Vol. 88, No. 3, November 2008

Contra Banned...
-
Phoenix rising from the
coffee grounds p. 12
Hoodwinked?
You decide. p. 20
Ghoulish treats: tasty or
toxic? p. 22
They’re listening to WHAT?
p. 24
Vol. 88, No. 3 • November 2008 • Lakewood High School•14100 Franklin Blvd.• Lakewood, OH, 44107
...or just
Cover Photo by Alex Mezin, Staff Photographer.
Cover Design by Thealexa Becker, Design Editor.
CONTROVERSIAL?
Hey, LHS!
We did it! One quarter down, just three more to go. During the last month
of this quarter, The Times has been working to discover how students and
staff at Lakewood High feel about the dress code. We took advantage of
the convenience offered by Scantrons to get more data and comments than
Times surveys ever have before. Some of what we found was expected, but
a lot of the information and opinions we received surprised us. Read on to
discover what LHS says about dress code.
In addition to dress code controversy, this month’s issue offers reviews
of movies, books, music, and restaurants; fun new info about the SAT and
ACT; a faceoff between two Times staff members; and information from
female LHS athletes about who influences them. Enjoy, and remember that
we’re always welcoming new members!
Rebecca
The Lakewood Times
Editorial Board
Rebecca McKinsey Editor in Chief
Thealexa Becker Design & Focus Editor
Rachel Kowalski News Editor
Sarah Jawhari Opinion Editor
Isabella Zettler Lakewood Life Editor
Jacob Ott Sports Editor
Andrew O’Connor Advertising & Business Manager
Valerie Locke Names Monitor
Miranda Mave Art & Photo Coordinator
Adam Mihalski Public Relations & Pollster
Wilson Sackett Exchange Editor
Fiza Shah Future Book Compiler
Danielle Szabo Distribution Head
Karen Ballash Adviser
These sad-looking students are behind bars because they are guilty of the following transgressions: (From left to right) Josh Watkins, illegal
headgear; Meredith Richards, showing too much shoulder; Jordan Congeni, a real hardened criminal in hoodie, sunglasses and sweatpants;
Anna Marburger, indecent exposure of the midsection; Abbey Hegarty, entirely too comfortable; along with everyday hoodielums Carley Amalong, Mary Beth Donahoe and Emily Jackson.
Contents
Focus
4 – Clothing Statement
News
10 – Freshmen discover Lakewood
12 – Phoenix not just a myth anymore
13 – Teachers exchanging students
14 – Recent grad investigates FBI
15 – Prepping for your future
16 – Chance Encounter
News Briefs
22
Editorial
17 – Inquiring Times
Study hall studied
18 – Cheers and Jeers
Open mind, open campus
19 – Times’ take on hoodies
20 – Faceoff on dress code
21 – Bookroom hours conflict
The arrival of fall
means the coming of
Halloween and winter
sports (above).
Cheerleaders show off
their routines (right).
Photo by Kim Farkas.
Dr. Sidney Peterson and
her daughter, Emily
take in the scenery in
Poland (below).
Lakewood Life
22 – Dying for sweets
“Twilight” highlights
23 – Cereal Central
Little Italy
24 – “Nick and Norah” won’t bore ya
Playlist Profile
25 – Musical musings
31
Sports
26 – Girls’ sports influences
28 – Wilson’s Words of Wisdom
29 – Winterhurst no longer on thin ice
30 – Editor’s Corner
Underclassmen Uncovered
31 – Ranger Report
Sports Under Review November 2008
13
3
Focus
Focus
Students speak: no more hoodie rule
By Rebecca McKinsey, Editor in Chief
It’s no secret that Lakewood High students
don’t like the hoodie rule. What may come as a
surprise, however, is that they don’t have a big
problem with the rest of the dress code.
More than three hundred LHS students
completed surveys to let The Times know what
they thought about the dress code. While some
aspects of the results only reinforce the complaints that staff members have heard countless times, others are unexpected.
Most significant is the response regarding
the hoodie rule. Of the students surveyed –
close to 100 in each grade – 92 percent say the
rule needs to go.
Reasons regarding this majority opinion
were varied, but one that becomes more significant with the approach of colder weather is
the warmth offered by hoodies.
“I know that wearing hoodies can be a problem,” one student said. “However, getting wet
going across the street and being cold is a problem also.”
While the opposition to the hoodie rule
comes as no surprise, what may be more unexpected is that the majority of students – 66
percent – admit there should be some type of
dress code, and 60 percent say they agree with
most of the current dress code.
The areas of the current dress code that are
supported by the majority of LHS students are
the restrictions on low necklines (73 percent),
clothing that promotes drugs, alcohol, tobacco,
sex, and violence (71 percent), sheer or lightweight clothing (70 percent), and oversized,
baggy, or tight-fitting clothing (54 percent).
Several aspects of the dress code, on the
other hand, stand out as being greatly opposed
by students. The most significant is the hoodie
rule. Others are restrictions on body piercings
and unnaturally colored hair, both opposed
by 76 percent of students; the ban on sleeve-
“I know that wearing
hoodies can be a problem.
However, getting wet going
across the street and being cold is a problem also.”
4
less tops, opposed by 75 percent; and the constraints on clothing that is in disrepair or has
holes (74 percent).
Reasons for this opposition are varied. One
is the ever-present freedom of expression argument – 57 percent of students believe the
current dress code is too restrictive of personal
expression.
Twenty-one percent of surveyed students
believe that the restrictions set forth by the
dress code are so extensive that having uniforms would be better.
“I think that having this strict of a dress code
is basically like wearing a uniform already,”
sophomore McKenzie McKernan said. “Either
get rid of it or give us uniforms.”
Students and faculty alike agree that violations and subsequent enforcement are extensive. The Times was unable to obtain data on
dress code violations from LHS administrators. However, student-reported results from a
similar dress code survey conducted by Jamie
Cure’s English class last year verify that violations are occurring. Of the students surveyed,
26.8 percent said they had violated dress code
more than five times, and 12.5 percent claimed
they had been sent home more than five times
for dress code violations.
“The dress code was a good idea when it
started, but now it is out of control,” junior
Mike McMaster said.
Students also protest the inconsistency present in current enforcement procedures. “I don’t
have a problem with a dress code, but everyone
at this school is not treated equally,” senior
James Bond said. “Security guards don’t write
up certain people because they are friendly with
them, while other people get caught. If everyone gets treated the same way, then there is not
a problem.”
The dress code set forth by the Lakewood
Board of Education states as one of the reasons for having a dress code, “We expect students to maintain the type of appearance that is
not distracting or disruptive to students, teachers, or the educational process of the school.”
Despite this, many students assert the extensive
enforcement of dress code is actually increasing disruption, more than the banned articles
of clothing ever did.
“I really and truly believe that hoodies and
other such disallowed articles of clothing are
ten times the distraction they were before they
were banned,” sophomore Nicole Dashiell said.
“My class was interrupted to punish people
wearing hoodies when a security guard came in
M
“ y class was interrupted to
punish people wearing hoodies when a security guard
came in to check. Not only
were the five to ten people
deprived of a lesson, but the
whole class was distracted
for the rest of the period.”
to check. Not only were the five to ten people
deprived of a lesson, but the whole class was
distracted for the rest of the period.”
Students deny the argument that the apparel
banned by the dress code is distracting to their
learning. On average, 84 percent of students do
not find any of the restricted apparel distracting.
The only articles of clothing a larger amount of
students say are distracting are short skirts (30
percent) and low necklines (25 percent). And
while only 32 percent of students support the
ban on short skirts, 73 percent agree that low
necklines shouldn’t be allowed.
The largest dissent is found with the hoodie
rule – 96 percent of students say hoodies are
not distracting.
“I believe I speak for everyone when I say
that a hooded sweatshirt doesn’t distract learning or is the cause of problems,” sophomore
Grant Graves said.
Next up were body piercings, which 88 percent said weren’t distracting, then dyed hair – 84
percent of the LHS students surveyed said they
don’t find unnaturally colored hair distracting
to their learning.
“Piercings don’t bother the educational process,” sophomore Miklos Szabo said. “It’s not
like they are talking to us while we are trying to
learn. They are just being worn, and if it bothers you, then don’t look at the person.”
Students also believe the time and effort that
security guards and administration put into enforcing dress code take away from more important needs.
“The administration has a lot more important issues to deal with besides the dress code,
such as truancy and fights,” senior Kelsey Moran said. “They have become too wrapped up
in punishing students for petty things.”
The Lakewood Times
Focus
Focus
Teachers weigh in: hoodie rule a hassle
By Rebecca McKinsey, Editor in Chief
Teachers and staff are usually seen as the
bad guys when it comes to the dress code.
What students may not realize, though, is that
the majority of the teachers who tell them every day to take their hoodies off would love to
see the hoodie rule thrown out.
In an effort to learn about staff opinion on
the current dress code, The Times surveyed
the approximately 200 staff members at LHS
and received responses from about one third
of them.
Perhaps the most surprising result is that
more than half of the staff surveyed – 56 percent – do not agree with the hoodie rule.
Some of the teachers ventured to say that
the security reasons for not allowing hoodies are not valid. “The reasoning behind [the
hoodie rule] doesn’t make sense,” ESL teacher
Rebecca Havel said. [The students who run
from staff members and put their hoods up
represent] a small number, but the whole student body should not be penalized. Hoodies
are fun to wear, cheap, warm, and also very
fashionable!”
Despite the conflict over the hoodie rule,
the opinion that some type of dress code is
necessary is shared by 98 percent of LHS staff
surveyed. Several reasons were given for this
opinion.
Ninety-three percent believe having a dress
code contributes to the way the Lakewood
community perceives Lakewood High students. Going along with this, 71 percent of
LHS staff think the dress code contributes to
community support for Lakewood High in the
voting booth.
The faculty at Lakewood High also thinks
that having a dress code and enforcing it contributes to positive student performance: 73
percent say enforcing dress code contributes
to classroom decorum.
Support for many aspects of the dress code
“Group ‘tees’ that state
what the kids belong to
or events they have participated in are part of
the richness at LHS.”
November 2008
is high among LHS staff, with an average of 89
percent agreeing with the restrictions on oversized or tight-fighting clothing, low necklines,
clothing in disrepair, hats, bandanas and other
headgear, sleeveless tops, and skirts shorter
than knee-length.
Within these results, the highest support is
found for the banning of oversized, baggy, and
tight-fitting clothes (98 percent) and low necklines (97 percent). The least-supported of these
restrictions is the ban on sleeveless tops, which
is agreed upon by 71 percent of staff.
Although the teachers surveyed support
the majority of the dress code, there are several aspects on which the staff was conflicted.
Most notable is the hoodie rule. Teachers are
also split over the bans on body piercings, supported by 53 percent of staff, and unnaturally
colored hair, supported by 57 percent.
Despite the conflict, seventy percent of staff
believe the current dress code is not too restrictive of students’ personal expression.
“I believe self-expression is important and
necessary. However, this can be accomplished
after school, on the weekend and during the
summer,” [need subject and name] Holmok
said. “Also, in my opinion, there is plenty of
room within the current dress code for necessary self-expression.”
Some teachers at LHS do think student selfexpression is compromised by a restrictive
dress code and the threat of uniforms.
“The T-shirts and group ‘tees’ that state
what the kids belong to or events they have
participated in is part of the richness at LHS,”
one teacher stated. “I think that we need some
limits set for dress code, but not a dictatorship.
The students should still have the freedom of
expression.”
A large number of teachers and staff, 79 percent, would like to see uniforms implemented.
This number is almost equal to that obtained by
Cure’s students’ research: last year, 79.4 percent
of teachers they surveyed were in favor of uniforms. The majority reason for this, however,
is not that teachers want more restrictions on
students, but that they no longer want to have
to deal with the hassle of enforcement.
“I don’t believe [having uniforms] is right,”
one teacher said, “but I would agree only to
reduce current conflict.”
About half of the staff surveyed says enforcement of the dress code creates unnecessary conflict. Ninety percent claim to spend
“I believe self-expression
is important and necessary. However, this can
be accomplished after
school, on the weekend
and during the summer.”
class time having to enforce the dress code,
and over 33 percent spend more than five
minutes doing this. Several teachers express
having to spend “too much” time on enforcement.
This sentiment is not a new one. Of the
teachers surveyed by Cure’s class last year,
84.2 percent said enforcement of dress code
takes away from teaching time.
Community support is tantamount as well:
last year’s English survey showed 76.9 percent of surveyed LHS staff saying that having
uniforms would make LHS look better to the
community.
Other teachers disagree with uniforms
because of the difficulty buying them would
present to some students. “Many students
wear jeans because they are more economical and more readily available in all sizes,” one
staff member said. “Many of the pants for the
school uniforms are limited in size and sometimes difficult to find for all kids.”
Others argue that students should worry
less about dress code and find other venues
for expressing themeslves.
“Students (and staff!) who want to stand
out and be remembered after their LHS years
can find better, life-improving, ways: fundraisers, our all-encompassing music and bands,
sports, being a team leader, always showing
your good side to everyone, being a ‘tech
geek,’ trying to be a go-to person for help
in science and math for your friends,” LHS
Bookroom Secretary Dawn Winger said. “I
think high school should teach students to be
socially adept and functional, not anti-social
and getting by.”
5
Focus
Focus
Uniforms?
Dress code?
No 2%
Yes
21%
No
34%
Yes
66%
Yes
79%
No
79%
Yes
98%
Students
Staff
Students
Staff
Sleevless shirt rule?
Yes
26%
Piercing rule?
Yes
24%
No
29%
No
76%
Yes
71%
No
74%
Staff
Students
Hair color rule?
I
“
don’t understand why they want
to limit our clothing options or even
go to uniforms because we are responsible for if we succeed academically or
not...We are the ones who decide to do
our work, and pay attention … not our
clothes!”
-Becca Houp, 9
6
Yes
53%
Yes
24%
No
76%
No
43%
Yes
57%
I think that the way
“
Students
Staff
Yes
8%
Students
No
47%
Staff
Students
Hoodie Rule?
No
92%
No
21%
Yes
44%
No
56%
students dress cannot
possibly affect the educational process. Anyone
who is distracted in class
because the person next to
them has a nose ring or is
wearing a hoodie needs to
learn how to cope because
in the real world there’s no
dress code.”
-Hannah Eaton, 12
Staff
The Lakewood Times
Focus
Focus
It’s not what they’re wearing, research says
By Sarah Jawhari, Opinion Editor
Numerous studies have been
conducted to prove the effectiveness of dress codes in the classroom. If students dress for success,
then they are expected to succeed.
It is believed that attendance will
increase, academic achievement
will skyrocket, and substance use
and behavioral issues will be less
of a problem. But is there really
a correlation between dress code
and success?
A study conducted by the Department of Sociology as the University of Notre Dame proved
otherwise. Though the study was
accepted for publication in The
Journal of Educational Research
in 1998, the information is still relevant, and provides serious insight
The following are the comparisons of absences, behavior, and
drug usage in Catholic and Private academies with and without
uniforms. The numbers are in percents.
Catholic Sample
Uniform
Absent
Behavior
Drugs
2.89
1.49
2.73
No Uniform
2.55
1.41
2.80
Private Sample
Uniform
Absent
Behavior
Drugs
2.93
1.33
2.36
No Uniform
2.73
1.28
2.07
Total Sample
Absent
Behavior
Drugs
November 2008
Uniform
No Uniform
2.90
1.58
2.68
3.01
1.74
2.71
to the correlation between strict
dress codes and achievement in
the classroom.
To put this in perspective, imagine this: a typical private Catholic
school, all students in uniform,
ready to take a standardized test.
Next door is the public school that
houses minorities and poor whites,
simply because the cost of public
schools is much cheaper.
Any onlooker is automatically
drawn to the tidy tots in uniform.
Who wouldn’t be? Private schools
have upheld amazing reputations
for attendance and academic
achievement. Relative to Lakewood, many people think fondly
of both Magnificat and St. Ed’s.
Then the question becomes,
“How do we take all that private
school success and pump it into
public schools?”
David L. Brunsma and Kerry
A. Rockquemore conducted the
Notre Dame study, which found
that transporting such success isn’t
easy. “Opponents of adopting
uniform policies,” the study said,
“stress the legal, financial, and
questionable effectiveness of such
policies.”
Enforcing a strict dress code
or a uniform on poorer public
schools only spells trouble. To begin with, some places wouldn’t be
able to afford the uniforms.
Brunsma and Rocquemore concluded, “The strongest opponents
to uniform policies charge that
there currently exists no empirical
evidence to support the numerous
and varied clams of uniform proponents.”
This is where the correlation
between dress codes and success
comes in. According to the Notre
Dame study, student uniforms
have no direct effect on substance
use, behavioral problems, or attendance. In fact, a negative effect
of uniforms on student academic
achievement was found.
Put simply: it’s not the uniforms
that give private schools their
pizzazz, nor public schools their
questionable reputations.
If this is true, then what it is
about private schools that makes
them seem so desirable?
Again referring to the study, the
“nice” effect of Catholic schools
is not associated with whether the
students wear uniforms or not. It
is more likely due to the social relations fostered in Catholic schools.
This also becomes a matter of
common sense: private schools
emphasize religion or morals, and
the majority of private schools are
predominantly white, making for a
closer set of students, as it were.
Families wealthy enough to send
their children to private schools
don’t have to worry about putting
food on the table, so they don’t
have to deal with the stress associated with poorer families. If parents are nagging their children day
and night about what they’re going
to do about the house payment or
the bills tomorrow, children will
become distracted, making for
problematic achievement issues.
Board members should realize
that it’s not all about uniforms.
Though they look tidy and proper,
there are so many other variables
that will affect the children wearing them. After all, putting a crisp
button-down shirt on a stressed
teen before he takes a standardized test won’t ensure that he
does better. To the contrary—he’ll
probably spend more time worrying about the itchy, goofy shirt
than the exam in front of him!
It is hard to assign a specific
equation to success. Just because
a stricter dress code or a uniform
may create a classier look, it probably won’t be worth the trouble
it would take to enforce. Private
schools are getting along nicely because of what they’re teaching in
the classroom—not what they’re
wearing.
7
Focus
Focus
Area schools struggle over dress code too
By Thealexa Becker, Design Editor
Lakewood is not the only school
district with a hoodie problem.
In early October, students at
North High school in Akron
staged a protest against what they
viewed as an unfair dress code.
The official dress code permits
sweaters and sweatshirts, much
like the policy at LHS, but bans
the presence of hoods for the duration of the school day.
School officials suspended 29
students for refusing to comply
and remove their hoods when
they were asked to do so. Over
100 students came to class wearing hoodies, but only 29 of them
were given a two-day suspension
for insubordination. The other
71 removed the hooded sweaters
when asked.
The reason the students gave
for their protest was the weather
conditions. The first “cold” day
of the year came in early October, and the students felt that they
should be allowed to keep warm
with the hoodies.
Akron City Schools has what
amounts to two dress codes. The
K-8 dress code is uniform-like
while the high school students
are permitted to wear jeans and
T-shirts. The high school’s code is
similar to that of LHS.
An Akron City School staff
member responded to the protests
on October 3 by saying that the
district had no plans to change the
hoodie rule and that any changes
would have to go through the Akron City School Board.
Many area school districts have
varying dress codes, ranging from
virtually no guidelines except for
the administrator’s discretion, to
rules that may seem bizarre but
appear to be linked to deterring
gang violence.
To the right are excerpts from a
few area school dress code guidelines.
8
2. Outer garments must
cover undergarments (this
includes bra straps). No
sheer or see through clothing allowed.
3. Pajama pants are not permitted to be worn to school.
4. Students are permitted to wear shorts and skirts of appropriate length.
5. Coats, sunglasses, scarves, “rags”, hats or other head coverings may not be worn at school from
the time a student enters the building until 3:11 p.m. Coats and hats are to be kept in lockers
during the day. Additionally, proper etiquette indicates that hats not be worn at certain school
events outside the normal school day (e.g. concerts, plays and the like).
6. Shoes must be worn at all times. Shoes with wheels are prohibited at Bay High School.
Requirements include the following.
1. Dress and grooming standards require cleanliness
in the interest of health, sanitary conditions and
safety requirements.
2. When a student is participating in school activities,
his/her dress and grooming must not disrupt his/her
performance or that of other students or constitute a
health threat to himself/herself or other students.
3. Dress and grooming are such as not to disrupt the
teaching/learning process.
4. No dress that promotes hate, profanity, vulgar or
negative messages; anything advertising or related
to alcohol, tobacco and drugs or anything sexually
explicit is permitted.
Dark glasses are not to be worn unless prescribed by
a doctor.
No excessive or distracting use of make-up
Coats and outer garments not appropriate for indoor
wear are to be kept in lockers and are not to be worn
in classes.
A. Feet must be covered by some type of shoe or sandal.
Bedroom slippers are not permitted, and flip flops are not
recommended for safety reasons.
C. Proper underclothing should be worn at all times.
E. Hair curlers/rollers are not to be worn.
F. No outdoor jacket/jean jacket is to be worn during the school day.
G. Any garment specifically made to be worn as an undergarment can’t be worn as an outer garment.
H. Inappropriate insignias, emblems, and/or gang related colors, shall not be worn during the school
day or at school functions.
I. EXTREMES in styles or bizarre types of clothing are discouraged
The Lakewood Times
Focus
Focus
K?<8IDP8;M8EK8><=LE;%
9<:8LJ<JFC;@<IJ;<J<IM<DFI<%
Efnk_\8idp^`m\jpfldfi\Z_f`Z\j]fipfli]lkli\%<Xielgkf+'#'''
kfjkXikk_\Ylj`e\jjf]pfli[i\XdjfiYlpk_\_fd\pflXcnXpjnXek\[%
Cf^fekf^fXidp%Zfd&XX]kfc\Xiedfi\XYflkk_\8idp8[mXekX^\=le[%
Ÿ)''/%GX`[]fiYpk_\Le`k\[JkXk\j8idp%8cci`^_kji\j\im\[%
November 2008
9
News
Art by Sarah Jawhari, Opinion Editor
10
The Lakewood Times
news
Freshmen unearth Lakewood’s roots
By Fiza Shah, Editorial Board Member
How would you like to get a
grade for the opportunity to meet
a full-grown man in a toga, take
risks, or experience true kindness?
The students in Freshman Advanced English had a chance to
experience this, and much more,
in the “A Walk Across Lakewood”
project.
According to Gail Meinke and
Shane Sullivan, both ninth grade
Advanced English teachers, many
teenagers today aren’t as informed
about Lakewood as they should
be.
In order to help more students
understand the possibilities Lakewood offers, Sullivan and Meinke
are assigning the “Walk Across
Lakewood” project to their students. Originally designed by
Meinke and English teacher Sean
Wheeler, the project is meant to
accompany Peter Jenkins’ book “A
Walk Across America.”
Jenkins writes about the experiences he had in his journey on
foot from Alfred, New York to
Florence, Oregon. He wanted to
discover the true America, which
was, in his mind, corrupted by the
negativity of the Vietnam War.
On his journey, he relied completely on strangers for shelter and
many other bare necessities. Much
of the book is about his conversations with these strangers, from
whom he learned much of what
America is and a lot about himself.
After reading Jenkins’ book
over the summer, the Advanced
English students were given a
project the first week of school to
inspire them to think and discover
the true Lakewood, while gauging
their understanding of the book.
For an entire month, the students walked throughout Lakewood, talking with complete
strangers, discovering the businesses in Lakewood, and developing a true understanding of what it
means to live in this city.
Both Meinke and Sullivan agree
that the effect of the project is a
November 2008
longterm one, and that what their
students learn will help them later
on. Through this project, many of
the students came across individuals that sparked their curiosity.
For example, Clair Beargie recounts that one day, on one of her
walks, she saw a man walking down
the street. He was in a toga with an
umbrella in his hand, a cloudless
sky above his head. Though she
said she didn’t approach him, she
still thinks it was an interesting experience.
There were also many students
who took advantage of the opportunity to offer random acts of
kindness. For instance, Elizabeth
Kissel met a disgruntled man with
a baby in his arms while walking
down Waterbury. When
Kissel
approached, the
man became
irritated
as
the baby began to cry.
He refused
to talk to her,
adding
he
might change
his mind if
she could get the wailing baby to
stop crying. Kissel accepted the
challenge and took the baby from
the bewildered man. After singing
a lullaby, the baby fell asleep and
was returned to her father. She
felt good about helping the total
stranger.
Matt Sims also used this project
as a platform for generosity and
self-sacrifice. Sims was leaving the
Lakewood Public Library when he
noticed that the Lakewood Earth
And Food Foundation was busy
setting up their food stands in the
front. The LEAF Foundation is an
organization that wants to develop a healthier and more practical
Lakewood by emphasizing locallygrown foods.
Sims stayed for a few hours to
help set up. H2O was also helping,
along with those standing in line
to buy the food. However, Sims
stayed longer than anyone, without expecting anything in return.
Sims thinks that “Lakewood is
a great place [to live].” The size of
the city has allowed him to keep in
touch with his friends since middle and even elementary school.
Moreover, he appreciates the diversity in Lakewood, and thinks it
is great that people from other cities, such as Cleveland, are moving
here. “[Lakewood] isn’t perfect,”
Sims said, “[but] it doesn’t need
to be.”
Nonetheless, with the inspirational and often humorous experiences, some of the students also
faced some frightening encounters. There were many rules and
guidelines that the students had to
follow, one of which stated they
were never
to walk alone.
This rule was
put in place
to avoid potentially dangerous situations, such
as the one in
which Emily
Golba found
herself.
Golba, now
a junior, and some friends went
to Caribou Coffee one day. They
saw a heavily tattooed man walk in
with his girlfriend, and decided to
initiate a conversation. After they
talked a while, they headed home.
Golba told her parents about
the conspicuous tattooed man. After listening to Golba’s description
of the man, her mother looked up
a list of reported sex offenders
that she received via e-mail. After browsing through the e-mails,
the tattooed man to whom Golba
had spoken was staring back at her
from her home computer. Golba
said this experience didn’t hinder
her walking, because she knows
that there are such people in every
community.
Both Meinke and Sullivan feel
that the benefits outweigh the
risks. “[Lakewood’s] not a static
community,” Meinke said. She
“The students who
have put their heart
into the project have
realized that Lakewood’s not boring.”
news
feels that every year the community goes through some form of
change, whether it is population
growth or building development.
While living in such a diverse and
changing community, the understanding of one’s surrounding becomes very significant.
“There is more to Lakewood,”
said Sullivan, “than Chipotle.”
The students are encouraged
to explore the places that interest
them to discover more of what
Lakewood has to offer. However, there are some required
sections of Lakewood that they
have to visit in order to get a full
picture of the city. Some aspects
are comparing three businesses in
Lakewood, such as the different
restaurants, and comparing recreational services. Also, they had to
walk Madison or Detroit from end
to end and visit both libraries and
Metroparks.
“All of [the students] who have
put their heart into the project
have realized that Lakewood’s not
boring,” Meinke said.
After completing the walking
part of the project, students were
then required to come up with
a creative way to present their
discoveries to their class. There
weren’t any requirements given
by their teachers that dictated this
part of the project. Both Sullivan
and Meinke agree this part of the
process was one of the hardest for
their students, because they were
used to teachers telling them what
they need to do to get an A.
Meinke also said that some students went into the project with
a set notion of what Lakewood
is. According to her, this project
is meant to give the students the
opportunity to help develop their
own opinions about their city, with
proof to back it up.
“The community of Lakewood
is changing.” Sullivan said. “One
of the central themes of A Walk
Across Lakewood is that we go
outside of our comfort zone and
see the beauty of Lakewood.”
11
News
Phoenix Rising: Local coffeehouse expands
By Shaina Switzer, Staff Writer
For the past seventeen years,
Lakewood has been home to a
unique coffeehouse called the
Phoenix Café. Students and adults,
young and old, gather almost every day and night to enjoy fresh
roasted coffee, espressos, and
smoothies. Customers are also offered pastries, cookies, and other
treats while taking in the original
art pieces decorating the walls.
For many students at Lakewood
High, the Phoenix is a retreat, a
comfortable place to hang out
at after school. “I like the atmosphere, the people who go there,
the artwork, and the musicians
outside,” senior Anya Hurley said.
Soon, regulars and newcomers
will be able to enjoy the Phoenix
even more as the coffee house
expands in several ways. With a
fresh menu and improvements to
its arts and entertainment aspects,
the Phoenix looks to be rising into
a new era of coffee catering.
In late December or possibly
January, co-owner and manager
Julie Hutchison hopes to have
the new and expanded Phoenix
location open and ready for business. “We want it to be perfect,”
Hutchison said. “We’re doing a lot
of the work ourselves. We’re really excited because we feel we do
good tea and coffee, and we think
the new place will better represent
what we are about.”
Several students are already excited about the move. “I love their
coffee,” junior Grant Colvin said,
“and I’m happy to see that they’re
expanding.”
Frequent visitors of the popular
café will be happy to hear that not
only will the Phoenix be retaining
its original menu, but they will also
be adding to it with light vegetarian fare. “We are going to be doing
all of our own baking including
breads and pastries,” Hutchison
reveals. “All of our espresso and
Phoenix drinks will be the same,
but much better, and I think our
vegetarian dishes are really, really
good.”
With the new place being twice
the size of the original, the Phoenix will have double the space
for seating and, as Hutchison describes, “a better flow for service
with one side for seating and the
other for service.” The new Phoenix will also continue to showcase
a monthly wall of art from local
artists, while including its own
permanent art installations.
An interesting decor choice
is the incorporation of bicycle
frames in tables and counters.
“Almost all of our materials are
reused, recovered, or recycled,”
Hutchison explained. “We wanted
our new building to be as “green”
as possible and we wanted to use
zero volatile or harmful materials.”
Another exciting thing to come
from the expansion is the addition of a stage and a new sound
system. The Phoenix will continue
to have open mic nights and live
music, but “now we will be able to
have a nicer venue for a lot more
bands,” Hutchison said.
Many will be happy to see the
Phoenix expand, which means the
growth of its services and personal care. “It’s not like a chain, or
Starbucks, and I liked that about
it,” English teacher Charmian
Perttu said.
Another teacher also expressed
his pleasure in the Phoenix’s homey atmosphere. “In its early days, it
was like a throwback to the hippie
days, small and intimate,” Social
Studies teacher Norm Murphey
said. “It’s a quaint little place with
a friendly group of eclectic people. Anyone could feel comfortable there.”
“It’s great that young entrepreneurs were able to fight chains,
and build their clientèle,” Murphey said. “Now they are very
successful.”
The expansion of the Phoenix
will be a notable event for Lakewood. Now, the Phoenix coffee
house can show itself as a mecca
for Lakewood citizens to flock and
to express themselves, to be entertained, and to enjoy one more cup
of delicious, fresh roasted coffee.
Phoenix Magazine: Emerging from the ashes
By Greg Culley, Staff Writer
After two years of silence, students at Lakewood High School
who express themselves through
the arts of poetry and literature will
once again have a voice through
publication. The Phoenix, Lakewood High School’s literary magazine, is reborn this school year.
English teacher Charmian Perttu has stepped up to the position
of club adviser. “I like to write
myself, but I enjoy seeing students
write even more,” Perttu said. “I
think it’s important for Lakewood
High School to have a publication
where students can express themselves through writing.”
When Perttu first announced
the rebirth of the Phoenix to her
creative writing class, senior Sarah
Jawhari was the only student in
the room willing to become the
editor. Jawhari, current Opinion
Editor for The Lakewood Times,
wanted to combine her interest in
poetry and art with her experience
in publications.
Both Jawhari and Perttu hope to
publish the magazine three times
this year, but the final number will
be dependent on participation.
The publication will rely completely on submissions from the
Lakewood High School community. Currently, work is being accepted both by Perttu and through
the magazine’s e-mail: [email protected]
After submissions are received,
Perttu and Jawhari will review and
edit each piece to make sure that
they are school appropriate and
meet the standards of the publication. Jawhari indicated that consideration for publication would be
incredibly selective. “Not all poetry is good poetry,” says Jawhari,
“but some of the submissions
have been amazing—definitely
headed in the right direction.”
Above all, Jawhari hopes that the
rebirth of the Phoenix will elicit a
reaction from the student body
and hopefully reintroduce quality
poetry. “When the Phoenix does
come out, I hope that everyone
does read it,” she said, “because
I truly believe that it’s Lakewood
High at its most creative.”
Art by Devin Werner
12
The Lakewood Times
news
news
The great exchange: teachers going global
By Sarah Jawhari, Opinion Editor
If you were like
most of your peers
in kindergarten, you
probably – at one
point – believed that
your teacher lived in
the school building.
It wasn’t until later
that you realized
this wasn’t anywhere
Kryshyna Skrzeczkowska. near the truth. But
Photo by Alex Mezin.
it’s still very hard to
deny it—seeing a teacher outside of school is
oftentimes awkward and a little bizarre. For the
most part, we come in contact with them in the
school building, but little else beyond that.
One of Lakewood High’s science teachers,
however, is totally breaking the stereotype.
In late July, science teacher Sydney Peterson
boarded a plane to Poland as part of a global
teacher exchange program. Another teacher,
Polish educator Kryshyna Skrzeczkowska, took
her place in the states.
Lakewood High School is already familiar
with exchanging members of the student body.
Many LHS students are attending school in
other areas of the world. In fact, the LHS exchange program is a very strong and prominent
educational tool.
But exchange students are one thing – what
about exchange teachers?
In a detailed email interview, Peterson describes the experience as an interesting adventure.
She’s currently teaching five different levels
of Chemistry to students in the Polish “lyceum,” or high school.
Peterson discovered that accomplished Polish students get to go to college for free. For
this reason, Peterson believes they are somewhat better behaved than their American
counterparts. The Polish educational system
pushes students to achieve, and the reward is
free higher education. This is also why Polish
parents aren’t too involved in their student’s
educational life.
“The parents believe that students are expected to be more responsible for their own
future,” Peterson explained.
The language difference, according to Peterson, isn’t much of a problem. Polish students
are very well-practiced in English, and she
doesn’t run into too many barriers. She exercises her Polish on street vendors and strangers
with her daughter, which makes for fun mis-
November 2008
takes and learning experiences.
Here are some interesting language differences Peterson has noted:
Instead of saying, “Ruff, ruff,” for the sound
a dog makes, Polish children will say, “How,
how!”
The idioms are also slightly different. Americans will say, “I’m so hungry, I can eat a horse!”
but a Pole says, “I’m so hungry, I could eat a
horse with hooves.”
The biggest pronunciation error is simply
a result of words that sound similar. Peterson gives the example between “cloves” and
“clothes.” This is actually common in foreign
countries because of how similar some English
words sound.
Many educated Poles have asked Peterson
about grammar. For example, they may ask
whether they should say, “What are the questions on the test?” or “What are the questions
in the test?”
“Sometimes I have to stop and repeat it to
myself to figure it out,” Peterson admitted.
As for Skrzeczkowska, who has told her
Lakewood High students to refer to her as
“Mrs. S” to prevent pronunciation errors, the
atmosphere here at LHS also seems to be a
positive one so far.
She claimed that the biggest change was
probably the size of the United States in comparison to Poland. Skrzeczkowska clarified that
many European countries are not only smaller
in geographical size, but also more compact
physically.
“In Poland,” she said, “you don’t have to
have a car if you don’t want to. There are public
means of transportation.”
Skrzeczkowska studied English with the
British Council Organization, which promotes
the English culture and language. She’s obviously well-practiced and, like Peterson, doesn’t
confront too many problems. Even though she
taught in English in Poland, Skrzeczkowska
said that she didn’t have the option of speaking
English all the time.
“There were breaks and so on,” she explained. “I would come home and speak Polish. Now, I telephone my family and friends
and speak Polish. [Although] nowadays it is
easy—‘Skype’ is free, so it’s no problem. There
are also Polish speaking places here.”
Skrzeczkowska is familiar with exchanging
parts of the student body. She’s had students
from all over Europe and other places of the
world. One of her students in Poland came
from Jordan and was fluent in Arabic. Another
one of her students lived in Japan for 12 years
and came back with excellent handwriting
skills.
“I enjoyed [grading] her works,” Skrzeczkowska said with a smile.
She has also traveled and taught and many
different schools in Europe, except for Scandinavia. Skrzeczkowska explained, in reference to
this, that she simply prefers warmer countries.
“I thought about a warmer state like California,” she admitted.
However, when she applied for the exchange,
she wasn’t very specific about location, and neither was Peterson.
Skrzeczkowska has offered some fun facts
and parallels:
An LHS student asked her if the Poles in
Poland speak Polish—he thought they spoke
English. Skrzeczkowska explained that many
American students don’t know much about
the rest of the world, whereas European students are more universally inclined. However,
Skrzeczkowska said that Americans know
more educational facts—concerning math or
science—than her students in Europe. (And
yes, anonymous student, Poland has its own
language, as well as its own currency).
Before she came, a British friend told Skrzeczkowska to be careful in America. Skrzeczkowska parallels this with Peterson’s stereotype.
Upon her arrival here, Peterson asked Skrzeczkowska if she would like to eat scrambled eggs.
For some reason Peterson had the impression
that all Poles ate scrambled eggs for breakfast
every day.
Skrzeczkowska has really enjoyed Lakewood’s diversity, with its rich mix of students
and teachers.
When asked of differences between Europe
and America, Skrzeczkowska said that Americans seemed friendlier.
“They say,” she recalled, grinning, “‘Welcome to America.’”
Both Peterson and Skrzeczkowska want to
continue to take part in exchanges.
“I would [go to] any country,” Peterson said,
“because it broadens my perspective about
education, and people, and science. I feel like I
have brought a piece of the U.S. to Poland just
by being me and I think that when I leave, I will
take a piece of Poland with me just by being
friends with the Poles.”
13
news
news
Grad follows an untraveled path
to pursue his dreams
By Rebecca McKinsey, Editor in Chief
Najam Hassad taking care of business at the FBI
presentation. Photo by Tabatha Reese, Staff
Photographer
The game plan is presented to students
almost as soon as they can walk. Go to high
school. Go to college. Explore your interests
and options during this time, and make a career decision somewhere near the end. Then get
a job. This formula of sorts is a familiar one,
and many students adhere to it, never realizing
they have any other choice. However, there are
a select few that shun expectations and follow
their own path to realizing their dreams. Najam
Hassan, who graduated from Lakewood High
last year, is one of these people.
“This all got started back in my freshman
year,” Hassan said. “I walked into Lakewood
High and talked to Dr. Bowley, my counselor.
I gave her a sheet of my schedule for all four
years. I told her, ‘This is what I want to do.
These are the classes I want to take.’ I told her
my dream was to be in the FBI.”
Throughout his four years of high school,
Hassan single-mindedly worked toward his
goal. His junior year, he attended a seminar on
intelligence in the Middle East held by Washington Trinity University.
“There was literally everybody there – the
FBI, the CIA,” Hassan said. “That program
14
got me started.”
Following advice he was given at the seminar,
Hassan went to the downtown Cleveland FBI
office to talk to someone there and see how he
could begin realizing his dream.
“As soon as I walked in the building and saw
it – it’s just fabulous,” Hassan said. “It’s like a
mansion. I walked in, and I was like, ‘This is
where I want to be.’”
The contact he made during that visit led to
three very in-depth interviews. One of these
was followed by a grueling lie-detector test –
which Hassan failed. After two grueling hours,
he was told he hadn’t passed.
“I told [the person administering the test], ‘I
wouldn’t be sitting here if I was going to lie to
you,’” Hassan said. “[The man] said, ‘I like your
answer. Let’s do the test again.’”
After several more hours, Hassan says, he
was told he’d passed. “I knew I’d passed as
soon as I walked in,” he added.
Eventually, Hassan was offered an internship with the FBI. He began working there as
soon as he graduated from Lakewood High.
He worked on three medical-related cases before being recruited to work on intelligence.
He goes to court for the trials pertaining to the
cases he works on, and tours with the FBI, giving speaking presentations.
In addition to working long hours at an unpaid internship with the FBI, Hassan is attending John Carroll University with a full ride. As
part of his scholarship, he volunteers at the
downtown juvenile detention center. He also
works at the Lakewood YMCA, has a summer job at the Westwood Country Club’s golf
course, and is planning on picking up a job as a
basketball referee.
“I’m always busy,” he said. “I never waste
any second of the day.”
Hassan recently requested that the FBI present at LHS’ Biotechnology class. “I want to give
back,” he said. “People gave me opportunities
to get to that level – the FBI, work, school, everything. They helped me, and now I feel like
I should do the same thing for somebody and
make a difference in their lives.”
Hassan says he feels the presentation was
beneficial to the Biotech class, and that several
students expressed an interest in the FBI. He
adds that students who are still deciding what
to do with their lives need to know themselves
and their interests. “It’s all about who you
are, what you’re good at, and what you
want to do,” he said.
He emphasizes several steps students
should take if they want to succeed.
“You’ve got to [succeed] in the classroom,” he said. “Work hard. If you work
hard at anything you do, you’ll get it.”
While he thinks students should put as
much effort as possible into their schoolwork, Hassan added, “You don’t have to
be perfect. There’s no such thing as perfect to me, and there’s no such thing as
perfect outside in the work world.”
A lot of what accounted for his success, Hassan says, is his mentality. “If you
asked me,” he said, “I’d say, 2013, I want
to be at the FBI Academy, and 2014, I
want to be working full-time somewhere
across the country. That’s it. That’s the
way I plan.”
Hassan says his single-mindedness and
his willingness to veer from the normal,
expected path are what brought him to
where he is now. “I found a career that I
think fits right for me,” he said. “I love it,
and I’m going to keep doing it until they
kick me out.”
Biotech class
investigates FBI
Karen Alten’s biotechnology class gathers around to
learn more about a metal detector. Photo by Tabatha
Reese, Staff Photographer
The Lakewood Times
news
news
Polish your skills with personalized prep:
A guide to SAT and ACT preparation
By Greg Culley, Staff Writer
Gaffe. Vituperative. Cajole. Effrontery. Ubiquitous.
Don’t know these words? Well, according to the makers of standardized tests such as
the SAT and ACT, these are words that should be in your vocabulary.
Don’t fret, though. There are several resources available that will help boost your ability to perform well on each of these exams.
The truth is, a bad test score won’t be what makes or breaks your college application. Several colleges and universities say that they are far more
interested in who you are and what you’ve done throughout high school. Nevertheless, a shining 2400 or 36 wouldn’t be a bad thing to tack onto
the package.
Getting prepped for the big day can be as simple or complex as you’d like. You can start three months ahead of time, or five days beforehand.
Personalize your plan so that it works for you.
The Course
What? Comprehensive reviews of test material and test specific strategies and tips. Administered by The Princeton Review (www.theprincetonreview.com), Kaplan (www.kaptest.com/college), and The College
Board (www.collegeboard.com). They also offer an online course. Often,
these courses offer Score Raise Guarantees.
Where? Throughout the area. A good number happen to be in Westlake.
When? Courses are usually often offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Weekends, depending on who administers the course.
How much? Classroom courses for both The Princeton Review and
Kaplan are $1099, and online courses for both start at $85. The College
Board’s online course is $60. Several free classes are offered in the area
as well, which include scored practice tests and short, general strategy
sessions.
Is it worth it? Alum of a Kaplan course, senior Bailey Mueller said,
“It was incredibly time consuming … but the end result made it all worthwhile. My score increased exponentially because they taught me things
like what questions to not answer, and reviewed everything so well.”
Currently using The College Board’s online course, Junior Michael Yee
said, “I enjoy the program because it’s really interactive and convenient
… I can use it whenever I have free time. Plus, I think it really targets
what I need to work on instead of trying to teach me everything.”
The Crash Course (In a Book)
What? Quick, last-minute review for the SAT and ACT that can be
done in five days, or even the night before! Don’t expect to ace the test
if you’re just relying on this. These books will detail only the most critical tools you’ll need to get a good score on the test. In addition, you can
practice with dozens of questions and check your answers with detailed
explanations.
Where? Pick up a copy at the same booksellers where their bigger
counterparts are sold.
How much? $10
www.collegeboard.com/sat
www.actstudent.org
November 2008
The Book
Where? Pick up a study guide at any bookseller. Barnes and Noble or
Borders at Crocker Park are your best bet. Publishers include The Princeton Review, Kaplan, and SparkNotes. The College Board, maker of the
SAT, offers “The Official SAT Study Guide.”
How much? $20-$35
Is it worth it? Move at your own pace, go in whatever order you’d
like, or practice only what you need to … one of the most affordable
and easy options.
The Game
What?! That’s right, you heard me…there’s an SAT review game for
Nintendo DS that was created with The Princeton Review.
Where? Target, or wherever Nintendo DS games are sold.
How much? $29.99
Is it worth it? It’s best if used with a Princeton Review book, but is
definitely helpful. Mini-drills challenge you to define words, spot grammatical errors, and do quick math, while quizzes dish out ten questions
from different sections of the test, along with explanations of answers
to each question. The program is quick to offer suggestions for areas to
cover, along with positive comments on your progress. Also, feedback
on your time efficiency is useful.
SAT & SAT Subject Test
Dates
December 6, 2008
January 24, 2009
March 14, 2009 (SAT Only)
May 2, 2009
June 6, 2009
ACT Dates
December 13, 2008
February 7, 2009
April 4, 2009
June 13, 2009
The College Board recommends that juniors take the
SAT or ACT for the first time
this spring. That means starting review right now could
pay off. Also, remember that
you can take the test more
than once and that you are
more likely to score higher
when you retake a test. Consider taking the SAT or ACT
this winter!
15
news
news
Chance Encounters: Gina Buquet
By Danielle Szabo, Editorial Board Member
Introducing
Gina Buquet, 17
year old Senior
Favorite
color:
Green
Siblings:
Three
Brothers
Favorite
Sport:
“Ice hockey. I moved
to Cleveland to
play.”
How did you first
get involved with
hockey? Playing with
her brothers and play-
ingon a boys’ roller
hockey team when
she was twelve.
Why did you
move to Cleveland
for hockey? “I play
for girls ice hockey,
Ohio Flames.” It’s
her third year and she
is now captain of the
team.
Did your wholefamily move with
you? “No, I live withsomeone on the team,
Tracy McCann.”
Are you happy
being in Lakewood?
“Yes, I love hockey,
but I do miss my family.”
How often do you
practice?
“Three
times a week for a
hour and a half each
day.”
Do you travel often? Every weekend
to Canada, Detroit,
and Ohio State.
Her favorite travel
destination is Boston.
Do you play any
other sports?
“I used to play
basketball,
soccer,
softball and track, but
quit for hockey.”
Each month the Times
targets another student
and uploads his or her
random access memories.
Don’t blame us if we’re
guilty of facial profiling.
Photo by Danielle Szabo.
By Ian Brieck, Fiza Shah, and Greg Culley, Staff Writers
Juniors’ SAT-related anxieties
were calmed earlier this month
with the College Board’s announcement of a new scorereporting policy. Previously, all
SAT Reasoning and Subject Test
scores were included on the official
score report sent to the colleges
and universities to which a student
applied. Following the implementation of the new “Score Choice”
program, students that are members of the Class of 2010 or later
will be able to pick and choose
which scores will be reported.
Although the feature will launch
with the March 2009 test administration, students will have the ability to send scores from tests taken
prior to the launch.
The decision to adopt a new
score-reporting policy was, according to the College Board, “designed to reduce student stress and
improve the test-day experience.”
Lakewood High School’s Frisbee Club began as just a group of
friends, way back in 2003, later assuming the role as an official club.
It grew as time went on, to some
days having nearly 30 players.
The club has been and is still
completely open to any Lakewood
High student and attendance is not
mandatory. Club members play in
all weather year-round.
This year, the club is working to
find an adviser to make it an official club. Members usually meet
Thursdays and Sundays. Often
meeting times are posted on FaceBook for easy communication and
organization. Members will work
to set up official meetings once a
adviser has been found. It doesn’t
cost anything to join, but an emergency medical form is needed due
to the chance of injury.
LHS Marching Band showed
its excitement for the last football
game of the season by marching
through the school hallways on Friday, October 24. Music reverberated throughout the classrooms,
causing many of the students to
come out into the hallways and
welcome the band.
16
The Lakewood High tuba section struts its stuff as the band crosses from the
mods to the main building. Photo by Thealexa Becker, Design Editor.
The Lakewood Times
Editorial
“
”
What’s the most stressful part of this year for you?
“Having to carry all my books because the lockers are so far away from everything. And the
teachers that could care less about you. And the
dress code.”
-Siobhan Bowden, sophomore
“Learning.”
-Jelena Cvijetic, sophomore
“Getting all my schoolwork done, with
working all the time.”
-John Butcher, senior
“Not getting enough sleep.”
-Deven Middleton, sophomore
“Trying to figure out your plans
after graduation.”
-Courtney Kiss, senior
“Getting all my homework in on time.”
-Jami Ellison, sophomore
“This whole first quarter, because if you did bad, it will
be hard to get your grades back up before report cards
come out.”
- Douglas Crowder, junior
Study halls rule over students
By Anna Marburger, Staff Writer
Study hall monitor Gladys Favre
says the previous LHS study halls
were “too lenient.” Rules were not
enforced. There was no backup
from the administration.
“It’s not a social hall,” House 1
Principal Abby Neal said. Neal has
power over LHS study halls, but
did not create the rules.
Students are especially upset
about not being able to listen to
their iPods during study hall, considering that they were specifically allowed to do so a few years
ago. iPod use is now allowed only
for lunchtime. Favre is uncertain about why this rule has been
November 2008
changed. She guesses that it has
something to do with inappropriate music, then added, “But we
can’t hear it.”
Neal refuted the idea that students should be able to listen to
music in study hall, saying, “Are
you allowed to listen to your iPods in a classroom?” She says that
study hall is not “cafeteria time.”
As for the shuffling of cards,
Neal said playing cards is “improper on school grounds.” Favre says
cards are too distracting, even if
it’s a solitaire game.
Talking is distracting too, according to Favre, because “it gets
too loud. Kids don’t know how to
whisper.”
The rule about writing passes,
even ones for the bathroom, has
been changed since the beginning
of the year. Students can now get
passes to use the facilities. Some
monitors, unfortunately, didn’t
receive the e-mail with the update right away. Students in some
study halls were still not permitted
passes for the bathroom for a few
days at least.
Neither Neal nor Favre understands the prohibition of putting
heads down in study halls. Both
assume it’s to encourage students
to be active during study hall.
The grumblings and complaints from students at the start
of the year have now died down
to the occasional complaint. Perhaps students have adapted to the
change. Not too many of them
seem very passionate about it one
way or another.
Neal feels the study hall rules are
“just enforcing what a study hall
should be.” According to her, “a
study hall is a way to help students
improve in their academics.”
17
Editorial
!
Ya
y!
• Jeers for the somewhat confusing graduation orders from Jostens. What are we supposed to order? How much do we need?
• Faulty communication across the building. Sometimes you hear the announcements,
sometimes you don’t.
• The dark, cold spot between the Old
Building and the Art Building.
• Jeers to the weather! If only we could combat Mother Nature...
• Extremely crowded mod hallways. It’s a
good thing there aren’t any lockers in there.
o
Bo
• Marching Band’s parade through the
halls—an inventive way to show school spirit.
• The new, added superlatives for the class
of ’09. Which one of us will be voted as
“most likely to become a superhero”?
• Cheers to every LHS student or staff
member who took our Times survey!
• Cheers to those fashionable Times Tshirts, making Times staff look even more
attractive.
• The long weekend because of elections.
• We’ve finished the first quarter!
Editorial
Restrictions on sweet freedom
By Rachel Kowalski, News Editor
There is no question about it: The mods have opened up opportunities
for students to leave school without being reprimanded. What student
wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to have a picnic in the park instead of
paying fifty cents for an Apple G Force?
For most schools, an open campus means that the school trusts its
students to be in class on time and to be responsible in and around the
community. Why hasn’t Lakewood taken the jump to an open campus?
If not this year, we should certainly be thinking about having an open
campus in the coming years where there will be no L-Room for upperclassmen and no cafeteria for underclassmen.
Other area schools, such as Fairview and Rocky River, have chosen
to give upperclassmen open campus rights. Open campus rights are restricted to lunch periods, and the beginning and end of the day. Students
must fill out an “option form” that requires the approval of both their
parents and the administration.
If we were to have open campus rights, then Lakewood security would
be able to focus on more important things, instead of driving minivans
around looking for truant lunch eaters.
The school shouldn’t be responsible for what students choose to do
outside of school boundaries. If students were to have their parents sign
a permission slip that allowed them to leave school during their free periods, then the school wouldn’t be liable for anything they do.
Principal Dr. Bill Wagner says that because of the length of time an
open campus would be in place, the liability would be an issue with the
community.
18
“The attendance rate isn’t
going to plummet because
of an open campus.”
Obviously, some kids will skip class whether there is an open campus
or not. And these kids will receive a Wednesday school. The attendance
rate isn’t going to plummet because of an open campus.These students
will still skip school even if there is not an open campus. They understand the consequences. The rules haven’t changed since the transition
to the mods. It’s just that more students have jumped at the opportunity
to leave.
Wagner says it is “unlikely that students will be granted open campus
rights,” and that the district is working on other lunch options for phase
three of the school’s transition because of the liability issues that a big
school like Lakewood would face.
Staff should stop taking responsibility for what the students do outside of school property, and instead focus on the students who are in
class and waiting to be educated.
The Lakewood Times
Editorial
Editorial
The Times takes on the hoodie rule
LHS students don’t like the hoodie rule.
This is nothing new. Everyone’s heard it. Most
people are tired of hearing it. Perhaps, then, it’s
time to do something about it.
According to the Times survey, the majority
of students at Lakewood High agree that there
should be some type of dress code, and many of
them agree with most of the current code.
The only major area of conflict is the hoodie rule, with which both students and staff disagree.
There is no accurate, up-to-date statistics being kept in regard to dress code violations that
would prove the effectiveness of the dress code.
The decision to ban hoodies is not being driven
by data.
The maturity exhibited by students in this inves-
[
]
tigation has merit. The large majority of students
surveyed recognizes the need for some type of
dress code, and agrees with most of the current
rules. This fact makes the ban on hoodies, the
one real area of contention, worth considering.
The fact that teachers want the hoodie rule gone
as well makes this issue even more pressing.
While students occasionally test the hoodie
rule, they have not been defiant, nor have they
protested, as have the students at Akron North.
Now is the time for change. Students have responded maturely to the need for some type of
dress code. The staff agrees. The Times survey
shows both groups have reached a consensus: It’s
time for the Board of Education to relent and
give LHS its hoodies back.
Want to see your name in print?
Send your opinions to The Times in
Room 316.
Editorial Policy
As preservers of democracy, our schools shall protect, encourage, and enhance free speech and the exchange of ideas as a means of protecting our American way of life. The Times
and its staff are protected by, and bound to, the principles of the First Amendment and other protections and limitations afforded by the Constitution and the various court decisions
implementing those principles.
It is the mission of The Lakewood Times, the official newsmagazine of Lakewood High School, to serve as a public forum that promotes the gathering and exchange of ideas, and
uphold high journalistic standards for the purpose of enriching the lives of our readers.
The Times is established as an open forum for student expression and as a voice in the uninhibited, free and open discussion of issues. The Times will not be reviewer or restrained
prior to publication. Content of the Times, therefore, reflections only the views of the student staff or individual students and not school officials.
The Times, and staff, will strive to avoid publishing any material determined by student editors or the student editorial board to be unprotected, that is, material that is libelous,
obscene, materially disruptive of the school process, an unwarranted invasion of privacy, a violation of copyright laws or electronic manipulations changing the essential truth of the
photo or illustrations. Other obligations can be found in the handbook available to each student. The Times adviser will not act as a censor.
It questions arise over specific copy as defined within this policy, student journalists will seek the advice of the communications attorney from the student press law center. The Times
editorial board as a whole will be responsible for determining editorial opinions, which represent the opinions of a majority of the editorial board. No single member of the Times can
be held responsible for editorial content decisions. The Times is a tool in the learning process of journalism and operates as a learning laboratory. Any student may be a member of the
staff, with or without prior journalism experience or enrollment on the staff for credit. As a forum for student expression, the Times will publish all letters to the editor, provided they
are 300 words or less and contain the author’s name, house, and address. On occasion, we will publish letters using the “name withheld” providing the Times editor, or a team editor,
knows the author’s identity.
We reserve the right to withhold a letter or column and return it for more information if we determine it contains items of unprotected speech as defined by this policy. Letters will
be edited for spelling and grammar. Should a letter contain errors in fact, excessive grammatical errors or be too long, it will be returned to the author for re submission. Deadlines for
letters and columns will be no later than ten days before the next publication date. The Times may choose to report student, staff, faculty, and alumnus deaths as he editorial board is
made aware of them. We reserve the right to decide not to cover a death based on relevance, timeliness and circumstances. In cases where the editorial board decided not to cover death,
letters to the editor in regard to that death could be printed.
November 2008
19
Editorial
Editorial
FACE
Down with all dress codes
By Sarah Jawhari, Opinion Editor
Whether you’re a repeat offender or an accidental
case, the dress code here at LHS has pulled nearly
every student into its clutches. And the students
here definitely aren’t quiet about it. The dress code
has gained lots of attention and twice as many complaints.
We would like to blame security guards and teachers
for catching us with “clothing in disrepair,” or short
skirts, or sagging pants, or especially hoodies. But the
enforcement isn’t the source of the problem.
If we have to break dress code every single day,
there’s something wrong with the system. I believe
that the flaw is simply that a dress code exists.
Lakewood High boasts a good-sized student
body of about 2,000 students. Each student is a liv-
No excuses this time.
ing, breathing individual who—in most
cases—has a functioning, creative mind.
All students reserve the right to express
themselves through clothing.
But putting self-expression aside, the dress code
we have instilled now has some basic common sense
errors. If it’s freezing outside, a student is going
to wear a hoodie no matter what. And some persistent students may decide to wear it throughout
the entire day.
I understand that some students will make horrible clothing choices. Tight or revealing clothing
can rip and leave someone exposed in the aftermath. Piercings can get attached to things. Certain tattoos may come off as offensive. And of course, that
certain student with the saggy pants is bound to wind
up pants-less after an uncomfortable run up the stairs.
But the board should
trust that students would
learn from their mistakes.
Is a dress code
After all, it’s probably better to
learn to limit bad clothing choices
by experience rather than rebellion against the system.
Our current dress code enforcement also seems to be a
waste of time. Faculty and staff
have to keep their eyes open and their dress code handy.
Without a dress code, teachers would be able to get right to
their lessons. Security guards could check IDs to see who’s
supposed to be here and who’s a stranger to the building.
Then there’s the factor of “distracting clothing,” which is
also proof that the dress code can be abolished completely
for the better. If a student is distracted by a piercing or by
sweat pants, then he’d probably also be distracted by a passing dog or the drawings in the art building.
The initial shock of removing the dress code may lead
to some bizarre outfits, but the shock will eventually wear
away. And then the fact that there isn’t a dress code would
become the dress code.
The new set of rules would be simple. Wear whatever
you want, whenever you want, without consequences. Get
through the day and learn from mistakes if they occur. And
as for staff: don’t spend time enforcing a dress code that is
not only unpopular, but also a considerable waste of time
on your part. If people wear whatever they want, the educational system can get to something more important, like,
for example, education.
Art by Jordan Congeni
20
The Lakewood Times
Editorial
OFF
Editorial
No code = wardrobe malfunctions
By Thealexa Becker, Design Editor
Nobody likes rules.
So what would a world without rules
be like?
How about a world without the stateof-the-art Lakewood High School Dress
Code? It’s an enticing thought, isn’t it?
Can’t you just imagine, everyone in LHS being able to scurry around wearing whatever they want,
expressing themselves with eyelid piercings and tattoos
of Big Bird? Some might even be as daring to expose
some (or too much) skin, and won’t that be a pleasant
surprise for everyone. Equally enjoyable will be the
foreseeable accident during which an unsuspecting
freshman, while gawking at the senior in a miniskirt, has his eye stabbed by a mohawk.
What does all of this mean? That without any
kind of dress code, all of the students at LHS will
fall victim to random acts of wardrobe malfunction.
That being said, what kind of dress code is needed?
To achieve a certain basic decorum in a school atmosphere, it is understandable that the school system would
like to enforce some kind of dress code. They want to
ensure that students conduct themselves in a somewhat
even necessary?
Sarah Jawhari (left) and Thealexa
Becker (above) hold an argument in
style. Caricatures by Nesreen Jawhari.
presentable manner. After all, we are all about to leap
into the real world, right?
However, in the curious case of Lakewood High,
it seems as though our code goes beyond enforcing
basic common sense.
Sure, it makes perfect sense to say that students
cannot wear dangerous articles of clothing, but does
pink hair threaten other students, except when it is
paired with a green shirt and yellow pants?
The short answer: No. The long answer: The
people who wrote our dress code must not be
fans of the colors of the rainbow, or piercings, or
inked skin, or hoods. They must love hats or those
little ear mufflers, because I can’t imagine walking
around in Lakewood during a whiteout with nothing on my head.
Perhaps our dress code is too strict. If it weren’t,
would we have so many students breaking the
rules and getting evicted from the premises? Maybe it would be beneficial to everyone involved if
the code were revised. Some parts of it are downright unfair and need to be fixed. For example,
why don’t teachers have a dress code? If they can
be trusted to dress sensibly, why can’t the student
body receive a little more leniency?
After all, most of the kids who wear hoods, hats,
and sunglasses are just showing off and aren’t going to cause problems. The ones that do will cause
trouble hood or not. All banning things like hoodies does is breed resentment in an otherwise ruleabiding group of students.
This is not a suggestion to overhaul the code
entirely without regard to what the administration
wants, but it is a argument for those same people
to consider what the proletariat wants. Happy students make a happier school.
Bickering over bookroom hours
By Meredith Richards, Staff Writer
Do you have a rigorous schedule, after-school commitments, and
mountains of homework? Having to have fees paid to get a homecoming ticket, but not being able to pay them – or buy the ticket – before or
after school is making everyone’s life a little harder. But there are different sides to the story.
LHS students are annoyed by the hours and requirements of the
bookroom this year. Convenience is a problem, as students cannot go
after school, or in the very early morning. Having to pay all of your fees
to receive a Homecoming, Snowball or Prom ticket? Ridiculous! LHS
students each have their own individual opinions on these matters.
From the other side of the argument, Jean Lane and Dawn Wingler
are working in the bookroom five days a week, from at least seven in
the morning until fourin the afternoon. They cannot be open past three
o’clock because they have to make reports and deposits. They cannot
have others working in the bookroom because it’s not in the Board of
Education’s budget.
You’d have to understand Lane and Wingler’s day-to-day duties to understand why there is a problem with convenience.
The LHS bookroom is in charge of distribution and collection of
November 2008
books, supplemental book distribution, student fees, pay-to-play, setting
up the freshmen, leadership training, homecoming tickets, prom tickets,
money for trips (like German, Art or Ski trips), ordering of books, workbook sales, RTA ticket sales, AP testing, PSAT testing, bar coding each
text book by hand, and the collection and organization of money for at
least thirty different events.
Wingler and Lane said there is no typical day in the bookroom – every
day is unique. They also have made the bookroom open fifteen minutes
before eight in an attempt to make it more convenient for you.
Though there is an obvious problem with convenience of the LHS
bookroom, you can’t really blame the women that work there. Most of
the bookroom’s problems are not within their control. It is the Board of
Education members and the principal who must address this.
The best thing to do would simply be to ask for a pass to go to the
bookroom during class, or to go in a free period. It may be inconvienient, but it looks as if this is the way the bookroom will stay for the rest
of the 2008-2009 school year.
21
Lkwd Life
Put a treat in your basket and head straight to the casket
By Al Rodriguez, Staff Writer
As Halloween closely approaches, LHS students prepare for the spooky holiday. But a fear
of danger lurks out there, and it’s more than
the werewolves or vampires we’re used
to. That danger is tainted Halloween candy. While
children of all ages
parade up and
down streets
innocently
saying “Trick
or Treat,”
the danger of
getting sick from
poisoned Halloween candy is all
too real. We all might have a story
about how our parents made us meticulously go through our candy, checking
for open wrappers or something that just didn’t
look right.
“I used to dump out my candy on my kitchen
table, checking for anything that looks kind of
weird, open wrappers and stuff,” sophomore
Joe Mechenbier said.
In Lakewood there have been no reports
of Halloween Candy that has sickened a child.
However, there have been scattered reports
from all around the country of kids bringing
home some real tricks in their pillowcases.
Eight years ago, in California, a group of
kids unknowingly came back from their night
of fun with marijuana disguised to look like
miniature Snickers bars. When parents
of the unlucky children caught
the problem, they immediately
reported this to police. The
police
finally located the
homeowner, and
found that he
had no idea
of the sabotage. Eventually
the real crook was found
and the problem solved; no children became sick from the “Snickers”
bars. “Tainted candy is really bad, and not safe
for anyone, especially kids,” said Karen Borland, parent of a LHS sophomore. “But in reality, it’s not really a problem.”
Usually the problem of poisoned candy isn’t
an issue. “I don’t know anyone who got sick,”
junior Eli Carr said. “I do know that I’ve gotten sick from eating way too much candy, but I
highly doubt it was poisoned.”
The danger of getting ill from Halloween
candy is one that rarely crosses our minds after
the night of fun, but it is a very valid thing to
be concerned about. It seems unlikely that a report of a death or illness related to sweet holiday snacks will ever occur in a great town such
as Lakewood. However, it is safe to assume that
our ritual of emptying out the pillowcase or
bucket onto the table and looking through for
“defects” is a good thing to do every October
and to remember to do for the future. After all,
it never hurts to be ready for that occasional
Halloween “trick.”
FDA announces candy recall
The Food & Drug Administration recently announced a national recall of all Sherwood brand Pirate’s
milk chocolate coins. The coins are made in China, and
are said to contain melamine, a toxic substance that can
cause kidney failure. The melamine has been responsible for several baby deaths and hundreds of pet deaths.
Although the Chinese-made candy is not sold in the
United States, consumers are advised to not purchase
candy made in China this Halloween.
Art By Erika Johnson
Vampire series sparks teen craze
By Bo Jenkins, Staff Writer
The Twilight Saga is a series of four incredible books: “Twilight,” “New Moon,” “Eclipse,”
and “Breaking Dawn.” They are the ultimate
books you will refuse to put down.
Twilight is a first-person account by Bella
Swan, a teenager moving from Phoenix, Arizona to gloomy Forks, Washington to live with
her father. She is convinced she won’t fit in
with the students of her new school, until she
is caught off-guard by the remarkable and inhuman Edward Cullen. Things get better and
worse for Bella as she unravels more and more
secrets about Edward and the entire Cullen
Family.
Edward and Bella are stubborn and unwilling to let go of their impossible love for each
other, even when it becomes an obstacle to
stay alive. For Bella, choosing between life and
death will be the most difficult decision she
ever has to make because she’s stumped deciding which is which.
The author, Stephenie Meyer, has beautifully
22
written each of these novels. As the series continues, it gets more compelling and appealing
to its readers. These books are truly something
for every one. They’re filled with danger, romance, a love triangle, and a supernatural an-
ticipation.
If you haven’t read the any of the Twilight
books, “Breaking Dawn” is the most interesting of the four. It is also written in first person,
by Bella, but there is a second narrator, Jacob
Black, an immortal boy from out of town who
is introduced to readers shortly into “Twilight.”
“Breaking Dawn” covers every cliffhanger
from the end of “Eclipse”: Bella’s decision between a true friend and true love, her father’s
thoughts on her marriage, and her plan to live
forever.
Although most fans were dreading the close
of this saga, it ended perfectly. The finale of
Breaking Dawn, and the entire series, was everything I thought it ought to be. The books
are on the longer side, but don’t let that keep
you from reading them. The font is gigantic,
and they’re simple. I strongly encourage everyone to read each book in order, because the
entire story makes each book that much more
interesting. Twilight is unique, and unbelievably
shocking, page after page.
The Lakewood Times
Lkwd Life
Lkwd Life
Silly rabbit, cereal is for everyone!
By Thealexa Becker, Design Editor
Have you ever wished that your oatmeal was
more interesting, or that your Cheerios had
a little more zing? Did you ever want to put
something more than milk in the bowl? Gummi bears? Cookies? Well now, at Cereal Central,
you just might get that bowl Mom would never
serve you.
With a collection of cereal that would make
even Jerry Seinfeld jealous, Cereal Central offers not only 36 brands of cereal and 24 delectable toppings, but also the opportunity for
customers to create their own concoctions. For
a reasonable price, patrons get the choice of the
specials menu, which features both traditional
cold cereal combos like the Hunny Bunny or
oatmeal mixtures like Warm Apple Pie.
After devouring a bowl of Cheerios and
Rice Krispies with blueberries, cranberries,
peanuts, granola, and graham crackers on top,
it was hard not to feel like one of those kids on
the commercials who enjoys his breakfast way
too much. But it’s truly difficult to suppress a
large smile when the Buckeye Special oatmeal,
which is loaded with peanut butter, chocolate
chips and peanuts, tastes like warm brownie
batter.
Open only since October 9, Cereal Central has already determined the fan favorites.
Warm Apple Pie and Cinana Nut oatmeal attract the most attention, as does the Ranger
Blast smoothie (full of peaches, raspberries,
and cranberries), which was made especially
for Lakewood Rangers fans. The cold cereals,
however, have no standout menu item, mostly
because the customers often create their own
concoction.
The big question that remains is, how this
cereal is served to customers? Plastic bowls?
What about carryout? Believe it or not, any cereal that you purchase comes in what appears to
be a Chinese food carryout box with a thicker
base. But have no doubt that these dense cardboard containers can hold their milk. They can,
without even feeling soggy.
Easily the most amusing part of the only
Cereal Central in the state of Ohio is the milk
dispensers. Whereas places like Panera, Mc-
Donalds, or Burger King serve soft drinks
out of upright multi-drink dispensers, Cereal
Central uses them to serve four kinds of milk,
complete with a picture of a happy cow.
Adding to the amusement are the toppings,
some of which don’t seem like they should go
with cereal, let alone breakfast. Take gummi
bears, for instance. If so desired, they could be
forcibly drowned in a bowl filled with Apple
Jacks, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Oreos, pecans,
strawberries, chocolate chips and whole milk.
Cereal Central is located on the corner of
Detroit and St. Charles. It is open Monday
through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. That’s
early enough to pick up breakfast before work
or school. Say goodbye to burnt toast.
Art By Jordan Congeni
Touring Cleveland: That’s amore!
By Isabella Zettler, Lakewood Life Editor
Little Italy
A piece of Italy resides within Cleveland,
at the bottom of Murray Hill and intersected
by Mayfield Road. Within walking distance of
Case Western Reserve University, Little Italy is
pumping with new and old Italian blood.
Grab a pizza and gelato at Mama Santa’s, the
best pizzeria in Cleveland. Rummage through
a pile of junk in search of a treasure at Heartstrings, a thrift store with a branch in Lakewood. Find a vintage dress or antique art at
Class Act, another resale shop with Lakewood
connections. In back, the owner features local
jewelers. At one point, there were wire bracelets, necklaces, and earrings intertwined with
various gems and stones. Crammed in every
imaginable crevice are small Italian shops with
imported perfumes and faux designer bags.
“Godfather” shirts reading “Leave the gun,
take the cannoli” are available at Corbo’s bakery. The bakery also has other pastries, but the
November 2008
cannoli is savory.
The tiny streets are crowded and small, with
Italian flags painting the sky. At the edge of
Little Italy and at the peak of Murray Hill lies
one of the most unique art and fashion galleries in the area. Although the price tags are
extremely expensive, it is worth the time to
window shop.
The streets are packed during festivals on Murray
Hill at Little Italy. Photo by Isabella Zettler, Lakewood Life Editor.
Taste of the City
Looking for a night out on the town? A fancy
dinner for two? Jump in the car and head down
to the Warehouse district, E. 4th or Detroit Av-
enue for a real taste of Cleveland.
$$ Waterstreet Grille – This restaurant/
bar is a viable option for those searching for
a good meal at a decent price. The décor is
classic cool, with high ceilings and walls with
shades of purple and red. The mahogany bar is
hopping during game time. The Fettuccini Alfredo is to die for, and the large portions leave
plenty to take home.
$$$ Lola’s – Known for its iron chef, aka
Michael Symon, Lola’s is recognized as one of
Cleveland’s premiere award-winning restaurants. And the cost of eating fabulous food is
evident when you receive the check, with meals
ranging from $20-$50. Call in advance, because
the reservation times can be lengthy.
$$ Luxe- – A new addition to the Cleveland food scene is Luxe, where they put modern twists on classic favorites. Truffle french
fries are served in metal cones, and the specialty pizzas are crisped and baked to perfection.
The windows are covered in interesting quotes
from philosophers, thinkers, and actors. Metal
art and brick walls blend to give the whole place
a very modern feeling.
23
Lkwd Life
Lkwd Life
“Nick and Norah” is infinite fun
By Miranda Mave, Editorial Board Member
Walking into Crocker Park Cinema made
me a little uneasy, considering how much of a
letdown the last movie that I saw was. Paying
$9.50 to see the movie doesn’t make it any easier. So when I went into the theater I made sure
to pick a movie that sounded semi-decent.
“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” stars
Michael Cera (“Superbad”) as Nick and Kat
Dennings as Norah. The two find themselves
in an awkward long-lasting night of lust, heartbreak, mix tapes, and the search for a notorious
secret show.
While watching this movie, you can’t help
but laugh, along with feel embarrassed for the
characters. Cera and Dennings have that awkward first-love chemistry, which makes you
believe that they were made for each other de-
spite their crazy ex’s.
The plot, along with the music, is phenomenal. The story takes you on a crazy night in
New York City, where puking in an ice cream
cooler seems normal and caring for your best
friend is your top priority. The movie featured
bands such as We are Scientists, Shout Out
Loud, Band of Horses, The Dead 60s, and
plenty more.
If you are up for a good laugh or a fun date
night, I recommend you don’t miss out on this
great comedy.
Photo Courtesy of sonypictures.com
In Your
Eardrum
On-the-go
Ron Lewis,
Social Studies teacher
- Johnny Cash
The Man Comes Around
Roses
Rocket Queen- Guns N’
s- Harry Chapin
na
na
Ba
of
ds
un
100,000 Po
rm
Johnny Tarr- Gaelic Sto
One-U2
sh
Ring of Fire- Johnny Ca
Party
ut Boy
Fall O Automatica
p
m
Slu
ead
more
by- H
Sopho Hear t Ba is
g
hr
Beatin ette- Mc C er- Ataris
V
m
Fett’s ys of Sum up
o
o
The B owling for S - HIM
B
r
te fly
1985a But
f
o
s
Wing
Megan Powers,
Senior
Compiled by Thealexa Becker, Design Editor
24
The Lakewood Times
Lkwd Life
Lkwd Life
Musical mix
Stealing Cinderella Chuck Wicks
By Valerie Locke, Editorial Board Member
Chick Wicks appeared on the American reality show Nashville for two
episodes before it got cancelled. Since then he has been working hard to
fulfill his dreams in the country music world. His first single from his new
CD, “Starting New,” is called “Stealing Cinderella.” It is about him meeting his girlfriends’ father and realizing that she will always be her father’s
little girl. It is actually a good song.
I don’t even like country music, but this CD is different. It is very upbeat and catchy with a rock-and -roll sound. Wicks has a very good voice
and does not try to over doit. However, many of the songs are about his
love life or his family. He needs to switch it up a bit and make it a little
more interesting.
I would recommend this to an older crowd. But if you enjoy country
and rock music, you will definitely like this CD. I rate it a three out of five.
It could be better -- all he needs to do is try to make it more interesting
instead of talking about the same thing throughout the entire CD. It’s a
good CD, but not something I’d run out and buy.
Photo Courtesy of chuckwicks.com
They call him Shwayze,
kinda like Patrick
By Valerie Locke, Editorial Board Member
With their TV show “Buzzin’” and new self-titled C.D., the group Shwayze
could be the next big thing. Lead singer Shwayze (born Aaron Smith) is
known as the rapper, lover and Renaissance man. He puts a hip-hop vibe
into a laidback sound.
Cisco Adler is Shwayze’s partner in crime and adds the rock and roll to
Shwayze’s raps. But it is DJ Skeet Skeet who makes the beats. They have an
addictive sound that is sure to have your undivided attention.
They came from working at a Malibu Starbucks to making it big in the
music industry. They have many catchy lyrics that everyone will enjoy like,
“I’m just a kid livin’ the dream, slit in the seam like an old pair of jeans,” and
“Got no soul like an old pair of Chucks.” Many songs refer to the party the
night before or just living it up in their hometown of Malibu, California.
I attended their free concert at the Hard Rock Café at Universal City in
Hollywood California. It provided just a little taste of who they are. They
only sang five songs, two of which were their hit songs “Corona and Lime”
and “Buzzin’”. They had no band, just DJ Skeet Skeet making rhythms on
his laptop. Still, they put on a great show, sometimes while climbing on
their speakers or crowd surfing. Even though the show was not long, they
still managed to make a connection with everybody in the crowd. I’d rate
this five out of five. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to hear
something new, which has never been tried before. Shwayze has developed
its own style of music and should be given a lot of credit.
Photo by Valeria Locke, Editorial Board Member
November 2008
25
Sports
Title IX: How has it shaped Lakewood High?
By Jacob Ott, Sports Editor
LaDanian
Tomlinson
Sidney
Crosby
Tracy
McGrady
Tyson
Gay
Manny
Ramirez
If you aren’t familiar with Title IX, now
might be a good time to learn about it. Passed
in 1972, Title IX serves as a protection against
discrimination based on sex in educational activities. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter expanded Title IX to provide athletic opportunities to the underrepresented sex.
According to www.womenssportsfoundation.org, female high school athletic participation has increased by 904 percent since the
passing of Title IX. With Title IX, opposers
believe that increased revenue for women’s
sports has caused men’s sports to deteriorate,
even causing men’s programs to be removed.
In 2006, the AAUW conducted a survey
on popular collegiate sports. They found that
women’s soccer was the third most popular collegiate sport. At Lakewood, that popularity has
possibly carried over to the NOC Championship last year with our girls’ soccer team.
Since the implimentation of Title IX, various women’ sports associations have started,
most notably the WNBA.
Various individuals have come up through
high school and collegiate sports due to new
athletic opportunities such as soccer stars Mia
Hamm and Julie Foudy, basketball star Lisa
Leslie, and softball player Jennie Finch. All four
of them began their sports careers after 1972.
To test the LHS student body, The Times decided to poll various female students to see if
they knew prominent professional female athletes compared to prominent professional male
athletes. Also, a separate survey was conducted
to see if females at LHS are more influenced by
male or female athletes.
Mass media has skewed American’s views
of professional athletes. Networks like ESPN
don’t focus on soccer and beach volleyball or
softball or track and field. Publicity is centered
on the big three: baseball, basketball, and football. But it seems Lakewood High is against the
norm.
Manny Ramirez and Mia Hamm are the
most recognized sports figures at LHS. Ramirez, who played for the Cleveland Indians in the
’90s and early 2000s, is currently playing for
the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many recognize him
for his ties to Cleveland and his antics off and
on the field, which give him both positive and
negative publicity.
The popularity of Mia Hamm, former
USA National Soccer Team member, shows
the popularity of soccer at our school. Even
though she doesn’t play basketball or softball,
the stereotypical girls’ sports, she is the most
recognized female athlete among girls here at
LHS.
Other women athletes didn’t fare so well.
Candace Parker, this year’s MVP of the
WNBA, was found to be less known than Tracy
McGrady, a popular NBA player. Fifty percent
of girls surveyed knew McGrady, compared to
Parker’s 17 percent. This statistic may be attributed to the lack of airtime on major networks
of the WNBA.
In bat and ball sports, Manny Ramirez had
nearly triple the number of votes than softball
star Jennie Finch. Percentage-wise, it was 70
percent to 27. It is hard to discern why Finch
is favored in this category. Softball is regularly
televised on ESPN and other networks in-season, and the USA Olympic Softball team is one
of the most successful teams in any Olympic
sport.
For track and field, both Tyson Gay and
Allyson Felix were mostly unheard of. Both
athletes are record-setting American sprinters who competed in the Beijing Olympics. A
mere 7 percent of girls surveyed knew who Felix was, and 32 percent knew Tyson Gay.
NFL star LaDanian Tomlinson also received
low votes, along with male hockey phenom
Sidney Crosby. They received 15 and 12 percent respectively. Volleyball player Misty MayTreanor only received 35 percent of votes after winning the Olympic gold and being in the
most-watched sport in Beijing.
Familiarity should be a telltale sign of the influence of professional athletes on individuals,
specifically females at Lakewood. But that isn’t
the case here.
In a separate poll, 40 percent of girls said
Continued on next page
Mia
Hamm
Misty
May-Treanor
Candace
Parker
Allyson
Felix
Jennie
Finch
All photos used are credited to
Wikimedia under the Creative
Commons Attributions 2, 2.5,
and 3.
26
The Lakewood Times
Sports
Sports
Female sports influences
Continued from p. 26
female athletes influenced them.
Male athletes influenced 30 and
30 were completely indifferent.
This last statistic is the startling
result. How can 30 percent of girls
surveyed not care about who influences them? Some people say they
shouldn’t be influenced in an area
like sports. But in a competitive
culture and a competitive academic environment, it is almost natural
to have a role-model. Some of the
girls polled named influences like
Jennie Finch, Misty May-Treanor,
and Lisa Leslie.
Regardless of the indifference,
the results show that more girls
are influenced by female athletes.
This goes back to Title IX. The
law, since 1979, has obviously increased high school participation
in girls’ sports. That increase has
lead to more professional female
athletes and its popularity. The
popularity indirectly increases the
influence of female athletes.
It is good to see the advancement of female sports and its influence today. On the downside,
that doesn’t mean much in the big
scheme of sports. Male athletes
are generally better known than
their female counterparts. There
is just too high of a ratio between
female and male athletes today. On
average, there are 50 players on the
active roster of a NFL team. With
32 teams, that is almost more players in the league than the players
of the WNBA and NPF (National
Pro Fastpitch) combined.
Until there is an even number
of males and females in all levels
of sports, we may never see a large
popularity for women’s athletics
here at LHS.
Recognition of Professional Male and Female Athletes by LHS Girls
30
Each survey was of 40
randomly chosen girls at
LHS. The percentages
and votes in the picture
representations are
rounded to nearest whole
numbers.
Number of Votes
25
20
15
10
5
November 2008
Professional Athletes
Misty May
Sidney Crosby
Allyson Felix
Tyson Gay
Mia Hamm
LaDanian Tomlinson
Jennie Finch
Manny Ramirez
Candace Parker
Tracy mcGrady
0
27
Sports
Sports
Wilson’s Words of Wisdom:
Browns need offense, Browns need change
By Wilson Sackett, Editorial Board Member
Success stems from leadership,
talent, and enthusiasm, all things
which the Browns posses. Brady
Quinn and Joe Thomas represent
two of probably the most powerful and influential players in the
06-07 NFL Draft. So why the
reoccurring letdowns? Why the
emotional build-ups indefinitely
leading to failure?
Let’s face it Cleveland, getting
rid of Charlie Frye was without question the greatest day in
Browns history.
Excluding a
burned-out, never-was, joke of an
athlete simply made the Browns
better. It sure is a letdown that
we will never get to see Frye’s lob
passes be intercepted, or see him
weep in the middle of a game ever
again. Somehow we will have to
cope with never seeing that sly
rebel-without-a-cause staredown
that put James Dean to shame.
Derek Anderson can step up,
Jamal Lewis can run through the
toughest defenders, Josh Cribbs
rivals Devin Hester as the NFL’s
best kick and punt returner. It
seems a bit juvenile to keep relying on what teams win and lose
in the playoffs. We need to secure
our spot. We need to stamp our
names on the checklist of “teams
to beat.”
With an already not-up-topar start, the Browns simply put
shame to their ten-win previous
season. Last week’s game against
the Washington Redskins proved
to Cleveland that an offensive explosion was in order. As I flicked
on the television for the third
time, I saw that after three periods of play, the score was 3-0, and
Anderson was having a mediocre
game, to put it nicely.
The Browns had punted six
times in just the first quarter alone,
and Derek Anderson went 14 for
37 completions. The Browns are
30th in points per game as well as
28
Browns quarterbac Derek Anderson attempts a pass against the Baltimore Ravens. Photo by Josh Shultz.
yard per game, staggering numbers for an even more staggering
beginning.
Individually, our offensive force
is producing workable numbers, Jamal Lewis is averaging around four
yards per carry, and the EdwardsWinslow duo give good statistics,
with a total of three touchdowns
and an average of 12 yards per
catch. Yet our offense as a team
continues to disappoint. Three offensively impressive players are by
far not enough to provide a whole
team with not only enough talent
but also enough hope to be progressive.
Brady Quinn, high school and
college star quarterback, is fourth
runnerup for the Heisman behind
Reggie Bush, Vince Young, and
Matt Leinart – quite the impressive
bunch. With a history like Brady’s,
my own curiosity sets in as to why
he has yet to see a good look at the
NFL through a game-day quarterback’s eyes. It is simply not possible for a talked-about quarterback
to get used to the NFL’s style of
play by only throwing eight passes
in close to a year and a half. Quinn
has yet to throw a touchdown, and
has never played a full game.
All in all, the Browns need to
use the talent they have, and stop
pretending that anything else will
turn this team around.
The Lakewood Times
Sports
Sports
Winterhurst goes corporate
By Josh Watkins, Staff Writer
After a $1.5 million dollar renovation and a summer’s wait, Lakewood’s beloved Winterhurst ice
rink is open and ready for business.
The deal to renovate, change
ownership, and change the name
came in the early spring when Bill
Neiheiser, CEO of Iceland USA,
meet with Lakewood City Council
and proposed the idea. Neiheiser’s
proposal was accepted and Winterhurst closed down on June 6,
2008.
Also new to Winterhurst is the
name, now called Serpentini Winterhurst Arena. Bob Serpentini
knows Neiheiser and wanted to
give back to the community. A
four-year contract has been signed
for the naming rights. Winterhurst
was kept in the title because that
name has been around since the
place opened 74 years ago. The
new arena also has a brand new
café and a box section seat that
acts like club seats at a professional game. The café is equipped
with new flat-screen TVs, vending
machines, and a new variety of
snacks including breakfast items
and pizza from Lakewood’s own
Angelo’s.
Since 1934, Winterhurst has
been serving the Lakewood community and been home to a few
nationally recognized figure skaters
and Olympic champions. Among
the greats are 1960 Olympic gold
medallist and coach Carol HeissJenkins and 1996 U.S. National silver medalist Tonia Kwiatkowski.
Kwiatkowski, who has been
skating at Winterhurst since 1981
and is a Lakewood High School
graduate, is very much involved
with the new arena. She trains
figure skaters, chaches, does interviews, sells advertising, and even
appears for open-skate events.
“The facility is fresh and new.
It’s a great place for all ages and
has a lot to offer,” Kwiatkowski
said.
Programs that are available are
a Learn-to-Skate program, the
Special Olympics, and even a girls’
AAA hockey league.
The girls’ hockey league has
been popular and girls from all
over the country are coming in to
play at Winterhurst. Some are even
being housed here at LHS just so
they can play in Lakewood.
Figure skaters who are trying
to make the Olympics are trained
here as well. Parker Pennigton,
winner of the National Intermediate title in 1996, is currently being trained under his coach Carol
Heiss-Jenkins.
For high school students who
are not skaters or hockey players
and are looking for a job, Winterhurst has openings for working
concessions, running the skate
shop, or even operating the zamboni.
Serpentini recently bought out and renovated the old rink, installing all new rinks
and relaxation rooms.
The newly-renovated cafe offers ideal food, relaxation, and enjoyment.
An all-new waiting room, cafe, and observation room offers quite the experience.
November 2008
Photos by Alex Mezin, Staff Photographer.
29
Sports
Sports
Editor’s Corner:
Jacob Ott
Sports Editor
All hail thee, purple and gold
Doubting the success of others
is acceptable. Everyone does it.
I do it. It’s completely normal to
doubt someone’s success or ability to succeed. But doubting the
success of Lakewood Sports is
wrong.
I look at a sport differently than
everyone else. That’s my job. Putting down the record of a certain
team or saying this and that about
how bad someone plays is downright wrong.
If you want to put down Lakewood athletics, reconsider. Lakewood is not a bad sports school.
In fact, we have some of the best
facilities in the state. How many
schools can say they have synthetic fields and a stadium that can
hold over 10,00 people for special
events?
We also have some of the best
coaches aroud, including football
coach Ron Lewis, basketball coach
Phil Argenta, and cross-country
coach Rick Ventura. Some schools
are lucky to have one good coach
who might coach three sports because the school is that desperate
or underfunded. We are fortunate
to have these people leading our
teams, but that seems to be overlooked.
Losing is over-emphasized here
at LHS, especially with the football
team. Students equate the quality
of their school year with the success of the football team. If some
of you haven’t realized, there are
other sports in the fall.
The girls’ volleyball team and
boys’ soccer team won their sectionals. The boys’ cross country
team came 2nd at districts. The
girls’ tennis doubles teams both almost made it out of sectionals.
Less than a decade ago, Michelle
Sikes won three state championships as a cross-country and track
runner. The girls’ soccer team won
LHS’ first NOC Championship
last year. The boys’ cross country
team has been to the state meet
the past two years with a sixth
place finish last year.
Also last year, Senior Will Weible
and Alum Liam McDonald won
the NOC Doubles Championship.
Also, Alum Maura Anderson and
Senior Kelsey Moran made it to
the State Swim Meet. They both
qualified the year before in a relay
team.
Lakewood sports might be in a
lull, but that’s because as a city, we
set the bar high. We are so used
to winning that if our teams don’t
make it to the state tournament or
the playoffs, those teams must not
be very good.
We just have a winning tradition here, and it is tough to fight
against people who doubt that
your team is good. And even our
losing record spells public defeat
for most of our teams. It shouldn’t
be that way. We should cheer for
our athletes, whether or not they
are winning.
Don’t leave a football game if
we are down by a touchdown or
two at halftime, or leave a basketball game when we are down with
a minute left. Don’t leave a baseball game because we gave up four
runs in the first. Do not think you
shouldn’t go to the soccer game
just because they lost their last two
home games.
When you don’t show up to a
sports event and something amazing happens, don’t complain.
It probably was your fault you
missed the Miracle on Bunts Avenue because you thought Lakewood would get blown out by St.
Ed’s.
Underclassmen Uncovered
Sam Cross
10th Grade
Cross Country
Basketball
Track
Sophomore Samantha Cross plays sports year-round.
Sam participates in cross country, basketball, and track. She
likes running, photography, and hanging out with friends,
especially in fall weather. Her teammates call her “Baby Bear
Cub.” This year at the high school, Sam’s favorite class is
Pop Pulture, and her favorite teacher is Chris Phillips. She
likes her steak and fries. She plans to win a majority of
the games she plays, and develop her skills as an athlete.
30
Andre Cartagena
9th Grade
Football
Baseball
For a small kid, Andre has major ambitions. The Brownsloving freshman plays football here at Lakewood High and
hopes to play baseball this spring. His favorite teacher is Cassie
Alanen. Besides football and baseball, Andre is a fan of basketball, especially the USA Redeem Team. He listens to T.I. and
likes the song “Whatever You Like.” Andre is anticipating his
first touchdown. Next year, Andre hopes to start on both the
Junior Varsity football and baseball teams.
Interviews and Photos by Lisa Kowalski, Staff Writer and Photographer
The Lakewood Times
Sports
Sports
Ranger Report
By Andrew O’Connor, Editorial Board Member
Girls’ Volleyball had a fantastic season. The girls’ team beat the
Valley Forge Patriots in a tight one winning match 26-24, 25-23, 26-28,
23-23, 16-14. The Lady Rangers also had another close finish in the
district quarterfinals against Medina. Lakewood won 25-20, 25-21, 20-25,
21-25, 15-9. The girls were defeated in the district semifinals to Magnificat by the score of 25-11, 25-27, 25-18, 25-23.
The girls’ soccer team won its first round game in Lakewood Stadium 2-0 against Normandy. The soccer team traveled to Walsh Jesuit
for the district quarterfinals. Lakewood was defeated 7-0, and was eliminated.
The boys’ soccer team won its first two playoff games, knocking
off Admiral King 15-0 at Garfield Middle School. The team traveled to
North Olmsted for district quarterfinals, and Lakewood won, 1-0. Back
home at Lakewood stadium, the team took on Avon Lake, but lost 2-1
in the semifinals. This was the Ranger’s sixth straight semi-final appearance.
Girls’ cross-country runner Hannah Evans ran a personal best
19:43 for 7th place in the NOC championships at Strongsville High
School. The team finished 6th. The following week Evans ran a 20:58
for a 34th finish at the district meet at Edgewater Park. The girls placed
9th in the district race.
Boys’ cross country had another successful year, as the boys’ team
finished 2nd in the NOC championships at Strongsville High School.
The team also finished 2nd in the district meet at Edgewater Park. The
season ended with a 9th place finish at regional meet at Glen-Oak High
School. Pat Joyce (21st, 16:55) Jacob Ott (30th, 17:03) and Matt Miller
(32nd, 17:04) all finished in the top 35.
The Lakewood football season has come to a close with a 1-9 season. With the closing game, the Rangers lost to Elyria with a 21-yard
touchdown pass with 16 seconds left, defeating the Rangers 28-21.
Left, Senior Dan Shannon awaits the snap against North Olmsted. Photo by
Kimmie Farkas, Staff Photographer. Center, Senior Desar Seiti executes a slide
tackle in the district semifinal match against Avon Lake. Photo by Jacob Ott.,
Sports Editor. Right, Junior Ericka Schmidt clears the ball against Normandy
in the first round match of the District tournament. Photo by Tyler Wick, Staff
Photographer.
Sports under review: Cheerleading
Student Vote
Staff Reports
If you religiously follow Merriam-Webster dictionaries, as we do
here at the Times, the definitions
in the dictionary are like Scripture.
So, according to Merriam-Webster, a cheerleader is one that calls
for and directs organized cheering.
Where does that say, “Cheerleading is a sport”?
Cheerleading was initially created as a way to ignite the crowd
as well as the players. To call it a
sport seems a bit ridiculous. In
our world today of one strange
sport after the other, it is tough to
November 2008
draw the line on what is and what
isn’t a sport. Today you can see
Handball, Segway Polo, and even
competitive turtle racing.
There is no doubt that there
are organized competitions to see
who is better at pepping up a football team. But that doesn’t mean
cheerleading is a sport. Being on
ESPN doesn’t make it a sport either. If everything on ESPN were
a sport, then socially awkward kids
seen stacking cups in pyramids is a
competitive sport.
Simply put, cheerleading in our
eyes isn’t a sport. It is competitive,
sure. That is plausible. But, when
it comes to sports, cheerleading
supports sports. Stereotypically,
cheerleaders are meant to lead
crowd cheers and boost the team
they are cheering for.
Before America Ferrera became
“Ugly Betty,” she was Yolanda
on “Gotta Kick it Up!”, a Disney
Channel movie promoting the
thrills of cheerleading. Small podunk movies like this don’t help
the cheerleading industry, they
hurt it. This is why we believe
cheerleading isn’t a sport.
No
20%
Yes
80%
Polls taken from 40
students, 10 from each
grade.
31
Final Word
We have issues with the First Amendment excuse
By Rebecca McKinsey, Editor in Chief
Lakewood High students don’t bother
to invoke the First Amendment unless
it’s convenient for them.
Kids immersed in a hallway confrontation use the most colorful language
possible to let their opponents – and everyone else within hearing range – know
just how angry they are.
Girls sitting in the back of a classroom
use the period to pass notes and talk
about their plans after school, instead of
listening to the free speech of others.
Then there are the students who come
to school every day sporting hoodies,
ripped jeans, tight-fitting clothing, excessively low necklines, and skirts that could
be mistaken for washcloths.
All of these students, when confronted, cite the First Amendment as their
authorization to speak, act, or dress the
way they are.
These situations can be seen at
many schools, but the area in which
LHS students call upon their freedom of expression rights most
often is the dress code. They insist
they should be able to dye their hair lime
green with hot pink zigzag stripes if they
want to. Why? Because the First Amendment says so. When the school prohibits
them from doing so, students argue, their
right to express themselves is violated.
Now, on one level, the LHS student
body does have a point. If the only conceivable way for a student to express his
beliefs is for him to dye his hair green
with pink stripes – if he can’t make his
voice heard any other way – then, technically, he should be allowed to dye his
hair.
However, this scenario is very rarely
ever the case. While students argue that
having a strict dress code violates their
First Amendment rights, very few of
32
them actually consider freedom of expression when they select an outfit each
morning. Most students consider the
weather when they choose clothes. Many
contemplate the styles that are acceptable
on that particular day, and go to school
dying to show off their new outfits. But free speech? That
doesn’t usually come to
mind.
What does this
mean? Well, for starters, if students want to
use the First Amendment as a reason to
have a more lenient
dress code, perhaps
they should consider incorporating
free
speech in other
areas of their
lives.
If your teacher shares his or
her opinion as
fact, or only
gives one side
to an argument
and you disagree,
speak up. Respectful
classroom discussion is sometimes what
makes everyone learn the most.
When the people behind you are carrying on a conversation instead of listening to the teacher, remind them that they
are restricting their peers’ free speech
and right to an education, and ask them
to stop. Maybe they’ll learn something
that day.
If your friends use every lunch period, every day, to make fun of the
kid who sits alone two tables over,
don’t join in. Be brave. Tell them to
stop. You’re allowed to – the First
Amendment says so.
Students need to stop utilizing
their free speech rights selfishly. If you’re going to assert your First Amendment rights, do it all
the time – not just
when it’s convenient for you. Instead of playing
the freedom of
expression card
only when you
want to argue
that your fourinch-long
skirt
or sagging pants
should be allowed,
make those rights
an active part of
every area in your
life.
Maybe
then
we’ll have grounds
to argue for a new
dress code.
Photo by Jordan
Congeni, Staff
Photographer
The Lakewood Times