January 2006

Wadsworth High School
Newspaper II/III
January 2006
The
1870 - 2005
Wadsworth City Schools:
“Celebrating 135 years of
Excellence in Education”
Volume XXXI No. 4
BRUIN
REMEMBER
Turn in class registration
sheets for next year into
the Guidance office by
Feb. 13!!
625 Broad Street Wadsworth, Ohio 44281
Target rolls out of Rolling Acres,
into Wadsworth Crossings
BY RYAN RENACCI
After years of struggling to
keep its revenues up, Rolling
Acres Mall has been hit with yet
another major blow.
Target, one of the key stores
in the hurting shopping center,
announced that it will be closing
on February 28 and moving into
Wadsworth Crossings.
Wadsworth Crossings is a new
retail development that already
includes Kohl’s and will also include Lowe’s in the near future.
There will be a number of restaurants and other small stores as
well.
“Wadsworth Crossings is going to be awesome! Shopping and
food so close to home--what could
possibly be wrong with that?!”
said senior Katie Stugmyer.
The new store will be much
bigger than the one in Rolling
Acres, and it will include a Starbucks Café and a Pizza Hut.
Target, scheduled to open on March 1, will replace the Target currently in Rolling
Acres Mall. PHOTO BY RYAN RENACCI
“I think it’s great that they are
getting a Starbucks because now
I can get a caramel frappuccino
every day!” said junior Emily
Miller.
Target first opened in Rolling
Acres Mall ten years ago. All together, this store has around 100
employees, and most of these
employees will be given their
jobs back if they wish to travel to
Wadsworth.
When visiting Rolling Acres,
most people are able to notice
some of the mall’s many flaws.
The floors are sometimes very
dirty. Many of the escalators are
turned off, and the large fountain
in the center is rarely turned on.
“When I was younger, Rolling
Acres used to be the hot spot. I
used to ride the train and eat pretzels. Sadly, the hip hangout spot
has gone downhill slowly. Even
the church in the mall went out
of business!” said junior Simon
Russell.
Because of these defects, the
mall reached an all time low occupancy rating of 47 percent. The
average occupancy rating of all
malls nationwide is 98.5 percent.
Experts from the International
Council of Shopping Centers
believe that when the occupancy
rating of a mall goes below 50
percent, it is almost impossible
for the mall to recover.
For these reasons, Target has
decided to move to Wadsworth
Crossings in hopes to gain more
shoppers. Residents will decide
the success of its new location.
Speed cameras, tickets slow down drivers
BY MICHELLE MCCUNE
As recently as two months ago,
the term “speed camera” held
very little significance. Within
weeks, these small boxes seen at
intersections and around school
zones have rocketed into local
consciousness.
Four cameras were installed in
Akron during November. After
only 19 days of functioning, they
reported 2,676 speeders.
This new method of catching
speeders has created conflicting
feelings.
“As a driver, I feel that you
should not be given a ticket unless you are stopped,” said junior
Roy Evans.
Others welcome the devices,
hoping they will make the roads
safer.
“The cameras help catch the
idiots who blow through the intersections at 90 mph,” stated junior Kady Jankord.
Akron has a contract until February 10 with Nestor Traffic Systems, a company who receives
Picture Page 6
See all of the action of the
dodgeball tournament.
$19 for every ticket issued. The
city of Akron receives the rest,
creating a profit of almost half of
a million dollars so far. Many felt
that the large amount of money
should be used to create a scholarship fund.
The cameras take a picture of
the vehicle and mark the time and
the speed the car was travelling.
This information, along with a
ticket, is sent to the owner of the
vehicle. However, overwhelming unpopularity of the fines has
prompted the city to refund all
but $35 of every ticket. Akron
is using the cameras as part of a
90-day trial. As of yet, there has
been no action to remove the devices before the 90 days are finished.
With greater amounts of traffic
flowing in and out of Wadsworth,
transportation has become more
of an issue locally as well.
Congestion has become evident on High Street, where Walmart has attracted shoppers from
neighboring towns. Wadsworth
Crossings has attempted to avoid
problems by installing more lanes
and lights in high traffic areas.
Traffic lights are being situated
at the intersection of Rt. 261 and
Medina Line as well.
Cameras seen at these intersections in Wadsworth should not
be mistaken for speed cameras.
These cameras monitor the traffic
flow and control the changing of
signals.
Aside from speeding, other
traffic violations have plagued
students.
“I got pulled over for a broken
brake light but received a ticket
for not wearing my seat belt,”
said senior Kyle Blake.
Driving after curfew, disfunctioning tail lights, and drivers
running stop signs are some of
the minor violations many students have experienced. The
possibility of increased insurance
rates, along with irate parents, is
enough to discourage many from
attempting to disobey the law.
As Wadsworth expands, traffic
flow will inevitably grow as well.
Driving carefully and within the
posted limits is the one sure way
to avoid problems.
Increasing traffic can be seen throughout Wadsworth.
PHOTO BY MICHELLE MCCUNE
$1.00
Myspace:
a place for
friends
BY BRADLEY MUELLER
First it was e-mail, then instant
messaging. Now, it is MySpace.
If you do not have a MySpace
account, you have at least seen
it, and if you have not seen it
then odds are you have heard of
it. For all of those sheltered students out there, MySpace is an
online personal profile website
where friends can talk or where
friends can be made. It is truly
the world’s fastest-growing social
networking portal, being the fifth
most viewed web domain on the
internet. So what is it that makes
MySpace.com so popular?
“It’s like a new pair of jeans,”
said junior Jen Thomas, crediting
MySpace’s popularity to the bandwagon effect, “but it doesn’t seem
like this fad will easily fade.”
This two-year old giant has
spread across the nation and beyond the borders, reaching people
of all ages, along with loads of
music bands.
In fact, MySpace.com has an
entire section dedicated to bands
where they can display information and where people can sample
songs from. This is an extremely
popular feature of the site seeing
as online music has reached a
very high demand.
Not only can people listen to
their favorite songs, they can put
those songs in their own personal
profiles for enjoyment. The profile is all about the user, letting
you do what you want to make
your profile unique from everyone else’s.
For all of those technical
people out there, HTML formatting is the primary coding used
in MySpace accounts. For the
computer illiterate, do not fear,
because MySpace has become so
popular, there are now many websites dedicated to designing a profile where one can simply specify
what colors they want, what sizes
they want, and any other personalizations they would desire.
Music video codes are extremely common on these helper
websites, allowing people to just
copy and paste all the coding
Please see MySpace, Page 5
Variety Page 9
News Page 10
Sports Page 13
Find out about this month’s
featured “Junk of the Month”
Learn about the Olympic torch which
will be lit for the 2006 Olympics.
Read about the gymnastic team’s
4-0 start to the season.
2
January 2006
The Brewin’ Debate
Does music influence the way kids act,
think, and the things they say?
NO
YES
BY DREW KNIGHT
BY ZACK BUDINSCAK
The way kids act in today’s society is strongly
influenced by what type of music they listen to. To
some kids, music is a way to express themselves
and show how they feel. When people are sad they
listen to calm, mellow music and when they are excited, they listen to fast paced and upbeat music.
Everyone will argue that the music they listen
to is the best. When listening to the lyrics in songs
and the meaning behind them, it is hard to see how
some music could be a positive influence on people. Many songs contain ideas of killing and illegal drugs. An example of this is in a Slipknot song,
“whose life is it, give it, see it, feel it, eat it.”
“Slipknot and similar music groups have lyrics
that talk about killing and other bad thoughts,which
is not the kind of music I think people should listen
to when they are not sad,” said junior Caity Todd.
Music may be a way to bring up emotions, but
some types of music are not good for kids to listen
to. Just like video games, there are parental advisory stickers on CD’s. These are to keep them out
of kids’ hands because it is not the best music for
them to listen to. It can alter their minds and make
them think differently.
Music does not influence the way kids act. Music is a way for songwriters to express themselves,
not a way to induce the listeners into doing wrong.
Some music is not even written by the artist who
sings it. Just like kids, bands and singers write certain lyrics and act certain ways just to get attention.
It is a marketing strategy.
Lyrics are the same way. The controversial
rapper Eminem is most notorious for the horrifying lyrics in “Kim.” The lyrics made Eminem an
overnight celebrity because of all the publicity he
received. Eminem’s lyrics gained him fame and
fortune, but they did not encourage people to go
out and do the things he sang about.
Even Eminem does not believe in everything he
writes about. “A lot of people think that what I say
on records, or what I talk about on a record, are
things I actually do in real life, or that I believe in
it,” stated Eminem.
If someone says that Eminem or another singer
is influencing them, they need to look inside themselves to find the real problem. Everyone has a
conscience, and each person can look inside himself for an answer. Music does not influence the
way kids act and think.
Editorial
Letters to the Editor
I’d like to take the time to let
you know how appalled I was to
see that the price of our school
lunches with fries had gone up
considerably. This is very troubling to me, and I’d like an explanation for the up in the price.
Jessica Bradford, 11
We are thoroughly angry about
the fries going from $.15 to $1.00.
Hopefully, this is going to a good
cause like fixing the heat or our
leaky ceilings.
Ashley Smith, 12
Steph Maxon, 12
I think an upstairs track with
proper turf would be beneficial
to the community and Wadsworth
High School.
Steph Sussman, 11
The swimmers should get
some recognition. Both teams are
doing very well, and it is about
time that a winter sport other than
basketball and wrestling get recognized.
Josh Thomas , 12
Dear Staff and Student Body of
Wadsworth High School:
The Wadsworth VFW Post
1089 and the American Legion
Post 170 wish to thank you for
the Veterans Day activities. Each
year, we all look forward to meeting at the high school where we
meet and greet old friends and
service buddies.
It may not seem like a big deal,
but to us it is. Knowing someone
cares about what we did for our
country means a great deal. What
a thrill it is to walk into the gym
with the applause and the band
playing around, and to see everyone on their feet. You can see, as
we enter, each of us starts walking a little straighter and with a
faster step. We are 20 again.
From all of us to all of you,
and from the bottom of our hearts,
thank you very much.
Leon T. Doutrich
Post Adjutant
VFW Post 1089
Editorial:
New year brings new opportunities
Here we are in 2006. Placed
before us is an open book full of
blank pages. We call this book
Opportunity. The first chapter
was New Year’s Day.
Furthermore, many of us began
this chapter with goals for the year,
commonly known as New Year’s
resolutions. However, have you
ever found yourself making the
same resolution year after year?
We seem to look to the New Year
for simply a new start on old habits.
Remember last year when we
promised ourselves we would lose
10 pounds, quit smoking, spend
more time with friends and family, help others, etcetera? Since
we would rather not have to make
these same resolutions year after
year, we have accumulated a list
of some common New Year’s resolutions and some ways in which
you can accomplish them.
Spend more time with friends
and family: Set at least one day
per week to prepare and eat a
meal together with your family.
With your friends, make time to
be with them at least once over the
weekend. During the weekdays,
get together for study sessions.
Fit in Fitness: Make time to
exercise at least three times per
week for at least 30 minutes at a
rate that raises your heart rate by
30 percent. This should cause you
to sweat and raise your breathing
level.
Lose weight: Eat only when
hungry. For every meal, include
at least one non-starchy fruit or
vegetable. When snacking, never
eat out of the bag or large container. Eat smaller but more-frequent
meals. Get plenty of sleep.
Enjoy life more: Never compare yourself to others. Take time
to laugh. Surround yourself with
positive, encouraging friends.
Make time for “play.” Work is not
the only facet to your life.
Quit smoking: Set a date for
quitting. Take note of when and
why you smoke. Change your
smoking routines, such as keeping cigarettes in a different place,
smoking with your other hand,
and buying cigarettes you do not
like. If you feel like you need a
cigarette, chew gum or drink a
glass of water instead.
Quit drinking: Think about
when and why you drink. Surround yourself with others who do
not drink. Offer to be the designated driver at parties. At home,
get rid of all the alcoholic beverages, and fill the fridge with sparkling grape juices.
Though it is sometimes difficult
to keep such New Year’s resolutions, make a pact with yourself
to accomplish at least one. There
are a myriad of opportunities that
lie before us. Do not let them slip
away, leaving you to make the
same resolutions year after year.
It is time for a rewarding change.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once
stated, “What lies behind us and
lies before us are small matters
compared to what lies within us.
Believe in yourself and what you
are capable of. Make the year
2006 your best year yet. You hold
the power to make Opportunity a
best-seller.
Bruin Staff
Editor-in-chief: Kate Hudson
Associate Editor-in-chief: Emily Hoover
Front Page: Page Editor: Michelle McCune Reporter: Ryan Renacci, Brad Mueller
Editorial: Page Editor: Drew Knight Reporter: Zach Budinscak
Opinion: Page Editor: Laura Myers Reporters: Kyle Snoke, Jesse Mooney
Speakout: Page Editor: Trevor Day Reporters: Justin McInturff, Scott Siesky
Features: Page Editor: Claire Davis Reporters: Aaron Mueller, Kat Little
News: Page Editor: Courtney Harris Reporter: Rochelle O’Neil In The News: Cody Steigerwald
Picture Page: Page Editor: Dan Grassell Reporter: Tommy Kaminski Photographer: Nick Jack
Variety Page: Page Editor: Katy Wilson Dear Daisy: Kristi Havens
Sports 1: Page Editor: Shelly Anderson Reporter: Zach Berger
Sports 2: Page Editor: Alli Macko Reporter: Cody Valiente Sports Briefs: Josh Snyder
Music/Entertainment: Page Editor: Brad Mueller Reporter: Amy Jarvis
Ads/Business Manager: Laura Hlavaty
Asst. Business Manager: Garrett Wienecke
Copy Editor: Claire Davis Asst. Copy Editor: Rochelle O’Neil
Proofreaders: Newspaper/Yearbook I classes
Cartoonist: Courtney Mesick
Adviser: John Gramuglia
CARTOON BY COURTNEY MESICK
Editorial Policy
The Bruin is a monthly publication produced by the Newspaper II and Newspaper III
students at Wadsworth High School. The Newspaper I class produces the May issue. The
staff will do its best to inform the student body and the community of intra-school, community or national events that affect the student body.
This paper provides on-the-job training for the staff members. All decisions are made
by the staff members with the advice and suggestions of the advisor. The school administration works closely with the staff to ensure accuracy. We, as the students of journalism,
hold the same rights and the same responsibilities as professional journalists as we strive
for professional standards. These rights include the right to print any material that is not
libelous, obscene, or excessively disruptive to the school process.
The Bruin will not discriminate against anyone on the basis of religion, color, creed, or
sex. The staff members accept full responsibility for everything appearing in this publication. The staff strongly encourages students to express their opinions through the letters to
the editor column, which is printed every month. The staff also encourages the members of
the community to express their opinion as well. Space permitting, all letters will be printed.
Because the staff accepts the responsibility for the contents of the paper, we must reserve
the right to edit or omit any portion of any letter. All letters must be signed, but the name
will be withheld upon request.
3
Opinion
January 2006
Just keep eating, just keep eating, just keep eating, just keep ea
.. .
keep eating,
, just
p
e
ng
ati
eep
ke
e
eating, just keep eating
PROUD TO BE A BRUIN
SPONSOR
, ju
st
The lunch room may soon look like this every day during lunch if prices do not
return to normal. PHOTO BY KYLE
tk
tling down the hallway towards
the cafeteria and jockeying for
position in the lunch line. Well,
maybe in the past, anyway. These
days, many abrupt changes in the
lunch agenda have left much to be
desired.
Topping the list is the new
price of a lunch with fries. Normally a lunch with fries would set
a student back $2.25 but mysteriously, as soon as the new year
rolled around, a lunch with fries
had been changed to $3.10. No
warning or reasoning ever pre-
s
ju
Lunch
brings
about the
only part
of
day
where
you will
see
seniors acting like
KYLE OPINION
freshmen.
STAFF
As soon
as
the
lunch bell rings, you may be lucky
enough to see these students hus-
ep ea
t
i
n
g,
Lunch changes bring
confusion, anger
tin
g
st ke
sible. Winter athletes, who practice their sports for several hours
a day, should be eating as much
as possible.
Swimmers, basketball players, gymnasts, and even wrestlers
should do anything but diet. They
burn an extra 600-1200 calories a
day and need to replace these calories with lots of carbohydrates
and protein.
Now, dieting is a perfectly acceptable thing to do, as long as
it is not taken to extremes. But
for athletes, it is trickier. While
most people eat less than normal,
athletes need to eat more. While
others start cutting carbs, athletes have team spaghetti dinners.
While everyone else barely eats
lunch, athletes eat extra.
These differences sometimes
give some athletes a sense of guilt
because they are eating so much
more than their friends and family.
Well, do not feel guilty, and
do not eat less. Consider the extra
food a reward for all of the hard
work being done, and enjoy the
last month of practice.
The day after sectionals, I am
going on a diet. For now, pass the
potatoes.
, ju
The last
piece of
Halloween candy
has been
recovered
from under
the
bed and
eaten.
LAURA OPINION
STAFF
The turkey sandwiches lasted until Christmas
break. The goose has been cooked,
cookies have been devoured, and
the pork and sauerkraut are gone.
‘Tis the after-season. This season is marked by one tradition:
the New Year’s resolution. And,
as always, an overwhelming number of people have resolved to eat
healthily and to lose weight.
According to a Harris poll, 45
percent of women are resolving to
lose weight this year. This makes
losing weight one of the most
popular resolutions.
“Every year, New Year’s is my
reminder to eat healthier foods
and exercise more,” said junior
Sarah Price.
As much fun as it is to lower
your daily calorie intake, for
some people it is just not plau-
School spirit decreases year to year
Footb a l l
season
is over,
Thanksgiving
a n d
Wi n t e r
break
h a v e
JESSE OPINION
come
STAFF
a n d
gone, basketball and other
winter sports have begun, but
there has yet to be pep assemblies for students and staff to
get ‘pumped up’ before the
games. Students have tried to
show their spirit by wearing
school colors or by tailgating;
however, this is where it ends.
Pep assemblies would keep
this spirit going.
“I definitely want to keep
the school spirit going. We
have talked to student council about pep assemblies and
bringing them back,” said Principal Brian Williams.
In the past few years, the
school spirit has started to decrease at a rapid pace while
other schools have increased
their spirit. The high school
used to be known for having
the best spirit around. Pep rallies
The attendance by high
before big games were the norm school students at games has
and Spirit Week was full of fun also gone down.
and creative ways to show your
“It was easier to go out and
school spirit. Homecoming floats play and be determined to win
were made for the Homecoming when you knew your classfootball games, and the night be- mates were going to be there
fore the game, a bonfire was held to cheer you on,” said junior
to pump everyone up. Participat- Nathan Budney.
ing and watching the activities,
To create more spirit in
got the teams pumped up and the school, there should be
ready to go out and win.
more activities. Such activities
In 2003, the assembly before would get students involved.
the Copley game was one-of-a By bringing back the fun Spirit
kind. That was one of the last pep Week and pep rallies that acrallies that encouraged students tually make students want to
to attend games. Seniors and get involved, the high school
other students led a memorable would be once more known for
show that displayed true school having the best spirit around.
spirit and got everyone energized
for game time.
This year, we
have not had that
experience or ability to get the teams
ready to play.
The teams only receive “good luck”
on the announcements, the tailgaters’ support,
and each other to
get
themselves Football players tackle an Indian during a 2003 asready to win.
sembly. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRUIN ARCHIVES
sented itself, just a small sign you receive is on a steady decline.
notified students of the change. Unless you have one of the more
A few students were upset, some generous lunch workers, you are
confused, and many were angry left with an abysmal amount of
fries and an empty wallet to go
at this change.
“I am very annoyed lunches along with it.
have
been
There could
raised to $3.10
“ I will not be buying [school be many reasons
from
$2.25.
for this change.
lunches] anymore.”
That is unacThe main reason
ceptable, and
for this could
I will not be
be new dietary
buying [school
standards that
Scott Landerholm, 12
lunches] anythe school has
more,” said seto follow. Loginior Scott Landerholm.
cal thinking would suggest that
Moreover, not only has the the raise in price would deter stuprice of fries with a lunch in- dents from buying the fries, therecreased, but the quantity of fries fore staying within the dietary
standards. But will students really
stop buying the fries because of
this?
Another possible reason could
be that the school lunch program
was not making a big enough
profit. I will admit, 15 cents extra for fries was a good deal. The
problem with this idea is that raising the price so much may cause
even more of a loss of profit.
This is not the first time our
precious fries have been sabotaged. In early December the
fries were mysteriously replaced
with the large and tasteless potato
wedges for almost a week.
Many students complained,
and the next week the fries had
returned. For now, the future is a
bit hazy. Whether or not the fries
will return to the normal price is
not clear, but hopefully all parties
involved will come to their senses and give us back our normal
lunch prices.
In the mean time, seniors,
make good use of the microwave
in the commons. To the underclassmen, well I guess you will
just have to pay the extravagent
price or suffer the loss of a cheap
hot lunch.
4
Speakout
January 2006
What was your most exciting
high school memory of 2005?
My most exciting high school
memory of 2005 was backyard
shredding with the Infantry Crew
and hanging out with Scott Siesky
on weekends!
-Josh Jett, 12
One of my most exciting high
school memories of 2005 was
probably hanging out with Scott
Siesky on the weekend. We
would snowboard or just hang
out. I also enjoyed playing with
Josh Jett. Do not forget to see
what Josh can do on www.infantryclothing.com
Our most exciting high school
memory of 2005 was finding out
that we had the same 7th period
class where we could share our
love and joy together everyday!
-Britt Busson, 10
-Chadwick Flath, 10
My most exciting high school
memory of ‘05 is, hands down,
being in Senior Composition
with Turff, Trevor, and Maxwell.
We learned that Max is fluent in
French!
Well, I was chilling’ at Matt Kelty’s house. We were just sitting
there and then BAM!! A stack
of books landed on my head. I
looked up and, sure enough, former WHS superstars Jason Kelty
and Adam Smith were standing
there. Boy, good times getting
books dropped on my head.
-Simon Russell, 11
My favorite memory was when I
was in Minnesota. While I was
there, I met the President. I also
got the chance to tell him he is
such a bad president that I could
take his job and be considered a
savior. HILLARY RODHAM
CLINTON - 2008!
-Taylor Dungjen, 12
-Jamie Mosier, 9
My most exciting memory of
2005 was when Trevor and I won
the regional hop sack races to
qualify us to the national meet in
Iowa.
-Nate, 12
There was a slumber party at
Lanie’s house and all of us girls
decided to go swimming at night
when we got home from Cedar
Point. We were swimming and
singing Kanye West while making a whirl pool when we heard
a sudden bang. In a panic, Pam
Melton flies out the door while
all the while Erin spastically tries
to climb her way out of the pool.
After hearing that someone was
trying to attack us, we finally figured out it was just some stupid
boys setting off fire crackers.
-Tiffany Sloan, 12
-Erin Rohrer, 12
-Lanie Melton, 12
-Ryan , 12
Mrs. Day said she would go on a
date with me, but unfortunately it
never happened.
-Grady, 12
Enslaving the entire school to do
my bidding. I enjoyed watching all of my subjects construct
a pyramid for me. It was also
nice when they made a sphinx
in my image. WELL DONE,
SLAVES!
-Kyle Merrick, 12
Getting called into the office
where one of Wadsworth’s finest
was waiting for me.
-Frank Adley, 12
I’ll remember working in the office with Mrs. Fisher.
-Mike Firis, 11
S
T
U
D
E
N
T
S
What is your 2006 New Year’s resolution,
and how do you plan on achieving it?
T
E
A
C
H
E
R
S
My resolution is to not get angry
in church anymore, even though I
don’t enjoy singing the songs.
-Mrs. McIlvaine
My 2006 New Year’s resolution
is to finally fill out this paper so
that the Bruin Staff stops bothering me during physics!
-Mrs. Greenlees
I intend to cut my Pepsi consumption down to three cases a week.
I’m not sure I can achieve this,
but with the help of my PDM
class, I’m sure I’ll be successful.
To stay more connected with family and friends. I plan to achieve
it by e-mailing more and using
my phone to send text and picture
messages.
-Mrs. Haskins
-Mrs. Swanson
My resolution is to make dinner
at least once a week, so my wife
can have a break. I have no set
plan yet, but I believe Applebee’s
and other establishments will
help me fine tune my plan.
My resolution is to not waste
money so that when the Indians
win the division in 2006, I can afford to buy World Series tickets.
-Mr. Johnson
-Mr. Hamilton
To run in my first 10K. This is
all you get because my last answer was not in the paper.
-Mrs. Baxley
My resolution is to lose weight! I
will exercise, drink water, eliminate pop, and pray. However, I
cannot diet. Besides, life is too
short to diet!
-Mrs. LaMonica
1) To have all the names memorized of my 2nd semester Intro to
speech classes by the end of the
2nd week. It won’t happen so
don’t worry about it!
2) To not have Dan Costello get
me upset by his strange behavior.
How: Medication!
3) To put all the grades in the
Get in shape, lose weight, make
progress book the day they are
class fun and interesting, and be
graded. I must first learn how to
a better parent. I plan on achievturn on the computer.
ing this by: getting more jog/walk
miles in per week, taking addi-Mr. Gains
tional classes and checking educational web sites for fun ideas,
and getting my biological chil- I always break my resolution by
dren to work and listen without January 2nd. Therefore I have reyelling constantly!
solved not to make any more resolutions.
-Mrs. Lance
-Mrs. Mathews
Music/Entertainment
January 2006
Just Surrender travels down road to success
BY AMY JARVIS
Most weekends for highschoolers are spent at local sporting events and other school related activities, but there are more
and more students that find that
they enjoy going to music venues
on Fridays instead.
Local bands have become increasingly popular over the past
year. Watching local bands play
is intense and exciting, as listeners find that they know the members of the band and can relate to
them.
“It’s always fun when you
know a song was written for or
about you and your friends,” said
junior Sarah Fenwick.
Many find it entertaining to
watch the band grow in popularity, gaining great success among
fans and becoming noticed by record labels.
“It’s amazing when you can
look around and see all of your
friends singing along to a song
that one of your best friends has cruited Dan Simons to play guitar on Purevolume. Soon their songs
reached number one on the site.
written,” said senior Caitlin Da- and sing.
They managed to save a few
vies.
When they managed to reAs one watches a band play cord a few songs they posted it dollars and release a small EP
their way down the
highway to success
they find that they
either have great success or slowly die out,
but for bands such as
Just Surrender, there is
no dying out in sight.
Whoever thought
that a small local band
that started out on the
streets of upstate New
York would find themselves making their
way across the country on tour promoting
their debut album?
Just surrender got
its start in 2003 when
band members Andy
Meunier, Jason Maffucci, and Steve Miller started a high school Band members Jason Maffucci, Steve Miller and Dan Simons of New York-based band Just
are shown rocking out at the Grog Shop in Cleveland, Ohio.
band. They soon re- Surrender
PHOTO BY DANIEL RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY
Change of path for MySpace
A Change of Pace
BY BRADLEY MUELLER
Most high school seniors
spend a lot of their time contemplating college and career
decisions. For a lucky few,
there is nothing to think about.
The Arizona band ,A
Change of Pace, is rocking
their way out of a Phoenix suburb with the help of Immortal
Records.
Band members Torry Jasper (vocals/guitar), Jonathan
Kelly (drums), Johnny Abdullah (bass/vocals), and Adam
Rodgers (guitarist), are graduating high school, and music is
the only thing on their mind.
“It’s kind of uncanny, isn’t
it?” asked the lead singer Torry
Jasper about their youth.
Their music is not to be
discredited because of their
age, however. Being young,
their music is full of energy
and emotion, which fuels their
forceful lyrics and hardcore
style. Being young is also
beneficial because they are still
living through the experiences
that influence them, allowing
for easy relation and the potential for substantial change.
Many of ACOP’s songs
deal with hardships every high
schooler goes through, mainly
with relationships. Songs like
“Loose Lips Sink Ships” and
“A Farewell to a Friendship”
deal with betrayal, something
Jasper has dealt with a lot.
Although these musicians
may not be the average teenagers, deep down they are the
same as anyone else.
To check out A Change of
Pace and some of their music,
go to www.
achangeofpacemusic.
com, or you
can pick up
their freshman album
An
Offer
You Can’t
Refuse in
stores.
Torry Jasper,
Jonathan
Kelly, Johnny
Abdullah, and
Adam Rodgers, band
members of
A Change of
Pace, pose for
a promotional photo
for their new
album An Offer You Can’t
Refuse.
PHOTO COURTESY OF www.
achangeofpacemusic.com
Continued from Page 1
they need to watch their favorite
band play on their screen.
MySpace mostly attracts teens
for many reasons, including the
fact that it is today’s teenagers
that have grown up with the internet.
For many people, it is hard to
imagine how people can spend
hours of time exploring a virtual
world while sitting in a seat.
So what exactly do people do
on MySpace for hours on end?
Most spend their time constantly
updating their profile, writing
about themselves, putting in more
music or pictures, or just jumping
from person to person, searching the intricate web made by the
connection of friends.
Many parents are against letting their children have an account on MySpace because of
the abundant amount of personal
information typically displayed
and the fear of meeting up with
untrustworthy strangers. While
this is true, the users have options
available to protect themselves
from these threats.
Such options include privacy
settings and the restriction of
messaging to and from people on
your friend list only. This helps
prevent internet sex crimes, which
represent a mere 1% of all sex
crimes against children, although
the number is growing along with
the web.
Also, profiles are randomly
scanned to prevent any pornography displayed or hate icons. Profanity, however, is not restricted.
Anyone under the age of
14 is not allowed to join, and if
MySpace discovers that someone
is under 14, their profile is immediately deleted.
For further safety information, visit http://www.myspace.
com/misc/safetytips.html for tips
and information about the risks of
roaming the web.
Even with some of MySpace’s
security, some people do not feel
comfortable with it.
“I have one, but I use it for my
friends only, stated senior Kristen Stallman.
5
produced by John Naclerio who
has worked with Brand New,
Senses Fail , and My Chemical
Romance.
Success with bands is slim and
not many can make it big, but Just
Surrender is well on its way. With
their power punk sound, real-life
inspired lyrics and incredible
stage presence, success is knocking on their door.
They have already made appearances on MTV’s “You Hear
It First” section and have a song
on the Wolf Creek soundtrack.
Their debut album If These Streets
Could Talk can be found in stores
now.
Most local bands only dream
of having the kind of success that
Just Surrender has encountered so
far, as they are gaining more and
more fans along their tour. Hopefully their journey down the road
to stardom treats them well as
they headline more venues across
the country.
“It’s weird to know that complete strangers can find out so
much about you so quickly,” added junior Julie Shaffer.
Like everything else on the
web, it is your choice to use, but
use it at your own risk.
MySpace has profiles open to the general public, along with a MySpace Music section. Here is Relient K’s profile, with a music player to sample their music.
PHOTO COURTESY OF www.myspace.com
6
Picture Page
January 2006
Intramural
Basketball
2.
1.
BY NICK JACK
It is that time of year again. The intramural basketball season has
started out with a bang, as the teams played their first three games
before break. In the older age group, there are still a few undefeated
teams left. Team Mary Mo, the champions of the younger division just
a year ago, and Team Hinote are both 3-0.
“Playing for Team Mary Mo is probably the greatest thing that has
ever happened to me. There is no greater feeling than to show up on
Saturday mornings and play some good old basketball with my buddies. I just hope we can win another championship like we did last
year because I was probably the most proud I have ever been,” said
junior Dan “Danny Boy”.
The third undefeated team is Team Silky Smooth. What might be
the biggest surprise this year in the older division is the 1-2 record held
by Team Money Maker. Team Money Maker was the champion of the
lower division two years ago. They missed out last year because they
did not turn their roster in on time. Another surprise team this year is
Team Hop Skip.
In the younger divison, Team Firis, a team full of junior guys, has
taken control. They have five very decisive victories over their opponents and it does not seem that anyone will be able to stop them.
Unless, of course, they are beaten by one of the other two undefeated
teams which are Teams Russell and Szabo.
There is a new referee in the league as well, and he has done a good
job so far. The new referee is Mr. Yaggi, and he has taken control of
what may have been problems later on. He is not afraid to call a technical every now and then. The intramural league is under great control by
Mr. Madigan, Mr. Robinson, and the many other teachers who make it
possible for the students to play on Saturday mornings.
3.
5.
4.
6.
8.
1. Senior Phil throws one down during warm ups in the new gym.
2. Intramural referee and new varsity baseball head coach Mr. Madigan poses for a
quick picture before he tosses the jump ball.
3. Jimmy, a junior, shows his love for the NBA in the 70’s and probably could have
landed himself a spot on the dess code picture page with this picture.
4. Team Rough Riders player Ari goes up for a lay-up as she gets the “and-one”
call.
5. Freshman John shows good defense while guarding an intramural foe.
6. Team Mary Mo’s leading scorer off the bench strikes a pose while his team
hands it to Team Troop.
7. Senior Tyler shows perfect form as he drains a three pointer in his early morning game.
8. Tyler, a freshman, posts up down low while he waits on the ball.
7.
Picture Page
D DGEBALL
January 2006
1.
7
2.
BY DAN GRASSELL
In the past year, the sport of dodgeball has become the new,
popular thing. After the Ben Stiller movie Dodgeball, the sport is no
longer just a game you play in gym class. Leagues at Pinnacle Sports
Complex have opened, and a large amount of people of all ages have
joined the dodgeball craze.
There has been so much interest in this new fad that our school has
decided to host a tournament to raise money for The Salvation Army
Energy Assistance Program.
Each year, the freshman and sophomore classes have a project to
raise money. This year they decided to have a dodgeball tournament.
“It was a great way to give money and a lot of fun to be at and watch.”
said freshman class president Sarah Fortner.
Another idea to raise money was to sell pizza. The Student Council
will be selling pizza on the way out of the gym for $1.00 per slice. This
has raised a great amount of money for the Salvation Army. Many
teams have signed up for the price of $10.00 per team member.
Team Mean Girls player Olivia Kormushoff said, “So far this has
been so fun! I love being on this team with all of my girls.”
There are only three teams left in the grueling tournament: Misfit
Toys, Silent Assassins, and The Dynasty. The tournament is going to
end with a championship game at the end of school in the gym on February 1. The championship game will be played, and the winner will
play the team of teachers.
Not only is dodgeball fun to play at school, but the leagues at Pinnacle Sports Complex have become very popular. Many of the students who are participating in the dodgeball tournament at our school
also play on a team at Pinnacle against other high school teams. One
of these teams, Misfit Toys, just recently represented Wadsworth well
and placed 3rd in a national dodgeball tournament in Chicago.
4.
3.
6.
5.
8.
7.
1. Mr. Yaggi prepares to fire a dodgeball at the opposing team with a mean grimace on his
face.
2. Teams from the Pinnacle dodgeball league race to collect the dodgeballs at the beginning of
a weeknight match.
3. Yet another dodgeball team from Pinnacle prepares to start a dodgeball match while one of
their players gets hit in the face with a false start by the other team.
4. Team Brass Balls and Team Mean Girls face off during winter break in the school dodgeball tournament.
5. A line of dodgeballs awaits the begining of a fierce dodgeball match at Pinnacle.
6. Team Mean Girls has a pep talk to get pumped up for their tournament match.
7. Team Misfit Toys is a school favorite among the dodgeball teams entered in the school
fundraising tournament.
8. A team full of teachers takes on a team of students over winter break.
Information from Student Council
Assembly- Feb. 1
Collecting loose change for Salvation Army
Pizza will be sold
The winning team may play a team of teachers
8
Features
January 2006
Winning hand scores McPeek dream voyage
BY CLAIRE DAVIS
Sweat, toil, consistency,
and luck have finally paid off
for former WHS student Brian
McPeek. McPeek, a member
of the popular online website
Pokerstars, recently won a
poker tournament along with
an all expenses paid trip to the
five-star Atlantis resort in the
Bahamas to compete in yet
another tournament. While
many Pokerstars users play
for fun or to learn the game,
McPeek considers Pokerstars
a hobby and is rapidly becoming an expert. However, even
his knowledge of the game
and surprising luck could not
prepare him for the excitement of winning this exclusive tournament.
McPeek, a sophomore at
Case Western Reserve University, is a frequent poker
player, spending about 30 to
50 hours a week playing. He
started off playing $.25 buyin games with his friends and
then advanced to the World
Wide Web of poker at Pokerstars.com. When he is not
studying, he is earning some
extra cash and furthering his
skills in poker.
“The thrill of the game
makes it worth playing,” said
McPeek.
When McPeek entered the
2006 Caribbean Adventure tournament in January, he had no idea that
he would actually win a
trip to the Bahamas. He
had entered many tournaments like this before
and never had the luck to
win. After 10 hours and
many frustrating hands,
McPeek got lucky with
a hand of a jack and an
eight.
“When I realized that
I won, I immediately
called all my friends even
though it was 6 in the
morning,” said McPeek.
This exclusive trip
includes two free plane
tickets, a room accom- While many people staying at this five-star hotel will be vacationing, Brian McPeek will be
modating four at the five- playing in a poker tournament here for free. PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.ATLANTIS.COM/FLASH.ASPX
star Atlantis resort, all
meals paid for, and $1,000 in mis- quently watches on television on
Many Pokerstars players
cellaneous expenses. The Atlantis The World Poker Tour.
throughout our school look up to
resort is known for its water slides,
“I hope to meet Phil Hellmuth McPeek as he voyages across the
massive indoor fishing tanks, sooth- and maybe even play at the same sea to play in such a prestigious
ing spas, and sandy beaches. Rooms table as him,” said McPeek.
tournament. Not many people
there usually run for $370 or more
While some consider playing have the chance to travel and have
a night. The trip also allows him a poker dangerous, McPeek sees it Pokerstars pay for it. McPeek has
$8,000 buy in to the tournament. as a fun card game where he can the chance to win a large sum of
McPeek’s parents and three of his earn a little extra cash. Some be- money, and he will get free Pokfriends will be joining him on this lieve that playing poker too much erstars gear. Even if he does not
once in a lifetime trip.
will cause one to go bankrupt, but come out on top, the experience
While trying to earn himself a the tournament buy in is free for will certainly help him in future
top spot at the Bahamas tournament, McPeek. Also, he entered the on- poker tournaments. Moreover,
McPeek will also have the chance to line tournament for free because he will never forget the time he
meet and play against professional he accumulated enough frequent played with professional poker
poker players. He is excited to actu- player points. Moreover, McPeek players in the Bahamas in an
ally see these players that he so fre- is still in school.
$8,000 tournament.
January
Female
Student of the
Month
Danielle
Favorite teachers:
Mr. Schmeltzer, Sr. and
Mr. Callaghan
Favorite subject:
AP Chemistry
Favorite quote: “I realize what life’s all about:
it’s hanging on when
your heart has had
enough; it’s giving more
when you feel like
giving up.”
January
Male
Student of the
Month
Boring city in need of improvements
BY AARON F. MUELLER
The stretch between the holiday season and the spring is often
the most boring time of the year
in terms of available activities.
Not many students will disagree that Wadsworth can be a
boring place to live. With the
uniquely inconsistent weather
patterns of Northeast Ohio, it
can even be difficult to find a day
where there is enough snow to go
to Boston Mills. This stint of the
winter leaves many people experiencing the doldrums.
In Wadsworth, there are only
a few things to do outside of
school. Applebee’s makes for
a decent place to be, especially
during happy hour, yet it is often
overly crowded on the weekends.
However, it appears more restaurants will be opening in the near
future.
Steiner Youth Center is way
past its prime. Built in the seventies, the city is in desperate need
of a new recreation center. Sure,
there is a nice indoor swimming
pool, but the basketball court is a
joke. Open gym for high schoolers is only from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and the single gymnasium
is usually packed with people.
Last, there is a movie theater,
which has reasonable prices but
only two screens. The selection
is very limited. Clearly, Wadsworth’s population is growing
faster then the available entertainment. Sadly, some students
have even resorted to roaming the
aisles of Wal-Mart on the weekends.
Increases in drug and alcohol
use by teenagers could also be
partially blamed on the fact that
there are very few other healthy
and fun things to do. With just
a few more available activities,
many kids would be kept out of
trouble.
Currently, there is a plan for an
outdoor skate park to be built in
town, which is a good thing for
many people. However, a problem remains; there still would
not be anything to do during the
months of January, February, and
March, notoriously the most boring time of the year.
If the city’s teen population
had a larger say in what was built,
things would surely be different.
Wadsworth would almost certainly welcome a quality place to go
ice skating. With the area’s weather climate, it is surprising hockey
is not a more popular sport. Perhaps if the city provided a place
to skate, more people would get
into it.
Another healthy activity would
be basketball. Many believe the
Wadsworth community would
support a nice new athletic complex. Since the high school does
not have open gym sessions for
people to play ball, at least three
new courts would be put to good
use.
“Wadsworth is in dire need of
a great book store. I would spend
so much time and money there,”
said senior Sarah Hutnik.
Hutnik is not alone in her belief that something similar to
Barnes and Noble would also be
a great addition.
Senior Z. R. Goodson put
thought to the question and ended
up deciding that, “Wadsworth
would be much better if there
was an indoor fishing facility so
I could work on my casting skills
all year-round.”
Students’ ideas truly are endless, and with every expressed
opinion there is hope that the city
council will eventually take action.
“It is unfortunate that by the
time anything happens most of
us will have gone to college, but
I still hope some cool new things
get built. A few more places to get
Polar Pops would be nice,” said
senior Brooke Thomas.
While students’ dream additions to the city may or may not
come true, everyone must make
due with what they have. Undoubtedly, Wadsworth is home
to many nice things, but there is
always room for improvement.
As the city grows larger with
more homes and businesses,
sooner or later new means of
entertainment will have to be
built. Maybe, just maybe, those
in charge will use some of these
ideas.
Justin
Favorite teacher:
Mr. Schmeltzer, Sr.
Favorite subject:
AP Chemistry and
Honors Analytical
Physics
Plans after
graduation: Attend
The Ohio State
University
Random Facts
~ The first can opener was invented 48 years after the can.
~ Over 10,000 birds a year die
from smashing into windows.
~ It costs about 3 cents to
make a $1 bill in the United
States.
~ If you unfolded your brain, it
would cover an ironing board.
~ Donkeys kill more people
annually than plane crashes.
~ During your lifetime, you’ll
eat about 60,000 pounds of
food. That’s the weight of
about 6 elephants.
~ 9 out of 10 lightning struck
victims survive.
Variety
January 2006
Junk of the Month
BY KATY WILSON
Senior Lydia sits on top of her Ford Ranger. Although Lydia is quiet and reserved, her truck can be heard and seen by all.
PHOTO BY KATY WILSON
School board welcomes
new member Scott Brewer
BY KATY WILSON
Last November, the citizens of
Wadsworth voted in Scott Brewer
to replace long time member and
recent retiree Robert Derhammer. Brewer took the oath of office during the board meeting on
January 9.
Brewer is currently serving as
the Secretary on the Board of Directors for the Wadsworth Rotary
Club. He is also a member of the
Medina County Bar Association,
the Akron Bar Association, and
the Ohio State Bar Association.
Outside of the many associations and boards he serves
on, Brewer is a local practicing
attorney. He received his under
graduate and law degrees from
the University of Akron and currently has his office located in
downtown Wadsworth.
Brewer also serves as a loyal
husband and caring father. He
graduated from Wadsworth, as
well as his wife Connie. Together
they have four daughters who are
enrolled in the Wadsworth City
School System. With two daughters at the high school, one at the
junior high school, and one at
Overlook he sees the school system in many lights, allowing him
to be a part of the school board
that affects each one of his children.
If you see Mr. Brewer in the
hallway, make sure you give him
a welcoming smile.
Wadsworth High School
Marketing Education
“Learn to earn and earn to learn”
While some people drive cars
that reflect their personalities,
Lydia and her 1990 Ford Ranger
are a pair of opposites.
Although Lydia is quiet and
shy, her muffler can be heard
from a mile away.
“I have the loudest muffler
ever!” exclaimed Lydia “If I step
on the gas even a little bit you can
hear it.”
Opposites do not necessarily
attract; some just get stuck with
what they have been given. Lydia’s first choice of cars obviously
was not her noisy truck.
“I needed something cheap
that ran,” stated Lydia. “I had a
stick shift, but after running into
the garage door and a parked car,
we decided that I needed an automatic.”
And an automatic is just what
she received; an automatic headache that would soon make her
well known around school.
“It has so many things wrong
with it,” Lydia added. “Half of
my muffler is missing; the pas-
9
senger’s side door does not open,
and to get the radio to work, you
have to slam the driver’s side
door shut, and it still randomly
turns off.”
When you see Lydia in the
halls, she is usually well outfitted. Her car, however, is a different story. The first appearance
one might get when he observes
Lydia’s Ranger is quite shocking
and comical.
“I dislike the fact that there is
a ‘grill’ in the front; it looks so
ugly!” Lydia exclaimed.
But that is not all that Lydia
says makes her car a piece of
junk.
“ I got hit in the back area, but
since my car is so junky, I told
the person not to worry about it,
because it just blends in with the
rest of my car,” said Lydia.
Although Lydia’s Ranger is
not her first choice, it sure allows
her to be known by many at the
high school. This Ranger has a
personality that allows Lydia to
show her wild side and be heard
on and off the streets, without
having to say a single word.
Step towards success
Band continues to improve with new style of music
BY KRISTI HAVENS
Music is something that everyone has in common. Taste in
music may vary from person to
person. However, hearing the superior sound put out by our own
band is something that can be enjoyed by everyone.
The band at Wadsworth has
long been recognized for their
musical excellence. Over the past
few years there have been personnel changes. Mr. Hadgis and Mr.
Foster, the high school and middle school band directors, have
respectively teamed up to develop
outstanding talent. Not only have
these men won the respect of the
band members, but they have also
been recognized on an even bigger level.
“I have a lot of respect for the
directors because they know what
they’re doing and care enough
about the music and our achievement to push us to excel,” said
junior Kristian Doty.
Band students not only devote time out of their school day
to practice with the band, but the
students also have to work hard
in their own private time to be as
excellent as they truly are. In fact,
they have to work even harder because Hadgis has been challenging them with more difficult selections of music. The band has
risen to meet his demands and
their hard work has been rewarded with an opportunity to play at
several prestigious events.
In the past month, the band
performed at the Ohio Band Directors Conference. An honorable composer flew in from North
Carolina to help prepare the band
for their successful performance.
The band has been invited to
play at the Ohio Music Educators Professional Conference
on Thursday, January 26 at 4:45
p.m.
“Only the best performing ensembles throughout the state are
selected through a blind, taped
audition to perform there,” said
Hadgis.
The Symphonic and Concert
bands have been selected to perform at the Severance Hall at
Case Western Reserve University
Invitational on Sunday, January
29 at 3:00 p.m. This is one of the
premier performance halls in the
nation.
“It gives all of our high school
band students a once-in-a-lifetime
chance to play where some of the
world’s most famous musicians
have played,” said Hadgis.
This year the band has stepped
it up a level. They are trying to
recreate their performances to
entertain a crowd while playing
more upbeat styles of music. The
change of style has motivated the
students to excel. Not only does
it motivate the band, but the variety of music and performance has
made the crowds look forward to
watching what the band’s next
move will be.
Not all band members will
play their instruments after high
school, but the appreciation and
enjoyment of music will stay with
them forever. Band is a process
that never stops from 5th grade
on. Playing an instrument is one
of the few things you can do for a
long time. Almost all good things
come from hard work. The hard
effort from the band students and
directors have made the program
a success.
The Pep Band rallies the crowd during the boys basketball game.
PHOTO BY NICK JACK
10
News
January 2006
From your
principal
Welcome to 2006!! As
usual, the school year is flying
by. January is typically a time
for resolutions; I wonder if
our students have made any
resolutions. Hopefully, all
students will try to improve
their grades in the New Year. I
would also hope each student
would embrace the Pay It
Forward concept. Make a deal
with yourself to compliment
someone today. If we all do
this we will make Wadsworth
High School an even better
place to learn.
Congratulations to all our
students who are involved in
the various activities offered
at Wadsworth High School.
All of you continue to make
us proud through your performance and through the positive attitude you display at all
times. Remember: “It is easy
to win; it is the person who
loses with grace and dignity
that grows as a person.”
Until next month,
Go Grizzlies!!
Mr. Williams
Oddity takes new face in job market
BY COURTNEY HARRIS
Ever thought of pursuing a
job that’s a little out of the ordinary? Perhaps something along
the lines of a duckmaster or an
earthworm farmer would suit
your walk on the wild side. These
are just two of the many unusual jobs in the workplace today.
Although it seems that many
people take the typical route and
work at a company, there are more
people than you think that acquire
some very unusual jobs. Reasons
for taking these unusual occupations are not as uncommon as the
jobs themselves. Many begin to
work at these odd positions, such
as a fish counter, due to college
debt or dropping out of college.
Some people like Lowell
Queen enjoy their different lifestyle. Queen is, in a sense, a zookeeper for the afterlife. He owns
a pet cemetery outside of Abilene,
Texas. Many in this small town
believe he has always been a little different, which must be his
reason for taking such an odd
occupation. However, the real
reason is for his love of animals.
Another different lifestyle is
that of Jeffrey Glanzer. He performs plastic surgery on four
of the world’s largest patients
— the U.S. presidents featured
on Mt. Rushmore. Using a silicone sealant, he repairs the wear
and tear that has weathered the
forefathers since 1927. Repel-
ling against the enormous rock
sculpture requires not only skill
for chiseling away at the nose of
one of the most influential men
in America, but also being able
to hold a nice and steady position at 5700 feet above sea level.
Then there are those who
are genetically bestowed with
a skill in a more peculiar fashion. The highly-trained odor
judges test cat litter, diapers,
breath, feet, and even armpits
Some of the subjects are
the essential human components of otherwise automated
factories. They test everything
from eggs, beer, and potato
chips to tampons and condoms.
A testosterone filled occupation involves a man and a cannon. A human cannonball, shot
from a four metre, gun sends a
circus stunt man flying through
the air at speeds of up to 60 mph.
While these jobs are only
a few of the interesting lifestyles people have chosen,
there are plenty more to choose
from and more in the works.
Jeffery Glanzer performs his surgery
on Mt. Rushmore.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ODD JOBS
Top Odd
Jobs A to Z
A - Actor for haunted house
B - Bingo announcer
C - Clown for rodeos
D - Drawbridge tender
E - Eye glass buffer
F - Fingerprint analyzer
G - Glass sculptor
H - Hot rod builder
I - Interpreter for
government agency
J - Jelly doughnut filler
K - Karate instructor
L - Lifeguard at nude beach
M - Military role player
N - Note taker for
college students
O - Ocean scuba guide
P - Phone psychic
Q - Quiz writer
R - Rescue squad for pets
S - Stand-in bridesmaid
(for weddings where
the bride didn’t know
enough people)
T - Telemarketer for a
cemetery
U - Urinalysis observer
V - Voice-over specialist
for movies
W - Window washer for
skyscrapers
X - X-mas tree decorator
Y - Youth boot camp
instructor for juvenile
offenders
Z - Zoo artificial inseminator
Courtesy of Careerbuilder.com
Olympic Torch already on journey to games
Not only does the Olympic
Torch symbolize peace, allegiance, courage, fraternity, and
solidarity, but according to Greek
mythology, it also symbolizes the
sacred fire that Prometheus stole
from the gods. Soon after Prometheus brought this fire to Earth,
it became the symbol of human
reason, freedom, and creativity.
There is much more to the ceremonial part of the Olympics than
many people believe. Starting on
December 8, the torch began its
journey from the Quirinale Palace
in Rome and will continue on this
two month expedition to Torino,
Italy, where this year’s Olympic
Games will be held. During the
next few weeks, the torch will
pass over a distance of 11,000
kilometers through each province
of Italy and will change hands of
torchbearers 10,000 times.
Even though the games do not
begin until February 10, the torch
is already well on its way.
The design of the torch for the
2006 Torino Olympic Games is
based on the traditional wooden
torch.
However, because times have
changed, it has been redesigned to
fit modern times.
The Torino torch is different from past
Olympic torches
in that the entire
top portion is a
burning flame instead of the flame
rising only from a
hole on top.
The torch itself
is made of aluminum; however, the
inside is composed
of steel, copper, and
other components.
It uses a special kind
of paint to help resist
the harsh, unpredictable weather that
the Olympic Relay may encounter.
There are 10,000
torchbearers
that
carry 10,000 torches,
each burning for 15
minutes. No flame
can exceed ten centimeters in height and
no flame can ever
be relit. Each individul torch must
be 770 milimeters
in height, 105 milimeters in width,
and weigh 1.850
kilograms.
This year, the
2006 Olympic Winter Games’
emblem is displayed on the front
of the torch. Every aspect of this
emblem is symbolic in some respect.
At first glance it looks like a
mountain made of tiny crystals.
These blue crystals that make up
the mountain symbolize that one
place where the sky meets the
snow.
These crystals are also made
to resemble a web that is meant
to symbolize the new technologies and the continued spirit
of the Olympics in people all
throughout the world.
The ceremonial parts of the
Olympics, including the Olympic Torch Relay and the torch
itself, are very important aspects that are often times overlooked. These traditions are the
basis of the Olympic Games and
the spirit and traditions that follow them.
BY CODY STEIGERWALD
As some seniors may say,
“You can’t teach an old dog new
tricks.” However, $300,000
from Ohio, New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and
Michigan say otherwise.
Along with teenage volunteers senior citizens are being
taught computer and job skills,
bridging the so called digital
divide. For those in Ohio, our
school is one of 15 locations
where this wonderful and necessary service is provided.
Dave Carter, one of many
eager volunteers, says: “I had
a good time helping the elderly in the computer classes.
They’re always polite and fun
to talk to. Even though they
aren’t the most technologically
adept, the senior citizens are
very conversational and great
to work with.”
Wadsworth has had a growing senior citizen population.
Due to problems with medications and Social Security, many
have been forced to come out
of retirement just to make ends
meet.
Sadly, they nearly all lack
the computer skills to be competitive in any job field, except
for menial labor. We as children and grandchildren owe a
great debt to this great generation, a debt of gratitude.
News Briefs
•
•
•
•
The country celebrated
the life and dream of
Martin Luther King Jr. 38
years after his death.
William Henry Gates III
is still the richest man in
the world with a net worth
of $43 billion, according
to Forbes 400.
The H5N1 avian flu virus
is spreading slowly but
surely, with a total casualty count of 140 as of
January 1.
Christopher Walken has
declared that he will
cast his candidacy for
president in 2008. Visit
his official web site to
learn more: http://www.
walken2008.com/index.
html.
The 20
06 Torin
o Olym
pic Tor
ch
BY ROCHELLE O’NEIL
Juniors help
senior citizens
The first torchbearer, Greek athlete Costas Fillipidis, starts the Olympic Relay in
Olympia, Greece. PHOTOS COURTESY OF WWW.OLYMPIC.ORG
Ads
January 2006
11
Sports 1
January 2006
12
Otanicar receives Academic All-American Award
Star senior stunned by award, thanks those around him
who helped him succeed in athletics and school
BY ZACHARY BERGER
Senior soccer standout Otanicar has recently been awarded
with the Academic All-American
Award. This means that Otanicar is not only an amazing soccer
player but an outstanding student
as well. This award is not common either, as only 33 people
in the whole entire country are
awarded it. He was one of 2 people in Ohio to receive it, and the
only soccer player to receive the
award in WHS history.
“I feel stunned that I was even
considered, let alone chosen,”
Otanicar said. “It is a privilege to
receive such an honor.”
Otanicar gets to go to Philadelphia on January 21st. There
he will receive his official award.
He is also going to receive free
soccer equipment from Adidas.
Helping Otanicar apply for this
great award was varsity soccer
coach and economics teacher
John Johnson. He helped Otanicar by calling the coaches that
decide who receives the award.
Without Johnson’s knowledge of
the possible award, he would not
be in the position he is today.
“Johnson has helped me realize what potential I have to win
the award. He let me know all the
details and how I was a perfect
qualifier for it,” said Otanicar.
Otanicar has had to work very
hard over the period of four years
to achieve the award. Maintaining a 3.75 grade point average
over the course of four years,
along with exhibiting excellence
in soccer are the qualifications
for the award. Otanicar shined in
both of these categories, and was
overqualified for the honor.
“I filled out the paper work,
and arranged for his parents to
sign the paper work so he could
be nominated. It really was no
huge effort on my part. Otanicar
did all the work through what he
accomplished as a student-athlete,” said Johnson.
Otanicar attributes his success not only to his coach, but
also his parents and family members. With the support of these
fine people, he has been able to
believe in himself and do great
things throughout his career.
“My family has always believed in me,” says Otanicar.
“They have always kept me motivated to excel in both athletics
and in the classroom.”
“Otanicar was a captain who
led by example. He led the team
by the way he played and effort
he demonstrated throughout the
year,” said Johnson.
He is a role model to all students who want to achieve great
things in life, and has proved this
through his hard work and dedication to being the best.
Senior Soccer Captain Otanicar dribbles the ball down the field. Otanicar was
awarded an Academic All-American Award, making him one of only 33 other recipients in the nation. PHOTO COURTESY OF OTANICAR
Marygrove.
At the final buzzer of the
game, Andreasen had racked up
26 points, a college career-high
for her. This junior forward also
tied her career-high of nine rebounds. In the following game,
she helped the team to victory
with 15 points, seven rebounds,
and four assists. The team beat
Marygrove 92-73.
Andreasen is having a great
and successful season, averaging
12 points and five rebounds per
game. Her rebounding ability has
her behind only one other teammate in season total rebounds.
In addition to Ohio Northern,
Walsh University is benefitting
from Wadsworth alumna, Abby
Swope. She graduated in 2004
having lettered in soccer.
She plays midfielder for the
Lady Cavaliers, and she is a sophomore on the team. She received
honorable mention on the 2005
National Association of Intercol-
legiate Athletics (NAIA) Women’s Soccer All-American team.
Swope was also named First
Team Region IX and First Team
All-American Mideast Conference South Division.
At the end of her season,
Swope was second on the team
in total points and goals with 34
points and 13 goals. She led the
Cavaliers in assists by having
eight.
The week of September 19,
2005, Swope was named NAIA
Player of the Week for the American Mideast Conference. That
week she had four goals and two
assists.
Swope also received honors
that were personal to her team at
Walsh. She was recognized as the
2005 Outstanding Player on the
women’s soccer team. Moreover,
based upon her athletic perfor-
Alumnae pursue collegiate athletics, skills
BY SHELLY ANDERSON
Countless
graduates
of
Wadsworth have gone on to take
part in college-level athletics.
Athletes have participated and are
currently participating in sports
from Division I level to Division
III. Two female alumnae have
continued to improve in their particular sport and have received
recognition.
Danielle Andreasen graduated in 2003 with athletic letters
in both basketball and volleyball.
She is currently a member of the
basketball team at Ohio Northern
University. She has been named
the Ohio Athletic Conference
women’s basketball Player of the
Week for the week of December
19.
Andreasen also was picked to
participate on the All-Tournament
Team after playing an outstanding game and helping lead her
team to victory against Berea and
Name: Chrissy
Sport: Basketball
Season Highlight: We all worked
together as a team and closed the
Copley game in overtime.
Advice to other athletes:
To be successful, you must work hard.
Practice makes permanent.
CAN’T GET ENOUGH DODGEBALL???
Then come join us for our session II of dodgeball! Think your team is
ready to go toe to toe with former Wadsworth dodgeball champs like The
Misfit Toys and The Dynasty? Then call today, and join one of our many
exciting and fast paced leagues
330-239-0616
OR
Inquire with juniors Aimey Reynolds, Garrett Wienecke,
Nate Miska, or Tommy Kaminski
Name: Derek
Sport: Wrestling (Currently 24-2)
Season Highlight:
Winning the GIT for the second year
in a row.
Advice to other athletes:
No matter how many obstacles you run
into, still come back and train harder
the next day.
mance and leadership qualities,
Swope has been voted captain of
the team for the 2006 season this
upcoming fall.
Wadsworth had its own luck
by having Andreasen and Swope
participate on its volleyball, basketball, and soccer teams. Now,
both have gone on to impress
and improve. Ohio Northern and
Walsh are benefitting from these
two top athletes.
Sports 2
Sports
Briefs
Wrestling
This year’s team is off to
a strong start. With a record
of 12-2, the Grizzlies look to
once again capture the SLT.
For the 11th time in 20 years
the team captured the title
at the Grizzly Invitational
Tournament. More recently
they took fourth in the State
Duals, losing to the secondranked team in the nation, St.
Edward. Derek Foore, Dru
Jones, and Dave Crowley
are leading the way for the
Grizzlies, with each of them
having at least 20 wins this
season.
Boys Basketball
Starting of this year’s season with a very difficult December schedule, the Grizzlies are in a slump with a
4-8 record. They are looking
to improve in the next couple
of weeks and put together a
successful season. Leading
the way for the Grizzlies are
senior captains Aaron Capps
and Zach Farver.
Girls Basketball
This year’s girls basketball team is again dominating
the Suburban League. Starting off with a league record
of 7-0 and an overall record
of 10-2, the girls look to
make another playoff appearance. The girls team recently
beat Lakota West, ranked 9th
in the state. They even beat
defending State Champions
Dayton Chaminade-Julienne.
Cassie Schrock and Jen Uhl
are leading the team and Suburban League with points.
Girls Swimming
The girls swim team this
year has finished up its regular season with a 6-4 record.
The girls continue to improve
and are heading to the Suburban League Meet. Senior
Tara Leahy, junior Jill Moskowitz, and Mary Cargill are
continuing to push the team
to another successful season.
Boys Swimming
The boys swim team finished its regular season undefeated at 10-0. The boys are
looking to capture the SLT at
the Suburban League Meet.
They have recently came off
with a win over defending
SLT champion Copley. Logan Ware also broke the 22year-old record for the 500
yard freestyle.
January 2006
13
Team chemistry leads gymnasts to 6-0 start
BY ALLI MACKO
Watch your step, you might fall
trying to do what they do. Whether it be tumbling across a 4” balance beam or twirling around two
uneven bars, these girls dedicate
their whole lives to the game, all
because of the love for the sport.
Though gymnastics is not the
most popular sport, it definitely is
one of the most demanding sports.
Many gymnasts start their career
when they are three and four years
old. They receive the basics at this
young age such as becoming flexible, gaining muscle, and learning
the right eating habits and training
schedules.
“Well, we all have different
summer schedules, but basically
they are the same. For me there
has never been an off season due
to club. It usually is five days a
week and at least four hours a
day,” said senior Chelsea Sir Louis.
The girls have a very strict
schedule they have to follow.
Most of them work as a team
three days after school and then
the other two days they go up to a
club team. On average they have
about one meet a week and the
rest of the days are practice days.
Already halfway through the
season, this team is still undefeated. Many of the gymnasts stated
the season has started out well
and hope to finish up even stronger then they started. Though
struggling through many different
injuries with a couple of the girls,
this team still believes they have a
shot at going to State.
“We just have such strong team
chemistry! We’ve bonded well
together, which adds a positive attitude, which in return determines
altitude,” said sophomore Rachel
Hudson.
“Whether it be team practices
or Fazolies for dinner after meets,
we all love each others company.”
Not only does this team have
the talent and dedication to make
it to the top, now they have the
equipment also.
“This year we received a real
Girls gymnasts stand together as a team to get to the top together.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PERFECT PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY.
spring floor for our home meets.
It is way better then the old wrestling mats that we had to use before,” said Hudson.
Flexibility and tumbling aren’t
the only skills you need to be a
gymnast.
“To be the best gymnast you
can be, you have to develop hab-
its such as dedication, strength,
ambition, and physical and mental awareness,” said Sir Louis.
So as you can see, it seems
you can not wake up one day
and decide you want to become
a gymnast. It takes hours upon
hours and years upon years to get
to where these girls are today.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Present-day athletes in modern day sports lack significant qualities to excel in sports: passion, pride, and honor
OPINION BY CODY VALIANTE
I want to say something. I
am going to put it out there; if
you like it, you can take it, if
you do not, send it right back. I
think athletes need to pick it up.
Today athletes demand obscene amounts of money and
special privileges to satisfy
their high maintenance lifestyles. How the Romans must be
looking down on us in disgust.
Many Romans were gladiators; a person, usually a professional combatant, a captive, or a
slave, trained to entertain the public by engaging in mortal combat
with another person or a wild animal in the ancient Roman arena.
These gladiators would frequently struggle for their lives,
as they would battle amongst
each others to the death.
There were no high paychecks
involved, no special bonuses.
Just two men committing extraordinary effort, mental toughness, staying focused and executing, and being a little bit more
relentless then your opponent.
And at the end, your sole reward was standing on the sandy
grounds of the coliseum, looking up into the lights glowing down on you as thousands
began to chant your name.
Nowadays you cannot even
get a person to run a pass
route in the NFL for anything less than five million.
I mean, we are talking about
a controlled environment here;
referees are on the field for a
reason. There is no danger of
your life being taken. Yeah, you
might come across the occasional
tough guy that yells across the
line of scrimmage, “I’m going to
kill you!” But is he really going
to kill you? The answer is no.
“Sweet
Lincoln’s
mullet, gladiator fighting is far
more dangerous then the National
Football
League!”
said senior Aaron Mueller.
So step in there, run your route,
and catch the ball, and for everybody’s sake, shut your mouth.
Nobody wants to hear about
how rough you have it, or how if
you do not get your big signing
bonus, you will not be able to afford that brand new Lamborghini.
They do not want to hear about
the latest controversy on ESPN
about why a player suddenly
left camp because he did not
get the money he wanted or he
was not getting the ball enough.
People want to see effort; the
public want to see athlete’s backs
against the wall. They crave when
superstars are put in no win situations and they overcome adversity and conquer their goal and put
on a good show in the meanwhile.
And this is exactly what the
Romans demonstrated day in
and day out. When the going got
tough they got tougher. They did
not quit like many modern day
athletes do in today’s society.
Now, I am not here trying
to persuade anybody to bring
back gladiator fighting by any
means. I am against murder;
people died constantly; there
was only one survivor per show.
However, I am here to tell you
that I certainly do respect the admiration and the courage these
gladiators possessed. Many of
today’s athletes should, without
question, look into acquiring some
of these qualities. Rome, drink it
in; it always goes down smooth.
Russell Crowe depicts real-life gladiators in his blockbuster movie “Gladiator.”
Michael J. Boyer, D.P.M.
Podiatrist
Sports Medicine
119 Broad Street
Wadsworth, Ohio 44281
Phone: (330) 334-1534
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