24, 2009

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY Experience in the hospital and beyond

Medical Technology 2 classes at Northview have been shadowing in different branches of the medical field. The students shadow all around Toledo at the University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC), Mercy St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Mercy St. Anne’s Hospital, Toledo Hospital and Flower Hospital. Some students shadow in the Intensive Care Unit, which specializes in continuous care for persons who are critically ill, while others shadow in Oncology, which is a branch of medicine dealing with cancer. TSP sat down with some of the seniors to find out what they have been able to see and do

Taylor Henninger Where do you shadow? UTMC What area do you shadow in?

Matt Cechner

Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy

Unique Experience? A patient who

had Parkinson’s disease punched and inappropriately grabbed the doctor. The patient then had to be restrained from doing so.

What do you want to be? Physical Therapist

Where do you shadow? St. Anne’s What area do you shadow in? The Emer-

Jacqui McFarlane

Where do you shadow? St. Vincent’s What area do you shadow in? The Emergency Room

Unique Experience? An old lady threw a fit about getting an IV in her arm. She was making a scene but she desperately needed an IV because she had shortness of breath and low blood pressure. She almost passed out.

What do you want to be? Respiratory Therapist

Ryan Coffey Where do you shadow? Toledo Hospital What area do you shadow in? Nuclear Medicine

Unique Experience? All the radioactive

chemicals that the doctors use in the MRI and CT scans to make the body parts show up properly were really sweet.

What do you want to be? Nuclear Medicist -Nicole Mangas and Kristi Kopaniasz

Kelsey Edwards

Where do you shadow? UTMC What area do you shadow in? Oncology

and Neurosurgery

Unique Experience? I got to see a doctor remove a polyp off of the Sigmund colon. I also got to see a colonoscopy twice! In neurosurgery, I watched the removal of a cancerous brain tumor.

What do you want to be? General Surgeon

gency Room

Unique Experience? I am allowed to

interact with the patients a lot. I tried to start an IV but it moved around a little bit. Also, I put a catheter into a patient’s neck and got to take their blood pressure. The experiences I have had are awesome.

What do you want to be? Anesthesiologist assistant or a registered nurse

Brooke Darah

Where do you shadow? UTMC

What area do you shadow in? Intensive Care Unit

Unique Experience? A patient had to use

sign language to express their pain level. Also, it was really cool because I got to see a soaked dressing from a patient’s open abdomen wound. I was allowed to change the dressings.

What do you want to be? Nursing Assistant

Lauren Cowell Where do you shadow? Toledo Hospital What area do you shadow in? Surgery Unique Experience? I got to watch robotic

surgery. It was really cool because when the surgeon moved their hands, the robot did the same. I also got to see the removal of a prostate and a kidney stone.

What do you want to be? General Surgeon

Elle Achil Where do you shadow? Flower Hospital What area do you shadow in? Oncology Unique Experience? I got to see a flexible

fiber optic pharyngoscope. In other words, they stuck a camera up this patient’s nose to see if that patient had cancer in their vocal cords.

What do you want to be? Pharmacist

FEATURES 16 Clo thing s w i tc h - u p : Do e s yo ur November 24, 2009

Four TSP staffers decided to question whether what you wear to school actually produces changes in academics, mood and how those around you view you.

Two staffers who normally walk the halls in t-shirts and sweats

Nic k W in e la n d - Dre s s e d for S u c c e s s As I stand in front of my dresser, I rummage through drawers and drawers of clothes looking for something to wear for school. Most of the time I give up looking for jeans or khakis and just wear sweatpants and a t-shirt. It’s easy and comfortable and is pretty much a daily habit now.

But is it always the best option? Some say that how you dress can affect the way you feel, the way others feel about you and even your grades. I experimented with this “dress for success” theory for two weeks. The first week, I dressed nicer than my usual sweatpants and t-shirt, and the second week I wore my normal attire. During the first week, I felt extremely uncomfortable and squirmed in my seat in every single class period. I did, however, feel more awake, but I don’t think it was because I felt better about myself, more that I was really annoyed at my restrictive clothing and couldn’t get comfortable. But as much as I did not like it, other people seemed to enjoy my unusually dressed up self.

“Nick, you look good,” junior Katelynn McCoy told me. I received a lot more comments about my clothes than usual; that was definitely nicer tel elyy a pe perk rk ttoo th thee ni nice cerr ce clothes. However, I saw no change in my grades over the course of the two weeks.

They stayed the same, give or take a few points here and d tthere, here he re,, bu re butt nd a t-shirt that’s pretty normal. The second week, I wore sweatpants and everyday.

Physically, I was definitely more tired. Mentally, I ffelt elt better because I wasn’t constantly annoyed at the restrictive ve clothing. The strange thing is that once I went back to myy normal attire, not one person commented on my clothing.

It was like I stepped back into the majority and went unnoticed.

This surprisingly doesn’t bother me. I will choose comfort rt sn’t sn ’t ’t and mental stability over looking good any day. Besides, iisn’t y? it slightly shallow to say that you must look good everyday?

It’s more important to wear what is comfortable to you, what you like and what makes you feel good, not what oother ther th er people would like you to wear. You are your own person, so d dress ress how you want to dress.

A le xx K le in - Dre s s e d for S u c c e s s Are you running out of nice clothes yet?

Monday November 2 I woke up around 6:25 a.m., which is 30 minutes before I typically do. With my eyes glued shut, the search began. I had a journal that I was told to keep my thoughts and comments in for two weeks. Immediately after waking up, I wrote down 1) pick out outfit, 2) straighten hair, and 3) try and forget that I will be extremely uncomfortable all day.

Most human beings would think that dressing nice for a week would be a simple task. Not me. What I wear almost every day is sweatpants and a sweatshirt, which might possibly be the two greatest things ever. Samantha Weisman, graduating class of 2009, opened my eyes to these wondrous articles of clothing. I feel so relaxed and calm when I am wearing them.

Once I selected my clothes for the day, an orange tunic with black leggings, I was off to school. I was bombarded with complements, which isn’t a bad thing, upon entering NV and throughout the entire day. Junior Yianni Papadimos approached me during class and nonchalantly said, “You look hot.” It was a little weird hearing this, but hey I’m not going to argue with him. p g As the week progressed, I started getting the hang of dressing up, but it did not become any more comfortable for me. I cannot remember a time where I d dr dres res esse sed se d up u for more than one day in a row, so this was a challenge. dressed Kaitlyn Bryan came up to me on Tuesday and said, “[You are] Senior Ka dressed d dr res esse sed d up u again! That’s two days in a row. Are you hating it yet?” My respons was clear, with a firm, “yes.” response Overall, dressing nice did not affect my grades. During the first O Ov v week, I received a 35/36 and a 98% on two tests. I did not see a difference during the second week. diff diff di ffer er To be honest, I stopped keeping the journal by Friday and T almo al lmo gave in and wore sweatpants. Imagine a person like me almost looki at stacks of sweats and having to choose a nice outfit. I looking was extremely close to snapping. e Looking through the journal where I recorded my thoughts, I L found that on almost every page it says something along the lines off, “irritated “irr of, to no end,” and, “I want sweatpants now!” I wouldn’t sayy I was sa w shocked at all the attention that the first week brought, it was just j not what I was used to. I felt good about how I looked that ju first week, but then again, who am I trying to impress? Nobody.

FEATURES dre s s a ffe c t yo ur moo d ?

November 24, 2009

17

snazzed it up while two more staffers who normally sport the latest high-fashion attire put on the sweat onesie for a week. Their personal records document whether there actually is a correlation between success and how you dress.

M o lly Porte rf ie ld- Dre ss e d for Comfort Waking up at 6a.m. to get ready for school is a typical routine for me. Dressing nicely and caring about how my hair looks has never been a nuisance. In an effort to experiment with my wardrobe, I wore nothing but sweats for a week and realized a whole different world of attire.

Normally I wear jeans and a nice shirt, blouse or sweater with converse or flats to match. I feel pretty confident most of the week and get decent grades. “You always look so cute,” said freshman Nicole Marsten. Compliments don’t hurt either.

For some, trying to dress decently may be a burden. For me it is an opportunity to show some of my personality. I actually enjoy picking out clothes to wear for the next day.

I usually walk into school every morning to see 80% of the student body wearing sweatpants. I personally do not mind their choice of clothing, but I prefer to wear nicer clothes. When I was asked to wear sweatpants for a week, I was a little unsure. Sure, I wear sweatpants once in a while, but never five days in a row.

The first “scrub” day didn’t go very well. I felt surprisingly uncomfortable and lost in the crowd of sweatpants. It seemed as though everybody was wearing the exact same ake a nap nap rather rrat athe at herr than he th han n thing around me. Wearing sweats all day gave me the urge to take zy today” focus. I was not in the greatest mood. “Molly, you look really lazy said sophomore Jennifer Deng.

As the week progressed, my jeans became less missed and I felt elt more comfortable in my “scrub” attire. I started waking up later and and forgetting what it was like to actually care about what I was going g to ek wear in the morning. The grungy feelings from earlier in the week had left me and a new, laid back high school student mindset took ok over. “Sweatpants are so much more comfortable,” said sophomore re Aaron Leibenthal. app ppyy From my experiment, I have figured out that finding a happy medium between scrubs and dressing nicely is the way to go. There here may be days when I just want to be lazy and wear my ugly Ugg b boots ootts all day. On other days, I might wear a cardigan sweater when I have avee to av give a presentation in front of the class. Students who typically “scrub scrub b it” all week long should try dressing more nicely and see if their mood eve very ry changes or if their confidence is boosted. Those who dress up every single day should try out the “scrub” look once in a while to see if theyy feel more relaxed.

Br ia n Wa ds worth - Dre ss e d for Comfort Wearing clothes is an adventurous process that has many different effects on people. Different moods may be contributed to the way they present themselves on that particular day. When I get up in the morning I can now see why this might be a dilemma. I used to think that clothes were just ordinary, but in fact they can have a real affect on a person and how they feel that day.

Before this experiment, I tended to dress up and try to look my best. Jeans, khakis and other dressy pants were a norm and a nice sweater on a cold day was always a good choice. After awhile, I wouldn’t even think about it and dressing up just became a natural habit. But after dressing in sweats for a whole week, I have taken on a new perspective on my wardrobe.

The debate was the question of whether or not clothes affect your everyday mood and the plan was to dress down for an entire week to test our theory. Monday through Friday I wore sweat pants and t-shirts to try and prove this point.

Over the week, I found that getting ready in the mornings took me the exact same amount of time it had taken me before. Wearing sweats and wearing khakis didn’t change that aspect of my day. I would drive to school in comfort and I would gotten there at the same time. It was nice to realize this but still have g other things that did change during this experiment. there were oth oun oun und d that th over the duration of the day I was perfectly fine with I ffo found sweats but then later in the day I wasn’t tired anymore wearing g sw didn’t and an d I di didn d want to wear the sweats. Comfort was nice and easy, dn but then I felt like a slob as the day progressed. This wasn’t that big bi g off a problem; it was just an observation.

Othe Other things that I found were people’s reaction to my wardrobe wa rdro rd drob b for the week. “Dang Bri, looking good again,” said senior Kate K Schmidt sarcastically.

Ther Th er were many other comments about my appearance There and ma many noticed the change when I went back to my regular dressy d ressy style. s Overall, there was one thing in this experiment that I didn’t Ovee Ov expect. My grades actually improved during the scrubby week f more focused in school. It may have resulted from my fe and I felt lack la ck ooff concern for my clothes as much as school, but I would like to think that it is because I am such a good student.

18

November November 24, 24, 20092009

FEATURES

Wildcats at work News about the economic crisis in the United States has become a relevant topic both at home and at school for students. Due to the lack of available jobs for students, many teens are among the unemployed population who are being forced to face the reality of these unfortunate times.

With the minimum wage increase to $7.25 in July, many companies are hiring less people so that their money lost during payroll will not become overwhelming, according to the National Center for Policy Analysis.

In turn, companies are trying to work toward their ‘best interests’ and only hire experienced adults that do not have a high school schedule to work around.

“It’s difficult to hire teens that have inflexible availabilities,” said Forever 21 assistant manager Tiffany France. “We need to have employees that are always reliable, especially during the upcoming holiday season.”

As a result, the total number of teenagers being hired is slowly decreasing. Only about a third of teenagers are currently gaining employment these days, according to politicalcalculations.com.

“I’ve been looking for jobs everywhere,” said junior Chelsea Kania. “I just seem to be having no luck.”

Nevertheless, some students have been cut a break and have found work at familiar places in Sylvania.

Grocery

Clothing

With the numerous Kroger grocery stores occupying the 419, it is not surprising that at least someone at NV has a job at one of them. This case is true for senior Kirk Lewandowski, who works as a bagger.

After applying online and receiving employment within three months, Lewandowski’s schedule has him working about 20 hours a week and often on weekends. The hours are worth it to him, though, since he never has to ask his parents for money, according to Lewandowski.

“Homework isn’t really an issue with my schedule anyway,” said Lewandowski. “Thank God for study hall.”

Although Lewandowski is thankful to be employed, every job has its downfall.

“I have to do the garbage,” said Lewandowski. “The trash compactor smells really bad.”

He also notices that the adults at Kroger do not get in trouble when they make mistakes while he and his peers do.

“It’s not fair that I’m not treated the same just because I’m younger,” said Lewandowski.

Right when you walk into Hollister, the first thing you notice will p ro b a b ly be the blaring music and hard-to-ignore smell of fragrance. Once you get passed this, though, you may notice senior Stephanie Yarnell folding shirts or working at the register.

Recently, with so many places not hiring due to the economic crisis, it seems like Hollister never stops hiring.

“Every time I go to work, there’s a new person that I haven’t met before,” said Yarnell. “I’ve been working there since January.”

It’s safe to say, though, that Hollister isn’t one to discriminate against younger people. The oldest associate there is only 24.

“Most of the managers at Hollister are really nice and cool,” said Yarnell.

Discounts are a great perk to have when employed, and this is not limited to Yarnell. She receives a 20% discount off of clothes, and 50% off of new merchandise when the store changes their floor set.

“I’ve only worked on the weekends for the past few months,” said Yarnell. “With volleyball, I didn’t want to get overwhelmed with school. Now that our season’s over, though, I’ll probably start getting more hours.”

Although working at a popular clothing store may sound easy, it’s not as easy as it sounds.

“I never was officially trained,” said Yarnell. “We’re basically just thrown onto the floor and expected to know what to do.”

Fast Food Taco Bell is no stranger to students at NV. If you are not aware of the fact that probably 80% of the Taco Bell fast food line on Friday nights consists of NV students, you should consider getting out more.

But for junior Nate Urbanik, his hours spent at Taco Bell exceed those Friday night hangouts.

Balancing his schedule has proven to be more difficult for Urbanik than most teens with jobs due to his 20 to 30 hour weekly schedule.

“I can do some homework on break,” said Urbanik. “If not, I get a large Mountain Dew Baja Blast after work so I can stay awake while doing homework.”

Despite the stress levels, Urbanik is grateful for the long hours.

“It fills my schedule,” said Urbanik. “I’m never sitting around doing nothing.”

Ice Cream When it comes to students at NV, most of us agree: we all scream for ice cream. What could possibly be a better way to spend your Saturday than to go get some creamy greatness mixed with gummy bears at Coldstone? For junior Gabe Jones, his doses of ice cream are not only free, but he gets tipped for singing to customers as well.

It has been proven that having connections is always an advantage when it comes to employment. Jones received his job through his mother’s friend, who is an owner of Coldstone in Michigan.

Except for the obvious downside of not constantly being able to hang out with his friends and relax, Jones seems to enjoy his job.

“I get to work with people,” said Jones. “I don’t just sit in the back and wash dishes. I get to talk to the customer and even have conversations with them.”

Jones does not have to worry about work outweighing his schoolwork; he only works on the weekends during the school year.

“Things were awkward at first,” said Jones. “The more I worked, though, the less awkward it became. Working at Coldstone is a great experience.”

Life guarding “Get off the lane lines.” This familiar order is heard all the time at local pools around Sylvania, and it’s never a question who’s the one giving it: a lifeguard. Junior Jackie Leizerman was trained to be a lifeguard at the end of her sophomore year and now works at the Sylvania Natatorium.

Being a lifeguard has its obvious advantages. Being paid for sitting in a chair and yelling at people can be described as “nothing but ideal”, according to junior Trent Victor, also a Sylvania Natatorium lifeguard.

“Hours for most lifeguards during the school year aren’t exactly convenient though,” said Leizerman. “Sometimes I get Friday night shifts from 7:30p.m. to 9:30p.m.”

But Leizerman only works a few hours a week, so she has little trouble balancing work and school.

“It’s nice to work with my peers,” said Leizerman. “My boss is Taryn Kirk, who is actually the NV swim coach, so it’s a comfortable environment to work in.”

Even if you are a senior that’s been job hunting since the moment you turned 16, do not be discouraged. If these NV students were lucky enough to find jobs during these economic times, your moment is bound to come as long as you push it. And by push it, I mean apply at literally every place in Sylvania that you can. If you are 18, then the possibilities are endless. Just do not be picky. Bussing tables and taking out garbage can’t be that bad.

-Amanda Metcalf

A&E

19

November 24, 2009

Bands Breaking Into the Business

If you like...

Death Cab for Cutie

Then you will like Zox is a four man band from Providence, Rhode Island,

according to zoxband.com. Their sound is called reggae rock. The violin solos intertwined with the guitar, bass, and drums creates a unique sound that has similarities to Death Cab for Cutie. The band is named after their drum player John Zox. Their best song is easily Anything But Fine. photo from www.yossarianspeaks.com-

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Thriving Ivory

is a five member band from Santa

Barbara, California, according to myspace.com/thrivingivory. The vocalist, Clayton Stroope, has an extremely original voice that makes the bands sound unique. Their lyrics are simplistic, but relatable. They have one song that is somewhat well-known entitled Angels On the Moon, but this is not their best song. Twilight is without a doubt a must listen-to. photo from www.bandswallpaper.com

Lil’’ Wayne

Wale

(pronounced wah-lay from his first name Olubowae)

was born in Washington D.C and is the self-proclaimed “Ambassador of Rap for the Capital”, according to the iTunes. He became a national rap contender using go-go-inspired hip-hop as the vehicle for his lyricism and clever wordplay, according to iTunes. He had his first hit back in 2004 and has gotten his music out to the world with help from the Internet and MySpace. His best songs are Let It Loose featuring Pharell and Chillin photo from www.hiphoparchive.org

Jack’s Mannequin

featuring Lady Gaga.

Ace Enders

is the former lead singer of the band The

Early November who has now taken up a solo career. He recently released his second solo album entitled When I Hit the Ground, according to Ace

Ender’s official website. Ace has a rock sound with songs that boast attention-grabbing hooks and big choruses that leave the fans wanting more. Their best songs are Bring Back Love, Year 2020 Reaction, and photo from www.pe.com

Panic! at the disco

Over This.

The Hush Sound

is an indie quartet from

Illinois, according to thehushsound.com Their sound is similar to Panic At the Disco, but differs in their vocals. Greta Salpeter and Darren Wilson harmonize to create their sound. Greta’s voice is very distinctive and her catchy piano interludes in the songs make their sound unique. We

Intertwined, Red Wine , and Molasses are hands down The Hush Sound at photo from www.100xr.com

its best.

- Nicole Mangas & Harley Rohrbacher

20 SPORTS Guest Commentary: ‘next year’ never seems to come for Cleveland sports November 24, 2009

When will next year come?

The most infamous line in Cleveland is “wait till next year.” I think I speak on behalf of all Cleveland fans when I say : “I’m sick of waiting.” Being asked flat out to wait for a better future by owners and general managers of the professional teams in Cleveland is down right frustrating. We get one year of success and then ten years of below average game. This is not just one of the teams in Cleveland making us wait, it is all three, Browns, Cavaliers, and Indians.

Cleveland has not had a championship team since 1964. That is 45 years without a championship and multiply that by three for the three teams in Cleveland, that is a total of 135 seasons without a championship.

After waiting 135 seasons, I’m being asked to wait more? I don’t know how much life I have left but I cannot afford to be wasting my time here waiting.

The Cleveland Browns were the last team to win the championship in Cleveland in 1964. The team got shipped out of Cleveland in 1994 and returned again in 1999. Al Lerner bought the team ten years ago. Since then the best record for them has been 10 – 6, and they did not even make the playoffs that year. After that year the team goes 4-12 and enters a rebuilding mode. We get one taste of success and then we get asked to wait again.

Al Lerner passed away and Randy Lerner took over. Randy is the son of Al, and lacks any football interest. Randy has hired three lousy coaches so far in his tenure. He has failed to bring a competitive team to Cleveland and has showed lack of interest in the Browns as he bought a soccer team in England. He is not seen at any of the games and will not be interviewed by any of the media. He has shown passion of late as the Browns are the laughing stock

of the NFL and it will be quite some time before they are good again. He just fired general manager George Kokinis to show he will not settle for this sad display of football. Lets face the facts though Kokinis is a scapegoat and had little to do with the team. Firing Kokinis is like impeaching Bush when Cheny was really president.

Lerner is fooling nobody and has to hire an outside source to come in and run this team.

One of the biggest mistakes Randy Lerner has made is bringing in coach Eric

are suffering season long injuries during practices, and players are getting fined left and right for petty reasons. We need to get rid of the Gestapo and have a change of coach next year.

The Indians do not care for winning at all. Owner Larry Dolan is just concerned with saving every penny. Mark Shapiro is his GM and puppet. The Indians would develop talent and then trade them away so they would not have to give the talent extensions and new contracts. How are you suppose to win when you trade

There is a major rain cloud over Cleveland right now and who knows when it will go away . . .We are all sick of waiting and want this rain cloud to leave Cleveland . . .

Mangini to run the ship for the 2009 season.

It looks as though that is all Mangini will be running as his team is unimaginative, unexplainable, and downright unwatchable.

First of all he took three months to pick a quarterback between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. He split reps between them both during the offseason and ended up picking Quinn to lead the team four days before their first game.

How do you take three months to pick a quarterback, and end up picking the wrong one?

He is also running this team like Paul “Bear” Bryant ran his Alabama Crimson Tide football t e a m .

Practices are exc e e d i n g three hours long, players

away any talent you may have?

Every year is a rebuilding year for the Tribe. In 2007, the Indians reached the playoffs and looked very promising, as they were young and looked like they would be in the playoffs for years to come.

In 2008, they played .500 ball and traded away former Cy Young award winner C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia got drafted by the Indians and was with them for 10 years before he got traded. His contract was up and instead of extending Dolan decided to ship him. Now Sabathia has a World Series ring. In 2009, the Indians were 30 games under .500, and traded away 2008 Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee. Lee’s contract was up at the end the 2010 season. The Indians in 2009 would get rid of Lee, Ryan Garko, Ben Francisco, Mark DeRosa, Rafael Betancourt and Victor Marteniz. All these players have talent and the Indians decided to part as they decided one winning season was enough and had to rebuild for ten years from now. The most experienced player on the roster is Grady Sizemore and he is 25.

The Indians recently fired manager Eric Wedge and brought in new manager Manny Acta. Acta got fired from the Washington Nationals mid way through last year. He got fired for his players lacking fundamentals. So Dolan is hiring a manager who cannot get young players to perform the fundamentals of their professional sport? Does not make sense to me. Maybe ten years from now the Indians could win the American League Central division, but who knows they could be still rebuilding.

The Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is respectable. He does not settle for anything. The Cavs have brought in Shaquille O’Neal and Mo Williams the past two seasons to help out LeBron James.

But Cleveland lets face it right now, LeBron is gone after this season. Why would a talent like LeBron want to stay in a city like Cleveland? Red Right 88, the drive, the fumble, the shot, the Mesa, the Hedo, why would LeBron want to be the next on the infamous list of failed championships.

If LeBron wants to win a championship he needs to go somewhere else. There is no doubt they have enough talent to win, but the failure to do so is just as demoralizing as being 30 games below .500 or being 4 and 12. Once LeBron leaves though the Cavs will be in a rebuilding season.

In the season of 2010 all three, yes, all three Cleveland teams will be in a rebuilding mode. If you are a Cleveland fan, I’m sorry you can’t fall asleep and wake up 20 years from now to see if Cleveland is successful. I don’t know why I am a Cleveland fan, there is no rhyme or reason, I guess I just like being depressed.

Sometimes I feel as though the Washington Generals have a better chance of beating the Harlem Globetrotters than Cleveland does of winning a championship.

There is a major rain cloud over Cleveland right now and who knows when the rain will go away. All we can do is sit and wait. We are all sick of waiting and want this rain cloud to leave Cleveland and move east to Pittsburgh.

Once the owners of the Indians and Browns get that it is about the fans and not about themselves, I think Cleveland will be a successful city. Everyone is sick of waiting, but all I have to say is get comfortable Cleveland, because we are going to have to wait for a long time.

-Jake Amstel

SPORTS

November 24, 2009

21

NASCAR or Formula One: who prevails?

It is another quiet Sunday afternoon and you are sitting at home on the couch looking for some sort of sporting event to watch other than those dreadful Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions. You keep flipping through stations hoping for a miracle and you see the ultimate worst: NASCAR. For some odd reason, your remote malfunctions and you end up watching the horrible excuse for a sport. I can give you three immediate reasons to discontinue the viewing of such a monstrosity. They only turn left, they race in the same locations every year, and most importantly, European racing is much more exciting.

The first reason is clear and blunt. NASCAR, what is wrong with turning right? By turning left you have compromised an aspect of racing that changes the sport dramatically.

I fail to capture the reasoning for only turning left. European racing, and more specifically Formula One, has dynamically made the sport more exciting while forcing racers to be that much better. I do realize that NASCAR has two road courses featured every year in racing, but it is just not enough to truly capture a new audience. The Formula One racing series is certainly much more valuable to a racer’s reputation because the drivers are considered better at driving. And the only reason that the NASCAR drivers cannot compete is contributed to the fact that the course structure is so much simpler and less complex than that of the European series.

Another reason that I feel this way about NASCAR is because of where they race year-in and yearout. Over and over again NASCAR insists on going to the same places every year. The season consistently goes to places such as Bristol and Daytona and fails to reach a broader region of the United States. The least they could do was to race in as many different areas as possible.

The Formula One series has accomplished this task as their series races in different places all over the world.

Monaco, Australia, and Shanghai are just a few courses featured on the tour for the

drivers. NASCAR fails to even reach the entire United States. How can you attract a broader audience if you can’t even reach the entire country?

The final way that NASCAR lost any hope for capturing me as a fan is that every time I accidentally flip it on, I find that yellow flag has delayed the finish once again. The yellow caution flag is the signal to slow down as a crash has happened and the course crew needs time to clear the pavement. I understand that maybe some fan interest is due to car crashes, but how can you keep interest in the race when you end up watching a clean-up crew for an entire hour?

T h e caution flags can always come back and be contributed to the course structure. The courses are too small and since turns one, two, three and four are all left, it is almost impossible to control crashes and avoid delays.

Although the European style isn’t crash-free, it does avoid lengthy delays because the courses are designed to flow w i t h o u t m a n y interruptions.

Overall, I can only truly find one real issue with Formula One racing: the time it is on.

You can only view the races during Sunday morning on the SPEED channel. This makes popularity a consistent problem, but when the races are in a different time zone every week, it makes viewing a race difficult. Despite this slight problem, I’d much rather spend my Sundays watching Formula One than NASCAR. -Brian Wadsworth

One lucky senior was fortunate enough to go to the NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway with me. He wishes to remain anonymous, as he does not want to be associated with NASCAR or with “rednecks”.

I don’t understand his fear of beingg a NASCAR AR fan, but I digress. At the race, he said d that the atmosphere was “awesome” wesome” and that the sound and speed of the cars was “intense.” ntense.” All of these things are typical of any NASCAR AR race, but none of which could happen at a Formula ula One race.

I love ove it when people think that Formula ula One (aa form of open n wheel auto racing)) is better than NASCAR AR (who races stock cars that hat are actuallyy relatable to people ple as they are Chevrolets, evrolets, Fords, Dodges, and Toyotas). as). st because F1 Just makes right turns d of just the left instead turns of a NASCAR eople act like race, people turningg right is like addingg basketballs lit on fire or playing ll on a field of football spikes. It does not make more exciting it anymore se they turn a because nt direction. I don’t different watch a race saying, “He made a really good left turn.” I watch racing for mping and banging the bumping assing, something and passing, istent in F1. nonexistent he margin of victory in NASCAR The iderably closer than in F1. The is considerably average margin of victory in NASCAR is 1.17857 seconds, with the last numbers coming from Talladega. In F1, the margin of victory was a whooping 8.900529 seconds. In F1, they run in single file with very little passing. That truly is a parade of cars. At least in NASCAR, drivers are

actually trying to pass people instead of just logging laps.

In the 2009 F1 season, there were 20 cars running in the season. NASCAR, on the other hand, has 43 drivers in each race and they even have to turn drivers away. The courses that F1 rac race take just over a minute to complete. SSo, if you were at a race, you would see all 2 20 cars drive by you for about three secon seconds, then you wouldn’t know what goes on for the next minute. NASCAR tracks ran range in size from a half mile to two and a half miles long. You can see the whole ttrack from almost every seat, enabling yyou to know what is going on at all ttimes. If I am spending $300 to se see an F1 race, I want to see eve everything going on. NASCAR tickets, by the way, aare about a quarter of o that.

Fina Finally, what makes N NASCAR so much more enjoyable tthan F1 is the fans. The fans in Eu Europe, where most F1 races are locat located, get so worked up over absolut absolutely nothing.

Look at soccer, for exam example.

They kill each othe other in these huge rallies just becau because they ended the sporting contest in i a tie. If I went to a soccer gam game, my luck would have me sitti sitting behind the guy waving a fla flag for the entire 90 minutes, or however long they play for, since nobody really knows.

We NASCAR fans are passionate about our sport, not psychopaths. Plus, in F1, if people are ccheering for a driver, you w would hear about 224 differen different languages screaming about tthat driver.

Are they che cheering, or are they upset? I have no idea. At lea least you know at a NASCA NASCAR race who you can let go in fro front of you in the parking lot when you lleave the race because you can understand whether they are a friend.

What is the best form of motorsports in the world? NASCAR of co course.

Formula One is nowhere near as exciting as NASCAR. With the season now over, it’s going to be a very long and dark offseason. And just remember, only 82 days until The Daytona 500 on February 14, 2010.

-Adam Jurski

22 SPORTS NV athletes make decisions on future November 24, 2009

Laura Guinness PUTTING THE PEN TO THE PAPER is senior Olivia Fouty. She signed with Eastern Michigan University November 11. Fouty won First Team all NLL, First Team all District and Honorable Mention All-Ohio last season. The future Eagle received a full ride scholarship from the university.

By ALEXX KLEIN, ADDISON HIRSCHFELD, & ALEXA KALANQUIN

St aff writ ers As the fall sports season wraps up, many NV athletes have been left to make decisions about their future in college athletics.

Many seniors have committed or are interested in continuing their athletic career at the next level.

Senior Kate Schmidt, captain of the Girls Soccer team, verbally committed to the University of Cincinnati last March. The Bearcats first contacted Schmidt through email and by talking with her coaches.

“Cinci contacted me through my club coach because they played with each other at the University of Maryland,” said Schmidt.

Other schools that Schmidt was considering were Georgetown, Iowa, New Hampshire, and all of the Mid-American Conference schools.

“I finally chose to be a Bearcat because it’s in the Big East. I loved the campus and they offered me a nice scholarship,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt has already been preparing for her freshman year at UC and will officially sign with the school February 3.

Senior volleyball players are also interested in playing at the collegiate level. Senior Kristi Kopaniasz is considering Florida Southern, Ball State and Defiance.

“FS has a good program for my major, sports management.

Also, they are second in their conference and have made it to the NCAA tournament for 16 straight years,” said Kopaniasz.

Katie Bartlett, another senior on the Volleyball team, is planning on playing at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Although she has yet to commit to anywhere, NJIT is her main choice.

“I like NJIT because they’re Division I and can give athletic scholarships, and I love the cam-

pus because I’ve always wanted to live on the east coast,” said Bartlett.

The Cross Country team also has many runners that plan on

running in college. Senior state champion Meredith Wagner has been in contact with Ohio State University, Miami University, Michigan State University and Notre Dame University. Although all of these schools and more have contacted her, Wagner has yet to decide where she wants to continue her career.

Senior Nicole Mangas has been contacted by many coaches through recruiting forms and college visits. Some of the colleges interested in Mangas are Xavier, Spring Arbor University, Baldwin Wallace, OSU, Purdue and Wittenberg.

“I’ve stayed overnight at a couple colleges and I think that is helping me decide where I want to go,” said Mangas.

The Boys Cross Country team has five seniors and most are considering continuing their running careers.

Sean O’Connell and Jacob Barnes both have been contacted

by DI schools. O’Connell is considering Miami for cross-country and UC for track.

Barnes has been talking to many schools including Eastern Michigan University, Malone and Detroit Mercy for cross country.

Both runners are currently undecided.

Other seniors considering running in college include Nick Homan, Harry Zeitler and Derek Pohlman.

Another Wildcat who is planning on being a student athlete in college, is senior running back Torrence Garland. He led the Cats’ rushing attack until he suffered an ankle injury halfway through the season. Garland plans on bouncing back from his injury to continue his career at the collegiate level.

The undecided Garland has been looked at and contacted by many schools including Georgetown, Robert Morris University and Baldwin Wallace. He is waiting to receive offers from Notre Dame College (OH) and Midland Lutheran College.

Also, Jacob Zureich, a captain on the Boys Basketball team, is considering ND College (OH), Cedarvillie University, Wiitenberg, Defiance, and University of Michigan Deerborn.

Senior Olivia Fouty, who received honorable mention in the state last year, is the only NV athlete who has signed. Fouty committed to EMU November 11.

“I’m a lot more relaxed now.

My attention can be on this year, focusing on my studies and winning games,” said Fouty.

SPORTS 23 This is the future: LadyKat Basketball November 24, 2009

By SKYLAR ROSE & MARY GRACE FITZGERALD

St aff writ ers After the soccer girls hung up their cleats and the cross-country runners caught their breathes, the girls basketball tryouts began.

Tryouts started off slow because of the girl’s soccer team’s absence, due to their success in the tournament. This made playing as a team difficult when only half of the team was there. When they returned, practices became normal, like how they would be for the rest of the season. In the end, the LadyKats found a way to “get it done.”

SENIOR HANNAH SMALL

Q. How do you expect the varsity team to do this season?

JUNIOR

COACH SIGLER

VAL SOHASKY

Q. How did tryouts go?

A. [Tryouts were] pretty challenging because the soccer girls were gone and now

Q.

What are your main goals in practice this year?

A.We work a lot on defense.

I am pretty sure that we will improve a lot by the middle of the season.

SOPHOMORE MADDIE KLEIN

we have to teach all of the plays all over.

Q.How is the varsity team doing so far?

A. So far its good but everything needs to slow down. Once everyone stops trying to rush we will have a chance to win big games. It’s all about who comes to play.

Q. How is the junior varsity Q.How do you feel about the underclassmen stepping up on varsity? team going to be this season?

A. The JV team has good A.It doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman chemistry [between players] or a sophomore, if you’re good enough to because most of us were on the freshman team last year. We work well together.

play at this level, then you will play.

Q.Is there senior leadership?

A. We will have leadership increase throughout the season. People need to

FRESHMAN A.We are going to win NLL’s. JULES AUKERMAN step up as verbal leaders and by example.

Q. How do you feel about having the underclassmen on Q.How did you feel trying out Q.What is the outlook on the first game with the more experienced girls? against Perrysburg? varsity?

A.I with was a little intimidated A.There is a lot of talk that they are not A.I think it’s great that they playing Olivia Fouty because are stepping up and competing with varsity.

she is a college star.

very good, I don’t buy it. It all comes down to what team has the most players that can contribute.

JUNIOR KATELYNN McCOY finishes a layup during the Baker drill.

SOPHOMORE MADDIE KLEIN sets up a play for the Junior Varsity team.

SENIOR HANNAH SMALL makes a pass to a teammate.

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24

November 24, 2009

SPORTSVIEW

Boy’s, Girl’s Cross Country teams shine at States

By ALEXX KLEIN

Wagner was followed by freshman Abby Masters in 28th place and she finished as the fourth freshman in the state.

“The course was new to me and it A Northern Lakes League Title, a was crowded but I wasn’t as nervous as I District Title, a Regional Title and a finish thought I would be. I hung in there,” said in the top 10 at the state meet. The Boy’s Masters. and Girl’s Cross Country teams ended Senior Nicole Mangas, sophomore their seasons on top with a strong showing Alison Work, junior Mackenzie Reeves, November 7 in Columbus, Ohio. freshman Janelle Noe and sophomore Their combined finish was the highest Moe Dean rounded out the state team and among any team at the race. The boy’s junior Erin Koffman was the alternate. placed third in the state and the girl’s came “It was nice having so many teammates in sixth. and fans supporting the girls,” said “It was great to watch both teams Monheim. “We are all very proud of what have success,” said Athletic Director Chris this team has accomplished this year and Irwin. “I was excited for the kids because there isn’t a more deserving state champion they have been working for this since last than Meredith.” year. The girls had a taste for it and the Placing sixth in the state was the best boys didn’t qualify last season, so they finish in Northview girl’s history. wanted it.”

“I can’t even Last season the explain how I feel.

“We are all very LadyKats placed 10th Even though we proud of what in the state and the wanted higher, boy’s failed to make sixth [place] was this team has it out of the Regional still amazing,” said meet. Both teams are accomplished this Reeves. experienced in the year and there isn’t All seven varsity post season with two runners for the boys a more deserving finished in the top seniors on varsity for the girl’s team and 100. Senior Jacob state champion five for the boys.

Barnes (23), Sean than Meredith.”

“It made us more O’Connell (37), confident having five junior Mike Wallace seniors and knowing a (58), senior Derek lot of us have been to Pohlman (61), junior States before,” said senior Nick Homan.

Kevin McKown (69), senior Harry Zeitler The girl’s race went off first and, (83) and Homan (91) all contributed to according to Head Coach Jon Monheim, NV’s highest finish ever. the team was feeling confident about its “We had one goal for the season and chances to place high in the meet. that was to win the state meet. When we “The girls started to move at the 800 didn’t, we obviously were disappointed,” mark and those that ran very well kept said Barnes. “Now when we look back, moving and passing runners until the we should be very proud of what we finish,” said Monheim. accomplished.”

Senior Meredith Wagner was the Barnes received first team all Ohio individual state champion out of 143 honors in his highest finish as a member competitors. At about the second mile, of the team.

Wagner began to pull away from the rest Both the boys and girls graduate of the field, according to Monheim. significant seniors from the team. Wagner, “It was really exciting and I was really Mangas, Olivia Stockard, Morgan Hojnacki surprised,” said Wagner. “This was my and Alexx Klein leave the team after four third race at States and it was nice to end years with the team. my high school running career this way.”

Zeitler, Homan, Pohlman, O’Connell Wagner raced in Dayton, Ohio this and Barnes also have been major past weekend in the Mideast Meet of contributors over the past four years.

Champions and will travel to Wisconsin “It was an amazing experience and a over Thanksgiving Break for the Footlocker great team to be a part of. I will definitely race. If competitors place in the top 10 miss everything that we have put into they qualify for the National meet in San this program the past four years,” said Diego, California.

O’Connell.

Sport s edit or

Erin Koffman

SUPPORTING THEIR TEAMMATES with a poster are seniors Alexx Klein and Morgan Hojnacki.

Alexx Klein

Alexx Klein WORKING HIS WAY UP in the race is senior Jacob Barnes. He went on to finish in 23rd and was awarded first team All Ohio honors.

RECEIVING HER FIRST PLACE medal is senior Meredith Wagner.

Wagner was the individual champion of the Division I girls race.

POSING ON THE podium for pictures after the race are the top 16 Alexx Klein runners in the state.

- Head Coach Jon Monheim

TURNING A CORNER in the race is senior Derek Pohlman. Pohlman finished 61st in the state and fourth on NV’s team. The third place finish by the boys was the highest ever in school history. Pohlman has been a part of the varsity program all four years.

Erin Koffman