April, 2009 - Findlay High School

&
BLUE GOLD
Findlay High School’s Award Winning Newspaper
Volume 86, Issue 6
1200 Broad Ave, Findlay, Ohio, 45840
Les Misérables
impresses audience
Friday, April 3, 2009
Cheating students
take easy way out
page 7
page
5
page 6
Spring
sports
preview
page 8
Your Weekend
FRIDAY
Showers and Wind
High: 50 Low: 34
SATURDAY
Sunny
High: 56 Low: 35
SUNDAY
Showers
High: 56 Low: 37
4
things that
make you look
smart today
1.
2.
3.
4.
When taking
a bite
into a
chocolate
bunny
during
the Easter
season, 76 percent
of Americans prefer to
bite off the ears first.
The energy saved by
recycling one
aluminum
can could
run a
television set
for three hours.
CNN has
716,457
followers on
the popular
social networking site
Twitter, more than any
other user.
The odds of picking a
perfect March
Madness
bracket are
nine quintillion
to one.
Hats off
Senior Lizzy
Wray was
awarded the
Dale Hawley
Leadership
Award at
the Ohio
Association
of Student
Council’s
annual state
Wray
conference.
“It is an honor
because I have put a lot of hard
work and dedication into being
a leader at my school and the
state level,” Wray said.
Inside
2 Editorial
3 Entertainment
4 News/Feature
5 Go Green
6 The Big Picture
7 Feature 8 Sports
Partnership works to end local flooding
n By John Sisser
With three of the city’s 10 worst
floods occurring in the past two
years, many residents are beginning
to wonder what can be done to solve
Findlay’s flooding woes.
However, the Northwest Ohio
Flood Mitigation Partnership
(NWOFMP) is going one step further
by attempting to speed up the Army
Corps of Engineers’ (ACE) studies of
the Blanchard River watershed.
The partnership includes 11 local
businesses, like Marathon Oil Corporation and Cooper Tire and Rubber
Company, that are teaming up to
tackle the city’s flooding issue.
“Our main focus is to expedite
the feasibility studies to come up with
a solution as quickly as possible,”
Leigh Esper, administrative manager
for the partnership, said. “We are
talking to the federal, state and local
legislators as well as working with the
ACE and making sure we have the
information needed.”
Currently, the ACE is conducting studies to be sure that changes
made to the watershed will not have
negative effects on communities
upstream, like Ottawa.
Once these studies are completed
in 2010, a plan can be developed
and construction can begin in 2012.
However, paying for the project may
prove to be an issue.
According to Esper, the federal
government will pay for 65 percent
of the flood mitigation while the
remaining 35 percent would need to
be raised through non-federal funds,
including state money or local taxes.
Though the partnership has their
work cut out for them, Esper believes
the NWOFMP has made progress.
“We are moving as fast as we possibly can,” she said. “We have already
shaved a year off of the process. We
have to be patient.
“In the meantime, we are also
looking at some best management
practices. Those are practices that
would reduce storm water runoff. By
implementing these, it will help slow
and store the water before it enters
the tributaries and streams.”
Though some city residents
believe local development is the
cause of the rising water, Brian Hurt,
chief engineer for the city of Findlay,
disagrees and compares the February
2008 flood to one in 1959 as proof.
“With almost identical levels of
rain, the same flooding occurred,”
Hurt said. “Since 2006, Findlay has
had a lot of soaking events. The conditions were very similar to that flood
50 years ago and the amount of rain it
takes to flood has stayed the same.”
Hurt also believes working with
the ACE is necessary when it comes
to finding a solution.
“Basically, the ACE has jurisdiction over the stream,” Hurt said, “so
they can dictate what happens inside
the river limits. Also, when you can
have the federal government fund 65
percent of the money, it takes a lot of
the burden off taxpayers. It’s a very
logical incentive to work with.”
Board releases
designs for three
new buildings
Community Read event brings
Marley & Me author to school
n By John Sisser
Author John Grogan will end
this year’s Community Read event
by speaking to students about life
lessons from his best-selling book,
Marley & Me.
The presentation, sponsored by
the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, will begin at 8:30
a.m. April 17 in Heminger Auditorium at the high school.
“We’re only one of the two
schools in the nation that have the
honor of him speaking to our school
this year,” librarian Debbie Reynolds
said. “He’ll speak about the life lessons he learned from having a dog:
just how to love, how to laugh more
often, and how to enjoy life.”
In preparation for Grogan’s
presentation, many English classes as
well as members of the community
have read Marley & Me, which is now
a popular movie, now on DVD.
After reading the novel in class,
English teacher Kimberly Hord believes Grogan is an inspiring figure to
her students.
“The book is actually something
that was a personal experience,” Hord
said, “so it might encourage students
to write down their own life experiences and realize that sometimes it’s
valuable to do that.
School administrators unveiled
designs of two new middle schools
and the Millstream building at the
second community forum held
March 23 at Donnell Middle School.
The designs, which include floor
plans and locations for each building,
are just another step in the school
board’s proposal to construct three
new schools under the Ohio School
Facilities Commission (OSFC) Exceptional Needs Program.
Under the program, the state
will pay for 32 percent of the project.
Voters must then support a bond
issue to supply the rest of the funds to
construct the new facilities.
“Without the program, we would
be waiting a long time for the funding
to come around to us,” design team
member Jerry Murray said. “If we
miss the November deadline (to pass
the bond issue), we may not see this
money ever again.”
The current designs call for a
two-story Millstream building located
just off the freshman wing of the high
school. New middle schools would
also be constructed on the Donnell
and Glenwood Middle School sites.
Some community members are
worried that building two middle
n By Kim Maples
A look into the future
School administrators released this design of the north
middle school at a community forum. The board hopes to
build two new middle schools and a Millstream building.
schools will divide the city’s demographic groups, forcing administrators to look carefully at which neighborhoods will attend each school.
“Over a dozen ideas were studied,” superintendent Dean Wittwer
said. “We’re trying hard to have the
same facilities for our children.”
While tough decisions may need
to be made, Murray believes new
schools are a necessity for the district.
“This is going to be taking you
from 1923 to 2012,” Murray said. “If
you go to other events and see what
other facilities are all about, you
know we are very far behind and this
is simply getting us caught up.”
by the
numbers
$26 million
The cost of the
south middle
school
$27.1 million
The cost of the
north middle
school
$20.3 million
The cost of
the Millstream
building
“Their life experience could be
interesting to someone else.”
Grogan recorded his own memories of his dog in three books, each
aimed at a different age group, and
all three were chosen for the Community Read.
“It’s about John Grogan and how
he got married and purchased a
dog,” Reynolds said, “how their life
changed when they purchased this
dog, what he (Marley) meant to their
life and their family and how their attitudes changed when they got him.”
Meaningful books are chosen
every spring as the Community Read
committee makes an effort to stamp
out illiteracy in Findlay and the surrounding area.
“Community Read is to generate
family and community discussions
and to get everyone to read this
book,” Lisa Hauck, Community Foundation administrative assistant, said.
“There are programs going on all
month long and those can be found
on our website.”
The programs only benefit what is
already a touching story.
“There’s a lot of lessons in it (the
book),” Reynolds said, “about developing through life and how nobody
will ever truly love you as unconditionally as a pet.”
Friday, April 3, 2009
EDITORIAL
MY VIEW
“We wouldn’t be able to do any of the things we do without the Community
Foundation. We couldn’t bring in speakers or have all the books we do.”
librarian Debbie Reynolds
page 2
1/3
of high school graduates never read a book again after they leave school
OURVIEW
MINITORIALS
Staff policy
Foundation helps
promote reading
Cheating solution is possible
Cheating is a major problem that could
easily be reduced if only the administration
and teachers joined forces.
According to school policy, students who
cheat should receive a zero on the assignment
or test. Currently, however, there is no way for
teachers to know if a student cheating in their
class does so in others.
To solve this would be simple. There is
already a database to check for repeat offenses
for discipline. Cheating could easily be added.
With this method, students who are repeat
cheaters can be punished more severely.
An F in the class or a suspension could
punish students with repeated infractions.
This would send a message that cheating is a
serious matter that will not be tolerated.
Luckily for local students, the Findlay-Hancock
County Community Foundation not only offers 115
scholarships for graduating seniors but provides
numerous educational opportunities and helps fight
illiteracy in Hancock County.
To encourage reading, foundation members pick a
book, organize activities around it and bring the author
to speak to students and the community.
John Grogan, author of this year’s Community Read
book Marley & Me, will speak April 17 to some English
classes in R.L. Heminger Auditorium
in a
during the school day. He will also
nutshell
give a presentation to the public at 7
The Community
p.m. at Central Auditorium.
Foundation is a
High-profile authors do not give
valuable asset
that many school presentations. For
to the county
example, Grogan will only visit two
with their work
high schools nationwide this year.
promoting
Bringing authors to schools can
reading and
teach students many things. For
fighting illiteracy.
example, they can hear about the
writing and publishing process while learning where the
author gets his ideas.
The Community Foundation also sponsors a program
called HancockREADS, which combats illiteracy.
According to its website, over 8,000 county residents are
either illiterate or functionally illiterate, meaning they
are unable to read or write well enough for daily life.
This is a major problem but luckily the Community
Foundation is shedding some light on the issue and
helping to make our area a better place to live.
Any funds raised through Community Read go
towards supporting the anti-illiteracy campaign, so the
reading program both benefits students when they meet
an author and adults struggling with illiteracy.
Most students might only recognize the Community
Foundation for scholarships, but they do so much more.
Everyone should be grateful that an organization like
this exists to bring these wonderful opportunities to our
community and help fight illiteracy.
Group tries to solve flooding
Flooding continues to plague the
community but thanks to the Northwest Ohio
Flood Mitigation Partnership (NWOFMP) a
solution might not be that far away.
The NWOFMP has been working for
two years to find an answer to the repeated
flooding issue affecting our community.
Actual construction of any flood
prevention projects will not begin until 2012.
Although this is a long time, the NWOFMP has
already shaved one year off this timeline.
Residents should be grateful they have
an organization working so diligently to help
speed up the search for a solution to the
flooding problem.
New buildings need support
City residents have the opportunity to
receive $19 million from the state to help build
three new schools if they pass a bond issue
before the end of the year.
Voters should support this logical plan
since the state will fund 32 percent of the
projects, taking a burden off taxpayers.
While economic times are tough, voters
cannot overlook the fact that this money
is only available for a limited time, so it is
important to seize this opportunity.
It is time to give students the facilities
they deserve and support the school board in
constructing new schools.
By Alisha Riley
Doctors are baffled
by an unknown virus
spreading rapidly
through seniors
across the nation.
This disease turns
hardworking students
into lackadaisical
nuisances. The virus has
no known cure and the
riley’s
writings
epidemic (commonly known as senioritis) is
starting a little earlier than usual.
After three and a half years of grueling
work, seniors just want to have fun. There is an
unspoken rule that the last year of high school
is meant for anything other than studying.
It seems easy at first, because most
necessary classes for graduation have already
been taken and there are only a few simple
courses left, and it is so easy to skip without
being caught.
Eventually, senioritis catches on like a bad
cold and it can be hard to shake off and start
all over.
While laziness is in full effect, some
students realize that it may be a good decision
to keep up with homework and pay attention
in class. But by the time senioritis is clearly a
problem, it is already too late.
Stopping senioritis can be a tough and
futile battle. But it is worth it because the bad
habit could ruin chances for college.
To get accepted into college, many seniors
think it is as simple as working hard to create a
good transcript for the first three years of high
school and then blowing off the final year.
Although most seniors have their college
acceptance letter before graduation, that
final transcript is key. Some colleges turn
away students who failed to excel in the final
semester of high school.
When it isn’t bad enough to hurt college
acceptance, it can still damage study habits.
After summer, it can be hard to remember
the things that were learned in the previous
year. So if you skip out on learning as a senior,
that will be a whole year before you have to get
back into the habit of studying for college.
When you really think about it, senior year
is only the halfway point in the educational
life. People go to college to learn about the job
that they want, so studying never really ends.
Many seniors are excited about going to
college for various reasons, but senioritis can
ruin those dreams. For those seniors caught
in the trap, try and get out and, for all of those
juniors, hard work is never over until the
retirement bill comes.
Sending provocative pictures via cell phones illegal, irresponsible
n
By Emily Rivest
A different type of attention is being
focused on teens who send naked pictures of
themselves through text messaging.
That attention is far beyond the school
walls. Besides possibly ruining reputations,
sexting, as it is called, is now becoming a legal
issue as well.
In cases all across the country, both
teenage boys and girls have been charged with
child pornography because of pictures on their
cell phones.
It may just seem like a joke or a fun thing
to do, but it’s certainly not worth facing legal
issues over, knowing how that could affect
your future.
The girls who blame others when their
pictures get around only add more fuel to the
fire by drawing more attention to what they
did. Those girls are the ones who took and sent
the picture, fully knowing what could happen.
Once the person sends the photo, it’s
completely out of their control. Before sending
a nude photo, they need to think twice about
what they’re doing.
With the way gossip flies, one little incident
can have effects that last for the rest of high
school and posssibly beyond.
According to a cosmogirl.com poll, a
quarter of teen girls have sent “sexy” text
messages or instant messages. All of those
girls shouldn’t be condemned for a moment
of poor judgment. They aren’t necessarily bad
people, but that can be the impression given
to others.
High school is hard enough, but gossip
only makes it worse. A single mistake
shouldn’t punish students for months, but
unfortunately that’s the way it is.
Students who do
sexting know what the
consequences are
when they do it.
They shouldn’t
blame anyone else but
themselves, or better yet, just
not do it in the first place.
ranting
from
Is the time right to construct three new school buildings?
“With today’s
economy, we have
better things to spend
our money on.”
Sophomore
Amber LaRiche
“The middle
schools we have
now are just fine.”
Freshman
John Courtney
“Yes, because the
buildings are really old
and out of date. New
schools are needed.”
Senior Morgan Naugle
“We should because we
can afford it. We have the
money and in the long
run, we’ll need it.”
Teacher Cathy Dunham
Letters to the editor
As an open forum for
students, letters to the
editor are welcomed
by the staff, but we
request that they be
300 words or less due
to lack of space. All
letters must be signed.
Blue & Gold staff
reserves the right to
edit letters without
changing the meaning.
Letters may be dropped
off in room 273.
Staff editorials
All editorials without
a byline reflect at least
two/thirds opinion of
the Blue & Gold staff
but are not necessarily
the opinion of the
administration.
Contact us
Blue & Gold
1200 Broad Avenue
Findlay, OH 45840
(419) 427-5474
About us
Blue & Gold is a
member of the
Columbia Scholastic
Press Association, the
National Scholastic
Press Association,
Quill & Scroll and
the Ohio Scholastic
Media Association.
The staff
Emily Rivest
Editor in chief
Senioritis can be deadly to future education plans
n
Blue & Gold is a
monthly student
publication for the
students of Findlay
High School. Blue
& Gold is a free
and open forum for
student expression.
Kim Maples
Feature editor
John Sisser
News editor
Rich Costello
Sports editor
Alisha Riley
Photo editor
Nolyn Croy
Advertising editor
Griffin Haywood
Carmen Arico
Katie Trinko
Taylor McGonnell
Katie Logsdon
Brady Miller
Photographers
Marc Wadswortth
Meryn Conine
Reporters
Brier Sterling
Nigel Coutinho
Tess Rooney
Artists
Jim McGonnell
Adviser
rivest
“It’s a waste of
money. The schools
are good enough
to learn in.”
Senior David Seng
“Yes, the others ones
are really old and
damaged by the flood.”
Junior
Stephanie Sanchez
MY VIEW
Friday, April 3, 2009
“I really enjoyed Fins. The service was right on and all the food
was fresh. It was really a high-quality restaurant for Findlay.”
junior Travis Line
ENTERTAINMENT
page 3
80 Tweets were sent every five seconds during the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008, helping to collect important information
Latest craze in social networking keeps you connected
n
By Emily Rivest
Xanga, MySpace and Facebook have all
taken their turns as the hot new technology
but now the next social networking site,
Twitter, is gaining ground.
Twitter is an online service where users
can post messages up to 140 characters long,
similar to Facebook status updates, which are
sent to all of their subscribers. These posts,
called Tweets, are posted on the user’s Twitter
homepage but can also be sent out as text
messages to any subscribers.
All you need is Internet access to get
started, or a cell phone once you’ve registered.
The site can be used to connect with
others, though there are many alternate uses.
For example, celebrities use the service as
publicity. Some just have their assistants post
concert dates and other details while others
are much more faithful and Twitter about
every aspect of their life.
Singer Britney Spears and actor Ashton
Kutcher are two of the most popular celebrities
using the site to document their every move.
On the more serious side, news
organizations use Twitter to distribute the
headlines of the day with links to more stories
and pictures. More everyday people can
become reporters with the service as well by
sharing their own version of what happened at
an event.
For instance, Florida entrepreneur Janis
Krums witnessed the Hudson River plane
crash from a ferry in January and took a
picture of the event. He immediately posted it
to Twitter in one of the first photos seen from
that day.
Even though Krums doesn’t work for any
TV station or newspaper, the media uses
Twitter to send out updates and it is spreading
to high school publications.
A newspaper staff at the Convent of Sacred
Heart School in San Francisco sent continuing
Tweets back to their school updating the
student body on their trip to the presidential
inauguration in January.
Journalism adviser Aaron Manfull’s staffs
at Francis Howell North High School in St.
Charles, Mo. use Twitter to help their students
stay up-to-date on activities.
“They use it to link to stories on their
(publication’s) website and to quickly update
readers of events or happenings ranging from
snow days (announcements) to basketball
scores,” he said. “While many students
don’t have a Twitter account, because the
newspaper has started one, there are a handful
of students each week who sign up for one (an
account) and begin Tweeting.”
Closer to home, senior Andrew Wilkins
started using Twitter after he quit Facebook.
“It’s easier to use (than Facebook),” he said.
“You have a certain level of privacy you can
maintain better. They took aspects of status
updates from Facebook.
“It’s fun and easy to use and there’s a lot
of interesting people on it. I follow (digg.com
founder) Kevin Rose and (actor) Christopher
Walkin. There’s a lot of diverse people out
there. It’s growing rapidly, so more and more
people might be joining that you know.”
With at least 1 million users, Twitter is
quickly becoming the “next big thing.” From
the serious political tweets to the lighthearted
celebrity news, the website has something
everyone can enjoy.
Use our simple eight-step guide to get you tweeting in no time
your
twictionary
Is all the Twitter
lingo confusing
you? This handy
dictionary will
help you decode
it all.
Tweet-a message
posted to your
page
Follower-users
that subscribe
to receive your
Tweets
Following-you can
sign up to receive
others’ Tweets
Tweeter or
Twitterer- a user
of Twitter
Twaigslist-to sell
something on
Twitter (also called
Twebay)
Twitpic-a way to
share your pictures
Step one
Go to twitter.com to get started. Click on
the green Get Started button to sign up
for a free account.
Step two
Follow the easy instructions to register.
Be sure to choose a name you like, you
don’t want to get stuck with an awful one.
Illtwitteratehaving no clue
how to use Twitter
Step three
Step four
This screen will give you some suggestions
on users you can start following. Just check
the boxes for the users you want.
After your account is complete, your
Twitter page will show you all the Tweets
from the users you follow.
TweetsultTwitter insult
Neweeternew user
Politweet-a
political tweet
Retweetreposting another
user’s Tweet
Mistweet- a Tweet
later regretted
Step five
After you’ve posted a Tweet, your page
will look like this to other users. You can
customize the look of your page too.
Step six
In the search box at the top of the page,
you can enter the names of other users
you want to follow.
Step seven
A variety of people use the site, including
President Barack Obama. Try following
some of them too.
Step eight
Thanks to her frequent updates, comedian
Ellen DeGeneres is the fourth most popular
user after less than a month of use.
MOVIES
MUSIC
Haunting doesn’t disappoint Cage shines in latest thriller
n
By Katie Trinko
Title: The Haunting in Connecticut
Starring: Kyle Gallner (Veronica Mars)
Plot: When the Campbell family decides to
rent a house to be closer to the hospital where
their son is receiving experimental cancer
treatment, strange things begin to happen.
Why see it: Based on a true story, The
Haunting in Connecticut goes
beyond the typical scary movie.
The film incorporates several
smaller plotlines in with the
main plot, keeping viewers
entertained on many fronts.
No good horror film would
be complete without gore, and
this film doesn’t disappoint.
Grade: A
Gallner
n
Title: Knowing
Starring: Nicolas Cage (National Treasure)
and Chandler Canterbury (The Curious Case
of Benjamin Button)
Plot: A time capsule is unearthed at an
elementary school. Inside, a mysterious sheet
filled with random numbers falls into the
hands of Caleb Koestler (Canterbury) and his
father, John (Cage). It is now up to John to
decode the pattern showing the disasters of
the past 50 years, as well as three unknown.
Why see it: The premise of the film is based
on a well-developed plot that moves along
without hesitation. Canterbury and Cage
bring a strong performance in this emotional
and gripping thriller as the Koestlers battle
devastations never before known to man.
Grade: A-
TELEVISION
By Katie Trinko
Title: Roommates
Starring: Tyler Francavilla (Happy Family)
and Tamera Mowry (Sister, Sister)
Plot: Mark (Francavilla), an aspiring actor,
finds out his old high school crush is searching
for a new roommate and he’s desperate to get
a second chance. Unfortunately, he has to deal
with the other two roommates.
Why watch: While some of the humor on this
show completely misses the mark with bad
timing and odd phrasing, most of the time the
awkward delivery of the jokes is enough to
keep viewers entertained.
Where to catch it: Mondays at 9 p.m. on ABC
Family, Channel 57
Grade: B-
n
Fish food
n
By Emily Rivest
Title: Better Off Ted
Starring: Jay Harrington (Private Practice)
Plot: Harrington plays Ted, an office worker
at a company that produces synthetic food,
with odd results. The business is full of weird
characters with their own unique habits.
Why not watch: This show tries too hard to
be the next quirky hit but, unfortunately, it
doesn’t always succeed. The jokes fall flat and
can be hard to understand.
The only good spot is the impressive
acting of the supporting cast who bring some
freshness to the show.
When to catch it: Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on
Channel 13
Grade: C
photo by Katie Trinko
Fins Seafood & Grill recently opened at 1801 Broad Ave. The restaurant
serves many kinds of seafood all in a welcoming environment.
DINING
Seafood restaurant sure to please
n
Roommates awkwardly funny Newest comedy lacks humor
n
Flo Rida’s latest mixes it up
By Meryn Conine
By Marc Wadsworth
In a convenient location with a staff that is happy to serve, Fins
Seafood & Grill restaurant meets the expectations of what a fine dining
restaurant should be.
Not only are the decorations simple and the walls warm and
colorful, but with smooth jazz music in the background, it turns this old
Bob Evans into a seafood extravaganza.
There are a large number of entrees to choose from
and, with fresh fish from around the world, customers get
a little flavor from cultures everywhere.
Though the food is great, it comes at a cost. Be ready
to spend anywhere from $8 to $32 for smaller meals.
The cook makes up for this with the exotic sauces
you can put on your meal like warm tango chutney, a sweet
sauce for fish, or lobster cream, a more mild sauce.
The overall experience was fun and this new
establishment is possibly one of the top restaurants in town.
Hours: Monday-Friday: 4-10 p.m. Saturday: 4-11
p.m. Sunday: 3-6:30 p.m.
Address: 1801 Broad Avenue
Grade: A
By Katie Trinko
Album: R.O.O.T.S.
Artist: Flo Rida
Sound: Hip-Hop
Last release: Mail
on Sunday
Why buy it: Flo Rida’s
second album has the
same great dance floor
beats and catchy hooks
he is known for.
R.O.O.T.S. changes things up with some
exciting new twists, such as Right Round,
which has the influence of the popular 80’s hit
You Spin Me Right Round (Like A Record).
Download this: Jump
Grade: B+
Urban’s catchy album a hit
n
By Emily Rivest
Title: Defying Gravity
Artist: Keith Urban
Sound: Country
Last release: Love,
Pain & the Whole
Crazy Thing
Why buy it: Urban’s
latest album is sure to
be the next in a string
of hits. As usual, he manages to include a song
for everyone, from a more Caribbean-feeling
Why’s It Feels So Long to the quieter, reflective
Thank You.
The only downfall to this album is that it
is too full of upbeat tunes with not enough to
slow down the mood. However, even the faster
songs have some meaningful lyrics.
Download this: Thank You
Grade: A-
Friday, April 3, 2009
NEWS/FEATURE
MY VIEW
“It (the author visit) gave the students a chance to ask questions to
someone from a different background and past.”
junior Annelise Kostyo
page 4
1795
newspapers, yearbooks, magazines and online publications were eligible for the 2009 Gold and Silver Crown awards
Pantasia competes Saturday
Raising awareness
n By Meryn Conine
Pantasia Steelband will compete in the
Heritage Music Festival in New Orleans tomorrow as part of The Big Easy Tour.
“This type of competition is different from
those we are used to,” junior Eric Smith said.
“We’re performing in a concert hall, which will
really amplify our musicality and dynamics.”
The steelband is also planning a Ghost
Tour and shopping in the French Quarter.
“One of the most exciting aspects of this
tour is that it is brand new,” Director of Bands
Tim Mattis said. “This will be my first time in
New Orleans, as well as the band’s and we
have a full schedule awaiting us with a competition, gigs and various activities.”
Author spreads global message
L
n By John Sisser
oung Ung, author of First They Killed My Father: a
Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, spoke to students
in Heminger Auditorium and the library last Friday,
ending Teen Read Week.
The writer shared her stories about surviving the
Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia in the 1970’s.
“We did some reading on her and found out she was a child
soldier,” Judy Withrow, gifted coordinator for the school district,
said. “With the current genocide in Darfur, we thought the kids
could relate to this since they have seen and read about it.”
Though Ung talked about her experiences in Cambodia, she
also discussed her work as an advocate for the Campaign for a
Landmine-Free World.
The group attempts to abolish the weapons and support those
injured by the explosives.
“She does not hit you over the head with this theme, but it’s
very clear at the end: one person can make a difference,” Withrow
said. “She was not promoting her organization, but basically, she
said to decide what you are interested in and get involved.”
JSA hosts dinner fundraiser
n By John Sisser
Junior Statesmen of America (JSA) members are hosting a dinner April 21 from 5:307:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church.
All money raised will support JSA’s Agricultural Advancement Project which will send
machinery to struggling farmers in Tanzania.
“It’s important because it supports a good
cause,” JSA president Brandon Oates said. “It
helps us bring in quite a bit of revenue and it
is also a good way to tell people about what we
are doing and why we are doing it.”
The dinner will include Vino’s spaghetti
and a musical performance by Pantasia.
“It’s not just a way to support JSA and the
school, but also a way to support the community,” junior Chrissy Terry said. “We as students need to start thinking on a global scale
and this gives us an opportunity to do that.”
Tickets are available for $8 by calling Judy
Withrow at (419)-425-8296 or (419)-423-9910.
Days of Caring helps agencies
n By John Sisser
United Way of Hancock County will host
the Days of Caring event April 23-24 to help
local non-profit agencies.
The volunteer activities can range from filing in an office to doing yard work outside.
“Days of Caring is two days out of the year
that non-profit organizations provide volunteer opportunities,” Beverly Phillips, community services director for United Way of
Hancock County, said. “It can be anything that
doesn’t take dollars out of their pocket but still
needs to be done”
Last year, 350 volunteers participated in
the event throughout the community. Several
Millstream students will volunteer as well.
“In the past, we’ve done clean-up at various parks around the city,” marketing teacher
Lisa Wilson said. “It’s a variety of things all
around Findlay and Hancock County.”
photo by Alisha Riley
A worthy cause
Loung Ung, author and human rights activist, speaks to students in the high school library about the Cambodian genocide and her effort to ban landmine weapons.
Ung has written two books about her experiences as a child soldier and surviving the Khmer Rouge regime.
Paper wins fourth Gold Crown
n By John Sisser
Senior mural design goes green
n By John Sisser
Seniors Kari Hohman and Kali Malloy’s
tree design was selected as the class mural
after being voted on by their peers.
The three-dimensional design will be made
of recycled materials.
“The whole idea was to be green,” art
teacher Nancy Frankenfield said. “It was
important to these girls. They felt strongly that
this would represent their class as they move
forward and become more conscientious.”
Recycled materials will either be brought
in from Litter Landing or collected by students.
“We just really wanted to symbolize ‘going
green’,” Malloy said. “It will be important because this is what is going on not only with our
senior class but with the world.”
A winning smile
photo courtesy of CSPA
Columbia Scholastic Press Association judging committee chair C.
Bruce Watterson presents the Gold Crown to senior Nolyn Croy and
sophomore Taylor McGonnell. The Blue & Gold won the award at the
CSPA spring journalism convention in New York City.
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Blue & Gold staff members received the
Gold Crown award, the highest honor given
by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association
(CSPA), at the spring national convention in
New York City.
The 2007-2008 Blue & Gold was one of 20
newspapers nationwide to receive the award.
Editor in chief Emily Rivest believes the
Blue & Gold’s fourth Gold Crown combined
with the newspaper’s National Scholastic Press
Association’s Pacemaker award is proof of the
publication’s excellence.
“We are a really good paper all around this
year,” Rivest said. “Our writing is strong, our
designs are creative and our photography is
top-notch. One of these things alone does not
make a paper great, but since we have all of
them, we are very strong.”
Along with the Crown award, 12 Gold
Circles were given to staff members.
Rivest took first place in the Opinion-Editorial category and received second place in
Front Page Design.
“Winning individually is neat because it
gives you confidence that you are doing well,”
she said. “The awards I won were all for layout,
so that tells me I am doing a good job with the
design aspect.”
News editor John Sisser placed first in the
News Page Design category, took third place
in Briefs Writing and received a Certificate of
Merit in Front Page Design. Sports editor Rich
Costello and artist Brier Sterling each received
Certificates of Merit for their work.
Adviser Jim McGonnell believes the individual awards will motivate the staff.
“With such a young staff and so many
new editors, it is really great to know that
our students are still nationally competitive,”
McGonnell said. “These awards give our staff
confidence and reassure them that their hard
work is being recognized.”
While the awards are important to the staff,
Rivest thinks there is more to the newspaper
than the national recognition.
“The awards are great, but what is more
important to us is that our students enjoy
the paper, because that’s why we do it every
month,” Rivest said. “Although the awards give
us confidence, putting out a quality paper for
students is the most important thing.”
Friday, April 3, 2009
MY VIEW
“We have generations and generations that will follow us that need to have
the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful world we currently have.”
teacher Laurie Collert
25
GO GREEN
page 5
billion Styrofoam cups are thrown away in America every year, enough to circle the world 436 times
k
n
i
h
T Green
Daily changes in lifestyle
help save environment
n
Tips to go green
Clean out your trunk. Losing 100
pounds off your car weight increases
fuel efficiency by 20 percent.
Use cloth bags for your groceries.
This saves plastic and paper and is
just as convenient.
Replace your regular light bulbs
with compact fluorescent light
(CFL) bulbs.
Leave your grass clippings on the
yard. They make great fertilizer
and keeping them saves space
at the landfill.
Turn off lights when you leave a room.
Lighting is responsible for up to 11
percent of home energy bills.
Make full use of the gadgets you have.
Many cell phones can be used as MP3
players, calculators, alarm clocks and
other devices, eliminating the need for
extra electronics.
Unplug your electronic devices. Power
drawn while electronics are off accounts for 20 percent of home energy.
By Kim Maples
Between school, friends, work and
other activities, the environment is
usually the last thing on a teen’s mind.
But even if it seems there’s no time for
going green, even small changes in daily life
can greatly impact the environment.
“We only have one world,” Courtney
Comstock, coordinator at Hancock County
Solid Waste District Environmental Services,
said. “Everything we use comes from the
Earth, including the clothes we wear. When we
are constantly taking from the Earth, it’s not
going to have anything to give back.
“Obviously, the Earth can only supply so
many materials. If you cut down a tree, it won’t
grow back unless you plant a new one.”
A good way to give back to the Earth is
recycling. Materials like paper, cardboard,
plastic and aluminum cans are all accepted
at Litter Landing and can be made into new
products, like newspaper and bottles.
The Solid Waste District also hosts
community events for recycling paint,
computers and cell phones.
“Recycling is like doing the laundry,”
Comstock said. “It’s one of those things that
you do not always want to do, but it needs to
be done. Just recognize that you’re doing a
good thing.”
Along with recycling, saving energy is a
good way to go green.
“Saving energy reduces carbon emissions,
which is a byproduct from burning fuel,”
Tom Konecny, marketing representative at
Hancock Wood-Electric, said. “The less we can
consume, the less of that goes into the air.
“Not to mention it can save natural
resources, because we’re using less and that
helps us save more for future generations.”
Using less energy may be a harder step
for the country than it appears. In 2007,
the US consumed about 3,892 kilowatt
hours of electricity, according to the Energy
Information Administration. This is more
electricity than the entire continent of Europe
consumed in 2006.
Saving such large amounts of energy can
be done in other ways as well.
“I try to buy things that are organic,
especially naturally-grown fruits in the
summer and fall,” sophomore Maddie Herron
said. “We live in such a plentiful area, and
it doesn’t make sense to get your food from
California when you can get it from your
neighbor. That saves on a lot of gas.”
Besides homegrown produce, Herron also
buys organic clothing and supplies.
“The next time you’re thinking about
buying a shirt or a pair of jeans, just try to
think of where you could find organic clothing
and how it would help,” Herron said. “A lot of it
I buy online because there really isn’t a whole
lot in Findlay.
“I also made sure when I started the school
year that if I bought anything it was going to be
environmentally friendly.”
Small details like these can make a
difference, according to Herron.
“I recycle, I turn off the lights when I leave
a room, but then I also shorten my shower
time,” Herron said. “If everyone cut back on
small things, it would really help.
“People just need to realize that what you
do every day affects the entire world. The
world doesn’t revolve around us.”
School recycling practices need serious eco-friendly makeover
n
By Kim Maples
While going green becomes a new way
of life for many people, the school district’s
wasteful habits are coming under a much
more critical light than before.
The most startling example of the school’s
disregard for the environment is the lack of
recycling in the cafeteria. Water bottles, which
are sold in abundance, are thrown away every
lunch period. This is a ridiculous waste of
perfectly good reusable plastic.
In fact, the recycling program run by CP
Environmental classes collects water bottles,
so it would make much more sense to set out
separate bins for plastics instead of throwing
them with the rest of the garbage.
Not only would this help the environment,
but it would reduce the amount of trash
produced in the cafeteria.
Wasted plastic isn’t the only area of
concern in the cafeteria. Styrofoam trays used
in the lunch lines and on the pizza cart are
thrown away as well.
Made from petroleum in a process that’s
the fifth largest creator of hazardous waste,
Styrofoam releases 57 chemical byproducts
in its combustion. If you put it in a landfill
instead, it can take decades to hundreds of
years to degrade. It is an environmentalist’s
worst nightmare.
Using such a harmful product is contrary
to increasing environmental concerns.
Instead, the Food Service Director should
order paper plates, which would be a better
solution as long as they are also recycled.
Thank goodness the Environmental
class’ recycling program collects paper from
classrooms, because the administrators didn’t
seem to take much interest in saving paper
before the program began.
But the lack of recycling extends beyond
just the school. During cleanup of the Donnell
Stadium after football games, mountains of
plastic bottles are cleared out of the stands and
thoughtlessly swept into trash bags.
Collecting plastic into separate containers
to be transported to Litter Landing may take
slightly more effort, but the amount of material
it would save would be worth it.
As Earth Day approaches and greener
practices are popping up all over the place, it’s
time for the school staff and administration
to start being more conscious of the
environment and reduce the amount
of waste they produce.
Let’s make this Earth Day
a memorable one and clean up
our act. All it
takes is a little
more effort to
collect separate
materials and
replace harmful
existing ones.
maples’
mindset
Good luck Blue & Gold in Phoenix and at the state convention
Good luck to all spring sports teams in their upcoming seasons
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Friday, April 3, 2009
THE BIG PICTURE
page 6
99
students were involved in cast, crew and orchestra for the spring musical
Les Mis lives up
to expectations
n
By Emily Rivest
Three months of work led up to one weekend
for the cast and crew of Les Misérables.
The musical, set in France during the 1800s,
follows characters through 20 years of fighting
for independence. Senior Boe Wank filled the
role of Jean Valjean and senior Matt Rarey
starred as Javert.
The cast worked together to pull off the
difficult show, consisting of no dialogue. The
chorus shined too, especially in the song Master
of the House.
The subject matter, although dark, still had
humor to lighten the mood. The prostitutes’
crazy costumes and outrageous antics gave the
audience a laugh.
Senior Jordan McGlade and sophomore
Sarah Black played the hilarious couple, the
Thernardiers. Their crazy faces and over-the-top
acting thrilled the audience, especially when
the two descended into the orchestra pit.
Actors, musicians and the tech crew all
pulled together to make a memorable weekend
of theater.
photo byTaylor McGonnell
Lost dreams
Senior Kari Hohman (Fantine) sings about the life she dreamed of before having a baby. Les Misérables is set during the second revolution of France, after the defeat of Napoleon.
Senior Boe Wank (Jean Valjean)
Freshman Alexis Soli (chorus)
Sophomore Sarah Black (Madame Thenardier)
Senior Jordan McGlade (Thenardier)
Finally together
photo by Alisha Riley
Junior Derek Schadel (Marius) and senior Kara Haggerty (Cosette) rejoice their marriage by singing a song of
hope. The pit orchestra consisted of 18 students who played almost nonstop music.
Party time
photo by Griffin Haywood
Senior Rachel Reineck (chorus) celebrates at the Inn at Montfermeil. Reineck was just one of 68 chorus
members who helped make up the cast.
Friday, April 3, 2009
MY VIEW
FEATURE
“It doesn’t surprise me so many people cheat. Some teachers don’t pay
attention enough which makes it easy to do whatever you want.”
page 7
junior Garrett McQueen
45% of Findlay students think cheating is a problem at school
t
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n
By Kim Maples
Sometimes,
it’s so tempting.
Texting a friend
for answers, writing
information on your ar
m,
peering over a classmat
e’s
shoulder. Cheating is so
than it used to be that
alm
much easier
ost anyone can
do it, and many alread
y have. According to a
study
from 2001 through 200
8 by Dr. Donald McCa
be of Rutgers
Cheating challenges morals
, ethics
University, over 90 perce
nt of high school
the cheater uses a cell
students admitted to ch
phone, then they could
eating in some form.
rec
eive double punishmen
“They’re cheating thems
ts.
elves,” history
“That would be someth
teacher David Barkey
ing we would look
said. “They’re cutting
at as not only is it a ch
corners and not gettin
eating issue, but a cell
g the real learning
ph
one issue,” assistant pri
opportunity out of it.
ncipal Nate Sorg
said. “Cell phones are
“That kind of behavior
sup
po
sed to be off and
down the road will
out of sight. It’s lookin
result in knowing less,
g at it like two different
being less confident
issues, a cheating issue
and not succeeding as
as well as a school rule
well.”
iss
ue in regards to the cel
Cheating can range fro
l phone.”
m stealing test
But this isn’t the worst
answers beforehand to
punishment given.
copying from a
For multiple instances
classroom neighbor.
, students can fail a
class, according to Sorg.
“It makes the class eas
However, there is no
ier,” junior Todd
on
e currently recording ho
(name changed to pro
w many times a
tect identity) said. “I
student cheats.
have more time to stu
dy for other classes I
“That’d be an excellen
can’t cheat in, like Anato
t idea,” counselor
my.”
Greg Distel said, “It’d be
Todd cheats by getting
really easy to create a
answers and
database to keep track
questions from students
of those kinds of thing
who take the test
s,
just like we use database
earlier in the day, a pra
s to keep track of
ctice that principal
stu
dents who get in discip
Craig Kupferberg belie
line trouble.”
ves is wrong.
But keeping track of ch
“I don’t think any form
eaters wouldn’t be
of cheating is
necessary if teachers try
acceptable,” Kupferbe
to stop the problem
rg said. “People who are befor
e it starts.
cheating are falsely rep
resenting themselves.
“I try to express to the
I don’t understand ho
students what is
w falsely representing
right and what is wron
yourself should ever be
g,” Physics teacher Tim
acceptable.”
Opp said, “and I do a rel
Cheating, however, isn
atively good job at
’t acceptable
trying to reinforce tha
according to the stude
t
thr
oughout the year.
nt handbook, which
“These are our future lea
states a student will rec
ders, our
eive a zero for the
professionals and any
assignment he or she
time we can instill wh
cheated on. But when
at
is right in them, we wa
nt to make sure we tak
e
that opportunity.”
But if the students still
don’t listen,
some teachers go farthe
r and try to catch
them in the act.
“Many times when I fou
nd out about
cheating, other students
turn in the
students,” Spanish tea
cher Deb Stall said.
“So I know who to watch
closely next
time we take a quiz or
test and I will go
and stand by them or
change their seat.”
“I try really hard to bu
ild trust with
my classes so they don’t
want to cheat”
Even with these measu
res to stop
it, cheating continues,
becoming more
accessible with cell ph
ones and iPods
that can easily stay hid
den. With so many
people doing it, there
are always excuses
to be made.
“Other people can do
it (cheat), but
they don’t.” Todd said.
“If they don’t take
advantage of it, why sho
uldn’t I?”
But should Todd get cau
ght in the
act, his reputation will
be scarred in his
teachers’ eyes.
“At the beginning of the
year, I trust
you totally,” Stall said.
“But as soon as
you cheat, you have bro
ken that trust
between us and it takes
a long time to get
someone’s trust back.”
Mother’s cancer puts life into perspective for sons
By Emily Rivest
Everyone hears the stories in the halls or
at lunch but no one ever thinks it will happen
to them. For brothers Matt and Nick Rarey,
though, the stories came true.
Earlier this year, the boys’ mother,
Beth Rarey, was diagnosed with incurable
glioblastomal brain cancer.
The disease was discovered after she went
to the emergency room in November because
of severe headaches she thought were caused
by high blood pressure or stress. The diagnosis
was much graver than that.
Two days later Beth Rarey underwent a
nine-hour surgery to remove the tumor from
the base of her skull.
“You just pray that it’s nothing bad, even
though that thought is in your mind,” senior
Matt Rarey said. “You just kind of stand there,
speechless. It was really hard for me to find
that out. I had to call my sister and break the
news to her, because she lives in Florida.
“You normally call your sister to talk, laugh
and catch up but this time it’s to call and say
mom has something in her brain. It was the
hardest for me because she was so helpless
down in Florida, a thousand miles away,
knowing we could not be there to comfort
each other.”
For Nick Rarey, the hardest part of his
mother’s illness is simply watching her suffer.
“Knowing that if she regresses far enough
she could possibly die (is the hardest part),”
the sophomore said. “There are some times
when she looks like she is getting better
but almost following that, she gets worse.
Everyone needs a mother.”
And that sentiment is exactly what keeps
Beth Rarey fighting.
“I have four kids and I have a lot of reasons
to live as long as I can. I just keep setting
goals,” she said. “I’ve got three grandbabies
and another on the way in April and Matthew’s
graduation party this year too.
“(Going to) New York (with Findlay First
Edition for their competition) was a huge one
(goal) too. It gives you a reason to stay positive
and stay strong and be happy.”
Even with future goals, the entire family is
aware that their mother’s time is limited.
“The thought of saying goodbye to my kids
(is the hardest part) but you have to keep it in
an eternal perspective,” Beth Rarey said. “You
have to remember that this earth isn’t our
home and we do have an eternal home with
God. My faith is everything.”
Facing a parent’s death is extremely
difficult, however, the two boys know they
need to take advantage of the time left.
“You don’t realize how much you care for
your mom or anyone until something like this
happens,” Matt Rarey said. “You’re just trying
to help and support her and support everyone
else, but everyone is hurting just as much as
you are.”
With that support for others comes great
personal sacrifice.
“I used to hang out with my friends just
about every weekend,” Matt Rarey said. “Now
I really don’t hang out with friends as much. I
do it out of love for her. I may get upset about
it when I really want to go, but I know I have to
stay home.
“In the end, I realize it just needs to be
done. You sacrifice big and little things for
someone you truly love. You have to cherish
every moment because you don’t know when
it’s going to be the end.”
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A close family
photo courtesy of Emily Yeater
Senior Matt Rarey, mother Beth Rarey, and sophomore Nick Rarey smile
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been battling brain cancer.
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B&G SPORTS
Findlay High School’s Award Winning Newspaper
Volume 86, Issue 6
Track opens
at Lima Sr.
1200 Broad Ave, Findlay, Ohio, 45840
Friday, April 3, 2009
University of Findlay captures championship
Oilers take Division II
title in overtime thriller
Girls hope to build
Ohio rugby league
n By Rich Costello
Senior Elizabeth Blaser
Greater Buckeye
Conference’s
Winter 2009
All-League picks
Girls
Basketball
First Team
Senior
Dannyel Butte
Guys
Basketball
Player of the Year
Senior
Luke Kraus
Girls Diving
First Team
Sophomores
Abby Loch, Kortney Mullen
Girls
Swimming
Rugby is known for its hard
hitting and rough nature, but
coach Amanda Meisner has
formed a team with 20 players
from area high schools with
something different about them;
these players are girls.
These girls play in the Michigan
Youth Rugby Association and
Meisner hopes to spread the
popularity of rugby and establish
a league in Northwest Ohio, one
team at a time.
“We have a really strong and
diverse team for our first year of
playing,” Meisner said. “I am so
happy I am able to coach the team.
When the (guys) rugby coach
asked me to create a girl’s team, I
said yes right away.”
While it is their first year
playing, the girls embrace their
newfound sport by enhancing
their skills at two-hour long
practices that consist of tackling
drills, sprinting and ending with
a scrimmage.
“Skills we need are dodging
people and keeping our eyes
open,” senior Rachel Hernandez
said. “It is tough. We don’t use
padding and there is full-on contact.”
Learning a contact sport isn’t only
new to Hernandez. Sophomore Jamie
Reneau is a first-timer to the action
on the field and likes it.
“Rugby is a great way to take your
anger out on someone and not get in
trouble for it,” Reneau said. “I have
played volleyball my whole life and
the switch to the (contact) sport was
easy and I like playing.”
“So far it has been a good learning
experience to play and cooperate
with girls on the team.”
Girls still find areas to improve by
learning how to play the game safely.
“We work on knowing how to
play safely every time we practice,”
Meisner said. “A big thing to work on
is not being afraid to get hit.”
Girls hope for the best and look
to have a successful season with their
newfound sport.
“I hope to meet a variety of
people and to be good at rugby by
the end of this year,” Hernandez said.
“The sport isn’t just about beating
people up, we learn a lot from our
opponents and the discipline of the
game itself.”
First Team
Guys
Swimming
First Team
Junior
Jonathan Shaffer
Wrestling
First Team
Senior Gage Mathias, juniors
Michael Alexander, Max Gladstone,
freshman Sidney Jones
photo by Griffin Haywood
Teammates stop freshman Abbie Rowlands from scoring during girls rugby practice. The team
rolled to a 50-5 win over Toledo in their first game last Saturday.
Spring sports preview
Distance runners lead girls
Guys focus on GBC title
n By Taylor McGonnell
n By Rich Costello
Sport: Girls track
Players to watch for: Senior Brier Sterling, junior
Hannah Gephart and sophomore Holly Barton
Returning letterman: Nine seniors, two juniors and
seven sophomores
How far we would like to go: “We’ve got a lot of
potential to be a really good team,” Gephart said. “As
long as we work hard and are able to stay injury-free,
we will do very well.”
Strengths: “Our biggest strengths would have to be
our long distance runners and our field events,” coach
Mark Gleason said. “With a lot of cross country runners
on the track team and we hope to make it to the state
tournament for our long distance running skills.”
Working on: “We are building up our strengths and our
endurance for the next upcoming meets,” Gephart said.
Next home meet: April 16 at 4:30 p.m. against
Perrysburg and Toledo Libbey.
Sport: Guys track
Players to watch for: Seniors Shoayb Bascal and
Steven Mackell
Returning letterman: 19
How far we would like to go: “I would like to see the 4x8
relay team head to state,” Bascal said. “Four seniors are on
the team and we want to make some memories.”
Team goals: “Our team goal is to train to win the GBC
(Greater Buckeye Conference) tournament,” Bascal said.
Strengths: “We have strength in our middle and long
distance runners,” coach Brian Rosendale said. “We have
a lot of returning runners in that area. They are working
hard and know what their goals are.”
Working on: “We are training to get the miles under
our feet so that way later in the season we can refine our
technique,” junior Zach Bowman said.
Next home game: April 16 at 4:30 p.m. in a tri-meet
against Perrysburg and Toledo Libbey
Pitchers key to success
photo by Katie Trinko
Off and running
Seniors Steven Mackell, Brock Lloyd and Shoayb Bascal
practice their starts for the first meet of the season. Track
season opens tomorrow at the Lima Senior Invitational.
Tennis focuses on number 10
n By Marc Wadsworth
n By Rich Costello
Senior Amy Zelinsky, juniors
Jessica Braddock, Paige Madden,
sophomore Maggie Malaney
Denied
Sport: Softball
Players to watch for: Seniors Ashton Estep, and junior Maggie Gilliland
Returning letterman: Two seniors, one
junior and one sophomore
How far we want to go: “I am hoping
we can win the GBC (Greater Buckeye
Conference),” Estep said. “We have a lot of
talent that is yet to meet it’s potential.”
Strengths: “The pitching mound,” coach
Tim Babcock said.
Working on: “We hope to gain
improvement in all areas,” Babcock said.
Next home game: Tonight at 5 p.m.
against Sandusky
Gilliland
Sport: Guys tennis.
Players to watch for: Seniors Mandela Sheaffer, Jordan
Shuck and freshman Chikara Oshima
Returning lettermen: Two seniors, one junior and
two sophomores
How far we want to go: “I hope we can make it far in the
post season,” junior Joey Armand said.
Strengths: “We have a lot of young players that have been
practicing during the offseason,” Sheaffer said. “There is a
lot of young talent and being motivated to work hard, the
potential to be great is there.”
Working on: “Coming back from the offseason, the team
has to take time to polish their fundamentals and get back
into playing competitive tennis again,” Elbin said.
Next home game: April 10 at 4:30 p.m. against Mansfield
Eye on the ball
photo by Alisha Riley
Senior Mandela Sheaffer practices his forehand return.
The team hopes to win their 10th league crown.
Team anxious to use new courts
Fremont will challenge baseball
n By Rich Costello
n By Marc Wadsworth
With the high school tennis
courts still under construction
and the home opener next week,
the guys team is a little concerned
about the decade-long stronghold
on their league title.
The team has won the Greater
Buckeye Conference title for the
past nine years and the unfinished
courts are a concern for players in
search of their 10th crown.
“As a team, we are strong but
one problem we’ll run into is the
tennis courts,” sophomore Hayden
Gephart said. “The tennis courts at
the high school won’t be done for
awhile, making it hard to find the
court time to be able to practice.”
Gephart’s worries are valid, but
the courts should be finished by the
end of May and coach Ray Elbin can’t
wait until his team debuts at home.
“These courts have been sorely
needed for a few years and it is
money well spent,” Elbin said.
Groundwork for the courts is
close to being finished and tennis
players hope to be able to use them
as soon as possible.
“The new courts will be beneficial
for the high school tennis teams
because it will be a top notch facility,”
facilities director Dennis McPheron
said. “New courts were overdue and
this may displace spring tennis for
awhile, but they (the courts) will be
worth the wait.”
Wind up
photo by Taylor McGonnell
Senior Curtis Deal practices his curve
ball to get ready for the upcoming
season. Their first home game is
tonight at 5 p.m. against Sandusky.
Sport: Baseball
Players to watch for: Senior Ryan Wolfe, Juniors
Clay Paul and Sam Adams
Returning lettermen: Five seniors, two juniors
Toughest competition: “Our toughest competition will
be Fremont because they have a lot of returning veterans
and good pitchers,” coach Jeff Stutzman said.
How far we want to go: “We are hoping to win the
Greater Buckeye Conference (GBC) for the third year in a
row,” Stutzman said. “Our other goal is to do better in the
state tournament then we did last year.”
Strengths: “Players are really competitive for a spot to
play,” Deal said. “With all the competition, everyone will
be motivated to work hard, benefitting the team.”
Working on: “We are focusing on the fundamentals
because you have to be sound with the basics of the game
to be successful,” assistant coach Tommy Henry said.
Next home game: Tonight at 7 p.m. against Sandusky