March 2005 - The Bruin

Newspaper II/III
1870 - 2005
Wadsworth City Schools:
“Celebrating 135 years of Excellence in Education”
Wadsworth High School
The Bruin
March 2005
Reminder:
Spring Break is April 2 - 10
Dance takes on controversial
Volume XXX No. 6
625 Broad Street Wadsworth, Ohio
$1.00
Is the Spring Fling date of March 26 really keeping most students from attending?
BY KATE HUDSON
On March 26, our school will spice things
up a bit as it hosts the Mexican-themed
Spring Fling Dance. The Mexican theme
was intended to invite a spicy atmosphere
and fun time, but the controversial date of
March 26 falls on the night before Easter.
This has some people fuming.
“I think it is really inconvenient and inconsiderate. I know many students who are
not able to go, myself included, because of
Easter church services the following morning,” said junior Sarah Hutnik.
Still, some students will be attending the
dance regardless of the fact that it is on the
night before Easter.
Though these students may have a blast
at the dance, many will not be staying out
late with friends afterwards. Parents are
enforcing stricter rules than usual.
“Usually we all go over to Kate Turner’s
house and spend the night there, but now
I am not allowed, and a lot of my friends
are not even allowed to go [to the dance]
because it is on the night before Easter,”
Attending Spring Fling?
Reason for not attending?
On March 11, a survey concerning the Spring Fling Dance was filled out by 200 randomly selected students.
Each survey included the following questions: “Are you going to the Spring Fling Dance on March 26?”
and “If no, why not?” All percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
said junior Amy Sobnosky.
“The seriousness of the situation is a
complex one. Being a Catholic, I believe
it is right for us to focus on the resurrection
of the Lord. Although I am all for having
the dance, I think that it should have been
CONGRATULATIONS WRESTLING STATE CHAMP
moved to a different date,” said sophomore
Rhiannon Renacci.
Since all the decisions made in the high
school ultimately come down to our principal Mr. Williams, he had the final say in
setting the Spring Fling date.
Students tested on
knowledge, timing
BY EMILY HOOVER
Senior Miller finished first at the State Wrestling Tournament in his weight class, 171. Also placing
at State were Derek Foore (2nd place, 135), Josh Kallai (3rd place, 152), and Jamey Srock (5th place,
189). PHOTO BY LIZ MYERS
Student Council came to him early in the
year to get the date of March 26 approved.
“It was a very difficult decision for me.
I’m a practicing Catholic, and the Easter
holiday is a very important one. We just
tried to avoid school conflicts,” said Mr.
Williams.
Any other weekend would have caused
conflicts with sporting events and other
school functions. Plus, if the dance was
moved back, it would have been too close
to Junior Banquet.
However, Williams also mentioned that
he does not believe something like this will
happen again in the future.
“People should just go, have fun, and attend church the next morning, whether they
are tired or not,” said senior Ashley Veal.
Though the date of March 26 is keeping
some students from attending, it is clear that
many students will still be at the dance.
For those students who are unhappy with
the date, keep in mind that it is unlikely such
controversy will happen again. It was a difficult situation, and the decision was made
with a lot of thought. The theme was meant
Each year, standardized tests monitor the
progress of students throughout the country.
This year, however, was a little different.
Members of the Class of 2007 were the first
to take the Ohio Graduation Tests, which
took place the week of March 7.
“Things went great,” stated Mr. Williams.
“The kids all worked hard.”
The state of Ohio changed the assessment
from the Ohio Proficiency Test to the Ohio
Graduation Test. The reason for this may be
that the Proficiency was not an accurate assessment of what students learn, considering
it only tests through an eighth grade level.
The bell schedule was changed to accommodate the 130 minutes of daily testing.
Juniors and seniors who have passed the
Ohio Proficiency Tests were not required
to report to school until 10:00a.m. Those
who arrived a few minutes early were held
in the East Gym.
Most of the upperclassmen loved the
schedule.
“[The schedule] was amazing,” said junior Joel Cavanaugh. “I think school should
always start at 10:00a.m.”
There were several reasons for the sched-
ule change.
“We changed the schedule in order to
provide the best testing environment for
the freshmen and sophomores,” stated Williams. “The best situation is to have them
in smaller groups, and in order to proctor
tests in that many rooms, we needed all of
the teachers.”
Each period lasted 25 minutes. As some
students noticed, the lunch periods were also
lengthened by five minutes. This part of the
schedule was an experiment; the administration is considering adding five minutes to the
lunch periods next year to allow students
more time to stand in line and eat.
Freshmen and sophomores were tested in
English, writing, mathematics, science, and
social studies. The freshmen took the test
as practice for next year, when it will count
towards graduation. Students must pass all
parts of the test in order to earn a diploma in
the State of Ohio. They have five chances
to pass, compared the Proficiency’s eight.
So can students look forward to a latestart schedule for other school events? The
administration is committed to providing
the best environment for students, so if a
late start would be beneficial, it would be
considered.
Arts & Clubs Page 5
Features Page 6
Music Page 11
Sports Page 12
Check out what made the spring musical Footloose super rad.
Read about Ginnysuccess in the Ohio Junior
Miss State Final.
Find out what happened to those bands that were
so popular in the ‘90’s.
Check out how the lives of multi-sport athletes never slow down.
2
EDITORIAL
March 2005
Editorial
OGTs: Hazard or help?
IOWA, ACT, SAT, OGT. Sometimes it seems like
the acronyms are just too much. How many more tests
are students going to be forced to take? Are all of these
tests really what is best for the students?
This month, the freshmen and sophomores in our
school took the Ohio Graduation Test. While it was just
practice for the freshman, the sophomores must pass the
test in order to graduate.
And while no one is complaining about the late start
for juniors and seniors, the disruption to the school week
seems somewhat contradictory to what these tests are
supposed to accomplish. They interrupt an entire week
of learning just to force another set of standardized tests
on students.
Students have to cram regular tests into shortened
25-minute periods, and the homework load has increased
because the teachers cannot fit all the material they need
to teach into the shortened period. And for what? Just
to make sure our school passes another government
standard? It all seems a bit much.
How many times have you heard a teacher say something like, “We need to go over this because it will be on
the OGT,” or “We have to cover this for the proficiency
test”? It seems that teachers are being forced to teach
specifically to cater to the material that will be on the
tests. This means, the government, not the school system,
is deciding on the curriculum.
It would be much smarter to compile all of these tests
so students only have to take one test. The continual
bombardment of standardized tests needs to stop so that
teachers can do what they are meant to do: teach, and
students can focus on what they are meant to do: learn.
The Brewin’ Debate
Should standardized tests really hold the key to your future?
YES
NO
In Ohio, standardized tests hold people accountable for
their success. Many people stress about passing these tests
in order to get a high school diploma and move on to bigger
and better education. By putting the burden of these tests on
the shoulders of teenagers, they realize that they are holding
the key to their own future.
Academic success must be measured by something. While
many disagree that this is unfair, how are colleges suppose to
judge students? It is sad to say, but colleges have no time to
look at each applicant individually. If another form of assement was used, or if colleges relied on personal interviews,
the application process would take much longer. We would
be applying for colleges as a freshmsn or sophomores just to
get an appointment for an interview as seniors. Standardized
testing does seem unfair, but as of now, nothing better has
come along to replace it.
But never fear college bound students, standardized tests
are only a snapshot of your future college performance. Once
you are accepted, you will have the opportunity to prove
yourself using more traditional academic measures.
BY KATY WILSON
Thirteen years of school and for many it will all
come down to their performance on a standardized test
to determine if they will graduate or not. Does it really
seem fair one must pass this test after all the hard work
they have put in?
Many students classify themselves as “bad test takers.” So is it fair to hold these students accountable for
passing a test, which is the exact same for someone who
is a “good test taker”?
Different people will work at different paces, and the
same amount of time is allotted to everyone for this test.
If they do not pass, they will not graduate. With the up
and coming OGT for freshman, this issue is getting more
attention.
It is not fair to base a student’s entire school career on
one or two tests. Different subject areas may be harder
for some students, and if they can not pass, they should
not be denied a diploma.
Standardized testing should not hold the key to a
students future. There are many other factors that should
be taken into consideration also.
BY KATIE DAVIS
Letters to
the Editor
Dear Editor,
I was very disappointed when I read the
article about the cheerleading squad. Out of
all their accomplishments, all you can write
about is the typical misconceptions of their
intelligence. The entire article was about
how a select few have surpassed the beliefs
of what people think. I’m pretty sure that
there is an equal ratio of good and bad grades
on every sports team here at Wadsworth,
but I have yet to see you write about that.
You are able to write about what all they
have done without including their grades,
but you are unable to write a story about
how the cheerleading squad has reached
the state competition for the first time in
five years. Not only that, they have helped
out with multiple functions that take place
and the school, and do they get any credit
for that? No, all they get is an article about a hard time about it. I am a girl who’s lifting
their IQs.
in the weight room with mostly guys, and
it seems like I don’t get the respect that I
Dear Editor,
deserve. So maybe if you’re a dedicatedPeople who are in season for their sport out-of season lifter who is reading this,
are supposed to have first dibs on the equip- please be considerate of other in-season
ment in the weight room. However, when I female athletes, such as myself.
go into the weight room, other out of season
-Dedicated Lifter
athletes are using the machines that I need
to use to get my workout done. When I ask Dear Editor,
someone how many reps they have on a
I think there is a serious problem at
certain machine bench press, they give me WHS, and it dates back to when I was in
Bruin Staff
Editor-in-chief: Kate Waanders Associate Editor-in-chief: Jamie Kauffman
Front Page: Page Editor: Emily Hoover Reporter: Kate Hudson
Features: Page Editor: Elizabeth Myers Reporter: Claire Davis Reporter: Ali Davis
News: Page Editor: Ashley Brown Reporter: Emily Lyren
Editorial: Page Editor: Katy Wilson Reporter: Katie Davis
Opinion: Page Editor: Jamie Kauffman Reporter: Laura Hlavaty
Speakout: Page Editor: Nick Solitario Reporter: Mike Jack
Picture Page: Page Editor: Courtney Harris Reporter: Scott Siesky
Sports: Page Editor: Maxx Matheny Reporter: Justin McInturff
Reporter: Ashleigh Ralston Reporter: Shelly Anderson
Entertainment: Page Editor: Ben Nied Reporter: Aaron Mueller Reporter: Pat Brink
Music: Page Editor: Cameron Cornelius Reporter: Kyle Kurowski Reporter: Caitlin
Saniga
Variety: Page Editor: Lisa Dente Reporter: Trisha Brady
Community Spotlight: Reporters: Drew Knight, Laura Myers, Ryan Renacci
Career/Technology: Page Editor: Margret Wheeland Reporter: Cody Steigerwald
Ads/Business Manager: Katie Davis
Photography Editor: Liz Myers Copy Editor: Caitlin Saniga Asst. Copy Editor: Ben
Nied
Proofreaders: Newspaper/Yearbook I classes
BY PAT BRINK
elementary school. When I was at Valley
View, like most children, I was a huge fan of
recess. Now there is no recess, and everyday
it seems that I miss it more and more. All we
get is maybe five minutes to be outside and
that is only if you are really swift. I think they
should definitely make a recess period and
build a jungle gym. I need that Wadsworth
fresh air, exercise, and a tunnel slide to enjoy
and love.
-Nate “brother” Brown, 11
Dear Editor,
There has been a drastic change in the
teachers since they have added computers
to their classrooms. Now that they have the
world wide web at their fingertips, they have
become less helpful with the education of
their students. I understand that they need
to complete their grades but all day? Maybe
they should ban their access to their computers during the day to help the students and
make the teachers more effective.
-Jeeves, 11
Editorial Policy
The Bruin is a monthly publication produced by the Newspaper II and Newspaper III
students at Wadsworth High School. The Newspaper I class produces the May issue. The
staff will do its best to inform the student body and the community of intra-school, community or national events that affect the student body.
This paper provides on-the-job training for the staff members. All decisions are made
by the staff members with the advice and suggestions of the advisor. The school administration may censor this publication upon their discretion. We, as the students of journalism,
hold the same rights and the same responsibilities as professional journalists as we strive
for professional standards. These rights include the right to print any material that is not
libelous, obscene, or excessively disruptive to the school process.
The Bruin will not discriminate against anyone on the basis of religion, color, creed, or
sex. The staff members accept full responsibility for everything appearing in this publication. The staff strongly encourages students to express their opinions through the letters to
the editor column, which is printed every month. The staff also encourages the members of
the community to express their opinion as well. Space permitting, all letters will be printed.
Because the staff accepts the responsibility for the contents of the paper, we must reserve
the right to edit or omit any portion of any letter. All letters must be signed, but the name
will be withheld upon request.
opinion
March 2005
Holidays you never
hear about
Most people celebrate the traditional holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Independence Day. Even holidays like
Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day are widely celebrated.
However, not as many people celebrate National Kazoo Day or
World Hello Day. Here are some fun holidays that you should
celebrate (or even get off school for!).
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
National Nothing Day (January 16), created by a
journalist to give people one day when they can just
sit, “without celebrating, observing, or honoring
anything.”
National Kazoo Day (January 28), a day to appreciate that handy musical instrument.
Get a Different Name Day (February 13), for those
with boring names.
National Honesty Day (April 30), when “Honest Abe” Awards (named for President Abraham
Lincoln) are presented to honest people and honest
companies.
Yell “Fudge” at the Cobras in North America Day
(June 2), because — according to the holiday’s sponsors — the word fudge makes cobra snakes gag and
slither away.
Hug Holiday (June 15 to 22), to show appreciation
of others in any way you can, but especially with a
simple hug.
Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day (July 27),
because your houseplants will become healthier from
knowing their environment.
National Mustard Day (August 5), a day when
mustard lovers can slather their favorite spread on
everything, pretzels and ice cream included.
Middle Children’s Day (August 13), to salute kids
born between brothers and sisters.
World Hello Day (November 21), a day set aside to
advance peace by saying hello to at least ten people
you meet that day.
Underdog Day (December 16), honors all the underdogs and unsung heroes who give so much to
people.
Noon Year’s Eve (December 31), celebrated in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, for early risers who
3
Students must learn to set an
example, make smart decisions
I always thought the
older you got, the more
knowledge you would gain.
But if that is true, why do
I look around and see so
many of my peers making
senseless decisions?
Making mistakes is a part
of growing up, but only if
you learn from the mistakes
LAURA
and are able to grow from
OPINION STAFF
them.
It seems like too many high- schoolers are falling into the partying scene and forgetting to use
the brains that schooling helped to give them.
There is no such thing as a good reason to do
drugs or drink alcohol. Maybe it seems cool or
“everybody is doing it” can tempt people, but
these reasons are not justified.
When asked if the majority of teen partiers
were pressured into partying, Ellie Hansen, junior, had but one thing to say, “I think they are
bored and too unimaginative to think of something productive to do.”
Nothing is cool about drinking or doing drugs,
but, hey, if you want to destroy your life, go for
it.
“I think it is horrible that teens disrespect
themselves by committing illegal offenses and
think it is attractive,” said Shannon Carps, junior.
Although it seems like most high-schoolers are
drinking or doing drugs, there are still a few good
kids out there.
Groups like NHS, HUDDLE, Mentoring, and
Side Kicks are out there to inform younger kids,
including underclassmen, on the dangers of bad
decisions and set a good example.
However, all of the clubs at WHS do have
one thing in common: the code of conduct. Now,
whether students choose to follow this or not is
up to them, playing a game of risk is a real rush
every now and then, but being smart is always
the way to go.
Did you Know?
♦ Alcohol is involved in 50% of all driving fatalities.
♦ In the United States, every 30 minutes, someone is killed in an alcohol related traffic accident.
♦ Over 15 million Americans are dependent on
alcohol. 500,000 are between the age of 9 and
12.
♦ Americans spend over $90 billion dollars on
alcohol each year.
♦ On average, Americans may consume over 25
gallons of beer, 2 gallons of wine, and 1.5 gallons
of distilled spirits each year.
♦ Alcohol is the number one drug problem in
America.
♦ Over 80 percent of all adult smokers started
smoking before they turned 18.
♦ 2,000 teens start smoking everyday.
Information taken from
www.usnodrugs.com and thetruth.com
Next time you are pressured into going to a party
where you know there will be drugs or alcohol, stop
and think about the consequences. “Who wants to
someday be asked by their kids about partying? Either
you have to tell them about your mistakes or ‘I do not
remember,’” said junior Taylor Dungjen.
If hanging out with friends or just hanging out does
Time to start school later
I could definitely get used to the idea
of starting school
at ten o’clock. I
felt more rested and
more awake in all
my classes (granted, they were only
25 minutes long).
The week of
Ohio Graduation
Test (OGT) testing,
while its purpose
was to test the academic abilities of freshmen and sophomores,
was also a sort of “test run” for a later
starting time for school.
Now, don’t get too excited. This is NOT
really a proposed change; this is just my
argument that a change like this would be
beneficial to students.
Studies have shown that teenagers need
more sleep than any other age group. While
later start times do not guarantee that students will sleep more, they do give students
the opportunity to get more sleep.
Breakfast is the most important meal of
the day. Most students will eat very little
for breakfast in an effort to make it to school
on time; some will even skip it if they are
running late. With a later start time, these
students will be able to eat a good breakfast,
or at least have the time to eat.
Another reason students give for not
eating breakfast is that they are not hungry
that early in the morning. By starting school
later, these students are more likely to be
hungry before school and will eat some form class schedule was changed to block
of breakfast before they come to school.
scheduling---scheduling in which stuAlso many students have taken advantage dents only go to some classes on a few
of the later start time by going out to break- days a week and the others classes on the
fast. This promotes local businesses and other days. Start times at nine o’clock
gives them profits they would not normally could be a possibility or even 8:30 would
receive with the early start for school.
work with the current class schedule.
Some schools around the country start at
A later start time would also mean a
a later time to take into account these vari- later end time. This could affect students
ous needs of teenagers. The Edina Public in after-school activities and those with
Schools in Minnesota made the schedule jobs.
change to start school at 8:30 a.m. rather
I would certainly like to see this policy
than 7:20 a.m.; teachers and students alike enacted, even though I would never get
noticed the difference and liked it.
to experience it first hand. As a student,
As with any issue on school policy, there I feel that I do my best when I am well
are disadvantages with the policy of having rested and have a good mental attitude at
a later start time.
school.
First, classes are only approximately
Throughout the hallways, I have heard
25 minutes long (except 5th period). This nothing but positive comments about
means that teachers only have about half starting school at ten o’clock.
that time to teach their lessons. It’s really
“Starting school late was the greatest
only enough time to take attendance, go over idea our school ever had,” said senior
homework, and pass out a work sheet before Caitlin Wise.
the bell rings. Also, it is nearly impossible
It is clear to see that this start time
to take a full test during these shortened policy would have many enticing posiperiods.
tive attributes. While there would be
If a later
start time is
to become a
reality here at
Auto Service Center, Inc.
Wadsworth, it
226 High St. Wadsworth
will not be at
ten o’clock.
Custom Bending - Brakes
It just would
Struts & Shocks - Front End
not work unCooling System
less the entire
336-7339
Picture of
clock coming
tomorrow!
Every junior and senior gladly came to school when
the clock struck 10 o’clock.
MYERS
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH
other necessary changes made to the schedule
to make this plan work, it would benefit the
students the most. Students would be well
rested, well fed, and have a better mental attitude towards school. These advantages could
then translate into students who get better test
GRIZZLY AUTOMOTIVE
PROUD TO BE A
BRUIN SPONSOR
GOOD LUCK GRIZZLIES!!
4
Speakout
March 2004
s:
t
en
d
u
St
If you could add any subject to
the curriculum, what would it be
and why?
Ohio State Buckeye sports knowledge so I could get an A+ for
once!
Dodgeball! A class all about dodgeball would rock the hizouse.
-Zach Berger, 10
An accent class. Then you could
learn everything from a southern
drawl to a British accent. Plus, it
would be really good for the guys
because girls cannot resist a man
with an accent!
I would definitely add a class
called LTBLC. Learning to be
like Cal. We would study how
to be like my favorite teacher Mr.
Callaghan, and attempt to reflect
his greatness. That would be a
great class!
P.S. I love Orals (Concept Connections)
-Mandy Pearson, 12
I would add a class that would help
juniors and seniors discover what
they are good at and decide what
college attributes are important to
them. The class can also explain
differences between colleges, universities, and technical institutes.
I think this class is needed!
-Kelly Sipp, 12
I walk through these halls every day full of intelligent, young, good-looking, available men, and I realize that
my game is a little rusty. My man lovin’ magnet is wearing a little dull. So if I could add another subject
to the curriculum it would be “Dating101.” Then I would add a class of “Advanced Dating” once I got my
magic back!
-Dan Otanicar, 11
- Rhiannon , 10
I would add two extra periods to
the curriculum. They would be
Brunch and Lunner. We need them
because we need all of the nutrition
and food we can get because we
are growing.
-Justin Doyle, 11
s:
c
r
he
a
e
T
Scuba Diving! I’d love to learn
how so I could try it on vacation.
-Betsy Bauer, 10
Naptime! I would like naptime
because I love to sleep.
-Zack Budinscak, 10
Photography, I love taking pictures,
and I know a lot of my friends do
also. If we had this class, I could
better decide if I wanted to go into
a photography field.
- Lauren Mesick, 11
A class to design computer and
video games because people love
new and interesting games, and
you could sell them for money
around school.
Dream Studies- one day we sleep,
the next day we discuss the dreams
we had. Unless we did not have
any dreams, in which case we try
again by sleeping another day.
- Laura Myers, 10
I would add a sports period where
the different athletic teams during
their season have a class period
to practice so not as much time is
spent practicing after school.
- Megan Fritz, 11
If you could teach any subject
what would it be and why?
I would stick with science. I truly
enjoy reactions that produce minor explosions and fire. I don’t
think this would be a possibility
in other subject areas.
Cosmetology- I love to do hair,
and boy, would it be fun to use the
scissors and the color too.
- Mrs. Swanson
Side Note: No matter what Mr.
Smith says, I did not start the
dumpster fire a few years ago.
P.E. because it might help me get
in shape, and I could dress like
Ms. Althaus.
-Mrs. Hutchinson
- Ms. Allison
I would teach U.S. or World History! I had an excellent World History class as a Senior here with Mr.
Miller-not the present Mr. Miller.
We had great class discussions.
-Mr. Collins
I would love to teach a Spanish Phonetics course. I did not take it until my senior year at OU, but wish I
could have taken it soon because it really makes sense and makes Spanish pronunciation and spelling so
much easier. I also think it would be fun to teach phys ed- I’d play all the time! No tests, stretching, learning
how to keep score, or anything about a good diet- JUST PLAY!
-Mrs. Beavers
Exactly what I am teaching. I have
known since high school I have
wanted to be a foreign language
teacher and love sharing a subject
I love with my students. I love
speaking other languages, learning
about other countries, and traveling. My job is like my hobby.
-Mrs Petrie
Arts & Clubs
March 2005
5
Students cut Foot-
BY EMILY LYREN
The directors chose Footloose
as their next mission to conquer.
Since early January, the Drama
Department prepared and rehearsed for itsdebut.
In the beginning, the competition for the lead roles was so great
that it was hard for the directors to
decide who to give which parts to.
In fact, they had no choice but to
double-cast the lead roles of Ariel
Moore and Ren McCormick.
Mandy Pearson and Aaron
Schoonover alternated nights with
Megan Wintersteller and Matt
Herold.
“It was difficult to finally bring
everything together on stage when
we had continuously alternated at
rehearsals,” Aaron Schoonover
stated.
Kalyn Yocum claimed that it
was challenging to get through all
of the scenes in one rehearsal.
This is the first play to be
double-cast in the history of Wadsworth’s Drama Department, and
since there are so many members,
they had to find their own costumes.
With an enormous cast of about
40 members, technicians, and the
pit band, most claim that the play
took a lot of time and effort.
Mandy Pearson stated, “We had
to put forth a lot of effort in order
to learn our lines and, on top of
WHAT’S
HAPPENING
AT WHS
********
Spring Fling will be held
Saturday, March 26th
from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Don’t forget the theme is
Mexican!
The ACT will be held on
April 9th, 2005. Don’t
forget to study!
Kate Wilson entered a
writing contest this past
December sponsored
by the Daughters of
the American Revolution. She won first place
at the local level and
placed second in the
state of Ohio.
Congratulations Kate!
Listen to the announcements daily for information about the time and
location of meetings
for clubs you may be
involved in.
that, all of the dances!”
Julie Vandersommers, who
played the role of Elenore, said,
“Even though I have a smaller part,
I had to juggle learning songs and
lines with school work, and it’s not
easy!”
But dancing wasn’t such a challenge for everyone. In fact, many
cast members are heavily involved
with dance programs outside of
school.
Pearson, who also took the role
as choreographer of all the dances,
has been dancing for as long as she
can remember.
“Dancing is my life and taking
on the role of choreographer was
just another challenge. It was very
difficult to teach to some people,”
stated Pearson.
Kelsey Hill, Lindsay Massau, and Michelle Oyakawa also
claimed that it was easy to pick up
on all the moves because of their
past experiences.
Hill, who is also a member
of the chorus, said, “My favorite
part about the play was going out
and finding our costumes, even
though it was a struggle to find
everything.”
As always, the play was a major
success.
“Our hard work has certainly
paid off, and I hope everyone
enjoyed the show!” said Lindsay
Massau.
Aaron , Mandy (left), Megan , and Matt(right) showcased their talents in the school’s hit production of Footloose. PHOTO BY
KATE WAANDERS
Fine Art Student of the Month
Mandy
Q: Who are your most influential teachers?
A: Mr. Callaghan and Mrs.
Csaky
Q: What is your favorite
movie?
A: Hitch! I love Kevin James
and Will Smith together!
Q: What activities are you
involved in?
A: Drama Club, Cheerleading, Show Choir, Speech and
Debate, Key Club, Student
Council, Dance Team, NHS,
HUDDLE
Q: What are your Words of
Wisdom?
A: “May you LIVE everyday of
your life.” Jonathan Swift
Q: What are your plans after
graduation?
A: I will be attending Arizona
State University where I will
No debate on team success
BY ASHLEY BROWN
The Speech and Debate Team
ended a very memorable season
with a great post-tournament run.
The team had many outstanding
individuals with great depth.
As the team headed into Little
Districts, which is the State qualifier, they far exceeded their expectations. Qualifying an outstanding number of 22 members, the
Speech and Debate Team broke
the previous record of 20 set in
1997. Last year, the team sent 15,
and the average number that goes
to state is around ten to 15.
“This is not like sports because
we can send up to 37 people to
Little Districts. We send our best,
and here is where the state qualifiers are determined,” stated head
coach Mrs. Mathews. Mathews
has been the head coach for the
past three years and was the assistant coach for seven years
preceding that.
The Speech and Debate Team
had its share of individual cham-
pions as well. Mandy Pearson
and Justin Manning were district
champions for their duo piece.
Aric Stano also took first with his
Foreign Extemp piece, and he also
placed sixth at Big Districts, which
is the National Qualifier.
Jami Riesebieter, who is a
captain for the team, had an exceptional season and career of her
own. For the fourth year in a row,
she qualified for the State tournament and placed in the top 24 with
her humor piece. To top off this
achievement, she also qualified
for the National Tournament by
placing second in Big Districts.
The competition, which she will
be attending this June, will be held
in Philadelphia in
It takes a lot of hard work and
time to get ready for the meets.
The team puts in countless hours
practicing, where they read a lot of
material and organize their parts.
Not only does Speech and
Debate allow you to display your
acting and speaking skills, it is also
State Qualifiers
Ginny Braizer
Megan Collins
Abigail Ledman
Joel Wozny
Jon Losh
Jessica Reno
Michelle Oyakawa
Halle Senger
Aric Stano
Dan Woods
Ryan Walker
Mandy Pearson
Justin Manning
Christine LaDu
Audrey Wallis
Mattie Post
Gina Maasarik
Paige Vacha
Brittiny Morrison
Ashley Cranston
Jami Riesebieter
Stormi Thompson
National Qualifier
Jami Riesebieter
a great experience.
“Speech and Debate allows
people to become more outgoing,
and you get good public speaking
skills. You also make some very
good friends and get the experi-
ence of being a part of a team,”
said Jami Riesebieter.
“I love seeing kids improve and
being able to work with kids who
are responsible and come in every
week,” said Mrs. Mathews.
6
Features
Who is violating whom when dress code goes overboard?
March 2005
With spring approaching and
the weather
changing,
students’ apparel is also
changing.
This means
more students are
likely to be
sent to the
office for a
dress code
violation.
Each day, I hear of someone getting in trouble for dress code. At
lunch, you often see the administration walking around the cafeteria
looking at each student to make sure
their apparel is appropriate. What I
do not understand is that if a teacher
does not send a complaint to the office, then why do the “lunch lookers”
go around looking for violations?
Whether is it because a girl’s skirt is
is ridiculous,” said one student.
I will admit that I have also
been a victim of disapproval in my
clothing a few times in my years at
Wadsworth. A hole in my jeans,
my shirt being too high showing
my midriff, or my skirt being too
short, each time I was sent to the
office. Each time my mom brought
me something new to wear, she was
not sure what was wrong with what
I already had on. She questioned the
administration that if a hole in the
knee of my pants was a distraction,
then why were the multicolored
hair and Halloween costumes not a
distraction?
Every day I walk through the
halls and pass by students with long
silver chains dangling from their
pants. How is it that my pants having a hole or two in them a safety
hazard, but these long silver-linked
chains are okay? What about the
kids who walk around with pants
too short or a guy has a hole in
the knee of his jeans, students
never seem to please the staff.
Eleven students who have
been in trouble for dress code
were interviewed. Each stated
that the administration goes
overboard with the rules. “I
feel that the holes in my knees
and the small holes are reasonable, you see peoples legs when
we wear shorts and when girls
wear skirts. It should not matter
if you can see them through
a hole,” stated junior Seth
Mann.
“I agree with short skirts
and shorts, but I do not see
how over the shoulder shirts
are distracting. There are kids
walking around in chains and
piercings and say they are
just expressing themselves,
what if a shirt that goes over
my shoulder expresses me? It
Brazier experiences pageant life
BY CLAIRE DAVIS
“She is beauty and she is grace…
she is Miss United States.” This opening theme song for the Miss United
States Pageant in the movie Miss
Congeniality accurately describes
pageant contestants. Growing up,
many little girl
dreams of being
in a pageant. Our
very own Ginny
Brazier, a senior,
was lucky enough
to represent Medina County in
the Ohio Junior
Miss state final
pageant, where
she won the talent contest and
$1,200.
This state competition, sponsored by CocaCola and Tyson
Foods, was held
in Mount Vernon,
Ohio. There
were 20 contestants. Brazier said she
lived with a host family for a week
while participating in this pageant.
All money raised went to each girl
who won a category.
Everyday the girls practiced from
7 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. They had to
learn dance routines, music, and other
routines used in the contests. Brazier
said it was very hectic.
“I was in the newspaper every day,
and I gave a speech at a fancy lunch in
which I told about life back in Medina
County,” she stated.
Brazier and her fellow contestants
were judged on scholastics, talent,
interview, self expression, and fitness.
Along with winning the talent
contest, she recieved awards for
her interview, essay, and an opera song skit. She explained that
they did not place people, but the
overall winner became Miss Ohio
Junior Miss.
Brazier, who plans to major in
musical theatre,
came across this
contest when
she was searching online for
college scholarships.
“My dance
teacher encouraged me to
enter because
she thought I’d
do well,” she
stated.
Brazier made
many friends
during this
thrilling one
week period.
“It was
so awesome to
be around such smart, talented
young ladies. My roomate ended
up winning and I was so happy
for her,” she exclaimed.
The pageant is open to any
high school senior girls, and Brazier encourages anyone who has
the chance to participate because
it is a great experience.
“Everyone has dreams, goals,
and talents for a reason. Follow
your heart and do not let anyone
stop you!” Brazier said.
Wadsworth is very lucky to
have such an intelligent young
woman positively representing
our school.
Ritzman’s Health Bar
BY ELIZABETH MYERS
Organic granola, gluten-free
bread, protein bars, and dried
vegetable chips may not sound
like the most appetizing snacks
around. These are some of the
products sold at Ritzman’s Natural Health Pharmacy in downtown Wadsworth. However,
the word ‘pharmacy’ is slightly
misleading. Even though the
shop has a full-functioning pharmacy in the back, the front of the
store has a much different feel.
With tables, armchairs, and even
a counter-top, it feels much more
like a health café.
This ‘café’ offers coffee, tea,
vegetable juice, and most importantly, smoothies.
These smoothies come in all
flavors and colors. Most are
made with organic apple juice
and a banana, then the fruit of
choice.
Employee Kendall Kaufman
has worked at Ritzman’s for
eight months and has convinced
several students to become ‘regulars’ who have tried many of her
smoothies.
Some of the more normal
flavors include strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry. And if you
can’t choose between these three
delicious flavors, just try the
Fruity 4 which includes all three
plus a banana. “It is a great blend
of strawberries, bananas, and
apple juice,” says Junior Trevor
Day about his favorite smoothie,
the Strawberry Splash.
If you are looking for a taste
of the tropics, you might want to
try a mango or papaya smoothie.
These are also made with apple
juice, but feature fresh pineapple
to give it a tangy citrus taste.
For the more daring smoothie
taster, there are concoctions such
as the Georgia Blue, the Omega
Wonder, and the Green Supreme.
The Georgia Blue is made of
peaches (of course), blueberries
(where the blue comes from)
apple juice, and soy milk. Soy
milk? Yes, it is an interesting
combination but is still friendly
on the taste buds. Now I’m not
going to reveal the ingredients of
the Green Supreme, but I will say
MOST INFLUENCIAL TEACHER:
AP Calculus and Latin IV
Mrs. Bebout, she taught me to
read
FAVORITE MOVIE:
FAVORITE NON-SCHOOL ACTIVITY:
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
FAVORITE FOOD:
Driving my truck
FAVORITE FOOD:
Chocolate
Jamie
OF
WISDOM:
“If you can dream it you can
do it.” -- Walt Disney
that I have not been brave enough
to try it myself. Even though it
is a frequently ordered item from
the health bar, I have not built up
the courage needed to order it.
And now the one you’ve been
waiting for… The Peanut Butter
Cup Smoothie! It does sound
more like a name for a flurry or
dessert-menu item, and it can be.
Made with chocolate soy milk
(or dairy if the drinker prefers),
a banana, and a scoop of organic
peanut butter, this smoothie is
pleasing to even the most skeptic
of smoothie drinkers.
“When I make it, it is amazing,” brags Kaufman, “nice and
thick, totally mouth-watering.”
Even though the low-carb
phase is no longer the big craze it
used to be, Ritzman’s does feature
a low-carb smoothie .
If you can’t seem to decide
on one of these menu items, you
can choose to “Create Your Own
Smoothie,” where you can choose
your own fruit, base liquid (apple
juice, milk, etc.), and your own
supplement.
Ritzman’s even offers a
Smoothie card, where every
time you purchase a smoothie
your card is punched. After nine
smoohies, the tenth is free.
Another regular, Jay Keener,
a junior, believes, “Ritzman’s is
going to be the high school hang
out in upcoming years.”
Male Student of the Month
FAVORITE SUBJECT:
WORDS
key facts that lead me to believe
that schools do not have a right to
tell students what not to wear. In
an interview, a highschool student
stated, “Various court cases deal
with students’ First Amendment
rights as far as clothing, and the
courts have generally said that
students do not have to get rid
of those rights when they walk
through a school door.”
If the administration chooses
to crack down as much as they
have been on certain issues such as
holes in the knees, then they need
to crack down on all of the other
clothing issues as well, like face
paint and costumes.
As long as students are going to
class, learning what they need to
learn, and are safe in the environment, then I feel dress code should
not even be an issue.
Myers’ Menu
Female Student of the Month
Students of
the Month
three times too big for them with
their feet not even showing because the bottoms of their pants
are so wide and baggy? Aren’t
their pants a safety hazard also?
In our student handbooks, it
states that face painting is not
permitted. So why is it that as
I walk to class, I see girls with
face paint where their eyebrows
are supposed to be, or tears running down their cheeks? I see
that it also says no torn jeans
or no holes, but what do a few
little holes in the knee of a pair
of favorite jeans cause? They are
not a distraction, and they are not
hazardous to other students so
what is the big deal? The staff
tells me that a little of my stomach is a distraction, (but the face
paint is not distracting at all?) It
just does not make sense to me.
In a story written by MTV
corporations, they stated many
What ever is in front of me.
WORDS
Bryce
OF
WISDOM:
Pay attention all the time. You
can learn a lot.
Variety
March 2005
Kids crave popular instant enOPINION BY LISA DENTE
Boost your morning with one
of the newly popular beverage,
energy drinks! These shiny cylinder-shaped cans of instant energy have overtaken
bottled water and Gatorade
as the most popular product
in the beverage business.
Is it the bright appearance of the can, the idea of
being like everyone else,
or the actual rush of pure
energy filling your body that
everyone enjoys from these
drinks?
The new generation has
come up with yet another
clever invention. These
drinks are popular with all
students from middle school
to the college level. The
beverage has even made it to
the weight rooms across the nation,
and to adults as well.
There are over sixty types of
energy drinks available for customers. The popular brand most
bought is Red Bull. Everyone
enjoys a drink spiked with a strong
dosage of caffeine.
I took a day out to explore the
outsiders point on energy drinks.
As I walked around Peak Performance, a known workout center
in the downtown area, I found
plenty of people busting open
cans of various types of energy
drinks. The most popular was the
Mountain Dew AMP.
“I drink two energy drinks,
preferably Monster, before each
workout. It makes me work to
twice my endurance and lets me
last longer as well,” said one cus-
tomer.
Energy drinks have also become a big part in the way people
diet these days. Dieting is usually thought of as limiting foods,
reason for people wanting to drink
energy drinks.
“I saw my friends doing it, it
is safer than alcohol and you still
look as cool,” commented one
student.
The controversy of energy
drinks will go on for decades.
While doctors continue to tell
teenagers how unhealthy is it to
drink energy drinks, teenagers will
drink more of them for the thrill.
My mother makes me buy them
myself. She informs me each time,
“there has to be something in there
that is not healthy, it just seems
way too eerie.”
But, as for the typical popularity,
energy drinks will beat out bottled
water and Gatorade for the time
being. With a low price as simple
as $1.50 a can to the compared
size of a bottle of $3.99 Gatorade,
energy drinks will always beat out
the competition. Just make sure to
review the effects before cracking
open a can of energy drink. Every
Do-it-yourself: find formal fun
BY TRISHA BRADY
The past three weeks have
centered around finding the perfect
outfit, shoes that can weather an
entire night, and a sweet ride to top
off the perfect evening. But suddenly, the once prepared individual
has forgotten the key part to the
formal dance: the date.
Even if the dance is only a few
weeks or days away, there is no
need to worry. Follow these simple steps and you will be anything
but a couch potato on that special
night.
1. Scope the prospects.
Keep your eyes peeled. With
potential-date radar on, it is easy
to spot the prospects. Sure, a last
minute looker can tell themselves
there is “other fish in the sea,” but
the truth of the matter is, you are
dealing with a small pond. Beggars cannot be choosers!
2. Strut your stuff.
To catch the eye of a lovely
prospect, you need to awe them
with your good looks. Your probably telling yourself ‘beauty is
only skin deep,” but an occasional
shower and shampoo definitely
does not hurt your cause.
If you can walk the walk and
talk the talk you are off to a good
start. When you carry yourself
with pride, there is little left to do.
Confidence should be one of your
social commandments. Remember, confidence can be a cure-all;
Dear Daisy.....
High school years can be
rough. Luckily, there is a glimmer of hope for all in distress.
“What could it be?” you ask.
Well, it is Daisy , of course. She
is willing and ready to listen to
your woes and questions.
Dear Daisy,
I have nothing to do. I sit
and watch television in my
spare time. I realize that
Wadsworth is not a hot spot
for entertainment, but there
has got to be something to do.
What does everyone else do?
Sincerely,
A Bored Boy
changing eating style, or exercising. Do people ever think that
simple beverages could change our
diet? Sure, slim fast came and went
with the diet program, but people
believe energy drinks may be the
cure everyone has been looking
for in dietary loss.
There are many of other reasons
I came across of why high school
students have chosen to jump on
the bandwagon of energy drinks.
“I do it for the energy. I am a
junkie,” commented senior Jake
Miller, senior. He is not the only
one drinking for the energy.
“I drink them for the energy, to
get me through days that I didn’t
get much sleep the night before,”
commented Felecia Ward, senior.
Besides the typical answers of
energy gain, I came upon an odd
Greg , senior, practices step five with his possible date, Caitlin , senior.
LISA DENTE
however, please use in small dosages.
3. Debate the Possibilities.
A good old-fashioned pros and
cons list will come in handy right
here. By simply debating the
possible outcomes of a date with
this person, your a step ahead of
the game.
With this step behind you, you
are sure not to regret any choice
you make.
4. Form a Plan.
Asking your hopeful honey to
share a little down time is a perfect
way to break the ice. Melt awkwardness by keeping things casual
and friendly. Use this evening to
predict how good of a date they
PHOTO BY
could be.
After this, you can make a plan
on how to ask this certain someone. With a plan at hand, your
sure to not screw up the situation.
Remember the more creative you
are in this step, the better the out
come can be.
5. Pop the Question.
Keep in mind that both guys
and girls can talk; therefore, both
sexes can ask a significant other to
a night of formal fun.
Stay calm and remember you
have nothing to lose. If worst
comes to worst, repeat steps one
through five. Good luck!
7
Dear Bored Boy,
Most people our age occupy
their time with rounds of cards or
computer games. If this does not
suit your fancy, I suggest sitting
down with a good ol’ copy of The
Bruin and read away.
Dear Daisy,
Studying is a tough thing.
Whenever I study a whole
lot, I always do worse on a
test. On the flip side, when I
never study, I always do fairly
decent. I have to be doing
something wrong!
Yours truly,
Physics Failure
Dear Physics Failure,
Tests are tricky things. Studying is key and building good
study skills in high school will
help you in your years to come.
Try adapting new methods or
use memory gimmicks. If all else
fails, ask a teacher or guidance
counselor. Test anxiety is not
something to be taken lightly.
application to different places.
Remember if it is not your ideal
job, your just there to make a
little cash. This is how people
gain work experience and their
first references. Good Luck.
Dear Daisy,
With prom approaching,
I have been looking everywhere for a dress. It gives me
a stomach ache just looking
at the price tags, so I finally
have got fed up with dress
shopping. Prom is only two
months away, do you have
any suggestions?
Sincerely,
Penniless Prom Date
Dear Penniless Prom Date,
There are various organizations looking to help young
adults just like yourself. They
offer prom attire and other nice
interview and formal wear for
those who cannot afford these
items on their household income. Such organizations are
known as Project Cinderella
and Clothes Closet, located
right here at our high school.
Ask an office assistant and
they can direct you in the right
place.
Dear Daisy,
I was dating a boy for
six months until he decided
it was time to move on. He
found a new niche in his life
and is hooked on this new
love. I keep trying to move
on, but I can’t. Do you have
any advice?
Hopelessly in Love
Dear Daisy,
I cannot find a job. Every
place I go to give my application will only hire either 18
year olds or people who have
had at least one job before.
How is a person suppose to
get started?
Sincerely,
Unemployed Youth
Dear Hopelessly in Love,
Honey, there are a lot more
fish out in the sea. Take a
glimpse and I am sure you will
find one. And on the other side
of things, having a boyfriend
is not all it is cracked up to be.
Make sure to keep yourself busy,
going to movies with friends or
out to dinner. If you are out and
about, you are bound to spot a
new boyfriend.
Dear Unemployed,
First jobs are always difficult
to find. Keep putting in your
Need Advice? Look for
Wadsworth High
School
Don’t miss out on all the cookies and
8
Picture Page
March 2005
‘Season of excellence’
BY COURTNEY HARRIS AND SCOTT SIESKY
1
2
1: During a quick time out during a home game, Coach Callaghan trys to get the girl’s varsity team ready for the next play. PHOTO BY: BRUIN
STAFF
2: Senior Chris Barlow plays aggressive defense against Suburban League rivals, the Cloverleaf Colts. PHOTO BY: BRUIN STAFF
3: After qualifying for state, sophomore Derek Foore takes down his opponent in his semi-final match. Foore ended the tournament with a
second-place finish. PHOTO BY: LIZ MYERS
4: Ready for her next race, sophomore Ashley Currens prepares herself to step up on the starting block. PHOTO BY: YEARBOOK
33
It is been quite a successful season around school the
last few months. From the boys and girls basketball teams
in districts to the speech and debate team taking on state,
it has been filled with both excitement and heartbreak.
We all have heard of the outstanding season the varsity
girls basketball team had. They were even ranked third in
the state poll. A close and exhilarating game came against
the Barberton Magics during the regular season, then again
in a re-match February 23 at the Ellet district tournament
in semifinal action. Although the team fell short in both
games, they finished the season with a record of 19-3. They
have four graduating seniors, three of which are going on
to play at the collegiate level.
The boys basketball team has not accomplished as much
this season as the girls. Most expected them to barely finish
over .500 for the year. In the district tournament first round,
they triumphed over Ellet with a final score of 55-36. With
this victory, it gave fans the motivation that they could go
far in the bracket. Those dreams were dashed after Wooster
came back from a 17 point deficit to win 58-56.
Being ranked all season as high as second in state was
nothing out of the ordinary for the wrestling team. The
team finished fourth last year and third this season at the
State Tournament, the highest placing for the team since
1942. They were led by senior Timmy Miller who ended
his senior career with a record of 49-0 and was the 171
pound State Champion. Also at state, senior Josh Kallai
placed third, sophomore Derek Foore placed second and
sophomore Jamey Srock placed fifth.
A lesser publicized sport is swimming, which accomplished a lot this year. Practicing twice a day is never
easy, especially for one of the most physical sports out
there. Through the tough practices, the team broke seven
school records, and sent 12 swimmers to districts. Although
dreams were cut short at districts, relay team and individual
times were drastically cut by the end of a long, dedicated
season.
Another lesser publicized sport is gymnastics. With a
fairly young team, junior Shanon Smith was the only teammate to travel to the state tournament in Dayton, Ohio. With
hard work in the off-season, we can expect great things
from the team next season.
Cheerleading has become more prevalent in the past
year. Competitions at colleges and universities have been
showing up on ESPN. Even our own cheering squad had
the opportunity to compete at regionals, and placed high
enough to attend the state meet March 5-6. Hitting all
their points, the team was very pleased with their performance.
Our Speech and Debate team attended their state tournament the same weekend as the cheering squad. Twenty-two
members attended the tournament. Senior Jami Riesbieter,
competed well enough at the Big District tournamnet to
qualify for the national tournament held in Philadelphia,
Pensylvania this summer.
As one can tell, excellence is contagious around school.
One can only hope that through the spring season and years
to come we have as much success as there has been in the
4
PICTURE PAGE
March 2005
9
through winter months
1
2
3
4
4
5
6
1: University of Akron recruit, senior Ashley shoots fouls shots during a home game this past season. PHOTO BY: BRUIN STAFF
2: Senior Joel shows off his award for first place at the Speech and Debate district tournament.PHOTO BY: JAMI RIESEBIETER
3: During a tough practice, junior Kate n and sophomore Kristi prepare for their next team drill.PHOTO BY: BRUIN STAFF
4: Timmy , senior, wrestles at the state tournament in a exciting match. This match later ended in a win for Miller and the ability
to call himself the 171-pound state champion.PHOTO BY: LIZ MYERS
5: One of the best swimmers we’ve had this year, junior Ben , looks toward the clock to see his time.PHOTO BY: JAMI RIESEBIETER
6: Letting loose and having a good time after the Speech and Debate tournament are senior Jami and sophomore Abigail . Riesbieter went on to state and will compete in the summer at the national tournament.PHOTO BY: JAMI RIESEBIETER
7: During a pre-competition party, the entire gymnastics team shows how fun and close they all are with one other. PHOTO BY:
BRUIN STAFF
8: The cheerleaders get the student section pumped up during a home game this season. PHOTO BY: BRUIN STAFF
9: The infamous cousins, Andy and Zach, have proven they have more than just their last name in common.
STAFF
PHOTO BY: BRUIN
7
8
9
10
Entertainment/news
March 2005
Celebrities unable to have lasting marriagBY BEN NIED
Each week you hear the same old news
coming from the entertainment industry:
Michael Jackson, some new movie, someone dies, and endless accounts of gossip
and celebrity mishaps. And now a new
trend is developing that may be even more
controversial and immoral than all of the
others. Celebrities just can not seem to live
happily ever after with each other. Divorces
and separations are popping up left and right
and it is starting to become a regular thing
out in Hollywood.
Some recent instances of divorce include
Brad Pitt and Jennfier Aniston, Charlie
Sheen and Denise Richards, and who can
forget about Britney Spears’ marriage to
Jason Alexander for 55 hours. The numbers
continue to grow each week as stars marry
and divorce like high school relationships.
Take a look at the infamous Jennifer Lopez.
People lost track a long time ago on the
number of husbands she has been separated
from.
“The trend of celebrities divorcing used
to be shocking, but it has become just another boring Hollywood trend. At least now
there are more available celebrity women for
me to take in a few years,” said sophomore
Brad Mueller.
This trend has been developing slowly
through the years, possibly beginning with
Marylin Monroe and her many husbands.
There seems to be more than one common
issue behind all the splits though. In most
cases the celebrities are not with each other
all that much due to their busy entertainment
schedules, but other factors that could contribute are not enough attention, cheating on
spouses, or just a lost in interest after being
around so many other beautiful people.
No end seems to be in sight for the future of separating celebrities, just imagine
how many husbands Lindsay Lohan and
Hilary Duff will eventually go through in
years to come. The website www.ojar.com
reports 52 major celebrity divorces of stars
under 35 years of age since the 1960’s. The
majority of which took place in the past 15
years. This immoral trend goes along with
hundreds of affairs and scandals that makes
one wonder how these people get so out of
hand after they get a little fame or money.
The most recent example of this was
the Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston separation.
It was rumored that Angelina Jolie had an
affair with Pitt, but Aniston released a statement saying, “For those who follow these
sorts of things, we would like to explain that
our separation is not the result of any of the
speculation reported by the tabloid media.
This decision is the result of much thoughtful consideration.” This account seems to
depict that the two agreed they were bored
of each other after five years of marriage.
“Every day you see the same old news
of more divorces between celebrity couples.
I think it is all for publicity and should be
New movies starring Ashton
Kutcher coming to theaters
BY AARON MUELLER
Ashton Kutcher, an extremely popular
actor, especially with the ladies, is at it
again. He has starred in numerous movies
and in his own show “Punk’d,” on MTV.
Now he is working overtime as the release dates of his
two newest movies
quickly approach.
Guess Who, also
starring Bernie Mac,
is set to be in theaters on March 25.
It is a comedy about
a white man named
Simon Green, who is
played by Kutcher.
Simon is marrying
a black woman and
when she brings him
home to meet her
family the family, is
in shock. The woman’s father, played
by Mac, especially
can not believe his
daughter is about to
marry a white guy.
The film, which
was directed by
Kevin Sullivan,
depicts the culture
differences and the
controversy surrounding the couple in a
way that promises to make viewers laugh.
The combined acting skills of Kutcher and
Mac should be entertaining. The movie is
rated PG-13.
Kutcher’s next film A Lot Like Love is
a romantic comedy. Kutcher plays Oliver
Geary, who one day meets a woman named
Emily Friehl on an airplane. They do not
seem to be much of a match, but ironically
meet each other time after time over the
course of seven years and eventually fall for
each other. This movie is more of a drama,
yet still will be funny. It too, is rated PG13.
Kutcher, the male model turned actor,
has so many fans around the world that both
of these films are expected to be box office
hits.
When asked what their reasons were for
liking Kutcher’s movies, Jean Glover and
Brittany Johnson both said, “Ashton Kutcher, he’s hot!”
Afterwards, they
added that he is
a talented actor
too.
Perhaps there
is no one person who likes
Kutcher and his
shows more than
Brooke Thomas, who is often
seen wearing a
“Mrs. Kutcher”
pin. She, like
many other people world wide,
plans to see
these films the
day they come
out.
“I’ve probably
never been more
excited,” said
Thomas. “I am
more excited to
see these movies
than I was when I got my license!”
There is no doubt both these movies
will draw people to theaters and earn a lot
of money. It is just a question of which one
will do better.
Brad Pitt, 41, and Jennifer Aniston, 35, have been together since they were set up on a blind date in 1998.
They were married in 2000 and recently divorced on Janurary 7. PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.MSNBC.COM
looked at as being immoral. The idea of
living happily ever after has obviously left
the minds of most of these big stars,” said
sophomore Eric Nied.
The scandals, separations, and affairs
are not only fueled by the young stars, but
the entertainment industry itself thrives on
the large amounts of gossip and news that
pours in every day. So as the news keeps
coming, the industry will not admit there is
a major problem and the greedy life-styles
will continue.
The celebrity divorce trend is commonly
viewed as immoral and confusing, but like
the rest of Hollywood trends it will eventually end and maybe these stars can find true
love in their lives one day.
Favorite weekend hangouts
BY PAT BRINK
What do Wadsworth High students
do with their weekends? We recently
surveyed students to find out just that. We
had feedback from all grades and all types
of things ranging from Halo 2 parties to a
weekly night out with the grandparents.
The most common response was going
to parties, 65% responded this way. To be
honest I’m sure it’s not appropriate partying, but I’m sure a few of these parties are
good at heart. Some might just go to parties and play a rousing game of “pin the
tail on the donkey,” or even better, maybe
a game of
Parcheesi
with friends
and family. Nothing else
can start a
weekend
off like a
game of
M o u s e
Trap, a
large cheese
pizza and a
big, sparkling glass of Coca Cola.
“Hanging out with friends” was a
close second to partying, coming in with a
whopping 20%. We all know this basically
means that a group of people had absolutely
nothing to do so they hung out in good ol’
Jimmy’s basement for the night and talked
about what they should go out and do.
Other answers were sparse and random.
One girl spoke of being a pirate and going
to Long John Silvers, kind of weird but
whatever floats your boat I guess. Ahhh
Schmiscuits and Jone’s Soda.... Sheetz
becomes a late night hot spot for some of
these weekenders. Others, like Ben Goddard, explained how they attend church
every Saturday night with a special someone, these are the swell kids that make up
the foundation of our “excellent” school
system.
“We spend our weekends volunteering
in various places, sometimes we work as
bedpan washers. We also study various
subjects such as History and Biology.
We also go to
Bible study
on Saturday
nights and have
s leepovers ,”
stated Sophomores Loren Sera and
Jackie Swartz.
Whether this is
the biggest lie
I’ve ever heard
or they’re actually serious, it
sounds nice.
Personally I’m a fan of late night
sleepovers with my buddies, we watch
scary movies all night long while my
mom makes us popcorn and grilled cheese
sandwiches. So spend your weekend the
way you’d like to, whether you read Harry
Potter or ride your tricycle around with
your friends. Whatever you do, have fun.
Michael J. Boyer, D.P.M.
Podiatrist
Sports Medicine
119 Broad Street
Wadsworth, Ohio 44281
Phone: (330) 334-1534
Music
March 2005
Main stream music hits ‘rock’ bottom
To be
perfectly
blunt, the
mainstream
music of
today is
in one of
the worst
states it has
ever been
in. Even
though good music does exist, it
is hard to find. A quick glance at
the big pop and rock stars today
easily convinces us that the music industry has pretty much hit
“rock” bottom.
Rap has become the hemorrhoid of music. It stinks but you
just can not help smelling it. Oldschool rap was about empowering
blacks and giving them something
of their own to be proud of. It was
creative and innovative. However,
it seems like every rap song today
is about either sex, drugs and alcohol, or money.
Many unfair stereotypes about
blacks have arisen due to rap
music. Not every black person
can rap, wears bling-bling, has
platinum teeth, and pimps their
ride.
Rap now causes many white,
suburban, middle-class teens to
try and act “ghetto.” This is very
hypocritical because these teens
are in fact the opposite of “ghetto.”
Their parents usually buy them just
about everything they want, and
they aren’t poor at all.
Another blemish in the music
industry is Christian bands. Christian bands are one of the worst
ideas ever. Writing songs about
God and what you believe in is
fine, but if that is all you write
about, you are selling yourself
short as an artist. It is redundant
and lacks imagination. If every
song is like a prayer, it makes your
spirituality seem impersonal and
generic. A religious song here
and there is fine, but if that is all
you will write or perform, then
you need to realize there is more
to life.
It also seems like some bands
just claim to be Christian because
they can’t hack it as a regular band.
If they label themselves as Christian though, they automatically
appeal to a whole new audience
Where are they now: 90’s
BY CAITLIN SANIGA
Over the course of music,
many bands have come and gone,
leaving listeners with the question: where are they now? Today’s
generation of youth grew up in the
90’s, and the music from that era
is truly the voice of our generation.
The UK-based band Oasis was
living large in 1995 when What’s
The Story Morning Glory? was
soaring at the top of the charts.
Singles like “Wonderwall” and
“Champagne Supernova” helped
define the era of 90’s music. Today, Oasis is still alive and pushing on. The band released their
much anticipated album Don’t
Believe the Truth on March 16.
Oasis frontman Noel Gallaghar
feels the new album’s first single
“Lyla” is a true Oasis signature
song.
“It’s The Who. ‘Lyla’ was specifically designed for pogoing,”
said Gallaghar.
With his cunning humor, ef-
fortless wit, and off the wall lyrics,
it would be hard to forget a musical
artist like Beck. In 1994, his album
Mellow Gold, featuring the single
“Loser,” lingered at the top of the
charts. Just recently, he has been
working toward the completion
of his new album Guero which is
due to be released March 29. This
album features several guest artists
including The Dust Brothers and
Jack White. The song “E-Pro” will
be the first single from
Guero.
Weezer is another unforgettable 90’s band.
With singles like “My
Name is Jonas” and
“Hash Pipe” released
later in the decade,
Weezer set the stage
for music to come in
the new millennium.
Currently, the band is
putting the finishing
touches on its fifth album Make Believe. Set
to debut some time in
May, Make Believe will
feature the single “Beverly Hills.”
Filming for the “Beverly Hills”
music video is already well under
way, and critics have high hopes
for Weezer’s ongoing success.
Whether or not any given band
survived the 90’s is nothing important. Every band helped define an
incredible era of music by leaving
its own unique mark. There’s no
avoiding it. The music of the 90’s
will forever influence the music of
Bio: Fronted by musical
genius Max Bemis, Say Anything gives a new dimension
to typical indie rock. The fourman band originated in Los
Angeles, California, and has
been making waves all over
the country since then. However, the band has faced many
obstacles on its road to fame.
Just recently, Kevin Seaten
and Dan left the band, some
friends of the band are taking
their places. Also, while writ-
Website:
www.sayanythingmusic.com
Billboard’s Top
Ten Singles
1. Candy Shop-50 Cent Featuring Olivia
2. Boulevard Of Broken
Dreams-Green Day
3. Let Me Love You-Mario
4. How We Do-The Game
Featuring 50 Cent
5. Disco Inferno-50 Cent
6. Since U Been Gone-Kelly
Clarkson
7. 1, 2 Step-Ciara Featuring
Missy Elliott
8. Rich Girl-Gwen Stefani
Featuring Eve
9. Caught Up-Usher
10. Obsession (No Es
Amor)-Frankie J Featuring
Baby Bash
Lists provided by www.billboard.com
Wadsworth Music
Instruments-lessons-repairs
Cam, Caitlin,
and Kyle’s
Music Corner
Say Anything
ing for the new album Is
A Real Boy, Max Bemis
became overwhelmingly
stressed and was committed to a
mental institution, where he finished writing the album. Through
these obstacles, Say Anything has
successfully managed to maintain
a strong identity. Pumping guitar
riffs, witty lyrics, and powerful,
say-it-like-you-mean-it vocals
define this band. With a crisp new
style, is obviously a band to check
out on the music scene today.
Christian bands.
All the songs
are the same.
They’re about either your dog dying, heart break,
or your pickup
truck breaking
down. If you can
manage to get all
three subjects in
the same song,
you win a Country Music Award.
Recently, Blink
182 announced
that they were
going to take a
break from making music. Big
deal. With any
luck, we’ll never
have to see another Blink album
again. They are
quite possibly the most repetitive
band to hit the music scene. If
you’ve heard one Blink cd, you’ve
heard them all. They are breaking up, but it is not breaking our
hearts.
Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan are attractive, but come on.
Stick to movies where you parade
around and make it bearable for
guys to sit through the stupid chick
flicks. Leave the music to real
artists.
Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, and Christina Aguilera. Do
we really have to say anything
else?
Obviously, the music world is
nothing compared to what it was
30 years ago. It has shifted from
musicians writeing about what is
meaningful to them, to artists who
are looking to make a quick buck.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well,
it is broken and needs to be fixed
What Your Peers Think:
“Say Anything is an amazing
band, and I’m glad they’re
finally getting the credit that
they desesrve.”
- Ashley Cranston, 11
“Say Anything is the best
new thing since sliced bread.
Their sound is unlike anything I’ve ever heard.”
- Dan Lukens, 12
Albums:
Baseball (2002)
Menorah/Majora EP (2003)
Is a Real Boy (2004)
133 College St.
Wadsworth, Ohio 44281
330-335-5355
[email protected]
John and Susan O’Leary
Sports
12
Multi-sport athletes lead demanding
March 2005
BY JUSTIN MCINTURFF
Here at the high school, extracurricular
activities seem to be the thing to do. Many
students get involved in sports in order to
occupy their time. However, the special
athletes are those who compete in more than
one sport. It takes a good athlete to be good
in one sport, but it takes a great athlete to
excel in multiple sports.
With teachers piling on homework every
night, it is difficult for students to practice
the things that they love to do. It takes
extreme dedication and very good time
management in order to juggle school and
sports.
will
fill
Junior Max played a very important role on the varsity soccer team this season. He is also expected to
be one of the main runners for the boys track team this spring. PHOTO FROM BRUIN ARCHIVES.
For example, senior Andy Farver is
participating in his third sport of the year
this spring. Farver excelled on both the
soccer and basketball teams, and will hope
to do the same on the tennis team. He was
a co-captain on both teams, and was a major
contributor to their success. Not only is he
a great athlete, but he also gets it done in
the classroom. Farver is in the top third
of his class, and he is also the senior class
president.
Also, Lauren Davis plays three different
sports. As a varsity star in cross country,
basketball, and softball, Lauren shows off
her athletic ability in three different seasons.
Lauren also finds the time in her busy schedule for her education.
Being a two-sport athlete can be very
demanding as well. Many students play two
sports, and are involved in clubs around the
school. For example, Brittany Schmeltzer
is on both the varsity volleyball and softball
teams. She is also involved in NHS, proving
she is a terrific student.
There are many other students that play
multiple sports. For example, senior Steve
Fracasso and junior Shelly Anderson are
both multi-sport athletes. Fracasso was
on both the varsity basketball and soccer
teams. Anderson participated in volleyball,
basketball, and will be playing on the varsity
softball team this upcoming spring.
Max Hiltner is also a two-sport athlete.
He plays the demanding sport of soccer, and
he also dedicates his time during the spring
to run track. Hiltneris expected to go deep
into the state tournament in the mile run.
“Being a multi-sport athlete is very
demanding,” says Hiltner, “It’s difficult to
get homework done having practice every
night.”
Athletes are looked up to around the
school. If you are a star athlete, you seem to
get respect from everyone. In turn, students
who play multiple sports are even more
well- known around the school. Although it
is not the way it is supposed to be, teachers
have their favorites. Most of the time, the
favorites are the students that play on the
team that the teacher coaches.
Congrats to State
Timmy Miller capped off his perfect
49-0 season with a State title. In the
171 weight class, Miller won the title
match by a score of 9-4 over David
Clemens of Beavercreek. Miller also
became the all-time win leader by surpassing the old record of 150 with 165.
Other notable performances include
Derek Foore finishing 2nd, Josh Kallai finishing 3rd, and Jamey Srock at
5th.The Grizzlies finished third in the
state thanks in part to Miller’s amazing
Five-year head basketball coach steps
BY ASHlEIGH RALSTON & SHELLY ANDERSON
Head girls basketball coach Scott Callaghan decided to end
his coaching career with
the program after his
fifth year. Callaghan
started with the Grizzlies in 2001. He finished this season with a Mr. Callaghan
15
being 67-3
Suburban League.
coaching
recordinofthe
100On Tuesday, March 8, Callaghan made
his decision known to his team. Athletic
Director Steve Moore sent out letters to all
girls involved in the program from freshmen to varsity. These letters simply said
that there would be an important but brief
meeting held after school and asked that all
would attend.
Many girls were shocked and heartbroken to hear that their coach would be
stepping down. Callaghan spoke briefly to
all the girls wanting them to hear the news
from him first.
Callaghan and assistant varsity coach
Mark Postak then left the room, and Moore
took the floor. He sympathized with the
girls in saying that he hated to see such a
kindhearted person and leader leaving the
program. Moore explained to the girls that
he and principal Williams would be holding
interviews with possible candidates for the
coaching position. Moore hopes to have a
coach by May 1, but he would hold out until
the first day of tryouts, October 28, to find
the perfect coach for the job.
On Tuesday, March 15, interested candidates were able to apply. Anyone interested
may apply until the deadline on April 1. As
of March 16, around 10 applications were
presented to Moore, but since the public has
been made aware of the resignation, there
have been many inquiries for the job.
After the deadline, Moore and Williams
will meet with a board of administrators
to review all applicants. They will weed
through all applications and select a group
to be interviewed. This is subject to change,
but Moore hopes to have a replacement up
for approval at the May School Board Meeting.
Callaghan did not comment on any possible replacement for the program head. He
had no interest on being on the recommendation board. He felt it was not his job or
Spring Sports Preview
BY MAXX MATHENY
BASEBALL
The title of “rebuilding” has been used
for practically every sport thus far this year.
Baseball is no different due to the fact that
it graduated possibly one of its greatest
classes in 2004. Looking to lead the Grizzlies this year are seniors Nick Solitario
(University of Akron signee), Tyler Gibbs,
and Adam Smith. Also looking to lead the
team this year on the mound is junior Trey
Archer. Gibbs and Solitario will also make
their presence felt against opposing batters.
The team should sneak under most radars
this year and could make a run.
SOFTBALL
The softball team should benefit from
a great senior class this year. Looking to
lead the team are Lauren Davis, Brittany
Schmeltzer, Ashleigh Ralston, Meredith
Antal, LeAnn Srock, and Leslie McCammon. The team appears to be solid all the
way around coming into the year. The only
possible weakness may be at first base where
the team is looking to replace former standout Rachelle Gunselman, who was also an
outstanding pitcher on last year’s team.
BOYS TENNIS
This year’s team appears to be heading
in the right direction to kick off the season.
his right to be involved with this decision.
Mr. Moore said he will be conducting the
summer workouts for the girls basketball
team. The girls will be in charge of choosing
which leagues and shoot-outs to enter, but
everything they want to do will have to go
through Moore first. The summer is a time
for the girls to bond and get used to playing with one another, so planning for this is
crucial.
“I will miss spending June and July with
my team,” said Callaghan.
When asked for the reason of Callaghan’s
resignation he simply stated, “The timing
was right.”
Callaghan has no regrets and would not
have done anything different during his
time coaching. He
will miss practicing
every day and the
relationships that
were built with his
players and fellow
coaches.
During the meeting, Callaghan told
the girls that he
hoped to stay a part
of their lives. Although he wouldn’t be their
coach, he wanted to keep the relationships
going because these relationships are what
he wants to take from the past five years of
coaching.
He is currently an assistant varsity
softball coach, but this will also be his last
season with that program.
“God willing, I will coach basketball
again,” Callaghan responded about his
future coaching plans.
Callaghan is upset with stepping down,
but still feels it is best for the program. He
has no regrets about his decision, and hopes
to find new and better situations in the future.
“Change challenges one to step-out in
faith; it is very healthy to be humbled,” said
Callaghan.
Looking to lead the team are seniors Adam
Pfeiffer and Andy Farver. The team should
also be able to rely on underclassmen Scott
Landerholm, and Alex LeFevre for quality
wins. The team is looking at what should
be fierce competition from fellow Suburban
League schools Green, Highland, and Revere.
season with a hopeful Suburban League
Championship.
Lower Division
GIRLS TRACK
Top returners on this year’s girls track
team are sisters Annie and Jamie Grindle
(Jamie won the SL in four events last year),
Ashley Currens, Keli-Jo White and Margaret Wheeland. After finishing last year
as Co-Champions with Copley, the team
is looking to advance deep into the post-
BOYS TRACK
The pole-vaulters, Jeff Dobbins and
Mitch Laubaugh, should be best duo out
of any school in the state. Runners Max
Hiltner and Pat Brink should be the important duo this season. Promising throwers
appear to be Bryce Storm, Kyle Kurowski,
Brian Svenson, and David Guthrie. The
team also finished the season as Co-Champions with Copley, just as the girls did.
The league appears to be very competetive
heading into the season. Both Copley and
Green have strong teams coming out, and
you can never count out any of the other
teams.
Career/technology
March 2005
Working Wadsworth works for
BY CODY STEIGERWALD
As students become more independent,
attaining a drivers licences, and beginning to
date, they need to pay for the new extravagant life-style they also need money. The
entertainment in Wadsworth may be limited
to bowling and hanging out at Wal-mart,
but the job market is wide open. They may
range for age levels and previous experience, but local employment is possible for
all.
The first place anyone should look is
in the local business. Many are still family- owned and run. This can work as an
advantage in the employes favor. Being
family- oriented, the owner will recognize
the needs of teens, having children themselves.
Bidingers opened on March 12 and is
looking for a few trustworthy employees.
The original ice cream shop of Wadsworth
may feel the heat from the Katie’s Korner
that was erected last year. The newcomer
will may be looking for an edge to successfully challenge Bids, which means
getting regulars to make a transition. That
means hiring teens
who can pull their
friends along with
them. The red hot
ice cream wars will
leave one competitor melted, but either way it is good
for the consumers.
Working for the
city is a great way
to make money and give back to the community. With all the pot holes in this city,
along with the increased traffic and maintiance of the new surveillance systems, there
are sure to be plenty of new openings. The
city always needs additional help during the
major events of the year such as the Blue
Tip Parade and Festival and the reading of
water meters.
Lets not forget the reason for all the new
pot holes and surveillance, the Wal-Mart and
Home Depot.
T h e
f o o d
services
are not
limited
to fast
food in
Wadsworth.
T h e
Galaxy
and Applebee’s offer a step up from the paper hats
and grease burns from the deep fat fryer.
There is more than just being a waiter or
waitress. They need matradies and bus boys
and girls, people to work in the back cooking
food, and people to clean the food up. Casa
del Rio may give you the opportunity to
earn some money as well as work on your
Spanish.
The car wash is a great way to work
outside in the fresh summer air and keep
cool and clean, plus you can get tips.
If it is a sea of flowers and not suds you
want to wade through, perhaps blooming
Acres is the place for you. The smell of
fresh flowers tenderly bathing those who
work, caring for life that rewards them
with vibrant sights and sound. The perks
are obvious when working in a greenhouse,
the build-up of immunities to pollen and the
extra heat from the green house effect bring
out a glistening gleam to your skin. Getting
flowers at 20% off does not hurt either.
As the happiest workers know, a job is
not about a big pay check, the best jobs have
great benefits.
Becoming independent in Wadsworth can
be difficult, but finding a job as a teenager
in Wadsworth does not have to be. Know
how much money is needed to fit a life-style,
what kind of people one would want to be
around, what, if any benefits there are, and
how much actual work can be done in a
College of the Month
Youngstown State University
cepted.
They offer scholarships, financial aid packets, and loans.
Population of school: almost 12,000 students.
Applications can be found online or they can be ordered from
the Office of Admissions.
Tuition for full-time and
12-16 credits: $5,883 (with
basic fees)
Regular Admission Applications due by August 15.
They offer over 100 undergraduate degrees and over 34
master’s programs.
For more information visit: www.ysu.edu
ACT and SAT scores ac-
Making right decisions
BY MARGARET WHEELAND
Some teens believe that the quicker they
can get a job, the sooner they will be able to
afford to go to college, or want wait a few
years to go to college. This may be true,
but job hunting is not always the way to go
right out of high school.
Lots of teens are enlisting in the Marine
Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast
Guard. The opportunity to serve our country, while earning a nice paycheck, seems
to attract many. Also, one does not have to
worry about paying for college. According
to the Montgomery G.I. Bill, if one have
completed three years of active duty, the
government will give a hefty check to pay
for secondary education. Everyone who
serves in one of the five programs gets the
chance to go to a college that is paid for by
the government.
This attribute has attracted many graduating high school students that do not feel
the need to go to college right away. However, there are many things that need to be
checked off before one decides to go into
one of these five fields. First of all, one must
pass the full physical examination that is
given when one enlists. Another, thing one
must pass is the ASVAB, or Armed Services
Vocational Aptitude Test.
Whether the decision is to go to college
right away, or to wait and get a job remember that there is an alternative.
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336-4951
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Offers an array of
sports and are part of
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For more information visit:
www.ysu.com
The beautiful campus of Youngstown looks collegiate in every season. PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.
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What does ASVAB stand for?
Automated Super Vacuum Aerial Bomber - Chrissy Dragovich
12
Adjectives Saving Vicarious Abstract Boys - Jessie Buccigrossi
12
Automated Sucking Vascular Air Bubble - Anonymous 10
All Skunks Volunteer at Baby Showers - Joan Milich 11
Angry Swimmers Vomit and Barf - Chris Saniga 9
ASVAB stands for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Test.
KinderCare Learning Centers
135 Smokerise Drive
Wadsworth, Ohio 44281
330.336.6619 330.334.4297 fax
[email protected]
Lorrie L. Schelke
Center Director
KinderCare.com
March Special
“Let Amedo’s costume design your corsage, and get a complementary bouton-
14
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
March 2005
Superintendent makes difference
Wadsworth Superintendent Dale Fortner explains, “I try to do the best job I can running the school
district, so the students get the best education and the tax payers get it at the lowest price.”
BY DREW KNIGHT
Mr. Dale Fortner is more than the person
who calls off school when the wind blows
too hard or Lake Erie dumps a early morning
snow storm on Northeast Ohio.
He is the CEO of theWadsworth School
District. Fortner not only oversees the educational aspect of the entire school district,
but he also oversees the operational aspect
of the school district.
Yet, the most amazing thing about Fortner is he does all of this and has a family of
five kids--all daughters.
Fortner credits his wife, Debbie, on how
he manages all the work and his large family.
“I have a wonderful wife,” exclaims
Forter. In the background, Sophia Fortner,
5, yells, “and wonderful daughters.” His
daughters help him as well.
Fortner gets a lot of support from his
wife. He tries to put forth the greatest possible effort in both his job and family.
It is really hard though, sometimes to be
the children of the superintendent. It can be
stressful for the kids because other children
are sometimes mean to them.
Still the job of superintendent consists of
much more than calling off school. Fortner
runs everything from the cafeteria and the
As the leader of our school system, Dale Fortner does all he can to make the schools and the community a better place.
lunches to the curriculum. Yet the students
mostly care about school days.
Calling off school for a snow day is an
important decision. Forter drives the roads
as early as 5 a.m., watches the forecast,
checks with the road and police office as
Journalist turns love
for city into career
“Writer at heart” heads local newspaper, loves every minute
BY LAURA MYERS
Strength through community. A concept
lost on many, especially during the current
conflicts Wadsworth is experiencing. Many
people are torn apart by different opinions,
such as tax abatements to businesses and
new developments.
Three years ago, these people were given
a voice, along with a reliable news source
that gave them the actual facts. This came
in the form of The Trading Post, a local
newspaper. Though it’s been around for
many years, it was mainly used for ads, with
maybe one page of local news.
Then came Carrie Valentin. As an editor
and writer, she helped revamp the Trading
Post to include a whole section of news
from Wadsworth, Cloverleaf, and Seville.
Valentin has her own column, the cleverly
named “Carrie on...” She also writes the
“What’s up in Wadsworth” page, and other
local stories.
“It is so enlightening to have an opportunity to interview many of the people that
live and work in Wadsworth,” she says. “I
have learned so much about where I live.”
Valentin has lived in Wadsworth for 15
years. Before she moved to Wadsworth, she
was a college student at Akron University.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a
degree in accounting.
While at Akron, she met Marc Valentin,
whom she later married. They have one
daughter, Liz, who is now ten years old.
Valentin says that she decided to have a
child instead of completing her masters in
accounting.
Though she worked with an accountant
for many years, Valentin says that she has
been a writer for nearly 20 years, ever since
the tragic death of her boyfriend when she
was in high school. She began to write
her feelings, and continued to do so ever
since.
“The loss of him in my life taught me
to turn words into healing,” she says of his
death.
Valentin joined the Trading Post two and
a half years ago, saying that it is her dream
job.
“I have to go behind the scenes, where
many folks don’t get to go. That is a treat,”
she explains about one of her favorite parts
of the job.
Valentin’s work on the Trading Post also
gives her a sense of accomplishment.
“All of my greatest accomplishments
happen when my words connect with others,” she says. “I have never worked so hard,
for so little money, and felt so rewarded.”
Valentin’s work on the Trading Post has
helped unite the community by giving reliable news to the people. Valentin, who has
always loved writing, loves her city and her
new career.
“Basically, it is my belief that everyone
has a story to tell. Now, I use my ability to
write to tell other people’s stories.”
Editor of the Wadsworth edition of the Trading
Post, Carrie Valentin ejoys having fun on the job.
well as talking with other superintendents.
All this is to make sure the students at
Wadsworth are safe.
“Making a decision on a snow day is not
an easy decision,” comments Fortner.
When he was younger, Fortner did not
always want to be a superintendent.
“I wanted to be a teacher,” Fortner said.
“I saw the opportunity to lead in different
ways, and I wanted to see if I was capable
of the challenge. I wanted to try and serve
Wadsworth from a different seat.”
After spending two years as principal of
Wadsworth High School, Fortner applied for
the job of superintendent and was welcome
with open arms.
Fortner needed more than a bachelors
degree to become superintendent. After
receiving his bachelors degree from the
College of Wooster, Fortner continued his
education by earning his masters at the
University of Akron.
He decided to go a step further by earning three administrative licenses. They are
for principal, assistant superintendent, and
superintendent.
The hard work is paying off for Wadsworth’s superintendent and his effort to
make Wadsworth a better school district.
Even though his job can be stressful,
Fortner enjoys his job.
His favorite part of being superintendent
is “having the ability to have a positive influence on people.” The superintendent is
doing just that.
That shows the wonderful character of
Fire Chief calls on resiLack of intelligence is a prominent
reason for cause of fires in Wadsworth
BY RYAN RENACCI
Wadsworth fire fighters are becoming
busier and busier each year responding to
emergency calls from the town’s residents.
The ten year trend summary shows a steady
increase in the number of emergency calls
since 1994.
One hundred seventy-two
calls were placed in 1994; 2003 more than
doubled that
number, with
286 emergency
calls.
“The biggest cause of
fires in Wadsworth is the
lack of intelligence when
it comes to our
residents,” said
Ralph Copley,
Chief of Fire
and E.M.S.
M r .
Copley has
protected Wadsworth citizens
from fires for many years. After many
years as a volunteer fire fighter, he filled the
position of Chief Fire Inspector in 1989. In
1992, he became the Assistant Chief, and
on February 15, 2003, he became the Chief
of Fire and E.M.S.
“I have the best job, because I get to help
people,” stated Copley, “but the loss of a life
is the worst part.” The duties of the Chief
of Fire include the everyday operation of
training, personnel, budget preparation, and
fire investigations.
Many of Wadsworth’s fires are the cause
of faulty electrical wiring, kitchen fires,
and candles. However, many are the fault
of residents “not paying attention”. When
you’re doing something like making chemicals, always be sure to know what you’re
dealing with said Copley.
Another problem the Wadsworth Fire
Department is dealing with is the number
of unintentional and false calls. In 1994, 35
residents called when the fire department
was not actually needed; it was more than
three times that amount in 2001.
The fire department has eight full time
fire medic staff, one chief, one assistant chief
(training officer), one full time medic, and
forty-seven volunteers working twenty-four
hours a day, seven days a week.
There are also two fire stations in Wadsworth. Station I has two squads, 2 engines,
an aerial, one heavy rescue, a tanker, and
four staff vehicles. Station II has two
squads, 1 engine, and one staff vehicle.
It is very important to be cautious when
dealing with fires or anything that you think
may cause a fire. It is also important to
make sure you call only during emergencies, in case there is an actual emergency
somewhere else in our city.
ADS
March 2005
15
16
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March 2005
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