Vol. 99, Issue 2 (Nov. 2012)

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WESTERN RESERVE ACADEMY
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012 | VOL. XCIX : NO. 2
Honey Boo Boo
All About the Election
Murder Mystery Haunts Campus
What a six year old tells us about
Students and faculty share opinions
Eilidh Jenness reports the facts of the
today’s society
about the upcoming election
ghost who haunts WRA’s grounds
PAG E 2 | OPINION
PAGES 4 AN D 7 | C E N T E R FO L D
PAG E 9 | E N T E RTA I N M E N T
Students Welcome Back Homecoming
Photo by Pavloff
by Shivani Shah ’13
Chancellor Warhol makes a splash
at the Back-to-School bash
Sophomores and Juniors show off their kilts on Brick Row during Spirit Week.
SPEA Walk
by Trent Pacer ’13
attempt suicide during their
high school years.” Statistics
like these make the work that
the SPEA does imperative.
WRA students walked
in the event as members of
Conor’s WRA Light Team
with faculty member Kevin
O’Brien. Students Christine
Orosz ’13, Federico Silva
’13 and Sithara Thalluri
’13 helped in organizing
the WRA student effort at
the event. Reflecting on the
event, Silva said, “It was a
really emotional experience
that brought everyone together for a common cause.”
When asked what she took
away from the event, Orosz
replied, “The Into the Light
Walk was a touching experience. Even though it dealt
with a serious topic, it had
a positive message: There is
always hope for those who
are struggling because of the
people that love them.”
For the first time in three years,
Homecoming kicked off the school
dances for the year. Instead of starting
with the Sadie Hawkins dance, as is
typical at Western Reserve Academy,
the Morgan Leaders decided that
it would be more beneficial for the
student body to have a Homecoming
dance. To generate school spirit, the
week leading up to Homecoming was
filled with various themed dress down
days, including Twin Tuesday and
Tacky Thursday. Boys had a great time
showing off their kilts on Monday,
when they were able to experience Re-
The New WRA Saturday:
ECHO Modules at a Glance
The Morgan Leaders program
is a student-run group that works
towards managing and improving
various aspects of our daily experience in the WRA community.
Maggie Graves ’13 notes that the
Morgan Leaders handle “everything
from in the dorms to on the field
to in the chapel; you name it, the
Morgan Leaders probably have
something to do with it.” However,
this year the Morgan Leaders program has adopted a new approach
to contribute more actively to the
school community.
As of this year, it is a group of
councils; each council is run by one
Photo by Lund
The Morgan Senate: New and Improved Student Leadership
by Erin Cohen ’13
serve Green dressed like a girl. Hyun
Min ’14 said, “It was a little tight
around my waist, but less restricting
than pants. I’d love another wear a kilt
day.”
Another reason for the switch to
Homecoming was to gain student
support for the football team. Due to
students’ rigorous academic and sports
scheduals, it is hard for students to attend other sporting events. Homecoming will be a great opportunity for the
entire student body to be cheering on
our football team during the Homecoming game.
Continued on Page 2
be reacting well to the change: “The ECHO
modules are more fun and less intense than
the weekly schedule,” stated Maria Paparella ’16. Adam Sneath ’13 agreed, saying,
by Marin Valentine ’16
“It is nice to learn in a relatively stress free
Last spring, the WRA student body was
environment.” Students are offered a variety
introduced to a myriad of new changes to
of different classes in order to explore new,
the daily schedule, which were put into
and sometimes obscure, interests. Paparella,
effect this fall. Perhaps the most radical
part of Matthew Peterson’s Culture and
change to the schedule was Saturday AcadHorticulture of Apples module, describes
emy, which replaced traditional Saturday
how she planted apple trees and later made
classes. The response from students was
apple cider in her class. Another interesting
generally, “What are these ECHO modand unique module is Systems Theory, a
ules?” The specialized two-and-a-half hour
classes allow students to learn in a way that class about interconnectivity and reasoning taught by Jennifer Rinehart. Rinehart
is not possible during the typical Monday
said of her module: “I have [some] games
through Friday schedule. Students seem to
up my sleeves that help make the study of
a system more real.” Sneath is a member of
this module, and says that having learned
how to look at the big picture, he is looking forward to making a computer model
of a system within a movie or television
show. He explains, “My problem solving
skills have already become more holistic
now that I can identify all the elements in a
‘system’ and the direct and indirect relations
between them.” About the change, Tricia
Raheja ’14 works with Aguilar during the forensic science ECHO Module.
Cunningham ’14 said, “At first I wasn’t
sure if I was going to like the new ECHO
modules, but after going through Sociology this fall I realized that they are a great
or two of the eleven leaders and
Key.
idea and I love having the opportunity to
represents a different aspect of life
In addition to transitioning
at Western Reserve. The creation of into their new roles, the Morgan take classes that would not have been possible with the old schedule.” Change may
these specialized councils allows the Leaders established a fundaseem frightening at first, but according
student leaders to be more effective mental goal for this year which,
to these students, the switch to ECHO
in their specific areas. The leaders
according to Matt Hard ’13, is
Modules appears to be for the better.
then regroup to share and imple“to bring together all the differApple lovers work on their ECHO module project.
ment their ideas. For example the
ent facets of the school” through
Athletics Council, headed by Nicky student involvement. The purWaldeck ’13 and Mehar Bains ’13, pose of the new Morgan Senate is
organizes the featured game of the
to cater to each student, regardweek. Additionally, this council
less of the area in which their
works to showcase the talent of
extracurricular interests may fall.
WRA athletes through the use of
Bains adds, “We want Reserve to
film. Similarly, the Arts Council,
be a fun place to live and to go to
headed by Lindsey Wirtz ’13, creschool. We want our community
ates events such as Friday night
to be electric with enthusiasm
student performances in the Green and support for one another.”
Photo by Li
On Sunday evening,
September 30th, a group of
Western Reserve Academy
students took part in the 9th
annual Suicide Prevention
Education Alliance “Into the
Light Walk” at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The
SPEA, founded in 1992 in
northeast Ohio, is an organization dedicated to saving
lives by raising public awareness of suicide. It is active
in schools throughout the
area, educating students on
how to recognize the warning signs associated with
suicide and how to seek help
for themselves or others.
The organization’s website
states that “nearly one in five
high school youth seriously
consider suicide, and eight
percent of teens actually
The longest-running
newspaper in historic
Hudson, Ohio
2
Opinion
Reserve Record
October/November 2012
You Better Redneckognize: A Television Addict’s Commentary on “Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo”
by Drew Perdue ’13
If you haven’t heard of, or seen,
TLC’s new reality series “Here Comes
Honey Boo Boo”, you and your significant other need to stop spending
your whole weekend in KFAC and
watch. Many of my peers and teachers
have gone on and on about how terrible the show is and how they simply
cannot get over the family’s stupidity.
I watch a lot of TV, and “The Learning Channel” has actually lowered my
intelligence. I sat down and watched
some of the programming, episodes of
“My Strange Addiction” and “Extreme Couponing” and “Long Island
Medium” played over and over until I
had successfully wasted my whole day.
By that point, my IQ had dropped by
a solid six or seven points, and I didn’t
have many to begin with. I recently
tried to divide fractions and totally
hit a wall. I just had no clue. It was
like someone asked me to try to belch
“Gangam Style.” I think TLC stole
that from me because I know I actually used to know how to do it. The
belch thing, not the math thing.
Then along came Honey Boo Boo.
I sat and watched the Thompsons for
hours. The only thing that ever comes
out of Alana’s father’s (all the other
kids have different daddies) mouth is
chewing tobacco; he almost never says
a word. Mama always looks like you
paused the show in a really awkward
spot, and the kids spend all of their
time walking into convenience stores
shoeless and bobbing for raw hot dogs
to practice for an event at the Redneck Games requiring one of them to
bob for pig’s feet. One episode even
showed the clan in the garage grinding a roadkill deer into sausage.
In my opinion, Alana (Honey Boo
Boo) and her family have redeemed
reality television. You didn’t expect
that, did you? The entire show is
a paradox wrapped in an enigma
wrapped in a family that eats road-
Homecoming (cont.)
Continued
from page
1
“I want the great ‘Neer Nation in the bleachers,” explains Student Body President Mitesh
Mehta ’13.
WRA has not had Homecoming in the
past partially because boys are more reluctant
to ask a date to the dance. Despite this, the
kill. What I take away
from the show is a great
deal of sincerity. The
whole family, including
“Mama”, “Sugar Bear”,
“Chickadee”, “Chubbs”,
“Pumpkin”, and of course,
“Honey Boo Boo”, live in
the same world as us, assuming you’ve ever been to
a Wal-Mart or have mild
awareness of NASCAR.
While only one family has
nineteen kids (and apparently still
counting), and only a certain group of
people live in the Jersey Shore universe, the Thompson family exists in
the same world we do. Although not
technically married, Sugar Bear takes
Mama out to celebrate their anniversary, just like real life couples, and the
kids help celebrate by decorating the
whole house in toilet paper while they
are out. The family pitches in to help
around the house, especially when it
language is still limited to the vowel song
and “¡hola, me llamo Megan! ¿Comó estás?”, our class learned many other lessons.
We watched about being in a Mexican jail,
were told of the dangers of drug trafficking,
read about the different districts in Mexico
City, learned how to talk to a landlord,
researched the value of a peso, and found
out what you do if there are cockroaches in
your apartment. I am now able to put together a resume for job application, upload
videos on Youtube, and make a blog that’s
had 93 pageviews from the United States,
Russia, Germany, and Mexico!
Despite my original skepticism, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my adventures in Mexico. I have no doubt in my
mind that my next ECHO Module, The
History of Time, will be just as great.
Photo by Hermosilla
Editors-in-Chief: Megan Barsella, Sam Clark
Managing Editor: Rebecca Cartellone
Associate Editor: Max Rosenwasser
News: Rylee Nelsen, Mitch Pollock
Opinion: Hannah McKenzie
Centerfold: Abby Hermosilla
Community: Max Forsyth
Entertainment: Nate Lund
Arts: Simon Ong
Sports: Mehar Bains
Crossword: Alex Wheaton
Photographers: Tiffany Chung, Abby Hermosilla, Irene
Li, Nate Lund, Tatiana Pavloff, Jenny Xu, Ashleigh Groves
Writers: Lisie Andersson, Helena Ahn, Madison Bach,
Megan Barsella, Molly Clark, Erin Cohen, Callie Crowder,
comes to going grocery shopping
since Mama has a lot of coupons with
which she needs extra assistance.
At the end of the day, they are just
one big, happy family, and that is
just what TLC needs to show. In the
words of “Honey Boo Boo” herself,
“You better redneckognize” that this
show has successfully brought back
reality television.
Cuptastrophe
senior boys have done a great job of setting
an example for the younger classes. Earlier
in the year, there were rumors of having a
Homecoming Court. After enduring several complaints from the student body, the
Morgan Leaders’ council decided to hold
a vote, resulting in a unanimous decision
against the idea. Overall, Homecoming
was a smoking success.
Saturday Academy: Senior Embraces Changes
by Megan Barsella ’13
A professional baker living in my own
self-decorated apartment in Mexico City, I
successfully moved from the United States,
taking on my new persona as Camila Barsella in only six weeks. Throughout my time at
Reserve, I’ve been waiting for my senior year
when I wouldn’t have a single Saturday class.
Last year, when they announced the introduction of Saturday Academy, I shared the
general discontent with my peers, realizing I
would no longer have Saturdays free during
my senior year. Skeptical of the changes, I
went to my Saturday Academy class where I
was welcomed by ten students with whom
I’ve never shared a class and a teacher whom
I’ve never had.
Without a word of Spanish in my repertoire, Ms. Mitchell virtually escorted our
class through experiences you would typically encounter while moving to another country. Using blogs to document my journey, I
not only learned about the Mexican culture
but also new skills on my computer. The
class activities varied each day, ranging from
tasting classic Mexican dishes to learning
about the ways Mexicans celebrate the Day
of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos). Although my actual knowledge of the Spanish
Photo by Hermosilla
by Helena Ahn ’15
As many of the students and
faculty in the Reserve community have recently noticed, all
the paper cups in the dining
hall have disappeared. The
cups were a very important
part of Reserve life. The cups
not only hold hot chocolate
or Gatorade, but they also
hold cereal that students can
conveniently carry around the
campus. However, the cups
are very wasteful; we throw
them away after just one use.
To manufacture and transport
the cups, fossil fuels and other
resources are used. Matthew
Peterson, Sustainability CoCoordinator, explains, “Cups
are a very wasteful, very costly
means to an end.”
Eliminating the cups has
made the Reserve community
greener; we are now reducing, reusing and recycling
by utilizing other options.
There are numerous opinions
about not having cups in
the community. Lily Liu ’14
enthusiastically says, “I think
removing the paper cups is a
great idea. I can make environmentally-friendly choices
as well as spend some quality
time with my travelling mug.”
Jennifer Rinehart, Biology and
AP Environmental Science
teacher, adds, “Cups? What
cups? We had cups? I’ve been
carrying my own coffee mug
around for years...I wouldn’t
be Rineharticus without
one.” However, sometimes
not having a cup can be a
little annoying when you are
trying to bring hot chocolate or cereal to your next
class. Peterson suggests, “The
alternatives - carrying a travel
mug or sandwich bag, staying
a bit longer in the dining hall
to use a dish, or waiting until
the next meal - are simple,
eminently doable solutions.”
As everyone is adapting to this
drastic change, Peterson states
that taking the cups away is
a “decision [that] has ruffled
some feathers, but it has also
encouraged some to begin to
think and live sustainably.”
Personally, I think the elimination of these cups was a
great idea because I always felt
like I was being very wasteful
when I threw my cups away
after using them just once.
And when I think about it,
taking the cups away does not
dramatically impact my daily
routine in any way that cannot be solved, so why waste
my time complaining when I
can be doing my part to help
WRA become more environmentally friendly?
Hannah Gaspar, Eilidh Jenness, Kristina Kaszei, Peter
Kuri, Gracie Morgan, Patrick Mylott, Trent Pacer, Charles
Pearlman, Drew Perdue, Jessie Qin, Shivani Shah, Gabe
Skora, Adam Tortelli, Griffin Trau, Marin Valentine,
Selena Walsh, Maggie Wise, Annie Wyman, Kevin Yang,
Katherine Zandee
Faculty Advisor: Russell Morrison
and staff have worked on every facet of this publication.
The Reserve Record is the student-run, monthly newspaper of Western Reserve Academy and the voice of
and for the student body. It aims to educate its staff,
writers and photographers on journalistic style, format,
ethics and excellence, while entertaining and informing
the student body and providing its readership a forum
for community expression and discussion. The editors
The Reserve Record
Western Reserve Academy
115 College Street
Hudson, OH 44236
The opinions expressed in the Reserve Record do not
necessarily represent those of the administration, trustees or student body. The editors assume full responsibility for the contents of the publication and invite
community responses.
Please address any concerns, comments or requests to:
[email protected]
Arts
October/November 2012
Reserve Record
3
Artist Spotlight: Till Bethge
by Selena Walsh ’14
Whether in the classroom, on the soccer field or
in front of a piano, Till Bethge ’14 has striven for
excellence within the WRA community in the past
two months. Specifically, his musical talents have
made a strong impression on WRA students, faculty, and staff. Bethge found the piano and began
taking lessons at the age of eight after first trying
out five other instruments. He describes his favorite
part of playing the piano to be “when you play a
song with the understanding of what the composer
is trying to say through their music.” Bethge has
an immense respect for classical music as well as
composers, emphasizing that “the classical composers have the best ideas”.
Bethge was taught how to play classical music
by an instructor, but his father taught him how to
“Les Mis” Debut
play his favorite genre, jazz. He was able to share
this love during a Friday night performance earlier
in the year featuring many jazz songs including one
of his very own compositions. Bethge characterizes
his songs as his own thoughts, adding, “Everyone
should try to make music. It is a great way to free
your mind and it makes you happy.”
In addition to the piano, he is in the academy
choir and admits he wants to learn how to play
many more instruments. Bethge not only writes
music for himself but also for his band, “That’s It!”,
which recently participated in a band competition
in which it rose to the semi-finals. Although jazz is
his favorite music to play, Bethge enjoys listening
to all genres of music. Bethge says, “I like anything
with a good idea, but I really like classic rock,
especially Pink Floyd.” The WRA community hopes
Photo by Walsh
to hear many more performances from Bethge
throughout the year.
Impressionist Work Influences Painter’s Nature Portraits
Photo by Xu
Photo by Hermosilla
by Kevin Yang ’15
by Kevin Yang ’15
they overshadow the paintings of
Recently, as passersby have stridden by KFAC
I would venture to say that
the scenery around her studio in
at night, they may have heard mellifluous sounds
not many of you have seen the
Kent. “I pretty much find inspiraflowing out of the KFAC auditorium. These
Moos Gallery. Perhaps you have
tion and beauty anywhere I am,”
sounds are the voices of the cast of “Les Miswalked through it, but not actu- says Lentz, and her son Joshua can
erables”, a musical based on Victor Hugo’s novel
ally paused to examine and think attest to that, too: “It’s wild to see
of the same name. Taking place in nineteenth
about the art. Honestly, I had
paintings from here where I grew
century France, “Les Miserables” (or “Les Mis”,
never fully looked at the artwork up.”
for short) follows the freed prisoner Jean Valjean,
either, but the oil paintings of
The artist, who has painted a
played by Jack McKinzie ’13, in his quest to
this month’s featured artist,
thousand paintings, has an intrinmake amends for his past crime of looting bread
Jance Lentz, are definitely worth sic love of art. “I have always wantto sustain his nieces and nephews. Meanwhile,
seeing. The way Lentz brushes
ed to be an artist,” Lentz explains.
his parole officer, Javert, played by Rishav Baand blends the oil paints results
“I love to draw; I love to paint; so
nerjee ’13, tries to recapture him in the midst of
in a fusion of colors, but the
I majored in it and got my master’s
the student-led June Rebellion. And let us not
scenes she paints are still clearly
degree in studio painting.” When
forget the love triangle of Cosette, Marius, and
depicted as boats, flowers, and
she paints, Lentz wants them to
Eponine, played by Lindsey Wirtz ’13, Davis
a multitude of other objects of
feel a “sense of gladness or joy
Johnson ’14, and Miranda Fetterman ’14, respecnatural beauty. “I really want to
or spirituality.” When I first saw
tively. That is a lot of material to condense into
concentrate and depict beauty
her work, I experienced the same
one musical, but McKinzie summarizes it in three
and gardens,” says Lentz.
warm sensation that she wants
words: “Tragedy, love, and revolution.”
It may seem like focusher audience to feel. Her subtle
Timing in at about two and a half hours, the
ing mainly on gardens would
blending of the artwork, the bright
“Les Mis” School Edition is by no means an easy
make many of Lentz’s paintings
shades of color pop out from the
musical to prepare for. “The big thing is that the
similar. However, this is not
darker shades and everything leads
action never stops,” Margaret Karam ’79 Chair
the case. Over the years, she
to the focal point where a fountain
of Fine and Performing Arts says,“scene/time
has travelled all across Europe,
or a house may lie.
changes have to occur in the given time and the
spending time in countries like
Lentz is “very aware of contemactors have to really work to help that along.”
England and France, locations
porary art, whether it’s abstract
When asked what the hardest part of the musithat have inspired her paintor political commentary,” but she
cal was, McKinzie responded, “All of the songs I
ings, such as an old boat port in
is most influenced by the artists
have to memorize. I’ll have three or four pages in
Honfleur, France. The paintings
of the impressionist era, such as
a row where it’s just me singing.” In contrast to
of Giverny, Normandy, and even Sisley, Monet, and Renoir. Like her
the long solos of “Les Mis”, there are also plenty
Point Lobos in California are
heroes, she also enjoys oil painting.
of scenes in which the entire cast participates.
astounding, but by no means do “I like the richness, the luminosity,
And of course, it would be foolish to neglect the
fact that almost the entire musical is sung. “It’s
but there comes a point when all the socializing
really not that hard as long as you don’t forget to
results in what Trevor Lin ’15 calls a “Ms. Karam
breathe,” jokes Colin Horgan ’15.
It has been established that “Les Mis” is definitely face”.
When asked what their favorite parts of the
up high on the list of difficult musicals, but that
musical were, the cast members had a variety of
doesn’t necessarily equate to a lugubrious effort.
answers to offer. “I think my favorite part is how
On the contrary, rehearsals are pretty hilarious: the
shockingly applicable to our lives it is,” says FetterKFAC stage is home to a plethora of funny moments ranging from the occasional slip-up of words man. “It deals with family, love and the things you
care about.” “Les Mis” will definitely prove to be a
to the men of the resistance struggling to haul a
corpse out of sight. To have these silly moments, the touching musical, as McKinzie can attest to: “Hopeactors and actresses must to be close to one another, fully, everyone watching is as emotionally moved as
I am participating in it.” While the production itself
which they most definitely are. “The cast is more
is an honor to be a part of, it is just as exciting to
dynamic when it’s big,” Simon Ong ’15 says, “you
interact with so many talented people.
get a lot more variety in the cast.” This variety is
The movie version of “Les Mis” is coming out
expected when a slew of students from every grade
this Christmas, which is undoubtedly exciting, but
and of every type of personality plays a role in “Les
Mis”. As Emma Presley ’14 says, “We’re all from dif- nothing can beat the thrill of watching it live: with
all of the talented singers in this year’s fall musical,
ferent groups of friends, but we come together.”
it will almost feel as if you are on Broadway—but
So what does happen when you put a bunch of
talented singers and actors together on a stage? Well, you won’t be, because you will be in KFAC, which
is much less of a walk. With that said, I leave you
for starters, you get a pretty amazing production,
but you also get a few hooligans. “The cast definitely with these words that the cast feels are the best
has a bond,” says Banerjee, “and everybody’s usually words to describe “Les Miserables”: Intense. Beautiful. Edgy. Graceful. Exciting. Sad. Heart-warming.
talking during rehearsal.” Talking isn’t necessarily a
Tear-jerking. Memorable.
bad thing: it’s what makes the cast so interwoven,
the plastic quality,” Lentz says of
her preferred medium. She relayed
to me an anecdote which makes
clear why she prefers oil paints:
Lentz was painting trees near her
studio last winter, when, as can
be expected of Ohio weather, it
started “snowing like crazy.” Fortunately, oil paints allow the artist
to “push around paint for a couple
of days,” so rather than completely
scratching the work, she obscured
the trees to mimic a snowy day.
“Go with what nature does,” she
says. Lentz’s mindset is dynamic,
which works quite well with the
weather we have here in Ohio during the winter.
Lentz has returned to her studio
already, but hopefully you will
have time to check out some of her
pieces before the exhibit ends on
November 11. There is plenty of
diversity in the scenes she painted,
from a cliff overhanging a sea to a
field of flowers, so everyone should
be able to find a particular piece
of artwork that makes their day.
And for the aspiring artists reading
this, Lentz has this advice to give:
“Try to be businesslike, work really
hard, and follow your dreams.”
4
Centerfold
Reserve Record
October/November 2012
Centerfold
October/November 2012
Reserve Record
Students
Red, Blue and Everything in Between: 2012 Presidential Election Coverage
Faculty
by Abby Hermosilla ’14 and Connor Semple ’15
As the heated debates between Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama plaster the media’s many walls with criticism and hope
(especially in good ol’ swing-state Ohio), Americans are faced with a great and eventful decision: the future of the United States of America.
Although it may feel like we are involved in our own little world here, at Western Reserve Academy, we grow to further understand our position
as citizens and comprehend the fact that in a few years we’ll be handed the same decision our parents and elders face today. We interviewed and
surveyed the student body and faculty to see where the political views differ and compare between young adults and experienced scholars.
Dem Donkeys
Sam Clark ’13: Romney’s economic plan seems to lack foundation and I disagree with his views on social issues.
Rahul Basu ’ 15: I disagree with Romney’s tax ideas, specifically tax cuts on
the wealthy.
Ajay Dakappagari ’16: I think that Obama understands the middle class better
than Romney, while Romney’s policies are geared towards improving conditions for the rich.
Akeyla Jordan ’14: I am a Democrat and for this election and I am supporting
Obama. My political views are mainly based from my family’s beliefs; I guess
you can say growing up with a Democratic family influenced my political
views. However, now that I’m older I realized I also do identify more with the
beliefs of Democrats than Republicans.
Photo manipulation by Hermosilla
Overall: Supporters of Obama feel strongly about his policies on social
issues and his plans to help the middle class, fearing that a Romney administration would be too concerned with and dependent on the wealthiest of Americans to help the rest of the country.
From what source did you form your political views?
Reserve Republicans
Photo manipulation by Hermosilla
Brett Kramer ’ 15: I think that Romney’s previous business experience
makes him more qualified to stimulate the economy
Michael Curtin ’14: I think Romney will balance the economy with reduced spending.
Drew Perdue ’13: Obama’s policies include spending money that we don’t
have, a concept that doesn’t make sense.
Audrey Brown ’13: Just like most people, I have the same political views
as my parents. My parents have been hard working business owners their
whole lives, and want someone like Romney who understands their struggles with the current Obama administration. All the news I get about the
election comes from either my dad, or what small bits I can catch on Fox
in the morning before school. I just got into politics this year, thanks to Mr.
Gerber’s AP Government class. Now I actually understand how elections
work and everything that goes into them.
Overall: Republicans think the Obama administration has taken part in
wasteful spending that has hurt the economy, and see promise in Romney’s
plan to cut the budget.
Your Parents/ Family
Peers
News (Print/Broadcast)
Commentary Shows
I don’t have political views
Facebook/Twitter
How often do you read up on the progress of the Presidential
Election?
Once or ten times a day
Every other day
I dont care
Independent Introspectives
Halle Sovich ’14: Honestly, I don’t really have a strong opinion either way because it seems
like they [the Presidential Candidates] put so much effort into campaigning; then, they become president and it seems like nothing much gets done. So I really dont think I have much
to say about it because I think the election is actually pretty shady.
Irene Li ’13: I think that politicians should spend less time pointing out and criticizing the
flaws in their opponents and spend more time evaluating how they can help their constituents.
Jeff Tonge ’13: It doesn’t matter who gets elected, they both will do nothing.
Nora Ferguson ’15: I’ve been really intrigued by both parties and I wish there was a candidate that was between two extremes.
Eric Buehler ’15: I feel like both candidates need to push aside their extremist views to meet
in the middle.
Gracie Morgan ’16: I believe both candidates are poor choices for this presidential election.
But, I sway more towards Barack, and I think he’ll win.
Whenever I can
Once a week
How many debates have you watched?
All the debates
Only the Presidential
One or two
I flipped through them
Debates? What debates?
I don’t care
From what source did you form your political views?
Your Parents/ Family
Peers
News (Print/Broadcast)
Commentary Shows
I don’t have political views
Facebook/Twitter
How often do you read up on the progress of the Presidential
Election?
Once or ten times a day
Every other day
I dont care
Whenever I can
Once a week
How many debates have you watched?
All the debates
Only the Presidential
One or two
I flipped through them
Debates? What debates?
I don’t care
7
October/November 2012
Special Echo Insert: The Appleseed Project
Reserve Record 5
Drawing by Ashleigh Groves ’14
The WRA Orchard is a walk through history to appreciate the present. Our orchard of roughly 40 trees honors the essential role apples played for pioneers
and homesteaders 200 years ago. It also offers nostalgic release and repose for WRA students today.
Orchards are blissfully pastoral, veritable walks in the Garden of Eden, where wildness and cultivation meet. This is absolutely so in our orchard, populated by
conventional varieties like Honeycrisp and Sansa; along with heirloom varieties like Ashmead's Kernel, Ribston Pippin, Esopus Spitzenburg, Wickson, Pomme
Gris and Hudson's Golden Gem. There are 21st-century apples, 17th century apples and prehistoric apples from Kazakhstan (malus sieversii). At the heart
of our orchard, literally and figuratively, is our centerpiece, certified scion from the last known living tree planted by Johnny Appleseed, a Summer Rambo.
Strive Two Survive
photo by Groves
by Peter Kuri ’16
In Northeast Ohio, people often misconceive
the apple’s history and the contributions made
by John Chapman, more commonly known as
Johnny Appleseed. During the early history in
this region, most apples were used for hard cider—not to be confused with the sweet cider at
your grandmother’s. The high alcohol content,
good taste and long shelf life of hard cider aided
western expansionists through long Midwestern
winters. Contrary to popular belief, Johnny
Appleseed did not grow apples for eating, piemaking and innocent sweet tastes; in fact, the
majority of his apples were for making cider,
hard enough to last the cold Ohio winters.
Despite his modest image, John Chapman
was a wealthy man. By traveling ahead of settlers and planting trees for later sale, he introduced the apple to the heart of America. Selling
the trees and land to incoming pioneers, Chap-
man would make a substantial profit and move
on to new uncharted lands.
As his namesake suggests, Johnny Appleseed
grew all of his trees from seed. Interestingly,
when grown from seed, the new plant almost
never resembles the original tree. In essence,
the apple falls extremely far from the tree. This
growing methodology makes Johnny Appleseed
special as he helped develop the many varieties of apple we have today, meaning “America
witnessed what has sometimes been called
the Great Apple Rush” (Pollan, The Botany
of Desire). Surprisingly, in this aspect, today’s
pop-culture correctly depicts John Chapman. In
the modern world, where movies and television
shows change history, we must have awareness
of our roots in order to progress. If we don’t, we
could lose a piece of our pioneering heritage.
Apples and WRA: The History Behind The
Couple
by Maria Palparella ’16
Western Reserve Academy’s mission is to
strive for excellence, live with integrity and act
with compassion, but how many of us have
ever thought of Reserve from an apple grower’s
standpoint? Several locations on campus would
and have been great locations for apple growing. These locations include the David Hudson
house, certain parts of the backfields, the Old
Hudson Township cemetery and the current
location behind Pierce House. We know many A carved apple captures the essence of the project
apple trees and one orchard have been planted nure, creating perfect soil for apple growth.
The apples that are currently grown on campus
on the land that is now our campus, since the
1800s. A map drawn by Nathan P. Seymour in in the orchard behind Pierce House include
1841, in a letter to his father, indicates that an Stayman, Winesap, Fuji, Macintosh, Jonah
Red, Ida Red and Empire.
orchard was grown in what is now the cemFinally, the higher elevations of the backetery.
fields, like the cemetery, also creates a near
The David Hudson House, in particular,
perfect atmosphere for the apple trees. This is
would have been an ideal past location for
where the future orchard will be located. Apple
apple growing because there is a spring right
trees and apples have played an important role
in the backyard. This spring probably drew
on campus and the history of WRA for the
David Hudson there because of the abunpast 200 years, and they will likely continue for
dant water supply. Based on the presence of
200 more.
a stable barn, we know that Pierce House
once had a horse pasture, abundant in ma-
photo by Lund
by Griffin Trau ’14
Interdependence between apple trees and the human
race stems from a common desire to survive. Charles
Darwin’s introduction in On the Origin of Species,
asserts that “there is a frequently recurring struggle for
existence” among all living things. Consequently, every
being adapts to its environment so that it might live on.
The apple tree, as we know it, evolved drastically from its
ancestral roots in the forests of Kazakhstan. In the Malus
genus, which contains apple trees, myriad fruits of all
shapes, sizes and tastes result from the diverse genome
of the apple. As the tree evolved sweetness, an indication
that it was not poisonous but was, in fact, safe and nutritious, humans began to recognize its value in maintaining their health. Since its discovery as a food-source, we
have introduced the apple tree to five continents beyond
its Asian origin. The trees benefit from human propagation and, in turn, we enjoy the fruits of this labor.
Though neither species intended the symbiotic relationship between man and apple, both have benefitted
immensely.
In the modern world, we have made drastic changes
to the relationship we share with the apple tree. Though
we do not depend on the apple as a primary food-source,
it remains an integral part of our culture. To glean an
economic advantage, planters have committed centuries of genetic and agricultural research into providing
the most marketable crop. As a result, trees no longer
contain vast genetic diversity. Using grafting techniques,
every new tree originates from some ideal mother tree.
Once incredibly diverse, apple orchards have become
rows of genetic copies. Though each tree shares desirable
traits, they also have common flaws. One blight could
potentially wipe out an entire population. Here humans
have implemented spraying techniques with chemicals
designed to fight nature’s battle. For the time being, we
have successfully shielded apple trees from the inherent
weaknesses we created. Our innovation continues to
protect the apple, as it continues to provide us with the
fruit of our desires.
Johnny Appleseed: Separating the Good
Apples from the Bad
6
Reserve Record
Special Echo Insert: The Appleseed Project
October/November 2012
The Challenges Facing Beckwith Orchard and Other Apple Growers
switched ownership over to his
daughter; he believes firmly in
treatment before damage.
Deer also enjoy snacking on
the younger trees and buds
while scratching the velvet off their
antlers by using the bark of the
tree, hurting the tree. To deter
deer, some farmers use electric
fences while Beckwith Orchards
hangs dryer sheets from trees to
persuade the deer to go elsewhere
for their tasty treat.
It is difficult to keep creating
new types of apples. Only about
1 in every 500 apple trees planted
from seeds are what most people Trau ’14 and Groves ’14 hang out with Beckwith at his orchard
would call “tasty,” but the rest are
What kind of apples that are grown doesn’t
spitters (apples that are too bitter or sour to actually
matter much if the weather isn’t coorporative,
eat). This is why growers will graft trees (cut a bud
however. One year, the orchard couldn’t mow the
off a culinary tree and placing it inside a crack of a
grass around the farm for fear that it would create
young growth) to produce the genetic clone of the
a fire because of the drought. This would have lost
original. This being said, there are still many new
them all their trees and not only the crop for that
kinds of wonderful apples that come around all the
year but for many years to come. The difficulties of
time. Mr. Beckwith said that “[t]he worst thing
growing apples are great, but the satisfaction of a
that can happen to an orchard is the trees growing
delicious apple is more than enough reason to work
old with the owner.” This is why he, and his family,
hard.
keep up with new varieties.
Phot by Groves
by Kristina Crowder ’13
People everywhere crave apples in every shape,
color, texture and form. Some prefer them baked
in a pie or dumpling and others prefer the raw
juiciness of an apple picked straight off the tree.
Many know the tastes of apples, but few people
actually realize the effort that is put into the growing process. Beckwith Orchards, located in Kent,
Ohio, is only one of the 59 orchards in Northeast
Ohio. They have been growing their orchard since
the farm was bought in 1878 by Mr. Beckwith’s
grandparents. With 27 different varieties of apples,
they have to be wary and keep an eye on them
constantly. One of the difficulties they face is pest
management.
Two common pest management systems are
the Michigan System (the one preferred by Mr.
Beckwith), and IPM (Integrated Pest Management). With IPM, the farmer waits until he or she
sees damage before they spray with pesticide. This
method is a test in risk management: it creates a
less pesticide-saturated crop but creates gaps in
protection that one successful disease or pest could
infiltrate to kill off an entire crop. The Michigan
System is a calendar system where farmers spray
during specific times in the year to ensure that the
pests can’t begin to invade. Beckwith had been a
licensed pesticide applicator for 41 years until he
Heirloom Apples: What? Where? How? The Origin of the Apple
by Wren Zandee ’16
When students walk into a
typical grocery store, they can
see around a dozen varieties of
apples. What most don’t realize is that there are an estimated
15,000 North American apple
varieties. However, instead of
selling even a moderate number
of these apples, most grocery
stores only offer the top ten apple
varieties, which take up 80% of
apple production.
In the past few years, many
farmers have noticed the situation and begun to grow more
varieties of apples in their farms,
hoping to capitalize on the
demand. Some farms have up
to 500 different varieties. Apples
such as the Sheepnose, the American Mother and the Lady Sweet
can once again be found on a
local or even national level. This
is great for both the consumer
and the farmer. Consumers have
more choices, and the farmers
have greater income, as heirloom
varieties sell for a higher price. At
Stotler’s Orchard here in Ohio,
heirloom apples are offered as a
“U-Pick” option, so as to increase
availability and fun.
Some farmers are taking the
demand for heirloom apples as
a personal challenge, and have
begun to work tirelessly at resurrecting the most obscure apples
trees. Creighton Lee, Jr. has
recently composed a list of 1,800
antique apples he calls “Old
Southern Apples.” When he sees
an apple tree he can’t identify,
anywhere, he’ll offer to trim or
help the tree in exchange for a
bud, so he can grow the apple
himself.
Overall, heirloom apples seem
to be in the market to stay, if not
grow, as the owner of Stotler’s
Orchard says. As grower John
Bunker says in the Huffington
Post: “If we’re smart about it, we
can redevelop a whole system of
local varieties all over the place.
So like France has its wines in
each district we once again could
have apples in each district.”
The Vision Behind the Orchard
by Kristina Kaszei ’16
The Western Reserve Academy vision is to have
an apple orchard with about forty to fifty trees
of twenty-five varieties of apples. The orchard
has been made possible by the generosity of Mr.
David Golden ’51 and it will have many varieties of apples including heirloom and Kazakhstani
apples that will be scattered on the north side of
the orchard. Mr. VanBlarcum gave our class a tour
of the campus where he has planted apple trees,
and where there have been apple trees in the past.
He also gave some tips for our apple orchard, and
he will help start and maintain the WRA orchard
. Mr. VanBlarcum has acquired an apple tree
that is Certified Scion from the Ohio Horticultural Society, grafted from the last known living
by Lisie Andersson ’14
Deep in the forests of Kazakhstan in a
place called Almaty, Philip Forsline tastes
hundreds of different kinds of apples while
exploring the birthplace of the apple.
Alma Ata, or literally “father of the apple,”
is considered to be the place of origin of
the apple—the apple’s Garden of Eden.
Philip Forsline, former curator for US
Department of Agriculture (USDA), Plant
Genetic Resource Unit, with an enormous
collection of apples that has important
genes and traits that breeders use to
improve current varieties. Philip Forsline’s
voyage to Kazakhstan in 1993 with a team
of three other scientists was an effort to
find germplasms of the Malus (apple) in
its native soil. Forsline tasted hundreds of
different types of apples, only one or two
percent of which were at all satisfying. Of
the hundreds of thousands of different
species of apples in the forests of Almaty,
Forsline collected about 130,000 seeds
and 900 different species. Some apples he
collected were the size of small pumpkins,
some the size of grapes--he even found
some that looked supermarket-ready. The
apples have grown accustomed to Almaty’s
harsh, cold weather, leaving them with
immunities apples in the US don’t have.
The genes found in Kazakhstan apples
are unlike any apple genes we see in the
US. Along with protection from harsh
winters or spring frosts, Kazakhstan apples
tree planted by
Johnny Appleseed;
it’s a Summer Rambo. He will put the tree in the
center of our orchard. Taking care of the orchard
will take great effort by WRA students to participate in because there will be a lot of responsibility
in this project.
Another vision we have for the future could be
an adopt-a-tree program in which we could share
about ten to fifteen Kazakhstani apple seeds with
alumni and the Hudson community. Even though
the apples that will come from Kazakhstani trees
will probably be spitters (bitter and sour tasting),
we will still get the satisfaction of growing our
own apples. Also, even though the trees will not
fruit for a while, it will be nice watching them
and apple trees have an incredible resistance to predators such as deer and fruit
flies. Forsline brought his new collection
of Kazakhstan seeds back to the orchard
in Geneva, New York, and now has an unparalleled collection of apples to go along
with the 2,500 different varieties already
thriving in the orchard’s fields.
Yet there is still a lot of work to be done
by horticulturalists before they can start
crossing the Kazakhstan apple with a
domestic US apple. Dr. Thomas Chao, the
current horticulturalist for the Kazakhstan
apple in Geneva, helps put the process in
perspective: “Since the M. sieversii from
Kazakhstan have only been here since the
1990s, they have not been integrated into
any new apple variety yet. It will take minimum 10 years to develop a new variety.”
He says it may take 20-40 years between
initially making a cross and its release to
the public. Growing a new apple tree takes
time, and many of the crosses will not
even taste good. It will take many years
of experimentation with this unfamiliar
apple before we see traces of it at Heinen’s
grocery. Nevertheless, these valuable traits
from Kazakhstan combined with traits
that have been built up here in the US will
make our apple an irresistible creation,
that of which we at WRA may get to
experience in the future with our own set
of Kazakhstan apple trees.
grow bigger every year.
WRA students met with Mr. Beckwith from
Beckwith Orchard. He grew up on the orchard
and told his guests everything they ever would
need to know about apples. When we went to
the orchard, we learned about grafting apples and
the different kinds of conventional and heirloom
apples we could grow in our orchard. Heirloom
apples might not look the same as apples you
would get from the store; they may have lumps
or knots on them, but those don’t affect the taste.
Beckwiths’ longevity is an inspiration, and WRA
students hope our orchard will begin its long life
with fruit on the trees in a few years.
Community
Reserve Record
Halloween Traditons
at WRA
Photo by Lund
by Annie Wyman ’13
Halloween festivities appear to be
on the mind of many students as discussions of costumes, Haunted Wood
House, and the annual parade are
heard echoing throughout campus.
Many students brainstorm costume
ideas as soon as the leaves begin to
change—this year is no different.
Sydney King ’15 looks forward to
dressing up as a Detroit Lion professional football player, representing
her hometown. King’s friends Anna
Ballard ’15, Ketty Nolan ’15, Joanna
Malson ’15, and Charvi Malhotra ’15
also plan to dress up as football players from their respective hometowns.
Ronni Balko ’14 and Nina Tekelenberg ’15 anticipate dressing up
together as ninjas on October 31st.
Amongst the costume drama, the
Wood House Freshmen boys envision
an eerie environment for the annual
Haunted Wood House. Otto Bohan
’16 promises to make Wood House
“real freaky” that night, as he plans
to raise hairs on “as many teachers as
possible.” The Wood House guys are
reluctant to release any more information about their haunted househow shockingly suspenseful!
There remains a question about
what the senior class theme will be
this year. However, whatever theme
they choose will, without doubt, be
clever and creative! Be on the lookout on Halloween Day for all the
exciting costumes.
Sophomore girls sport their Halloween costumes for this year.
October/November 2012
New Clubs at Western Reserve Academy
Beach Volleyball: An Ace of a Club
by Gracie Morgan ’16
Beach Volleyball Club, started by Alec Rhodes ’14 and
Joey Durr ’14, is among one of the new clubs to join
Western Reserve’s repertoire of extra-curricular activities
this year. When interviewed about the creation of this
club, Rhodes stated, “We both have so much fun playing in the summer [so] we thought we’d play during the
school year and share our sport with the Reserve community.” The duo managed to share their passion of volleyball with many students when an impressive 100
people signed up at the Club Expo. Approximately ten
percent of those people attended the first practice, about
which Alec comments, “Not bad for a first year club I’d
say.” Alec and Joey wish for their club to continue with
practices, host a plethora of weekend activities, and enter
the Beach Volleyball Club team into different tournaments. In the future, they also hope to have a court built
on campus for greater convenience. All in all, the leaders
certainly have exciting things planned for their new club.
Club leaders Alec
Rhodes ’14 (left)
and
Joey Dur
’14 (right) and
member Audrey
Brown ’13 (middle) pose at their
Club Expo booth,
evidently pumped
up for an exciting
season of beach
volleyball.
Photo by Doe
8
Ski: WRA Now On A Slippery Slope
by Madison Bach ’16
Western Reserve Academy has added many new exciting clubs this year,
one of which is Ski Club, lead by
Niko Sawan ’15 and Peter Thewissen
’15. Niko stated recently, “I think
this is a great idea, because boarders
who love to ski will now be able to
do so [during school, not just] when
they are on breaks.” The club will be
taking trips every Saturday afternoon
to Boston Mills or Brandywine, two
small ski resorts near WRA, and
hope to ski and snowboard as much
as possible. They will also try to take
a couple of trips to other ski resorts
in Pennsylvania and possibly even
Colorado. Anyone who would like to
join should contact either of them.
Glee: A Musical Whirlwind Comes to Campus
by Maggie Wise ’14
If you like singing, dancing, or just
listening to music and having fun,
then Glee Club is the club for you.
Headed by Maansi Raheja ’14 and
Akeyla Jordan ’14 this organization
focuses on learning about different types of music, writing original
songs, choreographing pieces of
music, and having fun just being
yourself. No matter what your
experience with singing or dancing,
if you are a music fanatic looking
to have some fun, come on out and
join the Glee Club.
Garden: It’s Easy
Being Green
by Jessie Qin ’16
Western Reserve Academy’s Garden Club started in the middle of the
2011-2012 school year. It was created by Leila Barbeau ’13 and Matt
Hard ’13, the current leaders, with the
original purpose of helping run the
Community Garden and overseeing
the greenhouse. Barbeau and Hard
want to get people involved in helping the community and expressing
their love of plants and nature. They
also want to promote awareness of the
importance and utility of plants to
students. Having already gone on one
hike this year, Garden Club plans to
care for the Community Garden, take
care of the WRA Truck Farm, and
possibly refurbish the greenhouse on
campus. They also plan to volunteer
at a local nursery, among other events
throughout the year. When asked how
he felt about the club, Hard said that
“Garden Club is a way for me to still
take care of plants, but I get to do it
here on campus.” He urges students to
get involved and become more active
with the club. In addition, he encourages students to “take an interest in
what they like... and it doesn’t have to
be Garden Club.”
New Faces in College Counseling
by Hannah Gaspar ’13
Among the many new changes implemented this
year, College Counseling also received some alterations. The new director of College Counseling, Mr.
Jeffrey Neill, shared his thoughts on the developing department. Previously employed at Northfield
Mount Hermon, his alma mater, for seven years,
Neill had a variety of roles including girls varsity
soccer coach, English teacher and college counselor.
He says that his previous job prepared him for his
position at Western Reserve because “the role of a
college counselor requires a broad and thorough
understanding of many areas of school life, and so
[his] previous experience in schools has been quite
helpful”.
Neill also discussed his long and short term goals
for College Counseling. His main goal is to begin the college process earlier in Reserve students’
careers due to the fact that applications can be due
very early. However, Neill does say that “there is a
proactive, healthy way to go about working with
freshmen and sophomores to get them to think
about their futures”. Beyond the several small
changes College Counseling has made, the larger
transition is “a four-year, comprehensive standardized testing program”. This will include changes for
each of a student’s four years at Reserve. For fresh-
men this means taking the PSSS based on the SAT
and the EXPLORE which is based on the ACT.
Sophomores will be taking PSAT, as usual, but will
add the PLAN test which is the ACT equivalent to
the PSAT. In addition to the usual PSAT, juniors
will also take the SAT and the ACT mid-year. Neill
believes these changes will “help students maximize
their opportunities to achieve the best testing results
possible”.
When asked how responsive the student body
has been to the various forms of communication
College Counseling has recently utilized including
Facebook, Twitter, and a blog, Neill said, “it seems
that the word is spreading slowly, but the anecdotal
feedback has been that those who know about
these new initiatives are benefiting from them. I
would certainly say that the results are not yet what
I would ideally like to see among the students”.
Despite the limited student responsiveness, Neill
notes that the new social media communication has
been very helpful in communicating with colleges.
It should also be mentioned that College Counseling is considering implementing a Pinterest board
as well.
Also joining the College Counseling team is
Ms. Kelly Hedgspeth, formerly of the Fay School
in Southborough, Massachusetts. There, she
Photo by Hermosilla
worked as a Unit Leader for their summer Fay
Discovery Program and as a Dorm Parent for their
International Student Program. Hedgspeth attended the University of Michigan where she majored
in Vocal Performance. She was a member of the
School of Music, Theater, and Dance and spent a
great deal of time performing choir concerts and
operas. Hedgspeth says her college counseling experience “was very positive”. As an intern in the college counseling office, she hopes to “offer students
a fresh perspective on college and to support them
along their application process”. Excited about her
new position, Hedgspeth is enjoying the Reserve
community and beginning to feel like a member of
of the WRA family.
October/November 2012
Entertainment
by Eilidh Jenness ’13
As night encroaches upon campus earlier in the evenings and cool
breezes hurl red leaves across the
bricks like splattered blood, the ghosts
of Western Reserve Academy escape
from their cracks and tunnels in the
walls to begin their eerie month of
haunting: October. Multiple accounts
of paranormal activity have recently
been reported. One faculty member
confesses that she’s sure a ghost resides
in her basement. She comments “the
[sensual] energy is creepy and you can
sometimes feel as though something is
pushing you up the stairs and doesn’t
want you to stay.” Squealing woodhouse boys swear that there’s a ghost
in their basement as well. Numerous
alumni cite Hayden as the primary
dwelling for ghosts on campus, but
others doubt these claims. “The
moans in Hayden have nothing to do
with ghosts,” one faculty member affirms. Spirits in Seymour House have
been known to torment our speakers
and guests, rattling pipes and stealing
their slumber.
There are many speculations of
ghosts and spirits at WRA, but does
the history of our campus support
them? Apart from those buried in
the cemetery located on Chapel
Street, not many deaths have been
documented. With the help of (Head
Librarian) Mrs. Spencer, I dug up the
Photo from WRA Archives
Ghosts on the
Grounds:
Murder Victim
Haunts WRA
Reserve Record
Top Ten Halloween Movies
by Molly Clark ’13 and Charles Pearlman ’14
1. It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
2. Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie
3. Halloween
4. Sleepy Hollow
5. Rocky Horror Picture Show
6. Casper the Friendly Ghost
7. A Nightmare on Elm Street
8. Hocus Pocus
9. Night of the Living Dead
10. Halloween Town
A rare angle of Pierce House from the late 1800’s.
1887 edition of “Fifty Years and Over
of Akron and Summit County” and
found the record of a murder that
took place in front of Pierce House,
where Mr. Burner now lives, on June
16th, 1860.
John Maloney, a young Irishman
who worked for the Cleveland &
Pittsburg railroad, was avoiding Hudson after “loving not wisely but too
well” and impregnating Ms. Bridget
Calman, a Hudsonite and an acquaintance of John (851). When John asked
his good friend Michael Stepleton
if Bridget was still in town, Michael
lied and said no, eager to have John
join him for a drink on Main Street.
Evidently Bridget and her friends ran
into John, and they “instituted legal
proceedings against him,” forcing him
to wed her (851). In 1860, it was illegal to have a child with a woman
without also being married.
Michael claimed he didn’t know
the reasons behind John’s aversion to
meeting her and apologized.
Five weeks later, the annoyed and
newlywed John argued with Michael
upon meeting but seemingly settled
the dispute after a few minutes and
agreed to a drink with other mutual
friends. John left early, bidding them
all a pleasant goodbye, and Michael
escorted a few of his friends back to
their homes. One of those friends,
Ms. Ellen Ryan, resided in Pierce
House at the time. When Michael led
her to the door, a man later identified as John suddenly approached and
clubbed Michael to death before running away. The news of the homicide
“spread from house to house with
great rapidity and, as might have been
expected, caused the most intense
excitement among the staid and
peaceful denizens of Hudson” (852).
He was found that night in bed with
his new wife and later charged with
second degree murder, meriting a
lifetime in prison. The town pardoned
him six years later and he slowly ascended society.
It is now believed that the ghost of
Michael Stepleton wanders around
the campus at night, searching for
liars to warn and punish. His laugh
echoes in the evening around the time
he escorted Ellen home, but it quickly
turns to tortured cries the moment it
is heard by a liar. If you’ve told a fib
lately, listen for the eternal warning of
consequence as you walk back from
the library.
Crossword Puzzle
41 “Tomson __”
42 Leafy part of a flower
43 Opening in the skin
44 Shoot clay targets
46 “All Hallow’s __”
47 Bird homes
50 Supermarket in Hudson
51 Fasten with stitching
52 Took to court
54 A long poem
56 Become visible
59 Embeds
63 Three of something
64 Detection by sound
66 Water (Spanish)
67 Grain storing building
68 Plant seed
69 Dinner bread
70 Lose appeal
71 Leader of 1944
assasination plot
72 Capped joint
ACROSS
1 Snatches
5 Sailor’s “hello”
9 Abbreviate (abbr.)
13 Iran’s neighbor
14 Frighten
15 A Hint
16 Handsome (French)
17 Danger
18 Nippy
19 Salted sausage
9
21 Annie Carter’s
homecoming date
23 Species of Antelope
25 Christmas carol
26 Summer mo.
29 Comedian with a chin
31 Has on
34 Card game
35 Fresh
37 Points
39 Not Sandy but... (1998)
DOWN
1 Ends of quills or fountain
pens
2 Region
3 Canaan god of fertility
4 Noise made by a bird
5 Playing card
6 String instrument
7 A Constellation
8 Color of autumn leaves
9 Medal or achievement
10 Coalition
11 Large quantity
12 Also a color of autumn
leaves
14 Arachnid
20 Ground covering
22 Confederate general
24 Dimensions
26 Hop
27 Yankee side
28 “__ Dame”
30 Japanese city
32 Cords
33 Ward
36 Portion
38 Killed
40 Sewage collection site
42 Large ceramic mug
45 Variety of apple
48 Day of the wk.
49 Time of year
53 Herd or flock of animals
55 Twins born on Halloween
56 Opera solo
57 Medicine dose
58 Ignore
60 Competition at the Greek
games
61 Christmas season
62 Discount
63 Cooking measurement
(abbr.)
65 Lager
Sports
Reserve Record
Athlete Spotlight: Nicky Waldeck
by Patrick Mylott ’15
Nicky Waldeck ’13 has been a
staple on the pitch for the Western
Reserve Academy girls soccer team
for four years. Over her tenure
she scored over 100 goals and has
won the vast majority of the games
she played. Though her future is
bright, Waldeck asserts that she
will always fondly remember her
time wearing the green and white.
She explains, “My soccer career
here at Reserve can be best described as a journey. We have such
an incredible class graduating.
Pauline [Van Dijck ’13], Audrey
[Brown ’13], Virginia [Carter ’13],
Andie [DiBiase ’13] and Lindsey
[Wirtz ’13], we’ve been through
it all.” She also added, “I would
most like to thank our coaches
Mrs. Morris, Deebs and Nate
Stifler. All three are role models for
the girls on the team and are an
incredible support system for each
player in the program.”
In response to how the team
played this year and how she
felt about breaking the all time
career goals record for both men
and women Nicky deflected her
accomplishments to the team as
a whole. She replied, “I was so
proud of our team this year; we
have some really special girls in our
program. There seemed to be a lot
of hype following me this season
and a lot of players are overlooked
because of that.” Waldeck is quick
to acknowledge the talents of her
teammates who were essential to
her success. Waldeck comments,
“Pauline is the best feeder I’ve ever
played with, and Zoe McCormick’s [’15] passes are so clean and
precise it would be embarrassing if
I didn’t score 40 goals this season.”
However, it is Waldeck’s love
for the game that fuels her. She
beamed, “Soccer is the most
beautiful game in the world; I go
to sleep dreaming about it and
wake up anxious for practice. Stats
and records are just numbers. I
play because it’s my passion, and
I love it.” Waldeck also looks
forward to continuing her stellar
soccer career at the University of
Michigan. Regarding her college
choice, Waldeck commented,
“The University of Michigan is my
dream school; I am so incredibly
blessed. I can’t wait to start the
next chapter of my life. It’s just the
beginning for me.”
Boys Soccer Achieves Ultimate Goal
by Gabe Skora ’15
The WRA boys’ soccer team
enjoyed a dominant season that
will be envied for years to come.
With just twelve goals conceded, an
undefeated record, and a number
one ranking in the Ohio Division
III coaches poll, the season has been
one to remember. The key to the
team’s success has been a mixture of
veteran leadership, explosive talent
and fantastic chemistry. The squad
has five starting seniors: CJ Polak
’13 along with the four captains
Fede Silva ’13, Jack McCormick
’13, Rishav Banerjee ’13, and Scott
Schultz ’13—all of whom have
contributed greatly to the season.
David Ma ’14, winner of last year’s
MVP, is still dominant in the midfield, and sophomore Ryan Hassel
’15 leads the team in scoring for the
second year running. When asked
about the secret to WRA’s success,
McCormick commented, “I think
that we have all been striving to
achieve a common goal this year
of going undefeated, and that has
united us in a way that makes us
successful.” They have succeeded.
The Pioneers have rolled to a 210-2 record which includes wins
over Hawken, Walsh, CVCA, and
archrivals University School. Their
most impressive result however, may
be their dramatic 1-1 tie against
St. Ignatius, a nationally ranked all
boys school that usually dominates
state play.
Going into the fall, anything
short of an undefeated season
would have been a letdown. The Pioneers were undefeated at this time
last season, only to fall short against
Lake Forest Academy. That disappointment drove them through the
finish line strong this year. “Not
finishing last year undefeated hurt.
We used that as motivation for the
entire off season, and we’re compelled not to feel that way again,”
stated Schultz. The team ripped
through their competition this year
and had fun while doing so. “This
season has been a great bonding
experience with all my teammates
and it has been awesome having the
opportunity to play with the kind
of players that make up our team,”
declared Silva. The result of this will
to win mixed with such an enjoyment of the game led to a better,
more mature and resolved squad
that will be remembered as one of
the best to ever take the pitch in
WRA history.
On October 27th, 2012, the
WRA Boys Soccer Team acheived
historical status as they defeated
Kiski School 5-0 and finished the
season undefeated.
Fall Finale: Varsity Records
Varsity Girls Tennis: 7-8
Varsity Volleyball: 16-8
Varsity Girls Cross Country: 1-0 (and Tournaments)
Varsity Girls Soccer: 15-1-1
Seniors excel at
their sports
Varsity Golf: 10-3
Varsity Football: 2-8
Varsity Field Hockey: 9-6
Varsity Boys Cross Country: All Tournaments
Reserve Record
Western Reserve Academy
115 College Street
Hudson, OH 44236
photos by Doe
Varsity Boys Soccer: 21-0-2
October/November 2012
Back and Better than
Never: Some Things
Just Don’t Change
Photo by Chung
10
by Adam Tortelli ’13
Well Browns fans, it’s finally that time of
year again. After an eventful nine months,
optimistic and desperate pleas to a divine
power for an even decent football team have
been forcefully silenced. Many experts and
fans brainlessly expected Lake Erie’s favorite
football team to be the surprise squad of
2012. This momentous offseason included
an influx of rookie players at three of the
most important positions on the field: a
potential superstar running back, a quarterback starting his career at the same age
most others begin to approach their peak,
and giant question mark with supernatural athletic abilities at wide receiver. And
don’t forget that the team has officially
been sold to Jimmy Haslem III in excess
of $1 billion. Why someone would spend
that much money on a team that has only
made the playoffs once this millenium still
amazes me. However, last year, the offense
and team owner reached a level of hatred
generally reserved for Art Modell or HeWho-Resides-In-Miami. With the dramatic
changes on both the field and the front
office, it was difficult not to jump on the
summer bandwagon.
And then reality hit C-Town hard; our
Brownies were winless through the first five
games and the “wait until next year” statuses and tweets are dominating the virtual
world once again. On one of the few bright
sides, the offense is not as pitiful to watch
as usual and it may be possible that Cleveland will finally stop the running number
of starting quarterbacks (now at 17) which
have dominated the sports talk since expansion in 1999. After their victory against
Cinncinati, the city responded in a way that
one may think that the Browns had won
the Superbowl, and not just their first game
of the year. Hopefully, Mr. Haslem’s new
regime will include a new coach who isnt
dazed and confused every time he is shown
on camera and “wait until next year” will finally become a legitimate threat as opposed
to a hopeless statement.
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