February, 2005 - Findlay High School

what i like
friday, february 4, 2005
freshmankevindoty
This is a cool issue. Make sure you
check out the Grammy story on page
3. On page 4, the he’s just not that
into you story is creative and in sports
on page 8, the story about Freshman
Matt Alexander is awesome.
findlay high school • 1200 broad ave. • findlay, oh 45840
volume 78 • issue 4
bgweekend
White out
Winter snow storms
pound Hancock County
benwilliamsreporter
Wedding Date opens today in theaters
starring Debra Messing as a single
woman who hires Dermot Mulroney,
a male escort , to take her to her
sister’s wedding.
bgnewsbrief
FFE competes
at Teays Valley
benwilliamsreporter
7.5
Findlay First Edition(FFE), the
high school show choir, will
compete at Teays Valley High
School in Ashville, OH Saturday,
February 19.
They will be competing against
some of the top show choirs from
all over Ohio at Teays Valley.
“This is the first time that we
have gone to the Teays Valley
competition,” FFE Director J.D.
Smith said. “We try to add a new
competition every year, one that
goes well with our schedule and
includes many of the top show
choirs in it as well.”
Winterjam tour
comes to Toledo
caristeinerfeatureeditor
WinterJam Tour 2005 comes to
the University of Toledo’s Savage
Hall tomorrow at 6 p.m. for fans to
praise God through music.
Hosted by Christian Group
NewSong, other Christian groups
tobyMac, Rachel Lampa, Tait,
Matthew West and Building 429
will also be performing.
Admission is $10 and the doors
open at 5 p.m.
We the People win
state championship
katiewolfordnewseditor
Members of the AP (Advanced
Placement) Government class
were named state champs at the
“We the People, the Citizens and
the Constitution” state finals.
The contest is a mock congressional hearing. Students act as
expert witnesses on constitutional
issues and testify in front of judges.
“At the state competition, we
got really good experience
answering difficult questions,
using quick critical thinking skills
and our presentation skills, so
that we will be fully prepared for
nationals in Washington,” Senior
Elizabeth Miller said.
The team will represent Ohio at
the national finals in Washington
D.C. on April 29-May 3 .
bad weather
katiebrandeberryphotoeditor
Over the past two months more then 20 inches of snow have fallen in Hancock County but it may not
be the end of the bad weather this season. Junior Parker Alexander clears his driveway from snow.
go
figure
Hancock County
total snowfall
7.5
inches in
December
15
inches in
January
Weatherman thinks almanac’s predictions are unreliable
benwilliamsreporter
Over 20 inches of snow hit
Findlay in the past two months,
but according to the Farmer’s
Almanac we may be in for even
more snow then we have
already gotten throughout these
winter months.
The Farmer’s Almanac,
which is used to predict weather
cycles for the entire year by
taking into consideration the
weather and moon cycles,
benwilliamsreporter
katiewolfordnewseditor
bgextras
friday
weather
high: 38
low: 24
partly sunny
saturday
weather
high:38
low: 32
partly sunny
useless
information
over 50 million roses are given
each year on Valentine’s Day in
the United States.
claims that February could possibly
be another horrible month for more
fridgid winter weather.
“February is supposed to be
especially cold and snowy,” WFIN
Agribusiness Broadcaster Vaun
Wickerham said. “The average
temperature is going to be -very
much below the regular average for
this time of year.
“Also, we are supposed to get
three inches of precipitation, which
is equal to over 20 inches of snow.
The almanac also says that we are
supposed to get snow along with
quite a bit of freezing rain all
through the month, not just at
one or two points during the
month of February.”
Though many depend on the
Farmer’s Almanac for their
weather forecasts and
predictions, it may not be the
most reliable source.
“Long term weather forecasts
are always very hard to predict,”
WTOL Channel 11 Chief
Meteorologist Robert Sheils said.
“We do not use the Farmer’s
Almanc at all because they do not
use satellite imagery, physics and
science to produce their
predictions. They rely on the past,
and the weather is to unpredictable
to take a guess.
“The Farmer’s Almanac puts out
an entire years forecast at one time
in the year which is almost
impossible to predict.”
State qualifing speech tourneys begin tomorrow
Club raises money
for tsunami relief
Members of the International
Club raised over $300 for the
recent tsunami relief fund.
Students collected money and
donated it to the Red Cross to buy
items such as blankets, clothes
and food to help victims.
“Those people pretty much
have nothing and if we can give
just a little, it can really make a
difference for their recovery
process,” International Club
Member Ray Kenney said.
Damage from the recent
winter blasts will cost Hancock
county over $500,000 and may
not be cleaned up until as late as
the spring.
Snow storms that hit the
county during late December
and all of January caused most of
the damage throughout all of
Hancock County.
“There were a lot of problems
that came from the snow in
December,” Hancock County
Emergency Management Agency
Supervisor Gary Valentine said.
“When we got those eight to 10
inches of snow, there were so
many accidents from the bad
conditions on the roads, so many
of them had to be closed.”
Power problems also left 3,700
people without electricity all over
the County.
“When the freezing rain hit
during the early part of January,
it caused a lot of problems for us
as well,” Valentine said. “The
trees became so weighted
because of the ice that they were
breaking and taking out a large
number of power lines. This
problem left many people
without power for a few days
while all the city workers rushed
to fix all of the problems.”
After the December snow and
the storms in early January,
Hancock County was declared a
state of emergency by our
Governor, Bob Taft.
“We need a lot of time and
money so that we will be able to
rebound from these terrible
storms,” Valentine said. “We are
also working on getting a
presidential order for a federal
state of emergency so that we
can get federal aid and have
more time, because with winter
weather still coming and it may be
March or even April until we get all
of the damages cleaned up around
the whole city.”
Winter weather has made school
district personel work very hard to
clear up all the snow and ice from
every school around the district in
order to make sure that there are no
accidents or injuries.
“We have been working very
hard in the past few weeks with all
of the snow fall,” Facilities Director
Dennis McPheron said. “Whenever
we have had more than an inch we
have come in at 3 a.m. to plow the
high school and middle school
parking lots first and then work our
way to the elementary schools.
“The custodial crews have also
been working hard to clear the
sidewalks and steps so it will all be
clear before the schools start.”
What has caused these crews to
work overtime are wind storms
called clippers.
“These Alberta clippers form up
in Alberta, Canada,” Channel 13
Action News Meteorologist Jay
Berschback said. “They are very
low pressure and fast moving
storms that are fairly common
throughout the winter months.”
“What has been uncommon is
that we have had five of these
clippers in the past three weeks,”
Berschback said. “This means that
the jet stream, which is like a
highway for storms, hasn’t been
wiggling like it normally does. Also
clippers very rarely have snow,
usually it is one to three inches at
the most when they actually do
have any snow.
“These clippers have had
moisture coming up from the Gulf
of Mexico and a lot of energy in
their upper levels which has caused
them to produce more snow.”
seniorjessica rooney
Members of the speech and
debate teams will compete in
two district tournaments
starting this weekend.
The first tournament will
be the Ohio High School
Speech League (OHSSL)
tomorrow and the second is
the National Forensics
League(NFL) district February
18 and 19.
“The OHSSL district is a
smaller tournament that we go
to,” Speech and Debate Coach
Nancy Stephani said. “While
the NFL tournament is a larger
one that more people compete
in, we can send people to the
the state competition from both
of these tournaments.”
If team members finish in the
top six in their category they will
qualify for the state competition on
March 3, 4 and 5 in Sylvania.
“It is important for us to do well
at the district tournament so that
we can send people to the state
competition,” Senior Alexis Unger
said. “These two tournaments are
always tough for us, but if we work
hard and stay focused, then we will
be able to send those people to the
state competition.”
Dual presentations, such as
humorous and dramatic
interpretations, have been receiving
high scores and winning at the
competitions they have gone to.
“Our duos this year are very
strong. We have gotten very good
scores from all of the different
performances,” Stephani said.
“(Seniors) Julie and Jessica
Rooney have taken first place in
three of the competitions we
have gone to and we have
gotten very good scores
from Alexis Unger in
Dramatic Interpretation.”
The debate team is also
preparing for their
competitions by learning
and researching the topics
they will argue.
“They are given a new topic
every month so, they have to
learn both the pros and the
cons for it,” Stephani said.
“They have to be able to think
quick on their feet and not get
rattled easily.”
seniorjulie rooney
Board of education begins search for new superintendent
benwilliamsreporter
With current Superintendent
of Schools Robert Lotz retiring
at the end of July, the board of
education will begin to search
for his replacement.
The board of education will
start the process to find a new
superintendent before Lotz
leaves his post.
“We have discussed different
strategies on how to pick our
new superintendent,” Board of
Education President Marty
Rothey said. “We may do our
own independent search as a
board, or we could hire a
consultant or a consulting firm
to aid us in the process.
“We hope to have the new
superintendent hired by May so
they can be in by summer. That way
when Mr. Lotz leaves, the new
superintendent can begin to take
over immediately.”
Lotz actually retired from the
school district in 2001, but was
rehired because of a state law that
allows public employees to retire
and collect benefits and then be
rehired by the city or the state.
“It is time for a change, for both
the school district and for me,” Lotz
said. “The district will be starting its
new five year strategic plan next
school year and it will be good for
them to have a new superintendent
to see the new plan from a new and
a fresh perspective.
“I also had goals that I wanted
to complete before I retired,”
Lotz said “Those goals were to get
the levy passed and the district in
a decent financial position, to
finally have a direction on
facilities and what needs to be
done with them and to
implement a new way for
teachers to evaluate test scores
for proficiencies and also for
standardized tests.”
No longer having to deal with
the pressures of being the top
person in the school district, Lotz
will now have time for a couple of
new endeavors.
“There are a few things that I
will be working on,” Lotz said. “I
may do some work for the state
department of education helping
to train new superintendents and
workers, though it will not be
anything permanent.
“I am also looking forward to
taking some time off.”
Lotz’s resignation ends his 36year career in the education
department, in which he was
treasurer for the district for 20
years and superintendent for seven
of those years.
“He leaves a legacy of fiscal
responsibility and also of providing
the best educational opportunities
and high academic standards for
students.” Rothey said.
superintendent
bob lotz
2
viewpoints
blue & gold • friday, february 4, 2005
staffpolicy
Blue & Gold is a
monthly student
publication for the
students of Findlay High
School. Blue & Gold is a
public forum which is
funded by advertising.
lettersto theeditor
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.
Worrying about
everyday things
seems selfish
Inauguration
spending
ridiculous
kate vermillioneditorinchief
staffeditorial
Presidential inaugurations are
a part of tradition, but the
money spent for President
George Bush’s celebration is
outrageous and disgusting.
To celebrate his reelection, U.S.
corporations had a four day party
costing over $40 million. Within
contact us
these four days, there were
Blue & Gold
inaugural balls, candlelight
1200 Broad Avenue
dinners, receptions, a rock concert
Findlay, OH 45840
and many other festivities.
(419) 427-5474
The security for the events,
bluengold@hs.findlay.k12.oh.us
provided by the federal
staff editorials
government and District of
All editorials without a
Columbia, cost $20 million.
byline reflect at least
two/thirds opinion of
While the president was
the Blue & Gold staff
celebrating, people he sent to
but are not necessarily
defend freedom were risking their
the opinion of the
lives to support our country. Giving
administration.
about us
financial aid to the soldiers would
Blue & Gold is a
help open schools in Iraq, set up
member of Quill &
medical facilities and provide more
Scroll, the Columbia
artillery for the soldiers.
Scholastic Press
There could have been 26,000
Association, the
National Scholastic
protective vests and 200 Humvees
Press Association, and
purchased for U.S. soldiers in Iraq
the Great Lakes
and Afghanistan with the $40
Interscholastic Press
Association.
million spent on the inauguration.
Instead, the U.S. corporations’
theeditors
chose to spend the money on the
Kate Vermillion
lavish inauguration parties. Bush
editor in chief
should have encouraged the
Michelle Jastal
corporations to use that money
Dan Price
for other useful matters like the
co-sports editors
Katie Wolford war. Although $40 million couldn’t
news editor cover the cost of the war, it still
Cari Steiner would have helped our troops.
feature editor
Besides the war in Iraq, the
Katie Brandeberry Southeast Asia tsunami resulted
Aundrea Ely in 170,000 deaths and left
co-photo editors
thousands of families homeless.
Jessica Halliday While many celebrities and the
advertising editor
American people have donated
John Kapostasy millions of dollars to the relief
managing editor fund, the $40 million spent for the
Elizabeth Miller inauguration could have
copy editor definitely benefitted these people.
This money could assist the
Ben Williams
illustrationbyelisethayer
tsunami victims but the
corporations chose to spend their
money in a selfish way to stay in
Bush’s good graces.
These are only a few of the
many things that the money
could have been used for besides
the inauguration.
The president could have
followed the lead of Franklin D.
Roosevelt (FDR) in 1945. FDR
recognized that we were in a time
of war during World War II and
decided to not spend money on
inaugural parties. Instead, he used
the money for war time efforts.
reporter
Elise Thayer
artist
Rachel Doty
Hannah Fulton
Eric Himes
Troy Gwinn
Muriel Howard
Richele Reynolds
Megan Toubbeh
Emily Wright
Jeff Zellner
photographers
Jim McGonnell
adviser
With many Americans making
sacrifices daily, our country’s
leader could have suspended the
lavish celebrations and funneled
those dollars where it would have
been necessary. Although the war
we’re in right now isn’t as severe as
past wars, $40 million could have
been used elsewhere.
Bush enjoyed his celebrations,
but hopefully the corporations
who donated the money for his
inauguration realize how much
the tsunami victims and the
American soldiers could have
used that financial aid.
My name’s Kate Vermillion and I have
an addiction.
My addiction doesn’t involve drugs,
sex or alcohol but it involves the obsession of worrying.
Worrying isn’t a common addiction but
it has become a
problem of mine that
can sometimes be
taken to the extreme.
It isn’t bad to worry
but it is the things that
I worry about that is
the problem.
The sad thing is, I’m not alone.
I walk through the walls and sit in my
classes listening to teens talk about their
problems with their boyfriends or how
they’re so overloaded with homework.
The recent snow storm that hit Findlay
over Christmas break was a thing my
whole family worried about and the whole
town seemed to be at the grocery store
stocking up for a soon-to-be disaster.
While we were worrying about the
snow, a tsunami hit the coast of Southeast
Asia leaving over 150,000 people dead,
others looking for missing family members
and countries full of fear and pain.
Every news station showed clips of
people being overtaken by the tsunami
and the suffering that was the result of this
tragedy. After turning the channel to
another news program a few minutes later,
the number of deaths had risen and more
horrible stories were aired.
After hearing these terrible reports, I
realized how selfish I am.
Is it really worth worrying about the
pointless things we do, like how much
homework we have or our busy schedules
when disasters like this are going on in
other parts of the world?
Even though this doesn’t directly affect
us, horrific things like this are what we
should be worrying about. Boyfriends
being mad at you or being upset over a
disagreement with a friend doesn’t come
close to comparing to people losing their
lives for something they couldn’t control.
I may have an addiction with worrying,
but I can choose to feel uneasy about
things that really matter.
Today, take a chance to remember and
even worry about someone other than
yourself and consider whether or not
you’re stressing over things that are
important. By taking time to think about
someone else, you may be surprised at
how worthwhile worrying really is.
Seniors need
Graduate, soldier thanks students, teachers for generosity to grow up
bg’sgotmail
deareditor,
deareditor,
I want to take this opportunity to thank
all of you for the nice letters that you took
the time to write me. Since I had the great
privilege of not only having Mrs. Gannon
once but twice as a teacher, I’m positive
that this was not an option, but an
assignment. But I guess that’s payback for
missing a day of class.
You all had to know she’d get you back
somehow. And now she’s taking even more
class time to read this letter. It just keeps
on going.
I really had a great time talking with all
of you during my visit. It was just as much
of a learning experience for me as it was
for you. As an Officer, I have to give all
kinds of briefs in front of very large
audiences of distinguished individuals.
I’ll have to admit, it was much easier to
talk to all of you than my normal audience.
You all behaved very respectfully and
made my time with you enjoyable. I won’t
soon forget the students of FHS.
I was very shocked to receive so many
letters, especially since 99% of them were
handwritten. I thought every student in
America would have a laptop or some kind
of computer by now.
I have forgotten how hard it is to read
anything handwritten, not to mention
remembered how hard my writing is to
read. Some of you are like me in that
aspect; you really made me work for it. If
any of you do have computers and would
like to contact me via email, feel free.
It is much easier to formulate an email
than to actually write each of you individually and send it snail mail. Despite all the
hardships in Iraq, information technology
isn’t one of them, especially for a Communications Officer.
In case you were all wondering, I did in
fact get married that same day I gave the
presentation. Christy and I were married at
the courthouse in downtown Findlay by
Judge Alan Davis.
Some of you may know him; I hear he
mainly handles traffic violations and
anything to do with minors. Let me
rephrase that- I hope none of you know
him. We spent the next week in beautiful
Cancun, Mexico sipping drinks on the
beach, sunbathing and dancing the night
away to salsa music. It was the perfect end
to a great vacation.
However, no trip to Ohio would be
complete without catching the Buckeyes
play in the Shoe. I went to both games,
Indiana and Penn State.
My birthday present was a pair of
tickets on the 50 yard line. A deck, for the
Penn State game. It turned out to be a great
day for football. Not only did we win bth
games but we went on to beat that terrible
team-Michigan. GO BUCKS!
I recommend all of you to go to the
Ohio State University, if not for school, at
least for a home game. Ask Mrs. Gannon,
she’ll tell you. Both of her daughters went
to OSU and all the boys in my family have
gone there too.
I hope that everyone enjoys their
Christmas break. Keep working hard and
applying yourselves at school. You are the
future of this great country; you are what
we are fighting for. So don’t let us down.
We are all counting on ou to lead us into
the future, to cure diseases, to make wise
decisions, to lead companies and organizations or maybe one day even this
country. Believe in yourselves because I
believe in you.
Keep in contact and keep writing. I’ll
always take the time to write you back, no
matter how busy I get. Stay safe and stay
out of trouble and I’ll try to do the same.
Reading some of the interviews in the
“Seniors Suspended for Harassment”
article really took me back to middle
school when being popular seemed to be
everyone’s goal in life.
One thing I’ve always liked about high
school is, for the most part, you can be
yourself without really worrying about
your social status. There’s such diversity in
our student body.
Everyone finds their niche here but I
guess I was proven wrong when senior Joe
Strzempka states “He just wanted to get
back at a more popular kid.” I really
thought that by now, being a senior in high
school, people are grown up enough to
realize that no one really cares or is even
keeping track of who’s “popular” and who
isn’t. I think it’s safe to say that popularity
doesn’t even exist-only in the minds of
those that think they are better than
everyone else.
Maybe I’m expecting too much out of
my classmates. I mean, maturity is a lot to
ask for-but some really do need to grow up
a little bit.
Sincerely,
1998graduatechrislyon
Sincerely,
seniorabbeymoyer
Speakup Where could the money from the presidential inauguration be used?
“The money could
have gone to
support troops,
the homeless and
health care for
people in need.”
teacher
m.j.mason
“There isn’t a
problem because it
wasn’t the tax
payers money and
the need for security was necessary
unlike past years.”
senior
jordancullum
“Money could have
been spent on
supplies and
equipment for the
troops and help
rebuilding Iraq.”
“It could have
gone to the
tsunami relief.”
“The money could
have gone to
various charities.”
“The money could
have gone to
homeless people
and shelter.”
freshman
madisonvassari
junior
nikkibaker
senior
kristibutler
freshman
ryannickens
“The money could
have been used
to help pay off
national debt.”
senior
grantdeppen
thebuzz
blue & gold • friday , february 4, 2005
3
Gold
grammy
West could sweep 47th annual music awards
katiewolfordnewseditor
Rapper K anye West hopes to spin his 10
nominations into G rammy gold when CBS
airs the 47th annual awar d sho w on
February 13.
Hoping to put a damper on West’s night
are Usher and Alicia Keys with eight
nominations and Ray Charles with sev en.
The G rammys , the most co veted of all
music awar ds, is presented b y the National
Academy of R ecording Ar ts and Sciences .
Entertainer Queen Latifah will host the 8
p.m. sho w that featur es artists from ev ery
music genr e and gener ation.
Each of the 107 categor ies hav e five
hopefuls but only one musician, or band
will walk away with the awar d.
With critics acr oss the countr y predicting winners , we decided to conduct our
own poll. I n a random sur vey of 100
students and faculty members , Usher was
the overwhelming fav or for Record and
Album of the Year and Maroon5 for Best
New Artist and B est Group.
Here is a list of a few of the most
popular categor ies and the nominees . The
nominee with the black dot(•) is the
winner of the poll. M y prediction is at the
end of each categor y with a pictur e of who
I think will win.
We pick the Grammy winners
senior taryn longberry
band director tim mattis
senior zac schmidt
senior david robinson
Record of the year
Record of the year
Record of the year
Record of the year
Yeah!
Usher
Here We Go Again
Ray Charles
Here We Go Again
Ray Charles
American I diot
Green Day
Album of the year
Album of the year
Album of the year
Album of the year
Genius Lo ves
Company
Ray Charles
Genius Lo ves
Company
Ray Charles
Genius Lo ves
Company
Ray Charles
American I diott
Green Day
Song of the year
Song of the year
Song of the year
The R eason
Hoobastank
Jesus Walks
Kanye West
Jesus Walks
Kanye West
Song of the year
Song of the year
Daughters
John Mayer
If I Ain’t Got You
• Alicia Keys
Jesus Walks
Kanye Wes
The R eason
Hoobastank
Live Like You Were Dying
Tim McGraw
New artist
Los Lonely Boys
• Maroon5
Joss Stone
Kanye West
Gretchen Wilson
PREDICTION: Maroon5. With a long list
of hits this y ear, Maroon5 has dominated
the char ts.
PREDICTION: If I Ain’t Got You. The song
was an instant hit for Keys, it play ed
throughout the entir e summer and into
the fall. With so much exposur e, Keys is
sure to walk away with the awar d.
Album of the year
Record of the year
The D iar y of Alicia K eys
Alicia Keys
Genius Lo ves Company
Ray Charles
American I diot
Green Day
• Confessions
Usher
College Dr opout
Kanye West
Let’s Get it Started
Black Eyed Peas
Here We Go Again
Ray Charles
and Norah Jones
American I diot
Green Day
Heav en
Los Lonely Boys
• Yeah!
Usher
rapperkanyewest
PREDICTION: Usher featur ing Lil ’ John
and L udacris. The biggest song of the
summer , Yeah! was the most play ed song
of 2004.
PREDICTION: Usher. 2004 pr oved to be
one of the biggest y ears for Usher. With a
collection of hits the whole y ear, Usher
was nev er off the char ts and Confessions
was the top selling album of the y ear.
White Noise is an unrealistic, far fetched bore
katiewolfordnewseditor
White N oise is a far fetched, less than
intriguing super natural thr iller about
Electronic Voice P henomenon (E VP)
starring Michael Keaton as John Riv ers, an
architect whose life takes a do wnward
spiral when his wife myster iously disappears and is later found dead.
While gr ieving o ver his wife ’s death
Keaton is visited b y a stranger, Raymond
Price who comes to Keaton and tells him
that his dead wife , Anna has contacted
him fr om bey ond the gr ave.
Keaton is confused and ignor es Price,
until one night he r eceives a phone call
from his wife ’s cell phone . Ther e is static
and high pitched unidentifiable noises
that Riv ers’ takes as a sign.
He goes to P rice’s house and disco vers
he has computers , TVs and VCRs he uses
to communicate with the dead and a
library of conv ersations he has conducted
with them.
Price helps Riv ers to communicate with
Anna. Through the static and scr eeches ,
Rivers and P rice someho w uncover signals
about missing people and tr ouble that
lurks near.
As Rivers unravels the myster ies that
Anna leav es for him, the “evil spir its” begin
to haunt him.
The spir its warn him that if he continues to communicate with the dead,
something terr ible will happen in his life .
In spite of the war nings ,
he continues to talk to his
wife and helps the people
that she’s leading him to .
With only a few small
scary parts, White N oise is a
disappointment for mo viegoers expecting an ex citing
thriller . With a plot that is
hard to follo w and not v ery interesting, the
movie’s bizarre story line keeps view ers
confused thr ough the whole mo vie.
With an unr ealistic ending, the mo vie
will not leav e audiences hungr y for mor e
infor mation about E VP, it will leav e them
confused and disbelieving that the
phenomenon r eally does exist.
Sex and the City authors offer advice to female readers
katiewolfordnewseditor
Being led on b y the boy you like can
cause a girl to doubt herself.
Even though girls may sear ch for what it
is he doesn ’t like , the answ er may be
simply that he ’s just not that into y ou.
A self-help type book, He’s Just Not That
Into You: The N o Excuses T ruth to Under standing G uys tells women ho w beautiful
and wonder ful they r eally ar e.
Based on an episode of HBO’ s hit
comedy Sex and the C ity, the authors , Greg
Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo explain r elationships and the pr oblems that occur .
The book has letters that confused
women hav e sent in, asking for help with
their bo yfriends .
Most cases ar e common, he sends
mixed messages or he ’s avoiding y ou.
Behrendt has a good tip for women whose
men don ’t answer their calls or only want
to hang out in a gr oup, he tells them the
guy is just not that into y ou.
Although the book is gear ed towards a
crowd of 20-something women, it is a
terrific read for high school girls .
Guys can be confusing and cause a lot
of problems . It’s best to kno w, from a
man’s point of y ou, ho w to tell if a guy is
just not that into y ou.
The advice that Tuccillo and Behrendt
give to the women who wr ite in, at times
seems harsh but is always needed.
Women need to hear the tr uth so they
don’t waste their time on a man that ’s not
interested in them.
Throughout the book, the authors put
much emphasis on the fact that all women
deser ve to be happ y and hav e a lo ving and
committed man. They declar e that you
are the most beautiful and if he doesn ’t see
that, he ’s not good enough.
Ther e are many examples
throughout the book of times
when women just about giv e up
hope of finding someone and
along comes pr ince char ming.
These women thank the
authors for opening their ey es
and making them r ealiz e that
wasting y our time on an
uninter ested man is pr etty
much degr ading to ev ery
woman ’s greatness .
Thanks to He’s Just Not That
Into You and it ’s exposur e on the
Oprah sho w, women all o ver the
nation ar e appr eciating themselves and their wor th mor e then
the men that just ar en’t that into them.
If I Ain’t Got You
Alicia Keys
Female pop vocalist
What You Waiting F or?
Gwen Stefani
The F irst C ut Is The D eepest
Sheryl Crow
Sunrise
Norah Jones
Oceania
Bjork
You Had Me
• Joss Stone
PREDICTION: Joss Stone. After she was
praised b y Tom Cruise on a talk sho w,
Stone found herself in the middle of a
media fr enzy last y ear.
Male pop vocalist
Let’s Misbehav e
Elvis Costello
You Raise M e Up
Josh Groban
Daughters
John Mayer
Cinnamon G irl
• Prince
Love’s Divine
Seal
PREDICTION: Prince. It’s been a long
time since Prince released new mater ial.
Fans and cr itics lo ved Prince’s latest album
Musicolog y.
America a must
for liberal readers
katiewolfordnewseditor
Comedy C entral’ s most popular news
anchor , John Stewart is branching off into
the world of wr iting and hitting the N ew
York Times ’ Best Seller ’s list with his latest
project, America ( The B ook).
Stewart’s mock social studies text book
that descr ibes Amer ica’s politics has been
sitting steady on the best seller ’s list for 18
weeks, eight of which the book was
number one .
Discussing the wheels that tur n
our government, Stewart and his bias
Daily Show colleagues giv e a clev er
spin on the way Amer ica is r un.
With a variety of topics r anging
from our founding fathers , brainy,
rich, white men to Ancient R ome, the
book giv es readers a new cr eative
view on Amer ica’s democr acy.
America ( The B ook) also talks
about the effects of media in our
society. The book has char ts and
graphs along with a timeline of democr acy
that is enter taining.
Taking an inside view of Amer ica’s
overpowering go vernment and what it
does to other countr ies, Stewart gives an
interesting look at politics .
Fans of the Daily Show will enjo y this
book because of it ’s similar
nonconv entinal views of Amer ica’s
government and the pr oblems that
surround it.
Promoting the book has been easy for
Stewart. Readers become lo yal fans ,
recommending it to others who shar e a
liber al outlook of Amer ica.
To lear n more about democr acy and
politics in the past, America ( The B ook)
opens doors for the way people will view
elections , politicians and the countr y forever.
4
lifestyles
blue & gold • friday, february 4, 2005
he’s just not that into you
Girls may hope for more when guys dish out the compliments
You look really
nice today, Shay
Hmm, he thinks
I look good.
Does he like me?
“Here’s why this one is hard. When the guy you like tells you
how good you look, you think he’s pointing out the details that he
loves about you. When boys pay attention to those little details
and notices how nice you look, it seems like he is into you.
“The reality may be that he just thouoght you looked nice and
that’s it. There may be nothing else to it, no feelings behind it. “
what she
thinks
--seniorshaymitchell
juniorandrewjohnston
jeffzellnerphotographer
w
seniorshaymitchell
jeffzellnerphotographer
Girls need to learn from failed relationships,
find the guys that may actually be into them
caristeinerfeatureeditor
When a girl likes a guy she hopes for
some kind of sign that he likes her too, but
a lot of times the signs females seem to
receive don’t always mean that the boy
wants to be with you.
So, why is it that he doesn’t call you
back or ask you out on a date? Simply
speaking gals, he just doesn’t like you.
Ignoring the signals of a boy that didn’t
like her, Sophomore Elizabeth Betts got
into trouble when she liked a guy that just
wasn’t that into her.
“I was talking to a guy I liked and was
continuing a conversation that he obviously thought had ended,” Betts said. “I
ended up spilling my feelings for him, he
just walked away.
“I acted like an idiot by continuing the
conversation. I was ignoring the fact that
he was walking away and telling myself he
was in a hurry rather than he just didn’t
want to talk to me.”
Though Betts’ brave actions of telling
this guy she liked him may seem too
outgoing for some, the sophomore has
been on the other side of the extreme
where she has been too shy around a guy.
“Sometimes girls will be too shy and it
ends up making things too awkward,”
Betts said. “I’ve gone to the other extreme
where I was being borderline
clingy by
seniorcaristeiner
calling this boy I had never even talked to. I
had one of those silly crushes on him and
thought calling him out of the blue would
make him start liking me.
“It was the most horrible phone call of
my life and probably his too. I was being a
complete loser. Needless to say, we never
Guys find it
“creepy
to be at
the center of
some girl’s life,
”
sophomoreelizabethbetts
talked on the phone again.”
Betts’ aggressiveness is one of the
things that turns guys off, according to
Senior Ryan Davis.
“It is terrible when clingy girls are
attracted to you,” Davis said. “They are
pushy and call you like five times a day
and won’t leave you alone. Most of the
time guys don’t like the girl who clings to
us, but we feel bad if we say, ‘Get off of me!’
It’s like you have something extra hanging
on you and it gets really annoying.
“A really clingy girl liked me once. I
couldn’t handle it anymore and I finally
said, ‘I don’t like you as a girlfriend. Could
you please stop hanging on me?’ She was a
little upset.”
When she doesn’t get attention from the
guy she likes, Betts finds herself being
clingy, but understands why it is annoying.
“Girls become clingy when they get no
reaction,” Betts said. “We think that if we
take the first step we will open the guys up
to spilling their feelings. But boys like to be
in control in some aspects of the relationship, which seems to come as a problem
for those go-getter girls.
“Being clingy towards a guy shows you
are needy and that creeps boys out
because it shows that you are too committed already to the relationship. Guys find it
creepy to be the center of some girl’s life.”
According to Clinical Counselor Geri
Beth Maxie, the reason girls may act more
attached to the guy is because they are
readier for the relationship.
“Guys aren’t as ready to be in a relationship,” Maxie said. “We, as girls, are typically more ready. Sometimes we even
define ourselves by our man, but guys
seldom define themselves by their girl.
“Try not to put the guy at the center of
your life, and keep your friends because
one day the boy will move on and if you’ve
ditched all your friends, you’ll have no one.
It’s more attractive anyway to seem less
available to a boy and if you are involved
with things you will seem that way.”
When girls put a guy at the center of
their universe, many girls may try too hard
to be with the one they like.
“It is a major turn off to boys to see a
girl trying really hard to impress them
probably because they are just trying to
like you for you,” Senior Whitney
DeLong said. “If you change
yourself to be with some guy,
they aren’t really liking you for
ways to know
you, they are liking this fake
he’s just not
version of you.
“Be yourself because if he
that into you
can’t like you for you, then you
shouldn’t be with him anyway. If
if he doesn’t call you:
you commit yourself to a relationship
and act fake then all you’ll get from it is a
If a boy is not calling you, he is
fake relationship.”
thinking of something more
Though fake relationships may hurt, it
important, a.k.a., not you.
can be even worse for those girls having
feelings for someone that does not feel the
same way.
“The major misunderstanding people
make is that they think they will never
if he doesn’t ask you
meet anyone else,” Maxie said. “In your
out on a date:
entire lifetime, there will be more relationships and a lot of them will end with one or If he doesn’t make time to
hang out with you, he
the other not liking each other anymore.
“That isn’t anything personal, it’s just
probably doesn’t want to go
that the chemistry isn’t there anymore.
out with you.
Most of the married couples now didn’t
meet each other in 11th grade and within a
few years or so you will find someone and,
BINGO!, you will know that he is the one.”
if he stands you up:
So, how will the girls know when a guy
If you make plans to meet at
likes them?
the movies and he never
“He will flirt with her a lot, but only
shows up, ban his excuses, he
her,” Davis said. “He will talk to her a lot
isn’t that into you.
and he tells his friends that he likes her.
Guys also try to impress the girl they like.
“Guys like to call the shots, just because
and want a girl who will follow, like a shyer
girl. But other guys like to be controlled by
if he has a girlfriend :
girls. Guys act differently when they want
to be in a relationship with you. The girl
If he is taken, he isn’t into you.
likes things to happen quicker, they push it Don’t try with boys who are
more. Guys are more laid back about it.”
already unavailable, most likely
Although boys may be more laid back,
they will stay that way.
there is a fine line between being relaxed
in the relationship and being disrespectful.
“If someone treats you bad, why would
you stay with him,” Betts said. “Boys
if he’s a senior and
should treat us wonderfully if they care
you’re a freshman:
about us.
“If a guy is talking about another girl or
He’s going to college next year,
his girlfriend, read the signs, he isn’t into
he’s four years older than you,
you. He likes her not you, especially if he
he wants to date people from his
already has a girlfriend. If he was into you
own college and his own age
he would talk to you and want to be
group. He just isn’t that into you.
around you.”
5
1
2
3
4
5
5
supersized
caterpillars increase up to several
thousand times their size before
going through chrysalis.
blue & gold • friday, february 4, 2005
Senior athletes
should respect
peers, set example
caristeinerfeatureeditor
Taking advantage of fame and power
has long been the cause of many problems
in our world.
Former President Bill Clinton took
advantage of his power in the Oval Office
for his own personal pleasures.
Basketball Player Kobe Bryant used his
fame to get away with adultery with a
young girl that probably only had sex with
him because of his name.
These actions of taking advantage of
power are now
being seen in the
halls of our very
own high school.
Not to be
stereotypical, but
recently some
senior male
athletes have been
taking advantage
of the power they
think they hold above their peers.
After two were suspended for sexual
harassment and two given ISA, members
of this group of guys seem to not have
learned anything from their punishments.
Instead, their acts of sexual and other
forms of harassment continue and have
become a joke.
Even a coach mocked the harassment
suspensions calling them a joke.
Sexual harassment is not funny and the
principals made that clear by suspending
them, but these athletes think they were
wrongly accused and that they were only
punished because they are popular and
people are jealous.
News flash, people are not jealous. They
think you are rude and disrespectful.
What is scary is the fact that underclassmen actually look up to this so-called
“popular” group of guys and are beginning
to act the same way they do.
The senior athletes are teaching these
underclassmen that if they have the power
to harass people or make fun of their
peers, they should go for it.
Because they are more popular, more
well known than others, these guys think
they can get away with calling innocent
girls fat or ugly.
They pick apart the tiniest defects in
people they don’t even know.
People that have never said more than a
word to them are mocked in the hallways
because these boys think it is hilarious.
When this happens, no one even says
anything to stand up against these acts of
bullying and harassment, and this is
including myself.
These guys think it is fine to roam the
halls with their heads in the clouds saying
whatever comes to mind about anything
they think is funny or will get them laughs
from others.
With every incident they get away with,
for every act of sexual harassment they
slide by unreported and unpunished, they
think they have more power to get away
with breaking rules and taking advantage
of people in our student body.
The student body should not have to
deal with the disrespect this group shows
us and we should have the strength to
stand up for the victims of their
harrassment and mockery.
Guys, it is time to wake up and realize
you are not the center of the universe.
What you say in the hallways and do to
innocent people only hurts them and
hurts your reputation that you regard as
being higher than everyone else’s on the
social ladder.
quiettime
Chrysalis gives
students a time to
pray and
contemplate their
religion. Seniors
Morgan Ammons,
Erin Troyer and
Megan Toubbeh
take some time to
say some prayers.
jessicahalliday
advertisingeditor
go
figure
chrysalis
developement
of butterflies
between the
larva and the
adult
july 8-10
girls’ chrysalis
weekends
feb. 25-27,
july 22-24
guys’ chrysalis
weekends
Chrysalis weekend helps renew faith
kate vermillioneditorinchief
Studying and discussing the growth of a
butterfly from a caterpillar is a key part of
science class.
Like a butterfly, students can also
experience this transformation in their
spiritual lives at Chrysalis, a three-day
weekend retreat for teens held twice a year at
St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Findlay.
Although this retreat has existed for
over 10 years, many are unsure of the point
behind the weekend.
“Chrysalis is a spiritual weekend for
youth that is designed to build leaders
within the local church,” Chrysalis Girls
and Young Women’s Registrar Pam Lang
said. “This weekend helps students gain a
better understanding of God’s love, answer
questions about their christian life, help
them learn what it means to be a christian
and what responsibilities that go along
with it. It’s also a lot of fun.”
Gaining a personal relationship with
God is important for the students throughout the weekend, but Lang thinks that
becoming a leader in their faith is beneficial as well.
“The interdenominational weekend
consists of three days with peers and adult
leaders that are all the same sex,” Lang
said. “There are times of worship, prayer,
fellowship, music and relaxation.
“The weekend is built around talks which
are building block structures. The message
of the talks focus on youth becoming strong
leaders in their faith and church.”
Growing in their faith from the talks
with other students is what the weekend
is centered around, but Senior Zach
Barger learned more from his experiences
at Chrysalis.
“When I went to Chrysalis during my
freshman year, God’s love was shown during
the weekend in a simple but completely
overwhelming way,” Barger said. “It was like
nothing I had ever experienced.
“Even though I had grown up in a churchgoing family, it was still more powerful than
anything I’d ever been through.”
In order to get the most out of Chrysa-
lis, there are two separate weekends for
guys and girls.
“If guys and girls would go on the same
weekend, they wouldn’t be as open,” Junior
Katelyn Wallace said. “They would be
embarrassed or would be worried about
what they look like or would be trying to
impress the opposite sex.
“Since they go on different weekends, they
don’t have to worry about taking a shower,
looking nice or finding who their next
boyfriend is going to be. Both genders have
no distractions when they are separated.”
Even if the boys and girls are divided,
the weekend will benefit both genders.
“Chrysalis is an opportunity to get away
from your stress and anxieties for a few
days,” Barger said. “Even if you are unsure
in your faith or even completely against it,
it’s worth going just to get away. The faith
part will hit you later.”
Both weekends are held at St. Andrew’s
Methodist Church.
To sign up or for more information, go
to www.findlayemmaus.org.
Superintendent retires after 27 year career in Findlay
caristeinerfeatureeditor
After seven years of hoping for a
cancellation and cursing at the TV
when school is still scheduled to start
on time, Superintendent Bob Lotz
will no longer be the cause of anger
on snowy weekday mornings.
On July 31, Lotz will retire
after 27 years of working for the
city schools.
Q: What are your plans for
Findlay City Schools before
you retire?
BL: “I want to make sure we
all get through with a successful
school year. I will be negotiating
some contracts for the teachers,
custodians and bus drivers’ wages
for the next two to three years.
“The budget next year will also be
set up for supplies, textbooks and
building needs. We are going to be
doing some projects such as putting up
on or two new roofs and new lighting to
improve elementary schools. We can do
all of this because the levy passed.”
Q: What has been your biggest
accomplishment as superintendent?
BL: “A lot has taken place since I
superintendentboblotz
began working here. We added the ninth
grade wing and made improvements on
our school facilities. We also began open
enrollment which allowed us to have
classes we would’ve had to take out of the
curriculum because they were too small.”
Q: What have you learned about education from your job as superintendent?
BL: “Education is a never ending
process. There is always room to learn
something new. One thing people will
remember me by is my belief that change
is inevitable.
“Something always has to change,
hopefully it is a positive change. You can’t
be afraid to let things change.”
Q: How would you fix education in Ohio?
BL: “If I knew the answer to that I would
be a rich person. First, I would take all the
politics out of education. Too many people
have special interests and have the
ability for the education process to go
forward. I would allow more equitable
funding for schools which has always
been a big dilemma.
“It’s not just in Ohio, there seems to be a
lack of understanding of the value of
education and how important education is
to our nation.”
Q: You like ocean getaways and tropical
vacations. Are you planning on retiring to
a tropical climate and where would your
ideal home be?
BL: “I plan to retire to Findlay, but if I
could pick a tropical climate to live in, it
would be the island of Tortola in the British
Virgin Islands.
“I have been there and it is a great
place. It is a neat place with sandy
beaches, clear water and friendly people.
Things go slow, no one is in a hurry.
“You can go there and relax with no TV,
well you could watch it if you wanted, but I
don’t choose to.”
Q: A lot of times you are the most hated
man by students in Findlay City Schools
due to your calls on cancellations and
delays. What do you have to say to the
students hoping for at least one more
cancellation before you retire?
BL: “We have two more days left. We
will continue to evaluate the weather
and determine if it is unsafe to transport
our students.”
Q: So, do you think we will have any
more cancellations?
BL: “I’m not a weatherman, but we’ve
got a lot of winter to go yet.”
troygwinnphotographer
CLASS of 2006
Dairy Queen
Something Different
Wanted ... Junior students who would like to
represent Osborne’ Keepsake Portraits as their
Senior Portrait Studio.
What is a Representative?
Osborne’s Keepsake Portraits
A rep. is one who shows their senior portraits to
their friends, while also promoting Osborne’s
Keepsake Portraits.
2119 Northridge Rd
Findlay, Ohio 45840
What Are The Benefits?
Representatives receive discounts, rewards and
FREE pictures for referrals!
How Do I Become A
Representative?
Call our studio TODAY to set up an Interview!
Seniors Ashley DeGroat, Michelle Niemeyer, Adam Wright, Courtney Wright
* Open During All Lunch Periods *
419.422.4121
614 Lima Ave.
419-420-9974
presspass
blue & gold • friday, february 4, 2005
super party
6
hannahfultonphotographer
The weekend before the Super Bowl, parties were in high gear in Findlay. People watched as Hometown Boy Ben Roethlisberger tried to lead the Steelers to the Super Bowl.
Fans had little to cheer about as the Patriots eliminated Pittsburgh and moved into the final game of the NFL season. Gathering with friends, (from left) Sophomores Amber
Arnette, Jill Dobler, Jordan Betcher, Greg Zellner, Seniors Aaron Cheney and Eric Haywood celebrate one of Roethlisberger’s touchdown passes against New England.
S
uper Sunday
Party mu st-haves
Fans gear up for football’s big game
michellejastalcosportseditor
As family and friends sit down for their
late Sunday feast, tradition takes precedence in this yearly ritual they’ve been
waiting for. The father clears his throat and
begins the pre-game prayer.
“Father bless this food and the joining of
friends on this ‘super’ day. Blessed ‘Patriot’, I
mean patron saint, keep us healthy and
happy and may the ‘Eagles’ soar to victory.
“What would have made it a perfect day
Lord, on this “Super Sunday” is our favortie
son, Ben leading the Pittsburgh Steelers into
the holy land of Jacksonville, playing in the
Super Bowl. Well, it’s 45 minutes to kickoff
and time for our annual Super Bowl party to
begin. Yahooooo! I mean Amen!”
Though the game is why people get
together the real reason fans gather are the
“super” parties on the grand finale of the
National Football League (NFL) season.
One of the most important ingredients to
a great Super Bowl party is the food.
“Food always makes a party fun,”
Freshman Josh Ker said. “It is great to have
snack food at a Super Bowl party. Snack food
is easy to get and you can get it whenever
you want. I like to have chips and dip and
pizza at Super Bowl parties.”
Food is essential to pleasing people at a
party, but location can also be crucial to
having a successful celebration on Super
Bowl Sunday.
“It is good to have lots gatorade and pizza
as well when at Super Bowl parties,” Junior
Trevor Ballinger said. “Also, cookies and
chips can be good too, but location is very
important for the game. You have to be in a
basement preferably with a pool table, it
gives more entertainment and makes the
party more entertaining.
“Another thing that is good to have is a
big screen T.V., the bigger the better. If you
watch the game on a big screen T.V., it just
helps everyone get more into the game.”
Others agree that a big screen T.V.
makes the game more exciting, but friends
are also important.
“A big screen T.V. always makes the
Super Bowl game a lot better,” Junior
Chelsea Hochstettler said. “The T.V. is
always the main focus of the game, so it is
better to have a big one. I plan on watching the game this year at a friend’s house.
“The thing about the Super Bowl I most
look forward to is being with friends. For
me the game is more of a social event to be
around people I like because I am not as
into football.”
A Super Bowl party can be a social event
and a chance for friends to wager predictions on who will win and the score.
“The game is best when you are with a
bunch of friends,” Athletic Director Jerry
Snodgrass said. “It makes the game more
interesting when you have friends who are
rooting for both teams.
“That way you can bet on scores and
what you think is going to happen before
each play. I personally enjoy going to a
friends’ house for a Super Bowl party
opposed to a restaurant.”
Betting on scores and rooting against
friends can be entertaining, but to really
get into the game, wearing your favorite
teams’ apparel is a must.
“When people wear jerseys to the game,
it helps them get more excited and into the
game,” Hochstettler said. ”It kind of makes
them feel like a mascot and pumps them
up. Also, it could help them to get into to
the game if they pick a team they want to
win. I usually pick a team because it makes
it more fun.
“This year I have decided to root for the
Eagles. The only reason I picked them is
because I have heard more about them
than the Patriots.”
Many other Super Bowl party goers pick
a team to cheer for and also chose the
Eagles over the Patriots.
“You have got to pick a team to cheer
for in the Super Bowl because it helps you
get more excited and it enhances the
game,” Ballinger said. “I definitely want the
Eagles to win because the Patriots beat the
Steelers and I hate them.”
Hate for the Patriots runs deep in
Findlay because they denied the Steelers
and home town Quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger a chance to play in the big
game Sunday.
“I am not picking a team to win this
year because I despise both teams,”
Snodgrass said. “For me it is going to be a
chance to cry with everyone else because
the Steelers are not in it and we don’t get to
see Big Ben.”
Big screen
TV
$500 to
$1000
Your
favorite
team’s
jersey
$100
Bag of chips
$3
Large pizza
$10
Guys confident they will have a double win weekend
jump shot
After knocking
off Lima Sr., the
number one
team in the
state, the guys’
basketball
team hopes to
keep the
momentum
rolling in the
post season.
Junior Zack
Kraus tries to
drive past a
Woodward
opponent.
jessicahalliday
advertisingeditor
michellejastalcosprtseditor
Trying to get back on track is the motto
of the boys’ basketball team who hopes to
regain confidence and improve its 8-6
record by winning two games this weekend.
The Trojans are confident in playing
Marion Harding, but Lima Shawnee could
prove to be a tougher opponent when they
play them this Saturday.
“We played Marion Harding earlier this
season and won,” Coach Jim Rucki said.
“We played well against them the first time
and we will be looking to attack them
again. They will probably be prepared to
throw some new things we haven’t from
them at us.
”We haven’t played Lima Shawnee yet
this season, but they lost quite a few good
players from last year. Lately they have
been doing well and they have some very
good guards.”
To get ready for the Indian’s talent the
guys will need to work on playing together
as a team and.
“Earlier in the season we were not
playing as a team,” Senior Alex Raymond
said. “It definitely cost us some games
earlier, but we have been playing better
together since then. It has taken time, but
everyone is learning their role and does
their part.
“We will continue to work hard on
playing as a team and hopefully we can
continue to get better.”
Getting better may be critical if the
team wants to have a successful post
season run.
“We have had a lot of goals this season,”
Junior Andrew Leddy said. “One is we
definitely want to do well in the tourna-
ment. Every team is in the tournament
and we are going to try to play our best
basketball and win as many games as we
can. We want to make it very far this year
in the post season and I believe that we
can.”
After knocking off Lima Senior,
previously ranked number one in the
state, the guys are confident about their
chances with the the post season approaching.
“Honestly it’s hard to say how much it
will help us when we go to the tournaments since they’re still a little way away,”
Rucki said. “The players have definitely
come together as a team more and are
playing better.
“Also they are gaining more confidence
with their play as well. Hopefully it can
carry over into the tournaments and if it
does, we’ll be in good shape for pretty
much whoever we face.”
lockout
the nhl has been on lockout for
142 days and now is looking
at cancelling the season.
blue & gold • friday, february 4, 2005
Gymnasts chasing ninth
straight district crown
danpricecosportseditor
With an undefeated record so far, the
gymnastics team is rolling along hoping it’s
regular season successes will continue into
the district and state tournaments.
The coach is still concerned about some
aspects of the teams’ performance.
“We have done very well in our season
so far,” Coach Traci Dunn said. “The girls
won the Dublin Coffman Invitational
which we have never won before and is a
very tough invitational to win. Elizabeth
Otto tore some ligaments in her leg and
might be out the remainder of the season.
That really hurt us.
“Our scores are good so far, but
there’s room for improvement with the
approaching tournaments.”
To increase scoring, the team is working
to improve it’s weaker events and polishing
the stronger ones.
“Our floor and beam events have been
scoring very well at meets and helping us
win,” Dunn said. “We’re just going over our
floor and beam routines and making sure
they’re okay.
“If we can pick out all the little things
wrong with our routines and get them
corrected we will do well since the judges
look for the details. Our vault events have
been kind of weak, but but we’re working
on them.”
For the tougher routines the team has
many strong performers.
“(Seniors) Sara Barton and Catie Wolf
do some very hard routines for us and
score a lot of points,” Junior Stephanie
Linhart said. “Barton just won the all
around at the Southview Invitational for
best average score in all the events which
is very good.
“We have strong upperclassmen that
can all do what they need to do to give
strong performances so we’re in good
shape for tournaments.“
Expectations for the girls will be high
after winning the last eight district meets.
“We expect to win districts that’s all
there is to it,” Linhart said. “Districts will
be harder this year, since there are better
teams but we’re still a good team and
should win for the ninth time in a row.
“We have the strengths and determination to do it and we will.”
Keeping in good health will be the most
important factor if the team wants to
continue its’ district win streak.
“Staying healthy will be essential to us
winning again,” Dunn said. “A lot of our
girls have had sprained ankles throughout
the season so we have to really work at
staying healthy.
“It’s really easy to get injured near the
end of the season so we’ll have to be
careful since so much rides on our health.”
If the team makes it to the state meet
they will face some familiar competition
that has given them trouble over the last
three years.
“Brecksville and Magnificat will be there
and they finished first and second at state
last year so they will definitely provide
some good competition for us,” Dunn said.
“Also St. Francis of Columbus will be there
and we just barely beat them by a half point
at the Dublin Invitational so there will
definitely some tough teams for us to beat.”
Dunn thinks a first place finish at state
would be very rewarding.
“Our older girls have been at state
where we finished fourth, third and second
over the past three years and it would be
really great to finally win state in their
senior year,” Dunn said. “They’ve all
worked very hard for this and I know they
would all like to go out on top.
“ I’m sure we’re going to have a strong
performance since it is so important.”
Girls wrap up
GBC title ready
for tournaments
danpricecosportseditor
Facing a state ranked
opponent is challenging,
but the hockey team could
possibly be up against
three in the post season
where a loss means the
season is over.
The team faces
Southview at home tonight
and Northview on Sunday,
two opponents it will face
in it’s post season bracket.
“Northview should be
pretty strong like
the rest
seniorjacobcramer
troygwinnphotographer
of the
teams in our league,” Junior
Tim Voorhees said. “It should be
a close game and it may not be
decided until late in the last period.
“Playing Southview on Friday
should be an easier game. We
played them earlier this season and
won 3-2. We won’t take them
lightly, because everyone in
our league is at least
decent.”
Those tough league
teams will also be the competition
in the post season.
“Next Tuesday we will find out
who we play in the opening sectional game,” Coach Mike Root said.
“Once you get to the district tourna-
jessicahallidayphotographer
the beam
Gymnasts hope for their first state championship in school history. Senior
Catie Wolf prepares for the districts by perfecting her beam routine.
Hockey districts boasts five state ranked teams
michellejastalcosportseditor
7
ment it is like another season, so anything
is possible.
“We will probably face teams like
Bowling Green(BG) and Toledo St. Johns.
Also we could see Northview and St.
Francis, who are all very tough teams.”
The normal practice routine of drills
and checking will continue in preparation
for the post season.
“We are pretty much going to stick to
our normal practices even when getting
ready for the state tourney,” Voorhees said.
“We usually work on individual drills and
on breaking out and checking.
“Now that we are in the Toledo district it
will be a difficult division and every game
will be a challenge.”
With the Toledo district boasting five
state ranked teams the players have their
work cut out for them.
“We need to
improve on playing
three periods of
hockey and not two,”
Senior Devin Fahl said.
“When we played BG two weeks ago we
were tied in the first period and then we
got too relaxed in the second. In the third
we tied them in goals, but we were too far
behind after the second to catch up.”
Although at times they have trouble
competing all three periods, one of the
teams’ strengths is checking.
“We are a team that plays a very
physical game,” Fahl said. “We will
continue to play physical because it works
towards our advantage. Playing physical
can throw off a teams’ game and help us to
get an edge.”
With it’s regular season coming to a
close, the girls’ basketball team has only
one loss and is gearing up for the final
stretch of it’s season.
With a 8-0 league record and 15-1
overall, the girls should be able to do well
in tournaments.
“Winning the league set set us off on a
good note for the tournaments,” Senior
Amber From said. “We won sectionals last
year and made it to the district semifinals
where we lost.
“This year we want to try and make it to
at least the regional tournament this year.”
A strong showing in the tournaments
will not come easy with tough opponents
on the horizon.
“We won the number one seed in our
sectional and got a first round bye as a
result,” Coach Connie Lyon said. “Teams
like Wapokoneta, Perrysburg and Anthony
Wayne are all in our sectional making it
tough to win.
“All the teams we will have to face can
offer us some tough competition. In the
tournaments our opponents will come at
us with everything they’ve got, so we have
to make sure we’re ready.”
The team will use ts many strengths to
win the big games.
“We work together as a team,” Junior
Frannie Warren said. “We have a good
offense to defense transition game as
wellwhich helps us limit scoring.
“Also we are a quick team on defense so
even if we’re having a rough night on
offense we can still win.”
With the girls 39-30 defeat of league
rival Napoleon, they secured a share of the
Greater Buckeye Conference championship, giving them their second consecutive
league title.
go
Editor seeks role model
in team’s swim coach
5
Money and fame are two benefits that
come with being a professional athlete.
Their flashy lifestyle appeals even to the
youngest fan.
Kids and teens alike admire and idolize
athletes who play sports for money,
however they may not know the life their
sports’ heroes live.
Although some athletes often don’t lead
respectable lives off the field, they are continually admired just because of their fame.
We need to take a closer look at who we
admire, making sure it is someone we believe
is a good person and not someone who just
looks good on camera.
Teachers, parents and coaches are
around us daily and we can see first hand the
positive things they do for others everyday.
These people that are constantly giving
back to the community should be our
heroes opposed to the athletes we see
playing on T.V. once a week.
I enjoyed watching many Olympic
swimmers compete, but since I do not know
what they really are like in person I choose to
admire someone else, my swim coach.
He would do anything for the team.
Being able to give back to the school’s swim
team is important to him because the team
gave him so much when he was on it.
We need to realize that it’s ok to like
certain professional athletes, but our heroes
and those who show us leadership should
be the adults we see around us everyday.
Tomorrow take a look at the adults in
your life and you will probably be able to see
a role model that you can learn from daily.
figure
League schools
rated in the
United States
high school
Hockey poll
1
Bowling Green
ranking in state
coaches’s poll
9
Toledo St. Johns
ranking in state
coaches’s poll
10
Sylvania
Northview
ranking in state
coaches’s poll
11
Findlay
ranking in state
coaches’s poll
17
Toledo St.
Francis ranking
in state
coaches’s poll
michellejastalcosportseditor
The Courier
Breaking
the waves
nationallyranked
ohio’s lakewood st. edwards is the sixth best
high school wrestling team in the country
blue & gold • friday, february 4, 2005
8
Matt time
Dad’s influence drives freshman’s success
danpricecosportseditor
Leading the team with a 22-3
record, Freshman Matt Alexander
is conquering challengers one by
one and setting his sights on
qualifying for the state championships.
Alexander’s quest began at an
early age.
“When I was five or six-yearsold I started wrestling around
with my dad,” Alexander said.
“Since I was little, I remember
wrestling and really enjoying it. I
really try to be the best in everything
I do and I really got into it from doing
all the work with my dad.”
Ever since his father introduced
wrestling to him, he became his biggest
influence in the sport.
“My dad wrestled in college and that’s
kind of how I started,” Alexander said. “He
has coached, trained and watched tapes of
wrestling with me to help me get better.
Sometimes we drill and wrestle at home
and do various other things to help me.
“My dad has just been there through
everything with wrestling to help.”
His father’s influence continues to drive
him and being a freshman on a senior
dominated varsity squad, Coach Ben
Kirian is impressed.
“I would definitely say how well he’s
freshmanmattalexander
Swimmers focus
on post season
danpricecosportseditor
Tough competition awaits the swimming and diving teams next week when
they compete both at the sectional and
district tournaments.
Preparing for the meets means less
work and more intense practices.
“We haven’t practiced as much, but
they’ve been more intense when we do,”
Coach Jeff Wobser said. “In the Greater
Buckeye Conference (GBC) meet the girls
finished second to Napoleon. The guys’
team finished third better than last year.
“We lost the GBC meet last year but still
won sectionals and districts so we can
definitely win in those meets this year.”
Winning sectionals won’t be easy.
“Bowling Green and Anthony Wayne
have strong swimmers and will be the
biggest competition for the girls’ teams,”
Wobser said. “For the guys, Fremont Ross
and Napoleon offer the toughest competition. Napoleon beat us this season and is
one of the best teams in Northwest Ohio.
To beat the competition, the teams
have many strengths.
“The girls are excited about sectionals
and definitely want to win again,” Junior
Rachel Price said. “ Also, the guys have
improved a lot since last year.
“We have strong swimmers and then
good swimmers to back them up in almost
every event which gives us a lot of depth.”
Wobser is confident in the teams’
chances with strong swimmers and divers.
“(Juniors) Rachel Price, Courtney
Meuser, Emily Church and (Senior)
Michelle Jastal are all state qualifiers and
(Senior) Heather Arnette have been strong
for the girls teams this season,” Wobser
said. “On the guys’ side (Sophomore) Brian
Pellam and (Senior) Craig Hermiller have
performed well also.
done so far is significant especially since
he is a freshman,” Kirian said. “Matt’s first
loss came to a state alternate and he was
right there through the entire match. He
has only had two other losses than that.”
“He has just done everything very well
and gone above and beyond expectations.”
Those expectations will continue to
grow throughout his high school career.
“By his junior or senior year I very easily
see him on top of the state podium as a
state champion,” Kirian said. “If he keeps
getting better he could possibly be a state
qualifier by the end of this or next year. He
works about as hard if not harder than
other kids that go to state.
“To make state in wrestling or any other
sport you have to work harder than
anybody else and he does that.”
While a state appearance would be nice,
Alexander just wants to do his best.
“Of course I would like to go to state but
that’s not the most important thing,”
Alexander said. “I just want to do my best
that’s all I really can do. If I do my best I’ll
be satisfied with how I do.”
To continue his success, Alexander
must continue training.
“A big part of getting better in wrestling
is just working out and practicing to get
bigger and stronger,” Alexander said. “I’m
just going to do my best to stay in shape.
“Also I will go to some camps and do
various things to stay motivated towards
my goal of state.”
Alexander has earned respect and
admiration of his fellow teammates.
“He has done far better than I thought
he would,” Senior Ian David said. “He’s in
about the best shape of anybody I have
ever seen. He is always on the attack and if
for any reason he’s not, he is constantly
working to get back on the attack.
“I worked out with him once and he
doesn’t take a second off of his workouts.
I’m just in awe of how hard he works.”
According to his father, Jim Alexander,
his son’s skill and determination comes
from his strong work ethic.
“The biggest reason for Matt’s success is
his strong work ethic,” Jim Alexander said.
“Along with that, Matt has a lot of experience, especially for his size. He has always
been a bit on the big side and that helps.
“He puts a lot of time into what he does,
so he makes himself a good wrestler.”
His father will be proud of him, no
matter what the results are.
“He works so hard I have to be proud of
him,” Jim Alexander said. “You never know
what might happen so far as injuries go, so
as long as he works hard which he does.
“He always gives his all in practice
which is where champions are made, so
I’m just really satisfied with him and all the
hard work he does.”
go
figure
1:02.20
michelle jastal’s
number two time
in the
district
3:51.50
findlay’s third
ranked time in
the district for
the 400m relay
team
235
points so far by
state ranked
ryan cramer in
one meter diving
1:08.62
GBC champion
kristi hewitt’s
100 meter
backstroke time
132
most points
scored by the
girls team in one
meet
115
most points
scored by the
guys’ team in
one meet
pin him
jessicahallidayadvertisingeditor
A win against Toledo Waite and a third place finish at Elmwood last weekend boosted the wrestling teams’ spirits. Junior
Cody Busick throws a half nelson as he works to pin his Napoleon opponent
Wrestlers prepare for league, sectional tourneys
michellejastalcosportseditor
Sickness, injuries and academic
ineligibility have taken its toll on the
wrestling team, but surprisingly, they head
into tomorrow’s Greater Buckeye Conference (GBC) tourney possibly stronger than
ever, after finishing 6-1 last weekend.
“We lost a lot of wrestlers to eligibility
and we are basically wrestling junior
varsity (JV) members,” Coach Ben Kirian
said. “I am happy with how they have been
doing, but they are still inexperienced. On
paper we have a chance to win the GBC
meet but it will be very hard.”
The GBC dual tournament tomorrow at
Marion Harding will test the team after it’s
slightly disappointing season.
“We have not done as good as we
wanted,” Senior Jason Bazell said. “We
wanted to win around 75 percent of our
dual meets and we didn’t. I believe we will
probably be in the top three at the Greater
Buckeye Confrence (GBC) meet.
“At the GBC meet there are quite a few
strong teams we must face. Sandusky is
good and be our biggest competition.”
Other members are also skeptical of its’
chances with a different line-up.
“I am pretty hopeful of our chances at
the GBC meet,” Senior Preston Wray said.
“Our JV members will try hard but they
don’t have much experience.”
After the GBC meet the team will focus
on the sectional tournament on February
11 and 12 at Oregon Clay.
“We will be facing around 16 teams at
sectionals,” Kirian said. “We want to send
about eight wrestlers on to districts.
Seniors Jason Bazell, Matt Eller and
Preston Wray have all done well.
“They are all seniors so they are more
serious and have more experience.”
Cruisin’
2
Driving School
Findlay/Fostoria
Sign up for classes now!
Owner Paul
Gnepper
Senior Collin
Miles
• February 14
• March 14
• April 11
• May 9
Miller’s
Luncheonette
“Fine Food Since the Forties”
203 N. Main St.
(419) 422-3081
Mon - Sat
6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Senior
Andy Wallace