decision 2012 presidential election

September 2012
DECISION 2012 And
why
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The Voice of Strongsville High School
!
VS
.By Spencer Cappelli
A short walk through the hallways of our own
Strongsville High School could yield quite an assortment of information.
A who’s-who list of the social scene, some
homecoming court speculation, a recap of last
night’s big game, or even feverish complaints
about One Direction not claiming every award
at this year’s VMA’s as their own.
But perhaps most prevalent to me, as a senior,
is the complete absence of any talk pertaining to
current events outside of the entertainment or
sports industry.
And trust me, I get it. Nowadays, it’s about as
cool to be politically or globally aware as it is to
wear loafers and a nice pair of slacks to school,
and the fear of being socially accepted is so
deeply etched into our collective prerogatives
that it makes it difficult for anyone to be anything more than complacent.
But that’s just it.
We as a country are in a turbulent age in our
history.
Just 40-something years after race riots permeated our cities, we elected our first AfricanAmerican president. We are fighting both a
recession and a war while our infrastructure
crumbles, our educational scores slide in comparison to other countries, and we accumulate
national debt up to our eyeballs.
The fact that we as underage young adults (at
least the majority of us) cannot vote in this 2012
presidential election is inconsequential. While
we are young and harping over Justin Bieber,
our world still turns. Now is the time to be both
meticulously molding our opinions, and carefully rechecking our sources.
And in 2012, with so many news sources displaying obvious political biases and slants, it is
often hard to sift through to the core of simple
facts. What we often forget is that our teachers
are here to educate us, both inside the classroom
and out. As proponents of knowledge, most
teachers are willing to share with us honest and
sincere opinions as they attempt to create a vast
group of responsible voters-to-be.
With the closing of both the Democratic and
Republican Party National Conventions, Barack
Obama and Mitt Romney stand alone atop their
party’s platforms.
Obama and Romney’s (as a Democrat and Republican, respectively) varied viewpoints appeal
to many of their constituencies, yet an increasing amount of people are finding themselves
caught in between.
Mitt Romney’s official campaign website centers his presidential plan around five ideas he
promises to champion: the building of energy
independence, ensuring Americans have the educational skills to succeed, opening trade markets that work for America, cutting the national
deficit, and promoting small business.
As a republican, he was nominated because his
party believes he will uphold the cornerstones of
their philosophy: cutting back business regulations, reeling in the size of the federal government, and owning up to fiscal responsibility.
During the recent Republican Party National
Convention, he tried to gain a foothold on incumbent president Obama by imploring Americans to “Ask themselves if they are better off
than they were four years ago,” in reference to
the beginning of Obama’s term.
On the other side, Barack Obama is running
for a second term, with the Democratic Party
nominating him.
The last four years has seen Obama put an end
to Osama Bin Laden, bail out General Motors,
end the fighting in Iraq, and implement a universal healthcare bill. If re-elected, Obama vows
to continue the trend of job creation, make
schooling more affordable, work toward energy
sustainability, and end Bush-era tax cuts for the
wealthiest of our country’s incomes.
Barack Obama is seen as “The People’s Cham-
pion,” as he intends to stimulate the economy
further by using the power of the federal government.
While many of the two candidates’ ideas are
similar, the two parties that they represent could
not be further apart.
A Republican-controlled Congress blocked
much of the legislation that the president presented during his term, and they seemed unwilling to cooperate on anything. Arguments over
the national debt and whether or not to raise the
debt ceiling came close to, and actually did, shut
down the government on numerous occasions,
and many of the country’s voters are getting
tired of subscribing to one party or the other’s
philosophy.
“Ideology is for idiots,” retired history teacher
Richard Mack aphoristically stated, while making his case for political compromise and pragmatism. “Not one of the political parties has a
monopoly on good ideas for this country,”.
This idea is starting to gain footing among
potential voters. After each party’s convention,
CNN gathered and talked with large groups of
undecided voters, and listened to them describe
their lack of faith in either of the candidates.
And there are several reasons to feel divided.
Both Republicans and Democrats have not
only been using facts out of context, but in some
cases have been blatantly lying.
A recent case of total deception came from
Mitt Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan. Ryan
recently claimed Obama came to Ryan’s hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin back when he was
running for president, and promised the blue
-collar autoworkers there that he would not let
GM close their manufacturing plant in the city.
Ryan went on to say that Obama let them
down by letting it close under his tenure, not
bearing in mind that the plant was closed in
June of 2008, months before Obama was even
in office.
But to say the Democrats are not guilty of fact
rewriting would be inaccurate as well.
During the Democratic National Convention,
one guest speaker after another stood up in
front of the crowd and praised Barack Obama
for the “4.6 million jobs” that he added in the
private sector.
After the nights festivities, CNN fact checkers
noted that although Obama had indeed added
roughly 4.5 million private sector jobs to the
economy, he had also let approximately five mil-
lion more go by the wayside, bringing his net job
creation total to roughly -500 thousand.
It is this kind of fact bending on both sides that
is detrimental to the country, because it leaves
the listener scratching their head, wondering
who to trust.
As far as to what voters view to be the worst
problem afflicting our country today, the answers can be as numerous as the problems
themselves.
John Syroney, Economics teacher here at
Strongsville, would argue several points. “The
way our system is set up, it’s nearly impossible to
get fresh ideas in Washington,” stated Syroney.
“Especially for senators, once you get elected
it becomes ‘the good ol’ boy’ network, and your
first six years (as senator) becomes six more
years, and then it quickly turns into 30 years
of very few new ideas and innovation,” said Syroney.
He also made a case for the national debt stating that “We are on the edge of the fiscal cliff,
about to fall off.”
Social Studies teacher Tobey Cook expanded
on that thought by citing lack of agreement between our current politicians. “Our lack of compromise between the two parties is the biggest
problem facing us today,” said Cook.
Mack acknowledged this problem as well, stating that the two parties needed to “grow up,” but
also added that the decline of the common man
was what he viewed to be the most trying issue.
“The number one problem in America today
is the erosion of the middle class,” said Mack.
“Back in 1970, the middle class controlled 65%
of the wealth in this country. Today, they control
only 45%, and the divide is growing wider with
time,” postulated Mack.
The problems this country faces can certainly at times seem very disheartening, and even
insurmountable. Now, as tomorrow’s doctors,
lawyers, and politicians, it is upon the youth of
today to surround ourselves with information,
and become problem solvers. We cannot afford
to drown ourselves in the asphyxiating cynicism
that people would like us to; it is not progressive.
All we can do as a responsible citizen is, quite
simply, give a hoot.
We cannot afford to be idle any longer; only
knowledge, action, and cooperation can lead to
a better tomorrow.
We must also throw away partisan squabble
for real, pragmatic solutions. Republican, Democrat, or Independent, we must all come to realize the unwavering truth that this is our world;
these are our lives; and this is our country.
The day this truth is made ubiquitous is the day
this country starts to change for the better.
The Lantern will be accepting
applications for staff writers,
photographers, designers,
and artists at a mandatory
meeting Wednesday October
10 in Room 810 immediately
after school. Possible editors
for the 2013-2014 Lantern
MUST
contribute to the Lantern
prior to consideration. Email
Mr. Sorge with any questions
at [email protected]
e
h
t
n
i
jo tern
n
a
l
The Lantern Staff
Editor
Marisa Leach
Staff Writers
Andrijana Akovic Hanna Knauss
Ziad Allan
Anubhuti Kumar
Michael Brill
Jordyn Lappin
Spencer Cappelli Jennifer Lawhead
Daniel Chips
Angilene Markus
Cade Coulter
Grace Platten
Mallory Dolson Ben Potoczak
Kate Faulhaber Molly Potoczak
Michael Gaydos Alexander Reno
Alyssa Gwinn
Carly Sado
Al Kamczyc
Vindra Trivedi
Jordan Kelley
Daniel Waid
Kristen Kirkwood
Faculty Advisor
Josh Sorge
applications for the
lantern will be
available at lantern
meeting wednesday
october 10 in room
810 immediately after
school
3
Kids in the Hall
All the World’s a Stage
for Vibha Alangar
By Anubhuti Kumar
You walk into an auditorium and as you take your seat, the lights dim. The
dancer comes on stage and immediately you are lost in the rapid eye movements, delicate finger positions, sweeping arms, and eternal chiming of the
bells that make up her anklets as she moves across the stage.
Her quickly changing expressions capture your full attention as the dancer
tells nine different stories with just her dancing and expressions in about
three hours. In one story she even plays two characters, her face changing
from extreme fury to one full of love, admiration, and devotion. This is
Bharatnatym.
Bharatnatym is an ancient Indian dance form that comes from the area
of Tamilkam, India and is said to have divine roots. It is the oldest classical Indian dance and was originally preformed in the courts and temples of
southern India.
After many years of training under a guru (teacher), the dancer performs their
Arangetram, which literally means, “to ascend the stage.”
An Arangetram is a Bharatnatym dancer’s debut on-stage solo performance. It
represents a graduation ceremony, when the guru presents their student to the
public. An Arangetram is a dancer’s dream and ambition. It requires much dedication and discipline.
On September 2, 2012, Vibha Alanger preformed her Arangetram after 12 years
of study under Guru Shobha Narayan. Vibha is a junior at SHS and has been studying Bharatnatym since the age of four. “I feel extremely relived that I have completed my Arangetram, but I also feel sad because it is over,” Vibha Alangar said
after achieving this milestone.
Vibha’s Arangetram took place at in downtown, at the Cleveland State University
auditorium. The audience was packed with well-wishers to see the performance of
a lifetime.
At the intermission, all that could be heard were exclamations of “Wow, that was
amazing!” and “I don’t know how she does it!” in reaction to Vibha’s awe-inspiring
dancing.
The Arangetram was made up of nine different dances. Most praised or called
upon the blessings of a Hindu god. The dances described attributes, aspects,
and reincarnations of the god. In the final dance Vibha thanked the Gods, her
Guru, her parents, the musicians, and the audience with a prayer. This was
all depicted solely through the movements of the carefully choreographed
dances.
Vibha’s dancing was accompanied by a live orchestra including vocals, violin, flute, nattvangam, which is an instrument similar to cymbals, and tabla
(similar to a drum). The program was emceed by Apshara Ravichandran, a
close friend of Vibha and a junior at Westlake High School, who completed
her Arangetram last year.
The performance was followed by dinner from a local Indian restaurant
called Jaipur Junction. At dinner everybody who came to watch Vibha got a
chance to congratulate the dancer herself. She was swamped with family and
friends complimenting her on her beautiful dancing and wonderful outfits.
Credit for orchestrating this event seamlessly goes to Vibha’s parents, Bharti
and Ravi Alangar. They have spent months and months booking the venue,
sending invitations, organizing catering, setting the menu, gathing props and
outfit, decorating the stage, and most importantly, driving Vibha to dance
practice.
Vibha’s Bharatnatym teacher and the choreographer for her Arangetram,
Shobha Narayan, has been dancing for 35 years and teaching for over 25.
“My immense interest and passion for dance and the training that I received in
my dance school in India made me interested in teaching. I have always wanted
to be creative…propagating this beautiful dance gives me immense satisfaction,” declares Narayan.
She is the director for the Nritya Gitanjali School of Dance, which she established in 1985 and has taught over 100 students. It was one of the earliest fullfledged dance institutions in Cleveland.
“It is a feeling that can’t be put into words. When my student goes on to complete
the Arangetram, it feels like I am up on stage performing and I feel very proud and
happy that I have been instrumental in contributing to his/her success in Bharatanatyam,” Guru Shobha Narayan said after watching Vibha’s performance.
As well as dance, Shoba Narayan provides instruction in vocal music and nattuvangam. It is arguably the most important member in the Bharatnatym orchestra. She
provided the lead vocals and nattvangam for Vibha’s performance.
Bharatnatym takes dedication, discipline, and hardwork. Vibha will continue to perfect this art form by learning from Narayan. “I will definitely continue learning Bharatnatym for as long as I can, so it will always be a part of my life. It’s routine, and it would
be weird if it wasn’t there,” states Vibha
For Vibha, who is passionate about this beautiful dance form, it is an important part
of her life and a defining characteristic of her personality. As Vibha said, “It’s a part of
who I am and always will be.”
The Lantern
September 2012
“My immense
interest and passion
for dance and the
training that I
received in my dance
school in
India made me
interested in
teaching. I have
always wanted to be
creative…
propagating this
beautiful dance gives
me immense
satisfaction,”
- Shobha
Narayan,
Vibha’s
choreographer
SHS Grad Making Waves In Rap Industry
By Al Kamczyc
Erik Paul and Bailee Moore are
two clean-cut kids from the suburbs.
One looks like he’d be working in a big law firm and the other
looks like she’d be working in the modeling industry. Looks can
be deceiving however, because both of them are pursuing a career
in rap.
Erik Opheim, musically known as Erik Paul, started rapping
in a group called Waffle House Productions, back in 2006. The
group consisted of Paul and Ty Kamczyc. Their popularity grew
and their Myspace page had amassed close to 8,000 views.
“We only put out one little joke mix-tape, which he (Erik) did
really well on,” said Ty, Erik’s former partner in rhyme. After that,
Erik went on a three-year hiatus, and only rapped at parties.
Then during his senior year he released his first official mixtape as Erik Paul. The mix tape was titled the “EPiphany” and
then released the “EPidemic” soon after. Both were appropriately
titled because after he released them, he immediately drew comparisons to early 2000s Eminem.
“When I wrote those songs I was in a weird spot in my life. But
that’s the thing, my music reflects how my life is emotionally at
the time,” said Erik when asked about his music.
Upon graduating from SHS and going to Ohio University, he began doing shows at Peabodies and even performed at Palmer Fest.
“I think my best show was probably
Palmer Fest, just because there were so many people
and the energy was awesome,” he said.
Palmerfest is an annual block party in Athens,
Ohio, taking place annually in May on Palmer
Street near the city’s eastern edge. Palmer Street
is a major student neighborhood of Ohio University.
With his success in music and concerts, Erik has
gotten many record deal offers, none of which he
has accepted.
“I just wanted to further develop myself independently until a major label steps in,” Erik said.
He has, however signed to AMG as a ghost
writer, which means he writes for other rappers and singers.
Then things changed. For the better.
Living the college life he soon ran into a girl
at a party. This girl however wasn’t your average Jane Doe college girl, unless an average
girl can fast-rap Busta Ryhme’s verse verbatim, as perfect as Busta did. Her name was
Bailee Moore, and after Erik heard her rap the
verse, he brought up the idea of her rapping some verse he wrote
in front of a camera.
Before this chance encounter, Bailee was a junior at Ohio University pursuing a major in retail merchandising and worked as
a bartender.
“I’ve always been a singer and loved singing. I’ve also always
loved rap music. I just didn’t know that I could find a way to combine my interest in rap music and my love for singing into something new,” said Bailee. “Once I got in the studio and also started
to perform live, I knew I had to pursue my dream.”
“She’s one of the coolest people I’ve ever met, so it’s easy to work
together. Ideas just flow and we keep whatever sounds good,” Erik
said about working with Bailee.
Erik and Bailee flew down to Florida to shoot her first viral video, “Talk that Talk” which features Erik on the chorus. That song
alone has close to 200,000 views, and the first video she ever did
(“White girl raps fast”) had accumulated
over 600,000 views on it.
Those two videos were enough for her to
be put on Billboard’s Next Big Sound
as number six. She is even in the top
five fastest growing female rappers in
the nation today.
Bailee and her sound have become
so famous that it’s also garnered the
attention of E! news, Yahoo!, and
even the Washington post.
Erik Paul and Bailee Moore
both have EPs to look out for this
year. Erik has just announced
the name of his EP “All day
All Night” which will be
released in October on
iTunes. Bailee is also releasing her EP in the fall
as well as going on tour
for her EP which is still
untitled.
An EP is sort of like a
mini album, usually containing four to five songs.
Also be expecting Erik
and Bailee to be making
a return to Cleveland to
do a show in the near
future. If you want to
listen to them check
out Bailee Moore on
Youtube and Erik
Paul on Grooveshark
and Reverbnation.
Pop-Punk Scene in Cleveland Is Expanding
By Kate Faulhaber
Cleveland is the city where rock-n’-roll music is honored and
respected. This genre has transformed into many smaller genres,
including Pop- Punk.
The pop-punk craze has been around since the 1990s, but has
taken off around Cleveland.
Young, aspiring musicians around Northeast Ohio are starting to get into this pop-punk scene. Bands like Blink-182, New
Found Glory, and Green Day are the inspirations for these bands.
Some of these musicians even put their own twist from their
own favorite genres of music. For example, E.J. Snock, the singer
Call Us Kings
of a one-man band, Dear City Lights, mixes his pop/rock music
with his own Skrillex-inspired beats.
Cleveland-based band Call It Fiction has gotten a bigger fan
base in Northeast Ohio. For only forming the band less than three
years ago, they have promoted the whole time and have really
tried to get their name out there. A big part of pop-punk music to
them is the lyrics they write.
“Lyrically, I’m inspired by bands like Mayday Parade or Dance
Gavin Dance,” said Christopher Petrus, the lead singer for Run
for the Skylines.
The main goal for these bands is to be playing in huge arenas
with everyone in the crowd singing along to their songs.
Call Us Kings, a Mentor-born band has been playing pop-punk
music since 2009.
“We want to be as big as All Time Low. We think we could be
there one day,” said lead singer Zach McCraith.
All Time Low, a pop-punk band from Baltimore, Maryland
started small and successfully made themselves a big name to
pop-punk lovers. Lead singer Zach McCraith and guitarist Vince
Lundi began in a different band called Everything Zen, but soon
after formed Call Us Kings with members of a band called the
Thrifers.
A new association in Cleveland, The Northeast Ohio Pop Punk
Scene, has been established. Just these past couple years, NE
Ohio Pop Punk created concerts to showcase up-and-coming local pop-punk bands. Many of these shows are free to get a large
crowd of pop-punk lovers to support each band.
When bands are recognized through the Northeast Ohio PopPunk Scene, they are more likely to play the Cleveland Vans
Good Night City Lights
Warped Tour. Playing this tour is the ultimate dream because
it may be their big break. Local bands such as Goodnight City
Lights and Call It Fiction both had the opportunity to play the
2012 Vans Warped Tour.
Some of these aspiring pop-punk artists start pursuing their
dreams during their high school years. For 16 years, the House
of Blues has hosted the Tri-C High School Rock Off. This is an
event that showcases high school bands. They compete against
one another for a $1,000 cash prize and the bragging rights of
being the best of the best in the high school sector of pop-punk
and rock bands.
Like all musicians, Cleveland pop-punk bands deal with the
same struggles to make it big in the music industry. These bands
show that Cleveland is still the city of rock-n-roll.
5
KIDS IN THE HALL
Cameron Perisutti Gives Back
By Molly Potoczak
Cameron Perisutti, junior at Strongsville High School, has set a new record.
This August, he donated an enormous amount of books to Rainbow
Babies and Children’s Hospital. The
total number of books came to be
about 4,000, which is a record-breaking donation for RBCH. The idea for
this act of charity came about through
a Boy Scout Eagle Project.
Perisutti contributed these books
through the Reach Out and Read
program, which is a nationwide nonprofit organization that encourages
improving literacy and kindergarten
readiness for young children in pediatric hospitals.
Perisutti has always known in the
back of his mind that the Reach Out
and Read program was something
he wanted to be a part of. Education
was definitely an area that he wanted
to target and support. “I want people
to be able to improve their education.
Education is really lacking,” Perisutti
said.
The thought process behind choosing
Rainbow Babies was simple. Perisutti
knew that, although Strongsville was
not perfect, we have most of what we
need. On the other hand, Cleveland is
There has been a lot of debate over
the new numbered parking lot spaces
at the high school, whether the system will work or not, only time will
tell.
This is the first year Strongsville
High School has decided to number
the teacher and student lots, due to
past years of disorganization, fake
passes, and underclassman taking up
spots. “I had to deal with parking last
year, with 627 seniors and 420 parking spots, I can tell you it was no fun.”
– Mrs. Turner, secretary.
The way the lot is set up for this year
are the numbers going horizontally,
and for those of whom who signed
up for a pass, get spots according to
their last names. Mr. Breckner, the
Cameron Perisutti reading a child a book at Cleveland’s
Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
Perisutti, and he would like to thank
each and every one of them that contributed to this great success.
On another note, Perisutti shared a
story about a young girl who begged
him to continue reading to her aloud.
He read her the story three times, and
allowed her to take the book home for
herself.
Patients like that truly demonstrate
why this donation was necessary.
“Some families only have enough
money for the necessities, but people
don’t understand that books are also a
necessity,” said Perisutti.
space, you are to park in the teacher
lot and notify someone in the office.
In consequence, the person to park
in your spot will get a ticket, and if it
continues they will be towed.
There are many mixed opinions on
the topic, and most students seem to
disagree with the idea. Mallory Bar, a
student at Strongsville High, says “I
don’t like it, but I think it’s smart because it’s easier to catch students with
fake passes. I think next year they
should organize it in a better way so
some students don’t get screwed over
with a bad spot and still have to pay
full price for the parking pass.”
Another student, Rachel Harbie,
seems to have the same opinion. “The
system should be first-come-first
serve because the way the parking lot
is numbered; I was given a bad spot
The majority of these children’s
books were placed in the Outpatient
Care Center. The children at the
Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital will now have an easier opportunity to learn to read, and are found to
have a higher vocabulary and better
reading skills by the time they get to
“Cameron’s amazing gift will
allow many of the families we
serve in Ohio t o share the joy
of reading.”
desperate for help.
To acquire all of these books,
Perisutti received help from fellow
boy scouts, friends, and passionate
volunteers.
Collection bins were set up at the
Ehrnfelt Recreation Center, United
Methodist Church, and his own
home.
To advertise this book drive, flyers
were posted all around Strongsville
and ads were placed in The Post and
The Sun News.
“This donation will have a positive
influence in young children’s lives,
New Concept of Numbered
Parking Spots at SHS
By Carly Sado
and it felt great to help a friend,” said
Katie Palo, one of the volunteers who
helped collect and sort books.
Most of the volunteers collected
books, sorted through them, and informed the community about this
life-changing project.
The volunteers really did a lot for
THE LANTERN
SEPTEMBER 2012
school.
“We are grateful for Cameron’s hard
work and generous donation to support Reach Out and Read,” said Judith Forman, Reach Out and Read’s
National Public Awareness Manager.
“Reach Out and Read are all about
empowering families to read together
from birth to ensure that all children
start school with strong literacy skills
and a foundation for future success.
Cameron’s amazing gift will allow
many of the families we serve in Ohio
t o share the joy of reading.”
man in charge of parking this year,
came up with the idea of numbering
spaces. One of the main reasons Mr.
Breckner suggested the idea is due
to people purchasing parking passes,
and having nowhere to park. “Not
enough space, over selling of passes,
let’s say we have 400 parking spaces
they would sell 450 passes. And when
you over sell passes it’s very hard to
keep track of them. There were just
a lot of issues and after a lot of conversing with the head principal we
decided it was best to number the
lot.” Explained Breckner. Although
the system seems very organized, he
openly admits there are some flaws
that need improving. “The numbers
are a bit off, and that’s something that
next year I’m hoping to correct.” He
also stated “We have written fewer
tickets this year than we have in the
past 4 years. So the system is working.”
If someone is to park in your parking
because of my last name.”
“I think the new lot is going to make
a big improvement on the school and
over time students will learn to like it.
I can already see a difference in how
organized things are. My mornings
run a lot more smoothly.” – Heather
Campbell, whom expresses a more
positive outlook on the change.
This year seems to be the test run for
the entire idea, and if it seems to work
as well as it should, then the system
will continue for the rest of our high
school careers. The students will have
to succumb to the new system and
learn to get used to it. Along with the
new numbered spots, there are also
plenty of new police officers out there
this year looking for speeders.
Strongsville is making new attempts
to have a better, safer, more reliable
school system, and be a better place
for the incoming students. The numbered lot is one of the first steps to
make for a more organized school.
SHS Orchestras take a trip to Chicago
By Ziad Allan
Chicago, home of the Chicago Symphony and neighboring several renowned musical colleges, will be host
to two of our very own orchestras this
coming spring.
During a four day trip, the String and
Freshman Orchestras will be touring
Chicago and attending a clinic, which
is a class for the entire orchestra as
given by one of the faculty at one of
the area colleges.
Last year the Symphony Orchestra
made a similar trip and attended a
clinic at Vandercook College, a music
college right outside Chicago, conducted by Dr. Eccles, one of the directors of music at Vandercook.
According the Mr. Hire, the director
of orchestras here at SHS, the clinic
for this year’s trip may be at either
Vandercook or Northwestern, but it
is still undecided.
“I’m very excited to go on this trip,
because of the educational offerings
this location (Chicago) has, and I was
also surprised at how many students
have never been to Chicago, more
have been to New York or Florida,
but not Chicago,” said Mr. Hire when
asked about his feelings on this trip.
He also hopes that the students will
be able to, “Grow and band together,
and for them to work together as
a team, and to think of orchestra as
more than just a class they show up
for once a day.”
The students this year will be going on this trip during spring break,
allowing them to stay an extra day
and see more of the city. Whereas last
year’s group went nearly a week earlier, and missing a day of school in the
process.
The list of activities is still tentative
but includes a variety of cool and fun
things around Chicago.
Among the favorites from last year’s
Chicago trip were the shopping expeditions. In particular, students enjoyed the walk down Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.
One of the restaurants scheduled for
the trips, Ed Debevic’s, is styled after
a 60s short-order diner.
Another restaurant on the sched-
ule, Giordano’s pizza, is known for
its famous Chicago-style deep-dish
pizza.
The students going on this year’s
trip are looking forward to many of
the activities planned and in particular many of the musical stops.
The musical stops on the trip include a performance by the worldrenowned Chicago Symphony, and
a comedy-music show by the Blue
Man Group.
Katie Donahue, a senior and a
cellist in the String Orchestra, is
excited about, “Probably the whole
trip, but I’m especially excited to see
the orchestra (Chicago Symphony)
perform, and the Blue Man Group.”
“Because this is my first year play-
ing the cello, I really hope to learn the
technique and skills of playing the
cello,” continued Katie.
Along with the musical stops the
students will have an opportunity to
learn something at the Field Museum,
home of the famous T-Rex “Sue.” One
of America’s finest museums, it has
exhibits ranging from Anthropology to Zoology and everything in
between.
With teacher and students alike
looking forward to this trip, everyone
is hoping to have a great time in the
Windy City.
6
In The Ville
e
l
l
i
v
s
g
n
Stro
By Lyssa Gwinn
Teen Mom is one of the most controversial reality TV shows on
the air. Some people argue that the show makes teenagers want to
have babies earlier; others argue the show is a false representation
of teenage pregnancy and motherhood.
The first episode was aired on December 8, 2009. According
to Alex Weprin from The Business of Television Broadcasting &
Cable, the series pilot episode was the highest-rated premiere on
MTV in over a year with 2.1 million total viewers.
Teenage pregnancy is a national occurrence, but it’s also happening right here in Strongsville. For Kassandra (Kassie) Dendler, a
Strongsville native and 2012 graduate, being a teen mom is a real
daily routine for her.
When asked about the show she said, “The only thing that really
bothers me about the show is that it doesn’t accurately show any
sort of financial struggle…financial struggle is a big thing and
they make it look so easy; and it really isn’t like that.” Kassie is a
young mother to a six-month-old baby girl, Kylee Lynn.
Kassie went on to say that, “Teen Mom does a great job of showing different aspects, but the only thing that is different is the
fact that almost every relationship suffered and ended quickly;
whereas mine we’ve dealt with things a lot better.”
She continued to say that she believed wholeheartedly that the
cast of the show fight, break up, and make up solely to make the
front page of a sleazy tabloid, or to improve the ratings of the
The Lantern
September 2012
show and to entertain the viewers.
In addition to Kassie’s earlier statements about the shows, Sarah
Chisar, 19, another aspiring young mother from Strongsville,
to an11-month-old baby boy, Jacob, also voiced her opinion by
stating, “I actually know what it is like to struggle; they honestly
don’t. They’re all ‘rich’ from that show. In real life, you suddenly
have to learn how to be an adult and become a parent in 9 months
no matter how old you are; they didn’t have to do that.”
According to Paul Davidson, a reporter for USA TODAY, the
inflation-adjusted median household income increased 4%, from
$49,434 to $51,413. As stated by an insider source of Life and
Style Magazine, the cast of Teen Mom make anywhere between
$60,000 and $65,000 per season (3 months), plus whatever they
make working in the real world, and receive bonus gift certificates to restaurants and stores. Sometimes MTV will even buy the
young mothers cars.
Making somewhere around $60,000-$65,000 in 3 months is incredible. They make more than the national average in ¼ of the
time, not to mention continue to work for the other nine months,
too. They are well above the national average.
Considering the show only pays them about $9000 more than
the average household income, they aren’t exactly ‘rich,’ but when
you have a child, the extra money and bonus gift certificates can
really make a difference.
In contrast to the cast of Teen Mom, Kassie and her boyfriend
make about $38,000 a year, with TANF benefits, and WIC [Women, Infants, and Children (a government program to ensure proper nutrition for mothers and their children)] factored in.
Katie Greathouse, 17, also of Strongsville, is a single mother to
a nine-month-old baby girl, Sophia. Katie works two, sometimes
three jobs to support her baby girl. When asked further about her
feelings about Teen Mom and Sixteen and Pregnant, Katie said,
“Real life isn’t that dramatic, but you have the times; and they
make it look like you can move here and there and that’s not the
case. Teen Mom is overrated and they glamorize it too much.”
Katie’s ex-boyfriend, Justin, was offered a good home and college life in Arizona, but had no other choice but to turn it down
because Katie and their daughter, Sophie, live in Ohio and can’t
afford to leave. Whereas parents on the show can just up and leave
whenever they feel necessary. It bothers her.
As stated by Christina Lewis, 39, “Motherhood is a full-time
job. It drains you. It doesn’t matter how old you are, or how much
money you make. It will always be hard to care for a new life. But,
I took care of all of my babies, even at 17 years old. I certainly
didn’t get paid to do it, or have my mommy there to take care of
them for me.”
e
h
EXTREME
t
o
T
By Grace Platten
Between sports, shopping, and exercising, extreme is the new
way of living. Everywhere one looks there is evidence of lifestyles
bordering on the extreme.
Even shopping has its extremes.
Customers get excited saving $4, $10 and even $1, but extreme
couponors save hundreds every shopping trip. These people clip
coupons in the newspaper, find coupons on the internet and will
even jump in a dumpster just to get a good deal. Some also have
laminated binders to keep their coupons organized and together.
“You come to realize that you never pay full price for anything –
ever!” stated Tiffany Ivanovsky, a 35-year-old dedicated member
of super couponers.
“I saved over $30 in just a $100 order, I never thought I could do
such a thing,” said Holly Griffiths, a mother of four.
Extreme couponers rearrange their homes, apartments, garages,
and rooms just to fill space for more bulk of toilet paper, paper
towels, and other items they get almost free. Couponers can save
up to $1000 a month or more just from groceries but use it as a
part time job.
Not only have people gone to the extreme in couponing but also
in sports and exercise.
“Who here has been training for a month? A year? Just showed
up for the heck of it today?” said the starter of the Warrior Dash.
Shannon Novak, a warrior of the challenge, knew then that people take this race seriously and she was not prepared for it.
The Warrior Dash is an extreme 5k with running uphill, climbing walls, and swimming through water. The race is intense and
can be hazardous but it is the responsibility of the challenger to
complete each obstacle.
This extreme weight loss was more than she could ever imagine.
From going to the gym and breaking a good sweat just to remembering not to eat after 7 o’clock.
“I was pretty surprised how fast it went, I got off about 10-15
pounds in just one month,” Annie stated.
On the opposite side of extreme weight loss is a sport called
extreme eating.
With having one out of every three children and two out of every
three adults obese, some would think restaurants would want to
give their customers less portions and keep them underweight.
Instead, they now hold eating competitions. Extreme eating has
grown more and more in the past ten years. Almost all restaurants hold eating competitions very often.
Between eating a five-pound burger, to eating as many hot dogs
as possible, extreme eaters enter these contests at an alarming
rate. Pro Eaterstrain everyday for contests to win up to $5000.
Eating three plates at one meal everyday for them isn’t enough.
When it comes down to it they eat almost nine more plates of
food than the average person a day.
Whether it’s saving $50 with coupons or bench pressing 180
pounds at the age of eight, it takes a lot of time and effort to
achieve your goals. These people faced the challenge of the extreme.
Body building is another extreme sport.
At only two years old, Richard Sandrak started lifting weights
for his profession. He could bench press 180 pound at just eight
years old. He was so big that kids in his class feared him and stay
away from Richard.
Bodybuilding is a seve- day-a-week priority, even if it’s just going
in the gym for a half hour. Athletes don’t want their muscles to
tense up after days of not training.
Along in the exercise category is extreme weight loss. Studies
show that this can be more harmful than helpful.
“As great as exercise is, it’s like a powerful drug,” Dr. James
O’Keefe said.
Researchers found that during and following a marathon, runners gained a 50% increase in the levels of an enzyme called troponin. Troponin is the same enzyme that shows up in patients
who have heart attacks.
“It was really hard at first because I basically cut my calories in
half, but once I figured out how to put my mind over hunger it
became a lot easier,” said Annie who lost over 35 pounds in the
last six months.
7
KIDS IN THE HALL
Class Sizes Decreasing
Effectiveness
By Jordan Kelley
In times of economic trouble,
schools are harshly affected. Less
funding from the community often
leads to cutting staff members.
While this strategy is effective in
reducing spending, little thought appears to be given towards the unintended side effects. Fewer teachers in
turn lead to more students per class.
A study done by Princeton University showed that smaller classes, between 15 and 17 students, were the
best conditions in which students
added Nora Medvy, the intervention
specialist to the ASAP program.
Although reducing class sizes would
help to increase the grades of students, it is not an all encompassing
solution.
According to the Center of Public Education, “The experience and
preparation of teachers is a critical
factor in the success or failure of class
size reduction programs. Supports,
such as professional development for
teachers and a rigorous curriculum,
enhance the effect of reduced class
size on academic achievement.”
THE LANTERN
SEPTEMBER 2012
SHS Adds New
English and Social
Studies Teachers
many written assignments. This leads
to less feedback and less opportunity
for these students to grow,” continued
Keirn-Swanson.
“I started the school with a negative
attitude entirely because of class sizes.
I love teaching, but I don’t want to
feel like a failure to my students. I can
handle impact on a personal level. I’m
a teacher, we all do it. What I hate is
feeling like I didn’t have enough time
to help the students,” said KeirnSwanson.
If students don not receive the personal attention which they need, they
Ms. Gloor and Mr. Ranallo
By Jenn Lawhead
learn.
With the loss of about 30 teachers
from past several school years, the
class sizes have skyrocketed. At any
given point, up to 35 students may be
under the supervision of one teacher.
“Small classes improve the student
to teacher ratio and reduces distractions,” said Ms. Marikae Chrzanowski, a teacher in the ASAP program at
Strongsville High School, who works
with kids who work best in small
groups.
“I wouldn’t mind a few more kids, I
enjoy the diversity. But I would never
want to have a class of 30 students. I
wouldn’t be able to dedicate the time
each student needs,” Chrzanowski
went on to say.
“Small groups get to know each other more closely. This leads to a more
intimate and trusting atmosphere,”
With some teachers having up to 175
students on any given school day, the
preparation they can provide is minimal. The time it takes to grade their
work often stretches far into the personal lives of these staff members because of the amount of students they
have. School begins to consume their
lives.
“Every standard essay I assign will
take about 27 hours of my personal
time if graded quickly and easily.
Quizzes, tests, and journals add additional time. Research papers take
about twice as long,” said Mrs. Heather Keirn-Swanson, an English teacher
at Strongsville High School.
“The large class sizes affect not only
my home life but my students as well.
I can’t provide the attention that each
of my students need. With so many
students, I will not be able to assign as
can not flourish and thrive in school.
“I know on certain days I don’t even
make contact with every student so
there is no way that they are getting
the individual attention they need,”
said Keirn-Swanson
“I usually make it a point to learn
the name of every student after the
first week. We’re three weeks into the
school year and I don’t even know
the names of some of these students.
It seems impossible to learn each of
their learning styles and any outside factors which affect their school
work,” continued Keirn-Swanson.
The effect of increasing class sizes is
strongly negative. The teachers’ personal lives become invaded by school
and the students do not get the personal attention they need to thrive.
This year, Strongsville High School
has welcomed many new faces to the
teaching staff. With the addition of 15
new teachers come numerous fresh
and innovative ideas.
“We hired the best,” said Mr. Smithberger, an assistant principal at SHS,
“and I’m confident they’ll do a good
job.”
Each of the 15 new staff members
are paired up with a “buddy” to help
them throughout the school year.
Their buddies help them with any
questions that might arise during the
day. Mrs. Gloor, a new English teacher, is
very positive about her classroom in
Strongsville.
“The kids are very well behaved
here,” said Gloor, who was originally
from a charter school for students
with behavioral problems.
At her previous school, Gloor
was one of only two English teachers in the building. Since moving to
Strongsville, she has had a lot more
students to connect with.
“I had eighty kids before, all of
whom I got to know very well,” Gloor
said. Now she has up to 150 different
students in a day.
Gloor is excited about bringing a
new element of artistic inspiration
into the classroom to engage her students.
“I’m creative myself, so I’d like to
incorporate that,” said Gloor, who is
brainstorming many inventive projects
Mr. Ranallo, who is new to the Social Studies Department, also has a
technological idea that he’s ready for
Strongsville to see.
“I graduated not too long ago, so I
feel more up-to-date than the veteran
teachers,” said Ranallo.
Ranallo, who used to teach in Vir-
ginia, became familiar with Prezi, an
interactive PowerPoint.
Prezi is a free resource that is available to both teachers as well as students.
This program brings a new element
of technology into the classroom with
features such as picture to text zooming while neatly keeping the information on one slide.
The Prezi website states that “The result [is]: visually captivating presentations that lead your audience down a
path of discovery.”
Ranallo would like to teach his
classes using this tool to bring Social
Studies closer to the imagination of
the kids.
Both Gloor and Ranallo mentioned
that the size of the high school was a
big difference from their last teaching
jobs.
The extremely large size of the school
with up to 2,486 pupils in the halls at
every class change can be enough to
overwhelm anyone.
“All I know [about the building] so
far is the Mezzanine and the top floor,
I just ask people where everything
else is to get to know them,” said Ranallo.
Not only is the size different, but the
scheduling is also new for Ranallo.
Compared to the Twinsburg blocking
program of 90 minutes, the 48 minute
classes are a tight fit.
Ranallo, who was surrounded by educators all his life, has known that he
wanted to be a teacher from the start.
The teachers have adjusted quickly
to the fast-paced life at Strongsville
High School and are not disappointed
with what they have found.
The welcoming environment of the
building brings all the staff and students together.
“We include everyone in the Strongsville family,” said Smithberger.
Write for The Lantern!
Email Mr. Sorge
[email protected]
8
In The Ville
The Lantern
September 2012
In Theaters...
And In Office?
By Vrinda Trivedi
You can either love it, or hate it. This is the phrase that multiple reviewers have used when describing Dinesh D’Souza’s new
documentary 2016: Obama’s America. Coincidentally, this is also
the phrase that appears on the screen during the last few seconds
of the documentary.
Called “Republican propaganda” and also “an unbiased tell
all,” by movie critics, these contrasting opinions have got people
flocking to the nearest theater.
The documentary has been a huge success; it’s become one of
the highest grossing political documentaries of all time. Nonetheless, rightwing conservatist author/director Dinesh D’Souza
has gotten plenty of hate from Democrats. Many claim that the
documentary is very biased, and portrays President Obama as a
debt-increasing monster.
Even so, both the Republican Party and Democratic Party have
refused to comment on the film. This film might have gone under the radar to politicians, but many voters are starting to have
second thoughts.
One movie critic, Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly,
commented, “D’Souza’s thesis is that Obama has spent his life trying to please his late Kenyan father — and that the result is he’s
an anticolonial socialist revolutionary.” And unsurprisingly, this
was the same sentiment that most other liberal critics felt about
the movie as well.
The most shocking aspect of this movie was the amount of disapproval the documentary received from Strongsville residents.
As we all know, Strongsville is a Republican stronghold of Ohio,
surrounded by hardcore Democratic cities, and this is why I was
in for a surprise when many of the viewers didn’t like the film.
After the documentary ended, I made my way around Strongsville Cinemark Theater, and asked various viewers what they
thought of the film. The first person I interviewed was Don
Schmitt, a Strongsville resident. He is a self-professed “Mitt Romney fan.” Despite that, Schmitt claimed that he did not like the
aggressive tone of the documentary.
“It was all one, long rant on how Obama is an anticolonial anarchist!” Schmitt said. His wife Linda, a democrat, also laughed
and said that the movie had cost her, “an hour and a half of my life
that went to waste.” Well, sounds like some Republicans weren’t
too keen on the documentary.
Another viewer, Anubhuti Kumar, 16, an independent, thought
that the documentary was too harsh on Obama. “It was biased
and I think that the claims were too aggressive and slanted.”
It wasn’t surprising that Democrats didn’t agree with the message. After all, director Dinesh D’Souza is a Republican and the
documentary was also produced and supported by many high
profile Republicans, which can lead the viewer to conclude that
the documentary might be a little biased, to say the least.
When accused of slandering President Obama and his campaign, Gerald Molen, producer of 2016: Obama’s America, retorted, “All of my movies have been about telling the truth,” Molen told the Hollywood Reporter. “That’s important to me. We’ve
gone out of our way to make a movie that’s fair and truthful. And
these numbers tell me that the American people agree with that
assessment.”
But, while many people were impressed by D’souza’s “fair and
truthful” documentary, some other viewers were not happy with
the movie’s portrayal of Obama.
Throughout the movie, I could only focus on a few things. The
first being the absolutely horrible background music. In summary, director D’Souza must have thought that putting Indian/Bollywood music in the background while he was on camera would
add culture to the movie. This was definitely not the case, as the
music sounded cheesy and unprofessional and took away attention from D’Souza while he made valid arguments and insightful
comments.
Another aspect that seemed to irritate a lot of viewers was
D’Souza’s snarky and extremist comments on almost every aspect
of President Obama’s life. He not only insulted Obama on a personal level quite a few times, but he also made radical comments
on his method of governing. “People voted for Obama so they
weren’t labeled as racist,” was a recurring quote that seemed to
back D’Souza’s thesis. He also made Obama’s friends and family
seem like threats to his political career, seeing as they are all either
socialists, communists or terrorists.
D’Souza’s constant claims that Obama is an anticolonialist were
also backed by Daniel Pipes, an American historian and expert on
the Middle East. Pipes made radical comments on how Obama
was doing everything in his power to “withdraw the American
presence” on the world and how this is the “anticolonial dream”.
In the last few minutes of the movie, D’Souza finally concludes
that “the world could be a pretty scary place in 2016.”
with
throughout
the day.”
“Polaris focuses
on a skill that will
help you get a job
in the future,” Nick
Santoro, a junior
Polaris student taking
Aeronautics,
said. “It’s one of
the things I look
Polaris Students Nick Santoro (left) forward to every
and Shannon Gowan (right)
morning,” Santoro
stated.
So much nice things are being said about Polaris and bad things
being said about Strongsville. These Polaris students, like many
others, would most likely agree.
“I love everything about the high school. The people, the teachers, everything. If I could have to choose between going to other
schools, I would choose to go here.” Devin Thorn, a junior, said.
“I’m happy I didn’t go to Polaris. Polaris is almost like a trade
school, and I don’t plan on trades.” Thorn stated.
It doesn’t seem like either one of the schools could be better than
the other, but there are always those students, who detest something about either schools.
“I don’t like the separated lunch periods. I also don’t like how
strict the library is,” Jessika Mikesina, a junior, said. “I don’t like
anything besides hanging out with my friends.”
“Teachers at Polaris don’t treat us like little kids.” Gowan stated
about how Polaris and the High School differ from each other.
“I don’t miss the high school. Having three periods and Polaris is
good enough” Santoro said.
“I don’t like all the amounts of homework we get. We also need
new lockers, most of them are broken.” Thorn said about what he
disliked about Strongsville.
Strongsville high school
is disliked by many of
our students, mainly for
the people, some for the
homework, or just plain
showing up early in the
morning.
Polaris kids seem to
find Polaris fun and exciting. They love going
there every day, and doNon- Polaris students Devin
Thorn (left) and Jessika Mikesina ing something different
from Strongsville.
(Right)
Students here believe
that Strongsville is better
or that Polaris is better, but those are opinions. They all have different tastes and values.
SHS or Polaris? Students Voice Opinions
By Jordyn Lappin
For the juniors and seniors at Strongsville High School, many of
them experience going to Polaris Career Center.
Some students, however, chose not to go. They’re reasons are
that Polaris doesn’t support what they want to do as a career, it
may cost too much money for their family to pay for, or they just
don’t want to go at all.
They aren’t interested in it like many of the other students who
are now enrolled into Polaris. Those students may have found a
program that suits what they want to do with life, unlike others.
Polaris kids can take classes they want, and only have three periods a day (plus no lunch-study hall), while students at the high
school have to have eight periods (Unless they have the mustang
privileges) and have to endure more classes.
Full- day High School students enjoy Strongsville for their
friends, some of the classes that Polaris doesn’t offer, and just being there.
“It seems like college but more fun!” Diana Malyovany, a freshman, stated about her opinion on what Polaris would be like.
There are many different opinions on Polaris and Strongsville.
Some can be good and some can be bad. Others say Polaris is
good and Strongsville is horrible or vice versa.
“The high school holds no interest for me. It is a means to an
end,” Shannon Gowan, a junior Polaris student taking Criminal
Justice, said. “I don’t miss it. I like having a small class that I stay
9
KIDS IN THE HALL
THE LANTERN
SEPTEMBER 2012
Classic Literature Views
From Both Sides
By Mike Gaydos
The love of reading is absent in the
minds of many students. With new
technology, kids are filling their time
using all the new gadgets and the time
spent on reading is becoming less,
and less.
However, many students read because of school. They have to read
contemporary writing, which most
students do not mind reading and
they also read classic literature.
These classics are usually what the
students dread. They find these classics to be, “Very boring, dry, stupid…”
stated Matt Stephano, a senior and AP
student at SHS.
What makes students not enjoy the
classics is that they cannot relate to
these classics. To them, “the history
is foreign, time period is foreign,”
which makes it extremely hard for the
students to relate to, according to Mr.
Lackey, a former English Teacher and
Department Chair at SHS.
The students and teachers then
will have to spend time to dive into
the history, and time period to understand. This time spent on these
classics to dissect the books starts to
damage a student’s love for reading.
“The way literature is written has
changed,” according to Lackey. The
classics have long expository paragraphs describing what is great details what is happening in the story,
which students have a hard time paying attention to. As Stephano pointed
out, “A lot of classics have intercalary
chapters that I hate.” Students want
everything to happen fast. They want
“Things blowing up, sex, violence,
drugs,” stated Lackey. Details that
are more prevalent in contemporary
writings.
Trying to decipher what they are
reading is another drawback that
classics have on students. “There are
often cryptic messages, many (classics) have good themes and messages, but it’s hard to decipher,” said
Noah McGreal, a senior at SHS. These
cryptic messages make it hard for the
students to grow a connection to the
stories.
McGreal and Stephano both believe
that every classic has good content,
and that they might like the novel
at the end of reading. However, that
is going to come from a lot of work
when they have to dig deep for deciphering and do some critical reading.
Another reason students cannot
connect to the classics is because of
them being old. To students, “Anything older than ten years is old,” stated Ms. Carol McKnight, the current
AP English teacher.
even turn the first page.
This dislike of the classics has made
schools rethink how they teach. In the
UK, the schools are changing to an
easier curriculum, and less challenging reading material just to get kids
interested in reading, according to the
National School Board Association.
McKnight believes that that idea is
In regards to the students not liking the classics, McKnight believes
that the students come into reading
the classics with a bad mindset. They
hear opinions from older students,
siblings, or their parents that the students come in believing that they are
going to hate the book before that
not necessarily a bad one because,
“Anytime someone reads, it’s a benefit.” It becomes a good jumping off
point to get students interested in
reading challenging details. The students would want to get into more
challenging literature.
Lackey agrees with McKnight and
“These classics are usually what
the students dread. They find
these classics to be very boring,
and dry,” Matt Stephano, a senior
at SHS.
SHS Introduces
yoga
to P.E Students
By Mallory Dolsen
It helps to relax, tone and strengthen
the students’ mind, body, and soul.
Don Boynar who is one of the physical education teachers said, “Overall
we hope this course will allow us to
strengthen the mind-body connection of the students.”
The physical education teachers
said they have three goals they want
achieved in the new course. The first
is to loosen the joints and stiffness
felt in all people. Not everyone is an
athlete, but yoga will keep people active and in shape. Second is yoga improves our posture and strengthens
our backs. After slouching in a desk
all day, nearly every student does,
stretching out your back muscles
will impact them positively in the
future. Last but not least is the improvement of flexibility and range of
motion. Most students cannot touch
their toes, but that will change by the
end of the semester. Yoga is known to
make people more flexible and stronger, it’s a great way to stay in shape.
The most important lesson taught
in yoga is how you breathe. The techniques given to you improve your
lung capacity, sports performance
and endurance while relieving stress
and keeping you relaxed. Yoga does
miracles for your muscle tone, concentration, and energy levels by letting you control your own body.
Supermodel, Christy Turlington has
said many things about yoga as an exercise. She says, “Some of my friends
simply want to have a yoga butt; yoga
makes me feel better and seems to
cure what ails me.”
There are many benefits of yoga that
people do not realize. To some it is
all holistic, but to others it is 2012’s
healthiest workout. A guest, Carrie
Demer on the well-known Oprah
show was severely affected after deciding to do yoga. She said “I lost
weight, quit smoking, conquered my
fear of flying, started sleeping again,
it saved my marriage, improved my
daughters grades and attitude due to
yoga.”
Physical education teacher, Michelle
Stroup, feels she had a huge affect on
the introduction of yoga to the students. She says. “It has been in the
works for a while, but I wanted to see
a change before 2012. I guess I can
take some credit for the yoga class; I
have been doing bits and pieces in my
classes.”
A student, Sabrina Gloeckler gave
her opinion about the new Yoga and
Creative Movements class, “I think
it is a good idea, because it broadens
the gym criteria for students who do
not want to fully participate in hands
on activities. I also think it is a plus
to have an exercise course instead
of a hardcore gym class,” she says, “I
think it is a good idea our gym teachers teach it too, because they know
what they are doing with fitness and
health”.
Not everyone is all about the yoga
experience though Chris Koval, insanity workout instructor, says “Yoga
is boring when you do it everyday, but
insanity gives you more of a workout
and prepares you for sports and college down the road. Plus it is a new
way to stay active and healthy.” Join
yoga next semester and feel more
comfortable with your body.
how, “Everybody needs to read,”
Lackey also believes that, “It is important just to read. The pleasure,
that reading brings should attract to
classics. However, he does not believe
that making high school students
read classics is all that important. He
thinks that instead, students need
to be pushed more to just read and
to develop a love for reading. Then,
after that love is developed they can
dissect the classics.
Lackey and McKnight both believe
that it is important for students to
read and understand the classics later
on down the road. The “classics help
to carry on the culture,” said Lackey,
and McKnight stated that classics,
“Speaks of society, who we are as
people.”
Conversely, students hate them, the
older generation thinks they are vital. Views on classics are different for
many people.
Local Sports
Strongsville Trio Works Together to Expect Something
Fulfill Big-League Dreams
Different
10
The Lantern
September 2012
By Cade Coulter
Strongsville native Tony Catanzarite
had always wanted to be a sports
agent. Strongsville baseball standouts Ryan Bores and Anthony Gallas
have always wanted to be big league
ball players. Earlier this year the three
hooked up and are currently doing
everything they can to advance their
careers and become better on and off
the field.
The 33-year-old Catanzarite has
spent the last few years working his
way up through the Remington Law
Firm. He is now one of their top En-
Tony Catanzarite
gineering/ Construction representatives. He is also a father of three with
the oldest being five, so it is no secret
that he has a lot on his plate.
Catanzarite learned how to juggle
this busy schedule during his days
playing collegiate soccer, “I think
sports are the greatest thing out
there,” he said, “Playing sports really
taught me how to allot my time properly and how to prioritize.”
Catanzarite’s life has provided him
with perfect training for sports representation. Starting with Jason Stanford, who was his first client as of
February of 2012, and is now a coach
at Youngstown State. Catanzarite currently represents 14 minor league ball
players.
Catanzarite came into contact with
Gallas independently earlier this
summer and later agreed on a deal
with Bores, both Kent State Graduates, after talking with Strongsville
baseball coach Josh Sorge.
“Sorge sent me an email wanting me
to meet Tony so he came to a couple
of my Kent games,” said Bores, “I
thought he was a straight forward guy
who would take care of me.” Catanzarite was new to the sports representa-
By Kristen Kirkwood
Ryan Bores, pitching for Kent State, at the 2012 College World
Series in Omaha, NE. Bores earned the win against #1 ranked
Florida
tion business and saw these two local
rising stars as a great way to kick-start
his career.
“For me it was more realistic,” said
Catanzarite, “I was new to the business and knew I didn’t have good
chances in the larger markets like the
West Coast. Staying local provided a
softer market and made it easier to
make connections.”
It also doesn’t hurt that his first two
clients were high school and collegiate standouts. Gallas, a member of
the 2006 State Championship team,
continued his career at Kent State
where he was a four-year starter in
Anthony Gallas, 2006 SHS
Grad, finished the 202 season
with AAA Columbus Clippers
the outfield and set the career home
run record with 49 in his time there.
Gallas signed with the Cleveland Indians as an undrafted free agent on
June 19, 2010 and is currently playing with the AAA Columbus Clippers
with a .333 batting average.
Gallas contributes a measure of his
success to Catanzarite, “He has my
best interest in mind…He makes me
feel at ease and picks me up when I’m
down through the long season”
Ryan Bores began his collegiate
career at Ohio University but transferred to Tri-C after one year because
he didn’t think it was the right fit, and
finally landed at Kent State a year later
where his career took off. He declined
an offer from the Texas Rangers in
the 26th round of the 2011 draft, but
could not pass up the opportunity a
second time when they picked him
in the 27th round of the 2012 draft.
Bores, who got the start in the Flashes’ dynamic win against top ranked
Florida in the 2012 College World
Series, is currently in Rangers rookie
ball in Arizona with a 1.2 ERA.
Catanzarite wasn’t at all surprised by
his clients’ great success, “These guys
are grinders,” he said, “they are easygoing, low-maintenance guys, that
love what they do and work hard.”
As for Catanzarite’s plans for the future, he hopes to expand his horizons
at Remington by representing entertainment figures such as broadcasters
and models. This idea is still on the
drawing boards as he is searching for,
“a timely and realistic approach.” Until that time he plans to keep working
hard and doing everything he can to
move the careers of his players forward.
After a 1-9 season, most football
teams would find it hard to be positive. Our Mustangs are something
different though.
“I think our biggest problem last year
was that we had poor leadership and
little to no discipline,” senior Quay
Williams said.
Head Coach Jacques agrees and says
that the leadership has dramatically
improved from last year. He also says
that their theme this year is being different and mentions that the players
are taking that theme to heart.
“All 34 seniors know it’s their team.
They took grasp of leadership in an
effective way,” Coach said.
“I think the fact that there are 34 seniors says something. All of us were
juniors on the team last year and we
all came back in hopes of a better,
The players this year play what they
do best and they realize that what
they’re doing is not as complicated as
they thought. We also need to eliminate mistakes. We need better protection of the quarterback and we need
to improve offense. The offense has to
find what they do best and they need
to improve their stopping run.”
Sophomore Nick Miller and Coach
Jacques can both agree that the captains: Quay Willams, Tony Kapferer,
Cody Mastenardo, Mitch Zacharyasz,
Mike Myers, and Zach Bruvarney, are
what the team and coach believes in.
“It is going to take a lot to build us
back to the state champion caliber
team from a few years ago. It is going to take hard work, more work in
the off season, and all players need
to have the same mind set,” Williams
said.
“We have already improved so
Coach Jacques introduces his 2012 team at Meet the Mustangs
stronger team,” Brian Devorsky said.
Although Jacques has never had to
recover a football team in his 19 years
of coaching here, he has a plan to
make a comeback.
“They realize that they need to be
better in the weight room, play with
intensity and finish games,” he says,
“Our defense has improved. We went
from a four-man front with only
three or four line-backers to a bigger
defense and there is more movement.
much. We work harder than we did
last year in the weight room,” Devorsky said.
Jacques said that there is nothing
that makes them feel better than
coming out of the locker room onto
the field seeing the student section filled up and the entire section
cheering. He said that the team and
he hope the students stay with them
throughout the entire season.
overseas play.
Tim’s mom, Lorain Kamczyc, has
always loved and cared for her son;
“I would support him completely if
he decided to go play overseas, but
would be extremely proud no matter
what he chooses.” she said.
Joe Lynch is the Strongsville High
School varsity basketball coach. He
has been coaching at the high school
for many years and says that Tim was
one of the hardest working players he
has ever coached.
Mr. Lynch believes that it is very
possible for Tim to have a basketball
career after college. He said “Tim is
one of the most versatile players that
I have ever coached and I wish I could
have an entire team made up of Tim
Kamczycs.”
Tim wishes to inspire others and
help them achieve their dreams to
play in college. He said “If you want
to play division 1 don’t let anyone tell
you that you can’t.”
Tim Kamczyc Leads Way for CSU
By Dan Chips
Strongsville High School has produced many college athletes that
have gone on to achieve greatness.
Tim Kamczyc was one of them. He
did so by putting in as much effort
and dedication as a person can.
Tim’s story started back when he was
a junior in high school. Before his
heart was set on basketball he wanted
to play college football. After receiving no offers for football Tim refused
to give up on college sports and began to focus more on basketball.
Recruiters from Akron and Kent State were
both interested but he
just wasn’t sure what the
b est move was. As his high school
career ended he decided that he
wanted to go to CSU.
As a freshman Tim was red shirted.
When someone is red shirted as a
college athlete they practice with the
team but don’t actually see any playing time. Many people do this when
they are not yet ready to play, so that
it allows them to play four years at a
higher level.
After being red shirted he received a
scholarship for his sophomore junior
and senior year, and became one of
the key players of the Cleveland State
squad.
Tim described his daily schedule
and it consisted of waking up at six
for weight lifting, going to class, then
to practice, and then working out on
his own to improve his ball handling
and shooting skills.
Tim became one of the hardest
working players at CSU, and dedicated nearly all of his time to school
and basketball. He said “My biggest
influences going into college were
my self determination and Coach
DeSimpelare.” Coach DeSimpelare
was the man that originally recruited
him from high school.
It is now Kamczyc’s senior year and
he is more excited than ever. He is in
his fifth year of college working on his
masters and looking to have his best
season yet.
Tim said, “I would love to continue
playing basketball if the opportunity
presented itself after I receive my degree.” His best option seems to be
Is Violence in the
media going too far?
By Ana Akovic
Shootings, killings, and other crimes are happening everyday
because of the effect of violent media around the world.
The recent shooting in Colorado on the midnight premier of the
Dark Night, a young man appeared dressed as the joker and killed
12 and wounded 52. Later, police asked his name, and he replied
as the “Joker.”
“We found that activation of an area of the brain that controls
emotion is decreased after playing violent video games,” said Dr.
Yang Wang, an assistant research professor in the department of
radiology and imaging sciences at Indiana University School of
Medicine in Indianapolis.
“Clinically, we don’t know what these changes mean, but it does
affect your brain somehow,” Wang said. “The pattern we found is
similar to what we’ve seen in past research, and in adolescents is
similar to what is seen in disruptive behavior disorders.”
Violent video games and movies affect kids at young ages and
even adults that are associated with them as well.
There’s little documented evidence that violent video games and
movies actually make kids violent.
It’s more like kids who are violent tend to seek violence. Kids
and adults who are violent tend to show those characteristics.
The video games and movies have a cumulative effect on the
brain causing similar actions when acting out from those of the
video games and movies.
Unfortunately, violence is one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Over 60% of television shows being shown in prime
time contain some form of violence.
There are two very opposite sides of this issue. The media, who
market the violent television, video games, and other forms of entertainment, argue this is safe entertainment and the others that
don’t agree, argue that violence promotes violence.
Psychologist Diana Santantonio from Psych and Psych in Westlake, Ohio said, “Violence is everywhere. Most of it comes from
the parents who express their anger on the kids. The kids then
pick up their actions and act out.”
Most people have access to the internet at all times. The internet
is a main problem because people have access to almost everything, including some sort of violence.
“It’s not healthy to sit in front of a screen all the time. People in
general need a life,” said Santantonio. Kids tend to feel some sort
of power that they seek through violent media.
Dan Rubin, 22, was once a clerk at big box stores that sold video
games. He believes salespeople need to share some of the blame
for minors getting their hands on these games, adding parents are
easily duped.
“People buy what the salesperson says is good,”
he said. “If someone tells a customer, like a parent, that a game is amazing, you’re going to buy
it. And if they tell you it’s too violent and not for
your kids, people won’t buy it.”
Current research tends to agree with the defenders who argue that violent media is associated
with aggressive behavior.
Risky behavior by children and young adults can
include violence against others and lack of remorse for consequences. The type of faulty thinking creates stressors in children
which can lead to the onset of many different symptoms.
Children who view media violence are more likely to have increased feelings of hostility, decreased emotional response to
the portrayal of violence and injury that lead to violent behavior
through imitation.
Officer Greg Madama, A police Officer in Strongsville, Ohio
said, “Everyone is impacted by the violence around us. Guys specifically. Everyone wants to be that bad
guy, so they lash out and act as if they
are that character. The bad guys are
cool, so it’s easier for people to relate.”
Violent media is everywhere. It’s the
choices people make that impact the
lives around them.
70 Years of Batman
And Still Going Strong
By Dan Waid
The
Batman
film phenomenon has been going on for
seventy years now since the first
movie came out in 1943, to the last one this
year. Batman’s growth as a character has been both
disappointing and mesmerizing.
“He is no longer the world’s greatest detective,
he is now a more brutish vigilante than detective,” stated Markus Benn, a comic store worker in
Strongsville and an avid Batman fan.
It is true that in the current movie trilogy, the fans
see a lot less of the bat-computer and a lot more
action-packed fight scene with the hero over the
less exciting detective work he is known for in his
origins.
“In his origin, Batman was a dark character, and
over time, became a campy character, but is now
back to his darker roots,” states Luke Kwing, a
freelance video game reviewer who specializes in
Batman.
A major change in the Batman
character though, is his attitude. “He loved
being Batman
in the past, but now he complains and acts as if he hates his job,”
stated Markus. In the past, important characters have died and
he kept on fighting to protect Gotham. The second Robin character was killed by the hand of Joker in the comics.
This is highly out of character for the Caped Crusader. “Batman in the comics and earlier movies loved his job and would
never quit over the death of a friend, a couple of months, maybe;
a year, possibly, but not eight years” stated Luke.
Today’s movies create a character that is not as lovable as his
1960’s counter-part Adam West. Although this was Batman’s
more campy and corny times with gadgets including shark repellent.
The new movies do have a major advantage to them though.
They are accurate to the comic books, which makes many fans
happy. In the 1990’s Batman movies, details were changed to
make the plot more interesting, like having Joker kill Bruce
Wayne’s parents instead of the low-life Joe Chill.
It was also dark, darker than any series yet. The seriousness of
the film was a big change from its predecessors of Batman and
Robin, which were box office flops. They were not laughable
films, but gripping action movies that managed to make millions.
The people playing Batman have over the years have all had
different attitudes in the character. The Tim Burton films had
three different Batman characters. Starting with Michael Keaton,
to Val Kilmer, to George Clooney, with George Clooney being
known as one of the worst, both Marcus and Luke agreed on that.
In the 1960’s, Adam West was Batman. His Batman was campy
and not dark at all. Lewis Wilson was the first Batman in 1943. To-
day
we have
Christian Bale
taking on the monumental role.
Something that has not been changed
is the popularity and money making ability.
Both The Dark Knight and 1989’s Batman broke
records on release.
Batman was the first movie to ever break $100
million opening weekend. The Dark Knight
broke many records like the largest opening at
4,366 theatres, and made the most at the midnight screening.
As special effects get better and Batman can hit
more people, his popularity will grow. This has
already happened going from the on-screen
“POWS” of Adam West’s time to Christian Bale’s
beat-down of Bane in the newest release. He has
gone a long way from his first screen appearance
in 1943, and continues to grow, and will keep
growing as long as there is not another flop
as bad as 1997’s Batman and Robin.
12
Sports
A Tale of Two Teams
Role lasreveR :
By Ben Potoczak
Like a baseball version of Freaky
Friday, the Cleveland Indians, onceAmerical-League powerhouse, have
swapped roles with the once-hopeless
Baltimore Orioles.
In a matter of several years, the two
organizations have completely reinvented their identities.
In 2007 the Tribe came within one
game of going to the World Series.
That same year, the Baltimore Orioles
finished 27 games out of first place in
the American League East.
Since then, the two clubs have been
going in opposite directions. The
Indians have not had a winning season since that fateful 2007 Game 7 in
Boston. Baltimore hsn’t either, but
has quietly been accumulating talent,
making great trades, and improving
themselves withing the organization.
The ability to build a dynamic team
that has the ability to win games and
make it deep into the postseason is
the key to success in sports.
When you have a team, especially
one that is not considered to be in a
“big market,” keeping players is not
easy. Smaller market cities such as
Cleveland and Baltimore either live
or die by the Major League Baseball draft.
Due to the inability to keep
premier talent from going to
higher-paying big market
teams like the Yankees,
the draft is one of
the most crucial parts
of
the
season.
During
the drafts
dating back
to 2003, the
Orioles
have
made
significant
progress out of their
player development system and lead the AL East
for the first time since September, 1997.
The Indians lay at the bottom of
their division which is arguably one
of the worst in the league, where as
the Orioles are in one of the best, and
not to mention biggest market division in the big leagues.
As the Indians were slipping further
and further into baseball irrelevance,
the Orioles have been capitalizing on
both great drafts and player trades.
“When we look at players to draft, we
want players who will make it somewhere in the pros who still
have room for development,” said Chris Check,
associate scout for the
Indians.
“You want guys who
The Lantern
September 2012
infielder Lonnie Chisenhall, who
when he plays is not even a full time
starter.
“You want players with heart, players that have the intangibles, motivation and drive to achieve greatness. Other then what you cannot
teach a player, you need someone
who can hit, because what is a guy
that cannot hit? It does not matter
how fast you are, if you can’t hit you
can’t play on my team that’s for certain,” said Roger Coryall, a scout for
the Texas Rangers.
Looking at the Orioles, all 3 of the
starters they drafted Markakis’s career batting average is an impressive .296 with 117 career home runs.
Machado and Wieters are batting a
produce during the same drafts.
“No team ever tries to pass up players and to make mistakes on missing
possible studs on the diamond, but
sometimes it just happens to some
teams more than others” said Brian
Hopkins, a full-time scout for the St.
Louis Cardinals.
Needless to say that when looking
among the players selected by the
Indians and the lack of productivity
seen from previous drafts compared
to teams such as the Orioles; it is hard
not to question scouts, the GM, and
ownership.
Watching the team grow over the
past couple of years the draft picks
speak for themselves. With no one
coming up in our minor league sys-
will fit well
with the organization, who bring a lot
to the team and have that extra playmaking ability and are not just one
sided players. If you draft a guy because of speed, he better have another
talent that separates himself from
other ball players like a cannon arm,
or has the ability to make it from first
to third on a single,” expressed Check.
Since ’03, out of the 10 players drafted by the Orioles, 5 of them are on the
40-man active roster, and out of those
5 players, 3 are in the starting lineup.
When you look at the Indians 10
draft picks since 2003, they only have
1 of those 10 drafted players on the
40-man active roster. That pick was
CC Sabathia is the last Indians’ 1st Round Pick to play an entire
season in the big leagues after signing in 1998.
Matt Wieters (left), Nick Markakis (middle), and Dylan Bundy (right) are all former first rounders
making an inpact on the Orioles’ big league club
solid .250 to high .200s consistently
and are still young players with a lot
of progress yet to be made.
As for the Indians and their draft pick
Lonnie Chisenhall, his career batting
average is about .278. Although not
a bad hitting percentage, one player
does not amount to the three starters that the Orioles have been able to
tem, it is hard for fans to stay interested in the team.
With no change being seen, it is
time for scouts to step it up, or get
out and bring in someone new. If not,
the future of the Indians owners, the
Dolans, may be similar to the Indians
season; over.
Rising or Falling? Browns Trying to Find Out
Trent Richardson could give hop eto the Browns’ organization, and
to an entire city
By Michael Brill
The key to the Cleveland Browns
success starts on draft day. Over the
past few years the Browns have been
ridiculed for their draft picks. The
Browns have produced only two AllPro players and have had the second
worst record since 2002.
In 2007 the Browns looked like a
team on the rise - with quarterback
Derek Anderson, running back Jerome Harrison, and wide receivers
Braylon Edwards and Josh Cribbs all
having exceptional seasons.
The Browns would finish 10-6 and
tied the Steelers for first in the AFC
North. That year the Browns offense
finished eighth, and that had been the
first time since 1999 that the offense
finished better than the defense. Also
the first time that the offense ranked
in the top ten. They would just miss
the last wild card spot to the Titans.
After the Browns promising season in 2007 they would start to spiral downward, again. In 2008 they
would finish their season 4-12 and
were last in the division. The Browns
have failed to win over five games in
the three following seasons to come.
The Detroit Lions a lot like the
Browns have also suffered their fair
share of losing and disappointment.
They have had the worst record in
the last decade. In 2008 the Lions
finished 0-16, the worst record in history. Like the Browns they are slowly
on their way to rebuilding a younger
and stronger team. In the following
year the Lions progressed a little but
still had a rough season only winning
two games.
The Lions would start to show success in 2010 with the help of a healthy
quarterback in Matt Stafford. They
also picked up a tight end in Brandon
Pettigrew and running back Jahvid
Best.
In 2007 the Lions drafted Calvin
Johnson in the first round. Johnson
has been the Lions go-to receiver for
the past five years.
The Lions still struggled but with a
healthy Matt Stafford they are starting
to look like a top contender. Although
Stafford struggled with injuries
throughout the years, he has helped
the team progress and start winning.
When healthy Brandon Pettigrew has
had over 700 yards receiving.
Also Calvin Johnson has helped the
offense with his 1,600 yards receiving
finish 5th.
The only weakness with Detroit is
their running game. With Jahvid Best
hurt they have to rely on Mikel Leshoure and Kevin Smith.
Also with the help of two young defensemen Ndamukong Suh, the second overall pick in 2010, and DeAndre Levy. The defense is now one the
best ranking at 17th.
With the Lions getting better is there
hope for the Browns to follow.
Can the Browns do the imposiple
and start winning?
Surprisingly the Browns defense
finished 9th last year with over 1,000
tackles and over 50 tackles for losses.
The Browns defense has actually
been improving over the years with
the help of the young players of Joe
Hayden and T.J. Ward. Now in 2012
the Browns roster is the youngest in
the NFL.
“The team also lacks depth on the
53-man roster. All that being said, I
think the Browns are at least another
two years away from challenging for
a playoff spot. Bottom line, they need
a few more good drafts. They need
to acquire some free agents and they
need to be healthy,” Said Greg Brinda,
ESPN Cleveland’s radio co-host.
With 15 rookies and 11 secondyear players, they are counting on
the help of veterans D’Qwell Jackson
and Kaluka Maiava. ”We believe we
got lucky; we think there’s three really
good, young players, really enthusiastic, athletic; maybe not the biggest,
but fast, “ said Dick Jauron. Browns
defensive coordinator.
The Browns offense should really
be the focal point. With Greg Little,
their go-to receiver who only had 700
yards receiving and two touchdowns ,
the Browns need more.
Peyton Hillis also didn’t help with
only 587 yards rushing. Colt McCoy
only threw 14 touchdowns.
Maybe it IS time for a change.
Mark Bishop, also known as
“Munch,” co-host for ESPN Cleveland’s morning radio show said, “It
would take a few years for the Browns
to get good, and they still need the #1
receiver and Weeden needs to play
like a #1 draft pick.”
Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden,
and Josh Gordon could be the future
of this team.
“You’ve got to be able run the football; you’ve got to be able to throw the
ball down the field and you’ve got to
do the small things, but it all starts
with protecting, especially with our
front five including our backs,” said
Weeden.
The Browns have a lot of work ahead
of them but you would never know
when they’re going to have another
astounding season.