The Leprechaun Gold - Akron - St. Vincent

The Leprechaun Gold
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School * Volume XXXIX * Issue 6 *
march
2010 Commentary
Leprechaun Gold
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
15 North Maple Street
Akron, Ohio 44303
On the Web: www.stvm.com
Advisor
Mrs. Maureen Harrigal
Assistant
Mrs. Barbara Wood
Editors-in-Chief
Caitlin O’Neill
Nick Shook
Staff Reporters
Victoria Lambert
Kathryn Latimer
Maria Arnone
Halle Marchetta
Rachel Dodson
Photos
Newspaper Staff
Ms. Harmon
Mrs. Burdon
Cover Art
Freshman Alissa Peeples
AN IRISH PRAYER
May the road rise ever
to meet you
May the wind be
ever at your back
May the sun shine
warm upon your face
May the rain fall
soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the
Palm of His hand.
The Leprechaun Gold is published throughout
the year for the students of St. Vincent-St. Mary
High School. There is no charge for the paper
but donations are accepted and appreciated.
Unsigned editorials represent the consensus
of the editorial board. Letters to the editor
are encouraged, provided they do not contain
material disruptive to the educational process
and that they are signed. The Leprechaun Gold
reserves the right to edit submitted material
for length.
2
Leprechaun Gold
Is Cleveland really so miserable?
Nick Shook
Recently, Ohio’s city on Lake Erie earned the
notoriously horrendous title of “Most Miserable
City,” declared by Forbes.com. The ranking
was based upon nine factors: unemployment
rates, sales taxes, income taxes, commute times,
violent crime, performance of professional sports
teams, weather, pollution sites, and corruption of
public officials. However, as an Ohioan and one
who has a soft spot in his heart for the “Mistake
on the Lake,” I feel that this title does not have
a strong enough foundation to call Cleveland the
most miserable city in the United States.
I’ll start by addressing the unemployment
rates. Cleveland has a large metropolitan
population, and like other communities in
the United States, it is experiencing a rise in
unemployment. However, jobs are being created
with the improvement of the NBA’s Cavaliers,
who draw close to 21,000 people to Quicken
Loans Arena. Local restaurants are normally
packed with people before, during, and after
each home game. Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert,
and it took me less than 8 minutes to exit my
parking garage after the game and merge onto
Interstate 77 heading south to Akron.
Cleveland ranks undoubtedly high in national
crime rates, which cannot be denied. Cleveland’s
rate of 15.49 violent crimes per 1,000 residents
is dangerously high. Most of the crime does not
take place in the downtown area, but rather in
the outer reaches of the city.
Cleveland’s weather can only be appreciated
by Ohioans. Northeast Ohio’s weather has often
been humorously described as including only
two seasons: winter and construction. Luckily,
we aren’t affected by hurricanes, and the weather
could definitely be much worse.
Forbes has a legitimate point in the corruption
of public officials. County Auditor Frank
Russo and Commissioner Jimmy Dimora were
investigated by FBI officials for illegitimate
printing contracts, and it was proven that the
two were trading politics for business.
Leaving the best argument for last, the
Cleveland sports’ scene has been touted as
the nation’s most tortured sports’ city because
who also owns mortgage giant Quicken Loans,
employs close to 300 people at his West 3rd
Street building generating $25 to $30 million in
annual salaries.
Cleveland serves as headquarters to eleven
Fortune 500 companies, is the headquarters of
KeyBank, and has large shopping malls such as
Tower City that generates income for the city. Cleveland’s unemployment rate of 8.9 percent,
while high, pales in comparison to cities like
Flint, Michigan, whose unemployment rate is
16.6 percent.
Cleveland’s income tax is relatively low at 2
percent, but the sales tax is moderately high at 7.5
percent. This high sales tax pales in comparison
to Chicago’s rate of 10.25 percent. Cleveland’s
income tax isn’t as high as Detroit’s rate of 3.9
percent.
Every major metropolitan area is going to
experience a large amount of traffic flow, and
according to a 2002 poll, Cleveland didn’t even
rank in the top 30. The average commute time
to work for those 16 years or older who did not
work at home was 23.5 minutes, which is at
least 6.5 minutes shorter than commute times
in Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York City.
From a personal perspective, the police do an
adequate job of keeping traffic flow consistent
before and after events in the downtown area.
I recently attended the Cavaliers vs. Orlando
Magic game, a sellout on a Thursday evening,
Cleveland’s last major professional sports
championship was won by the Cleveland
Browns in 1964. However, recent performance
of the city’s franchises says differently. The
NBA’s Cavaliers own the league’s best record
and made their first appearance in the league’s
Finals in 2007. The team also employs the
league’s premier player, Akron native LeBron
James. This team has revitalized the city in the
last seven years. The MLB’s Cleveland Indians
were a consistent power in the second half of
the 1990’s and had 455 consecutive sellouts
at Progressive Field. The Indians made two
appearances in the World Series in 1995 and
1997, losing heartbreakers in seven games.
Recently, the Indians have entered two rebuilding
stages. The NFL Browns, who easily have the
strongest following among the three teams, had a
surprising 2007 season, going 10-6 and narrowly
missing the playoffs. Since their return in 1999,
with a mediocre 54-106 record, they have had 4
head coaches in 10 seasons. Cleveland is one of
the most passionate sports’ cities in the nation,
even though its teams have caused a great deal
of heartbreak.
Among the criticism and adversity, the city
will remain on the shores of Lake Erie and will
continue to survive. I will continue to spend time
in Cleveland, no matter what title is bestowed
upon it. After being presented with both sides of
the argument, it is up you to determine if it truly
is the most miserable city in the United States.
co-editor-in-chIEf
March 2010
Leprechaun Gold
Shamrock Alley
Rachel Dodson
Staff Reporter
The Future Medics host the
annual Red Cross Blood Drive
On Friday March 5, STVM saved 300
lives through the Red Cross Blood Drive
sponsored by the Future Medics. The goal of
85 pints of blood was surpassed, and 100 pints
were collected. The rules for the Blood Drive
changed, allowing 16 year old students to give
with parental permission.
There will be another Blood Drive on
Saturday, May 15. The Irish will compete with
Hoban to see who can donate the most pints.
Educate the Congo succeeds
Educate the Congo is a project that the French
Club started six years ago. All students are
asked to donate extra items around their homes
that could be used for educational purposes:
electronics such as computers, CD players, and
DVD players, school supplies and books.
After the club receives the donations, Mr.
Gaspard Nzita, a representative of the International Christian University Foundation Inc., delivers the materials to the Congo.
Environmental Club sponsors
a fundraiser
In order to preserve the environment, the
Environmental Club is collecting money to
donate to “Plant a Billion,” which will help
ensure safe drinking water for underdeveloped
countries. For every dollar that is donated,
“Plant a Billion” will plant one tree that can
help put oxygen back into the environment
and assist in preventing climate change. Ten
million tons of carbon dioxide is put into the
atmosphere every year, and planting just one
tree is the equivalent to taking two million cars
off the road.
The Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program helps individuals and families in these
countries. Donating just $7.50 will provide
clean and safe drinking water for one child for
one year, and $30 will provide a family of four
with clean water for a year.
Environmental Club is asking for donations for these causes. Collection containers
will be in all of the science classrooms for the
reminder of the school year.
Car raffle winners announced
The STVM Car Raffle started in mid-January with tickets selling for $5 each. A Malibu
was donated by Serpentini Chevrolet for the7th
year in a row. The winners were announced
on Saturday, February 13, at halftime of the
STVM – Whitney Young basketball game: the
Grand Prize winner of the 2010 Chevy Malibu
was Denise Nelson; the second prize winner of
the large flatscreen TV is Leo Stadler; and third
prize of the $500 Circle K gift cards was Maria
Stewart.
March 2010
Feature
Science Fair has many winners
Halle Marchetta
Around 60 students participated in the fair
this year. Junior Erica McCoy said, “I was
so excited for the judges to see my fruit fly
Inquiry. Most students shudder when
experiment! I had so much fun setting up and
they hear the word. It conjures images of beadoing the experiment; I wanted them to share
kers, test tubes, and late night cram sessions.
in my joy.”
Some students, the brave ones,
Of those 60 students, 26
face the inquiry project head
won
Superior ratings.Winners
on and volunteer their preincluded:
freshmen Mary
cious time and weekends to
Boszik,
Shannon
Gaspar,
the mandatory project.
Hannah Green, Aly Pagni,
This year the annual science
and Vincenzo Volpe; sophofair was bigger and betmores Abbey Bashor, Trevor
ter than ever. When asked
Chopko, Hannah Comeriato,
about what kinds of projects
Ian Edgley, Rebecca Sear,
would be presented at the
Claire Shand, Megan Tomei,
science fair, junior Taylor
Connor Wallace, and Tessa
Wedlake said, “Whenever I
Weigand; juniors Connor
think of science fairs, I think
Childers, Jessica Durbin,
of baking soda and vinegar
John Friess, Oliver
volcanoes.” While this is the
Hildebrandt, Katya Lyuksyumost stereotypical image of
tova, Joey Miller, Jon Stone,
science fairs, the one held at
and Devin Sutter; seniors
Ian
Edgley
won
the
Physics
STVM was very different.
Renee Horn, Kindelan Huber,
and
Engineering
category.
The fair was held on
Abby Tanner, and Olivia
February 10 in the Cosgrove
Walter.
Center. All types of sciences were present
Four
category
winners
were also chosen.
from botany and chemistry to medicine and
Durbin
won
in
the
Earth
and
Environmental
zoology. The judges’ decisions were based
category,
Lyuksyutova
won
in
the Chemistry,
on many elements of the scientific process. A
Medicine,
and
Biochemistry
category,
Edgley
Superior rating allowed the experimenter to go
won in the Physics and Engineering category,
to the district level competitition. If presenters
and Volpe won in the Botany, Zoology, and
won a Superior rating at the district competiMicrobiology category. These four winners
tion, they qualified for the state competition.
won a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card.
Staff Reporter
Americans break record at
Vancouver Olympics
Caitlin O’Neill
co-editor-in-chief
The 21st Olympic Winter Games concluded on February 28, 2010, and broke the
previously held medal record for the United
States and Gold Medal record for
Canada. The men’s Canadian hockey
team defeated the United States
3-2 in overtime and won the 14th
Gold Medal for their country
which was the record for the
most Gold Medals obtained by
any country during any Winter
Olympics.
The Silver Medal for Team
USA, the 37th medal of the
Olympic games, broke the record for most
medals won by any country at any Winter
Olympics. For the first time in 78 years, the
United States won the medals race with 9
Gold, 15 Silver, and 13 Bronze. Germany
came in second place and Canada came in third
overall with a total of 26 medals.
The Olympic games started with a tragedy
when 21-year-old Nodar Kumaritashvili died
in a 90 m.p.h. luge crash during practice just
hours before the opening ceremonies. Olympians remembered and honored Kumaritashvili throughout the games
and held a moment of silence in
his honor with the Olympic flag at
half-mast.
“When we get here, we’re all
part of the same family,” said U.S.
snowboarder Shaun White. “It’s
definitely affected everyone here.”
The 2010 Olympics increased
in popularity, and viewer ratings
soared throughout the games. The
TV ratings for the Olympics also broke a
record. On Wednesday, February 17, 30.1 million people watched the Olympics while only
18.4 million tuned into American Idol. Since
May 2004, no show has had better ratings than
American Idol.
3
Faces in the Crowd
Staff “Faces in the Crowd”
MRS. MARY ANNE ANDERSON
Position: English teacher
Years at STVM: 9 years
Family: Husband, three adult
daughters, two sons-in-law,
two granddaughters, and one
grandson.
What’s your favorite thing
about teaching? Everyday is a
new adventure at the “Learning
Palace.” There are delightful
students eager to learn about
British literature that make this
a dream job.
If you could switch lives with
any other person, dead or
alive, who would it be and why? I think I’d like to be Maya Angelou for
about a week so I could understand how she writes the way she does.
Do you have any unusual teaching practices? Unusual? I don’t think
anything is too strange, unless it is awarding an Airhead to students who
correctly answer grammar questions.
Who is better, Chaucer or Shakespeare? You’re pitting the Father of
English poetry against the Bard! They are both geniuses; Shakespeare has
the edge because of the volume of his work, I’d say.
What is your favorite board game? Lately, it’s just Candyland because
Avery (my granddaughter) likes to play that. It used to be Clue.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? I
would like to travel through Europe and the Mediterranean. I’d like to go
back to the British Isles, too. As a matter of fact, I’d like to go anywhere
as long as it’s not 110 degrees in the shade as it was when I went to Egypt.
MS. PAMELA GODSHALK
Position: Social Studies
Department Chair, Director of
the Learning Resource Center,
Teacher of AP American Studies,
and Co-Chair of OCSAA/NCA
Accreditation.
Years at STVM: This is my
39th year here at the “Learning
Palace.”
Family: I have two brothers and
sisters-in law, two sisters and
brothers-in law, four nephews,
and three nieces.
What’s your favorite class you
have ever taught here? If I
didn’t say AP American Studies, my students would probably disown me,
but I really do love teaching this class. Since I am certified to teach both
history and English, about 15 years ago, I floated the idea of integrating the AP US History and AP English 11 and doing an interdisciplinary
course. I developed the curriculum, and it became a program unique to
our school. As the number of students enrolled in the course increased, I
started team teaching it with Mr. Neary, and I think we make a great team.
We now even have our own APAS veteran fan club who decorated “our
room” during the senior lock-in (thank you very much!)
Who is better, Alexander Hamilton or Thomas Jefferson? ( Obviously
this was a question posed by one of our APAS groupies!) In the infamous
“Hamilton-Jefferson Feud” that led to the origin of political parties (had to
throw in a history lesson), I think I probably would lean toward Jefferson.
He always liked to see the good in people. That said, I also think Hamilton gets sort of a bad rap in history coming off as a rather arrogant elitist,
when he was probably much more the realist than Jefferson. (Getting
killed in a duel was definitely undeserved.)
4
Leprechaun Gold
Halle Marchetta
Staff Reporter
MRS. BARBARA WOOD
Position: Assistant
Librarian
Years at STVM: 20
memorable years
Family: husband, Bob;
children: Gretchen
(VM88), Colleen (VM90),
Emil (VM92), Darrell
(VM94), Joel (VM99),
Corey (VM01), and Mia
(VM03); grandchildrenCamille (14), Jacob (12),
Jack (10), Claire (7); Audric (10), Eden (8), Nolan
(6), and Barrett (2).
Where do you get your shoes? 1. Nine West 2. DSW 3. Famous
Footwear 4. Macy’s 5. Dillards 6. Aldo 7. Baker’s 8. Kohl’s 9. Rack
Room Shoes 10. Factory Brand Shoes 11. Lazarus 12. Shoe Carnival
13. Nordstroms and 14. Liz Claiborne.
What’s the best part of your job? I really like students...I have
always enjoyed STVM teenagers and their ability to have fun and, yet,
to be academic students when needed. Interaction with students in a
“learning” atmosphere makes the LRC a stimulating place to come
every morning.
What is your favorite television show? I love NCIS, and I didn’t discover it until a couple of months ago... so I tape it and now can watch
as many as I want to at one time! I think I have 27 segments taped
right now but never seem to have time to watch them.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of school? I love to go
shopping, especially for shoes (even though I don’t need any more,
EVER!) I like to go to my grandchildren’s sporting events- softball,
baseball, soccer and more soccer. I love high school sports and go to
many games throughout the year, and I especially like going to state for
cross country and track.
MR. NAMAN ALNIEMI
Position: Science Teacher
Family: Married with three
girls and one boy
Years at STVM: 11 1/2
years
What is your favorite
class to teach? I like to
teach all the physics and
physical science classes.
What is your favorite
sport and why? I like soccer and volleyball. I used
to play them and I am good
at them.
Describe a crazy experience here at STVM. In
physics class (with senior students) in the last quarter I have to motivate them to work and study.
If you could have three superpowers, which ones would they be? I
would make the world more peaceful, I would be a super scientist, and
I would be a brilliant mathematician.
What would you do with a million dollars? I would donate part,
invest some, and spend the rest.
What do you do in your spare time? Spare time!? When I have spare
time, I enjoy working on small construction projects and working on
my cars.
March 2010
Faces in the Crowd
Leprechaun Gold
Student “Faces in the Crowd”
Nate Graham
Who is your favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
and why?
I don’t really care for the
ninja turtles, but probably the
red one because he’s the only
one I can really remember
from watching the show as
a kid.
What are your top four
favorite movies?
The Departed, Cinderella
Man, Lord of the Rings, and
Billy Madison-the best comedy of all time.
Hobbies: Coaching youth
basketball, playing basketball and baseball, drawing, and making short
films.
College choice: The Art Institute of Pittsburgh
Intended Major: Graphic Design
Siblings: Four. Brigid (STVM ‘12), Zack, Andy, and Isaiah.
If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
Bald Eagle, because I would want to fly and be able to live peacefully
without being hunted
Biggest fear: Heights
What is your most important goal you want to accomplish before
you graduate? Make a good art portfolio for college.
If you could meet any celebrity who would it be and why?
Robin Williams because he would be so fun to meet. I love his funny
personality and his movies.
JORDAN BROPHY
Who is your favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
and why?
Michaelanglo, because he is
the funniest.
What is your favorite movie
line?
“Why did you park this
close...I’m not supposed to be
within 200 feet of a school...
or a Chuck E. Cheese.” - The
Hangover.
Siblings: “I have a sister,
Courtney, who is 26. My
brother , B.J. is 19 (STVM
‘09) and goes to Cincinnati.
My brother Tyler is 18 and is a senior.
Favorite song: “Crickets” by the New Boyz because Tyler listens to it
all the time.
Do you play any sports?
CYO volleyball.
Favorite junk food: Sour Patch Kids
Hobbies: I am a manager for the boys’ basketball team and I like to hang
out with my friends.
What is your dream job and why?
My dream job is to become a lawyer because I’ve always wanted to be
one.
If you were on a deserted on island, what three things would you
bring and why?
My phone, so I can talk to Tyler, my laptop so I can Skype Tyler, and
Tyler, so I can be with Tyler.
March 2010
Victoria Lambert
Staff Reporter
Austin Klausman
Who is your favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
and why?
Donatello because he’s
purple and because he has
awesome swords.
What is your favorite
movie line?
It’s a tie between two: “She
needs some of Seth’s home
dressing,” from Superbad,
and “That’s why her hair is
so big; it’s full of secrets,”
from Mean Girls.
Where did you go to school
before you
transferred to STVM? I went to Hudson High School and switched
because my parents switched custody.
Siblings: Three. Charlie (25), Brad (24), and Barrett (22).
Favorite song: “Barbie Girl” by Aqua because it pumps me up before a
big ping pong match.
If you could meet any celebrity, who would you meet and why?
Barney. I like the color purple. Plus, he is a dinosaur.
Favorite junk food: Whatchamacallits.
Biggest fear: Pink elephants.
What is your most important goal you want to achieve before you
graduate? The world record for biggest personal pencil collection.
MARIA LOCASTRO
Who is your favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
and why?
Donatello is my favorite
ninja turtle because I love his
name.
What is your favorite movie
line?
“Tigers love pepper...they
hate cinnamon”-The Hangover
Siblings: Two brothers, Tony
and Nick.
Do you like your dad’s
profession?
“Yes, my dad is a really hardworking, positive person, so he’s a really good role model for me. He
enjoys his job as an eye doctor, especially the fact that he helps people”.
Favorite junk food: Buffalo Chicken Dip with Tostitos. It’s so amazing,
I can’t even begin to explain!
If you could meet any celebrity who would you meet and why?
I would meet Will Ferrell because he’s in one of my favorite movies,
Step Brothers, and he’s hilarious.
Dream job: To become a dermatologist. I have no idea why, but it’s
always interested me.
If you were on a deserted island, what three things would you bring
and why?
I would bring my phone so that I could communicate with people, buffalo chicken dip and Tostitos since it’s my favorite food, and my iPod
since I can’t live without music.
What is your favorite feature about your phone?
My favorite feature on my phone is texting, by far.
5
News in brief
Leprechaun Gold
Around the Globe
1.
Earthquake devastates Chile, causes tsunami
Sunday, February 22, an 8.8- magnitude earthquake hit Chile near the large town
of Concepción, the second largest city. The earthquake caused structural damage and
2.
killed and injured hundreds. Aftershocks reaching a 6.2 magnitude were felt twenty minutes
after the intial quake. The next aftershocks reached a 5.6 and 5.4 magnitude.They were felt most
1.
intensely in the capital, Santiago, and tremors were felt as far away as Peru. In a nearby port,
Talcahuano, a large wave of water flooded the city and even brought boats into the town square.
The quake and aftershocks caused a tsunami to race across the Pacific Ocean, heading towards
Hawaii, Japan, and Korea. It lost power before it hit any of these countries and did not cause any damage.
At first, the Chilean president, Michelle Bachelet, stated that Chile needed no international aid. She set up an agreement with the supermarkets to
let the people take as much food out of the markets as they needed. This resulted in widespread panic and riots. People were afraid to sleep indoors
and were sleeping in tents in the parks. The country is already almost back to normal, with ports at 80% capacity and the subway system is back up.
2.
Iraqi elections continue despite violence
Despite elevated levels of violence in Iraq preceding the Sunday elections, many Iraqis showed up at the polls to cast their votes. Voter turnout
was higher than expected but in Baghdad at least 38 people were killed. Deadly rocket attacks scared some voters away, but voter Maliq Bedawi
explained, “Iraqis are not afraid of bombs anymore.” Another voter, Ahmed Ali, told reporters “We have experienced three wars before, so it was just
the play of children that we heard.” Two of the coalitions are said to have had the best results at the election - one led by Prime Minister Nouri Kamal
al-Maliki, and one led by Ayad Allawi, a former interim leader.
3.
2.
1.
2.
1.
Sea to Shining
Mail delivery may change to five days
In an effort to reduce debt, the U.S. Postal Service wants to cut its mail
delivery days from six to five days a week. To those in charge, it’s a
move to the future. “We know we’re going to have less mail in 2020 than we have today,” says Postmaster General John Potter. Once the request is formally made, hearings will take place in Washington and all around the U.S. to decide whether it will be
accepted or not. Congressional consent is needed to make this change possible.
Toyota recalls continue
During the month of February, Toyota recalled over 25 models of vehicles because of random gas pedal acceleration. The company blames the
random acceleration on the floor mats underneath the pedal area. Cars with this malfunction can reach up to over one hundred miles per hour suddenly and without warning. Even when the driver doesn’t even have his or her foot on the pedal, the car will still accelerate. The total cars that have
been recalled is around 3.8 million. At last count, nineteen deaths have resulted from the random acceleration of Toyota vehicles.
3.
Sea World trainer killed by own whale
On Monday, February 22, a killer whale at SeaWorld in California attacked and killed one of its trainers, Dawn Brancheau. Brancheau
was witnessed before the attack talking to the whale and petting it. Within seconds, the whale grabbed her pony tail and dragged her into the water.
Minutes after the attack, the whale was taken out of the water to have its jaws pried open to save Brancheau’s body from being eaten. The official
report says that Bracheau died of multiple traumatic injuries and drowning.
1
The Heart of it All
Snowstorms fall short of making February the snowiest month
Snowfall in Akron, Ohio, reached 37.2 inches in February. This is only three-tenths of an
2. 1 3.
inch off the previous record of 37.5 inches, set in January 1978. In the last few days of February alone, over two feet of snow fell in Akron and surrounding areas. According to the
National Weather Service, there was measureable snowfall during 23 days of the 28 day month.
Meterologist Kirk Lombardy said, “If we had three more days to work with, there would have been
a chance we could have beaten it.”
2. Superintendents meet to discuss imbalance of fairness in sports
In the month of February, twelve superintendents from Wayne County met to discuss the unfairness
between private and public school sports and the recruiting practices. Private schools can recruit players from
many districts while public schools are limited to only their own district. The superintendents sent a survey to every
Halle Marchetta
superintendent in Ohio asking whether or not it would be a good idea to change the system of the state playoffs. Half of the Staff Reporter
superintendents replied and agreed that private school recruiting hinders the equality of the state playoff system.
Twenty-two year old case solved
3. On
March 3, 2010, authorities solved a 22 year old case thanks to DNA testing. The victim, Mary Robinson, was shot through the eye
and killed in 1987 while in her apartment on West Market Street. In 1987, the police could find no leads and abandoned the case after two
weeks. Recent DNA evidence has led to the murderer, Joseph Szaraz, the maintenance man for the apartment building Robinson lived in. He had
just completed a 9 year stint in prison for a previous rape charge. The case was reopened in 2005 by Detective James Pasheilich, this time with DNA
evidence to help. Szaraz is now being charged with aggravated murder and rape and is eligible for parole in 2012.
6
March 2010
News
Leprechaun Gold
Fake college degrees abound on the Internet
Maria Arnone
Staff Reporter
Today’s generation is one of ever-expanding
technology; it is a time when the push of a button can connect people with someone across
the world. Travel is as easy as buying a plane
ticket, and a college degree is just a mouse
click away.
Going to college via the computer is all
the rage in the 21st century. It is faster, more
convenient, and virtually the same material
is being learned. However, every rose has its
thorn. While there are honest ways to receive a
degree online, there are also ways to cheat the
system: fake degrees.
Though it is unbelievable to think that
anyone would be able to get away with a bogus
degree, it happens everyday. In the United
States, roughly 200,000 degrees are sold to
customers all over the globe each year. The
industry is thought to generate as much as $1
billion annually.
“This is a real problem. Employers should
be more responsible when hiring their workers
and check their background more thoroughly,”
explained senior Erica Hutson.
Though at first the idea of fake degrees
seems intriguing, it is an outrage to think that
your physician could be a phony. There are
buyers of these illegitimate degrees everywhere. A seemingly fake college degree allows
people who have no training or education to
work in professional areas.
“I think that a fake degree is ridiculous.
People work very hard to earn their degrees and
there are people out there with fake ones. This
just shows the immorality of society today,”
exclaimed junior Jessie Neumann.
Acquiring fabricated credentials is as easy
as just typing in the phrase, “fake college
degrees” into Google. Pages and pages of sites
will provide counterfeit diplomas. It seems
risky, but these mock-colleges know all the
tricks in the book. Fake institutions pretend to
be based abroad so they have an easier time
bringing in business and avoiding the law.
Overseas universities usually aren’t challenged
as much by the government. Also, the fact that
going to school online is so accessible assists
the cause. If a person takes advantage of the
conveniences that technology can provide, be
wary of the imposters.
“I just don’t know who to trust these days,”
said freshman Matt Karipides.
predicate nominatives/adjectives, indirect and
direct objects, prepositions, and other parts of
“I love grammar,” said senior Caitlin
Hoff, a loyal Grammar Club member. “I love
diagramming sentences. I diagram them in my
head. It’s a good stress reliever.”
Horning enjoys taking the knowledge she
gains through Grammar Club and English class
and using it in every day life. “My favorite
class has always been English, and I’m looking
to be an English major, so it’s important to
me. My favorite part of grammar is hearing an
incorrect sentence and knowing exactly how
to fix it,” she explained. “If I hear a newscaster
saying, ‘If I was...’ I think ‘No! Subjunctive
mood! It should be, ‘If I were...’ ’’
As the club continues to grow and expand
on its knowledge of grammar, Horning has
high hopes for the duration of the year. “I hope
we can get our T-shirts done by the end of the
year and that more people can join the club!”
Students enjoy STVM Grammar Club
Caitlin O’Neill
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
After noticing a severe lack of grammatical
knowledge and understanding at STVM, senior
Tori Horning decided to reinstate the STVM
Grammar Club.
“I attended one meeting last year and saw
four other people in it,” said Horning. “It
was clear that the club was about their love
of grammar and their friendship with Mrs.
Bickett. It wasn’t a very official thing, and
I wanted to make it official. I knew a lot of
people could benefit from it.”
The club, which meets on Tuesday
mornings at 7:30 in Mrs. Richardson’s
room (329), is led by English teacher, Mrs.
Anne Bickett, who puts together Powerpoint
presentations, worksheets, and other materials
covering various grammatical topics such as
SENIOR Tori Horning, President of
STVM Grammar Club, diagrams a
sentence on the board at a weekly
meeting.
speech. After learning the material, members
learn how to properly diagram sentences to
show the different parts of the sentence.
What is “defenestration?”
“A long, wooden ship used in
the civil war.”
-Freshman Jeff Dannemiller
“A disease you get in your
belly button.”
-Sophomore Lorenzo Cugini
“Frustration you get while
taking down a fence.”
-Junior Aaron Carey
Rachel Dodson
STAFF REPORTER
“A form of self-defense that
involves the use of baskets.”
-Sophomore Michael Flander
REAL DEFINITION: The act of throwing someone or something out a window.
March 2010
7
Sports
Leprechaun Gold
Athletic Update
Girls’ Basketball
Maria Arnone
Staff Reporter
Wrestling
Staff
STATE: 4th place finish
103--Michael Rix
DISTRICT placers at Firestone High School and
STATE qualifiers:
103--Michael Rix
215--Ray Stone
285 Alternate--Carlos Lugo
SECTIONAL placers at North Canton Hoover:
103--Mike Rix 3rd
160--Troy Keener 1st
189--Ben Musci--3rd
215--Ray Stone 3rd
285--Caralos Lugo 3rd
8
Nick Shook
co-editor-in-chief
DISTRICT SEMI-FINAL: Canton South L 57-43
The girls’ season came to an end as they were defeated by the Wildcats of
Canton South. Junior Jackie Murray had 13 points, sophomore Taja Dave
had 12, and junior Maria Arnone had 9.
SECTIONAL FINAL:Fairless W 55-44:
Dave led the ladies with 17 points, Arnone had 14, and senior Jen and
Ja.Murray both had 7 points.
Kenmore W 90-52:
Dave scored 26 points followed by Arnone with 16 and junior Miranda
Mondozzi with 11. Junior Meghan Weber added 9 points and Ja. Murray
had 7.
North Canton Hoover L 39-30:
It was a close game in which Arnone and Weber both scored 8 points,
Dave had 7, and Ja. Murray had 5.
Youngstown Ursuline L 55-49:
STVM came up short in a 6 point loss. Arnone had 19 points, Ja. Murray
had 11, and Mondozzi had 7.
Magnificat W 60-57:
Senior night had Arnone with 18 points, Ja.Murray with 9 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. Dave had 13 points, and Mondozzi had 10
points and 6 rebounds.
Michael Rix proudly shows
off his 4th place medal.
Boys’ Basketball
Rix wrestles an opponent at the
state meet at Value City Arena.
SECTIONAL FINAL: Canal Fulton Northwest W 72-56
The district tournament win by the second seeded Irish was a rather
sloppy one, but nonetheless the Irish got the job done and advanced
to the next round. Sophomore Lorenzo Cugini led all scorers with
23 points. Junior Jakarr Sampson added 13 points, and junior Ricky
Johnson, Jr., contributed 9 points.
Canton McKinley L 75-72 (2 OT)
Sampson led the team with 22 points, but the Irish fell in double overtime, 75-72. Johnson nailed a three-pointer at the end of regulation
to send the game into overtime, and drained another buzzer-beater to
send it to double overtime. Senior Dom Mitchell sank two free throws
to tie the game at 72, but McKinley took the next possession down
the court and knocked down the game winning three-pointer for the
victory over the Irish. Johnson and sophomore Davonte Beard both
finished with 13 points. The JV team won in four overtimes.
North Canton Hoover W 71-67 (OT)
The Irish fended off the state-ranked Vikings for their second victory
in as many nights. Cugini once again led the Irish with 19 points and
9 rebounds. Sampson, who fouled out with 1:47 remaining, contributed to the win with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Johnson added 12 points
and grabbed five steals for the Irish.
Mansfield W 68-66
In the final three seconds Beard sank two free throws to give the Irish
a two point edge over Mansfield who was previously unbeaten with a
record of 17-0. Beard finished with 17 points and Sampson, Johnson,
and Cugini scored 11 each. Sampson had a double-double with 11
rebounds.
Benedictine L 70-65
Johnson led the Irish with 17 points, and Cugini and Sampson each
added 11 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Irish fell to the Bengals,
70-65. Beard also added ten in the losing effort.
Walsh Jesuit W 73-49
Cugini scored 23 points, including a one-handed dunk in the second
half that sent the crowd into a frenzy, and the Irish won, 73-49. Sampson scored 21 points in front of a raucous, “blacked-out” STVM
student section at Walsh’s Builders’ Dome.
Chicago Whitney Young W 79-64
Cugini led all scorers with 25 as the Irish defeated the Dolphins,
79-64. Sampson added 19 points, including a thunderous dunk in the
fourth quarter. Seniors Jacob Baker and Jack Uecker combined for
five points in the win.
Jakarr Sampson slams the
ball in front of the Walsh players.
Lorenzo Cugini jumps
high above his opponents.
March 2010
Sports
Leprechaun Gold
Athletic Update
Nick Shook
co-editor-in-chief
Miami’s superstar Dwayne Wade
led the Heat into Cleveland to face
the Cavaliers, who were looking to
extend their season-high win streak to ten games. Luckily for
the Cavaliers, LeBron James plays with even more intensity
when angry than he normally does, and the the Cavs rolled to
their 10th straight victory, 102-86.
The New York Knicks entered Cleveland and the Cavs
scored 44 points in the first quarter, coming just two points
shy of tying their season-high. LeBron scored 23 points in the
first quarter, and finished the first half with 35 and finished the
game with 47 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 steals. It’s something
that can’t be explained,” James said of his stunning streak. “It’s a feeling I wish I could be in every game, but it’s not possible. It was a great
moment.” The Knicks fell to the Cavs 113-106. The Cavaliers tied the
NBA’s best winning streak of the season at 11 with the victory over New
York.
The New Jersey Nets entered the game with a league-worst record 446, and Cleveland took the Nets lightly to start the game. Cleveland woke
up midway through the second quarter, and outscored the Nets 29-22 to
enter halftime with a six point lead. The Cavs ended the game with a
seven-point lead to extend their NBA-best streak to 12 games. Cleveland
also improved their home record to 23-3.
Cleveland continued the homestand against the visiting Orlando
Magic. The Cavaliers were knocked out of last season’s conference finals
by the Magic, 4-2, and Quicken Loans Arena was packed for the first
matchup between the two in Cleveland since June. Cavs center Shaquille
O’Neal was getting his first shot at Orlando center Dwight Howard at
home since he had been traded to Cleveland over the summer. O’Neal
kept him in check for much of the game. Howard finished with 19 points,
11 rebounds, and 2 blocks. The Cavs trailed with less than three minutes
to go in the fourth quarter when LeBron drove the lane and glanced the
ball off of the glass for the tying bucket. LeBron continued to shoot the
lights out and with the victory, the Cavaliers entered the all-star break
with the league’s best record at 43-11.
Following LeBron’s sixth All-Star Game appearance, the buzz around
the Cavaliers involved potential trade talks with the Phoenix Suns for forward Amare’ Stoudemire. While the deal never went down, the Cavaliers
did trade for another All-Star foward, Washington’s Antawn Jamison.
Cleveland traded its cornerstone center, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, along with
a first-round pick to Washington for Jamison and injured point guard Sebastian Telfair. Ilgauskas, who was the twentieth-overall pick of the Cavs
back in 1996, has been in Cleveland for the entirety of his 12-year career.
“It was not a fun conversation,” Ferry said. “But he was very professional,
just like you’d expect.”
The Cavs faced the Denver Nuggets next and at the end of regulation,
the game was tied at 106. The overtime period belonged to Anthony and
the Cavaliers’ 13-game win streak was broken.
The Cavaliers embarked on a two-game road trip with a trip to Charlotte on Friday and they lost 110-93 and then lost to Orlando 101-95.
The Cavs faced off with the New Orleans Hornets and after struggling,
won,105-95, to end the three-game losing streak.
The Cavs began their difficult road trip in Boston against the Celtics.
After trailing, Mo Williams hit four 3-pointers in the 4th quarter, giving
the Cavs their first victory in Boston in ten games,108-88. Cleveland left for Toronto’s Air Canada Centre to face the Raptors. The
Cavs entered the game without O’Neal, and the lack of “the Diesel” in the
March 2010
paint was apparent as journeyman forward Reggie Evans dominated in
the first half. The second half was a different story. Jamison and LeBron
continued to score along with Williams, who was again hot from behind
the arc. LeBron tied the game at 109 with less than 20 seconds remaining
in the fourth, and after Toronto regained the lead at 111-109, LeBron tied
the game again with another layup. Regulation ended with the two teams
tied at 111, but the Cavs dominated the overtime period and earned a 126118 victory over the Raptors.
The Cavaliers rolled over the Knicks in impressive fashion, building
their lead as large as 49 points in the 4th quarter before the reserves were
substituted into the game for the Cavs. Delonte West, J.J. Hickson, Anderson Varejao, LeBron, and Jamison all scored in double figures for the
Cavs, who beat the Knicks, 124-93.
Cleveland traveled to the Meadowlands of New Jersey to face the
league’s worst team, the New Jersey Nets. The Cavaliers rolled to an
easy victory, 111-92.
Detroit’s visit to Cleveland resulted in another win, 99-92, for the
league-leading Cavaliers. The game was overshadowed by the collapsing of Pistons’ guard Rodney Stuckey on the bench. After a few tense
moments, Stuckey was taken to the Cleveland Clinic and was released
the following morning.
The Cavaliers’ one-game road trip to Milwaukee was an unsuccessful one, as head coach Mike Brown gave LeBron the night off, and
although Jamison led the team with 30 points and 11 rebounds, the
Cavaliers fell to the red-hot Bucks, 92-85.
Girls’ Bowling
Victoria Lambert
staff reporter
STATE:
Rachel Dedinsky placed 40th out of 138 bowlers
District:
The girls bowling team came in 23rd Sunday March 28th. Senior Rachael Dedinsky went to State Saturday, March 6.
Sectional:
The girls bowling team advanced to the OHSAA District after finishing
in the top 6 out of 20 teams.
North: W 2.030 to 1,289.
Dedinsky had a high game of 193 and had the high series of 351.
Ellet: L 1959 to 1831
Dedinsky bowled the high game of 169 and had the high series of 352.
Rachel
Dedinsky
holds the
medal that
STVM
presents to
each state
qualifier.
Boys’ Bowling
Rachel qualifies as an
individual for state.
East: W 2,067 to 1,867
Senior Aaron Day had high game of a 259 and had the high series 472.
Kenmore: W 1,999 to 1,951
Day bowled the high game of 242 and had the high series of 391.
9
Sports
Winter sport highlights
10
Leprechaun Gold
March 2010
Leprechaun Gold
News
Coach Dru Joyce featured at Speaker Series
Nick Shook
conduct for both the players and coaches and organized practices that
stressed the teaching of fundamentals.
At first glance, Coach Dru Joyce II seems like an average high school
“Our goal was to teach excellence on and off of the basketball
basketball coach. This, however, is not the real Joyce. “Coach Dru,” as
court,” Joyce explained.
many of his own players refer to him, is truly a Christian man with a
In the summer after the inaugural group of players’ eighth grade
purpose. He entered the realms of coaching not for recognition, but to
year, Joyce was asked to become an assistant basketball coach at
mentor young athletes on how to become real men with guidance from
STVM. He was part of the coaching staff that led the Fighting Irish to
God.
back-to-back state championships in 1999-2000
Joyce quoted STVM’s mission statement,
and 2000-2001. After head coach Keith Damsaying it helped him discover his role in life.
brot left STVM to accept the head coaching
“The first time I read that statement back in
position at the University of Akron, Joyce was
2000, the words really resonated with me beasked to take over the head coaching duties at
cause I believe that’s my purpose, to coach the
STVM. He accepted and was determined to
inner and outer man,” Joyce said.
instill seven core values in his players.
Joyce began his coaching career at a church,
“I believed that it was important that
not on a court. He and his wife, Carolyn, began
the basketball program be built on a strong
teaching in the youth ministry at their church,
foundation...they embody what I believe true
The House of the Lord. Both of them started
manhood is all about,” Joyce said.
by teaching a Sunday school class, but eventuJoyce spoke of the seven core values of
ally Joyce began to lead discipleship groups of
humility, discipline, unity, servitude, integrity,
teenage boys.
thankfulness, and passion.
“There I saw firsthand the need for positive
“They are beginning to understand that
role models,” Joyce remarked about the group.
it’s about more than the individual, and that
Joyce began to feel direction from God
life and our basketball program began before
while leading these groups and felt that he was
them and will continue long after them,”
called to enter coaching. He began by coaching
Joyce remarked.
his sons’ teams and formed a non-profit group,
Joyce ended with a story about the prethe Northeast Ohio Basketball Assosciation.
game speech that LeBron James gave to the
Starting the group with the sole purpose of
players before last season’s state championusing basketball to teach the young athletes life
ship game, in which he stressed the fact that
skills, Joyce and his fellow coaches committed
they weren’t playing for themselves, but
themselves to teaching these skills by example.
rather for the players who came before them
Coach Dru Joyce shared his life
Requirements of the group included codes of
and the players who will come after them.
experiences with the audience.
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
French classes welcome guest speaker
can even dunk. During his visit, he not
only spoke to all the French classes, but
spent time with the gym classes as well.
Fortunately, they were playing basketball,
Think LeBron James was the only basketball
so Franck was able to showcase his skills.
superstar to walk the halls of STVM? Think
He spent each period slam dunking the
again. On Tuesday, February 16, Franck Fagot
ball and impressing students and teachers
paid the school a visit. Franck is a physical edualike. He also bonded with fellow basketcation teacher from Lille, France, and is part of
ball star, junior Ricky Johnson.
a teacher exchange program for French teachers
“We built a real friendship. He was so
who want to master the English language.
cool. I didn’t know French people were
In the program, teachers from France come to
that athletic!” Johnson said.
Akron for three months to learn American culture
Along with entertaining the students,
and share their French culture as well. For the
Franck spent some time with Mrs. Wood
first three weeks, the teachers spend their time at
looking at all of the scrapbooks of LeBthe University of Akron learning and improving
ron James during his high school years.
their English. Franck was sent to Stow High
She even gave Franck some articles to
School. When he found out STVM was in the
FRANck FAGOT plays basketball with junior Ricky take home with him. Mr. Rathz provided
area, he requested to visit for a day. Why did a
Franck with a STVM promotional video
Johnson after speaking to the French classes.
French teacher want to visit STVM so badly?
that featured Lebron as well.
“I wanted to come here because I love LeBron
All in all, STVM’s experience with this French visitor was a positive
James. I wanted to see where he walked the halls and grew up,” Franck
one, and he really enjoyed visiting “LeBron’s school.”
explains.
Junior Lilly Romestant shared, “I appreciated the insight Franck
Franck also revealed that he checks NBA.com every day to check on
gave our class into the modern French lifestyle.”
his favorite player. In France, Franck is an avid basketball player who
Maria Arnone
STAFF REPORTER
March 2010
11
Holiday
St. Patrick’s Day Entertainment
Leprechaun Gold
Rachel Dodson
STAFF REPORTER
IRISH HUMOR
Q: Why can’t you borrow money from a leprechaun?
A: Because they’re always a little short.
Q: What does a leprechaun call a happy man wearing green?
A: A Jolly Green Giant
Q: What does it mean when you find a horseshoe?
A: Some poor horse is going barefoot!
Q: What do you call a fake stone in Ireland?
A: A sham rock!
Q: When is an Irish potato not an Irish potato?
A. When it’s a French fry!
Q: Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?
A: He couldn’t afford plane fare!
Q: What do you call a diseased Irish criminal?
A: A leper con!
Q: Why would you never iron a four-leaf clover?
A: Because you shouldn’t press your luck!
Q: How did the leprechaun beat the Irishman to the pot of gold?
A:He took a shortcut!
Q: Why are leprechauns so hard to get along with?
A:Because they’re very short-tempered!
www.SquiglysPlayhouse.com
Leprechauns
Leprechauns are serious, solitary creatures who avoid contact with
humans and other leprechauns. They pour all of their passion into carefully making shoes. A leprechaun can always be found with a shoe in
one hand and a hammer in the other.
Most leprechauns are ugly, stunted creatures. They are big and bulky
with faces like dried apples. They have a mischievous light in their eyes
and despite their stubbiness, usually move gracefully. Female leprechauns do not exist.
They possess all the earth’s treasures but prefer to dress in a drab
manner, usually wearing a grey or green colored coat and a hat.
They, alone, remember when the marauding Danes landed in Ireland
and where they hid their treasure. Although they hide the treasure
well, the presence of a rainbow alerts mortals to the whereabouts of
gold hoards. This causes the leprechauns great anxiety---for no matter
how fast they move their pots of gold, they can never get away from
rainbows.
If a human catches a leprechaun and demands his treasure, he will
give it to the mortal, but this rarely happens.
Find a four-leaf clover:
The Druids believed that a four-leaf clover could help in spotting witches and other demons. Some modern-day believers claim that a four-leaf
clover releases energy and helps a person’s judgment. Yet others feel that
finding a four-leaf clover brings good fortune, not just on St. Patrick’s
Day, but for life.
Puzzles courtesy of: http://pg4anna.tripod.com/Irish_folklore.htm
12
Legends courtesy of: http://www.abitoblarney.com/irishjokes.htm
March 2010