Issue #6 - Sylvania Northview High School
Transcription
Issue #6 - Sylvania Northview High School
T.S.P. S the student prints How do students spend their snow days? 2% 35% ylvania Northview Volume 89, Issue 6 nvstudentprints.com @nvstudentprints January 27, 2015 Netflix 8% Dog sledding to your friend’s house 55% Shoveling the little old neighbor lady’s driveway Tweeting about how Dr. Rieger is #1 SPORTS Basketball teams face Southview in double-header 12 Girls’ team delivers 32-28 win. 6 OPINIONS Are New Year’s Resolutions a fluke? Waiting until the New Year to change your habits is unnecessary. FEATURES Have cabin fever? 15 Check out the starter pack before the next snow day to ensure ultimate preparedness. 5 NEWS Meet the foreign exchange students from Costa Rica Senora Jurski starts foreign exchange program for Northview and Southview. Snow days lead to new make-up schedule BEATTIE 2 T.S.P. News January 27, 2015 Tis’ the season for Chemistry carolers Claire Goecke Editor in Chief The familiar melodies of holiday carols filled the halls and classrooms on December 19, the last school day before a two-week holiday break. The songs were not coming from the music wing in A-hall though; the AP Chemistry students spread the holiday cheer with their very own “Chemistry Carols.” The students came up with the idea on their own and it was the first time the chemistry class had ever done something like this, according to AP Chemistry teacher Andrew Roth. “It was fun to do something different,” junior Caitlin Smith said. “We were still doing something related to chemistry, but in a fun, new way.” The class divided into smaller groups, with each group writing their own song about chemistry that corresponded with the melodies of common holiday tunes. Each group recorded themselves singing the song for the rest of the class to hear so they could understand how the song was supposed to go before their performance. Lyrics of each song were printed off for each student. Then, just like Christmas carolers, the class traveled to other classrooms nearby and performed for them. “It was definitely fun to perform them because got a lot of positive reception from the classes,” junior Starr Jiang said. “We were all nearly crying from laughing the whole time, including Mr. Roth.” Jiang’s group created a parody of the “12 Days of Christmas” titled “12 Days of Chem Class.” Some of the other carols that could be heard included, “Silent Labs,” “Chemi-senses Ring,” and “Chemistry Rock.” One group also made a mash-up of popular songs from the movie Frozen. Overall, the audiences of the chemistry carolers really seemed to enjoy their performance. BEATTIE JUNIORS NAZIHAH BHATTI, Caitlin Smith, Abbie Ciucci, Parker Stephens, and Starr Jiang; and seniors Mallory Small and Maddie Cole sing a “Chemistry Carol” in front of a class. This was the first year that the students have done the activity since the idea was made. SPADE hosts most attended invitational in Ohio Grace Colville Staff Writer NV’s Speech and Debate team dressed to impress for a weekend of doing what they do best against other teams from all over our area. The team competed in and hosted the Sylvania Invita- tional Speech and Debate Tournament on January 9 and 10. The tournament was so large that not only did it take place at Northview, but also at Southview. The tournament must take place at multiple schools not only because of the large amount of people on teams, but because of the numerous rounds of events. Students can choose from nine different speech events and three debate events. Participants began to arrive on Friday afternoon, and after some instruction from coaches Ms. Federman, Ms. Gebers, and Ms. Fischer, the first rounds went underway. Junior Owen Capellini competed in the Lincoln Douglas debate, and made it through a lot of rounds. He broke to double octo finals, which is just a couple rounds before quarter finals. He debated about just governments ought to require that employers pay a living wage. “Doing as well as I did is a great feeling because I could finally see all the hard work pay off,” Capellini said. “The Sylvania tournament is the biggest tournament, and one of the hardest in the state.” Senior Geeta Rao also made it to the final round in expository speech. Her topic was “Dot or Feather,” which is about the difference between Indian and Native American cultures. The tournament is typically much larger than it ended up being. A little over 1000 people were expected to come, but only 800 showed because of the weather conditions. T.S.P. 3 News January 27, 2015 Book of Mormon cast, crew come to NV Claire Weber Staff Writer Whether it’s on or off stage, cast members of a national Broadway production sure know how to inspire and communicate with students to pursue their hobby or career in theatre. On December 17, a few members from the award winning musical Book of Mormon came to share their experiences with students. These cast and crew members included Michael Buchanan, Chris O’Neill, and Kevin Bebe. Buchanan is a Joseph Jefferson winning performer, who has appeared in many Broadway productions including the Adams Family and Cry Baby. He has also performed with the Kennedy Center, the Guthrie Theatre, the NY Musical Theatre Festival, the Goodspeed Opera House, and many more, according to Buchanan. O’Neill is a new Broadway performer who wrote and starred in his own comedy act “The Chris and Paul Show” before pursuing his career on Book of Mormon. He received a phone call to audition for the musical, which soon changed his life. After auditioning, he landed the role as Elder Cunningham, according to O’Neill. Bebe was a graduate of BGSU who moved to Chicago and soon was contacted by Broadway’s company manager to work for Broadway. He became the manager of many productions including Mama Mia, Curtains, Wicked, and Book of Mormon, according to Bebe. A few topics that were discussed included the auditioning process, chances of getting a part, what life is like being on tour, favorite parts of being a professional performer, and advice for future performers, according to junior Matthew Nolan. The auditioning process can be very different depending on the role or how far along the process you are. For instance, lead role auditions may require more judges, yet ensemble auditions, wouldn’t require as many. Sometimes, certain auditions may be filmed or some may not, depending on where and when the audition is taking place. Also, required material for each audition varies depending on the role, especially auditions for dancers, lead roles, and ensemble members, according to Buchanan. “People get in their head about auditioning. If you have some talent and know what you have to do, the only thing that can mess that up is your head. You just have to let it go and throw it down,” O’Neill said. Unfortunately, the dream of being a Broadway star seems possible, but roles are very limited and can be very competitive. The most important skills and strengths needed to stand out above all the other performers is to always work on improvement, self discipline, gaining as much experience as possible, not being over-confident, fixing mistakes, not having an ego, and always working hard, according to O’Neill and Buchanan. “Talent and passion will get you so far, but self discipline will get you farther,” Buchanan said. Life on the road can be very fun, yet difficult at the same time. It’s always exciting to experience new places and meet new people. However, it is very hard to balance personal life with work. Being away from family can take a toll on the performers, however they are kept so busy during the tour that they would be home with their families in no time, according to Bebe. “It’s a really cool privilege to travel for free and the amount of stories we have experienced to tell our kids is exciting,” O’Neill said. Performing in a musical that has won nine Tony awards including “Best Musical,” has definitely made the performers appreciate and enjoy their careers. Many performers’ favorite part about playing a role in a production is being able to share their passion for theatre through their role. It’s something that definitely takes a lot of work, yet once you perform, all of the hard work pays off. “My favorite part would be hearing all of the excitement from the audience when the announcer says the show will start in one minute. It makes me truly appreciate my job and makes me love what I do even more,” according to O’Neill. To be a successful performer, skills and strengths are crucial. Also, no matter how tough it gets, it is always important to have confidence and to never give up on yourself. The saying “if you set your mind to something, you can achieve anything,” applies to this case, therefore passion and talent can make you achieve any dreams you have in mind, according to Buchanan. “I thought this was an excellent experience for everybody who came. They gave us advice and told us what it was like performing on the road. They gave so many people the chance to ask questions,” Nolan said. Leadership prepares for roles in real world Allie Hartnett News Editor Leadership, character, integrity, and service are developing within the senior leadership students. To start off the school year, the students met for a retreat during the summer where they discussed their plans, goals, and frustrations for the upcoming school year. The questions they were encouraged to answer were, “What are your plans for the new year?” and “What do you need to get done by the end of the semester?” The ideas that students shared included sports, activities, or certain classes that they would be taking. At the retreat, the students also talked about their individual roles and the student leadership role that they would take on for the new year. At the end of the first quarter, the students took an exit survey and met for a meeting where they were able to hear feedback from other students on how their goals were going. The students also completed many other activities including: their quarter meetings where they discussed their experiences; the public out how to use those when working with other speeches which were delivered to English and people,” Mr. Swaggerty said. theatre teacher Don Wachowiak, Principal Steve Swaggerty, and art teacher Ryan Creech; the Etiquette dinner held at Mancy’s Italian, which included a presentation from iMedia teacher Tami Blue; and the leadership lunches. “I think Mr. Creech and I are hoping the students can figure out what they believe in and to find their strengths and figure 4 T.S.P. News January 27, 2015 NHS dances their way to gold 2013 Grad Geeta Rao Editor in Chief National Honor Society has been working hard to get the student body to danceGOLD for charity this spring. NHS is teaming up with The Victory Center to raise money for this non-profit, privately funded charity to benefit cancer patients in the Toledo area. The Victory Center is an organization that works to help cancer patients through intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment that often takes strength away from a patient’s body. The organization provides spa treatments such as massages, facials, and yoga, as well as group and family therapy, free of charge, according to thevictorycenter.org. NHS chose to support this charity for their inaugural danceGOLD at the recommendation of Kathy Bules, a Northview mom, who spoke highly of The Victory Center’s services and mission. NHS’s advertising committee created a five minute video that will be played during announcements after exams. The video detailed highlights of what danceGOLD will be comprised of on April 25, including ping pong, basketball, and the first annual Mr. Northview competition. Cody Pomeroy, a member of NHS created the video, which starred Northview’s SUPERCATS!, a group of senior boys intending to raise school spirit. “The danceGOLD video was pretty entertaining to film with my supercat actors and, yes, they did jump down from the balcony in the hallway,” Pomeroy said. In order to get ready for the event, NHS has a committee of six committee heads that are working together to plan decorations, food, events and activities, prizes, fundraising, and registration. NHS is also receiving help from the Sophomore Leadership Academy and the Sophomore Class Government to make the event a school-wide success. On December 16, the four NHS officers met with potential Mr. Northview candidates to explain the competition and garner support for its success. Mr. Northview will be comprised of ten senior boys and six junior boys competing for the three titles. Mr. Northview will be awarded to one senior boy who demonstrates talent to a panel of teacher judges,however, either a junior or a senior can win two other titles. One title is Mr. Generous, the winner of which will be determined by a competition to see which of the 16 boys can raise the most money for the cause. The other title is People’s Choice, where the winner will be voted by the audience at danceGOLD by getting monetary donations from the audience after the talent acts and fashion show. NHS plans on handing out registration packets for danceGOLD, which will detail how to raise money and register for the event, at the informational meetings on February 10 during lunches in the media center. The minimum amount for a NV student to participate in danceGOLD is to raise $25 but raising $50 will earn a student a t-shirt for their specific team. After a month of individual fundraising, participants will be invited to turn in their donations during lunches on March 18. NHS will then have a month to randomly assign the participants to each of four teams: Team Jive, Team Salsa, Team Twist, and Team Cha-Cha, each with their own color. NHS’s slogan for the event is “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose,” and appears on the back of the t-shirts. NV teacher invited to NASA event Photo Courtesy of Mr. Reed Luke Beattie Photo Editor Northview educators are always looking for ways to enhance their teaching. Recently, NV engineering teacher Ryan Reed traveled to Glenn Research Center to learn about the next space mission to Mars, the Orion mission. The Orion mission launched on December 5 after being delayed due to malfunctions. The spacecraft launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and then orbited earth four times before landing in the Pacific Ocean. Orion is not supposed to have a manned mission until 2021. Mr. Reed applied through twitter and was one of many who were selected to learn more about the Orion Mission. Reporters, a few teachers, and businessmen were selected by NASA. Mr. Reed got to ask a question to Mark Geyer who is the Orion Spacecraft Program Manager. He asked about the advice Geyer would give to students looking to get involved in space programs. Geyer stressed that focusing on math ASKING A QUESTION of NASA scientist Mark Geyer is Engineering teacher Ryan Reed. Mr. Reed was able to ask a question about the Orion Mission to Mars. and science. NASA as many resources for students and teachers to get involved. NASA also has outreach events with competitions for students. Mr. Reed was very excited about bringing back his experience to the classroom. “I will use the knowledge I have gained from attending the Glenn Research Center every year in aerospace engineering. I have made several contacts who are leading our country to land a human being on Mars. It was a very historical, experience that I will remember for the rest of my life,” said Mr. Reed. discusses OU, business Q&A with Jack Melick Allie Hartnett News Editor Former 2013 graduate, Jack Melick is following his dreams in his studies at Ohio University. With a major in Business, Melick is in a program at OU where he was able to earn his sales certificate. He is also involved in work outside of school and a fraternity, Beta. In December Melick visited Northview to speak to the Business Tech classes and meet with any students interested in attending OU. He is an Ohio University ambassador. What program are you in at Ohio University? I’m a triple major at the honors business school and I have my sales certificate. There is finance and entrepreneurship at the business school that I am attending. What kind of work do you do at school? When it comes to business on the campus, I do a lot of involvement with the Shea Center as well as the Honors College. How did you get chosen to come speak to the business students at Northview? I am one of the ambassadors and since I was coming home anyways, they opened it up to me. I also had some contact with Mrs. Bridell and the students. What did you talk to the students about? I talked to them about their concerns and overall questions to the possibility of attending OU. NVStudentPrints.com for more stories 5 T.S.P. News January 27, 2015 Exchange students visit school Jessie Li Staff Writer Costa Rican students are here and ready to experience the American culture. They arrived January 9 and will leave January 30. This program has been organized by Spanish teacher Lindsay Jurski with the support of the Spanish teachers from Northview and Southview. They have put this exchange together to help Spanish students have connections with people who live in the culture they are studying. “This exchange helps us to bring the Hispanic culture to Sylvania and helps us to have a global experience without even leaving our community,” Mrs. Jurski said, “The Costa Rican students also want to experience American schools so it is beneficial for everybody.” Host students include students from both NV and SV and are from all grade levels. NV students include Noah Pyle, Drew Smith, Whitney Powlesland, Morgan Vince, Alison Suchomma, Maddy Cole, and Katie Cole. SV students include Elizabeth Potter, Claire Coder, Ford Westjohn, Ben Yaffe, Nathan Podolsky, and Emma Podolsky. Exchange students will be shadowing their host students at first but will later follow a personalized schedule based on their interests. American families will also take them sightseeing to a few community attractions such as the Toledo Art Museum, the Huntington Center, and the Stranahan Theater. Freshman Drew Smith is hosting an eighth grader, José Briceño Contreras, who too has never seen snow before. “The snow is very cold but I like it,” said Contreras. “However I prefer the beach and warm weather over the snow.” Although the exchange students and host students live in two very different cultures, they have very similar interests and hobbies. Swimming, for example, is a universal pastime, and arrangements have already been made for the exchange students to practice with the swim team and go to open swim times. Things will be difficult at first, with the language barrier and cultural differences but the experience in the end will be worth it, according to Mrs. Jurski. “Everyone will leave this experience with a more global mind,” Mrs. Jurski said. “It is my hope for everybody to see another reason to continue to study their second language and become bilingual in our society.” American students will have the opportunity to practice their Spanish as well as helping the Costa Rican students with their English. If this exchange is successful, it could kick off travel to a Hispanic country every two years. COSTA RICAN EXCHANGE STUDENTS seniors Estaban Salas and Christopher Alfaro experience their first time in the snow. The exchange students came to the United States on January 9, the beginning of 2015’s first snow storm. They will be leaving on January 30. State requirements changed by board Fine art positions may narrow down for teachers around state Peter Birsen Photo Editor The State Education Board has just voted on a proposal which may put some teachers around the state in jeopardy. The Ohio State School Board voted on a change in policy that would allow them to cut the previous policy which required each school district to have “five of eight” positions per every 1,000 students, according to government teacher Perry Lefevre. “The State Board consists of 19 members, 11 of which represent districts and eight chosen at large by the current serving governor,” Mr. Lefevre said. These jobs are counselor, librarian, school nurse, social worker, fine arts teachers, music teachers, physical educator and visiting teachers, according to Sylvania Education Association President Daniel Greenberg. This change in policy was voted on by the State School Board, this only allows the District School Boards to vote on whether or not they will enact this policy. In other words, the Local Board will make the final decision on which jobs will be kept and if any will be cut, according to Mr. Lefevre. With this policy change this would allow the Board to make cuts where they see fit without worrying about the “five of eight” rule. This could allow for efficient budget cuts but could have a big impact on the fate of the arts in this and upcoming generations. This “five of eight rule” hasn’t been completely eliminated yet but the State School Board, they have voted on steps that could be taken to remove this rule all together. It is still necessary for schools to have music, arts and PE teachers, they are not required to have all of the other eight positions. In the future the board could take more steps to cutting the positions they are now required to have. Courtesy of Esteban Salas New snow day plan Andrew Headman News Editor New year new snow day system. The State of Ohio has adopted a new system that is based on the amount of hours students attend school rather than the amount of days missed. Any hours that change the instructional day are counted as hours not in session. As a district, Sylvania is above the minimum number of hours so this should not impact the district, according to Human Resources Director Jane Spurgeon. “I suggest you stop wearing your pajamas inside out, because we do not want to be here in mid June,” Principal Steve Swaggerty said. The change has been handed down from the State who sets the requirements for schools and how they deal with calamity days. “Currently we are planning to follow the traditional approach and possibly make up calamity days over five due to the importance of the classroom instruction. This will be evaluated as the winter progresses,” Human Resources Executive Director Jane Spurgeon said. 6 T.S.P. Editorials January 27, 2015 Teachers: spread the tests around a little Often times I look at my schedule for the day and become severely overwhelmed. Homework, on top of a busy schedule, is mind-boggling. Studying for multiple tests for the next day just adds to the chaos. It always seems to happen that all my tests fall on the same day, making matters worse. There is not enough time or capacity in my brain to possibly store four subjects of quotes, readings, formulas, and facts effectively in one night to produce my best work. Although the material is taught to us gradually throughout the weeks of the lessons, not all the information sticks and can be lost throughout all the other information thrown our way. Although we should be studying here and there each night, I can honestly say I find myself completing all the assignments due for the next day before I worry about upcoming deadlines, leaving the last night to be the night to study. It’s not always the best technique but I tend to focus on what is due first. It becomes overwhelming to try and remember every detail from a book to every date we learned in history for the chapter, especially when preparing for it all in one night. Tests would be much less stressful and easier to prepare for if they did not all fall on the same days. Teachers should collaborate amongst themselves to schedule different days for tests, lessening the stress load for students. Stu- dents could better prepare and produce better test scores if they had less studying on their plate for one night. In one night it is hard to complete homework for multiple classes and study for the remaining classes as well as juggling everything else that falls on a student’s plate: sports, a job, clubs, and supporting our school. I know that tests and homework are necessary for our education and are part of the inevitable, but they could be spread out amongst the classes throughout the week. Staying up into the early hours of the morning to finish an essay, a worksheet, or to continue studying is hard on a student’s sleep pattern as well as their health. -Emma Crandall Chapter 3 of 52: Better late than never? Other than the typical “oh my gosh - I haven’t showered since last year,” the most cliche saying on January 1 is definitely “new year, new me.” It makes sense, right? Out with the old, in with the new. Everyone simply makes a couple New Year’s resolutions like socialize more, lose a couple pounds, eat healthier, or work harder for better grades. The ball dropping at midnight on January 1 signals the beginning of a new year, but it is still just like any other day. Why wait until the New Year to make yourself a better person when every single day is a chance to be who you want to be? I joke around and say I’ve made resolutions like drinking less slushies in 2015, but truthfully, I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. Any day can mark a new beginning in your life whether it is January 1, May 5, or October 21. It can be a Monday, Thursday or Saturday. It doesn’t matter what the day, it will still be page one of your new chapter. You can change who you are any time you want to as long as you focus your mind on your main goal. There is no reason to put it off until the new year. Is there someone in your life who brings you down? Let them go. Do you not get enough sleep at night? Put down the phone a little earlier and get some shut eye. Sick of bottling up your emotions? Tell somebody about them. Don’t like who you were today? Change who you are tomorrow. Set a month-long goal and work towards it everyday. Once you accomplish it, change your goal for the new month until you are content and happy with the person you are or the accomplishments you’ve made. After all, a year long resolution is pretty intimidating. It’s easier to work towards smaller, short term goals to put together the entire picture. IN notions motion “My New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier and get into better shape than I am in right now.” -Freshman Brandon Clark “My new Year’s resolution is to live life to the fullest and take more risks in life.” -Sophomore Rebecca Roberts Tomorrow is never guaranteed so you might as well live the way you want to today, not dwelling in the past or constantly waiting for the future. Embrace each moment and every day wake up with the mindset to make the today you better than the yesterday you. Starting January 1 may be page one of 365, but why limit yourself to 365 days when you can change yourself for good for the rest of your life serving as a role model for others to follow your lead. The sooner you make yourself the person you want to be, the sooner life will be more meaningful and happy for you. Don’t wait until 2016 to make your next resolutions. Make them today for a better tomorrow. -Mackenzie Elrod What’s your New Years resolution? “My New Year’s resolution is to get closer with friends and be a lot less awkward.” - Junior Macey Feldstein “I really like surfing so this year my New Year’s resolution is to get out and surf as much as I can” -Senior Esteban Salas T.S.P. Editorials January 27, 2015 7 Are you addicted to being “connected” Social media. A majority of high school students have some type of social media account that they access daily. We’ve become addicted to being “connected”. If you don’t believe that, think of how many people (me included) are angry that the school wifi blocks social media. This addiction to connection is two-fold, we love to know what other people are doing, but we also want them to know what we’re doing and acknowledge us. That sounds weird, but it’s basically what it means to “like” a picture or “favorite” a tweet. Getting “likes” on an Instagram picture or the number of retweets we get has become ridiculously important. Think about it. Does getting more “likes” mean that you’re better than other people? Are you winning a prize? No, so why do we care so much? I doubt that your college application will read “over 200 likes on ALL Instagram posts”, and “2.5k followers”. So why does it matter? Research from the University of Buffalo indicates that women who base their self-worth on their appearance are likely to post more pictures of themselves on social media seeking validation. They are also more likely to have a larger number of followers. Their pictures are usually taken to reflect their best body angles, their best outfits, with their best facial features placed under the most flattering light. This shows how social media affects people more than we think. If I had a dollar for every time I saw a picture of someone on social media that made me feel bad about myself, I would never run out of money. I know I’m not the only one who feels insecure looking at seemingly perfect selfies on Instagram. Even though these pictures may make us insecure, if they are pictures of our friends, we feel obligated to comment on them. “OMG you’re perfect!”, “GOALS”, *heart eyes emoji*. A study from the University of Leeds found that frequent use of social media is linked to problems like depression and body dysmorphic disorder. On to another issue, is the person you act like on social media the same person you are in real life? The answer to that question is probably “no”. Now I’m not saying that everyone is “fake” on social media, but many people can be. We all know at least one person who is completely different in real life than on social media, and they probably have a lot of followers. However, it’s doubtful that the followers really know them rather than the facade they put out on the Internet. -Nazihah Bhatti {Make sure to erase the bubble completely{ The Freshman and Sophomore Classes are each required to take six standardized tests this year, not including the PSAT, SAT, and ACT that many will take next fall and winter. The state of Ohio has mandated new standardized tests that are supposed to raise our international rank in student competence, but we only see a dark cloud of standardization, normal curves, and, frankly, too much testing. In order to get into college these days, a student has to take either the ACT or SAT and send those scores to their respective potential schools. However, it has been said that simply good test scores are not what guarantees acceptance to even the nation’s best universities. Students with a 36 on the ACT or 2400 on the SAT are often turned away from Ivy League institutions because they are too standardized, and they are not unique enough. This is not to say that testing is not important, because it is. What is important to point out, however, is that testing itself is not solely important. By taking so many standardized tests this year, how will the sophomores ever learn to distinguish themselves from their national peers? Will they do this by writing a standardized essay on the writing portions of exams with an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion or should they learn to leave the formulaic, standardized tests essays behind? The problem with so many standardized tests is that students lose their creativity in learning, their innovation in gathering new knowl- edge, their drive for a quest of new information. Standardized tests create cookie-cutter individuals in a world of diversity, and that is simply not right. The culture of the world outside Ohio cannot be driven by test scores and performance results, it must be driven by intrinsic motivation, something that will never be gained by six standardized tests. -Staff Editorial 8 T.S.P. Editorials January 27, 2015 New year new exam schedule, hopefully Next winter break will be a true break without the stress of exams to follow Do you get a sense of frustration knowing you have exams after winter break? Having the thought of “I should study...” haunts you over the long break. Shouldn’t the word “break” mean what it’s actually supposed to mean? A time for you to relax with your friends and family and enjoy which ever holiday you celebrate. Well, if you agree with me you are in luck. For next year the Sylvania Schools finally made the right decision by making exams for high school students before break. Actually the schedule isn’t final yet, you might want to say something like they are looking at schedules that will put exams before break That’s right, students finally get to do their exams BEFORE WINTER BREAK. Hearing this makes me so ecstatic, knowing that before break I can just get my exams done so there’s no worry or anxiety during break. You can enjoy your time off from school. Instead of being nervous and anxious over the break you can actually relax and enjoy yourself. I see no bad side to this schedule move. Sure, you are a little stressed out before break, but in my opinion, I’d rather just get them done and out of the way. You can go on break without any anxiety for that Monday after break and realizing you have a million and one things to do. With the exam move you wouldn’t have to push back all of your work until that dreaded Sunday night. Not only would the move affect the students in a positive way, but it would also help All school read Worth the read: Living on your own won’t be cheap after high school SSR: a word and idea that many students from Northview dislike. It means that every Tuesday fourth period is extended by 20 minutes so students can read an item of their choice. However, many students do not read and think it is unnecessary. These unpleasant feelings towards SSR increased greatly when students were introduced to an “all school-read”. It was an average Tuesday at NV when all of a sudden the SSR bell rang. The teachers across the school then explained to the students that they were going to pass out a packet (or read online on the student paths) to each student so they could read it. Gasps and groans filled the classrooms of NV when they were confronted with the idea of, you guessed it, the dreaded “reading”. I mean who would have guessed that they would have us read in school? When I first received this article I thought to myself that I would probably just skim it and not make a huge deal about it. However, I not only found myself fascinated with the topic, but I also found it incredibly helpful and in no way mundane. It explains that life after high school is tough, and more importantly that finances after high school are tough. It gives a look at how hard life might be when teenagers can no longer rely fully on their parents. The teachers then handed out a packet of dozens of occupations and how much their annual salary is. I have heard multiple people complain that high school doesn’t teach you any life skills and that we just learn things that we are never going to use. However, when the administrators try and give us some advice about life after high school, people complain about it. This information will only help you in the long run, so you might as well take a few minutes out of your day to read the article and absorb what it is saying. -Isabelle Compton the teachers. It would help them because instead of having to rush to meet a deadline of getting their grading done, they could have the whole time over break I think grades will be due before break. They would be able to take their time and not be so stressed about the time frame they are given. How can there be any cons to this situation? You could actually leave your backpack over in the corner all break and actually not have to worry about opening it. This would happen also because you would be done with the semester so few teachers would assign homework - and new semester classes Winter break should actually mean you have a break from school work and all the stress with it. So I really like this new change in exams be- cause you could actually enjoy your break with your friends and family and not let the conscious thought of not studying take over your life. It would make a lot more sense to have exams before the winter break. Even though this change may not be finalized yet, the district is leaning towards it a lot. It would help a lot to change the schedule because with all of the snow days we’ve had the exams had to be moved anyway, if we would have gotten them over with before break we wouldn’t have to worry about all the exams and projects and tests being moved around. The problem of having to move exams and when the semester end would be avoidable if we just took exams before winter break. - Chloe Romine Are you a procrastinator? Did you at least contemplate studying for exams over break? Duh! I studied basically all of break. Congrats! You’re not a procrastinator and you tend to get things done on time. Studying? For what? Sometimes I forget to go to school. I opened my backpack, does that count? Did you study at all? yes no Did you at least study the weekend before? yes no You tend to procrastinate a little but still get things done and done well. Sorry, you are a grade A procrastinator and tend to wait until the last possible minute to get things done. 9 T.S.P. January 27, 2015 Editorials write on POiNT by Geeta Rao Some of us have been in school for 14 years, almost 80% of our lives, and we have always been told to be good students. After all of this time, what exactly does that mean, to be a good student? Call me crazy, but isn’t being a good student simply being an honest one? Scrolling through Twitter or listening around the hallways, there are always the rumors of someone who cheated on a test or got the answers from a friend in first period and I always wonder what my peers actually consider dishonorable. Of course, every student has different goals and morals, but it’s safe to say that guilt is usually a deterrent in situations like these. Simply put, cheating on a test, in my world, is analogous to taking a shortcut. In a year when I am taking college-level Biology, I would kick myself for never actually learning the high school material. Like the cliche, by cheating in school, you are cheating yourself. Maybe it is selfish of me, but I never share my homework. When someone asks, I usually laugh at them and tell them they should have done it on their own. Frankly, people have simply stopped asking. I am pretty sure that most high schoolers know that cheating is bad, so why does it continue? Maybe the underlying reason for cheating is that people simply want to succeed (in the easiest way possible, of course). There is a whole lot of dishonesty in the practice of cheating, obviously, but there is also a whole lot of disrespect. Primarily, cheating disrespects the teacher and education itself but cheating also is an action of self-disrespect, granted there is such a thing. People define success for themselves, right? I mean I define exercising successfully as running up the stairs instead of walking while others might define exercising successfully as running six miles (which is crazy to me, by the way, because wow that is a lot of lung capacity). However, my version of successful exercise is not cheating, it is simply my own viewpoint. Cheating would be lying to all 89 of my Twitter followers in saying that I ran six miles when I did not. Similarly, cheating on a test to get an “A” is lying, both to your teacher and to yourself. When you use your phone to text for answers or buy your grade through extra credit points that are not yours, both your body and brain are going to tell you it is immoral and wrong. The point is, cheating should make people feel naturally guilty but people should utilize that guilt to realize one very important thing: success is not a one-size-fits-all dress (I did not come up with this, but I do find it humorously enlightening because fashion metaphors are great). Just because someone in your class can study and get an “A” while you study and get a “B” does not mean you are not successful, because you intrinsically should define success for yourself. Likewise, just because someone can run six miles while I cannot does not make me any less of a person; it just makes me different. As long as a person works hard, success is inevitable, in one form or the other. What makes people smart at Northview is how hard they work to honestly earn their grades and standings; their hard, honest work makes them the good students the younger versions of ourselves once strived to be. Always respect Dr. Rieger T’is the season for school delays and closings… and for students to use Twitter in ways they probably shouldn’t. Each time I go on my timeline, I notice more and more students talking about Superintendant Brad Rieger in a negative or positive way. There are even fake Instagram and Twitter pages that say “Brad is Number One.” Although some of this can be funny, some people cross the line with what they say by writing an inappropriate comment or straight up disrespecting our superintendent. We all need to realize a couple of things the next time we have a school delay or closing. First off, all students should refer to our superintendent as Dr. Rieger because that is his official title. People think it’s okay to call him by his first name but in reality, that is a sign of disrespect. There was a tweet I saw the other day that said in more words or less, “I have been one of his daughter’s best friends since I was little and I still have the respect to call him Dr. Rieger.” This person was exactly right and really made me think. For a man of his position, we should all be calling his name by what we have called him since we were little kids. I understand it can be comical and referring to him by Brad is in a very light hearted way, but would you call him Brad to his face? Of course not! Everyone calls him Dr. Rieger in person so why would you stop calling him that when you refer to him any other time? We just need to show a sign of respect to our superintendent especially because of all the hard work and great things he does for us. Another thing students need to realize is that deciding school closings is a very difficult decision. If you think about it, he has to make a decision that affects everyone in the Sylvania School District. This is not limited to the two high schools but includes the three junior highs and the seven elementary schools. That is a ton of students of all ages. So yes, sometimes people agree with his decisions but if you don’t agree with him, make sure to put into perspective all the aspects he is considering. The cold little kids who have to wait at the bus stop, the high school students driving in harsh road conditions, and the students who walk to school. All of these come into play so his decision is not always going to please everyone. The last thing to realize goes back to Twitter. As I was mentioning earlier, students tweet more and more about Dr. Rieger each time we have bad weather. I agree, I have laughed at some of the comments but I have also seen some incredibly disrespectful ones as well. I guess my question is, don’t people realize everyone sees their tweets? That includes friends, family, and possibly school faculty. It is never okay to tweet something negative about our superintendent. That is the biggest sign of disrespect I can think of. Not to mention, don’t you think his daughter sees them? Think of how hard it must be on her to see people she knows tweet horrible things about her dad. What I am saying is that since we are heading into the season of closings, we need to check ourselves and pay attention to what we say and how we say it, especially on social media. Keep in mind how hard our superintendent works and how much he cares for us. I mean come on, he gives the best fist bumps ever. Let’s all make sure to show him the respect he deserves. -Kendall McCoy Less than “golden” reviews As most of students know, the 72nd Golden Globes Award show aired live on January 11. We watched our favorite stars get glammed up and hit the red carpet, cracking jokes and taking pictures for their fans. What most of us probably didn’t catch, was the unnecessary satirical jokes that hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler made about the rape allegations against Bill Cosby. Towards the very beginning of the show Fey said, “Bill Cosby has finally spoken out about the allegations against him; Cosby admitted to the reporter, ‘I put the pills in the people, the people did not want the pills in them’,” in Cosby’s famous Cliff Huxtable voice. Poehler then repeated the gist of the joke in a simply heavier “Huxtable” voice. It may just be me, and maybe satire just isn’t my forte, but I really don’t find the multiple sex assault allegations of a childhood star a joke, let alone one to deliver to millions on live television. Although I’m sure the hosts didn’t mean harm by it, the joke may make the victims feel like their suffering was, well, a joke. What made the whole thing worse was how the camera immediately zoomed in on Girls star Lena Dunham, who has already admitted to molesting her younger sister on multiple occasions. I’m not trying to attack Tina Fey or Amy Poehler, but the joke seemed tasteless and unnecessary and the show would have benefited as a whole if that part was left out. Honestly, I found that whole section of the awards show to be a complete mess, but on the bright side, the cast of Transparent dedicated their award to Leelah Alcorn, the transgender teen who took her own life recently. -Ahmed Atari 10 T.S.P. Editorials Government students not all tested As a senior, government is a required course for students to take to be able to graduate. If politics, legislature, and the constitution do not seem to be of great interest, one can choose to take regular government which is just a semester long class, but if learning about supreme court cases and being able to understand how our nation operates, AP Government is also an option. AP Government is a more rigorous year long class and the students have the ability to take the AP exam in May which could provide them with college credit if they receive a certain score. Beginning this spring, “Next-Generation Assessments” (NGA) required by the state are going to be implemented which students will need to pass. There are two parts to the NGA: the Performance Based Assessment (PBA) and the End of Year assessment (EOY). The PBA will be given out within a window of three weeks beginning in late February and into March. The government test is said to assess government “skills” based on the new state of Ohio content standards. Because this is the first year that this test will be administered, students who took first semester regular government will not be required to take it but students in second semester and AP will. Looking at this situation from the point of view of a second semester government student, I would not consider this to be fair. The students in second semester government will have just a little over a month to learn everything they will need to know for this test. How do they expect the students to be prepared for this if the teachers are not even entirely sure what will be on it? “My chief concern is that the state has not given us adequate preparatory materials, in my opinion. In the past we have had a much clearer sense of what the standardized tests would look like,” said AP Government teacher, Perry Lefevre. The spring test should be used as a practice round to gauge how government students perform this year and then given out in full force starting next school year. It is not fair for students to be tested on material that the class in the previous semester did not have to complete. -Hollis Martinez January 27, 2015 Taking away opportunities Whether it was a school nurse, counselor, librarian, social worker, fine arts teachers, music educators, or physical education. Ohio schools have always been required to have at least five out of these eight specialist present - that’s every school in Ohio. The state school board just voted to take steps toward getting rid of the “5 of 8” rule – a rule requiring schools to have at least five student support personnel from eight categories for every 1,000 students. Now there is a new policy that says that even though schools still have to provide arts, music and physical education as a class option, schools are now not required to have as many of those teachers. This means our schools are able to get rid of faculty that some students feel are vital to their education. Having less teachers in a particular art area means less students that are able to take that class. For some people art and music is their only outlet and having a class in school that allows them to express themselves is everything. Some people they may have met their best friend in that class or learned that they have a beautiful singing voice and learned how to make it sound even better. Taking away those opportunities for people is taking away an opportunity for them to be themselves. All day long facts are given to us to memorize, facts about history about how to solve a math problem, or about the periodic table. Art, music, physical education classes give us a break from facts and allow us to do something creative and fun. It makes schools a place that allows us to be ourselves and express ourselves in our own ways. Northview’s media center is a place where any and all students can go and pick out a books they’ve never read before, or have a nice quiet place to do homework or study. But what is a library without a librarian? Without a librarian in our schools we lose libraries and a place that students can rely on to be there when their printer at home broke or they need a book to help them write a research paper. Librarians are a vital part to a student’s education and without them students would lose a key tool to their education. Counselors have often been the most reliable line of defense between students and the worlds around them. The counselors handled bullying and harassment. They are college and career counselors and they manage individualized programs for special education and special needs students. Without counselors students will be without help regarding their future and what college they want to go to or how to get into that college. Getting into college is a very confusing time regarding what requirements need to be met and how to get scholarships. It is the counselor’s job to help us throughout high school so that it is as easy as possible for us to get into the college of our choice. All these different teachers help us along our way in high school and without them most of us would not be able to continue onto college and into the real world. -Annie Nowak All ages skating at Winterfest For the first time ever an outdoor ice rink stood in the center of Toledo on a baseball field and it was called Winterfest. Winterfest took place on December 26 through January 4. On those dates, all different levels of hockey were played on the outdoor sheet of ice. From youth hockey to professional, all the different ages had an opportunity to skate on the inaugural event at Fifth Third Field, home of the triple AAA baseball team the Toledo Mud Hens. The event was hosted by The Toledo Walleye. The Walleye ended up playing two games on the rink, selling out both games with a total of 11,222 people coming out to each game, to break the record for the most attended game in Toledo’s History. It was the first ever Outdoor game for the Eastern Coast Hockey League, which is the league that the Walleye play in. Winterfest was a great idea. It was amazing all the different levels of hockey playing out there including beginners, amateurs, travel, youth, high school, college, and professional hockey. In spite of the one day that they had to cancel the Walleye game due to rain, it was rescheduled and turned out to be a great night for outdoor hockey with a little bit of snowfall, it would be exactly what I would consider the perfect outdoor hockey game. I do think they need to make this an annual event because it was a great time for the Toledo community and Toledo organization. I thought the outdoor event brought the community together and should be done every year. The fans got what they paid for. Although the Walleye lost both games it was still a great experience for the fans and players. -Jarred Wulf Juniors Abby Tomkinson and Allie Hartnett 11 T.S.P. Features January 27, 2015 Costa Rican students Chill-out in Ameri- BEATTIE PHOTO COURTESY OF MRS. JURSKI BEATTIE RAO BEATTIE PHOTO COURTESY OF MRS. JURSKI Traveling 3600 miles, students from Costa Rica have experienced the American shops, food and, best of all, snow. “Everything,” foreign exchange student Lindsay Collado said when asked what her favorite memory was so far, “it is amazing.” The students’ favorite American foods range from hamburgers to pasta to Chipotle. “The school is totally different because it is much bigger,” foreign exchange student Esteban Salas Vega said. The students danced and sang for the World Language Club on January 22. -Geeta Rao 12 T.S.P. Features January 27, 2015 13 T.S.P. Features January 27, 2015 What happened in 2014? 2014 was an amazing year, so many things happened. From going to states for hockey and beating some records to having the first ever Class Olympics. Yes, a lot more events happened, but these are the most eye-catching, interesting things that happened at school and all over the United States in 2014. This timeline shows you the date and event that happened, all in chronological order. So, which event do you think made the year 2014 stand out the most from the rest? -Chloe Romine Steirer March 8th Perry Knotts/ NFL February 2nd First ever Class Olympics April 27th The Seattle Seahawks defeat the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl XLVII November 13-16 May 23rd David Marsh beats OHSAA record for saving 78 shots Ariana Grande’s first single from her second debut album, “Problem” featuring Iggy Azalea, is released Northview Theatre presents “All Shook Up” October 16-18 LadyKat Golf goes to States for the first time ever Beattie Howald Stark Illustrated by Chloe Romine and Annie Nowak 14 It’s cold outside, Features T.S.P. January 27, 2015 and nothing warms you up quite like a nice cup of hot chocolate. I’m back with another review! Instead of spending money trying all of these hot chocolates out for yourself, I did the hard part and have you covered. From the coffee chains to the homemade, I’ve tried them all. -Baylee Gryca Tim Horton’s: 5/5 stars I couldn’t find anything wrong with this hot chocolate. It was the perfect temperature, which is hot, but still drinkable. It had a delicious chocolatey flavor, but it wasn’t too sweet. For a very reasonable price, this hot chocolate has it all. The only bad side about Tim Horton’s is that they can have a line in the morning, and their drive through isn’t the fastest. Price: 15 OZ medium hot chocolate: $1.75 Homemade: 3.5/5 stars When using hot chocolate brands like Swissmiss or Nestle, many people choose to just make their hot chocolate at home, and that’s because it tastes good and there’s tons of perks to it. It’s convenient, and you don’t even have to get dressed or leave the house. You can also make your drink as chocolatey and hot as you want it. One of the best perks is the price. You can buy a 30 count box of Swiss Miss at Walmart for $3.38, which makes one cup cost less that 12 cents, which you can’t beat. Price: 30 pack box for $3.38 Rating Scale EW! I am never coming here again This was not very good hot chocolate Now we’re getting to the good stuff I would for sure buy this again The best I’ve ever had Starbucks: 3/5 stars I went into Starbucks with high expectations, and I was disappointed. The hot chocolate was barely average, and was definitely nothing special. It wasn’t very hot, and the taste wasn’t great. For the price I paid, and for one of the biggest coffee chains in the world, I expected a better product. Price: 16 OZ grande hot chocolate: $3.25 Biggby Coffee: 2.5/5 stars Overall, I was not impressed with the Biggby hot chocolate. I decided to be spontaneous and ordered the “Mellow Hot Chocolate” which was hot chocolate with marshmallow in it. I instantly regretted my decision. With the marshmallow, it was way too sweet and the temperature was not very hot. For a pricey hot chocolate, I was very disappointed. Price: 16 OZ hot chocolate: $4.09 15 T.S.P. Features January 27, 2015 the student prints 2014-2015 Co-Editors-In-Chief: Claire Goecke & Geeta Rao Advisor: Sarah Huey News Editors: Andrew Headman & Allie Hartnett Opinions Editors: Ahmed Atari & Mackenzie Elrod Features Editors: Nazihah Bhatti & Annie Nowak Sports Editors: Emma Crandall & Kendall McCoy Business Editor: Jillian Koffman Staff Photographers: Luke Beattie & Peter Birsen Staff Writers: Amir AbouZied, Sydney Audet, Matt Bishop, Grace Colville, Isabelle Compton, Trent Croci, Sydney Donahue, Baylee Gryca, Jessi Li, Hollis Martinez, Chloe Romine, Claire Weber & Jarred Wulf The Student Prints is the official student-produced newspaper of Sylvania Northview High School. It is distributed monthly at no charge to serve the purpose of informing students, faculty, staff, administration and the Sylvania community of current issues. The main goal of The Prints is to present coverage of events in an unbiased and accurate manner. The paper also respects the opinions and ideas of the entire NV community. Signed letters to the editors are encouraged and should be no longer than 300 words. All letters can be turned into the publications room, E-6. The Prints reserves the right to edit letters that contain grammatical errors, accuracy and profane or libelous comments. The newspaper staff is entirely responsible for the content of the paper and supports the First Amendment to the Constitution. Unsigned editorials published in The Prints are written by staff members, and agreed upon by a majority vote of the editorial board. The Prints is carefully examined by its staff and adviser prior to publication to prevent incorrect or libelous information. The newspaper staff does not endorse advertisements published in The Prints. Advertising specifications may be obtained by calling (419) 824-8708. The newspaper follows the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook guidelines for punctuation and grammar. The Prints is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and Quill and Scroll. The Student Prints @NorthviewTSP Snow Day Starter Pack #5DaysOff Bhatti Bhatti Bhatti Bhatti 16 Are the stars aligned in your favor? T.S.P. Features January 27, 2015 Jan. 20-Feb. 18 Feb. 19-March 20 March 21-April 19 April 20-May 20 Taurus s e c is P Aries Aquarius Your energy has been very positive lately, and be- You’ve been feeling extra positive about the New Year Mars, your personal planet, is gliding into Pisces cause of this some friends that you haven’t talked lately. The season of the Capricorn is a good time for causing you to feel restless. Now is a good time for to for awhile will come together around February you, and on the 20th you’re finally going to let go of all you to try something new. It will be good for you to 1. Accept this new change with open arms. of the things that held you down last year. make time for your interests without distractions. May 21-June 20 June 21-July 22 July 23-Aug. 22 Gemini This year hasn’t started out great for you, and your social life has been a little flat. Be ready to take on a lot of work at school during the new moon on the 20th. Aug. 23-Sept. 22 Virgo Leo Cancer Sept. 23- Oct. 22 Cancers have a lot to look forward to this year with new friendships to make and hardships to conquer. The moon in Capricorn has proven to bring great possibilities to all Cancers. Your love life will spark, your mind will wander, and the pieces of the puzzle we call life will all come together. Be sure to keep yourself grounded during these dreamlike times. Oct. 23-Nov. 21 Libra Scorpio The presence of Mercury and Venus present a possibility for romance. This is a sign for you to talk to that cutie you keep running into after 5th period. Don’t be nervous, they’ve been feeling the same way. -Created by Grace Colville Your plans have been falling through and your friendships have been dull due to the uneventful times in your life. You tend to keep to yourself and bottle things up, but without communicating with others, you won’t know peace and your friends will slowly drift away. Your fiery spark will prove to be a double-edged sword in the future: it’ll forge new friendships, but cripple long-lasting relationships. In these coming times Leo, you should work on your stubbornness and allowing old grudges to fade away. Doing this simple, yet difficult task will diminish your problems and bring about new personalities. Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Sagittarius These new times will prove to be very pleasurable for you, Gemini. Recent success in exams and grades will prove to have a positive effect on your confidence and personality. Be careful not to let this success make you hot-headed! Life has been very joyful for you in recent times. Your grades are good, your friends are fun, and your family life has been better than normal. You can expect for this to continue throughout the year and be content with your life. New times bring new opportunities. Know that idea you’ve been lingering on for months? Now is the time to build on it and make it a reality! Your desire to make your own path and work through life on your terms will prove to be an asset this coming year. Dec. 22-Jan. 19 Capricorn Your imagination is in gear and you have a lot of creative potential. Don’t hesitate to share your ideas with someone and see where it takes you. This could be the time for you to show everyone what you’re made of. 17 T.S.P. Features January 27, 2015 Music department preps for Solo, Ensemble Syd Donahue pate. Students have to pay a small fee for the judges but the Band, Choir and OrchesStaff Writer tra Boosters help them out by paying half The Solo and Ensemble Contest is a of the cost. A solo costs $17, while an encompetition where students from Ohio semble costs $22, according to Band Direccome together and compete against them- tor Nathan Heath. selves to achieve their own personal best The students choose whether or not scores in choir, orchestra and band. they want to participate. They can also Mostly it is just NW Ohio students but do solos and ensembles in multiple instruanyone from the state of Ohio can partici- Aaron Federman - Band How well do you think you will do? “I’m doing an ensemble so I think we will do pretty well and get a score of 1.” Do you think you practiced enough? “Yes! I practice once every two days for 45 minutes each.” What instrument are you playing and is it hard to play? “I play the snare (drum) and no it’s not hard, just saying. We have three snares and one piece called Try This One.” ment categories. Some students who play piano outside of school can perform both in their school instrument and on piano. “At NV more than 100 students are doing it and all have worked very hard practicing and perfecting their pieces,” Mr. Health said. “The students also get to pick the piece the are playing we just help them out with it.” Karen Pan - Orchestra Solo: Beriot Concerto What piece are you doing for your solo and do you find it hard? It’s a violin piece and I don’t think it’s hard. I am trying very hard though and practicing a lot. How do you feel about your performance and what score do you think you will get? “I’m not nervous, I’ve done it before and I believe I will get a score of 1-2. I”m also part of Toledo Youth Orchestra and we got seventh place in the International regional Orchestra.” Ensemble: The Mozart Ensemble What is your ensemble comprised of? ‘‘It’s a group of four 2 violins, one cello and one violist.” What do you think of your piece and how do you think your group will do. “I don’t think it’s challenging and I believe the group will do well and score a 1-2.” The types of music played are either a solo and a piano or an ensemble which is a small group of four. Once the performance is over the judges will score students on a one to the three scale. One is the highest score with three being low. Students compete against themselves to improve upon their skills. The contest takes place January 31 at Lake High School. Hayden May - Band What instrument are you playing? “I play Baritone/ euphonium.” Solo or ensemble? “Solo, just me myself and I.” Do you find your piece difficult? “It’s difficult for most people but I learned it quick.” What score do you think you will get? “I think I will get a “B” because it is my first time.” Anything you’d like to add about this contest? “The whole wind ensemble is playing in the competition too.” 18 T.S.P. Features January 27, 2015 Winter one acts brightens up the stage Students get creative with directing and writing own skits Amir AmbouZied Staff Writer The Winter One Acts will be taking place on January 30 and 31 in the PAC. The One Acts are student-written short skits in which they perform. This year there will be six different acts being performed; including a speed dating comedy, a skit based on puns, and a love story. There were about thirty kids who auditioned. The setting of each one of these acts may vary. Students who chose to participate in the event were able write out their own act or find one online, in which all of them are fictional. The director of each act will be holding their own rehearsals until the week of the show. There will also be four unified rehearsals leading up to the week of the show. “Our goals for the show would be to produce a great show and to collect canned goods for Sylvania area family services at the door”, junior drama club officer Marissa Brown said. Auditions were held before winter break and everyone who auditioned got a part. The auditions determined who got what parts and which one act they were going to be performing in. Many of the students who auditioned will be participating in more than one act. “I’m really excited to do another theater related show with my theater family. This is my first time doing it and I’m really excited to see what everyone has come up with”, senior Allie Palmer said. Courtesy of Emily Radebaugh JUNIOR Carly Radebaugh begins to write her skit called “An Educational Day” and begins to finalize the casting list needed for auditions. feature musician Cody Pomeroy, Choir If you’ve spent any time in Northview’s music wing, odds are you’ve passed Cody Pomeroy at least once or twice. He is extensively involved in the Fine Arts programs; Pomeroy contributes his musical talents to the Chamber Orchestra, A Capella Choir, Harmony Road Show, Pit Orchestra and Jazz Band. His dedication to music has inspired others all four years that he has been involved here at NV. What instruments do you play in addition to singing? What part do you sing in a choir? I play cello and percussion in groups here at school and play a little bit of guitar and piano in my free time. In choir, I sing either baritone or tenor. -Claire Goecke In your future are you planning to pursue anything in music? (career, hobby) I will attend Ohio University in the fall with a minor in music. I also plan to participate in a concert band and an A Capella choir. Who is your biggest inspiration as a musician? My musical inspiration comes from all my music teachers but in the last two years it has been Mr. Davis. He came up to me two summers ago and told me to audition for choir and I kind of laughed in my head but still tried it. Now, in my senior year, he’s encouraged me to broaden my musical abilities in many ways and be more confident in my own performing. I wouldn’t have thought to pursue any form of singing in college without him. What has been your favorite part of Harmony Road Show? On Fridays in Harmony Road Show, we arrange our own music which I love. It’s fun to work with my peers to create our own content. Do you have a fun memory from choir? The week before winter break, the Harmony Road Show toured Sylvania. My favorite part was when the guys in the group arranged and performed “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz at the mall. 19 T.S.P. Features January 27, 2015 Snow days mean more time for Netflix We all have those days we aren’t proud of. Those days where you can’t seem to get out of bed and stop watching Netflix. We are all guilty of saying, “Just one more episode.” We all somehow end up watching Netflix instead of studying or doing homework. Here’s some proof that you are not the only one. Netflix releases new content Baylee Gryca 31% 12+ Hours Staff Writer It’s cold and snowy out this time of the year, which means it’s perfect for a couple of things: cuddling, laying in bed, and watching Netflix. As some Netflix viewers may have noticed, some new titles have made their way into the new releases section. Starting in January, Netflix is releasing new movies and TV shows as well as new seasons of previous TV shows for viewers to enjoy. This means that there are hours of new content for viewers to waste time watching. One of the most highly anticipated of the new titles is the complete series of the classic sitcom Friends. Viewers can now enjoy all nine seasons of their favorite classic sitcom. Another is the movie that everyone loves and can quote, Mean Girls. More well known titles that are making their way onto Netflix include: Cast Away, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, 101 Dalmatians, Ghost, and Labor Day. Netflix periodically adds new movies, shows, and seasons of existing shows throughout the year. 5% 10-11 Hours 25% 8-9 Hours 17% 6-7 Hours 22% 5 or Less Hours With over 44 million subscribers, Netflix has quickly become one of the most popular and talked aboutwebsites. With endless TV shows and movies, there is something to watch for everyone. 125 NV students were polled, and these are their longest Netflix binges in one day. Recommendations for your next Netflix binge session “I recommend Friends because it is the best show on the planet. It’s very funny and a classic show that everyone should watch.” - freshman Luke Kilcorse “I recommend That 70’s Show because it’s my favorite show and Ashton Kutcher is bae. It always makes me laugh and I love all the characters together.” - sophomore Katie Klein “I recommend Criminal Minds’ because every episode has a new mystery case to solve. It keeps things interesting and keeps you on your toes.” - junior Mollee William said. “I recommend The Office because it appeals to a wide variety of viewers. Every episode is super funny and I quickly fell in love with all the characters...except for Tobi.” - junior Alex Proctor 19 T.S.P. Features January 27, 2015 Snow days mean more time for Netflix We all have those days we aren’t proud of. Those days where you can’t seem to get out of bed and stop watching Netflix. We are all guilty of saying, “Just one more episode.” We all somehow end up watching Netflix instead of studying or doing homework. Here’s some proof that you are not the only one. Netflix releases new content Baylee Gryca 31% 12+ Hours Staff Writer It’s cold and snowy out this time of the year, which means it’s perfect for a couple of things: cuddling, laying in bed, and watching Netflix. As some Netflix viewers may have noticed, some new titles have made their way into the new releases section. Starting in January, Netflix is releasing new movies and TV shows as well as new seasons of previous TV shows for viewers to enjoy. This means that there are hours of new content for viewers to waste time watching. One of the most highly anticipated of the new titles is the complete series of the classic sitcom Friends. Viewers can now enjoy all nine seasons of their favorite classic sitcom. Another is the movie that everyone loves and can quote, Mean Girls. More well known titles that are making their way onto Netflix include: Cast Away, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, 101 Dalmatians, Ghost, and Labor Day. Netflix periodically adds new movies, shows, and seasons of existing shows throughout the year. 5% 10-11 Hours 25% 8-9 Hours 17% 6-7 Hours 22% 5 or Less Hours With over 44 million subscribers, Netflix has quickly become one of the most popular and talked aboutwebsites. With endless TV shows and movies, there is something to watch for everyone. 125 NV students were polled, and these are their longest Netflix binges in one day. Recommendations for your next Netflix binge session “I recommend Friends because it is the best show on the planet. It’s very funny and a classic show that everyone should watch.” - freshman Luke Kilcorse “I recommend That 70’s Show because it’s my favorite show and Ashton Kutcher is bae. It always makes me laugh and I love all the characters together.” - sophomore Katie Klein “I recommend Criminal Minds’ because every episode has a new mystery case to solve. It keeps things interesting and keeps you on your toes.” - junior Mollee William said. “I recommend The Office because it appeals to a wide variety of viewers. Every episode is super funny and I quickly fell in love with all the characters...except for Tobi.” - junior Alex Proctor 20 T.S.P. Sports January 27, 2015 In loving memory of Coach Rada Rada Eltatawy was born in Tanta, Egypt on April 20, 1961. Known to many at Northview as Coach Rada, this man was a role model to all that knew him and he always wanted you to be the best that you could be. Rada was one of those people who had a great personality, told his own life stories, and taught life lessons on and off the mat. He would always have a big smile on his face and always loved to joke around with everyone. Coach Rada first started wrestling in Egypt when he was nine years old. His brother and other family members influenced him to become a wrestler. Rada was married, had three sons who all wrestled in the Toledo area, and had two stepchildren. He was a three time State and National High School Wrestling Champion of Egypt, a four time College National Champion of Egypt (undefeated in his college career), a four time National Open Wrestling Champion of Egypt, member of the 1980 Egyptian Olympic team, Freestyle Gold medalist and Greco-Roman Silver medalist in the 1981 African Games, and a Greco-Roman Silver medalist in the 1981 World Championships in Budapest. Rada came to the United States when he had a chance to become a member of the African National Team at the 1983 World Cup of Wrestling held here in Toledo, OH. Rada was a wrestling coach for over 25 years in Toledo at several different schools including: The Head Greco-Roman Coach for FoxFire’s Freestyle/Greco Team, eight years at Whitmer, two years at Central Catholic, two years at Southview, and finished with three years at Northview. Coach Rada was a loved father, husband, mentor, and person in general that will be greatly missed by everyone that knew him. -Amir AbouZied ELTATAWY SPENT THE early years of his life in Egypt. Right, Etltatawy is pictured in his police uniform. He served as a police captain in Cairo, Egypt in 1983. Below, Etltatawy is pictured with his medals he was awarded in the 1980 Olympics, where he was a member of the Egyptian team. I met Rada my eighth grade year while wrestling at Arbor Hills. On some days we would come to the high school and practice with them. His enthusiasm in coaching and his relationship with the high school wrestlers is what made me wrestle in high school. Even as an eighth grader he taught me that wrestling isn’t just a sport, but a lifestyle, and that defines who you are for the rest of your life. Coming into high school, he was happy that I was on the team and I was excited to see what was in store for my high school wrestling career. Nearly every day in practice he would talk about what wrestling really is; it teaches you respect, self-discipline, determination and countless other life lessons. I took his words to heart because I knew, with his past experience, that he knew what he was talking about. He was a great role model on and off the mat and his coaching, lessons, and stories will never be forgotten. His passing has given the team and I a whole new drive to be and do the nest we can in everything we do, not just wrestling, which is exactly what he would want and that will not be taken for granted. -Keith Sporleder, senior wrestling captain Photos Courtesy of Amir AbouZied ELTATAWY WAS A big believer in the value of family time. He is pictured with his daughter, Malak, at a wedding in September 2014. Malak is a 2013 graduate from Southview. 21 T.S.P. Sports January 27, 2015 NV basketball picks up first win of season Wildcats top Maumee in league game to get back in NLL title hunt Matt Bishop Staff Writer NV took a visit to Whitmer on December 27 looking to gain their second win of the season. Whitmer stole the win in last year’s matchup on the Wildcats’ home court. In a hard-fought game, Whitmer came out with the victory once again, 63-50. Sophomore Logan Jessing led the Wildcats with 17 points. “A lot of my points were in transition when we pushed the ball up the court,” Jessing said. “I think we need to continue pushing the ball for the rest of the season.” The Cats travelled out to Evergreen on December 30 hungry for a win, having only a 1-5 record. Their first win of the season was against the Maumee Panthers. The game started out fairly even. Evergreen led after the first quarter, 9-7. However, NV took a five point lead into the half. The Wildcats came out in the third quarter with a lot of energy. They started to pressure Evergreen the entire court, which led to turnovers and easy layups for the Cats. The final score was 55-30 with NV on top. The Wildcats outscored Evergreen 34-14 in the second half. They also forced Evergreen into 24 turnovers throughout the game. NV returned home on January 3 trying to get a win to start off the new year against the Clay Eagles. The Cats started slow, but much like the Evergreen game, turned it up a notch after halftime. They dominated the third quarter again, outscoring Clay 27-10 in just eight minutes. NV ended up winning the game 69-50. Once again, the NV defense forced 24 turnovers, many of which led to easy baskets. West led the Wildcats again with 23 points. The next game for NV was a trip out to Bowling Green to take on the Bobcats on January 6. A win for the Wildcats would extend their two game winning streak and also give them momentum heading into the big rivalry game with SV. NV jumped out to an 8-2 lead early, but Bowling Green came back quickly. The rest of the first half was very hard fought, and it ended with both team tied at 27. HOWALD SOPHOMORE TYLER BIGGS ATTEMPTS a free throw against rival SV on January 9. NV trailed by double digits at halftime but stormed back in the second half led by Biggs. He finished the game with a career high total of 15 points. The second half was also evenly played until midway through the fourth quarter when Bowling Green forced a few turnovers on the Cats and took an eight point lead. NV could not recover, and the Bobcats took the win 58-49. The Wildcats squared off next against their cross-town rivals from SV. The gymnasium was packed with spectators for this huge game despite the weather conditions being not so great. The Cougars came in ranked as the number three team in the state. SV proved worthy of their rank in the first quarter, as they jumped out to an 8-18 lead. The two rivals went into halftime with the Cougars winning, 18-32. The Cats came out in the third quarter with energy and started to press SV the entire court. They showed a relentless effort and at one point cut the deficit to only six points. In the end, SV won the game 66-74. Sophomore guard Tyler Biggs led NV with 15 points. “Our team was working really hard but we were having trouble making shots,” Biggs said. “I was feeling good and took it upon myself to attack the basket to try to score for the team.” The next game for NV is a home game against the Perrysburg Yellow Jackets on Friday, January 16. After that, the Wildcats take on the Anthony Wayne Generals on Tuesday, January 20. NV GymKats fight through injuries, compete Sydney Audet Staff Writer GymKats start their season off with a meet hosted by our South side rival. Their first meet of the season was the Southview Invite at Sunrise Gymnastics Academy on January 3. Fighting off some weather issues in the morning, and a postponement of the meet, the GymKats eventually got to compete a little later in the day. Getting the first meet jitters out they had a solid start to their season with senior Caitlyn McCloskey placing eighth on vault with a score of 8.1, competing a half on half off for the GymKats. “I’m always a little more nervous for the first meet of the season compared to the meets later in the season. But I thought that my first meet went well, and I was especially happy with my vault which I placed eighth on,” McCloskey said. The GymKats hosted their second meet of the season on January 9 at Exceleration Gym- nastics to compete a dual meet against Perrysburg, Findlay, and Southview. Finishing third as a team, meanwhile having a placement on an individual by junior Jill Newton. Newton, representing the team well on floor, placed second with a relatively high score of 8.8 for the GymKats. This was her second time competing this routine for the season, and was extremely happy with the improvement, according to Newton. Missing some of the team for this competition they still competed to their best of their abili- ties. Seniors McCloskey, and Katelyn McKown couldn’t compete for the GymKats. McKown is out due to an injury, but will be back soon, to lead the GymKats for the rest of the season. “Our team this year has had a few injuries but I’m hoping we can pull through to make a great season,” Newton said. It is only the beginning of the season, and the GymKats have goals to make it a good one regardless of some obstacles like injuries. The GymKats next meet is on January 19. 22 T.S.P. Sports January 27, 2015 Hockey team heading in right direction Jarred Wulf Staff Writer The hockey action kicked off with a league game in Findlay on December 12. Northview claimed the win as they beat them 3-1 with goals from seniors Lars Culver, and Zach Galecki, who each scored twice. Junior Jarred Wulf had 28 saves. That was the first league win for the Cats this season. The next day the Cats took on St. Francis as the they still could not find an answer for the Knights as they dropped the game 0-6. Senior Preston Due had 43 saves. To start winter break NV headed to Strongsville for the Padua Invitational on December 19. For the first game of four the Cats faced off with St. Ignatius for a State Championship game rematch. Galecki would be the only one to put it past the goal line for NV as they lost 1-7. Wulf had 53 saves along with the loss. The next day the Cats took on Padua, where they would take a 3-1 win. Due had 34 saves. Goals came from Galecki and juniors Adam Felser and Brendan Pierson. That same day they played Lake Catholic, where once again the score was 3-1. Galecki, Culver, and sophomore Zach Doner all contributed to the scoring. Wulf had 29 saves. Sunday NV faced St. Edwards where they would drop another defeat of 0-5. Due had 38 saves. NV went 2-2 for the tournament, improving from 0-4 last year. On December 26 the Cats headed to Kent State University for the Walsh Jesuit Holiday Tournament. NV faced Dublin Jerome of Columbus as they played a close game where the score was 0-0 after regulation. The game then headed to a sudden death overtime where the Celts would put one in to end the game with NV losing 0-1. Wulf kept 41 out of 42 pucks out of the net. The next day NV played St. Charles and still couldn’t find very much offense, losing 1-2. Due had 36 saves. The only goal would come from senior Ian Clement. Later the Cats faced Hudson where they held a 3-0 lead until two minutes left where the Explorers put two pucks in, but NV still held on with a 3-2 victory. On December 28 NV played Rocky River, Clement scored a “hat trick” putting in three goals in four minutes. Galecki would score another goal in the first period to help the Cats win 4-1 over the Pirates. Due had 27 saves. Once again NV would go 2-2 for the tournament. League play would continue as the Cats returned home to play Bowling Green on January 2. Bowling Green would get on the board first early in the period. That would be the only goal Wulf gave up. Late in the third, desperate for a goal, NV would find a goal with help from junior Alex Syring. The game would go into overtime but neither the Wildcats nor the Bobcats would score. The game would end in a 1-1 tie. Wulf finished the game with 41 saves. On January 9, the Cats faced rival St. Johns. The Titans would claim the first goal and scoring would go back and forth but would end in a 2-2 tie in regulation. The goals came from Galecki and Syring. Early in the overtime period junior Jared Hilou would score a deflection goal from junior Adam Felser’s shot to beat the Titans 3-2. Due had a total of 32 saves. On January 11, NV would play Bowling Green for a second time this season. BG would jump to an early lead but junior Reed Kross would respond, adding another goal would be HOWALD SENIOR ZACH GALECKI SKATES DOWN the ice during the game against St. Johns. The Cats defeated the Titans 3-2 in overtime on January 9. NV now stands in second place for Northwest Hockey Conference Red Division with a 2-2-2 record. senior Josh Koback for a 2-1 lead. The Bobcats scored a goal to tie it and send the game into overtime for the third game in a row. Neither NV nor BG would score in the extra period so the game would end in another tie. Wulf ended with 24 saves. That was the third straight tie this season. “I really think our team is heading in the right direction now, we are looking very good,” said Kross. The Cats now stand at a record of 7-7-4 and their Northwest Hockey Conference league record at 2-2-2. NV returned from Pennsylvania for the MLK tournament on January 16 through January 18. Dance team starts New Year with new look Emma Crandall Sports Editor With less than a month until the Regional competition, the Dance Team is in crunch time. Regionals will be held February 8 at Anthony Wayne High School, but a lot must be done before then. “This year we have been practicing a lot in order to prepare for games and competitions. It’s the hard work now that will pay off in the end,” junior Sammi Klinger said. The girls finished and performed their competition pom routine at a home game over winter break. The song is a Justin Timberlake Mix including songs like Suit and Tie, Dirty Pop, Rock Your Body and more. This Pom dance was choreographed, like in previous years, by coach Erin Stedcke. “I think pom went really well for our first time. We put in a lot of effort at practices and I think that showed in our performance. There is always room for improvement and the dance will only get better and better as the season progresses,” sophomore Haley Jones said. Along with new choreography, this year the Dance Team is dressed in all new costumes. The one they are most excited about this year are the new pom uniforms. “I love the new pom uniforms because they look more professional and cover our arms making our dance look more sharp and clean,” senior Caitlyn Jones said. The girls did not take a break over Christmas, and continued practicing. A new competition jazz routine was started to a Mo -Town mix. Over the summer, the team started a jazz dance, which was originally choreographed to be a competition piece, but they decided to up the difficulty level to create a new dance for competition. The dance was a collaboration of choreography by both Coach Stedcke and the seniors, Mackenzie Elrod, Grace Colville, Emily Lu, and Morgan Korn and Caitlyn Jones. The jazz dance has been completed but requires an abundance of cleaning and practice before the dance is competition ready. T.S.P. 23 Sports January 27, 2015 Girls Bball continues strong season Kendall McCoy Sports Editor For the LadyKat basketball team, their time off of school wasn’t exactly a break but instead spent in the gym practicing and playing games. The girls started winter break off strong with a win against the Springfield Devils on December 19. The LadyKats led from the opening tip and by halftime were up by 16. NV applied relentless pressure with their defense, controlled the boards, and held Springfield’s top scorer to only eight points to lead them to a 43-36 win. Senior Kendall McCoy also hit a monumental mark in her career by hitting her 1000th varsity career point. Top stats for the game were McCoy with 18 points and 16 rebounds, senior Kendall Jessing with 10 points and 17 rebounds, and senior Maddie Cole with four points and 10 rebounds. “It was such a great feeling scoring my 1000th point in front of my friends and family. I couldn’t have done it without my team. They are the real reason I was able to achieve this accomplishment,” McCoy said. Next on the LadyKats schedule was the Queen of the Palms Classic held at Dunbar High School in Fort Myers, Florida. They were in Florida from December 27 to January 1. Their first game was on December 29 against the Dunbar Tigers. Dunbar had the home court advantage as they were hosting the whole tournament. This team was a veteran and experienced squad having made it to the State Final four years in a row. The girls came out strong, giving the Tigers more than they had expected. By halftime the Kats were only down 29-28. Unfortunately, hampered by foul trouble and turnovers by NV, Dunbar was able to go on a 19-0 run in the second half that gave them a lead they never gave up. The Kats fought in the fourth quarter but were down by too many points and lost 47-67. Top stats from this game were McCoy with 18 points, Cole with 12 points, and senior Maddie Fries with five points. “We had them in the first half but lost our momentum in the second half which really hurt us,” senior Haley Archibeque said. The next day, the Kats played against Dwyer High School in the second round game. Leading most of the game the Kats went cold and were unable to finish off Dwyer. They lost 54-56. In their last game of the tournament, the Kats won handedly against Centennial High School with a score of NV gained some valuable experience during their trip to Florida playing some of the best teams i n that state and ended 1-2 overall. 52-35. Their first game b a c k f r o m break, and in Ohio, w a s against the Start Spartans on January 5 at home. The girls contin- HOWALD ued their new year on a roll and defeated them 72-53. On January 9, the girls played one of the most interesting games against their rivals the Southview Cougars. During the first half, the Cougars were in a stall offense. The Kats tried to trap in the half court and found some success but struggled on the offensive end to make baskets. The Kats were up by five at halftime and ready to go in the second half. However, SV continued their stall and held the ball at half court for seven minutes and 40 seconds without pressure from the Kats. After failing to score, the Cougars were still down by five after the quick and scoreless third quarter. The Kats had the ball at half court and began their stall offense against the Cougars who laid back until there were five minutes left in the game. The game went back and forth but nonetheless, the Kats came out on top, not only getting another victory in the NLL but beating their rivals 32-28. “That was not the game we were expecting to play but with the circumstances I thought we held our composure as a team and hit big free throws at the end,” Fries said. On Monday January 19, the girls traveled to Berlin, Ohio to play in an event called Classic in the Country. This is not only a nationally recognized event for teams but it is an invite only opportunity. Here, they played against the Centerville Elks, who has a 6’5” forward going to Stanford University. It was a close game the entire time but they lost in overtime 45-49. The Kats season continues against the Maumee Panthers this Friday at the Panthers home court. The girls play at 6 p.m. and the boys play at 7:30 p.m. This is the last double header of the season. JUNIOR KATIE COLE PLAYED a big role in the win against Southview on January 9. In the first quarter, she hit two free throws to put the LadyKats on the board. At the end of the game, she hit two clutch free throws again to solidify the win and put the Kats up by four points. They won in a 32-28 victory. Bowling team going strong midway through season Matt Bishop Staff Writer The Bowling team is one of the most overlooked teams at the school. However, they are always competitive and are very successful. This year, there are seven bowling teams for NV. Three of the teams are Varsity and four of them are Junior Varsity. The teams bowl in the Toledo Metro League, which is a league consisting of ten schools. They bowl at Southwyck Lanes in Toledo. As of January 10, they are in week 19 of the bowling season. Northview Varsity team #2 sits at number three in the league and only ten points behind the top team, Maumee. NV Varsity team #1 checks in at number 12 and NV Varsity team #3 is at the eight spot. Sophomore standout Nick Wyatt leads NV #2 with an average score of 205 per round. This is good enough for third in the league. Also, his high score of 279 is also tied for third in the league. “It felt nice to be able to get that high of a score,” Wyatt said. “I wish I could have done more though and gotten a perfect 300.” Junior Mollie McGhee has an average score of 191, which puts her second in the league for girls. Her high score of 255 is the highest score for a girl in the league so far this season. Other bowlers on NV #2 include senior Brendan Bert, who has a 190 average, and senior Nick Hainer, who averages 188. The top bowler for NV #1 is senior Ronny Rady. Rady averages a score of 188 and his high score is 244. Sophomore Brendan Ehman leads NV #3 with a 189 average and a 244 high score. There are still several weeks left in the season for NV #2 to claim a title. 24 T.S.P. Sports January 27, 2015 Swim and dive practice, prepare for gold Claire Weber Staff Writer As the swim season starts to progress, the team continues to work extremely hard to win the gold. The NWOAS relay meet, which was located at Perkins High School, took place on January 6. Girls placed ninth with a total of 48 points. Meanwhile, boys placed tenth with a total of 38 points, according to junior Tristin Castor. The types of relays in which the team partook in were the 400 yard medley, 800 yard freestyle medley, 3 by 100 yard medley, 200 yard freestyle, 300 yard butterfly, 500 yard freestyle, 300 yard backstroke, 300 yard breaststroke, and the 400 yard freestyle. On January 11, NV faced Perkins again and won second place with a total score of 123 points. Girls placed second with a score of 69 points and boys also placed second with a score of 54 points. The team participated in the 200 SC m medley, 200 SC m freestyle, 200 SC m IM, 50 SC m freestyle, 1 m diving, 100 SC m butterfly, 100 SC m freestyle, 400 SC m freestyle, 200 SC m freestyle relay, 100 SC m backstroke, 100 SC m breaststroke, and the 400 SC m freestyle relay, according to Castor. “The Perkins meet is always a tough one. The high walls at the ends of the pool make it difficult to get out and do our flip turns. We swam hard and swam against the clock, but ended up coming short to Perkins,” sophomore Brenden Coulter said. To prepare for these events, the swim team practices in the morning a few times a week along with after school everyday, according to senior Grant Schwartz. At each practice, the team completes drills in the pool along with ab workouts prior to the practice, according to Castor. On the other hand, the dive team practices everyday after school to prepare for the meet. Each practice consists of practicing flips on a trampoline and applying the same skills to the pool, according to freshmen Korrin Zollweg. Overall, the team continues to practice and improve the skills needed to succeed and win the gold. “We are determined to improve and continue to practice hard for the upcoming meets,” Castor said. feature athlete Moe Afifi, Basketball Junior Mohamed Afifi has been on the Varsity Basketball team since his sophomore year when he transferred from St. Johns Jesuit. His dedication and work ethic make him a threat on the court. He not only has great dribbling skills but the ability to hit key shots ~Kendall McCoy and Emma Crandall for his team. When did you start playing basketball? I started playing basketball for the Junior Wildcats when I was in sixth grade. What is your pregame routine? I usually listen to some music to calm me down and then I try to visualize the game and what I need to do to help the team be successful. If you could play for any NBA team, who would it be? The Lakers, no doubt, because I am a die hard Lakers fan and I watch just about every game that they play. Who is your all time favorite player and why? My favorite player is Kobe Bean Bryant. He is the reason I got into basketball and he has inspired me through the years. His work ethic and demand of excellence makes him a player that I love to watch. What is your favorite moment from playing Varsity Basketball so far? My favorite moment was when we beat Southview last year on our home court. We faced a ton of adversity going into that game and it was fitting that we came out with a victory in the end. BEATTIE